The Rigged-Up Net

Chris has one… Leo has one… I want one too…

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/products/story/0,24330,3522491,00.html

Trillian plugs back into Yahoo, MSN

Cerulean Studios has released new software patches that will allow its popular Trillian client to support MSN and Yahoo’s instant messaging services, according to its co-founder.

http://news.com.com/2100-1012_3-5078708.html

Ok ok… so I didn’t like Trillian before… but with v2.0 they’ve added server-side contact lists for ICQ – so now I’m trying it… it works as advertised… and now I’m pretty stoked about having SecureIM. 🙂

New version of Beatles’ classic ‘Let It Be’ coming

A new version of The Beatles’ album Let It Be will be released in November, the group’s company Apple Corps announced Thursday. Let It Be…Naked strips the 1969 album of Phil Spector’s lavish production effects, returning to Paul McCartney’s original idea for the recording. “This is the noise we made in the studio,” McCartney said of the new version. “It’s exactly as it was in the room. You’re right there now.”

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-09-18-beatles_x.htm

UT business school ranks high in 2004 guide

The MBA program at the University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business is ranked No. 13 in the world in Wednesday’s issue of The Wall Street Journal. The business newspaper will release its third annual study, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the Top Business Schools: 2004, later this week.

http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2003/09/15/daily27.html?jst=b_ln_hl

‘Scarface’ echoes mightily with hip-hop artists

Brian De Palma’s Scarface blasted onto theater screens 20 years ago and made a lot of critics and moviegoers skittish over its brutal violence and lurid drug

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-09-17-scarface_x.htm

Blaine pelted with eggs

David Blaine thought he was ready for anything. The US illusionist suspended in a glass box over London had prepared himself for 44 days of starvation, loneliness and boredom.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/6582930

Hang with RVB this weekend

This weekend RVB will be appearing at the CinemaTexas International Film Festival in beautiful Austin, TX. We’ll be participating in something called “GAMES WITHOUT BORDERS” and will be showing some or all of our episodes (and probably giving a little talk as well). It’s going to be held on the University of Texas campus Saturday at 3pm (well after your Saturday morning cartoons are over), and will be free(my favorite word) to the public.

http://www.redvsblue.com/archives/000123.shtml

‘Miscalculation’ could mean the end of caviar

One of the world’s most valuable fish could be driven to extinction because an international conservation body has miscalculated how many are left in the wild. So claim fisheries scientists who are warning that flawed science is behind a decision this month to allow continued fishing of beluga sturgeon, whose caviar can fetch $3000 a kilogram.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994176

Gotta love the Brits…

http://www.riggedup.net/funny/FinalBird.mpg

(Thanks Mark)

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe

(Thanks Roger and Curtis)

Harvard grads’ next goal: Miss America

Not long ago, a Miss America with a Harvard degree seemed about as likely as a governor with a Mr. Universe title.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-09-16-miss-america_x.htm

Redhat has offically stopped supporting their 6.2 release… which means that there are no more security updates for it… with this new OpenSSH exploit, I needed to find a patched RPM for my 6.2 server which works fine otherwise.

Here they are if you need them:
http://www.riggedup.net/secret/rackspace/rh62/

Paul Froutan was quoted in an Internet security story on BusinessWeek.com. The article mistakenly headquarters Rackspace in San Francisco (rather than San Antonio,) but we’re seeking a correction on this. While we’re just a small part of this particular story, we were able to speak to the BusinessWeek reporter at length about our security practices and he was very impressed by our operations. I believe this will help increase the business-level press coverage for Rackspace in the future. Check out the story!

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2003/tc20030916_6815_tc129.htm

First Look: Casio Xfer Splash Proof TV

Watch your favorite shows while soaking it up in the Jacuzzi.

http://www.techtv.com/freshgear/products/story/0,23008,3524916,00.html

Dude, I totally want one of these… but too expensive… maybe I can hack one up… hmm…

Playboy Seeks Walmart Workers

If you are a female employee at Wal-mart and 18-years or older…..then Playboy wants you!

http://www.msnbc.com/local/KMOL/D-1F927B37-5491-42F8-B3EF-186A51DD3140.asp?0na=x2201232l

China nears first human space flight

A month-long countdown to the launch of China’s first astronaut began on Monday, according to reports

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994169

First human clone embryo ready for implantation

The first human cloned embryo could be implanted into a surrogate mother’s womb before the end of the year, US fertility expert Panayiotis Zavos claimed on Monday.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994168

Insiders blamed for most online movie piracy

Most pirate copies of popular movies circulated online are the result of leaks by industry insiders rather than home or cinema copying, according to US research.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994166

Move over Mao, today’s Chinese revolution is sexual

From the dance clubs that line leafy Fuxing Park to the crowded shopping boulevard of Nanjing Road, young people here are doing some extraordinary things in public.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-09-15-china-sex_x.htm

Krispy Kreme holes up at Wal-Mart

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, the fast-growing chain with cult status for its hot, glazed treats, is looking to expand market share by testing sales in Wal-Marts starting next month.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2003-09-16-krispy_x.htm

Controversial New Policy At North Side Apartment Complex

A north side apartment complex is fed up with drugs, vandalism and crime. So, they’re taking matters into their own hands and are cracking down on criminals. But have they gone too far?

http://www.msnbc.com/local/KMOL/D-30A6FEC1-20A0-4C21-88AC-65362AB95827.asp?0na=x2202110l

Whoah! People are sending in pics of me to the office… these appear to be from the ’02 Gnomedex!

http://blogging.la/jd/galleries/gnomedex_2/display.phtml?img=DSCN2126.jpg

http://blogging.la/jd/galleries/gnomedex_2/display.phtml?img=DSCN2124.jpg

Oh look, there’s one of Dirk!
http://blogging.la/jd/galleries/gnomedex_2/display.phtml?img=DSCN2128.jpg

(Thanks Roger and Jason)

Study: Sleeping Position Reveals Personality Traits

Whether it’s curled up in the fetal position, flat on the stomach or stretched out across the bed, the way people sleep reveals their personality, a British sleep expert said Tuesday.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030916/sc_nm/science_sleep_dc_2

(Thanks Carlie)

Here’s the list of the new traffic laws that came in affect this month… looks like the cell phone one did NOT pass…

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_information/pr081903b.htm

(Thanks Johnny)

Teen brain changes increase cigarette addiction

The brain changes that occur during adolescence may mean teenagers smokers are more likely to become seriously hooked than those who take up the habit as adults, suggests a new rat study.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994163

Electronics & Planes Don’t Mix?


dirtydamo writes “The Sydney Morning Herald is running an interesting story on the old debate on whether electronic devices cause problems on planes. It …

Homemade Silly Putty


kinema writes “Have you ever wanted a ball of Silly Putty as big as your head? Now you can make it at home. The University of Minnesota’s Chemistry Department …

PCs are a marvel of engineering on the inside.

The shell of a garden-variety desktop machine, on the other hand, is as dull as a command prompt. Users longing for a box whose beauty is more than CPU-deep have invented a new form of self-expression: casemodding – altering a PC’s exterior to make it as distinctive as its owner. Think of it as nerd folk art, equal parts Linus Torvalds and Martha Stewart. Modders don’t just dress up stock boxes. They stuff motherboards into gasoline cans, build containers that resemble gingerbread houses, and custom-fabricate phantasmagoric adornments; they combine expert craftsmanship with whimsy, nostalgia, and a Transformers-inspired sensawunda. It’s a mod, mod, mod, mod world.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.10/makeover.html

Blood test tells how much it hurts

A simple blood test could be the first objective measure of how much pain someone is experiencing, the test’s inventor claims

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994151

Beatles group sues Apple over trademark

A representative for Apple Corps, the corporate face of rock icons The Beatles, said Friday that the company has sued Apple Computer over its iTunes service, in a sequel to a previous trademark dispute.

http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5075721.html?tag=fd_top

Little known new law could cost drivers $200

Is any part of your car’s license plate partially covered by a frame or any stickers? If it is, you’re breaking the law, and don’t be too surprised if a state trooper soon pulls you over.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/90903_local_plates.html

I’m really starting to hate SCO… Linus’s letter sums it all up:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/09/10/HNtorvaldssco_1.html

NO KIDDING! is an all-volunteer, non-profit social club for adult couples and singles who, for whatever reason, have never had children. It is not a business. NO KIDDING! is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, business, organization or institution, does not engage in any controversy, and neither endorses nor opposes any cause. We are a social club — nothing more, nothing less.

http://www.nokidding.net/

Article about it here: http://www.msnbc.com/local/KMOL/D-8FCAEB43-80AE-46DD-9E1E-322A3D3A53C1.asp?0na=x2203110g

CDs, DVDs Eyed For Long-Term Archival Use

Alien54 writes “Computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are launching an effort to develop specifications for ‘archival quality’ CD and DVD media that agencies could use to ensure the procurement of sufficiently robust media for their long-term archiving needs (i.e., 50 years and longer). See the press release at the NIST site.” The research involves “…enclosed chambers that use temperature and humidity changes to artificially age the media some 20 years in only six weeks.”

http://slashdot.org/articles/03/09/11/0351214.shtml?tid=137&tid=185&tid=198

Good thing too… we’d lose all our data otherwise.
http://www.riggedup.net/archives/000298.html#000298

FAQ On The Shelf Life Of Food

Let’s face it; nothing lasts forever. Buildings crumble. Shorelines recede. Ecstatically happy Hollywood couples break up. The “Hammer pants” you sported in 1992 are just not cool anymore. And food, well, food rots. This is not news. And yet, surprisingly, many of us have no idea how long to keep certain foods around before we give them a well-needed kick to the curb.

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/105_eating_well.html

Women faster at instant counting

Women are better at instant counting than men, a mass mathematical experiment has revealed.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994154

‘Shock sheet’ squeezes blood to dying brain

A device akin to an inflatable sleeping bag could make the difference between life and death after a heart attack. Called a “shock sheet”, it works by squeezing blood out of the legs, which boosts blood flow to the heart and brain.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994150

Teen fragrance’s titillating PR push could create a stink

The marketers for new teen fragrances FCUK Him and FCUK Her are hoping provocative advertising playing off the company name can stir up controversy and sales for the fragrance now rolling into stores.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2003-09-10-fragrance_x.htm

Flickering images reduce nicotine craving

Looking at simple flickering images, or conjuring up mental pictures, can help stop cigarette cravings, researchers have discovered.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994158