DIY $8 low-energy, portable air conditioner

Welcome to summer (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere anyway)! Here’s a quick video on how to make an easy, portable air conditioner – which only uses as much energy as an electric fan. The basic principle is pretty simple: Waterproof box, vent holes, ice, electric fan – a quick search of Google will give…

Teaser for Doctor Who Season 8: Coming August 23

I haven’t been this excited for a new season of Doctor Who since David Tennant left. Yes, Stephen Moffat is still at the wheel and he’s completely botched his run with the Doctor so far but Peter Capaldi is taking over the TARDIS. Capaldi may be the most qualified actor ever cast in the roll,…

Aaron Swartz documentary “the Internet’s Own Boy” is now free to stream or download

For those with short memories, or who were living under a rock at the time hacktavist, writer, organizer and programmer Aaron Swartz died in January, 2013. At the time of his death, which was ruled a suicide though no note was found, was facing “two counts of wire fraud and 11 violations of the Computer…

You won’t believe how mind blowing this video about clickbait is!

As someone who writes for what I, increasingly inaccurately, refer to as a ‘living’ I understand the temptations of clickbait, but try very hard not to engage in the practice – no matter how ‘Upworthy’ I believe a story may be. What I find even more disturbing is a recent trend to sensationalize headlines to…

Goodnight Darth Vader: the latest children’s title from Jeffrey Brown

I learned this year that watching Star Wars on Father’s Day is becoming a thing, because of the whole Vader being Luke & Lea’s father thing. (It appears that decades later people are still in shock about that one.) Personally, as a father, I don’t get it. Darth Vader was responsible for untold thousands of…

Utopia Series 2 Trailer is Here: Best new series of 2013 returns in July

Utopia is the darkest British series I’ve ever seen. It was also the best new series of 2013. The story of a graphic novel containing government secrets, a government conspiracy to permanently solve overpopulation and a group of comic book fans who (in the beginning) had very little idea what they had made for a…

Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ on the dulcimer sounds pretty awesome

If Led Zeppelin ever decides to reunite, Jimmy Page might want to think about trading in his guitar for one of these. Here is Sam Edelston playing the classic “Whole Lotta Love” on a 3-string electric mountain dulcimer. Via Laughing Squid

Newcastle ad looks at what would have happened if the Brits won the American Revolution

As a US/Canadian dual citizen I have experienced the 4th of July from both sides of the border. Americans definitely love to celebrate it – fireworks, beer, BBQ and mass gatherings. They also love to celebrate the ‘founding fathers’ but when it comes to ‘Independence Day’ the other parties involved seem to put more thought…

What if a British football team hired an American football coach? (Video)

I’m not a sports fan. I don’t care about football – not American football, or the sport the rest of the world calls football (or even the sport the Australians call football). I will however admit that, although FIFA is an entirely evil organization, the sport that the rest of the world calls football is…

Watch the hilarious Mel Brookseque short ‘the Gunfighter’ narrated by Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman of Parks & Rec stars, as the narrator, in this tale of western … well sex mostly. It examines the question of what might happen if everyone could hear the all knowing narrator. The Gunfighter was directed by Eric Kissack (BrĂ¼no, Role Models), written by Eric Kissack and stars Shawn Parsons as the…