Too much free time?

If you like puzzles, or even if you just have a few months to kill, and need something to do, here is an option for you. It is the world's largest jigsaw puzzle. It was made by a toy company called Ravensburger, which set the record with 32,256 individual pieces and a 17′ x 6′ size when those pieces are fit together. The puzzle, called Keith Haring: Retrospect, uses 32 artistic works by the pop artist Keith Haring. I love puzzles, but as much fun as this probably would be, I am pretty sure that I don't have the time (or table space) to do it. Here is a picture of the ridiculously huge box that it comes in:

Nothing frakkin' matters... to me!

This is a video about the story of Battlestar Galactica, set to a re-write of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and it's hilarious. Oh God, I am listening to it again while I post this, and I am still laughing. With lines thrown in like: "Dr. Baltar, you have to write on the chalkboard 'I will not give the cylons access to the colony's defense mainframe 50,000 times'!", it pretty much makes up for the less than stellar vocals. If you are a BSG fan, you will love it :)

Best Superbowl commercial ever!

Everyone knows, the best part of the Superbowl is the commercials. Generally, we get some kind of amusing spot about singing frogs, cute kids doing ridiculous things, or dumb guys drinking beer; but, I have to say... this one is the best yet. This Volkswagen commercial was leaked online, but will be officially aired during the Superbowl, this weekend. I think the highlight of the commercial is when the tiny Darth Vader attempts to force-choke a baby doll.

Mario and Luigi facebook fight

Fighting with people on facebook is awesome. Apparently that even extends to video game characters. :)

Robot goes to school

A high-school boy, named Lyndon Baty has polycystic kidney disease, leaving him with "virtually no immune system". Because of his condition, he has been unable to have contact with his friends, or attend his classes for over a year. Well, that has all changed for him now... kind of. Now Lyndon can virtually attend classes and walk the halls with his classmates, through the screen of his robotic avatar on wheels. The robot attends his classes, and Lyndon gets to feel like he is there too. According to the NBC report:

"The technology, which works like video conferencing, allows him to attend class, visit the school canteen, and even hang around the yard.
It is the first time the machine has been used in a school - and it has given Lyndon, from Knox City, a new lease of life. His mother Sheri told local NBC news station KFDX: 'He has a reason to get up. He takes his medicine, eats, and he's sitting and waiting for that (school) bell to ring.''It's absolutely amazing,' Lyndon added. 'I would have never thought when I was sick that I would ever have any interaction, much less this kind. It is just like I am there in the classroom.'"

Pretty awesome, if you ask me. Be honest, if given the chance, wouldn't you just like to sit at home once in a while, and send your robot-avatar to work. It would certainly be easier than pretending to pay attention during boring staff meetings!

Star Trek Girl

This just amused me. First of all, she is pretty cute, if not a bit spastic. Besides that, who doesn't love a good geek-centric dance song? Well, even if you don't like the song, you can take comfort in the fact that she is probably dead by now. Damn red shirts! Enjoy! :)

Education FAIL

Now, as you all know, I am a fan of the Twilight series. That said, even I have a problem with this 'Twilight' is now being used as required reading in an Honors Literature class at the university level. That's right, apparently there were no better options than a book about sparkly vampires and a whiny high-school girl. The books are fun, but let's be honest, it is hardly the pinnacle of literary genius. Here is a section of the syllabus:

"While we read and discuss some important, influential narratives about the supernatural – Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight as well a few minor works – we will also explore how these texts, like much other fiction, try to create particular reading experiences, as they push us to consider the nature and importance of literary imagination and the way fiction’s seductiveness is tied to other potentially dangerous attractions."

Good job Ohio State University, for setting the bar so low.