… this guy is going to blow up.

This video was from Rocket Boom’s February 5th edition. Great new video blog that I’ve been following. It’s just all internet culture. Most videos are around 2 to 3 minutes long. You should check it out.

This video was a random stop in Lynchburg, Tennessee to talk polictics.

It’s amazing… absolutely amazing that small groups of people can actually lower their intelligence the more they talk.

That’s why I don’t talk to people like this.

Saw this in the Oakland Airport. Not real sure what it’s for.

Animated Hitch Critters

If I can’t get the Trailer Hitch Hammock Chairs, then I’m looking at one of these bad boys. Besides giving other motorists a chuckle, this Hitch Critter provides a third brake light for added traffic safety.

Trailer Hitch Hammock Chairs

Imagine the faces of my pre-game buddies when they see me kicking back in this innovative design that takes tailgating to a HO - NOTHA - LEVEL.

Personalized Branding Iron

I believe that a great steak is a piece of art and with this personal branding iron I can sign my work.

Or keep it under my pillow and use the “quick heat” feature in case of a home burglary.

Comes with an attractive cedar case.

The Marshmallow Shooter

This clever pump-action device shoots sweet, edible marshmallows over 30′ right into your target’s eye. Use the LED sight to project a safe beam of read light to help locate a target for pinpoint accuracy. The quick-reload magazine holds 20 marshmallows for fast nonstop action.

Did you know that ONLY FOUR MINUTES a day on the ROM (range of motion machine) gives you the same results as 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, plus 45 minutes of weight training and 20 minutes of stretching? That makes the ROM the least expensive full-body workout that a person can do at only 20 cents per use.

Why am I working so hard trying to run 20 miles a week?

Joanna and I recently had a talk about some establishing some rules around the house. She said she had been thinking about some things and wanted to sit down and talk to me about them. You know what that means.

So, being as smart as I am…. I told her that I had been thinking about some rules for around the house too and asked her if I could have a day to write some down. Then we could get together and talk about them.

Here’s what I came up with:

1. “Yes” and “No” are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question. The efficiency in that is genius.

10. If you won’t dress like the Victoria ’s Secret girls, don’t expect me to act like one of those soap opera guys.

There. That’s my list. We’ll see how it goes.

One of my favorite Super Bowl commercials featured Kevin Federline (estranged husband of Britney Spears) performing in a glizty rap video. But really he is only daydreaming on the job - as a fast-food employee. Nationwide produced the commercial with their tag line, “Life comes at you fast.” I thought it was brilliant. The National Restaurant Assoication however, disagrees:

“The ad amounts to a ’strong and direct insult to the 12.8 million Americans who work in the restaurant industry,’”

President and Chief Executive Steven Anderson said in a letter to Nationwide. Anderson added that the commercial

“would give the impression that working in a restaurant is demeaning and unpleasant.”

I don’t think the commercial gives the impression that working in a fast-food restaurant is demeaning and unpleasant, I think working in a fast-food restaurant as a 30-year-old is demeaning and unpleasant.

I guess I’m not real sure what all the fuss is about. I would rather serve burgers and fries than be rich any day.

For a good, sick laugh, check out animation artist, Don Hertzfeldt’s videos. I used a few of these last week in our young adult service. Just this picture is enough to make you laugh, but watch what this balloon does to Billy.

You can pick up the DVD at Bitterfilms or search YouTube for my favorites:

Billy’s Balloon

The Meaning of Life

What has stolen all of our “hits?” Why will NSync probably sit at the top of the record for fastest-selling album of all eternity? And why will Justin Timberlake never be as big as his former band?

(Gasp! ) “I don’t know. Quick! Tell me!”

Pirates.

“Pirates?”

Yep. Pirates.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed…. (shhhh)… but pirates are everywhere.

Johnny Depp has romanticized the role of a pirate to every little boy in America… and to a lot of middle-aged women. Darryl Hannah wears her pirate-esque eyepatch in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. Remember Super Bowl XXXVII? Do you remember who played? The Buccaneers and the Raiders; 2 pirates in the ultimate battle for good. There is even a national “talk like a pirate day.” I’m not kidding. It’s September 19th. The day you end all your sentences with “Argggghhh…”

Being a pirate is trendy. Watch how many pirate costumes you see at Halloween. It’s cool to be a pirate, or fantasize about pirates or shadow sword fight in the break room at work. People understand. You just wish you could be a pirate. Sail the open seas, experience freedom, plunder small towns. Life would be good.

I know a lot of pirates. And the music industry is loosing mass market share every year because of the pirates I know (some 10 million of them). Because when push comes to shove, file sharing is… well… pirating.

Some may disagree.

“File sharing is a complex issue.”

File sharing is not a complex issue. If you can pull Justin’s new SexyBack off the internet and you aren’t paying anyone for the song, neither do you own the copyright to that song, you are a pirate. You got something for nothing and where I come from that doesn’t make you a very nice person.

I’m not necessarily saying you shouldn’t be a pirate or even that I haven’t moonlighted as a pirate or even that I care if the music industry ultimately collapses. I just think we need to wake up in the morning and look at ourselves in the mirror and say, “I’m a pirate. Argggghhh.”

The U.S. population surpased 300 million yesterday and is on track to reach 400 million by the year 2043. Officials were undecided as to whether the 300 millionth person was a new-born baby, or a foreigner.

Check out the real time population count here.

Bet you didn’t know:

NSync has the fastest-selling album of all time with their 2000 release of No Strings Attached. 1.1 million copies the first day and almost 2.5 within the first week and ultimately going on to sell over 10 million copies.

Bet you also didn’t know:

Over half of the 100 best-selling albums were released in that decade (1990 - 2000). It was the music industry’s fastest growth period ever.

Hmmm…. Interesting. Tell me more.

In the six years since, only 4 albums have made it into the top 100 list: Eminem’s The Eminem Show (#100), Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me (#96), OutKast’s Speakerboxx (#65) and the top seller is Shania Twain’s Up (#64). Overall, U.S. album sales fell 20% from their 1999 peak.

One thing’s for sure: our hits are disappearing.

The question is are they being stolen or just held as hostage? Maybe it’s some giant, evil, super-vilian of sorts. Maybe it’s some nerdy little adolescent reject in his basement with his comptuer. Is there a ransom involved? Could this be a practical joke?

Who could be responsible for this atrocity? I’ll do some investigative work.

I was at Whole Foods last weekend when I overheard a lady ask the guys working in the Fish Department if they sold “organic” fish.

He explained to her that they don’t label fish “organic” because it all comes directly from… well… the ocean.

The lady stood there surprised. I don’t think she believed him.

It makes you think about that whole “organic” label thing though. I ended up buying some “organic” sweet corn on Wednesday. I wanted to ask the guy, “So this is organic corn? As opposed to corn that was grown in your basement?” I’m just not sure how that all works.

I think it’s kind of like when it became the cool thing to put “antibacterial” on a bottle of soap. “New Antibacterial Formula!” What was soap supposed to be before that?

I saw this at the Burger King drive through window last week. The wording made me laugh.

“Come on kids! If you beat cancer we’ll give you a really neat prize!”

These new Apple commercials are hilarious. I showed them to my boss and coworkers. They didn’t think they were that funny. They’re all Sony Vaio users. I love the line, “I think I need to crash.”

I meant to post this earlier last week when everyone was talking about the boycott.

I’m not sure we’re thinking this through all the way.  Could you live without Chipotle?

Check this out. These are all flavors of Kit-Kats in Japan. Which one do you think would fly in the US? I would have to vote for the Black Bean or Summer Pine.

Kit-Kat Apple

Kit-Kat Passion Fruit

Kit-Kat Green Tea

Kit-Kat Black Bean

Kit-Kat Melon

Kit-Kat Summer Pine

Here’s the leadership thought for the week…

in video form…

and you’ll want to make sure you watch…

there will be a test later…

“Sometimes leadership is like herding cats.”

Get the video at Google Video.