Today at Flavorpill, we were glad to see Billy Connolly was added to The Hobbit cast. We were pleasantly creeped out by this 1902 adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. We clutched our stomachs when we found out that the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake would be available at all 14,000 U.S. locations. We wanted to buy this Macquarium. We swooned over this fashion video from the ’60s. We learned that Chattanooga now has its very own typeface. We fell in love with these animals who think they’re people. We were blown away by this story about the Fatty Arbuckle scandal. We suddenly realized we’ve seen the Pizza Planet Truck from Toy Story many times since the film hit theaters. We counted down to The Hunger Games. We loved Bryan Cranston’s Nerf gun. And finally, we learned how opera helped Meryl Streep’s career. Maybe she’ll belt out a tune for us when the Oscars arrive.
Today at Flavorpill, we learned about one young man’s journey to live “Amish-style” for 90 days. We read about Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut, which will feature Scarlett Johansson. We enjoyed this guide to literary Tumblrs. We followed the adventures of the Devil. We voted for Batman. We listened to what Feminist Frequency had to say about the Lego Friends line of toys targeted to girls. We wanted to talk to all the guys at the male cat lovers meetup. We learned why parsley deserves to be more than just a garnish. We appreciated this call for more “slow reading.” We said happy birthday to Alejandro Jodorowsky. We loved this awesomely designed heart-shaped utensil. And finally, we tried to imagine what David Lynch’s new painting Duckman’s Injury looked like … and then we found out why he loves ducks so much.
Today at Flavorpill, we realized the uncanny similarities between the Cathy comic series and Requiem for a Dream. We looked at 37 minimalist superhero and villain posters. We wondered what Milla Jovovich will be wearing when she hosts the Scientific And Technical Awards at this year’s Oscars. We said goodbye to Night of the Living Dead actor Bill Hinzman. We made a list of a few great guys who deserve these good boyfriend badges. We thought this Chewbacca-style ski mask looked mighty cozy. We dug Viola Davis’ fashion shoot for the L.A. Times. We wanted to play ChatChat. We marveled at South Park‘s Cartman in real life. We watched a Russian power substation explode. We loved this curated collection of François Truffaut posters. And finally, we vowed never to eat Ramen again after watching this video showing what the budget-friendly noodles look like inside your body. You have been warned.
Today at Flavorpill, we met the unluckiest person ever. We took a look at presidents and their cars. We watched the highest shallow dive. We saw the world through the eyes of a hula hoop. We learned how scientists reconstruct speech from brain activity. We tried sewing survival-style. We drooled over the new Mondo Drive poster. We reunited with LeVar Burton. We discovered new extreme sports we’d never heard of. We voted for our favorite sci-fi band. We read an amusing analysis of the Thomas Kinkade calendar for February. We wondered about these odd baby mittens. And finally, we found out why Neil Young hates MP3. His Argument? “Steve Jobs was a digital pioneer, but when he went home, he listened to vinyl.”
Spotted by our friends over at Laughing Squid, this fantastic series of minimalist posters by London-based designer Stefan Van Zoggel reimagines some of the most viral internet memes of all-time as movies. Even if you’re not familiar with Keyboard Cat or have no idea what planking is, we think you’ll find his work incredibly appealing. Being able to knowingly chuckle at the memory of the Double Rainbow Guy’s epic freakout is just an added bonus — and means that you realize that a few of these very pretty posters aren’t entirely appropriate for your apartment’s walls.
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Today at Flavorpill, we wondered if Germany’s way of dealing with irresponsible drivers would work in American cities. We took a look at sex in modern art. We saw what RuPaul looked like in 1979. We watched the new Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial. We found out an answer to the eternal question: do big cats purr? We watched people make out on Skype using a pig-shaped robot. We had a chat with a Morrissey zine maker. We traveled to 21 of the most “lesbianish” cities in America. We said goodbye to Dorothea Tanning. We felt the love thanks to this giant Valentine’s Day sculpture in Times Square. We learned how to pronounce things hilariously. And finally, we adored this mashup of the X-Files and Downton Abbey theme songs. Who doesn’t love a little sci-fi with their lavish period drama?
Today at Flavorpill, we learned that OK Go will be releasing a music video featuring 1,000 handmade instruments. We watched Kristen Bell have a breakdown over a sloth. We guesstimated the fashion trends that might pop up on the new season of Mad Men. We found out that Amazon Publishing’s books will not be carried at Barnes & Noble. We were mesmerized by this blue ice cave in Iceland. We were introduced to a girl who can say any word or phrase backward immediately. We loved this definitive guide to classic cocktails that breaks down 68 drinks into their constituent parts. We watched a washing machine self-destruct. We met some vikings. We felt itchy looking at this bark-style dress. We wondered if a teen art gallery was a good idea. And finally, we saw the return of the scrunchie — but we’re not sure if even a geeky 3D printed Hilbert curve-style one can make us like it.
Today at Flavorpill, we enjoyed catching up with 30 must-see Tumblr blogs. We went behind the scenes of the Kitten Halftime Show. We learned about Hello Kitty’s dark secrets. We watched a woodturner create a wooden lampshade. We caught up on all the details regarding the Arrested Development revival. We lamented the impending loss of this amazing Star Trek apartment. We read up on a naked activist movement in support of an Iranian actress banned from her homeland. We hung onto hope about a Before Sunset follow-up. We approved of this first world cat problems meme. We learned that Chinese Oreos are tube-shaped. We wondered if we should buy the Younicorn app. We browsed the strangest social coupon deals. And finally, we watched an interview with Jean-Luc Godard, discussing authors’ rights in the digital age. Even if you don’t speak French, there’s still an informative article to check out over here.
If you’ve been feeling a little lonely in the Twitter-verse this morning, it could be because of a protest against Twitter’s new international censorship policies organized by Anonymous Operations. The day-long event entails abstaining from Twitter to protest rules that would allow the company to censor tweets in specific countries — or more precisely, as the New York Times explained, “So if someone posts a message that insults the monarchy of Thailand, which is punishable by a jail term, it will be blocked and unavailable to Twitter users in that country, but still visible elsewhere. What is more, Twitter users in Thailand will be put on notice that something was removed: A gray box will show up in its place, with a clear note: “Tweet withheld,” it will read. “This tweet from @username has been withheld in: Thailand.” The outcry has been considerable, but we have to admit that we’re not seeing that much of a difference in the number of tweets today — so maybe we all like Twitter a little more than we’d care to admit, censorship or no. Are you participating in today’s blackout? Let us know in the comments!
[via Gawker]
If you’re feeling a bit bored on this dreary Friday, here’s an amusing way to momentarily distract yourself: let Google guess your age and gender based on your previous searches. Apparently I’m guilty of searching like a dude, whatever that means, but it did manage to correctly guess my age range (25-34) and general interests (entertainment news, TV shows, visual art/design, and shopping). Kind of creepy.
But this isn’t all fun and guessing games. As Max Read at Gawker points out, the black magic at work here is directly related to the company’s “new thing where they ruthlessly violate your privacy,” aka its consolidation of 70 separate privacy policies into one giant policy that allows it to combine information gathered about you across various properties — and there’s no opting out! If you don’t like it, your only option is to close your account. It just got way creepier, right?
