Cloudmonkey
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The USA and its unique for-profit sickness industry
CloudmonkeySpend more. Get less.
The USA and its unique for-profit sickness industry
sci-universe: Technology at it’s cutest — The Bipedal Cycling...
CloudmonkeySo cool!
Technology at it’s cutest — The Bipedal Cycling Robot
In 2011, robot creator Masahiko Yamaguchi demonstrated a robot which can balance, steer and correct itself while riding a fixed-gear bike.
Full video with more information here.
Facehugs For Everyone!
It's nice to finally have a way to introduce kids to the horrors of alien lifeforms. (Facehugs For Everyone by Joebot)
Previously on Popped Culture...
Inappropriate Little Golden Books
It Rubs The Lotion On Its Skin
Alien Vs. Pooh
PotLifter Lifting Tool
My wife and I had a very large potted plant on the front porch that we wanted to move indoors. We had resigned ourselves to re-potting it into something smaller that would be light enough that we could lift it over the front door threshold and into a good location in the house. We were at the garden center looking at pots, surprised at what they cost, when I happened upon the PotLifter. If it worked, it would be cheaper and less work than re-potting.
The PotLifter easily strapped around the pot gave us each solid handles that we could grasp without stooping over. Once in place, the straps didn’t slip, and we were not only able to easily move the plant to where we wanted it, but when we decided that we hadn’t chosen the best spot, it was no sweat to move it somewhere else in the house.
The last time we had to move a large pot indoors, I improvised a ramp and we heaved the plant onto a rolling tray and into the house, nearly toppling it over. We left the plant right inside the door because we had barely been able to lift it onto the tray, and were afraid of marring our floors with the rollers. Now that we have PotLifter, we can decide if this pot is in the best place, and if it is not, we will easily move it.
-- Jeff Hoover
PotLifter 200-Pound Gardening Heavy Lifting Tool
$30
Available from Amazon
Tommy's Camping Adventure
CloudmonkeyThis is one I liked when I was a kid.
Tommy's Camping Adventure
Gladys Saxon ~ Mel Crawford ~ Golden, 1962
I first read about this book on The Ward-I-Matic a few years back and have kept my eye out for it ever since. I love all things Mel Crawford, so I always keep my eye out, even if my boy has outgrown Little Golden Books for the most part. As a matter of fact, most of his gold-foiled titles are already tucked away in the attic, awaiting some grandchild far off in the future. But when I see a stack of Golden Books I can't help but check them out. Old habits die hard. So when I traveled a few towns over several weekends back and found this delightfully grubby used bookshop on a somehow derelict street corner in Seguin, I had to buy it, even if it ends up in the shop or attic eventually.
Tommy Miller and his family were camping in the big woods. My, it was fun! Tommy wanted only one thing--a special camp job he could do. Everybody else had a camp job.
Daddy has the campfire to maintain... Mommy (of course) the breakfast to cook. Big brother, fishing pole maintenance. Sister (sigh) the cleaning. Poor Tommy, what ever could he do!?! When Tommy whiles away the hours looking at trees and animals, he finds that his perceptive nature might be the very thing that saves the day and becomes the most important camp job of all.
Spoilers!
A wee little story of a little person with a big responsibility. Today's Inspiration did a nice write up on the artistic life of Mel that's worth read if you are interested. What a guy!
Also by:
The Story of Harmony Lane
I'm My Mommy - I'm My Daddy
The Chuckle Book
Sesame Street 1,2,3 Storybook
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Something awesome recently happened in Istanbul, Turkey. As a...
CloudmonkeyIstanbul seems like a very interesting city.
Something awesome recently happened in Istanbul, Turkey. As a city with many hills, Istanbul is home to lots of long staircases that intersect its centuries-old neighbourhoods, enabling pedestrians to avoid streets filled with heavy car traffic.
Last week Huseyin Cetinel, a retired forestry engineer, decided to paint the stairs connecting the neighbourhoods of Findikli and Cihangir all the colors of the rainbow.
"He told the local news media that his original motivation for applying a fresh coat of paint to the stairs was not activism, but the desire “to make people smile.” Mr. Cetinel said he spent nearly $800 on paint and devoted four days to sprucing up the stairs, with help from his son-in-law.”
Public reaction to the colourful stairs was overwhelmingly positive. People turned out in droves to pose for photos on the cheerful staircase. Some decided it was a gesture of support and call for equal rights for the city’s LGBTQ community.
But then sometime strange happened. Just a few days after Huseyin finished beautifying the staircase, residents woke up to discover that overnight the city had hastily re-painted the rainbow steps a dull, disheartening gray. The gray cover-up was so secret and sudden that locals took it very personally. It was interpreted as “a sign of intolerance and a lack of respect for their right to claim public space.”
Speaking to Turkish television reporters after the stairs were painted over, Mr. Cetinel pointed out that all of nature — “cats, birds, flowers, mountains” — is brightly colored. “Where does this gray come from?” he asked. “Did we have another Pompeii and got flooded with ash?”
What happened next is what’s really awesome. Residents began to organize with each other via twitter and soon, not only were Huseyin Cetinel’s stairs returned to their rainbow glory, but - as a sign of solidarity - entirely different stairways all over the city, and eventually in other Turkish cities as well, were painted too.
Click here to view more photos of Istanbul’s new rainbow staircases.
[via Street Art Utopia and The New York Times]
Japanese Library Card Design
CloudmonkeyJapanese library cards!
How many cards do you have in your wallet? Bank cards, credit cards, insurance cards, train passes… These days we seem to always be carrying a whole pile of cards, some of them precious ones that we use every day and others that we have almost forgotten about.
How about your library card?
This is one of those cards that you keep in your wallet but might not get out very often. But unlike shop loyalty cards, we don’t throw library cards away. And take a closer look at the ones in Japan and you’ll see there are all sorts of interesting designs, from cute characters to others that look more like hospital patient ID cards! We rummaged around in our wallets and found a whole treasure trove of fun examples.
Cards with Ward Logos
Toshima Ward
Library cards are, of course, ID cards for a public facility and a card like this really gives you that impression. Toshima Ward’s logo combines the borough’s tree, the Yoshino Cherry, with its flower, the azalea.
Ome City
This time what really stands out is the way the logo integrates the Kanji character for “blue” (which is also the first character in “Ome”). Note the hole in the top left corner. Many library cards have these so that you can attach it to some string. Young students then hang a library card round their necks.
Chuo Ward
This rather intergalatic design features an image of the Earth floating in space above the Chuo Ward’s logo. Also, do you spot anything about the logo? It’s made out of four “C” letters. Most library cards tend to have a little box for writing your name on the front but Chuo Ward’s libraries have cards with the library user’s name on the back!
Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Of course, when we think of Yokosuka we think of a port because it’s so famous as a naval base. No surprise then that a ship has been integrated into the logo on the card here.
Animals and Characters
Shinagawa Ward
Shinagawa’s bird is the black-headed gull, which is dominating the card design. Again, note the hole punched into the corner.
Chiyoda Ward
Ducks? No, these cute birdies are actually swans! Much of Chiyoda is occupied by the Imperial Palace, so the birds are meant to depict the stylish white winged creatures to be found in the moat.
Shibuya Ward
Who’s this cute dog, then? Of course, the mascot character for Shibuya’s libraries is Hachi. The card design has once changed and used to feature an eel.
Minato Ward
The zoo continues, this time with a sea otter having a very relaxed read.
Taito Ward
Libraries in Taito print the information about what you have borrowed directly onto the front of the card, so this relgates the illustrations to the fringes. Still, it forms a nice border!
Suginami Ward
Here’s a nice combo of the ward symbol in the top right and the ward’s mascot Namisuke in the bottom left. Namisuke is meant to be a little fairy the size of a puppy.
Nerima Ward
Nerimaru is Nerima’s official anime character (Nerima is also home to the studio that produced ‘Atom Boy’, Japan’s first ever full TV anime series). Apparently Nerimaru is a radish!
Picture Book Collaborations
Kita Ward
All the kitties from the picture book ’11-biki no neko’ (11 Cats) are here on this library card.
Sumida Ward
This time it’s a tie-up with the book ‘Shirokuma-kun, doko e’? (Little Polar Bear, where are you going?), about a polar bear who gets separated from his father and stranded in the jungle. He ends up encountering lots of different animals.
Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture
The picture comes from the classic ‘Guri to gura’ (Guri and Gura). It reminds me of how I got my parents to take me to the library when I was young because I so wanted to read this book.
Unfortunately we were only able to collect library cards near our offices or homes. We want to see more! If you have one that you’d like to share, please let us know
Unicomp Model M Keyboard
CloudmonkeyI have an old keyboard similar to these and I love it. I hate the cheap rubberdome keyboards that come with modern computers.
I have been using a Unicomp “Model M” keyboard on my Mac for 2 years now and would never consider going back to a quiet, squishy, rubberdome keyboard, including the Apple bluetooth keyboard. The trouble with those quiet keyboards, for me, and probably for most everyone, is that I am never quite sure when a keystroke has been recorded, so I have to carefully watch the screen all the time and press the keys to the bottom of their travel, just to make sure the computer agrees with my intents.
For those of us old enough to remember the IBM keyboards of the ’80s, the ones that came with the original IBM PC’s (and cost $400!), the Unicomp Model M keyboards are about as close as you can get to that same sound and feel, and they cost a whole lot less. In fact, Unicomp makes keyboards for IBM and has since 1996, employing many of the same people who made the originals. The technology used in the Model M’s is called “buckling spring.” In short, you know by sound and feel when a keystroke is recorded, so that there is no need to press each key all the way to the bottom. The pleasing clickety-clack sound is just gravy.
On the Mac you will sacrifice bluetooth mobility, as the Model M’s are connected via USB, but on the other hand, you can forget about replacing batteries, which my Bluetooth mouse seems to like to remind me every so often.
The company makes an array of keyboards, over 2000 models, according to their Web site. Mine is a Spacesaver M, Model UB4ZPHA and it costs $94.
Even better, Unicomp is an American Company, in Lexington, Kentucky.
-- Jim Shapiro
Smartphone app gives public access to Malibu's illegal "private" beaches
For decades, the unimaginably wealthy residents of Malibu's oceanfront mansions have been using sneaky tricks to prevent the public from accessing the beautiful beaches in the area. But, as reported in USA Today, "The California Coastal Commission, a powerful state environmental agency, says the law allows everyone to frolic in the waves and the damp sand below the point of the highest tide."
That doesn't stop the rich and famous from doing everything they can to obstruct access to this 27-mile strip of pristine beaches. Below, a few examples of their illegal handiwork.
Things could get tougher for these folks when a new iPhone app comes out this summer. "Our Malibu Beaches" was created by Jenny Price, a writer, artist, and environmental historian who advocates for open access to public beaches that have been barred by the residents of Malibu.
Here's the Kickstarter pitch:
Opening this Summer: The Malibu Beaches!Every beach in Malibu has huge sections open to the public. And a lot of them are as deserted as they are beautiful – even on the hottest summer beach days.
The app's called Our Malibu Beaches. And it's filled with info you can't get anywhere else – not on Yelp, Trip Advisor, or anywhere.
Our app shows you exactly where each public access point is. It helps you park. It even walks you down each beach – house-by-house – to find the best spot for your towel on the dry sand.
This app is over a year in the making. And it's awesome.
Now, we want everyone to have it. EVERYONE.
And that's where you, the Kickstarter community, come in. If our campaign is successful, Escape Apps will do two things:
1. Make the app free for everyone to download all summer long.
2. Work our butts off to get an Android version out this summer.
The Creepy Wrapping Paper Book lets you give thoughtful gifts...
The Creepy Wrapping Paper Book lets you give thoughtful gifts while still being creepy. From a distance this wrapping paper looks normal, but get up close and it’ll make your skin crawl. Includes cockroaches, clowns, earwigs and dental work!
Well-Fed at Last
CloudmonkeyJames Flora is one of my favorite children's book artists/authors.
Alright Japan, now you’re just toying with us. Your relentless...
CloudmonkeyMMMMMMM. Sushi!
Alright Japan, now you’re just toying with us. Your relentless onslaught of weirdness and cuteness has us glued to our monitors lest we miss the next awesome thing you create or do. We’re putty in your hands. Now you’ve gone and made a series of photographs of cats dressed up as creative interpretations of sushi toppings, resting comfortably atop giant mounds of sushi rice, secured by enormous strips of nori. This one has pretty much rendered us speechless.
These “Sushi Cats” or “Neko-Sushi” are the work of Japan-based company Tange & Nakimushi Peanuts. Who needs to shower or go to work when there is stuff like this to see?
“According to the History of Sushi Cats video, the cats are a magical and historical creature that have been influencing humans since the beginning of time. Tange & Nakimushi Peanuts has released a mobile game app for iPhone and Android phones featuring the Sushi Cats. They also have an online store that offers photo prints, postcards and more (only available in Japan).”
Neko-Sushi is an extremely unusual life-form consisting of a cat on top of a portion of sushi rice. Although several references have come down to us through history from various researchers and witnesses, their existence is still shrouded in mystery and actual sightings remain rare.
There are several academics who have devoted their lives to the study of these creatures. According to a number of these, Neko-Sushi make use of gaps in space to come to us from an alternate dimension. Beyond these “gaps” lies the world of the Neko-Sushi in which, it is recently understood, lies the true identity of the cats that dwell with us here in the human dimension.
We can’t look away. It’s just too cute… too strange… too awesome.
Visit Laughing Squid for even more Neko-Sushi goodness.
Gumroad
Gumroad is an easy way to add a micro-payment function to your blog, website, Facebook page, or Twitter — anywhere you can post a link. It allows you to quickly offer digital products — photos, videos, music, apps, PDFs — for small (or large) prices. It is not a marketplace, rather it generates a link that you post so that you can “sell where you share.” When a friend, fan, or follower purchases something off of your page, they get an email with a link for the download from Gumroad’s server. You can set your price anywhere from 0 and up. Gumroad’s cut is 5% + 25 cents per transaction, no setup or monthly fees. That’s a good deal if you are selling things for a few dollars, and better than other digital storefronts. Something priced as low as 99 cents means you get $.69 and Gumroad gets $.30.
For the past year I’ve been using Gumroad to sell a PDF version of my True Films guide to documentary movies for $.99 and the system works great.
-- KK
YOUR LONG, PAINFUL WAIT IS OVER! A Cover is Revealed!
CloudmonkeyNeil Gaiman illustrated by Chris Riddell? What could be better?
As fans of awesome tattoos (and temporary tattoos) this playful...
As fans of awesome tattoos (and temporary tattoos) this playful forearm piece caught our eye and made us do a double-take. It depicts a character named Monkey D. Luffy from the anime/manga series One Piece using one of his special powers. This is this Gear Third state, in which Luffy “uses air inflated into his bone structure to attack with massive limbs and strength…” The clever use of the tattoo bearer’s actual hand is awesome.
[via Geekologie]