Cool Shit 3/31

The ten places around the world that are photographed the most. I'm willing to be you won't get one if you guess.

13 movies where the bad guy wins. But are still satisfying enough where the viewer really doesn't mind.

Those dates on the label of your food? Made up. Go by the sniff test. If it doesn't smell good, don't eat it. Otherwise, you'll be fine. (This probably can't apply to certain cheeses).

I understand the spirit of competition, but what I don't understand is why a lawnmower? Why not bikes or other things that don't already have a purpose?

Like to travel? Like a lot? Great! Here are some helpful tips for that trip around the world you've been thinking about.

This...is...Jeopardy! And some facts you probably didn't know about the show. Merv Griffin (or his estate at this point) are probably pretty rich.

It's silly to attempt to attach a ranking to a joke, but this list is fun to read just because it's a bunch of Mitch Hedberg jokes.

For education purposes only of course: how to escape zip ties, the trendy manacles police are using these days.

Cool Shit 3/28

I don't know what to think after watching this trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It all comes down to hitting on the perfect tone of humor and credible action. And we've put that into the hands of Michael Bay.



Speaking of hitting the right tone, here's an interesting review for Darren Aronofsky's Noah.

It's a shame that too much creativity can hurt you sometimes. Take Jodorowsky's Dune for example. Apparently, he assembled an incredible team to film this book, had a crazy vision, and it never got made. But then Hollywood cherry picked the team he put together to make other films.



"Your movie is going to make more money!"
"No, YOUR movie is going to make more money!"

Assholes.

Taco Bell has a breakfast menu. You can try to stop us terrorists, but we'll just keep coming back stronger and stronger.

Bill Simmons writes about the "Action Hero Championship Belt" through the years. While some if it works, he really stumbles in the later years, and his bizarre rules to immediately eliminate Sean Connery (and any Bond really) AND Harrison Ford for some weird reasons makes zero sense. Also, he gives really short shrift to Steve Seagal.

Cool Shit 3/27

Well here's one way to release a music album I guess. Not for nothing, Wu-Tang doesn't play by your silly rules!

Here's the bat shit crazy trailer for Jupiter Ascending. When will people realize that epic fantasy/science fiction movies need to have a centralized focus before introducing us to the vastness of their worlds? The original Star Wars trilogy worked because at the beginning it was about a farmer who got swept up trying to save a princess. The prequel trilogy? Good lord who could follow it all? It started way too big and didn't give the audience anything to latch onto. The reason fantasy books work a lot better is because reading it we can take a break, go back and figure out something that's confusing, and absorb it at our own pace. Movies need to go a little slower. This Jupiter Ascending appears to not care at all about the small story to hook us, and jumps right into the universe. Too bad.



More theories about movies that you probably didn't think of (nor did the movie creators).

Apparently BASE jumping is nothing like sky diving.

Kanye West: Vampire. Eh, I've heard of stranger things.

Cool Shit 3/26

Kind of cool if you're a Monopoly fan. They're looking for suggestions for some interesting, alternate rules, and have turned to crowdsourcing to get them.

Fed up with the American lifestyle? Looking for a change? Read these opinions about the best places to live for an ex-pat.

Some people might find these remote pictures of the arctic desolate; I find them amazing.

If you're older than a teenager right now, chances are you've at least fooled around inside a car. That's what makes this Cosmo article about how to have sex in a car so weird; it was obviously written by someone who has never SEEN a car, let alone rubbed happy places together in one. If you want the Cliff Notes version of why this article is insane, click here.

Where do you stand with Stephen King? It's easy to dismiss him as simply a horror writer, but I think he's surpassed that simplistic moniker tenfold. He has given a generation so many cultural talismans to mark their childhood. This is a decent list of significant King books, though it pretty much just lists his earlier work, like you would expect. And Salem's Lot is still the best. I wish that was the vampire book all the kids read.

Game of Thrones, season 4 is right around the corner. Would you like to get caught up? Watch this summary of the first three seasons!

Cool Shit 3/25

A new Black Keys song, which was announced via Mike Tyson's Twitter account?



While we now know where Flight 370 is (kinda/sorta), here are 17 other mysteries we can now divert our attention to.

New X-Men trailer. Does this look good? Are people excited? Will it redeem the soulless sequels that came before it?



A look at upcoming science-fiction and horror movies on the horizon. Some made and some soon to be made.

So Staten Island appears to have a creepy clown problem.

This is a long, detailed story about the now of Wu-Tang, and how difficult it is for them to get together and record a new album.

Cool Shit 3/24

The quote about a gentleman playing accordion is probably the best out of a list of 25 Tom Waits' quotes.

If you were ever planning a trip to Iran (and really, who isn't?) you should maybe read this article of what it's like to be detained there. For 2 years.

Think Facebook and Twitter are social networks that care more about ad revenue than the user? Then Ello might be for you. Of course, good luck getting an invite.

A Texas murder story.

Enjoy a list of some of the stranger activities you can participate in in Canada.

Enjoy this flavor breakdown of each and every type of Cheezit.

Confessions of a television reality show writer.

Cool Shit 3/19

Some strategies designed to help you fill out your NCAA tournament brackets.

A list of facts on the internet that simply must be true.

If you feel like being challenged by your television, seek out these 20 films and prepare to have your mind blown.

Cool news - The Incredibles is getting a sequel.

Yes, I know including this link is exactly what they want, and for me to complain about it's "snarky for being snarky" ideals means they win. But still, I'm not sure why they would include it just to make bad jokes. Once again, they have some serious explanations followed by stupid stupid humor (check out #1). But if you're still pining for Lost, the list of characters from annoying to awesome will satiate you somehow.

Ever wonder how much Windex you would have to drink before you died? Wonder no more!

Mildly clever horror short that is getting some traction online. First scene with the light switch I think really works effectively, but I feel it goes downhill once she starts taping the switch, because after that she...simply goes to bed?

Cool Shit 3/18

Ok, so while a plane going missing is crazy and hard to comprehend, it's also (obviously) not impossible and not unique.

FiveThirtyEight did an unbelievable job with the predicting the presidency. So why not try to accurately predict the NCAA tournament? Of course, it might be slightly harder, dealing with the unpredictable nature of sports. So I wouldn't sink all my money into these results if I were a betting man.

Sure, you know about The French Connection and The Conversation, but the 70s boasted a lot of cool thrillers.

Seriously, did no one think this was going to happen? Martin is notoriously slow with his books, and once the show was proven to be a cash cow of course they were going to fast track it and move it fast. And I'm not thrilled that the notoriously slow author is suggesting strategies about how to slow everything down. At this point, maybe we all just have to wait.

This real look at hot dogs might make you queasy. I think it depends on your love/hate relationship with hot dogs.

Cool Shit 3/17

I used to be in a club (in second grade) called the U.G.M. Club. Stood for "UFOs, Ghosts and Monsters." We'd investigate strange activities (read books in the library) and brag about how many UFOs we saw (0). But let me tell you, if we were still around we'd get to the bottom of these 10 UFO sightings.

A story from Harold Ramis about how Caddyshack and Animal House were made. This is an older article and not from the grave, or it would probably be getting a little more attention.

There's something to be said for chucking away the stupid, busy, civilized lifestyles we lead and heading out to someplace remote. It's even better when those remote places are beautiful.

This Malaysian plane situation is just plain weird. Read over these 19 possible scenarios, and then come up with your own.

Some cool videos of science stuff that appears to be magic. Unless these videos were created by a wizard. Then I don't know what to think.

Glacier National Park should be on everyone's bucket list. Why? Check out these photos.

I'm not sure NASA should be too surprised there's such a debate about cutting their funding when they come up with studies that suggest our civilization is headed for an "irreversible collapse."

Sure, it sounds insane that we've simply "lost" a plane. But then you take a look at this visualization of flights in the skies and it doesn't seem so crazy.

Cool Shit 3/14

Kids say the darndest, most fucked up things! (via @thecline)

A look back on Robert Duvall's career with...Robert Duvall!

While hip, fancy restaurants are all the rage and will be for the foreseeable future, the dessert course seems to be getting the short shrift.

Reading the complaints the FCC received from the Superbowl broadcast will either depress you or make you feel proud that someone had the insight to call up about Anthony Kiedis's nipples.

Nancy Grace. Insane person.

The Neverlanders. Think of a motorcycle gang without the motorcycles but with the supreme love for all things Disneyland.

Cool Shit 3/13

Watermelon keg!

Just because it says it's a fact doesn't mean it's a fact. Remember that when you read anything on the Internet.

Here's a great interactive graphic representation of how difficult it is for searchers to find Flight 370.

I don't often agree with Andy Greenwald, television critic for Grantland, but this is one of the rare times I do. Hannibal is the best NETWORK show on television right now. I beg you to watch it to bump the ratings up to at least get a third season.

I guess if you're really stuck up for some quick cash, you can go the sell-your-own-body-parts route. Just know when to say when.

Great list of gorgeous, surreal places in America that you should try to get to before you die.

Cool Shit 3/12

I'm not ready to call this the last True Detective link you'll see here, but it does a nice job of wrapping up the show by interviewing the creator about what happened, and teasing us for season 2.

Here'a good read about how the president came to be on Between 2 Ferns. It was a happy accident!

While the headline simply says "unreleased," I'm assuming it should say "previously unreleased," since the article is about a track that WAS unreleased, until the article came out and provided the music. Copy editors don't work online? Regardless, here's some cool Miles Davis music you most likely haven't read before.

A look back at the HBO series, Deadwood.

News that the Game of Thrones television show is threatening to lap Game of Thrones the novels should not be surprising at all. Martin has slowed down his writing over the years even before the show. What is surprising is that he told the creators how the show is going to end...which means there's a possibility I guess that the show will finish and then the novels will finish? Which makes absolutely no sense to me. But whatever.

I enjoy the fact that Michio Kaku is an expert on the hypothetical concept of aliens.



It's hard to rationalize the idea that a plane can simply go missing, but that's what has happened. And seriously, the ocean is a big place. Here are some more plane mysteries.

Cool Shit 3/11

Pumped to read about the backlash of Obama being on 2 Ferns!

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama from President Barack Obama      

How did I not know about the existence of flying snakes? How did SyFy not know about the existence of flying snakes? We haven't had an awful movie about flying snakes yet, have we?

A little bit of help (if you want/need it) about the finale of True Detective. Also a deeper look into the costume design of the show, with an interview with the costume designer. Not satisfied with the finale? Check out the subtle literary allusions the ending offered.

Sure a lot of conspiracies turn out to be simply the ramblings of the insane, but the reason they still carry some weight is because some of them actually turn out to be true. Even the seemingly insane ones.

If you live near a city, you can't see stuff like this due to the light pollution. So it might be the closest you get to the true night sky.

If you're a fan of documentaries, this is a site for you!

Cool Shit 3/10

So True Detective ended last night. I hope the finale lived up to everyone's expectations (though I'm not sure how it could with the hype it had going into 9:00. Anyway, now we can have some fun going back and looking at some of the more absurd theories about the Yellow King. There are obviously write-ups all over the web about the finale and show in general. If you want to kill a Monday, I'll get you started with this one and then this one. I'm sure you can find a few others.

One show ends, another one begins. I missed the new version of Cosmos last night, but still get excited at its prospects when I read these Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes about science.

How do things like films, 25 minute short films that roll before The Empire Strikes Back, get lost? This article doesn't answer that question necessarily, but it does uncover that the film has been found again. And people are excited.

In string theory, all particles are vibrations on a tiny rubber band; physics is the harmonies on the string; chemistry is the melodies we play on vibrating strings; the universe is a symphony of strings, and the 'Mind of God' is cosmic music resonating in 11 dimensional hyperspace.

Michio Kaku, explaining the universe? Something else? Everything all at once? I might get that quote as a tattoo! You can read some his thoughts on where we, as a species, may be headed into the future here.

Lego Jawa Sandcrawler! And it's only $418!

The insane life of Matt Taibbi, former Rolling Stone correspondent/journalist/gonzo writer.

Cool Shit 3/7

True Detective finale Sunday night. And in true Esquire fashion, they have attempted and failed to bring a level of levity to the party, with this list of 15 questions they want answered. Why they go from serious to "clever" is beyond me though. Just go one way or the other. Mixing it is just stupid.

Ever wonder what bay leaves really add to a recipe?

Some cool facts about Wes Anderson movies.

I feel messing around with listening to the rings of a tree trunk on a record player is opening up a Pandora's box and tempting the fates. It feels like breaching this is unnatural, like we'll learn something we can't unlearn. Or perhaps I've just read too much Clive Barker.

Whiskey barrel-aged sriracha? I'm all in.

For beer lovers, here's a cool interactive tool that may lead you to your next favorite brew.

Ranking Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriends (from the show). Of course, it's easy to rank Jerry's girlfriends. But why not go here to take a look at how George Costanza's girlfriends ranked?

Cool Shit 3/6

Probably linked to before but it's always nice to remind ourselves of the scope of the universe and that in the end we're are extremely inconsequential. Yellow King!

Do YOU know the difference between black metal and death metal?

Technological breakthroughs that may change the way we live.

SXSW is coming up. Here is a primer of 100 bands you should be excited about. And luckily, you don't have to travel to Austin to check them out.

While I don't think True Detective is all that confusing or difficult to follow, this website provides some cool graphic representations of the show that are cool to look at and maybe can shed some more light on some of the more interesting moments in the show.

None of us are surprised that there is a Pentagon Black Budget - monies devoted to classified jobs and operations. But not you can kind of get an idea what those jobs and operations are for the upcoming year.

I think the moral of this short video on ways to die in a black hole is don't get caught near a black hole.

Cool Shit 3/4

Good morning! What better way to start your day than by reading about the history of humans eating humans!

Speaking of history, why not enjoy this profile from 1973 on the Allman Brothers, written by Cameron Crowe, and see if you can pick out the nuggets that he later used for his film, Almost Famous.

Like rafting? Then you'll have to add these rivers to your river rafting bucket list.

Sure lists are completely subjective, especially when it comes to beer. But it's also always nice to have something to aspire to, and what is better to aspire to than drinking beers off a list?

Cool to see a movie inspire NASA to take photos to recreate the movie. Huh?

I'm sure I've posted this before, but natural wonders are cool enough to post again. We should never forget the world around us. And the imagery of these things will help us not to.

Sure, drones will be used in the near future to surveil us and murder us, but they also can get cool video like this:

Cool Shit 3/3

Slow reader? It has to do with how you visualize the page. Change that and you're on to speed reading records!

Brett Easton Ellis is a writer, most likely known for American Psycho, which is overhyped to begin with and really, when you come down to it, no more gruesome than a number of books out there. But his publishing company got the controversy out there, he got famous, and now he we are. Rules of Attraction is probably his best book, but if you feel like slogging through the rest of his library, enjoy.

So it seems like we're getting back into blimps for air flight. I blame steampunk.

Wes Anderson has an idea for a James Bond movie. Why not? Wouldn't it be fine to take a tried and true series, such as James Bond, and then allow different directors to apply their vision. It would be a fascinating (albeit economic failure) to see what different auteurs would do with one character.

Get inside the mind of True Detective's Rusty Cohle. If you dare!

Enjoy this video of...reindeer herding?



Hannibal is back for season 2 - and boy did it start off with a bang (or slash, if you will). You should definitely be watching this show, dammit. Here's Bryan Fuller (creator) talking about what is in store for season 2.

Why visit Yosemite when you can watch a time-lapse of it here?