John Farrier's Blog Posts

Comparing US States with the Economies of Other Countries



The Economist created a map of the United States that matches each state with a national economy of comparable size as measured by Gross Domestic Product in 2009. It's interactive. So at the link, you can hover your cursor over each state and get more detailed information.

Link via Ace of Spades HQ

Previously: Map of US States Showing Equal Population

Architectural Firm Proposes Buildings on Rails



Tired of your neighbors? Swedish architecture firm Jagnafalt Milton may have a solution. It recently won a competition to develop the Norwegian city of Åndalsnes. The company proposes erecting buildings on railroad tracks so that they can be moved as desired:

It proposed designs for rail-mounted single- and double-birth cabins, along with a two-storey suite. It also imagined lookout towers, kitchens, lifeguard stations, changing rooms, and -- in true Swedish spirit -- a sauna.

The idea, says the agency, was to use the city's railway infrastructure -- left behind from the days when it was an maritime construction town, building oil rigs -- as a basis for its future. Konrad Milton, one of the partners in the company, told Wired.co.uk: "As we see it there are two major benefits. First, it's easier to put buildings on existing train tracks than to demolish the tracks and build regular building foundations. Secondly the city of Åndalsnes has different needs depending on season."

He continued: "Summertime the city is full of tourists from cruise ships and hikers -- during this time there is a need for hotels and shopping. Wintertime the climate is harsh and there is less activity but a need for climate shelters and public indoor activities. By changing the building line-up according to seasons and events the city can become truly flexible."


Link via Marginal Revolution | Photo: Jagnafalt Milton

High Heeled Flippers



So you're going scuba diving for pirate treasure, and shortly thereafter, to a ritzy gallery opening. To save time between the two events, you can wear these high heeled flippers by Belgian artist Paul Schietekat.

Link via reddit

Thomas Edison's 1911 Predictions for 2011

The 23 June 1911 issue of the Miami Metropolis featured predictions by Thomas Edison about life in America one hundred years hence. Here's a selection from of prophecies of "the Wizard", as the author refers to Edison:

But the traveler of the future, says a writer in Answers, will largely scorn such earth crawling. He will fly through the air, swifter than any swallow, at a speed of two hundred miles an hour, in colossal machines, which will enable him to breakfast in London, transact business in Paris and eat his luncheon in Cheapside.

The house of the next century will be furnished from basement to attic with steel, at a sixth of the present cost -- of steel so light that it will be as easy to move a sideboard as it is today to lift a drawing room chair. The baby of the twenty-first century will be rocked in a steel cradle; his father will sit in a steel chair at a steel dining table, and his mother's boudoir will be sumptuously equipped with steel furnishings, converted by cunning varnishes to the semblance of rosewood, or mahogany, or any other wood her ladyship fancies.


What do you think life will be like in the year 2111?

http://www.paleofuture.com/blog/2011/1/18/edisons-predictions-for-the-year-2011-1911.html via Geekosystem | Photo: Library of Congress

Robber Approaches Convenience Store Clerk; Clerk Pulls Out Samurai Sword


(Video Link)


A suspect in fourteen robberies in the Columbia, South Carolina, area was finally caught after he suffered a major victim selection failure. A convenience store clerk responded to his demands for cash by pulling out a samurai sword and chasing him:

Investigators say the clerk pulled out a samurai sword and chased Vinson out of the store into the parking lot. After a scuffle, authorities say the clerk made an attempt to corner Vinson, but the suspect was able to get away.

A K-9 deputy later sniffed out Vinson's location. Authorities say they found him hiding in some bushes at an apartment complex. Lott says it was the courageous act of that store clerk that helped to bring Vinson to justice.


Link via Deadspin

Little Big Planet IRL


(Video Link)


David Hall and Shaggy Shanahan recreated a level from the PS3 game Little Big Planet. It's made in one, long continuous shot with manual special effects.

via Geekologie | Previously: Big Little Big Planet

10 Facts You Might Not Know about Xena: Warrior Princess

Xena: Warrior Princess was a New Zealand-American television show which ran from 1996-2001. The title character was originally featured on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Fan response to episodes featuring her was so strong that the producers decided to create a new series based on Xena. Her show, like Hercules, was set in a generic ancient Mediterranean world, featuring characters and stories from Bronze Age Greece to Imperial Rome. Xena, a penitent warlord, sought to redeem the lawless destruction of her early life by defending innocence and peace against wickedness and savagery. Xena: Warrior Princess developed a huge fan following which persists to this day. Here are some things that you might not know about the show:

1. Lucy Lawless nearly missed being cast in the title role for the show. She and her family were on a long camping trip when the producers selected her. Her in-laws correctly guessed where they would be and managed to get in contact with Lawless so that she could accept the producers’ offer. 

2. The chakram wasn’t invented for the show. It’s a real weapon from India.

3. The show was shot in New Zealand and featured many Kiwi actors, but the marketing was focused on an American audience. The directors therefore hired a full-time dialect coach to teach the New Zealand actors how to speak with an American accent. After pondering a number of different American accents, they selected Southern Californian as their standard goal. 

4. The opening sequence music consists of a Bulgarian bagpipe called a gaida (left). This instrument is made from the stomach of a goat or sheep. Score computer Joseph LoDuca selected it for its exotic sound and decided to continue working with a Bulgarian theme. The choir singing in the background is Bulgarian Women's Chior, which LoDuca had heard years before the show aired, and they're singing in the Bulgarian language. Here are the lyrics translated into English:

The Warrior Princess rides alone. Her past drives her from shame. Against the forces of a dark world She fights for good, not for fame. Horns sound her coming, blare her name. “Make way the Warrior! Cheer!” Drums beat a rhythm Let villains betware The Warrior Princess is here!

5. Renee O’Connor’s (Gabrielle) first paid acting gig came at the age of 16 as Porky Pig at a Six Flags amusement park.

6. The character of Joxer, played by Ted Raimi, was inspired by Danny Kaye’s character in The Court Jester (1956). The story episode “For Him the Bell Tolls” was a tribute to that movie. Raimi played the character as a mixture of Bob Hope and Woody Allen.

7. "Joxer the Mighty" -- The laudatory song that Joxer sings about himself was written by Ted Raimi. There's sheet music available, if you'd like to perform it. 

8. The producers’ first choice to play the role of Xena was Vanessa Angel, who is best known for her role as the genie Lisa on Weird Science. Angel briefly considered, but declined the offer after an illness.

9. In October, 1996, Lawless was in Los Angeles rehearsing for an in-character appearance on The Tonight Show. She fell off a horse and shattered her pelvis. This prevented her from taking a major role in the show for several episodes, leading to some inventive solutions from the writers. They quickly wrote the episode "Intimate Stranger" which had Xena switch bodies with the villain Callisto, thus permitting actress Hudson Leick (right) to play the lead role. Despite Lawless' troubles, the publicity from the accident resulted in major Nielsen ratings boost. The show immediately jumped from 10th place to 8th place.







(Video Link)

10. The writers intentionally teased viewers with a the possibility of a lesbian relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, never affirming nor denying the homoerotic subtext. Executive producer Steven L. Sears said that “(Xena and Gabrielle) have love for each other. It’s up to the audience to determine what that love is.”

Sources: Cox, Greg. Battle On! An Unauthorized, Irreverent Look at Xena: Warrior Princess. New York: Penguin, 1998. Print. Stafford, Nikki. Lucy Lawless and Reneé O'Connor: Warrior Stars of Xena. Toronto: ECW Press, 1998. Print. Weisbrot, Robert. Xena, Warrior Princess: The Official Guide to the Xenaverse. New York, Doubleday, 1998. Print. Van Hise, James. Hercules & Xena: The Unofficial Companion. Los Angeles: Renaissance Books, 1998. Print. Images: Renaissance Pictures, karpacious, USA Network.


Scholarly Journal Promises to Reject Your Submission



Lately, I've been trying to get an essay published in a scholarly journal. Maybe I have a chance with this one! The Journal of Universal Rejection, hosted by Pacific University, offers a timely response and permits simultaneous submissions. Editor Caleb Emmons writes of the advantages of his publication:

  • You can send your manuscript here without suffering waves of anxiety regarding the eventual fate of your submission. You know with 100% certainty that it will not be accepted for publication.

  • There are no page-fees.

  • You may claim to have submitted to the most prestigious journal (judged by acceptance rate).

  • The JofUR is one-of-a-kind. Merely submitting work to it may be considered a badge of honor.

  • You retain complete rights to your work, and are free to resubmit to other journals even before our review process is complete.

  • Decisions are often (though not always) rendered within hours of submission.


  • A four-issue subscription costs £120 per year.

    http://www.math.pacificu.edu/~emmons/JofUR/ via Marginal Revolution

    Adiós L.A.



    Artist Jon Jackson has lived his entire life in Los Angeles, but has decided to move to New York City to further his career. He's saying goodbye to his city, or rather, breaking up with her. So Jackson put up 5 billboards expressing why it's important that they both move forward and start seeing other cities.

    Link via Nerdcore

    Superhero Aprons



    Why is dinner taking so long? Aren't you supposed to be faster than this? Crafter Bethany makes, among many other projects, superhero and supervillain aprons. Featured characters include Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Harley Quinn, and Dark Phoenix.

    Link via Geek Crafts

    The Birth of Wonder Woman



    deviantART user Pe-u offers this take on Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. One commenter speculates that the matron at the right is Captain Marvel, but I'm inclined to think that it's supposed to be Superman.

    Link via Popped Culture

    Previously:
    The Birth of the Bride of Frankenstein
    The Birth of the Golden Girls

    $5 Heli-Rocket


    (Video Link)


    While spending only $5 for the necessary modifications, Douglas Desrochers gave a rocket helicopter blades which it could use to make a smooth descent:

    The HeliRocket is propelled by a standard model-rocket engine, but instead of the engine’s ejection charge deploying a parachute, it releases the rocket’s 3 tail fins. The fins then swing up into a helicopter blade configuration, which slows the rocket’s descent by converting much of its kinetic energy into drag and angular momentum (spin).


    Link via CrunchGear

    Boba Fett Spartan Helmet



    This. Is. Kamino!

    Artist Jon Wollack crafted this helmet as a wedding gift for a friend. It sure beats a china set.

    Link via Geekosystem

    Restaurant Offers Lion Meat Tacos

    A restaurant in Tuscon, Arizona, plans to sell tacos made with lion meat starting in February:

    Boca Tacos y Tequila says it's accepting prepaid orders for African lion tacos, to be served starting Feb. 16. Orders must be placed by Feb. 7 and owner Bryan Mazon says there are already a few reservations from curious customers.

    Mazon says his restaurant started offering exotic tacos on its menu every Wednesday about six months ago and has tried "just about anything we can get our hands on."

    According to the Food and Drug Administration, lion and other game meat can be sold as long as the species isn't endangered.


    The lion tacos will be sold for $8.95 each.

    Link via Ace of Spades HQ | Photo by Flickr user Smudge 9000 used under Creative Commons license

    Kangaroo Kicks Man into Water


    (Video Link)


    A kangaroo kicked a man into a pond. That is all.

    via Home on the Range

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