Tuesday, May 07

There Can Be Only Pun: States of Mind

by Sean Adams 14 days ago

You guys, I have an addiction. I'm addicted to puns. I need them. I can't get enough of them. I HUNGER FOR THEM. That's why I've set up this weekly blog feature: so you guys can feed my addiction. Every week, I'll name the topic, give you some examples, and then you'll pun away in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter. I'll choose the best ones and post them here next week. Sound good? Good! Let's do it!

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: States of Mind

Here's what we want this week, states… OF MIND! Get it? Like, it's a state, and it's a state of mind! Here are a few examples:

The Debunker: Do Undercover Cops Have To Identify Themselves?

by Ken Jennings 15 days ago

In 1962, a joint resolution of Congress made the third week of May “National Police Week,” a time to recognize the sacrifices made by the nation’s law enforcement officers. But let’s face it: unless you’ve dedicated a lot of time to breaking the law, most of what you know about the cops comes from movies and TV, and those may or may not be just the facts, ma’am. All month, Ken Jennings will be exploring the “thin blue line” between police fact and police fiction. If you actually thought this stuff was true—well, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the comments section.

Police Myth #1: Undercover Cops Have to Identify Themselves When Asked.

If everything you know about police procedure comes from an elite social circle of hookers, pot dealers, and paranoid college activists, then you probably agree wholeheartedly with this rule of thumb: any time you suspect someone of being a plainclothes cop, you can unmask them by this clever ruse of asking them! Presumably, at that point, the unconvincing john/buyer/whatever will shake his fist impotently at you, rip off his fake mustache, and stalk off into the night, his arrest thwarted.

Monday, May 06

Music Monday: Fun-kay

by Scott Lydon 15 days ago

Happy Music Monday! It's getting warm out, people are wearing less, and that's a good excuse to start havin' fun. We're gonna get funky today, and we invite you to join us.

Gap Band - Early In The Morning

The music is top notch, but even if it wasn't, you'd still have a good reason to love The Gap Band. What reason, you ask? THOSE HATS. Also of note is how The Gap Band made their song so impervious that even cover versions will remain substantially funky.

It's only gettin' funkier from here. See you after the jump.

Thursday, May 02

Game Fight! Jumping Finn Turbo vs. A Good Night's Sleep

by Seth Macy 20 days ago

I really enjoy Adventure Time. It's one of my favorite animated television shows of all time. To me, it's right up there with The Simpsons and DuckTales. Sure, Regular Show might have more edgy humor and a firm grasp of retro-pop references, but when I turn on Cartoon Network, I do it because I'm watching Adventure Time. I watch Regular Show because it happens to be on. There are a couple of AT mobile games out there, and I decided on a whim to add Jumping Finn Turbo to my collection.

Tuesday, April 30

The Debunker: Was the Civil War Fought Over States' Rights?

by Ken Jennings 21 days ago

Even though the Civil War hasn’t receded all that far into the past—the Associated Press reported last month that two children-of-Civil-War-vets are still alive and well and receiving government veterans’ benefits!—we may not remember very much about it. This month, Ken “Burns” Jennings will reveal that a lot of what you think you know about the Civil War is a bunch of Bull Run.

Civil War Myth #4: The War Wasn’t Really About Slavery.

A 2011 poll by the Pew Research Center commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War produced this shocking finding: only 38% of respondents said they believed that slavery was the war’s main cause. Nearly half—48%—opined that “states’ rights” was the real issue, while a wishy-washy 9% blamed both equally. Even more remarkably, younger people were more likely to be slavery skeptics than older ones!

Monday, April 29

Music Monday: RIP George Jones

by Scott Lydon 22 days ago

Happy Music Monday! On Friday, the great George Jones went off to join the great band in the sky. Today we're paying tribute to a man who lived like a rock star and sang like- well, nobody'd mistake him for an angel, so we'll just say a hero. We'll start with his first Number One hit, an ode to moonshine.

George Jones - White Lightning

George Jones manages to capture the fun of cooking up illegal liquor. Never mind that it might make you go blind or die. It's fun to take risks! And, truthfully, it's impossible to hear this song and not feel the same way. Say what you will about Snoop Dogg's love of marijuana, but it's no less illegal than George Jones' moonshine. Although Snoop probably can't play the guitar this well.

A former Marine who was born in Texas singing about breaking a Federal law. It just doesn't get more American than that. See you after the jump for more.

Thursday, April 25

The Woot Guide To A Sexy Arbor Day

by Sam Kemmis 26 days ago

The Debunker: Did the Emancipation Proclamation End Slavery?

by Ken Jennings 27 days ago

Even though the Civil War hasn’t receded all that far into the past—the Associated Press reported last month that two children-of-Civil-War-vets are still alive and well and receiving government veterans’ benefits!—we may not remember very much about it. This month, Ken “Burns” Jennings will reveal that a lot of what you think you know about the Civil War is a bunch of Bull Run.

Civil War Myth #3: The Emancipation Proclamation Freed the Slaves.

Say what you will about the recent work of Steven Spielberg, at least it’s helped to shoot down a lot of historical myths about Abraham Lincoln. For example, most Americans dimly remembering their tenth-grade history class probably assume that slavery in the Republic was ended by the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. But as the movie Lincoln makes clear, abolition didn’t actually happen for almost three more years, when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in December 1865.

Tuesday, April 23

Crapword

by Sam Kemmis a month ago

Want to turn your crossword skills into a coveted (for some reason) Bag o' Crap? Then welcome, intrepid cross-linguist, to Crapword Puzzle central! Here you can download the puzzle, follow along with the game, and voice your Huzzays of ecstasy and Dangits of defeat. We'll update it as we go, so check back often for the latest Crapword action highlights.

Monday, April 22

Music Monday: Directional Songs

by Scott Lydon a month ago

Happy Music Monday! Do you know which way you're facing now? Well, that's the start point on our wonderful journey through the maze of music. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Get settled. And then do what the music says. If nothing else, you'll get some exercise as you move around the room. Okay, now, get ready… three, two, one… we're off!

The Beatles - I'm Down

Down has been the primary direction for music for a long, long time. Rappers get down, dancers get down, some rock stars get down and then also get dirty, and even Swan Lake has some down under the wings of the main characters. And don't even get me started on the blues. Why is down so important? Maybe it's because, without down, there's no place from which to grow.

Get the idea? More directionals coming up, just after the jump.