Are you going to implement the XKCD "unique messages only" bot? That would be cool.

MirandaIM is also a pretty nice Open Source alternative for you all-in-one IM client lovers.

But then, that would be a good spin control if they WERE being hacked.

On the other hand, what sort of self respecting hacker would have an all-Flash site?

Did he shoot his wife (who was) across the river? Or did he shoot (as in using her as a projectile) across the river?

This would be a truly excellent show if it actually did 'advanced interrogation techniques' to good-looking, white participants. You'd have to randomize the show, so that the audience didn't get desensitized to it.

It'd be a great (I'd hope) wake-up call to all those Americans who are still cool with what Camp X-Ray (and all the other allegedly invisible) detention centers are doing in the name of Security and Freedom.

Fuck me, 'gyre' is a bloody awesome word. Sorry, just had to comment that.

Genius captions.

So, would this be the definition of a 'reluctant seller'?

Those are creepy as hell.

I think the reason that Amazon folded like a plucky morning weather-man walking into a gale-force storm is that they have to appease the publishers. Mark is spot on, IMHO. It's not unlike how Apple had to do all sorts of monkey-business (and not the good kind) with iTunes to get the record companies to open their catalog.

Frankly, I don't think the publishers will remove DRM until the consumers shown them the way with the stick, as has happened to the record companies. Ridiculously crippled goods do not a good business make.

Teresa: are you implying that all fundamentalists want to bite kneecaps off? Absurd.

Saehn, I'm all about the electrolytes.

You know why religious types invariable persevere and grow their numbers over time, compared to say, logical thinking atheists and somewhat logical but still vaguely fearful agnostics?

They have tradition.

Tradition and statutory holidays where you get to sod off work and drink inappropriate amounts of alocohol and maybe get caught in a sandwich with the fetching receptionist from HR and that the new mailboy who doesn't have too much body hair so it's ok.

Things and events and all that nonsense that people go to or attend or observe. And then, in their laziness and in their desperate need to keep their kids in line, they pass on these things to their children. Hence the meme (in this case religion) lives on, while atheists have to wait until their 18 or whatever when they can rediscover Nietzsche for the first time and act all smug and self-important (not much different from the fundamentalist they despise, except with more black turtlenecks and pollysyllabic words).

So yeah, hells yea, we need our own silly festival to take off work and pass on mindlessly to our offspring.

I'm interested in reading some steampunk novels, but I have NO idea where to start. I've heard of China Mieville, but what are the seminal works (say, five), in the genre? Surely steampunk-o-philiic bOING bOING readers must know.

I'm appalled. Simply APPALLED that someone (Muppets) would drag Robocop's name through the mud. Let's leave him out of it. Now, if you want to make disparaging remarks about the ED-209, feel free.

More on topic, I have to agree Tom, I can't think of a single reason why 'official police business' can't be under video surveillance at all times (besides the cost, of course). I'm not one to think that police are jack-booted thugs, but I think group-think goes a long way when dealing with men and women, all bonded by esprit-de-corps, who are expected to deal with a physical threat.

These are my visceral responses to the video, for those of you who would rather not watch it:

-holy bajeesus, that is one hulking man. Breathing heavily.. Barricading? Brandishing furniture?
-oh, throwing monitors.
-double holy BAJEEBUS, those RCMP officers are fricking GARGANTUAN. Why are they moving so, well, aggressively?
-oh, good, looks like they have it all under control (they are standing in a semi-circle around him, his back against the counter)
-then he gets tasered. Good lord that looks painful.
-they seem to be on him for an awful long time.

There is no real indication as to WHY he was tasered. He seemed to be under control. They outnumbered him. He appeared reasonable as soon as they arrive (he didn't throw a punch or anything).

This brings up a few questions, for me, anyways:
1) Why didn't they get him down to the ground with large hand signals?
2) Why didn't they use pepper spray, if they really though he needed to be subdued? Why are tasers used in lieu of pepper spray?

May the gods help me, but I judge harshly anyone who has read and doesn't like Pratchett. Or worse still, reads other comic fantasy writers, but dislikes Pratchett.