Links of Interest 11/17

I'm not bragging, I'm just stating...I used to love the Onion, but it hit a rough spot in the early 2000's (I'm not sure how that phrase is supposed to be written) and I got off it, never to return. What does that have to do with this monstrous profile on what goes on there? Nothing at all.

Apparently there's a secret Beatles track out there. And we may even get to hear it someday!

I'm always interested in learning what I should do in the event of a nuclear attack.

Tilt shift photography basically takes a normal looking shot and makes it look like a model. Need an example? Here are several.

Note to self: Do not wear bikini when meeting James Bond.

Links of Interest 10/14

No chance this "unbreakable" security ever gets cracked, right? It's almost begging every home-schooled computer teen genius to bust this thing wide open.

I'm a huge Jeff Mangum fan, so this news of a rare appearance by him in New York is pleasing. Seriously, if you haven't heard the album, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, seek it out.

Really? God? I know people like to be shocking to make their lists more polarizing, but this minimizes the other mass murderers listed. If that's possible.

Who knew sumo wrestling was so rife with scandal?

Vanity Fair makes a list of to 25 songs of all time. I think you might be surprised. They actually took into songs created before 1992 into account. In fact, there are no 90s songs on the list.

What would you do with a tiny black hole? Besides get rid of the dead hooker in your trunk.

Links of Interest 10/8

M. Night Shyamalan really has to come to grips with himself. It's possible a sequel to Unbreakable would have worked immediately after the original came out, but now...or years down the road? Diehard fans will enjoy it I'm sure, but I can't say it will be a box office smash.

This library looks nothing like the one down the street from me. Mine doesn't have bones of any kind.

It's good to keep tabs on the current trends in prisons. Just in case. You never know when someone is going to try to Richard Kimble you. Or you might possibly just really hate your neighbor, but in the haste of "taking care of him" a stray hair from your beard falls out of the neoprene suit you had on. Or, uh...something like that.

You mean to tell me a guy in an awesome question mark suit is not going to have the answers to my debt problems?

Who didn't fantasize about popping up out of the ground from a concealed and camoflaged foxhole with a machine gun to wipe out those commie bastards? Um, me neither. Still, why not enjoy an article about the movie Red Dawn?

Links of Interest 10/6

Including this link continues the Popcorn Trick's weird fascination with modern day piracy.

For no sane reason whatsoever, after reading this list of cities with an insanely high murder rate, a part of me wants to travel around to them to say I did. Unless I got murdered.

Good stuff to know if you're thinking of going to live off the grid. Because, you know, buying butter at the supermarket is definitely on the grid.

So wait, voicing an animated Indiana Jones is somehow reducing the character, but the fourth movie wasn't? And a fifth movie wouldn't?

I guess it's possible one of these religious ceremonies is the one true way a supreme being wants us to celebrate him/her/it. In the same way that it's possible I will win the lottery tonight without having purchased a ticket to do so.

I enjoyed the book Into Thin Air, so it makes sense I would enjoy a story about tragedy on K2 this year. (Note: not that I enjoy the act of tragedy, more that I enjoy stories about mountain climbing. Just to clear that up.)

Links of Interest 9/30

Being a pirate these days is a dangerous job.

Rock posters are amazing. Here's the best of the best. Even if you don't like the acts, you have to appreciate the art that goes into promoting the shows.

Back in middle school, we played an assassination game. Pretty sure I won at least once. One kid tried to take me out with a "letter bomb," disguised as a note from a girl dropped in my locker. Please, like I'm going to fall for that. Girls didn't talk to me in middle school. So now you have enough information to decide who is nerdier: me or the people in this article.

I like to make sure you readers are prepared for emergencies. So print out this no frills guide to landing a 747 and keep it on your person.

Are the Polish that much of a powerhouse that they are stealing American secrets?

Links of Interest 9/24

No real big surprise that we're constantly being brainwashed by the imagery around us, but at least now we can be aware of it. Though I doubt everyone wants to be aware of it. Complacency is the government's biggest weapon.

It's easy to say you hate Weird Al Yankovic. But it's not easy to actually hate the man. Read the article.

Jack Handey is an actual person. It's hard to believe but it's true. And occasionally he writes for the New York Times.

The Darien Gap seems like a place you might not want to be stuck. Personally, I think it sounds awesome. But I bet this National Geographic guy doesn't share my same thoughts.

What would you ask Alec Baldwin if given the chance to ask him 10 questions? My first one would be, "Alec, how'd you get to be so handsome?" and I'd go from there.

Links of Interest 9/18

Top 10 criminal organizations...it seems like this is just the top 10, and they're not ranked in any way. Maybe we should rank them. You telling me these organizations don't want the one spot? They'd take each other out clamoring for the top!

I had no idea the idea of these even existed, but now that I do, I'm thinking about naming my kid after them.

I really think Mystery is one of America's unsung heroes. For both genders. Everyone wins with Mystery's guide to picking up chicks. Guys get chicks and chicks don't have to be bothered by horrible pick up lines.

Gaping plot holes...like how did they get the flyers down in the Bellagio vault in Ocean's 11?

Links of Interest 9/16

Oh sure, the Hadron Collider might be good at defrosting a pizza, but do we really want to get into a war with our dimensional doppelgangers every time we get stoned and want some Elios?

I'll go to my grave defending Baywatch Nights. That it's on this list is reprehensible.

I thought this would be kinda obvious, but whatever - the stuff you put on the Internet can be used to track you down.

Who doesn't love tacos except for the stray lactose intolerant person? I don't know, but I never want to meet them (which is why I always carry a glass of milk around). Here's information I doubt you knew about the crunchy (or soft!) hand held delicacy.

Links of Interest 9/11

Years back, my friends and I contemplated a march madness style tournament for men we thought were awesome. There were two problems with this idea; 1. we couldn't limit ourselves to just 64 choices; and 2. we could never clearly define what "awesome" was. What does this have to do with an article about Chris Elliot? Absolutely nothing, other than we did agree he would be a #1 seed. (If this doesn't explain in a nutshell what you should expect from The Popcorn Trick, then I don't know what will).

I won't be as presumptuous as Discover magazine, I'll just say these are some pretty cool facts about the Earth.

Let's hope the trend of doomsdays passing with no doom continues.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy KFC Chicken, but I've also had better. Are there really companies out there willing to steal the recipe? If there are, I'd love to be hired. It would be much more morally acceptable than what I do now.

Rock stars can get away with so much. Ozzy bites a head off a dove, he's eccentric. I do it, I'm committed. It's just so unfair.

Links of Interest 9/5

Hey, I love Ghostbusters as much as the next guy. I even thought the second one was funny. It even spurred an awesome nickname of a friend's ex. But I'm not so sure news about a third is so good. As we saw with X-Files, sometimes if you wait too long, the audience doesn't simply lap it up.

Vermont wants to secede? I say, let 'em go!

Finally, a solution to the age old problem of what to do when you come across a dead whale carcass, that doesn't involve dynamite. (Quick aside - I'm sure you've seen the exploding whale video before, but it's worth watching again. The nuances of it are brilliant, including hearing the woman say, "Here come pieces." And when the reporter states that people were covered with "small particles of dead whale." Really, there's too much here to mention.

This online community outpouring of how to dispose of a dead body might deserve it's own post as well.

Ricky Gervais, ladies and gentlemen...Ricky Gervais.

Links of Interest 9/3

I love the Internet. Why? Because although I have no need for a list of products that are sold on Indian roads, I sure as shit find it interesting.

Now, just in case I get incredibly bored with my home life, I have a new project - a homemade roller coaster.

I've seen Oz, so I of course know exactly what Death Row is like, but for the people who haven't seen the HBO masterpiece, enjoy this article about what it's like to live on Death Row.

Bullfighting is fascinating. Even when you eliminate the argument that it's cruel to the bull, the pageantry that lives on in the sport seems so antiquated in these times. I pass no judgement since I've never witnessed one, but this article explains a lot about it.

Who knew the album cover of Houses of the Holy wasn't a painting?

Along the lines of bullfighting, exorcisms also seem antiquated. And yet apparently they're still performed. As an aside, maybe I should learn a little Latin, you know, just in case I'm somewhere without a priest and something goes down.

Links of Interest 8/29

Perusing this list of "Best seasons of televisions," I love that they included Murder One. A great show that I think was ahead of it's time. I bet it would definitely work in today's environment and would really work on a cable channel. I will say I'm not loving the inclusion of season 2 of the Wire. The first season was probably as close to perfect as you're going to get. And no love for John from Cincinnati?

I need to get a relationship with a butcher. Problem is, they seem to be a dying breed, at least near me. And I'm not going to shoot the shit with the guy at the Acme, regardless of his skill.

Who doesn't like the Dude? As in The Big Leboski Dude.

Time gets grimy and steps into the porn world by interviewing Ron Jeremy.

It's true, I loved MacGuyver. So I spent a decent amount of time with this list of problems he solved without the use of a gun. (Macguyver fans should get that.)

Links of Interest 8/21

Have a need to buy a corpse? Hey, I don't judge. At least I don't judge anyone that feels the need to buy a corpse. See what other strange items you can buy here.

I have hated Blockbuster since high school. I even wrote an essay on how the company encourages censorship (yes I realize it's not true censorship - call it social censorship). So, to see their CEO have (alleged) bewilderment as to why people like Netflix is very enjoyable to me.

Though not as exciting as it sounds once playing the video, apparently there's been a rumor that an extra exposes himself in the movie Teen Wolf. Judge for yourself.

As I went down the list of bizarre delicacies from around the world, I asked myself whether I would try it. I don't think I could do number 1 - at least not alive like they describe it.

Links of Interest 8/19

I've always loved Robert Wagner. And after reading a few details about him and Natalie Wood, I love him even more. He almost shot Warren Beatty!

Ok look. I realize that lists of no value other than to spark debate, and I also realize a website called TV Crunch is not the authority on much, but still, this list of the top 25 worst game shows is atrocious. Never mind that they included Legend of the Hidden Temple, a children's game show that is adored by many, but Supermarket Sweep? Are you kidding?

We here at The Popcorn Trick, love Michael Gross. If you've never seen this, or this then I don't know what to tell you. Regardless, this news will have our DVRs humming during the afternoon.

Want to read about why a woman might head into high class prostitution? Here you go. Though I don't think the author does a real good job of intertwining her experience into the article. A lot of sizzle, but not a lot of steak at the end.

A video of cliff diving that is just so much more than that. It might have inspired a new series here at the Popcorn Trick. I live its weirdness and non sequitors.

Links of Interest 8/6

It's truly amazing just how different Pakistan is to what Americans are used to. And not just from a consumption standpoint. Check out this video of a guy who travels and sees the weapons market over there.

While it's easy to understand why this isn't getting more attention, it's still more evidence that suggests the United States has done some pretty shady things in the past few years. If true of course. Still, it's amazing how much a a new election can take the focus away of the current administration.

I wonder what goes through people's heads sometimes. With the restrictions some industries face, others seemingly can get away with anything. Your examples are right here. Although, I have to disagree about the thongs. Aren't they good for any age?

I know there has been a lot of excitement for Tron 2 on the web, myself included. However, after watching this sneak preview, I'm now a little apprehensive. In the original, the light bikes only had the 90 degree turn ability. Here, they have a full range of motion. To me, that kinda of cheats the danger the light cycles had in the original, and therefore, while I'm sure still spectacular, play with a set of rules that isn't all that original, and therefore not as fun.

Apparently it's easier than ever to go on a coke binge in the US and Spain.

Links of Interest 7/25

Well this is certainly one direction to take the Robocop series.

Great evidence that, at the end of the day, too much alcohol simply makes up too stupid to live.

While I appreciate the FBI releasing information about myths like this, I'm not entirely sure they should be the be all end all voice when it comes to stuff they might want to keep secret in the first place.

I thought this video would be a lot more interesting. Still, watching Rush fail at playing one of their hits does hold a little curiosity.

Not good for you, but they definitely look awesome. And besides, what hamburger is good for you?

Links of Interest 7/23

Not that I feel I'm ever going to commit a crime worthy of prison, but I've seen The Fugitive enough to know that nothing is guaranteed when it comes to innocence. Therefore, I'm appreciative of this guide.

Sure, on paper it's wonderful to have R.E.M. do a guest stint on Sesame Street. But then it happens, and you subject millions of tykes to that which is the appearance of Michael Stipe. As an adult, it's easy to overlook his appearance and respect his talent; as a four year old, it's nothing more than seeing a nightmare personified.

Michael Caine sounds completely down to earth and completely insane all at the same time. And I love him for it!

In this age of instant gratification and jump cuts, we are quick to label. Take this essay about M. Night Shyalaman. Sure, I agree with a lot of the author's points, but that doesn't mean he has lost any talent, or didn't have any talent to begin with. I know we need labels so we can move on, but I'd rather judge him either on a movie by movie basis, or at the end of a long career. Apologies for the Andy Rooney moment.

I love me a good space conspiracy like this one!

Links of Interest 7/17

Though I'm not sure being compared to William Friedkin is such a bad thing, maybe M. Night should get a hold of things before starting his next movie.

Some movie quotes no one ever gets right.

Rock of Love 3? Sign me up! We'll definitely be on top of it here at The Popcorn Trick.

Stuff you can't see using Google.

Rogue NASA scientists creating their own rocket? Fantastic.

Links of Interest 7/7

Like music? Take a look at some of these websites.
So, there's been a lot of talk about this Dara Torres. Have you seen recent pictures of her? She makes other swimmers look positively doughy! Ripped beyond belief, this article goes into a little more detail about how she has been training for the Olympics.

I'm guessing that one of these things will eventually wipe us all out.

I love maps, so this blog will certainly be bookmarked.

Links of Interest 7/2

I've always been fascinated by ancient religious artifacts, so this story is cool to me. The discovery of something new, the interpretation of it, the arguments...and then we learn it's pretty much fiction. That's like saying in 1000 years, someone is going to be able to tell how we lived by reading a Stephen King novel. And yet there's so much intensity over all of this.

I love Buckaroo Bonzai, so this site selling related merchandise is awesome.

I've heard rumors that this project isn't going to delve too far into the popular conspiracies of the president, which would be a minor upset if you were gambling on it.

Every few years or so, someone trots out a cool "end of days" scenario for us to worry about. So far, we've been able to laugh them all off. Will the Mayan/2012 doomsday prophecy be the one to finally cash us all in?