The Inane Asylum

This is the latest example of someone having way too much time on his hands...

Here's a 3D version of one of the pixel ducks from Duck Hunt someone made - The Maker designed in 3D Studio Max and then contructed it out of a ton of wood blocks: Blocks used in 3D model: 1785, Blocks used in build: 1240, Approximate Weight: 17-20 ilbs, Length: 24", Width: 17.25", Height: 21" Approximate Number of Hours to Create: 35-40.

Link to mathaeis' site

I'm definately going to have to get the CarChip E/X and try it out on my car.

from kk.org:

Ever had that darn annoying little "check engine" light come on your dashboard? It costs a ridiculous 75 bucks just to "hook up your car and see what the computer says." And that doesn't include the cost to fix it, if anything really is wrong.

There's a very cool little thing-a-ma-jiggy called the CarChip E/X that lets you do this yourself.
Since 1996, thanks to emission control regulations, just about every car sold in the USA adheres to a protocol called an OBDII. This includes an interior plug which allows anyone with a computer hookup or data scanner (like the CarChip) to plug into the car's computer and download information.

With the CarChip E/X plugged into your car, it records up to 300 hours of your driving data. In other words the CarChip acts like a car blackbox. Every trip you make is recorded. The information it records includes: time and date for each trip, distance, speed, hard accelerations and braking, and engine diagnostic trouble codes. In addition, you can pick four other parameters to record ranging from RPM, engine coolant temperature, throttle position, fuel pressure, battery voltage, etc. Using the included software, you can then graph out the data to show you how your vehicle is performing. And like an airplane blackbox, if you happen to have the misfortune of getting into an accident, the CarChip E/X will automatically generate an accident log showing the last critical 20 seconds of speed.

This edition of "way too much time" features the coolest project I've seen so far.

From vestaldesign.com:

I learned last year that friend and fellow designer Peter Feigenbaum has an amazing train layout in his basement. He's drawn upon scenes of urban decay in the Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC metropolitan areas, and the result is a set of lovingly crafted but entirely seedy and run-down scenes. Dilapidated corner groceries, pawn shops and scrap dealers inhabit these streets, and Pete is hilariously straight-faced in his comments, not to mention extremely knowledgeable about the specifics of urban transportation. "Former freight house, now an outlet store," or "Close-up of a burned-out commercial zone, inspired by the South Bronx," among other gems.

You can view a lot of must-see photos on vestaldesign's site

Or check out Peter's Rail Pages directly.

from yahoo.com:

Stallone sets stage for "Rocky" comeback film

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Down but never out, actor
Sylvester Stallone is forging a movie comeback for the unlikely boxing champion, Rocky Balboa, who sent Stallone's star soaring and won
Oscars nearly 30 years ago, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer said on Monday.

Stallone, 59, will reprise his role in the sixth "Rocky" film, titled "Rocky Balboa," playing the Philadelphia boxer who is lured out of a long retirement to fight a championship bout while dealing with personal tragedy outside the ring.

"'Rocky Balboa' is about everybody who feels they want to participate in the race of life, rather than be a bystander. You're never too old to climb a mountain, if that's your desire," Stallone said in a statement.

I found this on deadspin.com today:

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Ugueth Urbina takes his personal property very seriously. At a welcome-home party for the pitcher in his native Venezuela, after many drinks, Urbina discovered that one of his laborers might have stolen a firearm. According to a witness, his response was measured, rational and logical: He and some of his friends "captured" a bunch of his employees, tied them up, poured paint thinner on them, burned them and went after them with a machete.

"The worker, 21-year-old Ricardo Osal, told police that Urbina and others rounded up the workers, beat them, attacked them with a machete, then splattered gasoline and paint thinner on them and burned them. ... Osal reportedly suffered machete wounds on his hands and back, while another worker, Tony Rodriguez, was burned on his back and right arm."

Urbina, whose mother was famously kidnapped in Venezuela last year, claims he was sleeping at the time of the incident. Interestingly enough, this is exactly how Larry Bowa used to start spring training.

LiveScience.com is reporting that researchers at Rice University have designed the world's smallest car that is no more than 4 nanometers across. It has a chassis, axles and a pivoting suspension. The wheels are buckyballs. Why? The team wants to build a fleet of nanotrucks to carry atoms and molecules around minature factories.

From the "what the hell" files...

from yahoo.com:

Man requests longer prison sentence to match Bird's jersey number

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A man got a prison term longer than prosecutors and defense attorneys had agreed to -- all because of Larry Bird.

The lawyers reached a plea agreement Tuesday for a 30-year term for a man accused of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Eric James Torpy wanted his prison term to match Bird's jersey number 33.

``He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in Larry Bird's jersey,'' Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said Wednesday. ``We accommodated his request and he was just as happy as he could be.

``I've never seen anything like this in 26 years in the courthouse. But, I know the DA is happy about it.''

I saw this pic and thought "ha ha funny" but apparently Samuel Jackson really is starring in a movie named "Snakes on a Plane". Samuel provides explicaton here:

Beaks: One of those films that you’re working on right now is… well, it’s called Pacific Air 121—
Jackson: Snakes on a Plane, man!
Beaks: Exactly.
Jackson: We’re totally changing that back. That’s the only reason I took the job: I read the title.
Beaks: Snakes on a Plane! That’s everything!
Jackson: You either want to see that, or you don’t.
Beaks: And how are those snakes? Besides being on a plane?
Jackson: Some of them are aggressive, some of them are cool. They’re interesting to watch, and interesting to interact with. It depends on what kind of snake it is. One day, it took, like, four guys to bring in this 350 lb. Burmese Python. We were all like, “Where’s that goin’?” And I watched an Albino Cobra strike airplane seats the other day. I watched it from another studio. It’s actually been a fun show. But we’re taking the name back!