Cool Shit 2/14

This can't be good PR for Under Armour, although it sorta sounds like a weak excuse too. Hey Americans, maybe we're not the best at everything, specifically a sport that is traditionally dominated by other countries!

Looking to finally give up stealing music and have decided to start streaming? Here's a good breakdown of the services you can use.

Yesterday we looked at 5 gallon survival kits, but you're no survivalist if you don't have a bug out bag. And here's a good look at what that bag should carry, though it may be just a tad militia-y.

An all-Nic-Cage cast Expendables 4 directed by Spike Jonze? I'm pretty certain a kickstarted for that would reach its goal in minutes.

Evidence that this blog is not sponsored or owned by big oil (unlike some of the more major news outlets that don't seem to be covering this story) - the largest solar plant in the world has gone online!

David Fincher/Gillian Flynn project at HBO about conspiracies? Someone's been reading my dream journal again!

I liked House of Cards, but thought they went to far with the murder - I didn't think it was in step with what the character would do. But whatever, because it's back for Season 2 starting today. And here are 3 questions that we hope are answered within the new season.

Cool Shit 3/22

Greece paid a lot of money for the Olympics and now no one is using the venues.

When Lil' Wayne crosses over into stodgy, white America.

Here's a fun game to play on a lazy Friday...is it a picture from NASA or MOMA?

If you like Gary Oldman like I like Gary Oldman, you might enjoy this supercut of him losing his shit...

Gary Oldman Loses His Shit from Flavorwire on Vimeo.

Do you think these changes would have helped these movies? (Honestly, I don't think Superman II needs to be fixed).

Of course sometimes changes suggested for movies can easily ruin them, as suggested here (click on it just for the Steve Martin Passion of the Christ parody notes).

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.

Links of Interest 2/23

A book looks back at the riot grrrl.

Losing sleep not knowing who Jay Leno is going to open up his new old show with in the first week? Wonder no more.

But wait...will Shatner play the dad or the son?

Sometimes, outakes albums aren't just released because of contractual obligation. Sometimes, they're even good.

Some famous authors offer their 10 writing rules.

If you were an alien, and really interested in the Olympics, this would be your vantage point.

A look at the numbers behind creating the Academy Awards.

I don't understand the problem with Waldi. Who doesn't like rainbow daschunds?

The Proust questionnaire with Martin Scorsese.

I know you might not believe this, but apparently it was rather difficult to make Raging Bull.

You know those round brown things you occasionally get from people after buying things? Well, they're being redesigned!

Links of Interest 2/22

Talking about librarians. And not your stereotypical spinsters.

Real or fake ghost videos. Of course, nothing will top this video. For me it proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, ghosts exist. To entertain me.

Not all cookbooks have recipes you're gonna enjoy.

Crazy happenings at the Olympics.

Speaking of the Olympics, here are some cool images from Vancouver.

Forget about a car accident; you're probably going to die doing something stupid at home.

I had never heard of this. What a diabolical stupid plan.

Cool, interactive map of the size of the universe, in regards to you, and the smallest things in the universe. Getting high and viewing this will probably make your mind explode - or help you reach enlightenment. The risk is yours.

Find out how much that meeting your company is having is really costing them.

The Grateful Dead. Not just for hippies anymore.

Links of Interest 2/11

Apologies for lack of posts the past few days. I live on the east coast, or as I have now dubbed it Snowy Snow Snow Land. I have intermittently lost power and cable the past few days. And I was drunk/hungover for one of those days too.

A review of the first season of A Small Wonder.

There are 24 editions of Air Jordans!

Been wondering what Gilbert Gottfried has been up to recently?

Have a one dollar bill on you? Take a closer look at it.

Get ready for the Olympics (opening ceremonies are tonight!) by checking out some of the venues the competitions will be held in.

Sure, sometimes plastic surgery is nice. But sometimes it can go horribly wrong.

The best scenes in football movies.

China might not be a threat to go to conventional war with; but in cyberspace, all bets are off.

Better living through chemistry really can be considered a myth.

Customs agents never know what they're going to find.

Links of Interest 2/9

Gil Scott Heron returns. And we should all be happy about that.

Heroes is still on? I was honestly surprised when I heard that news. Here's an interview with the creator, Tim Kring.

I sometimes wonder how George Lucas feels about the fans' constant trashing of his movies. And then I remember that he's a billionaire and probably doesn't care. Regardless, here's a movie about the obsession people have with the man.

I'm not gonna lie; I wish I could spin a pen on my hand.

If you only have limited time, here are the must sees of the Vancouver Olympics.

First, I hate that Esquire unironically uses the term "man code" in this "guide" to wooing your loved one with music on Valentine's Day. But I will give him a thumbs not just for the Fela Kuti shout out, but also the recognition that Fela Kuti can be clothes-taking-off music. I've been shouting that for years.

However, he commits the ultimate sin by namechecking D'Angelo as the "go to" when all else fails, without even casually mentioning Marvin Gaye. To me, this is offensive. I'm guessing D'Angelo would suggest Marvin Gaye if he were asked. Save for Here, My Dear, you can't go wrong with Marvin Gaye playing in your bedroom.

I will say this article has given me the idea to come up with a nice little setlist for Valentine's Day. Look for it in the coming days.

Seriously, I bowed out when the author started talking about meeting yourself after walking through a time travel gate.

Inside the campaigns, strategies and history of Oscar nominations.

Sure, there's some science in this article, but really it's just cool to look at lightning in slow motion.

I had no idea these two were married.

Links of Interest 2/8

So what do the superbowl ads really say about us?

After reading that cheery dissertation, why not find out how this year's ads did?

And then check out the ten worst superbowl ads of all time.

Would Howard Stern make a good Simon?

New Orleans is still standing. Thankfully, it didn't join these cities.

In case you're in need of a Conan fix.

The book stunk. It read like a cliched movie. So I have no idea what the movie will look like.

Unlike the majority of America, I am excited for the Olympics. Why not check out some facts about them?

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).

2008 Links in Review Part V

Part V gives us Sesame Street, lots of high dives, drugs, cheating and more. Picture on the right? A shot showing the devastation Hurricane Ike unleashed on Texas, as well as the luckiest family on the planet.

Just because we're older doesn't mean we have to give up on Sesame Street, right? They still have some cool guests, as evidenced by this.

Why this guy doesn't go up a couple more feet to beat the high dive record is beyond me, unless he's at the Terminal Velocity point of high diving, in which case it's doubly as awesome. If that isn't the case, it's just plain awesome. As an aside, I used to work with a guy that moved on to high diving. It's crazy scary just watching - I can't imagine trying it.

Recently saw Cocaine Cowboys, a documentary on the cocaine trade in Miami, and how it basically ran through two pretty unassuming guys. Oh sure it got violent as the years went on...anyway, I can't wait to see the documentary about the Mexican drug trade in another 10 years or so. Cocaine Bandidos?

More links on the flip side...



Con men and cheating shouldn't be glamorous to me, but they are. I blame Hollywood. Check out this link to learn how to get ahead in life the sneaky way.

This is so completely random, yet so incredibly cool. If you click on nothing else, click here. It's got everything...unrealized love...a gorgeous soundtrack...a raq focus...and men in speedos.

The Olympics happened in 2008. For all the bellyaching people do about them, I'll never tire of them. Here are some pictures.

Bored? Looking for things that cement your sanity? You've come to the right place.

The Olympic Village. Otherwise known as Whoretown.

It's easy to say this article paints Alec Baldwin as insane. I'd argue it just makes him looks more human.

Dave Eggers. I liked his first book. Chris Elliot. I like everything he does. Enjoy them together.

You must travel through the Darien Gap to go from North to South America. Apparently, the trip isn't so easy. Anyone else have a strong hankering to check it out?

The Good...the Bad...the Beautiful #2

THE GOOD:



In honor of the Olympics, check out this race from 1964. After running about 6 miles, Mills comes out of nowhere to sprint past the leaders. I love the announcer going absolutely bonkers. Not being a racing aficionado, I can't truly appreciate how hard this accomplishment was, but I can imagine. It takes me back to Kaplan coming out of nowhere to beat Conrad during the 1976 BotNS, when everyone (including teammates) thought he had no chance.

THE BAD:



Wow. This was a terrible idea. I'm not sure what's worse - the act, the acting, or the concept. I dare you to last all 7:55. I can't believe people thought Arsenio Hall had a good late night talk show.

THE BEAUTIFUL:



Now that's a lot of surf. Do people live in these places? Could you imagine if you had to?

A few Olympic thoughts...

I know it’s rather trendy to bash the Olympics – particularly the Beijing Olympics. And while many critiques have merit (surprisingly I AM against human rights violations on a global level) people boycotting the games or calling for harsh penalties against the host country are missing the point. I was always taught (quite possibly naively) that the Olympics should be a time when politics were put aside for the moment, giving everyone a brief respite from global concerns to compete against one another on the athletic field (whatever that field may be) in a spirited manner. It is true the past competitions have not always lived up to this ideal, and it may be impossible to fully realize what the games were originally intended to do. But that doesn’t mean people can’t try to realize it.

Enough. It’s too big an issue for one person such as myself to clearly solve, and I am sure I am ignorant of a million points. I just want to say that the Olympics don’t always have to be viewed with a sarcastic, caustic tint. There are great things that come out of the competition, and that’s what I always look forward to every 2 years.

That said, it certainly won’t stop me from criticizing some of the stuff going on. Here are just a few random thoughts I’ve had watching the coverage the past few days, good, bad and indifferent…


Somehow, completely by mistake, I found myself awake on Sunday night around midnight to catch what might have been the most exciting race I’ve ever seen: the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay. Not knowing too much about swimming, I still realized what Jason Lezak did, shouldn’t have been possible. To come from that far back, in that short amount of space…well, who knew swimming could be that exciting. I’ll admit it, I even got choked up – but that’s not really a surprise – my weakness is when someone, anyone overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds.

Handball is my new favorite sport. I assume one of the main reasons it isn’t popular in the United States is because there just isn’t room for it – we already have indoor sporting events, why would we need another? That’s a shame because I love the strategy that goes behind Handball. The US didn’t even qualify which should be embarrassing, but somehow I don’t think anyone cares. Seriously though, I have to look into what it takes to qualify – I’m thinking I could lead a team at least to a bronze. I would outline my strategy, but why give opponents any help?

Does the “B” in CNBC stand for boxing? I think I’ve seen roughly 112 hours of the sport in the past 2 days.

I know this isn’t an original thought by any means, but the sports with judges (primarily gymnastics and diving) frustrate me. Watching synchronized diving the other night, I saw what I thought was a terrible attempt by the Chinese team – yet they scored fairly high marks. Next I saw the Russians perform what I thought to be a great dive, and the results were reversed. It leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. And I understand the host country bias, but if that’s the case, how is anything fair for all countries involved? I don’t even want to get into the gymnastics.

Beijing is a 12 hour time difference. Why isn’t NBC, showing all live events from 7 PM to midnight every night? Or at least dedicate a channel to live events? I’m not sure when the Olympics get started every morning, but there are a ton of channels the Olympics are on. Let’s push “To Catch a Predator” repeats off a few weeks and show me some live coverage. I don’t care what the event is. I know the gymnastics is the bread and butter of the coverage (and there are a lot of things psychologically wrong with that that I won’t get into) but there are people out there that enjoy competition for the sake of competition and will watch pistol shooting and fencing. Especially if they’re in a medal count competition with their friends.

I leave you with this. Not one, but two reports about eating penis! And one's a video! Look, I understand that the far east is kooky and weird, and their belief system is something we should mock and denounce, but should we really treat this stuff as news? And yes, I also understand it's funny when you say and write the word penis. If you're 12.

Links of Interest 8/12

Time to get sexy...or watch music people get sexy.

Want to keep up to date on the medals being won by individual countries? Check out this cool interactive map.

You know how you might stumble across a link promising something that sounds too good to be true? And then you click on it and it just lists a couple vague things you already know? Well this is not one of those. I won't promise it works, and I take no responsibility if you try, but at least there was something you can sink your teeth into here.

A nice little review of some cheap beers.

Most of the time Sesame Street gets it, and it's awesome. But when they don't, it's even more awesome.

Links of Interest 8/7

After checking out this list, I'll now keep my eyes open on my way to the post office, because you never know.

For all the problems and issues that people gripe about in the United States (and I'm not belittling them by any means), reading something like this puts things in perspective.

Don't have NBC (I'm not sure if that's even possible, but whatever)? Here's a handy guide about how to watch the Olympics online.

Once the no leg pushups came on, I knew this guy had skillz.

Links of Interest 8/4

On a very special Punky Brewster. How high and mighty must television networks feel that they needed to educate its audience with these "special" episodes of shows that were created so that America could forget their problems. That or actors really wanted to be nominated for Emmys.

I'm not ashamed; I love the Olympics. Not a huge fan of the professionals over there - or at least the professionals I don't know about. To me, professionals defeat the purpose of the spirit of the Olympics, which above all else is competition. To me, the professionals bring an element of jadedness, which soils the vibe. Regardless, here's a breakdown of 10 of the events that will be highlighted in less than a week.

Only included because if you are already a fan of The Popcorn Trick, you already know about Numbers Stations and how awesome they are. If not, you should subscribe to our podcast. It's over there on the right.

Probably the creepiest thing you will see all year. For fans of John Carpenter's The Thing, GI Joe, and having nightmares.

Who's the bigger ass here - Lucas or Spielberg?