So whatever you have to do tomorrow, find time to go to your local polling place and vote. If you still aren’t sure where you vote, the following website will help: VoteForChange.com

• The Hat
  It just doesn’t get any closer than this one. If there were an award to be given out to companies attempting to replicate hats worn by video game characters, this company would win it. The only thing it is missing is Mario’s distinctive white patch with the red “M”. To solve this issue, cut out a white piece of cloth or iron-on patch from any fabric store in a circle with approximately a 1.5-2.5″ diameter and carefully draw the “M” on to it with a red sharpie. Once done, either iron or sew it on to the front of the hat. That’s it! You now have Mario’s legendary hat.
• The Gloves
  Every plumber needs a nice pair of perfectly white cotton gloves. This pair is cheap and fits the character perfectly. If you’re going all out, there are probably higher-quality pairs out there that still look the part, but I wouldn’t recommend spending to much on the gloves unless you plan on wearing them again.
• The Overalls
  Just about any blue overalls will work, so shop around and find a good comfortable pair. If, like me, you’re not keen on buying pants online, there are plenty of brick and mortar stores that still that carry these perpetually out-of-fashion pants.
• The Shirt
  Just about any long sleeve red shirt will do the trick and, unless you’re really in to overalls, this is the one part of the costume that you may wear out in public after you’re done with the costume, so pick something comfortable.
• The Boots
  Most people probably already have this part of the costume in their closet, but if you don’t, any good pair of brown work boots or hiking boots should look great.
• The Mustache
  You’ve really got two options here. Look around and find a fake one that looks convincing, or grow your own. Personally, I like the “grow your own” route, but if you can’t or you’re impatient, there are plenty of convincing fake mustaches available online, in party stores, or at any of the generic Halloween stores that pop up at the end of September and disappear after October.
• Other Accessories
  There are some absolutely terrific toys out there that will perfectly compliment a Mario costume. Some of the better ones include the sound effects keychain, stars, mushrooms, and goombas.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you do decide to use this as your next costume, please post pictures!

Here’s the final result:

I’m normally not a fan of the horror genre, but this at least looked intriguing from the commercials, starred and actress who is great in Dexter, and my wife and our friend, Ms. Quarter, both wanted to see it. So we went and it started off interesting enough, but even though it was supposedly being filmed by a “local news” camera-man, it just continuously got more shaky and nauseating. About a half hour in, just as the actual action in the movie started, the three of us were already so dizzy that we just got up and left. Jessie even managed to talk the manager in to free passes.

Going to the movies is already expensive enough, not to mention the added cost of any kind of snacks or drinks, so the least the industry can do is warn you about crappy nauseating camerawork so I don’t have to waste my time and money on a movie I’ll just end up walking out of. Hollywood, I’m begging you, if you want any more of my money stop trying to make me spew buttered popcorn on your other paying customers.

You might not know this, because it hasn’t yet officially aired, but today’s Meet The Press, currently taping and airing in less than an hour, will be big. MSNBC, CNN, and most other major news sources are already reporting that Colin Powell has officially endorsed Barack Obama. It’s uncertain exactly what this will mean in the polls and how it will effect the race, but this certainly isn’t a good omen for John McCain. To say this is the final nail in the coffin is probably premature and Barack Obama supporters shouldn’t get cocky (as Obama has been saying himself in his stump speeches), but this is a huge bonus to his campaign, especially at such a late date.

Here’s the clip from Meet The Press:

Notice something wrong there? Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, that does actually say “Barack Osama“. I’m willing to accept the word of the officials responsible for this that it was indeed accidental, but there’s just no way that this was a simple wrong key press. “S” and “B” are no where near each other on the keyboard - you don’t even type them with the same finger. Someone clearly was thinking Osama when they typed his name and typed it wrong without realized that their id had overpowered their conscious mind. That happens. There are plenty of times when I’ve wanted to type one word and my mind just typed out something else, but I always catch it with good old fashioned proofreading.

So what’s the lesson to be learned here? With something as important as a Presidential election ballot - especially in the shadow of the 2000 election fraud that elected George W. Bush - any and every ballot being shipped out to early voters or presented to them at the voting booth should be thoroughly proofread by multiple officials.

• Lexan Wide Mouth Bottle
  This bottle will serve two purposes. The first and most obvious is as a drinking bottle. Its second and more creative use is as secure storage for non-liquid items that you would like to keep safe, waterproofed, and away from damage. These things are virtually indestructible and virtually waterproof when sealed tightly, so almost everything in your survival kit will go in here.
• Swedish Firesteel
  Fire has been essential to humankind’s survival since we first harnessed its power. There are some nice windproof matches available that would fit nicely inside your survival kit, but even if you fill the thing completely with matches, you won’t get the 12,000 strikes you will from a single set of Swedish firesteel - and it takes up much less space. I don’t own any of this myself (yet!), but I’ve seen it used and I can tell you right now that this would be a life saver if you need to start a fire in the wind and/or rain.
• Leatherman Multitool
  Just as essential as having fire is having a good knife. A knife that can also serve as a pliers, saw, wire cutter, bottle opener, and much more is certainly a must-have for any survival kit. There are dozens of different brands of multitools out there with probably hundreds of models, but Leatherman reigns king when it comes to quality. Most of the small to medium sized models will fit in your survival bottle without issue, but make sure to get one that does.
• Hand Warmers
  The purpose these serve in your survival is obvious - they warm your hands. They can, however, also warm your feet or just about anything else. Stick a few packs of these in there for when you aren’t near the fire.
• Band Aids
  For when you cut yourself. Get a variety of sizes for different types of wounds. You’ll probably want to take them out of the box to better utilize the space in your survival bottle.
• Mylar Blanket
  This blanket isn’t made out of fabric, it’s made of foil-like material called mylar. When wrapped in it, it can reflect up to 90% of your body heat back to you, so you can stay warm in the coldest climates.
• Compass
  It always helps to know where you’re going, so get a decent quality compass. Most hand held compasses will fit in your survival bottle without any issues, so if you’re wandering around lost, you won’t have to wait until dark and rely on the north star.
• Rain Poncho
  If you’re going to survive the apocalypse, you’re going to need to stay dry when it rains. The easiest way to stay dry is to wear a cheap plastic bag with a hood, also known as a poncho.
• Emergency Radio
  This is the only thing so far that you will not be able to cram in to your lexan bottle, but many of the radios have a strap so you can easily attach it to the bottle. There are plenty of models available, so choose one with features you like and think you’ll need, but I highly suggest one that has a hand crank for self powering. Some even offer a small solar panel so it can be charged by the sun. You certainly want one that offers AM/FM radio frequencies, but many also offer emergency weather frequencies or UHF/VHF audio. This is essential in helping you find safety with living humans in the case of an alien attack, zombie uprising, or artificially intelligent robots take over the planet. Also, it can be handy to find out the weather forecasts during a storm.

The above items are all essential survival tools, but there are a few extras that you might also consider getting, such as tea light candles, batteries, a mirror (for signaling), weatherproof matches, and probably plenty more things that I’m forgetting. Know something else that you feel belongs in this list? Leave a comment and tell me about it.

He’s visibly full of shit when he refers to voters as his friends, so do you want to know who his friends really are? Here’s the answer: