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1 June, 2003

Welcome First-Time Visitors

If you're reading this, there's an excellent chance that this is your first visit to the J-Walk Blog. Today j-walk.com is experiencing about 10 times its normal traffic -- thanks primarily to yesterday's link from Slashdot on my Nigerian EMail Conference spoof.

It was interesting to read the posts at Slashdot. Many people found it funny, several thought it was a real conference announcement, and some even accused me of being a racist. I guess some people don't understand how comedy works.

In any case, welcome to the blog. If you like what you see, come back again. I post new stuff every day.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Candlelight Rotisserie

Here's a great kitchen accessory for those times when you're really not very hungry. The Candlelight Rotisserie.

This handy device is as easy-to-use as it is brilliant! The Candlelight Rotisserie works exactly like the chicken rotisserie or the shish-kebab rotisserie. There's one major difference, though. It is smaller. Much, much smaller.

This low-tech wonder is powered by a birthday candle and your own hand. You begin by sliding tiny pieces of your favorite foods onto the skewer: cocktail wieners, nibblets, baby carrots, anchovies... You're the chef. Choose what you want!

Posted on 1 June, 2003

When Worst Comes to Worst

On Tuesday, the Detroit Tigers come to San Diego to begin a three game series with the Padres. The worst AL team vs. the worst NL team. This battle for worst of the worst should be an exciting series.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Mystery Runners -- Explained

A few days ago I linked to a web site called Mystery Runners, which featured two runners wearing 118 on their shirts. I also mentioned that I had no idea what it was all about.

Christophe, in an email, cleared it up for me:

The Mystery Runners website is part of one of the great failed ad campaigns of our time. Until recently, to find a phone number [in the UK], you'd call 192, and get through to BT Directory Enquiries. A while ago, British Telecom's monopoly of the Directory Enquiries service was deregulated, and a bunch of new companies are seeking to grab a share of the DE market. They all have to use a 6-figure number that starts with 118, and BT were denied their request for 118 192.

So now for directory enquiries, you can phone 118 118, 118 811, 118 800, and half a dozen more numbers. They all have different price scales and services, and all the different companies have been flooding the UK media with adverts declaring the death of 192, and selling us on how great their version of Directory Enquiries will be. The two guys from Mystery Runners are the basis of an ad campaign for 118 118, possibly run by a company called 'The Big Number.'

Despite many millions having been spent on ad campaigns for the new services only about 20% of people are aware of the switch.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Odd Search Requests

I remain fascinated by some of the search requests people use to find this blog. Here are some of my favorites for last month.

free skits about tooth fairies * curly howard auto accident * statistician sense of humor * tough, scary pitbull dogs for sale * zaza gabor nude * hit the blue duck * menstrual cycle animated gif * nude pics through AOL instant messenger screen names * see through clothes x ray images * 2003 email contacts of prominent ones canada * what happens to a cat brain when he reaches the age 70 * miles davis bobblehead * hamburglar neckties * McCarthyism and fast food restaurants * bunion surgery video download * canned meat urine odor * martha stewart video clip chop lettuce * pictures olive oyl nude * sites from which i can copy nude photos of pamela anderson freely * how does mickey mouse compare with today's hot characters * photos of pizza delivery accidents * what do most guys spend 1 hour and 20 minutes per week doing? * picture of a stained t-shirt * free interspecies sex pics * purchase lsd blotters *

And my favorite:

I need to become anorexic without actually being anorexic

Posted on 1 June, 2003

All about JPEG Compression

An excellent article by Gordon Richardson about JPEG compression. Now that everybody and their grandmother has a digital camera, this topic is more relevant than ever.

(via Muxway)

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Stewardess Uniform Collection

Cliff Muskiet, flight attendant for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has a collection of stewardess uniforms.

Sometime in 1980 I was given my first uniform by one of my mother's friends. I was so excited and I wanted to have more uniforms. In 1982 I heard that two charter airlines were introducing new uniforms. I wasted no time, I called these airlines and as a result I was invited to pick up a set of old uniforms. Between 1982 and 1993 I didn't do much to obtain any more uniforms, something I really regret now as I could have had many many more! Most of my uniforms were obtained between 1993 and today. At the moment my collection contains almost 250 different uniforms from various airlines worldwide.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Ben Franklin's Kite

You've heard the story about Benjamin Franklin flying a kite in a thunderstorm. A new book suggest that that it's not true. It seems that old Ben just made up that story.

North Carolina researcher Tom Tucker first began to suspect the story while working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He examined the original documents describing the experiment and found differing accounts of it by Franklin that were vague about when or where it was performed.

Apparently, this isn't the first time Ben Franklin pulled a stunt like this. The Museum of Hoaxes lists some others.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

His IQ Can't Be Measured

From the Seattle Times: Teen's IQ too high to measure

Before he builds space stations, wins the Nobel Peace Prize and calls the White House home, here are a few facts about 13-year-old Gregory Smith: He loves a good cartoon, riding his bike and playing basketball. He's a bit like any kid.

Except that Greg's IQ is so high it can't be quantified. He travels the globe promoting nonviolence. And he is graduating from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va., cum laude in math.

Hopefully, he'll wise up and realize that becoming president of the U.S. is not really a worthy ambition. Hell, I'd settle for a president who's IQ is simply above average.

What's it like to be a child genius?

He could recite the alphabet at 1. He turned to vegetarianism at 2 after studying dinosaurs and realizing that humans, like herbivores, had flat teeth. At 4, he was doing basic algebra and reading Jules Verne. He deduced the truth about Santa Claus on a library visit that year when it dawned on him that books about St. Nick were filed as fiction.

Here's a link to his web site.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Henry Morgan and the High Grass Boys

I received a new CD on Saturday: "Glory Bound," by Henry Morgan and the High Grass Boys. Despite the name, it's not bluegrass music. And nobody in the band is named Henry Morgan.

The group consists of:

  • Frank Cotolo on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. (At age 12, Frank found himself alone when his parents ran away with the circus.)
  • Kevin Proctor on bass ("How could a guy go wrong with an instrument that has the same name as a fish")
  • Larry Michelich on percussion (Shortly after acquiring a small fortune selling home-based plastic surgery franchises he converted his holdings into real estate and moved to Floyd's Knob, Ohio)

The style of music can best be described as "bobdylanesque." In fact, several of the songs on the CD could appear on a Bob Dylan CD and even the most die-hard Dylan fans probably wouldn't notice. Which is not to say that these guys are just doing a Dylan rip-off act. Not at all. The music is all original, and I think the resemblance to Dylan may even be accidental.

I really like this CD. In fact, one of the songs (Mercy For The Poor) has been floating through my head all weekend. If you'd like a copy, go here and ask for one. No charge!

Frank Cotolo, by the way, also hosts a weekly webcast called the Cotolo Chronicles. I've listened twice. Very entertaining!

Posted on 1 June, 2003

From Hippy To Punk in a Day

Photographic proof that a person can change from a hippy to a punk in a single day.

(via The Presurfer)

Posted on 1 June, 2003

California Coastal Records Project

The California Coastal Records Project is very cool, even if you don't live in California.

Our goal is to create an aerial photographic survey of the California Coast and update it on a periodic basis.

This site has more 12,000 images of the coast. But, apparently, Barbra Streisand doesn't like the fact that her beachfront mansion appears in one of the photos. She's suing the site owner for $50 million (details here).

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Beach Safety Guide

This is a cartoon called Recording Artists Safety Guide to the Beach. Don't click if you're offended by crude language.

(via Jazzcafe's Blog)

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Face Flipper

Face Flipper can be fun. Upload a photo (preferably, a straight-on face shot), then move a vertical ine on the image with your mouse. Click a button, and half of the image is displayed normally, along with a "flipped" image.

Here's one I did of George W. One of the flipped images kind of looks like a young David Letterman.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Cheap and Legal Music

I've talked about EMusic many times, so I won't mention it again. But here are two other sources for inexpensive music that may be of interest.

We are an Internet record label which sells and licenses music by encouraging MP3 file trading and Internet Radio. When you find an artist you like, pay what you can afford to show your support, starting at $5 for an entire online album. Companies can sublicense our music for commercial use with our no haggling, easy online forms.

All money from your purchases is split 50/50 with our artists. No major label connections. We are not evil.

If you are a music fan, this site is your ticket to finding new artists, getting LOTS of new music, and enjoying loads of additional content from zines and other outlets. All for just $1.

Posted on 1 June, 2003

Afri-Can Guitars

I've been playing guitar for a long time, but I've never heard of Afri-Can Guitars.

What happens when you combine 1st world guitar manufacturing technology, with 3rd world guitar building innovation? A 4th world musical instrument that is novel, different and creatively unique. Africans have a unique gift of re-cycling scrap materials into all sorts of extended and innovative uses. The 5 liter Oil Can is no exception, providing the perfect acoustic vessel for Hand Made Guitars.

Yep, these babies are made from oil cans. One of these would make a fine addition to my collection.

The web site doesn't list prices, but Gruhn Guitars has one available for $385.

(via Fiendish is the Word)

Posted on 1 June, 2003