Just when you thought pool floats couldn't get any stranger, a beheaded swan floatie has surfaced for your summertime-buying pleasure. It comes after last summer's bizarro pink coffin float and what is possibly its precursor, David's Shrigley's Ridiculous Inflatable Swan-Thing.

This $79 toy is a two-piece item that includes both the swan's body and its chopped-off head. It's brought to us by mschf internet studios and artist Lukas Bentel (glancing at his site, it appears decapitated flamingo and unicorn floats are also in the works).

While we're talking about unusual water toys, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention two new lawn sprinklers: the giant mermaid tail and the "JumpOff Jo" unicorn -- both of which suggestively squirt water out of their tails.

(Swiss Miss) Read the rest

Designer Andrew Greenbaum of Venice Beach, California has created a two-piece pink coffin-shaped pool float which people are dying for him to make available for sale.

He writes:

Had the idea to start this project almost three years ago... I found someone who could make me a sample recently and pulled the trigger. Super hilarious project. Truth be told thou, we about $15,000 short from being able to sell this to ya’ll. Let us know if you think a kickstarter would be a cool idea or if you have a rich daddy who wanna invest...

I contacted Andrew and he told me that this Kickstarter will launch on Monday.

when it’s summer but you have depression pic.twitter.com/bmQUGqUBa4

— KT ? (@kxthleen) July 4, 2018

(Cosmpolitan) Read the rest

Not all heroes wear capes, people. Take this bear, for instance. Mark Hough of Altadena, California first spotted the bear climbing over his fence. He then witnessed the critter slipping into his (unheated) hot tub for a cool soak. Wait, it gets better. Then the bear knocked over and lapped up the margarita Hough had left by the edge of the tub. Later, the bear was found napping in a nearby tree.

NBC San Diego:

After first spotting the bear, Hough retreated inside, only to later find the furry intruder "bobbling away in the Jacuzzi enjoying himself."

Hough recorded video of the bear lolling in the unheated hot tub with the jets on. The creature played with the chlorinator and tossed the thermometer in the air, Hough said.

"He was playing having a grand old time," he added.

The bear's dip only lasted a few minutes before it emerged and lumbered around the yard. Then it "popped out of the bushes, walked right over to the margarita, knocked it over and lapped it," Hough said.

...About an hour later, Hough was talking to a neighbor when some oak leaves fluttered to the ground. Hough looked up to see the bear slumbering in the tree.

After watching this, I think it's clear I need to up my summer game. Read the rest

"101 degrees in the shade..."

It's been hot in the Bay Area and I was joking with a friend that we should take the "Nestea Plunge." They had no idea what I was talking about which surprised me, given the iconic ad campaign ran from the 1970s through the 1990s (and came back in 2014).

I grew up on Cape Cod, so we didn't have a pool, we just went to the beach when it was hot. For hours, my friends and I would put our arms out and fall backwards into the Atlantic, trying to reenact the Plunge we saw on TV. It was like an in-water trust fall with only the waves to catch you.

Cripes, you all remember it, don't you? Surely it's just an anomaly that my friend didn't know about it.

"Temperature was up around 103..."

"The temperature was up around 111..."

"Come on, taste the taste of wetness..."

Even legendary groupie Pamela Des Barres took the Nestea Plunge

They're *still* taking the Plunge in the Philippines Read the rest

Six Flags Great Adventure debuted their newest thrill ride Wednesday, the 7-story-high CYBORG Cyber Spin. The Jackson, New Jersey theme park claims their gyroscopic anti-gravity attraction is a first of its kind in the United States (Europe's had one since 2015.)

...you'll board a 24-seat gondola and prepare to take to the skies. As the ride raises off the ground, the ride begins to spin on all three axis independently as the movements grow larger and faster and you fly head-over-heels for an out-of-this-world ride like nothing you've ever experienced before. As the spinning slows, CYBORG brings the axis back together and lowers you back to earth.

Nope.

(NJ.com) Read the rest

On June 20, the U.S. Postal Service will roll out Frozen Treats, the first ever scratch-and-sniff stamps. Artist Margaret Berg of Santa Monica, California created the watercolored illustrations of ice pops featured on these special First-Class Mail Forever postage stamps.

The stamps feature illustrations of frosty, colorful, icy pops on a stick. Today, Americans love cool, refreshing ice pops on a hot summer day. The tasty, sweet confections come in a variety of shapes and flavors. Ice pops are made by large manufacturers, home cooks and artisanal shops. In recent years, frozen treats containing fresh fruit such as kiwi, watermelon, blueberries, oranges and strawberries have become more common. In addition, flavors such as chocolate, root beer and cola are also popular. Some frozen treats even have two sticks, making them perfect for sharing.

The stamps are available for pre-order now. Read the rest

There are so many incredibly ridiculous pool floats out there now. I recently spotted one that looks like a whoopee cushion. And also one that looks like a baby bottle (why?!). But the one that really caught my eye is by British artist David Shrigley.

It's called the Ridiculous Inflatable Swan-Thing and it's kind of like a swan but with a meh face. I think it's glorious!

It's available from Australian retailer Third Drawer Down for A$55 (approx. $42.33).

Are you sure you want to buy this rubbish? Read the rest

It's summer in Australia, which means people are thinking of cool treats to enjoy in the heat.

Then, on Tuesday, the folks at Vegemite ruined everything by making ice pops with their thick, dark yeast spread.

After much debate whether it was a joke or not, the Melbourne-based brand tweeted, "We weren't kidding with this one!," and offered up the recipe for the repulsive "Vegemite Icy Poles." Read the rest

Thanks to a big row of west-facing windows, my apartment can get really hot in the afternoon. And since I don’t have a ceiling fan, I was looking for a tower fan that would help me cool down without needing to run my air conditioner all the time. I randomly bought a Vornado tower fan at Target and I’m so glad I did. The basic idea of the Vornado brand is that their fans circulate air throughout the room rather than just blowing it in one direction (like a traditional fan) or providing intermittent bursts of air in different directions (like an oscillating fan). I was worried that was all just marketing jargon, but I’ve found the design actually works really well. In fact, the fan creates a far wider range of air circulation than I was expecting.

I wound up purchasing two different models, the NGT335 33” Whole Room Tower Circulator ($99.99) and the Model 143 29” Tower Circulator ($79.99). The NGT335 has a wider range and a bit more power and, in my opinion, is absolutely worth the extra $20. The Model 143, however, also gets the job done just fine. Both fans come with remotes and have timer features in case you don’t want to leave them running all day/night.

As far as tower fans go, both models are pretty elegant and discrete. They aren’t invisible by any means, but they also don’t look out of place sitting in a corner of my living room. And since they don’t rotate, neither draws the eye the way an oscillating fan might. Read the rest

“Dream Recollection Inducer (GIF Format)—To gaze at shortly after waking.” By ZBAGS. Read the rest