Hookay. This guy builds a camera and puts it on the cat so you can get a view of a cat’s life. I am not sure what to make of this. I am simultaneously thinking “what a great idea” and “what a dumb idea”.
Judge for yourself! 
I thought CheddarVision was a crazy idea.
Categories: quirky
You might think: that is insane?! MS Paint. The same MS Paint on my Windows machine that’s hasn’t changed since 1985!
Watch the video. It is amazing. I think Leonardo would approve.
Over on the Read/WriteWeb is a large collection of Web 2.0 apps that will come in handy for anyone going back to college or university. But really, these sites can be useful for anyone. There’s tools to replace MS Office, to do Mindmapping, research, etc. Go check it out at Web 2.0 Backpack: Web Apps for Students
Categories: Web20
This is very cool: twitter displayed in The Matrix format.
While this is on a site for software development, it is not a bad approach to anyone of us — developer or not — who has alot of projects and can’t seem to decide which one to do next.
See: How to prioritize quickly and easily
Categories: advice · productivity
There is a new interface to Flickrvision: flickrvision (beta)
It is a 3D map of the world that spins around and shows photos people are posting on Flickr. You really have to see it. I find it profound to see all these images, from the sublime to the goofy, being posted. I even saw one of a trail around my neighborhood.
It reminded me of Life magazine, except it continual, and the photographs come from everyone.
I also had a thought watching this, imagine flying around the world, dropping down from time to time, and watching what everyone is doing. It is an approximation of omniscience.
The New York Times has a Blog on books called Paper Cuts.
What is it?
Paper Cuts is a blog about books and other forms of printed matter, written by Dwight Garner, senior editor of The Book Review. Look here for book news and opinion, interviews with writers, regular raids on the Book Review’s archives, and other special features.
Categories: blogs · nytimes.com
If you have this Buddha on your mantle or your bookshelf that you think is special, why not share it with the rest of the world? Just snap a photo of it and hop on over to the buddha project.
As they say:
Images of Buddha can remind us to take a breath, to look around, to
feel calm and compassionate, to be here now. You can notice Buddha almost
anywhere — laundromats, store windows, barbershops, farmers’ markets,
souvenir stands, tucked away on someone’s night table.
It makes me hope this is success for alot of reasons.
Brian Eno has new work at the Long New Foundation that was featured at the Venice Biennale
You can (and you should ) read more about it here: 77 Million Paintings By Brian Eno
Or go to The Long Now Foundation
and learn a whole lot more interesting things.
I have been impressed by this song and the video that goes with it (there is a yearning in the woman’s eyes, and a symbolic Victorian suppressed sexuality to it, I think): YouTube – the postal service – such great height
How great is the video? Well, Apple, who has known to make pretty good commercials, thought it was good enough to steal. The proof is here:
YouTube – Apple – Intel vs. Postal Service
While the video is great, the song is superb too. Here are too very different versions, showing the potential of the song:
Categories: music · youtube
Tagged: favourites
I think it is hard to appreciate the magnitude of change in a country like China. I see cracks appear, like this one:
Slave Labor in China Sparks Outrage | TIME
We saw similar cracks in Eastern Europe in the 1990s. It’s time to watch for more cracks such as this.
Technology Review has an article on Holland and what it is doing in coming to terms with the affects of Global Warming, since it will be affected sooner than anyone. See Part I: Saving Holland
Categories: ideas
I saw Tim Ferriss talk recently . Now he’s featured in the nytimes.com web site:
The Hectic Chronicles – New York Times
He has lots of great advice on his web site and in his book: The 4-Hour Workweek.
I recommend you check them both out now (instead of continuing to plough through your email. Go on…the email will be there when you get back ).
Categories: ideas · nytimes.com · productivity
Like alot of IT workers, I use LinkedIn, but pretty passively. However, the Web Worker Daily blog has a article outlining 20 Ways to Use LinkedIn Productively that I need to take a look at.
As Lotus Software used to advise: work the web.
Categories: linkedIn · productivity
They say it is for “kids”, but who doesn’t like ice cream? Now you can make your own without no equipment other than a bag. See Kids Domain Crafts – Ice Cream in a Bag. The first person to try it, please comment here, ok?
(Image from gettyimages.com)
What I find remarkable about this talk by Ken Robinson is how it manages to be insightful and very funny. You can watch it just for the humour and have a good laugh. But like any TED talk, you will also gain alot by the ideas presented. Goto YouTube and see:
Do schools today kill creativity? (Ken Robinson, TEDTalks)
It’s also a Master class in how to present.
LabPixies – My Progress Bar is fun! You can set your own progress bar settings for things, such as: 30 minutes until lunch, 60 minutes of meeting …fun, 90 minutes to finish this presentation, etc. You can post it all kinds of places, like your Google home page, myspace, and other places.
Those LabPixie people have lots of fun gadgets you can borrow.
Categories: Web20
The washingtonpost.com has a cool map showing all the places in the world Bill Clinton has spoken. It’s impressive.
(Clinton’s Golden Voice | Bill Clinton’s Paid Speeches | washingtonpost.com)
If you read this article, Bill Clinton Made $10 Million From Speeches – washingtonpost.com you’ll see some impressive numbers, including:
For example, Clinton earned $750,000 from three speeches over three days in February in Australia and New Zealand and $1.74 million from six speeches over four days in September in England, Ireland, South Africa, Germany and Denmark. The latter total included $450,000 for a single speech in London on Sept. 26 at a gala dinner of the Fortune Forum, a nonprofit group that aids international charities.Clinton made 352 speeches last year, but only 57 of them were reported on today’s form as having generated personal income. The others were given for no fee or for donations to the William J. Clinton Foundation, a charity he founded to promote causes such as fighting HIV/AIDS and global warming.
Clinton has earned more than $40 million in speaking fees in the past six years, records show. After leaving office, he made more than $9 million a year in 2001 and 2002. His income from speeches dropped to $4.4 million in 2003, when he was writing his memoirs, and less than $1 million in 2004, when he had heart surgery, before picking up in 2005, when he pulled in $7.5 million.
352 speeches last year?! That’s almost one a day!
The Zen habits blog is full of great advice. For those of you who might want to start running, or used to run but haven’t run in awhile, I strongly recommend you look at this: Beginner’s Guide to Running | zen habits
There’s lots of great tips there.
One site they didn’t mention is Hal Higdon’s web site. It is PACKED with good advice. You can buy lots of magazines and books on running. Or you can save your money for better shoes and use these sites instead.
Sure, damask is pretty bold. But for B-O-L-D, check out the warping wall paper at SURREALIEN
The nytimes.com online has a good article on the problem of captchas are having. It’s a bit worrisome. See A Dog or a Cat? New Tests to Fool Automated Spammers – New York Times
Perhaps it is time to get out the Voight-Kampff machines.
Categories: ideas · nytimes.com
The globeandmail.com
has a great column on the effects social networking site, Facebook, is having on family dynamics. It will be interesting to see FB transform from a college dorm party to a family wedding.
Here’s the article:
Categories: facebook · globeandmail.com
Father’s Day is coming up, and with ties going the way of the dodo
bird, perhaps the next best thing for a Father — new or old — is all
things BBQ. So if you are going to give your father something BBQish,
perhaps give him a print out of this article:
Grill The Best Steak Ever – Men’s Health
Oh. Some nice steaks would be good too.
Time is money. In fact, it is more valuable. And since you want to get the most out of your time, read this article while eating a health snack and doing some isometric exercises. Ok, at least read:
Time is All We Have: 3 Ways to Increase Return on Investment
Categories: advice · productivity
When I watch this video, I feel like two different parts of my brain are working at the same time: one part comprehending the beauty and another comprehending the terrifying content. See it yourself:
When I was a kid, we had the Classics comics. Now there’s Manga Shakespeare. I think these are better.
Smartly, they started with Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet. Get some for the teens and preteens you know at:
Categories: culture
….perhaps this is his way of saying: shutup, already?
..my question is: why? What’s closed about it now?
For those of you who think about such things as I do, check out Memories of Life and Death in an Architectural Masterwork – New York Times
For such a slight building, it’s also very influential. I think the key to living there is good pajamas. And not scratching your butt. Or scratching your butt but not caring anyone might notice.
Categories: architecture · nytimes.com
I get the sense from looking at this photo from the 2007 G8 summit that Bono is thinking what we all think.
BTW, since when did Bono become the leader of a G8 country?
Categories: quirky
Over at someecards.com are some REEEAAALLLLYYY snarky e-cards you can send friends people. Some of them are really rude. Which appears to be the point.
For really hard core nerds, check out
WiReD has the latest on LoLcats. It has to end soon.
You think that with all the money they have, the good folks at The Saatchi Gallery might have a top notch web site. Instead, it looks like a MySpace reject.
Perhaps the next time they’re contemplating buying a dead animal, they might use it to redo their web site instead. 
Categories: design
I have always been a fan of the design of PHILIPPE STARCK. I’ve been to alot of his hotels and cafes (such as Cafe Costes above) and I have a number of his consumer designs (including a fly swatter!) I think he is a good designer.
So why is his web site such a usability nightmare!? Just try finding anything there.
Maybe it is just the English version, but I doubt it.
Categories: design
My friend Jean-Francois told me about this site. People post Do It Yourself videos on the web for others to see. If this takes off, it could be quite something. I wonder if Home Depot knows about this? Beat them to it. See
Not the gas, the web site! What is Helium about?
Whether you care about pop culture or politics, Helium is for you. Helium is the best place on the web to post your perspective and read what others have to say. When you write at Helium, you receive instant recognition from an audience of millions. No one will delete your articles or skew your opinions. Your contribution remains whole. Helium is a free market, where articles on the same topic compete for the top spot.When you share, Helium shares back. You earn a share of the advertising money earned here at Helium. If you write well, and write often, you earn more recognition and reward. It is that simple. Unleash the writer inside of you. Be passionate. Be opinionated.
Join the quest to build the best user-created reference there is. Say your piece and find peace. Find quality insight and stop wasting time searching for it. Help build a place where knowledge rules.
Categories: Web20
Admit it: you want it!
Not calamari! The iPhone! (Ok…some calamari would be good , too.)
I know I know, it’s still a computer and it will hang up and crash and all that stuff….anyway….see for yourself.
Categories: youtube
I read alot of kids books. I enjoy them even when I am not reading them to little ones. Poppleton is my favourite series, with the possible exception of Stella and Sam. the Poppleton stories are wonderfully illustrated in watercolour, with plenty of small details to point out. The language is straightforward but not “Dick and Jane”, and the stories are fun to read aloud and to listen to. Even the characterization is good (yes, I know, they are only short books, but trust me.
I bought as many of them as I could find at Indigo. Here’s one, the first one we had.
Poppleton and Friends by Mark Teague
And here’s one of the Stella books:
Stella Star Of The Sea by M Gay
I highly recommend them.
Categories: new!
It’s a small world. I came across the Code Monkey video at the Web 2.0 expo and posted it here on my blog which was read by my friend Leta who mentioned Jonathan’s web site, www.jonathancoulton.com, which I pointed out to some people a few months ago based on an article I read in the Nytimes.com!
So….check out his site. He’s got a great story, and lots of good music as well! Leta recommends: the acoustic version of ‘Baby Got Back’ is a treat
Categories: Web20 · music · nytimes.com
I have a tremendous personal fondness for this song in this movie. But it is a great video nonetheless. From the great Jonathan Demme / Talking Heads film, Stop Making Sense, here is
The Talking Heads with This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) Live
Hang in there for the wonderfully dance part with David Byrne and the lamp. I have a lamp like this, and I think of him whenever I see it.
(Photo of me in the Indigo bookstore, Yonge and Eglinton. Taken by my 7 year old son, who is a natural photographer. He waited until I looked away to take the photo. Afterwards he said: people look better when they look away from the camera.)
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