GTA-Inspired 6-Year-Old Drives to School

Jan 7th 2009
By Tom Radler

Remember when you were six and all you wanted was for your parents to let you drive to the mall so you could hang out and smoke cigarettes? Oh right, that was when you were 16. At six, you were more concerned with naptime and "G.I. Joe."

One Virginia six-year-old, however, knew enough about driving to pilot his parents' Ford Taurus about 10 miles toward his school. The boy weaved in and out of oncoming traffic and finally slammed into a utility pole. After emerging unscathed, he explained to authorities that he missed the school bus and didn't want to go without breakfast and gym class. The boy also said he learned how to drive from playing video games like "Grand Theft Auto."

"It's a miracle that somebody didn't get killed," said Northumberland County Sheriff Chuck Wilkins. "We're a rural area, but if we do have a rush hour, that's it." The boy's parents were arrested and charged with felony child endangerment. The little joyrider was back in school (and gym class) by the afternoon.

Though it wasn't mentioned in the original report, we assume the "Grand Theft Auto"-playing boy expressed disappointment that real driving has far fewer opportunities for meaningless incidents of vehicular homicide.

Check out our gallery of epic car crashes people walked away from after the jump.

Robocop Endorses Fried Chicken

Jan 7th 2009
By Asylum Staff

We've often praised Japanese TV's use of chimps. This ad for fried chicken shows that they also know how to employ iconic movie characters in new and inventive ways -- like frightening single mom's into cooking up poultry.

Great Moments in Political Punditry

Jan 7th 2009
By Jeremy Taylor

(Every week political pundits grace us with gaffes, hyperbole, violation of logic and just plain untruths. Every week we try to catch them because we are smart alecks.)

Zbigniew Brzezinski schools Scarborough
Former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski brought holiday cheer to those who don't like Joe Scarborough when he harshly smacked the morning show host down for having "stunningly superficial knowledge" of events in the Middle East. It was yet another reminder that if we hadn't been blessed with such a knowledgeable foreign policy establishment over the years, the Middle East might not be the peaceful place it is today.

Ann Coulter's lifetime ban lasts a day, after the jump.

Brolin and Wright Beatdown on Tape; Surgeon General Gupta?

Jan 7th 2009
By Nicholas Nadel

(Our round-up of celeb gossip so you can keep up with your girlfriend.)

Video of police pepper-spraying and tasering Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright after a bar fight in Louisiana this past summer has surfaced. (Ninja Dude)

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is rumored to be President-Elect Obama's choice for surgeon general. (Scandalist)

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner welcomed a baby girl, their second after daughter Violet. (Popeater)

Ron Asheton, drummer for The Stooges, was found dead. (E! Online)

Carrie Underwood is dating NHL player Mike Fisher. (I'm Not Obsessed)

Jenny McCarthy
hit the beach in a bikini with boyfriend Jim Carrey. NSFW (WWTDD)

The woman Charles Barkley was going to meet for sex when he got pulled over for a DUI has been caught on tape. (TMZ)

The new "Underworld" movie looks like the last two except way, way worse. (Holy Taco)

"Terminator: Salvation" director McG is going to tackle a "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" remake next. (EW)
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Crazy Ways to Cut Your Energy Costs

Jan 7th 2009
By G. Xavier Robillard

Of course you want to cut energy costs and use less water, and you're tired of all the same old ideas -- aside from showering with someone else (but that doesn't really save water, does it?).

As National Cut Your Energy Costs Day approaches, we thought you should see some of the more cutting-edge (or bizarre) methods to shave pennies from your utility bills, help save the planet and look like a freak doing it. Think carpeting your fridge or the ancient art of dumpster diving are strictly for hippies? Think again.

Crazy Ways to Cut Energy Costs

    Grass Roofing: If you're interested in gardening but have no yard space you can still consider a green roof. The idea is plant hardy grasses in 2-4 inches of soil. This reduces storm runoff, which will ultimately lower your sewer bill. It'll help cool down the building and prolong the roof's life.

    ecogeek.org

    Moo-based Methane: If we're going to eat beef, from an animal considered to be the most wasteful to produce (aside from humans) we might as well capture its capacious methane gas explosions for energy usage. You really wouldn't want to be the meter reader for that job.

    inhabit.com

    Slaughterhouse Fuel: Take leftover turkey in your fridge from the holidays and make biofuel. A fuel producer in Missouri has teamed up with a turkey slaughterhouse to produce oil from the leftover guts. A great savings from the energy side, plus all those nasty innards stay out of the landfills.

    discovermagazine.com

    Fridge Carpeting: A few environmental writers claim that you can eliminate up to 50 percent of the heat loss in your fridge by adding your own insulation, in this case, shag carpeting.

    trendhunter.com

    Coffee Grounds Gas: Causing truckers to veer off to the next coffee shop, the Cafe Racer is a '75 GMC pickup that runs on coffee grounds. A Gasifier in the back of the truck incinerates the coffee and turns it into something like natural gas.

    studiodeb, Flickr.com

    Cheap Housing: Inappropriate housing is no reason to stop you from moving to the Sahara! Winner of the Treehugger Award, the Hexayurt is the perfect cheap dwelling for those in hot climates. Big enough to fit a small family, costs $200 to build. It's airtight, and the Thermax material will reflect sunlight, so no need for A/C. Perfect for former homeowners in Vegas.

    redferret.net

    Electric Clothes: Let your date charge your cell phone with a piezoelectric dress. The fabric creates a charge based on any mechanical stress, like movement, which can be stored in a battery (hopefully that does not make her look fat).

    cnet.com

    Worm Disposal: If you don't have a green thumb, you might go in the other direction: grow your own worms. From garbage. It can be done indoors (a plus). All you need is 2,000 worms to eat a pound of food waste every day. This means less garbage gets driven to the landfill and more bait for fishing.

    wormwoman.com

    Bike Moving: If you are considering a move across town, you might recruit a bunch of friends with bikes and trailers. Bike Moving has become incredibly popular in cycle -friendly towns like Portland, Oregon.

    kstoerz, Flickr

    Fat Fuel: Last month we heard a plastic surgeon was using human fat from liposuction to power his car. The claim appears to be a fraud, but California investigated him and the Doc vanished to South America. If you goo this route, make sure that converting human medical waste to fuel is legit.

    yobbit.com

What Greater Gift Than the Gift of Narwhal?

Jan 7th 2009
By Julieanne Smolinski

Congratulations to reader Karen, winner of today's Noble Prize and the weekly Wednesday giveaway of the Official Asylum shirt, courtesy of Palmer Cash. The T features the narwhal -- enemy of halibut, champion of awesome and unicorn of the sea.

And what exactly did "Karen" do to deserve this? Why, nothing at all except leave a comment. Each week, we randomly select one commenter to receive a free shirt.

That means if you want want one, all you've got to do is give us a piece of your mind in the comments section of any of our posts.
The more you comment, the better chance you have of winning.

So Karen, enjoy your shirt, and try not to break too many hearts when you wear it out.

Topless Breakfast -- A New, Perfect Way to Start Your Day

Jan 7th 2009
By Tom Radler

Part of the strip-club mystique comes from the evening setting, expensive drinks and self-pity. Are guys just as interested in seeing bare bodies during the day?

Working on the assumption that all things are better served beside boobs, including breakfast, Maine businessman Donald Crabtree is trying to convert an old motel in a rural town into a coffee shop with topless waitresses. Neighbors' reactions to the idea are mixed. Some think the place could bring in a bad crowd, while others hope that the business will be a success. "There were entertainment gals there before and it didn't seem like it was problematic," said one supporter.

Questions Raised: Is this the kind of establishment that people would start frequenting instead of Starbucks for their morning grind? And how can we get Crabtree to franchise in our neck of the woods?
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Funnest Ways to Ruin Your Life & Bugs Bunny Trivia

Jan 6th 2009
By Brian Childs


5 Funnest Ways to Ruin Your Life
Drugs and prostitutes is much more fun than, say, getting a girl pregnant in high school and deciding to keep it. (CO-ED)

How Much Do you Really Know About Bugs Bunny?
Test your knowledge. (Mental Floss)
Guilty Pleasure -- Sexy Girls Doing Domestic Chores
Even the good old days were not as good as this. (Uncoached)

A Day in the Life of Kanye West, Fashion Intern (Complex)

Inner Monologue of a Married Guy on New Year's Eve (Holy Taco)

I Get Nervous in Social Situations Motherf-cker! (Tasty Booze)

Jaguars Coach Living Proof Why They Finished Last (The Bachelor Guy)
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Headbanging Can Cause Brain Injury

Jan 6th 2009
By Jeremy Taylor

(Our happy hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.)

Overenthusiastic headbanging may result in mild brain damage.

According to a study from the University of South Wales, the average tempo of a heavy metal song is 146 beats per minute. At that rate, researchers found a risk of concussion or mild traumatic brain injury if the head is thrust back and forth at more than a 75 degree range.

Songs like Mötley Crüe's "Kick Start My Heart," which checks in at 180 bpm, are especially dangerous, and the study's authors go so far as advising certain music come with "a proper health warning, as for smoking."

Of course, these findings support an earlier groundbreaking thesis that concluded, "Bang your head, mental health will drive you mad."

Click here to have Happy Hour Hero delivered to your desktop every pour time.

Player Piano Rolls Plant Closes -- Capuchin Monkeys Next to Go?

Jan 6th 2009
By Brian Childs

QRS music, the last producer of paper player piano rolls, has ceased production after 108 years. Not since 1936, when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia banned Organ Grinders from the streets of New York, has the mechanical music community suffered such a blow. Player piano owners interested in new tunes will now have to convert their pianos with lame digital adapters.
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