Reals on the rise!

Obama is inspiring more real-life crusaders to don the cape and cowl according to The Times of London:

"In recent weeks, prompted by heady buzz words such as “active citizenry” during the Barack Obama campaign, the pace of enrolment has speeded up. Up to 20 new “Reals”, as they call themselves, have materialised in the past month."

But, costumed crime-fighting is not without its hazards:

"Mr Invisible is cheered that at least his grey one-piece 'invisibility suit' works, proven when a drunk urinated on him in an alley."

and

"Master Legend of Florida, who arms himself with a pepper-spraying cannon powered by cans of antiperspirant, was attacked by a man with a hammer."


Previously on PoF.

More.

Image credit.

Times link via Jacob.

Last minute gift ideas from PoF

Wear your bathrobe backwards or join the cult of Snuggie. You'll stay warm without all the hassle and sleevelessness of regular blankets!



Original and slightly more disturbing ad. If the Snuggie seems a bit unhip for you or your teenager, consider the Slanket.

Update: Nearly forgot to wish everyone a "Happy Life Day"! It looks like the Wookies already cleaned out all the big and tall Snuggie inventory. Homepage. Watch the whole Star Wars Holiday Special.

Update: I'm not the only one to have made the Snuggie-Wookie connection. Paul Lucas, the fellow who runs Infomercial Hell and also mad the aforementioned connection, may be one of my new personal heroes. He has amassed a horde of awesomely bad infomercials and other televised cultural detritus.

Happy Holidays from Henrietta and Myrna

Dock Ellis, RIP

The only person in history to pitch a no-hitter under the influence of LSD died Friday. Of the experience, Ellis said:

I can only remember bits and pieces of the game. I was psyched. I had a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the (catcher's) glove, but I didn't hit the glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters and the bases were loaded two or three times. The ball was small sometimes, the ball was large sometimes, sometimes I saw the catcher, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I tried to stare the hitter down and throw while I was looking at him. I chewed my gum until it turned to powder. They say I had about three to four fielding chances. I remember diving out of the way of a ball I thought was a line drive. I jumped, but the ball wasn't hit hard and never reached me.

Illustration by James Blagden

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

What do you get when Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris are bored during a writer's strike? Behold:



Watch the whole thing in pieces at youtube or in one fell swoop at hulu.

Sin Fang Bous - Advent in ives garden

Keep 'Em Alive! (The CPR Song)

"As many of you have probably heard, a recent study by a group of researchers...found that performing CPR to the BeeGee's disco anthem of 'Stayin' Alive', increases survivability of the victim.

"So here's my little take, Tex style!!"

For many sci-fi fanboys out there,

it doesn't get much better than this:



Via BunBun.

Your Moment of Zen

And there are many, many more.

Via Jason.

Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry

"You have all that jewelry sitting around that you loved so hard to get (that sounded dirty, but you know what we mean) and will never wear again...

"Welcome to EXBOYFRIENDJEWELRY.COM - a site where you can buy/sell/trade and blog about all of those little reminders in your jewelry box... Just because you don’t want it, doesn’t mean somebody else isn’t dying for it. Everyone’s a winner!"

Sell all your stuff and still not satisfied? Perhaps you should consider the Ex-Boyfriend Punching Bag.

Show your support for PETA

Via AP: "For animal rights activists, sticking up for furry or feathered critters is a way of life. Now it can be a way of death, too.

"A New Mexico company is building all-wood human coffins in a partnership with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They bear painted slogans, such as 'Lifetime PETA Member' or 'I saved 500 animals.'

"Another serves up a last laugh that plays on a long-running PETA advertisement: 'Told You I Wouldn't Be Caught Dead in Fur!'

"The coffins, which went on sale last week, are priced from $620 to $670, which includes a $75 PETA contribution. Made of wood, they are designed to be Earth-friendly, with no screws, nails, hinges or animal-based glues."

Automaker Bailout: Priceless

Via Radley

Winnebago Man!

Outtakes from a classic Winnebago ad of yesteryear. Warning: teh cussin' and lots of it:



Via Jason.

Hamsterballing

Via Neatorama: Waterwalkerz - they're all fun and games until the air runs out.

Welcome to my Underground Lair!

"It is a newly opened high-security data center run by one of Sweden’s largest ISPs, located in an old nuclear bunker deep below the bedrock of Stockholm city, sealed off from the world by entrance doors 40 cm thick (almost 16 inches)."

Read all about it.

As a fan of everything from James Bond to Cryptonomicon, I want one.

How to Draw a Princess Monkey

Via eHow: Laura Gyre, "a freelance writer, illustrator, and student of shamanic herbalism," distills the craft of monkey princess drawing into a few simple steps: "If you like to draw princesses and monkeys and you just can't make up your mind about which to do next, you may be happy to learn that you don't have to. With just a little more time and effort, you can draw a princess monkey."

She also offers the following important warning: "One of the most confusing things about monkey princesses is that they can be very easy to confuse with monkey queens. If you draw a monkey princess and a monkey queen, make sure that the princess is smaller."

Not feeling so artistic? You can still participate in some fine monkey art thanks to The Monkey Museum. For a few dollars, they'll make a monkey painting staring you or your loved ones.

Thanks, Jason & Michelle!

Happy Repeal Day!

Repeal Day "commemorates the anniversary of the day the United States repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and gave Americans the constitutional ability to consume alcohol."

You make me touch your hands for stupid reasons

Via Radley.

Prop 8 The Musical

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

PoF - Behind the Scenes

You've probably wondered how we find all of the fascinating links we post on Pieces of Flair. Thanks to JHIDEKIM over at Butternut Jelly, you can now access an unprecedented look into the inner workings of a finely tuned blog:

Truth in Advertising

via Fats.

Barack O'Jesus

Via The Blingdom of God: For those looking for something with a more Christian flavor than the Barack O'Buddha candle, this shirt presents a nice option.

While Craig prefers his Christian clothing in this form, he should get some credit for reminding me about all the Blingdom has to offer.

The Hunger!

Look into the eyes of the wolf!



Via Clay, who is not affiliated in any way with the above project.

Barack O'Buddha

Via The Boston Globe: "David Chalat, a sculptor from Sedona, Ariz., does a brisk business selling decorative soaps, and hasn't ventured far into the political arena before. But one day this spring, he came across the pro-Obama viral video created by singer will.i.am, and found a new source of inspiration. Before long, he had created a 5-inch-tall soap structure in Obama's likeness, along with a candle that places the Democratic candidate on Mount Rushmore, in place of Thomas Jefferson."

Like the Mount Rushmore candle, the Barack O' Buddha candle, "inscribed with the sacred mantra 'Om..Yes We Can..Om,' may be perfect for worship, but it is currently sold out. Perhaps you can start an online petition to urge him to make more.

Thanks for the heads up, Julie!

Macy's Parade Gets Rick Rolled

"[T]he Cartoon Network's float, featuring the demented denizens of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, rolled into Herald Square...and then got Rick Rolled by the Astley himself."

Techno Chicken

Via Victor: "Dominos in Australia are promoting their barbecue chicken and bacon pizza with the Techno Chicken Dance.

"More than 8 different chickens were used, trained by James Delaney and Caroline Girdlestone at Hero Animals(the team behind Babe and Black Sheep). None were harmed, although the crew did have chicken on the menu for lunch."

How to draw cartoons with a message

Via Steve: Who hasn't looked at the witty and insightful cartoons in the local paper and wished they too could contribute to public discourse with such humor? It turns out it may be easier than you think to join in on the fun. Tom Gammill and The Doozies show you how:

New Zune Paint ad leads some to swear off internet video forever

.

Via NotCot: A recent AP article noted that "Since it first landed two years ago, the Zune has been the butt of many jokes." Most readers, however, did not know just how literal the statement was.

According to NotCot, the above unauthorized ad by Sibling Rivalry for Zune Arts is "so inappropriate, yet shot nicely and has fun music... but SO WRONG, you have been warned!"

Nanobamas plan world domination

Via Neatorama: "Professor John Hart of the University of Michigan created nanoscale likenesses of president-elect Barack Obama that are each smaller than a grain of sand! The 'nanobamas' were made to raise awareness of nanotechnology."

Unfortunately, "building contractors failed to properly install filters in a certain vent in the building. As a result, hazardous elements such as the assemblers, the bacteria, and the nanobamas were blown into the desert, evolving and eventually forming autonomous swarms. These swarms appear to be solar-powered and self-sufficient, reproducing and evolving at an amazingly fast rate. The swarms exhibit predatory behavior, attacking and killing animals in wild. Most alarmingly, the swarms seem to possess rudimentary intelligence, the ability to quickly learn and to innovate."

A great stocking stuffer

Via Neatorama: "This is a pair of genuine taxidermy squirrel feet earrings. They have been professionally freeze dried."

I suppose you have to do something with them post-launch.

PoF gets Typealyzed

Via the Presurfer: "Typealizer finds features that distinguishes one type from another. When all features, words, and sentences are combined, Typealyzer is able to guess which type of writer you are."

Here's how Pieces of Flair turned out: ESFP - "The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

"The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions."

Knitastic

Via Drawn!: "An animated music video composed entirely of machine-knitted frames. The music is by the Montreal band Tricot Machine."

Need more knitting action? Knitta please!

If you love America, you throw money in its hole

In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

An Anniversary to Remember

November 12, 2008: 38th Anniversary of Oregon's exploding whale:



While PoF likes to keep you abreast of current cultural detritus and the latest tomfoolery, every now and then it helps to look back at where we came from. This will give us direction as we plunge headlong into the uncertain future, or at least they told us something like that in college. No matter what happens in the financial markets, when I'm hunkered down in my survival compound, I will remember that whales, civil servants and dynamite do not mix.

Evidently, dead whales sometimes spontaneously combust, so there's really no way of determining when this hidden menace will strike.

Proving that this topic is very important/relevant, here's the wikipedia entry and snopes page.

Incredibly, there are folks with more time on their hands than your humble PoF posse. Witness, theexplodingwhale.com

U2 Tower shelved - PoF Tower moving forward

Via the AP: "Plans to build the tallest building in Ireland — with new recording studios for Irish supergroup U2 on top — were suspended Friday because of Dublin’s slumping property market and slide into recession.

"[British architect Norman] Foster envisioned a 400-foot triangular tower on the south bank of Dublin’s River Liffey with an egg-shaped pod housing U2’s new recording studios on top. That would give Bono and his bandmates a view at least twice as tall as any other building in Dublin."

While the news comes as a blow to U2 fans, PoF followers can take heart that the Pieces of Flair Tower remains on schedule for completion early in 2010. The building will tower over the skyline of Springfield, Missouri, and will feature a poo-hat shaped pod to house PoF administrative headquarters.

Springfield was selected for its location at roughly the central point of the geographic triangle created by tracing the route between Birmingham, Alabama, Richmond, Indiana, and Denver, Colorado - making the spot equally inconvenient for all PoF contributors.

Marketing advice from Matt - Bose edition

Occasionally, I like to offer some marketing advice to all of the advertising execs that read PoF. In the past, I have suggested such pearls of wisdom this: Classic rock = YES!, and Family Goatse = NO!

Despite these efforts, it seems that few are listening. In particular, corporations continue in failing to see the advantages of tying their products to classic rock anthems. How awesome would it be to turn TV and film advertisement time into an endless loop of the greatest hits from the 60s and 70s? I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest some of the wildest pairings I can come up with just to get everyone's creative juices flowing:

Microsoft + Rolling Stones = Awesome!
Coke + Queen = Stellar!
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines + Iggy Pop = Why Not?!?

Even less radical is the almost common sense pairing of Bose and Thin Lizzy. The Bose Wave Radio has been on the market long enough to become a bore. What would bring back the excitement? I propose a "Whopper off the Burger King Menu" publicity stunt where Bose takes the Wave Radio off the market for a short period - long enough to upset Bose Wave Radio fans - and then bring it back with gusto and a new theme song - "The Bose is Back in Town!"

Company executives interested in paying me for additional marketing advice may contact me at any time.

The Pipe

A scene from "The Pipe," a short film based on a story by Jack Pendarvis about "a pill-popping paramedic and a stoic security guard work the midnight shift, protecting the air pipe of a radio personality who has been buried alive for 46 days as a publicity stunt. A lot can happen when two crazy people are left alone in the dark with a pipe."

One man Star Wars symphonic quartet

John Williams is the man!

Via Julian.

Celebrate Movember

"Movember is an annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November."

Here's a catchy way to help you keep the cause in mind:

"Whether you're stopping or going
Just you remember
To keep that mo growing
Whilst in Movember"

Pickles and ice cream - together at last

Dynamite Dill's Midnight Cravings ice cream blends cinnamon ice cream, dark chocolate chunks and cinnamon-clove pickles. Sprinkle with Spitz Dill Pickle Sunflower Seeds for an extra crunch.

Monkey Bee!

Yeah, I don't get it either, but I can't stop watching...

Here's the making of.

Update: Upon further examination, this appears to be a retelling of an ancient Chinese story by Jamie Hewlett (some British dude) and Damon Albarn of Blur and, appropriately enough, Gorillaz fame.

Here's a peek at the opera they produced based on the same story.

Via the magic of the interwebs, I'm learnding.

One man's quest for beard domination

Beard Style: "Rap Industry Standard"
Style Points: 9.0

Jon Dyer is a man on a mission of epic proportions: to boldly photograph himself sporting every beard/mustache style ever imagined by the mind of man. Judging by the dates on his entries, he's at least spent ten years on the project thus far though his dedication to the project appears to wax and wane. Still, a valiant and noble effort--bully for you, good sir!

Also, and this may be the mushrooms talking, it seems like Mr. Dyer has been profiled on this here blog before and he certainly deserves to have been, but my diligent keyword searches return no matching results. We PoFers have never shied from facial hair blogging, but let me repent in advance if I have repeated my esteemed co-bloggers efforts.

Via Rachael.

Mencken on Coolidge

"We suffer most, not when the White House is a peaceful dormitory, but when it is a jitney Mars Hill, with a tin-pot Paul bawling from the roof. Counting out Harding as a cipher only, Dr. Coolidge was preceded by one World Saver and followed by two more. What enlightened American, having to choose between any of them and another Coolidge, would hesitate for an instant? There were no thrills while he reigned, but neither were there any headaches. He had no ideas, and he was not a nuisance." - The Vintage Mencken

Not cool with Cal? You can get yourself a Calvin Coolidge Idiot shirt. All the kids are wearing them.

Build-O-Bama

Via Drawn!: Now you too can have your own cut-out of Obama thanks to Matt Hawkins. The goal is apparently to show support for Obama, but it does seem like these could lead to some mischief if they were to get in the wrong hands...

What your font choice says about you

Ever wonder why PoF contributors rely almost exclusively on Arial? Thanks to Lars Willem Veldkampf, now you can find out the truth:

Stick figures in peril!

Watch the slideshow. Here's a taste:



Via Rachael

Open wide, Santa

Craig sends in this exclusive item from Collections Etc., along with a lovely story that should warm your heart this holiday season:

"Back in Roanoke I had a friend getting divorced; he said, regarding the boyfriend of his soon-to-be ex-wife, that he wanted to 'rip off his head and shit down his esophagus.' This made me wonder if her boyfriend was Santa."

Is it a good thing that I know most of the guests?

Catch all 6 parts on youtube.

Krugman wins Nobel

NY Times columnist Paul Krugman won the Nobel economic prize today.

In his honor, here is an excerpt from his column on September 14, 2001:

"Ghastly as it may seem to say this, the terror attack—like the original 'day of infamy' which brought an end to the Great Depression—could even do some economic good. [...] the driving force behind the economic slowdown has been a plunge in business investment. Now, all of a sudden, we need some new office buildings."

Let's make some money!

In light of current affairs, this is presented without commentary:

"Did I...leave a bad taste in your mouth?"

In light of current affairs, this is presented without commentary:

Future debate idea: Judo match

It would be more exciting than the town hall variety.

First there was the book, now there's the Putin Judo dvd.

Eels leader writes a book

Things the Grandchildren Should Know comes out October 14. If the video is any indication, it should at least keep you guessing.

Full Sexy Dance

Via Steve.

Mackerel money

Via the WSJ: "There's been a mackerel economy in federal prisons since about 2004, former inmates and some prison consultants say. That's when federal prisons prohibited smoking and, by default, the cigarette pack, which was the earlier gold standard.

"Prisoners need a proxy for the dollar because they're not allowed to possess cash. Money they get from prison jobs (which pay a maximum of 40 cents an hour, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons) or family members goes into commissary accounts that let them buy things such as food and toiletries. After the smokes disappeared, inmates turned to other items on the commissary menu to use as currency.

"[T]he mack is a good stand-in for the greenback because each can (or pouch) costs about $1 and few -- other than weight-lifters craving protein -- want to eat it.

"So inmates stash macks in lockers provided by the prison and use them to buy goods, including illicit ones such as stolen food and home-brewed 'prison hooch,' as well as services, such as shoeshines and cell cleaning."

The day the music died

"By putting small notches in Lancaster's Avenue K, similar to those dug into the edges of freeways, cars driving over them produce part of Rossini's William Tell Overture - colloquially known as the Lone Ranger theme.

"Developed by Honda as part of an ad campaign, the notches are dug and spaced at specific intervals and sizes that produce different notes as the tires hit them, and the result is musical - although the quality of the song varies.

"Those grooves were (reportedly) tuned specifically for a Honda Civic, traveling at 55 mph over the road. Cars with different wheelbases or those traveling at different speeds produced a different tune.

"The musical road won't be around for much longer however. The citizens of Lancaster have apparently had enough of the noise, and convinced the city to pave over the road."

We're so doomed...

Your colon

Half empty or half full? Depending on your perspective, you might want to consider either a slice of colon cake or a fiber cleanse.

Truth is Stranger than Spam

Good day American taxpayer, complments of the season to YOu. Please allow me to introduce myself I am Mr. Henry PAULSON very high official of United States Treasury of United States, Washington, USA. I please to be writing you this day because someone of our mutual acquaintance Mr. BERNANKE vouch for you as trustworthy and gullible individual of high moral standards.

Through no fault of my own I am come to hard straits and although I am a proud man and father, I must beseech your partnership in resolution, an urgent and vexing matter. Through malfeasance and rascality, certain individuals of my close acquaintance have sabotage national banking system, hence an imminent disaster will befall if I am unable to secure the amount of $700,000,000,000 DOLLARS U.S with all utmost haste. This amount is currently being held by millions of fellow Americans but thus far these scoundrels refuse to release the money to me on grounds of that it is not mine infact.

After funds of $700,000,000,000 DOLLARS U.S I will forward informations regarding fully protection of all funds, liabilities, equities and other such financial aspects. For now I must ask you to simply place your trust in me as you would a brother, for, are we, all not brothers?

I pray, that this message find it in your heart, to enter in partnership with me in interest of forestalling disastrous circumstance. Should you prefer not to assist me, with funds, I shall direct my I.R.S agents to procure the funds anyway from you, this voluntarily way is more amenable and you will atleast get a SCOOBA mop robot out of the deal, as fate wills it.

Your friend everlasting,

Mr. Herny PAULSON
United STATES Treasure

via Woot

With Apologies to Shatner

With our economy in crisis, the US Government is scrambling to rescue our banks by purchasing their "distressed assets", i.e., assets that no one else wants to buy from them. We figured that instead of protesting this plan, we'd give regular Americans the same opportunity to sell their bad assets to the government. We need your help and you need the Government's help!

Use the form below to submit bad assets you'd like the government to take off your hands. And remember, when estimating the value of your 1997 limited edition Hanson single CD "MMMbop", it's not what you can sell these items for that matters, it's what you think they are worth. The fact that you think they are worth more than anyone will buy them for is what makes them bad assets.

Do not watch on mushrooms

Via Justin, one of the most bizarre things I've seen in quite some time.

Lil' Gordon Ramsay

Brilliant:



Another and another.

Hair products for anarchists

This has been noted elsewhere, but I just came across a bottle of Vo5 recently and couldn't help but be amused by the V for Vendetta-esque logo. "Beneath this hairdo there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."

Flame on

Via Kung Fu Rodeo: "I’m not sure what part of this is the stupidest - testing flame throwers of any type inside of a garage or mounting them on your wrists, on the palm side no less."

Lazier still

But not as funny. This little gem was posted over at festville, where it was ably spotted by fats. Without further ado:



Check out the sweet dance moves at around 1:54--moonwalkin' for Jesus!

Yeah, I'm Lazy

MEG - Precious @ Yahoo! Video

Not train wrecks, but kind of the same concept

Proving once again that there are folks who have much more time on their hands than us PoFers, may I present: Cake Wrecks!

My favorite entry so far:

"If you prefer to be shot through the heart, though, you could request the "V-neck special" slice from this Bon Jovi cake:"



Via Rachael.

Mythbusters explain CPU v. GPU with paintballs

Comments always open at PoF

Unfortunately, that's not always the case elsewhere, which prompted Victor to put together this little number: "Comments closed." Now all we need to do is post something worth commenting on...

A solution to voter apathy

Maria Elena Salinas writes in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about her fears for the upcoming presidential election:

"[T]here is something going on out there that concerns me. I have heard too many people say that they are so confused or disenchanted with both candidates that they are thinking not of crossing party lines, but of not voting. Can you imagine?"

Attacking voter apathy is something all party officials seem to agree on, and yet no one seems to have a good answer on how to defeat it. Ironically, the answer has been readily available since at least the 1920's, and it is cheap, easy and reliable.

As Time reports, in its 1924 election, Italy managed to achieve the highest voter turnout rates in its history thanks to the use of a simple home remedy: castor oil.

Perhaps the targeted use of this tool would help Americans finally learn the value of their vote. That way, come November either Obama or McCain will truly be able to claim that they have the people's mandate.

Road trippin' with the Grammar Nazis

"They were Nazis, Dude?"
"Oh, come on Donny, they were threatening castration [over a split infinitive]! Are we gonna split hairs here? Am I wrong?"

Ok, so these guys aren't really Nazis, but they are taking a raod trip to fix grammatical, spelling and other sorts of English usage errors, which, in the grand scheme of things, is as good a reason as any to hit the road.

No doubt they're Hillsdale grads.

Via SWPL.

The Furby Gurdy

Via Neatorama: "Link four Furbys together to make a musical instrument! David Cranmer makes custom electronic musical instruments. He’s posted step-by-step process for making a Furby Gurdy, with videos, pictures, and audio commentary."

The best site ever

I think I just found the most awesome site in the history of the internet: http://www.westernwatercolors.com/.

Potassium independence

So far, the U.S. presidential candidates have blown a lot of hot air about energy independence, but have failed to address a much more difficult problem facing Americans: potassium independence. According to the National Academies, "The typical Western diet is high in salt and low in potassium -- the opposite of what evidence shows is optimal for good health and reducing the risks of chronic disease."

I see the major culprit here as Western reliance on foreign bananas. The U.S. accounts for roughly a third of world banana imports, sending untold millions overseas. As early as 1964, Harvard business professor James Houck was ringing the alarm bells about this issue, but his warnings went sadly unheeded. Now, instead of having invested in a substantial domestic banana market, Americans are at the mercy of largely unstable regions.

The only response that makes sense now is to begin a major overhaul of how we produce and consume potassium in this country. To put it bluntly, we are addicted to bananas.

The Linus Pauling Institute reports, however, that prunes and prune juice are a much better source of potassium than bananas. The federal government needs to foster alternative sources of potassium such as prunes by subsidizing their production and launching educational campaigns to help consumers make better choices. Obama and McCain need to support such a plan. Together, we can keep America free.

Jesus brokers dollar store deal for local woman

Via the Richmond Palladium-Item: "I'm so thankful to God that there is going to be a dollar store in Centerville. I have prayed for this for at least two years.

"A couple of times I asked the dollar store in Richmond if they could put one in Centerville.

"Yes! Thank you, Jesus."

Flamingo-Away

Via Neatorama: "Here’s a yard ornament I would proudly display to my neighbors and their ubiquitous flamingos! The Flamingo-Away kit includes two 'Gnome-Be-Gones' and one pink flamingo. Designed by artist Fred Conlon."

Chew your way to a new you

Via DoL: "If you must increase your bust, but gas prices have tapped your plastic surgery fund, there may still be hope. This time you don’t have to go under the knife. Just pop a few pieces of gum in your mouth everyday. Zoft Breast Enhancement Gum, which can be purchased without a prescription, contains Fenugreek Seed Extract, Fennel Seed, and 11 other herbs that the company says will deliver 'larger, fuller, firmer breasts.'"

Death Star Over San Francisco

Springfield punx

Via Newsarama: "Dean Fraser’s blog is devoted to turning beloved superheroes into Simpson characters."

Frass facts

Depending on who you're talking to, a big pile of frass can either lead to calling an exterminator or getting out a fork. Here's a nice recipe for frass with cabbage and bacon, for instance:

Ingredients
1 kg White cabbage (up to 1.5)
250 GM minced meat
2 French rolls (up to 3)
2 lg Onions (up to 3)
1/4 l Milk
Little amount of bacon

Instructions
Chop white cabbage coarsely, boil shortly in salt water and pour into a sieve. Cut the french rolls in small pieces and soak in milk. Mix thoroughly minced meat, cut bacon, finely minced onions, soaked rolls and cabbage. If necessary, add a bit of the water in which the cabbage was boiled. Put the mixture in a souffle form, sprinkle some flour and butter flakes over it. Bake for 1 - 1.5 hours in the oven.

What architecture students do in their spare time

It's the separated by birth game for architects, including Seann Scott v. Aaron Betsky among others:



Thanks for the link, Brandon.

Zombie Lovin

Created by Mingle2.com (Dating for non-zombies)

Hand dryers take it to the next level

I have noticed a dramatic increase in the power of hand dryers lately. Anyone who has experienced either the Dyson Airblade or the Excel Xlerator has to wonder whether they walked away from the experience with the same amount of skin they went into it with.

Do these two increasingly available hand-drying options signal a new plateau of technology, or a drive to top the competition with more and more speed? One can't help but think of the exponential growth in blades on razors. Will our hands survive what is to come?

Pearl Harbor sucked

But, I'll bet Michael Bay could do a better job with the new Batman flick...in an alternate universe. Fortunately, obtaining Michael Bay screenplays from alternate universes is among our many talents here at PoF. Enjoy.

Ok, so it was just rejected and not actually from an alternate universe. Still, imagine the poor life-form being subjected to that very film in an alternate universe. Frightening stuff.

CrushedCans.com

Exactly what you think it is.

Via Rachael.

Gorbachev: Zombie Slaying Ladies' Man

GORBACHOV: THE MUSIC VIDEO - BIGGER AND RUSSIANER from Tom Stern on Vimeo.

Almost makes up for all the Communism...or not.

Via Hit & Run.

Batmobile & Formula One: Together at Last...

Via Shaun.

This will be one of the few movies I'll be willing to shell out 9 bucks to see in the theater this year. Wired has the scoop on the special effects (or relative lack thereof) here, courtesy of Jacob.

28 Day Slater

Maybe I watched too much Saved by the Bell as a kid (and let's face it, one episode was too much), but I found this quite amusing:



Watch all the episodes for the thrilling conclusion or if you just don't have anything better to do.

Top 10 Strangest Anti-Terrorism Patents

Via Neatorama:

Problem: Suicide bombers may detonate their bomb and kill a lot of people.

Solution: It may look like an umbrella, but that's actually a kevlar net fired from a special gun to encapsulate and contain a bomb's blast. The net also contains a tube for dispensing fire suppressant agent (the tank is worn on the back of the net operator in Figures 6 and 7 above).

Bonus: Great for fishing or tackling

Join the Bob Klevay Revolution

Via the Presurfer.

Studio Lams now on YouTube!

Check out more videos here.

Luke, I am your arm

Ok, so the title of this post is lame, but the technology is awesome:



And more.

Via Marginal Revolution.

Bentham's Auto-icon

"As requested in his will, his body was preserved and stored in a wooden cabinet, termed his 'Auto-icon'. Originally kept by his disciple Dr. Southwood Smith, it was acquired by University College London in 1850. The Auto-icon is kept on public display at the end of the South Cloisters in the main building of the College. For the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the college, the Auto-icon was brought to the meeting of the College Council, where he was listed as "present but not voting". Tradition holds that if the council's vote on any motion is tied, the auto-icon always breaks the tie by voting in favour of the motion.

"The Auto-icon has always had a wax head, as Bentham's head was badly damaged in the preservation process. The real head was displayed in the same case for many years, but became the target of repeated student pranks including being stolen on more than one occasion. It is now locked away securely."

Favor de no molestar

Wow, this guy looks happy. Better leave him alone.

Teach the Controversy

'Big Science' is always suppressing The Truth with their blatant pro-evolution anti-wacko agenda: from the fact that UFOs built the pyramids to the reality of creationism and fact the universe is "Turtles All The Way Down". It is time to fight back and urge schools to Teach The Controversy with these intelligently designed t-shirts.

Creepy Talking Jesus Doll

Glad this wasn't around when I was a kid:



Order one today!

Via Shaun.

"the joy of flexin' ya mentals"

"The game of chess, is like a swordfight. You must think first, before you move. Toad style is immensely strong, and immune to nearly any weapon. When it's properly used, it's almost invincible

"WuChess.com is the worlds first online chess and Hip-Hop community. You can create and share profiles with your friends and triumph over enemies on the 64 squares. Not just against people in your neighborhood but from all over the world.

"Play live chess with people from all over the world and get your learn on."

If you're thinking that WuChess sounds like Wu-Tang Clan + Chess, you're exactly right.

Via Julian.

"20 superhero movies we hope they never make"

From Cracked. Via my friend Ivan, who worked his digital wizardry to create the above image. My other favorites are the Captain Planet themed posters and Batman Quits.

Points for Longevity...

It's official. We've hit the five-year mark. Happy bloggiversary!

Hair Hats

I want the lion one to wear at work. via The Presurfer