Category Archives: Random Stuff

Random thoughts, topics, and factoids you’ll be happy you read.

Random news from around the world

Mangyongdae Fun Fair

Flickr photo by outvision

1. Want to see pictures of North Korea’s rusting, dilapidated amusement park. Apparently the government has to bus in a few loads of forced patrons just to keep the park from being absolutely empty. Full story here.
2. Barry Deley, a British-Columbian sports anchor, wins a house worth $2.5 million live on the air. When the winning name is drawn, it quickly dawns on the news team that it’s their own sportscaster. Watch video.
3. This is worth another mention. Check out this funny collection of dating videos from the 80s.
4. Options for Bunker Living. I’ve always wondered where they park their car? Story here.

The Conversationalist

Photo: Richard Sennott, Star Tribune

4. I love this story about a guy named Taylor Baldry who thinks we have forgotton how satisfying it is to have fce-to-face conversations with people. He recently set up a table and chairs at Lake Calhoun with a sign that read “Free Conversations.” He has a menu board of topics he’ll discuss with you. For more than 2 1/2 hours, the folding chairs were never empty. (full story)
5. I love tree houses! I have never had one, but I think I want to build one someday. Maybe I’ll hire German treehouse design firm Baumraum to build it. Then I could have something like this!

Euro Design Custom Treehouses by Baumraum

Euro Design Custom Treehouses by Baumraum

6. Metal Detector: While rarely heard on the Auto-Tuned airwaves, heavy metal has been ascending in popularity in recent months. Check out some of the new bands paving the way. Read more…

 

The F*$!ing Wrath - Listen here: http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/08/listen_to_new_f.html#more

New metal band: The F*$!ing Wrath

Listen to them here: http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/08/listen_to_new_f.html#more

Gas masks for 1%ers

High fashion protection for the 1%. These designer gas masks are the latest conceptual project from diddovelema.com.

I want

cool new innovations

(via)

McDonalds $1000000 Menu Song contest record from 1989

This is a McDonalds $1,000,000 Menu Song contest record from 1989. I remember receiving it in our Sunday Star Tribune newspaper as a kid.

McDonalds $1000000 Menu Song contest record from 1989

McDonalds $1000000 Menu Song contest record from 1989.

Here is the song and lyrics.

“See anything you like?”

See Anything You Like?

(via this isn’t happiness)

Adulthood

Being an adult is both a blessing and a curse. (via Tastefully Offensive)

Adult Candy Craving

How the Verve ripped off The Rolling Stones

You probably know and love the song “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve. I still find people who don’t know that they pretty much ripped off this song from The Rolling Stones.

Listen to the similarities of “The Last Time,” a 1965 song by the Stones. This was recorded before the Verve got permission to use the riff.

Bittersweet Symphony and the Rolling Stones

The real bummer is that the Verve had to sign away most of the royalties from this in order to release the song. The publishing rights to this went to Allen Klein, The Rolling Stones’ former manager. The Stones signed a very lopsided contract with Klein early in their career, and had to make huge concessions in order to get out of it. Part of the deal gave Klein the publishing rights to all of the Stones’ songs through 1969. He made far more money than anyone else from this song.

Nike used this in commercials. Klein got royalties from those.

This was the only hit for The Verve, who broke up in 1999.

Become a Fan of Duck Duck Gray Duck on Facebook!

I guess I do have Coulrophobia

I guess I do have Coulrophobia.

Coulrophobia

(via The Whatever) 

Random news about stuff

Rip Alan Swartz liked calling women and asking them questions about their panty hose.

1. Man ‘ashamed’ over thousands of lewd prank calls referencing pantyhose. [full story]
2. Court finds couple not guilty of child abuse for naming son Adolf Hitler. [full story]

Steven Tyler suffered a spill

3. Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler suffered a spill in the shower that has delayed a concert in Paraguay, Reuters reports. They say he knocked out two of his teeth. Here’s what that would look like.
4. How to clear a stuffy nose in two minutes. [Read more]
5. Trampoline + Wall = Awesome

6. In case you didn’t know, the “C.S.” in C.S. Lewis stands for Clive Staples.
7. Man Rapes (Or Gets Raped?) By German Shepherd. Watch the crazy news story here.
8. Talent scouts for Tom Hanks’ new movie about Somali pirates are coming to the Twin Cities to hold auditions for actors and non-actors. Nov. 5 at Brian Coyle Center, 420 15th Av. S., Minneapolis. You don’t need to make an appointment; just stop by from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a non-returnable current photo. There is no fee to audition. The movie is about this guy.

Halloween was some scary business back in the day

Ossian Brown has a new book out that highlights is exquisite collection of antique vernacular photographs of creepy Halloween pictures from the past. Brown compiled his favorites of the freaky found photos, all dating between 1875 and 1955, into a lovely new book titled Haunted Air.

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(via Boing Boing)