29.12.06

My iPod Podcast Roundup

The Naked Scientist - British science show, quirky and always amusing. Bonus points for the super-sexy (nerd girls are totally hot) co-host Kat.

12 Byzantine Rulers: The History of the Byzantine Empire - A history lecture series that recounts the formation through dissolution of the Byzantine Empire through it's key emperors (and empresses).

Archaeology Channel - short sweet updates on what has been discovered around the world.

Background Briefing - From the ABC (Australia) comes this political science program. Occasionally too heavy on the Ausie perspective, it nevertheless is one of the best Poli-sci programs out there.

Big Ideas - Canadian lecture series featuring lots of familiar voices (Roger Gibbons my ex-prof at UofC for one), on a wide variety of topics in international and national affairs.

Carnegie Council - Similar to the Big Ideas program (see above) except American.

Cato Institute Event Podcast - Libertarian and conservative perspectives (and occasionally a Liberal viewpoint) on international and American affairs.

CBC Radio 3 - Best music show period. All Canadian.

CBC Radio: Quirks & Quarks. Best science show period. All Canadian.

CBC Radio: The Best of Ideas - Best poli-sci show period. All Canadian.

Digital Debates (Constitution Centre) - heavy lifting intellectuals lecture on a variety of topics and their relation to the American constitution. Special interest to judicial theory, and the politicization of the SCOTUS.

EconTalk (at Econlib.org) - Economics in theory and practice with heavy emphasis on Hayek and Friedman (sorry Doug).

Escape Pod - Science fiction and science fact program. Often irritating but occasionally excellent.

In Our Time - BBC history lecture series. Recent episodes included a panel of historians discussing the impact to European history from the siege and fall of Constantinople.

Jay Ingram's Theatre of the Mind - If you have an interest in epistemology, neuroscience, or just like Jay Ingram, this is the program for you. Terrific theme song too, 'I can't control my brain'.

Mother Jones Radio - American lefty-progressive news source.

NHL Insider Bob McKenzie - Hockey, hockey, hockey...

Ockham's Razor - ABC's version of CBC's 'Ideas'. Always awesome.

Old Time Radio Sci-fi (I select mostly just the Vanishing Point episodes)

P9 Ambient Electronic - ambient electronic music.

Penn Radio - Penn Jillette (of 'Penn and Teller' magic fame) takes his caustic comedy to the masses. Interesting for his libertarian take on US politics.

Philosopher's Zone (ABC) - The best podcast of serious philosophical inquiry. A tad too heavy on minor English philosophers, and a little too appeasing of the Cartesians, but where else are the subjects even discussed?

Points of Inquiry - podcast of the CSICOP group (committee for the scientific investigation of the paranormal).

Real Time with Bill Maher - because you can never laugh at Americans too hard. Bill Maher was previously the host of 'Politically Incorrect'.

Science & the City - podcast of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Science Friday: Making Science Radioactive - another science podcast.

Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American - ditto.

Skepiticality: The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - self explanatory.

SpookyCast - a less rigorous but still interesting philosophy podcast.

The Economist - brief (5-10min) updates on issues throughout the world.

The McLaughlin Group (my dose of political theater) - four US conservative/Republicans beat up on the one liberal democrat, who has the gall to be right. Great fun.

The Media Report (ABC) - a review of global media issues, with the occasional lengthy foray into Ausie specific marginalia.

The Science Show - ABC's science show. Top notch.

Ultima Thule Ambient Music - more electronic wallpaper.

University of Bath Public Lecture - A British (non BBC) lecture series that delves into a wide variety of issues.

Variant Frequencies - hard sci-fi with an ongoing cyberpunk serial.

Voices of Tomorrow - modern sci-fi.

Washington Week - Straight up conservative viewpoint on global affairs. What 'The man' watches to get his news of the world.

22.12.06

New Maps of the Galactic Neighbourhood!

Items of note;

Wolf 359 is easily identifiable in the picture (look top leftish). What I didn't know was how many other stars are also named 'Wolf XXX'.

LV-426 (which circles Zeta Reticulii) is sadly, not identifiable.

What's with all the 'Ross XXX' stars? Who let him have all the names? And somebody named 'Groombridge' gets several stars? WTF?




17.12.06

The Godzilla Defense Force


Sign me up!

Steve Nash's pre-game warmup

After the usual extensive manual therapy, Steve Nash is always the last Suns player to take the court on the road for his other ritual - pregame shots. With 52 minutes until pregame introductions, Nash begins the regimen from close range on the left lower block. He lofts soft, high-arching jumpers with lift each time, dropping all 16 as he moves back on each make until he is 15 feet away. He slides right to the other elbow for 79 shots in that area, throwing in juke steps and various moves. He hits 59 of these.

Nash then goes to the top of the key, alternating moves left and right with pull-up jumpers to hit 10 of 12. He then drops back, keeping his pregame focus at the center of the court and makes 25 of 40 three-point shots. As the Suns' pregame meetings near, he makes 15 of 16 free throws and leaves with a layup on each side of the hoop.

In all, Nash makes 77% (127 of 165) of his shots.

"You picked a bad day," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said.

14.12.06

Realism in Dolls attempts a comeback









In an effort to promote a healthier body image in young girls, an alternative to Barbie has hit the market with more realistic features, including pubic hair.

Ok, maybe its just me, but that second doll completely creeps me out.

It reminds me less of a child's toy and more like something you hand a child at the police station followed by 'Show us where the bad touch happened'.

But here's what really gets me, the dolls name is 'Amamanta'. Trying saying that three times fast. Somebody, no names, needs to hire a new marketing director.

Last but not least, a entire generation of women grew up with smooth groined Ken dolls, and yet there doesn't seem to be any lasting social affect from it (it may explain the appeal of 'Hanson' though). So why pick on the freshly brazillianed Barbie?

Top 40 Celebrity Rumours!

Some I had heard of like Richard Gere and the gerbil, some I can believe might be true like Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, and some are just silly and preposterous (Marylin Manson is the grown-up next-door-neighbour-geek from the Wonder Years).

Article provided by the wonderfully perverse people at Nerve.

11.12.06

4.12.06

Toronto Raptors: A-Team