Bandits At 3 O'Clock.

Hello! I trust you all had a fantastic Christmas? If you didn't, go back and try again. I'll wait here.

All back? Good. I have a video for you. It's a simple concept, some dude flies a RC Plane with a camera attached while some other dudes try to hit it with fireworks. Then they take the camera footage from the plane and stick some AC/DC over the top and whack it on youtube. Then yours truly finds it and writes a few words about it before embedding it in a blog post, then you click on it and watch it for a while. Then we all go on with our lives. Sound like a plan? Marvellous!

Bigger Tree.

Holy Crap, it's getting very close to Christmas now, isn't it? I just finished wrapping my presents and I have a Christmas dinner to cook tomorrow. My first ever roast dinner in fact. Let's hope it goes well. If it does, there may well be pictures.

But for now, here's a link that fills me with a mix of joy and despair. It's a news article about something cool (joy!) but it's from the Daily Mail website (despair!).

I'll link it anyway, then go and have a shower. It's about a dude who purchases a 50ft Christmas tree then transports it home attached to a G-Wiz(!) and uses it to create an impressive illusion.

Anyway, See For Yourself.

Blarg, I feel dirty.

Following Yonder Star Power.

I'm going to have to change the layout of this site. I can't embed certain videos because they're too wide. Anyway, you don't care about my html problems, you just want some distraction, right?

I got you covered.

Every year, someone somewhere rigs up an insanely complicated fairy-light display that flashes and twinkles in time to a piece of music. Impressive, but surely it's a formula that could be improved upon.

Yes it is. You could make a christmas light display that can be used to play Guitar Hero! Just an example, like.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS HERO!

Genius.

Jangle Balls.

Hey!
'Tis the season for festive remakes of existing flash games. Now, in some cases that can be a lazy palette swap, but done properly, it can mean new levels, new mechanics AND a palette swap.

Which is how it is with this holly jolly version of previously plinked 'Civiballs'. Joy to the world.

It's still a case of getting the right balls in the right coloured containers, but now there are candles, toys, santas and snow!

Civiballs Xmas Level Pack. Go!

Ho Ho Hoh My God!

Right, it's time to start getting festive all up in the place. From here until Christmas, it's going to be nothin' but holly jolly plinx.

Starting with Sketchy Santas. It's a blog dedicated to photos of kids sat on Santa's knee, which is a timeless holiday image. Unless the Santa looks like this:



WAH! No wonder the kid looks terrified. So yeah, a collection of frightening Father Christmasses. Fill your boots.

Sketchy Santas.

OK GO - WTF. TTFN.

Howdy. Not much to say this time. just want to report that the wonderful band OK Go have a new album coming out next year and have released the first single from it.

They seem to be making a habit of bringing out great music videos with each new single. Exhibit A. Exhibit B.

This time is no exception. The video for new single 'WTF' is the most visually interesting I have seen yet and is destined to be ripped off by a bank advert just like last time.

See for yourself: OK Go - WTF.

Pow! Oof. Pow! Oof. Pow! Oof.

Good afternoon. How is everyone? Glad to hear it.

Today's link is simple. It's a blog dedicated to sets of 2 or more photos that have been taken very close together. These are then turned into an animated .gif and the results are strangely, hypnotically, funny.

For example:



Hee!

The Whole Blog is pretty cool but it really peaks around about This One.

Egg Feather Bird Of Hen.

Oops, no new plinx in a whole week. Sorry about that. Would a new game dry those tears?

Ok, so once in a while, a game comes along that I know is going to be good before I've even clicked on it. Sometimes, a description is all it takes... This is one such game:

"Help Dale get his chickens back from the Coyotes with the help of Peakot, his magic hen."

Yes, you heard right. This is a game when you control a dude with a magic hen. I nearly went straight ahead and posted the game without checking it out first, but I've been let down by seemingly guaranteed solid gold before. So I gave it a shot and am pleased to report that it is a charming little platform game. The controls are good, the aesthetic is pleasing and YOU CONTROL A DUDE WITH A MAGIC HEN!

Play Dale & Peakot

Ring In The New.

So, I was pondering the mysteries of the universe this evening, as I so often do, and I got to thinking... What would it be like if the Earth had rings like Saturn? If only I could see a graphically rendered simulation of that, my life would be complete.

5 seconds on Google and...

GUESS WHAT, YOU GUYS!


YouTube Video.

Ok, so none of that was true, I just happened to stumble upon this video and thought "Dang, I wish Earth had some rings now". Chances are you're wishing the same thing too. Sorry, reality is such a let down.

I couldn't get this video down to a size that wouldn't balls up the layout here, but to be honest, you should go to YouTube and watch it in big-o-vision anyway.

Plinx Quickie.

The post title here has never been more appropriate. Today I am bringing you an article about the nominees for the Literary Review's 2009 bad sex in fiction prize!

There are some interesting nautical metaphors, the line "there is no mistaking that tang of fish-slime and sawdust", a whole paragraph that sounds as if it was written by primary school children and a book by the legendary Nick Cave.

It's an interesting read, and not for the faint of heart.

Enjoy!

Play Click Play.

In these games, all you need to do is click Play. But it's not as boring as it sounds. You have to find the Play button first, and therein lie the puzzles.

Click, drag or manipulate each level in order to reveal the Play button. Then click it. Simple, in theory. The levels, though simple in aesthetic, have some very creative solutions. So have fun.

Click Play 1.
Click Play 2.

Close The Blast Doors.

Evenin' all. A humble photoset for you tonight, phrom phrench fotografer Stéfan. It's called Stormtroopers 365 and it consists of a creatively posed photo every day for a year of some posable Stormtrooper action figures. A simple idea maybe, but a good one with a surprising amount of variety.
But rather than wax lyrical about it, here are a few examples:











Hehe, I really recommend taking a look at the whole set because they're all ace and it was difficult to pick just a handful. Also, they look better full size, as it were.

Stormtroopers 365.

Charidee.

Hello! I'm a force for all that is good and pure today. It feels good. If you want in on the good karma action, you should definitely take part in this:



Ah, wait. I saw that. You grimaced at the word 'run', right? Well no need! It's only 5km. ANYONE can manage 5km. Especially since you needn't run a single step. You can jog, walk, hop, crawl or moonwalk if you really fancy it. The important thing is that you do it... in a Santa costume.

Oh right, yes, that small detail. You do 5km in a Santa costume. What kind of fool would do that, you ask? This Kind!

Anyway, the details are here:
http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk/santa
You should really take part. It's a good cause and it'll be a fun day out, I promise.

But what if London is too far to go? Well then yeah, fair enough. You're excused.
EXCEPT NO WAIT, you can do the one that I'm doing! Yes, as per last year, I too will be running 5km in a Santa suit. Accompanied by friends, housemates, co-workers and even my dear old Mum. So come and join the fun. Details HERE.

But what if you're somewhere else in the UK? Well, You Figure It Out!

Come along, have fun. Get a freaking MEDAL!

Smart Casual.

Evening. The more observant of you may have noticed that I have a pretty ineffectual link to a site called Jay Is Games on this blog. Considering the only other sites that I permanently link to (that aren't blogs written by friends) are Dinosaur Comics and Charlie Brooker's article archive, this is high praise indeed.

The reason for this is because it is the best repository of online games to be found on the web. Simple. Every so often, they have a game design contest which offers cash prizes to aspiring casual game designers. The 6th of these contests has just ended, and it was my full intention to plink it and get you to vote. Sadly, I put it off one too many times and the contest is over.

However! This is OK, because the most deserving game won. Hooray! So although I may be late, I'm going to link to the entrants anyway. The theme this time was 'explore' and there are some real gems in there. Seek out 'Small Worlds', 'How My Grandfather Won The War' and 'Full Moon' and be glad that they were all given the recognition they deserve.

All the entries are Here, and the results are Here.

I'll try and be a bit more punctual with the next one!

Zzzap!

Hey. As far as classic internet staples go, videos of people microwaving stuff that they shouldn't is one of the very oldest. But there's a reason for that, it makes for really entertaining viewing. This here is a well made collection of some real hum-dingers. It's probably well-made because it's an advert for some microwave macaroni. But who cares about that, eh?!

Anyway, enjoy Easy Mac Micro Maniac. The non-food items are particularly fun!

Plinxenstein's Monster.

BOO. Yeah, it is Hallowe'en and as such, I am bringing you a spooky games arcade to keep you entertained/cowering in fear, depending on how much of a sissy-pants you are.

First up: Some shooting courtesy of the ever-reliable Nitrome. Graveyard Shift is as close to a lightgun shooter style arcade game as you're likely to get in your browser. It requires you to shoot and zombies and other assorted nasties, rescue defenceless maidens and block incoming fire. All in the charismatic Nitome pixelly style. Fun Times.

Now no plinx gamestravaganza would be complete without a little physics puzzle game. Oh lordy how I love 'em. So here's Pumpkin Remover. A spookified version of the previously plinked Red Remover. The premise is the same, click the rotting pumpkins to get them off the screen and preserve the fresh ones. Go.

Lastly, an entirely insane action game about a killer shark terrorising Miami. It's... Miami Shark and is frenetic lunacy. Jump out of the water and bite people, boats, planes and anything else you can get your fearsome jaws around. It only has a tenuous connection to Hallowe'en but hey, bite me. No, not you Miami Shark. AIIIIEEEE!

What's Yellow And Runny?

I am!



Yeah, I may look a little bit goofy but that there is the look of a man victorious!
Another Great South Run in the bag. Managed to get a new personal best for running ten miles. Did it in 1 hour, 38 minutes. 7 minutes quicker than last year.

I also have raised somewhere between £250-£300 for Help The Hospices. So thanks to everyone who sponsored me!

Hey, Internet. Sponsor Me Please!

i'm doing the Great South Run again. It would be most excellent if you would sponsor me. You can do so here:

http://www.justgiving.com/paulcnelson09/

That's all. Thanks for your time and hopefully... cash!

Not The Kit-Kat Kind.

Hey! So today I'm pointing you at another blog. It's called 'takeaweirdbreak' and it compiles all the most insane headlines from coffee-table magazines like Take a Break, Chat and... erm, those are the only ones I know.

Anyway, if you're unfamiliar with these periodicals, they're pretty hard to explain. On the one hand, they look like harmless bits of flim-flam. Lots of bright colours. Always a picture of a smiling non-celebrity model on the front surrounded by a few harmless headlines like 'Last Laugh of the Child Poisoner' and 'Erm, has anyone seen my headless corpse?!'.

Ah, now yes. Do you see what I'm getting at? They're incredible.

Anyway, takeaweirdbreak collects all the best examples. Here are a few:







Yeeeeaah... See the full blog Here.

Holy Crap, You Guys.

It turns out that after my thinly veiled advertisement for World Of Goo, it's actually a year old TODAY! So 2D Boy, the makers are offering to let people choose their own price for it.

In case I need to point this out...

YOU COULD GET THIS THOROUGHLY ACE GAME FOR ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY. EVEN A PENNY!

Seriously, this is amazing and you should take full advantage. Do it now!

Goo Goo Ga Joob.

Ever played World Of Goo? Oh man, it's so great. It's a downloadable game that you have to pay for but it's pretty cheap and loads of fun. I recommend it wholeheartedly. The basic premise is that you use different blobs of Goo to build structures by joining them together. It's a simple concept but executed really well.

Anyway, the point is; There's a new(ish) flash game called Huje Tower which is so much like World of Goo that people are calling it a rip-off, which basically it is.

HOWEVER, if you give it a go and like it, you should definitely get World of Goo as it's the same thing but with acres more style (the offial unit of measurement for style is the acre, by the way. Tell your friends).

So yes, play Huje Tower, and then buy World of Goo. Got it?

Instrumental.

Dang, I'm kind of falling behind a bit. I think I'm getting old. Now I'm 25, it's a wonder I can still work an internet, let alone contribute to it in such a strapping, handsome way.

So today is a borrowed plink. Borrowed from Andy to be precise. So thanks, dude.

It's an article about an instrument called an Eigenharp. It's wholly remarkable and capable of making a vast number of different noises, but rather than trying to describe them onomatopoeia-style, check it out for yourself. There's a video and everything.

The best quote though is this:

"Described by its developers as 'the most expressive electronic musical instrument ever made'.

One of my colleagues calls it more simply 'a sci-fi bassoon'."

So yeah, Looky Here.

Rosie Lee.

Hello! It's my birthday tomorrow. I'm supposed to be sorting out the house 'cause a few people are coming over, but I'm on the internet instead. Shh, don't tell anyone.

To buy your silence, here's a video. An eccentric, yet moving tribute to that finest of beverages. The Cup of Tea.

Mmm, lovely.



Now get a brew on. Quick smart.

A Little Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing.

Howdy. So I've been neglecting my blog a bit, and I'm sory about that. I've been busy, that's all. Stick with me though, I've got a long way to go yet.

Anyway, today will be dedicated to expanding your minds. Just a little bit at a time.

Did you know that How Much A 10 Gallon Hat Actually Holds? or How Long The Longest Beard Is?

No?

Well I'm going to help you Learn Something New Everyday.

Because I'm nice like that. So go, learn. Knowledge is Power.

Buff Daddy.

Evening. It's about this time in the evening when you need something a bit relaxing. Had your dinner, just mooching about until bed time. Mmm. Lovely.

WELL THAT'S QUITE ENOUGH OF THAT!

Dad's home now. Don't know what I mean? You Will Soon!

That right there is one of my favourite web animations ever. It's a real blast from the past too. It was over 5 years ago when I first encountered it. There was a Sequel but it wasn't quite as good.

The real good news though... now there's A Freaking GAME.

Now you, yes YOU can run around with your head on fire smashing things to pieces.

Get to it.

Plinx Quickie.

To fill the gaps between proper posts, I'm going to start posting little bits of filler.

Here's the first one. It's a Doozy!

End Of The Road 2009.

Evening all. Rather than furnish you with some of the usual plinx fare, I'm going to tell you a little bit about the festival I have recently returned from.



In short, it was brilliant. Everything I want from a festival, essentially. When you hear about some of the things it featured, you may think this is a sign of me getting old, and you'd probably be right.

But is it wrong to prefer libraries in the woods over oxygen bars? To prefer double decker buses serving tea over the carling tent? To prefer trees draped in thousands of fairy lights over portaloos on fire? Most importantly, is it wrong to prefer 5,000 awesome, fun-loving, gentle hippy types and a few peacocks over 80,000 mashed teenagers?

I don't think so, and if that makes me old. Well, so be it.



Because along with all the more gentile stuff, there is one hell of a good time to be had. Drinking decent pints and hot & spicy cider, dancing to tunes provided by guest DJs like Jarvis Cocker & Richard Hawley, laughing it up in the comedy pavillion, and the bands... Oh the bands.

For a start, they're everywhere! On the main Garden Stage, in the Big Top with it's spangly interior, on the local stage, or the tipi tent or just staging impromptu parties anywhere they can. The Woodland Disco. The Outdoor Room. It. Was. Incredible.

And just LOOK at the Line Up. Isn't it just crammed with all your favourite bands? Well no, it isn't.
At least, not before you arrive. Depending on how savvy you are, you'll know a few, but the real joy is in the discoveries. I'd never heard of The Dodos or The Low Anthem or Ohbijou or Josh T. Pearson or the Leisure Society or Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards. But now I have, and life feels that little bit better.



Look, I could bang on about it for ages, but you'll never know the real truth until you experience it yourself. So if you like the sound of a festival with a real tinge of magic to it, come to End of the Road. tickets are on sale for an Early Bird Price right now. Trust me, you won't regret it!

(all of the photos in this post were taken by the snap-happy Jane, who along with Chris, Nicola, Phil & Scott experienced all this wonder with me!)

It's Better Than Bad, It's Good.

Hiya. I'm back from End of the Road, it was brilliant. Will almost certainly give it a write up here soon but until then, please enjoy this video. It's a work of twisted genius.

Simple, Yet Effective.

Bam!

Warp Zone.

Made it Here.

Run. Run. Jump. Run. Jump. Run.

Oh god, the city is under attack, everything is being destroyed by a giant unseen menace. Quick, out the window! Run, just keep running. Jump over anything in your way.

Don't pause to admire how stylishly minimalist everything looks! What do you think this is, some kind of game?!

I'm right behind you, now GO... Canabalt!

Braaaaaiiinnnsss.

The following file was recovered from the computer of Mr. Paul Nelson on Friday the 4th of September, 2009. We believe it was intended to be posted here:

"RZHR, AR ZMaRZ ZMaMNBGARng hHRmHA BZaRZHG HGhHA gMZaBBHARAaMZGB HGhHA HRHGhHAMZ GBaRA, anGB ZMHRNMMNGBn'HG RAHRNM BGnHRZM ARHG, AR ZMaRZ aRZRZaNMMNHGHAGB bRA HGhHA MNARBBARng GBHAaGB. HRnHA HRZR HGhHAm bARHG mHA, nHRZM AR'm a RZhambMNARng zHRmbARHA. RZHGARMNMN, ZZHRNMMNGB bHA ZMHRMZRZHA, ZZHRNMMNGB bHA a BBamBZARMZHA. HGhHRRZHA HAmHR ZRMZHAaBGRZ GBARRZgNMRZHG mHA. anRAhHRZM, nHRZM AR MNHRHRBG MNARBGHA HGhARRZ:



RAHAah, RZHGARMNMN BZMZHAHGHGRA hanGBRZHRmHA. ZZHRARnZZARGBHAnHGaMNMNRA, AR'BBHA ZRHRNMnGB a BZMZHRmHRHGARHRnaMN RZARHGHA ZRHRMZ a BZZZ gamHA ZZaMNMNHAGB 'BZMNanHGRZ BBRZ zHRmbARHARZ' ZMhARZZh HAnabMNHARZ RAHRNM HGHR maBGHA RAHRNMMZ HRZMn zHRmbARHA aBBaHGaMZ, HRMZ 'zHRmbaHGaMZ'. RZHR gARBBHA ARHG a HGMZRA, HGhHAn ZZHRmHA anGB RZHAHA mHA, anGB AR'MNMN bARHGHA RAHRNM. ZMHA'MNMN maBGHA HGhARRZ GBMZHAam a MZHAaMNARHGRA!

Click on 'Zombatar' at the top!"

In an attempt to understand this communication, we ran the text through a 'Zombie to English' Translator. You can do the same HERE. (click on Z2E and enter the text).

Thank you for your time, we are sorry to have to give you such tragic news.

Government Zombie Defence Force.

Poem Gee.

Evening, internet.

As you may know, I'm on twitter. I like twitter. Some people think it's pointless and/or stupid but I would respectfully disagree.

One of the coolest things about it is the number of ways in which people have used it to create something cool.

Don't believe me?

Enter: The Longest Poem In The World!

It's a poem that is growing at a rate of 4000 verses a day and it "is composed by aggregating real-time public twitter updates and selecting those that rhyme."

Pretty cool, huh? You should check it out.

Bicentennial!

Ding ding ding ding ding!

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this, here, now, is my 200th plinx post.

I know, I know. It seems like only yesterday that I decided to resurrect my long dead tradition of posting the entertaining stuff I find on the internet somewhere to show my friends. But it was in fact just a smidge over 18 months ago and now look where we are. 200 posts.

Hooray for me!

But seriously, I wanted to do something a bit special for this, ahem... momentous event buuuut I didn't realise it until too late, and rather than delay the update even further, I've gone with something a bit half arsed. So yeah, sorry about that. I eventually plan to use some html trickery to make this seem like a real website but at the moment I don't know enough.

So, what HAVE I done? Well take a glance to the right. Do you like the new logo? I think it's ace. It's a composite of two images I made using something called Q-BLOCK which is a really funky 3D pixel art creation tool.

Here are the fruits of my endeavours:

Plinx Logo.
My Big Ugly Mug.

It's a surprisingly versatile gadget and I urge you to have a go at making something yourself. If you do, please show me!

Q-BLOCK. (click edit, then clear to start your own masterpiece)

I would just like to say thanks to anyone who reads this badly-written mess. I know there aren't many of you but I really enjoy writing this blog and I hope you people get some fun out of it to. Here's to the next 200, eh?

Paul.

Max And Relax.

I've been to a beer festival today. As a result, I've got a mini headache and am in need of some soothing music and relaxing imagery. Shame I've got to go through the rigamarole of finding and plinking something for you guys. If only I could kill both birds with one stone. If only I was THAT DAMN GOOD at the internet.

Oh wait, I totally am.

Ever heard of Spanish band 'Labuat'? Yeah me neither, but this website will change all that. It's an interactive music video for one of their songs. Just move the mouse cursor around and enjoy the lovely, floaty results. Ahhhhhh. That's much better.

Labuat.

To The Max.

OK, Physics games, yeah? I post a lot of them. This is because I enjoy the core concept behind them and am willing to forgive slight faults because I know there is fun to be had. But this... this has basically been targetted with laser precision directly at me personally.

It's a game called Max Damage and it's first level opens with the message: "This is Max. He likes to break things."

What a coincidence! I like to break things too!

What follows is a fairly standard 'shoot things out of a cannon to knock objects over or smash them' type affair, but with the added bonus that you're breaking things and the destruction is being measured monetarily. Woo!

Anyways, go play it. Right now.

Max Damage.

Pandamonium.

OK, so it's been a while. I will deliver a decent post soon but in the meantime here's a flagrant distraction!



Eee-hee-hee.

The Future, Ladies & Gentlemen.

Ok, now seriously, this is important. What I'm showing you now represents a real step forward.

Watching videos has become one of web users' most common activities. It's a great way to pass the time but the medium, while vast in scope, is still limited by the fact that you can only ever perceive things from one angle at a time.

Not any more.

Check THIS out, it's new tech from a company in the Netherlands called Yellowbird (click for their site, packed with hyperbole) and it uses several video cameras attached together to allow you to move your view around and see the action on any side. Look, I'm having trouble conveying this so just check it out, this demo uses footage from a dance festival:



Yeah.

P.S. It might load pretty slowly but give it a chance, OK?

Dasvidaniya, Comrade.

Today's game is Red Remover. A deeply serious, dense, political text adventure about ousting communism from The Soviet Republic. Each session of the game requires 4 hours of your time and you will emerge feeling drained of all your energy and any sense you may have had that the world we live in is a joyful and happy place.

Jus' kiddin'. It's a physics game, innit?

Click to remove certain blocks, the aim is to keep all the green shapes safe, while eliminating the vile red menace. Starts off simple, then you have to deal with different planes of gravity. It's good fun and compelling, plus the little smiley faces that all the blocks have are adorable. So give it a go.

Red Remover.

Meet The Sandvich.

Hello, it's the end of the working day. I am hungry. Today's entry into the plinx hall of fame is not helping in the slightest. It's about sandwiches, INSANE sandwiches... Insanewiches if you will.

Well, even if you won't that's what the site is called so get over yourself, gawd.

It features gems like this, the Rubix Sandwich:



Have a look, but be prepared to be struck by uncontrollable sandwich-lust.

Insanewiches.

Jezzy Rascal.

However well your Saturday is going, I'm going to improve it. How? Simple.

Jeremy Clarkson beatbox, that's how.

You may have seen this already because I think the internet is about to explode due to the abundance of people flinging this across the ether at each other. But if not, well... enjoy:


Youtube Link.

Most sense I've seen him make in ages.

A Small Favour.

Just a quick one, if you've got a few minutes please can you go Here and vote for my friend Suneet's photos in an Australian photography competition please?

He's a great guy, he's got talent and I'd like to help him win. Voting closes tomorrow so vote a.s.a.p!

Cheers.

Urn Baby Urn.

Afternoon. I usually try and provide you with fun, happy, enjoyable plinx. However, today's one is harrowing and unpleasant but darkly comic. Fairly warned be ye.

It's a product made by a company called 'Cremation Solutions'. Specifically, a new type of urn for people who need a less subtle reminder of their deceased relative/friend.

To say any more would ruin it. See for yourself. The Personal Urn.

Wow.

Make Like A Banana,

Hello, I had a game lined up for you today, then just as I was about to come here and post it, I had a quick look at JayIsGames.com (a splendid repository of games. Highly recommended) and I saw that there is now a sequel to one of my favourite online flash games: The previously plinked 'Splitter'. So now I'm going to rush this one so I can get back to playing it!

The rules are the same as the first one so check Here if you need to know what's going on.

Go play Splitter 2 and stop bothering me!

Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep.

Well, I'm back from Latitude. Glad to have a real bed and easier access to tea but still wish it had gone on a bit longer. Anyway, I had a great time and there's always next year.

I've decided to share with you something I saw while I was there. I saw it by accident, in the film and music tent while I was waiting to see a lecture on Watchmen by Jeffrey Lewis. I know, I'm so rock & roll. (The lecture never happened in the end because JL broke down on the way to the festival, grumble grumble). But I digress, what I DID end up seeing was a short film called 'Peter & Ben' about a man... and his sheep. Stop sniggering at the back there, it was actually really nice. Both Peter and Ben have been removed from their usual societies and have bonded as a result. It's quite moving and occasionally hilarious.

Anyway, judge for yourself:


YouTube Link.

Rations.

Howdy doody. I am off to Latitude Festival tomorrow (squeeeee!) so I won't be here to keep you entertained for a while. I know you must be inconsolable, but it will be ok! I have a triple-bill of plinx to tide you over until my triumphant return.

I'm supposed to be packing right now so let's crack on shall we?

First, the most time consuming of the trio, it's a physics game! I like 'em, what can I say. This one is called 'Demolition City' and it is all about planting explosives in the correct places to bring down a building. It's fun and you can play it Here.

Next (oh yes, no mucking about today) is a rather eye-opening photoset which shows how newspapers, magazines, brochures, etc edit photos to either artificially insert or remove black people. It's quite shocking how flagrantly they do this and also how badly implemented it is! Case in point:



If you can't see what is wrong here or you'd just like to see some more examples, check out the Whole Set.

Last of all, this may seem like a strange one to include as it is a video about how to peel a banana. Anyone who knows me will know I don't eat bananas. Although it is a fun word to type! Banana. Hee! Ahem, anyway. But yeah, it turns out you've been peeling them wrong all this time. You dope! Check it out:


Youtube Link.

Enlightening! Anyway, have fun kids. I'll see you when I get back. Byeeeeee.

Doodlebug.

*waves* Hi. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. Sometimes they're only good ideas if you have the talent to back them up. This is the latter.

In theory, ANYONE could take the Guardian's weekend supplement and doodle on it with a black marker. But not everyone could make it consistently funny. I have found someone who can. Proof follows:







and one more for luck



Tee-hee! The rest can be found here: The Annotated Weekender.

Warriors. Come Out To Play.

Hello. Did you watch 'You Have Been Watching' on channel 4 at 10pm on tuesday? No? Well more fool you then, because it was brilliant. It's Charlie Brooker's new show. Watch this week's on channel 4 catch up online then tune in next week.

ANYWAY, the reason I'm bringing this up is because it featured an unbelievable american programme called 'Deadliest Warrior' which pits two famous warriors (ninjas, pirates, vikings, cowboys) against each other and tries to work out who would win by studying tactics, attitude and weapons etc. Then they mock up what the fight would be like.

Like I say, unbelievable!

Anyway, I was looking the show up online and found this quiz. Which deadly warrior are you?
I know what I am!



I'll probably stick some videos from the show in here at some point because it really is a good watch!

Hey You, Look Here!

If your eyes have alighted on this sentence, even for a second; Stop what you're doing and watch this.

Frankly, it's amazing. A collaborative effort featuring dozens of people and their webcams. It uses so many clever tricks, it'll make your head spin.

Ostensibly a music video, this is one of the greatest videos I have seen in ages. Enough blurb, just watch:


YouTube Link.

Bloody Hell.

Dance Your Cares Away.

So today's game *BOOM* as I say, today's game is a bit *BOOM* a bit dis*BOOM* it's a bit distracting! No matter what else you may be trying to do, you keep getting drawn back for one more go at blowing up the weird smiley guys. *BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM*

Ahem. Right, The game is Fragger. The aim of said game is to blow up all the bad guys with your collection of grenades. The less grenades you use, the more points you score. It's really a meaningful display of the importance of managing your dwindling resources DISGUISED as an excuse to blow up loads of dudes... *BOOM*

Anyway, s'fun! Go play Fragger.

*BOOM*

Hee Hee Hebrew.

Hmm, not much I can say about this one. You'll know whether you want to click it as soon as I tell you the URL. Click or don't click. Ball is in your court now, schmucks.

http://oldjewstellingjokes.com/

Thanks to Graham Linehan's Twitter for the link.

Yeah, But Is It Art?

It was a hot night, the kind that makes the air crackle with electricity. Every second that ticks by loaded with possibilities. The sky hangs heavy with menace. Somebody, somewhere is in trouble.

Ok yeah, I can't write bad-ass noir fiction for toffee. But hey, a lot of writers create good stuff without ever having to go down the pulpy noir route, right? I mean, it's not like EVERYTHING is better if it's brooding and faux-40s.



Ok, so I guess I was wrong. Noir-style posters can really sex up an already impressive story.

Need more proof?

Batman.
Transformers.
Watchmen.
The Punisher.

All via This Guy's DeviantArt page.

Ok, point proven. Guess I'll slip back into the poisonous night. Somehow I suspect our paths will cross again. So long, toots.

Hugenormous Bangsplosion.

Hello, the following link is a game, but it is also something else that I'm pretty fond of. It's a portmanteau, which is a fancy way of saying that it is a blend of words. I like these a lot. In fact, the very name of this blog is a portmanteau. Plinx is after all, a blending of the word Paul and the word Links. With some bad spelling thrown in.

But I digress. This game is called Spacetacular Voyage and it's jolly good fun. It looks like a convential vertical scrolling space-shooter, but it isn't. There is no shooting to be done. Instead you have to avoid or bash out the way a series of falling blocks. If any of them pushes you to the bottom the screen, it's game over. To give yourself some breathing room, you can hit the space bar to trigger an explosion that'll push all the surrounding blocks away.

So enough from me. Go play Spacetacular Voyage.

Centre Folds.

Hello, I'm on my second late shift of the week and need cheering up. Or at least I did, until I watched this. It's a fan-made video for a song called 'Zak and Sara' by Ben Folds and it uses a technique called kinetic typography which is really simple in principle but can be super effective.

Hmm, i just wrote a paragraph explaining what it is but then realised there was really no need. You'll see for yourselves!


Youtube Link

Pretty sweet, huh? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Update.

Following on from the last post, a very talented friend of mine named Anne D. McManus has created this frankly astonishing picture for me.



Oh yes, good stuff!

I've had to use the cut down version here so it doesn't stretch the limits of the Plinx layout but you can see the whole shebang Here.

Oops Upside Your Head.

Hey, turning photos of celebrities upside down is funny right? They're all upside down and stuff. Ha! It doesn't get any better than that.

Hmm, yeah, I'm not convinced either. However that is just what I have for you today. BUT WAIT, before you click away somewhere else... I should probably mention that in these pictures, everything has been turned upside down except the face. Now we're talking! The result is something a little like this:



WAH!

Yeah, freaky. Anyways, it's such a simple formula that I decided to have a go at 'upside-downing' my own face. So I fired up *cough*photoshop*cough* and a few hours later, I had created this masterpiece:



Not bad, eh? Check out the whole archive Here!

Post (It) Modern.

Blarg. It's hot where I am. I'm supposed to be hard at work but I can barely muster up the energy to Plink some Linx. However, I have something worthy. A video. A video called Deadline. A video called Deadline that rocks. Hard.

It's stop-motion, which is usually impressive, but the amount of effort that's gone into each frame of this is astonishing. It's enacted on a blank wall using different coloured post-it notes as pixels. Hundreds of them at a time. This dude has PATIENCE.

Anyway, it depicts a cute story about a guy on a deadline and his procrastination and you should totally watch it, then go have a cold drink or something.

The Distant Future. The Year 2000.

Got a few minutes? Presumably you have or you wouldn't be here. Well, check out this... well, I hesitate to call it a game as it is more akin to interactive fiction but one thing that I have no doubt about is how great it is. It's a point & click adventure called Little Wheel where you shepherd a little robot who has been awakened after a long period of downtime through his world on an important mission. (There is a wonderful animation that explains all this which I don't want to spoil so apologies for being vague.)

Anyway, the best thing would be to see for yourself. The presentation of this thing is really something so I encourage you to take your time. The course of action is never unclear as you get onscreen prompts and the robot you control is so cute, the way he keeps getting banged about but perseveres. Go see for yourself:


Play This Game

Cut It Out.

Evening. I'd apologise for the gap in updates but I've been ill and there's no-one reading this anyway. Anyway, I'm back in fine, philanthropic fettle now and I have some primo internet content for you.

These, below, are the Book Autopsies of american artist Brian Dettmer and they are wholly remarkable. Look.





Not bad, eh? He painstakingly cuts away at books (encyclopedias or any other book with diagrams) and exposes them as if they were vital organs. Hence the name.

It's incredible, and you can find out more and see many more pictures Here. Incidentally, that links to another blog that puts the quality of my writing to shame. Sigh.

Ceci N'est Pas Un Halfpipe.

Hello. It's nearly home time so I don't have long but my eye has been caught by some clever website design. It's a Quiksilver site advertising skate wear that seems normal to start with, but Just Keep Watching.

Fillums.

Do you know your films? Do you like 'rebus' style puzzles? If you answered either or both of these questions with a resounding 'Yes!' then a) you may be getting over excited and b) I have a link for you!

You may have seen something like this before, it's a large image that contains smaller picture clues that represent the names of films. For example, and a free answer for you here, there's a bolt in the lower right corner of the screen. This represents the film 'Bolt'. Clever, eh? Obviously, some are more devious than that. My current total is 31 out of a possible 50.

Do your best. Cryptic Canvas.

Oh, you'll be asked to put in an email address at the beginning. This is so you can return to the puzzle without losing progress. I think.

Hook Me Up A New Revolution.

Penguins are great. There's no disputing that. However, I'm sure it's a continual embarrassment to them that they can't fly. Well, there's one penguin who has had enough, god-dangit. He is the protagonist in today's plinx game, which is called Learn To Fly.

Now, Rome wasn't built in a day, and no-one expects you to be airborne on day one, either. In fact, you have as many days as you like to refine your skills. Each time you launch yourself off the icy slope, you'll earn cash based on how far, how high and how fast you flew. You can use these 'research funds' to buy upgrades, from dull stuff like ramp height and air resistance, to cool stuff like gliders and jetpacks!

Anyways, it's fun and when you really start to soar, it feels pretty good. So go play it already!

I Didn't Mean It, Colin.

Hello, sorry for the radio silence lately. I've been on my travels. Back now though with a link that wasn't even found by me. Terrible slacking, I know. My good friend Andy showed me this trailer:



The film, as I'm sure you've just seen, is called Colin and it's a zombie film shown from the perspective of one of the shambling undead. An interesting concept. It looks remarkably impressive too, considering that the budget was only £45! Hopefully I'll be able to find somewhere to see this. You should try too. More info on the film at the production company's website HERE.

170 P on a U B.

Evening. I feel like I've been a bit dumbed down lately. Games about vomit, videos of people playing with brightly coloured balls, bogus news stories about a 'zombie virus'.
Well, today that's going to change. You've gotta think!

It's an intelligence test. Basically, there will be some sentences like the one in the title of this post where the main words have been reduced to just their first letter. The example given is '24 H in a D' which is, of course '24 Hours in a Day' (let me know in the comments if you've figured out what the post title one is).

Right. Here you go, thicky.
The Intelligence Test.
Get to it. I managed 30 of the 33 there.

If you fancy a few more, harder ones. There are 4 more parts. Here are the links, along with my current scores.

Part 2. (16/24)
Part 3. (9/20)
Part 4. (8/18)
Part 5. (Not started this one yet!)

Vom Nom Nom

Sometimes I get a little bit carried away. The excitement of presenting the shining diamonds in the rough we call 'internet' gets to me and I have a tendency to blather.
However!
Today, I say without hyperbole, that I have found the best puzzle platform game involving vomiting copiously, then eating it again... ever!

It would not be wise to make such claims without the link to back it up, so here you go:

Spewer.

50+ levels in which you play a little blob guy in a science lab experiment, discovering new abilities (all based on blowing chunks, then eating it of course), transforming to gain access to new sets of powers, and making your way to the exit. All under the scrutiny of a lab-coated mad scientist.

It's brilliant. Go play it.

More Balls.

More of those exercise balls, to be precise. They still baffle me. This is pretty cool though. Wonder how many times it didn't work out right!

Freebies.

Evening. Something a little different today. Instead of providing you with links to web games, I've got a chance to get some full downloadable games for free. These are games that would normally cost a fair bit, and they're free if you download them before the end of the month. There are four games on offer, I've downloaded two of them and they're both ace. I'll give you a bit of info on these two if you need some incentive.

The first one is Azada. It's a puzzle game that was voted the best of it's kind on the Big Fish website. It's a series of puzzles that are represented as pages in a book that contains the spirit of an adventurer called Titus. I'm fully aware of how lame this sounds, by the way. The fact is that you don't need to pay any attention to the story, you can just go through the puzzles, unlocking more as you progress. There are many, many flavours of puzzle and the majority feel really good to solve. I've been playing for about a week now, it's compelling.

Secondly, there is Hidden Expedition: Everest. This is a game of the 'hidden object' genre. What this means is that you will be tasked with finding a series of objects that are skillfully blended into the scenery. Having played loads of one-hour demos of this kind of game, I can attest to the fact that they're really bloody addictive.

Anyways, if either of these (or either of the other two on offer here, 'Fairway Solitaire' and 'Spa Mania') take your fancy. Instructions on how to claim your free downloads are HERE.

This is a heck of a deal. If you go for it, enjoy!

Normal Plinx service will be resumed shortly.

Picture In Picture.

Hello, it's been a while since I showed you something pretty. Let's address that issue right now. Found somethig called Infinite Photograph. It's a National Geographic website which presents you with a lovely photo that you can click on, whereupon you will zoom in to see a representation of that section of the picture made up of lots and lots of little pictures. You dig?

Look, like this:



Nice, eh? You can keep on clicking and zooming, clicking and zooming and looking at spectacular photographs. It's lovely, calming and not a little hypnotic, so give it a try. Infinite Photograph.

Crush, Kill, Destroy.

Hey hey. Time to play a game. This one is called Crush the Castle and it's smashy, physics-enabled fun. Which is the best type of fun, of course. The objective is to use your trebuchet to knock over a series of castles, splatting everyone within. And who doesn't love doing that, right?! It takes a while to offer any serious challenge but there's a decent number of levels and the different types of ammo keep things interesting. Also, if you've blitzed through the main game, you can make your own levels. What more could you want?

So go ahead and Crush The Castle!

Removing The Head or Destroying The Brain.

I am so ready for this:

"There has been a small outbreak of 'zombism' in London due to mutation of the H1N1 virus into new strain: H1Z1."

Come with me if you want to live!

A Helping Hand.

Animals must hate us, for the most part we make their lives so much more difficult. Building things in their gardens and shooting them for a laugh. Boo, humans are rubbish. But of course, I'm generalising. There are lots of people who do good things for our furry/feathery/scaly chums. Whether it's a vet, an RSPCA volunteer or just some guys who want to help a mini squirrel get over a wall. Coincidentally, that last example is what the video below depicts. It made me smile, perhaps it will do something for you too:

Killing The Joke.

What is a Ghost's favourite meal?

Where do Policemen live?

What do you call a Dinosaur with one eye?

When is a Door not a Door?

Presumably, you know the punchlines to these jokes? We all do. So, why not undermine them totally until all sense of fun has been removed? Sounds like a laugh, right?

You bet it does! This concept was introduced to me by my good friend David, also known as FoldsFive, a minor internet celebrity who maintains a most triumphant blog called 'Myxamatoasties' which I recommend. He text me a couple, It made me chuckle and I text one back. Then the idea was posited that these would make a good blog.

This was the genesis of Killing the Joke. Check it out, tell your friends!

Electrickery.

Some facts: 1. I like physics games (see? see? see?) 2. I like games made by Nitrome (see? see? see?) 3. Nitrome have just released a physics game. What can you surmise?

Yeah, I love it. It's called Power Up. The idea is to create a circuit between two robot heads using many different types of blocks. It's not perfect, there are a few design flaws but the idea is so much fun that it doesn't matter. Go play!

We're On Two Wheels, Baby.

I'm a sucker for videos depicting someone recklessly endangering themselves to do something cool. It's why I like parkour (freerunning) so much. When I stumbled upon this video, it was described as parkour on a bike, and that's a pretty accurate summary. This guy is wheeling about in Edinburgh doing fancy stunts. It's pretty impressive. Not sure why the video starts off with him falling over a couple of times though. Anyways, have a look-see:



Not bad, eh?

Rock It Out.

Some self-promotion today. I want to introduce you to my new band; Paul & the Pauls:

Singer.

Guitarist. (note the stylish hat)

Drummer.

Bassist. (photographer was mid-swoon when this was taken)

These photos were taken during a gig at an intimate Coventry venue. Good times were had by all!

Today's Word Is... Sesquipedalian.

Back after a few days off. I've been traipsing about the midlands visiting various friends. Apart from losing a bag containing some of my favourite t-shirts (anyone who knows me knows how important those are), it's been great fun.

Anyways, I need to get back on the plinxwagon. So here goes:

My First Dictionary is a blog parody of the 'learn to read' style books that kids have. Each entry has a picture with a caption that defines a word. Normally these would say such things as 'House - We all live in a house' or something equally asinine. These, however, are an entirely different kettle of fish. Obsoive:


Brr, they're all in that vein and make me chuckle somewhat guiltily. Check 'em out.

D'you Wanna Take This Outside?

You lookin' for trouble, sunshine? Fancy a fight do ya? Well, if you've got the cojones, I got three lads here that're itching for a bit of a rumble.

Ok, that's quite enough of the macho posturing. I'll get to the point. I want you to fight my three brutes. By which I mean, my three registered characters at mybrute.com

It's very easy, in fact, at first it appears ridiculously simplistic, once a fight is started, you have no input into what happens. You just let your avatar duke it out and see who comes out on top. However, win or lose, you get experience, and the more of that you get, the more cool upgrades you get. So you start off as a fairly weak warrior with maybe one weapon or perk, but as you level up, you get bigger and better kit. Anyway, the best way to learn is just to get on with it. So why not start your trial-by-fire by fighting my three:

RHCPAUL!
MANOLITH!
GUFFBEAK!

I'm sure I thrashed you. Bwa ha ha. But keep fighting, and eventually you'll become as awesome as me.

Déjà Vu?

Sorry for the prolonged absence. I've been on a brief camping holiday. It didn't rain the entire time which is an improvement on the last one! Went to Go Ape while I was away and as soon as I get hold of them, I'll post some pics. Was great fun.

Anyways, on to the serious business of today's link. I was really amazed by this. It's a video highlighting some striking similarities in Disney's animated films. There are more of them than you'd think. It's surprising that they're not more noticable. Check it out:



Weird, no? I can see why they do it as each of these films must be a colossal endeavour and a few reused frames here and there makes perfect sense. Kudos to the people who spotted them though, more eagle-eyed than I.

Oh, and additional kudos to Phill Jupitus for bringing it to my attention via his twitter feed.

All Hail!

How'd you like to play a game where you control a puff of wind? No. Ok fine, how about one where you destroy skyscrapers and jumbo jets and satellite dishes with your awesome power?! Sounds good, right? Better than the first one. Well brace yourself, because they're the same game!

Oh yeah. Minds blown.

Anyways, to cut to the chase; It's a game where you destroy things using a hailstorm, you control a gust of wind and you need to keep the hailstones in the air, only letting them smash down on their targets when they've reached a big enough size to cause some damage.

Woo, fun!

Oh, it's also got a good name. Go ahead and play Effing Hail.

They're Dead, Dave.

Hello. It's time this blog had a splash of much-needed mortality. So let's talk about death! Specifically, the people that you have outlived and what they did. It's an interesting read, even if you're sprightly and young like I am, you'll have already outlived someone of note. For example:

Andrea Feldman was about 2 months younger than me when she died of suicide by defenestration on August 8, 1972. She was an actress and performance artist who was a Warhol Superstar and a regular at Max's Kansas City. She died 13 years before I were born.

That one was chosen for its legitimate use of the word 'defenestration', which is my favourite word!

So come on, who have you outlived? Read Dead At Your Age.

Inspiration.

Sometimes, we all feel as though we're going nowhere, as if we're putting in as much effort as we can muster and getting nothing for it. At times like this, it's tempting to give up but we must persevere. To illustrate this point, I would like to show you a video that demonstrates a real indomitable spirit. It's called, simply;

Hamster In A Wok.



Thank you.

Balls To Civilisation.

If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that I love physics based flash games. Being able to predict the paths of a load of coloured balls with faces as you guide them into ornate pots by severing their chains and using cannons and catapults by applying the rules of a realistic physics engine is a great feeling. As that titan of children's broadcasting would say; Try it yourself!

Civiballs!

Fool Me Once...

So, were you taken in by any scurrilous attempts to fool you? There's no shame in it, the sheer volume of attempted pranks is hard to avoid. My own rather lame attempt was to try and convince people I had shaved my beard off. What larks! Anyways, some tricks were more successful than others. April fools day is a good day to cast a wary eye over the rolling hills of the internet. Let me point out some areas of interest:

Google Creates Artificial Intelligence!

Youtube Gets Inverted!

Stephen Fry Discovers Long Lost Sea Creature!

Guardian Ditches Print Format For Twitter!

Firebox Release New Products!

So Do IWOOT!

...And ThinkGeek!

Quoth The Raven...

Hello. Firstly, before I get to the link. I'd just like to congratulate myself for keeping this blog up for a whole year. I started it a year ago last Thursday. I don't know how many readers I have gained over that time but if you're one of them, thanks. I really like doing this and will continue to do so.

Anyway, how about a celebratory game? It's a wonderfully pretty and absorbing game, if that helps. You play a creature from the forest, on a search for treasure. Unusually for a flash game, it is not concerned with shooting people or running them over, but rather exploring a delightful world and interacting with other creatures. Having said that, I haven't played through to the end so it could all go pear shaped for all I know. Somehow I doubt it though.

It's called Nevermore 3 and it gets the Plinx seal of approval.

Bug In The Machine.

Ok now this is something special. Whatever you're doing, you can afford to spend a few minutes gawping at this link. It's called Insect Lab and what it boils down to is a series of pictures of the fruits of one man's labour. A man who replaces the insides of dead insects with clockwork and watch parts.

Yup.

I mean, how do you get inspired to do something like that? It boggles the mind. Anyway, enough talk. You want to see some examples? Sure you do:







Unbelievable. There's a scorpion in there too (look in the Arachnid section) which is too big to fit here but I urge you to take a look Here.

Full Tilt.

Definite phocus on fotography today. For starters, if you're at all interested in my trip to Lisbon, firstly you need to get out more and secondly there are a bunch of photos on facebook now. Let's narrow the circle even further, if you're reading this blog, want to see my photos and are not a facebook friend, well then who the heck are you?!

Have Some Pics Anyway!
Oh, almost forgot to mention. The medals pic was taken by Katy Sprake and the one of us in running get-up was taken by Katie Ferrari, the 4th member of the posse in the photo. Thanks Katies!

Now for less egocentric stuff, have you heard of Tilt-Shift Miniature Faking? (click for explanation if not.) It's a nifty trick which makes photos of real people/objects look like miniature toy versions. Anyway, if you put together a load of these images, you can make an entire tilt-shift video, and chances are it'll look really, really cool. Just like this one!


Mardi Gras from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

I think it looks great. If you fancy making one yourself, there is an easy online tilt-shift maker Here! Give it a go, it's fun.

Half A Snickers.

So yeah, I did the half marathon. Was a respectable time for a first timer like me. I'm so tired now but I think we're going to go out tonight and celebrate. I'm in the nicest hostel I have ever seen. It's great. I'll probably furnish you with some pictures when I get back. Hope you're getting on alright without me.

See you soon! I'm going to polish my medal some more.

The T-Spot.

Tetris. Everybody, everywhere knows what that word means. For such a simple concept, it's done a decent job of conquering the world. So it's not unusual to find web stuff that pertains to it. In fact, this will be at least the 3rd time I have plinked about it already.

So here are your 2 (count 'em) Tetris links:

Firstly, there is Tetoris and I hope you don't think I am underestimating you by saying this, but you won't even be able to complete one line. Have a look, you'll understand. I've had it running in the background for my entire day at work so far and the screen isn't even half full!

Secondly, one of the most pervading things about the game is its iconic music. Huh, wonder what it'd be like with some lyrics. Too bad there isn't some crazy youtube guy who has made up his own. Oh wait, There Is!

Our Work Is Never Over.

So, y'know Daft Punk's track 'Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger'? Yeah, of course you do. It's old news. Well, maybe but this is relatively new. It's a soundboard that gives you control of each part of the lyrics from said track, enabling you to create the whole thing or mix it up however you like. It's surprisingly compelling. Particularly if you're in the same place as someone else with another computer. You can get a really cool call & response thing going! (we just did it here at work). So yeah, give it a try:

Daft Punk's Console.

Actually, while I'm on the subject, there is always an outside chance that you haven't seen this:



Mad skillz, there.

This "Post" Is "Cool"

I am a language pedant. I make no apologies for it. Unnecessary apostrophes and other misapplied punctuation grate at me like nails on a blackboard. The only way to cope is to have a good old twatty sneer at those responsible. Not the most attractive characteristic, I know, but I can't help it.

So yeah, I'm glad I'm not alone in this. There are lots of language pedants on the internet. There has to be considering some of the bilge that washes over it daily.

So I'm giving a shout out to This Blog. 'The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks'. They're doing the sneering so I don't have to.

Getting Mashed.

Hey hey. This blog is starting to look like a wall of text. Best crowbar a video in sharpish. Luckily, the internet is not exactly bereft of good videos. The latest prodigy is some dude called Kutiman, who mashes clips from other youtube videos together to make music videos. Here's an example called 'The Mother Of All Funk Chords'



Pretty cool, eh?

There are lots more Here.

These videos seem to be the toast of the internet right now, just trying to keep you informed. Bye!

Get Your Ninj On.

Another update in a cool series of games today. In this case: Bowja the Ninja 3. First plinked back in May '08. Huh, and spazzing back through the archive has just made me realise that I didn't post when Bowja 2 came out so you can have that too!

To recap, it's a point & click style game. You need to progress through the scenarios by finding the right object to click and in the right order. It's very slickly designed and dashed fun to boot. So, here goes!

Bowja 2: Bigman's Compound.
Bowja 3: Ninja Kami.

Who Watches The Watchmen?

Hello. I know I promised a less geeky link today but frankly, I can't help myself. This has to be shared.

I should warn you, if you haven't read Watchmen, it won't mean much to you. Also, if you haven't read Watchmen, you really should.

Anyway, it's an animation that depicts Watchmen as if it were an 80s Saturday morning cartoon. The parody is spot on in every way.

Saturday Morning Watchmen!

Ok, link for normal people coming this weekend. Honest!

Animal Magnetism.

Geeky link today. Some slow motion videos of an array of magnets being struck my another falling magnet and going through magnetic self assembly.

It's neat. Honest!

Nerds click Here.

Everyone else, come back in a couple of days. There'll probably be a game or something.

Yeah, But Is It Art?

Yes, hello. I have moved house and everything. Pretty cool, eh? I can't claim that this is the first post from the new plinx HQ because I'm at work. But let's not let that spoil things, eh?

Today's link is called Tiny Art Director. It's a blog written by an artist, who asks whis two three four year old daughter what he should paint, then submits the piece to her for critique. Generally, the pictures get rejected or approved with certain amendments. Anyway, the whole thing is very cute and worth a read. I'll show you:



The Brief: I'm going to tell you what to draw. Draw a dragon sneaking up on a girl. She's picking flowers.
The Critique: Daddy it's not supposed to be like that! He has dog legs! I'm so mad at you! I'm going to erase those legs! Daddy why did you do those legs??? [collapses in tears]
Job Status: Rejected.

Dawwwwwwww!

Read the whole dang lot Here.

There's No 'I' In Team.

This is an interesting one. A single player game involving teamwork. It's called Cursor*10. Part of the strapline for the game is 'Cooperate by oneself?!', which is charmingly bad translation but also very accurate. The premise is that you have 10 cursor icons, that are effectibely your 10 'lives' and a countdown for each. When the countdown expires, your next cursor is called into play and you have to start again. The object being to ascend through 16 'floors' to the top.

The catch is that you need to use the efforts of your earlier cursors to speed up your ascension, as each previous run through plays out again while you're on your current go.

Look, it's tough to describe so just try it for yourself, ok?

There are two installments to this game:
Cursor*10 (which I honestly can't remember if I have posted before)
and
Cursor*10 2nd Session.

So yeah, enjoy.

Also, it may be a while before my next update as I have to get moved into my new place. Woo! Hopefully be back and linking you up on Monday. Have a nice weekend!

Gobble A Duke.

This isn't a sentence you're likely to hear too often. But darnit, the internet just makes too much sense!

Every so often, I'd rather have an unhinged stream of incomprehensible gibberish. Because sometimes, I see a page full of well thought out parables and it fills me with rage. Occasionally, what I want is disorder, chaos, dizzying madness.

Imagine if there was an application that took all the text from a website and bit off the ends of the words and replaced them with the ends of other words. Anarchy would ensue. Every simple idea would become a dense, symbolist poem.

But truth be told. I'd just like it if the words all looked funny. Hurr hurr hurr.

Anyway, we're in luck. Someone has done just that.

It's called The Eater Of Meaning and it's good for some rough chuckles.

See what it does to This Very Blog.
or to My Twitter Feed.

Tee-hee!

Keep On Truckin'.

As you know, with this blog I try my best to only bring you the most important and worthy links. With that in mind, here is the latest.

It's a german instructional video for the safe operation of forklift trucks.

I haven't gone off the deep end though. It may take a while before you see why I have posted this. But please, persevere. Around 3 minutes in, you should start to get the picture.



Oh yes.

Panda-monium.

I'm not even going to apologise for the pun because I think it's brilliant. Anyway, today's link is a gamne involving pandas and sniper rifles. Yet not in any way that would upset PETA. It's called Panda: Technical Sniper 2 and it involves using your sniper rifle to solve puzzles. Shooting anyone in the head is definitely frowned upon (however you are actively encouraged to shoot a small yellow duck, causing it to explode, naturally).

Anyways, the solutions are quite creative so give it a go.

Panda: Tactical Sniper 2.

Everything Old Is New Again.

How long do you think 'The Simpsons' has been on TV? Go on, an honest guess. A long time, right? 12 years? 15 years?

Nope. It's been 19 years. Nineteen. Unbelievable. Anyways, I just thought that point was worth making. 19 years of the same opening credits. Here's to 19 more, right?

Heck no. Time for an update. Well since the show is about to start being broadcast in HD, the creators have updated the opening credits. Check it out.



Weird, eh? Having seen it so many times, it had become forever etched into my mind. And now it's different. That'll take some getting used to.

Anyways, everyone will have seen it soon as it's going round the internet pretty quick. Get in on the ground floor, why not.

Twittering Away Your Life.

Yeah, I caved. I folded. I buckled.
I signed up to the latest internet fad. I'm now on twitter.
Monumental news, I know. The upshot of which is that you can see my 'tweets' over there on the right.

However, I have to say that signing up to twitter has resulted in my receiving the best email ever:

"Hi, Paul Nelson (paulcnelson). Stephen Fry (stephenfry) is now following your updates on Twitter."

*faints*

Games 2: Game Harder.

I like flash games. Usually they're over pretty quick though and my only hope is that they were popular enough to get a sequel (I'm doing my bit by sharing with you guys). Often I am met with disappointment. But not today!

Totem Destroyer AND Ragdoll Cannon both got a sequel. Kalloo kallay!

Totem Destroyer 2 (watch out, it's harder)
Ragdoll Cannon Remake (not a remake at all, all new levels)

What was that, did someone just scoff at my 'sequels'? Well fine, here is a new game. Don't blame me when it BLOWS YOUR MIND!

Duck Sim 2008.

Guitar Hero.

What to do if you don't have real guitar talent. Fake it!

That's what this guy does, but then to be fair to him, he DOES have video editing talent... and a silly hat.