Sunday, August 31, 2008

Nazi TV



A clip of some rare and extremely creepy TV programming from Germany in the 1930s. For more, see an hour-length show on the subject, Television Under the Swastika. (via Metafilter)

Friday, August 29, 2008

In the Rare Old Times


By The Dubliners.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Sorry I'm AWOL

I case you have wondered why I'm not posting much this week, I am moving into a new house. It's been rough, but I'm posting updates on the process at Miss Cellania, with one long and rather grim story at YesButNoButYes. There are also some pictures to lighten the mood, and some links about moving. I hope by next week, regular links and stuff will reappear here. There are videos of the day scheduled for the next few days automatically, so keep checking back!

Thanks a bunch.

I Taw A Puddy Tat


Merrie Melodies from 1948.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Workers


A stunning scene from Metropolis, Fritz Lang's 1926 epic silent film. (via Blue Gal)

Monday, August 25, 2008

Good Reads and Information

The best story of the 2008 Olympic games.

The Extraordinary Lives of the World’s Tallest People.

How to Make Your Own Daguerreotype. The first practical form of photography was made public 169 years ago, and is still just as difficult. But there are shortcuts!

Rocket Scientists Say We'll Never Reach the Stars. Unless we use a warp drive or a tesseract.

Emily is not real; she's a completely computer-generated image. But she looks so real, they have to throw in some weird stuff to prove she's not.

Scientists Create Blood From Stem Cells. Could this lead to the end of blood supply shortages?

13 Magnificent Renewable Energy Successes and Failures. EcoWorldly looks back at some of the projects they've reported on and how they are faring now.

Scientists Make a Fat-Burning Fat. Just like cholesterol, there is good fat and bad fat. Soon we may be able to convert the bad to the good.

Murphy's Laws of Moving

Anything that can go wrong, will. Not quite, because I can think of a million worse things, but I'm not going to mention them because I don't want to jinx myself. But several things have gone wrong with our move to a new house. Most of them today.

1. I contacted the cable company last Thursday. I thought I had everything straight. The girl read my order back to me and said she would call me as soon as she got a service call scheduled. She didn't call back. Friday morning, a cable installer comes to my OLD home, ready to install new cable. Wrong. And I had told them that I wouldn't have access to the new house til Friday night anyway. So he left and said they would call me as soon as the order was straightened out. No they didn't. Monday morning, I call the cable company. They apologized for not calling me, blaming it on the other woman I talked to. They look up my account, and say that yes, a service call is scheduled Tuesday between 8 and 5, and I will have to be there. It's a good thing I called to check, because otherwise, I'd never know. So I get to wait all day tomorrow at the new house to see IF they will show up.

2. The refrigerator in the new house is really nice, but doesn't work. A friend who sells appliances came out and diagnosed it as a dead compressor, so he doesn't want it. So now I have to pay the city to haul off my old refrigerator AND pay this guy to transport the refrigerator from the old house. Unless I just buy a new one.

3. There is no hot water. The appliance guy tried to turn on the heater, but it wouldn't work. Turns out that the main gas is off. I went to the gas company Thursday to transfer my account, but they never bothered to turn it on. I'll call them tomorrow while I wait for the cable guy.

4. So many of my massive antiques will not fit in the new house. Several of the rooms have their corners cut to accommodate closets and bathrooms, which were not standard when the house was built 103 years ago.

5. I'm being nickel and dimed to death. I had to buy a vacuum cleaner. I haven't had one in twenty years, so I didn't know they were THAT expensive! Plus fees to change over three utilities, and the phone company will probably charge me for leaving my land line forever. I had to buy a smaller trash bin, new toilet brushes, different casters made for carpet, light bulbs, etc etc etc. I don't even want to think about paying for insurance, property tax, and utilities for two houses for who knows how long.

6. I couldn't move anything in the truck today because it's raining. Tomorrow, more rain. We've been desperate for rain for weeks, but this is not the best time for me personally.

OK, I got that off my chest. Now maybe I can take a nice hot shower and.... sleep on the floor in my old house. My bed is at the new house, but there's no refrigerator, hot water, or internet access. Tomorrow will be better.

Goblin Shark


The Goblin Shark has mostly pink skin and jaws that can protrude out of its skull like the creature in the movie Alien. In this video, the shark is trying to defend himself from a scuba diver. (via Ectoplasmosis)

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Heads You Lose


A short film from Espresso Animation, directed by Philip Vallentin. (Thanks, Bill!)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

Fun Links

44 reason Michael Phelps is better than Chuck Norris.

Trevor of the Whitest Kids U Know talks to kids about conspiracy theories and stuff. It's amazing what you can learn in school.

Smash Bros Theory: 6 Absurd Classes Taught at Actual Colleges. I really shouldn't laugh, because I took some equally stupid classes back in the psychedelic 70s.

Link four Furbys together to make a musical instrument! Or just read about how David Cranmer make a Furby Gurdy.

I have no idea what this is, but it sucked up all my time yesterday. A little silliness every day can be good for you!

11 of the World's Most Extreme Sports. There are a couple here that even I hadn't heard of!

The Fish In Penis "Accident".

Blogiversary 3

When you get real busy, or you get really old, time speeds up and you can't believe another week, or year, or decade has gone by. It was three years ago today that I published the first post at Miss Cellania (which was actually here). It seems like just yesterday, but the days are a blur when you're raising kids.

For my first Blogiversary in 2006, I published a collection of silly generated images of myself. I still do that when the opportunity arises, but not often enough for another collection. For my second Blogiversary, I made a timeline of blog milestones, with links. Since I have that, I'll just give a few links on what's gone on in the third year.

This year, I tried to do some 100% original content posts, starting with the Playhouse post in November. Then I posted about my vacation in Memphis in a two-part post at mental_floss, and also my projects Hillbilly Recycling and Salsa Time! I'll do more of that  if I do anything even remotely interesting.

In December, The ABC World News Webcast used my voice for a video countdown segment. They contacted me again in June about a video segment to illustrate the Neatorama post about anti-terrorism patents. I didn't write that one, but Alex is camera shy, so I was glad to jump in.

In May, I decided to change this site's format. It was somewhat gradual, since I had some stuff ready to go, but the response was immediate and phenomenal! My traffic has tripled, since other sites find it easier to link to one item at a time. If you are looking for a particular topic, you can still find the old topic-style entries listed by post title here, or by subject here. That last index link is not quite complete, but I'm working on it. Those will go in my sidebar as soon as life settles down a bit (so it might never happen)!

In June, The Neatorama Show debuted. There were only three episodes (here are episodes two and three), because I couldn't figure out what should go in a show that we couldn't just post to the site directly. Keep it simple, ya know. I'm not in a position to get on-the-spot reports because I have no cameraman and I live far away from anything interesting to record.

In July, I made a road trip to New York City to meet with my co-workers from YesButNoButYes and Mangesh from mental_floss.

Just last week, this site logged the millionth visit.

I am now in the process of making an interactive timeline about Miss Cellania (the blog) at Timetoast. It wouldn't be interesting to anyone besides myself, but it's a great application you can use to make any kind of timeline you like.

Posting may be a little thin next week, as I am moving into my new house. This blogging job isn't as easy as you may think, but it's still fun! Many, many thanks to everyone who visits, corresponds, links, and contributes to Miss Cellania! I couldn't do it without you!





 

Man of Constant Sorrow


The Soggy Bottom Boys from the movie O Brother Where Art Thou.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Good Reads

When news shows try to be more entertaining, people turn to an entertainment show for their news. Jon Stewart of The Daily Show may be the most trusted man in America.

As you watch Olympic diving, you may have wondered how the camera follows the divers every inch of the way from the platform to underwater. The answer is extremely old-fashioned: they drop the camera!

How Your Brain Can Control Time. Unfortunately, you can't control time for anyone but yourself.

What is the temperature inside a microwave oven? You can ruin your thermometer trying to find out.

A single mother with a master's degree tells what it's like to eat at a soup kitchen. And about how it changed her perception of the American political system.

How Michael Phelps' physique makes him the perfect swimmer. "...just a normal person, from a different planet, a planet from a different galaxy." Bonus: read the comments.

Be a Modern Knight: Protecting Your Lady in the 21st Century. I really wanted to meet the wonderful guy who wrote this, but found he had help from his lucky wife.

The Invisible Man, a short short story from Lee Sandlin. If you're going to pick up a cat at the airport, you need to buy a car first. (via Metafilter)

8 Wacky Fall Festivals


Small town Americans love their harvest festivals. My town just finished one, so I’ve satisfied my jones for Polish sausage and funnel cake for another year. Here are eight more you may want to check out in the weeks ahead.

read more | digg story

Titanic


Footage of the Titanic in the Belfast shipyard in 1912. Possibly the only moving pictures of the ship in existence.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Fun Links

Was it a mistake or a prank? Either way, a spaghetti-eating cat does not belong in a show about binge drinking.

Real Man's Olympics determines the winning country the only way possible: by basing a country's score on the manliness of each event won. (via the Presurfer)

Earth's News Feed. The IOC has sent Michael Phelps 6 gifts. Bernie Mac has closed his account. Georgia is no longer friends with Russia.

If you liked the story of Christian the Lion, you'll love the Bigfoot Reunion.

7 "Eccentric" Geniuses Who Were Clearly Just Insane. Sort of like the guys you see in the online personals, only with historical accomplishments.

15 Images You Won't Believe Aren't Photoshopped. In fact, I've seen arguments break out over several of these.

Five Hoaxes that Fooled the World. Some were done for profit, some for kicks, and one just to bring one guy down a notch.

In the game Orbitrunner, you are the sun. You must use your gravity to keep the planets in line, or else they'll escape orbit or collide. But it's fun to collide.

Can You Spot the Ninjas?


Just another day on the Berkeley campus. (via Videosift)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Information Links

Uncle Sam Wants Your Brain. The US military is taking a close look at cognitive science and technologies, in ways that could lead to some frightening situations.

6 Reasons Today’s Olympic Swimmers are Breaking so many World Records.

A computer engineer who immigrated to the US legally 17 years ago was detained due to a misdirected notice, denied contact with his wife and children, then left to die of undiagnosed cancer.

Top 10 Stinky Cheeses in the World. Yet, somebody still buys -and eats them.

How to tell when leftovers go bad. If it grows legs and walks off, that's a pretty conclusive sign.

You can't judge a person's heart attack risk by looks alone. Half of overweight people have healthy hearts, while skinny folks can be at risk.

Robot Has Biological Brain Made From Rat Neurons. Last seen running away from Robocat.

When and how can someone be declared dead? "Brain death" and "cardiac death" use different criteria, with consequences for organ donation.

Look what I just bought!


I'm doing the Snoopy dance right now! I know this smile will fade when I get into the actual mechanics of moving the family, but for now I'll just celebrate a bit.



Marilyn Monroe on The Jack Benny Show


Original airdate Sept 13, 1953.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Links for Fun

Killer Home Decor. There are many little touches you can add that will make your guests think twice about ever coming back. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/6333

Where is Bob? is a blog that chronicles the life and actions of an obnoxious boss, when he shows up for work. We all have a Bob in our employment history eventually.

Enjoy a performance by Pilobolus. I've been working making a dog shadow puppet for years, but now I give up.

Unforgettable Faces. Sometimes a funny face is all you need to start your day.

For the first time, a woman has won the Illinois State Fair hog-calling contest. Study her technique, and you may be a winning hog caller someday.

The winners of the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for bad opening lines was announced a few days ago, but word is slow to get out because "many newspapers have allowed themselves to be distracted by a large athletic contest being staged somewhere in Asia."

Konichiwa Bitches by Robyn. Watch this parrot get down and groove! (via Everlasting Blort)

The Staten Island Museum holds wonders beyond your expectations -like the amazing Magic Hairball.

The weirdest news stories of the week.

Jumping


So THIS is what the kids were doing that made so much noise in the living room last night! I guess they got into the Olympic spirit. I didn't find out until I downloaded the pictures from the camera this morning.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Information Links

Sandy Allen, the world's tallest woman, died Wednesday at the age of 53. Scientific American takes a look at what causes a woman to grow to 7 feet, 7 inches.

A short history of marriage. For most of that time, love was not a necessary ingredient.

10 People Immortalized in Products. Would you rather be remembered as a Ferris Wheel or a Guillotine?

The Worlds Largest and Smelliest Flowers and Plants. If I ever saw any of these in my garden, I'd probably faint.

Scientists are one step closer to an invisibility cloak. I never saw it coming.

Elbow Deep in Whale Poop! Some science jobs are not as romantic as Indiana Jones would lead you to believe.

A study of DNA concludes that Neanderthals did not interbreed with modern humans. They may have died out because of it, but we can't blame them for our caveman tendencies.

Devastating declines of amphibian species around the world are a sign of a larger biodiversity disaster. Berkeley scientists say we are in a "mass extinction spasm." Not good.

Relativity


"Relativity" is an art project by Drzach & Suchy in which pictures are created using raised tabs. The art is revealed by the shadows of the tabs, and the picture changes depending on the direction of the light. This particular piece is called "Marilyn".

Thursday, August 14, 2008

One Man’s Hands: The Watts Towers


The Watts Towers were built by one man, without help and without proper construction tools or blueprints. Continue reading for the story of how Simon Rodia single-handedly built the 17-structure project that still stands today in Los Angeles. He spent 34 years building his masterpiece, and then walked away from it.

read more | digg story

Fun Links

Better than a Rickroll, it's a Barack Roll!

From Heeb Magazine come hijinx, a somewhat snarky memory game that keeps track of your time and number of guesses. Better hurry!

50 Animals Squashed Against Glass. Some will make you go "Awwww!"

5 Scientific Theories That Will Make Your Head Explode. I've picked the pieces up several times.

A parody of The Dark Knight starring kids. Kids who will grow up to be movie stars, unless they prefer to direct.

I don't even know! The best flash game ever. I won it!

8 Everyday Words With X-Rated Origins.

Is there a law somewhere that says we all have to face the same direction in an elevator? Apparently so, since we all obey that law.

The Olympics Sap-O-Meter scores the syrupy sweetness of NBC's coverage by measuring the use of words like inspirational, sacrifice, adversity, and overcome. It's almost like a drinking game, if you bring your own drinks.

Free Bird


Lynyrd Skynyrd in Oakland, California 1977. I saw that tour, but not in California.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The Bigger They Are: 10 Ice Age Giants


The Pleistocene Era began 1.8 million years ago and ended roughly 10,000 years ago. During that period were several Ice Ages. Many giant sized animals and birds that seem familiar to us (because they resemble modern animals) roamed the earth. They became extinct, possibly due to environmental conditions or disease.

read more | digg story

Information Links

How to watch the Olympics online. A list of sites that are offering various video channels. Find many more Olympic references, stories, and videos at Miss Cellania.

A look at what makes a woman choose to have plastic surgery, and the many choices she has. It's all about the baby face.

Salicornia is a plant that can be eaten, ground into grain, or squeezed for oil, and it grows in salt water. Ocean agriculture may be the wave of the future.

Origins of Familiar Phrases. Do you wanna lay an egg, bury the hatchet, chew the fat, beat around the bush, or read between the lines?

Watch lightning strike in super slow motion. Freaky cool, but still scary.

If plagiarism doesn't catch up with you in college, it certainly will on the internet. Even if it takes years.

DNA tests on the mummy of King Tut and two fetuses found in his tomb may indicate whether he fathered them. If ancient Pharoahs weren't always marrying their sisters, we could chart the genealogies of the Egyptian mummies.

Drug-resistant Superbugs are confounding medical and public health experts. What doesn't kill them only makes them stronger.

A Monkey Takes a Shower


(via Cynical-C)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Olympic Links

8 Sports That Never Made It Into The Summer Olympics.

The Weirdest Olympic Events Throughout History.

Ways to make women's gymnastics even more awesome.

The eight biggest Olympics marketing screw-ups in modern history.

How to Train Like an Olympian. It's not just a sport, it's a life choice.

Baseball will have new rules for the Olympics. Fans are up in arms.

You can no longer make a "Perfect Ten" in women's gymnastics.

Changes Geeks Would Make to the Summer Olympics.

See more posts on the Olympics.



 

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Olympic Links

How to watch the Olympics online. A list of sites that are offering various video channels.

Track the medal count. (via Simply Left Behind)

Six Memorable Olympic Opening Ceremonies from the past.

Beautiful big photographs of the 2008 Opening Ceremonies.

Olympic athletes you can root for. Their road to Beijing was longer than most.

18 Smaller Olympic Countries to Root For. Some nations only have one athlete at the Games. Wouldn't it be awesome for them to bring home a medal?

The story of Lopez Lomong, one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" and now an Olympic runner who carried the US flag at the opening ceremonies. Here's his website.

The World's Worst Olympians. Some countries don't bring home many medals, but they have their reasons. Some should get kudos for just making the attempt.

See more posts on the Olympics.





Tink and the Mouse



Before the era of mass entertainment, we watched kittens playing to amuse ourselves. Then came the cinema, radio, TV, and the internet. Now we use the internet to watch kittens play -and they are still entertaining! (via Arbroath)

Friday, August 08, 2008

Shock


From Wikipedia:
Shock is a 1946 film noir directed by Alfred L. Werker.

The film tells the story of a psychiatrist, Dr. Cross, (Vincent Price), who is treating a young woman, Janet Stewart (Anabel Shaw), who is in a coma-state, brought on when she heard loud arguing, went to her window and saw a man strike his wife with a candlestick and kill her. It also stars Lynn Bari as Dr. Cross's nurse/lover, Elaine Jordan.

As Stewart comes out of her shock, she recognizes Dr. Cross as the killer. He then takes her to his sanitarium and at Elaine's urging, gives Janet an overdose of insulin under the pretence of insulin shock therapy. He can't bring himself to murder her in cold blood, though, and asks Elaine to get the medicine to save her. Elaine refuses, they argue, and he strangles her. Dr. Cross saves Janet's life, but now faces two murder charges.

Olympic Speech

President Bush is rehearsing his speech, using the teleprompter, for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

He begins with "Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!"

Immediately his speech writer rushes over to the lectern and whispers in the President's ear:

"Mr. President, those are the Olympic rings. Your speech is underneath."

(via Simply Left Behind)

See more on the Olympics.


Information Links

Nearly a billion people need glasses to read, but cannot afford them. AdSpecs are cheap, adjustable magnification lens glasses that may bring sight to the poorest people of the world.

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Oil.

How the rich think. In 2006 at least 32 of the UK's 54 billionaires paid no income tax at all. The gap between rich and poor is wider than ever. But that doesn't seem to bother Britain's wealthiest earners.

How to Tell Time Without a Clock. The sun, moon, and stars will do just fine but clouds can ruin your efforts.

The St. Petersburg Times has a heartbreaking account of a feral child found living in an urban apartment under horrific conditions. Danielle was almost seven years old, yet she had never been to school, didn’t speak, and did not react to human contact.

Worth a Bookmark: Hard to Find 800 Numbers. A site that makes it more difficult for companies to hide from their customers.

A daily pill to prevent HIV infection? If it works, it will be a lot more expensive than condoms.

A tour of the world's largest illegal arms market, in Pakistan via Afghanistan. They live in caves and they've been making guns for hundreds of years.

Salsa Time!


In August, it’s hard to find time to sit down and research some fascinating subject for you because I’m knee deep in tomatoes. Everyday I head to the garden with a five-gallon bucket and fill it up. Sometimes twice a day. I also grow peppers, so that means it’s salsa time! Cue the music!

read more | digg story

Welcome to Beijing


Lyrics available at YouTube under "more info".

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Links for Fun

A review of Southern Barbecue. What you'll eat depends mostly on where you are.

How to Fix a Vacuum with a String Bikini.

The 6 Creepiest Marketing Campaigns Aimed at Children. Some are clever but unethical, and some were thought up by someone with a brain on drugs.

An emergency drill at a Japanese zoo sees workers chasing a man dressed as a polar bear. This should be a new TV comedy series.

It's been 22 years, but it seems like yesterday. Where Are They Now: The Cast of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

You've seen the documentary clip of the amazing lyrebird before, but Waverly Films made the footage with Sir David Attenborough even better!

The best village name in England!

Paris Hilton responds to the McCain "Celebrity" ad.

Mythbusters Bloopers

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

¡Three Amigos!


From Wikipedia:
¡Three Amigos! is a 1986 comedy western film, produced by George Folsey, Jr., and Lorne Michaels. John Landis directed for HBO Films. Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short star. The movie was written by Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, and Randy Newman. Randy Newman contributed several original songs, including "The Ballad of the Three Amigos" and "My Little Buttercup", while the musical score was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

Gold Diggers of 1933


Ginger Rogers in a Busby Berkeley production of We're In The Money.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Five Fantastic Felines


Cats can bring a smile just by doing what they normally do. A few do so in amazingly helpful and inspiring ways.

read more | digg story

Fun and Funny Links

Ten Films That Should Be Broadway Musicals (with song suggestions included). If Legally Blonde can do it, why not Jaws?

Actual Laws Against Sexual Activity in America.

The Top Ten Sex Toys you could keep on your mantelpiece.

Leave Barack Alone!

A lesson in writing screenplays for Hollywood. They want a PG rating, and know exactly how to get it. (via Blue Gal)

A new music video has G.I. Joe action figures recreating the movie The Thing.

Attack of the Killer Broccoli! War has broken out in the vegetable garden, and you must control the asparagus to defeat the evil broccoli.

Funny exam answers. Bluffing probably won't earn you test points, but making your teacher smile is worth something!

Can you guess where my accent is from? I scored better than I expected in this game, although I can't distinguish accents in different cities in England.

A massive colony of ants builds a nest inside guy's printer/scanner. A little Terro will take care of that, but I'd probably still toss the printer.

Winglet, the Next Generation Segway


It’s called a standup mover, a compact motorized transporter, and a partner robot. And that’s just in the first couple of paragraphs of the press release. It’s also been called a vertical mechanized scooter. What it is, is something like a Segway. Toyota has developed the Winglet through its Sony Robotics subsidiary.

read more | digg story

Otters in Unison


Baby otters seems to be attuned to each other. (via Neatorama)

Monday, August 04, 2008

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

One of my favorite authors has died. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was born in 1918 and served as witness to the entire span of Soviet rule in Russia. He was imprisoned for anti-Soviet propaganda, followed by exile in Siberia. His experiences were the basis for his novels, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Cancer Ward, The First Circle, and others. His magnum opus was a the 3-volume tome The Gulag Archipelago. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970 and was deported from the Soviet Union in 1974. He returned to Russia in 1994.

The International Herald Tribune takes a look at Solzhenitsyn's life and legacy.

Solzhenitsyn had been an obscure, middle-aged, unpublished high school science teacher in a provincial Russian town when he burst onto the literary stage in 1962 with "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich." The book, a mold-breaking novel about a prison camp inmate, was a sensation. Suddenly he was being compared to giants of Russian literature like Tolstoy, Dostoyevski and Chekov.

Over the next five decades, Solzhenitsyn's fame spread throughout the world as he drew upon his experiences of totalitarian duress to write evocative novels like "The First Circle" and "The Cancer Ward" and historical works like "The Gulag Archipelago."

"Gulag" was a monumental account of the Soviet labor camp system, a chain of prisons that by Solzhenitsyn's calculation some 60 million people had entered during the 20th century. The book led to his expulsion from his native land.

Reading Solzhenitsyn was one of the few things that could keep me inside the dorm during college. He sparked my interest in Russian history as well as global politics and the philosophy of evil. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was 89.

Information Links

10 Fascinating Facts About the Ancient Olympic Games.

Vegans can't decide whether they are allowed to eat honey. Sure, we exploit the bees' labor, but they don't die as a result.

The World's Worst Olympians. Some countries don't bring home many medals, but they have their reasons. Some should get kudos for just making the attempt.

Couch potatoes may someday get their exercise in pill form. But don't wait around for it; so far it's only worked for mice.

10 Skills You Need to Succeed at Almost Anything. It's never too late to start developing them.

The Homeless Got Talent! The stories of eleven musical acts, artists, and one dancer who rose from the streets to entertain us (with videos).

A new study says parents harm their children's development if they ban tree-climbing or conkers. I'm all for tree-climbing, but since I don't know what conkers are, I'm afraid my kids are doomed.

Tips for getting rid of junk mail before it gets to you. Which beats throwing it in a landfill, like most folks do.

A spectator's guide to the Olympics. A short course on ten events you should check out.

Livin' for the City


Awesome! Stevie Wonder from 1973.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Fun Links for the Weekend

Heavy Lifting with Batman and the Joker.

5 Tiny Mistakes That Lead To Huge Catastrophes.

8 People Who Will Ruin Your Party.

Take a nice relaxing flight. Isn't that soothing?

Watch the Laser Kitty with bobblehead action! Too bad his fat brother won't chase a laser like that.

Chinese Lessons for Geeks.

The 50 Hottest Women Sword Fighters.

The Lazy Blogger's Post Generator. I'd try it out, but it looks like too much work.

Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying Planet. I don't often link to The Onion, but this one is just too clever.

Homeland Security looks for suspicious characters at Comic Con 2008.

Robots Are Our Friends


(via Everlasting Blort)

Friday, August 01, 2008

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park


From Wikipedia:

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park is a 1978 television movie, starring American hard rock band Kiss. The movie's plot revolves around Kiss, who must use their superpowers to battle an evil inventor (Abner Devereaux, played by Anthony Zerbe) and to save a California amusement park from destruction.

The movie was aired by NBC at the height of Kiss's popularity in the United States. While it was one of the highest-rated TV movies of the year, its poor acting and semi-comedic script causes it to be regarded poorly even by most Kiss fans. Despite this, it has attained cult film status.

Good Reads

3 Heartbreaking Tales of “Freaks”

Crimes and Misdemeanors. An Euler diagram that will help you keep track of the Bush administration crimes. Click the names for more.

It seems men and women have very different ideas about the perfect female figure.

Beijing has set up a sex determination lab to test female Olympic athletes suspected to be males. Sometimes it's just not that simple. Here are more Olympic gender stories.

There are blue stars, red stars, and yellow stars. Why are there no green stars?

10 Things You Should Know About the Internet. Just so you won't sound like a n00b at the next geekfest.

The gender gap in math has disappeared! That is, unless someone has miscalculated the data.

A librarian gives a calm and thoughtful response to a complaint about a children's book. In the process, he explains the underlying philosophy of our free and open library system.

Electing a US President in Plain English. A straightforward video that explains the electoral college system.

How Beliefs and Values Influence What Tastes Good. The taste of meat means power, and the taste of Pepsi means you've seen too many ads.