Links of Interest 3/19

Interview with Bob Odenkirk.

Ever wonder how a grenade works?

They sure don't make ads like they used to.

Everyone obviously like the hits, but what are some of the better deep tracks off albums?

The story of Rodney Alcala - charmer, near genius, Dating Game contestant, and possible serial killer.

I assume this means we're extremely close to creating a time machine. (via kottke)

That big box in your kitchen you occasionally use to make popcorn? Now, you can use it to make potato chips. (via mental floss)

If you're into basketball trick shots, this is for you.

True story: Back when anyone could get start up cash because they said they had an idea for the web, I interviewed with a company whose business plan was to create corporate cartoons that detailed company policy in a humorous manner. I didn't get the job, but I really don't think the company was around for more than 2 weeks. The internet boom. Memories.

The internet is more fragile than you think.

Links of Interest 3/18

Haven't signed up for the FREE Popcorn Trick March Madness Tournament with REAL PRIZES? Well, that's just stupid. Go Here to do so. Password: Popcorn

12 things you shouldn't eat.

The church's sex abuse problems? It was Satan!

Tina Fey on Tina Fey.

Here are 10 more bands you should check out at SXSW this year.

The oldest trees on the planet.

By now, I'm sure you've seen Lady GaGa's video, Telephone. But do you know what it means? (via kottke)

So...what does a year old Happy Meal look like?

Ladies, please be aware of the East Coast rapist.

A topic everyone should be comfortable with - prostitution in churches.

Are these 10 ideas good for the next 10 years?

Links of Interest 3/17

Don't forget about the Popcorn Trick's March Madness Tournament. Enter by going here. Password is Popcorn.

Phallic cemetery monuments? Sign me up.

So, minus Leno, NBC's primetime lineup increases viewership. Which I guess means we hate Leno but love The Marriage Ref. Yeesh.

Timothy Olyphant just seems to pop up in the most random roles that go on to be awesome. And he has a new show coming out.

The Japanese have a different palate than we do.

New Philip Bloom time lapse video of Dubai. If you don't know who Philip Bloom is, you should.

Comparing the two earthquakes in Chile and Haiti.

Planning a cross country road trip? Take a look at this list of essentials.

Is there something out in our solar system plotting our demise?

While I disagree with the hypothesis that Octopussy is the most ludicrous of Bond movies (are we simply ignoring Moonraker and its slow motion space fight and 7 space shuttles?) I did enjoy reading this article.

A Russian writer details his quest to make money after the fall of communism.

March Madness is here again!

...Which means, it's the Popcorn Trick's 2nd Annual March Madness Tourney!

Prizes galore! If galore means something that I have in my house that I may or may not send to you. Seriously though, last year's winner for some reason didn't want a used, slightly broken snowmobile trophy. So it's still in the mix. And there are plenty of other prizes you may or may not get! (Hey - shut up - this is for free. You start sending an entrance fee, then I'll start auditing the prizes.)

SImply click here, and fill out a bracket. Group name is The Popcorn Trick. Password is popcorn

Good luck to everyone who enter!

Links of Interest 3/16

Karl Rove's new memoir might not be correctly labeled as "non-fiction."

Want to be the next Howard Stern? Make sure you have the right equipment.

SXSW is a great place to keep up to date with new bands. Here are 10 you should keep your eye on.

Those Jason Bourne movies might not be as fictitious as you think.

Find out what will be streaming soon on Netflix.

Directors talk about their favorite movie scenes. (via kottke)

Found out your the last person on Earth? You have more responsibility than you think.

There are so many places I want to travel to around the world. This is one of them.

What do you think the most dangerous drugs are?

Feeling ripped off? Don't worry, it's probably true.

Links of Interest 3/15

Say what you want about the NCAA college basketball tournament and its selection process, it's still one of the most entertaining things out there in sports.

There's something hypnotic about watching QVC.

Female anthems that at second look don't do as much for feminism as the auteur intended them to do.

Old time sex ed videos. I wonder what current pieces of educational materials/pop culture future generations will laugh at? Or are we so self ironic that it's now impossible to do that?

Athletes in movies. I think my favorite athlete cameo came from Wade Boggs in Cheers.

Some movie science debunked. So we really never will be able to clone dinosaurs. This is bullshit!

When I read Chevy Chase had the option of being in Steely Dan I had to link to this.

How do you get your band to stand out at SXSW? Name it something ridiculous.

Henry Rollins always seems to have something interesting to say.

The perfect car. Apparently, it's not a myth.

Links of Interest 3/12

Interview with music producer Steve Lillywhite.

If you would like to get to know the works of Warner Herzog better but don't know where to start, this is a good place to go.

At first, looking over this list of cartoon characters who were obviously on drugs, I didn't think much of it, but diving in, it really makes a lot of sense. Or I could just be on drugs.

If we're to believe movies (and why shouldn't we), the next war will be held in cyberspace. Which is why we need to start recruiting hackers now.

The race to space.

Get your day started with some old west execution photos. Hanging's never been so artistic.

Cooking a steak sous vide at home. If you can afford it. (via kottke)

The dating game rules have changed apparently.

Eating less might lead to a longer life? That's troubling news.

Maps can do more than get you to places; they can be a good tool to conceptualize complex thoughts.

Links of Interest 3/11

Has any one made the college basketball/slavery analogy? Is that going too far?

Many of us have heard about the secret menu at In & Out Burger. But apparently they're not the only joint to shroud menu items in secrecy.

Well it looks like I have a new movie to add to my Netflix queue. This is everything Inglourious Basterds should have been!

If you gave me a lot of LSD and the English translation of this, I'm still not sure I could figure out what's going on here. Which is why I present it to you.

Are you a fan of House? Would you like to know what real doctors think of the show?

Don't think I didn't watch Turbo Teen every Saturday morning.

Is it geeky to admit I enjoy a good concept album? Oh well, I guess it's too late anyway. Here's a look at some of the best.

Couples therapy: Is it a sham?

I hesitate to link to a list of weird musicians that doesn't have Captain Beefheart on it, but I guess it's still decent if incomplete.

Ah, my favorite thing. Attempting to numerically define creative endeavors. Because it always works so well! (via kottke)

Links of Interest 3/10

Oh sure, we're all sad for Conan O'Brien and his sudden departure from television. But what about his sidekick? What about Andy Richter?

I'm shocked, shocked, that The Marriage Ref might be seen as having a negative effect on marriages.

The medical marijuana boom can have some far reaching negative effects. What about the corner drug dealer? How is he going to make a living now?

Oh boy, that Kathy Ireland performance at the Oscars was uh...interesting.

If you're headed to Austin (possibly for SXSW?) here's a breakdown of one of the city's greatest products: the breakfast taco.

Sometimes where-are-they-nows have happy endings.

White Stripes fan? Get a preview of the latest album here.

Women can't be funny? These examples will prove that silly axiom wrong.

Mick and Keith look back at their classic Exile on Main Street.

The history of Facebook is a sordid mess.

Links of Interest 3/9

Great, so now I can get salmonella from Pringles?

Hard to believe, but apparently these stories are real!

Everybody is getting into the video DSLR market. Here's an example of the Pentax K-7.

Whoa, it's like Kingdom of the Spiders, but totally real! Has anyone seen William Shatner?

A running diary about how Wolfgang Puck catered his Oscars' party.

How Rookie of the Year doesn't make this list...well it's irresponsible.

For the kid who has everything; Get him something from here and he'll be continually beat up.

Give the world the computer and you know it won't be long before someone is trying to control it. Facts about hackers.

How many years before Google owns the world? 2? 3?

The seduction community? Does this really exist? Why do we always have to put labels on things that some of us don't understand?

Links of Interest 3/8

What's it like to audition for The Price is Right? (Via Pat's Papers)

A look at HBO's The Pacific.

Sports movies don't always focus on the winners.

Code names for blockbuster movies so us movie nerds don't ruin them.

Interview with Jonathan Katz, my brother's favorite person.

Change the television spectrum band, and change the world.

Alice In Wonderland based in the realm of mathematics?

David Letterman, before he was David Letterman.

No matter what your favorite Oscar joke is/was, it was probably written by Bruce Vilanch.

Sometimes terrorism can be so silly.

Links of Interest 3/5

I really don't care what beliefs celebrities have. There are plenty of them who have strong/crazy left wing beliefs, and hey, who am I to say they're wrong. Except possibly when they suggest Obama is the anti-christ, or "there are no Palestinians." Ok, so maybe then they might be wrong.

Honestly, I just linked to the article because it made a brilliant, obscure reference to one of my favorite Cheers episodes.

Grading the last 25 #1 picks in the NBA.

Game shows are a great source of comedy.

Office based movies have become a dime a dozen. How do you refresh the genre? Shoot the entire thing using an office copier scanner.

Rabbits are good to eat. Especially when you kill them with your own bare hands.

In honor of Alice in Wonderland, here's a look at some of the other adaptations of the story through the years.

So, what songs work for a stripper when she is on stage? Let's hear from an expert.

Interview with Billy Corgan, former lead of The Smashing Pumpkins.

The first Tron didn't really do much in the world of pop culture when it came out. Will it's sequel?

Here's a nice little mountain trail to enjoy on your bike.

Links of Interest 3/4

That's a lot of fake presidents in one room!

Apple doesn't like the sex on their iPhone. Well, they don't like certain sex. Other sex they're ok with.

Fred Schneider is still kicking it awesome.

You might not think a look at the top 10 hotel balconies would be all that interesting. But it is. In a leisurely sort of way.

Finally we can answer the question that's been plaguing us all these years: how do they make Russian airport food?

Sometimes, it's a little easy to spot the counterfeit clothing.

A nice little assassination story.

Hey, shove it Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean has their own huge island of garbage swirling around.

Christopher Hitchens taking on the role of Moses. Or possibly God.

Tales of a nude model. Apparently, the glamor life we were sold about nude modeling in Show Girls is not a reality.

Links of Interest 3/3

Rube Goldberg devices are awesome.

I'm glad The Haunting was brought up. Liam Neeson's second best role!

The AV Club tastes a durian.

I can't imagine how long it takes to make these Etch-a-Sketch sketches.

Ghost towns are scary. But add a Japanese element, and for whatever reason, they become terrifying.

So...what's in your drinking water? I'm getting so high off mine.

It's hard to pass on Zach Galiafianakis articles.

Martin Scorsese talks about vintage movie posters.

Dissecting the Letterman extortion situation.

So how did the band Ok Go create their latest video?

Links of Interest 3/2

Bill Withers is awesome. If you don't know that, shame on you.

Contrary to popular belief on the Internet, James Cameron didn't invent 3-D. I mean, we all remember Jaws 3...D, right?

The stylings of Clint Eastwood, movie director.

The ten best Twilight Zone episodes.

More pictures from the Olympics.

That Marc Harmon sure is a nice guy.

Max Headroom was awesome, and now it's coming to DVD. Which is awesome as well.

Talking to Joanna Newsom.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Even when it comes to food.

Sometimes, Olympians aren't so gracious in defeat.

A Few Quick Thoughts on The Marriage Ref

If you watched NBC at any point in the last month for at least 6 seconds then you know about their new show, "The Marriage Ref."

I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

For the few of you that hate the Olympics or don't own a television, the show is about a married couple split on a certain issue that is loosely affecting their relationship. A panel of 3 celebrities make quips about the situation before the "ref" steps in and makes his ruling. If that sounds needlessly complicated, it is. As well as stupid. Basically, the show allows celebrities to make fun of people.

I went into the show with low expectations (actually, I probably wouldn't have even saw the show if NBC hadn't inexplicably interrupt the closing ceremonies to run this half hour show). And while those expectations were certainly met, I'm not ready to completely give up on the show. I'm sure that moment will come sometime in the first five minutes of the second show, but for now, I can sense a slight rise of excitement somewhere in my cold, black heart (yes, it's mostly because of the fact that the promos showed Ricky Gervais will make an appearance, but still). Much like it's next to impossible to look away from a horrific accident, no matter how much your brain tells you its wrong to want to peek, The Wedding Ref has is has a strange attraction.

The format of the show is a little confusing as well. Apparently the celebrities crack wise for a couple minutes, and then offer an opinion on the marital strife, which is then taken into consideration by the "ref" (a guy who kinda keeps things moving on the show), who passes final judgement.

Yeah, the concept of the show maybe has one or two wrinkles to get ironed out.

Obviously, the decision the "ref" makes at the end of each scenario is inconsequential; the show is designed for celebrities to laugh at all us little people and make the viewer laugh along with them and feel high and mighty for 3-4 minutes. Whether that will catch on with America remains to be seen.

The first show boasted celebrity judges Alec Baldwin, Kelly Ripa and Jerry Seinfeld (who I believe is also an executive producer, so it makes sense for him to show up).

I will never hide my love for all things Alec Baldwin, so obviously I'm going to be biased when it comes to his performance on the show. So take the next few sentences with a grain of salt if you wish. But I believe Baldwin had the best lines, the best timing and was the loosest judge on the panel. In fact, of the three, I thought Seinfeld came off the worst. Never known for his acting, he still seemed stiff and uncomfortable in front of a studio audience. I was surprised actually that he came off so poorly, though I can see the strategy behind it. If he wants more A-list celebrities to commit to the show, he certainly can't overshadow them or make them look bad. Whether or not this was his plan, I have no idea.

Oh and let's not forget the appearance of Natalie Morales, sitting in as, uh...someone who sits in front of a computer and calls out stats. That NBC feels the need to belittle her news career in an attempt to legitimize this stupid show I'll never understand, but hey - who am I?

The "disputes" with the couples? Both felt extremely scripted and borderline absurd. The first dealt with a guy who stuffed his dead dog and wanted to display it in the home. His wife felt that was creepy. Never mind the fact she off handedly suggested the day the dog died was the "happiest day of her life." That was set up as a punchline and everyone laughed.

Ha ha my husband's dog died!

Everyone agreed a taxidermied dog in the house was crazy and so the wife "won." We were never told if she went on to become a serial killer.



In the second "dispute," the husband wanted to install a stripper pole in the house. The wife wanted nothing to do with it. Both Kelly and Baldwin agreed with the wife, Seinfeld, probably realizing total agreement makes lousy television, shoehorned a contrarian opinion in and sided with the husband. I guess his argument wasn't convincing enough for the ref, because he sided with the wife. So no stripper pole.



And that leads me into what is probably the biggest problem I see with The Wedding Ref. It wants to have its cake and eat it too by creating both hilarious situations for the celebrities to riff on, and hilarious quips for the celebrities to riff. And that won't work, because, seriously - who's going to side with a guy who wants his stuffed, dead dog in the living room, and a guy seriously arguing for a stripper pole to be installed in his bedroom? Sure, some guys probably have a secret, burning desire to have a stripper pole in their home, but also understand the wife might have an issue with it, and won't be surprised when it gets a negative reaction.

Making the problems the couples have a little greyer will create more disagreement with the judges, which will give them more of a chance to play off each other. And then give the ref's decision a little more drama and weight. Whether celebrity judges will want that (as it can certainly make the judges more vulnerable in certain instances) remains to be seen.

So, while I'll most likely watch at least the Ricky Gervais one, if they don't clean it up, I don't see it lasting. Even if it survives a few episodes, I have a feeling A-list celebrities will stop doing favors for Seinfeld, leading to the likes of Gilbert Godfried and David Spade doing celebrity duty. And while I would love it, I'm not sure that's what America wants to watch.

Links of Interest 3/1

Checking out meat flavored snack chips.

Looking back at the Easy Bake Oven.

The airport graveyard, as seen from space.

Oh yeah, have fun with this one - a scientist and his quest to accurately define time.

Speaking of science, don't think those crazy scientists aren't working on things that would scare the bejebus out of you.

Who can say they've never been hungry after a long car trip? Well, now you can kill two birds with one stone.

Wal Mart's new evil plan - sell locally produced food from farms and...wait a minute!

Not too much of a revelation - french fries are bad for you.

Just think, your job could be worse. You could be working for these people.

Cool pictures of caves made of ice.