Highly Recommended Thing Of The Moment

Clifford The Big Pink Dog

2011-12-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

Go here, spend $5, watch the show. Because, as with Ace of Bass, you can never give Louis C.K. too much money, no matter what you do.

Two minutes of wonder

2011-06-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Amazing piece of animation made from NASA pictures. Also, thanks Trent Reznor, for releasing Ghosts under a Creative Commons license. Your music works well here.

CASSINI MISSION from Chris Abbas on Vimeo.

Management Tips From A Master

2011-06-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey on staying skinny during her Saturday Night Live years:

"I regularly ate health food cookies so disgusting that when I enthusiastically gave one to Rachel Dratch she drew a picture of a rabbit and broke the cookie into a trail of tiny pieces coming out of the rabbit's butt."

Wu-Tang Clan Kung Fu Movie Samples

2011-05-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ten minutes of your time is a pretty big investment, but this is supremely worth it.

Why Star Wars is Secretly Terrifying for Women

2011-04-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Long-winded, overly smug with it's own nerdiness, everybody talks too fast, yet pretty much utterly on point with the subtext it suggests to a movie trilogy that's already far over-analyzed.

..Pretty much just the way we Star Wars nerds like it.

Clockbusters

2011-04-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Cool and addictive movie game. You're given three stock photos as clues and 60 seconds on the clock. Your job is to name the movie the photos are suggesting.

Sounds easy enough -- but it can get tricky once you get into it.

To be honest, when I started out on it it seemed a little too easy for my taste, but it did stump me for a while on a few of them. Luckily you can skip over ones you get stuck on and come back to them later.

On the downside though -- even though you can skip and come back, the game doesn't officially end until you correctly answer all the questions (or give up). This was especially bad in my case because the one it said I was getting wrong was one that I ABSOLUTELY KNEW I WAS GETTING RIGHT.

Here's the weird part -- the game is really open-minded about spelling and grammar. If you get most of the name of a movie right it will give it to you, and if the clues are from a series or a trilogy, you can still get the question right if you just give the main title of the series and not the specific installment -- except for this one particular question where the thing turned suddenly super-anal about how you type the words in, which was really frustrating until I figured it out.

Even with 50 questions and that one particular quirk it's a very quick and fun time-waster, and the kind of test that a movie nerd can't resist.

I aced it (..eventually) -- which isn't really that big of a deal, since that's the way the way the game is designed, but I got really stuck on about 3 of them (not counting the typo one).

How did you do?

How Did This Get Made?

2011-04-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

If you're a movie nerd (as I know many of the staff here at HRTOTM are) you really need to check this podcast out. More than just bagging on bad movies -- which has been done to death, this podcast takes a film that's conceptually so bad that all you can do when you see the poster or the trailer is wonder "How Did This Get Made" and tries to make sense of the studio/celebrity thought process that led to such a disastrous piece of crap not only getting made but then getting marketed and released to the public.

We're talking films like All About Steve, The Last Airbender, and Burlesque, and they try to make sense of the plots, which are invariably 100 times more insane than you'd ever expect them to be.

Comedian Paul Scheer and his team are basically just starting out, so there's only like 5-6 episodes to listen to so far, but it's absolutely hilarious and worth your time.

Enjoy!

A Paean to Pubes

2011-03-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Or perhaps more of a pondering. Go to page seven.

Bit o' TMDR

2011-03-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Thomas Morgan Dolby Robertson, that is.

Being Prepared

2011-03-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

On March 19th, you can get free training in CPR and first aid from the American Red Cross. Be the person who knows what to do in an emergency. Find out where your closest class will be here.

Goodnight Dune

2011-03-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

If awesome had a bedtime story, this would be it.

-- Mad love to Shaina for the link. (Or in the immortal words of Feyd: I will credit her!!)

Odd Future

2011-03-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Odd Future aka OFWGKTA aka Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All

A Young hiphop crew from LA. They remind me of the DIY punk ethic.

The odd future video that went viral: Yonkers at the odd future website

Charlie Sheen or Muammar Qaddafi?

2011-02-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

Much more difficult than you might have ever expected a tongue-in-cheek quiz to be.

Nrrrd Girl You Don't Deserve Me

2011-02-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

Who's the A-hole that forgot to tell everybody about this until AFTER valentines day!?

For those of you who might not have completely comprehended the awesomeness, this is bacon wrapped in chocolate sculpted to look like Han Solo encased in Carbonite.

(this is the part where the opening chords to "Tom Sawyer" play at full volume).

Map of Metal! Electronic Music Map! Maps of music.

2011-02-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

You know you love metal. If you are a metalhead, you probably have genres and sub-genres you like. If you are a little more casual, then you probably like visual kei or classic rock or some related genre of metal. But I'm positive, just like there is someone out there that is right for you, there is a metal song that is right for you.

Map of Heavy Metal (flash required)

This will help you figure out what you like, what is related, maybe help you find something else that you like. And it will burn up a chunk of your day exploring. Use the minimap to move the big map around. Click on a genre and in many genres you can listen to a little sample.

Found one that does Techno music:

Electronic Music Map

Not as polished, but just as fun! I also think everyone loves Electronic music.

Back to Their Future Photos

2011-02-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

This KICK ASS series of photos recreates scenes from participant's past with the people as they are now. What an awesome idea!! Makes me kinda want to recreate this one of myself... But where would I find all that wood paneling and that awesome Micky Mouse record player?? Oh well - at least I know how to use Photoshop...

Everything is a Remix

2011-02-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is fantastic.

Everything is a Remix Part 2 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

P.S. -- Stick around after the credits, there's some very cool bonus stuff hiding there around the 7:03 mark.

RADTASTICNESS!

2011-01-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

From Enthiran, the most expensive movie ever made in India. I can only hope it has a dance sequence, too.

Again, life would be empty without Cartoon Brew.

Expanding Your Horizons

2011-01-26T00:29:00.000-08:00

Koji Yamamura. New to me. Old to anyone who's been paying attention. This is some of his latest stuff, but dig in and watch a few of his earlier shorts, too. He's made decades' worth of fantastic, charming, thought-provoking animation.

Products for the Passive-Aggressive

2011-01-24T16:19:00.000-08:00

Coupla things:

1) This is the type of idea that makes for soul-deadening conversation in cubicleland lunchrooms ("Betty's always stealing a bite from my ice cream. I should have a lock on it!"). It's a completely different thing to have actually made and sold.

2) This type of shit would be grounds for divorce.

3) The carton is made of paper, so if I want your fucking ice cream, it's mine. Fuck you.

4) In fact, someone meaner than me would stomp the carton open and put it back in the freezer, lock and all. Here's your ice cream, asshole. Oh, and: nice lock.

My Blackberry doesn't work either

2010-12-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

For anyone who has pain from their blackberry. Kind of a simple sketch, everyone has thought of the jokes, but the execution from an 80 year old comic pro and an almost cracking up straight man on the BBC has an ineffable quality of comedy.

excerpt from the BBC comedy, The One Ronnie.

Putting Your Finger On It

2010-12-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

It's funny 'cause it's true.

Getting It Really Right

2010-12-03T06:32:00.000-08:00

Clicking Girl and I love Craig Ferguson. I love Doctor Who. Therefore this weird-ass opening to Ferguson's show with Matt Smith as guest is a glorious tower of win. Extra bonus points for using Orbital's version of the theme music.

Something for Everybody

2010-12-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Despite being a rabid Devo fan, I only recently got their new release Something for Everybody--their first in 20 years. The band continues to kill. See them live if you can. Meanwhile, check out Human Rocket.

Fandom

2010-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

This guy is remaking the Jonny Quest title sequence in stop-motion animation. The technical term for this is "unbelievably rad."

Looking through different eyes

2010-11-13T19:47:00.000-08:00

Portlander Linda Buechler has been creating sly art for more than 30 years. She has started posting some of her work online. Take a look.

Maybe you've been coming on too stroganoff

2010-11-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

I'm laughing inappropriately while I should be working... but it's a Friday, so to hell with it! These are just too funny not to share. Some of my personal fav's so far:

Whimpering, not banging.

2010-11-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

#8 (sort of) of 8.

Summer Hitz 20XX is also not available online. As a poor substitute, here's the trailer for the festival at which all these short films were presented.

Then God is Seven

2010-11-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

#7 of 8, Stargate SG-47719, is not available online. Here's some other weirdness by the artist instead.

Who Wants Six?

2010-11-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

#6 of 8: The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century

A friend called Five

2010-11-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

#5 of 8: Whose Toes

http://www.animateprojects.org/films/by_date/2010/whose

Too Much Portland

2010-11-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

I already worry daily that I'll be deported from this city for not having any tattoos. Now I have to roast my own coffee? Getdafuckouttaheah!

The 100 Best Signs At The Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear

2010-11-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

I wasn't there (I bet it was a blast) but as I'm sure many of you have, I've been very interested in the excitement and utterly disappointed by the misconstrued fallout and media's utter inability to even understand what was supposed to be going on, much less how to cover it as a news event.

What I do know though, is that I got a serious kick out of this photo collection of the various signs people brought with them to Rally To Restore Sanity (and/or Fear).

Worth a look, regardless of your affiliation.

Festing

2010-11-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

#4 of 8

Definite Trip Material

2010-10-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is probably seizure-inducing, so consider yourself warned. #3 of 8 from the Floating World Comics Animation Festival in Portland OR.

Jacob Ciocci "The Peace Tape" from Audio Dregs Recordings on Vimeo.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

I almost sorta hate how cool I think this is.

Marvel at his skill, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to talk politics with the guy.

Continuing the Trip

2010-10-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here's the second of eight cartoons played at the Floating World Comics Animation Festival in Portland, OR on 10/13/2010.

Apeiron, by Eurico Coelho (1998) from dieubussy (Eastern Mind) on Vimeo.

Taking a Trip

2010-10-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Although I had a ticket, I didn't get to go to the Floating World Comics Animation Festival here in Portland on 10/13/2010. Like many things on which I've had to take a pass (like regular posting to this blog), other priorities interfered.

Still, I managed to sneak a list of the films they played. Here's the first.

What Phish Sounds Like to People Who Don't Like Phish

2010-10-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Look, I'm all about bashing Phish. If someone were to start a political party who's platform included a 95% income tax rate, beating up puppies, and hating on Jam Bands I'd be the first in line to vote for them.

But if you're gonna do a joke, then do a joke no one's heard, ok?

See, this would be funny to me if I hadn't already been versed in the "(Insert Musical Act Name Here) Shreds" meme that we featured on this site many moons ago (you know, back when we used to have time to post updates).

Does this video accurately portray the unmitigated suck that is Phish? Yeah, a little. Personally, I'd actually suggest that as a parody it's simply not annoying enough to paint a clear enough picture of just how much Phish sucks, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

WRONG.

Look, if you're out to kill Jam Bands with a parody video, then you need to look no further than MST3K, who assassinated the Grateful Dead in less than three minutes about 10 years ago.

Fatality. Flawless Victory. Now go get a job, hippie.

The Butch Bakery

2010-10-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes. For men.

Because a man eating a cupcake in public is self-conscious about ..eating a cupcake in public?

Sorry, let me try that again.

Butch cakes. Because camouflage is yummy-ummy-licious.

..Perhaps not.

"Formerly an asset backed securities attorney for a major Wall Street law firm, David Arrick's entrepreneurial spirit has taken him on a new path. A cum laude graduate of both New York University and New York Law School, he started Butch Bakery to bring a product to New York City that was completely unique and totally unprecedented. It was time for a bakery company that produced masculine themed products, but stayed far away from the cliche - in other words, Butch Bakery would have no "golf tee" cupcakes, or "baseball" cupcakes, but would have products that guys would love."

I know that sounds like the plot teaser for a new Adam Sandler film, but that's word-for-word copy from the "about us" section of the webpage. And thus, ~~flimsy beard~~ entrepreneurial coup-de-tat Butch Cakes was born.

So get your manly self over to their New York location and in your butchiest voice order one of their signature mancakes such as "The Tailgate,""The Jackhammer," "The Driller," "The Mojito," and of course that one guy who dresses up as the construction worker, who's name I can never remember.

I'm sorry, but there simply aren't enough pictures of Rip Taylor available on the internet to express my feelings about this.

If Superheroes Were Hipsters

2010-09-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

As usual, I found everything else funnier than the Joke about Michael Cera.

Facepalm

2010-09-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

Ceelo owns me

2010-08-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

Must be of age. Not work safe. Has f-bombs and s-words, the n-word. But Cee Lo can sing and it is a message that almost everyone can understand.

Monkeys vs. Iron Maiden

2010-08-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Fight!

5 Gun Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks to Movies)

2010-07-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

Fascinating article/list from Cracked -- this time identifying and de-bunking the Hollywood mystique around guns in action films.

I'm fascinated by guns, and yet I'm not really a gun guy -- which is to say that I think they're cool, but I have little actual interest/experience with them physically.

As a result, a lot of these facts came as a surprise to me (a few of them I knew, but lets just say that I'm kinda crushed that silencers apparently don't work the way years of TV and movies had me believing they did).

Enjoy!

Show Me Your Wiener

2010-07-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

--via UnMuse, who saw this gem on TV this morning.

Wes Anderson's God of War

2010-07-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Kinda beside the point, but Nosering girl could so get it.

Passive-Aggressive Rogues Gallery

2010-07-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

People ask me all the time if I miss New York. Not so much.

The Obameter

2010-07-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

How about a little good political news for a change?

None More Awesome

2010-07-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure whether to laugh at this or stand up, salute, and applaud. It's a collection of photos of Fantasy Van Murals from a fantastic site called Cyclopeatron.

Yes indeed people, these are the guys your dads used to lose chicks to.

..of course there's a Star Wars one, but if you think that guy was the king of the pack, then you clearly haven't met these dudes yet.

Yes, your eyes do NOT deceive you -- that's an airbrushed Neverending Story van. Or as the ladies call it, the panty dropper.

Seriously, how did this trend ever die?

Jobs of the Damned

2010-07-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

We know about the comment spam. The latest spammer trick is to actually hire humans to fill out the Captchas required to comment. I can only imagine what the workers are paid per captcha. Pennies, I would imagine.

If I had a kid and he told me he was a spammer, my only response would be "I have no son."

I saw an ad on Craigslist recently advertising for people to do this. Here. In the United States. Think for a moment about what that means about our economy: We have people so desperate for work they will sign up to be human Captcha machines, at competitive prices with Chinese workers.

So anyway, if someone smart knows how to deal with this, please let us know. Until then, spammers, please prove my point.

Wooden Beats

2010-07-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

So here's a video of Steve Averill showing off his latest creation, the Spruce Deuce. It's a robot built out of plywood and model airplane servos -- and it plays the drums.

It does so without complaining about you speeding up or dropping beats. It doesn't scoff at your taste in movies, eat all your food, or insist that you listen to French prog bands.

Needless to say, I am utterly perplexed and confused by this technology.

btw -- there's no way I can post this without including the tag line from the site I first saw this on:
"See Spruce Deuce play in the video below before Neil Peart hunts him down and destroys him to absorb his power. I hear every time Peart absorbs another drummer’s power, he adds one more piece to his drum set."

I don't know if I should laugh or cry

2010-07-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought autotune was played out:

This is why I prefer designing for print

2010-06-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not an animator - but I am a designer who occasionally does some character illustrations. Them coming to life is the stuff nightmares are made of... but man is this fun!

AT-AT Day Afternoon

2010-06-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Remember Iron Baby -- the viral short that made the rounds a while back? The same super-talented guy who did that (Patrick Boivin) is behind this awesome little short about the two things he wanted badly when he was a child but never got, all rolled into one.

Enjoy!

How Fast? Sonic Fast!

2010-06-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

I can hear the sound of the rings now.

Gasland

2010-06-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'm quite sure there are videos all over YouTube of people lighting their tap water on fire. But leaving it at that trivializes the problem behind the phenomenon: for those who live near natural gas extraction points that use a water-intensive method called fracking to get at the fuel, there is NATURAL GAS in the FUCKING WATER!

Gasland is a documentary now airing on HBO about the problem. Here's director Josh Fox on The Daily Show putting the problem in context. This feeds right into the US' ongoing water crisis, and is a wasteful and dangerous process that once again points up the need for renewable energy sources.

But it's still pretty cool to watch someone set tap water on fire.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Josh Fox

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

With Sam B., It's a Guarantee

2010-06-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

Sample from I Know I Am, But What Are You, by The Daily Show's Samantha Bee: "Are you seriously expecting me to jump off this bridge and restrain an erect dolphin?"

One more, describing the type of call she had to make to 90 year-old patients when she worked at a doctor's office that specialized in ED:

"Hello, Mr. Jacobsen, it's Samantha from the men's clinic."

"HEL-LO?"

"It's SAMANTHA. From the MEN'S CLINIC."

"WHAT IS THIS?"

"SAMANTHA!!!! MEN'S CLINIC."

"WHA-A-AT?"

"CLI-NIC!!!! PENIS CLINIC!!!! YOUR PENIS!!!!"

"APPLE?!"

That Foot In Your Ass Show

2010-06-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day, everyone!

OMG CAT RAVE!!1

2010-06-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Not only a bucket of awesome, but also suspiciously similar looking to Satorical's cat -- who now has some serious 'splainin to do.

Drenching. Slaking, Quenching

2010-06-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, we actually recommend something useful. Maybe once a year.

Anyway, I'm a distance runner. This is another way of saying I'm reeeeeeeeeally slow. I've run the NYC marathon twice, and am training for my fourth marathon, coming up in September. Besides the races themselves, there are a lot of long training runs involved, and the bottom line is that I end up shuffling my 225-pound ass around for hours. Besides my pole dancing, I also run for long periods of time.

ZING!

Anyway anyway, I've always eschewed carrying water bottles while running because there's usually water available on any given course. I also thought they would be uncomfortable/slosh around/be another two pounds I didn't want to carry for 4+ hours during a marathon. I am also a fan of frugality.

I have learned the error of my ways. I got off my wallet a couple of weeks ago, and I am here to tell you that having water along with you during extended physical activity is the way to go. Even if it's available on the course, not having to stop for water is an enormous psychological advantage. Moreover, some engineering and design folks have been hard at work over the last 25 years.

When I was in high school (Freshman year, 1985, 10:56 two mile), water bottles were something that held about 12oz of liquid (maybe), mainly designed to fit into bicyclists' holders. And YUMMY! Taste that plastic every time you take a swig! Now, runners/walkers may choose from designs tailored to their tastes: if you like carrying your bottle in your hand, there are handstraps available. I wear a belt like the green one pictured. It's easy to get out and replace, carries 20 oz. of water, fits perfectly in the small of my back, and is made so that carcinogens don't leach out with every sip. There are several companies that make this type of thing: Nathan, Amphipod, and Ultimate Direction among them. They all tend to be ergonomically correct, have a pocket or two for keys/money/energy gels/etc.

Then for the no-lies, out-all-day, I'm a thirsty mofo edition, there is Camelbak. It's a friggin' backpack that carries water, up to 100oz.

I may have to train up to carry it, but don't think I'm not up to it. Someday I'll carry an extra six pounds of water around. I'm fierce like that.

Getting Some Perspective

2010-06-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

Sure the BP oil disaster is the worst in US history. But how big is it, exactly? Click here to put it in terms you'll understand immediately.

Sexy Celebrities with Ugly Significant Others: A Field Guide

2010-06-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, your mission is clear: Become one of these people.

I'm not lovin' it.

2010-05-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

I would have thought that an ogre's load would be green. Shows what I know.

Battle of the Bozos

2010-05-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when honkies rumble.

"The Battle of the Bozos" Trailer from Bradley Glenn on Vimeo.

Rapping Memes

2010-05-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

Do we steer you wrong? Do we? No we do not. The ever-more amazing Martina Fugazzotto, who we love to death, has just come up with yet another winner, as the first entry on Rapping Memes (she also designed the site).

Witness the Cute Times Two as Martina raps to the baby sloth video, then make your own.

Stealing Material

2010-05-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

Another Highly Recommended Thing of Several Moments Ago:

MC Chris:

Thanks to Hex for turning me onto this.

Oh, and because people are stupid on the Internet, I'm not suggesting MC Chris stole anything. I'm stealing material from Hex's blog (MC Chris) for this post. Now you know.

Punks Just Got Lucky

2010-05-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

SoCal punk stalwarts Bad Religion are thankful for being able to do their thing for 30 years. So they're giving away a free live album. Thanks!

City Limits

2010-05-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Serving a double purpose as both a love letter to one of shows best episodes and an introduction to the show as a whole for those too young to have been there when it was happening -- the Onion's AV Club dedicates an installment of their "A Very Special Episode" series to Mystery Science Theater 3000's viewing of James Earl Jones, and Kim Cattrall in the otherwise forgotten 80's science fiction snoozer "City Limits."

Video clips accompany what sounds strikingly familiar to the memories of almost any avid fan when they talk about the first time they saw the show (btw, my first episode was "Cave Dwellers" -- which I still have on VHS, even though the tape itself is unwatchable after being worn down to almost utter ruin by repeat viewings).

Certainly nothing a lot of us haven't seen before, but still a great read.

Enjoy!

Tenacious D giving the tribute to Ronnie James Dio

2010-05-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

resquiat in pacem

Dr. Sketchys Anti-Art School

2010-05-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School is an international art revolution that takes the form of monthly meetings full of drinking, drawing, & debauchery.

Born from a New York tradition that takes place every other Saturday at The Slipper Room on the Lower East Side -- this unique art "school" has expanded to over 80 cities in 4 continents of the world.

What is it, exactly?

Well -- instead of life-drawing classes where silent students sit in a silent room and draw a bored, oft-uninteresting models -- Dr. Sketchy's offers burlesque performers as subjects, in addition to all sorts of fun including contests, comedic skits, live music, and flashy prizes.

If you're in the Jacksonville area looking for something unique to do on a Wednesday night -- the Jacksonville chapter will be meeting up tonight at LIT downtown (which if you haven't been yet, is all sorts of cool) from 7:30 - 10:30, and will be featuring the Great Jacksonville Fire and in the words of local founder Edward Mourningwood, "one of the 904's most famous of madams, Cora Crane and her brothel, the Hotel de Dream."

Amateurs and pros are both welcome. How could you resist?

Seriously though -- In New York this might be one of many interesting and unique events to choose from, but this is the sort of thing that Jacksonville, Florida is starved for.

The more support something like this gets, the better it is for everyone.

So get out there and have some fun!

Mosquito, Meet Laser

2010-05-18T09:00:00.001-07:00

When Bill Gates shifted from tech to philanthropy and disease-fighting, it was only a matter of time before he asked someone to design an anti-mosquito laser shield. Be sure to check the video to see a bug get zapped mid-flight.

Coolness Doesn't Need a Backing Track

2010-05-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Drummer is Blake Richardson of Between the Buried and Me.
The video is a simple idea that's still pretty cool to watch.

Next up, transparent aluminum

2010-05-17T18:40:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid, my grandparents took me to the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville. Hungary's pavilion that year had a giant Rubik's Cube out front in honor of inventor Erno Rubik. I tasted ultra high temperature (UHT) milk, which is pasteurized in a way that lets it be stored unrefrigerated on a shelf--new at the time. And I stood in line while a specially-reprogrammed automotive assembly robot painted a primitive picture on paper for me.

There's so much proto-tech thrown around at a World's Fair that it's hard to know what's really important at the time. The Rubik's Cube drew my attention then, but its worldly importance over time has not been as big as the robots that now make our cars. Far more important, but less flashy, were touchscreen computers, which were kind of balky, but were the predecessors of today's iPad.

Similarly, it's hard to know exactly how important this "transparent concrete" will be over time, but it's still pretty neat to see a version of what was purely fiction in 1986 when Scotty talked about "transparent aluminum" in Star Trek IV.

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Kid

2010-05-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hows that old sleeping bag of yours holding up -- Need a new one?
How about that hyperactive child that tosses and turns in his sleep?
How about that chum you've been wanting to take camping with you?

Problem solved.

Rick Moranis Has Some Advice, or Something

2010-05-16T03:13:00.001-07:00

The Funk University

2010-05-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Bootsy Collins is starting a university.

Really I don't know why I really need to say anything more than that -- but if you're interested, The Funk University is specifically an online school for Bass Guitar that Bootzilla will be administering himself.

Quoth the Starchild:

"Because a groove is a terrible thing to waste, this sonic learning institution will be unlike anything before, as Professor Collins and the finest bassists in music will unleash an intense curriculum, on the web, for intermediate to advanced funk disciples within the program."

Classes start on July 1, 2010, and will be geared towards intermediate to advanced level bassists.

The guy is a legend, and a hell of a bass player -- so if you've got the time and the interest it's definitely worth a look.

Check it out!

How Bored are You at Work?

2010-05-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

Because I guarantee you, these people have got you beat.

What you'll find when you click the link is a collection of fine artwork made from office supplies.

You know that day you took your red sharpies and made the ultimate coffee cup with your name on it?

Yeah. Nice try, poser.

There's a guy here who built a city out of staples. Not just some cityscape, but like a whole hemisphere of stapleopolis.

I have a question -- Where the hell was this guy's boss?

I dare bring a cup of coffee to my desk and the gestapo kicks down the door and hauls me off. This guy steals every staple in the building and no one says a damn thing? Not even the courier from office max with some sort of sarcastic joke?

I call Shenanigans.

Still, some of this stuff is really cool. I hope you didn't need those colored pencils or anything - because Jennifer Maestre used them all to make this while she was surely ignoring your request to approve all those purchase orders you needed done like yesterday.

Henry & Glenn Forever

2010-05-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

When I first saw this picture on various tumblr blogs around the web, it made me laugh. But then I find out that it's actually a real indie comic, and it's available right meow (only $4 to get a copy, can't beat that).

Written by the team of Tom Neely, Gin Stevens, Scott Nobles, and Levon Jihanian (better known as Igloo Tornado) -- this comic debuted at the recent Stumptown Comics Fest.

If you've ever wondered (and really, who hasn't?) what it would be like for Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig to try to make a relationship work while putting up with the shenanigans of their neighbors Hall and Oates, this one is for you.

Crab Revenge.com

2010-05-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

So wrong.

So very, very wrong.

EXCLUSIVE: 24: Day 9, via Twitter

2010-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today, May 8th, is the fifth anniversary of this blog. We are very proud on this occasion to offer an exclusive for our readers.

24's television run is coming to an end. It's too bad, too, because creator Joel Surnow had some fantastic cameos planned for next season. Here's a synopsis of what would have been the series premiere for Season 9 (aka Day 9), composed as rough notes in Twitter but never published.

Scene: Washington D.C. Capitol Building spire visible in background. As cars wait at a stop light, Jack Bauer commandeers one at gunpoint.

Bauer gets in the car as its owner watches, stunned, from the median. Before Bauer can drive away, Jason Bourne commandeers the car.

Bourne revs the engine. As he's about to start, John McClane commandeers car at gunpoint. Bourne joins Bauer and the car's owner, who shrugs

McClane revs the engine. Line of cars is now honking behind him as the light has turned green twice. Schwarzenegger steps up with a bazooka.

Daniel Craig, in tuxedo, forces Schwarzenegger out. Arnie joins other carless heroes on the median with bazooka, says "not loaded."

Carless heroes all say "Oh!," as they look wistfully toward the growing collection of guns on the passenger seat.

Daniel Craig gets five feet before coming to a halt. A staff is at his throat. Pull back to reveal Mani from Brotherhood of the Wolf.

Car owner gives a "what the hell?" look, while the carless heroes recognize Mani and are impressed in a movie geek kind of way.

Mani revs the engine once as Roger Moore steps in front of the car. Everyone on the median looks at Daniel Craig.

Daniel Craig holds up his hands in a "I have no idea" gesture as Clint Eastwood walks up. Everyone on the median applauds.

The scene goes Matrix numbers for a second as Neo appears in front of the car. Eastwood says "Oh come ON!" Bauer looks at his watch.

Neo gets behind the wheel. John McClane shouts "You don't even need a car!" Carless heroes nod in agreement. Car owner is on phone with wife

Before Neo can pull away, a yellow GTO screeches in front and transforms into Bumblebee. Cut to Mani, who rolls his eyes.

Roger Moore leans over to Daniel Craig. "Do you think you could get me a cameo or something?" Craig says "Sorry, I don't really handle that"

Several DOT trucks pull up and cordon off the block in preparation for street work. The heroes start to break up. Several pull out phones.

A few heroes ask Bumblebee for a ride. Some amble over to the bus stop and start reading the schedule.

Car owner casually gets back in his car and starts driving. He smiles slightly, wondering what he can get for his new handgun collection.

The Definitive Guide to Telling New Hampshire and Vermont Apart

2010-05-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

A point-by-point breakdown of the differences between "America's Quotation Marks." If you stay for nothing else, read until at least the discussion of the State flags. Then again, if you get that far -- why not just finish the whole thing?

Enjoy!

Getting Wood

2010-05-05T11:14:00.001-07:00

As you may, or may not know, we're coming up on the 5th anniversary of HRTOTM. And what do you get on your 5th anniversary? Wood!! As the only female blogger on HRTOTM, I hope my fellow bloggers are getting wood right now. Errrrr... ummm... Getting me something MADE out of wood right now... yeah... that's what I meant...

Something like this perhaps?

Sequels to The Human Centipede

2010-05-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

I've successfully avoided the torture porn genre so far. Despite a love for good horror movies (Halloween being my favorite), Saw, Hostel, and movies of their sort strike me as a colossal waste of time. The closest I've ever come to seeing something like them was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which was arguably more scary in its depiction of a relentless killer than from any actual gore in the movie. Only Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf made me cringe more.

Right now the movie getting all the buzz is The Human Centipede. It depicts an insane surgeon on a quest to connect people to each other like the paper doll silhouette in the poster here. It's the type of thing that's twisted enough to think about, but requires a whole extra level of nihilistic cynicism to go ahead and turn into a movie.

Anyway, one problem of the genre is the "porn" part of the equation. Like porn or anything designed to shock the system, viewers/addicts always need a bigger dose. The genre is engaged an arms race to see who can pump out the most depraved and disturbing imagery. The director has already announced his intention to create a sequel involving 12 victims instead of three. But I think we're in for competitors as other studios try to outdo him.

So, coming this Halloween, look out for...

The Human Skeeter

The Human Chigger

The Human Silverfish

The Human Pillbug

The Human No-See-Um

But the smart money will be on The Human Candiru. Starring The Situation as the man transformed by a demented surgeon into a fish that swims up urethras.

Logorama

2010-05-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

It's like someone borrowed a simple gag from a Simpson's Halloween episode, expanded it, and then gave it the Michael Bay treatment. I know that might initially sound like a recipe for awful -- but despite it's extreme length, this thing is actually pretty engaging.

And even if it wasn't, the animation is sick.

Enjoy!

-- NSFW language and occasional violent imagery.

friday time-sucks...

2010-04-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

i've discovered how i'll spend the last 1.25 hours of my friday work-day... you should too!!

I rock the MashUPs

2010-04-28T23:11:00.001-07:00

Too bad I have to link to College Humor here, but so it goes:

Star Wars and Jay-Z

For a Galactic Empire State of Mind...

hipster puppies

2010-04-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite new-ish places on the web, hipster puppies never fails to bring a smile (and yes, of course they have a book deal).

The whole site is gold, but here are some of my favorites:

Good website, here's a snausage.

The Hunt for Gollum

2010-04-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Extraordinarily well made 40 minute film telling the story of Aragorn's hunt for Gollum eluded to by a few lines in the Lord of the Ring. It is "made by enthusiast film makers", apparently on a small budget, but with great results.

http://www.thehuntforgollum.com/watchfilm.htm

I'd embed, but in this case I think it is better if you go check it out there, and the HD doesn't look so hot here in the blog.

SFW Sunday: Sensitive and Sweet Edition

2010-04-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Pretty ladies with pretty voices on a pretty Sunday afternoon. If this doesn't make you sit back and smile a little, you're doing it wrong.

Zooey Deschanel vs Scarlett Johansson in epic folky duo sing-off!! WHO YA GOT?

8 Bit Terrorism Starts at the Home Screen

2010-04-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

Turns out that all those hours you spent manning your Atari joystick might come in handy after all.

Michael Buble Being Stalked By A Velociraptor

2010-03-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Just in case you're worried that we might be taking the site in some sort of different direction -- The raptor's name may or may not be Ben Folds.

Ladies and Gentlemen... Once Again... Not Ben Folds

2010-03-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

If he keeps makin' em, I'll keep postin' em.

So Yes, This Is Ben Folds

2010-03-23T12:02:00.001-07:00

Who remains awesome.

NSFW 'cause of dirty words.

Mimi

2010-03-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's longish, and it has some strange noises, but it's otherwise safe for work...

... and lovely.

Best New Punk Song in a Long Time

2010-03-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

No, This is Not Ben Folds

2010-03-16T06:09:00.001-07:00

But he's still pretty awesome.

What if The Golden Girls Were The Wu-Tang Clan?

2010-03-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Great stuff (as usual) from Uproxx -- this time examining the age old question, "If the Golden Girls were actually the Wu-Tang clan, which one would Blanche be?"

Here's the scorecard:
Dorothy Zbornak as RZA
Blanche Devereaux as Method Man
Rose Nylund as GZA
Sophia Petrillo as Ol’ Dirty Bastard

Bring the pain, indeed.

The Code Organ

2010-03-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is kinda cool -- type in the URL to your favorite website (I suggest using http://highlyrecommended.blogspot.com/), hit the button -- and a synthesizer program will translate it into music. Synthy-poppy music.

I can't wait until I'm at a more SFW location so I can start feeding some pr0n addresses into this. I can only imagine what those will sound like ;)

Unnecessary Dairy Overlap

2010-02-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

As Gristina will happily tell you (he may still even have that book about it) Tessellation is the Tom Sawyer of geometry. Tom Sawyer = Posted.