FreeStyle Canoeing

Leave it to the Internet to expose us to odd stuff we've never seen or could understand before. I present to you, Freestyle canoeing. The action doesn't start until around 1:20, pretty much all you miss if you fast forward to that point is the guy's name and the fact that he's performing to "Lady in Red".

32 Truths for Mature Humans

Last night, my wife sent me this list of "32 Undeniable Truths For Mature Humans" (she sent the link in a .jpg file, but I later googled and found this link). Some of these are kind of silly, but others are very very true and I got a good laugh out of it. I apologize if this seems like one of those "FW:FW:FW:" emails you get, but it's a pretty good list.

Straw Hat Riot of 1922

Throughout history there are these odd obscurities that have taken place that make you say "Really, could that happen"; the Straw Hat Riot of 1922 is one of these. We all know that New York City is well known for its fashion sense, but this event took that a little too far. Some kids decided it just wasn't cool to wear straw hats after a certain date, so they took action and smashed straw hats of anyone disobeying this fashion law. Come this September, I'm bringing back this trend, straw hat wearers beware ;).

30 Great Artistic Cakes

It's been a while since I've had a link to creative cakes, so it's about time for one. Here is a link to "30 of the World's Greatest Wedding Cakes". These are some really cool looking cakes, but I'm not too sure how wedding-appropriate they are (perhaps I'm just too traditional). Hopefully they're just as delicious as they are creative.

Back from Vacation

If you're a regular reader of my blog (thanks first of all), you've probably noticed that the past week I didn't post anything. I spent the week relaxing on a resort in Puerto Morales, MX (near Cancun). I did bring my laptop (actually for no good reason), but I wasn't really surfing the Internet, just hanging out on the beach, so I didn't blog. I didn't announce my absence just in case, on the slim chance, some clever criminal was out there ready to break into vacationer's home (not that I have much to take, but I didn't want to replace a door/window). Anyway, I'm back now, and you can expect your semi-frequent updates again.

21 Reasons to Hate English

I really feel bad for people that have to learn English. We speak and write in it fluently everyday, but still have to study hard in school to make a decent grade in school. There's (or is it their's) so many rules to remember for basic communication. Here is a list of "21 Reasons Why English Sucks". I know other languages are difficult and have weird rules as well, but English is the one I have to deal with.
*note: Just when you think English couldn't get much more difficult, move somewhere else (in or out of the country) and learn you speak the same language, yet differently

7 Video Game Warnings

When you step into the world of gaming, it's very easy to become very involved in what you're playing. It's true that games come with ratings and audience suggestions, but some should come with some more in-depth warnings. Here is an example of "7 Video Game Safety Warnings" that should be included. Now that you've been warned, enjoy pwning n00bs.

Nerf Nuke

I've often said that you can learn a lot about foreign relations by watching kids play on the playground. I thought this video pretty much sums up the way the world's arms race gos. It's not that the video is great or anything, but it's a good metaphor.

The End of a Era

Last Monday the final episode of Stargate Universe (SGU) aired, ending a great 17 season run of Stargate shows (10 Seasons of SG-1 (3 movies), 5 Seasons of Stargate Atlantis, and 2 Seasons of Stargate Universe). I can happily say that I've seen every episode and movie of the series. *Nerd Alert-- If you didn't know how big a nerd I was before, you will after this post.
Here comes the sad part of the whole thing.... It was sometime in early December that the announcement of the ending of SGU was announced. I must admit, after the first season, I knew something had to be done because the series just wasn't hitting its stride. I was a little surprised that SyFy would call it quits on the series that had done so much for them, but at the time of the cancellation announcement, the show was only just showing promise. Shortly after SGU really came alive and started producing quality shows that made me say "now that's the Stargate material I know and love". Unfortunately, it was too late for the show. On April 17th, Gateworld (the major stargate fan page) posted the following article, crushing the hopes of an immediate renewal of the series. Over the past five months, they developed a show that has a lot of potential to take off again, and be really excellent.
Immediately after the cancellation announcement, a facebook page of fans organized the Save Stargate Universe page(if you have Facebook, "like" this page to help the cause). The fans remain united and updates are posted regularly as to what you can do to keep the franchise alive. Even if another episode of Stargate never airs, the fans will be out there making sure the legacy lives on. If you're interested in how you can help and the "Save SGU plan", check out their Facebook page in the above link.

Urban Underground

UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

If you have an extra 30 minutes, this is a great video on some of the wonders below New York City. The explorer takes your through some great subway tunnels and the Lincoln tunnel, even interviewing some tunnel residents. I watched it last night and it's pretty intriguing.

I'd Catch a Bob-Omb For You

You gotta feel sorry for all that Mario did for Princess Peach... I felt this was a great parody of a song that gets stuck in my head a lot.

Kid Suspended for Gassing up the Bus

I'll take no sides on this story except on the side of humor. A kid has been suspended for having gas on the bus. The best part is that apparently he is a "repeat offender". I can see it from both points of view... not only is smelling up the bus one of the oldest forms of humor (despite it's classiness), it also forces everyone to join in. On the other hand, you don't want to be known as the cheese cutter. I went to school with a guy who carried the nickname "cheesy" all the way through 6th grade for such an incident.

Slamming on the brakes of a 747

It's a little comforting to know just how much safety testing goes into commercial airliners. Here is on such test. I actually found this on Wired's site and here is the link to the article there, if you're interested in reading further.

Cleaning the Cobra Tank

***-Don't watch if you're afraid of snakes-***
Imagine getting to the first day of your new job at the zoo and finding out this is what they decided to put you doing. The greatest part of the whole video is toward the end where all the cobras are in the corner standing up staring at the guy.

Inspiring 91 Year Old Weighlifter

Aging is a common fear. Let's face it, no one wants to get older or perish, but one or both are bound to happen. Here is an inspiring story of a 91 year old body builder who strives toward health. My favorite quote from the article is "and my new muscular frame drew a lot of admiring glances from women".
Personally, I've been running regularly for over a year now and have included the p90x workout over the past few weeks, and it's hard to stay motivated sometimes. As this guy pointed out, I imagine once you get up there in age you do want to consider that you're not going to be around much longer, but it seems like he's going to keep it up as long as he is able.

TV Ownership

With TV's getting more "uber" all the time, you would think owning them would be more and more of an attraction, however for the first time in 20 years TV ownership is down. I wouldn't think this is the TV's fault, you can get a used one from someone looking to upgrade pretty cheap, but TV service is what is expensive. Monthly bills for cable and satellite (in my experience) are around $50 per month ($600 per year).
This does make sense though, why waste money on a TV if you have a computer and Internet. You may not be able to watch certain shows (not considering pirating), but really, are those shows worth $600 per year. I don't think TV is going away anytime soon, but I think it is on the brink of losing it reign of top form of household entertainment.

Duckling vs. Dog

I've learned to never underestimate the power of waterfowl. Although the duckling makes a bite sized snack, he keeps the dog on the run, threatening to whack him with his tiny wings.