Sonic Nerdgasm

 awesomeness, science fiction  13 Responses »
Nov 192010
 

For those like me who can’t wait until “TRON: Legacy” comes out, there’s one thing I can offer up: Daft Punk’s “The Game Has Changed,” the tune used on one of the movie trailers. At least, one and a half minutes worth of it:

http://idolator.com/5654182/daft-punk-tron-legacy-2

This is best listened to with headphones.

Also worth listening to with headphones is the trailer for next years “Battle LA,” an alien-invasion flick. While the trailer looks good, it’s the extremely dark and dire music and sound effects that really set the mood.

[youtube ORb3zC8z94w]

The music here is “The Sun’s Gone Dim” by Icelander Johann Johannsson.

 Posted by at 10:53 pm

Can’t Fight Statistics

 AARRRGH, blather  No Responses »
Nov 192010
 

This is just kinda painful to watch:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/8140456/200-students-admit-cheating-after-professors-online-rant.html

Professor Richard Quinn was so disgusted by evidence that many of his students had cheated in their midterm exam that he gave them a lecture that he hoped would teach them a life-long lesson.

In the lecture, Prof Quinn told the class he had enough evidence from statistical analysis and other investigatory techniques to identify most cheats, but instead of handing the list over to the university authorities for discipling, he proposed a deal.

Be sure to watch the video. It’s 14 minutes long, and is seriously uncomfortable-making. The professors is uncomfortable, the cheaters are *really* uncomfortable, even the poor schlubs who did their honest best and failed miserably are uncomfortable.

The short form of it is that a bunch of students got ahold of the test answers prior to the midterm test. This was made possible by the existence of “test banks,” which I guess allow the teachers to be lazy and just download pre-fabricated tests from the textbook publishers. So this was bound to happen.

So now the teacher and his assistants are being forced to come up with their own makeup test and final exam. Which I would have imagined was part of the job anyway.

 Posted by at 9:10 am

Bug-On-A-Flower

 critters, photography  2 Responses »
Nov 182010
 

I took these photos a few weeks back, a thosuand miles away and forty degrees warmer. I don’t know if this is a moth or a butterfly. I don’t recall ever seeing a critter with wings that fold quite like this… looks a lot like a mutant jet fighter. Delta wings, two oversized vertical stabilizers.

Reminds me of those little golden trinkets from ancient Peru that the Ancient Astronaut nuts are constantly yammering on about.

 Posted by at 4:26 pm

Protection From the Atomic Bomb

 history, new products, nukes  No Responses »
Nov 182010
 

Do you live in Massachusetts? Do you live in fear of the Atomic Bomb? Is it 1950 where you live? Do you like to call elected officials “Your Excellency?” Then this is the booklet for you! Learn how an A-Bomb can kill you, and how you can avoid horrible, horrible death. Men, be advised… there are shocking images of men not wearing their hats.

Yours for the low price of only two bucks!

 Posted by at 4:08 pm

Another Quick Sale

 sales & specials  No Responses »
Nov 182010
 

I have three new documents that I’m uploading and reworking the website for, and will announce on the blog later today. So until the third document is blogged about, here’s a sale: 45% off all Space Drawings & Documents, minimum order $14. As before, make sure to buy the ($.50) “coupon” below along with your items, and I’ll refund 45% of the total.

Remember to order the “coupon” and the items all in one order. Otherwise… it won’t work. No “coupon,” no savings…

SALE HAS ENDED

 Posted by at 2:00 pm

XB-43 artwork

 aircraft, awesomeness, history  1 Response »
Nov 182010
 

From the SDAM via Mark Nankivil, a Douiglas Aircraft painting of the XB-43 jet-powered medium bomber flying low and fast.

The XB-43 was a jet-powered derivative of the piston-engined XB-42. Sadly, while an impressive design it came too late for WWII, and was overshadowed by advances in aerodynamics including the swept wing. I fully expect that Douglas designed a swept wing faster version, but if so, I’ve never seen it.

 Posted by at 9:37 am
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