June 08, 2007

Bloggingheads.tv

Bloggingheads.tv is a very interesting site which hosts a long list of "Diavlogs." The basic premise is two bloggers with expertise in heady subjects talk to each other using webcams, and we get to listen. Topics range from politics and international affairs to science and philosophy, and maybe other stuff too. Here's a diavlog centered around one of my favorite topics in general: consciousness.

Consciousness Explained, kind of
with philosopher David Chalmers and journalist John Horgan
[ http://bloggingheads.tv/video.php?id=287 ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)

June 06, 2007

Soda Constructor

This is an awesome internet invention that's still alive and kicking after having been around for years. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth a look. Check out the Soda Zoo to see all kinds of strange two-dimensional animals, moving parts and all, or try making your own.

Soda Constructor
[ http://www.sodaplay.com/constructor/ ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2007

Anagram Generator

I'm running out of juice to find cool stuff online.. I'm like Tinkerbell, you've got to keep clapping or believing in me or something. Here's an Anagram Generator to keep you busy, courtesy of your favorite website, Mocha Cutlet Overflight. This link is from Anu Garg's Wordsmith site. Garg is a man who dreams of a society that will "replace guns with dictionaries." Single tear rolling down my cheek.

Internet Anagram Server
[ http://wordsmith.org/anagram/ ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)

June 03, 2007

Sig Alert

Here's an indispensable site for any drivers or commuters living in the Los Angeles area, San Fransisco Bay area, in San Diego, or in Phoenix, Arizona. They have maps of all the major freeways in those areas with up-to-the-minute data on how fast cars are going all over the freeways. They even have reports on traffic accidents, hazards, even little blurbs like "Traffic Collision - Ambulance Responding." This thing is amazingly useful if you're battling traffic on a daily basis. The power is yours!

Sig Alert
[ http://www.sigalert.com/ ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2007

Buddha Machine

“The Buddha Machine is a little plastic box that plays music.

Specifically, FM3 constructed nine drones, varying from two seconds to 42 seconds, which repeat endlessly in the listener’s ear until the “track” is switched to the next drone (or the two AA batteries run out).

The machine has its own built-in speaker, in case one would like to fill a room with the drones, but there is also a headphone jack for more personal meditative experiences. There’s a switch on the side that allows for traversal of the tracks, and a DC jack (though an adapter is not included) for those who would like the Buddha Machine experience be truly endless.

In a way, it’s like the cheapest pre-loaded IPod you’ll ever be able to buy.”

- excerpt from review at PopMatters.com

- excerpt from the FAQ at the Buddha Machine website


[ http://www.fm3buddhamachine.com/ ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)

June 01, 2007

Cat Allergy & Cognitive Dissonance

Today I learned that I have an acute histamine reaction to glycoprotein Fel d 1, which is usually secreted by the sebaceous glands of the Felis catus species, and found most prominently on their skin and in their saliva. In other words, I am allergic to cats, which is sad because I was convinced I was the Cat Whisperer. The symptoms basically mirror those of asthma, and can be mild to severe. One of the possible side effects is sleeplessness, which is why I know all these things, because I couldn't sleep last night after my housemate's girlfriend moved her cat into our house and I started having difficulty breathing and sleeping, two things which are generally considered to be important to human health.

I also picked up a better understanding of the term cognitive dissonance after stumbling upon a review of Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) on the front page of the UCSC website (the author is a social psychologist and presumably a faculty member).

Um.. "booyah."

Posted by Nathaniel at 08:40 AM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2007

All of TV (dot net)

This site is amazing. They don't just have a whole lot of shows running right now, but old shows that have been taken off the air for years, even decades. Do you remember a time when cartoons were the hand-crafted gems of the industry? This site has them all. Ren and Stimpy, X-Men, Space Ghost, Two Stupid Dogs, even Yogi Bear and that terrible Super Mario Brothers show. They also have old shows like Sliders, ALL the Star Treks, Dragnet, The A-Team, even Eureka's Castle from the old Nickelodeon days. They even have all the latest episodes for any daytime soap freaks out there, Sports, Reality TV, Game Shows.... This thing is unbelievable. I don't know how they're still online, but I want my Ren and Stimpy!

alloftv.net

What's even more amazing is that the networks don't seem to mind. Big ones like NBC and ABC allow their shows to be streamed off their sites and haven't sought any action against sites like this. I'm guessing they figure if they can get someone hooked on their shows indirectly, they'll be getting some extra revenue from DVD sales and they don't have to pay a dime for the free advertisement. It's the film industry that's going after sites like youtube since people freely and anonymously uploading their movies or parts thereof is directly cutting into the corporate paycheck.

[ http://alloftv.net ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)

Homeless Signs

Mark Daye, a student from OCAD (Ontario College of Art & Design), produced a pretty interesting thesis project over in Toronto. I'll let him speak for himself:

Instead of rebranding a product, or service for my 4th year thesis project I chose to represent a local population that usually gets overlooked. I re-coded official signage and affixed 30 of them to poles in the downtown core with messages pertaining to an obvious but ignored urban sub culture. The goal was not only to catch people off guard by creating signs that acknowledge the homeless population on a seemingly official level, but to get people to think about codes of behaviour, conformity, acceptance and to maybe spare some consideration for the homeless who live mostly ignored in the city, blending into the background just like the signs.

Kudos, Mark! Here are a couple of examples of his work. Check the Homeless Signs entry on the Spacing Wire blog for the full story.


[ http://spacing.ca/wire/?p=1723 ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

Viral Infections

I've been having trouble getting rid of a flu for the last week, so I looked up a few things and found this useful page, which contains a concisely precise list of some herbal dietary supplements useful for combatting viral infections of different kinds. I have taken it upon myself to post a link for the general posterity of our collective.

The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook: Viral Infections
[ http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/41/120.cfm ]

Posted by Nathaniel at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)