ABC has a wonderful gallery of pure white creatures that look like they came straight from David Duke's private zoo. From albino peacocks to cobras, the critters are strange and beautiful. Of course, if you suffer from DaVinci code nightmares, maybe this isn't the gallery for... READ ON
While this brilliant Rube Goldberg machine by Joeseph Herscher only makes one type of drink (a Falling Water), every bounce of the ball and whir of the chain makes me long for one that much more. Such a delight to watch! Of course, I'm holding out for the second version, which supposedly channels a Mentos-Coke explosion into refilling your bar nuts and explaining to your wife why you haven't yet come home. Link via the always reliable... READ ON
According to The Buffalo News, John Edwards and Karl Rove are slated to debate at the University of Buffalo on September 26. And while much has been said about Edwards' ability as a trial lawyer and the millions he's racked up, not enough has been said about Karl Rove's skill as a high school debater. Here's journalist Wayne Slater in a PBS interview on one of Rove's tactics, used to intimidate 9th grade competition. "Karl Rove was not only the best debater in Olympus High School, but also one of the best... READ ON
CNN is reporting that North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms passed away at the tender age of 86. And while his legacy is certainly a polarizing one, I was surprised to learn how many other famous people passed away on the 4th. Here's a short list of people who died on that most American of U.S. holidays (other than Jefferson and... READ ON
Because I'm a total geek for trivia, and because I use every magazine as an opportunity to dominate my younger relatives in trivia boardgames (I can crush most of the the ones in elementary school), I wanted to share 8 things I learned from our latest magazine. Amazingly, they also double as 8 great reasons to check out the new issue! 1) Bill Gates' wife Melinda was the project manager on Microsoft Bob the suite of products that led to Clippy. You know him as "that annoying cartoon paperclip who thinks... READ ON
Like many of you, I was stunned and saddened by Tim Russert's death last week. While I could talk endlessly about how much I love Meet the Press, or how much I admire Tim Russert (his commitment to honest answers out of people was always so remarkable to me), what I've truly been struck by in the last few days are all the accounts of what a great friend and decent human being he was. In any case, Story Corps (a wonderful non-profit that I've blogged about before) released a tape that Tim Russert recorded... READ ON
Yesterday, Steve Jobs announced that the new Apple operating system is going to be called "Snow Leopard." As a Mac loyalist, I was struck by the name's vulnerabilities. There's no doubt that snow leopards are gorgeous creatures, but the cats carry a lot of baggage. If the Mac brand had asked veteran political strategist and spin-master Karl Rove to vet the creature a little more, I'm sure these are a few of the facts he would have pointed out: 1) Snow Leopards... READ ON
Normally I don't make big announcements like today is my birthday. That's because most days aren't my birthday. But since I've turned the big 2-9 today, I figured I'd quickly look up just a few of my heroes and report on what they'd accomplished with their 29 years of living. Looks like I've got a lot of catching up to do! Gary Larson: After working in a music store and playing his banjo for years, Larson decides he hates his job and starts submitting comics to... READ ON
I just finished editing Ethan Trex's amazing new Business School in a Box. Just like mental_floss' Law School in a Box and Med School in a Box, it's crammed full of all sorts of irresistible nuggets of business trivia. But there's plenty of hilarity packed in as well. Check out this segment on Scrooge McDuck from the "Management Styles of the Rich and Fictional" section: Scrooge... READ ON
The always wonderful Boingboing has a great bit here on artist Nina Katchadouria who spent part of one summer repairing broken spiderwebs with bits of thread. Unfortunately, the spiders weren't impressed with her handiwork, and often either dismantled or abandoned the webs she weaved. And while I can see how traditional-thinking arachnids might not embrace Nina's aesthetic, I happen to like it. Take a look at the great photo below, and be sure to view more of her uninvited collaborations at her site,... READ ON
5 Questions: Boys Behaving Badly
Lesser-Known Founding Fathers
The famous Aaron Burr “Got Milk?” ad from 1993 was directed by Michael Bay.
