Explain away

I'm a huge fan of Slate's Explainer section, which provides answers to all kinds of random and bizarre questions, as well as the slightly puzzling, everyday kind. Some of my favourites:

• Bees Overseas: How do spelling contests work in other countries?
• Erotic Services 101: When is a massage more than a massage?
• Should I Snort My Dad?: The dangers of inhaling a cremated parent. (Apparently it's only dangerous "if you make a habit of it.")
• I like this one mostly just for the title - What Would Jesus Smoke?: The Christian doctrine on bong hits.
• I Mailed a Letter to Paris...Who pays the French to deliver it?
• Does James Bond Have a License To Kill?: The rules and regulations of British intelligence, explained.
• What Are the Protests Like at Gallaudet?: Chants and cheers in American Sign Language. (Gallaudet is a university for the Deaf in Washington, DC. There were large-scale protests there last year.)
• Pin the Tail on the Dolphin: How to attach a prosthetic flipper. (Special bonus material: Mine-hunting dolphins!)
• How Heavy Is a 500-Pound Bomb?: Six hundred and six pounds.
• Why Do They Club Seals?: Can't they just shoot them?
• How Did Airbus Ace Its Airplane Evacuation Test?: There were only 33 injuries.
• What Does a Chinese Keyboard Look Like?: How they type in the PRC.
• This is George Bush. Is Anders Rasmussen Available?: How world leaders make phone calls.

Po-mo

Quote of the afternoon:

I'm so po-mo, Foucault isn't even po-mo enough for me!

I love it when pretentious arts students get together...

Comic

Nerdy American history comic! Hooray! (found by Crip, who kindly emailed it to me)
Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Feeding my Doctor Who obsession

I've become, well, mildly obsessed with Doctor Who lately. And now that I have quite a lot of free time on my hands, as well as a less than taxing day job, I'm able to fully indulge this obsession by finding random Doctor Who-related videos on youtube. Which is how I came across this episode of The Graham Norton Show, with David Tennant (aka the tenth doctor) as special guest.

I swear to God, this is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Below is part 1; make sure you watch all 4 parts so that you don't miss where stoner Alex really does travel through time and space.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

(On a side note: god it's an enormous amount of hassle to embed a video from youtube! You've got to sign up and then add your blog and make sure that you select blogger beta rather than just plain old blogger and... bah. Very annoying all round.)

It'd be sad if it wasn't so hilarious

Ways that you know you've been spending too much at the physio lately: when the physio offers you a job.

That's three job offers in a week. High five to me!

Super stunt

The Super Stunt: this story is bloody incredible. A group of guys managed to get two vanloads of 'party lights' through ridiculous levels of security at the last Super Bowl, that they then gave out to the audience to spell out a secret message at half-time. Crazy stuff. Make sure you also check out the Michael Jackson credit card prank as well...

High five to the internets!

For all you high five fans out there, this gem from Overheard in New York:

Guy #1: Dude, are you rolling on E, man? High five!
Guy #2, slowly with eyes closed: High five my face.

Classic McSweeney's

Some Other Zapruder Films: Ricky Zapruder's Birthday Party.

Everything goes smoothly until, in the last 33 seconds of the film, Richard Nixon appears in the background, ambling up to the sliding door and pressing his face against the glass. His hands are covered in blood, and he appears to be holding a pitchfork. His eyes dart nervously as he tries to see what's happening inside.

Linky linky

Just a couple of links:

For those of you (like me), who are just a tad addicted to a little website called facebook, you might want to have a look at this article, about how what you do on social networking sites can make you lose a job, get you into trouble with university administration, and scare off potential employers. Equal parts bizarre and scary (make sure you read the linked story from a few months ago, too).

And from Overheard in New York, it's funny because it's true.

Little boy #1: I wish dinosaurs lived in Central Park.
Little boy #2: Dinosaurs aren't real -- they're from the TV.
Little boy #3: Dinosaurs are real, they just live on other planets.
Little boy #2: Like Pluto!
Little boy #1: Pluto isn't a planet anymore. The scientists blowed it up.

I know how you feel, kid. When I was his age...

Overheard at university

One philosophy lecturer turns to another and says, "you know what I always found hilarious about Orthodox Judaism?"

Unfortunately I wasn't able to catch the punchline, but the mere fact that I overheard it all certainly brightened my day. Not exactly a phrase you hear on a regular basis...

the Iraq War as Star Trek

"There are Klingons in the White House! Don't let faux Klingons send real Americans to war!"

I want this guy as my representative.