Jamie pointed out this Type Guide yesterday and, while most of the insight is likely information you are already well aware of, it serves as a competent refresher course. It's also pretty nice to look at, so that's an overall bonus.

Jed pointed out this Zed Shaw programming book, Learn Python The Hard Way, and I'm somewhat tempted to dive in. I keep hearing a lot of rumblings that PHP is on the way out and I'd hate to be made obsolete because I refused to learn another language. That being said, I'm torn between Python and Node JS; which I hear is a pretty phenomenal road to travel down.

My talented friend Zea Barker recently launched her portfolio and I suggest you go take a look. She's responsible for the greatest Moustache May shirt, as well as the phenomenal Gene Wilder: Stop The Remakes tee. She's also done plenty of other goods but those are excellent places to start. She's on the lookout for illustration work.. so if you're in need, hit her up! If not, just enjoy some awesome scene painting.

Never Let Go is the latest from Makeup and Vanity Set. The beautiful artwork was created by Version Industries (more on that here) and couldn't fit the contents of the record better. It's got a perfectly dark tone throughout - a great companion for all your night mischief. You can stream the entire thing here, procure it digitally or on cassette here.

Luke Worley just put up a new tee in his shop featuring his incredible logo for his Custom Tattoo work. They're printed on Allstyle Apparel and only $15. I suggest getting one while the gettings good.

I guess the big news yesterday was that Facebook launched their new Messenger app - spawned from the acquisition of Beluga it enables you to communicate with groups of people, map your location / photos and keep conversations going from the web to your phone. From what I've seen of the screenshots and walkthroughs, it's pretty slick. That being said, I can't help but think I'm going to get left behind in the technology realm because I don't want to embrace Facebook as my central hub of communication. I don't even have anything against Facebook, they're good at what they do! I just like the way I currently communicate and see no reason to attempt to "upgrade" that.

I feel like using this would just open you up to be contacted by the loads of people connected to your Facebook account that you don't really want to hear from, ever. Am I way off base? What's the advantage here?

If you have not had the opportunity to see the documentary Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)? - now is your chance, as it is showing for free online. Yes, it is also on Netflix but I understand that not everyone has said service and may still need to see such a great documentary about an incredibly talented and interesting guy.

I'm a big fan of Instagram - I think that has been well established - and have mentioned Statigram before but it just came to my attention recently that they upgraded their site to include Viewer functionality as well. Up to this point I've been using Inkstagram for my web viewing needs... it may be time to make the switch.

I've been fascinated with the thoughts and theories of Ray Kurzweil for some time but wasn't aware that there was a documentary - Transcendent Man - about his insights. The film takes a much different approach than this film - in that it focuses on Kurzweil himself, rather than presenting some bizarro pseudo-narrator character. The film is on Netflix and I'm certainly going to make a note to remember to watch it.

What intrigues me the most about Kurzweil's ideas isn't so much that he thinks we'll live forever (it sounds nuts but, in context, it honestly makes sense) but that people seem to be so offended by it. Words like "gospel" and "prophet" are often used when talking about his speculations but I see it as no different than any other scientist predicting the integration of technology into our personal lives. Maybe this film will show that it's not really being presented that way but it seems much less about religion / God and entirely about the inevitability of Moore'sLaw taken to the next level.

The Charles Weever Cushman photography collection documents the mans life and travels from the late 1930's to the late 60's. He traveled through the lower 48 states and to fourteen different countries. His entire photography collection was given to Indiana University, his alma mater, after his death in 1972 but the wealth of images wasn't discovered until 1999.

It's a remarkable story that only gets better once you start looking at the phenomenal images. It's a lot to take in so you may want to put it in context before diving in.

via Kate.

I haven't spent a lot of time playing games (on my desktop) lately but having encountered the Humble Bundle I can imagine that changing very soon. There's only 7 hours left in the sale but you get seven games for whatever price you feel like paying - and you get seven additional bonus games. That's insanity. I wonder what the overlap in developers with Indie Game: The Movie is? Regardless, it's a community well worth supporting and this is a helluva deal.

Photographer Hedi Slimane recently posted a photo set featuring none other than Frances Bean Cobain - daughter of Kurt and Courtney. It's nuts to think that she is almost 20 years old now - time really does fly by.

via Ronnie.

I just recently became aware of the NY Times project, beta620. For a quick overview of what's going on there check out this article in which it becomes clear that it's basically Google Labs for NY Times users. Honestly, it kind of blows my mind that an organization known for journalism has such an established, and experimental, department dedicated to technological innovation. I don't even read the NY Times that often but I'm actually more prone to spend time with them knowing how active their development is.

Daniel and I have discussed recently how astonishing it is that, as a user, you're so much more likely to click a button that is labeled "Like" or "Love" more-so than you are "Favorite." While I'm not aware of any empirical evidence lending itself to back this up I can attest to my own personal experience that I give out "Likes" on Tumblr willy-nilly and I'm incredibly thoughtful about giving out "Favorites" on Flickr but they do the same thing!

Has anyone else experienced this phenomena? Am I alone in thinking that the wording of your button makes a huge difference in user participation?

The last edition of the We Own This Town podcast was a pretty huge success in terms of local enjoyment so I have been hesitant to put together another mix of music because I know it won't reach the same level of appreciation. Yes, it's a lame reason to not keep pushing forward but if you keep putting your time / effort into something you really enjoy you want it to be appreciated to some degree, right?

Anyway, it has been almost two months since the last release and that's just downright shameful. So, I put together a quick compilation of local Nashville area music that's been calling my name lately and, viola, Volume 46.

Don't let that cover art scare you, there's a nice wide range of pleasant indie, pop, electronic and post-rock intermingled with the hard-rocking Tetsuo track.

I've posted about NFC (Near Field Technology) before but this infographic breaks it down into an easy-to-consume bit of visual goodness. The concept is easy enough to understand but it's interesting to see the major players in the game and where they excel and fail in certain departments. I can only imagine this subject will become more and more prevalent in our daily lives in the next three years; might as well get familiar with it now.

via Scott.

The Atlantic is running a great 20-part series on World War II in Photos. The latest part, The American Home Front in Color is a collection of Kodachrome color images courtesy of Alfred Palmer and Howard Hollem - via the Office of War Information. Granted, most of the images are posed shots but "the subjects were the real thing." It's mesmerizing how much they look like stills from a movie.. despite being from actual real life.

via Subtle Gusto.

Over the weekend I decided to take it upon myself to figure out how to hook the iPad(1) up to a TV set. After snagging one of these I was halfway there. Apps like iPod and Netflix automatically output via the cord when its plugged in but anything procured by other means than the iTunes Store (or `improperly` encoded videos) have no place. I am fortunate enough to have procured VLC for the iPad before it was taken out of the App Store but it doesn't do video out.

So, after a little searching and reviewing it became clear that AV Player HD was the way to go. It outputs all formats via the component cable - with AC3 audio support - and even lets you wirelessly transfer new files to the iPad without plugging into your main machine. All and all, well worth the $3. The interface does a good job of teetering between `pretty nerdy` and `very easy` - just the right level of understanding when dealing with this sort of situation.

While I don't think it's an issue many will run into, now you have a decent starting ground if you're looking to do the same thing.

This weekend I sat down and watched the entirety of the first season of BBC2's Whites - a comedy about the mishaps that occur in the kitchen of a country house hotel. The setup is pretty simplistic but I was drawn to it because the head chef, Roland White, is played by Alan Davies; who I was only previously familiar with through his work on QI. The rest of the cast includes familiar faces such as Katherine Parkinson (Jen from IT Crowd), Isy Suttie (Dobby from Peep Show), Matt King (Superhans from Peep Show), Stephen Wight, Darren Boyd and a slew of little cameos from various other comedies. In other words, the cast is strong, the concept is simple enough not to get in the way of the jokes and I was entertained enough with it to watch all six episodes in one sitting.

Oh, and I believe it's even on Hulu, so you don't even have to go rummaging about for a torrent.

This weeks playlist has one of my new favorite things ever.. I think it will for you too.

• Mariachi Band Serenades Beluga Whale - if you asked me to name something outlandish that I'd love to see on the Internet this is not a combination my brain would ever conjure up. Fortunately, it exists regardless of that and is entirely perfect. The whale, Juno, appears to be legitimately amused. It's so good. Total PEVZ.
• AutoTune The Pre-Race Prayer - you saw the original last week and now the Gregory Brothers have had their way with it. It's not much at first but it builds into a catchy number, as usual.
• Cat Gone - wait for it.... wait for it....
• Banned 90s Lunchablez Commercial - Lots of NSFW language / imagery but, on the whole, the aggressive and over sexualized nature of a Lunchablez commercial is too ridiculous to deny. Just when you think the joke has run its course, they bring in some new goodness to keep you engaged.
• Gun Report FAIL - perfect.
• What Turns Teens Off? - just another slightly-retro awkward weekend dance party clip.

BONUS

• I'm A Stupid Cat - some NSFW language but probably the best insight into the mentality of a cat you'll encounter.
• MOVE - "3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films....." - see also: Learn and Eat (though "Move" is the best one, imo)

Have a great weekend!