Bart: Oh, Mom, I couldn’t ask you to do that. Your already taking care of Maggie and Lisa is such a handful.
Lisa: She means you should get a job, stupid!
Bart: [Daniel Stern’s voice, a la Wonder Years] Me? Get a job? Were they serious? I didn’t realize it at the time, but a little piece of my childhood had slipped away, forever.
Homer: Bart! What are you staring at?
Bart: Uh, nothing. [Daniel Stern continues] He didn’t say it, and neither did I, but at that moment, my dad and I were closer than we…
Homer: Bart! Stop it!
Bart: Sorry.

Fascinating map and coverage stats over at Damien Mulley’s blog, detailing broadband enabled exchanges across Ireland. Sunday afternoon broadband click.

Adnans mentioned this in a comment, but I’ll just draw your attention to it cause it’s quality. Penny Arcade sums up the whole Wii debacle. Wii previously at TCAL.

We reported on the talk of the BBC redesigning it’s website. What we missed is that they’ve launched a competition called Reboot. They are taking submissions of new designs for the bbc.co.uk homepage. Confusingly, the winning design won’t actually be used, it will only become the BBC.co.uk homepage for a day. The blog has loads of detail, but the best place to start is the FAQ. Snip from the blog where they do a good job of responding to criticism:

What you are really asking for is numerous submissions of what is in essence a $million rebranding. Not a bad exchange for an apple laptop.

I think it’s worth pointing out from the very beginning that we are not asking people to provide million £ rebranding for us. Indeed we are NOT going to use or commission any designs for the final front page. Yes, we will turn the winning design into the homepage for a day – but that’s as a prize and as recognition for the winning producer’s efforts (and if they really don’t want us to, then we won’t).

If you thought the Slashdot redesign competition was a tough one, redesigning the bbc.co.uk site is one of the biggest information design challenges you could ask for.

BBC story has the story of the code in the Da Vinci Code copyright courtcase documents being cracked.

Mr Justice Peter Smith has explained how to crack the code in his 71-page ruling after two newspapers claimed to have solved it.

The message read: “Smithy Code Jackie Fisher who are you Dreadnought.”

The judge admires Admiral Jackie Fisher, who developed battleship HMS Dreadnought, which launched in February 1906, 100 years before the case began.

In a statement, Mr Justice Smith said: “The message reveals a significant, but now overlooked event that occurred virtually 100 years to the day of the start of the trial.”

Our previous story.

Colbert, who spoke in the guise of his talk show character, who ostensibly supports the president strongly, urged the Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on reality, “and reality has a well-known liberal bias.”

He attacked those in the press who claim that the shake-up at the White House was merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. “This administration is soaring, not sinking,” he said. “They are re-arranging the deck chairs–on the Hindenburg.”

Colbert told Bush he could end the problem of protests by retired generals by refusing to let them retire. He compared Bush to Rocky Balboa in the “Rocky” movies, always getting punched in the face–”and Apollo Creed is everything else in the world.”

Big video links at Crooks and Liars. BoingBoing post has more links.

“Rolling Stones guitarist was hospitalized for a mild concussion he suffered while vacationing in Fiji, reportedly after falling out of a palm tree.”

This guy is so rock n’ roll. (he’s 62)
story here.

Spoiler tastic first clip from X-Men 3 that appeared on Jay Leno.

How unsurprising is that. It’s kick starting the whole internet video revolution into the mainstream. Forbes article about it. Also, an article at Slate - A Grand Unified Theory of YouTube and MySpace. 40 million plays a day. (via via.)

Psychiatric scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Glen Oaks, N.Y., say they’ve found a gene that seems to influence intelligence.

Smart Pills just around the corner then. Full story.

Tom explains, “Katie is a young girl’s name. Her name is Kate now – she’s a child-bearing woman.”

FreeKate.net is already registered. Full story. As always, FreeKatie!

Possessing marijuana, cocaine and even heroin will no longer be a crime in Mexico if the drugs are carried in small amounts for personal use, under legislation passed by Congress.

Wow. Full story at Reuters.

Collaberative art tool, choose a block and draw something relating to this weeks topic. I don’t understand why there isn’t all kinds of spam and naughty words on it, must be moderated. www.opinio-libera.com. Thanks John.

Rapture watch. Lol. Where in the world is Jesus? Thanks Ger.

As a follow up to the news that the Nintendo Revolution has been renamed the Wii, check out this poll on joystiq. Only 17% of respondants like/love the name.

Suck up the apples while they’re good. Don’t burst. This Game Sucks.

High Quality Mov. Low Quality Mov. (via.) About Phantom Ghost.

United Irelander points us to the Sun’s 6 step plan for getting a woman. To summarise: Stare into her eyes with your arms by your side while she eats dark chocolate on a roller coaster while you tell her jokes and make sure that you have a hifi playing some soft rock in the background. Full article in the Sun.

Friday short film goodness. They’re Made Out Of Meat. Based on a play by Terry Bisson. Transcript of the original play. (via.)

If you are wondering why all the videos below are blank, it’s because YouTube is down at the moment.