The Right Number is a three part story about a man who believes he’s found the key to love’s mysteries in the most unlikely of places — and he may or may not be right.

Each chapter is the equivalent of a traditional comics magazine in length but presented in a radical new zooming format. Click at right to see it in action.

[ Scott McCloud is one of my favorite visionary artists... now, if only i could remember the password to my bitpass account. -k]

Scott McCloud Website - The Right Number

] At most room temperatures the glass lets both visible and
] infrared light pass through. But above 29�C, a substance
] coating the glass undergoes a chemical change causing it
] to block infrared light. This will prevent room from
] overheating in bright sunshine or if temperatures outside
] start to soar.

[ That's over 84 F for us silly 'mericans. Presumably that's the temperature the glass itself must reach... which makes me wonder if it's practical. If it's 90 outside, and 70 inside, will the glass be at 84? What if it's 85 outside? If they could get the transition temp closer to 70, i think it'd be a lot more useful, but it's still pretty damn neat. -k]

Smart glass blocks infrared when heat is on

] Bush criticized Kerry's plan to eliminate the tax cuts
] for those making more than $200,000 a year, saying that
] the "the rich in America happen to be the small business
] owners" who put people to work.
]
] Bush also said high taxes on the rich are a failed
] strategy because "the really rich people figure out how
] to dodge taxes anyway."

[ Sweet tapdancing baby chimps. What the fuck?!

Does anyone else feel like they're in fucking Sliders? Pushed through some bullshit portal and ended up in this version of America? Seriously, is that an OK thing to say?

I thought I'd reached outrage overload, but damned if I don't keep finding reserves... great pools of untapped fury, buried deep, accessible only by application of such fathomless inanity as this. -k

p.s. bold mine.]

Bush campaign holds rally in Va.; Dems sense weakness

] Of, By, and For is an experimental site dedicated to
] discussion of new political ideas.
]
] We believe that a return to the principles of the
] founders of the republic is a vital first step toward
] necessary democratic reform in this country.

[ Another site worth checking out, i think... some smart people on here... -k]

About ob4

] Unfortunately, over the past 20 years, I've noticed
] that cruft has been appearing in computer interfaces. And
] few people are trying to fix it.

[ Good, if short, article on some UI elements which are either obsolete or just plain foolish... worth thinking about if software is your passion. -k]

When good interfaces go crufty

"I am amazed no one has come up with this before, it's incredible," he told Reuters.

"Just like Atlantis, Ireland is 300 miles long, 200 miles wide, and widest across the middle. They both have a central plain surrounded by mountains.

[ Yeah, no one could invent such a geography unprompted... doh. -k]

Ireland Is Lost Island of Atlantis, Says Scientist

This year's Phreaknic T-shirt art is pretty cool.

[ Very cool. -k]

PhreakNIC Pictures :: PN8 :: hack_or_die_final

] Diatoms, a single-celled marine life form that has been
] around at least 100 million years, are being harnessed by
] researchers at Oregon State University to help make
] progress in one of the newest and most promising fields
] of science - nanotechnology.

[ Neat way to take advantage of natural processes... -k]

Ancient Life Form May Help Create Newest Technologies

] Now meet Brett Bursey. He committed the crime of holding
] up a No War for Oil sign when sensitive George visited
] Columbia, South Carolina, last year. Standing amid a sea
] of pro-Bush signs in a public area, Bursey was commanded
] by local police to remove himself forthwith to the FSZ
] half a mile away from the action, even though he was
] already two football fields from where Bush was to speak.
] No, said Brett. So, naturally, they arrested him. Asked
] why, the officer said, "It's the content of your sign
] that's the problem."

[ An article in this months issue of the Nation, which lays out this Free Speech Zone bullshit in clear view. The sad thing is that it's not just Bush... the dems have been pulling this shit too, if not as frequently. Fucking insane. -k]

Bush Zones Go National

] A skyscraper’s exterior skin adds structural support
] and helps maintain the building’s internal temperature;
] some skins also offer aesthetic value, shimmering in the
] light and reflecting the landscape in pleasing ways. But
] what if a skyscraper’s outside wrapping could take a
] more active role in sustaining the building’s
] operational needs and engaging passers-by?
]
] One result might be PV-TV. Developed last year by the
] Tokyo-based MSK Corporation in conjunction with chemical
] company Kaneka and Japanese architecture firm Taiyo
] Industries, this amorphous silicon technology has a
] “three-in-oneâ€? functionality: it is able to act as a
] glazing element, solar panel, and video display screen.
] The panels, which are 980mm long and 950mm wide, come in
] a standard depth of 10mm thick, as well as in a
] 13mm-thick, strengthened-glass option.

[ Cool stuff! -k]

PV-TV: A Multifunctional, Eco-Friendly Building Material | Metropolis Magazine