By Xeni Jardin at 9:42 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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The Space Show --an online talk radio program about space commerce, tourism, R&D, and the like -- will broadcast the Space Ship One launch from the Mojave Airport this Monday morning, June 21 at 6:00 a.m Pacific time.
Host David Livingston says, "
Listen to the live webcast here. An additional streaming site has been provided Space Show listeners by Jeff Birk at Pioneer Radio in the UK, here. After the live broadcast, the report will be archived TheSpaceShow.com, and it will be streamed for ongoing play at Live365.com."
Previous SpaceShipOne-related BoingBoing post: Link
By Cory Doctorow at 7:56 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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This site has a great collection of free TT typefaces inspired by media from Gilligan's Island and Buffy. I love the videogame dingbats.
Link
(
Thanks, brecht!)
Update: EvilHippy points out that this site has even more media-themed typefaces
By David Pescovitz at 4:11 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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The June issue of Smithsonian magazine features a profile of
Ricky Jay, magician, author, and collector of odd antiquities. I'm fascinated not only by Jay's unparalleled talent as a prestidigitator, but also his insatiable curiosity for the wonderful, obscure, and strange--from the freaks and fringe-dwellers featured in his newsletter/book
Jay's Journal of Anomalies to his comprehensive knowledge of old-time grifts and scams. From the Smithsonian article:
“The idea of crime based on wit is kind of wonderful,” Jay told me. “There’s not much admirable in a guy who comes at you with a gun and says, ‘Give me your money.’ But a guy who makes you sign a piece of paper, and then you find out you’ve bought the Brooklyn Bridge—the con is enormously appealing. And it’s theatrical. The con—the big con, especially—is an entire theatrical orchestration for an audience of one. It’s both lovely and diabolical at the same time.”
Link
By Mark Frauenfelder at 3:51 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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Scott sez: "Next Friday, June 25th, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 opens in a reported 417 theaters across the United States and Canada. An amazing feat given the fact that just a few weeks ago filmmaker Michael Moore was still trying to figure out who would distribute his latest documentary, despite winning Cannes film festival's prestigious Palme d'Or. Various conservative organizations (including "Move America Forward" and the RNC) have launched a preemptive attacks against the movie and are urging movie theaters to drop the anti-American film from their movie lineup."
Link
See pics from the NYC premiere here
Support the film by buying advance tickets here
You can find scenes from the movie here
Watch the trailer here
By Cory Doctorow at 3:29 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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Here's an excerpt of a speech given by the singer from Sister Machinegun at a recent gig at Jamie Zawinski's DNA Lounge. It speaks for itself:
Anyways, everything we've played in this set up to this juncture, this crossroads, this... interlude... is released on Positron Records, which we own and operate, the representative of which [at the merch booth] will be happy to supply you with a fix in that regard, for a modest fee which will go toward letting us sleep in a hotel room instead of the van...
Everything after that juncture (that interlude) is released on Wax Trax Records. which means it's owned by -- actually it's not owned by TVT Records, it's owned by Credit Suisse. so technically speaking, the first four Sister Machine Gun albums are released on Credit Suisse, a Swiss bank, which is kind of cool when you think about it.
The point being, I don't get fuckin' paid for that shit, not a dime, not a single red cent. So you can go ahead and go home, and -- hey, you can download it right the fuck here, they got WiFi. Just get up on Morpheus or some fuckin' thing and get that shit for free.
Link
(
via Oblomovka)
By David Pescovitz at 3:18 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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Researchers at University College London are using genetic algorithms to evolve the best tunings for race cars. From New Scientist:
"Genetic algorithms mimic the principles of evolution to breed solutions to a problem. A population of potential solutions is tested for fitness and the best are cross-bred and mutated. The unfit members of the next generation are weeded out, simulating natural selection, leaving the fittest solutions to go on to breed."
Interestingly, the researchers tested their work virtually through repeated games of Formula One Challenge videogame.
Link
By Cory Doctorow at 2:47 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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Woohoo! Jason Kottke has recorded himself reading my Microsoft DRM talk and dedicated the result to the public domain. I'm unbelievably flattered by the result, a
36.4MB MP3, and it was great to listen to him read it. Now I'm just waiting for the mashup mix.
Link
(
Thanks, Jason!)
By David Pescovitz at 1:54 pm Saturday, Jun 19
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BB reader Katrus informs us that the "Choppa Style" hair-do I
posted previously is a "signature creation of Detroit hairstylist Mr. Little - and yes, the blades do spin." The information comes from Detroit Metro Times article about Hair Wars, a "three-hours-plus extravaganza of blooming, towering, blinking, spinning, smoking, cartoon-like hair creations" where Mr. Little and his rivals show off surreal sculptures like the spider style (left) and other fantastical coiffeurs:
"A model in a kimono has two dragons, sculpted out of braids, perched atop her head. When she reaches the end of the stage, billows of smoke emit from the dragons’ mouths, and the audience oohs and aahs. Backstage, Mz. Jade reveals the secret: inside each dragon is a bottle of aerosol sheen spray, rigged by remote so a press of a button triggers the spray. Under the bright lights the mist looks like smoke."
Link (Thanks,
Katrus!)
