A neat exhibit of Soviet architecture of the 30s through the 50s that never made it off the drawing board. Watch that space, as was just boingboinged and may be overwhelmed for a while.

TheBarqsMan (see also here) has given me the bad news regarding my earlier quest for a local source of caffeine-free Barq’s. He says

the only distributor of Caffeine-Free Barqs [is] Swire Coca-Cola in Salt Lake City, Utah. They distribute to all of Utah, Northern AZ and a few places in Idaho and Washington.

And checking their territory map leads me to the sad conclusion that they don’t bring the stuff any closer than the Tri-Cities.
Thanks, TheBarqsMan!

As you can verify using YaGoohoogle, for high-hit topics such as finger waves and Saint Sarah, Yahoo thinks much more highly of our Collective efforts than Google. If I hadn’t stubbed out rds.yahoo.com in my hosts file (to kill a bunch of Yahoo ads), I’d probably switch to Yahoo search myself.

I finally tried out podcasting, mostly because Le Show is now available in this format (but without the music! Dang!). Here’s a list of more public radio podcasts. Now the torture that is Weekend America can last all week. Ugh.

I’m back from vacation, semi-refreshed, with more chores to catch up on than ever. As a part of cleaning out my old magazines (I was able to part with Might, Giant Robot, Saveur, and ReadyMade but not Fortean Times. How I love thee, FT), here are some links that seem to still be live, taken from ReadyMade which, like Budget Living, seems to be a rich source of interesting web links. I don’t totally get this.

Lindsay’s Technical Books has lots of old-school do-it-yourself stuff like smelting or making charcoal.
Kikkerland keeps popping up in my peripheral vision.
I still want an Indian scooter or autorickshaw from Bajaj.

and one dead link: MimiBunny

Ever since the other person who lives at my house told me about it, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the arrow in the FedEx logo. It’s genius, or maybe just inevitable:

Update: here’s an interview with the creator, in which he answers several of my questions.

The BBC has a rundown of five actors deemed likely to play the next Doctor. Here’s my take on their picks:

David Tennant: too fey (or maybe it’s just the photo they used)

Bill Nighy: too old

Richard E Grant: too famous

David Thewlis: no opinion (possibly too actory, but Eccleston seems to have done okay)

Alan Davies: could be

And what about my favorite, Eddie Izzard?

Yes, you can laugh at dated 70’s Ozark tourism, or you can gape in awe at its present day splendor!

Not only is history being made, but you can watch the process online: Bhutan’s first constitution is in the making! When one writes a constitution these days, one has to be far more specific (electronic communication, the environment, torture and so forth), but one is still able to soar to inspirational heights:
“The State shall strive to promote those circumstances that will enable the successful pursuit of Gross National Happiness.”

Unfortunately, my unfamiliarity with Bhutanese culture results in some passages sounding a bit like science fiction:
“The title to the Golden Throne of Bhutan shall vest in the legitimate descendants of His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck as enshrined in the inviolable and historic Gyenja of the Thirteenth Day, Eleventh Month of the Earth Monkey Year, corresponding to the Seventeenth Day of December, Nineteen Hundred and Seven”

Let us all strive for Gross National Happiness!

Foods That Will Win the War and How to Cook Them, from 1918 advises:
1. Buy it with thought
2. Cook it with care
3. Serve just enough
4. Save what will keep
5. Eat what would spoil
6. Home-grown is best

Don’t waste it!