While reading through this riveting search for the American launch date of Super Mario Brothers, my mind was bent around a single thought:

Why?

Why is the exact launch date something so important to us? Why do we value knowing the exact date upon which an iconic product became available to us? It appears that this should mean something profound about marketing’s dominance of our culture, that a marketing event – the launch date – should seem important at all. But I find no profound statements escaping my fingers, tapping on the keys, and appearing here on the Big Bad Blog. Just questions.

Why would an intelligent person – the author of the article – consider this research a good use of their time?

Why would they consider it a “sad” fact that the date cannot be determined with 100% accuracy?

And why do I agree with them?

Photo by Julien Mauve. Found at Smashing Picture
Webcomic is Nerf NOW!!

Not that we’re ever not-geeky here.

Mario Brothers photo is Live-Action Cut Scene, by Aled Lewis.
Yoda Origami by Fumiaki Kawahata. Photo by Atilla. Found at Illusion 360.
Webcomic is Doghouse Diaries, by Ray, Raf and/or Will.

The terms to which Apple App Store developers must sign on to is very, very one sided. As much as Apple is currently a leader in the third-party-applications-for-smart-phones arena, stifling competition and innovation will probably make the iPhone and iPad second-rate devices in the long term.

(Sculpture by Adrian Tranquilli)

Do you use an ad blocker when you browse? If so, do you realise that you have a negative impact on the sites that you visit?

Neurobiologist Dario Ringach participated in a panel at UCLA, in which he expressed his own belief that research conducted on animals (which he no longer does himself) has a role in the answering of scientific questions. Because of this, animal rights activists have started to harass his children. That’s right — these activists are so upset that Ringach believes that it is worthwhile to cause pain to innocent animals if it betters humankind, that they (in turn) cause emotional pain to his innocent children.

I believe that’s what the kids call “hypocritical” these days.