dog running at 240 fps

run doggie run

China could end up owning the majority of US & UK financial systems

China could easily end up owning the lion’s share of the US and UK’s financial systems. - Inspired by Robert Peston, BBC Business Editor

With the collapses on Wall Street this week and signs in the United Kingdom pointing towards a housing market crisis as well, it appears that the U.S. and the U.K. have left the door open for other world economies to step in and take over the global economy. Peston reports: “It's a world in which the Chinese state, if it co-ordinated the investments of its cash-rich institutions, could end up owning more-or-less the entire financial system of the US and the UK.” It is conservative institutions, he says, and those with simpler business models with a history of careful management of their funding sources, which will become the new superpowers.

the google phone

This image has surfaced on a personal blog from the Utterli.com network. Little detail is given surrounding the nature of the images.

One of my super secret spies at Google just happened to trade contact information with someone who admitted that the phone in his hand was the fabled Dream.

the creators of "Homicide" are making "Manhunt" for HBO

wow, 1st thought that comes to mind: maybe this will be a new show for HBO's lineup that doesn't suck.

David Simon and Tom Fontana, two of the creators behind one of the greatest television crime dramas of all time, "Homicide: Life on the Street" are now teaming up again to adapt James L. Swanson's excellent book, "Manhunt" which follows the 12-day hunt for John Wilkes Booth following Lincoln's assassination. It's the kind of material that would work well as a film, but knowing that it will get a full mini-series makes me all kinds of excited. Based solely off of the excellent time period series that was "John Adams", I can safely say my hopes are medium to high right now. If your a fan of US History this can only be good news

"Manhunt" is a great book and if Simon and Fontana can bring the same kind of immediacy and character to it that they brought to "Homicide", then HBO can start building a new shelf for all the Emmys this mini-series will collect. No news on casting as of yet.

and here's a link to the NY Times review of the James Swanson book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer.

nice end table

Ana Beatriz Barros didn't really have to push it out of frame like that

the crazy Blade Bridge in Auckland

Denton Corker Marshall Win Bridge Design Competition in Auckland

Architects Denton Corker Marshall, working in collaboration with engineers Hyder Consulting and Kenneth Grubb Associates, have won the international design competition for the Te Wero Bridge in Auckland, New Zealand. It seems a bit of a stretch to call a bridge stunning but this design most definitely fits the bill. Really quite amazing.

The NZ$50 million bridge will link the city’s CBD with Wynyard Quarter – an industrial area of Auckland’s waterfront that will be transformed over the next 25 years. Intended for public transport/cycle/pedestrian use, the Te Wero Bridge is a twin leaf bascule aluminum bridge with a vertical tower/mast of 60m.

The deck is split longitudinally into two separate components: the south leaf, longer and broader than the north, carries the two road lanes; the north leaf provides a 6m wide pedestrian/cycle path. The bridge will have an opening span of 40 metres to enable large boats to access Viaduct Harbour.

As the bridge opens, the two leaves separate coming to rest in a ‘V’ configuration with the decks angled obliquely to the mast and each other. The aerodynamic silhouette of the leaves suggest the modern sails of contemporary racing yachts.

Describing the design, Director Neil Bourne commented, “At rest, the striking mast stands sentinel in the heart of the harbour. In motion, the blades rise, split and then separate, twisting so edge becomes face. Upright, the three elements settle into a dynamic, yet elegant, composition.”

Professor John Hunt, Professor of Architecture at the University of Auckland and Chair of the Judging Panel said, “The judging panel agreed that this striking submission stood out from others in respect of its high level of design innovation and the unique way the twin leaves open.”

The Auckland City Gov site has a animation of the bridge raising and lowering, its a swf file so it can't be embedded, check it out. Te Wero Bridge animation

Key design features

• responds to its harbour context and distant views with large-scale distinctive cultural form and elegant profile
• vertical tower rises above yacht masts and creates a permanent gateway feature to mark crossing point regardless of whether the bridge is open or closed
• deck splits in two as it rises, with the leaves sweeping apart to come to rest in a V configuration
• the longer, broader south leaf carries the two passenger transport lanes while the north leaf is exclusively for pedestrians and cycles
• the three primary elements of differing length and width form an asymmetric composition. When viewed from different angles, they create infinite combinations of juxtapositions as the bridge leaves move towards the mast.
  

Construction features

• lightweight deck and counterweight arrangement result in very low energy use
• deck can be fabricated using local boat building expertise
• material selection gives excellent durability and low maintenance regime.

killer quotes + source links

"If [Daddy Yankee] debates me about politics, he will never talk another word about a politician for the rest of his life." —Fat Joe attacks Daddy Yankee over his support for John McCain [NYP]

"But, for Earl's creator, Greg Garcia, who referred to me as a 'psychotic,' I have only one question. Why are you Scientologists always rendering these medical opinions you aren't qualified to give?" —Alec Baldwin [HuffPo]

"I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my lifelong dream of being the baby at the end of 2001." —Stephen Colbert [AP via Canadian Press]

"To be honest, man, I really appreciate that people appreciate what I do, but I don't like that type of pressure. Like, I hate it, to be honest. I cannot save no whole rap game." —André 3000 [MTV]

Quantum of Solace: Bond 22 Trailer

coooooooooool

Daniel Craig is gunning for the #2 Bond spot in his 2nd film.

I don't think anyone can realistically expect to beat out Connery but Craig killed the role in Casino. this trailer has succeeded in hyping me up, sufficiently stoking interest for this flick. Interesting note: the director is Marc Forster, he helmed Monster's Ball, Kite Runner and finding Neverland. pretty cool they let this guy take the reigns of an action geared flick like this.

summary of recent posts

Just wanted to try this out

1. South Ossetia Images

2. Olivia Munn Photos

3. Entourage Season 5 Episode 1 Download Here

4. Snake Eyes Killing a Shark

awesome

Russia in Ossetia

these pictures were taken between Aug. 8-11 in South Ossetia. and in case anyone wondered Russia is still there.

Dave Chappelle @ The Funny Bone

okay so don't get too excited but this is a bootleg that was recorded back on April 14, 2004 at the Funny Bone Comedy Club in Ohio. If you've heard all of Dave's material (stand ups + specials) you've probably heard the majority of the material in this stand up. The reason to check this out would be for reference. Listen to this bootleg all the way through and you can really appreciate how Dave crafts his jokes into the best delivery possible. Most of the free flowing jokes in this bootleg eventually get developed into structured jokes in his "For What its Worth" stand up. Its really great to hear him just bounce material off the crowd and try shit out. As I've had the honor of seeing the master in person (on his birthday in DC no less) I can say that this is a close approximation to what seeing Chappelle in person turns into.

so in summary if you don't act like its new material you can appreciate this bootleg. and you will laugh, that's the most important part.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0ZB7KWGV

and just for clarification: you click on the link, enter the 3 letter code, download the .rar file and then open that shit up to get the album. If you don't have winrar yet (why not?) get it here winrar. and don't worry its a good program, nothing bad.

newish Olivia Munn photos

self explanatory, Olivia Munn photos. and the obligatory link to her site

ok City thunderclaps

lame.

lame like being forced to watch the RNC and DNC simulcast on two tvs right next to each other while restrained to a wheelchair made of nails dead center at a WNBA game. and your feet are in a bucket of hot coals. and your eyes are peeled open like that guy in Clockwork Orange. that lame.

Clay Bennett (owner of the Sonics/Thunder) has totally missed the opportunity to create something refreshing and innovative. By choosing to puss out with this terrible font and color package the Thunder might as well relegate themselves to hot lunch status. Its that bad. Where's the creativity here? What kind of color palette for a professional team consists of blue, orange-red and yellow? this is NBA man, not the CFL or the NBDL, cmon.

this looks like a WNBA logo and color package. I just don't understand how an organization worth all that money would seriously green light some crap like this. laughable.

"The guys in the jerseys, if they play, the jerseys are going to look real good," coach P.J. Carlesimo said.

General manager Sam Presti told the crowd designing a logo "takes an immense amount of work, and it does take some time.

"Not that anyone was really paying attention to the amount of time it was taking," he quipped.

Team officials said they hope they can make the qualities of character, perseverance, selflessness, community and winning synonymous with Thunder.

motherfucker please. Some kid at a art design college could have drafted a better logo and color scheme in 3 hours. seriously. Perhaps the most misguided, dispassionate and lackluster professional sports logo produced in recent time. There is nothing unique, memorable or thunderous about it and the cornucopia of elements thrown in there never make a cohesive whole. Quite dispiriting to see a blank-slate opportunity missed so harshly.

my OKCity Thundercats was way better