The Latest from Boing Boing

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• Duct-tape Converse
• When flying was classy—but really, really slow
• Breaking in Bangkok: military moves in to protest site, "much gunfire."
• Ryan Heshka's "Strange Powers" art show at Rotofugi gallery
• Saudi woman beats up religious cop
• El Vética: luchero meets typographer
• A Maker Faire Preview
• Rhino rising (temporarily)
• Hurt Locker producer: criticizing our lawsuits makes you a moron and a thief
• Now THAT'S a zombie tee!
• History of NSA computers, 1964
• TED Talk: Can we eat to starve cancer?
• Help raise funds for BlinkWorks documentary Indie Game: The Movie
• Candles molded from actual impala horns
• Disco spacesuit, 1977
• Clean fusion power lecture hosted by Stewart Brand
• Is M.I.A.'s new album title un-Googleable SEO poison?
• Joel Johnson: The iPad is such a great travel computer I'm selling my laptop
• Moscow zombie walk
• Egg cuber
• Funny Adobe CS4 crash reports
• Chronicle of Higher Ed: "Science Warriors vs. Philosophers of Science"
• Criterion-backed streaming film service MUBI coming to the PS3
• Recent Made By Hand Interviews
• Apple's plan B
• HOWTO move a 120-ton Winnie the Pooh tree
• Solar sail launch scrubbed, retry on 5/21
• Little Brother paperback is a bestseller!
• Official Hair Styles for Men and Boys
• Newly-discovered frog with funny long nose

Duct-tape Converse Posted: 18 May 2010 10:10 PM PDT More scenes from a book tour: duct-tape Converse, sported by a sterling young man at my signing tonight at the Books, Inc in Palo Alto. They're sweaty, the tape doesn't stick well to the canvas, but man, that's a pair of shoes.

When flying was classy—but really, really slow Posted: 18 May 2010 07:45 PM PDT "You're about to make your first air trip? Well, it's high time. A few more years and there'll be scarcely a thrill left in it." Thus, presciently, begins Popular Mechanics' June 1939 story about what it's like to take the United Airlines "sleeper" cross-country from New York to San Francisco—in only 15 hours. The piece manages to elicit both a painful nostalgia for a classy, Cary Grant-y world most of us never experienced, while, simultaneously, serving as a reminder that, in many ways, we've got it pretty good today (Grandpa's barca-lounger style plane seat, not withstanding). Wait, we've got it good? Oh, yes. I mean, obviously, it's not all peaches and sunshine up in here. In 1939, for instance, checking in seems to have involved merely a reservation call and a cash transaction—and you only had to be there one hour ahead of time. But I, for one, am pretty happy that my last plane flight (Minneapolis to San Francisco) didn't involve paying more than $2000, publicly disclosing my weight to the gate agent (and everybody in line behind me), or dealing with a plane full of smokers. Also, the airlines seem to have been just as stingy with luggage back then as they are today. And the plane stopped in about four other cities between Chicago and San Francisco, like it was the freaking Megabus. Here's the thing: I'm not trying to suggest that air travel today is the ideal. But when I first read this story, I caught myself falling for the equal fallacy of thinking that air travel of the past was. Basically, I looked at the pictures and almost got suckered in by 70-year-old United Airlines marketing—when, in reality, all I really want is a saner system for dealing with safety risks, a little more leg room and, maybe, a free sandwich. I wouldn't be willing to take that (admittedly comfy-looking) giant cushy plane seat if I had to take all the other realities of 1930s air travel with it. So here's what I got out of this story—Improving air travel doesn't mean a return to the past, it means shaping something new for the future. (Original link via Tom Sullivan)

Breaking in Bangkok: military moves in to protest site, "much gunfire." Posted: 18 May 2010 06:58 PM PDT THAILAND: Jodi Ettenberg, a Canadian attorney (and longtime Boing Boing reader) who has been live-tweeting the crisis in Bangkok, just now DM'd me: "The military has moved in [to the protest site] and armored personnel carriers are firing rounds. I think this is the big crackdown." Mark MacKinnon, another Canadian who also happens to be there, echoes the same: "Soldiers, armoured personnel carriers seen advancing towards main Red Shirt protest in Bangkok. Much gunfire." Others live-tweeting what's unfolding now from the streets in Thailand, where it is 830am local time as I type: @Newley, @BangkokBill, and @vaitor, and Agnes Dherbeys (a freelance photojournalist from France who is on-site now). Bangkok Pundit has a liveblog post here, and Reuters has a good liveblog going here. [IMAGES: Live-tweeted photos from Florian Witulski aka @vaitor. Left, Saladaeng intersection with "soldiers in total control." Right, "several buildings in Dindaeng set on fire."] Thailand: "The protest has turned into a rebellion or insurrection ... Red Shirt protests in Thailand

Ryan Heshka's "Strange Powers" art show at Rotofugi gallery Posted: 18 May 2010 09:12 PM PDT Ryan Heshka has a new solo show coming up called "Strange Powers." It's opening this Friday (May 21, 2010) at Rotofugi in Chicago. Vancouver-based painter Ryan Heshka has long fascinated Rotofugi with his painterly pulp science-fiction style... and Rotofugi has always wanted to collaborate somehow with Chicago-based BLAB! magazine. So they've arranged an exhibit of nearly two dozen paintings by Ryan created for an upcoming BLAB! project he and Monte are collaborating on. Both Ryan and Monte will be attending the show. Ryan Heshka was born in Manitoba, Canada in 1970, and grew up in Winnipeg. Fueled by long prairie winters, he spent a lot of his childhood drawing, building cardboard cities and making super 8 films. Early influences that persist to this day include antiquated comics and pulp magazines, natural history and music, movies and animation that are unintentionally creepy. Formally trained in interior design, he is self-taught as an artist. In addition to gallery shows, he is currently working on several picture book projects for children as well as adults. He lives in Vancouver, B.C., Canada with his fiancee Marinda. BLAB! is an annual anthology of visual art produced by Chicago-based graphic designer and art director Monte Beauchamp. From its beginnings as a self-published one-shot fanzine conceived over twenty-three years ago, BLAB! has evolved into a highly regarded venue for contemporary artists working in sequential and comic art, graphic design, illustration, painting and printmaking. Ryan Heshka's "Strange Powers" art show at Rotofugi in Chicago, May 21-June 13, 2010 A gallery of Heshka's work from the show is after the jump.

Saudi woman beats up religious cop Posted: 18 May 2010 06:57 PM PDT A Saudi woman whose male friend collapsed on being questioned by a member of the notorious morality police (the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) snapped, and laid a beating on the religious cop. The cop went to hospital with bruises, the woman faces prison and lashings. According to the Saudi daily Okaz, the woman then allegedly laid into the religious policeman, punching him repeatedly, and leaving him to be taken to the hospital with bruises across his body and face. "To see resistance from a woman means a lot," Wajiha Al-Huwaidar, a Saudi women's rights activist, told The Media Line news agency. "People are fed up with these religious police, and now they have to pay the price for the humiliation they put people through for years and years. This is just the beginning and there will be more resistance." "The media and the Internet have given people a lot of power and the freedom to express their anger," she said. "The Hai'a are like a militia, but now whenever they do something it's all over the Internet. This gives them a horrible reputation and gives people power to react." Saudi woman beats up virtue cop (Thanks, Fipi Lele!) Wajeha Al Huwaider, a woman, driving in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia government to behead man for practicing witchcraft ... Saudi religious police attacked by girls Crucixion and beheading for child rapist in Saudi Arabia Saudi family files lawsuit against cellphone-stealing genie ...

El Vética: luchero meets typographer Posted: 18 May 2010 03:58 PM PDT Mexican wrestling meets Swiss typography in this globalized "El Vetica" tee. He even comes with a backstory: "Celebrating the career of Mexico's only typographer/luchador. El Vética, also known as El Kernudo, fought out of the small town of San Serif. He held the Mexican Inter-Continental belt for an unprecedented 7 years, from 1977-84. He also starred in several telenovelas, most notably Las esposas del Luchador and El Santo y sus Súper Amigos." El Vética (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

A Maker Faire Preview Posted: 18 May 2010 07:16 PM PDT For the fifth year in the Bay Area, Maker Faire welcomes thousands of makers of all ages who show us the amazing things they make. Makers are enthusiasts who love what they do and enjoy sharing it with others, which makes for an incredibly stimulating experience that inspires everyone. Maker Faire 2010 brings back annual favorites such as the Life-Size Mousetrap, Coke Zero and Mentos (note they switched brands!), Russell the Electric Giraffe, a fleet of electric muffins, rocket launches and the Robotic Warship Combat and Swap-a-rama-rama. We have hands-on exhibits created by Bay Area partners such as The Exploratorium, The Crucible, The Tech Museum, The TechShop, NASA Ames, and The Museum of Craft and Folk Art. Here's a preview of some of what you might expect to see and do at Maker Faire Bay Area 2010, May 22-23 at the San Mateo Expo Center. Meta-USA Self-balancing Scooter, Mike Phillips All I can say is note the all safety gear Mike's wearing. He says it goes really fast. Fishbug, Rebecca Anders and crew We've brought this one in from the desert and put it in a dark building so you crawl through inside. It's really big and it breathes. Tirgex Race Cars, INCAS3 from Amsterdam Wear a helmet to see what this small car sees and move your body to control its speed and direction. Now do it in a race. Solar Power Charging Station, Solar Design Lab If you run out of gas, or your devices run out of power, make a stop here. The Black Hole, Michael Yates Peer into the deep vortex and lose yourself in the music of the spheres. Fire Sculpture Robots!, Justin Gray When this robot starts moving, try to stay on its good side. Hermes, Morris Jarvis This is but one example of a project that outgrew the garage it started in. Henry Ford's Quadricycle, The Henry Ford Working replica of the first American garage invention; also outgrew the garage. Grew like a monster if you think about it. Hennenpin Crawler, Krank-Boom-Clank These pedal-powered masterpieces are examples of "back-dating" -- innovating on what came before the Quadricyle. Waterboy, Marque Cornblatt This looks uncomfortable but Marque might allow you to crawl inside and be pushed around by others. Underwater Photography, Eric Cheng Eric swims with whales and when he photographs them, he seems to get on their good side. In addition to an exhibit of his photos, Eric will give a talk on Giant Squid and Sperm Whales, a real-world Jules Verne story. Near-Space Balloon, Hibal Three college students built a balloon and sent it to near-space, an altitude of roughly 90,000 ft.. All this to see what they could see -- hey, that's Monterery Bay. Moonraker, Paul's Robotics Paul came to Maker Faire in 2007 with his combat robot. Now he returns with Moonraker, which won the $500K prize in the NASA regolith Extraction challenge - it shovels moon dirt into a bucket. Lost in Space Robot, Team Filo You might have to explain to your kids why this robot makes you laugh and say "Will Robinson!" repeatedly. Homemade 3D Dome, Mitsuru Kitamura Another thing you crawl inside. This dome, which is coming here from Japan, creates a starry, starry night. 3D Printing, Makerbot What Make Senior Editor Phil Torrone famously said about laser printers: "Everyone's getting one," can now be said for 3D printers. So check out which 3D printer is right for you. 3D Face Painting, Valeriya Promokhova You only have to sit still for the photos. Then some magic turns your head into a 3D object. Finally, you get to go totally overboard with the tattoo thing. Then it's all over Facebook. Photo unavailable Anti/Surveillance Fashion Show, Noisebridge, SF. So you want to be seen and not be seen, right? Do you really know who's taking your picture? Here's a fashion show for wearables that might confuse Big Brother or your little sister. (Sun., 3:30pm) Wearable Adaptive Technology and eTextile Fashion Show, Lynne Bruning Lynne designs smart garments such as this "bat" jacket that uses sonar technology to help the visually impaired. Lynne is also organizing eTEXTILE: the first Wearable Computing Fashion Show at Maker Faire (Sat, 3:30) Entranced, Jason Asbahr Part of the Bay Area Computer Music Collective, Entranced is like lip syncing with a screen saver. Wiggling a Wii controller does the sync'ing part. The She's Yes, it's them. You gotta like how they picked the simplest possible name for an all-girl teen band. You just know they rock. Saphira the fire-breathing dragon, Sam De Rose and Alex Jacobson Say what you want about kids these days, but you can feel good that young makers are out in the garage, building a fire-breathing dragon, getting Dad to help with the really hard parts, and naming it after a dragon in a favorite book written by a young author. Pentagonal Wave, Reuben Margolin Do pentagons have some kind of mystical significance? Reuben Margolin's kinetic sculpture promises to move and mesmerize you. ArcAttack!, Joe DiPrima and gang You take a couple of average Tesla coils -- no make that Large Dual-Resonant Solid State Tesla Coils -- and synchronize them to music. Then some guy in a metal mesh suit stands between them while guys playing the Edison-powered guitars act like there's nothing unusual happening. I assure you ArcAttack from Austin, TX will rock the house, raise the roof, fry an iPhone, you know, something like that. Remember to stand back during the audience participation segment. OK Go! The band OK Go will be our special guests on Sunday afternoon. The band's frontman Damian Kulash sometimes makes big declarations like “We're trying to be a DIY band in a post-major label world” or “Our whole bag is having good ideas and making cool shit.” We're not exactly sure what they'll do on Sunday but they wanted to come to Maker Faire and we wanted to have them. In addition, Adam Sadowsky of Syynlabs was behind the Rube Goldberg machine in the video "OK Go: This Too Shall Pass" and he'll give a talk on Saturday afternoon called "Music, Machines and Life." He will talk about challenges in building such a machine. This is only a small sampling of the over 600 exhibits that you'll find at Maker Faire Bay Area, May 22 & 23. Come meet the makers: hackers, artists, scientists, tinkerers, roboticists, educators, chefs, musicians, photographers, crafters, cyclists, mechanics, automakers, metal workers, engineers, physicists, puppeteers, and many more. For more information on tickets, directions and the program schedule, see MakerFaire.com.

Rhino rising (temporarily) Posted: 18 May 2010 03:46 PM PDT Rhino Records was one of the glories of the Los Angeles music scene, the record store that spawned the label that did more than any other to preserve and protect back-catalogue pop music. Founded by Richard Foos in 1973, the Westwood Boulevard store was a ramshackle place crammed to the rafters with music of almost every stripe. You never knew what you were going to find there, and it seems like everybody who was in Los Angeles from the early '70s through the mid-2000s has a Rhino story. (Here's mine: My wife bought me a gift certificate to the store as a birthday present. It was signed by the store manager on duty, one Scott Kempner. Figuring it was better than even money that this was Scott "Top 10" Kempner, who'd been the guitarist in The Dictators, founded The Del-Lords and backed the great Dion DiMucci in a one-off called Dion 'n' Little Kings, I took my Del-Lords CD into the store with me and asked. It was. I couldn't tell whether Kempner was pleased to be asked to sign the CD, or embarrassed. Later, in Rhino's dying days, I heard he'd decamped across town to Amoeba Music, which is today the largest surviving record store in town. Sic transit gloria.) The store closed in early 2006, shortly after the shuttering of Aron's, the other legendary music shop in town, and record shopping in Los Angeles has never really been the same. Amoeba is good but it's huge, and its very size can be intimidating. (The first time I walked through its doors I almost literally started to hyperventllate, and had to turn around and leave.) So I'm curious to see what Rhino's latest incarnation, a two-week pop-up store just down the street from the old location, has to offer. Proceeds go to Chrysalis Enterprises, an LA charity. I'm headed over there in the rain today, money in my pocket. If you're in LA, you should too.

Hurt Locker producer: criticizing our lawsuits makes you a moron and a thief Posted: 18 May 2010 05:59 PM PDT Nicholas, a Boing Boing reader in Toronto, says, I read your article about how Voltage Pictures was planning to sue BitTorrent users who downloaded their films. Being the concerned citizen that I am I emailed their president Nicolas Chartier to politely register my disapproval. I got a direct response from him (not just a form letter), and it was... well, you've got to read it for yourself. If you've heard the name "Nicolas Chartier" before, it's probably because the Hurt Locker producer was banished from the Oscars after sending an earlier round of impulsive emails. Here's another gem to remember him by. Mr. Chartier's response is below (emphasis added by the editor), followed by the full text of our reader's (very polite) email, after the jump. From: "Nicolas Chartier" Date: May 15, 2010 2:30:30 AM PDT To: [redacted]@[redacted].com Subject: RE: Hurt Locker lawsuit Hi Nicholas, please feel free to leave your house open every time you go out and please tell your family to do so, please invite people in the streets to come in and take things from you, not to make money out of it by reselling it but just to use it for themselves and help themselves. If you think it's normal they take my work for free, I'm sure you will give away all your furniture and possessions and your family will do the same. I can also send you my bank account information since apparently you work for free and your family too so since you have so much money you should give it away... I actually like to pay my employees, my family, my bank for their work and like to get paid for my work. I'm glad you're a moron who believes stealing is right. I hope your family and your kids end up in jail one day for stealing so maybe they can be taught the difference. Until then, keep being stupid, you're doing that very well. And please do not download, rent, or pay for my movies, I actually like smart and more important HONEST people to watch my films. best regards, Nicolas Chartier Voltage Pictures, LLC [address, phone, other personal details redacted] Original email from Boing Boing reader Nicholas in Toronto follows. -----Original Message----- From: [redacted]@[redacted].com Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 6:21 PM To: Nicolas Chartier Subject: Hurt Locker lawsuit Dear Mr. Chartier, I have recently become aware of Voltage Pictures' intention to sue thousands of people who are suspected of having used BitTorrent to download films produced by your company. I wish to register my disagreement with these tactics, and would like you to know that as a result of these actions I am boycotting your films. The majority of the people you are suing were not seeking to make money from their downloads, and will be financially devastated by a lawsuit or settlement. While it is completely understandable that Voltage Pictures wishes to defend its intellectual property, this is an inhumane way of doing so. Until Voltage Pictures publicly states that it will not pursue lawsuits for downloading its films, I will not view, rent or buy any films produced wholly or in part by your company. I will urge my friends and family to take the same actions. I do not wish for the money I spend on entertainment to be used against otherwise good people. Thank you for your time. Previously: Report: "Hurt Locker" producers will soon blast tens of thousands ... Kathryn Bigelow was a punk rocker

Now THAT'S a zombie tee! Posted: 18 May 2010 01:54 PM PDT (Thanks, @craigrubens!)

History of NSA computers, 1964 Posted: 18 May 2010 07:19 PM PDT Here is Samuel S Snyder's 1964 "History of NSA General-Purpose Electronic Digital Computers" in all its declassified glory. It's 106 pages and I've only skimmed it, but it looks like awesome vintage computer porn. Love the qualifiers "digital" and "electronic." History of NSA General-Purpose Electronic Digital Computers (PDF) (via Schneier) Babbage Difference Engine No. 2 Recreation Coming to Computer ... BB Video: ARPANET turns 40, and Vintage Computers in Slovenia ... Hitting computers with rocks: the history of publishing Difference Engine unboxed at Silicon Valley Computer Museum Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers Old computer equipment comes with cigarette lighter and ashtray ... Paul Allen on the joy of vintage computer collecting

TED Talk: Can we eat to starve cancer? Posted: 18 May 2010 01:43 PM PDT William Li's TED2010 presentation, "Can we eat to starve cancer?" was one of my favorites. William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game. William Li heads the Angiogenesis Foundation, a nonprofit that is re-conceptualizing global disease fighting. From Li's talk: Autopsy studies from people who died in car accidents have shown that about 40 percent of women between the ages of 40 and 50 actually have microscopic cancers in their breasts. About 50 percent of men in their 50s and 60s have microscopic prostate cancers. And virtually 100 percent of us, by the time we reach our 70s, will have microscopic cancers growing in our thyroid. Yet, without a blood supply, most of these cancers will never become dangerous. Dr. Judah Folkman, who was my mentor, and who was the pioneer of the angiogenesis field, once called this "cancer without disease." So the body's ability to balance angiogenesis, when it's working properly, prevents blood vessels from feeding cancers. And this turns out to be one of our most important defense mechanisms against cancer. In fact, if you actually block angiogenesis and prevent blood vessels from ever reaching cancer cells, tumors simply can't grow up. William Li: Can we eat to starve cancer?

Help raise funds for BlinkWorks documentary Indie Game: The Movie Posted: 18 May 2010 01:37 PM PDT Winnipeg filmmakers BlinkWorks have just gone live with their Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for Indie Game: The Movie, a feature length documentary chronicling and examining "independent game developers as a way to understand the medium and the theory behind video games." As you can tell from the portion above -- a look back at the childhood of Super Meat Boy, Aether and Time Fcuk creator Edmund McMillen -- the parts already completed are gorgeously shot and animated, and put the focus precisely where it should be: on the people behind the games, and how their experiences and thought processes are distilled into their work. For more of BlinkWorks' prior game dev documentary experience, see also this early profile on Infinite Ammo head Alec Holowka (he of Aquaria, Paper Moon and the upcoming Marian, and donate to the film for your own DVD of the finished product via Kickstarter. Indie Game: The Movie [BlinkWorks]

Candles molded from actual impala horns Posted: 18 May 2010 01:44 PM PDT Matt Borgatti handcasts these elegant candles from actual impala horns. They're just $17 in the Boing Boing Bazaar! From his product description: I created these fine unscented wax candles for wizards, lovers of the macabre, and anyone who appreciates the subtle organic beauty of horns... These candles have about a four hour burn life and are made of a low drip translucent amber wax. They have a tall flame with a pleasant glow. They are self supporting, being cast with their own bases, but will work with candle stands intended for pillar candles. Each order contains a pair of candles (one left hand spiral horn and one right hand spiral horn) measuring roughly 10" high with a 3" dia. base. Impala Horn Candles

Disco spacesuit, 1977 Posted: 18 May 2010 07:38 PM PDT Model: Hubert Vykukal. Space Suit of the Week (via JWZ) Sleek new spacesuit design Interview with space suit designer Dr. Photon's excellent DIY spacesuit Gadgets Old space-suit recycled as experimental satellite Craphound finds Gemini space suit

Clean fusion power lecture hosted by Stewart Brand Posted: 18 May 2010 01:26 PM PDT Target chamber Installation at the national Ignition Facility: In June 1999, after careful preparation, a rotating crane hoisted the target chamber and gently moved it to the Target Bay, a breathtaking event that took only about 30 minutes. Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Long Now Foundation is presenting a talk in June by Lawrence Livermore Labs' Ed Moses on the possibility of continuous clean fusion energy by the end of this decade. Exciting stuff! Finally achieving fusion energy may be closer than everyone thinks. For decades the dream has been to employ the reaction that powers stars to generate high-volume electricity without the drawbacks of fission reactors---no high-level waste, no weapons application, no risk of meltdown, no use of uranium, and (as with fission) no greenhouse gases. Ed Moses is Director of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore Labs. Focusing massive amounts of laser light for a billionth of a second, the NIF is expected to demonstrate ignition of a fusion reaction (more energy out than in) for the first time in the coming year, followed by the prospect of a prototype machine for generating continuous clean energy by the end of this decade. That could change everything. The NIF itself is a spectacular work of "technological sublime." Clean Fusion Power This Decade

Is M.I.A.'s new album title un-Googleable SEO poison? Posted: 18 May 2010 07:36 PM PDT I am very excited about the contents of M.I.A.'s new album, judging from the material that's been sneak-leaked so far. But hipsterrunoff points out that the album's title is really problematic from an SEO (search engine optimization) standpoint: /\/\/\Y/\ is supposed to spell out MAYA, using forward and back slashes in a sort of nod to leetspeak and txt-y truncation. Ever try searching for a series of slashes in Google? Yeah. It's gonna be a bit of a marketing problem for her, I'd guess. (via PSFK) M.I.A.: "Born Free" M.I.A. Down In The Hole M.I.A. and the Macbook M.I.A. for intergalactic overlord M.I.A. and Santogold in new N.A.S.A. Project video: "Whatchadoin ...

Joel Johnson: The iPad is such a great travel computer I'm selling my laptop Posted: 18 May 2010 01:00 PM PDT Breaking news from Joel Johnson at Gizmodo! "The iPad makes a fantastic travel computer. So much so that I'm going to be selling my laptop."

Moscow zombie walk Posted: 18 May 2010 12:04 PM PDT A large photo gallery of a zombie walk in Moscow.

Egg cuber Posted: 18 May 2010 12:09 PM PDT Life is not worth living without an egg cuber.

Funny Adobe CS4 crash reports Posted: 18 May 2010 12:05 PM PDT You will LOL and potentially ROTFL at these highlarious Adobe CS4 crash reports. (Thanks, Jeff Cross!)

Chronicle of Higher Ed: "Science Warriors vs. Philosophers of Science" Posted: 18 May 2010 01:05 PM PDT I have the will to provoke, and so I link to this provocative essay "Science Warriors' Ego Trip" from the Chronicle of Higher Education, by Pulitzer Prize finalist Carlin Romano. From the essay: The problem with polemicists like (Nonsense on Stilts author Massimo) Pigliucci is that a chasm has opened up between two groups that might loosely be distinguished as "philosophers of science" and "science warriors." Philosophers of science, often operating under the aegis of Thomas Kuhn, recognize that science is a diverse, social enterprise that has changed over time, developed different methodologies in different subsciences, and often advanced by taking putative pseudoscience seriously, as in debunking cold fusion. The science warriors, by contrast, often write as if our science of the moment is isomorphic with knowledge of an objective world-in-itself—Kant be damned!—and any form of inquiry that doesn't fit the writer's criteria of proper science must be banished as "bunk." Pigliucci, typically, hasn't much sympathy for radical philosophies of science. He calls the work of Paul Feyerabend "lunacy," deems Bruno Latour "a fool," and observes that "the great pronouncements of feminist science have fallen as flat as the similarly empty utterances of supporters of intelligent design." It doesn't have to be this way. The noble enterprise of submitting nonscientific knowledge claims to critical scrutiny—an activity continuous with both philosophy and science—took off in an admirable way in the late 20th century when Paul Kurtz, of the University at Buffalo, established the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (Csicop) in May 1976. Csicop soon after launched the marvelous journal Skeptical Inquirer, edited for more than 30 years by Kendrick Frazier. Although Pigliucci himself publishes in Skeptical Inquirer, his contributions there exhibit his signature smugness. For an antidote to Pigliucci's overweening scientism 'tude, it's refreshing to consult Kurtz's curtain-raising essay, "Science and the Public," in Science Under Siege (Prometheus Books, 2009, edited by Frazier), which gathers 30 years of the best of Skeptical Inquirer. Kurtz's commandment might be stated, "Don't mock or ridicule—investigate and explain." He writes: "We attempted to make it clear that we were interested in fair and impartial inquiry, that we were not dogmatic or closed-minded, and that skepticism did not imply a priori rejection of any reasonable claim. Indeed, I insisted that our skepticism was not totalistic or nihilistic about paranormal claims." "Science Warriors' Ego Trips" (via Christian Science Monitor and The Anomalist)

Criterion-backed streaming film service MUBI coming to the PS3 Posted: 18 May 2010 12:22 PM PDT Simultaneously the best and most heartbreaking news you'll see all day: MUBI, the indie/arthouse-focused streaming film and social network site previously known as TheAuteurs (and also as The One Site I Wish I Could Use As A Dating Site [Not For Lack Of Trying]) has announced a new partnership with Sony to bring its library of films to the PS3 as a Netflix-like downloadable application. Which is amazing! The hitch: it's only launching in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Iberia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Nordic countries, Australia and New Zealand. Which makes me very, very sad (but I mean, awesome for you guys). The service will be coming this fall with both pay-per-view and monthly all-you-can-watch subscriber levels. In the meantime, have a peek around the rebranded site, and marvel at the fact that it lets you stick a massive banner image of Tarkovsky's Stalker on your profile, as a default, because that's just how much they "get you". Immerse yourself in cinema at home with MUBI [MUBI, Sony UK minisite]

Recent Made By Hand Interviews Posted: 18 May 2010 12:08 PM PDT I was interviewed by Jon Mueller of 800 CEO Read, and by Courtney Young of Penguin publishing's Business Beat about my forthcoming book, Made By Hand. Business Beat: "Boing Boing cofounder and MAKE magazine editor Mark Frauenfelder talks to Courtney Young about his do-it-yourself adventures, alpha makers, and the importance of cultivating a DIY mindset." 800 CEO Read: "Filled with personal stories, as well as a variety of Do It Yourself cohorts met along the way, Frauenfelder has created a book as much about fixing problems and making things better as it is about developing a new personal philosophy about how the world works and how we work within it; are we dependent or are we able to create our own solutions?" Here are a couple of other recent articles and reviews: "Slowing down your busy life to make your own food or work on a special project is the stuff life is made of, says Frauenfelder, author of the recently published do-it-yourself book Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World. — Erin Conroy, Associated Press "...the author makes a persuasive case that a DIY approach can help its practitioners achieve "a richer and more meaningful life, a life of engagement with the world." — Hardy Green, DailyFinance "Frauenfelder has an easy-going writing style and an interesting journey to write about. When I first heard about the book, I thought I was going to be getting something from a super-genius "maker" who was going to share some of that genius with the rest of us amateurs. Made by Hand is wonderful because it is almost the exact opposite. Mark leads us through his ego-less mistake prone adventures as a peer, as a confidant . . . as an amateur. He pulls no punches and shares every mistake, every overestimation, every moment of doubt and regret throughout his various projects." -- Remaker

Apple's plan B Posted: 18 May 2010 11:54 AM PDT Former Apple evangelist Matt Drance has a new blog, Apple Outsider. His first post asks why Apple, so controlling over its own ecosystem, still promotes HTML5. After all, it's something it can't control. "Embrace, extend, extinguish" isn't Apple's style, so perhaps it's just hedging bets: If the Cocoa Touch app empire crumbles before a next-generation replacement is ready, the next best thing is an open standard. The alternative is that someone else's proprietary technology wins--either on Apple's platform, or worse, on another hardware platform entirely. An open web is a safe, neutral fallback. The open web being both Apple's enemy and its plan B seems both reassuring and scary. It knows the web might defeat native apps -- but also that the browser is the gateway to it. Standards are just there. The ones that win are the ones that ship. Cocoa, Flash, and Safari [Apple Outsider via Daring Fireball]

HOWTO move a 120-ton Winnie the Pooh tree Posted: 18 May 2010 11:25 AM PDT As Walt Disney World makes ready to renovate its Fantasyland area in the Magic Kingdom, they've had cause to move a 120-ton Winnie the Pooh tree. Working over three nights with an enormous crane, they moved the giant artifact, and documented it in this sweet little behind-the-scenes video. I love seeing how the art gets made when the audience has gone home. Behind the Scenes: 120-Ton Winnie the Pooh Tree Relocated at Walt Disney World Previously: Behold! The new Walt Disney World Fantasyland! Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion: stupendous essay How the ambient sound at Walt Disney World works Disney goes goth Disney at the 1964 World's Fair -- massive 5-disc box-set of audio ...

Solar sail launch scrubbed, retry on 5/21 Posted: 18 May 2010 11:21 AM PDT Today's launch of the first spacecraft powered by a hybrid solar sail was scrubbed due to bad weather. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will try again on May 21. In the meantime, National Geographic News has a feature about the solar sail technology, something of a holy grail in space exploration since the idea was first proposed nearly a century ago. The spacecraft, called Ikaros (Interplanetary Kite-Craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun), is outfitted with a 14-meter-wide sail that will hopefully get it to Venus and beyond. From National Geographic: "It's the space equivalent of a yacht sailing on the sea," said Yuichi Tsuda, deputy project manager for Ikaros. Like wind filling a boat's sails, particles of light—or photons—streaming from the sun bounce onto a mirrorlike aluminized solar sail. As each photon strikes, its momentum is transmitted to the spacecraft, which begins to gather speed in the almost frictionless environment of space. A solar sail can eventually reach speeds five to ten times greater than a rocket powered by conventional fuels. Ikaros is considered a hybrid, because the sail's membrane—itself just 0.0075 millimeters thick—sports thin-film solar cells for generating electricity, which will power Ikaros's high-efficiency ion-propulsion engines, Tsuda said. The first month of the Ikaros mission will be spent deploying the sail and carrying out initial checks, Tsuda said. "As soon as the sail has deployed, the craft will be able to start solar sailing," Tsuda said. "Over the six-month scheduled duration of the mission, we believe it will reach a velocity of a hundred meters [328 feet] per second." "Solar Sail Hybrid Launches Today From Japan" Previously: Solar sails to take flight

Little Brother paperback is a bestseller! Posted: 18 May 2010 11:09 AM PDT The US paperback of Little Brother just came out and is entering its second week on the National Independent Bestseller list! Thanks to everyone who supported the book -- I'm over the moon!

Official Hair Styles for Men and Boys Posted: 18 May 2010 01:55 PM PDT More scenes from a book tour: Official Hair Styles for Men and Boys, as seen at Simpson's Family Barbershop on El Camino Real in Menlo Park, CA, where I got a fast and top-notch trim. Official Hair Styles for Men and Boys sign, Simpson's Barbershop, Menlo Park, CA, USA

Newly-discovered frog with funny long nose Posted: 18 May 2010 11:03 AM PDT Researchers in Indonesia recently discovered this unknown species of long-nosed frog. It is one of many new animal species they've found in the Foja Mountains of New Guinea. From The Telegraph: "We were sitting around eating lunch," recalled ornithologist Chris Milensky. (His colleague Pual) Oliver "looked down and there's this little frog on a rice sack, and he managed to grab the thing." "Herpetologists [experts in snakes, lizards and frogs] have good reflexes," Mr Milensky observed. "Scientists discover frog with inflatable nose" Previously: Dozens of new undersea species discovered off Indonesia Erica captures a giant Uromastyx lizard in Saudi Arabia Strange new fish: H. psychedelica Pygmy Tarsiers Re-discovered in Indonesia

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