Memorizing Pi

Nerds seem to be mesmerized by the idea of memorizing π to the maximum number of digits possible. Since π is irrational, and therefore infinite, this is inherently an exercise in futility. Nevertheless, thousands of nerds have applied themselves to the task. The current world record holder is Chao Lu of China, who in [...]

Models and Mainframes

Or “Babes and Bits”. Whatever.
Back in the 50’s and 60’s, IBM and other computer companies were fond of promoting their big ol’ computers in association with mini-skirted women (or ‘girls’, as they were called back then). Sex sells, right? For some reason, I now find these photos hilarious. Here are some I’ve found on [...]

Editorial Cartoonist Bob Patton

I love cartoons, comic strips, and comics. Of all these, the editorial cartoon is the only one that is considered ‘respectable’. There’s even a Pulitzer Prize awarded every year for ‘Best Editorial Cartoon‘.
My good friend Bob Patton hasn’t won his yet, but he’s an excellent political cartoonist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen newspaper. They’ve recently [...]

Eccentricities

Over on Merlin Mann’s blog 43 Folders, Merlin asked the world what our eccentricities are or were. This was a fun question. I posted my response (along with about 100 other people). I thought about things I’d done that I haven’t thought about in years. Turns out I really am weird. But that’s okay, because [...]

Where the Hell is Matt?

Every once in awhile, I see something on the Web that just makes me feel good, for no particular reason. See ‘Best Video Ever‘ on this blog for one example. Where the Hell is Matt? is another. It’s just a video of this geek who travels around the world and takes videos of himself dancing [...]

Free Space on the Web

I wonder just how much free space somebody could glom onto if they really tried? I get a few megs with my Mediacom broadband account, and while that’s not exactly ‘free’, it is ‘included’ so I don’t pay extra for it. Better yet, I signed up for all of my extra email accounts there, and [...]

Altoids USB Charger Kit

I just heard from Aaron Dunlap that he has shipped me my USB Charger Kit. This $7.50 kit will let me build a charger that works with my USB-powered Sony Clie, so I can play even more Solitaire and read even more eBooks while waiting in the doctor’s office. Anyway, the whole works will fit [...]

Family Guy to do Web-Only Shows

Fox has announced that they will produce some episodes of Family Guy for exclusive web distribution next year. Fox and some of the other networks just recently made many of their shows available for purchase on the web, most for just $1.99. I think this is the beginning of the long-heralded integration of the Internets [...]

I’m Commenting on Gizmodo

The #1 techie hardware blog on the Web is Gizmodo, with hundreds of thousands of visitors every day. Comments there are by invitation only, and guess who their latest commenter is? Yep. Dunno why, but I have been deemed worthy. Check out the technical goodness (and my comments on same) at http://us.gizmodo.com/.