The rumor mill has already started on a possible Serenity sequel. Of course, if Wash isn't in it... sigh.

The story behind the dance.

Of course, I still think the Numfar dance of joy and the Angel dances are tops...

Shaun of the Dead reenacted with knitting.

The Right Brothers give us the abomination of neo-con rock. There is something catchy about Bush Was Right, but it may just be the resemblance to Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire that's throwing me off. Ironic, really - and not in an Alanis Morrisette kind of way.

Clarence Goes to Harlem

Mostar finally gets its Bruce Lee statue...


..and within a day someone has already stolen the nunchucks.

You’re all in for a special treat this week - original PoF material that is not simply me ranting about my latest television, music, or nerdling obsessions. And thanks to the some generous server and bandwidth sharing from Sheldon [ed: has since moved to new server], I even have pictures (yes, I'm just too cheap and lazy to get a real host). So check out the BESTEST POST EVAR!!!

In case you forgot to Tivo "Pet Star," check out Einstein the Parrot.

The story of Mel Gibson's latest crazy project isn't that exciting, but I think we can all agree, this pic belongs here.

Happy Turkey Day!

Brian from Family Guy does Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Incidentally, I don't know the origins of the song, but there's something very Wesley Willis about it.

Link round-up:

Super Mario meets high school talent show

Ozzy Osbourne writes a musical about Rasputin

Escaped Cons Successfully Pose as Frat Boys

and, sadly, the World's Ugliest Dog died.

It's about time



From Division of Labour:

"Harlequin Enterprises Limited, one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction and the global leader of series romance and NASCAR, the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States, today announced a new licensing agreement.

"Under the agreement, Harlequin will publish a variety of women's fiction titles that will be included in the NASCAR Library Collection, which provides a high level of authentication and quality to NASCAR-licensed books. The novels, by some of Harlequin's bestselling authors, will have plotlines centering on NASCAR and will bear the NASCAR brand on their covers. Harlequin will also be the first publisher of women's fiction for NASCAR.

"The debut title in the new program, IN THE GROOVE by award-winning author Pamela Britton, will be published on January 31, 2006 to coincide with the Daytona 500. IN THE GROOVE will be the first fiction title ever published as part of the NASCAR Library Collection."

It seems like this should be somewhere in the archives, but I can't find it and it's worthy of a re-post in any case... Ill Mitch.



First name ILL, last name Mitch
I don't cheat, I don't snitch
I don't rap about a gun
some are mad, I am fun
that is why you like me winning
that is why you like me grinning
when I go to rapping contest
everyone say ILL Mitch the best

Credit to Kathryn via Nick.

Todd sent this gem to my inbox today, though I'd share:


"They would not let you rest, day or night. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down. Don't sleep. Don't lie on the floor," one prisoner said through a translator. The detainees were also forced to listen to rap artist Eminem's "Slim Shady" album. The music was so foreign to them it made them frantic, sources said.


"Frantic"? Or was that a burst of spontaneous poppin' n' lockin' in Abu Ghraib?

I think this means Eminem has overtaken AC/DC -- whose "You Shook Me All Night Long" was used to bombard Manuel Noriega's compound -- on the psy-ops countdown. Scary stuff, but if a nuke ever goes off in a major American city, mark my words, even liberals may end up condoning the use of "Barbie Girl" by Aqua, Geneva Convention notwithstanding.

Rick Moranis... sings country.

I dedicate this link to Zach for no particular reason: The Long Toe Gallery

After this New Yorker article revealed the gender-bending identity of A3G, the author of one of my favorite blogs - Underneath their Robes, the blog was taken offline. For those of you who care (read: Alec), there's a thread over at Volokh about the outing. And another here.
Update: It's made the NY Times. CNN should get to it in about a week.

This week's photoshop contest in the SomethingAwful forums gives us Honest Game Titles.

Todd sent this great find a while back and I only now remembered to post it....

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

More excellent vids here.

Lest we not forget Michigan's other claim to fame...


The Sacramento Kings bought full-page ads in two newspapers to apologize for showing derogatory images of Detroit on video screens prior to their home opener against the Pistons.

When the Pistons were introduced Tuesday night, the Arco Arena scoreboard flashed pictures of abandoned buildings, burned-out cars, piles of rubble and other negative images of Detroit. The Pistons won the game 102-88.

The Kings apologized that night and owners Joe and Gavin Maloof bought a full-page ad that ran in Thursday editions of The Detroit News, expressing ``great respect for Detroit's long and rich tradition as a landmark American city and the incredibly positive impact the Motor City has made over the course of our country's history.''
Credit to Nick.

There's a New Mayor in Town


Sessions, who turned 18 on Sept. 22, ran as a write-in candidate because he was too young to get on the ballot in the spring. The young politician used $700 from a summer job to fund his door-to-door campaign in Hillsdale, Mich., a town of about 9,000.

Unofficial results show that Sessions got 732 votes, compared with 668 for Mayor Doug Ingles, 51. Once his victory is certified and he's sworn in - the ceremony is set for Nov. 21 - he may be the youngest mayor in the USA.
...
Sessions says his parents were skeptical at first but are now "very supportive." He says he has no agenda but wants to meet everyone. "I'm trying to set up a board of advisers" that will include a former mayor and leaders from Hillsdale College, which he hopes to attend next fall.
This is so much better than the last big story to put Hillsdale on the map.

Credit to Nate and Kara.

It's been a slow week. Let's fix it with some Japanese TV,

Morning Musume vs. The Lizard

#2 on our Iceland countdown comes to us via Malice's blog:


Original found here.

Sigur Ros pays tribute to Prussian Blue, France, Stonehenge, the tribe from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, nap time, and lemmings in Glosoli. (If you don't like atmospheric Icelandic music, you might wanna skip it...)

I doubt anyone else will appreciate this besides me (except, of course, Victor) - Nickel Creek covers Britney Spear's Toxic.

I'm not much of a football fan, but I gotta admit - this play by the NO Saints just kicks ass.

An oldie, but a goodie: Wierd Al Interviews Eminem

Meet Gunther - he's like a mulleted Swedish Hasselhoff. (some video NSFW)

The King Kong trailer is up.

Mickey was having one crappy October in 1930.

First it's San Francisco in jello, now it's Vader and Yoda in butter. I wonder what food product sculpture will make this triad complete? (I'm not counting the glorious puking pumpkin, but I could be persuaded otherwise...)

Happy Halloween



"Seriously, what beats Halloween? As a snack enthusiast, NOTHING, that's what! Just for knocking on their mortgaged doors, middle class suckers are obligated by law to give you tasty treats. USA, baby! Don't even TRY to beat us!"

Still in need of a costume for Halloween? Why not go with the "safety smock?"



When an inmate of a correctional facility is acutely suicidal, officers must remove every item that can be used for self-harm. Our smocks and bedding safely allow the inmate warmth and modesty.

Anoop Dogg - Drop it Like a FOB

I found this take on the Shaft themesong hilarious....

Wha be tha blake prevy lawe
That bene wantoun too alle tha feres?
SHAFT!
Ya damne righte!

Wha be tha carl tha riske is hals wolt
Fro is allye leve?
SHAFT!
Konne ye?

Wha be tha carl wha ne wolden flee
Whan peril bene all aboughte?
SHAFT!
Verray!

Alle clepe tha carl ane badde mooder-
SOFTE!
Speken of Shaft bene I.
THAN KONNE ALLES WE!

He be a man konne unnethes
Namo save is mayde konnes im.
JOHN SHAFT!

It gave me flashbacks to my junior year in high school when I had to memorize the opening lines of the Canterbury Tales. "Whan that April..." *shudder*

Link stolen from Victor's comments.

Despair Inc.'s new 2006 Demotivator designs unveiled



More are scheduled for release in November.

The best stuff is always hidden in the footnotes...

If you only skimmed the headlines of the latest news about Howard Stern leaving Infinity, you might have missed the best part of the story. After wading through the blather about Stern and laudatory bits about his main replacements, David Lee Roth and Adam Corolla (bleck and ugh, respectively), there's a final mention that Penn Jillette of "Penn kicks ass!" fame will also be hosting a new one hour program. Yahoo news is currently the only source that does more than mention this in passing.

I think we all know this was the only logical outcome of sending idiotic reporters out into hurricanes: Al Roker falls on his ass.


Update: Link fixed.

Think this site is a waste of time? Well, at least you're not spending your time creating a scale model of San Francisco in jello.

Someone put a lot of effort into this Power Rangers spoof. (in Japanese, subtitled) I only post it because it might be the first bit of Japanese humor that has made any sense whatsoever.

Lawyer, Lawyer

Still wondering what to dress the baby as for Halloween (assuming of course that you don't leave him/her in the cage)? Try crocheting some Yoda ears.



Genius.

I found my next vacation destination: Bon Bon Land



Be sure to click through the entire photo set and read the captions - the ant joke had me laughing out loud.

I usually don't plug bands, but I'm feeling a little obligated now that I've gotten three Epoxies cds for free. Todd was kind enough to give me the first two and now I have the local Virgin megastore to thank for the third. After waiting 20 minutes for them to hunt down a copy of Stop the Future, I had nearly given up when they offered to just give me the promo cd. What can I say people, I live a charmed life.

Must see webTV: Anne stars as Susan O'Schaffer over at the Etc site in their spoof election coverage of the NYC mayoral race.

Holy crap.

BabyCage.net - Infant Confinement Specialists Since 2001



On the go? Traveling on a plane? This travelling carrier is for you. Made of plastic to safely carry your beloved cargo. Suitable for infants 0 to 2 years old.

Feeling too optimistic?


Start your day off right with a steaming cup of "where the fuck did my civil liberties go?" with this disappearing bill of rights mug.

Who needs a New James Bond when you have these guys?

Separatists in southern Thailand—a region that up until Thailand's annexation in 1902 was semi-autonomous, Malay, and Muslim—have increased violence against the Thai Buddhist majority in recent years, targeting more and more Buddhist monks and teachers. A recent terror tactic, writes the Observer Research Foundation, is "for two terrorists to travel in a two-wheeler and for the one in the rear to take out a weapon and kill the target. This helps in rapid get-away after the killing without being captured by the bystanders or the police." As a result, new products are being developed to protect Buddhist monks, from bulletproof vests in the traditional safron hue to motorcycle sidecars—dubbed "monkmobiles"— encased in protective glass and outfitted with a small window for receiving alms.

Many of the products are devised by "Thailand's Q" (a reference to James Bond's gadget guy), Major Songphon Eiamboonyarith, a defense contractor who has also invented bulletproof tuk-tuks (motorcycle taxis), "umbrellas that shoot rubber bullets, bullet-proof baseball caps and a hand-held device to fire a man-sized net 30 feet (10 m) to stop a villain in his tracks."

Insect filth and mammalian excreta - mmm!



After eating pupae, Steve points out a helpful government guide to acceptable levels of filth in food fit for human consumption.

OK Go's A Million Ways

UNICEF bombs the Smurfs



Belgian television viewers were given a preview of the 25-second film earlier this week, when it was shown on the main evening news. The reactions ranged from approval to shock and, in the case of small children who saw the episode by accident, wailing terror.
...
The short film pulls no punches. It opens with the Smurfs dancing, hand-in-hand, around a campfire and singing the Smurf song. Bluebirds flutter past and rabbits gambol around their familiar village of mushroom-shaped houses until, without warning, bombs begin to rain from the sky.
...
The advertising agency behind the campaign, Publicis, decided the best way to convey the impact of war on children was to tap into the earliest, happiest memories of Belgian television viewers. They chose the Smurfs, who first appeared in a Belgian comic in 1958.

I bet this is what all those Christian mimes are doing in their off time: finger breakdancing.

The first nine or ten minutes of Serenity are online.

Update: For Colorado residents, there's even a money back guarantee if you don't like the movie.

Another fun ad: Guiness Evolution (credit to Todd)

Funny, these aren’t the Flintstones vitamins I remember.

As Howard Dean would say: YEEEAAARGHHH!!!!!!!

Finally some proof of dolphin intelligence I can buy into: Dolphins at Disney's Epcot Center Taught to Sing Batman Theme Song

Update: The squirtgun gets more and more disturbing every time I look at it. Everything about it is just so WRONG....

The Leslie Hall Gem Sweater Collection

I initially thought this might be the unfortunate victim of some cruel and obsessive photoshopping, but then I noticed the hair and the dead-fish gaze is just a little different in every shot. She's the real deal, sequins and all.

Who says starvation can't be a good time?


Mothers use his name to scare their children while even adults hope they don't bump into him in the dark -- for more than 40 years Gopal Haldar has been making his living in India's Sunderbans mangrove region as a ghost.

Measuring a mere 1.21 meters (four feet) and weighing a slight 24 kilograms (52 pound), Haldar -- now near to retirement age -- says he has been malnourished all his life.

"I have hardly had the money to buy good food or visit a doctor. I have been suffering from malnutrition since my childhood.

Because of his poor health and stick-like physique, he added, neighbours had said he was "born to play a ghost".

I love the internets.... Harriet Miers already has a blog.

Men of the internet



"A web project which consists of a compilation of found images of the cornerstone of any good teen movie: computer nerds. 'Men of the internet' presents the idea of the computer nerd as a species of human that have had their bodies literally transformed and modified as a result of prolonged computer use. A collection of real life altered physiognomy and biological/technological modification: bigger brains, protruding craniums and enhanced eyesight with enormous glasses."

Just keep clicking for more...

Some guy on the web pays homage to Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend"

The Prince of Eternia pays homage to 4 Non Blondes.

Another ps260 spoof trailer, this time it's for West Side Story.

If my rabid fandom hasn't convinced you to go see Serenity tonight, perhaps the hefty 80% rating over at Rotten Tomatoes will. Feel free to post all thoughts and spoilers here.

Todd sends along this brilliant spoof trailer for the original version of The Shining. (and I swear I hadn't gotten his email before posting the Stewie pic... these memes just happen.)

Stewie Live!

It's subservient chicken all over again, but this time it's Stewie from The Family Guy and not some weirdo in a basement wearing a chicken suit.

Let's just get this creepy mime thing out of the way and move on... Mimeistry. ("ministry"+"mime" = brilliant!)

p.s. - Has anyone seen my co-blogger recently? Perhaps he's been abducted by one of these all too pervasive Christian mime cults...

Laura Bush is making an appearance on reality TV, Anna Nicole Smith goes to Washington... what the hell? I mean really, what the hell? Did Nostradamus have something to say about this?

Some of you may be wondering why my Serenity-obsession has yet to hit fever-pitch level on this blog given that we're only days away from the premiere. Fear not. My obsession remains intact, I just choose not to post every little Serenity-thing that floats across the web or into my email inbox - mostly because there's too much to post and it would get real boring real fast. So I'll just sum it all up with this: Serenity opens on Friday. Go see it. See it again. Make me proud and go a third time. Why? Because if the box office does really well in the first week, there will likely be TWO sequels. And I WANT MY SEQUELS DAMMIT!!!!!

What religion do I need to convert to to stop this... I think we may be headed for another threepeat. Here's Christian mime entry #2: K & K mime

Christian Mime Ministry scripts equip Christian drama ministries to provide sermon illustrations that bring scripture passages and contemporary parables to life through the ministry of pantomime.

Mime comes from the word, "mimesis," which means to "recreate." This ancient, graceful art form will bless your congregation as it opens their imagination to "see" the Word of God materialize invisibly.


They've conviced me. There clearly is no god.

Which Historic General Are You?

..better than most stupid quizzes, for the record, I am Colonel Tarleton.

Just when I thought the Japanese could get no weirder...



... they give us live lobster vending machines. via BoingBoing

An interesting story on our incessant need to acquire useless crap. (Credit to Nick)

Armed, six-legged robots may one day work alongside man's best friend on the southern side of the Korean DMZ.

South Korea will spend 33.4 billion won (18.2 million pounds) over the next five years to develop the robots for the heavily fortified demilitarised zone that divides the peninsula, the Communications Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

South Korea envisages the robots performing roles on the battlefield now done by dogs, such as sniffing for explosives and catching intruders, the ministry said.

The robots will stand knee-high to the average adult, mounted on wheels for road missions or on as many as eight legs to get them over uneven terrain, it said. Equipped with firearms, they will be able to carry out combat missions via remote control.

It's only a matter of time before Rupert Murdoch buys them out and Skynet becomes fully operational.

Gift shopping? Check out Toothpaste for Dinner: Hipsters, Hamsters, and Other Pressing Issues

Hail to the Chief


(not actual product picture)

The former US president is known for many things among the Chinese public, including his sexual peccadilloes and promotion of AIDS awareness and prevention.

But he may be surprised to know that his monicker is now being used as a brand name by a condom manufacturer in southern China - together with that of Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern with whom he had an affair.

All good amusement parks go to heaven, the rest are left to rot in South Carolina...

Welcome to Jim and Tammy Faye's Heritage USA

Avast ye scurvy dogs! It's international Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Update: I think you'll all appreciate the fact that somewhere out west, in one of those square states, the entire law clerk staff of a certain state supreme court are running around with eyepatches flinging piratey phrases at each other.

I really likes the first Grow. Grow Cube lives up to its predecessor.

I'm sure this has been around for awhile, but it hasn't really lived until its been posted here: Harlan McCrany, Speechalist

As long as we're on a theme: 1337 Jeopardy

..but can I make it a threepeat?

Update: Yes, yes I can. F3110W5h1p of teh R1Ng in 1337speak

A clip from Penn and Teller's Bullshit reminding us all to hate Peta.

"We are very excited to work with Mr. T and Lions Gate on 'I Pity The Fool,'" says Sal Maniaci, head of development for TV Land. "By putting Mr. T in an unfamiliar environment, viewers will have the experience of seeing him back up his famous words and attitude with concrete actions."

"I Pity the Fool" will find Mr. T acting as a "motivational guru" helping people improve their personal and professional lives. Mr. T will use his own varied life experience as basis for his strategy to help others.

If its anything like his Mother's Day message which we featured a while back, I'm sure I'll be tuning in.

L337 TILES

The Serenity site is finally something to be proud of. I still question the wisdom behind some of the movie posters however...

Skeptic's Annotated Bible, Quran, and Book of Mormon

Of course, nothing beats Ken's Guide to the Bible.

Why Alice Cooper is My Favorite Radio DJ

So once a week or so, I make a 2 hour drive down to Pueblo in the evenings. I scan through the typical crap radio stations and inevitably find myself drawn to the Nights With Alice Cooper show on the classic rock station. Now, I'm not a fan of Alice Cooper's music, really. I would be hard pressed to name more than a few of his songs - but as a DJ, Alice Cooper kicks ass. The last three times I've listened, he's played something totally unexpected and excellent with commentary that doesn't suck. The first week it was a track by R.L. Burnside. Last week it was a Frank Zappa three-peat. And this week he tossed out an AC/DC track from his set and replaced it with King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man. This was not only the correct aesthetic choice but one that made me think the man must have a good moral ethos at work. It also helps that he is not a moron. And for those of you keeping score at home: his real name is Vincent Furnier, his dad was a minister, he was born in Detroit, and his band was originally signed by Frank Zappa.

All the ammo you'll ever need.

New Orleans puts the "D" into dysfunctional. Only a sadist would insist on resurrecting this concentration of poverty, crime, and deplorable schools. Yet that's what New Orleans' cheerleaders—both natives and beignet-eating tourists—are advocating. They predict that once they drain the water and scrub the city clean, they'll restore New Orleans to its former "glory."

..."New Orleans naturally wants to be a lake," St. Louis University professor of earth and atmospheric sciences Timothy Kusky told Time this week. "A city should never have been built there in the first place."

If you haven't already checked out PostSecret, it's a great way to kill some time.

Looking for the next diet trend? Try Hufu



What does Hufu TM taste like? Does it taste like human flesh?
HufuTM is designed to resemble, as humanly possible, the taste and texture of human flesh. If you've never had human flesh before, think of the taste and texture of beef, except a little sweeter in taste and a little softer in texture. Contrary to popular belief, people do not taste like pork or chicken.

More sad than amusing: Dictator of the Month
(although the photo galleries are something of a treat)

Of course, if you're looking for a worthy charity this month, there's always Tim's favorite charity, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

Due to incredibly high demand, this site is now syndicated... Atom site feed link is on the sidebar.

It is my solemn duty to inform you that Baker Smurf has been smurfed... Se7en Smurfs.
[fair warning - the longer it goes on, the more disturbing it gets.]

The fifth (and final?) viral for Serenity: Session 416, first excerpt

As if the floodwater wasn't foul enough already...



EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina foundered badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.

Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina's flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch. The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup.
...
Asked what he had hoped to achieve in the waterlogged city, the actor replied: "Whatever I can do to help."

With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?"

My internet connection is not yet up (Damn you Comcast! Damn You!) but posting should resume soon...