Happy 4th of July, everyone! It's probably safe to assume that you've just logged on briefly to google barbecue recipes or DIY fireworks tutorials (just as well that you didn't make it to the store... maybe they're better enjoyed at work... or NOT AT ALL).
But while you're here, did you know that you can take your patriotism to the next level with just a couple of clicks? Start with our prior salute to cute kids who love America, of course, and if you're not feeling it after that, THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF AMERICA from CalRats is sure to do the trick.
If the rousing MIDI tones and uplifting web design don't inspire your love of country, well, you'd better pray that you don't cross paths with the The Boss and his devastating vocal chords anytime soon.
Like bowlers with one freakishly sinewed arm, we web browsers all too often neglect our full range of scrolling muscles. It's not all up and down, people! What about the horizontal slide? The tragically underrated diagonal swipe?!
With the goal of improved conditioning webwide, we're happy to present these five beautiful, oversized sites we found via the amazing nastynets community of artists. Your fingers are about to push the boundaries of cyberspace. Don't forget to stretch!
Don't adjust your monitor at vexxillology. Just keep your focus and keep moving. (by Matt Davey)
This sunrise can soothe, frustrate, and exercise at the same time! (by Chris Collins; see here for other great scrolling work)
Ok, real talk -- you missed out if the Letter People weren't a part of your childhood. Quite frankly, it's amazing that anyone ever learned to read without silly Misters or Misses representing the alphabet. Just look at those tall teeth on Mister T! Kids from the seventies through the nineties knew all about them, and what's taken over? This copycat? This? Tragedy.
Fortunately we have letterpeopleland, a YouTube account featuring 70 videos of the classic TV series, including an original mini-documentary from the account owner. Seems like a really nice guy with an apt defense of the TV uploads, noting that it's a canceled PBS show with no DVD, so YouTube is the only way to continue its educational services (we hate to call attention, but this must be shared).
Letterpeopleland is even more vital given the changes made to the characters for the sake of political correctness in the nineties. Misters and Misses became Mr. or Ms., and some of the all-male consonants became female so that the all-female vowels weren't outnumbered (letter frequencies be damned, apparently). Sure, something probably needed to be done about "all wrong" Mister X, but no more Delicious Donuts or Cotton Candy because they're junk food? Really? And what's with Happy Hair, and the rest? Fortunately the wild web's provided a home for good old Horrible Hair (courtesty of another YouTuber) and so many others. Think of the children, for crying out loud.
We've praised the Vintage Ads LiveJournal community before, but we're in multiple hallelujah mode for a recent entry called 'Food and Drink.' Don't let the simple title fool you -- the epic post is a treasure trove of colorful-creepy-classic ads and design that would make any mad man or food fetishist weep. Your eyes will be in heaven before you've even scrolled halfway through the extensive collection (we totally agree with the commenter who calls it "almost poetic").
Internet aside, obviously, but was everything better in the 50s? If the ads say so it must be true!
Here's some weekend fun -- go crazy on the site Let them sing it for you, a fascinating side project from Swedish Radio that will transform a typed message, word by word, into audio from a wide selection of songs. You can then mystify your friends by e-mailing them a link to the message.
But the real fun might just be in sitting around, typing messages and trying to figure out what those nutty Swedes are throwing back at you (there's also a great but unlinkable FAQ section with further explanation). Informal Urlesque testing revealed that "You happy people stop" (don't ask) will output a word each from AC/DC, Gorillaz, Sly and the Family Stone and Stephen Stills, respectively. It's a coding feat, sure, but it's more like a crazy labor of radio station love and crowdsourcing. The words chosen aren't random (many are from refrains, titles, etc.), and if you come across something that's not in the database (which the site will delightfully try to synthesize anyway -- try "spectacular"), you can suggest a song/artist for the word!
So enjoy your conversation with the rock stars this weekend. Who needs the beach?
That's right, crazy fans -- Donnie Hoyle is back. The internet's beloved hater of hopeless Photoshoppers returns today for a second season of digital wizardry and painful real life drama as revealed through a ubiquitous image editing program. 'You Suck at Photoshop' picks up right where Donnie left off, that's for sure:
Wow, those objects are pretty smart! However, we're left wondering why Donnie glosses over his disappearance a few months ago, a mystery that was also insufficiently (yet hilariously) addressed in the Y.S.A.P. spinoff Sn4tchbuckler's Second Chance. Here's to a torrent of verbal abuse as the story develops! Donnie, this Lifehacker type's video '101 Photoshop Tips in Five Minutes' has nothing on you:
We're not ones to fawn over the ephemeral, avant-garde web (oh, wait...) but 30 Seconds of Nothing is a strange, three million dollar cause we can totally get behind. If online donations reach that amount, the creator of the website will buy a Super Bowl ad and run a user-submitted YouTube video as long as it advertises absolutely nothing (and meets FCC regulations).
Or maybe these charming 20 seconds, then 10 seconds of Fred. That'll show the FCC, and Doritos. The possibilities are endless -- go ahead and out-suggest us in the comments!
Embedding is disabled on all of the videos, unfortunately, but they're best browsed 
Here's some weekend fun -- go crazy on the site 
