TOM ARTHUR
I'm Tom Arthur and I live to find out how stuff works. Bicycles, beards & firemen aren't too bad either.
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Posts
- Thanks, Tumblr, for getting rid of backdating posts for no apparent reason
yeah WTF? It messed up my blog about what I did today because the stupid app didn’t finish posting on the 23rd. Rawr.
They got rid of timestamping, so now I can’t backdate posts so more important posts for the day appear at the top of my beer blog.
Tumblr: becoming less and less useful for me by the day.
We are closing that part of the Design byMe service that allows you to order your digital models in real bricks.
LEGO.com DesignByMe : News - Changes to Design byME in January
I went to check online about improving my Lego Great Movie Ride Tram… sad that they are closing this service. It’s really difficult to find the exact parts you need for a custom design. :(
Yesterday I had the displeasure of spending some time at Bubble Beach Laundromat in Santa Monica. Mind you that there isn’t anything specifically wrong with this laundromat, other than the non-functional change machines and broken machines.
But why do laundromats suck so much? It seems like there is such potential for Tom’s Laundromat of the Future™
I imagine a laundromat that has three parts:
- laundromat
- coffee shop (not a crappy one) / bar
- NFC/RFID based payment & preference saving appliances
It’s a community center instead of a drab and depressing place where you go to sanitize your clothing / get rid of those pesky santorum stains. Naturally, there are some places where this type of thing would work (san francisco) and others where it wouldn’t (irvine).
Rather than using coins or those super annoying stored value ‘smart cards’ you would be encouraged to use NFC capable phones or place a RFID sticker on the back of their phone. Online, you set up a payment method & customize washing & drying preferences (maybe even automatic detergent dispensing). So, when you go to place your clothing in the washer, you simply hold your phone to the machine to pay & activate with your preferred settings.
With this type of networking, you could even have the system automatically text when it’s time to switch items to the dryer, or offer to have your clothing moved from the washer to dryer for a couple dollars. Naturally, you could use your phone/tag to order your favorite drink as well.
I don’t think any of this is that far off… it just needs to be designed to benefit the user. These ‘solutions’ produced by the giant machine manufacturers seem to benefit everyone but the person washing their clothing.
#att #rethinkpossible now that they have all but eliminated unlimited data, I’m always in the top 5% just for using my phone normally — #attsucks #notreallyunlimited #bs (Taken with instagram)
Lights Out: Ryan. AKA YouTuber 95Camry4Life, lives next door to neighbors who happen to enjoy having rather loud intercourse on a regular basis.
Rather than get upset and ask them to quiet down their coitus, Ryan has decided to put their bumping and grinding to good use by challenging himself to complete random timed tasks with his neighbors’ humping noises acting as the stopwatch.
In the first “Thin Wall Challenge” (above), Ryan attempts to blow as many balloons as he can before the sex sounds stop.
Below: The Thin Wall Challenge ante gets upped: If he can’t bounce five quarters into a cup before the beast with two backs quits huffing and puffing, Ryan will shock himself with a taser.
Can he flip before they flop? Let’s watch.
[thanks meg!]
(^^^ aw they thanked me!) You’re welcome, The Daily What! Is it weird that making this guy internet popular is my proud moment of the day? Maybe, but he seems like a nice, creative, and funny guy. Well done, sir. And I hope you get a ton of views.
Yay meg!
Neat program for recording data about things you do.There are tools to sync the data with video or make stuff with Processing using the CSV file of the data.
It doesn’t run in the background (sadly) so it won’t replace latitude.
But this could be pretty neat to try out at Disneyland? (via AntiMap | Creative toolset for recording & visualising data)
I’m humbled by this amazing group of people. Thank you for everything. (Taken with Instagram at Media Arts Lab)
…you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
Tomorrow is my last day at MAL.
The path that we’re on isn’t always clear. And I’m beginning to accept that even if you try to control and understand everything, you just can’t always know where the dots are leading you.
It seems I was lead to this place at exactly the right time. I can’t articulate the importance of the magical experiences & people I’ve met in the last year.
However, people & events aligned to tell me this is right moment to take a risk, to go out and try something I’ve wanted to do forever. I believe I’m finally ready to overcome the mental barrier that has been impeding my ability to make things… To figure out what those things may create… To accept that this is what makes me, me.
It’s time to jump.
I’m tombot to some, tomarthur to others, often a goof, overly humble and incredibly stubborn at the same time. I can’t accept things for the way they are and I want to bring good things to life.
You know I’m not usually one to quote people. But I feel like I’m finally understanding what Steve was trying to tell us:
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your hear tand intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
Here we go.
This fast company article mentions of some of my favorite experiences: In-N-Out, IKEA, the new Virgin America terminal at SFO and of course Indiana Jones.
Thoughts like this make SO much sense to me… how the preamble/overture sets up how you feel about the entire experience. Maybe this is part of why the new Star Tours seemed amazing & the new Little Mermaid attraction was disappointing.
Star Tours requires you to walk through an incredibly immersive queue [although i’m not sure what the new carpet is about]:
On the other hand, I was shoved right into an omnimover shell without any explanation at The Little Mermaid [I know the mural gives a synopsis of the story, but the speed of the loading process, & openness & proximity to the outside didn’t’ really give me a moment to look closely at it – compare that to The Haunted Mansion where you’re primed by the expanding room & hallway before loading.]
It didn’t help that the show was loud with major audio intrusions from scene to scene & the set looked so bare (not helped by the huge rider envelope).
Anyway, it seems like these little details are missing from a lot of newer experiences… bare dry wall & crappy florescent high hat recessed lights from home depot come to mind.
I’m excited to see these [seemingly unimportant] details to come back at Disney [themed exit signs! yay!] … but there are so many subpar experiences that still need help. Right?
(via 6 Secrets To Branding, Ripped From “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” | Co.Design)
How many of us have dreamed of leaving our current jobs to do what we really want to do? And yet, not many of us have actually left the safety of what we do daily unless forced out by layoffs and downsizing.
Congrats, asshole. You have the most dislikes of any YouTube video. Ever.
Also, nice jacket, but Heath wore it better….
bringing good things to life
Have what it takes to be a #GE Instagram #photographer? Now’s your chance - enter to win a trip to the UK to shoot at a world-class GE #Aviation facility. To submit, snap an Instagram photo inspired by the ways GE works in the world - Moving, Curing, Powering and Building - and tag it #GEinspiredME. Your pic will be entered into a gallery on Facebook where everyone can vote for their favorite shots. Top vote-getters will become finalists and a panel of judges will select the winner. Track your photos and check out submissions on the GE Facebook page - http://on.fb.me/rY8xRZ. Get shooting and good luck! #photography #technology (Taken with instagram)
Every hotel should have an articulating robot arm to store your luggage. Take that, W!
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Info
- Jr. Planner at TBWA\Media Arts LabMarketing and Advertising | Greater Los Angeles Area, USSummaryWhat makes me tick? The constant desire to find out how stuff works.Experience
- Jan 2011 - Dec 2011Jr. Planner / TBWA\Media Arts Lab
- Jun 2010 - Jul 2010Social Media Intern / BrandtailersSupported account services department with client’s social media needs by identifying threats and opportunities in user generated content surrounding client’s brands. I also analyzed campaigns and translated anecdotal/qualitative data into recommendations and revisions
- Jan 2010 - May 2010Document Control Contractor / Walt Disney ImagineeringOrganized & updated Slide Library and Show Quality Standards Library archives in preparation for relocation of collections.
- Oct 2009 - Apr 2010Lead Strategist - Media Team / Circle Advertising, National Student Advertising Competition TeamI worked with a team of 50 others to develop and implement a media strategy that acknowledges and embraces that media includes all interactions between a brand and its audience. Our work contributed to Chapman University's Circle Advertising team winning 1st place at the NSAC District 15 competition.
- Mar 2008 - Nov 2008Creative Intern: Information Research Center / Walt Disney Imagineering
- Oct 2007 - Mar 2008Disney's Photopass Photographer / Disneyland Resort
- Jul 2007 - Sept 2007Returns Co-Worker / IKEA
- Jan 2007 - Jun 2007Technical Photographer Professional Intern / Walt Disney World
- 2007 - 2007College Program Campus Representative / Disneyland Resort
- Mar 2006 - Jan 2007Disney College Program Participant | The Great Movie Ride, Attractions Host / Walt Disney World
- Nov 2004 - Jan 2006Fantasyland Attractions Host / Disneyland Resort
- Sept 2001 - Jun 2004Technical Director & Intern / Skyline Theater Company
Education-
2004 - 2010Chapman UniversityPublic Relations and Advertising in Film Production, Photography
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Photos
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Tweets
- #ticketmaster is such a #scam… how magical that in less than 30 minutes they are 'sold out' and there are hundreds of seats on StubHub
- Photoset: Today I went to the doctor & got antibiotics, rested in bed, finished this week’s Code Year... http://t.co/nS4bhE1w
- Photoset: Today I did laundry for the first time since January 15, saw people from many lives at... http://t.co/r8yB4Gjk
- Photo: Today I woke up before the sun, took Stanley’s mom on a tour of Disneyland to see nothing in... http://t.co/EhrDXz2v
- at @starbucks. I want to tell the man next to me to put down the PowerPoint. #powerpointhorrors just wait till these people make iBooks :(
- @jctucker yes I made the phone call.
- Video: Today I started I wanted an arduino project I wanted to create since last October, watched Hulu &... http://t.co/5MOPek0o
- Photo: Today I woke up at noon, tried to fix my car dock, had lunch with Stanley and spent the evening with... http://t.co/iCzCTDAo
- Photoset: Today I managed crisis, felt like a zombie during the light part of the day and tried to cheer... http://t.co/jwByjsON
- @twelpforce @agent3012 you are aware that this is become beyond absurd. does anyone at #BestBuy take personal accountability?
- It works! #cheerlights green http://t.co/L2aewQXz
- Finally had time / figured out how to use my new Ethernet Shield to join #CheerLights Blue!
- Photo: Today I went on an LA adventure with my mom, Stanley’s mom & Stanley that included stops at... http://t.co/cxbEjFo0
- I just unlocked the “Flame Broiled” badge on @foursquare! Cheeseburgers all around! http://t.co/OwdzaTXu
- Photoset: Today my mom arrived in Santa Monica, I shared my love of IN-N-OUT with Stanley’s family & I... http://t.co/NKjfq3pI
- @Douglas_BBY sent!
- @twelpforce my online pickup is stuck in purgatory since the 4th. i'm pretty sure you're trying to make every best buy experience painful.
- blog.howtomworks.com & today.howtomworks.com taken down today via SOPA request
- Photo: Today I had lunch with Josh, had dinner with Stanley’s Family and reconstructed my Great Movie Ride... http://t.co/fBnk7was
- @PabShmear thanks for your kind support.
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Posts
- Jan 27, 12
codeyear badges
IN-N-OUT
PonokoToday I went to the doctor & got antibiotics, rested in bed, finished this week’s Code Year assignment & sent my first prototype 2D design to be laser cut by Ponoko.
I also ate IN-N-OUT with Stanley and I have more points on Codecademy than him.
- Jan 26, 12
stanley wearing prada sunglasses
doing laundryToday I did laundry for the first time since January 15, saw people from many lives at Intelligentsia & had dinner with Stanley & his mom.
- Jan 25, 12
Today I woke up before the sun, took Stanley’s mom on a tour of Disneyland to see nothing in particular.
I saw Katie, David, Mike, Ryan & Nick (+ et al) at Disneyland too!
- Jan 23, 12
Today I learned more about coding and had dinner with Stanley & his mom.
- Jan 22, 12[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]
Today I started an arduino project I wanted to create since last October, watched Hulu & hung out with Dylan, Stanley & Stanley’s Mom.
- Jan 21, 12
Today I woke up at noon, tried to fix my car dock, had lunch with Stanley and spent the evening with Chris at Disneyland.
- Jan 20, 12
Today I managed crisis, felt like a zombie during the light part of the day and tried to cheer both people & lights in the evening.
(I finally hooked up the Ethernet Shield and the GE G35 light set. No farther on making any other projects with the lights)
- Jan 19, 12
Today I went on an LA adventure with my mom, Stanley’s mom & Stanley that included stops at intelligentsia, the Craft & Folk Art museum (which was closed) and an alternate experience at the La Brea Tar Pits.
I also angered a driver by politely waving & smiling at her after she illegally passed me on Main Street in Santa Monica.
- Jan 18, 12
Today my mom arrived in Santa Monica, I shared my love of IN-N-OUT with Stanley’s family & I completed this week’s programming lessons on Codecademy.
I also blocked out my blog to fight this SOPA bs, purchased some additional books about arduino from amazon & watched two television programs on Hulu.
- Jan 17, 12
Today I had lunch with Josh, had dinner with Stanley’s Family and reconstructed my Great Movie Ride Tram when I became oddly productive in the evening.
I also learned that I’m an intense Frisbee player on Geof’s phone, fixed my headphones with Sugru & went through my lockbox and cleared out excess paperwork/rediscovered some keepsakes from the not so distant past. Now I remember why I used to not get up until noon, I’m much more productive in the evening.
- Jan 16, 12
Today I drove Stanley’s mom & aunt to the fashion district and walked around the somewhat dystopian streets of downtown LA, while listening to the soundtrack of UP.
I also rode my bike to tender greens to have dinner with Stanley, watched an episode of 30 rock & talked with Dylan in person and Geof on the phone.
- Jan 15, 12
Today I was late out of bed, visited Target, discovered where the republic fleet hides, was inspired by the laundromat and introduced Stanley to arduino with Dylan.
- Jan 14, 12
Today I took Stanley’s mom & aunt on an exciting journey into
the moviesthe LA fashion district. - Jan 13, 12
Today I created a blog to quantify what I do with my days in 2012 & I had dinner with Stanley’s family.
- Jan 12, 12
Today I spent the day with Stanley’s Mom & Aunt exploring Santa Monica and getting to know each other.
We enjoyed an epic 2 hour drive to eat a cheesy dinner at Cube and went to Griffith Observatory to see the city & observe the future. I saw Jupiter through a huge telescope!
- Jan 11, 12
Where I drove today
Open TrenchToday I had lunch with Nathalie (who I had not seen in forever!), walked Lillie, unpacked the last box & welcomed Stanley’s Mom & Aunt to California.
(I also got a haircut & carwash)
- Jan 10, 12
Today I took my friends Jon Michael & Jenny’s dog Lillie out for an adventure.
We went to the dog park, met Stanley for lunch & took a nap. I like being a dog uncle… maybe it will be time to adopt a dog again soon.
- Jan 10, 12
Today I unpacked all but 1 box at Stanley & my apartment.
That was intense! Stanley has a lot of towels.
- Jan 09, 12
Today I finished the move in with Stanley with an epic u-haul adventure and went to Disneyland with Stanley, Chris & Dylan. (then Mike & David came too!)
It was my favorite day of the year so far. OhLife reminded me that I met Dylan for the first time on Jan 8 2010.
- Jan 08, 12
IKEA doesn't allow pooping here
AT&T SucksToday I went to Burbank and finally introduced my friend Chris to Stanley.
We all went to IKEA & had a tiring retail experience at the Americana (at brand™) & the Glendale Galleria. AT&T punished me for using my unlimited data plan.
I also learned how to use Sugaru to attach the gopano to the case more securely.
