Recent Links (page 3) : thescruffypirate.org

Recent Links (page 3)

Patent for a Method of swinging on a swing

16 November 2011 02:00pm UTC 0 comments

Just in case you were not convinced that the US patent system is broken, here's a patent for a method of swinging on a swing. The abstract:

A method of swing on a swing is disclosed, in which a user positioned on a standard swing suspended by two chains from a substantially horizontal tree branch induces side to side motion by pulling alternately on one chain and then the other.

So, next time you see someone doing this, maybe a kid even, you'll have to let them know that what they are doing is patent infringement and that they need this persons permission before they can continue doing it.

And lest you think that this guy maybe did come up with this idea, the patent was issued in 2002 but I used this very technique on our porch swing all the time when I was a kid.
Explosive Dam Breach

14 November 2011 02:00pm UTC 0 comments

Let's do this to all of them! And then all the little fishies of the world will be able to swim free!
The Hidden Beauty of Pollination

12 November 2011 02:00pm UTC 2 comments

This is one of the most incredible nature/insect videos I've ever seen. The video is in brilliant, crisp HD and they've caught the bugs/animals doing some really cool stuff:
86th Birthday Rage

10 November 2011 01:00pm UTC 4 comments

An 86 year old looks back on his life. This is the attitude that I want to have when I'm 86. Not that life is winding down, but still gearing up.

I'd quote or link to part of it but it is one big giant image...

[via Andy Baio]
Shot by police with rubber bullet at Occupy Oakland

8 November 2011 02:00pm UTC 2 comments

Just in case you thought these protesters were getting what they deserved, here is a video a photographer was peacefully making some 20-30 away from the police (something us citizens are legally allowed to do in any public space of anything we want, police included) when they shot him.

It is shit like this that has made me want to go join the protesters in downtown Denver (in addition to the fact that even if they don't have concrete demands, I think their hearts are in the right place). Maybe this weekend I'll finally get around to it.
Daylight Saving Time Explained

7 November 2011 03:19pm UTC 0 comments

So, this guy in the 1800s decides he wants more day light and instead of starting to work an hour earlier during the summer he convinces the whole world to set their clocks forward an hour?

I used to be a daylight savings time advocate, but if everything this guys says in this video is true, daylight savings time is pretty stupid.

Though, really daylight savings time is better than standard time (more light in the evenings for running and slacklining) so what we really should do is just adopt daylight savings time and stop switching back and forth.
Ghostery

2 November 2011 01:00pm UTC 1 comment

Ghostery is a browser plugin that tracks the websites that are tracking you. You may have heard about sites like Facebook that are able to know what you are doing even when you are not on Facebook, well this will let you know when something is tracking you and even has experimental support for blocking that tracking!

Just now trying it out, so we'll see what it comes up with and if I like it...
October 2011 Fails

1 November 2011 07:10pm UTC 1 comment

Sorry I missed September, but here's October!

A couple notes:
1. What's up with turning fun, sort of scary merry-go-rounds into terrifying contraptions of death with motorcycles? That has got to be the stupidest thing ever.
2. Did we actually see a skateboarder wearing helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards? That's my kind of skateboarder! There is nothing cooler than protecting your body!
Lego: Victorian on Mud Heap

31 October 2011 01:00pm UTC 0 comments

Holy cow, this decaying victorian house made out of legos is just absolutely incredible! And seems like a good fit for Halloween!

Legos really are just the best toy ever!

[via Colossal]
Blackboards in Porn

29 October 2011 01:00pm UTC 0 comments

This is pretty funny, grading the math of chalkboards in porn videos:

Chemistry – A-level/undergraduate level

This is a frustratingly inconsistent approach to writing chemical formulae. On the one hand the teacher has gone to the trouble of also using structural formulae to improve clarity (eg H2N2O2 could be nitramide, but the addition of HO-N=N-OH makes it clear that we are dealing with hyponitrous acid here), but then writes SI (sulphur iodine) instead of Si (silicon) in the formula for orthosilicic acid. This, combined with not using subscripts for many of the numbers, could lead to a great deal of confusion.

Whilst this lesson appears to be aimed at quite a high level, such elementary errors may affect comprehension.

5/10 - rather sloppy.

[via Andy Baio]
Mountain Biker Drilled By Hartebeest

27 October 2011 01:00pm UTC 1 comment

On second thought, maybe I don't want to go to Africa!
Crazy audiovisual illusion

25 October 2011 01:00pm UTC 3 comments

The gist is, what you hear changes depending on what you see. You may think your sense of hearing is distinct from your sense of sight, but this video demonstrates that this is not the case. I thought this sounded silly at first, but then I was really shocked at how distinct it is.

[via Kottke]
How many photos have ever been taken?

23 October 2011 01:00pm UTC 0 comments

Very interesting article with estimates on the number of photos ever taken. Fun charts too!

I don't know what to choose to quote, I just want to quote the whole thing.

Every 2 minutes today we snap as many photos as the whole of humanity took in the 1800s. In fact, ten percent of all the photos we have were taken in the past 12 months. And yet, there are still more physical photos hidden in our shoeboxes, hanging on our walls or lost in an album than there are digital photos littering our hard drive.

According to their numbers, 4% of all the photos ever taken are residing on Facebook's servers. Yowza.

[via Shawn Blanc]
DIY Video Game in a Box

21 October 2011 01:00pm UTC 1 comment

The things regular people can create just blow me away sometimes! Here we have a physical "video" game in a cardboard box.
Take This Lollipop

20 October 2011 01:00pm UTC 4 comments

Incredibly creepy video that uses your Facebook info. So, yes, you'll have to give it that permission.

It'll make you think twice about what you put on Facebook.

If you click through on one link I post this month, make sure it is this one!

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