Saturday, August 12, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
Happy Birthday, PC! (One Day Early)
BBC NEWS | Technology | Twenty five years of the IBM PC: "Computer firm IBM made technological history on 12 August 1981 with the announcement of a personal computer - the IBM 5150.
Costing $1,565, the 5150 had just 16K of memory - scarcely more than a couple of modest e-mails worth.
The machine was not the first attempt to popularise computing but it soon came to define the global standard.
It altered the way business was done forever and sparked a revolution in home computing."
Costing $1,565, the 5150 had just 16K of memory - scarcely more than a couple of modest e-mails worth.
The machine was not the first attempt to popularise computing but it soon came to define the global standard.
It altered the way business was done forever and sparked a revolution in home computing."
How They Got in Her Pyjamas, I'll Never Know
Pregnant woman arrested by terror police in her pyjamas | the Daily Mail: "Pregnant woman arrested by terror police in her pyjamas
13:21pm 11th August 2006
The youngest of the terror suspects arrested in the raids was a heavily pregnant woman from Hackney, London.
The Asian woman was taken by police handcuffed and still wearing pyjamas from a top floor flat in Denver Road."
13:21pm 11th August 2006
The youngest of the terror suspects arrested in the raids was a heavily pregnant woman from Hackney, London.
The Asian woman was taken by police handcuffed and still wearing pyjamas from a top floor flat in Denver Road."
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Readers of this Blog will not be Surprised that it All Started with an Alligator!
The Wilhelm Scream: "One sound effect that has found a following with many sound editors and observant movie fans is a distinctive scream named Wilhelm.
In 1951, the Warner Bros. film Distant Drums directed by Raoul Walsh starred Gary Cooper as Captain Quincy Wyatt, who leads a group of soldiers to stop some Seminole Indians from threatening settlers in early 19th Century Florida. During a scene in which the soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades, one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator.
As is usually the case with the making of a movie, the scream for that character was recorded later. Six short pained screams were recorded in a single take, which was slated 'man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams.' The fifth scream was used for the soldier - but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film when three Indians are shot, one after another, during a raid on a fort.
After Distand Drums, the recording was archived into the studio's sound effects library, and was re-used in many Warner Bros. productions."
[And many others from many studios. Thanks to the folks at Neatorama for reminding me of The Scream.]
In 1951, the Warner Bros. film Distant Drums directed by Raoul Walsh starred Gary Cooper as Captain Quincy Wyatt, who leads a group of soldiers to stop some Seminole Indians from threatening settlers in early 19th Century Florida. During a scene in which the soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades, one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator.
As is usually the case with the making of a movie, the scream for that character was recorded later. Six short pained screams were recorded in a single take, which was slated 'man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams.' The fifth scream was used for the soldier - but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film when three Indians are shot, one after another, during a raid on a fort.
After Distand Drums, the recording was archived into the studio's sound effects library, and was re-used in many Warner Bros. productions."
[And many others from many studios. Thanks to the folks at Neatorama for reminding me of The Scream.]
Bob Dylan on XM
Seems I've been lax in posting the playlist for Bob Dylan's show on XM radio lately. Here's the one from last week when the theme was the Devil:
Devil's Dream - Rev. Gary Davis
Me and the Devil Blues - Robert Johnson
Friend of the Devil - Grateful Dead
The Devil Ain't Lazy - Bob Wills
Christine's Tune (aka Devil in Disguise) - The Flying Burrito Brothers
(You're the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley
Suzanne Beware of the Devil - Dandy Livingstone
Devil in his Heart - The Donays
It Must Have Been the Devil - Otis Spann
Devil's Hot Rod - Johnny Tyler
Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Helen Humes and Count Basie
Devil with the Blue Dress On - Shorty Long
Devil's Haircut - Beck
Satan is Real - The Louvin Brothers
Race With the Devil - Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps
Way Down in the Hole - Tom Waits
Devil's Dream - Rev. Gary Davis
Me and the Devil Blues - Robert Johnson
Friend of the Devil - Grateful Dead
The Devil Ain't Lazy - Bob Wills
Christine's Tune (aka Devil in Disguise) - The Flying Burrito Brothers
(You're the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley
Suzanne Beware of the Devil - Dandy Livingstone
Devil in his Heart - The Donays
It Must Have Been the Devil - Otis Spann
Devil's Hot Rod - Johnny Tyler
Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Helen Humes and Count Basie
Devil with the Blue Dress On - Shorty Long
Devil's Haircut - Beck
Satan is Real - The Louvin Brothers
Race With the Devil - Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps
Way Down in the Hole - Tom Waits
Gator Update
Eyewitness News - Alligator removed from Attleboro apartment: "ATTLEBORO, Mass. State environmental police removed a three-and-a-half foot alligator from a third floor apartment in Attleboro earlier this week.
Police say the reptile's owner left a message with the city's animal control office Monday morning notifying officials that the alligator was present and granting permission for the reptile to be removed."
Police say the reptile's owner left a message with the city's animal control office Monday morning notifying officials that the alligator was present and granting permission for the reptile to be removed."
Personalized Ketchup
Heinz to offer custom labels - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Capitalizing on the 130th anniversary of its most famous product, the H.J. Heinz Co. has created a special Web site allowing consumers to create their own ketchup bottle labels.
At myheinz.com, users can show off their wit, be sentimental or use any wording for a unique tag to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or any special occasion. "
At myheinz.com, users can show off their wit, be sentimental or use any wording for a unique tag to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or any special occasion. "
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
On the Road Again
Judy and I will be heading for Austin on Thursday morning. We'll be attending Armadillocon, so posting will be sporadic. I'll try to get some video posted if anybody will cooperate. SF writers and fans might not be interested in being on my blog, so we'll just have to wait and see.
I Wonder if John Reid has Seen V for Vendetta
BBC NEWS | Politics | Terror 'may force freedom curbs': "Britain might have to modify its freedoms in the short term in order to prevent their 'misuse and abuse' by terrorists, John Reid has said.
He conceded that was never an easy request, but it was up to everyone to ask 'what price our security, at what cost can we preserve our freedoms'.
The UK faced its 'most sustained period of severe threat since the end of World War II', the home secretary warned.
He urged people from all communities to help by being vigilant."
He conceded that was never an easy request, but it was up to everyone to ask 'what price our security, at what cost can we preserve our freedoms'.
The UK faced its 'most sustained period of severe threat since the end of World War II', the home secretary warned.
He urged people from all communities to help by being vigilant."
To Protect and Serve, Florida Style
local6.com - Problem Solvers - Firefighters Accused Of Surfing Porn, MySpace On City Computers: "CLERMONT, Fla. -- An Internet virus that apparently fried a computer network in Clermont, Fla., has prompted an investigation into improper usage of city computers by on-duty firefighters and paramedics, according to a Local 6 News report.
Firefighters and paramedics in Clermont are accused of using computers to view pornography, gamble and peruse women on the social Web site mySpace.com.
A source told Local 6 News that an investigation found that one of the city's fire stations was a gateway for the virus. The virus apparently shut down the system for days and deleted countless files."
Firefighters and paramedics in Clermont are accused of using computers to view pornography, gamble and peruse women on the social Web site mySpace.com.
A source told Local 6 News that an investigation found that one of the city's fire stations was a gateway for the virus. The virus apparently shut down the system for days and deleted countless files."
Freedom of Speech Under Attack
Chron.com | Judge disciplined after ordering 'Go Seahawks' cheer: "Judge disciplined after ordering 'Go Seahawks' cheer
Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A state panel has disciplined a judge who ordered cheers in court for the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks before issuing a manslaughter sentence.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Beverly Grant asked about 100 people in court to say 'Go Seahawks' before taking their seats on Feb. 3. Dissatisfied with the low volume of the response, she repeated the request."
Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A state panel has disciplined a judge who ordered cheers in court for the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks before issuing a manslaughter sentence.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Beverly Grant asked about 100 people in court to say 'Go Seahawks' before taking their seats on Feb. 3. Dissatisfied with the low volume of the response, she repeated the request."
Cats Plot World Domination!
Aug. 9, 2006 — Kevin Lafferty is a smart, cautious, thoughtful scientist who doesn't hate cats, but he has put forth a provocative theory that suggests that a clever cat parasite may alter human cultures on a massive scale.
His phone hasn't stopped ringing since he published one of the strangest research papers to come out of the mill in quite awhile.
The parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, has been transmitted indirectly from cats to roughly half the people on the planet, and it has been shown to affect human personalities in different ways.
Research has shown that women who are infected with the parasite tend to be more warm, outgoing and attentive to others, while infected men tend to be less intelligent and probably a bit boring. But both men and women who are infected are more prone to feeling guilty and insecure.
Other researchers have linked the parasite to schizophrenia. In an adult, the symptoms are like a mild form of flu, but it can be much more serious in an infant or fetus. Oxford University researchers believe high levels of the parasite leads to hyperactivity and lower IQ in children.
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