Searching for a public domain or Creative Commons photo to use in a spoof article, I stumbled upon the collection of zombie art and photographs in Wikimedia.  I present my five favorites below.  The name of the photographer and the location of the shot is below each picture.  All are Creative Commons license photos. Infrogmation's photo links back to his Flickr page.

Alofok--Kempten, Germany

Heather Buckley--Brighton, UK

Infrogmation--New Orleans, U.S.A.

Josh Jensen--Toronto, Ontario

Yves Tennevin--Toulouse, France

Machine Translation and Article Spinning

On Triond recently I've read a number of pieces prepared with translation software and then run through a synonymizer to yield "50 percent re-written" content. The purpose of such mangling of language is either to plagiarize or to place multiple copies of the article on several websites without being detected. These articles inspired me to make the following demonstration of how the combination of translator and synonymizer software can destroy even the best prose. Notice птоломеевы (ptolomeevy) and птоломеевых (ptolomeevyh) are not even translated.

Tolstoy’s "War and Peace," Second Epilogue, Chapter 12, First Paragraph

Original Russian Text

С тех пор как найден и доказан закон Коперника, одно признание того, что движется не солнце, а земля, уничтожило всю космографию древних. Можно было, опровергнув закон, удержать старое воззрение на движения тел, но, не опровергнув его, нельзя было, казалось, продолжать изучение птоломеевых миров. Но и после открытия закона Коперника птоломеевы миры еще долго продолжали изучаться.

Machine Translation

Since discovered and proved the law of Copernicus, a recognition that the sun does not move and the earth, destroyed the entire cosmography of the ancients. It was possible, disproving the law, retain the old conception of the movement of bodies, but not denying it, it was impossible, apparently, to continue studying ptolomeevyh worlds. But after the discovery of the law of Copernicus ptolomeevy worlds for a long time continued to be studied.

Synonymized Machine Translation

For the purpose discovered and unrelieved the show of Copernicus, a affirmation go wool-gathering the sunlight does call operation and the leavings, dejected the entire cosmography of the ancients. It was anniversary card, disproving the posture, cleave to brace selection the superannuated clue of the reaction behaviour of indigent, but moan adversative it, it was futile, evidently, to suffer pensive ptolomeevyh worlds. But bill the disclosure of the deport oneself of Copernicus ptolomeevy worlds for a pine age continual to be seized.

Maude (Human) Translation

From the time the law of Copernicus was discovered and proved, the mere recognition of the fact that it was not the sun but the earth that moves sufficed to destroy the whole cosmography of the ancients. By disproving that law it might have been possible to retain the old conception of the movements of the bodies, but without disproving it, it would seem impossible to continue studying the Ptolemaic worlds. But even after the discovery of the law of Copernicus the Ptolemaic worlds were still studied for a long time

Triond Readership

Most of my Triond readership lives outside the United States, a fact that astonishes me.  I expected a much larger portion of the people reading my articles to be Americans.  I snipped the pie chart from my dashboard yesterday.  The blue sector at the bottom, in case you can't read it, is United States readership.

If you'd like to give it a try, my Triond referral link is: http://www.triond.com/rw/551035.

Puzzle is small; find larger copies at armored penguin

Blogger reduced the size of the puzzle below.  The pdf's of puzzles at www.armoredpenguin.com are U.S. letter-size.  I made my puzzles public.  The puzzles are archived by date and time and stored for two months.  Here's the  information you need to find the puzzle on Armored Penguin:

Feral Cat Glossary Words Mark Jones 8 Nov 2011 10:03:50

Kids' Word Search Puzzle

I made a word search puzzle for my younger daughter using the vocabulary words in a book she's reading about feral cats. I used the word search puzzle generator on www.armoredpenguin.com. I converted the pdf files for the puzzle and the answer into jpg files in order to post them on this blog.

Have fun!

Here's the answer.

Romney Can Win ... Does Not Compute ... Does Not Compute

Search "Romney Can Win" and Google Algorithm Asks If You Made a Typo.  

Google denies the program had human help.  I exhibit screenshots, but if you want to look at the screens close up, you might want to do the searches  yourself.

Peter Fulham of Slate reports that if you type "Romney Can Win" into Google search, the algorithm asks if you didn't mean to type "Romney can't win."  The algorithm kindly treats your search term as a spelling error.  See the screen shot below.

When you click on the link "Romney Can't Win," you go to a page where the main story is Google.

The algorithm doesn't treat Obama's election chances the same way.  It doesn't ask is you didn't mean to type something else.  It does direct you to articles that say he can win and how he can win:

CBS News in its "Political Hotsheet" section quotes a Google spokesperson: "Our spellcheck feature is automated, and while no algorithm is perfect, we're always working to improve our search quality."

Romney shouldn't feel slighted.  Although he's the only Republican candidate that the Google algorithm doesn't think can win, the smarty-pants program thinks some other guys are losers too.  I use the pseudonym marqjonz elsewhere (and did here until Google changed its rules).  Look what happens when I type in "marqjonz can win":

I've been irritated more often than helped by the Google algorithm's suggestions on spelling.  In fact, if you want to get articles in Spanish, I'd say the algorithm gets in the way.  I hope Google takes this peculiar search result as a cue to update the algorithm

I'm interested to see if Google's search algorithm is more accurate than the late octopus who correctly predicted the winner of the World Cup.

Sources

Condon, Stephanie.  "Google glitch suggests 'Romney can't win.'"  Political Hotsheet.  CBS News.  October 28, 2011.  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20127226-503544/google-glitch-suggests-romney-cant-win/

Fulham, Peter.  "Google Thinks Romney Can't Win."  Slate.  October 27, 2011. http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2011/10/27/google_thinks_romney_can_t_win.html.

Castro Watch

Click on the map to hear the Cuban national anthem "La Bayamesa."


On Triond I've posted three articles about the former Cuban leader:

"Is Fidel Castro Dying?"

"Evo Morales Say Castro Making 'Speedy Recovery' as Fidel Continues to Avoid Public Appearances"

"Ukranian President Says Castro Alive"

Eel Girl

Here's a link to and blurb for my review of "Eel Girl."


Eel Girl Wins Awards Worldwide
"Eel Girl" is a short film about a romantic moment between a scientist and a human-eel hybrid woman. This picture has won numerous awards for its outstanding special effects. Weta Workshop, best known for makeup and creatures in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, created the special makeup effects for the human-eel hybrid in the film. Send the kids to bed before you watch this one. 


To accompany my Triond review with the entire short film, I would need to have access to a legal and embeddable video from YouTube.  YouTube, however, doesn't have the entire short film (unless you want to see it with Russian subtitles), so I embedded the code from Daily Motion in this blog.

Eel Girl by SFLTV

Interview in Gatopardo with Xeni Jardin

There's an new interview with Xeni Jardin in the Mexican magazine Gatopardo.  In the interview she makes a comparison of blogging with being a DJ--attributing the comparison to a friend.  It's a joke, right?  ¿Es un chiste, no?  Blogging, especially the kind she does, is pointing out another's ideas.

Comparas la música punk con escribir un blog.Un amigo alguna vez dijo que bloguear es un poco como ser dj. El dj no compone música, pero tiene buen oído y sabe qué cosas van a ir bien juntas en cierto contexto. Eso es bloguear.

Photo of Xeni Jardin from Wikipedia.  Photo is by Jen Collins and has a Creative Commons Copyright.  Thanks Jen Collins.

Anchorman of the Internet

I responded to an article of fellow Triond writer vijayanths' "Google Once Again Updated Page Rank in August 2011" with a lengthy note.  I want to thank him for showing me PR Checker, which allows one to check the Google page rank of a web page.


I've installed this feature on my blog below. As you can see, I get a 0 of 10.

I Miss Ubuntu Linux

Lucid Lynx R.I.P

For the time being, I have returned to the Windows world.  I am putting my old machine aside to wait until I can make a rational decision about whether to install yet another parallel ATA drive or simply move on to a more contemporary machine.  I'm now forced to use an old Windows XP computer, an ancient Dell Inspiron.  I'm not happy.

I backed up my old computer a while ago, so I shouldn't lose much.  I am also considering partitioning the hard drive of this Inspiron so I can use Linux again.  I'd rather go buy a used PC, ditch the operating system, and install the latest (stable and well-reviewed) version of Ubuntu, but I'll have to do plenty of shopping before I find what I want in a PC.  I think I'll get a desktop model, so I can enjoy some extra horsepower for my money.

Windows is even worse than I remember it.

When Steve Jobs died, my hard drive crashed.

I think it's a strange coincidence.  It reminds of all the ghost stories where the clock stops when someone dies, which in turn brings to mind Auden's "Funeral Blues," the first six lines of which follow:

"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

"Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead...."

I found a video on YouTube of a singer performing this poem to music written by Benjamin Britten.  The YouTube blurb says:

"'Funeral Blues' a poem by W.H. Auden, music by Benjamin Britten. Performed by Alexia Mankovskaya, soprano, Andrea Kmecova-piano, Jose Gandia viola, at a London recital given by the Vertigo Ensemble."


I'm this video here because it's a great performance, and I want to remind everyone that this poem was famous before "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

New Articles

I've written quite a few article for Triond in the past two weeks, but I've neglected to put any information about them on this blog.  The tag cloud of this post, made by wordle.net,  is above.  Here the articles are:


"46 Miles" is a Great Short Film You Can See Free Online
The cast and crew of "46 Miles" made this short over a weekend--yet it was good enough to be shown at the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival, and it's the most quotable 48-hour film ever made. It's a good movie for adults or teens at Halloween. Don't miss it.


"Face Like a Frog" is a Great Animated Short Film You Can See Free Online
Sally Cruikshank, one of America's most influential animators, has put her films up on YouTube. My favorite is "Face Like a Frog." It's good cartoon for Halloween, too.


Nuclear Plant Near Atlanta, Georgia, Leaking Radioactive Material
A report of the morning news on the website of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports radioactive water was found in in two test wells under Plant Hatch near Baxley, Georgia, about 200 miles from Atlanta.


"10 Articles" are a Deadly Virus of Creative Minds
Nine "10 Articles" I"m Glad Can't be Written.


Even "Star Trek: Nemesis" Was Better Than Most of The Movies We Saw This Summer
The opening cry of my rant is: "Forget bread and circuses; today all you can expect is popcorn and flea circuses.

Award-winning Horror Comedy Short "Artistic License" You Can See Online Free

This short film is professional quality with excellent editing and cinematography. Moreover, it's a funny video that features good Halloween music. There's not a moment wasted as the story moves toward its twisted conclusion. If you like "Scream" and its sequels, you'll like this one.

You Can See Film Version of Lovecraft's "Cool Air" Online Free

A short film version of Lovecraft's "Cool Air" provides schlocky fun--and the acting is far better than you'd expect.

Evo Morales Say Castro Making "Speedy Recovery" as Fidel Continues to Avoid Public Appearances

According to Cuban state media, Morales said he spoke with Fidel Castro for three hours and noted the aged leader's "speedy physical recovery."

Woman Crying Over Cats Gets 15 Million Views on Youtube

Trolling for hits?

Richard Freeman Leads Expedition to Sumatra to Find Mystery Ape, But is a Discovery Possible?

Ten days ago Richard Freeman wrote a pair of articles about his search for an short, powerful ape that walks upright in the forests of Sumatra. He's on an expedition to find this animal as I write. Skeptics say the ape is a myth, but they could be wrong. Nonetheless, can a legendary animal truly be "discovered"?

Sally Cruikshank and laughingsal

I've added a video bar to this blog that shows some videos from laughingsal's channel on YouTube.  These films are by cartoonist and filmmaker Sally Cruikshank, who goes by the handle laughingsal on YouTube. I believe this screenname comes from an automated funhouse character, manufactured in the 1930's.

(Public Domain photo of Laughing Sal from Wikipedia)

 

You can hear the laughter of this automaton on the website of the Musee Mechanique:

 

http://www.museemechanique.org/

Sally Cruikshank is perhaps most familiar from numerous animated sequences she made for Sesame Street from 1989 to 2000, but "Quasi at the Quackadero" earned her fame.  This 1975 animated short was selected as one of the 50 greatest cartoons in a poll of 1000 animation professionals.  It's in the National Film Registry.  You can find it on her YouTube channel.  Cruikshank's own website is http://www.funonmars.com/.

My favorite of Sally Cruikshank's films is "Face Like a Frog" :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOptGLEOsJ8

My information on Sally Cruikshank comes from Wikipedia, Cruikshank's YouTube channel and her website.

My Younger Daughter and I Like a Browser Game Called Crimson Room

I haven't played very many of the games available on the Internet.  Far behind the times in my knowledge of such things, I stumbled upon Crimson Room today.  I spent a few minutes on the game and enjoyed it.  My younger daughter, age 7, saw me playing the game and asked if she could play as well.  I consented because I needed something to keep her busy while I vacuumed the floors.  Yes, I know that's a poor reason.

She didn't solve any of the "escape-the-room" games on the website (and neither did I), but she enjoyed herself.  I am very cautious about letting my daughter play games on the Internet, for I don't believe it's the best choice of activity for her most of the time.  Despite my principles, I do occasionally succumb.  After all, she saw me playing the game!

Here's a screenshot of the web page of Toshimitsu Takagi, the creator of the game Crimson Room.

You can find this amusing page, which has a link to the Crimson Room game at http://takagism.net/index_e.html.
 

Nuclear Plant Near Atlanta, Georgia Leaking Radioactive Material
 

On October 1, 2011, I wrote an article about radioactive water leaking from a nuclear plant in Baxley, Georgia.  The article is posted on Triond's Scienceray website.  To the left you'll find a tag cloud for the article generated by wordle.net, a very useful site.  Below is a link and some info about the article.

Nuclear Plant Near Atlanta, Georgia Leaking Radioactive Material
A report of the morning news on the website of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports radioactive water was found in in two test wells under Plant Hatch near Baxley, Georgia, about 200 miles from Atlanta.
Published on Scienceray, Oct 1, 2011 

Castro Manipulates Foreign Media

I'm working on another piece about Fidel Castro. I believe he's manipulating the foreign media to portray him as healthier than he is. He's also tending to his image, strange as this is to say, by not appearing in public or being photographed. How his absence makes helps his image and how Castro is now having foreign leaders write most of his "Reflections" will be the foci of the article. Watch this space for news of this article.

A review on Amazon and several new topics I'm writing about.

I'm working on a few new ideas for articles. Watch this blog to see where I put them.
1. How amateurs have contributed to the search for exoplanets.
2. How to read a Kindle book without a Kindle--or any other mobile device.
3. Things the trailer for the new movie "John Carter" can tell us about how closely the movie follows the book "A Princess of Mars."

My most recent writing is a review of Tony Leather's "Dancing with the Devil and other twisted tales" on Amazon.com. I gave the book five stars because it deserves them. By the way, I read this Kindle book without a Kindle.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to switch to writing in AP Style.

My New Articles On Triond

Winning Auction Bid for Golden Eye Diamond Only $2.8 Million Did an Ohio couple get more than their money's worth?

News Media Announce Discovery of Habitable Planet, But Scientists More Cautious Recent news articles about the habitability of a newly discovered world 35 light-years from Earth are overblown, Scientists made a much weaker claim in the published report. The planet is as likely to be another furnace-like Venus as another Earth.

Is Fidel Castro Dying? Rumors about poor health abound because the former Cuban leader has been absent from the limelight for two months. A family member has denied the rumors, but some Cuba watchers draw different conclusions.

Fetch Saving the girl you love from yourself isn't always easy, and maybe you shouldn't always try to be yourself, whoever that is.

I've Recently published another half dozen articles on Triond.  You can find more information and links on the widget at the left.  Here are the latest:

"The Keepsake"

"'I'll be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You': Louis Armstrong and Betty Boop in Short Films You Can See Online Free"

Deathdealer: A Documentary : a Short, Dark, and Comic Film Starring Henry Rollins

Leading Chinese Dissident Lashes Out

Cats and Carpet
   
The Comic Books of India: Nagraj

My Cat and His Thyroid Tumor

I've written some more articles for Triond:

"The Golden Eye Diamond: Tae Bo, Tyson, and Trouble" 
                      
"Where are My Triond Articles on The Chinese Search Engine Baidu?"    
    
"Where Will The Next Republican President Look for WMD?"                        
    

Another article on Triond

"Are Bonobos Smarter Than Chimps?"

New Article on Triond

"David Thewlis (Remus Lupin) in Short Film You Can See Online Free"

Articles

I've posted the following articles on Triond:

"Did S & P Downgrade U.S. Debt to Develop The S & P Brand?"

"A Rattlesnake Bit My Dog"

"Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) in Short Film You Can See for Free Online"

"Cat Vomitology: What to Do When Your Cat Throws Up on The Carpet"

I'm paid a fraction of a cent per organic hit.  The articles on pets get more hits than the others.  Cats are staining carpets all over the world.  The money goes into my fund for Christmas and birthday presents.

The style of the articles may be choppy and peculiar to you.  I want to develop a way of writing that's suitable for readers whose attention span is even shorter than mine.