The One Day on Earth Project [art]

The One Day on Earth Project is one of the most comprehensive and coolest global crowdsourcing projects ever, and I am excited to participate. True to my form, I recorded a video log to commemorate the day.



More YouTube videos here.


via PBS.com:

Friday is 11/11/11, and the minds behind the documentary and online video archive known as "One Day on Earth" are hoping thousands of people around the world will film a moment in their lives this day.

Other filmmakers have used crowd-sourced footage to recreate life in a day, but what sets "One Day on Earth" apart is the online community that has grown around it since its experimental launch around the date 10/10/10, said founder and director Kyle Ruddick, who conceptualized and started the project in 2008 by reaching out to people from his home laptop.

The project's participants have since grown to 20,000, and they not only can submit their own video but can draw on the website's archive to create their own masterpieces.

One Day on Earth on the Web:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Perfect Waves & Penis Size [penis]

When it comes to waves and penises, they have more in common than you think. According to Adventure Journal, the best waves are "thicker, not bigger." Doesn't this sound familiar to the ole' girth vs. length argument?



In other penis size-related correlations, a researcher at the University of Helsinki proves that there is a "correlation between a country's average penile length and GDP growth rate."

Fla Boy Kelly Slater Wins 11th World Title [surfing]

Fla boy Kelly Slater won his 11th World Title in San Francisco earlier this month. Despite being from Cocoa Beach, Florida, a town more known for its space shuttle launches than turning out world champion surfers, this central Florida beach town has produced one of surfing's finest.

"Lost" Steve Jobs Interview Gets Limited Run in Theaters [steve jobs, tech]

A “Lost” Steve Jobs interview has surfaced and will have a limited run in theaters this week. It is actually an extended interview and part of the 1996 PBS Miniseries Triumph of the Nerds.

Out of all the creative tributes to Jobs in the wake of his death, this one is definitely the best. Made by the awesome guys at Mint Digital, it is made entirely of MacBook parts.

While most are mourning Jobs' death, this street artist had a different kind of eulogy for him:


The Legacy of Steve Jobs

Bullitt & The Greatest Car Chase Scenes of All Time [film]

Bullitt (Yates, 1968) is often said to feature the greatest car chase scene in cinematic history.

Here are the top ten car chase scenes according to CNN.

The Scandalous Lana Del Rey [music]

Apparently I am a little slow on the uptake, but I just heard Lana Del Rey's hit single Video Games and instantly was a fan. I don't know if it was the tubular bells at the beginning, the cinematic orchestration and the snare drum that starts at 2:32, or the video that won me over, but I am a fan of it all.

Books for Left-Handers [books]

I recently did a post on Lefty's in San Francisco, the only store in the US that caters specifically to left-handed people. Though us lefties are in the minority, there are many books written about left-handedness; two of my favorites are "The Natural Superiority of the Left-Hander" and the considerably more dense read, "The Left-Hander Syndrome: The Causes and Consequences of Left-Handedness."

Marijuana Inc.: Inside America's Pot Industry [film]

I came across this documentary on the medical marijuana industry in my reader today, and it is worth checking out.

Head over to Top Documentary Films for more free documentaries online. They have thousands of documentaries on countless subjects including drugs, sexuality, history, society, nature, technology, health, etc.

Orchestra Goes Electro [music]

Original Soundtrack by mediaudio

Looking for some new tunes to groove to? My good friend Derek, audio engineer extraordinaire behind mediaudio creates "mostly sample-based, orchestraelectro pieces" - and they are awesome.

Orchestra meets electro in these symphonic jams, and one finds themselves evoking mental imagery as vivid as the music itself as it builds and layers. You might feel as if you are in the middle of an LSD trip trapped in a 1980's video game or in an IMAX theater during the climax of an intense film.

A combination of two seemingly opposite genres, Derek has expertly crafted and weaved the two into a beautiful, eclectic marriage.

Lefty's San Francisco

San Francisco is home to Lefty's, opened in 1979 and the very first store to cater to left-handers in the United States. They also have a large number of items available for sale online.

I'm disappointed I wasn't aware that this store existed when I lived there! I'll definitely check it out when I am back in SF.

A limited number of items are available at the Lefty's kiosk in the Downtown Disney Marketplace in Orlando, Florida.

After checking out the left-handed store at Pier 39, if you're in need of some “adult only” entertainment, head over to Lefty O'Doul's in Union Square for a drink and to watch the game.

Opened in 1958, Lefty's is named after baseball pro and native San Franciscan Francis "Lefty" O'Doul and is the city's longest-standing sports bar - and may be the longest-standing sports bar in the country.

California Serial Killers [crime, california]

If you know me, you know one of the things I most like to read about are serial killers. I've noticed over the years of reading about these fascinating people that a great deal of them live and commit their crimes in the Golden State. Why are so many of these killers in California?

While living in Los Angeles, I compiled a list of Californian serial killers. I started out by dividing the list into simply Northern and Southern California, eventually adding Central California, and ultimately, an entire category for just the Los Angeles area itself.

California has a disproportionate amount of serial killers compared to the rest of the nation while LA has a disproportionate amount of serial killers compared to the SF Bay Area and the rest of California.

What makes the Golden State, especially the LA area, such a popular destination for serial killers?


California Serial Killers

Northern California

San Francisco Bay Area

Zodiac Killer
Trailside Killer - David Carpenter
Michael Bear Carson & Suzan Carson

Sacramento

The I-5 Strangler- Roger Reece Kibb
The Vampire of Sacramento - Richard Chase
Gallego Sex Slave Killers - Gerald & Charlene Gallego
Dorothea Puente
Morris Solomon, Jr.
Leonard Lake & Charles Ng (Calaveras County)

Santa Cruz

Herbert Mullin
The Co-Ed Killer - Edmund Kemper

Yosemite

The Yosemite Killer - Cary Stayner

Humboldt

Wayne Adam Ford

Yuba City

The Machete Murderer - Juan Corona

Central California

Bakersfield

Vincent Brothers

Fresno

Marcus Wesson

Southern California

Los Angeles

The Night Stalker - Richard Ramirez (also SF Bay area)
Charles Manson
The Dating Game Killer - Rodney Alcala
The Red Light Bandit
The Grim Sleeper - Lonnie David Franklin, Jr.
The Hillside Strangler - Kenneth Bianchi & Angelo Buono, Jr.
The Freeway Killer - Patrick Kearney (shares this nickname with William Bonin and Randy Steven Kraft)
Sunset Strip Killer - Doug Clark
Michael Hughes
Timothy Joseph McGee
The Freeway Killer - William Bonin
Bruce Jeffrey Pardo
Chester Dewayne Turner
The Lonely Hearts Killer - Harvey Glatman
Wineville Chicken Coop Murderer - Gordon Stewart Northcott
Mack Ray Edwards
Thor Nis Christiansen
Louise Peete

Orange County

The Freeway Killer - Randy Steven Kraft
Bedroom Basher - Gerald Parker
I-5 Killer or I-5 Bandit - Randall Woodfield

San Diego

The Clairemont Killer - Cleophus Prince, Jr.

Riverside

Riverside Killer - William Suff
Dana Sue Gray
Phillip Carl Jablonski (Riverside & SF Bay area)


Sources:

List of Serial Killers by Country

California’s Most Notorious Killers


If I've left anyone off the list, feel free to comment or contact me and I'll update the list.

Judy Jetson Was a Man-Whore [television]

I used to love The Jetsons as a kid, but who knew Judy was such a man-whore? That was lost on me, as were numerous "adult" references in my childhood cartoons.

Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda [television]

Since I have had access to cable, I have become somewhat of an Investigation Discovery junkie. It's no secret that I love serial killers and bizarre crime, and this channel offers both of these things 24/7.


Right now I'm watching the premiere of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, and so far it isn't striking me as much different from the rest of the channel's fare. The show is only halfway through, so too soon to pass judgment - but at this point I can't see what all the hype was about.

The Perfect Storm & Linda Greenlaw [books, film]

This afternoon I finished reading The Perfect Storm.

Saw the film years ago, and it's not one of the those films where after you've read the book you necessarily feel disappointed – they are two completely separate entities.

The film focuses on the drama of the rescue; the book is more dry and gets into weather patterns, ocean currents, maritime history, and various oceanic and meteorological nightmares as well as the story of the doomed Andrea Gail.

Definitely worth the read, even if a bit dry, especially for the discovery of an awesome, powerful woman – ship captain and author Linda Greenlaw. Linda is one of the few female ship captains on the East Coast, but undeniably one of the best.

She survived the infamous Halloween Gale that the Andrea Gail unfortunately did not. Linda lives in Portland, Maine, still fishes, and has written several books – including the wildly popular Lobster Chronicles and several cookbooks.

Is Eliza Dushku in a Toilet Paper Commercial?

Is Eliza Dushku (yes, the one in Wrong Turn and Tru Calling) in a Quilted Northern commercial?

Perhaps horror and TV aren't her true calling after all.

Dead Satellite Crashes Into Pacific, Kills No One [space, news]

A dead 6-ton NASA satellite has fallen into the Pacific Ocean off the west coast, killing no one.

Officials are having trouble determining its exact location.

It is estimated that the odds of any one person being hit is 1 in 22 trillion.

This is the largest satellite to crash into the Earth's atmosphere since 1979, when both the 75-ton Skylab Space Station and the 10-ton Pegasus 2 satellite fell to Earth.

All My Children Says Goodbye [tv]

After a 41-year run on daytime television, ABC's "All My Children" is saying farewell.

The show premiered on January 5, 1970 and aired its last episode yesterday, Friday September 23, 2011. Many are mourning the show's departure, with Perez Hilton and others calling it "the end of an era."

The show will be replaced by a new food-centered lifestyle show called "The Chew."

Spotify is Now Available in the US! [music, technology]

Great news for geeks and music lovers alike - Spotify is now (finally!) available in the US!

Head over here to get your invitation, or if you can't wait, you can sign up for a premium account for $4.99/month.

Then head over to Lifehacker and read their guide "The Essential Spotify Tools" to get the most out of your account.

Best Things to Do on Father's Day in SF [holidays, events]

There is a lot of (mostly) free stuff going on in the Bay Area for Father's Day this year, so there is no excuse not to take Dear Old Dad out!

1. The Northern California Pirate Festival is happening in Vallejo from 10:00am to 6:00pm and celebrates all things Pirate.via FunCheapSF:

Celebrate all things Pirate, as Pirate Entertainers, Musicians, Singers, Swordfighters, Craftspeople, and more turn Vallejo’s waterfront into a Pirate Town the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Tortuga. Come on out for this two-day festival over fathers day weekend and have a swashbucklin’ great time at the SF Bay Area’s only Pirate Festival.

The entertainment roster encompasses performers featured on the main stage, the children’s stage, main gate stage, swordfighting & pirate’s “brawling” areas, participating vessels and roving entertainment

2. The 57th Annual North Beach Festival will be held in San Francisco from 10:00am to 6:00pm in Washington Square Park.

3. The 61st Annual Juneteenth Festival is happening in San Francisco from 11:00am to 7:00pm in the Fillmore.

4. For all you dancers, there is a free Michael Jackson "Beat It" Dance Class in SF from 12:00pm to 2:00pm at Bollyhood Cafe.

5. If you are a parkour fan, be sure to check out the 1st Annual Urban Ninja Festival in Berkeley from 12:00pm to 6:00pm at Memorial Glade (UC Berkeley).

6. The Stern Grove Festival 2011 kicks off tomorrow in SF at 2:00pm with the sounds of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.

7. The Father's Day Kite Day is happening in Berkeley from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at Cesar Chavez State Park.

8. For the urban history nerds (and cannon enthusiasts!) there is a hike of shipwrecks and and cannons starting at 2:00pm at the Presidio in San Francisco.

9. World Music Day will be held in Palo Alto from 3:00pm to 7:30pm.

Click here for even more free events!

Teeth & Vagina Dentata [film, phenomenons, cake]

I watched Teeth (2008) last night with my girlfriend. Yes, that whole movie about a girl with teeth in her vagina doing (horrid!) damage to the males she encounters. Basically, a man's worst nightmare.

While we were watching it, we were actually surprised. The film was done a lot better than either of us thought it would be and we actually enjoyed it (even me, the penis-possessor of the pair!); the film wasn't just a vagina-chewing-penis horror flick that most seem to expect in line with the Scream-born modern era horrorgore without a story line, and wasn't pornographic or overly gory as I thought it might be.

I admit I don't have much faith in modern horror.

M. commented on the cinematography and the well-thought out shots (as opposed to most modern horror films, people!) and I enjoyed the purposeful pacing and the fact that they actually explored the real cultural phenomenon of vagina dentata without being exploitative in any way.

Note: this film could be triggering to some, watch with caution.



"Vagina dentata" is a male cross-cultural myth seen in numerous cultures around the world (Native American, Greek, African, Egyptian, etc.) in which the man is afraid of inserting his penis into a woman's vagina for fear of his penis being injured by the supposed toothed vagina.

From The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker:

"Toothed vagina," the classic symbol of men's fear of sex, expressing the unconscious belief that a woman may eat or castrate her partner during intercourse. Frued said, "Probably no male human being is spared the terrifying shock of threatened castration at the sight of female genitals." But he had the reason wrong. The real reason for this "terrifying shock" is a mouth-symbolism, now recognized universally in myth and fantasy: "It is well-known in psychiatry that both males and females fantasize as a mouth the female's entranceway to the vagina."

When I did a Google image search for "vagina dentata," the only blog-appropriate images were cakes. Yes, cakes inspired by the film.

If you'd like to see a more "adult" photo, click here.

Vagina Dentata cake via Cakes and Comics and Cartwheels.

Another vagina dentata cake via Miss Cakehead's Flickr stream:

Cakes are not the only culinary items adorning the vagina these days; click here for an earlier post with a recipe for Vagina Muff-ins.

Even if you are not a baker, at least click to see what a muff-in looks like!

Ryan Gosling Band's Creepy Music Video [celebrities, music]

Ok, I apparently was the last one to get the memo, but Ryan Gosling has a band called Dead Man's Bones. And they made a creepy music video with a choir of zombie children.