Sometime today Reinvigorate will relaunch as a fully fledged, non-beta, service for all to use. It's been my Go To tracking service for years now and it's hard to imagine that it's actually graduating to the next level. I'm not entirely keen on having to pay for tracking now that it is emerging from beta but the service is easy to use and, most importantly, makes the stats easy to understand. While Google Analytics is extremely robust and great to use.. I find the data consumption incredibly baffling most of the time. Keep an eye on the main Reinvigorate page.. as open registrations should be available today.

Whenever I am in San Francisco I inevitably end up getting exposed to new computer setups that I never would have thought of on my own. Typically this stems from some undertaking Arlo has his computer that I'm curious to try out. This time around is no different. I recently installed Tinker Tool to fine tune some of my system preferences. The software doesn't alter anything that isn't already available to change via Terminal commands, it just gives it a nice GUI to make it happen. I'm currently taking advantage of this by nesting my dock in the upper right of my desktop - giving me more vertical space on the whole... that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Ah, thank you Single Serving Tumblr World for Pete Campbell's Bitch Face - a growing repository of images showcasing Mad Men's resident overly smug partner at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce.

via Paul.

You know the drill. Watch the playlist and read along my insightful poignant thoughts below for each video.

• In the Summer - disgusting on a number of levels but it's one of those things you just can't look away from. I love the girl screaming at the end.
• Best Dog Food Commercial - hands down, the best way to get someone to buy dog food. Via Public School.
• Hot Drinks - training video from Wendy's on how to handle and serve Hot Drinks. At the end of this video you will have zero questions but you will have a fantastic new song stuck in your head. Via Paul.
• Cold Drinks - same as before but for Cold Drinks. Stick with it or you'll miss the surprising treat before the Tea instructions. Soulful R&B voice? You better believe it.
• Levi's Trademark 1977 - Commercials are way less Out Of This World than they used to be. I say this as a positive thing.. as this Levi's commercial really puts me in a weird headspace. Via Madrid.
• Fire Tornado - not the most exciting footage but c'mon.. Fire Tornado.
• English Bulldog watching TV - this guy is just chillin... There is something oddly offputting / creepy about this clip.
• Cotopaxi Volcano Timelapse - nothing insane or amusing about this.. just super engaging and fascinating to watch.

BONUS

• John Hickenlooper - I know nothing of this guys politics but I'm 100% behind his mentality for campaign ads. His site and graphic identity is pretty nice too.
• Dani Rosenoer - Punching Keys - this was emailed in and is obviously a heavy handed bit of promotion for this guys EP but it totally worked.. as I enjoyed watching him smash up the piano.. which seemed to be in fine working order.
• 1922 Kodachrome Film Test - actual color film reels from the 1920's.. pretty remarkable to see such a thing.
• Tron-a-Sutra - I probably shouldn't even link this as it's rather NSFW but the production values and voiceover work is hilarious in so many ways it really should be enjoyed. So, if you're not a fan of sex - skip this one. If you have a good attitude about such things, please proceed.

Have a great weekend! If this somehow wasn't enough video content for you - spend some time with Zero Views and maybe you can discover the next great meme from the bottom of the YouTube barrel.

Now that the BP Oil Spill has moved on from being a high priority news item in our 24-hour news cycle it would seem that the clean up effort is well underway and will be done any time now. Right? Outta sight, outta mind! Not so much. The cleanup is going to take a long time - most likely years. So, in order to keep the ball rolling on support for this effort Abita Beer has launched a new brew called SOS: Save Our Shores in which .75 cents of each bottle sold will go towards Gulf relief. It's got a great site behind it, as well as a responsible goal:

The centerpiece of the fundraising effort is a new charitable beer created by Abita. The brew, called SOS – A Charitable Pilsner, will generate 75¢ for every bottle sold. This Abita Beer is a message in a bottle...a distress signal for the troubled waters of our Gulf Coast. For every bottle sold Abita will donate 75¢ to the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive this disastrous oil spill.

So, yea, next time you're out and about having a drink - keep an eye out for the Abita SOS and maybe do some good while having a cold drink.

via David.

I mentioned this briefly yesterday but I want to reiterate the high enjoyment levels I've been experiencing lately from Friend Weakend, the debut album from Nashville's own Action!. You can snag "Sandpiper" and "In the Basement" for free but, honestly, for just $6 on the digital download you'd be hard pressed to not just buy the whole thing.

It's one of those records that keeps growing every time I listen to it and seems to work as the perfect transition from Summer to Fall. Do yourself a weekend favor.. get it.

I have vague memories of seeing Peter Baker's work back in `02 but it seems that time has done nothing but improved his craftsmanship. His Flickr stream is pretty undeniable. It's got it all - humor, thoughtfulness, artiness, fog, portraiture and cityscapes - to touch on just a few of the styles. He also seems to travel a good bit as the photos are from a nice bit of variety of the Central / Northeastern region of the States.

Reminder via Kate.. of course!

I realize summer is on its way out but I'm just now seeing this Tennessee Summer Vacation site and I'm sort of enamored with the use of type and overall design. It's great! Whoever is doing the art direction at Design Sensory needs a hearty pat on the back.. they're doing a fine job.

This Craigslist post is too perfect. I've saved it here, in its entirety, for proper posterity.. who knows how long it will last.

I know you are old and grumpy and at this point nearly everything in your immediate surroundings irritates you constantly. You sit at home on the couch you've had for twenty years in the same spot watching your same old television that shows the same old rehashed news stories and mundane Larry King buffoonery. Your only joy in life is waiting for Friday night to call the police on your young neighbors for being too loud with their hip-hopping and light beers and fun time attitudes. The neighborhood just isn't the same anymore, is it? The bright colors and sharp edges of your once exciting life have all dulled. Your zest for girly magazines and waxing your Buick have long faded. Even your bi-weekly poker buddies have become irritating with their war stories and reminiscing on fifty year old fictional sexual conquests.

You need a change. A focus for your old, tired thoughts. An extra ray of sunshine for the sunset of your life. You need a KITTEN!

Take a minute to look at the picture below. Go ahead, drink it all in. Let those tiny, sad eyes melt your heart just a little. This kitten was found in a storm drain. A fucking storm drain! He had no chance of survival out there -- he was sure to die a sad, lonely death. You have the chance now to save his life. You have the chance now to save YOUR life. This kitten will love you forever, he will be your morning, noon and night, your every breath, your sun and moon. All he wants is the chance to make your crummy, sad life just a little better. Help him help you.

Let this kitten be your Anderson Cooper.

Via Kevin and Paige.

Has anyone given Magic Prefs a spin? I'm curious if the additional gestures on the Magic Mouse are actually beneficial or if they are like the Back / Forward gesture and just sort of happen at inopportune times causing confusion and browsing frustration. It's a great idea to take the device to a new level but there may be some limits to what is practical and what is best left to the keyboard. So, have you tried it?

It's been a minute since the last edition of the We Own This Town podcast but I finally found a moment to put it all together and get Volume 37 out into the wild. It is, as usual, a varietal mix of styles all brought to you by a slew of Nashville based bands. I like everything on here for some reason or another but I'm particularly digging the Tetsuo and Action! tracks.. I suggest you find some more from them in your spare time.

• 1. Tetsuo – "Banshee Mansion"
  These Crystals Don’t Burn
• 2. Super Bowl Rocket Ship – "Blood Control"
  EP single
• 3. Hanzelle – "I’m Sorry"
  EP
• 4. Tallest Trees – "All My Fears"
  The Ostrich or The Lark
• 5. Action! – "Remember This One"
  Friend Weakend
• 6. Cheap Time – "Proper Introductions"
  Cheap Time / Bad Sports Split
• 7. De Novo Dahl – "New Pop Song for Young Lovers"
  Family Tree Collection
• 8. Blue Cadet Three – "What It Takes"
  Palomino Wildfire
• 9. Umbrella Tree – "On Paranoia"
  To the Memory of a Once Great Man
• 10. Bravo Max – "Summer Legs"
  Summer Legs EP

Photographer Justine Cooper has a great large format photo series entitled Saved by Science in which she documents the unseen areas of the American Museum of Natural History. My only complaint? Twenty-One photos just simply isn't enough. View them all.

Via Courtney.

It's fairly safe to say that Them Thangs should be a regular read for anyone coming here.. so many inspirational and fascinating photos that it's almost ridiculous to even mention it (also, NSFW if you didn't already know). However, it is worth mentioning that there is now a print version of the site called The New Dark Age. This pretty much sums it up:

Expanding on the themes of his blog them-thangs.com, the zine showcases work from 13 artists and photographers including Erik Brunetti, William Eadon, Corey Smith, Mark Maggiori and Todd Tourso. Disguised as a tiny zine, the mag folds out into a massive 24″ x 33″ double sided poster filled with imagery that your mother surely would not approve of.

I'm intrigued by the idea of a print version of the site but not so keen on a giant fold out poster.

Via Demetre.

In case you missed it, Boxee released an upgrade yesterday that includes access to several movie libraries courtesy of a bunch of new partnerships they've forged.

I also had no idea that the Boxee Box was slated for a release this November. Just in time for the holidays.

Loving the site design and experience over at the freshly launched Ice Lab. You can tell a lot of time and care went into design every single page - something that often gets neglected beyond a front page experience. I love all the textures and illustrations used throughout.. certainly it is a level of design and execution worth aspiring to.

Via Drew.

Tokyo Blues pointed me in the direction of the works of Juergen Bergbauer and, initially, I was going to point you in the directon of the Jardin a la francaise series of works - landscapes isolated into floating zones. However, upon browsing through the different sets I have to say that you really should check out City of Sails - a set similar in execution, isolating imagery into barren landscapes, but focusing on old world architecture and ships. The white void where these structures reside is perfectly surreal.

Check out this great collection of photos from Albert Fernique documenting the Building of the Statue of Liberty. Seeing the elements separated is fascinating enough but getting insight into the construction process (see: Skeleton and Plaster Skin image) is pretty much blowing my mind. Love it.

Via Kate.

Surfstation / Dolan gave me the heads up on this NY Times feature - The Unplugged Challenge. The concept is exactly what you'd expect; can you disconnect yourself from technology for a number of days? Results are self documented and shared in this feature. The synopsis from every single video I've watched from this is pretty much the same - life is a bit better without the technology. Less stress, more time for family and friends, more time for personal growth and a fewer distractions from any personal endeavors you may have. Obviously a balance of non-technology and Internet living needs to be struck but it's great to see a feature where a people from a wide range of backgrounds all discover the same thing - technology can overwhelm.

This visual diary documenting Christoph Niemann's red eye trip from New York to Berlin is surprisingly entertaining. It's amazing what some drawing skill, some amusing observations and loads of time will yield.

Via Daniel.

I'm really enjoying the illustrated works of Christopher David Ryan. Lots of clever and amusing pieces throughout done with just the right amount of texture and cleanliness. There are plenty of pieces not to be missed but I'll let you discover them on your own.

Via Arlo.