Netflix for Books!

Bookswim beta. Netflix for Books!

Ray & Damien

Dance Lessons With Fiona - 2:15

That Big Shiny Thing in Millennium Park

I finally saw it and it was beautiful.

Fun For The Big City Kids

If you live in a metropolitan area (or you are thinking about living in one), it’s time you met walkscore.com. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. and allows for a whole lot of friendly competition between friends and co-workers. (Thanks Swissmiss)

Just Wondering

If a guy on the street in Chicago wants to hand me a flyer about a new gym that is opening, is he telling me I am fat and need to work out or that I look like I might join because I have clearly been working the ba-jezus out of my delts?

I Hope It Comes In Kelly Green

MINI Clubman
The MINI family is getting a new big brother. The MINI Clubman ($TBA) retains the trademark styling and agile handling, but gains new proportions, split-rear doors and a passenger-side suicide door. The 5-door Clubman has 9.45 more inches of body length and a wheelbase that's extended by 3.15 inches, offering more leg and storage room. The Clubman will go on sale in the U.S. early next year with two models — the MINI Cooper Clubman (120-hp, 1.6-litre 4-cylinder) and the MINI Cooper S Clubman (175-hp, 1.6-litre 4-cylinder with twin-scroll turbocharger). (Uncrate)

The Movie Michael Moore Wishes He Had Made

The title above reflects the title of an email that a friend sent to me. He is exactly right.

You can see more about this amazing film from the New York Times Co-Chief Movie Critic A. O. Scott as he reviews "No End in Sight," a documentary about the United States' early involvement in Iraq.

If Alex Were A Girl

This is the birthday cake I would be making for him. Instead, we will all be enjoying a vanilla Transformer's cake. Our little man turns twelve tomorrow. I have a feeling it's all downhill from here (at least until his twenty-seventh birthday).

You can find the giant cupcake mold here.

Trailer for No Country For Old Men
The new Coen Brothers movie based the novel by Cormac McCarthy.

Oh My Goshness

How have I forgotten to tell you about Pandora. Pandora radio is the personalized internet radio service that helps you find new music based on your old and current favorites. It was created after The Music Genome Project.

The Music Genome Project©
On January 6, 2000 a group of musicians and music-loving technologists came together with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of music ever.

Together we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song - everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It's not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records - it's about what each individual song sounds like.

Since we started back in 2000, we've carefully listened to the songs of tens of thousands of different artists - ranging from popular to obscure - and analyzed the musical qualities of each song one attribute at a time. This work continues each and every day as we endeavor to include all the great new stuff coming out of studios, clubs and garages around the world.
It has been quite an adventure, you could say a little crazy - but now that we've created this extraordinary collection of music analysis, we think we can help be your guide as you explore your favorite parts of the music universe.

We hope you enjoy the journey.
Tim WestergrenFounderThe Music Genome Project

Corn Does Indeed Kick Ass

Awesome find Laura. Thanks!

FYI - Icky Thump Is Amazing

Icky Thump was released earlier this month. I highly recommend it.

Property of Jolene

Meet Curtis Allgier, a 27-year-old murderer who is affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood. If that isn't enough, he is also "Property of Jolene".

As If I Wasn't Apprehensive Enough

While I totally love chugging Mountain Dew and Root Beer from the same collector cup as everyone else and I may miss the smell of funnel cake they pump through the entire park... planning for the annual trip to Six Flags Great America has officially been put on hold!

Girl Loses Feet In Amusement Park Accident
Witness: Cable on thrill ride 'snapped' The Associated PressPublished on: 06/22/07
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A witness said an amusement park accident in Kentucky occurred when a cable on a thrill ride snapped. A 13-year-old girl's feet were severed in Thursday's accident on the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville. Chris Dinnette was riding one car over from the girl who was hurt. He told WAVE television he heard what he thought were screams of excitement. But then he saw a cable "come back and hit a lot of people" and realized he was hearing screams of horror. The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops 154 feet, reaching a speed of 54 miles per hour, according to the park's Web site.
The ride has been closed indefinitely.

There's Always Dr. Who

While I wait for Smallville Season 6, I can watch Season 1 and Season 2 of Dr. Who.

After years of paying top dollar for low quality bootlegs, Tori Amos diehards now have an alternative. Six live bootleg recordings were released in the fall of 2005. Each bootleg is a double-disc package brimming with live rarities, fan favorites and stunning cover versions. Each set was recorded live during her "Original Sinsuality Tour". All six are available on iTunes.

click the cookie... save the cookie

Woody Allen Interviews Billy Graham

Jim Erickson, Artificial Eye Maker. A fascinating video portrait of a man who makes prosthetic eyeballs for a living. (via your daily awesome)

Recently On Kottke.org

A bunch of writers pick their favorite novel -> movie adaptations.

Unforgettable photos, some of the most striking and disturbing photographs ever taken.

Hot 100 women chosen by lesbians. A nice counterpoint to similar lists from Maxim and People.

Photos of people from around the world and the food that they eat during the course of a week.

100 words every high school graduate should know. Alternate title: 100 mostly useless words.

Popular names for twins born in 2006. Almost all of the top name pairs start with the same letter: Jacob/Joshua, Landon/Logan, Ella/Emma, and the stunningly confusing Taylor/Tyler.

Play dress-up with the Gucci spring 2007 collection. Drag and drop dresses, shoes, and handbags onto the model. Many other collections are available as well.

Slang of the 90s.

List of the seven most overrated Hollywood actors, including Ben Kingsley, Kate Hudson, and Ben Stiller, a personal unfavorite of mine.

Comparison between food pictured in fast food advertising and how the food looks when you actually get it from the restaurant. The Whopper is particularly beauty and the beast.

Coincidence?

Apple iPhone -

Release Date, June 29, 2007 - My Birthday, June 29, 2007
Ho-ly shit. The Apple iPhone ($499-$599 w/contract; June 2007) is one of the most awesome pieces of technology we've ever seen. Coming in 4GB and 8GB varieties, the iPhone will use GSM/EDGE technology through Cingular and also sports a 2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR. But the big deal is the touchscreen interface that runs a lite version of Apple's Mac OS X. With OS X as the underpinnings, Apple has created fantastic interfaces for phone functions, music (think iPod 2.0) and photos, as well as for mobile email (with push service provided by Yahoo! Mail) and web browsing. Long story short? It's going to be the must-have device for a long, long time. (Uncrate)

It Was Me, It Was Totally Me

Email from fellow co-worker 5/29/07:
This is going to seem like a strange question, but I accidentally left my red lunch cooler in the lunch room this morning. I swear I packed a frosted lemon cake but can't seem to find it. Could someone please let me know if you ate it so I know I'm not crazy and I can stop looking for it!

How Can I Meet This Woman

My first experience at Sundance was a success. I saw the movie Waitress with a couple of friends and it was great. I am also very excited about some of the upcoming movies that will be playing at the theatre. I think I am looking forward to this one the most:

Paris, je t’aime(Paris, I love you) is a 2006 film starring several famous (and less famous) American, British and French movie actors, including Nick Nolte, Elijah Wood, Bob Hoskins, Natalie Portman, Gérard Depardieu, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Steve Buscemi and Gena Rowlands. The two-hour film consists of eighteen five-minute arrondissements (all twenty were planned, but two fell through). Each arrondissement is written and directed by a different person. This list of directors also consists of many famous and less famous names including Walter Salles, Alfonso Cuarón, Tom Tykwer, Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven, Alexander Payne, Gurinder Chadha and Joel and Ethan Coen.

The film had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18 opening the Un Certain Regard selection. It had its Canadian premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10 and United States premiere in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 9 April 2007.[1] First Look Pictures has acquired the North American rights, and the film is set to open in the US on May 4, 2007 (limited release). (Wikipedia)

SomeEcards.com: For when you want to say what you really mean.

Finally, the book that us Achievers have been waiting for. I'm a Lebowski, You're a Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, and What Have You ($11; Aug. 21) is the definitive guide to all things Dude. Put together by the bums who started Lebowski Fest, the book features history, trivia, commentary, a guide to the film's locations, and a foreword by Jeff Bridges, along with tons of photos taken by him on set. The book also includes interviews with nearly every cast member, as well as the real-life folks who inspired the characters in the movie. Plus, there's a section with tips on how to Dude-ify your car, office and home. (Uncrate)

A list of film's most impressive and famous long takes, including those from Boogie Nights, Touch of Evil, Children of Men, and The Player. Featuring the now-standard YouTube clips of each long take. 05/16/07 (Thanks Kottke)

Anthropologist Helen Fisher studies love: its evolution, its biochemical foundations and its vital importance to human society. She outlines the three stages of love (lust, infatuation and long-term attachment), shedding light on eternal questions like why we love, and why we cheat. She also discusses the natural talents of women, and their new significance in the modern world. She ends with a warning about the widespread use of antidepressants -- and a truly hilarious story of romantic pursuit. You can also watch the video if you click on this link.

This is how we spend most of our weekends in the fall and spring and I can't think of anything I would rather do.

I LOVE THIS

Beth Hart is amazing. You might be more familiar with LA Song and might enjoy Monkeyback.

Someone Is Having A Birf-Day

Happy 5th birthday to my niece Miss Lindsey Marie-Francis. God I love this kid.

FU Meter Police & Big Mike's Towing

No more tickets! This handy key-chain counts down the meter time.The alarm lets you know when you need to feed the meter. It holds 10 quarters so you'll always have several handy.

Secret Shame Of The Week

Now Who Is Going To Blame The Gays?

FALWELL DEAD

Summertime In Madison - Nothing Better

Who's A Girl Gotta Fuck To Get Some Closure On Her Relationship With Her Father?

Well, if that doesn't take the cake. Here I am, giving it my all, but it seems like no matter what I do, I can't sleep my way out of this...

Wondering What To Do With That Extra $2K?

Terra Cotta Oven
Impress your backyard BBQ buddies this summer as you wheel out this Handcrafted Terra Cotta Oven ($2,000). This European wood-fired oven makes use of hard- and fruit-woods to heat up and cook all of your favorite meats, pizzas and vegetables. The oven ships with a stand, door, rack and other tools you'll need to make your warm nights that much hotter. (Uncrate)

I'm sure you won't be able to pass up the awesome posters at Redbird.