Via a source that would like to remain known only as “the Phantom,” there is apparently a lot of racism in technology these days. “Face Detection” is a sounds like a cool feature for new Nikon Cameras, but the cameras are constantly asking Japanese people if they are blinking. Also discussed in this article is a story about racist HP webcams. HP’s “Facial Tracking” is supposed to follow and focus on a face that moves across the screen, but fails to work if the user is black as seen the original video here.
1. Sonics. Yes you read correctly. Two. Need you read more?
2. Murphy\’s Pub. Excellent mock-Irish bar. Always a babefest. And it’s got a pool table, too!
3. Geovanti’s. Calzones the size of your head. Chicken “strips†so big, just one could feed a family of 4. As if that’s not enough, there’s a bar downstairs. A place where everyone knows your name, karaoke Wednesdays, and Lady GaGa is constantly on repeat. Just look at these specials. Personal favorite. Oh and it starts selling booze at 6 in the morning. Not that I’ve been there for that, of course, but it’s nice to know.
4. Home of REO Speedwagon. I “Can’t Fight This Feeling†that the above picture is kind of tacky.
8. Kam\’s. Home of the Drinking Illini. Sticky, loud, smells like butthole, but damn it if I don’t contribute to the stickiness and smelliness every weekend.
9. NEIL street
10. Birthplace of Ludacris (suck it Atlanta) and hometown of Roger Ebert, who hosts “Ebertfest†every year. Sounds pretty cool. April 21-25.
11. Canopy Club. Cool set-up with 3 bars, a stage, and tables and junk. Piano Man every Tuesday, who plays your favorite pop and 90’s music on piano. $3 Long Island Iced Teas. AD (lightning bolt) HD, the infamous AC(lightning bolt)DC cover band, is playing there. Bunch of old townies rocking out, and the butt of me and Brian’s jokes.
12. Papa John\’s. Yes Brian, I’m rubbing it in. 6 meats?!?!?!
13. Townie Bars. Tempted Joan?
14. Disappointing Sports: $77 for football tickets and countless hours I’ll never get back. I can’t stand Ron Zook. Basketball isn’t shaping up either. I feel like a Cub fan.
15. Horseshoe Sandwich Not in Champaign, but in Springfield, an hour away. Saw it on the Travel Channel. I was born to eat this sandwich.
16. Activities and Recreation Center (ARC). Home of Illini Water Polo. Dirt cheap rock climbing wall and massages.
17. What It Is! with Booker T., Mavis Staples, and JJ Grey. At the Krannert Center March 30. I have 2 free tickets, and extra ones are 30 bucks. I offered to Brian, but seeing as it is his birthday, I’m thinking this may be Neil’s excuse to come down here.
Oh yeah, there’s the University of Illinois, which is really awesome. So if you haven’t visited Champaign-Urbana yet, or haven’t visited here for me, it’s about time.
If anyone’s a big a fan of Danger Mouse as I am, you can check out the new collaboration with Shin’s frontman, James Mercer, called Broken Bells. They are giving away a sample song on the site.
Not sure how long this band has been around, but I just heard about the Cave Weddings, so its new to me. Pretty awesome.
So not that any of you needed a better reason than me living in Grand Rapids to come and visit, I thought I would give you a taste of what you could be passing up:
