Swaptree.com Shakes Up the Online Marketplace

Watch out eBay, there’s a new site in town, and it literally has a mind of its own. Swaptree.com allows you to trade your DVD’s, CD’s, video games, and books with others across the country. Not impressed? Well, Swaptree’s built in algorithms automatically find all the things people are willing to trade for your item, eliminating the endless searching and negotiating between users. Simply list what you have to trade along with a selection of titles you want and let Swaptree do the rest. The interface is very simple, just enter the UPC or ISBN, add a short description and watch the offers come pouring in. To top it off, all trading transactions are completely free, you only pay shipping. Free, intuitive trading sound too good to be true? For now, it pretty much is. Unless you’re lucky enough to receive an invite, Swaptree won’t open a public Beta until July 4th. Can’t wait? You could always try shooting them an email and plead for an invite…it worked for me! Looks like good old fashioned barter still has a place in the 21st century after all.

By Joe Famularo

You’re the Man Now Dog!

I’m sure you’ve seen them at least once while stumbling around the net, those strange pictures with zooming words and a looping soundtrack. On the cyber-street they are known as YTMND’s. A few years back, Max Goldberg created this viral sensation when he repeated a line from Finding Forrester (“You’re the man now dog!”) in front of a tiled picture of Sean Connery on his website. That’s it. A few years and lawsuits later, Goldberg’s creation has expanded into a showroom of thousands of these simple yet hilarious creations. The website allows users to create their own ytmnd’s and share them with the world, or more likely a few snickering friends. Want to get back at a friend or co-worker? Imagine their suprized face when they see their embarrassing photo along with Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” and the words “We all know you have crabs” shooting off the screen. The possibilities are endless. Give it a shot, you might find a creative spark trapped inside your soul, and create a masterpiece, like myself, involving Kanye West and herpes. A few of my fav’s include Cosby Bebop, Pepsi Blue, and the Helen Keller MMORPG.

By Joe Famularo

SCADshorts

I will never stop being amazed at how just when you start to get bored on the internet, something catches your eye and reminds you of the endless entertainment out there. SCADshorts.com is a website maintained by a group of Savannah College of Art and Design alumni, calling themselves “The Dandy Dwarves”. The movies on the website are nothing short of incredible. So far, they’ve released 4 short films, with a new one every month, covering everything from a family with a temper-tantrum prone robot daughter, to the highly stylized love-at-first-sight story of a couple that meets in the back of a taxi cab (my personal favorite, embedded down there for your enjoyment). And just in case the videos weren’t enough, the people at SCADshorts are giving away a video iPod every month to a person who can guess the correct title of that month’s film that can be abbreviated as SCAD (for example, the robot one was Scantily Clad Android Daughter). I liked it so much that I subscribed to their videos on YouTube. Definitely worth a look!

By Ryan Squires

Uncyclopedia: The Ultimate Spoof

How many times have you had people tell you you shouldn’t trust everything you read on the internet? Most of the time they’re at least partly right, but when they seem to think that no user-generated/original content has any value whatsoever, that really boils my broccoli. Next time some wise-ass spouts some uninformed internet Haterade™* on your favorite informational website (personally, mine is Wikipedia, and I’d imagine a lot of people reading this agree with that), give them something to REALLY complain about. Direct them and their complaints towards Uncyclopedia, the antithesis of it’s (much) more informative cousin. If the person happens to have a sense of humor, they’ll find plenty to chuckle at here. Every article pokes fun at its own subject in one way or another, and is generally 100% false in every way shape and form. Pointless? Yes, but it’s our civic duty as members of the brotherhood of splOOgdom to inform you of it. So start reading, damn it!

*Haterade is not a real product, no matter how much it should be.

By Ryan Squires

The Creepy Dragon Illusion

I’ve always had a thing for optical illusions. I like how you can catch people by surprise when you tell them what they’re missing. If you’re one of the people that can do those “Magic Eye” illusions, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Everyone can’t figure out what the heck you’re staring at for so long, because all they see is a bunch of jumbled up colors. Then when they figure out how to do it themselves, they get hooked too. Moral of the story, that picture on the left is not what it seems to be, as you can see in this video. The best part about this illusion, is that you can make one of these amazing little guys for yourself (.pdf file link). It only takes about 10 minutes, it’ll really creep your friends out, and it’s a great conversation starter if you just leave it sitting on a shelf somewhere.

By Ryan Squires

Baking News: Cop who called 911 high off pot brownies NOT CHARGED!

Now I am not a manic news viewer, but I do like to update myself once or twice a week. To my surprise, I tuned to MSNBC to find the anchorwoman cracking up hysterically over some breaking news. Today it was revealed that Michigan police decided not to criminally charge officer Edward Sanchez for using confiscated marijuana to bake “special” brownies for him and his wife on April 21 of last year. His five minute call to 911 is nothing short of hilarious disturbing. He moans to the operator, “I think we’re dying, we made brownies and I think we’re dead, I really do!” Why it took over a year to charge the officer is insane enough, let alone dropping charges altogether. One thing is for sure, potheads around the world can rest assured that the police are not destroying their confiscated weed, they are recycling it. Click through for news video and full 911 recording.

By Joe Famularo

Dirty Hanky #1: A Crazy Little Thing Called Sleep

Today we’re adding a new column by Joe Famularo which focuses on personal, cultural, and philosophical issues. Its title, Dirty Hanky, refers to the excessive thoughts begging to escape the mind. We think it is a unique, refreshing addition to our already eclectic blog.

Whether you believe in evolution, intelligent design, or the stork theory; one aspect of human life is universally annoying. Sleep. We are forced to do it everyday, or, for those like myself, every couple of days. Why? Why must we go through this ritual day after day, from birth to death? Now I do admit that sleep has its upsides. It gives us access to our dreams. Allows us to relax. And recharges our body to prevent a horribly painful death. However, there is still something odd about sleep. No one ever seems to question it. Whatever your views on life may be, sleep is an oddity.

• Evolution – After billions of years, couldn’t organisms find some other way to recharge the body?

• Creationism – If we are indeed made in God’s image and likeness, must we theorize that He must sleep eight hours a day as well?

• Stork Theory – Wouldn’t being carried inside a dark sack hanging from a bird make humans never need to sleep again?

We just sleep. Logically, it seems that today’s busy lifestyle would spawn some scientific alternative to sleep. Perhaps a sleep pill, a sort of sponge for the unconscious. I say this because at the moment I am running on less than five hours of sleep in the past two days. I can feel my mind slowly pulling me into unconsciousness. Yet, I fight it. Essays. AIM. Work. Facebook. Blog. Thousands of thoughts run through my brain; some useless, some vital. I still keep typing. Typing. Fighting. Losing. A battle that’s already lost. For in the end, be it ten minutes, or ten hours, I will sleep.

By Joe Famularo

Yesterland

There are a few things in this world that absolutely everyone loves. Food, water, money and Disneyland. There’s just something about that place that brings out everyone’s mouse-hugging inner child. Over the years, Disneyland has changed a lot. I distinctly remember flying over the park on the Skyway that passed through the Matterhorn (yes, I took that video), but, unfortunately, that ride was removed in 1994. Yesterland is a tribute to all of those great rides that have been removed from the Happiest Place on Earth for one reason or another since it’s opening in 1955. Everything from Conestoga Wagons to Rocket Rods can be found walking the halls of Disneyland’s Rest Home (as I like to call it… what? That’s not funny? Shut up, I thought it was clever). If you’re a Disneyland enthusiast, someone who hasn’t been there for a while or (God forbid) hasn’t ever been but has always wanted to, this site is sure to entertain. Yesterland: All the fun of Disneyland, without getting gum on your shoe.

By Ryan Squires

Bible Fight

It seems a little strange that blasphemy and humor are often one in the same, but I’m certainly not complaining. After seeing a commercial for this flash game on Cartoon Network’s late night standby, Adult Swim, I sauntered over to adultswim.com to pass judgment on this sinful smack-down. Bible Fight pits some of the Bible’s most well-known ass-kickers characters against each other to find out who really deserves to be called “Lord and Master”. Despite that nagging question of “Am I going to hell for this?”, the game is tons of fun. There isn’t much that compares to watching Jesus clobber people with his cross. Plus, who knew that Eve was a smokin’ hottie? Whoops, there’s that hell feeling again. If you can make it through Tournament Mode and defeat the final boss you’ll even win a not-so-secret character. Let’s see here… Jesus, Eve, Mary, Moses, Noah, Satan… who’re we missing? HMMMM… Give it a play if you get a chance!

By Ryan Squires

Clown Morgue

…I don’t even know where to begin (although this would be a pretty good place). This short film was made by yours truly during my senior year of high school. It stars the creators of this blog, Ryan and I, in a strange comedy unlike any other. It is basically a parody of all student films, you know those annoying, black and white, emo ones? Check out Revver for a higher quality version and by clicking the ads that follow, a few pennies will be hoarded donated to our cause. Now although you don’t have watch it, you do have to like it!

By Joe Famularo