Saturday, March 29, 2003

Perfect for a Saturday morning read: the weekly "10 things we didn't know this time last week" column on the BBC News site. On it, you can find such gems as: what the most-paused moment during the Oscar's ceremony was; why Guinness has a white head, but a black body (metaphorically, alas and natch); and why Fenchurch Street station appears on the Monopoly board, even though it's tiddly. And rather small too.

Found another one: The Flying Cow Game! For it is the weekend, after all. Relax... with a cow. Or something (else).

So what does one do at midnight when one is bored, apart from using the impersonal pronoun unnecessarily? One plays SUPER MONKEY BOWLING, of course! Great fun. Any other stupid Flash games to recommend? Send 'em to me, on pain of regret.

Friday, March 28, 2003

It being Friday and all, it's time to have a look at the latest NTK's less geeky content, which I like to call "NTK Lite". Verify that I'm not using their name in vain at www.ntk.net, where you can also read their stories about things like CGI and XML, or something.
First up we have an excellent reproduction of an old anti-piracy advert. I love the art of it, and its retro coolness. Plus, of course, its amateurishness and the cringeworthy attempts to be cool, exacerbated by the passage of time. But those were the good old days, eh? Hmm...
Moving swiftly onwards onto NTK's wonderful expos�s of bloopers and net-ignorance, we have two (proverbial) crackers concerning the War On Iraq (Copyright USA 2003) [which will hereonin be referred to as the WoI], at http://www.ntk.net/2003/03/28/dohppt.jpg and http://www.ntk.net/2003/03/28/dohplan.gif. Fantastic. But we have to make fun of the anti-war lot too, for the sake of balance (and because they're wrong), so how about these Germans offering a download of a list of American companies to boycott, including Microsoft.. in Microsoft Word. Doh.
Other delectable bloopers this week include: the BBC overestimating the danger of a new virus (http://www.ntk.net/2003/03/28/dohvir.gif) and how astronomers study the skies in a rather more low-brow fashion nowadays (http://www.ntk.net/2003/03/28/dohvote.gif).
Something else NTK is good at is finding the weirder things in life (and of course publicising them). For example, how about these products with unfortunate names?: "Splastic" at http://www.finanz-nachrichten.de/nachrichten/artikel-1788522.asp (amongst other hilarities), and the (in my opinion, superior, at least in ability to cause mirth) "Spazz", at http://www.sportaid.com/page16.htm. Or what about this extreme attempt to win an "employee of the year" award? Or even this highly interesting, and pertinent, webcam, or America's (lack of) attempts to show that the WoI isn't religious in nature?
But special mention must go to www.boogle.com, an improvement over Google, the (till-now) best search engine on the net. How is it better? Go to it and find out, natch. I'll wait... Welcome back! Genius, isn't it?
I think that's enough for now. Toodles.

I seem to have a messageboard now. Go to it and write whatever you like. As long as it's legal, and more importantly, won't get me kicked out of Oxford. The University thereof, at any rate. You can give your opinions about the website, the world, the photos, the war, the peace, the university, the town, or food. Or anything else. So go on.. Check it out. Where else are you going to find a genuine gfreeman.co.uk-branded messageboard? Nowhere, that's where. Nuff said.

Actually, I've just received a choice site from Peter, so I'll put that up here too. It's a superb, if old, satire of GWBush's infamous "axis of evil" speech. Curiously topical, due to current events... Like what?, I (mis)hear you ask. Well, like the Oscars, or JK Rowling having a baby. That kind of thing. I think.

At this late hour of the night, (or very early hour of the morning), I simply have to recommend "What is Copyright Protection?" for your delectation. It's lawyerism gone mad. A choice quote (and I'm even more tempted than usual to quote from this guy) is "If you have further questions regarding copyrights please ... retain your own lawyer". Nice. An even better one is: "None of this information may be duplicated verbatim on another web site, even for educational purposes. None of it, even if I am credited. I will find it eventually, and publishing it without my permission is a violation of my own copyright, which defeats the purpose of this page. Like this text? Link to it. Don't steal it." Oops. Sue me. Mwahahaha.
And I'm supposed to be a capitalist.

Thursday, March 27, 2003

The link on the left (your left, not the computer's left, unless the computer is facing away from you, which it's not) to "Movies" now works. Thank you to Louis and Peter for pointing out the fact it didn't. What would I do without you guys? Apart from possibly spending my time on more important matters. Anyway, go watch Louis drink 'Houmous water'. Electronically, natch.

In what is very likely to be the first of an ongoing series, I present to you the latest edition of the New Scientist Feedback. Containing weird and wonderful (and sometimes downright ugly, though it doesn't alliterate) stories, not all of them from the world of science, it's a must-read. Plus, it has a story concerning Oxford University. What more could you ask for?! Eh??

Monday, March 24, 2003

Now for better or worse, I've been in favour of a war against Iraq longer than most of you have been alive (Might Not Be True). Still, I enjoy good satire as much as the next sentient primate, and so can heartily recommend this fantastic video of Bush and Blair singing "Endless Love" in the roles of, respectively, Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. Worth forwarding to everyone you know. In fact, probably worth spamming it (or maybe not).
Another link that is exceedingly good (though alas not a cake) is this very clever "20 questions" style quiz, with the added twist that it can only recognise dictators and (American -- thank you for pointing this out Peter) sitcom characters. Go on: you've got a minute to spare. Click on the link. Then sign my guestbook. Then email me. Go on, go on, go on.

I think I've managed to include links to the all the lovely pictures, (one) movie, and guestbook that I've painstakingly put up. Tell me if I'm very much mistaken, by the ultra-hi-tech methods of email writing or guestbook signing. Or just talk to me if you know me.

Consider this current state temporary. But trust me, I've finished the hard part. All the content I've promised (pictures, films, links and guestbooks) will be up here in the next couple of days. Nonethless, I hereby declare the New Age of gfreeman.co.uk, OPEN!

Copy, over. [Prolonged crackle].. This is one, small, step for me, but.. [more crackling].. It's one giant step, for mathematicians. Thank you. No, thank YOU.

[crackle, crackle] Freeman, we read you, over.

I think we have a weblog. Testing, testing.... Houston, do you copy, over?