Take On Me: Literal Version - if you've not seen this already this week I'll be surprised but it's worth a watch if you haven't... well done and actually funny.
If you don't feel sufficiently weirded out by the Baby Wee Wee video might I suggest these Living Statue videos? NSFW but really just more weird than anything else.
Paul launched a new design / art endeavor entitled Web Without Words - showcasing sites in a wireframed breakdown, a decomposed design if you will. The results are more artful than purely technical - very nice. Hopefully this is a regularly updated feature with lots of examples.
Apparently Matt Mahaffey has released two new Self tracks to the Self-Centered message board. The tracks, marked as rough, are supposedly from a forthcoming album tentatively entitled Super Fake Nice. Whatever the future of the two tracks ends up being, full album or not, it's fantastic to see that new Self music is still being made and bestowed upon the fans.
So, if you're a fan of Self - head over to the here and grab the two tracks, "Monogamy" and "Orchid."
I'd be happy to repost / host these if I knew that was kosher, but until I hear that it's cool to do so you'll need to go snag the tracks from the source here.
It's not often, if ever, that I do this but today marks the birthday of Mr. Kurt Noble. He deserves special appreciation for all that he does, so I'm doing it here. Happy Birthday Kurt.
Wooster Collective has a nice breakdown of the latest Banksy art show in NYC. He's opened an entire "Pet Store" filled with his own animatronic musings - ranging from a rabbit trying on makeup to hot dogs living in a cage feeding on mustard. There is a quick video tour of the spot as well but I'm sure it doesn't do it justice. For those of you in NYC, please attend and report back.
Comments: The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill
I've been enjoying the photostream of Francois Coquerel, particularly the portraits. If you want a more selective portion of pics to browse through you should visit his official site - as there is less to look at but presented in a cleaner, bigger manner.
US Debt overpowers National Debt Clock - obviously whoever made the National Debt Clock didn't really believe in America and never thought we'd be able to achieve the dream of a $10 trillion debt. We did it. Take that clock maker!
Balloon Tracks - music made with balloons. Go and listen to "Surabaya" right now. Via Rachel.
Mad Men Typography - maybe not as accurate as you'd think. I love it when he cites examples of typefaces being used from the 90's - or Photoshop Outline effects being deployed. Via Kory.
With a full plate of activities (both work and personal) I will make the blog posts quick and dirty today. Such as:
Mail Goggles - google helps you prevent sending mail you may regret with their latest feature. Silly but probably all too handy for some people.
A Literal Maverick - history of the word "Maverick" and how it came about. Obviously words take on new meaning over time and through usage but it's an interesting read regardless.
NES Catridge Mod - yea, it's nostalgia taken to the extreme but the cartridge hard drive is a clever / nerdy project worth a smirk.
The Oxford Projet is a collection of photographs capturing the lives of every single resident of Oxford, Iowa - once in 1984, and again twenty years later. The photos themselves are nice but the stories that supplement them take it to another level. Quite the worthwhile project. Via Miss Bullock.
Here’s the deal - one out of every ten people living in the U.S. today is an alien. That’s 29.1 million people; equal to the entire population of New York & New Jersey combined...Because of this we decided to create Aliens Vote to see how this silent minority could sway the upcoming presidential election.
So, while the votes may not count, it's a fascinating way to give voice to a huge chunk of people that otherwise would go unheard. Add to that the design is absolutely fantastic (it's a Cuban Council endeavor, I would expect no less).
Even if you're a legal citizen of the US it's worth taking a peek at the site to check the statistics both on where people are originating from and, more importantly, how many votes have been cast. It's just getting started as a site so be sure to check on it with some regularity.
This past weekend I caught some, justified, flak for consuming far too much new music - most of which has to be mediocre. I agreed to a certain point. However, the latest from Department of Eagles, In Ear Park, is worth making special note of - as it is a record that I've been going back to over and over (and over) again. Today marks the actual release and I look forward to picking it up officially.
The band is comprised of college pals Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen (now best known for his work in Grizzly Bear). The first record is a bit of a mish mash of styles but certainly contains the beginnings of the vibe that Rossen brought to Grizzly Bear. In Ear Park is a more focused effort stylistically but every bit as enjoyable for it. Rossen's voice is the thing that does it for me but it works best because it's coupled with the ethereal tone of the recordings on the whole. My words can do it no justice... just listen and get the whole record, it's not something that should be attempted to be enjoyed in parts.
While I typically think that Twitter falls a bit on the insipid and self-involved side of the web 2.0 technologies it is undeniably good for one thing - generating stats. Well, to be more specific, this application is great for generating stats based off of public twitter user updates.
Spend some time with these Japanese Matchbook Labels. I imagine designing for such a small canvas is not an easy task but the results are quite impressive on the whole.
Can anyone explain what is going on with Crystal Head Vodka? Why is Dan Aykroyd giving a lecture about the power these questionable relics? The novelty of serving vodka from a clear skull container is alluring but, you gotta admit, bizarre.
Starting right now John McCain and his campaign needs to stop inciting people to call Obama a terrorist. I realize this is "political warfare" we are in right now but this is how The Crazies get it in their head that they need to act upon some 'truth' that doesn't exist. This is much less a political plea as it is one for human decency.
Jeremy Okai Davis is having an art sale, mainly comprised of the left over works from the Thirty art show - 31 paintings done in 31 days. There are some realgemsstillavailable if you act quickly. Oh, and he's selling them for a nice affordable $20. How can you resist?
After watching those tilt shift videoslast week it came to my attention that I should investigate the musical works of Chicha Libre - best described as some sort of Latin Psychedelic Surf Rock. It's been a welcome break from the standard indie / rock onslaught that I normally force upon my ears.
Yes We Carve is a repository for pumpkin stencils focusing on the political - specifically the Obama / Biden campaign. The Obama logo transitions into a pumpkin quite well so I can see why this came about. It's also equal fun for angry conservatives because they can always carve the logo and then smash it if that helps them vent. Visit Yes We Carve to get the goods.
Caught the new Bill Maher documentary Religulous this weekend and was honestly surprised by how effective Maher was with making his point. Typically he is too abrasive to be on point, putting the viewer off with his attitude and disdain for his subject (which certainly exists in this film) but he managed to wrangle it in for the majority of this one. The two most interesting aspects of the film are that 1) even if you aren't a religious extremists you are validating the extremists by participating at all - which is a bit of a stretch. 2) Mankind can not progress to the next step of a proper society without laying to rest the antiquated ways of religion and re-inventing those ideas for a more modern time. While the basic tenets are still valid, the little details are bringing the whole place down.
I don't think it's a life changing film that all people should see but I think if you consider yourself religious, put off by religion or just intrigued by religion it's worth a viewing. Even if you end up disagreeing with the entire thing you will at least be able to understand the viewpoint of someone outside the circle.
yewknee: yoo·ne: n. a. imaginary word with absolutely no literal meaning but an extremely nerdy etymology.
b. Personal website of Michael Eades. Web designer employed at KNI, misc screenprinter, Reverend Rainbow disciple, Silent Uproar staff and music consumer extraordinaire.
Currently: attempting to conquer inbox has become an increasingly daunting task. Where do all these messages come from!?
Previously:
Department of Eagles - 1997 (Live)
Self - Orchid (Rough)
Self - Monogamy (Rough)
makeup and vanity set - Due Arpeggitro...
The Protomen - Breaking Out (Demo)
The Protomen - No Easy Way Out
The Protomen - Father Of Death
Film School - Go Down Together
Film School - Florida
Comments: Friday Videos - Oct. 10th, 2008