Month: January 2003

Eric Conveys an Emotion

The concept here is simple.You request an emotion (or reasonable facsimile), and Eric will try and act it out for you. And the emotions he’s taken pictures of range from shy, sadness, and horror to Bad hair day, Road Rage, I lost 150 lbs on the Slim Fast diet!, and Not wearing pants and nobody knows but you. It’s a really funny site.

January 16, 2003

20 Best Ad Campaigns in the last 20 Years

I agree with nearly every ad on this list, as they’re all wonderful. Now if I just knew of a place to download all of ’em.

January 16, 2003

The Ultimate TV Remote

OK, this is one of those Really Cool Gizmos that I wish I had (or at least had a PDA to run it on). If you have a pile of remote controls controlling all your entertainment center goodies (I’ve got 5, at last count), and you also have a Strong ARM or Xscale processor-powered Pocket PC (an iPAQ, HP Jornada 56x, or Toshiba e740, for example), then you need this software. It will replace all those remotes and let you use your PDA to control it all. You can customize the interface, setup macros, and do a pile of stuff at once (ain’t multi-tasking fun?).

January 16, 2003

If it will fit on a copier, someone has probably forgotten it

A fun story in the Star Telegram about all the stuff people leave in the copy machines at Kinko’s. According to the article, some of the stuff they found include original photos; a 1953 El Paso military basic training snapshot; a handwritten personal letter; a remarkably thorough family newsletter; a completed 2000 income tax form, with a copy of an IRS refund check attached, including the couple’s names, address, W-2 form, deductions, dividends, stocks and tax shelter account with registration number; a bail bond receipt; an official government affidavit confirming church membership, with metallic embossed seal and Pakistani notary public stamp; a World Taekwondo Federation training completion certificate; a mortgage payment receipt with loan number; a house photo and confidential real estate agent information sheet; vintage sheet music (various wedding selections); a Nortel Networks employee picture identification card; and a completed employee benefit information sheet, with the individual’s name, address, Social Security number, birth date, telephone number and dates of employment.

Link from Al’s Morning Meeting.

January 16, 2003

Ruminations for the Day

From Ruminate.com:

  • I want my husband to videotape us while we’re having sex. Not because I’m kinky or anything, but usually I’m asleep at the time and I’d sure like to enjoy our lovemaking, too.
  • I found out recently that few words are more powerful than “cleavage.” You can place it with 10,000 others in an employee review, and it’s still the only one your lawyers want to talk about.

    • January 16, 2003

    Yahoo’s watching you

    Yahoo is using “web beacons” to track you OUTSIDE of the yahoo network.

    Read the “Outside the network” part of their privacy policy–there is a

    link where you can opt out of this.

    http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us/pixels/details.html

    Note that you have to opt out of this on each computer and each browser you use.

    Also note that when you click on the less than obvious link, that Opt’s you out, they put a friggin’ form button on the “Successfully Opted Out” page that cancels your opt-out request!!!

    I fell for it, and most users will too.

    January 16, 2003

    Star Wars – Take 2

    image

    (file removed)

    I’ve got a little more footage that I’m going to work into a teaser trailer.

    And I worked with a friend on a television commercial last night…which should be humorous.

    January 15, 2003

    Chroma Key – Cheaply!

    Chroma Key is the technical term for blue screening (or green screening).

    If you have After Effects and a camera, you can do it cheaply with Wal-Mart paint and a few extra lights.

    Interested? Read Chroma Key Basics for DV Guerillas

    January 15, 2003

    Really? You don’t say?

    The Irish drink too much. Just thought I’d let you know, in case you didn’t already.

    January 14, 2003

    Humor has Returned to Southwest Airlines

    I’ve personally never flown Southwest (that I can remember), so I’ve never experienced this, but rumor has it they’ve got some pretty funny flight attendants. After Sept. 11, they stopped being funny for a bit, but the humor has returned. From this Wall Street Journal article, some quotes:

  • “OK, people, it’s open seating, just like at church — saints up front, sinners in back,”
  • “Remember, this isn’t a furniture store. You’re only renting this seat for an hour”
  • “Please place your seatback, tray table and intern in the full upright and locked position.”
  • In the unlikely event of a cabin depressurization, “please secure your mask and then decide which child you like better.”
  • “If you smoke in this airplane, the FAA will fine you $2,000 [pause] and at those prices, you might as well fly Delta!”
  • “Everyone on the plane’s left side, toward the terminal, put your faces in the window and smile so our competitors can see what a full flight looks like.”

    I think I need to start flying that airline.

    • January 13, 2003