If you’re interesting in asian characters, you’ll really love this photo site. Carvingings of various kanji + hiragana writing in stones.

Is the biggest risk looming in the future not war, terrorism, or disease, but rather chaotic weather patterns? It’s enough of a risk, or perceived risk that it’s got the pentagon thinking about it.

Ever wondered how much of the globe you’ve covered? Check out this site click on every country you’ve visited, and then view the world map of your very own personal domination!

[Thanks Neal]

Interesting piece at BBC says not only is the internet making it very difficult for the government to stop Chinese activists, but that their messages also influence government policies.

[Slashdot]

An exploding whale surprised residents and shopowners in Tainan China with flying entrails and other organs. Strange but true, the whale had been decaying for some time, and while in transit to be autopsied. Apparently the residents were not so surprised at the explosion, caused by the gases of its own decay, but rather by it’s five foot penis. Go figure!

Interesting, and funny story. There’s a porn search engine called Booble. They’re being sued by Google for obvious reasons.

Canada is embarking on the controversial solution that other countries have used to deal with junkies.

[DrugWarRant]

We know Bauhaus sang about it. But what the heck was it?

Apparently the social networking website phenomenon is growing. Now we knew there were a few. But have you heard of Orkut, LinkedIn, Tribe, Ryze, Spoke, ZeroDegrees, Ecademy, RealContacts, Ringo, MySpace, Yafro, EveryonesConnected, Friendzy, FriendSurfer, Tickle, Plaxo, Squiby, and WhizSpark? Perhaps Evite falls into the category too.

[Thanks Kottke]

Plenty of great pics from this Tokyo photo-blog.

Mix websites, one for content, one for layout + design, into a new and interesting collage with Mina Naguib’s handiwork.

Madagascar Institute are a collective who put together spectacular art parties at Halloween, New Years, and various other times during the year. A recent accident at their Gowanas loft space sent Chris Hackett to the hospital.

[Thanks SuperG]

We’ve all wondered at one point or another how to prevent teen sex. I mean just because nature decides to pump a truck load of hormones into the bodies of unsuspecting boys and girls to get them to procreate doesn’t me we shouldn’t create religious and cultural rules to make them feel guilty and insane for it.

So here’s some advice:

3. Put together a puzzle with 1,000 pieces.
6. Play hide-and-seek in a cornfield.
11. Play Twister.
35. Play in the leaves.
36. Go to the park and pretend like you?re 6 years old again.
There are many many more good suggestions…

Some interesting bits from the online journal (great name btw). Paranoid Shift by Michael Hasty.

[THanks SuperG]

This is a fascinating piece on calendars, and time in general. Reminding us that as much as we’d like things to sit with simple mathematical perfection, the real world don’t work like dat!

[Thanks SuperG]

Found this great article all about growing Opium. Don’t read on, and you’ll be safer, if the DEA comes knocking. But if you know what you are/were doing, you’ll probably wind up in jail for cultivating gods creation.

If you like politics, and/or Howard Dean, check out this site of MP3 mixes at DeanGoesNuts.

[Thanks Aaron]

Science is at it “discovering” again. They’ve found “proof” that plants calculate. But I have a bigger question about science’s role…

Anyone else who enjoys watching the rediculous mockery of democracy + justice in the name of the “War on (some) Drugs” as much as I do will want to read on.

Well as many of you know, it’s Chinese New Years today. Plenty of events in Chinatown. But did you know it’s the year of the Monkey. But do you know what element this year is?

Japanese Gallery of Psychiatric Art in English and Japanese.

[boingboing]

I’ve seen body-mod drug-weirdness, but this takes the cake.

[Geisha Asobi]

Most of David LaChappelle’s work is sort of Cremaster-esque soft-porn like this Li’l Kim as Louis Vuitton ad - yummy. But as always a warning for some is an invitation for others…

[kottke]

If you’re looking to find a map for an area code, upc codes, flight numbers, or UPS tracking numbers, look no further than some new google searching.

[boingboing]

I was going through all this shit in my closet, to throw things away. One of my New Years resolutions…

Here’s an interesting little conspiracy on American media. Steve Brill hosts a gathering of media bigwigs including Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Aaron Brown among others. Tom Ridge sat at the head of the table.

[Thanks SuperG]

If you haven’t picked up a calendar yet for 2004, check out this godly, sinful, romantic, erotic, shimmering Pirelli calendar. Here’s more info on how to get one.

[boingboing]

When I hear or see some of the stunts PETA pulls, it’s easy to see how one can lose ground trying to make ground. So I offer to you the National Review’s piece Do They Know It?s Christmas? (in China) so we can all learn about how Chritianity is spreading the world over, and how much more peaceful it will be when everyone worships the same, ahem, good god.

Mike Godwin interviews Bruce Sterling a guy I always appreciate for his insight, crystal ball gazing, with a consistent dose of common sense, and sense of humor.

Robert Anton Wilson, the godfather of conspiracy, and all that is good, in a recent interview discussed Saharasia where James DeMeo picks up where Reich left off.