Epy Birds at it again!

Eepybird's Sticky Note Experiment from Eepybird on Vimeo.

Summer Fun

Carnival from cans on Vimeo.

Click the link to go to the full-size video.

XKCD : "Small Talk:

View the whole thing here (not squashed into a very vertical blog layout) here
http://xkcd.com/222/

Week of summer posts!

This week, its all about summer!
Each day, I've got a new video on summer, focusing on carnivals (I mean, what's summer without one?)


CARNIVAL 5X5 from MAGICUPMYNOSE on Vimeo.

XKCD : Ninja Turtles

From
http://xkcd.com/197/

Touchtone Phone Symphony

Touch Tone Phone Symphony - Watch more free videos

Gray or Grey?

So, just how do you spell it?
GrAy?
or
GrEy?

The answer : either one. The spelling with an "e"is the original (or British, if you will) spelling of it, although the "American"spelling usually uses the "a."

Information from
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/235359.html

ScadShorts

How records are made

No, not birth record.
No, not criminal records.
Musical records. Those black spinny thingies that you play on a turntable. 45s. 33s. 78s.

Take a loot at how pile of plastic vynl shavings gets turned into beautiful music here
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9977878-52.html?tag=st.top

In case you're wondering why this is important, record sales are making a bit of a comeback. Up until the advent of MP3 players, buying music meant that you actually owned something - you had a physical record, then an 8-track, then a cassete, then a CD. But when you download a song, you're lucky if you're purchasing more then a few electrons to be written on your computers hard drive.

There's something about actually owning the PHYSICAL music - records aren't digital, they're the physical impression of the sound that they've recorded. Some people say they sound "better" then CDs or MP3s. I don't know weather or not I believe that (I've yet to actually get someone to help me do a blind test - I've got a turntable, a Boston album 33, CD, and MP3.)

One of the best reasons I can think of for a good comeback of records is the record sleeve. I mean, CD album covers are tiny - about 5 inches square. You can do the greatest album cover in the world, but its going to loose detail when printed that small. It's a whole other ballgame when your album art can be printed 12x12 (the size of a 33 1/3 RPM record.).

Where the Hell is Matt?

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
I know I embedded this video, but it actually gets better. . .Youtube is offering this video in high quality, so click the video, go to the youtube page for it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY) and click "watch in high quality" right below the bottom right corner of the video. It's MUCH better, and a feature that will hopefully be on ALL youtube videos soon. Going back on topic. . . . .

So, if you're wondering just who in the world this guy is, how he managed to travel around the world, and why he's dancing on the internet, check out his "about me" page here

http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/about.shtml,

and check out his homepage here
http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

Tricked-out golf carts

Time for a little bit of an "automotive" link here :P
I found this blog with even examples of cool golf cat modifications, like the firetruck below
(from http://www.streetrodproductions.com/firetruck.php )


Check out the other examples (including a bentley, a bus, a Hummer, and more) here
http://jalopnik.com/396587/
hot-rods-fire-trucks-and-more-seven-crazy-golf-cart-mods

"A Segscellent adventure"

I found this really neat article about Segways, and one reporters journey to learn to ride one on a tour of Baltimore.

I've posted the intoduction to the article, read the rest (and view the photos) in the link.

"Throughout history, mankind's lust for locomotion has propelled many an extravagant invention. In His Infinite Wisdom, God gave man two legs and unprecedented bipedalism, allowing man to literally rise above his quadrupedal ancestors. But then man said to the Lord, "eh, shove it, Pops," and sated his inner-speed demon. He tamed and rode horses; he designed wheels and popped mad wheelies; he egregiously underpaid some folks to build railroads. Then, in 1919, he wrought the Pogo Stick, which has since reigned as the undisputed King of Transportation.

Until now.

The future of travel is here, friends, and its name is Segway. Did you know that these two-wheeled, counterbalanced godsends have arrived in Charm City, thanks to a futuristic company known as Segs in the City? Did you know that for $45, you can experience the future today? And did you know that Metromix had the cojones to pay me to ride one of these things around, despite my well-known ties to the Official Society of Pogo Stick Enthusiasts?

These facts, and others equally useless, await you just beyond the precipice of the present. Join me for the journey of a lifetime, or at least the journey of a lunch break, as I infiltrate this forward-thinking cabal. Call it a segsual rite of passage. They made me wear a helmet, but you, dear reader, can go without."

Read the rest here
http://baltimore.metromix.com/events/article/a-segscellent-adventure/464422/content

Thats no pipe, thats my lamp

No, the pipes aren't about to melt.
They're a new floor lamp, designed to glow, but to LOOK like pipes. I guess the industrial style is really "in" right now. . . .

The cost? "Only" $614.

I'm pretty sure I can do something similar with a can of spray paint, some clear tubing, and a couple of light fixtures for about a quarter of that price. . . .

View/purchase one here
http://en.dawanda.com/product/217244-Lightpipe-
Lichtroehre-Leuchtsystem-Nachbau-Lueftungsrohr

I really feel sorry for this guy

Han Meilin is the designer of the Chinese Olympic Mascots. He not only endured the rigors and pain of having to re-design his characters, but he's now faced with a slightly larger problem:

"Now we learn that a growing number of people in China have started letting superstitions get the better of them and believe that Meilin's Olympic mascots are the fulfiller of horrible prophecies or somehow responsible for the recent natural disasters that have plagued the nation."



Man, that stinks.
I really feel sorry for Mr. Meilin.

Photo and quote from
http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige/branding_identity/
beijing_olympic_mascot_designer_blamed_for_natural_disasters_in_china_
87288.asp?c=rss

Dogs. Lots of Dogs.

I think my only comment for this one is dogs. Lots and lots of dogs.
For a semi-slow-mo video, this is pretty cool. Dogs. Lasers (or is it neon?) And a really funky beat. I like how you can see the dogs skin/fur ripple as they jump or freefall, how its all wrinkly, and fluid, like the fun is just hanging loosely on the dog. I don't like how in some of these shots, the dogs look downright scary. At 1:17, that dog looks like its about to take my leg off at the ankle.

Funny and creative lightbulb ad

No, I haven't fallen victim to being paid to blog. I came upon this ad a few days ago, and I though it was really funny. I mean, it's creative. It's different then anything I think I've ever seen on US television, and I think its a great concept. I mean, things really are different in the dark, and what better way to make a lightbulb ad then to play off that fear.

Graph

more graph humor and song chart memes

(If anyone doesn't remember, Patric Henry was the "Give me Liberty or give me Death guy.)

Can you copyright the exterior of a building? (No)

I'm not entirely certain what brought this up, but judging from some of the sidebars on this website, it was quite an interesting debate. In Chicago, there's an area called Marina Towers, because of two rather large condominium towers located there, in a rather unique round design. Supposedly these are very photogenic, and possibly iconic images of Chicago. (I've never lived there, so I can't really say.) Apparently, the Marina Towers Condominium Association wanted to try and copyright the image of their towers - basically preventing anyone from photographing, drawing, or reproducing images of the buildings in any way, shape, or form. Well, the substance of this post, is that you can't do that.

As cited on the linked to article,

"The copyright in an architectural work that has been constructed does not include the right to prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the work, if the building in which the work is embodied is located in or ordinarily visible from a public place.

– United States Code, Title 17, Section 102(a) "

My interpretation is that if you can reasonably see it, you can take a picture of it.
It its easily publicly visible, then you can't be prevented from photographing the structure.


Just because you tan take a photograph of it doesn't mean you can go totally nuts however. If you trespass on private land A to take a photo of building B, you're still trespassing on private land A. It doesn't matter that building B is the tallest thing in town, and can be seen for miles around. You can take a photo of Building B, as long as you have premission and access to where you're taking the photo from.


I know that this isn't exactly the most interesting art-related thing around, but it is important, and it has been something I've been wondering about for a while, being primarily an urban photographer (at least for the moment ;) ). Now I can go out and snap away without worry.

To read more about it, check out the full story of the condo association, and their attempts to copyright their own building, which they legally can't do, and see some examples of why the idea is foolish, and read the page that inspired and was cited in this post,

http://www.marinacityonline.com/rulefive.htm