I've Heard of Billboards Causing Crashes, But...

A read about this billboard going haywire a couple weeks ago:

Microsoft and Shockwave billboard for the BBC instantly morphs into an ad for Mac. Or Linux. Or really anyone. I wonder if it's appropriate to ask, "Microsoft, where would you like to go instead today?"

Baez Crackpot Index

Need to know if a modern theorist is really just a whack-job with a keyboard (or a crayon and a secretary)? Just check the Crackpot Index.

666, oops carry the 2, subtract the - OK, sorry, it's 616. Our bad.

It's not 666. It's 616. Straight from the scientists working on the ancient papyri unearthed a little over 100 years ago at Oxyrhynchus. (Go ahead, say Oxyrhynchus fast three times; sounds like you're talking laundry.)

As early as about 200 A.D. Irenaeus is known to have suggested the number was 616, but he stuck with the traditional 666 anyway. Should have gone with the hunch.

See the Papyrus Project at Oxyrhynchus so they can better explain this to you.

Back to the drawing board, Hollywood. And Wiccans. And all you goofballs with "666" tattooed somewhere on your bodies.

Speaking of Blogging...

The Daily Show talking about news shows talking about bloggers talking about blogs talking about news shows ....

Here.

Update - Got this at Matt Walters blog.

I've discovered serendipitously that linking directly to somebody's video content is sort of bandwidth-sucking thievery, at least if you don't cite the source properly or link to the relevant post instead. So I'll go back through my posts and rectify any other occurences like this one. You know, BEFORE I have more than three readers and it actually makes any difference at all anyway.

Dancing Citroen. What More Can I Say?

Last year while obviously looking for a way to atrophy whole lobes of my grey matter, I came across The Amazing Dancing Citroen.

Now comes The Amazing Spoof.

End of the iPod? Already?

Bill Gates says iPod is nearing its end.

Of course, he forgot mention that it's because the iPodPhone is coming out.

Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Shoe

So, 2000 years ago, some guy wandered around for days near the brand new water well, half barefoot, looking for his other shoe. I wonder how much salt it cost him to buy a new one?

Who loses a shoe in a hollow log? Honestly.

I've fixed the link in this article since Yahoo Goofy News doesn't hang on to their articles too long...

Music Blogs

I usually have some sort of white noise streaming live in the background while I work. Something for my mental well-being while I pay attention to my clients' best interests. I can't go bouncing around Audio-BlogLand, unfortunately.

But if you would like to use up a day or two on your own:

Peruse this kinda huge list of Audio Blogs compiled and categorized by John over at THE TOFU HUT, where their work is play.

Saw this link at stranger fruit

innocent until... ruined

south park michael jackson sendup

Lamely Lucky

Just because they've won the lottery 5 times in 5 weeks doesn't mean there's anything fishy going on.

Besides, if you were going to cheat the state lottery multiple times, you'd probably have a lot of money, right?

Since 2000 - five freaking years - Jeff and Lisa Hintz have won a total of $70,000. Carry the 2, add the - yeah, that averages out to $14,000 a year in winnings. They're not exactly buying Marvin Gardens with that. In fact, they've probably played about that much just to win so many times anyway.

Let's put it this way: If I ever cheat on a lottery game, I'm winning BIG-TIME.

Of course, I haven't been to Madison lately.

CSI ... I Thought It Was The Real Thing

"Experts: 'CSI' Unrealistically Depicts Job"

Ya think?

And hey, look, is it just me, or is David Caruso's role

the . worst . acting . ever .?

What happened to that guy? This is prime time TV, right? He used to do this, right?

WTF?

I am Buridan's Ass

Seriously. You should see me in front of the fridge.

Papa's Old Love Bug

The Golden Palace Casino, which has been buying up such cultural artifacts as the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Stripper Tawny Peaks' Gargantuan Implants, has successfully bid for Pope Benedict's old VW.

I was going to call it the Pope-mobile but actually the pope owned it while still Cardinal Ratzinger.

So let's call it Der Love-Bug.

Yeah, that'll catch on.

Bacardi Dress-Rippin' Commercial

But I still don't get where those red pants came from.

At AdRants

The Prodigal Pecker

I only wish I had dreamed up that phrase myself.

However, I am an ethical fool and will credit Mike at
10,000 Birds in his report about the surprise return of Campephilus principalis, the Ivory Billed Woodpecker.

Welcome back, bird.

But I hope there are more than just that one male that's been sighted...

Rich People Get Fat Too

The difference in obesity rates between rich and poor is getting less significant.

Hey, maybe a lot of people just EAT TOO MUCH.

Selfish Genes in Humans and Chimps

From New Scientist:

"These genes show signs of positive natural selection in both branches of the evolutionary tree and are changing more swiftly than would be expected through random mutation alone.

"...Cells carrying genes that hinder apoptosis [cell-death] have a greater chance of producing mature sperm cells, so Nielsen believes these genes can become widespread in populations over time.
But because primates also use apoptosis to eliminate cancerous cells, positive selection in this case may not be favourable for the mature animal: 'The selfish mutations that cause apoptosis avoidance may then also reduce the organism's ability to fight cancer,' Nielsen explains."
- New Scientist Article

So all those cancers everywhere are probably not the devil after all.