If Goldilocks went furniture shopping, I'm guessing this seat would feel just right. According to this site, the furry living room piece showcased to the left was made by the legendary bear trapper Seth Kinman. Of course, what you might not know by looking at this pic is that his chairs also came equipped with a trick feature. If the sitter pulled a cord, a bear head would come snapping out from under the legs. Apparently, Kinman had both a bizarre sense of humor, and a knack for marketing. His bear-based... READ ON
In the new issue of mental_floss, we reported why bacon is a miracle drug when it comes to dealing with the morning after: Cure Your Hangovers—with Bacon! Ah, bacon. For years, we've devoured it in all its crispy glory without worrying about the side effects. But now, scientists at Newcastle University's Centre for Life have given us a new reason to gorge on the stuff. They say that when it comes to hangovers, bacon is a miracle drug. In fact, the study found that bacon is most... READ ON
For those of you interested in the exciting world of hearse production (I'm assuming that's a large portion of our audience), Japanese limo maker Lequois is planning to roll out a line of hybrid hearses based on the Toyota Prius. And while these extra green casket carriers promise to be environmentally friendly, at $80k a pop, they're not cheap. Or good looking. In any case, seeing the sketch made me curious about what other souped-up, modern hearses are on the market. Here are just a few that I found:... READ ON
Whether you love him or hate him, Richard Nixon is easily one of the most complex and fascinating characters we seem to tackle. In the magazine, we've talked about how he created the EPA, how he was responsible for a six-fold increase in the National Endowment in the Arts, his funding of methadone clinics as a means of helping to reduce crime (it seemed to have worked), his Quakerism and his engagement with China. Of course, we've also talked about hatred for soups (he banned them at the White House),... READ ON
Designer Kyle Bean's portfolio is really fun to look through. I saw these cellphone nesting dolls on Boingboing's excellent Gadget site, and realized I had to share them. (The Dynatac and the Razr are my favorites). But then I stumbled into Kyle's stop-motion video in honor of (international?) Laundry Day and couldn't help posting that below as well. If only my clothes would take such... READ ON
After seeing this hilarious book-bound print out of Wikipedia, I decided to check out the artist's homepage. I wasn't disappointed. While Rob Matthews has tons of inventive pieces, my favorite was this t-shirt he made of his friend Travis. It looks ridiculous on the shirt (and as a poster), but it's great on this guy's head. Here's the artist statement: After studying abroad I had to leave one of my best friends in Minneapolis. As a joke I produced t-shirts and posters to give to my friends... READ ON
News of the tragic Iran election protests is dominating headlines everywhere. It's the lead story at the NY Times, CNN, the BBC and most other international news sources. But if you're curious what the top story coming out of North Korea's international news service/government supported truth-telling machine, it's... READ ON
In one of the stranger headlines I've read today, New Scientist is reporting that several planets struggle with obesity issues. According to the report, a number of planets referred to as "hot Jupiters" go through an overweight stage. What's weirder is that for years, scientists couldn't figure out why planets that should measure a certain width were 30% larger than predicted. But apparently, Princeton's Laurent Ibgui has a new theory about it. According to Ibgui's model, it's the very gassy planets with... READ ON
At first, I just assumed that these giant dinner mints were man-made. They're actually a rare, natural phenomenon known as "snow rollers." According to The Cellar, snow rollers can only form when the ground is covered in a layer of ice (so that the snow won't stick to it), and when the wind blows gently enough to nudge the rolls forward without breaking them. Also, the snow itself has to be "wet and loose, with a temperature near the melting point of ice." Having all three conditions occur at the same time... READ ON
As a 3rd grader, I was obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. I walked around the neighborhood trying to solve cases. I took all of the mystery books out of my elementary school library. I even dressed up as the legendary detective for Halloween 2 years in a row. So, I was thrilled when Ransom Riggs suggested doing a spread on author Arthur Conan Doyle in the magazine. What I didn't realize was what sort of amazing stories Ransom would come up with. Here are two of my favorites, plucked from our latest issue: one... READ ON
5 Questions: Yoga Poses
Troy McClure Film or Actual Terrible Movie?
TASER is an acronym for Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle.
