Month: November 2006

There’s an article on the Richard Dawkins Foundation website about the effects of violent video gaming on people’s tendency towards emotion versus critical thinking. Thanks to the wonderful way that RishardDawkins.net articles are attributed in their headlines in feed readers, it appears to be titled, "Violent video games leave teenagers emotionally aroused by Radiological Society of North America". What an odd effect.

The most annoying central character since Kevin McCallister actually appears to become slightly more competent after his surprisingly (and disappointingly) non-fatal lobotomy half way through this farce. The giant killer radioactive snot monster is off screen for far too long, especially since its existence is largely ignored when it’s not around. There’s no sense of danger. Nor is there much in the way of pace. Or anything praiseworthy, really.

It’s a pity. I usually enjoy a good monster rampage movie.

I’m liking this return to old-school blogging, the type where I just find something interesting on the Web—or better yet, have someone find it for me—and point you to it. I’m also loving Steven Garrity’s idea for a distributed punch in the face system:

The system allows you to enter the name/location of a person who needs to be punched in the face, somewhere in the world (a known spammer, for example).

Then, you see if there is anyone near you that needs to be punched in the face. Punch them.

It’s violence 2.0.

From the Modern Drunkard Magazine’s Wingman’s Handbook (thanks to Karl for pointing it out):

There’s much more to the task than distracting the [cock-blocker] while the [flight leader] makes his move. Wingman skills have been honed and passed down since someone decided women should be allowed into bars. Strategies have evolved and tactics have been polished to the point that the wingman has become a super-specialized warrior in the eternal Battle of the Sexes.

The handbook is an invaluable guide to that most noble and self-sacrificing job. Wingmen, I salute you.

Here’s a very simple and easy magic trick with very little preparation:

1. Fill a bowl with water.
2. Cover the top with a thin layer of dust, or something similarly light but visible, like pepper.
3. Ask a participant to dip their finger in the centre, which will have no effect.
4. Secretly put a drop of washing up liquid or liquid soap to your finger, and dip it in the bowl. The effect is to drive the dust to the edges of the bowl, away from your finger.

It might be obvious to you how this particular trick works. Liquid soap naturally spreads over the surface of the water, so it pushes the light dust away to the edges.

With a bit of showmanship it’s possible to dress this up into quite a nice illusion.

From a column by Rick Moranis in the New York Times:

I have thirty-nine pairs of golf, tennis, squash, running, walking, hiking, casual and formal shoes, ice skates and rollerblades.

I’m wearing slippers.

He goes on to count TVs, phones, stamps, and dental floss. It’s a short but very entertaining column.

I was going to post a rambling introspection about why I haven’t been blogging much recently despite my abundant free time—in brief: I’m unemployed, waiting for word back from Google about a possible job there; considering other places to apply—but instead I think you’d be more entertained by a link to some Robot Chicken.

Actually, this is more for posterity than anything else since I assume you’ve already seen it.

I want to be a secret agent. Seven thumbs up.

I want to be a magician. Five stars.

Bang! The Complete History of the Universe is a new popular science book about the origins and development of the universe for a lay audience. So far, so, "I’ve read it all before." What’s interesting is the list of authors, which includes legendary glam rock guitar god Brian May—sorry, Dr Brian May—of Queen.

Alternative headlines for this post were: "Prince of the Universe"; "A Kind of Science"; "Radio Telescope Ga-Ga"; and "Brian May Has a Sodding Doctorate in Astrophysics"