Say hallo to the Wake N Bacon

.....an alarm with built in grill which gently wakes you with the mouthwatering aroma of bacon which is slowly cooked by two internal halogen lamps

Most people love the aroma of a freshly cooked fry up so the alarm that lets the bacon do the waking should be a success but then again

who wants to stay in a bedroom reeking of bacon and it’s only mice who will thank you for that rasher rind under the pillow. For vegetarians the wake n egg or wake n tomato doesn’t have the same ring to it.

So it’s back to the drawing board for the alarm making people and thankfully, back to the bed for the rest of us

Posted by at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This weekends recommend is one of the oldes rallies in europe - the Cork 20 International Rally testing the mettle of even the most seasoned of drivers

Todays site celebrates another notorious driver - Top Gear’s Richard Hammond who, following his 280 mile an hour jet powered smash has now been dubbed the luckiest man alive. The Hamster fans at Hammond Heaven are so glad he’s still alive, they wrote him a special prayer.

Our Richard, Which art on Top Gear,
Hammond be thy name,
Thy girlies come, thy will be done
On earth as they are in Heaven.
Give us this day our DB9,
And forgive us our Smart cars,
And lead us not into James May,
But deliver us from Clarkson,
For thine is the Charger, the dogs and the bright shirts,
For ever and ever, Amen.

Posted by at 5:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rick Nuanez is a sketch artist with a difference. The difference is an etch a sketch.

Over the last 15 years, Rick has more than earned the moniker Mr Etch A Sketch. He’s created hundreds of detailed pictures using these tiny toys and their fiddly horizontal and vertical controls.

Visit his site to see some amazing etch-a-sketches - the Simpsons family, Star Wars characters and even the Mona Lisa. The site links to an Etch a Sketch simulator where you can try your own hand to see how difficult it is.

Rick has re-ignited the interest in etch-a-sketch - a toy which dates back to the 60s and which some regard as the word’s first low tech laptop. It never crashes and is very easy to re-boot - just pick it up and shake.

Posted by at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Marxist idea of communism advocates a classless society in which everything is shared and owned equally.....

.....with ultimate goals achieved through human emancipation, enlightenment and a shared consciousness of the human condition. The lesser known Czapiewski theory of communism isn’t quite so straightforward but appears to involve the construction of an upside down house.

Bizarre though it may sound - Daniel Czapiewski and his builders have worked through 114 disorienting days to construct an Upside Down House in the tiny Polish village of Szymbark.

Visit the website and you can view this structure in all it’s upended glory. The Upside Down House looks like God’s cruel joke on the construction industry but Daniel intends it to have a serious message.

This house is a warning about the path we’re taking - mankind is spoiling this world and only mankind can fix it.

As a political statement, it’s effectiveness is questionable. When interviewed, the scores of tourists who visited this reverse dwelling seemed to be more excited by photographing furniture on the roof than political revolution.

So, it looks like Mankinds Mr Fix It may have to go back to the drawing board. The Upside Down House may kickstart Szymbark’s tourism revolution but it’s a political and practical failure.

Think of all the broken crockery and mis-placed shoes and we still haven’t answered the question of how you flush the toilet.

Posted by at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This weekends recommend is the longest running national hot air balloon event in the world, which starts on Sunday in Athlone

Elsewhere, you may have noticed another popular sporting championship involving a similarly shaped inflatable

Yes, the rugby world cup - enjoyed by many, misunderstood by many. If you don’t know the difference between a full back and an all black then maybe you need the help of this online video presented by five of the least butch, likely rugger types you’ve ever seen.

Posted by at 7:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In spite of the fact that the Simpsons are the worlds most dysfunctional family, we all love them.

Some of us love them enough to want to be them. Life seems so much simpler in a 2 dimensional animated world where donuts are king, work is a four letter world and tensions are comfortably resolved in 26 minute chunks.

The Simpsonize site lets you create your very own Springfield character - upload a headshot photo onto your pc, click Simpsonize and watch as your very own Simpson materialises.

And it doesn’t end there - you can spend hours configuring various parameters - whether it be facial scruff, body type, eyebrows, nose, ears, glasses etc to create the perfect likeness.

Being free and totally non-invasive, cartoon cosmetic surgery could be the future of beauty and when it comes to procedures - there’s none more qualified than Springfield’s famous practitioner - Dr Nick Riviera.

Posted by at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If the world is a global village, then some of us haven’t got out of the bedroom.

Only 37 % of young Americans can find Iraq and half of young Americans can’t even find New York on a map.

The global do-gooders at National Geographic are righting this wrong with an amazing web resource which aims to teach all of us about the revitalising force of geography.

Travel the world virtually or take part in some real life high-tech treasure hunting – locating booty hidden all around the world by other gamers.

The National Geo Quiz will help you test your level of global intelligence with questions at varying levels of difficulty. Don’t expect a gold star unless you can answer the following with confidence - The Chuuk and Yap Islands are part of what country ? Answer The Federated States of Micronesia !

Posted by at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sarcasm may be the lowest form of humour, but, when properly applied it’s also the funniest.

This fact is well recognized by The Sarcasm Society - a group who are dedicated to furthering the cause of sarky people everywhere through their website.

Their elaborate newbie charter lays out the criteria for membership and restricts what sarcasm tools can be used by members depending on seniority - whether it be the evil grin, sly eyebrow or furtive look.

Yet, all their efforts could be in vain. After all, sarcasm is an inherent trait best practised by those who know and not to easily taught.

Take Groucho Marx - one of the most successfully sarcastic men of all time - who didn’t need a Society to assist him - when coining hundreds of classic quips like this one -

I didn't like the play, but then I saw it under adverse conditions - the curtain was up

Posted by at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This weekends recommend is the all Ireland Football Championship Final in Croker which will be thronged with Cork and Kerry fans.

None more enthusiastic than Effin Eddie - the by now legendary self professed commentator who was captured on film for a county final. Previously available on video only you can now enjoy Eddie’s analysis online.

Posted by at 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Welcome to Fat Club. The first rule is - You must be male. The second rule is you must be fat

Overseen by a self confessed prime porker, the Fat Club website is an un-pc male only website where multiple bellied blokes can gather to discuss the finer points of weight loss.

Pointing a pudgey finger at the notion of fad diets, Fat Club is designed for those who want the no nonsense approach to trimming the gut. 53 % of respondents to their online poll have never heard of Gillian Keith and you won’t find any mention of Green Tea Lifestyles.

Registered members are encouraged to build their own online sty where they can post updates on their fatty fluctuations. Best of all is a link to the ultimate porker comedy accessory - the one size fits all inflatable sumo suit and hat !

Posted by at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This weekends recommend is the Cois Farraige festival taking place in Kilkee County Clare where you’ll loads of good sounds and surfing and presumably some long haired dudes..

Speaking of which - according to one website we may see a resurgence of the cut of choice for the discerning thug - the mullet

Mullets Galore proves the movement is thriving worldwide. Browse through their pictorial for some alarming examples like the "achy-breaky-bad-mistakey"

And, if you can't beat 'em you could always join 'em. All you need to perfect the style is a set of rusty garden shears, some semi-reflective material and a dose of hard nosed mulletude to join the swelling ranks of the hairy "mullitia".

Posted by at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)