Two (And More!) Great Cartoons

I found two great cartoons while browsing through some of the links on BoingBoing today. One of them was the classic One Froggy Evening, the cartoon that introduced Michigan J. Frog on a public replete with malaise, begging for something new. It's a great short: wonderful animation, terrific story, a subtlety to the artwork that's likely lost on the children it targets, and it's all done with no dialog. If there were ever a case to be made that modern animation suffers, this would be Exhibit A. Case Closed!

But more importantly, I found Tree for Two, the cartoon pictured above. The Big Cartoon Forum lists this as a significant Sylvester cartoon, but for me it's so much more.

I used to have this cartoon on betamax. And, not surprisingly to anyone who knows me, I used to watch it constantly. And, not surprisingly to anyone that knows me, I knew all the parts of this cartoon: the dialog, the comedic timing, the flaws in the tape -- all the nuances you pick up with repeated viewings. Then, one day, my mom taped over this cartoon with Another World, or something equally crappy, and I was distraught, thinking I would never see it again. It wasn't that I loved this cartoon so much, but because there was a small piece in it that I'm positive slipped right past the censors. And I don't want to ruin this cartoon for anyone, but once I tell you it'll be stuck in your brain forever, like the arrow in the Fed Ex logo. But at the same time, I've been waiting since my teens to show this to someone! So, with my humblest apologies to Sylvester fans the world over, here it is:

At 1:48 into the cartoon Sylvester quite clearly says "What the fuck". Now it might be a coincidence. But it's clear as day. And, hilariously, somewhat appropriate to the situation.

The BoingBoing post references Cityrag as compiling a video list for the 50 greatest cartoons of all time, and it's definitely worth a look. Funny how it hadn't occurred to me to look for cartoons on YouTube before now -- but this should not come surprisingly to anyone who knows me.

Link to One Froggy Evening
Link to Tree for Two
Link to 50 greatest cartoons on Wikipedia
Link to 50 greatest cartoon video list on Cityrag (via BoingBoing)

10 Ways

One of the most difficult things about this blog is finding things to say about some of the sites I come across. 10 Ways seems almost to defy description. At its heart it's about experimentation with a visual medium, but it definitely transcends the static pictures it plays with. The image above, from Information, uses the idea of photomosaics to suggest that images underlie other images. Philosophy aside, I could spend hours here.

Link to 10 Ways
Link to 10 Ways:Information

Psychic Tests

Though not a big believer in psychic phenomena, I do have a few experiences that leave me scratching my head. Plus, I like spending my time fooling around with this kind of stuff. And who isn't curious about ESP?

There are a number of different tests here, mostly "guess the card" and remote viewing. They do a good job of breaking down the odds of how well you've done, and then you get to rank yourself against others at the end. I think I tend to do better when I'm really drunk or really tired, so I'll post an update if I'm successful at completing the tests in either of those states.

I also heard a rumour that they'll pay you for research if you exceed the norms, but I can't say with any validity whether this is true.

Link (via Linky & Dinky)

Virtual NES

I think people forget to hearken back to our halcyon days of youth, where graphics were cumbersome and sound effects were tinny, but where gameplay reigned supreme. I had an old-school Atari 2600 which, at the time, was the zenith of home video game systems -- and sure beat the hell out of our Telstar console. But next to systems like ColecoVision, it was a definite step down. A few years later, Nintendo would emerge as the leading video game console, crushing the other competitors under its flimsy white and grey plastic heels.

I remember renting NES consoles every weekend and staying up all night playing games. And although I do find it kind of disturbing that I can now play upwards of 350 NES games in java on my computer, I do like the idea that I don't have to scrounge through yard sales, pawn shops, or classified ads to look for used cartridges.

(My NES currently sits under our TV, right next the PS2. My Atari console is still MIA.)

Link

10 Minute Mail

Need an e-mail address fast? This site has taken over from Mailinator as my new favourite disposable e-mail site. 10 Minute Mail provides you with an e-mail address that expires in 10 minutes -- but you do have the option to renew your address for another 10 minutes if the mail you're expecting hasn't arrived. Perfect for those times when you need to register for some crap-ass service but don't want to give up your real address.

Link

Holiday Excuse Generator

It's that time of year again. And in addition to working, volunteering, and living your life, you've also got to squeeze in shopping, social functions, and parties with every group of friends you have. So if you need an excuse to help keep your sanity or prevent alcohol poisoning, this one's got you covered. It has the option of sending your excuse out once it's generated, and has some cute eye candy to keep you interested while it's finding your perfect excuse.

Link

Make Your Own Ginger Ale

Believe it or not, I found a recipe to make your own ginger ale. Using only five ingredients, you too can be sipping delicious homemade ginger ale in front of a crackling fire. It sounds super easy and like a lot of fun -- I'll post an update if I try it.

My mom has a ridiculous story of my grandmother and her homemade rootbeer, but I didn't see any soda-like confections coming out of her kitchen. Maybe she was a closet bootlegger.

Link

Update: It turns out I posted too soon. There are all kinds of WikiHows on brewing your own soda pop, and they all use the same techniques. Maybe I should have a pop-tasting party at my place this summer.

Link to cream soda recipe
Link to rootbeer recipe
Link to cola recipe

Hungry for a Month

This guy decided he was going to spend $1 a day on food for a whole month. Nothing super special to the writing, but it's a really interesting idea. Y'know, like lent or something, except you're giving up food instead of M&Ms. But I guess M&Ms are food, so you'd better hope they cost less than a dollar and can feed you for a day.

Link

All the TV You Need

sI found some links similar to this a couple of months ago, but they got taken down because of Fox and their stupid complaining. The complaining didn't solve anything, of course, because the links were still out there waiting to be picked up by someone.

And now someone's picked them up. Go quickly and watch all your favourite Simpsons, Futurama, and Family Guy episodes (among others)! Then mail me a DVD of them, would ya?

Link