ebelog

Missing Important Pieces

michael — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:21:17 +0000

Photoshop can make pictures funnier. Sometimes adding something extra works, and sometimes removing something can be even better. There is a collection of images at fwdfish.com where an important piece has been meticulously erased, leaving a jockey hovering in mid-air, a whole group of people on an invisible roller coaster, and a man sleeping on a missing bench. It’s silly, but kind of fun, and the photoshop work required to accomplish this in a believable way is impressive.

Last Known Photos

michael — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:05:28 +0000

A top ten list of famous last known photos of famous people is slightly morbid but also pretty interesting. Listverse.com shares the pictures along with a description giving some context and facts. Included in the list is the last photo of Hitler, shown here, along with the last pictures of Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, and Elvis Presley.

Instant Crickets

michael — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:40:42 +0000

If you work in an office with coworkers around you, then you surely have been in a situation where someone makes a bad joke that just falls flat. Wouldn’t you like to have a sound effect at your fingertips to give the joke teller a hard time and lighten the mood all at the same time? Look no further than instant crickets. This is another website which fills a very narrow niche by doing only one simple task. Turn up your speakers, click on the big green button, and pretend like you’re the funny sound effects guy from your favorite morning radio show.

Growth of Wal-Mart In the U.S.

michael — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:26:01 +0000

There is no doubt about the huge influence Wal-Mart plays in the United States today. Some may argue that the retail giant benefits smaller communities by bringing jobs and affordable household goods into the area. Others would say that Wal-Mart stores are spreading across the country like a cancer, gobbling up corner stores and Mom ‘n Pop shops that once defined small towns. Whatever your view, it’s interesting to see the growth, starting with just a few locations in Arkansas in the 1960s to the more than 3,000 stores today.

How Old Is the Internet

michael — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:09:03 +0000

In the vast world of the internet, it’s a good idea to find a niche. Do one thing, and do it well. That’s exactly what they’ve decided to do at the intentionally simple website How Old Is the Internet. At any given time it reports the current age of the internet, going back to the arbitrary moment in history which they have decided to use as the time of genesis. One can argue whether that time is accurate, but it’s clear that this is a good site to visit if you’d like to know the age of the internet.

Google Mail Goggles

michael — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:55:31 +0000

If you have a problem with writing email while inebriated, there is a new Google Labs feature in beta which may be able to help you out: Mail Goggles. “When you enable Mail Goggles, it will check that you’re really sure you want to send that late night Friday email. And what better way to check than by making you solve a few simple math problems after you click send to verify you’re in the right state of mind? By default, Mail Goggles is only active late night on the weekend as that is the time you’re most likely to need it. Once enabled, you can adjust when it’s active in the General settings.” It’s a clever and funny little plug-in, but it seems like people who really need it have a bigger problem than sending ill-advised emails to coworkers and exes.

Man Saves All Trash For One Year

michael — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:55:12 +0000

A blogger known as Sustainable Dave is saving all of his waste for an entire year to raise awareness about the amount of garbage each of us produces. I’m glad I don’t live in his house with all of the garbage piling up in the basement, but I do think it’s an interesting way to bring notoriety to a good cause. Dave describes the reason he started the project: “If we were all accountable for our waste, if we couldn’t simply make it disappear, we’d have to deal with some pretty ugly truths about the way we live. And in so doing, it would cause us to start making better decisions about what we buy, where we buy, and what’s left over when we are done with that purchase.” Follow his progress on the 365 days of trash blog.

Microsoft Ad Agency Uses Mac For PC Ads

michael — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:23:59 +0000

You may have heard that Microsoft suddenly dropped the cryptic Seinfeld commercials. The company line is that they had planned on changing the direction of the campaign all along, but considering the fact that there is at least one Seinfeld commercial that was filmed and hasn’t aired, it seems like this has more with critical reception rather than planning. I do think the new ads make more sense, emphasizing the diversity of PC users by showing sports stars, actors, scientists, and shark divers declaring their Windows preference by saying “I’m a PC.” However, Microsoft may have a credibility issue on their hands. One enterprising internet sleuth looked at the metadata of the images on the web and found that they were created using Adobe CS3 on a Mac. It seems like the first step in getting people to accept that your software is just as creative and capable as the competitor would be to actually use it to create the ad. I guess even Microsoft knows that Macs are better at photo editing.

Jackson Pollock Painting Creator

michael — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:29:18 +0000

It’s simple, and it’s silly, but it’s also kind of fun. Put on your virtual artist beret, and head on over to JacksonPollock.org to create your paint dripping masterpiece. Just drag your mouse around, clicking to change the color. As you would expect, quick jerky movements will leave thin lines, while slow movements will leave thick lines and blotches. It makes me want to fire up the movie Pollock with Ed Harris for another viewing, since I now can play along at home. Estimated wasted time: 3 minutes (website only); 122 minutes (movie and website)

Prevent Lunch Theft

michael — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:12:49 +0000

Fortunately, I’ve never had a problem with coworkers stealing sandwiches out of my lunch bag, but if you have that problem, then you should think about this solution from skforlee. “Anti-Theft Lunch Bags are regular sandwich bags that have green splotches printed on both sides. After your sandwich is placed inside, no one will want to touch it.”