Slo Mo Samurai

Some high speed, slow motion films of some dude slicing through objects witha samurai sword. Man, those swords must be sharper than razors the way they slice through those things.

Apple


Tomato


Plastic Juice Bottle

300 - the PG version trailer

Now, fun for the whole family

Student Loans

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I've never had to worry about student loans, but Linda is building up a nice little portfolio of loans that are going to be needing paying off sooner or later. Consolidating them would probably be a good idea, much like me consolidating my credit card loans into one big loan, bringing those numerous payments into one easy one.

Student Loan Consolidation is the smart way to get rid of those loans faster and with less hassle. You can cut your payments by as much as 60%.
This post sponsored by NextStudent.com

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Cirque Du Soleil: Hula Hoop Contortionist

Contortionist Elena Lev is not only very flexible, she can bend and use hula hoops at the same time. As I said before, I find contortionists both fascinating and creepy. I'm always waiting for the spine to crack and see them fall over limp and lifeless.

Insurance of All Kinds

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ASDA Financial Services, part of the Walmart family, is a home and auto insurance company, offering low rates for insurance. They also offer loans and credit cards. The site is very informative and easy to navigate. The color scheme is pleasant and the graphic content is minimal, for faster loading for dial-up customers.
The site is a little too graphic lite for my designer's eye, but as a functional site for getting customers information, it's well laid out and easy to work through.
They certainly seem to have just about every insurance need covered. From Home Insurance to auto insurance to renters and building insurance. Check them out if you are in need of coverage.

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Black Hole News

Because People Suck

Muslims Find School Kosher

About half the students who attend the Jewish primary school King David, in Birmingham, England, are Muslims, and in fact, their parents work hard to get them in because they so respect the school's ethos and its halal-like diet. All students learn Hebrew, recite Jewish prayers, and celebrate Israeli independence, but there is a Muslim prayer room, also, and Muslim teachers are hired for Ramadan. However, confided one parent, the school tries to keep a low profile so as not to inflame the religious rabble-rousers. [The Independent, 2-4-07]


Compelling Explanations

Robert "Drew" Stephenson, on trial in Fort Worth, Texas, in January for "torturing" an ex-girlfriend, acknowledged her severe burns but said it wasn't his fault. He said the two were having sex in a house that had no heat, and to warm himself, he ran the flames of a lantern up and down his arm. According to him, his girlfriend said she wanted to be warmed up with flames, too. (He was convicted, and in February, after four other women testified that he had beaten them, was sentenced to life in prison.) [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1-31-07, 2-2-07]


The Laws of Irony

In February, two anti-whaling activists (one from Australia, one from Los Angeles), intending to attack a Japanese whaling ship near Antarctica with a bottle of acid and a smoke bomb, got lost in the fog in their small dinghy and were rescued with the help of several boats, including the whaler. However, as soon as the activists were safe, one thanked the Japanese crew but said, "I guess we're back on schedule, and we'll be pursuing you again." Shortly after that, the activists approached the whaler and tossed the acid onto the deck, injuring two crew members. [Philadelphia Inquirer-AP, 2-11-07]

It is well-known that Saudi Arabia still prohibits women from driving cars (or riding in them unless accompanied by a male relative), but a December Associated Press dispatch from Riyadh reported on female automobile salespeople (who are successful in selling to females, who can own cars as long as someone else drives). Also, in January, a holding company owned by Saudi Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal hired a female pilot for one of its jets. The woman, Capt. Hanadi Zakariya Hindi, flies with no restrictions but still requires a male relative to get her to and from the airport. [ABC News-AP, 12-3-06] [The Hindu-Press Trust of India, 1-12-07]

Source: News of the Weird

A New Venture

I just joined a new site for advertising on my blog. It's called Blogsvertise.com. It's similar to my other blog advertiser program but there are some significant differences. I'll have to give them a chance to see if their program is compatible with my blog. I'm pretty excited about it though and hope to be able to use their service for a long time.

I know that there are people out there who are not fans of the advertising, but I vow to keep the content of my blog full of what you really come here for.

Split 50-50

I can't begin to tell you how often I felt like this. Except I didn't have a house. I did have a wife, though...

German man chainsaws house in two in divorce split

BERLIN (Reuters Life!) - A 43-year-old German decided to settle his imminent divorce by chainsawing a family home in two and making off with his half in a forklift truck.

Full Story

Slip and Die

Travis Pastrana is the lunatic who did the double backflip on his motorcycle at the X Games. Here he has someone else to take the risks. He has a buddy test out their insane slip and slide. Not your normal slip and slide, of course. This one starts off with an X Games ramp and ends in a waterfilled pit dug into the hillside.

Contact Lens Recall

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Bausch & Lomb announced a recall for over 1,000,000 bottles of ReNu MultiPlus contact Lens Solution. Apparently they were contaminated with trace iron elements. So far there have been no reported adverse effects.



Check out details on the ReNu Contact Lens Solution Recall. Now might be a good time to consider Lasik.

Post sponsored by usaeyes.com

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Human Pole Position

A cool stop motion animation using people. This time they are recreating Pole Position. Yeah, people as pixels. Pretty cool.

One Disturbing Commercial

Eagleman is on the way! Yay! Man, that is one creepy commercial. Viral for some insurance company.

From our friends at MilkandCookies.com

Encyclopedia Site

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Encyclocentral.com is a new encyclopedia and article site that provides unique, original and informative How To content; much like wikipedia in a non wiki format.
The site is set up a little strangely, but it's definitely not difficult to navigate. Again with the baby blue though LOL. I wish I could shake people and make them stop. Oh well, blue is soothing, right? The database seems to be growing, including an entry for Abebooks New Used Rare Books Textbooks. Articles and news as well as your typical encyclopedia fare seems to be what this site is about. Check them out.
Post sponsored by Encyclocentral.com

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Stairway To Heaven

I was channel surfing the other night and ran into "The Song Remains the Same", Led Zeppelin's live docuconcert. Wow, the last time I saw that was in high school , seriously drunk, at a midnight movie.

Considered the best rock and roll song ever written, Stairway to Heaven is Led Zeppelin's biggest hit. WFMU, a New York radio station, has compiled a directory of 101 covers of the song.



From our friends at MilkandCookies.com

The Bubble Man

Tom Noddy performs his magic on the David Letterman show. Seriously, the things this guy does are amazing. A square bubble? Whoa. I wonder, if he put enough together would it look like a honeycomb?



From our friends at MilkandCookies.com

Single Moms and Dads Dating Site

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As a formerly single dad, I can certainly attest to how difficult it is to find someone to date. There are so many issues to consider, but the main thing is how the potential date will react to the news you have a child or how they will interact with them if and when you introduce them.

SingleMomsAndDads.com is a dating site specifically for Single Parents. Joining is free and you can immediately search for singles. The site itself is laid out fairly nicely, though the designer in me dislikes the color scheme. Just an asthetic thing for me. Not a fan of the baby blue. Other than that, it's not bad. Navigation is easy and the search function is a piece of cake.
This post sponsored by SingleMomsAndDads.com

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Elastigirl

I know there are some people who have a particular fetish for flexible women, but this sort of things kinda creeps me out. I always feel like something's going to slip and her back will break.
Thanks to MilkAndCookies.com

When Graphic Artists Get Bored

A little bit of Photoshop and a lot of creativity make for a really cool video. Very cool and very real-looking pictures created by some very talented people.
Soundtrack by Blue Man Group. Thanks to Milkandcookies.com

Lemon Free Car Classifieds

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Lemonfree.com is an online service that provides people looking to purchase a car with a huge database to search through.



The search function is broken down by make, model and state and works very quickly. I did a search for a 1999 Nissan Altima in Florida and it brought up 6 listings very quickly.

Their Used Car Classifieds service is free and it's also free to list your own vehicle if you need to.

Here are some links so you can see how their servcice works:

Nissan Altima
Mazda 3
Infiniti G35
Honda CRV

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The New World

So I'm watching the movie The New World, by Terence Mallick, to see if it's as bad as the reviews said it was. You gotta figure that it must have been pretty awful for it to have been in the theaters for what seemed only a week. After having endured the last Mallick abortion, Thin Red Line (probably the coolest title for the worst movie ever), I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised. It stinks.

Another indicator of its awfullness should have been the fact that the controversy surrounding the gross Colin Farrell's love scenes with the 14 year old Q'Orianka Kilcher did nothing at all to draw people in to see this bloated corpse of a movie.

It's a pretty bad day when your film is compared to a Disney animated movie and it loses. Though the Barbie-esque Pocahontas in Disney's version was ridiculously lithe and mature and the story sappier than Maine in maple season, Mallick's film is so horrible that it makes Disney's version look like Lawrence of Arabia.

Mallick should have followed his dream, which was obviously to be a wildlife photographer, because he spends 90% of his film panning across woodland groves or zooming his macro lens down to scope out grasshoppers and corn stalks. Or maybe he should simply be relegated to shooting stock footage because he can certainly shoot a gorgeous image of the sun through the trees or water flowing over a rock. It's dialogue and character development and plotline and story and pacing that he sucks so bad at. Good God this movie sucks. Learn to edit Terrence. Better yet, go back to being a grip. Windy naration does not a story make. Even Christian Bale can't save this piece of crap.

Man's Pole Protest Ends

Some guy in Germany camped out on top of a television antenna to protest his conviction and upcoming jail term. He had holed himself up in a tiny box atop the 72 foot pole. I actually think a jail cell would have been a bit bigger. Apparently he decided to come down when his wife sent topless photos of herself up the pole. Wow.

Topless wife photo ends man's pole protest

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German man who spent 10 days in a self-made box atop a 72-foot-tall pole to protest a looming jail term was lured off his perch by his wife -- who sent up a topless picture of herself in his lunch box.

Full Story

Canada Wants UFO Technology

A former Canadian Defense Minister thinks that UFO technology can save the world from its global warming problems.

UFO science key to halting climate change: former Canadian defense minister

OTTAWA (AFP) - A former Canadian defense minister is demanding governments worldwide disclose and use secret alien technologies obtained in alleged UFO crashes to stem climate change, a local paper said Wednesday.

"I would like to see what (alien) technology there might be that could eliminate the burning of fossil fuels within a generation ... that could be a way to save our planet," Paul Hellyer, 83, told the Ottawa Citizen.

Full Story

Swiss Invade Liechtenstein

A Swiss army unit running training exercises accidentally crossed over their border into Liechtenstein, nearly causing an embarrassing diplomatic incident. They must not have been carrying their knives with the built in compasses.

Swiss accidentally invade Liechtenstein

ZURICH, Switzerland - What began as a routine training exercise almost ended in an embarrassing diplomatic incident after a company of Swiss soldiers got lost at night and marched into neighboring Liechtenstein.

According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered just over a mile across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.

Full Story

Staph Infections a Growing Problem

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Staph infections, once somewhat isolated in hospitals, has moved out into the public arena and is on the verge of becoming a major issue for athletes, children and the elderly, among others.

Check out the news clips here for more information on how the problem is spreading.

Anyone can get a staph infection and some cannot be killed with common antibiotics. MRSA, or methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus is a particularly tough one that cannot be controlled by over the counter antibiotics. MSRA is contageous, spread through close physical contact.



Staphaseptic is a product that can be purchased in a number of stores and is effective at combatting this and other infections.
This post sponsored by Staphaseptic

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Will It Blend?

Apparently this is something people find interesting.

After seeing the Bassomatic and the car blender, anything else pales by comparison.

Online Florist For New Yorkers

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If you live in New York, there is a florist online that can take your order and deliver beautiful flowers and gifts to anyone you like in the city. Digital Flowers is a New York flower shop that can handle all of your floral needs. They also carry many other gifts such as chocolates, teddies, ballons and gift baskets.
The good news is they also deliver just about anywhere else in the United States too. The site itself is laid out pretty well and is easy to navigate too. Everything you need to find is right on the front page, so there's no digging around to find something. From a graphic design point of view, the site is fairly easy on the eyes, though I myself have a pet peeve about sites that insist on being 800 x 600. I know this is the standard, but the idea that comapnies cannot take advantage of the internet and offer nice, large graphics because some old guy in Wisconsin still has a commadore 64 is annoying.
This post sponsored by DigitalFlowers.com

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Why Are You An Athiest?

Richard Dawkins answers this question when asked it by Paula Zahn. Quite a well spoken answer it is. It's refreshing to see a person actually get to say what they are there to say. Usually the anchor interrupts and runs the thing the way they want.