First, some goodies for those of you running Mozilla Firebird. The latest version is pretty sweet, and I’ve pretty much switched from Mozilla 1.4 thanks to the customizable toolbars and the Phoenity Modern theme.

The prequel to Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon is almost here. What’s somewhat unexpected, though, is that it’s set in the 18th century, a far cry from nearly everything he’s written so far. To be honest, I don’t know how it’ll work out—I’m not really a fan of science fiction set in quaint old times. I tried to get through The Difference Engine with less than stellar results. On the other hand, Stephenson did manage to pull off a second Victorian age in The Diamond Age, so perhaps anything’s possible.
In the Wonders Of Science Department, scientists have found a way to create artificial gecko hairs that may one day allow people to walk up walls and ceilings. I know that most of you out there are still waiting for your jetpacks, but personally, I think that this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.
Finally, a complaint: Who the hell makes a skinnable client without releasing any skins for it, or even instructions on how to make your own? Someone needs to be fired for such a blatant omission. Maybe this is why no one uses ICQ anymore (except, apparently, me…)

Joel Plaskett Emergency
May 1st @ Merchant MacLiam*mind blown*(ten days pass)*mind still blown*

You’ve probably heard the story of the climber who cut off his forearm in order to free himself from underneath a boulder. Eerily enough, only a week or two earlier, there was some sort of TV-movie involving a police cruiser that veered off an isolated highway and landed deep into a ditch in the forest. Inside are two police officers and a murder suspect. The driver dies soon after the accident due to internal bleeding, and the other officer’s arm is skewered by a long piece of rebar. After some debate over whether the murder suspect actually committed a crime, the prisoner shows his true colours and escapes after shooting a teenage rescuer; the other police officer ends up cutting through her arm with a knife to capture the suspect.The really spooky part? In a bit of fairly obvious foreshadowing, the suspect relates the story of what he considered the world’s toughest man. The man was in an accident that left him trapped underneath a heavy object for several days, and eventually he decided that a rescue was not forthcoming. He escaped by amputating his arm.Alright, not that spooky, but a strange confluence of events nonetheless.