GoQuake
BBC Wikipedia Info of the day

Hello everyone.  I've been absent for a while owing to an unusual amount of work and aggravations like the lack of Internet access at home for exactly half of this month thanks to the technical abilities of my (soon-to-be-former) Cable company.  Anyway, without further delay, here is a collection of interesting animations, art, games, various news, and other tidbits.


Animation:

This section features some rather interesting and diverse animations.  There should be something to please everyone.  As usual, the animations are in a variety of formats and sizes, and represent both old and new works.  Although I classify the animations by category, I make no attempt in this post to sort them by category.
While you can view these on-line, depending on your connection speed, you may prefer to download them instead.  Simply choose "File" then "Save Page As/Save As" while viewing (QuickTime may require that you load the animation fully before you have the ability to save) or right click on a link and choose "Save Link As/Save Target As."

Tip: #1. Some web sites make saving deliberately difficult.  If you save a Flash site and find a rather large text file in the folder instead of the expected flash file then simply rename the ".txt" to ".swf" or ".flv"  Of course, you will need an FLV Player for the ".flv" files.

Tip: #2. You can also clear your cache prior to viewing animations and after viewing, copy and rename the large cache file(s) to "appropriate names and format extensions".  Do enjoy and be sure to visit the creators' sites for more information and animations.

  • Title: Little Foot (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: A nightmarish creature messes with the wrong kid.
  • Category: Macabre.
  • Comment: Adam Phillips's latest has been making its way around the competitive circuit and winning accolades for the past 4 months.  As usual, the animation is great and the story line is macabre.  Mr. Phillips has quite a few excellent animations that any animation buff would love to have in his collection.  However, he has gone to some trouble to deter downloading this particular animation.  Consequently, I won't divulge how to obtain it.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (8.0 MB).


  • Title: Killer Bean 2.1 Remastered QuickTime (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Title: Killer Bean 2.1 Remastered DivX (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Subject: The proverb "let sleeping dogs lie" may soon need to be changed to "let sleeping beans lie".  A tour de force animation that you will be glad to have in your collection if you have the bandwidth to download it.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: The girly voiced Killer with anger management issues gets violently busy.  There was a third and even better quality (DivX; 89.0 MB) video, however, it appears to have been removed from the site.
  • Encodings/Sizes: DivX (640 x 480; 52.0 MB) and QuickTime (640 x 480; 79.0 MB).


  • Title: Russian Soldiers of the Great War (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: A really cool historically accurate animation of Germany's Operation Barbarosa.
  • Category: Military (WWII) History.
  • Comment: Operation Barbarosa was the German invasion plan of the USSR that was devised in 1940 and implemented in 1941.  Great stuff for WWII buffs and FPS Gamers.  You owe it to yourself to take a look.  Three thumbs up.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: Egg Hunt (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Subject: It's hard for citizens of 1st world countries to think seriously of struggling to eat.  The problem, however under-reported, still exists in many countries and was once a global problem.  EggHunt takes a clever and humorous look at this issue utilizing cave men and their solution in solving the problem of obtaining breakfast.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: A clever and enjoyable animation.  Definitely a keeper.  A favorite at GoQuake.  Although I always download the largest downloadable size, this is one animation where the smaller version (1/9 the size of the larger version) sacrifices little and is a good trade-off in terms of downloading time.
  • Encodings/Sizes: QuickTime (320 x 180; 10.9 MB) and (480 x 270; 98.7 MB)


  • Title: Tim Tom (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Subject: The most obvious solution to a problem may not be an option.  In these cases what is needed is time for reflection and realization.  Another favorite.
  • Category: Humor Puzzle.
  • Comment: A cool, imaginative, award winning animation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: DivX (240 x 192; 15.7 MB or 320 x 256; 19.9 MB) and QuickTime (240 x 192; 17.6 MB or 320 x 256; 23.0 MB).


  • Title: Ill Will Press (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: An interesting collection of angry and humorous tirades.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: The 3 that I saw (Cell phones & car ads, Tech Support II, and Tech Support) were pretty funny.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (Typically about 1.0 MB).


  • Title: Most Offensive Video (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Subject: Six funny but offensive videos.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: Whether you like these will depend on whether you understand the dialog (if you don't understand Afro-American slang you won't understand any of it) and whether their brand of humor is your "cup of tea".  I downloaded "It's Martin Luther King Day Charlie Brown" back in December and "Rudolph the 5 legged Reindeer" a month later.  I preferred the former.  Please note that these contain vulgar language and lots of drug and sexual references.  You have been advised.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Quicktime (320 x 240; 5.0 MB and 24.0 MB, respectively).


  • Title: NIM (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: An elf (or fairy) does his good deeds and is rewarded in return.
  • Category: Fairy Tale.
  • Comment: The latest animation from the creator of Sumo: The Bambooman.  Good work from an experienced animator.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (5.6 MB).


  • Title: Hey Diddle Diddle (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Subject: Not the classic children's tale but a modern derivative without the happy ending.
  • Category: Dramatic Metaphor.
  • Comment: Let me be perfectly clear.  I like this animation but I don't fully understand it.  The dialog is not the problem.  The animation is a metaphor for the need to live your dream, which is really all that epitomizes success and happiness, or at least fulfillment in life.  The cow was only partially successful… that much I get.  I simply don't understand whether he got stuck in the stars or crashed to earth.
  • Encodings/Sizes: QuickTime (High Quality; 640 x 360; 9.0 MB) and QuickTime (Medium Quality; 640 x 360; 7.0 MB).


  • Title: The Awakening of Consciousness (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Subject: Two martial arts opponents do battle in a most unusual animation.
  • Category: Game.
  • Comment: An all-in-one martial arts and game animation.  I enjoyed it more during the 2nd viewing.  A good spoof and great fun, even the "Credit roll" is interesting.  Not your typical linear short animation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (68.0 MB).


  • Title: Dear Mr. Barroso (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: An animation that looks at alcohol and its related issues in the European Union.  Not recommended unless you have a 512 KB or faster connection.  Well worth it if you have the bandwidth.
  • Category: Presentation.
  • Comment: Very well done presentation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: GitanEnglish (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: 48 little animations.  Each teach your kid(s) a specific good habit.
  • Category: Children.
  • Comment: Young kids should find them interesting and fun, without feeling that they are being lectured.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: The Bad Luck test (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: A short animated test that checks your knowledge of home safety and provides feedback on how to improve your safety awareness.
  • Category: Test.
  • Comment: The sort of educational vehicle that is more likely to make a profound impact in altering unsafe behavior than via reams of printed information.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: Sunday Pants (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: I am still trying to figure it out.
  • Category: British.
  • Comment: Simply bizarre, but getting lots of attention nonetheless.  A bit too British for me - I was either too tired or simply missed the nuances.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: A Fairly Reliable History of British Film (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: The title is a lie and yet the most appropriate.  A great animated farce.
  • Category: British.
  • Comment: As if one British video wasn't enough here are six episodes presented by two old farts.  Pretty tame but interesting and lively.  As a bonus, there is a little game at the end of each episode.  During or after playing the bonus games it's safe to click the [X] to close them, as the window will re-display the main menu.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: Starters (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: Incomplete animations that you complete on-line.
  • Category: Innovative.
  • Comment: Interesting concept.  If that's not the sort of thing that grabs you then simply watch the animations that other site visitors have completed.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: MoonGirl: Act One (off-site viewing and easy download)
  • Subject: One night, the moon goes out… while Leon and his pet squirrel Earl are out fishing on the bayou.  Cursing the darkness, the boy fishes on, only to snag a giant fish-of-stars that carries him and his pet to the moon where they meet Moongirl.  Shy Leon can't understand why he has to help this snappy, glow-eyed girl repair the moon or learn how to operate its controls.  When the shape-shifting Gargaloon monster steals his bait jar, he and Earl skillfully win it back and discover their greater purpose in this mystical story.
  • Category: Fantasy.
  • Comment: High quality interesting animation.  The animation has been on the competitive circuit for about a year but only "Act One" is downloadable at the moment.  I expect Laika (the studio) to release the rest on the animation slowly over the next 12 - 18 months.
  • Encodings/Sizes: QuickTime (small, medium, and large downloads).


  • Title: To bleep or not to bleep (off-site viewing)
  • Title: Piggy Bank Pinko (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: A pair of humorous and entertaining animations.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: Both animations are a mixture of political and social satire, and are very well done.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (7.1 MB and 2.1 MB, respectively).


  • Title: Mark Fiore's political Animations (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: Weekly political animations of the latest scandal, incident, news, blooper, etc.
  • Category: Political Humor.
  • Comment: Mr. Fiore has been creating Political Flash animations, with few exceptions, every week since February 2002.  Prior to that he created political comics.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash.


  • Title: Prelude to Eden (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: The Big Bang Theory made visually interesting.
  • Category: Science.
  • Comment: A professional animation that's well made and visually appealing.
  • Encodings/Sizes: QuickTime, Real Player, and WMV (small, medium, and large sizes in each format).


  • Title: 3 Feathers and a rainworm (on-site viewing and download)
  • Subject: A short animation about love and the realities of life.
  • Category: Story.
  • Comment: Nice little gem.  Well crafted.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (2.9 MB).


  • Title: Valentine to my wife (on-site viewing and download)
  • Subject: A Valentine animation with three short sequences.
  • Category: Demented Humor.
  • Comment: My wife emailed me one of those happy Flash animations that wives like to send.  Since I hadn't sent her one I decided to browse for available and suitable crap.  As luck would have it I struck the jackpot in less than 10 minutes.  Needless to say, my emailed Valentine was the more memorable of the two exchanged.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (0.8 MB).


  • Title: The Last Tree (on-site viewing and download)
  • Subject: Over-logging and the fall of the last tree.
  • Category: Environmental Story.
  • Comment: A good animation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (2.5 MB).


  • Title: Adam (on-site viewing and download)
  • Subject: A different take on Christianity's "Adam."
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: A nice , short, simple animation by Bruno Bozzetto, who is a very good Flash animator, previously featured at GoQuake.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (0.8 MB).


  • Title: Breast Fondling (on-site viewing and download)
  • Subject: A Japanese instructional breast fondling video.
  • Category: Do-it-yourself.
  • Comment: A short and helpful video for technique deficient lovers/players.
  • Encodings/Sizes: WMV (320 x 240; 7.25 MB).


  • Title: Animation Sequence (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: A neat animation sequence by students for a competition held by the National Film Board of Canada in preparation for the Web Animation Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan.
  • Category: Various.
  • Comment: A student competition.  See also, Miniature Animations
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (the Animation Sequence) and FLV (Flash Live Video; the miniature Animations).


  • Title: Animation Classics (off-site viewing)
  • Subject: Edutainment resources for kids.
  • Category: Children.
  • Comment: The initial site will simply show you a selection of Classical Story animations.  You will need to click a link to get to the main site.  Free Trial Registration required.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Unknown.




Art:


  • Cool stuff.  The site is updated constantly.  To see the first one that I saw, click in the box in the upper right and type 003702 and then press enter or click the double-arrow icon.




  • Big Cats - More of nature's art.  Like jaguars in Belize, the big cats (leopards, cheetahs, lions, etc) of Africa are really big, beautiful, but dangerous animals that need lots of range to exist.  It's always nice to find a solution for coexistence rather than killing them.




Computer News:


  • The EFF warns consumers not to use a new feature in the latest version because it will make their personal data more vulnerable to subpoenas from the government and possibly private litigants, while providing a convenient one-stop-shop for hackers who've obtained a user's Google password.

    Google says it has to store the data on its own servers to deal with situations when one of a user's computers may be turned off or otherwise be offline when new or updated items are indexed on a different machine.  "We store this data temporarily on Google Desktop servers and automatically delete older flies, and your data is never accessible by anyone doing a Google search," the Web search giant insists.

    Google said users can use a "Clear my Files" button to manually remove all files from its servers or a "Don't Search These Items" preference to remove specific files and folders from the software's index.

    But, the EFF isn't impressed, especially coming on the heels of what it calls "serious consumer concern about government snooping into Google's search logs."


  • Intel's new CEO, Paul Otellini, outlines new directions for a company best known for making computer chips.

    "Could this shift from its core competence, signal the beginning of Intel's diminishment.  Intel will now be waging war on several very competitive fronts while AMD, for the most part, will pursue its single-minded goal of overtaking Intel in chip related technology and market position.  In terms of AMD's goals, they have already done so in some areas of the former and are making in-roads in the latter." — Killer


  • Novell performed a demonstration of Novell Linux Desktop (NLD) 10 at the LinuxSolutions conference in Paris earlier this week…  Equipped with the latest and greatest Linux software, NLD10 includes the staples of open source office productivity, featuring recent versions of Novell's Evolution e-mail client and OpenOffice.org 2.0.  NLD10 also provides digital video and audio playback right out of the box, complete support for integrated iPod connectivity, extensive support for a wide variety of digital cameras, and plenty of tools for managing media content.  During the demonstration, vice president of Linux Desktop engineering Nat Friedman used Novell's F-Spot image management application to acquire a picture of the audience from his digital camera and automatically upload it to Flickr.  Friedman also plugged an iPod Nano into his laptop and showed the audience how easy it is to transfer content to and from the device using Banshee, a popular digital audio application partially developed by Novell.  Using recently licensed patents, NLD can now provide free, legal support for MP3 playback right out of the box.

    The most impressive new feature demonstrated at the LinuxSolutions conference is XGL, a powerful new graphics subsystem that leverages the power of OpenGL.  Developed largely by Novell employee David Reveman… the XGL visuals are filled with gratuitous translucency and dazzling visual effects.  While the audience watches, fluttering window gyrates sensually as it is dragged across the screen.  The ripples actually intensify and diminish to reflect the speed at which the user drags the window.  When Friedman holds down alt and presses the tab key, every window becomes translucent except for the active one, and a window list appears at the center of the screen with perfectly rendered, live window thumbnails.  He launches a movie player, and to the amazement of the crowd, the actively playing movie is visible in the window list display when he hits alt+tab.  The audience applauds as the the movie continues to play at thumbnail size within the list display.


  • Big net firms are trying to stop spammers by charging to deliver e-mail messages.

    "What bullshit!  My eyeballs only have a finite "mean time between failure" and reading crap like this is taking a toll.  This plan is about making money for AOL and Yahoo, nothing significantly more.  It won't stop SPAM.  In fact, it will be about as effective as a fart in the wind.

    Now, start charging all users for the privilege of sending Email (either for all mail or via a trigger that affects anything past a certain amount) and, yes, you will make a big impact.  But, even then, you STILL would not stop spam.  Why?  Because Spam is profitable enough for the big spammers to accept the charge as a business expense and continue as before.  So dream on or get back to the drawing board." — Killer



Cool:

  • I didn't know whether to put this in Science/Technology or in Art so I opted instead for Cool.
  • Lightbulb explores two phenomena I find interesting, the stabilization of unstable systems using feedback, and wireless power transmission.  Feedback systems often levitate objects, stabilize inverted pendulums, and the like.  Wireless power transmission has been around since Tesla's invention a century ago, although it is still not widely utilized.

    Lightbulb uses a special bulb, inside which magnets and circuitry are hidden.  Using a magnetic hall effect sensor, an electromagnet, and a [modified] PD feedback system, it floats a lightbulb stably in the air, while power is transmitted wirelessly from the base of the sculpture into the bulb.  LEDs in the bulb rectify this AC power and convert it to light.  The power transfer functions very similarly to how radio station tuning works and requires a well tuned matched pair of resonant windings, but allows power transmission over through the air.



WTF?!!:



Games:



Game News:

  • Marc Ecko (the creator of "Getting Up") said he was "extremely disappointed" by the Australian ratings board's decision to revoke the game's original MA 15+ rating, a decision which was "based solely on a perceived notion that it will somehow promote the crime of graffiti.


  • Atari CEO Bruno Bonnell revealed that the company will be selling off its internal studios instead focusing on external studios for future projects.  Bonnell said, "…we had decided in December that we should refocus our creativity efforts on external studios, rather than internal development…  We will be looking to sell our studios, but that doesn't mean that we're immediately putting a 'For Sale' sign on them.  They still have important projects to finish for us".  Those important projects include Driver: Parallel Lines, Stuntman 2, Battlezone, new games featuring Earthworm Jim, and Test Drive for both current and next-gen formats.


  • The maker of the hugely popular online game, World of Warcraft, has changed its policy on gay teams following an outcry from many players.

    "I guess the next progression in on-line play will be the creation of pronounced homophobic clans whose primary objectives will include the annihilation of gay teams." — Killer






General News:

  • Chad Zeilinski, 45, a resident of California who was with Tsunami Skydivers (a group of 200+ travelling skydivers) died on Thursday, 16 February, after he fell 13,000 feet into the sea outside the Barrier Reef near San Pedro, Belize.  Apparently, he made no attempt to open either his primary or auxiliary chutes.  It is assumed that Mr. Zeilinski blacked out owing to a medical condition.  While some members of the group utilized automatic chute openers which deploy at a certain altitude Mr. Zeilinski did not.  Virtually every bone in his body was shattered by the fall.


  • Wednesday, 8 March 2006 - There is a major anti-drug operation underway in the North of Belize (approximately 40 miles south of Mexico).  This is nothing new.  What is different is that United States Drug Enforcement Administration agents are conducting the searches.  While the presence and involvement of the D.E.A. in Belizean affairs go way back, the agency had previously been an adviser and observer.  Not anymore.  Belizeans, who have always lived with the uneasiness that Guatemala claims the territory as its 19th province, are wondering whether their right to self-determination is now being co-opted by the United States.  In the words of one D.E.A. agent, "You're going to see a lot of us around."


  • 61 top 10 movie reviews and a master list of how many times, and at what rank, a movie appeared on each list.



View code
Website: GoQuake
Title: Don't preach to scientists



View code
Website: GoQuake
Title: US wrong to sniff blood

  • Archaeologists have discovered an intact, ancient Egyptian tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the first since King Tutankhamun's was found in 1922.


  • The authorities in Mexico say a US-owned hotel in Mexico City may have broken the law by expelling a group of Cuban officials.

    "The issue here isn't with Laws that make it illegal for US Companies to conduct business with another country if the business is benefitting the other country directly.  The decision to conduct or not to conduct business is the US's prerogative.  However, in this case, the purpose of the hotel is not to do business with the Cubans, it's for a public service in Mexico.  Therefore, there is no direct business nexus and no reason to kick out the Cubans except as a political abuse of power.  Perhaps I'm not scrutinizing this with a microscope as big or as defective as the Hubble telescope but… this seems plainly wrong.  On one hand, the US has stretched the intended application of one of its own intern laws, the Commerce Clause, to make it illegal for US Companies to discriminate on the basis of color, race, religion, etc.  Now, they are stretching the Helms-Burton law (although Jesse Helms would disagree) to discriminate for political show.  I certainly hope that the Mexicans discover that they are, in fact, a sovereign nation and fine the hell out of the Sheraton. — Killer


  • A 3 part British TV program demonstrates, through the use of brain scans, that acupuncture deactivates an area of the brain that governs pain.


  • Bodies dumped in vacant lots, shot through the head, hands and feet tied.  Victims beheaded, tortured, strangled, clubbed, hacked with machetes.  All accompanied by hand-written notes that read - That's for robbery," "This is for breaking into my house," and "Eliminate rabies by killing the dogs that carry the disease."


  • US Federal authorities uncovered a 2,400-foot (731 meter) tunnel on Wednesday, 25 January, and brought in a forensic team to look for fingerprints and DNA, and to sample the air and walls, so they can determine how long the tunnel has been in use and what it was used for.

    The tunnel has cement walls and supporting planks, is no less than five feet (1.2 meter) tall and wide, and runs as far as 60 feet underground.  It also has lighting and ventilation, and a pumping system to drain groundwater.


  • "America is extremely vulnerable right now," said Akbar Alami, a member of the Iran's Parliament often critical of the government but on this point hewing to the government line.  "If the U.S. takes any unwise action" to punish Iran for pursuing its nuclear program, he said, "certainly the U.S. and other countries will share the harm."

    Iranians know that American forces, now stretched thin, are unlikely to invade Iran.  And if the United States or Europe were to try a small-scale, targeted attack, the proximity of American forces makes them potential targets for retaliation.  Iranians also know the fighting in Iraq has helped raise oil prices, and any attempt to impose sanctions could push prices higher.

    In addition, the Iranians have longstanding ties to influential Shiite religious leaders in Iraq, and at least one recently promised that his militia would make real trouble for the Americans if they moved militarily against Iran.


  • An investigation into the entry for Representative Marty Meehan (D-MA) found that staffers in Meehan's office had replaced negative (but apparently accurate) references to Meehan's career with a positive, staff-written biography.  The edits removed references to Meehan's (broken) promise not to run for office more than four times and to the size of his massive campaign war chest.  Instead, they replaced such information with a positive statement about Meehan's "fiscally conservative voting record," among others.

    All changes to Wikipedia are logged, so it was not a difficult matter to trace the source of the edits back to a House IP address.  …Further investigation by the newspaper and by Wikipedia staff found that more than 1,000 edits had been made to Wikipedia entries by House staffers over the last six months alone.  Because all changes emanating from the House come from a single IP address (a proxy), it's hard to trace specific edits back to individuals, who can plausibly deny making them.  Not all of these were malicious (though someone from the House did write that Rep. Eric Cantor "smells of cow dung"), nor were they all white-washes.  But enough of them were problematic that Wikipedia launched a full investigation and found that Senate staffers were tempted in equal measure.


  • The next two articles show typical Caribbean reluctance to embrace economic markets as the arena to deal with competition and as a catalyst/mechanism to advance and improve business processes.  Of course, the proponents for the status quo are the entrenched, uncompetitive, and ignorant business and political dinosaurs that have been holding back the region for years.  As a holder of dual nationality, I think I am more than qualified to comment knowledgeably on the matter.

    • People in the Caribbean twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago are used to what they call "plenty bacchanal" at this time of year - that is, making merry in the run-up to their world-renowned carnival.  But "bacchanal" also has a darker meaning and this one is a real brew.
  • Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning has warned neighboring countries against the Venezuelan energy initiative for the region, known as Petrocaribe.

    • Mr. Manning, if you can't stand the fire get out of the kitchen.  While Venezuela's initiative was not specifically intended to cause economic difficulties in Trinidad, that is a natural byproduct so deal with it.  However, the methodology of dealing with adversity is creativity.  For example, Caricom and the new single market mechanism are vehicles whereby this can be accomplished.  Instead of forcing your ministry and the business sector to use their collective gray matter for once, you instead open your mouth and let this shit come out.  The fact is, that you need to sell and other countries need to secure the best deals for their people.  If blatant threats is your idea of working this problem out, then Trinidad is more badly off than I have been led to believe.


Health:

  • Sex workers who perform internal vaginal washing are three times more likely to get HIV than those who do not, a 10-year study in Kenya suggests.



  • Researchers believe they have discovered why eating lots of red meat can raise the risk of bowel cancer.

    "Pay attention old school gamers, if you want to live long enough to play Duke Nukem Forever (slated for release 22 November 2063).  I've preordered my copy and the only way you'll get it is to beat me with my walker and pry it from my cold gnarled arthritic fingers." — Killer


  • A crippling mosquito-borne disease is spreading at an accelerating rate on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, health officials say.


  • The Dutch city of Groningen looks set to open the Netherlands' first pharmacy totally dedicated to providing high quality cannabis for pain relief at affordable prices, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

    Although cannabis is readily available in Dutch coffee shops, the foundation for Medicinal Cannabis Netherlands, a support group for patients, intends launching a pharmacy in the northern Dutch city so people can have access to high-grade cannabis for medical use, the daily NRC Handelsblad said.



@GoQuake:

  • Hotlinking (bandwidth theft) refers to the unauthorized use of someone else's bandwidth.  Displaying an image stored on another site increases the bandwidth use of that site, even though the site is not being viewed in its intended form.  Bandwidth isn't free, and unauthorized use increases the cost of maintaining a web site.

    My hotlinking solution stopped working some months ago but I was too busy to attend to it.  Immediately, hotlinkers - the bottom feeders of Cyber Grifter society - swooped in like gnats and started to feed on GoQuake.

    I will soon re-implement a solution but in the meanwhile I have either (depending on my mood) replaced many of the linked files with a polite message or with the filthiest male homosexual pictures I could find on the Internet.  Needless to say, many web visitors to those sites got an unexpected shock (or in some cases a treat) and several webmasters scrambled to replace the offending picture.  With few exceptions, the scrambling webmasters simply hotlinked to another site.  Such was the case with the 1st example below, who blithely updated his page to get the image from Eidos.  If fact, EVERY post on that loser's site contains a hotlinked picture.  May the spaghetti he eats fossilize and exit his rectum broadside.

    A bandwidth thief                Another bandwidth thief


    I am confident that the scope of hotlinking is much larger than most web site maintainers and even experts realize.  Hotlinking tends to have a gradual and cumulative effect, and can be difficult to detect without regular and proper oversight.  A lot of people are simply willful evil hotlinkers but there are also millions of dabblers who are blissfully ignorant that their activity is real theft.


  • Most of us get lots of stuff via email; good, bad, and everything else.  Sometimes when you receive the latter you just can't resist sending a smart ass reply.  Such was the case below.  Names have been changed to protect the guilty.


  • Message                                Reply



Software Spotlight:

  • TOR:  Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet.  Using Tor can help you anonymize web browsing and publishing, instant messaging, IRC, SSH, and other applications that use the TCP protocol.  Tor also provides a platform on which software developers can build new applications with built-in anonymity, safety, and privacy features.

    In Belize, several companies offer Internet services but the service is ultimately controlled by Belize Telecommunications Limited (an evil company; I am convinced that the Board of Directors meet in Hell and Satan is an honorary member).  BTL has arbitrarily blocked sites, ports, proxies, DialPad, Skype, and other services.  Tor offers a way for the average Joe (without satellite) to give governments and companies like BTL the finger.  Other countries, like China and Saudi Arabia, have even less freedom and Tor is a good solution to "part the sea of blocked access".


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BBC Wikipedia Info of the day

Sharing some of the best animations, art, games, various news, and other tidbits that I've read/reviewed over the past month.  The title of the post is from a video performed by Borat.  Borat is a persona of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, also well known as Ali G, who is Jewish and made it as a statement to demonstrate both ignorance and obedience somewhat akin to Milgram's experiment.  Best wishes for a wonderful year to all.


Animation:

After some restraint, I am only posting a few animations (10 on-site downloads and over 160 off-site links) and audio files.  These are in a variety of formats and sizes, and represent both old and new works.  I have attempted to sort them in broad categories that may help some in deciding which to download or view first.
Although you can view these on-line, depending on your connection speed, you may prefer to download them instead.  Simply choose "File" then "Save Page As/Save As" while viewing or right click on a link and choose "Save Link As/Save Target As."  Do enjoy and be sure to visit the creators' sites for more information and animations.

  • Title: Cane Toad (off-site download)
  • Subject: An Australian cane toad surmises as to the whereabouts of his friend.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: Very well done.  An award winning short animation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: DivX (720 x 576; 31.7 MB) and QuickTime (400 x 200; 25.7 MB).


  • Title: Borat's throw the Jew down the well (on-site download)
  • Subject: Sacha Baron Cohen plays Borat, his reporter personality who is the scourge of Kazakhstan.  In the video, Borat starts off a bit slow and hesitant but soon leads a redneck crowd into a rousing and foot-stomping rendition of "In my country there is problem."
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: A small music video that makes a deeper statement than humor.  May not be everyone's cup of tea, especially those with thin skins, the jovially challenged, children, senators, religious leaders and/or other easily damaged psyches, those seeking to enhance or establish political careers and/or possessed by delusions of grandeur.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Windows Media Video (320 x 240; 2.8 MB).


  • Title: Ali G's porn interview (on-site download)
  • Subject: Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) has a bit of fun at the Canne Porn Festival.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: A bonus video for those who enjoy Mr. Cohen's personalities, particularly that of Ali G.  Nudity and adult themes.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Windows Media Video (320 x 240; 11.2 MB).


  • Title: Amazing life (on-site download)
  • Subject: The life review of a woman and her subsequent "total recall".
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: Nicely done short animation.  If only we could do that in real life.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (3.4 MB).


  • Title: Everyone else has had more sex than me (on-site download)
  • Subject: A lonely rabbit reflects on his sex life.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: Ain't that the truth.  But, as Richard Pryor said "Only the first and last counts… the rest is just filler."  A very good animation.  It may seem simple but look at the details in and around the eyes and mouth.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (1.8 MB).


  • Title: Donghua #1 (on-site download)
  • Subject: A non-verbal Chinese Flash series about a love sick loser who, despite his many attempts, just can't get the girl he desires.  The series currently has six episodes with empty slots for at least two more.  The link in the animation is incorrect.  To see the entire series and other goodies like wallpaper click here.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: Excellent animation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (3.4 MB).


  • Title: Mr. Coo (on-site download)
  • Subject: The ever morphing and versatile Mr. Coo amazes with his bag of tricks.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: A short fun animation that sure to delight audiences of all ages.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (2.5 MB).


  • Title: Top Gum (off-site download)
  • Subject: A dragon finds himself in a bit of a sticky situation.  An older animation that shows well made art lasts forever.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: Well done award winning animation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: DivX (480 x 260; 14.6 MB).


  • Title: The Bath (off-site download)
  • Subject: Giving a dog a bath usually takes a bit of persuasion, deception or force.  Success should be measured by who is the wetter at the end of the process.
  • Category: Humor.
  • Comment: A nice little animation.
  • Encodings/Sizes: DivX (560 x 368; 14.4 MB).



  • Title: Reve de Canne (Dream of Canne) (on-site download)
  • Subject: A non-verbal animation accompanied by a lovely French song.  The animation is about a lonely middle-age man on a business trip.  He meets a young girl whom he mistakes for a woman and falls in love for an instant.  Much better than my feeble explanation.
  • Category: French.
  • Comment: A little entertaining animation.  Nice sound track.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (13.3 MB).



  • Title: Spanish set (off-site download)
  • Subject: Nine animations from professional animator Freddy Cordoba.
  • Category: Spanish.
  • Comment: The animations are either in Spanish or are non-verbal and, unfortunately, the link to his main demo reel is broken.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Motion Picture Graphics (MPG) in various sizes.  The second and third animations are 10.5 MB and 11.5 MB respectively.



  • Title: "Ah Pook Is Here," "Hound of Flesh," and "The Hell's Kitchen." (off-site download)
  • Subject: The link features several animations including three that I recommend.  The first is "Ah Pook Is Here" from which I culled a favorite quote "When I become death, death is the seed from which I grow…"  The second is "Hound of Flesh" a non-verbal animation with a mean streak.  The third is "The Hell's Kitchen" another non-verbal animation (well, except for screams) that brings home the point of being careful where you step.
  • Category: A bit odd.
  • Comment: A trio of very entertaining animations.  Ah Pook Is Here is still enthralling audiences almost 12 years after its release.  However, the link above will give you an abbreviated version of the original film.  For the full text, and a complete (60 MB), DivX version click here.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Ah Pook is Here (QuickTime 480 x 270; 15.2 MB), Hound of Flesh (QuickTime 480 x 270; 15.1 MB), The Hell's Kitchen (QuickTime 338 x 270; 5.6 MB).


  • Title: "Basin Street Blues" and "Fender Bender" (off-site download)
  • Subject: The link above features a lot of music animations by Ninja Tune, Ntone and Big Dada.  I recommend, as a starting point, Kid Koala's cover of Louis Armstrong's "Basin Street Blues and his cover of (I think Albert Collins's but my knowledge of Jazz/Blues is limited) "Fender Bender".
  • Category: A bit odd.
  • Comment: A pair of very entertaining animations.  Although the action in Basin Street Blues may seem more interesting watch how well the animation becomes an expression of the music in Fender Bender.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Basin Street Blues (QuickTime 384 x 288; 11.0 MB), Fender Bender (QuickTime 192 x 144; 3.8 MB).


  • Title: Suicid (off-site download)
  • Subject: A non-verbal animation about the unintended consequences of a suicide.  The director is French-Asian, hence the spelling of the title.
  • Category: A bit odd.
  • Comment: Dark humor.  A simple but captivative award winning animation.  Apparently, this may become a series with four additional episodes.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (1.1 MB).


  • Title: Candy Venery (off-site download)
  • Subject: This link contains 56 complete and very good animations.  Among others, which I have listed in this post, I recommend Candy Venery which is essentially a non-verbal animation about covetousness and ultimately venery (the art, act, or practice of hunting).
  • Category: A bit odd.
  • Comment: This well made Russian animation was a finalist at several Flash Festivals in 2005.  The ending reminds me of a scene in "The Last Emperor."   As a bonus here is a link to the creator's older works.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (1.8 MB).


  • Title: Eat Dog Cat Mouse (off-site download)
  • Subject: "Eat Dog Cat Mouse is Kwok Fung Lam's first short animated film.  Commissioned by Channel 4 for this year's MESH scheme, the three-minute film is a twisted story in the style of a folk tale about revenge and relentless eating."
  • Category: A bit odd.
  • Comment: A folk style animation that is entertaining and a stand-out on the animation circuit.
  • Encodings/Sizes: QuickTime (320 x 180; 10.3 MB).


  • Title: All is one (off-site download)
  • Title: End of the world (on-site download)
  • Title: Alice (on-site download)
  • Title: Alien Song (off-site download)
  • Subject: This set is the last from the "A bit odd" category.  For the sake of some brevity I've placed these four into one group.  "All is one" is a very small message about global cooperation, "End of the world" makes light of a some serious issues (look for the obscene gesture made by the ozone layer), "Alice" is an ultra condensed interactive version of Alice in Wonderland, and "Alien Song" has an powerful ending.
  • Category: A bit odd.
  • Comment: A quartet of interesting animations.
  • Encodings/Sizes: All is one (Flash; 1.5 MB), End of the world (Flash; 3.6 MB), Alice (Flash; 0.9 MB), Alien Song (QuickTime 320 x 240; 5.2 MB).



  • Title: Vuccumpra (Street Vendors) (off-site download)
  • Subject: A little something for everyone.  The most original selection in town is out on the streets.
  • Category: Other.
  • Comment: A nice little entertaining animation.  Good sound track.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (1.6 MB).


  • Title: The 2nd Annual TGSNT Shortlist (off-site download)
  • Subject: The link above features 20 top notch animations that's sure to contain several you'll really enjoy.
  • Category: Other.
  • Comment: Start with the competition's four winners and then have a look at the others especially Gaigin (#06), Nulbur (#10), and Plantage (#11).
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (various sizes).


  • Title: An Extraordinary Moment (off-site download)
  • Subject: An Extraordinary Moment traces our human story from the big bang to our present day.  It reminds us all that we are part of a very long, rich history and that each one of us contributes a unique gift to that history.
  • Category: Other.
  • Comment: Entertaining and educational; every animation buff should keep at least a few somber animations, and this is a one of those.
  • Encodings/Sizes: Flash (6.3 MB).


  • Title: A Curious bit of Scrap (off-site download)
  • Subject: The introduction says it best.
  • Category: Other.
  • Comment: I downloaded the largest version of part one in August 2005.  Although the clouds were not to my liking, the quality of the animation was instantly evident.  Real top notch stuff.  I've been patiently waiting for part two because the creator, Chris Neuhahn, will certainly up the ante with even more stunning detail.
  • Encodings/Sizes: MPEG (35 MB), DivX (29 MB), WMV (64 MB and 105 MB).


  • Title: 3 Guys (on-site download)
  • Subject: An animation exercise (the sequence is complete but the details are still a work in progress) in staging and gesturing.  Quite Good.
  • Category: Other.
  • Comment: I converted this from a 13.9 MB DivX to a 8.7 MB WMV without losing any noticeable quality.  Acquired from Mike Mellor's site.  Mr. Mellor is a professional animator.
  • Encodings/Sizes: WMV (8.7 MB).






Art:

The Academy of Arts, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Showcases creative works by artists-graduates, lecturers and students of I. E. Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (Saint-Petersburg).  The Academy (formerly The Russian Imperial Academy of Arts) was founded in the middle of the 18th century and is guided by the traditions inherited from famous European artists of the 16th through 17th centuries and from eminent Russian artists of the 18th through 20th centuries.

The Art of Jean-Claude Claeys
A professional's site in France that explains art and illustration techniques.

Political Art censorship in England
A group of local artists in Oxford, England, were invited to paint a series of murals on a wall owned by a local estate agent.  They decided to illustrate a poem about third world debt written by a local poet named Nyarai Humba.  To their surprise they discovered that it was painted over by censors the day after it had been finished.


Computer/Internet News:

Predictions for 2006
6 irreverent predictions for 2006.

A trio of interesting articles from ARStechnica.

Intel launches marketing makeover
Intel, the world's biggest chipmaker, will launch a new corporate slogan next week as part of a major rebranding.  The "Intel Inside" phrase is out, and the company will now encourage consumers to "Leap Ahead".  The phrase reminds me of China's "Great Leap Forward" in the 1950s that was really a giant step backwards.  Let's see if Intel leaps ahead or continues to slowly lose ground to AMD.

Galileo satellite phones home
British space engineers have received signals from the pioneer spacecraft for Europe's satellite-navigation system.  While public signals from GPS are already widely used by the likes of sailors, mountaineers and motorists, the US military reserves the right to limit its use or switch it off for security reasons.

Scriptaculous
Scriptaculous provides you with easy-to-use, compatible and cool JavaScript libraries to make your web sites and web applications fly, Web 2.0 style.

Microsoft sues MAPS partners, systems builders
The lawsuit is based on the illegal use and conveyance of Microsoft's Action Pack.  The Action Pack is a bundled suite of Microsoft's entire software portfolio (not including Mac, Development, and Game software) for an annual subscription cost of US$300.  The subscription permits you to use all of the software for internal company use only.  You may not sell or sublet it.  I fully agree with Microsoft actions (and that's not often) and hope they crucify the defendants.

"Analog hole" legislation introduced
The bill requires all consumer electronics video devices manufactured more than 12 months after the DTCSA is passed to be able to detect and obey a "rights signaling system" that would be used to limit how content is viewed and used.  That rights signaling system would consist of two DRM technologies, Video Encoded Invisible Light (VEIL) and Content Generation Management System — Analog (CGMS-A), which would be embedded in broadcasts and other analog video content.

Under the legislation, all devices sold in the US would fall under the auspices of the DTCSA: it would be illegal to "manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic" in such products.  It's a dream-come-true for Hollywood, and in combination with a new broadcast flag legislation (not yet introduced) would strike a near-fatal blow to the long-established right of Fair Use.


Games:

RSVP
Simple and fun game that challenges your power of observation.  Hint: When you think you're stuck - you may not be - consider re-arranging your board.




Gaming News:



Six 3D action games that are expected to be released by March 2006.


General News:

My Lai massacre hero dies at 62
Hugh Thompson Jr., a former US military helicopter pilot who helped stop one of the most infamous massacres of the Vietnam War has died, aged 62.



  • Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has had several surgeries since suffering a massive stroke.  The one man with the balls and the will to lessen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may never recover more than basic motor functions.  I cannot image a more inopportune time (prior to the March elections) for Mr. Sharon to literally be at death's door.  The peace process seems doomed to further delays and irresolution.



Last 'Gang of Four' member dies
"The last remaining member of the so-called Gang of Four that led China's Cultural Revolution has died, the government said on Friday".  For those who have never heard of or don't understand the disaster that was the Chinese "Cultural Revolution" I recommend seeing Farewell My Concubine to gain a small but entertaining understanding of the insanity and power of propaganda.

Death prompts manhole cover theft outcry
For years, people in Colombia's capital stood by as thieves stole thousands of manhole covers, swerving their cars around the gaping holes and even joking about the missing cast-iron saucers.  But Bogota's apathy changed on Christmas Day, when six-year-old Jordan Paez fell into a manhole whose cover had been stolen near where he was playing.  He slammed his head on the iron rim as he fell and drowned in the sewage…  In a more desperate move, the city has welded some of the 200,000-plus tops shut.  But workers need to crawl in and out of manholes frequently, making it too costly to have welders running around town to open and reseal covers.

Bush Does What Bin Laden Couldn't
The link above is a comment to a column in the Miami Herald.  It in turn spawned many comments.  The specific topic is not the reason why I include it in my post.  The reason I include it, is that, whether you think George W. Bush is the second coming of Jesus Christ or the Anti-Christ, one thing is certain.  He has polarized the USA more than any other US President and given rise to tremendous discourse in politics among ordinary citizens.  This discourse is one of the best things that has happened in the Bush Administration to date.  Part of the rise in discourse is the phenomenon of Blogs but it is the "cult of personality" that is George W. Bush which fuels the fire.  President Clinton invoked great hatred and affection from parts of America, Bush does it on a level that should make Texas (where everything is bigger) proud.

NSA eavesdropping wider than W.House admitted
"The volume of information gathered from telephone and Internet communications by the National Security Agency without court-approved warrants was much larger than the White House has acknowledged, The New York Times reported on Saturday…"

"…Many calls going from one foreign country to another are routed through U.S. switches and a communications expert who once worked at the NSA said in recent years government officials have been encouraging the telecommunications industry to bring more international traffic through U.S.-based switches…"

  • Australia's wealthiest man, Kerry Packer, has died at the age of 68.  I mention him in this post because in 1977 Mr. Packer made the most significant non-player contribution in the history of cricket.  He thumbed his nose as the "fuddy duddies" in the Australian and England cricket boards and revolutionized the game with his world series of one day and test matches, night games using a white ball, brightly colored clothes, and a cast of all-star cricketers who earned substantially more money.  He also changed the way the game was televised; providing complete game coverage and the use of multiple cameras (something we take for granted now).  At the time, I was a young boy and Mr. Packer made an indelible impression on me by garnering over 50 of the world's best crickets including Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Imran Khan, and Majid Khan.


Scholar: There is no clash of civilizations
A short interesting article that touches on faith, compassion, and past and evolving religious and political trends.

Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior
A senior at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book."  The book, a collection of quotations and speech excerpts, was intended as source material for a research paper on fascism and totalitarianism.  What makes this newsworthy is not that the US Government monitors library books (this has been known for decades) but that this particular book would evoke such a response.  With agencies like the Department of Homeland Security wasting time and tax payers monies on minutiae (the book contains 55 year old ideology; nothing more) it's no wonder Al-Queda succeeded, and will likely succeed again.

Twisting Vonnegut's views on terrorism
A short article by Kurt Vonnegut's son in defense of his dad.

Latvia cements gay marriage ban
MPs in the Baltic state of Latvia have passed a constitutional amendment ensuring that gay couples cannot marry.  I couldn't agree more.  It's not like Latvia requires homosexuals to wear special insignia's or is arresting/intimidating them.  It is a political decision and politicians are elected officials.  If a majority of Latvians strongly disapprove I'm sure a change will come.

I'm forever tired of countries (whether Muslim or western) that believe they have a right to impose their dysfunctional ideologies on the rest of the world.  If the US and Western Europe want to accommodate and encourage homosexuality then that's their business but let the rest of the world exercise their sovereignty (sovereignty - there's a word that increasingly gets sidelined for political, militaristic, and social expediency).  Hell, I'm not even remotely religious and it strikes me that homosexuality in general is alien and contrary to life.  Even heterosexual anal intercourse is deviant behavior, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

Except for a minute subset - hermaphrodites, chimeras, etc. - homosexuals choose the lifestyle of their own volition.  And, that is clearly an aberration worsened when it is flaunted as a value worth aspiring towards.  The issue of gay rights and privileges are something that I could accept without comment but the constant blatant barrage of their lifestyle on all public mediums is more than a slap-in-the-face to any heterosexual.

Those who want and embrace homosexuality can have it and the rights and the privileges that are traditionally part of the heterosexual existence.  But, keep your filth behind closed doors, keep your perversion off public visual mediums, and shut the fuck up already.

Canada-US war of words escalates
Canada's Prime Minister, Paul Martin, has warned the US that he will "not be dictated to", saying Canadians expected him to stand up for their country.

My comment is not so much about this article - who cares what some errand boy has to say about Canadian Politicians in their own country.  Instead, my criticism is of the BBC.  I love the BBC's (web/radio/TV) international news coverage which completely contrasts that of the US Media's myopic inbred eyes.  But, I've noticed for some time now that the BBC is sliding towards sensationalist journalism rather than simply telling the news as impartially as possible.  In the article they introduce the US Ambassador's comment and let it sizzle between opening and ending comments about the Canadian Prime Minister's loss of a no-confidence vote.  One would assume from reading the article that the PM made his climate comments only to whip up Nationalist fervor out of political desperation.  There may be an element of truth in that but it is also true that the US and Canada generally differ on environmental issues, and that Mr. Martin is very likely to be re-capture his Prime Ministership (climate comments or not) owing to the fragmentation of Canadian Politics.

Ethiopia threatened with aid cuts
Western donors are considering withholding millions of dollars of aid to Ethiopia, after a recent crackdown on the opposition and the press.  Forget a "review".  Freeze all the aid.  Yes, people will be greatly affected but they are being greatly affected despite the aid anyway.  The only palpable means of coercion (for a common good) is by money or war, and the latter is not an option unless you have a Bush type mentality.

Questions For Those Still Approving of Bush
A blog post that asks the question "…[Do] Bush backers understand reality and knowledgeably support him or …has [the President] just been phenomenally successful at superimposing his face over the American flag.  Note: The linked blog is adamantly Democratic and anti-George W. Bush, but some of the questions (meant to be answered by normal folks) are fair and stated simply.

Cuba offers to play baseball for Katrina victims
Cuba said on Thursday it would donate its revenues from a world baseball tournament to Hurricane Katrina victims if the Bush administration reverses a controversial decision to bar Cuba's participation.  The United States denied Major League Baseball a license that would allow Cuba to play in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March on the grounds Cuba would reap the 1 percent of tournament revenues due each participant and 5 percent if it won.  The decision also brought protests from the U.S. Olympic Committee, Major League Baseball, numerous politicians and others.  Puerto Rico's baseball federation announced on Thursday it would not host games if the Cubans were not allowed to participate.

The World Baseball Classic is an 18-day, 16-team World Cup-style tournament scheduled to begin on March 3 that will bring together some of the world's best baseball players on teams representing their home countries.

"Should the US not reverse its action, and I would tell Mr. Castro not to hold his breath, I'm not sure what the State Department (or other government entity) hope to accomplish or prove other that making the US looks petulant and mean.  These actions simply elicit empathy from many countries and bring Cubans (even those who are tired of the one-party system and economic conditions) together against a common bully." — Killer.

Update (20 January 2006):  Holy Crap!  Pigs must have learned to fly and Hell must have frozen over because the US has allowed Cuba to play there.


Health:

How malaria dupes immune system
Scientists have discovered the genetic secret behind the ability of the malaria parasite to evade attack by the human immune system.


Science/Technology:

Gel battery boost for radio tags
Japanese company NEC has developed a lightweight, flexible battery that is less than a millimeter thick and can be recharged in half a minute.

Disrupting HIV infection using zinc fingers
Sangamo BioSciences announced that they had demonstrated that cells could be made resistant to HIV infection by modifying them with zinc finger DNA-binding protein nucleases (ZFNs) which disrupt the gene encoding the CCR5 receptor.  The CCR5 receptor is one of a family of chemokine receptors that are involved in regulating the function of leukocytes.  CCR5 is important in HIV as a target for the virus to enter cells.

CCR5 has long been of interest to HIV researchers because many people that are resistant to HIV infection have a mutation in their CCR5 gene - the delta32 mutation.  This mutation results in a smaller protein that isn't on the outside of the cell, and most forms of HIV cannot infect the cells.  By blocking the expression of the CCR5 gene, researchers at Sangamo were unable to infect the cells with HIV.  When CCR5 expression was artificially restored, infection took place as expected.

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