No-Pay No-Drive Automobile Shut-Off Box

Real Tech News is running a story on what may eventually replace the repo-man.

A Virginia dealership has come up with a device that will kill your car's engine if you start to get behind on your payments. Apparently, they're intent is to use this little gizmo as a sort of insurance policy against high-risk car buyers.

So, if you find yourself shopping for a car in Norfolk, avoid Patriot Auto Sales.

I guess there is no shortage of horribly stupid ideas...

Technorati tags: Gadgets, Cars, Stupid Products

Loc8tor: Something to Smash When Your Can't Find You Keys

The Loc8tor, here, is supposed to help you find your lost shit. It's essentially the real-life version of the Bat-Homing Device, meaning it's probably less effective than the goofy prop from campy tv show.

Sure, it'll point you toward toward you missing crap, but only if you put a tracking on it ahead of time. This seems like a critical flaw to me. Anyone organized enough to tag all of the portable devices and such in order to find them if they ever get lost, will probably never lose any of that stuff to being with.

It's a fun gimmick, though, and I'm sure it'll deprive some poor schmuck of his money; just not this one. In fact, the only realistic use I can see for this thing would be to tag and find someone else's stuff.

So, Mister Loc8tor, what kind of shit are you trying to pull?

Via UberGizmo.

Technorati tags: Loc8tor * Gadgets * Stupid Products

Robotic PacMan

Akihabara News has video and pictures of a radio controlled robotic PacMan game designed and built by Bandai and Namco.

It's pretty crazy and I soooo want one now. The game comes complete with robotic ghosts and PacMan even eats the little pellets as he goes.

Words cannot adequately describe the awesomeness of this thing. Watch the video and bask in its wonder.

Via Engadget.

Technorati tags: Robotic PacMan * Technology * Games * Stupid Products

Comic Book Day - 11/30/05

Time for the weekly rundown on how I intend to waste my money this Wednesday.

Today looks to be quite nice for my inner dork (ok, not inner, really; my dork very much lives on the outside). A Couple of things I've been waiting for have finally made their way to the shipping lists. Here's what I'm picking up:

• Adventures of Superman #646
• Batman #647
• Teen Titans: The Future is Now TPB
• Wonder Woman #223

I might also pick up the Marvel Holiday Special, but only because the idea of a superhero Christmas sounds hillarious. The DC holiday issues are always some of the funniest shit they publish, but I haven't picked up a Marvel one in a really long time.

Oh, and speaking of those dicks at Marvel, what the hell happened to Supreme Power: Hyperion #3? Diamond had it listed as shipping this week, but now it's gone. Stupid delays in comic books really piss me off. Why make the monthly solicitations if the book isn't done yet? Bastards.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Comic Books * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Firefox 1.5 Released

Mozilla has finally released the finished version of Firefox 1.5. It's about the same as the three 1.5 release candidates that hit the market in the last several weeks, but has some under-the-hood fixes that help get around some of the wonkiness inherent in software upgrades.

Also, check out Lifehacker for a neat little tutorial on how to make your old extensions work with 1.5.

Technorati tags: Firefox * Computers and Internet * Software

Nice to Know Some Politicians Have Souls and/or Common Sense

As a resident of Maryland, it's normally my sworn duty to disparage the "Commonwealth" of Virginia as much as possible. For instance, every time I go to Hot Topic, I'm always tempted to buy that "Virginia is for Losers" shirt, but then I realize that a state who's majors roads are named after Confederate generals just isn't worth it.

Well, that shit goes out the window tonight. Reuters is reporting that Governor Warner has commuted the death sentence of the man who would have been the victim of Virginia's 1000th execution. The convicted man's name isn't worth mentioning or even important at all, really. I'm just happy someone in power out there realizes that death penalty is worthless as a deterrent.

Let's hope this is the beginning of a trend.

Technorati tags: Politics and News, Virginia, Death Penalty

del.icio.us Firefox Extension

del.icio.us has a shiny new Firefox extension available for download. The extension offers seamless integration with the browser right down to the context menues.

Among the features are:

• Toolbar buttons
• Pop-up post windows
• Right-click post
• del.icio.us context menu
• and a del.icio.us search bar

Not bad for their first offering.

Technorati tags: del.icio.us Firefox Extension * del.icio.us * Firefox * Computers and internet

How to Solve a Sudoku

I'm not a big Sodoku fan. In fact, I hate anything that has to do with numbers or math. But, I know the Debinator likes these things, so I thought I'd post this.

This is one of the less interesting "How to's" from wikiHow, but it's still worth a read if you're even the least bit interested.

How to Solve a Sudoku - WikiHow

Technorati tags: Sodoku * How To * Time Waster

TV-B-Gone Universal TV Turner Offer

The TV-B-Gone is a miniature universal remote. It has only one button and performs only one function: it turns TVs off.

Oh, but wait, it fits on your key chain.

Yes, I know what you're thinking, but I'm reasonably certain that the inventors of this thing are not, in fact, crack addicts.

I can almost understand the need for this thing; almost. You see, there's this neat restaurant that I frequent called Eggspectation. The food is good and it's across the street from my apartment. I might actually go there too often, but fuck it, I don't like to cook. The only real problem with the place is that around the bar, the TVs are either tuned in to sports or FOX News.

Now, anyone who with even a passing familiarity with me will know that if there's one thing I hate more than sports, it's Fox News. So, in a situation like that, I'd rather the TV just be off.

That's not to say I'd ever buy this thing. I'm just saying that it's not the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Oh, no. That title still goes to the Aquariass.

Via Newlaunches.com

Technorati tags: TV-B-Gone * Universal Remote * Gadgets * Stupid Products

Body Hacks

Men's Health has a neat little list of tricks to help get past every-day annoyances.

Here's the one I've found most useful so far:

5. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

Most of the rest of the tips are solutions to problems I'm not going to go out and make for myself. Read on and you'll understand.

Via Lifehacker.

Technorati tags: Body Hacks * Men's Health * Life Hack * Useless Information

Two congressmen injured in Iraq

The Washington Post is reporting that two US Congressmen were injured in Iraq the other day. Apparently the vehicle they were traveling in rolled over after an Iraqi vehicle failed to yield to their convoy.

The injuries are reportedly minor, but that's not the point. We just shouldn't be there.

I've got nothing more to say about it other than that I hope Congressmen Murphy and Skelton are OK and can get out of there as soon as humanly possible.

Technorati tags: Iraq * News and Politics

Crisis Counseling - 11/28/05

New Crisis Counseling up at DC.

Another thin week. At least the updated the page, though.

I haven't even read this week's comics yet. I started on Robin, but only got a few pages in before getting distracted by something shiney on the other side of the room.

Next week looks to be rather uneventful as well. Good thing I picked up a bunch of trades over the holiday. Watchmen, here I come!

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

USB Slippers

Here are some USB slippers from Rare Mono Shop. And yes, that's USB, as in Universal Serial Bus, and slippers, as in those fuzzy things you wear on your feet. The website is in Japanese, so I'm only guessing here, but I'm pretty sure the USB connection is only used to power a heating element in the slippers. From the looks of them, they don't actually do anything other than keep your feet warm.

As stupid as that sounds, my feet are cold right now and I might almost considering buying these things if I could figure out how yen converts into dollars. Oh, and if I was drunk. Yeah... the drinking here is key, I think.

Technorati tags: USB Slippers * Gadgets * Stupid Products

Random Thought - 11/26/05

I know I haven't posted much in the past few days, but I've been out of town and similarly out of ambition.

I'm back, though, and will get back to posting soon. Tomorrow, maybe.

Until then, enjoy Superman being a dick:
I actually picked this issue up over the holiday at a local shop in Tennessee. I plan to display it in my office window right next to this one: Jimmy vs. Aquaman.

Anyhoot, cya.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Random Thought * Entertainment * Superdickery

Lost 2x08 "Collisions"

Another week, another awesome episode of Lost. I still don't like Anna Lucia, but at least I know more about her now.

Anyway, as has become my way, here are some thoughts and questions about "Collisions:"

• So, Anna Lucia was a cop. Big surprise. Was she an LAPD cop, though? Kinda looked like it, but I couldn't really tell.
• Her patrol car was #16.
• Interesting parallel between her and Jack in that they both worked for one of their parents.
• I still think Eko is a priest, but after how easily he seemed to take down Sayid, I now think he's some sort of warrior priest. You know, like the ones the Vatican used to send around to take out the heretics.
• Uh, when Sayid dropped the gun, why didn't Jin or Michael try to pick it up? Dumbasses just stood there.
• The golf scene seemed strained. Maybe cause one of the characters just got dead, but it didn't feel right. Could also have been that the tension between Jack and Kate was just a bit too blatant.
• Locke's crossword puzzle has meaning. He was writing Gilgamesh as the answer to "Friend of Enkidu." Here's a happy fun explanation courtesy of Encyclopedia Mythica.
• Feisty McBitch was pregnant and lost the kid when she got shot. Booohooo... I still don't like her.
• I know LA is a crime-ridden shit hole and all, but no one put two and two together about Anna and the execution-style murder of her confessed attacker? Weak, dude. Weak.
• I'm in no mood for anymore of that Kate/Sawyer bullshit.
• They sure do have a lot of guns in that bunker, eh?
• So, Locke and Eko finally met and the universe didn't implode. I was hoping for a little more with that, but I guess they gotta spread it out over the rest of the season.
• Don't ya think Sayid should have said something to Michael about seeing Walt? You know, since that might have been the last time he would ever see him and the only other person on the island that saw Walt was lying dead 20 feet away? Just a thought.
• Anna Lucia had no visible scars in that little tank-top despite having been shot 4 or 5 times with hollow-point bullets. That Jason kid had a pretty tight shot grouping. Impressive for a street punk.
• I like how Jin and Michael just speak to each other and can have a conversation without actually knowing what the other is saying.
• What could Sun have been doing that it took her that long to notice Jin, especially given the crowd that gathered around to greet him?
• The look on Jack's face at the end of the episode was rough. That's some nice acting right there.

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll think of more, but in the mean time, feel free to comment.

Technorati Tags: Television * ABC * Lost * Entertainment

Comic Book Day - 11-23-05

Well, today's comic book day was a bit of an adventure. My mother bought a house out in Johnson City, TN last summer and we're all spending the holiday this week up in the Smokey's. All fine and good, except that I had to find a place to ,get my weekly fix. Turns out there's an awesome little comic shop up here called Mountain View Comics that rocks beyond imagination. Half price back issues, a 20% discount if you buy more than three things at once, and 5-for-a-dollar second-hand comics are gonna make me really sad to go back home.

Anyway, enough of that, here's what I picked up today:

• The Flash #228
• Robin #144
• Wizard #171

Holiday's really suck for comics, but at least the Wizard'll keep me occupied for a while. Maybe I'll head back over on Friday and pick up some trades. Been hearing good things about Ultra, Y: The Last Man, and Rising Stars. Might be about time I finally picked one up.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Comic Books * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Hot-Feet McGee

I generally don't get too cold during the winter. A decent coat and maybe a scarf and pair of gloves keep me pretty warm. And my feet are usually so well insulated inside my standard fair work boots that they sweat if I have them on for any amount of time.

Still, there have been instances where I've frozen my ass off in some pretty dire conditions. A certain snow mobile adventure during a freak spring blizzard in Colorado stands out as the worst occasion, but the more common blite of poorly insulated ski boots is what I'm really thinking of here.

That's why I'm so totally fawning over the Austrian Footwarmer. Basically, it's an electric blanket for your feet. I'd explain it further myself, but I don't feel typing that much. So, here's the description from the product page:

We ski in some awfully cold weather here in New Hampshire. It’s the feet that really suffer. Especially on that long ride up the chair lift! So I was intrigued when I spotted this ingenious Austrian heater for frigid feet being used by many of the European pros at our Loon Mountain races. A wafer-thin, flexible, insole-heating element slips into each boot, connected with a flat wire to a removable battery pack outside your boots.

Select one of three heat settings covering a 99-158° temperature range. Instantly, a flood of soothing warmth surges to your toes and the balls of your feet. So you can toast your toes, or choose sustained moderate heat depending on the wind chill that day. Ski for up to 10 hours between recharges, depending on setting (recharger included). Installs in less than 5 minutes (trim mylar insole to fit). Battery pack clips to top of boot, or over existing velcro boot straps. Easily moveable from ski boots to everyday Winter boots.

Really, the only reason I haven't already bought these things is the 130 dollar price tag. Sometimes it really sucks being a cheapr fucking bastard...

Via UberGizmo.

Technorati tags: Electric Footwarmer * Austrian Footwarmer * Gadgets

Handheld DNA Scanner = More "Fun" at the Airport

Physorg.com is reporting on what is essentially a handheld DNA scanner. Where as the process of replicating DNA for analyses took a lot of long and arduous lab work, it can now be done in a matter of minutes in the field using a device about half the size of a paperclip.

Now, I like science, and god knows I love anything that makes my life more closely resemble an episode of Star Trek, but I can't help but think that this new dohickey is gonna be used to "wand" one of my orifices the next time I decide to take a plane trip.

Since the least invasive way to remove DNA is through a mouth swab, I'm gonna go ahead and guarantee that after this device is delpoyed in the field, some guy who happens to have his jaw wired shut is gonna get stuck on the "no-fly" list.

Technorati tags: Handheld DNA Scanner * Science and Technology * Airport Security * Gadgets

Press-Bot Nalgene Coffee Brewer

As far as wicked cool goes, the Press-Bot is rather meh, but you can deny its functionality.

I'll let the product page 'splain you, fool:

PRESS-BOT is the first coffee press designed to fit inside a Nalgene® water bottle. Gone are the days of carrying a separate container for brewing your coffee or tea. PRESS-BOT allows you to use your water bottle as a coffee pot and make a quality cup of joe no matter where you are! Great for making coffee or loose leaf tea at home or in the backcountry, PRESS-BOT is a must have product for the on the go coffee aficionado.

PRESS-BOT is design to work with a wide mouth, straight walled water bottle, such as those manufactured by Nalgene®.

So, basically it's a contraption that'll let you brew coffee or tea in one of those ultra hip, funky-colored, plastic bottles.

If you still don't get quite how it works from the description, check out the video on the product page.

Technorati tags: Pres-Bot * Gadgets * Coffee * Nalgene

Reevu MSX1: Ghettofied Heads-Up Display

Some British company called Reevu has come up with a relatively inexpensive rear-view heads-up display for motorcycle helmets. Apparently it's been years in the making and constitutes a significant leap forward in helmet design and technology. So, then, what's the secret here? Mirco camera's and transparant, OLED ePaper displays? No, of course not. That'd actually be cool.

The MSX1 uses mirrors...

That's it. Oh, and the mirrors are made of plastic so they won't shatter when the wearer inevitably slams into a parked car because they were too distracted by their rearview to pay attention to where the fuck they were going.

Feel free to mock this as much as you like. I know I will.



Via Oh Gizmo!

Technorati tags: Heads-Up Display, Stupid Products, Helmet, Gadgets

Crisis Counseling - 11/21/05

New Crisis Counseling up at DC.

Quite a sparse recap this week. I'm kind of surprised that they didn't include the events of Supergirl #3 as part of Infinite Crisis. I mean, crazy armored Luthor beat the hell out of her. Then he beat her some more and shot her with a beam of Black Kryptonite that apparently split her into two different people. I can't help but think that that might have some sort of impact on this story as a whole.

Anyway, next week doesn't look much more exciting with only a single title relating to the new Crisis. Stupid holiday week.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Riffs: Your Marginally Retarded Social Recommender

Riffs is sorta similar to del.icio.us in that it's a social bookmarking site, but that's about it. I only use del.icio.us as an example because I'm not sure what else to compare Riffs to. It's weird mesh of user-source information that combines bookmarks, reviews, a message board, and what looks like some kind of wiki into a resource that has the potential to become to extensive to actually use.

For instance, Riffs only just came online and, so far, the only real uses I've had for it are as a time-waster and a blog post. It's already so full of meaningless, stupid, inconsequential shit, that it's almost impossible to find anything worth reading. There's a top 25 feature, but all that really does is make a list of the most popular examples of inanity.

It's worth a look because of its potential, but that's all. Maybe if they institute some user contraints to limit worthless content, make the presentation smaller so as to better use screen space, and add a preview of each post to the listings, I might go ahead and give it another try. Until then, though, I'm good with what I've got. It is an alpha, though, so we'll see, I guess.

Technorati tags: Riffs, Social Bookmarking, Web 2.0, Life Hack

I Don't Know and I Don't Want to Know

I have no idea what's going on in this picture and, to be perfectly honest, I don't want to know. The image of Albert Einstein's head on what looks like the body of the Honda robot is really weirding me out.

I'm sure I could find out what the robot does and why its creators thought it needed Einstein's head to vacuum my house or kill all humans; but I won't. I'm sure the truth will end up being rather boring and unimaginative.

Doesn't the president look a little creeped out by the thing?

Check out Yahoo! News for the caption.

Technorati tags: Albert Hubo * Stupid Products * News and Politics * Robots * Humor

Ultra High Security Password Generator

The Ultra High Security Password Generator is a cryptographic password generator. With every page load, you're greeted by three randomly generated passwords that you have no hope of ever remembering.

Here's an example:

63 random alpha-numeric characters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9):
lUN8xxSVtTVKg4AMvjcC4NnHgLF3NzZaWi60iRxsGxg3EJfkLzdl0GfVF5qaPEh

For those who need such a thing, I'm sure this is great. But really, who the fuck needs something like this? This page is obviously meant for the common user and not some government entity, so I gotta ask, what the hell kind of information do you keep that requires this much security? I mean, jeez. If you've got shit on your machine that can't be kept secure with a clever word combo or your phone number backwards, then you, my friend, need to lay off the snuff films and robot/midget porn.

Might I suggest a nice, healthy hobby, like collecting and dressing dolls action figures?

Technorati tags: Computers and Internet * Ultra High Security Password Generator * Humor

IT Workers Dubbed 'Worst Dressed'

Well, duh.

Apparently everyone at The Sydney Morning Herald is some sort of super-genius.

From the article:

More than 150 tech professionals attended a corporate fashion show in Sydney as organisers officially dubbed the industry "the worst dressed" in Australia.

Short sleeved shirts, man-made fibres and the wrong coloured socks were some of the most common fashion faux-pas cited by corporate stylist, Melanie Moss, who hosted the event on Wednesday night.

"Because the majority of IT people are not in front of customers all the time, they tend to slack off," she said.

Yeah, sure. It's because they don't interact with the customers...

Via Slashdot.

Technorati tags: Fashion * Computers and Internet * IT Workers * Dorkery

uTorrent: Super Piratey Awesomeness

uTorrent is a fully featured, ultra compact BitTorrent client that (gasp!) doesn't cause your machine to emulate the processor speed of an old Tandy shitbox. Plus, it's spyware free and doesn't even require installation; just download and run.

I've been using uTorrent for about a week now and can verify its claim of a small footprint and minimal use of system resources. It's a good program and easily rivals the functionality of Azureus.

Check it out.

Oh, and for the love of god, don't pirate protected media! Don't you know that that'll deplete the ozone layer and make your children sterile?

Technorati tags: uTorrent, BitTorrent, Torrent, Computers and Internet

Superman Returns Trailer

The next evolution of awesome has arrived.

The teaser trailer for Superman Returns is online at the official website.

Oh, and it seems as though they've managed to raise Brando from the dead. Keen!

Technorati tags: Superman Returns * Comics * Superman * Movies

Google Guide: The Search Junky's Wet Dream

Google Guide is exactly what it sounds like, a guide for using Google.

You see, Google is more than just another way to mock that jackass in the White House, it's essentially the sum of all human knowledge; you just gotta know how to look for it.

Coincidentally, these tips are also great tools for the newbie stalker.

So, on that note, enjoy!

Technorati tags: Google Guide * Computers and Internet * Technology * Google

What If: Captain America

Comic Book Resources is running a story on Marvel's new Captain America "What If" one-shot premiering this December.

I don't usually follow Marvel outside of their Ultimate Universe, but I've got a soft spot for Captain America and the alternate timeline stories of the What If? line. And, from the looks of it, this latest addition will do anything but disappoint.

The premise of the story is pretty simple: What if Captain America fought in the Civil War?

Cap'll be a Union soldier who gets his abilities from some sort of Indian ritual, and the main villain looks to be a Confederate version of Red Skull, apparently known in this continuity as White Skull.

Anyway, for some preview art and more info, check out the article. It's worth a read.

Technorati tags: Comics * Marvel Comics * Captain America * Entertainment

Lost 2x07 "The Other 48 Days"

Something of an a-typical episode last night; no flashbacks. Felt a little weird. I guess the whole show was supposed to be a flashback, though.

Also seems I was wrong about Anna Lucia shooting Shannon. If we're to believe the promo for next week, it looks like Feisty McBitch did, in fact, bust a cap into Shannon's ass (abdomen, actually, but who cares, really?).

Anywho, here's some of the goo that's squishin' around in my head:

• I think Eko is a priest. He was dressed all in black at the beginning, was the only one who thought to bury the dead, said all that stuff about praying, took particular interest in the bunker bible, and stopped speaking for 40 days.
• So, Cindy (Ozzy Brunette chick) was a flight attendant. Actually, now that I think about it, she might be the one that started chasing Charlie right before the plane went down. I'll have to go back and check.
• Looks line Anna wasn't lying about waking up in the water and swimming to shore. The tail section group really did get the shit end of the stick.
• So, the others wear all home-made clothing, carry vintage US Army pocket knives, and write lists in English on what looks like notebook paper. Anyone else think they ran out of money and just pulled shit off the set for this one?
  
• If the kidnapping "others" and Goodwin (the peace corps guy) are part of the same group, how is it that he just happened to be dressed like a normal person?
• On the first night that the others came, they tried to take 4 people, but Eko killed two of them and survived. The second time they came, they took 8 people plus one to make up for not getting Eko. Might be a stretch, but it seems like a decent enough way to work in the numbers.
• I guess Boone really was talking to the tailies.
• Kinda sounds like the others aren't actually killing the people they abduct. Goodwin made it sound like they wanted them for a reason. He also mentioned something about them being pure or clean or good or something like that.
• Dharma logo with an arrow in the middle. That's the third version we've seen (the swan and whatever it was that was on the shark).
• The dead body that Eko and Jin came across was Goodwin.
• I hate montages.
• In the promo for next week, it looks like Anna Lucia is firing another shot from what is supposed to be an empty Beretta. It was clearly empty at the end of the last to episodes, so what's the deal?

I can't think of anything else right now, but feel free to comment.

Technorati Tags: Television * ABC * Lost * Entertainment

The Swedish Are Weird

Just in time for the holidays and loads of fun for the kids, here come Pee & Poo!

Wait, urine drops and fecal matter plush toys? WTF?

So, like, yeah, really weird.

I love Ikea as much as the next guy (well, more than the next guy, actually; much much more), but I don't know what the hell to make of this.

I'd expect that kind of shit out of Japan, but come on, Sweden, what's going on over there? You seemed so polite and well mannered with your perfectly semetrical furniture and utter lack of soccer hooligans.

And now this? For shame.

Via The Cool Hunter.

Technorati tags: Pee and Poo * Stupid Products * Humor

LaCie Lego Hard Drive

Legos are fun, but hard drives? Not so much.

I guess that's why LaCie decided encase an external drive in a giant, fully functional Lego brick. Not a bad idea, really, as far as marketing ploys go. But I gotta wonder what the Lego functionality really brings to a data storage device. I mean, sure, they stack, but are they compatible with standard Lego or Duplo blocks?

Someone should find out cause I think I might enjoy a giant Lego computer contraption thingy.

Anywho, I can't seem to find an actual product page, so if you want to know more, check out the two blogs I leeched this from.

• Chip Chick
• Engadget

Technorati tags: Gadgets * Computers and Internet * Lego Hard Drive * Stupid Products

Comic Book Day - 11/15/05

Well, it's comic book day again, and it looks like the dork god was feeling generous this week.

According to Diamond's shipping list, here's what I aim to pick up:

• All-Star Superman #1 (probably both covers)
• Birds of Prey #88
• Captain Atom: Armageddon #2
• Green Arrow #56
• Green Lantern #5
• Manhunter #16
• Supergirl #3

That looks to be about it, really. I think I may also pick up the other cover of Infinite Crisis #2 just for the hell of it.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Comic Books * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Some People Just Shouldn't Be Allowed to Breed

CNN is running an article about a woman who says she still plans to marry the man who shot her and held her hostage for 6 days. The dude just got a 20 year sentence for the crime.

The guy, of course, claims the shooting was an accident and, along with his parents, tried to cover it up and treat the woman with home remedies. Oh, and he shot her in the groin. That's key, I think. It wasn't a graze or anything.

Not sure what else to say about this except that it's probably one of the more fucked up things I've read in a while.

Technorati tags: Stupid People * News

Drunk AND a Sissy

According to the Sun Sentinel, Republican State Senator Mike Fasano of New Port Richey has introduced a bill that require the license plates of DUI offenders be pink, thus making them sissies and driving them to drink even more.

Looks like he introduced a similar law a few weeks ago mandating the first three letters of offender's plate read "DUI."

He claims the goal is to embarrass these folks into keeping clean, which would make sense if drunk drivers acknowledged any sort of consequential logic. I can't help but think they do not, because, after all, they DRIVE DRUNK.

The real kicker comes with the legal implications of the plates, though, because also included in the law is a provision that would allow police to stop any car sportin' a DUI plate without probable cause.

Ah, Florida; land of fuck-up-edness.

Technorati tags: Stupid Laws * Florida * News and Politics

Google Showtimes

This has been around for a while, but since I just figured out how to search for it again, I thought I'd share.

Google has super happy fun search strings (we'll just call them "fun-strings" from now on, eh?) for just about anything. Whether it be a general web search, telephone directories, or airline flights, Google tends to yield results faster and with better organization. Movie theater showtimes are no different.

So, the next time you feel like bending over for the MPAA, just enter the following fun-string (yeah, you're right, that's ghey) search string into Google and let her rip.

movie: theatres 20910

Just remember to use your own zip code.

Oh, and no, I didn't misspell theater. Google defaults to the British spelling for some reason. No worries, though. The American version works just as well.

Technorati Tags: Google Hacks * Computers and Internet * Movies

Random Thought - 11/14/05 - Part Two

I just had a fortune cookie; they're yummy. I also like cake, but now, after eating the cookie, I'm not really hungry anymore (stay with me, here. I've got a point, I promise).

So, imagine my disappointment as I read this as my fortune:

A nice cake is waiting for you.

Seriously, it's like they're not even trying anymore.

Technorati Tags: Random Thought * Misc

Infinite Crisis #5 Cover

So, here's the cover for Infinite Crisis #5. I guess it's a spoiler, but really, when you've got two Supermen running around, how can't it come to this? Looks like it was a job for a Super Bitch Slap, eh?


In other news, DC's February solicitations are out and it looks like Wonder Woman, The Flash, Gotham Central, and Gotham Knights are all history. Should be an interesting year to come.

Solicits via Comics Continuum.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis * Wonder Woman * Flash * Gotham Central * Gotham Knights

Virtusphere: The Giant Stupidity Bubble

Ah, virtual reality. I remember playing with these new-fangled contraptions way back in the early 90's. They were big and clunky and had the shittiest control interface I've ever had the displeasure of using. The 3D auto-scroll format nauseated the fuck out of me too. Yes, the bathroom at Blockbuster Golf and Games was never quite the same after that fateful 7th grade band field trip. I dug it, though, and, after I finished vomiting, went back for more.

Well, with any luck, I might get to relive that experience some time soon with the Virtusphere!

Basically, the thing is a giant, 3-dimensional human hampster wheel. You can walk, jump, and run in any direction and the dork-ball will respond appropriately. Plus, the headset and controller are wireless, so you'll only have you own stupid ass to blame when fall and break your face.

I somehow have a hard time seeing this thing having much success outside of some sort of military training aide. It's huge and is sure to be expensive, both for arcades (do they even has those any more?) and for players. Plus, who's gonna wanna wear the tight little suit?

Read more at Gizmag.

Technorati tags: Virtusphere * Stupid Products * Virtual Reality * Humor * Gadgets

Crisis Counseling - 11/14/05

New Crisis Counseling up at DC.

The thing that really stands out as odd this time around, is Earth-2 Superman's explanation of the current DCU. He claims that it's based off of Earth-1, except joyless and otherwise inferior to his Earth.

First, as I recall, the DCU is no longer set in the remnants of Earth-1. Yes, the immediate post-Crisis DCU was the 4 remaining Earths compressed into Earth-1, but Zero Hour supposedly fixed all of that. All of these characters should now exists in some new universe spawned from that bit of house-cleaning.

Second, I don't really see the current DCU as joyless. Sure, it's not the happy-go-lucky romp of innocence that was the Golden Age, or the campy and, at times, restrospectively creepy (think Batman and Robin, people) ball of goofiness that was the Silver Age, but is anything, really? Those eras died because they needed to. And while the current DCU is certainly darker than its predecessors, it's certainly not joyless.

Anyway, that's all. Cya.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

More Aquaman

Yahoo! News is running an article on the new Aquaman pilot for the WB.

The show will be filmed in Florida and will apparently follow Smallville's lead in foregoing the goofy, primary-colored costumes normally associated with super heroes. However, "Aqua" will not be the template for the new series and the producers are looking to cast a new Moist Avenger.

That's all fine and good, really. Whether it's a true spin-off or not doesn't much matter to me. My only concern is that Aquaman actually act like Aquaman, and not that pussy running around in his costume on Superfriends. That dude didn't even swim; he rode a fucking seahorse for god's sake (see picture)! Talk about ghey...

Even if the show does end up sucking, I'm sure I'll still watch it. I'm weak like that.

Technorati Tags: Aquaman * Comics * Entertainment * Superman * Smallville

Random Thought - 11/14/05

So, I've lost some weight lately. Well, "some" doesn't really describe it, I guess. I just checked again this morning and it looks like I've lost about 40 pounds in the last 5 1/2 months.

None of my clothes fit anymore, which, I suppose, is something I got used to while I gained the weight. But things are baggy now, and I'm not sure what to do about it. Yes, the obvious course of action would be to go out and buy new clothes; and I have, but only sparingly. I think I'm afraid I'll gain it all back. Eh...

Whatever, I just felt like sharing. I still haven't reach my "optimal," or whatever they call it, weight. At 6 feet tall, I think I should weigh between 180-185. Right now, after dropping 40 lbs, I weigh 195, the lowest number since reaching my height. I last weighed 195 lbs about 6 1/2 years ago when I graduated high school. When I look back at pictures from then, I can't help but think I look a little odd. I've got a pretty big frame, so even with some weight on me I don't really look fat, I just look kinda solid. If I were to lose another 10 pounds, I think I'd look like a Holocaust survivor.

Ok, then. On with the day.


Technorati Tags: Random Thought * Misc

Fightin' Joe Biden

According to the Washington Post, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is looking to make a run for the White House.

Here's a quote:

Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) seems to have made up his mind to enter the 2008 presidential race, based on reading between the lines of a letter he sent to a potential donor last month and obtained by The Fix from the camp of a potential presidential rival.

"I'm running," Biden writes. "You know better than most fundraising is a never-ending story."

This makes me happy. Senator Biden is one of the few, real statesmen left in American politics (along with Senators Clinton, McCain, and Specter). Unlike the impression I get from the President and his puppet-masters yes-men cabinet, I have little doubt that the Senator actually cares about the United States and its citizens.

I'd say I'd vote for him, but I've got a feeling that Mrs. Clinton will be running too. And I really want the Clintons back.

Via Daily Kos.

Technorati tags: News and Politics, Politics, 2008 Election, Joe Biden

Office Guns - Kill Your Co-Workers With Office Supplies

As if Fridays weren't slow enough, today is also Veteran's Day, which means that there is absolutely nothing to do or be done. The internet even seems a little empty today.

Well, empty except for this: OfficeGuns Got it in an email from friend this morning.

I've spent the last hour or so building these things and all I've gotta say is damn. If I had known that it was so easy to make a lethal weapon out of common office supplies, I'd have been doing this years ago.

So, what are you waiting for? Get to work on killin' you co-workers! Because, as the email said, it's fun and affordable.

Technorati tags: Office Guns, Bored at Work, Time Waster, Gadget

I Hate Disney, and Here's Why

Disney is partnering with Memorex to make a new line of character-themed gadgets and consumer electronics. And, as you can see, they're about as stupid as you might imagine.

Check out the official site.

Parents, if you buy things like this for your children, the government should step in and take them away from you because you obviously have no idea how to handle money or raise a child.

I really don't understand why it's still legal to target naive and impressionable toddlers with this kind of imagery. The tobacco industry used to use similar methods, you know, and look how that turned out. Granted, Disney isn't an addictive narcotic unnecessarily pumped full of harmful, un-needed chemicals, but I think the psychological damage caused by this type of marketing is just the same: Get this or be unhappy. It may seem silly, but children, by their very nature, are not as sophisticated as adults. Well, some adults, anyway.

Via Gadget Madness.

Technorati tags: Stupid Products, Disney, Gadgets

The Heated Bra: A Guide to Awkward Burns

BBC News is running an article on a new heated bra. It's Japanese, of course, and was supposedly created as an answer to Prime Minister Koizumi's plan to conserve energy in the coming winter(He's apparently asked the Japanese citizenry to not set their heaters above 20.C).

Anyway, the bra gets its heat via the microwave oven and is covered in some kind of faux fur that's meant to act as some sort of bossom-scarf...

Anyway, the bra isn't actually for sale yet. Right now it's just being shown off as a prototype, but it's only a matter of time until Triumph, the company that made the thing, is forced into full scale production by the throngs of marginally retarded consumers who desperately want to waste their money on something as stupid as microwavable bra.

Anyway, back to whatever it is I do when I'm not doing this. Cya, losers.

Oh, and I'd just like to point out that, from the picture anyway, it seems pretty obvious that this thing was never meant to be worn underneath normal clothing. Take from that what you will...

Technorati tags: Heated Bra * Stupid Products * Funny * Humor * Gadgets

Aquaman Spinoff?

Yeah, apparently someone over at the WB thinks the Moist Avenger did well enough on his Smallville cameo to warrant his own show.

Several sites are reporting on this, but not actually saying much.

Aquaman TV has the low-down, yo.

I guess I can dig it. Smallville managed to portray the character as something other than a joke, but even they couldn't get around the whole "he's only 'super' when he's moist"thing. I'm sure it could work in a freak-of-the-week format, though. If a show like Charmed can stay afloat, the King of Atlantis at least deserves a chance.

Technorati Tags: Aquaman * Comics * Entertainment * Superman * Smallville

I Didn't Know that Lewis Black Liked Smooth Jazz?

As happy as I am to get a chance to see more of my favorite comedian, I can't, for the life of me, see Lewis Black fitting in with the folks over at the Weather Channel.

They don't seem like the type of people to go on a crack binge, but WTF?

I suppose they make a good match for each other. Mr. Blacks routines regularly feature segments about how the weather is so fucked up, but it still feels a little weird. I seem to remember a certain bit about how any one of us could do their job while getting fucked in the ass by a gorilla and still predict the weather with the same amount of accuracy as a television meteorologist.

Whatever, I'll watch. Lewis Black and blue screens seem like an amusing combination.

Check out this CNN Article for more.

Technorati Tags: Weather Channel * News * Lewis Black * Comedy Central * Daily Show * Entertainment * Humor * Television