They've been saying the end is near for a long time -- probably as long as people have been able to make signs and stumble around the streets downtown -- and yet it seems we're only a little closer. With that inevitability in mind, watch this simulation of how it might happen. Funny, I always imagined they'd be playing Pink Floyd during the end of all life as we know it, too. But there will always be an England.
It's the End of the World as We Know It
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1828851
Final Countdown on kazoo
Europe's epic "Final Countdown" played in all its majesty on the most unmajestic of kids' toys. Rock on.
http://www.monkeyreview.co.uk/index.php/2008/10/09/i-introduce-the-kazookeylele-this-is-wha
Young Girl Talking About Herself
Short, catchy song that pretty much sums up the state of online video diaries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN1ru6_u8lY
Take stock
Presentation mockingly explains why your company needs stock photography -- you know, those pictures of fake customers and business people. Humorous and needed to be said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7MBpQJ-zsg
QuOteD
"The future ain't what it used to be." -- Yogi Berra
Superimpositions
Octavio Ocampo works primarily in the metamorphic style - using a technique of superimposing and juxtaposing realistic and figurative details within the images that he creates. The longer you study his works, the more hidden images you seem to find.
http://www.eyetricks.com/artists/octavio_ocampo/
Champion of Guitars
An Interactive Fiction by Bill Meltsner. Appealing to those who like a little typing with their reading.
http://parchment.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/parchment.html?story=http://www.meltsner.com/random/Champion%20of%20Guitars.z5
Friday game: Knife
Think you can throw a knife? Try it out; and try not to kill the volunteer.
http://www.funlinks.com/knife-throw.html
4 Apps To Make Your Own Motivational Posters
I'm sure you'll go right for the one from Despair, Inc.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/make-your-own-motivational-posters/
Famous last words
"You can't turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again." -- Bonnie Prudden
Happy weekend,
vW
Friday, January 30, 2009
The|enD
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Preacher's Son
An old country preacher had a teenage son and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession.
Like many young men his age, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it. One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects.
1. A Bible.
2. A silver dollar.
3. A bottle of whisky.
4. And a Playboy magazine.
"I'll just hide behind the door," the old preacher said to himself. "When he comes home from school today, I'll see which object he picks up. If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too. But if he picks up the bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be. And worst of all if he picks up that magazine he's going to be a skirt-chasing womanizer."
The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son's foot-steps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.
The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them.
Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink, while he admired this month's centerfold.
"Lord have mercy," the old preacher disgustedly whispered. "He's gonna run for Congress."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Super duper
Gather 'round...
...and listen to a story about a simple country gentleman who has a talent for slingshot marksmanship. Seriously impressive any way you run from it. Remember, it's all fun and games till someone...
Carolina Camera: The Sling Shot Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ieWrWLjii0
Useless superpowers
Comics are so predictable -- those lucky among us who end up with good superpowers. But what are the chances...???Maybe you'll end up like these guys instead.
http://superuseless.blogspot.com/
Japanese Pen Spinning Collaboration
Clips of pen spinning tricks, no doubt soon to be an Olympic event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqFkYcjbF48
Hacked road sign
Never ever mess with the electronic information signs by the side of the road. It's not only a good idea -- it's the law. But here's how to do it...
http://www.i-hacked.com/content/view/274/48/
QuOteD
"All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things." -- Bobby Knight
No sweat
You know those couples who dress creepily identical? Well now you can get the same effect when walking the dog.
http://www.inhabitots.com/2009/01/14/sustainable-cat-hair-sweaters/
Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it)
From the sound of it, someone saw it but was way too high.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb2GmBkkaTU
Game-ish: Gride
Hop in and grive.
http://www.oopixel.com/gride/
Famous art, Simpsonized
And finally, seven famous works of art remade, Simpson style, in homage to Matt Groening's style, "the pinnacle of humanity's artistic achievement".
http://aviary.com/blog/posts/famous-works-of-art-simpsonized
Famous last words
"People who exaggerate just kill me." -- Dani Haviland
War in,
vW
Friday, January 23, 2009
Winning combinations
Good Friday to you,
I'm not really a big fan of either of The Muppets or Star Wars these days, but the way this flautist blends the two themes -- and given the technical ability involved -- I couldn't help but be impressed. Up for an Oscar [the Grouch] no doubt.
Muppet Wars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTUpTJyjUp0
Super Bowl ad victory
Well it's that time of year again, and with XLIII just days away, it seems appropriate to see the results of a FedEx study of recent Super Bowl commercials that identified the 10 items needed to finish on top.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ_yEOw1PPM
Creative, Artistic and Geeky Cake Designs
Even geeks, believe it or not, like to party, and this sweet selection of artistic confection showcases the many ways geeks can have their cake and eat it too -- with or without an .exe file baked inside.
http://weburbanist.com/2008/09/24/20-creative-artistic-and-geeky-cake-designs/
Fastball Reaction Time
Imitates a 90-mph fastball thrown by a major league pitcher. And while it doesn't test whether you could actually hit a fastball, it does test whether you could react in time to hit one. Assuming you were using a mouse.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/reactiontime.html
QuOteD
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -- Howard Thurman
Playmobil Security Check Point
The toy itself is pretty funny, but the customer reviews are hilarious.
http://www.amazon.com/Playmobil-3172-Security-Check-Point/dp/B0002CYTL2
The Vegetable Orchestra
Worldwide one of a kind, the Vegetable Orchestra performs on instruments made of fresh vegetables. The utilization of various ever refined vegetable instruments creates a musically and aesthetically unique sound universe.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfYt7vRHuY
Friday Game: Contour
A twist on the classic marble rolling game. You don't control the ball, but with a click of the mouse you can morph the ground around the ball and let gravity take over.
http://www.kongregate.com/games/shawkes/contour
Not really kid stuff
Not safe for work, in that it's kinda pr0n-y. Kinda safe for work in that all the naughty bits have been photoshop'd into eerie, smooth doll-parts. Not so safe enough for work that you'd want to actually look at it while at work, though.
http://ask-art.net/photo_1555642.html
Famous last words
"You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth." -- Evan Esar
Have a good weekend,
vW
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Saturday night special
Hola amigo,
I'm not sure what kind of weapons the po-lice are packin' these days, but it probably will scare off some criminals. Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? (Thanks Bomser)
Underwear Cops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILypMQoccs8
Quick pic: Record High Jump from a Kneeling Position
A new world record in the high jump from a kneeling position was set last week at a beach in southern France. This picture was taken just two seconds before the jump took place. (Thanks Professor)
http://vinweasel.posterous.com/kneeling-high-jump
R + C 4ever
I've been sitting on this awhile, but apparently this video has become very popular of late. Heartwarming footage that will give you faith in animalkind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ikm3o5hDks
Quiz-bang: What color is your ballot?
Answer just a few questions and find out where you fit on the political map. Fitting, perhaps, for this inaugural day.
http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html
QuOteD
"Where you find the laws most numerous, there you will find also the greatest injustice." - Arcesilaus
Runnin' With the Songsmith
A new Microsoft app called Songsmith can add background music to the track of your choice, and a wise man decided to run it on the David Lee Roth soundboard (featured in a previous VW post) with dreadful results.
http://music.metafilter.com/2943/Runnin-With-The-Songsmith
New and improved: Benny Hillifier
It can now speed up videos. Even more authentic.
http://james.nerdiphythesoul.com/bennyhillifier/speedup.php?id=oHg5SJYRHA0
Game: Bubble Spinner
http://www.deadwhale.com/play.php?game=774
Pick a card
And finally, unique and creative business card designs from all over the world.
http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2008/12/09/40-creative-business-card-designs/
Famous last words
"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do." -- John Ruskin
Hasta,
vW
Friday, January 16, 2009
Carte blanche
Avast,
So many different experiences out there, yet so much chaff. But behold the hand-drawn internet in this clever stop-motion video wherein a normal notebook (i.e., made of paper) is turned into an animated laptop, with a very different web experience.
der Zauber Noteboek
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tP-reW1eLYE
It's in the cards
Creative license. Take as much as you want. (Hefty, but worth the load-time.)
http://www.adobecards.com/
Is it right for me?
Those OTC med commercials suck, but MadTV fights back with this semi-amusing parody. If you can't skip 'em, skewer 'em.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5tkT_Pn0vg
Obamacize me
The longest election season in memory is now over, and we wanted to help you unwind and express yourself as we head into the new era. Make your own "Obamicon" -- your (or any) image in a style inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic poster.
http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/
QuOteD
"In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular." -- Dr. Laurence J. Peter
The Job
Posted this early last year, but thought I'd re-do since it seems to have only increased in meaning in these tough economic times. If this could only be a shred real, with thieving Wall Street assmunches standing outside their steel and glass towers...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XGJq8wrw5I
Reef-er madness
Get your applications in for the best job in the world: caretaker of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
http://www.islandreefjob.com/
Friday game: Bailout
Help Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke distribute dump trucks of cash in The Bailout Game. And save some for me. And while you're fiddling with numbers, here are some games you can play with Excel. http://www.dzikosoft.com/gmexcel/library2.html
http://www.thebailoutgame.us/
Is it soup yet?
And finally, ask the Noodle Soup Oracle; guaranteed to get at least some sort of answer.
http://noodlr.net/
Famous last words
"You have to do something to justify your tenure on the top side of the dirt." -- James Lileks
Enjoy and have a good weekend,
vW
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
By the numbers
Hola amigo,
"Stop-motion animation using real people." Well that's how they describe this animated fight and chase scene video made in 2006 for Screen South as part of the UK Film Council's Digital Shorts scheme, anyway. However you describe it, pretty impressive, pespecially the people who had to stand perfectly still for about six months. And not to be a stickler, but it actually took 26,000 pictures to make...
Ten Thousand Pictures of You
http://vimeo.com/2554266
Four Kazoos
Entitled "Enter Kazoo Man", a rendition of Metallica's rousing crowd-pleaser in a novel performance on kazoos with a little beatboxing thrown in. Caution: You might like this more than you should.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC65ufGUvKM
20 Guesstions
Magic genie deduces the character you're thinking of in this online version of the classic guessing game.
http://en.akinator.com/
Sixers
Get a quick read. What else need be said, eh?
http://www.sixwordstories.net/
QuOteD
"We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true." -- Robert Wilensky
One hand waters the other
I get by with a little help from my plants.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnlF0ukPscI
50 strange buildings
Nice big chunk of architectural whimsy. Everything in Las Vegas looks pretty government-issue by comparison to this group.
http://villageofjoy.com/50-strange-buildings-of-the-world/
Game break: 99 Bricks
Like Tetris but like in reverse.
http://www.kongregate.com/games/WeirdBeardGames/99-bricks
4th century Greek joke book
A collection of old -- and I mean really old -- jokes. ("An Abderite saw a eunuch talking with a woman and asked him if she was his wife. When he replied that eunuchs can't have wives, the Abderite asked: 'So is she your daughter?'") Even my grandfather would have been overmatched.
http://www.stoa.org/diotima/anthology/quinn_jokes.shtml
Famous last words
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." -- Albert Einstein
Hasta luego,
vW
Friday, January 9, 2009
Veni, vidi, inodiare
Happy TGI,
One of the better vids from these guys in recent memory, Onion covers Apple and its intro of a revolutionary new laptop With no keyboard. Remarkably simple. Simply remarkable. Good dig.
Is it for wheel?
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/92328
Sound off
For your amusement, some blasts from the audio past: the David Lee Roth "Runnin' with the Devil" Soundboard.
http://www.thetyser.com/
Catsaway
Speaking of annoying, ever wonder what cats do while we're asleep? This guy did, so he set up a time lapse camera to find out. Turns out cats spend the night climbing on us.
http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2008/10/09
Dial by fire
Radio DJ cooly stays on-air, undeterred by the fact that a console behind him is doing its best impression of belching fire and smoke.
http://www.break.com/index/radio-booth-engulfed-in-flames.html
QuOteD
"A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing." -- Emo Philips
Scribble scrabble
Bachelors -- save money on decorating simply by dressing up your walls with a felt-tip. Caution to most: don't try this at (your) home.
http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/2008/09/18/man-decorates-basement-with-10-worth-of-sharpie/
Quick pics: (Much too) creative poodle grooming
If this is not already illegal, it should be.
http://www.pinkcoyote.net/creativegrooming.html
M . P . G-whiz
How many miles per gallon does your body get?
http://www.thecarconnection.com/mpg-quiz/index.html
Friday game: Evacuation
A game of skill and vacuum suction.
http://www.foddy.net/Evacuation.html
Just joking
And finally, a joke to make a grown man groan. (Thanks GP)
A sad-looking hydrogen atom walks into a bar.
The bartender asks, "What's wrong?"
"I've lost an electron," said the hydrogen atom.
"Are you sure?" asked the bartender.
"I'm positive," said the atom.
Famous last words
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham Lincoln
Enjoy and have a good weekend,
vW
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Good riddance
Que pasa,
Henry Moore said, "I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's." Well resolve yourself to watch this year-end review of the news in song from "Uncle Jay". Even the voice of an angel couldn't make 2008 seem like anything but the hell that it was. I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to things sucking less in 2009. (Thanks Bomser)
Uncle Jay Explains: Year-end!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWiXy55OHyY
Logogistics
New company logos in the wake of the economic crisis. Humorous.
http://smallbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2008/12/economic-crisis-new-company-logos.html
Shakespeare Howls
A collection of mid-century cocktail napkins juxtaposing quotations from William Shakespeare with silly cartoons.
Classic cocktail napkins from the '50s, back when alcoholism and sexism were funnier.
http://www.mrbalihai.com/haideaway/v/shakespeare_howls/
2009 Audi RS6 Gymnastics
A group of gymnasts act out the parts of the Audi RS6 performance car.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x53mdw_audi-rs-6_creation
QuOteD
"Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for." -- Will Rogers
Timelapse Painting
Cool-ish painting captured in a time lapse sequence.
http://www.bored.com/videos/play/311/Timelapse-Painting.html
Quick pic comics: "Far Side" Reenactments
http://www.flickr.com/groups/farside/pool/with/1479579121/
Game break: Achievement Unlocked
Who needs gameplay when you have ACHIEVEMENTS? Don't worry about beating levels, finding ways to kill enemies, or beating the final boss... there are none. Focus solely on your ultimate destiny... doing random tasks that have nothing to do with anything.
http://armorgames.com/play/2893/achievement-unlocked
500 in two
And finally, 500 impressions in two minutes. Granted, he took some liberties, but I guess that's the gag.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpsfDTbzKwM
Famous last words
"Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman 'round the corner." -- W. Somerset Maugham
Sayonara till tomarrah (or whenever),
vW