We the Living Dead -- Libertarian zine Reason has an interesting overview of the politics and culture of zombie films. I'm not a big fan of Reason, but the essay does move beyond the obvious (Dawn of the Dead as a critique of consumer capitalism) to the less-obvious political and cultural dimensions of zombie films. Alas, my favorite (Peter Jackson's Dead Alive) is nowhere to be seen in the article.
We the Living Dead -- Libertarian zine Reason has an interesting overview of the politics and culture of zombie films. I'm not a big fan of Reason, but the essay does move beyond the obvious (Dawn of the Dead as a critique of consumer capitalism) to the less-obvious political and cultural dimensions of zombie films. Alas, my favorite (Peter Jackson's Dead Alive) is nowhere to be seen in the article.
A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope -- This entertaining (if ultimately unconvincing) read tries to smoot over the gaping plot holes in the original Star Wars films that opened up as a result of the prequels (an incredible number of coincidences, characters who should know each ohter but don't, etc). Yeah, it's geeky and so am I.
..:Things My Boyfriend Says:.. -- I'm not sure if this site is for real, but I'm OK with it anyway. After all, even if it's fictional, it's still really cute.
Two-person teledildonic rig -- Boing Boing has an interesting write-up on a "teledildonics" system you can purchase for several hundred dollars. Apparently it uses sensors and motors to mimic the "feel" of a particular person for either a male or a female. You can even link the male/female devices together over an internet connection to have pseudo-sex. If this sounds confusing, you'll just have to read the write-up and then click through to the (not safe for work) manufacturer's web site.
The Mystery of Picasso -- This Google video is the "money shot" of the famed documentary that filmed Picasso creating paintings. The clip is a time-lapse of one entire work from start to finish; it is interesteing to see that realistic drawings early in the process are then twisted and partially obscured to create the abstract, skewed-perspective images characteristic of his work.
People in my town are idiots -- Money quote from the local paper: "Many people don't always realize this, but just because the sun is out and shining doesn't mean ice will melt. As long as temperatures stay below freezing, the roads will remain hazardous." Um, yeah. I guess that's useful advice in a town where people don't recognize a correlation between temperature and the whole "freezing" concept.
Cats vs. Mice -- I couldn't resist this Photoshop contest at Worth 1000.com. Their contests always seem to attract the best Photoshoppers out there. This one has plenty of images of mice getting their revenge on nasty kitties.
Pork-flavored postage stamp -- You know, there really is a distinct shortage of meat-flavored shipping supplies. Hopefully, this small step will lead to an explosion of effort in the food-postage market, satiating the demand of those who have waited their whole lives to savor the sweet combination of pork and glue.
The whole story about that toxic spill and the Clear Channel "monopoly." Subtitled, "What Really Happened in Minot?", this article caught my eye. Not only is the topic of media consolidation an important one, but I hadn't even heard of the spill. I did six years as a teenager on Minot Air Force Base; while I don't exactly have fond memories of the town, I wouldn't wish a toxic waste spill on it -- much less the iron grip of Clear Channel Communications, which owns six of the seven commercial stations in the town. Wow. I had no idea that Minot could become an even less appealing place to live.
Dubai is nuts! -- I noticed many of these projects in the press, but I had forgotten that all of them were in the same place, being built within a few years of each other. The level of waste is simply mind-boggling, but it's rather entertaining to watch as an outsider. I hope they're able to make a return on these investments, for the sake of their people.
Too common. -- This gem from indexed (one of my new favorite sites) encapsulates my feelings on the issue perfectly. People often complement my daughter on her behavior (if they only knew...) but I susupect many of these same people would pronounce it impossible to raise a decent person without hitting them.
History of Religion -- I love maps, especially cool animated ones showing the grand sweep of history. This 90-second Flash animation shows the spread of different religions over time. I noticed that it seems to focus on political dominance rather than percentage of believers per se; it also takes religions' founding myths at face value, more or less (Krishna and Abraham are both treated as real historical figures). But it's still fascinating.
Top 25 Worst Album Covers of 2006 -- This feature from Pitchfork includes a few covers I actually like, but most of them are truly hideous. At least these ones stand out -- I hate boring album art that scream out "I had to fulfill my contract."
