a lot of stuff and nonsense from eclectech

Now, I don't really "do" Valentines Day but I like an excuse to make something silly and a new tune from DogHorse seemed perfect for a topical animation. I give you...

One Heartbeat (1.5MB Flash)

It stars Jack Java (the monkey of lurve), a couple of penguins and some pants. The song is just a little bit rude. Well, very rude in places.

We've also got a new animation for Greenpeace online, if you like your moving pictures to have a bit of a point. Stop the Horror (500KB) is part of a campaign to stop illegal timber and help save the lovely orang utans and other affected creatures.

I must mention a topic that I'm afraid amuses me far too much for terribly low reasons. As Jess points out in the comments of my previous post Gillian McKeith is in trouble again and is now banned from calling herself a doctor in her adverts. What a shame eh?

A Menace to Science, Guardian article by Ben Goldacre
Previous bit from me about Ms McKeith.

Other things that have entertained me recently include this fine campaign from Sir Montgomery Cecil of Spurt via Beau Bo D'Or and this fantastic photography project; Running From Camera. I'm not quite sure why but this appeals to me very much.

Oh, and if you do want to send someone a special message today* you can always say it with pants!

Enjoy!

*Or, in fact, any day... which is much nicer really.

Labels: flash animation, flash toy, neat links, poo woman

Have a very Happy New Year everyone. Here's hoping 2007 is a good one.

If you'd like to see the new year in with some fireworks without venturing out into the cold feel free to go and waggle your mouse over the dancers on my noisy hogmanay fireworks.

Have a good one and see you all in the New Year.

Love eclectech x

Labels: blether, flash toy, jeremy

The Fartsichord is possibly the classiest thing I've been involved with. It's an online musical keyboard, you can choose between two instruments and play, record and save tunes. The instruments are farts and burps.

I am so proud.

On completion Mr Tech immediately played the National Anthem and I giggled far too much.

I am a child.

Some other fun things that have ended up in my bookmarks recently...

Liquid sculpture, beautiful high speed photography

Musical rollerblading (video)

Flame Warriors, a pertinent oldie revisited following the disintegration of one of my online haunts

Ridiculously cute cat. I wish the photographer published them under a creative commons licence allowing derivatives, as I would very much like to play with these photos. There are some ace ones.

Apple campaign site from Greenpeace. I was genuinely surprised by some of the information here. Apple have good PR obviously.

Passport offices map, ignoring all the stuff about having to go for interviews for passports and the Government grabbing all manner of personal information from you for no good reason, what on earth have they done to Scotland?! It does look like they've redrawn some rather critical bounderies and claimed a large amount of lowland Scotland. Shocking!

Finally, a new song from DogHorse. A quite scary and sinister recording using Rachel North's lyrics, have a listen to The Rules of the Game are Changed.

Labels: dance, flash toy, neat links

Avast ye scurvy dogs and all that.

*ahem*

Following on from last years Pants Pirate Messenger DogHorse and I put together a wee* piratical presentation with nautical jigs and a salty prairie dog pirate. The Pirate Jig. 230KB Flash.

*because we forgot about it until about 4 hours ago. oops!

Labels: flash animation, flash toy

I have a new silly interactive oojimaflip online. Pick your nose and make silly faces with the Face Mash.

As it's possible to see from the above link my 'far too busy' work period is over. I still seem to have a lot to do as an awful lot of things got put in the "I'll look at that in September" virtual pile , but I have some free time and have made the decision to not let myself get so busy again.

This is a good thing, I think.

Finally, some old friends have just launched a web site about the bear rescue centre they're running in the Tat Kuang Si Park. If you're interested in wildlife or planning a trip to Laos check it out; Laos Bears. They've sent me some splendid photos of the bears so I'm hoping to make them dance in a Flash animation soon. I've already been playing with the bears, just a little.

Labels: blether, flash toy, neat links

I am ridiculously busy at the moment but my bookmarks are overflowing so time for a little link dump.

I was touched by this thought provoking post at Stranger Than Fiction. Thanks to Dana Shalash for commenting on here, leading me to nose around her site.

Interesting article about how only traitors try to make us afraid of terrorists, particularly given the recent declaration from Reid that terror 'may force freedom curbs'.

And that was before the alleged terror plot of a couple of days ago.

A depressing addition to these pieces is this quote from Hermann Goering, at the time of the Nuremberg trials.

"People don’t want war [...] the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

Hmm. Anyhow, onto lighter things at YouTube.

I don't use YouTube for my personal stuff as I prefer to keep control over it on my own web site, am not entirely happy with the terms of use and remain generally unsure about it all. That said, one of my animations is up there at the moment; Chained to My PC. Originally created for the TUC's WorkSmart site this new version was adapted for the Communications Workers of America.

Hopefully it will continue to go down well, although I see I'm accused of 'poor taste' and vulgarity. Heh. I can't get excited about a dog peeing I'm afraid. I did fume when I was informed that there was a company down the road with call centre staff unable to go to the loo without putting their hands up and asking a supervisor, which I feel is more important. Fortunately it seems a few folk agree.

While I'm at YouTube I did find this amusing; Python's Camelot interlude, by Kirk and crew. A very nice ludicrously silly mashup. Hooray.

There's the 95 theses of geek activism post over at science addiction that's a fine read. Good points well made, and some interesting links.

I was both amused and irritated at the news that a website for Mums has had to request all users avoid discussing Gina Ford, allegedly a childcare guru, after she attempted to get their entire site taken offline for people slagging her off in the forums, although the powers-that-be were removing the offending posts. I don't know if she understands kids (although from what I've read over the last week I don't think I'd have a great deal of time for her) but she certainly doesn't seem to understand the net. A ridiculous overreaction to a site that was doing so much that she requested. Thanks to John for the tip.

And finally my random Pants Pirate Message of the day, because it tickled me.

/link dump

Edit: The observant will notice that this claims to have been posted on Friday, but appeared on Monday. That'll be the 'chained to my desk' problem interfering with my blether, although being more accurate I was chained to a model of an alternate world and my camera. More fun than a desk at least.

Labels: blether, disgruntled, flash animation, flash toy, neat links, NO2ID

I realise that this doesn't sound like a great achievement but it happens maybe twice a year and is such a pleasing sight. Ahhhh. Lovely.

Moving swiftly on from my rather pathetic indication of achievement it's time for some links as my bookmark folder needs emptying.

Following my whinge about banks and security the other day I was interested to see that Shell has suspended chip-and-pin payments after more than £1m was siphoned out of customers' accounts. So that's reassuring, particularly as "Shell's chip-and-pin solution is fully accredited and complies with all relevant industry standards."

There's been movement on the Guantanamo Bay issue as well, as the Supreme Court has ruled that "the military tribunals at Guantanamo violated both US military law and the Geneva Conventions." Well, quite. As an aside I rather liked this edit of George Bush singing 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday', if you've not seen it.

In other news, whilst I find non-disabled people parking in disabled spaces inconsiderate beyond belief I thought painting the disabled bay after the person had parked there a trifle unfair.

And finally, every now and then I have a trawl through the messages being sent through my Pants Messengers and I was embarrassed at how much this made me giggle. Shockingly bad joke. On a related note, if the person who keeps trying to link to a pr0n site through my pants squirrel is reading this - it doesn't work. Give it up. They don't parse HTML links, they're not about to start and they're not going to be shown on the random message page. Thank you.

Oh, the cute kitty above is available in desktop wallpaper size if you like.

Labels: blether, desktop wallpaper, disgruntled, flash toy, neat links, news links

Hello John Reid.

Don't let the power go to your head too. Behave please.

I wonder if I should do an updated version of my tribute to Charles Clarke?

Maybe I'll give Mr Reid a week or two first and see how it goes.

Cabinet reshuffle aside I am incredibly impressed at this display of democracy in action.

And from a deluge of messages sent through our Pants Messengers I discover that today is No Pants Day. Blimey.

Labels: flash animation, flash toy, news links

I'm not a fan of Valentine's day. The idea that you only need to demonstrate your love one day a year is quite, quite ridiculous; the idea that you show love by buying things is even more preposterous. That said, love is definitely a good thing so I offer the Love Pants Messenger so you can send nice messages to your nearest and dearest. Mr DogHorse provides some smashing sounds to accompany the cute cat, his ding dong is particularly splendid.

Enjoy. And remember, love is for life, not just for valentine's.

Labels: flash toy

May all your dreams for the new year come true.

Especially that one with the tapir and rubber duck.

I assume that's not just me anyhow.


Musical new year greetings

Festive fireworks

Labels: flash animation, flash toy

It's December, time for some seasonal silliness. Oh yes. First up is the Festive Pants Messenger. A meerkat in a santa suit, reindeer antlers and some seasonal shouts of tinsel, baubles and roasting nuts.

Labels: flash toy

The 19th September is International Talk Like A Pirate Day so DogHorse and I thought we'd help with a Pants Pirate Messenger... it's a pirate chimp with fancy pants and a piratical turn of phrase to send shivers down your timbers. Enjoy!

On an entirely different topic I've just been mooching around BBC news and this confuses me. Why won't they call it a marriage? Surely it's either a gay marriage (which I have no problem with) OR it's something qualitatively different in which case it should be open to all, not just homosexual couples. Is this just small-minded semantic jiggery-pokery for the benefit of religions? Hmm.

Labels: blether, flash toy

Need to send someone a message? Say it with squirrels! If you're very lucky he'll* shout PANTS at you. It's Pants Squirrel Messenger.

* In the interest of accuracy it's not actually the squirrel shouting pants, it's DogHorse.

Labels: flash toy