Zach Anner

Actor and video producer Zach Anner from Austin, Texas has made quite a splash since he auditioned for Oprah Winfrey's online contest to award someone their own television show. However, he's not new to the business. Check out some of Anner's earlier video productions and what he's been up to since becoming net famous in this video list I posted at mental_floss.

Informative Links

At the intersection of science and science fiction, you get SETI-Con, August 13-15. The theme of the event is, "Are we alone in the universe?" (via Science Not Fiction)

Secret of AA: After 75 Years, We Don’t Know How It Works. Group therapy may be a more important component than the twelve steps, buy then again, who knows? (via Metafilter)

Sam Kean is starting a series of posts on the periodic table of elements, meaning he is writing a separate post about each of about two-dozen of the most interesting elements. Antimony and hydrogen are leading the parade.

More on the ScienceBlogs blow up over the addition of a Pepsi blog. The Loom is keeping up with the ScienceBloggers who are leaving over the issue.

What would happen if the earth stopped spinning? We'd be able to drive around the world, except we couldn't visit Canada or Siberia without a submarine.

How about a nice frozen bloodsicle? It's one of the imaginative ways zoos are keeping their animals cool in the east coast heat wave.

Whiskey Business: The Many Myths of Jack Daniel. We separate the truth from the legends so you'll be armed the next time you have a friendly debate over shots.

Japanese artist maps 1945-1998's nuclear explosions. Maybe you are familiar with the first test and those two that ended World War II, but how about those other 2,050 nuclear explosions?

World Record Garden Produce

I picked the very first ripe tomato from my garden yesterday. It wasn’t even big enough to cover a sandwich with a slice. There are much larger green tomatoes that will, whenever they ripen. But they are all small potatoes (so to speak) compared to the monsters that some serious gardeners grow. I’m talking about the biggest vegetables ever, in this article I posted at mental_floss.

Monkey Cat

(via Arbroath)

The Bygone Practice of Foot Binding in China

It is estimated that between a billion and four billion women in China had bound feet between the 10th and 20th centuries. The practice essentially crippled them, but only the upper classes could accommodate such a disability. The rest of these women had to work every day of their lives, balanced on their heels, enduring pain in the name of beauty, status, and tradition. Read about how this happened in this article I posted at Neatorama.

Fun and Funny Links

A tribute to Bruce Willis, who has been in way more movies than I could possibly keep up with. My apologies for the tune which will be stuck in your head all day. (via the Daily What)

A Completely Illustrated Course of Instruction on How to Enter Vaudeville. I wonder if this is how Bob Hope got his start? (via Gorilla Mask)

The 7 Most Bizarre Sports Rituals in the World. Read about seven Because if you forget to fling an octopus on the ice and your team begins to lose, it's ALL YOUR FAULT!

Watch a 30-minute fireworks display in Toledo in only 3 minutes, thanks to the magic of video. Fast-forward for the fantestic fast finale!

12 Bizarre Hello Kitty Products That are a Sign of The Coming Apocalypse. Oh yeah, some of these awful products are backlash, but others are from and for seriously addicted Hello Kittyholics.

If a bird were to wear a hat, what hat would it wear? There are dozens of answers to that question. (via Gorilla Mask)

6 Things From History Everyone Pictures Incorrectly. Of course, it's mainly Hollywood's fault, but Michelangelo bears some guilt as well.

I hate to admit it, but Ragdoll 3 is the kind of game you'll enjoy losing. Oh, I would enjoy winning as well, but just shooting the little doll was a lot of fun.

Let's All Go to the Lobby

My kids were amazed that I had this memorized. They don't understand why I went to the movie theater twice a week when I was a kid. It's because that's how often they changed the movie! Of course, I would usually sit through the same feature twice... and sometimes pay to see one I'd already seen the day before. They can't fathom a world without home video.

Ape Women: 10 Dedicated Primate Researchers

Women are doing amazing work in primatology, the study of monkeys, apes, prosimians, and even humans. Although many are working on furthering our understanding of our closest relatives, we will take a look at only the most prominent in this article I wrote for mental_floss.

Informative Links

Psychological research conducted in WEIRD nations may not apply to global populations. America is certainly WEIRD: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic. (via Boing Boing)

Is the Mafia Dead? No, but it's not looking too healthy according to this article that I imagine took guts to write. (via Dark Roasted Blend)

The Best Movies Never Made. And that's probably for the best, as the concepts sound greater than the finished product could ever be.

The symbolism of historic icons usually gets simplified over the years, and often co-opted by groups with their own agendas. Along the way, the actual history gets lost, which is the point this Cracked article 8 Historic Symbols That Mean The Opposite of What You Think.

The (Very Profitable) Economics of Emissions. People know preventing pollution is the right thing to do, but they tend to do it only when there are financial incentives.

Immigrant farm workers challenge unemployed people to try farm labor. Especially those who claim undocumented workers are taking good jobs away from Americans. (via I Am Bored)

The Geek's Vacation Checklist. Before you get away from it all, make sure you have take everything with you!

Rock the Joint

By Wild Rumpus featuring Beardymen. (via Everlasting Blort)

The Curse of the Little Rascals

The Our Gang series of short films delighted generations of theater patrons and TV viewers. Then as the years went by, we heard of all the awful things that happened to the kids who starred in those shorts. Were they cursed? Read about The Curse of the Little Rascals at Neatorama.

Fun and Funny Links

Toronto's Eaton Center Mall closed due to the G20 protest. This caused a real problem for a guy who really, really wanted to go shopping. NSFW language.

In honor of Larry King's retirement, here are The 10 Funniest Moments In Larry King Live History. See, you cold skip 25 years of watching and catch the best parts on the internet!

15 Grave Coincidences. Snapping pictures of gravestones at "a certain angle" could become a new hobby. Here's one more.

Cats play soccer! That goalie is definitely World Cup material.

Isaiah Mustafa explains how they did the latest Old Spice ad in one continuous shot. Knowing the secrets behind the sequence only makes it more impressive.

Chivalry rears its head during a recent flood in St. Petersburg, Russia. Watch for a surprise bonus to pass by as well.

Imagine you are a performer, and the composer of the song you're singing drops by, and even joins in! Could you keep your composure as well as this choir did?

Ninja cat strikes fast; leaves no trace. Oh, except for the video evidence, which we can slow down if need be.

Stars and Stripes: Forever!

John Philip Sousa wrote the tune we know as Stars and Stripes Forever on Christmas Day in 1896, according to his autobiography. Most Americans associate it with Independence Day more than any other holiday. As we head into a Fourth of July holiday weekend, lets get into the proper patriotic mood with a variety of strange and wonderful renditions of that old classic, Stars and Stripes Forever that I posted at mental_floss.

Independence Day Links

5 Neat Facts About The Declaration of Independence.

5 Forgotten Founding Fathers. No school teaches you about all 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, but we can help close the gap. Also see 4 More Forgotten Founding Fathers.

Slate challenged readers to rewrite the Declaration of Independence as one Tweet. The top three selected are here. Read the other entries in the comments here.

10 Big Uncle Sams. Larger than life, and big enough for us all to look up to!

The History of Fourth of July Fireworks. It's how we celebrate out independence, with "Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

How Fireworks Work.

How to take better photographs of your fireworks.

10 Fireworks Effects To Watch For. Armed with this information, you'll be able to describe them much better than “The Ones That Do That Shooty Thing”.

The 13 Most Horrible Firework Accidents.

Check your state laws concerning fireworks.

7 July 4th Traditions from Around the Nation. Of course, if you're from New England and have never eaten salmon for Independence Day, you are not alone.

A list of 155 TV marathons and specials for the Fourth of July weekend.

See also: Fireworks and The Fourth of July

Samantha the Fox Cub

Can it get any cuter than this?

Good Reads

The movie Airplane! opened 30 years ago today. Over, Oveur, roger, Roger, and don't call me Shirley!

ScienceBlogs had a Zombie Day Thursday. Click on the zombie portraits and check out the many posts that show us how zombified scientists are underneath those lab coats.

Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins revolutionized the art of tattoo. He refined the process to make it safer, developed new colors, and taught other artists to carry on his legacy. (via Everlasting Blort)

Does national IQ depend on parasite infections? A newly-proposed theory suggests so, but correlation is still not causation.

Rob Spence had his missing eye replaced with a wireless video camera. His next plan is to upload what he sees so that we can all see through his eye -literally.

If you can't solve your Rubik's cube (or even if you can), you can use it as an art medium. Here are 30 works of art made from the big pixels on the puzzles. (via Gorilla Mask)

Scientists have discovered 150 gene variants that can predict how long your lifespan will be. It's as if we have an internal expiration date, but would you want to read it?

6 Laws That Were Great On Paper (And Insane Everywhere Else). It's only human nature to find a way around restrictions, with sometimes devastating unintended consequences.

The Handicapped Stall

A video Zach Anner did several years ago.

Canada Day

Happy Canada Day! Canada became independent of Britain gradually, in stark contrast to the fit we Yanks threw in the 1770s. The celebration of Canada Day grew gradually as well. There was no instructions from the founders on how to commemorate the holiday, like John Adam’s plan to celebrate July 4th “with bonfires and illuminations”. Nevertheless, some traditions have taken hold for Canada Day, as it is the one day every year when Canadians feel the need to show off their patriotism. Read about it in this article I wrote for mental_floss.

Fun Links

The 2010 Bulwer-Lytton awards for bad fiction have been bestowed. Enjoy the glistening dewdrops, the axe-bearing villagers, and the very worst opening sentences of the past year.

Amazon bought Woot, and Matt Rutledge wrote the most awesome acquisition announcement ever. "One, our business model is so vague that there’s no way Amazon can possibly change what it is we’re truly doing..." (via Holy Kaw!)

A mother's work is never done. For a single mom with more than one child, even more so.

Booktails: Our Favorite Alcoholic Beverages From Literature. With these recipes, you can feel oh-so erudite and sophisticated as you become thoroughly sloshed.

Sweet James Bond-Like Space Saving Furniture. After a couple minutes of this presentation, I was expecting them to fold an entire apartment into a suitcase.

This FaceTime Commercial Parody looks at the real consequences of being connected by technology. If that's all you have, then that's all you have.

The baffling euphemisms of plus-sized clothes. Different shapes have different names, but it just won't do for a clothing manufacturer to label them as "fat-shaped".

You see beautiful rooms in catalogs and magazines and you have to wonder about people who would live in such artistic perfection. The blog Catalog Living gives you a glimpse into the life of those who live in those places, and it's not always pretty. (via Metafilter)

Money