LEGO Jurassic Park

~A short version of one of my favorite films, now in LEGO:

Making friends with...monkeys!

~Making new friends is not always easy...especially when your new pal is a monkey:

Hilarious Japanese Fanta Collection

~Here's a hilarious compilation of Fanta commercials from Japan:

Oh Japan., you crack me up. My favorite part is Shogun-sensei @1:10: INSOLENCE!

Kaboom!

~An unmanned Proton-M rocket carrying navigational satellites crashed earlier today shortly after launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.  The crash was caught on amateur video here; note the delayed shockwave that hits near the end:

^ "Hey Dmitri, I'm not a rocket scientist, but I don't think it's supposed to go in that direction..."

"We named the monkey Jack"

Part 1:

^ "Monkeys are born thieves!"

Part 2:

^ "With a little training, you can teach your monkey to wear clothes!"

Niagara Falls

~I recently visited Niagara Falls State Park in western New York.  I was  there in the evening, so most of the attractions were closed, but I was able to take some pictures and videos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ This squadron of stunt planes was circling the area in formation, roaring overhead only a few hundred feet up.

 

^ American Falls, taken from an observation platform extending over the Niagara River gorge.

^ A video of American Falls, taken from the observation platorm.

 

^ Rainbow Bridge.  Canada is on the left, the United States is on the right.  The bridge is a major civil engineering achievement, and was constructed in 1941.

 

^ This picture was taken from the other side of American Falls.  The green tower/bridge on the left edge is the observation platform that the previous pictures and video were taken from.

^ A panoramic image taken from next to American Falls.  The buildings in the distance are all hotels and casinos in Canada, which must provide a spectacular view of the waterfalls.  

^ Mist from the waterfalls sprays into the air, shrouding the Canadian buildings in a perpetual fog when viewed from the American side of the falls.

 

^ Another panoramic image, this one of the river to the right of the previous picture, feeding into the waterfall.  This would be a great place for some whitewater kayaking...right before you plummet to a horrible death, of course.

 

^ Horseshoe Falls, another waterfall in the park, named for its curved shape.

^ Here's a map from the state park website, in case you'd like a visual aid to all of these locations.

 

^ It's a long way down to the Niagara River gorge from Horseshoe Falls. Huge rocks are piled around the base.  I wonder what it would be like to go scuba diving around (but not right under) the falls.

^ A video of Horseshoe Falls.

^ Here's something a little different: on Goat Island (between American Falls and Horseshoe Falls), there's a monument to Nikola Tesla, an inventor and scientist who, among other things, designed the first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls.

 

Just for fun, I played around with some of the special effects on my phone camera:

^   The image above is in "Retro" mode.  Groovy, baby!

^ This is just a negative, but it looks like some sort of alien planet.  I call it "The Dark Falls".

^ "Dreamlike" mode.  Very mysterious and ephemeral.

 

I hope you've enjoyed these pictures and videos of Nigara Falls.  If you've never been there, consider visiting: it's one of the Earth's more spectacular natural wonders.

Share It Maybe

Much better than the original song (which a disturbingly large number of radio stations seem eternally tuned to):

^ "Please someone call the girl scout!"

Meanwhile, in Russia…

~On the distant Kamchatka peninsula (an area the size of Germany), four volcanoes are currently erupting that happen to be near each other. Using a helicopter, a film crew captured an amazing flyby of the Tolbachik volcano.  But best of all, the video is fully panoramic: by clicking and dragging in the video, you can change the direction you’re viewing, and you can even scroll to zoom in and out! 

Give it a try here:  http://www.spiegel.de/static/360grad/kamtschatka/

Bane Outtakes

~The first of the latest Batman film trilogy, Batman Begins, is one of my favorite movies.  The second film (The Dark Knight) is, as the title suggests, much darker, but Heath Ledger gave a fantastic performance as the Joker.  But I don’t much care for the final film in series, The Dark Knight Rises.  It was enough to make me wish I was watching the old Adam West Batman series from the 1960s.

Fortunately, The Dark Knight Rises can be vastly improved by substituting some of the dialogue of Bane (the main villain) with this dialogue created by youtube user Auralnauts:

^ “Not sure about the lettuce…I would have gone with the mixed greeeens.”

Here are the full lyrics to Bane’s (apparently undefeated) freestyle rap:

I'm Bane, yes, that's my name.
When you hear the name Bane, I guarantee the pain.
I'm coming after you, Bruce Wayne.
I'm stronger, smarter, and clinically insane.

I'm Bane, yes, that's my name.
Bruce Wayne and the Batman are totally the same.
I broke his back mortal comBAT smack,
then I cracked my '28 Krug champagne.

I'm Bane, yes, it's a shame.
I declare martial law, and you all complain!
I laugh when you ask why I wear the mask.
I'll explain. It's because.....

I'm Bane, yes, that's my name.
You say it too much, the name becomes inane.
Of course! Some think my plan lacks gain.
If you say it too my face, I'll crash your plane.

NOPE

~I’m a bit late to the party on this one (it’s been viewed over 6.2 million times), but in case you haven’t seen it, here is the most hilarious viral marketing commercial you’re ever likely to see:

 

NOPE!

Cat-O-Vision

~In the video below (from 2009), scientists at UC-Berkeley demonstrate how they can directly capture images of what a cat sees, not from its eyes, but directly from its brain.

Sure, it’s a neat use of technology…but watch until the video reaches the 1:04 mark.  That’s when things get interesting.  If you’ve ever wondered what your cat really sees when it looks at you, wonder no longer:

 

Rise of the Machines

~The chart below shows yesterday’s top stories on the BBC News website.  Perhaps they’re onto something?

Links:

• Skynet seeks idle computer power
• Supercomputer predicts revolution

Now it’s only a matter of time before Skynet develops time travel:

Cassini Saturn Flyby

~It's been a while, but I'm back!  For now, enjoy this video animation of Saturn images taken by Cassini.  It's not computer-generated; these are actual images taken by the space probe and placed consecutively, just like a film.

[For a better view, after the video starts to play, click on the '360p' button at the bottom of the video and select a higher resolution (like 720p), then click the full-screen button on the lower-right]

You Look Like You Need A Monkey

Monkeys relaxing in hot springs at the Wild Monkey Park in Japan:

Now there are some primates who know how to relax!

Carl Sagan’s COSMOS (edited for rednecks)

DAG GUMMIT!

~A small selection of blooper outtakes from sport fisherman Bill Dance’s television show, “Bill Dance Outdoors”:

^ While watching this video, I kept hearing this voice in the back of my head saying, “That would be wrong…”

Russian to Antarctica

This time-lapse video shows a Russian expedition to resupply and transfer personnel to research stations in Antarctica:

 

[РАЭ-54 с борта НЭС "Академик Фёдоров" from North Pole on Vimeo.]

For a rough translation of the expedition objectives, see here.  The expedition began in St. Petersburg and stopped in Cape Town before proceeding to the bottom of the world.  The An-2 airplane that was unpacked and put together (assembly with duct tape in field conditions is allegedly in the official manual under the heading "Normal operation procedures") was used to deliver supplies to the inland Vostok Station.  And doesn’t the crew look like they’re having a good time in that hot tub at the end?

Also, note the coffin that appears at the 4:30 mark; it contains the body of a construction worker who died in a fire at the Russian research station “Progress” in Antarctica.

The Origin of Job Interviews

~Apparently, some things were not so different back then:

Badgers?! We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badgers!

~Don't let the cutesy name fool you: the Honey Badger, native to the Kalahari Desert in Africa, is one of the most fearless and tenacious land animals in the world.  See for yourself:



Sure, the hangover is a bitch, but there's nothing like some delicious, delicious adder venom to unwind after a long day of hunting and digging.

The Best Chemistry Video Ever

This requires no explanation.  Enjoy.