Ana Marie Cox to leave Wonkette?

Apparently, the Roberts decision isn't the only announcement we'll be waiting for in September. Harry Jaffe of the Washingtonian is reporting that Ana Marie Cox is one of four finalists for the WaPo's "Reliable Source" gossip columnist position.

We'll be sad to see her leave Wonkette, of course, as we're quite sure the WaPo will not let her..um..insert nearly as many jokes about anal sex into her column, but we can appreciate her desire to move on to bigger and brighter (and better paying) things.

(We also notice from The Antic Muse that she's currently reading Harry Potter which makes us feel so much better about having to walk into KramerBooks and ask someone for a copy when we couldn't find it anywhere on the shelves. Actually, we had a friend ask for it while we hid our face behind an opened copy of a Chuck Palahniuk hardback, but then we had to pay for it ourself and the gig was up!)

Sun-averse malcontents get bent

Computer security conference aims to erase stereotypes...

But in line with its anarchic reputation, organizers have made a parody of their own security arrangements, asking attendees to screen their own belongings at an unmanned baggage scanner. Rubber gloves for a "do-it-yourself body cavity search" are provided free of charge.

...by creating new stereotypes of the nerdy pervert obsessed with anal! Woohoo!

Geeks gather at 'What The Hack' [CNN]

Because you asked so nicely...

TiVo, based in Alviso, California, has announced plans to insert symbols that identify advertisers during commercial breaks, making them more visible even when a customer is fast forwarding through them.

TiVo to encourage viewers to watch commercials [CNN]

Up next, Hostess announces plans to encourage children to eat their broccoli.

Special deliveries

Hollywood star Harrison Ford or musician Moby could soon be turning up on US doorsteps to personally deliver Amazon products as part of the online vendor's 10th birthday celebration.

The world's biggest Internet retailer said that for 10 days from Wednesday, randomly selected customers across the United States will open their doors to find more than they were expecting when they placed their order.

Each special delivery will be webcast on Amazon.com and the celebrations will climax on July 16, when the site will show live performances by Bob Dylan and Norah Jones.

Now we all know that one of the glorious things about Amazon is its ability to allow people to shop for and receive deliveries of goods while still in one's pajamas, so this just seemed like a surefire recipe for disaster to me. I've been waiting to see these train wrecks webcasts of people, unshowered and wearing ratty tank tops and sweatpants, opening their doors to Hollywood celebrities, wondering who would be more surprised.

Unfortunately, it looks like they really cherry picked the delivery locales - Manhattan and Chelsea in NYC, Hollywood and Beverly Hills in Cali, Martha's Vineyard, Jackson Hole. Where's the fun in that?? (I have to say after watching a couple of them, though, that you can still delight in the fact that no one really seemed to know what the whole point of the thing was. Also, I would hate Amazon if they did that to me.)

Amazon promises special celeb deliveries for 10th anniversary [Yahoo News]

Cell phone common sense

Cell phone service disabled in New York tunnels
Authorities fear terrorists could use devices to set off bombs

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

NEW YORK (AP) -- Cell phone service was disabled inside the four tunnels leading into Manhattan after the terrorist bombings in London, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg questioned Monday whether the move "makes the most sense."

Cell phones have been used to detonate explosives in Madrid and elsewhere.

Now the problem with this is how exactly cell phones were used to set off the bombs.

In the Madrid explosions, alarms in cells phones were set on vibration, which sent electric impulses to the copper detonators connected to the explosives, Spanish authorities said.

Turning off cell service isn't going to stop a phone from having an alarm set to vibrate.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics

The latest Pew Internet and American Life Project study contains this nifty little statistic:

• 81% of internet users say they have stopped opening email attachments unless they are sure these documents are safe.

Um, yeah. I think a more accurate statistic would go something like this:

• 70% of internet users now know not to admit opening unsafe email attachments.


• 10% of internet users have stopped opening email attachments unless they are sure these attachments are safe; however, their definition of safe is probably a little wonky.


• 1% of internet have truly stopped opening unsafe email attachments.

Also, left out of the report was this statistic:

• 89% of internet users report clicking willingly and often on anything containing the words "naked" or "free."

Wireless Power Supplies

So about a week or so ago, I was having a conversation in which I made this statement, "What we really need to do is focus our efforts and attention on coming up with a wireless power supply." My remarks were met with a "don't be silly/crazy" look.

Well guess what I JUST read in June's Discover magazine?

R&D - Moving $pirits
By Anne Casselman
DISCOVER Vol. 26 No. 06 June 2005

Last year’s $10 million Ansari X Prize to the first nongovernmental team to launch a rocket into space has inspired two spin-offs:

• Centennial Challenges - NASA has added two contests to stimulate exploration of the solar system, both aimed at developing a space elevator (see Discover, July 2004). The Tether Challenge dares teams to develop superstrong string, while the Beam Power Challenge encourages ideas for transmitting power wirelessly. Each has a purse of $50,000. NASA hopes to spend $80 million on technology prizes over the next five years.

HA! So I'm only as silly/crazy as those guys over at NASA trying to build a space elevator.

Beijing clinic ministers to online addicts

Beijing clinic ministers to online addicts:

A soft-spoken 21-year-old man from northeastern Heilongjiang province who had been in the clinic for 10 days said his addiction had helped him escape from family pressures about his studies.

"I would stay up for 24 hours. I would eat only in front of the computer," he said.

I'm guessing they would say drinking while blogging qualifies as a problem, as well. Someone better schedule that intervention for Ana Marie Cox.