Murray Neill: Strange Links

The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:53:15 GMT

Muttley

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 07:35:21 GMT

Helping Others Help Themselves

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 11:01:05 GMT

This is classic. This small, sixteen-page pamphlet is produced to put inside the postage-paid, business-reply envelopes that come with junk mail offers.

http://centennialsociety.com/business_reply/businessreply.htm

(Of course the other thing to do with those business-reply envelopes is to put your own address label over the original address and use the corporations pre-paid postage for your own mail.)

Free Radicals & Stokemonkeys

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 08:57:24 GMT

"Environmental stickers don't mean shit when they are stuck to CARS!" - Bumper sticker on the Sport Utility Bike That Ate Detroit.

Take a standard bicycle, add a Free Radical kit from Xtracycle, a Stokemonkey Human Electic Hybrid Drive, and optional extras like airhorn, full suspension leather saddle, handlebars and footpegs for passengers, and a box for extra battery packs, and you get this. Put together to replace a car this has got to be the ultimate machine for a world without affordable fossil fuels.

From the bikes owner:

Here's My Story and I'm Sticking To It

I've found an alternative to using a car in everday life. I'm over 60 years old... if this works for me, it will work for just about anybody.

I work as Home Care Nurse in the hills of San Francisco. I put in 25 to 40 miles a day. I haul about 30 lbs of gear.

I like:
Clean air.
Exercise with daily living (no gym fees!)

Freedom from:
oil changes/plugs/tuneups/valve adjustment
car insurance/registration/DMV lines
WAITING IN TRAFFIC
Endless Oil War.

I think one of these should be government issue for every man, woman and child, who chooses to live without owning a car. It would be a start anyway... (they could just use my share of the funding for new roads to pay for mine). I think what appeals to me most about this beastie is that it illustrates beautifully that the end of cheap fossil fuels does not mean we have to go back to the stone age. There are new ways forward... first, we have to imagine them. Here's another... the optibike.

(btw. the inventor of the Stokemonkey, Cleverchimp, also has a pretty cool blog which I think you'll enjoy.)

Kite Geek Heaven

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 10:39:39 GMT

I came across this site last week. What a fantasic idea for a weblog - Kite Patents. A great archive of scientific study into flight, and a place to charge the imagination of even the most seasoned kite maker. There is something quite beautiful about the form of the patents too... their hand drawn quality seems extra special in this digital age.

http://kitepatents.blogspot.com

Art for arts sake

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 08:41:40 GMT

I really enjoy art that is done for rewards other than the financial. It says something about the intent and the integrity of the artist. Artists that perform or display their work for the public at no charge, and particularly those that work in a temporary, or unpredictable medium have my respect. Chalk on sidewalks, sand sculptures, graffiti artists... they do it for the sake of their art.

The Wooster Collective web-log celebrates street art. Take a look... I particularly enjoyed the 'embed' projects, and the 'trash can in Tehran'.

http://www.woostercollective.com/

Dixie Chicks for President

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 05:53:39 GMT

http://mikeruppert.blogspot.com/2006/06/dixie-chicks-for-president.html

Not your average McMansion

Sat, 06 May 2006 09:23:08 GMT

I think this is one of the most beautiful man-made things I have ever seen...

http://www.themushroomhouse.com/

Robert Newman's History of Oil

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 05:09:21 GMT

Imagine giving a 40 minute presentation on the history of oil, war, and politics of the last hundred years AND making it not only informative, and provocative, but also hilarious fun.

Sounds impossible? Well Robert Newman does it in style with a brand of humor that is quintessentially British.

"This innovative history programme is based around Robert Newman's stand-up act and supported by resourceful archive sequences and stills with satirical impersonations of historical figures from Mayan priests to Archduke Ferdinand. Quirky details such as a bicycle powered street lamp on the stage brings home the pertinent question of just how we are going to survive when the world's oil supplies are finally exhausted."

Check it out here...

http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/04/1814999.php

Pipes & Balls

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 10:28:47 GMT

As someone who thinks 'visually' I have always pictured music in my head. Usually abstract, just shapes, colours and timed movement. When I try to recall a tune I naturally try to remember the 'shape' of it.

This video had me from the first bar. (broadband needed - watch it at work).

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2942922314315974986

Unearthing Hidden Talent

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 07:12:58 GMT

I came across this refreshing little distraction this evening...

http://www.indigoleafmagazine.com/

Dog Rolls

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 21:16:48 GMT

This is funny...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/23/16115/7555

Dog Registers to Vote in New Zealand.

It was almost inevitable New Zealand's election would turn into a dog fight when you look at one of the country's 2.83 million voters Toby the Jack Russell terrier.

Toby became a registered voter when his owner, Peter Rhodes of Queenstown, completed an enrollment form in the dog's name, giving his occupation as "rodent exterminator" and his age as 28.

He signed the form with a squiggle and Toby's paw print before returning it to the Electoral Enrollment Center, the Otago Daily Times reported.

Rhodes, an aviation safety specialist who said he was making a humorous point about local government bureaucracy, was shocked to receive written confirmation of Toby's enrollment in the Otago electorate on New Zealand's South Island.

Voting is not compulsory in New Zealand and Rhodes said Toby had elected not to vote.

"The only roll he's interested in is a dog roll, not the electoral roll," Rhodes told the paper.

Electoral Enrollment Center manager Murray Wicks was more angry than amused that an application filed by a dog had slipped through the center's checking system.

"It's an offense, and whoever's done it will be in the hands of the police," he said.

Wicks said Rhodes could be charged with misleading a registrar of electors, making a fraudulent enrollment and making a false declaration, "to name a few" possible charges.

They're going to have a hard time next year when the enrollment forms start rolling in. All K9's will being demanding a vote now... and what happens when the nations cats get wind of this?

Mathematics, Population, and Energy

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 09:27:25 GMT

Most people agree that we, as a species, face some serious environmental issues in the future. Global warming, energy decline (peak oil), over population, water shortages, are all things that I find most people these days will agree do exist, and are a threat (and the list goes on). What I find most people can't agree on is the seriousness of these problems, and the urgency of the situation. Many of the problems we face (over-population being the obvious example) are exponential in nature. Do we really understand what that means?

If there was a lily pad in a pond, and that lily pad that doubled in size every day, and it took one 30 day month for the lily pad cover the entire pond.... on which day was the pond half covered?

I found this presentation by Dr Albert Bartlett, a retired Professor of Physics from the University of Colorado, in which he examines the mathematics of steady growth, continued over modest periods of time, in a finite environment. These concepts are applied to populations and to fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal.

Dr Bartlett explains precisely why I find the global, environmental predicament we are in so disturbingly urgent...

http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/lectures/461

(btw, the pond is not half covered until the 29th, the day before the end.... but you knew that.)

Raw Glimpses

Wed, 14 Sep 2005 07:07:02 GMT

Thanks to Fi, I came across this little gem the other day. At PostSecret, people mail in their deepest, darkest, strangest, funniest, weirdest, and saddest secrets. They do so anonymously, in the form of a handmade postcard.

Some of them make me laugh, many of them make me gasp, and considering they come from strangers all over the world, its surprising how many I can relate to personally.

A strangely fascinating collection of glimpses into the minds of... other humans.

Planned US-Israeli Attack on Iran?

Wed, 04 May 2005 07:21:42 GMT

A sobering read...

http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO505A.html

If you don't read the whole thing (and it is well worth reading), at least take a close look at this map, and then read the Concluding remarks.

Visual Sound

Wed, 24 Nov 2004 09:46:31 GMT

Following on from the fascinating article I read the other day about the work of Masaru Emoto, photographing the molecular structure of frozen water, today I followed a few links from there and discovered Cymatics. Well actually Cymatics was discovered by a Swiss scientist in the 50's, but today I read a fair bit about it, including this article (warning 1.6mb pdf). Using sound waves to manipulate matter, scientists create amazing fractal like images, but its what we could achieve with this discovery that I find most interesting...

Messages From Water

Sat, 20 Nov 2004 00:20:44 GMT

Anyone got a photographic microscope I can borrow? I have got to try this for myself.

Some Real Politicking

Fri, 22 Oct 2004 11:05:15 GMT

Today I've been reading the McGillicuddy Serious Party - 1999 Election Manifesto. Now this is a political party with some serious policies! The idea central to all their policies is The Great Leap Backwards, which is a 450 year plan to take us back to the good old days.

They promise to

abolish Parliament and sack all MP's.
Ban electricity, outlaw money (love it) and ship all modern technology overseas to pay off debts.
Cease all imports and exports.
Establish a network of semi-autonomous Clan's and Tribes.
Crown Bonnie Prince Geoffie, King of New Zealand.

This whole manifesto is inspired. Some highlights...

Defence policy which involves moving the international dateline to the West of NZ to confuse would-be invaders. They would show up 24 hours early giving us plenty of time to hide in the hills or negotiate.
A new economic formulae called "The Reducing Lunar Sand Standard" (just go read it!)
It even has a sealed section (in the printed version) containing the hidden agendas of the party, labelled "Do not open until after the 1999 general election".

The strange thing is that even after laughing my way through the whole manifesto, it had a ring of truth to it. It kind of made sense, in an infectiously humorous way.

Peak Oil

Sat, 09 Oct 2004 00:27:22 GMT

I'm not going to say anything about this link. I'd like you to draw your own conclusions. One warning though.... potentially life-changing information.

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

p.s. If you want to read the book it is available free until the American elections. This went a long way to convincing me that the author is not doing this for book sales.

Something for Nothing

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 07:52:14 GMT

I've been using a free service for sometime now to record statictics on this sites traffic. I'm pretty sceptical about anything 'free' on the web these days. You usually pay in some way, even if its not in money. You'll pay in spam mail, or the free thing will be missing a couple of really important features, which you can only get by upgrading. My experience with this free web-site statistics service has been different. It has all the features I need (and a few extras to boot). I get one pop-up ad (tasteful ones) when I check my sites stats and thats it! No nagging emails telling me about features I missing out on, or advertising something else entirely. No banners. No reminders to register. I don't even have to link to them if I don't want to.

In appreciation of this better than expected service, I thought I'd give them a free plug here. So if your after a good free service to track your websites traffic, try Statcounter.com.

Woo HOO!

Thu, 08 Apr 2004 09:50:11 GMT

I am now offically on holiday. I have the next two weeks off work, to do with as I please. I have no solid plans, just possibilities at this stage. Just two goals:

finish the house painting. Just the window and door frames to go now.....
kite buggy on at least one beach I've never buggyed on before (Pohara Beach in Takaka, Woodend Beach near Christchurch, and Carters Beach in Westport spring to mind. )

Hopefully I'll achieve more than just those two things but alot will depend on the weather, which right now is raining 'cats & dogs'. I was thinking of returning to the Waihopai River tomorrow (Good Friday) but with all this rain there might be too much water!

I was hoping the rain would ease this afternoon, but leave the north-east wind that had carried it. It would have made for perfect conditions to head to Rabbit Island beach after work for a kite buggy. Instead, because it was still pouring down, I came home, turned on the heater, stereo, and laptop, and learnt how to fake a lightning strike in photoshop ;D thanks to this tutorial.

Have a good Easter!

Timewaster

Thu, 04 Mar 2004 08:40:26 GMT

If I was a lego super-hero, I might look something like this...

He's kind of a Aragon (LOTR) meets Morphius (The Matrix) in a Lego kind of way :D

It's a bird... it's a plane... it's CoffeeWaffle-man!

Found thru scorpiogirl. Create you own lego persona here.

The Two Towers

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 10:39:48 GMT

Lord of the Rings part 2, "The Two Towers" was released on DVD and Video at midnight last night. Shane has bought the DVD and video already. I just watched it for the first time. I didn't see this one on the big screen this time, but now that I've watched it on video, I wish I had.

In honour of this occasion I present this little gem. Lenard Nimoy (aka Spock) singing a "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins". Eat your heart out Peter Jackson!

The Most Ridiculus Waste of Web Space Award

Thu, 21 Aug 2003 09:37:18 GMT

This made me laugh (almost made my coffee come out my nose!)
The question has to be asked, however; how (and why) does something like this get made? What strange universal force has sponsered the effort has obviously gone into this creation? ...and what were they smoking at the time?

ps. Heres another fine creation from rathergood.com. This remake of Destiny's Child "Independant Women" is truely original!
If Destiny's Child were kittens from Northern England, this is what they would sound like. I think that the grey kitten has definate solo career potential!

A moving interview

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 05:00:45 GMT

This was filmed on the 44th floor of the World Trade Center in 1998. A retired Army colonel, veteran of combat in three wars and a survivor of the 1993 bombing of the twin towers (in which he saved the lives of hundreds of Morgan Stanley employees), Rick Rescorla speaks of the future of warfare. Direct quote; "Hunting down terrorists... this will be the nature of war in the future...".