awesome duuuuuuude

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In August of 2001, I was p***ed-off enough about the “red light cameras” in Greensboro that I decided to do something about it. So I did some designin’ in Photoshop, took it to a Kinko’s and had it printed up huge and laminated, and for five hours in the hot sun stood next to one robosentinel that had particularly bothered me while holding a sign that read “SMILE: YOU’RE ON KOMRADE KAMERA!” Hee-hee-hee… got lots of supporters who honked in agreement as they drove past on Battleground Avenue.

So I think this next item is bigtime groovy…

Four people dressed as Santa Claus went around Tempe, Arizona a few days ago and put gift-wrapped boxes over three speed and red light cameras around the city. And for good measure they posted the video of their rebellion on YouTube…

It cannot be said enough: America is not her government. America is ...

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It’s not likely that anyone will clone-up a velociraptor, but the Associated Press reports about the growing trend of “do it yourself genetic engineering” that a lot of people are experimenting with in the spare rooms and garages of their homes. Using equipment found on Craigslist and eBay, these burgeoning biotechnologists are involved with everything from working on melamine-sensitive bacteria, to implementing squid genes for phosphorescence to create glow-in-the-dark tattoos. Some say that these folks could eventually hit on a cure for cancer. Others are afraid that they’ll cook up something like “Captain Trips” a’la The Stand.

Hey, this blog has already reported on folks experimenting with their own nuclear reactors. Gene splicing was the obvious next step, yah? 🙂...

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Slashdot has a humorous story about high school students in Maryland who have targeted those “speed cameras” there for clever abuse. The kids are finding people they don’t like – such as their most-hated teachers – and using laser printers and glossy paper to create high-quality copies of their prey’s license plates. Then they scram past the cameras at excess speed with the bogus plates on their cars and make the teachers or whoever get slapped with a $40 fine a few days later! From all appearances there is no oversight or investigation: the fines get sent out automatically.

We should start doing this with the cars of a lot of busybody politicians and bureaucrats. What say ye?...

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Shades of Michael Crichton’s Timeline, or television’s Lost: archaeologists are stumped at the discovery of a Swiss watch within a Chinese tomb that was sealed more than four hundred years ago. While excavating the Ming-era tomb in southern China, researchers heard a metallic object hit the floor. When they picked it up they discovered, encrusted with the detritus of time, a tiny watch stopped at 10:06 and with the word “Swiss” engraved on the back.

Four hundred years ago there were no watches. And Switzerland didn’t even exist as the country as we know it today. The watch itself is thought to be around one hundred years old.

The archaeologists have stopped with the dig until experts from Beijing can arrive to help unravel the anachronistic riddle....

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I found this at the Kotaku website. Its creators have dubbed it the “Firearm Mounted Anti-Zombie Device”. But fans of Gears of War will readily recognize it as a primitive version of the Lancer assault rifle, complete with chainsaw bayonet.

As you can see from this video, both the gun and the chainsaw work fine.

Click here for more pictures and videos of this thing in action.

This blog occasionally gets visitors from the United States House of Representatives and the Senate (I know ‘cuz of the meter logs). Wonder how soon it’ll be before some elected official with too much time on his/her hands sees this photo, and introduces legislation banning chainsaw modifications…

(And I wonder how soon it’ll be before my Dad sees this and begins conjuring one up in his workshop.)...

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Yet another entry for the “Things We Don’t Really Need But Are Lusting For Badly” file…

For $295, you can pre-order the Rorschach Grappling Gun and Mask Prop Replica Set from the movie version of Watchmen. This thing is scheduled to be released on February 25th, 2009: just in time to have the mask ready to wear for Watchmen‘s release on March 6th! Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the grappling gun is permanently attached to the base (and notice that both are adorned with Rorschach’s symbol). Also unfortunately, the “ink blot” on the mask does not seem capable of changing shape… but as soon as real fabric can be made with heat and pressure-sensitive viscous fluids sandwiched between layers of latex, that lil’ feature will no doubt come to market 😛...

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As of tonight, this man has no more excuse for not updating his blog.

Back in May I wrote about my quarter-century long friendship with Chad Austin. Two friends see a lot of things in that time. Lots of good times, and bad. You can’t avoid the heartbreak… but then there are the moments when you get to rejoice, too. Those rich, beautiful slivers of time that make you glad to be alive and remind you that there is a God who rewards virtue and patience.

Chad Austin is one of the most virtuous people that I have ever known. He has also been one of the most patient. He’s always known what it means for him to be happy, and I always knew that he would never settle for second best.

Tonight, he’s been rewarded in spades.

As not only his friend but also a brother, it is ...

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Here’s one for the “Things We Don’t Really Need But Are Lusting For Badly” file…

The Amazon.com exclusive Gears of War 2 Lancer. Full-sized replica of the workhorse weapon used by Marcus Fenix and the Delta Squad, right down to the bloodied chainsaw bayonet. Squeeze the trigger to activate the chainsaw sound effects and vibrating action. It also features a removable clip.

Retail price: $139.99 and that isn’t stopping it from currently being the #1 video game item at Amazon.

Think I’ll just get the game instead 🙂...

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BBC News has an uplifting story about Dr. Malcolm Coulthard, a British kidney specialist. A few years ago he was given a patient: a baby girl who was born with a life-threatening condition that demanded dialysis treatment. Unfortunately the normal dialysis machines were way too big to be used on someone with such small weight.

So Dr. Coulthard built a dialysis machine that would do the job, using scrounged-up parts and literally working out of his garage.

Hit the link above for the rest of this neat story. Although as at least one smart-alec has remarked on Slashdot, unless Coulthard used chewing gum he’s still got nothing on MacGyver 😛...

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As clever as Erwin Rommel was, I can’t remember him ever pulling off what Will Foster of Flint, Michigan has done: build a working Panzer tank (albeit one-half sized) from scratch…

The Kettering University engineering student’s mini-Panzer can go up to 20 miles per hour with its three-cylinder diesel engine, is quite maneuverable and the turret can rotate 360 degrees to fire empty Red Bull cans from its air-compressed cannon powered by a SCUBA tank. Foster said that he built the tank to use in paintball competitions, after seeing some people drive “tanks” that were really golf carts.

Aim your targeting reticle here to read more about Foster’s creation. And here’s a YouTube video of the tank in action…

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