Freaks Need Love, Too!

The Zoological Society of London is starting a new program to conserve the world's "weirdest" species.

I'm NOT An "Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm"? The Test Is Obviously Flawed.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

(Via Philobiblon)

I Couldn't Even Afford A Leaf From One

The 10 Most Expensive Books of 2006

(Via Bookninja)

"The Bad Boy Of Baking"

Is he for real? Seriously, like for real-real?

And Death Shall Have No Dominion

And death shall have no dominion.
Dead men naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
Under the windings of the sea
They lying long shall not die windily;
Twisting on racks when sinews give way,
Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan't crack;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
Though they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.

Dylan Thomas, 1933

The First Thing Texas And Canada Have Had In Common In... Well, Ever!

The GNP of each state in the Union in terms of other countries.

(Via Pharyngula)

Fat Cat Update!

That fat-assed cat has been diagnosed with Feline AIDS! Poor thing. Maybe that's why he was eating so much; he wants to make sure that if he has some wasting, he has some "cushion."

(Via gothamwhore)

Card Catalog

Catalog yourself!

(Via Pharyngula)

Atypical Arachnids

Arachnids are, for the most part, solitary creatures. When one thinks of social arthropods, one's mind tends towards thoughts of bees and ants and termites, not spiders. But there are a handful species of social spiders and they're fascinating.

What's Really Funny Is That It Was A DOGGIE Door!

Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "fat cat."

(Via Defamer)

Get In Touch With Your Inner Artist

Make your own Pollock!

(Via Lassiter Space)

I'm Rendered Speechless...

...by the sheer dorkitude of spending Christmas constructing a replica of the Battle of Helm's Deep in candy.

(Via Pharyngula)

Star Wars Stuff

My big Star Wars post is still hanging out in the Drafts file, but here's some random SW crap to tide you over.

A bacteria species named in homage to Star Wars.

The call to Palpatine after the first Death Star got blown up.

A bunch of nerds reenacting scenes from A New Hope. The "Han" guy is sooooooooo gay and kinda cute.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

A map of world happiness.

What really strikes me about the map, BTW, are the countries colored gray for lack of data: Iraq, North Korea, Western Sahara, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Greenland. Except for Greenland, which is basically just a big glacier, some of the most chaotic places in the world. I think we can assume that the people there aren't all that jolly.

In related news, the Danes are the world's happiest people, apparently. Their secret? Low expectations.

(Via Bookninja)

The Return of Cartoon Nostalgia

The triumphant return of Cartoon Nostalgia! I realize now that I really did spend my entire youth watching animated shows. I don't remember watching so many cartoons, but I obviously did. Go me, I guess.

Also, Joseph Barbara (of Hanna-Barbara fame) recently died, so this is kind of a tribute, even though none of the cartoons I'm talking about today are his. I'm sure he'd be positively touched, anyway, to have some nobody blogger go on about the cartoons he misspent his youth on weeks after he died. *snort*

Animaniacs

I was actually rather ambivalent about this cartoon, but I watched it anyway. I loved the educational songs (countries of the world, "Istanbul, not Constaninople," etc.). "Pinky and The Brain" was fun, too.

Tiny Toon Adventures

The adventures of young Warner Bros. cartoon characters. Now, unlike Muppet Babies, the characters aren't the younger versions of the classic characters, but pint-sized reimaginings. The only episode that actually sticks in my mind is the Field of Dreams with feminist overtones one where the female Bug Bunny-equivalent rediscovers a forgotten female cartoon star to be her hero. Otherwise, nothing much comes to mind.

Care Bears

God I wanted to have a special power coming out of my stomach! Something useful, like the green Care Bear's luck, not a stupid rainbow or something.

More nostalgia to come!

How Long Until We Have A Galaxy Called "The Shire"?

Introducing a new class of galaxy with hairy feet.

Where Does It Come From (Book Edition)

If you order online, your book likely comes from a place very much like this. Isn't it a mouth-wateringly beautiful sight? All those books! *swoon*

Hey, You!

It's De-Lurking Week; speak up!

(Via Cosmic Variance)

New Holidays for a New Year

Seasonal Affective Disorder Day: January 2
With Christmas and New Years a thing of the past, now it''s time to celebrate the long, cold, gray winter months that loom ahead.

The Day the Music Died Day: February 3
Write a sappy song about an important cultural tragedy that will annoy bar patrons for generations.

National Jingoism & Violence Day: February 4
Collect a group of two dozen or so well-trained men assigned to represent your city or region. Face off against another such group of well-trained men. Beat the living sh*t out of each other. (aka Superbowl Sunday)

Soy Bomb: February 25
Celebrate the "spontaneous explosion of the self" by dancing like an *sshole on live television.

Reverse Cowgirl Day: March 3
Honoring a woman''s right to choose positions. (formerly Women''s Suffrage Day)

Hale-Bopp Day: March 22
Remember 1997? Best year EVAR? Well, things won''t be that good until 4380, so your cult will have to wait for its next mass suicide.

International 420 Day: April 20
Dude!

Mission Accomplished Day: May 1
Celebrate the United States'' quick and clean victory in Iraq.

Jim Belushi Day: June 15
Hire your brother to do something he''s not qualified to do. (aka National Nepotism Day)

Mike Tyson Day: June 30
Threaten to eat someone''s children while feasting on delicious elephant ear pastries.

Transfomers Day: July 4
Make your pilgrimage to the multiplex as Michael Bay rapes your fondest Saturday morning cartoon memories. Clutch your vintage Rodimus Prime toy while mumbling "You''ve Got the Touch."

Los Alamos Day: July 16
Celebrate the first ever nuclear explosion near Alamogordo in 1945 by blowing some sh*t up. (aka Trinity Day, Oppenheimer Day, I Am Become Death Day)

Self-Love Day: July 26
Enjoy the company of the person you love best in the recesses of your favorite public place. May we suggest Barnes & Noble? (aka Paul Reubens Day, Pee Wee''s Play Day)

Adult Swim Day: September 2
Skip work, get high and watch Space Ghost until you pass out.

National Accessory Day: September 14
In appreciation of the belt, the hat, the handbag and, most importantly, the scarf. It was on this day in 1927 that famed modern dancer Isadora Duncan''s scarf sealed its importance in the annals of history by wrapping itself around the axel of a car and broke its owner''s neck.

Seat Belt Remembrance Day: September 30
What better way to celebrate the life (and, more specifically, death) of legendary actore and motor enthusiast James Dean, than with a holiday remembering seat belts?

Ted Haggard's Gay Republican Day: November 1
Purchase recreational drugs from your favorite same-sex prostitute, but don''t pay for intercourse. That would be hypocritical.

Mutilated Nipple Day: November 4
Legend has it that this holiday originated way back in 2004 when actress Tara Reid bravely unleashed her mangled areola upon a pack of ravenous paparazzi and saved the world from something or other.

The Clinton/Lewinsky Blowjob Joke Appreciation Day: November 15
On this day, stand-up comedians and late-night talk show hosts around the nation celebrate the greatest gift that was ever given unto them.

Autoerotic Asphyxiation Day: November 22
Things to do today: fashion yourself a festive Asphyxophilia Noose, masturbate, listen to INXS''s Kick twenty-two times on repeat. (aka Michael Hutchence Memorial Day)

Britney Beaver Day: November 27
Today, innocent girls all around the world flash their junk.

National Cruise Day: November 29
Fun activities: Plan a cruise with two of your favorite loved ones, get drunk, go for a swim when no one is looking. (aka What Really Happened to Natalie Wood Day)

Fingering the Starfruit Day: December 2
On this day in 1978, 150 pedophilic freedom fighters attended the first meeting of the North American Man/Boy Love Association (or NAMBLA).

Entropy Day: December 30
Holy sh*t! Did another f**king year come and go already?

(Via Comedy Central Jokes)

I Got Nothin', So I'll Show You A Nice Ass (NSFW!)

(Via The Pretty Boys Club)