December 25, 2013

Website Wednesday
a subsidiary of Skip's House of Chaos

"From the Large Intestine of the Internets,

through the Sphincter of Electronic Mail..."

            I have a certain affinity for the Nativity story.

            As it turns out, I, too, have woken up in a

            pile of barn hay surrounded by sheep.

Last-Minute End of the Year and Holiday Stuff: (because next week is 2014!)

Top of the Heap:  The Most Popular Top 10 Lists of 2013

The Best-Selling Christmas Album of All Time (Thankyouverymuch)

Kinda cool - a map that shows all the different names for Santa in Europe

The World of Reindeer Racing

Why we sing "Auld Lang Syne" on New Year's Eve

24 Rules for Being a Gentleman in 2014 (Thanks, Michelle!)
    
The Best Movie Mistakes of 2013

The Best Photos of 2013

The Most Anticipated Movies for 2014

Even better: The 45 Most Powerful Photos of 2013 (and 2012, and 2011)

The 12 Weirdest Christmas Stories (Suggested reading when you've had too much comfort and joy)

The Best Charts of 2013

50 Years, 50 Toys - the most popular Christmas toys over the last half-century


And, for the rest of you Scrooges, Grinches and Heathens: (you know who you are)

Top of the Heap:  Real-time animation of current wind conditions around the Earth

37 Things You'll Regret When You're Old    (Amen.)

A Few Inventions Throughout History That Didn't Quite Make the Cut

20 Football Facts (that you probably don't know)

The Entire Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report in 19 Illustrated Haiku (Thanks, Sara!)

Some surprising facts you might not know about Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Quick quiz: warm or cool water to wash your hands?  (Thanks, Champ!)

14 Country Songs For People Who Hate Country Music

15 Interesting Facts About Forrest Gump

See, this is one of the reasons why I don't jog.

40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World

How to Make People Like You: 6 Science-Based Conversation Hacks





Love you, mean it. Let's do lunch. Have your people call my people. Ciao, bella.

December 18, 2013

       My most favorite part of Christmas shopping: Shuffling
       over to the desk with my robe draped open, cradling a
       warm cup o' java and stroking the three-day-old growth
       sprouting on my jawline, at which point I sit down,
       give my knuckles a nice healthy *CRAAAACK* and proceed
       to order a whole bunch of stuff for everyone online.
       My LEAST favorite part would probably be getting
       kicked out of Office Max before I was finished.


Let's get the Christmas stuff out of the way, m'kay?

Top of the Heap:  Will the Real Santa Claus Please Stand Up?
     http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/will-the-real-santa-claus-please-stand-up/

21 Ways to Keep Santa Real (because he obviously is) For Your Kids
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/ways-to-keep-santa-real-for-your-kids

25 Killer Websites That Make You Cleverer
     http://alturl.com/y6xud

Reasons Why Christmas in LA is Actually Magical
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/reasons-why-christmas-in-la-actually-isnt-so-bad

Santa Photos That Will Make Your Skin Crawl
     http://alturl.com/hmb62

Some Awesomely Terrible Christmas Songs (to make sure your party is a success)
     http://alturl.com/yjf7u

13 of the Weirdest Holiday Movies, Ever
     http://flavorwire.com/429769/13-of-the-weirdest-holiday-movies/view-all/

Insisting Jesus was white is bad history and bad theology
      http://alturl.com/ft94i

Are you on Santa's Naughty or Nice list?  (Guess which one I'm on!)
     http://toys.usvsth3m.com/naughty/

12 Last-Minute Entertainment Gifts for the Geek in Your Life
     http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/12/gift-guide-christmas-2013/


And, for the rest of you heathens: 

Top of the Heap:  Incredibly cool: The first video ever of the Moon orbiting the Earth
     http://alturl.com/ytyw8

17 Ancient, Abandoned Websites That Still Work
     http://mentalfloss.com/article/53792/17-ancient-abandoned-websites-still-work

Awwww! The Most Popular Kitten Names of 2013
     http://alturl.com/wbxzx

19 Things You Might Not Know About Spongebob Squarepants
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/lyapalater/19-things-you-might-not-know-about-spongebob-squarepants

10 Cool Places You're Not Allowed to Visit
     http://www.oddee.com/item_98792.aspx

10 Movies You've Been Watching in Altered Versions
     http://flavorwire.com/429236/10-movies-youve-been-watching-in-altered-versions/view-all/

If you fly United Airlines (like I do) you're probably pretty sick and tired of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"
     http://www.neatorama.com/2013/12/13/George-Gershwins-Rhapsody-in-Blue/#!pPC2u

15 Bizarre, Unique, and Hilarious Trade Show Items
     http://www.discountdisplays.co.uk/our-blog/15-bizarre-unique-hilarious-trade-show-items/

Mysterious Object (named "Peggy") Spotted at the Edge of Saturn's Rings
     http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/12/saturn-rings-peggy/

A whole buttload of movie posters
     http://impawards.com/

In this week's "It's-about-TIME" department: United Nations to Adopt Asteroid Defense Plan
     http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=un-asteroid-defense-plan

Inside the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders
     http://www.neatorama.com/2013/12/16/The-Dallas-Cowboys-Cheerleaders/#!p0GIG

Four Famous Movies and Shows That Lied Their Way Into Existence
     http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-famous-movies-shows-that-lied-their-way-into-existence/


Here are three completely impractical (well, two of 'em, anyway), yet somewhat cool skills to have:

     Firstly, How to Find Waldo
          http://alturl.com/yktty

     then, How to Get Out of Handcuffs
          http://mentalfloss.com/article/52447/how-get-out-handcuffs

     and, finally, How to Make Paper Airplanes Fly Forever
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2sozrof3HY

December 11, 2013

            I'd like to be a cowboy for one day just
            for the pure satisfaction of knowing that
            anytime I want, I can go rustle up something.


Top of the Heap:  10 Amazing Innovations of the Near Future
     http://www.top10zen.com/10-amazing-innovations-of-the-near-future-243

Probably the Most Profound Post of the bunch: 7 Reasons Why It's Awesome to Date a Bald Man
     http://living.msn.com/love-relationships/love-sex/7-reasons-its-awesome-to-date-a-bald-man

Why You Should Have Never Taken That Prestigious Internship
     http://alturl.com/xbqpj

20 Surprising Facts You Might Not Know About the Movie Home Alone
     http://www.uproxx.com/webculture/2013/12/20-surprising-facts-might-know-home-alone/

21 Restaurants That Clearly Have a Sense of Humor
     http://www.pleated-jeans.com/2013/10/31/21-restaurants-that-clearly-have-a-sense-of-humor/

25 Kitchen Gadgets You Might Actually Use (all under $25)
     http://www.coolthings.com/25-kitchen-tools-gadgets-gifts/

5 Signs Your Dog is In Pain
     http://theilovedogssite.com/5-signs-your-dog-is-in-pain/

Even More Awesomely Creative Life Hacks
     http://fb-troublemakers.com/even-more-awesomely-creative-life-hacks-12-pics-33828/

US Military Lingo: the (almost) Definitive Guide
     http://alturl.com/fm8ij

5 Mysterious Deep Sea Discoveries
     http://www.top10zen.com/5-mysterious-deep-sea-discoveries-1014

Lofoten: the Amazing Arctic Circle Anomaly (Prepare to have your breath taken away)
     http://www.kuriositas.com/2013/12/lofoten-amazing-arctic-circle-anomaly.html

The Gentle Art of Cracking Passwords
     http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24519306

Here's a totally unpretentious title: The Top 30 Best Movies of 2014
     http://www.movie-moron.com/?p=27234

Inside the Navy's most futuristic destroyer, the USS Zumwalt
     http://www.movie-moron.com/?p=27234

For the equestrians in the group - tail lights for horses
     http://technabob.com/blog/2013/11/21/tail-lights-for-horses/

Bacon-scented deodorant. For when you sweat like a pig
     http://technabob.com/blog/2013/11/21/tail-lights-for-horses/

50 Things You Didn't Know About Doctor Who
     http://alturl.com/qs6ao

16 Sinful Hot Chocolate Recipes
     http://www.brit.co/hot-chocolate-roundup/

How to Turn a Beer Can Into the Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need
     http://vimeo.com/64726512

December 4, 2013

                I took the kids up to Nantucket one
                weekend for the Limerick Festival.
                Turned out that was a huge mistake.


Top of the Heap:  One day we'll live in Space. Here's how it works
     http://www.kernelmag.com/features/report/6625/one-day-well-live-in-space-heres-how-it-works/#

Son of Top of the Heap:  20 new inventions that could change our world
     http://alturl.com/4v3uk

How many of your memories are fake?
     http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/how-many-of-your-memories-are-fake/281558/

A couple of minutes of fun: Find the Invisible Cow (there's sound to this one)
     http://findtheinvisiblecow.com/

Things You Do That You Never Realized Everyone Else Does
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/things-you-do-that-you-never-realized-everyone-else-does

IMDB's Top 250 Movies of All Time
     http://www.listchallenges.com/imdb-top-250?ref=share

5 Rules to Finding Cheap Airline Tickets
     http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-rules-to-finding-cheap-airline-flight-tickets/

The 101 Best-Selling Books of All Time (excluding the Bible)
     http://www.listchallenges.com/101-best-selling-books-of-all-time

George Takei's signature cologne? What else but Eau My
     http://alturl.com/3cbhy

31 Things No One Tells You About Becoming a Parent
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/what-no-one-tells-you-about-becoming-a-parent

You ever wonder how dry cleaning works? (Yeah, me neither)
     http://digg.com/video/how-dry-cleaning-really-works

8 Basic Life-Saving Skills Everyone Should Know
     http://lifehacker.com/8-basic-life-saving-skills-everyone-should-know-1469632767

Everyday Items the World Has Been Using Wrong (#6 is brilliant!)
     http://brokegirlsdobadthings.lolspotsarticles.com/2484148-10-everyday-items-the-world-has-been-using

15 Things You Might Not Know About Mystery Science Theater 3000
     http://alturl.com/7qs7u

Affordable Care Act - Apply Now (if you can)
     http://home.roadrunner.com/~pjrpole/ACA.html

7 Things You Had No Idea the World Is Running Out Of
     http://gizmodo.com/7-things-you-had-no-idea-the-world-is-running-out-of-1467868161

Background Actors Who Have No Idea What They're Doing
     http://www.funcage.com/blog/16-background-actors-who-have-no-idea-what-they-are-doing/

How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football
     http://www.neatorama.com/2013/11/29/How-Teddy-Roosevelt-Saved-Football/#!oMJ92

November 27, 2013

      I wouldn't object to being conscious
      during brain surgery, as long as
      someone told me where to cut.


Top of the Heap:  50 Things That Make Us Thankful to Live in LA (Thanks, Erin!)
     http://alturl.com/akyji

Related: 30 Things You're Only Afraid Of If You Live In LA (Thanks again, Erin!)
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/things-youre-only-afraid-of-if-you-live-in-los-angeles

This could be interesting - Autonomous Sensory Meridian Responses (aka "brain orgasms")
     http://alturl.com/87i2w

Wedding Planning: Expectations vs. Reality
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/monicasandler/wedding-planning-expectations-vs-reality

Graffiti you'll only find in Canada
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinchack/graffiti-youll-only-find-in-canada

Time-lapse map of every nuclear explosion ever on Earth
     http://memolition.com/2013/10/16/time-lapse-map-of-every-nuclear-explosion-ever-on-earth/

Health Care Apps That Doctors Use
     http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303376904579137683810827104

Putting together a relatively low-cost emergency survival toolkit
     http://alturl.com/jvdb3

This year's National Geographic Photo Contest (Thanks, Billy!)
     http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/11/national-geographic-photo-contest-2013/100629/

A KFC-scented candle.  Mmmmm, chicken...
      http://alturl.com/wv7s4

Dr. Phil's Personality Test (I got a 54)
     http://www.slideshare.net/javachai/dr-phil-test-1

100 Amazing Things You Never Knew About Your Body
     http://altering-perspectives.com/2013/11/100-amazing-things-never-knew-body.html

21 Cooking Tips That Will Change Your Life
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/cooking-tips-that-will-change-your-life

The best grass prank, EVER
     http://imgur.com/a/U0TYY



TURKEY DAY LINKS

Top of the Heap (Thanksgiving edition):  22 Awesome Cooking Hacks for Thanksgiving
     http://fb-troublemakers.com/22-awesome-cooking-hacks-for-thanksgiving-32466/

Manly Ways to Prepare Turkey
     http://mentalfloss.com/article/20236/manly-ways-prepare-turkey

The 9 Types of People Who Show Up at Thanksgiving Dinner
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/adamellis/types-of-people-who-show-up-at-thanksgiving-dinner

Thanksgiving Flowcharts
      http://mentalfloss.com/article/13144/8-thanksgiving-flowcharts

25 Things You Might Not Know About Thanksgiving
     http://fb-troublemakers.com/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-thanksgiving-32652/

19 Hideous Thanksgiving Sweaters
     http://fb-troublemakers.com/19-hideous-thanksgiving-sweaters-32745/

Fun Thanksgiving Food Ideas
     http://inventorspot.com/articles/13-fun-ways-play-your-food-thanksgiving

Five OTHER Thanksgiving Holidays
     http://mentalfloss.com/article/20184/five-other-thanksgiving-holidays

November 20, 2013

                I just got back from the funeral of a guy who
                died after being hit in the face with a tennis ball.

                             It was a lovely service

Top of the Heap:  Batkid Begins: Saves Gotham, Captivates Internet (Thanks, Sparky!)
     http://mashable.com/2013/11/15/batkid-begins/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link

Top of the Heap II:  Incredibly cool: Two Swedish women invent the Invisible Bike Helmet
     http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/11/10/two-swedes-develop-invisible-bike-helmet/#_

It's time to get things started! Episodes of the Muppet Show free online
     http://www.metafilter.com/133699/Mahna-Mahna

Death Wish Coffee: The Strongest Coffee in the World
     http://deathwishcoffee.com/

The 17 Most Spectacular NASA Photos Ever Taken
     http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/the-most-spectacular-nasa-photos-ever-taken

What does Space sound like? (Thanks, William!)
     http://www.iflscience.com/space/what-does-space-sound

In this week's "This-Changes-EVERYTHING" department - Bacon Shaving Cream
     http://baconsalt.3dcartstores.com/Bacon-Shaving-Cream_p_170.html

Couple of things to help in the kitchen: First, a Kitchen Cheat Sheet
     http://alturl.com/nhyd7

And, How to Open a Can Without a Can Opener
     http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/11/05/open-can-without-can-opener

Want to be the next big Star Wars star?
     http://alturl.com/rasc3

10 Great TV Shows That Were Royally Screwed By Their Networks
     http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2013/11/10-tv-shows-royally-screwed/

The Modern Farmer Pie Chart of Pies
     http://modernfarmer.com/2013/11/pie-chart-guide-seasonal-pies/

The Scientifically-Proven Best Times to Drink Coffee During the Day
     http://neurosciencedc.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/the-best-time-for-your-coffee.html

Solved: The Mystery of King Tutankhamun's Death
     http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/solved-the-mystery-of-king-tutankhamuns-death-8919262.html

Farm Pop: Why Being a "Black Sheep" is a Bad Thing and Other Ag Idioms Explained (Thanks, Paul!)
     http://modernfarmer.com/2013/11/farm-pop-idioms/

The TSA has 94 signs to ID terrorists. Trouble is, they're all unproven by science
     http://alturl.com/qrqvu

How to Win on The Price is Right
     http://alturl.com/a4tic

Surprising Facts About Pulp Fiction That You Might Not Know
     http://www.uproxx.com/webculture/2013/11/20-surprising-pulp-fiction-facts-might-know/

Breaking Bad Final Season's Blooper Reel
     http://theweek.com/article/index/252958/breaking-bad-watch-the-hilarious-blooper-reel-from-the-grim-final-season