Omar Chatriwala, a correspondent based out of Doha, Qatar, with Al Jazeera English, has an interesting post up detailing the daily drudgery and detail of reporting in Iraq. Snip from the section about his entry into the country: It was another hour and a half before a US military administrator called me in. She proceeded to take photos of me from five angles and scan my fingerprints - first my thumbs, then four fingers on one hand, then four fingers on the other, then all five digits individually rolled across the scanner, then forefingers and thumbs again on another scanner. After that, it was retinal scans. Basically, Omar's account sounds like a lot of waiting, ambient danger, and everything is a huge pain in the ass. Lots of boring slow parts, then the fast parts when things blow up. Literally. He continues: So here again is why I have to say, credit is due to those who report in the country, day in and day out, despite these obstacles. Reporting In Iraq (Photo by Omar Chatriwala)...

Cartoonist and comic book historian extraordinaire Craig Yoe sent me a copy of his latest book, Milt Gross: Comic Books and Life Story. Most people probably don't know who Milt Gross is, but in the 1920s and 1930s he was a cartoonist beloved by millions for his zany, frenetic comic strips and was hailed as "America's Great Yiddish Humorist." It's safe to say that without Milt Gross, Harvey Kurtzman and Robert Crumb would have turned out to be very different kinds of artists. The 354-page monster of a book includes a 38-page biography, which tells the story of how Gross went to work with Charlie Chaplin and Joan Crawford, and how he created his famous (at the time) characters and comic strips such as Nize Baby, Izzy Human, Babbling Brooks, Frenchy, Kinney B. Alive, Amateur Night, Sportograms, In the Movies They Do It, Dave's Delicatessen, Looy Dot Dope, Count Screwloose of Tooloose, Joe Runt, Banana Oil, Otto & Blotto, That's My Pop!, and Then the Fun Began. The remaining 300-plus pages are devoted to full color reprints from extremely rare 1940s Gross comic book stories, which are still funny in the same way that I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, and The Flintstones are. Here's an excerpt from Yoe's biography of Gross: Gross perfected a unique comic Yinglish, a linguistic marriage of Yiddish and English. It permeated his work, particularly in his written and illustrated newspaper column Gross Exaggerations and its resulting compilation book, Nize Baby. Gross explained that this slanguage was "a literal translation of the Anglicized Russian Jew. At least I try and make it so. It is the language of the people--conveyed at times in somewhat ludicrous character. But, so far as I know, it is never false, never out of register. I am too much of a nut on getting things right for that. Its only departure from the actual might, as I've said, lie at times in its ludicrous element. That's necessary, of course, in the work itself." Max Shulman, the creator of the Dobie Gillis stories and television show, said of Gross, "He is far and away the best Yiddish dialect humorist that ever practiced. His ear is tuned with radar-like delicacy to the locutions of first-generation American Jews. He captures not only the mispronunciations, but also the misconstructions--the subjects scorning predicates, the gerunds peering around corners, the tenses blithely commingling, the participles without visible means of support. The effect in his skilled hands is not caricature, but hilarious accuracy." Shulman added, "You will find a warming absence of spikes, barbs, and jagged edges. Only good nature is here, and light heart. You get a feeling that Mr. Gross wants you to laugh because he likes you. It's a nice feeling." Buy Complete Milt Gross Comic Book Stories on Amazon Previously:Craig Yoe reading: "Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's ... Interview with comic art historian Craig Yoe The sad fate of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster Book review: The Art of Ditko Modern Arf: new journal about comics Arf Museum: excellent comic history The Best of Sexology: Hugo Gernsback's Sex Mag Alfred E. Neuman's grandpa Ugly American comic book from 1958...

Scientists from the University of Bristol in England believe that microbes living under ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland could be emitting large quantities of the greenhouse gas methane. "It could mean that as ice sheets melt under warmer temperatures, they would release large amounts of heat-trapping methane gas." Oh no! Not the dreaded giant Antarcti-fart!...

The Chinese government is offering to subsidize the creation of a trans-Eurasian rail system that would have direct, high-speed links between Beijing and London. It would be the largest infrastructure project ever attempted. Trains would also run to India, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia. Wang said Beijing was already in negotiations with 17 countries over the rail lines, which would also allow China to transport raw materials more efficiently. "It was not China that pushed the idea to start with," said Wang. "It was the other countries that came to us, especially India. These countries cannot fully implement the construction of a high-speed rail network and they hoped to draw on our experience and technology." New high-speed rail network could trump air travel (via Futurismic) Previously:Travel by train: "pillows that approach normal size" Boarding a train that never stops Gadgets Videos of near misses with trains Inebriated woman falls in front of oncoming train Train track inspector almost gets hit twice...

Two grim IRS agents travelled to Harv's Metro Car Wash in Sacramento to hand him a demand-letter for his taxes owing in arrears: $0.04 worth. Arriving at Harv's Metro Car Wash in midtown Wednesday afternoon were two dark-suited IRS agents demanding payment of delinquent taxes. "They were deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending," says Harv's owner, Aaron Zeff.... "It's hilarious," he says, "that two people hopped in a car and came down here for just 4 cents. I think (the IRS) may have a problem with priorities." Bob Shallit: IRS visits Sacramento carwash in pursuit of 4 cents Previously:IRS goes after mother who makes $10 an hour TSA is as unpopular as the IRS -- UPDATED Deduct your Ponzi scheme losses IRS insider accuses agency of giving archives to lowest bidder ... IRS has a $1MM tax-refund form IRS to tax your World of Warcraft booty? (Thanks, Fipi Lele!) (Image: wealth of pennies, a Creative Commons Attribution photo from r-z's photostream)...

In December, NASA researchers drilled a 600-foot-deep hole through the Antarctic ice sheet and stuck a video camera down it. They'd assumed that nothing but microbes could live in such a cold, dark place. So they were surprised when a friendly little shrimp swam up and clung onto the video camera cable....

In 1993, The Journal of Chemical Ecology published a study concerning chemosensory investigation in snakes, which the crew from NCBI ROFL believes you will find interesting. If you have a delicate disposition, please pretend the post ends here....

Here's a couple of genuinely tasty morsels from the FCC's new broadband plan: Rec. 15.7: Congress should considered amending the Copyright Act to provide for copyright exemptions to public broadcasting organizations for online broadcasting organizations for online broadcast and distribution of public media; Rec. 15.9: Congress should consider amending the Copyright Act to enable public and broadcast media to more easily contribute their archival content to a digital national archive and grant reasonable noncommercial downstream usage rights for this content to the American people. (Thanks, James!)...

From Sociological Images: The Florida Family Policy Council [a conservative Christian organization] sent out a message about a judge’s ruling to allow a lesbian couple to adopt a relative’s child they had been fostering. The FFPC, which opposes gay adoption, sent out an alert to its members and including an image of the couple... well, in theory. On the left is the photo included with the alert; on the right is a photo of the actual couple. It’s very obvious use of a stereotype what lesbians look like as a scare tactic. The actual couple doesn’t fit the ideal of the androgynous-looking, angry, mannish lesbian couple. They look like nice middle or upper-middle class professional women who can raise a child perfectly well. They’re attractive by mainstream heterosexual norms of femininity. They look happy and non-threatening.They are simply not sufficiently menacing. As Nicole points out, the couple on the left isn’t just a stereotype of lesbians, it’s associated with a particular working-class aesthetic, especially the mullets. They aren’t thin and conventionally attractive like the couple on the right. The FFPC says the use of the wrong image was a mistake. Though it seems they’ve made similar errors before when alerting members about gays and lesbians trying to adopt children. Florida Family Policy Council "accidentally" uses wrong photo of lesbian parents...

Animator Mark McDonnell flips through his sketchbook filled with incredibly good drawings. This both inspires me and makes me want to throw in the towel....

"CNN has hired a commentator who thinks that feminists should get back into the kitchen, are too ugly to get dates, and all have castration shears hanging from their belts." Actually, he calls 'em feminazis, dear. Meet Eric Erickson. (via @Random_Tangent)...

The best part of this story from TimesOnline, about the "therapeutic ringtone" craze currently seizing Japan, isn't the fact that there are ringtones that allege to adrenalize you, ringtones that allege to improve your skin tone ("through the power of alpha waves") or ringtones that allege to "cause pollen lodged [in the sinuses] to fall from the nasal cavity." The best part isn't even that the guy behind the concept is the same guy who came up with a synthetic mosquito drone which is inaudible to people over 60 but useful for discouraging teenagers from "congregating in parks at midnight." These are just gravy. The really beautiful part of the story is the awesomely disingenuous endorsement offered by a spokesperson for Index, the mobile phone company that peddles the wonder tones: While it's true that there's a scarcely a shred of research to indicate any basis for the claims that the sounds do anything, "The number of downloads suggests the ringtones must be working to a certain extent." This is exactly the kind of logic that suggests Shake Shack must have the best burgers in New York because the lines are so long, and it needs to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame for Business Doublespeak....

"Caffeine pills, self mutilation, a cold shower - what will you do to keep her awake? www.KeepHerAwake.com." That was the entirety of a promotional email I received from Warner Brothers this morning. Interactive marketing, in this case, means a Flash website where you get to make a young woman cut or burn herself. It's like the studio marketing team is either trying to make Freddy Krueger more Saw or more Xe. Maybe they picked up tips from American black ops torturers, waterboarding detainees and forcing "stress positions" to "keep them awake" in the name of liberty. It's odd that some producers of material intended to ring this particular psychological bell get federal obsenity charges, while others get theatrical distribution. The intersection of porn, torture, and horrorshow: this is America....

I could watch Piano Chat Improv all day!...

Bea Arthur Mountains Pizza: Another tumblog of greatness (in the tradition of Selleck Waterfall Sandwich) spotted on Dangerous Minds....

Life imitates Avatar. Danger Room reports, "The House Committee on Science and Technology’s investigations and oversight panel is holding a hearing today on rare-earth metal supplies, focusing on China’s near-monopoly on the stuff. As we’ve reported here before, China has raised concerns by threatening to limit exports. And to make matters more complicated, U.S. mining companies are dependent on China for processing."...

I'm a kombucha homebrewer and a user of nettles (for hay fever). So I was interested in this Common Dreams article about a police / Secret Service raid on a pair middle-aged housemates who were using Twitter to communicate with G20 summit protestors in Philadelphia. Here's the choice bit: Court records show the FBI seized hundreds of items, including computers, hard drives, cameras, a World War I-era gas mask, "anarchy books," even an antique needlepoint of Lenin made by Madison's wife's grandmother. Several issues of Steampunk Magazine, where Madison writes under the pen name Professor Calamity, were also seized, as was a guide on poisons (which he says he uses in the writing of mystery novels), a Mao Tse-tung refrigerator magnet, and several Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs. A poster in the living room of anarchist philosopher Mikhail Bakunin was left alone; "I guess they didn't know who he was," says Madison. At one point a hazmat team in full protective gear was brought in to investigate a jar of kombucha tea fermenting in the basement. Madison claims a JTTF agent shook his head and said, "You guys are just a bunch of hippies!" The raid seemed to have an aimless quality. Madison was handed a ticket for a packet of fireworks, and an agent who put his hand into a suspected bag of marijuana discovered, painfully, that it was dried stinging nettles, used in homeopathy. "It was almost as if they thought, 'If we take enough stuff, we'll find something to charge them with,'" Madison says. When he was finally shown the cover sheet to the search warrant, it provided for the seizure of any items "designed or intended as a means of violating the federal rioting laws." How Your Twitter Account Could Land You in Jail (Via Seth's Blog)...

Cory wrote about these mustache crayons a couple of weeks ago. I contacted the creator, Emily, and she is now selling them in the Boing Boing Bazaar! A set of four costs $7. Some facts about these mustache crayons follow. Please write down them on a card to keep in your purse or wallet. These mustaches can be used to create a colorful masterpiece or as a quick, vibrant disguise! They are made from Crayola crayons so they are non toxic and have the most vibrant hues. Each crayon is the equivalent of about 5 regular sized crayons. Each measures 3 1/4" long by 1 1/4" wide. Mustache crayon 4-packs come in primary color (red, yellow, blue, black) and secondary color (orange, green, purple, brown) sets. Mustache crayons are loved by both children and adults. Mustache Crayon in Maker's Market Previously:Chaotic Pendulums for sale in Bazaar Get a P8TCH at the Bazaar The splendor of the Bazaar! Aerogel chunks in Bazaar Miniboss T-shirt in the Bazaar Hine's felt camera cases in the Bazaar Hollow spy coins for all your micro-smuggling needs Tiny glass bell jar display case Zombie shadow maker Replicas: Time Bandits map, Battlestar Galactica cubits Laser cut model rocket ship Sublime Stitching's Sexy Librarians embroidery patterns Hands-on with three shirt-pocket gadgets Molecular structure jewelry Knitted frog dissection Jordan Crane's art prints Chris Reccardi's psi-fi prints Tiny dinosaur model...

Michael Geist sez, "Canadian New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus [ed: former frontman for punk greats L'Etranger] has shaken up the copyright reform process today with a pair of proposed measures. The first is a private member's bill that would expand the scope of the private copying levy [ed: the fee Canadians pay on top of blank media, in exchange for which they gain the right to make "private copies" of copyrighted works without breaking the law] to include digital audio recorders (DARs) such as iPods. Bill C-499 comes as a response to earlier court cases that ruled that DARs are beyond the scope of the current law. The second is a planned motion that calls for support to reform the Copyright Act's fair dealing [ed: akin to US fair use] provision by adding the words 'such as' to make the current list of fair dealing categories illustrative rather than exhaustive [ed: meaning that courts could look at new technologies and the copyright uses they enable and make case-by-case decisions about whether they should be allowed, without having to wait for Parliament to pass a new law every time a new technology is invented]. In addition, the motion codifies the six criteria discussed in Canadian caselaw for determining whether a particular use of a work qualifies as fair dealing." Michael's post has good analysis of these proposals, which are both really strong, and what problems might arise from the levy if Parliament gets it wrong. Read his post for more. Angus Introducing Private Copying Levy Bill, Flexible Fair Dealing Motion (Thanks, Michael!) Previously:American copyright lobby attacks Canadian politicians for ... Canadian MP demands answers on secret copyright treaty Interview with Charlie Angus, Canadian MP who's fighting the ... Canadian Parliament shoutfest over the Canadian DMCA Net Neutrality bill in Canada Canada's DMCA: unnecessary, ill-starred and doomed...

A new study suggests that cancer deaths for people under age 75 have been on the decline since 1990 and are now at levels lower than when the War on Cancer began in 1971. But rather than amazing new treatments, the big key seems to be prevention—both through an increase in screening, and a decrease in risky behaviors, especially smoking....

Good morning! This thing of beauty brought to you by Slashfilm, via the always awesome Julio Ojeda-Zapata. Previously:Selleck Waterfall Sandwich...

XML co-inventor Tim Bray, on leaving Sun to be Google's Android developer advocate: "The iPhone vision of the mobile Internet's future omits controversy, sex, and freedom, but includes strict limits on who can know what and who can say what. It's a sterile Disney-fied walled garden surrounded by sharp-toothed lawyers. The people who create the apps serve at the landlord's pleasure and fear his anger. I hate it. I hate it even though the iPhone hardware and software are great, because freedom's not just another word for anything, nor is it an optional ingredient." Amen, Tim....

Pam Turner of Minnesota created this Spiral Eye Needle, a sewing needle that's easy to thread, thanks to a "sideways" opening that admits thread as it slides down the needle's length. They're a lot more expensive than normal needles -- singles go for $5.50 and up -- but for klutzes, occasional sewers, and people who have vision or coordination problems, they look like godsends. Spiral eye side-threading needles...

Last week's extraordinary leaked UK record industry memo on the Digital Economy Bill candidly asserted that the only reason Britain's retrograde, extremist new copyright law would pass Parliament is because MPs were "resigned" that they wouldn't have a chance to debate it properly. For context: Labour cancelled its anti-fox-hunt legislation because there wasn't time for proper debate, but they're ramming through this copyright bill even though it's far more important and far-reaching -- for one thing, a broken UK Internet will make it harder for people who care about fox hunts one way or the other to organise and lobby on the issue. Now, 38 Degrees is asking Britons to write to their MPs and ask them to call for a full debate on this law before they vote on it. It seems stupid that we'd have to ask our elected reps to actually give sweeping proposals consideration before turning them into law, but there you have it. No matter what side you come down on for the Digital Economy Bill, is there anyone who wants law to be made without debate? Dear [Insert MP Name] I'm writing to you today because I'm very worried that the Government is planning to rush the Digital Economy Bill into law without a full Parliamentary debate. The law is controversial and contains many measures that concern me. The controversial Bill deserves proper scrutiny so please don't let the government rush it through. Many people think it will damage schools and businesses as well as innocent people who rely on the internet because it will allow the Government to disconnect people it suspects of copyright infringement. Industry experts, internet service providers and huge internet companies like Google and Yahoo are all opposing the bill - yet the Government seems intent on forcing it through without a real debate. As a constituent I am writing to you today to ask you to do all you can to ensure the Government doesn't just rush the bill through and deny us our democratic right to scrutiny and debate. [Insert your Name] Don't rush through extreme web laws Previously: Leaked UK record industry memo sets out plans for breaking copyright LibDem rank-and-file make emergency motion for net freedom - Boing ... Add your name to "Save the Net" FB page, help the LibDems do the ... BREAKING: Leaked UK government plan to create "Pirate Finder ......

I'm intrigued by this Time Out review of Kitchen Front, a restaurant at London's Imperial War museum that serves accurate re-creations of the (mostly horrible) food eaten in Britain during WWII's rationing period. Time Out gave it two star for food quality and full marks for accuracy (in the print edition, at least -- they haven't recreated this online). It sounds like a uniquely wonderful and horrible dining experience, especially as the food is prepared by a well-loved firm of caterers who've really gotten into the spirit of things. Salt was the dominant flavour of 'Mrs Harwood's lentil and cheese pie'. It tasted floury and bland - my grandmother used to make the same dish. I couldn't fault it for authenticity. It came with a dollop of sludgy green pease pudding, just as it might have been in the war years. The baked potato, though, was quite good, served with a fishy filling and a proper 1940s salad - English lettuce, rings of spring onion, no dressing. Sweets include scones filled with 'mock cream' made from margarine beaten with caster sugar, tasting exactly as you'd imagine it to, ie nothing like cream at all... [B]e warned that for a more fortunate generation brought up on meat, sweets, fats and deftly used spices, the drabness of austerity cooking can come as a bit of a shock I've subscribed to the print edition of Time Out for a few years now here in London -- it's the only print magazine I still subscribe to, in fact -- and I just love it to pieces. As aspirational reading about all the things I would do if I wasn't all the time running around like my ass was on fire, it can't be beat. And every now and again I get to actually follow some of its advice (I've been trying a lot of the coffee mentioned in its Best London Coffee feature last month -- yum!) and I'm never disappointed. Kitchen Front Previously:WWII rationing ephemera Hospital Food Photo Blog Going For An English, classic Goodness Gracious Me sketch - Boing ... Fresh Green: Worst Packaging, Human Shrub Attacks English Town ... Terrifying huge breakfast is free if you eat it in 20 minutes ......

Andrew from League of Steam sez, "A hilarious 3-minute web video in which the League of STEAM (steampunk ghostbusters/monster hunters) attempts to capture a mean little leprechaun. Slapstick humor, top-quality special effects, and cool steampunk gadgets and guns: the perfect geeky/sci-fi flick for St. Patrick's day! Enjoy!" Lovely work, guys -- nice use of the Wilhelm Scream! Adventures of the League of STEAM - "Fool's Gold"...

Yvan Arpa's coprolite watch is a US$11,290 timepiece with a face made from fossil dinosaur turds and a band made from black cane-toad skin (normally poisonous, rendered inert through processing). The thing is, coprolites just aren't that valuable. Dinosaurs left behind a lot of crap. This site sells coprolite at $8 per pound (it makes a wicked gift!). Swiss luxury watch made of fossilized dinosaur feces, toad skin costs $11,290 (Photo) (Thanks, Jonathan!) Previously:Discovering the first Americans' bathroom Common outdoor climbing phobias and how to combat them...

Mano Negra, [1996]. Spray-paint on holographic board. A piece by Victor Gastelum, currently showing at Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica, CA. (thanks, Sean Meredith and Laurie Steelink)...

I grew up in Japan, where we have a wonderful free health care system and some of the best-trained masseuses in the world. It was so nice to be able to walk to the neighborhood orthopedist any time my back was out of whack or I had a crook in my neck — despite the fact that I pay for my own health insurance here in the US, I hardly ever go to the doctor because it's hard to get appointments, and when I do, I usually end up waiting an hour and paying some ridiculous amount for x-rays and lab tests. The one good thing I learned living in America is how to rely on myself for routine maintenance rather than depending on the health care system. To make sure my back stays healthy, for example, I go to yoga class at least once a week and a Chinese massage place twice a month. I also have this funny book that my mom once gave me on tsubo, or pressure points. Tsubo (also referred to as acupuncture points, or meridian points) originate from traditional Chinese medicine; by pressing down on specific parts of the body, the belief goes, you can release bad qi connected to that part and heal basic health problems like muscle pain and constipation. It's not scientifically proven, but tsubo stimulation often feels really good and is, in my opinion, definitely worth a shot when you consider the alternative — paying a shit ton of money to go to a doctor who will see you for two minutes and then tell you you need physical therapy or lots of drugs. Here are a few you can try at home....

I'm taking a road trip to points of interest in Southern California! The trip is being underwritten by Buick LaCrosse, which has also kindly provided me with the use of a Buick LaCrosse to drive during the tour. My first stop was the Griffith Observatory, in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. My second stop was to Coco's Variety in Silver Lake. The third leg of my trip took me to lowbrow art galleries in Los Angeles. My fourth destination was the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. My final stop is the Huntington Gardens, Library, and Galleries near Pasadena. Those railroad robber barons sure left some nice things for us to enjoy. Take Henry E. Huntington. He was born in 1850 and at age 22 went to work for his uncle, Collis P. Huntington, tycoon of the Central Pacific Railroad, and made a fortune in the southern California rail business. When Uncle Collis died in 1900, he left behind his much younger wife, Arabella, the "richest woman in America." Her specialty was acquiring art from the old masters and other treasures, including "Medieval and Renaissance devotional images, and Louis XIV-XV furniture and decorative arts." Henry, a bit of an art buff himself, took a shine to his uncle's widow, and in 1913 they were married. They shacked up in Henry's recently completed Beaux Arts mansion built on the grounds of his 600-acre ranch estate in tony San Marino, near Pasadena. Now retired, Henry spent most of his time collecting rare books and art, and developing the gardens of his estate. In 1919 the couple created a nonprofit educational trust to establish The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, a stunningly beautiful place that I would much rather take out-of-town visitors to than Disneyland. (Sorry, Cory!)...