One Man's Blog » Fun Stuff

A Bikini That Dissolves in Water – There is a God!

John P. — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:52:56 +0000

You say you’ve got a smokin’ hot girlfriend who is also a bit of an exhibitionist? Well, have we got the perfect birthday gift for her! One that will leave her in her birthday suit!

From SpikeTV (more here):

A German company has invented a marvelous new bikini that disappears once a girl puts it on and takes a swim.

The sexy swimsuit disappears by dissolving in water, leaving a woman completely nude and embarrassed. The sexy black swimsuit looks like a real bikini, feels like a real bikini and fits like a real bikini. The only difference is it’s made from a material that completely melts away after a few seconds in water.

Named the “Get Naked Bikini,” the item is being marketed as the ultimate form of revenge for recently-dumped dudes. The bikini has upset women’s rights groups, with one campaigner, Rosmarie Zapfl, saying, “It is an absolute insult to women that this has been invented.”

It sounds like Ms. Zapfl needs a gift to calm her down. May we suggest a new bikini?

You can order said bikini from the Revenge Shop right here.

How Many People Are In This Cartoon?

John P. — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:00:12 +0000

Please count the people below, wait for the picture to change then count them again. This is guaranteed to drive you crazy!

Where exactly did the extra guy come from?

Right Brain vs. Left Brain Test

John P. — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:39:34 +0000

Ok folks, I’m not sure if this is a joke or what. The Australian Herald Sun posted this Right Brain vs. Left Brain test which is nothing more than a picture of a lady spinning around.

THE Right Brain vs Left Brain test … do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

They add the following interpretation:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Frankly, I only see the lady turning clockwise. I find it very difficult to believe that ANYONE sees it turning counter-clockwise, much less most people! So please take a moment and leave a comment to let me know how you see it. If everyone sees clockwise I’m going to call this test a fraud…

The Gatling Gun Rubber Band Machine

John P. — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 06:20:55 +0000

The Disintegrator is a motorized cordless twin rubber band minigun, capable of firing 40 bands per second.

It’s billed as:

The most devastating rubber band gun ever built

And I’m going to have to go ahead and agree with that claim! And now for a couple of videos of the Disentigrator in action!

This one is funny at the end when the host of The Gadget Show stands in front and take the brunt of the rubbery barrage.

By the way, here is how it was built.

The Amazing Fletcher Capstan Table

John P. — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 07:23:57 +0000

My friend Jimbeau took me to a specialty furniture store in Dallas and I saw one of these. It was about $25 Grand or something like that. But boy it was awesome! It’s made by dbFletcher Design.

This round table has the unique ability to grow by about 50% with a simple twist of the table surface. It is a marvel of modern engineering as well as craftsmanship. Truly one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life.

Here is a brief overview video of the table in action:

This one is of the DB Fletcher Capstan Ilona expanding table:

Here is another variant called the Schwartz Table:

If anyone would like to contribute to the “Get John P a Fletcher Capstan table fund” send a check for $20,000 to me and I’ll do a complete review when it arrives.

The Creepiest Hand Soap Ever

John P. — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:11:29 +0000

This soap looks like it belongs in a thrasher film. Seriously, its one thing (as a play on words) to have “hand-shaped” soap, but these tiny baby hands look like they were just lopped off a fresh batch of infants.

They were created from molds based from dollsâ€™ hands and the set will run you $16.

Butterscotch the Robotic Pony

John P. — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:22:13 +0000

This toy is ridiculous. It’s like taking the Furby entirely to the next level.

I was at Sam’s Club (the warehouse equivalent of Wal-Mart) when I came across this miniature robotic pony, and I whipped out my cell phone and took the attached video.

I can’t believe these things even exist, and it just shows how close we are to having little robots walking around playing with our kids.

Reinterpreting Hand Dryer Symbols

John P. — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:34:50 +0000

For those of you who never quite knew what the symbols on the automatic hand dryers in public bathrooms meant, here is the correct interpretation.

Most of you probably had it wrong all this time.

How To Make Instant Hot Ice

John P. — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 05:29:15 +0000

Wow, this video is incredible. Perhaps we’ve got some chemist in the OMB readership who will care to explain exactly how the heck this works!

This video demonstrates how to make a liquid that turns to ice at the touch of a finger. Must be one of the strangest reactions I’ve ever seen.

It looks like the only real ingredient needed other than water is Sodium Acetate.

Amazing Rube Goldberg Machine and Game!

John P. — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 06:26:43 +0000

This video is as cool, or possibly even better, than my previous post on Incredible Japanese Kinetic Machines.

In this video, the creators of this Rube Goldberg machine (a machine that performs a simple task in a complex way) have woven the kinetic reactions all over an entire house!

As it weaves it’s way throughout I can’t help to wonder if someone’s mom is about to come home and freak out at what the kids did when the parents were out of town or something (like with the 60 foot slip-n-slide).

Now, the funny thing is that this video was created by Ben Tyers and Tom Baynham (both scholars of Cambridge University with Master of Engineering Degrees specialising in Manufacturing Engineering) as a demonstration of their ability to create Marketing Virals. I’d say it worked…

When you’ve finished with that video, go ahead and try building your own virtual Rube Goldberg device in this cool little game! Just select the image below and the game will pop open in a new window (courtesy of PBS Kids).

The object is to use your wrench to change objects around and ensure that your contraption works.

For more info about Rube Goldberg machines, see:

The Rube Goldberg site.
The 2007 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest site.
Ideas for building your own Rube Goldberg contraption.

Review: My New Canon XH A1 Camcorder

John P. — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 06:29:38 +0000

This review of the Canon XH A1 Camcorder is going to be a little different from any other you might read for one primary reason, this is the first camcorder I’ve ever owned. That’s right folks, my first camcorder was a high-dollar Prosumer model because if I can’t do it right I don’t want to do it at all.

I had some difficulty with actually purchasing this camcorder. First, I couldn’t find a local retailer anywhere in Dallas. So, I had to turn to the Web.

I tried Abes of Maine with disastrous results, then I ordered it from Amazon and got free next day shipping (yeah!), but it turns out I got a defective one with a documented Iris ring problem (boo!), but a 5 minute discussion with an Amazon rep resulted in them shipping me a new one along with an RMA to send the defective one back (yeah!).

In addition to the camcorder ($3,250 after rebate) I had to get a few accessories to make the system complete.

A training DVD – $50. I bought the Canon XH A1 Made Easy video from Elite Video. Being a complete newbie, it really helped jump start me. You can get it on eBay a little cheaper than from their web site.
Extended life battery – $65. Although the standard one it comes with is good for several hours (3-4) I bought this 8000mAh Lithium Ion Battery for Canon BP-970 So that I could basically go all day without having to recharge.
External microphone – $220. Because I want the best audio possible, and don’t want to have to have wireless microphones all the time, I bought the Audio-Technica AT897. It has performed stunningly well as you can tell from the WordCamp videos I posted where the only sound is coming from this mic.
72mm Lens filter to protect the glass – $15. I got it at Best Buy for $15. I stressed and stressed about this because it’s such a damn expensive camcorder and some people were claiming that you need $100 lens protectors. But this one has worked just fine for me.
SpiderBrace -$55. I’ve got mixed feelings about this poor-man’s Steadicam. On one hand, at $50 it’s a fantastic tool. Your shots will be dramatically improved over handheld. But on the other hand, it feels like a $50 tool. And it has limitations, not the least of which is the inability to fold for easy travel. I would recommend either a DVMultiRig or a Steadicam Merlin if you can afford it. And I figure you can if you are buying this camera.
Travel Backpack – $79. My brother actually gave me a Quantaray – Urban Gear U100 Pro Backpack because it was too big for him to use for his camera setup. But it turns out that the XH A1 fits in it like a glove. Now, the backpack isn’t very comfortable, but it is cheap, safe, and available. I have yet to find a backpack I really like for this camcorder, so if any manufacturers out there want to send me some to review please feel free…
A quality compact tripod – $120. I opted for the Induro A114 and I absolutely love it! Best tripod I’ve ever owned and works perfectly for this big camcorder or my digital camera. It’s also small enough to pack into a 22″ carry-on suitcase, and it comes with it’s own carry case if you want to keep it with you.
A compact head for the tripod $79. I ended up with a Slik AF2100 Pistol Grip Head, though I cannot recommend it for this camcorder. I’ve found it works fantastically for shots that require no movement. For example set the camcorder up and leave it. But poorly if you need to follow the action. You really need a floating head like the Bogen / Manfrotto 501.

I’m also very seriously considering:

Red Eye wide angle converter lens – $420. To improve the angle for indoor shooting and panoramas.
Varizoom Variable-Rocker Control – $250. This is so that you can control the zoom, focus, etc. without taking your hands off the tripod.
DVMultiRig ($500) or a Steadicam Merlin ($800 – $2,700). For more stable moving shots.

Now, you may be wondering, why would I drop all that coin on this camcorder setup? For you my pretty readers!

I’m going to be making video tutorials and documenting travel to all the places I roam around to so that you will get to see the good, bad and ugly of wherever I go. Plus, I did record all of those WordCamp videos for you now didn’t I?

Things I Like About This Camcorder

In fully automatic mode (which is about all I’ve used so far) it takes movies that look way, Way, WAY better than any of the little cameras you could get a Best Buy. I’m not kidding, this thing kicks ass. And you should see what it looks like in HD! Unbelievable that people can own this kind of gear nowdays.
The XRL jacks on the side for external microphones are awesome! I had the opportunity to record a private event where they had a professional audio system and I just plugged in the XLR cable to the camera, and I’m not kidding you could hear much better on the tape than you could sitting in the room.
I like the shape of the camera. It fits well when you are using it handheld, and it well balanced. But I also like the handle on top for carrying it around and /or getting low shots.

Things I Don’t Like

If I ever come up with any I’ll let you know!

Other Research and References

Here are a few of the articles I read when researching which camcorder to buy. It took me about 3 months to decide and I was very, very nervous about this purchase.

CamdorderInfo.com XH A1 review.
The official Canon XH A1 page.
The C-Net XH A1 review.
Digital Journalist review of the XH A1.
Digital Video review of the Canon XH A1.

I also read several Videography magazines and the XH A1 won several camcorder shoot-outs so, after all of that I bought the damn thing.

If you’d like to see samples of what this camera is capable of in the hands of a professional, well… don’t look at me. But you can definitely check these out, and don’t miss this incredible wedding clip!

YouTube XH A1 Sample Videos

Editing

All of the videos that I’m shooting and uploading to the Web are being edited in Sony Vegas. It was a little difficult for me to learn, but I’m getting the hang of it. The main thing is getting the export settings correct. Currently I’m starting to appreciate Vidder for ease of use and quality when it comes to hosting the video content.

So, if you’ve got the coinage and want a really bad ass camcorder I highly recommend picking one of these up. You will NOT be disappointed.

The Online Etch-A-Sketch

John P. — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 06:45:17 +0000

I previously posted about the famous Etch-A-Sketch artists, but at the time I had no idea that there is a virtual Etch-a-Sketch that anyone can use to practice online! But guess what… there is!

Head on over to the online Etch-a-Sketch and give it a whirl. It works exactly like a real one, which means you’ll be frustrated in no time.

Make Your Own Ping Pong Ball Gun

John P. — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 06:41:56 +0000

Man! All I have to say to my brother is, you’re lucky I never figured this out when we were kids…

All you need for this project is:

A ping pong ball
An empty paper towel roll
Duck tape
Hair spray
A lighter

Once you’ve gathered the requisite components you are ready to wreak havoc on your unsuspecting “friends”! Enjoy…

If you happen to have a little more hardware at your disposal, you can try one of these:

The Incredible Folding Chair

John P. — Mon, 28 May 2007 06:14:07 +0000

This chair / art is totally awesome! The only problem is that I’ve scoured the Web and I can’t find anything about it anywhere. And as most of you know by now I’m normally pretty good at uncovering strange things on the Net.

If anyone knows or finds anything else about this chair please share it with the rest of us. Thanks!

How to Speak Texan

John P. — Thu, 03 May 2007 06:25:31 +0000

Texans may tend to talk a little slow, but don’t let that fool you. The Texan culture relishes wit, wisdom and storytelling. And since I routinely communicate with folks all over the world I figured it would be appropriate to publish a little “Texan to English” translation guide to ensure people always know what I’m gettin on about.

So, in case you’d like to learn how to talk like a Texan, or if you just need to occasionally translate something you heard me say in passing, here is a lexicon of phrases and colloquialisms from Texas.

Definitions

Aggravated – Used to describe everything from mild annoyance to dangerous, murderous rage.
Conniption – A fit, getting all worked up over something. Example: That child was having a conniption! Someone needed to tan his hide.
Looker – An attractive person. Example: “Wow! She’s a looker!”
Over Yonder – Over there.
Sorry – An adjective meaning worthless, loser, or useless. Enhanced inflection makes it more emphatic. Example: “When I get my hands on that sorry, good-for-nothing punk…”
Grub – Food. A meal.
Fixins – An entire meal, excluding the main dish. Example: “I’ll have a hamburger with all the fixins.”
Directly – In a little while. Example: “Well run down to the ice cream store, directly. For now – finish your supper.”
Idiot Box – Television
Dinner – Often times refers to lunch, or the meal in the middle of the day. Sometimes may refer to the evening meal.
Supper – Almost always refers to the evening meal, but sometimes may mean lunch.
Howdy – Although it sounds like “how are you”, howdy is more of a salutation like hello, bonjour, guten Tag, etc.
Fess up – To confess or admit to something.
Fit to be Tied – very upset.
Fixin’ to – Preparing to do something. Example: “I’m fixin to go to the store. Do you need anything?”
Hissy Fit – Same as a conniption.
Lit Out – Took off, started out, or absconded across some terrain. “He lit out of here as soon as the cops showed up.”

Phrases

All Choked Up – Overcome with emotion (other than aggravation). A person is “all choked up” when they are deeply moved by sadness or by the thoughtfulness of others.
All Worked Up – A state of aggravation, anxiety, or agitation. Example: “There is no need to get yourself all worked up over a little accident.”
Come Hell or High Water – Determination to do something. Example: I’m going to catch that criminal come hell or high water!
Tan Your Hide – To give someone a spanking or beating. Example: That child was having a conniption! Someone needed to tan his hide.
One-legged Man at a Butt-kicking Contest – Not equipped for the task at hand.
Long-tailed Cat in a Room Full of Rocking Chairs – Nervous.
A Gnat in a Hail Storm – Not much chance at survival.
Rode Hard and Put Up Wet – A tired individual who looks somewhat the worse for wear. Refers back to horses that were not taken care of well.
Beat You Like a Rented Mule – Obviously you don’t want this to happen.
Whole Nuther Thing – Something else entirely. Usually used to denote another story there isn’t time to relate. Example: I was down at the grocery store when I ran into my neighbor. He’s got this annoying dog, but that’s a whole nuther thing…”
Plum Wore Out – Fatigued, exhausted; also sometimes used for “worn out” machinery, etc. Example: “After a long hard day I’m plum wore out.”
All Hat and No Cattle – All show and no go… all talk and no action.
This Ain’t My First Rodeo – I wasn’t born yesterday. I’ve been around a while. Experienced.
If it was a snake it’d have jumped up and bit ya – An item “hidden” in plain sight.
6 of One, Half Dozen of the Other – Makes no difference. Six eggs is the same as a half dozen. It’s all the same to me.

If you aren’t the brightest bulb in the drawer you might get called:

Dumber than dirt
Dumb as a box of rocks
Dumb as a box of hammers
Not the sharpest tool in the shed

If you can’t be trusted you might be:

Crooked as a dog’s hind leg
Crooked as a barrel of snakes

If you’re attractive you might be:

Cute as a possum.

Practice

Last night I was fixin some grub. It was gettin late and I was already plum wore out, but I had promised to grill up some steaks for supper so, come hell or high water, I was gonna get it done.

As I was preppin the meat I turned on the idiot box. It was playin’ some talk show and there was a woman having a conniption because her boyfriend was trying to get her to fess up that she was carrying some other man’s baby. This woman was fit to be tied and started tanning the boyfriend’s hide when the host stepped in and tried to tell her there was no need to get all worked up.

Well, that threw her into a real hissy fit and then they had about as much chance as a knat in a hailstorm of calming her down.

Directly, they brought out the results of one of those paternity tests and that woman looked as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. And with good reason because it turned out that baby belonged to some other guy.

At this point she got all choked up and the boyfriend was aggrivated and started threatening to beat her like a rented mule before he finally he lit out. By the time it was all over she looked like she’d been rode hard and put up wet.

Now if you ask me, it’s sad because she was cute as a possum but crooked as a dog’s hind leg. Anyway, the whole bunch of em were dumb as a box of hammers.

10 Texas Sayings

There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman. Neither one works.
It’s so hot, the trees are bribing the dogs.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier’n puttin’ it back in.
If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
Don’t squat with your spurs on.
It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Ok. There’s always one more in Texas. :-) If you’ve got more, feel free to add them below!

Finally, you never have to ask a man if he’s from Texas. If he is, he’ll tell you on his own. If he ain’t, well, there’s no need to embarrass him.

This is So Funny it Made Me Cry

John P. — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:54:27 +0000

Good lord, this is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen!

In this video two brothers are trying to take one simple little photograph for Mother’s Day, and they just can’t seem to make it happen. I now know with absolute certainty that the CIA was bugging my house as a child, because these guys must have somehow gained access to the secret surveillance tapes to re-enact a scene between my very own brother and myself.

Oh, and when you’re done with that, here is a continuation on the theme:

Incredible Japanese Kinetic Machines

John P. — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:00:31 +0000

This is the highest rated video I’ve ever seen. It has been viewed 3 million times and has maintained a perfect 5 star rating from over 20,000 people! Just watch it and you’ll see why.

Be warned, the video is 13 minutes long, and once you start watching its impossible to stop! I’m not kidding, there is some amazing engineering at work here, and every time you think they can’t possibly come up with something new, they outdo themselves!

The Universcale Puts Everything in Perspective

John P. — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 06:45:52 +0000

There is a very, very cool interactive demo that Nikon is presenting over on their site called the Universcale.

Let’s see, how can I describe it… well, it’s kind of like this video which I previously posted that shows how the size of our planets relate to other objects in the universe, except that the Universcale is interactive and also goes the other way all the way down to subatomic particles.

It really has to be seen to be understood, and it is well worth seeing.

Props to Webware for the find.

Justin.TV – the Real ‘Truman Show’

John P. — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 06:06:22 +0000

This is just unbelievable, and I don’t know how long it will last, but there is a new Web site called Justin.TV which is about a guy, Justin, who is on TV all the time. :-) This is a serious flashback to The Truman Show, a film starring Jim Carey in which his entire life is broadcast on TV.

The only difference is that Justin is actually aware that he’s on film 24 hours a day because he’s the one filming himself.

What makes this interesting is the technology involved in being able to broadcast 24/7 on a small budget. If you think about it, there needs to be a camera, power source, computer, and Internet connection on 100% of the time in order to keep the show live. What’s even more interesting is that they are providing an embeddable element which can be plugged into other web sites (watch Justin TV below).

Frankly it’s freaking fascinating. I’m telling you, this is going to be very big! The possibilities are endless so here are a few random thoughts:

Of course, I’m guessing that Justin is going to end up with some serious stalkers eventually. Think about it. Wackos think they are in relationship with people they’ve never met. Now someone is going to remember things about Justin’s life that even HE doesn’t remember and they’ll think he’s in love with them or something.
Right away, you know he’s not going on an Airplane any time soon. Can you see him trying to get through security? :-)
You know how we all like to sing along to the radio in the car when we’re alone? Well, he’s never alone. And, sorry Justin, he ain’t that good of a singer. ;-)
How do you deal with public bathrooms? That would be illegal, and even if he knows, what if he forgets to turn it off when going in?
How do you go on a date? And how do you know the girl you’re out with actually likes you and isn’t just trying to get publicity?

Man, I could go on all day with the questions, and that’s why I think this is going to be so big. People are going to be very curious about all of this and tune in just to see what happens.

So without further ado here now is Justin.TV, live and uncensored:

Spoof: Bush’s Special Announcement on Global Warming

John P. — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 05:36:16 +0000

Will Ferrell spoofs George W. Bush on a TBS special in support of StopGlobalWarming.org. As usual Will Ferrell had me laughing out loud a couple of times.

My favorite quote: “Global warming is an issue my administration is very concerned about. Deeply. Deeply, in a deep kind of concerned way. I start my day and I think about the warming of the globe, and how we can get it warmer.”