Clipmarks | ericskiff's clips

Fun with a laser cutter: Tinysaur is Tiny

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:48:55 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: This was cut using our new epilog laser at NYCResistor. Look at how little and awesome he is! I wonder how the heck Kelly put it together.

Clip Source: www.nycresistor.com

Martin sent us a dino pattern to celebrate our laser. I made a regular size dinosaur, but Kelly made a tiny tinysaur!

Where do you hide all the best object files on the internet? We want to play with them!

The tinysaur has been spotted again! - Link

Tags: dinosaur, tiny, laser, nycresistor

Line your walls with books to save heat

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:43:26 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: Kill trees to make books to line your walls to save the planet

Clip Source: www.boingboing.net

The editorial staff of the UK's Bookseller magazine want you to know that lining your exterior walls with books is practically a moral imperative, since it reduces your energy costs and saves the world. You don't have to tell me -- I've been lining my walls with books for decades.

"Books are the original insulator. A shelf of books along an outside wall works well to prevent heat escaping,"

Link (Thanks, wiseGEEK!)

Clinton loaned herself 6.4 million last month

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:52:39 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: When I first read the headline that Clinton had loaned herself 6.4 million, I thought it was today after last night's primary. This isn't quite as unsettling.

Clip Source: politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton loaned her campaign $6.4 million over the last month and is open to loaning herself more money in the upcoming weeks, her campaign said Wednesday.

The campaign says Clinton loaned herself $5 million on April 11, $1 million on May 1, and $425,000 since then.

Tags: politics, clinton, primary, campaign

T-shirt: Hey Hank... Where's my bailout?

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:13:45 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: A friend of mine just put this one up on his site - definitely fits the mood for the moment.

If all these banks get to back the money truck up to the treasury, why not everyone.

It's going to be an interesting week.

Clip Source: www.printfection.com

Tags: treasury, fed, bailout, banking, credit crisis

Oil jumps $25!

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:44:59 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: I don't think this has hit the market yet, some of my tickers are still reporting the old price. Once today's market gets wind of a major jump in oil on worries about the dollar because of this bailout, we're in for some trouble.

How can we bail out banks to the tune of $700b+ from federal money without devaluing the dollar?

Clip Source: www.breitbart.com

Oil prices spiked more than $25 a barrel Monday—the biggest one-day price jump ever—as anxiety over the government's $700 billion bailout plan

Crude has gained about $40 in a dramatic four-day rally that has at least temporarily halted oil's steep two-month slide below $100. At this rate, crude is within striking distance of its all-time record of $147.27, reached in July.

Tags: money, oil, economics, economy, bailout, dollar

Hank's Bailout as Nigerian Spam

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:47:15 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: I get a bunch of these every day in my spam... Funny to hear the bailout plan put plainly in this same language.

Clip Source: www.boingboing.net

Hal sends us this "brilliant satiric email phrasing Hank Paulson's giant Wall Street bailout as Nigerian spam."

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

Tags: bailout, economy, finance, spam

Colorado "purges" voter registrations

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:39:53 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: Regardless of your political leanings, one thing is clear. Unless everyone has the same opportunity to vote, our democracy doesn't work.

Clip Source: www.gregpalast.com

In swing-state Colorado, the Republican Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations. Guess their color.

In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives – overwhelming Black voters.

It’s time SOMEBODY raised the alarm about these missing voters; not to save Obama’s candidacy – journalists should stay the heck away from partisan endorsements - but raise the alarm to save our sick democracy.

Palast on the Thom Hartmann Show 7-29-08 [10:20m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: vote, voting, politics, colorado, swing state

Create your own Simpsons Avatar

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:25:15 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: A bunch of my friends on twitter started showing up with Simpsons avatars yesterday. Scott Beale solved the mystery of where they were all getting them - the Simpsons Movie website has a great flash avatar creator.

Clip Source: laughingsquid.com

The Simpsons Movie website has a really cool avatar creator. What’s yours look like?

Tags: simpons, avatar, fun, game, creator

Tasty tasty electronics

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:25:46 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: Some of the folks I collaborate with at NYCResistor have been making some awesome electronic inspired pastries. We had cupcakes the other day and now there was a full sized cake. Awesome!

Clip Source: www.nycresistor.com

My friend Becky made me an Arduino birthday cake this year! There was a fight over the AVR chip (dark chocolate) which involved memory loss and a cake knife. Candles became wire sticking out of the pins. Seriously awesome. Next task: to make LED candles that you have to short out instead of blow out.

Tags: nycresistor, food, awesome, cake

Home prices drop 15.3% year over year

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:41:09 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: I began watching this whole mess play out in about 2004, and was aghast as prices continued to fly out of control. By the end of 2005, the housing fever was breaking and the "housing boom" was being seen for the bubble it was.

Now, to look at the chart of prices even for the so-far relatively insulated New York, there's no mistaking which direction prices are headed. Not only that, it's heading ever faster in that direction.

This "record" of 15.3% year over year drop won't stand very long. I'd be very surprised if we don't break it next month.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

Prices in 20 cities fall for 21st month in a row. One sign of hope: Pace of decline eased in many areas.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- U.S. home prices posted record declines in April, extending a painful losing streak for U.S. home prices.

"In the bubble markets, we continue to see very rapid rates of price declines," said Baker. "If anything, it may be accelerating."

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Tags: economy, home prices, housing, bubble, chart, money

NYTimes Skewers "The Love Guru"

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:30:38 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: Wow - this is one of the most damning reviews of a popular movie I've ever read.

Everything I've seen of "The Love Guru" looks like complete dreck, and I'm a pretty big Mike Meyers fan, dating back to the "So I Married and Ax Murderer" days.

The Times really gives it to him here - I'm surprised to see them go so far in panning it, it must be even worse than I expected.

Clip Source: movies.nytimes.com

Movie Review

The Love Guru (2008)

To say that the movie is not funny is merely to affirm the obvious. The word “unfunny” surely applies to Mr. Myers’s obnoxious attempts to find mirth in physical and cultural differences but does not quite capture the strenuous unpleasantness of his performance. No, “The Love Guru” is downright antifunny, an experience that makes you wonder if you will ever laugh again.

Tags: the love guru, movies, movie review

Favre reinstatement letter

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:10:55 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: Finally a good move by Favre

Clip Source: sports.espn.go.com

Brett Favre followed through on his statements that he wanted to come out of retirement by faxing his reinstatement letter to the NFL on Tuesday.

Favre sent the letter to the league office late Tuesday afternoon and also spoke by phone with commissioner Roger Goodell, who indicated he will not act on Tuesday in hopes the Packers and Favre can reach a resolution during the next 24 hours, the sources said.

"It's obviously the first step in Brett coming back, but we'll deal with that when Brett is reinstated and have a plan for that when he comes back," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said, adding that the team is still committed to Aaron Rodgers as its starting quarterback.

Tags: favre, nfl

Personal nuclear reactors? These things are hot!

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 05:50:54 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: I'm still not sure if these things are real or not - I'm going to have to do a bit more research.

If they are safe, economical, and at least environmentally justifiable, it could make for an interesting few decades.

Clip Source: www.news.com

I enjoy reading the personal blogs of Scott Adams (the creator of Dilbert) and John Dvorak (PC Magazine columnist and host of Cranky Geeks),

I was surprised to see these two gentlemen linking to the same story on Next Energy News covering Toshiba's announcement of a "200 kilowatt" nuclear reactor

With maintenance-free operation and the price of the generated energy estimated at 5 cents per kilowatt-hour, this announcement appeared to undermine the usual arguments against nuclear power.

According to some information I found on the Encyclopedia of Earth, the reactor in question is called the Rapid-L, and the 200-kilowatt electrical output is just a small part of the reactor's thermal power production of 5 megawatts.

So even if your McMansion is filled with enough electronic gizmos to use up that 200-kilowatt power rating, there's no way it can dissipate 5 megawatts of thermal power. That's enough to heat over 200 homes during a 27° F (-3° C) cold snap. You'll just have to share.

Housing Price data

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:18:52 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: I didn't realize this data was made publicly available. Very interesting to see exactly how the market is performing in various cities.

Clip Source: www2.standardandpoors.com

S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices

Home Price Values

March 2008 (published May 27)
February 2008 (published Apr. 29)
January 2008 (published Mar. 25)
December 2007 (published Feb. 26)
November 2007 (published Jan. 29)
October 2007 (published Dec. 26)
September 2007 (published Nov. 27)

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices are calculated monthly using a three-month moving average and published with a two month lag.

Tags: housing, market, bubble, data, economy

Washy Ad Jeffy - Presidential mnemonic song

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:59:22 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: Jonathan Coulton just put up another great song - aside from being a great mnemonic device, it's also a catchy little tune. I've never learned the Presidents, I'm going to use this to finally memorize them

Clip Source: www.jonathancoulton.com

When I was a wee lad my father taught me the greatest mnemonic device in the history of mnemonic devices. It’s called “Washy Ad Jeffy” and it’s a little jingle/rhyme thingie that helps you remember the order of all the US presidents and how many terms (or partial terms) they served - the number of syllables in the nickname is the number of terms. My father learned it from Mrs. Govan, his 8th grade history teacher at Memorial Junior High School in Ohio. He believes she made it up, but he’s not entirely sure. At the time he learned it, and of course when he taught it to me, it only went up to Eisenhower. I have added to it over the years, so really it’s a collaboration between Mrs. Govan (maybe?) and me.

[Video]

I’ve made an mp3 as well:

You can get it for free or else pay for it, your choice.

Clip Source: www.jonathancoulton.com

Len sent in this Washy Ad Jeffy poster - Coolidge kind of looks like Hodgman, don’t you think? And check out the X’s in Harrison’s eyes…

Tags: joco, jonathan coulton, mnemonic, learning, president, presidents, song