Multi-link Mondays
Taking another break from the song-lyric insanity to offer up a Multi-link Monday. Have a cool link to suggest? Post it in the comments.
• Remember when we were trying to find band names in that Virgin Atlantic poster? In a similar vein: Can you find all the "Seinfeld" references in this image? Answers are here. (Via the wonderful PopCandy.)
• Those of us who care about punctuation will either love or hate this site: The "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks highlights all those signs that were created by someone who obviously slept through English 101. "Why" do certain people feel the "need" to put "quotation marks" around "everything"? The "world" may never "know." This cake not only has extra quote marks, but completely unncessary parentheses. (Thanks to Kurt for the link!) And I couldn't leave this topic without also pointing out a classic link, the Gallery of "Misused" Quotation Marks.
• Have a song in your head that you just can't identify? If you can upload a sample of yourself humming or singing it to WatZatSong, the site's readers will try and help you figure out what it is.
• I'm terrible at this online game, but it's fun and addictive: See how far you can fling a paper airplane.
• The Warholizer lets you upload your own digital photos, and it turns them into the kind of multi-image, multi-color portrait that Andy Warhol made so famous. Very cool.
Time for another time-wasting Multi-link Monday. Remember, you can suggest sites for inclusion -- just post them in the comments and I'll check them out.
• Did you grow up spending days poring over holiday catalogs from Sears, Penneys and the like, admiring the pages filled with toys and wishing for that Barbie Dream House/Evel Knievel Chopper Cycle/whatever? Now you can relive those days, because someone with an incredible amount of patience has scanned entire catalogs from our past online. Get prepared to spend hours at Wishbook Web, and share your favorite finds in the comments.
• I didn't discover this until after the Sept. 11 tributes last week, but there is a large, clear Webcam focused on the construction work at New York City's Ground Zero, the former World Trade Center site. One of the sharpest Webcams I've seen in a while.
• If roses took LSD, or hung out with the Grateful Dead and decided to tie-dye themselves, they might look a little something like these Rainbow Roses. Perfect for the bride who can't decide on just one or two wedding colors -- you gotta see them to believe them. (Link via my pal Ann in the UK.)
• I confess, I have a soft spot for Jelly Belly jellybeans and all their goofy flavors, from Buttered Popcorn to Chocolate Pudding. I actually entered their "recipe" contest, in which consumers suggest a number of flavors that, when eaten together, create a fun taste. Mine (Bahama Mama, like the tropical drink) didn't make the cut, but some other interesting ones did. You can read the recipes and vote for your favorite here. Caramel Pear Torte sounds darn good to me.
• Reader-submitted link: Writes Stephanie: "You've probably already linked this before, but I've never seen it and it's pretty cool: The World Clock." We haven't linked it, Stephanie, and it is indeed pretty cool. It tracks way more than time -- temperature, the world population, traffic accidents, diseases, the U.S. prison population, the number of cars made, and more.
I was gone for much of Labor Day week, but now I'm back. Let's get back to our time-wasting Multi-link Mondays.
• Have I linked to this Intelligence Test before? It offers up an abbreviated phrase, such as "24 H in a D," and you have to figure out that it is short for "24 hours in a day." Warning: I wouldn't consider this a fair "intelligence" test -- some of the phrases are really out there -- but it's fun anyway.
• There are plenty of sites out there that will tell you what events happened on the day you were born, but Kakorama added a twist I hadn't seen before. Select your birthdate and the site will show you what the moon looked like that day. (On mine, it was a waxing gibbous moon.) The site also tells you your astrology sign in Celtic, Aztec, Egyptian and Chinese astrology, how old you are on Mars, and other fun tidbits. (Via Tech Space.)
• Think it must be hard to explain Einstein's theory of relativity? Now try explaining it in words of four letters or less. (Via Metafilter.)
• I love randomly discovered notes -- I sent a note in to Found Magazine once, and they included it on their site. There's now a site that gets even more specific, sharing only passive-aggressive notes. Dirty dishes in shared apartments bring out a good number of the notes, but I also love this roommate fight over some placemats featuring jolly chefs.
• Reader-submitted link o' the week: Cinbad sends Despair, Inc., that fun site parodying the so-called motivational posters that are found in too many offices these days. Cinbad writes: "There are really great. The sad thing is, I had to give serious thought to which of my friends would really 'get' the posters. I hope you enjoy them!" I think this one, Ambition, is my favorite.
Another round of Multi-link Monday. Tomorrow we'll announce the TV commercial winner (and loser), so be sure to check back then.
• To dreeeeeam....the impossible dreeeeeam. To taaaaaake...the Impossible Quiiiiiiiiiiz... It may not be impossible for you, but it sure is for me. It's a good day when I can get past the first question! Warning: Takes a while to load, but it's worth it. You only get three lives, but you can start over as many times as you want.
• I've linked to SodaConstructor before, but not in a while. It's a cool site that lets you build goofy, springy models and watch them move all around. Like learning physics without the stress of the tests and the homework.
• Usually I link to pretty light fare in Multi-link Monday, but this is more serious. Vanity Fair has a long article about Arthur Miller's son, Daniel, born with Down Syndrome in 1966, when attitudes were much different than they are now. Daniel was institutionalized for much of his life, and his father seems never to have come to terms with him, but the story has a happy ending in that Daniel is now living with a couple who take care of him.
• Our recent Guilty Pleasures feature included one editor admitting her GP is a Weblog about Baby-Sitters' Club books. That series is too young for me, but I have to share these two Weblogs dissecting the Sweet Valley High series, 1Bruce1 and The DairiBurger. Oh, those gorgeous identical twins, their paradise of a California town, and their so-called "problems."
• Reader-submitted link: Misti sends The Oracle of Starbucks, which she picked up from Slate. "If you type in your regular coffee order it will tell you about yourself," she writes. "Apparently I (venti white chocolate mocha) am clueless, and possibly a stripper." Don't feel bad, Misti -- I tried typing in three different drinks and got the "clueless stripper" comment each and every time. Hmm...
Just a note: If you'd like to suggest a link for Multi-link Monday, you can either post it in the comments or send an email to testpattern (at) msnbc.com. Posting it in the comments is just as easy, and I read it more quickly. (Don't worry, link suggestions don't get posted immediately, they sit there until I can use them, and then I copy them out of the comment for use on a Monday. You get credit, of course.) The Test Pattern mailbox works, but it's a haven for spam, and I don't check it as often.
• Is there a book from your childhood that you've been racking your brains to recall? For $2, you can submit a description to Stump the Bookseller, and people will try to reunite you with that favorite tome. It's also fun to look at the list of most-requested titles, which includes a series dear to my heart -- Lenora Mattingly Weber's Beany Malone books.
• There are plenty of fun baby-name sites out there, but Nymbler tries to pick names you'll like by first letting you select other names that strike your fancy. You can also block names you dislike. It didn't really work well for me -- the names it suggested were pretty boring --but others have raved about it.
• I'm a big fan of the Showtime series "Weeds," which features a different artist performing Malvina Reynolds' "Little Boxes" as its theme song each week. The show is holding a contest: Make your own music video of the song and send it in -- you could win $10,000. (Link via the wonderful Pop Candy.)
• I've linked to this before, but it now has a new URL. Stuck in voice-mail hell and frustrated because you can't seem to fight through the recorded loop and reach a real person? GetHuman.com offers tips and tricks on what phone buttons to press to break through to major companies from all over the nation. Pressing "0" works often, but not always.
• Reader-submitted link: Jen in Houston shares this very cool YouTube video of an extraordinary artist, saying "A friend of mine forwarded me this and I thought it might count as a candidate for Multi-link Monday. It's certainly worth watching. Be sure to watch all the way to the end for the big reveal!"
Let's start off the week right with five fun time-wasting Web sites.
• Which book are you? Take this fun (and short!) quiz, and if you don't like your results, go back and change one answer and it will take you through an entirely different path. Apparently I'm "Watership Down."
• Rolling Stone often features controversial list of the best bands ever. But here's one writer's list of the top 10 fictional bands of all time. I'm glad he included The Rutles and Billy and the Boingers ("Bloom County" fans are nodding in recognition about now), but as much as the #1 band is a campy classic, did it really deserve the top spot? Above Spinal Tap? (Via Metafilter.)
• Teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman has built a scale model of Disneyland in his back yard. Apparently the bluest skies he's ever seen are not in Seattle, but in Anaheim. (Via Danny's Land.)
• Here's a link for cat-lovers -- and possibly, for cat-haters. Japan really knows how to pamper and humiliate its pets at the same time. I think if I dressed my cat up as Hello Kitty he would wait until I was fast asleep and then kill me.
• This week's reader-submitted link is from Tanya in California. She says: "Here's an addicting site that I love. ... Remember 'sand art' from when we were kids? This is very similar, and very cool to play. Have fun!" Don't miss the cool gallery of art that's already been made.
Here's our weekly roundup of intriguing, time-wasting Web sites, also known as Multi-link Monday.
• Reader-submitted link: I know I've linked to this before, but I still love it. The Pop vs. Soda page lets you select what you call a carbonated soft drink (pop? soda? Coke no matter what flavor it is?) and then plots it out on a map of the nation. I'm from Minnesota, and we ALL say "pop," none of this "soda" business. Thanks to Tiffanie for the link!
• Have you seen WalkScore.com? Plug in your address (home, work, whatever) and it rates how walkable the area is as far as reaching stores, theaters and the like. I wish I'd known about this when we were looking for a house.
• Ruh-roh! Real crime, or "Scooby-Doo" plot? Take this quiz and see if you can tell.
• "Superman Returns" has been out for a year, but this game is still kind of addictive: Play Jimmy Olsen and see if you can snap a front-page photo of Superman. I am Super-horrible at this.
• I've just discovered wardrobe weblogs, where ordinary folks share their fashion choices each day. There are plenty out there, but I especially like Dress Kevin (vote on what Kevin should wear each day) and What's My Wardrobe Today? I can't imagine sharing this kind of info on a daily basis, but it's kind of fun to page through someone else's closet.
I'm back from the TV critics' summer press tour in Beverly Hills, although I'm still posting about some of the new shows that were presented there. We'll also get back to the commercial contest that was so sorely neglected while I was gone. But for the moment, a new Multi-link Monday.
--Want to get your "Star Wars" name? This is much more complicated than getting your porn-star or drag-queen name, but fortunately, the site does all the work. Apparently I'm Gaepe Vosa, Repbonneville of Singulair. Hmm. That does sound pretty "Star Warsian," now that I think about it.
--¿uʍop ǝpısdn ʇǝuɹǝʇuı ǝɥʇ sı ʎɥʍ 'ʎǝɥ. Or, in other words: Hey, why is the Internet upside down?
--I've always loved John Moe's Pop Song Correspondences on McSweeney's, but here's a gem: "To: Peter Criss, From: Beth." KISS fans will appreciate it most. Excerpt: "You say you and the boys just can't find the sound. Here: loud guitars and lots of people bellowing in a not particularly melodious way. There. Done. There's your "sound." You ain't Bowie. And, honestly, if the band is really searching for a new sound (what, is Gene going to go prog-rock? Ace trotting out a folk protest ballad?), they probably don't even need you, Peter! You're the drummer for KISS! What are you going to do, recommend more hydraulics on the drum platform?"
--If, like me, you're pining for "The Office" to come back, you can help the time pass by chuckling through this list of pranks Jim (and often, Pam) has pulled on Dwight (and often, Andy). Don't try these in your own office. Well, except for maybe convincing someone it's Friday when it's really Thursday. Or faxing them from the future.
--Reader-submitted link o' the week, from Ohio Betty: "Just what every parent-to-be needs, the Random Name Generator. It runs the gamut from 'normal' cultures/languages to interesting categories like Norse Mythology, Classical Greek, Rapper, Kreatyve and (not to cash in on any summer blockbusters or anything) Transformer."
Starting off the week with another round of time-killing Multi-Link Monday offerings.
• What would you look like as a "Simpsons" character? For starters, you'd have four fingers on each hand, and you might have a Ned Flanders-esque mustache. "The Simpsons Movie" site is letting fans create their own lookalikes using familiar Simpson body and face types. (Click on "create your own avatar" from the link above.)You can save your little you, and you might see it used on their Web site.
• Some of us obviously slept through our grade-school lessons on punctuation. Some of those same folks are now responsible for making signs, menus, Web pages and more. The Gallery of "Misused" Quotation Marks hits the mark for those of us who are mystified as to why people think the more quote marks, the better. My favorite from the site "In my chem lab at Purdue, there is a bottle next to the sink labeled "Soap." I'm not sure what is "actually" in there." Via Ultimate Insult.
• I stole this from my pal Will at Clicked because I was so floored by it. The swimming baby from Nirvana's "Nevermind" album cover is now 17, and there's something a little Kurt-like in his looks today.
• Search the Web with K-Fed? Um, no. No thank you, not for all the trucker caps in California.
• Reader-submitted link: Says Sarah: "This is an awesome link for movie fans. You have to guess what movie it is by its freeze-framed midpoint. Holy cow, do I need to be more observant!
Multi-link Monday is back, with five random links to help you kill time at work. Just a note that a couple of the sites aren't exactly G-rated this week (though you probably won't see much here that you wouldn't see on primetime TV).
• NOTE: I deleted the "Latawnya the Naughty Horse" link because apparently you now need a $10 account to view that, which wasn't required when I checked it out. Instead, check out the 7-Elevens turned "Simpsons" inspired Kwik-E-Marts, as a promo for "The Simpsons" movie. There aren't a lot of locations, but here's the list. There's one near me in Seattle. A visit may be required.
• This site is both creepy and eye-opening: Someone took famous celebrity faces and slapped them onto pictures of regular people. Don't miss Pamela Anderson as an ordinary office worker, or Hugh Hefner and girlfriend Holly dancing at a church-basement wedding.
• People still say "mix tape," but these days, it's less likely to be a tape, and more likely to be a burned CD or an iPod playlist. But those of us who remember the days when you had to press PLAY and RECORD at the same time will have fun rummaging through this site of old cassette tape images. It's more interesting than it sounds, really! I think I still have most of these designs in a shoebox in my basement, probably with old Casey Kasem countdowns and Dr. Demento shows taped on them. (Thanks to Scott for the link.)
• "The Sopranos" is over, but HBO still has a fun glossary of Mob slang. "Buttlegging" apparently is "bootlegging untaxed cigarettes," and "Va fa napole" apparently means "Go to Napoli," a.k.a. "Go to hell."
• Reader-submitted link o' the week: 15 (Painfully) Unforgettable Cartoon Theme Songs, from Cracked Magazine (they're still around?) Thanks to Brandy for the link, and to my boss for letting me have a job where I get to watch stuff like this at work. I love the commentary on the "Thunder Cats" lyric just being the word "Thunder Cats" over and over and over and over again. And God bless whoever sang (and whoever wrote) the "Gummi Bear" theme song. "Magic and mystery are part of their history," indeed.
