Zoomdoggle: More fun than work!

I know I know, it hardly feels like the holidays without snow. The weather can’t always be counted on to do the right thing, so I’ve taken to making my own.



Why’s it always got to be a white Christmas?

LINK: ColorMeKatie.

Playing with people on Craigslist… this time in the name of a sweatshirt.

LINK: Craigslisting.

Yup, that would probably be the one with the 80 channel Christmas light display…

Thanks to Brian Battjer for sharing this years ago.

This guy is amazing. And who knew broccoli was so creative. Check what happens when the whole family gets together.

LINK: Heita3 via Buzzfeed.

Whatever you were doing, prepare to stop doing it now. BetaMaXMas is a walk down memory lane, loaded with Christmas specials from 20+ years back. Adjust the rabbit earns for minimal fuzz, check in with TV Guide to see what’s on when, then flip around. I’m going in for my second hour starting now…

LINK: Betamaxmas via Boinboing.

When I’m not hanging out with Jake plotting fun things, I’m busy at my day job. Chained to my mac devising ideas for Cunning. It’s hard work, but someone has to do it.

I’ve been there for 10 years (wowzer!) and this year is our 10th birthday.

To celebrate we’ve baked a special online birthday cake. Go to http://www.cunning.com/birthdaycake, blow out the candles (no really, try it) and have a wish on us. We’ll match it by supporting our fellow youngsters with a donation to Action For Children or, in the U.S., Children in Need. Turn on your mic and speakers for best results. No mic or speakers? No problem, just blow anyway and make a wish.

LINK: Cunningcake.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Yes Men’s INCREDIBLE New York Times prank. (For those of you living under a rock, I give you the video.)

That’s just how it happened too. On Wednesday 12th, on my way to work, a guy walked up and asked if I wanted a paper. He asked just outside the L stop, but not in a way as to imply that he was distributing them, more like he’d just read his on the train and didn’t want to throw it away. I took it, but it wasn’t until almost an hour later that I realized what I had. Amazing right?

Now for the weird bit: Last night at 9PM, on my way home, a guy comes up and asks the same question and gives me the same paper. On the 13th. I’m not sure what to make of it. Did they Yes Men have a few left over, or is one of their own lost in Brooklyn?

If you haven’t seen the paper yet, check it out online. Still though, the mystery remains, is this groundhog day?

LINK: Theyesmen.

“Take a regular Whiteboard, regular Whiteboard markers and play PONG irregularly. What you are seeing is a real live demonstration of our physics based engine responding to it’s real life surroundings, the computer sees and recognizes the black shapes on the whiteboard and the virtual ball behaves accordingly,” explains ENESS, the Australia-based design collective that dreamed up this little bit of awesome. I can honestly say I have no idea what physics based engine is, but holy-crapsticks I want one now. I knew I should’ve nerded out with the nerds in high school instead of skipping out with with goofballs. Oh wells.

LINK: Electronicmiracles via Gizmodo.

Fact: If you’ve got a skin chandelier, a coin-purse, or pants biscuits, you’re not going to get it. Feel free to give it a try though…

Step 1: Open your throat as if trying to chug a beer. It might actually help if you have just chugged a beer. A slight buzz often strips away the kind of inhibitions that make experiments like this fail.

Step 2: Part your lips - enough to let the sound out - but don’t allow them to move.
Note: Making the “OK” sign with one hand, then pressing it into your lips is a good idea to keep your lips from moving while allowing enough space for the sound to escape. It also shows that you’re really trying though, which, if you’re a guy, is only going to make you look sillier when you fail.

Step 3: Now shout the word “girl” as loud as possible. Sounds weird right. Like a duck call. The words “toy boat” also work quite well for a bit of up-and-down, siren-ish thing. But here’s the weirdest bit of all: ONLY GIRLS CAN DO IT.

An early morning call to a maxillofacial surgeon lead to speculation that it has something to do with slight variations in the shape of the female larynx. Go figure. And go try. How fun is that?

There’s a reason I love Jason Kottke; the man knows how to make smart stuff fun and fun stuff smart. His latest creation “When Obama Wins” pulls tweets from Twitter that start with the phrase. Just keep clicking the phrase to see what people are saying. So far, so good, right? It gets even better. Google the phrase “When Obama Wins” and guess what comes up first. You guessed it. Well played Jason. How fun is that?

I wonder how many of these will prove to be right by days end… I wonder how many of you have done your part. The time is now people.

LINK: Whenobamawins.