Pop Culture & Current Events

How Real People Will Deal With Windows 8

Gear Bits March 19, 2012

How Real People Will Deal With Windows 8

Have you tried out the Windows 8 ‘Consumer Preview’? I skipped it as I have enough other stuff going on, but have heard generally good things from the tech press and other tech-centric friends. And perhaps that is the issue – everyone I know who has played with the so-called ‘consumer release’ isn’t really a consumer. The results of having people who are too skilled evaluate a product are that your end result is designed for those people. That is the thesis of a video that accompanies an article about the importance (or lack thereof) of Windows 8: After playing…

Is That a Cthulhu on Your Face?

Gear Bits March 18, 2012

Is That a Cthulhu on Your Face?

This knit hat bears the uncanny likeness to one who should need no introduction, to H. P. Lovecraft fans, at least: Cthulhu. His very existence may be outside our realm of understanding, but this scary cross of octopus, dragon and  human caricature is sure to bring second looks wherever he is seen. Has Cthulhu awoken and decided that it’s time to rule the Earth again? If so, then we mere mortals had better be very, very afraid … “la, ia, Cthulhu fhtagn!” A comfortable, soft beanie with loads of curly tentacles! Perfect as a ski hat, keeps the whole face warm! Made in soft wool-acrylic…

Nick Brignola Fans Prove that the Internet Makes the World Smaller

Editorials, Music Diary March 15, 2012

Nick Brignola Fans Prove that the Internet Makes the World Smaller

Nearly 8 years ago I posted the following as part of a forum thread entitled ‘What concerts have you seen?’: – Nick Brignola (this one is a club show, but I enjoyed getting to see this jazz giant of the baritone sax playing ‘at home’ many Thursday nights at the Italia restaurant in Troy NY) Nick Brignola is no stranger to fans of the music generally called ‘hard bop’, straight-ahead jazz form that took the core of bebop and brought in blues and soul and other elements to form a fusion made popular by the recordings of Miles Davis’ first…

The End of a 244-Year Era As Encyclopedia Britannica Goes Out of Print!

eBooks, News & Features March 14, 2012

The End of a 244-Year Era As Encyclopedia Britannica Goes Out of Print!

For anyone under the age of 30, the concept of needing a set of encyclopedias in your home is at best archaic. I remember consulting the books as a regular part of doing homework in social studies and geography classes in particular, but also to feed curiosity for dinosaurs, biology, space, physics and more. Well, Britannica has just announced that they will not be producing a 2012 edition and that the 2010 version will be their last print volume. Britannica president Jorge Cauz said the move is a natural part of his company’s evolution. “Everyone will want to call this…

Chilling New Home Video of the Challenger Disaster

Gear Bits March 12, 2012

Chilling New Home Video of the Challenger Disaster

I still remember sitting in the formal living room of my fraternity house watching the Challenger launch back in 1986 (hard to believe it has been 26 years now). If I had the chance to go to watch it live, I would have done it in a heartbeat – my family was vacationing in Florida a few years back, and the schedule was supposed to have us there for a launch, but it was pushed back. We still got to see the shuttle being moved towards the launch site, and that was thrilling to behold. But of course Challenger ended…

Really Cool Time Lapse Pregnancy Video Shows 9 Months in Under 2 Minutes!

News & Features March 12, 2012

Really Cool Time Lapse Pregnancy Video Shows 9 Months in Under 2 Minutes!

I am really happy that I made my wife let me snap a couple of shots of her while pregnant with both of our kids. A couple of weeks ago when our ‘baby’ turned 14 we were flipping through and it was a sort of time lapse as we looked at my wife as she progressed and then the baby and our son as he grew. But this cool video shows the entire pregnancy from start to finish, one week at a time. It is amazing to watch the personal changes, the move from smaller to bigger space, and so…

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Takes You Inside Their Instruments

Music Diary March 9, 2012

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Takes You Inside Their Instruments

While the outside of a musical instrument is a thing of beauty, what of the inside? It is responsible for the entirety of the structure and much of the sound – and yet all we ever see are little bits through the sound holes. Now the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has done a series of photos looking inside the instruments in high resolution glory! The instrument at the top is a guitar, and here is a pipe organ: Source: BuzzFeed

Cool Mashup of The Smiths and Super Mario Bros

Gear Bits, Music Diary March 9, 2012

Cool Mashup of The Smiths and Super Mario Bros

I am a sucker for cool and creative mashups, so here is another one that I saw at Neatorama. This is a remake of the classic Smiths song ‘This Charming Man’ – from the original ‘The Smiths‘ or the wonderful ‘Complete‘ from last year … but done in the style of Super Mario Bros!

Real Men Don't Wear Pink; They Can't, Because It Doesn't Exist!

Gear Bits March 8, 2012

Real Men Don’t Wear Pink; They Can’t, Because It Doesn’t Exist!

The color pink, technically called Magenta, is in theory a blend of Red and Violet. That is wonderful for mixing paints … but in terms of the electromagnetic spectrum it makes no sense. Why is that? Because colors are based on a continuum, that means that in order for a color to exist it needs to follow some progression of wavelength shortening from red to violet. Color is visible to us based on the wavelength of light, and aside from the so-called ‘primary colors’ ROYGBIV’ (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet), all other colors are merely combinations of…

Check Out This Awesome Adele / Daft Punk Mashup!

Gear Bits, Music Diary March 7, 2012

Check Out This Awesome Adele / Daft Punk Mashup!

It is amazing what a skilled DJ can do in terms of remixing two songs and coming out with something that is truly transformative. That is what happens when DJ Carlos Serrano mixed Daft Punk’s “Something About Us” with Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain.” Check it out below, and hit up his web page for more great tracks!

Amber Tamblyn Punks Tyrese Gibson and Reminds Us to Know Who We Are Emailing!

Gear Bits March 4, 2012

Amber Tamblyn Punks Tyrese Gibson and Reminds Us to Know Who We Are Emailing!

Last Friday as I was working at my desk I got a message over Microsoft Lync asking me to join in a conference call. That happens on occasion, but when I opened Lync to reply, I realized I didn’t know a single person mentioned. My name isn’t exactly unique particularly with the way our company assigns email addresses, so I replied simply with my name, organization and the project I am on … and within a few seconds he said ‘oops wrong person’. This morning I loved seeing Dan’s PSA on how to avoid being an online idiot, so I…

Scott Jordan Appears on Shark Tank, but Who Was the Shark? And Who Was the Bait?

Editorials March 3, 2012

Scott Jordan Appears on Shark Tank, but Who Was the Shark? And Who Was the Bait?

If the name Scott Jordan sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it in the context of his clothing line, Scottevest. We’ve reviewed many of their products here, and I will say I personally use my SeV gear quite often. However, after seeing Scott on ABC’s “Shark Tank” and witnessing his attitude on the show, I can’t help but wonder how he runs his business! In case you missed it last night, here’s a shot from Scott’s segment. (The episode is available on Hulu+) To make a long story short, Scott doesn’t want to sell SEV; he just wants to…

'Murder by Proxy: How America Went Postal' is an Idea Worth Contemplating, a Documentary Worth Seeing

Editorials, Reviews March 1, 2012

‘Murder by Proxy: How America Went Postal’ is an Idea Worth Contemplating, a Documentary Worth Seeing

The phrase ‘going postal’ has become such an entrenched part of our cultural identity that it faces the possibility of losing any real meaning. Case in point: my son mentioned that his best friend’s girlfriend had broken up with him, and he ‘totally went postal’ in the locker room – which to him just meant that he flipped out. But for those of us who have been around longer, the phrase has a more specific meaning tied to workplace violence in which someone unleashes a murderous rampage. It started in the mid-1980s in a string of Post Office shootings, but…

RIP Davy Jones, Lead Singer of The Monkees

Music Diary, News & Features February 29, 2012

RIP Davy Jones, Lead Singer of The Monkees

For a fake band, The Monkees were a huge success. Formed in 1965 as a TV-friendly pop group with the intent to release singles and offer a weekly comedy show, Brit Davy Jones joined Americans Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz as the fabricated pop group. The requirements were more about look, basic singing skills and personality – in fact none of the group played drums, which became an issue when they needed to perform live! But the face of the Monkees during their 58-episode, 2-season TV run was Davy Jones – to the point that he ended up…

Jane's Addiction Releases a 3D Concert Video of 'Been Caught Stealing'

Music Diary, News & Features February 29, 2012

Jane’s Addiction Releases a 3D Concert Video of ‘Been Caught Stealing’

Jane’s Addiction had a major hit more than 20 years ago with the song ‘Been Caught Stealing’ which still resonates with kids today. It is edgy, fun and infectious both rhythmically and harmonically. It had an awesomely cheesy music video that helped as well! Last summer the band asked fans to participate in a promotion with LG to film their show using the Thrill 4G 3D camera. Today we get one of the results, a fan film of the classic ‘Been Caught Stealing’. It is a solid rendition, but I always prefer the original music video … enjoy!

Jimmy Kimmel Introduces The Trailer for 'Movie: The Movie:"

Gear Bits February 27, 2012

Jimmy Kimmel Introduces The Trailer for ‘Movie: The Movie:”

In his post-Oscar show, Jimmy Kimmel bemoans how at the Oscars most of the movies only represent one genre at a time, so if you want more you need to watch a bunch of movies. He then goes on to say how he has realized his dreams of creating the most epic motion picture ever … and introduces us to ‘Movie: The Movie’. Take a look!