tech@vedella

Kevin and Jody Kidney created this one-off maquette of Colin Campbell's 1969 illustration depicting The Hatbox Ghost, a very short-lived illusion that was once part of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. They're bringing it to the Walt Disney World 40th birthday … Continue reading →

On Saturday, I posted about Popehat's "Anatomy of a Scam Investigation," in which Ken, a former federal prosecutor, is documenting his work to run down a con-artist who tried to rip him off with the "toner scam." Yesterday, Ken posted … Continue reading →

According to this report in the Iceland Review, Terry Gunnell, associate folklore professor at the University of Iceland, has surveyed Icelanders and discovered a large number who believe in elves and ghosts (and a larger number who wouldn't rule them … Continue reading →

The Soundwagon is a little toy bus that drives around a vinyl record playing the music from its onboard speaker. (The product is sometimes called the Vinyl Killer which is probably a more descriptive name.) I'd seen them in pictures … Continue reading →

In this clip from Russian TV, oligarch billionaire Alexander Lebedev sucker-punches another billionaire, Sergei Polonsky, hitting him twice. Clad in very tight grey jeans, Lebedev showed a glimpse of his past as a KGB agent as he launched two blows … Continue reading →

LaHaine sez, "According to the first prognosis, the German Pirate Party has entered the state parliament of the city-state of Berlin with 8,5% of the votes, counting for 14 of a total of 149 seats." Wahl-Spezial: Alles zur Abgeordnetenhauswahl in … Continue reading →

On the cover of today's NYT, a 8,000+ word feature on Justin Canha, an autistic high school student who has been participating in an intensive program that aims to integrate people with autism (and not just the "high-functioning" kind) into … Continue reading →

In this week's Observer, a heartfelt obituary from John Naughton for Michael S Hart, founder of the Gutenberg Project, and inventor of ebooks: Those who knew him testify that Michael Hart was an extraordinary individual – idiosyncratic, original, humane, determined … Continue reading →

Ken, a former "fed" (of some description) on the group blog Popehat, received a "toner-scam" (a scam whereby someone sends you an invoice for a service you never ordered or received in the hopes that you'll pay it without noticing) … Continue reading →

Italian magistrates investigating a prostitution ring have been wiretapping prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, and have recorded the oligarch boasting about ordering eleven women for a single night (he was only able to have sex with eight of them), complaining that … Continue reading →

Paul Spinrad snapped this photo at Maker Faire NY. He writes, "A cyclist rides a tall bike with a short wheelbase and tiny wheels that provide minimal gyroscopic balancing effect. The bike was built by William Thomas Porter of Brooklyn." … Continue reading →

The Internet Archive's Book Scanning project just added its three millionth text. Unlike Google Book Search, the Archive only scans public domain works, and, more significantly, places no restrictions on the scans' usage. Another significant difference is the Archive's privacy … Continue reading →

Zack sez, "The author of such surreal delights as LIZARD MUSIC and THE HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY has gone to the web to premiere his latest work before it heads to hard-copy. Daniel Pinkwater's BUSHMAN LIVES will update with a new … Continue reading →

JC Leyendecker's commercial illustrations from the 1920s sure were beautiful. J C Leyendecker Arrow Collar artwork 1920's

Women in Mindanao, Philippines ended a violent, armed, intervillage fight by going on a "sex-strike" until their husbands stopped killing each other, as confirmed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Women's 'sex strike' ends fighting in Mindanao villages … Continue reading →

Video Link (via Tara McGinley).

Michele Bachmann chooses STD's - watch more funny videos Michele Bachmann went on national TV this week to tell the world that the HPV vaccine could render women "retarded." Here's Funny or Die's response, which is apt, because while it's … Continue reading →

A Guardian journalist who was researching prices at a Tesco supermarket was threatened with arrest for writing down prices as he walked around. The security guard who questioned him claimed that it was illegal to write down prices at Tesco's. … Continue reading →

Leah sez, "DSEi, the worlds largest arms fair, takes place in London every two years. This year, Life Neutral Solutions announced that it was using the event to launch a new 'life offsetting' scheme. The company claimed that it was … Continue reading →

The Granite City, Illinois police have arrested 37-year-old Gerry Arville Armbruster (mugshot above), and they believe he is the same guy who stole a massive collection of Superman memorabilia from Mike Meyer, a mentally disabled comics fan. Armbruster, who sounds … Continue reading →