random lolcats

OMG it's been awhile since we've indulged in some nonsensical lolcattery. enjoy!

Also:

This is awesome.

This should keep you busy...

http://www.freerice.com/

My top score: 48. Beat that, suckers.

it's amazing what they can do with an organ these days.

...what? too suggestive?

anyway, this kid plays a MEAN (electric) organ. I don't know the particulars of programming a full rock band worth of sound into an itty-bitty piano-type thing, but it's awesome. I especially like the feather boa.

coooooooool.

3 graphic designers + lots of free time + controlled explosions = awesomeness.

enjoy!

edited to add: okay, try this one. if it doesn't work, try the direct link or search for something along the lines of "omaha battle designers". I hope this works!

some truly awful songs make me twitch, but this is ridiculous

hey, brainman, want to weigh in?

woman cured of seizures caused by reggae

yeah, so this woman really likes sean paul (pre-wikipedia'ed for your convenience...you're welcome, dani :-P), but when she started having mad seizures whenever she listened to his songs, she started getting suspicious. I don't know if it's more ridiculous that she thought her seizures were caused by this one particular singer or that it actually turned out to be true.

I guess this just goes to show that one day, if you're not careful, the rhythm *is* eventually gonna get you. be careful, kids.

when does fan-generated content become copyright infringement?

(too lazy to come up with a witty headline)

I've been using the harry potter lexicon since 2002, and it's been invaluable in helping scope my research for my senior essay, review forgotten plot points, and prepare for the release of book seven. my guess is that this and other similar websites have turned many a casual HP fan into a super-fan, and the authors have put an untold number of hours into creating this resource for (I assume) no money. now they're looking to publish the fan-created guide in book form, and how does ms. rowling thank them for keeping fans happy and informed between book releases? with a lawsuit!

while I have little to add on the legal issues themselves (comments from the lawyers and almost-lawyers who follow the blog are welcome), I just wanted to make it known that my reaction to this lawsuit is a big fat BOO. as long as the fan-generated content makes it clear that it was neither created nor endorsed by the original author (and especially if it makes no sense without having read the original books), I see no problem.

thoughts?

Thinkgeek.com clearance sale

Time to stock up:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/clearance/price/asc/0/200?cpg=cj

Who got the link right THIS time, bitches? Yeah, that's right. It was me.

OK, so...

... I did not realize, till I heard Nickel Creek's version of "The Fox" just now, that Da Vinci's Notebook's song "The Gates" was a parody of that. Once again, things make so much more sense now.

[Dani: Huh?]

With a nod to Tobias Funke...

click this link that matt forgot to put in properly("thanks, kat!" "oh, you're welcome.")

I'm still at work and can't watch the video with the sound up [begin rant](why can't CNN.com provide a text version of every video story? It's faster to read than to watch the video anyway)[end rant], but I got the gist of it. Now, if only there were some avenue of support for this man... I dunno, some kind of... group...

yeah, yeah...

... the Yale Record may be chock full o' douchebags, but at least they are douchebags that are sanctioned by the Establishment... I don't think any administrator will be allowing Rumpus to co-host any Master's Teas anytime soon.

At any rate, I did in fact go to said JoCo seminar and I did quite enjoy it, even though I felt a little pervy being (I assume) the only grad student there and not really having any idea who any of the young'uns around me were. No giant revelations or anything, but it was pretty cool to have a semi-private (audience of maybe 30-40) concert. I did have to step out and miss a few minutes because a certain someone -- we'll just call her Tanielle Dumminio -- called me on the phone approximately 5 times in quick succession and I wanted to make sure no one was dying or anything, but the rest of it was quite nice.

In other Rump-related news, I just received this link from one Jared LeBoff on the newly-invented Rump Alums' email list:

http://www.bestweekever.tv/2007/12/13/greatest-headline-in-ny-post-history/

hey matt...

...you need to give your Rumpus people a stern talking-to. How is it that the freaking Yale RECORD got this honor?

how not to outsmart airport security

I'm going to assume that this guy had already knocked back a few if he seriously thought this was the best way to transport his vodka home:

New airport rules prohibit passengers from carrying larger quantities of liquid onto planes, and he was told at a security check he would have to either throw out the bottle of vodka or pay a fee to have his carry-on bag checked as cargo.

Instead, he chugged the bottle down -- and was quickly unable to stand or otherwise function, police said.

*exasperated sigh*

In reference to previous posts...

... the latest from xkcd:

*claps hands ecstatically*

Video for Lacrosse's "You Can't Say No Forever":



YAY. It makes me happy.

EXTREME eating

Matt, maybe you want to try these next?

(Be sure to click on the caption under the photo for full effect.)

Attention all UHF Fans

I just wanted you all to know that I have crossed an item off my life's to-do list: I have just consumed my first Twinkie Wiener Sandwich (and, actually, my second as well), replete with hot dog, Twinkie, and spray cheese.

Review: OK. Not great, but not terrible. The tastes don't really mesh, so they're just kind of rolling around in your mouth together. And the Twinkie taste kind of dominates... I used more spray cheese in the second one to try to counteract this, but the Twinkie was still by far the most powerful taste. Really interesting texture though. Overall, I have no regrets, although I'll probably be eating the rest of the ingredients separately, since I think in this case I'd prefer each of the parts to the combination of all three.

Just thought you all should know... and for Dani... you know, it's just too much to explain. Chalk it up to one of those wacky pop culture references the others of us all know for no particularly good reason, and my propensity to abuse my digestive system.

PS, I tried to get an image of a Twinkie Wiener Sandwich to accompany this post, but Google Image Search failed me... sigh.

Kat and Matt do IKEA

Just some oak, some pine, some Norsemen, two Yale alums with a little extra time on their hands, a round bed, and a touch of Photoshop, and we have... Vitruvian Kat.

videos, take two

okay, since some of us were good little students and waited too long to watch the videos referenced in the previous post (procrastinating to procrastinate...that's a new one :-P), here's a quickie update with links that are available at this writing:

ok go

super mario

numa numa (which honestly isn't that exciting -- I originally included this to contribute to the buildup to weird al, but feel free to watch it anyway. just don't say I didn't warn you about the song getting stuck in your head.)

weird al

aaaaaaand -- because I'm feeling generous -- a bonus clip! what if ken burns' next PBS documentary explored a more recent conflict in our nation's history? I wonder...

more lego awesomeness

okay, people who should be in bed right now = me, but I stupidly went to youtube (just for one video! I swear!) and now I have several to share with you. join me in procrastinating, won't you?

I'll start you off with more OK Go:


super mario bros! ah, childhood.


the numa numa song (with a pop culture reference for dani). I apologize in advance for getting this stuck in your collective heads...it'll go away in a couple of weeks, really it will:


aaaaaand -- the piece de resistance -- some weird al goodness. note the itty-bitty segway.