Month: February 2006

Tick Tock, Crazy Clocks

I love when there is an intersection of function and art in machines. Three examples, from 1410, the 1870’s and one from 1999.

First, is the Orloj Astronomical Clock in Prague.

Secondly, The Historic Engle Clock at The National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, PA.

And lastly, The 10,000 Year Clock from the The Long Now Foundation

“The idea to build a monument scale, multi-millennial, all mechanical clock as an icon to long term thinking came from computer scientist Danny Hillis…”

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Fat Asian Baby’s comment (see comments section) got me hunting for the Strausbourg Astronomical Clock.

Gorgeous. Also found while hunting for the Strausgourg Clock…

The astronomical clock of Besancon

Carillon clock with automata, by Isaac Habrecht

The Daily Routine: My Sites of Interest

My daily wasting of time online includes but is not exclusive to the following websites. They sate my need for:

atlanta blogging
formal news
strange factoids
unsubstantiated conspiracy theories
high-tech gadgets
art and culture happenings
movie news and hollywood gossip
new music
and smut.

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atlbloggers.net

Got to see what the home-town team is talking about.

Salon.com
Google News
memorandum
MemoryBlog
Early Warning by William M. Arkin
Plastic: Politics, Culture, Point Of View
Fortean Times Breaking News
The Home Page of J. Orlin Grabbe

Salon is news with a liberal slant. Memorandum is political news mashed up with responses from the bloggosphere. Early Warnings is a covers the intelligence and information world of the US government. Often provides details on big stories that major news network omit. The Fortean Times, bizarro and fun paranormal/UFO/conspiratorial magazine with an online news feed. Orlin’s site… see Fortean Times and add gratuitous nudity.

New York Times Arts
Arts & Letters Daily
ArtsJournal: Daily Arts News

Makes me feel full of good, healthy, civic-minded culture.

CNET News.com
Wired News
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
BBC NEWS Science/Nature

Being a perpetual 10-year-old geek boy, I like hearing about the latest toys and tech. Being much older I can almost afford them. TUAW is a must for my Apple/Mac/iPod news.

Cool Hunting
Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog
Engadget

Tech/trendy sites covering the latest in what the cool kids are buying. Cool Hunting introduced me to this item which was bought as a Christmas gift for a friend…

The friend being a rocking one bought me this Batman/Christmas-themed shirt (from Threadless T-Shirts) also first seen on Cool Hunting…

Eonline- The Awful Truth
Obscure Store and Reading Room
Daily Rotten: Weird News

Trashy gossip and news stories in poor taste pretty much undoes all the good influence the arts and culture websites do.

Ain’t It Cool News
FilmThreat.com

Indie movie news, early info on projects and fanboy rantings about who going to screw up a beloved comic-book to be turned in to a movie.

things magazine

Related/unrelated lists of interesting sites. I wish I could be employed doing what they do.

Pitchfork
Scenestars
stereogum
music (for robots)
ready rock moe rex
Fluxblog
Copy, Right?
largehearted boy: a boy, a girl, and his radio
Basic Hip Digital Oddio

When I was 13, I got my FCC broadcasting license and was a summer DJ at WSUC. My love of music really started with my exposure to their huge record library and it continues to this day. All of these sites point me to bands and songs that I would never have heard. Which explains why I have a bitching cover of Donna Summer “I Feel Love” by Cobra Verde, and why I was listening to Album 88 fav Wolf Parade 9 months ago. The MP3 bloggers are internet DJ’s exposing people to great music and acting as advocates to bands that may not be otherwise be heard.

beatnik sidearm

In anticipation of moving to Vegas, online research led me to Geoff Carter. The man was our first contact in the city once we arrived and I’m better off knowing him. He now resides in Seattle and dates a roller-derby girl.

Nerve – Scanner
Viviane’s Sex Carnival
Rare Erotica

Smut is hard to find online, but these sites cover the naughty bits quite well.

Food That Will Kill You!.. Right Here in Atlanta

When I was a kid, I would come home from school and sometimes make;

A peanut butter, potato-chip, dill pickle and apple jelly sandwich,
and a glass of half Pepsi/chocolate milk.

Yummm!

Now that I am an adult, I knew I had to change my eating habits. So, when I heard of the Luther Burger, I had to investigate. Luckily for me, I hit paydirt in Atlanta.

First stop, Mulligan’s (Google Map), home of the Luther and the Hamdog.

The Luther was the creation of singer Luther Vandross, who when found his kitchen lacking hamburger buns, used donuts instead. Mulligan’s started serving Vandross’ creation to the people as a public service, and there was much rejoicing. If you have recently watched the The Boondocks on Cartoon Network, the Luther was featured in the Granddad’s soulfood restaurant.

The Luther picture above comes from the Texas Burger Guy’s Luther Burger and Hamdog Pictures!!!!! post. The site is loaded with burger joint reviews and pictures from around the country.

Mulligan’s second contribution was the Hamdog.

The picture says it all. The helpful diagram come from the absolutely Not-Safe-For-Work! site Consumption Junction. Seriously. NWS.

Moving away from Mulligan’s, is Ann’s Snack Bar, home of the Ghetto Burger.

Ann’s is good food served with a heavy hand. She takes no lip and you better know what you want or you will be out on you ass with no food. There ‘s a list of rules on the wall that are not to be broken. Think I’m joking. here’s one review on Citysearch…

“I recently had surgery on my back and couldn’t sit down, and all Ann could say was read the rule sign and you should have gone to a place where you could standup. I will never go there again and I will advise all my friends never to go there either.”

So, either be ready to take any order given or don’t go to Ann’s.

So, if anyone local is itching to hit these spots, I’m looking for company to join me. Drop me a line and be ready to push the wheelchair.

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Flickr: Photos tagged with Ann’s Snack Bar
Flickr: Atlanta Rollerderby Girl With Hamdog
Texas Burger Guy: Luther Burger and Hamdog Pictures!!!!!
Hamdog and Luther Burger at Scam City version 9.0
Metroblogging Atlanta: Hamdog and Luther Burger
The “Creative Loafing Best Of Atlanta” Caravan
It’s a deep-fried train wreck, but I can die happy | ajc.com

State of the Union: No Real Thoughts, Just a Picture

While at work last night, a bunch of us crowded into an office to hear what GWB had to say. As John Stewart has said about him, “he has no doubt in his mind,” about anything. I’m inclined to track down his speech just to see what he had written for him.

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