A vending machine dedicated to hand stitched CAT HATS.
Vending machines are quite amazing contraptions that (you know if you’ve ever spent an extended period of time traveling) can contain just about anything. There are event vending machine food courts in Japan that are simply just benches. You pick your seat, and there you can select from a variety of hot meals, all from vending machines. From iPhones to alcoholic beverages to Triscuits vending machines seem to be the ubiquitous staple for getting things in a hurry. If you think the oddest vending machines are the ones that have a claw and some unreachable teddy bears in them, you’re dead wrong. These top 10 RANDOM-ASS machines just let you know to expect the unexpected when it comes to what may find out there on the road.
A Book Vending Machine Found In RomaniaHow About A Tasty Piece Of Salmon From This Salmon ATM In Singapore?How About This At The Mall… A Cassette Tape Vending Machine.The Vending Machine In The Engineering Department Of My School Offers Fuses.How About This Lovely Soccer Ball Vending Machine In South AfricaThis Vending Machine Outside A Guitar Store Sells Strings And Picks.The IT Department Has A Vending Machine For Computer Parts Which Charges The Cost To The Correct Department.This Driverless Roving Sales Vehicle In China.Vending Machine For Game Boy Games!A Flower Vending Machine In Seoul, South Korea.Cold, Maybe A Jacket Vending Machine In AirportIn France The Have A Baguette Vending MachineA Mask Gumball Machine At The Dollar Store Seems To Make Sense.This Vending Machine In Greece Is Filled With Seeds For Growing Herbs, Vegetables And Flowers.This Vending Machine Squeezes You Fresh Orange Juice!Just Saw This Giant Vending Machine In An Apartment Complex. It Has Everything.This One Goes Without Needing Explanation.A Plant Vending Machine, Seen At Clampham Station In London.A Vending Machine In Japan That Sells Solder And Resistors, For Your Late-Night Circuitry Cravings.
For some of us, the season of winter is soon approaching, for the majority of us in the States, winter has been here for a while, and quite the time to cozy up, either alone, or with another. But the foods that we all partake in are something that is to be taken seriously, regardless of if you celebrate the holidays or not. Above and below are just some of the few food and drink recipes we’ve found to help you warm up the winter. Check the method.
Even though we’ve never learned his name, the Dos Equis mascot known only as “The Most Interesting Man In The World” has started his final ad campaign. Since the first time I heard that unmistakable jingle, and heard the first few jokes, the Dos Equis campaign has been one of my favorites on television. (I’ve even remixed the theme, and performed shows with that as my intro.) Aside from the official commercial itself, “The Most Interesting Man In The World” has inspired a barrage of memes and countless 1 liners in the style of the commercial. Some thought the Dos Equis mascot (actor Jonathan Goldsmith) had seen is last day when tumors of his death surfaced in 2013, but it seems the end of his journey takes place on Mars. Check out what is seemingly the final commercial, what is the end of “the most interesting man in the world.
Just incase, for some odd reason Dos Equis ads are illegal in your country, take a look at some of the his classic commercial highlights… Stay thirsty my friends.
Former ‘Attack The Show‘ host and Playboy Playmate Sara Jean Underwood features in this funny parody of the sexy Halloween outfit trend. Prepare to feel very confused by sexy Darth Vader, sexy Yoda, and sexy…. Admiral Ackbar.
It’s a trap. The Playboy-produced vid serves as an amusing parody of the various ridiculous sexy takes on character costumes doing the rounds, but it is also an excuse to shoot the lovely Sara Jean Underwood wearing very little. Those sneaky Nerf-herders. To be fair, some of the costumes actually look pretty cool, but sexy Bib Fortuna may haunt your nightmares for some time.
Instagram has moved swiftly from a picture app, to a social movement, to a marketing tool capable of launching careers. Jen Setler is one of the fortunate females who’s popular posterior has led her into a bit of fame. Take a look below at how her Instagram prowess grew to be as impressive as her rear… which has now been dubbed the “nicest ass on Instagram”.
Club MUSÉE is Madrid’s fresh take on what night clubs could be — a combination art gallery and night club, but both with a sharp, trendy edge. Designed by creative director and designer Parolio of Madrid’s Parolio & Euphoria Lab the space provides a strong back-drop for powerful art. At Club MUSÉE black glass and mirrors, bright-colored sculptural furniture and a three-meter-wide LED video screen create a visual challenge for the artists’ work that ranges from paintings to video art and other installations. The work of upcoming photography and illustration talent is currently on display from photographer Robert Bartholot from Berlin, Paco Peregrín from Madrid and illustrator Glenn Hilario from New York. The visual feast is supported by music mixed by Madrid’s hottest DJs who offer electronic, pop and house music. Parolio’s strong sense of drama, theater and color work well at Club MUSÉE, and is evident in many of his other projects, including Pacha Madrid night club and Le Marquis restaurant and lounge.
A documentary that goes behind the counter and into the life of a man who’s been called the greatest sushi chef in the world is set to open in New York Friday. Tucked away in an underground Tokyo subway station is an unremarkable-looking 10-seat eatery called Sukiyabashi Jiro which serves Michelin-starred sushi by 85-year-old Jiro Ono, the first chef in Japan to earn three Michelin stars. In trailers for the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi, filmmaker David Gelb captures the deft, economic movements of Ono’s hands as he shapes and molds the rice for his sushi and lacquers the fish with gentle brushstrokes. Sushi and sashimi are presented on black marbles slabs and diners eat in a hushed silence that speaks of their reverence for the ceremonial experience and the master sushi chef. The film is not just an ode to sushi and the octogenarian’s unrelenting pursuit of perfection, but also explores the father-son relationship and succession as the eldest son Yoshikazu is slated to take over the legendary restaurant.
Being self employed now a days is a hard thing to do, but its almost a necessity because of the job market (or lack there of). But certain cities have better odds of you getting your hands into some real work. Take a look at the list of top 10 cities that can offer better opportunities for work.
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10. – San Antonio, TX
They say that everything’s bigger in Texas, and in San Antonio, the job market certainly is. The unemployment rate for the San-Antonio-New Braunfels area is just 6.6 percent, with the city at a low 7 percent. The Milken Institute recently named San Antonio the nation’s best-performing city in its ranking of 200 metro areas, thanks in part to extensive oil drilling projects in Eagle Ford Shale — which in 2010, generated 6,800 full-time jobs and $311 million in salaries and benefits, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. This month, Boeing also announced a plan to move aircraft and maintenance work from Wichita to San Antonio in 2013.
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9. – Portland, OR
All you have to do to see that Portland is hip is turn on the TV — IFC’s recent hit, Portlandia, paints the city as a haven for hipsters, artists and creatives. Startups are booming here — Fast Company named the “Silicon Forest” as one of the best places to launch a startup in 2010, and the city itself is a trusty friend to startups, giving them city-sponsored events, like the Portland Incubator Experiments, to help draw investors. We’re not surprised that this hip city added 12,000 jobs from November 2010 to November 2011 and has an unemployment rate of just 6.5 percent for 25-34-year-olds.
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8. – Honolulu, HI
It seems that Honolulu is home to much more than just beaches and hula skirts. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, visitor spending rose 15.6 percent to 1.1 billion in October, which is good news for Hawaii’s largest city and state capital, home to top companies like Hawaiian Airlines and the University of Hawaii. The unemployment rate for 25-34-year-olds is just over 6 percent, and at 9.3 percent for 20-24-year-olds, it’s the 9th best city for that category, as well.
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7. – New Orleans, LA
Post-Katrina, the “Big Easy” has built an impressive hub for jobs, with the unemployment rate at just 5.5 percent in the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner area and just 5.9 percent in the city itself. Private companies like Tulane University and Pan-American Life Insurance help keep the economy going, but it’s the city’s tourist appeal that really brings jobs. In 2010, New Orleans hosted 8.3 million visitors, the most since the flooding. And the recent return of three major cruise ships promises to keep business afloat. The city added 9,000 new jobs in 2011, and major retailers like Walmart and Costco are planning to open new locations there in 2012.
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6. – San Francisco, CA
When you think of cities popular for young people, San Francisco of course comes to mind. A cornerstone of startup culture, the city is the birthplace of tech favorites like Twitter, Yelp, Dropbox, Wikipedia, and StumbleUpon, and added 18,000 jobs between November 2010 and November 2011. Plus, a new program, the Civic Startup Accelerator is working to pair top startup companies with City Hall to get new and innovative technology worked into the government sector — and famed angel investor Ron Conway has already agreed to advise the program. It’s no surprise that the unemployment for San Francisco County is 5.4 percent for 25-34-year-olds.
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5. – Washington, D.C.
It’s no surprise that the nation’s capital is an epicenter for jobs. Between government, tourism, finance and lobbying, there’s no shortage of industries. But much of the growth is happening in the private sector — the Washington Post’s annual list of top companies in the area, the Post 200, is dominated by defense companies, government contractors, information organizations, hotel companies and financial firms, with names like Geico and Hilton Worldwide topping the list. These firms and others give the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area an unemployment rate of just 5.4 percent for 25-34-year-olds.
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4. – Boston, MA
This historic haven is also a haven for jobs, with the unemployment rate at a cool 4.8 percent in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area and just 5 percent in the city proper. With Harvard, one of the nation’s top universities, employing about 18,000 people in the area, it’s no surprise, but there are plenty of businesses booming from technology, like iRobot, a robotics company most famous for Roomba, to the environment — Clean Harbors, Inc. was ranked by the Boston Globe as a top company — it was instrumental in containing the BP oil spill. The area added over 50,000 jobs in 2011, and the passage of a new casino bill promises to bring even more jobs to the area.
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3. – Fort Worth, TX
Dallas’s neighbor has a seriously sunny economic disposition, with an impressive 4.7 percent unemployment rate for 25-34-year-olds in the city and 5.1 percent in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area. In 2011, the area added over 57,000 jobs and in 2009, Site Selection magazine named Dallas-Fort Worth the country’s third most active market for corporate relocations. The area is home to the corporate headquarters of a number of household names, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Radio Shack, Pier 1 Imports, and Motorola. Of course, it’s also home to American Airlines, which declared bankruptcy in November.
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2. – Tulsa, OK
It looks like this famed oil capital is continuing to see prosperity. Tulsa beat the national average by nearly 6 points, clocking in at just 4.5 percent unemployment for 25-34-year-olds — and just 6.2 percent in the greater area. Privately-funded local initiatives have helped put this city at the top. The city added over 10,000 jobs in 2011, landing itself on our recent list of 10 Best Cities to Find a Job, and more than 4,000 of those jobs pay an annual income of $50,000 or more, according to the Tulsa Metro Chamber. Add to that extremely low overhead. Due to low rent, energy costs, and taxes, the city is attractive to businesses in aerospace, energy and health care.
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1. – Jacksonville, FL
This military-centric North Florida city might not be the first one that springs to mind, but its low unemployment rate of 2.7 percent in the city and 3.2 percent in the greater area for 25-34-year-olds makes it a clear winner (that’s more than 7 percent below the national rate of 9.4 percent for that age group). The city also had the eighth lowest unemployment for 20-24 year-olds (8.3 percent). Why so many jobs? Three naval air stations supply a steady number of noncivilian jobs, which trickles down to the rest of the community. Plus, the city is home to the largest Toyota distributor in the U.S., and has even seen a recent renaissance in filmmaking, satisfying those creative types.
Below are some of the best photos of 2011 from around the globe. Warning: All images in this entry are shown in full, not screened out for graphic content. Some images contain dead bodies, graphic content and tragic events. The staff at the blog all consider these images an important part of human history.
A woman holds a wounded relative at a mosque that was turned into a hospital by anti-government protesters during clashes with security forces in Sanaa, the capitol of Yemen, Oct. 15, 2011. At least 12 antigovernment protesters were killed by forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh near the Foreign Ministry and at least four civilians were killed in a battle near the airport, opposition officials said. (The New York Times)
PATTANI, THAILAND - AUGUST 12: Thai Muslim women pray during a special evening prayer during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Pattani Central Mosque on August 12, 2011 in Pattani, southern Thailand. The long evening prayer comes after Iftar, the breaking of the day-long fast from sunrise to sunset. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama is seen silhouetted inside Marine One helicopter during his arrival on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011 in Washington. Obama made an unannounced trip to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, to pay tribute to the 30 U.S. troops killed over the weekend in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany steers his car during the free practice for the F1 Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. The F1 race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
The stage collapses at the Indiana State Fair August 13, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The stage fell just before country duo Sugarland were scheduled to perform, killing at least four people and injuring as many as 40 more. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)
Billy Stinson (L) comforts his daughter Erin Stinson as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood before it was destroyed by Hurricane Irene August 28, 2011 in Nags Head, North Carolina. The cottage, built in 1903, was one of the first vacation cottages built on Roanoke Soundin Nags Head. Stinson has owned the home, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, since 1963. "We were pretending, just for a moment, that the cottage was still behind us and we were just sitting there watching the sunset," said Erin afterward. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
SoHo residents Amy Eagle (R) and Rich Thompson take an early morning walk just before high tide along the World Financial Center Esplanade as the effects of Hurricane Irene are felt in Manhattan August 28, 2011 in New York City. Hurricane Irene made a second landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey early Sunday morning, battering the northeast with high winds and rain. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
People run from gunfire followed by rocket attacks near the U.S Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul, Sept. 13, 2011. Insurgents launched a complex assault against the embassy and NATO complex on Tuesday, pelting the heavily guarded compounds with rockets in an attack that raised new questions about the security of Afghanistanâs capital and the Westerners working there. (Kuni Takahashi/The New York Times)
A child waves a flag of the State of Israel during part of a march with Jewish settlers in Itamar on the West Bank, Sept. 20, 2011. At least 200 settlers protested against Palestinian plans to seek United Nations endorsement of their statehood on Tuesday, many marching on a main road linking Nablus and Ramallah. (Rina Castelnuovo/The New York Times)
A man suspected of smuggling marijuana across the U.S. border from Mexico is detained by U.S. Border patrols agents in Douglas, Ariz., Sept. 26, 2011. The area, which used to be one of the major crossing points in Arizona, illustrates the cat-and-mouse nature of stopping crossers, the permeability of the much-ballyhooed border fence and the fact that, no matter the dire rhetoric often heard in political circles, crossings at this stretch of border are nowhere near what they once was. (Joshua Lott/The New York Times)
Blackpool, England - September 01: A visitor tries out the new glass Skywalk at the top of the refurbished Blackpool Tower on September 1, 2011 in Blackpool, England. After a 20million GBP refurbishment the iconic seaside Blackpool Tower opened today to the general public. The observation deck at the top of the tower becomes the Blackpool Tower Eye and features a skywalk made of glass overlooking the sea and the promenade. The opening is part of Blackpool's 250million GBP regeneration project. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Lightning flashes during a thunderstorm early on September 13, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stormy weather is expected to continue through Thursday.
Robert Peraza, who lost his son Robert David Peraza in the attacks at the World Trade Center, pauses at his son's name at the North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial before the 10th anniversary ceremony at the site, Sunday Sept. 11, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/Justin Lane, Pool)
A P-51 Mustang airplane crashes into the edge of the grandstands at the Reno Air show on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011 in Reno Nevada. The World War II-era fighter plane flown by a veteran Hollywood stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward plunged Friday into the edge of the grandstands during the popular air race creating a horrific scene strewn with smoking debris. (AP Photo/Ward Howes)
University of California, Davis Police Lt. John Pike uses pepper spray to move Occupy UC Davis protesters while blocking their exit from the school's quad in Davis, Calif on November 18, 2011. Pike, the riot-clad police officer who pepper sprayed a row of peaceful Occupy Wall Street protesters at a California university last week, is a retired U.S. Marine sergeant twice honored for his police work on campus. (AP Photo/The Enterprise, Wayne Tilcock)
Current British long jump champion J.J. Jegede is silhouetted as he performs an exhibition jump over three Mini cars backdropped by Tower Bridge in London, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. The event took place Wednesday to mark the launch of the Mini London 2012 edition models, of which 2,012 will be produced ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
In this handout image provided by NASA, The Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft, carrying Expedition 28 Commander Andrey Borisenko and Flight Engineers Ron Garan, and Alexander Samokutyaev, lands in a remote area on September 16, 2001 outside of the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. NASA astronaut Garan and Russian cosmonauts Borisenko and Samokuttayevare returning from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 27 and 28 crews. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)
Sirte, Libya - October 14: National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters take part in a street battle in the center of the city on October 14, 2011 in Sirte, Libya. NTC fighters say this is the final assault on Muammar Gaddafi's home town as they capture the main hospital, university and the Ouagadougou Conference Center. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Libyan rebel fighters fire their machine guns toward loyalist positions down town Sirte, Libya, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Libyan revolutionary forces fought building by building Wednesday against the final pocket of resistance in Moammar Gadhafi's hometown - the last major city in Libya to have been under the control of forces loyal to the fugitive leader. (AP Photo/Manu Brado)
Las Vegas - September 15: during the Las Vegas Indy 300 part of the IZOD IndyCar World Championships presented by Honda on September 15, 2011 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
Athens, Greece - October 19: Demonstrators clashes with police during a protest against plans for new austerity measures Octiber 19, 2011 in Athens, Greece. Greece's largest labor unions have called for a 48-hour strike, while the Socialist government is beginning to push through legislation for cost cutting reforms. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
In this handout provided by Maritime New Zealand, fuel pumping between the stranded cargo vessel Rena and oil tanker Awanuia continues on October 20, 2011 in Tauranga, New Zealand. Salvage crews continue to pump oil off the ship in an effort to remove as much as possible before bad weather predicted for the evening threatens to break the vessel and release more oil into the sea. Over 300 tonnes of oil has leaked from Rena since it hit the reef on October 5. (Photo by Maritime New Zealand via Getty Images)
A protester's face is cleaned after he was pepper-sprayed by police at the "Occupy Denver" camp on October 29, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Following a march by protesters, police tried to tear down some newly-erected tents at the encampment and and a melee ensued. Police detained about a half dozen people and pepper-sprayed others before calling for reinforcements. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
An aerial view of Honda vehicles at the flooded Honda factory in the Rojuna Industrial district on November 14, 2011 in Ayutthaya, Thailand. While the city of Ayutthaya is recovering from the floods the factories have remained underwater over the last month. Thailand has experienced it's worst flooding in over 50 years and is now into it's third month having affected over 25 of Thailand's 64 provinces. Over 500 people have died in flood-related incidents since late July according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
Rescue workers evacuate a woman after a fire engulfed Amri hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on December 9, 2011. More than 60 people were killed when a fire engulfed a hospital, with many victims believed to be patients who died of smoke inhalation. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read STRDEL/AFP/Getty Images)
This file picture taken on December 6, 2011 shows 12-year-old Afghan girl Tarana Akbari (C) wearing a bright green robe as she stands among bodies and injured people shortly after a bomb exploded outside a riverside shrine in Kabul during the celebrations of the Shiite holy day of Ashura. After a suicide bomber ripped apart the lives of Tarana's family and scores of others, the image of her standing horrified in the blood-stained outfit came for many to symbolise Afghanistan's violent present and its uncertain future. AFP PHOTO/FILES/Massoud HOSSAINI (Photo credit should read MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images)
Protesters gather in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. Security forces fired tear gas and clashed Monday with several thousand protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square in the third straight day of violence that has killed dozens of people and has turned into the most sustained challenge yet to the rule of Egypt's military. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A plane flies over the northern New Jersey sky with the full moon in the background, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Does it make sense to hold a graffiti awards show? Some say no way, the whole idea of vandalism is to do your thing and never get caught. The rest say sure, why not? Have some fun, eat some snacks. (Who doesn’t love snacks?) But some took this premise very seriously, and came up with the Artaq Awarads. There are the Artaq Awards in both Paris and Berlin. This event is known as the first EVER international Urban Arts competition. In it, artists from the most representative sects join together to showcase the evolution of all of their styles. The contest consists of six awards: Awards by category – Graffiti – Painting – Collage – Sculpture – Digital Art – Photography. In Situ Performances. The award winners will have their work shown in several galleries in Europe (this is what you’ll see below, here,) and the Artaq Bookzine will present their work and will be distributed at each of the trendy exhibition venues.
Cunard has won a clean sweep among the best large ships selected by the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise. The annual publication is well known for selecting the best of the industry out of a total of 285 vessels selected by prolific cruise writer Douglas Ward. This year, Cunard ships managed to place first, second and third in the large ship category (over 1,600 passengers), with the Queen Mary 2 topping the rank, followed by the new Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Victoria.
“That large ships such as Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria can deliver the kind of experience it [Cunard] does to a wide socio-economic passenger range is evidence that the company’s finest asset is not just the ships, but all those individual crew members who simply love what they do,”
Ward said. Crystal Cruises took the top three places in the Mid Ship category (between 600 and 1,600 passenger) with the Crystal Serenity and the Crystal Symphony and Marina, which tied in second place. The Small Ship Category (200-600 passengers) was won by Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa, with the Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Odyssey in second and third place.
Among the boutique ships, which carry between 50 and 200 passengers, the SeaDream II took top honours, followed by its sibling SeaDream I and Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic, in third place. It rounds off a good week for Crystal and Seabourn, which also picked up awards in the recent Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice ceremony for best medium and small ship line respectively (Celebrity won best large-ship line). The book will be available from October 19, priced at $24.99 and will also be released as an iOS app priced at $9.99.
Don’t smile, don’t say ‘Say Cheese’ and definitely don’t strike a pose. All these are a taboo when you’re using any camera, much less this one. A real fun concept that aims to capture the real you… when you are digging your nose, sticking your tongue out or just scared sh*tless for a second. And as you guessed it works like a slingshot.
Filmed over the course of five days, director Ben Conrad (Zombieland and 30 Seconds or Less) [as the VFX supervisor -Ed] and his team at Logan deliver a Hollywood caliber production complete with pyrotechnics, massive stunts and a series of unbelievable tricks. Featuring robotic sharks, deranged zombies, and a hilarious cameo by the Epic Meal Time guys, Ken Block and his Hybrid FunctionHoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V.) bring the magic of Hollywood and gymkhana together.
Insults have been around for as long as any human language, (and possibly even a bit before that.) But classic insults in movie are especially memorable because you can hear them over and over and over, and the person getting insulted always has the exact same reaction. Harry Hanharan meticulously put together this brilliant list of some of the best. Check the method. (And I’m not exactly sure why I chose that photo of Charlie Sheen to represent the list… But it just seem comically appropriate.)
I’ve seen quite a few impressive skate moves, both on video and in person, but Aaron “Jaws” Homoki kinda blew my mind by landing the longest ollie ever. Check the method below.
With certain blog posts, I unintentionally cause some sort of an uproar. (And then I get inbox full of emails from angry people, then I make my staff go through it, then they complain, and its just not pretty) BUT, that being said, this post is meant to cause some discussions. My person top 10 movie villains, is a list made out of personal opinion, and a list that I hope people will give me suggestions on. I haven’t seen every movie, and if you think there’s a bad-ass that I’ve left off the list, please let me know. But before I get to it, I want to explain why I left one person off the list. ‘The Dark Knight‘s joker is one of the best most compelling villains I’ve ever seen. But there is too much speculation about Heath Ledgers death being the reason people loved his performance, or about how he went crazy while playing the role, yadda yadda. So although I took Joker off the list, I still had to put up one of my favorite scenes from The Dark Knight by one of the most iconic antagonists in modern American cinema. Click the pic to see the scene.
Click the pic to watch.
And now that we have THAT out of the way, let me go into a bit more detail about my hard thought list. There is always a very worthy antagonist for every good movie, but my selections weren’t based on the money the movie made, or how well it received by the general public. When I say best villains, I mean just that. I’ve picked the most devious, reckless, demented, mischievous rapscallions ever captured on film, and portrayed by great actors, but keep in mind this list is not in any specific order. This is just my personal top 10, not how they rank. I also did my best not to over-saturate the list with over played persona’s like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Essentially I tried to stay away from a whole list of “possessed crazed white people”, there’s an abundance of that in good movies (Ryan Reynolds in ‘Amityvillie Horror’, Katie from ‘Paranormal Activity’, and so on). The second category I stayed away from were the action movie bad guys, who are a normally a dime a dozen, and all either want money or have a personal vendetta with the good guy, which is why I tried my hardest to deviate from that as well. I’ll explain my reasons for picking each person on the list, but basically I wanted to stick to truly unique, one of a kind, malicious bad-assery (more like John Doe in ‘Seven’ which would have came 11th on the list) so I’m pretty sure I picked 10 winners. Check the method.
Patrick Bateman – (American Psycho)
What I consider a master of deception, Bateman is insane, and can keep it all in his pants when it matters most, but I think is the most unsettling thing about him is when his “crazy” slips out, like in the classic ‘business card’ scene from American Psycho. Interesting, intriguing, while still unsettling and disturbing, this simple scene doesn’t depict any of his murders, but it shows just how the mind of a person that deranged just might work.
Adrian Veidt – (Watchmen)
I consider Adrian an unparalleled monster, for the simple fact that in his movie, he did something no other villains tend to do… Succeed. He carried out his master-plan, killed a billion people, and had one of the sickest evil lines in ANY movie. “I’m not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome? I triggered it 35 minutes ago.” Not to mention in his universe, he’s the smartest man alive. Check it out.
Hannibal Lecter – (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising.)
When the original ‘Silence of the Lambs’ came out, I was far too young to appreciate it. All I remember thinking was that Buffalo Bill not having a d*ck was downright disturbing in every sense of the word. But years and years later, when the sequel ‘Hannibal’ came out, my sister sat me down and made me watch the original, and it warped my mind as to how brilliant and insidious the character of Hannibal Lecter really was. Check out a scene or two from one of my favorite evil genius’s. (B.T.W. if you haven’t seen any of the movies, he eats people.)
Blue – (Sucker Punch)
‘Sucker Punch’ is a relatively new movie, its an original, and most people are unfamiliar with its basic cast of characters. But all that being said, Blue, the movies main villain is ridiculously malicious, and carries out one of the most shocking acts in any movie I’ve seen in years. Seeing as how when this post was written, ‘Sucker Punch’ was still clocking dollars at the box office, I won’t put any spoilers into this post. But I do have to reiterate that Blue is a gentleman, a low down scheeming liar, a man of great emotional depth, a disturbed m*ther f*cker, and still one of the biggest pimps I’ve ever seen on screen. The scene below (has no spoilers) but is immediately before Blue shows his “true colors” and rockets himself into villain history. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what happens next.
Simon Phoenix – (Demolition Man)
I feel like if people were satisfied with my choices so far, they may not be after this. I know I tried to stray away from action movie villians, but if you’re a fan of the 1993 movie ‘Demolition Man’, you know exactly why Simon Phoenix breaks the action villain mold. He’s planning, methodical, and absolutely insane. Not only does he get pure joy from destruction, he carries out most of his acts in a world where people are innocent and crime doesn’t exist. He prays on the innocent not for any motive or reason, but simply because he just LOVES doing it. Which makes him a great villain. Check out exactly what I mean below.
Castor Troy – (Face Off)
Now when it comes to vile, demented, horrid, despicable, and utterly hilarious characters, no one can tell me that Castor Troy doesn’t deserve to be on this list. A great sense of humor is always something that makes an antagonist greater than the ‘evil-brooding-angry-man-sitting-in-a-chair-petting-a-cat’ stereotype that villains can have. But the mental disturbance level of Castor Troy throughout the entire movie “Face Off” is what I think gives Mr. Troy the chops to make it onto this list. Check out one of the opening scenes of ‘Face Off’ and you’ll see what I mean.
Alonzo Harris – (Training Day)
Yes… the photo above is of Denzel Washington playing Alonzo Harris in the 2001 hit ‘Training Day’… (AND yes he’s pointing a shotgun at a small boy) So now that we have an idea of how gutter the villain Alonzo Harris was, I have to say that what puts him on this list (for me) is the fact that when you watch this movie, you feel the character’s plight. You don’t care that he’s an evil, vindictive, deceitful, murderer, you just want him to succeed. And I’ll admit this whole-heartedly, when I’m alone, I can’t watch the end of ‘Training Day’. It just pushes a bad button to see Officer Harris go down the way he does. After all, he’s responsible for one of the most classic lines in current urban culture…. “King Kong ain’t got S*HT on ME!” (tell me you’ve never heard anyone say that in real life.)
Clyde Shelton – (Law Abiding Citizen)
Clyde Shelton is another relatively new bad guy, but never the less, he deserves to be on this list. I don’t know the percentage of people who have seen “Law Abiding Citizen” but if you haven’t, Shelton is one of the most brilliant bad-asses I’ve seen in a long time. He manages to keep the audience guessing as to his next move, while keeping the audience guessing as to how he’s doing it all, while keeping the audience saying “I don’t understand why your doing what your doing, but go on sir.” Perfect example is the courtroom scene below. Half the time your wondering what the hell is wrong with this man, but you can’t take your eyes of the screen. Dope.
Agent Smith – (The Matrix)
This list is all about the qualities that make antagonists extra evil, and counting those qualities. Agent Smith is unique because for the first time we have to disregard a few things. Lets just forget that the man has an army of HIMSELF. Lets forget the fact that he technically cannot die. Lets just forget the fact that he can kill you with one touch. Lets just focus on the little part where he doesn’t have one main enemy, Smith just hates the ENTIRE HUMAN SPECIES as a whole. Just for having that much hatred in your blood, you deserve a good spot on the list. Check out Smith’s explanation for his angry disposition below.
Alex – (A Clockwork Orange)
Click the pic to watch this final villain in action.
Due to restrictions put on me by the people who pay me, there is a certain bracket of content I can’t post directly onto this site. Alex from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ falls directly into that bracket like 27 times. And that’s one of the things that makes him one of the greatest Villains in movie history. Deranged beyond all comprehension, crazed, angry, disturbed, and any other synonym you can come up with, are all things to describe this character. If the “disturbing” level of ‘2 Girl’s 1 Cup’ made you want to drop kick a baby stroller, then after watching the “Singing In The Rain” scene from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ you may just look like this when it’s over. The best part is, unlike ‘2 Girls 1 Cup’, people actually ENJOY watching this movie, which is why Alex is one of the top ranking bad guys on my list. Enjoy.
The Vote.
So as I said in the beginning of this post, I’m very open to speculation, conversation, and mediation on this topic, and I’m really curious to hear other people’s opinions. If I’ve missed anyone I’d like to take them into consideration. So I’ve set up a vote in which you can vote on the list as to who your favorite is, or you can write your own answers in. Lets see what happens.
I’m no stranger to a good beatbox, in fact, aside from DJ videos, I’d say beatbox videos are the ones I look up most often. There’s just something about being able to replicate such a wide variety of sounds without any instrument, or tool is fascinating to me. So when I read about the French beatboxer Eklipse and his 4 minute long session documenting the evolution of Hip Hop, I was interested. When I actually saw it, my reaction was like whhaaa?… So I felt the need to share.
Among the many thing I was impressed with, I have to say that his ability to emulate rappers voices is quite impressive. I’ve heard Eklipse speak before, and when it’s in English, his accent is quite thick, so be able to replicate Busta Rhymes, Method Man, and Lil Wayne with 90% precision is remarkable.
I’ve seen tons of surprising things in 2010, but I’d have to say that one of the most impressive ones that I can share has to be the “Drum-and-Bass” beatbox. The first time I saw this video I was totally floored. This guy is definitely a one man rave.
Saota Magazine released a list of 50 homes around the world that would make people consider early retirement. I unfortunately am nowhere near retirement, so when I see these properties all I see is a potential spot to rent out on a trip. Some of the places highlighted on the Saota list are a bit too… not my style, so below I present my favorite 20 photos of these ridiculously stunning hilltop havens of architectural bliss.
Many yachts now a days have some pretty ridiculous features, but this one takes the cake to me. It has a tray-like section that slides out of the back with slits on the bottom to let water it, essentially becoming a private swimming pool. No matter where you are in the water, you can go swimming without the concerns of wildlife sneaking up on you. Dope.
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