April 24, 2009
HD-DVD to Blu-Ray
Did you guess wrong about which format would win the high-density disk war? Buy a lot of HD-DVDs? Warner Brothers has a special program now where they'll swap your WB HD-DVDs for Blu-Rays of the same titles for $5 each. [more inside]
Twang!
Like crossbows? Like assault rifles? Got some spare AR-15 parts lying around begging to be crossbowed up? Then the PSE TAC 15 crossbow upper is for you! (video). Or how about this Swiss crossbow that can be cocked in 3 seconds? Alternatively build your own, or even build a repeating crossbow!
Citizen Quazar and the Oath Keepers
Everybody knows about the Tax Day Tea Parties held earlier this month. Now, thanks in part to the FBI's arrest of a man calling himself Citizen Quazar, we have news of related events called Oath Keeper Rallies. Who are the Oath Keepers and what is their Oath? Will their next rally & oath taking (June 13 in Washington DC as part of the Gathering of Eagles Victory in Iraq ceremony) get any coverage from Fox? (via)
Open Source Disclosure: Improving Congressional Transparency
The Sunlight Foundation's open source development team, Sunlight Labs, have announced the winners of the first annual Apps for America contest. Over 40 entries were judged, with Filibusted (Hold senators accountable for blocking legislation) getting top marks. Legistalker (The latest online activity of Congress Members) got second, and there was a 4-way tie for 3rd. [via mefi projects] [more inside]
bio-bak
bio-bak is a little Monty Python, a little Hunter S. Thompson, and a whole lotta Katamari Damacy rolled up into an absurd little flash world. Updated from the version released in 2006.
Walk softly but carry a big stick until you find something better.
A little late for Flash Fun Friday but it's the thought that counts right? . Like Zelda... but with large squid monsters.
KISS Burger
The five states of Texas
Following the recent uproar over Texas and the possibility of its secession (previously), Fivethirtyeight.com puts forward a theoretical division of Texas into five states: Plainland, Trinity, Gulfland, New Texas, and El Norte.
Twenty Times a Day
...the Department of Transportation will not keep secret the data we collect on birds striking airplanes. - Ray LaHood, United States Secretary of TransportationFrom the dreaded mourning dove to the nefarious Canada goose to the humble armadillo, the FAA's recently released National Wildlife Strike Database ON-LINE contains information on aircraft/wildlife strikes from over 100,000 reported incidents between 1990 and 2008. [more inside]
Beware the Red Menace!
Rasmussen Reports published a poll recently which showed that 20% of respondants believe socialism is better than capitalism. Among those under 30, the percentage goes up to 33%. And apparently, some Republicans believe that percentage is actually much higher, as the Republican National Committee has called upon RNC chairman Mike Steele to start calling Democrats "Democrat Socialists". Steele, for his part, told Fox News, "We don't see this president so much as a socialist as we see him as a collectivist".
Mirror to Mirror in the Mirror
Scrabble: The Beautiful Word
Viva La Vida - A Copy of a Copy?
Did "Auto-Tune the News" guy accidentally write Coldplay's Viva La Vida? Michael Gregory, aka Auto-Tune the News guy (previously) talks about how his shower singing was turned into something eerily similar to Viva La Vida. [more inside]
I Can Has Notecards?
Artist and musician Gen Obata photographs unique places around the US, inserts his cat Lilly into them, and sells them as greeting cards. Lilly can be spotted doing everything from zooming on a trolley car in San Francisco to attacking the St. Louis Arch.
Silence!
And when it's done there's one more thing
A simple little task, it's:
Put the fucking lotion in the basket!
A lego-animated number from "Silence! The Musical". Music and Lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan.
A simple little task, it's:
Put the fucking lotion in the basket!
A lego-animated number from "Silence! The Musical". Music and Lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan.
The Wrath of Grapes
Planning on partying hard this weekend? Here are some yummy (non-scientific) ways to treat your hangover. Canada, England, and the US tend towards piles of greasy foods. Try poutine, fish and chips, or a greasy hamburger. For a Mexican hangover experience, look for menudo (previously) or chilaquiles. Peru lauds ceviche as a cure, while Ecuador turns to encebollado and churrasco. Bulgaria uses sauerkraut brine, Turkey has turnip juice, Korea looks for haejangguk, and Scotland has a soft drink called Irn-Bru. [more inside]
Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggglllllllllle
This is what cheerleaders and jello look like at 1000 frames per second. (For comparison, standard film is shot at 24 fps, and animation at 30 fps.)
Gathering intelligence vs. Manufacturing intelligence: the uses of torture
Col. Steven Kleinman, interrogation specialist, was interviewed yesterday on NPR about the use of torture in Iraq: NPR: And these harsh interrogation methods had been used by the Soviets and the Chinese to get people to say things that weren't true? Kleinman:That's true. And it's not just harsh physically, but I think the element that was more persuasive was their ability to induce what is known as debility, depression and dread through emotional and psychological techniques that profoundly altered somebody's ability to answer questions truthfully even if they wanted to. It truly undermined their ability to recall, so therefore it would call into question its efficacy in an intelligence-based interrogation. [link] . [more inside]
They're still ready to believe you
The year is 1991. When a Gozer exhibit loaded with artifacts provided by the Shandors opens at the history museum in New York, it's not long before paranormal forces escape and sweep through the city. When the supernatural strikes back, who ya gonna call? Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson reunite for the upcoming Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The opening cinematic that kicks off the story has been released at GameTrailers, while the development teams working on the game discuss the project's origin and direction in a series of blog articles at IGN. [more inside]
We Are the Image Makers
WATIM [We Are the Image Makers] is an online publication that promotes Australian artists, illustrators, designers and photographers. Issue 19 is out this month. There have been more than 150 artist contributors in their four years online. [some art nsfw]
Hi-yo, Silver
the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains.... This will take you back. SLYT
And also your introduction to youtube's version of HULU. [more inside]
Toxic Sonic Zombie Massacre -- The Game!
The world is ending in a zombie apocalypse, and even Paris is unscathed. Battle your way around classic Parisian neighborhoods, monuments, and bars as Toxic Sonic, a real-life french rock/punk band. Happy flash friday!
Recording the Dukes of the Stratosphear's 25 o'clock
Andy Partridge (ex-XTC frontman) and producer John Leckie (Stone Roses/Radiohead) discuss the making of The Dukes of the Stratosphear 25 o'clock EP, getting sacked by Mary Margaret O'Hara, Roy Harper kissing a sheep and recording Syd Barrett in Abbey Road in 1975 (parts I and II). [more inside]
The Altmann DIY Turntable
The Altmann Do-It-Yourself Turntable:
"After the success I had with my homebrew tonearm, I decided to build a turntable that is able to fathom the sonic delicacies that the tonearm is able to produce ... Depending on your local price for wood, and your ability to find some surplus parts, total cost can be as low as $50."
"After the success I had with my homebrew tonearm, I decided to build a turntable that is able to fathom the sonic delicacies that the tonearm is able to produce ... Depending on your local price for wood, and your ability to find some surplus parts, total cost can be as low as $50."
David Attenborough's The Life of Birds (and other shows)
The entirety of David Attenborough's wonderful nature series The Life of Birds is available on the new YouTube TV Shows section, which is its Hulu-clone. The old PBS Life of Birds website is also worth a visit.
It's friday night
Who's going out in Cardiff tonight? Most everyone knows all about Hogarth and his work on Gin lane and women under the influence of good old British beer (leading to the passing of the Gin Act). Well, it would seem that nothing much changes, at least in Cardiff (unless, of course, the medical adviser gets his way).
George Lucas ruined my life
« Previous day | Next day »