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Also known as Dumas’s timeless classic The Count of Monte Cristo. Re-imagined.

I have Cash to blame for this one, although blame is probably not the most appropriate term. More applicable would be “Damn you word monkey! Why have you not spoken of this earlier?!” Followed closely by the strident sound of coffee mugs colliding unceremoniously with glass desktops, and massive erupting plumes of cigar smoke.

That said, his taste thus far has yet to steer me wrong, and only the vagaries of decimal mathematics prevent a  perfect score. To wit: tonight’s feature. One of the most singularly creative uses of the animated form I’ve seen in years, and one that simply Had to be featured, if only for it’s remarkable treatment of such historic subject matter.

(ed. If you get dizzy, it’s because you’re not looking at it properly. Shape up, or we’ll send the narwhals after you.)

(ed. They’re hungry. And also slightly belligerent.)

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Tags: Aesthetiophilia, Videophilia // Add Comment »

ROCHESTER, MN - MAYONNAISE!  Love it or hate it, as long as people can’t seem to learn how to make a turkey sandwich that isn’t like biting into a chunk of Saharan Africa on rye, you won’t escape it.

The Jergens of the culinary world, mayonnaise (or “mayo” as the kids call it) is an essential sandwich lubricant and, perhaps, most importantly, the main ingredient in tartar sauce.

Interestingly, mayonnaise also seems to be a prime ingredient of comedy lovingly featured by The Colbert Report,

The Colbert Report	Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Craziest F#?king Thing I’ve Ever Heard – Mayo Kitchen
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Skate Expectations

The Daily Show,

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Heal or No Heal
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

and The Colbert Report, again.

The Colbert Report	Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Mayo-lution Will Not Be Televised
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Skate Expectations

Oh, and yes, it’s Black History month so let’s not forget, Undercover Brother.

 

Etruscan: [eyeroll] Just be sure to incorporate the term “aioli.”

I don’t know what that is, but:

“Aioli.“

I’m pretty confident that’s the area around the nipple.   You’re a weird one, Etruscan. Just weird.

But, besides a few yuks and a possible case of food poisoning, what has mayonnaise really got to offer?  I mean, really.  Mayo? Really?  I hear in Holland, they fuckin’ drown french fries in that shit, but what else does this goop have to offer us?

WELL, SHOW ME,  FOODIE SWINE!

I CHALLENGE YOU THUSLY: meet me back here in two standard Earth weeks with your finest concoction that boasts mayonnaise as its most primary of ingredients.  Feel free to ask any questions or accept the challenge via the comment area!  May the best mayonnaise win!

 

Tags: Culinaria // Add Comment »

“What to my wondering eyes should appear?”

Just a little perk for your Sunday morning.

A new video. Music by Massive Attack; directed by Edouard Salier. And absolutely wonderful.

No critique needed, just grab the headphones, and pump up your screen resolution.

Doesn’t that feel better?

 

Found via Popwhore

Tags: Aesthetiophilia, Audiophilia, Videophilia // Add Comment »

I know that I should be doing my homework…but I have been in a metal mood recently and can’t seem to get this music out of my head.  So, to my much needed break from homework, I bring you this South-African post grunge/alternative metal band, Seether.  This song is from their album, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces.

effing enjoy, you dumacooches!

 

Tags: Aesthetiophilia, Audiophilia // 1 Comment »

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All too often in the West, anime becomes one of those forms much maligned as unsophisticated, lacking in depth and perspicacity; and while I can understand much of where this misconception is derived from (and there are too many examples out there to pick on one or two specifically), there are some truly notable instances of deeply psychological anime (Perfect Blue comes to mind, which I will run happily if I can ever find a decent embed). And much like Cash’s Understanding Comics piece, I thought I’d share a couple of the more thoughtful anime I’d come across.

So tonight we’ll shift gears a bit, and actually take on a love story, Le Portrait de Petite Cossette. Well. Sort of.

With a bit of a Noir feel to it, the entire run is worth a look, even if only for the slow tormented progression of obsessiveness that overcomes the protagonists.

…continue reading Friday Night Anime Block: Le Portrait de Petite Cossette

Tags: Aesthetiophilia, Videophilia // Add Comment »

LAND OF THE LOST - Greetings, friends and potential bone thieves.  It’s time again to take stock of all the news dinosauria of the past three months.  Or for the two weeks preceding this one. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeird.  Note: three of these dinosaur-themed articles came out on Jan. 28.  What’s the deal there?

…continue reading Cash Money’s 2nd Quarter Dinosaur Factorum in Revue

Tags: Paleontology // Add Comment »

It appears that some scientists are teaching robots how to learn, cooperate, evolve, and hunt.  That’s right, Hunt.  It looks like we might not be at the top of the food chain for long.

 

<Top secret underground science laboratory hidden inside of an inactive volcano.>

Working in a top secret lab all day making top secret things that you can’t tell anyone about has got to be one of the loneliest existences in the world.  I know it may sound glamorous, but it’s not.  That is why these scientists made little modular robots as desk pets.  Aw…cute, it dances!  Then they would swap pieces and make new robots that did more things, like fetch.  These pets adapted and started thinking for themselves and made better generations of robots.  At first it was cute… new robot babies!  So, they started encouraging the behavior thus making them even smarter, more adaptable, and more plentiful.

This of course started cluttering up the work spaces,a la tribblesque. This got annoying real quick.  The balance of order was upset, the cute little robots had no predators.  So, to brake the monotony of working in a top secret lab and inventing stuff all day these scientist made a game to reduce the robot population.

Lets play Robot Survivor!  Two teams of robots stranded in one break room competing to see who can..uhm…survive.  You’ve seen the show.  They have to learn to work as a team to gain survival points.  See them work as a team to move bigger disks to gain more points. Wow!

This of course allowed for a couple weeks of gambling, but then the bosses caught word of this and locked up the break room and ordered everyone to get back to work.  Doomsday wasn’t going to bring itself!  Neglected, the robots’ resources were dwindling, out of desperation the waring tribes started learning to hunt other robots.  This started culling them out pretty quick, but then they started developing defensive maneuvers. By spinning around they could make sure no one was sneaking up on them. Who would have thought!

I know this sounds pretty elementary, but they taught themselves to do that. Darwinian robot evolution at it’s finest.  Eventually those robots will figure how to get out of that break room, and get revenge on their negligent makers.

The moral of the story: Don’t procrastinate on constructing the end of the world, because you might just end up designing your doom.

Yes, 2012 is right on schedule.

Thanks, cnet, PLoS

Tags: I should probably go to bed, Technophilia // Add Comment »