Hi,
Well folks, it’s official I’ve gone over to the dark side. {insert dum dum dum dumde dum dumdemum and asthma voice here}
Jools went out and bought me a new MP3 player. It starts with an I and it ends with phone. I never thought I would say this but it’s a great little toy. Now don’t panic I am not buying an Apple Fan Boy T Shirt yet. But it really is fun to use. The iPod part works fine and after a couple of hours I had my playlists on it. My Layla ringtone and my address book. The upside is that when you get a call the music fades down when you answer it. Hang up and it fades back up right where you left it. Brilliant.
The downside is that I still have to use iTunes (see previous rants about this piece of software) and I have an Apple Touch up for grabs.
If anyone in Melbourne wants to pick up a first gen Touch as achrissy present for themselves (one owner – me) for $220 give me a call. Jools didn’t want it. I suspect that Steve Jobs “Reality Distortion Field” doesn’t work as well on women OR that the “Toy Acquisition Gene” is specifically linked to the Y chromosome. I could be wrong.
OK, I wasn’t going to talk about this, BUT I can’t help myself. This is about my favourite train wreck of the year. Gun’s and Roses “Chinese Democracy”. this album really is truly priceless. Actually, even if they gave it away it’s still too expensive.
This is one of those albums you have to listen to ONCE. So here is a yet another submission to my “Perfection Is Overated “meme.
Before reading Jon Pareles article head to MySpace http://www.myspace.com/gunsnroses and get the album playing in the background. Yep the whole album was made available at MySpace when it was released all they have left there are some sample. it will be enough.
So. Do we have the track Chinese Democracy running in the background yet?
It’s OK. I ‘ll wait…..
All comfy? now read Jon Pareles album review. I think this is the best review I have read this year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/arts/music/23pare.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
And then because we are all masochists, we can now move on to the Guardian, another fine review. Keep the album going and read on http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/nov/21/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy
The upshot of this is that any of the things that made his earlier stuff interesting have been tweaked out of existence. Along with any interest. Say good bye to the old order. This is probably the last album of it’s kind and the end of an era.
That’s really enough about him, let’s get started shall we.
Ted Talks – Dennis vanEngelsdorp: Where have the bees gone?
Bees are dying in droves. Why? Leading apiarist Dennis vanEngelsdorp looks at the gentle, misunderstood creature’s important place in nature and the mystery behind its alarming disappearance.
This is a fascinating talk , scary and hopeful and unbelievable in places.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dennis_vanengelsdorp_a_plea_for_bees.html
This is worth a look too.
Paul Collier: 4 ways to improve the lives of the “bottom billion”
Around the world right now, one billion people are trapped in poor or failing countries. How can we help them? Economist Paul Collier lays out a bold, compassionate plan for closing the gap between rich and poor.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/paul_collier_shares_4_ways_to_help_the_bottom_billion.html
The things you do:
I spotted this over at Make.
“Canoe” by Canadian artist Peter Fleming is a 20 foot long trough of water resembling a canoe where a gunwale tracking mechanism endlessly paddles forward and back inside the boat. The entire piece is solar powered and was originally built from aluminum, gussets, and bolts so that it was fully collapsible. Check out the link below for some video clips of it in action.
http://peterflemming.ca/flemmweb_current/details/canoe.html
It really is a gem.
Also from Make is the Victorian Star Trek (Victorian era NOT place). Photoshopped portraits of the original Enterprise crew as Victorian Steam Punkers. http://www.rabittooth.com/OtherWallpapers.htm
BLAME TIME:
Andrea L spotted this one and sent it in. Get some practice in before heading to the great outdoors over the holidays. http://majman.net/fly_loader.html
Kalene C sent in this.
“I feel sad that i only spotted this yesterday. I could have done all of my shopping here.
http://www.shipoffools.com/kitschmas/2008/index.html
kr
Kalene “
My fave was the House Selling Kit. that would be me though.
Jools sent along a few items for your consideration
First up The Google Street View Prank http://www.neatorama.com/2008/12/11/the-google-street-view-prank/
Next there was this one
“Man I’d love try this, but I’m not brave enough.
Love Jools
Then there was this – a plethora of tiny R2D2’s.
“Deep beep, blink wooo.
Love, Jools
and we will finish with this one
“A MMI I think.
Love, Jools
duggup has finished up for the year (we are taking a short break). Jools and I both did a highlights post. There really was some fine music around this year. Stroll over to http://duggup.com.au and have a look.
Flash Game Time: It’s Christmas and if you are working through, have I got a game for you. I mean what do else do you get for the person who has everything. Yep that’s right “WORLD DOMINATION”
Travian is in the same vein as say “Civilization” or “Empire Earth” but there is no install, it just lives in the browser. This lets you play it at work or on the go.
So , you register, pick a server and then they give you one week to build up your resources before the attacks start. This is important because it takes time to build up wheat, wood, clay and iron production. It takes around 3 minutes to upgrade a wheat field in the early levels so to get your empire up and running takes more than just a few minutes.
It’s one of those great games to keep running in the background so you can start a wheat field or building upgrade, and then move on to something else on your to-do list for a few minutes.
Yes this will take more time than the normal fare we put up, but hey if you are working over the hols, you have time?
More info here
http://timewastersontheweb.blogspot.com/2008/12/travian.html
Game here http://www.travian.us/
Have a good Christmas and a Great New Year.
thatch
{Currently listening: Richie Havens and Dead Can Dance. }
{Currently reading: Lewis Hyde – Trickster Makes This World. this is just fab stuff}
{Quick Status Check: Hell, it really that close to Christmas}
{Crop Circle Status: Move along, still nothing to see here ’til next year }