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spokeart:

“In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose, and in the end, we get it all.” Robert De Niro - Casino

criminalwisdom:

SHOOTERS: HOW VIDEO GAMES FUND ARMS MANUFACTURERS»

The American confectionery company Victoria Sweets claims to have invented the candy cigarette. A thin stick of chocolate, wrapped in edible paper and designed to impersonate a roll-up, it debuted in 1915 and soon became the accessory of choice for children keen to play grown-up. Hollywood star, GI Joe, team captain: the sweet gave kids the chance try out one of the vogue props of adulthood.

Within 20 years it was so popular that cigarette companies began to take notice. Leading brands such as Marlboro, Winston and Salem authorised their packaging designs for use on millions of candy cigarette boxes. One confectioner of the period touted the sweet’s “tremendous advertising factor to coming-up cigaret smokers.”

The marketing of imitation adult products to children in the hope they will blossom into customers of the genuine article is widespread. The video game presents further opportunities for manufacturers to target young people. Toyota and Nissan work with racing game developers to show off their vehicles as pristinely desirable. Nike and Adidas position their logo on virtual boots. Gibson licenses plastic versions of its guitars in the hope players will progress from the coloured buttons of the peripheral to the nickel-wound strings of a Les Paul.

And Barrett, creator of the M82, a shoulder-fired, .50-caliber semi-automatic sniper rifle, hopes that the appearance of its weapon in a video game will, in time, turn young players into gun owners.

(Source: Metafilter)

lefigaro-photos:

Red Storm. This photo shows a towering red dust storm over the ocean ahead of the cyclone approaching Onslow on the West Australian coast. Tug boat worker Brett Martin, who captured the fearsome pictures 25 nautical miles from the town of Onslow, reported conditions were glassy and flat before the storm.

Tempête rouge. Cette incroyable image montre une gigantesque tempête de poussière rouge sur l’océan avançant en direction de la côte ouest de l’Australie tout droit vers la ville de Onslow. L’employé du bateau, Brett Martin, a pris cette effrayante image à 25 miles environ des côtes australiennes où les conditions météos sont pour l’instant tout à fait normales et paisibles.

PHOTOGRAPHER : AFP PHOTO / Brett MARTIN / Perth Weather Live

good:

Best of 2012: The Five Most Extraordinary Things to Happen in Education
- Nikhil Goyal wrote in Education

It’s been quite an incredible year in the education space. While we’ve witnessed a surge in the number of politicians with no education experience make decisions on how schools should run and a wider adoption of nonsensical ideas like the “flipped classroom” and value-added teacher evaluations, there have been some memorable, equation-changing events and initiatives that have emerged.

So, let’s highlight five of the most extraordinary things that happened in education in 2012:

1. The Students Speak Out
2. Alternatives to Higher Education
3. Caine’s Arcade
4. Chicago Teachers Strike
5. Massively Open Online Courses—MOOCs

Continue reading on good.is

Illustration by Corinna Loo

good:

The Best Smart Products of 2012
- Jill Nussbaum wrote in Technology, Design and Creativity

The year 2012 marks a coming-of-age for physical devices that are designed for a connected world. Created with digital at their core, these products are not “digitally enhanced” or merely gadgets for Dad on Father’s Day (although some could be). They are truly useful, elegantly designed, and in the case of the consumer products, are things that once you start using, it’s hard to imagine life without them.

This latest crop of digital products truly improves the way we live—from helping you get healthier, to saving energy, and even helping those who help others, like first responders. Here are a few of my favorites that were released this year, along with a couple that were just announced. The year 2013 will be an interesting test to see how these products fare in the marketplace, and with New Year’s optimism, I’m very much looking forward to it.

• Philips Hue
• Nike+ Fuelband
• Nest
• Little Printer
• Bounce Imaging
• Tinké

Continue reading on good.is

Illustration by Corinna Loo