tweet of the century
every month my red cartridge explodes
Shared posts
26 Jun 03:35
Turn Frozen Tater Tots Into Homestyle Hash Browns with a Waffle Iron
by Shep McAllister
Kccanavanf'ing genius
Bite sized tater tots are delicious and convenient, but a lot of people prefer the restaurant-style hash browns that require a fork. If you're sitting down for a nice breakfast at home, it's surprisingly easy to make these fancier hash browns on a waffle iron.
For such a specific appliance, the waffle iron is surprisingly versatile. As One Good Thing by Jillee points out, all you have to do is toss some frozen tater tots onto your waffle iron, and press them for three or four minutes. Once they're done cooking, they should have formed together into a perfect patty. While you have the waffle iron pulled out, you could also use it to make no-fuss pizza pockets and cinnamon rolls.
Things You Can (and Can't) Make in a Waffle Iron | One Good Thing by Jillee
Peter.corliss likes this
25 Jun 19:54
Texas Lawmaker Braving Backbreaking Filibuster to Stop Abortion Bill
by Neetzan Zimmerman
The only thing left standing between Texas and one of the strictest anti-Abortion bills in America is State Senator Wendy Davis.
    
|
Ssouthmayd likes this
25 Jun 19:15
Someone in Georgia Has an 'Arrested Development'-Inspired "Anustart" License Plate
by Bradford Evans
It's been less than a month since Arrested Development's fourth season debuted on Netflix, but somebody already hopped on it and became the first known person to get a license plate inspired by the one on Tobias Fünke's car, "ANUSTART." Here's a photo of a Virginia license plate that reads "ANU STRT" (damn that 7-character limit). The car was spotted in Helen, Georgia, so keep an eye out for it if you happen to be one of our three readers who lives there.
Check out the full-size image below:
---
See more posts by Bradford Evans
25 Jun 15:02
Arrested Development’s Hidden Jokes: Episodes 1 and 2
Perhaps you binge-watched every single episode of Arrested Development's new season the first weekend. Perhaps you've taken your time, ignored the spoilers, and listened to creator Mitch Hurwitz's slow-and-steady advice. At Vulture, we chose to do it both ways: We posted immediate recaps right after opening weekend, then took a deep breath and started all over again more slowly, taking time to scour every episode to find the show's many Easter eggs, callbacks, and hints to future episodes. Some were obvious, some more buried. Let's begin with the first two episodes. How many of them did you catch?
Episode 1: "Flight of the Phoenix"
George Michael's dorm room "Leave a note!" is certainly reminiscent of the lessons his grandfather already imparted. DEAD DOVE. Do. Not. Eat.
Trisha Thoon, FOX 6's most reliable correspondent (as played by Stacey Grenrock-Woods, former Daily Show correspondent and Esquire sex columnist), has previously reported on G.O.B.'s Aztec Tomb trick, Johnny Bark's tree protest, and the suspicious "mini-mansions" being built in Iraq. She's always on that Bluth beat.
Reporting from what appears to be "Wee Orange County" in "Actual Britain" (as opposed to the home of Rita Leeds, a.k.a. "Wee Britain" in actual Orange County), Beatrix Hebberly-Sneed is played by Actual British Person Amanda De Cadenet — a talk-show host whose ex-husband was in Duran Duran and whose current husband is in the Strokes. So. British.
George Michael's dorm-room map has what appears to be three pins on it, noting his vast international travel. One has to be his home in Newport Beach, the two others appear to be: Mexico, from his season-two trip; and Spain, where we will later see he studied abroad and experimented with facial hair.
Stuck in 2003? So was Arrested Development, as that was the year it premiered.
Poor Lucille Austero, stuck paying for Michael's doomed building project and Buster's juice box habit. $325 worth!
Perhaps one of the episode's most wonderful Easter eggs is that once Michael hits Phoenix, he takes the moving platform along a mural that tells the tale of Arrested Development. There's even an actual Egg, Ann Veal, on the steps of the church.
Episode 2: "Borderline Personalities"
Stan’s suspicious-looking blueprints:
Lucille showing George Sr. a cell-phone picture of the blueprints he grabbed from Stan — a small reference back to Tobias's accidental scrotum photo from season two’s "Sad Sack"?
The misting cart called “Mr. Mister” certainly referring to the eighties band, but also adding to the show's collections of Misters, from “Mr. Manager” to “Mr. F”?
Anchor John Beard, who plays himself and was actually the FOX news anchor in Orange County during Arrested Development's original run. He was fired from KTTV-LA 2007 for wanting to do more serious journalism. Here, he's hosting a tacky morning show called during Good News O.C. With John, Jackie, and Joan — which is certainly based on FOX's own actual local morning show, Good Day L.A.
many more at the source
Episode 1: "Flight of the Phoenix"
George Michael's dorm room "Leave a note!" is certainly reminiscent of the lessons his grandfather already imparted. DEAD DOVE. Do. Not. Eat.
Trisha Thoon, FOX 6's most reliable correspondent (as played by Stacey Grenrock-Woods, former Daily Show correspondent and Esquire sex columnist), has previously reported on G.O.B.'s Aztec Tomb trick, Johnny Bark's tree protest, and the suspicious "mini-mansions" being built in Iraq. She's always on that Bluth beat.
Reporting from what appears to be "Wee Orange County" in "Actual Britain" (as opposed to the home of Rita Leeds, a.k.a. "Wee Britain" in actual Orange County), Beatrix Hebberly-Sneed is played by Actual British Person Amanda De Cadenet — a talk-show host whose ex-husband was in Duran Duran and whose current husband is in the Strokes. So. British.
George Michael's dorm-room map has what appears to be three pins on it, noting his vast international travel. One has to be his home in Newport Beach, the two others appear to be: Mexico, from his season-two trip; and Spain, where we will later see he studied abroad and experimented with facial hair.
Stuck in 2003? So was Arrested Development, as that was the year it premiered.
Poor Lucille Austero, stuck paying for Michael's doomed building project and Buster's juice box habit. $325 worth!
Perhaps one of the episode's most wonderful Easter eggs is that once Michael hits Phoenix, he takes the moving platform along a mural that tells the tale of Arrested Development. There's even an actual Egg, Ann Veal, on the steps of the church.
Episode 2: "Borderline Personalities"
Stan’s suspicious-looking blueprints:
Lucille showing George Sr. a cell-phone picture of the blueprints he grabbed from Stan — a small reference back to Tobias's accidental scrotum photo from season two’s "Sad Sack"?
The misting cart called “Mr. Mister” certainly referring to the eighties band, but also adding to the show's collections of Misters, from “Mr. Manager” to “Mr. F”?
Anchor John Beard, who plays himself and was actually the FOX news anchor in Orange County during Arrested Development's original run. He was fired from KTTV-LA 2007 for wanting to do more serious journalism. Here, he's hosting a tacky morning show called during Good News O.C. With John, Jackie, and Joan — which is certainly based on FOX's own actual local morning show, Good Day L.A.
many more at the source
Eznoyola likes this
25 Jun 14:47
Five New Uses for the Bible
by Jia Tolentino
• Backup authority for decision to kick a 12-year-old girl off the football team and prevent "impure thoughts" in male teammates
• Re-enchantment for Scandinavia as a Norwegian bestseller now outpacing Fifty Shades of Grey
• Wellspring of strength during your televised 1,400-foot tightrope walk over the Grand Canyon
• Ammunition to approve new abortion restrictions in Texas that would shut down 37 of the 42 abortion clinics in the state
• Useful tool for Florida man to start a large, destructive fire inside Acura SUV
---
See more posts by Jia Tolentino
25 Jun 14:08
Bandz a Make Stephanie Tanner Dance
by Nitasha Tiku
Chelsea, Grace Jiang and one other like this
24 Jun 16:20
Look at My Smile, Morgan!
KccanavanOwl City's twitter. Still the best.
Greendinos, Cartilong and one other like this
24 Jun 14:55
Update: I've updated the link to Bill Beaty's original article -- the one I linked to originally was a scumbag plagiarist.
HOWTO singlehandedly erase traffic jams by driving slow
by Cory Doctorow
KccanavanI drive like this, and it works except for when people cut you off to get into the big gap you've left in front of you.
Update: I've updated the link to Bill Beaty's original article -- the one I linked to originally was a scumbag plagiarist.
Jeffrey sez, "A fascinating article about what causes traffic jams, and how to drive differently to help ease 'stop and go' traffic. It is interesting to see how basic human instincts (or maybe just the way we have been taught how to drive) can turn a crowded road into one that is jammed with stop and go traffic. It is probable that self-driving cars will eliminate many of these issues before many humans have time to learn these techniques. However, it is very encouraging to hear the author's anecdote about how he was able to singlehandedly erase a traffic jam in his own lane:"
On a day when I immediately started hitting the usual "waves" of stopped traffic, I decided to drive slow. Rather than repeatedly rushing ahead with everyone else, only to come to a halt, I decided to try to drive at the average speed of the traffic. I let a huge gap open up ahead of me, and timed things so I was arriving at the next "stop-wave" just as the last red brake lights were turning off ahead of me. It certainly felt weird to have that huge empty space ahead of me, but I knew I was driving no slower than anyone else. Sometimes I hit it just right and never had to touch the brakes at all, but sometimes I was too fast or slow. There were many "waves" that evening, and this gave me many opportunities to improve my skill as I drove along.
I kept this up for maybe half an hour while approaching the city. Finally I happened to glance at my rearview mirror. There was an interesting sight.
It was dusk, the headlights were on, and I was going down a long hill to the bridges. I had a view of miles of highway behind me. In the other lane I could see maybe five of the traffic stop-waves. But in the lane behind me, for miles, TOTALLY UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION. I hadn't realized it, but by driving at the average speed, my car had been "eating" traffic waves. Everyone ahead of me was caught in the stop/go cycle, while everyone behind me was forced to go at a nice smooth 35MPH or so.
TRAFFIC WAVES (Thanks, Bill!)
|
|
23 Jun 17:49
The total amount of effort I put into getting ready for work
rita, Cecilialvares and one other like this
23 Jun 17:45
Netflix Released an 'Arrested Development' Fakeblock App
by Bradford Evans
Netflix unveiled a new app today, inspired by the new season of Arrested Development. (SPOILERS FROM THE NEW SEASON FOLLOW) It's called Fakeblock, a digital woodblock instrument just like the one George Michael invents. The description of the free app reads, "With over 100 million users, Fakeblock is the OC's most popular digital wood instrument. Entertain guests with life-like stereo wood percussion sounds. Appeal to potential dates and family members with high-def woodgrain imagery. It's not just a woodblock, it's a lifestyle." The website also says, "Fakeblock is produced by Gobias Industries under license from the Bluth-Austero Company." Head on over to Fakeblock.com or download the app for Android or iOS.
(via Pop Culture Brain)
---
See more posts by Bradford Evans
20 Jun 21:52
Thirdhand smoke will fuck you up just like secondhand smoke.
by Hamilton Nolan
KccanavanSuper.
20 Jun 21:47
Watch the Trailer for 'Drinking Buddies' Starring Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick
by Bradford Evans
KccanavanOhhhh, I am watching you, Drinking Buddies.
From writer/director Joe Swanberg (LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs), Drinking Buddies is a new comedy-drama set to come out August 23rd that stars Anna Kendrick, Jake Johnson, Olivia Wilde, and Ron Livingston. Just stop watching the trailer halfway through if you don't want any major spoilers.
---
See more posts by Bradford Evans
Mefarrin likes this
20 Jun 21:19
lickystickypickyshe: Need to introduce this here at work. Joe...
by bestrooftalkever-george
KccanavanThis please.
Need to introduce this here at work.
Joe just wished himself a “Happy Birthday.”
20 Jun 20:24
5 Foods Banned In Other Countries That We Chow Down On In The U.S.
by Mary Beth Quirk
If the United States could be sitting on the playground with other countries, those nations might not be so willing to swap lunches. In other words, we’ve got stuff in our food that people eat or drink every day, while those same substances are banned from consumable products elsewhere. So what exactly are we chowing down on that our fellow humans aren’t?
Buzzfeed picked up a few items from the world grocery cart discussed in Dr. Jayson Calton and certified nutritionist Mira Calton’s new book, Rich Food, Poor Food, and some of the differences are pretty noteworthy. Here are a few you might not be aware of
1. Artificial food dye: What’s that? Boxed macaroni cheese powder isn’t naturally orange? Gasp. You thought your berry sports drink came out that perfect shade of red all on its own? Ha.
There are a range of artificial dyes banned in Norway, Finland, Austria, France and the U.K. that we ingest here. They’re blacklisted in those countries in part because they’re made from chemicals derived from petroleum. They’ve been linked to things like brain cancer, nerve-cell deterioration, and hyperactivity, among others.
2. Olestra (or Olean): This ingredient is used to lower calorie counts in fat-free potato chips, corn chips and French fries. It has a slippery reputation, to say the least, and has been linked to anal leakage. It also depletes the body’s ability to absorb vitamins, say some experts.
It’s on the no-eat list in the U.K. and Canada, but you can find it here if you’re willing to risk symptoms like crampy bowels.
3. Brominated vegetable oil: You might recall campaign against this substance that makes food dyes stick to liquid. Gatorade recently announced it would ditch the stuff, but it’s still in plenty of other soft drinks and sports beverages.
Opponents of BVO point out that it’s a chemical used as a flame retardant, and has been linked to issues like major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss. It’s banned in over 100 countries.
4. Azodicarbonamide: Even if you can’t pronounce it, you should know that it leaches flour and also plastic products. It’s in breads, frozen dinners, boxed pasta mixes and packaged baked goods. It’s banned in Australia, the U.K. and a plethora of other European countries over concerns that it could induce asthma.
5. Synthetic growth hormones rBGH and rBST: Mmm, hormones! So tasty. These can be found in plenty of milk and dairy products, and have been linked to humans breast, colon, and prostate cancer in humans. It’s also not so great for cows, say those against using the hormones while raising cattle.
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and the EU all ban the use of growth hormones.
It just goes to show that while all of the above products (and more) are totally legal here, if you’re concerned about what it is you’re actually eating after reading that long list of ingredients, a little digging can go a long way.
8 Foods We Eat In The U.S. That Are Banned In Other Countries [Buzzfeed]
20 Jun 15:33
Sopranos Restaurant Pays a Touching Tribute to James Gandolfini
by Neetzan Zimmerman
When James Gandolfini's life unexpectedly cut to black yesterday, many of his friends and colleagues issued statements in honor of his everlasting contributions to entertainment.
|
|
20 Jun 13:57
Why would you even pretend this is true? You are embarrassing...
Why would you even pretend this is true? You are embarrassing and sad.
18 Jun 17:14
On his favorite joke that went unnoticed:
Highlights from Mitch Hurwitz's Reddit AMA
by Elise Czajkowski
Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz took to Reddit today to answer "questions, complaints, criticisms, etc." and thank fans for "supporting this crazy casserole of a show." Unsurprisingly, the internet had quite a lot to ask him, on topics ranging from the future of television to his writing process to ostriches. The always-exuberant Hurwitz gave thoughtful answers for more than an hour and half, even hinting that might return for more in the next few weeks. Below are the highlights of his AMA, with some minor spoilers for the fourth season (and major ones for the original seasons.)
On any crazy story lines that never made it into the show:
Believe it or not, I don't think there IS one! Because every time I think of something that's too outlandish, I end up trying to find a way to use it. I remember pitching Buster loses his hand as a bad example to motivate the writers to think outside the box...and then a moment later, I thought "Hey, why don't we have Buster lose his hand?"
On advice for aspiring writers:
[T]he first advice I'd give aspiring writers is to try to exceed expectations. I feel like everyone gives the advice that you should write a spec script, and I found a lot of people who just try to write as badly as they think the show is written (for whatever that show is) – people who start the process without respecting what they're writing for. You have to choose something to write that you really want to write.
On whether doing a fourth seasons hurt the chances of an AD movie:
I would say that I'm more interested in telling the ongoing saga of this family than working out a particular strategy for how to do it. I kind of feel like the form will emerge in a way that I wouldn't have anticipated – like Netflix a few years ago – so it's possible that a film studio says "There's a lot of AD out there. Do we want to invest in more" or it's possible that a film studio says "Wow, we had no idea there was this kind of a following." And I think the latter scenario is possible. Just because I didn't think there was that kind of a following!
On his favorite joke that went unnoticed:
My favorite joke is who the real George Maharis is – because that's a punchline we didn't finish. Basically the joke is, he doesn't want to be George Michael, because George Michael had sex in a public men's room, and he doesn't want to be Boy George, because Boy George had sex in a public men's room, so he settles on the name George Maharis... but a little research will show that name has a similar fate. That being said, I think the groupthink on reddit has caught all the jokes that we've layered in – except for the ones we haven't finished yet, which are setting up for a future story.
On guest stars he didn't get, and one he did:
I spent a little while trying to get Howard Stern for something... I did want to get Jerry Bruckheimer, and he was too busy.I did want to get Maria Bamford even before we started. I knew that we needed to get her, and I was willing to move the whole shoot to accommodate that.
On whether Ann Veal was named after an anvil:
Yea, there were a lot of things that her name was made out of – Anvil was definitely part of it. The image of a veal padding pen. And there's an old Monty Python skit where John Cleese's character's name is "An Elk" – it was an oblique reference to that too. Her original name was "Fugly." We were going to name her something Fugly – and then it felt a little too jokey and they fortunately didn't allow us to say it.
On playing with the form on Netflix:
If you look at the transition from radio to television, the first 15-20 years were basically just radio shows on TV. I didn't want to just do a series on Netflix, I wanted to see what the form would allow. And they dug that idea.I think the Netflix model makes [television] a little more like publishing – there are different books for different people, and still within that world there are top 10 books that are blockbusters, and then there's fiction that's not for everybody. In an interview recently, someone asked me "Hey, what did you think of that New York Times review?" A guy at the NY Times watched 5 shows at 3 in the morning and then said "I don't like this" on day 1 – it was a bad way to start. And I don't blame him – try watching something in the middle of the night and see how you like it, especially if it means skipping brunch with your daughter on Memorial Day weekend. And in response, I said, "It sounds like he really didn't like it. But you know who did like it?" And the interviewer said "Who?" And I said "People who really liked it!" (which is true – it's NOT for him, it's for them!)
On whether he thought the Bluth story would continue after Fox cancelled the show:
I DID. There's an audacity that comes with any creative enterprise. I mean, I don't think I would have written my first spec script if I had known how unlikely it was to get a writing job. And I don't think I would have tried creating ARRESTED if I really thought "look at the data of what's already been developed. they won't make this." but I should have – that was the evidence that existed. I don't think I would have included all the stuff about Saddam Hussein in Season 1 if I'd done the math on the likelihood of getting through an entire season to reveal the punchline. And I think that everyone has to jump off that cliff and make that assumption in their own work – because the truth is, even if it doesn't happen, you have a more interesting life if you're to sit down and write a novel than doing the math on the likelihood of it getting published.
On whether a hypothetical fifth season will see the Bluths interacting more:
For the 5th season, it would DEFINITELY be about the family all together. That was always the design. The idea was originally to have them even together LESS for Season 4 – it really was going to be basically 9 stories (like the Salinger collection) that had nothing to do with one another, and just showed everybody's life, so that everybody's life could get to a point of peril, and then the family could truly have no choice but to get back together for the next iteration.
On why Tobias can sometimes be seen lying in the fireplace:
There has been more theorizing about that online – I'm amazed that question got through, because I've seen questions about this for YEARS. David Cross has been approached about it for years, and here's the unfortunate answer; it was a joke that didn't work. I walked onto the set, and there was nothing funny happening in the scene, so I said, "Hey, what if David is leaning back into the fireplace relaxing?" and then when I went into the penthouse in another scene, David had decided to do it again. And people constantly write "I don't get it!" (and unfortunately they DO get it – it's a man in a fireplace!)
On the Michael and George Michael relationship:
I think one of the things that is fun to do and also sometimes generates great material (and sometimes doesn't) is to "paint yourself into a corner" when you're writing or performing or doing anything creative. And it reminds me of cutting off Buster's hand. It's like, what do you do now? And the answer is – a LOT MORE than you'd do without it. So I wanted to get to an honest point in their relationship that was very uncomfortable, so that there wouldn't be a pat solution, even for me.
On the origins of Never Nude:
We had this joke that just put us out, that was Tobias keeps crying in the shower. And then I had pitched – I was thinking about production, and the way they shoot those things, they always put people in flesh colored bathing suits, and I said, what if we show part of the flesh colored bathing suits for 3-4 weeks – and then in the 4th week we reveal that he showers in a flesh-colored bathing suit because he doesn't like showering naked. And then Richie Rosenstock (who's an absolutely brilliant, hilarious guy – and is responsible for so many of the giant laughs in the show) said without hesitation: "Oh, he's a Never Nude."And everybody in the room froze. And looked at him, and said, "is that a real thing?" and he shrugged, and it was just so funny. It wasn't a funny idea until Richie called him a Never Nude, which took the joke from being just a sight gag, to a psychological affliction that really elevated it in such a brilliant way. And then I remember looking up to see online if there was such a thing as a Never Nude – and guess what you can't search for besides finding pornography? "Never Nude" – back then you'd get 25,000 pages with the word "Nude" in it. Even if you used the Boolean quotation marks, you would still get things like "Hot 18 year old who'd NEVER been NUDE in front of a boy!" So we'll never know if it was a thing before ARRESTED. Although I suppose I could just ask Richie.
On the origins of the Bluth family:
I started with the idea of a set of twins, and one was conservative, and one was liberal. And that gave birth to the idea of the children of those twins, where one was fearless and one was fearful. And then a MILLION other things happened. And those ideas are just so deep down in the pile that they're almost unrecognizable.
On why the show cut right before George Michael's chicken dance:
I don't know – it just seemed funnier! It's almost like negative space in art. Or a rest in music. Sometimes it's funnier to have the moment occur, and sometimes it's funnier to not have the moment occur, and in that moment it felt like it would be funnier to NOT see it.Also (*and this could just be personal preference), I saw his Chicken Dance, and chickens don't do that.
---
See more posts by Elise Czajkowski