Links of Interest 12/31

Yes, 2009 was the year of death. But I bet you don’t know just how much death.

Where have all the sea lions gone?

A list of some pretty dumb quotes from the past decade.

So you can be awesome at your New Year’s Eve party tonight.

January is simply a terrible time for new movie releases.

I don’t have high hopes for a Rockford Files remake.

I’ll admit it, I’m now frightened of Jennifer Lopez.

I have no problem with the number 1 cooking show on this list.

Ok, I’m willing to admit this is probably the most convoluted novel plot ever.

The best sports photography of 2009. (via Other Crap)

Links of Interest 12/30

The celebrity meltdowns of the year.

I assume everyone wants to know the top 20 beer pong teams in America?

There’s a lot more to ski jumps than you might think.

Music you probably haven’t heard of from 2009.

I have friends who just got an erection clicking on this link about a technology flea market like place on the streets of Japan.

Are we ready for Ghostbusters III? I mean really ready?

If you’d like to get deeper into knowing about social networks, check this out.

Columnist Dave Barry reviews 2009.

What will the music industry be like in 2010?

So, you’re the only doctor in an expedition to Antarctica. Suddenly, you start feeling feverish and have an intense pain in your stomach. What do you do? (via mental floss)

Links of Interest 12/29

His comedy might not be for everyone, but you have to admit, he’s had a long career. So someone must like him. Yes, I’m talking about Gallagher.

Video games that defined the decade.

I always enjoy these lists – 20 movies to anticipate in 2010.

More advertising agency holiday cards.

Vimeo selects their top 25 videos of 2009.

The best astronomy stories of 2009.

A look at some stuff you can buy on the streets of Bangkok.

So what exactly is the large Hadron Collider going to do for us, anyway?

If you’re looking for that perfect dessert, check these out.

Perhaps we should call this decade the “decade of the mistress?”

Links of Interest 12/28

Why do we celebrate New Years at midnight?

Like or hate the CEO of Whole Foods, you have to at least find him interesting.

This is a pretty good wrap up of the viral videos of the decade.

Stuff to get excited about in 2010.

Don’t think much can get done in a minute?

A history of Ms. Pacman you might not have known.

A detailed look at what went in to creating the special effects for District 9.

A 1966 profile on Frank Sinatra that changed the game in magazine writing.

A closer look at the world of Michael Cera.

The interesting man behind bars.

From the Big Picture – scenes from the snow.

Links of Interest 12/23

Interview with Ray Davies of The Kinks.

15 songs that deserve to be Christmas classics.

Duct tape can certainly make some nice clothes (careful – some of the images might not be work appropriate).

If you’ve lapsed in your holiday shopping, here are some things you can pick up on the way home.

I could think of a few others, but I’m not going to argue with this list of annoying people of 2009.

One day I will search my videotape archives and hopefully stumble across the sledding footage I have. Perhaps it isn’t as good as these, but it’s close.

Interview with David Simon (creator of The Wire).

The profitable business of taking hostages.

Don’t write off the independent record store off just yet.

If you like reading about food, this list will interest you.

Links of Interest 12/22

The best television of 2009.

…and then, more specifically, the best moments on television in 2009.

Ugh, the whole set up and announcer for this almost made me skip this, but I’m a sucker for messed up newscasts.

Even He-Man and She-ra celebrate Christmas.

If you believe in the power of aphrodisiacs, seek these out.

Speaking with Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien about the decade that was for Radiohead.

Anyone else like Tori Amos’ Little Earthquakes? If so, you’ll enjoy her talking about it, track by track.

Going deeper into Avatar: Watch this “documentary” on the life of Pandora – the planet from the movie.

Definitely a “smoke some pot and ponder this!” link.

Be careful with those Facebook updates – they could lead to bigger things.

Links of Interest 12/21

A closer look at sex addiction. Is it real or can we call it something else – like "being a guy?"

Snoop Dogg on Martha Stewart. This is becoming a tradition. Don’t ever suggest to me Martha Stewart isn’t one of the smartest people out there.

I know Brittany Murphy passed away this weekend, which is tragic, but the passing of Dan O’Bannon was more of a shock to me. Find out who he is here, and why you too should be sad.

Cool project photographing death row inmates’ last meals.

Everything is better when you enhance it. Thank god the police have this cutting edge technology or the streets would surely be Thunderdome with criminals running rampant.

Convincing a deathrow inmate not to die.

Always a favorite here, failed doomsday prophecies. Of course, all it takes is one…

“We’re the guys with the crossbows.” Anyone else immediately make a movie a must-see when they find out Willem DeFoe is in it?

Concussions in the NFL are a super controversial subject currently. (Apologies for the alliteration)

Biggest number contest? Can I just say “his number +1” and win? It always worked for black outs!

Links of Interest 12/18

2009 is so over. Here’s a list of music artists you should be checking out in 2010.

The physics of space battles.

Ad agencies make the best Christmas cards.

Think being a mascot is easy?

Sportswriter Dan LeBatard interviews Luther “Luke Skywalker” Campbell about his involvement with the University of Miami football team back in the late 80s/early 90s. This will always be one of my favorite bizarre stories. How a rapper can get such access to a collegiate sports program.

2010 is shaping up to be a (minorly) historic year.

William Shatner interviews are always fun.

A Sherlock Holmes expert takes on Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the icon. The biggest surprise of the article? That there’s a Sherlock Holmes expert.

Secret British sex clubs? Yay! In the late 18th and 19th century? Boo.

The LA Times takes the controversial stance that reality television is bad for society.

Links of Interest 12/17

Do people still watch The Simpsons?

Making Avatar.

Last year had the worst in film for the year. Today, the best.

Casting the right actor makes all the difference.

It’s hard for me to believe all these toys actually exist.

Much like the toys, I have a hard time believing these movie reviews on Comcast On Demand are real. (via @thecline)

Part 3 of the Year in Pictures from the Big Picture.

The slow earthquake of the Pacific Northwest.

What can you use Google Wave for? Well there are these 4 things.

If you need a website to tell you how to use bacon, well…here you go.

Links of Interest 12/16

The worst films of 2009.

The hottest “women” of Christmas movies. For some reason, the list seems a little lackluster.

While I’m no huge fan of Christmas movies, I have to assume there’s a more comprehensive list someone can put together, no?

And you thought I was lying yesterday about The Kids in the Hall being back!

It’s a question that’s plagued us for almost 30 years – how long could Luke survive stuffed inside a dead Tauntaun carcass?

I think I would live in all these. Except for the shoes. They seem lame.

Read all about the public access show the Beastie Boys debuted on – and see rare footage! So old it has Kate Schellenbach on drums, who would later leave and go onto help form Luscious Jackson. She also probably had the most talent of the 4 on the stage here.

Oh good, the super volcano underneath Yellowstone is bigger than first believed.

Part 2 of The Big Picture’s 2009 photo retrospective.

Awful holiday movies.

Alec Baldwin is not like other actors.

Links of Interest 12/15

Walking around Antarctica.

So what’s been going on with the Hadron Collider lately?

Dave Foley talks about some of his film work.

Because the man just doesn’t get enough credit sometimes. A collection of Steve Guttenberg videos.

You know, with the technology Nerf is coming out with for its shooting arsenal, it wouldn’t surprise me if we found out they had a government contract as a weapons’ supplier.

If you like sneakers…

Someone with a northern geographic location and a bunch of Legos did something cool.

Interview with Werner Herzog.

If you’re not a Genesis fan, just skip this.

The Big Picture has started it’s Year in Pictures feature. Here’s part 1.

Talking with the men currently leading the charge in Hollywood.

Links of Interest 12/14

How to ruin a music video.

The return of The Kids in the Hall.

Here’s something I had no idea ever existed: a leech farm.

Think we’re winning the war on racism? Think again.

Ten biggest movies of the decade (highest grossing). I think the one that bothers me the most is the Pirate one.

If this list of the top viral videos of 2009 tells us anything, it’s that teens like to pass around music videos. And vampires.

What do you do if you get invited to the Skywalker Ranch? Make a film about it of course! A fucking awesome film. Here the guy talks about the experience.

Constructing the city of San Francisco out of toothpicks takes longer than you think.

Awesome long tracking shots from movies. Although the Kill Bill one they have has a cut in it. Not that that makes it any less impressive, but I’d rather they mentioned it so instead of me getting mad and rewinding it a bunch of times to make sure I saw it, I could recognize it for it’s still impressive merit.

Chefs and drugs go together.

Links of Interest 12/11

Authors weigh in on their favorite books of the year.

Rolling Stone’s 100 best albums of the decade.

Though I’m sure not all of these are accurate, it’s interesting to see where bands get their names.

hmmm…this guy is a bad beatboxer, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen worse.

So…David Lynch was asked to direct Return of the Jedi?

Could you gamble away $127 million?

How do you find out something new on a subject that has been researched exhaustively?

Think fast food meat is bad? It’s got nothing on school cafeteria meat.

I guess maybe you might want to say goodbye to these companies.

With time lapse photography, the buckling of the Manhattan bridge seems scarier than it really is. I assume the bridge was designed to do exactly this. Right? Right? (via kottke)

Links of Interest 12/10

The decade according to 9-year-olds from allison louie-garcia on Vimeo.

Actors doing their own stunts.

Pictures in the waters of the Antarctic.

I’m guessing you’re not as excited about this as I am. And that’s a shame.

There were quite a few athlete sex scandals this year.

Possibly a repeat, but I love pun names for stores.

How will we remember this decade?

These things made sports better. You just might never have realized it.

Talking to Tim Burton.

So there was this weird thing in the skies of Norway. Weirder than the normal weird that shows up in the skies of Norway.

This is a weird lake. Or a lot of little weird lakes. Your choice.

Links of Interest 12/9

I would work at any of these places.

It all sounds so delicious.

Best of lists are starting to creep up. This one is for music.

Tracy Morgan is funny. Here are 8 examples that prove it.

This goes from being kinda “hey those people are kinda loopy,” to “um, these people are probably dangerous and I’m frightened.” And that’s just a trailer! (Of course, it all depends on your beliefs, so maybe I’m the crazy one.)

The best of the worst in advertising.

This is cool – a surfing competition that can only be held every so often because it’s based on the conditions. Oh and it happened possibly yesterday. And there’s something called Condition Black in Hawaii that stops all water activities. It’s fascinating. Also, if you get a chance, watch the surf video up above. You won’t get a true sense of how big the waves are until the helicopter shows up – and is dwarfed by the waves.

The 3 winning photos from the National Geographic Global photo contest.

A look back at the story that is Jon Gosselin.

There is a lot that has to happen to get the Olympic flame from Greece to its final destination (in this case, Vancouver).

Links of Interest 12/8

Apologies for no links yesterday. Real life crept into my fake one.

What is all the rage about Norwegian death metal?

Revisiting Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

Does an album’s cover art detract from the music?

The C.I.A. is a tricky bunch.

If it weren’t for NASA we wouldn’t have…well a lot of things.

I think my kids are gonna simply write Santa a letter this year instead of visiting him.

You think your grill at home is awesome. It is not.

If you’re on Lucas’ list, this is what your Christmas card from him will look like.

Looking for Christmas gift ideas? Maybe stay away from this stuff.

The top ten things found in space this past year.

Links of Interest 12/4

Sundaance 2010 is coming up – here’s a look at what’ll be there.

A slightly negative opinion on the hopeful Arrested Development movie.

Ever have the desire to sail around the world? This will probably help you out.

The largest picture of the Milky Way ever. I think I’d rather see the world’s largest Milky Way ever, but whatever.

Driving the empty highways, alone.

Sometimes movie lines can be made better when they’re edited. Ok maybe not. How about unintentionally funnier?

That Meryl Streep is a good actress.

Speaking to the head of Blackwater, a company that smartly recently changed it’s name. Perhaps unsmartly to Xe.

This is kind of crazy. Apparently Google did some research in the speed of online searches and realized a half second can make a lot of difference in user satisfaction. Via kottke)

Talking with Tom Waits.

Links of Interest 12/3

New Yorker picks the top movies of the decade.

Guy spends 100 days in Glacier National Park taking a photo a day in celebration of the 100 years it’s been around. I sit in my cubicle and weep. (I suggest you start at the bottom)

I’m not saying this list of Baldwin moments was lifted directly from mine that I did like a year ago. I’m saying perhaps “inspired” is a better word?

Prison inmates have nothing better to do, so why not set up frivolous lawsuits?

Not even prostitutes can hide from Google View.

Ok Go – the band that made that crazy treadmill video, is back with a new crazy video.

Chairman Mao’s underground city.

Who doesn’t like 80s video games?

Helping terrify your children. One person at a time.

Top 10 discoveries of 2009.

Links of Interest 12/2

I like Jesus! You like Jesus! We all like Jesus! Except for the atheists and a lot of other religions that don’t recognize him or even know who he is. Until they see him on a potato chip.

Coolest movie scenes from the past decade.

…and also the best “bad” movies of the decade.

Chatting with Cheryl Hines of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Here’s an attempt to determine who the most dominant athlete ever is/was.

Talking to directors about what directors may have had an influence on them.

Time lapes video of the Alps during the day, and then again at night. The right music just makes everything so much better.

Humorous (for writers especially) look at possible writing guidelines for submissions to a variety of magazines.

Operation Anaconda – a look at the fighting that happens in Afghanistan.

A look at some movie tough guys you might never have thought about were you to come up with this kind of list.

The Steven Tyler leaving Aerosmith story is just plain weird.

Links of Interest 12/1

Talking food and celebrating the CIA. Not that CIA.

When it comes to politics, there have always been fundamentalists, and crazy people, and stories like this. It’s just now, with the Internet, not only can more people hear about it, more people with like minded values can get together. Good or bad?

Trying to survive without supermarkets in the modern age. Obviously tough, but apparently doable.

Are these you favorite movie performances from the past decade?

LFTR PLLR, the band that Star Trek 3’ed The Hold Steady is reissuing it’s previously difficult to find catalog.

Office pranks!

World’s strongest beer has recently been brewed. I just linked for the beer’s name. Also for the brewers’ response when one of their other higher alcohol beer’s was allaegedly banned in Tokyo.

Tacos exploding in slow motion. There’s really nothing else to say.

Party crashers. In honor of that stupid couple that did it to the president. Can’t we just charge them for trespassing and not give them the media attention they did this for in the first place?

The real story of cracking the Enigma code. No, it did not involve Kate Winslet.