5 Other Places

While I love Nine Moons (and even visit By Common Consent and Times & Seasons, from time to time), I must admit that my life online doesn't revolve around the Bloggernacle™. In fact, of the eight or so hours a day I spend online (work, mostly), I'd say only a few precious moments each morning are spent among the saints. What, pray tell, could possibly tempt me away from the iron-alloy rod? Well … lemme tell you. I won't bore you with a list of all 600+ feeds in my newsreader. Instead, I'll just hand pick a few gems:

1001 Rules for My Unborn Son — part of a larger library of "daddy" and "dude" sites I follow (Cool Tools, The Art of Manliness), 1001 Rules is a delightful compendium of wisdom, wit (ahem), and music. Start at the beginning.

TED Talks — I love having my world view challenged (occasionally). These folks who bill themselves as "ideas worth spreading", offer "riveting talks by remarkable people". And they do it with charm and panache. My favorite? A must-watch 15 minute talk on the Liberal and Conservative mindsets.

Cute Overload — sometimes kittens (or puppies, or something else, entirely) are just what the doctor ordered for a bad day. Be sure to check out the Rules of Cuteness.

Front Porch Republic (found via the inimitable Russell Fox) — I am, most of all, a political creature. As a child, I dreamt of being king of a small, sovereign state carved out of Montana (apparently I wasn't alone). But practical considerations suggested I work within the system. The folks at FPP write much that resonates with the best of me. I think they may resonate with you, too.

Player-vs-Player (a close second would have been Looking for Group) — online comics are my guilty pleasure. And PvP is the best-written, best-drawn, geekiest, and funniest of them all. No need to start at the beginning, you can catch-up with the character bios. Or just buy a t-shirt.

NB: This post is cross-posted from 5 Other Places, at Nine Moons. Please join us over there to comment!

What Goes "In" Must Come "Out"

For your reading pleasure: another wonderful snapshot of family life at Samantha's home. Thank you Adam. Thank you Samantha.

:)

And here are a couple of stories (I & II) that sound like Adam in 30 years.

Grickle

I know it feels like I'm turning this into a video blog. But really … I can't help it. I keep finding really great videos. I promise: I'm thinking deep thoughts about the Palin affair, about gay marriage, about realpolitik — but when I come across something visual, my gut just aches to share it.

Behold, the genius of Grickle:

Warming Up on McCain / Palin

I've got plenty of serious commentary on the progress of the campaign — which I'll get to soon enough. But why bemoan, when you can just laugh your arse off:



And then there's this one, from CNN… I'm not sure which is more amusing: Ben Stein (a major Republican strategist — and a man with a delightful cameo in Ferris Buehler's Day Off) gobsmacked by the choice of Palin — or the CNN talking head stunned at Stein's candor!

Oh l'Amour!

I love animation… and I especially love the student work done at French powerhouse art school, Gobelins (the irony that a visual communications school has, perhaps, the ugliest site I've seen in some time is not lost on me). Check out this recent masterpiece… Oktapodi.

UPDATE: Here's a little "making of" video!

Oh Danny Boy.

I nearly shat myself laughing.

The Deer Passed Away

So there's a great post over at By Common Consent about the BYU Police Blotter… my favorite is this one:

A deer was hit by a vehicle on Ninth East on the south end of Kimball Hall. Police responded and reported that the deer passed away.

Chinese Factory Worker Can't Believe the [Crap] He Makes For Americans

Sure it's from The Onion... but we all know it's true. Horribly, profoundly, embarrassingly true.

And Now... a Word from Our Sponsor

A little YouTube goodness...





And, of course, a public service announcement to cap it all off...

Not Gay.

So, I interrupt the series on my recent trip to London to bring you a little mirth... namely, to introduce you to my favorite comic — whose strip today (story arch begins here) made me laugh out loud.

I'd recommend starting at the beginning (which, um, looks a little different) — or, at the very least, reading-up on the characters. You can even check-out the PVP entry at Wikipedia.

For any of my readers worried that this comic strip may be risqué... um, it's ME, folks... though not a children's comic, this is definitely PG material.

I [Heart] Chris Yates

I love to drive… I love maps… and I love art (maps and art are rarely mutually exclusive). So imagine my thrice-blessed eyes this morning, when I came across artist Chris Yates' version (can you find the errors?) of a subway-esque interstate map for the US?

I think I've reached Nirvana (and not the crap-band from the 80s).

And for my brothers and sisters who love Canada as much as I do, Chris also has one for you…




Hat tip: Strange Maps

Um... Pee, Poo, and Germs

This post is a gift to all my readers with small children, or young nephews and neices ( man, we need a categorical term for that, don't we — like "siblings" or "cousins"... hm... ).

Enjoy: Pee, Poo, and Germs.

The Snowman... and His Evil Twin

Have you seen The Snowman? The British, animated short featuring a boy and his snowman? It's one of my favorite holiday treats... but nothing that good stays un-tarnished. Marketers love a good hook, and the folks at Irn Bru ( a not-so-soft-drink from the UK ) found theirs.

See a grainy snippet from the original ( you really ought to buy the full short ):



And now, for your delectation, the advert from Irn Bru:

Who's Your Daddy?

So I drove past the Delta Center a week back, and noticed that the Delta Airlines sign was in bad shape — faded and banged-up. And I thought that it was time they replaced it... who would have thought the demons in charge of irony would hear my little prayer?

Seems like Larry H. Miller has left Delta in her nightgown, and has gone and jumped into bed with the hottest thing in town: nuclear waste. Yup... the Delta Center is now, officially, EnergySolutions Arena. Don't recognize the name? Well, they're the fine folks we used to call Envirocare ( and a few other things, that I won't print in my blog ).

The irony of a company like that sponsoring a sporting center isn't wasted, of course, on the good folks over at the Salt Lake Tribune. They're asking folks to give the Big Gray Box a nickname... so slink on over to the poll, and make your voice heard! What shall it be?

Glow in the Dark Park
The Tox Box
Nuclear Winner Stadium
Nukeback Mountain
Meltdown Manor
The Fallout Shelter
Plutonium Palace
Radium Stadium
The Glow Dome

I voted for the Tox Box... but the Glow Dome is a close second.

Watch-out, folks, there are Mormons afoot!

So, it would seem that Deseret First Credit Union — a credit union chartered to serve members and employees of the Church — has finally discovered its funny bone... now if only someone could discover a brand identity specialist to give it a modern logo.

* sigh *

Ads found via a heads-up over at Times & Seasons.



The fourth video is for us old farts who remember Cheers when it was in first runs.

Can I Buy You a Coke?

Looks like the geniuses behind Coke's adverts have done it again.

Welcome to the Happiness Factory!



My favorite part? The snow people getting fargoed.

Heh.

YouTube Link.

Thou art as fat as butter.

Whee!

A Shakespearean insult generator.

: )

( Thanks Clark! )

Milk Bath

When her kitty got a skin ailment, she decided it was time for a milk bath.

Adorable.

The Picard Song

I am such a geek nerd.

Matt posted a Google Video link to a music video featuring TNG Sims characters.

I had to share it with you, my valued readers... which brings me back to my thesis:

I am such a geek nerd.

Mm Tasty: Bacon Strip Bandages!

Behold... the power of BACON! ... from Sprout Home.

Hat tip: Mighty Goods.