Brian Green's Blog

State of This Blog

2012-01-16T19:15:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you noticed that I haven't posted in a while. There's actually no good reason. With that said, I'm not quite sure where to go with my blog. I've been doing it for about 5 1/2 years, but it's not something that I enjoy doing that much any longer, and I'm not sure how relevant it is either with all the changes online since then. This started out as a way to share the silly links that I found online, but now there are so many more ways to do that, and so much more material being thrown at you.
I do want to thank everyone for reading over the years and for your feedback. Who knows I may start it back up some day. I'm around on twitter/plurk and email which are all linked on the right side of the screen. If you did enjoy this blog and want similar links, here are a few links that I'll leave you with.
www.neatorama.com
www.boingboing.net
www.reddit.com
Strangely enough I got a lot of my materials from those three sites (probably in that order too) and things friends/family sent me.

History of the World Video

2011-12-29T20:27:00.001-05:00

Kalle Mattson - Thick As Thieves (Official Video) from Kevin Parry on Vimeo.

This is a neat little stop motion video of the "history" of the world including a brief section with aliens and robots.

A Tree From Bottles

2011-12-19T21:14:00.000-05:00

The article calls this city that made a Christmas Tree from Bottles frugal, but I call it smart. If you have a lot of garbage you can reuse, you may as well do it and do it creatively. Not only are they reusing what may otherwise be garbage, but they're saving an entire tree in the process. Another plus, it looks really great and unique.

The Internet Justice League

2011-12-15T19:08:00.001-05:00

Let's face it, the Internet has some amazingly super-powerful sites. One could even say that they are Super Heroes of the Internet. Here is a College Humor article creating the Internet Justice League. Poor Google Plus is always the butt end of the jokes.

Damon Claus for a Cause

2011-12-15T19:02:00.003-05:00

Matt Damon is a pretty funny guy no matter the situation. I thought this was a neat advertisement for the water.org water bottle that he did.

Gameboy's Super Mario Land on Minecraft

2011-12-12T17:58:00.001-05:00

There's no shortage of impressively creative Minecraft videos on YouTube, but I found this one particularly interesting. It's the classic Super Mario Land for Gameboy recreated using Minecraft blocks. As opposed to embedding the video, I'm linking to the Boing Boing article that explains how it was made.

25 Foods You'll Never be able to Eat Again

2011-12-12T17:55:00.000-05:00

Over the years, I've seen many food products come and go out of style. Some I was glad to see, others, not so much. A Facebook friend linked this "25 Foods You'll Never be able to Eat Again" article the other day and it got the nostalgic juices flowing. Just like old cartoons, I'd be willing to bet, if you tried one of these items today, it wouldn't be as good as you remembered. A while back, I did a search, and you can still buy unopened Crystal Pepsi bottles/cans on ebay.

Where is the Girl

2011-12-08T22:52:00.001-05:00

I got a good laugh out of this, but I wonder how often stuff like this happens

60 Alton Brown Facts

2011-12-05T23:11:00.001-05:00

We've all seen the Chuck Norris lists online, but when it comes to cooking, Alton Brown is the Chuck Norris of cooking and deserves his own list. Here is a list of 60 Alton Brown Facts.

Wampug

2011-11-30T22:18:00.001-05:00

So, this is what you get when you combine a wampa and a pug. Sure it may lock you upside down while in a cave, but it'll be cute while doing it.

Why Everyone Hates the IT Department

2011-11-29T20:21:00.001-05:00

Perhaps hate is a strong word, but us IT people sure do make for excellent fall guys. When technology goes awry, someone has to be blamed (we blame Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Al Gore). Here is a great article that attempts to explain "Why Everyone Hates the IT department". This is a pretty good read if you are an IT person, but could be a little long and boring if not.

Classic Programming Methods

2011-11-29T20:10:00.001-05:00

There's nothing like some good programming advice/humor. Here is a list of some of the classic nicknames for methods and debugging of programming that have a blogger has accumulated. Even if you're not a programmer, some of these are pretty funny.

The Man Who Would Not Hang

2011-11-28T21:33:00.001-05:00

I came across this article about the "Man who would not hang" a few weeks ago. I didn't save the link because it wasn't all that well written, but the link tells the story well enough. It's a link to the Wikipedia article about Joseph Samuel (the man in question). Unfortunately they don't tell how the guy lived the rest of his life (nor when he died, maybe he didn't), but I'd like to believe he lived his life helping those less fortunate.

Mario on the PETA Ads

2011-11-28T20:56:00.001-05:00

This video is a little violent, but we really don't think of Mario being violent, just fun. In the end, Mario is no less violent than some of the stuff on Looney Tunes.

The Face

2011-11-21T20:19:00.001-05:00

My wife sent me this link to a blog entry from the Sneeze that I really enjoyed. It is a little bit of a long read, but hang in there, it's well worth it. I had a great laugh and enjoyed the story in general.

Jimmy Fallon "Reading Rainbow"

2011-11-14T18:37:00.001-05:00

I believe my favorite Star Trek TNG character is Geordi LaForge, who is played by the guy from Reading Rainbow (LaVar Burton). This is relevant because I follow him on twitter and he tweeted this Jimmy Fallon spoof of the theme song the other night. It's what the song would sound like if it were done by the Doors and is spot on.

Clever Solution to Slow Walkers

2011-11-08T18:00:00.001-05:00

We've all been in a situation where we're in a hurry and come upon someone(s) walking too slowly in front of you. This is a clever little solution to this all too common problem. It's not in English, but you'll get the idea quickly.

E-Readers and Tablets --Why are they Grouped?

2011-11-06T21:04:00.001-05:00

I've read a lot of articles online comparing e-readers with tablets and I'm not quite sure why two separate things with similar form factors have become grouped together so closely. The fact that Amazon released a Kindle that is a tablet hasn't helped the matter much.
I got a Kindle for Christmas last year and absolutely love it. I preferred a Kindle to an iPad because I wanted it to read books, not to play games, surf, and get email. I ended up acquiring an iPad a few months ago, and it's great for angry birds, surfing, magazines, and other things that aren't reading. As far as reading is concerned, the iPad is okay, but I don't think the screen is made for reading for more than 30 minutes or so at a time. I have used it to read, but only because I left my Kindle downstairs and was too lazy to get it before bed. With a Kindle (or e-reader) you forget you're using an a device instead of a book, it's hard to forget with a big clunky tablet.
Bottom line, if you want to read books, get an e-reader. If you want something that's great for casual gaming (think angry birds), magazines, or something light to surf, get a tablet. If you want both, save up and fork out the cash for both, but don't get a tablet for the soul purpose of reading books, or even with that as an intent. I can't speak for who the Kindle Fire will work but I just can't see why these items have been so closely grouped together. It'd be like getting an iPad to replace your iPod or your camera... yes it does the same functions, but you look just plain silly out in public taking pictures with an iPad or trying to jog with one.

Note: I wrote this for two reasons, I get asked frequently "Should I buy a tablet or an e-reader?" Another reason, is I read this really great article the other day called "Why Did I Buy A Kindle 3 When I Already Had An iPad?" by a blogger/podcaster whom I follow. His conclusions were much the same advice I have been giving for a while now.

E-Readers are Heavier with More Books

2011-10-31T17:24:00.000-04:00

Here is one of those odd stories that I'll just take their word for it. Apparently if you download more books on your e-reader, it gets a little heavier. They use a Scientific evidence and all, but I remain skeptical, even if it's just a miniscule amount.

This is How you Sale a Car

2011-10-31T17:20:00.000-04:00

If advertising skills sale, this guy sure knows how to sale a car. Maybe he doesn't have a jewel to sale, but I'd consider buying it if I were in the market.

The 6 Ponies You'll Date in College

2011-10-26T18:08:00.001-04:00

College is a great place to find the girl for you (I met my wife there). Here is a good parody of some of the girls you may date in college. I like the line at the end "all you're doing is wondering what she is doing there with you"... I think a lot of my friends wondered that when my wife and I started dating.

Juggling and Rubik's cube

2011-10-25T20:06:00.001-04:00

When you have two talents, you may as well combine them, this guy combined juggling and rubik's cube solving... pretty impressive.

Retro 90's Flashback

2011-10-18T20:12:00.002-04:00

If you're a 90's kid, this will bring back some memories. There's actually a part 2 which is linked at the end of the video that is just as good.

Ultimate Nerd Guide to NYC

2011-10-17T20:56:00.002-04:00

If you're a New York City tourist, you probably hang out at the typical spots, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, etc. Once you've seen them a few times, you run out of things to do. Here is another way of seeing New York City by visiting famous "Nerd" sites. Note, I looked at these and I can't imagine going to each spot would be very productive, since most of the sites exist in Sci-Fi/Comics only. It could be fun to check in on Four Square with them though if you were really bored.

10 Foods that Should Exist

2011-10-17T20:52:00.001-04:00

Here is yet another list that I don't necessarily agree with, but it's worth sharing, it's "10 Foods That Should Exist". It's not surprising that the contents of this link are from College Humor, since when I was in College I ate the worst food humanly possible for me. Some of these seem pretty nasty, and since they are food, they will exist if you make them. I do have to say that I would like to break off a piece of marshmallow kit kat bar.

The Brave Bard

2011-10-12T20:56:00.001-04:00

I usually don't blog on a single image, but I found this one very neat. It is possible that it is photoshopped, but I don't think so (as I've seen it on a few different sites). I guess this is similar to the drummers and pipers during the old days, but it's odd seeing it nowadays. I'm wondering what he was playing and how well it could be heard amongst the gun fire. Maybe he's just there to sing his bard's tales of the heroes for future generations to hear.

Outer Space Exposure

2011-10-10T21:54:00.000-04:00

I watch a lot of Science Fiction shows/movies. It seems as though each show has its own idea of what happens to a human body when exposed to the elements of space. Yesterday I read this article on what would really happen to you if you were exposed to space. To be honest the results surprised even me.

William H Taft Song

2011-10-06T20:44:00.001-04:00

Because, let's face it, William H Taft doesn't get enough Internet time.

MockSession

2011-10-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

In this month's issue of Wired magazine, they ran an article called "He shoots! He Scores! He Splats!" (it's not posted on their site yet, so I couldn't link it) about a guy making a collection of "the goofiest, grossest moments in sports". The website is called "MockSession" and is pretty entertaining if you're a sports fan. Some of the stuff is just weird, but they cover all sports genres.

Guy on a Buffalo

2011-10-03T19:31:00.001-04:00

I was introduced to a this jewel of a video yesterday by one of the readers of this blog. He saw it, thought it was a good fit for this blog, and was right. There's a part 2 to this as well, and it is equally as good.

Thunder LoL Cats

2011-09-29T22:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this, but it is rather odd. I haven't watched Thunder Cats in years in fear that my nostalgia will be ruined, but I don't quite remember it being like that.

Jumping off a Building with Bubble Wrap

2011-09-27T19:22:00.000-04:00

Bubble wrap is some pretty amazing stuff. Not only does it provide hours of popping entertainment, it provides protection when we pack our precious goods. Someone asked "How much bubble wrap would you need to wrap yourself in if you wanted to jump out of a first story window and survive?" and wired magazine gladly obliged with an answer. They come up with some formulas and an explanation to show how this would work. This immediately should prompt a Mythbusters episode to try this out. I believe it's time to throw Buster out a window to see how his impact meters read. With that said, no one should actually try this unless they're in a burning building, can't wait until the fire department shows up, and all they have is bubble wrap (i.e. kids,don't try this at home).

Draw a Stickman

2011-09-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

So, I discovered this link called drawastickman.com last week, and it's a lot of fun. If you have 3 or 4 minutes and are ready for a tiny adventure, it's well worth it. I'll not ruin it, but at the end you're left with a neat little story and an inspiring message.

The Starbucks Song

2011-09-26T19:22:00.001-04:00

This video has been going around online, but if you haven't seen it already, I thought I'd share. It's the StarBucks rant song. The guy got fired for the song. He did make another which is linked at the end of the video where he kind of apologizes. I'll leave you with the same warning as the YouTube poster "*there are a few minor expletives in this song. Don't listen if you are sensitive to curse words." Also, don't watch if you're sensitive to guys playing guitars in their underwear and apron. Seriously it does have some semi-offensive stuff in it, but it was on the news, and over all, it's a pretty interesting story.

A Light in the Darkness is done

2011-09-22T21:03:00.000-04:00

What is "A Light in the Darkness" you ask? Well, if you're a Star Wars fan and you haven't heard of it, you're in for a treat. It's a fan made Star Wars movie that takes place between episode 3 and 4. It's a little low budget, and the acting at times is bad, but it's a great story. If you have heard of it, you'll be glad to know that part 3 is out, completing the movie. Part 3 does get a little weird, but it's pretty good over all. Enjoy!

Oh, bonus Star Wars stuff I have up in my browser right now to share ATAT pancakes
Death Star Conspiracy

If Computer Problems were Real

2011-09-22T20:58:00.002-04:00

As an IT person, I'm so used to talking about windows rebooting, and things running slow, and lockups and restarting, that they're common place. This video illustrates how things would be if we took them literally instead of just computer terms. A forewarning, if you're at work, the guy does use a bad word first thing, so keep the volume down at first if you're in that kind of area.

Batman vs. Wiggles

2011-09-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Even the Dark Knight can sometimes get the wrong guy, it's just not that pretty when he does.

Smart things about Urine

2011-09-20T20:13:00.001-04:00

This is from last month's Wired magazine, but it's something that I can't help but think of now when I go to the restroom. It's 3 smart things about urine. Yes, it is something odd for me to blog about, but the article keeps popping into my head (especially the delayed gratification thing), so I thought I would share it. I apologize it is an awkward thing to blog about, but I enjoyed it.

Great Taxidermy Video

2011-09-15T17:57:00.000-04:00

Local, low budget commercials are rarely entertaining, but not this jewel. If I wanted an animal stuffed, and lived in his town, I would go to this guy.

Water Printer

2011-09-12T17:50:00.000-04:00

A friend shared this a few minutes ago on Facebook. It seems like a really clever idea to put in a lobby for marketing purposes, but a really annoying way to take a shower.

The Smart Watch

2011-09-12T17:46:00.003-04:00

I'm having a bit of trouble buying into this idea. It would seem that the next form factor for our technology is going to be on a wrist watch. A phone or a tablet that takes the place of a computer didn't really seem that possible 8-10 years ago, but it's happening. I guess I'm just having problems visualizing this one. The linked article goes into a little detail, but I guess we will see what happens once Apple gets hold of it and makes it awesome (I'm not an Apple fanboy or anything, but they do have a way of transforming items in ways you wouldn't expect). If this does happen, I predict it's just another way to make us look stupid while using really smart technology (just take a look at us while browsing our phones.

Star Wars Voices

2011-09-11T20:15:00.000-04:00

This has to be one of the most impressive Star Wars voice impression videos I've seen. And from someone who has seen the movies as many times as I have, it's like listening to the voice of an old friend. This guy also did an equally impressive part 2.

Beer-Fi

2011-09-11T19:59:00.001-04:00

Today was the first football Sunday of the year. Hundreds of thousands of people across the country were out tailgating, which means lots of spare beer cans. What you see as an empty beer can, can easily be turned into increasing your wi-fi signal. I've seen similar items designed in the past, but I thought the article did a good job of illustrating how this is done. Also, I should add, make sure you do this once the effects of the beer have worn off, because you are working with sharp objects.

Blind Facebook Date Turns into Heist

2011-09-07T20:23:00.005-04:00

Internet dating has become a normal thing nowadays. I've actually seen some really good couples as a result, so I can't say too much negative about it. Here is one example where it turns out to have been a bad idea. A lady met a guy on Facebook and decided to go out on a date with him. The date consisted of an unexpected armed robbery getaway and concluded with an encounter with the police. I'm sure there are a few lessons to be learned out of this somewhere.

The Return Effect

2011-09-06T21:06:00.001-04:00

I drive from PA to KY (an 8-ish hour trip) about every three months or so to visit family and/or work in the office. It always seems like the trip there takes forever, but the trip home isn't so bad. It's actually pretty useful, since the trip home isn't that bad, it makes me forget how lonely the drive is and makes me want to do so more often.
If you've experienced a similar feeling that a trip to a destination is longer than the trip back, there is scientific backing for that. I always thought it was because the road between at the end of my trip there was a stretch of 147 miles of nothing (i-79 between Morgantown, WV and Chraleston, WV), but now I know it's because I'm looking forward to all the cool stuff I can do while I'm there. The picture isn't really relevant, but it was taken the other day from the interstate while I was driving.

RunPee.com

2011-08-25T19:15:00.002-04:00

We've all been there, in the middle of a movie and you've drank too much graveyard and you gotta go, but don't want to miss the movie. In walks runpee.com. It's a site that allows you to find the optimal time to take a restroom break. It has to be one of the most creative ideas I've seen with a site in a while. The one suggestion I would give is to look up the optimal time before you get in the theater as to stick to the proper theater etiquette.

QWOP the Movie

2011-08-23T20:27:00.002-04:00

If you haven't played the game QWOP you probably shouldn't (now you're so curious that you have to, but I warned you). If you have, watching this video will be useful for you. It's not entertaining, it's just an explanation of how a runner could possibly run like this.

Statistician's Blues

2011-08-23T20:18:00.000-04:00

Just a guy singing about the joys of statistics.

Bluetooth Headset as a Handgun

2011-08-22T19:13:00.002-04:00

The price of bluetooth headsets have gone down quite a bit, so now people can make a headset out of everything. Here is a link to a toy handgun made into a headset (or is it a headset made into a handgun). Unfortunately the page is annoying and you have to scroll through multiple pages of steps to see it all, but it's interesting to see.

Birds With Arms

2011-08-22T19:10:00.002-04:00

I was browsing through some type of forum this weekend when I came across this "Birds with Arms" image collection. It's as funny as it is awkward.

7 Rules of Gate Travel

2011-08-17T20:28:00.003-04:00

I can't help it, I'm a huge fan of StarGate SG1. I got a good laugh out of this video. I'm not sure if someone who is indifferent to SG1 would like it or not, but maybe this video will spark an interest in watching one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time... You can thank me later (after you've watched 10 seasons, 3 movies, and 7 seasons of spin off series).

10 Records that Shouldn't Exist

2011-08-17T20:23:00.002-04:00

I guess you could make a world record out of just about anything, but some are just plain odd. Here is a list of "10 Insane Human Records". If I had the longest ear hair, I think I may stay indoors, in fact a lot of these may make me do so. As far as the lady with the longest nails, I'm not sure how she can get many day to day activities done that way. I was creeped out by all the eyeball things, so I skipped over them.

Catching a Seagull

2011-08-14T20:01:00.001-04:00

I think I'll file this video under the "What could possible go wrong" section. Also, I'm surprised my brother and I didn't think of this as kids or we would've had a seagull collection.

The Future in 1964

2011-08-11T20:11:00.002-04:00

This guys predictions are pretty amazing to have been made 47ish years ago. To drive his point home, since 2009, I have worked from home for a company over 500 miles away.

25 Things You Need to Stop Doing

2011-08-10T19:46:00.002-04:00

A friend posted this "College Humor" article on his Facebook page yesterday called "25 Things You Need to Stop Doing". I don't necessarily agree with all of these, but I really enjoyed the article. Some of these I do just for fun (such as site the weather as evidence against global warming, but I do it because I know I shouldn't).

Angry Birds as Super Heroes

2011-08-10T19:35:00.003-04:00

I think at this point most people have played "Angry Birds". It's a ridiculously addicting game where you fling birds at pigs (it's more fun than it sounds, I promise). Anyway, here is a mash up of some of your favorite superheroes as angry birds. To give credit where credit is due, I think these originated from this link. You can find a few more there, along with some t-shirts with these birds on it for purchase.

Stop Motion Coin Video

2011-08-09T19:35:00.001-04:00

This is a pretty amazing video of some of our favorite classic games being displayed as stop motion video games. At the end, they show kind of a behind the scenes of how they made it, but it still seems like something next to impossible to make.

The Worst Presidents

2011-08-09T19:21:00.004-04:00

People say the darnedest things on Facebook. I noticed I had a friend who posted something about Obama being the worst president ever. Not being much on politics, or what the current administration has done (or not done), I was dubious of the comment, but it made me wonder who was the worst US president ever. I Googled it and there seems to be a consensus that James Buchanan holds that title. He was the 15th president who ignored the fact that states were succeeding from the US and kinda put the whole slavery issue on the back burner throwing us into the civil war.
Based on that finding, I think Obama is pretty safe in the long run, since we're not in a civil war currently. I have noticed a trend though, no matter who is in office, or which party, people are going to try to play the "worst president" card. So, I guess we can say Buchanan was the worst president next to whomever is in office at the given time (Obama now, Bush a few years ago, and who knows who else will get that title in 1-5 years). By the way, here is a link to the article of the 10 Worst US Presidents.

Vader at Disney Land

2011-08-05T17:31:00.001-04:00

We'll probably see this commercial coming soon to a television near you, but it's rather well done, therefore, I'm blogging it. There's just something about Vader in a teacup that makes me want to share it.

The Make Everything OK button

2011-08-05T17:28:00.003-04:00

I'm not quite sure of the context of this, but I had a friend post a link to the "Make Everything OK Button" the other day. Perhaps it's a hidden secret, but who knew that some arbitrary button on the Internet could make everything OK just by clicking it, but it kinda does. Now you are officially curious and have to click the link just to know what it does. Hey it's Friday, what a perfect time to make everything OK!

Altered Street Signs

2011-08-03T18:16:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since I've posted strange street signs, so it's about time. Here is a great collection of signs that have been altered for perfection. Note, I don't encourage vandalism, but if you do, post it on the Internet where you're more likely to get caught.

50 Jokes in 4 Minutes

2011-08-03T18:14:00.001-04:00

I know I mentioned the VlogBrothers the other day, but I'll post one more video here that I liked just so you get more exposure.

How Facebook Sees You

2011-08-02T20:15:00.002-04:00

I was reading this month's issue of Wired Magazine and came across this article called "Facebook: Personal Branding Made Easy". I couldn't help but to think how true it is that we use our social networks to appear to other people the way we want to appear. I had a friend jokingly (I think) tell me the other day that he was going to have a t-shirt made up that says "I'm kinda a big deal on the Internet". This article fits right into that type of thinking. Social media is a great opportunity to display your best (or worst) traits to not only your friends, but whomever you wish.

Security Guard Pwns Banana in Danceoff of PB&J

2011-08-01T20:01:00.001-04:00

I don't have too much to say, except I wonder what a banana with maracas has to do with Peanut Butter & Jelly time.

What Would Captain Picard Do?

2011-08-01T19:59:00.002-04:00

Today a friend of mine introduced me to the vlogbrothers. I went through their videos and most of them are really great, but I did like this one quiet a bit and thought I'd share.

Kid Gives Speech After Learning to Bike

2011-07-28T21:30:00.002-04:00

I saw a friend post this on Facebook today and I got a kick out of it. This kid will some day lead nations.

How to Catch A Mouse

2011-07-27T22:07:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure if this video is more creepy or helpful.... either say, it looked like good blog material to me. Nothing catches a mouse like ingenuity.

Handheld N64

2011-07-26T20:39:00.002-04:00

When it comes to do-it-yourself gaming consoles, there are a lot of creative people out there. Here is someone who took an N64 console and converted it into a working hand held. They pieced together a really neat looking device, but I'm not quite sure what powers it. Unfortunately they're about 15 years late on the implementation.

Learn Morse Code

2011-07-25T19:38:00.002-04:00

Sure it's practically obsolete, but it may still be a cool skill to have. Here is a guide to learning Morse code in one minute. This is another skill that may come in handy in a post apocalyptic world when you're trapped and there just happens to be an old guy who knows Morse code walking by (like in the movies). If you learn it, I think that technically makes you bi-lingual.

Jedi Bear

2011-07-24T20:05:00.002-04:00

This is a really nicely edited video of a bear playing with a light saber, that I got from a friend's Facebook post. I want to enjoy the video, but I keep thinking, this bear has lost several digits grabbing the blade of that light saber.

31

2011-07-24T19:41:00.003-04:00

I started a few years ago blogging about my birthday every year (although this blog isn't really about me), so I guess I shouldn't stop now. If you hadn't guessed by the title, I turned 31 today. This officially makes me in my thirties... a thirty-something if you will. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I don't feel much older than 20, if that. I had a conversation with my grandpa (in his 80's) several months ago on aging, he said he still felt really young too, his body just didn't agree with him.
Last year was the big birthday, the big three-oh. I said something about it on Facebook and a friend said something along the lines of "It's not hitting 30 that's so bad, it's that you keep getting older after that". There is the kicker.
I find I have a fear of aging although it's part of everyone's life you you make it long enough. Right now I can't complain, over the last 2 years I've gotten in the best physical shape of my life. I can now do more pushups/situps/pullups, run faster and further than ever before. I think it's part of the whole fear of aging thing that's driving this. Although I'm nowhere close to getting to the age where things are physically declining, it's in the back of my mind and that's probably what's driving the whole getting in shape thing.
But enough depressing aging stuff... I can safely say, at the age of 31 I have a decent life. A great wife, a career that's cool, a few hobbies I enjoy, and great friends, and with that said, if you've made it this far through the blog entry, a great blog reading audience. Thanks for reading.

Feeling Good - Retirement Community Video

2011-07-20T21:31:00.002-04:00

If I ever have to be put in a retirement community, I think I may want it to be this one (other than it being in Michigan). Just because you're getting old, doesn't mean you can't have fun.

Folk Song Through the Drive Thru

2011-07-19T20:19:00.002-04:00

Usually I find people who mess with drive thru attendants fairly annoying, this one was very entertaining. I'm not sure if they planned it with the drive thru guy or not, but he did a tremendous job.

Rocky Tribute Video

2011-07-18T22:05:00.002-04:00

One of my former coworkers (from a previous job) stopped in Philly on his vacation trip. He decided to do a tribute to Rocky Balboa while there... I got a good laugh out of it and it's really well done at that.

No Such Thing as a Free Slurpee

2011-07-18T18:54:00.002-04:00

I was reading the USA today last week and came across an article talking about Free Slurpees from 7-11 and the effects. It's strange how you mention free and people will spend money to get it. Even I'm guilty of spending money on coffee at Dunkin Donuts on free doughnut day. I found it an interesting concept to think about. I've heard there are 2 types of free "Free as in Puppy" and "Free as in Beer". The first turns out that you have to spend money and time on it, the latter (for the most part), you get with no strings attached. If you did take part in the Free Slurpee promotion, I wonder how much you actually spent on it.

Mario on Paper

2011-07-18T18:52:00.002-04:00

I saw this video last week and found that not only is it super creative, it also points out how much of a jerk Mario can be. It's hard to believe it was all done on paper. The guy does do some advertising for himself at the end of the video, if you're interested, his link is on YouTube.

Creepy Mario Character Pictures

2011-07-07T21:39:00.002-04:00

I really enjoy fan art of things I like. People can come up with some really creative and neat stuff. Here is a collection of "Creepy Mario Characters" that were drawn by a fan. The people who thought up Mario may not have actually imagined what these creatures would look like in real life, but this artist did.

Packing Like a Boss

2011-07-07T21:37:00.001-04:00

When I travel, my wife likes to pack with as few (and as small) bags as possible. It would be nice to do all carry on, but it seems like I don't have the packing skills; this guy does.

Common Mind Slips

2011-07-06T22:03:00.002-04:00

I saw this article titled "The 13 Most Common Brain Farts in Human History" last night and thought it was worthy of sharing. I went through these and thought "yep, guilty of that" on quite a few. At least it's not just me.

Camera Through the Postal System

2011-07-05T20:11:00.002-04:00

Here is an example of a well executed, clever, plan executed using the postal system. Someone made a package with a camera attached and asked the mail people to take photos of themselves. They ended up with a lot of photos of the package's journey and the hard working men and women of the US Postal Service.

Facebook on the "Most Hated" List

2011-07-05T20:03:00.002-04:00

Almost everyone I know has a Facebook page (yes, this is unfair since I live online), but recently, it has been put on the "Most Hated" list. As the article points out it is a bit unfair to call it hated because of bad customer services, but anyway haters are gonna hate. This made me think that, if people truly hate Facebook, perhaps it's not the site, but their friends since practically everything on the main site is composed of your friends activities, thoughts, and complaints. Perhaps it's the socially awkward position these people put us in like "well, he's not really my friend, but I don't want to turn down his request because I don't want to hurt his feelings" (no one in particular in mind). While I'm on the subject, I may as well say I sure am glad they didn't have Facebook and Twitter when I was a kid, I sure had a lot of stupid things to say back then that I'm glad I didn't say to everyone I know.

Anyone for Quidditch??

2011-06-30T21:31:00.002-04:00

If you're a fan of Harry Potter you're probably familiar with the game quidditch. If not, it's a fictional game where you fly a broom around throwing balls through a goal (maybe a mix between basketball and soccer). There's a lot more to it, but that's all you really need to know. Now the fictional game is becoming non-fictional. In the video, it looks like there are some crotch injuries waiting to happen. In other news, attendance to chess clubs in the area are down.

Creative 404 Pages

2011-06-28T18:25:00.002-04:00

I'm sure we've all been to sites that have broken links while surfing (actually, since I don't go back and look at my previous entries, you can probably find a lot on here). Most of the time they're fairly boring pages that tell you that the page you're looking for isn't found and to contact the webmaster. These are pages that are customizable, but most webmasters do not bother with it. Some do. Here is a link to 30 creative 404 pages.

How to Write Good

2011-06-28T18:17:00.002-04:00

Although I've been blogging for a while now, I'm not a good writer; I'm just good at sharing what I find online. I feel like I do at least an OK job at grammar and such, but I don't spend too much time proofreading. I came across this "How to Write Good" list earlier and maybe if I employ some of these techniques, I can get better, but I won't. I did find the list entertaining though.

The Power of Modern TV

2011-06-27T20:22:00.002-04:00

When you think about DVR and cable boxes, you don't really think of costs related to power consumption, but according to this article, they can use more than a refrigerator. The article offers some options on how to fix it. Sounds like another excuse to ditch cable and watch your shows online (there's plenty of good, cheap, and legal ways to do this).

First World Problems

2011-06-27T20:11:00.002-04:00

Sometimes we need to complain for the sake of complaining, but considering the problems that are going on in other countries, our problems are a little insignificant. I thought this video did a good job of portraying that.

Computer Urban Legends

2011-06-23T20:35:00.002-04:00

Being in the IT industry, I hear all kinds of things that have been attempted to fix computers, or general computer happenings. (Off the top of my head I remember a lady in college using her laptop computer on an ice pack because she felt it was getting too hot). Anyway, there are a lot of urban legends going around about computers. Here is a PC Magazine article about some common computer urban myths.

Pokemon Name Guesses

2011-06-23T20:30:00.002-04:00

I never really got too much into the Pokemon thing, but I did play the Gameboy game back in the late 90's. I know a few of their names, but never did know them all. I came across this image yesterday of a girl's boyfriend trying to name the Pokemon. I got a good laugh reading through the names given to some of these.
Bonus: If you are a Pokemon fan, here is a great flickr set of Pokemon in Real Life.

He-Man "What's going On"

2011-06-22T21:52:00.001-04:00

I saw this video a few years ago and I'm not sure why I didn't blog about it, but I saw it again tonight and now it's all yours.

Greatest "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" Contestant Ever

2011-06-20T19:29:00.002-04:00

I have long since stopped watching "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", but I used to love it. I guess I kind of got bored with it after a few season. If any contestant ever deserved the million dollar win on this show, it's this guy. This is a 2 part video, here is the second part.

Most Common iPhone Passwords

2011-06-20T19:24:00.002-04:00

If you're a huge fan of security you probably have a password on your phone. I can see reasons both for having one and not, but if you have one, chances are it's easy to figure out. Here is a list of the top iPhone passwords. One of the main conclusions of this article is that if someone knows you, they're pretty likely to be able to crack your iPhone password. I'm guessing the use iPhone as an example because of it's simplistic 4 digit password.

World's Fastest Gun

2011-06-15T21:23:00.001-04:00

There really aren't words to describe how amazing this guy's shooting skills are.

How to Dial a Phone

2011-06-14T20:27:00.002-04:00

It's not something we think of, but at one point in time, people had to learn to dial a phone. Here's a video that shows how the masses were taught. First of all, I want a big phone like they used for the demo, and secondly, really?? let it ring 10 times.

Kid Vogueing Like Nobody's Business

2011-06-14T20:25:00.002-04:00

KID PERFORMING TO MADONNA! from Robert Jeffrey on Vimeo.

We all have some embarrassing home videos, I believe if I had one like this (despite his excellent moves), I may actually burn it. With that said, the kid can Vogue.

Doggleganger

2011-06-13T18:58:00.003-04:00

When you think of all the animals out there that don't have a home, it's kind of sad. What could be even sadder is that there is a dog out there that looks just like you who is looking for a home. I found this "Doggleganger" site the other day that helps you find a dog that looks similar to you that you can adopt. Unfortunately, it's a New Zealand site so it may not be that helpful, although you could find your results, go to your local animal shelter's site and find that breed to see if they have it. Either way, it's fun to see what dog you look like.

Best Headline ever Award

2011-06-13T18:54:00.002-04:00

Every day that I blog, I comb through several articles hunting for something worthy of sharing. Occasionally one will stick out due to the title. This may be the best headline ever. I present to you "Flying bear kills two Canadians in freak accident". I know, death isn't funny and the story didn't turn out good for any party involved, but you probably clicked the link to see what was going on.

Dad Life

2011-06-13T18:51:00.002-04:00

I'm not a father yet, but I'm getting older and this video is already starting to hit home. A great song to start the Father's day week.

Harddrive Teardown

2011-06-08T20:29:00.001-04:00

I posted a video from this guy a few weeks ago and mentioned that I really liked him. Working in the IT field, I had a pretty good idea on how hard drives worked, but this gave me some better perspective.

The Near-Celebrity Status of my Facebook Friends

2011-06-08T20:18:00.003-04:00

As some of you know I work from home in rural central PA, but I work for a company in eastern KY. Since I am working from home, I don't get out much, therefore, I've only made a handful of friends in PA (mostly from church). With that said, most of my Facebook friends are from KY.
I occasionally drive down to KY to visit family and work in the office down there. In a recent trip I noticed that when seeing some co-workers in person (some that I know, but not all too well), that it triggered a strange response in my brain. I began thinking, "well, they look a little shorter than I expected, based on their pictures". I then realized, I think now that my Facebook acquaintances (not the people I interact with frequently, just people I "kind of" know) have achieved something similar to celebrity status. I don't mean I want to rush up to them for their autograph, or even that I have a particular fondness, it's just weird.... (kind of like seeing the weather man from TV walking down the street). I'm not quite sure why I'm blogging about this, but I found it interesting and hope you do too.

Great Faker

2011-06-06T19:49:00.001-04:00

When you can't draw a foul, may as well try to make it look like there was one. It too me way too long to realize what was going on this video, but after I did, it was priceless.