New Scientist looks at trials of a drug thought to hold potential in treating vCJD. The trial will look at an anti-malarial drug (of all things) that seems to have some promise in the whole mad cow arena. The Guardian provides a handy-dandy Q&A format article on BSE/vCJD—giving, among other things, a straightforward, helpful explanation […]
Mad cow, mad cow, what ya gonna do
Posted by Ben on August 31, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/bse-rundown/
An Ancient Lake, (no) dope, and a Bloody Good Time
No dope? Lincoln Allison has an article in the Guardian that asks whether performance-enhancing drugs are really something that should be shied away from. He has lots of thoughtful points (e.g., that in sports where knowledge of doping is fairly public, fans don’t mind that records are “tainted” by drugs; that a strict anti-drug policy […]
Posted by Ben on August 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown/
Tear you apart
When you feel like there’s something missing from your life… You will not see him at the Athens Olympics, but Bob Brown is one of Britain’s leading athletes. A veteran of long-distance races across the world, he is now at the front of a pack of runners attempting one of their sport’s greatest challenges—a run […]
Posted by Ben on August 11, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/tear-you-apart/
It’s getting kind of hectic up in this piece
Song parody. Web site JibJab strikes out into allegedly charted waters with “This Land Is Your Land” political parody, running into unexpected hot water from the nefarious copyright-holders of the Woody Guthrie song. EFF strikes back. (via MeFi, etc.) Security, what security? Respectful of Otters has an interesting anecdote about security, what anecdote essentially points […]
Posted by Ben on August 5, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/its-getting-kind-of-hectic-up-in-this-piece/
Clear Concrete, Short Songs, Movie Bunnies, Canadian Cities, Questions, and Flirting Billboards
Listen, Stop & Roll. The World Of Stuart has a neat little project, Big Songs for Little Attention Spans: 100 songs you can download. Not only 100 songs, but 100 short songs; 100 songs that actually fit on one compact disc. Movie Magic. And, from the people who brought you The Shining, reenacted by bunnies […]
Posted by Ben on July 29, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/clear-concrete-short-songs-flirting-billboards-etc/
You May Be
You may be a rock star.1 You may be a terrorist. You may be overweight.2 You may be ill in the head.3 You may be running out of gas.4 Notes: via All Facts and Opinions; I’m a WRCL—yes, that’s right, I may be a rock star. Find out today what you may be! AlterNet: “Keep […]
Posted by Ben on July 28, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/you-may-be/
Scattershot: Dogs, Dogs, and Blobs
Wonder Dog? In Toronto, a dog may well have prevented a massacre. The dog—whose identity has yet to be confirmed (sounding more and more like a superhero)—approached a man who was planning a killing spree, thus defusing the situation. The man’s plan was to load his weapons and then drive around, killing at random, etc., […]
Posted by Ben on July 20, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/dogs-dogs-blobs/
Crazy Apes and Damaged Bananas (and Pens)
Pentrix. I’ve never been able to master the 360 degree normal—that annoyingly absent-minded trick where somebody (we’ll call him “Ace”) spins a pen effortlessly around his thumb. Then again, I’ve never really been good with pen tricks in general. But now there’s a web site that can help. Well, maybe it can’t help me, but […]
Posted by Ben on July 18, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/crazy-apes-and-damaged-bananas-and-pens/
Pseudoscience, Death By Cards, and Aliens
Numerous Lines about 106 Claims. Popular Science has an interesting article wherein the writer lists all the science claims he hears in a day—from cereal boxes to e-mail spam to radio natter—and then looks at the foundations for the claims. Not surprisingly, most of the claims are outright hooey, which simply makes the article that […]
Posted by Ben on July 14, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/pseudoscience-and-other-fun-stuff/
To your health
Superkid. One of the best lead sentences ever: “Somewhere in Germany is a baby Superman, born in Berlin with bulging arm and leg muscles.” So crazy you know it’s true, the article is a neat trip through the land of genetic mutations an internet-only bodybuilder supplements. (AP: “Doctors discover a toddler muscle man” by Linda […]
Posted by Ben on July 12, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/to-your-health/