Pieces of Things

Star Trek Online

2009-12-08T17:06:00.003-10:00

I'm guessing some of you might be interested in this...or maybe even this -> 'oH ghaH QaQ jaj DaqjaH! I'm pretty sure I know what I'll be doing on Feb 2nd...

The TV Show!

2009-12-07T13:24:00.001-10:00

At the risk of attracting more Japanese spammers, here's a little gem spit up by the internet today:

Star Trek lip-sync (for lack of a better term.)

2009-12-06T09:46:00.003-10:00

Because we need more star trek related mashup humor, I saw this on Twitter after (my pal and yours) Adam Savage tweeted it. Apparently it's blowing up the interwaves, so I figured I should jump on that bandwagon.

Freelancing sucks sometimes

2009-12-05T15:33:00.004-10:00

I just finished a ten-year freelancing stint last year.
This funny thing reminds me of it.
So does this one.

Origami and its "real-life" applications

2009-12-05T10:56:00.003-10:00

Since we are being infected by Japanese sex robots, I figured I'd try to find some sort of counterbalance. Superstar artist Corinne Kamiya posted this on facebook. I thought I'd re-post it here. It has a funny sort of parallel resonance to how the Europeans found ukiyo-e in their packing crates in the nineteenth century and went crazy.

I am going to NYC

2009-12-01T09:18:00.003-10:00

Hey, I'm going to be in NYC this week and next! Any requests for things to check out/post about?

Political poems

2009-11-30T21:10:00.004-10:00

A haiku about Larry Craig, the former U.S. senator from Idaho:

Between flights, furtive,
The heart reduced to Morse code --
Feet tap in stalls.

Another about former presidential candidate John Edwards:

Should not have posed for
my weird videographer --
now my hair is mussed.

More "sex scandal haiku" here.

Sumo wrestling time

2009-11-29T16:51:00.004-10:00

I was thinking about sumo, found these clips and wanted to share.

First, a video compilation of 53 straight victories recorded by Chiyonofuji, one of sumo's greatest all time wrestlers. (You can see him dispose of Hawaii-born Konishiki at 3'20" and 4'30". Unfortunately, Konishiki is already in his fat slob phase at the time of these bouts.)

Second, here are some young sumo wrestlers-in-training doing side splits. These men are flexible.

Avatar Machine...

2009-11-29T15:57:00.003-10:00

Yet another funny thing linked from Kotaku.

Avatar Machine [LONDON] 2008 from MARC OWENS on Vimeo.

While I found this to be charming and resonant, I couldn't help but think "must... switch... camera... angles!"

Here's the artist's site.

Here's the Kotaku article

The perfect blend of chaos and order.

2009-11-29T10:22:00.001-10:00

The world is in balance with this organizational cube

Star Crack II

2009-11-24T23:55:00.002-10:00

Just FYI for StarCrack fans. Don't know if anyone heard yet but they're making a live action.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1037854/fullcredits#cast

Probably best you guys just stay friends...

2009-11-24T12:35:00.002-10:00

Genius, pure genius. Almost made me spasm up coffee through my nose while I was drinking it. Please enjoy.

Dead Flys

2009-11-24T10:19:00.002-10:00

Face-Off With a Deadly Predator

2009-11-24T09:49:00.004-10:00

"Time to get in the water yeah?"

Two Sarah Palins!

2009-11-23T20:54:00.003-10:00

Sarah, meet Sarah. (via The Daily Dish.)

Taking selling out to new extremes

2009-11-22T17:11:00.003-10:00

Tweeting ads to your friends. (Or to your Twitter followers.)

Maybe this bad idea will die before it takes off, as people dump those who tweet ads.

I hope I'm not being too optimistic.

cute

2009-11-21T09:54:00.007-10:00

I hope someone tests this in court

2009-11-19T22:07:00.002-10:00

Texas' gay marriage ban may have banned all marriages.

The Earth With Rings

2009-11-19T21:17:00.004-10:00

This is how awesome the Earth would be if it had rings.

How the iPod Saved America from Being Sad Forever

2009-11-18T16:40:00.002-10:00

It's the first iPod commercial ever. Contrast it with the "unplanned" "spontaneous" "expression" of "group enthusiasm" at the Microsoft store. Sure; to be fair, one's a produced advertisement, and the other is a WELL-produced advertisement oooooOOOOOOoooo! ZING!! BURRRN!!!22!

I'm thinking, however, about the success of the iPod product line, and the genesis of that success. Sure, the interface is great--navigating that much content with what is essentially one big button is no small feat. The form factor is simple, almost generic, allowing anyone to integrate the thing into their personal style. The ads emphasize personal freedom and joyful abandon and an unapologetic love of music and dancing to said music (and again with the generic thing).

This has all been discussed over and over, but the one factor I've never heard mentioned when trying to understand the iPod's success is the release date, October 23, 2001. A little over a month after 9/11. Everyone in America was still pretty bummed, if I remember right. We thought nothing would ever be the same; that we'd all have to be vigilant and well-informed and serious for the rest of our lives. We didn't, it turns out. Our culture was still there, and we are who we are, for better or for worse. It didn't take long for reminders of who we are to creep back into daily life, and now here we are. Hello!

Makes me wonder, if the iPod doesn't occupy some special place in the American psyche, because it helped come to a timely rescue. Did these simple, happy, ads stick in our heads; not simply hawking a music player, but as a reminder that there were still good reasons to be consumery, dancey, slightly oblivious Americans? Are we repaying the iPod for helping us not be sad forever?

OMFG...

2009-11-17T16:34:00.006-10:00

How much does ~~Bill~~ Microsoft pay these guys?

D&D Character Sheets

2009-11-16T22:29:00.004-10:00

We'd talked about doing this a while back; so I found a nice simple D&D character sheet for each of us to fill out. I mean, anyone who feels like it. We can link it to personal profiles in the sidebar, or something. I don't know.

I started one, and one thing I found difficult was the allocation of ability points. I have no idea how strong I am, but I know I have more dexterity than strength, so maybe if we all decide on a set number of points to allocate (54, say--average) and distribute them among our different abilities, that will be an easier thing to do. It always kind of weirded me out that so much of the game of D&D was decided in those initial rolls, in the same way that Ayn Rand freaks me out.

This is an interesting exercise, and I think it may be best to see this as a résumé, avoiding any modesty, and cataloging our skills. Or maybe it will just be enough to gaze upon the gold standard of D&D CVs, and leave it at that.

Ford SHELBY vs CAMARO vs JEEP vs VAZ 2107 vs HELICOPTER

2009-11-15T20:32:00.007-10:00

Kick ass rendering...

For those who, like me, didn't know about AutoTune and Meme...

2009-11-13T21:23:00.004-10:00

I thought this was very informative. Thanks Professor Wierd Al!

Beautiful Bike Raffle for a Great Cause

2009-11-13T09:04:00.004-10:00

http://www.getbettergabe.com

I don't know this guy, but it's a good cause. Have been in a similar situation myself years ago and all the help people gave me makes me want to give back.

Links for 2009-09-25 [Digg]

2009-09-26T00:00:00-07:00

Glenn Beck Confronted, Refuses To Define 'White Culture' VID
A hilariously awkward moment in CBS News' Katie Couric's interview with Fox News' Glenn Beck where she gently, insistently kept asking Beck to explain exactly what he meant by "white culture"

Links for 2009-07-05 [Digg]

2009-07-06T00:00:00-07:00

Irony at its best [PIC]
...

Links for 2009-07-02 [Digg]

2009-07-03T00:00:00-07:00

How to Force Blizzard to Add LAN to StarCraft II (PIC)
Make your point in a meaningful way.

Links for 2009-06-25 [Digg]

2009-06-26T00:00:00-07:00

Farrah Fawcett DEAD at 62
Farrah Fawcett, the blonde-maned actress whose best-selling poster and "Charlie's Angels" stardom made her one of the most famous faces in the world, has died. She was 62.
A Famous Person Has Died... (COMIC)
Typical Mainstream media reaction...watch the news tonight, and you'll see it for yourself. Justsayin'...

Links for 2009-04-20 [Digg]

2009-04-21T00:00:00-07:00

Human League - "Don't You Want Me"...Baby?
1981

Links for 2009-04-04 [Digg]

2009-04-05T00:00:00-07:00

The Human League Setlist Billboard The Venue, Melbourne
Setlist The Human League Concert with Lyrics & Videos
V Hightlight - Human League Perform Dare | undercover.com.au
The musical highlight of the V festival was the rare show by Human League performing the 1981 Dare album in its entirety but most of the crowd missed it.

Links for 2009-04-02 [Digg]

2009-04-03T00:00:00-07:00

video du titre culte du groupe Human League - Don’t You Want
Le groupe de new wave Human League est anglais. Il a connu un succès important dans les années 80 avec un tube comme “Don’t you want me” qui a été numéro 1 au Royaume Uni et aux Etats-Unis en 1981 et 1982.