January 2012
1 post
November 2011
1 post
WIL WHEATON dot TUMBLR: "What I'm looking at is... →
Charles J. Kelly, a former Baltimore Police Department lieutenant who wrote the department’s use of force guidelines, said pepper spray is a “compliance tool” that can be used on subjects who do not resist, and is preferable to simply lifting protesters.
“When you start picking up human bodies,…
April 2011
2 posts
September 2009
11 posts
iTunes Finally Adds Watched Folder to... →
For years, one of the biggest complaints about iTunes has been its inability to automatically add new music to your library from a watched folder. As of yesterday’s iTunes 9 release, that’s no…
Can Someone Tell Top Chef Contestants How to... →
Two episodes into the latest season of Top Chef, and most of the chefs have
already established personalities and tics that will only grow and annoy as the season
progresses. I appreciated …
August 2009
12 posts
Huh?? FAA rule bans storing anything in seatback... →
A couple weeks ago, Joe Sharkey posted a tale on his blog of a flight attendant requiring passengers to keep their personal belongings out of the seatback pockets. He thought it was an…
In a Major Move, The FCC Wants to Create A Single... →
The FCC, as part of its reevaluation of how the V-chip is working to provide family friendly programming, plans to examine whether it would be possible to have a single ratings system that would…
Tech Support Cheat Sheet →
Uncomfortable plot summaries →
Some plot summaries of movies and TV shows that might make you feel uncomfortable. Among my favorites: THE GOONIES: Physically abused, retarded man finds love with overweight preteen. THE…
There's Always Affordable Health Insurance In The... →
We started the day on a political note, with a post about Barney Frank and the health care reform town hall meeting protesters, which engendered a heated but very thoughtful (mostly) debate in…
Superlative →
ChefStack Automatic Pancake Machine →
Although it’s pricey at $3,500, this kitchen gadget will churn out 200 pancakes in one hour. The manufacturer is marketing it toward convenience stores and cafeterias, but I’d say that…
Apple Censors iPhone Dictionary App →
In another fascinating move by the App Store acceptance team (Motto: Lunch is tasty! Is that a butterfly? We like cake.) the Ninjawords pocket dictionary, a $2 app, has been given an 17+ rating…
Create Your Own Kenyan Birth Certificates and... →
Awesome news, everyone: you can make anyone you want be born anywhere you want, in case you need to prove that your boss is not A Natural Born Citizen or something. [Republic of Kenya Birth…
Remembering the Time When Radio Was Accused of... →
So you know how the newspaper industry has long been whining incessantly about the internet killing journalism? Well, this isn’t the first time they’ve made such claims! They went nuts during…
Slate's "Choose Your Own Apocalypse" finds out... →
If America comes to a catastrophic end, what will the causes be? Josh Levin of Slate wants to know. He’s created a “Choose Your Own Apocalypse” web-based application that lets you select…
Slate's "Choose Your Own Apocalypse" finds out... →
If America comes to a catastrophic end, what will the causes be? Josh Levin of Slate wants to know. He’s created a “Choose Your Own Apocalypse” web-based application that lets you select…
July 2009
12 posts
Sports: Lance Armstrong Inspires Thousands To Come... →
PARIS—Cancer survivor Lance Armstrong’s inspirational third-place Tour de France finish has motivated thousands of patients battling cancer to eventually finish third to their life-threatening…
Movie/record industry rep says that you shouldn't... →
Glyn sez, “Buying DRMed content, then having that content stop working later is fair writes Steven Metalitz, the lawyer who represents the MPAA, RIAA in a letter to the top legal advisor at the…
Skip Annoyingly Long Voicemail Instructions For... →
Here’s the secret codes for skipping long-ass cellphone voicemail intros that cellphone companies don’t want you to know about: Just remember “one star pound.” David Pogue, who is trying to…
Ragtime covers of 80s tunes →
Scott Bradlee plays a rousing Ragtime piano medley of 80s hits including Come On Eileen, Don’t You Want Me Baby, Material Girl, Don’t Stop Believin’, and, er, this one. (Sorry.)
Lease →
Kurt Cobain Is Probably (Rick)Rolling in His Grave →
We all know that the still-popular but amazingly annoying art of the Rickroll jumped shark a while ago, but we simply couldn’t pass up a new remix of “Never Gonna Give You Up” that the…
Estimation →
Rifftrax hits theaters nationwide with Plan 9 from... →
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Reality-Free
Rifftrax, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 descendant written and performed by Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, is…
Is Ferris Bueller a Figment of Cameron's... →
We always attribute Ferris Bueller’s ingenuity and over-the-top fame to the magic of cinema. Anything can happen in Hollywood — like a skinny little guy becoming the ’80s mecca of luck and…
Visa claims teen spent $23,148,855,308,184,500.00... →
Visa recorded a $23,148,855,308,184,500.00 purchase on Consumerist reader Dale’s kid’s prepaid Visa Buxx card: “My lectures about financial responsibility appear to have failed: yesterday she…
I want to live at the Universal prop house →
Filed under: Late Night, Video, Talk Show, Reality-FreeIs there any place that looks more fun to play in than the Universal prop house that Conan O’Brien visited the other night on The…
The Quick 10: 10 Twilight Zone references in... →
Most people spent the weekend grilling out or boating or enjoying parades and fireworks; I spent mine refinishing our kitchen floor and watching The Twilight Zone marathon on SciFi (soon…
June 2009
20 posts
Yet another famous person has died →
RIP Billy Mays . Cartoon from Picture For Sad Children (via Laughing Squid) Leave a comment on this story.
What The World Needs Now Is Al, Weird Al →
During all the non-stop Michael Jackson montages the past couple days, as I found myself automatically singing lines like, “don’t want no Captain Crunch, don’t want no Raisin Bran,” and…
How often I remember →
How often I remember
Graph by: Sethor via Graph Jam Builder
How often I remember →
How often I remember
Graph by: Sethor via Graph Jam Builder
US Department of Defense classes protests as... →
A US Department of Defense training manual describes protest as “low-level terrorism.” This is part of a broader trend of state agencies characterizing protest as a form of terrorism.
The first…
Roger Ebert Tears Transformers 2 A New... →
There’s a reason he’s called Roger Ebest. Read the whole thing. Here.
US Department of Defense classes protests as... →
A US Department of Defense training manual describes protest as “low-level terrorism.” This is part of a broader trend of state agencies characterizing protest as a form of terrorism.
The first…
New Law Would Let FTC Stop ISPs From Capping... →
We’ve looked at Time Warner Cable’s unnecessary, overly greedy attempts to slap meters on broadband usage before, and it’s clear to everyone but TWC that metering Internet is bad policy, but…
City in Montana requires job applicants to hand... →
Cliff sez, “Bozeman City, Montana now asks all applicants for jobs to ‘Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms,…
City in Montana requires job applicants to hand... →
Cliff sez, “Bozeman City, Montana now asks all applicants for jobs to ‘Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms,…
Cats getting stoned on catnip →
Cats tripping on kush-grade catnip. (Via Arbroath)