12.27.2005

Nerds in the Hood, Stars on the Web, from The New York Times. The video.

Gen the Genius, from the Yarn Harlot, featuring the greatest fan sweater of all time.

12.23.2005

Happy Hanukkah!, from You Knit What?? "Just because you're Jewish doesn't mean you're safe from the tacky holiday sweater."

12.22.2005

12.16.2005

Novak Leaving CNN to Join Fox News, from The New York Times. Surprise, surprise.

Christmas miracle: Turtle gets braces, from The Boston Globe.

Cool fixed gear, courtesy of Kevin.

Funny cycling-themed mobile phone ad from Europe, courtesy of FenderGal.

12.14.2005

12.13.2005

Inquiry Details Claims of C.I.A. Prisons in Europe, from The New York Times.

Children Learn by Monkey See, Monkey Do. Chimps Don't, from The New York Times.

It's Sensitive. Really, from The New York Times. Fascinating article about narwhals.

When Clothes Help Make the War, from The New York Times.

Environment and Cancer: The Links Are Elusive, from The New York Times.

Team GB miss out on pursuit gold, from the BBC, courtesy of Mark A. Features some stunningly pathetic whinging.

12.12.2005

Operation USO Care Package -- click here if you'd like to send one to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed overseas. The cost is $25.

12.06.2005

11.29.2005

Longer needles needed for fatter buttocks, from Yahoo! News, courtesy of Josh.

Item from Engrish.com, courtesy of Josh.

Cyclists team up in sport, life: Salem now home for dynamic duo, from The Boston Globe, courtesy of Robin and Josh.

11.28.2005

Gimme an Rx! Cheerleaders Pep Up Drug Sales, from The New York Times.

Advice for Friends of Cyclocross, from the 20 Jan 1921 issue of Le Miroir Des Sports, courtesy of Brad.

11.21.2005

In the Line of Fire, from The New York Times, courtesy of Rachel.

The Way We Eat: Dream Machine, from The New York Times.

11.17.2005

Kazakhstan threatens "Borat" with court, from Yahoo! News, courtesy of Brad.

11.07.2005

The Delicate Job of Transforming a Geisha, from The New York Times.

'Gulag' leak from CIA men, from the Sunday Times, courtesy of Mark A.

A Wal-Mart-Brand Symposium: Academics and PR Coexist at Conference on Social Impact, from the Washington Post, courtesy of Mark A.

11.02.2005

Is Maureen Dowd Necessary?: The Times op-ed columnist adds nothing to the debate between the sexes, from Slate.

The Word We Love To Hate: Literally, from Slate, courtesy of Alison.

Daily Show: Corddry - Double Vision. "Rob Corddry would love to report on Scooter Libby, but there's a giant ball of tin foil to look at."

11.01.2005

Experts say US is losing war on terror, from Reuters courtesy of Josh.

A New Weapon for Wal-Mart: A War Room, from The New York Times.

On Target, from The Boston Globe Magazine. "So what's the big difference between Target and Wal-Mart? We welcome one to a prime corner of Downtown Crossing but cold-shoulder the other."

Two Koreas to Compete as Single Nation at Olympics, from The New York Times.

On Gravity, Oreos and a Theory of Everything, from The New York Times.

But Will It Stop Cancer?, from The New York Times.

Scientists Link a Prolific Gene Tree to the Manchu Conquerors of China, from The New York Times.

10.27.2005

10.25.2005

10.21.2005

Former Powell Aide Says Bush Policy Is Run by 'Cabal', from the New York Times, courtesy of Rachel.

The Harriet Miers Blog, courtesy of Alison.

10.18.2005

Silent Night? Holy Crap! Tom and Katie's scary Scientology birth plan, from Slate, courtesy of Alison.

Item: Sisters Think Parents Did O.K., from The New York Times, courtesy of Robin and Rachel.

Meet the Life Hackers, from The New York Times, courtesy of Rachel.

Doomsday: The Latest Word if Not the Last, from The New York Times, courtesy of Mark A.

Chewie to Become U.S. Citizen, from Cinescape News, courtesy of Rachel.

Britain's Secret Service Indeed! Spy on It on Its Web site, from The New York Times, courtesy of Brad.

10.04.2005

Miers' Qualifications Are 'Non-Existent', from Human Events (by Pat Buchanan), courtesy of Mark A.

Esquire wikis article on Wikipedia, from News.com, courtesy of Heather.

Treasures Amidst the Trash, from the American Enterprise, courtesy of Heather.

10.03.2005

Abortion Might Outgrow Its Need for Roe v. Wade, from The New York Times.

Reimbursement Program for Troops Stalls, from The New York Times.

A Scholar Tackles the Wash, from The New York Times.

Are McMansions Going Out of Style?, from The New York Times.

Smooth Ride, from the MIT Media Lab, courtesy of Tad. "The colored-on map below represents the bumpiness of the streets of Cambridge."

9.15.2005

Mass. Lawmakers Reject Gay Marriage Ban, from AP, courtesy of Alison.

Everybody Poops, from Wonkette.

Where To Hide From Mother Nature: Wyoming? Nope. West Virginia? Think again, from Slate.

Homeland Security's Lousy Morale: Only the Small Business Administration has unhappier employees, from Slate.

This man almost died because of Bush's FEMA, from the Philadelphia Daily News blog.

An irritating speck?, from Universal Hub. Oh Mitt Romney. Just go home already.

Corruption, from the Interdictor.

Confirmation Report: Oh, the Humanity!, from Slate.

Bi-blog Coverage of the Tennessee State Fair, from Nashville Stitch 'n Bitch. Some of these entries will take your breath away. Creepy dolls, crochet, 9/11 -- need I say more?

9.14.2005

9.13.2005

After the Flood, from This American Life. Definitely worth a listen.

9.08.2005

Meet the F**kers, from the Daily Show (video). Key quote: "Prior to heading FEMA, Brown spent the '90s as the commissioner (this is true) of the International Arabian Horse Association. I guess he stands out in that most Bush appointees are beholden to Arabian people."

"Oblivious, In Denial, Dangerous", from Atrios.

What's My Motivation?: The Department of Homeland Security is doomed to failure without a structural overhaul, from Slate.

An Imperfect Storm: How race shaped Bush's response to Katrina, from Slate. "I don't think Kanye West can support his view that George W. Bush just doesn't care about black people. But it's a demonstrable matter of fact that Bush doesn't care much about black votes. And that, in the end, may amount to the same thing."

FEMA Head Bears the Brunt of Katrina Anger, from AP, courtesy of Mark A. Quote from Trent Lott: "I did threaten to physically beat a couple of people in the last couple of days, figuratively speaking."

Gay marriage up to governor now, from the San Francisco Chronicle, courtesy of Mark A. Mark writes: "A tiny glimmer of good news amid all the incompetence. How I long for the old days of a_i which featured mostly odds and ends from the Globe."

No Relief: Why we shouldn't aid Katrina's victims too much, from Slate. It's an interesting argument, though the author doesn't take into consideration the inconvenience and opportunity cost of being displaced due to a natural disaster.

Summer-House Lit, Part 1: On not owning a vacation home, from Slate.

9.06.2005

Chertoff's Reading Habits, from Wonkette.

The Beautiful Mind Strikes Again, from Daily Kos. Barbara Bush: Things Working Out 'Very Well' for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans, from Editor & Publisher (first heard about this from Mark A).

A blog from New Orleans, in the thick of it, from Blue Mass. Group.

FEMA chief: Victims bear some responsibility, from CNN, courtesy of Mark A.

Frustrated: Fire crews to hand out fliers for FEMA, from The Salt Lake Tribune.

N'Orleans and the 2008 GOP Convention: Laissez bontemps roulez!, from Reason's Hit & Run.

Can FEMA Do Anything Right?, from Daily Kos, courtesy of Josh. "Just take a look at this list of stories."

Time To "Swift Boat" NorthCom Commander, from Daily Kos.

A flood of words, from the Chicago Sun-Times, courtesy of Mark A. "Context is required to understand Kanye West's latest outburst -- criticizing President Bush on national TV during telethon."

The city where the dead are left lying on the streets, from the Independent, courtesy of Mark A.

In Europe, High-Tech Flood Control, With Nature's Help, from The New York Times.

9.02.2005

Department of Homeland Screw-Up: What is the Bush administration doing?, from Slate.

Government Saw Flood Risk but Not Levee Failure, from The New York Times.

From Margins of Society to Center of the Tragedy, from The New York Times.

Katrina's response hits first hurdle, from the BBC.

Local Officials Criticize Federal Government Over Response, from The New York Times.

Flushing out the ugly truth, from Salon (watch ad for free site pass). "The horror in New Orleans has exposed the nation's dirty secrets of race and poverty. Americans are ready to help. Will our leaders show the way?"

Remain silent!, from Salon (watch ad for free site pass). "As they've done after every crisis, right-wingers are insisting that to question the Bush administration is unpatriotic. But no one should be afraid to hold our incompetent leaders to account."

Bush fought funding in Energy Bill for Gulf Coast protection, from Salon (watch ad for free site pass). "The administration strongly opposed the new funding as 'inconsistent with the budget.' "

Anatomy of an unnatural disaster, from Salon (watch ad for free site pass). "With FEMA gutted for Homeland Security and flood projects delayed for lack of funding, the New Orleans nightmare should surprise no one."

A Tragedy By Any Other Name, from Wonkette. "A tipster informs us that down in New Orleans, they have a name for the flood waters that have invaded the city: Lake George. Email attributed by tipster to 'friend at the EPA'..."

Did New Orleans Catastrophe Have to Happen? 'Times-Picayune' Had Repeatedly Raised Federal Spending Issues, from Editor & Publsher.

Budget cuts delayed New Orleans flood control work, from Reuters.

Storm disaster fuels doubts over US terror plans, from Reuters.

Gone With the Water, from National Geographic (October 2004). "The Louisiana bayou, hardest working marsh in America, is in big trouble -- with dire consequences for residents, the nearby city of New Orleans, and seafood lovers everywhere."

FEMA Dir. Mike Brown fired from prior job at Horse Association, from Daily Kos.

Nagin's Nightmare: Full Transcript, from Wonkette.

8.31.2005

American Science, RIP, from Stay Free! The scientist stamps from USPS are parodied as anti-scientist stamps. Hilarious. And sad.

"Mr Housing Bubble" shirts strike chord, draw ire, from The Boston Globe.

I Feel Your Fetus's Pain: Compassionate conservatism enters the womb, from Slate.

"I have not urged my own children to enlist", from the Blue Mass Group.

Governor Landslide, from the Blue Mass Group.

Hitting the ceiling, from Asymmetrical Information. What a Gas! But Hawaii isn't laughing, from the Wall Street Journal.

What -- and Where -- Is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?, from Slate.

8.30.2005

I invaded the White House press corps, from Salon (watch ad for free site pass). "I had front row seats at the media's Great Slave Rebellion over Karl Rove. No wonder our democracy's in trouble."

Scientific Savvy? In U.S., Not Much, from The New York Times.

The Chucks Without the Laces, from Manolo's Shoe Blog. Perhaps the only blog where Chuck Taylor and Jacques Derrida co-exist in the same post.

Both Sides of the Windshield, from Fat Cyclist.

Pricey Therapy : The downside of making postpartum depression sexy, from Slate.

It's a Jerk!: Should men want to watch their wives give birth?, from Slate.

Alive and Kicking: Why no one truly believes in a dead Constitution, from Slate.

Cut It Off: Another disgusting religious practice, from Slate.

Rape Charge Follows Marriage to a 14-Year-Old, from The New York Times.

Mormonism may sour Romney for some in Christian right, from The Boston Globe, courtesy of Alison.

8.29.2005

Gates of Fire, from Michael Yon's blog. From MSNBC.com: "There is actually good reporting coming from Iraq -- check out Michael Yon's blog, for example. And it's possible to get a clearer picture of the strategic picture than most big media accounts provide."

Stuff on My Cat.

Boing Boing's $250,000 Intelligent Design challenge (UPDATED: $1 million), from Boing Boing.

Jim Leftwich's Flying Spaghetti Monster T-shirt at Boing Boing store, from Boing Boing.

Industrial Revolution, from Frazz.

Missed Church? Download It to Your IPod, from The New York Times.

Today's Horoscope: Now Unsure, from The New York Times.

Cutting through search-engine clutter, from the Boston Globe.

Strictly Speaking: Slate readers pull the plug on the living Constitution, from Slate.

Zoo tortoise gets a fiberglass shell-patch after surgery, from Boing Boing.

Scientist Trading Cards, from All Too Flat.

8.19.2005

Pastafarianism: Flying Spaghetti Monster cult grows, from BoingBoing.

The Dread Pirate Bin Laden: How thinking of terrorists as pirates can help win the war on terror, from Legal Affairs.

Ministry of Reshelving puts 1984 in its proper place, from BoingBoing.

What Makes People Gay?, from Boston.com. "The debate has always been that it was either all in the child's upbringing or all in the genes. But what if it's something else?"

The Big Gulp, from Wired. "NASA pisses away millions hauling H2O into orbit. But there's a better way -- recycle astronaut urine. Just one question: How does it taste?"

Mindful of Symbols, from Scientific American. "On the way to learning that one thing can represent another, young children often conflate the real item and its symbol. These errors show how difficult it is to start thinking symbolically."

Group Theory in the Bedroom: An insomniac's guide to the curious mathematics of mattress flipping, from American Scientist.

Lions and Cheetahs and Elephants, Oh My!: Let them run wild. In North America, from Slate.

The Word on the Street: The cumulative genius of Overheard in New York, from Slate.

Thigh the beloved country, from Salon (watch an ad for a free site pass). "Muscle-bound models sporting 'big butts' star in Nike's fall ad campaign. Can this real-women marketing craze be real?"

Kid Karma, from The Sneeze.

8.17.2005

Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory, from The Onion.

Got SUV Guilt? Peace of mind can be yours for $274, from Slate.

Book 'em, from Salon, a humorous essay by Garrison Keillor. "If Ketchikan, Alaska, can have a $223 million bridge, can the nation's English majors score some swanky libraries?"

Consider the Lobster, from Gourmet, courtesy of Jennifer. Love this article.

The hollow man, from Salon. "Bush's inability to feel the pain of others -- highlighted by Cindy Sheehan's peace vigil -- is a stark contrast to the anguish LBJ felt over casualties in Vietnam."

The State of the Debate on the War: Kittenpimps, from Wonkette.

Forget the Call of the Wild: In Montana, the R.V. Set Is Drawn by the Words 'No Taxes', from The New York Times.

Riding Fung Wah? Wear Asbestos, from CarPundit.

Department of awful headlines, from Asymmetrical Information.

8.15.2005

Rove Has Competition, from Wonkette. " 'The people of today's Americas want a politician who can speak their language and speak it badly.' Andy Dick is Harlan McCraney, the man who knows why our children isn't learning." WATCH THIS MOVIE!

When Politics Kills, Grief Becomes Politics, from Cold Fury.

Thou art no Romeo: Famed swan couple is all-female, from Boston.com.

Under Pressure, from The New York Times, about sous vide cooking.

The Other Army, from The New York Times, courtesy of Brad. This is about mercenaries private security companies.

Make all sorts of things, with PVC, from Make.

How to Use Google Maps EZ, from Bluweb.

No More Electric Bills: Well, not quite. But 'zero-energy homes' keep them low, from Newsweek.

One Bag: The Art and Science of Travelling Light.

No More Fighting with the DMV: Custom Car Emblems from youremblem.com Are Great, from Real Tech News.

Teen forced to close fair booth - for Marshmallow shooter!!, from Make.

The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports.

President Bush Sells Pizza in New Zealand, from AdRants, courtesy of Alison.

Pet Tricks -- and an Accidental Career, from NPR.

Reading "Lord of the Flies", from Salon (watch an ad for a free site pass). "Almost 20 years ago, I wrote a paper on William Golding's survival tale -- without reading the book. This summer, I thought I'd see if it was truly as dreadful as I imagined." Speaking as someone who read the book and refused to write the paper: YES.

8.10.2005

Absence makes, from from This Fish Needs A Bicycle.

Soldier's mom digs in near Bush ranch: Senator sees 'echoes of Vietnam' in vigil to meet president, from CNN, courtesy of Mark A.

Mass. auto insurers set to seek a rate cut: Industry proposal could impede Romney plan, from Boston.com, courtesy of Mark A. I have to agree with Romney (even though I dislike him) -- the current system is ''Soviet-style."

Thrill ride: Tom "Pohaku" Stone works to revive the ancient Hawaiian tradition of he`e holua, or lava sledding, from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, courtesy of Rachel.

8.04.2005

Harris Says Newspapers 'Colorized' Photographs, Distorting Her Makeup, from the Tampa Tribune. Katherine Harris's Extreme Makeover, from Wonkette.com.

Moral Maturity: Bill Frist, closet pro-choicer, from Slate.com. But, let's not forget this gem from the Harvard Medical School honors grad:


GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: ...Now, you're a doctor. Do you believe that tears and sweat can transmit HIV?

SENATOR BILL FRIST: I don't know. I can tell you...

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You don't know?

SENATOR BILL FRIST: I can tell you things like, like...

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, wait, let me stop you, you don't know that, you believe that tears and sweat might be able to transmit AIDS?

SENATOR BILL FRIST: Yeah, no, I can tell you that HIV is not very transmissible as an element like, compared to smallpox, compared to the flu.


The Souter Factor: What makes tough conservative justices go soft?, from Slate.com.

The Blogs of War, from Wired.com. "On the 21st-century battlefield, the campfire glow comes from a laptop. It's a real-time window on life behind the lines - and suddenly the Pentagon is on the defensive."

62-year-old woman found guilty of assaulting a federal aviation security staff member, from BoingBoing.net. "She squeezed the breast of the security person after she claims the security person had done the same to her."

Daily Show on Scientology, from BoingBoing.net.

Condoleezza Hairdo Alert System, from Sparkle Pony.

Sushi Lesson: How to eat sushi properly, from Bayosphere (previous parts of the series are available; the series is ongoing).

I'm Glad That Somebody is Thinking About This Stuff, from Instapundit.com.

"They always throw around this term 'the liberal elite.' And I kept thinking to myself about the Christian right: what's more elite than believing that only you will go to heaven?" - Jon Stewart

7.29.2005

Is Housing Too Expensive? Blame the Government: Maybe zoning laws are causing the real-estate bubble, from Slate.com.

Twelve Sequels to Dances With Wolves That, Due to Monetary Constraints, Were Never Produced, from McSweeneys, courtesy of Alison.

Special-Interest Bike Shops, from McSweeneys, courtesy of Alison.

We Can Leave Iraq by 2007: Here's how, from Slate.com.

Nelson-Lodefink Ball clock Phase 1, from Finkbuilt.

Britsh Wit Unappreciated, from Wonkette.com.

Site syndication

I think my site syndication problems may finally be fixed. Here's the feed you should use: http://mingshan1.blogspot.com/atom.xml

7.28.2005

Cat got your keyboard?, from Salon.com (watch ad for free site pass). "A clever new software program will keep Mr. Cuddly's paws off your computer."

How Does the Heat Index Work?: Pretty well, if you're 5-feet-7, from Slate.com, courtesy of Mark A. The Assessment of Sultriness. Part I: A Temperature-Humidity Index Based on Human Physiology and Clothing Science, from the American Meteorological Society, also from Mark A.

Market share, from Boston.com. "Economists have long used their tools to analyze social phenomena. Now sociologists are learning to stop worrying and love -- or at least study -- the market."

Roberts Nickname Contest Results!: What Bush will call his Supreme Court nominee, from Slate.com.

Girls in (Cowboy) Boots: Attitude on the Hoof, from The New York Times.

Futuro Flashback: The Prefab From Another Planet, from The New York Times.

By Data Obsessed, from The New York Times. My favorite part about this article: the photo captioned "Today's cyclist has computer-generated information" features a cyclist using a helmet and aerobars that are at least 10 years old.