Uh-oh.

T 'n A on Netflix!

Hey, fella! Wanna know which Netflix movies have plenty of T&A and all-natural, 70s bush?! Yeah, thought so. Lucky for you RC 1988271 has basically done all of your fucking legwork. You'll need a Netflix account to see the fruits of his labor.

Started making trouble in my living area

It's been making the internet rounds, but I thought I had to share. Who knew pranking Christian TV with the Fresh Prince could be so much fun.

and Rickrolled!

"We cannot live away from his breast"

... is an official North Korean slogan about Kim Jong Il. It's included in a new book “The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves — and Why It Matters” by B.R. Myers. Here's a partial description of the book:

... he includes a fascinating analysis of Mr. Kim’s depiction as an essentially — and crucially — feminine military leader. His regime presents North Korea more as a motherland than a fatherland, Mr. Myers writes, and he cites official slogans about Mr. Kim like “We Cannot Live Away From His Breast.” The lack of a patriarchal authority figure, he says, “may also have helped the regime preserve stability by depriving people of a target to rebel against.”

Wow. North Korea is amazing.

Omidyar speaks

I can't make this. Let me know what he says if any of you go!

The lecture entitled, "A Discussion with Hawaii's Own Pierre Omidyar," is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2010 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the UH Manoa Campus Center Ballroom. Pierre Omidyar is the founder and chairman of eBay.

Expalnation for non-Hawaii readers of POT: Omidyar is setting up an online news service in Honolulu that will have serious potential to shake up the news business for the better.

Portal: The Flash Version

This turned out to be much cooler than I thought...

Dropping knowledge - economics y'all.

Dolla dolla bills y'all.

Rap battle between Austrian (Hayek) and Keynesian economic theories. Heard about it on NPR today.

So who's got it right? Discuss...

Things that make you go hmmm.

Curious George Read by Werner Herzog (via @TheDadList)

Via @TheDadList

I'll raise you one Satanic Pooh complete with Spanish subs

"Oh Satan I offer this bowl of dead mice to you"

I see your Mormons...

...and raise you Jehovah's Witnesses

Mormon Cartoon

Nothing like a cartoon to really highlight deeply, deeply crazy beliefs. Also note the large amount of rotoscoping--real footage exists for a lot of this, dudes.

Racists of the week

Is the U.S. getting frighteningly more racist or is this just a new way for the klan types to express their bigotry?

A new professional basketball league boasting rosters made up exclusively of white Americans has its eyes set on Augusta, but the team isn't receiving a warm welcome.

The All-American Basketball Alliance announced in a news release Sunday evening that it intends to start its inaugural season in June and hopes Augusta will be one of 12 cities with a team.

Ram-Goat Soup

I really like the package design of this soup I just bought at my local newsagent's in South London.

Soup at its best! Real Mannish Water! It dominates any soup!

George Lucas on The Daily Show

I had included this in the previous post, but it deserves it's own:

George Lucas on The Daily Show. This really needs to be an hour long. You get the feeling that George has a slight clue as to the irreparable damage he's caused the Star Wars property, our childhoods, and potential childhoods of our children. Unfortunately he does not quite admit being culpable but if anyone could ask the hard questions to get a confession, it would be Mr. Stewart.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
George Lucas
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

via Geekdad

Today's Internet ephemera

Some of the things on the internets today. Have a good weekend, folks.

A working Star Trek phaser (Geeksaresexy)

Calvin & Hobbes style snowmen (WebUrbanist)

A whole lot of Macallan (Notcot.)

Lastly, and not just for Panic: here is something to consider

Let's hear it for Shaaktiman!

Random video courtesy of DTanji:

Pieces of Things Email Addresses!

Hey, new thing! I've set up custom email addresses for Pieces of Things. So if you'd like your own address ([your_name][at]piecesofthings.net, just let me know! Say "yes" in the comments, or something. The email account will just automatically forward to your email, which I probably have.

I don't know what possible use this could be, but it's easy to do, and I'm happy to do it.

Vote for Barbie's Next Career

Mattel's doing a thing where you can vote for Barbie's next career. You can choose from Environmentalist, Surgeon, Architect, News Anchor, Computer Engineer, or Southeast Asian Dictator. I'm kidding about that last one.

Much has been said about Barbie's inhuman physical proportions, and their (probably) negative impact on the self-images and expectations of children. Although Mattel has tried in the past to change the focus from Barbie's wardrobe to less shallow aspects of Barbie's wardrobe, and focus more on confounding gender stereotypes (going so far as to make her a doctor instead of a nurse!!) it seems that whenever they try to do something positive with the Barbie brand, they kind of step in it.

Does it make sense for Mattel to keep trying this approach, even though most basic flaws in the Barbie product make these attempts seem disingenuous to many? Every time they make a politically correct move like this, it's like they're standing up and yelling, "We're SORRY!"

Or should they give up altogether, embracing what they are (or is that space already taken)?

In the '90s, there was the Happy to be Me Doll, but it still had to hew close enough to the Barbie shape in order to be taken seriously, and quickly disappeared. Also, I'm guessing she couldn't fit into Barbie's clothes, so I bet that was kind of a bummer for people trying to switch. Mattel did widen Barbie's waist (warning: NSFW) in 2000. Are they standing on firmer ground now?

Or do I have it all wrong? Has Mattel successfully expanded the scope of this toy, which was intended to be idealized from the start, to include idealized disabilities, causes, and careers? I mean, the career you can vote on is "news anchor", and not, for example, "journalist".

Interested in what all of you think, especially the ladies. (And the parents of future ladies.)

Also, don't forget to vote! (Thanks to @20tauri for the link.)

Former Chrysler plant equipment up for sale.

Dudes. Duuuuuudes… Anyone live near Delaware?

The Great American Group is auctioning off some former assets of Chrysler and the University of Delaware, including but not limited to: 6-AXIS ROBOTS, golf-carts & fork-lifts, computer-guided mills, welders, metal lathes, compressors… I am beside myself with envy.

A-Team Trailer

I pity the fool that thought of making this movie...

Stay out of our e-mail, please

So happy Google did this. And curious how China will retaliate.

new video music...interesting

as quoted from my friend Jase: "The song sucks...But when have you ever seen so many ghillie suits in a music video?!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKythlXAIY

It's kinda like special forces meets marching band.

Internet Archeology via the Onion.

The acting in this is really superb morning TV.


Via Kathy with a K.

Horrible, horrible Star Wars Made in France

Strangely not Japanese, but I guess that's why it sucks so hard. The Japanese would have done this right!

Seriously. Don't watch this unless you really hate yourself.

SO F***ING BAAAAAAAD.

How to Ride a PONY!

This has to be one of the most comprehensive guides on how to ride ponies ever made. They even explain how to make "war juice" as well.

Free energy harvesting

I've mentioned Vernor Vinge before, and I'm going to do it again (seriously, if you want to read one of the best authors of speculative fiction and technological forecasting, this is the dude). Anyway. In his book, A Deepness in the Sky, he writes about machines that resonate at the right frequencies of background radiation (sort of) to harvest free energy.

At the CES this year, it appears that RCA of all companies may get there first:

More BSG...

This stuff comes from the original series. Narrated by the original Commander Adama, Lorne Greene. Interesting. Might be the premise for the Singer Movie. Or maybe it was an alternate reality that is somehow tied to these guys.

greg & donny

Pittsburgh (er, Johnstown, same thing) has a culture. Here it is. I picked one about the internet to make it vaguely relevant.



Check out the one about hummus, also!

Apologies in advance...

2010 - the last gasp for WoW and auto-tune. One can still hope.

Brought to you by the same fine folks that made Auto-tune the News.

Again, all apologies.

I swear...

this guy looks like someone I know, but I can't put my finger on it.

from retro to present

My friend today just schooled me in modern tech history regarding the new F-35. Kinda reminded me of ghost imaging even though this has nothing to do with it. Still, pretty interesting.

Music Video Made of Japanese Retro Technology Ads

Estate - In The Red from Estate on Vimeo.

"Guest" posted this in the shoutbox, but it's worth a feature on the main page and connected feeds. Nice to be reminded of what a bright, weird future the '70s and '80s held. Thanks, "Guest"!

Lucky you live Hawaii

It's been great being home and meeting some of you. Mostly, I've been just driving around the island (meaning circumnavigating the island - H1 west to H2 through north shore to Kaneohe then through Waimanalo back around Makapuu to Kahala and back to Nuuanu/Alewa) in my rented convertible, getting sun, and enjoying the scenery.

I never took the time to just go out to the "country" while I was growing up here and now that I live in the land of snow and blizzards I realize what I was missing. Sometimes you guys don't know how good you have it.

Paddleboarders off Mokolii "little lizard" Island - also known by the un-PC "Chinaman's Hat" during my yoot - shot off of Kuuloa Beach Park.

A sea turtle in the surf off of the north shore at a beach my brother dubbed "Mangled Spines" to throw off the cowardly - just east of Haleiwa.

A different sea turtle (honu) sunning itself on the beach.

Video of the honu and the surf.

View of the sea spray and beach to the west.

Sucks to have to go back to Minnesota.

Pom Poko WTF?

I'm not sure how I missed seeing this. It's just so insane that I'm not really sure what to think.

another stupid survey

based on a conversation i had with fugu re: JJ Abrams new Star Trek.

who was the best captain and why?

which series is the best and why?

oh - and this isn't about which captain or series you feel is the best - this is scientific and rational dammit.

Underdog script

Happy New Year, everyone. This year my mom has gotten to know Chet Stover, one of the creators of Underdog. God I love Underdog! He sent me his original hand-typed script for episode #21: Shrinking Water(Part II)*. Wow!

He said he wouldn't mind if I posted it, so here you go:

*I'm not 100% sure if Shrinking Water (Part II) is the most important story, Mr. Pony.