2010: Living In the Future

Ever seen someone pull a robbery with a giant stick? Well cue the Benny Hill music. Serious, funny stuff. [from Gizmodo]

As the year closes out, have a look at 2010: Living In the Future, a book as relevant now as it was in 1972.

Plus, a retrospective in this year's online maladies: The Best Viral Videos Of 2010.

And also somewhat reflective of the recent year, The Adventures of Unemployed Man, a comic book hero for modern times.


"The future is much like the present, only longer." - Dan Quisenberry

It takes a village

Check out this one-man Village People act from a recent college hoops game.

And in the spirit of the holiday travel season, a Venn diagram of people who touch your junk.

"The man who occupies the first place seldom plays the principal part." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Ventrilotwist

Paul Zerdin performs some ventriloquism with an original angle at Comedy Rocks (which by the way, this does).

And Passive-Aggressive Notes, where the passive is optional.


"Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please." - Pythagoras

20 Hours of Blizzard in 38 Seconds

Wondering how much snow would pile up during the recent storm, Michael Black stuck a camera and clock in his backyard and produced his December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse.

Speaking of things that quickly pile up, test your vocabulary, timed, at Knoword.


"If they try to rush me, I always say I've only got one other speed and it's slower." - Glenn Ford

Cat Diaries

For whatever reason, the good people at Friskies hung some cameras around the necks of some cats, did some editing, and created the first ever movie made by cats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0PduP7PXx0

Or if you're more of a dog person, here's a compendium of man's best friends doing a whole lotta crazy stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de3uzRiABNU


"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." - Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes

My Blackberry Is Not Working

Fruit-flavored tongue-in-cheek tech skit from the BBC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI

While on the topic, you can submit a drawing of your favorite meal at Draw Your Dinner. Or see how people re-designed the trusty government food pyramid.


"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live." - Oscar Wilde

Winterwonderland

Blacksheep, the RC stunt flyers responsible for that crazy New York City fly-over, are back with a new, more fitting for the holidays video. Watch out for sheep panic a little ways in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9L4phs1owA

Going to the mall today for some last minute shopping? Then this Honest Shopping Mall Map: Holiday Edition might help.

Tis the season for holiday shipping. Visualize who ships those 300 million holiday packages.

"Gifts must affect the receiver to the point of shock." - Walter Benjamin

Walks of Life

The abridged yet creepy story of life on earth, as told through the medium of walking fingers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhnYipRAp3M

And, the Best Coathook Graffito Ever.

"In the year 3000, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook will merge into one super time-wasting website called YouTwitFace." - Conan O’Brien

Unisanta

What could say Christmas-time in Portland more than this quick clip?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbfD9OKwqBs

In another state of mind as well, save the driving with 50 Welcome Signs From 50 States.


"Everybody has talent, it's just a matter of moving around until you've discovered what it is." - George Lucas

Christmas 2.0

A modern webified story of the Nativity. Well-paced, well-done, sorta sad to us traditionalists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZrf0PbAGSk

And, the United States of Autocomplete, a Web 2.0 take on U.S. geography based on Google Autocomplete's most popular suggestion.


"That's the greatest comeback since Lazarus." - Sid Waddell

Christmas duet

A little holiday cheer as David Bowie (Will Ferrell) visits Bing Crosby (John C. Reilly) to sing a duet of two Christmas classics, Peace on Earth & The Little Drummer Boy.
http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/4zol

And History for Music Lovers teaches the French Revolution, Shakespeare, the Black Death and more via pop music videos.


"A celebrity is one who is known to many persons he is glad he doesn't know." - H.L. Mencken

DIY avalanche

Home snowslide works out better than planned.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11954988

And in no way connected is the Vuvutech 5000, the most annoying (if not effective) alarm in the world. At least someone's finally found a use for those idiotic plastic hellhorns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbOxwqbGEA


"There is no use whatsoever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb himself." - Andrew Carnegie

Easy prey

Talented seagull swoops in and helps himself to a bite of donut.
http://www.break.com/index/seagull-snags-donut-out-of-guys-mouth-1968105

And another impressive survival tactic, a dog that crosses his eyes on command.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQnWZE-t3u4


"Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful." - Warren Buffett

Ninja Unboxing

Creative use of the Tube for this online promo.
http://www.youtube.com/ninjaunboxing2

And on the topic of crazy dudes flying around, watch this guy base jump off a bridge to escape arrest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNfgu-bYEvc


"Most games are lost, not won." – Casey Stengel

Snow fall

Remember when your mom would ask, "Would you jump off a bridge if he told you to?" Ah, vodka.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ0AnF-Zrgc


And apparently some things are much older than you think. WTF?


"The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do." - Thomas Edison

Trip the lights

Extra-impressive F/X from France via The Telegraph. As Gizmodo put it, Who Needs Acid When You Have These Animated Buildings?"

And what the world would look like if it were arranged according to population? The good -- or bad -- news is that the U.S. remains the same.
http://i.imgur.com/c6Agr.jpg


"I went to a general store but they wouldn't let me buy anything specific." - Steven Wright

Dog sledding

Tell me your cat is going to do something like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdJcYTh1rP0

And an amusing roundup of lost pet posters. Laughter is the best medicine for that sort of thing.


"Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won't buy the wag of his tail." - Henry Wheeler Shaw

Hitler + Jeffersons

Der Fuhrer sings the TV show theme song. (Thanks Unc)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3YRWhg4YaA

Speaking of pursuasion, can you remember any ads you saw today? Well you might remember these 20 Brilliant Marketing Campaigns That Literally Stopped Traffic.


"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me." - Dudley Field Malone

Amazing iPhone stunts

Experimentalist tapes his iPhone to a remote-controlled car and records the action. Apple would definitely approve of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdErFWzitew

And pretend you know better with Smugopedia, a collection of slightly controversial opinions from self-satisfied smugbags.
http://www.smugopedia.com/


"I have found all things thus far, persons and inanimate matter, elements and seasons, strangely adapted to my resources." - Henry David Thoreau

Rat vs. cats

No animals were hurt during the filming of this clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDXP_z8lU_Q

And a pretty fascinating blog post about NYC's least-appreciated inhabitants.


"Lack of will power has caused more failure than lack of intelligence or ability. - Flower A. Newhouse

Rough sledding

Not-so-safe looking slide off the top of a building, attached to a bungee cord. These kids today...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIFZcsVcRH8

And another sign that holiday insanity has set in, perhaps the ultimate symbolism in this towering Christmas tree made of...
http://inhabitat.com/towering-christmas-tree-made-of-86-shopping-carts/shopping-cart-christmas-tree-5/?extend=1


"In skating over thin ice, our safety is in our speed." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let 'em feel cake

The birthday cake airbag prank...no further description needed. The fun ensues at around the one-minute mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YljX4E-KNGI

And along similar lines is this "pneumatic prank" at SeQuant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmM00LDnLBI


"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." - Isaac Newton

Real-life Roadrunner & Coyote

Live action short film with "real life" Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. Great first acting credits, I dare say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ5p9WttVhE

And Charts by Age. Could you be...?


"Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age." - Victor Hugo

Fader Automation Groove

I know this description doesn't do it justice, but apparently some sound mixing boards (or whatever) have an "auto" feature where slider knobs move on their own. Then just put some objects in the way of the sliders and hear the music. Good quick hit; no justice done above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVfYa05Tp-8

And along the same lines, turn Google's translation service into a robotic beatboxatron -- just translate gibberish into German.


"If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee -- that will do them in." - Bradley's Bromide

Friday black Friday

Disheartening video of Black Friday shoppers trampled at a Target store in Buffalo. Oh the humanity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOVD-m8urJU

And a little interactive film worth checking out is The Wilderness Downtown. (Tip: use the address you lived at the longest when you were a kid.)
http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/


"A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill." – Robert A. Heinlein

Underwater Bubble-Ring Bottle Cap Trick

I have no idea what the heck this is or how it would occur to do it. And still...
http://www.break.com/index/cool-bubble-ring-bottle-cap-trick-1959795

And Loves Me Not, an infographic on the ins and outs of togetherness.


"Lost time is never found again." - Benjamin Franklin

Take a trip outside

Man having manic attack is carried from his inferno of a home, clearly demonstrating that drugs might not be good for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkG7FGVWsLA

And when he's not doing something insanely idiotic, Kim Jong-il's main hobby appears to be looking at things.
http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com/


"Sometimes history takes things into its own hands." – Justice Thurgood Marshall

Good doog

Good for something, maybe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjwIJyrZFlA

And have a gander at a TV spot for Kackel Dackel, a German game where the goal is to move food down the dog's growling GI tract to collect fake poop. (Rumored factoid: the manufacturer had a giveaway where you had to pick up real dogcrap to claim a prize.)


"Don't be afraid to see what you see." - Ronald Reagan

Don't be late

A little cruise through Paris, reminiscent of Ronin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DSyEarRAKo

For more sounds of the urban landscape, here's an audiobase where people can listen to and add sounds from cities around the world.

And finally, sights you'll find only in Japan -- and I use these words loosely -- interesting van conversions. (Thanks Wood)


"If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up. He needs education to turn him around." - Jim Rohn

Dramatic Eagle

YA sequel in the ever-popular series. Not bad -- though nothing quite beats the original -- though certainly worth your five seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSZaC_W7eyE

And Life And Death Of A One Dollar Bill, more than you wanted to know about those ones in your pocket, tidily bundled into an infographic.


"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." - Woody Allen

Defenestration: The Movie

A compilation of everything going out the window.
http://vimeo.com/16611269

And behold (or not, as the case may be) The Invisible Man, a gallery of amazing camouflage performance art.


"But when [people] get angry, they bring about a change." - Malcolm X

Cell Phones vs. Camaro

Don't ask why, but a cell phone recycler dropped 1,500 lbs. worth of handsets onto a parked Camaro as part of a YouTube promo. Can you hear me now?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z7GxVSrl_M

And giant WWI crowd pictures made with thousands of people.


"Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games." – Babe Ruth

Fake id, real ego

Classic clip of the "Man Show" boy conniving his way to booze and dirty mags.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FGJuEadGpc

And other youthful indiscretions, "Things You Learned at School That Are Just Plain Wrong".
http://matadornetwork.com/life/20-misconceptions-taught-at-school/


"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." - B.F. Skinner

Turkey chorus

Apparently you can make a blizzard of turkeys all talk at once. Works not only on the farm, but also with free range and neighborhood turkeys (if you have those). I'm not sure if it will work with my case of Wild Turkey, though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrxB8DnUHLs

And with the holiday on its way... finally, an infographic on Thanksgiving, turkey and the treadmill that you might be able to use.
http://www.smoothfitness.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/thanksgiving-dinner-calories.jpg


"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." - Edith Wharton

True Colors

Cubes crawl through a warehouse, spraying graffiti on the walls with colored threads shooting out in every direction. And on it goes from there without a single digital effect used.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR09uA4Qq6I

Who does better job at depicting the Internet, creative people or industry mugwumps?
http://www.canyoudrawtheinternet.com/


"I have always wished for my computer to be as easy to use as my telephone; my wish has come true because I can no longer figure out how to use my telephone." - Bjarne Stroustrup (creator of the C++ programming language)

Freestyle castle bicycling

This guy has better control over his bike than I have over my basic body functions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw

And some muy bueno photos of abandoned stuff from around the world.
http://www.artificialowl.net/


"Don't fight forces, use them." - Buckminster Fuller

Dog Tricks

A beast capable of impressive feats and helpfing around the house.

And another good use for Google Maps -- Ever wonder where yours goes?


"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney

Kites + lights

Kites ain't cool, but attach some LEDs and fireworks and then fly them at night, and they have a fighting chance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVROAKQs92M

And with "Black Friday" and the holidays looming, Why Did You Buy Me That? is a cautionary blog featuring some of the worst gifts ever.


"Always be wary of any helpful item that weighs less than its operating manual." - Terry Pratchett

Words

Video poem linking words and images together in an effortless flow.
http://vimeo.com/13768695

And if you're in the mood for a quality literary morsel or two, check out Matchbox Story -- slightly longer than a tweet, but way shorter than a short story.

Or find out which famous writer you most write like.


"You teach kids how to succeed when they successfully foil the educational system." - Arlo Guthrie

You Look Like Sh*t

Apparently this line gets a lot more run than you might have thought.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlonv3yJCL4

And other people that probably don't look so good, a grave site (pun intended) where you can contribute to a much-needed (?) global database.
http://www.findagrave.com/


"Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance." - Sam Brown

The Johnny Cash Project

Outstanding collective effort fusing art and music. Click, crank, watch full screen, enjoy. (Thanks Joel)
http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/

And Damn you auto correct, a place for amusing examples of the damage caused by the overzealous iPhone feature.
http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com


Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. - George S. Patton

hand fingers

Slightly mind-bending visual experimentation videoclip that reminds of a TV show title sequence on acid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR_8SDNQ0ks

And some handiwork with a capital tea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkm8wMRgtx8


"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand. - Kurt Vonnegut

Favourable Lie

Duffer grows a pair in this creative ad from Bundaberg Rum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLYsdkmaHXw

And this booze-related data is no lie: an infographic of global beer production and consumption.
http://dailyinfographic.com/global-beer-production-and-consumption-infographic


"The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale." - Arthur C. Clarke

Toe Jam

Distinctly retro feeling music video that has fun with little black censor strips. (Thanks JoeY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHCkheMECeQ

And for some lessons learned the hard way, Mistake Reports lets people anonymously describe a decision they made that didn't go as planned.
http://mistakereports.tumblr.com/


"Less is only more where more is no good." – Frank Lloyd Wright

B***s of steel

I could barely watch this video of Russian kids playing on beams of steel 900 feet up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od1Ep47sSVk

And oddly, falling off steel beams is not mentioned in this infographic, What are the odds?. Though I like mine against the toilet...
http://cheese9.com/visualham/odd-ways-die


"It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude." - Zig Ziglar

Double-check

Tip of the Day: make sure the tower you're demolishing is going to fall the right way. (Write-up at Gizmodo.)
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1418565565?bctid=671072234001

And along those same lines, 25 Accidents Waiting to Happen.
http://www.holytaco.com/25-accidents-waiting-happen


"We all have to decide how we are going to fail.. by not going far enough or by going too far." - Sumner Redstone

Salesman Pete

If you're up for about five minutes of well-done 3D animation action, check out Salesman Pete and The Amazing Stone From Outer Space. The scouts at Pixar should be all over these guys.
http://vimeo.com/15126262

And from your friends at Worth1000, Vintage Ads depicts modern products in a vintage light.
http://www.worth1000.com/contests/22651/vintage-ads-7


"If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want." - Oscar Wilde

Tale of the tape

Watch as this unraveled cassette tape is turned into a boombox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCKbHz3JuFQ

For Google Teleportation, try GlobeGenie.
And/or MapCrunch. (Use the ‘Slideshow’ feature if you have RSI.)


"Seek simplicity, and distrust it." - Alfred North Whitehead

Masterchef, edited

Clip from BBC cooking show Masterchef edited with replacement food. "Well done."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjckqAU8IkM

And Draw Your Dinner encourages you to submit a drawing of your favorite meal.
http://www.drawyourdinner.com


"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved." - George MacDonald

The Commuter

Short film from Nokia shot with their N8 phone in mobile HD. Hopefully it makes calls as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9ME5_ZzeKI

And the poor man's Ghost Rider speeds through a parking structure on a flaming bicycle. I'm going out to try this with my car later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrTXl-Ov0ng


"Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing." - Warren Buffett

Bad Things That Could Happen

Difficult to explain this refreshingly unique short video involving giant cardboard costumes and sets, so I won't.
http://vimeo.com/16094710

And speaking of doom and gloom, what happens if you take ominous time lapse footage and couple it with a soundtrack that could make a Sesame Street episode seem apocalyptic?
http://vimeo.com/14352658


"The good things take care of themselves. We want to find all the negatives." - Wayne Huizenga

Cat vs Printer - The Translation

Cat translator unleashed on a classic video. (Caution: felines have foul mouths.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSK1D3bZhRs


"Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret." - Ambrose Bierce


And in other technology news, this is how smartphone users see each other, according to C-Section Comics.
http://www.csectioncomics.com/2010/11/iphone-vs-android-vs-blackberry.html

House of cards

Life and work at a Chinese playing card factory. With the hands numb, can the mind be far behind?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KAny-1saS4

And from this side of the world, amusing signs from the recent Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert production in Washington, D.C.


"The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them." - Robert Frost

Oops

A ten-minute collection of dropped-camera video clips. Definitely better than it sounds like it would be, and a 2010 Vimeo Award to prove it.
http://vimeo.com/13788278

And, Truck vs. Power Pole. Camera, action, lights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFfydVs-f0A


"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer." - Denis Waitley

The Birds (The Prequel)

Suspense-filled trailer for a would-be movie. Call it a surprise beginning...?
http://vimeo.com/7154391

And, "Better Book Titles", a blog for people who don't want to read book reviews to figure out what the book is about. Cuts through "all the cryptic crap" to give you the meat of the story in a revised title.
http://betterbooktitles.com/


"The person that turns over the most rocks wins the game. And that's always been my philosophy." - Peter Lynch

3D-light

Awesome light show projected onto a 3D surface. Amazing stuff, as plain, white boxes are made to look like the City of freaking Tomorrow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utxRD414F3A

And from the education corner, a little thing that lets you zoom from the edge of the universe to the "quantum foam" of spacetime. Potentially fascinating stuff if you're so inclined, or maybe time for a quantum beer.
http://htwins.net/scale/


"The empires of the future are the empires of the mind." - Winston Churchill

People Are Awesome

Clip compendium of so-said awesome people presumably doing awesome things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0Cazxj_yc

And with a contrarian view, some more de-motivational posters:
http://www.motifake.com/


"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." - Winston Churchill

Oh-oh dominoes

"Bookmans Does Book Dominoes" is likely one of the better and more entertaining used-bookseller ads out there. Finally a use for those old books.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw5LlSKKG3M

And, Bensons for Beds tries to set some sort of mattress dominoes record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndYxBQXhNjI


"You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence." - Abraham Lincoln

Bombs away

Drop a half-ton (or so) pumpkin on an old Pontiac and you get...? (Yep, it's what you expected, and still fairly entertaining.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbNKVmWj1K4

And for once, an honest shopping mall map.
http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1810101


"High expectations are the key to everything." - Sam Walton

How To Carve a Pumpkin, Dirty Harry style

Impressive, but I'd like to see him do it without reloading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGH8Af9Hdb0

And also unnecessary but possibly entertaining, a blog about quote marks run amok.
http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/


"Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe." - Robert Service

Stop motion + Lite Brite = win

Creative, low-res (3 dpi?) video showing that you can work some new tricks with an old dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8cAU475dQo

And art of a different color, Mark Jenkins installs some pretty interesting stuff.
http://www.xmarkjenkinsx.com/outside.html


"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." - John F. Kennedy

It Doesn't Do Anything

I'm not sure how to describe this simple, creative, jarringly inane piece of work that I for some reason enjoyed, but I can only assume that it doesn't do anything. (And he's got a whole bunch of 'em if you like.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d53OviDxQHs

And hold that thought... from The Journal of Irreproducible Results, the winner of the funniest graph contest, "All Theories Proven With One Graph".
http://www.jir.com/graph_contest/index.html


"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." - Albert Einstein

Discovery meets the Food Network

This is what happens, time-lapse style, when food isn't properly refrigerated. (Hint: it ain't pretty.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTCdcs8gGg

And ρLªYinG ωiTh mŸ fOoD, a panoply of nutritional sculpturization.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rerinha/sets/72157610091412388/


"The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln

Laurel and Hardy Dance To The Gap Band

A little mashup parody, with Laurel and Hardy dancing to the Gap Band. (Thanks Pops)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3mHPmNKRE

And "Somebody's Watching Me" works, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaC5ohRAjmI

For reference, here's the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SvuNcPx2dg


"A well developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life." - William Arthur Ward

Three Years In Three Minutes

Epic time lapse filmography of the destruction of the EDF Tower and the construction of the Sequana Tower in its place. Three years of work, compressed and summarized into a three-minute video.
http://vimeo.com/15557177

And check out The World According to San Francisco, an amusing quasi-map that explains how at least some of those denizens see the rest of the world (i.e., as mostly food, beer and music).

Or see your city -- arts and crafts style -- with these ridiculously intricate hand-cut paper maps.


"Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently." - Henry Ford

Holy Chicken of Life and Music

As billed, "The short film “Holy Chicken of Life and Music” tells the story of the Holy Chicken a magnificent beast, worshiped and exploited, in a tale of love and regret, art and science, Life and Music."
http://vimeo.com/13781357

And for whatever you think of it, FarmVille is big. How big? This FarmVille vs. real farms infographic gives you some idea.


"It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible." - David Brin

Elevator rage

It's always frustrating when you're in a hurry and you just miss the elevator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge9VfALthLI

And turn any site into a game of Asteroids...
http://erkie.github.com/


"It is not clear that intelligence has any long-term survival value." -- Stephen Hawking

Smell Like A Monster

Somewhat amusing Sesame Street parody of that Old Spice ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkd5dJIVjgM

And, 50 memorable viral images made possible by the interewbs in 2010.
http://thefuturebuzz.com/2010/08/02/viral-images-2010/


"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." - Alexander Hamilton

The Beard Cage

Nothing but net...? This passes bizarre and edges on toward creepy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYi24D9lHqc

Also captivating, "Nobody Is Going to Steal This Car"

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

City lights

Astounding skyscraper light show in NYC. Inanimate object? No.
http://vimeo.com/15713774

And, Flash spider.
http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider/


"I was a peripheral visionary. I could see the future, but only way off to the side." - Steven Wright

Hands on

Refraining from bad jokes...quasi-mesmerizing performance of a Japanese glass ball juggler (aka, Contact Juggling).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtztrcGkCBw

And, let your hands create a symphony, and apparently, and save lives.
http://handsonlycpr.org/symphony/


"This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men." - Captain J. A. Hadfield

Paula Deen takes 'ludes and makes food

Mesmerizing, in a way, and evokes so many emotions (or whatever those are).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1PsDyhNFBI

And, check out this stuntman on his lunch break and/or jumping out of a skyscraper while engulfed in flames.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVXHOldtEuY


"Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard
work." - Peter Drucker

Tilt-Shift Van Gogh

Rumors of tilt-shift's demise have been greatly exaggerated, and they're quite effective on these Van Gogh paintings. I'd be all for a Dali version.
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/hot/tilt-shift-van-gogh.htm

And, stealing is indeed the new creativity...witness, Gotham Starry Night and other parodies of Van Gogh works.
http://culturepopped.blogspot.com/2010/10/gotham-starry-night-and-other-van-gogh.html


"We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified." - Aesop

Proposal

This is a geek-creative attempt, pulled off through the magic of cellphone(s). Call forwarding...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cui4vifkQJA

And way over-complicating the whole process, a Rube Goldberg Wedding Proposal Machine. I hope their marriage lasts at least as long as the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz_BQhwA-9Q


"The future you see is the future you get." - Robert G Allen

Visualizing a World Without Logos

The future of un-advertising with this sort of functional (?), sort of funny DIY video project.
http://vimeo.com/14566198

And also on the adverty front, an enjoyable gallery of clever, funny images from the dying art of print advertising, some fairly creative billboard advertisements, and back to the past with some vintage ads.


"You have to master your tools. The amateur often stays fascinated with them. The challenge is to move beyond it." - Wayne Cosshall

Peniplus

Spend a worthwhile minute watching this well-executed ad parody. The side effects at the end made it for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-3nOLTI26U

And, some creative and "curious" periodic tables, including Mad Men, breakfast cereal, and heavy metallica.
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/69785


"The man who has done his best has done everything." - Charles M. Schwab

Tilt-Shift San Francisco

"San Francisco: The Miniature City", an impressive tilt-shift viddy of the City by the Bay. Definitely has its moments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er2Wa7onQcw

And for more of that erstwhile craze, here's 50 Beautiful Examples Of Tilt-Shift Photography.


"Everywhere is within walking distance, if you have the time." - Steven Wright

Thunder Busters

Aka, AC/DC vs. Ghostbusters mashup. Difficult to imagine, sure, but surely worth a look if you're curious, at least for a few seconds to get the gist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiH1wNmZTII

And, have a go at the Incredibly Depressing Mega Millions Lottery Simulator. "You'll never win." (After 191,904 simulation runs, players have won back $19,126 of that sum. Good luck with your expected 91% loss.)
http://www.cockeyed.com/citizen/poker/lottery_simulator100.php


"Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan." - Tom Landry

Crap at my parents' house

One man's quest to catalog and exhalt the random stuff that lurks in your erstwhile home. What you expect and well done.
http://crapatmyparentshouse.com

And also from days yore, some fridge magnet magic, an online version of the appliance-based poetic creativity timesuck.
http://isnoop.net/toys/magwords.php


"Of all men's miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have control over nothing." - Herodotus

Work For Safe Not

Caption it, "The most NSFW SFW photo ever," but be careful if you look at this at the office, despite that once you figure it out, you'll see it couldn't be more innocuous.
http://i.imgur.com/P7Qw7.jpg

And, witness one agile mouse, impressively navigating a course to find out where they moved his cheese.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txq_BogA1NM


"To be great is to be misunderstood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anti Excuses. Anti Conventional.

That must be one frosty jack. Enjoy (?) this bev ad from the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khfKzUNqMdY

Also anti-something, Black Tie Beach. Nothing to see here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjzPEqhELJ8


"They are ill discoverers who think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea." - Francis Bacon

Dot.

Mind-boggling ani-mini-mation film shot through a Nokia N8 phone with attached CellScope using figurines so small they were hand-painted using a microscope.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD7eagLl5c4

And in somewhat the same vein, toilet paper roll art.


"Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length." - Robert Frost

Gimme Pizza Slow

Trippy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wusGIl3v044

Also on the culinary front, get some meal suggestions from WTF should I make for dinner. And...do people really eat that? Ten animal parts you probably didn't know were food.


"Information's pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience." - Clarence Day

Revisionist history

Behold the Youtube time machine. Pick a year between 1860 and 2010 and it'll show you videos from that year. If you worked it eight hours a day, I wonder if you could catch up...?
http://yttm.tv/

And the there's, ConquistaDora The Explorer. Destroying native culture has never been so fun-ducational.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1941782


"Man is the animal that intends to shoot himself out into interplanetary space, after having given up on the problem of an efficient way to get himself five miles to work and back each day." - Bill Vaughn

DJ Kitty

Those cat-tranqs sure do the trick. Decent visual.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQnForWPm78

And, this just in: "Killer Lizard Attacks News Reporter". Note: "attack" may be a bit of a stretch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrq_wnNNnY


"A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience." - Doug Larson

Boyz N the Ring

Gandalf takes hip-hop to Middle Earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a6WO1g0yGk

And unrelated, this suitable-for-hanging "rap map" lays out the taxonomy of rapper names.


"If men could only know each other, they would neither idolize nor hate." - Elbert Hubbard

Never say no to Panda

A series of Panda Cheese commercials with some ad-itude from the Middle East. Apparently false advertising, as it contains no panda milk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X21mJh6j9i4

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, some very relaxed animals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A2s70Z_LTg


"To have and not give is often worse than to steal." - Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach