Out here in the real world, moments that warrant a man-on-man hug come few and far between. However, if you’re a professional sports player, butt slaps and warm embraces are par for the course. Win or lose, our sports heroes are routinely faced with an emotional roller coaster that would put your girlfriend’s menstrual cycles to shame.

When high fives and back slaps just won’t do, even the manliest sports stars need a hug. While most of these hugs are nothing worth writing home about, the occasional photo snap catches a supremely awkward moment of tenderness between two men.

The most awkward sports hugs of all time are as follows:

Ricky Henderson looks genuinely concerned about how much Mark McLemore is enjoying this hug (and with good reason).

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Gary Sheffield exhibiting a textbook definition of “rape eyes.” Judging from Jeter’s body language, no means no, Sheff.

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Now that’s what I call a love/hate relationship.

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Did Pedro Martinez’s puppy just die?

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This magic moment…bring your lips so close to mine. Argentinian futbol star Diego Maradona looks just a little too happy to be hugging a 13-year-old boy.

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Something about Ken Griffey Jr.’s stance is just completely off-putting here. Maybe I should cut him some slack -– he had just swatted his 500th home run.

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An uber-rare hand-to-crotch hug. Jim Edmonds, meet Jason Marquis.

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Man, those Yankees sure can’t keep their hands off of Jeter. Matsui either looks extremely concerned, or extremely jealous.

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First off, Jerry Smith (University of Louisville), that’s not how you execute an open-mouth kiss. Second off, that’s not your girlfriend! It’s Juan Palacios! What the hell, man?

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See Jerry Smith? That’s how you kiss a teammate.

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Watching Mad Men has given me a behind-the-scenes look at how old-school advertisers used to sell even the most unmarketable of products. And when it comes to products that have absolutely no personal benefit, tobacco products take the cake.

As such, smoking products have been, and will always be, about trying to make you look cool. Smoke this brand, get the girl. Smoke that brand, and you’ll be all set to arm wrestle your buddies.

This “lifestyle” slant has made for some hilarious vintage smoking ads over the years. Additionally, early ads often market cigarettes as good for you, or at least less deadly than the alternative. With so much for those ad men to work with, it’s no wonder so many ridiculous smoking ads have cropped up over the years. Here are some of the funniest:

(Ads via Found in Mom’s Basement)

In honor of this supremely ballsy art theft, Manolith is reaching back in time to detail some of the most daring and infamous art heists of all time:

The Gardner Heist

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a world-famous art museum located in Boston. On March 18, 1990, the value of the total contents in the museum instantly plummeted by $300 million, thanks to two professional thieves.

In the early hours of the morning, the criminals gained entry by posing as Boston police officers. Incognito, they then proceeded to “arrest” the two security guards on duty. With the two night guards tied up in the basement, the criminals took their time plucking 13 priceless artworks from their frames – including five Degas paintings and three Rembrandts. After two trips to their car outside, the criminals disappeared. The paintings and thieves are still at large.

Bye Bye, Mona Lisa

Way back in 1911, Vincenzo Perugia was an employee at the Louvre Museum in Paris. As you can guess by his name, Vinny was of Italian descent. In between pizza pies, the immigrant brooded over the fact that the Mona Lisa, painted by Italian-born Leonardo da Vinci, had been relocated to France. So he decided to steal it.

One day after his shift ended, Perugia hid in a room and waited for nightfall. He then proceeded to slink out of the room, evaded detection by the guards, plucked the painting from the wall, and walked out with the Mona Lisa tucked away under his smock. When Perugia eventually contacted an Italian art dealer (Alfredo Geri) two years later, Geri contacted the authorities and Vinny was arrested.

Tourist Grab at Drumlanrig Castle

Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland is home to a large private collection of artwork. The collection is available for public viewing, a fact that criminals exploited in August of 2003 to steal Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna of the Yarnwinder (valued at $65 million).

During a typical Castle tour, two criminals acting as tourists attacked their tour guide, grabbed the masterpiece and bolted from the castle as a gaggle of sightseers looked on. Despite snatching the painting in broad daylight with no masks or other form of cover, they got away scott free. That is, until 2007, when Glasgow police raided a law firm, recovered the painting and charged four individuals with crimes relating to the heist.

Attack on Sweden’s National Museum

A robbery that incorporates machine guns and car bombs? Now that’s ballsy. On December 22, 2000, three men stormed into Sweden’s National Museum. As one thief held up the museum staff with a machine gun, the other two grabbed two Renoirs and a Rembrandt off the walls (valued at $30 million in total). Though the heist only took minutes, the criminals set off two car bombs in other parts of the city as diversions to keep the cops busy. For extra ballsiness, the criminals made their getaway in a speedboat.

However, as it turns out, the criminals were all balls and no brain – days after the heist they contacted the police and requested millions of dollars in ransom money. If the crooks had attended Crime 101, they would have known that this was a bonehead move. Shortly after, eight men were arrested.

Honda CR-Z

First introduced as a concept in 2007, Honda now intends to bring this hybrid compact to market. The updated design will be on hand in Tokyo, and attendees are just itching to see what this Honda CR-X inspired hybrid has to offer. Personally, I think this is one of the coolest looking hybrid vehicles I’ve seen that will actually be for sale on dealer lots.

Subaru Hybrid Tourer

Those gullwing doors sure do catch your attention, don’t they? Other than that super sexy exterior, we know that the Hybrid Tourer will boast 4WD, a 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine and 10-kilowatt front-drive electric motor. Subaru previously announced plans to introduce a hybrid model by 2012, but so far they’ve yet to decide on an actual model. Will the Hybrid Tourer be flapping its wings down an interstate near you? Sadly, not likely.

Honda EV-N

What would an iPod look like in car form? A lot like the all-electric Honda EV-N. Practically oozing with charm, the EV-N is based off the design of a 1960s or 70s Honda N 360. The super tiny city commuter seats 4 passengers (I call shotgun), features solar power technology and comes with swappable upholstery panels so you can change color or pattern. How fast does it go? Probably not very. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting one of these uber cool mini cars. And Honda, in the words of Morrisey, please, please, please let me get what I want.

Power-ups are one of the key ingredients to Nintendo’s Mario Kart games that have made the series such a runaway success. Taking a cue from this recipe for success, the Indy Racing League (IRL) has added the equivalent of super mushrooms to the real-world racing scene.

Since August 1, IRL drivers have been racing with a “push to pass” button strategically placed on the car’s steering wheel. When pressed, the car receives a sudden surge in horsepower, instantly catapulting drivers forward. Power boosts range from five to 20 horsepower.

Already, the gimmick has been heralded as a success, helping to revive excitement in IRL races.

To limit overuse of the push button, drivers are only allotted a certain number of pushes per race. Depending on the specific course layout, racers might be allotted 12 to 15 pushes per race. Duration of power boost is also determined on a track-by-track basis (typically 10 to 20 seconds).

For now, the IRL seems against Mario Kart’s golden mushroom – non-stop mashing is disabled due to a 10-second recharge period.

Given the early success of the power boost, can we expect to see other Mario power-ups in the future? Doubtful, but I, for one, would love to see the racetrack strewn with giant banana peels and Bob-ombs.

Sadly, this most supreme animal does not exist (yet). However, there are a handful of real-world crossbreeds that would gladly eat your face off if given the chance. These animals are created by mating two species that have a similar-enough gene structure.

So, until I can perfect my bear/shark experiments from deep within my underground lair, I give you the most badass animal hybrids that actually exist:

Liger

This is the most well-known animal hybrid, and for good reason. The liger – a crossbreed between a male lion and female tiger – is the largest cat in the world. Ligers possess badass features and characteristics from both parents. They swim like tigers and interact socially like lions. What’s that mean for you? Ligers can team up and track you across land and water, pounce when you least suspect it, crush you with its massive frame and rip you to shreds with its enormous row of sharp fangs. Now that’s pretty badass.

Wolf Dog

Wolfs are the unbridled, untamed-able version of man’s best friend. They are also shy and will generally leave humans alone unless we’re stupid enough to back them in a corner and poke them with a stick. But what happens when you breed a wolf with a common dog? Sometimes, you get a wolf dog with the enlarged jaws and teeth of a wolf and the social tendencies of a domestic dog. Which means that cute, adorable pup will gladly show up on your doorstep and ask to be your friend. Thinking the animal a harmless pooch, you will let him in – and then the wolf in dog’s clothing will reveal itself and open you up with its teeth like a can of tomato soup!

Wholphin

The murderous tendencies of a killer whale combined with the advanced intelligence of a bottlenose dolphin? That’s what you get when you breed a male false killer whale and female bottlenose dolphin. I don’t think I have to dot the lines for you on this one – these super smart killing machines would snap up more surfers and swimmers than that shark from Jaws if the only two in existence weren’t in captivity at Sea Life Park in Hawaii. Note: wholphins also have one-third more teeth than their killer whale fathers (66 as opposed to 44) – making them even more deadly then what Mother Nature intended.

Grolar Bears

Grizzly bears and polar bears live in distinctively different climates. But when you breed them together, these grolar bears could potentially expand their killing fields dramatically. From the North Pole all the way down to the South Pole, no human would be safe. Upping the badass-ness of these rare creatures, is the fact that grolar bears don’t need to be bred in captivity. A handful of confirmed cases of grolar bears being found in the wild suggests that these fuzzy killing machines could easily create their own army of murderous offspring without the help of human intervention.

(Photo Via: Liger, Grolar Bear and HKandy)

Renaissance Magazine

For most of us, the Renaissance Faire is just another lame event that we go out of our way to avoid when it rolls into town each year. But for a select few, REN IS LIFE! For the folks that buy season passes to these fairs, dress in plumed garb and enjoy annoying others with their cockney accents, Renaissance Magazine is the shiznit!

Article titles include “Secret of the Witches’ Brew,” “Selling Your Wares At Faire,” and “How to Prepare the Perfect Plume.”

Sheep!

Sheep! bills itself as “The Voice of the Independent Flockmaster.” Not surprisingly, the magazine is filled with all things sheep-related. Want to know the potential reasons why your sheep is limping (hint: it’s not footrot)? Need tips on power sheering? Want all the news on the latest sheep breeds? It’s all here in Sheep!

Sorry, Sheep!, but not even that exclamation point can get me excited about sheep.

Musky Hunter

Musky Hunter – now that’s a great title for a magazine! No, muskies aren’t what you think they are – they’re fish. And Musky Hunter serves the musky community as North America’s Musky Authority! From beginners to pros, the southern states to the northern border (and even Canada!), Musky Hunter has all the news, tips and tricks you need to catch more muskies!

Splosh!

Don’t you just love when women are caked in slime, baked beans and other messy substances? No? Well then Splosh! is not for you. Splosh! is an adult magazine devoted to those with a wet and messy fetish (WAM). The British mag, which was published in the 90s, featured ladies covered in anything and everything messy enough to turn you on. If you are saddened by the fact that Splosh! is no longer available at your local Barnes and Noble, fear not because the magazine lives on online (18 and over only, kids)!

Girls and Corpses

What could be sexier than girls covered in filth? Why, girls hanging out with decrepit corpses, of course! Girls and Corpses is by far the weirdest magazine idea ever conceived, and offers up exactly what the title suggests. Treat your eyes to such sights as Virgin Mummies, Fatties and Flatties and Satanic Sluts.

Fertilize Your Garden

If you’ve been pissing on your neighbors tomato garden, then you’re on to something. Urine is chemically rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium – three key ingredients found in commercially produced fertilizer. The only problem is that your piss is actually TOO chemically rich, which can lead to plant damage. To provide a healthy dose of nutrients, experts recommend one part urine per 20 parts water.

Drink it!

Yeah, we all know that drinking urine just might save your life if you’re ever set adrift on a raft in the middle of the ocean. But luckily, you don’t have to be dehydrated to enjoy the benefits of drinking pee. Urine has natural bleaching properties, which means a glass a day could keep those pearly whites of yours nice and shiny. Additionally, many cultures drink urine as a home remedy to prevent colds. Not keen on the idea of drinking that same can of Mountain Dew a second time? Too bad – we’ve all got to do our part to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Blow Something Up

Back in the day, urine was used in a pinch to help make black powder for ammunition. To accomplish this, you’ll need to store the urine somewhere so it can ferment for over a year (may I suggest on your kitchen counter in a pitcher marked “lemonade”?) The fermentation causes salts to formulate in the urine. Combine these salts with sulfur and charcoal and BLAM! You’re ready to blow stuff up.

Power Your iPod

Urine as a source of electricity? You better believe it. Researchers in Singapore have already harnessed the potent power of pee to create urine-powered batteries. Apparently, when urine is dropped on copper chloride paper, it creates a chemical reaction that produces electricity. With just a few drops, you’ve got the equivalent of a AA battery.

(Photo via: http://www.good.is/post/pee-totaler/)

The one exception, however, is when it comes to cartoons. Plop me in front of a cartoon with a catchy intro song, poor dialogue and a life lesson at the end, and all of a sudden I’m Encyclopedia Brown. Thankfully, this strong connection with TV has spilled over to help me remember more relevant facts.

For example, I know I had the chicken pox at some point, because I got to stay home and watch a marathon screening of Disney VHS tapes. Also, I know I had a sister, because she used to sit next to me during Disney Afternoon when I came home from that place that had all the kids and desks.

Now, any kid born in the 80s can rattle off the big hits – DuckTales, Smurfs, Snorks, Thundercats, He-Man, Scooby Doo and so on. But can you match my memory and name these more obscure 80s cartoons by the pictures below? For a hint, use your mouse to highlight the invisible white text (answers at the bottom):

Hint: He’s your friend and a whole lot more.

Hint: The two koalas, Blinky and Pinky, hale from Koalawalla Land

Hint: Wings of silver, nerves of steel

Hint: the toys were a much bigger hit than the tv show

Hint: characters include Wise Paw, Brave Paw and Dark Paw

Hint: heroes used laser cables to combat General Plague

Answers:

1. Denver the Last Dinosaur

2. Noozles

3. Silverhawks

4. Dino Riders

5. Paw Paw Bears

6. Sky Commanders

Last week I stumbled across a book of illustrations authored by Matt Leines (You Are Forgiven). After standing there in the store and looking in awe at every image in the book, I can now say that Matt Leines is my new favorite artist. He should be yours, too (or at the very least, you should be aware of him).

You may have seen some of Leines’ work before. He’s done designs for clothing company RVCA, and has had his artwork featured in Swindle magazine. And if you don’t live in one of the fly-over states, then maybe you’ve seen his work in a local art gallery. His art has hung on walls in Los Angeles, New York, Greece and Tokyo, among others.

Matt is often lumped in with graffiti artists and skateboard artists (such as Mark Gonzales and Ed Templeton). This makes sense, given the fact that Leines’ work boasts an unrefined, yet impeccably brilliant style that draws heavily on childhood memories and influences.

For Matt, these influences include pro wrestling, He-Man, superheroes and tigers. Throw in a mixture of more adult interests (he now watches the History Channel for inspiration) and you get artwork that’s part kid’s drawing, part Native American design and part Picasso masterpiece. Check out some of Matt Leines’ work below:

(More Matt Leines art at Swindle and Roberts and Tilton)

Okay, in all seriousness, unless you’re looking for a coupon (or doing research for an article so that you can make fun of deodorant scent names), there’s absolutely no valid reason to visit Right Guard’s consumer website.

That is, unless you want to see a perfect example of what happens when ad campaigns get out of control.

“We hate sweat. We hate the smell of it. We hate the look of it. We hate the feel of it. We are waging war against it, because we want it gone.” This is the first text you will see if you are ever bored enough to visit rightguard.com.

Are they serious? Do they actually think that sounds well written? Do they really think I’m going to read that ad copy and think, “Yes! Here it is! Finally, a deodorant company that is so brazen and uncompromising, they have actually WAGED WAR against my sweaty armpits! I’m sold!”

Dig deeper, and the Right Guard websites is filled with more hilarious gems of over-stylized ad speak:

“Long-lasting protection and patented technologies combine forces to create a juggernaut in the battle against B.O.”

“Its advanced odor-eliminating action makes it a true shutdown defender.”

“Odor and wetness, prepare to get schooled.”

You can also become a fan of Right Guard on Facebook or learn about the “science of sweat” (don’t worry though, the sweat lesson isn’t too nerdy – the chalkboard font has backwards N’s).

And then there’s the deodorant names themselves. Right Guard Xtreme Ultra Gel Cool Peak! Right Guard Xtreme Stealth! Right Guard Powerstripe Fresh Blast!

Right Guard, you are obviously trying too hard (although to be fair, if you uncap that Right Guard Powerstripe Fresh Blast, you totally will be “blasted” with freshness). This “in your face” marketing campaign smells of desperation. And sure, you’re not the only guilty party – Old Spice sells “Red Zone Mountain Rush” and Axe pretty much got the whole ball rolling with those Body Spray commercials.

But newsflash: YOU’RE SELLING DEODORANT! You can’t make it fun. You can’t make it cool. You can’t make it extreme. And that’s fine. All you’ve got to do is make a product that smells good and keeps my pits dry. End of story.

Using official EPA methodology, GM revealed on Tuesday that their upcoming Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car earns 230 mpg.

Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? After all, such a figure is more than 4-times more efficient than the current reigning hybrid vehicle (Toyota Prius, 50 mpg). And yet, even GM admits that such a figure is a bit of an overstatement.

The 230-mpg mark for the Chevy Volt pertains only to city driving.  As such, the figure benefits from the Volt’s ability to travel up to 40 miles on electric power alone. Throw in higher, more demanding speeds and extended travel times, and the astronomical fuel efficiency quickly plummets.

Still, GM officials are confident that the estimated combined city and highway mileage for the Volt will top triple digits (so, think somewhere around 100 mpg). That’s still a heck of an improvement over the current competition.

However, the Chevy Volt shouldn’t be heralded as a run-away success just yet. Other electric cars are currently in the works at other automakers. Of the few that have reported mileage, the Nissan Leaf (slated for release in late 2010) creams the Volt with an estimated 367 mpg city driving.

Another potential pitfall of the Chevy Volt is a high base MSRP. Starting at $40,000, the Volt is nearly twice as much as the Honda Insight or Toyota Prius. When released in late 2010, will car shoppers be willing to shell at the extra dough for a boost in fuel efficiency? Only time will tell.

Click on Images to Enlarge!

There’s something about a British accent that instantly magnifies a woman’s beauty. And while Kate Beckinsale certainly needs no extra help when it comes to turning on men, I’d be lying if I said the British accent wasn’t part of the appeal.

Remember that cartoon wolf that used to be in all those Tex Avery cartoons? You know, the one whose eyes would shoot out of his head and his heart would pound out of his chest every time he saw a pretty lady? Yeah, well it’s a good thing that big, bad wolf never saw Kate Beckinsale, because his whole body would have imploded with enough velocity, that he would have ripped a Grand Canyon-sized hole into the space-time continuum.

And then where would we all be? Sucked into a floating sea of nothingness for all eternity, that’s where. Thanks a lot, wolfy.

Thankfully, that wolf is a fictional cartoon character. Also, thankfully, Kate Beckinsale is not. Her beautiful presence has helped raise the tolerance-meter on many mediocre films over the years (Underwold: Rise of the Lycans). And of course, she’s also had her fair share of good movies as well (Aviator). The latest Kate Beckinsale joint, Whiteout, is currently out in theatres.

The world of comic books has given the world some of the most original and diabolical antagonists in the history of the written word. Venom, Lex Luthor, Dr. Doom – these are just a few of the supremely badass super villains that us mild-mannered on-lookers simply love to hate.

But for every classic super villain, there are a slew of lesser-known and incredibly less menacing super villains speckled throughout Gotham City, Metropolis and Apokolips.

Hypno-Hustler

Spiderman has faced his fair share of dumb super villains. In the age of disco, Hypno-Hustler emerged as the worst. This dude, named Antoine, was in a disco band and used special goggles and music to hypnotize club-goers into handing over all their money to him (to finance his coke habit?). Luckily, Spiderman hatches a brilliant plan to evade Hypno-Hustler’s mind control tricks – he covers his ears!

Disco + petty larceny + super obvious Achilles Heel = SUPER DUMB!

Humpty Dumpty

When your name is based off a character who’s greatest claim to fame was sitting on a wall (and he couldn’t even do that right), well your chances for striking fear into the hearts and minds of do-gooders is pretty much slim to none. Humpty Dumpty is most famous for his appearance in Batman’s Arkham Asylum series, in which the egg-shaped troublemaker sneaks around disassembling and reassembling various mechanical devices.

He’s fat. He speaks in rhyme. At one point he actually falls off a wall. Sorry, DC Comics, but using nursery rhymes as inspiration for super villains just isn’t going to cut it.

Asbestos Man

When eggheads don’t get the respect from the scientific community that they think they deserve, what do they do? Why they don a ridiculous costume and use their intelligence and childish need for attention to attack superheroes. One of the lamest of these science guys was Orson Kasloff, aka Asbestos Man.

Theorizing that the best way to combat the Human Torch was to wear a suit of flame-retardant material, Kasloff constructs a suit of asbestos. Sadly, Asbestos Man is defeated when the Human Torch melts the handle on his asbestos net, rendering it useless.

Kasloff was sent to prison and never seen again. Given the amount of asbestos exposure he suffered, he probably died of mesothelioma long ago.

Granny Goodness

A super villain built around the persona of Phyllis Diller? Jack Kirby, what were you thinking? Granny first appeared as an adversary in the Mister Miracle series, employed as a trainer for Darkseid’s elite soldiers. She runs the Apokolips orphanage, using severe torture and brainwashing to mold the children into Darkseid’s minions.

I don’t care if she does have superhuman strength. I don’t care if she teleports. I don’t care if she ran a brothel. She’s old, and she goes by “Granny.” That doesn’t scare me in the slightest.

Rainbow Raider

With a name like Roy G. Bivolo, it seems that Roy was always destined to be an artist. Unfortunately, young Roy was born colorblind, spurring his optometrist father to build a pair of goggles that emitted piercing beams of rainbow light.

When the world laughed at his artwork, Roy used these goggles for evil. To get around, Rainbow Raider slides down the pretty rainbows he shoots from his goggles. And to overcome his foes, he has the insidious power to affect people’s emotions by coating them in a specific color (how diabolical!). He is a reoccurring adversary to The Flash.

Sorry, but rainbows just aren’t used for being cool or wicked. They’re used for Care Bears, unicorns and leprechauns.

Honorable Mentions:

• Crazy Quilt
• Doughboy
• The Turtle
• Stilt Man
• Ten-Eyed Man
• The Big Wheel
• Typeface

Did you know Leonardo da Vinci was the first person to ever draw up designs for a humanoid robot? That’s right, one of the world’s greatest thinkers of all time penciled down the idea for a mechanical knight way back in 1495.

And though the world wouldn’t start calling these metallic pseoudo-humans “robots” until Karel Capek introduced the word in 1921 with the release of his play, “Rossum’s Universal Robots,” we’ve been fascinated with the idea ever since.

Today, humanoid robots are being designed to look more and more like actual humans. Which is great for some uses (sex robots), but also more than a bit disheartening. Why? Because there’s just something about the vintage robot aesthetic – those clunky, giant boxes of metal – that makes me yearn for the archaic robo-technology of yesteryear.

Honestly, I think those early sci-fi writers got it right in the beginning. I mean, who wants a robot that doesn’t have a giant metal box for a head? Or vacuum hoses for arms? Or giant C-clamp hands that can crush your esophagus at a moment’s notice?

I don’t know much about what the future holds, but one thing is for certain – the robot apocalypse. And when those robots enslave us all, I sure hope they’ll look a little something like one of the vintage robots below:

–most photos via pleatedjeans.tumblr.com

Ambassador Magma

Ambassador Magma may look like a robot, but don’t be fooled, gaijin. This badass is actually a living giant constructed completely of gold. And who would have the power to create a golden colossus with 80s metal hair that can shoot rockets out of his chest and lasers from his antennae? Why, the one and only Wizard Earth, of course.

Ambassador Magma, along with his human-size wife and son (also both created by Wizard Earth), work together to thwart the alien invader Goa, who wants to overthrow earth for some reason. If you can find it, a U.S. version of the show can be enjoyed under the title, The Space Giants.

Inazuman

This 1970s TV series again sees earth threatened to be overthrown, this time by Phantom Banba and his (awesomely named) Newmanity Empire. Enter college student, Goro Watari, a mutant who can transform into a moth-like hero named Inazuman. Roughly translated to “Lightning Man,” Inazuman uses his belt to absorb the energy of enemy attacks, has a yellow scarf that he can transform into any number of weapons, and shouts probably the most amazing battle cry when striking headfirst into battle…”CHEST!” Oh, and he also has a flying car that boasts free will, the ability to shoot missiles and front teeth that it uses to crunch up the baddies.

Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot

Alien Emperor Guillotine has come to earth to – surprise, surprise – conquer the human race (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I suppose). Luckily, a young boy by the name of Johnny Sokko (his name in the English-dubbed version), stumbles upon a giant Pharaoh-like robot, which is cleverly named Giant Robot (Giant Robo in Japanese). For some reason, the scientist who created the monster thinks it would be a good idea to hand control of the deadly device over to this school-aged boy. So he does, and Johnny climbs inside time and again to take on Guillotine and his many commanders (such as Fangar – an alien executioner with a pegleg and crutch).

If you’re interested (and I know you are), all 26 episodes of the English version are available on Hulu!

Rainbowman

Rainbowman wins points for originality. For one, the show doesn’t feature invading aliens, but rather a cadre of wealthy foreigners (the Die Die Army) seeking revenge for Japan’s role in World War II. To combat their evil plans, a low-life wrestler learns to transform into Rainbowman. As there are seven colors in the rainbow, so too are there seven form so Rainbowman – Moonman, Fireman, Waterman, Leafman, Goldman, Earthman and Sunman. Later in the series, Rainbowman also battles an evil sorcercess known as God Iguana.

If Rainbowman’s abilities remind you of Mega Man, that’s no coincidence. The Capcom hero was partly based off of Rainbowman, which was actually a proposed name for Dr. Light’s robot in early development.

Lion-Maru

Lion-Maru is actually a trilogy of TV shows – Kaiketsu Lion-Maru, Fuun Lion-Maru and Lion-Maru G (the G stands for Ghetto). The first two installments were created in the early 1970s, and the final installment would not be released until 2006. In each series, an anthropomorphic lion uses his katana and super powers to combat evil. One of Lion-Maru’s chief rivals is Tiger Joe (later reincarnated as a much less cool “Jonosuke Tora”).

Do you enjoy dancing, but are too socially awkward, unattractive or outright weird to find a human dance partner with which to dance? Well then, look no further than that litter box in the laundry room or the doghouse in the backyard – feline dance and musical canine freestyle are sweeping the nation!

You may have heard about synchronized dog or cat dancing before. For some unknown reason, it’s been around for years, and somehow appears to only be growing in popularity. King of the Hill even did an episode a few years back where Hank and Bobby entered a dog dancing competition.

If you saw that episode, then you pretty much know what this hobby is all about – dressing up in embarrassing costumes (cowboy hat/boots, tuxedo/top hat, etc.) and doing a synchronized dance routine with your dog.

If you’re more of a cat person, you can also train your feline to dance with you (and who WOULDN’T want to do that?).

Though feline dance seems to be a more stay-at-home, private activity, dog dancing has numerous full-fledged competitions each year. For example, the World Canine Freestyle Organization is hosting their 7th International Conference from August 18 to August 23 at the FABULOUS Bricktown Hotel & Convention Center in Oklahoma City (reserve your tickets NOW!!).

Now, I can’t blame the animals for getting in on this action – they just don’t know any better. But come on humans, we’re better than this, aren’t we? If you want to find a good way to bond with your dog, it’s called going for a walk. And cat owners, stick to the balls of yarn.

I could go on and on about how ridiculously weird this hobby is. But really, all the words in the world can’t hold a candle to actually SEEING it in action. Scope the pictures, then watch the video:

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Don Draper is coming to PBS, apparently. In a recent press release to discuss the 40th anniversary season of Sesame Street, the hands behind the muppets tell us that they are planning a Mad Men parody episode.

Obviously, this makes perfect sense – what with all of Mad Men’s sexual content, binge drinking and gray-area morality.

So will we see Bert and Ernie sucking down packs of Lucky Strikes? Cookie Monster washing down all those chocolate chips with a stiff Tom Collins? Sadly, no.

When asked about how exactly this Mad Men parody is going to work, a spokesperson for the show reminded the crowd on hand about their previous Desperate Housewives parody episode: “You may have seen our parody called ‘Desperate Houseplants.’ It was about a houseplant not getting its needs met by the gardener. So it always works on two levels.”

To add to that, another spokesperson said, “think about the title ‘Mad Men’ and think about the emotional curriculum that might be linked to that.”

So it seems the episode will be less about cutthroat advertising and running from your past and more about teaching kids anger management. Curses.

Despite this shaky connection, I for one applaud Sesame Street. Certainly, the episode will be stacked with plenty of Mad Men references that kids won’t get, but adults absolutely will.

So which muppet will play Don, Betty, Peggy and the rest? Well, I was going to put together a freaking awesome list, but Flavorwire already beat me to the punch. Unfortunately for me, their choices are pretty spot-on. So head on over there if you’re interested.

The airdate for the Mad Men parody episode has yet to be announced.

–via THRfeed

I’ve been enamored with Zooey ever since Will Ferrell’s Elf was released in 2003. Now, I know Elf has a ton of fans out there, but I pretty much HATED it from beginning to end. And if it wasn’t for Zooey Deschanel’s big blue eyes and adorable smile, I would have walked out after the first 30 minutes.

Since 2003, Zooey Deschanel has continued to earn high-profile acting roles. Roles in The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Tin Man (Sci-Fi mini-series) have made her a major hit with the nerd crowd. And thanks to her singer-songwriter status as the fairer half of the folky duo She & Him, her crossover appeal also bleeds over to the hipper Indie set.

Whether in front of the camera or behind the microphone, Zooey’s quirky attitude, long raven hair and elfish grin instantly make anything she’s doing 10 times more interesting.

Zooey can currently be seen on the big screen in 500 Days of Summer.

Check out all of Zooey’s Photos Below!

And though much of the plot takes place in the advertising agency of Sterling Cooper, the ad campaigns of Don Draper, Peggy and the rest usually take a backseat to the relationships of those involved. However, there have been plenty of advertising campaigns over the first two seasons that have served as major plot points to help advance the story.

Which brings me to another part of season three that I’m looking forward to – the chance to see more diabolical (and yes, realistic) ways that 1960s ad men sold America on everything from cigarettes to laxatives. In honor of this under appreciated aspect of the show, I offer up the most diabolical Mad Men campaigns of season one and two:

The Kodak Carousel Slide Projector

The season one finale of Mad Men was filled with a ton of great moments. One of which was Don Draper’s inspired pitch for the Kodak Carousel Slide Projector. Though the higher-ups at Kodak suggested Sterling Cooper give the new gizmo a high-tech slant, Don decides to take a nostalgic approach, offering up the photo projector as a “carousel of memories.” During the pitch, he uses his own personal photos to both speak to the executives, and reveal his hidden emotions to the audience.

The result? None other than a grand slam speech that not only won over the entire room, but had me thinking that I, myself, needed to purchase a 1960s-era Kodak slide projector (ASAP!). The inspiring speech can be found on Youtube, here.

Peggy’s Relax-a-Cizor

Peggy’s certainly coming into her own as a rising star in the Sterling Cooper office. This is no small feat, given her lack of male genitalia. One of her early successes was putting together a titillating ad campaign for the Relax-a-Cizor – an electric exercise machine that stimulated the stomach muscles. During her product research, Peggy realized that the stomach wasn’t all that the machine stimulated.

Given that the product failed miserably at providing a real workout, Sterling Cooper had to find a way to market this ACTUAL selling point to a repressed 1960s population. The result was a classic tagline: The Relax-a-Cizor – You’ll Love the Way it Makes You Feel. Such a tactic is so diabolical, that I can’t help but think the Relax-a-Cizor (which was a real product) served as the inspiration for modern sex-aid manufacturers, who get around sticky laws by marketing dildos and vibrators for “novelty purposes only.”

Richard Nixon and Secor Laxatives

When you’re marketing a presidential campaign, the stakes are high. And in the world of the 1960s, marketing Droopy Dog Richard Nixon against the chiseled face of John F. Kennedy would have been exceptionally difficult. As might be expected, Sterling Cooper is having difficulty keeping up with Kennedy’s charisma.

During a discussion of frat pranks, Pete Campbell has a brainstorm, which quickly leads to one of his few personal wins at the office of Sterling Coop. While he and Harry discuss the Secor laxatives campaign, Pete realizes that they can reduce ad space for Kennedy in battleground states by buying up airtime in battleground political states for Secor ads. With so many laxative commercials flooding onto the airwaves, Kennedy’s face won’t be so prominent. Though Kennedy eventually wins the election, using laxative commercials as a political ploy is a truly genius ad tactic.

Lucky Strike Cigarettes

In the 1960s, researchers began connecting the dots between cigarettes and cancer (curse you, science!). This created a unique problem for cigarette companies like Lucky Strike, who were now marketing murder sticks to the masses. How do you sell a product that kills you? Well, freshman Pete, in all his ignorance, wants to use the psychology of chasing danger to repurpose cigarettes to appeal to the “rebel without a cause” inside us all.

Naturally, the Lucky Strike execs hate this idea. After mulling it over, Don Draper reemerges with another master stroke. “Advertising is based on one thing,” he says. “Happiness.” If all tobacco is deadly, then why address the issue in the first place? Rather, Don suggests that, while all other tobacco is poisonous, Lucky Strike is “toasted.” Simply by ignoring the elephant in the room, Lucky Strike has a diabolical campaign on hand that is guaranteed to keep killing smokers into next year’s annual earnings report.

I love cute, adorable animals. There, I said it. And you know what? I’m not ashamed of it. Puppies, kitties, bunny wabbits – if it’s fuzzy and doesn’t want to eat me, then I just want to rub my hands all over it and cover its precious little face with kisses.

I’m coming out as a closet animal cuddler because, well, I’ve come to realize that ALL men have, for some reason or another, handed over their Man Card at some point in their lives.

The Man Card has become a bit of a running gag between my friends and I; first brought to my attention via my brother-in-law (it is also a real item, that you can purchase here). If you’ve never heard of a Man Card, then let me give you the low-down:

Essentially, your Man Card serves as indisputable proof that you are a man (so trannies, order yours now). However, not just any man can go around brandishing a Man Card and get away with it. No, sir. That card can only be carried by respectable members of the male community.

As such, your Man Card can (and probably will) be revoked at some point in your life. This happens anytime you do, say or partake in anything super girly (i.e. gushing over cute, adorable animals).

I think it was about the time that I used my Tumblr account (Pleated Jeans – shameless plug) to subscribe to my third “cute animal” photoblog that I handed over my Man Card.

If you don’t own a physical Man Card, that doesn’t mean you don’t have one. Your penis earns you an intangible Man Card at birth.

Still, real or not, you can lose your Man Card in any number of ways. For example, my brother-in-law willingly hands over his Man Card every time he sits down to watch Gilmore Girls on DVD. Another friend of mine sits down to pee, and doesn’t care who knows it.

If you’re laughing at these poor specimens of masculinity, you shouldn’t be. Because I’m willing to wager that at some point, you’ve done something just as shameful. Maybe you got away with it. Maybe when you sang that Destiny’s Child song in the shower nobody heard you. But that doesn’t change the fact that it happened. And you know what? Even if nobody else knows about it, YOU DO.

Well, my friend. I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. No man can be 100-percent manly all the time. I guarantee that every single one of us is walking around with an incredibly shameful secret bottled up inside of us.

Maybe your friends know about it. Maybe they don’t. Either way, you’re embarrassed. Well, you know what? That’s no way to live. I just told the whole world that I love cute, adorable animals. And you know what? It feels great.

So my question to you, manly Manolith readers, is how did you lose your Man Card? If you think you haven’t done anything worthy of a Man Card revocation, think harder. It’s possible you’ve tried to block out all unmanly memories. To jog your memory, here are some more examples:

• Watching figure skating
• Knitting something
• Willingly talking about your feelings
• Saying, “Oh, fiddlesticks!”
• Spending more than 5 minutes fixing your hair
• Taking baths
• Using “age-defying” lotion
• Admiring another man’s muscles at the gym
• Going to the mall “just for fun”

Go ahead – embrace your man infraction and tell your fellow men all about it. Put your answer in the comments section below. AND DON’T BE ASHAMED, PUSSY! We’ve all got something. So what have you got to lose? You already lost your Man Card just by doing whatever is was that you did. Plus, this is the Internet. So, if you want, use an alias or something and none of your actual friends will ever have to know.

Get it off your chest. Trust me, it feels great.

PETA is once again making the news with another of their poorly conceived animal cruelty campaigns. This time, the near-militant not-for-profit decided to post a billboard in Greenville, SC that claims, “Feeding kids meat is child abuse.”

How does a hamburger equate to punching a kid in the face? Well, apparently PETA got the idea after the mother of a 555-lb 14-year-old boy was charged with neglect. Never mind the fact that millions of other kids eat hamburgers, hot dogs and other kinds of delicious meat products on a daily basis and are in perfect health.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for animal rights, and certainly never want to see an animal treated poorly. But Jesus Christ PETA, JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! The way they’re going about the whole issue is just petty, childish and completely baseless.

I know they think that any publicity is good publicity, but that’s just plain wrong. I guarantee that billboard in South Carolina is not going to convince one single person that kids should become vegetarians. The only thing that sign is doing is MAKING ME ANGRY!!

Hulk mad. Smash things.

It’s campaigns like this that give PETA a bad name, no matter what your view on animal rights. And I for one, am sick of it. For added ammunition, here are just a few of the many other stupid, bullshit campaigns PETA has endorsed and carried out:

•    Protested the Westminster Dog Show by wearing Ku Klux Klan outfits and claiming that breeding purebreds was the same as ethnic cleansing.
•    Tried to convince Majesco to make a vegetarian version of their Cooking Mama video game for Nintendo DS by releasing a flash game (Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals) that has kids preparing a turkey by plucking feathers, ripping out innards and cutting its head off.
•    Protested an attempt by NASCAR fans to break the world-record for the largest group chicken dance because KFC was a sponsor.
•    Equating farming to slavery by juxtaposing pictures of chained elephants and dead cows to African-American slaves and Native Americans.

1. Ridiculous gridlock traffic
2. Some douche bag wearing an Ed Hardy t-shirt
3. A homeless person asking you for change

All three situations make me want to punch someone in the face. When it comes to the bums, I’ll go ahead and admit that I’m a heartless bastard. I don’t care how many appendages you’re missing – I’m not giving you any money.

A little harsh? Maybe. Yeah, I know they’re people too. But they’re lazy people who want my (kind of) hard-earned money (thanks Manolith!).

If they showed just one inkling of initiative, I’d be that much more encouraged to give them some food booze heroine money. The best and easiest way to do this is to write a clever, unique bum sign that stands out from the pack.

“Homeless and hungry.” Well you’re gonna stay that way with that boring old sign.
“Anything helps.” Does nothing count as anything?
“God Bless.” Snore fest.
“Ain’t gonna lie, need a beer.” Better, but still as stale as the “Got Milk?” campaign.

Has no one ever told these bums about the power of advertising? For Christ’s sake, someone get these guys a Mad Men DVD.

Okay, to be fair not ALL bums are writing uninspired begging signs. Every once in a while, some bum goes the extra mile and scrawls a few words of genius onto his cardboard sign. In such cases, I’m so impressed that I actually consider giving them some money (but I don’t). However, I can guarantee that people whose hearts aren’t encased in ice give more money then they ever would without that awesome sign.

So bums, if you happen to be reading this from a library (in between jerk off sessions), then take note. The best bum signs that are guaranteed to get you hammered faster, and more often are shown below. Everyone else, if you’ve seen a funny bum sign, feel free to light up that comment box.

(Photos Via: WebUrbanist)

For a species that is universally equated with ugliness, a little piglet born in the small Chinese village of Fengzhang makes Miss Piggy look like Megan Fox.

I’m completely horrified by the photo above, and yet, I…can’t…look…away. As owner Feng Changlin suggests, the little pig’s face – thin lips, bulbous nose, big eyes – looks exactly like a monkey. (Side note: Feng Changlin is a fucking awesome name and should be given to Marvel’s next comic book super villain ASAP.)

Any resemblance to a primate quickly shifts below the neck, however. Though parts of the thing are 100 percent pig, the beast’s back legs are longer than the front legs. Such a disadvantage (advantage?)  means the little piglet hops around like a kangaroo.

I don’t know about you, but that fact right there freaks my shit out. I just keep picturing the little thing leaping off the ground and biting my face off.

As expected, the farmer and his wife are completely horrified by the thing. Obviously, they can’t sell the thing because it’s too hideous. And though they want to get rid of it, it appears Feng Changlin’s son won’t let him. Apparently, the young Changlin has taken quite a shine to the little guy. He plays with it and feeds it milk. Is that cute? Or revolting? (Answer: revolting).

Of course, with all of the exposure we’ve given to those well-deserved independent t-shirt companies, that means that thousands of people are now aware of their existence. Which is as it should be, but of course, that means the likelihood of you bumping into a stranger who owns the same shirt as you has increased just that much more.

So, in an effort to spread the wealth around, and give you more sources for cool and original t-shirts, I’ve decided to revisit the topic. Luckily, there are plenty of independent online t-shirt manufacturers that deserve your attention (and hard-earned money).

For your viewing (and wearing?) pleasure, here are just a few more cool online T-shirt companies you’ve never heard of:

SEIBEI –

Paper Root –

Chop Shop -

BangBang –

Cosmic Soda -

Design By Humans -

Linty Fresh –