Probably the greatest bit of flash animation I've ever seen. Discovered the series a while back, but was lost due to bandwith concerns. Kudos to AtomFilms for helping to bring it back...

Ninjai: The Little Ninja

Claims that a form of horse racing for cows, so-called "cow racing", could reinvigorate the gambling industry were made at a hush-hush meeting of farmers, breeders and online betting firms. "Punters are always looking for something new" said farmer David Howie, "and cow racing could be the next big thing."

Insiders are said to be looking favourably at the proposal. Said one bookmaker, "These days you have dogs, camels and ostriches competing on the track. There is no good reason why cows shouldn't also be put through their paces."

The initial proposal is for racecows between the ages of three and five to compete over a mile. The cows would be jockeyless and, much like greyhounds, would chase an attractive moving target. David Howie has suggested an electric rail which would propel a life-sized farmer carrying a mini-trough.

James Steel of the Farmers Union gave cautious backing to the plan, but called for more support from government for British farmers. "Diversification In Action is one thing but to have dairy cows charging round a track urged on by excited racegoers is bound to have an effect on yield".

Nasa (NewsHax wire) -- A new flashbulb added to the Hubble Space Telescope has yielded images that have even Hubble's creators astounded, bringing much of the darker regions of the cosmos into visibility.

The bulb, from Sylvanias Blueshift Dot series, must be replaced by crews every 4 photos, but the details it can pick up are far beyond what experts ever thought possible and are expected to shed even more light upon the mysteries of the cosmos...

A virus fouls your computer and you haplessly pass it on. Advertising software loads stealthily on your machine. Your password gets stolen because of your negligence. The music industry sues you because of something your kids or grandkids did on your computer.

Barely a day goes by without someone, somewhere getting stung or stinging others through careless Internet use.

Though many of these situations are preventable, relatively few of us take the necessary precautions.

So why not institute mandatory education before people can go online? After all, motorists must obtain licenses before they can legally hit the road, and computers are much more complicated than cars.

"It could be a four-year college degree, a one-month course. It might be a good idea," said Bruce Schneier, chief technology officer for Counterpane Internet Security.

Or it might be a bad idea...

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is on a rampage, launching legal attacks against average Americans from coast to coast. Rather than working to create a rational, legal means by which its customers can take advantage of file-sharing technology and pay a fair price for the music they love, it has chosen to sue people like Brianna LaHara, a 12 year-old girl living in New York City public housing.

Brianna, and hundreds of other music fans like her, are being forced to pay thousands of dollars they do not have to settle RIAA-member lawsuits -- supporting a business model that is anything but rational. This crusade is generating thousands of subpoenas and hundreds of lawsuits, but not a single penny for the artists that the RIAA claims to protect.

Copyright law shouldn't make criminals out of 60 million Americans, and it's time for a change. Congress is going to hold hearings; we need your help to make sure that the public's voice is heard. Tell Congress that it's time to stop the madness.

Sign the Petition !!!

A scant two years ago. I was headed for the opthamologist, same as today. A picture is worth a thousand words...

Celebrated computer hacker Adrian Lamo has surrendered to US marshals at the federal courthouse in Sacramento, California, according to the FBI...

The RIAA announced that they would begin a strategy of profits by lawsuit, which should keep them a viable business indefinitely.

"It's really a bold new idea that really gets back to the roots of the RIAA," said new RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Bainwol. "We'll no longer be worried about distributing music. The file sharers will do that for us, but now we'll just make our money from suing them and that's really what we're all about."

According to a report by The Inquirer it will take the RIAA over 2,000 years to sue every file sharer, which confirms the long-term viability of the business model.

"We agree that digital music distribution is the direction everything is heading, but it's not profitable to do that at $1 per song. We'd much rather receive $150,000 per song from suing file sharers. That's where the real profit is found."...

If federal banking officials have their way, retailers across America will be seeing pink on Columbus Day. That's because on Oct. 9, the new, peach-colored $20 bills will enter into circulation across the United States.


The front of the new $20 bill. The vertical red printing reads 'specimen'.

The Federal Reserve announced Tuesday that distribution of the new $20 notes will begin next month, the first in a series of redesigns that will take place over the next few years...

The music industry has turned its big legal guns on Internet music-swappers — including a 12-year-old New York City girl who thought downloading songs was fun.

Brianna LaHara said she was frightened to learn she was among the hundreds of people sued yesterday by giant music companies in federal courts around the country.

"I got really scared. My stomach is all turning," Brianna said last night at the city Housing Authority apartment where she lives with her mom and her 9-year-old brother.

"I thought it was OK to download music because my mom paid a service fee for it. Out of all people, why did they pick me?"...

Britain's newest sports car took a test drive Wednesday, zooming back and forth across the waters of the Thames River in pure James Bond style.

The Aquada can hit speeds of 100 mph on land -- and once it hits water, the wheels retract into the wheel arch, jets kick in, and the car is suddenly a boat.

Once waterborne it can reach speeds of 30 mph, according to Gibbs Technologies, the British firm that designed it.

With a sticker price of about $235,000, the convertible has no doors in order to avoid leaks. Drivers and passengers must jump over the side to get into the car -- just like a boat.

"With this you can have a really good car on the road, and an exciting toy that can tow a water skier, that you can commute to work with, that you can go to St. Tropez with and take two girlfriends," the firm's chairman Alan Gibbs told reporters at the car's test drive on London's Thames on Wednesday...

NewsHax wire -- President Bush announced Monday he is creating a new high-level government post to reverse Americas spiraling unemployment trend. According to Bush political advisors, America is hemorrhaging jobs. Most horrifying to Bush's advisors, job losses are mainly occuring in states crucial to Bush's re-election, prompting a real action from the president.

To fill the post, Bush announced the appointment of Ronald
McDonald, whom he touts as being "more responsible for more American jobs than any man, or clown, alive." Bush lauded his choice of Employment Mczar further, saying that "Mr. McDonald is a can-doer and will provide the American people with jobs. He's got job applications with him now in fact. That is plain talk you can take to the bank, along with your $200
paycheck."...

Astronomers monitoring near-Earth objects are playing down the chances of a newly discovered asteroid hitting Earth in 2014.

They say that there is a one in 909,000 chance of asteroid 2003 QQ47 impacting our planet.

The chances of a catastrophe are likely to become even slimmer once more measurements of the asteroid's orbit have been made.

The current odds are based on 51 observations made since the giant rock was spotted by a US programme in New Mexico on 24 August...

You've eaten at a few Japanese restaurants, seen some anime, hosted an exchange student, and had a Japanese girlfriend. And now, somewhere in the back of your tiny brain, you think that Japanese would be a good language to learn. Hey, you could translate video games! Or Manga! Or even Anime! Pick up Japanese girls, impress your friends! Maybe you'll even go to Japan and become an anime artist! Yeah! Sounds like a great idea!

So you head down to the library, pick up some books with titles like "How To Teach Yourself Japanes In Just 5 Seconds A Day While Driving Your Car To And From The Post Office" and "Japanese For Complete And Total, Utter Fools Who Should Never Procreate". Hey, you already know a few words from your manga collection/girlfriend/anime. Excited and impressed with your new knowledge, you begin to think: "Hey. Maybe, just maybe, i could do this for a living! Or even major in Japanese! Great Idea, Right?


WRONG...

Too little too late...

As the most recognized hotel brand in the world, Holiday Inn is an American icon and part of our everyday lives. For some of us, it's more a part of our lives than others'. "Borrowed" towels from Holiday Inn hold a special place for our guests. The trademark script has shown up everywhere from bathroom floors to beach parties. However you got one and whatever reason... "About the towels, we forgive you."

We have declared August 28th, 2003, as our National Towel Amnesty Day. Stay tuned for exciting opportunities across the U.S. to acquire your own souvenir towel!

Do you have a Holiday Inn towel? Tell us how you got it and what became of it. Is it proudly displayed as a collector's item, used in your bathroom or perhaps your favorite beach towel?

Too little too late...

As the most recognized hotel brand in the world, Holiday Inn is an American icon and part of our everyday lives. For some of us, it's more a part of our lives than others'. "Borrowed" towels from Holiday Inn hold a special place for our guests. The trademark script has shown up everywhere from bathroom floors to beach parties. However you got one and whatever reason... "About the towels, we forgive you."

We have declared August 28th, 2003, as our National Towel Amnesty Day. Stay tuned for exciting opportunities across the U.S. to acquire your own souvenir towel!

Do you have a Holiday Inn towel? Tell us how you got it and what became of it. Is it proudly displayed as a collector's item, used in your bathroom or perhaps your favorite beach towel?

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