The Latest from Boing Boing

---

• Nick Cave and Shane MacGowan: "What a Wonderful World"
• Gorey-esque post-it doodles
• Oral history of Captain Marvel
• Happy Hindi Christmas
• WSJ obtains Wikileaks financial data: spending up, donations down
• Merry Gothsmas
• Petroleum Nativity
• Why NORAD tracks Santa
• Top 20 Photoshop Disasters of 2010
• Topeak Joe Blow Floor Pump
• All I want for Christmas is the $62,000 Twitter owes me
• Ghost Bus spotted in Manhattan
• A very Lynchian Chrimbus (Dr. Steve Brule fan-art)
• Jelly wobbling machine
• Doctor eats entire artichoke, sues restaurant for not stopping him
• Photos of recent flood in Southern California
• Samuel Sevian, 9, is youngest US national chess master
• Reindeer on shrooms
• Pearl in man's ear for 41 years
• If the FCC was in charge of Rome's barbarian policy
• Family Xmas traditions

Nick Cave and Shane MacGowan: "What a Wonderful World" Posted: 25 Dec 2010 04:31 AM PST Nick Cave and Shane MacGowan sing "What a Wonderful World."

Gorey-esque post-it doodles Posted: 24 Dec 2010 11:02 PM PST Kids' TV writer/director John Kenn draws great Gorey-esque doodles on post-it notes and pops them on his blog. don kenn gallery (via Making Light)

Oral history of Captain Marvel Posted: 24 Dec 2010 10:59 PM PST Zack Smith sez, "I've done an 'oral history' of Captain Marvel to coincide with Chip Kidd's new book SHAZAM!: THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE WORLD'S MIGTIEST MORTAL. It has all new interviews with Kidd, Mark Waid, Alex Ross, Roy Thomas, Jeff Smith, Mike Kunkel, Jerry Ordway, Elliot Maggin and Jackson Bostwick, TV's Captain Marvel. The extended series features all-new artwork from such creators as RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN's Janet Lee and CONCRETE's Paul Chadwick, and doesn't shy away from such issues as the racist stereotypes in some of the early stories and DC's problems finding an audience for the property. Shazam!" In February 1940, the book officially hit newsstands under the title Whiz Comics #2 , and its cover character officially renamed Captain Marvel. The cover, perhaps not coincidentally, mirrored Superman's first appearance on the cover of Action Comics #1 . Even less of a coincidence were the echoes of Captain Billy's book, both in the title and the name of its main character. That initial story set up the legend comic fans know - orphan newsboy Billy Batson is summoned down a mysterious subway tunnel, past statues of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man (Greed, Hate, Laziness, etc.) to meet the evil-battling wizard Shazam, who is about to die (he sticks around as a ghost). Asked to be the wizard's new champion, Billy accepts the challenge. By uttering the wizard's name, Billy is able to summon the lightning that brings wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury - The World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel! An Oral History of CAPTAIN MARVEL: The Fawcett Years, pt. 1   Trailer for Chip Kidd's new Shazam! book - Boing Boing William Goldman's Captain Marvel screenplay - Boing Boing

Happy Hindi Christmas Posted: 24 Dec 2010 09:44 PM PST A Hindu man has his forehead painted with a message in Hindi "Happy Christmas" on the river banks of the Ganges river on the eve of Christmas, in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, on December 24, 2010. [REUTERS/Jitendra Prakash]

WSJ obtains Wikileaks financial data: spending up, donations down Posted: 24 Dec 2010 06:01 PM PST [photograph: Ukrainian activists hold a rally in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in front of the Swedish embassy to Ukraine in Kiev. REUTERS] The Wall Street Journal has a report out today with details on Wikileaks' financial inner workings, from the foundation in Germany that pays the organization's bills. Odd that this long-sought information would come out on Christmas Eve, but here's the short version of the story: spending is up, because they're paying salaries now (including $86K so far this year to Julian Assange), and they're "facing potential legal issues" (understatement of the millenium). Snip: Wau Holland Foundation says it has collected about €1 million ($1.3 million) in donations in 2010, the year in which WikiLeaks exploded into public prominence thanks to its release of thousands of classified U.S. documents. WikiLeaks said in August that it had raised about €765,000 until that point in the year. The data from the foundation, which is a major but not the sole conduit of funding for the website, suggest donations to WikiLeaks have tampered off some since the organization landed in the headlines. The Wau Holland Foundation provides key back-office services for WikiLeaks' operations by collecting donations and paying its bills. Last summer, WikiLeaks said it operated on about €150,000 a year. Now, however, the foundation says it has paid about €380,000 in WikiLeaks expenses, with some invoices for the year still unprocessed. Some of that total is for hardware, Internet access and travel, Wau Holland spokesman Hendrik Fulda said. But a big factor in the leap is a recent decision to begin paying salaries to staff. The primary beneficiary of that decision--which has been hotly debated within WikiLeaks--is Mr. Assange, the controversial founder and public face of WikiLeaks who is currently under house arrest in the U.K., where he faces possible extradition to Sweden to WikiLeaks is said to have committed to paying half of the estimated $100K that Bradley Manning's legal defense is expected to cost, but a spokesman recently said the organization will now only donate around $20K. They have not yet contributed these funds. The WSJ reports that Wau Holland is said to be waiting for legal advice on whether such a donation is permitted under German law. WikiLeaks Spending Ballooned, Data Show (WSJ, paid subscription required) WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Now Making $86k/year (CBS News)

Merry Gothsmas Posted: 24 Dec 2010 04:25 PM PST With a sigh, I push these long black bangs out of my heavily lined eyes for a moment to wish you a merry gothsmas, and a dark wave new year. May the inescapable blackness of soul-destroying necropocalyptic doom bathe your heart in nihilism and agony, for the brief time that remains before we accept the sweet embrace of the cosmic gallows and exit this mortal coil. I shed an involuntary tear of holiday boredom in your general direction. Also: try the figgy pudding. YouTube embed: "Christmas Mourning," by Type O Negative (thanks Melvillian!) (phone snap: Xeni.)

Petroleum Nativity Posted: 24 Dec 2010 03:35 PM PST My friends Erik and Kelly of Homegrown Evolution sent me my favorite Christmas card this year.

Why NORAD tracks Santa Posted: 24 Dec 2010 02:13 PM PST Sears-Roebuck, an advertising typo, and the tale of why NORAD tracks Santa.

Top 20 Photoshop Disasters of 2010 Posted: 24 Dec 2010 02:04 PM PST Photoshop Disasters presents its top 20 pixelated prevarications of 2010.

Topeak Joe Blow Floor Pump Posted: 24 Dec 2010 01:58 PM PST After breaking four or five "rugged" bike pumps in four or five years, I made the hefty investment into a Topeak Floor Pump four years ago, which cost about half what I had paid for the "cheap" ones before. It's still going strong and doesn't show any sign of wear. As to which model to choose, it depends on the bike. For a racing bike you'll want a pump with a small-diameter cylinder, e.g. "Topeak Joe Blow Sport II" while for a commuter bike or a mountain bike you'll want one with more volume, e.g. "Topeak Joe Blow Max II". These pumps are well-built, large enough (that includes handles, too) and have a good pressure gauge. The tube is long enough. But probably the best thing is the "TwinHead". Depending on the valve type, either side fits. One side for Schrader valves, the other one for narrow valves. No adaptor, no hazzle, just push on and turn the lever. [Note: This tool was also recommended by Brian Singer, Alex Beard, Cynthia Norris, and Brad Evans.] -- Bernhard Topeak Joe Blow Floor Pump $34 Comment on this at Cool Tools. Or, submit a tool!

All I want for Christmas is the $62,000 Twitter owes me Posted: 24 Dec 2010 03:52 PM PST I'm not a greedy man, or an unreasonable one. (Nor, for that matter, am I insane. I'm NOT.) So when I sat down to place a monetary value on the content that's gone missing from my Twitter stream over the last week, an issue that Twitter has so far failed to acknowledge, I consistently rounded down. That's how I arrived at $62,000. I mean, I didn't just pull the figure out of a hat, although I did write some figures down and place them in a hat as a backup, along with some festively-wrapped holiday candy and some buttons. It's all here, in a post I wrote for Forbes.com: The roughly 4000 tweets that have vanished from my Twitter account have a value, and that value is sixty-two big ones, and that figure is more than fair to Twitter, despite the fact that I've given them every opportunity to make this thing right, which they have so far failed utterly to do. So here's what I'm going to do: I'm crowdsourcing my outrage for Christmas. Do you have a Twitter account? If so, can you help me out? All you need to do is tweet the following: @twitter @support You owe @billbarol $62,000. Pay up. Link. That's all there is to it. It's so simple. And the beautiful part is, it's not even remotely insane, it's NOT. Together we can make Twitter do what's right. And to show that my heart is in the right place. this is my pledge: Upon receipt of a certified check from Twitter in the amount of $62,000, I will in a relatively prompt manner donate $250 to a major charity that is legally registered in the US or her offshore waters. Because it's not about the money. And I am not insane. Merry Christmas! Viva la raza!

Ghost Bus spotted in Manhattan Posted: 24 Dec 2010 10:42 AM PST The merry pranksters at New York's MTA are turning the holiday season into a kooky, trip-your-brains-out, you've-fallen-down-a-wormhole, what-in-the-name-of-all-that's-holy-is-happening-to-you time-travel freakout by putting a vintage 1958 GM bus into service on a selection of routes. Reader Dimitrios Gazis filed a full dispatch with the Jeremiah's Vanishing New York blog, and reports that "the noise and the stench of diesel was comforting." A reader of the EV Grieve blog, meanwhile, caught the bus, #9098, in transit on 34th Street between First and Second Avenues. That's his photo above. The whole thing is nutty and beautiful. I miss New York.

A very Lynchian Chrimbus (Dr. Steve Brule fan-art) Posted: 24 Dec 2010 10:36 AM PST Boing Boing reader and Tim & Eric / Dr. Steve Brule / David Lynch fanboy Dylan Mitchell-Funk writes, I've been reading boingboing for a while now (...) I've just put the finishing touches onto a poster I'll be printing out as a gift tomorrow - Steve Brule and Eraserhead... I'm really pleased with how it turned out and thought I'd share it. Merry Chrimbus! Merry Chrimbus, you dummies! For your holidays!

Jelly wobbling machine Posted: 24 Dec 2010 10:08 AM PST This jelly wobbler has a foot-pedal speed control. (Via Arbroath)

Doctor eats entire artichoke, sues restaurant for not stopping him Posted: 24 Dec 2010 09:51 AM PST "It takes a sophisticated diner to be familiar with the artichoke," says the lawyer of a doctor who is suing a restaurant for allowing him to eat one in its entirety.

Photos of recent flood in Southern California Posted: 24 Dec 2010 09:47 AM PST The Sacramento Bee has a gallery of photographs of the flooding caused by the recent deluge in Southern California. I especially liked Spencer Welner's picture of a warning sign seen through raindrops on glass. Storm lashes Southern California

Samuel Sevian, 9, is youngest US national chess master Posted: 24 Dec 2010 08:48 AM PST Samuel Sevian, 9, likes to read, watch Disney's "Suite Life on Deck" on TV, and play soccer. He's also the youngest United States "National Master" in chess. He earned the title earlier this month. From the San Jose Mercury News: Samuel spends at least two hours a day studying chess moves in books, playing with his dad, and practicing on Skype with his coach, international master Andranik Matikozyan, who lives in Los Angeles, where the Sevians are heading for Christmas. "I met Samuel three years ago in Santa Monica at a tournament when he was 7," Matikozyan said. "When I saw him playing, I was amazed. I thought, 'This kid is really talented.' " Sevian said his son does very well in school, too, often maxing out on his math scores. "He is obviously very gifted," said Don Callejon Principal Hans Barber. "On Thanksgiving break, we gave kids a math challenge, and he won. He has a problem-solving mind." Barber gave Samuel lots of credit, too, for attending tournaments, doing so well in school and "holding it all together." Samuel is "too intense" to participate in the school's chess club, but Barber is sure that he inspired other students to take up the game... "I like the tactics and the combinations," said Samuel, who comes from a culture where chess players are held in high esteem. The Sevian family is from Armenia. "In Armenia, chess is very big," (his father) Armen Sevian said. "It's certainly not a geek sport. Chess players are compared to rock stars." "Santa Clara boy, 9, becomes youngest U.S. chess master"

Reindeer on shrooms Posted: 24 Dec 2010 08:39 AM PST Reindeer tripping on shrooms? Drunk finches and starlings? Goats on speed? Jaguars on yage? In the Pharmaceutical Journal Online, Andrew Haynes presents a fascinating look at animal drug use. Apparently, the animals may have been the ones to turned us on to various recreational drugs. From PJ Online: One such species, appropriately for a Christmassy article, is the reindeer, which goes to great lengths to search out the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) — the one with the white-spotted red cap that garden gnomes like to sit on. Eating the toadstool makes reindeer behave in a drunken fashion, running about aimlessly and making strange noises. Head-twitching is also common. Fly agaric is found across the northern hemisphere and has long been used by mankind for its psychotropic properties. But its use can be dangerous because it also contains toxic substances. Reindeer seem to metabolise these toxic elements without harm, while the main psychoactive constituents remain unmetabolised and are excreted in the urine. Reindeer herders in Europe and Asia long ago learnt to collect the reindeer urine for use as a comparatively safe source of the hallucinogen. Another hallucinogen used by wild animals is the African plant iboga (Tabernanthe iboga). It has been reported from Gabon and the Congo that boars, porcupines, gorillas and mandrills will dig up and eat the powerfully hallucinogenic roots. In the Canadian Rockies, wild bighorn sheep are said to take great risks to get at a rare psychoactive lichen. In scraping it off the rock surface they can wear their teeth down to the gums. On the prairies of the south-west US, horses and other grazing mammals can become addicted to hallucinogen-containing plants known generically as locoweed. These plants, mainly species of Astragalus and Oxytropis, are normally avoided, but animals that try them can come back time and again for a repeat fix. Symptoms include altered gait, aimless wandering, impaired vision, erratic behaviour and listlessness. "The animal world has its junkies too" (Thanks, Bob Pescovitz!)

Pearl in man's ear for 41 years Posted: 24 Dec 2010 08:21 AM PST Calvin Wright, 46, was a loud talker. Turns out, it's because he had a pearl stuck in his ear. For 41 years. When he was 5, he and his big sister broke their mom's pearl necklace, and she, goofing around, pushed pearls into his ear. One got lodged and, when their mom got home, they had to visit the doctor to have it removed. Turns out though, the doc missed a second pearl buried even deeper in his ear canal. This month, Wright, suffering from bronchitis, was examined by a nurse practitioner who spotted it. From the Atlanta-Journal Constitution: "The nurse was checking my ear and said, 'Do you use Q-Tips?'" Wright said. "I said yes, and she said, 'you've got one in your right ear, I'll get it out.' She tried getting it and then she was like, 'Whoa, this is hard. This is not a Q-Tip. Looks like you got a pearl in your ear.'" Nurse practitioner Christina Harrelson and nurse Haley Faulkner referred Wright to a specialist. Dr. James Dempsey removed the pearl, which Wright kept... When the second pearl was discovered, doctors asked Wright if he had suffered headaches, sinus problems or other symptoms. But the only effect was he struggled to hear himself speak. "Everybody would say, 'Why don't you lower your voice?'" he said. "Now, when I went to the barber shop , they said, 'You're not talking loud like you used to.' I notice I can hear myself better." "Pearl comes out of ear 41 years later" (Thanks, Jason Weisberger!)

If the FCC was in charge of Rome's barbarian policy Posted: 24 Dec 2010 06:52 AM PST David "Stupid Network" Isenberg puts the FCC Net Neutrality cop-out into perspective with this tale from Roman times: The RCC has determined that the pending Barbarian invasion of Rome meets the so-called public interest standards that the RCC is charged with upholding, as long as conditions are imposed. Roman Commission Chairman Julius Genacowcus told Tempus Romanus reporters that the Barbarians are required not to sack the city or move too far inside the city's gates. Chairman G said additional conditions also applied, including a requirement that Barbarians pillage and plunder only unlawful residences, and engage only in consensual, protected sex. Genacowcus said the Barbarian compromise will promote investment, commerce and competition. Robertus Comcasti, speaking for the Barbarians, said that he was "gratified" that the RCC was taking this proactive step. "We have emphasized that this transaction is pro-competitive, pro-consumer, and will deliver real public interest benefits," he said. RCC officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the proposed conditions were intended to ease harm to Roman citizens, and they emphasized that they were not treating the deal as an opportunity to affect the behavior of future invading hordes. They did not say how long the conditions would be in effect. Barbarians Meet So-Called Public Interest Standards   FCC chairman promises net neutrality except that Hollywood can spy ... How the FCC failed the nation on Net Neutrality - Boing Boing WTF: FCC cites Android as reason we don't need wireless Net ... Tell the FCC: don't put a copyright loophole into net neutrality ...

Family Xmas traditions Posted: 24 Dec 2010 06:33 AM PST Annie sez, "The local newspaper recently did a story about Christmas eve traditions, and lead off with my family's Christmas Carp. Pictures included." Every year for as long as she can remember, Annie Layne's family has celebrated Christmas Eve with what she considers one of the least appetizing traditions ever -- a plate of cold jellied carp with eggs and lemon surrounding the dead fish head. "We had to eat our jelly fish, then we got our presents," said Layne, 34, who works at Rosetta Stone. "But I have never eaten this. I can't bring myself to put it in my mouth." Her family's dish, called a "vigilia," is part of a traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland. Layne's mother grew up in Poland and came to the United States in the 1960s. Christmas Eve gone wild (Thanks, Annie!)

You are subscribed to email updates from Boing Boing To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610