Game of Thrones Political Attack Ads are Pure Genius

The Game of Thrones world is steeped in court intrigue and political maneuvering, but for all that it lacks something we take for granted:
Democracy
Political attack ads. The folks over at Mother Jones decided to put their tongues firmly in cheek and show us what attack ads from the land of Westeros would look like. C’mon, Joffrey, we want to see a birth certificate! See them all, after the break.
Though funny, these ads fail to take into account the violence inherent to Westeros politics. What’s the point in a smear campaign when you can just straight-up murder someone? That said, these are fantastic. Extra points for encouraging viewers to “send a raven.”

(via The Wow Report)
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My Butter Half

(Movie Theater | Minnesota, USA)
(A couple approaches me at the movie theater’s concession stand.)
Me: “Hi, what can I—”
Customer: “Give me a green tea.”
Me: “Sorry, we don’t have green tea.”
Customer: “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Well, fine! What DO you have?”
(I point right behind me where all our sodas are clearly listed.)
Customer: “Well, FINE! Give me a Diet Coke, then.”
Customer Husband: “…And a large popcorn, please!”
Me: “Sure! That all?”
Customer Husband: “Yep!”
Me: “Cool. You guys want butter on the popcorn?”
Customer Husband: *giant smile* “Ye—”
Customer: “Of course not! Unlike you, I have a figure to maintain! I can’t have BUTTER on my popcorn! Really, are you an idiot?!”
(I go to get them their popcorn, but I purposely put way too much butter in the bucket and shovel a thin layer of popcorn on top to hide the butter.)
Me: “Here you go!”
Customer: “Well, finally!”
Customer Husband: *whispers as his wife turns away* “Butter?”
Me: “Yes, sir.”
(The guy hands me a five dollar bill. To this day, my coworkers and I refer to him as ‘Butter Man.’)

Spaceships drawn to scale

Molecular astrophysicist Invader Xan drew spaceships, real and fictional, to scale.

This, my friends, is an image showing several of the most notable spacecraft we plucky human beings have created (and are busily creating) to date. The past, the present, and the ones that never quite made it. All spacecraft shown are to scale (assuming my sources were accurate). Because I felt I needed to exercise my graphic design muscles. And because, well, let's face it — space ships are just inherently cool, aren't they?

Dibs on the Starship Enterprise.
[via Boing Boing]
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This Precariously Perched House is a Work of Art

Completed in November of last year, this amazing sculpture called “Fallen Star” at the University of California in San Diego depicts a small house perched dangerously on the side of the Jacobs School of Engineering. It’s a startling work, and one that shows off not only its artistic value but the incredible engineering that went into its creation.

Created by artist Do Ho Suh, the work is the 18th permanent sculpture on the school’s campus and part of the Stuart Collection. While a technical marvel in its own right, the work tackles issues of identity and “home.” From the Stuart Collection website:

It reflects Suh’s on-going exploration of themes around the idea of home, cultural displacement, the perception of our surroundings, and how one constructs a memory of a space. His own feelings of displacement when he arrived in the U.S. from Seoul, Korea in 1991 to study led him to measure spaces in order to establish relationships with his new surroundings. He had to physically and mentally readjust.

The interior home is completely furnished, and it even features a rooftop garden leading up to the off-kilter cottage. If you happen to be in the San Diego area, be sure to check out this surprising bit of sculpture.

1. 
   
   1.Fallen Star
   
   
   
   images via The Fox is Black
   
2. 
   
   2.Fallen Star
   
   
   
   images via The Fox is Black
   
3. 
   
   3.Fallen Star
   
   
   
   images via The Fox is Black
   
4. 
   
   4.Fallen Star
   
   
   
   images via The Fox is Black
   

(The Stuart Collection via The Fox is Black)

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How About We Read You The Riot Act

(Bookstore | Cape Town, South Africa)
Customer: “Hi, I am looking for a fashion book.”
Me: “Sure, sir. Do you know the title or any specifics?”
Customer: “No, I do not.”
Me: “I will show you the fashion section then, sir.”
(As we walk to the fashion section…)
Customer: “I don’t know why people read; it’s like a disease! I find Facebook and other things on the internet are more fun.”
Me: “I enjoy reading, sir. It’s quite stimulating and exciting.”
Customer: “So, if you read, that means you don’t have a girlfriend?”
Me: “I do have a girlfriend. We have been together a long time.”
Customer: “How does she put up with you reading?”
Me: “She enjoys reading too, sir.”
Customer: “Oh, so you two must have a very boring life together and do nothing fun!”

Fefe bringt es auf den Punkt!

Und die armen Neuseeländer Behörden müssen jetzt verteidigen, wieso sie die Platten nicht mehr haben. Kein Wunder, dass die Ausflüchte jetzt ausgesprochen fremdschämpeinlich werden:

FBI agents who copied data from Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom's computers and took it overseas were not acting illegally because information isn't "physical material", the Crown says.

Ach, es zählt nur, wenn es sich um physische Materialien handeln? Wegen was sind sie dann bitte überhaupt bei Kimble einmarschiert?!

Political allegiance via wireless network SSIDs, mapped

Wireless network SSIDs in residential areas are typically left on default router names like Belkin or LinkSys, but some people use them as a subtle way to broadcast a message. Sometimes it's simple like "DontStealMyInternet" or "Big Bob's playhouse." Others use their SSIDs to make a political statement. With that in mind, James Robinson, a developer for OpenSignalMaps, wondered if political allegiance could be inferred from assigning sentiment to SSIDs.

According to this eccentric measure of sentiment Obama is much more popular outside of the US than within. Why is this? It may be that Obama is genuinely more popular in the rest of the world but maybe it is because outside of the US people are less likely to express negative sentiments towards politicians in this manner. We can't answer this definitively but looking at Argentina, at least, does suggest this is the case.

I'm surprised it was so evenly split in the US between negative and positive since in a way it's like putting a sign up on your lawn. Usually you see signs in support of a candidate rather than one that says an opposing candidate sucks.
Anonymity probably plays the main role in this case. You can't put up a mean sign in front of your house and pretend it's not yours, but you can make an insulting SSID, and no one would be the wiser.

How Much Do You Love Diablo III and Also Your Significant Other?

We know how much you love Diablo III, or really any game from which you can’t pry yourself away. We also know how fond you are of your significant other, and how difficult choosing between your beloved game and beloved significant other can be. Luckily for all of us, a solution has been discovered, and now we no longer have to choose between leveling up and cuddle time.

(reddit via NerdApproved)

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Vom Kindle hat man auch in Europa schon gehört, in ...

Vom Kindle hat man auch in Europa schon gehört, in den USA gibt es ein Konkurrenzprodukt namens "Nook" von Barnes & Noble, einer verbreiteten Buchhandelkette. Die Nook-Version von Tolstoys "Krieg und Frieden" hat statt "kindled" "Nookd" im Text. To kindle, falls das jemand nicht wusste, heißt ein Feuer anzünden (auch im übertragenen Sinn).

You’re Probably Not Qualified to Make Pizza For Apple

You’re Probably Not Qualified to Make Pizza For Apple:

Recently, we learned that it wasn’t unusual for a prospective Apple employee to endure a grueling nine-month long interview process. Even after hiring, new employees are frequently put on fake projects in order to test their loyalty. Now, it seems, that Apple’s exacting hiring standards extend to its kitchens, as demonstrated by a job posting for a Pizza Chef.


The posting from Apple’s jobs page describes the exact skills necessary to work as a pizza chef at the company. Interesting is not only the skills the job posting demands, but the specificity of the kind of pizza Apple expects.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience making pizza dough from scratch and is able to portion and toss the dough; possesses the ability to hand stretch the pizza (without using a rolling pin) and cook the pizza to order in a high temperature oven. The cook will also prep and maintain all food items necessary to make a variety of pizzas (toppings, sauces and related prep).
At least 2-4 years of experience working a high volume wood burning pizza oven featuring thin crust, Neapolitan style pizza.

God forbid if you’ve ever sullied your hands with a rolling pin, or perhaps prefer to craft Chicago style pizza (read: the best kind of pizza [editor's note: gross]). Then again, it’s only reasonable for Apple to say exactly what they’re looking for in a new employee. It also shows that Apple employees are probably eating a lot better than most folks.
No word yet if new pizza chefs are required to work on impossible, fake pizza projects until they’ve proven themselves.
(via Apple, image via Jeff Kubina)
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Google Set to Acquire Top Level Domains “.youtube,” “.docs,” and “.lol”

In a blog post yesterday, Google announced that it was participating in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers application process for new top-level domains. You know, the process that is going to make “.xxx” and “.geekosystem” into a reality. Though short on details, the post suggests that the company is aiming for some pretty interesting purchases.
The brief blogpost outlines four categories of domain purchases Google is planning to make, and an example of each. From Google:

• Our trademarks, like .google
• Domains related to our core business, like .docs
• Domains that will improve user experience, such as .youtube, which can increase the ease with which YouTube channels and genres can be identified
• Domains we think have interesting and creative potential, such as .lol

The first of these categories, defending trademarks, has been a problematic issue for the new expansion of top-level domains. Companies and other major organizations will now be forced to not only purchase relevant .com URLs, but novel top-level domains as well. In this example, Google is trying to purchase .google to prevent someone else from getting it first and running a website like CaliforniaWigSex.google. Remember how WhiteHouse.com used to be a pornsite? Same problem, just different domain.
The creation of these new top-level domains has been rather fraught since it was announced some months ago, and ICANN is now putting a freeze on the application process.
Though Google has remained tight-lipped about what it intends to do with these domains, or what other domains it will be purchasing, one thing is certain: If their applications are accepted, they’re going to spend a lot of money. Purchasing just a single new domain costs $185,000 up front and another $25,000 a year to keep the domain. Hopefully whatever “.lol” hilarity Google is planning will be worth it.
(Google Blog via Ad Age)
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