interestinger.

I knew there was a reason I bought such a stupidly big TV: it's to watch NBA finals basketball! Thankfully the live broadcasts are here in the morning, so I ate breakfast and watched the action. And it turned out to be a good game in the end. Life is good.


Time to head down the memory hole, before my PC packs it in. There's been a lot happening lately so I want to save this lot for posterity. Of course, there is the actual Memory Hole website, which does a much better job by actually saving the information instead of just linking to it!

That video I posted of the guy going nuts turned out to be a fake. Ah well - it was good as a fantasy - twice!

Aaaargh! My Bloody Valentine are back together! Arrgh! They're coming to Japan and I can't see them! Arrrgh! Aaaarrrrrgh!!

Apparently Bush regrets his legacy as a man who wanted war. He'll have plenty of time to contemplate it from the cell being prepared for him...

If you have any doubts that the US is going to try and stay in Iraq forever (even when McCain's quote is taken in context), then look at the plans to build 38 more bases, the threat to keep (or is that steal?) billions in seized Iraqi foreign reserves, and the corporations making billions. Take in the fact that Cheney has already tried to invade Iran and, oh, Pakistan's military spending is up on those nice grants from the US military.

Also Blackwater is trying to be part of the privatisation of America's intelligence services. This cannot end well.

Here's a collection of the best 'last words' ever uttered. They probably came soon after some of these insults... But try saying them after drinking some of these.

It seems my new theme is stupid hobbies. Add making cartoon characters out of balloons to the list!

It's a clock. (It costs over $1000)

At least you shouldn't have troubles getting a reservation - the biggest restaurant in the world sits just over 6000 people! It's in Damascus though... but that's just another reason to go for me!

While in the Middle East I should pop over to Jordan and see what's left of what's possibly the oldest Christian church ever found. They'll probably find a copy of the Baptist Hymnal among the ruins.

Apparently Kevin Rudd was in Japan this week sometime...

In Australia, some people want English to be made optional as a school subject because it's 'too hard'. Too hard?! Soon we'll become like some other countries where everyone speaks English, but nobody understands each other... ridiculous.

According to a survey, Australian workers are the least likely to take annual leave in the world. Obviously this survey only looked at countries that don't start with the letter 'J'.

Not exactly the best way to find out that rum is good against snakebite - ouch!!

Make sure you wear your nice underwear when travelling - especially in the US.

It's June 13th today. When anyone tells you with absolute certainty the date of the end of the world, would you really take notice? Or would you just back away slowly...

While it's not an affordable reality, some researcher have pushed a Toyota Prius to nearly double it's fuel efficiency through such innovations as bigger and better batteries, as well as sticking solar cells on the roof of the car. While it's a step in the right direction, it is still a car that uses petrol...

The cost of gasoline is forcing some police agencies to spend some of their time patrolling by foot or bicycle, rather than by car. Interesting to see if that helps reduce crime or increase it... at least the police officers will be fitter! One interesting development is that the US government has approved $15 billion for Amtrak, but Bush is going to try to veto it. He really needs to rejoin reality.

In one of the most unfortunate double entendres in recent memory, authorities in LA are using 400,000 black balls to stop people getting cancer from drinking water.

So eat that Peking Duck already! The red yeast extract that gives it its colour may prevent cancer. Here's another article talking about growing your own food and how it's better for you and the environment... pretty obvious really, but it's not a bad idea. Now all I need is a place that has earth attached...

An interesting read about the state of the rice industry in Japan. The global price of rice is about $1000 per ton, but in Japan it's about $2500. The thing is that with the recent price increases in wheat-based products such as pasta and bread, the stable price of rice is beckoning consumers back to what used to be the Japanese staple food.

Another reason the Japanese birth rate is so low: man can't afford to have a sex life. Yes, because they don't earn enough to pay for sex, but also they're working too long and hard to bother chasing women for friendship either.

Hot on the heels of Japanese people being told to save energy by having a shorter shower, now 'Japanese housewives' are being told to put their husbands smelly laundry in with the rest to cut down on the number of loads - and so save more energy! Come to Japan - the country where the 1950s still lives!

The real-life 'Lost In Translation'; what happens when Hollywood celebrities come to Japan.

In Japan, if the government allows the resumption of beef imports from the US after a mad cow disease scare, people grumble and probably avoid buying it in the supermarket. In South Korea 80,000 people stage a violent protest and the cabinet offers to resign. (That's how you get things done!)

In China, the government have issued the official rules of behaviour for Olympic visitors - in Chinese only. Thanks for that!

Finally in archaeology, they may have actually found some of Burke and Wills' lost equipment. Pretty interesting stuff for Aussies.