Multi-Touch Missle Command = Haaawesome!!
No need to explain, just watch the beauty:
Live Nude Bugs
Green Porno, is a series of short films conceived, written by and featuring Isabella Rossellini about the sex life of insects and various creatures. They were created for/with the Sundance Channel.
As to the actual purpose, to what end? I have no idea, but I lol’d so hard watching them. She turns some typical documentary voice-over lines into drama, and dare I say with a certain ‘passion’. Too funny.
The absurdity of what you are seeing and the 1337 creativity make it the most engaging thing I’ve watched in a long time. Did I mention funny.
Ze Frank summed it up well when he said, “Isabella Rosellini is a genius”.
NSFW ? - Do not watch if offended by a male fly (portrayed by Rossellini) screaming “My penis will break off!”
Store Wars
Reminds me a bit of the old Kung-Fu Kitchen video from ages past. Thai-Fighters, lol. I like the lasers too. Lasers are almost always a good thing.
Go Phone Tonight
For some reason this commercial has really grown on me, especially now that I’ve seen the long version on You Tube. I think the world is missing out with the scarcity of the “musical-commercial”.
Bonus: that’s Tiffany as the Mom 
But my all time favorite Meatloaf inspired commercial of all-time has to be this ode to Dr. Pepper:
Old Soviet Sci-Fi Illustrations
Via: Dark Roasted Blend (nice name btw)
Very interesting to think about how a culture different than yours viewed the future through the lens of science fiction. To me, they don’t seem all that different than other classic sci-fi images I’ve seen. Which means awesome. Khaaaaaaan!!!! awesome.
This extremely rare series of illustrations to various books by Alexander Kazantsev (one of the first Soviet science fiction writers) shows very clearly what kind of future the communist dreamers preferred. Think cool robots, intrepid explorers, brainy scientists, eerily Star Wars-like aliens and a huge doze of humanitarian optimism.
These government sponsored (and approved) images (most are by Yury Markov) were published by Detskaya Literatura Publishing House from 1950s to 1970s - DETGIZ, geared toward Soviet Komsomol Youth - and were recently brought back from oblivion by M. Moshkov’s online library.
To add a little touch of color - check out these gorgeous covers for “Knowledge is Power” magazine from pre-Sputnik times:
In 1965, rockets were still a “carrot stick” to hang before these capitalists, and motivate the Soviet youth:
XKCD is too funny
(cause its true!) If you’ve never read his comics, and you’re a person who likes to laugh, it behooves you to visit his most illustrious site. If you want to buy me an XKCD hoodie, thats cool too.
New Idiomatic Expression Needed
Soon, according to my sources, parents and educators the world over will be forced to use a new idiomatic expression when teaching someone, often a young child, about sex and pregnancy.
I’ve heard that the Birds are pretty pissed. Because of the Bees inability to remain viable, the Birds may be taken out of the equation all together.
I think I’m gonna throw my weight behind the Bothans and the Banthas.
What do you think?
?
Twitter - Update
Update:
This is the bestest, clearest, informativest, explanation of What is Twitter that I’ve seen.
[tg] clued me in to this “brilliant explanation” of Twitter. It’s perfect. Thanks CommonCraft.
Mr. Lonely
There’s a movie called Mister Lonely by Harmony Korine (writer of KIDS, auteur of GUMMO, JULIEN DONKEY-BOY) that has just come out. It looks decidedly quirky and strange.
This song from the movie is quite nice however, and I felt like sharing. You may need to be in the mood for it, but meh, I liked it.
Retro Future Violin
It is simultaneously both in the past and future, yet exists now.
I’ve talked about my <3 for things Steampunk before, so this shouldn’t be a surprise.
From the band Abney Park, check out the new violin they made. Check out Abney Park too, their crazy cool.
Via: Make Magazine
Steampunk artisan Molly “Porkshanks” Friedrich (right) modded this awesome violin for Nathan Johnstone (left) of Abney Park. The faux vacuum tubes have LEDs inside and flash colors as the strings vibrate. The violin will premier at the Abney Park performance at Maker Faire.
Originally (many months ago) I didn’t really see the use for Twitter in my life, cause I’m not the biggest social networking user. IM ain’t really my friend, its only real use has come to me when I needed technical help at work, and my techie friends were all online, so it made for great Q+A in a fast real time way. A tad socially awkward, Im not a big chit-chatter either. So why would I start using and blogging about Twitter, a ” social networking and micro-blogging service” ?
It just seems too useful. The main thing that spurned me on was an article about a college student who got arrested in Egypt, sent a one word “tweet” through Twitter, and instantly had friends and family aware of his ordeal, and able to to deal with it quickly. I also was impressed with its uses by California firefighters, quickly organizing and reporting on the fire location through Twitter updates. Also fun is seeing famous/celebrity type peoples twitters, makes you feel closer to them than you really are.
I suppose its usefulness in this way really depends on how many RL friends you have that actually check it regularly, or have unlimited text messaging. I think I know just one. But, that may change, I think I only had one reader of this blog for awhile, now its hypnotized bazillions. B-A-Zillions.
I am going to try and not be the guy who updates every time he has a thought, recklessly spamming less that meaningful spam to my followers (their word not mine :)).
So far my favorites are Wil Wheaton and Amanda Congdon’s Twitters. Will is just plain cool guy, and Amanda is just my old Vlog dancing queen crush.
More friends and users equals more usefulness. Check it out if you haven’t. I dont have it instant update to my cell phone, because I don’t have a large amount of texts per month. But I can check it via the web on my phone.
Speeder Dogs
“Yes, Lord Vader, we have found replacements for the destroyed speeder bikes.”
Via: Global Nerdy, photo by Miss Fipi Lele
Festo AirJelly
I want one! Imagine hundreds of these together. I guess you could just go to the beach and see the real jellyfish more easily. These fly though!
Flying is alpha btw.
Vector? Vector!
Wow, this is cool vactor artwork. Kinda stretches my ideas of what can be done. Kinda makes me wish I was better at illustration. Que bueno LimKis, keep up the great work. Big fan.
Mary Poppins by LimKis
Click image to go to her gallery at DeviantArt
Dark Knight
July 18th, mark your calendars. Good trailers if you haven’t seen them already.
First Person Shooter
Not G.R.A.W., Halo, or Counter Strike, but a new Nike commercial done from a first-person perspective. Check it out and imagine Wenger watching your game, getting schooled by C.Ronaldo, Materazzi knock your teeth out, and finally putting a freekick in the back of the net for your country.
In other words, if you ever wanted to know what it is like to be Nate Brown, this is it.
Sleevefacing
Sleevefacing, for those who aren’t on it, is “is an internet phenomenon wherein one or more persons obscure or augment body parts with record sleeve(s), causing an illusion”.
Fun, especially with all those leftover 33’s from my 33 and 1/3 party I had.
I’ll post some pics soon.
searchme:
Watch out Google.
Searchme: is a visual search engine, displaying whole pages of results a lot like the way album covers work in the iTunes cover flow. Pretty nice, check it out and be the first person on your block to use it.
Look at me!
If you are in need of attention (desperately), have mad knitting-fu, and like to pretend the real world doesn’t exist while managing your Twitter/Facebook/MMO’s, then look no further because all your wildest dreams have come true.
Welcome to the Laptop Compubody Sock, by 
bekathwia at Instructables.
It really reminds me of a performance art piece or something, and the name alone is worth knitting one of these up. “Hey Nate, can I borrow your Laptop Compubody Sock?”
Sure man, but no sneezing.
If you got yourself an EEE, you could save a lot of yarn, BTW.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
UPDATED 4/22/08
I’m going. A mere $267 later (I got the DVD) its official, work has been informed, planning has begun, excitement is rising, and my favorite bands are practicing overtime to make sure they rock out appropriately.
NEW: Recently added Chali 2na to the list, that’s exciting. So who wants to bet me that he’ll perform with Ozomatli. That would be any Ozo Fan’s dream come true.
Updated Lineup, Yay. Chris Rock confirmed. Ozomatli, Sigur Ros, Pearl Jam, Ben Folds, The Raconteurs, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, Broken Social Scene, Talib Kweli, Gogol Bordello, Aimee Mann, funky bass player Les Claypool etc… how could this not be awesome…
UPDATE: Silent Disco
I think I’m gonna like it.
Are those the voices in your head? No, it’s the world’s freshest wireless dance party and one of Bonnaroo’s top attractions. Stop by the Silent Disco in Centeroo and slip into a pair of Koss Stereophones. Live DJs spin late into the warm Bonnaroo nights, keeping it quiet for the tired and the volume turned up for all you night owls. The Silent Disco is a unique Bonnaroo experience, so don’t forget to stop by and bust a move to the hottest dance beats - broadcast directly into your ears.
Publicado
I’m international y’all.
I’ve already conquered Chicago, and the Internets, so whats left but to take over some pages in a magazine from our friendly neighbor to the north, Canada.
Jacquie De Almeida, an editor from Jewellery Business Magazine in Canada interviewed us, and used some of our pictures in an article.
The world just cant get enough Nate.
Floods In Arkansas
My Aunt and Uncle Live in rural southeastern Arkansas. They also live inside the levee of the Mississippi River. Their house is on 14ft tall stilts. Its really cool, and in the past few days, really necessary .
When a flood is coming they leave their cars parked up on the levee, and then take a fancy water taxi back and forth between house and levee.
I’d be in a kayak, using the flood as an excuse for some exercise. But that excitement would wear off after the first couple times probably.
The Beautiful Game
I’ve been thinking about how to take my indoor soccer team up a notch. We’ve been the best looking team forever, and I figured we might as well play as good as we look. But really it’s hard, just look at the ones we had turn away because they don’t stack up in the looks department.
Cloud City Lamp
While not referencing Cloud City from Star Wars, Phil Cuttance’s creation still carries the same name, so it is welcome on this blog. It is also a wicked cool lampshade. It would be fun to learn to make these types of things.
The Green Brown
Determined to start a trend, my lil’sis Valerie is now the embodiment of the reduce, reuse, recycle movement necessary to keep our planet and its inhabitants healthy. Through the talents of my cousin Erica in Austin TX, Val has now joined the infamous Green Yakuza.
I feel I know my sister fairly well, and lets just say I’m bringing my own bags when I shop, consuming less, and hiding the paper towels while she’s in town. I know of her many hobbies, and have no doubt that if if she sees you litter, the last thing you’ll see are two knitting needles sicking out of the front of your chest as she calmly writes your end into her new novel. Big Ups Val. It looks good.
Disclaimer: Just kidding about the murdering litterbugs thing, she’s usually rather peaceful. And if you’re in the actual Yakuza, I apologize for the reference, no such thing as the Green Yakuza, please dont kill me.
Real Zaragoza, Vuelve Por Fa
In a heroic attempt to show that you don’t win games con nombres y millones of Euro’s alone, my Spanish team Real Zaragoza is succeeding where most other fail. Not only are they losing un montón de games, they are in the bottom 3 of La Liga, the relegation zone. They’ve gone 2-1-7 in their last 10 games. If they don’t get their act together and show un poco de orgullo, they will be playing in the second division. All the big players will leave, and they´ll be starting over like they did in 2003-04.
This really stinks for me, mostly because my hometown team the Columbus Crew are the undisputed underachievers of MLS, consistantly underwhelming their fans.
Oh well, at least the Brown’s are back baby !!
No I’m Not Italian…
.. but I did just purchase a Bialetti Moka Express last night!
In my desire to drink better coffee, I’ve done what almost every Italian family since the 1930’s has done, bought a Bailetti moka stovetop coffee maker. Supposedly, outside purchasing a hardcore espresso machine (out of my budget), this is the only other way to make coffee. It makes extremely strong coffee, not quite espresso (not enough pressure to emulsify oils, etc.) but as close as you can get.
I just had to test it last night, and was in caffeinated bliss until 3am. I still need to get my technique down, but soon i hope to master the thing and be all coffee snobby.
Ultimate Fusball Table?
I’ve seen a fair amount of fusball tables, but the designers and crafters at Gro Design and TIM Model Makers have produced the best looking one I’ve ever seen. This is what fusball will look like 100 years from now. Look below and live in the future for a minute or two.
” Many new football stadiums built in recent years have a strong architectural and sculptural beauty, becoming city landmarks in their own right and enhancing the visual landscape of the local environment. We wanted the design of our football table to be equally spectacular and memorable, enriching the interior space where it will be placed.”
Here are all the promotional pictures, and below a sampling.
VIA: Notcot.org and DesignLlama
