• 15 Photoshop Tips (I Bet) You Don't Know - some good insight and a decent challenge just to see if you DO know them already. Via Daniel.
• The 10 Most Viral Videos of 2009 - many of which I had not seen.. guess they weren't that viral.
• Lake Fever Productions makes a scrappy stand - great article from the Nashville Scene regarding Lake Fever Productions, Lake Fever Sessions and surviving on Music Row when you're not an unwieldy beast of a company.

This photo essay on Abandoned Shopping Malls is pretty fascinating; particularly the images that show little wear and tear to the structures and just present giant, empty spaces. Something about this just seems far more creepy when you know it's been abandoned and not just closed for the evening.

A new video has surfaced of an octopus hiding under a coconut; further confirming my belief that the cephalopod family has intelligence well beyond the credit we typically credit to them. While it may not seem so smart to carry a coconut around when you are a sea dwelling beast I think you'll agree that the quick shelter angle of it is pretty clever at the very least. Watch it.

If you need some inspiration for last minute Christmas gift ideas I'd suggest browsing through the Grain Edit Christmas Lists feature that just recently went up. A number of designers / artists (Mark Weaver, Jim Datz, Gemma Corell, Frank Chimero, etc. etc. ) were asked what they wanted for Christmas and Grain Edit compiled them all together. Lots to see and tons of great ideas if you're in need.

I'm loving the enormous design style of Pictory Magazine. I mean, it's absolutely gigantic! It's refreshing to see a photography site really embrace large sizes for their images as that is the point - to showcase the images in all their glory. It is, admittedly, a bit overwhelming at certain points in the experience but that's okay. There's not a ton of content there yet but what is there is certainly worth browsing...

Via Jamie.

Old pal Jeremy Okai Davis has finally ditched his old Livejournal blog and opted for a more robust home on Tumblr. I've always been a fan of the art & music insight from Mr. Davis so I suggest adding the new blog to your bookmarks (or Following list) right away.

There's always a lot of speculation about what Google is up to, what their plans for the future are and if they'll actually be able to remain non-Evil. This Forbes article, When Google Runs Your Life, is much the same. There's a large chunk just about Eric Schmidt's history with the company I could do without but the insight into Google Apps, the development therein and the goals of where it's headed are endlessly interesting. There's also a bit about Google Flops - which are often my favorite bits to hear about.

Via Jed.

While I doubt this is new insight to a lot of readers here concerned with such things I did find this article on Rock Solid HTML Emails to be quite interesting. It's full of good advice and an interesting area of development; as HTML email support is way behind the times and doesn't appear to be getting much better. Then again, most tech sources say email is on the way out entirely; a notion I don't agree with in the slightest.

Nashville's Smallest Art Gallery put up a new show this weekend - courtesy of Dutch designer Louis Reith. The show, entitled Avalanche, features a series of prints done on book paper accompanied by a series of paper mountains made from maps. It's really quite a sight to see. If you're unable to make it down to the actual physical gallery, please browse his NSAG page to check out the whole show.. and then browse Mr. Reith's photostream for even more goodness.

Long time favored blog Kitsune Noir has launched the first editions of his new KN Poster Club. Each poster is designed by a different artist as an interpretation of one of their favorite books. The results are, on the whole, pretty much perfect. Works from Frank Chimero, Mark Weaver, Jez Burrows and Cody Hoyt rarely disappoint - their offerings in the poster club are nothing short of fantastic. You can pick them up here and they're available in a range of sizes. I think it's high time for me to snag some new art and this is the perfect excuse.

Kansas City Vahalla Studios recently redesigned and relaunched their site. They've got a number of silkscreen prints showcased in their portfolio but I'm really drawn to their packaging and wish there was more of it showcased!

There are loads of great posters for sale in their store and I suggest giving that a hefty browse once you've looked at the portfolio.. as the two don't seem to overlap in terms of content. Loads to see.

Lost in the Filth Simulacrum is a pondering on the power of 4chan and how that influence is spread throughout the Internet. I found it rather engaging albeit a bit of a downer once you consider the ramifications it brings to the table. This nailed it for me:

Yet what the media has failed to grasp is what 4chan can tell us about where we're headed. The Chans aren't the freak sideshow of the Internet. They are the heart and soul of the Internet. And they are the ones furthest ahead of the pack, leading us. At this point there should be little doubt that the Internet is mutating the human species into something completely different. Therefore it's instructive to look at the most extreme, freebased forms of the Internet to see where we're going -- and 4chan is that freebased version of mankind's new drug of choice.

I recommend reading it in its entirety, I think you'll find it just as compelling as I do.

Via WAXY.

The most terrifying part about the pictured creature is that it is actual video footage from the Gulf of Mexico. The creature, a Magnapinna squid, was found a mile and a half underwater and has elbowed arms. The green hue of the video certainly pushes the alien vibe but even in regular color they look pretty intense.

Via Chris.

A fairly healthy mix this week. Here's the playlist. Here's the breakdown:

• Alien vs Predator - roomies! Nice ad campaign in my opinion. But not as absurd as this bike.
• 25 Years of Oprah Screaming Celebrities Names - stick with it... it's an ebb and flow of amusing to annoying to amusing. A test of wills.
• Happy in Paraguay - probably one of the best overdubs I've seen in some time. Some NSFW language but worth it to see Picard say "Warp Me To Hallifax!" and it looks totally accurate. So many amazing quotes throughout.
• ESCP Human Experience - very impressive stop motion.. kept me watching from beginning to end.
• Fishing Bloopers - blooper reals are never not amusing but add in an extra inherently funny southern'er / redneck vibe and it's gold.
• Comedy Death-Ray - Do They Know It's Christmas? - to be honest.. not that funny. Really kind of a let down. However, there are a bunch of great comics involved and a few hilarious moments (particularly Rob Huebell's ice coffee moment.. dunno why but that got me).

Have a great weekend!

Kory announced the launch of Journey to Zero yesterday - a site sponsored by Nissan and Richard Wurman (TED founder) chronicling the belief that vehicles can be Zero Emission. While I am always hesitant to believe any site sponsored by a giant corporate beast like Nissan I must say that the site design is incredibly well done. Even if I doubt the sincerity of the content I find myself clicking around way more than a typical site because I love all the page layouts and interaction so much. Spend some time with this one.

I was quite pleased when Davis sent me this article revealing that there's yet another 8-Bit Mega Man coming out on Wii Ware. Typically I don't think I'd own up to being stoked about a MegaMan game in such a fashion but the last one was great and I suspect the new one will be much the same.

Running Whiskerino can feel a bit like High School Spirit Week at times trying to come up with creative themes that people can play off of for their photos each day. However, whenever "Album Cover Recreation" day comes up the creativity flows full force from the participants. It's really quite impressive. So, if you've ever wondered what the big deal about Whiskerino is about - please check out Album Cover Day and maybe it will finally click how it's a great bit of comradery mixed with creative photography.

The Young Monster store has added several new goods just in time for your holiday shopping. I'm even told that if you order one of the 2010 Calendars by December 15th you'll get a free Mystery Print thrown in. The Young Monster print style may not be for everybody but if you're into it, this is a prime time to pounce on getting a print or two!

This Power Outlet with USB Ports is among the nerdiest and most brilliant things I've encountered in awhile. I would love for a few plugs in my house to be enabled with this so. They aren't available until early 2010 but it seems like a no-brainer to procure one or two, right?

Stumbled upon this article yesterday regarding some mysterious lights caught in Norway. Like most things of this nature I assumed it was a Photoshop job - and a fairly obvious one at that. Upon browsing the article it struck me that there are multiple angles of the phenomena and even a handful of videos that go along with it. Do I think it's a hoax? Absolutely.* Do I think someone put a ton of work into it worth checking out? Yes, indeed.

Update: Apparently Russia claims responsibility for it. The lesson here is - if it looks like a crazy Photoshop job, it's probably a missle.

*Honestly there is a small part of me that would like to believe it's not a hoax at all and actually happened but that spiral just seems way too Photoshop Warp Tool for that to happen.