Good Reads and Information

Miss Cellania's Year-end Lists series continues, on TV, Sports, People, News, and

The Avengers was not filmed in 3D, but a 3D version will be produced with post-production effects. Just in case anyone wants to wear glasses and pay more to see the film, which not many people do anymore.

Failed Flavors Of Popular Snack Foods.

Astrophotographer Stephané Guisard created a time-lapse video of the comet Lovejoy over the Andes. If that doesn't make you feel small and awe-struck, I don't know what will.

Fields Awash with the Glow of a Thousand Lights. Bruce Munro art installation looks awesome in places all over the world.

Daredevil John Paul Stapp put his body through the wringer to test ways the transportation industry could be made safer. Along the way, he earned the nickname “The Fastest Man on Earth.”

8 Ways to Cross the English Channel (without a boat). Personally, I'd rather just ride along with someone else.

Gingrich, Perry, Bachmann, and Santorum Go Extreme on Abortion. Opposing abortion even in cases of rape and incest is theologically consistent, but may be too much for voters.

MIT Developed a Suit That Makes You Feel 75 Years Old. Its purpose is to make you young whippersnappers aware of how really difficult it is to physically deal with a world that routinely ignores the aging.

Weapons of Mass Seduction: 5 Infamous Female Spies. You would have never known them -if you had ever known them.

Growing wealth widens distance between lawmakers and constituents.

Miss Cellania’s Top 20 Weird News Stories of 2011

Every week, I comb the internet to bring you strange news stories that you might not otherwise see, and it’s been quite an experience. Some are surely worth another look as we say goodbye to 2011. Here are 20 stories from The Weird Week in Review that were particularly bizarre, funny, or memorable, in a year-end list at mental_floss.

Links for Fun

The Coming and Going of Cello Scrotum.

It's always nice to have a friend help you out. This cat helped her kitten friend climb down the ladder.

The 8 wackiest inventions of 2011. Some are actually pretty cool, but may never reach the affordable consumer market.

The geekiest gingerbread house ever resembles the Transformer Megatron. Watch it transform from a house into a robot.

Have you ever seen a young tortoise with a depth perception problem? Wouldn't he be even cuter with tiny little tortoiseshell glasses?

Dinosaur Office Romance. It looks just as civilized at most offices I've worked in.

Friday has been canceled in Samoa.

Die Hard, Interrupted is a mashup of the communications in the movie Die Hard. NSFW language, but if you're lucky, you're still off for holiday vacation.

Why would a soft drink vending machine offer free wi-fi? Because you have to stand close to the machine to use it, and you will eventually get thirsty. Genius!

Introducing LEGO Civil Unrest building sets, featuring Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring versions. I would buy both if they were real.

Interesting Links

Check out the best and worst of 2011 in Miss Cellania's Year-end lists: Art & Literature, Music, Movies, and Science.

Prometheus is Ridley Scott’s prequel story to Alien, which is a much better idea than doing another sequel. After two teasers, we finally have a trailer for the film.

A Dutch magazine called singer Rihanna “a combination of two of the nastiest words you can call any black woman.” When the reaction came, the editor didn’t understand why no one got the “joke.” (Language warning)

The United States doesn’t even crack the top ten in time spent using social networks. That could be explained by the famously short American attention span.

20 Incredible Images from China’s Giant Snow Sculpture Festival. Artists come to Harbin and try to outdo themselves (and each other) every year.

The 7 biggest political downfalls of 2011. You can tell it was a big year, as the U.S. barely made the top five.

The Forgotten Cold War: 20 Years Later, Myths About U.S. Victory Persist. Helping the Soviets to lose was a delicate and complicated process.

Louis CK’s Shameful Dirty Comedy. The comedian touches something in all of us when he explores the idea of right and wrong and how he -meaning we- fail to live up to our concept of ourselves. (via Metafilter)

A four-word review of the new film War Horse. I could just tell you the words, but you really should see the pictures that go with it.

10 Sleep Snippets. Some facts you really ought to know as you try your best to get the necessary hours of regeneration in.

Funny Links

Siri is so helpful, personable, and uncanny, that she would make a great movie villain. Murder? There’s an app for that!

People Who Didn't Get What They Wanted For Christmas. And then there's this girl.

Edifice Complex. A look at buildings that look like other things besides buildings.

2011's Top UFO Sightings And Paranormal News. You might call the year "out of this world."

The best cat video of 2011. My four cats will probably smother me in my sleep for laughing at this, but I couldn't help myself.

When you put a pair of pants on this dog, something magical happens. Now you can go out and buy tiny little pants, but your mileage may vary.

A close look at a cereal box reveal a basic mistake about the difference between Batman and those who want to be Batman. The end is downright tragic.

Jerome Simpson Scores the Most Ridiculous Touchdown Flip Into the Endzone Ever. Is this American football or Olympic gymnastics?

A young Pomeranian puppy hears and returns the call of the wild. Who knew a dog dreaming of being a wolf could be so gosh-darned adorable?

Brave Kitten

I know this Rottweiler is a pussycat, but the little kitten doesn't. He stands up to this unknown threat like a real badass! (via Buzzfeed)

You're The Cure For What Ails Me

Al Jolson and Sybil Jason from the 1936 movie The Singing Kid. Jason died this past August.

Carol of the Bells

Four part harmony by one woman. Nice!

7 Strange Christmas Traditions

A few years ago, I wrote about strange Christmas traditions like Krampus, Caga Tia, the Caganer, Mari Lwyd, Zwarte Piet, the pickle ornament, the TV Yule Log, and Christmas in Japan (which involves several odd customs). Since then, I’ve uncovered a few more that may fall outside your experience, in a list I posted at mental_floss.

Christmas Links

26 Of The Best Of The Worst Family Holiday Cards. Something inside me really would like to send out cards like these -or like some of them, anyway.

Your Six Christmas Movies. The stages of your life are defined by the holiday movies you watch. NSFW language.

Where Candy Canes Come From. And where do they go? Mine disappear from the tree in no time.

The Evolution of Santa Claus. The only thing he now has in common with the original is the spirit of giving.

109 Cats Celebrating Christmas. Because wrapping paper, trees, and turkey might just be worth having to wear a silly costume.

Santa Claus gives honest answers to some important but difficult questions from fans. Better stock up on fortune cookies!

The holiday season's 8 most anticipated films. Read and decide which ones to take family to when you get tired of speaking to each other.

5 Questions on the Origins of Christmas. The holiday has changed a lot since it was first celebrated in the fourth century.

Have A Weird Christmas! It's a bunch of links to make you laugh about bot having a perfect holiday. Don't skip the 12 STDs of Christmas.

Jewish Christmas Traditions.

A Mixtape For People Who Hate The Holidays.

You Better Watch Out: 7 Evil Santas in TV and Film. As if sneaking into your house and eating your cookies isn't already evil enough.

Christmas Tree Fads and Fashions. Bringing a tree inside is completely illogical, but we just like to do it.

Fun and Funny Links

Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Jim Carey re-enact "The Night Before Christmas." With the help of lots and lots of whiskey. NSFW language.

The remake of American Psycho is supposed to move the story from the 1980s to a modern-day setting, a move that has some film buffs unhappy. Here's a vision of what that might be like: "one of the dumber things we've ever done."

I bet it would be fun to dress up like a snowman and scare people when they get too close. But you run the risk of something like this happening.

It’s Christmas Eve in Arkham City. With Batman around, criminals can't even enjoy a quiet holiday.

The late Kim Jong Il was such a cartoonish character that he almost demanded parody. Pop culture was glad to accommodate, as this list of comedic portrayals illustrates.

The world's most over-the-top Christmas decorations. I joke that my house can be seen from the ISS at night, but it can't hold an LED candle to these homes!

The punsters at Fark are doing their end-of-the-year voting for the funniest headlines. Check out the best geek submissions and pat yourself on the back if you "get" them all.

What should you name a compilation of unintentional double entendres from local newscasts? That’s What She Said, of course. May be unsuitable for work.

Finally, a little relief for Lord of the Rings fans who've been waiting for years to see The Hobbit. The movie won't be out for another year, but we have the trailer!

The trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is barely out and the parodies are already being produced. I'm sure this will not be the last one that makes fun of the fact that you cannot understand what one or two of the main characters say.

The Night Santa Went Crazy

By Weird Al Yankovic. (Thanks, Rich!)

10 Strange and Wonderful 2012 Calendars

If you’re going to look at the same thing every day for an entire year, you should make it something attractive, meaningful, or worth a laugh. This applies to roommates, significant others, or calendars. Last year’s roundup of calendars was so popular, we ended up with a second edition compiled from your suggestions. There are at least as many fascinating calendars offered this year. Here are a few strange and interesting calendars for 2012 in a list I posted at mental_floss.

Good Reads and Interesting Links

8 Reasons why the Nine of Diamonds is Unlucky.

A series on autism starts by asking whether it is more prevalent today or just more likely to be diagnosed. There are links to the other articles in this thoughtful series. (via Metafilter)

Several decisions before the Supreme Court may affect the 2012 presidential election. Learn the issues and what each side wants.

5 things the world hated most about Kim Jong Il. It will take years to unravel all the craziness he brought North Korea.

It's a family affair: The late North Korean leader's rank passes to his 27-year-old son Kim Jong-un, who may have to battle the despot's sister Kim Kyong Hui and her husband Jang Song-taek for real power. Not to mention his two older brothers and maybe even some non-relatives.

Inside Northampton State Lunatic Asylum. A once-beautiful yet frightening facility is now an abandoned ruin.

Snow-Clearing from SUV Roofs and from Fire Hydrants: An Informal Look.

Eating Less Can Keep Your Brain Young. Young, flexible, and hungry.

As the wife of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Anne Sinclair appears to be the most accepting spouse ever. She's just "too proud to be jealous."

The World's Smallest Firefighter is 19-year-old Vince Brasco. He doesn't let being 4 feet 2 inches tall keep him from doing his job.

Take a peek at the sport of Bunny Rabbit Showjumping! These athletes are the cutest competitors of all time.

Decorating the Christmas Tree at Biltmore

A time-lapse movie of some serious tree decoration.

Link for Fun

A construction crew deals with a runaway concrete buffing machine. Needs more Yakety Sax.

Here's a look at Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer. OK, it's a poster, but it's a striking poster that would look good in your office.

A photo shoot for a couple's engagement in Brooklyn is a keeper. The bride, the groom, the ninja assault, and his comeuppance all turned out nicely.

If you're out past curfew, you might be able to sneak in your house through the chimney. But unless you are Santa Claus, you might get stuck and have to be rescued.

A construction crew deals with a runaway concrete buffing machine. Needs more Yakety Sax.

Here's a look at Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer. OK, it's a poster, but it's a striking poster that would look good in your office.
A dash-cam recording from a trip down an icy road in Russia should remind you to drive slowly and cautiously in bad conditions. It just might also give you the willies.

Wanna play some pinball? Wanna play some pinball on the front of a building? We can do that now!

The 29-second wait to see what this cat will do is totally worth it. Trust me.

The Absolute Very Worst Movies Of 2011! A list that was really difficult to compile as there were so many contenders.

Did I tell you about the night a camel interrupted a news interview in Turkey? That's just the first of several stories of camel shenanigans.

Do you know how Santa Claus keeps up with all the good girls and boys in this modern age? He has a personal assistant named Siri.

Good Reads and Information

The crime against women that no one understands. In the cases against Jeffrey Marsalis the jury certainly didn't. (via Metafilter)

The Affordable Care Act requires that all Americans get health insurance, or pay a fine. Whether or not that's a good idea, some say it is unconstitutional. http://theweek.com/article/index/222477/the-individual-mandate-health-cares-inherent-controversy

A company that contracts for the Pentagon to feed soldiers in Afghanistan was caught overbilling millions for unauthorized and nonexistent supplies. The surprising part is that the Pentagon is demanding that they pay $760 million back.

TV folks tried to tell us that commercials really weren't louder than the programming, but we know they were. The FCC knows it too, and has ruled that broadcasters and cable providers must keep an eye on the volume.

America's child homelessness problem is worse than its ever been, with 1.6 million kids living in shelters, on the streets, or doubled up with another family. Not having a stable, permanent home or school puts a real damper on a childhood.

The 5 Most Horrifyingly Wasteful Film Shoots.

10 of the Greatest Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns of All-Time.

Here's a look at Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer. OK, it's a poster, but it's a striking poster that would look good in your office.

A photo shoot for a couple's engagement in Brooklyn is a keeper. The bride, the groom, the ninja assault, and his comeuppance all turned out nicely.

"A succession of government inquiries dating back to the 1934 McCulloch Report in New South Wales show that over half a million Australians experienced childhood in an orphanage, children's home, training school, institution or some other form of out-of-home care in environments of excessively cruel and brutal institutionalised violence." Read more about the Tamworth Institution for Boys. (via Metafilter)

Wedding Dance

The traditional Boruch Hagever/Yidden dance, at a wedding in Israel.

Friday Fun Links

10 of the Greatest Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns of All-Time.

12 Things You Might Not Know About A Christmas Story (even though you’ve seen it 90 times).

A '90s Kid's Christmas List. And if all of these things were still available, you'd ask for them again just for the memories, wouldn't you?

You might not have heard of "The Spielberg Face," but you've no doubt seen it. The shot that finds its way into every Spielberg film makes us feel what the director wants us to.

Freeboarding combines skateboarding with the riding style of snowboarding. It looks like a lot of fun for skaters good enough not to break their necks!

College Humor's The Year in Funny. Click a month, then check out what went viral when throughout 2011.

2011: The Cinescape is a wonderfully edited six-minute retrospective of the year's movies. For those of us who don't go to the theater, it's a great preview of coming DVD attractions.

A baby seal wandered into Annette Swoffer's house in New Zealand and made himself at home. He curled up on the couch and went to sleep until the ASPCA came.

12 Harsh Truths About the Internet.

These cute little hedgehogs are interactive. Select one and it will sing for you!

Interesting Links

Over the Rainbow: The Technicolor Life of the Man Who Created Oz.

The Stories Behind 10 Dr. Seuss Stories. It's nice to learn some trivia about your favorite childhood reads.

Nicole Maines and her brother Jonas were born identical twins, but they look very different at age 14. Nicole was named Wyatt at birth, but showed sign of being a girl from a very early age. (via Metafilter)

Lowes pulled its ads from the TV show American Muslim because of complaints from a conservative group. Is the move Islamophobic, pandering, or just a business decision?

Dutch sociopath Joran Van der Sloot was the last person to see Natalie Holloway alive, and is awaiting trial for killing Stephany Flores. Although he's in a Peruvian jail, he's still picking up women.

Bees vs. Hornets vs. Wasps: What’s the Difference? Plus some other animals you may get confused with each other.

Newt Gingrich's Career in One Comic Strip.

Homes and college degrees are not the path to the American dream. And they're not worth sinking yourself in debt for.

Gene Simmon's website was attacked, and a hacker was arrested. It's another round in the battle between the outspoken anti-piracy KISS member and his Anonymous opponents.

Watch these adorable sloths crawl their way into your heart. They're slow, but they'll get there.

A fight broke out during an anger-management class and a woman stabbed a classmate. They have probably been skipping their homework assignments.

The Brutal Sport of Modern Day Jousting. It may be safer than the medieval equivalent, but you can't tell it by looking.

Links for Fun and Entertainment

You know you're a cop if...

Tastes Like TV. When TV characters cook, the results are often disgusting.

There's been a number of strange Santa sightings lately. He's been seen swimming with sharks, playing with guns, and bungee jumping.

You'd expect a robot called MorpHex to change somehow. Watch as it changes from a sphere to a six-legged scary looking morphing monster ...no, actually it's cute and dances well.

The movie we've all been waiting for: Worst in Show is a documentary about the 2011 World’s Ugliest Dog Competition. Watch the trailer and see how much these ugly dogs are loved.

The trailer for Men In Black III is out. This time, it involves time travel.

This is What Extreme Pogo Sticking Looks Like On a GoPro. Plus other video tricks that make extreme jumping look really cool.

The Creepiest Christmas Parade Ever, starring Krampus!

Slingshot Santa! One of my favorite Christmas diversions.

New research finds out stuff about whatever. (via Not Exactly Rocket Science)

Flavorpill’s Holiday Gift Guide: 100 Gifts for 100 Cultural Icons. Perfect presents for the person you thought already had everything. they needed.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jeff Gurwood recreated the opening scene in stop-motion animation. Indymation, starring action figures, took six months to complete.

Christmas in Australia

Christmas in Europe and North America is celebrated as a winter holiday, and includes imagery of snow, long nights, and warm clothes and fattening food to fight the cold. Australia, however, is in the Southern Hemisphere, where Christmas falls in the middle of summer. Often a blazing hot summer! But Australia was settled by immigrants from many countries who brought Christmas traditions with them. Some of these traditions stay the same, some were adapted for the weather, and some customs have emerged that are clearly Australian. Read about them in this article I posted at mental_floss.

Goods Reads and Information

Love and Amnesia. How do you explain your marriage to a spouse who doesn't remember you?

Data from geomagnetic storms was converted into sound and video to make this piece of video art. Now, who gets to claim credit as the artist?

London cab drivers must memorized the city's map before they are licensed. Eleanor Maguire studies the changes in their brains as they learn all the routes. (via Metafilter)

Would you like to use a touchscreen that lets you feel textures? The new technology uses an "an ultra-low electrical current" to simulate the sensation of different surfaces.

No Place Like Home: Truly Disgusting Houses. They might make you sick, but you'll feel better about your own housekeeping habits.

Rick Perry's Religious War.

5 Terrible Things You Can't Stop Your Children From Doing.

Twitter has been redesigned to make using it easier to use. Now you can follow conversations -kind of like Facebook.

The 40 Best Protest Signs Of 2011. Between Egypt, Libya, Wisconsin, Occupy, Slut Walk, and other protests around the world, the competition for this list was fierce.

Police are looking to the online gaming community for leads in a murder case. There's no evidence of a connection, but investigators are not discounting any possibilities.

Li'l Drac is a baby short-tailed fruit bat that was taken in by Bat World Sanctuary. He's about the size of your thumb, and as cute as a baby bat can be.

Peas on Earth.

Fun and Funny Links

The 12 All-Time Ugliest Christmas Sweaters. And some are still available to buy!

Imagine the game angry Birds as a movie. Now go watch a trailer for that imaginary movie.

An American Psycho remake? That movie came out only eleven years ago, so it's going to take something special to impress people into watching a remake.

The Definitive Collection Of Cat Gifs. This ought to keep you busy -and in stitches- for a while.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was actually The Worst Teacher of All Time. (via Geeks Are Sexy)

Everything you ever needed to know about The Hokey Pokey.

You know correlation does not equal causation, but not everyone knows it. If you want to argue a point, all you need is two fitting sets of stats and a graph. (via Neatorama)

Togepi the cockatiel can croon the Mario Bros theme. Next thing you know, he'll be beating Superman at the game.

The mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico and his family wish you a Merry Christmas. And Chuck Testa, too.

Zac Ephron stars in a Nicholas Sparks story in a film called The Lucky One. That's all it takes to guarantee my house full of daughters will be lined up at the theater when it opens.

Math artist Vi Hart has a triangle party. It sounds way more fun than geometry class.

The Hare and the Tortoise

The 1947 version Aesop's fable, produced by Encyclopedia Brittanica Films. (via Nag on the Lake)

Christmas Blogs and Other Niche Blogs

It's not hard to find Christmas blogs. It is, however, hard to find Christmas blogs that are still active, really dedicated to Christmas, and aren't trying to sell you something. I've found an interesting few for your perusal, although I feel this is only scratching the surface. You'll see these plus a few non-Christmas niche blogs in this list I posted at mental_floss.

Informative Links

Katia Popova Was Trapped in a Russian Apartment for Nine Years. Her mother shut her up to save her from the evil world, and nobody even noticed.

TimeScapes by photographer Tom Lowe is a beautiful look at our Earth. You'll want to watch the trailer twice; the second time in full screen.

NASA's Kepler telescope found a planet with earth-like conditions that could conceivably support life. Kepler-22b sounds like a nice place, but it's 600 light years away.

7 Great Inventors Who Were Killed By Their Own Creations. It's no really that far-fetched or ironic, since inventors tend to take the risks and the thrills for themselves.

Bananas are shipped in from great distances, yet look perfect in your grocery store. There's a strict science behind making sure they are ripe on time.

New Suburbanism: Reshaping the Way City Planners Think About the 'Burbs. It's time to combine the best of both worlds.

What Science Reveals About Pedophilia. Research is difficult, since only those who are caught breaking the law are liable to be studied.

British sailors aboard the HMS Ocean are coming home for Christmas after seven months in the Middle East. They spent time on their voyage home making an awesome Christmas video for you.

8 actors who got their big breaks in Spielberg films. Jeremy Irvine, the unknown lead in War Horse, has some big footsteps to follow.

5 Ad Campaigns that Failed Quickly (or Spectacularly). And, might I say, deservedly so.
Experts are stumped by ancient Jerusalem markings. Carved into a 2,800-year-old floor, they may be labels, language, or just graffiti tagging.

Funny Links

New words that make a lot of sense.

How many strange fake products can you ask a Walmart associate about before they call you out? Making the ridiculous sound reasonable is the goal of this shopping prank.

Time Ducks is like Frogger except that the critters can manipulate time. That sounds pretty lame and tame for a video game, so they made a trailer to show you how insane it really is.

A ninja dog takes on his arch enemy the plush turtle. His greatest assets are his stealth and amazing self-control.

11 Weird and Wonderful Wedding Rings. They not only say you're married, but who you are married to.

10 Deeply Disturbing Baby Dolls. (via Breakfast Links)

10 Ways to Make the Internet Better. Sign me up for slide whistle scrolling!

When do you know the Christmas season is really underway? When you see elves with light sabers!

The trailer for the new Three Stooges movie is out. "...will it be an abortion, a disaster, a travesty, or just a mild blaspheming? Let’s find out!"

Neil Patrick Harris And Kelly Ripa Inhale SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) on TV. They take full advantage of those few seconds to say perfect things.

The most patriotic American display of Christmas lights you'll ever see. Oh yeah, there's music to go with it.

Katusha

A Russian folk song from World War II. The English lyrics are at the YouTube page.

Good Reads

Forbidden Island, U.S.A. All these Hawaiian islands are yours to enjoy, except Niihau: Attempt no landing there.

The 99% Declaration. Anyone who says the protesting portion of the U.S. has no specific goals should read carefully. Everyone should.

A 13-year-old boy disturbs class by burping: what do you do? Call the police and have him hauled off in handcuffs, of course!

Cheerleading is supposed to be the most dangerous school sport there is. You'll believe it after watching a "flyer" from LSU wearing a Go-Pro camera during stunts.

The 'disturbing' effects of war on military dogs. Some are coming home with canine PTSD, which can be treated, but might not be cured.

The Origins of Credit Cards, Checks, Coins and Bills. Learn more about the money you don't have enough of.

Woman Gets Jail For Food-Stamp Fraud; Wall Street Fraudsters Get Bailouts. (via TYWKIWDBI)

New postal service cutbacks will mean slower delivery of first-class mail. Maybe it's time to switch to direct deposit and automatic draft payments.

Angelina Jolie Directs a Film About the Bosnian War. A journalist who was there when it happened has high hopes for Blood and Honey.

Yes, you can determine a person's personality by the way he smells. At least some traits come right out of your pores.

Forbidden Island, U.S.A. All these Hawaiian islands are yours to enjoy, except Niihau: Attempt no landing there.

When Apes Adopt Cats as Cuddly Pets. Because who doesn't like having a cat?

The Election of 1800: The Birth of Negative Campaigning in the U.S. And the mudslinging hasn't slowed down since.

Hamilton, the Musical Elephant

A 1969 'toon by John Halas and Joy Batchelor. (via Your Daily Cartoon)

11 Functional Homemade TARDISes

TARDIS is an acronym for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. In the Doctor Who universe, they are vehicles for Time Lords to travel through time and space. Besides its function, the most striking feature of a TARDIS is the fact that it is bigger on the inside, because the door is “a dimensional gateway to a micro-universe.” Most such vehicles change their appearance to blend in with the location and era to which they travel, but the somewhat obsolete model the Doctor uses is stuck in the form of a British police call box. Therefore it has become an icon for Doctor Who fans. And there are many Doctor Who fans who want a TARDIS that works, even if they have to make their own. See eleven such functional TARDISes in this list I posted at mental_floss.

Links for Fun

What happens when old printers, computers, and a friendly oscillator get together? They make beautiful music, as in this rendition of House of the Rising Sun.

7 signs you’re at a bad office holiday party. I've had jobs where the holiday parties fit all seven criteria.

The Jean-Paul Sartre Cookbook.

The history of the snowglobe. "How a shiny and shakable souvenir went snowglobal."

Cello Wars from The Piano Guys is a Star Wars-themed cello battle. This would be entertaining without Chewbacca and the light sabers, but they do add that extra touch.

Split the Dots!

Cosplaying kids star in a Legend of Zelda music video. They're unimaginably adorable in their roles.

7 ways your cell phone is making you look like an idiot. Strangely, using it while driving is conspicuously absent from the list. NSFW text.

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra invited Tweets with tips on keeping warm in Canada. Then the chorus sang those Tweets for your entertainment!

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is the real name of a real movie. Which could be a brilliant concept if it doesn't take itself too seriously.

25 Celebrity Couples You Never Knew Existed. Many relationships are fleeting, but paparazzi remain and photographs are forever.

Interesting and Informative Links

How Not to Market Science to Girls.

Are Republicans setting themselves up for a spectacular flameout? I think not, because most voters don't read the fine print.

The words "occupy" and "occupation" are used every day for both citizen protests and international operations. Do we really understand what they mean and what those words imply to people who've been "occupied"?

You know how the world is supposed to end on December 21, 2012? Now that it's getting close, it seems that the Maya calendar that prediction was based on was just misinterpreted.

How to compliment a girl the right way. Practice a little, and you could make someone very happy.

Chester Alan Arthur: The Underrated President With Three First Names. He has the distinction of being the "least known" of all the U.S. presidents.

Modern (Art) Problems.

American Airlines is filing for bankruptcy even though they are operating in the black. It's apparently a scheme to make their employees accept pay cuts. (via Breakfast Links)

5 Reasons Money Can Buy Happiness. Honestly, I can think of even more.
The 45 Most Powerful Images Of 2011. From natural disasters to citizen protests to legislation to war, it's been one eventful year.

Now that Herman Cain is out of the presidential race, some wonder if the whole campaign was a publicity stunt. He became a household name, and will probably sell a lot more books and speeches because of it.

At least one tech company is starting to phase out employee email, and instead will encourage instant messaging. It could be the first sign of impending email extinction. Or not.

Six Finger

Weird old ad for a great toy. (via Boing Boing)

Spaghetti

Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle together in a snippet of the 1918 movie The Cook. (via Everlasting Blort)

Friday Fun Links

11 Facts You Might Not Know about Battlestar Galactica.

A personal appeal from Wikipedia guitarist Dave Mustaine.

Andy Serkis did an excellent job as the motion-capture model for Caesar the ape in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but should he get an Oscar for it? On one hand, we never see him in the movie, but on the other hand, he made the character what it is.

The World Gone Sour is an upcoming video game based on the Sour Patch Kids candy. A nonsensical game concept, yet a brilliant marketing move bound to appeal to a certain game-buying demographic.

10 of the best sidekicks in TV history. It takes a #1 talent to be a good #2. NSFW text.

20 Incredible Snapshots of Water Splashes That Look Like Hats. You say hats; I say umbrellas, but they are all pleasing to the eye.

Comic book covers are cool, but comic book covers animated in gif form are downright awesome!

Can you cut a piece of paper and make it look like this? How about if we gave you the answer?

If the movie Drive were a cartoon... well, it is now. And it's only a minute long.

Can you judge a workplace by the art they decorate their office with? That's hard to say, but Buzzfeed has a mega-post of artworks and decorations found in website offices from all over -you be the judge.

I dare you to come up with an odder pop culture mashup than Aliens on Ice. Which is real production performed in the real world, at least once.
*
Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa played the perfect baseball game on the International Space Station -by himself! Watch him pitch, bat, and field all at the same time.

Real People in LEGO

Depicting a person we all recognize takes talent when you use a pencil or paintbrush. Doing it with LEGO blocks takes a particular kind of talent because of the restrictions inherent in the medium. I am no art critic, just an art fan. Neither am I a LEGO expert -in fact, I have never owned a set of LEGO bricks! But I can appreciate the talent that goes into recreating real life in bricks. It's like working with pixels, except your pixels are limited to specific sizes, shapes, and colors. And the artists in an article I posted at mental_floss do wonderful things with them!

Informative Links

Alek Wek grew up in Sudan and became a professional model now living in Brooklyn. She has a unique perspective on what it really means to be hungry.

The Scottsdale (Arizona) Gun Club invites you to have your picture made with Santa Claus and his collection of machine guns. Bring the family, select your weapons, and even try them out!

7 things women do that inevitably piss men off. These are far from universal (except for maybe #4), but they happen more than they should.

Why can’t we find aliens? Our lack of success so far doesn’t mean we should give up.

5 Memorable Moments in Cross-Dressing History. There are plenty of reasons to impersonate the opposite sex that have nothing to do with personal preference.

How Class Works. From economist Richard Wolff. (via Breakfast Links)

The Secrets Behind the Google Doodle. How they became a thing, and what goes into each one of them.

Don’t Call Me a Mom: Why It’s Time for Women to Drop That Identity. A writer asks for more of a perception equity with men, and gets a smackdown in the comments.

As Facebook gets ready to sell public stocks, the Federal Trade Commission sets strict privacy rules for the social network. Here’s what users need to know.

5 Charming Episodes of Violence from Medieval Iceland. Any of these would make a swell action movie.

Gene Roddenberry’s Son Reveals Unhappy Family Life. Rod Rodenberry never really understood Star Trek or its fans as he was growing up.

A 33-foot Christmas tree stands at St. Pancras International Station in London. But no trees were cut, a this is a record-breaking Christmas tree made of Lego bricks!

Cat Women of the Moon

A trailer for the 1953 movie. (via Set Phasers to LOL)

Links for Fun

25 Signs You Spend Too Much Time on the Internet. If more than one of these items confuses you, congratulations and keep on surfing!

Improv Everywhere is in the Christmas spirit already. Their musical flashmob is a tribute to the mall Santa Claus.

How to potty-train a sloth. Hey, you never know when this information might come in handy!

What are these performers doing: shufflin’, breakin’, tumbling, kicking? I’d call it showing off.

Some men’s restrooms in British pubs will soon offer video games, in the urinals, that you control with your urine stream. Wait a minute, is this a ploy to sell more beer?

Breaking Dawn: Part One made a bazillion dollars in its opening weekend. The movie also induced seizures in at least of couple of guys who one suspects may have been trying to get out of watching the rest of the movie.

Teddy Bear the porcupine doesn’t want to share his corn. He’ll tell you in no uncertain terms in the most adorable voice ever.

The Mario Opera is much better than you’d expect. It gives a touch of class to a classic video game, it’s funny, and there could be lots and lots of levels.

This is What the Inside of Deadmau5’s Helmet Looks Like. That has to be hot, sweaty, and hard to see out of.

How many ways are there to fall off a pogo stick? Probably more than will fit onto a one-minute video clip, but the most spectacular ones are included.

An AT-AT is about the coolest thing you could possibly make out of gingerbread. You could eat it, too, if it weren’t a museum exhibit.

The 2004 film Karate Dog deserves a second look, if only for the talking dog that no one questions. Get a scene-by-scene breakdown and a video that will make you want to see the whole silly movie.

12 Deliciously Different Plush Toys

Look around the world wide web if you want to get a gift that no one else will think of, with a little help from your friendly mental_floss internet scouring service. Some of these plush toys are suitable for children, but not all of them! Take a look at all of them in this list I posted at mental_floss.

Interesting Links

The Curse of the Demon Core. The nuclear ball killed two scientists but spared a swimming pig.

This post has an awful lot of links and information about America's economy and the resentment it causes. Just skip the Thanksgiving intro and delve into the reference material.

Target employees had to report for work Thanksgiving night for Black Friday sales. After that crazy shift, one worker was so exhausted she drove her car into a 20-foot deep canal.

There have been a dozen Republican presidential debates, and it’s not even election year yet. Here are some consequences of too much, too soon.

The Odd, Odd Octopus. They may seem otherworldly but they have a lot going for them.

The Quest to Solve the Hardest Math Problem in History (and the Minds that were Lost Along the Way).

The Arab League is sanctioning Syria for violence against its protesting citizens. This may be a sign that progress is starting to matter more than solidarity in the Middle East.

A zombie walk in Mexico City over the weekend attracted 10,000 of the undead. If confirmed, this will be a new world record for simultaneous zombie-ism.

The Truth About Shark Attacks. You’re more likely to be killed by a cow than by a shark, but either way, you’re dead.

The Federal Reserve’s $7.7 trillion bank bailout. The TARP funds we knew about pale in comparison to the “undisclosed” loans given to banks in 2008.

Who’s Next? A Look at Presidential Succession. And why some cabinet members tend to be dis-invited from Washington parties.