phony01

A Good Year for the Leonids?

2009-11-09T15:26:00.000-06:00

I love the Leonids, at least when I can be somewhere far enough away from city lights.

Something Ran Into Jupiter.

2009-07-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

Insert your own 2010 quote here.

How night owls are cleverer and richer than people who rise early

2009-04-24T01:57:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it's 2am.

Read it at the Daily Mail.

Happy Birthday to Project MK-ULTRA!

2009-04-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

From Wikipedia:

Project MK-ULTRA, or MKULTRA, was the code name for a covert CIA mind-control and chemical interrogation research program, run by the Office of Scientific Intelligence. The program began in the early 1950s, continuing at least through the late 1960s, and it used United States citizens as its test subjects. The published evidence indicates that Project MK-ULTRA involved the surreptitious use of many types of drugs, as well as other methods, to manipulate individual mental states and to alter brain function.

Headed by Dr. Sidney Gottlieb, the MK-ULTRA project was started on the order of CIA director Allen Dulles on April 13, 1953, largely in response to Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean use of mind-control techniques on U.S. prisoners of war in Korea. The CIA wanted to use similar methods on their own captives. The CIA was also interested in being able to manipulate foreign leaders with such techniques, and would later invent several schemes to drug Fidel Castro.

Experiments included administering LSD to CIA employees, military personnel, doctors, other government agents, prostitutes, mentally ill patients, and members of the general public in order to study their reactions. LSD and other drugs were usually administered without the subject's knowledge and informed consent, a violation of the Nuremberg Code that the U.S. agreed to follow after World War II.

Efforts to "recruit" subjects were often illegal, even discounting the fact that drugs were being administered (though actual use of LSD, for example, was legal in the United States until October 6, 1966). In Operation Midnight Climax, the CIA set up several brothels to obtain a selection of men who would be too embarrassed to talk about the events. The men were dosed with LSD, and the brothels were equipped with one-way mirrors and the "sessions" were filmed for later viewing and study.
Some subjects' participation was consensual, and in many of these cases, the subjects appeared to be singled out for even more extreme experiments. In one case, volunteers were given LSD for 77 consecutive days.

Another technique investigated was connecting a barbiturate IV into one arm and an amphetamine IV into the other. The barbiturates were released into the subject first, and as soon as the subject began to fall asleep, the amphetamines were released. The subject would begin babbling incoherently at this point, and it was sometimes possible to ask questions and get useful answers.
Other experiments involved heroin, morphine, temazepam (used under code name MK-SEARCH), mescaline, psilocybin, scopolamine, marijuana, alcohol, and sodium pentothal.

Forty-four American colleges or universities, 15 research foundations or chemical or pharmaceutical companies and the like including Sandoz (currently Novartis) and Eli Lilly & Co., 12 hospitals or clinics (in addition to those associated with universities), and 3 prisons are known to have participated in MK-ULTRA.

A considerable amount of credible circumstantial evidence suggests that Theodore Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, participated in CIA-sponsored MK-ULTRA experiments conducted at Harvard University from the fall of 1959 through the spring of 1962. During World War II, Henry Murray, the lead researcher in the Harvard experiments, served with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which was a forerunner of the CIA. Murray applied for a grant funded by the United States Navy, and his Harvard stress experiments strongly resembled those run by the OSS. Beginning at the age of sixteen, Kaczynski participated along with twenty-one other undergraduate students in the Harvard experiments, which have been described as "disturbing" and "ethically indefensible."

Merry Prankster Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, volunteered for MK-ULTRA experiments while he was a student at Stanford University. Kesey's ingestion of LSD during these experiments led directly to his widespread promotion of the drug and the subsequent development of hippie culture.

Because most MK-ULTRA records were deliberately destroyed in 1973 by order of then CIA Director Richard Helms, it has been difficult, if not impossible, for investigators to gain a complete understanding of the more than 150 individually funded research sub-projects sponsored by MK-ULTRA and related CIA programs.

Alan McGee on why people want the Stone Roses to reform

2009-03-31T22:03:00.001-05:00

We should all just face it, it's never going to happen. I don't think it should either. Of course, if I could get my hands on a ticket, my opinion would probably change.

John Squire re-iterates his position.

2009-03-19T17:44:00.000-05:00

http://www.johnsquire.com/

The Stone Roses to reunite? (part xxxvii)

2009-03-17T18:50:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why I'm even posting this. According to the article, John's talked Ian into a 21-date tour of the UK and the USA.

Update - Ian says no.
Update 2 - John agrees, no.

Hamster Power? Yes!

2009-03-11T09:11:00.000-05:00

That's right, hamster power. See the jacket on this little guy? It's been sewn together using threads made out of science.
Read the Discover article.

Paul Harvey (1918-2009)

2009-03-01T02:39:00.000-06:00

TRAGIC FORESHADOWING

2009-02-24T00:22:00.003-06:00

Happy 40th birthday to the computer mouse!

2008-12-08T22:00:00.000-06:00

So I guess it's been some 39.9 years since the first time somebody had to de-cheese their mouse...

Steak smells like space!

2008-10-17T01:11:00.002-05:00

After asking people who knew, people who wondered figured out that steak and space smell the same, except one also smells like welding a motorbike.

2008-09-17T19:09:00.001-05:00

the caipirinha diaries, part 2

2008-09-04T23:32:00.001-05:00

...aaannnnd we're back.
Ok, so, since I last wrote, there has been a Pelourinho and an island village involved.
The Pelourinho

This district in Salvador is very old, and thus historical. Much meanness was brought by the slave trade, and those who practiced it. That was a long time ago, and now it's an interesting place to take an elevator to. Most of the buildings date back 500 or so years. There's lots of dogs and cats laying around. I think someone should airlift them milk-bones and pounce. There's dudes wanting money, sometimes just because, but sometimes in exchange for goods and/or services that you can't really get at the mall. There are lots of stores & things. We went into a cachaça bar & had a few shots of there homemade infusions. We had clove, cinnamon, orange peel and ginger.

We did other stuff too.

About this island village

It is called Morro de Sao Paulo. We spent the last 3 nights there, and was never more than 200 yards away from the ocean.

Took a boat and a bus and a boat. Got there and walked up and down several hills. Some were dirt, some concrete, all were a little steeper than I'd prefer. Lots of water, all of it wet. Little blue crabs that scramble into their tunnels when you approach. Sentence fragments thicker than Mrs. Butterworth. Large yummy shrimp, hamburgers spelled hambuerger or something like that, photo ops galore, salty salty sea, with all the tides and extra buoyancy that you'd expect, little monkeys chasing each other around the front yard, all that.

Today we took a boat (just one, no bus) back to Salvador, had a fine lunch, a nap, and a fine dinner.
Here's one of the many views from our hotel:

Tomorrow, it's north. There's a river and other stuff involved.
Also, I'm having a laundry crisis!

the caipirinha diaries, part 1

2008-08-30T23:39:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to a google map showing where I'm.
The following was written at the end of a long, full day. There is nothing linear or even cohesive about what you may be about to read.
This is an awesome place. All of the food has been good. They've got Cuban cigars (as do I, a Montecristo). Traffic here makes me long for the comfort and safety of riding in a car through Manhattan. Everyone I've met has been great. I'm not doing so well with the language, but I'm getting by.
Two things that ended up happening on the first night included watching an American blues band and going to a house that was tuned to the American Fox tv rerun channel. Never saw nip/tuck before. Not entirely sure if I ever will again.
The mall was nice. Not too incredibly foreign (other than aforementioned languaga barrier). Bought some fancy-ass sunglasses & had a $2 beer at the Kalzone, I think it was called. Home of the AmeriKalzone. For real.
At the mall, I really wanted a cheap am/fm radio. The only one I could find was part of the Xuxa line of fine electronics.
There's a lot more to write about, butI'll have to do that later, hopefully tomorrow and hopefully with some pics.
I'll probably be mentioning such things as trying not to be too paranoid about standing under huge coconuts that would surely kill and how some of the buildings in the area are all gutted out & rotting on the inside and make me think of Half-Life 2.

Yeah. It's 2am. Feels kinda like 4. Back in my time zone, it's midnight. Hoping to maybe wake up in time for breakfast tomorrow. I hear there's these amazing tapioca crepes...

How Northern Lights Happen

2008-07-25T01:06:00.000-05:00

Science, in its infinite quest for things scientific, have figured out how northern lights do what they do. It involves plasma, solar wind and science all coming together at a distance equal to 1/3 of the distance to the moon, a hard part of space also known for having lots of science on.

Here's the NASA article.
Here's a nice little gallery.
This one's the THEMIS mission page.

Bill Ripken "error" card

2008-07-22T11:36:00.001-05:00

The 267 Tapes in Delia's Attic

2008-07-22T11:10:00.000-05:00

A hidden hoard of recordings made by Delia Derbyshire, the electronic music pioneer behind the Doctor Who theme has been revealed - including a dance track 20 years ahead of its time.

Puppy born without front legs can now make it on his own.

2008-06-25T11:28:00.003-05:00

Thanks to space-age plastic, and some model airplane wheels, your front-legless puppy can go from this:

to this:

For the whole story, including some cute legless puppy video, click here.

Oh, I have to throw this in:

Freestyle Battle!!!

2008-06-19T01:28:00.000-05:00

Who will win???

Khaaan!

2008-06-04T22:55:00.002-05:00

Muxtape has been updated.

2008-06-02T22:24:00.002-05:00

OK, I've finally gotten round to fixing this. There were some issues at muxtape central, but everything seems good now.

Click the photo to hear mine, or make your own.

Maybe do both!

Bo Diddley has died at age 79.

2008-06-02T12:20:00.001-05:00

Bacon Salt - Everything should taste like bacon.

2008-05-28T01:02:00.000-05:00

http://store.baconsalt.com/

Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008)

2008-05-13T11:38:00.004-05:00

Robert Rauschenberg died Monday at age 82. He was a favorite of mine.
Read more about him here.

muxtape monday (me too edition)

2008-05-12T12:29:00.003-05:00

Taking a cue from a certain computer user who goes by Taco, I have decided to also update my muxtape today.
See that picture of tapes up there? It's kinda like a scratch-and-sniff, but instead, it's a click-and-listen!

Check 'em out. Make your own.

Top 15 Greasemonkey Scripts for GMail & Google Reader | ShanKri-la

2008-05-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

Top 15 Greasemonkey Scripts for GMail & Google Reader | ShanKri-la

"????????? ?????" online

2008-05-07T01:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.sovietmuseum.ru/

Brooklyn Park police look for meth lab, find fish tank

2008-04-29T01:13:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn Park police were looking for a meth lab, but they found a fish tank and the chemicals needed to maintain it.

So, that's all it takes these days. Someone mentions that something smells funny, and the man just busts down your door. Kinda crappy/creepy, no?

James Brown, Soul Brother Number One, was kinda nuts!

2008-04-03T20:11:00.001-05:00

Klaus Dinger (1946-2008)

2008-04-03T12:15:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard NEU!, you've more than likely heard and/or enjoyed bands that have.

Pick up on it.

Online mixtape! Retro-futuristic!

2008-03-30T14:29:00.003-05:00

Make a mixtape from your mp3 files. Go here and make your own. Here's mine. Link to it in the comments below.

Dr Pepper Presses Axl To Unveil Album

2008-03-27T09:05:00.001-05:00

I didn't spit on her, I 'gleeked'

2008-03-05T00:45:00.000-06:00

Download The Charlatans' New Album For Free!

2008-03-03T14:08:00.001-06:00

Another Massacre At A "Gun Free Zone" College Campus

2008-02-15T17:28:00.001-06:00

US: Broken Satellite Will Be Shot Down

2008-02-14T13:32:00.002-06:00

U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire a missile from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere.

Later, Uptown!

2008-02-08T03:29:00.001-06:00

Damon Albarn: 'the rest of Blur hate me'

2008-02-01T09:53:00.001-06:00

Blur's Damon Albarn says he believes the band's reunion fell apart because the rest of the group "hate" him and don’t want to work with the singer.

Tell Super Furry Animals what to play!

2008-01-29T11:27:00.000-06:00

Letter to Our European Friends

2008-01-27T18:51:00.000-06:00

Everything you need to know about our presidential campaign.
by P.J. O'Rourke

American spy satellite 'the size of a bus' is out of control and hurtling towards Earth

2008-01-27T18:29:00.000-06:00

Will you catch it?

Homemade Bacon Vodka!

2008-01-22T23:58:00.000-06:00

Bacon bloody marys, anyone?

This Peanut Looks Like A Duck (A site about things that look like ducks)

2008-01-12T21:52:00.001-06:00

http://www.thispeanutlookslikeaduck.com/

Boredoms 2008 Tour

2008-01-03T16:20:00.000-06:00

Boredoms - 2008 Tour Dates
Sat 03/15 - Canes San Diego CA
Sun 03/16 - Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles CA
Tue 03/18 - The Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco CA *
Thu 03/20 - Crystal Ballroom Portland OR
Fri 03/21 - Neumos Seattle WA
Tue 03/25 - First Avenue Minneapolis MN *
Wed 03/26 - Logan Square Auditorium Chicago IL
Sat 03/29 - Paradise Boston MA
Sun 03/30 - Terminal 5 New York NY *
Wed 04/02 - Starlight Ballroom Philadelphia PA
Thu 04/03 - 9:30 Club Washington DC

* In the round

FOODPAIRING

2007-12-21T21:26:00.001-06:00

Check it.

Qix!

2007-12-18T23:31:00.001-06:00

http://drunkmenworkhere.org/flash/qix2.swf

We Will Rock You

2007-12-14T00:53:00.000-06:00

Led Zeppelin to play three huge New York shows in 2008?

2007-12-12T13:38:00.000-06:00

2007-12-11T14:19:00.000-06:00

Karlheinz Stockhausen dies, 79

2007-12-10T11:02:00.001-06:00

Super Furry Animals announce North American tour

2007-12-03T13:48:00.000-06:00

Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's (January 23)
Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg (25)
Philadelphia, PA Starlight Ballroom (26)
Washington, DC 9:30 Club (27)
Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle (29)
Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse (30)
New Orleans, LA The Republic (31)
Dallas, TX Granada Theatre (February 1)
Austin, TX Emo''s (2)
Tucson, AZ Club Congress (5)
Solona Beach, CA Belly Up (6)
Los Angeles, CA Echoplex (8)
San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall (9)
Portland, OR Doug Fir (11)
Seattle, WA Neumo's (12)
Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theatre (15)
Chicago, IL Metro (16)
Detroit, MI Magic Stick (17)
Buffalo, NY Tralf Music Hall (18)
Toronto, ONT Mod Club (20)
Montreal, QUE Cabaret Music Hall (21)
Ithaca, NY Cornell University (22)
Boston, NY The Paradise (23)
New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (25)

Verizon to allow you to port almost any CDMA device

2007-11-27T12:12:00.001-06:00

Secret Squirrel!

2007-11-21T02:08:00.000-06:00

Comet Holmes Update

2007-11-21T02:05:00.000-06:00

Charmin's 'Mr. Whipple' Dies at Age 91

2007-11-21T02:03:00.001-06:00

Pink Floyd Hand-Fart Guitar Solo!

2007-11-05T00:36:00.000-06:00

What a wondrous time we all live in!

50 years ago, there was a dog in space...

2007-11-03T02:06:00.000-05:00

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1957-002A

Hot Chicks with Douchebags

2007-11-03T01:19:00.000-05:00

http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/

Slash Shreds!

2007-10-23T00:20:00.001-05:00

D. B. Cooper Case: Cracked?

2007-10-22T23:23:00.000-05:00

First Mach flight propels Yeager, Air Force into history 10/14/47

2007-10-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

Text your fish safety questions to FishPhone!

2007-10-08T00:08:00.000-05:00

http://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/05/text-your-fish-safety-questions-to-fishphone/

A Cold War Conundrum: The 1983 Soviet War Scare

2007-10-06T00:13:00.000-05:00

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/a-cold-war-conundrum/source.htm#HEADING1-11

Radiohead's new site

2007-10-01T09:03:00.000-05:00

http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Quickindex.html

Did David Hasselhoff really help end the Cold War?

2007-09-30T02:12:00.000-05:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3465301.stm?hasslemegorby

Grammaflage

2007-09-29T03:31:00.001-05:00

Biker's penis struck by lightning

2007-09-25T19:10:00.000-05:00

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=299096

Prints & Photographs Online Catalog - Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) Collection search

2007-09-25T00:38:00.000-05:00

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/hhquery.html

Weird Russian Mind-Control Research Behind Homeland Security Contract

2007-09-21T00:20:00.000-05:00

http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/09/mind_reading

You convert it

2007-09-20T01:12:00.000-05:00

http://www.youconvertit.com/

Cheeseburger

2007-09-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

http://www.cheese-burger.net/

meteorite shows up & people get sick

2007-09-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

HowardForums: RAZR2 V9m Threads of Interest

2007-09-17T01:04:00.000-05:00

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1238635

Beatles' Help! Heads to Deluxe DVD

2007-09-04T16:50:00.000-05:00

It's about time...

Supergrass have been forced to put all plans on hold because band member Mick Quinn has broken his back.

2007-09-01T03:07:00.000-05:00

Would You Like Some Meat in That Frozen Yogurt?

2007-08-30T01:33:00.000-05:00

Because there’s a…smoothie, I put sausage in there. It’s a sausage smoothie.

2007-08-27T21:52:00.001-05:00

Thai officials hope Hello Kitty can shame errant cops

2007-08-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/06/thai.hello.kitty.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

Stage6 · Upload Video Clips. Share, Watch, Download Videos

2007-08-19T01:36:00.000-05:00

http://stage6.divx.com/

Happy 25th Birthday, compact disc!

2007-08-16T15:02:00.000-05:00

Over 200 billion sold...

Raiders of the Lost Lake

2007-08-14T00:17:00.000-05:00

The environment is remarkably similar to the dark and cold ocean below the surface of Jupiter's ice moon Europa, so the discovery of life in Vostok could have interesting extraterrestrial implications.