spooky yet interesting.
http://gizmodo.com/5465133/darpas-latest-project-synthetic-creatures-that-can-never-die

i got a jumpsuit for when i need to be gettin' dirty, or for loungin' around the house on weekends.
i got a drill for drillin'.
i got a bundaberg ginger beer for drinkin', probably the best soda i've ever had.

good news in the land of bryan today. after a couple of years of gathering dust in the garage in a half-finished edward scissorhandsian state, my home brew roomba is complete. i've wanted to build a robot since i was a kid, so i did a bit of learning and tinkering and built one. it took a bit longer than i would have liked due to "real life", but other than that i'm happy with how it turned out. now i just have to write up a project page on my site.

i like things that are old-timey, tactile, and utilitarian. a perfect example would be switches and buttons, especially in cars. they're being killed off in favor of touchscreens. sure, you can do more with a touchscreen rather than dedicated buttons, but i like the design and safety of the old fashioned way. when you're piloting two tons of metal at 70mph, always seconds from death, touchscreens require you to look away from the road to figure out where you're supposed to push. if you have one touch screen and it changes every time you go to a new function (radio, heating, video, gps, etc) there's no easy way to know exactly where to press to get the result you want without taking your eyes off the road and flipping through menus. i think ideally we would have a mix of both, and not just put everything on the touchscreen for the sake of gee-whiz technology or having a cooler car than your neighbor.
http://jalopnik.com/5444433/on-the-passing-of-buttons-and-switches

eating gumbo made by a buddy who's an authentic louisianan. wow. it's damn good. thanks elliot!

it's comforting to know that even in 2800 BC society looked like it was going to collapse. maybe government and children always have been and always will be corrupt. maybe we're not on a down hilll slide, this is just the way it is.

"An Assyrian clay tablet dating to around 2800 B.C. bears the inscription: “Our Earth is degenerate in these later days; there are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents; every man wants to write a book and the end of the world is evidently approaching.”
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/69901492.html#%23ixzz0aAasJbUf

as much as i hate stereotypical hollywood movies, i can't help but like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh0bLHnmG4M

remember biosphere? not the movie starring pauly shore, but the building that was supposed to simulate a self-sustaining mini earth in a space ship? turns out it failed and is slowly rotting. check out the pictures near the end of this article.
http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/remnants-of-biosphere.html

more info at wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosphere_2