Friday, December 31, 2004

Grid.org Grid Computing Projects

Grid.org

"Grid.org is a single destination site for large-scale, non-profit research projects of global significance. With the participation of over 3 million devices worldwide, grid.org projects like Cancer Research, Anthrax Research, Smallpox Research and the new Human Proteome Folding Project (running in conjunction with IBM's new World Community Grid) have achieved record levels of processing speed and success.

"Grid.org projects are powered by United Devices' Grid MP technology, the leading solution for commercial enterprise grid deployments."

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Ailing Clark to Watch Eve Special From Bed

Regis Philbin? New Year's Suckin' Eve...if you ask me. Although, I guess this proves that Dick Clark is in fact mortal after all. Unless this is a ruse.

Ailing Clark to Watch Eve Special From Bed

"'American Bandstand' icon Dick Clark plans to watch his New Year's Eve show from the hospital bed where he is recovering from a stroke.

"Clark, 75, suffered what was described as a mild stroke and has been hospitalized since Dec. 6. Regis Philbin is filling in for America's oldest teenager on ABC-TV's 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2005' on Friday."

American Red Cross - Online Donation Form

I know that I can't right now, but if you have some money to spare maybe you should consider helping out somewhere else in the world (or even in your own town).

American Red Cross - Online Donation Form

Google Technology

This has always been a favorite site of mine. Yes, this is really on the Google site. Trying looking for the hiring opportunities on their lunar base.

Google Technology

"As a Google user, you're familiar with the speed and accuracy of a Google search. How exactly does Google manage to find the right results for every query as quickly as it does? The heart of Google's search technology is PigeonRank™, a system for ranking web pages developed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University."

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

'Law & Order' Star Jerry Orbach Dies

'Law & Order' Star Jerry Orbach Dies

"Actor Jerry Orbach, who played a sardonic, seen-it-all cop on TV's 'Law & Order' and scored on Broadway as a song-and-dance man, has died of prostate cancer at 69, a representative of the show said Wednesday."

Websnark.com: The 2004 Shortbread Recipents for Bringing the Funny

A very long list of webcomics, maybe you'll find something you like. Something Positive made the list.

Websnark.com: The 2004 Shortbread Recipents for Bringing the Funny

"This warm plate of Shortbread (Tasty, Tasty Shortbread) is going out to those webcomics that I feel most Brought the Funny in 2004. Bear in mind, these are the strips I read that I think succeeded. I don't read every webcomic (I doubt I read 5% of all the webcomics out there. I doubt you do too, for a statistically valid description of 'you.') So I don't claim this to be an objective list of the best, funniest webcomics in the world. These are the ones that made me smile, pretty much every day."

Monday, December 27, 2004

From Sir Arthur regarding the recent tsunamis in South and Southeast Asia

From Sir Arthur regarding the recent tsunamis in South and Southeast Asia

"Thank you for your concern about my safety in the wake of Sunday’s devastating tidal wave.

"I am enormously relieved that my family and household have escaped the ravages of the sea that suddenly invaded most parts of coastal Sri Lanka, leaving a trail of destruction.

"But many others were not so fortunate. For hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans and an unknown number of foreign tourists, the day after Christmas turned out to be a living nightmare reminiscent of The Day After Tomorrow.

"Among those affected are my staff based at our diving station in Hikkaduwa and holiday bungalow in Kahawa – both beachfront properties located in areas worst hit. We still don’t know the fully extent of damage as both roads and phones have been damaged. Early reports indicate that we have lost most of our diving equipment and boats. Not all our staff members are accounted for – yet.

"This is indeed a disaster of unprecedented magnitude for Sri Lanka which lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath. We are all trying to contribute to the relief efforts. We shall keep you informed as we learn more about what happened.

"Curiously enough, in my first book on Sri Lanka, I had written about another tidal wave reaching the Galle harbour (see Chapter 8 in The Reefs of Taprobane, 1957). That happened in August 1883, following the eruption of Krakatoa in roughly the same part of the Indian Ocean.

"Arthur Clarke
"27 December 2004"

Free Shadowrun pdf Downloads

Please note: This is a post from 2004, and since that is a few years (and FanPro is no longer the publishers of record for Shadowrun) ago, I have deactivated the link and comments to this post. Not everything on the Internet is forever. :)

I am sure that this is a limited time offer, and since it is dated the 24th, people should probably try to take advantage of this as quickly as they can. Free is free, after all.

Official Shadowrun Site

"December 24th, 2004. Happy Holidays! FanPro has made several out-of-print products available for free download in PDF format. You can download them directly from our site."

How to write a best selling fantasy novel.

How to write a best selling fantasy novel.

"Every since 'The Lord of the Rings', epic fantasy novels have been high on the bestseller list. Every thought of writing one? WELL HERE'S HOW." [via Jonathan]

Monday, December 20, 2004

McFarlane pushed into bankruptcy court

McFarlane pushed into bankruptcy court

"PHOENIX (AP-CP) - A $15-million US jury award against Spawn creator Todd McFarlane has pushed his comic-book business into bankruptcy court.

"Todd McFarlane Productions Inc. of Tempe, Ariz., filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors Friday in U.S. bankruptcy court.

"A jury in St. Louis awarded former NHL player Tony Twist $15 million after concluding that McFarlane and his company profited by using Twist's name without permission and that Twist's publicity rights were infringed.

"McFarlane, a Calgary native, gave the name Antonio Tony Twist Twistelli to a violent New York mob boss character in his Spawn comic books in the early 1990s.

"Twist, a Canadian from Sherwood Park, Alta., claimed the comic book character hurt his image and cost him endorsements. The former Quebec Nordique and St. Louis Blue was known more for his fighting than his skating, racking up 1,121 penalty minutes before his last big-league game in 1999.

"The U.S. Supreme Court in January rejected without comment an appeal by McFarlane that argued his work was free speech.

"Last year, he said his McFarlane Cos., then an umbrella of seven businesses, had annual sales exceeding $50 million.

"The bankruptcy filing allows McFarlane's company to continue to operate and reorganize its finances while freeing it from the threat of creditors' lawsuits.

"In 1999, McFarlane paid $3 million for Mark McGwire's 70th home-run baseball. He also paid $450,000 last year for Barry Bonds' record 73rd home-run ball and owns Sammy Sosa's 66th home-run ball." [via Jonathan]

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Geek Women

Geek Women -- Your Little Standards-Compliant Fantasy by Wednesday White :: Comixpedia :: Covering the Digital Frontier of Comics Online

"Girl geeks may never have had it better, but that doesn't mean we're altogether finished yet. Despite significant advances, glass ceilings and salary gaps persist in the tech industry; so does discrimination. We can still feel uncomfortable at the comic shop, where our custom is frequently a fairly recent development. We're still seen as something of an aberration amongst gamers, despite a nontrivial presence in the community."

Thursday, December 09, 2004

Are You A Ninja?

You are a Man in Black.
You are not a Man in Black. You do not work for the
CIA. You do not exist. You do not move outside
the realm of normal society. This quiz does not
exist. Nothing to see here. Move along please.


Are_You_a_Ninja
brought to you by Quizilla

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Internet Explorer Users Apparently Not So Bright

Firefox users ignore online ads

"Internet Explorer users are at least four times as likely to click on Web ads than Firefox users, a German advertising technology company said last week."

Monday, December 06, 2004

Turns Out Matrix, Terminator Weren't Original

Well, I guess that I am finding this better late than never. Apparently even the crappy ideas aren't original ones.

"Mother of the Matrix" Victorious

"Monday, October 4th 2004 ended a six-year dispute involving Sophia Stewart, the Wachowski Brothers, Joel Silver and Warner Brothers. Stewart's allegations, involving copyright infringement and racketeering, were received and acknowledged by the Central District of California, Judge Margaret Morrow residing."

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Lawyers shelve Alexander action

BBC NEWS: Lawyers shelve Alexander action

"The group had claimed the film was 'pure fiction and not a true depiction of Alexander's life', and wanted this made clear to cinema-goers.

"But the lawyers have withrawn their demand to have the film's opening on Friday delayed, so they can watch a preview screening of it.

"Director Oliver Stone said there was a historian on set to ensure accuracy."