July 4 / 2008
Problems Solved By MacGuyverA by-the-episode listing of all the ways MacGuyver has escaped from dangerous situations. A highlight:
Gentlemen's AgreementMacGyver starts out in Berlin, trying to escape with a microfilm containing government secrets. He takes the place of a dead person and is carried in a coffin towards a bridge, where he is dumped into the water by friends. Upon hitting the water, Mac hits a button and turns his coffin into a jet ski, riding away to safety.
NYTimes article on the R35 GT-R's power output - it well & truly stomps over what was the (now defunct) agreement of a 280PS (206kW) limit.
June 29 / 2008
Sketch NotesA set of notes from this years Seed Conference - they're from Mike Rohde, who's done this in previous years as well. The advice & sketchwork in here is definitely amazing though.
June 28 / 2008
Photos: Drifting at EbisuI wish I could take credit for some of these shots - though it does make me want that DSLR even more now.
June 24 / 2008
Covering BondIf someone wants to buy me these, I won't hold them back. I've watched all the films - On Her Majesty's Secret Service being a favorite - but I've not had the motivation to read the books. Until now.
June 23 / 2008
The Curry BibleA book that sat on my list of "things to buy" for far too long. I picked it up from a little bookstore in the city, and I've been experimenting with it all week. There's the basic kormas & vindaloos, all the way up to exotic Sri-Lankan dishes. It should keep me busy for the remaining two months of winter.
The Big PictureThere's some amazing articles here - which says something, as the stories are told by the pictures themselves.
Music: StepsondayA small band I stumbled across - with hints of Brit-rock, and a big streak of individuality. I'd class them as alternative-acoustic, but shoehorning bands into genres is an exercise in futility these days.
June 22 / 2008
WanderlustIt's been a while since I've last travelled. Almost eighteen months, actually. It was the first time I've left the country, and the first time I'd travelled alone. It was liberating, and it was absolute freedom. I didn't get homesick. I missed my friends, sure - who doesn't - but I no longer felt tied down. This city has its' charms, and it's where I grew up, but I don't belong here. I don't owe her anything beyond a passing reference.
But I've had this idea for a while now. Sydney, initially, though I've been persuaded into going to Melbourne. I'd like to travel much further at some point - Dubai again, but this time with friends. Helsinki, Paris, Madrid & Berlin too - Europe, mainly. And Tokyo & New York one day. For now though, I'm content with just escaping Perth for a short while. I'll pack just enough, and not too much more - a camera, some music, my phone & as much cash as I dare to throw around. I just need the basics - no glitzy hotels or glamorous room service. Restaurants to try, places with art, trees to sit beneath & little corner markets to spend my spare change at. At least a week, preferably more - tickets are cheap & spontaneity is too. All I need now is a moment to pack.
A Dash Of ColourSo I've added a little more colour to what was just shades of black & white. And I'm down to the essentials - it's all still done by hand, but I'm working on that. Honestly.
June 11 / 2008
The Happy PrinceA novel little short story full of vivid imagery and idealism - The Happy Prince is something I've already read many times over. From the opening passage:
High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.
May 31 / 2008
Internet NightlifeSomething of a conversation with a friend:
Ampersands
- him: I don't seem to be getting much sleep - 6 hours a night for the past week.
- me: doesn't sound good. adjust sleeping patterns, change diet?
- him: umm
- him: I dunno just the interwebs is better during the night
- him: so it keeps me up
- me: haha.
- me: more neon lights & loud music
A little article on ampersands & typography. It's a symbol with an interesting history and some truly unique designs.
May 30 / 2008
A Softer WorldI wouldn't classify A Softer World as a web-comic, but I would call it brilliant. It's a combination of self-reflection, cynicism & stark insight.
May 28 / 2008
Old FriendsThere's something that I still haven't gotten used to when it comes to Facebook - and that's stumbling across old friends from ages past. You sit there wondering at first if you should add them, if they'll recall who you are & if they're anything like you remember them to be from the last time you saw them. These things just ran through my head when I ran across my 'first' best friend - we lived across the road from each other, went to pre-primary & primary school together. We were always at each others' houses, riding our bikes (we did this a lot), playing with Scalectrix cars or doing the hundreds of other mischevious little things that kids did (and still do!). We had a falling out shortly before I moved away & changed schools - I ran into him once during high school when our schools competed, but never since. But I think that even after all this time, I could still pick him out in a crowd. Some faces you just don't forget.
Hobbes Did ItSomething I just dug up from my collection of bookmarks - ten years worth of Calvin & Hobbes comics. I'd almost forgotten I had the link tucked away.
May 27 / 2008
Girl With A Pearl EarringYet another book review - and another one of my favorites. Admittedly I haven't seen the movie of the same name (with Scarlett Johansson), but if it's anything like the book I'll be enthralled.
Garfield Minus GarfieldWhen you remove Garfield from Garfield comics, you get something quite different. I think the author of the site sums it up best:
Maybe It's a Journal"Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness in a quiet American suburb."
Kate Beaton has an amazingly bizarre sense-of-humor and a unique way of representing famous (and some not-so-famous!) characters from ages past. I've been reading her comics for a while and it's a site definitely worth bookmarking. The comic on King George IV is a favorite.
Will Perform Favors For A DSLR
A wonderful little guide to digital SLR cameras (DSLR's) that I just stumbled across in my bookmarks from months-past. It's making me lust after a camera again to replace my tiny little Canon.
May 26 / 2008
DCFC Touring AustraliaDeath Cab for Cutie are coming to Australia to tour their latest album Narrow Stairs. Tickets are looking to go on sale on May 30th - thanks to Lindsay for the heads-up on this. Their new album is a lot more riff-driven than either Plans or Transatlanticism - it reminds me much more of The Photo Album before those. "Grapevine Fires" is a an absolute highlight (referring to the fires in California last year), and despite a four-minute-plus instrumental at the beginning, "I Will Possess Your Heart" doesn't drag one bit. Ironically, even with the more upbeat feel to the album the lyrics are just as dark and emotional as ever.
ffffound.comAmazing little image bookmarking site linked to me by a friend. Big fan of these, both (+ one more) of which you can actually buy here.
The Rose GrowerOne of my favorite books. I remember lending a copy to an old friend and wanting to read it again so much that I went out and bought a second (she still has that first copy, by the way). Michelle de Kretsers' writing has something about it - it's one of the very few novels I've ever been able to read more than once and still enjoy it just as much the second time around. I carry a copy around in my bag for the day I read it a third.
May 24 / 2008
New BeginningsI spent a rainy Saturday night with my hands racing across a keyboard and my face illuminated by an LCD. And as a result it's finally up: with a real design, goals and the big one: content. It's been something I've wanted to attack for a while now, but at the same time something which I've always delayed inevitably. It's for discussing things of interest - things artistic & things geeky - and to vent about anything and everything. Like all great things, I drafted the design up in the early hours of the morning - and here it is now.