If you run a prison ward holding death row inmates, make sure you lock the doors.

Some geeky observations about The Return of the King.

Michael Crichton has some interesting remarks on environmentalism as the new 21st century religion. (Via Plastic.)

Dave Barry's review of 2003.

"50 Reasons Why Lord of the Rings Sucks". (Via IMAO.) Or for Wachowski brother fans, here's Dr. Oxford's critique of The Matrix trilogy.

One place I never plan on using my laptop: While mounted to my steering wheel. (Via Metafilter.)

An experimental psychologist looks at luck.

Interesting form of cyber blackmail.

The deleted scenes from Return of the King: If this list of deleted scenes (which are supposed to be in the extended edition DVD) is accurate, then the DVD should be awesome.

If you like to carry an almanac with you, don't be surprised if you attract the attention of the FBI. (Via IPList.)

For more dubious homeland security precautions, here's a TSA fish story. (Via Fark.)

"The Eight Biggest Tech Flops Ever"

Top 10 astronomy images of 2003.

Internet domain names are once again being sold (and bought) for ridiculous prices.

"How to have a national ID card that doesn't threaten civil liberties"

Latest Tolkien rumor: According to Peter Jackson, when the Return of the King extended edition DVD is finally released, it will be over 4 hours and 50 minutes long(!)

"Why Machines Should Fear": Cognitive scientist Donald A. Norman argues that future machines will need emotions to be truly dependable.

So you've got a new MP3 player for Christmas. You should read this informative review of online digital music sellers.

Wayne Joseph spent the first 50 years of his life believing he was black. Then he took a DNA test and was shocked to find that he was "57 percent Indo-European, 39 percent Native American, 4 percent East Asian and 0 percent African".

Zip code localizer: Just type in one digit at a time and this slick applet will display the progressively narrower slices of the USA. (Via Metafilter.)

Admin note: GeekPress will be taking a brief hiatus for the rest of the week. We'll be back Monday December 29, 2003. Merry Christmas!

For your holiday entertainment: "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" geek style. Then there's "How the Schmirk Stole Nanotech" by J. Storrs Hall, via Howard Lovy .

Diana has found this hilarious comparison of German vs. American toilet technology.

Philadelphia police car computers are now receiving spam. (Via Techdirt.)

Why retro games are back in vogue. (Via The Weigh In.)

Dilbert's random mission statement generator. (Via Linkfilter.)

Computerized text analysis may help settle classic controversies over literary authorship, including whether some of Shakespeare's plays were actually written by Christopher Marlowe.

Scientists have figured out how to make anti-bubbles in beer. What is an anti-bubble? According to the article, "bubbles are thin films of liquid enclosing pockets of air, but antibubbles are a thin film of air which encloses pockets of liquid".

Gaming on the grid.

Artists' tours of Middle Earth. (Via Linkfilter.)

"What a Crappy Present!": Why you shouldn't give kids a CD for Christmas.

Centibots are a rudimentary form of swarm intelligence.

The Economist has an interesting cultural analysis of hair.

A more serious literary analysis of sex and libido in Tolkien's fiction. (Via Linkfilter.) Eric Raymond has some interesting commentary as well.

"The particles of Star Trek" (Via Metafilter.)

Instant stem cells: just add water.

Another person who could benefit from a Queer Eye makeover. (Via MeFi.)

A new pill could protect soldiers' hearing from loud noises on the battlefield. There are, of course, many civilian applications as well.

Why is the musical score of the Lord of the Rings so powerful? Because of Howard Shore's use of "harmonic dread". (Via ALD.)

JavaScrypt: Browser-Based Cryptography Tools. (Via Linkfilter.)

Google book searches are coming soon.

Sony's humanoid robot learns how to jog.

"Top 11 Ways Peter Jackson could ruin the Return of the King"

Movie trailer for Spiderman 2. Love the Doctor Octopus effects!

Google is everywhere.

Invention of the day: The GasBGon flatulence filter. Put it in your chair seat, then when you fart it absorbs the odor and sound of your gaseous emanation. If only there was something like that for our dogs... (Via Boing Boing.)

"What Tolkien Officially Said About Elf Sex" (Via Metafilter.)

Map of Middle Earth: Year 1999, Fourth Age. Welcome to the HASRS (Hobbit's Autonomous Socialist Republic of the Shire)...

Dave Barry on computer security. (Via Gravity Lens.)

"Qveere Eye for thye Medieval Man" (Via Linkfilter.)

If you can't wait until tomorrow, here are 11 clips from Return of the King, totalling over 10 minutes of footage. These clips do contain minor spoilers. (Via Linkfilter.)

The huge Pelennor Fields battle scene in Return of the King was made possible only by sophisticated computer generated warriors, which are programmed with a certain degree of autonomy to make their movements more realistic. But one big problem with the code for the first iteration of the 200,000+ warriors "agents" was that they kept wanting to run away from the battle. (Via Boing Boing.)

Invention of the day: The gun that shoots around corners. Some pictures are available on the company website.

Using game theory to craft more robust peace treaties. Here's the full paper (.pdf format).

Google will now track packages for you. (Via Boing Boing.)

Shadows are hard-wired into our brains.

Beware the e-mail "cluster bomb". Technical paper here.

Aircraft for other worlds.

The complete Seinfeld scripts. (Via Madville.)

"RFID Tag Technology Confirms One-Fruitcake Theory"

Hitachi and Tokai will offer methanol fuel cells for their PDAs in 2005.

Java emulations of classic arcade games. (Via Metafilter.)

Leather jacket for geeks with an internal wiring conduit system to connect the 28 (!) pockets. The same company also makes a slick fleece jacket for geeks.

Obscure science fact of the day: Heavy water (D20) is mildly toxic. (I had always assumed that because D20 and H20 were chemically identical, there would be no biological differences between the two. Apparently, I was mistaken.)

Return of the King: Yet another highly positive review. (Mild spoilers.) This other reviewer thought that there were too many endings. (Mild spoilers.)

Some types of sand dunes can pass right through each other while maintaining their size and shape.

How Monty Python changed the world: "No matter where you look, even in some of the remotest parts of the planet, you can't avoid Monty Python."

Trailer for the non-existent Peter Jackson film, The Hobbit. "Smaug awakens December 2006!" (Via NewsTrolls.)

Frozen light: "A pulse of light has been stopped in its tracks with all its photons intact..."

Spirograph: I used to love playing with this as a kid, and now there's a cool online Java applet.

Geek tatoos. No, really. (Via Linkfilter.)

"Astronomers have seen a trail of black holes scattered across space formed by a titanic collision between galaxies..."

Vaccination algorithm: What's the optimal method for allocating vaccinations if the supply is limited? One approach is the selectively target the "super-spreaders" who are the the nodes in a network that are most-connected to other nodes. This recently published algorithm looks like an effective method to find those super-spreader nodes, even if no one initially knows who they are. The algorithm can also be used to limit the spread of computer viruses as well as to disrupt terrorist networks.

The Onion has some useful suggestions for stopping spam.

Why was the sky was red in Edvard Munch's 'The Scream'? Because of the Krakatoa volcano.

Contraceptive technology continues to quietly advance.

New MS Word 2004 feature: AutoUnsummarize.

Beautiful women disrupt men's ability to think rationally.

It's surprisingly easy to implant false memories.

Highly positive review of the third Tolkien movie, Return of the King.

"Can Google Grow Up?"

Beware fake online escrow sites.

Create your own Jackson Pollock painting. (Via Madville.)

"Five Geek Social Fallacies" (Via Metafilter.)

Destroying cancers with antimatter.

"Smart assistants" for drivers facing cognitive overload in their high-tech automobiles.

Take a virtual trip to a black hole. (Via Fark.)

"The Complete History of the Internet". The earlier entries are chock full of interesting tidbits; I found the later entries to be less interesting, being mostly devoted to various security problems. (Via Madville.)

"Humans struggle for supremacy in online robot wars"

Everything you wanted to know about fractals.

Eating hookworms may be good for you.

Gift idea of the day: The Amazing Catapult Watch. (Via Tom McMahon.)

Whatever happened to the inventors of the Hayes dial-up modem? One retired at age 36 with millions of dollars and plays with robots as a hobby; the other lost nearly all his money. More details here. (Via Madville.)

What Michael Jackson would have looked like at age 45 if he hadn't had all that bizarre plastic surgery. (Via Linkfilter.)

Jokes activate the same brain region as cocaine.

Some physicists think that exploding miniature black holes may be raining down through the Earth's atmosphere.

Boardgame of the day: Risk: The Lord of the Rings. "Sauron attacks Ithilien from Minas Morgul with 3 armies..."

The largest known prime number has been found using distributed computing. This new prime number has 6,320,430 digits.

Spam poetry.

Save precious letter-writing time with this handy "Dear Santa" Letter Generator. Only 22 more days! (Via Tom McMahon.) If you don't know what to ask for, Wired has compiled a list of 77 desirable geek gifts.

Animated engines: Well-done animated diagrams illustrating how engines work. Includes multiple examples of internal combustion, steam, and Stirling engines. (Via Linkfilter.)

Maps of the internet. And more information about how they were generated.

Invention of the day: Memory glasses to help the absent-minded. Here's a picture.

Data from Match.com shows interesting regional differences in online dating preferences around the U.S.

Raymond Allen Gray, Jr. of Springfield, IL, has legally changed his name to Bubba Bubba Bubba.

Why coastlines have a fractal contour.

A real-life version of the "Orgasmatron" will be undergoing FDA trials in the USA. Researchers are looking for female volunteers to test the device.

Invention of the day: The digital sundial. (Via Fark.)

The Economist has a good article on internet security.

Jim Lynch has written a rebuttal of John Dvorak's earlier obituary to the blogging revolution. (Via Gerry Ho.)

Admin note: GeekPress will be taking a brief hiatus, but will be back Monday Dec. 1. Happy Thanksgiving!

Secrets of the upcoming third Tolkien movie, The Return of the King. (Via Madville.)

What if The Matrix were guarded by the Department of Homeland Security?

Space Invaders clones. (Via Tom McMahon.)

Robot receptionist.

NASA has successfully tested a powerful new ion engine.

John Dvorak thinks that the blogging "revolution" will end as most blogs are either co-opted or abandoned. I disagree, but I did like this quote: "[M]ost blogs have an audience of about 12 readers. Leaflets posted on the corkboard at Albertsons attract a larger readership than many blogs."

"The Matrix in Six Minutes": Surprisingly well done Lego animation.

Clever use of Amazon's "search inside the book" feature.

"What Workers Are Really Doing During Conference Calls" (Via Techdirt.)

How accurate is ballistic matching of firearm bullets? Less accurate than you might think, despite TV shows like CSI.

This walking robot can carry a person.

The science of home runs.

What would life be like if I were pro-spam? (Via Linkfilter.)

Spam rage.

Electronic sniffers for explosives and dangerous chemicals are becoming smaller and more reliable. The latest one is called the "dog-on-a-chip".

Mathematicians have discovered a perfect order-5 magic cube. (Via Boing Boing.)

Nanotech update: The first self-assembling nanotransistor.

A Florida woman suffered from a stroke, then when she recovered she started speaking with a British accent. This is apparently a very rare condition known as "foreign accent syndrome". (Via Obscure Store.)

"CodeFellas": A Mafia hacker talks.

Ars Technica pointed us towards this rather harsh attack on the objectivity of one of my favorite technology news websites, Tech Central Station. Given that the subheading of the website is, "Where free markets meet technology", it's hardly surprising that the articles tend to reflect a certain political point of view. But this is not the same as the website being stooges for their corporate sponsors. Read it for yourself to decide whether the attack has any merit or not. (Disclaimer: I have no relationship with TCS other than being an interested reader who checks their site daily.)

Techniques of the TV "psychics".

Today's sign of the Apocalypse: Barbie and Ken as Arwen and Aragorn. Only $59.97. (Via Linkfilter.)

"Don't Worry, Be Angry". You'll live longer. (Via BottomQuark.)

"What Should I Do If The Internet Goes Down?"

Physicists are proposing creating a real-life version of Maxwell's demon.

The best chili is the average of all chilis. (Via Redwood Dragon.)

Yet another scam masquerading as an alert from PayPal. I've already received several of these.

Comparison: Drug dealer vs. software developer. (Via BBspot.)

Current rules for fair use of copyrighted material.

Southern accents in Shreveport, Louisiana are too confusing for the police computer voice recognition system.

Will micropayments finally become practical?

"What to do if your Mom discovers your blog...": Blogger's official response (with many helpful tips) to the recent Onion article, "Mom Finds Out About Blog". (Via Quare.)

Physicists have discovered yet another puzzling subatomic article.

It's easy to fake fingerprints. The article author says it takes him only 30 minutes and $20. I feel much safer already... (Via IPList.)

"Acoustically, people resemble large eggs".

Dave Barry analyzes the proposed carbon nanotubule space elevator. (Via Howard Lovy.)

College football rankings can be calculated by virtual monkeys.

Scientists have created the first fully functional synthetic virus.

Songs inspired by spam subject lines. MP3s available for download! (Via Boing Boing.)

Top Eleven Things Geeks Say When Pulled Over for Speeding

"The 10 Most Overpaid Jobs in the US". Note the conspicuous absence of diagnostic radiologists on that list...

"20 Things That Only Happen In Movies" (Via Tom McMahon.)

Surround sound can now be created with a single speaker.

Update on airport security camera technology. Beware the exaggerated hype.

"Mom Finds Out About Blog"

Microsoft, Netscape, Sun, Iraq, and World War II: What links all these together? Read Steven Den Beste's latest essay to find out.

The company MyLastEmail.com will let you compose messages to loved ones (or to hated enemies, I suppose) that will be sent out only after you're dead. Here's the company website. (Via Techdirt.)

1001 Things To Do With Liquid Nitrogen (Via Linkfilter.)

Computer viruses are now 20 years old.

E-Z Pass problem: Humorous anecdote via IPList:

After moving to Nashville from New York recently, it occurred to me that I no longer had a pressing use for my E-ZPass. Following the E-ZPass instructions, I filled out a few forms and dropped my pass off at United Parcel Service, destination Staten Island service center.

Two weeks passed, and I received my normal E-ZPass e-mail statement. I entered my account and, lo and behold, my recently surrendered pass had been used by someone to go from Newark Airport to Exit 18 on the New Jersey Turnpike.

I was incensed.

I immediately called E-ZPass and informed them that someone had stolen my pass. I explained that I had mailed the pass and that now someone was running up and down the turnpike using it.

Very calmly, the E-ZPass representative said, "Sir, your E-ZPass was not stolen, it is in the UPS truck, and every time that truck goes through an E-Z Pass toll booth, it is going to register another toll."

American cities are competing fiercely with each other for young well-educated tech entrepreneurs. Who are the winners and losers? According to this interesting article, the big winners (the "brain gain" cities) include Seattle, Austin, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, Ann Arbor, MI, and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., whereas the biggest losers (the "brain drain" cities) are Cleveland, Baltimore, Buffalo, Detroit, Hartford, CT, Milwaukee, Miami, Newark, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Stockton, CA, with predictable effects on their respective local economies.

According to the article, the winning cities "tend to have a high percentage of residents who are artists, writers and musicians, as well as large and visible gay communities. They often have pedestrian neighborhoods, with good food, live music and theater. The percentage of foreign-born residents is also high in these cities, reflecting a significant population of college-educated imports." (Via IPList.)

Cower before the Lego Cthulu! (Via Gravity Lens.)

"Technology is Ruining Movies". Yet another savaging of Matrix: Revolutions as well as some recent trends in movie-making.

Comedy Central is planning a new show, "Straight Plan for the Gay Man" in which "a team of straight comedians -- the 'Flab 4' -- teaches a succession of gay men how to pass as heterosexuals. The make-overs include lessons in such areas as spartan home decorating, oafish manners, less-than-fashionable wardrobes, and an overdeveloped ego to mask all personal failings"...

Traditional adult magazines are facing stiff competition from online porn websites.

Specialized brain scans may be able to distinguish false memories from true ones.

Eric Raymond has proposed the Life "glider" as the new hacker emblem. As a longtime Life fan, I like it.

The political compass of bloggers, arranged in the usual 2-dimensional graph. One axis denotes left-right and the other axis denotes libertarian-authoritarian. (Via Linkfilter.)

"Masturbation is like owning a Ferrari and driving only in first gear, a senior Catholic theologian said... 'Driving only in first gear, not only do you prevent the Ferrari expressing its full power, but gradually you wear it out and thereby ruin a masterpiece of technology,' Father Giordano Muraro wrote in the magazine Vita Pastorale. Muraro was responding to a reader who asked whether it was sinful to masturbate in the absence of one's spouse in order to reduce sexual tension." (Via MBWHA.)

What's your Middle Earth name? (Via BBspot.)

Diana and I went to see Matrix: Revolutions yesterday and were very disappointed. Apparently, we're not the only ones. Even more negative reviews are available here.

The latest in logo trends. Thank God we're past the ubiquitous "swooshes" of the dotcom era. (Via BBspot.)

Climate change has been good for recent wine vintages.

This wristwatch mobile phone uses your own finger as the earpiece.

Antagonyms are words that can have two different and opposite meanings. (Via Tom McMahon.)

The FBI has paid a little visit to Cryptome, a website that specializes in intelligence and national security. According to the post, "Cryptome said it will publish a report of the visit, including naming the agents. Both agents expressed concern about their names being published for that might lead to a threat against them and/or their families -- one saying that due to copious personal databases any name can be traced." But one of the FBI agents apparently had no problems with his name being publicized earlier on CNN after a successful sting operation. (Via DefenseTech.)

How to build the world's tallest house of cards.

Compendium of spam techniques. (Via Linkfilter.)

Random Wisconsin City Name Generator. (Via Metafilter.)

"Who falls for e-mail scams?"

Allowing employees to do personal websurfing while at work can be good for them.

Ophir Tanz has written a slick real-time map showing all the Wi-Fi users currently connected to the Carnegie-Mellon wireless LANs. (Requires Flash.)

"The Matrix Explained". Some of these "explanations" seem pretty speculative, albeit interesting. (Via Linkfilter.)

Virginia Postrel has a nice link to "How Not to Behave During a Movie Sex Scene".

A proposed new spam filter would go on the offense against spam, launching (potentially illegal) denial-of-service attacks against the spammers.

"What's Google Really Worth?" The Economist has its own analysis.

Mobius strip architecture.

Random Maze Generator. (Via Linkfilter.)

"We're Not Losing the Culture Wars Anymore": Interesting analysis on three big trends that have developed over the last few years which have shaken up the culture wars -- (1) the rise of cable TV (including South Park, and FoxNews), (2) the Blogosphere, and (3) conservative book publishing. (Via Tom McMahon.)

More harsh critique of the validity of the Rorschach Test. If you want to take a look at the infamous inkblots for yourself (along with the supposedly "correct" answers), click here. (Via ALDaily.)

"Worst Album Covers Ever" (Via Linkfilter.)

Secret codes to get out of recorded message hell and to a live customer service representative.

Some scientists believe we'll make first contact with an alien intelligence by the year 2025. And that it will more likely to be an artificial machine intelligence rather than a biological intelligence.

High-end gamers are at increased risk of developing some odd physical ailments such as Nintendonitis and HAVS (hand-arm vibration syndrome).

Unfortunate advertising juxtaposition. (Via BBspot.)

South Park on file sharing:

Detective: This is the home of Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica. [they approach a bush] Look. There's Lars now, sitting by his pool. [he's seen sitting on the edge of a chaise longue, his face in his hands, softly sobbing]

Kyle: What's the matter with him?

Detective: This month he was hoping to have a gold-plated shark tank bar installed right next to the pool, but thanks to people downloading his music for free, he must now wait a few months before he can afford it. [a close-up of Lars sobbing] Come. There's more. [leads them away. Next seen is a small airport at night] Here's Britney Spears' private jet. Notice anything? [a shot of Britney boarding a plane, then stopping to look at it before entering] Britney used to have a Gulfstream IV. Now she's had to sell it and get a Gulfstream III because people like you chose to download her music for free. [Britney gives a heavy sigh and goes inside.] The Gulfstream III doesn't even have a remote control for its surround-sound DVD system. Still think downloading music for free is no big deal?

Kyle: We... didn't realize what we were doing, eh...

Detective: That is the folly of man. Now look in this window. [they are at another mansion, and they look inside a picture window] Here you see the loving family of Master P. [He's shown tossing a basketball to his wife while his kid tries to catch it] Next week is his son's birthday and, all he's ever wanted was an island in French Polynesia. [his mom lowers the ball and gives it to the boy, who smiles, picks it up and drops it. It rolls away and he goes after it]

Kyle: So, he's gonna get it, right?

Detective: I see an island without an owner. If things keep going the way they are, the child will not get his tropical paradise.

Stan: [apologetically] We're sorry! We'll, we'll never download music for free again!

Detective: [somberly, dramatically] Man must learn to think of these horrible outcomes before he acts selfishly or else... I fear... recording artists will be forever doomed to a life of only semi-luxury.

(Via GMSV.)

Quantum computing continues to advance.

Harry Potter vs. the Nigerian 419 scammers. (Via GMSV.)

"Researchers in Mexico have invented a new type of anti-graffiti paint."

The huge two volume Complete Far Side is now available. Here's a review.

Tech Central Station has a nice review of one of my favorite internet cartoons, Day By Day. Unlike many syndicated cartoonists, Chris Muir is able to create his cartoons 1 hour before press time, rather than several weeks, allowing him to be much more timely. It's now one of my daily "must-reads".

Infrared light may help facilitate wound healing, although no one knows exactly why this works.

The first ultrafast optical computer processor is now available for commercial sale. Here's the corporate website.

Admin note: Blogging will be light today because of the nearby Cherokee Ranch wildfire. The major danger appears to be over for now, but things were a little tense overnight. (We live in Sedalia, which is close to but just outside the mandatory evacuation area, as shown by the map in the article.)

Robot rights.

Legal ways to skirt the DMCA.

Dramatic satellite image of the California wildfires. More images here.

Plasma TV screens are the new ultra-expensive art canvases.

Nokia is thinking of new products inspired by Harry Potter.

Herman Miller and Permobil are now offering an Aeron wheelchair. (Via Boing Boing.)

"Hackers Get Novel Defense; the Computer Did It". More details on one of the "Trojan" cases are available here.

Physicists have taken the first images of an exciton.

"What If Everyone Could Change Traffic Lights?" (Via Techdirt.)

Extreme pumpkin carving.

Nano-velcro could be 30 times stronger than conventional epoxy adhesives.

"Drunk's eye on the Queer Guys": The unofficial drinking game for the Queer Eye show. (Via BBspot.)

Cellphone signals can be exploited by new passive radar devices. (Via IPList.)

Recursive Polaroids.

Admin note: GeekPress will be taking a brief hiatus for the rest of the week. We'll be back Monday, October 27.

A mere 7 atoms of liquid helium are enough to form a superfluid.

Although the recently proposed "terrorism futures market" got a lot of (IMHO undeserved) bad publicity, various unorthodox futures markets in other domains have done quite well.

Signs of life in Silicon Valley.

Other Unix products. (Via GMSV.)

Bizarre election mathematics. Under some multi-candidate voting systems, if the election officials accidently reverse the preference rankings on the voters' ballots, it can still yield the same final result.

I never saw a purple frog, I never hope to see one. But I can tell you anyhow, I'd rather see than be one... (Link via Ars Technica.)

Twenty great Google secrets.

"A judge sentenced an Arizona woman to 60 days home detention for intercepting her husband's ex-wife's e-mail, saying the penalty is a warning to others who might be tempted to do the same..."

Praise for Colorado from George Will. (Via VodkaPundit.)

Why "Do-Not-Spam" lists won't work.

"Laser scanning has revealed ancient carvings on the pillars of Stonehenge that are invisible to the naked eye."

"What's Special About This Number?" (Via BBspot.)

The new 3-D computer displays: How they work.

Random tech support excuse generator. (Via Linkfilter.)

NASA is working on an asteroid tugboat.

"Tennis players are alleged to have thrown matches in order to clean up with internet betting..." (Via Politech.)

"What's Really Visible From Space" (Via Madville.)

Problems with online translation tools.

Crime tip of the day: If you're an identity thief, don't steal the name of a registered sex offender. (Via Boing Boing.)

Ask The Spammer.

Physicists can make pulses of light travel faster than the speed of light (c). But additional experiments have shown that information can't travel faster than c and hence causality can't be violated.

Coffee makes sperm go faster, but marijuana causes them to burn out.

"Getting over Google Grief"

Self-playing Minesweeper. (Via Quare.)

NanoKids are molecules shaped like people. Scientists have now created "stubby-legged NanoBabies, long-haired NanoTeens and bendy NanoDancers" -- collect them all!

Handy guide to some of the obscure references and allusions in Kill Bill. (Via Linkfilter.)

"Golly, what a big screen you have": One of my coworkers just bought a Palm Tungsten T3 handheld PDA, and he really likes it. Here's the Gadgeteer's review as well as the Register review.

LegoLand is looking for a new master Lego builder. Here's how to apply.

Agent Smith's license plate in Matrix: Reloaded is "IS 5416". Here's Isaiah 54:16. (Via Fark.)

Mathematical LEGO sculptures. (Via Linkfilter.)

Monkey brains can control robotic arms with their thoughts alone.

So you want to buy a multipanel display?

Martial arts robots.

"Sharp Electronics on Monday released the first laptop computer that can display images in three dimensions without those funky glasses. "

Nanotechnology researchers are developing the ultimate non-stick surface coating for submarines.

The Goldbach Conjecture has been established up to 6 x 10^16. Of course, that's still a long way from proving that it's true for all integers.

A prototype airplane that "converts energy from a ground-based laser beam into electricity to power a propeller" has successfully passed its first test flights.

ESPN will be airing the Kasparov-X3D Fritz chess match. If you're lucky enough to live in NYC, you can even sign up to get free tickets. Based on reviews of their previous chess broadcasts, the color commentary should be pretty good, even for those who are chess novices. (Via old friend David Lewis.)

Update on StealthSurf: Greg Tetrault wrote in to warn that the product probably can't provide the privacy its users like. He pointed out, "People who surf the web improperly from a corporate environment usually get caught because all the web surfing goes through the corporation's Internet server and firewall. All web surfing can be monitored via the server. The fact that cookies, surfing history, and favorite sites are stored on a removable USB device is totally irrelevant. The only exception is when employees have direct Internet access via a dedicated ISDN or modem line and do not go through a corporate server. The only way to surf securely from a corporate site is to use secure tunneling through the corporate server to an anonymous server. However, many companies block access to such sites..." Thanks for the information, Greg.

"Why Star Trek Sucks" (Via Fark.)

Organized crime is stealing millions from ATM machines in Great Britain, through a variety of high-tech and low-tech methods.

Artificial "agents" are being used to model intelligent behaviour in complex systems. I just hope none of them are named "Smith"...

Protect your privacy while websurfing at work with the StealthSurfer. More information is available at the corporate website.

Astronomers have found the best star system to look for alien life.

Blind people can "see" with sound with this new headset, which crudely mimics the sonar sense of Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil.

"What's the 'Scroll Lock' key on my computer for?" Fortunately, The Straight Dope has the answer.

"A new rechargable miniature (2.9 mm X 13 mm) battery intended for implanted medical appliances is shipping. The battery lasts 10 years, and is recharged when the body part it resides in is placed alongside an electrified pillow, which remotely juices up the cell." (Via Boing Boing.)

My lovely wife Diana has resumed blogging again.

Scientific paper of the day: "An Analysis of the Forces Required to Drag Sheep over Various Surfaces". (Via GMSV.)

Invention of the day: The suicide resistant toilet, intended for use in prisons. (Via Linkfilter.)

Airbags for your laptop.

Steven Den Beste has a dream in which he and his friends find a way to drastically and permanently reduce the crime rate. Then they travel forward in time to see the horror that results...

"Why Open Source May Be Doomed"

"In seeming violation of one of the laws of physics, a new type of metal microstructure promises to lead to far more efficient incandescent light bulbs and also to boost the development of light-based microcircuits..."

NASA scientists are asking "Did Comets Make Life on Earth Possible?"

The sociology of "urban tribes".

The Nobel Prize in medicine has been awarded to Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield, the two scientists who developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This technology has absolutely revolutionized the safe and painless diagnosis of diseases of the brain, spine, bones, and joints. One can't listen to a broadcast of ESPN "SportsCenter" without hearing about an athlete who is scheduled to undergo an MRI for one thing or another. Given that my day job is the interpretation of MRI scans on orthopedics and sports medicine patients, this is very gratifying news.

Spying on your teenagers via satellite with tracking units "disguised as watches, mobile phones and belts". (Via Linkfilter.)

Laser nanosurgery: operating within a single cell.

Israeli scientists have developed software that can identify computer users by their typing style.

"The first rule of Google AdSense is, don't talk about Google AdSense"

"On-line Orgasmic Simulation": Want to find out how the opposite sex experiences an orgasm? (Via Linkfilter.)

Finding Nemo: What really happened. (Via Linkfilter.)

Japanese scientists have created a super-fast quantum computer simulator which will be used to develop and refine quantum computing algorithms.

Why does bending a piece of spaghetti cause it to break into three pieces, not two? (Via Fark.)

The future of Google will be a lot like science-fiction. (Via SciTechDaily.)

Using lasers to find out why cookies crumble.

Best photos of the year: This set of images has been making the e-mail rounds as the best photographs of the year. Some of them are quite striking, although the cynic in me wonders how many of them have been enhanced with Photoshop...

Quiz of the day: What kind of a thinker are you? To no one's suprise, I scored very high as a Logico-Mathematical thinker. But it was especially interesting to see the profiles of the other main thinker subtypes. (Via Linkfilter.)

"Neutral Good in a Lawful Evil World": An essay applying D&D moral alignments to international relations. My only comment is that the author implicitly assumes that the UN has more legal legitimacy than I'm willing to grant; otherwise, it's an interesting analysis.

More goodies from Palm. Some analysts think that the company might even (gasp!) turn a profit by the end of the year.

"The CIA is set to spend several million dollars to develop a video game aimed at helping its analysts think like terrorists..." (Via Linkfilter.)

"What Software Version Numbers Really Mean" (Via BBspot.)

How biased are random number generators? More than you might think.

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King -- the movie trailer. Or if you prefer to see a different side of Hugo Weaving (Elrond/Agent Smith), here's the trailer for Matrix: Revolutions. "Mr. Anderson, welcome back. We've missed you..."

Schroedinger's Cat comes closer: Scientists have devised a method for creating a bacterium-sized object that exhibits quantum behaviour, such as being in two places at once.

Hanah Metchis has some interesting thoughts on invisible wear and tear.

Electronic paper has now reached video speed.

Some gamers who are victims of crimes in their virtual world want to call in the real world justice system. (Via Techdirt.)

"Geek Eye for the Luddite Guys" (Via GMSV.)

"Most Phallic Buildings in the World" contest: Here's the winner and the other nominees. (Via BBspot.)

Endless swimming pool.

Texture garden: Serious algorithmic eye candy. (Via Linkfilter.)

Administrative note: GeekPress will be taking a few days' hiatus. We'll be back Monday, September 29!

Origami principles are being used in a variety of high-tech applications, such as collapsible solar sails and designing buildings for increased earthquake safety. (Via Quare.)

Everything you wanted to know about television. (Via BBspot.)

Will PlanetLab replace the Internet?

"Why Everything You Know About Murphy’s Law is Wrong": A detailed history of Murphy's Law and the man behind the legend, engineer Edward Murphy, Jr. (Via Cosmic Log.)

Could religion survive the discovery of extra-terrestrial life? (Via Gravity Lens.)

The Pentagon is considering buying armies of Scottish killer robot soldiers. I don't know why this makes me think of this quote by Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons, "Now, the kilt was only for day-to-day wear. In battle, we donned a full-length gown covered in sequins." (Via Fark.)

Panicking mice behave like panicking human beings, making them a good model for studying disaster response strategies.

Using Google image search to pick baby names. Or to avoid horrible baby names.

Chemists may be forced to revise Avogadro's number.

How widespread is cheating with handheld PDAs and cellphones during class?

Internet dating: US News & World Report has a lengthy cover story on the effects of internet dating on the American social scene.

The luxury Library Hotel in Manhattan has rooms based on the Dewey Decimal system. For example "[r]oom 700.003 includes books on the performing arts, for example, while room 800.001 has a collection of erotic literature." However, the owners of the Dewey Decimal system are not amused and are suing the hotel for trademark infringement. Based on the hotel website, it looks like a pretty nice place to stay. Here's a full list of the rooms available. (Via IPList.)

What are the probabilities for landing on any particular square in the board game Monopoly? This guy has figured them out. (Via Boing Boing.)

Paleontologists have discovered the world's oldest genitals.

Jason Rollette is building a railgun.

The Grand Canyon in Arizona was born on the East Coast.

How to translate Gangsta to Pirate. (Via Boing Boing.)

The universe might have been born in a black hole.

What your sleeping position reveals about your personality. (Via bottomquark.)

Some monkeys apparently have a highly developed sense of fairness.

Internet utility of the day: Map to Mordor. (Via GMSV.)

College freshman builds nuclear fusion reactor from junk parts. Fortunately, it only emits 4 neutrons a minute. (Via ObscureStore.)

Cheating at the slot machines. (Via Metafilter.)

Ghosts are apparently scared of mobile phones. (Via Techdirt.)

The worst jobs in science. (Via Transterrestrial Musings.)

Some so-called penis enlargement pills have heavy fecal contamination. (Via Quare.)

What's the truth behind the various "name a star" commercial companies?

Two display systems that don't require projection screens.

Visitors to Doune Castle in Scotland are often "overcome with an irresistible urge to say silly things like 'Bring out your dead!' and 'We are the knights who say NI!'" because of the castle's prominent role in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. (Via Linkfilter.)

Digital blunders. (Via BBspot.)

Who invented "Ctrl-Alt-Del"? (Via IPList.)

Space elevators are a hot topic. Here are a couple of good review article -- this one via Steve LaNasa and this one via Rand Simberg.

Dave Barry tortures the telemarketers.

MTV has created a very good parody of Matrix: Reloaded. And in case you missed it, here's last year's MTV parody of the Council of Elrond scene from LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring. (Via Linkfilter.)

Beware this innocent-looking electronic greeting card that secretly loads spyware onto your system.

The coolest thing in the universe.

Intelligent bricks. Resistance is futile...

Democrats: The party of the rich, at least in the US Senate. (Chart created by Tom McMahon from data in this CNN story.)

Today's FoxTrot is amusing.

Quantum cryptography is finally going commercial.

"Notebook computers that show images in 3-D will be put on sale in Japan and the United States next month by Sharp Corp"...

Alternate numbering systems: If you're American, you're used to referring to the numbers 10^3, 10^6, 10^9,... as "thousands, millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions, quintillions", etc. But if you're British, you use a different naming system, i.e. "thousands, millions, milliards, billions, billiards, trillions, trilliards", etc. In other words, a "billion" to the British is the same as a "trillion" to an American. (Via BBspot.)

How David Blaine performs his levitation trick. Or some of his other street magic. (Via Neoflux.)

Blocking HIV with a "living condom".

One in seven British office workers don't even know how to turn on their PC.

Geek Fiction of the Day: "The Problem with Grandma's Computer" (Via Dale Tudge.)

Ars Technica has a detailed review of Gnome 2.4, the latest version of the open source Linux-based desktop.

"How Hackers Break In To Enterprise Networks -- A Step-By-Step Demo"

Who else is making money from spam? Why, the anti-spam companies, of course.

"Asteroid Scares: Why They Won't End"

Colorful optical illusions. (Via Madville.)

Make your own Silly Putty. (Via Linkfilter.)

The music of Bach is disproportionately associated with "serial killers, Nazis and mad scientists" in the movies. (Via Jerk Sauce.)

Subsonic (ultra-low frequency) music can give you a major case of the heebie-jeebies. (Via Techdirt.)

It's the Law and Order coloring book! (Via Steve LaNasa.)

Scientific analysis of the "5 second rule" for food dropped on the floor. (Via Linkfilter.)

Google turns 5 years old. I personally can't imagine using the internet anymore without Google.

"Five Things I Learned From Getting Fabulously Rich Overnight" -- technology boom millionaires reflect on the effects of sudden wealth on their lives in the post-crash era. (Via Techdirt.)

"People speaking English as a second language find each other just as intelligible as they do native English speakers... The effect works regardless of the speaker's mother tongue."

Our Sun produces significant quantities of antimatter. (Via Gravity Lens.)

Cool ASCII movies.

"Prisoners' Inventions": Interesting article on the clever improvised gadgets created by prison inmates using very limited resources.

Some biological molecules exhibit quantum behaviour.

Nanotechnology researchers have created the world's smallest bucket, which can carry only a few hundred atoms.

How much money do electrical engineers make?

Translator cam: Researchers at HP have developed a slick handheld translator for foreign-language signs. Their system combines an iPaq handheld with a digital camera and a wireless internet connection. After the user snaps a picture of, say, a Russian-language street sign, the image is analyzed and the remote software generates an English-language translation.

Devout Hindus no longer need to wait in line to pray to the elephant-headed god Ganesh. Subscribers to BPL Mobile they can now make their offerings by SMS. "After the prayer, the temple sends the BPL customer a receipt, special offerings and a portrait of Ganesh."

A cloud weighs as much as 100 elephants. (Via Fark.)

Amphibious sports car. Only $235,000. (Via Techdirt.)

Some San Diego high schools are installing ATM cash machines on campus. Parents are not thrilled. (Via Obscure Store.)

"GPS device thief caught by GPS"

Customizing the Windows desktop. (Via EliteGeek.)

Spyware: Everything you ever wanted to know. (Via Linkfilter.)

How to interpret facial micro-expressions.

Fancy bottled waters may not be any more "natural" or healthy than plain old tap water. Details here. (Via IPList.)

"Mind Expanding Machines"

An armada of 29,000 rubber duckies will be invading the New England coast soon. Apparently, they were part of a toy shipment that was lost at sea between China and Seattle back in 1992, and they have managed to stay together as a group across 3 oceans for 11 years. (Via Quare.)

"An Australian biologist has come up with a theory that the Cambrian explosion was a rapidly-escalating arms race catalyzed by the development of the first creature with vision." As biologist Andrew Parker puts it, "A light switch was turned on. All animals (even those without eyes) needed to be adapted to vision before they were eaten, or before they were outwitted by their prey." (Via Transterrestrial Musings.)

Admin note: GeekPress will be taking a brief hiatus for the holiday weekend. We'll back on September 2, 2003!

"The Onion is No Joke": A serious look at why The Onion is making money. (Via Metafilter.)

The WSJ has an interesting article on spyware, mirrored here at Cryptome. On a related note, don't forget to read the funny "I Really Do Trust the Gator Corporation". (Via IPList.)

ObPoliticalSatire: "Mississippi Judge Ordered to Remove Twelve-foot Burning Cross From Courthouse"

Internet use varies widely in different parts of the country.

Computer games are good for a child's hearing.

The Great Driverless Car Race

Software engineer Dan Knights has won the world's Rubik's cube competition with a winning time of 20 seconds. (Via Ken Ogle.)

ObPoliticalPiece: Where have all the human shields gone? (contains mild profanity).

"Ya know, with all the bombings and destruction in Iraq, especially with the attacks on the infrastructure, like the oil lines, the electricity, the water...

Where the f-ck are the human shields? I thought they went there to make sure this kinda crap didn't happen. Where are the granola eating turdburgers who went bravely to pre-war Iraq and placed their bodies in harm's way so that a stray incoming round would hit them, rather than the baby milk factory?

I guess they just up and left, when they all survived the war. They need to turn right around, get their collective asses back, because someone's blowing up the water pipes and people are going thirsty. The infrastructure of Iraq is being destroyed! It's killing the chilllllllldren! Hundreds of thousands of innocents are at risk! Don't you CARE about the suffering of the Iraqi people from indiscriminant bombing and ruthless attacks? Come back! You are needed!

Bah.

The real reason is, of course, that they stand a greater risk of getting whacked by some crazed thug than getting hit by US military fire....but they knew that going in, didn't they?"

(Quote from PNIM via Neoflux.)

Some computer virus experts think that the motive behind the Sobig virus is money.

MIT's open courseware project has been a big success.

Attempted use of steganography to commit blackmail. Here is a brief description of the scheme and some anonymous commentary.

"Nano goes back to school for Ethics 101". More details here.

The toll-free number 1-800-DO-NOT-CALL is a scam according to the FTC. Somehow, the scammers got a much better number than the US government. (Via Techdirt.)

Lengthy review of the state of location-tracking software, with the obligatory discussion of privacy issues.

Where can I buy one of these powered robot suits? (Via EliteGeek.)

Tolkien movie marathon: Diana has posted a blog entry letting us know that extended editions of the first two Lord of the Rings movies will be re-released in theaters just prior to the release of the third and final film Return of the King. If you're a die-hard fan, you can also watch all three films back-to-back. I wonder what the odds are that I'll catch the flu that day and have to call in sick at work?...

The random Slashdot story generator has been revised. Check out Version 2.0 here. Hilarious! (Via BBspot.)

"A man whose sight was restored after 40 years of blindness had to shut his eyes when he began skiing again". Although he became an expert skiier when blind, when he tries to ski with his eyes open his visual system gives him a sense of "imminent collision". (Via Fark.)

How well do pop-up ads work? Depending on their timing within a browser session, they are sufficiently effective that we'll be seeing them for a while to come.

What exactly did the Architect tell Neo in Matrix 2? Here's the transcript. There's also an interesting Salon discussion on the movie. (Via Metafilter.)

Fake and real satellite images of the NYC blackout: A fake image has been making the rounds via e-mail, which looks like a Photoshop manipulation. The Snopes website has debunked it and has some pictures of the real thing.

"Robot Shows Prime Minister How to Loosen Up"

Movie watcher's guide to SWAT hand signals. There's also a so-so parody. (Via Metafilter.)

DARPA expert Robert Leheny explains why he is skeptical about the future of quantum computing. (Via Techdirt.)

Arguments for and against multiple universes theories.

How much difference will the name order make in the California governor's ballot? Quite a bit - as many as 2-6 percentage points according to this research.

"Using cellophane to convert a laptop computer screen into a three-dimensional display". (Via BBspot.)

The car that parks itself. (Via IPList.)

The next generation of physicists may be becoming too enamoured of the aesthetic beauty of a theory, and not concerned enough with whether it corresponds to the facts of reality in the form of empirical data. (Via ALDaily.)

If you surf Usenet, then Microsoft's in-house sociologist may be watching you.

Best and worst country music song titles. These are real. (Via Linkfilter.)

Spray-on nanocomputers.

Blueberry burgers?

Creatine is well known as a muscle building supplement. Recent studies show that it can also improve memory and mental performance.

Living off the grid is possible, just expensive.

The East Coast blackout as viewed from above by satellite. (Via BBspot.)

If you steal a Segway and don't want to get caught, then don't ask around on the internet for advice on how to hot-wire it. (Via Obscure Store.)

Lie detector accuracy or lack thereof.

Dave Trowbridge has a post on four possible futures of the internet.

This DNA computer plays tic-tac-toe. (Via Boing Boing.)

Casinos are using sophisticated software to catch card counters.

Will legal music copying in Canada defeat the RIAA in America?

DNA power computing.

"Galactic dust storm hits solar system".

Things I never knew about the penis: I thought the penis was merely a device to help deposit sperm. But some scientists also "believe the shape of the penis may have evolved to help men remove the semen of love rivals during sex". (Via Neoflux.)

How to spot an internet hoax.

If you're one of the few gay men who needs grooming help, there's help from "The Straight Eye for the Gay Guy". (Via Linkfilter.)

Best Nigerian 419 parody so far:

DEAR SIR/MADAM:

I AM MR. DARL MCBRIDE CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE SCO GROUP, FORMERLY KNOWN AS CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, IN LINDON, UTAH, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I KNOW THIS LETTER MIGHT SURPRISE YOUR BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS OR BUSINESS DEALINGS BEFORE NOW.

MY ASSOCIATES HAVE RECENTLY MADE CLAIM TO COMPUTER SOFTWARES WORTH AN ESTIMATED $1 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS. I AM WRITING TO YOU IN CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WE URGENTLY REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE TO OBTAIN THESE FUNDS.

IN THE EARLY 1970S THE AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION DEVELOPED AT GREAT EXPENSE THE COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE KNOWN AS UNIX. UNFORTUNATELY THE LAWS OF MY COUNTRY PROHIBITED THEM FROM SELLING THESE SOFTWARES AND SO THEIR VALUABLE SOURCE CODES REMAINED PRIVATELY HELD. UNDER A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT SOME PROGRAMMERS FROM THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY DID ADD MORE CODES TO THIS OPERATING SYSTEM, INCREASING ITS VALUE, BUT NOT IN ANY WAY TO DILUTE OR DISPARAGE OUR FULL AND RIGHTFUL OWNERSHIP OF THESE CODES, DESPITE ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH AND THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY, WHICH AGREEMENT WE DENY AND DISAVOW.

IN THE YEAR 1984 A CHANGE OF REGIME IN MY COUNTRY ALLOWED THE AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION TO MAKE PROFITS FROM THESE SOFTWARES. IN THE YEAR 1990 OWNERSHIP OF THESE SOFTWARES WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CORPORATION UNIX SYSTEM LABORATORIES. IN THE YEAR 1993 THIS CORPORATION WAS SOLD TO THE CORPORATION NOVELL. IN THE YEAR 1994 SOME EMPLOYEES OF NOVELL FORMED THE CORPORATION CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, WHICH BEGAN TO DISTRIBUTE AN UPSTART OPERATING SYSTEM KNOWN AS LINUX. IN THE YEAR 1995 NOVELL SOLD THE UNIX SOFTWARE CODES TO SCO. IN THE YEAR 2001 OCCURRED A SEPARATION OF SCO, AND THE SCO BRAND NAME AND UNIX CODES WERE ACQUIRED BY THE CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, AND IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL WAS RENAMED SCO GROUP, OF WHICH I CURRENTLY SERVE AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

MY ASSOCIATES AND I OF THE SCO GROUP ARE THEREFORE THE FULL AND RIGHTFUL OWNERS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARES KNOWN AS UNIX. OUR ENGINEERS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT NO FEWER THAN SEVENTY (70) LINES OF OUR VALUABLE AND PROPRIETARY SOURCE CODES HAVE APPEARED IN THE UPSTART OPERATING SYSTEM LINUX. AS YOU CAN PLAINLY SEE, THIS GIVES US A CLAIM ON THE MILLIONS OF LINES OF VALUABLE SOFTWARE CODES WHICH COMPRISE THIS LINUX AND WHICH HAS BEEN SOLD AT GREAT PROFIT TO VERY MANY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. OUR LEGAL EXPERTS HAVE ADVISED US THAT OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THESE CODES IS WORTH AN ESTIMATED ONE (1) BILLION U.S. DOLLARS.

UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY EXTRACTING OUR FUNDS FROM THESE COMPUTER SOFTWARES. TO THIS EFFECT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE MANDATE BY MY COLLEAGUES TO CONTACT YOU AND ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. WE ARE PREPARED TO SELL YOU A SHARE IN THIS ENTERPRISE, WHICH WILL SOON BE VERY PROFITABLE, THAT WILL GRANT YOU THE RIGHTS TO USE THESE VALUABLE SOFTWARES IN YOUR BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE NOT ABLE AT THIS TIME TO SET A PRICE ON THESE RIGHTS. THEREFORE IT IS OUR RESPECTFUL SUGGESTION, THAT YOU MAY BE IMMEDIATELY A PARTY TO THIS ENTERPRISE, BEFORE OTHERS ACCEPT THESE LUCRATIVE TERMS, THAT YOU SEND US THE NUMBER OF A BANKING ACCOUNT WHERE WE CAN WITHDRAW FUNDS OF A SUITABLE AMOUNT TO GUARANTEE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS ENTERPRISE. AS AN ALTERNATIVE YOU MAY SEND US THE NUMBER AND EXPIRATION DATE OF YOUR MAJOR CREDIT CARD, OR YOU MAY SEND TO US A SIGNED CHECK FROM YOUR BANKING ACCOUNT PAYABLE TO "SCO GROUP" AND WITH THE AMOUNT LEFT BLANK FOR US TO CONVENIENTLY SUPPLY.

KINDLY TREAT THIS REQUEST AS VERY IMPORTANT AND STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. I HONESTLY ASSURE YOU THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% LEGAL AND RISK-FREE.

(Via GMSV.)