"Ramona Singer" Addresses 'Real Housewives' Cuts in YouTube Parody

In case you haven't heard, four ladies of The Real Housewives of New York City have been axed from the show.

While Kelly Bensimon, Alex McCord, Jill Zarin and Cindy Barshop are being relatively quiet about their departure, Pinot Grigio enthusiast Ramona Singer -- well, comedienne Amy Phillips playing her -- has posted a video to YouTube to address the show's changes. Check it out!

Ellen's Reporter Amy Is Scared of... Well, Everything

The Ellen Degeneres Show returns today for its ninth season with big celeb guests (like Ashton Kutcher) and Ellen's continuously positive sense of humor. While poking around the Web over the weekend I found a clip from Ellen that a reader of A Blog About Things posted and I seriously cried with laughter while watching.

Amy Rhodes is a writer on the show as well as Ellen's "roving reporter," covering topics ranging from the weather to a strange fungi growing on Ellen's "east porch." For one assignment Amy was asked to take viewers on a walk through a haunted house, which clearly was not her favorite beat to cover.

Watch as Amy screams, shrieks and calls people rude during her trip to the haunted house!


And it looks like haunted houses aren't the only thing to get a rise out of Amy. Watch as Ellen forces her to watch Scream 4 alone in a movie theater (with one uninvited guest):

Back to School: My Old Yearbook Photos

Now that summer is unofficially over and everyone is either headed back to school or pretending they're going back to school so they can justify buying a whole new wardrobe (guilty!), I thought now would be the perfect time to surface some of my old yearbook photos from years past. Although I never had the awesome laser background there are still some gems in the mix.

Some are cute, some are nice and some are just plain scary, but they're all pretty fun to look at. Keep reading to see all of my class photos and click on each picture to read more about the highlights (and lowlights) of that year of school.

Kids React to the eHarmony Cat Lover

Again, I have to say that "Kids React To..." is one of my favorite video series, and I'm actually really mad at myself or not coming up with the idea myself!

In the latest edition, kids give their very honest opinions to the cat-loving girl's eHarmony video bio. Check it out:



Obviously my favorite girl, 6-year-old Morgan, gave the best line, "For God's sake! No one would cry about cats!"

Beyond the clear crazy cat lady comments, the kids all had interesting opinions on what online dating really means. They give such gems as "It's a site where a bunch of creeps go to meet each other." People only online date because "They're too lazy." And several of the kids said people who look for online are "desperate.' Ya, give it a few years, kiddos.

My favorite line was from 11-year-old Everhet. When asked "What could she have done to make a better video?" He said, "She could have not talked about cats!" Indeed, Everhet.

Sweet iPhone App: 'Futurama' Head-In-A-Jar Creator

Good news, everyone! Not only has one of my favorite animated series been renewed for two more seasons on Comedy Central, but Futurama has just released its iPhone app that allows nerdlingers everywhere to create their very own head in a jar!

Go glamorous with a giant cyclops eye, or class things up with a gleaming robot antenna. With a dizzying assortment of human, alien, and robot features, the possibilities are literally finite. It's super easy, too!


Start with your species and head type (seriously) and then go through customizing your very own head in a jar to look like yourself, your friends, your coworkers or a new being from your imagination.

200 Things Grace Helbig Learned from the Internet

One of my favorite YouTubers of all time is Grace Helbig of DailyGrace, who posts a new video every day about topcs ranging from anything to everything. She's made clips about beauty and style tips, random observations on society and even interviewed other YouTubers (check out Pat and Carolyn's cameo!)

To celebrate the upload of her 200th daily video (you go, girl!) Grace shared the 200 things that she has learned from the Web. Enjoy!


Some of my personal favorites are:

#20 - People only look at their own face when they video chat
#23 - It's not a viral video, it's an ad campaign
#99 - Why don't keyboards have a .com button?
#113 - Just because you use Instagram doesn't mean you're a real photographer
#121 - Lindsay Lohan is so sad

What have you learned from the Internet? Leave a comment!

My Trip to the Times Square Visitor Center

By Sheila O'Malley, Contributing Writer

New York is obviously so full of things to see that even if you live here, it would take a lifetime to see it all. I definitely take it for granted sometimes, but then I'll have these moments where I suddenly realize, for example, "Holy crap, that is the Chrysler Building AND IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL."

The Disneyfication of New York City in the last 15 years has taken away a lot of the flavor of the place, especially Times Square, which I remember from my childhood visits here as being a scary fascinating place of smut shops, XXX movie halls, and peep shows featuring "live girls working their way through college". This is the main neighborhood of New York City, and that was its welcome mat for decades.

I enjoy going to museums and reading commemorative plaques as much as the next person, but I also like getting a glimpse of something weird/notable/bizarre, and going to investigate it further. The giant Charmin toilet paper "installation" is a perfect example, as well as the freaky place on 42nd Street called Pop Tart World. And there's a weird spot on Broadway on the north side of Times Square that is called the Times Square Visitor Center (1560 Broadway between 46th and 47th Street), which may seem like nothing that would hold any interest for me whatsoever, a place where tourists can get a map of the city, or buy T-shirts, keychains, get maps, and other crap to bring home from their visit. I went there only once before, when I was looking for Pop Tart World and needed directions. The atmosphere inside that Visitor Center was so bizarre that I knew I had to go back to check it out.


The entranceway is unassuming, a dark hallway announced by pink neon walls blaring: TIMES SQUARE VISITOR CENTER, and RIGHT THIS WAY on either side. It doesn't look like your regular tourist joint. It looks like the entrance to a seedy vaudevillian theatre featuring burlesque dancers who do erotic fan dances as bored men wearing fedoras and chomping on cigars look on.

Kids React to Lady Gaga

I seriously want to be friends with all of the kids in the Kids React to Viral Videos series. They're so opinionated and funny!

Take a look at one of the latest clips of kids from ages six to 14 watching Lady Gaga on The Late Show with David Letterman and listen to their honest reacts to what they just watched.


I love listening to the kids' gut reactions to Gaga, her music and her antics. I love that they all seem to actually like her, but be mostly aware of her "gimmicks" as they say. Plus, can you spot the one little boy that is just a little too informed about Lady Gaga and her career? I have a feeling that I may see him out a bar one day... if you know what I mean.

Metallic Fish Lurk in 'The Deep'

I've been obsessing over old tools and small machinery lately -- weird, I know -- to decorate my apartment (check out these wrenches I scored!), so when I saw this quick film from Showtime's Short Strories I dove right in.

Watch some metal objects from the past come to life in the depths of the sea in this short film called The Deep.

The Olsen Twins Want Pizza (and Maybe Some Drugs)

This clip is not new by any means, but I just discovered it and am now obsessed.


Way before Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were frail fashionistas they starred in little kid videos. Well, horray for Internet, because someone has taken one of their classic kid songs called "Gimme Pizza," slowed it down and transformed it into a stoner anthem.

Watch the Olsen twins and their diverse friends jam about the best way to cure their munchies.

Pat & Carolyn Visit Daily Grace!

Grace Helbig is one of my favorite YouTubers, so when Carolyn and I had the chance to guest star in an episode of "Grace Goes Tubing" we couldn't turn it down! Clearly we are obsessed with America's Next Top Model, but we had no idea that Grace was a giant fan, too!

Check out our conversation with Grace as we compare notes on Cycle 16 of ANTM... kinda...

New SunChips Packaging Good for Planet, Now Your Ears!

If you've been following this site for the last year or so you know that I've had an unusual amount of posts about SunChips and their new compostable packaging. In December of 2009 I made this video questioning why the SunChips bags were suddenly so loud. In August 2010 the video was aired on NBC's Today show as part of a segment about the amount of noise the bags produced, and then in October of 2010 Frito-Lay announced they were going back to the drawing board with the bags because of consumer complaints (and dropping sales.)

Now SunChips has redesigned the planet-friendly bags to made them ear-friendly, too. The coolest part of the whole thing? The fine folks at Frito-Lay reached out to me and asked me to make another video comparing their old and loud bags with the new ones! Check it out:


The SunChips were provided to me for free, but nothing I'm saying about them is influenced by that. Here's some additional info if you're curious:

The new 100% compostable bag is about 2 times quieter than the first generation SunChips compostable bag. While there will not be a visual difference in the packaging graphics, consumers will easily hear the difference when bags reach their market.

The compostable bag is constructed in three layers; an outer layer that has the SunChips logo and picture on it, an inner layer that surrounds the chips inside the bag and an adhesive layer in the middle that keeps the outer and inner layers together. The adhesive layer reduces sound vibrations like shock absorbers reduce mechanical vibrations in a car, making for a quieter ride (and snacking!)

The SunChips folks are urging consumers to continue to provide feedback on the compostable bag on the SunChips Facebook page or by calling 1-800-352-4477.

What started out as a silly and quick YouTube video has become part of a larger Web meme, influenced a corporations production of its product and scored me some free chips! Internet win!

You're Cut Off, Drunk Baby!

Kids today are growing up way too fast. I blame Jersey Shore. Case in point: This belligerently drunk baby reeking havoc at a bar in Las Palmas!


Watch this clumsy, sloppy kiddo suck down "booze," eat food off the puppet patrons' plates and eventually send a table crashing to the ground.

Tyra Banks Spoofs Contestants in New 'ANTM' Promo

With the premiere of Cycle 16 of America's Next Top Model only a few days away even host and creator Tyra Banks is getting in on the excitement.

Check out this new promo of Ms. Banks spoofing some of Top Model's most recognizable stereotypes, like the girl who won't cut her hair and the "alternative" model who hates modeling.

2011: The Year Robots Will Destroy Us All

I always half-joke about that whole "world ending in 2012" thing, but I'm starting to lean more towards believing it after watching no less than three examples of robots or computers taking the place of humans.


First we saw the IBM supercomputer named Watson beat out two of Jeopardy's smartest players. CNN says Watson's win doesn't make humans obsolete (yet), but I'm not sure I'm buying it. Jeopardy superstar Ken Jennings seems to agree, using his screen to say, "I for one welcome our new computer overlords." I'm with ya, Ken.

Watch: Live-Action Mario Kart

Some things do not transfer from real life to video games (like the ANTM Wii game, oy!) but there are some very awesome video game to real-life switcheroos out there!

Behold the awesomeness of this live-action Mario Kart but some dude who zips and dodges his way along busy streets, and even into a shopping center to pick up some valuable bananas.


I've seen a lot of Super Mario Bros. costumes in my day, but this Mario Kart spoof takes the cake -- er, toadstool.

Watch Cat Jump In and Out of Box Repeatedly

Perhaps it's because I spent an entire weekend in a house full of cats, but I'm finding this video particularly enjoyable this morning.


Please enjoy this adorable clip of Maru the fat cat jumping in and out of a box!


Hope you're having as a productive day as I am!

Kids React to Viral Videos like "Charlie Bit My Finger" and More

I've already posted several editions of "Kids React to Viral Videos" like this, this and this, but I just can't ever really get enough of them.

Take a look at kids of all ages giving their honest reactions (and harsh opinions) to viral hits like Golden Voice Homeless Man, Charlie Bit My Finger and Double Dream Hands.

Meet the Kid Behind the Darth Vader Volkswagen Commercial

My hometown team the Pittsburgh Steelers may have lost the Super Bowl last night (sorry, Mom!) but we're not dwelling on the bad news. Now that the game is over, today is all about analysis of the commercials that ran between the plays.


One of the most popular (and adorable) ads was a Volkswagen commercial starring a tiny Darth Vader. The Today Show scored an exclusive interview with the boy behind the mask; 6-year-old Max Page. Check it out!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Today Show also did the obligatory post-game commercial review, so you can watch that, too.

I Want to Go to There: World's Widest Slip and Slide

This could possibly be the most satisfying video you'll watch today. After week's of freezing temperatures and crazy amounts of snow, who wouldn't want to take a turn splashing down in the world's widest slide and slide?

Unleash your inner 8-year-old and take a look!