bookofjoe

Milena gives a lesson

She tired of my whinging about my travails with TypePad's new compose system and insisted I try Firefox.

So I'm trying Firefox for this post.

Maybe the fact that the version I'm using (1.0.7 — above) dates from 2005 explains why some of the features that did work with my barely functional Safari now don't work at all.

I'll report on further TechnoDolt™ investigations as developments warrant.

BehindTheMedspeak: 'The ovaries may be pulled off and become a choking hazard'

File under "Weirdest product recalls of all time."

Long story short: On December 19, 2008 iheartguts, which makes plush replicas of human organs, issued the following notice: "Voluntary safety recall of Plush Uterus due to potential choking hazard for children. Recall participants will receive a 15%-off online coupon code. Consumers may either return for refund/exchange, or opt-out via email if the uterus is not accessible to children."

[via Jean Roberts]

What does a shamisen sound like?

Wait a minute, Milena — you're going way to fast for me.

How 'bout telling us what a shamisen is?

OK.

Now, let's play shamisen.

BehindTheMedspeak: Ear Wax Visualizer

The best medical innovation of the year to date.

From the website:

Multi-Use Ear Mirror

This hinged mirror looks like a dental tool but it’s really for finding ear wax or viewing the nose and throat.

Just hold one mirror to your ear and adjust the other end until you can see inside.

Also for working in tight spaces.

8.5 inches long.

....................

$12.99.

Is William Gibson a bookofjoe fan?

Consider the following facts:

1. On December 31, 2008, I posted a YouTube video interview (above) with Rufus Hussey, "The Beanshooter Man," brought to my attention by long-time reader/contributor ornsby chazzer.

2. Yesterday,

on William Gibson's blog ,

the post captured below

appeared.

If you click on the word "awesomeness" in Gibson's blog, you go to the YouTube video up top.

Coincidence?

You make the call.

North Face E-Tip Gloves

Long story short: They let you use your iPod or iPhone when it's chilly outside.

Willa Plank reviewed them as follows in yesterday's Wall Street Journal:  "At first blush, these gloves' futuristic design [top] looks more suited for a gamer. The tip of the index finger and thumb are covered with so-called X-static fabric, which contains a layer of silver. Though the action was slightly more awkward than a human touch for the screen and slide wheel, we found these gloves the easiest to use among the ones we tested that still left our hands covered."

$39.95  (iPhone not included).

Japanese Mall Fountain

[via Nick Wood]

FM3's Buddha Machine

Sasha Frere-Jones reviewed it as follows in the January 12, 2009 issue of the New Yorker.

Instant Karma

The electronic musicians Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian live in Beijing and work under the name FM3. In 2005, they released their Buddha Machine, a collection of nine audio loops ranging in length from five to forty seconds and housed in a small brightly colored plastic box fitted with a speaker, like a transistor radio from the last century. Until a new sound is selected, a loop repeats infinitely (or until the battery runs out). You can (and should) listen while you read, relax, exercise, or cook: my original blue Buddha Machine has kept me sane through many an evening of chopping and dicing. Virant and Zhang perform live with multiple Buddha Machines, sometimes battling. They have also designed custom housings, one made partly from tea leaves. The Buddha Machine 2.0 is out now for around twenty bucks, featuring nine new loops and a pitch control. You can also download both sets of loops from the FM3 Web site , buy a Buddha Machine app for your iPhone ($3.99), or go to a Web site called Zendesk that has arrayed twenty-one virtual Buddha Machines into a wall of sound.