unique and interesting: March 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Cheese & Burger Society

We are the Cheese & Burger Society. We believe that cheese is the Grand Poo-bah of every cheeseburger grilled at a backyard barbecue or flame-broiled at a roadside diner. But not just any slice of cheese, Wisconsin Cheese.

So join us as we celebrate the greatest cheeseburgers ever made. All Hail the Cheeseburger

The Cheese & Burger Society.

Number Quotes

Ever need a good quote to add scale to a number? For example, if you're giving a presentation on sales and you want to give a number some scale, enter a number and with Number Quotes you can find the quote you need fast and easy.

I entered 2010 in Number Quotes and I got these quotes:

2010: The population of Fort Pierre city, South Dakota, USA in 2008.
2010 Burger King Whoppers laid next to each other would reach as far as 2.64 American football fields.
2010 dollar bills stacked on top of each other would be as high as 4.88 Burger King Whoppers.
2010 dollars would buy a Caffe Latte Grande for everyone living in Cotton Plant city, Arkansas (population 823).

Pick a tattoo out of hundreds of designs (you can also upload your own design), then upload a photo of yourself with the part of the body you would like to see tattooed. You can upload from your hard drive, your webcam, or a URL.

Then place the tattoo where you would like it.

In the 1970s Stan Pargman set up the Square Egg Co. that invited consumers to participate in deforming the egg's natural shape.

The result? Cube-shaped egg makers. It's more of a novelty item, than a serious effort to solve 'the problem' of hard boiled eggs rolling around on plates.

(via Everlasting Blort)

The Cassini spacecraft in orbit around Saturn has caught an interesting new view of the tiny moon Mimas. The probe measured temperature differences across the object's surface and produced a map that looks just like the 1980s Pac-Man video games icon.

A Weekend On A Station Somewhere In China.

image credit

World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. With more than 11.5 million monthly subscriptions in December 2008, World of Warcraft is currently the world's most-subscribed online role-playing game.

In 2005 Dr. Maressa Orzack, a Clinical Associate in Psychology at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, estimated that 40% of the players of World of Warcraft were addicted, but she did not indicate a source for the estimate, so caution should be exercised when interpreting these data.

However, if you notice any of the following behaviors in yourself then you might need some help.

(thanks Danny)

The Psychology Of Spending Money: 25 Tricks You Need To Know

Money is a practical part of our lives, but that doesn't mean it's easy to understand. From investing to fighting the temptation to shop, money and spending are actually pretty subjective concepts that can either ruin our lives or help us develop stable futures for ourselves.

In short, it's all about how you view it. Here are 25 tricks for understanding the psychology of spending money and maximizing your ability to be in control.

(thanks Celina)

Unbelievable, but there's actually a website dedicated to eating food off a plate with Princess Diana's face.

(thanks Cora)

Behold, a new way of cooking bacon. All you need is: bacon, tin foil, some string, your every day common household machinegun, and about 200 rounds of ammunition.

(thanks Nick)

If you're into presidential history then you're in luck: there are a great variety of online documentaries about the lives of presidents and beyond.

Check out these documentaries to learn more about the events and lives of our commanders-in-chief.

(thanks Kaitlyn)

Butterfly Swarm Attacks Man

A man in Palo Alto, USA, is viciously attacked by an angry swarm of butterflies. It is unknown who he is or if he was okay.

(thanks Brian)

When you first got to college, social media was probably about sending party invites, posting pictures of your new friends, complaining about tests, meeting dates, and keeping in touch with family back home.

Now that you're getting ready to leave school behind, you will need to reconfigure your social media activity so that future employers and contacts respect you.

Here are 50 social media etiquette rules to remember.

(thanks Jesse)

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Dumpster diving is the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but which may be useful to the dumpster diver.

In many economically developing countries, food is rarely thrown away unless it is rotten. In countries like the United States where 40-50% of food is wasted, the trash contains a lot of food.

50 Famous Author Interviews That Shouldn't Be Missed

If you're interested in what makes authors tick, you'll love reading what they have to say in interviews. You can learn about how they got started writing, what they enjoy about books, and more.

Here you'll find 50 interviews with famous authors that you just can't miss.

(thanks Katina)

Happiness is a state of mind characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. Psychology researchers use theoretical models that include describing happiness as consisting of positive emotions and positive activities, or that describe three kinds of happiness: pleasure, engagement, and meaning.

Is it possible to catch happiness by looking at a simple photo, being reminded of this wonderful feeling from the picture taken?

Now the longest-running comedy in television history, The Simpsons immediately struck a chord with viewers across the country as it poked fun of itself and everything in its wake.

Meet 15 facts you might not know about The Simpsons, the world's most successful TV show.

(thanks Luke)

For centuries, the 'Theory of Evolution,' coined by Charles Darwin, has provided scientists and researchers no verifiable facts validating that the theory is a complete truth. Several scientists have gone as far as altering data to fit the theory, thus ignoring the real facts.

The real facts, however, are that the theory cannot be proven without testing, and to be more specific, repeated testing. Therefore, when using the scientific method there is no way to test past historical events.

(thanks Lauren)

50 Sleep Hacks For The Ultimate Insomniac

Not getting enough sleep is not only a major annoyance, it is also bad for your health. If you find yourself struggling to get enough sleep because of insomnia or if you know other nurses or patients struggling with sleep issues, then browse through this list.

You will find 50 sleep hacks that range from setting the right bedtime mood to tricks to make falling asleep come more readily to herbs and anti-stress tips that will help overcome sleep problems.

(thanks Ken)

Time Is Money: The Best Times To Do Everything

When it comes to money, timing is everything. If you time it right, you can get massive discounts, save yourself hassle, and make life easier. Check out these tricks and tips to find the best times to do just about anything.

(thanks Carol)

Pilipinas Got Talent: Big Mouth

'Big Mouth' singing the song 'Banal na Aso' on Pilipinas Got Talent.
One word: Weird! No, make that two words: Very Weird!

Take a Communism Deluxe Tour to Krakow, Poland, with Crazy Tours. A 'communist' worker from the 1970s will pick you up from the airport in a Trabant, greet you with vodka and pickles and take you to your hotel in Krakow.

The tour consist of a visit to a milk bar, a visit to what Crazy Tours describe as their 'private museum' - a Nowa Huta apartment unchanged since communist days and, if requested, a meeting with the legendary communist worker, Mr Vieslav. They will even allow you to have a go at driving the Trabant.

Tips And Tricks For Making Your Stuff Last Longer

We live in a disposable world, but just because things weren't made to last doesn't mean you can't make them. These 10 tips and tricks will help you squeeze more life from your batteries, appliances, flowers, razor blades, and more.

GIF Paranoia

Animated GIFs about design, created by Johnny Kelly and Matthew Cooper, that illustrate the often frustrating and often futile process that is creativity.

It starts with 56 animated gifs and aims to grow and to be a platform with the participation of young designers and creatives from all over the world.

(thanks Cora)

A Hug-E-Gram lets you give your hug to someone when you can't be there. It is a unique gift that lasts forever and you can send it with a personalized message. It lets you feel a hug anytime you need one.

(via Everlasting Blort)

Top 50 Twitter Feeds To Follow Tech News

If your internet surfing is so jam packed that only 140 characters will do, then Twitter is the site for you. And if you have a love of the technological, don't fret. There is plenty for you.

Lovers of technology, CEOs of huge companies, and the just plain geeky have all taken advantage of the site. If you are afraid of being scooped out of the latest technological headline, take a look at these top 50 Twitter feeds to follow tech news. They contain everything on the latest new gadget, along with loads of other tidbits to help you enjoy the tech you already have.

Every year, modern medical science creates devices that advance the fight against human illness, frailty and mortality, increasing both our quality and quantity of life.

These are not those devices. Rather, these 10 items represent a range of medical quackery, ill-conceived inventions and just plain insanity from the past 80 years of healthcare. If you ever see any of them in your doctor's office, seek help elsewhere.

(via Dark Roasted Blend)

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King Mindon of Burma wanted to leave something to posterity. As a book lover he thought that literature was one of the most valuable elements of an enlightened society so he planned to leave a book behind him. Not any old book though - this would be the largest book in the world.

(thanks Robert-John)

Home Schooled

Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson and co-written by Silas Jackson. The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson, which started on May 16, 2005.

Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.

Title: What's In A Name.

click on the picture for real size

Visit the Home Schooled Webcomic.

80 Essential Blogs For The Modern-Day Marketing Students

These days, marketing has changed by leaps and bounds. If you can't keep up with learning the latest strategies, you simply can't keep up. Check out these blogs to stay on top of the essentials in modern day marketing.

(thanks Gracie)

At the Electronic Pet Shop you can find a fascinating range of robotic and furry interactive pets, for adults and kids alike. All the benefits of a real animal, but with No Mess and No Fuss. It's Pets... Without the Poop!

The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City is famous for its architecture and its decoration which has been frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli.

Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 12,000 square feet of the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. Today the ceiling, and especially The Last Judgement, are widely believed to be Michelangelo's crowning achievements in painting.

Take an incredible Virtual Tour of the Sistine Chapel.

(thanks Cora)

Unhappy Birthday

Did you know that the song 'Happy Birthday' is copyrighted and the copyright is currently owned and actively enforced by Time Warner?

Did you know that if you sing 'Happy Birthday' at a place open to the public - like a restaurant - or among a substantial number of people who are not family or friends, you are involved in a public performance of that work? And did you know an unauthorized public performance is a form of copyright infringement?

Is 'Happy Birthday' really copyrighted? Yes, it is!

Seahorse Gives Birth

I bet you've never seen this before: a seahorse giving birth.

(via Things I Think Are Kinda Cool)

In the world of print advertising, there's a small window to grab the audience's attention. Being restricted to a still image means the message must be very strong and catchy. Ad agencies often rely on humor to achieve this.

A humorous print ad campaign starts with a funny idea, but must be brought to life with clever art direction and great visuals. Here are 30 funny print ads that'll make you laugh.

55 Bicycle Sites To Go Green And Get Fit

Cycling blogs that can help with everything from tips and tricks to just pure inspiration. Here are 55 of those sites that are both very useful and entertaining.

If you take a look through these sites, you will find some you have seen before and some you haven't, but they all have information that everyone on a bike needs.

Pictures of masterpieces of Russian wooden architecture that were abandoned. Some of them look like their occupants just left. The reason why these houses are not disturbed is beacause they are usually deep inside the Russian forests.

Hummer Stagecoach

Known as the CEO Stagecoach, the horse-drawn Hummer is the work of New York artist Jeremy Dean.

Some cars are so beautifully designed and exquisitely engineered that they transcend mere transportation to become works of art. They are rolling sculptures. Curators at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, USA, agree. The museum is hosting an exhibition to celebrate automotive design, and it has gathered a very impressive assortment of cars.

The Allure of the Automobile, which runs through June 20, features 18 vehicles created in what could be called the golden age of design, from the early 1930s through the early 1960s.

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Thanks to The Office, work pranks are in style; Jim's master shenanigans - most of which are aimed at his coworker Dwight - have inspired plenty of real-life jokesters in offices around the world. Check out 10 hilarious (and totally real) pranks that are worth clocking in to see.

(thanks Jessie)

50 Best Sports Psychology Blogs

Psychology plays a big part in sports success. With the right attitude, athletes can achieve even more than before.

Here is a collection of sports psychology blogs to learn more about the field.

(thanks Ken)

Problems in cities are on the rise and probably will grow more and more day by day. Traffic, lack of sufficient space and pollution are some main concerns when we talk about urban life conditions.

Designers and scientists are working on concepts that could be helpful in resolving these problems. Designer Erik Lanuza's Taurus concept vehicle is an example of this. He has suggested a beautiful space efficient design with Zero emission electric motors for cities.

(via UniqueDaily)

Winston The Bulldog Vs Patrol Car

A Chattanooga Police officer, while running radar at 1410 Workman Road on Sunday night, had his patrol car attacked by a ferocious bulldog. Officer Clayton Holmes said he had stopped to work on a report when he felt his car shaking. It was a bulldog chewing on his patrol car. The dog chewed two tires and the entire front bumper off of the car.

The butter lamb (baranek wielkanocny) is a traditional addition to the Easter meal for many Polish catholics. Butter is shaped into a lamb either by hand or in a lamb-shaped mould.

It is also sold at delis, Polish specialty markets, and some general grocery stores at Easter time. Frequently the eyes are represented by peppercorns and a white banner with a red cross on a toothpick is placed on its back.

(thanks Marvin, via Craftzine)

Kitchen Sink Coffin

According to its creator, 'Scary Terry,' the 'Kitchen Sink Coffin' is called that way because it's got nearly everything in it except the kitchen sink. Yes, I don't get that either.

Here's what the Kitchen Sink Coffin does:

The coffin starts shaking and you hear some groaning sounds from within. The lid slowly rises and in amongst the fog you'll see Elvis. With a roar and a scream, Elvis pops up. He then turns his head towards the onlookers and says 'thank you, thank you very much.' He then lays back down to the music 'Return to Sender' playing. Once the lid closes, the coffin shakes again and the song 'I'm all Shook Up' plays. It concludes with a voice saying 'Elvis has left the graveyard.'

Watch My Teeth Grow

A time-lapse video of a young girl losing her baby teeth and growing in her adult teeth over a seven month period.

(via Neatorama)

100 Best RSS Feeds To Follow Science News

If you are a busy college student who wants a way to keep up with all the latest science news, but also need to find a balance with all your school work and other commitments, then following RSS feeds is a great way to customize and streamline the process.

Find feeds that touch on everything from space exploration to sustainability to evolution. Sign up for these informative RSS feeds and you will never miss another science news story again.

(thanks Jesse)

Unless you're a millionaire, you'll never be able to afford these watches. Most of these watches are more complicated than college calculus and have more history than you could learn in a lifetime. You might even need an engineering degree and an instructional tome to figure out how they work.

Regardless, all these watches are ridiculously cool and absurdly expensive. Sell the Ferrari, liquidate the stocks, and pick up one of these bad-ass timekeeping devices.

As the world's population is exposed to greater amounts of advertising, the task in hand for the agencies that produce such material becomes more difficult. To make an impact on people who have been bombarded by the tricks of the trade consistently for years calls for something different; advertising that approaches from a unique angle.

As proof that it can be done, here are ten brilliantly creative insurance ads created in recent memory.

(thanks Dave)

Berlin-based artist Hans Hemmert threw a party where guests wore shoe-extenders to make them all the same height of 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches).

Aside from bringing the partygoers all to a common eye level, the gathering is lent an infographic nature by the shoes: all made from blue foam, the person's real height is read in the visual uniformity of the sole instead of at the head - like a walking bar graph.

(via J-Walk Blog)

A specialized motorbike with a towing attachment that can be used to easily retrieve broken down vehicles in heavy traffic situations. It can tow cars up to 5500 pounds.

(thanks Nick)

Manga Robot Makes Coffee

This awesome little manga inspired robot has been created by a Japanese person who goes under the nickname 'Clockwork' and who is a true fan of the manga culture and robotics.

(thanks Cora)

Certain items at Amazon.com qualify for free shipping, but sometimes the purchase falls short of the minimum $25 needed to receive the free shipping.

There's nothing more annoying than being $1 short and buying something else to round out your order.

Enter the amount you need at the Amazon Filler Item Finder to see a list of products that qualify for free shipping.

50 Great Works Of Literature You Should At Least Watch On Film

Sometimes the busy life of being a college student can mean having to make other sacrifices - even those related to learning. After all, with homework, reading, papers and finding time for a social life, there can be little room for adding leisure reading into the mix.

Not to worry, however, as you can get the gist of some of the greatest works of literature in the space of only a few hours with these great films based on the book, so the next time you're in the mood for a little entertainment, check out one of these titles.

(thanks Emma)

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Nowadays, Sharpie markers come in more than basic black - they're available in every color of the rainbow, and in just about every size and shape. They're great for everyday labeling and organizing, but did you know that they could also be used to decorate everything from guitars to fingernails?

Here are the most unique creations from talented artists across the globe. From a Lamborghini turned objet d'art to a wall mural, check out how different artists uncapped their creativity.

(thanks Jessie)

These 20 gizmos will make it easy for any geek to grow plants inside.

(thanks Danny)

The A-Z Of Awesomeness

F is for The Fantastic Four saving the Finnish ambassador from Fred Flinstrone, who's Flinging Flaming Fajitas at his Ford Fiesta.

The A-Z of Awesomeness is a project by Neil Cameron. In June and July of 2009 he posted a new drawing, based on suggestions from followers of his blog, Facebook and Twitter. 26 Drawings over 26 days, one for each letter of the alphabet.

8 Foods That Fight Stress

We all know that tension can wreak havoc on our eating patterns.
But the right foods can often help tame mindless munching and cravings and, better yet, actually lower overall anxiety and its symptoms.

Just a funny picture I found on the intertubes.

A boy in China who has 31 fingers and toes - a world record - is to undergo surgery to remove the extras digits. The 6-year-old boy, from the city of Shenyang in China's northeastern Liaoning province, has 16 toes and 15 fingers (although one of those fingers is incomplete, being a fork at the end of the right thumb.) Three fingers on each hand are fused together.

The boy will go under the surgeon's knife to remove the additional digits. This condition is known as polydactyly, in which one of a variety of genetic disorders gives rise to the supernumerary digits.

Solar Beat is a simple ambient musicbox, with sounds generated using the orbital frequencies of our solar system.

Gathering bone fragments from across the globe, paleoanthropologists used sophisticated research methods to form model heads that show what man looked like millions of years ago.

The images go back seven million years to Sahelanthropus tchadensis and traces the numerous stages of man culminating with modern-day homo sapiens. Each of the model heads is used to tell its story: where they lived; what they ate; and what killed them.

Los Pinos Zip Line

A zip line in Los Pinos, Colombia, takes kids from their hillside village to school. It's a choice between a one minute flight, 1200 feet above the jungle, or a two-and-a-half hour hike.

(thanks Christian)

More about the Colombian zip line.

Natural disasters cause fascination in everyone - as is apparent from the enormous amounts of press coverage that they give - Haiti being a good example of this.

We all fear the day that we might be caught in one, and perhaps that is the reason for our fascination. This list looks at the most terrifying natural disasters ever.

The Internet and bacon. Some say it's so yesterday. But it isn't!

No matter how much bacon-related products, blog posts, or memes we have seen in the past, it seems as though new ones are born everyday.

What would the Internet be without bacon? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing!

So, for all of us who love the internet (and bacon) here are the 10 most creative uses for bacon.

Top 25 Movies For Writers

If you're a professional writer yourself or just a college student training to be one, you can translate your love of the craft into a night of entertainment with these great movies based on writers.

You'll find intriguing real life stories, movies that show the sometimes frustrating nature of writing, and a great collection of movies about the trials and tribulations of fictional writers themselves.

(thanks Kaitlyn)

Machine Creates Aluminum Helmet

A robotic drilling/chiseling machine at Daishin Seki Corporation in Japan creates a helmet out of an aluminum block in one shot. The level of detailing is astounding. Check out the detailing at the end of the video where the robot inscribes the 50th anniversary logo.

(thanks Cora)

The McDonald's golden arches have come to symbolize American culture around the world. Operating in 118 countries and on six continents, the fast-food chain has no choice but to expand its options beyond the classic hamburger and french fries.

Whether it's the Rice Burger in Taiwan or the Paneer Salsa Wrap in India, check out these 11 most interesting McDonald's menu items.

(thanks Jessie)

Projection Animation

Crazy colored projections on a truck. Done by 'reanimatr' from Moscow.

(thanks Cora)

Today is Ada Lovelace Day. Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (1815 - 1852), born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine.

Her notes on the engine include what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine; as such she is often regarded as the world's first computer programmer.

Bakon Vodka is a superior quality potato vodka with a savory bacon flavor. It's clean, crisp, and delicious. This is the only vodka you'll ever want to use to make a Bloody Mary, and it's a complementary element of both sweet and savory drinks.

The 48 Laws Of Power

Want to be the person in control? Want to have unlimited power? Then take a course - The 48 Laws of Power - at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Crush your Enemy Totally - All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out.

More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation. The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

Remember Pokémon Cards? The Yo-yo, Tamagotchi, or Pogs?
Top 7 Most Popular Crazes of the Nineties.

(thanks Ben)

image credit

Climbing Dogs.

(thanks Danny)

The Cro Magnon people left no written records about themselves. So what do we know about this prehistoric forerunner to the Homo sapiens? Similar to the Neanderthals, they buried tools, weapons, and ornaments with their dead. This is all according to finds documented by the research of archaeologists.

Consequently, the graves also furnished some bizarre, yet interesting artifacts including bones painted red. This was, of course, interpreted as a concern for the afterlife.

(via Lauren)

The Cackle Sisters

Mary Jane and Caroline Dezurik (also known as the Cackle Sisters) were part of a family of seven. Their father Joe played fiddle, their sisters sang, and their brother Jerry played accordion and guitar.

Inspired by their family and the sounds of the animals and birds around them, they developed an astonishing repertoire of high, haunting yodels and yips that soon had them winning talent contests all over central Minnesota.

(via Boing Boing)

The Ten Fastest-Growing Jobs You Should Go To School For Today

From health care to technology, here is an infographic of the fastest-growing jobs in the economy today. It contains a detailed comparison between traditional and online education and shows the expected growth from 2008 to 2018 and mean average salary.

(thanks Ashley)

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Unnerving or Ennervating? Whatever you may decide, Sophie Cave's Floating Heads is turning many of them. From hilarity to despair the heads together form a captivating experience.

It can easily be seen why so many visitors to the museum find the faces unnerving - even though the eye constantly returns to them - perhaps to check which of the fifty is checking you out.

(thanks Robert-John)

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Friday, March 26, 2010

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Wednesday, March 24, 2010