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."