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April 30, 2007
Moustache Theme Song
»

Saul of Mole Men - Moustache Ride

Granted the lyrics could be interpreted to be a little non-work safe but the power of the Members Only™ Jacket, the sunglasses, and that stache (fake or not) is undeniable.

Moustache May begins tomorrow.. I have much work left to do so the celebration may properly begin.

11:45 AM » [ Comments (10) ]

Worlds Longest Stache
»

This mans moustache is 12.5 feet long and has been untrimmed for over 22 years. It is safe to say that Badamsinh Juwansinh Gurjar has the longest moustache in the world (please note the first comment on that post).

11:39 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Moustached Movies
»

Looks like Jesse has started a new blog entitled Mustached Movies - right in time for you know what. Here are his rules for movie reviews:

1. The protagonist must have a mustache, if that's not possible, then there must be tons of mustaches to make up for it
2. It can't be a movie that everyone's already seen (i.e. Wyatt Earp)

I'm curious what gems he'll bring forth but I guess the only way to find out is to keep an eye on it.

11:34 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

April 27, 2007
Friday Videos - April 27th
»

Weng Weng Rap

Weng Weng Fight

Hip Hop Financing

Tighten up the graphics

Dariya Dil

Have a great weekend!

09:42 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

FlickrBlockrs
»

The execution of Flickr Blockrs is amusing based purely on the fact that they used the 'landscape' style double gradient in their type treatment. If the videos don't do anything for you (understandably) then check the gallery for actual examples.

09:35 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Dalek - Fuel.TV
»

I was reading this Dalek interview yesterday and it came to my attention that he created an animated short (actually, a bumper) for Fuel.tv. While I'm not personally a fan of the music choice running behind it I do find it interesting to see his space monkey character brought to life.

09:24 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Optical Illusion
» Chad said it best by saying that this optical illusion is nuts!

09:22 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Busy Busy Busy
» Sorry for the lack of posts recently people.. Work has been super busy and I've got a little project on the horizon that still needs some serious tending to.

09:21 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

April 26, 2007
Hey! Unite
»

Some great shirts are available for viewing at Hey! Unite. How you actually purchase a particular shirt I've no idea.. but it's nice to be able to browse through their catalog.

11:34 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Sales Tax Holiday
» Heads up Tennessee residents - this weekend is the 2007 Sales Tax Holiday. Basically this is a way for low income students to get a small break from the government and get some inexpensive school supplies but it also applies to you and your ability to buy a new pair of sneakers.

10:24 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

April 25, 2007
Owl Tees
»

Over the weekend I printed up some Owl shirts that I'm now offering for sale. I think it is important to note that they glow in the dark. Printed on Grass colored American Apparel shirts - I've got them in available in Men's Medium and Large only. Sorry, but limited runs force me to offer limited sizes.

Owl Tee - $12.00
Medium: SOLD OUT (sorry)

Thanks guys.. that was fast! I know next time to print more Mediums, a few Smalls, and about the same amount of Large. I've still got a few of the shirts lingering around but I'm not pleased enough with the print quality to charge full price. If anyone wants to barter treats for a slightly off printed Owl tee, feel free to let me know.

10:47 AM » [ Comments (19) ]

Thursday Music
»

Young Galaxy - Outside the City

QOTSA - Sick Sick Sick (sort of)

Has anyone heard the entire Young Galaxy record? I'm very curious based on the EP that they released and the goodness from that video...

I'm not too keen on the "Viral video" style of the QOTSA video but it does give a preview of another song from the forthcoming Era Vulgaris so it's worth checking out just the one time.

10:36 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

Spitzer Photography
»

Bradley Spitzer has updated his photography portfolio site - Spitzer Photography with a new design and a bunch of new photos. From a UI perspective I love how simple the site interaction is and how clean it presents every photo. From a photography perspective I tend to lean more toward his "Other" category but there are some undeniable gems in the other sections as well.

10:20 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

April 24, 2007
Spider Man 3 - Product Placement
»

Spiderman 3 Product Placement

Spiderman 3 turns to product placement in order to make up for budget losses. Possible NSFW images but really, let's admit it, this is absolutely perfect.

12:15 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Miss Shell
»

Recently I've been enjoying the Flickr photo stream of Miss Shell. Her paintings remind me of something I might see on Tiny Showcase. Explaining art is not my forte, it's just pleasing to view (particularly these pieces).

12:11 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

World's Strangest Vehicles
» The World's Strangest Vehicles - I'm not sure I'd call them strange but it's safe to say that humorous, clever, ridiculous or marbled can certainly all apply. Via Chad.

12:09 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Kickin it Old School
» Does anyone like Jamie Kennedy? I keep seeing ads for his new movie Kickin' It Old Skool and absolutely nothing about it looks even vaguely amusing. How does this happen? Why are people giving him money to make something so awful?

11:55 AM » [ Comments (6) ]

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
»

I hate to beat a dead horse but I can't seem to let go on the topic of the latest from LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver. I was more than pleased to give away an additional copy the other week (to Rocco, in case you were wondering) because this album feels like it could easily reach my top ten of the year. Oddly, I can remember a specific time when I couldn't stand the stylings of James Murphy's side DFA project - his nasal-y vocals, the production style, the seemingly fluff subject matter - but now I've come full circle and embraced just about all of those things. Sound of Silver seems to legitimize the outfit as a project capable of more than just dancefloor style anthems. This album feels more organic than the last and, lyrically, more personable. It is not neccasarily an album that will grab you immediately but with repeated listens, you will come to crave it.. at least in my opinion.

» LCD Soundsystem - Watch the Tapes

» LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great

11:46 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

April 23, 2007
Coda : One-Window Web Development
»

I've yet to even install it but Panic (makes of Transmit) have just released a new piece of software entitled Coda - an application aimed at coupling all your main web development needs into one program. A File manager, html/css editor, site previewer, terminal, FTP client and more all rolled into one. I'm skeptical that so many tasks can be handled effectively in one program but if anyone is able to pull it off - it's Panic. Looking forward to playing around with this one.

01:50 PM » [ Comments (7) ]

Coconut Records
»

Coconut Records

Any fan of pop culture trivia knows that Jason Schwartzman was once a member of Phantom Planet. What you may not have known was that he was quite likely the main reason for their 'California' sound that was soon shed once he left the group. My basis for this thinking lies in his new project, Coconut Records (yes, that's the band name) and the first single "West Coast." The Beach Boys-esque / saccharine sweet (yet forelorn) vocals are a nice intro to the band but judging from some of their other tracks it does carry a nice bit more variety throughout.

11:26 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Super Bad Movie
»

SuperBad

I'm not sure what to make of the trailer for Superbad. All the ingredients are in place for a hilarous romp - acting by Michael Cera, writing by Seth Rogen and a plot right in line with the best teensploitation films out there. Yet somehow I'm still on the fence... it seems too base, too easy. I had always hoped after Arrested Development that Michael Cera would continue being involved in 'intelligent' comedies, his dry humor is too perfect for the world of boob and fart jokes.

11:15 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Poul Nielsen Fitness Card
»

The business card for Poul Nielsen Personal Trainer is pretty clever..

11:07 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

InfoWars
»

Jamie brought over a copy of Alex Jones documentary 9/11: The Road to Tyranny and I must say, it was quite exhausting. So much information was presented in the 2hr+ runtime regarding the 9/11 tragedy that it became impossible to keep up with exactly how everything was connected. I commend him for trying to wrap all of his information into one collection but it would have been much better served as three seperate films, not one enormously long one. In the end, his theory regarding the World Trade Center, our government, and what goes on behind closed doors are fascinating. Even if you completely disagree with him in terms of what did or did not happen that day he does make some extremely valid points about the backgrounds of some of our most prominent politicians and the ties / influences they have. If you're a fan of even the vaguest conspiracy theories - I suggest checking out Info Wars - plausible and intriguing information without being too far "out there."

10:50 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Eagle vs Shark - Viewed
»

By some stroke of sheer luck I was able to catch a screening of Eagle vs. Shark this weekend at the Nashville Film Festival. Basically I'd been telling myself that this was going to be the New Zealand version of Napoleon Dynamite and I was prepared for some great one-liners and awkward physical comedy. Fortunately both were delivered. However, the innocence of that Jared Hess epic is missing here - the characters are afflicted, sad, and fighting some serious inner demons but don't ever really redeem themselves. Sure the Jarrod character seemingly comes around in the very end but you never see his epiphany, he just sort of vaguely changes.

Overall, completely and totally worth seeing but don't go in thinking it's going to be the laugh onslaught that the trailer may impress you with.

10:36 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

April 20, 2007
Friday Video Onslaught - April 20th
»

Accidental Puke

Moon Landing - NSFW

Junior Kickstart

Don't Stop - Lrg

Beer Pong Champ

Alec Baldwin Insanity NSFW

Scary Train

11:12 AM » [ Comments (6) ]

I am 8-Bit 2007
»

Matt Dangler - "Mario Envy"

The 2007 installment of the I Am 8-Bit galleries of work have started making their rounds on the web. Joystiq has a Gallery of the opening show featuring some great pieces or you can hit up the official gallery site and check all of the available work. Some of the imagery may be vaguely NSFW but it's mostly harmless. My favorites are probably the pieces by Jesse LeDoux, Brandi Milne, Jeremy Tinder, Carlos Ramos and well.. tons more. The pictured piece from Matt Dangler sort of grosses me out but in the best way... Kirby just looks disgusting!

10:50 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

Spider Man 4
» Screw all this hype about Spider-Man 3, let's look to the future and consider Spider-Man 4! Duncan has done just that and made a nice list of possible villians for the next movie after the current movie that still has yet to be released. There is no one I know more knowledgable / nerdy about comic book lore than Duncan (that's a compliment) so go read all about it and then give him a Digg.

10:35 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Umbrella Sale
»

Being the t-shirt junkie that I am I was very pleased to see that Umbrella Market has a ton of stuff on sale. Loads of shirts by the likes of Jeremy Fish, Delphi and Darkroom - among others.

10:30 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

April 19, 2007
Music Tidbits
» Two music related tidbits for you:
Year Zero has a secret - the new Nine Inch Nails CD was produced with a special thermal layer that disappears when heated inside of a CD player (aka - playing the disc) revealing a bit of binary code. It's all part of the overall concept of the record but the actual implementation of a thermal reacting CD as part of the packaging is brilliant and, as far as I know, quite original. Stereogum compares the effect to Hypercolor - which isn't too far off.

Queens of the Stone Age have posted the track "3's & 7's" from their forthcoming Era Vulgaris album onto their website. I didn't love it at first but find myself enjoying it more each listen.. ~~now I just need to stumble across an mp3 of it.~~ Thanks to Paragone for the following:

» Queens of the Stone Age - 3's & 7's

12:09 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

openID
» OpenID is another emerging technology that I don't know near enough about but agree with the basic underlying concept. Overall, it's a login system in which you could establish a global ID for logging into sites and not have to establish a new account for every single site you are required to sign up for an account with.

11:48 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Yahoo Pipes
» I'll be honest and admit that I don't really comprehend much of what is going on with Yahoo Pipes but I know from the looks of this list that they can create some rather handy utilities. The best I've seen so far is Last.fm meets YouTube - where your recent tracks on last.fm are cross referenced with YouTube for videos of the bands you're looking for. It's not incredible exact (i.e. "Tokyo Police Club" returns videos of Tokyo Drift) but the concept is solid.

11:32 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

April 18, 2007
August 2007 Mix
»

I've posted a new mix for you to download and enjoy. I feel guilty not following up on Sax on the Beach: Volume II (Even Saxier) but these things take time and good things come to those who wait and a penny saved is a penny earned.

But I digress.. there is a new mix and it's filled with loads of great songs despite it's meager 15-song tracklisting. I apologize in advance for the audio quality of that Dans Le Sac song but it's all I could get.

I dare you not to play that Blitzen Trapper song on repeat.

04:02 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

Amazon Redefines "Indie"
» So when Amazon.com launches a new section called Go Indie and pairs up with over 30 indie labels to offer over 700 independent titles for a reduced price of $9.99 - are they really "indie" anymore? What are they independent from? Major labels have their fingers in just about every facet of the industry so I'm curious as to what the distinction is.

03:57 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

We Own This Town
»

Doug has been running a site called We Own This Town for some time. Basically, the site acts as a filter for all of the shows in the greater Nashville area and couples it with a quality podcast of Nashville / Murfreesboro bands. I've been posting shows there for a few months and decided the site needed a little bit of visual sprucing up.. Doug launched the new look last night and while it's certainly not going to win any design awards - it's alot cleaner and easier to find information. So, if you live in the Nashville area - Enjoy!

12:16 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Maakies Cartoon
»

The iconic Drinky Crow character from Tony Millionaire has always caught my eye whenever I've seen it throughout the years. I've never been a regular reader of the comic and know next to nothing about any of the characters involved. However, all that may change now that Cartoon Network has developed a show for Adult Swim. You can watch the intro here and a clip from the show here. I love the animation style and character design but I'm still a little tentative on everything else.

Via Falfa

11:22 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

MySpace no longer your space
» I could go on and on with various reasons why this article doesn't really cover but 1% of the whole picture but the main outcome is the same - MySpace.com is out. I'm sure you already knew but the fact is, the backlash is starting to hit the mainstream.

11:00 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Bloody Pillows (not Dirty)
» The Blood Puddle Pillows from Keetra are fantastic. Nothing like mixing a bit of gore with a bit relaxation.

And if that weren't enough, check out the rest of the portfolio - just about every single thing is great. I know I've seen / posted about this before but there is so much new stuff to view it's like being there for the first time.

Via Chad.

10:53 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Make the Logo Bigger!
» Make The Logo Bigger! This song was making its rounds yesterday but if you're a designer type of any sort - its relevancy will last for all time.

10:48 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

McFly 2015
»

Obviously the Back to the Future II shoes that I posted about yesterday were too good to be true but there is, of course, an online movement to show support for having the shoes manufactured - so hit up mcfly2015.com if you're one of the brave few that would wear that sneaker on a regular basis.

10:45 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Hype Machine Radio
»

Everyone's favorite MP3 Aggregator, The Hype Machine, has now launched a streaming radio station - Hype Radio. I've yet to tune in but from the looks of the playlist I'd be hard pressed not to enjoy it. Hopefully the server will stop hiccuping and all can enjoy this great new resource.

10:33 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

April 17, 2007
Inspired vs Thievery
» Ryan pointed out two fantastic sites yesterday regarding artistic 'inspiration' and plain ole thievery... I suggest spending time with them:

Urban Counterfeiters - a blog dedicated to exposing the constantly ongoing ritual of Urban Outfitters ganking designs from artists, watering them down, and releasing them as their own creations.

You Thought We Wouldn't Notice - another great blog about artistic theft - this time focusing on the advertising world at large.

Bonus: OBEY Giant Will Rip You - several examples of how OBEY Giant has shamelessly lifted designs and made them his own - example. Honestly I think ripping off his contemporaries is a true shame but expanding upon a classic image may be acceptable in some cases. Your thoughts?

10:48 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

McFly!!
»

Apparently Nike has worked up a prototype of the shoes worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II and may be considering them for mass production. The idea that a movie would fictionalize the future and, consequently, help to create it as a reality is a concept that blows my mind. My only caveat for these shoes would be that the auto-tightening laces be intact.. it's a waste of everyone's time if that top strap is just velcro.

PS - the shoes don't actually look good to me but I love the notion that they may actually be made. Also, I whole heartedly recognize that this may be a well done hoax but willingly choose not to believe it. Via Jamie.

10:35 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

Automated Torrent Downloads
» The idea behind the application TVShows (or the PC version: Ted) is quite appealing - automatically download episodes of your favorite shows through the automation of RSS feeds. Does the application rely on one torrent site to obtain all of its data? What happens if that one site goes down?

On a related note - TV Links just came to my attention and I must say.. I'm quite blown away. That's a lot of streaming TV shows..

10:21 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

April 16, 2007
The Landlord
»

The Landlord - NSFW Language

Will Ferrel and Adam McKay in an Internet short entitled The Landlord. The language might be too much for you to blast over your loudspeakers at work but given the source it might be okay.

12:20 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Paloozahead
»

I am formally requesting that everyone go make their own PaloozaHead and post the link to it here. I've already taken the plunge and made my own - and yes, that is a keytar.

12:12 PM » [ Comments (22) ]

Miniature Mouse
»

Jeremy clued me in to the works of Miniature Mouse and I constantly find myself stumbling upon some new and great work each time I browse through the illustrated galleries. The sketch book style combined with an air of whimsy (whistling a Manatee?) creates a surreal feel.

12:05 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Inspiration or Thievery?
» What is the call on this painting? Heavily influenced by Ninjacruise or straight up stealing his style (albeit in a watered down fashion)? More examples here.

11:47 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Nashville Heads Up
» Heads up Nashville residents: Mercy Lounge has announced that both The Rapture and Man Man will be playing on seperate nights during the month of May. I consider this further celebration for the Moustache May wrap party.

11:42 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Incredible Hulk - Ed Norton?
»

With the news that that Edward Norton is the new Bruce Banner I have to wonder - why is anyone bothering with an Incredible Hulk franchise? I mean, is The Hulk really that compelling of a character? A guy gets anger, turns green, and smashes stuff. Is there any possible way that you can portray the feeble mind of angered Hulk and not have it sound / look ridiculous? No matter who your high profile actor is (and, trust me, I like Edward Norton) there is just no way to have someone express "Hulk Smash!" without it being laughable. I will likely end up filing this one alongside the Daredevil, Punisher, Elektra and that other Hulk movie as possible wastes of time.. but maybe the combo of Edward Norton and any director that is NOT Ang Lee will make it bearable (or so bad it's amazing).

11:31 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Webby Nomination
»

KNI has been nominated for a Webby Award for the design / execution of the Thrillville game site. You can view the ballot entry here but you'll have to register to actually vote.

What I don't understand is what incurs a nomination? Looking at the other Game-Related nominees I can't determine if a site is nominated for design, content, or both? It must be an either/or situation because a site like Gamasutra or Gamespot don't seem to hold up (in terms of design) in comparison to the other nominees. I suppose with that in mind it should be no surprise that Gamespot is currently in the lead. However, I'd still like to see Thrillville hold its own - so get over there and vote for us!

11:08 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

blather returns with a handy tip
»

It appears that Blather has returned with a new version of the site and some insightful information about making the switch from XP to OS X. I'm glad to see that Mike is back on the web to some degree - so go digg his article and say hello to him.

10:52 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

April 13, 2007
Friday Videos - April 13th
»

Yo Yo World Champion via Travis

Glutes

Crane Swim

Car Jump - Lrg

A Perfect Circle

12:15 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

SCIENCE!
» Leaping Shampoo - aka The Kaye Effect

Leaping Ants - a powerful snapping of their jaws sends them flying.

Rat Tickling - apparently they laugh.

Flamboyant Cuttlefish - the camoflauge on this little guy will blow your mind (20 seconds in).

12:05 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

LAST.fm
»

Last.FM Developers Interview

I've been an admirer of Last.FM for quite some time and it's really great to read (or watch) this interview with the two main developers, Matt Ogle and Anil Bawa Cavia, and hear them discuss their take on approaching a project of such scale, how they've kept up with the sites popularity, privacy issues, listening to their users and lots of other aspects of the site.

11:42 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Midlake Remixes for you
»

If you aren't one to scour the web in search of oddities from your favorite band, I understand, but sometimes you're missing out on some quality b-sides and remixes. Such is the case with Midlake, who have apparently allowed download.com to serve up three remixes from Van Occupanther for free. I suggest grabbing them all.

» Midlake - Young Bride (Roger O'Donnel Remix)

» Midlake - Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Remix)

» Midlake - Young Bride (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix)

11:34 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Strangest Videos Ever
» The Strangest Music Videos Of All Time - it is no surprise that Aphex Twin tops the list with "Rubber Johnny" and "Windowlicker" - rightfully so, those videos are weird and sometimes unsettling - but is the OK Go video for "Here It Goes Again" really all that strange? Certainly not more-so than The Avalanches "Frontier Psychiatrist" or even Leonard Nimoys "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins."

Overall a great list of videos to check out but with some seriously questionable entries in terms of legitimate strangeness. What was left off the list (or ranked way far down) that isn't getting proper recognition?

11:17 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

Genitempo Photostream
»

Great photography photostream from Matthew Genitempo featuring a plethora of polaroid, holga, and various other great cameras. I love the sparseness / starkness involved in so many of the shots.

11:13 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Chicago to London
» Google Maps: Chicago, IL to London, UK - pay close attention to step 20.

11:01 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Kelly D Williams
»

I've been enjoying the variety of works available in the Kelly D. Williams photostream for a little while now and it keeps getting better. The official site has a ton of great stuff as well.. I particularly enjoy some of the photo series but realize the art prints are where the serious goods are to be found.

10:22 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

It's Time
»

Someone please Name That Typeface. I must recreate that t-shirt in my freetime. Via Drongo Drongo.

10:16 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

April 12, 2007
RIP Vonnegut
»

I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredibly unfortunate passing of one of my favorite authors - Kurt Vonnegut. His career as a writer (and designer / artist) has always been fascinating and admirable to me. Without gushing too much I will just say that I am saddened by the news that he has passed. Slaughterhouse-Five is a great place to start if you're unfamiliar with his work.

10:34 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

April 11, 2007
Making Make Out With Violence
»

Making Make-Out With Violence - MySpace page

A group of local filmmakers has been working on a full-length film entitled Make-Out with Violence for a number of years now and just recently put together a nice 'behind the scenes' featurette on what was going on with their endeavour. I am excited to see the film but it's going to have to be finished before that actually happens...

So far all I can attest to in regards to the film is the bits and pieces of the original soundtrack that I've been fortunate enough to hear (courtesy of The Non Commissioned Officers or some variant of that name). I've included these songs on previous mixes before but I suggest nabbing them now if you've managed to miss out on them before now...

» The Non Commissioned Officers - Ellie

» The Non Commissioned Officers - Sweet Ellanor

11:46 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Bwana Spoons
»

Monsieur T has posted a new interview with Portland artist Bwana Spoons. He has a ton of artwork to check out and is responsible for one of my favorite Monsieur T pieces.

11:35 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Multiple IE
»

Has anyone had any luck installing Multiple versions of IE for proper website testing? I was able to upgrade my IE 6 to the new IE 7 and install a working standalone version of IE 6 (Thanks to this) but anytime I attempt to actually open a URL with IE 6, it just opens up in Firefox. Somehow the application is sending the URL request to a seperate program instead of handling it itself.. sort of frustrating.

Update: Turns out that this tutorial was the way to go for me. Instead of doing the official upgrade to IE 7 I kept my original IE 6 and am running a stand alone version of 7. It's a bit of a hack but I'm really just interested in seeing how the browser renders pages, not in actually using it as a legit piece of software.

11:19 AM » [ Comments (18) ]

Microsoft is dead - they claim
» An article entitled Microsoft is Dead may seemingly boast some outrageous claims but the four points made that sealed the deal on the downward spiral of Redmonds favorite son are pretty legit. Only time will tell how much of a contender Microsoft will remain as more online application technology emerges but their threat level to the software industry is certainly fading.

11:13 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

No one belongs here more than you
»

If you've heard of Miranda July it's likely due to her film Me And You And Everyone We Know - but it turns out she dabbles in a whole lot more than the indie film world. Aside from being a performance artist, director, and screenplayer writer she is also a traditional author. Her newest book is entitled No one belongs here more than you and is, apparently, a collection of short stories.

As simple as it is engaging the website promoting the book was put together by July herself by writing atop various kitchen appliances. via travis.

11:02 AM » [ Comments (12) ]

Firebug
» Yesterday I was informed that if you are a Firefox user (and you should be) and you aren't running both the Web Developers Toolkit and Firebug - you're not harnessing the power of Firefox to its utmost ability. I was unaware of Firebug until yesterday and I can see it being a very promising add-on for a developer.

10:54 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

April 10, 2007
yewknee.contest?
»

Alright, here's the deal. I've got two CD's to give away. The latest from LCD Soundsystem and Apostle of Hustle. I've never really run a "contest" here before and I don't plan on making it a regular thing but these albums are easily in my top ten for the year and I just so happen to have extra copies. So, without any sort of fancy competitive edge to it - just post in the comments if you want it and I will pick someone at random at the end of the week. Although, if you post something ridiculously clever and/or amusing you'll probably be more likely to get it.

» LCD Soundsystem - Watch the Tapes

» Apostle of Hustle - Haul Away

11:22 AM » [ Comments (34) ]

RATATAT Roundup
»

I was very pleased that RATATAT played Nashville last night. I was shocked that the show wasn't sold out and packed to the gills (I mean, Cold War Kids are more popular than RATATAT? What's going on Nashville?) but there certainly wasn't any lack of crowd on the whole. The light show and live versions of tons of great stuff from the self titled record and Classics made it everything I could have wanted. I highly suggest seeing them if you get the chance.

I was also able to pick up Remixes Vol II from the merch table. If you are not aware of the fact that RATATAT puts out remix compilations you should check out the following two tracks.. interesting takes on RATATAT style music with hip-hop vocals.

» Z-Ro, Devin the Dude, Juvenile - The Mule (RATATAT Remix)

» Notorious BIG - Party and Bull$h1+ (RATATAT Remix)

11:06 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Cross Platform annoyances
» Computer tip: Turn off Thumbs.db and .DS_Store - aka keeping your file structure clean between operating platforms. It's a simple heads up but a handy tip none the less.

08:47 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Apple TV Hack
» Hackers Dissect Apple TV to Create the Cheapest Mac Ever - I knew it was only a matter of time until I read a headline similar to this one and it is great news to my ears. Once all the bugs are worked out in properly installing OS X on an Apple TV unit I will be the first in line to snag one. The idea of having a set top box that plays movies exclusively from iTunes is completely unappealing.. but the idea of a $300 Mac sitting next to my TV with the ability to play any video regardless of the codec used is incredibly tempting.

08:45 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

Movie Sequels
» Movie sequels are a tricky thing. Most of the time they are made at the insistence of some Hollywood studio in order to make a buck. Granted, movie making is the business of entertainment but a bad sequel can seriously taint a good movie. Case and point:

28 Weeks Later - the sequel to 28 Days Later. None of the original cast seems to have come back and the plot seems to revolve around the fact that whatever success was made in the first film was all for naught. This certainly did not need to be made.

Live Free or Die Hard - aka Die Hard 4. From the looks of the trailer it seems that this movie did need to be made.. as it may very well be another quality installment in the Die Hard series. Though I will say it is bothersome that Kevin Smith is credited as "The Warlock" in the film. What does that even mean?

08:42 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

April 09, 2007
Acceptable.tv / Scary Pelican
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Acceptable.TV

Pelican - via Paige

Acceptable.TV is doing a pretty fantastic job of keeping some fresh comedy coming your way. I don't watch it when it airs on TV but watching them online is just as good. I also suggest Yo Murder He Rapped.

That Pelican clip should haunt your dreams.

10:53 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

eBay insanity
» A friend of mine clued me in to a very bizarre phenomena the other day. Apparently there are some "completionists" out there that are willing to pay extreme top dollar for compact discs of their favorite bands limited run releases. For example, someone paid $455 dollars for this Rilo Kiley CD. A rarity? Indeed. Worth $455? Apparently that's debatable but I can't think of a single rationalization that would allow me to spend that much on any band, no matter how much I loved them.

Here is another example - $550 dollars spent on a "classic" G-Slimm from Big Boy Records released in 1994. Aside from the fact that I have absolutely no idea who G-Slimm is, I am absolutely blown away that someone would spent $550 on a 14-track CD. Absolute pure insanity.

10:47 AM » [ Comments (5) ]

Freegums - Store Now Open
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Freegums has opened up an official store featuring a ton of great shirts. The "Freegums Claw" could not be denied for my ever growing t-shirt collection. The Reversible tee's are great as well. If you've not spent any time with Freegums I suggest reading through the blog and checking out all the available artworks.. it's always a nice balance of illustrated styles.

10:42 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Status Report
» In an attempt to catch up on many projects that I'm mired in I will likely be posting less here to the site and spending more time working on them. This is unfortunate but I just thought I'd give you all the heads up. Moustache May needs some quality time to make it great this year. Any suggestions you have for the site, please let me know.

10:33 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

April 06, 2007
Friday Videos - April 6th
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Worst CGI Ever

Cripplebot

I realize that the "Worst CGI Ever" is, in fact, not the worst ever but man if it isn't terrible.

Family Guy doesn't do much for me these days but that clip is pretty undeniable.

12:16 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Prickie
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Prickie strikes me as the Threadless of 1" button badges (aka pins). There is no voting to my knowledge but the more you sell, the higher ranked on the listings you become. The site has a great interface and I love the drag/drop shopping cart style. There's much to see but if you're strapped for time just hit up the top sellers for a taste of what's available. Via Spitzer.

12:03 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

HD Details
» Wired has a rather interesting article entitled The Close-Up that talks about some of the differences in television shows being broadcast in HD versus the typical non-HD production - focusing entirely on 30 Rock for examples. Basically, in traditional television you could have text in the background that was entirely comprised of dummy copy but now, with HD broadcasts, the little details can be paused and scoured through. I suppose it takes things to another level of realism that most people wouldn't even notice.

11:41 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Prison 2.0
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The image pictured here is in fact a new prison in Austria. The sleek overall design and extremely nice accomodations have me torn. On the one hand I'd say that prisons don't need to be better than 5-star hotels and should be a place to remind the residents of their wrongdoing, giving them a chance to reflect on how to improve. On the other hand, I see merit in giving people who have done wrong a place to given proper care and rehabilitation hopefully in an attempt to avoid future mishaps.

But regardless of that, it's certainly a swank place when you think about your standard stereotypical prison ideal - it's like IKEA Prison. Via Blankenship and dbox.

11:28 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

FYSD
» This image is amazing, ridiculous, inappropriate, and pretty NSFW. I can't thank Falfa enough for it.

11:18 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

My Maps
» Google Maps launched a great personalizing feature called "My Maps" that allows you to save locations, add custom markers, your own markup, etc.

10:58 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

alpha beta
» Yahoo launches Alpha (in beta mode) - a new search engine that has sidebar AJAX searches for WIkipedia, Flickr, and Youtube. Not a bad addition and certainly worth playing with for a few moments. Via Travis.

10:45 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

podlob rules you
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Travis just launched a sweet new music preview player to his site. Typically I wouldn't think this would be post worthy type news but the player is rather nice and iTunes-y in functionality. And he's got great taste in music, so no complaints there.

10:43 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

April 05, 2007
Value Pack - Robert Bolesta
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Robert Bolesta has a few choice projects I suggest checking out - Value Pack and Periodic Table of 2005 are my favorites.

11:50 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Vanderslicin Photos
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It is no secret that John Vanderslice is a talented photographer (apparently he makes some music as well?) but it's been awhile since I checked out his stuff. Jeremy gave me the heads up that there were a few new galleries and I'm glad I spent some time with them.. really gorgeous shots throughout.

11:40 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Children of Men - Long Takes
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Children of Men - Featurette

The above is a great little featurette found on the Children of Men DVD discussing how the super long takes were accomplished in the movie - mostly focusing on the car scene in the woods. The rig that they constructed is absolutely nuts and I'm glad that they were able to accomplish the effect without the aid of a green screen as the end result is 100x more effective. Reminds me that I need to see that movie again.. and again.. and again.

11:04 AM » [ Comments (7) ]

Some Movie 5 Seconds
» Watch your favorite movie In 5 Seconds thanks to That Guy With The Glasses. Granted, most of the videos are around 30 seconds but that's beside the point... I suggest you watch The Karate Kid In 5 Seconds, Batman in 5 Seconds, Kindergarten Cop in 5 Seconds, Princess Bride in 5 Seconds and The Big Lebowski in 5 Seconds just as a start. Thank you Big Screen Little Screen.

10:52 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

The TV Set
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It's unfortunate that The TV Set is only slated for limited release in the coming months because it looks rather good. The Jake Kasdan (Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks, forthcoming Walk Hard) penned movie tells the story of a writer struggling to maintain his sanity while creating a TV pilot. Basically it sounds like the real life experience of Judd Apatow and Paul Feig mashed together into film form.

10:31 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

April 04, 2007
Speak
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Cause

Effect

I gotta give it to KC for sending me a link to 'Speak' well over a month ago.. he was way ahead of the awkward foreign rap curve. And yes, I belive the video is entirely serious.. I don't know how that could be in question.

02:00 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Wednesday Videos
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Spinning Spare

Underground Bands

Double ball bowling will be a future extreme sport. Just wait for it.

The 'Underground Bands' clip is great.. especially at about the 1 minute mark.. my favorite joke.

11:30 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

Rescue the Album Cover
» I once heard a great anecdote from Dolan regarding the ever-shrinking canvas size for a music designer. It used to be 12" x 12" record sleeves, then it became 4.25" x 4.25" CD covers and now it's 500x500 pixels as the age of digital media does its best to take over. On that same note there are nowdesigners working to save the album cover, though not in the traditional sense. The article is a great bit of insight into some possible future digital alternatives for album packaging that isn't just a static jpeg image. Link via Jamie.

11:15 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Ryan Gentles - Manager
» Oyster Magazine has a great interview with The Strokes manager Ryan Gentles up for your consumption right here. His take on the music industry and managing a band is exactly what I'd hope to hear from a 20-something year old manager of an internationally known band.

10:57 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

I Snorted My Father
» Headline: Keith Richards: 'I Snorted My Father'

That basically says everything you could possibly need to know.

10:45 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Mac Pro 8-Core
» What can you say about the new Apple Mac Pro 8-Core? It's basically tech-porn.

10:21 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

April 03, 2007
Moustache May 2007 Approaches
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Just a heads up that Moustache May is right around the corner. Many people opt to grow out their beard during the month of April and shave it down to a glorious moustache on May 1st for the celebration of Unified Moustache Glory known as Moustac