Birth of an Idea

Clever bumper sticker seen on a car in South Lake Union area.

A Time for Lists

It's the end of another year, and a time when people make lists of the year about to end. You come to this blog for intarweb stuffz, so I present the top 20 internet lists of 2009.

Pies R Round

This one's for you, David!


Now I need the formula for finding the volume of my stomach, in order to compare the two.

Beary Christmas

The Brown Bear car wash in Ballard decorates their huge (20-foot tall) bear for Christmas. That's a frikkin' huge hat!

On the Recent Airline Terror Incident

Q: How many TSA employees does it take to stop a terrorist?

A: Nobody knows; they've never done it.

Now take off your pants, please.

Caption Contest

Gentleman Gaga

Infoe Graphyxs

Infographics are cool, but, surprisingly, they're not new. I was a bit surprised to find out how =not= new they are when I examined these Victorian infographics.

Caption Contest Winner

This week's winner is Hurley.

See the original image here.

Merry Christmas

Now get out there and play with your new toys!

Friday Game

In case you need something to play on your new Christmas computer, here's a physics game with a twist. Shoot the required number of blocks to advance to the next level in Blosics.

The Science of Avatar

I haven't seen James Cameron's epic 3D sci-fi movie yet, and you don't have to in order to appreciate an astrophysicist's examination of The Science of Avatar.

Christmas Carols

Ok, chorus... everybody!

Christmas Eve

Poor tree has no lights. But it's still a nice tree.

Happy Festivus!

If you know your Seinfeld, you know your Festivus! Celebrate!

A Christmas Bunny

Unless you've lived under a rock since 1983, or you're my girlfriend, you've undoubtedly seen the classic movie A Christmas Story ("You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"). And so you know about the pink bunny suit.

Have you always wanted one for yourself? (Or perhaps a minor or significant other?) Then you're in luck! Get on over to Instructables and make your own Christmas Story bunny costume.

Frosting the Snowman

One of the results of the cookie-decorating party we went to the other night. This is my stylin' snowman with his pimpin' hat. Alas, he is no more; the victim of a horrible yet delicious mastication incident.

Caption Contest

How some companies are able to provide 24/7 tech support.

A Bit Horny

Are you a true metal rocker? Are you mad that regular people have co-opted and watered down the true meaning of throwing the hard rock horns? Then you'll want to join Dee Snider in his campaign to Take Back The Horns!

Caption Contest Winner

This week's winner is Joshua.

See the original image here.

Activity Corner

• 25 hilarious wifi network names.


• Make your own 3D pixel-style letters with the punched out font.


• Record up to 5 hours of first-person video with the Photojojo video glasses.


• Do you have a drain that often gets clogged? Then you need the PermaFLOW never-clog drain.


• The half-stressball, half-mouse Jelfin gel-covered ball mouse.


• Waiter and waitress insights: 30 secrets, and 20 more secrets.


• The physics of space battles.


• Animation that takes you from the Himalayas to the edge of The Known Universe and back again.


• The Morgan Freeman chain of command.


• 15 failed predictions about the future.


• What English sounds like to foreigners.


• The marketing tricks built into restaurant menus.


• Apparently, AT&T is being unfairly blamed (and keeping quiet about it) for the iPhone's faults.


• Two rules for success in life.


• Admiral Ackbar, barista!


• Imagination plus coloring books (plus some admittedly artistic talent) equals not your childhood coloring.


• The LOST underground art show.


• Blowing up toy cars in slow motion.


• You might be surprised, as I was, at the many different types of snowflakes there are. Check out the Guide to Snowflakes including the chart at the upper right of the page.


• The ultimate food chain.


• A story told in reverse.


• Viruses sculpted in glass combine science and art with glass microbiology.


• Just in case you haven't heard, here's a link to the amazing coconut-carrying octopus.


• Funny "Dear God" notes.


• Star Wars weather forecast. Try your city!


• The photographic periodic table. This should be made into a coffee table.
  Also, the periodic table of beer styles.


• Cute overload: wee hedgehog.


• Need a last-minute gift idea? How about a Hand Job?


• 19 unusual Nativities.


• A new animation of Simon's cat: snow business.


• If you're a fan of The Beatles and are considering the remastered box of albums, you might be surprised to learn you want to buy the mono box.


• The 30 most memorable mugshots of 2009.


• 27 crazy Menorahs.


• In these tough times, give a "gift" to a friend by donating to a fake charity.


• The tandem unicycle.


• Strike of an eagle owl at 1,000 frames per second.


• 2009 in pictures: part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Friday Game

You have to think fast and do what the game tells you (or not) on every level. Be quick; you can't make many mistakes trying to Obey the Game!

The Real Thing™

It was so cold in Seattle that even a discarded full can of Coke burst.

Nailing It

It started in October 2009, when a young lady (what's the word, nailologist?) decided to create a different design on her nails. Every day. For a year. Wow.

And not only does she provide a daily picture of her creative designs, she even gives you the details of what she uses and how she does each one.

If you have the time, start at the beginning and come forward to see the whole palette at The Daily Nail.

Best Seat in the House

Better than seats AT the 50 yard line, is being ON the 50 yard line.

Caption Contest

Let me at im, let me at im. I can take em!! I'll sting em, and pinch em,
and then munch um. EWWWW just let me at em!!!

"It's a cake... from a PAN."

Who doesn't love pancakes? They're so simple, yet so satisfying. And yet, there are so many ways you can make them; all it takes is a little imagination. Witness these works of pan art at a site dedicated to the blessed bounty of the stove or griddle, The Pancake Project.

Caption Contest Winner

This week's winner is ParticleJam.

See the original image here.

Activity Corner

• HOW DO I TURN OFF CAPS LOCK?


• It's not exactly rollerblading, but it is extreme downhill.


• The bagel Mobius strip.


• 16 awesome geek cufflinks. (Seriously? People still wear cufflinks?)


• A combination map/infographic of nuclear explosions since 1945.


• This is awesome. With all the USB-powered devices out there, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with the power outlet with USB ports.


• The MP3 headphone hat. Yes, a fittie with two speakers built right in.


• The 3000-light Christmas truck.


• Make your portable media player obnoxious to others with these stereo neckphones.


• If you have an iPhone and wish you could do something to complain about coverage, dropped calls, and voice quality, there's an app for that.


• Ski goggles with a heads-up display.


• Ice-cold beer in 90 seconds with this hand-cranked beer chiller.


• How huge is the online world? Check out this infographic for a day on the internet.


• Too-cute video of a kitty om nom nomming.


• 3-wolf-moon pajamas are AWESOME! These are full, one-piece footie pajamas with a backflap!


• Car hit by wrecking ball. Join the discussion on why it's fake.


• Map of the United States, where the states are replaced by flags of countries with comparable populations.


• Old-school laptop: student brings typewriter to class.


• For all my former biotech co-workers, check out these petri dish cookies and gel electrophoresis cookies.


• Happy Hannukah! Celebrate with the Star Trek menorah.


• Calvin and Hobbes covered by comic book artists.


• Here's how you make a hamburger and fries look good for a TV commercial.


• Can't afford an elegant car, but have lots of time and polyurethane foam on your hands? Then make yourself a PU-foam luxury car.


• 10 ways space isn't like TV or movies. Although even he gets the space exposure part wrong, too.


• 10 most ridiculous laws from around the world.


• Urban foxes.


• Subway architecture.


• A how-to on turning your gloves into conductive gloves for touchscreens.


• The mating dance of the blue-footed booby. Heh heh heh, I said "booby".


• Dresses made from almost anything and everything.


• An animation called The Passenger.

Friday Game

A great physics puzzle game. You shrink or grow the pieces to get the smiley face (or faces!) into the target area. But beware, you have to maintain the same amount of mass! See how many puzzles you can solve with Shrink It.

Frozen in Seattle

Crazy cold weather here in Seattle! The fountains in the food court today were frozen pretty solid. I'm not sure what the logs are for, but a worker had obviously broken up the ice around the cascades so the water wouldn't flow over the ice and out onto the sidewalks.

Blue 32, Hut Hut!

I love coming upon one of these whiteboards at work, imagining the frenzied drawing and gesturing, the changing of pen color for effect, and mostly for the incomprehensibility of what was going on.

It's the Cheesiest!

That's right, everything you've always wanted to know, or didn't know you wanted to know, about cheese! The Wikipedia of cheese is Cheesipedia.

Mudsquatch

Flyer seen on a local community bulletin board.

Caption Contest

"Look, I just want to know - do your ears pop
when you bend over to tie your shoes?"

Twitter, Doogie Howser Style

Doogie Howser was famous for typing a diary entry on his computer at the end of each episode, something that earned him the distinction of being possibly the first blogger. Anyway, now you can relive the medical phenomenon's typing with one of the latest social media phenomenons, Twitter. Simply add a username to the URL of the site and you get postings typed back to you, Doogie Howser-style, at Twoogie, MD.

Caption Contest Winner

This week's winner is ParticleJam.

See the original image here.

Activity Corner

• Cool USB "sonar" speaker that transmits sound through the surface it's on.


• A wooden laptop holder. And if you configure your laptop to remain on while it's closed, you can still use it (as a desktop) while it's in the holder.


• Geek gang signs. If you have to ask...


• Krampus is enjoying a comeback this holiday season. (You missed your chance for this t-shirt.)
Ok, sure, it's in Chinese with no subtitles, but you don't need that for the great CGI reenactment of the Tiger Woods incident.

• Compilation video of "one in a million" events.


• Is everyone clear on how pie charts work? Pie chart shenanigans.


• Cartoon of what happens when our computers are down.


• Good-to-know information on what happens during an iPhone backup.


• Interesting infographic showing the evolution of storage.


• Will monkeys really type Shakespeare if given enough time?


• I love that so much of accidental geography resembles Australia.


• Why you should be careful of the evidence when you arrest a suspected bank robber.


• You might know the canon, but you might be surprised at the original motivation for why Darth Vader wears a helmet.


• Thing that make you go aawwwww: chimp and white tiger cubs.


• I'm sometimes surprised at the amount of effort some people will go through to make something, like this Bic lighter laser burner.


• What was the future like back in 1958? Check it out in the Disney short Magic Highway.


• Read about Apollo 11's mission to the moon for practically the price of going there: the $90,500 Lunar Luxe. (Now =that's= a coffee table book, literally!)


• Fry up to 2.2 pounds of French fries with only a "spoonful" of oil with the ActiFry.


• Jealous of all those police dashcam and reality show inside-car videos? Well record and make your own with the (inside =and= out!) Dash Cam Dually.


• The most amazing beard of all time.


• In case you're living under a rock, the cute surprised kitten video.


• 100 days in Glacier National Park.


• Hamlet's soliloquy sounds better in Klingon.


• Get your own lighter branding iron.


• The world's most extreme and dangerous roads.


• Otters playing in the snow.


• "Not right" nativity scenes.


• The amazing comic-book-style, geeky-pop-culture wedding invitation.


• How to pull a tooth.


• The first link I ever posted, way back on my first web site in 1994, was the infamous exploding whale. The reporter reflects on the 40th anniversary of the exploding whale video.


• The 15 best prison movies.


• The USB-powered pet rock. Old school goes hi-tech!

Friday Game

Here's a really cool variation on your standard Breakout game with a physics twist. You move the paddle left and right, yes, but you use the up/down arrow keys to control the height of the bounce. The paddle also shows you the resulting bounce path, which lets you fine-tune your position. Try to clear the circles off the screen in Mr. Bounce.

Coworker Roundup

• "Well, they were pan-dimensional beings."


• "The microwave doesn't beep. It's the basenji of kitchen accoutrements."


• Guy: "I fell asleep in my office yesterday, watching my computer, because I've been taking cough syrup."
  Girl: "On purpose?"


• "I don't know which is worse, Clippy or the little frikkin' puppy dog."


• "She's... she's socially retarded."


• "While 'Ghost in the Machine' is a nice, 1981 Police album that reminds me of my early childhood, I think we should see what we can do to get ghosts out of our data center."


• "I sneezed while I was peeing, and I farted. For an instant, I had stuff coming out of every hole in my body."


• "Sometimes I must stop and remind myself of how many people are employees of the 'Good Intentions Paving Company'."


• "We should totally kill somebody with Nerf guns."


• "The trees throw primarily nature attacks."


• Guy 1: "And on that note, I have to go take a crap."
  Guy 2:"Uhhh... thanks for letting me know."


• "None of the servers threw an error because none of the servers BELIEVE that it's an error."


• "Let me tell you, baby formula tastes NOTHING like breast milk."

Not Garbage At All

They may be garbage bags, but they don't contain garbage. This is just a small sample of the huge amount of "clothing check" bags of runners in the Seattle Marathon this past weekend.

Deviant Definitions

Don't let the name fool you. The definitions of simple words are hilariously eccentric. The simple illustrations help recall childhood books at My First Dictionary.

The Rainbow Cart

Strange cart in the hospital with color-labeled drawers. I like how they added "Gray" to the top one, which was already doing double duty.