As of right now, my son doesn't care about TMNT. The LEGO Ninjago theme features a lead ninja named Kai (my son's name), so they are clearly his LEGO ninjas of choice. I'm still excited about this, though - more LEGO for me. LEGO Krang!
Yes. I see the LEGO pizza, too. Go to Geekologie.com to see shots from all of the upcoming sets, to be released in 2013.
ATTACK OF THE CUTE
A friend of mine went on an Attack of the Cute posting rampage on Facebook last week, & I was made aware of this site for hours I wouldn't want back if I could have them. Can you look away? I mean, really?
Bunny!
Sloths!
Otters!
There's even a collection of photos of a real-life Bambi/Thumper friendship. Can't stand the cuteness. Check out Attack of the Cute anytime you need to warm up your cold, cold heart.
GAY MEN WILL MARRY YOUR GIRLFRIENDS
For all the asses out there still opposing gay marriage, College Humor has a message for you. A hilarious, on-point message.
This cat's name is actually Tartar Sauce, which is marvelous in itself, but it has become internet-famous as Grumpy Cat. Memes based on this cat's wonderful face are plentiful.
Read about Grumpy Cat's rise to fame, & buy Grumpy Cat merchandise (yes, really!), including Grumpy Cat Christmas cards, here.
PENTATONIX - CAROL OF THE BELLS
The Christmas season can officially begin with this gorgeous, haunting version of Carol of the Bells.
Smoothicus lipsicus! At Bubble & Geek's etsy shop, you can buy this natural lip balm of vanilla & butterscotch goodness. Along with lip balms, other items available at the shop are candles & soaps, all with a geeky flair. For instance, a vanilla & peppermint lip balm will remind you that Winter is Coming, & a candle with the sweet scent of Pipe-weed will have you imagining you're in the Shire. You know I love Plants vs Zombies, so I particularly squealed over the Zombie Repellent candle, which smells like sunflowers (of course). Perfect gifts for the geeky girl in your life (hint hint). Buy them (for me) here.
TORONTO SKYLINE
It's hard to believe a city can change so much in 14 years, but I love this CBC before/after series - compare the skyline today with how it looked in 1998. So that's what all those cranes have been doing. Crazy. Check out the photos (with fun scrolling option) here.
NIGHTMARES FEAR FACTORY PHOTOS
I love these. Nightmares Fear Factory is a haunted house attraction in Niagara Falls, & their website features photos of their visitors being scared. They are hilarious. Buzzfeed has just posted a collection of "bros" being scared here, & I highly recommend it.
FELIX BAUMGARTNER
So, a guy fell from space yesterday. That's pretty cool. After free falling 128,097', Felix Baumgartner said, “Trust me, when you stand up there on top of the world, you become so
humble. It’s not about breaking records anymore. It’s not about getting
scientific data. It’s all about coming home.” Read more here.
Will Twilight ever not be made fun of? Hopefully not. A few weeks ago, I shared the hilarious Bad Lip-Reading of Twilight, where we learned never to eat Edward's cake. I've just discovered Honest Trailers, so here is the Honest Trailer of Twilight, starring Vanilla & Shovel Face.
I love The Avengers Honest Trailer, as well. "Witness the excitement of Iron Man repairing a spaceship for 20 minutes."
STINGRAY PHOTOBOMB
Yes, you can see the handler behind this adorable Stingray. Does that make this photo any less awesome? No. Here's an excerpt from a letter one of the girls wrote to the Huffington Post after this photo went viral: This photo was taken five years ago in Cayman Island at Stingray
Island. We were on a cruise for spring break. The photographer
originally asked us to take a photo with the stingray in front of us,
which we did, but then afterward as a joke he put it on our backs
without us knowing! Our reactions are genuine, and the photographer
snapped the photo at the perfect time! We had no idea that the photo was
so brilliant until later when he showed us the proof. We immediately
bought it. From left to right are Sarah Bourland, Natalie Zaysoff,
Kendall Harlan.
And just because, here's one more animal photobomb, this time a sloth. *squeal*
21 YEARS
Cory McLeod's parents took a photo of his face every day, for 21 years. Watch a person grow in this fascinating time-lapse video.
WALL TENTACLES
My Sister-in-Law brought this to my attention last week, which I think was kind of cruel because why didn't she just order it for me? You can't just say "Hey Lisa, this would look cool next to your dragon head!", & leave it at that. It's only $3500! Take in its beauty:
Check out more of this artist's work at ArtAkimbo's Etsy shop (where there are also smaller versions for around $250 - I'm not suggesting everybody should pitch in, but that's kind of a great idea & I would like it in purple.).
HISTORY OF TV THEME SONGS
Jimmy Fallon recently had the cast of his new show (Guys with Kids) on, & they presented this ambitious medley of TV theme songs. Sadly missing is the Growing Pains theme song, but it is well done, & you can't help but smile.
So, show me that smile again (oooh, show me that smile).
Those were my favourite sweets of the past week. Come back next week for more goodies!
Ten minutes after I published my track-by-track review of the new Ben Folds Five album,The Sound of The Life of The Mind, the video for "Do It Anyway" was released & I had to immediately update the post to include it. Put together by Chris Hardwick (of Nerdist fame & Lisa crushing), it is one of the happiest things I've ever seen, & a wonderful way to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of The Fraggles. Enjoy everything, but especially Anna Kendrick's shirt. WANT.
Also enjoy the making of, which is far more entertaining than a making of should be.
STRAWZ
Look, it's not like I have a problem getting bourbon into my mouth, but these straws would make it more fun* than my usual dramatic sobbing as my Han-Solo-Frozen-in-Carbonite ice cube melts away into it: "You KNOW? What kind of response is that, you nerf-herder! Get back here!" Construct your own silly straw from this set of 44 dishwasher-safe pieces. Imagine the drinking game possibilities!
Buy it at thinkgeek.com.
*More fun for my husband, who has to listen to that weekly.
ED O'NEILL MEME
This has been going around quite a bit & at first I thought Modern Family must have been giving a nod to Married With Children. Then I realized that a newspaper was a pretty subtle way to do that, so I did what every curiosity leads me to do: shots of whiskey. After that, I googled it. Turns out it's a prop newspaper that has been used in many TV shows & movies throughout the years, with common headlines like "Cat Burgler Strikes Again" to avoid legal/continuity issues. Check out this compilation by a Reddit user:
Now for your mind to be blown:
Ed O'Neill reading about himself reading the same newspaper for 20 years.
LEGO LORD OF THE RINGS: THE VILLAINS
The video game won't be in my PS3 until October 30, but the villain artwork has been released today. Saruman! Uruk-Hai! Orcs! Cave Troll! Ringwraiths! Shelob! Nazgul! Balrog! So excited!
Also confirmed is that ALL of Middle Earth will be recreated in this game (not just the parts seen in the movies) for exploring, & extra hidden tasks. So it's been nice, but I'm going off the grid in November.
AARON PAUL ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Last night, Aaron Paul won his second Emmy for his masterclass performance as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad. I love seeing how moved he gets when he wins these things, like he really doesn't know he's brilliant. Check out his win:
But it's not just award shows that bring out emotions in Aaron Paul...being told to "Come on down!" also works. Check out this amazing footage of his Red Bull-fueled appearance on The Price is Right before he was famous. It's The Showcase Showdown, bitch!
Those were my favourite sweets of the past week. Come back next week for more goodies!
I need to have one of these in my life. The fact that I am useless with a needle & thread is not the real issue here - choosing which one I want the most is. So what if I never actually use it?
Boba Fett Fat Cat
Indiana Jones Fat Cat
Check out Fat Cat Crafts' Etsy page for more designs featuring Dr. Who, Star Trek, Super Mario, & more.
TESLA VS EDISON
General Electric recently began a marketing campaign using Thomas Edison, based on the Ryan Gosling Hey Girl meme.
Brilliant, you say. Sure, if you aren't aware of Thomas Edison's jerktastic history of stealing other people's ideas. Edison was a founder of GE, so it's obvious why they are using him in their ads, but for an internet campaign (when the internet kind of hates him), it seems ill-advised. Anywhere these memes are posted, you will find comments that amount to "Edison was a douche. Nicola Tesla FTW!"
I didn't know anything about Tesla until I saw The Prestige, which made me want to find out more (because if David Bowie plays you in a movie, you must to be a special kind of awesome).
My favourite explanation of Tesla's awesomeness is this comic from The Oatmeal. Please, please, please read it. Then read about this campaign to build the first Tesla Museum on the New York property where Tesla tried to, you know, provide free wireless energy for the entire planet. Just another day for Nicola. The project's goal was $850,000 - just enough to buy the land. To date, $1,250,925 has been raised (more is still needed to build the actual museum). I told you the internet loved Tesla, right? Donate here.
THE WIRE: RPG & LEGO VERSIONS
College Humor has created another imagined RPG, as they did with Game of Thrones & several other series. This time The Wire gets spoofed, & you can watch it here with a bowl of Honey-Nut Cheerios & whiskey...but if you haven't seen all 5 seasons of this incredible show, stay away until you have! There are as many spoilers as there are bodies in the vacants.
Also watch this LEGO version of The Wire. Shiiiiiiiiiiit, it is awesome.
CLOCKWORK - K'NEX BALL MACHINE
When I showed this to my son, he said "It's amazing how talented some people in this world are." Creator & YouTube user Austron says this project "took 8 months to build, has over 40,000 pieces, over 450 feet of
track, 21 different paths, 8 motors, 5 lifts, and a one-of-a-kind
computer-controlled crane, as well as two computer-controlled
illuminated K'nex balls."
Love it.
BUDDY GUY & JONNY LANG
This past week, my husband & I saw blues legend Buddy Guy in concert with Jonny Lang. Buddy Guy is 76 & it was a treat to see him play & interact with the crowd. Here's a video that someone uploaded from the concert - Hoochie Coochie Man, including Buddy scolding the audience at the 2:20 mark:
Jonny Lang blew us away. If you're not familiar with his later work, you probably remember the teenager with the skill & voice of a blues veteran in 1997, when Lie To Me came out. Now he's in his 30s, & the passion he sings with makes me wonder if he's this intense in his every day life. No videos from our show have been uploaded yet (although enough people were recording with their phones, so come on, people!), but here's a song he played that's been stuck in my head since:
So great. If you have a chance to see them live, GO!
Those were my favourite sweets of the past week. Come back next week for more goodies!
Jade Thompson had these made for her boyfriend & now I kind of wish I was her boyfriend. Everything about these is wonderful. The business card (is that pale nimbus white?), the videotape, the book, the weapons & HOLY BATEMAN, the "Don't just stare at it, eat it" quote. Perfection.
Those are very fine cupcakes you're not eating.
BREAKING WARS/STARS BAD
I love Breaking Bad, & I love Star Wars. Over at Something Awful, they host a Photoshop Phriday, where their users take on a particular theme. This week it was Breaking Bad meets Star Wars, & some of these are genius.
You can view the whole gallery of images here, but beware of Breaking Bad spoilers!
BAD LIP READING OF TWILIGHT
Think Twilight is bloody awful, but can't get away from it? A bad lip reading of Twilight makes it much more palatable. Such a vast improvement on the dialogue - how dare she eat his cake! Hilarious.
Kevvvvvvin.
PLANTS VS ZOMBIES TOYS
Toys "R" Us stores now have based-on-an-app sections, featuring toys from Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Annoying Orange, & Where's My Water. But where are the beloved zombies & plant warriors from the always fun Plants Vs Zombies? Popcap has finally created a line of toys & they. are. adorable.
Available for pre-order now, along with Sunflower, Squash & Jalapeno here.
Way to ignore my brain & head straight for my heart, Disco Zombie! I want all of them. They will go lovely with my "Plants vs Zombies"-themed kitchen, don't you think?
FACE JUGGLER
This is an app you need to have. Face Juggler immediately identifies & swaps the faces in a picture, with amusing results. The free version lets you swap 2 faces, & the $1.99 version will let you swap up to 10 faces in 1 photo. It is entertaining.
These are the things that I think are great. So great that I want to sing about them.
HOGWARTS TREE HOUSES
J.K. Rowling has been given permission to build Hogwarts-inspired tree houses for her 2 youngest children. 40' tall, on stilts, complete with a rope bridge, secret tunnels & an owl post. After looking at these plans, I am not ashamed to say that I am jealous of these kids.
Maybe the smaller house will be stocked with Butterbeer & treats from Honeydukes. How I wish I could apparate.
STAR WARS ART - AMANDA VISELL
Artist Amanda Visell has created Star Wars wooden figures, complete with boxes to display them in, or next to. They are pretty much the most adorable things ever. I mean, Princess Leia comes with a comb & a mirror.
See Amanda's whimsical Star Wars series here, & spend all day looking at, & maybe purchasing, her beautiful art - paintings, sculptures, & figures - here.
LEGO'S 80th ANNIVERSARY
Recently LEGO released a short film to celebrate its 80th Anniversary. The film tells the story of the Christiansen family behind the Danish company, & of the struggles & persistence that resulted in what is arguably the greatest toy ever. (I say "arguably" to be fair, but if you actually argue with this, I don't think we can be friends.) Of course, being a LEGO-lover, I already knew much of this incredible story, but there are details that were new to me (I knew that LEGO got its name from the Danish phrase meaning "Play Well", but I didn't know what LEGO coincidentally means in Latin: "I Put It Together"). The short film is beautiful, charming & touching. I love that it includes a reference to the photo taken of the 3 generations of Christiansens who have run the company, Ole, Godtfred & Kjeld. Well done as always, LEGO.
SAN FRANCISCO KINETIC TOOTHPICK SCULPTURE
Scott Weaver has been working on this toothpick sculpture of San Francisco for 35 years. 35 years. For detailed photos of each section, & a video of ping pong balls moving through the sections (explained by Scott), go here. The man loves his city, & would be a great spokesperson for Elmer's Glue, as he says it's the only glue he has used. 35 years!
A-HA - TAKE ON ME
Yes, I'm aware it's not 1985, but I feel this must be shared. On Saturday I was at a wedding & found out that a 21 year old acquaintance of mine did not know this song. At all. Not even from an 80's-themed party or anything. She didn't even know the iconic video, & I practically acted it out on the dance floor. Clearly, there needs to be a resurgence in the popularity of this song & video. Share it with the young people in your life, immediately.
Be sure to check out the literal video version of Take On Me at funnyordie, & if you've never seen a literal video version, you MUST begin with Total Eclipse of The Heart. It is the best thing the internet has come up with, IMO. I still think "Fonzie's Been Cloned" & "Mullet With Headlights" would be amazing band names.
Those were my favourite internet sweets of the past week. Come back next week for more goodies!
These are the things that I think are great. So great that I want to sing about them.
ROM-COM FACE-SWAP
Finally, a site that compiles all your favourite Romantic Comedy movie posters with the faces swapped. I seriously love Sandra Bullock as a man in both of her posters featured on this site, but this poster has a tiny Ryan Reynolds, so...
And because I can't just choose one favourite, here's another one I can't stop staring at. Is it just me, or do they look better like this?
I know it's still August, & nobody should be thinking about the harsh realities of winter, but these are too full of awesome to wait. Canada isn't quite the frozen wasteland Hoth is, but these new Wampa ice scrapers from thinkgeek will help me pretend.
I might get 2 & lumber around roaring & swiping at people. They would certainly come in handy for snow-shoveling wars with the neighbours. Available in October for $24.99, you can sign up to be notified by email when they're in stock here.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY CAST DOES NEWSIES
Perhaps I'm moving too quickly from nerd territory into super-nerd territory, but this must be shared. The touring cast of The Addams Family reworked the opening song from Newsies, "Carryin' The Banner". Tired of moping around on stage, here they dream about singing & dancing as happily as those newsboys, imagining "a show with no more snaps".
THEATRE PEOPLE ARE AWESOME. Compare with the original version from my #1 sick day movie pick, Newsies. Because how could Christian Bale in a Disney musical about unions in 1899 New York not improve your day?
BABY GOT BACK - SUNG BY THE MOVIES
This made me laugh. To see a full list of movies used, go here & hover over the CC button.
Those were my favourite internet sweets of the past week. Come back next week for more goodies!
These are the things that I think are great. So great that I want to sing about them.
BREAKING BAD ART
I could waste hours on etsy. Not being a very crafty person means that crafty people amaze me. Sometimes I just click & click, letting the site lead me where it will. The other day, I searched for Breaking Bad items, & I love what I found.
This is a guy who is passionate about his food. The original YouTube review is pretty amazing, but this songified version makes me laugh, dance AND sing along. I've watched it at least 5 times. Dayum, Dayum, DAYUM!
STEPHEN WILTSHIRE
When I first saw this, it was being shared with the added statement "Can't be real". It's not that hard to do a little research before speaking, people. Stephen Wiltshire is an autistic artist with a passion for architecture.
Aerial of Toronto
Even more amazing is that he is considered a savant in 2 areas (visual art & music), which is something only recorded once before. His story is fascinating - read more & buy his prints & books at his official site.
GUY THINKS HIS SISTER IS HOT
I didn't want to watch this, but after 3 people sent it to me directly, I broke down. So trust me, & watch it - it's not what you think. Or maybe it is...
Now watch it again.
COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE
I've just discovered this new series by Jerry Seinfeld, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee". Even though I had seen his tweets about it, I never really got it. Which makes me dumb, because it is as literal as a title can be. It took a tweet from Elijah Wood, calling the series "inspired", & then I had to watch it. (I don't know what it is, but Elijah Wood seems very trustworthy to me. The hours I have spent watching the Lord of the Rings special features have taught me much about movie magic, but also that Elijah Wood is incredibly articulate, well-informed, & a cool guy. I'll believe anything he tells me.)
Make yourself a coffee & watch the 4 short episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee here. The latest episode with Alec Baldwin is fantastic, but I am partial to the Larry David one, because Larry David. Enjoy the promo for the show which features AN AUTHENTIC SPIT-TAKE.
Those were my favourite internet sweets of the past week. Come back next week for more goodies!
