FEBRUARY’S PENULTIMATE DAY: Want some FUN.? Got it! Want to know how wrestling goes down in Kinshasa? Of course you do. Want to see an excellent monster movie? For sure. That’s just part of what’s waiting for you, along with a political puss, some surfer pups, a couple knuckleheads, a certified genius and a couple scary toddlers. Dive in. Click through. Get lost.
YES PLEASE:
I think I just fell in love with a motorcycle. Oh sure, it’s not what some guys would even consider a real motorcycle. Where are the fat tires and the thick exhaust pipe? Most mid-lfe crisis Harley dreamers woudn’t give this a second glance. But I love the classic look. This new uber-fuel efficient ride from Yamaha (called the Moegi) is based on the company’s very first model from 1955. Only this beauty is completely updated for this era of $4 per gallon gas. You can read more about it over here. And feel free to help reduce Mr. Nanigans’s carbon footprint by picking one up for him if you feel so inclined. That would be diggity.
PHOTO-STREAM OF THE DAY:
Belgian photographer Colin Delfosse traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to document their particularly colorful brand of wrestling. Wrestler come to matches with their own brass bands. Witchcraft is not uncommon. Get the story and see more of the characters here. Fascinating.
OCCUPY WALL STREET: New and improved! Now with corporate sponsorships! Wait, what?
U.S.S. CHEYENNE? Wyoming is preparing for the zombie apocalypse. They want their own army, currency AND aircraft carrier. I am not even making this up. Thank you for making Idaho seem a little less crazy.
THAT MOMENT WHEN…
…pup number two sees his fate. Priceless.
D-BAG OF THE DAY: I spent most of my high school and college years waiting tables so this infuriates me. Plus, Marie Antoinette. I’m just saying.
OH HELLS NO: Just, no. Come on already. This is just…no. Although, imaging the play by play has its possibilities.
WHAT WERE YOU DOING AS A 16 YEAR OLD? Besides, you know…My guess is you weren’t messing around with nuclear fusion.
YOU REALLY SHOULD SEE THIS:
I rewatched Monsters over the weekend. This indie-flick about life after an invasion is a great example of a well crafted movie that looks way bigger than the budget used to make it. Good story. Solid acting. Terrific attention to detail. And, most importantly for a monster movie, believable special effects. It’s available for immediate streaming on Netflix.
FUN WITH TWITTER OF THE DAY: It’s funny because it’s true.
HAPPY TRAILS ON THE OVERPASS: Get along lil’ doggies!
SWAGGER: 1970′s STYLE
SPEAKING OF STYLE: There are many reasons why I love Dappered.Com. This is merely the latest.
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE…It’s increasingly looking like we are going to be dragged into another war we cannot afford, both economically and politically.
YOUR CAT WANTS TUNA: Hank the Cat wants to be a United States Senator from hte Virgina Commonwealth.
NOT SO MUCH:
ALSO…this kid. As in, it’s only a matter of time.
SHENANIGANS: At some point, this kind of nonsense could very well prevent a certain someone from being elected President of these United States. For reals. This is so completely distasteful.
COSTA DISASTA: One cruise line is having a very, very bad year.
BLIMEY: This is a tremendously terrible and extremely awful idea.
SONG OF THE DAY: I can’t get enough of these guys right now.
MONDAYS COME WAY TOO SOON: Ugh. You need a diversion and The Nanigans is up to the challenge. Today, excellence in marketing and photography, WTF’s from SF and Brazil, modern moonshiners, last meals, last chances, implants and longings and more. Yup…this oughta do the trick.
MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE DAY:
I can’t like this enough. An Australian company has created a terrific campaign for Stihl. You can see more of their work here. Well done.
SO THIS HAPPENED OF THE DAY: Somewhere in San Francisco there is an insurance claims adjuster who has his work cut out for him. This is not really safe for work. But also, wow. Just…wow.Things like this don’t happen where I live and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.
MOONSHINE GETS A REBOOT: In Cocke County, Tennessee moonshiners get a rehabilitated reputation. Today they’re called “Microdistillers” and they are now embraced by the authorities who used to bust them up.
ALWAYS REPOST:
REACHING FOR THE STARS: This makes Mr. Nanigans feel just a little less guilty about wanting butt implants. Hey, I said a little.
MACABRE PHOTOSET OF THE DAY: The last meals of some of America’s most infamous condemned murderers.
IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY: It really is hard to ignore Apple’s impact on how we live our lives in the 21st century.
SO THAT’S WHERE I PARKED IT:
Photographer Peter Lippmann has a created a fantastic series called “Paradise Parking” that you really should check out. These are stunning photographs.
SPACEBALLS: Unidentified spheres are falling from the sky with mysterious innards and Pravda is there with the story. Yes, Pravda is still around. But, to the point…what the hell are these things?
THIS IS HELPFUL: How to send back a meal at a restaurant without cheesing off your server.
THEN THERE’S THIS: What, exactly, is “business casual?”
AHEM:
ATTENTION RICK SANTORUM: The United States Constitution called. It said the feeling is mutual.
IMAGE OF THE DAY: I love this a whole lot.
GOOGLE KNOWS EVERYTHING…and you might not want them to. Before they institute their new policy that tracks everything you peep on the net to use for their advertisers (more than they do already?!?), the Electronic Frontier Foundation strongly suggests you scrub you Google browsing history this week. It takes a moment but they seem to think you’ll be better off.
NUN-BUNNY: And yes, this seems completely wrong.
PUTTING THE GIF IN TGIF: Fridays are always animated ’round these parts.
TRIPPY, TRIPPY NIGHT:
THE MYSTERIES OF FACEBOOK REVEILED: At least, when it comes to deciding what images pass muster with the powers that be.
LATTER DAY SHENANIGANS: I have to believe that a majority of Americans find this incredibly repugnant.
REALITY, BITCHES!
FACEPALM OF THE DAY: Calm down children. Please.
THEN THERE’S THIS: Honestly, there are no words.
AERIAL MISADVENTURE OF THE DAY: This is what it’s like to crash into a mountain at 120 miles per our. There are times when I wish had a more adventurous sense of adventure. And then there are times when I am perfectly content watching this kind of stuff from the sidelines.
YOU’RE GOING TO NEED MORE BUTTER: Meet Rocky, as big as a three year old, with claws large enough to sever an adult’s arm.
RED CARPET BOO BOO: Well this is tacky.
ECONOMIC INDICATOR OF THE DAY: Tough times for the return on toddler teeth.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, NOT PROUD:
ASTRONOMICAL ANOMALY OF THE DAY: The fireballs of February. Apparently they are brighter, louder and more fiery.
TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE: Well this is innovative, even if it is a bit creepy.
THE NANIGANS FOLLOW-UP: The Gay Uprising has begun.
TODAY’S INGREDIENTS INCLUDE: Historical Deja Vu, dappered pusses, synchronized expressions, desirable headgear, the perils of hate, scamming the scammers and loads more.
WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE: It would seem that we have forgotten our past.
ANTHROPOMORPHISTIC TYPOGROPHY OF THE DAY: I will never look at an ampersand the same way ever again.
YES PLEASE: There’s still some winter left where Mr. Nanigans lives. He might have to get himself one of these.
NEWSIE KITTEH:
Now you too can provide a dapper chapeau for your puss. Good luck with that, by the way.
FOR EVERY ACTION…there is an equal and opposite re-action. There are consequences for hate. Are we seeing the beginnings of the Gay Uprising? Personally, I can’t wait.
PUBIC ART: Wasilla Alaska is in the news again.
IN OUR HEADLONG RUSH TO THE BOTTOM…Arizona is leading the way. Aghast. That’s me all over.
MAYBE IT’S JUST A BABY RUTH?
THEY ARE COMING FOR US: On their way to world domination, make sure you don’t give ants a reason to take you out first. Shudders.
TEBOW TIME? The off season pile-on begins. And we ain’t talking about the fun kind.
HEY ALANIS: Now THIS is ironic.
NOW THAT’S AN INVITATION: Or is it a deal? I’m confused.
With heaping helpings of thanks to Nanigans reader Lisa Swain for this.
TODAY’S WORD IS…Hubris.
YOUR MIDWEEK FIX: When cows come calling, when frogs get freaky, when politicians say stupid stuff and when you are you’re own worst enemy. PLUS…Google vision, melted hips, competitive tummies, and lots more.
PIGMENTATIONALLY CHALLENGED: I shall name him Edgar.
SPEAKING OF CROCS: Ouchie ouchie ouchie.
BESSIE THE COW TEXTS FARMER JOHN: “I’m horny. Come do something about that.” Yes, this can now happen.
CROP CIRCLES ARE SO 1990: All the hip pranksters are into snowshoe art these days.
YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG:
WELL THIS IS GOING TO COME IN HANDY: Mr. Nanigans has plans for one of these. And no, he won’t elaborate.
OH THAT’S NASTY: Seriously…Courtney Cox. What the hell?
SPEAKING OF NASTY: You are not imagining things. This is the most negative presidential campaign ever. And it’s just the primary.
HOVERING HENRY:
SO THAT’S HOW THEY DO THAT: Competitive eaters have different stomachs than the rest of us. Plus, ginormous bottles of the pink stuff.
BESTEST BUDS: Guess which politician the beer industry really, really loves? So, let me get this straight, suds yes, sex no?
SIMULACRUM OF THE DAY:
GOOGLE GOGGLES: Once again technology catches up with science fiction. Some people claim these are going to be the next smart phones.Call me skeptical.
ADVANCEMENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY: Yes, there is an afterlife for medical implants.
MORE OF THIS PLEASE: General Motors has a few words for Newt.
AND LESS OF THIS: Consider this your STFU of the day. I don’t care where you fall on the political spectrum, this kind of nonsense is repulsive, divisive and obnoxious. Plus, it’s anything BUT Christian.
BOOM CHICKA CHICKA CHICKA BOOM CHICKA CHICKA:
CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR: Anybody want to send Mr. Nanigans to this? Because, seriously, he would just about lose his $%#&. Thank you for your consideration.
GET FAT: Just don’t eat the plastic baby. Ever wonder how a tiger got its stripes? How much a real Death Star would cost? What every guy must have in their corner? Want to see a cabin in a most unexpected place? Or the perils of texting and walking? All of that and more is waiting for you in today’s Nanigans!
MARDI GRAS WEB CAM: Want to catch the action on Bourbon Street? Here you go!
READY FOR AN ADVENTURE: Where we goin?
THEORETICAL EXPENDITURE OF THE DAY: Some intrepid Star Wars fans at Lehigh University calculated the cost of a real world Death Star. The Emperor has more bank than you.
DON’T WHIZ ON THE ELECTRIC FENCE: For reals.
IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME: Pong beer. It’s a light brew, natch. For the record, Mr. Nanigans opts to spend his disposable beer calories on something, erm, more sophisticated.
SEEMS REASONABLE TO ME:
APPARENTLY…hate trumps help. Sigh.
HUMANS…The Uber-Predator. This is an interesting read on what we’ve done to other species.
NOT SO SWEET: There are many reasons to avoid artificial sweeteners, here’s the latest. Ladies, this one is directed at you. There’s a Santorum joke in there somewhere.
GPOY: Most days, it would seem.
YOU’RE LIVE ON TV – DON’T BLOW IT: D’oh! There really isn’t any privacy anymore is there?
GUYS: This is a must read. Bookmark it. Absorb it. Embrace it.
MON DIEU! Motorists in France will now be required to carry sobriety kits. Merde.
BRANCHING OUT:
THEY CAN DO THAT? Russian scientists successfully bring back an arctic flower that hasn’t existed in 32,000 years. Applause. Now, where’s my wooly mammoth?
WTF? Fruita, Colorado considers a new marketing campaign.
EUROTRASH: For the record, still a thing.
ART INSTALLATION OF THE DAY:
This right here is pretty cool. A rustic cabin now graces the outside wall of the Hotel Des Arts in downtown San Francisco. Manifest Destiny is an “off-site” installation courtesy of artists Jenny Chapman and Mark Reigelman. Well done.
SPEAKING OF AMBITIOUS ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS: Also impressive, even if all I can think about is pores.
WELL THAT’S SETTLED: Science figured out how the tiger got its stripes and the leopard its spots. It involves the famous WWII decoder Alan Turing and “The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis.”
BOOM CHICKA CHICKA BOOM: Maybe they need to rebrand the station? Just sayin’.
HERE’S TO YOU GEORGE WASHINGTON: Whether you got the day off or are trudging through a typical Monday, The Nanigans will keep the world at bay for a good spell.
THE END OF CIVILIZATION: This is surely one of the signs.
AND THIS MIGHT BE ANOTHER SIGN: Honestly? I’m not sure that even I have enough disdain in my heart for these people. And lest you think that I have an issue with kids drinking coffee, I don’t. Moderation and all that. It’s the pretense that cheeses me off.
I’LL TAKE THE VEGGIE BURGER PLEASE: This might be the thing that makes me vegetarian (again). But hey, at least it’s not Soylent Green.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Bruce Springsteen speaking to the Guardian newspaper in London.
“I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream… What was done to our country was wrong and unpatriotic and un-American and nobody has been held to account… There is a real patriotism underneath the best of my music but it is a critical, questioning and often angry patriotism.”
WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN:
THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD*: Those who own swords and those who don’t. These are their stories.
OOPS: I’m pretty sure that this kind of behavior is frowned upon by their marketing department.
RECOMMENDED: I finally saw this movie over the weekend. It features a tip-of-the-hat to one of my favorite movies from my youth. The performances are really terrific. The special effects are impressive. But nothing matters if there isn’t a good story, and this one has got it.
GOOD ADVICE:
THEN THERE’S THIS: If you subscribe to the sentiments expressed above, you need to read this (unless you don’t mind eating duck feathers, sand, wood, plastic, petroleum products, fertilizer, beetle juices and more).
CHARITABLE GIVING AND FAITH: How do the Presidential candidates stack up?
MOVIE TRAILER OF THE DAY: Have you heard about the movie about street gangs who settle their turf war scores by playing a dance dance revolution-esque video game? You have now. Warning: they are street gangs. They speak accordingly.
SWINGIN’ GREETINGS:
SPEAKING OF SWINGIN’: Awkward.
MAMA GRIZZLIES HAVE EVOLVED: Now they are Birth Contral Grizzlies and they are not happy.
FIRE FALLS: Ever see a waterfall of fire? Yosemite is the place to be. For the record, Yosemite is one of my favorite places on Earth.
WANTED: Adventurous foodies who don’t mind being isolated from the outside world for four months in the name of science. BONUS: On a lava field in Hawaii.
AN INVITATION FOR SHENANIGANS:
*With thanks to the Pete and Joe Show, the single greatest morning radio show of all time. ALL TIME.
PUTTING THE GIF IN TGIF! Fridays are always animated ’round these parts.
DROOLING AND DRIVING:
CURL UP AND DYE: The Senate’s barber shop gets its own taxpayer funded bailout.
DANKE! You’re welcome!
MAN UP: Totally. Not. Dappered.
TRON SNOWBOARDS:
YES PLEASE: It’s about damn time. That’s what I would have said if it were true.
OH THAT’S NASTY: I so doughnut want to know this.
SHORT FILM OF THE DAY: Cost of Living – On patrol inside a monster factory, a discussion of memory and Nebraska, with copious amounts of f-bombs and bad fake blood. Awesome.
POLITICS IN THE YEAR 2012: You can’t make this %$#@ up. Then there’s this.
CLIMATE CHANGE: An inside look at the people who fund the denials and attacks on global warming. If you pay any attention to politics (because that is what this is all about) you will no doubt notice some familiar names.
DUBIOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY: Something about this doesn’t square with me. I’m giving it the stink eye because I feel like I’m being had.
THE RAINBOW CONNECTION:
GOOOOOAAAAAL! Followed by thump and down and out.
MORE LIKE THIS PLEASE and and less of, er, what passes for religious freedom these days.
YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG: Are electric vehicles a large environmental step backwards?
D’OH: If you’re piloting your little plane full of pot, best to stay out of presidential airspace.
JIGGLING…
COULROPHOBIC? Don’t click here.
SISYPHUSTIAN EFFORT OF THE DAY: This is more or less the person version of that song “High Hopes” about the little ant and the rubbertree plant. Except, uh, I suspect this person is not quite right. Then again, there’s this. And not to worry, the adventurous little guy was no worse for wear.
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING: Using cash for that burger? You could end up in Gitmo.
QUEUED FOX: Getting ready for a night on the town.
TRIPPIN BALLS:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker in response to a question about referendums on marriage equality.
Dear God, we should not be putting civil rights issues to a popular vote to be subject to the sentiments, the passions of the day. No minority should have their rights subject to the passions and sentiments of the majority. This is a fundamental bedrock of what our nation stands for.
ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY: Unearthed by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. This is kind of crazy.
DATA MINING YOUR ADDRESS BOOK? There are apps for that. Only they’re not letting you in on their plans.
COURTESY OF THE WORST MOTHER IN AMERICA:
This is just all kinds of wrong.
FETCH ME A SAMMITCH: I honestly believe some of the men in congress would prefer that woman remain in the kitchen and out of their hair.
OH THAT’S NASTY REDUX: Oh hells no.
SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT ”DO NO EVIL” BULLSPIT: Google goes out of their way to violate their own privacy policy on iPhone users.
THE GRAVEDIGGER’S SONG.
Mark Lanegan possesses one of my favorite voices in rock and roll. The Screaming Trees were, to me, far more interesting that their Seattle contemporaries. And a good deal of that was due to Lanegan’s unique dichotomy: his gravely, sage voice and a knack for a hook that left one sad yet so rewarded.
“The Gravedigger’s Son” is the first single from Lanegan’s new album. I admit that I haven’t paid attention to the records he has done with Isobel Campbell (former member of Belle and Sebastion), so I wasn’t expecting this. I wasn’t really expecting anything but this was certainly about the last of whatever expectations I didn’t have. This is relevant to my interests. This is musically muscular. This is a tip of the hat to Queens of the Stone Age (a band he has sung for) and early 4AD records. And his voice? Better than ever. This is something. Plus the video is creepily cool.
The Mark Lanegan band have just released Blues Funeral. I expect to buy mine shortly.
