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The Nietzsche Family Circus

First off, a note of thanks... This is our first reader-submitted item. Thanks Jen. And now, onto the item in question.

I'm not much of a philosopher. I try to keep an outlook on life that's a little more intellectual than most, but I can't say that I'm at all familiar with the greater works of the philosophers of this world.

But I do know funny (or at least what I think is funny, and screw everyone else quite honestly), and I do know smart. And this is both.

Losanjealous is basically an LA-centric blog, info on music and food and other cultural-type things going on there. Honestly, it's alright, but my interest in events taking place in other places is, how do you say, tiny. Either I don't give a shit because I just don't give a shit, or it's something I'm going to wish upon wishing that I could be at. In the end, I tend not to read this sort of stuff.

But this item, listed under the Losanjealous Labs section, is great. They take a randomly generated Family Circus cartoon and pair it with a randomly generated Friedrich Nietzsche quote. Some of the panels and quotes pair together so well you almost question the randomness of the groupings. Either way, funny stuff.

The Nietzsche Family Circus.

Awful Plastic Surgery

We all have guilty pleasures.

You're doing whatever it is that's making you happy, and you're loving every minute of it, but the second someone pops their head by your desk to see what's making you laugh out loud, you immediately change over to some spreadsheet or e-mail, claiming it was nothing.

It's ok. You're embarrassed, and I get it. You're looking at something that you might like, but you think everyone else will think you're foolish for checking out.

Well, here's the truth: You're not the only one. And I've got another one for you.

The authors of this site are anonymous, and once you see it you'll understand why. They're casting aspersions on celebrities, suggesting that perhaps they're not quite all natural, if you catch my drift (which isn't really that hard to catch here).

Awful Plastic Surgery.

Zach Galifianakis vs. Johnny Fairplay

If you don't know who Zach Galifianakis is, you need to go to his site first. Plain and simple. Learn, and from this learning you shall become a better human being.

If you don't know who Johnny Fairplay is, well then... well I didn't either, except that he was some reality TV guy.

I guess one night, probably in LA, Johnny Fairplay was seeing Zach perform. My read on Zach is that he's a guy who's not going to suffer fools too well, and my read on everything I've ever seen on Fairplay is that he's a fool. So what do you think happens?

Exactly, my newly-learned friends. He turned his act into a thrashing of Fairplay.

The genius who videotaped this (or at least videotaped the audio and Zach's feet) came up with a great name, basing it off of a CD sold on Patton Oswalt's website:

Zach Galifianakis vs. Johnny Fairplay vs. Alcohol.

Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance

Battlestar Galactica might just be the best damned thing on TV. I know, you're picturing Faceman and the guy you remembered from the Alpo commercials but your parents said was on some show when they were kids running away from cheap-looking plastic robots.

But where the hell have you been?

The new BSG is dark, smart, and intriguing. It's some of the most compelling television I've ever seen, world's better than 24 or even Lost. BSG has made it acceptable for normal people to watch science-fiction, and the SciFi Channel in general (at least sometimes).

So, Season 3 of BSG is on its way, coming on October 6th. It takes place 134 days after the shocking  end to Season 2. As such, SciFi has commissioned a series of ten webisodes, titled 'The Resistance,' to bridge the gap, both between the 134 day storyline gap and for fans who can't wait for it to come back. The first webisode premiered two days ago, on 9/5, and new ones will post every Tuesday and Thursday, up until the day before the Season 3 premiere. If you're into the show, I just don't see how you can miss these.

Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance

Denis Leary & Lenny Clarke on NESN (and Mel Gibson)

I'm not usually a big fan of these so-called viral videos, and even when I do come across one I like I'm generally loathe to pass it on. I certainly don't like posting them here.

But one came across my inbox a couple of days ago, from a friend who's a Red Sox fan. Apart from the fact that it's a riot, I passed it along to a few friends, the kind who generally see this sort of stuff through other sources. None of them had even heard that this clip existed, let alone having actually seen it.

Here's the rundown: Denis Leary and Lenny Clarke were at a Sox game, and they went into the NESN booth. I don't want to speculate on the level of sobriety, since there are points where I think they might sit on either side of the scale. All I know is that it came out in conversation that Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis was in fact Jewish, and not Greek as his last name might suggest. Of course, it came out because Leary asked what Youk's ethnicity was.

Lenny Clarke made a simple Mel Gibson crack, a lay-up of a joke, but fitting nonetheless. On the next play, a weak grounder, Youk charges, snags it and flips it to Curt Schilling. Suddenly, Leary & Clarke go apeshit. "Where's Mel Gibson now?!?" Hysterical.

I issue this simple warning: view fast, because MLB is already starting to crack down on this clip.

Denis Leary & Lenny Clarke on NESN.

Pimp My Snack

There's so much I can say about this site, and in truth, I really don't know where to start. My brain's sort of racing around, excited at the prospect of what I have to offer all of you with this one.

Some of the finest material to come out of this nifty little  Internet thing that we spend our lives digging through has been seeing the results that are posted by folks to spend their well-earned and too-little free time re-engineering existing or designing new products to better suit their own needs.

Of what do I speak?

How about The Tron Guy? Maybe The T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project?

It is in this spirit that today I present to you a site that is indeed inspired.

Maybe take a moment for yourself here, alright? Close your eyes (not just yet, read this first) and think about how much you love your favorite snack. Ok, you can close them now. When you open them up, I'll be on the next line waiting for you.

Back now? Good. Keep the image of this snack in your mind's eye for me, if you can. Now, imagine it plumped up. Not just a little bit bigger, but huge. Got that? Excellent.

If you've managed this, you are ready for: Pimp My Snack.

1986 World Series, Game 6 - Re-Enactment

I'm typically not a fan of sharing these so-called "viral videos."  It's great the first time someone sends me the link, but after the 60th or 70th person had forwarded me the e-mail with this link you "just have to see because you'll laugh your ass off," I'm over it.

But, there are exceptions to the rule. For me, anyway.

Exception #1: Involve the New York Mets. If it's about the 86 Mets, even better.

Exception #2: Somehow utilize a classic video game from my youth. RBI Baseball, say.

Yeah, that might just be it for my list of exceptions to the rule.

I also like to try to get it out there before the point of saturation. But sometimes these things take on a life of their own, hence the word "viral."

In creating an entry for a YouTube contest to create viral videos, an enterprising man from San Diego who digs both the Mets and some classic NES goodness created a fantastic piece of viral-ness. Using RBI Baseball, he replayed the final half-inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, complete with Vin Scully's game call.

1986 World Series Game 6 Re-Enacted in RBI Baseball.

The Word @ The Colbert Report

I've been trying to sell people on The Colbert Report in a general sense for a while now. But admittedly, this isn't a show for everyone.

Where I think everyone can find some level of humor in its parent program (The Daily Show for those of you who haven't watched TV or read any news articles about America's youth in the past 7 years), I could see how a conservative might either not get the joke or might not appreciate it with Colbert.

But most of my friends are steaming piles of liberality, just like me. And most of them weren't thrilled with what they saw.

Until they saw The Word.

Some segments are still hit or miss, as you might expect with any new show, but The Word is gold, night after night.

Threatdown and Better Know A District get the most press and conversation, at least what I've noticed, but The Word is funnier (though it's hard to top Bears).

As much as I suggest tuning in and giving the show a first (if you haven't yet) or second (if you have and passed it by) chance, start here. Comedy Central posts The Word each day on their website, and there's a great archive of them all as well (complete with thumbnails of Stephen emoting).

The Word @ Comedy Central MotherLoad.

Espresso Porn

I can admit to being a relative novice when it comes to the world of espresso. I drink the stuff, generally either on its own or in perhaps a cappucino. I'm not a big fan of all of these made-up drinks hawked by certain chain coffee shops.

Since I'm green in the ways of espresso terminology and methods, I had no clue what crema was. Until recently.

You won't learn how to make proper crema on your shots, and you won't find a directory of good local (i.e. non-chain) coffee houses where you can find high quality espresso.

What you will get is some superb photography of crema, here at Espresso Porn.

Kicked In The Nuts

Channel 101 is a great site. It's one of these hit or miss places, since it's all user-crafted and -submitted works.

The premise is described here. And there's a NYC-based version called Channel 102.

Two and a half years ago, in August 2003, the Henry brothers, Mike (the voice of Cleveland) and Patrick, both writers for Family Guy, launched a pilot. It was so simple in its concept and humor, but it worked perfectly, and to this day Episode #1 of their pilot is the top download ever on Channel 101.

Incidentally, if you were confused by the end of the Family Guy episode The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire, this will solve it all.

Kicked In The Nuts, at Channel101.com.