yewknee.com » archives

« October 2006 | Main | December 2006 »

November 30, 2006
Recouperating
» Just got back from SF and let me tell you - flying out of SFO might be convienent in terms of its proximity to the city but the inability to book a direct flight from Nashville is killing me! These layovers have got to stop. From here on out it's Nashville to Oakland via Southwest... now if only they'd up the ante on the luxuriousness of their plane rides.

The trip was good. I held up a Christmas tree, ate tons of good food, hung out with great people, and was fairly productive. Plus I attended a meeting that required me to sign an NDA, a first for me.

04:46 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

November 29, 2006
We Lived As Kings
» Looks like there are several new photo sets up over at We Lived As Kings, the photography portfolio of Greg Lutze. Most of the works are of various 'ordinary' things but composed in a generally beautiful manner. The desaturation and overall color presentation makes the majority of photos look less than modern and, therefore, somewhat timeless. It is hard to pick favorites when there are so many gorgeous images.

02:55 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Monsieur T Sale
» If you weren't aware of it, Christmas season is gearing up and sales are happening all over. I'll try to post a few things here and there that may help assist you in your holiday shopping.. here are some examples:

Monsieur T. Sale - free shipping on all items through the end of the year. Even if you're somehow not into their amazing t-shirt collections they have a Things section of the site featuring lots of great prints and books.

My Plastic Heart has a ton of possible gifts worth checking out - specifically a whole lot of vinyl toys ( like this guy).

02:30 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Two Videos
»

Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch

Minilogue - Hitchhikers Choice

01:23 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Cerberus Origami
» I challenge anyone reading this to make something as impressive as this Cerberus Origami. Seriously, that thing is insane!

01:13 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

iPlane
» Not to continuously post news about the iPod or anything but this article claims that Apple has partnered with various airlines to allow for in-flight iPod charging AND connection with headrest monitors to display your iPod Video. Which, quite frankly, is an incredibly great idea. I'll be surprised to see it actually happen but the notion is great.

01:11 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

November 28, 2006
iAds
»

iPod Shuffle

iTalk

The Shuffle ad was apparently done by Mark Romanek and Brand New School. Very cool.

The iTalk ad is obviously just a spec ad but it's an interesting take on the idea.. though I think its probably a bit too involved for something Apple would actually do.

01:25 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Baby Animals in the Womb
»

A combination of 3D ultrasound scans, computer graphics, and tiny cameras helped to assist in these amazing photos of animals in the womb - an elephant, a dolphin, and a dog to be specific.

01:21 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Goldcard
» Recently I've found myself going back and re-listening to the full-length album from Goldcard and wondering what ever happened to the project. The man behind the project, Charlie Campbell, apparently does not enjoy playing live so much (as seen by this box that he performed in) and I've not heard any news about any new music ever being planned for release. Turns out that Mr. Campbell has a website all his own in which he shares the music he has been making recently, for TV and movie scores. I'm glad he's still making music but, man, I'd love another Goldcard album.

» Goldcard - We Only Doubt Which Theory We'll Be Proving First

» Goldcard - Destroy and Recreate

01:14 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

The Fountain
» In keeping with my thoughts on The Fountain I highly recommend everyone read this Wired article that basically gives a nice history of Darren Aronofsky, his movies, the troubles involved with making the film and the incredible tactics used to create the space effects throughout the film.

12:29 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Flux-Rad mix
» Flux-Rad has a new mixtape, the first in a series of 2006 round-ups. Looking forward to more of these and I plan on making a few of my own (two mixes planned for December).

12:25 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Moustache
» Really? So what's the hardest part about being here? Mustache.

12:19 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

November 27, 2006
woops - San Francisco
» Thanksgiving weekend was a blast for me and I hope the same mentality applies for you. Aside from some serious quality time with friends and family it was nice just have a long stretch of time away from the office and a general work environment. Not that I don't love my job, but it's always good to get away.

I happened to catch a few new movies as well. The first being For Your Consideration, the latest from Christopher Guest. I thought it was an enjoyable (particularly Fred Willard and John Michael Higgins) but fell short from the previous movies. "A Mighty Wind" didn't do a whole lot for me either so maybe the fascination is just fading in general.

Then last night I caught The Fountain - the latest from Darren Aronofsky. The cinematography was dead on for basically every single shot, often looking like it was directly inspired by a graphic novel. The acting was great, the special effects as well.. but the story was a bit much at times. It seemed heavy handed and unneccasary to do the three tiered story. I'd like to see it again but the last 10 minutes of the movie were bizarre and somewhat ridiculous. Actually, they were absolutely ridiculous - no doubt about it but worth seeing.

And now I find myself in San Francisco about to head out to a meeting. It certainly seems like I've come out here a lot more this year than I ever have previously. Hope everyone had a great weekend.. regular posting will continue tomorrow.

05:21 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

November 22, 2006
Turducken
» Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Try something different this with whatever festivities you get involved in - like a Turducken instead of the traditional turkey. I'll be back online Monday.. be sure to email me or leave a comment of I'm missing out on some fantastically hilarious new 10-minute Internet fad.

01:27 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Perfect Hair
» Rory has been doing Super Perfect Hair for awhile now but just recently developed it into a full blown store. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, please treat yourself by watching the videos first (particularly this one) and then wander on over to the store and check out the goods. I'm still hoping he'll make a "classic" shirt with just the logo front and center but I can't deny the greatness of the Cat Skull or Hairbrushes shirts. Here's to hoping he keeps making more....

11:59 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

T-Shirt Lines
» Everything Burns - Aside from having a nice portfolio Tom has recently opened a store featuring two great new shirts. He's had several designs printed at Threadless so you know the type of quality and clever humor to expect going in to this one.. and they both deliver.

11:54 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Jeremy Davis move
» Jeremy Davis is moving to Portland come 2007. He requests that you make him a mix of some kind to accompany him on his travels throughout this country of ours (the drive from Charlotte, NC to Portland, OR is a long one). But in an attempt to inspire you and pre-thank you for your efforts, he has posted a brand new quality mix to download entitled Sleeper Hold. I've not heard everything on there but from the looks of it, it's a good one.

» Jeremy Davis Mix - Sleeper Hold

11:44 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Swoon returns
» Flux-Rad is a girl of many projects, one of which being Swoon - a music site devoted to sharing quality mixes and somewhat elaborate (albeit personal) insight into various artists. Recently the site received a complete facelift and new content is finding its way in. Lots of great articles to read and even a mix or two to download.

11:38 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Division Day
» Looks like Division Day is on tour throughout the midwest. If you've not heard Beartrap Island I suggest you download the following and then give some serious consideration to making a very worthy addition to your growing music collection.

» Division Day - Tigers

» Division Day - Tap-Tap, Click-Click

» Division Day - Colorguard

» Division Day - Hurricane

11:29 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Thanksgiving
» Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow and in respect of the date and the entire mentality of giving thanks for things you appreciate I'm going to post links to things my friends have made that I am happy to see them making. Maybe you won't love all of it but at least they are making something, and that in itself is inspiring.

11:18 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

November 21, 2006
No more click to call
» It appears that the Google "Click To Call" feature that launched just a week ago has been removed and replaced with a slightly toned down "Send to Phone" feature. Still nice, but not quite as nice. Why the change? Apparently people were using the service to prank call like crazy - particularly amusing when you consider a Sex Addict Recovery Program being connected with a random politician.

04:06 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Alien Loves Predator
» Maybe it's my true nerd roots showing through but I've been reading Alien Loves Predator quite frequently these days and loving it. Strips like this one are incredibly ridiculous but hit the mark just right.

02:33 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

two music videos
»

The Silent Years - Someone To Keep Us Warm

Nagi Noda

Two great music videos for very different reasons.

02:27 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

in the news
» OJ Book Cancelled - Apparently OJ Simpson was going to publish a book entitled "If I Did It" that served as a tell all truth about how he would have performed those infamous murders had he actually done them. Yea, right. Regardless, someone with a brain finally figured out that this was a horrible idea and probably shouldn't be published. Way to go.

Robert Altman Dies - I can't say that I've seen (or loved) a ton of his work but he was a highly influential and respected director. One that seemed to work his own way without giving in to the pressures of Hollywood all of the time.

Homemade sub captured with 3 tons of cocaine - if that headline doesn't catch your eye I'd be surprised. And it's not even from The Onion...

02:24 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

November 20, 2006
Typeism
» Looks like MA Turner has got a little sketchbook going. I'll be totally honest and say that this thing really creeps me out in the worst of ways.

01:42 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Hale Links: Volume 32
» Hale Links: Volume 32 More miscellaneous linky goodness from Mr. Ryan Hale. Always a pleasure.

Pollution Reducing Concrete - an active agent mixed in with concrete will break down air pollutants such as carbon monoxide when in the presence of light. This is the sort of technology that doesn't get the glammer and the glitz of other shinier, gadgetry tech but really deserves more time in the spotlight.

Crew witness formation of new island - the pictures are somewhat underwhelming but the notion that it happened quickly enough to watch over a short period of time is nuts.

Jonathan Yuen - beautiful portfolio site. Very simple idea with incredible execution... love the animation style and the two-toned overlayed images. Simple often works the best.

Heiwa Alpha - I actually posted this not too long ago but the giant tortoise castle is well worth another visit.

Birdwatchers Horrified - hilarious.

Whaaat?

Che Storm Trooper - Che Guevara and Storm Troopers are pretty over done but put the two together into just the right mold and you've got undeniable gold.

01:33 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

line design
» Nice illustration portfolio at lindedesign comprised mostly of the "cute yet somewhat creepy" variety that I am often drawn to. There's also a line of tshirts called Alive by the same illustration with some nice pieces.. this guy is just hanging out.

01:25 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Kramer stirs the pot
» Looks like Michael Richards, aka Kramer from Seinfeld, went off on a bit of a racial tirade this weekend because some audience members were talking during his set. The notion of being shocking just for the sake of being shocking is a lame way to keep your audience engaged and from the looks of the video there was a large contigent of the audience that wasn't standing for it - as quite a chunk of people left before he could feel even the slightest twinge of regret.

11:43 AM » [ Comments (15) ]

Casino Royale
» Saw Casino Royale this weekend and really can't say that I agree with the reviews that is an incredible new Bond film. It has some solid chase scenes (particularly the first one) but it suffers one major flaw - it is entirely way way too long. Did I need to hear the entire Chris Cornell theme song during the opening credits? No. Did I need 45 minutes of poker playing? No. Did I need an hour of love story to really get that these two were in love? Nope. And I certainly didn't need to feel like the film was going to end at any second but it just... kept... going. Agonizing at times there near the end. It would have been nice to have a few more gadgets involved but it didn't add nor detract from the story with their absence.

And not to delve too far into a subject that probably doesn't need to be harped on but I am really tired of movies being this long. Maybe it's Hollywoods attempt at making you feel like you're getting your moneys worth? Maybe it's the screenwriters inability to push a story forward in a reasonable amount of time? Maybe it's the concept of being given an enormous sum of money for a budget and deciding to spend every single last penny (and then some)? Whatever it is, it is tiring. I don't want to go to a 7:20 movie and get out after 10. That is ridiculous.

11:40 AM » [ Comments (7) ]

November 17, 2006
Invisible Bike and more of the greatest things on the Internet
»

I can't begin to express how strongly I feel about the following. After viewing these galleries I felt like I had witnessed the End of the Internet. But I am skeptical that others will appreciate it as much as they should. Don't dive right in and become overwhelmed.. start slowly. Check this, then this, then this gallery, and then.. prepare yourself for the motherload. This gallery is, honestly, the best collection of images online. Vaguely NSFW at times so don't go grab your uber-conservative boss to partake in the joy. I hope you are able to appreciate as much as I do how grand these images are.

02:49 PM » [ Comments (13) ]

Google: Call me
» Add another notch to the list of "Ways the Internet Lets Me Physically Do Fewer Things" because Google has added a Call feature that will automatically connected your phone with the business in question. Forget dialing phone numbers, just click the mouse!

02:37 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Purevolume sampler
» If you're looking for some good, free, new music you might want to head over to the PureVolume sampler We Were Here First and snag the compilation. I've not heard of everyone on it but it's got The Damnwells, The Stills, Page France, Favourite Sons, and many others that I am familiar with.. so that's a great start. Let's hope this is a regular new thing that PureVolume will be offering (or maybe it has been and I'm just totally ignorant).

01:02 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Camille Rose Garcia at C12
» Crown Dozen has a new interview up with artist Camille Rose Garcia, complete with exclusive new images of her latest works. Read it here. Thanks C12.

12:59 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Good Day, Mr. Kubrick
»

Good Day, Mr. Kubrick

I'm not sure what this guy was thinking when he made this but it doesn't look like it ever panned out into anything. Maybe his 15 minutes of fame was just waiting to explode until this very moment.. in which YouTube places his amazing audition tape on to a pedestal of temporary pop culture greatness. Or maybe he'll just fade into obscurity, never to be heard from again.

12:55 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

WESC
» WESC has a nice variety of clothes for both men and women but, rather unsurprisingly, there's no way I'm going to find any of this stuff for sale in Nashville. Either way, the site is nice and I can always keep it in mind for when I'm out of town.

12:51 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Movie Roundup
» Children of Men looks to be an interesting sci-fi drama of sorts. Basically the women of the world have become barren and the lack of hope for mankind leads to an anarchist society. Clive Owen is recruited to transport a woman to a safe zone because, surprise suprise, she is pregnant against all odds. That's as much as I can tell from the trailer but I'm told from good sources that the film is pretty great, so I'd keep it in mind.

Darkon - you know, I've seen this trailer before but never managed to see the entire film. Someone please tell me they've seen it and it is as incredible as I hope it is.

12:50 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

November 16, 2006
Gorillaz / The Good, The Bad and the Queen
»

If I were more of a Gorillaz fan I'd snatch up those vinyl toys real quick but I'm really only a casual listener. However, I've been checking out a little bit of The Good The Bad and The Queen, the latest project from Blur / Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn and have been enjoying it. Granted, I've only heard one song but I'm intrigued to hear more.

» The Good The Bad and The Queen - Herculean

11:44 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Souvenir Set
»

The 'Souvenirs' photo set by Michael Hughes is incredibly ingenius. Superimposing a trinket over the real life object is such a simple concept but it's pulled off so perfectly you can't help but admire it.

11:35 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Sitemaps
» The search engines agree - using an XML Sitemap will be the new standard for having your site properly crawled by a search engine. This means next to nothing to anyone not in the web design world but it's nice to hear that Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft decided on a standard.

11:06 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Spinner / Interface
» Is admitting that you enjoy a blog and music feature site sponsored by AOL music akin to admitting you like some of the things on MTV? I hope not because Spinner.com and The Interface both have a healthy amount of great content. The Spinner blog is pretty informative and covers a nice range of artists and The Interface has a crapload of great podcasts from the likes of Grizzly Bear, Nada Surf, Walter Schreifels, Grandaddy, Spoon, and a bunch more. It is undeniably great content, despite coming from a huge corporate conglomerate source.

11:05 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

real or not
» True or False: This image is an actual photograph and not a digitally rendered scene.

10:46 AM » [ Comments (8) ]

Superfamous
» It's been a long time since I checked out Superfamous.com and I'm glad that I did. The use of subtle video in the background is fantastic. Thanks to Witjze for reminding me of it.

10:28 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

the iPhone
» Apparently the Apple iPhones is rumored to be one step closer to retail dreams. I'm sure the image is only a mockup but I'm certainly curious as to what Apple has up their sleeve and why they would even bother to get into the cellphone business at all.

10:22 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

November 15, 2006
KFC Logo - FROM SPACE
» If you had to guess what corporation would have their logo visible from space before anyone else, who would you guess? I'd hope it was some forward thinking, progressive conglomerate looking to bring awareness to their cause through a fairly ridiculous publicity stunt. But no, it turns out that KFC is the World's First Brand Visible From Space. You can read more about it here.

12:01 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Spluch!
» I spent a fairly hefty amount of time recently browsing the archives of Spluch. The content is always interesting and usually pretty random. For instance, here are just a few great posts to be enjoyed: Ugliest Fish, Wireless Power, Dolphin Legs, Magnificent Iceberg Photography, One-Log House, Shopping Penguin (sort of creepy) and tons more. Spend some time there or at least bookmark it for future browsing when bored.

11:51 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Scratty Short
» Typically anything related to Ice Age would get a thumbs down from me. The animation was always nice looking but the movies weren't exactly top notch entertainment. That being said, this short film is refreshingly entertaining. Maybe it's because there is no dialogue or maybe because time travel and acorns are involved but whatever it is - I was into it.

11:41 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

ZamZar
» Has anyone tried out Zamzar - the free online file conversion utility - yet? The list of file format types is insanely extensive but, as curious as I am, I really don't have any files that are in need of converting.

11:31 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

November 14, 2006
two more vids
»

Worst Buglar Ever

Albert Hammond Jr - 101

That burglar video is, hands down, amazing.

03:20 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

Robbers Return
» Everyone's favorite Spoon soundalikes Robbers On High Street have a new EP coming out today entitled The Fatalist EP. From what I've heard on their site, sounds like more solid Robbers on High Street music. Can't go wrong with that, right?

» Robbers on High Street - The Fatalist

02:53 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Stranger Than Fiction
»

While I stand firm in my belief that The Neverything came first (and, apparently, has been squashed since) I still made sure to see the new Will Ferrell movie Stranger Than Fiction. And I'm glad I did.. everything about it was enjoyable. Somehow the script is able to employ several completely absurd plot devices but never disengage the viewer into retrieving their suspension of disbelief. If that sounds a little too wordy for you think of it this way - while viewing the movie you never question the role of The Watch, despite it being an inanimate object. Overall I think the film is incredibly well done and I recommend you all go see it. Plus, toned down / subtle Will Ferrell is almost funnier than over the top / slapstick Will Ferrell.

02:41 PM » [ Comments (7) ]

LCD Soundsystem - Run
» James Murphy, aka LCD Soundsystem, was asked by Nike to put together a piece of music designed for runners to listen to while they did their thing. Typically I would think an experiment such as this would yield results that were less than stellar - as a running song would need to drone into your head and help zone out the listener into their own version of aerobic zen.

LCD Soundsystem
Original Run
Nike
[ iTunes ]

So I decided the best, and only, way to listen to this 45 minute track was to actually run to it.. something I don't do that often and certainly wouldn't mind having an aid in zoning me out. Overall, the building beat reminded me of anything from the Buffalo Daughter album Pshychic but mixed with a nice arrangement of piano, keyboards, driving bass, and quite surprisingly - vocals. That element alone took the piece to an appreciable level where the track was no longer an instrumental wank and became an honest endeavour from LCD Soundsystem. Sure, the vocals either sound like they are ripped straight from the Shaft soundtrack or some super slowed down button twiddler but it still completely pushes the track to the next level.

The only downfall of the track being that the beat peters out around 30 minutes, comes back 10 minutes, and then has a long slow fade out - not ideal for finishing that last leg of your journey. Although, that last 10 minute revival is seriously inspiring. I'd say that in the end, the track worked as intended. I was engaged and wasn't thinking about the fact that I was running. I was free to either tune in to the music or to let my mind wander to other topics. Thanks Nike.

02:31 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Two Clips for you
»

Official Simpsons Trailer

PS3 vs Wii

Two interesting things of note. 1) The Simpsons trailer says the film is in "2D" and then immediately cuts to a 3D toon shaded part of the movie. Sort of weird. 2) The PS3 vs Wii thing is obviously fan made and sort of ridiculous but vaguely entertaining none the less.

11:26 AM » [ Comments (9) ]

November 13, 2006
The Soft Lightes
» ModularPeople have produced a video for the band The Soft Lightes using stop-frame animation much along the lines of what PES does. I can't begin to imagine the time it took to setup each of those sequences but I am thoroughly entertained by the integrated representation of musical instruments along with the lyrics.

02:09 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

SOUND Team on DayTrotter
» Daytrotter has Sound Team this week from their exclusive in studio sessions. So go download it.

02:01 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Borat: What's Real
» After inquiring about what was real and what was faked in the Borat movie, Jeremy sent me a link to this article which basically answers that exact question. The parts that were faked are fairly obvious I suppose but it's interesting to read the reactions from the people once they find out that they've been duped.

12:47 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

USB Drives
» Typically a list of Creative USB Drives would entertain me for only a fleeting moment but I was pretty enthused to see the Nike AIR drive and the USB Wood Stick. Clever little devices.

11:48 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Year Beard
»

Joey Beason - photo by Jeremy Davis

As curator of Whiskerino it wouldn't be right to not give some sort of special recognition to Joey Beason and his Year Beard. The group beard growth ended but Joey kept fighting the good fight. Insane.

11:46 AM » [ Comments (9) ]

November 10, 2006
Friday Videos
»

Los Simpsons - creepy creepy creepy

Office Space - Horror Style

Keytar - for Jamie

02:04 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

Ben Frank: Photography
» Whiskerino alumni Ben Frank has started a side portfolio / business featuring his photography. The site layout is a nice big way to feature the photos, and a lot of the work is top notch (the General Lee leaping through the air and the shots of The Spinto Band are probably the best). The only thing I'd complain about is that logo type looks somewhat familiar. But it's not about the logo, it's about the photos. Browse and enjoy.

01:25 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

Upcoming Movies
» Upcoming movies possibly worth checking out:

Reno 911: Miami - often when a popular comedic TV show gets made into a movie it flops horribly. That being said, the trailer looks pretty funny and I can see it being every bit as entertaining as the later seasons of the show have been.

Pan's Labyrinth is the latest from Guillermo Del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) and has the visual art direction right along the lines of Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, or even Mirror Mask.

11:59 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

Are you Tone Deaf?
» I just finished the Musical Abilities Test and think I did quite a bit worse than I would have had the test been just a BIT shorter. 36 audible comparison questions gets pretty tiring.. especially when you have the attention span of someone who browses the Internet most of the day. Regardless, it's interesting to see where you score and how accurately you are able to differentiate between tones and musical phrases. If you take the test, please be sure to share your score.

11:50 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Uncle Felty
»

I don't own much made out of felt but after browsing the works of Uncle Felty I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it. Lots of great, if not overly cute, designs. This guy is great and there are even some more gems floating around the web of his great work.

11:40 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Matt Curry on Flickr
» Finally! Matt Curry, aka Ninjacruise aka ImageFed, has put a bunch of his work up on Flickr. Not that it wasn't easily viewable before on his site but it's a nice quick way to peruse a bunch of what he's put together. I enjoy this one in particular and it's great to see some of his sketches.

11:31 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

White Whale vs Explorers Club
» Last night I checked out White Whale at The End and found myself regretting the choice to go see them over The Explorers Club the previous night at The Basement. Not that White Whale was bad but the album is certainly better. So please accept my apologies Explorers Club.. I'll be there next time.

11:14 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Toe Lick
» Now this is news!

11:12 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

PhotoSynth
» While I am impressed by the technology involved with Photosynth, an image collaging program that harvests images into a three dimensional browseable world, I can't say that I fully grasp the implementation of such a thing. Somehow it is going to capture tons of images based off of a search term and combine those? Have these people used Google images? Results aren't exactly related most of the time. Regardless of my skepticism, it is a smart idea and a stunning video demo.

10:57 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Spiderman 3 Trailer
» The hot thing on the Internet today will be the new trailer for Spiderman 3. A very high paced piece that basically sums up the entire movie with the exception of actually showing the Venom character. The required subway / train fight is there and you get a glimpse at the symbiotic creature that takes over Peter Parker - what more would you require from a Spiderman movie?

10:22 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

November 09, 2006
Good Hodgkins - Ranty
» There is an interesting post over at Good Hodgkins regarding the burnout of popular music and the monotony and "bland inoffensiveness" of it all. I'm not entirely in agreeance with the amount of boring popular music out there but I can see his point. An interesting read for those of you who browse the mp3 blogs and try to keep up, even if ever so slightly, with the latest batch of up and coming new music.

12:31 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Laura Splan - MEAT PILLOWS
»

Take some time out of your day to browse the portfolio of Laura Splan and feast your eyes on some treats like the above Meat Pillows. Fortunately if that concept isn't up your alley there are plenty more projects to check out - all having some sort of connection with the human body, science, and/or medicinal practices.

12:13 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Chris Glass
» It has been a long time since I found a personal site that I actually spent a good amount of time browsing through every section, reading all sorts of content, taking in bits of their portfolio, checking out some great design decisions and having an honest interest in what I was seeing. The personal site of Chris Glass changed that though. I think I've been through every page and need to remember to visit regularly.

11:29 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Josh Keyes interview
» FecalFace has a great interview up with Josh Keyes - you should read it here. I always find it interesting to hear what thought process goes into creating works that are somewhat mythological or fantastic. Hopefully I'll remember to check out the art show Josh Keyes is having with John Casey when it opens in March of 07.

10:50 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

November 08, 2006
Critter Splitters
»

Jesse LeDoux has announced the official arrival of his first line of toys entitled Critter Splitter. The character designs are right along with his art direction and the best part is that each character can be split apart and joined with other creatures! Only $6 a pop and a worthy addition to your cute vinyl toy collection (any self-respecting nerd has at least one or two).

02:41 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

Goopymart Illustrations
» Goopymart has an amazing set of illustrations entitled TEH INTERNETS depicting your favorite online acronyms. I think WOOT or WTF might be my favorites but then again NOOB and TEH are pretty great as well. Thanks GoopyMart.

12:54 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

Voting Results
» Looks like Tennessee proved its foothold in the wilds of ignorance and discrimination yesterday by approving a state Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. If there was an actual reason for this beyond religious standings or fear of the unknown maybe I could understand it but it seems to be steeped in the notion that the Christian majority of the state decided to prove just how loving and open they are via discrimination.

Added to that, Republican Bob Corker takes the seat in the Senate - not Harold Ford, Jr. Elections these days seem to be about choosing the lesser of two evils but it's still sad to me that people don't take a moment to look at the bigger picture. Electing a Democrat would further ensure a proper checks and balances system within our government and actually represent the opinions of more people in the nation. Fortunately, the house is further swayed to the side of Democrats but now there isn't a single Independent voice. Whatever your take on politics may be I hope you can agree that it's on a slippery slope downhill.

The best news I've heard in the past two days is that Rumsfeld is leaving his post. Nepotism intact, President Bush assigns family friend Robert Gates to take his place.

12:37 PM » [ Comments (18) ]

Ruined Music on OVERDRIVE
» I gotta hand it to Bryan for taking his Ruined Music project as far as it will take him. There is now an MTV News piece on Overdrive in which Bono talks about the concept of songs being ruined by certain events or people. Bono. If that doesn't add a bit of legitimacy to a project you're involved in, I don't know what does. Good job Bryan and Mary.

12:17 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

Faith Hill PWNED
»

Faith Hill - PWNED

While I am sure this is already "old" Internet news to most of you (it did happen yesterday) but apparently at the Country Music Awards on Monday Faith Hill appeared to be incredibly upset by losing to Carrie Underwood. She claims it was a joke. In all honesty, I believe that it was but I am opting to convince myself that was she seriously pissed because that's much funnier.

I think that fulfills my country music news quota for the next 10 years. I won't let it happen again.

12:03 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Dear Griffin
» Dear Griffin Technology,
Thank you for all the iPod accessories you make. You're the defacto name in iPod add-ons! Despite some negative reviews from others I am very pleased with my SmartDeck adapter and find it to be a rather ingenius way to get high quality audio from the iPod into my car stereo. However, I have one question / suggestion for you. If you are able to make the SmartDeck, and you're able to make the AirClick, why can't you make a product that combines the two? If I had a tape adapter that wirelessly connected to my iPod it would be about 100x more convenient than having to plug my iPod in everytime I got in the car. You could call it the SmartDeck AirClick, or SmartClick, or AirDeck, or Smartest Combination of Two Products We Already Sell.

10:52 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

November 07, 2006
Vote
» In the interest of global improvement I'm going to remind everyone to go and please vote today. Obviously I have my own opinions about the state of our country and, ultimately, the influence we've had on the world but I couldn't do any of that complaining if I didn't do my civic duty and actually got out and vote. Even if my vote is instantly negated by someone elses vote I can at least know that I made an attempt to change things in the smallest way that I could. Paying taxes and voting are the two smallest things every US Citizen should be doing. Please go vote.

03:50 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

senyol art
» The flickr stream featuring the art of Senyol contains a barrage of great things to look at - specifically his matchstick art (which is oversized but still looks cool). I love the illustration style and the street art.

02:32 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Spidey 3 Nerd Out
» Excuse me while I nerd out a little but for as much complaining as the geek community does about seemingly crappy adapatations you have to hand it to Hollywood when they get it right. The Venom concept models for Spider Man 3 look pretty dead on. Compare that image to comic version and it's pretty accurate. Granted, that is in no way indicative of how the movie version will actually turn out but it's a promising start. More-so than whatever it is they are doing with the next iteration of Green Goblin.

02:24 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

Evan Almighty
» The trailer for the most expensive comedy ever made, Evan Almighty is online and ready for viewing right here. I'm amazed that there is actually a sequel to Bruce Almighty and even more floored that it actually looks like it could be entertaining.

12:44 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

November Mix
» I've posted a new mix for your enjoyment if you are at all interested. Please snag it and let me know what you think.

11:39 AM » [ Comments (6) ]

November 06, 2006
A Polite Winter
»

A Polite Winter is a collaborative art project between James Jean and Kenichi Hoshine - two artists who's works could not possibly be better pairs for each other (I'm not a huge fan of the text on the works but the paintings / illustration are just about perfect). I highly suggest browsing the entire Polite Winter project for an innumerable amount of goods such as the two above and then spending some quality time browsing both artists sites.

Oh, and you can buy some Prints of the collab if you feel so inclined. I think #43, #37, and Wolf are pretty tempting...

02:17 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

25 Best Free Quality Fonts
» While it sounds like bad spam, the 25 Best Free Quality Fonts article is actually quite insightful. I don't think every designer is going to need every single thing offered here but there are some truly beautiful suggestions right alongside some very standard (but very trustworthy) typefaces. Good one for the bookmark references.

01:23 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Some Mac Apps
» Now that I'm a Mac dude I've been discovering some decent applications here and there that others may be interested in. Overall I prefer to have as little installed as possible but sometimes it's nice to have some helper apps.

Handbrake will rip a DVD and convert it to a more handy format - such as iPod or PSP. At the moment I've been using a combination of programs to make this happen but if this all in one program can do it, I'm all for it.

Disco Burning App - not that OS X doesn't have great built-in burning support but it's interesting to see what other companies come up with as something superior and pretty cheap (especially in comparison to Toast).

01:18 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Music Videos - one old, one new
»

George Harrison - When We Was Fab

Broken Social Scene - Pitter Patter Goes My Heart

12:51 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

BORAT: The Movie
» Maybe it's the overhype, or maybe it's the fact that the "storyline" just wasn't neccasary but the Borat movie was pretty underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, there were moments of absolutely hilarity and jaw-dropping ridiculousness but I think there could have been a whole lot more. I also question just how much of the movie was acted and how much was impromptu, real reactions to this character. I've got a sneaking suspicion that more of it was faked than they'd prefer you believe.

12:40 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

November 03, 2006
New Rules
»

Bill Maher : New Rules

Just a little something to think about as mid-term elections are right around the bend. This is not President Bush or Republican bashing, it is more of a take on US arrogance as a whole and the lack of responsibility anyone is taking for it. Language may be considered vaguely NSFW - wear headphones for this one if you're working in a cubicle.

01:29 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Chrome Children
» The first video off the Chrome Children album is pretty great, though I do not love the song. Be sure to click on "Nothing Like This" as the page automatically defaults to the "Monkey Suite" video.. great art direction and animation.

01:15 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Apes, Androids, Bullshit
»

Apes & Androids - nuts

Sean Lennon Trailer

11:45 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

LOST - Canadian and US
»

LOST Preview (US)

LOST Preview (Canadian)

Interesting differences between the two. Obviously if you aren't into knowing what may be happening next week, don't watch either of these.

11:39 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Surprisingly Good, Somewhat Lame (Seperately)
»

So dumb it's actually funny

Midlake is great. This video is eh

11:35 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Stupid and Weird (Seperately)
»

Sad he is from TN

Jean Luc WTF?

11:30 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

SSB Brawl
» If there were ever a good reason to get a Nintendo Wii it would have to be Super Smash Bros Brawl. I can safely say I've had more than my fair share of gameplay with the Gamecube version of Smash Bros and I look forward to the Wii version. It's got Kid Icarus! How can you go wrong?

11:04 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

November 02, 2006
The Good German
» The Good German is the latest from director Steven Soderbergh. A post World War II stylized piece about a military journalist and what appears to be quite a few twists and turns. Honestly I can't tell exactly what the plot is about but the black and white noir style looks beautiful.

02:58 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Let's Go To Prison
» Typically I would say a movie starring / narrated by Dax Shepard would be one to avoid but Let's Go To Prison also stars Will Arnett (aka G.O.B.) and was directed by Bob Odenkirk (of Mr. Show). It also happens to be written by Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon of The State and Reno 911. So there are some good ingredients involved. The trailer doesn't look half bad but it doesn't look half great either.. hard to tell.

02:54 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Blood Car
» Save Gas.. drive BLOOD CAR. An amusing mix of horror film stereotypes, vague political commentary, and absurd scenarios. Here's the summary:

n the near future gas prices have reached astronomical highs nearing $40 a gallon. One man, Archie Andrews, an environmentalist elementary school teacher, is trying to discover an alternate fuel source. While experimenting with wheat grass, Archie accidentally stumbles upon a solution. That solution turns out to be blood. HUMAN BLOOD!

I sort of hope this only exists as a trailer and not a full blown movie. I can't imagine being entertained by such a concept for over an hour but the two - three minutes of the trailer is just right.

02:44 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

ScriptBum Code Depot
» Script Bum is a vault of code snippets free for use for any various task you may have at hand. Granted, there are about 1,000 of these sites out there and most of the others offer quite a bit more than what is available here but it's a locally run project and there seems to be some promise as to what all will be lying around. I'm not saying make it your new homepage but if you're looking for a little code snippet, maybe think about looking at what Script Bum is offering.

02:42 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Double Wires (Game)
» The presentation may be a bit on the crude side but Double Wires is surprisingly simple and fun. Your character has two "webs" that he slings forth to catapult himself forward through the abyss. A great way to pass the time at work.

02:39 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Movember.org?
» Aww.. c'mon now!? First there is Movember.ca and now there is Movember.ORG as well? And that one uses "Hall of Shame" and "Hall of Shame"! Talk about some serious Whiskerino biting.

02:02 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

SuperClever
» Jeremy is right... these photos are incredible. The entire series is interesting but once the collages come out of the mix it really gets fascinating.

12:47 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

November 01, 2006
Wii Experience
» The US release of the Nintendo Wii is just around the corner and I think there is still some speculation as to how effective that crazy new controller is going to work. Fortunately, there is this great Wii Experience Video Gallery showing people using the controller on a number of games pretty easily. I'll be skeptical until I use it myself but it is looking to be more and more intuitive the more I read about it.

02:38 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Diet Coke & Mentos - Part 2
» It is safe to assume that everyone has seen the Diet Coke & Mentos Experiment and all of the variations of it. However, the original team (Eepy Bird) that "discovered" the trick has released a new experiment entitled The Domino Effect. The video is basically the exact same thing as before (mentos dropped into a Diet Coke bottle) but on a much grander scale. You gotta give them credit for setting up such a ridiculously large scale implementation of the trick.

02:30 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Last.FM Oct 06 Updates
» I dunno if everyone caught them yet but there have been some great updates to Last.fm in the past week or so. The "Taste-O-Meter" is a quick way to find out just how compatible you are with another user and the new Events system, if properly integrated with the individual user page, could be incredibly handy. Last.FM just keeps gettng better and better and if you aren't signed up to it yet, I highly suggest you do so now.

02:23 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Flash Animation
» I got an email from MA Turner pointing out that his Very Funny Ads site that I mentioned the other day is up for a Best Flash Sites award.. I was all set to vote for his site when I noticed that Thrillville was also nominated.. so I gotta keep things close to home and urge you all to Vote For Thrillville. Though I'd venture to say all the nominated sites are top notch.

02:09 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Invisible Associates
» A new site has launched for the portfolio of Invisible Associates and boy is it a doozy. The site itself is clean, simple, and no frills but the work is engaging, dynamic, and on point. There is most certainly a certain style and feel throughout all the work but that's not to say it's monotonous, far from it. Loads of great textures, type design, and illustration. Oh, and that Matt McGee logo is just too ingenius.

02:05 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Creative Advertising
» This gallery of Creative advertising that makes you look twice is filled w