April 30, 2004
Trojan War
Manfred Korfmann, director of the excavations at Troy, comments on whether or not the Trojan War depicted in Homer's Iliad, like, happened.
Ok, I teach this stuff and that is a pretty boring question. How about, shouldn't Helen be prettier than Achilles? And how many millihelens can Brad Pitt register anyway? I mean, wouldn't that need another unit of measurement seeing as he is a guy?
Umbrella Project
This is the sort of inventiveness that could rescue Flea Towers (via Attu).
Oil Emperor of Dune
So... George-Muad'ib riding a worm of Irraqis is supposed to be a bad thing, right?
London
Fifty reasons why I am in the wrong city (though Toronto does share some features in common with the real Big Smoke).
The color of money
And at long last for all those cracks about Canadian Monopoly money we can now examine in detail the new US $50 bill. In colour. Or rather, color.
MapMachine
National Geographic offers revamped on-line maps.
April 29, 2004
Grilled Sarlacc
Ok, a database of Star Wars pics might be a useful resource. Still, given the name of the site I was disappointed not to find instructions for putting one of these babies on the grill. Any tips for sarlacc marinade, Anthony?
(And speaking of sucking monsters...)
And then... I should make that last link more explicit... Visit the Meatriarchy and support Don Cherry for Greatest Canadian!
Nicosphere3000
Are you sick of being told where you can smoke?
Slavery
UNICEF releases a report on slavery in Africa and between Africa and the Middle East and Europe.
And this is interesting... UNICEF has positive things to say about its relationship with "faith based organizations."
Invisible Adjunct
For people outside the academic job market, an adjunct lecturer teaches on a course by course basis typically with limited benefits. Pay is also limited so there is a tendency to overload on courses thereby keeping tenured faculty from straining themselves and limiting an adjunct lecturer's time to finish the PhD or write the publications that lead to a full-time job. Disappointing to see one of my favourite blogs come to end and a peculiar echo of my own work circumstances just now.
The Chronicle of Higher Education notes the passing of a great blog (hat tip to Mondo Sismondo).
"What I need to do, I think, is to revise and rewrite my own script," she wrote months ago when she began to consider this jump. "Get me rewrite! I'm done with this story and I want a new script."
April 28, 2004
Tiffany Case
Ok, so Solitaire is the ideal Bond girl. Tiffany Case is my favourite. When did TBS start using the expression "Bond Women"? Much less chic.
I dare anyone to watch Diamonds Are Forever and tell me Ewan McGregor should not be the next Bond!
And now I have everyone's attention... Heroes of the Blogosphere has more than a day to go! Watch this space for updates as I move to a real computer! The best place to start is at Da Goddess who offers thoughts from bloggers who explain why they are taking time to support Spirit of America. Then report for duty at Castle Argghhh!!! where Fusileer 6 offers the latest SITREP.
Big Pants
I have almost certainly linked to this before. Possibly not work safe depending on how attentive your co-workers are to detail.
Dynamic duo
Batman and Robin are fighting crime in Reading.
“They said, ‘I’m Batman, I’m Robin’ and I said, ‘No, you’re not’ and asked them if they were going to a fancy dress party but they said they were going back to Gotham City.”
German public television
This bile is what passes for humour on NDR, a regional German public TV channel (via Frozen in Montreal).
But have a closer look at the scene with a Jew sitting laughing on the back of a Palestinian, and the one where a Jew stands next to a Palestinian who holds a sign "Doof" (Dumb).
Remember 11
This is difficult to read (via Chaos Central).
Looking downward through the wracks of steel beams you realize they are sitting upon a sea of emergency vehicles.
April 27, 2004
Prequel
Star Trek producer Rick Berman is dropping hints about the next film in the Trek franchise.
Trireme
Marine archaeologists are after the remains of as many as a thousand Greek and Persian wrecks from the Persian Wars. Their aim is to discover just how a trireme worked.
"That means somewhere there is a mistake," said Katerina Dellaporta, director of underwater antiquities for Greece and a leader of the project. "They were very, very steady in naval battles and very fast."
And then... Here are some photos of a contemporary - arguably not working quite right - version of the ancient real deal, the Hellenic Navy's Olympias. Something right up my street: a paper on how trireme construction was financed. Neat!
Okami
Ignore a government travel warning in a bid to help child, find yourself held hostage and this is the warm welcome you can expect back home in Japan (hat tip to Mondo Sismondo).
Beneath the surface of Japan's ultra-sophisticated cities lie the hierarchical ties that have governed this island nation for centuries and that, at moments of crises, invariably reassert themselves. The former hostages' transgression was to ignore a government advisory against traveling to Iraq. But their sin, in a vertical society that likes to think of itself as classless, was to defy what people call here "okami," or, literally, "what is higher."
And then... Googlism has the following to say on the subject.
Black Widow
I would have said I was Clea, Princess of the Dark Dimension so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this test. Which Marvel superheroine are you?
April 26, 2004
Sk8er Boi
I don't know why I am running this. Consider it CanCon. Harry Windsor is to have a "date" with Avril Lavigne, someone who accomplished something as a result of personal talent and hard work rather than by accident of birth.
No doubt! And who cares?
Spirit of America
This is a reminder about the Flea's auction for Spirit of America. Place your bids in the post at the end of this link. The Fusileers have raised US$13k as of the last update. Sign up with the Fusileers, make a tax deductible donation and smell great at the same time with your bid for this exciting Ghost of a flea endorsed product!
And then... Almost 8000 hits at the Flea yesterday and one bid mean someone is almost certain to get a bargain! Support genuine alternative media in Iraq! Smell nice! Be ready for that special birthday or anniversary!
Dutch Idol
These Dutch idol entrants makes the Canadian pickings look good. Someone. Anyone. Please tell me this is a joke. And what is with the yellow Che shirt?
Unfinished Chamber
We travel beneath the Pyramid of Khufu thanks to the wonder that is "the internet".
Self-propelling cart
Designs from Leonardo's Atlanticus Codex have been transformed into a working model now the steering mechanism is no longer confused for the propulsion system.
The BBC's taxing case
The BBC has "turned its back" on ratings in making its case for continued access to a mandatory licence fee from the British public. Not much of a statement given that UK television viewers are already turning their backs on the Beeb. A new reason for those billions of pounds must be found. The answer...
"We're trying to say that the point about the BBC - like the NHS - is that, however much you use it, it's an asset to our society."
Someone get on the line to the CBC! Television nobody watches is a national asset on par with health care nobody can use!
April 24, 2004
Van Helsing
This one says "Flea." Kate Beckinsale discusses her latest goth vixen role.
BECKINSALE: I do think it's a bit daunting, because the opportunity to feel an idiot is quite high. If you do your homework as an actor and get yourself where you're supposed to be… Obviously, it's preferable to have another very good actor to work off because it raises your game, but if you've got a little cross of tape and a fairly fevered imagination you can get reasonably far.
I find myself thinking much the same thing. Preview pics can be found here.
Flea Market
When Rev. Donald Sensing's "One Hand Clapping" first featured BlogAds the Reverend kindly offered a week of free ad-space to the first blogger who asked.
The Flea now follows his excellent example. There is a week of free adspace on the sidebar to the first blogger who writes!
And then... We have a winner! Now let's see if we can get this BlogAds interface to work...
Banana Guard
The last time your squashy banana need be stored in the freezer of hypothetical banana-bread fixings. "Protect your banana!"
And then... Deb beats me to the banana!
Cards
Just my luck as the Flea is accepting over-the-top gifts at the moment (though I expect I could make a set of these myself).
Bogus refugee claims
I posted the following comment to a post at the Shotgun. I think it is worth repeating here (as is a link to the original Globe and Mail article that started the discussion). Each concerns the possibility of people claiming refugee status in Canada claming to risk persecution for their sexual orienation.
I notice the Globe and Mail article gives two grounds for the "bogus" quality of some claims. First, the claimant may not actually be gay. Second, the claimant may come from a country where gay people are not persecuted. I hope we could agree these cases coult accurately be described as bogus.
I would further hope we could agree there are many countries - the article cites countries where homosexuality is outlawed - from which a legitimate refugee claim could be made.
Devotion
Being American in T.O. on the last full measure of devotion.
What astounds me is not how much we love our country but the lack of bold admissions from others that they love their countries. I may be a simpleton because I love my country, but they are ungrateful, shallow bastards for not honouring the blood and dedication of those who came before them.
Love of country isn't pride, people, it's humility. It's being bowed by the burden of mighty examples and, even as we enjoy the freedoms bequeathed by those who came before us, we freely accept that our heritage includes the admonition that we highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.
April 23, 2004
Pat Tillman
Someone may have to save us.
And then... nikita demosthenes comments with multiple links.
GAU-8 Avenger cannon
Ever wanted a practice round for the cannon sported by the A-10? Your wish can come true at Castle Argghhh!!! and it is all for the Fighting Fusileers' Spirit of America charity drive! "You know you want it! You know you need it!"
Jim Morrison Simulatron
Jim Morrison is with us once again thanks to the wonders of "the internet".
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
That the Jim Morrison Simulatron
was not the coolest thing ever.
Pilot's seat
I love this panoramic view of a Concorde cockpit in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum. But wait, there's more!
Whaling
Rock art discovered in what is now South Korea dating back as much as six thousand years depicts early whaling practices. Flea-readers interested in trying out this whale steak with herbs recipe or another for whale steak and green peas should invite me over for bbq.
The Day After Tomorrow
A movie for all your ecodisaster needs. Tech Central Station offers more on Frankenclime plots.
And then... Canadian environmental fearmonger David Suzuki comments to the effect that only his "weirdo" climate change scenarios are to be taken seriously. Heaven forbid a worst case scenario worked up by the Pentagon have the same weight as a talking head for the CBC.
April 22, 2004
The Tao of Kylie
This latest contribution to Kylie-media is an interview ranging from the question of whether we have souls (yes) to whether we will all end up with chips in our heads (maybe). Also, women's undergarments.
(With a hat tip to the much missed Sketches of Strain.)
Spirit of America
The Blogosphere challenge raised over 11 thousand dollars so far and more than half of that was from the Fighting Fusileers! Spread the word and help raise funds for alternative media in Iraq!
Facehugger
Now Flea-readers can have a stuffed facehugger for their very own.
Pink
This may put a kink in my plan to buy a pink shirt. It does not require much confidence to wear the same thing everybody else is wearing.
So You Want to Write a Star Trek Novel
I have the best idea for a Star Trek novel ever and now I know what to do about it.
Cornucopia
The shape of the universe?
IAEA
If someone at the IAEA knows why referrals from their server are now sitting at the top of my stats for this month (and that includes an Instalanche) I would be delighted if they let me in on it. Shouldn't you guys be, like, looking for nuclear weapons or something? Here's a hint: it has four letters, starts with an "I" and this year ends with the letter "N" instead of the letter "Q".
Captain Mbaye Diagne
I am republishing this post from the lost Mk. 1 version of the Shotgun. This is for everyone at the IAEA and other international organizations nominally dedicated to helping people out. Keep your eye on the ball people.
***
"Ghosts of Rwanda" represents the best of PBS' Frontline series. Anyone who thinks the barbarism in Fallujah could be assuaged by withdrawal of Coalition forces should watch this show. Anyone who thinks the word "barbarism" is more offensive than the murder and desecration of free people should be ashamed. Anyone who cannot find the word "evil" in their vocabulary may not be capable of that emotion. But that shame is nothing next to what we should all feel for standing by as genocide was perpetrated in Rwanda. Canadian General Romeo Dallaire sums it up with brutal clarity.
"I'm sure there would have been more reaction if someone had tried to exterminate Rwanda's 300 mountain gorillas," he said.
So much for the United Nations. So much for international law. So much for the international community. 800,000 people were murdered. And still the only thing that matters to so many people is marching in the streets against... against what exactly? Against civilization. Too many of those outraged by the toppling of dictators could not find Rwanda on the map.
One story stands out. A Senegalese peacekeeper saved a hundred, as many as a thousand, lives by escorting some of the few Tutsis left in Kigali away from one of many Hutu Einsatzgruppen. Captain Diagne saved these lives against the express orders of the United Nations. Remember that the next time someone suggests that parliament of dictators has the moral authority to point fingers as as it chokes back the lobster and champagne.
When plans were first discussed for evacuating U.N. personnel, the rule was that no Rwandans, staff or not, could be taken along. Colonel Balis stated that he questioned Dallaire twice about the directive and was told, “Orders from New York: No Locals.” The rules were not always followed, even by the authorities in New York or by some U.N. agencies. ... On April 7, the Senegalese Captain Mbaye Diagne and a U.N. employee named Le Moal rescued the five children of Prime Minister Uwilingiyimana, who then left the country through the efforts of a French professor, André Guichaoua, who was in Kigali at the time. Throughout the next weeks, Captain Mbaye became virtually a legend among Rwandans for his bravery and inventiveness in saving people and in deterring soldiers who sought to enter the Hotel Mille Collines at night to kill those whom he had saved during the day.
Captain Diagne was killed by shrapnel at a checkpoint and the UN could not offer him the dignity of a body bag. He deserved better.
April 21, 2004
Portrait
Analogia compares the Flea to Tim Robbins, Clint Eastwood and Scott Baio. The software took a bit longer coming up with female comparisons but eventually settled on Patricia Arquette, Andie MacDowell and Maria Callas. Ahh, la Divina! I think this software is designed to blow smoke somewhere or other (via Cup of Chicha).
Creatures
"Making the Creatures", a featurette from the forthcoming Aliens Vs. Predator film is now available. I love the mechanical mandibles!
Sexiest Vegetarians Alive
Vegans taste better, look better and feel better. Or so claim two veggie models whose names escaped me on a first (or possibly second) viewing. I assumed this piece was meant to be satirical but as it wore on the grinding realization of the utter humourlessness of these people sunk in. Nice lettuce though.
Unreal
I wonder if this is a Shopped image. Great idea either way.
Torc
So as I was saying, you wouldn't happen to have the other half of this amulet...
Marshill
A stone coffin containing the body of an iron age warrior, found close to a bronze age burial, may point to a Druid holy site.
April 20, 2004
Your Disco Needs You!
The Blog-Bash to raise money for Spirit of America kicks off at noon (EST). Please come back to the Flea later today for a link to the donation site.
The latest broadside for the Fighting Fusileers is available at the Castle (along with some remarks about the arsenal of blogocracy: "Shoot girl, I'm bettin' I've got more machineguns than you have guns.")
And then... Actually, it is the donation buttons that are to arrive noonish. Donations are to be accepted starting just after midnight tonight. I will let you know in which time zone as soon as the information arrives. The Canadian Pesh Murga stand ready!
Red Bull
***Dave links to an astute observation about the blogosphere (including the Flea-ish part).
Hand of God
Diego Maradona has been hospitalized with heart problems said to be related to years of drug and alcohol abuse. Sad.
Football
Two nuclear submarines have surfaced at the north pole with a game of footie in mind.
Gas tax
James Lileks responds to Andrew Sullivan on gas taxes (via She who will be obeyed!).
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff and imposed a landing-on-the-rocks surcharge, would you do it too? Get out a map. Look at, say, Belgium. Look at America. Compare. Consider the costs of trucking lettuce from Mexico to North Dakota. Discuss.
April 19, 2004
Blogosphere
I had an interesting conversation with an editor at a major national Canadian daily newspaper that is attempting to "ingratiate itself with the blogosphere." The idea is to run occasional posts from Canadian bloggers as a comments feature in the print edition. Sounds fine. Here is the catch: the paper does not intend to pay to publish that work. Why would it, the argument goes, when the blogger had already written the post for free? Hey, I have got an idea... I will reprint entire articles from the paper, put them up behind a paid subscription wall and sell ads along the way. I mean, I found a copy of the paper on the subway and was reading it for free anyway. So why should the owners of the paper care what I do with their work?
I happen to know what the per word rate used to be for this particular major national Canadian daily newspaper so no blogger should expect to get rich even if the paper does an about face. I have two observations to make. First, writers should be paid for their work. Second, it may be I was the first of twenty-five bloggers to ask for money from a business attempting to sell papers with my writing. But I still think this is no way to ingratiate the paper with the blogosphere.
And then... If you were one of those twenty-five you should send me an email. The traffic generated by twenty-five bloggers ads up to a newspaper. We should be selling our own ads not giving away our work to the dead tree media.
And then... Think of the following before giving away your work in exchange for a reprinted URL in the print edition of anything.
I remember the business head of MSNBC.com telling me sometime ago that Glenn Reynolds' column there gets more traffic from external blogs than from the internal promotional power of the meganewssite.
Remember, paper does not support hyperlinks.
Hammy Hamster
This weekend I was reminded of Hammy Hamster... and a surreal moment living in England when a Brummie colleague broke into a rendition of the title theme for The Littlest Hobo. Now I wonder how far afield Hammy Hamster lore has travelled.
And then... Ok, that's enough with the hamster lore. You can let it out. Sing along now. You know you want to!
There's a voice that keeps on calling me.
Down the road. That's where I'll always be.
Oh, every stop I make, I make a new friend.
Can't stay for long. Just turn around, and I'm gone again.
Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down.
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep movin' on.
So, if you want to join me for awhile,
just grab your hat, and we'll travel light. That's hobo style.
Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down.
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep movin' on.
Until tomorrow, the whole world is my home.
Necronomicontest
Now is the time for all good Flea-readers to come to the aid of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (with a hat tip to the Flea's whisky expert).
Panoramas
Panoramas for every occasion. I like this view from the Monument.
Communicator
Vocera makes a Next Generation-style lapel communicator (via Venomous Kate).