We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Samizdata quote of the day

· Humour · Slogans & Quotations

“I thought I’d begin by reading a sonnet by Shakespeare, but then I thought, why should I? He never reads any of mine.”

Spike Milligan

August 5th, 2008 | One comment - (Comments are closed)

Hack a security camera with a helium balloon

· Humour · Self defence & Security

Make: has a wonderful way of dealing with security cameras.

lamson1.jpg

This balloon-based anti surveillance camera project by Brooklyn-based artist William Lamson is an easy way to fool even the most sophisticated forms of surveillance technology. Helium filled rubber balloon set to the correct height and covered with enough static electricity to stick to any surface, such as a public camera. Now if only they made robotic pins for security officers to pop them.

August 2nd, 2008 | 50 comments - (Comments are closed)

Samizdata quote of the day

· Humour · Slogans & Quotations

“Weren’t the eighties grand? Cash grew on trees or, anyway, coca bushes. The rich roamed the land in vast herds hunted by proud, free tribes of investment brokers who lived a simple life in tune with money. Every wristwatch was a Rolex. Every car was a Mercedes-Benz. A fellow could romance a gal without shrink-wrapping his privates and negotiating the Treaty of Ghent. Communist dictators were losing their jobs, not presidents of America and General Motors. Women wore Adolfo gowns instead of dumpy federal circuit court judge robes. The Malcolm who mattered was Forbes. Bill Clinton was only a microscopic polyp in the colon of national politics, and Hillary was still in flight school, hadn’t even soloed on her broom. What a blast we were having. The suburbs had just discovered Martha Stewart, the cities had just discovered crack. So many parties and none of them Democratic…Back then health care was a tummy tuck, not an inalienable right. If you wanted a better environment, you went to Laura Ashley.”

– PJ O’Rourke

July 26th, 2008 | 41 comments - (Comments are closed)

The Home Office in action (II)

· Activism · Children's issues · Civil liberty, Law & Regulation · How very odd! · Humour · Privacy & Panopticon · UK affairs

It may be disgustingly authoritarian, but it is risibly incompetent too. It appears the Home Office has just spent a very large amount of UK readers’ money making a vast online advertisement for NO2ID. We’d despaired of reaching ‘the youth’ ourselves, too expensive. I’m very glad they decided to do it for us.

With audience participation. Which embarrassingly for the Home Office shows ‘kids’ not to be quite the suckers they’d hoped. Enjoy.

July 11th, 2008 | 13 comments - (Comments are closed)

A great picture

· Humour · UK affairs

Via the Boing Boing website – is this superb picture. Enjoy.

June 1st, 2008 | 7 comments - (Comments are closed)

Samizdata quote of the day

· Humour · Slogans & Quotations

“Two substantive political issues are the federal budget deficit and the war in Iraq. Now, if you’re electing Democrats to control government spending, then you’re marrying Angelina Jolie for her brains. This leaves the Democrats with one real issue: Iraq. And so far the best that any Democratic presidential candidate has been able to manage with Iraq is to make what I think of as the high school sex promise: I will pull out in time, honest dear.”

– PJ O’Rourke. He is still the greatest.

May 15th, 2008 | 45 comments - (Comments are closed)

When Gordon Entered Polly’s Bedroom

· Humour · UK affairs

Via Tim Worstall’s blog, I came across this imagined encounter between Polly Toynbee, and her political Mr D’Arcy, Brown, by this guy:

As for poor Pol, where to start? Imagine the despair, so raw you can almost taste it. Imagine the sense of crushing disappointment. For years now, she has waited for her prince to come – her dashing Norse warrior, who will sweep away all the effete detritus of the Blair years and unload a torrent of resources into child poverty and public services. Night after night she has left the red light on for him; lying in the bed in her Agent Provocateur lingerie, maybe some crotchless pants and a peephole bra, striking an uncomfortable pose lest he come charging through the door at any moment to sweep her up in his powerful arms.

Oh my god.

May 7th, 2008 | 16 comments - (Comments are closed)

A little ditty

· Humour

This is hilarious.

April 14th, 2008 | 13 comments - (Comments are closed)

Springtime is here

· Humour

Well, the daffodils are out, even the shrubs in my small garden are starting to grow. The weather has been rather nice of late. So, in this spirit, take it away, Mr Tom Lehrer:

Spring is here, a-suh-puh-ring is here.
Life is skittles and life is beer.
I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring.
I do, don’t you? ‘Course you do.
But there’s one thing that makes spring complete for me,
And makes every Sunday a treat for me.

All the world seems in tune
On a spring afternoon,
When we’re poisoning pigeons in the park.
Every Sunday you’ll see
My sweetheart and me,
As we poison the pigeons in the park.

When they see us coming, the birdies all try an’ hide,
But they still go for peanuts when coated with cyanide.
The sun’s shining bright,
Everything seems all right,
When we’re poisoning pigeons in the park.

We’ve gained notoriety,
And caused much anxiety
In the Audubon Society
With our games.
They call it impiety
And lack of propriety,
And quite a variety
Of unpleasant names.
But it’s not against any religion
To want to dispose of a pigeon.

So if Sunday you’re free,
Why don’t you come with me,
And we’ll poison the pigeons in the park.
And maybe we’ll do
In a squirrel* or two,
While we’re poisoning pigeons in the park.

February 25th, 2008 | 11 comments - (Comments are closed)

A new Canterbury tale

· Humour

While I’m linking to what is probably common knowledge here at Samizdata, let me throw in a link to Iowahawk’s new Canterbury Tale for Bishop Rowan. In the unlikely event you haven’t seen this already, you really, really owe it to yourself to click through.

Just a little taste:

41 Sayth the libertine, “’tis well and goode

42 But sharia goes now where nae it should;

43 I liketh bigge buttes and I cannot lye,

44 You othere faelows can’t denye,

45 But the council closed my wenching pub,

46 To please the Imams, aye thaere’s the rub.”

February 15th, 2008 | 10 comments - (Comments are closed)

Pointless waste of time

· Humour

I had run across some of David Wong’s work in the past and really enjoyed it, so I was delighted to find his home base at Pointless Waste of Time. He is one smart, funny guy. Browse around, but I particularly recommend the classics “Inside the Monkeysphere,” “The Ultimate War Simulation”, and “The God Fuse”.

The first two I had run across before, so they’ve gotten some exposure, but I was glad to find their home, as they are definitely worth re-reading.

February 15th, 2008 | Comments are closed

Black humour in Iraq

· Humour · Middle East & Islamic · Military affairs

If you do not read Michael Totten’s blog regularly (and why the hell don’t you? It is one of the best damn things on the internet!) then you may have missed this treasure.

And this comment is pretty good too:

This video proves that the surge has failed miserably. The Iraqis are running wild with their scissors and refuse to drink milk and wear seat belt. The pitiful American forces can’t even muster the courage to summon insurgents to a shootout themselves. Instead, they have to order random drivers on the road as “human invitation cards”. This is sickening.

Heh indeed.

February 8th, 2008 | 4 comments - (Comments are closed)
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