FINALLY.



This so needed to be said. I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking it.



Louis Vuitton bags are just plain-ass ugly.



: : Speak Up > Seven Hundred F***ing Dollars : :

YAY!



A whole bunch of QRIO videos!



Only-Robots.com - QRIO!

Personalized M&Ms are back.



Shop M&M'S

"I'm a bit of a judo purist."

The funniest thing I've seen in quite awhile.
(Note: The film/sound loads quickly, so check your speaker volume.)

DOGJUDO

'Tis the season for ugly Crimbo decorations.



SantaWatch

There are no words...



Debbie The Glass Lady's Glass Gallery

Interesting.



From today's MarketingVOX news:



CBS will reportedly release surprising digital video recorder (DVR) research that shows that while DVR users fast forward through commercials, the very act of paying attention to what they're forwarding through vastly increases ad recall. Ads that were "skipped" were recalled at a 23 percent rate, higher than typical "viewed" commercials show. This may indirectly show what many ad buyers already suspect: that commercial pods tend to be ignored by viewers.

I can't decide if this is incredibly cool or the creepiest development ever.



Allerca | The Hypo-Allergenic Cat

We in the marketing business breathe a collected sigh of relief.



Fast-Food Chain Cancels 'Mr. Wendy'

For those not ready to quietly fade away.



Online apologies to the world from a sampling of non-Republicans.



Sorry Everybody -- How Can We Make It Up To You?

Okay, then.



Kelly Dobson: Blendie 2000

Weird and mesmerizing.



* MYSTERIOUS AL™ | STAMINA SINCE 1998 *

Good karma?

I don't think it's quite this easy to achieve good karma. (Do you "achieve" karma? hmmm...dunno.) Regardless, this is pretty cool.

The Buddha Project encourages people worldwide to participate by submitting photos of found Buddha, sacred Buddha, ancient Buddha, kitschy Buddha, handmade Buddha.

An archive of hundreds of Buddha images may well generate good karma for everyone involved, viewers and contributors, alike.

lens culture: buddha project

Cool.



Sorry I've been slacking. Too much work, not enough surfing... Anyway, I just ran across this online store. Great stuff.



New Products

The scariest thing I've seen in awhile.



For your sleeping and entertainment pleasure during a terrorist attack or a hurricane...



Quantum Sleeper

Punked by William Shatner?



Wow.



Guardian Unlimited Film | News

Weird, but, nonetheless, intriguing.



eBay | Godiva Truffle Celebrity Dinner Auction

Who knew?



When you need to wear a kilt, but you've GOT to have some pockets...



Utilikilts

Weird and mesmerizing



thanatos.net | death mask gallery

What kind of world do we live in



...where a bald Howie Mandel can ask $20,000 more in speaker fees than Al Franken, and $8000 more than Penn AND Teller? For shame.



Celebrity Speakers from Key Speakers Bureau, Inc.

"Subliminal dogvertising"



That's what AdRants calls this little beauty. Scroll down and check out the dogs outside the window in the second photo.



Pleasanton Real Estate

Keep up on all your celebrity death news.



This is the BEST. I signed up. So should you. (Link courtesy of my honey, db!)



celebritydeathbeeper.com

This looks interesting.



Might be worth actually sitting in a movie theatre rather than waiting for it to show up on PPV...



I Heart Huckabees

Why?



Expensive, weird furnishings. I wonder -- do you have to replace the goldfish every time you flush? That's just sick...



Nice product name, too.



UrbanPeel.com | Aquariass

Yay! Free donation for Breast Cancer Research.



3M, the maker of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, will donate $1 to City of Hope Cancer Center for each of the first 75,000 people who sign up to show that they are "sticking up for breast cancer." City of Hope is one of America's top fifty cancer hospitals according to U.S. News and World Report. The 3M donation will help further the groundbreaking research conducted by City of Hope.



Breast Cancer Awareness | World Largest Pink Ribbon

Spamusement!



If you say that in a French accent, it's even more amusing. But, I digress.



Spamusement: Poorly drawn cartoons inspired by actual spam subject lines.



(thanks for the tip, T!)



Spamusement!

I never knew there was such a thing as a ginger monkey.



Yet, despite my aversion to zoos, I might be tempted to see one. Especially a little fella like this one.



London Zoo Coupon

Geography for the impaired.



It won't make you any less geographically-impaired, but it will probably make you chuckle. (Thanks, T!)



ZEN-STYLE | Fool's World Map

Fantastic old ads.



(I'm afraid that #22 - "Fun in the sun" might give me nightmares, though. Where is she going? Is she screaming for help?)



EphemeraNow.com -- Retro Ads Index 1

Some things speak for themselves.



Eurobad '74

Very cool design blog.



For those of you (us) interested in this sort of thing...



RE. Design News & Weblog

Spiderman 2. In Lego.



Ace.

Lego | Spiderman 2

Can't people be left in peace?



Why? Why???



Discover Wizmark, the interactive urinal communicator, its advertising you can't help but look at. An idea so original, it has everyone talking.Wizmark is based on one unwritten rule of men's room etiquette; when using a urinal, never stare at the person next to you.Every male knows that when he is using a urinal, he can look anyway he wants, except left or right. Realizing this unwritten code, the appeal of this marketing concept to you as an advertiser is that it effectively assures your ad will attract the attention of, and be read by, the ever elusive targeted male audience you are constantly aiming for. Wizmark's

interactive capabilities will get results, providing the perfect guerilla marketing medium for men of all ages.



WIZMARK

Hmmm. Interesting.



A musical version of Monty Python & The Holy Grail? Sounded like a major wincing fremps fest until I read more about it. It also sounds like Tim Curry, David Hyde-Pierce and Hank Azaria will be in it. Might actually be kind of good...



Playbill News | Chicago to Eat Ham as Monty Python's Spamalot Debuts in December Before Broadway

An amusing divertissement



Click through 'em.



Dribbleglass.com | Billboards We'd Like To See

What richer-than-the-lord-himself B-list actresses want on their wedding days.



Your official guide.



Tiffany & Co. | Wedding & Gift Registry | Tori Spelling

You've gotta admire a band with so little ego.



Starbucks "Eye of the Tiger" commercial

You can't help but smile...



...looking at this "low-tech" site, made with pens.



I particularly like the section "new ways to make love." The description of simulated crasing in "how to make your own biro-web" is pretty ace, too.



Biro-Web

Truly weird.



How to turn a text message into graffiti.



Bikes Against Bush: I Love New York

Because this really is the biggest problem we have.



Thank heavens we've got this whole thing under control.



Subsequently, Howard Stern announced today that he's going to an all-music format. No, I'm not kidding.



Our priorities are seriously skewed.



FMQB: Senate Approves Indecency Fines Hike

What a sad statement that this advertising campaign even exists.



VA Department of Health Statutory Rape Site

Worth checking out just for the photo.



World's oldest chicken is in show biz

Two new Smoking Gun TV specials



I was a bit disappointed with the first Smoking Gun TV special, but I figure now they've probably worked out the print-to-tv bugs and will be a bit less self-conscious. I'll be watching...



The Smoking Gun: Smoking Gun TV

Nice sponsored links, dude.



Inappropriate matching with Google ads

From the Pantblog.



Jonerthun Gunderpants has outdone himself. I thought the zen, "Meek pants have no malice." posting from 6/14 was inspired, but he's wading in T.S. Eliot waters now... brill.



Ode to pants



Oh pants, you have served me well for so many years

From the day I brought you home wrapped in tissue paper

To the day the knees wore out and you became short pants

And transitioned yet again to work short pants

Helping my with my everyday chores, always at my side (front, back and the other side)



You have had so many lives, you are like a cat

We have been through so much you and I



Thank you for your dedication to my cause: to wear pants every day





Pantsblog.

The ultimate geek accessory.



Laptop bags with front flaps made from pieces of the 1990 Soyuz TM-8 Space mission landing parachute. (via veer.com)



Soyuz TM-8 Space Mission Series - Online Catalog

Possibly the worst target marketing I've ever received.



from my email today:



"Subject: congrats Bbutch, your mail order bride is ready!"

Cool.



Using a train's motion to create animated commercials...



Channelnewsasia.com

Why not?



The newest form of advertising by Night Agency

Truly lives up to the name.



There are more than enough bad album covers on the internet -- it's almost cliche now. But these are really, delightfully terrible.



Pork Tornado | 10 worst album covers of all time

I couldn't agree more.



Nice web site domain, too.



Avoid the Chicago ORDeal - Fly MKE

Yay!



Seinfeld, Superman have new adventure

Niiiice.



(via adrants.com)

Six Feet Under billboard

Okay. This is just weird.



Obviously a hoax, yet written so earnestly.

(via Geisha Asobi)



Giant human skeleton found in Saudi Arabia

My latest favorite read.



When I check a site every day, it must be doing something right. The Defamer is pretty new and god bless 'em for being the buzz. I love good celebrity and pop culture gossip.



Defamer.com

Oh, pleeeeeease.



If they're so compromising, why are they on a laptop computer at a friend's house? And, more importantly, what is wrong with these people???? Why do they insist on documenting their sexual liaisons anyway, if they're not planning on having them turn up on a web site?



"Moore is reportedly devastated at the possibility that the raunchy pictures - which were saved on a laptop computer taken from the Hollywood home of Kutcher's friend Adam Goldberg - will appear on the Internet and cause an even bigger sensation than Hilton's sex video."



Raunchy pics of Demi, Ashton reportedly stolen:

Ian Heidegger. Short Film Director.



:30 TV spots for the Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival. Brilliant. Trust me.



My favorite:

I Have An Idea



The others:

I Have An Idea - List

David Hasselhoff zen.



Overt and subtle.



knightrider impossibles



i am german

Sometimes commercials are just good.



Combining sly humor and incredibly realistic characters, Comcast addresses its reputation for poor customer support head on in this new flock of TV ads. The country's largest cable company wants the world to know that service isn't just improved, it's shockingly good. (AdAge.com)



Comcast

Designed for truly anal retentive types



I can guarantee I'd lose the key, and the whole thing would be useless. But it's funny anyway.



designboom.com | Design a Key

If this is true, the woman seriously needs therapy.



Apparently, engagement is the new dating.



J.Lo reportedly engaged to Marc Anthony

Ah, more poor spelling.



Perhaps if they'd spelled the final word correctly, the memo wouldn't have been posted for PUBLIC consumption.



INTERNALMEMOS.COM | Internet's largest collection of corporate memos and internal communication

I hope he does show up.



Not that I was a huge Andy Kaufman fan, but I think it would rock Hollywood if the guy actually showed up on Sunday.



Associated Press

May. 7, 2004 10:01 AM



WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Andy Kaufman had said if he were going to fake his own death, he would return 20 years later, to the day. That would be Sunday.



So, his pals have rented out the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood for that night in hopes he'll show up - along with paying fans, of course.

Even if Andy Kaufman doesn't show, there will be a night of comedy - with Rodney Dangerfield, Caroline Rhea, Bob Oedenkirk, Andy Dick, wrestler Jerry Lawler and Paul Rudd, who plays Phoebe's husband, Mike, on 'Friends,' and others.



Bob Zmuda as Tony Clifton provides the musical entertainment.

It's just so dang catchy.



And it's got Weebl's badger graphics. Fun!



badgerphone

Causing so much joy should almost be illegal.



I was going to blog a few gems from this week's b3ta.com newsletter, but it's so chumping chock-full of interweb brilliance that I couldn't even choose which ones to blog. They've outdone themselves.



If you don't trawl through their newsletter yourself, you're missing out on a hundred little slices of (geeky and sophomoric) paradise.



My favorite quote this week:

"Brian Blessed is like the living incarnation of bigness and shoutiness." (It's so true.)



B3TA NEWSLETTER : ISSUE 134

Great concept cafe. Cool web site.



Cereality Cereal Bar & Caf's concept is a kitchen-like setting, offering 33 brand-name cereals, 34 toppings and a selection of milks, including soy. Pajama-wearing "cereologists" prepare personalized combinations.



Cereality | web site



Article: Boulder partners create their own Cereality world

A plushy for programmers.



Killer Rabbit with Pointy Teeth

Open the pod bay doors, Hal.



This is so cool, it's frightening.



Be sure to watch one of the videos at the bottom of the screen to get the full eerie effect of jumping from physical to digital and back again...



Augmented Surfaces

These are cool.



Snow Globes!

Any movie with Iggy Pop and Tom Waits talking to each other will see my ten dollar admission.



Nevermind that it's a Jim Jarmusch movie. And that Steven Wright and Roberto Benigni are also in a vignette together.



Everything beyond Iggy and Tom is just icing.



Coffee and Cigarettes | Quicktime Trailers

You can live in a state your whole life and never know its treasures.



...'They don't know what to do -- the old people,' Sam says, returning with our caffeine. 'At funerals, you know.' So he came up with the idea of sending them down here -- to hang out with frolicking dead animals. Maybe human heaven will be just as much fun.



What do kids think of all this?, we ask. 'They love it!' Sam exclaims. 'Of course, kids...they don't like killing animals. I don't like killing animals.' Then how did all these dead animals end up here? 'Road kill,' Sam answers. 'And accidents.' Sam says that all the chipmunks came from local golf courses. 'Killed by golf balls.' "



Roadside America: Madison, WI | Sam Sanfillippo's Funeral Home Dioramas

The new Friendster?



Trendcentral.com | An art project/social experiment



Artist Andrew Van Hook's Urban Pioneer Project (UPP) is creating a place in history for modern city dwellers. The Web-based project is

essentially an archive of individuals' lives, complete with photos of

personal spaces, lists of refrigerator contents, and responses to a

series of questions that include 'Dream job' and 'Favorite restaurant,'

among many others. Urban Pioneers apply to join via the website and,

upon being accepted, are given a number and certificate and are then

expected to complete a profile that gives voyeurs a glimpse into their

lives. However, only other Urban Pioneers can view these slide

show-formatted profiles. Other perks to being a Pioneer include access

to Urban Pioneer parties, gallery openings, online content, and social

and professional networking opportunities.



While less selective networking sites, such as Friendster and MySpace, are growing to monster proportions, the application-necessary UPP illustrates the burgeoning demand for filtration, as well as a desire for online interaction that leads to in-person experiences. Van Hook does not want the project to grow infinitely and plans on putting a halt on the applicant pool when it gets too large.



While Van Hook first got the word out about the UPP through silhouette imaged stickers plastered all over New York City, the stickers are now making international appearances in cities such as Berlin, Buenos Aires, and London, and those in-the-know are signing up.



The Urban Pioneer Project

Elephants!



Plus some other fun ads.



Even if you don't speak the language, this delightful Spanish-language ad will have you humming about elephants all day. It is based on a much beloved Hispanic nursery rhyme about elephants dancing on a spider web. The spot's gag is a word play -- the driver misreads an invitation to a posh social affair as requiring 'elephant' clothes rather than 'elegant' clothes. No matter, he and his friends go into the ball floppy ears and all." (from adage.com)



FORD'S HISPANIC ELEPHANTS AD

From the mouth of Timmy



...one of my buds at work,



"Florida. Where the space shuttle was attacked by pirates."



Florida quarter

This makes me sad.



Don't get me wrong - I believe in free speech. And I believe Clear Channel is a very, very frightening media monster. But it seriously bums me out that Americans have taken this particular issue to heart and decided to take action. Isn't there a better 1st Amendment cause out there? (courtesy of adrants.com)



Clear Channel Suffers Huge Ratings Loss After Booting Howard Stern



Clear Channel is getting what it deserves - a mass exodus of listeners after pulling Howard Stern off the air. The numbers are staggering. Following Clear Channel's dropping of Stern from San Diego station KIOZ, for example, ratings plummeted from a number one position with and 8.9 rating 12+ to number 27 with a 0.7 rating. For specific demos, the losses were even more staggering. For men 18+, ratings went from a 12.7 to a 0.7. For men 18-34, ratings went from a 20.6 to a 0.8. For 25-54, ratings went from a 10.1 to a 1.0.

A movie tip from flavorpill.com



Before David Lynch was coddled with big budgets that didn't

serve his aesthetic, he might've fashioned something as

spiky and rarified as Guy Maddin's black-and-white,

eminently diverting dirge of a movie. Heiress Lady

Port-Huntly (Lynch alumna Isabella Rossellini), wobbling

atop glass prosthetic legs churning with beer (yes, beer),

announces a global contest in which the saddest music in the

world wins $25,000. Among the droves who flock to her home

base of wintry, Depression-era Winnipeg are weeping

mariachis, wailing bagpipers, an amnesiac siren with a

talking tapeworm, and a scapegrace Broadway producer,

Chester Kent, Port-Huntly's no-good ex. Complete with

sparkly snow and a rough-hewn flamboyance, The Saddest Music

in the World may be the most original movie released since

Being John Malkovich surprised us all. (LR)



IFCFilms.com > Saddest Music in the World

THE BOOTY DON'T STOP!



You have to love a magazine that sells music that they find on the street. Details from their catalog:



Ten booty songs found on a cassette tape in ypsilanti, michigan. after their publication in FOUND magazine, radio reporter jonathan menjivar traced "the ypsilanti all-starz" to their source- the booty-tastic mind of ypsi native tim schreiber.



this cd contains 21 booty-thumpin' tracks, plus 3 covers performed by the sweatpants, live in chicago at the FOUND magazine premiere party.





FOUND Magazine

Today's interesting fact



So, if someone else's touch can tickle us, why can't we tickle ourselves? Much of the explanation for this question is still unknown, but research has shown that the brain is trained to know what to feel when a person moves or performs any function. We aren't aware of a lot of the sensations generated by our movements. For example, you probably don't pay much attention to your vocal cords when you speak. For the same reason, we can't tickle ourselves. If we grab our sides in an attempt to tickle ourselves, our brain anticipates this contact from the hands and prepares itself for it. By taking away the feeling of unease and panic, the body no longer responds the same as it would if someone else were to tickle us.



Howstuffworks | Why can't you tickle yourself?

The dilemma of client/creative relationships.



Nicely summed up in a commercial.



iamjack.com | Creatives Everywhere

A thoroughly addictive, raging little squirrel.



So far my faves are "Small, Medium, Large" and "Free Your Mind."

(NOTE: Wear your headphones. A screaming foul-mouthed squirrel will probably not go over well with co-workers. Unless you work here at my company, of course.)



::iLL WiLL PreSS:: HOME OF NEUROTICALLY YOURS, 4Y-RECORDS & MORE.

Generate your own McDonald's banner.



Your chance to be scathing.



Design-Your-Own Banner!

What it's really like over there.



Found this on Daypop today -- I'm sure it's probably everywhere by now, but it's the first time I've seen it. Incredibly sad and terrifying and beautiful all at once. Dunno where these pix of Iraq came from, but they appear to be real photos from someone working/fighting over there. (NOTE: Not for the squeamish.)



Some Picture a friend brought back from Iraq

They're so real!



Um, no.



Some things are not always as they appear. Trading Places Walking Illusions are worn by one person, but the illusion makes it look two.



Trading Places Walking Illusions

Yay! Sharpeworld is back!



This is one of my fave blogs ever, but it seems to be up for a few months, then go on hiatus for years at a time. We'll see if it sticks around for awhile this time...



SharpeWorld

Another amazing technology leap - The Volvo YCC



A concept car, recently shown at the NY International Auto Show:



The YCC was designed by a team of eight female engineers and marketers with the female driver in mind. Drivers receive custom comfort through still-in-development Ergovision technology: the driver's body would be scanned at the dealership and the information stored on a key fob. When the key is entered into the ignition, the seats, pedals, steering wheel, mirrors and headrest (with space for a ponytail) would change accordingly. GPS, stereo, and mobile phone dialing are all voice activated. There are various storage compartments for everything from sunglasses to a laptop computer, and buyers can choose from eight varieties of colors and textures for the seat covers. The biggest perk? The YCC can parallel park itself. (text courtesy of trendcentral.com)



Your Concept Car | By Women for Modern People

I want Kaiju Big Battel to come to Milwaukee.



With superheroes like Unibouzo (Undersea Pickle) and Kung Fu Chicken Noodle and a cuppla fighting plantain brothers, I can't imagine not having a blast...



Kaiju Bideo Entertainment Television Action | Hello Unibouzu!

Bunnies singin'.



I think everyone but me saw this over the Easter holidays. I kept hearing about it. It lived up to its word-of-mouth buzz. Yay! They're singin'! (thanks, VonH!)



Toys R Us | Bunnies

I can't wait to see this.



19x19. 4 stories. I love it.



Couple building 19-by-19-foot home

Politics for skimmers.



A nice little satiric, annotated version of Bush's press conference.



Q: Richard Clarke apologized to the nation. Do Americans deserve an apology from you?



A: If only they had told me '9/11, NYC, WTC, 8:30am' I would have been there. Its Osama's fault, not mine.



criticalviewer: A Busy Person's Guide to the Bush Press Conference

A truly excellent office prank.



More Peeps Than You Can Shake a Stick At

Feel good about yourself.



Take a quiz that you just can't screw up. Feel like a king.



As the fine folks at b3ta.com said in their newsletter intro for it, "We didn't want to like this [...] But it's so stupid that we couldn't help but laugh."



Post box or cheese?. Possibly the hardest test in the world!

It's just so...so...um...wrong.



Shari Borkin, Artist & Sculptor | Giant Hamburger

Cool. And sad.



Not that I ever really expected to hitch a ride on the Concorde. But it's sad to see it all dismantled and know that now I really, REALLY never will.



Makes me want to bid on the seats...not that I could afford those either...



British Airways Concorde Enthusiasts' Auction | 150,000 Pieces of Concorde Memorabilia

Just one word...



Yay!



FTC Adopts Rule That Requires Notice That Spam Contains Sexually Explicit Material

Make the chicken moonwalk



...or almost anything else you want it to do. Really, really bizarre. I suppose it beats flipping burgers.(Thanks, VonH!)



Subservient Chicken

The Passion of The Jesusbunny.



I simply don't know how to respond to this except, perhaps, to say that people are idiots. On so many, many levels.



Church re-enacts cruxification using Easter Bunny

I never thought I'd WANT an alpaca



...but after tripping over this site on a design "best of" site, I think I want my own alpaca. They make them look so fun and lovely.



Stewart Alpacas | Breeders of Peruvian suri alpacas

My own public service announcement.



It's not funny -- just something helpful. In the spirit of Easter holiday -- recipes for leftover hard-boiled eggs.



EPICURIOUS: HARD-BOILED EGGS RECIPES

I love weird design.



Most people have seen the "Kisses" urinal that Virgin Airways recently dropped from its JFK airport Clubhouse plans. Here's the site for the company that created 'em. I'm not crazy about the open-mouthed urinal, but I think their hammock tub is pretty fab.



Welcome to Bathroom Mania!

No explanation necessary.

The Joy of Tech | Archives

Lincolnzilla!



Lincoln Monument Proposed in Illinois Town

A really, really lovely illustration blog.



Everyday Matters



I particularly like this little F train map:

NYT | F train

I don't think this will ever be as popular as a phone box.



But you never know...



Iso-phone

If I had a Palm



I'd be downloading books for days from this site. SO cool.



manybooks.net - Categories

This is probably blogged everywhere



...but I've been a little out of it lately. So this is a new delight to me.



The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman

Can I get a pair of spats with these?



Did YOU know that people still wear monocles? I had no idea...



eyeglasses.com | monocle eyeglasses

Ah, those wacky Brits.



They're just all over the news today.



Deep-Fried Chocolate Sandwich Sells Like Hotcakes



Fresh Corpse Wanted for Starring Role

I'll just call this an "Everyday Heroes" segment.



Just when I grow to hate people, I read stuff like this and have to give 'em another chance.

Two interesting stories from azcentral.com's "The Buzz":



Man uses truck to stop car with unconscious driver



Bottled-water deliveryman rescues man on fire

I usually veer from politics



...but it's becoming clear to me that I do NOT trust either of our major contenders for president. Sure, the article is a little overdramatic (it is the New York Post, after all), but, if true, it shows Kerry is a lying, boastful, ineffective leader. In short, a perfect replacement for what we already have. Yay.





THE WARNING KERRY IGNORED

by PAUL SPERRY

------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 15, 2004 -- SEN. John Kerry boasts how he "sounded the alarm on terrorism years before 9/ 11," referring to his 1997 book "The New War." Too bad he didn't blast it when it really counted - four months before the hijackings, when he was hand-delivered evidence of serious security breaches at Logan International Airport, with specific warnings that terrorists could exploit them.



[...]Rewind to May 6, 2001. That night, a Boston TV station (Fox-25) aired reporter Deborah Sherman's story on an undercover investigation at Logan that Sullivan and another retired agent helped set up. In nine of 10 tries, a crew got knives and other weapons through security checkpoints - including the very ones the 9/11 hijackers would later exploit.



The next day, Sullivan fired off a two-page letter to Kerry highlighting the systemic failures.



"With the concept of jihad, do you think it would be difficult for a determined terrorist to get on a plane and destroy himself and all other passengers?" he warned. "Think what the result would be of a coordinated attack which took down several domestic flights on the same day. With our current screening, this is more than possible. It is almost likely." The toll from such an attack would be economic, as well as human, he predicted with chilling accuracy.



Sullivan followed up by having the undercover videotape hand-delivered to Kerry's office.



New York Post Online | The Warning That Kerry Ignored

Scary & cool all at once.



Yahoo! News | NASA hears words not yet spoken

Some things are just fun for no logical reason.



The Semaphore Ninja

Science amazes me.



It really does.

optics.org | Concrete casts new light in dull rooms (March 2004)

Starting this week, burn a CD at Starbucks.



Strange. But intriguing.



Here's a deal: Sip on a mocha latte while using headphones to listen to any of 250,000 songs you call up on a computer. Then order the ones you like -- burned on your own CD -- to go. Who's the dealer? Starbucks.



On Mar. 16, the Seattle coffee giant unveiled an in-store music service allowing customers to do just that [...] The first musical Starbucks opens in Santa Monica, Calif., and the service will expand into 2,500 stores over the next two years. 'This is not a test,' says Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz. 'We're going for it.' "



BW Online | March 16, 2004 | Starbucks Tunes In to Digital Music:

FINALLY. A video game I'm good at.



I may have no hand/eye coordination at all, but I can type like a mofo. So this game is perfect for me. Just type the letter that comes across the top of the screen, and you'll blow it up. The longer you play, the more letters there are and the faster they start flying by... (thanks to the always fabulous WebZen for the tip!)



hannu.daug.net | The Typing Game

That damned virus that's going around.



I was wondering about this. I've gotten it four times now. Luckily, the password in the email tipped me off that this was a virus.



New computer worms use password trick

Password-protected attachments are the latest tactic virus writers are using to trick unsuspecting users into spreading computer worms.



New Scientist

The beauty of Craig's List



...is that it makes absolutely no sense. It's far exceeded the simple objectives of classified or personal ads. It's become a bizarre, poorly formatted salon for people to dump their daily trials and tribulations. And thank heavens for that. (1000s to b-rock for the tip.)



Best of Craig | Why I Think My Cat Is On Acid

Lovely.



For L&O addicts everywhere.



BenSinclair.com | Random Law and Order Plot Generator

My kind of gym.



Now if I could just get someone else to lift weights for me.

(props to goodexperience.com's "this is broken")



24 Hour Fitness

My fabulous friend & long-distance roommate, T



...has just updated her website. SO fab. Check it out. Then envy me my incredibly talented, multilingual Swissmiss friend. :)



projekt 2 | tina roth | swiss graphic designer gone NYC

A few great stories from The Smoking Gun



MARCH 3 -- At age 62, you should know better than to root through the lettuce in the salad bar at your Florida old age home. But that's what Spring Haven Retirement Community resident Lee Thoss did last Sunday afternoon, triggering a brawl that sent three residents--including Thoss's octogenarian mother--to the hospital. According to the below Winter Haven Police Department report, Thoss went ballistic after William Hocker, 86, told him to stop 'playing' with the lettuce--and then called the younger man a 'child molester.' Thoss allegedly responded by punching Hocker in the face and biting the arm of a 78-year-old male resident who tried to break up the fight. Also injured in the melee was Thoss's mom, Arlene. In defense of her son, Arlene told cops that he was simply picky when it came to his choice of greens. In the end, the pensioners each declined to press charges, though the younger Thoss has been bounced from the retirement home.

Smoking Gun | Police report



MARCH 4--As college final exams go, the test Jim Harrick Jr. once gave in his University of Georgia physical education class was a piece of cake...

Try your hand at the University of Georgia final exam

Speling and grammer are importint.



For those of us who care about this sort of thing, this warms the heart.



Judge reduces lawyer's fees because of typos

Sometimes little inventions are cool, too.



This is so simple, yet such a perfect little invention. I bet it's going to be everywhere soon...



The Science Site | ripeSense

No, I'm not a fan of taxidermy.



But there's something fascinating about looking through the pictures on this company's stock list. Puts you in the mind of colonial big game hunting and the days when people talked about "Indjya." (via memepool.com)



The Victorian Taxidermy Company Limited – Lion

Who knew?



God Hates Shrimp

There are simply no words...



Rejected job applicant soils diaper pants

Wow.



I'm going to bookmark this. I suspect it may come in handy some day if the web design business tanks again.



Marylen Costumes

What to get your favorite bike geek for Christmas.



Turn your bike into a joystick...



GameBike

I love these kinds of art projects



Simple. Provocative. Lovely. Click on the photo to proceed to the next photo.



Interaction



Check out some of his other projects here:

Other projects

You've gotta love the concept.



Since this guy can't afford a Tempur-Pedic bed, and the stingy Tempur-Pedic folks will only give him one sample of Tempur-Pedic foam, he's asking kind souls to request foam samples and send 'em to him. He's going to create his own "ghetto Tempur-Pedic® bed." And when he's done with that, he's going to make "Fancy Memory Foam Mouse Beds."



Uncoolcentral.com - Tempur-Pedic

Okay. Call me paranoid.



But this just CAN'T be good for you.



Block your ears to hear better on Japan's new bone phone

Yaaaaaaaay!



They're EXACTLY like I pictured 'em!

Bradley, you ROCK for finding this.



Qrio in action

(Note: It's a movie, and it has sound. But it's worth every second of download time.)



And a few more Qrio links:

Another Qrio movie (bad elephant!)

Pix of Qrios on a Japanese train

Today's "People Are Just Weird" Award goes to...



Chessboxing.



11 rounds. 4 minutes of chess. 2 minutes of boxing.



I'll wait for "Punctuation Hopskotch" myself.



World Chess Boxing Organization

This is just f---ing scary.



Man. The internet is definitely a haven for scary freaks. Sure, maybe he's not a cannibal, but wanting to choose the mates of his future children is pretty damned frightening.



fphomepage



My advice: Scan the text before you look at the pictures. See if the guy lives up to your expectations.

For fans of Red Meat comics.



This rocks. Now I just have to think of something clever to say...



Build Your Own Meat

Thank you, Steelbuddha. You're ace!



I nabbed this link off Steelbuddha's blog. This cover letter site, along with my Chinese dinner leftovers, have made my day chock full of wonderfulness.



Overqualified

A Valentine for Jonerthun.



FYI - this site has some of the funniest twisted valentines I've seen:



We love you, yes you.

Sad news.



CNN.com - Baby born with two heads dies after surgery - Feb. 7, 2004

Yay!



The baby made it through the operation. At first I was mesmerized by this story because it was so bizarre. But over the past few days, I've been pulling for the little one. Here's hoping everything turns out well.



Stunning what doctors can do these days.



Reuters | Doctors Remove Second Head from Dominican Baby

Art? Maybe. But they're incredibly cool.



This is a link from my weekly PrintCritic newsletter. It's from a recent fine art exhibit of Neil Powell, a designer, formerly at Fallon's Duffy Design. I love the illustration style. (Though the first one is a bit too reminiscent of the whole Vanishing Twin thing.) Anyway, these are acrylics on wood or mixed media on canvas. Enjoy.



(Note: You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader to see the link, since it's a PDF.)



Neil Powell Art

Oh, my heavens.



Chris, if you thought the vanishing twin story was disturbing, this is going to blow your mind.



Baby born with 2nd head slated for surgery



WARNING: There IS a picture, and you'll see it as soon as you click on the link above. So if you don't want to see a baby with two heads, don't click the link. Just move along and get on with your day. Have a cup of tea or something instead. Thank you.

This one's for you, czelticgirl.



TV Guide Contest

I'm only surprised that it didn't happen sooner.



CNN.com | Engineering geek names son Version 2.0

I THOUGHT that's what I saw!



And I don't buy that it was a "costume malfunction."



Janet Jackson's breast exposed during halftime show

Quite interesting.



I love my "Doors of Perception" newsletter. This time 'round they included this little nugget:



CYBERHYPOCHONDRIA

The Database of Adverse Events Related to the Internet (DAERI) is less shocking than we had hoped. It's an online form for the collection of case descriptions of patients who have been harmed, psychologically or physically, by misinformation on the Internet -- but the results are not yet online. We did learn for the first time about "cyberhypochondria" -- a conditon afflicting patients who consult their physicians recurrently or needlessly due to Internet-searches. We defintely have it.



DAERI - Database for Adverse Events Related to the Internet

Ugh. This man is SUCH a putz.



A perfect example of, "Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."



Ananova | Hasselhoff claims he had hand in Berlin Wall falling

Weebl rocks.



So when I got this link in my b3ta.com newsletter today, I clicked immediately. I was thrilled. (WARNING: The sound starts almost immediately with a fast connection, so take necessary precautions.)



>>Come to Kenya <<

Weebl's talent has been growing like a marrow. Now we reap the bounteous harvest. These little lions and tigers are the best you'll ever see and the jingle is insanely catchy. We only hope the Kenyan Tourist Board is paying attention. Jonti says he'll swap all rights for two zebras. He's pregnant and needs the meat.



weebls stuff | kenya

Today's lesson.



If you're going to eat someone, make sure they consent. Then it's only manslaughter, not murder.



Eww.



AZCentral.com | Internet cannibal gets 8 years in prison

Happy birthday, Mac.



Apple | 20 Years of Macintosh 1984-2004

If I was a boy, I'd buy one.



Well, maybe not. Maybe I would if they were more attractive. But I like the concept...



UncommonGoods | Wordplay ties

I feel better knowing they weren't ripped off.



I finally checked to see if Aardman Animation (who produced the Wallace & Gromit animated shorts) created the Serta sheep, or if Serta just knocked off Shaun the Sheep from W&G's "A Close Shave." I'm happy to report the Serta Sheep are by Aardman Animation.



Serta promotes sheepless nights





Bizarre casting calls.



While looking around for the above information, I found this casting call notice.

(My favorite part -- "The Serta Sheep is not able to hold babies or to talk.")



BAAH-DY GUARD SPOKESMODEL or SERTA SHEEP COSTUME CHARACTER



Seeking 1 Serta Sheep character and Bodyguard to represent Serta Mattresses. [...] Don't worry, you won't be on all fours. This is a standing costume, but you WILL be dressed as a sheep, with a large sheep's costume head over your own.



"The Baah-dy Guard" Spokesmodel:

Must have height in proportion to weight, must have toned physique and attractive look, good speaking voice and ability to appropriately improvise. Create a fun and exciting time for the people at the event. Must be enthusiastic, center of attention type person. Escort Serta Sheep to and from breaks and ensure he/she is safe. Use Fun Facts to gain attention and promote product awareness. Take as many pictures as possible. Stay with the character at all times. Answer questions for the character since the sheep cannot talk. Role requires HIGH ENERGY and very outgoing, customer service oriented personality. CANNOT BE SHY!!



"Serta Sheep" Character Responsibilities :

Performance is important. The more interactive the better. Keep the consumers happy. The Serta Sheep is not able to hold babies or to talk. Keep moving, dancing, and play with everyone. Interact with the people as they walk by. Encourage interaction and fun. Motion them to have their picture taken with you. Stay with the Bodyguard at all times Role requires HIGH ENERGY, must be able to 'work the costume.'



I am now completely addicted to reading these casting call notices. My question is -- how desperate would you have to be to audition for THIS?:



Resort ad shown of a tropical setting, on a beach next to the resort in background, needs any ordinary woman shown with a male we have, as she is in a mini-string thong, laying on top of him. Pay is 385.00 for day. Your appearing very into this thin, Italian male with mik jagger looks as he is late 30's. If your into wearing the smallest string thing and very exposed, submit your photo. Looking for gals other than models, nor any actresses please. Only ordinary gals brunettes or near darker, of any other field whom would enjoy showing figure in this ad campaign. No tans, needed as body make-up will be added. Hair, make-up and meals, provided. Starts in March of this year. Shooting in Los Angeles for the inserts, then location to the islands for! 4 days. Everything is provided. Your height is open, even very petite is fine. Bust line is smaller or less than average is good. If you have considered appearing in men's entertainment magazines, to show yourself then this is good for you. If not, don't submit. This ad will become a mural for city buildings, billboards and also magazines as its a summer ad for this year with changes per seasonal usage then after. Send your height/weight, and age. Plus, in text why you want to work in this ad. Selecting from best emails besides the photo. Seeking more than one, woman. Your weight is average. Not looking for anyone perfect or skinny/skinny. Must send a photo, to; displaymodels@excite.com attn-Dona. Send why you are sending in email. Must live in Los Angeles to apply.



Links:

SPOKESMODEL or COSTUME CHARACTER for $$$

employnow.com | Casting Call

Cool.



Make a map of the states or countries you've visited. Here's my US map. I suppose I should eventually get to that middle bit, shouldn't I?






create your own visited states map

Simple pleasures.



A nice site to visit if you need a lift.



simple.

This makes me happy.



I'm hoping that pretty soon they'll find that eating lots carbs AND fat makes you lose weight. Then I'm gonna be REALLY happy.



Reuters | Revenge of the High - Carb Diet - Ha! It Works, Too

Sometimes you just have to appreciate a low tech solution.



Who needs concealed weapons when you have pastry?

Reuters | Thief gets bread stick instead of dough

Next time you're intrigued by a song from a commercial...



...or just can't figure out what that damn song is in the background of the latest car ad, check this site:



Music from TV Commercials

Possibly the greatest list of contests in the world.



Wow. All legit with great prizes. Excellent. Of course, I never win anything, but I still try...



1-WORLD TRAVEL SWEEPSTAKES & CONTESTS

More interesting time wasters.



New Scientist: The Last Word Science Questions and Answers

Interesting time wasters.



From Flavorpill LA -- it's kinda like a real life Best In Show:



Judy Fiskin's hilarious and slightly damning video documentary 50 Ways to Set the Table chronicles the critical insights of the judges at the LA County Fair's annual -- and deadly serious -- table-setting competition. Kitschy and entertaining as stand-alone cinema (as evidenced by a recent Best in Festival Prize from the 2003 Berkeley Film & Video Festival), the work also forms a tidy allegory for the oft-suspect endeavor of fine art criticism, itself criticized for proffering value judgments based on arbitrary and insular criteria. All in good fun, of course.



Judy Fiskin | 50 Ways to Set the Table



While you're there, check out her other films. 'Specially the one with the cat. (How do you teach a cat to do that?)



Judy Fiskin | Other videos

If I had kids



...I'm pretty sure they'd be sitting at the kitchen table (which I also don't have), going to town on this one tonight. (via memepool.com)



Law & Order: An Adventure to Color

Interesting travel tip from Fodors.com.



This next tip is most useful when you are booking a last-minute airline ticket. Many booking sites offer package deals or last-minute deals that pair a hotel room or a rental car (or both) with a flight, sometimes at an unbelievable discount. Last month, the best Web deal to be had on three days notice for a ticket from New York City to Orlando was $340 round-trip.



But package deal at Expedia offered the same itinerary with a rental car for $260 -- a savings of 25 percent just for taking a rental car! Also, the return flight on the package deal was a nonstop flight, making that deal all the sweeter.



Fodors.com > Features > Smart Travel Tips > Meet The Tipster: "

I like Mr. Fortune Cookie Fortune Writer.



Bud Light Real American Heroes & Real Men of Genius

Ummm. Yeah.



I wish to god anyone gullible enough to spend $1,500 on this would just send ME the money. I'd be happy to send 'em some hair from, oh, George Washington. Or Kurt Cobain. Or Marilyn Monroe. Yeah, I think I have some of that in my brush at home...



"THIS LOCK OF BLOODIED HAIR WAS CUT CUT TO ACCESS THE FATAL BULLET'S ENTRY, WHERE UPON SURGEON DR. CHARLES SABIN TAFT ATTEMPTED TO NORMALIZED LINCOLN'S LAST BREATHS. "



HistoricalHair.Com | PRESIDENTIAL HAIR:

Surprise.



Before I'd even blogged the Bush advertisement below, CBS rejected it, citing a policy of rejecting advocacy ads. Can't say that's much of a shocker...



Zap2it TV news | CBS Shuns PETA, MoveOn Super Bowl Ads

Wow.



My buddy Joel just sent me this link. An organization called MoveOn.org is raising funds to get this played during the Superbowl. If they make their goal, it'll be interesting to see the media's reaction to it.



Be sure to check out the other films while you're there...they're worth the download time.



Bush in 30 Seconds

Quintessential time waster.

Pholph's Scrabble Generator My Scrabble© Score is: 21. What is your score? Get it here.

These are REALLY cool.



TOP 10 Fullscreen 2003 QTVR from panoramas.dk

And, looky here!



The Pantsblog is back up and running, too! Gotta adjust my template AGAIN...but it's well worth it.



Pantsblog.

That's the ticket, bud.



Wannabe Giant has finally emerged from his holiday slumber. (Seems he's a leeeetle grumpy from the long nap.) Welcome back, WG. You're back on my dumb blog-list, grumpy grumpmeister, whether you like it or not.



Wannabe Giant

A prank??? What a surprise...



Though I do think it's a novel approach to budget balancing and should be taken under advisement.



Auctioning off West Virginia just a joke

I particularly like "Collapse a Currency Day."



This Book Will Change Your Life: 365 Daily Instructions for Hysterical Living

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water



...you now run the risk of getting hit by a car. Be sure to look both ways when swimming.



Gibbs Aquada | Homepage

Wow.



If/when I ever get to Paris, I'm using this company to find myself some Parisian digs. For about $100/day, you can get a great apartment in a fab neighborhood. Amazing.



Provence West Ltd | Vacation Home Rentals

Some things speak for themselves.



Eyesore of the Month



I like that, in August, the author just completely lost his cool...



Eyesore of the Month | Previous

If this is true, why can't I find a single other news source to verify it?



AND if it's true, why is it in the "Odd News" section of the CNN site? AND if it's true, why isn't Bush apologizing profusely for accidentally bombing one of the few allies we seem to have left?



I can only shake my head in embarrassment.



US jet accidentally drops unarmed bomb in Britain

Progress! (Kind of.)



Thanks to Czelticgirl, I now have a lovely new template. (yay!) Now I have to figure out how to make my archive work. (boo!)



And I'm only going to post links to bloggers who keep up their blogs. Not that I'm necessarily accusing anyone of blog-slacking, B-Rad or Jonerthun...

Dreamtoons.



This guy draws strangely funny and fascinating cartoons about other people's dreams. Be sure to check out the archive. (A lot of people seem to have overt or subtle cheese issues.)



Slow Wave

Ummmm.....okay.



Not to make fun of someone else's faith, but there's something unsettling about this bizarre Christian anime. (via memepool.com)



Yerf :: Elizabeth Dodrill (Springkitty)

2004 Wacky Warning Labels winners.





2004: M-LAW's Wacky Warning Labels





Past winners: M-LAW's Wacky Warning Labels



("Do not eat toner" is my favorite.)

Well, this bites.



I thought, "New year. New blog template." Well, then I discovered that, unlike the good old days, when Blogger had a squillion templates, apparently they only have a few now. I just thought they must be somewhere else on the site. Dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb. So I tried this template out, only to discover that there AREN'T a squillion templates anymore. And my sidebar links are now jacked. Damn.



Oh, well. Maybe I'll have time to fix this in the near future. And maybe Blogger will offer more templates before I get well and truly sick of this one.

Are all Chilean artists this f***ed up?



Artist turns animals into everyday objects



Dwarf to live in glass box for art exhibition

Hmm.



There's something genuinely disturbing about sitting at your desk, reading an autopsy report and finding yourself listening to the bittersweet pop of the victim on internet radio...



I dunno. There's a part of me that hopes it was a homicide because I hate to think anyone hates himself enough to stab himself in the chest.



The Smoking Gun: Elliott Smith

Ah, storefronts.



This little gem (via boingboing.net) has kept me entertained for at least 10 minutes. Considering my short attention span today, that's saying something...



This one's my fave so far:

Not Fooling Anybody | Master Donut

Who knew?



If you lose something on the Metro in D.C., you can go online and see if they found it, then either pick it up or have 'em ship it to you. I wish more of life was like this.



Metro Lost & Found

I just love this headline.



Candidate brings pie chart to radio debate