May 8, 2009 by traveler.

Aaaahhhhh!!!

Giant jellyfish with crab passengers? That’s worse than sharks with laser beams!

Thankfully the video looks slightly ‘tainted’- maybe the crab is dead and there is no jellyfish/crab conspiracy to worry about. Then again, what if the crab is just feigning until it is close enough to rip at your flesh?! I’m gonna stay out of the ocean for a while just in case.

Posted in Weird, Video, Eww, Uncategorized | No Comments »

May 8, 2009 by traveler.

You’ve probably seen it already, but this clip is too good to pass up. The Corinthians celebrate in style- by setting their trophy on fire. Ok, so technically it was the MASSIVE amounts of flaming confetti surrounding the trophy, but still. Great footage.

This is a real challenger for my favorite Trophy presentation/celebration- the subject of an older post. Clip reposted below…

Posted in Weird, Video, Sports, Funny | No Comments »

May 5, 2009 by traveler.

Ouch. Consumerist reports that a Best Buy customer in Texas opened a brand-new MacBook Pro box and instead of a laptop, he found…a paving stone.

Is this becoming a trend? First it was the Chinese newspaper & rocks in a Nintendo DS box, and now this. While Wal-Mart made good on the missing Nintendo DS, apparently Best Buy told the proud new owner of a paving stone that “Apple seals the boxes, not us. Take it up with Apple.” Hmm. I’m gonna go with…the customer gave his credit card to Best Buy for this purchase, not Apple.

Which makes this potentially simple- customer notifies credit card company that he is having this problem with BB and is working to resolve it. If BB still won’t rectify the situation, he gets credit card company to reverse the charge and file a grievance against BB.

Of course there is another important question- could this be a shady customer’s shakedown attempt? Guess Best Buy and the credit card company will work that all out. Maybe it’ll turn out that this guy ends up throwing that paving stone back in his yard where he found it. Who knows.

Posted in Junk, Weird, Gripes, Business, Tech, Nintendo, Toys, Apple, Gear | No Comments »

May 3, 2009 by traveler.

Fire alarms- very important for public safety, very irritating to your ears. And NOT what you want to hear in the middle of your band’s jam session, right? Right?

Wow- and I usually just plug my ears. Next time I hear a fire alarm go off, I might reach for my drumsticks instead.

Posted in Weird, Video, Funny, Music | No Comments »

April 27, 2009 by traveler.

These are just waaay too good to pass up- a collection of face painting done by artist James Kuhn.

Evil gremlin

Gizmo

Bellydancer

KISS

Toad

Shark

Sweet, huh? And there are TONS more…check them out.

Posted in Weird, Art, Video, Design | No Comments »

March 12, 2009 by traveler.

Back in January, I posted an article about some unusual chocolate bars from 3400 Phinney. I thought it would be a one-time event, but my hook-up began stocking other varieties of 3400 Phinney chocolate bars. With great apprehension, I decided to accept the challenge and venture out once more into the vast chocolate wilderness. With the abject failure of the Coconut Curry chocolate bar, I decided to play it a bit safer in selecting flavors for this batch.

Hazelnut Crunch
If you are a fan of Nutella, I bet your ears just perked up. This chocolate bar will surprise you, however, because it doesn’t use hazelnut cream like you might expect. I completely anticipated some velvety, rich hazelnut flavor blended into the chocolate, but that wouldn’t be a 3400 Phinney creation. This bar differentiates itself by adding large slivers of actual hazelnut nestled into the milk chocolate. This gives the bar a nice nutty taste (imagine that!) - FAR from what hazelnut/chocolate lovers would expect. The slivers also impart a salty finish, giving the bar a nice blend of salty and sweet in every bite. If you like hazelnut, this bar will expand your ideas of what a hazelnut chocolate bar can be. Despite your initial reservations, however, this might turn into your favorite hazelnut chocolate treat!

Vanilla
Simple, elegant vanilla. This bar is exactly what you anticipate, and it does not let you down. You may wonder what the ’spin’ will be on this flavor, but there is no real trick, no surprise. The only twist to this flavor is that the chocolate bar’s simplicity really allows the ingredients to breathe and the quality to shine through. Besides, after choking down bites of Coconut Curry, sometimes you just need to tuck into an uncomplicated Vanilla flavor.

Stay tuned for more unusual chocolate treats- I have more flavors yet to review.

Posted in Weird, Junk, Food, Pics | No Comments »

February 4, 2009 by traveler.

Step aside, Crackberry. There is a new game in town, and this one is solely for the tot-on-the-go. Leapfrog’s new “Text & Learn” is sure to redefine the term ‘Crack Baby’.

Is this the future of children’s edu-tainment? CNET explains that the device is aimed at preschoolers and it will teach them spelling and basic computer skills. Sounds fair, but it will certainly stretch their dexterity as well. I can’t slam this device, though, because I had a similar device ‘back in the day’. My mini-desktop computer served the same basic functions, and it was surely seen as a sign of the apocalypse by many child advocates at the time. It was great, though, because it built basic computer skills and it taut me to spelle wurds.

So relax and let your kid work with the Text & Learn- it may aid their development. Just don’t be surprised if your child texts you ‘I gotta go potty’.

Posted in Business, Weird, Tech, Toys, Gear, Pics | No Comments »

January 29, 2009 by traveler.

What a week for Nigeria’s image. First the whole makeshift helmet weirdness, and now this. Police have arrested a goat. The police believe the ’suspect’ is actually an armed robber who transformed himself into a goat to escape. The only thing ’suspect’ here is their policework.

The story about makeshift helmets is pretty good too…a law came into effect that mandates helmets for scooter riders. Many people have flouted the law by wearing pots, pans, and even dried-out calabash shells as makeshift helmets. Reuters reports that some construction workers have begun renting out their safety helmets to motorists. Authorities express frustration, saying that motorists had plenty of time to get a helmet before the law was enforced. There are legitimate helmet shortages now, but that is not the only reason people won’t wear a helmet. One cop-out reason is that some fear helmets will transmit infectious diseases. Seriously, in Lagos what DOESN’T transmit disease?! The best reason, though, is that helmets could have an evil spell that will make you easier to rob. Huh?! How’s this for a spell- ‘Bubble bubble, toil and trouble. Wear a helmet or your fines will double.’

Pull it together, Nigeria. I liked you better when you just sent me spam email.

Posted in Weird | No Comments »

January 11, 2009 by traveler.

When you think of your favorite ice cream flavors, what comes to mind? Strawberry, chocolate, butter pecan, maybe mint chocolate chip? What about Saffron? Is saffron on your list? If not, it might be soon.

Baskin Robbins ME unleashed September’s flavor of the month- Saffron Escapade. This new flavor incorporates saffron ice cream, sesame cardamom brittle, and a honey ribbon. For those not familiar with saffron and cardamom, Wikipedia describes cardamom as having a ’strong, unique taste’ with a ‘coolness similar to mint.’ Saffron is described as ‘hay-like and somewhat bitter.’ Sounds like perfect ice cream ingredients, right?

Despite initial reservations, I would recommend trying the flavor IF you enjoy flavor contrasts, particularly the interplay of savory and sweet. Lately that has been a big theme of mine, and so I enjoyed the Saffron Escapade tremendously. In fact, I went back to Baskin Robbins the very next day to buy another serving of this experimental flavor. I’m glad I did, because the flavor appears to have disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

In the end, you might be glad you missed it. In an attempt to win converts, I managed to disgust several people who thought Saffron Escapade was hands-down the worst ice cream flavor they have ever tasted. I, however, loved the taste and would gladly pick up a scoop if I find it again. (BR- make Saffron Escapade flavor of the month again!) In any event, I will remember it as one of the weirdest ice cream flavors I’ve tried.

Posted in Weird, Junk, Food, Eww, Pics | No Comments »

January 4, 2009 by traveler.

Looking to buy a gift for the billionaire-to-be baby in your life? Might I suggest this…

I GUARANTEE you will be the only person at the baby shower to give this diamond pacifier. YES- I SAID DIAMOND PACIFIER. WTF?!?! Glad to see the recession isn’t quite affecting everyone. At only $17,000, this pacifier has to be a joke, or some sort of conceptual art piece. $17k for something your kid would chew on? Save yourself a couple grand and get your kid a pimped-out stroller instead.

As a side note, the website ’selling’ the pacifier (I am guessing that diamond pacifier sales are a bit sluggish) offers a large lineup of other, more reasonably priced children’s gear. However, beware (or enjoy) their line of political clothing. It seems to target liberal consumers and anger conservative website visitors.

Posted in Junk, Weird, Business, Toys, Style, Funny, Pics | No Comments »