Grow Island: the latest entry in the Grow series of Flash-based web games. I completed it, but wasn’t quite sure what was happening on screen the entire time.

While I don’t think it’s a good idea to show up to an airport or any high-security area with circuitry strapped to one’s chest, it bothers me that the media is so freely calling this latest incident a “bomb hoax.” Doesn’t the word “hoax” entail some knowledge about the intentions of the doer? The most probable explanation is that these were the actions of a socially-clueless MIT geek who wears her circuitry art wherever she goes, although I guess you can’t expect a security officer to grasp that on sight.

The voting is in and an ordered list of the 100 best foreign-language films has been compiled. Jean Renoir’s The Rules of the Game -- which I saw for the first time last year, and loved – takes the number one spot. I’ve seen only 12 of the top 25, so I’ve got my work cut out. (Damn you, French New Wave!)

If you want to know why Justice Stevens is probably my favorite sitting member of the Supreme Court, this excellent New York Times Magazine profile is a good place to start.

As I hoped and suspected, the misuse of Tasers is getting a little more attention post-“Don’t Tase Me, Bro.” Here’s a summary on Kos of various incidents being documented by Amnesty International. (thx, ludditerobot)

Speaking of memes, Internet People is a surprisingly satisfying and comprehensive music video about its eponymous subject. I’m late to the party on it, but I haven’t had much time for this sort of thing post-vacation, pre-move. Also, RumorsDaily has compiled an informative list of all the video’s references.

“Don’t Tase Me, Bro” has turned into an Internet phenomenon. I can only hope that this leads to more scrutiny of police Taser usage policies, and of Taser International itself.

Videos of a new batch of commercials for AT&T, directed by Wes Anderson. “step away from the camera dolly, wes,” says one of the commenters, but hey, a person’s style is a person’s style. (via kottke)

This Wednesday, the New York Times website will finally discontinue TimeSelect, the paywall behind which they’ve been putting much of their content. Death to outdated subscription models!

Fantasy writer Robert Jordan died yesterday at the age of 58, with his twelve volume Wheel of Time series unfinished. (Each book was usually between 700 and 1000 pages). Sorry for the cynicism, but I’m glad I stopped at book 7 back in my college days.

With the ongoing Warren Jeffs trial, polygamy and the FLDS has been getting more news coverage than usual. Today’s Review-Journal has an article about polygamist families moving from Colorado City to Las Vegas – that is, from an FLDS enclave to mainstream America.

The Kronos Quartet has an excellent performance of Sigur Rós’s “Flugufrelsarinn.” To listen to the track, you need to click on the album cover image in the upper left corner.

Errol Morris’s second post on his NYTimes blog is about the Abu Ghraib Hooded Man, who was originally mistakenly identified by an article in the Times.

The photograph should be a constant reminder of how we can make false inferences from pictures. And of how pictures and language can interact to produce falsehood.

Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, the comedic geniuses behind Mr. Show, are working on a new show for HBO, supposedly a sitcom. And right when I was considering canceling my subscription! (After The Wire Season 5, of course.)

The Top 10 Physically Modified People. I get the feeling that in a 1,000 years we’ll all look like Star Wars aliens – but because of body modifications rather than species evolution or an actual visitation. (via bb)

The first hands-on preview of the super-hyped Spore, the latest Will Wright creation.