The weird and wonderful world of record covers from the golden age of LPs.
John Chiara
Visual artist John Chiara built his own camera. Not a normal camera, but a room-size picture-taking device which is mounted on a flatbed trailer. It sometimes requires the artist to climb inside and push moving parts around himself.
Splicd
Ever wanted to point out a short 10 second clip in a 15 minute video? Splicd allows you to isolate an interesting tidbit from a YouTube video and provides you with a link to share it with everyone else.
Just type a YouTube URL and tell Splicd what the start time and end time for the clip is.
I Am Beautiful Too: Slime Mold Rehabilitated
Slime and mold are two words guaranteed to send a shiver down many a spine. However, plasmodial slime molds, fungus - like organisms with about eight hundred and fifty species worldwide - possess a strange beauty that you might not expect.
Come and take a look at a few, thanks to some exquisite macro photography. You may never look at slime mold in the same light again.
(via Robert-John)
Jack Hall - Musical Matchstick Man
On February 23, 2007, I posted about Jack Hall, The Matchstick Man. In 1984, Jack created a ukulele made entirely from used wooden matchsticks.
Here's a video about Jack Hall where superstar Glen Campbell praises and performs 'Amazing Grace' with a 1937 Matchstick Guitar. Also on this video are the Matchsticoustic Men and their striking performance of 'Billy in the Low Ground,' and a segment with Jack Hall and The Match Quintet playing 'Jambalaya,' and.
Everything About The 50 US States
From Armadillos to Yellowhammers.
Everything you want to know about the 50 US States.
KidZui
Are you getting nervous when your kids roam the Internet unsupervised? KidZui is a new browser that makes surfing the Internet fun and easy for kids from 3-12. Content is reviewed by teachers and parents so your kids can safely and indepentently explore the web.
Rather than filter the Internet, KidZui shows an entirely new one - customized for kids. There are already over 800,000 websites, pictures and videos in KidZui, all painstakingly reviewed by caring teachers and parents. There's a free version and a membership version for $49.95 per year.
GasBag
GasBag is a free iPhone application for finding the cheapest gas near you, with price data submitted by users. With real-time data feeds from many sources, including yourselves, you can now benefit from on-demand updates that will allow you to better manage your gas expenses.
Supported on the Apple iPhone, GasBag includes some great features, including a gas mileage and expense manager, and you can track how much you're saving whenever you fill up.
(thanks Mick)
Putting Toys Into Groups
How hard can it be to put some toys into groups? Well, if it's done by Ernie from Sesame Street you know what you can expect.
Hurricane Ike Reveals Mystery Ship
Hurricane Ike's waves pounded the beaches of the northern Gulf Coast and revealed a mystery ship. The roughly 150 foot long, 30 foot wide wooden ship appears to have been powered by steam.
One of the artifacts within the perimeter of the ship's hull appears to be an old water pump. A long pipe runs down the center of the ship, with smaller pipes found near by. While no one knows for sure what ship this is, historians speculate that the ship was a blockade-runner from the civil war.
Map Of Social Networks Popularity
A map showing the popularity of social networks around the world. The data shows the highest ranking social network for each country by traffic, not by members, page views or any other method.
People's Airbag
Japanese company Prop made an airbag designed to stop elderly people injuring themselves by falling over. The device is strapped around the body and inflates in 0.1 seconds if it detects it is accelerating towards the ground.
Propaganda Art Has Eaten Itself
Time was you had to be a properly trained artist to produce propaganda art. Sometimes known as agitprop, this form, honed to perfection in the twentieth century has been hijacked by the Photoshop brigade among others.
Fortunately, the results are often hysterical but nevertheless can still be thought-provoking.
(via Robert-John)
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: The Joke Is: I Don't Know Anything About Comedy Either
click on the picture for real size
The Apocalypse Codex Vol 1 is a compilation of Home Schooled comics that appeared on The Presurfer in the past three years.
Sound Waves
In this video, a metal plate is placed on top of a loud speaker. The sound causes the metal plate to vibrate and the salt moves into the regions of the plate that are not vibrating. As the pitch of the sound is increased, the pattern of lines changes.
Warning: At some point in the video, the sound gets so high that it might hurt your ears. Also, make sure your pets are not around while playing this video.
Siberian Wooden Houses
Irkutsk is famous for it's many monuments including ancient log structures. Some of the log structures have presently been restored. Others, once beautiful, are quickly degrading, being destroyed by time.
Siberian Wooden Houses.
(via Grow-A-Brain)
Nine Weird Ingredients Hiding In Your Toiletries Bag
Since ancient times, humans have combined strange ingredients to create personal care products. Today, the ingredients are only slightly less bizarre.
Here are nine weird items you may not have known about.
Bat-Inspired Spy Plane
A six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat would gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time.
That's the US Army's concept, and it has awarded the University of Michigan College of Engineering a five-year, $10-million grant to help make it happen.
10 Actors Who Died Before Seeing Their Final Movie
What makes celebrity deaths particularly eerie and poignant is that often their final work only comes to light after they have gone. In the case of movie stars, it's their last film that's released months after they are buried/cremated/blasted into space.
Cinema provides a form of immortality, and watching these farewell movies really is like seeing a ghost on screen. Here are ten actors who didn't live to see their final movie, based on a scale of plain old bad luck.
Timelapse Of Boeing 729B Demolition
This demolition of the Boeing 720B aircraft was completed on June 21, 2008. The actual demolition process lasted about 4 1/2 hours.
And I'm A PC
Take 'When Obama Wins' and Microsoft's 'I'm a PC,' combine the two and you get this.
And I'm a PC.
(via AdFreak)
Maim That Tune
Are you plagued by Stuck Tune Syndrome? Do you have a song stuck in your head you just can't get out? Take heart friend, for your suffering is over.
The Maimograph Machine, through complex analysis and calculation, will find an even catchier tune to counter-act the one you already have. To use the machine, hit the power button.
Match-O-Matic
Without knowing which Presidential candidate said it, decide which statements you agree with, and learn which candidate supports your viewpoint most closely.
Web App 2.0 Merger Frenzy
AppAppeal is a comparison website for web applications. Despite the advantages of online services as opposed to traditional software, many users are not fully aware of the possibilities offered by various applications. Moreover, new applications are launched every day.
In order to make the choice for the application which suits the needs of a user and to stay up-to-date with the latest news, the website AppAppeal has been launched.
Moccasins Are Not Shoes
Contrary to popular belief, moccasins are not shoes. They are the footwear of hunters, settlers, and Minnesota moms.
(thanks U R)
Professional Bird Shit Removal
The bird population has exploded in recent years. With the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web, birds of all types have grown more savvy, their proficiency growing at an exponential rate. Do you want to take a chance in this new day and age?
Our skilled technicians are highly trained in the art of Professional Bird Shit Removal and will thoroughly dig out your home, vehicle, or loved one from the offending pile. Whether the culprit is one bird, or an entire flock of feral pigeons, Professional Bird Shit Removal has you completely covered from head to toe.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Alien Captured On Closed-Circuit Television
How an 8 foot alien was spotted on CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras prompting 3 police cars to respond to the scene in Bournemouth, UK.
In Quotes
Google released 'In Quotes.' In Quotes allows you to compare quotes from different people in the news about a particular topic.
You enter a keyword and the feature currently allows you to choose and compare quotes from political candidates and other political figures in the USA, the UK, Canada and India.
The Silver Wolf Full Metal Rubber Band Gun
This rubber band gun is based on the Konami PlayStation3 videogame Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The gun is made out of stainless steel and includes a 'precision laser pointer.'
(via Zootrópole)
Vintage California Sardine Can Labels
Sardine King collects old Cannery Row, Monterey, California sardine can labels from the 1920-1940s.
You can find photo galleries of old California sardine, pilchards, mackerel, squid and tuna can labels from the old canneries and fishing fleets of Monterey, San Francisco, Oakland, Oxnard and Los Angeles.
(via Grow-A-Brain)
Internet Will Run Out Of IP Addresses By 2010
Vint Cerf, the man who helped invent the system and one of the world's leading computer scientists, said that the web does not have enough unique codes that allow computers to communicate with each other.
He said that when the internet protocol (IP) addresses do run out, the connectivity of the internet will be damaged and some computers will not be able to go online.
Woman Lives With 130 Cats
Nina Kostsova from Novosibirsk, Russia, has 130 stray cats crammed into her tiny apartment.
12 Vintage Cigarette Ads They Would Never Get Away With Now
Cigarettes aren't bad for you, in fact they make you happier, sexier, more popular and quite possibly richer. Not true? Then take a look at these vintage ads and see what the 'Mad Men' of the time tried to get away with - and did.
(via Robert-John)
What Part Of Legal Immigration Don't You Understand?
Opponents of illegal immigration are fond of telling foreigners to 'get in line' before coming to work in America. But what does that line actually look like, and how many years (or decades) does it take to get through
Try it yourself.
How To Stay Awake At Work
Whether you partied all night, stayed up with a newborn, or lost sleep while finishing up a project, now you're at work and you're having a difficult time staying awake. You promise yourself that you'll get more sleep, if you can just make it through the day without being discovered by your boss with your eyes closed.
Here's How to Stay Awake at Work.
Project 10 To The 100th
Google launched Project 10 to the 100th. The project calls for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.
10 Seriously Unusual And Outlandishly Weird Asian Hotels
As a whole, Asia is one of the most innovative continents in the world. From the latest in technology to the most unbelievable hotel designs in the world, the Asian continent is, to say the least, one-of-a-kind.
But some of the Asian nations are home to some of the weirdest hotels anywhere in the world. Maybe it's their imaginative thinking or maybe they just have a more innovative culture? Either way you slice it, Asia has some of the most off-the-wall hotels on the planet.
Here are 10 of the most strange and offbeat hotels across the massive continent of Asia.
(thanks Andy)
Interactive Timeline Of Google History
An interactive timeline of Google history. Travel through time by dragging the timeline or the slider. Click on any event to see more information.
The Presurfer 2000 - 2008
Today is The Presurfer's 8th birthday. It was great fun to start The Presurfer on September 24, 2000, and I'm still enjoying updating the site every day.
I do realize that The Presurfer couldn't have made it through those 8 years without you, my readers. You motivate me, you inspire me, and sometimes some of you are a big help to me.
Thank you for your loyalty.
Perhaps, Perhaps! The Art of Seduction
Seduction is an art not easily mastered. If you need a few tips on the right techniques, have a read! Ten easy to follow steps to getting it right - at least some of the time!
(via Robert-John)
Nanosoccer
Imagine a robotic David Beckham six times smaller than an amoeba playing with a 'soccer ball' no wider than a human hair... with all of the action happening on a field the size of single grain of rice.
It may sound like the stuff of science fiction but at the National Institute of Standards and Technology nanosoccer is serious business.
More about Nanosoccer.
(via Zootrópole)
Social Mention
Social Mention is a social media search engine that searches user-generated content such as blogs, comments, bookmarks, events, news, videos, and micro-blogging services.
It allows you to easily track what people are saying about you, your company, a new product, or any topic across the webs social media landscape in real-time.
Search results are aggregated from numerous popular social media sources, including Google blog search, Twitter, Delicious, FriendFeed, Flickr, Digg, YouTube etc. and remixed as a single stream of information.'
John McCain Pocket Knife
The Maverick - a limited edition pocket knife to honor John McCain.
The Change is a pocket knife honoring Barack Obama.
(thanks Ken)
The World's Biggest Steak
The biggest steak in the world has been made in Milan, Italy. Achieved by 'Butchers for Children,' the record is of a steak measuring 24.8 square metres.
The street (Via Spallanzani) was completely filled with butchers' stalls and Italian meat delicacies. To take part and eat something, the cost was eight euros for a bracelet, with proceeds going to charity.
(thanks Alison)
Google Search Finds Seafaring Solution
Google may take its battle for global domination to the high seas with the launch of its own 'computer navy.'
The company is considering deploying the supercomputers necessary to operate its internet search engines on barges anchored up to seven miles offshore.
The 'water-based data centres' would use wave energy to power and cool their computers, reducing Google's costs.
Their offshore status would also mean the company would no longer have to pay property taxes on its data centres, which are sited across the world.
Approximately As Many People As Wasilla
When veepee candidate Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, there were approximately 6,000 people living in the town.
Here are some other things with approximately 6,000 people.
(via Everlasting Blort)
23 Ways To Use Tea
This good-for-you item does more than brew up a good beverage. It can relieve your tired eyes, stop foot odor, shine your mirrors, or give roses a boost.
See what else tea is capable of.
Burning Mercury Thiocyanide
Have you ever seen a piece of mercury thiocyanide burning? Take a look at this video and be amazed. Do not try this at home because it produces poisonous mercury vapors.
(via UniqueDaily)
Feathers On The Wings Of Time
Feathers abound in nature. The winged creatures of the world have a huge diversity of plumage, coming at us in all the colors of the rainbow. When viewed close up they can give the impression of being more successful attempts at abstract art.
Here are just a few of our feathered friends, up close and personal. When, at last, does art imitate life?
(via Robert-John)
Herb-N Art Toys
Everything's going green these days, and the toy world is no exception. Perhaps appealing to our guilt at the amount of plastic we consume as toy fanatics, a growing crop of collectibles attempts to balance the extraneous and the ecological.
Just because you live in the city doesn't mean you can't grow a garden. Here are some herb-n art toys.
(thanks Jeremy)
Fingers And Toes Evolved From Fins
Scientists have traced the origin of fingers and toes to fish-like creatures that roamed the seas 380 million years ago, according to a new study. The findings, published in the British-based science journal Nature, upend the prevailing theory on the evolution of digits.
The hand and the foot emerge from pre-existing bits of the fin skeleton that were just reshaped, rather than being entirely new bits that were bolted onto the existing fin skeleton.
Bubblicious
Bubblicious is a bowl comprised of varying volumes of spheres, to place fruit of different sizes, in a way that enables to position the object in a new equilibrium each time, due to the change in the center of gravity.
(via CrookedBrains)
Elephant Appreciation Day
Today is Elephant Appreciation Day.
Elephant Appreciation Day was declared beginning in 1996 by Mission Media (a digital and print publisher of graphics).
The elephant generally deserves to be appreciated and upheld as an example of courage, strength, self-reliance, patience, persistence, and general high quality of being.
Look! There's Something On The Roof!
Don't look now, but there's something on that roof! Honestly, there's something on the roof and it's huge!
Will you just look; of course I am telling you the truth! Huh, well now you've gone and missed it! Some strangely different takes on architecture await your inspection.
(via Robert-John)
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: I Don't Have Problems, I Have Solutions!
click on the picture for real size
The Time Eater
Professor Stephen Hawking has unveiled a spectacular clock at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, named the Corpus Clock. The machine has been designed by Dr John Taylor for the exterior of the college's new library building.
Meet Wilma
Artists and scientists have created the first model of a Neanderthal woman based in part on ancient DNA from 43,000-year-old bones that had been cannibalised.
The model has been nicknamed Wilma after she was found to have red-hair like the Flintstones character. The findings had suggested that at least some Neanderthals would have had red hair, pale skin, and possibly freckles.
Scenes From North Korea
Celebrating 60 years of existence this year, North Korea holds out as the last Stalinist state in the world. In such a restrictive society, it is difficult - if not impossible - for residents to get news of the outside world, and for the outside world to see in.
These photos were all taken within the past six months - some taken from the borders, peering in, others provided by North Korea itself, and several generously shared by freelance photographer Eric Lafforgue, who recently spent some time inside the country.
The World's Biggest Airplanes
For a few thousand years the biggest things in the skies were only in our imaginations, flying figments of myth and fable: the Roc from Sinbad's tales, the Garuda bird from the Mahabharata, the Thunderbird from North America.
But then a few very clever, and rather persistent, folks got tired of only dreaming. With great inventiveness, they wanted to see what was actually above the clouds. They sought to create something as wondrously big, or nightmarishly immense, as those birds of myth and legend.
20 Most Incredible Desert Oases
An oasis is a fertile tract of land that occurs in a desert wherever a permanent supply of fresh water is available. Oases vary in size from about 2.5 acres around small springs to vast areas of naturally watered or irrigated land.
Underground water sources account for most oases; their springs and wells are supplied from sandstone aquifers whose intake areas may be more than 500 miles away.
Scott Fahlman's Smiley
Yesterday it was 26 years ago that Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Scott Fahlman proposed the use of :-) and :-( which he thought would help people on message boards to distinguish serious posts from jokes.
The original message board post from which these symbols originated was posted on September 19, 1982. It was retrieved in 2002 by a team of computer specialists seeking to validate the claim.
Viva Obama
Al candidato quien es Barack Obama, este corrido le canto con el alma.
Featuring: Mariachi Aguilas de Mexico.
(via Everlasting Blort)
1001 Rules For My Unborn Son
Let's get some things straight before I get old and uncool.
1001 Rules for my Unborn Son.
35 Of The Most Unique And Creative Sofa Designs
One of the most important things to do while furnishing your living room is to get good sofa sets. Here are 35 of the most interesting and creative sofa designs that you can find on the internet.
(thanks Micle)
History Of Pizza Packaging
The world of pizza packaging is often ignored but highly potential. Virtually everyone has 'experienced' hundreds of pizza boxes in their lifetime. Yet few know anything about the vessel that carries their favorite food.
(via J-Walk Blog)
Avast, Me Hearties
Arr, today be Talk Like a Pirate Day. What once was a goofy idea celebrated by a handful o' buckos has turned into an international phenomenon that shows no sign o' lettin' up.
Talkin' like a pirate be fun. Tis' mightily that simple. It adds a zest, a swagger, t' your every day conversation. Do ye need 'nother reason? Gar!
Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008.
Animal Splicer 1.0
The Animal Splicer 1.0 is a malicious machine. Take two animals, put them on separate pods, pull the lever, and presto... you just created a new animal.
I took a monkey and a snake and made a... snonkey.
Panoramic Picture Of Blue Moon Restaurant
Blue Moon, a restaurant in Lima, Peru, claims to have the world's second biggest bottle collection (when it comes to limited editions of artistic bottles). 17.500 bottles in public view, and 5.000 bottles additionally stored away from public view. And of course the buffet is superior.
More panoramic pictures at panoramas.dk.
Graffiti For Butterflies
Graffiti for Butterflies uses images of milkweed flowers to broadcast the location of food sources to monarch butterflies. The graffiti is usually placed on a wall above an actual milkweed plant, signaling the presence of nectar to hungry monarchs in the vicinity.
(via BLDHBLOG)
A Predator Lands In London
Commuters in South East London have recently been woken from their somnambulistic state while they do their usual A-Z on the bus to work each morning.
For those with slightly overactive imaginations this had led to a quick awakening from their state of early morning stupor. The Predator is in London.
Chicken-Footed Duck Scared Of Water
A Chinese farmer is baffled after he bought a duck that has feet like a chicken and is scared of water. Fu Haiwen said he bought the duck in June but did not notice its unusual feet for ten days.
It was only after he noticed it acting differently to the rest of the ducks that he examined it closely and was surprised to see it did not have webbed feet.
(via Arbroath)
Now You See It, Now You Don't
Don't get the idea that we've found every kind of astronomical object there is in the universe. In a paper to appear in the Astrophysical Journal, astronomers working on the Supernova Cosmology Project report finding a new kind of something that they cannot make any sense of.
The project used the Hubble Space Telescope to monitor very distant galaxy clusters for supernovae. On February 21, 2006, in the direction of a far-away cluster in the Bootes constellation, Hubble began seeing something brighten.
It continued brightening for about 100 days and it then faded away over a similar timescale, until nothing was left in view. Its spectrum was like nothing ever seen. Even the cause of the spectral features is unknown.
(via Neatorama)
Speed Vest
The Speed Vest is experimental clothing designed to create an environment in which bicyclists are respected as equal users of the roadway. It increases motorists' awareness of both cyclists and speed limits by displaying the bicyclist's speed in bright electroluminescent digits on the bicyclists back.
(via Coudal Partners)
Time Of My Life
Time of my Life is a Daily Photo Aging Project by Dan Hanna. From June 1, 1991, when he was 31 years old, to September 17, 2007, when he was 48 years old, he took a photo of himself every day.
How Long Could You Survive Chained To A Bunk Bed with a Velociraptor?
Both you and the velociraptor are tethered to the bunk bed with 7 foot chains. The chains are unbreakable and cannot be removed from the bunk bed. The bunk bed is light enough that you can drag it a little. You are free to run around the bed or get on the top bunk.
How long could you survive?
(via Neatorama)
The Book Of Numbers
A collection of short stories on money, the Universe, and nursery rhymes.
The Book of Numbers.
Face Memory Test
Skills like memory are the first to go when we're tired. Recognition memory for faces is unaffected by sleep loss. A person who has not slept for as much as 35 hours can perform as well as someone who is not sleep deprived.
The area of the brain that controls temporal memory can be affected by prolonged sleep loss and/or ageing. So a healthy 65 year old who sleeps normally would be able to perform this test similarly to a 20 year old who has gone without sleep for 36 hours.
This test assesses your ability to remember how long ago something happened - your 'temporal' memory. If you're tired you won't be as good at remembering when you saw or did something.
Here are my results:
Take the Face Memory Test.
(via J-Walk Blog)
Beer On A Stick
I'm not sure why you would need something like this, but the Beer on a Stick does have some advantages. The beer is not warmed by your hand, and your hand will not get cold and wet.
(via CraziestGadgets)
In Search Of The Mongolian Death Worm
Trudging gingerly across the arid sands of the Gobi desert, Czech explorer Ivan Mackerle is careful not to put a foot wrong, for he knows it may be his last.
He scours the land and shifting valleys for tell-tale signs of disturbance in the sands below, always ready for the unexpected lurch of an alien being said to kill in one strike with a sharp spout of acidic venom to the face. A creature so secretive that no photographic evidence yet exists, but the locals know it's there, waiting to strike – the Mongolian Death Worm.
Anti-Theft Lunch Bags
Don't want some hungry co-workers eating your delicious sandwich? Innovative designer Sherwood Forlee has a clever solution: Anti-Theft Lunch Bags are regular sandwich bags that have green splotches printed on both sides. After your sandwich is placed inside, no one will want to touch it.
(via wooHome)
Love Your Coffee
Designer Sunman Kwon has found a new reason to drink your coffee to the last drop. By incorporating a cleverly concealed symbolic message, your journey to the bottom of your cup becomes a journey into the universal language of love.
Acting like a slow striptease of affection, this message of love is only fully revealed after you have consumed your entire cup of caffeine, giving you new carnal ideas to channel your fresh burst of energy.
Stabilized Bigfoot Film
The well-known Bigfoot film, made by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin, has been stabilized frame-by-frame to give you a better view.
Here are links to the Patterson/Gimlin film footage and to the film's stabilization and enhancements.
Letter Lottery Defines Spam Load
How much spam you get may depend on the first letter in your e-mail address, a study reveals. The analysis, of more than 500 million junk messages, revealed those letters that get more junk than average.
The study (carried out by University of Cambridge, UK, computer scientist Dr Richard Clayton) found that e-mail addresses starting with an A, M or S got more than 40% spam. By contrast those beginning with a Q or Z got about 20%. The difference could be down to the way spammers generate e-mail addresses they want to target.
The Apocalypse Codex Vol 1
Every Monday for the past three years I have posted a Home Schooled comic. It's an exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and the artist, Ash Jackson.
The Apocalypse Codex Vol 1 is a compilation of the best of Home Schooled from those three years.
StealthSwitch
StealthSwitch is a microprocessor based computer privacy device. StealthSwitch can instantly and completely hide applications with a press of the footswitch. The applications are not just minimized... they are made completely invisible.
No more minimizing applications, turning off the monitor, or re-booting when someone enters your office or cubicle. With a simple click of the foot switch, you can instantly hide the current window, hide all open windows, or hide all open windows except certain windows.
Weird And Wonderful Weather Vanes Of The World
We all have a picture of the traditional weather vane, spinning in the wind. Things move on and times change. Objects both decorative and useful must change with them.
Take a look at some quite different takes on the weather vane.
(via Robert-John)
Grapes With An End User License Agreement
These grapes from Sunview came with an End User License Agreement.
In the small print at the bottom it says:
The recipient of the produce contained in this package agrees not to propagate or reproduce any portion of the produce, including (but not limited to) seeds, stems, tissue and fruit.
(via Boing Boing)
39 Masterpieces Of Creative Advertisements
Sometimes advertisements are just advertisements, but some companies work very hard to make their promotional campaigns very unique, striking and successful.
39 Masterpieces of Creative Advertisements.
Daily Self Portraits By Russell Higgs
Russell says: This project requires me to shoot and present A Fresh Snapshot Of Myself Every Single Day. I began it in July 2006. I like ideas and I enjoy putting ideas into practice. I like trying ideas out, rather than segregating them from a prescribed day to day reality.
The Choices and Decisions that go into constructing each Daily Self Portrait tend to be Improvised, Intuitive, Spur of the Moment and Unrehearsed.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Large Hadron Collider Game
The Large Hadron Collider is a complex machine and they need you to help them with some final adjustments.
The Astonishing Eggs Of Alien Nations
We are not alone. There are alien nations among us and they are breeding, numbering in their billions. However, don't be too alarmed as they are generally tiny and evolved on our little blue planet.
They have not after all, arrived from some galaxy far, far away. Their eggs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and reflect the diversity of their countless species. Here, thanks to some wonderful macrophotography, are the eggs of some of the insects with which we share the planet earth.
(via Robert-John)
Peugeot Concept Vehicles: The Cars Of The Future
These vehicles are all entries to the Peugeot Design Contest 2008. Designers were asked to create a concept car for the cities of the future, concentrating on environmental awareness, social harmony, interactive mobility and economic efficiency.
The car pictured above is called the Peugeot Blade, and has a wind turbine attached to the back to charge its electric battery.
Fish 'N Flush
The Fish 'n Flush is a whimsical potty that turns your toilet into a nautical wonderland. Fish 'n Flush is a patented, two-piece aquarium toilet tank, designed by AquaOne Technologies.
Fish 'n Flush fits most two-piece toilets and turns the bathroom into the center of attention with its unique design of an aquarium that wraps itself around a clear inner tank.
(via Zootrópole)
Worlds Weirdest And Largest Bikes
Some of the weirdest bikes the world has ever laid eyes upon have been designed and built by Didi Senft - a 56 year old cycling fan better known as 'El Diablo'.
Didi's notoriety goes far beyond the German borders, as he's had no fewer than 10 entries in The Guinness Book of Records, including the world's largest and longest rideable bicycle - an astonishing 25 feet 7 inches long and 12 feet 2 inches high.
Tattoo Symbols And Designs
An alphabetical listing of tattoo symbols and design meanings.
(via Look At This...)
Pyramid-Shaped Car
While this pyramid-shaped car might look pretty goofy, it's actually an energy-efficient electric vehicle which laughs in the face of today's gas guzzlers.
Created by Sugar Grove, Illinois inventor Greg Zanis, the Dream Car 123 tools down the street at up to 40 mph. A single 3.5 hour charge provides about 240 miles of driving for only about $5 in electricity cost.
(via UniqueDaily)
The Mystery Of The Mandelbrot Fractal
It's been around 30 years since we all first saw pictures of the famous Mandelbrot set. Thirty years of exploring its unending beauty and variety. Only the advent of computers made this possible, since hundreds of thousands of calculations need to be made before we can begin to see what the thing even looks like.
Probably no eye has ever seen the wonders of the 3D Mandelbrot set. This page goes in search of the elusive beast - and what could be considered by some to be the Holy Grail of fractals.
Cucumber Pickers Of Belarus
A new technology in agriculture is implemented by cucumber pickers in Belarus.
(thanks Sergei)
Love Me Or Leaf Me: The Secret Life Of Leaves
We take leaves for granted but there is much more to them than meets the eye. Here, with the aid of some photographs, is a look into the life of the leaf.
What are they for? Why do they change color in the Fall? These and other questions you were too bored at school to ask are now answered.
(via Robert-John)
Write Your Name In Runes
Runes are letters belonging to an old Germanic alphabet. The runic alphabet, also called futhark, is attested in northern Europe, Britain, Scandinavia, and Iceland from about the 3rd century to the 16th or 17th century AD.
Here's my first name in Runes.
See what your name looks like in Runes.
A Collection Of Cool Bottle Openers
Nowadays, bottle openers come in all shapes and sizes.
Here are some examples of cool bottle openers.
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: Adam the Face.
click on the picture for real size
Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator
Sarah Palin (vice-presidential running mate) has picked out an All-American set of names for her children. There's Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Ever wonder what your name would be if Sarah Palin was your mother? Well now you can find out.
If Sarah Palin were my mother, I would be named Rankle Hiway Palin.
Find out your name with the Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator.
Lazy Blogger
Holy cow, I just realised I have not updated this since they invented sliced bread... You would not believe how insane my life has become. Seriously! I am absolutely consumed with responding to fanmail, selling my soul to Google, and just generally being a terrible burden to my colleagues.
My day is long and tiring from crawling out of bed at 6.30 to 11pm at which point I fall asleep on the couch. I am totally exhausted. But who cares. I promise that I will blog more regularly. Well, I'll try. I mean it!
This is not a real post.
Well, it actually is, but it was created with the Lazy Bloggers Post Generator.
Is It Bye-Bye To The Aye-Aye?
Meet the Aye-Aye, the animal many believe to be the ugliest on the planet. Unfortunately for this creature, it is also one of the most endangered.
Will it soon be time to wave bye-bye to the Aye-Aye or can it be brought back from the edge of extinction?
(via Robert-John)
Fake Streetsigns
Panos 2013 Fake Streetsigns is a collaborative project that takes the work of artists from around the world, in the form of fake streetsigns, and turns the streets of Lyon, France, into an enormous gallery without walls.
The round red and white signs look enough like real European traffic signs that you might take them for granted, but weird enough if you notice them to make you stop and think.
(via Grow-A-Brain)
Early Whales Had Legs
The first whales once swam the seas by wiggling large hind feet, research now suggests. These new findings shed light on the mysterious shift these leviathans made away from land.
The ancestors of whales once strode on land on four legs, just as other mammals do. Over time, as they evolved to dwell in water, their front legs became flippers while they lost their back legs and hips, although modern whales all still retain traces of pelvises, and occasionally throwbacks are born with vestiges of hind limbs.
Higgs Boson
The Higgs boson (also known as the God particle) is a hypothetical, massive subatomic particle with zero electric charge whose existence would explain the masses of the elementary particles.
Many scientist hope that the Large Hadron Collider will detect the elusive Higgs boson when it begins colliding particles at 99,99% of the speed of light.
Particle Zoo is now selling this woolly Higgs boson with gravel fill for maximum mass.
(via Boing Boing)
2008 Summer Paralympic Games
Over 4,200 athletes - from six different disability groups - from 148 countries are taking part in the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.
Stormpulse
Stormpulse shows active hurricanes and tropical storms. You can turn on layers to show projected paths and historical tracks. You can see all active hurricanes at once, drag the map around, or click on a specific storm.
You can see detailed information like the wind speed, category, pressure, movement, and detailed graphics to keep them in check. Stormpulse has data going back to 1851, so you can see the paths and intensity of previous hurricanes.
Joongel
Joongel is a simple web application for searching and navigating through the most popular sources on the Internet in different categories.
Instead of presenting you with an enormous amount of scattered results from different subjects and websites, Joongel provides direct search results from the ten most viewed websites in a specific subject or subcategory.
Gnomebearers
Finally rid your garden of those pesky ceramic garden gnomes with these Mini GnomeBearers. Now your garden can be free of those kitsch little garden invaders. Who do they think they are, wearing tiny red dunce caps and pushing inefficient wooden wheelbarrows?
Place these GnomeBearers into your flower beds and watch the demented gnomes disappear like magic.
Mail Order Husbands
Have you been 'Clicking for Love' in all the wrong places? Look no further, MailOrderHusbands.Net is the top spousal-order fulfillment service worldwide. Men have mail order brides - now women can do the choosing on the web.
Mail Order Husbands is the first mail-order-spouse firm to market eligible bachelors! Welcome to the future of international personals for women. Don't Wait, Propose Today!
Here's Steven from New Mexico, U.S.A:
I'm definitely a classic romantic. I like a candlelight dinner, some quiet background music, and a couple hits of ether. I prefer a woman that has insurance and a car would be great as I need to make the occassional trip to Mexico to pick up 'souvenirs.'
(via Optical Poptitude)
BananaSlug
Are you tired of the same old Google search results? Try BananaSlug. With normal Google searching, there are many web pages that you may never have a chance to see.
So BananaSlug throws in a random word from a category of your choice. They 'seed' your search with another word, chosen at random, and this accidental encounter results in pages you may have overlooked.
Enter your search term in the window, select a category for your random word, and that's it.
Top Five Animals With The Most Stunning Eyes
Have you ever been mesmerized by eyes before? Well prepare for more because here is a list of creatures that perhaps have the most amazing eyes in the whole animal kingdom.
(via Neatorama)
Poolside Pong
Poolside Pong is the only year round inflatable beer pong table that has all the features of traditional beer pong and more! Its unique and portable design allows you to bring beer pong out of homes and dorms and into pools, lakes, beaches and tailgate parties.
(thanks Scott)
The Gentleman's Guide To The Calling Card
To the unrefined or unbred, the visiting card is but a trifling and insignificant bit of paper; but to the cultured disciple of social law, it conveys a subtle and unmistakable intelligence.
Its texture, style of engraving, and even the hour of leaving it combine to place the stranger, whose name it bears, in a pleasant or a disagreeable attitude even before his manners, conversation, and face have been able to explain his social position.
Bottled New York Tap Water
Tap'dNY is a company that sells New York tap water in bottles. Their street team made their first outing spreading the truth one bottle at a time by refilling people's spend bottled water bottles with good 'ol fashion New York City tap.
(thanks Jake)
Large Hadron Collider Webcams
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator complex, intended to collide opposing beams of protons charged with very high energy.
A lot of people were afraid that turning on the machine could destroy the world. They thought that the collider would create mini-black holes that last long enough and get big enough to turn into a matter-sucking maelstrom.
News from the LHC website shows everything went fine and nothing happened.
Well, not according to these webcams. One is looking at the Underground Experimental Cavern, the other is looking out of the window of the 1st Floor of the SCX building that houses the CMS Control room.
Related: Has the Large Hadron Collider destroyed the world yet?
More Cowbell
You know what we need? More cowbell. 'More cowbell' is an American pop culture catch phrase originally derived from a Saturday Night Live comedy sketch about the recording of a song by Blue Öyster Cult.
Now you can upload any song from your computer, add a little (or a lot) of cowbell (and maybe a little Christopher Walken) and make it happen.
Today Seven Years Ago
Today is Patriot Day in the USA.
Seven years ago, the single worst act of terrorism was committed on U.S. soil, nearly 3,000 people died when two hijacked jetliners crashed into New York's World Trade Center, causing the twin towers to collapse; a commandeered jetliner smashed into the Pentagon; and a fourth hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania.
Let's never forget.
How To Be Happy At Work
Your job might not be the best, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy when you are at work. In fact no matter how bad your job is you can smile all day long after following these simple steps.
Strange Dolls By Beth Robinson
These strange dolls are not something you will find in a toy store. They are hardly something you would buy for a child.
They are misproportioned, strangely dressed, and they have a story and character uniquely their own.
Erich's Puzzle Palace
Erich's Puzzle Palace was created by Erich Friedman, an Associate Professor of Mathematics and ex-Chair of the Math and Computer Science Department at Stetson University, Florida.
How To Remember Names and Faces 1958
The most common complaint made by people who have poor memory, is that they are continually forgetting peoples names. They remember the faces but the names fail to stick.
How To Remember Names and Faces by Edward Stoddard.
(via Dark Roasted Blend)
Where What How Why
Where What How Why tries to answer any kind of question you might have that begins with a simple where, what, how or why.
Like 'What is the real name of Gene Simmons?' How to make a good Italian sauce? Why can men only do one thing at a time? What is the largest volcano?
Schoolgirl Lets 25 Snails Slide Across Her Face
Schoolgirl Tiana Walton from Alvanley, UK, has slithered into the record books - for having the most snails on her face at once. Nine-year-old Tiana bravely allowed 25 of the slimy creatures to cover her eyes, nose and mouth.
(via bookofjoe)
Worldwide Guide To Women In Leadership
The Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership is dedicated to the women who have ruled since the beginning of times - or as long as the sources date back.
(via corsinet)
Hair Club For Men
In this testimonial from a recent Hair Club infomercial, a teen stepdaughter talks about how much better her stepdad looks after getting his hair replacement procedure and then goes on to reveal that her girlfriends think her stepfather looks hot.
(via AdFreak)
Google News Archive
Google launched an initiative to make more old newspapers accessible and searchable online by partnering with newspaper publishers to digitize millions of pages of news archives.
Not only will you be able to search these newspapers, you'll also be able to browse through them exactly as they were printed - photographs, headlines, articles, advertisements and all.
Google News Archive.
The World's Best Places To Live 2008
New York, London, and Paris are internationally renowned cities but consultants at Mercer Consulting have picked Zurich, Switzerland, as the best place to live.
Neglected Sensibles Shelter
Save your Sensible. You can slap, throw, poke or spin your Sensible. You can also feed it.
Here's my Sensible.
World Names Profiler
Enter your surname in World Names Profiler and find its orgin and density on a world map. The site has been compiled by researchers from the University College London.
I found it to be quite accurate. I entered my surname and World Names Profiler said the Netherlands is the country were my name occurs most, which is correct. They also mentioned the province I live in as the top region for my name, which is also correct.
Faces Of Millions
Faces of Millions is a project which aims to create the biggest photo mosaic yet, that will be about 30x30ft big (approx. 10x10m or 3 stories high).
It will be made of about 300 usual size posters, which will have fingernail sized photos of you, your friends and all the other people who take part (about a million of them).
Umbrella Today?
If you have to go out the door today and are wondering whether you need an umbrella, Umbrella Today is the simplest weather report ever.
Enter your US zip code (it's not for international users) and get a quick yes or no answer. You can also enter your cell phone number to receive a text message on days you need an umbrella.
Every Dew Drop Has Heaven In It
In his poem Hyperion, Longfellow said, 'Every dew-drop and rain-drop had a whole heaven within it.' What would he make of today's world of micro and macrophotography?
Pay a visit to the macro universe and see for yourself the beauty of the dew drop. Stunning photography and an explanation of the science behind the phenomena will convince you.
(via Robert-John)
Top 10 Creative Responses To Junk Mail
Junk mail is renowned for cluttering mailboxes, increasing the risk of identity theft, and, of course, killing millions of trees every year. Not surprisingly, it elicits annoyance from most people. But, believe it or not, it also elicits creativity from others.
Here's a list of the 'Top 10 Creative Responses To Junk Mail.' Maybe there's more to junk mail than meets the eye. If nothing else, these responses represent some interesting and unconventional ways to recycle.
Play With Spider
Play With Spider is an experimental project to make a natural spider in Flash, combining math and graphics.
(via Everlasting Blort)
The Blogger Spelling Test
Have a blog? Find out what words you may be misspelling. Take the test to see whether you're guilty of making the most common mistakes.
Once you're done taking the Blogger Spelling Test, you can view the correct answers so you can avoid these mistakes in the future.
See also Top Ten Grammar Errors that Haunt Web Pages.
(via ProBlogger)
The Internet Says 'No'
If the Internet could talk, what would it say?
I guess it would say: 'NO.'
(via The Thinks I Think)
Little Girl Giant
This is a repost but it keeps impressing me.
The Little Girl Giant wakes up, takes a shower from the time-traveling elephant and wanders off to play in the park.
Royal de Luxe are an extraordinary European street theatre company founded by Jean Luc Courcoult and they have performed all over the world ever since.
EyeWitness To History
Your ringside seat to history - from the Ancient World to the present. History through the eyes of those who lived it. From the Battle of Marathon, 490 BC to President Nixon Leaves the White House, 1974.
Eyewitness to History.
Top 10 Amazing Prison Escapes
As long as we have had prisons, we have had prison escapes. This is a list of the 10 most daring and amazing escapes from prison in history.
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: You Should See Obama's Ferrari Made Of Starlight.
click on the picture for real size
Music Tastes Link To Personality
Musical tastes and personality type are closely related, according to a study of more than 36,000 people from around the world. The research, which was carried out by Professor Adrian North of Heriot-Watt University, UK, is said to be the largest such study ever undertaken.
Over 36,000 people from all over the world were asked to rate 104 musical styles and also questioned about aspects of their personality.
It seems that people who like blues, soul, jazz, reggae, rap, and opera have a high self-esteem, and are creative and outgoing. People who like dance music are also creative and outgoing but are not gentle. Country and Western lovers are hardworking people, while those who listen to reggae, indie, and rock/heavy metal are not.
Oktapodi
A film by Julien Bocabeille, Francois-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier and Emud Mokhberi from French animation school Gobelins.
(via Neatorama)
Death By Chocolate: Murder, Mayhem And Expiry Dates
All it takes is some chocolate, a warped sense of humor and a camera. Come and witness Death By Chocolate as seen by others. If the sight of dead people disturbs you, don't worry - your only fear is you might die laughing.
(via Robert-John)
Tiny Houses
The size of a home varies around the world; while some families live in one room huts, others have gigantic homes which seem to never end. In the case of home size, more and more people are choosing to live in small homes.
Most downsizes opt for more modest quarters, while some homeowners take this trend to a new level, choosing to live in tiny houses.
(via Dark Roasted Blend)
Photo Tampering Throughout History
'Photoshopping' or photo manipulation is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception through analog or digital means. 'Photoshopping' is nothing new. It goes back to at least around 1860.
A long list of examples of photo tampering throughout history.
(via Look At This...)
Obama Dragon And McCain Gargoyle Statues
Cast your ballot with these collectible gargoyle candidates! While Senator McCain comes out swinging as a well-seasoned gargoyle with a tough political reputation, Senator Obama is a formidable foe as a fiercely committed young dragon of mystic strength. Only $14.98 each.
Onde E Que As Mulheres Gastam O Seu Dinheiro?
My Portuguese isn't as good as it used to be, but I think it has something to do with women and money.
(via Everlasting Blort)
How Useless Is A Chocolate Teapot?
The Naked Scientists are a media-savvy group of physicians and researchers from Cambridge University, UK, who use radio, live lectures, and the Internet to strip science down to its bare essentials, and promote it to the general public.
They wanted to find out how thick the walls of a chocolate teapot would have to be to let you brew tea. They discovered that a chocolate teapot is really not very useful. How surprising!
Postcard.FM
Postcard.FM is the easiest way to send audio postcards to someone. You just upload the chosen picture and mp3, type your message and you are done. It's free and doesn't need any registration.
(via AudioPorn Central)
Pictures Of Extreme Weather Instability
Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution, especially severe or unseasonal weather.
Pictures Of Extreme Weather Instability.
Presidency 2008
I know the next US President will be either John McCain or Barack Obama. I also know there are third parties candidates (Ralph Nader comes to mind). What I didn't know was that there are so many other candidates participating in the race to the White House.
Here's a list of everyone running for the Presidency 2008.
(via mental_floss)
GeoGreeting
The surface of the Earth holds a message for you. You just need to look a little closer. You can see it here.
Make your own GeoGreeting message.
Travolta's Airplane
Do you have an airplane in your front yard? Of course you haven't.
But John Travolta has!
School Of Everything
School of Everything has just launched. It's a social learning network that connects people who can teach with people who want to learn. Whatever you want to learn, and whatever you teach, they'll connect you to people near you (or online) who can teach or learn with you. And it's completely free.
Find new things to learn, and new people to learn with. Keep track of what you want to learn and share it with your friends. Got something to teach? Create a teacher page and offer your skills to the community and the world at large, for hard cash or just for the love of it.
Memory Game
Here's a nice memory game for your kids. Or yourself, if you want to give a try.
Room 108 Memory Game.
Making Canned Halloween Monstrosities
Who needs off-the-shelf seasonal Halloween decorations when you can make your own in an afternoon for a fraction of the price and get ten times the quality - not to mention something wholly unique?
You can make your own Halloween decoration for only a couple dollars each. It's easy if you have a few things around the house and a dollar store nearby. You just need a little imagination and an eye for mixing and matching.