distractedbyathing.net

Following on from yesterday’s inspired Dilbert is today’s XKCD strip.

XKCD on Server Naming

✒More on Spike Milligan. Jim McLean emails: “I was in Spike’s office in the mid- 60s with Dominic Behan. Someone in the office asked him what was the population of London. Spike opened the window, looked out and started counting, ‘one, two, three …’”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/mar/19/simon-hoggarts-week-japan

Today’s Dilbert referenced the quote: “it’s turtles all the way down!” which I couldn’t remember the origin of.

Dilbert Feb 7th 2011

Wikipedia says:

The most widely known version appears in Stephen Hawking’s 1988 book A Brief History of Time, which starts:

A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.” The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on?” “You’re very clever, young man, very clever”, said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!”^[1]

The origins of the turtle story are uncertain.

The quote makes me smile, the story enhances it.

This amazing public transport plan from China (found via slashdot)

China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under

http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/02/china-to-build-ginormous-buses-that-cars-can-drive-under-video/

Reminds me of the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro.

Looking geek chic, Computer Engineer Barbie® wears a t-shirt featuring binary code and computer/keyboard icon along with a pair of black knit skinny pants. Computer Engineer carries a Barbie® smart phone, fashionable laptop case, flat watch and Bluetooth earpiece. With stylish pink-frame glasses and a shiny laptop, she is ready to conquer the day’s tasks on the go or from her desk.

via Computer Engineer Barbie coming soon to a toy store near you • The Register.

Lovely – real fans will spot all the references:

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL—NASA officials announced today the successful launch of the new shuttle Moonage Daydream, marking the beginning of a long-anticipated two-week conceptual mission inspired by British rock star David Bowie.

From The Onion

Funny – via Martin Kelner’s Guardian column:

[set on a british inter-city train] a passenger gets a cappuccino, a cheese and tomato sandwich, a packet of crisps and a Kit Kat and hands over payment, saying: ”I’m sorry, I’ve only got a twenty-pound note.”

The buffet car steward replies: “Well, you’d better put the Kit Kat back then.”

The column also discusses ESPN’s “Free View Weekend”. I watched (some of) their coverage of the Milan Derby. An eventful and quite interesting game. I don’t understand why anyone would want to PAY FOR a subscription though… especially when they subject you to long (4+ minutes?) of ads in the breaks. Pay a subscription and still get bombarded with (stupid!) adverts – How is that supposed to appeal?

This is from last summer -  but I just bumped into it.

A comprehensive list – many I know and remember fondly – many which escaped me till now (e.g. No 2 “Christian the Lion” – how had i missed that?).

It’s hard to argue against the “Star Wars Kid” being at No 1.. but my favourite is still probably “David After Dentist” (No 7 – if you only watch one… watch that one).

A good list with useful contextual commentary too.

The 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos [Full List] – Urlesque.