Blazing forehand

In the spirit of all the "sports" recently on exhibit in London, the Slow Mo Guys have come up with fire tennis, a slightly more entertaining version of the traditional game.

And Sometimes Interesting is a blog cataloging "weird, forgotten and sometimes interesting things," a goldmine of the abandoned, remote and fascinating contrivances of mankind.

"Fire is the best of servants; but what a master." - Thomas Carlyle

Where credit is due

Does your wallet pack the plastic to power this percussive party of pioneering pop players?

Or if you prefer writing checks to plastic, maybe you could use a box of these Bigfoot checks. [bOING bOING]

"Do you think that when they asked George Washington for ID that he just whipped out a quarter?" - Steven Wright

Cookieman

Mystery solved about the deja vu you experience listening to Christian Bale's "Batman" voice. [bOING bOING]

A few months old, but nonetheless, what might be the best Craigslist used car ad of all time. [Mashable]

"All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it." - H. L. Mencken

Bored games

Remember "step on the crack, break your mother's back" and other little boredom-killing games you played as a kid? (Which sadly may be dying off due to fawning parents and digital babysitters. George Carlin was a keen observer.)

And Ms. Attribution, a Tumblr that matches song lyrics and quotes from pop culture with historical figures.

"If time flies when you're having fun, it hits the afterburners when you don't think you're having enough." - Jef Mallett

Falling down

Some of this Ultimate Fainting Compilation I can understand, but what is it about the weddings...? [Mashable]

And Coolness Graphed delivers verdicts on wrapped in bacon, muffin tops, and other such topics of interest.

"Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." - Mark Twain

Modern problems

While amusing, this iPhone 5 parody commercial is more a sad confession and sobering reflection of the modern condition than anything else. [Gizmodo]

And wonder what Steve Jobs' typical day is like? See the last answers (click, "2 Answers Collapsed"). Harsh.

"Things do not change; we change." - Henry David Thoreau

Deep appreciation

Man enjoys delicious drive-thru burger, perhaps more than he should, and gets autotuned. I wonder if 5 Guys would consider an advertising run?

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, a thoughtful Tumblr in which the blogger "tells off" annoying elements of interior design.

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for." - Maureen Dowd

First-bird perspective

Check out this falcon helmet-cam if you want to see what it's like to hunt with nature's top-notch pro. Birdseye action starts around the two-minute mark. [Gizmodo]

And a website that spits out answers to the question, "What the #$%&! has NASA done to make your life awesome?"

"Today, you have 100% of your life left." - Tom Landry

Mission mash

Parody music vid "We're NASA and We Know It" mashes up LMFAO's hit with the NASA Curiosity mission in honor of the Mars landing. [bOING bOING]

And our world looks very strange from the perspective of the ground, as you'll see in these pictures from below. [Gizmodo]

"Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open." - Sir James Dewar

Do not call

Haven't seen a chatroulette skit in a while? There's probably a good reason. Until now, with this "Call Me Maybe" version.

And some guerilla art on the London Underground illustrates the tragedy (and humor) of the commons.

"As I grow to understand life less and less I grow to love it more and more." - Jules Renard

Last laughs

Some good, some bad, all insane — a nice compilation of the 100 greatest maniacal laughs in movie history. [Mashable]

And for no particular reason, famous album covers re-created with socks. (Yes, hosiery. Sock 'n roll.)

"You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing." - Michael Pritchard

Better life

Some ways you may have never thought of to make things easier, Quick and Simple Life Hacks offers a list of quick and helpful tips 'n tricks.

And spoiled brats show off their bling things on the Rich Kids of Instagram.

"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't."
- Erica Jong

Dinner reading

A real actor gives a dramatic reading of a Yelp review for your thumbs up or down; the first in a series.

And the Exploratorium has the Science of Cooking, featuring profound pickle philosophy, molecular art of grilling, a spice map and more.

Also, some redesigned nutrition labels, winners of a contest to make them more user-friendly.

"All great change in America begins at the dinner table." - Ronald Reagan

PiPiPiP...

Fun on the Internet — friends take a picture in a picture in a picture video making a seemingly endless loop (well, 55 anyway) of pictures. [Gizmodo]

And a chronological map of "Pulp Fiction" makes a handy reference when watching it yet again.

"I've had a few arguments with people but I never carry a grudge. You know why? While you’re carrying a grudge, they're out dancing." - Buddy Hackett

Roadrageous

One driver takes roadway revenge on a second in this eyewitness video.

Also vehicular, some pretty creative literal humor.

"A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Hand me my wedge

Dude athletically attempts running leap to clear a golf cart, but comes up a little shorts. [Mashable]

And do you have the body of a weightlifter, basketball player, or gymnast? Find out with this interactive Olympic body matcher from the BBC.

"Leap, and the net will appear." - John Burroughs

Think tube

Take a break with Subway Thoughts, a contemplative, animated video series from Kurttoons.

Also from the Big Apple, the Trash Museum, a gallery of scavenged art in a sanitation garage.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers

Summer in the city

It's been hot in New York this summer, hot enough to melt the Statue of Liberty like a giant ice cream.

And New Math used to quantify summer vacation.

"A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood." -- General George S. Patton

Re-Bolt-ing

If you missed Usain Bolt’s 100m gold run Sunday night, here’s another option for viewing: the race depicted brick-by-brick in Legos, courtesy of the folks at The Guardian. [Mashable]

And 2,500 photos stitched together into a 20-gigapixel panorama of central London.

"It's always too early to quit." - Norman Vincent Peale

Down these mean tweets

Recent Jimmy Kimmel segment with celebs reading mean tweets directed at them. Better have thick skin to be in showbiz. (And a network censor at the ready. Caution: Some bleeped profanity.)

Also, the 10 weirdest things for sale on eBay, topped off by this bit of ridiculousness.

"No man lives without jostling and being jostled; in all ways he has to elbow himself through the world, giving and receiving offense." - Thomas Carlyle

Paper cuts

Worth checking is this bueno stop-motion video, "Tap to Retry", that an art academy student whipped up for her graduation project. [Mashable]

Also on paper, the winners just keep piling up at Awful Library Books. Among the latest: "Scream Your Way to Mental Health" and "Naked Nomads Unmarried Men in America".

And The Oxford English Fictionary. Defining words that aren't real. Yet.

"I told my dentist my teeth are going yellow. He told me to wear a brown tie." - Rodney Dangerfield

Banter up

I've never seen "Samurai Cop", but this little exchange makes it difficult to decide whether the acting, writing, or directing is the worst thing ever to grace any screen.

And something to permanently tick off your third grade teacher — misspelled tattoos.

"I don't believe in the no-win scenario." -- James Tiberius Kirk

Hangin' around

Something called "iQuad" flies a half dozen choreographed kites to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". And there's Ray Bethell, a world-champion professional kite flyer — who has managed as many as 39 kites in the air — flying three kites balletically.

And look ma, no bicycle. Floating photos that seem to be missing something.

"Creative without strategy is called 'art'. Creative with strategy is called 'advertising'."
- Jeff I. Richards