The Wasted Times

Science magazine is celebrating it's 125th Anniversary by giving us a look at 125 big science questions. There is a hell of a lot of good reading in there.
posted by Mark 10:46 AM

Friday, May 20, 2005

Lots of people have been buying shredders recently, and to be honest, I really couldn't see the point. Until I discovered these SSI Shredding Demonstrations that is. Now that is a shredder I could love. After seeing this beast eat a boat, a washing machine, and a sofa, I can't take the home models seriously.
posted by Mark 2:12 PM

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Shop 'til you drop! I have no idea at all what to say, except that this is one of the funniest news stories I've read in ages, although the souce is a bit suspect. I do hope it's true. Imagine: "Mum! How did you hurt your head?"
posted by Mark 1:19 PM

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Just stumbled across some great photos of the 2005 Snow Sculpture Championships. And I though writing my name was clever...
posted by Mark 6:03 PM

Someone keeps stealing my letters...
posted by Mark 5:59 PM

I have that whole napkin folding thing sorted.
posted by Mark 5:57 PM

This student submission made me laugh, but I suspect he may not have got a good mark for it. Fig. 1 has the best caption ever.
posted by Mark 5:56 PM

Because Passport to the Pub is written to introduce tourists to the wonders of British pub life it has a refreshing "oustside in" feel to it. Because it was written by the Director of the Social Issues Research Centre it's a remarkably perceptive and accurate description. I found reading it an interesting experience, as I recognised almost all of the unwritten rules, and seeing them written down gave me a very different look at things we all take for granted when we wander into the pub. The whole document is quite long, but if you are anything like me you'll be hooked 'til the end, and going to the pub will never be quite the same again. Honestly.
posted by Mark 5:42 PM

Friday, April 08, 2005

"He isn't John Paul II any more," Leon said. "From now on, he's The Incredible Popeman!".
posted by Mark 2:48 AM

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Okay, so the dust has started to settle a little after the initial announcement of a General Election on May 5th, and I've been looking at what the internet has to offer in the way of information that might be useful in helping choose who (if anyone) gets my vote.

I have never voted before, so this is very much a from-scratch enterprise for me, and I thought I'd share some of the stuff I have found useful.

The first thing I needed was a basic description of how the election works, and I found two; an excellent simple introduction at TeacherNet, and a more detailed explanation at politics.co.uk. Anything you're not sure about, those guys can put you straight.

Next up, you need to find out who is standing in your area - these are the people you have to choose from. To find them, use this search page.

To find out about your current MP (or anyone else's) and what they have said in Parliament you need TheyWorkForYou, while The Public Whip is more focussed on how MPs have voted. Both are excellent resources for deeper digging.

Channel 4's Factcheck might well be the site you'll need most of all: they look at the things politicians say while campaigning and check them wherever possible to see if they are telling the truth. This is essential stuff, and one of the things I find most lacking in mainstream political coverage. To make an informed choice you need to know who is misleading you, and what about. The "why" you might have to work out for yourself.

There is also the official site: The Electoral Commision is an independent body that was set up by the UK Parliament. These are the guys who register the political parties, monitor their donations and spending, keep an eye on the election, and generally try and make sure everything is fair.

And if all that wasn't enough, Keele University has a very expansive collection of resources, covering all the UK political parties, news, analysis and more. It's a bit like this posting, but with more links and less waffle.

Finally, if you want to be sure your vote counts, don't use postal voting as anything other than a last resort - it isn't safe.
posted by Mark 2:41 PM

Here's beer as you've never seen it before - through a microscope.
posted by Mark 2:38 PM

How to hypnotize a man.
posted by Mark 2:36 PM

In the first of an occasional series in which the greatest recording artists reveal their favourite records, Tom Waits writes about his 20 most cherished albums of all time.
posted by Mark 2:34 PM

The old meets the new: browse and search ceefax online!
posted by Mark 2:25 PM

Chocolate Gods and Goddesses sounded like a grand idea to me, until I realised that the Chocolate Jesus was missing, and there wasn't a Jehovah in sight. So it's only okay to eat other people's Gods, is that it?
posted by Mark 2:22 PM