Halloween costumes for your pets

Not usually a big fan of costumes for my dog. Although every year my wife wants to dress our pup up as a vampire or some such thing.

"Oh honey, it's so cute!" She says.

"Grumble....crazy....grumble." I reply.

I tend to side with the dog....that is until I saw this cool three-headed dog costume. I may have to re-think my stand on dressing the dogs up for the holidays. I'm thinking my Shitzu could be Cerberus and I could be Hercules.

I wonder if Hercules had a pot belly?

[Via Sci Fi Wire]
[Image captured from Sci Fi Wire: http://scifiwire.com/2009/10/pet-costumes.php]

A better way to cut a pumpkin top?

Saw this on the Make site. Michael Williams came up with the idea as a way to make it easy to light the candle inside.

I'm willing to give this a shot with one of the pumpkins we carve this year. It also looks like it might help during the carving?

I'll let you know.




[Image captured from Make: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/a_better_way_to_slice_a_pumpkin.html]

Alien Animatronic Mandibles

The lips on this animatronic device are awsome. Tried to find a little more information on the model. No luck.

But in searching for info on how this might be done, I found the other videos below.





[Image captured from the video: Alien AnimatronicMandibles]
[via Neatorama]

Learning about Halloween

Larry Ferlazzo has a post called, "The Best Websites for Learning about Halloween". Bound to be something in here you can use.....or just enjoy on your own without ever sharing it with your students.



[Image captured from New York Times slideshow about Mexico's celebration of the Day of the Dead: "In Mexico, Celebrating the Day of the Dead": http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/11/03/travel/20071003_MEXICO_SLIDESHOW_9.html:

Halloween Party Food

If I was the party throwing kind, I'd definitely be having a Halloween party with all kinds of creepy, spooky treats. Here are a few that would be a hit at any gathering of ghouls and Twilight wannabes.





[via Mental Floss]

[Image captured from Mental Floss: "Creepy Halloween Party Foods" : http://scifiwire.com/2009/10/pet-costumes.php]

Latex Zombie Mask

The folks at Gryphern who brought you the Werewolf mask and a biting snapping puppet thingy, now have directions for creating your own latex mask. If you act today, you'll be ready by Halloween.

Their videos are always informative and easy to follow. I remember wanting to make a latex mask when I was a boy. If only Gryphern had been around when I was young.



[Image captured from the video]

Funny: Turbo Heather

Marriage and Divorce--Interactive Map

Interesting interactive map on divorce and marriage statistics in the United States. Roll your cursor over the state of your choice and get a little pop up telling you the facts.

For example I was looking at different states for the percentage of folks married three times or more. I thought that states that had an older population would be the highest so I looked at Florida (7%) and Arizona (7%). But found that Wyoming was higher at 9%. I wonder why?

That's a fun way to use a map like this in the classroom. Look for trends. Make predictions and see if the map supports you. If it doesn't try to figure out why. It can generate some great classroom discussions.

[Image captured from website: http://pewsocialtrends.org/assets/flash/marriage/]

Rives: Emoticons

The poet Rives tells a short story using emoticons.

Cardboard Animation

Here is another bigger than life stopmotion animation. Kind of a followup to Combo that I posted about last week. The artist in this one uses large pieces of cardboard painted with the characters and moves them around a real cityscape. Hard to explain. Trust me, it will make sense when you watch it.


This looks like a very doable project idea for a classroom.




[Image captured from video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18usd0iV3eI&feature=player_embedded]

SketchUp 7: Hands On

I teach a short unit on SketchUp in my freshman Multimedia class. It's a survey course so we don't spend a lot of time on any one program but I always try to work a unit on SketchUp into the mix. I've struggled a bit in the past as to what I should teach the kids about SketchUp. I love the program. I love that it's free and the kids can download it at home if they want. But, those first few steps into three dimensional drawing can be daunting for my kids. I feel that my inexperience and lack of background is part of the reason I can't get most of the class excited about the program.

Last year I decided I needed to improve my SketchUp skills in order to better teach it. Searched for all the books available and many of the websites. Stumbled on a review of SketchUp7: Hands On by Bonnie Roskes and tracked down the website where it's sold, 3DVinci. It's an expensive book but I convinced my department chair to buy a copy for me and spent part of my summer working through some of the exercises. I have to say, my SketchUp skills are better and I now have a better idea what to include in my lessons. I originally thought it might be a book we could buy for the kids to use but it is pretty comprehensive and weighs in at 502 pages. It would be overkill for a three week unit. I could see using this with high school class dedicated to the program. The publisher says it could be used with "advanced middle school" students but I think it's a little too advanced. Not that they couldn't do it, I've seen middle schoolers use SketchUp before and do some amazing things.

Still, this is a great resource for any middle school and high school teacher who uses SketchUp to have on their bookshelf. It also would be a useful book to have in the high school library and I'lll be making this suggestion to our librarian. The author, Bonnie Roskes has a blog that I just discovered today. Looking around her site I found this useful little explanation on how to better use the Push/Pull tool. The 3dVinci website also has a subscription service that will give you a 3 new lessons every month. (I've not tried this but looks promising.) There are some other resources availabe at the site. The website and the book are both worth looking at.

[Image captured from 3Dvinci: http://www.3dvinci.net/]

Lulu and the Lampshades

Just like this. It's the weekend, I deserve a little music.



[via Miss Celania]

Funny: Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti

Never heard of this duet until I saw it on Miss Cellania recently. I went on a search to find out more about this arrangement and found many YouTube videos. This first one is the one that got me started.



Wikipedia had this to say about the duet: "While the piece is typically attributed to Gioachino Rossini, it was not actually written by him, but is instead a compilation written in 1825 that draws from parts of his 1816 opera, Otello. The compiler was likely the English composer Robert Lucas de Pearsall, who for this purpose used the pseudonym "G. Berthold"

Two young ladies performing the same piece.



Another from the BBC:



Looked for the banjo version of this but couldn't find one. May just have to work up an arrangement.

Amazing Jumbo Elephant Landing

An International Fund for Animal Welfare public affair's ad. Not sure if it made the point it was going for, but I've watched it multiple times now and shared it with friends. So, maybe it is successful at getting folks attention.






[Image captured from "Amazing Jumbo Elephant Landing": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm8FJ8la2VU]

Combo

Stunning animation done by Blu and David Ellis. Not sure how to really describe this...just watch it! I don't think you will be disappointed.

I'm going to show this to my media kids, give them a video camera, some magic markers and see what they can come up with.

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

[Image captured from the video "Combo": http://vimeo.com/6555161]

Flat folding table

Saw this table designed by Lodovico Bernardi and right away started thinking of ways I could build something like this into my camp box. Either a lid that becomes a table or a way to easily elevate the box to use as a table or workplace.

Couldn't find a closeup of how the leg mechanism works but from the picture, it looks like the whole leg structure rotates. Great idea!

[via CraziestGadgets]
[Images captured from CraziestGadget: http://craziestgadgets.com/2009/09/30/minimalist-flat-folding-table/]

Funny: Extreme Anti-Smoking Ad

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Converting a document from PDF to Word

I convert everything I give my students into a PDF. This allows them to open it pretty much on any computer in our building or at home. Occasionally, I will run into a situation where I need the original document but it's not readily available. In those moments, usually crisis moments, I need an easy way to convert a PDF back into a Word doc.

The last time this happened, I did a quick search on the web and found several sites that promise to do just this. I used one that worked fine but limited the number of conversions you could do in a period of time. I needed two. It said I could only do one. I went elsewhere.

Ended up using PDF to Word. It's straightforward and simple to use.Upload your PDF. They convert it and send it back to you via email. I've tried several PDF conversions and they have all been satisfactory.

If you have to do this a lot, I'd recommend getting Acrobat Pro or one of the other desktop PDF reader/converters. If you are like me and only need to do this a couple times a year, stick with one of the online versions.

[Image captured from PDF to Word: http://www.pdftoword.com/]

Funny: Simons Cat--Fly Guy

I used to have a cat that made the same clicking noises when she was hunting.

Mobile Classrooms

In our district, when a school reaches capacity and there just aren't enough classrooms, mobiles are brought in. These things are essentially mobile homes with most of the interior walls taken out. You would think that something like this could be manufactured in such a way that would best meet the needs of a modern classroom. Well thought out storage. Lots of electrical outlets. Built-in computer drops. Adequate cooling and heating. You know, all the things you want in a classroom.

I've haven't seen a well designed one yet.

I was talking to our head custodian about mobiles the last time we had one brought in and he mentioned the price. At the time, we had just moved my mother-in-law into a brand new double wide manufactured home. Her three bedroom structure cost thousands of dollars less than the one we had just installed at our school. How could this be? I think it was a case of going with the lowest bidder without properly specifying features. Still, I always thought there was a lot of room for improvement with these things.

I was pleased to see that someone was thinking about mobiles in a different way when I stumbled onto this posting about prefab classrooms (pictured above). They don't look like mobiles, they are green, and the specs sound much better than anything I've seen.

[Image captured from Inhabitat: http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/24/chartwell-school-unveils-new-prefab-classrooms/]

Soungle

Soungle is one of the sites mentioned in Tom Barrett's presentation on using Search Engines in the classroom that I blogged about recently. Soungle is a free site dedicated to collecting various sound samples. You search for the sound you want and if they have it you are able to download it and use it in your projects free of charge.

My media students now have this bookmarked on their computers. It's great to be able to quickly find a simple sound or background noise for a video production.

Good resource to add to your bag of tricks.

[via ICT in My Classroom]

Using Google Docs in the Classroom

I've been exploring Tom Barrett's web site and came across this presentation on using Google Docs. Wish I had seen just the first two slides before I attempeted to teach a collaborative document to the kids. In case you don't know there are limits on the number of individuals that can collaborate at the same time. I believe it is around 10 for a doc. Barrett points out it is 50 for a spreadsheet. So, an entire class can practice working on the same document at the same time.

Once again lots of good ideas. You should be able to find at least one you could use in your classroom.



[image captured from "twenty one interesting ways to use Google Docs in the Classroom"; http://docs.google.com/present/view?skipauth=true&id=dhn2vcv5_8323t58h3ft]

Ken Robinson on School Kill's Creativity

Wonderful TED lecture on how Schools kill creativity. Funny. Thought provoking. A few quotes to wet your appitite:

"Children starting school this year will be retiring in 2065. Nobody has a clue.....what the world will look like in five years time. Yet we are educating them for this."

"Creativity is as important in education as Literacy and we should treat it with the same status!"

"If you aren't prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."

If you liked this talk, you might also enjoy this article, Transform Education? Yes, We Must

, by Ken Robinson.

Monty PythonYouTube Channel

If you are constantly referring to, linking to or just a fan of Monty Python clips, I just discovered they have created their own Channel with better quality video than most of what you can find on YouTube. Here is what they say posting all their clips:

For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands.

We know who you are, we know where you live and we could come after you in ways too horrible to tell. But being the extraordinarily nice chaps we are, we've figured a better way to get our own back: We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube.

No more of those crap quality videos you've been posting. We're giving you the real thing - HQ videos delivered straight from our vault.

What's more, we're taking our most viewed clips and uploading brand new HQ versions. And what's even more, we're letting you see absolutely everything for free. So there!

And for fun, here is the Parrot Sketch.



[via BotJunkie]


[Image captured off off http://www.youtube.com/user/MontyPython]

Funny: Rubik's Cube Sandwich

[via Neatorama]

Search Engines in the classroom

Was preparing for a short demo on Google for my multimedia kids the other day and thought I would look around for some new ideas and content. Clicked over to Larry Ferlazzo's excellent site and found a link to Twenty-three interesting ways to Use Search Engines in the Classroom put together by Tom Barrett.

One idea I'm going to try soon is kind of the reverse of a scavenger hunt. Rather than give the kids a topic and have them create a search to find the item or subject, reverse that and give them a picture of what they are going to find. They have to figure out the search criteria. Sounds like a fun challenge.

Check it out....you're bound to find one thing you can use!


[via Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…]

Card Sort

Some of my web design students are going to tackle a re-design of our school site soon. One of the problems of building a big site is how to organize it. Most of us have had the experience of going to a site and then struggling to find the page we want. It's organized, but not in any way that is logical to us. A Card Sort is one way to look at how things should be organized from a user point of view.

Create a stack of cards with one page of your website on each card. Have potential users divide the cards up into logical stacks. Then create a label for each stack. The stacks help you create an organizational tree for your site and the labels become your navigational system.

I'll be trying this out with my students.



[via iLibrarian] [Image captured from Card Sorting: http://cardsorting.pbworks.com/]

Cure for Color Blindness

I'm color blind. Color deficient. Or as one of my teachers said in regards to my work coloring: "Doesn't follow directions well." Or as my wife often says: "Change those socks, they don't match."

I didn't find out I had a problem seeing color until my physical for college. They had to run a color test and I failed. I couldn't see anything in those damn dots. Suddenly it became clear to me why I had a hard time matching clothes and why I couldn't ever seem to pick out the purple crayon from the box. Some careers were closed to me. I couldn't be a policeman because I wouldn't be able to correctly identify the color of the getaway car. Graphic design....not a good idea. Electronics with their color coded wires proved to be a challenge and caused more than one mishap. Didn't seem to hamper me in becoming a Social Studies teacher other than those map assignments. Kids always figured out I had a problem when I would talk about the country colored red and it was really purple.

Occasionally I will wonder what the rest of the world sees when they look at a painting. How a garden looks different to me than to my wife. But really, I don't much think about it. Then I saw this article about the success scientists have had in generating color sight in color blind monkeys. They are so encouraged by the results that they are looking to obtain permission for human trials.

I find myself oddly elated that maybe, just maybe, I will get to see purple.


[image: "twenty six"; author: 2inches; March 7, 2006; http://www.flickr.com/photos/2inches/109466350/; [Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic]

Sorry I'm Late

Another stop motion video from Tomas Mankovsky, the guy who made Little Big Love.

Sorry I'm Late from Tomas Mankovsky on Vimeo.

Funny: Young and Stupid (Craig Ferguson)

[via Miss Cellania]

3 point lighting video

Found this video from Izzy Video on 3 point lighting. I like it because it so clearly shows the effect of each of the three lights: key, fill and back. Just discovered Izzy Video site and will be exploring it a bit in the days to come. Looks like there may be a more interesting content available here but majority is available for members only.


Three Point Lighting - The best home videos are here

LIttle Big Love

Here's a wonderful stopmotion done on a do-it-yourself budget but with fantastic results. Take a look at the slides which detail out the storyboard and the sets that went into the production of this piece. The picture above shows how he used a miniature train track and car to build a dolly for his camera.

Clever.

I am so going to steal that idea to use with my students.

Little Big Love from Tomas Mankovsky on Vimeo.

[via BotJunkie]

The Kangaroo Guy

The Kangaroo Guy has posted a commentary on using Kangoo Jumps.

Part 1:



Watch the rest of his videos on Kangoos at his YouTube site.

Replacing Kangoo parts

Rasmus has made a YouTube video showing how to replace the soles and clamps on his kangoos. I went onto the official Kangoo Site to see what instructions they had available for this process. I copied a diagram from the site to show how they suggest you put the clamps on. They show only a screwdriver. Rasmus used a screwdriver, a wrench (to use like a lever), brute force, patience and a few kids running around. Although I think the kids are optional.

I think I might add a few bandaides....cause I figure the first time I try this, there will be blood!

He is using a lot more force than the diagrams imply. I am wondering if anyone else out there has found an easier way to get the clamps onto their boots? A better tool? A better method? If so, let me know and I'll mention it here. This kind of information is helpful for all of us in the Kangoo community.

Thanks to Rasmus for sharing his process.
















Part 1



Part 2



[Image captured from YouTube Video: Part 2 - Howto exchange Kangoo Jumps T-SPRING TS Pro6 and sole for model KJarmstrong XR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OJ0CJ8bWI8]
[Images of boots captured from Kangoo Site: http://www.kangoojumps.com/doc913.htm]

Funny: Birthday Boy

Onwards: Running animation

Onwards is a great animation by James Jarvis and Richard Kenworthy of a simple character running . Beautiful examples of perspective. How to animate a moving character. Just a wonderful animation. I'll use this as an introduction to animation in my classroom.

I love how this piece captures the internal feel of running. If you've ever been a runner this film will make you want to put on the shoes and head out to the road.

Onwards from AKQA on Vimeo.

Here's a short interview with James Jarvis, one of the animators, where he talks about the project and running.

Part One



Part Two



Part Three



[via Neatorama]

[Image captured from the video Onwards]

Of Muppets and Men

Of Muppets and Men is a 1981 documentary about the Muppets. If you've never seen shots of what goes on behind the puppets to create the magic, here is your chance. Seeing the human actor behind each of the puppets is a little surreal. There is a glimpse into all parts of the show. Lot's of fun.


A companion book to the show is available that is out of print but still available used if you are interested. The show has been broken up into six parts all available on YouTube. I linked all six on this post. Enjoy.

Part One



Part Two



Part Three



Part Four



Part Five



Part Six



[via Monsters and Rockets]

[Image captured from video: Of Muppets and Men]

Better video in 30 seconds....

Here is a short video showing how just some simple changes in lighting and setting can make a huge difference in the final product. I used this as a starter for my media class a few weeks ago and it led to some good discussion and then some fun experimentation. It's a keeper for me. (Unless I a few of my students make their own version....)

How to make your video a billion times better! (in 30 Seconds!) from Jim Shealy on Vimeo.

[via Instructables]

Kangoo Boots Informational Site

I keep thinking other Kangoo jumpers will post information about the boots, their experiences, their routines, etc....but still not much out on the web that I can find. This site was one of the first I located when I first heard about the boots and it has some tips and tricks. Doesn't seem to get updated all that often, but it's a place to start if you are trying to decide if these odd looking shoes are right for you.

Kangoo Jumps (Maintained by Elvis Payne. Note this is not the official Kangoo Site)

Kangoo Boots--how well do they hold up?

Rasmus, in Denmark, has put a 180 km (roughly 110 miles) on his Kangoos with long runs and lots of off road workouts. Here's a link to his video showing where they wore out and what parts he is going to replace.

His evaluation: Don't expect to get more mileage than a pair of running shoes but he still loves running in them and is going to replace the worn parts. Plan on replacing parts more often if you run off road. (Hope I paraphrased you correctly Rasmus ;-)

Funny: Alternate Currency

[via xkcd]

YoungMe:NowMe

Yesterday's post reminded me of a contest ZeFrank, a popular blogger, ran last year called, YoungMe:NowMe. Essentially, you find an old photograph of yourself as a child or a baby and then recreate the exact pose with you as an adult.

I think this would be a great idea to use with a class of kids who need a digital photography assignment. Or a fun staff activity. Or just fun for the sake of having fun. I am trying to get my family interested in doing this for all the adults. Then I want to take the results and put them in a photobook. I'll let you know if they say yes and maybe post some of the results.

The shot shown at the top was the winner.

[Image captured from YoungMe:NowMe site]

Imagine Finding Me

Chino Otsuka has a unique collection of photos. She took old snapshots from her childhood and Photoshopped her adult self into the scene. The gallery is called Imagine Finding Me.

I loved these photos and of course while looking wondered if my students could pull this off? I think this could be another interesting project for a photography or multimedia class. Students would have to give some thought to lighting. Clothes. Shadows. Scratches.

It could be fun for kids. Fun for me to grade.


[via Monsters and Rockets]

Snorricam: Body Camera Mount

Here is a Instructables project for an armature that keeps your camera pointed at you. I had never heard of a Snorricam until I saw this post, but had been playing around with tripods to get a similar effect. (See related posts below). This takes that concept one step further.

Who needs a camera man when you have a Snorricam?

This shot of a professional Snorricam rig is the setup they used in Requiem for a Dream.
Below is a short video made with the DIY Snorricam showcased in the tutorial. They get several interesting camera angles here. After watching the video, I thought, "Oh yeah....I could use one of these." I really love the shots they get of the actor running. Also the shot of the actor getting up from the ground is very different from the shot you'd get using a static camera.



I found another video (not by the builders featured here) showing some examples of Snorricam shots. This piece has a person on a swing, a back view and another shot of someone running. Once you see an example, these shots are easier to pick out from feature films. Take a look at this Wikipedia article to get some references to movies where this technique was used prominently.



Finally, here is a video showing the details of the construction. I am wondering if this rig could be lightened by using pvc pipe? Looked online to see if anybody had tried this, but no luck. I also ran across a couple of references to the look being effected by where the camera is mounted on your body. It makes a difference if the support rod is attached to your waist versus your chest. On the professional models, it looks like you can adjust this aspect?

Now if I only had an enterprising young student who would build one for some extra credit?



Related Posts:

• One Man, One Camera, One Long Arm
• Camera Mount on the Cheap
• Camera Extender

[Image of DIY Snorricam captured from the Instructables Post: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Snorricam/] [Image of professional Snorricam was captured at William Wilkinson: http://blog.williamwilkinson.com/post/67740783/snorricam-setup-in-requiem-for-a-dream]

It's a Bird

Thought I had blogged about this piece of animation history but when I saw it recently on a Monsters and Rockets post I went looking for it and it was nowhere to be found. I must have shown it to my students and never linked to it online. I will correct that now. Wish I could fix my faulty memory as easily.

It's a Bird was an animated short done by Charles Bowers in 1930. He was one of the early pioneers in film animation and stop motion. From what I can find, the car used in the animation was an actual car, not a model. So, it had to be cut up piece by piece for the effects.

Interesting article/review on Charles Bowers at the DVDJournal. The DVD is called Charley Bowers: The Rediscovery of an American Comic Genius out although it is currently out of print (stock). I did a short online search and couldn't find any vendors that had a copy in stock.



[Image captured from video]

Funny: Schrödinger's Cat

Listen to the explanation first.



This clip is a little shorter. Use it as a quick review before you go to a party where you know there will be quantum physicists hanging out at the snack table.



Now watch this clip from the Big Bang Theory and laugh even harder because you have a deeper understanding of the concept.



Amaze your friends and family when you can explain cartoons that reference Schrödinger's Cat! [Lab Initio]










Finally, order a poster or t-shirt to show your friends in the know that you get it.

My Friend: Music Video Created using SketchUp

Here is a creative use of Google SketchUp. The author made most of the visuals for a music video using the software. Watch the video and then check out the interview with Dave Righton on how he created this video for $12. He initially was using the program to storyboard out a project when he came up with the idea of using it as the basis for his music video.





[Image captured from the music video for "My Friend Ship"]

Green Wall

Getting close to putting a shed in my back yard. I spent much of the last month creating a spot for it and now am looking at pre-built or diy type sheds. Either way, I got to thinking a green-wall on at least one side of the shed would be neat. So, rather than weeding in the backyard, I slipped inside to my office and logged into Google. Found this site with lots of pictures and references for green-walls.

Gave me lots of ideas.

[Image captured from Gardenopolis: http://gardenopolis.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/growing-a-green-wall/]

Modular Refrigerator Design

Here's a clever idea for a refrigerator design. It takes the idea of a separate freezer and cooler section even further. Break the appliance up into even smaller units. Each unit takes less energy to cool and loses less cold air when you open the door.

We bought one of those fridges with the freezer on the bottom several years ago and love it. It made so much sense to put all the items on the top in the compartment that was opened the most often and the freezer on the bottom that is opened less often.



[Image captured from http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/07/22/flatshare-fridge-stackable-refrigerator-a-la-legos/]

A Lovecraft Dream

Wonderful Lovecraft inspired animation. I couldn't gather much from the site or related links. There are some nice effects here using cutouts. I think the ocean waves are a combination of paper and computer animation but not sure?

[Send me a note if anyone has any information on the artists or how they went about creating the film.]



[via Monsters and Rockets]

Funny: United Breaks Guitars--Part 2

Dave Carroll is at it again. His United Airlines saga continues with the second song in the Trilogy.

Archive of Television Ads

AdViews is a fun archive of TV commercials from the 50s and 60s. The commercials have been made available for "research, teaching, and private study". Duke University, where the collection is housed, is not the copyright holder. You'll have to track down who controls the images if you want to use them commercially. Although, I suspect the age of some of these puts them into the public domain. There are also some French commercials such as the ads for Fluffo! I've spent way too much time today watching old advertisements.

One note. You need to access these ads using iTunes. There is no cost but you still need the Apple program to gain access

[via Boing Boing]

[Image captured from "Fluffo Shortening, 1960s (dmbb09814): D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles advertising archives]

Tree House

I love this idea. I've known for years about shaping the growth of trees for landscape design. The most common of these is the living fence. Prune and stake a tree out to take on the shape of a fence. A famous example of this (in USA) is the living fence around George Washington's garden at his home in Virginia. He did this back in the 1700's and the fence is still there.

So lets take it a step further and integrate a living tree into the structure of our homes using prefabricated forms to help shape the trees into the desired support structures. Even if the tree dies, you still have this framework that was grown to specs. I suspect it would be incredibly strong. Watch the video for a quick explanation by Mitchell Joachim.



Short animation of what this structure might look like.



[Image captured from Inhabitat.com: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/11/20/video-grow-a-living-treehouse-with-terreform/fabtreehab1/]

Laurel and Hardy Remix

Neat little remix of an old Laurel and Hardy clip form the movie Way Out West (1937) with the song Party Train by the Gap Band.



I was trying to find the original clip and fond out several folks have used this dance clip in remixes. Here is another to Tainted Love performed by Soft Cell.



And finally here is the original sound clip with a little green screen magic added in.



[via Miss Cellina]