SmashingLists

Month: July 2012

  • 10 Really Cool and Weird Computer Mice – Page 2 of 2

     
    Mus2 is a device based on a concept design of 2005 by artlebedev. The cordless optical two-button mouse not only controls the cursor on the screen, but looks like one, too.

     

    6. Acrylic Mouse


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    This uber cool mouse is built up of of acrylic sections with a silicone seal as a spring for the buttons.

     

    7. Aircraft Mouse


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    8. Busty Mouse


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    With busty mouse in hand, you can enter the realm of pleasure on each mouse click.

     

    9. USB Warmer Mouse


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    USB Warmer Mouse is not an ordinary mouse but can keep your hand warm especially in winter or in a chilled working place. The upper side of mouse will get heated when you switch on the heat function. Come on! Get one! Say goodbye to your freeze hand!

     

    10. Sony VN-CX1: Skype Mouse Phone


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    Skype mouse phone is more than a computer mouse and can be flipped open into a fully functional skype phone.

  • Top 10 Songs to Get You Motivated

     

     

    5. Fort Minor: “Remember the Name”


    When it comes to a beautifully designed rap that brings out the best in people, leave it to Fort Minor to get the job done. “Nobody really knows how or why he works so hard. It seems like he’s never got time. Because he writes every note and he writes every line. And I’ve seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind”. The song will help you overcome any obstacles that you are going through in your life.

     

    4. Matrix Soundtrack: “Clubbed to Death”


    Now while this song doesn’t have any words, there is no doubt that you will get goose bumps just from listening to it. This song can make you feel like a real victor while walking around and has a great up-beat tempo that you could use to run. If you’ve ever watch the movie “Matrix” before then you’ve probably already heard how epic it is.

     

    3. Queen: “We Will Rock You”

    We’ve all heard this one before and most of us can agree that it deserves to be this high on the list. This track can turn even the laziest person into a productive work horse. The track has been featured in countless films and televisions shows and even ends with another wonderful track called “We Are the Champions”.

     

    2. Chariots of Fire Soundtrack: “Chariots of Fire”


    While this song is also an instrumental, it is a favored song for many sporting events. It was originally recorded in 1981 for the film called “Chariots of Fire”. If you listen to this song then you’ll probably come to the quick realization that you’re heard it before. It is a great tune to listen to when you need to motivation.

     

    1. Bon Jovi: “It’s My Life”

    “It’s my life, it’s now or never. I’m not going to live forever”. This is an epic line inside of this song and it just goes to show how motivational it can be. The track contains a strong message that basically says that you should stop waiting and start making things happen in your life. Life is too short for procrastination and Bon Jovi sure made that clear in one of his most famous songs, “It’s My Life”.

  • Top 10 Mockumentaries

    Rising to a more prevalent level of stature in the filmmaking world over the last decade or two, the mockumentary has established itself as a legitimate genre. Usually used to create pieces rich in comedic value, this faux-documentary style of filmmaking has also been used in the production of horror and thriller movies.

     

    10. Punishment Park (1971)

    Filmmaker Peter Watkins created quite a name for himself upon the release of this film back in Vietnam era America. The film follows a group of supposed conscientious objectors travelling a desert wasteland environment partaking in a brutal endurance challenge as a result of their unwillingness to partake in the Asian conflict. As well as being extremely topical and making some rather bold statements on the war, the footage itself is taken remarkably well. Fusing the documentarian style with scenes of truly gripping drama and action alike- this is a hidden gem which you would do well to check out at some point.

     

    9. A Mighty Wind (2003)

    Following on from the near-perfection he achieved with his previous works in the same genre, satire legend Christopher Guest returned in 2003 with this piece centred on the reunion of three separate folk acts. Much in the same vein as his iconic ‘This is Spinal Tap’, ‘A Mighty Wind’ sees the director working once again with many of the same actors to create yet another side splitting insight into the obscure world of popular music. This is pretty much ‘Spinal Tap’ for the folk community, not exactly the most original or ground-breaking work- however still hilarious.

     

    8. Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)

    For those who are fans of soccer, or even just British comedy- this is a must-see. Though not exactly the most eloquently written film, this is a piece true to the mockumentary genre. The narrative follows a small time club manager who, having achieved some success with his team- is offered the job of managing the English national side through their imminent World Cup campaign. Of course he accepts the job, leading the team on a turbulent journey through the qualifying stages and eventually onto the tournament finals in Brazil. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, decide for yourself- the whole movies up on YouTube!

     

    7. Borat: Cultural Learning’s of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

    Following on from his successful series of TV shows in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen went on to immortalise each of his main characters in film over the course of the next decade. Borat Sagdiyev, a Kazakhstani journalist, made his big screen debut in this movie which is widely considered Cohen’s best to date. The film follows the journalist on his trip to the US, the mission of which is to learn the way of life and to generally promote a more healthy international relationship between the two nations. In a series of bizarre interview situations, Borat repeatedly freaks out everyone he comes across- making for some pure comedy gold.

     

    6. Man Bites Dog (1992)

    Jet black indie satire all the way from Belgium, Man Bites Dog is set around an investigative film crew and their interest in the exploits of a particularly charming, yet undoubtedly sociopathic serial killer. Shot in black and white and entirely in French, the piece oozes realism and comes across as gritty and intense as it does sophisticated and humorous. The inward psychology possessed by the piece is also worth noting, with the main protagonist posing more relevant questions than the documentarians tracking him.

    5. I’m Still Here (2010)

    It seems ridiculous now, but when Hollywood a-lister Joaquin Phoenix announced to the world a few years ago that he was to leave acting behind instead pursuing a career in hip-hop, many people (including for a miniscule amount of time myself) bought it. As it transpired however, it was all just a ploy from the actor and pal/director Casey Affleck, with the eventual mockumentary based on aforementioned career transition being released in 2010 to mixed reviews. I enjoyed it; I found it to be creative and amusing in equal measure, the amount of time the two managed to keep up the act during the run-up to the movies release is also worth credit.

     

    4. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

    An outcast amongst the other films on this list, The Blair Witch Project is the supposed remains of a documentary made by film students in mid-90’s Maryland. An early pioneer of the ‘found-footage’ film variety, the movie documents the students’ attempts to shed some light on the legend of the ‘Blair Witch’- hiking through dense woodland and filming as they go. The trio soon become lost however- leading to an emotional and psychological journey which gradually gets more sinister. Extremely scary for what it is and at less than 80 minutes in length- you need to see this film.

     

    3. Lake Mungo (2008)

    Based around a story which consists of the drowning of a teenage girl in rural Australia, Lake Mungo follows the distraught family in the aftermath of the tragedy. Soon experiencing strange things in their home, they decide to bring in an expert to take a guess at what might be going on. As you can imagine, the situation escalates rather rapidly and there’s some pretty terrifying stuff going down throughout. I realise I may as well of just described any horror film since (and including) ‘Paranormal Activity’ however what sets Lake Mungo apart is the slick combination of not-in-anyway-over-the-top acting and an undeniable edge of unpredictable plot structure.

     

    2. Exit Through the Giftshop (2010)

    I would in no way say that I was a disciple of Banksy, of course I’ve enjoyed some of his work from time to time – but who hasn’t? He is known for creating artistic pieces which cause people to deliberate upon a particular subject or situation- and this film is no different. Documenting the rise of wannabe LA based street artist Thierry Guetta or ‘Mr Brainwash’ and his rise to prominence in the scene. People are still arguing over whether or not the film is for real or not, however I for one believe it to be a mockumentary. Watch it and decide for yourself, it’s far more interesting than I just made it sound.

     

    1. This is Spinal Tap (1984)

    Probably the most legendary film ever produced in this genre, Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner’s’ early piece is of undeniable cult status. Following an English rock band and their slow but sure journey into obscurity, ‘This is Spinal Tap’ combines outrageous humor with moments of gripping drama and touching emotion to create a movie that is just 100 per cent watchable in every way possible. Not necessarily for lovers of rock music alone, there is something for everyone here- most obviously the many, many quotes just asking to be imitated. This movie was so successful at the time of its release that it enabled the fictional band featured to actually tour and release music.

  • Top 10 Political Scandals

    5. Ronald Reagan’s Arms Deal

    As is well established, the United States does not negotiate with terrorists. So, what to do when Iranian terrorists have some of your citizens? That’s the dilemma Reagan faced in 1985 and he solved it with a complex series of maneuvers that seemed designed to cast a smokescreen over the whole affair. Iran had asked to buy weapons from the US, but there was an embargo in place at the time which meant that it would be illegal. But the sale of the arms would secure the release of the hostages, and potentially improve relations with hostile Lebanon, so 1,500 missiles were sent over and some of the money secretly diverted to aiding anti-Communist troops in Nicaragua (I told you this was complex). When the deal was revealed, by not-so-friendly-after-all Lebanon, the question was whether Reagan had traded arms-for-hostages (86% of Americans thought he had) and whether he knew about the Nicaragua diversion (there was no evidence that he did). But it left no lasting damage to his career and he left the Presidency as one of the all-time most popular presidents.

     

    4. Tony Blair’s Dossier

    While we’re thinking of Middle East troubles, here’s one about the 2003 Iraq War and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Apparently, the reasons to invade Iraq were compelling – they were harboring weapons of mass destruction, which could be deployed within 45 minutes. The dossier of evidence for invasion was released in September 2002, and the invasion actually happened the following spring. But in May 2003 it emerged that the facts in the dossier had been “sexed-up” to exaggerate the reasons that the UK should intervene in Iraq, and the sources they’d come from were unreliable at best (in 2009 it turned out that the “45 minute” claim came from a taxi driver). The person who unveiled the “sexing up” was Andrew Gilligan of the BBC and his source at the Ministry of Defense was civil servant David Kelly, who was found dead in July 2003, unable to cope with the media scrutiny. It was an ugly affair and forever tainted Tony Blair’s reputation.

     

    3. Bill Clinton’s Sexual Relations

    Now, here’s a triumph of semantics over sense. In 1998, in the midst of a sexual harassment scandal involving Paula Jones, President Clinton was asked whether he had had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. His response seemed unambiguous -“I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky”. But Lewinsky’s story didn’t match his, and she had evidence on her side.

    Why she kept hold of a semen-stained blue dress, no-one really knew but the stain was proven to be Clinton’s doing. In the following court proceedings, Clinton explained that he didn’t include receiving oral sex as having “sexual relations”, because he was not the “actor” in that scenario. It was a technicality and Clinton was judged to have misled the American people and was consequently impeached- the first president to have been impeached since Andrew Johnson (although Nixon had escaped impeachment only by resigning). Another unpleasant affair for everyone involved.

     

    2. John Profumo’s Lover

    A sex scandal is enough to bring any politician down, but add in some Cold War-era tension and a shady Russian naval attaché and you have the makings of a scandal that will go down in history as one of the most embarrassing ever. The year was 1962, the politician was John Profumo, Secretary of State for War and the Russian was Captain Yevgeny Ivanov. Linking the two was call-girl Christine Keeler, who had affairs with both, leading to huge alarm over the potential secrets that might have passed from Profumo to Keeler to Ivanov. Of course, there was denial from Profumo at first and there was a seedy cast of characters that included a suspicious oestopath and the scandal grew to unmanageable proportions, taking down first Profumo, then his Prime Minister Harold MacMillan and finally his party in the elections the following year. A mammoth of a scandal.

     

    1. Richard Nixon’s Cover-Up

    But there’s only one scandal which has come to give its name to all other scandals and that is the Watergate Affair of 1972. The break-in at the Watergate Complex (home to the Democratic Party) was apparently done with the permission of President Richard Nixon and it saw him facing criminal charges as he tried to backtrack and cover up the information and wire-tapping. As mentioned above, he was never quite impeached as he resigned before he could be, but it was an effective end to his political career and has ensured that all scandals since have carried the suffix -gate. Momentous indeed.

  • Top 10 Strange Medical Conditions

    10. Cotard’s Syndrome

    Also known as Cotard’s delusion and, get this, ‘Walking Corpse Syndrome’- this illness causes the sufferer to take upon with full belief the certainty that they are in fact dead or dying inside. The affliction is thought to be mostly psychological, being attributed to head and brain trauma. Though it sounds like some kind of hoax brought on by the recent obsession with zombies in popular culture, the first reports of the disorder date from the 1880’s, when French neurologist Jules Cotard first described his  encounter with a sufferer in a Paris lecture.

     

    9. Elephantiasis


    This one you may have heard of already, unless I’m mistaken- the illness seems to have garnered a fair amount of interest with documentarians in recent years. Attributed to a parasite brought about a particularly nasty breed of mosquito, ‘lymphatic filariasis’ or ‘elephantiasis’ as it is more commonly known- is quite a shocking condition. Once infected, it can take years for symptoms of the condition to form- during this time filarial worms infect the lymphatic system of the patient in their millions, eventually causing the uber-englargement of certain areas of the body.

     

    8. Periodic Paralysis


    Exactly what it says on the tin, periodic paralysis acts to completely paralyse areas of/entire human bodies for a temporary period- with times ranging most commonly between a few hours and a few days. The condition is caused by failing ion channels in nerve cells which limit the omission of signals from the brain meaning limbs are unable to respond. Though it can be treated with regular exercise, periodic paralysis is, as of yet, completely un-curable.

     

    7. Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis


    Another condition which has come to light in recent years,’ Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis’ or, in its less Latin form ‘Tree Bark Skin Disorder’ is an ailment both beguiling and bizarre. As one of the rarest known genetic conditions on our planet, the skin disorder causes growths to form en-mass on the skin of the sufferer. As though this wasn’t bad enough, the wart like growths are pushed into overdrive by the human papilloma virus causing huge portions of the body of the afflicted to appear as though it were tree bark.

     

    6. Methemoglobinemia


    This rare, widely hereditary condition causes the skin of the sufferer to appear as though it were blue. Characterized by a higher than usual level of methemoglobin in the blood, the affliction causes dramatic alteration in the complexion of the carriers skin. Other symptoms of the ailment include shortness of breath, headache, fatigue and exercise intolerance.

  • Top 10 Fictional Sports

    Ever get bored of watching the same old sports on TV over and over? Ever think “this football game could do with some fire?” or “this basketball match would be better in zero gravity?” Well, luckily the worlds of film, TV and literature have come up with some exciting alternatives to the sports we’re all tired of. There’s excitement, broomsticks and maybe some fire too. Find out more in our Top 10 Fictional Sports.

     

    10. Pro-Thunderball

     

    A new take on baseball, created by improvisational comedy troupe The Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Pro-thunderball was said to have been invented during the baseball strike of 1994 and it includes a whole new list of rules. The most significant addition was the extra two balls, which need to be in play at all times. But the “Honeys and Hounds” rule, which allowed cheerleaders and dogs to wander the field at will, would probably make quite a big difference to the game too. And there’s the team mascots driving Honda Accords all over the pitch and the 5-foot drop between infield and outfield. The game was the subject of an episode in UCB’s series three but sadly the game has never been popularized. And the controversial extra rules involving loaded guns and ceramic baseballs have ever been formalized either. Shame!

     

    9. Electro-Magnetic Golf

    Brave New World is a 1932 novel written by Aldous Huxley and it imagines a future London, where people are grown in laboratories and family is outlawed. One of the new types of recreation is electro-magnetic golf. It’s mentioned briefly a few times in Chapter 6, but there’s not much of an explanation as to what it actually is (other than that you can play it at St Andrews). You can only assume that the golf balls are somehow guided into the holes by use of magnets, which rather takes the fun out if it all.

    Astonishingly though, someone has actually filed a real patent application for an electro-magnetic golf ball, where the ball contains a power source, an electromagnetic signal transmitter and a shock actuated switch. It seems that the main advantage of this golf ball would be that it’s easy to locate once it’s been hit off the course – it’s not just so that golfers can cheat their way to a hole in one. But I wonder whether the patent applicant is paying Huxley for the idea?

     

    8. Squizzle

    From great works of literature to a British kids’ TV show. Squizzle is the game played by the characters of Tree Fu Tom, a cartoon based in the tiny world of Treetopolis. When the insects and acorn sprites aren’t tending their ranches or learning spells, they like to relax by playing squizzle, a game that seems to mainly involve jumping around and throwing leaf-like discs to each other. But it keeps the sprites and insects busy and out of trouble, which is good because any time they’re not playing squizzle they seem to keep almost destroying the entire treetop civilization for no apparent reason. Keep chucking that disc thing around! It’s for the good of all TreeKind!

     

    7. Anbo-Jytsu

    Unlike some of the sports on the list, Anbo-Jytsu has a meticulously documented history and rulebook. What else would you expect from Star Trek fans? It’s a martial art that was invented in 2168 by a blind gymnast on Alpha Centauri and it requires “kinesthetics, balance, and keen senses”. Signature moves include Anbo Chohr, where a fighter listens to an opponent’s breathing in order to know when to strike. Or you can try the Pranha Jytsu, a subconscious translation of a person’s movement into a reflex action. Just steer clear of the Hachidan Kiritsu (hitting an opponent in the middle of the back and trying to disable him) – don’t you know that’s illegal?

    As with everything in the “Trekkie” universe, this is a sport for people who take their sci-fi way too seriously. Sadly, no-one yet seems to have set up real life Anbo Jystu contests, but surely it’s only a matter of time?

     

    6. Calvinball

    By contrast, the favorite game of Calvin and Hobbs has very little in the way of rules. Calvinball has only one real rule – that you make it up as you go along. Every game must be different, and can involve hitting shuttlecocks against a tree with croquet mallets, or playing with bowling balls “or any other reasonable ball.” There are songs that can and should be sung at any point during the game, including the official Calvinball song (sample lyrics “Calvinball is better by far!/It’s never the same! It’s always bizarre!”). Masks are obligatory, and no-one is allowed to question the masks. Just what you’d expect from the brain of a kid whose best friend is a tiger!

    5. Pyramid

    We’re back in the realm of sci-fi for another futuristic game, this time from Battlestar Galatica. It’s a variation on basketball, played on a pyramid-shaped court and the object is to get the cantaloupe-sized ball into a basket on the top of the pyramid. It’s played at close quarters and so physical contact is not just allowed, but encouraged. Given the skimpy outfits worn by players, the full contact aspect probably gets a little personal. There are several pyramid teams, including the Caprica Buccaneers, whose star players Samuel Anders and Sue-Shaun eventually suffer horrible but heroic deaths (never forget that this is a sci-fi show, not a sports show!)

    Confusingly, the game known as pyramid in the original series is a card game, while the court game is known as triad (above). In the new series, the court game is known as pyramid, while the card game is known as triad. But let’s just assume it’s all the same really…

     

    4. Hadaul

    Meanwhile, here’s an enticing-sounding game from a sci-fi novel – The Face by Jack Vance. In Hadaul, the prize money is placed in a circle in the middle of three other circles. The contestants (“roblers”) try and throw each other away from the prize money, using any force necessary. They all start in a yellow circle, closest to the prize and try and throw each other into the outer circles, from which they can’t return. The rules are complex, but even once the game is finished it can be restarted…and that’s when things can get really vicious. The game is played with “knives, staves, or, on occasion, whips” and deaths aren’t uncommon. Still, the prize money makes it all worth it…right?

     

    3. Blernsball

    And here’s another sci-fi game, from the not-entirely-serious animated series Futurama. Blernsball is the most popular sport of the 31st century, after baseball was deemed too boring. It’s similar to baseball, but with some significant differences – like the elastic tether that ties the ball to the pitch and the giant tarantula who helps ferry balls about. Then there’s the multiball play, where suddenly the whole game turns into something resembling pinball, with balls flying everywhere and the batter floating over the bases on a motorcycle.

    Teams include the Swedish Meatballs and the Atlanta Braves – of course, by the 31st century Atlanta is an underwater city, so the logo includes a trident, symbol of Poseidon. Futurama heroine Leela was the first female Blernsball player, but sadly her career was short-lived. Partly because she was only hired as a gimmick and partly because she proved to be the worst player in Blernsball history.

     

    2. Podracing

    And here’s a sport that is popular, not in the future but a long time ago…in a galaxy far, far away. It’s podracing – a motor sport similar to Formula One, but in one-person airborne craft that could reach to 900km/h. Podracing mostly took place on planets in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, like Tatooine which was a desert planet and home to the Skywalker family. Of course, it was little Anakin Skywalker who made podracing history by being the first human to ever win a race. Most competitors were non-human, as they found the extra limbs came in useful when steering the pod. History doesn’t relate what became of Anakin Skywalker, though some say he changed his name. But sadly, it seemed that he never capitalized on his early podracing success.

     

    1. Quidditch

    And now for the most famous fictional game of all….Quidditch! The broomstick ball game of the Harry Potter books has become so famous that people have tried to recreate it in real life, using bicycles or on the ground. Recent comedy “The Internship” would have you believe that the technical masterminds at Google enjoy a game or two in their spare time.

    For the uninitiated, the game involves seven players and three types of ball. There are chasers, who try and get the quaffle through the hoops, keepers who try and stop them, beaters who ward off the bludgers that try and knock everyone else off their broomsticks and then there’s the seeker. The seeker is Harry Potter’s position, and their job is to try and catch the Golden Snitch, which ends the game and gains the  Snitch-catching team 150 points. Simple when you explain it, isn’t it? It may never literally “take off”, but with Harry Potter devotees around the world, Quidditch is a game that will be around for a long time.