blog {words}
unnecessary self promotion
Incredible Photo of a Tree That Had Its Bark Blown Off by Lightning
Recently, redditor Fidget08 snapped this photo of a tree with its bark blown off in Dubuque, Iowa. According to Fidget08, the bark was blown off by lightning last night.
via reddit, Hypervocal
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/incredible-photo-of-a-tree-that-had-its-bark-blown-off-by-lightning/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
How to Make a Fake Google Driverless Car
At the “F.A.T. Gold” show in April, the Free Art & Technology collective unveiled a fake Google driverless car, complete with a mock lidar sensor on the roof. They then drove the car on the streets of New York City, much to the confusion of pedestrians and motorists. For anyone interested in making their own fake Google driverless car, Randy Sarafan has posted an Instructables tutorial on how to 3D print a fake lidar (or “LieDar”) sensor. Back in 2010, F.A.T. also made a fake Google Street View car.
photo by Scott Beale
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/how-to-make-a-fake-google-driverless-car/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
Creative and Ridiculous Ways to Open a Beer
Clip Nation has put together an amusing compilation video of creative and ridiculous ways to open a beer. A full list of the clips used, in order of appearance, can be found on YouTube.
Some techniques are more effective than others.
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/creative-and-ridiculous-ways-to-open-a-beer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
Rules For Freelancers, A Witty Comic Showing How to Be a Victorious Freelance Artist
“Rules For Freelancers” is a witty comic on Incidental Comics by Grant Snider showing us how to be a victorious freelance artist. Grant drew the comic for Red Lemon Club, a website that shares creative and useful information.
The secret to success in any creative field includes a cape, a Holden Caulfied hat, and a small herd of trained elephants.
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/rules-for-freelancers-a-witty-comic-showing-how-to-be-a-victorious-freelance-artist/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
Illustrations of Historical Figures as They Might Appear Today
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is an arty hipster and Marie Antoinette a vain celebutante in this illustration series that imagines famous historical figures as they might appear in the present day. The illustrations are from the British television series Secret Life Of.
Elizabeth I
Marie Antoinette
Henry VIII
Admiral Lord Nelson
via MetaFilter, Neatorama
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/illustrations-of-historical-figures-as-they-might-appear-today/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
A Wedding Dress Made of Divorce Papers
For a school project, 15-year-old art student and aspiring fashion designer Demi Barnes from England has created a wedding dress made from 1,500 photocopied divorce papers in an effort to be “ironic.” She’s stated as saying, “Originally I was going to make it out of newspapers and magazines, but I thought using divorce papers was a lot more interesting. I think a lot of people rush into marriage quickly and then get divorced – it’s a statement.”
photo by Arthur O’Hara via this is Sussex
via policymic, Fashionably Geek
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/a-wedding-dress-made-of-divorce-papers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
Brigands, Nerds and Dread Pirates Print Series by Chet Phillips
“I’m Not Crazy” – The Big Bang Theory
Austin, Texas-based illustrator Chet Phillips released a series of prints that pay tribute to films and TV shows starring brigands, nerds and dread pirates: The Big Bang Theory, The Princess Bride, Firefly and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The illustrations feature iconic quotes, objects, and a lead character the featured film or TV show. All of the prints are available to purchase on his Etsy store. We have previously written about Chet and his Coen brothers print series.
“As You Wish” – The Princess Bride
“I Aim To Misbehave” – Firefly
“Man of Constant Sorrow” – O Brother, Where Art Thou?
submitted via Laughing Squid Tips
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/brigands-nerds-and-dread-pirates-print-series-by-chet-phillips/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
Filing Cabinet Stealthily Swallows Printer Paper
After wondering why everything they printed kept disappearing, a music class watched the printer in action in this video uploaded by James Prescott. The class discovered that all the pages were falling straight into the crack of the filing cabinet drawer below.
via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/filing-cabinet-stealthily-swallows-printer-paper/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+laughingsquid+%28Laughing+Squid%29
President Obama on Simplifying
I love this bit from Michael Lewis’ profile of Obama in Vanity Fair in which Obama gives Lewis some practical advice for a hypothetical situation that in 30 minutes they would switch roles and Lewis would become president of the United States:
You also need to remove from your life the day-to-day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day. “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” [Obama] said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” He mentioned research that shows the simple act of making decisions degrades one’s ability to make further decisions. It’s why shopping is so exhausting. “You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.” The self-discipline he believes is required to do the job well comes at a high price. “You can’t wander around,” he said. “It’s much harder to be surprised. You don’t have those moments of serendipity. You don’t bump into a friend in a restaurant you haven’t seen in years. The loss of anonymity and the loss of surprise is an unnatural state. You adapt to it, but you don’t get used to it—at least I don’t.”
via Shawn Blanc http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/10/michael-lewis-profile-barack-obama.print?currentPage=all
