I've been begging for a table tennis table. My fiancee's been telling me we need a door to our bedroom. Looks like this could be the perfect compromise. Link via the always exciting... READ ON
British playwright and Nobel laureate Harold Pinter passed away last night at the age of 78 after struggling with cancer. Pinter was as famous for his sharp, absurdist plays as his political stances (he made waves in his Nobel acceptance speech for his blistering criticism of American political policies). Apparently, America wasn't the only thing that irked Pinter. If the anecdotes below (plucked from one of my favorite sites, anecdotage.com) are to be believed, Pinter also hated explaining his work,... READ ON
The WebEcoist has a gorgeous round-up of beautiful environmental photography. While there are a lot of stunning photos on there, I found these pics from storm-chaser Eric Nguyen incredible. You really get a sense of both the raw, swirling power of the storm, but also how sweeping and beautiful they can be. Of course, what isn't coming through is how inconvenient they often... READ ON
Neatorama found this great story in the Wuhan Evening Post of a Chinese man who'd been struggling to train his white Pomeranian puppy for months. The pup was essentially a nightmare of a pet: it refused to listen, smelled awful, stunk worse when shampooed, and instead of barking made odd cooing sounds. Stranger still, unlike standard purebreds, this Pom's tail kept growing. Oh, and it also bit the owner a lot. Fed up with the situation, the man finally took his pet to a zoo for answers where he found out... READ ON
Of all the lists we were shortlisted on this year (NYTimes Bestseller, MacArthur Genius Grant, Nobel Prize in Medicine, etc), this is one we're happy we didn't make. I can't figure out whether this song is depressing, funny or annoying (it definitely Venn diagrams nicely in between all three). But it does make me happy to know we're not mentioned in the mix. (Of course, if you want to keep us off the list, feel free to subscribe here.) There are a few glossies that they left off that I think deserve a... READ ON
This comes straight from Neatorama, and features the best breakdancing moves I've ever seen. Or at least the best hand-crafted ones. Link via the always hilarious... READ ON
It's come to our attention that a few people have been having problems with the History Book Preorder Special that we ran through Amazon. If you're worried about your free half-year subscription, stop fretting! Just identify your problem below, and we'll let you know exactly how to deal with it. I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY AMAZON ORDER: If you preordered the book before October 28th, but haven't received an e-mail from Amazon about your free subscription, or you had trouble with the links and... READ ON
As a pro-toothpaste American (it's so much better than tooth powder, let me tell you), I was thrilled to see this post on Boingboing about a guy who used all of his toothpaste samples and leftovers to create a giant, toothpaste suicide! Basically, he squeezed out all of his sample packs and nearly empty tubes into a bowl, and then mixed it up to create what should have been the most disgusting paste ever. Instead, it apparently ended up being pretty minty, with some spicy overtones. In any case, I just... READ ON
Once a year, BlogActionDay.org gets thousands of blogs big and small to unite and talk about one issue. This year's conversation is on poverty. Because mental_floss has a soft spot for smart guerilla marketing campaigns (and especially those with a social bent), I thought it might be interesting to showcase how various ads have forced people to confront issues of poverty. Here are a few of my favorites from Ads of the World. 1. Garbage Pail Art  I know I rarely think about street-side trash bins... READ ON
In what's perhaps the strangest news story I've read in a while, NBC is reporting that a San Diego man was charged with trying to poach 6 lobsters from a marine conservation area. Officials became suspicious when they saw "unusual bulges" in his trousers. Apparently, the gentleman tried to walk out of the park with the live lobsters, wrapped in newspaper, all stuffed down his legs. While I haven't seen any reports on what type of pants the guy was wearing (does anyone else sense an endorsement deal?),... READ ON
5 Questions: Now with "Wings"
How Many Vice Presidents Can You Name in 10 Minutes?
Leonard Maltin's complete review of the 1948 film Isn't It Romantic?: "No."
