Monthly Archives: February 2012
Steampunk Top Gear
I think people have lost the idea of what “steampunk” really is. In a later number, I will delve into this with gusto. For now, though, I bring you Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson shoveling coal.
Mickey’s Swamp Castle
I got the idea originally when I was looking at the statue one afternoon and thought, “It’s kinda like Walt is telling Mickey, ‘One day, lad, all this will be yours….'” At which point the idea gestated into the quick little project you see here. I simply took photos of the statue from various angles and mashed them up with the audio from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I was in some luck as the day that I took photos, Disneyland had set a few curtains in front of the state for some reason or other.
Devil’s Fire
(Title and source unknown)
I thought it might be interesting to start a recurring segment where I find some interesting pinup artwork and post it with a link to the artist (or other source), just to further the artform. As a pilot and history enthusiast, I have a special place in my heart for the classic-style pinup–be it on the nosecone of an aircraft or the door of a locker–the pinup has played an integral part in the shaping of the 21st century. In this new segment, I will attempt to find a diverse mix of pinups from all eras and elaborate on their cultural significance…or maybe I’ll just post the picture. What would you like to see?
The Heart of The TARDIS (Valentine)
Someone has finally located the true Heart of the TARDIS. No, I’m not talking about that glowing light and mass of Huron particles that Rose Tyler used to brink Jack Harkness back to life, nor am I talking about the daffy lady in the blue bustier on the planet in the Bubble Universe. I’m talking about the true heart and soul of the TARDIS, the one thing that has kept The Doctor travelling through time and space for almost fifty years, the one thing that brings Whovians together more strongly than the gravitational pull of a black hole, the one thing that will never blink in times of trouble: love.
Congratulations to lastone2sherlockisasissy on making the best Valentine card ever, and enjoy the whole of time and space with your companion (or use this card to find one)!
2 Stupid Dogs Combines Childhood Slapstick With Adult Innuendo
If you were a kid in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, chances are you probably (didn’t) watch a little cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera studios featuring the antics of two highly-stylised and intellectually-challenged canines. The show in question, 2 Stupid Dogs, is one of the rare, unappreciated gems that helped herald the new renaissance in American animation and gave way to later unbridled shows–such as The Oblongs, Superjail, and Robot Chicken (pretty-much the entire Adult Swim lineup)–that have come to define a humour for an entire generation.
The show was the brainchild of Disney house animator Donovan Cook who had worked on several feature films while finishing his degree at CalArts. In addition to Cook’s demented sense of humour, Spümcø president John Kricfalusi (“John K.” of Ren and Stimpy fame) as well as other Spümcø writers and artists would often contribute story and artistic elements (Kricfalusi was even credited with contributing “Tidbits of Poor Taste” in some episodes). The series also helped launch the career of some of the biggest names in animation in the 1990’s and 2000’s: Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory), Craig McCracken (The PowerPuff Girls), Butch Hartman (The Fairly OddParents), and Rob Renzetti (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic), to name but a few. The writing was fresh and often topical, appealing to a mature audience while silliness, gross humour, and slapstick appealed to the “target” audience.
The sheer brilliance of the series laid not only in its razor-sharp wit, but also in its unusual “retro” style. The cartoon was drawn the the very simplistic, stylised manner of cartoons common in the 1950’s and 60’s, considered to be the golden age of television animation; the show also employed many conventions that had fallen by the wayside during the 1980’s such as absurdism, irrelevant sound effects, and wild takes. The show also employed a gaggle of celebrated voice actors, some of which were legends in their own right (June Foray, Carol Channing, Casey Kasem, Frank Welker), and some of which were just beginning to get noticed (Ben Stiller, and Everybody Loves Raymond‘s Brad Garrett).
Though only 36 shorts were produced (a paltry 4.5 hours of content compared to other shows at the time), they are packed full of quality content with absolutely no “throw away” episodes. 2 Stupid Dogs guarantees to appeal to both the classic animation lover and to the casual aficionado of cheap jokes and hearty guffaws.
A Warm Welcome
Rowan Atkinson (a.k.a. “Mr. Bean”, “Edmund Blackadder”, and even “The Doctor”) is probably one of the most versatile actors and certainly one of the funniest minds of our time. Most people in the U.S. have never heard of him, so he is certainly one of the most under-appreciated acts on this side of the pond, usually relegated to playing small characters and flunkies in Hollywood’s B-list movies (Rat Race, Never Say Never Again, and even his titular Bean). Just remember, that if it weren’t for Atkinson, American audiences would never have been told that “it’s not lupus” for eight years (House‘s Hugh Laurie first came to prominence on Blackadder).
This is a clip from the home video release of Rowan Atkinson Live! released in the early 1990’s when he played Boston University in a one-man show. In it, Atkinson, as The Devil, welcomes a new batch of sinners to Hell’s eternal damnation. Enjoy!
What’s The Best Free iPhone App For Tracking Fitness?
Author’s Note: This question was posed on Formspring. Feel free to ask any questions to me at http://www.formspring.me/matteargle and perhaps I will answer it in a future post!
Zelzega asks: What’s the best free iphone app for tracking fitness? I currently have Electric Miles (dailymile), Kinetic Lite, and Runkeeper. I love that Kinetic Lite connects to both dailymile and runkeeper, but which is the best?
As far as iPhone goes, I have no real idea considering I don’t carry one. In general, though, I use RunKeeper and Fitocracy. I’m not into tracking everything I eat, but RK does fantastically for my cardio, and Fitocracy imports from it so I don’t have to reenter anything. Fitocracy hasn’t developed a native application yet, but their mobile site is fully-featured and quite accessible.
The best part about Fitocracy is that it gamifies exercise. The site was started by a couple of stereotypical nerds who wanted to appeal to other stereotypical nerds through the two most powerful words in our language: LEVEL UP! The concept is that one earns points by performing certain exercises, thus increasing your overall capabilities–all in traditional RPG fashion. I have to admit, the formula works, especially in keeping me focused on strength training (which has always been something I avoided).
In short, the best application out there is the one that works best for what you want to accomplish. I want to have fun, and I’m a data junkie, so RK and Fitocracy work best for me. Try some of the applications listed in the apps section of the RunKeeper website. You’ll likely find one you like.
Fluid Makes Web Apps Real Desktop Apps
With the proliferation of web-based applications out there, have you ever wondered why companies don’t make native applications that can run from your desktop like they do with mobile platforms? Well, for one, cost is an issue–it’s cheaper to develop one website that’s compatible across platforms than it is to develop multiple stand-alone applications. Just look at mobile development–it’s almost like pulling teeth to get an iOS application ported to Android (and, to be fair, vice versa), which is why only the biggest companies with the most resources usually have multiple platform applications. If you don’t have their preferred platform, you just have to deal with the mobile website.
So, back to desktop applications. I use Google Music almost religiously as well as HootSuite, Wave Accounting, and a multitude of other sites for my day-to-day business. It’s more efficient for me to have an icon on my dock that I can just click and open a particular application (considering my Firefox browser usually has multiple tabs open already). In steps Fluid, a small application for OSX that will create a capsule for your favourite web applications, allowing you to tuck it safely into your Applications folder or conveniently on your dock, complete with its own settings and icon. I have to admit, it’s a tremendous time-saver and keeps my desktop nice and organised. Best of all, it’s free! There is also a “premium” version that costs $5 (As Clark Howard would say, “What a DEAL!”) that gives you a few more options such as separate cookie storage and using full screen mode in Lion, but the free version will do for most users.
Click over to their website and check out the details, but if you’re on a Mac, it is indispensable!
Biofuel Efforts Continue With Blue Angels Show
Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Chris Connolly applies an energy logo to one of the team’s aircraft.
This is kinda old news by now, but, considering it’s lack of publicity, I thought it was appropriate enough to mention today. The US Navy has been making significant steps to reduce reliance on petroleum in its aircraft, vehicles, and even land bases. This is really exciting for the Planeteer in me, but more so because, tactically, reducing reliance on petroleum naturally reduces reliance on imported petroleum and frees certain military interests from maintaining a stable foreign fuel supply. It seems a little lopsided that “the most powerful nation on earth” would rely on fuel from foreign powers, but that is the situation that has evolved since the 1950’s. From the environmental angle, it’s certainly a step in the right direction to reduce (I’m not going to play the “carbon footprint” card) the potential for environmental toxins to be released through the production and transport of oil. Not only does this bode well for the commercial aviation industry (who will benefit from the Navy’s extensive field testing), but having bases become self-reliant for energy will reduce the impact on electrical consumption in urban areas that have existing over-consumption problems. Anything to make the system smarter and cleaner works for me.
Perhaps now we should call them the “Green Angels”?
Read the full article here (via NavyTimes)
How To Set Up Custom Notification Tones On Samsung Galaxy S
If you’re like me and enjoy delving into a little hackery on your devices to make them “function correctly”, then welcome! I did a little futzing around with my Galaxy S to try and get a particular email notification working, so I thought I may share the process with you all here. First and foremost, you must have enabled root access on your phone, so go check that post out if you haven’t already. As always, no warranty is implied and you might void your warranty following this procedure. Perform at your own risk!
You will need:
Galaxy S phone with root access
Computer with Audacity installed and Bluetooth connectivity
Root Explorer application installed
Procedure:
1. Open the sound file you wish to use with Audacity.
2. Export the sound as *.ogg (Ogg Vorbis) format.
3. Rename the new file “22_FILENAME.ogg” where FILENAME is some short name describing the file.
4. Bluetooth transfer the file to your phone.
5. Open Root Explorer on your phone.
6. Navigate to ../sdcard/bluetooth/
7. Tap-hold the filename to bring up the options menu.
8. Click “Move” from the dialog.
9. Navigate to ../system/media/audio/notifications/ and make sure that “Mount R/W” is selected.
10. Click “Paste”.
11. Exit Root Explorer and reboot your phone.
12. Change your sound settings and enjoy!
BONUS:
I’m going to link you to a couple files that I used and, specifically, the email notification that I specifically figured this process out for. Enjoy!
Zen And The Art Of Desenrascanço 