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Don't touch that dial: Test Pattern tunes into television, movie, music and pop culture links, as well as gossip and idle chat from around the Web.

Every week, msnbc.com entertainment producers Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Denise Hazlick, Paige Newman, Kurt Schlosser and Anna Chan weigh in on topics ranging from TV commercials to movie hype to the latest celebrity blunder. We're not ashamed to admit our love for bad TV or reveal what's on our iPods, and invite you to join the conversation via your comments.



Multi-link Monday

Posted: Monday, April 16, 2007 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

Last week was a crazy week in the entertainment world, with the loss of Kurt Vonnegut, the firing of Don Imus, and the identification of Larry Birkhead as Anna Nicole Smith's baby daddy. We'll miss you, Mr. Vonnegut. The other stories can go away now. Let's move on to our five time-sucking links to start the week off right.

• No one likes those motivational posters, right? (Except maybe Michael Scott of "The Office.") But we love Demotivators, motivational posters for cats (here's another one), and "Star Trek" versions. And here's a page that has one for almost any topic, including crunk, blogging and MENSA. If you're a creative type, you can even create your own.

• 25 great "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strips. They were all great, really, but these are the cream of the crop. I almost forgot about the ones where Calvin envisions himself and Susie Derkins as "Rex Morgan" style drawings.And the whole series about Calvin finding an injured raccoon put a lump in my throat. (Via Ultimate Insult.)

• Easter's over, but did you know each state decorates an egg and sends it to the White House? You can look up your state's egg, plus see all the others, online. Some of them are really impressive (California, Maine, New York, Nevada). Some are rather lame (South Carolina, Mississippi, Delaware, Maryland). And some make you scratch your head and say "huh?" (Louisiana, North Dakota, Tennessee, and most of all, Wyoming.)

• Animal Makers rents all kinds of animal props from TV and movies, including the "Lost" polar bear and Salem, the black cat from "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." (Via Boing Boing.)

• Reader-submitted link, from Vicki:"Here's an interesting site for your Multi-link Monday: The Brick Testament.com. It's the Old and New Testaments rendered in Legos. The 'Reverend' seems to favor the R-rated versions of the Books, and it's doubtful he's an official member of clergy."

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Comments

The character in the Louisiana Easter egg is Emeril Lagasse, and he's got some seasonings with him. What were we going to submit, a design showing still-uninhabited areas of New Orleans?

Isis Uptown, New Orleans, Louisiana (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 10:20 AM)

Just to defend Wyoming, the egg for Wyoming was not decorated by any one from Wyoming. It was done by a college student from Illinios, who had a relative on the egg decorating board. Guess it pays to know someone even if you have no talent.

Vandy, Laramie Wyoming (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 10:27 AM)

North Dakota's State Easter Egg features Teddy Roosevelt. What's so confusing about that? We have a state park named after him.

Leah, Fargo, ND (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 11:52 AM)

Leah: Did you look at it? It's not confusing because of TR, but because of the quality. Is that a hat on his head, or a cat? Isis: Emeril is recognizable, but that is one goofy egg.

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 1:42 PM)

FYI, in his press section on the Brick Testament, Brendan Powell Smith lists an article from the Rolling Stone which indicates he is an atheist.

Beth, St. Louis, MO (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 1:43 PM)

OMG Thank you so much for the Calvin and Hobbes link. I got quite a few smiles and a tear or two out of those great, classic strips.

Jamie (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 1:59 PM)

Thanks for the Calvin and Hobbs link. C & H has always been one of my favorite comic strips but somehow I missed the baby raccoon series. My dogs were wondering why I was sitting at my computer crying. Bill Waterson is an amazing talent and like the creators of the tribute site, I wish he was still creating C & H.

Cynthia Glazier, Paris, MI (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 5:55 PM)

Thanks for the Calvin&Hobbes link-A wonderful trip down Memory Lane!

Bill McGovern (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 9:19 PM)

Thanks Gael, for the great Calvin & Hobbes strips link. I had forgotten about the racoon and it made me cry all over again (my co-workers think I'm nuts - I think I'll e-mail it to the entire building). A reminder that Calvin really had feelings even though her was a real little s*** most of the time. Cheers

Lily, Reno Nevada (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 10:40 PM)

The state eggs look like they tried to cram everything on them that didnt make the cut for the state quarters

JC, San Antonio, TX (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 11:26 PM)

Looked at the Oklahoma egg from raht'cheer in Oklahoma City. I THINK that's Will Rogers?

Dan Straughan, Oklahoma City, OK (Sent Tuesday, April 17, 2007 4:26 PM)

My 6 year old received a Brick Testament book as a gift for his birthday. We ended up taking it away because the book is somewhat disturbing when it shows the ten commandments. For honor thy mother and father, it shows a child being mean to his mom and then the next picture has the kid beaten on the floor with lego blood coming from its head. Or for adultery, it shows two legos in bed on one page and being hung on the next.

EP, Wellington, FL (Sent Tuesday, April 17, 2007 9:50 PM)

The North Dakota egg makes sense. It also shows that it's just too damn cold to keep a steady hand.

Brittany, Bismarck, ND (Sent Wednesday, April 18, 2007 8:27 PM)

Take another look at the Maryland egg; it's not as lame as you think. You're looking at a picture on the INSIDE of the shell. I think we can forgive the image not being quite photographic. Another photo depicting the outside would have been nice.

Claude, Baltimore, MD (Sent Thursday, April 19, 2007 1:10 PM)



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