Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
7 “Flying” Animals (besides bugs, birds, and bats)
The only animals that can truly fly are birds, insects, and one type of mammal, which is of course the bat. Other animals manage to travel through the air by gliding from great heights, or leaping from the depths. See seven of these in this article I wrote for mental_floss.
Good Reads and Information
Solving Food Mysteries. Find out how they get the olives in olive loaf, how popcorn pops, and what Jello is really made of. (via Amy's Everyday Adventures)What the 1965 Medicare debate can teach us about health care reform.
Does stress trigger your chocolate habit? Probably, unless you prefer orange juice, or if you are a hungry college student, just about any kind of treat.
Flags of Forgotten Countries. These come with a mini history lesson about both heraldry and why nations disappear.
14 Basic Skills All Men Should Possess. I am assuming they mean "men" as in mankind, since these are skill all women should have as well.
The story of prisoner F95488. A rising soccer star is convicted of rape, while DNA evidence points to another man. A white man.
If you recall the mental_floss post on Animal Prosthetics, National Geographic has updates on several of those animals and others who have received prosthetic limbs and other body parts.
Think the Leaning Tower of Pisa is impressive? It’s not the only leaning building out there, and according to the venerable Guinness Book, it’s not even the leaning-est. These are.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Fun Links
Eternal Moonwalk: A tribute to Michael Jackson. I'm embarrassed to admit that I watched this for a long, long time. (via Metafilter)Bubblicious, a really cool stop-motion video. It also contains a bit of insight into how these things are done.
Rigging a couch with an airbag is a pretty cool prank, as long as you're not the one surprised by it. Audio NSFW.
The Top 25 Most Powerful Little People. They pack a lot of fame into a small space.
The 7 Worst Underoos Your Mother Ever Bought. (via Unique Daily)
The worst landlord ever. This blog is only two pages long, so you'll want to read the whole thing. Trust me.
What do you do when an airline breaks your guitar and hasn't resolved the matter a year later? Write a song about it, of course!
Saving Private Remi. French prankster Remi Gaillard stages his own D-Day beach landing ...and is barely noticed.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
11 Housewarming Gifts for the Dedicated Gamer
I’ve found a lot of products that will make serious gamers feel right at home in their own homes. Some are for sale; others are handcrafted, so you may have to plan ahead for a special occasion. See them in this article I wrote for mental_floss.
Information Links
The existing parts of the Codex Sinaiticus are online for public study. The 1600-year-old handwritten book is the oldest known Christian Bible.Salamander research could lead to human limb regeneration. On the cellular level, the process isn't as difficult as we once thought.
The Rand Corporation: The Think Tank That Controls America.
A wheelchair controlled directly from the brain may bring new freedom to disabled people. Made in Japan, of course.
Make your own popsicles from scratch! Use these recipes for healthier, tastier frozen treats.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Plane Crash Survivor Tells Story
In 1971, Juliane Koepcke was the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed 91 people over Peru. She fell two miles and landed in the rain forest. The 17-year-old Koepcke then walked for ten days through the jungle to find help.As she travelled downstream, Koepcke discovered more wreckage from the plane -- and found some of the crash victims.
"I found another row of seats with three dead women still strapped in. They had landed head-first and the impact must have been so hard that they were buried almost two feet into the ground.
"I was horrified -- I didn't want to touch them but I wanted to make sure that my mother wasn't one of them. So I took a stick and knocked a shoe off one of the bodies. The toe nails had nail polish on them and I knew it could not have been my mother because she never used nail polish."
Juliane continued through the rainforest, wading through jungle streams infested with crocodiles, piranhas and devil rays.
Koepcke is now a librarian in Munich.
Links for Fun
24 Most Ridiculously Thought Out Storefront Signs. They may be victims of language differences, but they certainly will draw your attention.LEGO Acade. The stop-motion video recreates classic 80s video games using our favorite building blocks.
Robo-geisha: a movie trailer from Japan. NSFW.
The Top 10 Weird Sex-Related Mishaps. Not for the squeamish. (via Unique Daily)
True stories, told in one sentence. There are hundreds of these, if you want to explore more than the best fifty.
Listen to the croaking! Can you imagine the size of the frog that would make such a noise?
This music video for the Japanese group Sour was compiled using fans and their webcams. You might think that the be the easy way out, but the end product is anything but simple.
10 Best Uses Of Classical Music In Classic Cartoons. You can call it a music appreciation session or an excuse to watch cartoons.
Fancy Footwork
Michael Jackson was far from the first to do the Moonwalk. Here are some of the greats who inspired him. (via Boing Boing)
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Friday, July 03, 2009
Good Reads
Author and illustrator Maira Kalman took a trip to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Her fascination with the man makes us want to go, too!A brief history of the bikini. "It is hardly necessary to waste words over the so-called bikini since it is inconceivable that any girl with tact and decency would ever wear such a thing."
Censoring information in the news media is a lot easier than controlling information on Wikipedia, even when lives are at stake. The case of David Rohde is a fascinating and terrifying example.
Words That Changed Their Meanings. Popular usage trumps original usage, especially when "...the actual meaning is the complete opposite of the literal meaning."
The debate over health care is satirized using the analogy of police protection. "Under our system, we can choose our own police officers, as long as we pay for protection out of our own pockets. Do we want some government bureaucrat choosing the police for us?"
Creatures from the Sewer. Reading an explanation of what this is doesn't make the sewer-cam video any less disturbing.
Four things EVERYONE needs to know about sharks. Especially those who haven't been in the water since Jaws premiered.
A philosophy professor battles alcoholism with a variety of methods: rehab, psychotherapy, medication, and AA. So far, something is working for him. (via Metafilter)
How to Start and Drive a Model T
(YouTube link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxb5R4rSgxE
If you are ever lucky enough to get the chance to drive a Ford Model T, keep in mind that they were a bit different from modern cars. Who knew it had three pedals, none of which was an accelerator? Henry Ford Estate volunteer Ed Hebb takes you through the process. (via Metafilter)
Thursday, July 02, 2009
7 July 4th Traditions from Around the Nation
This weekend, people across the United States will be celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with fireworks displays, picnics, and parades. Some communities celebrate in other ways that you may not be familiar with. Read about some of them in this article I wrote for mental_floss.
Fun and Funny Links
What if the internet was a musical? It would be called Web Site Story, and would make you snicker at its cleverness.Oceansize is a beautiful and horrifying student film. Exactly the kind of thing 3D animation was meant for.
Have you ever seen a guy jump out of a helicopter into the ocean to catch a huge game fish with his bare hands? Well, you're in luck today!
5 Pathetic Groups That People Think Rule the World. A primer to keep your worldwide conspiracies straight.
There, I Fixed It collects evidence of "adventures in home pwnership". As scary as these repairs are, they show the genius of making do with what you have.
6 New Personality Disorders Caused by the Internet. I run into at least one of each of these types every day. (via Gorilla Mask)
The Tale of How is a gothic opera about birds menaced by a sea monster. The animation is creepy and beautiful.
20 Ridiculous Signs, made to spread information or produce smiles. Nice to know that you can't depend on licorice to work.
Volkswagen Transparent Factory
Part factory, part museum. This factory is in downtown Dresden, germany. (Thanks, Holistic CPA!)
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Information Links
We're shockingly bad at noticing changes even to familiar scenes. This is called "change blindness", which has nothing to do with the fact that a dime is used for an example.The top 10 plants for removing indoor toxins. Three of these are thriving in my home -how about yours?
A newspaper promotion in 1904 got out of hand when treasure hunters dug up a big part of London and other English cities. The madness continued until the newspaper was hauled into court. (via Metafilter)
4 Holy Women Transformed by Cheese. Where in the world do you find such a strangely-focused list? Why, mental_floss magazine, of course.
The final shame: burying a body face-down means humiliation, worldwide and through thousands of years of history.
Where are they now? Serial Killers. This had to be the easiest "Where Are They Now" post ever.
An infographic detailing The Descent into Credit Card Debt. It looks bad, but it's still a better route than check-holding schemes.
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