Archive for January, 2008
Converse pants/shoes
I love Converse Chuck Taylors, buy all kinds of them. This is strangely compelling, but definitely not what I would wear.
via: Neatorama
BTW: this is from the Virtual Shoe Museum. That’s right: a shoeseum.
UPDATE:
When I started this blog I had dreams of discussions of serious social issues but really draws ‘em in are the goofy pants. Anyways, I took a look around to see what I could find for sale. Far as I can figure out, these shoepants are some kind art project and not in production. The closest that I have found are these:
NOTE: These are not actually Converse, just made in that kind of style.
Funicular subway
Interesting find on Deputy Dog: A funicular subway in Haifa, Israel. This is one of those trains that climbs up a mountain slope, but this one does it underground.
I want one of these, but with a horde of rats
I can’t figure out how you get the dogs in there. Unless you put them in between the spokes when they are puppies.
Is it wrong?
Is it wrong that I would really like to get one of these:
to give to my new niece?
Banner change
OK, I’ve avoided making serious changes to my layout in favor of actually doing some, you know, posting, but I couldn’t resist redoing the site’s banner. Used this little beauty that I made with Chaoscope:
How to sell a used car
I think that I originally saw this video back in college:
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New project: Picture of myself taken once a day
Decided to start on a new project. I will take a picture of myself once every day for a year. I’m interested in seeing the change in me over time. Since I am stuck at site with no official camera, I’ll use the webcam for now.
This picture taken after working a 13 hour night shift. Think that taking the picture after a hard day at work is the more honest way to go.
Circular Escalator
After seeing this picture on Flickr:
I decided to see if I could model the bastard child of an escalator and a circular staircase:
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I think that it works pretty well.
The one Arabic term I have learned working construction in the Middle East
Inshallah
The literal translation of this is something like “If God is willing”. Technically a Muslim is supposed to say this whenever making a statement about a planned future act. “I will excavate this trench tomorrow, inshallah”.
I guess that this is supposed to be an acknowledgment of God as the ultimate authority in the Universe. You can make all the plans you want, but God has to sign off on all of it.
This is a bit of a different mindset than your average American. If I plan on excavating a trench tomorrow it’s gonna be me that’s responsible, not God. God is strictly in charge of the outcome of the Super Bowl.
The conflict between these two different views becomes interesting when you are trying to build a multi-billion dollar gas plant on a schedule. “Inshallah” starts to be translated in the American mind as “Up yours, asshole. It’ll get done whenever I feel like it”. We use it as a way of negating the statement it is used with, or at least calling it into question. “He said that we will get the oilfield passes tomorrow, inshallah” really means that we don’t believe that the passes will actually be coming anytime in the foreseeable future. Also we don’t believe that he gives a shit about it anyway.
Now all I need to learn to say is “which way to the airport?” and I will be all set for my Arabic.