Link Dump and Cowgirl with Gun

Hang on kiddos...here is some wacky linkage...time for Claus to empty out the hopper again.

But first, a public service link announcement:

Microsoft Fixes Windows XP SP2 Laptop Battery Drain Problem: (via DailyTech) Get your patch directly from Microsoft's Help and Support download page.

Ok, now off to the fun...

Josie Maran "waiting" desktop. Something about this shot just strikes me as Gorgeous. Warning..kinda racy.

Spatulatta: Cooking for Kids. I was listening to NPR the other week and they had a wonderful interview with the stars (and recent James Beard Award winners) from Spatulatta. They were so precocious! Their site is fun as well.

Flaming Hot Cheetos. A related story on NPR was the issue facing schools regarding "Frito-Lay's Hot Cheetos." Alvis is a big fan of these things, but they have been placed on her "banned substance" list. She was eating a (big) bag of them one day at school and ended up getting an asthma attack so bad, we had to take her to the Emergency Room. No warning label on them... Lavie called the company later and we got an envelope full of free snack coupons. We were eating Frito-Lay products for a number of months.

Superdickery.com is running a fun gallery called "Superman is a Dick." Featuring the covers of Superman comics, this site illustrates just how hilarious some things can be when looked back from a future time/culture context. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a respectful admirer of Superman. However, I must confess. My favorite iteration of him had to be in the Lois and Clark TV series. Well, Terri Hatcher as Lois had to have impacted my feelings kinda...

FreeAsInBeer. A frequent phrase that somehow comes up often around me is "Free As In Beer." I've always wondered about this--as have some others, as where I live, beer costs $-$$$$. Free doesn't quite figure. So...research time...

Free As In Beer -- related to software distribution.
Gratis versus Libre -- Free (no cost) versus Freedom

I ended up deciding (for now) that it means things that are available at no monetary cost (like free beer at a party). In that it still costs something to someone (to make and provide) but is offered free to consumers for the spirit of collective enjoyment (both of giver and receiver).

Firefox Sidebar Madness: I'm a heavy user of the Firefox sidebar. Usually I display my Sage feeds there, but will occasionally switch it to view my bookmarks especially when looking in my "To Blog" folder as I blog on topics/links I've accumulated. So while I haven't found an extension that allows me to keep more than one sidebar open at a time, I have found some useful sidebar extensions:

Ez Sidebar -- really cool as it allows you to undock your sidebar and float it as an independent window. Handy if you have dual monitors.
All-In-One Sidebar -- similar to Opera's feature. Lets you quick-switch between available sidebars as well as Firefox dialog windows.. Nicely customizable. Also lets you place the sidebar on the right, rather than the left.
Sidebar on Right -- just a single option to place your sidebar on the right side.

Ohio University: vintage print advertising archive -- So old it's cool. (thumbnails)

Look at This -- (go on. I dare you to click! You know you want to Look at This!)

Land Rover ran an ad during the 2006 Super Bowl of their Range Rover vehicle in some really awesome looking concrete cavern. I didn't realize it, but that was really the Tokyo's "G-Cans Project" underground water system.
(more here at BLDG BLOG). Anyway...more awesome and mind-boggling high-def pics of the place. (via g-cans project site)

Vintage Popular Mechanics Magazine covers. Dad's dad had a basement full of these things. My brother and I would get lost down there reading all the old science and technology articles. The future seemed to be a lot cooler place to want to be back then then it actually is now that we are here...sighs..

Podsville -- just found this one. Dude is making some of his retro vinyl record transfers available. Don't know if he is on any RIAA hit-lits, but I doubt the artists and producers would be too worried about them. Worth a look and listen...

Roadside Travel pictures at flickr. Nice.

Long live the 50's! -- photoscan of the 1956 Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Book (just not in my house).

Ant Stuff: I've recently laid down some seasonal ant-killer product around our house. So far it's working great. No nests for over two months. But as much as I hate having fire-ants around the house (or in it) I really think ants are cool creatures.

Ameising 1 - video that shows "a pheromonal portait made by Argentine ants" - or - how ants make their tracks.
Nest-casting - pictures and links related to the casting of ant-nests in a solid medium preserving the beauty and structure of their nests. Cool.

Finally, DannyChoo was recently kind to give me permission to (respectfully and occasionally) use some of his pics here on my blog. One of the most fun figures in quite a while he has captured is Meg, from the anime series BurstAngel. What Texan wouldn't be proud to see a gal like this at the Ranch?

See you in the skies!
--Claus