Fun Distractions

May the Post be With You

2007-03-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

So apparently the USPS is teaming up with George Lucas for some mysterious reason on March 28th. Be on the lookout for R2D2 shaped mailboxes across the land (from sea to shining sea). My guess is that we'll finally get a stamp with Jar Jar on it, but then again, we always knew the USPS was a powerful force for evil in the world.

Walken for President

2007-03-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

We've long been fans of Christopher Walken, but who would of thought we'd see him in the 2008 presidential election? At Walken2008.com, you can find about Mr. Walken's bid for the highest office in the land. Honestly, we'd rather watch him dance!

Traffic Light Wars

2007-02-26T05:50:00.000-05:00

And you thought traffic lights were boring! Traffic Light Wars has over 100 of these little animations - and they're always good for a little laugh. Traffic lights will never seem the same again!

Barkeater Lake

2007-02-25T02:48:00.000-05:00

Barkeater Lake is one of my favorite web-comics and now that Corey Pandolph has gone independent, there is a full archive on the website (The first issue is Feb 24, 2004). Like a lot of comics there are a lot of inside jokes and the comic's just overall more funny if you have read the storyline from the beginning, so having the full archives available is super cool.

The one that kicked it all off:

Will it Blend?

2007-02-24T10:49:00.000-05:00

Will it blend is a site that tests the prowess of the Blendtec blenders. Besides being brilliant viral marketing, I think it's just a good excuse to crush stuff up, and who doesn't love that?

Anyways, without further ado I give you 12 light-sticks in a blender:

Top 10 Lego Creations

2007-02-21T05:52:00.000-05:00

TechEBlog has a list of their “Top 10 Strangest (or Coolest…) Lego Creations” which I'm all geekin' out over. My fave has definitlely got to be the life-size Han Solo in carbonite.

Lost in Translation II

2007-02-16T05:36:00.000-05:00

Lost in Translation lets you translate English to a handful of languages and right back to English. The result is both awful and hilarious at the same time - making their usual ads of translation services seem like worthwhile expenses.

For example:

Original English Text:
Roses are red, violets are blue, you are so sweet, and I love you.

Translated to Italian:
È il colore rosa blu del colore è rosso, la viola, esso è estremamente morbido, I gradisce.

And the resulting re-translation to English:
It is the color blue rose of the color it is red, viola it, it is extremely soft, appreciate.Like the site says - it reminds you of the game of "telephone" where the message usually loses (or gains) something in translation. "It is extremely soft, appreciate" indeed!

Lost in Translation

2007-02-13T06:49:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it pays to proofread your work before completing it. Sometimes it really pays to know what the heck you're getting yourself into. Hanzismatter chronicles the hilarity that ensues when westerners misuse Chinese characters. For example, the young lady below might have picked differently had she known that her chosen body art means "excrement".

3D Stereograms

2007-02-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

Can you see the image below in 3D or does this just give you a migraine? 3D Wonderstuff has pages of amazing headache material like this - they honestly have some of the best ones (as far as really "popping" online. Their animations take a little more effort, but are very cool

If you're more interested in photo-realism, Ledametrix uses special mountings of identical cameras to produce 3D images that are quite 3D. Check out his galleries and you might just want to be picking up a second camera.

Cute Overload

2007-02-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

We're not all geekery and puns here at Fun Distractions. Under our hard exterior we have a soft side as well - making us totally gush for the cuteness over at Cute Overload. What with all the kittens and ferrets and gerbils it's hard not to find something to bring a smile to your face - or a smirk when you think of the poor parents who had to witness this:
Thanks Cute Overload!

Star Wars the ASCII way

2007-02-07T05:50:00.000-05:00

Enjoy the Star Wars saga, rendered entirely in ASCII animation. I only wish I had this much time on my hands - perhaps I can do the Clone Wars when I retire.

                                                             
                                   /~\                         
                                  |oo )                        
                                  _\=/_                        
                  ___            /  _  \                       
                 / ()\          //|/.\|\\                      
               _|_____|_        \\ \_/  ||                     
              | | === | |        \|\ /| ||                     
              |_|  O  |_|        # _ _/ #                      
               ||  O  ||          | | |                        
               ||__*__||          | | |                        
              |~ \___/ ~|         []|[]                        
              /=\ /=\ /=\         | | |                        
______________[_]_[_]_[_]________/_]_[_\_________________________

Sweep the Leg!

2007-01-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

I have no idea how they got so many people to do cameos, but this is my favorite video of the year. Now I've just got to rent a video of the Karate Kid and see who else is from the original cast.

You can also catch the high-def version at sweeptheleg.com. You can check out No More Kings on their website or on MySpace. I'm also digging their song Zombie Me - with lines like "I've got the fever for the human brain", how can you go wrong?

UPDATE: Just read a fun interview with Billy Zabka (Johnny from the movie) over at Retro Crush giving some fun background on the making of the video. Sounds like he was key in pulling the whole thing together.

Smurfs' Christmas Special

2006-12-23T10:51:00.000-05:00

My favorite find this Holiday Season:

All I Want for Christmas.....

2006-11-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

The Dungeons & Dragons Complete Cartoon Series will be out December 5th, making it the perfect present for the geek (or ex-geek) on your list.

Get your 80's fix at Retrojunk.com

2006-10-27T19:34:00.001-04:00

I haven't thought of or seen Zack the Lego Maniac in decades, but I had no problem recognizing him when I saw his commercial on Retrojunk.com

Get your fix for the best of the 70s and 80s culture from retrojunk, or just use it as a handy guide to explain to your children why you are so messed up!

Coin Stacking

2006-10-26T05:29:00.000-04:00

Mitch Fincher describes coin stacking as "a fun hobby for kids, college students and adults."

He included tutorials on how to get started, allowing you to get up to speed on building cantilevered structures with Pennies.

Most amazing are the pictures others have submitted of their coin based creations. I'm amazed that some of these creations stand at all - they seem to defy gravity.

BrickQuest

2006-10-23T13:03:00.000-04:00

Take the two geekiest things you can think of, D&D and Legos.

Combine them together
and shake vigorously - the result is BrickQuest. Just remember, I get to be the BrickMaster, OK?

Do not press the big red button!

2006-10-21T15:01:00.000-04:00

It's true. They don't want you to press the bug red button. For real, they're not kdding. But if you need to find out for yourself, you can press the big red button here.
It's true. They don't want you to press the bug red button. For real, they're not kdding. But if you need to find out for yourself, you can press the big red button here.

What's that Bug?

2006-10-20T06:02:00.000-04:00

So, you have found a weird looking critter around the house, and once you stop screaming want to know if it will eat your children. Who ya gonna call? Whatsthatbug.com, of course. These guys will tell you what you have found, if it is dangerous, etc. If your picture is creepy enough, you might even make Bug of the Month!

Warning: There are truly a ton of picture of creepy-crawlies on this site. if you are squeamish of bugs you'll probably want to stay away. If you have a braver constitution, go ahead and check it out.

Flags of the World

2006-10-18T13:48:00.000-04:00

How well do you know the flags of the world? This game allows you to put you knowledge to the test, giving you hints including: maps, neighbors, contenents and national alntems (big help that is!). But be careful - each hint takes points away from your overall score.

Death by Caffeine

2006-10-13T00:42:00.000-04:00

How much Dr. Pepper will it take to kill you? Will you fare any better with Mr. Pibb?

Thanks to Death by Caffeine, I learned that I can only drink 266 cans of Dr. Pepper before the caffeine does me in. I could drink 273 cans of Mr. Pibb before knocking off. And my favorite, hot cocoa, will allow 780 cups before kicking the bucket. Now hopefully I don't lose count between 560 and 600 again....

The Nietzsche Family Circus

2006-10-12T22:23:00.000-04:00

What do you get when you combine a random Family Circus cartoon and a random Nietzsche quote? The Nietzsche Family Circus.

You have your way. I have my way.

As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

OK Go, On Treadmills

2006-10-11T21:51:00.000-04:00

OK, I know it's last month's fad, but it still makes me smile:

White and Nerdy

2006-10-10T21:45:00.000-04:00

Wierd Al's White and Nerdy is my new favorite song:

Cameratoss

2006-10-10T00:21:00.000-04:00

Take a camera, set it for a long exposure, point it at a light source, and toss it into the air.

The results are astounding, when done right!

The Turnpike Prank

2006-09-29T08:54:00.000-04:00

In the great Turnpike Prank, John Hagrave of Zug finds out who will break first, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority or Mariah Carrey.

Stuff on My Cat

2006-09-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

Stuff on My Cat - for those who love to put stuff on their cats.

The Google Maps Guide to Ghostbusters

2006-09-19T21:09:00.000-04:00

What trip to NYC would be complete without a visit to Ghostbusters HQ? What's that? You don't know were it is? How about Dana Barrett's Apartment? With the Google Maps Guide to Ghostbusters you'll be on your way to all of the attractions from both the Original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II!

Found Film

2006-09-19T05:59:00.000-04:00

This site has pictures developed from rolls of film that were in vintage cameras bought by the webmaster. The pictures on them were forgotten or lost by those who took them, and are now brought to life many decades later. It's an interesting site, I guess it appeals to the voyeuristic tendencies in all of us - we get a peek into someone elses life from long ago.

Mail Order Chickens

2006-09-15T21:24:00.000-04:00

I just ran across Mail Order Chickens again- the site for people who love chickens. Can you make a difference today?

Historic Tale Construction Kit

2006-09-04T13:39:00.000-04:00

The Historic Tale Construction Kit lets you create your own mideval tapestry, complete with kings, dragons and donkeys.

Christopher Walken 2 Pack

2006-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of oldie but goodies today featuring Christopher Walken:

First the SNL cowbel skit:

And second Mr. Walken in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice"

Text to Speech Generator

2006-03-22T08:01:00.000-05:00

AT&T needs help perfecting their tech to speech generator. You need an anonymous voice for your prank calls. It's a match made in Heaven!

The Twinkies Project

2006-02-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. stands for Tests With Inorganic Noxious Kakes In Extreme Situations.

T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. is a series of experiments conducted during finals week, 1995, at Rice University. The tests were designed to determine the properties of that incredible food, the Twinkie.

Juggler

2006-02-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

They Rule

2006-02-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

They Rule claims to prove the existence of an elite ruling class. I don't believe that, but it is a great example of creative data modeling. It's very interesting they way it can connect any two companies with common board members in a chain (find connection).

The Force is strong with them?

2006-02-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

Anyone know where this comes from? It's the funniest thing I've seen all day!

It's In The Koran

2006-01-30T06:17:00.000-05:00

David Hasslehoff - Hooked on a feeling

2006-01-27T09:46:00.000-05:00

Hooked on a feeling is possibly the best David Hasslehoff video ever!

test

2006-01-23T20:54:00.000-05:00

Who is this?

2006-01-03T19:37:00.000-05:00

Can anyone tell me who this cartoon character is?

He is on an enamel pin, and we have been unable to ID him for quite a while now.

Elastic Enthusiastic

2005-12-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

Wizards of Winter Light Display

2005-12-02T19:37:00.000-05:00

This is the coolest Christmas light show ever! Seriously! Rumor has it that it's in Ohio.

Cat Stacking

2005-11-02T02:25:00.000-05:00

Cat Stacking is a game similar to Tetris, but with cats...

Alex Chiu - Internet Superstar

2005-11-01T21:24:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it has taken me this long to run across Alex Chiu on the web.

Babycal throw

2005-10-28T05:53:00.000-04:00

My wife showed me this one a while back, but I had long since forgotten about it. Babycal throw is one of those games that is suprisingly addictive despite being fairly wierd.

Is your name Pete?

2005-09-14T17:45:00.000-04:00

Is your name Pete? If it is, you should check out this link!

POOM!

2005-09-14T17:41:00.000-04:00

Bouncing a ball should not be this hard....

The Cubes

2005-09-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

Finally, the drudgery of corporate life has been captured in a play set for adults! The Cubes spend eight hours a day, five days a week, at tiny desks in tiny cubicles.

If I dig a very deep hole, where do I come out?

2005-09-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

I've assumed if I dug a hole straight down in my back yard, that I'd end up in China.... but I was wrong. With the help of Google Maps, you can can figure out If I dig a very deep hole, where do I come out?

Sinosplice's China Junk Food Review

2005-09-13T08:31:00.000-04:00

Sinosplice's China Junk Food Review highlights foods I've never heard of before and probably will never see. Check out the second edition for more when you've finished chewing on #1.

Political Compass

2005-09-12T20:48:00.000-04:00

Think you are leftie or a rightie? Libertarian or Authoritarian? Take the Political Compass test and find out for sure!

GasBuddy

2005-09-07T11:52:00.000-04:00

Planet Designer

2005-09-07T10:49:00.000-04:00

Planet Designer lets you play with the physics of planetary systems. I keep making planets that won't hold their atmosphere, but I'll just rent them cheap! A fun way to learn a little bit more about physics.

The Catsup Crapper

2005-09-06T10:37:00.000-04:00

The Catsup Crapper is a fine example of what a MIT education will do for you.

I sure wish I had this much time on my hands!

Hard Drive Clock

2005-09-06T10:34:00.000-04:00

Alan Parekh's Electronic Projects brings us the Hard Drive clock, a sweet clock made from an old hard drive and some LEDs. As we all know, anything with LEDs is cool, especially if they are different colors!

The videos really shows off the moves of this one of a kind timepiece!

Discover Music - Pandora

2005-09-06T01:12:00.000-04:00

Pandora is an amazing service that will build custom "radio stations" for you based on a specified artist or song, and the feedback on suggested songs. I found it was dead on, and reminded me of some great songs and bands I've forgotten over the years!

The Old Negro Space Program

2005-08-23T23:03:00.000-04:00

The Old Negro Space Program - The shocking but false story of America's blackstronauts.

Peekaboom

2005-08-15T19:33:00.000-04:00

A fun game, and apparently you're helping computers to learn to see at the same time. Peekaboom is this week's top timewaster for me!

Spamusement

2005-08-14T00:26:00.000-04:00

Spamusement calls itself "Poorly-drawn cartoons inspired by actual spam subject lines", but I call it freaking hilarious. Then again, it is 12:31 AM right now, so I may think differently in the morning.

Either way, it has an RSS feed making it easier to get that fresh Spamusement daily.

One of my favorites:

New High tech product thats sure to please

Bridges

2005-08-12T06:23:00.000-04:00

Can you build a bridge across the gameboard before the computer does? Kind of a cross between Tron light-cycles and connect four.

andromeda

2005-08-10T16:11:00.000-04:00

andromeda is a supprisingly difficult game where you need to levitate a ball to various targets.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! IQ game

2005-08-10T16:04:00.000-04:00

Ripley's Believe It or Not! IQ game

I had the golf-tee version of this game at one point in time and beat it then, but I can't seem to get past two balls left today...

Virtual Apple II - Online disk archive

2005-08-09T19:17:00.000-04:00

Virtual Apple II - Online disk archive: "Play old Apple IIe games through your browser"

PatesonframeI

2005-07-30T21:51:00.000-04:00

At first I thought Paesonframel was a puzzle, but then I realized it was a way to experiment with rhythm and music. Very unique and well done!

Planarity

2005-07-23T22:49:00.000-04:00

While I'm doing the whole geek grove this week, I'll wrap it up with Planarity. A great game, check it out!

Physics Songs

2005-07-23T22:36:00.000-04:00

From PhysicsSongs.org:

Songs about physics can help students to remember critical concepts and formulas, but perhaps more importantly they communicate the lesson that physics can be fun.

And who doesn't think physics is fun?

l will admit that I was so bored in High School physics class that we used to pass around orajel, because according to one of the girls in the class "it makes saying weird physics words sound funny" I will also however, admit that my High School band had a song about Pi, so I can relate to these songs. Unfortunately, only a handful have recordings (most just have lyrics). So far, my personal favorite is: Stuck in an Infinite Loop.

Music Thing

2005-07-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've always had a love of music, and a pretty strong music background - I was in a band in college and managed a music store (guitar and drums, not LP and CD) for several years. I'm not sure if it's beacuse of this, or in spite of it, but the Music Thing blog always bring a smile to my face. Their recent entry on Mark Wood has to be my favorite this month:

So, I've written about Mark Wood and his $3,500 seven-string fretted Flying V-shaped violins before. But that was before 'loneguitarist' posted this [4mb QT] video of Mark's old band Voodoo Violince (do you see what he's done there?) In the video he's playing the violin on the left - which has a huge red hand pressing against his chest, and seems to be attached to him by some kind of leather choker.

Cockeyed.com

2005-07-08T14:20:00.000-04:00

One of the funniest websites out there. How Much is Inside and Incredible Stuff I Made are probably my favorite sections. Now has a RSS feed, so it's even easier to keep up with the madcap escapades.

Thanks Rob, for hours of blown productivity!

Build your own R2-D2

2005-07-04T06:44:00.000-04:00

For the geek with a lot of time on their hands - instructions on how to build your own R2 unit.

Zork in PHP

2005-07-04T06:37:00.000-04:00

Ran across this verzion of Zork done in PHP. Watch out for grues!

Sudoku of the Day

2005-07-01T07:15:00.000-04:00

Sudoku puzzles are a great mental challenge. Basically they are the numerical equivalent of crossword puzzles. The Sudoku site has a nice how-to on solving the puzzles.

Atom Smasher's Error Message Generator

2005-06-30T20:04:00.000-04:00

3X the Shatner, 3X the Fun!

2005-06-17T09:08:00.000-04:00

With William Shatner playing T.J. Hooker, Captain Kirk and himself, this could be Holy Grail of entertainment!

Filmwise Invisibles

2005-06-17T06:08:00.000-04:00

Filmwise Invisibles - There's a new quiz every Monday that shows stills from eight different movies, with the actors removed "invisible man" style, leaving you to identify the scene from the clothing or scenery.

A great way to start the week if you are a film buff, or waste a couple of days straight, since there are 236 quizzes online already!

Which Napoleon Dynamite Character Are You?

2005-06-11T22:11:00.000-04:00

I am Pedro!?

Which Napoleon Dynamite Character Are You?

80's music quiz

2005-06-09T22:57:00.000-04:00

80's Lyrics Quiz: People are What?

I always found it very difficult to name artists/title... these are the songs everyone always mumbles along with in the car. Do you know them as well as you think you do?

Jews Rock

2005-06-07T15:07:00.000-04:00

Jew or Not?

Some of the following 20 pop idols are Jewish. Some are not. Your job: figure out which are which.

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

2005-06-06T08:21:00.000-04:00

I'm surprised that I'm more yankee than midwest having only lived in Wisconsin and Ohio.... However they didn't have the 'bubbler' option for water fountain, so I'm not sure it's entirely accurate:

My Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

15% Yankee

10% Upper Midwestern

5% Midwestern

0% Dixie

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Daily Dancer

2005-06-03T12:34:00.000-04:00

It's great when the young folks share their passion with the world. Thanks DD!

Tetris with Telletubbies?

2005-05-31T12:31:00.000-04:00

I still haven't figured out if this game is really cool or really lame, but I can't seem to stop playing it!

Darth Vader 20 questions

2005-05-26T15:48:00.000-04:00

Play 20 questions with Darth Vader. I have to admit - it's a lot of fun. My favorite taunt: "You are not a Jedi, you are not even a Jawa!". Although when he uses the Force to shake the screen, it's pretty cool too!

Potato peeling

2005-05-16T16:59:00.000-04:00

If you're not familiar with the Potato Peeling scene in "The Great Brain at the Academy", you'll still find this game a-peeling! Thanks to regular reader Jeremy for the suggestion!

Take Aim!

2005-05-16T16:49:00.000-04:00

Two games today that allow you to take aim and jump: Interface Escape and The Bottom of the Sea. So whether in space or underwater, you still have to wear a funny-looking suit to breathe, and you still have to look before you leap.

Ant City

2005-05-11T06:14:00.000-04:00

Use your giant magnifying glass to look at the people. Be careful! The beam gets hot. Wouldn't want to burn anyone!

Classic Arcade Games

2005-05-05T19:28:00.000-04:00

A little on the rough side, but still a great distraction - these classic arcade games are enough to blow an entire day's productivity.

Kitten Cannon

2005-05-05T19:22:00.000-04:00

What more need I say ? Highly addictive - let me know if you top my score:

2005-04-29T06:13:00.000-04:00

from engadget:

Life-size X-wing up for grabs on eBay

By Barb Dybwad

You know, why mess around with the small fry Star Wars-themed gadgets when you can go whole hog? If you really want a collectible that’ll impress your friends, take out a second mortgage on the home and go for the life-sized X-wing fighter — one of only eight left in the entire world! Start your bid at $40K or, if you’re one of those impulse shoppers, take the $85K Buy-It-Now option, which will net you free shipping, no less.

ebay auction

Kid's books that aren't

2005-04-24T07:13:00.000-04:00

I recently ran across "The Cuddly Menace-A Little Golden Book About Zogg", which reminded me of "Everyone is Different". Two of the most disturbing (and hilarious) children's books ever.

"I have more friends now"

2005-04-13T10:57:00.000-04:00

In the fine tradition of the Mac "switch" campaign, I can across this Linux switch 'ad'. Some of the other animations are fun as well.

M&M's Chocolate Mpire

2005-04-08T07:57:00.000-04:00

A fun clip - M&Ms move to the "dark" side of the force.

No Name game#1

2005-04-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

Another game that seems impossible.... I'd be happy to finish, let alone have a good time.

Anakin Dynamite

2005-04-06T11:37:00.000-04:00

In Anakin Dynamite, an awkward apprentice struggles with older Jedis, school elections and idiots!
If you like Napoleon Dynamite and Star Wars, you'll love Anakin Dynamite.

The Baby Name Wizard

2005-04-06T11:16:00.000-04:00

The Baby Name Wizard is a very cool Java web-based application that will let you look at the popularity of different baby names over the last 100 years. I'm not sure why it's so addicting, but you find yourself putting every name you can think of in it.

Petals around the Rose

2005-03-30T06:32:00.000-05:00

A mind boggling (for some) puzzle. It took me 2 days to figure it out - with substantial hints from my wife, who figured it out on her 2nd try.

Quite possibly he hardest puzzle in the galaxy

2005-03-29T14:27:00.000-05:00

my brains hurt!

Folding cloth for fun and profit

2005-03-29T05:48:00.000-05:00

http://www.cs.hut.fi/~demi/cloth_folding.mpeg - another piece of evidence in the web is a weird place file...

What kind of dog are you?

2005-03-29T05:37:00.000-05:00

Apparently, I'm a collie.... What kind of dog are you? (click on the link to the right)

Homestar Runner - Stinkoman Game

2005-03-28T06:59:00.000-05:00

The Brothers Chaps have done it again with their Stinkoman Game. I've already put in about three hours and haven't made it past level one!

If you are not yet familiar with their wildly funny HomeStar Runner site, you'll definitely want to check it out. If you are, the H* wiki can help you get the most of the site - especially the "Easter Eggs" in the Strongbad Emails.

How to Kill a Mockingbird

2005-03-28T06:45:00.000-05:00

How to Kill a Mockingbird is a great time-efficient time waster - you won't spend forever trying to defeat that elusive level, but the time saved may be spent rolling on the floor laughing.

The only thing that can make a timeless tale like "To Kill a Mockingbird" better is pirates, flying burning sharks, and Ninjas. Oh yea, burning bears and all the nuclear explosions in the world a nice touch as well.

When you have finished watching this timeless classic, you can try your hand at the author's Virtual Trapped in a Well game. But don't blame me if you spend all morning without getting a single seagull. My top score is 109 hours....