help for tsunami victims

Some links for donating to victims of the tsunami, which killed at least 140,000 people, according to this article:

• International Red Cross
• Medecins Sans Frontieres
• Oxfam International
• Unicef

If you don't want to donate online, these sites have links to phone numbers and mailing addresses specific to your country or region.


There is also a general Tsunami-related page here, with information on aid agencies, helplines, missing and found persons, news, and more.

i'm not where i usually am

And so thus there will be a lesser number of posts here than usual until the date of January 4th-ish. If you're on the internet and bored, first go get some good music playing at CBC Radio 3, here, and then go read some things at Boingboing, here. And then play this game a bit.

the cbc is ununhipped

I'm really impressed by this CBC Radio 3 deal. Have you heard of it? I'm told it's been around for a while. It publishes to the internet once a week with a twenty-track all-Canadian streaming playlist as well as features, reviews, interviews, and art. They even have live recordings from the CBC studios from the likes of the Arcade Fire, Frog Eyes, and the Great Lake Swimmers. This week's issue includes tracks from the Dears, Controller.Controller and Pink Mountaintops, some photography by David Nemeroff, and four live tracks by Julie Doiron from her new album. It's all the internet you'll ever need!

more new comics: pigs and dinosaurs

If you'll be so kind as to head on over to the newly-improved links page, you'll see two new comics up: Daily Dinosaur Comics and Her. They both involve a certain visual continuity, but the former takes talking heads to a new extreme. Each episode features the same six panels, except with different dialogue - every day the same clipart t-rex stomps on the same clipart log cabin. You should go read it, for the very reason that it is funny.

I've also put on a link to Overcompensating, a new project from Wigu creator Jeffrey Rowland, and I put it in the "good blogs" section. I lost three nights' sleep trying to figure out how to classify it, because it's actually a comic blog. I hope I don't get shot for putting it where I did.

missile defence is just the dumbest thing ever

Bush claims he got the idea for the missile
defence shield from "this awesome game".

Well, the US has performed another test of Bush's ten-billion-dollars-a-year Missile Defence Shield. The only other tests had been performed two years ago, and those had not been overly successful: they'd only hit five out of the eight target missiles.

The funniest part of that is the fact that these tests were nothing at all like real-world situations. See, the missile defence shield is supposed to detect missiles flying toward the US and launch other missiles to intercept them in mid-air, but when they tested the system, they knew exactly where they would come from and when they would arrive. So even if the offending country called beforehand to let everyone know the exact time, date and trajectory of their next anti-US missile launch (a courtesy made mandatory under the Geneva "Can't We All Just Get Along" Accords), the missile shield would be about as useful as a moderately-sized flyswatter.

Anyway, this latest test was even more of a flop: after sending out the target missile, the interceptor missile just totally failed to launch. Aside from encouraging a new global arms race (link) and being another step toward the weaponization of space (link), this system doesn't work despite the billions and billions of dollars sunk into it.

You can read about the latest hyjinx here.

three exams in two days makes for no posts since tuesday

As the more quick-witted among you will have gleaned from this post's title, I recently wrote three exams in two days - one on Wednesday and two on Thursday. I am only now able to walk again; my eyesight should be returning shortly. In the meanwhile, here are two examples of how language can go terribly, terribly wrong:

success is a ladder
true pink loverr

A friend of mine who is a high school teacher said that once or twice he's received essays with this kind of English: the rampant abbreviations and emoticons, disregard for punctuation rules, and misspelled words that form the backbone of chatroom communication. I guess these people are in a hurry and don't have time to write out "anyways" once a paragraph.

See also leetspeak, or Internet slang or something.

the millau bridge

The tallest road bridge ever built has just opened in Millau, France. It is 23 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower. If you go to this BBC article about it, I recommend watching the video available in the upper-right hand corner, because the imagery is spectacular and BBC reporters always manage to sound so funny somehow.

The architect responsible, Norman Foster, said the bridge was designed to have the "delicacy of a butterfly", which may be less than comforting to those speeding along 885 feet above the floor of the valley below.

walking skeletons

I know you watch the links page like a hawk, but I'll tell you about the new comic I've got on there anyway. It's called Ballad, and it is dark, beautiful, and scary. According to the strip's creator, "Ballad is about a little boy who was dead but now finds himself alive, much to the suprise of the little girl who made him."

yes i am interested in long distance savings but how do you know my last name?

The Canadian government is trying to get a bill passed which will create a "do not call" list for telemarketers. Violations could result in $1,500 fines for individuals and $15,000 for corporations. I love how this CBC article quietly ends with the sentence, "About 270,000 people work as telemarketers in this country, according to industry estimates."

kofi and the oil for food thing

Those crazy lefties over at the Toronto Star have published an interesting editorial from Paul Heinbecker, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, about the growing Oil For Food scandal. It doesn't answer many questions, but it gives some good background and explicitly says what has been in the subtext of pretty much every news report on the subject - that the American Republican Members of Congress calling for Kofi Annan's resignation are probably making such a big issue out of all this for reasons other than moral outrage:

"Given all this, why all the rancor towards the U.N. and its secretary-general and why now? Two reasons suggest themselves. First, the alleged Iraqi kickback scheme may have involved U.N. officials and warrants investigation. Second, and more troubling, congressional and other opponents of the U.N., friends of Halliburton to boot, evidently see an opportunity to diminish or destroy an organization they consider an obstacle to U.S. foreign policy. There is not much doubt that the refusal of the Security Council to endorse the war in Iraq and Annan's characterization of that war as illegal are stimulating the animus of the American right."

Link to article (free registration required)

free roadsworth

I wish I'd mentioned this earlier. If you live in Montreal, you've probably seen the street stencils of vines (see right), security cameras, owls, and the rest. Turns out they're all done by one guy, "Roadsworth". I love seeing these art pieces, and I think most people do, but today Roadsworth is facing charges for 85 counts of public mischief. According to Zeke, "the officer in charge of the case mentioned that the last person she charged got a fine of $50,000 as well as 300 hours of community service in lieu of jail time, and is prevented from stepping foot on the island of Montreal for 5 years." Yes, this artist could actually get banished from the place where he lives. This, apparently, still happens.

It may be too late to help out, but Zeke has email addresses of people to whom you can voice your opinion on this. Like I said, he's being arraigned today, Monday, so if you're reading this before then send some emails. Actually, send the emails afterward, too.

(Link to Montreal Mirror article - scroll down to "Roadsworth Busted"; Link to Roadsworth stencil slideshow)

the holiest donkey in the world

These re-dubbed Jesus videos are very very funny. (via mathcaddy.com)

"the chin show" tops headlines

If you know my friend Jared, watch this video. If you don't, well, I'm not sure what to say.

I had been somewhat excited for the new Willy Wonka remake, because of the involvement of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter. Then I saw the recently released trailer, and now I'm not as excited. Terrible music, boring visuals, and Johnny Depp doing a creepy job of trying to look excited. Oh well, maybe they'll fix it up before its release next summer.

And now, three headlines:

• Viktor Yushchenko, one of the two Viktors trying to be the Ukrainian Prime Minister for the next while, was officially poisoned. Doctors announced they'd found high concentrations of dioxin, which was probably put in his soup. No-one has any idea who could have done this, but Yuschenko's current political archenemy and the guy who rigged the election last month, Viktor Yanukovich, thinks it was probably "teenagers". (Link to CBC article)
• Bernard "Rambo" Kerik, who had been picked to be the new U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, has declined the offer, because of some problem with his housekeeper's immigration status. Another disturbing fact is that aside from being the Head of Puttin' People in Jail for a number of years, this guy also sat on the Board of Taser International, which sells stun guns to the U.S. government. (Link to Reuters article)
• Also over in those wacky United States, someone's suing Wal-Mart for selling an obscenity-laden Evanescence album without a warning label. The album lyrics contain the following words: raping, bottom, and God. The lawsuit would force Wal-Mart to censor the music or stop selling it, and asks for $74 500 for everyone who bought the CD from Maryland Wal-Marts. Makes sense to me. (Link to BBC article)
  

oh my

Family Guy? Back on the air? Next year?
How long have you known about this? Why didn't you tell me?
I suppose that's what I get for not owning a working television set. Well anyway I'm excited. Link.

but seriously

Ok, back to politics. No wait, over to sports? On a December 8th edition of his tv show, Rush Limbaugh commented on the recent NBA riot thusly:

"...I think it's time to get rid of this whole National Basketball Association. Call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association, and stop calling them teams. Call 'em gangs. You have the Laker Gang, you have the Heat Gang, you have a Timberwolf Gang... [The fans are] going in to watch the Crips and the Bloods out there wherever the neighborhood is where the arena happens to be..."

Link to article; via Sparkgrass Community.

obey my dog

In my ongoing effort to counter certain friends' claims that this site is "very political", here's some information about new cars. According to this BBC article, Toyota has unveiled plans for insane single-person cars (see picture) with features like autopilot driving, customizable body colours, a "personal recognition system", and environmentally friendly plant-based material shells. The one shown to the right there can also recline "at higher speeds" - because apparently that's when the driver needs to start relaxing. They're designed in the new iMac/iPod style of things, in keeping with a trend which will never fade or get on anybody's nerves. Personally, I think this one looks like something Dr. Robotnik might wear.

...Dr. Robotnik? From the old Sonic the Hedgehog video games?
...Ah, whatever.

In other news, you should go read this post from The Traceless Warrior, because I liked it.

canadian supreme court has a few gay friends, is totally cool with gay marriage and everything

Good news! As reported by the CBC, the Supreme Court of Canada has told the government that they think it's totally fine if it goes ahead with redefining marriage to allow for same-sex unions.

"We were just thinking it over and talking about it over at [Justice] Michel [Bastarache]'s house, and someone said, 'Man, I really can't see what's the big deal about two guys or two girls or whatever just being in love with each other, right?' Everyone else just answered, 'totally'," said Beverly McLachlin, Chief Justice.

"Plus [Justice] Marie [Deschamps] is gay, so no-one felt very comfortable opposing it in front of her."

Link to CBC story, which does not contain the text quoted above, Link to my thoughts on equal marriage.

crimson room sequel

The third in the eerie and challenging Crimson Room series by Toshimitsu Takagi has been released. Each of these flash games involves being stuck in a room of a certain colour (crimson, veridian, and now, uh... blue) and using the items hidden in there with you to escape. The newest, "Blue Chamber", is much shorter than the others, but it's still fun. If anything, it'll be a good warm-up before you try the first two games.

oh, that's ok then

Jack Layton (NDP): "But what about President Eisenhower's dictum that we should keep space as an untrammelled frontier without any weapons?"
Colin Powell: "There won't be any other weapons there. There will only be ours."
      Tuesday, November 30, 2004
      Presidential Dinner
      Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec, CanadaMore on BMD

total 4663

via Dave Barry's blog

make a flake

Finally, a site whose title is a full indication of its purpose. Make-a-flake lets you cut snowflakes out of virtual paper. I highly recommend it. And yes, I made the one on the right there, and yes it is nicer than the one you made.

new old site design

Small Flightless Bird has gone retro, a phrase which here means "adopted the site design it had a few weeks ago." Please enjoy it responsibly.

canadian protests on the daily show

Jon Stewart discussed the recent Canadian anti-Bush protests on the Daily Show last night. You can watch it here, by clicking on the "Headlines: Nuke Kids on the Block" clip. The relevant part isn't until about halfway through, but the whole thing's hilarious.

new secretary of homeland security

The Department of Homeland Security, which was created after September 11 to keep everyone freaked out about the possibility of terrorist attacks so that they'd be scared enough to vote for the gun-totin' Republican cowboy and ignore any unwarranted military aggression, trampling of civil liberties or environmental devastation, has a new boss. Bernard Kerik will now be in charge of keeping that godawful colour-coded threat level thing hovering at a comfortable yellow ("All Americans should continue to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to local authorities immediately").

My evident frustration aside, though, it's a fascinating choice. This Kerik character has a resume that sounds like it comes right out of fifteen different action movies: high school drop out, army recruit, security expert in the middle east (including "a stint with the Saudi Royal Family", says BBC), NYPD cop, undercover narcotics officer, campaign bodyguard to Rudolph Giuliani, director of investigations for the Department of Corrections and eventually Commissioner, security consultant to Mexico City... I am not making any of these up.

It seems like Kerik became more widely known after the September 11 attacks, so Bush is killing three birds here - hiring on a highly efficient person, bringing a rabid Republican into his "inner circle", and playing the ol' 9/11 sympathy card. Huzzah!

Links about Kerik: BBC article, Wikipedia article

music!

The Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies) mp3
from their new album Funeral

The Constantines - Long Distance Four mp3
from their self-titled album

Julie Doiron - Ce Charmant Coeur mp3
from her album Desormais

Wolf Parade - Grounds For Divorce mp3
from some kind of album maybe
(more of their music here)

The Creeping Nobodies - State mp3
from their old album I-X-U

anti-terrorism whistle

If you spot a terrorist arrow, pin it
against the wall with your shoulder.

Yes yes yes, everyone saw these things years ago. But in the spirit of the images they were originally mocking, let's all stay vigilant and remember that just because they're old news doesn't make them any less funny.

See: a while ago, the Department of Scaring People Homeland Security released a set of helpful diagrams showing the hard of reading what to do in case of a terrorist attack. People had a good long laugh at the ridiculousness of the images, and then gave them hilarious new captions. This original bunch was the best of them.

bushbashing

(Click for larger image)

The anti-Bush protests in Ottawa were a huge success, drawing in numbers ranging from 20,000 (according to organizers) to 5,000 (according to the media). The photo above shows Ottawa City Hall before the march began; it's hard to see the size of the crowd but even at the time shown there was still a steady stream of people joining the group.

For more of the photos I took, click here. (You can also check out a much bigger photo set with pictures from other sources here.)

One thing I noticed was a handful of geek-themed placards, including html-coding jokes and Star Wars references (see below).

The html joke (same sign, front and back). I had to explain it to my friends, and some strangers around me. A good lesson: in general, protesters can not be expected to get jokes about computer code. (It means "stop bush", "stop war".)

Grammatical issues aside, this sign gave me a good laugh. Until I pictured life with George Lucas as President, and couldn't stop shuddering.

Despite what you may think, these guys' message to the world is not "CRAP STAR WARS". [Insert joke about crappy prequels here.] The edge of the flag is curled around, obscuring the 'S'. They are not pleased about Missile Defence. There is also, I believe, a complicated reference to U.S. Imperialism.