snowflakes!

seriously amazingly beautiful

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/photos/photos.htm

presidential approval ratings and the most awesome commercials ever

these two links have nothing to do w each other

1st- presidential approval ratings through the years, matched to the events that accompanied dips and peaks:
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-presapp0605-31.html


2nd- really great, extremely violent coffee commercials from the 50s, made by pre-muppet jim henson.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ky7g1lgTwc&eurl

how do you feel?

this website may already know:

http://www.wefeelfine.org/api.html

mexican walking fish

looks like a creature from labyrinth:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/ubercool_mexica.php

randoms

baby animals in zoos:
http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/

kids faces while they watch videogames. there's one expression that only shows up when they play Call of Duty.
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20592

story of a war journalist who follows the conflict (kinda reminds me of Graham Greene):
http://www.mensjournal.com/cnns-prisoner-of-war

cute animals as they fall asleep

perhaps the most brilliant display of cuteness on the internet. i like the sleepy bear.

http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org/

michael palin for prez

my bro and i used to joke about mccain having picked the wrong palin (bc michael palin, frankly, is probably the best palin to have graced this planet), but it looks like someone else thought of it and found a funnier way to propose it.

just go to this link and watch the video:

www.michaelpalinforpresident.com

mick jagger and david bowie, together in music and fashion hell

i don't know what to say. this video. omg

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=7y-x2fWKbmo

thanks to ebb for the link-

crazy awesome art

this artist paints things invisible; it's rad:
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/incredible-camouflage-art/4793

these artists grow trees into useful living furniture:
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/trees-grow-furniture/3224

environmental graffiti is a good blog, eh?

blogging the elite

this is a good blog by a guy who works at a fancy hotel in the loop and sees funny things:
http://graveyardchicago.blogspot.com/

lots of links

i've been neglectful. many reasons for this. so here are a bunch of links:

4 % of the wall street bailout could end world hunger:
http://www.ecosalon.com/title/Could_Just_4_of_the_Wall_Street_Bailout_End_World_Hunger

i can't believe this picture exists. i can't believe the look on this mouse's face:
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/er-buddy-could-we-not-talk-about-this/4324

dogs are amazing. they have amazing personalities:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/08/dogs.jealousy/index.html

dogs are also unbelievably adorable:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eeezw0D_8E&feature=related

sea slugs are unbelievably beautiful little alien weirdos:
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/20-most-incredible-nudis/4956

photography water sculpture things- v. pretty:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoopa_hs/sets/72157604178274003/

both funny and sad- logos about the financial crisis:
http://www.businesspundit.com/after-the-crisis-a-parody-of-15-corporate-logos/

weird and mesmerizing uk video on how condoms are made:
http://www.yesbutnobutyes.com/archives/2008/12/how_condoms_are.html

an awesome place to find good, quirky art prints:
http://www.thumbtackpress.com/

and, just another reason i love austin:
http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/austin-gets-smart?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Read%26nbsp%3Bmore&utm_content=nicole.berland%40gmail.com&utm_campaign=Newsletter+12%2F10%2F08

funny europeans

repost from julie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoRD1wmvwUc

400 lb child

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=33548

chadwick made this website and it's awesome

www.personalcode.net


go there! sign up! get your life in order!

bill ayers speaks up

and i like it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/opinion/06ayers.html?_r=1&em

studs terkel

re-posted from friend frank. good find.

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=30445

learn how to label african countries

it's an african jigsaw puzzle. very educational. link courtesy of ms. amy. see how well you can perform (i can only get up to the 'hard' level):

http://www.schoolnet.na/games/map/africa.html

romantic brains

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/blog/6883-score-romantics-1-cynics-0-17854.html

aminals

i love 'em

http://webecoist.com/2008/08/24/strangest-endangered-species-and-animals/

i love dogs so much

this one is talented:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk1pOUb8a_g

DNA

-Scientists think they could clone a woolly mammoth for $10 million. They could probably also clone Neanderthals too, but, evidently, that would bring up ethical issues:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/science/20mammoth.html



-Also, other scientists used DNA testing to identify the remains of Copernicus.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081120/ap_on_re_eu/eu_poland_copernicus;_ylt=AvPF9IvXb0aP24.7bpRvX6.s0NUE
Can we clone him too?

cool bugs

cool bug #1 (a hot-pink catydid):
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/the-strangest-camouflage-in-the-world/3058

cool bug #2 (covers itself in pretty things):
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/amazing-technicolored-coat-of-the-caddisfly/3971

a strange concept...

...but worth a post:

LOL presidents

live puppies!

live puppies 24/7!!!!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam

....including the kitchen sink

16 modern sink designs. very cool:

http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/17/creative-modern-sinks-wash-basin-designs/

this site actually has a lot of other cool stuff like this. i recommend a perusal.

...and...

also very cool bike rack designs (follow the links to see more than just the winner):

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/hoop-wins-bike-rack-design-contest/

friendblog

I found this on my friend Diego's blog. It's friend Jared singing in a van w Red Hunter from Peter and the Wolf:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3br57_701-paris-lost-in-texas-episode-1


Really, it's pretty great, so you should watch it.

religion and happiness

this article is really good, but make sure you read it until the very end. otherwise, you'll miss the point:

http://www.slate.com/id/2203614

lolcats do william carlos williams

naomi sent this link to me, and i find it unbearably hilarious:

You can haz
plums in the
ice box.
But I
eated them.
Kthxbye!


it's from the contest here:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/11/we-can-has-games-1.html
it's in the comments.

six links, in descending order of awesomeness

turns out kevin spacey does *amazing* impressions:
http://www.filmroster.com/video/kevin_spacey_impersonates_jimmy_stewart_al_pacino_christopher_walken_and_many_more

maps that show how united statesians really vote:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/

really neat photos of people jumping, etc.:
http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/08/awesome-freeze-frame-time-photography/

pretty natgeo photographs turned into online jigsaw puzzles=great time-waster:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/jigsaw-puzzles

fifty facts about our new president that make him seem even more hip than i thought:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/3401168/Barack-Obama-The-50-facts-you-might-not-know.html

insulting words. the second one made me laugh out loud:
http://www.neatorama.com/2008/05/03/10-insulting-words-you-should-know/

an article that makes kristin need to curse hard

Just read it:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iRxZox4GFoIweckPDP1oRhKBlHOwD94CDDM80

useful information

5 best sites to stream tv (if you're of the television watching persuasion):

http://lifehacker.com/5055337/five-best-sites-to-stream-tv

i love their cute, furry faces

Presidential Dogs, through Time:

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1830236_1746240,00.html

this poem is just too amazing

I used to be of the opinion that Percy Byssche Shelley was a tool, but I can't help admiring this poem. It's his elegy to Keats:

http://www.bartleby.com/41/522.html

should be asleep or studying

but instead:

http://yearbookyourself.com/

pro crastination

use your knowledge, learn new words, procrastinate, and donate rice to hungry ppl all at the same time!

http://www.freerice.com

tired but happy

here are some sweet links:

cool looking green buildings:
http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/02/20-great-works-of-green-art-and-design/3-sustainable-treehouse-free-spirit-sphere/

environmental photography:
http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/01/the-environmental-photography-of-chris-jordan/

knit graffiti:
http://deputy-dog.com/2008/11/urban-knitting-worlds-most-inoffensive.html

amazing japanese acrobats from the early 1900s:
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=35115

oh you kooky 17th century poets

John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester, a famous 17th century poet and friend of King Charles II, wooed his wife by abducting her after she refused his advances. Then he had a bunch of affairs and at least one baby out of wedlock. Check it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Wilmot,_Countess_of_Rochester

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilmot,_2nd_Earl_of_Rochester

for a chuckle

http://apina.nwpshost.com/3288.gif

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Link #24: Amazing infrared and hdr photos:

http://weburbanist.com/2008/10/30/7-colorful-creative-infrared-and-hdr-photographers-and-photography/


Link #25: Renegade muppet drives too fast:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1081607/Speeding-puppet-seat-British-car-makes-muppets-German-police.html


Link #26: Hatred makes you rational:

http://io9.com/5070226/how-hatred-transforms-your-brain

hallows and haints

In honor of Halloween (which is today), here's a link to facts about the town of Sleepy Hollow:

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/19751

I love Washington Irving.

Scambaiting

I first heard about this a while ago from my brother, but I hadn't seen it until today. A scambaiter, pretending to fall for a West African scammer's ploy, counterattacked by promising scholarship money to ppl around the world who would act out scenes from iconic films and tv shows. The scammer(s) took the bait and reenacted the famous "Dead Parrot" Monty Python sketch. I'm including links to the original and the reenactment. Pretty amazing.

Monty Python's "Dead Parrot" sketch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218

West African Scammers' "Dead Parrot" sketch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IQqd17p9_0

This only helps if you trust smart people and believe in science:

Here's the letter from the Nobel Prize winners who endorse Obama:

http://sefora.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/nobel_letter_v6.pdf

a time waster for you

This totally sweet site lets you spell any word you want w photos of letters from Flickr.

Assorted

Link #15: Good going Daily Show. In response to McCain's ridiculous accusation of Obama's "pro-abortion" stance, Sam Bee explains how much women looooove abortions... and "air quotes"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-6A1sH9p_Y

Link #16: This video illuminates just how dynamic our presidential candidates are. It's pretty amazing to see how little actual "debate" occurred this year. (Did you like my air quotes?) --via boingboing

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/28/synchronized-preside.html


Link #17: A nod to my old town, Austin, TX. 800 people assembled to do the Thriller zombie dance. Uh-mazing:

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=34992


Link #18: And now a turn to the grotesque: Does the head remain conscious after it has been severed from the body? (Answer: probably.) Feel free to impose any metaphors you would like:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1172/does-the-head-remain-briefly-conscious-after-decapitation

Darn it

I'm betraying the depths of my nerdiness. But I really, really want a couple skeins of this. Is that so wrong?

Bamboo yarn=brilliant

Calling Chicago Voters

I'm writing this from the voting center, having just voted. If you've only thought as far as the presidential race, these folks have some good suggestions about how to fill out the rest of your ballot.

Biden lays it down

Link #12: Just watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQXcImQfubM

Iraq

"A Week in the Death of Iraq" is an article by an Iraqi dentist who calls himself Dr. Mohammed. I also read his blog, but recommend reading the article first.

(Links 10 and 11)

Guns 'N' Sodas

Evidently, the Drs. Pepper found it so unlikely that Guns 'N' Roses would release their (incidentally, terrible) new album by the end of 2008, that they promised a free Dr. Pepper to everyone in the U.S. if GNR could pull it off. For good or ill, GNR pulled it off, and now we all get free Dr. Peppers. Here's how to redeem yours (info courtesy of perezhilton.com):

1. On the Nov. 23, 2008 release date, go to www.drpepper.com

2. Register your information to receive a coupon for one free 20-oz. Dr Pepper.

3. When your coupon arrives, redeem it wherever Dr Pepper is sold.

4. Drink your Dr Pepper slowly to experience all 23 flavors. Dr's orders.

Coupons will be available for 24 hours, starting at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 23, 2008. Allow 4-6 weeks for coupon to arrive. Coupons will expire on Feb. 28, 2009. Limit one coupon per person. Full terms and conditions available at www.drpepper.com

Math and Nature

Link #8: We've heard about fractals occurring in nature and Fibonacci and all that jazz, but never have the photos been so dazzling:

http://webecoist.com/2008/09/07/17-amazing-examples-of-fractals-in-nature/

Historical NY Times Presidential Candidate Endorsements

Link #7: Here are all of the NY Times presidential endorsements since Honest Abe. Notice that they haven't endorsed a Republican since 1956. Also notice their hilariously luke-warm endorsement of John Kerry. I also thought it was interesting that they endorsed FDR for only 3 out of 4 of his elections. Here, you look:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/10/23/opinion/20081024-endorse.html

This Morning's Theme: Power Corrupts

Link #4: horny popes dying in the throes

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/19214

Link #5: horrible ways to get rich

http://www.cracked.com/article_16633_6-most-horrifying-ways-anyone-ever-got-rich.html

Link #6: the website for the documentary entitled Torturing Democracy, which is about official U.S. policy re: torture.

http://torturingdemocracy.org/

Inaugural Post of My New Blog

This blog will contain no information about myself other than what can be gleaned from the quantity and variety of links I provide for your enjoyment. Over the past several months, I have already collected hundreds of amusing links. It seems tedious to import these, so I will simply begin from today.

Link #1: Soviet dancers who appear to defy laws of nature

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNXKuwhhC1c&feature=related

Link #2: And, because you can't mention the Soviets without invoking memories of the Nazis...

http://www.cracked.com/article_15767_third-reich-fortune-500-five-popular-brands-nazis-gave-us.html

Link #3: And, because violence and pain, when not mixed with humor, are just f-ing depressing:

http://weirdnewsfiles.com/weird-video/weird-tv-news-weird-video/top-ten-tv-news-mishaps/