Friday Funday XXVI
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1212 hrs
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
Transparent Toaster [del.icio.us]
"A toaster made of glass, which celebrates toasting in a glowing and shining way that makes us look forward to enjoy a fresh piece of toast." Poorly designed Flash interface warning.
The Somerville Gates and Hargo Day [del.icio.us]
And we all thought Christo's "The Gates" was full of hype. Now Geoff Hargadon's "The Somerville Gates" (a parody of Christo's famous Central Park... Installation... Thing) is receiving national attention. Hargadon (who now goes by the more pompous, "Hargo"), even has his own pseudo-holiday. As Somerville's mayor put it: "Hargo Day was established to also recognize the human capacity for appreciation, wonder, and awe that can be achieved when small plastic things are arranged in a certain order near and around a cat."
Maxim Magazine Supports the Creative Commies [del.icio.us]
Are terrorists taking over a mall a metaphor for Big Copyright, with their DRM gun to the head of the commons? A recent article in Maxim Magazine sneaks in a little nod to us Creative Commies via a Copyleft shirt.
Voodoo Knife Rack [del.icio.us]
Too cool.
And to top it all off:
Hamster-Powered MIDI Sequencer [del.icio.us]
I'm not joking. Levy Lorenzo, a student (or alum) of Cornell, built a three note polyphonic MIDI sequencer controlled by hamsters. Two critters per channel; one for melody, the other for rhythm.
Free Mojtaba and Arash Day
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0709 hrs
Link to IZ's blog entry about the pseudo-holiday (where the above banner came from).
Link to the Committee to Protect Bloggers' entry about the day.
Friday Funday XXV
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0641 hrs
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
25 weeks of Friday Funday!
bash.org - Doctor's Office [del.icio.us]
I hadn't been to bash.org for a long time when I came across this one. =DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE DRINKING A BEVERAGE OR ARE AT WORK IN JAPAN=. You have been warned.
Dr. Karlosi's Think Tank [del.icio.us]
Dr. Karlosi's Think Tank is... Well... Let's put it this way, if you're trying to set the theme for your basement or your den as "Mad Science Lab", this piece is a must-have. It has been pointed out that one could probably build something similar for significantly less than the actual cost of this tank. Let me know if you find any plans...
Hand Painted Russian Movie Posters [del.icio.us]
According to this site, "for so long the bright heralds of currently showing films at cinemas around the country, foreign movie billboards were painstakingly hand-painted � and the effect is quite stunning." I quite agree.
Beekeeper Cartoon Amusements [del.icio.us]
Home of BEE and her "bubblegum noir" adventures, BCA has several entertaining and beautifully drawn comics. Be sure to check out Shutterbug Follies, a mystery comic starring Bee herself! Note: This site has nothing to do with bees, beekeepers, or their follies. That's a different site altogether.
Robin Williams Sings Pixar's Freedom [del.icio.us]
During an interview with Robin Williams, "The subject of Pixar's departure from Disney came up, and Williams went on an incredible riff that, well, I just simply can't do justice describing." It's true, you really just have to listen to it.
Cromulent Avoision
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1200 hrs
Has anyone else noticed that the FedEx logo has an arrow in the negative space? How long have I been staring at that logo and never seen it (the answer, by the way, is since January of 2000.? Today at work, Ben (the guy who secretly added his initials to my work webcam) pointed that out, as it was recently pointed out to him. None of us had ever noticed it before.
The arrow is intentional, of course. From marketing-ideas.org, "The arrow was indeed intentional as a secondary design element,” says Federal Express Corp. spokesman Jess Bunn. "If the viewer sees it, it's a neat, interesting visual bonus. If the viewer doesn't see it, that's OK. It's still a powerful logo. The arrow is intended to communicate movement, speed and the dynamic nature of our company," he said.
On a completely unrelated note, in an episode of The Simpsons that I recently watched, Kent Brockman used the word "avoision" and someone "off camera" gives him a hard time about it. He tells them, "it's a word. Look it up." So I did. It's not a word (see also Cromulent and Embiggen), but in the course of my search I found a weblog called Cromulent Avoision; a clear reference to The Simpsons. I poked around on the site for a little while (the site's creator is mostly correct when he says, "Trust me, I'm really no more interesting than anyone else out there.") and I ended up reading this post about why 9/11 is a crappy name for the September 11 attacks.
Visit to the Set of End Game
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1123 hrs
Yesterday, Tom Dineen and I visited the set of the film End Game, which is shooting in Spokane until late March (or so). The film stars Cuba Gooding Jr., James Woods, and Burt Reynolds, among others.
Yesterday they were shooting a few scenes at a local hospital, so Tom and I went to check it out. We were supposed to show up at 1:30p, but when Tom called around 2p (we were running a bit late), his contact told us to call back at 3:30p. To kill time, Tom and I went to World Market. I love World Market.
Around 3:45p, we drove to the hospital (which was almost directly across the street) and waited around for Tom's contact to call him back (Tom had called and left a message at around 3:30p).
While we were waiting, we could see MedStar (assy website alert) on the roof, surrounded by a bunch of people. We decided that it was cold outside and we went in to look for Tom's man on the inside. Once in the hospital, we found Tom's contact and he told us just to sit tight and wait for them to finish shooting on the roof. I would have liked to go up there, but it clearly wasn't go to happen.
While we were sitting waiting, Tom approached several members of the crew whose names he knew from previous shoots. The guy running audio was also named Tom (yep, there were three of us). He was pretty cool. He showed us his equipment and chatted with us for a while. At around 4:30, we walked down the hallway where they were setting up for the next shot. All sorts of cool gear was sitting around like a sweet Arri and a Steadicam on a C-stand.
After a little while, Andy Cheng, the director, showed up. This guy is nuts. At one point, he was trying to show some of the crew what kind of shot he wanted, so he leaps up onto this gurney they had and stands with one foot on the gurney and one foot on the hand rail on the hallway, pointing down with his hands. The way he says "action" is pretty funny; he =really= stresses the "tion".
So while he was running around pointing out where to put various potted plants, Tom and I started up a conversation with Cuba Gooding Jr's cousin Keith, who has been his stand-in for thirteen years. Keith was super cool. He was complaining about the temperature in Spokane (it's been pretty cold lately, but definitely warmer than it should be for this time of year). He told us that when they were shooting Snow Dogs, it was thirty-two =below= every day.
We waited and waited for =anything= to happen. It took forever and we got herded around a bit, but things finally started to happen. The camera guy started walking around with the camera and some of the fake doctors began receiving instructions.
When the fake doctors came in, a real hospital employee (a girl named Shy (not a misspelling) that, coincidentally, Tom had taken to prom) complained that they weren't using any =real= doctors or nurses. For those of you who say, "Yeah! Who can act like a(n) [inset occupation here] better than a real [same occupation]?" Let me tell who. Actors can. Trust me, just because you're a doctor or a garbage man, or a whatever, doesn't mean you can act.
What was I saying? Oh yes, so Shy was complaining, then about 30 minutes later, this PA comes over and tells her and two other people that they can come stand in the scene if they want to. Of course she went with them (and no, she wasn't neglecting any patients to do so. She's actually a custodian, but the custodians wear scrubs).
Time to start filming! Roll sound! Roll camera! Marker!
They did a number of takes where the group of people go booking it down this hallway. And yes, Cuba Gooding Jr. did make an appearance.
I wanted to go talk to him and the director and try to get pictures with each of them, but they were in the middle of working and I didn't want to bother them (plus, Cuba' hands were covered in fake blood).
I feel like a tool for wanting to get pictures with them, but really it's not for me (I don't tend to get star struck, I've met enough celebrities to know that they're just people who get paid more than the rest of us). The reason I want to get pictures with them is so that I can show other people and have them be amazed.
I apologise for the ass-ness of the pics, but there wasn't enough light in the hallway for my camera to work properly (such is the curse of digital, eh?). Plus, people were usually moving around a lot, so that didn't help. Tom says that they're going to shoot a huge car wreck scene in a week or two, so I'm going to go check it out and take my video camera along. I'll post whatever I can shoot.
Friday Funday XXIV
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0706 hrs
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
London Underground [del.icio.us]
You don't need to have ever ridden on the tube to appreciate this one (although having done so makes it funnier). Cheers to Cyd for this one.
monochrom [del.icio.us]
Austrian artist group monochrom saved Taiwan. Sort of. There's nothing like a bunch of artists coming together to rebel against a communist regime.
Fines for "Droopy Drawers" Backed [del.icio.us]
From the article, "US politicians fed up with catching an eyeful of underwear want to fine those who won't hitch up their trousers." I'm so torn about this. On the one hand, I, too, find "droopy drawers" annoying, but on the other hand, I think handing out tickets for it is absurd and a waste of resources.
Vintage Vandals at the Wurst Gallery [del.icio.us]
This idea is so cool that I want to go out and do it. A bunch of artists went out and bought crappy artwork at a thrift store, then made their own and sold it for thousands. My personal favourite is Driscoll Reid's.
The Children of Iraq [del.icio.us]
Some amazing photos here. Just after halfway down the page they start to get a bit gory and by the end I was overwhelmed. A sad way to end Friday Funday, but a sobering reminder of why war wasn't the best route to take.
Google Maps Failure
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1232 hrs
In what I hope to be a one-off type of thing, Google Maps had a bit of a problem earlier.
>>>>>> FW: Some email thing
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1046 hrs
My mum just forwarded me an e-mail and the it began with the line, "IF YOU DON'T READ THIS TO THE VERY END, YOU HAVE LOST A DAY IN YOUR LIFE."
Have you ever noticed that a lot of forwards start off this way? And more often than not, it's really not something worth reading (although this one was pretty funny). I think the major flaw with this line is that if I don't move the message directly to the trash, I won't have lost a day in my life, I'll have saved three minutes.
Year of the Rooster
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0935 hrs
I meant to post this yesterday, but I got busy with stuff and forgot.
Gung hay fat choy!
I always forget that people here don't celebrate the same holidays as I'm used to, or if they do, they don't celebrate them in the same way. When I said gung hay fat choy to people here, no one had any idea what I was talking about. If I would have said that to someone from Hawaii, chances are they'd know exactly what I mean.
I was born in 1981, which was a year of the rooster, and it looks as though we've once again come around to a rooster year. I remember looking at a chart of dates that told me which years would be rooster years and thinking, "2005? That's so far from now!"
My how time flies.
YASBP (Yet Another Super Bowl Post)
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0927 hrs
I just took a look at the overnight ratings for the Super Bowl (because I didn't look at them yesterday when they were, you know, actually overnights). The Super Bowl scored a 43.4/63! The crappy Simpsons had a 15.1/25 and American Dad pulled a 10.3/19. FOX's overall for Sunday was a 44.2/62.
And what were the people who weren't watching the Super Bowl watching? Mostly CBS, but next in line was ABC (half of their programming included reruns of America's Funniest Home Videos). The real loser was the WB, managing a measly 1.1/2 for the whole night.
The Super Bowl Girl
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1434 hrs
I found her!
Like an idiot, I didn't realise that, since we aired the Super Bowl, we would have an air check of it! Sure enough, there she was. In my opinion, the director didn't stay on her long enough. If you watch (she's right near the final two minute mark), she opens her hoodie so you can see more of her face, just as they dissolve to another shot. It's a real shame, because she looked like she had a nice mouth as well.
Mmm... She's so beautiful.
Anyway, back to my =real= life.
Super Bowl Wrap Up - UPDATED
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 2025 hrs
Want to see me violate the NFL's copyright? Watch this:
The Patriots won the Super Bowl.
See that? See how I just posted an unauthorised account of the game? Oh yeah, I'm living life in the fast lane.
Everyone who knows me should know that the only reason I watch the Super Bowl (and ever have and ever will) is for the commercials. I hate football. I hate most sports. I love commercials.
Like the past couple of years, most of the commercials this year were mediocre at best. I don't understand why companies are willing to spend millions of dollars to run crappy spots.
My favourite commercial was for Liberty Mutual Ameriquest. It's the one where the guy goes over to his girlfriend's flat to cook her a romantic dinner, but the cat knocks the pot of spaghetti sauce off the stove. I'll try to find a link for you. Find link infra.
The worst commercial was... Probably that stupid Blockbuster spot where the guy drives his car out to his mailbox to "rent a video". How long are we going to have to watch that crappy ad?
But ho! The Super Bowl wasn't the only show being heavily advertised today! There was a new episode of The Simpsons and a preview of American Dad! So how were they? Three words:
Worst. Simpsons. Ever.
It had no point! It just ended! What the fuck? It wasn't even that funny! Were they even trying? It sure didn't seem like it.
And what of the much anticipated American Dad? Upon seeing a special preview of the show about a week ago, my boss, Adam, called it, "Family Guy, but edgier." Was it? Not really. I laughed a few times, but overall I found the characters to be vapid and annoying. Family Guy is a funnier show by far.
UPDATE: Here's a link to all the Super Bowl ads. Thanks Kris!
It also came to my attention that I forgot to mention the GoDaddy.com predicament. According to GoDaddy.com, FOX wouldn't let them air a second ad that was supposedly more offensive than the one that was on the air. I watched the second ad and frankly, I think the first ad is more... Provocative. In fact, they were supposed to run the ad a second time, but the NFL and FOX yanked it! Read all about it here.
Something that really disappointed me this year was everyone's complete fear of offending anyone. Have you seen that beer spot that explains last year's "wardrobe malfunction"? Fucking hilarious. But it didn't hit the airwaves during the Super Bowl because they were afraid the FCC would fine them. And for what? Nothing actually happened during the spot that, in my opinion, could be considered overtly offensive.
Okay, so, other good (read: not a total waste) ads (in my opinion) were:
Bud Light: While You Were Out
Ameriquest: Taser Scare
Emerald Nuts: Unicorns
FedEx: Dancing Burt
Frito Lay: MC Hammer Makes a Comeback (only because they throw him back over the fence at the end)
Mastercard: Mascots
McIlhenny Tabasco: Tanlines (was she =HOT= or what?)
Toyota Hybrid: Get Moving
Visa: Can Superheros Help? (only because of Wonder Dog at the end)
I suppose a "best of" also deserves a "worst of", so without further ado:
Bud Light: Cockatoo to the Rescue - Honestly, what was the point of this ad? It was stupid. Not funny at all, just annoying.
CareerBuilder.com: All three of their ads. - I mean come on, monkeys? Why is it that every year someone makes a spot with monkeys (well, chimps I suppose) in it?
Silestone: Dennis Rodman - I know what you're all thinking, because I was thinking the same thing, "He's still around?" Just a plain, old, stupid commercial.
Heineken: Brad Pitt - Some people are just trying too hard. And failing.
MBNA: Gladys Knight Plays Rugby - This one started out just fine because they made fun of how wussy American football is compared to rugby, but it totally lost me when Gladys Knight showed up. Stupid ad.
McDonalds: Lincoln Fry (1 & 2) - I haven't liked McDonalds ads for a long time. By the way, you can bid on the Lincoln fry prop here (be warned, though, at the time of this posting bidding is up to $21,600.00. At one point yesterday, I saw the bidding up to over $350,000! I guess a lot of people retracted their bids when they realised what the fuck they were doing).
Degree: Degree for Men - Two words: Buddy Lee.
Napster: Do the Math & Times Are A-Changing - Weak, guys, really weak. Does anyone else see the problem in Napster's logic?
Subway: New Toasted Sandwich - For so many reasons! How about their stupid campaign leading up to the Super Bowl (you know, all those cryptic, "They're Coming" ads). How about their ugly new graphics? How about the fact that =TOASTED SUBS AT SUBWAY ARE NOT A NEW THING=? They're coming? They've been here for months!
So what about all of the spots I didn't mention? Well, I guess they're doomed to mediocrity.
And the official winner for most stolen idea: Ford Truck's "Tougher Than Bikers"! Congrats on stealing your idea from one of your competitors (the Dodge Ram Bighorn).
One last thing about the Super Bowl that I forgot to mention, did anyone else see that =super= hot chick in the furry hoodie right near the final two minute mark? The had a shot of her for just a few seconds, but damn! If anyone taped the Super Bowl, send me a screenshot of her, will you?
Friday Funday XXIII
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0856 hrs
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
The 2 Headed Dog [del.icio.us]
This site has a number of videos (with a numbering system that doesn't start at one, for some reason) that are supposed to be funny (I think). I only actually laughed at two of them (numbers 53 and 64. Number 40 had its moments). I have no idea what the point of this site is, or how they even make money. What really gets me is that some of the videos are really well made (although they balance the well made ones with some really crappy ones) and the site is actually pretty nice. It's clean and easy to navigate. I still have no idea what they're selling.
Jack Boulware [del.icio.us]
This guy is a beautiful writer.
Who's Who of Victorian Cinema [del.icio.us]
Exactly what it says it is.
Bent Fabrication [del.icio.us]
Hyper-cool furniture, toys, and art. My favourites are TUG and Pramulator. That seven foot wide desk is pretty damn cool, as well.
Things I hate about my Flatmate [del.icio.us]
Wherein the author intends to "list one event per day that my flatmate does to piss me off."
Kris's Computer Woes
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1158 hrs
kriskarlb (10:43:42 AM): So...I'm walking out of work the other day talking on my cell phone, PowerBook slung over my shoulder. And...oh, there's some ice. Cell phone goes flying into the street, PowerBook slams into the sidewalk.
mwproductions12 (10:44:19 AM): And you look like an ass?
kriskarlb (10:44:28 AM): An ass with a sad laptop, yeah.
Solicitation Section
Be my boss!
If you visit my Amazon.com PayPage, you can pay me as little as $1. I could be your underpaid employee!
