Archive for Web finds

Games - NationStates (Online game inspired by Max Barry’s novels)

Max Barry’s game is directly inspired by his novels (Jennifer Government… Company). I’ve already set a nation and played for a few days. It’s not breathtaking, I’m not addicted either, but I love checking how it’s evoluating depending on the choices I made the day before. You’ve got 1 or two choices to make, sometimes the UN will ask for another vote, and that’s it!
In fact, the description of your nation will change daily (If you choose, like me, to have issues and problems to solve raised twice a day) in many humorous ways. And for my own, it’s becoming very funny…

Here’s my nation, The People’s Republic of Nonsensevitch (”Don’t panic!” is our Moto). Go read the main page, describing my nation and how it’s so “special”. I’m now eager to read his books, as ruling my little land is very entertaining. It’s getting addictive !

The People’s Republic of Nonsensevitch is a small, safe nation, remarkable for its absence of drug laws. […] (err.. I do not remember voting for that) Education and welfare spending are on the rise, political parties are banned from advertising and receiving private donations, cars are banned, and all recreational drugs are legal. Crime is well under control. Nonsensevitch’s national animal is the pangolin, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the holy octopussy.

Note that there’s also a large amount of people role playing the relationships between their nations, solving conflicts and so on, on NationStates’ numerous forums.

Drop me a line inside the game about your nation if you have one and would like to share ideas (I’m looking into creating a new region for fun too).

Max Barry’s NationStates main site

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WWW - "Google Removes Its Help Entry on Censorship"

This site explores the results of various search queries on google.com and google.cn.
Of course, depending on the subject, you can expect a gigantic gap (take the google image results for “Tienanmen Square” for example, at the bottom of the page).

Asking if it’s better to enable a bit of information with China instead of breaking communications is delicate. But I’d guess Google isn’t challenging its ideology at all on this one. After all, this is a huge company now, nothing else, even if its image tend to say it’s close to us.

It’s time to find alternatives to Google’s mighty power when it comes to searching the internet. I’ve been way too lazy and confident about that. “How to do free yourself” has already been asked on MetaFilter… About getting rid of Google search and GoogleAds. Have a look. :)

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WWW - roadrage + messengers = bad mix

Woa! I often react in disgust when riding my bike and witnessing some motorist’s behaviour, and these pictures (taken in Toronto) are amazing. How can’t you sympathize with the female courier!

More pics and lots of comments here .

Here’s the story from the comments on the original site :
i did not see the beginning of this, but the report goes as follows: motorist throws food out of window. courier, disliking littering, picks up food and throws food back in car. motorist dumps coffee on courier. courier scratches car with key. road rage ensues.

the courier is female. i ‘got away’ with taking pics by just doing it openly. nobody noticed me because the focus is obviously on the altercation at hand.

i followed the motorist back to his car to photograph his license plate number. he proceeded to open his trunk, take out a baseball bat, and charge me. i walked away, and was one of only two witnesses to stay at the scene and give a statement to police.


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WWW - Private warriors (in Iraq) - Frontline / PBS

You’ll find there 4 videos (around 10-12′ each) avalaible for streaming. The commentaries are quite cautious & neutral, and the whole documentary is insightfull.

In “Private Warriors,” FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith travels throughout Kuwait and Iraq to give viewers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at companies like Kellogg, Brown & Root, a Halliburton subsidiary, and its civilian army. KBR has 50,000 employees in Iraq and Kuwait that run U.S. military supply lines and operate U.S. military bases. KBR is also the largest contractor in Iraq, providing the Army with $11.84 billion dollars in services since 2002. […]

Read the extended here

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WWW - Opinionista just got out of her own closet. Cheers.

Great news! Opinionista, as she stated in one of her last message, has just launched her new site (Wordpress - Opinionistas.com), resigned from her law firm and told the world her real name (I let you discover it by yourself). At last, I guess it’s a damn’ relief.
I feel happy for her and wish her best luck for her oncoming novel.

Hello everyone, welcome to the new site. If you’re having trouble navigating it, we’re still working out a few technical quirks. New posts, pictures etc. will be forthcoming - I’m still in the process of overcoming my technological incompetence and trying to figure out how this whole Wordpress thing works. […]
(read the extended here)

Beware though, the new site is still a bit messy. By following the archive links, you may quickly find your way while waiting for the promised improvements. Concerning the rss feeds, they updated automatically like a charm.

NB: Sorry for the easy “out-of-the-closet” title. I’m actually pretending I can articulate something in english, but I’m only french like hell.


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WWW - The Best of Google Video

There are certainly a lot more still outside this page, but it’s a nice wrap-up of many of the most classical videos you’ve certainly already seen over the years. best of Google may sound a bit pretentious though.
Among my favourites are : the japanese customs explained to the confused, the guy with the elbow stuck on the intercom, the explosive whale, Terry Tate office linebacker, and the old lady triggering the guy’s airbag (Hoax for me, but I laughed hard, the first time I saw it)… Have fun

By the way, all the merit belongs to the guy who put them together.
The Best of Google Video

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WWW - The only debate on Intelligent Design that is worthy of its subject

I love this guy! :)

The only debate on Intelligent Design that is worthy of its subject

Here’s a short piece, if you haven’t yet clicked the link above.

Moderator: We’re here today to debate the hot new topic, evolution versus Intelligent Des—
(Scientist pulls out baseball bat.)
Moderator: Hey, what are you doing?
(Scientist breaks Intelligent Design advocate’s kneecap.)
Intelligent Design advocate: YEAAARRRRGGGHHHH! YOU BROKE MY KNEECAP!
Scientist: Perhaps it only appears that I broke your kneecap. Certainly, all the evidence points to the hypothesis I broke your kneecap.[…]

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WWW - Nicholas Felton 2005 annual report

Nicholas Feltron is a graphic designer who’s simply telling you with a few sheets what was his last year and how he spent it (days overseas, miles on plane, best readings, etc…).
Neat idea ideed! And now, ladies en gentleman, I’m struggling with my new guy-in-vacation apathy to do my own report and copy the concept for my own good. ;)

Nicholas Felton 2005 annual report


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WWW - Grande Reportagem “Flags” campaign

Grande Reportagem is a Portuguese news magazine that is recognised for its investigative reports and excellent photo-journalism. [… ]This led the creative team to the concept “Meet the world” and to the idea of using flags of different nations as vehicles to transmit it. In each case, the colours that appear on various national flags were used to symbolise a social or political issue that is specific to the country in question.

Grande Reportagem “Flags” campaign (Programmerstools).

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WWW - Atomic Bomb detonation by Harold Edgerton

Here are incredible pictures of an atomic explosion, taken at 1.000.000.000th of a second credited to Harold Edgerton (Wikipedia too). Unfortunnately, the site hosting the pictures doesn’t seem to have many working links (original site here : nevadasurveyor)
Quote from the site: Automatic Camera situated 7 miles from blast with 10 foot lens. Shutter speed equaled 1/1000,000,000 of-a-second exposure

You’ll find the original pictures (bigger size) in extended here.

Read the rest of this entry »

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