Easily Amused - Fun with Politics

For every truly useful and informative web site, there must be an equally trivial and frivolous one. This is the yin and yang of the internet universe. But just because a web site is devoted to bubble wrap doesn’t mean it is any less important than a page dedicated to ending world hunger, does it? Well, alright, it probably does. But it is this heterogeneity that gives the internet a vitality and uniqueness that is unparalleled in any other media. This column is dedicated to these mindlessly fun, sometimes intriguing web sites.

This Week’s Theme - Political Fun

Dancing Bush - http://www.dancingbush.com/

Bush or Chimp? - http://www.bushorchimp.com/

John Kerry is a Douchebag but I’m Voting for Him Anyway -

http://www.johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com/

Kerry Sloganator - http://kerrysloganator.com/

This Land is Your Land Parody - http://www.jibjab.com

Easily Amused - Get Animated

For every truly useful and informative web site, there must be an equally trivial and frivolous one. This is the yin and yang of the internet universe. But just because a web site is devoted to bubble wrap doesn’t mean it is any less important than a page dedicated to ending world hunger, does it? Well, alright, it probably does. But it is this heterogeneity that gives the internet a vitality and uniqueness that is unparalleled in any other media. This column is dedicated to these mindlessly fun, sometimes intriguing web sites.

This Week’s Theme - Get Animated

Badger Badger Badger - http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com/

It’s just a bunch of dancing badgers in a field with a mushroom and an evil snake, yet it is oddly hypnotic. Check out their Lord of the Rings Special Edition for more badger fun.

The Hampster Dance - http://www.hampsterdance.com/

These cute little hampsters have been dancing the night away since 1997.

Rather Good - http://www.rathergood.com/

This site boasts a whole slew of odd yet quite entertaining musical animations. Don’t miss “We Like The Moon” (http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song/) or Pavarotti’s ode to elephants (http://www.rathergood.com/elephants/).

Mr. Peg - http://www.mrandmrswheatley.co.uk/mrpeg.html

Sing with me now: “The original man, made out of pegs, pegs for arms, pegs for legs, fancy that! A peg for a hat...”

Ding Fries Are Done - http://www.americanangst.com/dingfries.html

It's everyone’s favorite politically-incorrect Christmas song!

Easily Amused - Random Generation

For every truly useful and informative web site, there must be an equally trivial and frivolous one. This is the yin and yang of the internet universe. But just because a web site is devoted to bubble wrap doesn’t mean it is any less important than a page dedicated to ending world hunger, does it? Well, alright, it probably does. But it is this heterogeneity that gives the internet a vitality and uniqueness that is unparalleled in any other media. This column is dedicated to these mindlessly fun, sometimes intriguing web sites.

This Week’s Theme - The Random Generation

The dissTron - http://www.disstron.com/

Includes such snappy comebacks as “My friend told me you do the chili dog with Phil Donahue!”

Jimmyco Random Fortune Cookie Generator - http://www.jimmyco.net/cookie.html

Includes such optimistic fortunes as “You will drown in a canal.”

The Death Clock - http://www.deathclock.com/

Just in case the dying-in-a-canal fortune wasn’t depressing enough, the Death Clock will pinpoint the exact date of that fatal occurrence (as a friendly reminder that time is running out).

The Louis Farrakhan African Name Generator - http://www.fadetoblack.com/namegenerator/?

I have thrown away the white man’s name of Christina Brzustoski and will be known from this day forth as Zuwadza!

The Surrealist Compliment Generator - http://www.madsci.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/~lynn/jardin/SCG/

When you just can’t think of what to say to compliment your mate, you could always try one from this site, such as “You mutter such objects of equine delight, while in a basket of hounds and toes, that the mind's ability to sew together slices of mordant ivory becomes tamed with visions of Tamils in Constantinople.”

Easily Amused - Disgruntled Workers of the World Unite

For every truly useful and informative web site, there must be an equally trivial and frivolous one. This is the yin and yang of the internet universe. But just because a web site is devoted to bubble wrap doesn’t mean it is any less important than a page dedicated to ending world hunger, does it? Well, alright, it probably does. But it is this heterogeneity that gives the internet a vitality and uniqueness that is unparalleled in any other media. This column is dedicated to these mindlessly fun, sometimes intriguing web sites.

This week's theme: Disgruntled Workers of the World Unite!

Customers Suck! The Customer is Never Right - http://customerssuck.com/

A great venting site for any worker who has ever had contact with the general public, Customers Suck has lists of customers’ stupidest questions (“Do you take cash?”) and 67 pages of reasons why they actually suck.

Internet Squeegee Guy - http://www.website1.com/squeegee/

It’s a guy with a squeegee on the Information Superhighway - do you let him clean your monitor or tell him to get lost? A question that has plagued netizens since 1995...

Bitterwaitress - http://www.bitterwaitress.com/

The highlight of Bitterwaitress is its STD, i.e., shitty tippers database. Don’t worry if your name and embarrassingly small tip shows up on their list, there’s a special “submit an apology” feature as well.

Demotivators from Despair.com - http://www.demotivators.com/

For those who are eternally irritated by sappy and trite motivational posters, Depair.com offers the more realistic Demotivator. Example - a pretty picture of french fries reminds us that “Not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up.”

Easily Amused - Lost in Translation

For every truly useful and informative web site, there must be an equally trivial and frivolous one. This is the yin and yang of the internet universe. But just because a web site is devoted to bubble wrap doesn’t mean it is any less important than a page dedicated to ending world hunger, does it? Well, alright, it probably does. But it is this heterogeneity that gives the internet a vitality and uniqueness that is unparalleled in any other media. This column is dedicated to these mindlessly fun, sometimes intriguing web sites.

This Week’s Theme - Lost in Translation

The Bible in Pig Latin - http://www.museumofconceptualart.com/ible-bay.html

You can hear the collective cheer of Pig Latin speakers across the globe now that the Holy Book is available in this elegant tongue.

Kiss This Guy: The Archive of Misheard Lyrics - http://www.kissthisguy.com/

Taken from the famous Jimi Hendrix mondegreen “‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy,” this site is a funny compendium of similarly misunderstood song lyrics.

Engrish - http://www.engrish.com

A hilarious and often surreal look at Japan’s misuse of the English language, from “No Smorking” signs to “Miss Urine Tester USA” t-shirts.

The Dialectizer - http://rinkworks.com/dialect/

Just type in a phrase and watch “Hello, how are you” dialectize into Swedish Chef as “Hellu, hoo ere-a yuoo.” Other dialects include Jive, Redneck and Elmer Fudd.

Easily Amused - Evil On-line

For every truly useful and informative web site, there must be an equally trivial and frivolous one. This is the yin and yang of the internet universe. But just because a web site is devoted to bubble wrap doesn’t mean it is any less important than a page dedicated to ending world hunger, does it? Well, alright, it probably does. But it is this heterogeneity that gives the internet a vitality and uniqueness that is unparalleled in any other media. This column is dedicated to these mindlessly fun, sometimes intriguing web sites.

This Week’s Theme - Evil On-line

Bert is Evil - http://www.bertisevil.tv/

Who would have thought that Ernie’s grouchy yet lovable, er, companion was responsible for every major scandal and dire event of the last 50 years, from the JFK assassination to the death of Sesame Street’s beloved Mr. Hooper? This documentary evidence will make you believe. (Warning: site contains mature content)

David Hasselhoff is the Anti-Christ - http://www.esquilax.com/baywatch/index.shtml

Not quite as far-fetched as the evil muppet one, but still funny.

The Bushy-Tailed Rat - http://www.geocities.com/nickedemis/

This site seeks to warn others of the Evil Squirrel Conspiracy. And if you think this is a lone weirdo, then http://www.student.smsu.edu/j/jmw894s/Opinions/squirrel10.htm and http://www.anti-squirrel.com should prove that this is hardly an isolated phenomenon.

The Dark Side of the Scooby Gang - http://www.cdc.net/~drjekyll/scooby/darkside/

The errors and plot holes of classic Scooby episodes led one webmaster to believe that such shenanigans could only be caused by the Nega-Scooby Gang, the nefarious dopplegängers of our beloved Mystery Inc. Jinkies! (Note that Scrappy Doo is, naturally, a member of the Nega team.)

Beware the Grease-Painted Ones - http://www.clownz.com/index.html

Just more proof that clowns are truly evil.

Easily Amused - Virtual Insanity

For every truly useful and informative web site, there must be an equally trivial and frivolous one. This is the yin and yang of the internet universe. But just because a web site is devoted to bubble wrap doesn’t mean it is any less important than a page dedicated to ending world hunger, does it? Well, alright, it probably does. But it is this heterogeneity that gives the internet a vitality and uniqueness that is unparalleled in any other media. This column is dedicated to these mindlessly fun, sometimes intriguing web sites.

This Week’s Theme - Virtual Insanity

Virtual Bubblewrap - http://www.virtual-bubblewrap.com/popnow.shtml

Here’s a page dedicated to this particularly addictive activity. Pop one bubble at a time or go into “manic mode” for mega-popping action.

Take a Virtual Smoke Break - http://www.lottridge.com/LOTTS/SMOKEBREAK/default.htm

For the smoker who doesn’t have time for a quick break or those simply craving a cigarette without all the harmful side effects, this is the next best thing.

A Day in the Life of a McDonald’s Employee - http://www.conceptlab.com/simulator/

The Simulator is a rather bleak look at the banality of the fast-food worker’s existence. Think “Choose Your Own Adventure” but without the adventure part.

The Virtual Stapler - http://www.virtualstapler.com/

When you just can’t get enough of that fun stapling action, the Virtual Stapler allows you to choose from three different staplers to get your fix. The site also offers Stapler poetry (in limerick and haiku format) as well as a photo gallery.