Monday, August 29, 2005

gizmag Article: The Moovie: they built it


(Wow! It's so weird... I LOVE IT!)
gizmag Article: The Moovie: they built it: "This year the third Peugeot Design Contest saw Andr�Costa carry off the first prize for his outrageous two-seater electric concept car, the Moovie. With the Frankfurt Show just weeks away, Peugeot has now released images of the actual working model that was built from Costa’s original concept. It’s one concept worth examining, particularly now that the small electric-powered two-seater city car has gone from drawing board to reality."

Take Action - Common Cause


Take Action - Common Cause

If you're like me, a newbie to politics, it would probably help you to visit commoncause.org. They will hold your hand and tell you exactly how to make a change for the better (see ethical).

YES, politics are boring... but we should at least do the minimum and help sweep up some of the crap we got out there representing us in our government.

When You Absolutely, Positively Have to Get Off the Phone SorryGottaGo.com - Helps End Unending Phone Conversations

This could be useful one day... bookmark it.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

QDB: Top 100-200 Quotes

QDB: Top 100-200 Quotes: "
<@Logan> I spent a minute looking at my own code by accident.
<@Logan> I was thinking 'What the hell is this guy doing?'"

This and TONS of other geek hilarity at the Quote Database! Proof that the IRC is full of smart-assed geniuses!

This kinda junk REALLY does make me LOL! Better than comedy central! If yer a geek you HAVE to check it out!1!1!!!!!

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

CNN.com - Former aide: Powell WMD speech 'lowest point in my life' - Aug 19, 2005



CNN.com - Former aide: Powell WMD speech 'lowest point in my life' - Aug 19, 2005: "'I wish I had not been involved in it,' says Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, a longtime Powell adviser who served as his chief of staff from 2002 through 2005. 'I look back on it, and I still say it was the lowest point in my life.'"


(The Vespa GTS500ie? Could it really be?!) Posted by Picasa

Friday, August 19, 2005

Rock Star INXS - Marty kills Britney!


(Marty always did have a crazy look in his eye)

I don't like reality shows, but once in a while one comes through with some redeeming value. The Apprentice did in its first season... Survivor wasn't so bad in its first season either. Now my (lovely) wife has me watching Rock Star:INXS... and I like it. Especially now that it's down to the final seven. These people got some talent! If you're not watching the show... you got to at least see a couple of the performances, like Marty doing "Hit me baby one more time" (MSN is making a little loot from selling his performances on .mp3.). He kills it... literally. You might as well check out Mig doing "Baby I love your way". Sweet!

Rock Star:INXS doesn't have as much drama as most of the other shows out there and I'm a low drama kinda guy. Mark B. balances out just right this year. DON'T KILL IT NEXT YEAR MARK! Wait a sec... Who are they gonna do next year? Rock Star:New Edition? Just kidding.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Animaris Rhinoceros Transport - Ultimate Burning man Sculpture?


(Think that's cool? Check out the video!)

I'm not going to go into great detail here... If you want that check out the homepage. But all I can say is this guy is a mechanical genius... Reminds me of giant versions of Arthur Ganson's work (you've got to check out his Machine with Wishbone!). If you are a fan of kinetic sculpture, you should check out both of their sites. These guys are amazing.

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Melancholy masterpiece - No John K. for you!


(OHHH The dispair... THE AGONY!)

When you don't go out much, you tend to forget the rules of the game. For instance... Sometimes, shows sell out. I got an warm, icky, raspberry flavored dose of reality tonight. Two tablespoons full! The story goes like this...

All last week, I was in Indiana, working. When I got there, I found out that not only had they (Super 8) given my hotel room away to someone else, but almost every room in the Indianapolis area was taken! I ended up staying with some realitives (thank God for in-laws). I thought by the end of the week that my luck had changed. The Super 8 even had a room for me... WITH a hot tub in it. Well, I got it all warmed up and the hot tub jets were broken. Damn.

Well earlier in the week the (lovely) wife let me in on a little secret, you see, she discovered that John K. (Kricfalusi) was coming to Austin this weekend for a big Ren & Stimpy Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse. Four big shows... all of them different. I knew my home schedule would only afford me one, so I picked the very last show, Sunday at 9:45pm. Seven o'clock rolls around and I started getting ready. Put on my R&S shirt. Busted out my R&S DVD set for a little John K. autograph action. Pulled up the Alamo Drafthouse website to double check the show times and BLAMMO! I was hit in the eye with the words "SOLD OUT!"

I'm a giant fan of Ren & Stimpy and the heatbreak was more than any man should bare... thus the inspiration for today's Melancholy masterpiece.


(A sample of the eye candy over at DPChallenge)

One of the truely GREAT things allowed by the internet is the idea that the world's talent can be exposed without the pre-requisite of being capitalized on. You don't have to "know people", or even know ANYONE! The visibility of your craft isn't limited by shelf-space. There's almost nothing between you and the eyes/ears of the world. Some great examples of where this happens are sites like DPChallenge. That's where the above image is from. You can check out people's Photoshop talents at Worth1000. You can check the music skills over at GarageBand.

Now if we could just get money in the hands of these artists...
Scott McCloud has the right idea on how this should be done. This idea is as old as 2001 (probably even older), but here we are, it's almost 2006 and still no go. Who will be the one to make this happen? BitPass? Maybe paypal? Google? There's an even older arguement why this won't work. They say "users hate it". Maybe it's that no one has done it right yet.

I know that if Stevie Wonder released his albums on-line for a $2 download, I would be first in queue to download them and Stevie would be pocketing more than twice what he get's from Motown.

I think you'll see micropayments finally become a reality with the introduction of web-based videocasting. Yes, web-based videocasting is out now like the video version of podcasting, but it's very much in its infantile stages. Eventually it will be more like a semi-pro public access TV station and you'll pay for that instead of CableTV. You think?

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Tea! It's the new coffee in the USA!

/
You know… Us American’s used to drink tea like it was going outta style… until taxes caused it to, well… go outta style. We then switched over to that nerve shredding toxin COFFEE! I started drinking hot tea about 15 years ago and I’ve drank iced tea since I was a young’un. Yes, I still drink coffee every now and again, but tea really makes me happy (and makes my guts happy too).

Satisfy your inner voyeur


(Rummage through Bob's stuff. I don't think he'll notice if you ate his candy.)

This is a fun way to waste a bit of the evening till all your love servants come in for their nightly duties. Dig through Bob's things at www.bobscube.com. It's cool right up to the point when you start to realize... that it's just an advertisement for Hostway. That being said, it's still kinda fun. Doodle in Bob's notebook, watch office chair jousting, listen to his voice mail. I guess if you're gonna advertise to someone, make it fun, right?

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Web Drugs vs. Art



Be sure to do this one at night with a nice pair of headphones on and the lights out. Spoooooky.

99ROOMS.COM

More web drugs for your drooling pleasure



You'll recognize this work when you see it (granting you saw the previous trippy 'web drug' from Hoogerbrugge.) I'd post an image, but it wouldn't do any justice. This outta keep you outta trouble until I can get something useful up on the blog here.

Monday, August 01, 2005

Gomi is gone - Austin no longer keeping it weird


(The offending Cat Head as seen from Jo's)

Did the Sunday Scooter Crew bit yesterday and noticed something was not-quite-right. Hrm... What was it... Something was missing. OH! GOMI! What happend to the big red cat head and all the neon? The whole store was gone! After 6 years! Whats up with that? Well turns out some buzz-kill who shouldn't even be on the southside ANYWAY went "boo-who" to the city and had it taken out. Sucka perpetrater! I hope your happy with yourself! Before you know it SOCO and Lamar will have straight-laced skyscrapers and landscaping up one-side and down the other. With the destruction of their natural habitat, the tattooed weirdness will no longer be seen roaming and the people watchers will have to sit at Jo's and read the paper and do normal stuff. Sad.

You can also read this news bit from KXAN.

"Austin's South Congress is the land of the giant boot, home to a zebra, a-la-Carmen Miranda. It is also where neon, wild paint jobs and larger than life hamburgers line the street.

It's one sign that's causing all the trouble.

Gomi has been in business six years, two of that on South Congress. It is a locally owned shop specializing in funky clothes and collectible Anime toys.

"This is not The Gap. This is not Barnes & Noble. This Austin. This is why it says "Keep Austin Weird,'" Gomi co-owner April Lohse said.

But how weird is too weird? After an anonymous complaint to the city back in November, a code enforcement inspector determined the giant cat head sticks out 36 inches into the street.

City code says signs can only stick out 18 inches, but is the flaming red cat head a sign or is it art?

"I can have an awning of the same dimensions, but I cannot have a foam sculpture cat head," Lohse said.

Since the city doesn't offer any permits for foam sculptures, Gomi's owners face a fine of $2,000 a day if the cat stays."