REP. YO. CITY.

This is pure gold. I condone all stereotypes that it portrays even if I don't embody (any) of them.

My Childhood Dream Realized

Yes, I know it's been a while since my blog has seen the light of day. I could blame this on a lot of things...but really there is no excuse. Luckily, this morning I was jolted out of my laziness by a video that changed my day...maybe my week.

As a child I was a huge fan of "extreme" sports, specifically the X-Games. While I am ill-equipped for balance-related sports and lack the risk-taking tendencies needed by an extreme athlete, I am borderline obsessed with watching skateboarding, bmx and inline skating on TV. As a kid I always talked about how I thought Razor scooters would eventually be a part of the X-Games. However, my dream has yet to be realized.

Today, I found a video that brings some hope...and if it doesn't bring hope, it definitely does bring a very high level of entertainment. Please enjoy and support extreme-Razoring.

Step Aside Ochocinco

Chad Ochocinco has accounted for most of the awesome sports news lately whether he was prohibited from sending mustard to the Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, or fined for "bribing" an official...however, there is a new man on the awesome sports news scene. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Bud Adams.

Bud Adams, 86 year-old owner of the Tennessee Titans, made news yesterday by flipping off, yes flipping off, the opposing Buffalo Bills during a 41-17 win. Having trouble contemplating this? Why not just watch a video of it...amazing.

This is pretty great evidence for the argument that as we age we revert back to acting as we did when we were children...

Take Something Simple and Make it Awesome

This video left my speechless...then I couldn't stop laughing.

Make sure not to miss the "wheel" kid's flop at the end...amazing.

Truly a Party in the USA

Is it just me, or has Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" inspired a lot of people recently? I heard many people talk/complain about this song for about a week before I was lucky enough to hear it for the first time. My spinning instructor, notorious for his love of Britney and the Pussycat Dolls, put the song on...I remember laughing out of amusement at how "terrible" the song is. "Terrible" because music tastes are relative...bottom-line from my point of view is that the song is catchy and awful at the same time. Back to the important stuff...I recently saw a video of Party in the USA mixed with a Notorious B.I.G. track. The mix is again both awful and catchy. The juxtaposition between Biggie and Miley Cyrus is priceless though. That video was topped big time when I found the reason for today's post. The ASL version of Party in the USA:

Two points about this video to help you enjoy:

1. If you click the arrow in the bottom right, you can get a literal translation of the ASL...which is both informative and hilarious.
2. If you were deaf, you wouldn't be hearing the audio (or at least, you wouldn't hear it the same as someone who is not deaf), so do yourself a favor and turn off the sound and watch it again...even more entertaining.

The real "cherry on top" is that this guy apparently does ASL version of other song...I'm going to have to check those out.

So you think you can dance?

Amazing moves...lovely video for a dreary, but soon to be sunny Tuesday!

This one is obviously better with sound.

Trampoline Dreamz

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I found this video last week, but decided to wait until this week to share. This video pretty much sums up all of my trampoline dreams. Unfortunately, I don't have a Cirque de Soleil set in my backyard (nor do I have a backyard). This video is awesome even if you don't have headphones to watch it with the sound. Enjoy!

Need some pumpkin carving ideas for Halloween?

Barely more than a week until Halloween...have you decided what you're going to carve into your pumpkin this year?

If you need some ideas, check out Extreme Pumpkins

Thanks Julie for the tip!

Oat and About

If you haven't checked out the list of blogs on the right side of Amalgamattion, I highly recommend them (that's why they're on my blog..duh.) However, I wanted to take a quick minute to highlight a new one I just added.

Oat and About was born out of a creative idea for a blog that one of my friends recently came up with. Basically, she writes reviews of oatmeal (yes, the superior AND trendy breakfast food) that are laced with hilarious tangents and witty comments. It's one of my favorite blogs as of late and I highly recommend you check it out.

Thursday's Mindblowing Video

I am going to refrain from talking too long because I want to let this beautiful video speak for itself.

Rarely do I see visuals that actually add to the experience of listening to music. I prefer to either focus on visuals or focus on the music. This video has an impressive blend of both. Enjoy!

How to shoot an anvil 200 feet in the air.

My inspiration has been weak lately...so rather than posting boring crap, I decided to let you all wait in excitement for the next post (or alternatively forget about my blog entirely.) Worry not, I'm back, with a video that is both instructional, entertaining and a bit strange. Enjoy!

Sample some locally grown humor

My friend time sent me a video last night and recommended that I post it on Amalgamattion. People send me stuff pretty frequently, some of it ends up on the blog, some of it doesn't. However, rarely do people send me stuff that they created. So I present to you "Generous Mouse", produced by Tim and Tessa. (Language NSFW)

Maybe when this video goes viral, I can get an exclusive interview with Tim and Tessa right here on Amalgamattion!

Battle of the Vibes

I'm a huge fan of music battles whether it be guitar battles, freestyle battles....or vibraphone battles? Yeah, apparently those happen as evidenced by the following video.

I think the vibe playing may be overshadowed by the first guys b-boy stance after he's done playing the first time...

PUPPYWAR

Sorry for the lack of posts in the past weeks...it's been a busy couple weeks at work and sometimes my Amalgamattion responsibilities fall by the wayside. But I am back, with something you are going to love.

I was working yesterday evening and happened to stumble upon a fantastic website. In my surfing of the interwebs I have enjoyed such classics as Daily Puppy, The I Can Has Cheezburger empire and of course, the high school favorite: Hot or Not (no I'm not linking to it, but you can guess the website.) However, I always felt like there was something lacking when I was looking at these sites. Luckily for me (and in all likelihood, you) someone has combined all of these concepts. I present to you:

PUPPY WAR

Don't let the website name mislead you...no Michael Vicks were used in the production of this website and no animals were harmed (at least I hope not!) All the website contains is an army of puppies battling it out in mono e mono death-matches armed only with their cuteness. (Seriously, there is no death involved...just click the link already!)

For those of you who prefer the more docile, less rambunctious four-legged domesticated creatures, there is an option for you too.

KITTEN WAR

I personally am allergic, but for those that aren't, all the more power to you!

Everyone Can (and should!) Create Music

I have seen one of these on the internet before (I might have even posted it on this blog.) This one is much more advanced and better looking. Try it out. It's super easy and quite rewarding in the end.

iNudge

I have included my quick composition below...this thing is addicting!

Twitter Win for the Ages

Twitter has exploded in popularity during 2009. People have quickly found interesting and awesome uses for it...and it seems to be becoming just another facebook-thorn in the side of technology doubters. I've been a fan since the beginning. Recently, I harvested the fruits of Twitter by winning a free preview-meal at Rick Bayless' new restaurant in Chicago, XOCO. Since then, it appears I have been outdone by some lucky Cincinnati Bengals fans. Last weekend, Chad Ochocinco took a "Lambeau Leap" into famously unfriendly Packers territory, but come to find out, he had planned the whole thing out.

Here is a video of the "leap"...turns out the announcers were completely correct:

My First Race Report - Ronald Reagan Criterium - 9/19/09

In March, I joined Spidermonkey Cycling, a local cycling club, because I had bought a road bike and wanted other people to ride with. Since I joined, I have become a much stronger rider and I have also gained a lot of awesome new friends. However, I did not realize when I joined, that six months later I would be racing.

At the end of July, while watching the Chicago Criterium and being asked repeatedly how my race went (I did not race that day) I started to have the mental realization that I was capable of going out there and doing what I'd seen many of my teammates do...race! With a little encouragement (and maybe some outright peer-pressure) from my teammates and girlfriend, I finally decided that I would take a crack at racing. I figured if I raced at the end of the season I would miss most of the Cat 5's that had already catted up and even if I finished last, I would have great motivation heading into the dreaded and all-important "trainer season."

On Saturday, the day of my first race arrived. I don't get a lot of performance anxiety, so luckily I was able to sleep well the night before and remain calm on Saturday morning. I made the two-hour trek to Dixon, IL, a place I had previously only driven by on I-88, with my fellow Spidermonkeys (and invaluable teammates) Zens and Bryan. We arrived at 8:30 and set up the tent. This left me an hour and half to prepare mentally and physically. I didn't really have any idea how to do either of those things, so I pumped up my tires, put on my kit and asked Bryan and Zens what I should do. Zens took me on a short ride to recon the course. While I haven't raced any other courses, I can tell you that this course was awesome! (and other more experienced racers agreed.) The course was 0.8 miles, 8 turns, 3 short uphill sections and a downhill finish. I decided which corners I would pedal through and thought a little bit about what gearing I would use on what parts of the course. I got back, jumped on the trainer for about 20 minutes to warm up and then got ready to race.

The field for the 5's race was small. Most of the races I had seen prior to this one had over 50 people. So it was comforting at first to pull up to the line with only about 25 other guys. Later I would find out that this was not as awesome. Once I got to the line, reality set in. The six months of training and learning I had done since buying a road bike were about to be put to the test. The race official was quick with instructions and didn't leave me a lot of time to dwell on what was ahead of me. With that, the whistle was blown, I clipped in, and the race began!

The first lap didn't really contain anything unexpected...I think. Actually, I don't really remember the first lap at all. I came across the line after the first lap middle of the pack, right where I planned and wanted to be. On the second lap, my mind kicked in and I started thinking about the race. During my course recon, I had decided that I would try to stay in the saddle on the first uphill section. On the second lap, I was in the gear I wanted to be and was still in the saddle on the uphill section. I was getting passed by a few people, but I thought that was ok since I knew, being bigger than anyone else, I would be able to easily make up ground on the downhill sections. We reached the top of the hill and began the downhill and long flat section of the course. My plan to make up ground was foiled by a headwind I had failed to notice during my course recon. By the end of the second lap, I found myself near the back of the pack struggling to stay on. On the next lap, I dangled off the back and was dropped during the flat section on the back stretch. I spent the rest of the race working as hard as I could and enjoying getting the chance to race. I spent the last 5 minutes being happy that I only had 5 minutes left. Around minute 20 (of 30) I got to pass a guy, so I at least got the consolation of not finishing last! Fellow Spidermonkeys Jason and Trent had a great race, both finishing with the pack. Jason even took home a nice grill set prem.

Overall, I was pleased with my first performance. The two main things I was worried about was being scared in the corners and crashing. I found the cornering much less scary than advertised and I didn't ride in the pack long enough to even have the chance to crash. I definitely need to work on my fitness, but that is not at all surprising to me. I have all of winter and spring to work on that.

I thought I was done after my first race, but surprise! there's more. Due to unwavering peer pressure, I decided to race the 4/5's. I was not at all excited about racing again, especially since I finished second to last in the 5's and the 4/5's was 10 minutes longer. So I think I came up to the line mainly feeling anger. Zens had told me to pick a target for how long I wanted to try and stay with the pack. Feeling pretty realistic at the time, I decided I would try to stay in until the first prem when everything was guaranteed to speed up.

The 4/5's race felt a lot different to me. The field was larger which provided for more of a draft and more of an accordion affect in the corners. Having experience on the course and knowing where I needed to be out of the saddle and where I needed to be in the drops helped a lot in the second race. As funny as it was, I actually came across the line in the top 10 on the first two laps. I was able to stay with the field for about 10 minutes and had a great time racing in the pack. My legs eventually gave out and I dropped out of the pack. Sure I got lapped by the leaders twice, but I finished and actually finished farther from last than I had in the 5's! I was even lucky (?) enough to have a couple people around me at the end to sprint against. I'm glad I did the 4/5's race because it gave me much more of a feeling of how fun and fast crit racing is! Zens and Bryan both raced well finishing top 10, with a 3rd place podium spot for Bryan! Jason and Trent also put in another great effort in the 4/5's.

I want to give a huge thanks to all of the people that made racing possible for me...so thanks Ben, Zens, Bryan, Dean, Vanessa, Vanessa, Lil' V and all of the Spidermonkeys that I have ridden with and that have encouraged me. Also, special thanks to Abby for making the 2 hour trip to cheer me on!

I promise my next race report, or any future race report for that matter, will not be this long.

Lastly, here are the 3 pictures from the weekend worth posting (more to come in the future hopefully):

Bryan and I with Dixon's finest, Ronald Reagan (legend has it that he saved over 77 lives when he was a lifeguard in Dixon)

Zens getting Culverized after the races:

Bryan being interviewed after taking 3rd in the 4/5's (and repping our great sponsor, 312)

Enough Kanye Already

I don't what was more annoying, Kanye's interruption of Taylor Swift's speech or the ensuing media coverage. I guess I do know. The media coverage.

Fortunately, 2 days later, something good finally came of the situation.

This picture:

Guest Blogger: Kelsey Parman

Due to a busy work week and an inspired friend, I have decided to hand-off the blog writing duties for today to my friend Kelsey. Everything not in italics represents her words and opinions. Hope you enjoy!

Since the recent surge in the popularity of Diva Cups, tampon makers have had to get creative with advertising uses for their product. Now with a little creativity and craft supplies, you too can own your very own tampon toupee! And this is only the beginning. Tampons just aren't for us ladies now, guys. I give you Tampon Crafts!!

Guest blogger Kelsey Parman is a senior from Beloit College studying Anthropology and Museum Studies.

I am T-Pain

We are all now familiar with the recent trend that is Auto-Tune, or more appropriately, the over-use of Auto-Tune. Auto-Tune has not only brought us the overprocessed music from the likes of Lil' Wayne, Kanye West and T-Pain (and everyone always forgets the original, Cher), but we now also have the parodies, the most famous probably being the Auto-Tune the News series.

Fortunately, the Auto-Tune trend was recently combined (mash-up?) with another popular piece of culture,the iPhone, to bring Auto-Tune to the masses! I present to you, I Am T-Pain. For only $3, you, yes you, can sing like T-Pain (or Cher). I can't wait to get off work today and buy my own copy.

Summer is almost over...but it's always Summertime

The best of today's amateur music videos on the internet. Honestly, once I saw the melodica, I was sold. The singing leaves a little to be desired...but hey, not every kid can be a prodigy!

Mid-Afternoon Snack

I can't remember if I ever posted This is Why You're Fat on Amalgamattion. But I'm sure most of you have already seen it. I have some more food for you to look at this afternoon.

My two new favorites are:

Insane Sandwiches

and...

Fancy Fast Food

I'm not sure if either of these are better than the original...but certainly an awesome addition to the collection of bizarre foods on the internet!

If You're Bored

Loved the reactions from the post yesterday! This is post is not quite as exciting...but still quite entertaining. Warning, if you need to get a lot of work done today, I would not recommend checking this out...however, if you need something to take up your time...

Make Your Own Kaleidoscope

How can combining two songs I don't even really like be so awesome?

I found an awesome new take on the "mash-up" this morning. This one is really giving Girltalk a run for his money! Jon Schmidt, a composer/arranger has combined "Love Story" by Taylor Swift and "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay to create quite an amazing piece. I probably would not call myself a fan of either of these songs...but the arrangement Schmidt puts together is quite magical. If you are into the sappy stuff, the explanation of how he came upon this mash-up is at the end of the video.

W.W.T.T.D.

W.W.T.T.D. - What Would Tim Tebow Do?

Sound ridiculous?

After reading about the recent promotion put on by the Fort Myers Miracle, a minor league baseball team, it sounds even more ridiculous.

Someone Catch Her (before it goes viral)

There are rare occurrences when random actions are caught on tape that end up being hilarious the day after. This happened to my friends a couple nights ago and created a great youtube video. This is more than likely an instance where "it's only funny if you know the people." However, after watching this video over and over I've begun to appreciate how great it is. After seeing it again I began to appreciate the multiple layers...is the focus the girl who is about to fall? or is it the argument going on at the table? I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

A Letter from MIT

If this letter is real, my guess is he is going to get/he already got what he asked for in the letter: http://www.c4vct.com/kym/humor/mitlettr.htm

The New Mozart Lives in Rockford, IL

Here's some inspiration to carry you into the weekend...

Best quote: (referring to Mozart) "...I'm kind of like him, he's kind of like me." I'm a believer.

Vote for the Comedian!

As a shameless plug for a close friend of mine...vote for the comedian!

Barney Frank FTW

I'm sure many of you have already seen this video...I heard about it but didn't watch until a few minutes ago. I've never been a huge fan of Barney Frank...for various reasons. But, this video is straight up awesome. It's the best answer I've ever heard given to a politically extreme person coming from any side of the spectrum. Frank really seals the deal with his last comment.

A PSA for the 21st Century

Moral of the story: don't drive and text, while listening to Queen.

So we can all better understand "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

What did we do before we had YouTube?

Pretty much everyday I find something, or am sent something, from YouTube that is really entertaining. But rarely do I find something that is so funny merely because it is another human being completely ridiculous seemingly without any idea. This video had me in tears at my desk. I literally could not finish watching it...I challenge you to see if you can get through the whole thing. Would love to hear thoughts on this one...

Insightful Graphic

Work is crazy busy right now...preventing me from properly making an important announcement that may change this blog forever. So for now, you all will have to wait. In the meantime I leave you with this awesome graphic:

If Websites Were People

Radiohead

While I'm not a die hard Radiohead fan, I definitely appreciate their music...and their new track is amazing. Take a listen and see what you think...especially because they're not recording albums anymore (thanks Cody.)

Harry Patch

Chicago's New Most Wanted

After the slew of muggins in my neighborhood last week, you would think Chicago's most wanted would be any one of the various muggers...but that changed last night when a Cubs fan threw a beer on the Phillies' Shane Victorino. Since the Cubs don't seem to do anything right, of course security arrested the wrong guy. Now, the real beer thrower, who can easily be identified in the video below, is on the loose. I ask you join together with me and find this menace to society! Please report all sightings to the Chicago PD. Please report all hilarious jokes about the Cubs that arise out of this situation directly to me. As a friend said last night: "It's almost Bears' season."

7 Truths About Viral Culture

Recently, I have been fascinated by phenomenon of viral marketing. It seemed to me a couple of years ago when I was in college and viral marketing was beginning to take off, that it would quickly become a fleeting trend. However, over the past couple years, the exact opposite has happened. Take for instance the video I posted yesterday. This video was almost certainly a viral add released by none other than Performance Bicycle, a US discount bike chain. Yes, the references were quite subtle...but in a culture (cycling culture that is) where a subtle difference in your gear (read: non-white bar tape...or a helmet visor) can instantly peg you as an amateur weekend club rider, subtly is king.

Simon Dumenco of Advertising Age has put together a great article about the culture of viral advertising. His second point was what really hammered it home for me.

7 Truths About Viral Culture

In the meantime, I will be sure to post (intentionally and unintentionally) many more viral ads.

The Newest Bike Music Video: Performance

I found this video today, courtesy of Bike Snob NYC, and I highly enjoyed it. Not only does it make fun of hipsters, but it also makes fun of overly zealous roadies. There's nothing better than a situation where everyone can make fun of each other.

Throw those bikes in lockup!

After eating breakfast next to some bike-cops on Saturday morning, we came outside to find their bikes locked up next to the front door. However, when you're a bike-cop, you apparently don't need a u-lock...you can just handcuff your bikes together...hilarious:

Day 1 Lollapalooza Reflections/Report

Alright folks, it's back to the music festival for Matt! No insane live blogging experiments this time...this is after the fact (and much easier).

Yesterday open Lollapalooza in the beautiful city of Chicago. After roughing it for 4 days at Bonnaroo, I was excited to attend an amazing festival right in my back yard. While the weather on Day 1 disappointed, the musicians did not.

I entered through the brand new north entrance (all hype, not much else) around 3:oopm with Mother Nature providing a light drizzle. The first show on the schedule was Bon Iver. After missing them at 'Roo, I was so excited. The rain kept coming, but from 3-4, I was lost in the sounds of Bon Iver and didn't really notice. The common complaint about Bon Iver is people saying "I love their music, but I don't think it would be good live...it's not good music for outside." This is happily false. Sure Bon Iver isn't great music to get crazy to, but the stage show is well worth it. The best moment for me was when Justin played an old resonator for Skinny Love. The sound left me in awe.

As an aside from the music, the porto-potty situation at Lolla sucks again. While the people at Bonnaroo have figured it out, Perry still has not. I don't know what they're thinking, but especially with all of the short sets at Lolla, going pee can mean missing an act...huge bummer.

After Bon Iver, I met up with friends and suffered through 5 minutes of Ben Folds. Luckily I was able to convince them that it was time to go to DJ stage (Perry's). The new and improved Perry's is awesome this year! The stage is circular and there is room for 10,000 people (I heard last year was closer to 2,000.) Great move on Perry's part! We caught an awesome set from A-Trak, a DJ I started listening too quite recently. It was a great way to switch it up after Bon Iver and also a great way to forget about the rain (that was still coming just as hard!) After A-Trak we got some water and food...suffered through another bathroom wait, and then made our way back over to the Playstation Stage.

We caught the second half of the Fleet Foxes set (another band I was really hyped about seeing live.) They were also fantastic live. What a bunch of weird guys! They brought the weird and also brought the awesome vocal harmonies that sounds great live. I was quite happy that I didn't miss the whole thing! After Fleet Foxes we had some more administrate issues to take care of and missed out on most of the Andrew Bird set. I would have liked to see more, but he's from Chicago and plays here all the time.

The end of the night for us was Kings of Leon. I started listening to them junior year of college (in '07) and fell in love with the lead singers voice. It is so unique and different that it really makes the band. Their most recent album was a great addition to the ones I already had. They put on quite a show! I think they were somewhat inspired by the fact that they played Lolla a couple years ago before they were big and now they were headlining (the lead singer talked a bit about this too.) They played an inspired set that was of course cut short by the silly Chicago noise ordinance that ended the show promptly at 9:59pm...thanks Mayor Daley!

Altogether a great start! I'm ready to head back now, although I don't think I'm ready for 90 degrees and humid!

FIGHT LIKE SUSAN!

Something happened last night that shook up my life a little bit and I would be amiss not to give it some space in the blog.

The first blog I ever started following regularly was a blog by a man named Elden "Fatty" Nelson, an avid mountain biker from Utah. Fatty started his blog FatCyclist as a way of chronicling his weight loss and holding himself responsible. However, when his wife Susan fell ill with breast cancer, his blog became something much larger and more important. While FatCyclist remained entertaining and intriguing, a whole new layer was added. The amount of work Fatty has done for the battle against cancer is astounding to me. As of today, he has raised over $500,000 for cancer through his Livestrong Challenge teams. Think about that...$500,000. Wow. I would be amazed if I could raise $500 through my blog for anything.

Over the past couple months, all of Fatty's readers followed the heart-breaking story of Susan's worsening cancer. The inspiring thing for me was that Fatty and Susan both continued to fight and stay strong. Fatty continued to raise loads and loads of money while Susan fought a horrible disease. Sadly, at 7:25pm last night, Susan passed away. I know that many people, myself and Lance Armstrong included, were left speechless. It's a harsh reminder that cancer continues take lives everyday.

I encourage you to check out FatCyclist, be inspired, donate...help defeat cancer.

Get Stumped by Regiftable Robin

I don't know how long this has been bouncing around the internet, but I found it pretty cool!

I introduce: Regiftable Robin

Obviously she can't read your mind, but the trick was cool enough that it distracted me from figuring out how it was done for quite a while.

Thanks to Vanessa for this!

Bert and Ernie's Rap Career

Sesame Street + Rap = A great laugh on a Monday.

All props to a man named Football Rob for posting this one.

Stephan Braun just rocked my world, with a bow

I am always one to be impressed by musicians doing amazing things with conventional instruments. Bela Fleck, Andy McKee, Joe Satriani to name a few...however, I would argue that all of those guys have the advantage of playing fretted instruments. For me, Stephan Braun has broken into new boundaries...by playing virtuoso cello. Enjoy!

Hey Milorad Cavic, no one likes you.

I have waited a long while to rant on Amalgamattion...but hey, when you have 20 regular readers, you can't be that afraid of losing a couple.

Which brings me to the point of this post...Milorad Cavic, no one likes you.

Not familiar with Cavic? He is probably the most famous Silver Medalist from the Olympic Games (after Shawn Johnson took the Gold on the beam, overcoming her loss in the all-around). Cavic was the swimmer you forgot about who was "out-touched" by Michael Phelps in the "100 meter butterfly half-stroke heard round the world." Cavic is still complaining to this day, even though all of the sensors used in the race as well as high resolution video confirmed that Phelps did in fact win.

The story that many missed out on was that before Cavic became the whiniest sore loser in Olympic history, he was offending people throughout the Balkans. Cavic, an American born, dual citizen of Serbia and the United States, after winning the 50m Butterfly at the European Championships proceeded to wear a shirt that read "Kosovo is Serbia" on the medal stand. His medal was immediately stripped, but later was given back. Cavic proceeded to return to California to train for his eventual loss to Phelps.

Well now Cavic is back on the scene saying outrageous things and making sure that no one likes him. Yesterday, at the World Championships in Rome, he took a shot at Phelps saying that he would buy Phelps a new swimsuit and making fun of Phelps loyalty to the Speedo company. I will let the article, and Cavic's comments speak for themselves.

My question to Cavic, is why he doesn't swim for the United States? If he is so confident in his ability to beat Phelps...why not swim for his native country? I think we can figure out why...

M&M's and Evolution

I found a story this morning from an interesting character:

If I was this creative and funny, my blog would probably get a lot more hits! Haha.

The Best South Park Clip of All-time

Trey and Matt really know how to hammer it home:

Priceless Chicago Video

I am still trying to make sense of this...nonetheless, an amazing display of Chicago love.

The Best Flight Attendant Ever!

Southwest Airlines have the best prices and best service...and now the best flight attendant of all time:

A good late afternoon laugh

Funny hand written signs courtesy of funnyjunk.com

I enjoyed the hockey sign the most.

Funny Hand Written Signs

Kenya

Shawn Johnson v. Nastia Liukin: Round 2

Anyone who watched any of NBC's blanket coverage of the 2008 Olympics in Bejing at least caught some of the battle between Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin for the women's gymnastics all-around. While Nastia eventually prevailed, the battle rages on today. Shawn Johnson is currently crushing Nastia in the battle for popularity. Johnson's popularity skyrocketed after she won the latest season of Dancing with the Stars. Recently, a new battle begun.

The battle I am referring to, is the battle for the best internet video. The first shot was fired by Johnson in an Ortega Taco add from 2008 that recently became popular on YouTube. The commercial is uncomfortable/hilarious for many reasons...but the one everyone remembers is Shawn's line: "I love Ortega taco sauce, it makes my taco pop!" You also get to hear the Hamm brothers talk, which is bizarre in itself...not to mention eating tacos in a gym...

This weekend, it became clear to me that Nastia was not to be outdone again (referring to her getting schooled by Johnson on the balance beam in Beijing.) She granted an interview to ESPN which turned into an almost Sacha Baron Cohen-esque interview. I will let the video (and your subsequent laughter) speak for itself.

Who wins this round? We will have to wait for the corrupt judges using a confusing system to issue their marks.

The Amazing Ping Pong Ball Video...and the explanation?

A couple days ago, I found this awesome video of kids throwing ping ping bolls into red solo cups of water. I initially thought this was an impressive display of skill (and an immense amount of practice) gained through extensive beer-pong playing in college. Many of us experienced how after a couple weekends of throwing balls at cups, they started to go in with more ease. Here is the video...I recommend watching the entirety...it's pretty awesome.

Trick Shot Masters

As I said before, to my eyes, this video did not appear to be edited. Furthermore, I wanted to believe that it was real, because if so, it would be really cool.

My bubble was burst somewhat when I came upon the following video demonstrating how easy it is to manipulate video...after watching this, you be the judge...real or fake?

Russian Bike Trick

I found a great Thursday video featuring a Russian Bike Trick...enjoy

The Helen Keller Simulator

Sure Helen Keller jokes are getting old at this point...but have you ever wondered what it's like to be Helen Keller on the internet? I present...

The Helen Keller Simulator

The Best Craigslist Man-Dare Ever

Craigslists casual meet-up ads used to be funny...until Chicago banned them...and someone got murdered after replying to one.

Then someone in Austin, TX decided to redefine funny on Craigslist. I will let his words speak for themselves.

What I miss by being asleep at 4am on a Monday morning

I found the following photo on the internet this morning:

The photo, taken by a Chicago resident at 4am near the Belmont El Stop (in the background) shows a man trying to carry an open beer, half empty bottle of Carlo and a black blow-up doll onto the El.

Just a glimpse of the things I miss out by having a job!

Coors is making a "shotgunnable" can? Is this for real?

Apparently, Coors is beginning to court binge drinkers in earnest. Never mind Blue Moon trying to be a classy beer...soon enough you will be able to buy Coors Light in a "shotgunnable" can!

The World's Fastest!

This video contains a random collection of various "World's Fastest" activities. My favorite is "The World's Fastest Undresser (don't worry, SFW) and my favorite post-"World's Fastest"-celebration is the World's Fastest Pizza Maker. Amazing compilation.

How did this slip through the cracks? Spencer Pratt dominating the hip hop world!

I don't know how I missed this, but a couple months ago Spencer Pratt, star douche-bag/terrible boyfriend/husband from MTV's The Hills released a rap. This is one of the funniest things that has ever hit my ears. You can listen to it here on Ryan Seacrest's radio show. Be sure to listen to the whole thing. Unbelievable.

He just tweeted all over us?!

The world of Twitter was shaken up yesterday as a Forbes reported posted what is being hailed as the longest Tweet ever...check it out: Longest Tweet Ever Sucks Up to Boss.

Thanks to Suzie for this one.

The Best Blog on the Internet Right Now

This blog needs little explanation. It is written by one of my classmates from college and provides the funniest landlord story I have ever read. Enjoy.

Stranger than Eviction

The Best Touchdown Celebration...ever.

In a CFL game last Wednesday, Toronto Argonauts wide receiver Arland Bruce performed possibly the best touchdown celebration dance. After scoring the touchdown, Bruce ripped off his pads and pretended to lay in a casket to commemerate the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Further adding to the legitimacy of my "best ever" label, Bruce was penalized a whopping 30 yards! Impressive Bruce...you definitely outdid Usher on this one.

Livestrong.

Being a fairly avid cyclist, I encounter a lot of people with strong opinions about Lance Armstrong. I grew up watching him destroy people in the Tour and saw him as a real hero for overcoming cancer in such an inspiring way. While my image of him today is somewhat different, I still am astounded by how much money and recognition he has raised for the fight against cancer across the world. Recently Nike released a commercial featuring Lance and after hearing all the hype I finally watched it. Every time I watch it, chills run up my spine. Quite an amazing piece.

Don't want to work? I present ZooBorns.

I know you probably don't feel like working this morning...lets face it, it's Monday morning after a long weekend...does it get any harder to work? I have the perfect cure...and by cure I mean distraction. ZooBorns. Yes, nothing but a daily collection of newborn animals. It doesn't get much cuter than this...

Things that used to be cool to hate

My friends and I were having a conversation last night about an upcoming Dave Matthews Band concert and I made the comment that "It's no longer cool to hate Dave Matthews." Your feelings about DMB aside, most can agree that it used to be cool to hate DMB. In many music circles, stating your dislike of Dave was your ticket in. However, in today's world, Dave Matthews is completely irrelevant, outside of the people who flock to venues like Alpine Valley, WI every summer to tailgate and see a similar show to the one they saw last summer. I'll be the first to admit that I am one of those people, but I digress.

We had a conversation about other things that used to be cool to hate, but we didn't get very far. Not to be discouraged, I put some more thought into it today and I think we may be onto something. The tough thing is you have to work with a sliding time frame. For instance, it may have been cool to hate something because of your life stage (e.g. high school, college, etc.) Or it may have been cool to hate someone/a group of people because of the actions they undertook years ago. Right now the list is short, but I am interested to hear what other people have to say.

I want your input! Use the comments to post our ideas about things that used to be cool to hate. Here are the short list of examples I have come up with through conversations with people:

• It used to be cool to hate Greek life in college.
• It used to be cool to hate Michigan football, but then they stopped winning.
• It used to be cool to hate sushi, when you were a kid.
• It used to be cool to hate the New York Yankees, but they haven't won a world series in 9 years.

Let's hear some others!

Bon Iver...if only you could say his name

Bon Iver is probably my favorite artist right now.

The story of Justin Vernon is a little bizarre, his music is a little bizarre, and the story of his latest album is bizarre...but when it all comes together and hits your ears...it's hard to do anything but enjoy every second of it. You can fill in the missing details here if you want.

Or more importantly, you can check out this awesome video, filmed I think somewhere in France. The video consists of Vernon and his band mates going around performing the title track off their album. I would highly recommend checking out the other videos by this same user. They are all equally awesome...and of course, buy the album too!

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

The US National Soccer team beat Spain 2-0 in the Confederations cup to advance to the finals against probably Brazil. It will take another shocking performance to get another win...but for now, enjoy these awesome goals!

Ready to Experience My First Night at Bonnaroo?

The first night of Bonnaroo the storms arrived...in thunderous fashion. When the wind and rain got bad enough, we decided it was our time to enter Centeroo. We put on swimsuits put some cash in a ziploc bag and went for it. I found this video today of one of my favorite moments of Bonnaroo. The first show we saw, and one of the best, was Passion Pit. I am surprised more people haven't heard of them, so I bring you this video.

So what I want you to do is imagine yourself in a swimsuit, soaking wet, covered in mud from foot to waist, hand over your beer so the rain doesn't get in it...and then watch this video...as loud as it goes:

For those that like to complain about the weather!

You know that co-worker who complained last week that it was cold...and then came in this week complaining about how hot it was outside? Hey! that co-worker might even be you! If you or someone you know like's complaining about the weather...use this site to help you get psyched up about how bad the weather is!

Thanks Abby!

Why The Economist dominates

I have enjoyed reading The Economist since I started becoming interested in politics early in high school. Every week I receive my copy and read Lexington immediately, sometimes even before I walk up the stairs. I found an insightful article on why The Economist has continued to succeed in a time where print news is increasingly becoming obsolete. You can find the article here. Happy Hump Day!

Keyboard Cat Reaches a New High

Sometimes trends reach their limit...after a while, everyone got tired of fmylife...then people got tired of mylifeisaverage...and I thought that was what happened to Keyboard Cat. But then I saw this video, and it changed my Keyboard Cat life. (Warning, if you're watching this at work, you might start crying at your desk like I did.)

You want breadsticks with your burrito?

This has been on the internet for a while...but it's time it made on the blog just in case people have not heart it yet. Yes, a song dedicated to the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. I feel so thankful that Yum! Foods decided to open restaurants with so many choices. It helps families who can't decide on just one type of food for the family, it helps drunk people create challenging, entertaining late night meals and most importantly, it creates a smell like you've never smelled before.

Here is where I take a stand...if you're going to have a combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell...why don't you serve TACO PIZZA!?

Here's the song...enjoy

Das Racist - Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (Wallpaper Remix)

Cuteness is bipartisan

Credit to Rachel for finding this...and the Official Whitehouse Photostream for posting it.

Reflections (and Ramblings) on Bonnaroo...plus some more pictures

I am finally well rested, my body has mostly recovered, my sunburn has healed...I haven't gotten over the obsession with my shower, and my air conditioner, I haven't stopped enjoying having a bathroom nearby every time I need to use one, instead of having to walk half a mile. This means that it is time to start reflecting on the amazing experience of Bonnaroo. I think my friends have been a little perplexed my reactions...my stock reaction has become "It was unreal/unbelievable and I couldn't really use normal words to describe it." This is true. Bonnaroo was more than a music festival, more than a 4 day camping trip with friends, more than a collection of hippies doing drugs...I truly left the grounds on Monday feeling like I had been a part of something amazing. With that, here are some reflections on various topics...

Drugs - one of the main questions people ask me about Bonnaroo was the drugs there. Anyone that has looked into the festival at all has heard about how there are many drugs available at any time of the day or night for whatever price you want to pay...but I was not even prepared for the experience there. Before we had even set up camp, we had been offered drugs. It seems like every time we would sit/stand still for more than 5 minutes, whether we were at the campsite or in Centeroo (the concert area) there would be someone offering us whatever drugs we wanted. All of that said, the interesting part to me (and unbelievable to some) is that no one I was with used any illegal drugs. I could discuss why this is...but the point is that, even without doing drugs. The thing that struck me is that Bonnaroo is such a weird experience and environment, that I don't see why people would need to alter their state of consciousness to enjoy it more?

Festival Organization - I was amazed at how well organized Bonnaroo was. I have only really been to one other major festival, Lollapalooza, but the organization at Lolla could not even hold a candle to the organization at 'Roo. First of all, you have almost 80,000 people camping on one farm, which is a feat in itself. But everything else seemed to be organized enough that it did not cause us undue inconvenience. The parking/traffic situation was organized on the way in for us (I know it was not for everyone). Everyone had enough space to camp. The port-o-potties were cleaned everyday and remained relatively clean the whole time (I'm not joking, it was never a problem.) There were showers you could use during the day without much of a wait. There were water stations located throughout the festival that provided cold, clean water for washing, drinking or whatever else you wanted to use it for. My favorite thing is that the people running the festival went to great lengths to ensure that the ground where people stood to watch the shows was as dry and clean as possible. Before the Bela Fleck show, they cleared everyone out from under the tent we were in to lay down a layer of sawdust and hay to try and dry out the ground. It worked, and I think everyone really appreciated it. The medical staff was always attentive, and when that guy had a bad trip right behind you, the medical staff was always there in seconds to pick him up and take him to their makeshift hospital.

The People - The people at Bonnaroo are one of its greatest assets. I was hoping to meet a lot more people than I did...but this was likely due to the fact that we weren't that outgoing. That being said, I still met and encountered a lot of chill, cool people. When you're camping in heat, rain and mud with 80,000 other people for 4 days, you develop this camaraderie somewhat similar to kids at a summer camp. Everyone helps each other out and makes sure everyone else is having a good time. I noticed on Sunday that I had gone the whole festival without seeing people get pissed about running into each other or someone taking someone elses spot, etc. That stuff happened all the time at Lolla. A bunch of peaceful hippies at a music festival in the middle of nowhere? yep.

Since I've now been writing for much longer than I expected, I realize this is going to take more than one post. So I will end this with one more topic...

Phish - As I've said before, the catalyst that made me buy the ticket and commit to Bonnaroo, was the 2 shows that Phish were to play. When Phish went on Friday night, it was completely surreal. As cheesy as it may sound, I actually did get emotional. I started listening to Phish during high school and they quickly became my favorite band. Seeing them in 2003 from the 6th row at Alpine Valley was by far the best concert experience of my life up that point. When they retired in 2004, I did not realize how much I would miss them. When they stepped on stage at Bonnaroo, all of the waiting and wishing they would return came out of me, and I got to enjoy 3 hours of amazing live music. They ended the weekend with hands down the best set of Bonnaroo. The Tweezer Reprise was my favorite song I saw at Bonnaroo. I can't wait to see them 3 more times this summer.

With that, I will leave you with a link to some great, professional pictures and videos from the festival. This is a little taste of what I experienced.

Roger Ebert on Bill O'Reilly

My roommate and I have recently been watching the O'Reilly Factor fairly regularly...mostly for entertainment, but also due to curiosity over whether it really is the same every day. We have pretty much concluded that the format is boringly similar but excitingly lively. I found an article today written by Roger Ebert about Bill O'Reilly and the effect his show may/has have/had on debate in America. The article can be found here.

There will be more to come on Bonnaroo when I find more time. Until then, have a great Wednesday!

Phish...and special guest

Yesterday was an absolutely astounding end to my first Bonnaroo!

As I told you, we waited all day so we could see Phish from the front. It was definitely a long day, but very worth it.

There were two performances before Phish. Erykah Badu was completely unremarkable. It's hard to have a "comeback" performance when there's nothing to come back to. She spent her hour and a half on stage singing about how she is god; and how she has a large rear end.

Snoop Dogg on the other hand tore up the stage. He busted out all of his classics and rapped over some other artists tracks. He also had one of the cooler stage setups included a drum set made out of a chopper motorcycle that the drummer sat on the seat of.

When 8:30 finally rolled around, I was tired...but that was all gone when Phisb went on. The first set was epic...and ended with Trey bringing on a special guest. We had talked about hoping Phish would bring on Snoop Dogg, since the band had previously covered Gin and Juice...but this special guest we had not even considered. Trey told a story about the first concert he attended at the age of 12. When he started getting choked up at the end of the story, we knew he was going to bring on someone big...and he did. Bruce Springsteen. They played three of The Boss' songs including Glory Days. It was breathtaking seeing my favorite guitarist trade riffs with Bruce. That was only the first set.

The second set did not disappoint. They threw in some of my favorites, like Suzie Greenberg and Farmhouse. They capped off 4 days of unbelievable music with a ridiculously high energy Tweezer Reprise. It was surreal walking out last night. I'm still processing everything I saw, heard and experienced. I will post at least once more with my reflections when I am a little better rested and have an actual keyboard to type on. Happy Monday!

The Boss

I would not call myself a Bruce Springsteen fan...or I should say, I would not have called myself a Springsteen, until last night. After coming on a half hour late, Bruce absolutely rocked our faces off. He played through the hits, added some new ones, and even threw in some awesome covers. I was impressed and I'm excited to listen to his stuff a little more.

Right now, were sitting in the front row of the main stage, waiting for Phish. Yes, they play at 8:30 tonight, so we have a while to wait. But at least we get to see Snoop Dogg somewhere in the middle of the wait. Here's a preview of our seats:

Catching up on 24+ Hours of Awesomeness

First off, sorry for the lack of posts! Between lack of cell phone signal/data coverage and lack of an outlet to plug my phone into, posting was a little tough. But we're still here stronger than ever! Here's a recap of what we've been up to...

Bela Fleck - yesterday I got to see one of my favorite artists, Bela Fleck, play with a man named Toumani Diabate. Bela Fleck, probably the world's most renowned banjo player, had been one of my favorite artists since I heard one of his albums, Live Art, which he recorded with his band, the Flecktones (which includes another of my favorite artists, Victor Wooten.). I was a bit bummed when I found out Bela was not playing with his band at Roo. Things changed when I first heard Mr Diabate play!
Toumani is the best kora player in the world. Never heard of the kora? Me neither, until yesterday. The kora is a 21 stringed instrument made of calabash and cowhide. The bass line is played with one thumb, the melody with the other thumb, and the fingers are used to improvise. So it is essentially a one man band. The show was unreal and was capped off by an awesome rendition of Dueling Banjos.

Beastie Boys - our first show on the huge stage was the Beastie Boys. While I listened to them a lot in high school, I hadn't thought much about them recently. I was unsure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by a high energy show which included some favorites like Intergalactic and Sabotage. The best part though was when Nas came out and did a song with them! Amazing! No idea what Nas was doing at Bonnaroo, but it was sweet.

Phish - as you may already know, the deciding factor for me in my decision to attend Bonnaroo was the prospect of seeing Phish twice. The first show was last night and lived up to all expectations. They played some of my favorites, like You Enjoy Myself and Golgi Apparatus. They finished with an encore that consisted of a medley of Beetles songs.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - if you like guitar music, you know R&G. They put on an unbelievable show this afternoon. I, along with the crowd were consistently blown away by the sheer amount of talent emanating from the stage. If you haven't checked them out, go do it!

So here I find myself sitting on the lawn, listening to Jeff Tweedy and Wilco for the first time and waiting for The Boss and the E Street Band to tear it up.

What an amazing experience this has been thus far. There's still another Phish show too! More updates to come hopefully!!!

Good morning!

Wow...not the easiest night of sleep! At least the weather took a break. Getting ready to eat some bacon and eggs.

Today should be an awesome day of shows. We're planning on seeing Bela Fleck, TV on the Radio, Beastie Boys, Phish and Public Enemy. Hopefully the weather cooperates and I can send some pictures!