December 28, 2007
Ballistic Jaw Propulsion of Trap-Jaw Ants
The trap-jaw ant, best known for its powerful jaws which hold the land speed record for movement at 145 miles per hour, is brilliantly captured in a short film shot at 100,000 frames per second. [more inside]
"it gives so many talented people a chance to express themselves and makes it so much easier for the government to know who to arrest first in case of a national emergency."
Jon Swift asked everyone on his blogroll to pick what they considered their best post of 07-- ...There are posts on politics by liberals, conservatives and moderates, posts on movies, music, television, books, economics, health care, science, sports, religion and history, personal stories and slices of life, poetry, prose, pictures and video. Some are very funny, some are quite serious, some will make you angry and some will make you say "Huh?" ...
Zach Braff Quotes
Guðleifsdóttir, Photography, Flickr, censorship and happy end (?)
Guðleifsdóttir (can you pronounce this?) is a young photographer from island and she puts her pics on flickr [more inside]
The Rat Patrol
The Los Angeles Police Department are enlisting feral cats for rat patrol at police stations that are experiencing rodent problems. These hardworking kitties -- part of the Working Cats Program -- are doing a stellar job keeping the rat population in check.
No Reason To Get Excited
Written in 1967 by Bob Dylan, it was originally quiet, lowkey... and vaguely menacing. But when Jimi Hendrix redefined it the following year, even Dylan knew that the song had changed forever.
Since then, it's been covered (over and over again), praised almost as often, analyzed, referenced, and, of course, found to be encoded in the minds of Cylons.
Originally released 40 years ago, erm, yesterday: All Along the Watchtower.
Since then, it's been covered (over and over again), praised almost as often, analyzed, referenced, and, of course, found to be encoded in the minds of Cylons.
Originally released 40 years ago, erm, yesterday: All Along the Watchtower.
"Extracting Beauty From Chaos"
Skhoinarion uses his own custom software to make mathematical art, ranging from the architectural to the strikingly natural.
His animations feature digital and digitally-manipulated analog content and are also quite remarkable.
Death of a Browser, End of an Era
RIP Netscape browser, 1994-2007. AOL, who acquired the groundbreaking browser as part of a $4.2 billion deal in 1998, announced the end today. Good-bye or good riddance?
We regret the following:
Contemporary Tibetan Art
2007: The Movie(s)
Indiewire put out their second annual film critic's poll recently. There Will Be Blood tops the list, with Zodiac, No Country for Old Men, Syndromes and a Century, and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days following behind. [more inside]
The 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2007
Road Trippin'
"Road Trip is a short film composed of 12,397 pictures taken automatically from the back seat of a car while driving accross [sic] America from Portland, Oregon to New Hampshire."
Friday Flash: Areas
Hello Kitty is coming for your menfolk
MeFi is no stranger to Hello Kitty. Whether you are a fan or not (previously), her feline popularity, especially among young women, is undeniable. "But what about the guys?" you ask. Unless you were a Thai police officer, Puroland groom, or bought the existing merchandise, there just wasn't anything made especially for you. Sanrio heard the call, and Hello Kitty merchandise designed especially for men is coming soon.
Lilly the explorer
Lilly - The world. Incredibly cute and quite amazing.
the tighty whiteys are funny
"Zuda takes the Web publishing aspect out of the creators' hands, freeing them up to focus on writing and drawing the story. But to get Zuda to publish your comic, you first have to win a competition..." A major player enters into the fray of web comics publishing, previously populated mostly by independents. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? [more inside]
Disco Polo
World getting you down ? then why not cheer yourslef up by watching some videos By B O Y S - perhaps the greatest Disco Polo band in the world. [more inside]
Literacy and voting patterns
Library usage, newspaper circulation, and educational attainment are primary factors used by researchers to determine the 'most literate cities.' Minneapolis has regained top honors from Seattle, though both cities have ranked at the top since the original study in 2003. Other studies here and here show minor shifts in the intervening years. Most relevant now is that there seems to be a correlation between literacy and voting patterns. [more inside]
Now my advice for those who die, declare the pennies on your eyes.
Tax Info for Musicians. Musicians and taxes don’t seem to mix very well. Taxes and administrating the business of music are often last on the list of concerns for the working musician. The above link gives some helpful tips on what to look for and some simple dos and don'ts. Also, here's some information on the often confusing Section 179 Deduction and a list of common deductible business expenses
Hollywood and hotels
Francis Ford Copolla owns the Blancaneaux Lodge, Clint Eastwood owns the 22-acre The Mission Ranch, John Malkovich owns The Big Sleep Hotel, Liz Hurley owns Number 11. What is it with movie people and hotels? And where are the arthouse establishments?
Red Ball, Yellow Ball
Shuffle. Pool without pockets, simple but addictive
Are you sleeping? Well, are you?
External Delivery the Future
Parentists, the dogmatic believers that parents alone are the source of Christmas presents, may have new reason to believe, with the scientific approach of External Delivery. Of course, some skeptics have opined that External Delivery is just Santa Clausism with a pseudoscientific veneer. Other commentators are more forgiving, and point out the great strides that ED has made in the study of Yuleogy.
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