Central Perk

luni, 30 septembrie 2013

Damn Cool Pics

Ghost Towns Around the World
Paris Then and Now: 1900-2013 in Photos
Popular Comic Books Get Mashed Up With Lamps
Awesome Airplane Paint Jobs

Ghost Towns Around the World

Posted: 30 Sep 2013 12:36 PM PDT

Photos of ghost towns around the world. You can google the town's name to read its story.

Dallol, Ethiopia

Nova Cidade de Kilamba Kilamba, Angola

Kolmanskop, Namibia

Taverga, Libya

Pomona, Namibia

Svalbard, Norway

Charly-Oradour, France

Kayaks, Turkey

Great Blasket Island

Village Pegrema, Karelia, Russia

Pripyat, Ukraine

San Zhi , Taiwan

Paris In China: Tianducheng

Ghost City of Chenggong near Kunming, China

Ghost City of Chenggong near Kunming, China
Read more at http://acidcow.com/pics/51103-ghost-towns-around-the-world-85-pics.html#XiOu4kytsW5M4wK5.99

Centralia, PA

Plymouth, Montserrat

Bodie, California

Fordlandia, Brazil

Chaiten, Chile

Grytviken, South Georgia

Paris Then and Now: 1900-2013 in Photos

Posted: 30 Sep 2013 10:54 AM PDT

Paris in the early 1900s vs Paris today.

Paris in the early 1900s vs Paris today.
Read more at http://acidcow.com/pics/51107-paris-then-and-now-26-pics.html#mUXWvuBrJJPtGKkC.99

Paris in the early 1900s vs Paris today.
Read more at http://acidcow.com/pics/51107-paris-then-and-now-26-pics.html#mUXWvuBrJJPtGK

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Posted: 30 Sep 2013 10:11 AM PDT

At EliteFixtures.com, they think lamps are pretty super. Charged with the power of electricity, they can brighten a room with a single bulb and dispel shadows from the darkest corners. There is nowhere to hide from the Power of the Light! Which got us thinking… what would happen to our favorite comic heroes in a face-to-lamp showdown? Here's how we imagined it:

View Entire List >>

Awesome Airplane Paint Jobs

Posted: 30 Sep 2013 10:03 AM PDT

Airplanes with amazing paint jobs.

Turning the lights off

If the United States government shuts down tonight and our economy takes a hit, it will be because House Republicans let it happen.

Right now, there's a bill sitting in the House that funds the government for a few more weeks. It doesn't demand the repeal or delay of the health care law, or deny women access to birth control, or include any other failed, partisan proposals. It funds the government. That's it. And if Republican leadership allowed a simple yes or no vote on this bill -- like the Senate has -- it would get enough support from members of both parties to pass.

Instead, the government that these Republicans were elected to fund will close down and that will hurt our economy. Americans across the country won't be allowed to show up for work. Paychecks could be delayed, meaning some folks will have to cut back on groceries or maybe even not pay a few bills. Businesses will have fewer customers. Veterans won't get services they rely on -- and it will put benefits for seniors at risk.

Even though they've already voted over 40 times to defund or delay the health care law, this group of Republicans in Congress is so obsessed with the idea of sabotaging Obamacare that they're willing to take the economy hostage to do it.

Take a look at how this shutdown will affect millions of Americans -- and then make sure you share it so other folks know, too.

President Obama has said time and time again that he's willing to work with folks on both sides of the aisle to grow our economy and even improve the health care law. But using the threat of government shutdown or defaulting on the bills our country owes is reckless and irresponsible.

In fact, shutting down the government won't stop Obamacare. The Health Insurance Marketplace will still open for business starting tomorrow, without delay.

Washington needs to stop manufacturing crises and focus on the issues that matter: creating jobs and building a strong middle class. Taking our economy over the cliff just to score political points isn't fair to the millions of Americans who show up every day to work and do their jobs. It’s time for Congress to do its job.

Make sure you know exactly who this shutdown is directly affecting and then pass it on.

Thanks,

David

David Simas
Deputy Senior Advisor
The White House
@Simas44

P.S. -- You'll still be able to sign up for affordable health insurance on HealthCare.gov starting tomorrow, shutdown or no shutdown.

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Applying for Health Insurance Just Got Easier

Watch Live

President Obama delivers a statement from the Briefing Room at 4:45 PM ET. Watch the President's statement here.

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Applying for Health Insurance Just Got Easier

On October 1, millions of Americans will have a simple new way to get affordable health coverage: the Health Insurance Marketplace.

With one application, you'll be able to compare all your coverage options side-by-side, learn if you can get lower costs based on your income, and enroll in a plan that fits your needs and your budget. In fact, the new application is so simple that it's 17 pages shorter than the current application you'd fill out to enroll in coverage in the individual market.

Find out more about signing up for affordable health insurance.

Seth's Blog : Q&A What's the problem with weird?

Q&A What's the problem with weird?

Our series continues with We Are All Weird.

I'm still sort of amazed at how deeply ingrained our antipathy to this word is. It makes audiences a little nervous when I talk about the death of normal and the rise of weird. And it makes many people uncomfortable to describe their habits as a bit weird.

The thing is, though, that the only prospects you care about, the only people you have a shot of reaching, the only people who are going to use your service or join your tribe are weird. And everyone is weird, at least sometimes.

Twenty five percent of the population is a landslide in most modern elections. You don't need everyone to vote for you, just the weird people who care.

Thanks to Joe Mehnart for inspiring this riff.

Mr. Standard over there, precisely average height, average build, average job, average family... he's normal, except when it comes to fantasy football. And then he's off the charts. He subscribes to data services and scans magazines and even roots against the hometown team when his players are on some other team.

He shouldn't be ashamed of this passion--it's a passion, it makes his life interesting. And the marketers that seek him out shouldn't waste one minute on people who don't like fantasy football when there are so many people just like him.

And Ms. Normal over there, precisely fitting in on every measure, well, she's weird about Kiva. She is entranced by their model and loves the feeling she gets when she donates or finds a loan repaid. She gives her friends Kiva gift certificates and chats about them online...

Is it weird to find so much energy and connection over an online charity? Weird in the sense of not in the mainstream, sure. But there's no shame in finding your passion--in fact, it's those that seek to be normal at all times that have an issue as far as I can tell.

The thesis of my book is simple: in a world of mass production and mass advertising and mass conformance, the only smart strategy was to make average stuff for average people. But in a world of the long tail, of micro-tribes, of passions amplified, there are now more weird people than ever before.

Amazingly, despite the obvious proof that the weird are your potential market, we still spend most of our time talking about reaching and keeping the masses happy.

All that pressure from middle school (don't stand out!) combined with all that pressure from Wall Street (be like Walmart!) means that our instinct is to serve the disinterested masses by making something that's pretty average. The problem is that the disinterested masses are ever better at ignoring your ads, and they won't seek you out because, of course, normal people have no trouble satisfying their average needs.

The future increasingly belongs to those that care enough to make products and services for those that care.

PS here's the original cover of the book, which can be found inside the dust jacket of the hardcover (which now costs less than $6). I ended up having to flip it around because, ironically enough, my partner refused to put this image on the cover. I met the man in the photo and spent some time with him a few years ago. Even though I celebrate the yogi as a hero inside the book, they were worried that people would think it was too weird. Sigh.