symondrake.com » Random

The butler’s rolling pin (and 20 other differences)

Symon — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:52:00 +0000

The clip below is extremely well done and very entertaining. I bet your bottom dollar you will view it more than once.

Anyone for a game of Cluedo?

Don’t get sucked in… pass it on

Symon — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Did you know that the word gullible has been taken out of the English dictionary?

Actually no, it hasn’t, but you’d be amazed at the amount of people that have responded “Really?” to that verbal statement over the years. A cheap and nasty joke I admit, but good enough entertainment nonetheless.

You’d be amazed at the amount of emails I receive weekly informing me that…

… I need to send money to fund little Maria’s cancer treatment or else she will die,
… I apparently have long lost Nigerian relatives who want to give me millions of dollars,
… I must protest against the movie being made portraying Jesus as a homosexual,
… I need to pass this on to ten people or else something bad will happen to me,
… I need to pass this on to ten people and Microsoft will give me a free laptop,
… I need to have more than 8.1 children or else the Muslims will take over the world,
… I just witnessed authentic video footage of two New Zealanders getting attacked by Bigfoot,

Yadda yadda yadda

Quite frankly, responding to well-meaning (but gullible) people gets a little tiring at times.

So, let me give you the great advice I give them…

1. Don’t believe everything you read.
2. Wikipedia and Youtube do occasionally tell lies.
3. Learn that www.snopes.com is your friend.

In conclusion, if you share this post this on Facebook, all your wildest dreams will come true ;-)

The Mair Park Bigfoot pays off

Symon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Many moons ago while surfing Amazon’s Listmanias I came across an author by the name of Jeremy Robinson. To cut a long story short, he was running a viral video contest to promote his new book, Pulse. I bribed my good buddy Lesmondj into spending a Saturday afternoon in the bush and what eventuated was two versions of the now infamous Bigfoot attack video (over 10,000 hits now on Metacafe and YouTube).

We won by a landslide, the closest (and only) opponent trailing by 9000ish hits (but who’s counting) and I was delighted to recieve the promised books last week.

A massive THANKYOU to Jeremy Robinson for the very generous prize (and for forking out mega moolah for the postage). Please check out his site here.

And for all those dying to know how the movie magic was created, here is some Bigfoot Attack Footage trivia…

1. No, the Bigfoot wasn’t real. There was more than one concerned person thinking the footage was authentic. Lesmondj and I must have the mean acting skills (and girls dig guys who have skills…).

2. The entire attack scene was done on the first take… with an imagined Bigfoot, yes imagined, not real.

3. Jon Dylan used his computer hacking skills to overlay the Bigfoot sound effects (purchased from Itunes for $1.79).

4. Apparently, the Bigfoot growls sound identical to a real Bigfoot, as one reader commented (as she deals with them on a daily basis – seriously).

5. The Mair Park Ghost legend is mostly true.

6. On the short version, Yes, the blood was real… from my nose. Don’t ask.

7. The rotting bone at the cave’s entrance (tedious version) was stolen from my dog.

8. Lesmondj spent the majority of the attack scene voluntarily lying in a puddle of water. The mark of a true friend.

9. There was no script.

View the short (and exhilirating) version below:

Footage of Bigfoot Attack? – Click here for more blooper videos

View the long (but informative) version below:

What’s really lurking down the plughole

Symon — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:41:00 +0000

I had to unblock the bathroom sink the other evening… joy. With the help of a crochet hook borrowed from PaisleyJade (yes, they really are good for something), I was able to pull out what I can only describe as a greeny, slimy, smelly, hairy, stringy goop that had to be seen to be believed. What caused it? Who knows… who wants to know? Which got me thinking…

Does anyone really know what lurks in the pipes under our houses? One recent discovery has been aptly titled ‘The sewer monster’ (see clip below).

They are saying that the monster is nothing more than masses of Tubifex worms… but I say that is very debatable. If you watch the monster closely, you will notice that it has what looks like a membrane enveloping it, unlike worms, and it is above the water, unlike worms, and it retreats from light as one organism, unlike worms (see clip below).

To conclude, I wonder if what I pulled up out of the plughole was a decomposing ‘sewer monster’? My advice is don’t get too close to the plughole next time you brush your teeth.

(Why am I thinking about the facehugger from Alien right now?)

Where’s Wally Matt?

Symon — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:51:00 +0000

A friend at youthchurch last night told me about a guy called Matt. A little video clip that Matt has put together of himself and his unique dance in unique locations has made him world famous. 14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands, over 20 million views on YouTube… It really is quite legendary.

So, without any further ado… click the clip below.

The Sound Of Music rocks!

Symon — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:09:00 +0000

I have a confession to make… I, Burton, think The Sound Of Music rocks!

…And that would make me cool (because we all know that anyone into retro stuff is rather hip). Another, even more shocking confession… We even own two copies of the DVD ( original and special anniversary edition).

I do believe a Sound Of Music revival is coming to the world… View clip below, be inspired, and spread the love.

Fred and Barney’s Nicotine addiction

Symon — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:55:00 +0000

Anyone in their 30′s and older will remember well the Flintstones. The cartoon was one of my all-time favourites and I reminisce (with nostalgic happiness) the 80′s when the show screened every school day around 4pm. Any cultured kidult will know that the Flintstones equal retro cartoonsville at its very best. I even named my cat ‘Barney’ in honour of the show.

What I bet you didn’t know is that good old Fred and Barney were also heavy cigarette smokers, frequently lighting up and at the same time encouraging their impressionable viewers to do the same.

Shame on them. Actually, same on the shows producers. Let me explain…

The Flintstones series was initially aimed at adult audiences, and the first series was sponsored by Winstone Cigarettes. Hanna Barbara allowed Fred and Barney to appear in several black and white television commercials for the cigarette company.

And we think that today’s cartoons are a bad influence!?

Matrix Ping Pong

Symon — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:11:00 +0000

Was vaguely watching the Fair Go ad awards, and saw the excellent State Insurance ad (the one with the guy with the fake legs). It reminded me of a clip I saw on ‘the youtube’ (as some people call it), a couple of years ago…

Double click the clip below to be entertained, amazed and inspired to play ping pong!

Lysdexic?

Symon — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:18:00 +0000

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.