Crash Test Dumb & Dumber

"Ejected" 1912


"Come Fly With Me" 1912

Auto polo was a popular exhibition sport during the 1910s (think Monster Truck rallies today). There would be two teams, each consisting of a driver and a mallet-man. Each team tried to score on the other's goal, with an ordinary basketball as the ball (please click through to see original size -- they're gorgeous and much easier to see detail).

While it wasn't exactly safe, the players definitely spiced things up by intentionally crashing and/or flipping their cars by turning the wheels sharply while going just fast enough to roll the vehicle.

The two pics here, though full of action and energy, were definitely staged for the photographer, probably to be used as promotional material. Flickr dissects them in detail here and here, showing how they were staged, not that them being "faked" takes anything away from these pics. I love them, and think they're hilarious.

Big ups to Shorpy, which regularly amazes me with great photos (like these) from the past hundred years.



Bonus Collision
Crash test Dummies (with band member Ellen Reid taking lead vocals -- nice!) covering XTC's superb "Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" from the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack.


Technorati tags: auto, polo, 1912, Crash, Test, Dummies, XTC, Peter, Pumpkinhead

The Gummo of Desktop Computing

Ah, there's nothing like some obscure Marx Brothers trivia to start out a tech post...

These days pretty much everyone has heard of The Steves, Messrs. Jobs & Wozniak, co-founders of Apple Computers. Ron Wayne? Not so much.

Back in the embryonic stages of Apple's life, Wayne, the third founder and the man who designed Apple's first logo, sold his 10% share of Apple for $800 just 12 days after the company was founded. It would be worth about $22 billion today if he had held onto it.

Read more about Apple's Lost Founder (via Laughing Squid)

Technorati tags: Gummo, Marx, Jobs, Wozniak, Wayne, Apple

Finally! A website that isn't fawning over how amazing bacon is.

The Presidential Ham gives you portraits of American presidents holding a ham. That is all.

Technorati tags: president, ham, weird

I think I need to take my Count Chocula/poached egg combination back to the drawing board

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the breakfast of champions the gods, Bacon Pancakes. (via Neatorama)

Technorati tags: awesome, bacon, pancakes

X-Rayted!

German company Eizo makes high-precision medical display monitors used to examine radiography images. This year they put out a "see-everything" pin-up calendar that leaves nothing to the imagination (except for possibly the vascular and muscular systems).

(possibly NSFW in a weird sort of way)

Technorati tags: xray, pinup, calendar, Eizo

Sorry, I can't say anything interesting until I find my glasses.

The Endless David Caruso One-Liner Buffet

Just curious about something... We see Horatio take off his sunglasses roughly 374 times, but no one has ever seen him put them on. Could it be that his awesomosity is literally melting eyewear off his face?

Presumably the CSI: Miami star requires a production assistant to follow just off-camera at all times with a dozen spare frames at the ready, just on the off-chance he thinks up a knee-slapper.

Technorati tags: CSI, Miami, David, Caruso, YEEAAAAHH!!!

Morning Jukebox: Firepower Edition

Back in my college days I was kinda into the whole cowpunk thing, and the Beat Farmers were a staple (along with Mojo Nixon, The Rave Ups and others), and "Gun Sale at the Church" was in heavy rotation.

	Fred Eaglesmith - Time To Get A Gun
	Found at skreemr.org

Another country-tinged gun-related song, this one from Fred Eaglesmith.



Lyle Lovett - "L.A. County"

Technorati tags: cowpunk, Beat, Farmers, Gun, Sale, Church, Fred, Eaglesmith>, Lyle>, Lovett

Adventures in Dentistry

Technorati tags: Little, Shop, Horrors, Steve, Martin, Mr., Bean, dentist

On Your Marks, Get Set, Stop

Remember in the wonderful 1989 Kevin Costner baseball flick Field of Dreams where he crosses paths with an Archie "Moonlight" Graham? In the film, he was a young baseball player whose single at-bat marked both the beginning and the end of his major league career.

As it turns out, that character was based on a real person, Archibald Wright "Moonlight" Graham (November 10 1879 – August 25 1965). However, unlike the movie portrayal, the real Moonlight never even got the one at-bat. Read more about the very small major league career of the real Archibald "Moonlight" Graham.

Speaking of don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it baseball careers, there's also Larry Yount, who is credited with one official game pitched in the majors despite never throwing a pitch (he was injured while warming up).



Having nothing to do with baseball and everything to do with one-strike-and-you're-out, meet Anne Sellors, actress, and subject of perhaps the World's Saddest IMDb page.



"Everybody Looks Good At The Starting Line" - Paul Thorn - Mission Temple Fireworks Stand

Technorati tags: Field, Dreams, Moonlight, Graham, baseball, Anne, Sellors, Paul, Thorn

Secret Squirrel Stuff

Easter Egg of the Week
Go to Newsweek.com, press ↑, ↑, ↓, ↓, ←, →, ←, →, B, A, hit ENTER*.

Worstbandnameever.com is the official website for Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start (the band)*.

At least another 80+ sites do something special when you type in ↑, ↑, ↓, ↓, ←, →, ←, →, B, A, and ENTER. A full listing here.

*So what exactly is the deal with the Up Up Down Down etc...?

Technorati tags: Easter, Egg

Bad acting isn't just for the grownups

From 1972 through 1997, American teenagers learned all the important life lessons through ABC Afterschool Specials. Nowadays, kids just spill their guts online. Can you tell which of these titles is the name of an Afterschool Special and which is a Facebook Group?

Take the quiz: Facebook Group or Afterschool Special?



Helen Hunt on crank, lavender-clad dancing "bullies" dancefighting and getting their jazzhands all up in your face... HuffPo presents: The 9 Most Awesomely Lame Afterschool Specials

Technorati tags: Facebook, quiz, afterschool, special

Going together like Chinese food and chocolate pudding

One of any number of alarming images at Sandals and Soxer, the home of socks and sandals the world over. (Be aware the page loads EXTREMELY slowly, as they have for some reason decided to cram all 600 or so mostly-hi-res pics on one single page.)




see more Funny Graphs
Venn diagrammatical proof that your dad just isn't that cool.

	Graham Parker - Socks 'N' Sandals
	Found at skreemr.org

Graham Parker - Socks 'N' Sandals





Technorati tags: dad, uncool, Graham, Parker, socks, sandals, Talledega, Nights, Chinese, food, chocolate, pudding

Using Their Illusions I, II and III

Simple, yet the "string through the neck" illusion is kinda creepy, even after you see how it's done.




Meet Mark Faje, the world's most dangerous comic.




Speaking of dangerous, Kevin James probably shouldn't be allowed near the chainsaw anymore. Or at least make sure he's also equipped with that staple gun.

Technorati tags: illusions, magic

Why they won't let me in the downtown Evansville Starbucks anymore

How can they call themselves "full-service"? The barista wouldn't even pull my finger!

Technorati tags: awkward

Growing up, Frank Lloyd Wright was often called a La-Z-Boy

Architectural criticism has never been more adorable.

Couch Cushion Architecture; A Critical Analysis (via Boing Boing)

A brilliant synergy between the weighted foundation and the light tensile structure, this project impressed us with its attenuation of structure and bright interior spaces. The courtyard and formal entry are also well thought-out and provide a clear means of way-finding. Grade A+

For Part 2 of Couch Cushion Design: A Critical Analysis, click here.

Technorati tags: couch, cushion, fort, architecture

You gotta know when to fold 'em

100 Paper-Made Wonders, created by paper-manipulator extraordinaire Peter Callesen.








More awesome origami

Technorati tags: paper, origami, art, Peter, Callesen

Please. Just don't let her near a kilt.

What? Too soon?

Technorati tags: Golden, Girls, Betty, White

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

This stunned me.

The 1980 comedy Airplane! didn't just spoof airplane/disaster/airplane disaster movies, it's nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the 1957 armrest-gripper Zero Hour.

Technorati tags: Airplane!, Zero, Hour

Left Channel lennahC thgiR

Gary Myrick & The Figures - She Talks In Stereo




The Monks - Love In Stereo
Über-props to Susie, one of my old college flatmates, who turned me on to this relatively obscure 1970s English punk band . This is from their first album, Bad Habits, which doesn't have a bad cut on it. I was only able to narrow it down to this one becasue it fit in with the stereo theme. If you like 'em, the Tube has more Monks.

Technorati tags: Gary, Myrick, Figures, Talks, Stereo, Monks, Love