*We are. . .*

*85% DONE*

*15% left to in 24 days!!!*

*Go team!!!*

We are in the Venice Project™'s beta-test program

That means we are watching TV over the internet. Real TV, at the real quality, not the downsized downsampled Youtube video thumbnails, and the full programming.

The Venice Project is the new baby of the guys that brought us Kazaa and Skype. Here is their introduction:

We're working on a project that combines the best things about television with the social power of the internet - a project that gives viewers, advertisers and content owners more choice, control and creativity than ever before.

So far all runs pretty smooth. They needs some more content, but that's only a matter of time. Beta program is closed, new members will be invited by existing members. So let me know if you are interested and I will see if I can get you on.

https://www.theveniceproject.com/

64,000 graduates...

...in animation, that is what China produced last year.

Appart from that there are more staggering numbers:
- 466,000 were studying in colleges at the end of 2005
- 81,000 minutes of cartoons produced
- 15 national animation bases have been set up
- about 5,473 animation studios had been founded in China by Oct.2006
- animation departments have been established in 447 universities and 1,230 universities offer professional training for cartoonists

No typos, I have double checked all these numbers. Go check them out for yourself:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-12/30/content_5551054.htm

We are at the verge of a giant revolution.

Tree goats

Real or Fake? The author claims it's real, the images haven't been tampered with ... Story goes that these goats climb trees because of the scourching hot sand that seems to burn their feet... But, wait a minute, don't they have hoofs?

Read more on:
http://blog.moment.ee/2007/01/viljad-on-valminud-tree-goats.html

Los Angeles by night

Los Angeles by night
Originally uploaded by _esse.

View over LA from the Santa Monica Mountains. We set out for a small after dark hike last monday as it was full moon and clear skies to enjoy this beautifull view. Foreground is Santa Monica, than Venice and Marina Del Rey. In the background LAX area with planes taking of and landing. Thanks to Daniele for the tip and guidance.

MTV "Gets" Surf's Up

"Before you groan at the prospect of another penguin movie (and we feel your pain), consider that this one is told as a mockumentary.

It's "Spinal Tap" meets "Happy Feet," with a story that suggests that penguins invented surfing. The trailer for "Surf's Up" was one of the best of 2006."

http://www.mtv.com/#/movies/news/articles/1548982/20061228/story.jhtml

2007 Pinguins!

Happy New Year : Surf's Up for 2007!
Originally uploaded by _esse.

1001 Dalmatians are so 1984!
2007 is the year of the penguin (pronounced like pin-goe-in, it'll all come clear next summer ;)).

Here's Cody and Geek surfin into a new year! Happy 2007 to y'all.

Shop Pink!

Paul Smith store on Melrose Ave
Originally uploaded by _esse.

at the Paul Smith Store on Melrose Avenue...

lemon law california

Ever heard about lemon law? Or about a 'lemon' as in 'be carefull not to buy a lemon'! A lemon is a product that repeatedly fail to meet certain standards of quality and performance. It is most commonly used in conjunction with cars, but it applies to all goods.

So.... there are lemon laws now, to protect people from buying bad goods.
Hence there are also lemon law layers and attorneys, used car and computer lemon laws. They are different per state, so there is California lemon law next to Florida Lemnon law and Ney York Lemon law.

In the end it all comes down to be able to buy stuff without looking sour.

HD vs standard DVD comparison

Someone decided to check out what all the HD fuss was about and compared classic DVD againt HD. Here is the test:

Fellowship of the Ring - HD vs DD

www.cornbread.org/FOTRCompare/index.html

Being amazed at how fantastic the HD transfer of Fellowship of the Ring looked, I decided to compare it to the transfer on the DVD. Now, the DVD transfer is among the best you can find on DVD, so this really is comparing the respective creams of the crops.

I used WinDVD 6 to capture files from the DVD, and Elecard Mpeg2 player to capture from the HD stream. Both were captured directly to BMP files and converted to JPG at very high quality so there should be almost no artifacting introduced (sorry, the BMP files were too large to use).

I used Photoshop to bicubically resample the DVD source images from 852x480 to match the 1920x1080 of the HD images. This page features the HD image sampled down to the DVD's resolution of 852x480. Surprisingly, even at DVD-resolution the HD source features more detail.

Mouseover any of the images here to see the HD downsample. You can see the full-size comparisons by clicking on the images on this page. The difference is pretty amazing.

I tried to capture identical frames on both sources, but I missed by a frame or two on some of these.

Penguins

A golden animation oldie.

The right angle.

Pictures getting an extra dimension when taken from a surprising angle.

Pros stoked by roles in 'Surf's Up'

Slater, along with professional surfers Rob Machado and Sal Masekela, voice major roles in the animated movie "Surf's Up," which is set to open in theaters in June. Sony Pictures made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday at Turtle Bay Resort, in conjunction with the Pipeline Masters Surf Contest.

"The waves are so good in the movie, you want to get into the screen and surf it," said Masekela. "The depth perception is incredible. The ocean is a character in the film and doesn't play second fiddle."

Read more on: http://starbulletin.com/2006/12/07/features/story06.html

How to not get your ass kicked by the Police

An oldie but a goodie. Chris explains what to do--and what NOT to do--when the Fuzz pulls you over. Funny video.

THE CONSUMERIST: Tekserve Ad with over $60,000 in ipods

Rally domino with iPod's.

Diet Coke and Mentos

Jolly good fun with Diet Coke and Mentos!

Cool Firefox ad.

Takes on Internet Explorer, Netscape and Safari.

Roadtrip day 2 pictures online : San Diego Zoo

., originally uploaded by _esse.

Pictures of the second day of this summer's roadtrip are online. San Diego Zoo was the destination of the day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esse/sets/72157594275907872/

Elmo takes America.

The hottest toy aroud, people go crazy over this, shops run trough their stocks in not time, prices on eBay are extreme.

I'd rather get the dog.

The importance of choosing the right domain name (url)

Everyone knows that if you are going to operate a business in today's world you need a domain name. It is advisable to look at the domain name selected as other see it and not just as you think it looks. Failure to do this may result in situations such as the following (legitimate) companies who deal in everyday humdrum products and
services but clearly didn't give their domain names enough consideration:

1. A site called 'Who Represents' where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name... wait for it... is
www.whorepresents.com

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at
www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at
www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at
www.therapistfinder.com

5. Then of course, there's the Italian Power Generator company...
www.powergenitalia.com

6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales (that's in Australia):
www.molestationnursery.com

7. If you're looking for computer software, there's always
www.ipanywhere.com

8. Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church. Their website is
www.cummingfirst.com

9. Then, of course, there's these brainless art designers, and their whacky website:
www.speedofart.com

10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at
www.gotahoe.com