Thursday, January 31, 2008

Everything Poops


Nothing succeeds like completely juvenile humor! (via Fuzzytopia)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Night of the Living Dead



From Wikipedia:

Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 black-and-white independent horror film directed by George A. Romero. Early drafts of the script were titled Monster Flick, but it was known as Night of Anubis and Night of the Flesh Eaters during production.[1] The film stars Duane Jones as Ben and Judith O'Dea as Barbra. The plot revolves around the mysterious reanimation of the dead and the efforts of Ben, Barbra and five others to survive the night while trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse.

Romero produced the film on the small budget of $114,000, but after a decade of theatrical re-releases it had grossed an estimated $12 million in the United States and $30 million internationally.[2][3] Night of the Living Dead was strongly criticized at the time of its release for its graphic content. In 1999 the Library of Congress entered it into the United States National Film Registry with other films deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important."[4]

Fun Links

Where are they now: the cast of M*A*S*H. Hint: they are either dead, painting pictures, or have a new movie coming out.

Puppy vs. Robot. 8-bit style.

I want to be a machine. (via Everlasting Blort)

Japanese emoticons are made to be seen upright instead of sideways, and they require more keystrokes. The results are delightful, but I’m afraid I’ll never learn how to do them in a hurry. What Japan Thinks has a list of the Top Thirty Japanese Emoticons, with explanations. (via Metafilter)

Oscarology: a system of astrology based on what movie won the Best Picture Oscar for the year you were born.

Grand Entrances (or) How I Got to the Prom.

16 Post-It Note art projects. It’s amazing what you can do with too much free time and a closet of office supplies.

Six Musicians With Pasts They Hope You'll Forget. No, not criminal records, just records that gave them a strangely different different image.

An ad to be aired during the Superbowl that will make you laugh and think. Don’t adjust your speakers. It was created by deaf artists for Pepsico.

The New Shapes of Garden Produce.

So I guess I got kicked off another My Little Pony Forum. (Thanks, Jan!)

That Asteroid


Phil Plait of Bad Astronomy Blog worked hard to counter the rumor that an asteroid would hit earth yesterday morning. He even posted an explanation on YouTube. However, IRONMANAustralia “fixed” that video.

In this leaked Top Secret footage Phil Plait tells the real story, before NASA edited it and no doubt forced him to post it on his blog in order to prevent the inevitable public panic.

Ha! At least the earth is still here today.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Around the Blogosphere

After going round and round with his hosting service, Jonco has a new website! Bookmark the new Bits and Pieces.

The Little Red Shoes. Old Guy saw a picture of these shoes on a friend’s blog and was inspired to write this story of the little girl who cherished them.

Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy is a finalist for the 2008 Bloggies! He’s up for Best Canadian Blogger. So go vote for him!

Simply Left Behind has a rundown of the design of the new Bush Presidential Library.

xkcd comes out as a political animal. Who knew?

Here’s your chance to win Apelad’s new book Meet the Laugh Out Loud Cats. Just come up with the funniest caption for this photo at Neatorama.

Bonanza Jellybean has aroused from her blogging coma, and is now posting at Dinkin Mess. Again.

Voytek, the Soldier Bear

An Iranian bear was adopted by Polish troops in World War II. Named Voytek, the bear was enlisted in order to be transferred to Italy with his unit.

"He was just like a dog - nobody was scared of him," said Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, who still lives near the site of the camp.

"He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer - he drank a bottle of beer like any man."

Voytek even helped load ammunition and supplies at the Battle of Monte Cassino. After the war, Voytek spent the rest of his days in Scotland at the Edinburgh Zoo. Now a campaign has been launched to build a permanent memorial for the “the Soldier Bear” in Scotland.

Read Voytek’s story. See more pictures of Voytek.

Good Reads

The Wonderful World of Early Computing. Humans have been crunching numbers with the aid of gadgets thousands of years before computer chips!

An Illustrated History of Trepanation. The illustrations aren’t as bad as you might think, but it’s still not for the squeamish.

A medical breakthrough may allow transplant patients to live without anti-rejection drugs. Essentially, they are getting a transplant of the donor’s immune system as well as the organ.

5 Nastiest U.S. Presidential Elections in History.

Circular Altruism: a look at the mathematical formulas of human choices. This will make you think. (via The Fourth Checkraise)

10 Ways We Get the Odds Wrong. We tend to worry about the wrong things, but it just means we’re human. (via the Presurfer)

Top 30 Tips for Staying Productive and Sane While Working From Home. Too late for me, I’ve already gone insane.

How to be Happy, According to Confucius. Boiled down to seven steps, it all makes perfect sense.

Most strokes occur when blood vessels in the brain get clogged. Medicine now has a tiny little vaccuum cleaner they can send in to unstop them.

Top 60 Little-Known Technology Web Sites (actually 63). (via Geek Like Me)

I Want to be Sedated -The Young at Heart Chorus


(via Everlasting Blort)

Monday, January 28, 2008

Detour


"He went searching for love... but Fate forced a DETOUR to Revelry... Violence... Mystery!" Chance events trap hitch-hiker Al Roberts in a tightening net of film noir trouble. Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, written by Martin Goldsmith, based on his novel, 1945.

Space Shuttle Challenger





















It was twenty-two years ago today that the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched for the last time. It exploded less thantwo minutes into the flight. The Texas Space Grant Consortium has a rundown on what happened that day, with an explanation on what went wrong. (via Fark)

Aboard were commander Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialist Judith A. Resnik, mission specialist Ronald E. McNair, mission specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis, and teacher-in-space Sharon Christa McAuliffe. You’ll find more on each crew member at NASA.

Alaska Wants to Stay Out



Alaska also knows that if she argues enough, she’ll get what she wants. (via Arbroath)

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Fun Links

YesButNoButYes is giving away a selection of fine chocolates for Valentines Day! Too bad I am ineligible. Deadline for entry is February 8th.

Macheads. Get ready for a movie about the Cult of Mac.

Seven strange and wonderful dishes.

Check out this collection of 13 very different pool designs. Just don’t tap dance in the glass-bottom pools!

Understanding art for geeks. 44 famous works of art from paulthewineguy includes additions of html, emoticons, and other computer-based elements.

Exactly what made David Banner so angry that he had to turn into the Hulk. (via Metafilter)

The Ten Greatest Dicks in American History.

Cluttered Desk. Wait long enough, and it will look like mine! (via Grow-A-Brain)

Johnny Five is back, and he’s developed a potty mouth. NSFW. (via Gorilla Mask)

How many times have you looked for a movie and found “Temporarily Unavailable” instead? Temporarily Unavailable seems to be quite a popular title, and it’s gotten some good (and bad) reviews. My favorite is “I found this film to be literally unwatchable.” (via b3ta)

Katnip Kollege


Merrie Melodies, from 1938. (via Boing Boing)

Friday, January 25, 2008

His Girl Friday


From Google video: Hilarious romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Russell is rough and tumble reporter looking to get out of the news racket by marrying and becoming a house wife after her divorce from newspaper publisher Grant. Just when she is about to leave town with her husband-to-be the still lovesick Grant drafts her to cover one final breaking news sensation. Directed by Howard Hawks, written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, 1940.

Links to Learn Something

The Coldest Places on Earth. And you think it’s cold where YOU are!

The Battle of Movie Weapons. 20th Century Fox commissioned a survey of moviegoers on their favorite weapon used in films. (via Geek Like Me)

7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and Actually Getting Stuff Done. I recognize good advice when I see it; I’d get somewhere if I could actually DO it!

Piecing Together the Dark Legacy of East Germany's Secret Police. Forty years of secret files are coming to light, including the shredded ones.

21 Money-Saving Sites from Around the Web.

"Weirdest" Animals to Get Conservation Attention. Good luck to the rare Hirola, the Bumblebee bat, and the Golden-rumped elephant shrew.

The Academy Award nominees, each with a link to more information. This is the time of year I always decide to watch more movies.

The super-secret Area 51 has a new name: Homey Airport. I am not making this up.

Wired celebrates the Macontosh’s 24th anniversary with a gallery of Apple's worst products. Can’t you just feel the love?

20 Foods To Snack On For Enhanced Productivity.

Nerds in Love


(via Everlasting Blort)

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Some Fun Links

Shirts and Skins. More than just a friendly game of basketball, THIS is DESIRE!

Ten Stunning Ultra-Geeky Home Cinemas, each designed around one favorite movie or movie series. Star Trek outnumbers Star Wars 3 to 1 here.

Bunnies in Prison. A collection of surreal animations about the misadventures of a couple of incarcerated bunnies. Scroll down and click on a video image. The site is in Japanese, but the videos have no dialogue. (via Militant Playtpus)

When gamers David and Elly got married, their friends designed a video game just for them. You can watch it as they first played it. (via Metafilter)

RoboPult! How To Make a vision-guided fireball-throwing catapult out of an ordinary industrial robot. (via Unique Daily)

A compilation video of people failing badly in whatever they are doing. Might be painful to watch, or it might give you the giggles. Or both.

14 really cool research facilities around the world. Posted in three parts, because everyone has their own favorite to suggest.

The Top 10 real life Star Trek inventions. (via Geek Like Me)

The Ultimate Cubicle Prank. The detail and craftsmanship are amazing -and these guys are obviously underutilized in their jobs.

Minding Rocco. A short creepy story that reinforces that children do not like clowns. Now I don’t, either.

Pussy on the Mat



A music video set to the song Pussy on the Mat by poet and singer Ivor Cutler, whom I never heard of before today. (via Arbroath)

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

They Made Me a Criminal


A movie that could have been a classic film noir takes an uplifting turn at the end, and actually restores a little faith in mankind. John Garfield stars as selfish boxing champ Johnnie Bradfield, on the lam for a bum murder rap. Winding up at an Arizona boys' camp, Johnnie hides out from the relentless Detective Phelan (Claude Rains), and becomes a reluctant role model for the troubled boys (including Dead End Kids Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, and Huntz Hall).

Just when you think you're watching a rehash of "Angels With Dirty Faces", the movie takes a turn you don't expect.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Information: It's good to Know

Ants build giant climate-controlled underground labyrinths, and scientists find a way to see what it looks like. And it’s quite a sight!

The 5 Most Horrifying Bugs in the World.

Roughly one in every 100 men (or 300 women) is a psychopath. Do you know one? Psychopathology is explained in frightening detail at Damn Interesting.

10 Traits To Be Perceived As A Winner! Alex Shalman put down in words exactly what I want to teach my children. (via Lifehacker)

10 Accidental Product Discoveries. Always keep your mind open when you are experimenting, because one of your mistakes may prove to be very useful for another purpose. (via the Presurfer)

America’s Plan to Invade Everyone. Including some history on our previous invasions of Canada.

The Top 10 real life Star Trek inventions. (via Geek Like Me)

The risk of death by blogging is quite low. But you are going to die someday of some cause, so here are 5 Things for Bloggers to Do Before Dying. (via Grow-A-Brain)

2008’s most desirable eco-gadgets. Ten green ideas that don’t cost as much as you’d think. (via the Presurfer)

Happy Birthday, YesButNoButYes!










YesButNoButYes is celebrating three years of bringing you strippers, streakers, comic books, and snarky political commentary. I was proud to be added to the roster of authors about a year and a half ago, and had fun making a little tribute for the occasion.

Fartman


I couldn't stop laughing at this! (via Neatorama)

Monday, January 21, 2008

Good Reads

What bloggers are saying about the FDA’s decision to allow cloned meat to be sold without identification in the US.

The most dangerous game reserve on earth. In Congo’s Virunga National Park, survival of the world’s gorillas depends on park rangers who risk their lives in a war zone.

A scientists looks at the causes of the Black Plague, parts one and two. Forensic diagnoses of patients 500 years in the past leads to lots of questions and several theories.

Science has discovered something every deejay and voiceover artist already knows: We can hear smiles. And we can even tell what kind of smile it is!

A specially designed polymer embedded with nanotubes could be the first synthetic skin with real sensitivity. This may lead to prosthetic limbs that deliver sensation and feedback.

How to rescue a wet cellphone. There’s no independent validation on whether this really works, but it’s the only advice for the situation I’ve seen.

5 fascinating ‘alternative’ school premises. Neccesity is the mother of invention for some of these, others are innovative modern design, but all are pretty cool ideas for schoolhouses.

The Library of Congress has uploaded 3,000 public domain photos to Flickr. This could keep you busy for days.

Learn how to travel the world and find free accomodations from a “professional hobo.” Here are eight websites to get you started.

How the web began. The short version of the first chapter of internet history.

I Have A Dream


The full speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Read more at Wikipedia.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Changes


Forget change. I want some folding money! (via Sadly, No!)

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Allan Melvin 1922-2008

Veteran character actor Allan Melvin died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 84. Or 85. You know how Hollywood is.

You may know Melvin best as Sam the Butcher from The Brady Bunch TV show. But that was only one of many roles. He got his show biz break on The Phil Silvers Show in the mid 50s, and was working until the mid 90s. Melvin was Sgt. Bilko’s sidekick Corporal Henshaw, Archie Bunker’s neighbor Barney, and played several roles on The Andy Griffith Show. He also had recurring roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Flintstones, Perry Mason, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C, and guest spots in a dozen more. His voiceover work can be heard in the animated series Magilla Gorilla, Scooby-Doo, Popeye and Son, and more. You'll find a list of his roles on IMDb. Even if you never knew his name, you know who he was.

The Cutie Bunch Friendly Pal Pack

Friday, January 18, 2008

My Favorite Brunette



From Wikipedia: My Favorite Brunette is a 1947 movie spoofing movie detectives and the film noir style. Starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, it also features Lon Chaney, Jr. playing Willie, a character based on his Of Mice and Men role Lennie; Peter Lorre as Kismit, a comic take on his many film noir roles; and cameo appearances by film noir regular Alan Ladd and Hope partner Bing Crosby. Hope plays a photographer who dreams about being a real private detective like his friend Sam McCloud (Ladd). One day he is mistaken for a detective by a mysterious lady in distress (Lamour) and soon finds himself involved in a murder mystery.

Entertaining Links

12 More Presidential Candidates to Keep Your Eye On.

The Best of the Bozeman Chronicle Police Reports. Unless you’re from Bozeman, Montana, you’ll have to read this to understand why it’s a gem of a blog. (via J-Walk Blog)

A video gallery of motorized skateboards. From chainsaw motors to rockets, they all look like deathtraps to me.

Real Life Super Heroes.

Karen is relocating and needs to sell her collection of elephants. She’s got all kinds: antiques, imports, household items, toys, all with elephants! I wish I could take them all. You might find something you really like.

Let the End Times Roll. Radar Online looks at ten different scenarios for the end of the world as we know it.

A video of Another Ordinary Day. Except it’s all backwards.

The Ultimate Corkscrew. (via Dark Roasted Blend)

8 Chimpanzee Stars, from Cheeta (who is still alive!) to Pankun and his dog.

In this video, Google’s parents are out of town and she throws a party, and many popular sites show up. Wikipedia takes notes, eBay wants to make a deal, Something Awful and eBaum’s World get into a fight, Facebook annoys everyone, Cracked tries to impress Digg, and YouTube gets it all on video.

Stayin’ Alive


The Young at Heart Chorus.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Addie Card

Photographer Lewis Hine spent a decade documenting child workers for the National Child Labor Committee in the early 20th century. His famous photos helped to outlaw child labor in America. Joe Manning has spent considerable time on a project to find out what happened to the children in the photographs, and is posting his findings. Among others is the story of how he uncovered the story of Addie Card, described in the Hines photo as “an anemic little spinner”. Manning began his search inspired by the work of author Elizabeth Winthrop.

How long did she work at the mill? Did she finish school? Did she have children? How long did she live? Could she have living descendants? Had she been aware of Hine's famous photo? That's what Elizabeth wanted to know - and at that moment, so did I. As a historian, author and genealogist, I had experienced the excitement of the hunt and the elation of turning over the right rock at the right time.

Manning found what he was looking for in the case of Annie Card, and it’s a fascinating story. He’s had varying levels of success for the other photo subjects in this ongoing project. (via Metafilter)

Bill Gates Last Day at Microsoft

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Teenager Makes Parents Proud (NOT)


Corey Delaney, also known as Corey Worthington of Melbourne, Australia threw a party while his parents were gone. It got out of hand, 500 people showed up, and eventually involved the police. Corey appeared on a news show to talk about it, but the desire to remain cool trumped his remorse. Gawker has a timeline tracking how the video became an instant worldwide viral sensation. I can laugh, because he's not MY kid!

The Flying Deuces


Laurel and Hardy, 1939. From IMDb: Oliver is heartbroken when he finds that Georgette, the inkeeper's daughter he's fallen in love with, is already married to dashing Foreign Legion officer Francois. To forget her, he joins the Legion, taking Stanley with him. Their bumbling eventually gets them charged with desertion and sentenced to a firing squad. They manage to escape in a stolen airplane, but crash after a wild ride.

Informative Links

Cliff Notes on the Stevenote: highlights of Steve Jobs’ speech at the Macworld Expo yesterday.

To reduce fuel consumption and help the environment, we should design cities for people instead of cars. The result? A better overall quality of life.

How a sewing machine really works. This simple graphic clears up what I’ve been wondering for many years.

Growing a new beating heart from stem cells. Imagine growing unrejectable replacement parts with our own stem cells using this method.

Did Christopher Columbus bring syphilis to Europe from the New World? Geneticists seem to think so, and there was that incriminating pandemic in Europe right after the explorer’s voyages.

How to asssert mind-control over customer service reps. There are ony 13 steps, but the most important is to stay calm.

How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry. The business deals behind it are as impressive as the phone itself.

Max Yasgur’s farm is for sale. Own a piece of history as the site of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival in upstate New York for a mere $8,000,000.

The world’s nicest low-income housing project is in Vienna. With schools and businesses included, it’s its own complete community.

The Moral Instinct. Science is struggling to clarify what morality is and how it should steer our actions. Just like philosophy has always tried to do.

Free Bird


From YouTube user Unclassical Piano, a 14-year-old who’s been playing by ear for eight years. He has plenty of other performance videos. (via Metafilter)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Robert Wadlow, the World’s Tallest Man



From Wikipedia:
Robert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940) is the tallest person in medical history for whom there is irrefutable evidence. He is often known as the "Alton Giant" because of his Alton, Illinois hometown.

Wadlow reached an unprecedented 8 feet 11.09 inches (2.72 m) in height and weighed 440 pounds (199 kg) at his death. His great size and his continued growth in adulthood was due to hypertrophy of his pituitary gland which results in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. He showed no indication of an end to his growth even at the time of his death.
(via Dark Roasted Blend)

Fun Links

How well do you know landmarks? In this quiz, you must guess what famous site you’re looking down on from overhead. I scored 90%! (via Bits and Pieces)

The World’s Highest Bungee Jump is 1108 feet! Watch the video if you dare.

The natural progression of American restaurant breakfasts. Denny's Introduces 'Just A Humongous Bucket Of Eggs And Meat' (via J-Walk Blog)

This bridge is closed to appease Godzilla.

You Bought What?! 10 Extraordinarily Peculiar eBay Purchases. I remember the wedding dress story; you’ve got to read that one!

Go ahead and order from the menu, it’s in English. (via Damn Interesting)

I Can Has Rezearch Papar? A history and analysis of internet culture. (via Metafilter)

The Ten Neatest Neatorama Articles of 2007.

Tetrical: Tetris in 3D. Take some time to get used to the many ways you can manipulate this. Then you’ll really have fun!

Dude, where have YOU been?

A: Did you hear about that series of illogical events that occurred involving a duck? They turned out to be congruent in some unexpected way! B: Har har! Please excuse me while I breathe spasmodically and become moist! Scientists study laughter.

This video shows you how three guys recreated the D-Day Normandy Beach Invasion for a TV show on a shoestring budget with no actors. Besides themselves.

Spanish for Your Nanny


It’s important to be able to communicate with the help. Particularly if you didn’t feel the need to pay attention in high school Spanish class. (Thanks, Jan!)

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Amusing Links

Xavier Enigma’s Next Physics Game. Draw your own shapes and let gravity take its toll. Circles are near impossible, but levers are easy. (via Fark)

Patton Oswalt finally tries to eat a KFC Famous Bowl.

The Japanese appliance company Amandana has added whimsical warnings to their normal product warning illustrations. You cannot control your girlsfriend with a remote control. And you cannot trap monkeys with your DVD player! (via Dump Trumpet)

Most food items an be made more appealing with the addition of googly eyes, and now you can eat them, too! Here are the instructions, plus a recipe for an edible Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Bullet Points: The 15 Most Badass Bald Guys.

The b3ta Image Challenge was to take a movie title and change one letter of the title. Then create the poster. The results: goofy. See them all ranked by vote.

Untangle. This game challenges you to simply fix the lines so that they do not cross. Simply? Ha! (via YesButNoButYes)

Apes got talent! Ten videos of gorillas, chimps, and orangutans getting down.

The Stars Wars Guide to the Candidates. The 2008 presidential candidates are each linked with his/her Star Wars equivalent. (via the Presurfer)

Project Prostitute. The site owner asked different people to draw a prostitute. Then more and more people. The submissions display a great range of viewpoints. You can draw a prostitute and submit yours, too! NSFW. (via Dump Trumpet)

Crank Dat Curry Sauce



A music video by comedy duo Harvin Sethi and Pari Mathur.

Friday, January 11, 2008

DOA


Classic film noir. The main protaganist Frank goes to the police to report a murder - his own! He's been poisoned and he has a week to find his own murder.

Herding Ducks


Getting your ducks in a row to get the flock outta here. I saw the original video at Arbroath, and a commenter at Neatorama suggested the music. So I went directly to work and talked my brother into remixing it. Thanks!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Machine Gun Mama



From 1944. The synoposis from IMDb: Ollie and John are a long way from their home in Brooklyn when their truck breaks down. When they run into a fair, they decide to sell their only valuable possession. It's an elephant with the name Bunny, and Ollie has grown really attached to him. At the fair the 'ferocious' Nita Cordoba works and John falls in love with her, the feeling is mutual. Most employees of the fair are willing to buy Bunny, as the fair is in great commercial trouble and an elephant might just be the injection so barely needed. Owner Jose, however, has different ideas. He'd rather see the fair go down as that will be more benificial to him.

Information Links

A car that runs on air, coming soon to Europe and India.

20 Super Brain Foods. (via the Presurfer)

Major Andrew Olmsted, military blogger and one of the first casualities of 2008, publishes his final post. The full story here.

Scientists Use Sunlight to Make Fuel From CO2. With crude now $100 a barrel, it’s finally cost-efficient to develop such technology.

The many ways origami skills can be used for science and technology. Really. The Hubble telescope would never have been launched without mad folding skills.

23 self-defense tips for cold and flu season.

Marijuana research leads to a new diet drug. It gives you a case of the “anti-munchies.”

How to solve a Rubik’s cube.

Remember the sustainable gingerbread house competition? Take a look at all 19 entries.

Wired selects their favorites among small modular homes of the future.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Fun Links

Eleven cringeworthy videos of contortionists at work.

6 Assorted Animal Adventures. Includes the Iranian bear who became a war hero in the Polish Army.

Geek Weddings. Geeks get love, too!

Story of an adorable kitten rescue. (via b3ta)

14 Signs of a Deficient Intellect. (via Dark Roasted Blend)

Stop-Motion Human Tetris. The music on this is as charming as the video is clever.

Cases of Life Imitating the Simpsons. Either Matt Groening is psychic, or we live in a very weird world.

The 15 Most Cringe-Worthy James Bond Puns.

A nine-video tribute to Facebook and all the silliness that implies.

Olympic Highlights



A group of 9 university students performed these “Olympic Highlights” on the Kasou Taishou(also known as Kinchan and Katori Shingo’s All Japan Costume Grand Prix) special that aired last night on NTV:

Even though we are used to amazing special effects, we can still be impressed with old-fashioned cleverness. From Japan Probe (via Random Good Stuff)

Monday, January 07, 2008

Rashomon


Aka "In the Woods" and "Rashômon". "A heinous crime and its aftermath are recalled from differing points of view." Directed by Akira Kurosawa, written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Akira Kurosaw, 1950. English subtitles.

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Battle of the Sexes


This ad pits men against women. If they’d only replaced the newspaper at the end with sex, then it’d resemble real life! (via the Presurfer)

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Friday, January 04, 2008

Fun Links

C’est Manifique! (Thanks, PAgent!)

8 Historical Crossdressers: Women in a Man’s World.

Sweet Child O' Mine, Indian version. This rocks!

Could you pass eight grade science? Take the quiz! I did well, partially because I help my fifth-grader study these exact things for her science class.

This guy shaves his beard off with his fingers! OK, its a stop-motion video, but it’s still pretty cool.

A video montage of messy kids. You can laugh, because they’re not your kids!

Game: Kung Fu Election! (via Neatorama)

Introducing Google Smart Ass. (via Gorilla Mask)

Ride Accidents compiles horror stories of bad things that can happen in a theme park or carnival. Warning: can cause nightmares.

Britney Spears has a fracas about child custody, and it ends up as a media circus parade to the hospital.

B3ta Photoshop Challenge: Extending Album Art.

Watch this guy expertly spear his fellow men with toilet plungers.

Hercules



From 1958. From Wikipedia: Hercules (Italian title: Le Fatiche di Ercole; "The Labors of Hercules") is a 1958 Italian fantasy film, starring bodybuilder Steve Reeves as Hercules. American producer Joseph E. Levine acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the film and thanks in part to his huge promotional campaign, the film became a major box-office hit which inspired dozens of Italian sword and sandal genre films in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A sequel, Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la Regina di Lidia), also starring Reeves, was made by the creators of the original film.

Informative Links

What’s really going on when we dream? A Harvard psychologist says dreams are really just thinking in a different biochemical state.

What I learned about network television at Dateline NBC. “Networks are built on the assumption that audience size is what matters most. Content is secondary; it exists to attract passive viewers who will sit still for advertisements.”

Pink Tentacle’s Top Ten Posts of 2007.

World Privacy Rankings. (via Metafilter)

What causes traffic jams? A team of mathematicians from the University of Exeter explain some are the result of a “backwards traveling wave.’ Something to think about the next time you’re stopped in traffic.

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer was such an extreme pessimist that he thought we live in the worst of all possible worlds and happiness is an illusion. Here’s his advice on how to attain happiness.

25 Things You Should Never Include on a Resume.

The difference between a high acheiver, a gifted learner, and a creative thinker. This may explain why I never lived up to my teacher’s expectations.

How Denmark Kicked Its Foreign Oil Habit. After the arab embargo of the 70s, Denmark decided it never wanted to depend on a foreign supply again, and they now export energy!

Epicurus Was Right About Happiness (Mostly). Deconstructing the Greek philosopher’s four-step recipe for happiness.

7 Essential Tips to Make 2008 Your Best Year Ever. Print this out and stick it to the wall, because you don’t want to forget them by February.

Happy Happy Joy Joy



A classic. I prefer this to "Happy Birthday."

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Jamie Leigh Jones

Jamie Leigh Jones was an employee of KBR, a then-subsidiary of Halliburton in Iraq in 2005. She tells the story of how she was gang-raped by her fellow employees, then sequestered in a shipping container, and told she would be fired if she pursued justice. The medical evidence taken by a military hospital was handed over to KBR and then disappeared.



No charges were brought in Iraq, because of some twisted exemptions for US contractors, and her employment contract requires that she go through binding arbitration instead of a lawsuit, which means the rapists may go free.

Jones’ congressman, Rep Ted Poe, has been fighting for her, and believes there may be other such incidents in KBR’s history. Other reports of rampant sexual harrassment at KBR are coming in.

Jones founded the Jamie Leigh Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “helping United States citizens and legal residents who are victims of sexual harassment, rape and sexual abuse while working abroad for federal contractors, corporations, or government entities.”



There is a FaceBook group called Support Jamie Leigh Jones against KBR. Join up to stay informed of the progress in this case.

Pole Dancer



Jeremiah suffers from polio, but he developed a dance routine that will impress you! He makes his living performing in Uganda. (via Cynical-C)

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Links for Fun

Here are the winners of all those YesButNoButYes year-end polls I told you about.

Fark Headlines of the Year. The highest award for the lowest form of humor. I still love puns.

The adventures of Jean-Luc Picard. Don’t miss the game attached: Engage! (via the Presurfer)

Top 15 Amazing Coincidences. As luck would have it, I was looking for this when I found it!

The cutest snowplow you’ve ever seen. Yuki-taro is equipped with cameras, GPS, and make bricks out of snow!

How to build your own remote control hovercraft. Instant geek cred, after a few week’s work. Or just watch the video.

How long will a paper airplane fly if you launch it from the 30th floor? Much longer than you may think!

Rattle-n-Roll creates baby annoucements styled after rock-n-roll gig posters! They’ll make announcements to send out, and posters for your nursery or as keepsakes. Pick your template and colors, or they can custom-design yours. (via Grow-A-Brain)

As Seen on TV: The 10 Most Laughably Misleading Ads.

Watch this Ugandan pole dancer strut his stuff!

The Dark Knight trailer, mixed with the 1966 Batman TV series.

Private Snuffy Smith


From 1942. According to IMDb: Snuffy Smith (Bud Duncan), moonshining hillbilly, grows tired of dodging revenue agents, headed by Cooper (Edgar Kennedy), and decides to take the army up on their offer of free clothes, food and $21.00 a month. Once enlisted, he finds that revenue agent Cooper is his sergeant. Don (Jimmie Dodd), a hillbilly soldier friend of Snuffy, has invented a range finder, but it is stolen by some fifth columnists and hidden in Snuffy's bag. Snuffy decides he has all the army discipline he cares for and heads back to Smokey Mountain, followed closely by the enemy agents.

We Can Work It Out


The Beatles, 1965.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Good Reads

It’s a crash course in science at your fingertips! Evolving Thoughts has a list of articles on Basic Concepts in Science.

A collection of tips, actually links to full articles, on how to start getting up early in the morning. But don’t stay up too late reading them!

The Top Ten Heartbreaking Gadgets of 2007. Beta testing and listening to consumer feedback could’ve saved some of these gadgets, but you still may have trouble finding a Wii.

The Top Ten Business Debacles of 2007. What’s amazing about this year’s list is that these screwups affected huge numbers of people.

Crystal Island
, the world’s biggest building, is set to be built in Moscow within five years. The 27 million square foot interior will feature apartments, hotel rooms, a school, shopping, and over 16,000 parking spaces.

7 Technologies that will Save the Earth in 2008. If these can be made affordable, people will line up to use them.

The Coin Jar Calculator. The easy way to figure out how much money you’ve dumped when you empty your pockets over time.

Top 10 Women in Science developments of 2007. Too recently it would have been difficult to come up with ten developments at all!

If you didn’t like what you got for Christmas, don’t wait too long to return it! Here are return policies for 15 major retailers.

New anti-aging drugs may eliminate the pain and suffering of old age, but they won’t eliminate death. Imagine the shock we will feel when great-aunt Lucy keels over while waterskiing at age 95.

2008 is Here!

Happy New Year, everyone! January first, 2008 is as good a time as any to make a brand new start. New plans, new opportunities, new attitude, whatever, the time is right to start making your dreams come true. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that we are all responsible for our own happiness. And if there’s two things I’ve learned, it’s that you are about as happy as you decide you’re gonna be. And if there’s three things I’ve learned in life, it’s that you never get your house repaired by the lowest bidder. But that’s enough wisdom for now... there’s a whole new year ahead to fill with time wasters, funny stories, and various and sundry amusements. So let’s get started!


In 2007 (via YesButNoButYes)


6 New Year Traditions from Around the World.


Pole dancing! The Seven Deadly Sinners have a collection of New Year’s images of drunks dancing with lamp posts.


A Few Leftover Lists from 2007


2007: The Year in Cats.


Fark Headline of the Year contest. Then there are headline contests for entertainmentsports, weird stories, and the best puns.


Co-Ed Magazine posted their Top 25 Sexiest Female Athletes of 2007. You can vote on your favorite!


Vote for the Sexiest Geeks of 2007.


The Ten Worst Movies of 2007.


Idiot of the Year Awards. (via Bits and Pieces)


Transbuddha’s Game of the Year, and a game for each month.


Reuters’ Top Ten Weird Stories of 2007.


Top Baby Names of 2007.



Now on to 2008!

2008 Sucks button available here for $1.99. (via the Presurfer)


2008 Web Predictions. They think a lot of company trading will happen. Like always.


7 Technologies that will Save the Earth in 2008. If these can be made affordable, people will line up to use them.


Bloggers have prediction for 2008, too. Here are J-Walk’s predictions for 2008. Wendell Witt weighs in again. Wulfweard the White tries his hand at predictions. And Frogster, too!

New Year’s Jokes

Did you hear what the dyslexic Highway Patrolman did on New Year's?

He spent the whole night handing out I.U.D.'s

***

Carl's New Year's Eve party was an annual occurrence with numerous guests arriving.  During the evening, a man knocked on the door, was greeted heartily although no one knew who he was, and was led to where the drinks were, in the kitchen. 

He sat there happily, chatting away, for a couple of hours before a strange light dawned on his face.

'You know,' he confided to Carl, 'I wasn't even invited to this party.  I just came over to tell you that some of your guests' cars are blocking my drive.'


He continued, 'My wife's been sitting out in the car waiting for me to get them moved, so that we can go out.'

***

Sally was taking an afternoon nap on New Year's Eve before the festivities. After she woke up, she confided to George, her husband, 'I just dreamed that you gave me a diamond ring for a New Year's present. What do you think it all means?'


'Aha, you'll know tonight,' answered George smiling broadly.


At midnight, as the New Year was chiming, George approached Sally and handed her small package.  Delighted and excited she opened it quickly. There in her hand rested a book entitled: The Meaning of Dreams.


Check out this New Year card I got from Curious Expeditions! --->

News Predictions for 2008

January: After paying five billion dollars for The Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch will reduce the size of the paper by removing the facts.


February: Responding to the controversy over the CIAs’ waterboarding videotapes, President Bush will reaffirm his administration’s opposition to videotaping.


March: As the writers strike drags on, Paramount will produce the second “Transformers” film without a script, just like they did with the first one.


April: Monica Lewinsky will announce her candidacy for President of the United States. She will offer herself as an alternative to Hillary, saying, “It worked before.”


May: Attempting to bolster flagging enlistment rates, the Army will change its recruitment slogan from “Army Strong” to “I Can’t Believe It’s Not a Civil War.”


June: Population experts will warn that the world’s population will soar in 2008, largely due to the Spears sisters.


July: China will send a new brand of rat poison to the United States under the name “Delicious Cupcakes.”


August: Sen. Edward Kennedy will abandon plans to write his memoirs, explaining, “I can’t even remember what I did last night.”


September: At the Republican National Convention, G.O.P. nominee Mike Huckabee will select Jesus Christ as his running mate.


October: O.J. Simpson will be convicted in Las Vegas, proving that it is easier to get away with murder than stealing sports memorabilia.


November: President-elect Michael Bloomberg will defend the five- billion-dollar cost of his campaign, arguing, “Rupert Murdoch paid that much for The Wall Street Journal, and I get a whole country.”


December: In his last official act, President Bush will announce an exit strategy from Iraq. The President will withdraw all U.S. troops – through Iran.

Same Old Lang Syne -Dan Folgelberg


Blog Blonde tagged me for a meme. Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words : family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like. That’s a hard one, since I don’t post about such things, but here I go:
Family  Playhouse (‘cause it was for my kids)
Friend Boys Gone Wild (a gift from my bud April)
Myself  Sex and the Single Blogger (yeah, right)
My Love  Chocolate, Coffee, Chocolate and Coffee, Coffee and Chocolate (I couldn’t make up my mind)
Anything  Monty Python (what did you expect? The Spanish Inquisition?)
If you like this meme, consider yourself tagged.


Previously at Miss Cellania: New Years Day 2007

Thought for today: Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.  ~Benjamin Franklin  

Thanks, Ben, maybe I’ll find him this year!

 

Happy New Year!




May 2008 be all that you dream of.

Planet Earth