While not as big as ASU's porno problem last fall, it's unfortunate that the tech industry got a bulletin declaring that our vice-provost and CIO is an idiot. From The Register:

An Arizona State University representative committed one of the ultimate blunders in the delicate world of customer win announcements and did so at the expense of IBM... It's not uncommon [for IBM] to donate hardware to a university, but customers are usually encouraged to keep quiet about the extent of the price cuts and told to say nice things about IBM's gear. ASU has crossed a forbidden line and tainted what could have been a pristine, philanthropic gesture... "They essentially bought the business," William Lewis, ASU chief information officer and vice-provost, told the paper [The Arizona Republic].

Jackass.

Alpha Kappa Psi, Iota Xi chapter, was recently awarded the Arizona State University SORC Hall of Fame Award for Best Web Design. Go here for 2002's award winners, and ideally 2003's will be posted at some point. This is the first year the Best Web Design award has been given, and much credit and thanks goes to Paul, Matt Brill, and anyone else that put their time and effort into making our web page great. Check it out at http://www.iotaxi.com.

I'm curious: what's your cell phone ring? My callers labeled VIP are ushered in by the Backstreet Boys' "Larger than Life" and incoming calls from those who are not in the book get a simple ring. My dad's phone still plays "Nokia Tune" and probably will forever.

My roommates recently asked me to teach them about the interesting phenomenom we all know as female ejaculation. Actually, they refered to its slang name, you know p-s'ing, but I didn't want to get edited in this post so I will refrain from using it. I resorted to a web search to give them a proper visual lesson and I never knew how few non-pornographic webpages were dedicated to the topic. I did find one, however, and should any of you females out there in ukazu need lessons, just point your mouse on the right link and start double clicking.

A student at Caltech did something smart: he built a website that explores the social links between people by analyzing their buddy lists. Go add yourself to the system and check out the network. I've translated the instructions below, in case the Caltech kid confuses you. If you'd like to do some additional reading, try this intro to social network analysis.

You know that one bitter uncle you have, the one that's always going on about the damned politicians and the damned traffic and the damned crummy way the cookie crumbled? It's often that uncle, and uncles like him who can't see the terrific possibilities in all the difficulty of daily life. On and on about damned Big Business and the no chance, no how, no way for the little guy anymore.

Malarky. Possibility abounds, but it takes a lot of hard work and a fair amount of smarts. MovableType, the system that powers this weblog and thousands of others, was started by a husband and wife team, less than two years ago. Several months ago they announced their incorporation, and today they announced that they have been funded, hired their first employee, and are releasing a brand new software product. Downright inspirational.

Sales of Pabst Blue Ribbon are up 12% this year, the largest increase since 1978, despite the fact that the company hasn't run a tv ad in 10 years. What's up with that? It seems that the cheap ass beer, once the staple of blue collar America, has gone the way of the mesh hat: it has been adopted by snowboarders, edgy young republicans, and art gallery trendsetters. "A pint of PBR please." Are you kidding me?

Put some funk on your feet. [ link via Evhead ]

I saw this at Hivelogic and it resonated with me.

We eat when we're not hungry, drink when we're not thirsty. We buy what we don't need and throw away everything that's useful. Why sell a man what he wants? Sell him what he doesn't need! Pretend he's got eight legs and two stomachs and money to burn. It's wrong! Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.