Saturday, March 31, 2007

70,000 Beer Cans Found In Townhouse


"A seemingly unbelievable mess discovered last year in an Ogden townhouse has suddenly become an Internet legend.

It's all TRUE!

You know how some people, after they use something, just can't bear to throw it away. That might make sense if it's magazines or clothes. But what if it's empty beer cans? In astounding numbers?

When property manager Ryan Froerer got a call from a realtor last year to check on a townhouse, he knew something was up.

Ryan Froerer, Century 21: "Said it was the sickest thing he's ever seen. Just unimaginable that someone could live in that."

He couldn't even open the front door. It was blocked from inside."

More pictures and story at ksl.com

Related: beer can art

More: Psychostick's song about beer.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Star Wars PSA

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

John McCain’s MySpace Page “Enhanced”

Click to enlarge

"Someone on Presidential hopeful John McCain’s staff is going to be in trouble today. They used a well known template to create his Myspace page. The template was designed by Newsvine Founder and CEO Mike Davidson (original template is here). Davidson gave the template code away to anyone who wanted to use it, but asked that he be given credit when it was used, and told users to host their own image files.

McCain’s staff used his template, but didn’t give Davidson credit. Worse, he says, they use images that are on his server, meaning he has to pay for the bandwidth used from page views on McCain’s site.

Davidson decided to play a small prank on the campaign this morning as retribution. Since he’s in control of some of the images on the site, he replaced one that shows contact information with a statement:

"Today I announce that I have reversed my position and come out in full support of gay marriage…particularly marriage between two passionate females."

From techcrunch.com

USPS Star Wars Stamps

"From a galaxy far, far away...to your mailbox.

Announcing a new stamp pane from the U.S. Postal Service®, featuring 15 stamps in celebration of the Star Wars 30th Anniversary. Available at your Post Office™ May 26.

And now, for only the second time in its 256-year-history, the U.S. Postal Service invites you to vote for your favorite stamp. The winning stamp will become its own stamp sheet.

Choose one of 15 iconic images: Darth Vader, Yoda, Luke Skywaker, Princess Leia and others."




Voting is at upsjedimaster.com

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Infamous Moments In Saturday Night Live History

"Since it is broadcast live, the American sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live has had several infamous events throughout its history that were either unplanned or provoked sufficient controversy to receive media coverage. Several hosts and musical guests have also been banned from returning due to their actions during the show."

-In 1990, comedian Andrew Dice Clay was chosen to host; cast member Nora Dunn and scheduled musical guest Sinéad O'Connor boycotted the show in protest, due to perceptions that his jokes were misogynistic.

-In 2004, Ashlee Simpson was caught lip syncing on the show. At the end she claimed her band started playing the wrong song but two days later said she had acid reflux.

More at wikipedia.com

Sunday, March 25, 2007

The Latest Experiment In Reality TV On The Web


Justin.TV Facts:

1. Justin wears the the camera 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even in the bathroom. Even on a date.

2. The man Justin with the gear:

3. This is really live. Honest. Right now.

4. Justin will wear the camera until the day he dies. By which we mean if he takes it off, we'll kill him.

See it all at Justin.tv

Related: Wired.com's take on Justin's experiment.

Reminds me of EdTV

Or The Truman Show

Homemade Burger King "The King" Costume For Sale



"Hand made "The King" Costume. Just won first place at Boyne Mountain Carnaval Costume Contest.In great shape worn for only a couple of hours. Comes with everything pictured except it comes withtights instead of ski pants. "

From craigslist.org. Call Kevin for more info.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Houdini Poisoned? Remains To Be Exhumed

"NEW YORK - Get ready for "CSI: Houdini."

A team of forensic experts will pore over the exhumed remains of renowned escape artist Harry Houdini to determine whether he was murdered more than 80 years ago, the head of the investigative team said Friday.

"Everything will be thoroughly analyzed," promised James Starrs, dean of the disinterment dream team of pathologists, anthropologists, toxicologists and radiologists. "We'll examine his hairs, his fingernails, any bone fractures."

Legal paperwork necessary to dig up Houdini's body from a New York City cemetery will be filed Monday to get the process started, said Joseph Tacopina, an attorney representing Houdini's family. It could take months before the body is exhumed, although the process should move faster because the family and cemetery officials support the plan, he said.

Houdini died at age 52 on Halloween 1926, days after the athletic magician was repeatedly punched in the stomach by a college student testing the performer's abdominal muscles."

More at yahoo.com

Friday, March 23, 2007

Geek Couture - The Ultimate Geek Clothing Collection

"You’re a geek and you are proud of it, now it’s time to show the world through your unique sense of style. Here is a collection of clothing that will make you stand out in the crowd even amongst the most hardcore of geeks."

NES Buckle "The NES ADVANTAGE Belt Buckle is the ultimate gamers belt buckle. Yes, it’s actually a belt buckle and it will actually hold up your pants. Watch your friends in awe as you enter your next LAN party. No, forget LAN party, wear this bad boy at your next Wii Tennis match. Together, you will bring your opponents to their knees."

Lego Cufflinks

"No true geek list would be complete without something Lego. While the Forever Young Cufflinks are not true Lego pieces, the Lego-esque cufflinks will add the right flare to any shirt. Combine it with a Lego belt, and you are ready to go clubbing."

More at uberreview.com

Heavy Metal Soothes Bright Teens

"LONDON (AFP) - Teenagers who lock themselves in their bedrooms to blast out heavy metal music may simply be trying to cope with the pressures of being gifted, according to British research reported Wednesday.

The study said that teenagers often work off the stresses and strains of being a bright outsider by listening to bands such as System Of A Down, Slipknot and Tool.

Researchers questioned more than 1,000 members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, whose members rank among the brightest five percent of youngsters in Britain.

"There is a perception of gifted and talented students as being into classical music and spending a lot of time reading.

The rest of the story at yahoo.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The Wilhelm Scream

"The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the movie Distant Drums.

History:

The Wilhelm's revival came from Star Wars series sound designer Ben Burtt, who tracked down the original recording (which he found as a studio reel labelled "Man being eaten by alligator"). The recording was actually from a film from 1951 titled Distant Drums.

Usage:

Its use in the Star Wars films was the beginning of something of an in-joke amongst some sound designers of the film industry, especially at Skywalker Sound, and Weddington Productions (now a division of Technicolor Sound Services). They continued to try to incorporate it into movies wherever feasible; action movies are naturals, but film sound cognoscenti are particularly impressed when it is used naturally in films such as A Star Is Born (with Judy Garland), The Wild Bunch and A Goofy Movie.

In a tribute to its origins, the clip was used in the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when the villain Mola Ram was eaten by crocodiles. It was also used in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy is driving the truck full of Nazis, and in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven when the Muslims first attack the fortress of Kerak. It was also used in the lesser known comedy Van Wilder, and in several scenes of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

More at wikipedia.com

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Help The Police-NWA Parody



Related: The original NWA song on youtube. NSFW (language)

Related: Muppet version of NWA song on youtube. Surprisingly, NSFW (language)

Carol Burnett Vs. Family Guy

"Comedian Carol Burnett, angered by her portrayal as a janitor in an adult film store in the animated TV show "The Family Guy," has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Twentieth Century Fox, the program's distributor. According to Burnett, 73, she was approached by Fox in mid-2005 for permission to use the theme song from "The Carol Burnett Show" in a "Family Guy" episode. She declined the request. It was then, Burnett alleges in a lawsuit filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, that she became a target of the raunchy Fox show. A copy of Burnett's complaint can be found below. Burnett claims that after she refused to license her music, Fox caused a "Family Guy" episode to "be rewritten to disparage Ms. Burnett using Ms. Burnett's signature ear tug."

Story and clip of the video are at thesmokinggun.com

Thursday, March 15, 2007

The Girl Whose Hair Was Too Big For Her Mugshot

"Anna Clifford's brush with the law proved a hair-raising experience for all concerned. Particularly the police photographer.

He had to take several steps back to incorporate the full extent of her 18in-high Mohican.
Miss Clifford was stopped for erratic driving in the early hours after a night out to celebrate her birthday with friends in Memphis, Tennessee.
She had the car's sunroof open to accommodate her crowning glory.
Her performance in the standard test of sobriety – walking in a straight line – was distinctly average, but police said they were not sure if it was drink or her peacock-like hairstyle that was causing her problem. "

The rest of the story at dailymail.co.uk

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Twirl A Squirrel

Buy it at birdquest.com

Man Tells Cops Unicorn Caused Crash

"The unicorn was driving.
That was the story a Billings man gave police after crashing a pickup truck into a light pole.
Phillip Carston Holliday Jr., 42, was arraigned Tuesday in District Court on felony charges of criminal endangerment and drunken driving. Judge Gregory Todd maintained Holliday's bond at $100,000 after being advised that the man's criminal history includes five prior DUI convictions, four felonies, 35 misdemeanors and 53 traffic violations, including 28 convictions for driving with a suspended license.Holliday pleaded not guilty to the charges during an appearance by video from the county jail. "

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Worst Action Figure Ever

The Meat: Action Figure from the Rocky movies



I'm waiting for the sequel, Meat: The Beef Stikes Back.

More at Rockyfigs.com

In Case Of Zombies

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Space Invader Socks

"Drawn to the look of Norwegian black and white stranded knitting, but think Xs and Os are better left to Henry VIII and Ms. RĂ©age? Want to get retro with your needles, but feel legwarmers are a little too Flashdance? Need a little jailbait striping in your life, but not the record? Just want the neatest 2D feet this side of the century? These may just be the socks for you...or someone you love."

More at knitty.com

Old Skool, Atari style, yo.

Friday, March 09, 2007

R2-D2 Themed Mailboxes

"To help celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Wars this year the United States Postal Service will be rolling out mailboxes that have been completely wrapped in custom R2-D2 graphics.
They’re not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s an actual astromech droid ready to deliver your postcard to Obi-Wan but they get the idea across. And I think it’s a good idea these will only be appearing at US Post Offices since if they were installed on the streets something tells me they wouldn’t be around for long."

More at ohgizmo.com

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Hunter S. Thompson Reviews A Ducati

Song of the Sausage Creature
by Hunter S. Thompson

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them - but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one. That is why they are dangerous.

Of course. You want to cripple the bastard? Send him a 130-mph cafe-racer. And include some license plates, he'll think it's a streetbike. He's queer for anything fast.

Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I've always believed this, in spite of the trouble it's caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba...."

The rest of the review at proitalia.com

Hunter S. Thompson on Wiki here.

And Ducati on Wiki here and Ducati.com

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Meh - The Word That's Sweeping The Internet

"How was my weekend? Meh. The mehness of it is indescribable. Just one big, fat meh. If you are an old-media kind of reader, "meh" won't mean a whole lot to you. The word has appeared in the national press three times in the past year. If you gain new vocabulary from conversation, it is probably unfamiliar. If you can't be torn from the web, however, you will almost certainly know it, and its meaning.

Meh means rubbish. It means boring. It means not worth the effort, who cares, so-so, whatever. It is the all-purpose dismissive shrug of the blogger and messageboarder. And it is ubiquitous. On the I Love Music messageboard, for example, 4,010 separate discussion threads feature the use of "meh"."

He thinks, however, it sprang into common usage from the Simpsons.

I can enlighten him further. Some credit the 2001 episode Hungry Hungry Homer with the first use of "meh" as a dismissal, when Homer asks Lisa and Bart if they want to go to the Blockoland theme park and receives the answer, "meh". But the Language Log website notes a 1995 episode in which Bart dismisses Marge's discussion of weaving with a "meh"."

What about Feh?

Meh. More at guardian.co.uk

The Top 10 Corporate Moments In Rock

9. Sony Infects Its Customers' Computers In The Name Of Combating Illegal Copying

In 2005, according to the New York Attorney General, BMG Music placed XCP and MediaMax DRM copy restriction software on a number of CDs, including releases by Trey Anastasio and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The software installed its own CD playback software and prevented the music from being downloaded onto the purchaser's computer in an iPOD compatible format.


1. Woodstock 99

Raping their own legacy and sinking to deplorable depths of capitalistic corporate behavior, Woodstock's organizers tried one last time to milk a dollar out of 3 more days of peace love and music. To counteract the storied legions of festival-goers who crashed the gates at the original Bethel, NY concert and its 1994 Saugerties, NY sequel, Woodstock 99 took place at the well-defended Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY. The fenced in, concrete covered space not only kept anyone without a $150 ticket (a steep price at that time) outside the gates, it also trapped in the 90 degree heat. Bringing life to the grizzly yet surefire marketing concept of selling water in the desert, the festival's organizers were more than happy to hydrate the sweltering fans - for $6 a bottle. Contrary to the spirit of brotherhood fostered at the original Woodstock, everything at Woodstock 99 was for sale, with corporate tents and ATMs set up throughout the grounds."

The rest of the list at earvolution.com

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Star Wars Cloak Sells At Auction

A cloak worn by Sir Alec Guinness in Star Wars, which went missing for 30 years, has been sold for £54,000 (more than $100,000) at an auction of cinema and TV outfits.

"Estimates suggested the plain, brown robe, seen on the sci-fi film's Obi-Wan Kenobi character, would reach £40,000.
Tom Baker's Doctor Who costume - comprising a burgundy coat, brown tweed trousers and striped scarf - fetched £24,600, 12 times the anticipated sum.
And Batman and Robin costumes worn in Only Fools and Horses reached £10,200.
While Sir Alec's cloak was missing, it was loaned to other films - including The Mummy in 1999 - and was even hired out as fancy dress.
Its heritage was only realised during a stock-check two years ago, and since then it has formed part of a film memorabilia exhibition in London. "

more at bbc.co.uk

Monday, March 05, 2007

John Belushi, 25 Years Gone

"LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- When a force of nature like John Belushi is lost, 25 years isn't time enough to ease the grief or erase the laughter.
Actor-comedian Richard Belzer still dreams about him from time to time, the unselfish friend and "impish genius" who devoured life. John Landis, who directed Belushi in "Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers," is still angry at him for dying foolishly and young.
"Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels feels an obligation to "restate the obvious," that Belushi was profoundly talented and part of the show's creative DNA.
By most measures, the round comic with the sharp edges left a small body of work when a drug overdose killed him at age 33 on March 5, 1982. But his TV, movie and music performances proved influential, hitting the baby-boomer sweet spot and surviving despite pop culture's truncated attention span."

The rest of the story at CNN.com

Friday, March 02, 2007

ABC Developing Sitcom Based On Geico Cavemen

"Winner for most unusual piece of development this pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project.
"Cavemen" will revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta.
Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials (think the cockney-speaking Geico gecko, and the reality TV spoof "Tiny House").

Daniel Rappaport, Guymon Cassady, Will Speck and Josh Gordon are exec producers. Speck and Gordon, commercial directors who recently helmed the Will Farrell feature "Blades of Glory," are on board to also direct. "

More at Variety.com

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Cool Gadgets: Never Lose A Remote Control Again

"Whether a hardcore audiophile or casual TV watcher, somehow, we still end up with way more remotes and portable handheld devices than we can handle. Inevitably, that many devices can only result in many valuable hours wasted searching for the lost and misplaced... but not if the Remote Wrangler has anything to do with it.

The Multimedia Remote Control Wrangler (aka Remote Wrangler) has taken a novel approach to remote control storage that will be sure to take the world by storm, head first. It will certainly win the hearts (and heads) of those frustrated consumers who have had enough and are ready to regain control over their lives and remote controls. No more digging under seat cushions through Cheetos and Fig Newton crumbs searching for the remote you had just 5 minutes ago. All your controls are now only a head scratch away."

More at americaninventorspot.com