In-the-WeirdIn-the-WeirdDiversionary Distractions and Profound Mutterings. A collection of artists, djs, writers, and all around strange people sharing their creations, reviews on books, movies , music and more, as well as odd findings from around the world. Articles
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BARACK
2008-05-16 23:45:00 This is a wonderful mashup of the Obama/Clinton battle and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Props to Humanitainment for this excellent video. More About: Barack , The Empire
Bloody good, too!
2008-05-16 02:33:00 Apparently, the cannibalistic urge is strong in the human psyche, if the number of artists working in the genre of "food that looks like people" is any reflection. Here's another one, sent to me by an alert reader in LA. This subgenre takes a new spin on the theme, offering food that looks like people who have died horrible deaths.Tasty, hmmm?Thai artist Kittiwat Unarrom has an MFA and works in the medium of bread. He hails from a family of bakers, and displays many of his delicious delicacies dangling from meat hooks, for an added air of authenticity. The article does not detail how his family feels about his interpretation of their hereditary profession. Click here for lots of great pictures of the artist at work and the finished product. More About: Good , Bloody
Norman Finkelstein visits Tucson
2008-05-06 10:48:00 I am always amazed by how the Palestinian-Israeli conflict seems to bring out the best and worst in people. It is as if it there is an unwritten rule that it must elicit the most polarized positions imaginable. No issue demonstrates more clearly the necessity for free speech in society. The talk I attended tonight, given by Professor Norman Finkelstein , proved to be no exception in that so much hate, hope, knowledge and ignorance can coexist in the same room.Read the full post at: thescienceofgovernment More About: Tucson
I'll give you imaginary...
2008-05-01 17:19:00 For many years, the giant squid was relegated to the category of myth, dismissed as another fish story in the realm of sea serpents, krakens, and mermaids. In 1925, two tentacles were found in the belly of the whale. I recall the excitement, sometime in the 80s, when the first complete corpse washed up on a beach, and a few years later I was thrilled to actually see the thing, preserved under glass, at the Smithsonian Institute in D.C. It was a seminal moment in my young life, which gives you some kind of idea about what kind of kid I was (if this blog doesn't already spell it out for you).Last year, scientists froze what is believed to be the largest specimen of giant squid ever observed: 26 feet! Learn what they're learning about this reclusive species at NationalGeographic.com, the site for all the best natural weirdness. More About: Give
What a long, strange trip it's been
2008-04-30 14:48:00 Say what you will about drugs, but Albert Hoffman, who discovered LSD quite by accident and took as much as Leary or Kesey or Garcia, and did it decades before they did, lived to be 102. He only died yesterday. A strong advocate for the use of LSD, he did not condone recreational experimentation, but considered the drug a sacrament, an entheogen: a substance to bring humans closer to the experience of god and the universe. Read about Dr. Hoffman's life in his New York Times Obituary. Happy trails, Albert! More About: Trip , Strange , Long
Linda Rabben Interview Part 1
2008-04-21 21:43:00 Dr. Linda Rabben, author and editor of several books, is currently researching a new book on the history of asylum, refuge, and sanctuary. An anthropologist by training, she spent last year as a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Human Rights, which is affiliated with the London School of Economics. Currently, she is a development editor at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC.LISTEN to Part 1 here: 3 minutes 07 seconds.DOWNLOAD here: (1.5MB) in m4a format. In Part 1, the author recounts how her research experience with Amnesty International led her to investigate contextual questions concerning the history of human rights movements. At the request of an academic, she wrote her first book: Unnatural Selection: the Yanomami, the Kayapo, and the onslaught of civilization (1998). Published by Pluto Press, Unnatural Selection covered the history of indigenous Brazilians who organized themselves in order to defend their rights and protect their environment in the 1990s.I... More About: Interview
FoxNews "reporter" gets pwnd by Catholic priest
2008-04-19 05:07:00 A FoxNews "reporter" (and a sad ass excuse for one at that) gets taken to the cleaners over and over again by a Catholic priest... completely worth a few minutes of your ever so precious time. So click the button already! More About: Reporter , Priest , Foxnews
Two-faced?
2008-04-16 19:32:00 To tell the truth folks, there is just so much weird news lately that it's impossible to keep up with it. Every day, I'm seeing blog-worthy stories of human anomalies, political shenanigans, and basically strange behavior, and there just isn't time to share it all.In lieu of all the things I've missed, please enjoy this video of a very special type of conjoined twin, born in India, where they know how to treat this sort of kid.
Big Ambition
2008-04-09 22:52:00 This fabulous little person is fourteen years old and scarcely two feet tall. Jyoti Amge lives in India and dreams of becoming a Bollywood star. She leads a normal life, attending school, thinking about fashion, and chatting on the phone with friends, even though she's a celebrity in her community and is releasing a music CD with an Indian pop star.Read more about Jyoti. More About: Ambition
I'll get my crowbar
2008-04-06 18:32:00 Charleton Heston dead at 83.Hey! Now we can have his gun! More About: Crowbar
Happy Passover!
2008-04-04 07:34:00 Lately, I have been repeatedly amused by SomeEcards.com, whose motto is, "when you care enough to hit send." With the joyful Jewish holiday coming up, I'm thinking about all those funky traditions that we have, solely for the purpose of freaking out the goyim (that's Yiddish for gentiles, if you didn't know. And in case you're wondering, "gentile" is Jewish for "not a Jew"). My family has always observed a pretty traditional Seder, but we've also experimented and changed things here or there, too. For instance, for a while now, my mother has put an orange on the Seder plate, which, obviously, drives my father bonkers, but there's nothing he can do about it, because my mother's the one who does all the preparations. Sometimes, if there are children of a certain age in attendance, my father does chemical magic tricks (turning "water" to "blood"). Another new custom we've been incorporating into our Seder in recent years is to have my nephews scream through the entire thing. It... More About: Happy , Passover
Gay Scientists Isolate the Christian Gene
2008-03-28 18:40:00 At last, hope for your fundie family members. Turns out, being Christian isn't a choice; it's genetically determined, and only science can save future generations from this affliction. "We've already prevented this rat from being born Christian and hopefully humans will follow." More About: Scientists , Gene , Isolate
Poodle-woman scares the **** out of me
2008-03-27 22:28:00 Poodle-woman scares the **** out of me: More About: Woman
Custom Stainless Steel Cocktail Shakers
2008-03-17 23:49:00 Some of you may be aware that my main profession is not surviving on the $5.48 of adwords revenue so far generated off this site, but rather via the creation and sale of custom etched and painted glassware over at Woodeye.com. Well one of my most popular items was my 16 oz glass cocktail shakers... right up until my supplier for the shaker tops that fit my glasses suddenly stopped being able to get them. While I kept trying to locate a new source, my supplier kept claiming they would arrive soon... 4 months and counting, and still no shaker tops... and thus no shakers available on my store.Well I got sick of waiting so I began to experiment with etching and painting stainless steel directly, since there was no shortage of this type of shaker for me to work with (just an utter shortage of the type that will fit the top of my glassware). I read that the paints I use could be used on glass or metal equally well, so I took advantage of that to create these new dishwasher safe, 100% s... More About: Cocktail , Custom , Steel , Stainless Steel
George's Secret Key to the Universe
2008-03-14 02:53:00 Just finished reading George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking. It's surprising that this book hasn't gotten more publicity. Stephen Hawking wrote a children's book, and it's good. In some places, the writing is a bit trite and the characters can be one-dimensional, but that's more of a convention of a certain type of children's literature rather than a specific criticism of this book, which does what it wants to do quite admirably. What it wants to do is discuss Hawking's understanding of our universe in a way that's accessible to very young readers. Literally. Although it's 300 pages long (not counting the numerous gorgeous color plates), this is a book for little kids. A clever second grader could get through it alone, and even younger kids could follow the entire story were it read to them. Even adults who couldn't get through A Brief History of Time (gonna take another crack at that one, someday, though) can enjoy and understand this book in it... More About: The Universe
Above Top Secret
2008-03-10 21:55:00 Do you enjoy debating who shot JFK, the American government's involvement in 9/11, or the activities of extra-terrestrials in our own solar system? Or do you merely enjoy arguing with those who enjoy debating the above topics? Well, Above Top Secret is the site for you. Boasting "the Internet's largest and most popular community dedicated to the intelligent discussion and debate of 'alternative topics'," Above Top Secret provides the perfect forum for all your conspiracy and mystery needs. Although aliens and Bigfoot figure prominently in the content, readers can rest assured that they are receiving the most reliable, up-to-the-minute information. For one thing, the site's user agreement states very clearly, as the first rule, "You will not post any material that is knowingly false, misleading, or inaccurate." Regular readers of In the Weird will be pleased to know that Above Top Secret dedicates an entire section to the discussion of cryptozoology.Happy illumination, boys and ... More About: Top secret
Chalmers Johnson breaks down the US defense budget and bankruptcy in 6 1/2
2008-03-10 09:05:00 What it doesn't include:* nuclear weapons (Department of Energy)* veteran's affairs (Department of Veterans' Affairs)* foreign military aid (State Department)* Homeland Security budget (Department of Homeland Security)* the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (view pdf)Fiscal Year 2009 request:$515 Billion (view pdf)Who is Chalmers Johnson ? More About: Defense , Bankruptcy , Budget , Breaks
The Smiths in Ukrainian - Batyar (Bigmouth Strikes Again)
2008-03-06 23:57:00 The Smiths in Ukrainian - Batyar (Bigmouth Strikes Again) More About: The Smiths
So Cool It's Scary
2008-03-06 19:55:00 Science Well on Its Way to Creating Dream-Recording Machine More About: Cool , Scary
What is it about a machete?
2008-03-06 00:16:00 The pruning shears, awkward and unsharpened, prove no match for the opuntia growing over the brick border in the front yard. The shears' reach and power, insufficient, lead to multiple puncture wounds in my hand as my limbs come dangerously close to the prickly pear's thorns, and do little more than bruise the cactus's watery green flesh. Enter the machete. We've been talking about xeriscape for three years now. For us, the process would involve 1) poisoning the front lawn to kill the pernicious weeds 2) laying down black plastic to discourage growth of unwanted plants and 3) covering the whole deal with river rock. It occurs to me that the process would be a lot simpler if certain thorny elements (the palm tree, the opuntia, the mesquite) didn't grow quite so close to the ground. The trees go down under the shears with little effort, but that prickly pear, tough and woody at its core, does not respond, except, as I said, to penetrate me with thorns of various size.The machete,... More About: Machete
Chaotic Good in an Unlawful Evil World
2008-03-05 01:58:00 If you're a geek (and if you're not a geek, what are you doing here?) you know exactly who Gary Gygax is and what he brought to the world that existed before Bill Gates was a millionaire, in a time when no one could imagine that something like World of Warcraft or Second life would ever hit the mainstream. Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, died this morning in his home, following several years of health problems.I first played D&D some ten years after its inception, as a middle-school kid in the early 80s. I believe my first character was a thief named Ayla (precocious me, I had just finished Clan of the Cave Bear at the age of 10), and I enjoyed a variety of RPGs throughout high school and college. Eventually, I graduated to more complex worlds--Call of Cthulhu, Paranoia, Shadowrun, White Wolf--before I outgrew the idea of roleplaying. Still, We can't forgot that these games would probably not have existed without D&D. In fact, neither would most video games, or col... More About: Evil , Good , Chaotic
2008 Election Results Released Early!
2008-02-26 08:28:00 Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early Satire is a wonderful thing, and The Onion does it superbly! More About: Released
Fool Me Once
2008-02-24 18:19:00 Is there any possible language with which the American people could convince Ralph Nader that he's not doing what he thinks he's doing and that his Discordian efforts do not enhance the political process?Ralph, go home. Find some productive way to help the country. Ban Heelies in malls or Razor Scooters on playgrounds. Start a campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of sending text-messages while driving. Turn your fund-raising efforts to helping the poor. Do anything other than run for president. We may have found you interesting when the horizon looked bleak and your line was the only glimmer of light, but you bore us now with your self-righteous criticism and your offhand divisiveness. There are enough factions working to fracture this country and drive people apart.Nader, never. More About: Fool
Introducing the Trunk Monkey
2008-02-24 09:39:00 I saw that BoingBoing had a link to a Trunk Monkey ad collection off YouTube and I just had to add it to our archives as well. These are among the more hilarious ads from days gone by, and I hope you get a good laugh out of them as well.
Stephen Hawking Will Kick Your Ass
2008-02-21 17:51:00 Never mind the monkey-robot hybrids, at last the future promises us video game systems that function solely through the power of the mind! That's right. No more carpal tunnel. No more Nintendo thumb. (You might still have to get up off your ass for a little DDR, but first person shooters will never be the same.) It's the EPOC Emotiv headset, for your your neuron-empowered controller needs. This isn't a distant-future projection either. The new system is in beta-testing and is slated to be released by the end of this year.This technology won't just read your intended action (shoot monster) but will also have access to your emotional response (yee haw! I shot a monster!) and the game will be able to reflect that accordingly. Your avatar might smile if you are happy, and your computer-generated companion might tell you your emotions were inappropriate (we must mourn the death of this noble monster). We can't wait! More About: Stephen Hawking , Stephen , Hawking , Kick
Censorship Alert
2008-02-17 21:50:00 From the realm of miseducation, we bring you the further adventures of the deliberately ignorant conservative. A successful challenge was brought again the book And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell in a Virgina school. This is a children's picture book about two males penguins hatching and raising foster egg. Typical kneejerk conservative reaction: Sweet Jesus! This books promotes the homosexual agenda. Our children's eyes will explode if they read this. They may be compelled to tolerate the people we have dedicated intense hours to teaching them to hate.First of all, if you want to know, the "homosexual agenda" is no different from anyone else's agenda. The homosexual agenda is: go to work, finish the laundry, clean the house, live my life without the unsolicited input of the people whose values conflict with mine. See? Gays and conservatives have a lot in common.More importantly, And Tango Makes Three is a true story. Two male penguins living in captivit... More About: Censorship , Alert
Quiet Strength
2008-02-13 19:42:00 How can we resist posting this photograph of the world's smallest bodybuilder? He's 2'9" and weighs about twenty pounds. We think he is beautiful. More great pictures in the link. More About: Quiet
Anonymous takes on the Pastafarians
2008-02-11 08:05:00 This is a wonderful parody of the Anon ymous vs Scientology video created by Ed Adkins. Freakin hilarious... great stuff Ed!
Inviting Obama to Dinner
More articles from this author:2008-02-08 20:00:00 I just donated money to a political campaign for the first time ever last night, and I actually feel good about it... no I feel great about it. It was only $25, as I am no rich bastard who can toss bones about with ease, but I looked at it this way:Would I buy Barack Obama dinner? Why yes, yes I would.However I figured he is a busy fellow at the moment and it might be awhile before he has a chance to drop by my humble abode. So I sent him what I figured I would have spent on a nice little meal, and hopefully he can thank me by restoring some desperately needed sanity to our screwed up country.If you feel the same way, then maybe you can buy Obama some dinner as well, fast food or fine dining, it's your choice... but it may just be the best damn dinner you never ate.Nothing tastes better than well seasoned hope!http://www.barackobama.com More About: Dinner 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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