Hello there everybody, another clearinghouse type article here for you, so enjoy the wonderousness that the Internet has to offer:
This apartment must have been so, freaking expensive:
Craigmod takes a look at the current state of eReaders and how we need to move forward. I really like the idea of collaboration between eReader and their documents.
This was passed around before, and I can't embed it, but check out how these athletes entertained the crowd during a rain delay at a baseball game.
Looking for Halloween costumes? Or just a little something for your alter ego? Look no further than the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.
Would you like to see stories from The Bible acted out by Legos? Really, who wouldn't? Check it out here.
T-shirt war:
I kind of love this Lost alarm clock! However, I think it would get really annoying every morning. Also, it only takes batteries, no plug, which is just strange.
Scientists can use giant magnets to make humans 'less moral.' So if someone comes up to you and asks for a shady favor, while holding giant magnets near your ears, just say no!
This is a little sad and a little frightening. Watch out Stephen Colbert:
IGN has an awesome article refuting the claim that video games can't be art. I generally like Ebert and love reading his writing, but this is one thing he's wrong about. Make sure to check it out.
I can't find a clip that I can embed, but here's the link. Watch until the first commercial break, I almost spit ice cream out of my nose, and then of course, I was cheering.
On Monday, Google and Verizon proposed a new legislative framework for net neutrality. Reaction to the proposal has been swift and, for the most part, highly critical. While we agree with many aspects of that criticism, we are interested in the framework's attempt to grapple with the Trojan Horse problem. The proposed solution: a narrow grant of power to the FCC to enforce neutrality within carefully specified parameters. While this solution is not without its own substantial dangers, we think it deserves to be considered further if Congress decides to legislate.
Unfortunately, the same document that proposed this intriguing idea also included some really terrible ideas. It carves out exemptions from neutrality requirements for so-called "unlawful" content, for wireless services, and for very vaguely-defined "additional online services." The definition of "reasonable network management" is also problematically vague. As many, many, many have already pointed out, these exemptions threaten to completely undermine the stated goal of neutrality.
The FCC had been trying to move forward, but was not fast enough, and this is what's happening:
Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege.
Whole bunch of stuff to add in today, still not quite caught up, but it's a big dent, I hope you enjoy:
It's no longer illegal to jailbrake your phone! I could have put this under the Great and Secret Show, but I have some other ideas for that, so I figured I would just link this here. Hooray!
I have no idea where I found this, but it involves The Muppets and Kick-Ass:
Over the summer we searched for fake merit badges and found this page. I really like the "Easy Button" on!
How about a lot of Iron Chef America secret ingredients? Ok:
Amazon is now selling more eBooks than physical books. Kind of scary, but interesting. Slate takes a look at it, I can't remember if it is that article, or another that makes mention of the idea of dynamic eBook covers, which I think is an awesome idea.
I've been reading PostSecret for a while. Frank's mail carrier retired, but she put some thoughts up on her own blog. Check them out here.
And here's another fun video for you:
And here's an awesome news story coming from I'm not even sure where. But I have to say, The strippers sound more level-headed than the pastor:
And I was up at camp when it all went down (and continues to go through the legal system), but here's some updates on Prop 8 being struck unconstitutional:
The lawyers go on both Fox News and CBS, and absolutely destroy their opponents (not legal opponents, in these clips, the talking heads). Both are amazing to watch.
And on a related note, a candidate for Governor of Florida (and their current Attorney General) wants to ban same-sex couples from adopting, based on his personal religious views. Dan Savage takes him down a few pegs:
We're not allowed to slam McCollom for this because, you know, he's talking about his personal, religious faith here... a personal, religious faith that McColloum would like to impose on everyone in Florida by force of law. And I think we can all agree that every child deserves a mother and a father—particularly the 20,000 kids that are in foster care in Florida right now because they were failed, neglected, abused, or abandoned by their mothers and fathers.
And finally, AFER (American Foundation for Equal Rights), the lawyers for the plaintiffs in the trial, put together this video about one of the couples they represent (points for including Wii Tennis!):
And I'm back! Enjoy some of this awesomeness as I continue to go through my e-mail, back logs of links and find all kinds of stuff from around the Net for you to enjoy:
Lifehacker takes you through the steps to disable Places on Facebook. As with anything regarding privacy on Facebook, the steps necessary are long and involved (or at least, longer and more involved than they should be), but I did them this afternoon, so they aren't impossible.
Did you know that the Old Spice man wants to be a superhero? Check out his transformation here:
I came cross a new blog, Better Book Titles. A personal favorite (and what has turned into my white whale):
(It's really Infinite Jest, which I have started and gotten about 100 pages in at least four times now...)
A Chinese mall has a new "rage center" where women can go in and smash items that were going to be thrown out anyway. Pretty cool if you ask me.
This article is just blowing my mind a little bit:
Intel announced Tuesday that it had made the first chip that sends and receives information using beams of light...And the company expects to make one eventually that can transmit a laptop's hard drive in one second and the entire printed collection of the Library of Congress in less than two minutes.
One of the designers of the U.S. State Quarters has released a couple parodies, including this wonderful one of New Jersey:
China is planning huge buses that run on rails (so I guess it is a mix of light rail and bus) that cars can drive underneath. Amazing:
Well, this is my second attempt at this post, everything crashed, and I know I lost two articles, but nothing that we can't live without, so we'll just muddle through.
First though, watch this trailer, which is to my favorite book in the series:
Want to go into space? How about just your picture, which comes complete with an official flight certificate. Only two chances left!
And finally, I don't really trust the guys from the Mysteria Film Group, mostly because they just kind of inserted themselves and made themselves official. I'm sure there is all kind of stuff going on behind the scenes that I don't understand, but I think it's when they called the fans "they." Just rubbed me the wrong way. I wish them the best, I want them to succeed, I'll be the first in line here in Pittsburgh, but I still don't have to trust them. Anyway, it's a great tour of Cyan Worlds' studio and a fun time with Rand:
This is something I feel that my friends would do, and I kind of love it, as it reminds me of Kingdom of Loathing. Ladies and gentleman, the Baby Seal pinata:
Did you know that Jerry Springer ran for governor? I didn't, and this is an awesome ad:
This has been floating around for a bit now, but I have to ask. A blue cape? Really?
I wonder what they would say about this (Republicans blocked the passage of a bill that would extend benefits to emergency personnel from September 11th):
Also, if Weiner would run with Grayson from Florida, I honestly don't know what I would do, I would just move and work on their campaign for free.
And finally, I have to disagree with this article, Dollhouse figured it out by using Active Architecture. And then by not needing that Architecture. Maybe I'll just stay in denial, that sounds like a good idea.
I have a very full back log of links and other assorted things to pass on. I'm going to try to get to posting some of them over the next couple weeks, so this is a clearinghouse of sorts. These are fairly current too, so you're in luck!
The apps available for cell phones are getting kind of amazing! You can order pizza and have ti delivered to your blanket...in Central Park.
And speaking of iPhones, here's a fun parody:
A follow up to the periodic table of meat I posted a bit ago, here is the periodic table of swearing (which, incidentally, will probably offend you):
I stumbled across "Continuity" a game from the Independent Games Festival, and it's a lot of fun, check it out here.
So my birthday is coming up, here's a gift idea for you:
Probably not that safe, but still freaking cute!
World War Z is being made into a movie, and Brad Pitt is going to be in it! I think I'm most excited that it will be a movie, though. If you haven't read it, it really is an amazing piece of work, even if you don't like zombies, the writing is simply amazing!
For some strange reason, I feel as if my cousin would love this product. However, I don't know how one tactfully asks a relative their bra size in order to purchase a Christmas gift. I feel as though that is a sentence most people don't ever write or say out loud.
The Myers-Briggs test is a way to classify your personality. A similar test has popped up but in regards to the Internet:
1. Exceptionalist (E) vs. Ordinarist (O). Exceptionalists believe that the Internet is exceptional, extraordinary, and disruptive, the way, say, the printing press was. Ordinarists believe that the Internet is just another new medium, no more revolutionary than, say, CB radio.
2. Technodeterminist (T) vs. Contextualist (C). Technodeterminists believe that the Net by itself brings about transformations against which it is futile to struggle. Contextualists believe that technology by itself does nothing and changes nothing; other factos determine the effects of technology.
3. Optimist (H) vs. Pessimist (P). Optimists believe that the Net is, or brings about, good things. Pessimists believe otherwise. (Note: Since everyone believes their beliefs are true, everyone thinks they are a realist. When someone actively asserts s/he is a realist, s/he is actually asserting a form of counter-optimism, i.e., pessimism.) (Note: The “H” stands for Happiness or Hope.
There is a Star Wars convention coming up in Orlando. Even though I'm a huge nerd, I didn't know about this. But most importantly, they are giving away custom cereal! I really want the Admiral Ackbar cereal, but I'm afraid it's a trap. Check out Greedo's and Raisin Han, too!
Not a picture, but it was an awesome video. More reasons why I love Rep. Grayson!
An Anglican church in New Zealand has some awesome billboards, including this one which I absolutely love:
Here is the other one I've found from them:
Did you follow along with the Old Spice one day social media blitz? It was pretty awesome, but I loved reading about how they pulled it off. Sounds tiring, but worth it!
First off, check out The Old Spice Guy helping someone propose:
Have you seen the periodic table of meat? Bacon rightfully is in the first position, being a Noble Meat:
I really don't have anything to add to the title of this post, except of course a couple of expletives. So, I'll just say, Stay Classy, Catholic Church.
Speaking of The Catholic Church, for anyone following the Fr. Mark Gruber case, he is now suing.
And don't forget, if you live in California, to vote to protect traditional marriage:
First, the idea that no matter what we are experiencing, we are framing it for others consumption. I find myself doing that a lot, and especially how I choose my words (although I think that is me being more of a writer than a speaker, so I constantly rewrite as I think about speaking, but anyway):
but I now find myself shaping experience according to how I might present that experience in public: finding the words, deciding what might be interesting in the experience to someone other than me. Blogging has given the public yet more of a grip on the shape of my private experience.
He continues:
Is that good? I dunno. I don’t even know if it’s generally true. I’ve worried before that the little homunculus in my brain that is always scribbling away is a personal mental disorder. (Shut up, homunculus! I don’t care what you say, I’m posting this anyway!)
in the age of broadcast, we fashioned experience so that we were stars of an imaginary broadcast; in the age of the Web, we fashion experience so that we are bloggers with a non-massive, semi-social, potentially interactive readership. Under this fact-free analysis, the Web’s fashioning of our experience should be understand in _contrast_ to the celebrity-based stories we made of our lives during the Age of Broadcast.
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