Turn up the David Bowie, break out the tinfoil hats, and stock up on canned goods: THE WORLD IS ENDING IN FIVE YEARS.
At least according to one of my favorite Eschatological Scenarios. You see, December 21, 2012 is the last date of the Mayan cycle of 13 b'ak'tuns or "Long Count, and thus as fine a date as any for the End of the World. There are plenty of theories about what, exactly, is going to happen, and you can read about most of them on the Survive 2012 website. Most deal with some sort of cosmological or geological event that causes the earth's crust to rapidly shift -- picture the skin of an orange coming loose from the fruit, and then moving relative to the fruit. Chaos, earthquakes, tsunami, war, famine, pestilence and death ensue. You can read more here and here. For good measure, Atlantis, the pyramids, and the Nazca Lines are thrown in.
Well, at least 5 years is plenty of time for me to finish sorting my mp3 collection.
| 2012 | Eschatology |
At least for New Yorkers:
A great plan for Governors Island and the return of the 2nd Avenue Deli!
Merry Happy Xmas, Solstice, Kwanza, (Eid) al Adha, Boxing Day, and New Years!
| Subway |
So the Mayor of San Fran wants to tax sugary soda. How do we feel about that? Kinda regressive. But city kids are getting fatter every year and that will put a strain on the health system of SF and the nation. But where will this slippery slope end? Taxing everything that CAN be bad for you if taken in large quantities? And if these drinks are so bad for kids why not just outlaw them? They have already banned them from some schools; why not pass a "no soda under 17" law? At least that way parents will control what their children drink.
| Soda | California | Taxation |
There's always the discussion about the worst Christmas song (my money is still on "Dominick the Donkey"), but what is the worst song ever?
Well, here it is, the worst song -- or rather, the most unwanted song, as determined by the polling artsters (or arty pollsters?) Komar & Melamid. The folks at MeFi love it, though. Maybe you will too.
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For the last 12 years, a single solitary whale whose vocalizations match no known living species has been tracked across the Northeast Pacific. Its wanderings match no known migratory patterns of any living whale species. Its vocalizations have also subtly deepened over the years, indicating that the whale is maturing and ageing. And, during the entire 12 year span that it has been tracked, it has been calling out for contact from others of its own kind.It has received no answer. Nor will it ever.
-- The Loneliest Mystery of the Deep
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Scientists Who Do Not Know Their Science Fiction
the new shelton wet/dry reports on an artificial brain grown in a petri dish that has learned to fly a plane. We all know where this is going, right? First the military gets involved and plugs these brains into F15s. Next step: Skynet. Fortunately, in this version, we are all saved when the zombies realize that inside each plane are some tasty braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains.
Scientists Who Do Know Their Science Fiction
Laser on a C-130? Looks perfect for making popcorn, right?
| Weird Science | Artificial Intelligence | Genetic Engineering | Military | Lasers |
Check out my company's new 3D, human anatomy web site. It's a complete, fully interactive, 3D human body model, with detailed models of all body systems, now out in a public beta version. The Visible Body includes over 1,700 anatomical structures, including all major organs and systems of the human body. You can search by name, and it launches directly in Internet Explorer (sorry, Mac people!).
| Education |
You know, I used to go through the various Child Product Catalogs we would receive and try and find the Most Ridiculous Product. Usually it was to deal with some imaginary / paranoid safety issue -- a Phantom Menace, as it were.
I'm pretty sure, though, that none of those items are as creeeepy weird as the Zaky Infant Pillow:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Yes, that's right. Put some disembodied hands in your child's crib. I'm sure they'll grow up normal.
Via Boing Boing. Yes, I'm catching up on my backblog.
| Strange Products |
This headline, from CNN.com, sums up the hypocrisy of Americans, politicians, and almost all religious people. Basically he said yesterday: I believe something, but don’t worry because what I believe doesn’t affect the way I behave. I will always act in accordance with your beliefs, whatever they are. ALL of you, regardless of what crazy thing you believe. Even if they contradict each other. Because deep down I know we all have the same core belief: we are religious only when it is convenient.
| Mitt Romney | Religion |
It's been years since I gave up pork. (This is part of my half-kosher deal with God -- I don't eat pork, and God continues to provide shellfish for me to consume.) I don't miss ham, but I do miss bacon.
But... bacon chocolate chip cookies? Really?
Hrmmamsmamrmashmmmm....
Via Cynical-C
| Cookies | Bacon |
There I am on TV in Boston, hawking DonorsChoose.org! MyFox Boston | DonorsChoose.Org Helps Needy Classrooms
Thanks, Fox News in Boston!
| Boston | Fox News | Shameless Self-Promotion |
Speed Racer: The Movie. Chances that the Wachowski Siblings screw this up? Oh, pretty high, given what they did to V for Vendetta. But Christina Ricci as Trixie? That could work.
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