The year that sorta was

Though a little heavy on the Obama, Miley Cyrus, and Internet memes, this Animation Domination bit sums up everything that happened in 2013 in one minute.

And click away and explore musical genres, some of which you might not have known existed.

"Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to." - Bill Vaughn

Retrospectacle

Not comedy per se, but this news blooper highlight reel from the year that was 2013 includes some hilarious mess-ups.

And way back when, Woody Guthrie sure knew how to do New Year's Resolutions, which he called he called "Rulin's".

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the Old Year leaves." - Bill Vaughan

Level-headed

Great ideas are everywhere, they say, and this ad for LG's G2 "Chicken Cam" might just stick in your mind as one.

And how much of a psychopath are you? Take this online test and find out where you sit along the continuum.

"Aren't we all striving to be overpaid for what we do?" - Will Ferrell

Failover

A submission to the Science 2013 Festival do Minuto contest, "When science fails" shows how things sometimes don't turn out how they're planned

And the cost of "coming to terms" with your phone OS upgrade, how long it would take to drain an Olympic-size swimming pool using a straw, and other stupid calculations.

"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." - Isaac Asimov

Hue turn

San Diego traffic, collapsed and reorganized by color, turns into a surrealistic parade.

And the truly lachrymose desk lunches of those who aren't even trying.

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." - Henry David Thoreau

Fascinating rhythm

Out in a field, under an overpass, in a garage — drums can sound completely different depending on where they're played.

And a collection of Amazon's funniest customer reviews of all time.

"Be who you are and be that well." - Saint Francis de Sales

Christmas delivery

Just out of the workshop, The Amazing Machine shows what you can do with some of that stuff under your tree. Happy holidays.

And rallying just a little, The Onion sums up the truth of life, just like the good old days.

"I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark." - Dick Gregory

Forest run

The guy in this four-minute off-trail glade skiing thrill ride manages to miss a whole bunch of trees despite significant air and speed.

"I was going to buy a book on hair loss, but the pages kept falling out." - Jay London

Machine learning

Beneful makes a "Dog Goldberg Machine" powered by hounds and their favorite toys, presumably in hopes of selling more dog food. I wonder what an equivalent ad for humans would be like?

"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is how dogs spend their lives." - Sue Murphy

Get smart

Some funny, some just geeky — are you smart enough to get these nerdy jokes? (Thanks Gordon)

And look at an equation or pictograph and guess the movie: a self-serve visual quiz for the mathematically inclined.

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny...'." - Isaac Asimov

Splits the difference

Chuck Norris virtually outdoes the Van Damme's split between trucks with an epic Christmas split of his own.

"Very few of us are what we seem." - Agatha Christie

Log jam

Re-imagined by artists around the world, the collection of short films called "Yule Log 2.0" is not your granddad's hunk-a burning wood.

"I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included." - Bernard Manning

Trump card

With perfect timing, man with an old trumpet trolls passing marching band from balcony during a drum solo.

"We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." - W. H. Auden

Deck the halls...

...and the some. If you haven't seen it yet, drunken brawl at SantaCon in New York includes a half-dozen deviant Claus-alikes beating the cheer out of each other.

And the marketing guidelines you need are in the Santa Brand Book, refreshed for 2013.

"Santa is very jolly because he knows where all the bad girls live." - Dennis Miller

Rudder nonsense

Hard to argue that the talking boat isn't exactly as advertised.

"Public opinion is no more than this: what people think that other people think." - Alfred Austin

Word play

You mean this ditty about a marvelous organ is packed with innuendo...? A year's supply of it, I'd say.

There are thousands of languages spoken around the world. Can you distinguish between these eighty more common ones?

"Euphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne." - Quentin Crisp

Secret ingredient

Well-seasoned lampooning of Nigella Lawson is of the sort one might expect under the recent circumstances.

"Ideas pull the trigger, but instinct loads the gun." - Don Marquis

Compensation

Inhabitants of a world cope with it in impressive fashion in "Wind", an entertaining and thought-provoking short.

And Waiting In Line 3D is the most realistic simulation of this activity produced thus far.

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy

Farmer in the Bell

It's Christmas tree harvest time in Oregon again and the sky's the limit.

"The best Christmas trees come very close to exceeding nature." - Andy Rooney

Lost and found

This innovative (I guess) so-called handimation "Catch" was shot using Google Glass and comprises more than 1,000 first-person photos and drawings, though no idea how many Sharpies.

"If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?" - Lily Tomlin

Soft shoe

Distinguished older gentlemen dancing effortlessly to acid house makes for easy watching.

Or maybe a little browser accordion to annoy yourself and those around you?

"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed." - Arthur Schopenhauer

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration

LEGO reenactment of the "Blues Brothers" shopping mall chase scene might invoke a little plastic nostalgia.

And a quiz: Can you name the 50 biggest U.S. cities?

"Action is eloquence." - William Shakespeare

Seams

No sense in it, but Captain Picard singing Christmas carols from cut-up video isn't completely unenjoyable.

And which gray block is actually darker? Hold something (ex: your finger) over the seam and experience the marvel of contrast.

"If you ask me anything I don't know, I'm not going to answer." - Yogi Berra

Get a grip

Japanese tire dealer Autoway released this commercial apparently to put the fear of bad traction in your heart.

And 11 scary-looking kids from vintage ads who might make one think twice about procreating.

"Fear is a darkroom where negatives develop." - Usman B. Asif

Gimme the keys

Leave the driving to your favorite smartphone app — meet Steeri.

And in case you're interested, the 200 top-scoring reddit posts of all time.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." - Bruce Lee

Glasnost

Successful use of gadgetry as a public irritant in this Google Glass prank that treads between annoying and embarrassing.

"I don't try to describe the future. I try to prevent it." - Ray Bradbury

Beat, the system

Music video called "Systematic" from the Midnight Juggernauts is like some sort of psychedelic James Bond movie intro for cats.

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life." - Socrates

Flight plan

Howard Hughes mini-me's handmade aircraft makes its maiden voyage in "Paper Plane", a very short animated short.

And J.P. Morgan's Twitter-based open Q&A yields predictable results.

"I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way." - Carl Sandburg

Screeching to the choir

Quite an act, this musical nun, scaring the holidays into passersby.

And a church with a distinctive aerial look, courtesy of Google Maps.

"A religion without the element of mystery would not be a religion at all." - Edwin Lewis

Tube be or not tube be

The solemn murmuring of Shakespearean actors recreating a YouTube comment war elevate it more than you might think.

And ever wondered what the Instagram accounts of all-time brutal dictators would look like? Well this guy did.

"Acting: An art which consists of keeping the audience from coughing." - Ralph Richardson

Flowing scenery

A stunning piece of work from Swedish artist Anders Ramsell, Blade Runner - The Aquarelle Edition consists of 1.5 x 3 cm painted frames, amounting to about 30 minutes run-time. Watch at least a couple and be impressed...

And a nice collection of cinematic GIFs, those beautiful jumbo-size images with just a touch of animation.

"Having your book turned into a movie is like seeing your oxen turned into bouillon cubes." - John LeCarre

Only if you got 'em

To celebrate the Great American Smokeout, the Ellen DeGeneres Show made this clip where it replaced cigarettes with party horns in the series "Mad Men".

"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found." - Calvin Trillin

Cruising attitude

This is probably as close as you will get to experiencing our incredible nation like a flying bird. Enjoy the view.

And the domain name of the day: http://www.feeduscrap.com

"Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often." - Johnny Carson

Get off of my cloud

Cats get the best of their canine housemates by stealing their beds, presumably since they can no longer sleep on top of the TV.

"There is always room at the top." - Daniel Webster

Brick canvas

This is what happens when graffiti-ists are let loose in a giant warehouse.

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill

Home tweet home

Nice detail and thoughtful touches punctuate this "inside the birdhouse" ad.

And the entire alphabet found on the wings of butterflies.

"Birds of a feather flock together and crap on your car." - Author Unknown

Slapshot

Club-goers in Ireland awkwardly pose, and pose, and pose again for photos that secretly are videos.

And from cheese to jeez, these bad engagement photos show the occasional danger of people being themselves.

"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into." - Ansel Adams

Creative cycle

Hop on, imaginate, and enter the mind of Danny MacAskill. (Thanks Val.)

And not much — or too much — imagination in these absolutely lousy book cover designs that surely aren't indicative of what's inside.

"We are always the same age inside." - Gertrude Stein

Ford theater

I watched this fake trailer for "Rob Ford the Movie" just to see me some Chris Farley (R.I.P.). From any angle, it seems that politics is a dirty business.

And ca$hcats, the rich cats of instagram in more fungible form.

"First thoughts are not always the best." - Vittorio Alfieri

Marshal Dylan

Maybe you've already seen it, but Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" on every TV channel is a neat and novel concept, and one not likely coming to your cable provider any time soon.

And are you right-brained or left-brained? A quick and none-too-taxing test.

"Money doesn't talk, it swears." - Bob Dylan

And then they're going to climb mountains...

Post by Mick Fowler - Berghaus.

Caution: Watching this ridiculous van ride up to the Himalayas may cause involuntary soiling.

"Courage is a kind of salvation." - Plato

Classical interpretation

Nicely-animated famous paintings, true to the spirit of Terry Gilliam.

And in the same vein, little cyborg GIFs, part human, part machine, all bizarre.

"The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?" - Pablo Picasso

Wave of sadness

Amateurish cooking show soundtracked with somber music is subtle genius.

And the sad boyfriends of Etsy, a hidden side of domestic abuse.

"Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy." - Cynthia Nelms

Van Damme, that's impressive

Ad for Volvo trucks features amazing groin stunt from 53 year-old JCVD. Undoubtedly will be attempted by some genius, with disastrous result.

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself." - Soren Kierkegaard

Fashionable pick

Were you afraid we'd reached the end of the line on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air parodies? Well then David Hasselhoff singing Fresh Prince might come as welcome news.

And if a burning question was, "How dandy are you?", take this test and consider it answered.

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging." - Hank Aaron

No direction home

Haven't seen the movie, but this parody of "Gravity" set in IKEA was entertaining nonetheless.

"It doesn't hurt to be optimistic. You can always cry later." - Lucimar Santos de Lima

Born again

Video self-portrait entitled "Ruby" that illustrates "the transfer of energy from one incarnation to another", and maybe some nifty Halloween ideas.

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." - Lucille Ball

Mental blocks

Not just another massive canvas of falling tiles, these well-planned "INSANE Domino Tricks" are a little closer to performance art, with a little Rube Goldberg thrown in to boot.

"A bore is a person who opens his mouth and puts his feats in it." - Henry Ford

Mighty mouse

Determined rodent just will *not* give up trying to do the equivalent of jumping onto the roof of your house with a mattress in your mouth. I'm not sure what he did to regroup at the end, but quite an effort.

"The difference between try and triumph is a little umph." - Author Unknown

Know thy customer

Jimmy Kimmel Live's fake trailer for the new "Thor" movie shows how Marvel is marketing it to women.

"Every issue promises perfect abs" (Men's Health), "We have a salad bar for some reason" (Pizza Hut), and other honest slogans.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." - Mignon McLaughlin

Song overboard

Party boat capsizing looped to "What Is Love?". Watch beyond 0:40 if you want to, for the music.

And create your own GIF dance party like it's 1999.

"Only the guy who isn't rowing has time to rock the boat." ― Jean-Paul Sartre

Baron it all

A short called "The Baron" illustrates that self-actualized sometimes isn't better, lest you look too much like Weird Al.

And get motivated with these inspirational words on images of boozin'.

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan

Scream gems

No need to shout at the screen with "Hell No", the sensible antidote to horror movie clichés.

And I'm sure you're wondering which state matches your personality? Take the (ridiculous but very short) test and find out.

"Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small." - Ruth Gendler

Dub your fun

Game of Thrones + Bad Lip Reading = Medieval Land Fun Time World, a grand opening of which Judd Apatow would be proud. Best BLR to date, no question.

"The man who has no imagination has no wings." - Muhammad Ali

Letter have it

Amazing demonstration of hand-lettering prowess from a Slash knockoff.

"After all is said and done, more is said than done." - Aesop

Poetry in motion

Mechanical alien jellyfish masquerading as a mesmerising wind-powered sculpture.

"Great art picks up where nature ends." - Marc Chagall

Tow jam

Amazingly incompetent roadside assistance makes a bad situation worse.

"Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do." - Jason Love

Something Attenborrowed, something blue

Behold a miracle of nature — the intricate mating dance between two members of the species Popstar (Divas majoris) — narrated by famed broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough.

And some more legit famous moments in music history as 8-bit GIFs.

"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good." - Joe Paterno

Brass in the grass

Ohio State University marching band puts on a performance with its tribute to Hollywood Blockbuster Show, live pixel art with horns.

And some famous movie scenes recreated in Lego.

"Most ball games are lost, not won." - Casey Stengel

On track

Amazing how adding the laugh track from "Seinfeld" turns a dark psycho-horror flick into a goofy comedy.

And those answers to rhetorical movie-title questions you've been waiting for.

"Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." - Peter Ustinov

All dressed up and no place to glow

Dad turns his toddler into a glow-in-the-dark stick figure for Halloween courtesy of an LED costume, making for an effective visual.

Also a little dressed up, a Tumblr called Marxwear shows the father of Communism looking good, Louis.

"I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch." - Gilda Radner

What'd they ever do to you?

Carving them isn't enough for this guy, who feels the need to share his pumpkin killing methods with the world.

Or take it out on Squishy Earth, which hearkens back to simpler interweb times.

"Let us thank God that we live in an age when something has influence besides the bayonet." - Daniel Webster

Fire retarded

No chance of these toy dolls being recalled, I'd say. (Thanks Gordon)

A descendent of Rich Hall's sniglets, a site called Words For That matches neologisms with as yet unnamed scenarios or meanings.

"How is it that one match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box of matches to start a campfire?" - Christy Whitehead

Nightmare on Elmo Street

Possessed Teddy Ruxpin and Elmo duo in an un-dead-on cover of "Thrift Shop", showing once again that stuffed animals are creepy.

What time is it? Not too late to visit the Museum of Four in the Morning.

"Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is." - Albert Camus

Rock and roll

Incredible video from Taiwan shows an extremely large rock break off the top of a mountain, roll down the hillside, and crash onto the road below, right in front of the car shooting the dashcam video. Look closely and you can see the rock break loose in the first few seconds.

And this BBC news anchor gets past a tough hurdle reading and correctly pronouncing a 35-letter Hawaiian surname not once, but twice, in a 29-second broadcast segment, a feat that might be a first.

"What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover? A rash of good luck." - Author Unknown

Wild pitch

Despite the seeming lack of context and apparently low-to-no budget, these odd TV spots somehow manage to make a mark.

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." - Mahatma Gandhi

Sticking your neck out

What's the most humane way to test a dog collar? On a human, of course.

"Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared." - George Clason

Last Word on mobile design

Watch a slice of this lunatic recreating the iOS 7 Home screen using nothing but Microsoft Word (and who knows what drugs). Tough to explain, and inexplicably compelling, at least for a minute.

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

99% inspiration

A deserving parody of the format and formula, Patton Oswalt's fake TED talk take-off will change your life.

"Be careful that what you write does not offend anybody or cause problems within the company. The safest approach is to remove all useful information." - Scott Adams

And eat it too

Exuberant engineer builds a rotating spoons of death machine to pummel himself with cake. What the hell's wrong with this guy?

And Your Kickstarter Sucks opens fire on deserving(?) targets.

"A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." - James Beard

Rodenttrack

Like incontinent miniature dogs, rats, doing tricks.

And IKEA product or death metal band? Take the tougher-than-you-think quiz.

"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma." - Eartha Kitt

Hole in the head

Major moment for mouthless metropolis members in "Mute".

"Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done." - Amelia Earhart

Age of innocence

Filmed in the 50s, five men standing under a nuclear detonation, doing it for Science. God bless. [NPR]

"Trust is letting go of needing to know all the details before you open your heart." - Author Unknown

Beautiful music

Slow-motion paint on a speaker is a beautiful ballet of technicolor droplets, and would make a heck of a fountain.

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence." - Leopold Stokowski

A-mazing

Water hurtles headlong through a heated metal maze, courtesy of curious physics known as the Liedenfrost effect.

"Thus the metric system did not really catch on in the States, unless you count the increasing popularity of the nine-millimeter bullet." - Dave Barry

Hard news...?

Islamic militia rocket fire shoots down airborne foe in this short clip from Banksy.

"We have the best government that money can buy." - Mark Twain

Real me

Man suffers some amusing amnesia — or makes his run at husband of the year — after waking up from post-surgery anesthesia. (Thanks Raygun)

And from artist Sebastian Bieniek, something close to animate Picasso, a day in the life of a "Doublefaced" Girl. I wonder if her name is Janice?

"I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." - Rita Rudner

You betcha

Ten more bar-style bets you will always win, unless your friend has also seen the video. Either way, someone will hate you.

And Filmillion supposedly can guess the movie you're thinking of by asking a mere 30 yes or no questions.

"You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people." - Will Rogers

Read right

From the future New York Public Library archives, librarians remake Beastie Boys' classic "Sabotage" as best they can.

"I like a woman with a head on her shoulders. I hate necks." - Steve Martin

Tough row

Nothing clear about the larger debate, but this Chipotle ad called "The Scarecrow" is at least captivating. [SmithsonianMag]

"The belly rules the mind." - Spanish Proverb

Buffering

Interesting little short called "Progressbar" tells you everything you need to know about how it gets done.

"But for each of us, isn't life about determining your own finish line?" - Diana Nyad

Protein shake

Recipe for a country breakfast of eggs beaten at 39,024 FPS. Don't shoot 'til you see the whites of their albumen.

"You can do a lot for your diet by eliminating foods that have mascots." - Ted Spiker

Won't leave it alone

Siberian husky in an exhibition of unadulterated joy. I couldn't help but imagine this same thing going on in the snow.

"Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window." - Steve Bluestone

I think I can

Error at the canning plant takes down the tomato version of Skynet in "Otto l'Automate". Or something like that(?).

Left over and left behind, these moldy old food containers in the office fridge are both disgusting and near-art.

"As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it." - Buddy Hackett

Super fly

Wingsuited maniac jumps off a cliff wearing a panorama camera that lets you control the view as he hurtles to the ground.

And a photographer painstakingly recreates Death Row prisoners' last meals. Comfort food, I guess you might call it? Morbid and fascinating.

"There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams, "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy"

Capeless crusader

Man dons the signature mask to become Batdad, and possibly parent of the year.

"The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them." - Moliere

Side effects

Vertigo, dizziness, nausea — such are the symptoms of iOS 7 usage reportedly afflicting some portion of the population. But thankfully Jimmy Kimmel unveiled a sure-fire cure on a recent episode.

"As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round." - Ben Hogan

Friendly skies

A couple of airline safety video parodies a la Bad Lip Reading:

...an American style attempt,



...and a British alternative from Worm Hotel.

"If black boxes survive air crashes, why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?" - George Carlin

Upchuck

Men put on a nice show loading a mortar board, with a technique that's both functional and stylish.

And speaking of slurries, Honest Toddler makes some pretty good humor out of the (young) human condition. (Ex: "Trips to the park always start off like a Folger’s commercial but end like an episode of COPS.")

"I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain." - Jane Wagner

I get around

Has Johnny Cash really been everywhere? Nice bit of map-o-vision plotting out all the locations in the song as it plays.

And a collection of "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" cover versions, all 172 of 'em.

"Hiking is just walking where it's okay to pee." - Demetri Martin

Take one, they're furry

If this somewhat out-of-left-field commercial doesn't make you want to adopt a cat, you're probably not quite tired of cleaning up your own vomit.

"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." - Ellen Perry Berkeley

Thou art robot

Part art, part technical exposition, "Box" combines the physical and the digital into a different kind of live performance.

"Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression." - Isaac Bashevis Singer

Take the high road

This Sinitus Tempo music video "Blue Alley Waltz" makes no sense, and that's OK. Nice A/V.

"The best way out is always through." - Robert Frost

Catzilla

Little army of paper guys decides to mess with the wrong cat.

"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." - Ellen Perry Berkeley

Serenity now

Summer is now officially over, but you can take a few minutes of mental vacation with "Purely Pacific Northwest", all quarter-million or so of its time-lapsed Oregon images.

And cat beards, an apropos photo meme. (Thanks Gordon)

"The alternative to a vacation is to stay home and tip every third person you see." - Unknown

Slow-lene

Dolly Parton's "Jolene" slowed way down so that Dolly sounds like a man, which adds an interesting twist to the story. The mood created by the effect would make it difficult to enjoy the original by comparison.

And are you having a tough time connecting with adult cats in your area? The Adult Cat Finder service is here to help.

"Eventually, if you're lucky in life, you find someone with the same chemical imbalance you have." - Robert Braul

Dub or nothing

Silent stock video is more than a little bizarre in its own right, but "Getty Dubs" takes it a step further filling in those blanks with whimsical audio overlays.

"I have often lamented that we cannot close our ears with as much ease as we can our eyes." - Richard Steele

Monodony

If you've got some time to kill, check out Gandalf nodding his head to jazz for 10 hours. It gets really good about six or seven hours in. But if you're in a hurry, you'll get the gist after the first hour or so.

"Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased." - John Steinbeck

Smooth moves

A glimmer of Michael Jackson apparently reincarnated in this feline rendition of "Smooth Criminal", or at least few seconds of it.

"A man's dying is more the survivors' affair than his own." - Thomas Mann

Going, going, gong

Drummer accompanies the staccato delivery of a well-oiled auctioneer, reminding me at various times of Elvis, Primus, and an Uzi.

"The art of interpretation is not to play what is written." - Pablo Casals

Seriously

Monty Python classic "Holy Grail" gets a made-over "modernized" trailer, complete with everything that makes trailers annoying.

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second." - William James

90 degrees of renovation

About a year ago Tobias Mathijsen changed his teenage brother's bedroom into a kid's pink shrine to Justin Bieber. This year's prank involves tilting his room sideways, from the carpet on up.

And a Twitter feed that collects middle-class problems, such as "I can’t believe I bought a toaster with no bagel setting".

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." - Robin Williams

Avoid the bunker

Grab your woods, grab your aryans, and play some Hitler golf. "Ve have vayz of making you putt."

And for whatever reason, the user reviews for the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer on Amazon.com are a snark-filled humorfest.

"I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity." - Julius Erving

Boots on the ground

This year's Guinness Believe It or Not record holder for bizarro bendiness shows her stuff.

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." - Buddha

Zero bars

Can't afford the new affordable iPhone 5c? Then maybe try the new REALLY cheap iPhone, available on the Funny or Die network.




And you might also enjoy Conan O'Brien's take on the origins of the gold iPhone 5s, brainchild of its new Miami Beach design team.

"Every crowd has a silver lining." - P. T. Barnum

Never too late

Beautiful and dreamily riveting, "Sleep Walk" is a punch in the gut for your psyche.

"Fatigue is the best pillow." - Benjamin Franklin

Humming along

Hand-built flipboard stop-motion video called "Colibri" is a refreshing change from the computer-assisted variety we've become accustomed to.

"It is only the modern that ever becomes old-fashioned." - Oscar Wilde

Guinness with a twist

Advertising done well in this touching Guinness spot. Wheelie good.

"If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever." - Thomas Aquinas

Composure

As if unemployment isn't bad enough, job interview that ends badly with a meteor destroying the city turns out to be a clever prank ad for LG's new 84-inch HD TV.

But pressing the Inception Button will make everything better.

"When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges." - Jack Handy

Dance fever

You may well have seen this absurd clip of twerking gone bad. Not sure if it's real, but if so, uh... ouch?

And the Lewis Model of cultural types explains every country in the world.

"A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

Listen up

What's worse than a backseat driver? This video from the Indian National Rally Championship. "Samir, PLEASE!", for goodness sake, please.

"Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer." - Ted Williams

Extra-life

Intense physicality mixed with video game nostalgia, Super Mario parkour captures all the charm of the original.

And some inverse real-life simulation... which urinal should you pick? Test your public restroom acumen and get a glimpse into the male psyche.

"Adults are obsolete children." - Dr. Seuss

What the hack?

Scarcely a parody of "life hack" videos, these are nearly as useful (in addition to being "incredibly quick, amazingly easy, awesome and simple").

"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men." - John F. Kennedy

Twerk and Kirk

The crew of the USS Enterprise watches the recent VMA performance from Miley Cyrus and reacts as you might expect.

And see if you can find the end of Miley Cyrus' infinite tongue.

"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful." - John Wooden

What's the hangup?

Another Russian dashcam gem, this time catching the dispensation of some road justice in a case of talking while driving.

And check out this Google Maps Street View location that goes from summer to winter in a single step. Could only happen in Italy.

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." - Albert Einstein

Flight of the drumstick

Music meets technology meets art in Portrait of the Ghost Drummer, a new way to look at things percussive.

And Pollocks or Bollocks — guess whether these squiggles are the work of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock or the worthless scribblings of other, random people?

"Time, motion and wine cause sleep." - Ovid

Pop a cap in your grass

Though the summer is drawing to an unofficial close, opening a beer using a frisbee is a trick that you might yet get to take advantage of.

"If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?" - Steven Wright

Greener grass

Be careful what you wish for, the moral of the story in "Holy Sh*ep". Animated short as God intended.

"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way." - Henry David Thoreau

cliche.0

Does it seem like every tech commercial is exactly the same? The folks at College Humor seem to think so.

"I saw a subliminal advertising executive, but only for a second." - Steven Wright

Incommunicado

The short film "I Forgot My Phone" is either completely depressing or a cautionary tale. Did they say this about books or magazines back when?

"I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her." - Rodney Dangerfield

Stuck in the middle

Hanging out at the 19th hole with your boys, socks with sandals, voting Republican... JustMiddleAgedManThings gives you the amusing lowdown on that little slice of Americana. And not really related, HowAboutWe celebrates a milestone with One Million Dates, an interactive map about what Americans do out there. Plus a diagram guide to choosing the right seat at a restaurant, supposedly “one of the most complex social situations you will encounter.”

"Trust your hunches. They're usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level." - Joyce Brothers

Adulterated

"Sharkspeare in Love", "The Shawshark Redemption", and other movies supposedly made better with sharks. And begging a question that thus far has never been asked... Hot Dogs or Legs?.

"Music is the soundtrack to the crappy movie that is my life." - Chris Rock

Laps of judgment

More than 100 animators convened via the interwebs to co-independently create this unique short called "Ruuuun!!", which explains the need for 11 minutes of credits after its two-minute run time.

"Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it." - Madeleine L'Engle

Taking it off the chin

Ben Garvin's "Magic Beard" stars in this stop-motion video, morphing its way through defeat.

"Every time I go and shave, I assume there's someone else on the planet shaving. So I say, 'I'm gonna go shave, too.'" - Mitch Hedberg

Twist and shout

Watching a few seconds of Controversial Baby Dynamics Yoga might be enough to get you bent out of shape.

"When asked what gift he wanted for his birthday, the yogi replied: 'I wish no gifts, only presence.'" - Unknown

The roof's the limit

Nice but semi-terrifying DIY water slide with the unfortunate side-effect of making you bleed.

"Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes." - Jim Carrey

Stuffed karma

Something of a breath of fresh air, Hook is a lilting metaphor nicely done.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." - Steve Jobs

Texture

Painting with words is a novel way to waste time when you should be doing something else.

And try to draw Batman with your eyes closed. Not so easy...

"Life is the art of drawing without an eraser." - John W. Gardner

Good old days

Some vintage WTF proves that our ancestors had an ahead-of-their-time interwebby sense of humor.

And strange stuff, that Victorian photography. The cameras were slow and kids just as squirmy, so mom had to hold them still while disguised as furniture or drapes.

"We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world." - Helen Keller

Lock of the week

Just in time for your weekend, 10 surefire bar bets guaranteed to secure you that winner's drink (unless the other guy also watched the video).

"Never bet on a sure thing unless you can afford to lose." - Anonymous

Where?

Like something out of a post-apocalypse zombie movie, this "Empty America" timelapse is a little freaky. C'mon, New York without screaming people, choking traffic, pigeons, and stumbling drunks...? (There are similar videos for SF, DC, Seattle, and a couple of other cities.)

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here." - William Shakespeare

Hear today, gone tomorrow

How have the years treated your ears? Take this test and see how old the old canals are standing up to the punishment you've dished out (in?).

"Women don't want to hear what you think. Women want to hear what they think — in a deeper voice." - Bill Cosby

WTD?

This take-off of scientifically accurate "Duck Tales" is almost as engaging as the original version, though starkly more mature (and frankly a little disgusting).

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad." - Aldous Huxley

Clean freak

Though not as cool as sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads, this cat dressed as a shark riding a Roomba probably is a more effective way to clean the kitchen floor.

"There is no such thing as fun for the whole family." - Jerry Seinfeld

New and improved

The Chinese Photoshop Trolls just keep getting better, and this time it's personal, as the trolls again offer gratis photo retouching services and take the opportunity to mock their clients with a humorous interpretation of their request.

And in what might best be described as a sequel to the "There, I fixed it" meme comes "You had one job..." a collection of photos of inept workmanship. Keep browsing for an occasional smirk.

"Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure." - George Edward Woodberry

Miscreative

This guy thinks that people playing bass look like they're tickling hairy dogs, so he created Bass dogs wherein he replaces famous musicians' instruments with a variety of pooches.

And some "unlikely...but not impossible" everyday objects, Photoshop'd images that deftly walk the fine line between practicality and absurdity.

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." - Albert Einstein

Cornydog

A mere seven seconds that might make you laugh and/or cringe, or maybe crave a frank.

"A hot dog at the game beats roast beef at the Ritz." - Humphrey Bogart

Ballderdash

On its face, you can't deny that the world's fastest piano juggler is amazing, though it isn't quite what you think it is. (Most disappointing, it's not juggling actual pianos.) But the timing alone is impressive enough for me. All is explained in this NY Times blog post.

"Silence is so accurate." - Mark Rothko

Makes you wonder

The Greek version of Your Face Sounds Familiar apparently aired this contestant. Jaw-droppingly un-#$%!&-ing-believable. (As one commenter wrote, "Thank *bleep* Stevie can't see this mess.")

"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Castaneda

Designer label

Man cobbles together an open source LED Tetris tie, undoubtedly to the delight of his party guests.

"I've found that you don't need to wear a necktie if you can hit." - Ted Williams

Face-plant

Will Ferrell with Natalie Portman’s voice and vice versa, plus other celebrity congloms on FaceMashups, a YouTube channel of short videos.

"Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better." - William Shakespeare

Pinch to zoom

These guys snapped, uploaded, and then stitched together 1,600 photos to make a stop-motion Instagramimation video.

"Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you." - Aldous Huxley

Whole sum

Well timed and pretty entertaining, this Breaking Bad / Weird Al Mashup, regardless of your level of interest in either subject.

"My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them." - Mitch Hedberg

No good deed

Puppy shares lollipop with monkey, gets punished for being nice. Can an animal be arrested for animal cruelty?

"My karma ran over your dogma." - Author Unknown

Top story

TV traffic reporter unknowingly adds a new member to the newscast.

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs

Gentle cycle

What better soundtrack for this video of a washing machine self-destructing than the "music" of Autechre.

"Cigarettes are a classy way to commit suicide." - Kurt Vonnegut

Stop moving

As if you needed more incentive, Beer Labels In Motion makes worthy animated-GIF use out of creative microbrew labels.

And if you played and enjoyed One Second Stopwatch when you were a kid, you might enjoy a go at this re-creation.

"When I heated my home with oil, I used an average of 800 gallons a year. I have found that I can keep comfortably warm for an entire winter with slightly over half that quantity of beer." - Dave Barry

Upon further reflection

The kaleidoscopic timelapse video footage of "Mirror City" makes for a fairly disconcerting and trippy experience.

"My dad was the town drunk. Most of the time that's not so bad; but New York City?" - Henny Youngman

Ice chips

Not sure why, but edits from a couple three hundred movies somehow are formed into "Ice Ice Baby", as if it were necessary.

"You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar." - George Carlin

Green acres

This blooming timelapse is both amazing and a little creepy. Aliens have invaded Earth and we call them plants.

"I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants." - A. Whitney Brown

Rockin' your stockings off

You might have seen this sweet-looking older lady who walks into a drum shop in Wisconsin and nearly rips the skins off this drum set with a heck of a solo.

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?" - Satchel Paige

Says you

Nearly a literary genre of its own, The Art of the Humorous Amazon Review includes some worthy highlights. And What your beard is saying about you, a sprouts illustrated explanation of whiskers.

"Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion."- Madonna

It's a grind

I always thought math under pressure was physics. How well did you do? Also, do you like what your coffeeinated beverage says about you? Thought so.

"If it wasn't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever." - David Letterman

Very special report

A little clip from TV news in New Zealand that isn't quite as polished as the stuff we might be used to. I think you can do this in PowerPoint.

"In the case of news, we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation." - Voltaire

How do I describe this?

Hooligan soccer fans duke it out, perfectly accompanied by the unmistakable narration of David Attenborough.

"For my birthday I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out." - Steven Wright

Toppleganger

It all starts with a single tile, and branches off into different lines, ending with 272,297 dominoes falling for a mesmerizing ten minutes of Guinness world record.

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." - Nido Qubein

Mathster of his domain

Mathematician James Grime entertains as he explains how to devise the shortest roadway between four towns. Funny, I don't recall any of my teachers being so enthusiastic, but then again I went to public school.

"I never did very well in math -- I could never seem to persuade the teacher that I hadn't meant my answers literally." - Calvin Trillin

Corkscrewy

Ridiculously idiotic yet inanely self-mocking exhibition of the most dangerous ways to open a bottle of wine. Everyone wants to be a YT star.

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

You had to ask

A couple of Tumblrs... first, All Staff All Day, a collection of purportedly genuine emails that people have sent to way too big of a distribution list at someone's company. And "Here's that bad advice you were hoping for" takes the initiative and acerbically responds to letters that were sent to advice columns.

"True friends stab you in the front." - Oscar Wilde

Unconfirmed source

News flash: KTVU Channel 2 in Oakland somehow hilariously misidentified the pilots who crashed Asiana flight 214, and then later apologized. "Sum Ting Wong" is right. Unbelievable.

"News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising." - Lord Northcliffe

Boxster

Beyond beatboxing, this guy called Tom Thum uses only his voice (and a microphone, shure) and proves himself to be a human sound machine. Well worth checking out at least a few minutes worth.

"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute." - Josh Billings

Shove it

Dog pushing a puppy all around town in a tiny toy shopping cart adventure.

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." - Greg Anderson

Unsinkable in any language

"Titanic" run through a translator and back, reenacted with non-actors. Prepare to be moved, and perhaps amused.

"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." - Katharine Graham

What is it good for?

Senseless stop-motion Play Doh carnage on Planet Six illustrates the universality of absolutely nothin'.

"I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Light and motion in the dark

A little nighttime wakeboarding with LED-encrusted light boards paints some unique and colorful pictures across the dark water. (The real action gets started at about 01:23 or so.)

"An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision." - James Whistler

Mismatch mishmash

Looking for a new profile photo to post? Try Petswitch and see what your eyes look like on your faithful companion.

Also unexpected, these kitschy and inexplicably peculiar Robert Downey Jr. pin-ups raise more questions than answers.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder." - Kinky Friedman

Techno rainbow

Not much of a club feel to these cats hacking up furballs to thumping beat. Enjoy (?).

"Rhythm is something you either have or don't have, but when you have it, you have it all over." - Elvis Presley

Head shots

It definitely won't make Tarantino notice, but "Exploding Actresses" does OK on timing and effect.

"I enjoy acting when you really hit it right." - Marilyn Monroe

Taking it to the streets

Photoshop Live attempts and succeeds in freaking people out just a little with this "Street Retouch Prank". Next time they might just reconsider public transportation.

"Art has to move you and design does not, unless it's a good design for a bus." - David Hockney

Brand new bag

Gentleman known as The Badpiper plays AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" — or some semblance thereof — on a flaming bagpipe, although I think maybe this guy sets the musical standard. And yes, he's available for weddings.

"The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scots as a joke, but the Scots haven't got the joke yet." - Oliver Herford

Give 'em the boot

Absolutely ridiculous and shameless exhibition of twerking in public by comic Mawaan Rizwan.

"I have no desire to prove anything by it. I have never used it as an outlet or a means of expressing myself. I just dance." - Fred Astaire

Rise and shine

While not quite the feat recently pulled off by Nik Wallenda, this Dean Potter highline Moonwalk at Cathedral Peak is ultimate full moon mojo.

"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls." - George Carlin

Codependent

Word of a 2015 "Independence Day" sequel apparently has inspired Screen Junkies to grind out an Honest Trailer to take down the original, truth and justice for all.

"Communism is like one big phone company." - Lenny Bruce

On the chin

No stone unturned on the interwebs — it's "Cat Fighter", a feline parody of the "Street Fighter" video game.

"When deeds speak, words are nothing." - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Bean there, done that

Thought-provoking introspection from Ze Frank in "The Time You Have (In JellyBeans)" using candy to visually represent the average lifetime. Life is sweet.

"Delay is the deadliest form of denial." - C. Northcote Parkinson

Leg up

Girls suit up in dichromatic Siamese leotards and whip out a trippy Rockettes impression to some popular(?) German polka-rock tune in the Black and White Tights Dance. Not sure what more one could ask for.

"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better." -- Albert Camus

Stuck it

A full-out demonstration of how to get "gymnasty" with helpful hints from a persistent if not gifted physical specimen comedian.

"I learned the value of hard work by working hard." - Margaret Mead

Good news

"Grease-Covered Florida Man Found Stuck In Store Window; Tells Deputies He Needs To Poop" and other real Sunshine State news headlines, courtesy of a guy who should know.

And phones replaced with sandwiches, a nirvana we only can hope for.

"To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea." - Henry David Thoreau

Go deep

Nine short and to-the-point(?) seconds to be both amused and bemused. Or neither.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Compatibility issue

I've always wanted to fix a laptop this way. Hell yeah.

"Computers can figure out all kinds of problems, except the things in the world that just don't add up." - James Magary