rebuilding

new fw-190s
new deloreans

industrial music

not what you're thinking - it's radiohead played on a sinclair zx, a printer, a scanner, and some old hard drives.

E=E?

maybe there's no such thing as mass?!?

columns new and old

first, take a look at these pictures...

then look at this one...

then, try not to sing "stonehenge"... :)

noisy neighbors

someone has a barking dog problem.

procrastination

i don't think this guy is a real procrastinator - he gets waaaaaay too much done.

chess king

i have two minor quibbles with this article about chess king:

1) our local chess king went through a different "demographic shift" than the author recalls. ours, in non-pc terms, could be described as white-black-brown-yellow.

2) no mention of parachute pants...

automata

dug north

great pics & info, but translation is marginal

paper models blog of the flying pig creator

artoo, where are you?

ah there you are, projecting videos and playing xbox while there's an empire to defeat? how rude!

pipe organ pic

this is impressive.

the controls on the right almost look like color samples at a paint store...

i feel the need...

the need for 1/4 scale speed!

car logos

a rather comprehesive collection of car logos over the years

Good riddance

To preface (in reference to comments at the linked article):

• I have an architecture degree.
• I am a design professional.
• I am under fifty years of age.
• I am not fond of the architecture of Las Vegas.
• I do not like the McMansion phenomenon.
• I can distinguish between the scale and the style of the new architecture in Dubai.

That being said, the Nakagin Capsule Towers are (and soon to be 'were') indeed "a depressing pile of washing machines."

bluetooth burka

how many different flavors of wrong is this bluetooth burka?

before & after

the douglas b-23, a bomber based on the body of a dc-2 and the wings of a dc-3.

a qualified rant

UPDATE: I will now retract some of the vehemence of this statement. After four cutoffs this week, I did in fact witness a patrolman pull over a dangerous driver, for which I am truly grateful.

---

first, the disclaimers:

• i have had a driver's license for over a quarter of a century.
• i have driven hundreds of thousands of miles.
• i have never been the cause of an accident.
• i was raised to respect authority in general, including the police and highway patrol.
• all of the policemen or patrolmen i have encountered have deserved that respect (with one very minor exception).
• all of the policemen or patrolmen are very helpful in the aftermath of accidents.
  

however...

in all of those years, i have never ever witnessed a policeman or patrolman make any effort at all to prevent those accidents and apprehend the ignorant and/or dangerous drivers which afflict our roadways.

• not once have i seen anyone be stopped after cutting me or someone else off.
• not once have i seen anyone be stopped after ignoring yield or stop signs.
• not once have i seen anyone be stopped for merging slowly onto a highway without yielding, causing accidents or near-accidents.
• not once have i seen anyone be stopped for tailgating at highway speeds.
• not once have i seen anyone be stopped for loitering in the passing lane well below the speed limit.
• not once have i seen anyone be stopped for driving the wrong way into oncoming traffic.
• only twice in twenty-five years have i seen anyone be stopped for anything except exceeding the (often pointless) speed limit.

yesterday alone i was cut off five times:

• once by a drunk man who turned left on red in front of me,
• once by a woman who could barely see over the dashboard,
• once by a repairman probably in a hurry to a call,
• and twice by cellphone users.

those numbers are not unusual. it is a rare day in which i am not cut off, tailgated, or turned in front of at least once on my daily commute of about ten miles each way -- in non-rush-hour non-highway traffic.

please do your part. first, pay attention and drive safely to the existing road conditions, not by mere letter-but-not-spirit-of-the-law, and certainly not in passive-aggressive hypocritical vigilantism. second, fight the money-grubbing bureaucrats who have corrupted honorable law officers to inflict governmentally-sanctioned highway robbery.

oops

somebody accidentally made a jet (?) engine instead of a bunsen burner.

lo-fi

kit to make recordings the edison way

animated paper models

at the flying pig site, there's something i never thought i'd see: boolean paper goats.

bent objects

most of these are cute, but a few of them are s.o.s.a.d.

moving up the charts

i understand all but one of these, but there's lots of these i don't get.

robots

dancing robots

more than 99

luftballoons, that is

left vs right,

red state blue state, etc.

oh, did you think i was talking about politics?

conspiracy?

Now remember, the absence of smoke is proof that They are covering up a fire.

(just kidding, i hope)

make stuff at home

first i found techshop and emachineshop, now there's fab@home

"Fab@Home is a project dedicated to making and using fabbers - machines that can make almost anything, right on your desktop. This website provides everything you need to know to build or buy your own simple fabber, and to use it to print three dimensional objects. The hardware designs and software on this website are free and open-source. Once you have your own fabber, you can also download and print various items, try out new materials, or upload and share your own projects. Advanced users can modify and improve the fabber itself.

Fabbers (a.k.a 3D Printers or rapid prototyping machines) are a relatively new form of manufacturing that builds 3D objects by carefuly depositing materials drop by drop, layer by layer. With the right set of materials and a geometric blueprint, you can fabricate complex objects that would normally take special resources, tools and skills if produced using conventional manufacturing techniques. A fabber can allow you to explore new designs, email physical objects to other fabber owners, and most importantly - set your ideas free. Just as MP3s, iPods and the Internet have freed musical talent, we hope that blueprints and fabbers will democratize innovation."

computer humor

who would have thought there would be computer humor on the internet?

:)


furbeowulf
windoze accelerator (not compatible with vista)
windoze decelerator (definitely vista compatible)
the programmer song
megaflop drive

see also the household quantum experiment

a bit about windoze

found online: "Microsoft Windows: A thirty-two bit extension and graphical shell to a sixteen-bit patch to an eight-bit operating system originally coded for a four-bit microprocessor which was written by a two-bit company that can't stand one bit of competition."

he got one right anyway

found at ben heck

LOL-Catwalk

Hear what the fashion models are thinking :D

who's in charge here?

you vote

three wheelers

from comes these links to cool three-wheeled vehicles:

http://www.t-rexusa.com/home.html
http://aerobourne.com/
http://artbyshep.homestead.com/SCORPION.html
http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=1836&fArticleId=2954997
http://diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/Mercedes_F_300_Life-Jet.html
http://www.indycycle.net/media_files/images.html
http://www.fuelvaporcar.com/
http://www.vortexplans.com/
http://www.briery.com/vortex/index.html
http://www.carver-worldwide.com/SubItem/SubItem.asp?S_ID=23&nc=1
http://www.3wheelers.com/phantom.html

more or less
http://www.acabion.com/
http://www.roadraceengineering.com/suitcasecar.htm
http://www.autocycles.org/

paper v12

cool model. was it drawn with unleaded pencils? :)

when bad physics happen to bad movies

the intuitor is on the case

how to build a fiberglass auto body

here's a straightforward tutorial

weird bikes +

on this page, note especially the lawnmower, the foot-wheeled, and the wooden bike.

...then there's a link on that page to the world's strangest vehicles (check all 3 pages)

...then there's a link to a weird motor

everybody likes a song parody

...am i right?

do blondes have more finn?

actually, the question should be why do finns have more blondes...?

album cover meme

found at dustbury:

The idea: create a fake band and their first album. Here's how it works:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

...and voila! (except i had to cheat and use only the last 3 words for step 2)



here's some more examples

update: it's scary how well this works

enviro-strong!

made from 100% post-al-gore hot air!

slusho?!?

guessing from this truly frightening commercial, the ingredients of slusho are probably saccharin, rancid molson, vinyl, aspartame, peyote, lacquer, grenadine, and lsd. warning: just clicking on the link may cause diabetes, nightmares and/or hallucinations. =8^O

dave barry's year in review 2007

always entertaining

tigers, oh my

looks like a 12' trench isn't enough at the san francisco zoo - or anywhere else.

make stuff

if you happen to live in the sf bay area and want to make something but don't have the tools, try techshop.

update (2): techshop is adding locations. maybe they'll put one near you soon.

need some parts cut out? try ponoko.

update (1): need a whole machine shop? try emachineshop.com. they even provide the design software!

lots of these links were found at make magazine blog.

isthatamaliciousprocess.exe?

see what all those processes are for

vc

venture capital link

big brother's black eye

little brother has finally had enough. "guy fawkes would be proud."

nmt green toilet

there are also still pics

mechanical violin

definitely pre-midi

captains log 1889

listen close to the musical cues



---

see also star wars 1889 art

mechanical tiger

escher legos

escher scenes made with legos

it beats cards in the spokes

POV bike lights

translating haynes manuals

copied, but slightly edited, from http://www.mez.co.uk/haynes.html

-------------------------

The REAL meaning of the Haynes Manual instructions:

Haynes: Rotate counterclockwise.
Translation: Clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer counterclockwise. You do know which way is counterclockwise, don't you?

Haynes: Should remove easily.
Translation: Will be corroded into place. Clamp with adjustable wrench then beat repeatedly with a hammer.

Haynes: This is a snug fit.
Translation: You will skin your knuckles! Clamp with adjustable wrench then beat repeatedly with hammer.

Haynes: This is a tight fit.
To access, remove every part that you had previously replaced - plus several more. Then use a crowbar and mallet.

Haynes: As described in Chapter 7...
Translation: That'll teach you not to read through before you start, now that you are looking at scary photos of the inside of a gearbox.

Haynes: Pry...
Translation: Hammer a screwdriver into...

Haynes: Undo...
Translation: Go buy the biggest can of WD40 you can find...

Haynes: Ease...
Translation: Apply superhuman strength to...

Haynes: Retain tiny spring...
Translation: "Crikey! What was that? It nearly put my eye out"!

Haynes: Press and rotate to remove bulb...
Translation: "OK... the glass bit is gone. Now fetch some needlenose pliers to dig out the remaining metal part and glass shards."

Haynes: Lightly...
Translation: Start off lightly and build up till the veins on your forehead are throbbing then re-check the manual because what you are doing now cannot be considered "lightly".

Haynes: Weekly checks...
Translation: If it isn't broken don't fix it!

Haynes: Routine maintenance...
Translation: If it isn't broken... it's about to be!

Haynes: One spanner rating (simple).
Translation: Any child could do this... so how did you manage to botch it up?

Haynes: Two spanner rating.
Translation: Now you may think that you can do this because two is a teeny tiny little number... but you also thought that the wiring diagram was a map of the Tokyo underground (which, by the way, would have been of more use to you).

Haynes: Three spanner rating (intermediate).
Translation: Make sure you won't need your car for a couple of days and that your AA cover includes Home Start.

Haynes: Four spanner rating.
Translation: You are seriously considering this aren't you?!?

Haynes: Five spanner rating (expert).
Translation #1: OK - but don't expect us to ride it afterwards!!!
Translation #2: Don't ever carry your loved ones in it again and don't mention it to your insurance company.

Haynes: If not, you can fabricate your own special tool like this...
Translation: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Haynes: Compress...
Translation: Squeeze with all your might, jump up and down on, swear at, throw at the garage wall, then search for it in the dark corner of the garage.

Haynes: Inspect...
Translation: Squint at really hard and pretend you know what you are looking at, then declare in a loud knowing voice to your wife "Yep, as I thought, it's going to need a new one"!

Haynes: Carefully...
Translation: You are about to cut yourself!

Haynes: Retaining nut...
Translation: Yes, that's it, that big spherical blob of rust.

Haynes: Get an assistant...
Translation: Prepare to humiliate yourself in front of someone you know.

Haynes: Refitting is the reverse sequence to removal.
Translation: But you swear in different places.

Haynes: Pry away plastic locating pegs...
Translation: Break pegs...

Haynes: Using a suitable drift or pin-punch...
Translation: The biggest nail in your tool box isn't a suitable drift!

Haynes: Everyday toolkit
Translation: Make sure you have a cell phone and AAA membership

Haynes: Apply moderate heat...
Translation #1: Placing your mouth near it and huffing isn't moderate heat.
Translation #2: Heat up until glowing red, if it still doesn't come undone use a hacksaw.

Haynes: Apply moderate heat...
Translation: Unless you have a blast furnace, don't bother. Clamp with adjustable wrench then beat repeatedly with hammer.

Haynes: Index
Translation: List of all the things in the book except the one thing you want to do

Haynes: Remove oil filter using an oil filter wrench or length of bicycle chain.
Translation: Stick a screwdriver through it and beat handle repeatedly with a hammer.

Haynes: Replace old gasket with a new one.
Translation: "I know I've got a tube of Krazy Glue around here somewhere."

Haynes: Grease well before refitting.
Translation: Spend an hour searching for your tub of grease before chancing upon a tub of GoJo hand cleaner. Wipe some congealed cleaner from the lid and use that since it's got a similar texture and is probably good enough to get you to AutoZone to buy some grease.

Haynes: See illustration for details.
Translation: None of the illustration's notes will match the pictured exploded, numbered parts. The unit illustrated is from a previous or variant model, or perhaps a hovercraft.

-------------------------

HAYNES GUIDE TO TOOLS OF THE TRADE

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer is nowadays used as a kind of divining rod to locate and damage expensive parts not far from the object we are trying to hit.

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning steel pop rivets in their holes, but it also works great for drilling mounting holes just above the brake line that goes to the rear wheel, as well as engraving long crooked gashes into sheetmetal.

PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads.

HACKSAW: A cutting tool which transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion.

MOLE-GRIPS/ADJUSTABLE WRENCH: Used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETELENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for igniting various flammable objects in your garage. Also handy for igniting the grease inside a brake drum you're trying to get the bearing race out of.

METRIC SOCKETS: Though intended for use on foreign cars and motorcycles, their primary function is to impersonate that 9/16 or 1/2 socket you've been searching for for the last 15 minutes.

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your drink across the room, splattering it against that freshly painted part you were drying.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprint whorls instantly.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering car to the ground after you have installed your new front disk brake setup, trapping the jack handle firmly under the front wing.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4: Used for levering a car upward off a hydraulic jack.

TWEEZERS: A tool for removing wood splinters.

PHONE: Tool for calling your neighbour to see if he has another hydraulic floor jack.

SNAP-ON GASKET SCRAPER: Theoretically useful as a sandwich tool for spreading mayonnaise; used mainly for scraping gum off your shoes.

BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any known drill bit.

TIMING LIGHT: A stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup.

TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST: A handy tool for testing the tensile strength of any ground straps, wiring harnesses, or brake lines you may have forgotten to disconnect.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 16-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle.

METAL SNIPS: A hand tool used to cut sheetmetal into unusable curly pieces with razor-sharp edges.

INSPECTION LIGHT: The mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop light, it is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," which is not otherwise found under cars at night. Health benefits aside, its main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate as 105-mm howitzer shells during the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its name is somewhat misleading.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the lids of old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as the name implies, to round off Phillips screw heads.

AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced in a fossil-fuel burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a pneumatic impact spanner that grips rusty bolts last tightened 30 years ago by someone in Dearborn, and rounds them off.

CROWBAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 79-cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to cut hoses 1/2 inch too short.

odd music

organ by the sea, organ in a cave.

sequential resonation machine.

samchillian midi controller.

worst. music. scores. ever.

lego harpsichord.

pictures

archive of drawings of u.s. government buildings

from bugs to spacecraft

how fast can they fly?

math and humor

i didn't think they would mix, but they do.

...and here too, sometimes more crudely.

story of a co-worker's baby

i have no idea what the title means...
the story continues...

make music

cheap and/or weird, you probably won't see any of this at guitar center.