I have to say it bums me out a little to see these ads (this and the one for that book) on this site. Though I thought in the past I'd seen them labeled as an "advertisement." Have you guys stopped doing that? #spaceinvaders
@aubreyf: *Sigh* So young, so beautiful, so cynical.
Seriously, I see your point (and I'm always curious about io9's monetisation strategy and revenue stream) but in this case, I think they get the benefit of the doubt (and perhaps even a quick squeeze and a reach around).
When I scrolled down the main menu and over the pic it gave me a genuine lift.
Anything that shows you a new perspective on something (even if the subject matter itself is trivial and both ephemeral and anachronistic) is worth a second glance and this (the original artwork) does that in spades.
Whether it works or not on a T-shirt (personally I don't think it does, as executed here) is a matter of debate and graphics on humans (t-shirt logo, brand or yellow star) make me uneasy in general.
But threadless.com itself (new to me) seems to be offering an interesting, open access, low start up cost, entrepeneurial business model (I'm going to have a closer look at the terms and crunch the numbers) to its users (designers and sellers) and (hopefully, if such a thing is actually possible) decent value and quality to its customers.
Advertising in general has very few virtues but when it (briefly) ceases to pollute your environment and conciousness [perhaps in this case, it did precisely that to you :( , in a place you felt should be (and once was?) a safe haven, hence the sense of betrayal ] and draws your attention to something you (I) genuinely feel better for having seen, I feel fortunate (if still not exactly grateful).
For me, it's a better day than it was ten minutes ago and I wish you the same. :) #spaceinvaders
@Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: Isn't it peculiar (but strangely satisfying, in a warm gat sort of a way) that erudite [en.wiktionary.org] has rude as its root? :)
I want to know *WHERE* this guy was carrying the longbow. If he was trying to board a plane with it, or sitting on his porch nocking arrows at people, yeah, that's something you might want to call in.
More than likely, he was "spotted" carrying it the short distance from his car to his flat. Just like my wife and I have done dozens of times after coming back from the archery range or a Ren Faire. I'd be willing to bet money the guy is probably a member of the SCA (or another similar historical reenactment society) and owns several other pieces of medieval weaponry/armor, in addition to his fine steampunk collection.
I can totally sympathize with the guy, and hope the police didn't trash his apartment too much, or slap him with a bunch of useless trumped up charges in a feeble excuse to justify a badly informed search.
Who knows. Maybe tomorrow you'll read the exact same story about me. I just got back from visiting with my recently widowed grandmother, and one of my Christmas gifts this year was the bayonet my late grandfather carried in WWII. It's about 2 1/2 feel long, and about as sharp as a potato, but I wouldn't recommend poking anybody with it. I don't think any of my neighbors saw me carrying it in, but for all I know, the crazy old cat lady across the street could be dialing 911 right now.
Just a question for the "carrying a longbow = teh stupid" people: how exactly is one supposed to carry a longbow? It's kind of, you know, long, and difficult to slide into a pocket or something. Of course, that would just make it a *concealed* weapon, which is usually considered a worse offense.
I realize that this question might be considered inflammatory, but I think it still bears asking: What is the relationship between the attitude that carrying a longbow where people might see (or wearing a sweatshirt with LEDs, or a T-shirt with a picture of a Transformer) and the idea that if a person dresses provocatively they deserve to be sexually assaulted? They seem pretty similar to me...
@schwap23: You should always unstring a wooden bow if you're not going to use it again right away, otherwise you'll totally ruin the tension.
However, for all we know, it was unstrung, in a soft case (even I don't have one of these) and about as harmless as you could possibly make it, and some paranoid old biddy still flipped out at the sight of it, and decided to call 999.
I think people need to start getting pretty worried about things like this, and not just cosplayers. I know I'd be uncomfortable if I liked someplace where I could be arrested on such a ludicrous charge and have my residence be broken into and ransacked without probable cause.
I'm getting so sick of this nonsense. This is all because of the Right Wing Culture of Fear that started with a Bush speech containing phrases like "be afraid" and "evil doers" dozens of times.
04:34 AM
12:40 AM
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
Seriously, I see your point (and I'm always curious about io9's monetisation strategy and revenue stream) but in this case, I think they get the benefit of the doubt (and perhaps even a quick squeeze and a reach around).
When I scrolled down the main menu and over the pic it gave me a genuine lift.
Anything that shows you a new perspective on something (even if the subject matter itself is trivial and both ephemeral and anachronistic) is worth a second glance and this (the original artwork) does that in spades.
Whether it works or not on a T-shirt (personally I don't think it does, as executed here) is a matter of debate and graphics on humans (t-shirt logo, brand or yellow star) make me uneasy in general.
But threadless.com itself (new to me) seems to be offering an interesting, open access, low start up cost, entrepeneurial business model (I'm going to have a closer look at the terms and crunch the numbers) to its users (designers and sellers) and (hopefully, if such a thing is actually possible) decent value and quality to its customers.
Advertising in general has very few virtues but when it (briefly) ceases to pollute your environment and conciousness [perhaps in this case, it did precisely that to you :( , in a place you felt should be (and once was?) a safe haven, hence the sense of betrayal ] and draws your attention to something you (I) genuinely feel better for having seen, I feel fortunate (if still not exactly grateful).
For me, it's a better day than it was ten minutes ago and I wish you the same. :) #spaceinvaders
11/07/09
11/07/09
05/26/09
Yes, let's think nice-nice thoughts for now human. We'll gray goo you in the end.
05/26/09
05/26/09
05/06/09
[www.lumigram.com]
05/06/09
I'd wear tee-shirts that desplay cartoons, weird video or meaningless bash prompt outputs all the time!
05/06/09
05/06/09
05/06/09
05/06/09
Yes, it is.
05/06/09
05/06/09
05/06/09
05/06/09
02/16/09
01/04/09
More than likely, he was "spotted" carrying it the short distance from his car to his flat. Just like my wife and I have done dozens of times after coming back from the archery range or a Ren Faire. I'd be willing to bet money the guy is probably a member of the SCA (or another similar historical reenactment society) and owns several other pieces of medieval weaponry/armor, in addition to his fine steampunk collection.
I can totally sympathize with the guy, and hope the police didn't trash his apartment too much, or slap him with a bunch of useless trumped up charges in a feeble excuse to justify a badly informed search.
Who knows. Maybe tomorrow you'll read the exact same story about me. I just got back from visiting with my recently widowed grandmother, and one of my Christmas gifts this year was the bayonet my late grandfather carried in WWII. It's about 2 1/2 feel long, and about as sharp as a potato, but I wouldn't recommend poking anybody with it. I don't think any of my neighbors saw me carrying it in, but for all I know, the crazy old cat lady across the street could be dialing 911 right now.
01/04/09
I realize that this question might be considered inflammatory, but I think it still bears asking: What is the relationship between the attitude that carrying a longbow where people might see (or wearing a sweatshirt with LEDs, or a T-shirt with a picture of a Transformer) and the idea that if a person dresses provocatively they deserve to be sexually assaulted? They seem pretty similar to me...
01/04/09
However, for all we know, it was unstrung, in a soft case (even I don't have one of these) and about as harmless as you could possibly make it, and some paranoid old biddy still flipped out at the sight of it, and decided to call 999.
01/04/09
01/04/09
The blade of grass that sticks out is the first hit by the mower.
01/04/09
01/04/09
The culture of fear existed long before Bush came on the scene.