We got ourselves an old Indian dude here. Lives in a cave most of the time. Has a following. No biggie; this sort of thing happens in India. But: Dude sez he ain't eaten for decades. Doesn't need to drink water, either. Shows up at a hospital to be observed by science.

Ten days of constant observation, and our man eats nothing, drinks nothing, and, you'll be keen to know, "neither did he pass urine or stool." Someone at the BBC deserves a sound beatdown for the headline on this article, but I enjoyed meeting Prahlad Jani.

Ten minutes ago I knew very little about SF's Treasure Island. But now. . .

Here's what the Big Game bonfire looked like last night at Cal's Greek Theater. Walking back down southside, we passed under the Campanille, which was lit up in blue with gold graphics on each side, like this representation of the coveted Axe.

It took Cal two quarters to heat up today, but the result was sweet, sweet, sweet. Cal 28, Stanfurd 16.

Things are always strange when we visit the Farm but there was something especially strange (and, though it pains me to admit, cool) going on down there today, as you can see in the shot I took of the Stanfurd Band doing their moronic bit before the game. Look back there on the sideline, and you'll see a large Trojan Rabbit, straight out of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We never did find out what the deal with it was. It left before the end of the game.

Is there any doubt left that Big Media is perhaps the most harmful of the various cancers afflicting this country?

"This is Laci Peterson and shark attacks and Kobe Bryant put together," said Martin Kaplan, professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communications. "It's a miraculous combination of sex and taboos and pop music and plastic surgery."

Get. Me. Off. This. Train.

Back in 1999, I wrote an article about the very first work of interactive fiction, Adventure, which you can still experience on modern PCs. The piece was written for a proto-webmag that vanished years ago; I resurrect the article today in honor of the 9th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition, which Slashdot took note of this morning. more...

I was already in high school when Wal-Mart invaded my part of the country. I stayed away, having read about how the megachain decimated small-town general stores all across America's heartland. So I've been in a Wal-Mart store only three times in my life, and only made a purchase there once. After reading this article, I'll probably keep out for good.

[spotted at Ten Reasons Why, which also points to further commentary on this issue]

This nine minute video captures a breathtakingly beautiful bit of art that was performed at the Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival this past August. The artist is one Ferenc Cako. I just love discovering artists whose work is unlike anything I've ever seen!

[thanks to the_lucky_duck for the link]

If you follow this link, you will hear Joe Lieberman sing "Oaklahoma."

I cannot explain the existence, here in my house, of the tiny little wrench you see here. I discovered it on the floor shortly after the big move-in, felt a question mark balloon appear above my head, and placed it — the wrench — on my desk.

It has been there ever since. I still don't know whether it lived here before I did, or whether it traveled here with me. I do not know what it belongs to. It is made of plastic. It bears no markings at all. If it belongs to a toy or something like that, it belongs on that list they put out every Christmastime regarding playthings that can be swallowed. Perhaps it came with some bit of gadgetry?

<seinfeld>What is the deal with this tiny little wrench?</seinfeld>

I scored 124.5 on the 80's Lyrics Quiz. You see this sort of thing on the Web from time to time, but you never see one this well implemented, or this much fun. Who can beat me? No cheating!

Oh, the memories that can come flooding back just because of one line from one song!

Turns out there is a new version of Donnie Darko, one of my favorite films, in the works. The "Director's Cut" will feature scenes cut from the original version — some that were on the DVD, some that were not. There will also be more eighties music, because now Writer-Director Richard Kelly has more money to buy song rights with. There is something a little weird about a director doing a "Director's Cut" of his first film just a couple years after it came out, and I will approach the new version with some apprehension because I think the original is so nearly perfect (and some of the cut scenes on the DVD were really bad). But I cannot wait to return to Donnie's world and see it from new angles. One thing I am certain will not change is the ending, for it's built into the movie's DNA that it can only end one way. After all, "Every living creature dies alone."

We thought the almiqui was gone forever, but no, a farmer in Cuba came across one. I wish he hadn't. That thing is going to give me nightmares. It looks like it can't wait to bite my toes off. Or worse.

Get your holiday shopping done early. The web brings you just the item for all your friends and loved ones.

[found on MetaFilter]