Are you ready to Wrock?

So here is the dilemma: you are a huge Harry Potter fan but none of the music you listen to seems to ever sing about anything from the books OR the movies. What's up with that?!?

Well, problem solved! Yes, I still remember the first time I heard Wrock a few years ago. Wait, let me back up.

Wrock is how the cool kids (warning: definition of cool may vary by reader) refer to Wizard Rock. Now,I know we are all familiar with rapping Hobbits but this is totally different. Wrock bands focus their lyrics exclusively within the world of Harry Potter. Oh. Heck. Yeah.

There are many...many...many wrock bands, although the number that can be considered to actually play music that doesn't make your ear hole break is somewhat limited. You can explore wrock at the Wizrocklopedia, WizardRock, and Real Wizard Rock. You can even check out the monthly collection put out by the Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club.

As with any genre, there are standouts. Here are a three groups that I have been listening to for a while. No super fancy write up,just a video and a link. You have time for that, right?

Harry and the Potters
"Song for the Death Eaters"


Draco and the Malfoys
"My Dad is Rich (and Your Dad is Dead)"


Ministry of Magic
"Escape from Azkaban"


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Carl Sagan - A Glorious Dawn remix

While I certainly have issues with many of Carl Sagan's theories (particularly towards creation, etc), I definitely respect his contributions to science overall. His view of space has always been very interesting. I stumbled onto this video earlier today and really enjoyed it.



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Oh, the Temptation

Dude Perfect Basketball

Dude Perfect is a group of college guys that all used to play basketball. At some point they started competing with each other for the best trick shot. One day someone decided to start filming them and when people started liking their videos they became Dude Perfect. They have a lot more videos than these if you want to look them up on YouTube. Be sure to watch the second video with a crazy long shot.





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Ok, I'll say it: I don't like CFL bulbs

We have all heard how the new CFL light bulbs are the end all be all. You can't go more than an hour watching TV without seeing a commercial for them or someone referencing how they are going to single handedly save the world. Honestly, it is a bit ridiculous - it's a stinking light bulb. Will they save you money? I guess. Is the cleanup and disposing of them a pain in the butt? Absolutely. This is taken verbatim, copy-paste from the EPA website describing what to do if you break one:

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal below.

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

• Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
• Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
• Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

• Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
• Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
• Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

• Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
• If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
• Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

• If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
• You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
• If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials

• Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
• Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
• Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

• The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
• Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

On top of this, you can't even throw the bulbs away! You have to return them to a recycling center or someone that will do it for you (such as Home Depot). Um, pass. They also cost too much for me to think about switching out all my light bulbs at once.

And by the way, haven't we been told for the last few decades how evil mercury is? I don't remember my light bulb ever having this strong a potential to give me cancer before....

So, will I be getting CFL bulbs? Nope. I will just wait for a huge drop in price on LED or whatever the next tech to come down the pipeline is. I will help the Earth in other ways, such as by eating a lot of beef. Oh, wait; that's apparently bad, too. I give up.

I'm all for being a good steward of the Earth but this whole "Go Green or we are all doomed" stuff is getting annoying. I mean, it is to the point where I've put my copy of Silent Spring in my basement next to my paint thinner and bug sprays just to mock it.

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Happy Birthday, Bilbo and Frodo!

As I am sure ALL of you know, today is the co-birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Huzzah! I'm sure, like me, you all have this day circled on your calender for celebration each year. Today I will be eating as many cinnamon rolls and honey buns as I can (so, basically a normal Tuesday) and I may even thrown in the old 1970s animated film.

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Dating Video Monatage, 80's style

Funny and sad at the same time.

Dating Montage
Uploaded by smithy00101. - Discover more animation and arts videos.

HT: Hot Air


BONUS: Don't miss this previous video dating post.

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Andy Richter Owns Wolf Blitzer on Jeopardy

Man, that has GOT to sting.



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RIP Swayze

I wasn't a HUGE fan, but I did enjoy several movies he was in. Despite his body of work, my favorite moment was when he was in one of my favorite SNL sketches of all time. The actual sketch was a few minutes longer and had some funny dialogue, but this is the best version I could find. I'll edit in a better one if I find it.

Patrick Swayze - Chippendale
Uploaded by tressage -

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Oh, Kanye

Even Chris Brown was like




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One Year of Walking in China

This video semi-documents a guy attempting to travel from China to Germany solely by foot (heh, 'solely' by 'foot'). In the end he doesn't make but it he did get over 4000 miles across China. His website tracked his movements and I recommend checking out his daily journal entries. This video records his beard and hair growth over the course of the trip. I found the video especially interesting when I would realize I had stood in some of the same places he took a picture.

You you check out his website here.




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Flying/Skiing Motorcycle

I honestly can't figure out if i find this to be really cool or really stupid. Your thoughts?



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The Orchids - Another Saturday Night

This song has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it somewhere around 2 years ago. I was just sitting here watching the video for the [insert large number] time and decided to go ahead and post it.

New Weird Al EP - "Internet Leaks"

Ah, the greatness that is Weird Al. I have been rocking out to Weird Al on at least a weekly basis for, oh, over 20 years now. That's right. Anyway, Al has a new CD coming out sometime next year and has released an EP with a a few songs that will be on there. Videos for most of the songs are floating around so I present you with them now. You can download the EP by following the links below. Enjoy!

Weird Al on Twitter

Amazon Download




1. Whatever You Like


2. Craigslist


3. Skipper Dan
Click Here for Video

4. CNR
Click Here for Video

5. Ringtone
Click Here for Video


Bonus:

Here is the video for "You're Pitiful", the parody of the James Blunt song that didn't make it onto the last album.



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It's here. Are you ready?

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Sweet Bumblebee Costume