Keep it simple.

If you publish content on the Web (or even if you don’t) then you should read this rant from Warren Ellis about the current Burst Culture of the Web. If you don’t have time to read it then at least take this point away from it …

The hurdle to credible publishing on the web, now, is the nine dollars it costs to buy a domain name from GoDaddy, which can be mapped on to a free Tumblr or Blogger space.

Heck if you don’t care what your URL is you can even save the nine bones. Also, kind of related is Evan Williams post about deciding what “game” to be in.

The fort you wished you built as a kid.

Check out this fascinating story (with video) of a “homeless” man who built a bunker to live in. He uses a car battery for power, engineered a toilet from a walker and a bucket, and read library books to learn how to build the roof and make the earth walls structurally sound. Oh yah, he also has a fireplace for warmth and cooking.

The finger.

Here is a random question I was pondering on the way home – do people still give others the finger? Is the grand daddy of all rude hand gestures out of style?

I drive in one of the worst traffic areas of the U.S. and I haven’t given or received the finger in very long time. The most I get when I cut someone off is a look of disgust.

Remember all the fun ways there were to give the finger:

• The crank – you move your non-combative hand in circular motion as if you are turning a crank. The middle finger on the other hand rises slowly as if it’s powered by some machine.
• The inflation – you put your mouth on your thumb and pretend to blow. The middle finger rises with each breath into the thumb as if it’s being blown-up.
• The stealth finger – often deployed in your pocket or behind a closed door to hide the gesture from a parent or other authority figure.
• The literary reference – actually involves raising the pointer, middle, and red-headed step child finger (you know the useless finger that is not called thumb, pinky, middle, or pointer) closely together and asking your target to read between the lines.

Those are some of my favorite methods of giving the finger, although I must admit I don’t think I have used them in ages. Maybe the finger is a tool of the young and grumpy old men. Maybe that is why I haven’t seen one in the wild for so long.

Anyone out there seen the finger lately? Did I miss your favorite version of giving the finger?

College days.

Remember Undeclared? I loved that show! It’s a pity it only lasted a season (if that). You can head over to Wired to read an interview with it’s creator and watch some of the episodes.

A hairy matter.

This documentary on combovers looks very interesting, especially for someone like me who’s hairline is in retreat.

Speaking of my hairline. This weekend I got my wife to buzz my dome with some newly purchased clippers. Lets just say that it’s a great hairstyle for the summer months, but maybe not so great for someone with a bulbous noggin like myself.

Oh well, at least I don’t have a combover.

Time to waste some time.

Here are some videos to make you laugh and procrastinate. FYI, most are nsfw due to naughty language.

• Remember the lame “knowing is half the battle” PSAs at the end of all the G.I. Joe cartoons? Here are 25 strange and funny re-dubs of them. [Via Ze Frank]
• This short clip of the worst movie scenes ever is hilarious! My favorite may be the death scene. [via defective yeti's link blog]
• This is the best Old Spice commercial ever made. It kind of reminds me of my bachelor days … minus the women … and the piano … and the Old Spice.

Thanks Internet!

A little Star Wars tribute.

Check out the art and music at this awesome Star Wars tribute site.

Via Tak

Where I get all ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ on you.

I was blowing bubbles with my son in the backyard this morning. Every so often the AC unit would kick on and blow the bubbles way up over the house. I started to think – what if someone else saw these runaway bubbles.

Would it give their day a little bump to see a stray bubble or two float by? Would they wonder where they came from? Maybe they would hear my son’s laughter and wander over to see what all the bubble fun was about.

Maybe these bubbles would float all over the neighborhood and a little joy would seep into the lives of those that saw them.They sure made my son and I happy

Who knew bubbles could be so powerful?

Columbus and the ugly mermaids.

Apparently the famous explorer Christopher Columbus,  saw mermaids off the coast of Haiti and thought they were ugly. He wrote in his journal that the mermaids were “not as pretty as they are depicted,” and “for somehow in the face they look like men.”

I’m not sure why this cracks me up so much. Maybe I imagine the incident with Chris and his mates going something like this …

First Mate: Captain we’ve sighted some mermaids off the port bow.

Columbus: We must investigate these creatures. [He thinks: I've been out to sea for a long time, even a half fish, half women sounds good right now].

First Mate: Aye, aye captain!

Columbus: [As the boat pulls up next to the mermaids] Ahoy there queens of the sea. It is I the great explorer of the world Christopher Columbus.

Mermaids: [They all turn around to see Chris and his boys]

Columbus: [Gulps back a cry of disgust] Uh … hi. Uh … we have to get going now. Running low on oranges and all. Can’t have scurvy you know. Good day now.

Columbus: [To first mate] Maybe we can find some sirens?

It’s even funnier when you know that scientists think that ol’ Chris probably mistook manatees for mermaids.

Boat drinks.

My folks made some little boats for the grand-kids to race in a nearby crick. I think the adults got a bigger kick out of racing them then the kids though.

BTW, the title of this post is a line from a great flick called Things to Do In Denver When Your Dead.