The Real You - Alan Watts

Sorry about lackof updates - got a gig working on an animated film project and the hours have been killing me!

An Alan Watts video then - for any random stumblers upon this blog. Because Alan Watts was pretty cool.

Take a break & watch the video before moving on - it's only 4 minutes long.  

Philip K. Dick Can Change Your Life

Hey everyone - lomg time no new blog posts from me. Life got pretty chaotic in December with tons of work, a long list of expensive dental treatments and a few Christmas parties too - I still haven't fully recoverd but "get some cool stuff up on Coolest Crap" has been on my "to do" list for weeks so let's get the ball rolling and hopefully we'll build up this cool crap blog into something pretty cool during 2013!

Let's kick off the New Year and a new phase of blogging with a mention of Phillip K Dick.  He's in my list of cool people everyone needs to know about and 2013 should be the year we all start either re-reading his stuff or reading hos stuff for the first time. And by "we" I mean everyone on the planet over the age of 8 and a half, of course!

From wikipedia, then, a brief intro:

Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments, and altered states. In his later works Dick's thematic focus strongly reflected his personal interest in metaphysics and theology. He often drew upon his own life experiences in addressing the nature of drug abuse, paranoia, schizophrenia, and transcendental experiences in novels such as A Scanner Darkly and VALIS.

 The novel The Man in the High Castle bridged the genres of alternate history and science fiction, earning Dick a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1963. Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, a novel about a celebrity who awakens in a parallel universe where he is unknown, won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel in 1975.

 "I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world we actually have, because the world we actually have does not meet my standards," Dick wrote of these stories. "In my writing I even question the universe; I wonder out loud if it is real, and I wonder out loud if all of us are real."

In addition to 44 published novels  Dick wrote approximately 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. Although Dick spent most of his career as a writer in near-poverty  ten popular films based on his works have been produced, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, and The Adjustment Bureau.

In 2005, Time magazine named Ubik one of the one hundred greatest English-language novels published since 1923. In 2007, Dick became the first science fiction writer to be included in The Library of America series.

Pretty cool so far, eh?

However that is really just the tip of the iceberg and there's a whole world of juicy weirdness when it comes to exploring the world of Phillip K. Dick - go read the full wikipedia article for now and tune in sometime soonish (possibly tomorrow) as we dive deeper into the world of Phillip K. Dick.

There's a classic BBC "Arena" documentary on Youtube, you might as well watch that too:

The Boyfriend Pillow

"This fun and cosy snuggle pillow is excellent for people whose partner is away on military leave or work absence," says its US manufacturer, Deluxe Comfort. "Singles who desire to feel the touch of a man, without actually having to be with one, will love it too."

Peter Molyneux On Obscurity

Peter Molyneux talks to Edge magazine about the delay to Curiosity, the next highly anticipated release from one of the world's most famous game designers. It's an interesting read although I am not sure what I think about Obscurity myself as I tend to shy away from high concept games, puzzle games etc. Basically I never had the money as a kid to spend out on the more leftfield titles for the Amiga 500 that I had so would just stick to the shoot 'em ups!

Obscurity is released on Wednesday 7th November for iOS & Android.

Looper Viral

Looper starring Bruce Willis is released on the 28th and I am looking forward to this as I'm a big fan of time travel movies.

The Looper viral was pretty cool and has proven to be popular with visitors to the well designed  The Looper Network site being encouraged to complete simple missions in return for behind the scenes goodies.

The final Looper viral is now out and leads to a reveal of a Looper feature

Interactive Paper News

Just a note that my latest project is live: Interactive Paper News Blog will be a cool techie blog dedicated to covering all aspects of printing and publishing technology with an emphasis on the up and coming Interactive Papers that are currently in the early stages of development plus I'll be covering eBook technology, specialist inks and some fun stuff too.

Oh yes - the coolest Blogger templates blog hasn't been forgotten either.

And I really need to find some time to post about some pretty cool crap too.

The Coolest Blogger Templates

Hey visitors,

I've started work on a new project - it's a blog dedicated to the coolest blogger templates. I'll be showcasing the best free blogger templates so if you're looking for the coolest blogger themes then check it out. 

There's not much content at the moment as I'm super-busy with the day job (web design for a major U.K. company).

I'm still working on this blog too - I really need to fill this site up with the some of the very coolest crap ever.

If you have anything cool or crap you'd like me to cover do drop me a line - I'm keen to promote small companies, start ups, creatives, anyone doing anything cool really.



 

Don't Ever Quote Fight Club

You are not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world. - Tyler Durden, Fight Club.

Ok so Fight Club remains one of my all time fave films but here's an excellent piece by andmysidearm  I came across today while doing some research into 1990s advertising trends for my day job.

If you've ever felt the need to set up a Fight Club or set off your own Project Mayhem or maybe just love the bits in the film where Brad Pitt is super cool then do read this critique:

Fight Club quotes are so quippy and simple – they really elucidate nothing deeper. Durden’s one-liners (and they are abundant) are like easy-to-digest commandments that everyone clings to as profound. Funny thing about profound stuff – once it saturates the mainstream, it tends to lose its kick. We’re all grappling for ways to define ourselves outside the status quo. At the end of that day that’s what Fight Club is really about – considering the things we cling to. Nihilism and rebellion are still laced potently with self-definition and ideology. We put ourselves in box after box until the day we die – then it’s just one last box.

Coolest Indie Games Ever

I really want to cover the best of the indie computer games scene but I admit I'm probably a bit out of the loop as I've been snowed under with work over the past 9 months or so - not much time to keep up to date with or play the best independent games. If you know of any titles be they computer games or apps that are deserving of some wider publicity do drop me a line or leave a comment. In the meantime I'm going to start exploring the indie game scene again and getting up to speed so that I can start both playing and recommending some of the best indie games past and present and maybe if I get time start building up a useful guide to the coolest indie games of all time

The Coolest Train Set Ever

Holy crap! If you want to see the coolest model train set ever then watch this video - it's Miniatur Wunderland and it's totally amazing! Like literally frickin awesome! This is the world's largest model railway but describing it as a model railway really doesn't do it justice. Visit the Miniatur Wunderland website for lots of geeky information, stats and statistics about this incredibly cool minature train/world set.

Fake Bio Shock Trailer

Have fun guessing the movies used in this fake but cool Bio Shock theatrical trailer.

Oculus Rift - Cool or Crap?

Boasting a diagonal field of view of 110 degrees and a 3D panoramic view (tech summary: it's all around you) it's designer Palmer Luckey boasts it's the first truly immersive virtual reality headset for video games but is the Oculus Rift any good?

Well people can find out for themselves by pleding $300 or more to get their grasping  hands on a prototype version with a copy of Doom 3: BFG Edition

Computer and Video Games have full details and a cool article on the race for wearable computing including video of the Oculus Rift. Cool or crap? Based on the video I reckon it's looking pretty damn cool but exactly how realistic can we go with 3D shooters before we crap our pants when a heavily armed virtual bad guy or demon from another dimension pops up from behind a crate and blows our brains out?

Monopoly Alan Turing Edition

Here's another of my nomimations for coolest dude ever - Alan Turing. Now not only did Alan Turing save millions of lives and not only is he widely regarded as the father of computing (and thus, ultimately, the reason we get to play Halo 4 instead of working up chimneys or watching paint dry) but he also now also has Monopoly game to celebrate his life and works - how many other cool people do you know who can say that?

The BBC reports that "The life of computer pioneer Alan Turing has been commemorated in a special edition of Monopoly. The board's London landmarks, and its Community and Chance cards, have been swapped for places and events important in Turing's life."

Google have bought 1000 sets and donated them to Bletchley Park to help raise funds (for Bletchley Park, not for Google).

For more information about Alan Turing please check out this fascinating website by Andrew Hodges author of Alan Turing: the enigma.

Coolest People Ever

Who are the coolest people ever? That's a theme I'm going to be covering in this blog. Basically it's a list of the coolest people ever to have lived on this planet with a focus on  the underdogs or outsiders - no Hollywood A-Listers are going on to be included as they get quite enough publicity.

Who to start with? Well I'm going to plump for Nikola Tesla. According to a BBC News article about Tesla:

"He's less famous than Einstein. He's less famous than Leonardo. He's arguably less famous than Stephen Hawking.
Most gallingly for his fans, he's considerably less famous than his arch-rival Thomas Edison."

Let's see if we can fix that. Wikipedia describes Tesla as "a Serbian-American inventor, physicist, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, and futurist. He is best known for his contributions to the modern alternating current (AC) electrical supply system. Tesla's patents and theoretical work helped form the basis of wireless communication and radio. His many revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism were based on Michael Faraday's theories of electromagnetic technology."

So he's obviously a pretty cool guy and he's probably kicking himself for snuffing it before the internets was invented by the great Al Gore.

Do read up on this amazing fellow. Take a peek at the Tesla Museum and watch this fascinating Ted Talk Tesla Video.

Construct 2 Make Games With Ease

It's been several years since I last dabbled with creating my own games. Construct 2 might tempt me back into that game.

If you're looking for something to do during the winter months then maybe knocking out a Judge Dredd platform game (shoot the fatties and mutants while avoiding the Dark Judges - bonus points for hitting PJ Maybe up the butt with a richochet shot...)

According to Ashley Gullen of Scirra Software: "Developers want to publish their creations everywhere - from their websites to iOS and Android and the upcoming Windows 8 App Store - and preferably simultaneously. Construct 2 is the only tool which makes this painless with its HTML5-based engine, and the gorgeous new WebGL shader effects are the icing on the cake!"

Check out the video below for an introduction. Head on over to the Construct 2 website for more details.

Where To Get Best Judge Dredd Costumes?

It'll soon be Christmas (trust me - time flies) so then it'l be New Years Eve (trust me - I know about these things). New Years Eve means fancy dress parties and for me it'll be Judge Dredd (Judge Anderson when I'm hone alone but that's another story...).

Looking to get the most authentic Dredd costumes? I love the stuff Planet Replica make although it might be a little pricey for a night out on the lash.

They do the most amazing stuff (no, I am not affiliated with these guys - just a fan) with a complete Judge Dredd outfit setting you back 3000 million creds (or £1,995.00 in UK money) (plus you'll need to tip a delivery droid some extra creds).

An authentic Dredd Helmet (possibly makes the ultimate ashtray if turned upside down) comes in at less than 300 quid while a cool Law Giver (please do not attempt to rob your local post office with this) costs just £95.

Perhaps most exciting of all al the customised Judges name badges which are a snip at £60.00

 - now at last you too can bring justice to your hood and strike fear into out of control juveys and jay walkers everywhere - at least untill they start calling you Judge Twat.

Download Judge Dredd Wallpapers

C'mon - there's never been a better time to be a Dreddhead so don't just sit there with your PC or Mac looking un-zarjaz - go and download one of the official Judge Dredd Wallpapers.

I don't care if you are 45 years old - just do it, creep!
 

Simon Bisley Judge Dredd Cover

The Judge Dredd publicity machine has stepped up a gear over the past few weeks in the lead up to the much anticipated release of the new Dredd 3D film - surely global awareness of what has become one of Brit-Cit's most famous comic character's ever has never been greater?

Rebellion, the publisher's of 2000AD, are keen to give 2000AD plenty of exposure over the next few weeks to cash in on the interest in Dredd and part of that drive sees popular comic book artist Simon Bisley return to his roots with a Judge Dredd cover for 2000AD prog 1800.

(Comics Alliance have a full sized version of this cover here if you want to check out the details).

Bisley's Dredd is perhaps more grotesque than ever here while Mean Machine looks ever more cartoony.

Judge Anderson's butt is tighter than ever too!

For me this isn't one of Bisley's greatest pieces but what the hell, it's a new Bisley Dredd 2000AD cover at the end of the day - better than a poke in the eye with a toothbrush.

Comic Alliance  report that  "Publisher Rebellion describes Prog 1800 as a "massive" jumping on point for new 2000 AD readers, and is timed to release around the new Dredd live-action film starring Karl Urban..."

Judge Dredd Pinball Game

Whenever I hit the arcades on the south coast of England as a kid I always headed straight for the light gun shooters - however had I known there was a Judge Dredd Pinball machine I'd have no doubt pumped all my ten pence pieces into this bad boy!

I see these are going for over 2 grand on ebay! According to those in the know, Judge Dredd pinball game was manufactured by Bally in 1993 and 6990 units were produced. The game has a dot matrix screen, multiball, flippers (I should hope so), drop targets, 1 cannon and Kickback - sounds pretty awesome andthe reviews online are pretty positive.

Want this for Christmas but ain't going to get it! Want more information about the Judge Dredd pinball game? Check out this pinball website where there are loads of Dredd pinball screenshots, facts and comments.

The Coolest Comics - All Under One Roof!

One of the things I'm going to be writing about here at Coolest Crap is the coolest comics (maybe even one day I'll find some time to write about the crappiest comics!) - I'm not just talking about the mainstream comics from the big companies but the small press, the indie comics, specialist titles, one offs, oddities, clult classics, perversions and underground zines that deserve some exposure.

I also hope to be giving plenty of coverage to comic book conventions and fares (there just ain't enough hours in the day to cover everything I want to cover with this here blog!).

I'll get things started with a promotion for the Small Press Expo which is an event I'll sadly not be attending but can heartily recommend. Last years event was a huge success with over 3,000 attendees and exhibitors, plus printers, distributors, retailers, and other industry professionals.

The Small Press Expo has a fantastic line up of exhibitors this year (see the website for the full list of comic talent) so if you can, do check it out.

The Small Press Expo runs from Saturday Sept 15th and 16th. See the Small Press Expo website for full details.