The Last URL

Which Superhero are You?
I'm Archangel. Note, all the results to this are based on the Marvel superhero universe.
http://www.liquidgeneration.com/quiz/superhero_quiz.asp

Make That 1149
I like watching bloody penguin heads bounce onto land mines. I need help.

Bloody Penguins
My high score is 583, but that took several land mines.
http://c.adorablebunnies.com/UPLOAD/pinguxtreme.swf

Intelligent MIDI Sequencing with Hamster Control
Abstract (the following is written by Levy Lorenzo, see link at the bottom for original source): This project was initially fueled by the desire to explore the MIDI protocol. It was decided that this would be accomplished by building a MIDI device. I also aimed to make something novel that had never been done before. But to balance out the unusual nature of its design, I wanted to also to create something that was very musical.After much consideration of different technical design aspects and contemplating various musical ideas, I was able to arrive at a project that would fulfill all of my musical and engineering goals.An intelligent MIDI sequencer was designed with hamster control. The MIDI sequencer intelligently produced melodies by manipulating the musical elements of rhythm and note-choice. Guided by inputs based on hamster movements, Markov chains were used to perform such beat and note computations. In culmination, 3 simultaneous voices were produced spanning 3 octaves and 3 rhythmic tiers. Each voice was controlled by two hamsters: one that was responsible for adjusting the rhythmic qualities of the melody and another that modified the note sequence. With all of these elements in combination, an output was produced with very musical qualities.All of this was implemented using an Atmel Mega32 microcontroller, distance sensors, a HamsterMIDI Controller, and 6 hamsters. Embedded C programming implemented the algorithms and computations within the sequencer.Overall, this project was successful. The control between the hamsters and the musical intelligence turned out very well. The music sounds as good as I imagined, and I am very satisfied with the outcome of my design experience.

http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/neurobio/land/STUDENTPROJ/2002to2003/lil2/

Which Founding Father are You?
I'm George Washington, which kind of disappoints me since Jefferson was always my favorite.

http://www.io.com/~janis/quiz/quiz1.html

State Quarter Curse
This is a fairly old article I just uncovered about the fates of items commemorated on various state quarters.

http://money.cnn.com/2003/05/15/pf/banking/quarter_curse/index.htm

On the Other Hand, This is Silly and Educational
Random Wisconsin city name generator with pronounciation guide. Literally minutes of fun.

http://www.creepo.net/wicng/

Octo-Dog=Stupid
This thing is stupid.

http://www.octodog.net/

Naval Safety Center: Photos of the Week
These are always good for a laugh. The Navy's fairly goofy attempts at teaching us all to play it safe.

http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/archive/default.htm

Fucking USA
Here's a North Korean music video about the special relationship between the US and North Korea. I particularly liked the Bush/Demon transformation at the beginning.

http://www.robpongi.com/pages/comboFUCKINGUSAHI.html

Secretary of Education Calls Union Terrorists
Education Secretary Paige called the NEA (the nation's largest teacher's union) a terrorist organization today for standing against Bush's 'No Child Left Behind' act.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-23-paige-remarks_x.htm

Rent a Village
Can't find a roomy enough apartment? Need a vacation destination where you can roam around free without running into any other tourists? Then why don't you rent the entirety of Lichtenstein.

http://www.rentastate.com

Vigilante Justice Protects the Common Man in London
Oh, Angle Grider Man, you're my hero.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/6699674?source=Evening%20Standard

SPRING BREAK!
Damn did I need a couple of days worth of doing nothing.

Bush and Blair: Duets
Here's another fun little video, this time of Bush and Blair singing "Endless Love" to each other.

http://montgomery.cas.muohio.edu/meyersde/Humor/+MOVIES/BushBlair.mpe

Jr. High Rap
Yo, check this chunky jr. high kid rapping to his web cam.

http://home.comcast.net/~kiddingo/crispy.wmv

Mike
I'm connected to 1,120,631 through Friendster without Kerry or Edwards. Nader, he's crazy. This is the proof that he's simply an ego maniac. He's going to drop a ton of money just trying to get ballot access and still probably not even be an option in most states. Back to Friendster, did you also notice that they are changing up the format?

Ethical Philosophy
Wow, one of these tests where we're going to see some major deviation. Sartre was number 9 on my list. The top 5 were, Aquinas (100%), Spinoza (88%), Aristotle (72%), Kant (68%), and John Stuart Mill and Stoics (tied at 65%).

NEW GAME
Check out this fun internet simulator...

http://www2.b3ta.com/realistic-internet-simulator/

My high score is 92.

The Real Irony/The Real Victory
Anyone else remember the rumors Monday that the Yankees had made Maddux an offer?

Geek Hierarchy
http://www.brunching.com/geekhierarchy.html

And as Long as I'm Posting
MADDUX! MADDUX! MADDUX! Now we all know that any decent player that leaves the Cubs will only get better with his new team. What we don't know is what happens when said player returns to the Cubs in the Autumn of his career. I never thought I would be able to say this with a straight face, but the Cubs are going to be the dominant pitching force in MLB this year.

We'll Never Learn the Truth with a Price Tag Like This
A video of a close encounter by a man named Sargell18 is on sale on E-Bay with a starting bid of $1.3 million.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2987329514&category=19

Links Commentary
Guy Looking for 1-6 Wives to have 2-15 Children with Him: Sometimes I wish I could be so straightforward about things, come up with a game plan, and just stick with it. Then I see a guy like this and realize it's pretty damn creepy.

Human Organ Charms: Next time I hear someone say lucky rabbit's feet are cruel, I'm going to ask whether or not an orphan penis charm would be a better method by which to channel by supersititious side.

Supersonic Jets: Why not? If I had the money, owning a Mig would be pretty cool. And again, I'm sure if UM still wants to get rid of its nuclear reactors, there's a market for those too, you know, for movies and shit.

Atheism in Britain: Reason number 537 why the American Revolution hurt us in the long run. Still, I'm not going to be satisfied until proponents of Jedi-ism have full representation in Religious Education programs.

I Accept Michael's Quest
Drinking should never be a chore, especially for us habitual drinkers. And now the Ann Arbor bar scene is going the way of the rest of Ann Arbor, homogenized crap. Locally owned businesses with unique personality being conglomorated into faceless, personality-less drudgary. Drinking in our hum-drum town is now for shit. Here's my reaction to Michael's run down of the diminishing bar scene.

Del Rio: I never liked it. It was too cramped (there was no way to get to the pisser without climbing over a half dozen other people, which is a shitty situation for a clausterphobic individual to be in), the service sucked ass (was never as pissed about how long it took me to get my drinks as I was about how long it would take me to get the bill when I decided it was time to move on), and the whole cash only thing meant that the reasponsible member of your drinking crew would end up having to front for everyone else. On the other hand, the food was good and the music was usually above par.

Bab's: I first walked into Bab's the summer of 2002. Since then, I've spent an average of two to three nights a week in there. Last semester I even started studying there. Since they changed management, I've been a rare site there (shit, I've only been there twice this year). The drinks were always good, the staff was friendly, and the rest of the clientele was great. Somehow over night, the bar lost all character (it's amazing just how much effect the removal of candles, some art, and the cigar case can have on the feel of a space and I haven't even mentioned those stupid ass high tables in the back they've got now), the customers went from townies and grad students to professional school folks and undergrads (we gave you South U., you should maintain old traditions and not cross Division you fucks), and the prices went up. Fuck the new management.

Blind Pig/8-Ball: The Pig's great when there's a show you want to see, but really, how often does that happen. Karaoke was the only reason to go on a weekly basis and the Bang is the only regular event that still draws my attention. Well, Stoo got fired (I have to say I agree in part with the Blind Pig's decision to do so since he was an obnoxious drunken ass, but at the same time, he had a great set of karaoke songs and new how to properly run his equipment) and the new karaoke crew have at least a couple years to go before they can catch up to where Stoo was at when he started Blind Pig karaoke in 2002. I really hate leaving the Pig on Mondays. I knew most everyone, the bartenders knew my drink (and knew not to put any fucking limes in them), and it was pretty cool to sing on the same stage Kurt Cobain once sang on.

Now Stoo has moved next door to the Circus (the newest part of the Millenium Club/Gotham City/Cavern Club monstrosity). The drinks are pricier, the lights are too bright, there's no stage, and decor is freak-out hallucination enducing (though, I still think the lion jumping through the neon ring of fire behind the bar is pretty damn cool). Last Monday, the first Monday of this new Karaoke cosmography, had half the Blind Pig faithfuls bouncing over to Circus. I heard the Pig was practically empty and Rob II said that he got thrown out when he left the Circus to check out the new Pig scene and said that it sucked. Fuckers.

The Bang! It's that one night out of the month that I get to go dance and no one gets to say shit about it. The music WAS always great and the people were cool. I've been going with great regularity now for over a year and I've always had a great time. Last weekend though, I definately noticed a change in the music. Mainstays like Weezer's "Surfwax America" and that catchy ass LeTigre song were off the list for the first time I could remember and the Smiths were being followed up with Top 40 hip hop. If I wanted to listen to that shit I would go to Rick's. I came to the Bang! because they played the music I liked and no one else would play. Starting to think they've jumped the shark (probably after that Current cover story a few months back).

Now for the 8-Ball. I LOVE the 8-Ball. The advantage of being a smoker is that you can't smell the 8-Ball. You get to just sit back and enjoy some Old Style. The 8-Ball was the original "Hey, My Bar's Going to Shit" experience for me in Ann Arbor. They replaced the juke box with one of them internet dealies and now people can play hour after hour of crap and got rid of the pin-ball machine. Add to that the Blind Pig's move to start booking more hip hop shows and other events that attract a lot of lame ass undergrads and you can see what would happen to the clientele. Eventually, I got used to the changes, but now new issues are springing up. With everywhere else closing, the 8-Ball is constantly packed. Where are all these people coming from?

What's Left: Let's just say that I hate bars that feel like restaurants. I want a bar to be a bar. Jukebox, places to stand, and maybe a pinball machine in the back. The Old Town is a fucking restaurant, not a bar (but a restaurant with the best fucking burgers downtown). I feel like they want to turn the tables over sometimes when I just want to drown myself and if you show up too late with a big party, its the non-smoking section for you (what kind of fucking bar has a non-smoking section?). Same can be said about the Heidelberg. Now matter how much interesting stuff is on the jukebox and how great their cocktail table video games are, you're still in a cramped booth in the basement of a German restaurant and don't you forget it. The Full Moon end's up being an option because of its excellent pool, but then we remember they are the money behind the destruction of Ann Arbor's bar scene. Fuckers.

It's come to the point that if you want a decent bar, you've got to drive (and we all know that a) I don't have a car and b) drunk driving is not always the smartest idea). I'm sure Fraiser's pub hasn't changed much, pretty cool for a sports bar. Then there's Ypsi (more and more I'm believing the old maxim "Ann Arbor Sux, Ypsi Rocks!"), but that's another post entirely.

"Larger Breasts": Is My Spam Trying to Tell Me Something?
What's the deal with spam? I know we've all gotten messages with some kind of advertisement references in the Subject line, but absolutely no content in the actual message. I'm supposed to be so excited about a business offer that I just automatically reply? Everyone complains about getting so much spam, but I for one know this is the only time so many people care about the state of my penis. Either way, I'm much more confused by spam whose content has nothing to do with the subject or marketing of any kind. For example, take this message I received this morning from Aphrodite Marketing, Inc., entitled "Larger Breasts".

"There were many examples of animals all around. Just tell me your answer, even if it sucks. I can never describe the walk back to my truck. But under the circumstances, I'd do it again.

What are we going to do tonight? I asked. Sounds good to me, I said. This is what I like, I'd tell myself. I'll tell you what happened next.

Hi, I said to all the animals. There were many examples of animals all around. I was just thinking. There's something I should tell you.

I'd seen many of the same things I've seen before. What is the answer? This is what I like, I'd tell myself. The same thing we do every night, he replied. The same thing we do every night, he replied."

Ummmmm.....