Find your first computer at the Computer History Museum

Fun.  See your old Commodore 64 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

Official website of the Computer History Museum

Stop! Hammertime!

World’s largest skateboarding ramp

Somebody is compensating for something…<wink, wink>

Another great submission from Father Abraham, a former skateboarder that nearly soiled himself up watching this clip.

From The Onion: Typo In Proposition 8 Defines Marriage As Between ‘One Man And One Wolfman’

December 17, 2008 | Issue 44•51

SACRAMENTO, CA—Activists on both sides of the gay marriage debate were shocked this November, when a typographical error in California’s Proposition 8 changed the state constitution to restrict marriage to a union between “one man and one wolfman,” instantly nullifying every marriage except those comprised of an adult male and his lycanthrope partner. “The people of California made their voices heard today, and reaffirmed our age-old belief that the only union sanctioned in God’s eyes is the union between a man and another man possessed by an ungodly lupine curse,” state Sen. Tim McClintock said at a hastily organized rally celebrating passage of the new law. But opponents, including Bakersfield resident Patricia Millard—who is now legally banned from marrying her boyfriend, a human, non-wolfman male—claim it infringes on their civil liberties. “I love James just as much as a wolfman loves his husband,” Millard said. “We deserve the same rights as any horrifying mythical abomination.” On the heels of the historic typo, voters in Utah passed a similar referendum a week later, defining marriage as between one man and 23 wolfmen.

Courtesy of Jon via The Onion

Nostalgia from 1941-California Alligator farm which had an alligator petting zoo.

Seems safe enough…for someone else’s kids at least.

Police say “No mooning!” to 8,000 gathered at Laguna Niguel for an annual tradition

Mooning Amtrak Trains, Southern California, USA-official website of the event

Police were called out to break up the annual “mooning” of Amtrak trains in Laguna Niguel on Saturday when the crowd grew to 8,000 and many began baring more than just their behinds.

“We had some mooners and some female flashers and some people who were nude altogether,” said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “There was also lots of drinking. We felt that it was in the public’s interest to shut it down.”

Mooners, flashers and others dispersed peacefully about 3 p.m. and there were no arrests, Amormino said. More than 50 officers responded from several police agencies, backed up by helicopters.

Some participants were angered by the police response.

“What was the point of stopping people from enjoying themselves when they were under control?” asked Robert Zoellner, 47, a first-time mooner from Mission Viejo. “Everybody was getting along.”

(pic from past year’s event)

Some participants returned to a mile-long stretch of festivities after police left, and newcomers arrived throughout the afternoon. Into the evening, revelers continued to moon the trains that passed about every 20 minutes.

The crowd, which included children with their parents as well as middle-aged adults — stood on the shoulder of a road parallel to the tracks to show themselves. The sideshow included barbecues, T-shirt sales and RV parties.

“It’s so liberating it’s contagious,” said Steve Bartolo, 39, of Costa Mesa. “You just wait until that next train goes by . . . I can’t stop.”

The 29-year-old event is said to have started when a patron at the nearby Mugs Away Saloon in the 27000 block of Camino Capistrano offered to buy drinks for any of his buddies who would run out to the tracks and bare their bottoms for the next passing train. Many did, and the tradition was born.

Usually held the second Saturday in July, the event begins early in the morning and continues into the night.

Though it has no official sponsors and free beer is no longer provided, it does have a website.

“The truth is I never heard of it until today,” Amormino said. “This is probably the first time it’s gotten out of hand.”

“It’s a good thing they were mooning trains,” Amormino said, “because if it were cars I’m sure it would cause” an accident. “I guess a few people wrecked it for everybody.”

Source

(pic. from previous year’s event)

California initiative seeks to legalize marijuana for everyone. Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg vow to tour California indefinitely.

There is an initiative in the works that could end up on the November ballot that allows for marijuana to be sold to anyone, and anywhere that already sells alcohol. Its being called The Inalienable Rights Enforcement Initiative.

More here

Full text of initative

Should Madison, WI ban drivethroughs?

This is the question asked by Mike Ivey, writer for The Capital Times, asks. Here’s what a member of the Madison Planning Commission has to say.

“Given the concern about all the carbon going into the atmosphere, I’m not sure we should be building more places for people to sit idling in their cars,” says Eric Sundquist, who was appointed to the citizen panel by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz this spring.

“Bans haven’t gotten as far in the U.S., although I know San Luis Obispo, Calif., has one,” he says.

More lunacy here.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Huntington Beach (allegedly) refuses to allow child access to bathroom; child has diarrhea in front of them

Chocolate store employees refuse to let a 5 yr. old child use the restroom, Hershey’s squirts ensue. As someone that has Crohn’s disease, I feel for this little kid. How about a little compassion? Read more about this story and an investigation by The Consumerist.

A reader writes: “Last night we were out with friends and went to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at Bella Terra/Huntington Beach. We were eating outside as my 5 year old daughter got an uncontrollable urge to use the bathroom and began crying and screaming ‘diarrhea, diarrhea.’ I ran into the store with her in my arms, begging to use the bathroom and they refused multiple times.”

I explained she had diarrhea and couldn’t hold it and told them she was about to go on the floor. They refused again and never offered me any alternatives. I begged them to have a heart and that she was 5 but by that time she had lost it all over herself and me. I ran with her in my arms to the movie theater that let me use their bathroom. I cleaned her up, threw out some of her clothes and went back to the Chocolate Factory – asking for names and number of management. I again pleaded with them to use their heart in situations like this.

I called the manager today and she finally called me back. She supports the employees and tells me that it is an insurance decision. She told me to sue if it makes me feel happy. She laughed at me when I told her I would be using my extensive contacts to begin a viral campaign to boycott her store and the entire chain and told me that she was “sure that would make my daughter very proud.” My daughter was humiliated, forced to defecate on herself due to the lack of compassion exhibited by the store – which the owner continued to support on the phone with me. I don’t want anything, I just want them to have a bit of compassion in the future.

Store contact info.
Store email

RoboGames 2008 going on as we speak

Unless you’re Michael Bay can you ever go wrong with combat robots? Geeks come up with some awesome stuff.

Source and more info. found at RoboGames (formerly ROBOlympics).

RoboGames is the world’s largest open robot competition (even the Guinness Book of World Records says so!) We invite the best minds from around the world to compete in over 70 different events. Combat robots, walking humanoids, soccer bots, sumo bots, and even androids that do kung-fu. Some robots are autonomous, some are remote controlled – but they’re all cool! As an open event, anyone can compete – this means you.

This is the only event in the world that both Geeks and Jocks agree on:

The Best Ten North American Geek Fests – Wired Magazine
SportCenter’s Top Ten – ESPN SportsCenter

Watch our Videos to see how cool RoboGames is! No matter what your favorite robot sport is, the best bots in the world come to San Francisco every June. The stands are filled with people watching 340 pound robots shoot flames and smash into each other, androids cart-wheeling down the soccer field, and even Canadians with hockey playing robots.

Watch this video shot at the 2006 RoboGames to get a good idea of how crazy this competition is.