| Memetic Rick Semi-regular ramblings from a Los Angeles transplant, science geek, and home-brewer all rolled into one guy. |
Current Terror Alert Level |
| Memetic Rick Semi-regular ramblings from a Los Angeles transplant, science geek, and home-brewer all rolled into one guy. |
Current Terror Alert Level |
Continuing with the middle finger extended at his (ex) record label, Trent Reznor has released an entire new album today for free download.
This is on top of placing the first single, Discipline, for free download one day after it started playing on radio (at least in L.A.) a few weeks ago.
Apparently a new family of Great Horned owls has nested in trees at the Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada. They did as any proper group with the right resources and a dedicated connection to the Internets would do: they set up a webcam.
No cute little baby owls yet, but Mom has been fully in view all day so far (at least the times I've checked).
(via the otherwise guilty-pleasure UK pop culture mailing list, Popbitch)
I has test results.
Let me show you them.
Sure, you deserve one. You helped popularized lolcats from a running gag to an online sensation. Now mainstream media writes asinine columns on this 'phenomenon', students write theses on the topic, programming languages adopt the grammar, and losers write tests about them on dating sites. Now take your cheezburger and never touch the internets again.
To see all possible results, checka dis.
| Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Someone in our extended UCLA network suggested we all go to the 10pm Thursday show of Snakes on a Plane. The Internet buzz has been inescapable, and we're Samuel L. Jackson fans, so we thought this was a great idea.
There were snakes. On a plane. The extra gore and boobies, added after blogs took this idea and ran with it, were worth it, I guess. The whole package did live up to the hype as an enjoyable throwback to B movies.
Most of that enjoyment was the crowd, though: snake toys thrown around, lots of hissing for dramatic effect. It is weird to hear a tag line from a film we all had never seen yelled at the screen in unison, even if it was born from the Internet and only added to the film in post production because rabid pre-fans demanded it.
Go see this over the weekend, but try and actually find the annoying crowds of audience hooligans for once...
Here's another collection of interesting drops from the internets that I've failed to pass along in this format over the last few weeks...
You might want to view this first (if you are not yet one with the badgers), but I just found a great update of the concept for World Cup. I hadn't realized before that the Weebl and Bob folks were the creators of the original!
For extra fun, simultaneously play both, since they just loop endlessly...
As Jen was kind enough to point out: Mike Patton has a new group/album coming out next week, and it's currently streaming in its entirety on that myspace thing that all the cool kids use these days (even me).
For those saying "who?", Patton is the soundscape genius behind the heyday of Faith No More, the insane clown allegory and Ode to California concept albums of Mr. Bungle, and the weird stuff of late as Fantômas.
Apparently, he's on Conan O'brien tonight (May 26). Hide the children!
I'm not usually one for these Internets memes either, but:
 | Rick took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Seeks the determination and elasticity of will nec..." Click here to read the rest of the results. |
Your Existing Situation
Avoids excessive effort and needs roots, security, and peaceful companionship. May be physically unwell, in need of gentle handling and considerate treatment.
Your Stress Sources
The situation is regarded as threatening or dangerous. Outraged by the thought that he will be unable to achieve his goals and distressed at the feeling of helplessness to remedy this. Over-extended and feels beset, possibly to the point of nervous prostration.
Your Restrained Characteristics
Clings to his belief that his hopes and ideas are realistic, but needs encouragement and reassurance. Applies very exacting standards to his choice of a partner and wants guarantees against loss or disappointment.
Willing to become emotionally involved as he feels rater isolated and alone. Egocentric and therefore quick to take offense, though he tries to avoid open conflict.
Feels that things stand in his way, that circumstances are forcing him to compromise and forgo some pleasures for the time being.
Your Desired Objective
Seeks the determination and elasticity of will necessary to establish himself and to make himself independent despite the difficulties of his situation. Wants to overcome opposition and achieve recognition.
Your Actual Problem
Depleted vitality has created an intolerance for any further stimulation, or demands on his resources. This sense of powerlessness, combined with frustration that he cannot control events, subjects him to agitation, irritation, and acute distress. He tries to escape these by stubborn insistence on his own point of view, but the general condition of helplessness renders this often unsuccessful. Is therefore very sensitive to criticism and quick to take offense.
Cell
What happens on the afternoon of October 1 came to be known as the Pulse, a signal sent though every operating cell phone that turns its user into something...well, something less than human. Savage, murderous, unthinking-and on a wanton rampage. Terrorist act? Cyber prank gone haywire? It really doesn't matter, not to the people who avoided the technological attack. What matters to them is surviving the aftermath.
(from Publisher marketing, but I love the story premise)
N.E. Tempo with Berk
Fridays on WESU, 88.1 Middletown.
High Bandwidth Continuous live 1 1/6/06 7:59 PM
Let me be the first to say:
Jennifer Muehlbauer for President 2036.
That is all.
The strange folk at FAZED were my pointer to this discussion of a freaky commercial for Olympus cameras. I suppose it is possible that a few people with too much free time whipped up a viral ad spoof and then bought a domain to redirect to Olympus' European operations for kicks. Yet, the now defunct http://www.redeyedbaby.com is registered to OLYMPUS EUROPA GmbH in good ol' Hamburg.
The Internets remain a strange place to do business, I guess.
That Danish band with the freaky video has released their new album, but it is no where to be found in the USA. Luckily, MTV Europe likes to post streams of full albums, including All Things to All People. There're other goodies in the archives, too, like a stream of the full new Daft Punk album.
Sweet!
The Internets foisted one of the best music videos in a very long time upon me a while ago. I don't remember from where exactly. The band is Carpark North, making good Danish guitar pop. The video is a bunch of gangly teenagers doing some pretty cracked out dancing, with a few laws of physics bent for good measure.
The post production company, Duckling, hosts a good streaming quicktime version of the video.
[updated with a few creepy screenshots:]
MTV Europe says this, scraped off of videoantville.org, who also has a good download link:
Artist: Carpark North
Video: Human
Director: Martin De Thura
Album: All Things To All People
Story: This week's MTV Pick Of The Week is Danish Carpark North and the first single from their new album "All Things To All People". This is the follow up to self-titled debut album "Carpark North" which was released in 2003. The track is called "Human" and is a classic guitar driven rock/pop song. Martin de Thura directs the video, which is a brilliant piece of film featuring amazing dancing kids in different environments, in the gym and in school interacting with each other. The director used to go to the school where the video was filmed. The camera seems to be focusing on the movements, body language and feelings of these children. You could say focusing on everything human.
What else: Carpark North consists of Søren, Morten, and Lau, all in their early 20ies. 1999 they started to form what is now Carpark North. But in the beginning they played under the name "WEED", not knowing what the word stood for. The band's debut album got great reviews in the Danish press and Carpark North sold over 40.000 copies in 2003. The kids who were casted for the "Human"-video were accepted if they dared to dance ugly. Most of the kids are dancers and maybe that was one of the reasons the video was shot in only two days.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.244854,-115.807056&spn=0.072098,0.119476&t=k&hl=en
(via FAZED earlier this week...)
Here's a nifty map of the distribution of preference for what people in the USA call that fizzy sugary water stuff.
The website homepage contains a form to add your own input, and tons of detailed results that also include Canada.
My favorite entry for "other":
for the person who thinks that florida uses the correct name by calling it COKE because they're so civilized, just like their friends in alabama and mississippi who also call it coke, i dont think the votes from florida should count. they probably meant to vote for Soda but got confused by the unclear ballot and picked Coke accidentaly. the correct term is SODA
(via Marginal Revolution)
Updated with some other choice soundbite constructions:
"A sex change is the only certain way to preserve the sanctity of marriage."
"Tonight, I have a message for the brave and oppressed people of the United States. Your enemy is not surrounding your country, your enemy is ruling your country. And the day that he and his regime are removed from power will be the day of your liberation. Whatever action is required, whatever action is necessary, I will defend the freedom and security of the American People."
I had an exam today (more on that later, no doubt) so it was nice to stumble upon this Dutch animator/puppeteer's website. Click on GB for the English version, or just on "filmpjes" for some cute little video clips rendered in Flash.
The DJ is my favorite. (Seen first on www.milkandcookies.com)
I have an amazingly dear copy of Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Animals (originally published in 1970 !!), so it was great to find a pointer to his site today. Chock full of cute little how-to Flash and downloadable activities for the kiddies, updated monthly. I must let my sister know of this.
Better still is the note hidden in the full book list that all his drawing books (many out-of-print at the moment) will be republished this year. Yea!
(via Boing Boing)
I love that the Internets still find time to be random and fun. Check this out.
www.clean-your-screen-for-free-now.com
(check out the Industry news in the right column, especially for "Impulse Becomes First Kosher Energy Drink")
...
Posted: 8/5/2004 10:44:37 AM
PURCHASE, N.Y. - August 5, 2004 - Capitalizing on the success of its first limited-time soft-drink offering, Mountain Dew LiveWire, Pepsi-Cola North America today announced that it will launch two new soft drinks this year for brief, "in-and-out" plays. The first, Mountain Dew Pitch Black, will launch in late August and stay on store shelves through Halloween. Then, just in time for the holidays, Pepsi Holiday Spice will hit stores November 1 for an eight-week appearance through the end of the year.
Both products come at a time when consumers are seeking variety. More than half of all soft-drink buyers purchase six or more different brands and more than 80% of soft-drink buyers purchase three or more brands.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Mountain Dew Pitch Black combines the great taste of Mountain Dew with a blast of black grape flavor. It follows in the footsteps of Mountain Dew LiveWire, which grew the Mountain Dew trademark more than 10% during its inaugural six-month run in 2003. Building on that successful strategy, Mountain Dew Pitch Black will capitalize on excitement leading up to Halloween with a shorter, 10-week on-shelf stretch beginning August 21.
In addition to Mountain Dew Pitch Black's spooky package graphics and in-store displays, a theatre commercial - parodying "B" horror movies - will support the new brand in 4,000 movie theatres. Additional marketing support includes an Internet "Dewsletter" and product sampling at General Growth Properties malls and at this week's ESPN X Games in Los Angeles. Mountain Dew Pitch Black will be available in 20-oz bottles, 2-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans.
Spice up the Holidays
Just in time for the holidays, Pepsi will launch Pepsi Holiday Spice - Pepsi-Cola with a spicy finish of ginger and cinnamon - to give consumers a new seasonal treat during a time of celebration. Testing revealed that the spice concept fits with Pepsi's image as "new," "different," and "innovative," while the flavors have a strong connection with cola. Featuring nostalgic package graphics, Pepsi Holiday Spice will be available in the U.S. for an eight-week period (November 1 - December 31) in 20-ounce bottles, 2-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans.
"People like new products - they're much more interested in variety nowadays than they were just a few years ago," said Dave Burwick, SVP and chief marketing officer of Pepsi-Cola North America. "By introducing new flavors for a short period of time, then taking them away, we're meeting the wants and needs of soft-drink consumers while playing directly to their purchasing patterns."
Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North America (www.pepsi.com) is the $4 billion refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo Inc. in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Edge, Pepsi ONE, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, Pepsi Vanilla, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mountain Dew LiveWire, Sierra Mist, Mug, Slice, Aquafina, Dole single-serve juices, Tropicana Juice Drinks and SoBe. The company also makes and markets North America's best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.
Source: Pepsi-Cola North America
As the bookmark cleaning continues...
Chapter 9 up recently. And their acknowledgements section is excellent:
Unknown Anglo-Saxon Poet (Beowulf)
KillRadio.org: Program Details: Bush's Convention Speech, Edited for Clarity
Emailed from a friend:
abc7.com: Terrifying Ordeal, Girl Stuck in Washer
READING, PENNSYLVANIA — What started out as a dare turned into a terrifying ordeal for a Pennsylvania girl
Eight-year-old Anna Moyer is still bruised and sore after being stuck in a triple loading washing machine for more than five minutes. She says she got into the machine on a dare. Then, a friend put in a few coins and turned it on.
Luckily some adults were close by. They frantically dismantled the washer – literally pulling wires apart to turn the machine off and get Anna out.
The little girl says she learned a valuable lesson. She said, "I won't do no dares, I won't go in it every again."
Anna says she is now afraid to even enter a laundry room.
Last Updated: Sep 2, 2004
JibJab.com used a Woody Guthrie song "This Land" in a great little Flash movie. Go give them more site traffic if you haven't seen it yet.
They won their preemptive court battle for fair use recently. It turns out the copyright on the song expired and was never renewed. Ha Ha!
The Onion | 2004 Election Guide
A nice collection of their political writing... at least as logical as the stuff in USA Today.
It's no Monkey Pit, but this LA-based photographer does have a section in her online portfolio for monkey and ape photographs. There's a gallery exhibit coming to town in October, too. Should be fun.
(via Boing Boing)
A book, soon. November.
In the past four years or so, I've always been happy to consider Fark.com to be a guilty pleasure blog with the mindset of a typical 14-year-old boy.
To help dispel that image a little, a small group of members have started up a nice voter registration drive, Fark the Vote. This is nifty.
There's a photoshop thread to design a banner ad over here.
I love this trend in Internet silliness...
A favorite exerpt from the front page (archives back to 2001!):
Monday, June 21, 2004
Some people ask Hulk why Hulk not run for president.
Hulk have simple answer.
Hulk not smart enough to be president and Hulk knows it, unlike stupid puny human Bush in office now. Only saving grace of puny human Bush is his face looks like MONKEY.
HELLO MONKEY!!!!
Posted by: Incredible Hulk / 11:45 AM // Comment (0) | Trackback (0)
(Bloglined off Boing Boing)
Taking a study break last night, Jen and I watched (and heckled) the "pageant" finale of
The Swan. I envy anyone who doesn't know of this show's existence. Fox took 16 women who all sounded like they would benefit from a little therapy, sleep, and a vacation, and subjected them to extreme plastic surgery, unqualified therapy, and intensive boot camp-style exercise to "transform" them. At least the nutritionist didn't directly pimp Atkins.
The pageant involved swimsuits, lingerie, evening gowns, and the usual question and answer section about how they have changed and now will go on to spread the dream to the rest of the world. Favorite quote: "Before the program, I had really low self esteem, especially about myself." There was a lot of reference to "the program", causing us to wonder how much brain-washing was involved, too.
We also caught a episode or two leading up to this for the train wreck factor, and it was all sorts of wrong. Two women would be videotaped in agony after surgery talking about how pretty they felt. The worst part was not the responses after these poor souls get to see their new faces for the first time at the end of the show, but that one would then immediately be told she's not good enough for the pageant.
I'm somehow still surprised only one woman dropped out.
Anyway, this all got me thinking, and I realized that Earth needs to wake up and perpare itself for intergalactic war. I've noticed a trend enslaving Europe since 2001. First there was one. Then her "sister" came on the scene. The Swan is the surest sign in a while that we have an epidemic of alien assimilation on our hands. The Minoguians are coming, my friends. Fear.
Sure, perhaps plastic surgeons just all learn one template face with standard large cheekbones. I prefer to be concerned about the doctors working alongside the enemy to desensitize us to the upcoming influx of full-blooded Minoguians into society. Or, are they testing human-alien hybrids on national television?
It's almost time for tin-foil hats...
I saw this link on Boston buddy Andrea's blog. I didn't think it was possible, but my online blather is 3% more evil than her more eloquent musings on life and library science.
There is some amusing logic to this outcome. The "detailed analysis" gives high marks for my mocking of the creationists, and the scoring is based on Gematria, a form of bible numerology. Fun!
I'm a few days early, but I want to go on the record that I would be perfectly ecstatic if Andy Kaufman (LA Weekly article) emerges from 20 years of hiding this Sunday, May 16. Jen and I have been discussing this off and on for the past week, and it's entirely plausible (or, at least a good meme for this week).
Hey, if some total idiot credit fraudster can hide in California for 12 years, Andy Kaufman can pull off the greatest performance art stunt in history since Rasputin "died."
Either result is awe inspiring. If he's truly dead, think for a moment that he managed to get enough people to believe that he might do it that we're still speculating two decades later. That's entertainment.
