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B-List Archive

April 2002

Postings to the B-List.

Subject: B-List: April Fool's?
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 08:06:29 +0930

It's that time of year again.

* April Fool's Day -- History, Traditions, and Foolishness
  < http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm >

* "Internet Spoof, Soon Denied, Hits Canadian Dollar"
  < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=761232 >
Some people actually believed the Canadian Finance Minister would
quit his job to "breed Charolais cows and handsome fawn runner ducks",
causing a fall in the Canadian Dollar.

* Spot the April fool - a quiz
  < http://www.guardian.co.uk/quiz/questions/0,5961,677243,00.html >

* "The Top Ten April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time"
  < http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/topten1.html >
Other interesting stuff at the Museum of Hoaxes:
  < http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/ >

Subject: B-List: News Items
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 08:16:04 +0930

1. "'Silence machine' zaps unwanted noise"
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992094 >
Combatting noise pollution, part 1.

2. "Technology for Perfect-Pitch Karaoke"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=766141 >
Combatting noise pollution, part 2.

3. "E.T.-Mad Woman Sees the Film 773 Times"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=766155 >

4. "Nicole Kidman's Cellular Nightmare"
   < http://www.ocnow.com/metro_news/g/0327-nicolekidm.html >

5. "Mystery of missing text messages"
   < http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/in_depth/sci_tech/2000/dot_life/newsid_1891000/1891818.stm >

6. "Fast Music Can Lead to Dangerous Driving"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=701076 >

7. "Dodo Returns and Harrods Floats on April Fool's"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=766152 >

Subject: B-List: Random Acts of Silliness
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 07:59:56 +0930

1. Random Homer Simpson Quote
   < http://smacie.com/randomizer/simpsons/homer.html >

2. Random Steven Wright jokes
   < http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/ceb/jokes.doit >

3. That Was Random!
   < http://www.thatwasrandom.com/ >
Random Facts, Laws, Phobias, Warnings, Quotes, Jokes.

4. Top 20 IT Corporate Anthems
   < http://www.zdnet.co.uk/specials/2002/it-anthems/ >
Even has mp3s and lyrics so you too can groove to the tunes.

5. "Rude Americans Seen Proliferating"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=770551 >

6. "C-Murder Indicted For Murder"
   < http://www.sonicnet.com/news/story.jhtml?id=1452695 >

7. "Web Designer Builds Home out of Flash"
   < http://bbspot.com/News/2002/04/flash.html >

8. "Eight Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter"
   < http://www.wbrucecameron.com/pages/columns/onteenagers/8rules.htm >

Subject: B-List: Have a Nice Nap, plus some news
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 07:58:59 +0930

1. The Third Annual National Workplace Napping Day
   < http://www.napping.com/napping-day.html >
   < http://www.wmji.com/script/headline_newsmanager.php?id=14717 >

2. "Dion CD will crash your PC"
   < http://www.vnunet.com/News/1130676 >
What a shame!  I was SO looking forward to listening to that cd.

3. "Wisconsin man kills computer"
   < http://www.vnunet.com/News/1130664 >
Apparently it was a Gateway PC.

4. "Hidden cameras uncovered in house rented by young women"
   < http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2002/0406/488888730HM1CAMERAS.html >
Irish Big Brother?
(BTW Gardai = Irish Police)

Subject: B-List: Look Who's Talking
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 08:53:50 +0930

1. "UK Govt backs talking fridges"
   < http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/24690.html >

2. "Talking Washing Machine Unveiled"
   < http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Business/ap20020408_463.html >

3. "Smart glasses mean instant refills"
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992123 >

4. "Networked vest monitors athletes"
   < http://www.vnunet.com/News/1130678 >

5. "Garbage Trucks to Teach English"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=770542 >

6. "Lip-reading cellphone silences loudmouths"
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992122 >

7. "Your Cell Phone Is Watching You"
   < http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=12776 >

Subject: B-List: Some Project Ideas
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 08:21:38 +0930

If you have some spare time and are looking for a project, you might
find inspiration from these projects ...

1. "Hackers, Hot Rods, and The Information Drag Strip"
   < http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/oct01/speak.html >

2. "How To Turn Your Car Into The Batmobile"
   < http://server2.websytz.com/~weaintcool/Articles/batmobile.html >

3. Tool Box PC
   < http://members.aol.com/prophetm/toolbox/ >

4. Lightweight, Caseless PC
   < http://www.g-news.ch/articles/nhp200nc/ >
(via Jazz)

5. "Build Your Own Lightsaber"
   < http://www.jedi-academy.com/lightsabermain.html >

Subject: B-List: Fun with Names, Antidisclaimer
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 08:24:07 +0930

Fun with names.  Some of the name generators could produce names
which are unflattering, even offensive.  I'm not particularly happy
with the first two.  Hmmm ...

1. Funny Names Generator
   < http://www.fungreetz.com/humor/funnynames/funnynames.shtml >
Warning - file under toilet humour.  I am: Lumpy Diaper-hiney

2. Mystical Wu-Name Generator
   < http://www.fungreetz.com/others/wuname/wuname.php >
Mine is: Lazy-a$$ed Wizard

3. What's your name in Japanese?
   < http://www.p45.net/funomatics/japanese.html >
Mine is: Buruno anderiguhetsuto

4. (Native American) Indian Name Generator
   < http://www.aspalta.cbc.ca/deaddog_asp/aininfo.asp >
Mine is: Orest Preemptive Ram

5. Funny Band Names - Real or Not?
   < http://ideaexplore.net/ron/bands/ >

6. Funny Doctor Names
   < http://www.dementia.org/~alycia/drnames.html >

7. "Meet Hong Kong Phooey"
   < http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2002060983,00.html >

8. "Lawyers reach for bard in man's bid to retain adopted name"
   < http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/2002/04/02/FFXMZHU2JZC.html >
   "Aussie Man Can't Change Name To 'John Piss'"
   < http://www.tabloid.net/1998/06/11/D1.html >
How about these for names:
   'Prime Minister John Piss The Family Court and Legal Aid'
   'Justice Nevil Abolish Child Support and Family Court'
Do you think they're trying to make a point?

9. "More Parents Naming Their Kids After Food"
   < http://www.ncbuy.com/news/wireless_news.html?qdate=2002-03-22&nav=VIEW&id=590YV47Q5R5020322 >

10. "What's in a name?"
   < http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues96/mar96/back_mar96.html >
An article about memorable names.

Subject: B-List: News from Around the Web
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 07:51:10 +0930

1. "Woman Jailed Over Unreturned Library Books"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=806526 >
Look out Lids!

2. "Ferret chic in middle England"
   < http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1921000/1921209.stm >

3. "When dogs behave like cuckoos"
   < http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,4130572%5E3462,00.html >

4. "Man Shoots Off Brain Tumor"
   < http://www.dxpnet.com/news/1-1-39-1.asp >

5. "8-Year-Old Florida Boy Drives to School"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=809756 >

6. "New Secret Weapon -- the Indestructible Sandwich"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=800448 >

7. "Schemes and loopholes: tales from the IRS"
   < http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0415/p01s02-ussc.html >

8. "TV makes men hunkier and women chunkier"
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992149 >

9. "TV viewing linked to adult violence"
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992109 >

10. Top 10 Weird Injuries In Professional Baseball
   < http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/weird_injuries.htm >

Subject: B-List: World Leader Pretend
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 07:55:39 +0930

Today's post is dedicated to the world's greatest leader, George W. Bush,
and all the president's men.

1. Too Stupid To Be President
   < http://www.toostupidtobepresident.com/ >

2. "Rewriting History?"
   < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56556-2002Apr15.html >

3. "Why Bush will be a one-term president"
   < http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?u=/020420/79/1fclt.html >

4. "Office of Strategic Lying?"
   < http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=12464 >

5. "Lying, then and now"
   < http://www.msnbc.com/news/740615.asp >

6. Big Brother Awards 2002
   < http://news.com.com/2100-1023-886878.html >
Not _that_ Big Brother.

7. "Star wars could make space unusable"
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992188 >
It's bad enough that the "Star Wars" name been misappropriated.

Subject: B-List: DVD Stuff
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 07:52:10 +0930

For those who have the time and money for DVDs ...

1. DVD Easter Eggs
   < http://www.dvdeastereggs.com/easter_eggs.php >
Catalogue of hidden features in DVDs.

2. DVD Profiler
   < http://www.dvdprofiler.com/dvdpro/index.html >
Helps you keep track of your DVD collection.

Subject: B-List: Recent News Items
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 08:15:28 +0930

1. "To Do or Not to Do? the Answer Is a Click Away"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=internetnews&StoryID=827209 >
Would you let internet users decide how to live your life?

2. "Postcard arrives at English address 100 years late"
   < http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s533367.htm >

3. "Dracula's last descendant seeks to adopt blue-blooded heir"
   < http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s534139.htm >

4. "Thinking Cap or Dunce's Hat?"
   < http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,51421,00.html >
Two Aussies claim to have invented a "thinking cap".

5. "Gomer as Claudius"
   < http://www.yellowtimes.com/article.php?sid=228 >
Starts with a brief but interesting comparison between Imperial Rome and
modern America.  Some people may find this article a tad too left-wing.

6. "Gates pitches Armageddon scenario to court"
   < http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24974.html >
A snippet:
   In many cases the company really does not know, because development
   has proceeded haphazardly with no clear records, no clear central
   control of who's doing what, and inadequate/incorrect documentation.
   Yesterday Bill appears to have been inadvertently confirming to us
   that he is a manufacturer of inadequately architected bloat, and
   that this is the way the greatest software company in the world
   proposes to continue to do business.

7. "Another Big MS Browser Hole Found"
   < http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,51899,00.html >
Yet another indication of Microsoft's commitment to security.
The good news (at least for 5% of computer users) is that it
only affects Windows users.

8. "Feds might use Microsoft product for online ID"
   < http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134438173_passport18.html >
They cannot be serious!

Subject: B-List: Which ... are you?
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 08:06:46 +0930

Which ... are you?
   < http://people.hws.edu/colleenlogan/quiz.html >

A series of quizzes:
1. Which 80s Hair Band Are You?
   < http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=hairband >
My result: Bon Jovi
(could've been worse, eg Motley Crue, Poison, Twisted Sister)

2. Which Children's Storybook Character Are You?
   < http://people.hws.edu/colleenlogan/children.html >
My result: The Little Prince
( http://people.hws.edu/colleenlogan/littleprince.html )

3. Which "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" Character Are You?
   < http://people.hws.edu/colleenlogan/mphg.html >
My result: King Arthur

Subject: B-List: Monday Madness Mix
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 07:59:46 +0930

1. Backyard Monorail
   < http://monorails.org/tMspages/Niles.html >

2. DIY Rollercoaster
   < http://www.indystar.com/article.php?coaster23.html,living >

3. Fear of Physics - How to make a Roller Coaster Work
   < http://www.fearofphysics.com/Roller/roller.html >
Make a simple virtual roller coaster.

4. Insaniquarium
   < http://www.freshpulp.com/fishtank/ >
A virtual aquarium game.

5. "Dodgeball Reality Series on Target for TV"
   < http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=entertainmentnews&StoryID=869962 >
Perhaps the TV networks should consider 'Backyard Cricket', or
what about 'Celebrity Twister'?

6. "AOL Time Warner Posts Massive Net Loss"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=internetnews&StoryID=876382 >
How to write-off $A 100 billion in 3 months.

7. "'Mice-stronauts' could lead way to Mars"
   < http://robots.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/04/25/mars.mice/index.html >

8. "Families divided over garden treasure"
   < http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s541501.htm >

9. "May the Farce Be With Them"
   < http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,51939,00.html >

10. "Collector has 2,500 robot models, from famous to obscure"
   < http://www.startribune.com/stories/789/2221895.html >
Check out the guy's website to see the collection:
   < http://www.robothut.robotnut.com/ >

Subject: B-List: Tuesday Tech News
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 07:41:25 +0930

1. "Hands on with the PDA-killer Sony-Ericsson P800"
   < http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25054.html >

2. "Squeezable Cellphone Adds New Meaning to Calling"
   < http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=technologynews&StoryID=874961 >

3. Folding Computer Screen
   < http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020423/170/1fryb.html >

4. Pixter
   < http://www.fisher-price.com/us/products/product.asp?id=8259 >
A PDA for kids?

5. "Infineon unveils 'smart textiles' for fashion conscious chip market"
   < http://siliconstrategies.com/story/OEG20020426S0101 >
Example application: MP3-playing shirt.

6. "Credit cards get a face lift to lure new customers"
   < http://www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/business/personal_finance/3127843.htm >

7. Apple eMac
   < http://www.apple.com/education/emac/ >

8. "The Robots are Coming"
   < http://www.techreview.com/articles/garfinkel0502.asp >

9. "What's Cooking? Bluetooth Hits the Kitchen"
   < http://www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,95223,00.asp >

10. "Demand warms for self-heating cans"
   < http://www.msnbc.com/news/743898.asp?0bl=-0 >

11. "Robot built to open beer bottles"
   < http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0424beerrobot24-ON.html >

B!?

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