July 6

Remember John Burstein? Since 1975, he has been educating children (including many of us!) about the human body and the importance of health and nutrition in a rather unique way. Like many superheroes before him, he dons a form-fitting suit and transforms into a shocking alter ego... the living anatomical reference, Slim Goodbody! [more inside]
posted by Mael Oui at 1:48 AM - 0 comments - Post a Comment

July 5

Those familiar with the plaintive falsetto of Delta blues great Skip James will surely hear Skip's influence in the much lesser-known Johnny Temple's Evil Devil Blues, recorded in 1935, which features some delightfully unexpected melodic twists. And though Johnny Temple "never achieved stardom", he does have a Wikipedia page. [more inside]
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:29 PM - 1 comment

Where creative juices come from. Now that you're in the mood, let's get down to some great new creative stuff! What is likely to be ripped off on College Humor next week! Learn how to interrogate a lemon! Previous creative goodness...
posted by parmanparman at 10:10 PM - 6 comments

While the Darwin awards look away ... cluster ballooning is taking off. More and more people are taking to the sky with a cluster of helium balloons and a lawn chair.
posted by Susurration at 9:40 PM - 6 comments

Kids at school in nappies. Another report claims the average age of toilet-training is now 3 or 4, compared to the former norm of 18 months. Teachers don't want to change diapers; parents say they don't have time to toilet-train. Is our future a continuum of diapers to Depends?
posted by grounded at 8:57 PM - 34 comments

The Paintings of Fred Einaudi. [Via everlasting blort]
posted by homunculus at 8:10 PM - 14 comments

Wordchamp lets you view foreign-language web pages with definitions in your language as mouseovers (registration-only). [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 6:42 PM - 8 comments

Gabriel’s Revelation: “This should shake our basic view of Christianity... His mission is that he has to be put to death by the Romans to suffer so his blood will be the sign for redemption to come... This is the conscious view of Jesus himself. This gives the Last Supper an absolutely different meaning.”
posted by orthogonality at 6:27 PM - 67 comments

MeFite scrumtralescent thought it would be fun to interview people who dared to take a chance and do something cool or exciting, like leaving their jobs to travel for a year, picking up an unusual hobby or starting their own business, and then share these interviews via a website for all to enjoy. So she did, and the result was 'The Life Less Traveled: How Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things…And How You Can, Too!' [via mefi projects]
posted by Effigy2000 at 6:05 PM - 5 comments

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Also, 2 and 3. NSFW due to a tasteless header image. You'll have to arrange by date and ascending to view them in proper order.
posted by puke & cry at 5:51 PM - 20 comments

Living on the Edge Welcome to Ronda, a beautiful city in southern Spain which is split in two by el Tajo gorge. As a result, certain buildings have been perched on the edge of the gorge’s vertical walls, enormous cliffs bridged by the 200 year old Peunte Neuvo. [more inside]
posted by bwg at 5:21 PM - 10 comments

50 Bands, 50 States: The Boston Phoenix declares the best all-time band, best all-time solo artist, and best new band from each state. [more inside]
posted by lunit at 5:10 PM - 55 comments

According to TIME, there are at least 10 things good about high gas prices. Such as four-day work weeks, less pollution, and fewer traffic deaths.
posted by dov3 at 4:46 PM - 36 comments

Congratulation! You have a fruit! A fruit is not ready currently. You must prepare a fruit. The color of a fruit is green. The color of a fruit to taste great and put inside your body is red.

[YES! A link to SomethingAwful "dot com." BUT.] [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena at 3:59 PM - 55 comments

Co-design a public service in a UK Government mash-up competition that carries a £20,000 prize. The UK Government wants to hear your ideas for new products that could improve the way public information is communicated. [more inside]
posted by baggymp at 3:56 PM - 13 comments

According to the photographer's daughter, "All photos in this collection were taken by then Lt. and later Capt. George S. White, my Father, while he was serving in the Pacific as a pilot. They are generally between 1945 and 1948 from what is documented." My favorites? The barmaid or postwar Tokyo or wrecked planes and airplane graveyards.
posted by zzazazz at 2:05 PM - 8 comments

J.R. Williams is a prolific comics artist with a distinctive visual style 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. He is fond of fanciful takes on pop culture icons like Quisp and Yogi Bear, as well as more ribald characterizations like Polly Purebred and Jane Jetson (NSFW) More recently he has branched out into abstraction, which might be characterized as psychedelic pictographs.
posted by Tube at 1:45 PM - 2 comments

Simply Noise. Streaming white noise for your auditory zen needs. That is all. That is enough.
posted by wendell at 12:16 PM - 32 comments

John McCain, Prisoner of War: A First-Person Account. Originally appeared in the May 14, 1973, issue of U.S.News & World Report. "My six years of hell" is a February 2008 extract from McCain's book Faith of My Fathers.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:58 AM - 72 comments

Jack English American presents I Hate Britain Day.
(Just pretend it's yesterday, ok? And ignore the Baywatch chick.) [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster at 10:20 AM - 18 comments

On Day Care, Google Makes a Rare Fumble You’re probably guessing that because it involves “do no evil” Google, Fortune magazine’s “Best Company to Work For” the past two years, this is a heart-warming tale of a good company reversing a dumb decision. If only.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:49 AM - 123 comments

Face + Paint = ! Astonishing effects using the human face as canvas.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:55 AM - 27 comments

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian. [more inside]
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:48 AM - 59 comments

Displaying Hitler alongside celebrities, pop stars, world statesmen and sporting heroes at the new Madame Tussauds in Berlin was a bit controversial to begin with. And it didn't last long before one of the first visitors literally tore off the Fuehrer's head.
posted by sour cream at 6:24 AM - 55 comments

July 4

Don't want to hassle with going to an amusement park? Build your own rollercoaster!
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 10:43 PM - 29 comments

Mapping the Structural Core of Human Cerebral Cortex. A new study of the connections in the brain has identified the brain's central hub.
posted by homunculus at 7:50 PM - 13 comments

Bottled Water is Bullshit. We are now in the midst of bottled water back lash. Where will it end?
posted by Xurando at 7:13 PM - 121 comments

"Several songs on the instrumental album were voted Best in Genre, and then shortly after that I was flown out to Los Angeles and nominated Independent Artist of the Year by the Association of Independent Artists." Until age 40, he'd never played piano. Then he suffered a concussion.. Also, cavemen sang -- and maybe echo-located. Where? Where they painted their cave art.
posted by orthogonality at 3:33 PM - 38 comments

Jack "Marvel" Whiteside Parsons was the right hand man to Aleister Crowley, a founder of modern US rocket science, and early partner to L Ron Hubbard. Celebrate July 4th by investigating this major character in the birth of our age. [more inside]
posted by unpoppy at 1:22 PM - 33 comments

'Nick Veasey uses x-ray technology to create mesmerizing and intriguing art.'
posted by shakespeherian at 1:03 PM - 12 comments

All the girls love Zombie Boy. [more inside]
posted by Dave Faris at 12:48 PM - 93 comments

Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) delayed. Senator Dodd says, "This bill does not say, 'Trust the American people; Trust the courts and judges and juries to come to just decisions.' Retroactive immunity sends a message that is crystal clear: 'Trust me.'" Obama talks about why he supports the bill. Senate may vote after the Fourth of July recess. (previously)
posted by joannemerriam at 11:01 AM - 144 comments

How to Photograph Fireworks [more inside]
posted by Del Far at 8:42 AM - 37 comments

Fmr. US Senator Jesse Helms, 1921 - 2008. [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:22 AM - 266 comments

Canada's own Phil McCracken offers a guitar tutorial for folks just starting out. If guitar isn't your thing, how about keyboards? Bodybuilding? Also, ladies, he's available!
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 8:05 AM - 18 comments

These are the documents that started it all. The Charters of Freedom. As the USA celebrates another Independence Day, the National Archives presents the historical development of the Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and their impact upon the nation and the world.
posted by netbros at 5:38 AM - 56 comments

Jedi Gym
posted by loquacious at 2:28 AM - 33 comments

July 3

Twenty years ago this week, the biggest escape ever over the Berlin Wall took place, but the event went nearly unreported outside of the two Germanies. The 182 persons who jumped over the Wall in the early morning hours of 1 July 1988, instead of leaving East Germany, fled in the opposite direction (scroll down to "Wolfgang Ritter") to escape the West Berlin police. East German border guards waited with trucks on the other side of the Wall in the middle of the death strip to pick up the wall-hopping protesters; they were driven to another location, served breakfast, and then taken to the Friedrichsstrasse crossing to West Berlin with the admonition to "use the usual border crossing next time." [more inside]
posted by sister nunchaku of love and mercy at 10:01 PM - 16 comments

Amish puppy mills, outrage and controversy.
posted by Brian B. at 9:59 PM - 63 comments

We've seen the first two episodes. First they met, then they celebrated her birthday together. Now it's time for step 3: Doki (the rabbit) and Nabi (the cat) have their first date. [more inside]
posted by wanderingmind at 8:52 PM - 19 comments

Woman develops spontaneous Newfie accent after suffering a stroke. I'm not making this up. [more inside]
posted by randomstriker at 8:26 PM - 52 comments

The brass quintet Canadian Brass is both venerable--it's been around 38 years--and prolific--its discography is as long as your arm. While they often play classical arrangements, they also mix in jazz and blues, along with a complement of showmanship and humor. (Also, they play Flight of the Bumblebee on the tuba.) [Mouseover for titles.]
posted by Upton O'Good at 8:12 PM - 16 comments

The Book of Accidents: Designed for Young Children (1831). "In presenting to his little readers The Book of Accidents, the Author conceives he cannot render a more important service to the rising generation and to parents, than by furnishing them with an account of the accidents to which Children, from their inexperience or carelessness, are liable. If generally studied it will save the lives of thousands, and relieve many families from the long and unavailing misery attendant on such occurrences." [Via]
posted by homunculus at 6:37 PM - 34 comments

Sexual Healing. "Sad stories and otherwise freaky tales from Florida's last sexual surrogate." A longish article, and fascinating.
posted by five fresh fish at 6:26 PM - 100 comments

The Travels of Franz Kafka , a website that chronicles the many places and social interactions of Franz. A photographic journal collection of his life as he traveled. For your enjoyment, today being the 125th Anniversary of Franz Kafka's birthday. Cheers.
posted by Fizz at 6:17 PM - 10 comments

Pansori (aka P'ansori) is a genre of Korean folk music produced by travelling musicians, a singer accompanied by a lone drummer. Rooted in seventeenth century folk tales, by the 1960's, Pansori was in danger of dying out completely, when the director Im Kwon-taek made the film Sopyonje. [more inside]
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:02 PM - 6 comments

With a big red shoe, Bozo has kicked the bucket. Larry Harmon, AKA Bozo the clown, gone to heavenly syndication.
posted by longsleeves at 3:15 PM - 69 comments

In honor of the Fourth, I give you the 50 States and their Capitals, the U.S. Presidents, and in hopes for a better future, what the hell, all the Nations of the World. [more inside]
posted by Navelgazer at 3:03 PM - 28 comments

Montreal Graffiti/Street artist Roadsworth, who was arrested in 2005 and faced up to 250 000$ in fines, is back on the streets, this time with a permit and a commission. Interestingly, the title of the new piece (which stretches across multiple intersections on downtown Sainte-Catherine street) is "Défense d'Afficher", which means "No Postering". It seems as though he's commenting on the role of art and advertisement in public space, but maybe that's just my take. Thoughts? For a more in-depth discussion, read the Torontoist's article on graffiti), and for more examples, check out Vandalist, the same blog's photostream of T.O. street art, Streetsy, a great photoblog showing off various street art from around the world, and, of course, Flickr's STREETART pool.
posted by rssaddict at 12:34 PM - 20 comments

Seventy years ago today a world land speed record was set that has never been broken... on July 3, 1938 LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard reached the giddy speed of 126mph. [more inside]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:04 PM - 22 comments

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