The Vera Brown Experience

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290669330/censorship-in-china.html

A creative new advertising campaign from journalist advocacy organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), aimed at various regimes hostile to press freedom, including China. Click for larger size to see the detail that makes this such a compelling design. (thanks, Oxblood!)

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NoFactZone/~3/290658419/

http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=3710

Props to Broadcasting & Cable’s John Eggerton for noticing the reference to The Colbert Report in John Edwards’ endorsement of Barack Obama earlier this evening.

From Broadcasting & Cable:

Edwards Endorses Obama, Even Without Jet Ski
May 14, 2008

The power of the Colbert Nation was on display at the Michigan announcement by John Edwards that he was endorsing Barack Obama.

Last week it was an astronaut sporting a Colbert Nation wrist bracelet, today it was center stage at one of the most important endorsements for either presidential candidate.

Almost the first words out of the former presidential candidate’s mouth were a reference to Edwards’ appearance on The Colbert Report last month, Comedy Central’s Peabody-winning send-up of cable news punditry.

“You know, I was promised a jet ski,” he told a cheering throng of thousands in Michigan, Barack Obama at his side, “and I haven’t gotten it yet.”

. . .

Read the full article here

Nicely done, Sen. Edwards!

If you’d like to refresh your memory of the hilarious EdWØRDS in question, do enjoy the following, courtesy of Comedy Central: The EdWØRDS — Valued Voter:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NoFactZone/~3/290643532/

http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=3709

Okay, I have to go to bed very soon because of a 7a dentist appointment, but I wanted to leave this post up if you’d like to talk about tonight’s show. Share your thoughts in the comments:

• Yay for another WPTS shoutout!
• Laura Dern: Tall guest or tallest guest?
• Grover Norquist: Pretty serious nailing, yes? no?

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290658580/us-air-force-wants-f.html

Over at the Wired defense technology blog "Danger Room," Noah Shachtman writes:

The Air Force wants a suite of hacker tools, to give it "access" to -- and "full control" of -- any kind of computer there is. And once the info warriors are in, the Air Force wants them to keep tabs on their "adversaries' information infrastructure completely undetected."

The government is growing increasingly interested in waging war online. The Air Force recently put together a "Cyberspace Command," with a charter to rule networks the way its fighter jets rule the skies. The Department of Homeland Security, Darpa, and other agencies are teaming up for a five-year, $30 billion "national cybersecurity iniative." That includes an electronic test range, where federally-funded hackers can test out the latest electronic attacks. "You used to need an army to wage a war," a recent Air Force commercial notes. "Now, all you need is an Internet connection."

On Monday, the Air Force Research Laboratory introduced a two-year, $11 million effort to put together hardware and software tools for "Dominant Cyber Offensive Engagement." "Of interest are any and all techniques to enable user and/or root level access," a request for proposals notes, "to both fixed (PC) or mobile computing platforms...

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/014670.html

20-something dude #1: I saw that fucking movie No Country for Old Men yesterday.
20-something dude #2: Did you like it?
20-something dude #1: It was a low-budget piece of shit. I like quality movies. Like National Treasure - Book of Secrets. That was a great fucking movie!

--4 Train

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290619105/steampunk-in-the-bos-1.html

The 19th century ushered in the era of the amateur: a wild-eyed tinkerer in a lab had the capacity to stumble upon a discovery that just might alter society, a common theme paralleled in Victorian and Gothic fiction and, now, in Steampunk. “I find the optimism of Steampunk rather refreshing,” says Rich Nagy, a/k/a Datamancer, a popular Steampunk artisan originally based in New Jersey but now living in California who was represented at the Maker Contraptor’s Lounge. “Steampunk has a way of making technology, which is becoming more transparent and taken for granted every day, seem novel and fun again,” adds Nagy. That much is clear in his finely wrought pieces, like the “Computational Engine” computer casemod and his sophisticated “Steampunk Victorian Laptop,” a Hewlett-Packard ZT1000 laptop with a clockwork-under-glass display that, when it’s closed, looks like an ornate antique music box. It turns on with a clock-winding key. In effect, Steampunk is poised to bring the proletariat craftsman his 21st-century renaissance.

Though Steampunk’s artisanal outputs have stolen much of the mainstream limelight so far, there is a whole other creative side to the scene that has received little attention in comparison. Countless bands have formed, filing their music under the Steampunk genre or citing Victorian fantasy as a muse. One of them, Vernian Process, is the solo project of San Francisco–based Joshua Pfieffer. A true testament to the notion of the ambitious dabbler, Pfieffer has no musical training, and writes songs with the aid of basic audio-production software. “The atmosphere is actually more important to me than writing good hooks, or melodic structure,” he says of his music, which he makes free to download. “I feel that what I do represents the genre as I would like it to sound.”

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290617855/spokane-county-emplo.html

I was out taking pictures this morning of sites of transportation projects to be completed over the next twenty years. One of those projects is to move of the weigh station near Stateline further east along I-90. I stopped at the pretty much deserted weigh station and took a couple pictures, then drove off. About 10 minutes later I received a call on my cell phone from Washington State Patrol asking why I had been taking pictures of the weigh station!

See also:
BB reader: "Two FBI agents just showed up at my door for taking photos in the Port of Los Angeles"
Taking pictures on LA's Red Line violates the "9/11 Law"

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290617857/universal-music-when.html

The case in question involves now-deceased rapper The Notorious B.I.G., whose album Ready to Die incorporated an unlicensed sample of "Singing in the Morning" from the Ohio Players after a Hendrix sample was denied clearance. The sample made its way onto the final album and even onto reissued albums. Bridgeport Music and Westbound Records, which control the rights to the song, sued. A district court ruled in their favor; Bridgeport took the $150,000 maximum in statutory damages, while Westbound sought compensatory and punitive damages. Westbound scored big, earning $366,939 from the jury along with punitive damages of a whopping $3.5 million.

In appealing the ruling, Universal argued that the punitive damages award was "grossly excessive and should be vacated or at least reduced." The reason? It's excessive. The brief quotes a Supreme Court ruling that said, "In practice, few awards exceeding a single-digit ratio between punitive and compensatory damages, to a significant degree, will satisfy due process." Universal pointed out that the award in question was "approximately 10 to 1, far above the line of unconstitutional impropriety."

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/014669.html

20-something woman to friends: I mean they said they'd pay me $20 for it. I would show them one for $20, why not? One boob for $20? I mean, maybe they thought it was a big deal since we were at work.

--N Train Platform, 34th St Station

Overheard by: Regina

[Two young woman crossing the street. One turns to the the other and grabs her breast.]
Grabber girl: Honk!
[Both giggle and cross street into Victoria's Secret.]

--34th & Broadway

Overheard by: Chockita

Female boss to employee in low-cut shirt: Your boobs are awesome. But -I'm just gonna have to do this. [Pulls up employee's neckline.] Because...I just wanna dive in there. Head-first.

--Theater, St Marks Place

Overheard by: fhqwhgads

Professor: So you see, men only like women's boobs because of cleavage.

--Bard High School Early College

Tourist girls: [In unison from the door] Booooobies! [Runs to the big naked lady sculpture and poses to take a picture].

--Columbus Circle

Teen girl to friends: Julia! Put your titties away!

--14th & 6th

Bored, drunken guy in a silent train cart: So does anyone wanna show their titties?


--NJ Transit

Overheard by: Not drunk enough to flash

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290573180/drawings-of-cartoon.html

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290566235/billy-oreilly-meltdo.html

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/014668.html

Conductor: Use all available doors, please. Don't be afraid of open doors.

--6 Train

Overheard by: Jon A.

Man looking at the BDSM exhibit: That's not scary. I have one of those!

--Museum of Sex

Overheard by: Rachel K

Big black man to his big black friends: Yo, and I was totally afraid he'd crush my vagina.

--Starbucks, 9th & 57th

Overheard by: newsyspice

Homeless guy: I don't know why all you people are looking at me scared! This is my game face! Halloween is over!

--G Train

Overheard by: drum

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290523860/video-profile-of-bla.html

If you don’t know Blab, you should. It’s a collection of artists published lovingly in a magazine only once a year and each issue is kicked off with a gallery opening of work from the book. This past issue was launched at the Philip Slein Gallery right here in our own little city of St. Louis. Beauchamp has published several other books as well. You can get them all from Fantagraphic Books.

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/014667.html

Guy to male friend: We believe that the better you look, the more spiritual you are.

--1st St & 5th Ave., Brooklyn

Overheard by: PrairieSquid

Man collecting money for the homeless: Come on guys, I'm way too pretty to be homeless.

--Union Square

Overheard by: Dara

Middle-aged African American male, with a blue NY Giants baseball cap on, and a fur coat: I'm pretty... I'm pretty... I'm pretty

--59th St Subway Station

Overheard by: nickporjr

Bum: Hey pretty! Hey pretty!
[Pretty girl coughs violently and sneezes at the same time.]
Bum: Feel better, pretty.

--6th St & 7th Ave, Park Slope

Middle-aged, Chelsea-fit white guy on iPhone: Well, neither you nor any of your sisters were the beauty that I was...

--21st St & 8th Ave

Overheard by: Sean

Middle-aged man: You know who was good-looking? Stalin, when he was younger. He was so dashing!

--104th & West End

Overheard by: communist!

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ICanHasCheezburger/~3/290473180/

http://icanhascheezburger.com/?p=51114

Hoomane Soseity Saiz: cut along >- - - - -< dotted line

u mite needz sum halp frum docter tinycat.

picture: dunno source, via our lolcat builder. lol caption: (?)

» Recaption This

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290471511/bb-reader-two-fbi-ag.html

I thought this would be in the vein of a lot of the "photography is terrorism" posts that have been on Boing Boing lately.

I'm a professional stock photographer, and just this morning, I was greeted by two FBI antiterrorism agents who wanted to question me regarding shooting in the Port of Los Angeles two weeks ago. When I was down there, a private security guard in a pickup truck chased me out of the area and onto the freeway. After he stopped following me, apparently he filed a report with the FBI.

The agents that showed up at my door were at first intimidating, but after they realized I wasn't a threat, we had an interesting conversation about the balance between me doing my job, and them being required to follow up on leads in their job.

I shot an email to Thomas Hawk earlier, he just made a blog post here.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290471513/charter-isp-will-tra.html

Charter Communications, the fourth-largest cable system in the United States, has started telling its high-speed Internet customers that it is going to keep track of every site they visit on the Web.

...

I suggested to [senior vice president for product management and strategy] Ted Schremp that there are likely to be a fair number of customers who don’t consider having their Internet activities tracked to be an enhancement.

He responded several ways. He said that Charter convened focus groups of customers in two cities and found that most didn’t object when the program was explained to them. (A key aspect of the NebuAd system is that it claims not to record any personally identifiable information about users. Rather, it associates each user’s behavior with 1,000 categories of interest to advertisers.)

He offered his personal view that the system is harmless and well within the norms of the Internet these days. “The mainstream Internet user is hugely aware of the fact that the fundamental economic model on the Internet is advertising,” he said.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290463109/slates-john-levin-on.html

The game's continued pre-eminence is a remarkable feat—it's something akin to living in a universe in which Pong were the most-popular title for PlayStation 3. One reason solitaire endures is its predictability. The gameplay and aesthetic have remained remarkably stable; a visitor from the year 1990 could play the latest Windows version without a glitch, at least if he could figure out how to use the Start menu. It also remains one of the very few computer programs, game or nongame, that old people can predictably navigate. Brad Fregger, the developer of Solitaire Royale, the first commercial solitaire game for the Macintosh and the PC, told me that his 89-year-old mother still calls regularly to brag about her high scores.

The game has also maintained a strong foothold in the modern-day cubicle. Despite the easy availability of other cheap amusements, five minutes of dragging cards around on the screen remains a speedy route to mental health and a mild form of workplace disobedience. (Just don't do it when Mayor Bloomberg is around.) Since solitaire doesn't take up the whole screen, it's easy to click over and play a hand or two when you get tired of data entry, then quickly toggle back over to your database program when your manager happens to walk by. This sort of multitasking, the ability to minimize and hide applications, is the most essential feature of the Windows OS. And solitaire taught us how to use it.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290452795/taking-pictures-on-l.html

Him: Hey! It's against the 9-11 Law to take pictures down here man!

Me: You mean the Patriot Act?

Him: No pictures.

Me: Could you explain? What law do you mean?

Him: You are lawyer?

Me: No.

Him: No pictures. You could be a terrorist. Very strict!

Me: How about I take a picture of you?

Him: F**k you...(I couldn't believe it either)

He then proceeded to huddle in the corner and speak into his radio. Next thing I knew, a booming female voice very loudly announced over the loudspeaker "Attention to the gentleman in the plaid shirt: You are not allowed to take photographs in the Subway. You will be arrested if you continue to take photos and harrass the metro worker."

I was incensed/surprised/embarrassed/horrified/bewildered. People started staring.

Then the voice continued: "The gentleman in the plaid shirt: You must approach the callbox near the escalators and speak to the sheriff." I didn't budge. So she said it again, this time louder...

"Okay" I thought, I'll play along...I went up to the callbox and pushed the button. A new voice this time, this one male, boomed out and said, "Why are you taking photographs sir?"

Me: "What law am I breaking?"

Voice: "You can't take pictures sir, we don't know why you are taking pictures."

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/290448771/poor-word-choice-on.html