Today's Mighty Oak


Alright, let’s see what’s been going on.  First up, did you know that Harry Potter makes you more understanding of others?  It’s true!

Joseph Gorden Levitt writes about Star Wars: The Last Jedi (spoilers,obviously).

Like me, do you need a chart to see who owns the rights to which superhero?  Well this chart is handy (but won’t be accurate for long, I’m sure).

Super Mario Bros. in ragtime:

These are really bad times for queer people.  Just recently, the federal government has taken steps to allow doctors to deny services to anyone because they’re part of the LGBT community.

A new study has shown that 40% of LGBT high school students have considered suicide due to bullying because they’re queer.

The majority of people still think it’s okay for businesses to discriminate against queer people.  And the Supreme Court denied an appeal and Mississippi’s law allowing businesses to discriminate is able to stand.

Waste of oxygen and poor excuse for a human being, Mike Pence, will officially lead the US Olympic delegation and openly gay figure skater Adam Rippon is having none of it.

And in other slightly better news, Senator Doug Jones’ son, who is gay, stared down Mike Pence at his father’s swearing in and it made my day.

Here’s the Star Wars Cantina Theme played with pencil and paper, writing out a math equation:

In better news, a new ruling from the International Court of the Americas (didn’t know that was a thing) is bringing marriage equality to a lot of different countries (potentially)

And new year’s resolutions for gay men (and everyone, in some cases).  And speaking of resolutions, Surviving the World has a great coming about them.

Watch a Katana disappear.  Makes me think of the novel, “The 50 Year Sword”

Quite possibly the best thing ever, a T-Rex conducts the Jurassic Park theme music.

Pittsburgh non-profits come out hard against the PG and it’s owner’s racist editorial, published on MLK Day.

And finally, a great little comic about our place in the universe.



Alright, let’s see what we have today.

I really, really, really hope they don’t get sued, but a children’s hospital has rebranded chemo treatments as superhero formula.

So under oath, a gun executive called proposed gun control legislation “common sense.

Surviving the World celebrates victories of marriage equality:

Sometimes, I hate the world.  White supremacist are all up in arms because…well does it really even matter.  The point is Cheerios.

A bunch of really awesome people debate how Superman shaves.

Following up “Ship My Pants”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1yir-p68xM

I was all excited about the great outreach the Pope was doing, and then the Vatican reminded us all that Atheists are going to hell.

An idiot Idaho sheriff is dropping his BSA charter because “sodomy is against the law.”  While it is true that law is still on the books in Idaho, that law has been rendered void by the Supreme Court.

The best wedding photo ever.  Seriously.

More about the Oregon bakery who won’t bake a cake for a lesbian wedding.  Their version of City Paper called and was able to order cakes for Pagan ceremonies, divorce parties and even stem cell/cloning celebrations.  The bakery claims it didn’t act with an anti-gay animus, just faith principles, but I’m not seeing it.

I spent Friday night watching the house floor of the Illinois legislature.  Their marriage equality bill failed, and this was the tearful ending of the night.  The bill however, in a surprise move, has been extended until August 31 by the Speaker, giving it a new chance.:

The Lutherans join the Episcopalians with their first openly LGBT bishop.

That’s it for today, have a great one!



Alright, let’s see what we have today.

I’m going to warn you about following the link in this article.  The thinking of so backwards, and so full of logical fallacies that I almost got an aneurysm.  Not to even mention the leaps of judgement and total void of logic.  I think I may have already gotten a nosebleed.

It was a bad day for me, but this made me feel better:

So DC and Marvel own the copyright to the term “Superhero.”  That’s weird.

Need some inspiration?  Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2zBK3rquII

So this of course is the big news of the day.  Because it’s a man in one of the big four American sports.  Yes, it’s a bit sexist, ethnocentric and rude to other professional sports, but based on reach alone, it’s a big deal.  And here’s the fascinating (and heartfelt and touching) behind the scenes of the article.

In case you missed it, this is the cover of “Boston” Magazine, made from shoes from runners of the marathon:

Oh happy day, you can use your XBox Kinect to order Pizza Hut.

The summer movies coming up:

That’s it for now, have a great one!



Alright, let’s see what we have today.  First up, Hero registration cards!

Seattle had an opt-out program for phone books, which was just declared unconstitutional.  The courts say phone books are protected speech.  I have to disagree, but we’ll see how this progresses.

A new CD comes with a cardboard turntable!  Pretty cool!

Courts have also overturned a ruling, now saying that cities can place restrictions in place barring protests (think Westboro).  As strange as it is, it’s probably better if cities cannot stop that kind of speech.  But then again, when they protest, they always take the risk of being taken to task.  And while that is what they want (they then sue to raise money), it is great to watch this takedown as Westboro protests a funeral of a solider (only because she was a lesbian).

A law that has lost in federal courts five times, which the majority of the country opposes, and Speaker Boener had to request a special amount of 1.5 million to defend is a giant waste of time.  Now that he’s run out of money, he wants more, even after a year and a half of defeats.  Colossal waste of money and time.

Italy is now charging property tax on its churches, as a way to raise money.  Seems like a good plan, hopefully it helps them.

That’s it for now, have a great one!



I was able to sneak away from camp on our day off (don’t worry, I’m going back to work tonight), but wanted to get through some of the cool stuff I’ve seen go past in my RSS feeds.

First up, we won’t be able to see it again in our lifetime, but here is the Venus Transit:

Here are some pics as well, pretty awesome!

Scientists are hosting bake sales for NASA!  Not to raise money, but to raise awareness.  Pretty awesome, and sad.

Most likely set up, but a fun video with the Pine-Sol lady:

Awesome ad from Copywranter, being driven around Colorado this summer:

Hide and seek, from the perspective of a baby:

Amazing art of saints as superheroes.  Pretty cool.

A brief history of video games:

I’ll hopefully be back soon, have a great one!



Another quick update for everyone.  First up, from The Second City, Captain Megaphone:

Mint has a cool article about decoding credit card numbers and what they actually mean (I was wrong, they aren’t just random numbers)

Washington State is proposing something radical: “Medical clinics” that don’t actually provide medical advice or anything besides over the counter items should have to declare those facts.  And it will be a tough fight, guaranteed.

This made me laugh a lot, I hope you enjoy:

And lastly today, some profanity-laden advice that made me burst out laughing.  My favorite lines (again, inappropriate, I know):

THIS BITCH CAN GET LEGALLY MARRIED AND I CAN’T?!?!

Sorry, sorry, sorry. That was cunty of me, I realize, nowhere near the level of respectful professionalism that people expect of me. So I’m gonna make amends by scrounging up some of that advice shit you’re after—my readers will doubtless have lots to say to you too—but on one condition: that you don’t write me ever again.

That’s it for now, have a great one everybody!



Another update for everyone, but first some quick site news.  I tried installing an extension that will work with GoodReads, but so far, it has not worked yet.  I’ll keep working on it, see if I c an get it to work.  Also, Joomla 1.6 was just released, I’ll probably be upgrading sometime in the next month or so.  It will probably take me a little bit to get everything back to normal, so the site will probably be down for a weekend or so.

Would you like to play the first Super Mario Bros. as Link, or Samus, or Mega Man?  Check it out here.

Here’s some retro/cold war style video game posters, I like this one a lot:

Is there really an Olive Garden cooking school in Tuscany?  Click through to find out

Darth Vader had a couple bloopers when he recorded his voice for Tom Tom GPS:

The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. is closed, but will reopen on February 1.  Can’t wait!

Cool, if gruesome ads from Copyranter about not talking on your cellphone as you drive, as well as ads for an independent film festival (also gross, but I find it kind of funny).  Copyranter also takes on the hypocrisy of plastic water bottles, and some awesome condom ads.

And finally, here’s some commentary about the wrappers at Burger King.

That’s it for now, but I should be back again soon with more, have a great one!

 



Hello there everybody, another clearinghouse type article here for you, so enjoy the wonderousness that the Internet has to offer:

This apartment must have been so, freaking expensive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg9qnWg9kak

Craigmod takes a look at the current state of eReaders and how we need to move forward.  I really like the idea of collaboration between eReader and their documents.

This was passed around before, and I can’t embed it, but check out how these athletes entertained the crowd during a rain delay at a baseball game.

Looking for Halloween costumes?  Or just a little something for your alter ego?  Look no further than the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.


PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. – Discover more animation and arts videos.

I saw this last year, but forgot to post it.  How cool is it that the White House now has a Seder?

This is being billed as London’s Eiffel Tower.  I don’t see it.  At all.  It’s being built for the 2012 London Olympic Games, which more and more, a looking like a disaster (see: the ugly logo):

Would you like to see stories from The Bible acted out by Legos?  Really, who wouldn’t?  Check it out here.

T-shirt war:

I kind of love this Lost alarm clock!  However, I think it would get really annoying every morning.  Also, it only takes batteries, no plug, which is just strange.

Scientists can use giant magnets to make humans ‘less moral.’ So if someone comes up to you and asks for a shady favor, while holding giant magnets near your ears, just say no!

This is a little sad and a little frightening.  Watch out Stephen Colbert:

I’m fairly certain this is better than any lawn gnome ever.

With the recent relaunch of ChatRoulette, here’s an interview with its creator, a 17 year old Russian boy.

This is pretty awesome, a self-sufficient waterfall that creates energy and works as an observation tower for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.  London take note, Brazil is doing it better (but I still won’t go there because of the tornadoes of fire):

IGN has an awesome article refuting the claim that video games can’t be art.  I generally like Ebert and love reading his writing, but this is one thing he’s wrong about.  Make sure to check it out.

Just remember kids, cleavage is wrong.  Especially when it is on a puppet.

Want to hack the internet a little bit to get more traffic to your site?  Try this linkbait generator.  Currently it reads for me: 8 ways Star Trek can save your life in a Plane Crash

Here’s a fun link to sports team’s logos from Middle Earth, I’m partial to this one:

Mennonno sapiens has a great article about the Tea Party.  Check it out if you have a minute.

And we’ve found the primordial ooze.  Cool:

May I introduce you to Butch Bakery.  Kind of awesome.

Or maybe you need to create your own warning sign.  Do it here

That’s it for now, but I’ll be back soon with more.  Have a great one everybody!



Well I’m back.  Well I never really left, so here’s a giant update for everyone, enjoy!

I somehow missed this commercial the first time around, and I really like it:

For all the music folk out there, Slate has a cool article about playing in tune.  I remember going to a concert of Catham Baroque in College, they had major issues because where they were performing was a cold space, except the floor was heated.  It wreaked havoc on all their instruments.

Also in Slate, an article about the AP Styleguide and how changes are made.  I need a new one, I’ll have to check out their store to see if the 2010 version is available.

And again in Slate, a cool article about PowerPoint.  It can be awesome, it really can be, just don’t do what most people do!

The first part of Star Wars Uncut is up.  The project brings people from all over the world to do small segments of A New Hope and then splices them together:

Star Wars Uncut “The Escape” from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

Also, I’ve watched this video a couple times, and it’s amazing, an Octopus steals a diver’s camera while it is still on.  The diver chases and finally gets it back:

octopus steals my video camera and swims off with it (while it’s Recording) from Victor Huang on Vimeo.

Want to know what kind of hell happens to your mind when you stay inside a Wal Mart for 24 straight hours?  Read the hilarious report here:

An employee yelled “Shut up!” to me after I stood in the middle of the lingerie section and screamed “Spring Break!” at the top of my lungs.

I know it’s over, but I meant to post this while the contest was going on, but this Lost video was made by a local guy.  It didn’t end up winning, although when I watched all of the finalists, I really liked it the best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiKABfaQsbY

Ok, some more about Lost.  Here are the characters are summarized by cats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-DShnvNNv0

And Sally Wiggin (yes, that Sally Wiggin) talks about what the finale meant to her.

There was a theory that the eruption and subsequent ash cloud of Mt. Eyjafjallajokull would cool us down a bit, or maybe even stave off summer.  Sadly, it’s been warm here.  Read the article here, and I’ll be glad that my friend Kyle was finally able to make it back from Europe after all kinds of delays getting there (and the possibility of becoming stuck)

NASA captured this amazing photo of clouds over Africa:

I fully realize that this would probably clog anyone’s arteries in about three seconds after putting the first bit in your mouth, but it still looks really good: pancake, cheesecake, pancake, strawberries whipped cream.  I’m assuming the strawberries make it healthy, right?

Let’s play a fun game.  It’s called “Imagine.”

Here’s a good follow up:

Maybe the national media wouldn’t be blindsided by things like Arizona’s new anti-immigration law or Virginia’s racially tone deaf governor if it took attacks on gays and lesbians seriously, if the media saw them for the outliers they are, and stopped giving politicians like Brewer and McDonnell a faith-based pass when they attack sexual minorities. Because governors and legislators who attack sexual minorities today invariably go on to attack other minority groups tomorrow. Hate is hate is hate.

And also on that note:

Leviticus 19:33-34 (NIV)
When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt.

Moral of this story, don’t celebrate a win before the game is over:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb2UME1fBYo

Hold on.  they can’t be serious.  Apple is saying they are more open than Adobe?  Excuse me while I go catch my breath from laughing.

Want to see some cool sand art?  Here’s an example, and here are the rest.

Well this is awkward:

Aussies are safer in a strip club than a church, suggests new government data. According to the latest figures compiled by the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 1600 people were charged with committing a range of 27 offences in the state’s “places of worship” in 2008. Astonishingly, the data showed only 282 people were charged with the same offences in adult entertainment premises.

I think I have a new favorite blog, it’s called The Big Caption, bringing together images and typography

Thanks Newsweek.  And in other news, the Gulf: oily

I’m angry at Arizona for so many things, including their ban on willingly creating a human/animal hybrid (How will I amass my Centaur army now?!), but this is always heartbreaking, Arizona is now firing or moving teachers that don’t speak English properly, which makes sense to me (granted, how they frame that bill and everything associate with it was kind of underhanded), but I’d like to bring attention to what ope of the Secretary of Education’s advisers said:

Teachers should speak good grammar because kids pick up what they hear

And thanks to Jezebel for putting together this awesome guide to traveling in Arizona:

Thank you, that is all.

Ok, it’s cool, but the bicycle wheel is just showing off:

Gravité from Renaud Hallée on Vimeo.

I’m just going to go ahead and declare this a total win:

This also rocks a lot, and continues the Star Wars theme (if not a bit creepy and direct):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snp3rHDHwPg

Ok fine, one more Star Wars related item:

Need some help picking some colors?  I haven’t played around with it, but this site was suggested to me, let me know how it works!

This is just amazing, check out the art installation that puts you into a dry pool.

This ad is awesome, one because it’s the first motion-sensitive billboard that I’ve seen, and second, the format works great for the venue.  A coworker of mine is in D.C. this weekend and even though I’ve never been there, I recommended the Spy Museum, I’ve only heard people rave about it, next time I’m down in Washington, I’ll have to check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc1FeR54F-Y

Just because it’s funny:

I don’t want to say I told you so.  But I told you so (well, at least maybe).

Student newspapers at private schools are sticky business, I should know.  From where I stand, the school is in the clear to do this.  Should they?  Well that is another matter entirely.  My heart goes out to the writers and editors, I know how hard it can be, without the administration threatening the jobs of faculty members (good grief).

For your reference (full size here):

Panera is testing a “pay what you think it’s worth” store, and if it works (the money goes to charity), will open more.  It’s fun, since I’m writing this in a Panera.  With moronic teenage girls running the bakery counter.  I’ve heard them argue about the unfairness of driving, and how they are stapling napkins.  I’m not sure why either.

Ever want to know how the stop sign was created?  Slate investigates here.  And here’s what would happen if a corporation had been charged with making it:

And Slate takes a look at this year’s Clio Awards.

This is amazing, and the first building reminds me of Myst Island.  I know, huge nerd, but we all knew that, didn’t we?

Projection on Buildings from NuFormer Projection on Vimeo.

This is worth a read.  I never realized that Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was made into a political controversy.  Sigh.

Good gravy, this might be a record for me!  Hope you enjoyed it, catch everyone soon!

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