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The U.S. Senate has declined to promote Captain Timothy W. Dorsey to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Dorsey, currently serving as Navy Reserve inspector general, was involved in one of the more bizarre friendly fire incidents in U.S. Military History, intentionally shooting down a U.S. Air Force jet during military exercises some 25 years ago.
comment posted at 11:31 AM on Jan-8-13

Andrew Hales and his sister Jacqueline made videos of hugging strangers at Venice Beach and in Rome. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's can be very heartwarming. [via]
comment posted at 10:51 AM on Jan-8-13

21 emotions English has no word for . Some things "light us up". Some things "leave us cold". Such dim metaphors only hint at the unspoken universe of feeling, dimensions we can only guess that we share. A new infographic explores "untranslatable" feeling-words from other languages.
comment posted at 8:19 PM on Jan-6-13

The story of a guy who went to LA with one goal in mind, get somebody from his party into Contestants Row on The Price is Right.
comment posted at 12:15 PM on Jan-4-13

Dance like no one is watching.
comment posted at 6:22 AM on Jan-4-13

Experts often suggest that crime resembles an epidemic. But what kind? Karl Smith, a professor of public economics and government at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, has a good rule of thumb for categorizing epidemics: If it spreads along lines of communication, he says, the cause is information. Think Bieber Fever. If it travels along major transportation routes, the cause is microbial. Think influenza. If it spreads out like a fan, the cause is an insect. Think malaria. But if it's everywhere, all at once—as both the rise of crime in the '60s and '70s and the fall of crime in the '90s seemed to be—the cause is a molecule.

comment posted at 8:33 AM on Jan-3-13

Guess My Word! • I'm thinking of an uncapitalized English word, which you can try to guess. I'll tell you if my word is before or after your guess in alphabetical order. My word can be of any length from 1 to 15 letters. If my word starts with your word (e.g. my word is "cottage" and you guess "cot"), then it is considered to be after your word. You can only guess English words. The goal is to guess my word in as short a time as possible, or in as few guesses as possible, or whatever else you want to set as your goal. For leaderboard purposes, your time (starting when you make your first guess) and number of guesses will be tracked, but entering your name on the leaderboard is optional. There will be a new word every day. • FAQ
comment posted at 6:08 PM on Dec-31-12

"Was it intended as a parody?" Asked Roger Ebert in his original review of the Patrick Swayze film "Road House," which premiered in 1989.
comment posted at 10:47 AM on Dec-30-12

The Death of the American Shopping Mall "Online retailers are relentlessly gaining share in many retail categories, and offline players are fighting for progressively smaller pieces of the retail pie. A number of physical retailers have already succumbed to online competition including Circuit City, Borders, CompUSA, Tower Records and Blockbuster, and many others are showing signs of serious economic distress. These mall and shopping center stalwarts are closing stores by the thousands, and there are few large physical chains opening stores to take their place. Yet the quantity of commercial real estate targeting retail continues to grow, albeit slowly. Rapidly declining demand for real estate amid growing supply is a recipe for financial disaster."
comment posted at 4:04 PM on Dec-29-12

You've probably always wondered what it would sound like if someone mashed up Justin Bieber's Baby with Slipknot's Psychosocial. It sounds like this, and it's remarkably good.
comment posted at 4:14 PM on Dec-29-12

Michael Caine is frank about his experiences on the set of The Muppet Christmas Carol.
comment posted at 1:52 PM on Dec-29-12

At the 35th Annual Kennedy Center Honors on December 2nd, the Kennedy Center honored Led Zeppelin, with an introduction by Jack Black, a nod from President Obama, and a tribute from the Foo Fighters. But the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Heart, a choir and a small orchestra covering Stairway to Heaven while Led Zeppelin watched from the front row.
comment posted at 12:04 PM on Dec-28-12

Time to put the presents under the tree! Oh no, that tree looks like a limp dick!
comment posted at 6:39 AM on Dec-25-12

Flash Friday: If you can't wait for until 2015 for the new Star Wars film, good news: you can find out how good it will be right now!
comment posted at 9:46 AM on Dec-21-12

So, how badly injured were the burglars in Home Alone, really?
comment posted at 6:31 PM on Dec-20-12

Gigapixel image of the Khumbu Glacier and Mount Everest Taken by filmmaker David Breashears this is a gigapixel image of Everest (the mainly rock peak to the left of centre) and surrounding area taken in Spring 2012. To get an idea of the scale Everest basecamp can be seen in the bottom-centre area of the image. Best viewed fullscreen.
comment posted at 2:07 PM on Dec-19-12

This ant was as large as a hummingbird.
comment posted at 8:46 PM on Dec-14-12

"A viral photograph of a young boy who opted to wear pink shoes on his first day of preschool has sparked intense debate in the blogosphere."*
comment posted at 12:22 PM on Dec-11-12

If you are in the 7 foot tall club in the US there is a 16% you play in NBA. Which is a good thing, as getting all your clothes custom made isn't cheap. Sports Illustrated takes a look at what life is like when you live in a world that was not designed for the very tall.
comment posted at 8:28 PM on Dec-7-12

"When most Americans think of surveillance drones, it conjures up an image of a Predator drone in a far-off land unleashing a missile against a terrorist suspect. The last thing they think of is a flying surveillance vehicle over their own city. But an increasing number of federal, state, county and municipal police departments are purchasing drone surveillance vehicles of one sort or another to watch Americans. And a few have even discussed arming the drones." - Drones over America. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to more than double its fleet of Predator drones for surveillance missions inside the United States. Despite Problems, there is a push to expand domestic use. Much of that push comes from a "powerful" lobbying group that most Americans have never heard of: the Unmanned Systems Caucus. Drone Makers Push Congress to Move Up Domestic Deployment Date (follow the money). More? ACLU blog posts related to domestic drones. Here is a Map of Domestic Drone Authorizations, last updated in April. Insiders assure You have nothing to worry about, but a little remarked-upon court decision may bring the domestic drone age one flight closer to your doorstep. (previously)
comment posted at 5:56 PM on Dec-3-12

Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate (YT)
comment posted at 2:35 PM on Dec-2-12

He explained the key to safely diving with this notorious shark was to remain relaxed, keep eye contact with the shark and hold ones ground no matter how close the shark swims to the diver.
comment posted at 7:53 PM on Nov-30-12

This series of experiments explores the use fresh animal blood as the basis for a building material.
comment posted at 9:05 PM on Nov-25-12

Sure the television broadcasts catch every angle of NASCAR wrecks. However, I think views from the grandstands offer a unique view of the thrill and danger of these events.


comment posted at 9:24 AM on Nov-24-12
comment posted at 10:43 AM on Nov-24-12

Who to root for now? As a result of FOX/News Corp. going into business with the New York Yankees through by acquiring a 49% stake in the Yankees's regional sports network, Craig Robinson disavows his Yankees fandom, and goes in search of a new baseball team to which to swear his allegiance and passion.
comment posted at 3:27 PM on Nov-21-12

Nuclear Power Plant Simulation Game
comment posted at 7:16 PM on Nov-19-12

3 month old baby red panda surprised while eating.
comment posted at 4:51 PM on Nov-19-12

25 Corgi Cross-Breeds
comment posted at 2:29 PM on Nov-17-12
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comment posted at 7:11 PM on Nov-17-12

(NSFW) In a small village in Sealand Bonnie owns a house, where she works everyday from 9 to 4. When her day is over, she picks up her kids and drives home to her real house in another nearby village. The winner of the 67th Annual College Photographer of the Year Award.
comment posted at 8:04 AM on Nov-17-12

A Random Used-Book Vending Machine
comment posted at 4:00 PM on Nov-16-12

Taliban accidentally CCs everyone on its mailing list.
comment posted at 1:57 PM on Nov-16-12

LCD Soundsystem + Miles Davis: "No editing or other tricks, just 2 youtube videos played at the same time." (SLYT)
comment posted at 9:10 PM on Nov-15-12

Why Coke Cost A Nickel For 70 Years
comment posted at 7:07 PM on Nov-15-12
comment posted at 8:58 PM on Nov-15-12

Hostess, the maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and Wonder Bread has filed for bankruptcy twice in the past two years. Hostess workers (members of the Teamsters' Union) staged a walkout on Sunday after the company cut wages by 8 percent and benefits by up to 32 percent. Since the workers went on strike, Hostess has closed three of its plants. Hostess said today that if enough workers do not return to work by this evening, it will liquidate the company and lay off its 18,000 workers. It will announce its decision tomorrow.
comment posted at 5:46 PM on Nov-15-12

José "Pepe" Mujica had been the President of Uruguay since 2010 and is considered to be the 'World’s poorest president'. "His humble lifestyle is reflected by his choice of an aging Volkswagen Beetle as transport, his only asset. The Economist describes him as "a roly-poly former guerrilla who grows flowers on a small farm and swears by vegetarianism". He also donates 87% of his state salary to charitable causes. He does not believe in God."
comment posted at 4:54 PM on Nov-11-12

Feeling good about the election last Tuesday? Ian Welsh wants to bring you down.
comment posted at 5:27 PM on Nov-10-12

David Petraeus, Director of the CIA, has resigned after admitting to an extramarital affair.
comment posted at 8:34 PM on Nov-9-12

Korean robot prepares salad ... very slowly. It also is (apparently) capable of loading a dishwasher, although there's no video of that.
comment posted at 12:55 PM on Nov-7-12

Finally, it's almost over. Obama and Romney tie in Dixville Notch, Obama landslide in Hart's Location. Interactive Infographic: 512 Paths to the White House. More election 2012 infographics. And still more. How to tell who is winning Ohio. Ohio recount plan could take election into overtime. Gandalf speaks: Late Poll Gains for Obama Leave Romney With Longer Odds. Final estimates from Votamatic and Sam Wang at the Princeton Election Consortium. Google's voting education page.
comment posted at 9:13 AM on Nov-6-12

"We worked very much like a comedy troupe — you sit around at a writer’s table and say, 'Who has the best idea?' It’s like campfire stories, you just try to freak each other out." An interview with Drew Daywalt, short-form horror pioneer behind Fewdio (previously) and now Daywalt Fear Factory.
comment posted at 5:53 PM on Nov-2-12

Tutorial, How to eat a Triceratops. (Most useful if you happen to be a T. rex.)
comment posted at 8:13 PM on Oct-25-12

[raises envelope to temple] Human bone cancer. Sea gooseberry larva. Bat embryos. [tears open envelope, blows inside, removes paper, reads] Some of the winners of the 38th Nikon Small World microphotography competition.
comment posted at 2:36 PM on Oct-23-12

President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney will have the final debate of the US Presidential race tonight. Yawning at the thought of a formulaic back and forth, while secretly hoping for a rap battle? Then look beneath the fold for examples of explicit lyrical parodies.
comment posted at 6:51 PM on Oct-22-12

Perpetual Energy Wasting Machine (via)
comment posted at 6:58 PM on Oct-18-12

"Is she O.K.?" a customer asks.
"My mom?" asks Kristy, the waitress.
"Yes," the customer replies.
"No."

Since Sunday, the front page of the New York Times has been featuring a portrait in five parts of Elyria, Ohio (pop: 55,000), seen mostly through the lens of a local diner. (Second link is to a full multimedia feature, but direct links to the five individual articles can be found within.)
comment posted at 1:36 PM on Oct-18-12