September 28, 2007

MagLev?


So far, I've yet to ride on one, or even see one. So way to go Germany.

Seriously, how is that picture not the coolest looking thing ever? Maybe that's just the Star Trek fan in me, but why would you no want to ride on that?

So I remember that MagLev was the coolest thing ever when I was younger. It was (and still is) really fucking cool. If you don't already know, Wikipedia defines it as:

[quote]
"a form of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles (especially trains) using electromagnetic force"
[/quote]

I remember thinking that this was going to be the future of like, all transportation. I was a weird kid.

Via Engadget.

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September 26, 2007

Tiki

Apparently Tiki culture leads you to the Devil.


That makes total sense. I mean, I worship every piece of art I like.


I'm SO glad I got rid of my Hawaiian shirts years ago.

Via Boing Boing.

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Making Decisions

I've already used this. I'm notoriously bad at making up my mind.

Universal Decision Maker.

Via the Presurfer.

Its not actually this easy, folks.

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Way to go, Riker

And this is why you shouldn't sit on computers:


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September 20, 2007

Amen Brother

So there's a classic breakbeat that we all know whether we realize it or not. It has inundated popular music in such a way that we take it as natural, and don't think about where it came from. As with most of culture, we borrow so heavily from what we know of the past that we don't realize where it came from and what we're actually creating, vs what we're borrowing.

Amen brother is a classic example of this. As this fellow puts it, It has entered "the collective audio unconcious":



Its a bit long, clocking in around 18 minutes, but well worth a listen (there's not actually a lot going on visually in this video).

More about it on the Wikiedia article on Amen Brother.

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September 19, 2007

The Ten Most Polluted Places in the World

National Geographic has a photographic piece on what they're calling the 10 most polluted places. Some of it is staggeringly filthy looking. Its sad to see people among some of this.

Link.

Via Boing Boing.

Dance music!

So I just added Boing Boing to my RSS reader. I've read bits of it in the past, but never committed. And in the first 10 minutes, it turned up this gem:



Infectious dance music mashed up with footage of an old revival meeting? Seriously, how can you go wrong?

Its a band called Familjen and I think I found a new musical obsession.

Electro always reminds me of Shawn of the Dead.

Via Boing Boing.

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September 18, 2007

Walkable

How walkable is your house?

I don't remember where I found this, but its interesting. Especially considering that up until this summer I didn't own a car.

It looks like my house is considered to be pretty damn walkable - it scores a 72/100. Apparently that means that its "Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car." I'm actually kind of surprised by that, since most people in the area wouldn't think of my hosue as being very walkable. I'm the guy who doesn't mind walking 2 miles to work on nice days, so maybe that says something.

September 12, 2007

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL



More about Crystal Skulls here

and here:


via Geek Monthly

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California

So work sent me to the Society of Environmental Journalists conference at Stanford last week. I recorded some sessions (both audio and video), and generally it was pretty interesting.

Most of Stanford's north campus looks like this around this time of the year.



Northwest lost my luggage when we flew out, and it took a few days to get that sorted out. I had to go shopping and hit the laundromat.

The crosswalk sign was broken by our hotel in Palo Alto, so it was constantly giving us the horns. That, combined with the fact that there was an All Mac and a Fry's across the street were the only things that made the Super 8 where we stayed better than the Sheraton where everyone else was (we were overflow from the conference).

Stanford's tower was right across the street from one of the buildings we had sessions in.

The CalTrain station in Palo Alto. We rode this a lot.

My first experience with Thai beer. It was okay. And so was the Pad Thai.

The Golden Gate from above and to the west. An early stop on the whirlwind tour of the city some of my friends gave me.

GGP from BB (Baker Beach).

My feet met the Pacific for the first time on Baker Beach.

We found Yoda in the Presidio.

At the end of the night, we went up the Twin Peaks for a beautiful view of the city. I'm told its usually a lot foggier, but not Friday night.

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