November 2008 Archives

Emily the Strange has been the Hello Kitty for teenage girls who prefer black to pink for some 17 years now (if she were a real teenager she'd have grown out of her merchandise). Unfortunately for her creator, someone noticed that nonconformist gloomy teens are nothing new...

Whether you'd like to increase your mental health or just relax after a stressful holiday visit, there aren't many games more classic than chess. Over at tips and tricks blog MakeUseOf, they have rounded up a variety of ways you can both play and sharpen your chess game. The screenshot above is from FlashChessIII, a beautifully rendered flash-based and free for download chess game. If you're concerned that all the playing in the world won't make you any better, they have a variety of resources listed for helping you not just play but increase your grasp of the game. My favorite was Chess Problems, a site which generates "puzzles" based on chess board setups ranging from simple to extremely complicated. After some practice at Chess Problems you won't find yourself often staring down a chess board without a clue what your next move will be. If you're absolutely brand new to the game, make sure to check out a beginner's guide to getting good at chess.

Every single ticket issued in New York City from July 2007 to June 2008 in interactive map form. Most ticketed street? 14th Street between 7th and 8th avenue.
Related article.

In an emergency session Tuesday, members of the Supreme Metal Council strongly condemned the increasing use of the metal hand sign in lay society, claiming that its meaning has become perverted by overuse.

The Western press is heralding the discovery of the "world's oldest marijuana stash" (789 grams) in the tomb of a 2,700-year-old blond-haired, blue-eyed mummy in the Xinjiang region of China. The mummy is believed to be a Nordic-featured Gushi shaman from the Tarim Basin. Scientists conjecture that the cannabis was being saved for use in the afterlife. In actuality, according to the Journal of Experimental Botany, the stash is the oldest pot to be tested for its properties. In 2006, the Chinese press reported that Chinese scientists had unearthed an older marijuana "baggy" in a 2,800-year-old Caucasian shaman's Xinjiang tomb.

Produced and recorded in the studios of Kootenay Co-op Radio in Nelson, British Columbia, Deconstructing Dinner has been designed to dispense and discuss current food issues. This weekly radio show hosted by Jon Steinman features a wide range of topics revolving around food security.
Some highlights include:

Packaged Foods Exposed, which shines the spotlight on the worlds largest food manufacturers including PepsiCo, Nestle and Unilever.

Agri-Business Exposed, a two part exposé on Cargill

Biotechnology Myths?, recordings of speakers at the 2007 CropLife Canada Conference and responses to the message's coming out of corporate agri-business in canada.

The Local Grain Revolution, an ongoing series documenting the adventure of starting up Canada's first grain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Farming in the City, a series on urban agriculture including backyard chickens.


The show has also dedicated episodes to broadcasting the work of others
The GMO Trilogy produced by Jeffrey Smith
Part 1 - You're Eating What?
Part 2 - Unnatural Selection
Part 3 - Hidden Dangers in Kids Meals: Genetically Modifed Foods


This show runs on donations and is distributed for free to college and community radio stations and is also available online as a podcast.

Vengeance!

Stolen shamelessly from PaulFirlotte.com


This post dedicated to AllJenn.com, thanks for the tacos!

Smoke if you got 'em. Today is the Great American Smokeout, a time to reflect on how great people look when smoking, and the terrible things the additives do to you.

Gmail fans have been building unofficial extensions to spice up their inboxes for a while, but up til now themes haven't been an integral part of Gmail. We wanted to go beyond simple color customization, so out of the 30 odd themes we're launching today, there's a shiny theme with chrome styling, another one that turns your inbox into a retro notepad, nature themes that change scenery over time, weather driven themes that can rain on your mailbox, and fun characters to keep you in good company. There's even an old school ascii theme (Terminal) which was the result of a bet between two engineers -- it's not exactly practical, but it's great for testing out your geek cred. We've also done a minor facelift to Gmail's default look to make it crisper and cleaner -- you might notice a few colors and pixels shifted around here and there.
To customize your inbox, go to the Themes tab under Settings.

"A frail old man lost in space and time. They give him this name because they don't know who he is. He seems not to remember where he has come from; he is suspicious and capable of sudden malignance; he seems to have some undefined energy; he is searching for something as well as fleeing from something. He has a 'machine' which enables them to travel together through time, through space, and through matter."

The Genesis of Doctor Who.

   

Grim Fandango, which was released in 1998, is considered by many to be one of the best Lucas Arts adventure games ever made. It tells the story of Manny Calavera, a travel agent working in the land of the dead. The game combines Aztec and film noir imagery to create a game that is wholly unique and still has a rabid fan base. Tim Schafer, the primary writer for the original (and a mastermind behind recently critically appreciated games such as Psychonauts through his company Double Fine Productions has released the full 72 page design document that was written in 1996. [direct pdf link]. This is great reading for those who get nostalgic just thinking about the game. Here's the opening scene of the game to help you develop an appreciation, if you haven't done so already: youtube link