My new bike.

We celebrated Christmas at home, having two family Christmas parties, you might have seen the pictures from my previous post.  For Christmas Kelly got me and awesome bag for me to use for work, along with some cooking books I really wanted, a circular saw, and some clothing.  It was a really awesome Christmas.  For my birthday I got a new bike.

Raised vegetable bed.

Kelly and I used my new saw and build two raised beds for our vegetable garden this year.  We’ve already planted some onions, and are waiting for March to add the tomatoes and peppers I get at the annual sale that Fullerton College has.  That just about wraps up most of the things we have done the past month.  So I guess it’s time for the Weekly Cool Links!  Just an FYI, there is a lot of stuff to share this week, so I’m going to do something different and break this up into a couple posts the new couple days.

Cool Stuff
Lifehacker put together a kick ass table of when is the Best Time to Buy Anything, from Homes in the winter (hey that’s what we did!) to Jeans in October, it’s a great list for those that are looking for when the best deals normally are.  You say you aren’t interested in buying anything, well how about these not so cool porn ideas (safe for work), don’t miss “The Making of You” staring Mommy and Daddy with special guest Uncle Bill…  I was going to post a bunch of “best of 2009″ links, but this guy did all the work for me, so I’ll just link to him.  I was hoping I would be on the 30 best blogs of 2009, but I guess I’ll have to wait for the 2010 list.  Continuing with the theme of lists, Gizmodo posted their list of the worst gadgets from the past decade, a lot fo great ideas but they just ended up sucking.

Cool Advertising
I have some American Apparel shirts (well they are shirts from places that print their shirts on AAs) and I’ve always been fascinated with their unique marketing strategy, from using porn stars to having androgynous looking models, they cover it all, which is why this collection of their hottest ads (possibly not safe for work, but nothing graphic) is included here.

Cool Food
One of the books Kelly got me (and my brother in law Dominic) was the 1st volume of the Good Eats books, by Alton Brown, I’ve loved reading the book and wanted to share this great Good Eats fan site (it’s poorly designed but still a great resource).  Talking about food, Lifehacker shared this article of Six Kitchen Skills You Can Pick Up This Weekend.

Cool TV
Chuck and 24 started up last week, Burn Notice starts tonight, and someone is selling a barely used late night show…  By the way even though I don’t watch much late night, I with Coco.

Cool Sports
The Hall of Very Good has some great stuff about good baseball players, that aren’t quite Hall of Famers, or shouldn’t be Hall of Famers.  I liked the guy, but Eric Karros should not have receive 2 votes for the Hall of Fame.

Cool Videos
I know he’s gone, but his trip to Seattle was delayed because of an annoying USC fan.  (I’ll miss you Pete!).

The Unaired 1994 Pilot of 24!

This reminds me of calls I get sometimes when Kelly is having an issue with the computer at home… ;)

All these guys are trying to do is be Helpful!

Stay tuned for Weekly Cool Links #21.2 tomorrow!

Actress Christina Hendricks

Oh yeah the Golden Globes were the past weekend, and according to the Internet these were the only globes being talked about…

For those of you that didn’t see the pictures I posted 2 weeks ago, we put up our Christmas lights, we also got our tree decorated (pictures will be posted at the end of the month).  The past couple weeks we have been taking care of our Christmas shopping and also prepping the house for the first of what will be many Christmas parties our house will be the host of.  This Sunday is my dad’s side of the family’s Christmas party, we should have about 20-30 relatives in attendance.  And then on Christmas day we will have a party for my mom’s side of the family, which will be a bit smaller but will also include Kelly’s family (actually both parties will include Kelly’s family) and any friends that want to come over.  Work is winding down for the year as goals have been met and projects have been completed, I’m happy to say I still have a job that I enjoy although this year was a lot different from the previous two years due to the lack of new hires our department had to train.  Kelly’s business is doing well, although we did have a decrease in business compared to 2008, but we are in good standing.  All the animals are happy and healthy and we are all looking forward to the new year.  I’m proud of myself for keeping up with my Weekly Cool Links project, even though it’s not quite as ‘weekly’ as it claims to be, I hope someone out there finds some entertainment in me sharing what I find interesting.  Lastly my Eat in OC project has been doing great, I typically have around 5000 visits a month and I’ve made some major inroads with gaining new readers.  I’ve been linked to on a number of local websites, and high-profile local blogs, and in addition my articles are routinely linked to in the Orange County Register’s Community Blogs section which is only 5 links deep from their front page, how many others can say something like that?  I’ll probably post one more time before the year ends, but for now let’s move on to the rather large links section!

Food
Lifehacker had a great article on maximizing Thanksgiving leftovers that will also prove useful with Christmas leftovers.  While over at Slashfood they had 4 fast recipes for making great Tomato sauces.

Tiger Woods’ Women, er I mean Chicks
Some of these links may not be safe for work, or family friendly.  But this is my blog so if you don’t want to see possibly scantily clad women don’t look at the links in this section.  If you are related to me and offended, oh well, I’m sure you have something else you can be proud of me for, get over it… ;)
Twitter is a wonderful tool for communication and for people to share pictures with, some pictures are more interesting than others as you can see from this collection of Hot Chicks that use Twitter for the powers of good.  I do not approve or disapprove of their use of Twitter…  Maybe Twitter chicks aren’t your thing?  How about Chicks dressed in various NFL Team Jerseys?  What’s that?  You like farm girls?  How about German farm girls that model to help German agriculture?  Here you go.  Personally I like my girls a little different from the norm.  Lastly there is the Internet’s Girlfriend…  Funny how I’ve been on the internet for 15 years yet hadn’t heard of her till recently.  One suggestion for her site, more pictures like this and less like the one on the top of her website…

Sports
It got so bad at Notre Dame this year that after they fired Charlie Weis they went straight to the big man in the sky and offered him the head coaching job.  The Onion reports that Jesus Christ himself turned down a 3 year multimillion dollar offer to coach the Fightin’ Irish.  Maybe he was just holding out for the right job?  Such as this Head Coaching position with the Lingerie Football League!

Cool
Virgin Galactic has launched their official site for the space travel, complete with Spaceship Two pictures and information on the roll out.  Never would have thought space travel (even of this kind) would be available to the general public in my lifetime.  Lifehacker had a number of cool informative posts the past couple weeks, including Fixing Your Relatives Computer, Guide to Avoiding Online Scams, and the Most Popular Top 10s’ of 2009.

Funny
I read three comics online; Order of the Stick, Dilbert, and xkcd.  I’m particularly fond on one of the Dilbert comics from this week, because it’s how I feel at my job sometimes.
Another one from this week that really hits the mark is this one regarding the use of FAX machines.  As for xkcd I have to give some love to ‘Daylight Saving Time‘.  Looking for a last-minute gift for a friend or loved one?  How about, How to Date a White Woman or the Gangsta Rap Coloring Book?  All these and more really do exist!  If you are single and looking for a Russian Mail Order bride one of the companies involved has started to compare them to celebrities!  Now you too can date a girl that sort of looks like Jessica Beil!  Just make sure you ask them these 10 questions from Deadspin before you ask her to marry you, it will save you a lot of heartache.  And lastly, now that you got your celebrity look a like wife, it might be a good time to reflect upon those stupid things you did when you were young and might regret someday…

Videos
My website is currently sponsored by Bitch Slap The Movie!, in theaters: January 8th, 2010!

If you know anything about the movie, commercial, or TV show business you might find some humor in this.

I love reading Maximum PC and listing to their podcast, I love this video someone put together from Gordon’s rant of the week regarding the Apple Tablet.

And last but not least at all, the Space Shuttle is awesome and this high quality video of the STS-129 launch is worth spending 15 minutes to watch.

STS-129 Ascent Video Highlights from mike interbartolo on Vimeo.

Oh and Merry Christmas!

By the way, GO TROJANS!  That was an awesome 28-7 beating of the Bruins!

UCLA Sucks!

What better way to celebrate what we are thankful for than to watch the USC Trojans beat the UCLA Bruins?

Proud USC Fan.

We’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving at my in-laws, and then on Saturday we are going to cook our own turkey at the house.  Not much else going on.  We did get baseboard put in living room, dining room, and hallway a couple weeks ago, things are really coming together with the house.  We will be having 2 Christmas parties at our house in December, one for my dad’s side of the family and one for my mom’s side of the family (which will include Kelly’s family at both/either of them).  It’s going to be a very busy December!  Work will be busy the first two weeks as well since I have to train new hires on high-speed online, but it shouldn’t be too difficult.  That’s about it from here so let’s see what I have to share this week.

Cool Food

Cheeseburger in a Can!

Have you ever been out camping in the wilderness and wished, “Boy I wish I could have a cheeseburger right now!”.  Well the wait is over, with the cheeseburger in a can!

Cool Stuff
When I was a kid I loved reading the various Choose Your Own Adventure books, I found this site that someone has analyzed all the books and has a bunch of data about them, with cool graphics and color.  It’s a pretty neat read if you loved those books as a kid.  Some more cool stuff, but in a much different way are these Civil War pictures (warning some of them are not for the faint at heart), I’d never seen this collection so it was an interesting look into battlefield.

Buying Stuff
If you are looking for the best cheap stuff to get for Christmas, check out this site called Cheapism that has reviews on cheap things.

Funny Stuff
Another weekly cool links and another great site to see pictures of people and go, what the fuck??  This weeks pick is Why the Fuck Do You Have a Kid?  You will be saying the same thing when you see this collection of pictures.  I’m sure a number of UCLA alumni are pictured on that site.

TV Stuff
Anyone that is both a sports fan and a fan of The Office will love this take on The Office done by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Videos

Everyone loves a douchebag.

Watch out for the Shiny Suds in your shower! (Loofah!  Loofah! Loofah!)

The best song of 2009 Show Me Your Genitals (NOT SAFE FOR WORK and people without a sense of humor)

Don’t miss his other great hits also on Youtube!  And you can purchase his songs on iTunes!

Bohemian Rhapsody, The Muppets Style!

Fight On!

We will always have the USC Trojan song girls to cheer us up.  Terrible loss by the Trojans this weekend, but honestly I didn’t think this team was as good as some of the last couple teams we’ve had.  The defense was very suspect this week.  Here is to bouncing back.  Looking forward to UCLA in a couple weeks, maybe we can continue their winless Pac-10 streak…

Now, on to the links!

TV Stuff
If you have ever wanted to know more about the themes that make TV writing then I highly suggest to take a couple hours to browse and read around TV Tropes.  It’s especially a great read for anyone that’s ever wanted to learn the tricks of the trade for writing anything from Comics to TV.

Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, what’s the difference?

Music Stuff
Looking for music like the music you like?  Check out Musicovery, a music discovery service.  Doing a search for Jimmy Eat World on there actually links me to a number of other bands I’ve also enjoyed throughout the years.  Pretty impressive.

Here is a funny music video

Chicks Man
If you are interested in attractive philologists, check out Hot for Words.  She’s not really my type, but hey I know there are a lot of you out there that like big boobed blondes.

Check out these chicks melting ice.

Food Stuff
Lifehacker had an article this week on 10 Simple Freeze Tricks to Save You Time and Money.  Info and links about what can be frozen (Broccoli yes, Onions No) to how to make your freeze more efficient.  It’s a good starting place for many people.

Windows 7 Stuff (Tech Stuff)
So yesterday Windows 7 was released.  I’ve already been using it for 3 weeks and think it’s pretty great, especially the 64bit version because nothing beats using 8 gigs of RAM on a computer (except 16 gigs).  A number of websites had guides for Windows 7, but Lifehacker’s Complete Guide to Windows 7 is the most comprehensive, plus it links to lots of other great starting points to learn more.  If you are looking for a more historical look at Windows, you have to check out Maximum PC’s 50 Best (and Worst) Moment’s in Windows History.

Funny Stuff
Check out Life’s pictorial on 30 Dumb Inventions, how about those screaming tomatoes, and to think people follow that crackpots “religion”.  I only read Maxim magazine for the articles, that’s why I’m sharing the 10 People in Every Office article they recently posted.  Lastly check out Stuff White People Life and Photobomb for some more funnies.

Oh no the Pixar lamp killed the letter I!

Politics / Funny
2010 CA Protection of Marriage Act, someone has decided to take protecting marriage one step further by trying to get a bill on the ballot to ban marriage.  Sure it’s to poke at the Prop 8 people, but honestly, divorce ruins marriage and hurts more children then any gay marriage ever would.

Cool Stuff
Comparisons of Inaugural Addresses, this is a pretty cool diagram of every presidential inauguration speech that compares the words used against all the other presidential inauguration speeches.
Handwriting Tips Penmanship – NYTimes.com, I’ve always been fascinated with handwriting and really liked this article about how the human mind sees it, and the best forms of handwriting to use so people can understand it.  I’m glad the writing I use is already considered the most efficient.
Online Dating Advice: Exactly What To Say In A First Message « OkTrends, for all my single friends out there, looking to score online, this is a must read.  They analyzed a number of 1st messages sent on a dating site and found the words to use or not use to get the most responses back.
Swingvine shows you what’s popular on the web, right now.

Tech / Funny
Penn & Teller, this iPhone application will trick your friends into thinking you have Penn & Teller on your speed dial to help you do magic tricks.

Funny Stuff
Hot Chicks Picking Up Dog Shit, Taking hot chicks with douchebags another direction.  Also don’t forget to check out their sister site, Hot Chicks with Dogs with Boners…  Sadly I’m not kidding.
Probably Bad News: News fails, because journalism isn’t dying fast enough., I’ve been criticized for my writing abilities, but these guys get paid to write…
What Stormtroopers do on Their Day Off | WildAmmo.com, Who hasn’t wondered what they do?

Food Stuff
Food In Real Life, Great site that compares what’s on the box, to what’s in it.

Videos

Amazing San Francisco Blue Angels Flybys!

Maxim Magazines Campus Cuties 2009.

Twitter / Reggie Bush: My prayers go out to all t ….

I’m glad his USC Edumication taught him well…  Oh well they aren’t all smart.  I loved ya at USC Reggie but well you need one of the guys in your entourage or Kim to proofread your Tweets before you send them…

Reggie Bush, effected does not mean what you think it means...

First off with the start of the NCAA College Football Season I have to kick off my links with this awesome video.

USC opens their quest for the Division 1 championship on Saturday at 12:30 PM (pacific).  Talking about college football anyone that loves college football should really check out my friend Brian’s website, In the Bleachers, the #1 College Football blog and podcast in the world!

Food

Tactical Bacon, there for you when you need it!

I already know how to cook a whole chicken, but I’ve never cooked a whole one in a slow cooker, it’s a great way to get it done with minimal effort.  I’d also suggest checking out the main $5 dinner site, she does a great job sharing the wealth on the ways she’s able to make good cheap family diners.  Bacon is the coolest thing on the internet since sliced bread, and now you can make sure you are able to enjoy the salty smokey goodness of bacon during the next natural disaster with Tactical Bacon!  (thanks to my friend Dippy for the link).  And while you are eating your bacon, why don’t you learn how to cook up a bunch of hard boiled eggs in the oven… Wait are those oven cooked eggs?!

Interesting
According to Carnegie Mellon‘s Death Risk Rankings, the chances of a age 30-39, white, male, from California dying in the next year is 1,537 out of 1,000,000 (wait I fit that description!).  In addition here at the top 5 and the number out of 1,000,000.

Cause of Death – MicroMort
Total – 1,537
Accidents – 408
Circulatory system diseases – 187
Suicide – 173
Cancers – 143
Infectious and parasitic diseases – 141
Homicide – 101

Geeky Stuff

Time Travel!

I love this travel time-line that someone put together based on popular TV shows and movies (I’ve included to the left for those too lazy to visit the site.)  If you’ve ever wanted to check if your favorite user name is available at 130 websites all at one time, then namechk is the site to go.  Warning it could be used for both good and evil!  Good in the fact that you can find 130 websites to register your user name at, bad for the fact that you can find 130 websites to register someone elses user name at so they can’t!

Funny Stuff
Kelly and I are thinking about having a child…  Actually no we aren’t but what better way to bullshit your way out of work and responsibilities than the Office Kid, complete with pictures and drawings!  If having a fake kid isn’t your idea of funny then check out the People of Walmart a place to see pictures of those interesting individuals that shop the crappiest store on earth.

Tech Stuff
Just an FYI for those that keep sending me MMS messages to my iPhone, Sept. 25th is the big day that I will actually be able to see them from my phone!  About damn time AT&T!

And lastly I leave with you a couple more videos.

Pretty cool Old Spice commercial (I really enjoy their advertising and commercials)

College Humors modern take on West Side Story with Web Site Story!   I highly recommend checking it out!  You got to go to their site I can’t embed it.