Iran Tech

Gizmodo has more Iran GIMP love

These ones really cracked me up...


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad makes you feel

He’s a cool exec with a heart of steel.

As Iran Man, all jets ablaze,

He’s fighting and smiting with repulsor rays!

Amazing armor! That’s Iran Man!

A blazing power! That’s Iran Man!

Amazonian Tribe Speaks Language Without Numbers

From the article:
The work builds on a study published in 2004, which found that the Piraha had words to express the quantities "one," "two," and "many." The MIT researchers observed the same phenomenon when they asked Piraha speakers to describe sets of objects as they were added, from one to 10.



However, the MIT team decided to add a new twist--they started with 10 objects and asked the tribe members to count down. In that experiment, the tribe members used the word previously thought to mean "two" when as many as five or six objects were present, and they used the word for "one" for any quantity between one and four.



This indicates that "these aren't counting numbers at all," said Gibson. "They're signifying relative quantities."

Depending on what you're into, be wary or be very excited when a Piraha asks you: so you wanna come over tonight, just the two of us? ;) God knows what they mean by a threesome!

Closer to home, studies show that Starbucks baristas have no words for small, medium or large.

China to provide free Bibles to athletes, visitors during Olympic Games - International Herald Tribune

China to provide free Bibles to athletes, visitors during Olympic Games - International Herald Tribune: "Religious texts and items from major religious groups are allowed to be brought in for personal use by athletes and visitors.'"


I wonder if that includes pictures of and texts written by the Dalai Lama?

Classic photos in Lego

Something about Lego is a big turn on... but enough about my fetishes. Here's something more interesting: classic photos recreated in Lego!

Here are a few examples of the original photos and then their Lego recreations.

Lunch atop a skyscraper




Lewis Hine Power house mechanic working on steam pump




Tiananmen Square

Ducks and Bubble Wrap

It has been over 2 months since we moved to the new flat but it was only last weekend that I unpacked my rubber duckies. One of my friends (thanks, Oli!) sent them from Chicago as a thank you for a favor that I did for him (I don't even remember what it was, but hey, that's what friends are for). Incidentally, Oli sells these ducks along with soap, candles and other bathroom products at Soak. As far as I know, they only deliver to addresses in the United States but if you want to buy something from them, give me a shout and I'm sure we can work things out.

I received the package before we moved out from the old flat which had a bathtub. Unfortunately, at the new flat, we only have a standing shower so there really isn't enough space to display the entire flotilla.


So I had to choose which ones to display in the limited space in the bathroom. I ended up choosing just 3 devil ducks, the big one even glows in the dark!


They were, of course, wrapped in the ubiquitous bubble wrap and true enough, I couldn't stop myself from popping the bubbles. This was late at night, so there I was, popping until I was so exhausted I had to go to sleep.

I'm not sure what it is about bubble wrap that makes them so irresistible; what I am sure about is that I am not the only one that shares this fetish sentiment. So for fellow bubble wrap-a-holics out there, feast your eyes upon the Bubble Calender, a poster-sized calendar with a bubble to pop every day.



Now back to the ducks. Thousands of them have been floating around in the ocean for over a decade.


Now if only we get this kind of pollution in the beaches here in Hong Kong.

College Humor *Internet Meetings*

All these calls of "Photoshopped" reminded me of the series of videos produced by College Humour. If, like me, you have lurked in read a lot of forums and message boards, see how many comments you will find familiar!

Part 1: Internet Commenter Business Meeting


Part 2: Internet Commenter Retirement Party
And here I was thinking, where are the LOLcats? And where is goatse?!! (I realize that most of my friends read this from work and it is in my best interest to make sure they stay employed... so no links to goatse!)


Part 3: Internet Commenter Funeral
Gotta love ROFL!!!

More Photoshop, Ahem, GIMP Goodness

Wired has rounded up reactions to the Iran missile launch picture manipulation feeding frenzy.

This one is my personal favorite.

Nuclear Iran Powered by Open Source Software

A New York Times Blog entry calls attention to an "apparently digitally altered" picture of Iran's missile launch test. Comparing the picture above with the picture below, you can see that a fourth missile was added.



Their analysis of the image (below) suggests that it was digitally altered Photoshopped GIMPed (obviously, no self-respecting Iranian spin doctor would use software from the evil American-based Adobe Systems).



Of course there is not one shred of evidence that they used GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program), but hey, everyone's been making things up and I wouldn't want to be the only one concerned with actual facts so here is my contribution to this big fat web of lies: GIMP!

Dirty Wii Accessories

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

From the website: we search man and woman for a commercial.

Floppy Disks Missing From HK Hospital

From The Standard: "The public hospital in Tsuen Wan confirmed that a batch of 3.5-inch floppy disks was missing."

Floppy disks? Who still uses 3.5's? Hell, how many years has it been since computers actually came with floppy drives?

Official Beijing Olympics Cheer

"Beijing Olympic chiefs are introducing an official cheer for patriotic spectators to spur on Team China at the Games, Chinese media reports."

Video footage of the cheer being performed here.

Hmm, where do I start with this one?

Beijing Etiquette Institute? International principles of cheering? WTF?

Imagine thousands upon thousands of spectators at the Bird's Nest doing this perfectly synchronized...who knows, though? After completely mastering the cheer, they may reach the upper levels of OT and finally be rid of the tyranny of the evil intergalactic overlord Xenu... oh wait, I'm mixing up my cults!

Kool-aid anyone?

Yes, Sex Sells Everything, Even Religion

No, my Mormon encounter (or lack of it) has been discussed enough in other fora (EGO sum inflatus) so I will not repeat it here. If anything, it has led me to countless hours of googling as much useless information I can about our Latter Day brothers and sisters and the most interesting tidbits are these two:


The first is the Men on a Mission pinup calendar (yeah, you read that right--a Mormon pinup calendar). They sell funny T-shirts as well. This one is my personal favorite.


The other (and more serious one) is Julia Sweeney performing the first 15 minutes of her show Letting Go of God at the 2006 TED Talks. It's a very funny and reflective piece about religion, Santa Claus and of course, Mormons.



She drives home a point every rational religious can't help but consider-- that there is a difference between the two questions

• Do you feel that God loves you?


• Do you believe that God loves you?

And yes, Elder Paul, I am still waiting for your phone call ;)