It’s funny because it’s true.

Source

Collected by Ryan

The 2008 crash is probably the most serious economic crisis we have faced after the Great Depression. Stock markets from around the world fell as much as 20% in a single week, dozens of banks either failed or were rescued by government and private instutitions, and companies started laying off employees as a consequence of the reduced demand.

We know how we entered into the crisis, but we don’t how, when, or how we will be getting out of it. Considering that issue, we decided to our little bit to help cheer everyone up by redoing the logos of some renowned companies …. after the crisis.

Bonus Logo

While Apple is probably one of the more stable companies in our economy, with a robust and diverse set of high-demand products… we just couldn’t resist this one.

Logo Credits:

* The revised Ford logo comes courtesy of Ironic Sans
* The nokia, 3m, badyear, ferrari, xerox, downjones logos come courtesy of Carlos Bornelli Jr

Written by amog

When you think about places to post advertisements, rants, and just general ridiculousness, Craigslist should be at the top of the list. Each and every day, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Craigslist to buy things, look for love or sex, and look for jobs. With so many people coming together in one place, you can bet that hilarity will ensue.

Thankfully, the Craigslist Gods foresaw such a possibility, and the Best of Craigslist was born. Essentially, the Best of Craigslist consists of numerous posts about many different things, having been nominated for a prize.

When perusing the oodles of entries, you can tell that some not-so-funny ones were selected by people who just decided to be idiots and nominate worthless posts. Such people clearly have lives that they are ashamed of, and if they aren’t, well, they should be!

However, there are some true pearls of mediocrity on Best of Craigslist. These posts have made their way to the surface of the oozing amounts of crap exuded by numerous other posts.

That is why, the following posts (in no particular order, mind you) should be thought of as “The Top 10 Most Ridiculous Craigslist Posts of All Time”:

1. Let us frolic in my totally dope blanket fort

Obviously, the post title gets one’s attention, and is the epitome of ridiculous. Then, of course, it only gets better when you check out the pictures of this guy’s “totally dope” blanket fort. Clearly, this guy went to all the trouble of building a fabulously crappy blanket fort in the feeble attempt to prove that he could do so.

At least he admits that it’s crappy, calling it just a “prototype.” Um, hello? If you want to impress the ladies, oh Blanket Fort Man, you should have built an impressive blanket fort in the first place.

Don’t you know that women only want guys who can build AMAZING blanket forts?!

Nevertheless, let’s hope that, if this guy didn’t find love, he at least found better blankets.

2.Haunted toaster

It’s hard enough selling things on Craigslist, so people have resorted to selling things with a bit of extra provenance. Take this woman, who claims that the haunted toaster hates her and burns her toast. If that is the case, well then, they’re a lot of haunted toasters.

Or maybe, just MAYBE, there are a lot of ridiculously stupid people out there who can’t figure out how to use a toaster! If nothing else, though, it would have been very amusing to watch her drop the toaster off the roof, which is probably what ended up happening.

3. My Casual Encounters Experience

Oh yes, the seedy side of Craigslist is exposed here. It’s funny to read the disclaimer when entering these more sinister parts of Craigslist, in which they advise people to practice safe sex. Yeah, like that happens.

The people who are desperate enough to post an advertisement looking for NSA (No Strings Attached for all you virgins out there) aren’t thinking about that, They want to get it on, and get it on quickly.

Clearly, this ridiculous post shows the rantings of a very sexually frustrated and overall bitter woman.

She wasted her time ranting on good ‘ol Craigslist, when she could have, say, gone out into the real world and possibly met a well-endowed, normal guy. On the other hand, with all of the trouble she went to, she might as well have just purchased a vibrator.

4. Space Ship for Sale $3500.00 or best offer

Upon first reading the title to this classically ridiculous post, you might think that it was some sort of a joke, that a person was drunk and just put up an advertisement for kicks. Not this time, and there is ridiculously amazing photographic evidence to prove it. Yes, this person really did build a spaceship.

Or, one could call it a cosmically themed sculpture of some sort, since (well, hopefully) it doesn’t actually run, landing sensors or not. If it DID happen to be in working order, I think you’d agree that $3500.00 is quite a reasonable price.

5. Large Glass Jar (possibly containing a ghost)

Why is it that people are resorting to selling haunted things on Craigslist? Really now, enough is enough.

However, if you’re ridiculously stupid like this poster, you too can buy a foggy glass (or is it plastic?) jar and pretend that the ghost of George Harrison is inside!

6. Trying to have a missed connection – m4w

One of the most interesting sections of Craigslist is the “Missed Connections” section. There, people who gazed lustily at a total stranger from afar can post to see if that same stranger noticed them too. How romantic.

Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to have a missed connection? So, be ridiculous like this guy, and post an advertisement in which you actually want to coordinate a missed connection. Um, part of the fun of a missed connection is that it’s completely, totally missed! Maybe this guy was confused, and was just awkwardly asking for a date.

Well, for his sake, and any of those who actually were silly enough to respond to his advertisement, let’s hope so.

7. No taxation without representation

This post is not just ridiculous in the amount of time and angered effort (note the aggressive use of the Caps Lock key!) that was put into creating it, it’s also ridiculously true. Clearly, it took tax season for these truths to become self-evident to this angry person.

One can just imagine Mr. or Mrs. Angry Person standing on a soapbox, screaming about taxation atrocities. Only, these screams will probably be falling on deaf ears; everyone else will be too busy doing something that this person clearly doesn’t do enough of: WORKING.

8. Rant: Person with a wooden leg that lives above me

Everyone at some point has had an annoying neighbor. However, this person actually was ridiculous enough to write a letter to a neighbor who quite possibly has a wooden leg. Or, as this person muses, might like wearing stilts. Um, hello?

First of all, the person is far too busy walking around and being noisy to read your rant. Second of all, ever heard of that marvelous little invention called high heels?

9. Things I’d like to tell students that would probably get me fired

Probably the most ridiculous thing about this post is that this neurotic person tells off his or her imaginary students in really not-so-blunt ways, mixed in with jokes that are horribly bad. C’mon now, stop being such a coward! Be like Morgan Freeman in the movie Lean On Me.

Okay, so he was a principal, not a professor, but the man got his point across with a bat! The key thing here is he commanded respect without ever having to use it. In the case of this ridiculous professor, this whiny rant gets an F.

10. Autographed Copy of Plato’s Republic

Finally, someone’s selling something that isn’t haunted! How refreshing. Obviously, the ridiculousness of this post is self-explanatory. Alas, there’s no price mentioned in this advertisement.

Surely such a gem would be priceless, at least to someone who actually cares about philosophy. This begs the question: what does it mean to truly care? Does philosophy truly have one definition? Oh, shut up.

There you have it, the 10 most ridiculous posts on Craigslist. Of course, there are hundreds of other posts to read on there and laugh at.

So, the next time you’re on a boring lunch break, why not check them out? Or, better yet, post one yourself. Just make sure it’s ridiculous.

Written by rtcrooks

This flowchart might come in handy this weekend for some people 🙂

The art of social interaction is a very delicate one, and everyone should know when to stay and when to call it a night. Whether at a house party or at your favorite bar, a timely departure is a beautiful thing. Conversely, staying a bit too long can often end in disaster. We have put together a handy flowchart to help you master the execution of a proper exit.

Collected by Meowza Katz

Roy Lichtenstein – open the layered file!

Matt Groening (creator of the Simpsons and Futurama)

Pablo Picasso

South Park

Andy Warhol

Random Manga artist

Camille Rose Garcia (modern day surrealist)

Nickelodeon

Jackson Pollock

Collected by amog

We all know some of the famous on-liners from the movies, but some of them are so commonplace that you may not even know that it’s a quote from a movie or from which movie it originated. But there are some quotes from movies that everyone should know. Some of them have really stood the test of time and are very old. Ironically, these are sometimes the ones that we know the best.

Here’s a list of one-liners that everyone should know and also which movie it came from and who in the movie said it. I’ve started with the earlier movies and have continued to go in chronological order.

1.Frankenstein , (1931) “It’s Alive! It’s Alive!”, Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive)

2. Every Day’s a Holiday, (1937), “You ought to get out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini.”, Larmadou Graves (Charles Butter worth)

3. Gone With the Wind , (1939), “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn”, Rhett Butler (Clark Gable)

4. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes , (1939), “Elementary, my dear Watson”, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone)

5.The Wizard of Oz , (1939), “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”, Dorothy (Judy Garland)

6. The Wizard of Oz , (1939), “There’s no place like home”, Dorothy (Judy Garland)

7. The Wizard of Oz , (1939), “I’ll get you, my pretty. And your little dog too”, Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton)

8. Casablanca , (1942), “Here’s looking at you, kid”, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)

9. Casablanca , (1942), “Play it again, Sam”, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)

10.Casablanca , (1942), “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)

11. Casablanca , (1942), “We’ll always have Paris”, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)

12. Casablanca , (1942), “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine”, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)

13. Yankee Doddle Dandy , (1942), “My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you”, George Cohan (James Cagney)

14. All About Eve, (1950), “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride”, Margo Channing (Bette Davis)

15. A Streetcar Named Desire , (1951), “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”, Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh)

16. Psycho , (1960), “We all go a little mad sometimes”, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins)

17. Dr. No , (1962), “Bond. James Bond.” James Bond (Sean Connery)

18. Goldfinger , (1964), “Shaken – Not stirred”, James Bond (Sean Connery)

19. Cool Hand Luke , (1967), “What we have here is a failure to communicate”, Captain (Strother Martin)

20. In the Heat of the Night , (1967), “They call me Mr. Tibbs”, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Portier)

21. Dirty Harry , (1971), “Do ya feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk”, Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood)

22. The Godfather , (1972), “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse”, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino)

23. The Godfather , (1972), “Don’t ask me about my business, Kay”, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino)

24. The Godfather , (1972), “This isn’t personal, Kay. This is business”, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino)

25. The Godfather: Part 2, (1974), “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino)

26. Rocky , (1976), “Yo, Adrienne”, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)

27. Taxi Driver , (1976), “You talkin’ to me”, Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro)

28. Star Wars , (1977), “Get this big walking carpet out of my way”, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)

29. Star Wars , (1977), “May the force be with you”, Hans Solo (Harrison Ford)

30. Apocalypse Now, (1979), “I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory”, Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall)

31. The Blues Brothers, (1980), “I took the liberty of bullshitting you”, Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd)

32. The Empire Strikes Back, (1980), “I’d rather kiss a wookie”, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)

33. The Empire Strikes Back, (1980), “Never tell me the odds”, Hans Solo (Harrison Ford)

34. The Shining , (1980), “He-e-e-e-re’s Johnny!”, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson)

35. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , (1982), “E.T. phone home”, E.T. (Pat Walsh)

36. Poltergeist , (1982), “They’re here!”, Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O’Rourke)

37. Scarface , (1983), “Say hello to my little friend”, Tony Montana (Al Pacino)

38. Sudden Impact , (1983), “Go ahead. Make my day”, Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood)

39. Ghostbusters, (1984), “Back off, man. I’m a scientist”, Peter Venkmen

40. Karate Kid , (1984), “Look eye! Always look eye”, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita)

41. Karate Kid , (1984), “Wax on, wax off”, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita)

42. The Terminator, (1984), “I’ll be back”, The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

43.The Terminator, (1984), “Hasta la vista, baby”, The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger):

44. Clue, (1985), “Men should be like Kleenex- soft, strong and disposable”, Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn)

45. Real Genius, (1985), “I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, ‘I drank what'”, Chris Knight (Val Kilmer)

46. Crocodile Dundee , (1986), “You call that a knife? That’s not a knife. This is a knife”, Michael “Crocodile” Dundee (Paul Hogan)

47. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, (1986), “You can’t respect someone who kisses your ass. I just doesn’t work”, Ferris Bueller (Mathew Broderick)

48. Top Gun, (1986), “Take me to bed or lose me forever”, Carol Bradshaw (Meg Ryan)

49. Top Gun, (1986), “Your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash”, Captain Tom “Stinger” Jordan (James Tolkan)

50. Top Gun, (1986), “I feel the need – the need for speed”, Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise)

51. Top Gun, (1986), “That’s classified. If I tell you I’ll have to kill you”, Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise)

52. Lethal Weapon, (1987), “This is a real badge, I’m a real cop, and this is a real fucking gun”, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson)

53. Die Hard, (1988), “Yippe-ki-yi-yay, Motherfucker”, John McClane (Bruce Willis)

54. Batman , (1989), “Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight”, The Joker (Jack Nicholson)

55. Dead Poets Society, (1989), “Sucking all the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone”, Mr. Keating (Robin Williams)

56. Ghost, (1990), “Ditto”, Sam (Patrick Swayze)

57. Mr. Destiny, (1990), “Destiny’s a pretty big concept, when you think about it. Where you are in life, how you got there, what would have happened if one thing or another had been different”, Larry Burrows (James Belushi)

58. City Slickers, (1991), “Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place”, Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal)

59. The Addams Family, (1991), “Don’t torture yourself, Gomez. That’ my job”, Morticia (Angelica Hustion)

60. The Silence of the Lambs, (1991), “I do wish we could chat longer, but I’m having an old friend for dinner”, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins):

61. Terminator 2: Judgement Day, (1991), “I need a vacation”, The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

62. A Few Good Men , (1992), “You can’t handle the truth”, Colonel Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson)

63. A League of Their Own , (1992), “There’s no crying in baseball”, Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks)

64. Batman Returns, (1992), “You’re just jealous ’cause I’m a genuine freak and you have to wear a mask”, The Penguin (Danny DeVito)

65. My Cousin Vinny, (1992), “Sure, sure I heard of grits. I’ve just never actually seen a grit before”, Vincent Gambini (Joe Pesci)

66. Wayne’s World , (1992), “Schwing”, Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers)

67. A Bronx Tale, (1993), “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent”, Lorenzo Anello (Robert DeNiro)

68. Mrs. Doubtfire, (1993), “Ever wish you could freeze frame a moment in your day and look at it and say ‘this is not my life'”, Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams)

69. Ace Ventura Pet Detective, (1994), “Warning! Assholes are closer than they appear”, Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey)

70. Clerks, (1994), “This job would be great if it wasn’t for the fucking customers”, Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson)

71. The Shawshank Redemption, (1994), “Either get busy living, or get busy dying”, Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman)

72. True Lies, (1994), “Women. Can’t live with ’em. Can’t kill ’em”, Albert Gibson (Tom Arnold)

73. True Lies, (1994), “I married Rambo”, Helen Tasker (Jamie Lee Curtis)

74. Apollo 13, (1995), “Houston, we have a problem”, Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks)

75. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, (1995), “Are you kidding, baby? I put the ‘grrrr’ in swinger, baby! Yeah”, Austin Powers (Mike Myers)

76. Braveheart, (1995), “The almighty tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he’s pretty sure you’re fucked”, Stephen (David O’Hara)

77. Braveheart, (1995), “Every man dies. Not every man really lives”, William Wallace (Mel Gibson)

78. Get Shorty, (1995), “So let me get this straight. You broke in again to apologize for breaking in yesterday”, Karen Flores (Rene Russo)

79. Judge Dredd , (1995), “I am the law. Put down your weapons and prepare to be judged”, Sylvester Stallone

80. Jerry Maguire , (1996), “Show me the money”, Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise)

81. Con Air, (1997), “There’s only two men I trust. One of ’em’s me, the other one’s not you”, Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage)

82. Liar Liar, (1997), “I CAN’T LIE”, Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey)

83. Titanic , (1997), “I’m the king of the world”, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio)

84. Titanic , (1997), “The best I’ve seen, ma’am. Hardly any rats”, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio)

85. Titanic , (1997), “Music to drown by – Now I know I’m in first class”, Tommy Ryan (Jason Barry)

86. Deep Impact, (1998), “This isn’t a video game, son”, Captain Spurgeon “Fish” Tanner (Robert Duvall)

87. Rush Hour, (1998), “I’m ‘Blackinese'”, Detective James Carter (Ken Leung)

88. Gladiator, (2000), “At my signal, unleash hell”, Maximus (Russell Crowe)

89. Shrek, (2001), “No one likes a kiss-ass”, Donkey (Eddie Murphy)

90. Sweet Home Alabama, (2002), “Honey, just ’cause I talk slow doesn’t mean I’m stupid”, Jake Perry (Josh Lucas)

91. Bruce Almighty, (2003), “B-E-A-utiful”, Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey)

92. Bruce Almighty,(2003), “You can’t leave me! I’m the Alpha, lady! I’M THE OMEGA, BABY”, Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey)

93. Daredevil, (2003), “You can do anything if you’re not afraid”, Jack Murdock (David Keith)

94.Pirates of the Caribbean, (2003), “Ye’d best start believin’ in ghost stories, Miss Turner. Yer in one”, Captain Barbosa (Geoffry Rush)

95. Pirates of the Caribbean, (2003), “You seem somewhat familiar; have I threatened you before”, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)

96. 50 First Dates, (2004), “There’s nothing like a first kiss”, Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore)

97. Forrest Gump , (2004), “My mama always said life was like a box a chocolates, never know what you’re gonna get”, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)

98. Forrest Gump , (2004), “Stupid is as stupid does”, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)

99. Forrest Gump , (2004), “My family knows ever’thing there is to know ’bout the shrimpin’ bidness”, Bubba Blue

100. Hitch, (2005), “Life is not the amount of breaths you take. It’s the moments that take your breath away”, Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith)

101. Hitch, (2005), “Begin each day like it was on purpose”, Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith)

Created by Christoph Niemann

I like coffee so much that I have tea for breakfast: The first cup of the day in particular is so good that I’m afraid I won’t be able to properly appreciate it when I am half-asleep. Therefore, I celebrate it two hours later when I am fully conscious.

I must have been 5 when I first discovered the taste of coffee, when I was accidentally given a scoop of coffee ice cream. I was inconsolable: how could grown-ups ruin something as wonderful as ice cream with something as disgusting as coffee?

A few years later I was similarly devastated when my parents announced that for our big summer vacation we would go . . . hiking.

When I was 10 I still hated coffee, but fell in love with the ritual of making coffee. My parents were thankful enough about me fixing them coffee every morning that they overlooked my first clashes with brewing technology.

At 17 I still suffered from coffee schizophrenia: I loved the concept of coffee, but resented the taste. I decided to cure myself through auto-hazing. Around that time, my parents took me on my first trip to Paris. We arrived by train early in the morning and went straight to a little cafe. I ordered a large café au lait and forced down the entire bowl. It worked. Since then I have enjoyed coffee pretty much every day.

When I was 21 I worked as an intern at a magazine. The art director and I would brew a gigantic pot of coffee around 9 a.m. to help us get through the day. The pot would simmer in the coffeemaker, and through evaporation the coffee strengthened noticeably at lunchtime. In the evening hours, the remaining coffee had turned to a black concoction with a stinging smell and tar-like taste. We endured it without flinching.

When I came to New York in 1995, I was delighted to discover deli coffee. At the time, I was focused less on taste and more on quantity and price. Thus, I was in caffeinated paradise.
In January 1999 a friend seduced me into switching to latte. Within weeks a considerable portion of my budget ended up at the L Cafe in Williamsburg.

My inner accountant quickly convinced me to buy one of those little espresso machines (for the price of approximately 10 tall lattes). It had a steam nozzle to heat milk, which one should clean very thoroughly after each use. I didn’t have the patience to do so. Within a few uses, an unappetizing, dark brown, organic lump developed around the nozzle. A few days later it had become unremovable, and I reverted to getting my coffee outside.

Here’s a chart that shows my coffee bias over the years.

For good measure I have added my bagel preferences over the same period. (1) Drip coffee, (2) Starbucks, (3) blueberry bagels, (4) sesame bagels, (5) poppy-seed bagels, (6) everything bagels

Please don’t hold my brief affair with blueberry bagels against me. I cured myself of this aberration.

I order large coffees, but stop drinking when the coffee gets too cold. There’s always a couple of ounces left in the cup, so I can’t just toss it into my wastebasket. I dread the long haul to the bathroom to properly dispose of the coffee remains. Hence you will usually find a tower of paper cups on my desk.

Hot milk greatly improves the taste of coffee, but I find milk foam useless and annoying.

My mother (who makes the most delicious coffee in the world), is obsessed with a particularly potent mechanical foam maker. The result is a layer of impenetrable foam, a kind of lacto-stucco. I have to gnaw my way through it before being able to get to the actual coffee. Apart from that she really makes the best coffee in the world.

Once, after a grueling all-day design conference at a university, I was invited to dinner on campus. To go with the various delicious pastas, salads and quiches, coffee was served.

When you are craving a beer, coffee is the most disgusting drink in the universe.

In New York, I was always envious of people who could walk into a coffee place and the guy behind the counter would know them so well he would just start fixing their order, without any exchange of words. It took me more than 10 years to get to that stage, but at the very end of my tenure in New York I finally achieved it: I would enter my little spot on Eighth Avenue and, with nothing more than maybe a nod of acknowledgment, my buddy prepared my personal choice: drip coffee with steamed milk.

After a couple of blissful weeks though, things took an unfortunate turn. For some reason he started making the wrong coffee (half and half, two sugars). I knew that if I corrected him, our mystic bond would be forever tarnished. So I swallowed the coffee, instead of my pride.

Collected by Yahoo!

1 Britney Spears

The singer’s steep trajectory to redemption restored her to the top of searches. Her year began with a police visit, hospital stay, and psych evaluation. She returned under her father’s shelter and, by summer, settled custody with her ex. Professionally, she guested on a sitcom, won thrice at the MTV Video Music Awards, broke records with “Womanizer,” relaunched her site, and released a documentary detailing her fall and comeback…by age 27.

2 WWE

A June explosion destroyed a World Wrestling Entertainment stage and “injured” chairman Vince McMahon, unleashing a sweaty soap opera of chaos that included his kids appealing for cooperation in difficult times. The stunt could’ve symbolized the sporting empire’s battles against the economy’s fall and mixed martial arts’ rise. WWE produced more events, video games, and movies to make up for fewer paying fans, and faithfuls kept track online to maintain its Top 2 status.

3 Barack Obama

The Illinois junior senator faced two hard-fought contests and nearly won a third-although toppling Britney Spears wasn’t on his list. He entered 2008 as a relative newcomer on the national scene and ended the year as president-elect. His campaign defied political wisdom and made history at every turn. His Web strategy set the groundwork to make him the first wired president and, in an unprecedented Search surge, landed him at No. 3.

4 Miley Cyrus

Before 2008, the singer/actress had been better known-and searched-by her Disney persona, Hannah Montana. She appeared on shows like “Idol Gives Back” as Cyrus, but true name recognition came with scandal: a Vanity Fair spread featuring the 15-year-old seemingly wrapped only in a bedsheet. Savvy Cyrus apologized, survived, and closed down Disneyland for a 16th birthday charity bash, and ended up at No. 4.

5 RuneScape

The multi-player role-playing game’s international popularity rests on its cheap access, ability to run on older computers, and compelling play. Its underground success has even led to a real black market, trading actual cash for RuneScape gold-and controversial restrictions to stop it. A new boss, graphics, and touted player-versus-player combat release signal the company’s power play to step up in the RPG battle…and take hold at No. 5.

6 Jessica Alba

Her movies fared none too well, following 2007 missteps that got her three Razzie Worst Actress nominations. Still, she earned Best Movie Actress at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and No. 6 in searches, buoyed by her wedding and baby Honor Marie (who earned a reported $1.5 million in her OK! mag debut). The pregnant pause may have given her impetus to switch to more serious roles-something to watch for in 2009.

7 Naruto

The manga. The game. The anime. Whatever form Naruto Uzumaki takes, the awkward but accomplished young graduate of the Ninja Academy remains the Web’s most popular fictional character in seventh place. His peers and enemies also command their own followings, but the complex tale of Naruto (whose name translates to “maelstrom”), the orphaned misfit who craves recognition, resonates with its generation of fans.

8 Lindsay Lohan

At No. 8, the actress made stumbling progress back from rehab, revolving-door relationships, and rejected roles. On the upside, she settled down (with a monogamous twist), blogged about politics, and recreated Marilyn Monroe’s photo shoot. On the downside, she got booted from “Ugly Betty” and as World Music Awards host. Lohan has had celebs testifying to her talent, but a true comeback may have to wait for 2009.

9 Angelina Jolie

Leading power lists in Forbes and even Guinness World Records, the actress took her place among Hollywood’s elite. “Delicate” condition aside, she underscored her image as a tough-dame throwback with a 21st-century vibe. She earned box-office bucks as an assassin and cartoon tigress, Oscar cred in “Changeling,” and karma by donating her and Brad Pitt’s twins’ $14 mil pictorial payout to charity-moves that muscled her in at No. 9.

10 American Idol

Judges kept declaring its 2008 singers their best ever, but while the Fox reality show ruled ratings, an audience decline since 2007 sent producers into a fit of self-examination. In a season beset with complaints, “Idol” had the last laugh with a smashing finale and iTunes recordbreaker. The show also got “cougar” into household vernacular, unlikely credit for exposing youth to the democratic process, and a top Search 10 nod once again.

Collected by Sub-Zero

“Look, for the tenth time, it’s pronounced ‘a-NAL-rap-ist’ “

Now that the Arrested Development movie has been confirmed as a sure thing (knock on wood), I felt it was the time to take a look back at the series’ best running jokes. The show failed because 90% of the jokes were based on older episodes, and that didn’t make for very good promo commercials, because people are stupid. But here they are, with as much video evidence as I could provide. I’m hoping all of them make a cameo in the movie, which knowing the show, I’m sure they will.

8 ) I’ve Made a Huge Mistake

Perhaps the most pervasive joke in the series, it always popped up at just the right moment.

7) Hey Brother

Buster’s greeting never changed, and took a scary turn when he started sneaking up behind Michael with his hook hand before saying it.

6) Gob’s Final Countdown Dance

He may not be a great magician, but he’s sure got a damn good opening number.

5) Never Nude

“There are literally dozens of us!”

4) Steve Holt!

Maebe’s crush and Gob’s son had the Pokemon-like trait of expressing himself by saying his own name emphatically.

3) Franklin Delanor Bluth

Sadly, I could only find an audio clip, as copyright police have all but silenced Franklin from the airways. Enjoy this snippet from “It’s Not Easy Bein’ White or Brown.”

2) Tobias the Gaffe Machine

Tobias’s sexuality was highly suspect from day one, and his choice of words throughout the show never helped his case.

1) Chicken Dance

“Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?”

From Stealth Health

Bring out the laughter from within.

The Best Medicine

What is the greatest reward of being alive? Is it chocolate, sex, ice cream, tropical vacations, hugs from children, a perfect night’s sleep, or the satisfaction of a job well done? A thousand people, a thousand different answers. But one supreme pleasure that spans all people is laughter.

Little can compare to the feeling of a deep, complete, heartfelt laughing spell. No matter your age, wealth, race, or living situation, life is good when laughter is frequent.

Life is also healthier. Research finds that humor can help you cope better with pain, enhance your immune system, reduce stress, even help you live longer. Laughter, doctors and psychologists agree, is an essential component of a healthy, happy life.

comstockcomplete Laughter is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

As Mark Twain once said, “Studying humor is like dissecting a frog — you may know a lot but you end up with a dead frog.” Nonetheless, we’re giving it a try. Here are 19 tips for getting — or growing — your sense of humor, based partly on the idea that you can’t be funny if you don’t understand what funny is.

1. First, regain your smile. A smile and a laugh aren’t the same thing, but they do live in the same neighborhood. Be sure to smile at simple pleasures — the sight of kids playing, a loved one or friend approaching, the successful completion of a task, the witnessing of something amazing or humorous. Smiles indicate that stress and the weight of the world haven’t overcome you. If your day isn’t marked by at least a few dozen, then you need to explore whether you are depressed or overly stressed.

2. Treat yourself to a comedy festival. Rent movies like Meet the Parents; Young Frankenstein; Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure; Monty Python and the Holy Grail; This Is Spinal Tap; Animal House; Blazing Saddles; Trading Places; Finding Nemo. Reward yourself frequently with the gift of laughter, Hollywood style.

3. Recall several of the most embarrassing moments in your life. Then find the humor in them. Now practice telling stories describing them in a humorous way. It might take a little exaggeration or dramatization, but that’s what good storytelling is all about. By revealing your vulnerable moments and being self-deprecating, you open yourself up much more to the humorous aspects of life.

4. Anytime something annoying and frustrating occurs, turn it on its head and find the humor. Sure, you can be angry at getting splashed with mud, stepping in dog poop, or inadvertently throwing a red towel in with the white laundry. In fact, that is probably the most normal response. But it doesn’t accomplish anything other than to put you in a sour mood. Better to find a way to laugh at life’s little annoyances. One way to do that: Think about it as if it happened to someone else, someone you like — or maybe someone you don’t. In fact, keep running through the Rolodex in your head until you find the best person you can think of to put in your current predicament. Laugh at him, then laugh at yourself!

5. Read the comics every day and cut out the ones that remind you of your life. Post them on a bulletin board or the refrigerator or anywhere else you can see them frequently.

6. Sort through family photographs and write funny captions or one-liners to go with your favorites. When you need a pick-me-up, pull out the album.

7. Every night at dinner, make family members share one funny or even embarrassing moment of their day.

8. When a person offends you or makes you angry, respond with humor rather than hostility. For instance, if someone is always late, say, “Well, I’m glad you’re not running an airline.” Life is too short to turn every personal affront into a battle. However, if you are constantly offended by someone in particular, yes, take it seriously and take appropriate action. But for occasional troubles, or if nothing you do can change the person or situation, take the humor response.

A Daily Ritual

9. Sign up to receive the Top 10 list from David Letterman every day via e-mail. You can find it at www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow.

10. Spend 15 minutes a day having a giggling session. Here’s how you do it: You and another person (partner, kid, friend, etc.) lie on the floor with your head on her stomach, and her head on another person’s stomach and so on (the more people the better). The first person says, “Ha.” The next person says, “Ha-ha.” The third person says, “Ha-ha-ha.” And so on. We guarantee you’ll be laughing in no time.

11. Read the activity listings page in the newspaper and choose some laugh-inducing events to attend. It could be the circus, a movie, a stand-up comic, or a funny play. Sometimes it takes a professional to get you to regain your sense of humor.

12. Add an item to your daily to-do list: Find something humorous. Don’t mark it off until you do it, suggests Jeanne Robertson, a humor expert and author of several books on the topic.

13. When you run into friends or coworkers, ask them to tell you one funny thing that has happened to them in the past couple of weeks. Become known as a person who wants to hear humorous true stories as opposed to an inpidual who prefers to hear gossip, suggests Robertson.

14. Find a humor buddy. This is someone you can call just to tell him something funny; someone who will also call you with funny stories of things he’s seen or experienced, says Robertson.

15. Exaggerate and overstate problems. Making the situation bigger than life can help us to regain a humorous perspective, says Patty Wooten, R.N., an award-winning humorist and author of Compassionate Laughter: Jest for the Health of It. Cartoon caricatures, slapstick comedy, and clowning articles are all based on exaggeration, she notes.

16. Develop a silly routine to break a dark mood. It could be something as silly as speaking with a Swedish accent (unless you are Swedish, of course).

17. Create a humor environment. Have a ha-ha bulletin board where you only post funny sayings or signs, suggests Allen Klein, an award-winning professional speaker and author of The Healing Power of Humor. His favorite funny sign: “Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.”

18. Experiment with jokes. Learn one simple joke each week and spread it around. One of Klein’s favorites relates to his baldness: “What do you call a line of rabbits walking backward? A receding hare line.”

19. Focus humor on yourself. “Because of my lack of hair,” Klein says, “I tell people that I’m a former expert on how to cure baldness.”