debgeisler | Apr. 2nd, 2008

Apr. 2nd, 2008

...now smells better. 's just amazing how flexible JavaScript is these days.

Oh...and here are the rest of Google's April 1 specials.

From the BBC online this morning,

Attitudes to the United States are improving, an opinion poll carried out for the BBC World Service suggests.

The average percentage of people saying that the US has a positive influence has risen to 35% from 31% a year ago, according to the survey.

Those saying the US has a negative influence fell five percentage points to 47%.

The poll, part of a regular survey of world opinion, interviewed more than 17,000 people in 34 countries.

The survey period was the three months up to the end of January 2008.

The U.S. is behind such traditional nice guys as Russia and China. (Of course, it also figures without China's latest little bit of fun...)

From the BBC online this morning,

Attitudes to the United States are improving, an opinion poll carried out for the BBC World Service suggests.

The average percentage of people saying that the US has a positive influence has risen to 35% from 31% a year ago, according to the survey.

Those saying the US has a negative influence fell five percentage points to 47%.

The poll, part of a regular survey of world opinion, interviewed more than 17,000 people in 34 countries.

The survey period was the three months up to the end of January 2008.

The U.S. is behind such traditional nice guys as Russia and China. (Of course, it also figures without China's latest little bit of fun...)

They say it's all about tradition in the UAE, according to the BBC online:

Ten thousand camels will be fluttering their long eyelashes in a unique international beauty pageant being held in the United Arab Emirates.

The contest in Abu Dhabi is one of the richest and biggest events of its kind, with more than $9m (£4.5m; 5.8m euros) and 100 cars in prizes up for grabs.

The contest will feature camels or "ships of the desert" from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Organisers hope it will remind Emiratis of traditional desert values.

Camel beauty pageant.

Sure.

This would probably seem less goofy to me were it not for my experiences with the incredibly aromatic dromedary residents of the Giza plateau last May.

They say it's all about tradition in the UAE, according to the BBC online:

Ten thousand camels will be fluttering their long eyelashes in a unique international beauty pageant being held in the United Arab Emirates.

The contest in Abu Dhabi is one of the richest and biggest events of its kind, with more than $9m (£4.5m; 5.8m euros) and 100 cars in prizes up for grabs.

The contest will feature camels or "ships of the desert" from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Organisers hope it will remind Emiratis of traditional desert values.

Camel beauty pageant.

Sure.

This would probably seem less goofy to me were it not for my experiences with the incredibly aromatic dromedary residents of the Giza plateau last May.

Astronomers reporting at the UK National Astronomy banquet in Belfast have noted the detection of a gas-and-dust ball they believe is an embryonic planet (only 2000 years old) on its way to becoming a Jupiter-style gas giant.

That's pretty cool stuff. :-)

Over at The Contaminated is a series of photos of sculptures made of Red Bull cans. Cool stuff; cool contest. This one (which should be called the Can CanCan) really tickled my funny bone:

Amazing time-lapse video of how to cope with Opening Day in Cleveland...when weather in the snow belt of northern Ohio is not being cooperative for baseball.

Via Neat-O-Rama.

...that we are maybe possibly headed for a recession:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday conceded for the first time the U.S. economy may slip into recession, but said growth should pick up later this year as interest rate cuts and other emergency steps take root.

Not to worry, though. It'll all better by election time. Which is not true, of course, because it won't be better until January 20. Got that one circled on my calendar, I do.

...that we are maybe possibly headed for a recession:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday conceded for the first time the U.S. economy may slip into recession, but said growth should pick up later this year as interest rate cuts and other emergency steps take root.

Not to worry, though. It'll all better by election time. Which is not true, of course, because it won't be better until January 20. Got that one circled on my calendar, I do.

Business Week offers this "Map of Misery." It illustrates the areas with the biggest impacts from the current economic situation. While New England is hard hit, the worst is much further south and much further west of us.

But, as Business Week reports, "Washington, Wall Street, and ethanol and oil and gas companies want you to think there is, says automotive expert Ed Wallace."

Higher prices are more related to speculation and a weak dollar than they are to lack of supplies (oil reserves are higher now than they've been in 15 years) or increased demand (U.S. oil demand fell 4% last year).

Caffeinated cereal. Only from the minds at ThinkGeek.com. Just $4.99 a box:

Each serving of Cap'n Buzz's Spazztroids will pump your body with vitamins and nutrients (in yummy, crunchy, space shapes) but you'll also get a 180mg dose of caffeine. Spazztroids is the tasty love child of all we hold dear - sweet foods, snazzy names, and caffeine (the divine nectar of the gods). But the greatest gift of Spazztroids is what is left in your bowl when you have eaten every last bit: caffeinated milk!

Caffeinated cereal. Only from the minds at ThinkGeek.com. Just $4.99 a box:

Each serving of Cap'n Buzz's Spazztroids will pump your body with vitamins and nutrients (in yummy, crunchy, space shapes) but you'll also get a 180mg dose of caffeine. Spazztroids is the tasty love child of all we hold dear - sweet foods, snazzy names, and caffeine (the divine nectar of the gods). But the greatest gift of Spazztroids is what is left in your bowl when you have eaten every last bit: caffeinated milk!

WKMG in Orlando reports that Florida's teenagers are just a bit [!!!] under-educated about birth control:

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A recent survey that found some Florida teens believe drinking a cap of bleach will prevent HIV and a shot of Mountain Dew will stop pregnancy has prompted lawmakers to push for an overhaul of sex education in the state.

A shot of Mountain Dew? Hell, all that does is caffeinate you a bit!

Oh, and let's not forget this little gem:

The survey showed that Florida teens also believe that smoking marijuana will prevent a person from getting pregnant.

Why are teens in Florida so unfortunately uneducated? Because Florida believes that "sex education" means "only teaching abstinence." A new law is being introduced, in the wake of this:

It would still require teaching abstinence but students would also learn about condoms and other methods of birth control and disease prevention.

Well, golly gee...how modern! Now, you're all the way up to 1986.

Eve, how do you stand it?

WKMG in Orlando reports that Florida's teenagers are just a bit [!!!] under-educated about birth control:

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A recent survey that found some Florida teens believe drinking a cap of bleach will prevent HIV and a shot of Mountain Dew will stop pregnancy has prompted lawmakers to push for an overhaul of sex education in the state.

A shot of Mountain Dew? Hell, all that does is caffeinate you a bit!

Oh, and let's not forget this little gem:

The survey showed that Florida teens also believe that smoking marijuana will prevent a person from getting pregnant.

Why are teens in Florida so unfortunately uneducated? Because Florida believes that "sex education" means "only teaching abstinence." A new law is being introduced, in the wake of this:

It would still require teaching abstinence but students would also learn about condoms and other methods of birth control and disease prevention.

Well, golly gee...how modern! Now, you're all the way up to 1986.

Eve, how do you stand it?

The Boston Society of Spontaneity strikes again:

I'm so proud of my city. After the event, there was applause...at least some people figured out it was for fun.

The Boston Society of Spontaneity strikes again:

I'm so proud of my city. After the event, there was applause...at least some people figured out it was for fun.

Language Log notes the horror of literate Chicagoans at seeing a statue to their beloved Cub, Ernie Banks, typoed. The inscription was repaired today, with the addition of an apostrophe:

From DarkRoastedBlend's gallery of Legos and Rubik's Cubes:

(And yes, I just made up "NetSet" 'cuz it's this generation's "JetSet.")

From DarkRoastedBlend's gallery of Legos and Rubik's Cubes:

(And yes, I just made up "NetSet" 'cuz it's this generation's "JetSet.")

Well, not exactly. But you can use your cell phone to fight the people who fight crime with a new service designed to warn people about speed traps and other ticket-spewing activities. The service is called Trapster, and according to MSNBC,

NEW YORK - In a modern equivalent of flashing your headlights to warn other motorists of police speed traps, you can now warn fellow drivers with a cell phone or personal digital assistant about speed traps, red-light cameras and other threats to ticket-free driving.

And as you approach a known threat, you'll get an audio alert on your mobile device.

The developer of Trapster, Pete Tenereillo, said the system, which requires punching in a few keys such as "pound-1" to submit information to Trapster's database, should comply with laws banning talking on cell phones.

I'm a speeding hypocrit and freely admit it: go ahead and speed in my town. We need the revenue to keep taxes low. And if you speed on my street, we don't have to go halvesies with the state. (But I do tell my friends that Middleton's a speed trap...)

NEW YORK - In a modern equivalent of flashing your headlights to warn other motorists of police speed traps, you can now warn fellow drivers with a cell phone or personal digital assistant about speed traps, red-light cameras and other threats to ticket-free driving.

And as you approach a known threat, you'll get an audio alert on your mobile device.

The developer of Trapster, Pete Tenereillo, said the system, which requires punching in a few keys such as "pound-1" to submit information to Trapster's database, should comply with laws banning talking on cell phones.

Has to be Project Virgle. In addition to the brilliant bits at Google, there was the Google video from Larry Page and Sergey Brin:

( Tucked back here... )

( And there was Richard Branson's video... )

I dunno...Richard Branson's pretty good scenery to be stuck on Mars with...but I noticed he didn't say he was going.