For the first time, a link has gone offline in the two weeks since I bookmarked it. It was a good one, too 
Remember, I waste my time finding this stuff so you don't have to:
Happy invoicing!
Remember, I waste my time finding this stuff so you don't have to:
- Soda Pop - "I’m here to share some basic recipes for making soda pop at home! What could be better than a frosty ginger ale to help cool off during these hot summer days? If ginger’s not your thing, how about a lemon-lime soda or an orange-ade? The combination is unlimited so long as your imagination is put to good use. The best part is it’s all homemade so you’re avoiding massive doses of sugar, artificial flavorings, and caffeine." Yum
- My Favorite Liar - Kai Peter Chang recalls a professor's unusual teaching technique: "Between today until the class right before finals, it is my intention to work into each of my lectures … one lie. Your job, as students, among other things, is to try and catch me in the Lie of the Day."
- The Graphing Calculator Story - The remarkable tale of how the Macintosh graphing calculator was created, using Apple's facilities, by people who weren't actually employed there: "I used to be a contractor for Apple, working on a secret project. Unfortunately, the computer we were building never saw the light of day... In August 1993, the project was canceled. A year of my work evaporated, my contract ended, and I was unemployed. I was frustrated by all the wasted effort, so I decided to uncancel my small part of the project. I had been paid to do a job, and I wanted to finish it. My electronic badge still opened Apple's doors, so I just kept showing up."
- Redesigning the New York City subway map - "Maps are one of the most basic data visualizations that we have; we've been making them for millennia. But we still haven't perfected them as a tool for understanding complex systems -- and with 26 lines and 468 stations across five boroughs, the New York City subway system certainly is complex. The KickMap is the result of my quest to design a more effective subway map, and ultimately to encourage increased ridership." Eddie Jabbour describes the process of creating a new map.
- Paper Enigma Machine - Something to while away the time: "Just print (I suggest using heavy card stock), cut out the strips, and follow the directions on the page to build your own fully functional Enigma machine. This machine is compatible with the original 3-rotor German Enigma used during World War II. For simplicity it omits the 'ring settings' and plug board, but the primary workings of the machine are captured in this model. Great as an educational tool, or just for fun!"
- Stair Porn - no actual porn, so SFW; just pictures of cool staircases. "StairPorn™ is a weblog showcasing cool stairs from around the world. If you came here looking for sex, you’re plumb outta luck."
- 50 Viral Images The Web Shared In 2010 - "...to continue to spread inspiration, following are 50 images the web has shared in 2010 (likely not all created in 2010, but were shared this year)." I hadn't seen quite a few of these, so some of them will probably be new to you too.
- Thank Goodness! - "There are no atheists in foxholes, according to an old but dubious saying, and there is at least a little anecdotal evidence in favor of it in the notorious cases of famous atheists who have emerged from near-death experiences to announce to the world that they have changed their minds. The British philosopher Sir A. J. Ayer, who died in 1989, is a fairly recent example. Here is another anecdote to ponder." Philosopher Daniel Dennett almost died when his aorta tore. Would the experience change a dedicated atheist's thoughts about God?
- Phoenix's Scoring Bug Analyzed and Fixed - "The 1980 arcade game, Phoenix, was created by Amstar Electronics. It is fairly well known that if the player shoots 3 birds in a row very quickly as they fly upwards during the second stage of the game, the score will jump to around 204,000 points, no matter what the player's current score is." Don Hodges not only determines the source of the bug, he also comes up with a patch that can be applied using MAME (or, if you have the original arcade cabinet to hand, by blowing a new ROM).
- E-mails from an Asshole - "This is a collection of e-mails I have sent to people who post classified ads. My goal is to mess with them, confuse them, and/or piss them off." John Lindsay manages to do quite a good job of achieving his stated aims.
Happy invoicing!
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