Laughing Squid

Fantastic Machines is an incredible coloring book, created by Steve McDonald, filled to the brim with fun images of real and imagined devices, such as vehicles, cameras, pinball machines, computers, engines, and robots. McDonald’s 60-page coloring book is available to purchase from Amazon. Bestselling author Steve McDonald employs his unique photo-based illustration style to celebrate...The post Fantastic Machines, A Coloring Book Filled With Fun Images of Real and Imagined Devices appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Seven stuntmen paid tribute to five of their favorite video games by recreating the epic fighting styles found in Assassin’s Creed, Metal Gear Solid, The Witcher, Uncharted, and God of War. Director Micah Moore of Legend of Micah captured footage of stuntman and assistant director Alexander Hashioka-Oatfield, visual effects guru Kevin Kem, Matt Scheib, Ben...The post Seven Stuntmen Recreate Epic Fighting Styles Found in Their Five Favorite Video Games appeared first on Laughing Squid.

The talented musician Steve Onotera aka samuraiguitarist created a somewhat dramatic short film told in the first person, about his overwhelming number of guitar pedals (stomp boxes) and what would happen if he played them all at the same time. After a few false starts and several rearrangements, the electronic daisy chain finally worked over...The post Guitarist Dramatically Challenges Himself to Play Every One of His 37 Guitar Pedals at the Same Time appeared first on Laughing Squid.

YouTuber Polyphonic, who creates incredibly informative video essays about music took a look at the iconic Miles Davis album Kind of Blue. He specifically noted how the introduction and incorporation of musical mode theory within the five songs of the album changed jazz forever. These five songs come together perfectly to create a landmark album....The post How the Incorporation of Musical Modes on the Miles Davis Album ‘Kind of Blue’ Reinvented Jazz appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Filmmaker Kastu FPV of Tiny Whoop Japan sent a micro drone in through a window and captured the sparse beauty within the tidy classrooms of a local school with just a single long take. A second take was a bit more playful. via F-Stoppers, Peta Pixel Muscle-Up, A Soothing Reverse Aerial Tour of Muscle Beach...The post A Micro Drone Captures the Sparse Beauty of a Japanese School in a Single Long Take appeared first on Laughing Squid.

A post shared by Senator Tammy Duckworth (@senduckworth) on Apr 19, 2018 at 9:54am PDT Senator Tammy Duckworth, who was the first disabled woman to be elected to the United States Senate, made history once again by casting a vote with her newborn daughter Maile Pearl in her lap. A new law was passed on...The post Senator Tammy Duckworth Ensures Her Newborn Baby Is Dressed In Accordance With Senate Rules appeared first on Laughing Squid.

During the April 18, 2018 Foo Fighters show in Austin, Texas, frontman Dave Grohl spotted a fan in the audience wearing Gene Simmons’ iconic Demon makeup mask and told him to get his ass out on stage. Grohl then handed over his beautiful signature axe and let him play during “Monkey Wrench“. As it turns...The post Dave Grohl Invites a Fan in KISS Makeup Onstage to Shred Some Licks During ‘Monkey Wrench’ appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In a determinate episode of the Condé Nast Traveler series Many People from Many Countries Say Things, 70 different people from 70 different countries all over the world explain the manner in which they can spot someone who comes from the same country as while traveling or living abroad. These identifiers can include their eyes,...The post People From Around the World Explain How They Can Spot a Person From Their Home Country appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Ewoks, Jedi, and the Rebel Alliance dance the night away in an amusing Star Wars music video by the Auralnauts for their song “Tree World (We Go Hard).” The out of this world track, from their The Last Laser Master album, is available to purchase from Amazon and iTunes. We all remember when Laser Moon...The post Ewoks Dance the Night Away in Auralnauts’ Star Wars Music Video for ‘Tree World (We Go Hard)’ appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In the short film “Alientologists” by Tyler Rabinowitz, a trio of extraterrestrials who collect space debris from a defunct Earth, fight over which of the random items are important. At one point, an argument got so contentious that one of the aliens accidentally released all of the collection back into space. Left all alone, the...The post Contentious Junk Collecting Extraterrestrials Dance for Joy When They Find a Jukebox on Their Ship appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Theodore Gray of Mechanical Gifs has created an acrylic see-through combination lock that gives an inside look at how the inner workings of the lock actually function. The completed kit is available to purchase from the Mechanical Gifs shop. Laser cutter plans for Gray‘s see-through combination lock are available to download from Thingiverse. via Digg...The post An Acrylic See-Through Combination Lock Showing How the Inner Workings Actually Function appeared first on Laughing Squid.

The official licensed Wonderlanes Volkswagen T1 Camper Van, designed by Beyond Infinity, is a 12V battery powered ride-on vehicle for kids. the red, black, and white van is available to purchase on Amazon. Do you want to go back in time to the 1960s? So please drive your own Battery-Operated Volkswagen T1 Camper Van! This...The post Retro Volkswagen T1 Camper Van Ride-On for Kids appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In recognition of the two year anniversary of the tragically unexpected death of Prince Rogers Nelson, his estate shared a previously unreleased video from the summer of 1984 that shows the musician along with The Revolution, rehearsing the song “Nothing Compares 2 U” at his Minnesota studio. The song would go on to be a...The post A Poignant Video of Prince Rehearsing ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at His Minnesota Studio in 1984 appeared first on Laughing Squid.

For centuries, Cuba has been known for its legendary handmade cigars, but the work is repetitive and can get tedious after awhile. With this in mind, factory owners in 1865 began a wonderful continuing tradition in which “lectores” (storytellers) sit at the head of the factory floor and read books aloud into a microphone to...The post The Wonderful Cuban ‘Lectores’ Who Read Books Aloud to Cigar Factory Workers During Their Shift appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Ryan Reynolds and 20th Century Fox released the final trailer for Deadpool 2, the upcoming superhero film directed by David Leitch based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and a sequel to the 2016 Deadpool film. The trailer follows Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) as he recruits goons for his X-Force squad and prepares...The post Deadpool and His X-Force Goons Take on One-Eyed Willy in the Final Deadpool 2 Trailer appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In a fascinating episode of the PBS Digital Studios series Eons, host Hank Green explains, through a brilliantly animated timeline designed by Franz Anthony, how early cephalopods who lived in shallower waters originally had pointed shells that covered their soft mantles, which allowed them to float to the surface. Over time, however these shells became...The post A Fascinating Timeline Showing When Modern Cephalopods Shed Their Ancient Mantle Shells appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Focused drone pilot Ethan Gulnac (a.k.a. “HiFlite“) skillfully documents an intense paintball game going down while maneuvering his nimble drone through the active battlefield at Maui Paintball in Hawaii. via reddit A Roundup of Mini-Drones Available in the Laughing Squid StoreThe CyPhy LVL 1 Drone, An Easy-to-Fly Camera Drone for Pilots of Any Skill LevelThe...The post A Drone Pilot Documents an Intense Paintball Game While Maneuvering Through the Battlefield appeared first on Laughing Squid.

How to DAD creator Jordan Watson of Auckland, New Zealand is back and this time he decided to point out some of the amusing differences between the United States of America and New Zealand. He previously pointed out differences between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand Father Points Out Even More Differences Between Australia and...The post New Zealand Father Points Out Amusing Differences Between the USA and New Zealand appeared first on Laughing Squid.

The always excellent film and television analysis platform ScreenPrism took a look at four different and unique camera techniques used throughout the series Breaking Bad that allowed viewers to remove themselves from the intense storyline and keep their distance for a little while. These specific techniques include wide aerial shots, timelapse, object perspective and “wide...The post How Different Camera Techniques Forced Breaking Bad Viewers Into a Godlike Sense of Detachment appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In February 2018, we wrote about a remarkable pair of roommates who completely clear out their entire apartment in order to host a full orchestra and chorus. Aptly named the “Apartment Sessions“, this ritual is performed, recorded and then posted on a monthly basis. The April 2018 performance was a wonderfully arranged cover of “Wake...The post The Apartment Sessions Plays a Beautiful Cover of Arcade Fire’s ‘Wake Up’ With Help From Neighbors appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Radiooooo is a really fun interactive player that’s designed to let users not only choose a station but the decade, mood and the global location of the music of a specific era. Based out of Paris, the founding team members have created a musical time machine of sorts using music sourced through user input. Radiooooo...The post Radiooooo, An Interactive Music Player That Lets Users Pick the Decade and Global Location of Songs appeared first on Laughing Squid.

The Banshee Box is a terrifyingly awesome special effects box, built by VFX production manager and artist Doug Schaefer, featuring a hidden ghost head that lunges out at victims while letting out a bloodcurdling scream. In a video from March 2018, Brian Foreman of HaunTopic Radio showcased the illusion box while at the TransWorld’s Halloween...The post A Special Effects Box That Features a Terrifying Screaming Ghost Head That Lunges Out at Victims appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In 2015, we wrote about a short documentary by The Atlantic entitled “The Cyborg Drummer”, which told the story of Jason Barnes, a talented multi-instrumental musician who lost his right hand in an accident. Since that time, Barnes has been working with Gil Weinberg and his team at the Center for Music Technology within Georgia...The post The Cyborg Drummer Launches a Kickstarter Project to Create a Portable Version of His Prosthetic Arm appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Since 1969, the small town of Spivey’s Corner, North Carolina has held their annual National Hollerin’ Contest although the name changed to Hollerin’ Heritage Festival in 2013. This festival brings people from all over the country to demonstrate their skills in hollerin’, “a controlled sound that farmers used to communicate with one another before they...The post Champions of the Spivey’s Corner Hollerin’ Contest Demonstrate the Four Basic Types of Field Calls appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Universal Pictures released the final trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the upcoming sci-fi adventure film directed by J. A. Bayona and sequel to Jurassic World from 2015. The terrifying trailer follows Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) as they return to the island to save the day and find out...The post The Most Dangerous Creature on Earth is Introduced in the Final Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Trailer appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Adam Cole of the NPR series Skunk Bear explained through very clever animation, how birds and other oviparous animals get in the necessary oxygen and expel carbon dioxide within the hard shell of an egg in order to allow the burgeoning embryo inside to thrive and eventually hatch and draw breath on its own. A...The post The Microscopic Holes In Bird Eggs That Give a Burgeoning Embryo the Oxygen Needed to Thrive appeared first on Laughing Squid.

For a limited time, the Laughing Squid Store is featuring a fantastic deal on the Braven BRV-1M Ultra-Rugged Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, a petite shockproof, wireless speaker that mounts onto GoPro brackets for easy portability. It also sports 12 hour 2200mAh rechargeable battery with a handy built-in USB power bank and comes in a choice of...The post Braven Ultra-Rugged Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Harry Anderson, the beloved comedian, actor and magician sadly passed away on Monday, April 16, 2018 at his home in Asheville, North Carolina at the age of 65. One of Anderson’s most recognizable characters was that of Harry “The Hat” Gittes, a sharply dressed con man who always seemed to get the best of the...The post Con Man ‘Harry the Hat’ Fools Cliff Clavin Twice With the Same Hat Trick in a Classic Clip From ‘Cheers’ appeared first on Laughing Squid.

To celebrate Avengers: Infinity War slamming down into theaters this week, Marvel unleashed a powerful 10-year legacy featurette that explores the amazing history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Star-Lord Join Forces in Amazing Avengers: Infinity War FeaturetteThe Cast of Avengers: Infinity War Talks About Their Marvel Family in a New FeaturetteThanos...The post Avengers: Infinity War 10-Year Legacy Featurette Explores the Amazing History of Marvel Films appeared first on Laughing Squid.

With equipment borrowed from the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, New Jersey, singers Piotr Beczala and Susanna Phillips from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City faced a long black cone and recorded their powerful voices onto rotating wax cylinders, the earliest form of recording and reproducing sound. After performing, the singers...The post Singers From the Metropolitan Opera Record Their Powerful Voices Onto Rotating Wax Cylinders appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Danny Anderson‘s son Lewis landed a Piper PA-28 Cherokee series aircraft at the unique Barra Airport in Scotland. It is one of the only airports in the world that has a sandy beach for a runway. via Digg Hardworking Dog Gleefully Clears Birds From Airport Runways in Order to Prevent Aircraft Bird StrikesThe Millennium Falcon...The post Pilot Lands His Plane at an Airport in Scotland That Has a Beach For a Runway appeared first on Laughing Squid.

On April 15, 2018, a beautiful western lowland gorilla at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute named Calaya gave birth to a bouncing baby boy who was named Moke. As she had practiced for several months with pictures and a plush animal, the new mother immediately brought her newborn up to her mouth,...The post A Loving Western Lowland Gorilla Mother Gives Her Newborn Baby Boy a Kiss After His Historic Birth appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Hearts Beat Loud star Nick Offerman got together with The New Yorker and brought his awesome sense of humor to their cartoon caption contest. A Very Crude ‘New Yorker’ Caption ContestNick Offerman Will Be Hosting the 20th Annual Webby Awards CeremonyNick Offerman Discusses ‘Full Bush’ and Explains Why He Thinks Manscaping Is an AbominationThe post Nick Offerman Brings His Sense of Humor to The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong created a clever ad campaign for KFC Hong Kong that turned hot and spicy fried chicken into fiery explosions. A post shared by KFC Hong Kong (@kfchk) on Apr 18, 2018 at 3:59am PDT via Photoblog.hk, PetaPixel Hong Kong KFC Creates Edible Nail Polish That Tastes Like Their Most Popular...The post Clever KFC Hong Kong Ad Campaign Uses Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken To Replicate Fiery Explosions appeared first on Laughing Squid.

While in Italy, talk show host Conan O’Brien decided to do something nice for traveling companion Jordan Schlansky and brought him to his favorite winery. Despite this friendly gesture, Jordan had a difficult time getting away from his boorish self during the wine tasting, providing a great deal of fodder for an irritated Conan’s amusement....The post An Annoyed Conan Insults a Boorish Jordan Schlansky During a Wine Tasting in Italy appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Three of the seventeen baby goats who were born in April 2018 at the Sunflower Farm Creamery in Cumberland, Maine adorably hung out in a steel bucket made comfy with straw, patiently looking around at their brand new world while their mother had a bite to eat. This little hircine trio were given the elegant...The post An Adorable Trio of Two-Day Old Baby Goats Wait in a Steel Bucket While Their Mother Eats Dinner appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In a 1994 pilot for the short-lived The Second City’s 149 1/2 Edition, a young Steve Carell played the role of Chuck, an Ohio boy who just moved to the big city and needed to do some laundry in the middle of the night. After being told that all the machines had been taken, a...The post A Young Steve Carell Plays a Ladykiller Who Helps a Neighbor Fold Laundry in a 1994 Second City Pilot appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Self taught sfx makeup artist Ellinor Rosander and Swedish photographer Macs Moser showed how to become the unnamed amphibian man from The Shape of Water in their beautiful makeup tutorial. Creating the amphibious creature with DIY methods was a challenge, especially when it came to the paint job. There are many steps to take and...The post A Beautiful Makeup Tutorial Showing How to Become The Shape of Water Amphibian Man appeared first on Laughing Squid.

On an incredibly prescient 1986 episode of Crossfire, the late, great Frank Zappa sat down with hosts Robert Novack (on the left) and Tom Braden (on the right) to talk about censorship and his testimonial before the United States Senate Commerce, Technology, and Transportation committee in regard to actions taken by the PMRC (Parents Music...The post Frank Zappa Warns How Censorship Will Lead to an Encroaching Fascist Theocracy on ‘Crossfire’ in 1986 appeared first on Laughing Squid.

On a physically fit episode of their Human Condition series, Great Big Story met up with Lindsborg, Kansas cross country coach and competitive runner Aaron Yoder. After injuring his knee, he began running backwards everywhere to stay in the game. In 2015, Yoder set a Guinness World Record for the fastest one mile run backwards....The post The World’s Fastest Backwards Runner appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In a rather stark but informative animation, the consistently insightful School of Life explains why they believe breakdowns are necessary to live an authentic life. They cite the need to reconcile the disquieted parts of the mind with those that actively deny emotional pain. While these different parts of the mind need not be in...The post How a Breakdown Can Be Likened to a Violent Revolution Within One’s Own Mind appeared first on Laughing Squid.

As part of their continuing Planet Earth series, Great Big Story profiled a really interesting mossy leaf-tailed gecko whose camouflaging skin looks just like the bark of the trees in the forests of Madagascar where they live. Unfortunately, just like the many other animals and insects who have appeared in this series, the mossy leaf...The post A Fascinating Mossy Leaf Gecko Whose Pebbly Skin Matches the Bark of Trees for Excellent Camouflage appeared first on Laughing Squid.

In a ceding Ted Ed lesson written by educator Tierney Thys and animated by John R. Dilworth, narrator Susan Zimmerman explains which animals play dead and why. Examples include possums, quail chicks, cats, sharks and even humans. Hundreds of animals “play dead” as a survival tactic. Nicknamed “playing possum” after its star performer, feigning death...The post Why Suddenly Going Into a Catatonic State in the Face of Danger Is Referred to as ‘Playing Possum’ appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Brooklyn writer and beer aficionado Joshua M. Bernstein has written Homebrew World: Discover the Secrets of the World’s Leading Homebrewers, a comprehensive book that taps into the work of dedicated homebrewers from around the world. Bernstein specifically looked at the origin of their recipes, the different equipment used and how they make the time and...The post Homebrew World, An Informative Book That Taps Into the Secrets of Brewers From Around the Globe appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Engineer Destin Sandlin of Smarter Every Day made his way out to Rocklin, California to speak with the creators of the Infinadeck Omnidirectional Treadmill, a VR treadmill similar to the one used in the film Ready Player One. After a brief discussion about the engineering involved (“a treadmill made of treadmills”), Sandlin jumped aboard to...The post An Incredible Omnidirectional Treadmill Designed for Virtual Reality Like the One in ‘Ready Player One’ appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Luke Skywalker takes on enemies with an extra long lightsaber as Dirk Lasermaster: The Last Laser Master in a hilarious Star Wars: Return of the Jedi music video by the Auralnauts. The catchy song, from their full “The Last Laser Master” saga, is available to purchase from iTunes and Bandcamp. Bushes of Love, A Bad...The post Luke Skywalker Becomes Dirk Lasermaster: The Last Laser Master in Hilarious Star Wars Music Video appeared first on Laughing Squid.

During a visit with the Royal Air Force, YouTuber Tom Scott headed over to the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine to take a look at the training centrifuge, a mandatory exercise for any pilot wishing to serve Queen and Country. Being the experimental soul he is, Tom happily volunteered to go for a literal spin...The post Tom Scott Briefly Loses Consciousness in a Royal Air Force Centrifuge Due to Low G-Force Tolerance appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Christian Ihlo (a.k.a. “Mr.Puzzle“) reviews the first prototype copy of ND Puzzles‘ The Possible Dovetail Puzzle, a very unique variation of the “Impossible Dovetail” puzzle. A post shared by Mr.Puzzle (@mr.puzzle_youtube) on Apr 11, 2018 at 11:06am PDT How to Disassemble and Reassemble the Pento T, An Incredibly Difficult Wooden PuzzleBrikawood, Interlocking Wooden Bricks That...The post The Possible Dovetail Puzzle appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Dream Cruises teamed up with a group of cruise enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate the launch of the Hong Kong tourism company’s new 18-deck, 151,695-ton “World Dream” cruise ship by building an incredibly large replica using more than 2.5 million LEGO bricks. They ended up officially setting a new Guinness World Record for...The post The World’s Largest LEGO Ship Built Using Over 2.5 Million Bricks Sets Guinness World Record appeared first on Laughing Squid.

Musician Nathan Mills of Beyond The Guitar sat down and performed a beautiful classical guitar medley of some of his favorite TV sitcom theme songs like The Office, Seinfeld, and Friends. The guitar tabs for his medley are available to purchase from Musicnotes. A Hauntingly Beautiful Classical Guitar Medley of the Stranger Things Season One...The post A Beautiful Classical Guitar Medley of TV Sitcom Theme Songs appeared first on Laughing Squid.