Given that being busy makes us happier but that our instinct is for idleness, Hsee’s team say there is a case for encouraging what they call ‘futile busyness,’ that is: ‘busyness serving no purpose other than to prevent idleness. Such activity is more realistic than constructive busyness and less evil than destructive busyness.’

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whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com

To waste some time today I played some Super Mario Bros 3 on my Wii. I only made it trough three levels before I reached the first Toad House. Upon receiving the item from Toad I decided to investigate something I’ve wanted to know for, I don’t know, maybe 15 years. How exactly does the game decide what item you receive? I remember as a child that people playing Super Mario Bros 3 did the weirdest stuff in Toad Houses to improve their item karma. Running around, doing weird jumps, whatever.

Anyway, I really wanted to know when the game decides what item you receive and how it decides that. Does the game already know what item you receive as soon as you enter the Toad House? Are the items placed in the boxes when you enter the Toad House? Does it do any other weird stuff?

The answer may horrify you.

Toad Houses Disassembled

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In generative design a designer does not create the final product but rather a system, algorithm or tool that in turn generates the final product.

Being a computer geek I’ve always been interested in generative design. But generative product design is an something I’ve hardly thought of. If personal fabricators take off some very interesting stuff could develop here. This blog has some interesting thoughts on the subject.

Shapeways: blog: Dasign: data driven, evolutionary, algorithmic & generative design

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Golden Orb Spider Farm … speculates on a plausible near future where we become reliant on synthetic organs to replace body parts, in particular the womb. The project is based on research into how spider silk might become a material of choice for prototyping scaffolds on which to grow human tissue. … Golden Orb spider farm speculates that employers may want to persuade their high calibre employees to delay having children in return for hi-tech fertility insurance. Female employees would receive glass Gold Orb spider farms in which to house and breed spiders. The women would feed spiders with flies every day. Once a month, a silking machine would extract several metres from each spider in the farm. In due course this gift is passed on to the child that emerges from the silky womb. Once used, this object might take on a new role of a family heirloom.

Golden Orb Spider Farm – we make money not art

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twoyoutubevideosandamotherfuckingcrossfader.com.

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Title: A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter
Year: 2009
Artist: Caleb Larsen
Dimensions: 8″x8″x8″
Medium: Acrylic, custom electronics, programming, internet connection, online auction.
Description: This object perpetually attempts to sell itself on eBay.

A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter (2009) – Caleb Larsen – eBay (item 190367275705 end time Jan-28-10 14:39:47 PST):

Neptune’s Pride

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Web 2.0 Suicide Machine

426 – Mysterious Nebraska-Shaped Field in… Nebraska

Boxee Blog » The Boxee Beta

Holiday gift: acquired.

The Original VIDEO PIZZA

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Barbara Ann Radnofsky, formerly a partner with Vinson & Elkins and now a Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General, has pointed out the uncomfortable fact that a 2005 amendment to the state constitution, which was designed to ban gay marriage, may in fact ban ALL marriage. Certainly this is in part an effort to blame the current attorney general for something, but she may have a point.

Marriage Illegal in Texas, Says Candidate

The site that replaces booze with cats.

Boozecats.

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Good Stuff on Wikipedia | Metafilter – jjjjjjjijjjjjjj’s comment.

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Scroll Clock.

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Overgrowth, by Wolfire games, is a promising looking rag-doll fighting game whose hand-rolled 3D engine has some nice features. Watch Overgrowth – Wolfire Games

Dug Twitter Avatar, originally uploaded by Ape Lad.

Fun set of Twitter avatar remakes by the creator of Laugh Out Loud Cats. All of the avatars stay within the shape of the default Twitter avatar.

starcraft_aiide_2010 [Slug Wiki].

[via Corey]

A collection of the world’s most epic, awesome, mind blowing Succeeds.

Succeed Blog

5180658-Full, originally uploaded by jeffer72.

Taken in Halo 3.

Only Solitaire: George Starostin’s Music Reviews