February 28, 2006
Rockers Say 'No' To Hummer
The Talking Heads, Trans Am and Smashing Pumpkins have all declined having their music used in Hummer ads. Bully for them!
Personally, I feel dirty when I see a commercial that looks cool but then turns out to be a Hummer ad. It's like hearing a beautiful voice and then realizing it's a troll.
Source: Treehugger
Posted by JB at 9:16 AM | PermalinkFebruary 27, 2006
You Are Always Welcome...
February 26, 2006
Comet Dust May Contain Organic Material
Initial observations of the comet dust that was brought back to Earth on the Stardust capsule, show that the it may contain organic matter. It's early, but Donald Brownlee said this week that he is encouraged by what researchers have found so far.
read more | digg story
February 24, 2006
Paprikash
According to the Daily Herald, Paprikash (located on Northwest Highway in the old Rapp's location) will be opening in about two weeks.
The owners have another restaurant, of the same name, in Chicago on Laramie. The Paprikash website has a menu if you want to get an idea of what to be in store for. Accord to the site, they were featured on 'Check Please' on WTTW Channel 11, which rings a bell. I'll have to keep an eye on the reruns.
Posted by JB at 10:18 PM | PermalinkFebruary 23, 2006
Un-Pimp My Ride
I was floored laughing when I saw a Volkswagen 'Un-pimp My Ride' commercial. I've been searching for it all week to share and finally it has surfaced. Better still, it is one of a series of three 'un-pimpings' that are all great.
Underappreciated Swedish actor Peter Stromare steals the show as a hip-hop talking German engineer.
V-Dub Yo!
Posted by JB at 11:53 PM | Permalink
Parking
My favorite wall in town. Painted signs on brick walls is a lost art...
February 22, 2006
End Of An Era At Mizzou
Sad news for Inga and all other Mizzou alumni. From Jason Pettus' blog:
--Sad news recently from my old college buddy Wade Pottinger: Columbia, Missouri's infamous "Liquor Guns and Ammo" store has gone out of business. Anyone who's ever attended the University of Missouri, of course, knows immediately what I'm talking about; this was, in fact, an actual store in my collegetown, out on the edge of the city limits, that really was called "Liquor Guns and Ammo" and really did sell liquor, guns and ammo. Which to a snotty irony-loving undergrad, of course, is like handing a needle full of smack to a heroin addict, which is why the store was constantly a part of Columbia's public consciousness. (Hell, it even made it onto the t-shirts of our college radio station, one of the years I worked there.) Anyway, I hope all of you out there will tip a little of your 40 to the curb, as the kids say (and go shoot your hunting partner in a drunken accident as well), in remembrance of this fine, now-deceased institution. LGA, you will be missed.
World's largest Windows error message
From Digg...
We went down to New York for the long weekend. Despite the 16-degree weather, we walked down to Times Square - all the bright lights lured us the ten blocks from our hotel. When we got there, we stood like, well, tourists, gaping at all the electronic billboards.
read more | digg story
Posted by JB at 10:32 PM | Permalink
February 21, 2006
Cats and Dogs
Today's PVP strip got a good snort out of me. For pet people only...
Scratch Fury (the cat) RAWKS!!!
Posted by JB at 4:53 PM | PermalinkFebruary 20, 2006
Embarass Your Cat
If you want your cat to get the crap beat out of him or her (by other cats, parakeets, squirrels, etc.), visit CatPrin and get your cat a fab-u-lous outfit.
I get a strong feeling our cats would rather rip one of my limbs off that wear an outfit. These 'cat models' must have scored some good nip to be this chilled out.
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Guerrilla Gardening
Anyone who cringes at a barren or neglected planting bed (i.e. - Inga) can appreciate London's guerrilla gardeners. In the dead of night they descend from the shadows and fill the barren urban landscape with greenery.
Posted by JB at 8:41 AM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)February 17, 2006
Sleep On It
One of my personal philosophies has been validated; sleeping on a big decision. The University of Amsterdam has published findings of a study that shows that sleeping on a big decision produces better results. The sub-conscious mind is better than the conscious at making complex decisions.
Posted by JB at 9:54 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)Innocence
"I don't know who knocked a bunch of crap off his desk. Certainly, it wasn't me..."
February 15, 2006
Brick Wall Contribution
I received an email last week, thanking me for having a Creative Commons license on my Flickr photos. Atom Smasher used the brick wall from my photo below (first photo) and used it as the brick wall in the 'Graffiti Sign Generator' (where I created the second photo). Pretty cool stuff.
The original wall...
...now on the Graffiti Generator.
February 13, 2006
Cheney Cartoons
It didn't take long for the Cheney cartoons to come out.
February 12, 2006
Corvair
February 10, 2006
Photos from the Second Annual Chicagoland Snow Sculpting Competition
I was in the Schaumburg area this afternoon, so I decided to stop by the Second Annual Chicagoland Snow Sculpting Competition that I posted about yesterday. Glad I did, as I got to see the competitors at work and no crowds (yet). It was surprisingly calm and quiet as the sculptors quietly worked away on their entries and hoping for freezing temperatures. This is serious business!
Posted a bunch of photos on Flickr with more to come tomorrow.
February 9, 2006
Snow Sculpture Contest This Weekend
The Second Annual Chicagoland Snow Sculpting Competition, founded and organized by Arlington Heights sculptor Fran Volz, is this weekend at the Campus of Roosevelt University in Schaumburg (near Ikea). Last year's event drew 80,000 to 100,000 people and this year is expecting similar crowds. The event was originally supposed to be held in January but was postponed do to warm weather. Public viewing will be on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m, to 10 p.m.
Fran Volz is the creator of the William Dunton statue in downtown Arlington Heights and the long time series of large snow sculptures on his front lawn on Arlington Heights Road.
You can see the sketches of this year's proposed entries here and last year's entries here.
Fran's snow sculptures can be seen here and his bronze sculptures can be seen here.
Posted by JB at 9:10 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)Gotta Have T-Shirts
Two great new t-shirt designs from Threadless...
"Squirrels Are Nature's Ninjas"
The Innocence of a Child
Isn't this photo the best?
This photo accompanied a story on Deadspin about children in New England who are traumatized when they are put on a little league team named after the New York Yankees. Boston Red Sox farm team, the Lowell Spinners, is offering new uniforms and visits to the park to any Yankee little league team that changes its name to the Spinners.
From the Lowell Spinners press release:
Red Sox fans understand how devastating it can be for any child to be on a Yankees youth baseball team in New England. The Spinners have heard stories first-hand of children actually crying and refusing to play if they have to play for the Yankees. The Spinners believe they have found an answer to the problem.
“When you are a kid playing baseball it is pure fun and worrying about what team you are on should be the least of your concerns,” said Tim Bawmann, General Manager of the Spinners. “It becomes an issue where kids are devastated when they find out they are on the Yankees. Many kids actually pray they will not be on the Yankees when the rosters and teams are announced.Posted by JB at 6:38 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
February 7, 2006
Indie Covers & Remixes
Blog, Mocking Music has a great collection of covers and remixed of classic independent rock tunes. 10 tracks were listed in January and 15 fresh tracks posted today. All songs can be downloaded.
Posted by JB at 2:16 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)February 6, 2006
view
February 5, 2006
Lucky Cat
Trying out my new flash. Looks like it will do the trick.
Posted by JB at 10:31 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)Coolest Helmet in Sports
Watching skeleton racing on the Speed Channel this morning, I saw the coolest helmet in sports - hands down!
Jeff Pain, world champion skeleton racer from Canada is sporting an 'angry beaver helmet'. There is no better helmet out there, at least at the Olympics in Torino this year.
"One of the jokes is there's nothing quite as scary as a nasty beaver," said Pain. "Maybe it'll intimidate the other team. If nothing else, it's good for a laugh."Posted by JB at 2:04 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Superbowl Pick
I've been wrestling with making a Superbowl pick for two weeks now. I have been avoiding all the touchy-feely stuff they try to fill the airwaves with in this week before the Superbowl and sticking to the sports related stuff.
I like both teams and there seem to be good guys on each squad to root for. The only jerk on either team, from casual observation, would be Seattle coach Mike Holmgren. That view may be partially tainted from his stint as the Green Bay Packers coach. He still acts like he thinks he is God's gift to football, which is a strike against Seattle.
I don't care about the Bettis being back home in Detroit story. When I was showing my Mom something on the internet, we stumbled across a story about their being two French-Canadian players on the Seahawks (only one active - long-snapper Jean-Philippe Darche), so there is a plus negating the Holmgren negative so we're back at even.
On the day of the 'big game' though I've decided to mildly pull for Seattle because it seems that most of the focus of all of the media coverage has been on Pittsburgh. Is this East-coast media bias? I don't know if Pittsburgh falls into that bucket. Maybe it's because Pittsburgh is a old team or Seattle is just so far away from the East-coast media hubs (there I go back to the East-coast bias again) that Seattle misses out on the love.
Posted by JB at 10:22 AM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)February 2, 2006
The Lester Project
Lester was sitting and staring at me which inspired this set. He just sat there as I snapped frame after frame. There are no duplicate photos in this collage.
You can see the full size version here.
Posted by JB at 7:26 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)State of the Union
From Jeffrey Rowland at web comic Over Compensating:
Did you guys see the "President" last night? I didn't. If I wanted to be condescended by someone less intelligent than me I'd go to the indie record store.
Source - Warren Ellis
Posted by JB at 2:59 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)February 1, 2006
Pics
The ambulance came by as I was taking the top picture at Jimmy's on Northwest Highway and New Wilke.
Posted by JB at 12:37 AM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
