Green Eggs and Ham Recipe

Green Eggs and Ham Recipe

"If your kids love the Dr. Suess book featuring the Cat in the Hat and his misadventures with the children, then they will get a kick out of this version of green eggs and ham. They might even start liking green foods! Adults will adore it, of course."

What's Your Blood Type?

Cheer up! Cheer UP!

Fender Hello Kitty

No, YOU rock.

Fender Hello Kitty

Henan Man Impossible to Photograph

Perhaps he was a vampire of some sort...

Henan Man Impossible to Photograph

"On January 6, 2006, Henan Province's Dahe Daily newspaper reported that the local police department was unable to take an ID photo of Ye Xiangting from Yelou Village in the Yangzhuang Township of Wugang City, Henan Province. No image of Ye Xiangting showed up in the computer photos, and there is still no clear explanation for the result.

Ye Xiangting told the reporter about his recent visit to the Yangzhuang police station to get a photo taken for a new ID card. He sat in front of the camera, but no image of him would show up in the photo. The staff checked the camera very carefully, but found no problems. He retook photos of Ye Xiangting, but no photos of Ye Xiangting was found on the computer images.

"

Not a Hoax, One-Eyed Kitten Had Bizarre Condition

Not a Hoax, One-Eyed Kitten Had Bizarre Condition

"A photo of a one-eyed kitten named Cy drew more than a little skepticism when it turned up on various Web sites, but medical authorities have a name for the bizarre condition.

"'Holoprosencephaly' causes facial deformities, according to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health. In the worst cases, a single eye is located where the nose should be, according to the institute's Web site.

"Traci Allen says the kitten she named Cy, short for Cyclops, was born the night of Dec. 28 with the single eye and no nose.

"'You don't expect to see something like that,' the 35-year-old Allen said by telephone from her home in Redmond in central Oregon."

The Town That Hated Heroes

In the real world, we hate our heroes sometimes.

The Town That Hated Heroes

"A miserable little version of Gotham City, the Michigan town of Jackson has turned on its only superhero."

A Quick Word About Verification

Hi folks.

I know that there aren't a lot of people who comment on Dorkland! but I thought that I would stop to mention the fact that I have set the comments to a moderated status. This means that I have to approve each comment before it gets posted to the blog. I just want to let people know that this is because of the fact that Spamming Comments on blogs is running rampant, and it has become almost as bad as email spam. It is because of these spammers that I had to do this moderation.

A few bad apples always spoil things for the rest. I just wanted to let people know why I made the choices that I made.

Thanks.

Garfield Randomizer

Make your own surreal masterpieces with random panels of Garfield strips. Have fun.

Garfield Randomizer

[via Boing Boing]

OEMED! – Warren Ellis

Artist Michael Avon Oeming interviews Warren Ellis to start off a new online column of comic industry interviews.

This is a really good interview, whether you are a fan of Ellis' work or not. If you aren't now, you might be when you've finished the interview. Enjoy.

OEMED! – Warren Ellis

"Michael Avon Oeming takes on Warren Ellis

"Welcome to OEMED!, a series of monthly interviews with various creators, both writers and artists, mayhaps even an editor or two. If you’re not familiar with my work, look me up on Google, I have enough to type already.

"These interviews should be fun and informative; from the POV of one artist/writer getting into the mind of another creator, helping readers get into our mindset. I won’t be asking about specific projects, but about the process behind those projects. I will try and be as honest as possible about myself, and with whom I am interviewing, and I won’t pull any punches if I have them, while at the same time, remaining respectful.

"The first interview I have for you is with Warren Ellis. You know his work from TRANSMETROPOLITAN, PLANETARY, AUTHORITY, GLOBAL FREQUENCY, STORMWATCH, ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, DOWN, DESOLATION JONES, FELL and many other comics and original graphic novels." [via Bad Signal]

20-sided Fuzzy Dice Danglers

20-sided Fuzzy Dice Danglers

"True, 6-sided fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror may be overdone and cliche, but 20-sided dice, that is a different story. Time to replace that ratty, dangling high school tassel with something more fitting of a geek. Think of these fuzzy icosahedrons (that's a 20-sided polyhedron for the math-impaired) as a fantasy muse, inspiring you as you drive, conjuring images of dungeon crawling, orc whacking, and critical hitting."

Nasa team sees explosion on Moon

Or, could it be because of something more sinister. This event could be a useful seed to jumpstart a super-hero or SF game of some sort or another.

Nasa team sees explosion on Moon

"Nasa scientists have witnessed a rare explosion on the Moon, caused by a meteoroid slamming into it.

"The blast was equal in energy to about 70kg of TNT and was seen near the edge of Mare Imbrium (the Sea of Rains).

"The object that hit the Moon was probably part of a shower of 'taurids' which peppered Earth in late October and early November."

The Coolest Rooms on the Planet

Now we know where the money from the comics are going...

The Coolest Rooms on the Planet

"Fit for a superhero, Joe Quesada's Manhattan flat accommodates technology without sacrificing clean design. As editor in chief of Marvel Comics, Quesada can watch Spider-Man save the Big Apple from anywhere in his 4,800-square-foot loft. Six rooms, including the bath, feature flat-panel screens, but the real highlight is a theater that opens into a music room."

Dick Clark Returns to TV to Mark New Year

It was a mixed bit of sorrow and happiness seeing him on TV last night. It really isn't New Year's Eve without Dick Clark, but I guess that he isn't immortal after all and one year he won't be there any more. Just as long as Ryan Seacrest doesn't take over. Blech.

Dick Clark Returns to TV to Mark New Year

"There was more to celebrate than the ball dropping in Times Square for Dick Clark — the personality who's been ringing in the New Year for decades made his first television appearance since a stroke in late 2004.

"Clark, sitting behind a desk with the street scene in the background, sounded hoarse and occasionally was hard to understand, but he said, 'I wouldn't have missed this for the world.'

"'Last year I had a stroke,' he explained. 'It left me in bad shape. I had to teach myself how to walk and talk again. It's been a long, hard fight. My speech is not perfect but I'm getting there.'"

The Lion, The Witch and The World Trade talks

The Lion, The Witch and The World Trade talks

"The fantasy land of Narnia, the subject of C. S. Lewis' stories and a just-released film, impinged on last week's World Trade Organisation talks.

"A story issued by financial news agency AFX on Sunday, picked up by several other outlets, has left a series of red faces by faithfully reporting a press release from 'the independent state of Narnia'. The story claimed Narnia had walked out of the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong because it was fed up with being bullied by the US and Europe. It claimed the major powers were attempting to enforce liberalisation of its clothing sector.

"It quoted Narnia spokeswoman Susan Aslan (Aslan is the name of the Christ-like lion featured in the film, and book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe). Narnia's delegates 'were tired of bullying by EU and US delegations and would be returning immediately to their state capital at Cair Parvel,' Ms Aslan was reported as saying. 'If this brings the Hong Kong talks to the knees we will be delighted,' it went on. The story was picked up by top business websites, including Forbes.com."

Devo whips up classic tracks for kids

Here's one for Daiv:

Devo whips up classic tracks for kids

"A new generation of music fans will get hip to one of new wave's most iconic acts through Devo 2.0.

"For the project, all five members of Devo regrouped to re-record some of its best known songs, including the 1980 hit 'Whip It!' with vocals provided by a quintet of kids. Also included will be 'Cyclops' and 'The Winner,' the first new studio tracks from Devo in nearly two decades.

"The 'Devo 2.0' CD is due March 17 via Disney Sound, a family-oriented division of Walt Disney Records. A companion DVD will feature animated and live-action videos for each of the tracks directed by Devo bassist Gerry Casale.

"Disney Sound was inaugurated with the January release of Grammy-winning alt-rock duo They Might Be Giants' 'Here Come the ABCs' on CD and DVD, which have sold more than 100,000 combined in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan."

Wil McCarthy's Hacking Matter

Download a PDF copy of Wil McCarthy's science book Hacking Matter. There is sure to be something of interest for those of you who want a little bleeding edge ultratech in your games.

Wil McCarthy's Hacking Matter

"The Flick of a switch: A wall becomes a window becomes a hologram generator. Any chair becomes a hypercomputer, any rooftop a power or waste treatment plant.

"Programmable matter is probably not the next technological revolution, nor even perhaps the one after that. But it's coming, and when it does, it will change our lives as much as any invention ever has. Imagine being able to program matter itself--to change it, with the click of a cursor, from hard to soft, from paper to stone, from fluorescent to super-reflective to invisible. Supported by companies ranging from Levi Strauss to IBM and the Defense Department, solid-state physicists in laboratories at MIT, Harvard, Sun Microsystems, and elsewhere are currently creating arrays of microscopic devices called "quantum dots" that are capable of acting like programmable atoms. They can be configured electronically to replicate the properties of any known atom and then can be changed, as fast as an electrical signal can travel, to have the properties of a different atom. Soon it will be possible not only to engineer into solid matter such unnatural properties as variable magnetism, programmable flavors, or exotic chemical bonds, but also to change these properties at will.

"Wil McCarthy visits the laboratories and talks with the researchers who are developing this extraordinary technology; describes how they are learning to control its electronic, optical, thermal, magnetic, and mechanical properties; and tells us where all this will lead. The possibilities are truly magical.

"Wil McCarthy is a novelist, the science columnist for the SciFi channel, and the Chief Technology Officer for Galileo Shipyards, an aerospace research corporation."

What Celebrity Do You Look Like?

Upload a picture of yourself and let their facial recognition software tell you what celebrity that you look like.

What Celebrity Do You Look Like?

Happy New Year, folks!

Top Scientists Validating the Supernatural Universe

Top Scientists Validating the Supernatural Universe

"The Field tells the story of a group of frontier scientists who discovered that the Zero Point Field - an ocean of subatomic vibrations in the space between things - connects everything in the universe, much like the Force in Star Wars."

Author of Roswell 'flying saucer' news release dies - Dec 19, 2005

Author of Roswell 'flying saucer' news release dies - Dec 19, 2005

"Army Lt. Walter Haut, who issued a news release in 1947 that said a flying saucer landed in Roswell, died there Thursday, his daughter, Julie Shuster, said. He was 83.

"Haut, a former spokesman for the Roswell Army Air Field, took dictation on July 8, 1947, as base commander Col. William Blanchard dictated a news release about a recovered flying saucer and ordered Haut to issue it.

"The Roswell Daily Record newspaper ran a bold headline on July 9, 1947: 'RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region.'

"The same day, a statement was released saying it was only a weather balloon." [via Jonny] [CNN.com has popups]

Lifehack Your Books: Dogear, Writing In Books, and Apologizing to Librarians

I'm really not sure if I would be able to do this myself, but it is something that is interesting to pass along. Pristine books are something of a fault among geeks, I think.

Lifehack Your Books: Dogear, Writing In Books, and Apologizing to Librarians

"First, I want to apologize to librarians and to make clear that what I’m about to say applies only to books you’ve bought for yourself. See, since libraries and books that our parents bought for us are our primary mode of book access in childhood, we grow up with a set of norms for how we interact with books. Because all of those books are expected to remain in as pristine of shape as possible for as long as possible, we have a set of rules in our heads.

"1. Never write in books
"2. Never dogear pages (fold over the corner)
"3. Keep dustjackets on the books and add them via bookcovers if they don’t have them.

"And, for textbooks, books that your younger siblings need to use later, and library books, those rules are necessary to ensure that the books last long enough to be useful to as many people as possible. However, for books bought for individual use, these rules aren’t necessary. If you adhere to them religiously for your own books (most of which couldn’t possibly wear out via normal use), you’re missing out on some of the best methods for getting the most out of books.

"I personally believe that there is no greater respect that can be shown a book than by using it."

Dean Gray Tuesday

Edit: The nice folks at Webfeed Central are hosting the MP3s for American Edit here, on their website. Viva Internet freedom. This is a great piece of production work, I really recommend checking it out. (1/1/06)

"Dean Gray" is two talented DJs (Party Ben and Team9) who created an incredible mashup "album" (this album was released only as MP3s over the internet for non-commercial use) and was smacked down by Warner Records 10 days later, for copy-right infringement.

Please note, if you came to this site via a search engine Dorkland! is not hosting the American Edit MP3s, but you can find a link to the AmericanEdit.org site to direct you to the downloads. I've got a copy of American Edit that I burned to CD this past week, and I have to say that it is one of the most brilliant mashups that I have come across in quiet a while.

Today is Dean Gray Tuesday, and to protest the actions of Warner Records a number of websites around the world are hosting the files until midnight tonight. Check them out for yourself. Of particular interest to followers of Dorkland would be the song "Dr. Who on Holiday." Here is the press release about today:

"About Dean Gray Tuesday

"Only 10 days after its release, the mash-up album American Edit, which pays tribute to the acclaimed Green Day album American Idiot through some of the best mash-up productions of 2005, was shut down reportedly after received a cease & desist order from Green Day's label, Warner records, despite the fact that it was released as an internet only release with no commercial gain for the team of mash-up artists involved. In fact, the only possible profit to be made from the release was a plea from the creators of the album (known only by the shared alias Dean Gray) for fans who enjoyed the creation to donate to one of three possible charities that Green Day have been known to support. Furthermore, the mash-up versions were such fantastic productions that they were truly a departure from the standard Green Day performances and would not compete for consumptive dollars.

"We hope to mobilize the online Mash-Up community by organizing a simple one-day organized event. Participants would be asked to post the American Edit album online for 24 hours only starting on Tuesday, December 13, at 12:00AM. Doing so is not intended to be a mass organization of music piracy but, rather, one single display of the consumptive power of the mash-up and home remix community in the hopes of encouraging the labels, publishers and artists who are curious about the mash-up community to consider giving the high quality productions of 'illegitimate' music a legitimate consideration as a promotional avenue for all music.

"We also hope to encourage club DJs and radio DJs to air portions of the American Edit release on 'Gray' Tuesday and refer to this site by reporting their planned airplay in advance."

Check out the AmericanEdit.org site for the sites who are hosting the album, as well as more information about Dean Gray Tuesday and the American Edit phenomenon.

Who watches the watchers?

I think that this is the telling line: When did entertainment turn so dark? I would further specify that question by asking When did comic books turn so dark? Obviously, the turning point came in 1986 with the Watchmen and The Dark Knight: Batman Returns.

Be warned that this is a review of a comic book that appears on a website with a pretty conservative political agenda to it. I would consider that on its own to be fairly ironic. However, when you add to this irony the fact that the reviewer complains about the lack of female characters in the story.

Who watches the watchers?

"Why do contemporary artists all seem to think the end of the world is nigh? Why has art become a thing of ugliness, instead of light? With all the beautiful things we see every day, the delicacy of a flower, the turn of a woman's arm, the grace of a bird in flight, we are treated only to the bizarre and horrid by our artists. These days we see sculptures that look like molecular mistakes writ large. We live in architecture that appears like a jumble of blocks thrown to the ground in the midst of a temper tantrum by a gigantic, petulant child. We view paintings that appear more accidental than planned. We have movies full of violence and anti-social behavior. On the radio we hear music that celebrates all the worst in man. We even have comic books that belittle heroism, that deconstruct the good and exceptional turning their heroes as cartoonishly flawed as the most obscene head case on the Jerry Springer Show.

"When did entertainment turn so dark?

"In the field of comic books, a 12 part series called Watchmen, created by the writer as a political commentary on its time, was hailed as having 'transcended its origins,' becoming a watershed in comics entertainment. This series, published in 1986, was at the front edge of a wave of comics in the early and mid 1980s that attempted to demolish the heroes of the past and replace them with a post-hero world of darkness and pessimism.

"So why talk about a comic book from 1986 now? With a motion picture under development and time Magazine placing the series on its top 100 novels Watchmen is being brought back into prominence, and now seems like a good time to re-visit the series. Since it is claimed that it had so changed the comic book industry, let's give it a look with fresh, more critical eyes."

Oh No Robot comics search

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Someone has come up with a search engine for webcomics. This probably means that it is time for one of my perrrenial catch-ups with Something*Positive.

Oh No Robot comics search

Let me know if you like how it works.

Ultimate Avengers Animated Movie - Feb. 06

Here's some interesting news for fans of the Avengers/the Ultimates. I doubt if the storyline will be quite as extreme as the Ultimates comic, but it could still be good.

Here's also a link to some screenshots.

Ultimate Avengers Animated Movie - Feb. 06

"Press Release on the Animated Avengers DVD
"Source: Marvel Enterprises, Lions Gate Home Entertainment
"July 19, 2004


"Lions Gate and Marvel have made The Avengers DVD official with the following announcement this morning:

"Marvel Enterprises and Lions Gate's Family Home Entertainment, a division of Lions Gate Entertainment, have announced that the first title to be released through their recent made-for-DVD agreement will be 'The Avengers'(TM). The first installment of the multi-picture home video deal, the animated feature will cast some of Marvel's most popular Super Heroes including Captain America(TM), The Hulk(TM), Iron Man(TM), and Thor(TM). Production on 'The Avengers' home video release -- which will be based on the best-selling Marvel Comics series 'The Ultimates' -- has already commenced. The animated feature will be distributed by Lions Gate Home Entertainment and available in stores in early 2006.

"'The Avengers' are a super hero team for the ages which combines many of Marvel's most popular and enduring characters into one cohesive unit,' said David Maisel, President and COO, Marvel Studios. 'They are a natural choice to launch Marvel into the fast growing made-for-DVD marketplace.'

"Glenn Ross, President, Lions Gate Family Home Entertainment, added, 'Production on this new title marks the next chapter in our ongoing relationship with Marvel. We're excited to be able to bring high quality animation and compelling stories to a very rich cast of top Marvel characters that will satisfy both the hard core Marvel fan as well as a broader audience that is looking for great action hero entertainment.'

"Marvel and Lions Gate plan to develop, produce and distribute eight original animated made-for-DVD features based upon the extensive Marvel character library. Marvel is spearheading development and production with Lions Gate handling marketing and distribution. This agreement builds upon the existing theatrical relationship between Lions Gate and Marvel, under which Lions Gate released 'The Punisher'(TM) to theatres earlier this year, starring Thomas Jane, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and John Travolta, and is currently developing theatrical film releases for Marvel's 'Iron Fist'(TM) and 'Black Widow'(TM) characters."

Thanks Jonny!

Wikipedia Tightens Submission Rules - Yahoo! News

Although it is due to a number of happenings, this is the straw that broke Wikipedia's back.

Wikipedia Tightens Submission Rules - Yahoo! News

"SAN FRANCISCO - Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia to which anyone can contribute, is tightening submission rules after a prominent journalist complained that an article falsely implicated him in the Kennedy assassinations.

"Wikipedia will now require users to register before they can create articles, Jimmy Wales, founder of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Web site, said Monday. People who modify existing articles will still be able to do so without registering.

"The change comes less than a week after John Seigenthaler, a one-time administrative assistant to Robert Kennedy, complained in an op-ed published in USA Today that a biography of him on Wikipedia claimed he had been suspected in the assassinations of the former attorney general and his brother, President John F. Kennedy.

"Wikipedia, often cited as a prime example of the type of collective knowledge-pooling that the Internet enables, has some 850,000 articles in English as well as entries in at least eight other languages, including Italian, French, German and Portuguese.

"Since it's launch in 2001, it has grown into a storehouse of information on topics ranging from medieval art to nanotechnology.

"The volume is possible because the site relies on volunteers, including many experts in their fields, who submit entries and edit previously submitted articles.

"Wales said he hopes the registration requirement will limit the number of articles being created.

"While it would not prevent people from posting false information, the new process will make it easier, said Wales, for the site's 600 active volunteers to review and remove factual errors, defaming statements and other material that runs afoul of Wikipedia policy.

"Wikipedia visitors will still be able to edit content already posted without registering. It takes 15 to 20 seconds to create an account on the Web site, and an e-mail address is not required."

I think that my feelings on Wikipedia are summed up by the following quote:

"'I sympathize with this person, but it's really not any different than a posting on an anonymous Web page,' Eugene Volokh, a law professor specializing in the First Amendment, said, referring to Seigenthaler. Volokh added that Wikipedia provides casual readers with a valuable service but that he would never rely on it as a source for scholarly articles."