Tom Fairlie.com

Ouchie! Ouchie! Ouchie!

2008-08-21T22:38:00.002-05:00

It's good to see motorcycle riders wearing helmets. It's not so good when you see some guy pop a wheelie with their girlfriend on the back of the bike. (Injury)

Spontaneous Right-Wing Hypocrisy

2008-08-20T22:02:00.000-05:00

I cannot help but be amused when Fox News gets burned at their own game. Trying to muster a group slam against John Edwards' recent admission of infidelity, their plan backfires (between the 2:31 and 3:15 mark) when Ronald Walters and Alan Colmes bring up the fact that John McCain cheated on his wife. Watch the balance of the video to see how the moral majority explain away McCain's infidelity as somehow justified because he was a POW.

The Cornhole Song

2008-08-19T21:45:00.002-05:00

I was recently introduced to the game of Cornhole. No, not the old fashioned, NSFW type of cornholing, I mean the new safe type of cornholing! Let this amusing video explain what I'm talking about.

Bootdisk.com

2008-08-18T22:03:00.000-05:00

So you just finished rebuilding your home PC with Windows 98 (hey, it was the only free OS you had lying around) and you forgot that you needed to format the hard disk with the FAT32 filesystem first. Or, you needed to make a Windows XP boot disk to help you create a dual-boot system with Vista (yuck!) or Linux (_yawn_). What do you do?

Luckily, Bootdisk.com can help. Go to their website, download the appropriate file, and image your floppy disk (assuming that you didn't throw them all out back in 2002). It's worked for me several times.

Online Color Schemer

2008-08-17T23:55:00.000-05:00

If you design web pages (or produce any type of digital art), then you might be interested in the Online Color Schemer. The company publishes other products, but this online color picker is free and often useful for finding the right color when you need it.

Give it a try.

A Junior Daredevil We Can Be Proud Of

2008-08-16T22:42:00.002-05:00

The Internet is littered with young fools experimenting with danger. Sometimes, however, their feats of bravado are so extreme that you cannot help but appreciate these fools and the entertainment that they provide for us with their failures. (Likely injury)

Superdickery

2008-08-15T23:41:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite websites is Superdickery.com.

This site has captured tons of old comic book covers and panels showing various superheroes (and assorted characters) in scenes that, well, don't look so innocent today. The name of the site comes from the Superman comics of the 1950s and 60s where he occasionally acted, shall we say, like a dick.

Give it a look and let me know what you think (click on Galleries first). You're sure to have some laughs.

Quote of the Day

2008-08-14T22:46:00.004-05:00

(that I came up with myself)

"You're the man! In fact, you're two men!"

Wiretapping for Good

2008-08-13T22:47:00.001-05:00

So I was wondering: if the U.S. government has no problems wiretapping U.S. citizens in lieu of a legal warrant or even probable cause (as evidenced by the sweeping, impersonal way in which the NSA collects data), then why can't it stop organized crime overnight?

I mean, if we can snoop the ether at random hoping to catch even a glimpse into organizations that might not even exist or that might not be planning anything even mildly interesting, then why can't they turn their prodigious data collection efforts towards something that is known to exist and that performs tangible bad acts every day of the week?

Yes, that was a rhetorical question.

Newlywed Game My Ass!

2008-08-12T22:53:00.002-05:00

Back in the 1970s, I watched an episode of The Newlywed Game in which a contestant blurted out an answer that was both funny and shocking. By the early 1980s, my retelling of this incident stopped being funny and started sounding like I was making it up. By the late 1980s, so many others were passing along this story that I started to doubt it myself (did I really see that or am I just repeating what everyone else is saying?).

Thanks to YouTube, we can put this urban legend to bed.

Chris Markle, a Good Friend

2008-08-04T13:15:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine, Chris Markle, died this past week. Chris had some struggles in his life, including some health problems, but the world was certainly a better place with him in it. As a teacher, he touched the lives of countless students, inspiring many of them to become better.

My thoughts and my love go to his wife Sophia and his daughter Zoe. Although Chris will be forever missed, we must remember that life goes on.

Finally! I'm an Uncle!

2008-07-31T23:28:00.006-05:00

My first nephew, Calder James, was born today! I can't wait until he's five so I can perform the traditional uncle duties of riling him all up with candy, pop, physical activity, and the promise of unlimited adventure... and then leaving him with Mom and Dad at the end of the weekend.

Video Roundup

2008-07-13T23:13:00.006-05:00

BEST of the WEEK:
"Stevie Starr - Professional Regurgitator!" -- SFW -- Is he for real? Watch this and determine for yourself.
"Amazing Juggling Finale" -- SFW -- I've seen a lot of jugglers, but this guy really impresses me for some reason.
"Amazing R/C airplane demo" -- SFW -- I had no idea that RC airplanes could fly this accurately -- indoors too!
"Mr. Splash Jump into 12 inches of water from 35 feet tower" -- SFW -- I never get tired of 35' belly flops.
"RC Jet Takeoff (and a Faceplant)" -- SFW : (Possible) Injury -- It's cool seeing a 6-foot F-15 take off. Too bad it almost killed someone.
"Amazing Photos" -- (Mostly) SFW -- These are really just images, but most are worth watching.
"Wrestling Back Flip to a Pin" -- SFW -- Was this kid watching The Matrix or something?
"Catch Phrase Blooper" -- NSFW -- Sometimes, everyone gets the hidden joke at the same time.

Note: All videos are intended to be reviewed by an adult first. To help sort this all out, I use the following terms when necessary:

NSFW = NOT safe for work (you should probably watch this solo before letting others see it)
SFW = Safe for work (you can probably watch this in a mixed adult crowd)
No Injuries / Injuries / Death = Warnings about something that might make you squeamish (or not)

Video Roundup

2008-07-06T21:03:00.004-05:00

BEST of the WEEK:
"Staplefahrer Klaus - Das Original" -- NSFW : (Many Fake) Injuries & Death -- It's in German, but pain and satire are international languages.
"Sign Language, Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4" -- (Partially) NSFW -- (Images only) The Telegraph (UK) published an awesome series of poorly translated signs.
"Jerry Needs No Help Playing With His Ball" -- SFW -- If they had a contraption like this for kids they'd probably call it "Halo".
"Top 3 Laughing Babies" -- SFW -- The name says it all. Guaranteed to make you smile/laugh.
"Bose Active Suspension" -- SFW -- When can I get this for my car?
"El Camino del Rey" -- SFW -- Built in 1901, this is the approach to Makinodromo, the famous climbing sector of El Chorro.
"Lazy Sunday" -- SFW -- You've probably seen this before, but it's important that you never forget how funny this is.
"Insane Jungle Bike Run" -- SFW -- To all you bikers out there. All of you want this place within a short distance of your home.
"Artillery Accident" -- SFW : Injuries (Death?) -- Never operate a cannon without reading the manual first.
"Colon Blow" -- SFW -- One of the best SNL commercials to date (probably Top 10; certainly Top 20).

Welcome to TomFairlie.com (and Happy 4th!)

2008-07-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the nth iteration of this site. Hope you like it. I was going to spend a lot of time on this welcome message, but I would prefer it if you just read my articles instead. Thanks for stopping by.