Jim O'Connell

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• Commented on Apocalyptic art-photography from Stefano Bonazzi
  Let me redirect the criticism of the use of the word "photograph" away from the artist, who uses the phrase "Composizione digitale, Stampa su plexiglass" to describe the works. Also, whatever the technique or the visual influences, they are good...
• Commented on Apocalyptic art-photography from Stefano Bonazzi
  No offense to the artist, but wouldn't this be better characterized as an illustration than a photograph? A creative nod to "The Residents" is in order as well: http://images.google.com/images?q=the%20residents&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi...
• Commented on Disney Family Museum's sucky no-photos policy
  Montymov: The point I was making is that he (and others on these types of crusades) may be actually making it more difficult for everyone. “Am I the only one who feels like "Thomas Hawk" has become a person far...
• Commented on Disney Family Museum's sucky no-photos policy
  Thomas - it's very late here, so I'll only address a couple of points. Imagine that you're a collector, collecting, say, Disney figurines or animation cells and drawings. (I have no idea what they might have on display at this...
• Commented on Disney Family Museum's sucky no-photos policy
  Am I the only one who feels like "Thomas Hawk" has become a person far more obsessed with finding things he can't photograph than finding interesting subjects to shoot in a significant manner? He used to be an interesting photographer,...
• Commented on Rocket-shaped air blower for removing dust
  One of the big advantages of Giottos over most other blowers is that the tip stays in the same place as you squeeze it. When blowing dust off a sensor, other brands will bend, risking touching the sensor, which you...
• Commented on Awesome jump blues/swing duo doing "Nagasaki"
  Here's a much better version, IMHO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRL895C0fHM Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and Freddy Taylor. 1936, not after 1945, BTW....
• Commented on Massive archive of US Army medical illustrations and photos free online
  "You pay taxes. These are your pictures," Rhode said. "You should be able to see them." Shouldn't these be more properly released into the public domain? I'm a big proponent of CC, except when it represents a more restrictive license...
• Commented on Video version of the Thatcher Effect
  For those of you with significant others, you can play around with something similar. Put your face directly above your partner's, but upside-down. Kind of a "Facial 69" in a way. Stare at their mouth and have them talk. It's...
• Commented on Moving Paintings From Inside
  It may be from the book then - I imagine there are lots of train pictures in it. I haven't seen a copy in years though....
• Commented on Moving Paintings From Inside
  Tom Hale: This one? http://homepage.mac.com/jfstrain/blogpics/dec04/polarexpress.jpg...
• Commented on Mitigate heart-disease risk by exercising for seven minutes a week
  A friend of mine was in visiting me in Japan, also researching physical education and she told me about Radio Taiso, the morning exercises that people are so fond of mocking. It's a three minute, twenty-two second light workout that...
• Commented on Nataly Dawn's illegal backyard video
  That was charming....
• Commented on Still More Obamaphemera: OK, fine, he's Jesus already.
  Yeah, not Jesus. Jesus isn't usually depicted carrying a crucifix....
• Commented on Lazy Susan table made from skateboard trucks
  Rather than just steal, er, homebrew the design, why not be inspired by it and come up with something as compelling and thought-provoking, but original? $1800 for an innovatively-designed, well-made original table is peanuts. Why is it OK to rip...
• Commented on Browse iTunes for music, then buy from Amazon
  Why don't they just make it "Download this song with LimeWire"? That way you get no DRM and no regional restrictions......
• Commented on Prevent head explosions with Ear Pressue Equalizer
  I have an annoying condition called a Patulous Eustachian tube (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patulous_Eustachian_tube) where the eustacian tube stays open and I can hear my own breathing and speaking resonating in the inner ear. I wonder if this would help....
• Commented on Porky princess tiara HOWTO
  This is a sign of a very, very sick society....
• Commented on The Spotnicks - The Rocket Man (1962)
  Took about three seconds to recognize it as Polyushke Polye. Very cool version though. My favorite is this version: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=v_102h9-GW8 Heard it years ago in Russia and finally tracked it down....
• Commented on Pig with monkey face
  Interesting how the guy in the doorway doesn't want his face in the photo. I wonder if there's a family resemblance......
• Commented on Soviet-era Estonian meat commercial
  Done by the brilliant film maker, Harry Egipt. Search YouTube for his name and you'll find lots of gems. The Pinguin Ice Cream commercial is sublime in a way that will leave you feeling dirty: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uobrdxYFsNY...
• Commented on That Violet Blue thing
  I don't like Violet Blue. I lost respect for her a while back, when she participated in the argumentum ad hominem against the censorware guy who was found to have posted in the adult diaper newsgroups, but I don't agree...
• Commented on Hot day fun for kids: paint the house with water
  OK - everyone who says this is bad for the environment, STFU and don't come back until you've sold your car and all of your electrical appliances. Really, get a life, will you? I saw people painting calligraphy with water...
• Commented on The history of Japanese vending machines
  My favorite was a vending machine outside an old coin shop that sold... Old coins. (Collectible old coins, like 5-sen coins and such.) Beer and whiskey machines are great, but from next month, you need a chipped card to buy...
• Commented on HOWTO spot a photoshop job
  Some camera makers, (Canon for one,) have the technology to sign the image in the camera, preventing even the photographer from digitally-altering the image. They do this so that the images can be introduced in court as evidence....
• Commented on Nanoengineers created blackest-ever black metal
  Perfect for helicopters......
• Commented on HOWTO spot a photoshop job
  I would be *really* surprised if the above photo was untouched, even after a quick glance at the size on this page. It wouldn't surprise me if the guy in the middle-back wasn't even in the same city when this...
• Commented on Japanese Customs plants 124g of hash in traveller's luggage to train dogs, then loses the hash
  What were they smoking......
• Commented on Video: Boston Dynamics' Latest Big Dog Pack Bot
  Logically, I know, of course, that this is just a robot, but something about it strikes me emotionally as being *very wrong*. That said, if it was mine, I'd probably put some sort of head on it, maybe like a...
• Commented on More Abu Ghraib torture photos
  Again, not trying to defend their actions, but I have to say I am a bit disturbed that people really think the worst thing to happen at Abu Gharib was the American occupation of it. Nothing like this should have...