How Google Employees Search the Web

Google has an internal search engine called Moma. And this is what it’s like.

There Really Are No Accidents

France’s Rogue Restorationists

Back in 2005, a squad of “cultural guerillas” broke into the Pantheon in Paris, built themselves a hidden work space, and set about restoring the monument’s 160-year-old clock, which had stopped running back in the 1960s. The four-person team, led by a clockmaker, dismantled and rebuilt the massive timepiece — all without being detected by the authorities. In fact, they could have escaped detection all together but decided to tell Pantheon’s administrator so that someone would know to wind the now-working clock. (See images of the clock and the lead clockmaker here.)

But wait, it gets even more awesome and science fictional. These rogue restorationists aren’t lone wolves — they’re part of a clandestine Swiss-French group of renegade historians, urban explorers, cryptologists, architects and cultural bandits. Plus, their logo (at right) is badass too. Here’s a spokesperson, quoted in the Guardian, outlining the superheroic powers of clockmakers:

Getting into the building was the easiest part, according to Klausmann. The squad allowed themselves to be locked into the Panthéon one night, and then identified a side entrance near some stairs leading up to their future hiding place. “Opening a lock is the easiest thing for a clockmaker,” said Klausmann. From then on, they sneaked in day or night under the unsuspecting noses of the Panthéon’s officials.

The umbrella group, also known as Les UX, has some 150 members. According to the Wikipedia, they are “divided into teams: an all-female team specializing in infiltration, a team running an internal messaging system and coded radio network, a team providing a database, a team organizing underground shows, a team doing photography, a team doing restoration.” Yes, an all-female infiltration team.

Beyond the Pantheon operation, which only became public knowledge because the French government sued the restoration team, Les UX is known to have established an underground cinema (which seems, literally, to be built in abandoned tunnels beneath Paris) and completed rogue renovations of a 19th-century government bunker and a 12th-century crypt. (via)

Life Humps Art, Or He’s Just Not That Into You

Thanks, Olivia!

I Didn’t Want to Get Spit on Me

Please press play.

Music Video 2.0

Click this link and see an interactive music video from Arcade Fire — even if you don’t much care for the band. Be sure to click around, too. (via)

Kick to the Knees, or Maybe Heel to the Balls

Via this Slate piece, a video guide on how to inflict maximum pain in a bar fight. Totally hilarious:

For Sale: My Lifetime Collection of Collectibles

Via SF Signal, check out this eBay auction: a massive collection of Stars Wars actions figures. I had the Rebel Alliance’s B-Wing Fighter, shown in mid-flight (and out of box) at the top of this image, as well as a Y- and X-Wing, a few Lukes, Chewbaca, some ewoks, one of the speeders from “Return of the Jedi” (shown in the auction here), and a miniature Hoth playset. Bidding for this collection starts at $25,450.

In his heartbreaking explanatory text, the seller writes: “THIS IS MY LIFE TIME COLLECTION OF COLLECTIBLES. THIS IS A BIG STEP I’M TAKING IN ORDER TO MOVE ON AND ACOMPLISH [sic] A NEW PLAN I HAVE FOR MY FUTURE.” Indeed. I just wish we knew more about this plan (it could affect people’s bids!). Curiosity and the freakish transparency made possible by the Internet allowed me to gather some information on this dedicated fellow. Looking at the record of his recent transactions, here’s what I’ve found:

• He won a 1984 Luke Skywalker-in-the-storm-trooper-uniform for $91 in September. So, I deduce, the decision to sell may have been fairly sudden and recent.
• The most recent transactions in which he has been the buyer are for artistic tools: modeling clay, a dremel, carving tools, and small circular saw.
• Conclusion: This man is financing his life as an artist through the sale of his beloved action figures. If so, that’s somehow moving, I think. Here’s hoping his sculptural style goes beyond Boba Fett in action poses.

Glacial Slurs

My eMusic moment has finally arrived. The service, I will say, is remarkably smooth and shockingly cheap. Don’t know why I put it off for so long.

The upshot for you hypothetical readers is my recent musical findings. A lot of it is only new in the new-to-me sense, so please keep in mind that I’m not trying to be latest word. On anything (e.g.). That said, here’s Centro-Matic’s “Glacial Slurs” off the 2000 album “South San Gabriel Songs/Music”:

(This Post) Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody

A few loose thoughts about DVR and Internet technologies. With particular reference to Kid n’ Play’s 1991 film “House Party 2: Pajama Jammie Jam.”