Thursday, August 31, 2006

Scandal Grows Over Suspect Body Parts

"If you are scheduled for reconstructive orthopaedic surgery, or need a new heart valve, you might want to check where the tissue you are given has come from. For the second time this year, a firm supplying body parts for surgery has been shut down by the US Food and Drug Administration, and more safety scandals are expected to emerge from this booming industry."
Continue reading here.

Guard Families Cope In Two Dimensions

"Maine National Guard members in Iraq and Afghanistan are never far from the thoughts of their loved ones.

But now, thanks to a popular family-support program, they're even closer.

Welcome to the ``Flat Daddy" and ``Flat Mommy" phenomenon, in which life-size cutouts of deployed service members are given by the Maine National Guard to spouses, children, and relatives back home."

Read the article here.

Stolen Munch Paintings Found Safe

"Two masterpieces by artist Edvard Munch have been recovered two years after they were stolen from an Oslo museum.

The Scream and Madonna were found in a police operation. "We are 100% certain they are the originals. The damage was much less than feared," police said. "


Article here.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Mooove Slowly And Don't Hug The Cows

"GENEVA (Reuters) - Keep your distance. Avoid eye contact. And even if it looks cute, never hug a Swiss cow.

Responding to numerous "reports of unpleasant meetings between hikers and cattle" along Switzerland's picture-perfect Alpine trails this summer, the Swiss Hiking Federation has laid down a few ground rules.

"Leave the animals in peace and do not touch them. Never caress a calf," the group's guidance, posted on the website www.swisshiking.ch, reads. "

The rest of the story is here.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

121 T-Shirts

A guy sets a world record for wearing 121 t-shirts at the same time.

Gallery here.

Daddy! Daddy! Look, Kittens!!

Click pic for larger version.

Link

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Bacon Wallet

"Put some meat into your pocket with one of these intriguing bacon wallets! You thought people looked at you weird before? Wait until you see the looks you get from pulling a wad of bacon out of your jeans."

Buy it here.



Thanks to Blog On A Toothpick

Friday, August 25, 2006

How To Play Air Guitar

Book Description:
"Become a rock superstar--without breaking a string! Don't let a lack of musical talent deter you: it's all in the moves, and they are all here, in a super-cool kit with a plastic air guitar to blow up and a fully-illustrated guide to "playing" it. "

Buy it now at Amazon.

Home Depot Slow Motion Prank

Improveverywhere has 225 people join in on a prank in which everyone shops in slow motion at a set time in a Home Depot in NYC.

See videos, pictures and a full account here.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Armless Driver Arrested

"The Paradox of Michael Wiley is not that he can drive a car without arms. That is only the beginning. The paradox comes from how he drives. Not the physical method by which he turns the steering wheel, which involves the wedging of his left stump into a crevice near the horn, but the things he carries - illegal drugs, sometimes - and the things he smashes - other cars, occasionally -- and the speeds he reaches -- 120 mph in a green Corvette with deputies on his tail, at least once."

"Wiley said in a previous interview that he learned how to drive when he was 15, on a friend's old Pontiac Catalina. He can even drive a stick shift in a pinch, although he cannot tie his own shoes or pour himself a drink."

The article is here.

Star Wars Last Supper

Click pic for bigger version.

Link to article here.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

A Pirates Life For Me

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shuhe Hawkins wanted to be a pirate when he grew up. Apparently, he was not alone.

Hawkins is part of a subculture of pirate lovers across the globe, a growing tribe that encompasses history buffs, musicians, actors and hipsters.

Across the United States, from New York City, to Portland, Oregon, the pirate movement has spawned pirate bars, social circles, bands, festivals, magazines and apparel."

Read the rest of the article here, Garrrrr...

Living Cockroach Jewelry

"These creative critters are hand-crafted making each piece a one of kind item. They are made by gluing colorful Austrian Swarovski crystals to the creature’s back. When you wear it, you attach the brooch to your blouse with a pin. There's a little chain that you hook to the roach so it can walk around a little bit but is prevented from moving around too far. "

"The brooches sell for $80 each and have reportedly been scurrying off the shelves. With proper care and feeding they say you can have your roach brooch for a year or longer. A dubious claim no doubt, but these roaches can live that long so it may be true."

Read the blogger post here and If you doubt the legitimacy of this like I did, see local news coverage here.

Or buy your very own jewel encrusted roach at blackchandelier.biz

Giant Yellow Jacket Nest

"The largest nest Ray has inspected this year filled the interior of a weathered 1955 Chevrolet parked in a rural Elmore County barn. That nest was about the size of a tire in the rear floor seven weeks ago, but quickly spread to fill the entire vehicle, the property owner, Harry Coker, said. "

"In previous years, a yellow jacket nest was no larger than a basketball, Ray said. It would contain about 3,000 workers and one queen. These gigantic nests may have as many as 100,000 workers and multiple queens. "

Read the article here.


Animal Sculptures Made from Scrap Metal

"Edouard Martinet makes these amazing animal sculptures from scrap metal in junkyards. The work represented on this site consists of metal sculptures created using found materials which are fixed without welding. He selects his raw materials found in junk yards. "

See the gallery here.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Behind The Scenes At Disney World

"Let's just get this out of the way: They're chipper even when nobody's looking.

If you go on a behind-the-scenes tour of Walt Disney World in the hopes of catching one of those happy cast members with his smile down -- spitting on the break-room floor, maybe, or being mean to some kittens -- you'll be disappointed. Disney's Cult of Cheerfulness survives even in the no-go zones."

If you have enough cash, you might just be lucky enough to get to see Walt's cryogenically frozen head, too.

Nope, nevermind, sorry Snopes debunked it here.

Read the original backstage article here.

Live Rattlesnakes Released In 'Snakes On A Plane' Theater

"Two live diamondback rattlesnakes were released in an Arizona movie theater during a showing of the new film "Snakes on a Plane," according to Local 6 News."

"Authorities said pranksters released the young venomous rattlesnakes in a dark theater at the AMC Desert Ridge near Tatum and Loop 101 in Phoenix. The two snakes caused a panic in the dark theater, according to the report."

Link to the article here.

Zombies Invade San Francisco

A zombie flash mob infiltrates a shopping mall.

Article here.

Flickr gallery here.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Tom And Jerry Quit Smoking

"Smoking scenes are to be edited out of classic Tom & Jerry cartoons, following a complaint to the broadcast regulator that they are inappropriate for a show aimed at children."

"In Texas Tom, Tom tries to impress a female cat by making a roll-up cigarette, lighting and smoking it with just one hand, while Tennis Chumps sees Tom's opponent in a match smoking a large cigar."

Link to the article here.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Elevator Hacking

"Standing in a crowded elevator that stops on every floor sucks. It's even worse during the summer. The elevator basically becomes a giant hotbox on a string. The next time you find yourself in a hurry or just feel like taking an express elevator ride, try an elevator hack.

Requirements:

    • Any elevator
    • A desire for non-stop elevator service

Sometimes elevator manufactures include a button combination that allows you to put an elevator into "express" or "independent service" mode. When an elevator is in "independent service" mode, it will bypass all other stops except yours. This can be very handy during typical busy elevator times like the beginning and end of the work day and especially lunchtime."

"BUTTON COMBO 1:
Many older elevators can be put into "independent service" mode by pressing and holding both the Door Close and your desired floor buttons at the same time."

Link to article here.

Mystery Beast Found Dead

"TURNER, Maine --Residents are wondering if an animal found dead over the weekend may be the mysterious creature that has mauled dogs, frightened residents and been the subject of local legend for half a generation."

Michelle O'Donnell of Turner spotted the animal near her yard about a week before it was killed. She called it a "hybrid mutant of something."

Read the article here.

Another article with more pictures here.

Signs At Park Air Phony Hazard

"The signs at the cascading pools in Waterfront Park are meant to frighten: They proclaim in bold letters, "danger" and "high levels of hydrogen."

But the warnings are bogus.

The water in the fountain pools is, like all water, made of two-thirds hydrogen atoms and one-third oxygen atoms."

That's a great way to keep the homeless, kids and those who failed chemistry class out of the fountain.

Read the article here.

Calvin & Hobbes Part II Bill Watterson

Some early and rare examples from the elusive artist.








Article here.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The Narrator From Fight Club Is Really Calvin, From Calvin & Hobbes, All Grown Up

"In the film Fight Club, the real name of the protagonist (Ed Norton’s character) is never revealed. Many believe the reason behind this anonymity is to give "Jack" more of an everyman quality. Do not be deceived. "Jack" is really Calvin from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. It’s true. Norton portrays the grown-up version of Calvin, while Brad Pitt plays his imaginary pal, Hobbes, reincarnated as Tyler Durden. "

The author presents a pretty convincing article.

Read it at Metaphilm.com

Danger Will Robinson!

For only $24,500 you can have your own re-creation of the robot from Lost In Space.

From the site:

- Internal 240 watt stereo sound system.- Torso knob functions as Robot volume control.
- Over 500 voice tracks by Richard Tufeld, the voice of the original Robot. These are stored on an internal Compact Flash memory card to allow easy updates and customization.
- An external stereo input jack allows the user to override the built in voice library and use the Robot as a normal stereo system, juke box, etc.

More details here.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Hey! It's "That Guy!"


"Have you ever been watching TV or a movie and pointed to the screen and said, "Hey! It's That Guy!"? Well, here is where you'll find him. This page is dedicated to the character actors collectively known as "That Guy". "

"That Guy is easy to recognize and difficult to place. You can describe him but not name him."

They're called character actors. It's surprising how few of them played so many roles throughout the years.

Link to HeyItsThatGuy.com

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Rick James Grave

"I'VE HAD IT ALL
I'VE DONE IT ALL
I'VE SEEN IT ALL
IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE . . .
GOD IS LOVE."












Article here. Bitch

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Baseball Card Collectors Strike Out

"Herbert Gin, who owns Cards and Comics Central in downtown San Francisco, sees it nearly every day. A guy comes into his store with a box of baseball cards he's been saving. He needs money and wants to cash in on his investment. "

"But in 9 out of 10 cases, Gin says, the cards are nearly worthless. "

"There are now a lot of guys right now looking at their collection, hoping to find a treasure chest,'' says Elon Werner, director of communications for Beckett Baseball magazine, which tracks card trends. "And instead they are finding Al Capone's vault."

SFGate.com story here.

How Not To Open A Grenade

"RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian man died Tuesday when he tried to open what police believe was a rocket-propelled grenade with a sledgehammer in a mechanical workshop on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro."

Yahoo.com story here.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Kevin Smith Doesn't Sign Body Parts

"Indie film director Kevin Smith chatted with fans, dispensed wry career advice to aspiring filmmakers and flat-out refused to sign a woman's rear end on Tuesday night when he came home to New Jersey for an outdoor screening of his breakthrough film "Clerks.""
"When a young woman told Smith, known for other films including "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma" and "Jersey Girl": "I need you to sign my ass" so she could have it tattooed later, he demurred, saying "I don't sign body parts ma'am.""
According to his blog, SilentBobSpeaks.com, he signed autographs for 13 hours.

Office Prank

"A few of us at work have been pranked one too many times by a certain coworker by the name of Mike. He was out of town for a few days and we had some extra cardboard laying around. This is what happens when you push creative IT workers too far! Enjoy your new office Mike!"

See the rest of the pictures here.
Make sure you scroll down to the bottom to see Mike's reaction.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Prison Artist Uses M&M's To Paint

"A convicted killer who sold postcard-size paintings he created with dye from M&Ms and brushes fashioned from his hair broke prison rules by running an unauthorized business out of his cell, officials said."

"Kurtz organized a showing in Mexico last month. Nearly 500 people packed into a gallery where a giant bowl of M&Ms greeted them at the entrance. Twenty paintings have sold at $500 apiece, Kurtz said."

Read the CNN story here.

China Turns Out Mummified Bodies for Displays

"Tucked away in the back of this coastal city’s export-oriented manufacturing zone is a place that can only be described as a modern mummification factory. Inside a series of unmarked buildings, hundreds of Chinese workers, some seated in assembly line formations, are cleaning, cutting, dissecting, preserving and re-engineering human corpses, preparing them for the international museum exhibition market."

"The mastermind behind this operation is Gunther von Hagens, a 61-year-old German scientist whose show, “Body Worlds,” has attracted 20 million people worldwide over the past decade and has taken in over $200 million by displaying preserved, skinless human corpses with their well-defined muscles and sinewy tissues. "

Read the New York Times article here.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Quit Your Day Job For Online Poker

"Last summer, Ben Foster quit his $110,000-a-year job as a senior product manager at eBay to play online poker full-time."

"Over the course of hundreds of games, simultaneously playing eight of them per hour on PartyPoker.com, he averaged $15 a game. (Despite all the talk of poker bots, his earnings held steady.) If he played 20 hours a week, that $15 per game would translate to about $125,000 a year for a part-time job. The in-laws were still skeptical."

Read the wired.com article here.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Square Watermelons

"To make it happen, farmers grew the melons in glass boxes and the fruit then naturally assumed the same shape. Today the cuboid watermelons are hand-picked and shipped all over Japan."

"Each melon sells for 10,000 yen, equivalent to about $83. It is almost double, or even triple, that of a normal watermelon."

Read the BBC article here.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Milk Review On Amazon

So far, over 400 people have left reviews for a gallon of milk on Amazon.com.

"Took 2 weeks to get here, I could not get the bottle open without cutting the cap off, then the milk was lumpy, this milk sucks."

"For starters I prefer milk in glass containers. I feel the thin plastic throw away container just screams cheapo - especially when entertaining dinner guests. "

"Interestingly enough, the cow milk I made tasted very similar to squirrel milk. Is there a market for that?"

Read the reviews on Amazon.com

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame

" The Pinball Hall of Fame is an attempt by the members of the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club to house and display the world's largest pinball collection, open to the public. A not-for-profit corporation was established to further this cause. The games belong to one club member (Tim Arnold), and range from 1950s up to 1990s pinball machines. Since it is a non-profit museum, older games from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are the prevelant, as this was the "heyday" of pinball. "

Pinball Hall Of Fame

Freak Magnet?

“A freak magnet is basically someone who attracts bizarre, unwanted attention,” says Ginger, who asked that her real name not be used due to the number of times she’s been stalked. “You’re minding your own business and then you suddenly have some encounter that you didn’t invite in any way. It just happens to some people more than others.”

Read the story here.

World Series Of Poker Art


"With the final event of the World Series of Poker underway at the Rio, Harrah’s entertainment has to make a decision of what to do with the commissioned Las Vegas Sign Replica. The sign, made by world record holder in cardstacking (for both height and size), Bryan Berg, is made of 500 decks of cards, 800 dice and 1800 poker chips."

Read the story here.

Dog Destroys Elvis' Teddy Bear At Museum

" LONDON --A guard dog has ripped apart a collection of rare teddy bears, including one once owned by Elvis Presley, during a rampage at a children's museum."

""He just went berserk," said Daniel Medley, general manager of the Wookey Hole Caves near Wells, England, where hundreds of bears were chewed up Tuesday night by the 6-year-old Doberman pinscher named Barney."
I'm guessing Barney got fired.

Read the story here.