If you always assumed striped toothpaste was the work of a magic devil, assume again. It turns out it’s the work of a little extended pipe inside the tube that merges the different colored substances onto the toothpaste highway and straight onto your brush. That mechanical trick is half a century old, however; modern varieties sometimes just come that way, as this frozen toothpaste photo that’s been around for a while demonstrates.
fun
These Hobbies Can Make You Money
By 7.24.09
Hobbies tend to be the first things to go when money gets tight, because it’s a better idea to feed and clothe yourself than buy a PSP or new Legos.
Cheap-ish Collectible Cars For The Recession
By 6.4.09
Just because there’s a recession on doesn’t mean you can’t have a hobby. Well, ok. It might mean that, but let’s assume for a second that it doesn’t. The NYT asked some collectible car experts to recommend some affordable old cars that, while they may not be considered “an investment,” are still lots of fun.
Angry Bees Attack New York GameStop
By 5.24.09
A swarm of bees gathered yesterday outside the GameStop in Union Square, possibly to demand a higher trade-in value for their games. Store employees were trapped inside for hours and eventually hung a sign reading: “Look! … closed due to bee infestation.”
By 5.21.09
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Who Killed Kiddieland? After 80 years the Chicagoland amusement park will be closing in September to make way for an unnamed big box retailer. [Chicago Tribune]
Make Your Own Playdough
By 5.17.09
Looking for a cheap way to entertain your kids or spice up a rainy day? Make your own playdough! The homemade stuff may not come in a shiny yellow play-doh container, but you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard already, and the concoction won’t smell or contain yucky toxins. Hit the jump for the recipe…
If You Save Too Much — You Might Regret It Later!
By 3.24.09
We’re always telling people to save their money — but that’s just because we’re overcompensating for a society that spends too much. It is possible to be too frugal and you risk regretting that you didn’t have a little more fun while you had the chance.
Pizzeria Employees Wear T-Shirts With Quotes From Nasty Yelp Reviews
By 3.4.09
Here’s a little bit of brilliance — a pizzeria in San Francisco has taken quotes from nasty 1 star reviews on Yelp! and make them into t-shirts for their employees to wear. We love this.
How To Tell If Your Spam Came From Russia
By 2.6.09
It’s Social Studies time! Did you know that 22% of the world’s spam comes from Russia? It’s fun to get mail from other countries, isn’t it? Andrew Biliter at the blog readrussia.com has some handy tips on how to tell whether that penis enlargement email was written by a vodka-swigging bearded man sitting in an onion-domed house. Or, you know, just a regular Russian. *shrug*
CNBC Taking Votes For Best "As Seen On TV" Product
By 1.19.09
Karla writes, “I thought this fun little tournament might interest Consumerist readers, especially the possibility of a Billy Mays vs. Vince from Shamwow showdown in the Sweet 16.” The contest will determine the “greatest ‘As Seen on TV’ product,” although with entries like Video Professor and Miss Cleo on there, “greatest” seems to be loosely defined.
The Economist's Credit Crunch Game Makes Subprime Loans Fun Again!
By 12.29.08
We think the idea of “Credit Crunch,” a print-it-yourself board game in this week’s issue of The Economist, is great. We’re not convinced it’s exactly cost-effective to print the board, cards, and money with your own equipment, though—as someone suggests in their comments section, maybe a web-savvy reader should create an online version.
How To: Carve A Pumpkin Without Butchering Yourself
By 10.30.08
We like you, so in the interest of getting you and your family to Thanksgiving with all of your fingers attached, we’d like to direct your attention to some pumpkin carving “how to” info.
Are Fireworks Legal In My State?
By 7.2.08
It’s about that time again — when patriotic Americans from every walk of life celebrate the violent birth of this great nation by blowing shit up. We love it. That’s why we’d like to help make sure you’re aware of your state’s (potentially uncool) laws regarding fireworks. We’ve posted the CPSC’s summary of state regulations inside. Enjoy.
Beware! Apple Stores Have Mysterious Tractor Beams
By 11.27.07
Your local Apple Store is home to a mysterious tractor beam that pulls in unwitting shoppers who venture less than 25 feet from its storefront, says Apple Insider. An anylst from Piper Jaffray spent 6 hours monitoring traffic in front of various Apple Stores and found that shoppers were inexplicably drawn to the big glowing Apple.
Amazon's "Customers Vote" Shopping Game Is Back
By 11.15.07
Amazon’s “customers vote” shopping game is back and it seems very fun.
Southwest Gate Agent Entertains Passengers With Ukelele
By 10.12.07
Plug in your work headphones and get ready to rock out classic-easy-listening-style.
By 9.13.07
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Mental Floss has a fun quiz that asks you to match actual warnings to popular drugs. It’s a good way to brush up on your side effect trivia, so you’ll know what to take to increase your gambling addiction but not interfere with your sleep driving. (Sadly, we only got 3 out of 10 correct.) [Mental Floss via BoingBoing]
How To Build A Shopping Cart Bike
By 8.21.07
Instructables user Zieak has built the ultimate shopping bike. Trouble is, it doesn’t really corner that well. Maybe you can help him improve it?
