ODDEND.COM

FLCL

Martin Kool — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:21:03 +0000

Long story short, this 6 episode anime series blew my mind. People new to anime may find FLCL overwhelming but it is nevertheless one to put at the top of your list. I often scan sites such as AnimeNewsNetwork for high rated series but FLCL somehow always slipped through.

FLCL—also known as ‘Fooly Cooly’ or ‘Furi Kuri’—is a story about adulthood, however not at all told using conventional concepts. The story starts off with a strange encounter between the somewhat cynical 6th grade boy “Naota” and “Haruko”, a strange girl swinging a Rickenbacker guitar and riding a Vespa. What follows it downright weird, but almost solely experienced as such by you, the viewer.

The series is short, fast paced, and often immerses you in completely bizarre scenes. Rather than being negative aspects, these actually contribute to the whole and build on a strong foundation of a beautiful animation style and an uplifting soundtrack.

FLCL is, regardless of its appearance, definitely a sophisticated series and should appeal to anyone who is looking for unconventional storytelling. Check out the trailer, but don’t cast it aside until you’ve seen at least the first two episodes.

Double click?

Martin Kool — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:09:54 +0000

Web users don’t double click. On the web you have to alert users when a double click is required to interact.

GanttProject

Martin Kool — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:48:47 +0000

GanttProject is a good, free tool if you don’t need the maze of features that Microsoft Project is drenched in.

Studio E-Space

Martin Kool — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:40:09 +0000

I love the STUDIO E-SPACE website and how they brought everything to life without making the content secondary or resorting to Flash animation. Well, I think they did… my Japanese is a bit rusty… Do click, because the illustrations are wonderful.

Entertainment Update December 2007

Martin Kool — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:50:29 +0000

I am watching Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break and Heroes.

Assassin’s Creed rocked mi sox, Halo 3 not so much, still not sure about Mass Effect but time will tell.

Superbad was hilarious. I also recommend Mr. Brooks and Reign Over Me, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I am disappointed by I Am Legend.

Alan Berliner

Martin Kool — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:38:54 +0000

Note to self: You watched a pretty interesting documentary by Alan Berliner who explores his insomnia.

Season greetings

Martin Kool — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:18:59 +0000

A little late, but happy holidays. I wish you all a safe and healthy 2008!

Shifting Responsibility

Martin Kool — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:55:41 +0000

I accidentally came across a news article from 2006 about how Drachten stripped its streets from traffic lights to increase safety. And it works. The concept relies on shifting responsibility back from the government to the driver. Because drivers are no longer lead by the hand, they approach junctions with more care and are more aware of others. Although it does sounds like it’s nothing a little road rage can’t undo, as the level of safety does require certain amount of respect for your peers.

Were you looking for Google AdSense?

Martin Kool — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:13:59 +0000

I frequently confuse Google AdWords with Google AdSense. Just now I noticed how Google kindly asks me if I’m looking for Google AdSense when I log in at Google AdWords. Of course they also ask me if I want an AdWords account and are eager to tell me more about it, but it’s nice to see a web service that tries to help me along when I get all confused. It is much friendlier than getting an error thrown saying something like “no such AdWords account exists”. Of course both pages look so much alike it’s bound to happen to many of us, but I do like Google’s solution.

Firebug

Martin Kool — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:03:37 +0000

In addition to the web developer toolbar, Firebug is a must have Firefox add-on for developers.