Facebook first infected our brains in 2004, with what I would call the Facebook virus. Taking over how we communicate and even transforming the English language. Our kids won`t know the difference; they have been sucked into this digital age. They will never know that poking someone use to get you in trouble with mom, or that news use to come from paper. It is odd to know that I admit to being bitten by Facebook and now carry the virus myself, spreading “Are you on Facebook?” or “Friend me on Facebook!”, as if it is the same thing as grabbing a cup of coffee sometime. It’s not.

It is almost creepy how we have initiated the possibilities of stalkers and relinquished our privacy so we can poke around in people’s lives, yes the same people we haven’t spoken to since high school, but it is always  great to know that they just got a new dog or that their relationship status fluctuates like heart palpitations. Look, I am not in denial on how dependent we have become on technology and the sources that keep us attached to our mobile phones, laptops and tablet. I am being realistic here. We are simply a shell of our former selves with a virus that has taken over our brains or at the very least, turned us into talking heads, since 2004. I am not the only one.

(Click to Enlarge)

(via: viruscomix)

Volkswagen seems to be upping their advertising ante with commercials that instantly go viral. You may recall their commercial where a little boy dresses up like Darth Vader and uses the Force to turn the car on. This year, Volkswagen stays with the same theme, Star Wars, yet uses dogs to sell their cars. How? By having them bark the Star Wars theme song, genius right? This is exactly what the automotive industry needs to do to attract new customers and Volkswagen is staying with what has worked for them in the past and remaining outside the box at the same time. This commercial is clearly available on YouTube but will be coming to the big tube on Super Bowl Weekend. May this inspire others within the Automotive Industry to get creative with their promotions and marketing campaigns, it goes to show that it grabs attention which creates word of mouth and that turns into selling cars. May the creative force be with you!

Disney characters are usually always on the “cutesy” side of animation and rightfully so, since their targeted market is for kids. However, the talented Tim Shumate might make you want to have a second glance at these characters as he transforms Disney characters into pieces of drool worthy art.

1. Ariel/Siren

We all know her to be under the sea, a castaway in her own family. Tom Shumate turns this lovable Disney character into a Siren we want on land.

(Siren)

2. Snow White/Waiting for Loves True Kiss

After seeing this piece of art you will wish you were the 8th dwarf.

(Waiting for Loves True Kiss)

3. Belle/Till the Last Petal Falls

Belle from Beauty and the Beast always seemed to have a rebellious side, this print shows a little more of it.

(Till the Last Petal Falls)

4. Jasmine/Royal Blood

Jasmine stole the heart of Aladdin in 1992, now she’ll be sure to steal yours in 2012 with this flirtatious piece.

(Royal Blood)

5. Tinker Bell/Those Who Wander are Not Always Lost

Sprinkle some pixie dust my way.

(Those Who Wander are Not Always Lost)

Check out these and more fantastic pieces of art created by Tom Shumate on Society6

Here’s a perfect example of this phenomenon at work:

Look, we all have someone that we just cannot seem to shake in real life or online. That someone who pokes the fun out of poking, shows up at your favorite restaurant or won’t get the hint that you are in fact clicking the ignore button on purpose.

Love songs always seem to make their way to the top of the music charts, even when the words they spew are not always true (ha, that rhymed!). The fact is, truthful songs like this parody of the popular Katy Perry song, “The One That Got Away”, is probably more accurate to the real world, not the Disney fairytale we all dream about. Especially since we are in the age of Technology and have opened ourselves up to even more people, people we don’t really know, but they think they know us and just won’t simply go away.

We agree. There are very few times when Angry Birds pics deliver the goods, but this particular bird is definitely angry. Zero doubt.

(Via: Chime. H/T Florence Alabama Used Cars)

Art can be found everywhere online, but to find art that makes your jaw drop to the floor is hard to discover. Especially when pop culture figures are turned into epic art pieces, yes, the kind you want to frame and hang on your walls. These sketches drawn by Jose Vega are that of a talented hand and needs a little extra notoriety since each piece makes you want to say, yep.

Samurai Vader

Yep.

Yep.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Pirate

Yep. Yep and Yep.

(via: CGHub)

Robots are becoming more advanced and soon we will most likely have something close to Rosie (Jetsons) invading our homes as common as computers. The more we see their capabilities the stranger it will seem incorporating them within our lives. This video of  a Japanese robot with life-like movements that most humans can not do, such as slick dance and aerobatic moves only intensifies the yearning for wanting one. Until they are available for mass production all we can do is watch with envy.

IMHO The one thing that is missing from this video is a dubstep soundtrack.

As 2011 comes to a close, we have been sifting through some of the most amazing images that were posted on various social sites throughout the year as we try to compile the “Pics Year in Review”. This one, taken from the same spot in Shanghai in 1990 and again in 2010, stood apart as a truly amazing depiction of the change that is sweeping Asia and many other parts of the world.

Despite the down economy of recent years, the 90s and a prosperous time in many large cities across the globe. In Asia, the boom of the 90s translated into tremendous growth and entry into 21st century culture. No picture depicts this shift better than this one.

(Via: TwistedSifter. H/T: Seattle Nissan)