Aloha

Seriously, who comes up with this stuff? Even the people in the infomercial looked uncomfortable in it.

And Now, A Brief Interlude

Carry on, Ron Burgundy

Do you think Kansas is embarrassed that it took Six of them to perform the song when one teenage girl can do it on an organ? Probably not, seeing as the song made them rich.



And if you've got the spare time to let it load you can see a video of Will Ferrell screwing around on CNBC's Power Lunch.

Red Crab Migration

Cat on a Dorphin

A very Japanese game to get you through the weekend (or Monday morning). basic plot: fling the cat in the air to keep it from drowning, but be sure to catch it and take it to the end of the track because the cat wants to be there apparently.

Stephen Covey's Habit of the Week

Habit #19: Effective time management is critical to success. Hire a secretary to help you with your schedule and assist with daily activities. If you cannot afford a secretary, consider a day-laborer with nominal English proficiency to ayudar con tu horario.

Ever Wondered What an Anthill Looks Like on the Inside?

If you don't have a crazed fascination with ants feel free to skip to about 3 minutes in where they drown the hive in concrete and excavate it. I love how they gloss over the fact that they are destroying the entire colony in order to study it. But what the hell, they are only ants.

So, Why No Support for "Future Tom"?

You may have noticed, or even voted, in the current poll on who will be the first to take down the Pocomoke Christmas Tree. And it's currently a dead-heat with one notable exception: no one has voted for me.

Now, I'm assuming this is our readers' recognition for my love of Christmas and indoor pine trees.

I mean, what gives?! I did, in fact, purchase the tree and, with James and a Mexican gentleman, strap it to the top of my car in the rain!!

Ahem... moving along.

Let's take a closer look at the odds for our final 3 contenders:

Future Matt: Matt is a responsible and thoughtful citizen and roommate. Emphasis on the thoughtful, however. Matt's unhealthy levels of Guilt Disorder (GGD) would prevent him from taking the initiative until all other roommates had agreed that it was time for the tree to come down. Plus, he has a laundry list of chores to deal with in his basement suite before turning his attention to the living room. Odds: 1/20.

Future James: Although James has a much more normal level of GGD, he loves Christmas more than anyone else I know. If it were up to him, the tree would stay up year round. However, James' greatest fear is death by a tree falling on him - which haunts him nightly. Can he reconcile his love of Christmas with his fear of trees? Further, his first priority is brewing and his roommates encourage him in this endeavor so as to have bountiful supplies of homebrews. Odds: 1/4

Future Richard: Richard is the odds-on favorite for this event. He has to look a the tree every morning leaving his room, and it reminds him of a joy that only comes once a year. A joy that he will not know again until December 25, 2008. Also, the tree has taken the place of a beloved rubber tree plant (I know, it's actually called something else, but I don't know how to spell it). The aching reminder of happier times and love of live plants makes him a leading contender. However, his desire to teach his roommates a lesson about personal responsibility complicates matters. Can he reconcile these two desires? Odds: 1/2

Tom Cruise on Scientology

To be honest, I never really understood the morbid fascination with Tom Cruise and his Scientology faith. Sure, it's a weird and exploitative cult, but what else would you expect from a creepy twice-divorced lilliputian who has a Japanese national holiday named after him?. So I didn't think it was a particularly big deal...until I saw this video.

Keep in mind that this footage, though edited, was originally intended as pro-Scientologist propaganda. If this is the stuff they WANT you to see, what on Earth or the Galactic Confederacy are they hiding??

Some More Interesting Links

For those that have to work on Tuesday:

Which country has the most spoken languages? The winner may surprise you.

And the winner for best use of the word tessellate: This guy. And I am totally with him in this.

Does this remind anyone else of Jabba's barge in Return of The Jedi? Better hurry if you're interested, only two left in stock.

And finally, what do you get when you combine rap with excel? Charts!

Network TV is Back... Sort of.

Who needs writers when you can just make fun of the Germans?


And, everything's better with bacon.

Untangle

Here's another fun timewaster for those of you stuck at work today. The game is called Untangle, and if you can't figure it out you need help.

Smackdown

If you were around the weekend before NYE, you probably had the pleasure of meeting two old friends of Pocomoke: Cliff and Josh. These two once accompanied JG, Bex and yours truly on a very special voyage of discovery across the lower 48. They also once tried to box each other. This is their story (don't worry, it's over pretty quick):

Stephen Covey's Habit of the Week

Habit #18: Time is money. Use the start of the new year to end friendships with those who don't benefit you financially.

The Dangers of Local Warming

Unfortunately 3 out of the 4 residents of Pocomoke are contributing to the problem.

Just a Few Random Links To Get Your Throught the Day

We all know about Volkswagen, but what other companies rose to prominence during the Third Reich?

For those with interest in such things, 20 weird scientific experiments.

Why do I have the sneaking suspicion Old Bear is thinking about getting a pair of these.

And finally, ever wonder what Lenin's up to?

A Quarter Century Young

You can't tell the story of 1605 N. Pocomoke without our good friend Lydia, who has probably contributed more content to this blog than Tom and Matt combined. For reasons unclear to us she willingly endures our lame jokes, cruel nicknames, and general lack of social grace. We've all benefited greatly from her prowess as a chef; I am specifically reminded of the occasion on which Richard told her to make him the "unhealthiest cake possible." She congratulates us when we are at our best and never hesitates to point out when we are at our worst. She is the fifth member of our house, sharing in its victories as well as its defeats. Today Lydia celebrates her 25th birthday and on behalf of 1605 N. Pocomoke I would like to extend our most sincere good wishes. Happy Birthday Lydia - we grant you the gift of immortality on Hock N' Blog!

Small Car vs. Ninjas on Roller Skates

My question is, why couldn't they find black roller skates? Seriously, pink wheels? And apparently the best way to beat them is to drive up a slight incline.

Normally I'm not one to jump on the whole ninja bandwagon, but it seems they are having a comeback (thanks for the link Chris).

Sword vs. Machine Gun

Not exactly Knife vs. Handgun, but cool anyway. At first it seems that the gun wins hands down, then you realize the earlier bullets were split in half.

CES Intro

Apparently when you're the richest man in the world you can not only afford to make fun of yourself, you can also afford to pay celebrities to do it for you.

Know Your Pocomoke: Answers Revealed

Here are the somewhat belated responses to last week's Know Your Pocomoke:

1. Matt and Richard once started a house fire in El Paso, Texas. This occurred on a cross-country road trip, so they had a great excuse to hit the ol' dusty trail before the arson investigators showed up. But down along the Rio Grande folks still tell tales of the Flaming Desperados.

2. Alphonso joined us for a late night chat during a pit stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas. I can't remember the details of the encounter except that it convinced us to get back on the highway and seek lodgings in Little Rock proper instead.

3. The circumstances surrounding this event are sketchy and greatly disputed, but historians generally agree that Big Cat launched the first handful of fruitcake. He attempted to hide his identity by dressing in Old Bear's clothing (which we DO have pictures of). As the incident occurred in international waters, the Laughing Fruitcaker was never brought to justice.

4. At the time I posted this question, Mr. Bitey, armed with natural feline inquisitiveness and the blind confidence of adolescence, was getting dangerously close to opening the cage that held Banana, the king snake who was staying with us at the time. The pets' owners have since decided to separate the two, but if you ask me we were getting close to an all-too-vivid example of curiosity killing the cat.

Have an iPhone? David Lynch hates you.

Cursor*10

Here's a clever little game that won't test your knowledge of geography. It took me a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but once you do it's fun trying to maximize your score and compliment your previous moves.