Continuing in my ugly economist's hat mode, I feel compelled to share this little discussion about John Maynard Keynes . What? You mean you're not up on your economic theory, and can't remember who Keynes is? Well he just happened to be a British economist, responsible for 'Keynesian' economics (funny that), which was the basis for Macroeconomics, got made a baron, and etc etc... Don't worry, I forgot too. He was an important, influential economist. He liked numbers. Alot. He also liked men. Yes, Keynes was an unabashed comrade pillow-biter (Gosh, I don't mean to insult his memory, economists probably wouldn't like to be called 'comrade'). He found a way to combine two of the things he liked very much, numbers and sex with men. He kept diaries, with detailed statistics of his conquests. Now all this has been common knowledge for some time - he never really hid is sexuality, and one of his diaries is pretty straight forward. It just lists his rel...

I always intend not to post so many video's on this blog, but sometimes I cant help it. (Anyway, quit complaining, you're not at work any more so you can watch them... yes, you know who you are!) Like with this clip of Sarah Silverman's boyfriend responding to her clip 'I'm fucking Matt Damon' which I posted before . Enjoy. :D

I look quite silly when I have my economist's hat on, so I don't wear it very often. Consequently I couldn't really tell you what is happening with mortgages in the USA, other then its something bad. And if it is effecting the US economy, the rest of the world is screwed too. Fortunately these dandy stick figures do an excellent job of explaining it all. Not only is it entertaining, its informative too! Go here to see the whole series.

They were just regular, down to earth, hard working mobile phones. Then one day they were shot in the line of duty, and their bodies secreted away for nefarious experiments. When they were switched back on they found they were no longer regular phones, they were Robo-Phones! These are actually working mobiles from Japan . The robot arms and legs, optional extras that you stick to the phone, were produced as a promotion for a new Japanese TV drama called Ketai Sousakan 7 . All I know is that ketai means mobile phone, beyond that I've no idea what its about. I don't know if this beats that other Japanese TV show promo product, green tea flavoured bread-in-a-can from a vending machine , but I do know that I won't be having nightmares about bread-in-a-can. At least I hope not! :|

Aside from the irony of this clip being shared on YouTube, it's also pretty funny.

Don't say I never do anything for you. Here is a list of exhibition openings and other arty events in Adelaide for the next few weeks. Wednesday 27 February – 5.30 to 7pm Ivan Navarro Exhibition – Greenaway Art Gallery, Kent Town Thursday 28 February – 5 to 7pm Penumbra Exhibition – Samstag Museum, UniSA City West (This one requires an RSVP) Thursday 28 February – 6 to 8pm ReMix/Broca II (Letters/Numbers) Exhibition – EAF Lion Arts Centre. Thursday 28 February – 6 to 8pm Last Riot + Autogenic Exhibitions – JamFactory, Lion Arts Centre, Morphett St Thursday 28 February – 6pm to walk on a sea of salt – CACSA, Parkside Friday 29 February – 4 to 6pm Elisa Sighicelli Exhibition – Flinders Uni City Gallery, State Library, North Tce Friday 29 February - 6pm Adelaide Biennale Exhbition - Art Gallery of South Australia, North Tce (No entry without an invitation) Sunday 2 March – 1 to 3pm Artists Week Keynote Address: Doug Aitken – Elder Hall, Adelaide Uni Sunday 2 March – 5.3...

My brain is a little frazzled, its been a long day and I'm tired. So I might not be in the best state to use this new tech, but it only exists as a prototype, so there's no danger. However, the company hopes to have a consumer version released in time for xmas. Its a headset from Emotiv , that works as a game control device by reading your brain waves. It uses a clever combination of software and hardware to figure out what you want the object on screen to do. Hopefully they will develop some interesting games for it. For now though I'm relieved I don't have one, I think I would have already crashed the computer several times.

I want this phone. If you cared for me at all, you would get me this phone. It's so shiny. Shiny! Why don't you love me enough to get me this phone? Why?! I could send emails with the cool slide out keyboard, and take pictures on the 3.2 megapixel, carl-zeiss lensed camera and force strangers to watch videos of Spanish drag midgets with it! Don't deprive the world, (ie me)!!

How can this quote not make you wet your pants? I mean really... "If you could hold a giant magnifying glass in space and focus all the sunlight shining toward Earth onto one grain of sand, that concentrated ray would approach the intensity of a new laser beam made in a University of Michigan laboratory." As if that weren't enough, the article then goes on to say "In addition to medical uses, intense laser beams like these could help researchers explore new frontiers in science. At even more extreme intensities, laser beams could potentially "boil the vacuum," which scientists theorize would generate matter by merely focusing light into empty space." Let's hope Microsoft don't invest in this technology, because it would bring Bill one step closer to his Death star...

Go on, you know you want to...

Tattoos may eventually be good for you. According to German scientists , vaccines delivered by a vibrating needle just under the skin, like a tattooist's needle, rather then an injection, are significantly more effective at delivering the vaccine into the body. I've considered getting a little tattoo from time to time, and it's nice to think that they could have a medicinal purpose. If you happen to be one of the people feature on the blog Horrible Tattoos , you might be thankful for the excuse 'It was life or death, I had to get a tattoo!' The pics on that blog range from simply amusing, to the downright bizarre like this The tattoo on the blog I found most amusing, is NSFW so here's the link . To paraphrase the blog, "I found Jesus! Guess where!"

The Garden of Unearthly Delights pre-empted the Fringe this evening, opening with fireworks, fairy-lights and volumes of people in various states of attractiveness. Amongst all this was a fascinating display, a highly engaging activity, damn it, a piece of art - it was the Silent Disco. When you first stumble upon it, there is a brief moment of confusion. Fenced off from the rest of the crowd is a dance floor full of people gyrating in sync, in silence. Then you notice they are all wearing headphones, all tuned in to the same syncopating frequency. Amusing, surreal, endearing and enticing, its mesmerising to watch. It's not a sensation of deafness, for there are plenty of sounds - the milling crowd, the shuffling, the odd lyric from the mouths of the dancers. Rather there is a strange sense of incapacitation, like some sense you forget you had is no longer working. The primal 'group-think' part of your brain feels drunk and bewildered. Then you fork over your $5 (plus $10 d...

When I was living in Japan on occasion I would have a meal at the 'Outback Aussie Steakhouse'. The establishment was recommended to me by Japanese students because it was 'Australian', though I can't say I was overwhelmed with nostalgia when I ate there. It's actually a chain of cheesy American dinners with lots of kitsch Australiana on the walls and nothing remotely Australian on the menu, other then steak, and we don't really own that, do we? Now Men's Health magazine has declared one of their dishes the worst food in America. The cheesy fries with ranch dressing starter (sooo Aussie) apparently has triple the recommended calories for a single meal. And its just a starter. Mmm, cheesy fries. Oh well, they didn't mention anything about the deep fried blossoming onion. Damn that was good.

Spongebob Squarepants is apparently gay, and therefore an evil influence on children. So if you dub the voices of Spongebob characters over classic films, but keep the dialogue exactly the same, does that make them gay too? I'm not sure, but it certainly is funny.

Oooh, this is so exciting. The trumpets have been sounded in the War of Scientology. Let's start with the background info. There was a 'report' on Fox 11 'News' about a hacking group called 'Anonymous'. I'm inclined to not even believe the Fox clip is real, it's so hyperbolic. Who can tell the difference between a subtle parody of attempts to induce hysteria, and actual attempts these days? This clip would fit perfectly on The Colbert Report . Here it is: Then here is where it gets kind of cool-fun. The group Anonymous, which has apparently been around for quite a while, released a declaration of war on Scientology. See their call to arms clip below. The theatrics of the clip are delicious, but it could easily have been lost in the quagmire of net vids. Or maybe not. They also seem to actually be organised, having set up various wikis to co-ordinate people in their attack. I wonder how many of their brethren died in order for them to obtain the secr...

So there's this mid- Ok, well, it's in Spanish, and... Um, what is sequins in Spanish. She's wearing a wi- No, he. Is that padded? What is that song?! What the hell? There are no words to describe this.

From infinity to beyond on a paper plane? Research into space flight technology is taking an interesting detour as Japanese scientists test the resistance of specially treated paper to 250 degree heat and wind, so that they can make paper planes able to withstand re-entry into the atmosphere. The theory is that being lighter the paper planes would escape the worst of the friction and heat regular space shuttles endure. Of course they are only considering the technology for short unmanned flights, but you never know... In a few years we might be seeing the launch of Richard Branson's Virgin Origami .

Behind the scenes footage of the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace . Did someone say Daniel Craig...

Artificial Intelligence is a complex discipline which takes a unique mind to grasp. I've always thought AI was fascinating, drawing on vast a disparate fields of knowledge, and if I'd stayed studying programming when I first started uni, AI is the field I would have liked to go into. There is a wonderfully in-depth article on Wired about two AI trail-blazers, Chris McKinstry and Push Singh, that left me with chills. It touches on the little reported fact that MIT has quite a high suicide rate, which makes me wonder about the connections between innovate thinking, particularly in abstract field like science, technology and mathematics, and mental imbalance. Thinking about thinking all day cannot be helpful to someone who is bi-polar, but that might also be what makes them good at it. In a strange, sad way its almost as if researchers on the cutting edge of AI are putting their mental well-being on the line in the noble pursuit of science.

Worried about your brain. I know I am. Worried about your brains that is. You'll be pleased to know that researchers over at MIT have conducted a study into the effectiveness of aluminium hats, favoured by paranoid conspiracy theorists, for protecting the brain from radio waves. This excerpt is from the conclusion of the report. "It requires no stretch of the imagination to conclude that the current helmet craze is likely to have been propagated by the Government, possibly with the involvement of the FCC. We hope this report will encourage the paranoid community to develop improved helmet designs to avoid falling prey to these shortcomings." There's a current helmet craze? I totally missed that, but then I guess I'm not in the loop with what's cutting edge like those MIT researchers.

This is in no way related to the Improv show I happen to be doing at the Fringe in a few weeks (every Sunday night from the 24th of Feb btw :P ) but i just love this little event staged by a couple hundred improvisers in NYC. Public intervention is fun, particularly if it confuses the crap out of everyone. I love that all the passers-by clap at the end too.

I loved Signs . For a lot a lot of people Sixth Sense Shyamalan's first, is favourite, and though I love that film, Signs has to be one of my favourite ever horror films. It's the defining standard of what a slow monster-reveal should be in a film. For that I forgave Shyamalan The Village , which was awfully tepid, but had its moments. However, Lady in the Water just got such resoundingly bad reviews, after my Village experience I couldn't bring myself to watch it. And there's his next film, The Happening . It's looks good, really good. But then so did the trailer for The Village . This is only a teaser, and I don't really anything about the plot, but I do know, if nothing else, Shyamalan is good at getting me intrigued. Damn good.

Maya Angelou may not be as well known over here, but this clip transcends cultural boundaries...

After the writer's strike is resolved, an Arrested Development movie may go into production. Jason Bateman has confirmed the waters have been tested with the cast about interest in shooting a film, though nothing is confirmed yet. I guess I should get around to watching the actual show then...

Who says New Media art doesn't make sense? Look, its chocolate! Chocolate always makes sense. Actually, if you could explain the meaning of this work I'd be quite greatful. (click the pic for the site)

Ok, so I finally listened to Illinoise. *sigh* It's very easy to get me to like a piece of music, just stick some harmonies or choral backing in there, and BAM you've got me. Hah! I see right through it now. What does Sufjan qualify as anyway, "folksy/epic"? He's just so 'indie-movie starring Zac Braff sound track look at me aren't I cute and quirky'. Look at that picture, all it's missing is the shirt-matching wallpaper in the background. But that's not to say I don't like indie movies. Did he just say all the glory the Lord has made? He didn't really just say he cried himself to sleep last night? Oh, how poetic. No really, I like it. Despite the somewhat cloying lyrics, I have no doubt I'll find myself humming along with them. The instrumental bits are quite pretty too. I guess. I'm not really in love with the place in Sufjan's mind, but I wouldn't mind popping in for a cup of tea every now and then.

What better to do on a warm weekend afternoon then to get your celeb on. Here's a round up of some bits and sordid pieces of celebrity gossip. ~ Britney is undergoing forced psychiatric evaluation and a judge has put her father in charge of her welfare. Does that mean she won't be posing for paps anymore? ~ Alfie Allen , 21 year old brother of Lily Allen (you remember the song) has taken over Daniel Radcliffe's role in Equus , and is baring all to London audiences like his predecessor. ~ Justin Timberlake and Timbaland are going to appear in the up coming film clip for Madonna's new single that they co-wrote, called 4 Minutes to Save the World . So which one gets the nick-name 'Timbo" then? ~ Rumour is that the following blind item is referring to Michael C Hall from Six Feet Under and the new HBO show Dexter . "This cable B list actor who is now getting a shot at the big time wanted everyone to believe that his separation from his wife was al...

I love Sarah Silverman. She takes squirm humour to a whole new level and throws in a bunch of absurdity just for kicks. I can see why Jimmy Kimmel has been dating her for 5 years, I'll bet he loved this.

Mash-Ups (the smushing up of one or more songs) are great fun. The infamous one from a few years ago by DJ Soulwax, Smells Like Teen Booty , mixed Nirvana and Destiny's Child, and like most mash-ups was deliriously confusing and catchy, as if you can't quite get the two halves of your brain to sync. I'd always thought of mash-ups as a ingenious, but gimmicky. That was until I heard Stairway to Bootleg Heaven by DJ Earworm , which is now one of my all time favourite songs. It's given me new found admiration for Dolly Parton (apparently, being gay, it was only a matter of time before this happened), mixing her with Annie Lennox, Pat Benetar even the Beatles. It's so beautifully familiar yet strange, haunting but not maudlin. It builds exquisitely, interweaving the various vocals deftly, and, well, I just get chills at the 6 minute mark. I won't go on any more, just listen to it... <BGSOUND src="Stairway to Bootleg Heaven...

Do U like 2 txt? Maybe you're only a few thumb twitches away from being a famous author then. There is a fascinating article over on the NYT (via Clive on Collision Detection ) relating how of the top 10 selling books in Japan last year, 5 were 'cellphone' books. (I hate that American term, what does it even mean, they're mobile phones damn it!) That means they were written on mobile phones. More then a few cellphone books have been punched out by Japanese teenagers on the train and in between classes. Cellphone books have grown into a whole sub-genre of Japanese literature, which stylistically reflect their creation. They tend to have much less flowery descriptions and long-winded prose, apparently a staple of classical Japanese literature, and are more dialogue heavy. The style is distinctive and popular enough, that people are writing cell phone books on their computers now, and some even in long hand. I'm not sure I could stomach a whole book written that way...