Renault Ballet

Watching cars do an intricate group dance is nice, but it’s even better when something goes wrong! (via the Presurfer)

Information, useful or not.

How did people make toast before electric toasters? By setting a gadget over a fire or a stove burner. This site has some of these antique implements for sale, with descriptions on how they were used. (via Grow-A-Brain)

The man who saved the world by doing ...nothing.

The proper procedure for bringing your own wine to a restaurant.

Recipe for poutine.

Caffeine Facts.

The longest non-stop flight ever measured. Yes, it was a bird! A bar-tailed godwit flew 7,145 miles from Alaska to New Zealand—without taking a break for food or drink.

Follow Aurora Borealis season with online webcams and galleries.

Crocodiles have a powerful homing instinct. Move them, and they’ll travel hundred of miles to get home. This just-released study is the last paper by Steve Irwin.

Ten full-length classic movies available online, ranging from the chilling Nosferatu to the heartwarming It’s A Wonderful Life. All worth watching!

School Integration in Little Rock

15-year-old Elizabeth Eckford was the first black student to attend a white school in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Journalist Will Counts took this picture of Eckford’s entrance, with student Hazel Brown shouting at her. 50 years later, Vanity Fair looks at what happened then, and what became of Eckford and Brown and their relationship. More pictures here. (via Metafilter)

Some fun links

The Condom Cannon.

The One Semester of Spanish Love Song.

This is just too funny. I felt bad about laughing out loud about this street crime, but I couldn’t help myself.

What do you mean, unemployable? Inked, Inc. has profiles of heavily tattooed doctors, lawyers, professors, etc.

Donkey Kong in real life is a whole lot harder than the video game.

Worst use of a file photo ever.

Today they came for my bicycle.

Eva Heyman was a Hungarian Jewish girl who kept a diary during World War II. On this Flickr page, you’ll find an entry about the day they took her bicycle away.

One of the policemen was very annoyed and said: All we need is for a Jewgirl to put on such a comedy when her bicycle is being taken away. No Jewkid is entitled to keep a bicycle anymore. The Jews aren’t entitled to bread, either; they shouldn’t guzzle everything, but leave the food for the soldiers. You can imagine, dear diary, how I felt when they were saying this to my face. I had only heard that sort of thing on the radio, or read it in a German newspaper. Still, it’s different when you read something and when it’s thrown into your face. Especially if it’s when they’re taking my bicycle away. Actually, what does that nasty policeman think? That we stole the bicycle? We bought it from Hoffmann for cash, and Grandpa and all the others worked for this money.

Eva was sent to Auschwitz whenshe was 13 years old. You can read the end of her story here.

Real-Life Donkey Kong

Eisenhower Campaign Jingle

That’s what the 2008 campaign is missing -catchy jingles! (via PCL Linkdump)

Around the Blogosphere

Momma K at Petroville ran a contest for the Worst School Picture Ever. I sure wish I had posted this before it was over... that’s what I get for being sick and behind. Here’s the winner! See other entries here.

RockyJay has decided to give up blogging in the usual way, and specialize in what people, er, men, come to his blog for in the first place.

Marti tells about how the SWAT team busted into Grandma’s house.

Wendell Wit is dedicated to protecting the Right to Pun.

Hoss went to Hawaii. I am so jealous!

Why do the most interesting bloggers decide to just up and quit? Maybe because they have a real life. Farewell, Homo Escapeons!

Links to Make You Think

When asked about the economy, Bush said, “You know, you need to talk to economists. I think I got a B in Econ 101. I got an A, however, in keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.” In college, he actually got a C- in Economics.

List of countries by their account balances. Who is in the red? It took me a while to find the United States.

Jon Swift asks the question: Are We Tasering People Enough?

So you’re about to be invaded by the United States. Advice for Iran. (via Grow-A-Brain)

The US Embassy in Baghdad. This is the largest US Embassy built – roughly the size of Vatican City – and at $600 million (£300 million) the most expensive. At a time when millions of Baghdadis outside the green zone receive only a couple of hours of water and electricity daily, Iraqis observe that this project has been completed on time, on budget, and is entirely self-sufficient with its own fresh water supply, electricity plant, sewage treatment facility, maintenance shops and warehouses. (via Grow-A-Brain)

British health care professionals react to Michael Moore’s movie Sicko. They are appalled at the American system, think that the British system may not be as great as the movie paints it, but that’s only because the British don’t spend nearly as much money on health care as Americans do.

Moonwalking Bird

The manakin bird is quite a dancer. Evolutionary ornithologist Kim Bostwick introduces the manakin bird’s dance in this clip from PBS’s series Deep Jungle. (via Dump Trumpet)

Theraminbot and Thumpbot

Watching someone play a theramin is weird enough, now here’s a robot playing the theramin! The “Theraminbot” is named Lev, and his friend on percussion is a “thumpbot.” Here they perform Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy. (via Arboath)

Let The Sun Shine In

The finale of the movie Hair, where Berger mistakenly boards for Vietnam in place of Bukowski.

News You Can Use

How to sleep on a plane.

Some Moral Dilemmas: What would YOU do?

Index of celebrity mugshots.

Unusual articles in Wikipedia.

The legend of Prague’s Astronomical Clock.

30 Code Words For Sugar. Remember these when you read food labels.

The IRS has unveiled a new website section for those undergoing foreclosure. Just one more indication that the bubble has indeed burst.

Sixteen reasons we should operate on a four-day work week.

Lazy-Ass Nation. Really, this is not a response to the above item!

October 8, 1871: The deadliest fire in the history of the United States occurred, but NOT in Chicago.

Velociraptor, the terrifying predator made famous in the movie "Jurassic Park," appears to have had feathers in real life. It puts me in mind of the 6-Foot Man Eating Chicken you see at carnivals.

Darth Vader Blues

OK, admit it. You’ve thought about this before, haven’t you? (via Gorilla Mask)

The Last Lecture

46-year-old Carnegie-Mellon professor Randy Paush delivered his final lecture, entitled “How to Live Your Dreams” on Tuesday. Paush has terminal pancreatic cancer. The lecture is powerful and uplifting.

"What we're not going to talk about today," he continued, "is cancer, because I've spent a lot of time talking about that ... and we're not going to talk about things that are even more important, like my wife and [three preschool] kids, because I'm good, but I'm not good enough to talk about that without tearing up."

What he was there to discuss was how to fulfill your childhood dreams, and the lessons he had learned on his life's journey.

Link to story.
Link to video.
Link to full lecture (opens in new player).
Link to Pausch’s website.

I Just Wanna Make Love to You

Fun stuff!

Internet Retirement Party. This is funny!

LOLsecretz. Also see Lolthulhu and Icanhasderbygirlz.

No fewer than 150 Monty Python videos - and the number of videos posted shall be 150. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more!

Contact lenses that will frighten everyone around you. (via the Presurfer)

Hedgehog put through laundry cycle; comes out squeaky clean. (via Arbroath)

You know you’re getting older when you realize the president of the United States speaks Valley Girl. (via Grow-A-Brain)

Dancing hot dogs. (via Miniature Brainwave)

NYC Subway Map Hoodie. (via Dump Trumpet)

Train in a Bangkok Market.

The World Beard & Moustache Championship Winners 2007. See first through third place winners in seventeen categories. Seventeen!

Harry Potter in the Hood

H. Piddy in the role of his life! I thought I would have to listen to this two or three times to catch all the pop culture reference, but the lyrics are avilable if you scroll down this page.

Political Roundup

Republican Scandals of 2007 (via J-Walk Blog)

Of course, it’s only September. The guy who made this says its not even inclusive for the first nine months of the year! See the details and more here.

Why U.S. Food Aid Benefits Big Business and Not Starving People. This article deals with international aid, not domestic policies, although a similar mindset in involved.

Open letter to John Stossel from Julie Pierce.

John Edwards wants Congress to give up their health care plan. Ha!

Music Scholar Barred From U.S., but No One Will Tell Her Why.

Why do they hate the stork so much? (via Grow-A-Brain)

Seeking Justice for Yang Yin.

Time Wasters and Fun Stuff

Fun with a drunk buddy.

Famous poems rewritten as limericks!

Lifting a car with water.

Animals that only bite tourists.

Why I hate Star Trek and why it sucks. (via Look at This)

Cute kitten eating a melon.

A closer look at chocolate addiction, including the many happy chemicals it contains.

Do you like tennis? (via the Presurfer)

Fractal art based on the patterns from electroencephalograms (EEGs).

Get a Shave!