More Optical Illusions

I ran across this site with some pretty cool illusions...

First this mural on a building in France. Trippy, no? Trompe-l'oeil at its best.

I wonder if people inside can see out...

Second up! This neat trick! Stare at the middle long enough and the yellow dots disappear. Really!

Lastly, and the hardest: Stare past the center of this image, unfocus your eyes so theres 3 blurry images and genteelly scan the distant imaginary horizon until the two images merge into one 3d chair.

It's hard to do and easy to lose the illusion but its pretty awesome when you get the idea.

All credit for these goes to www.moillusions.com - check it out for more eye-trickery. Eyes pwnt.

Badass Basslines

A playlist of 29 pretty funky pretty unheard of tracks to bounce to while you work, cruise town or just chillax.

Making Your Photoshop Website Template LIVE! (PSD to HTML)

Soooo you know want a website but you have zero web development skills. You already picked out and registered the perfect domain name (domain registration?) and you have signed up for web hosting services (who's hosting what now?)

After that, you considered paying someone to build it for you , but being the ambitious go-getter that you are, you decided building a website can't be that hard...

I mean, really.

A lot of Googling later, you've found a free website template you want to use as the basis for your new website, but hold on a second! This template is in .PSD format, and I KNOW websites are supposed to be .HTML... you aren't fooling anyone you fake website template distributor!!

Oh, what's that? A .PSD can be turned into .HTML? Is that so...
Here's how:

First, get the tools required for the job!
Photoshop, Dreamweaver and an FTP client (Filezilla)

You'll need to "acquire" the first two, but the last is a free download.

1. Open your template in Photoshop
2. Use the SLICE Tool, extensively - watch this video for FULL details
3. Save for "Web & Devices" and optimize your slices.
4. IMPORTANT - Make sure to save as type "HTML with images"
5. Open that new HTML file in Dreamweaver - video with FULL details
6. Templatize and "save as template" for building every other page of your site.
7. Open up Filezilla and upload your site to your hosting provider's server.
8. Save your homepage as "index.html" in the root of your domain name folder.
9. Visit your site, !

There's a lot of ways to build a website, but this is the easiest way I've discovered aside from trying to morph a blog into a website.

PSD to HTML pwnt ;)

Origin of Weather People by RJD2 + RJD2 Songs

If you haven't heard, RJD2 is a sample remix DJ with mad skillz that you should check out.



He's got some great songs, Deadringer is probably his best album and here's a few of his best songs:
The Horror - Link
Ghostwriter - Link
1976 - Link
A Beautiful Mine - Link
Work It Out - Link

But his BEST song, imo Weather People is right here:


This beat just really pwns face if you ask me, but where's the sample from?

This creepy goblin song from a 1977 Italian horror flick called Suspiria - its beyond creepy up until they all start chanting "witch", that just reminds me of Monty Python too much to take seriously. Here's the Suspiria theme vid if you are so interested - Link

RJD2 pulls samples from all over. Few other DJs are this good at mixing such diverse samples into a masterpiece.

DJ Shadow is the only other sample remix DJ I feel is at this level. His album "Endtroducing..." is beyond description. check it out!

Modeselektor Pwns Face

Here's an awesome video by this dope German electronic duo:


This eerie vaguely-Chinese dragon man releases a ball of white light that just goes nuts! Dancing everywhere and pulling him like puppet strings. Then the light gets bored with him and goes to possess some helpless girl. she births a ball of red light and the two dance through the city endlessly. Then! There's an awesome duel or dance off between the white and red dragon.

Stop motion makes the light effect possible, but also is really the perfect choice for this amped beat, reminiscent of strobe lights and definitely adds to the eeriness of the dragon creatures.

If you liked that, here's another one even more full of pwnage:


I get to see Modeselektor pwn face in person this June at Wakarusa 2011.

If you haven't heard, its only the "headiest" summer music fest in the USA!



More on that when the time comes.

How to Plan an International Trip:

So, you know you want to go on a vacation out of the country, but you also know you don't want to be broke and homeless when you get back Stateside. Planning a vacation is a daunting task, especially when traveling to locales unknown, and even more so to a foreign country. But don't let that stop you, besides who wants to go on vacation to someplace familiar?

Adventure is the spice of life, the unknown is the answer to all of life's mysteries. Explore, travel, soak it in and broaden your perspective on life! Travel expands the mind.

Anyhow, back to the details, to simplify the unsurmountable task of trying to snag a deal on an international trip...

Here's the tools I've used to go on some very cheap international vacations. Hopefully, this helps some wayward, cost-conscience traveler...

1. Find a cheap flight
Kayak.com is your best bet


2. Find some cheap lodging options
Hostelworld.com always delivers some budget rates

Hotels.com for those who have money.

3. Find out the best way to get around once you get there (taxi, bus, or rental car)
Lonelyplanet.com is a great resource or

Google "[destination] taxi rate" and you'll find an article about it.

4. Book the flight before the price goes up!
Seriously, the prices can change at any time.

5. Make sure you have a valid passport!
Good for 10yrs!

6. Have Fun!
Remember, it's vacation; RELAX. Minor details have a tendency of working themselves out.

This post inspired by my recent booking to the tropical island of Barbados! Upon my return, I'll have info to share about the island and environs, I'm sure.



Paradise. pwnt ;)