Thus Spake Stuart Scott, "Booyah."

Greg Pattillo

This one's been making the rounds lately, but it's definitley worth a look -- flautist Greg Pattillo plays the flute and beatboxes at the same time.

Not only are the results unbelievably catchy (who doesn't love Inspector Gadget?) -- but from a musically technical standpoint I can't even begin to tell you just how complicated a trick this is.

Enjoy!

Mini-Thems

Photochops of celebrities with miniature versions of themselves. Mini-Condi is my fave.

Power to the People

The people of Erieau, Ontario, that is. They are petitioning the UN to have the smelt designated as their official fish. To wit:

WHEREAS the Village of Erieau is an important commercial fishing port on Lake Erie; and,

WHEREAS the commercial Smelt fishing industry is a vital part of the economy of Erieau, Chatham-Kent, Ontario, and Canada; and,

WHEREAS over two million metric tonnes of smelt are processed in Erieau every spring; and,

WHEREAS many good citizens of Canada and the USA remember Erieau's large Smelting parties in the 60's & 70's; and,

WHEREAS the Village of Erieau currently has no Official Fish on record, which we all find shockingly hard to believe; and,

WHEREAS the Perch is already the Official Fish of Port Stanley and Wheatley, and we don't want to copy them; and,

WHEREAS the Smelt is a shiny, attractive, happy fish that deserves a lot more respect than it is getting;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we the undersigned hereby petition the United Nations Bureau of Official Fish to designate the Smelt as the Official Fish of the Village of Erieau.

Stand up and be heard.

Earl Greyhound

To be honest, I don't really want to recommend this band to you.

I want to keep them all for myself, become deeply ingrained with all of their early work, develop a myspace relationship with the bass player, see them play in tiny clubs, and buy up all their t-shirts so that when they blow up and become the next huge thing I'll be able to lord it all over you for jumping on the train so late.

But some things are just too good not to share.

If you like your Zeppelins Leaded, you must stop whatever you're doing and see what happens when musicians utilize an influence as a starting point and then turn it into something new, exciting, and real.

Yuki-Taro

There comes a point somewhere after all the snowball fights and Christmas carols and iceskating on the tops of frozen lakes where the only thought that seems to stay in your head anymore is just how much winter sucks. If it isn't a storm screwing up your flight plans, it's piles and piles of snow all over the sidewalk slowing you down as you try to get where you're going. Shoveling is a hassle, and even when you do the next time it snows you're right back where you started from.

If only there was a way this could be taken care of automatically, you know?

Enter Yuki-Taro, a GPS-enabled autonomous snowplow that gathers up sidewalk snow and converts it into small, manageable ice blocks that it deposits behind itself as it goes.

That's right kiddies -- it eats snow and poops ice.

If that's not enough for you, it's insufferably cute (some of them are even painted up to look like Pokemon). The way I figure things, as soon as this learns to fight demons and solve mysteries it will get its own three-picture development deal with Miramax.

Yuki-Taro. We knew it before it was cool.

Chad Vader Episode 6

He's altering the deal -- pray he doesn't alter it any further.

Attractors

Surprisingly addictive game where you utilize the "gravitational pull" of two spheres to affect the path of objects traveling near them. The spheres and platforms can be moved anywhere on the screen, offering endless combinations and results.

Simple, elegant, science-tastic fun.

Enjoy!

It's Just Like, It's Just Like, a Mini-Mall

I'd write something, but I can't stop laughing.

Citizen Hero

(Mad love to Christine for the link!)

The Schla La Las

1, 2, 3, 4 -- Get out on the dance floor!

Be My Anti-Valentine

Law and Order: Special Valentines Unit

In the Valentines Day system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The men who scramble at the very last minute to find appropriate gifts for a holiday that very few of them actually care about or believe in and the women they wish to impress. These are their stories.

Being dragged, kicking and screaming.

We've updated to the new Googly Blogger. 22 comments were backlogged (sorry folks, we fear change). They should be up now. I have comment moderation off, so I *think* that means new comments should show up right away, without us having to approve them--as if we don't want all the comment love we can get.

If I've got that backwards, I'll change the comment thing as soon as poss. Meanwhile, please let us know if anything else seems screwier than usual.

And...keep spreading the word. :)

9

Soon to be a full-length movie produced by Tim Burton. Bring it.

Escalation

Just in time for the troop surge comes this piece of unearthed arcana. It's a short Vietnam-era film by one of Walt Disney's top animators. No fluffy bunnies in sight.

This Just In

Fake news site created by HBO. They're still finding their stride, but there are some gems to be had. One bit had the reporters asking hot chicks about Justin Timberlake's appeal. This was my fave:

"I've always wanted to date an R&B singer. But I'm scared of black people."

Have a Slogan

The key to successful marketing is these days seems not so much to be about selling products, but in creating a brand identity that people can't live without. This is nothing new, of course -- but in the last decade or so it seems to have changed from being an effective strategy into the one true law of the west. No matter what you're selling -- it's all about implanting the idea of your company deep enough into the consumer's head that they simply can't think of eating a burger without associating the golden arches.

Actually accomplishing this goal though can a much trickier task. The interesting thing is, no matter how many new theories and ideas come out of the marketing companies and schools across the country it seems like achieving this goal still starts in the same place advertising has always relied on -- the slogan.

So go ahead, have one!

Weird Eulogies

The site's pretty slammed right now, but if you get through, you'll get to read a short appreciation of a celebrity endorser.

Live by the biochemical freakout, die by the biochemical freakout.

The Met, For Free

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is free in February to families of up to six with the printable ticket linked on the page linked above. Got that?

Adult Day at the Cineplex

No, Jenna Jameson will not be showing on the big screen. Instead, AMC is making a really smart offer on February 24th: all five Best Picture nominees, plus a large popcorn and drink with infinite refills, for $30. There are participating AMCs in most major cities.

I'm buying my ticket now.

Rifftrax

If, like us, you miss Mystery Science Theater 3000, rejoice. The 'bots and Satellite of Love are gone, but Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and other regulars are pumping out new commentary tracks. Ever wonder what the MST3K guys would have done with The Fellowship of the Ring? Wonder no more.

Sinfest

I can't believe we haven't Highly Recommended this before. N'drew hailed Sinfest way back when. It still rocks.