Flightened

The wind beneath my wings
A little entry from the "Adrenaline Hunters" file, check out this awesome flight of a wingsuit over snow country. Watch for the low level skier buzz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqW6O_dcF2M


Your life vest clashes with your oxygen mask
Despite that last vid, flying these days has become increasingly painful, but I’m not sure that some airlines' attempts to cure it are worse than the disease.
http://www.glumbert.com/media/preflight


Drive Someone Insane with Postcards
Not going away for the holidays? Well if you're up for a prank, take advantage of this offer and confuse the heck out of your family and friends. "When you care enough to send the very bewildering."
http://cgi.ebay.com/Drive-Someone-Insane-with-Postcards_W0QQitemZ320196148761QQihZ011QQcategoryZ45208QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

QuOTeD
"The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth." -- Niels Bohr


World's most effective speed bump
Made in Germany, of course. Predictable, to be sure.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ieo9_pub-toom-baumarkt-fun-dosdane_fun


Friday game: If you like pool, you'll probably enjoy this.
Shuffle - http://www.games1.org/flash-games/Shuffle


And finally, a few random holiday season leftovers to keep you going...

Make-A-Flake
An astute observer pointed out that it's a sad sign of the times that there's a link to report offensive snowflakes.
http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/


It's a wrap
From the recycling bin, how to apply some creative treatment to those presents using fragments of paper and miscellaneous items from around your house.
http://www.boakart.com/wrap/WrapArt.html


Holiday light show compendium
Homes transformed into musical light shows for the holidays.
http://www.bored.com/christmaslights/index.htm

Don't leave home without it

No Sh*t Sure Lock
In this gritty but hilarious three-minute parody of a Home Depot commercial, we learn a new meaning to that old phrase. Uh, so I guess her number is two?
http://www.jibjab.com/view/217452


Soylent Pictures
Cool work that puts most any college marching band to shame. The Art of the
Conceptual Photograph, starring of all things, people.
http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/people%20pictures.htm


(Prince) Charles in Charge
Speaking of great photos, thanks to the miracle of the camera shutter for this one. A shot like this just doesn't come along every day.
http://vinweasel.blogspot.com/2007/12/prince-charles-in-charge.html


QuOTeD
"Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors." -- Thomas H. Huxley


Mighty pen
"Very good if you need to write on paper," a thoughtful and thorough Amazon customer review of the Bic Crystal medium-point, black ballpoint pen. The comments are pretty tongue-in-cheek funny as well.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3QR3AC2WXWHIT/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm/

Big book
According to Guinness World Records, at over five by seven feet (and 133 pounds), this staggeringly beautiful photographic book is the largest published book in the world. That works out to a little over $100 a pound, and in that "light" it sounds like kind of a bargain.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00016CAZ6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Tidbyte: Apparently there will be no Nativity Scene in the Washington D.C. this Christmas season. No, it's not a matter of separation of Church and State -- they simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in our nation's capitol. There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable. (Thanks rasric)


If it looks like a duck
Someday they’ll create an award for websites that do "exactly what it says on the URL." Wait -- here's one now. (See more duck-like objects after the front page.)
http://www.thispeanutlookslikeaduck.com/

(Prince) Charles in Charge

A photo like this just doesn't come along every day. Must be some form of royal British salute. (Thanks Bomser)

French Fry Art

French Fry Art

Playing with your food? Maybe consider painting with it instead. Obviously that order of fries isn't the healthiest choice, and this unique art video will make you think even harder before answering the question, "You want fries with that?" Although he's American, you can say this art originated in grease.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1782207


Crack dollhouse
Two great things that go great together: smoking crack and playing with dollhouses. Delight in this toy home for tiny people on the pipe. And with Xmas coming up, it's the ideal gift for the crack baby in YOUR life.
http://www.virtualdollhouse.net/Grace


The sound of one throat purring
From mice to cats, the purfect podcast for the loved one in your life. (Thanks Raygun)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/193310907/the-sound-of-one-cat.html


QuOTeD
"No problem is so formidable that you can't walk away from it." --Charles M. Schulz


Broken Windows
Check this collection of mind-bending Windows error messages (including the immortal "Error: An error has occurred while creating an error report").
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/absurd-windows-errors-invade-planet/more-windows-errors-take-over-the-world-prepare-ground-for-alien-invasion-331828.php


Macworld Bloopers
Steve Jobs and Apple are known for their "riveting" (to someone, I guess) Macworld keynotes that have the technology world on edge. Usually pretty sharp on delivery and obviously well rehearsed, they can sometimes go awry. I guess Windows isn't the only system that can cause demo problems.
http://9to5mac.com/macworld-bloopers-0230959534


Game break: from the National Association of Home Builders, this might help you through a frustrating day at work. (Thanks Gordon)
Smash the Tiles - http://www.savethetile.com/microsite.aspx?goto=game


Skeptoid
A podcast dedicated to furthering knowledge by blasting away the widespread pseudosciences that infect popular culture, Skeptoid attempts to expose the folly of belief in such phenomena, and more importantly, explains the factual scientific reality. From the sublime to the startling, no topic is sacred, politically incorrect though that may be. Yeah, I’m a little skeptical.
http://skeptoid.com/

Triumph over evil

Triumph Wants His $12 Million Bit#h!
Leona Helmsley (a.k.a., "the Queen of Mean") recently passed away at age 87. She left a $12 million hotel fortune to her eight-year-old Maltese named Trouble, passing over a couple of grandchildren on her way to the afterlife. Naturally, lawsuits ensued. Among those who feels he got shafted is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and he chose the ideal forum for airing his grievances: Dr. Phil.
http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/video/index.shtml#mea=157308


Popstar
No, it's not a social network for soft drink fanatics. It's a parody of the Nickelback "Rockstar" video tracking the convoluted career path of a typical, studio-manufactured pop star. Despite all odds, it made for somewhat amusing listening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSlqI1AVUk


The Day The Whopper Died
America takes its burgers seriously. Really seriously.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMOPj6-4nDU


QuOTeD
"How wonderful opera would be if there were no singers." -- Gioacchino Rossini


Are we not men?
It was recently brought it to my attention that some people have a lot of spare time and spend that time thinking of very bizarre things. A classic example of what makes for foundation in the blogosphere. (Thanks Gordon)
http://menwholooklikeoldlesbians.blogspot.com/


Game time: Zwing your ball around using the mouse and protect the white one. Don't get blackballed.
Zwingo - http://www.kongregate.com/games/Kabomb/zwingo


Wig is probably what they'll do
Speaking of odd pursuits, Carolyn Sortor believes that, "If you have any creature in the house with a head bigger than a walnut (including boyfriends), you need a Kitty Wig." You might tend to agree, just on laughs alone. Worth a quick look at the photos.
http://kittywigs.com/wigindex.html

Fight the power

PowerPoint-less
We've all seen PowerPoint presentations run amok. The melange of fonts, the garish colors, the five-level bulleted lists that go on forever These mishaps are not lost on comedian Don McMillan. In this short clip, he provides some quick pointers for keeping your PowerPoint presentation from becoming a multimedia nightmare.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLpjrHzgSRM


Even bastards become top blokes after death
When people die their faults are quickly airbrushed over. Apparently, this song caused quite a stir when it was first broadcast in Australia. Your guess as to which of the dead celebrity brutalizings would have kicked up the stink.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLVsIpejFgM


Korean Freestyle Slalom Rollerblading
Sorta impressive from a street/schoolyard PoV, but despite the authentic sounding name, I don’t see how this could ever make it as an Olympic event. I’m sure that Greeks are already turning over in their graves at the mere provocation. By the way, there's a lot of prelude here -- the action starts when there's about 1:30 left.
http://www.glumbert.com/media/koreanfreestyle


QuOTeD
"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." -- William Faulkner
"Be not simply good; be good for something." -- Henry David Thoreau


Hold that thought
The perfect Xmas gift for that special someone -- a thought-screening helmet that prevents alien abductions.
http://www.stopabductions.com/


Motion Induced Blindness
Cool optical illusion, though with enough computer use it'll probably happen anyway.
http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot_mib/index.html


Wash, rinse, repeat
Wince-inducing ad for a bathroom accessory that leaves you thoroughly cleaned. If you sit through the testimonials to about halfway through, you get to see a woman wiping shit off her hand. As Christmas presents go, well, your mileage may vary.
http://shanghaiist.com/2007/09/10/new_bidet_that.php

Snail's pace

NASCARGOT - A NASCAR Parody
Pole position today is occupied by a short NASCAR parody that looks more like a molluscan version of organized grabass. Animal lovers -- you'll be pleased to hear that no snails were harmed in the making of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CUFEnZeeYw


Just how fast is a Formula 1 car?
Enjoyable old-school Top Gear-style spot, pitting a family trickster against a Porsche and a F1 car in a race around Silverstone track. Crazy quick.
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-fast-is-a-Formula-1-Car-1294208


Pocket Car: If only...
Lickety-split spot of someone's urban dreamcar.
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/pocket+car/video/x15aau_pocket-car_ads


QuOTeD
"The world is governed more by appearances than realities, so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it." -- Daniel Webster


Think outside the can
Check out architect Robert Bruno’s "Steel House". Interesting design, in a neo-Paleolithic Jetsons kind of way.
http://www.robertbruno.com/


Game break: Why did the Beatles cross the road?
Abbey Road Frogger - http://www.nosoup.net/nosoup4u/b3ta/abbeyroadcrossing.html


Joke point: rasric handed off this season-appropriate (football, that is) joke.

49ers

A guy walks into a bar wearing a 49ers jersey and carrying a cat that's also wearing a 49ers jersey.

The guy says to the bartender, "Can my cat and I watch the 49ers game here? My TV is broken and my cat and I always watch the game together."

The bartender replies, "Normally, cats wouldn't be allowed in the bar, but it's not very busy in here right now, so you and the cat can have a seat at the end of the bar. But, if there's any trouble with you or the cat, I'll have to ask you to leave."

The guy agrees, and he and his cat start watching the game. Pretty soon the Niners kick a field goal and the excited cat jumps up on the bar and walks down the bar and gives everyone a high five.

The bartender says, "Hey, that's pretty cool! Does he do that for every field goal?"

The guy nods, "Yeah, every time."

The bartender asks, "What does he do for a touchdown?"

The guys answers, "I don't know, I've only had him for three years."

list-en up, America

Americans love lists
The results are in. Apparently we love lists, and whether you do or not, you still might enjoy Goodiebag's fast-talking, tightly-edited online stand-up routines...
http://www.goodiebag.tv/episodes/05.htm


Herstory lesson?
Maybe "The View" keeps Sherri Shepherd around for comic relief because the resident born-again Christian has nothing intelligent to contribute. Some are surprised that the Almighty Himself hasn't contacted Barbara Walters about firing her clueless self for making all Christians look like ignorant fools. Now, I don't know who she is nor have I ever seen the show, and boy am I glad for it. On the other hand, more comedy is good, right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psGLXqW1kUs


QuOTeD
This guy's got balls...
"Let’s get the CEO of every cup company. You put your cup on, and I’ll put my cup on, and we’ll see who’s left standing."
– Former major leaguer Mark Littell — who has designed a high-tech athletic cup called the NuttyBuddy and, as this video shows, stands behind his product — issues the sort of challenge that should be used to settle every Silicon Valley hostile takeover bid.


The Morality Quiz
These quascientists believe that the deepest foundation on which morality is built is the phenomenon of empathy, and are using these dilemmas to study human morality. Here's a quiz where you can test your moral mettle and do a little extra credit reading if you so desire.
http://www.time-blog.com/graphics_script/2007/moralityquiz/index.html


Quick pic: Puppies on the go
Don’t you wish someone could carry you around like this?
http://www.internet-memes.com/images/puppiesonthego.jpg


Real-life game remake shows human stupidity in 8 bits
This remake of Donkey Kong takes the game to new levels of realism - and reality - by having humans fill the roles. And while I could never reckon how a "donkey" figures into this, it's no coincidence that ass is synonymous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KyIpMtvJvE

The tree is up and it's...good

AJUK wrote in with good news: "It took all weekend, but I finally got the tree up." I'll bet Santa's going to hit his house early (and often).




So that kicks off today's issue including a few bits of Christmas cheer....

How Disney really feels about Christmas
Ladies and gentlemen, with the Christmas season more than officially in full swing -- trees, tinsel, lights, gift wrapping, and crowded malls -- apparently even Disney can’t quite handle it.
http://www.jibjab.com/view/214756

Is it Christmas?
If you’ve lost track of time, this website will give you a quick and definitive answer to the question, should you need one.
http://www.isitchristmas.com/

QuOTeD
"When you look at yourself from a universal standpoint, something inside always reminds or informs you that there are bigger and better things to worry about." - Albert Einstein

PSA: Putting the "green" in your Christmas tree
Instead of buying a tree, these nice folks will let you rent one. They bring a potted tree to your house, and after Christmas they pick it up and plant it in areas that were destroyed by the recent San Diego county fires. Seems like one of those dreaded "win-win" situations.
http://www.adoptachristmastree.com/

Tesla tree
Fifty hours and 91 seconds later, a Christmas "tree" made from a real functioning Tesla coil.
http://tesladownunder.com/Xmas.htm

X(mas)-Game: Sprouty Christmas
Eyegas, a man with leguminous/festive proclivities is back with a sort of sequel to his 2005 opus, "Attack of the Sprouts". Eat as many sprouts as you can, while venting wind to avoid a nasty explosion.
http://www.eyegas.com/sproutifarts/

PSA2: Amazon Filler Item Finder
Certain items at Amazon.com qualify for free shipping, but sometimes purchase fall short of the minimum $25 needed to recieve the free shipping. Enter the amount you need to get free shipping in the box above to see a list of products that will get you free shipping.
http://www.filleritem.com/

Elf yourself
Silly little thing for which you need a photo (headshot) and a strong stomach. Let the elfamorphosis begin.
http://www.elfyourself.com/

Road to nowhere

Discrimi-Nav GPS system
Now, I don’t have a GPS but I’ve seen them on TV. (And Lord knows I could use one.) Here's a fake commercial for one such device -- and I think you'll know where they're going with this when you start watching -- that helps you avoid those "marginal" neighborhoods. Marginally funny, but definitely at least a little equal-opportunity offensive. (Thanks Bomser)
http://www.jibjab.com/view/79837


Un-PC you'll see
In this age of "PC enlightenment", they might seem like outrageous anachronisms. At the time, they might have been considered truth in advertising...blatantly politically incorrect ads from the time equality forgot.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=496827


Two-for-one cubed
An impressive achievement in double-fisting the cube, Dan Dzoan, world champion at one-handed Rubik's Cube-ism, solves two at once in under 45 seconds. Geek chic, fo' sho'.
http://www.snotr.com/video/481


QuOTeD
"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired." -Jules Renard


Slow Exposure
Check these still shots of moving subjects where the photographer captures the movement as blur rather than freezing it. The dreamy atmosphere makes for some good art.
http://content3.clipmarks.com/view_clip.aspx?guid=F5FADD52-739C-4426-A97E-A0BA1B59A103


Friday game: Think you know what's where?
Geography Quiz - http://minijuegos.com/juegos/html/index.php?id=5974


Organic music
Worldwide and one of a kind, the Vegetable Orchestra makes music with edible instruments. Turnip the volume -- this one's in the key of squash flat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfYt7vRHuY

It's hammer time

Go for the juggler
My wife watches those home improvement shows from time -- you know the ones where they completely remodel a house in three days for a mere 75 bucks -- but I don’t get roped in. But maybe I would pay a little more attention if they occasionally threw in/up something like this. (Thanks Edwin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJmZvifrO9Y


Card-iac kid
Bryan Berg, the acknowledged inventor of cardstacking on the grand scale, embarked on a month-long project with The Texas State Fair to create a new Guinness World Record for the World's Tallest House of Playing Cards. No tape, glue, or other tricks -- just 1,800 decks of freestanding playing cards (and some scaffolding) to finish this 25-foot tower.
http://www.cardstacker.com/index2.html


All the crap in my wallet
Speaking of lots of cards, some men seem to believe that the bulk and heft of their wallets is a direct reflection of their manhood, stuffing them full of every receipt, ticket and scrap of paper that passes through their hands. But when the time comes that there's no more room for money, a cleanout is required. This dude thought that documenting all the crap that he fished out of his was a worthy venture.
http://www.allthecrapinmywallet.co.uk/


QuOTeD
"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." - Peter Drucker


Re: Cat Talking, Translation
And here's what it sounds like if you have your babel fish in your ear translating for you. A short clip that seems a lot like MST3K meets America's Funniest Videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JynBEX_kg8


Quick pic: hair trigger
I suppose you could say we're setting a bad example for the rest of the world with this product. Do you feel lucky, punk?
http://www.nodaya-net.com/11438.htm


Pixel art
How creative can you be with 16 colors and 32x32 pixels? Check this pretty basic 'make your own pixel art' site with the extrabonus of being able to see everyone else's tiny creations too.
http://pixelarts.6x.to/

Amazon hates US

Customers who bought this also bought....
So apparently Amazon wants to hasten the demise of this great nation (or maybe some other, but what are the odds of that). Get it while it's hot. (Thanks Joe)
http://www.amazon.com/Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM

Achmed the Dead Terrorist
I've received this from enough folks that I now feel obliged to mention it. Enjoy a routine from Jeff Dunham as seen on Comedy Central and his new DVD. (Thanks rasric, tedm, et al.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go

Where's Oil
Finders keepers, users weepers.
http://www.civicactions.com/sites/home2.civicactions.net/files/map01_1024.jpg

QuOTeD
"I can forgive Alfred Nobel for having invented dynamite, but only a fiend in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize."
- George Bernard Shaw

Apocalyptic Manhattan
Cool and eerie scale model being created in some dudes' apartment.
http://z11.invisionfree.com/Work_In_Progress/index.php?showtopic=9485

Double-secret probation photos
Visit a museum these days and there's bound to be a sign saying "no photography", which is a bit snitty, as it's simply a way of getting punters to pay for crap postcards in the gift shop. So (lens) caps off to strictlynophotography, it's like Flickr for camera phone anarchists. Up the revolution, kiddos.
http://strictlynophotography.com/

But does hirsute suit her?
"Call it testosterone. Call it the great acne-scar cover-up. Or call it Z.Z. Top envy. But the fact is, some men sprout facial hair that would put a peacock's tail to shame. These best of the best have only one place to go with their cheek-covering plumage: The World Beard and Moustache Championships." How can you pass up something with a billing like that?
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/

But I Could Be Wrong

Tim Wilson ain't f%#$&ing wrong
One of the better "songs" I've heard in a long time, if nothing else because I share the sentiment. I don't think he leaves anyone out of this barrage. Profanity a plenty, but in a real funny-like kinda way.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q-5d5IfdYK4

Best wedding first dance ever
They can look forward to a long and goofy marriage. (Thanks Lynette)
http://www.glumbert.com/media/weddingfirstdance

QuOTeD
"Nothing is more admirable than the fortitude with which millionaires tolerate the disadvantages of their wealth." -- Rex Stout
"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of." -- Jane Austen

Lost Mac Ads
Some people apparently enjoyed the new "Get a Mac" ads, though I believe this is the exception. For everyone who ever wanted to kick that pretentious Mac guy's ass, here's a sketch you'll enjoy.
http://valleywag.com/tech/apple/the-lost-mac-ads-somewhere-justin-long-is-curled-around-a-dodgeball-and-crying-186353.php

Game on: PacMan meets Zork, apparently.
Pac-Txt -- http://pac-txt.com/

What Happens Behind the Scenes
Also on the marketing front, when a company wants to persuade you to perceive things a certain way, they have a number of standard techniques ( a.k.a., tricks) at their disposal. Here's a little practical knowledge to use in that battle.
http://www.chemistryland.com/CHM107/Introduction/BehindScene/StepBehindScene.html

Mondo Brawndo
And lastly, here's some real, good marketing. And actually, it seems like it's got what pants crave. (Thanks Joel)
http://www.drinkbrawndo.com/

Should we consider eating our young?

Not old enough to drink, but old enough to sue? There ought to be a law.

18-Year-Old Kathleen Holtz Passes the California Bar
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/11/19/18-year-old-kathleen-holtz-passes-the-california-bar/

SoCal Woman Becomes a Lawyer at Age 18
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5773175

American ingenuity

Is Europe a country?
Apparently some people aren't smarter than a fifth grader. God bless a nation where such a person could survive. I have my theories on that...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juOQhTuzDQ0

Light my fire
These guys piled up a huge stack of wood and then wheel in a jet engine to start the fire. A fifth-grader might even think twice about this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbjoHdT79Sw

QuOTeD
"Well, I had a wonderful evening. It just wasn't tonight."
-- Groucho Marx

Don't mix business with pleasure
Isn't technology great? Careful when using a laptop for a work video-conference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M60bQrWyH8g

Control Poll
The BioManage Consortium is conducting a study to determine which consortium member holds the most power over the planet earth. It's a simple one multiple choice question. Strangely, my wife is not one of the choices.
http://www.biomanage.com/control-poll.shtml

Game break: "Game Game" is a strange yet somehow appealing game. I'm not sure how you know whether you are playing it correctly.
http://www.secrettechnology.com/gamegame/gamegame.html

Tesla coil Super Mario duet
Two dudes built a couple of Tesla coils and in protogeek fashion programmed them to play the Super Mario Brothers theme. Who says American ingenuity is dead?
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/11/tesla_coil_super_mario_du.html