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Politicians Across The Spectrum Believe Voters Are Vastly More Rightwing Than They Are
The Zulu Tribesman Who Wrote The Song, 'In The Jungle,' Died Without Seeing A Penny Of Profit
A Tea Party Circus At The WWII Memorial, But No One At A Children's Cancer Ward
Edgertronic, A Relatively Low-Cost High-Speed Camera
Edgertronic is a relatively low-cost high-speed camera that can shoot approximately 500 fps at 1280 x 1024 resolution up to over 17,000 fps at a resolution of 192 x 96. The Edgertronic is priced at about $5,000, considerably lower than industry standards like the Phantom. The project is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, and you can find more example footage at the Edgertronic Vimeo.
images and video via Edgertronic
via Tested
Rap Genius' newest project lets you search the rise and fall of rap's favorite words
Rap Genius is no longer content to simply explain everything. The annotation site has launched Rap Stats, a kind of Google Trends for every rap song in its catalog, going back to 1988. Feed a term into Rap Stats, and you'll get a plot of how much of the rap lexicon it takes up. This will give you everything from a stark but objective history of subgenres to the unpredictable rise and fall of slang. If you're wondering about rap's most frequently cited recent president (George H.W. Bush, at his peak), American city (LA), or social network, you'll find them — that last one is Twitter with a strong showing by Instagram, though MySpace at its peak handily beats Facebook. No rapper has ever mentioned LinkedIn.
Rap Genius is playing to its strengths here, so you won't find searches for the history of poetry, rock, or inspirational speeches. You will, however, find an excellent annotated breakdown of how rap has changed since its inception, as well as some useful research on what the genre holds most dear. For anything more, you can refer to our second episode of Small Empires, following Rap Genius' quest to footnote the world.
- Source Rap Genius
- Related Items rap genius rap trends weed music annotation statistics
TV: Newswire: ExxonMobil sues FXX for harmful pollution of its brand
Ever vigilant against overflows that could cause toxic damage, ExxonMobil has filed a lawsuit against FX, claiming that the logo for its new FXX network runs the risk of harmfully polluting its brand. Their environmental concerns for their specific corporate environment hinges on the use of an interlocking “XX” in both logos—descending from left to right in Exxon, ascending from left to right in FXX, yet inarguably containing two X’s cohabitating on a sacred ground that ExxonMobil believes should be legally protected. Other companies making use of the double-X—as seen in the Dos Equis logo, as well as pornographic films that aren’t quite as good—leave enough space between them to create a sort of spillway for consumer confusion.
Not so with FXX, which ExxonMobil claims ignored its request to change the logo, even as the company presented the always-ironclad argument of “Internet comments from various ...
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Music: Newswire: My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields thinks Britpop was an MI5-driven conspiracy
My Bloody Valentine fans have long known that frontman Kevin Shields is a bit of an odd bird, but no one thought he might be actually crazy until now. In a new interview with The Guardian, Shields says he thinks the mid-‘90s Britpop explosion was all a cultural espionage plan orchestrated by MI5, the U.K.’s version of the C.I.A. Shields tells The Guardian that, because “Britpop was massively pushed by the government... the wool was pulled right over everyone’s eyes.” It’s unclear what wool he really means, unless he’s referring to the Gallagher Brothers’ eyebrows, but Shields seems to believe that the wave of patriotism that came out of the “Cool Britannia phenomenon” was a result of some sort of government conspiracy to convert young people into tea-drinking Tories.
While Britpop certainly did put the Union Jack in front of a lot ...
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Cool Stuff: Olly Moss’ ‘Breaking Bad’ “Minute Walts” | /Film
firehoseOlly Moss beat
Walter White has many looks. We’ve seen him as a normal father, cooking meth, as Heisenberg, and more. To celebrate the end of Breaking Bad, popular artist Olly Moss is giving fans a chance to own not one, but six, different Walts. For the next 24 hours or so, Moss is selling “Minute Walts,” which are small drawings of the popular character in his different outfits. You can buy one, or all six. See them in more detail below.
Here’s a more detailed version of the six pieces. They’re 5×5 inches and cost $12 a piece, or $60 for the set. Here’s the link to purchase.
Denis Theriault is Without Honor. Banish His Name from the Hall of Heroes.
We run a helpful little bit called "My, What a Busy Week" in the paper. Every week. Probably you've seen it. It's a list of things you should do during the week. It's helpful!
Except for next week's. You should not read it. I was assigned to write about Kronos Quartet (because I wasn't at the meeting where such things are decided; I don't actually like them—they do not sing songs about victory) and I shamefully neglected to make a single reference to the mighty Klingon Empire in the 70 or words I was allotted.
Kronos, you see, is an accepted spelling and pronunciation of the Klingon homeworld, whose rich, fierce soil has been made pure over many centuries thanks to the blood of countless fallen warriors. But I did not point that out, when I submitted my piece to Copy Chief Courtney Ferguson. I did not celebrate the many feats of the ancestors.
And now I am without honor.
I am of no more regard than an empty bottle of blood wine.
My name shall be no more.
And, like certain shameful others at this soft-bellied publication, I shall submit to discommendation and a life of recrimination and emptiness for myself and all my descendants for seven generations to come.
After the jump, why I don't like Klingons anymore! In no particular order.
1. Gowron. Why did someone not kill that cursed politician far sooner? He has the reedy voice of a stage actor, not a soldier.
2. Christopher Lloyd.
3. Christopher Plummer. He was too good for his brow ridges and quoted... Shakespeare.
4. Worf. When his crewmates had the impertinence to inquire about the swarthy, ridgeless Klingons during their time travel mission to K-7, he should have killed them.
5. Klingonese. Hey, nerds! Stop!
Key Senator wants to ban bulk surveillance, leading to Democratic showdown
firehoseFeinstein is the obstacle as usual
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) expressed support yesterday for serious surveillance reform, saying he will introduce legislation that calls for an end to the National Security Agency's (NSA) mass dragnet of phone data. The bill would also add some type of public advocate to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) who could argue against the positions presented by intelligence agencies.
Leahy's suggestions mirror reforms in a bill introduced last week by committed reformers like Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Udall (D-CO), and Rand Paul (R-KY). But the Wyden-Udall-Paul bill, spearheaded by two longtime NSA critics, wouldn't necessarily have gone far.
However, Leahy—the chairman of the judiciary committee—is clearly in a powerful position from which to move such a bill forward. In the Senate, it's going to be a serious Democrat-on-Democrat battle, since the chairman of the Senate's top intelligence committee, Diane Feinstein (D-CA), has made it clear she will fight such a bill.
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Wheel Inn, Truck Stop and Diner Made Famous in ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ Closes Its Doors
firehose"The restaurant is next to the Cabazon dinosaurs, the roadside attraction of giant dinosaurs which was built in the 1960s to bring customers into the Wheel Inn. The dinosaurs are owned separately from the restaurant and will remain open as a creationist attraction."
Bob Pratte of PE Bloggers is reporting that the Wheel Inn, the landmark truck stop and diner off of Interstate 10 in Cabazon, California made famous in the popular 1985 film Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, closed for good on Monday, September 23, 2013. The restaurant is next to the Cabazon dinosaurs, the roadside attraction of giant dinosaurs which was built in the 1960s to bring customers into the Wheel Inn. The dinosaurs are owned separately from the restaurant and will remain open as a creationist attraction.
Here is the scene from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure that features the Wheel Inn:
“A stuffed buffalo head hands on the wall of the Wheel Inn Restaurant in Cabazon in 2011.”
image 1, 2 via PE Bloggers, video via jigowatts
Mashup of Popular Comic Books With Lamps
Fantastic Four Vol 1 #243 (June, 1982)
The creatives at EliteFixtures have used their great digital manipulation skills to create mashups of popular comic books with lamps. Previously, we wrote about their mashup of popular movie posters with lamps.
Charged with the power of electricity, they can brighten a room with a single bulb and dispel shadows from the darkest corners. There is nowhere to hide from the Power of the Light! Which got us thinking… what would happen to our favorite comic heroes in a face-to-lamp showdown?
The Walking Dead #48 (April, 2008)
The Incredible Hulk Vol 1 #340 (February, 1988)
images via EliteFixtures
submitted via Laughing Squid Tips
A Huge Submarine Bursts through the Streets of Milan
As part of an absurdly clever advertising campaign orchestrated by ad agency M&C Saatchi Milano for insurance firms Europ Assistance IT and Genertel, a giant submarine was installed near the city center as if it had suddenly burst through the street. The carefully orchestrated stunt which unfolded on October 1st was complete with a live reenactment meant to reinforce the idea of safeguarding yourself and posessions against unforseen events. Read more over on Designboom. All images courtesy M&C Saatchi Milano. (via It’s Nice That)
Submarine Emerges From Milan Street in Marketing Stunt
On Tuesday morning Milan residents were greeted with the unlikely sight of a submarine emerging out of the street in the city center. The submarine, its dazed crew, and a hectic crowd of emergency personnel were all part of an elaborate marketing stunt for Europ Assistance, an insurance company. The stunt was orchestrated by ad agency M&C Saatchi Milano.
photo via M&C Saatchi Milano
photo via designboom
via designboom
Biker Sought in Assault of SUV Driver Turns Self In: Sources - NBC New York
firehose'A biker wanted in connection with an assault on a dad who was driving through Manhattan with his family turned himself in to police on Tuesday but prosecutors have decided not to prosecute, the Manhattan district attorney said Wednesday.
The 42-year-old biker was one of two police were seeking after the 33-year-old victim was pulled from his SUV and beaten, following a dispute and chase on the West Side Highway Sunday.
He turned himself in at a Queens precinct Tuesday, law enforcement officials said. He was allegedly the driver seen on video punching the window of the family's Range Rover, as another biker smashes a window with a helmet.
Law enforcement sources tell NBC 4 New York that they now think he may have tried to help the victim after punching the window, and there was no indication he participated in the assault.
The DA's office said Wednesday that it was not prosecuting "pending further investigation of the entire incident."
The victim, his wife and 2-year-old girl were in the car.
Another motorcyclist had already been arrested in the dispute with the driver, for allegedly slowing down in front of his SUV, setting off the chase that ended in the beating. That biker ended up being run over by the SUV trying to flee, and suffered minor injuries.'
NBC New York |
Biker Sought in Assault of SUV Driver Turns Self In: Sources NBC New York A biker wanted in connection with an assault on a dad who was driving through Manhattan with his family turned himself in to police on Tuesday but prosecutors have decided not to prosecute, the Manhattan district attorney said Wednesday. The 42-year-old ... Family in SUV issues statement in New York City biker road rage incident7Online.com all 897 news articles » |
John Paul Leon ~ High Contrast gallery of Excellence
firehosevia THANKGODYOUREHERE
John Paul Leon ~ High Contrast gallery of Excellence
The iPhone 5S Motion Sensors Are Totally Screwed Up
A human brain was preserved for 4,000 years after being boiled in its own skull
Ancient, well-preserved human remains aren't exactly a common thing to find, which makes the discovery of a 4,000-year-old brain in western Turkey pretty noteworthy. The brain was found in 2010 in an ancient burial ground that appeared to have been burned — charred skeletons and wooden objects were found, but somehow brain tissue inside the skulls of four skeletons had been preserved. Scientists at universities across Turkey have been analyzing the findings ever since and published their findings late last month.
As reported by New Scientist, the scientists found clues by analyzing the ground — it's believed that an earthquake leveled the settlement, burying its inhabitants before a fire spread through the rubble. The fire would then have essentially boiled the brains in their own moisture, which eventually would have dried things out and largely removed the presence of oxygen. This combination of the boiling off of the brain fluid and the lack of oxygen helped prevent the expected brain tissue breakdown.
Another essential factor in the preservation was the soil's makeup — it was full of potassium, magnesium, and aluminum. These components combined with the fatty acids in the human tissue to create something called "corpse wax" (or the more scientific name adipocere), which helped to preserve the shape of the brain. Frank Rühli, at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, gave his opinion on the find to New Scientist: "The level of preservation in combination with the age is remarkable," he said. As for what we can learn from these findings, Rühli believes that these preserved brains could be studied for pathological conditions like tumors, hemorrhaging, or degenerative diseases. "If we want to learn more about the history of neurological disorders," Rühil says, "we need to have tissue like this."
Bucs Release Josh Freeman
No word on if he was fined on his way out the door yet.
Sweet 90s Nostalgia: ReBoot is being rebooted for TV!
firehosehuh
"[Mainframe Entertainment] has unveiled the first two series in development: an all-new version of the popular ReBoot franchise and Tiger’s Apprentice, a CGI animated series based on the trilogy of young adult novels written by award-winning author Laurence Yep."
Remember ReBoot, the wacky CG animated series set inside a computer, starring a collection of green sprites who spend their days fighting Hexadecimal, Megabyte and playing the users' games? Well it's bAAAaaaaack!
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Fla. teen accepts plea deal in underage sex case - USA TODAY
firehosenever, ever go
'Hunt pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor battery, misdemeanor contributing to the dependency of a child and two counts of felony interference with child custody.
The felony charges originate from the times she picked up the 14-year-old against the girl's parents' wishes.
Hunt has been in jail since August 20 for violating a court order not to contact the alleged victim.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hunt will be sentenced to four months in jail, to be followed by two years of house arrest with electronic monitoring, and nine months of monitored probation after that, according to prosecutor Brian Workman.
If she has no violations, she will not be a convicted felon under Florida law, and she will have the possibility of sealing her file and having the case expunged after 10 years, he said.'
that's right: for picking up her girlfriend, she will be under house arrest until she's 21, and if she's lucky, she'll no longer be a felon when she's 29
Headlines & Global News |
Fla. teen accepts plea deal in underage sex case USA TODAY VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida teen accused of having sex with her underage girlfriend accepted a plea deal Thursday that her attorney says is in her best interest. Kaitlyn Hunt, 19, pleaded no contest to battery, interference with child custody and ... Gay Florida teen accepts plea deal, prosecutor saysCNN Report: Woman charged in underage same-sex relationship takes plea dealOrlando Sentinel Gay Florida teen Kaitlyn Hunt pleads no contest as part of dealwtkr.com Fox News -Huffington Post all 62 news articles » |
Matt Flynn now Raiders' No. 3 QB; Pryor to start - NFL.com
firehoseshared to delight Overbey
The Bigger Blacker Box by Cards Against Humanity
firehosethat is one monolithic motherfucking website
You cannot handle Chris Hadfield as David Bowie
Earlier this year, astronaut Chris Hadfield blew our minds with the most epic cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," ever performed. Now, he's gone and done himself up Bowie-style for the cover of Maclean's, and it is the definition of perfection.
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