Cool Shit 5/15

Cool before/after gif of just how they go about creating effects with CGI.

Care for a track by track rundown review of the latest Black Keys album?

A look at 20 different beer labels and the secrets they hold.

So apparently that Gravity movie was pretty ingenious. After reading this article it's hard not to  appreciate Alfonso Cuaron and what he went through to go about creating a realistic movie in outer space.

Continuing with the pesticide/herbicide dangers from the past few days, here's a list of fruits you should and shouldn't be buying from your local supermarket, unless they have an "organic" label.

True Romance is 20 years old! Take a look back and dive into the possible psyche of how and why the film was made.

How long before we have driverless cars? If Google had it's way, it would be less time than you think. See what they're doing with them and how they want to own the roads.

Cool Shit 6/20

Sure, it seems like there's been a bunch of Superman movies made, but there have been many more almost made. If you're a Superman fan you will both enjoy and cringe at what almost happened, and if you're not you'll still shake your head in bewilderment at the ideas that drive Hollywood.

It saddens me that the United States can't get its act together enough to hold its own National Pyrotechnic Festival. Thankfully, our neighbor Mexico doesn't hold the same opinion. Check out these photos to see just how much fun we're missing. Here's but a taste...

I'm not one of those people that preach you should stop eating fast food and other gross stuff because you're doing damage to your body, but I do think you should at least know what you're putting into your body. And in the US, sometimes that can he harder than it seems. Take a look at these awesome ingredients that have been banned elsewhere, but are in food in the United States.

The roller coaster ride of the production of World War Z is about to come to an end; unfortunately it seems like it won't be the fun loop de loop we want it to be, if we are to believe this review.

I think I'd like to do what Rick Rubin does. Is there a website, or someone I have to talk to, for that?

And finally, RIP James Gandolfini, a great actor who died yesterday apparently of a heart attack. A lot of people (rightfully so) point to his work in The Sopranos as a career defining performance, but I will always remember him for this one part in True Romance, this look he has after hitting Patricia Arquette, that summed up his character and actions all at once. It's a look of disgust, rage and atonement (looking up, as if to ask God for forgiveness for his actions) and says all you need to know. I wish more actors had this kind of talent.

Links of Interest 1/18

A profile of author Neil Gaiman.

Here’s a good summary of the Leno/Conan/NBC debacle.

Normal, plain pizza is so boring.

Awesome NBA dunks.

Things Facebook keeps tabs on about you, that you probably wish it didn’t.

I love public access shows. Here are some really good ones. Though none of them come close to what Ithaca, NY television broadcast in the early 90s.

From the Big Picture, pictures showing “Fire and Ice.”

Clicking on this link, I knew Floyd made the list.

Bands support their own tours – why not authors?

I don’t think we should be throwing around the “biggest” moniker since we’re constantly told the universe in infinite and everything.

2008 Links in Review - PART III

The hits keep coming. 2008 had a lot of cool stuff in it! Star Wars, True Romance, album covers and Cuban baseball. It's all here.

For Part 1, go here.
For Part 2, go here.

Check out the links on the flip side!



Cool article about True Romance talking with the people who made and starred in True Romance.

People leaving things (and then others finding them) in libraries and other places have always fascinated me. Here's an article written by one of those people (the finder of things).

Occasionally, I'll get bummed out about humanity, thinking how stupid everyone really is. And then I'll find something on the Internet that's completely creative and my spirits will soar - for 11 or so seconds, before I realize most people are still stupid. But still.

So much bad and awful news has recently come out about our government. Here's a cool story about the good it does - on a large and small scale, seeking out soldiers who have disappeared in war.

I do like to educate when I can. Be prepared for a disaster.

What if the large Hadron collider in Switzerland was just public relations propaganda so that no one found out about these experiments?

Just imagine what Star Wars could have been...

I'm glad R. Kelly was found innocent. Not because I actually think he was (if you looked at the evidence you would see it's amazing he got off) but because he's now free to be more insane.

These are awesome (and work safe) photos of phone sex operators. If this doesn't capture the vibe of that job perfectly, I don't think anything ever will.

One of my favorite articles of 2008. It starts out about a federal case against a guy accused of smuggling people out of Cuba, but goes into the sport of baseball in Cuba,

Yes, there are still more coming.