Avatar: $8,500 Per Blink
*blink*
James Cameron’s “Avatar” cost around $237 million. That’s not the most expensive film yet (Pirates 3 was $300 million), but holy crap.
At a running time of 162 minutes, that means each time you blink your eyes, you missed about $8,500 worth of movie.
So overall, your blinks missed about $7 million.
Really puts clean eyeballs in perspective, doesn’t it?
LyricPuzzles.com
www.LyricPuzzles.com
For those of you who enjoyed the Sprocket PictoPuzzle last week, check out my newest pet project LyricPuzzles.com.
Intelligent Design Rebuttal Quote of the Day
"If sandwiches are made from bread, why is there still bread?" - Cookie (via Reddit)
Suggest This, Google
I knew it.
Google Suggest is quickly becoming my favorite Google tool.
Start typing a string into the Google search box and a cool list of AJAX-powered predicted finished queries are presented to you. “4 9 e” – ah, here it is “49ers schedule”. Very helpful. It seems simple and innocent enough.
But try typing “Christianity is ” or "Judaism is " and you’ll see a potential problem. Offended much?
So why would Google suggest that “Christianity is bullshit” or that “Chinese people eat babies”? Well, technically they aren’t. YOU are.
Google keeps its Suggest algorithm under strict lock and key, however hints from Google insiders reveal that the suggestions are naturally what you’d expect – they are largely dependent on a search string’s popularity. Those offensive and juvenile suggestions exist because normal people like you and me have actually typed those exact words into Google. And it’s not just one person – tons of people are using that search phrase!
It’s hard to believe though, isn’t it? Are there really that many people searching for “jon stewart is a douchebag”?
Sprocket PictoPuzzle #1
With all this Mayan "2012" and Apophis end-of-times nonsense, I thought we could all use a little brain teaser to relax.
The following 11 images are generated automatically using the Google Images API. Which image should come next? If you're stuck, try regenerating the images for new clues.
For those awesome enough to figure it out, post a link to the NEXT possible image, and rejoice with superior laughter over your defeated peers.
My Eyes Just Had An Orgasm
Shut up and watch this movie immediately.
The Third & The Seventh was created entirely by Alex Roman. USING A FREAKING COMPUTER.
That's right. That thing you just drooled over was entirely CGI. The whole damn thing.
”24” Season 8 Bingo!
Every season I swear I'm quitting.
The plots are horribly recycled, and the real-time aspect has become overly gimmicky. But I'm too hooked at this point and I've given up trying to fight it. Jack Bauer is just too badass and my liberal brain needs an outlet.
So to make "24" easier to digest, I've decide Bingo cards are in order.
And speaking of original ideas, I've apparently run out myself.
As I sat down to code up a JavaScript "24" Bingo card generator, I happened to notice that someone had beaten me to the punch by a good two years. Much credit and cheers to plutor.org for their incredibly awesome original 24 Bingo Card, from which I am technically now "inspired".
This newer version works in some recent "24" cliches from the past couple seasons.
"24" Day 8 premieres January 17th at 9PM on FOX. Dammit!
“Let’s go burn down the observatory so this’ll never happen again!”
Have you thanked a modeling and simulation engineer today? Check out the NASA/JPL video showing the most recent trajectory simulation for Apophis 99942 asteroid.
On April 13, 2029, Earth has a 1 in 250,000 chance of having a very bad day.
Instead of freaking out, maybe we should catch it?
Dude, Where’s My Null Hypothesis?
WWJD?
The indisputable evidence box was a conceptual mind-exercise I came up with a while back to test one’s ability to maintain justifiable skepticism. It’s like a pregnancy test for logic, except you don’t have to pee on anything.
In a nutshell, the test is to imagine a set of hypothetical evidence that is so overwhelmingly AGAINST your own belief system that you’d have no choice but to accept that you are undeniably wrong. The question is then: presented with this indisputable evidence box, would you abandon your beliefs?
I like this exercise because it’s naturally polarizing. For those with a strong scientific background, it’s a layup; the scientific method flourishes in this sort of situation where new evidence presents itself against a commonly accepted theory. But when the user’s response is fuddled, ambiguous, or even hostile toward the test, it’s quite clear that skepticism and rationality are not frequently-used tools in their personal bag of tricks.
Tell Your Friends
