Social Explorer

Social Explorer is dedicated to providing demographic information in an easily understood format, data maps. We serve hundreds of interactive data maps of United States.
Here, you can visually analyze and understand the demography of the U.S., explore your neighborhood and learn about the people that live around you.

This is amazingly addictive. I just popped in to take a look and relized I had been looking for an hour. Above is a map showing education percentages for the U.S below High School level for 2000. They have all sorts of stuff. Race, income, education, population (and more) all the way back to 1910 an zoomable down the the census zone level. Very cool.

Logitech® MX™518 Gaming-Grade™ Optical Mouse

• Award-winning Logitech® MX™ Optical Engine
• Image Processing: 5.8 megapixels/second
• “On-the-fly” sensitivity adjustment to 1,600, 800, and 400-dpi resolution
• Resolution: 1600-dpi native, adjustable to 400- and 800-dpi
• 5.8 megapixel/second image processing
• Up to 15 g of acceleration
• Throughput: 16 bit/axis USB data format, and 125/sec USB report rate
• Advanced gaming software, exclusive to Gaming-Grade™ mice, for up to five custom sensitivity settings
• Super-slick gaming feet for effortless, precise tracking
• Contoured grip ensures peak performance and comfort—even in the most intense gaming sessions
• Three-year warranty

Basically the same mouse as the Logitech 510 (Awsome mouse btw)with 2 exceptions. 1. Doesn't come in the pimpin' metallic red color that I have. 2. Has on the fly hardware adjustment for the dpi rate. Being a way l33t sn1p3r d00d (for the non-l33t that means elite sniper dood or "Fucking camper" as many gamers refer to us) , this is a feature I'd like to see take off. Imagine using the insane 1600 dpi to twitch your way past all the rambo's and then dial it down to 400 dpi for max precision once you achieve your uber sniper spot. Brilliant!

Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It...

Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It...
Found this one off of Lifehacker. I was gonna post the link but decided to copy the whole thing. Mostly because the blog will send it to my email account automagically. But I also figured there should be as many copies of this floating around as possible.

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they’re well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are... plus, I’ve never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.

2.) They’re useful. In this tech-savvy world, it’s great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.

3.) They’re more romantic than they’re given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such... but hey. It lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like ‘em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like ‘em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

5.) They’ve got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it’ll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they’re more attentive than guys who “have more options”. Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they’ll likely have mental lists of all the things they’d love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.

7.) Sex. Yep. Sex. I’m not really familiar with this myself, but I’ve friends who’ve been intimate with geek guys and it’s raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra... all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.

8.) They’re relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you’re not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

9.) Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won’t have to worry much about your geek guy getting his “groove” on with club hotties because, frankly, he’ll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won’t have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he’ll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I’ve seen this happen.
Me: “Eww. Victoria Secret’s Models... They’re so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!”
Geek Guy: “ooooooo...”
Me: “Hey!” *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
Geek Guy: “What?”
Me: “Never mind...”

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you’ll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he’ll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn’t want to go someplace with you, you won’t have to worry much about what he’s up to. You’ll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It’s ok. He’s used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

11.) His friends aren’t jerks. I can’t stress this enough. You’ll more likely get “Omg! A GIRL!! Can I see?!” than “Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on...” They’re awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code... a geek can dream).

12.) They’re rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won’t care. He does too! They won’t get pissy if you don’t wear make-up or don’t want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won’t try their best to make you feel like crap.

13.) They’re usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won’t have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he’ll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce...

14.) You’ll almost never have to hear, “Yaw dawg whazzap!!” plop out of their mouths. Unless it’s in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get “wasted”, so you won’t have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps...

15.) And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that’s a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than “DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!!” Believe me.

Of course, the appalling part is how accurate some of the stereotypes are. Especially number 7. Woot!

CENSORED: Wal-Mart attempts to silence parody website

CENSORED: Wal-Mart attempts to silence parody website

For several days in April, this address, www.walmart-foundation.org, hosted a parody of the Wal-Mart Foundation's website. I created a derivative work by changing all of the text and several of the images from the original site. The goal was to make the site look like it could be a real site from a company like Wal-Mart, but have text that was so ridiculous that anyone who read it would realize that it was absurd. If anyone believed it to be a real Wal-Mart site, that is only a testament to the degree of absurdity that exists within corporate America today.
Because the United States still recognizes the right of people to free speech - it hasn't been struck down (yet) as anticompetitive by the WTO - Wal-Mart knew they couldn't go after me for my criticism. So Wal-Mart's high-powered attorneys went after me for copyright violation, threatening the people who were hosting my site with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Way to go Walmart! Instead of logging 12 hits a month this site is going to shoot to a million. Honsetly, don't these idiots understand when you tell people don't look the first thing they do is look? Here is a link to the newly censored site (all the walmart images have been replace by big censored by walmart images). Hope this kid got an A, the site is hilarious.

Sunbeam Silver 20 in 1 Superior Panel: CrazyPC Computers

Description

The Sunbeam 20-in-1 Superior Panel is a multi-function 5.25" panel that combines card readers, fan control, and I/O Port Functionality in a single unit.

Features

Card Reader Features

1. High-Speed USB 2.0
2. All 4 memory-slots are active which enables the transfer of data between memory cards
3. Supports CF type I/II, Micro drive, MS, MS PRO, MS DUO PRO, MS DUO, SD, MMC, SM, up to 480Mbits/sec transferring Speed 4.
4. Plug & play and Hot Swapping
5. LED Indication for Power & Access
6. Supports Windows 98/98SE/2000/XP and Mac OS 9.x/Mac OS

Fan Controller Features

1. LCD for temperature and RPM display
2. 2-Channel Fan RPM control with 2 temperature sensors. Uses thin style etemperature probes
3. Overheat alarm
4. Fan failure alarm
5. Input 12V +/-10%, Output 4-12V +/-10% (max output 10 watts per channel)
6. Temperature units displayed in Celsius or Fahrenheit
7. Support M/B detection: external signal wire

I/O Port Features

1. 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
2. 1 x IEEE1394 Firewire Port
3. Audio line-out, line-in, and Mic Ports
4. 1 x Composite video output
5. 2 x SATA ports for use with external hard drive

I'm really only posting this so I can remember to look for it when I build the new PC. However, you might want to take a look for your next PC. Every connection under the sun and it looks quite snarky (ha ha! I used snarky twice in one month!)

Corset piercing

The corset piercing is most popular for performance art and fetish events, and is almost always removed immediately afterward. They usually can’t heal properly because they are a surface piercing in an area prone to rejection and they use a type of jewelry that isn’t really suitable for permanent use in the area. More recently, the term corset piercing has been used to encompass any kind of paired, laddered piercings that can then be laced together.

Well, I'm damaged so I thought I would share.

Fire - Can of Coke and a chocolate bar

Tracker Trail - Fire - Can of Coke and a chocolate bar

Yes, you CAN make a fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar!
This idea was originally proposed by Andre Bourbeau to Rob Bicevskis about 6 years ago. I don't know if he is the one that came up with it in the first place. Thanks to Rob for bringing this method to my attention.
To make fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar is actually quite easy, and you don't need any tools.

Awesome! Perfect for those lame corporate team building survival crap. I don't know about you, but I had to to this rafting thing for team building and list out items in order of importance and what to grab as the stupid raft floated down the river. As a side note, suggesting that a few of your team have "accidents" along the way to stretch the food supply is not very well received. :)

The "classical holy grail" or unholy hype?

The "classical holy grail" or unholy hype?

Of course I was excited, but the story rang a few alarm bells. First, as I mentioned above, I'm reading some of these texts in class with papyrologist David Martinez, who specializes in Egyptian papyri and would be one of the first people to know if there were any major breakthroughs coming out. Usually, rumors of any really big news in this fairly obscure field circulates through a very small grapevine before bubbling up into the mainstream media. Surely work as earth-shattering as that described in the news article wouldn't be totally unknown to the rest of the papyrology field, and if my professor did know about it then it certainly would've gotten a mention by now.

More for Ebbie. Since mt expertise in archeology is limited to uncovering petrified fruit snacks left by the rugrats, I shall defer to Ebbie on this one.

Pottymouth T-shirts for Punk(ers') Babies

With slogans like "I'm just here for the welfare checks" and "I started as an orgasm," (and those are the ones you can show Grandma) PottyMouth™ (don't forget the "™") is meant to be an in-your-face alternative to dressing your kid as your Mini-me, or in ubiquitous Gap clonewear.
It's supposed to be authentic punk-for-babies, but how you keep it out of the hands of poseurs and trailer trash is beyond me.

Oh man! These shirts are awsome! They ain't kiddin' that those are the tame ones. My favorite is the "I'm proof my mom likes to fuck".

Senator backing marriage amendment getting divorce

WSMV- Nashville Channel 4 News Senator backing marriage amendment getting divorce

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A state senator sponsoring a constitutional amendment aimed at "solemnizing the relationship of one man and one woman" is accused in a divorce case of cheating on his wife.
State Sen. Jeff Miller, a Republican from Cleveland, is accused of "inappropriate marital conduct" in a divorce complaint filed Feb. 25 in Bradley County.

Well, I think the irony here is self explanatory.

we make money not art: Security guard robots for school kids

Japanese company Secom has released the "SECOM School Security," a system which monitors kids using RFID tags while they are commuting to and from school but also uses robots (the good old "smoking robots") that move around and monitor school properties. The robots can also "scare" suspicious people by fast movements, light and smoke.
The system includes surveillance cameras and metal detectors installed at school gates. RFID tags are attached to KoKo Secom Terminals (carried by kids) which will be read at school gates and elesewhere. Parents receive status of kid's commute on their cell phones. KoKo Secom terminals also has a GPS functionality that track kids' whereabouts outside school properties.

Gps tracking jacket for kiddies now comes with accessories. Now if the would just integrate the shock collar they would cover all the bases.

Decoded at last: the 'classical holy grail' that may rewrite the history of the world

News

For more than a century, it has caused excitement and frustration in equal measure - a collection of Greek and Roman writings so vast it could redraw the map of classical civilisation. If only it was legible.
Now, in a breakthrough described as the classical equivalent of finding the holy grail, Oxford University scientists have employed infra-red technology to open up the hoard, known as the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, and with it the prospect that hundreds of lost Greek comedies, tragedies and epic poems will soon be revealed.

This one is for Ebbie.

Quantum Wires

Slashdot | Quantum Wires

"Room temperature superconductors have often been a hallmark of far-future science fiction. But fortunately for us, they're here today, according to MIT's Technology Review. Richard Smalley, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for the discovery of the buckyball, is currently heading a project to produce a prototype carbon nanotube superconductor. They've already produced some wires up to 100 meters long--the only thing left to do is figure out how to produce only a certain type of nanotube, the "5,5 armchair nanotube," that conducts so well that it can be considered a superconductor."

I love them nanotubes.

ThinkGeek :: Swiss Memory USB

# The ultimate geek multi-tool
# USB storage in a beautiful Swiss Army knife design
# Available in 1 GB, 512MB, 256MB, 128MB or 64MB capacity
# USB Flash Drive (easily detachable)
# Includes: Red LED light, ballpoint pen, knife, scissors, file with screwdriver, keyring
# Flash drive is USB powered, no external power supply required
# LED blinks to indicate read/write activity
# Works with Windows 98/SE/2000/ME/XP, MAC OS 9.x or above, Linux 2.4 or above
# USB 1.1/2.0 interface
# Legendary Swiss Army quality construction and materials
# Red LED light uses a single CR 1025 battery (included)
# Comes with USB cable (1 meter length)
# Size: 2.4" length x .75" wide x .6" height
# Weight: 1.2 oz (33 g)

Now available in 1GB! Want, want, want.....

UltraSmart Advanced Trainer 1000 yards

UltraSmart Advanced Trainer 1000 yards

* Dog Size -- 12-220lbs
* Collar Range -- 1000 Yards
* Stimulation Levels -- 15
* Collar Receiver -- 2 oz
* Waterproof Collar Receiver
* Collar Charging Station Included
* Tone Option
* Instant 2 Level Boost

Perfect for training the children! Hot saucing (granted it is endorsed by Blair from the Facts of Life) is soooo low tech. Move into the technological age and show'em the Real wrath of the Almighty. God's favorite means of smiting unbelievers available on demand. With 15 levels and Instant 2 level boost teach you children to respect thier elders in an afternoon.

Sony wants you to use the PIT-IN for MD external storage?

Sony wants you to use the PIT-IN for MD external storage?

We all like to think MiniDisc is dead on this side of the planet, but Sony’s still holding stalwartly to pressing the medium in their homeland, and PIT-IN’s the name of their latest format gimmick (which we totally should have seen come out forever ago). Basically it completely forgoes the whole music thing and just uses that USB 1.1 connection to turn standard and Hi-MD media into, you guessed it, straight external data storage (of 305MB and 1GB, that is).

Haahahaheehehe. Sony is just killin' me. Somebody at Sony is REALLY attached to the MD. Minidisc good idea! You try again! Note to Sony: Nobody wants your shitty-ass minidisc, people want to play Mp3's on thier portable players, and your memory stick sucks.

Perpendicular Hard Drive Music Video

Perpendicular Hard Drive Music Video : Gizmodo

OMG, it’s School House Rock for hard drives! We missed this last week, but if you can watch this with a straight face, full with the knowledge that it’s produced by Hitachi, there might be something seriously wrong with you. Especially when the bits start singing “Get Perpendicular!” Either way, it’s quite possibly the most accessible White Paper I’ve ever seen, and does a great job explaining pernpendicular data storage as a way to counteract the super-paramagnetic effect. IBM would have never done something this cool.

OMFG! This is hilarious!

Buck The Animated Deer

Things You Never Knew Existed : Buck The Animated Deer (#29980)

Life-Size 10 Point Buck Sings, Dances, And Moves To The Beat. Let Buck be the life of the party as he moves and grooves to the music. Mount him on the wall and let your friends admire your hunting skills. Then click the wireless remote... and get ready! Enjoy their stunned surprise and side-splitting laughter as Buck belts out songs like "Rawhide," "Friends in Low Places," and "Sweet Home Alabama" while his head bobs, his mouth moves exactly to the words, and his ears wiggle to the beat. Use the included wireless microphone to join the song karaoke style -- or watch his mouth move as you entertain your guests by speaking through the microphone! Buck looks incredible in your den or bar and adds flawless animation for party memories that will last a lifetime. Includes Buck with removable antlers, wireless microphone (uses 9 volt battery, not included), remote control (uses 3 "AAA" batteries, not included), mounting bracket and hardware, and DC adapter. MeasuresH 36.0" X D 21.0" X W 18.0."

What? You thought I was kidding?

Generate Light: Trophy Lamp

Generate Light: Trophy Lamp

A new take on a cultural icon, this limited edition, hand-molded resin lamp is also a striking piece of art.
Price: US$3299

Think the inflatable Deer Head just doesn't say "classy"? Well, here is the solution for you! For a paltry $3300 you can really add some class to your pad. Side note: I have found the new informal theme for the blog. Wall mountable animal heads!

Visiball Golf Ball Finder - Wraparound Glasses

Gizmos for Geeks | Visiball Golf Ball Finder - Wraparound Glasses

Voted Best New Product 2005 PGA Merchandise Show! Stop wasting time and money looking for your wayward golf balls. Instead, slip on patented Visiball™ lenses. They block out most ambient colors and the light reflected off a white golf ball is emphasized, allowing a "lost" ball to stand out — almost like it's glowing under a black light!

Useful gear for Baa's new habit...err...hobby.

RFID PASSPORT: "SHOOT ME!"

Defense Tech: RFID PASSPORT: "SHOOT ME!"

s security expert Bruce Schneier writes on his blog: "Unfortunately, RFID chips can be read by any reader, not just the ones at passport control. The upshot of this is that travelers carrying around RFID passports are broadcasting their identity. Think about what that means for a minute. It means that passport holders are continuously broadcasting their name, nationality, age, address and whatever else is on the RFID chip. It means that anyone with a reader can learn that information, without the passport holder's knowledge or consent. It means that pickpockets, kidnappers and terrorists can easily -- and surreptitiously -- pick Americans or nationals of other participating countries out of a crowd."

I read about the rfid in the passports a while ago and I have to admit I totally missed it. I knew it sounded like a bad idea but couldn't put my finger on why. Domestic abuses would be bad enough but you use these to go to other countries. Granted, Americans are insanely popular in other countries right now, but that could change. What? Oh, those death to America signs are just propaganda put out by the liberal media to discredit the current administration. Note to self: Buy lead lined passport wallet.

Fun things to do to your coworkers when they go on vacation. My favorite!

Fun things to do to your coworkers when they go on vacation!

Awesome!

And more.

Still laughing my ass off.

foxblocker filters out fox news

foxblocker filters out fox news

oh yes folks, just what you’ve always wanted. the foxblocker is a little piece of metal that screws into your coaxial cable on the back of your television (or cable box) and will block out the news channel, FOX News. this is a very interesting concept because in theory, you could start to daisy chain these together and filter out whichever stations you wanted. i think it’d be fun to see these made into “nickelodeon blockers” or something to that effect. whatever will make your little brother cry.

Maybe we can chip in and get one of these for Cartman.

GMail Drive

GMail Virtual Drive

GMail Drive is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual filesystem around your Google GMail account, allowing you to use GMail as a storage medium.
GMail Drive creates a virtual filesystem on top of your Google GMail account and enables you to save and retrieve files stored on your GMail account directly from inside Windows Explorer. GMail Drive literally adds a new drive to your computer under the My Computer folder, where you can create new folders, copy and drag'n'drop files to.

Finally, some way to utilize the (now) 2GB of space Gmail gives me.

DVD profit margins double that of VHS

DVD profit margins double that of VHS

If you've ever wondered how the DVD market has worked out for the movie studios, we can now give you an idea. Metro Goldwyn Mayer, better known as MGM, has put a number of what appear to be slide presentations in a publicly accessible portion of their web server. The reports cover a number of business-related matters, including the company's impressive cash flow, information about their library holdings, and more.

The most interesting information details the strength of the DVD market. Between 2002 and 2003, MGM saw a 40% boost in DVD shipments in North America, and 53% increase worldwide. One slide shows just how quickly DVD has caught on: it took only five years for 30 million DVD players to be sold, compared to circa 8 years for CD players, and 10 years for PCs to reach that volume. All of this translates into a booming market, which helps explains the considerable profit margins attached to DVDs. This slide indicates that net profit margins on DVD sales are 50-60%, while the lingering VHS business sees 20-30% net profit. To put this into plain English, your average $20 DVD apparent costs around $9 to produce, advertise, distribute, etc., leaving about $11 on top as pure profit. For an industry supposedly under dire threat from piracy, things look pretty rosy.

Daaaaamn! A 50% profit margin. You know the other major studios are seriously pissed at MGM. BTW, MGM seems to have shut off access to that portion of thier site. :) You just know that somebody is gettin' fired.

Google Boosts Free Storage in Web E-Mail Battle

Yahoo! News - Google Boosts Free Storage in Web E-Mail Battle

Google Inc., which took the first shot in the free e-mail storage battle with the release of its Gmail product last year, said on Thursday it is doubling free storage to 2 gigabytes shortly after Yahoo Inc. matched its original offer.

Yeah! More free storage for me! Of course I'd rather have free bandwidth. Dig Verizon DIG!

Special Delivery For Cat Shooter

Special Delivery For Cat Shooter - March 29, 2005

ince shooting a neighbor's cat last month, Kenneth Nailleux has been the object of much scorn from fellow Valparaiso, Indiana residents. Nailleux, 65, told cops that he leveled his .22 at the animal because it kept coming onto his property and attacking birds using a feeder. That explanation didn't wash with neighbors, especially when the cat had to be put to sleep as a result of the gunshot wound. Since then, Nailleux has complained to the Porter County Sheriff's Department that he is being harassed over the shooting, pointing to the recent arrival at his home of a gift box containing, as the below police report notes, a "replica of a pile of excrement." Somebody, cops determined, used the services of fecalgram.com, which will anonymously mail a revolting, non-toxic pile of what looks like crap. In fact, the brown stuff (now on sale for $24.95) is actually a manmade concoction of flour, water, salt, and other ingredients that give the product its stench.
The box delivered to Nailleux also included a 12-character password that, when keyed into the fecalgram.com web site, delivered the anonymous sender's message: "It's time for you to move out of our neighborhood. No one likes having you live among us and this 'gift' is a reflection of what we think of you. Remember this feeling every time you leave your house and have to drive through the neighborhood. We do not want you here."

Fecalgram.com?!? How is it I've never heard of this?!? Well, I know what everyone is getting for thier birthdays this year.