Amazon Deal of the Day: 57% Off NCIS: Seasons 1-8 – $124.99 + Free Shipping

For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has NCIS: Seasons 1-8 for just $124.99 plus free shipping. That’s 57% off the box set’s usual retail price of $289.98.

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it’s a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team of special agents forced to work together in high-stress situations. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

-NCIS: Seasons 1-8 – $289.98 $124.99 (57% Off)

WTH Japan! – Mamba Girls

Warning: Video contains strong language.

I was going to write about a giant centipede whose bite causes neurological disorders, but then I saw this video on my Facebook feed.

I don’t even have words to describe this. This clip is from a 2009 flick called “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” and features a quadruplet group of ganguro / mamba girls, essentially Japanese chicks who wear incredibly dark makeup to emulate black people. Normally, they’re just creepy looking. This takes it to a whole new level.

Ganguro / Mamba fashion was popular in the early part of 2000. It should be noted that this video is just a parody of that trend. It is also a prime example of just how other cultures interpret each other. Do all Japanese people think this way? Of course not. Though according to a friend who went there, and was constantly hounded for his signature (6’2 black man, so he OBVIOUSLY played basketball, or so the locals thought), dark skin people are generally revered in the Land of the Rising Sun.

It’s been a long week. Laugh, roll your eyes, or shake your head and ask yourself, “What the Hell, Japan?!”

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Amazing Star Wars “Starships and Fighters” Clock [Pic]

An absolutely beautiful Star Wars-themed clock by Etsy user YOUgNeek.

This beautiful clear and chrome Sterling and Noble clock boasts 12 AUTHENTIC vintage classic Action Fleet Micro Machine battleships and vessels. They are hand finished in a black and silver pewter-like color. Each Star Wars Starships and Fighters clock is YOU gNeek and one-of-a-kind. If you have some favorite ships or vehicles in mind, let me know so I can include them if I have them in stock. Time to do battle! Requires one AA battery (not included – I use to include them but it made shipping more expensive a couple times).

[Star Wars Clock Starships and Fighters Clock]

Nokia targets developing world… and cheapskates

Nokia is targeting what it is calling the “next billion” smartphone users with a couple of handsets that start from $45 without a contract. The specs on the phones won’t wow many buyers in major markets, but
the handsets do just about qualify as smartphones.

The phones are targeted mainly at locations such as India and the Far East that have huge populations that, while not as affluent as in some markets, are steadily becoming better off and ready to buy gadgets, though they might be an option for those on a tight budget.

The devices run Nokia’s own operating system and appear to be aimed as much at people on pre-paid plans who pay for data by usage as they are at the traditional smartphone market. All four handsets run a special Nokia mobile browser that supposedly pares down websites to use as little as 10 percent of the data of the full-blown version.

How much it cuts data use in practice remains to be seen and may depend on the type of content, but for those on a budget, it might make plans with particularly stingy data allowances viable.

The smartphone classification comes from the fact that the phones access Nokia’s own app store allowing users to download and install applications. Built-in apps and shortcuts include Facebook, Twitter and instant messaging. The handsets come with 40 free games including Tetris, Monopoly and Bejewelled.

Most of the rest of the hardware is more reminiscent of that found in what are usually called featurephones. The camera is VGA, the display is just 1.8 inches, and the main storage is via an SD card slot. There is a Bluetooth connection as well.

One particularly notable feature is a dual-SIM slot. That means you can use SIM cards from two different operators or plans and switch between them without having to open up the phone or restart the system. That could be particularly useful for people who want or need to have their data use on a separate tariff, those in areas with patchy signals, or those who go abroad a lot.

While one model is only available in Europe and Asia, the rest should be available worldwide.