Ironic Ulfberht exits on the right

- Google says driver-less cars are coming in the next five years.  That's five years too late. Now! Now! Now!
http://www.techspot.com/news/50305-google-says-driverless-cars-are-coming-within-the-next-five-years.html


- Use a lightly-colored mouse pad to conserve the batteries in your mouse.  Makes sense, from a physics point of view:
http://lifehacker.com/5947439/use-a-lightly-colored-mouse-pad-to-conserve-your-mouses-battery-life


- 32 of the greatest unscripted movie scenes:
http://screenrant.com/greatest-unscripted-movie-scenes/


- The 50 most dangerous cities in the world:
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world-2012-10?op=1


- Ulfberht swords.  I had never heard of them until I watched this documentary on PBS.  The Ulfberht sword was forged by only the very best viking blacksmiths over 1000 years ago.  The Ulfberht sword was the vorpal weapon of it's time:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-viking-sword.html


- Number of enrolled university students falls for the first time since 1996.  Expect to see this trend continue:
http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/17/number-of-enrolled-university-students-falls-for-first-time-since-1996/#ixzz29ZkgKw62


How to tell if a highway exit will be on the left side of the highway, or the right side.  I had no idea!
http://lifehacker.com/5953223/quickly-tell-whether-the-highway-exit-will-be-on-the-left-or-the-right


- Hat-tip to my brother for the following article.  Detroit has it's very own monster-mystery.  The Nain Rouge:
http://www.absolutemichigan.com/dig/michigan/the-nain-rouge-a-detroit-ghost-story/


- Fantastic article on how we live in the age of irony, and why that is a bad thing:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/how-to-live-without-irony/?smid=tw-share

Median age of the driverless interstate

- Secrets of the Ford Mustang:
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/04/26/secrets-ford-mustang/


- Median age by state.  If I lived in Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Florida, roughly over half the people I meet would be older than me:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/median-age-by-state.htm


- Let's stick with demographics.  Think America's demographics are rapidly changing?  Take a look at the problems facing China:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-30/china-s-population-crash-could-upend-u-s-policy.html


- Warren Buffett is a table-tennis fan, and he puts his money into one of America's rising table tennis stars:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303916904577378420623440272.html?mod=e2tw


- Pick a place on earth, and see the exact opposite side of the globe.  Hint: most of the time, you will be in the middle of an ocean:
http://www.antipodemap.com/


- Driverless cars approved (kind of) in Nevada:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/9252657/Driverless-cars-approved-by-Nevada.html


- Most popular months for birthdays:
http://www.labnol.org/internet/most-popular-birthday-months/21283/


- The Fortune 500 top companies:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/full_list/


- U.S. Interstates as a subway map:
http://visual.ly/us-interstates-subway-map

Alan Stoob finds Sith war criminals at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price

- Red-heads experience pain differently than others:
http://io9.com/5890463/redheads-experience-pain-differently-than-the-rest-of-us


- Alan Stoob, Britain's premier Nazi-hunter.  Hilarious website.  Good stuff:
http://www.nazihunteralan.com/


- New York City Jedi training academy.  If this group was more about teaching the life-lessons and morality of the Jedi, instead of teaching nerdy kids how to swing a stick, I would be all for it.  Otherwise, it seems kind of creepy:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/nyregion/flynn-michael-trains-new-jedis-in-the-ways-of-the-force.html?_r=3&hp


- Woman considers voluntarily having her withered arm removed, and replaced with a bionic limb.  Will see more and more of this dilemma in the future:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17183890


- Global time-zone map.  Insanely useful:
http://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/


- Curry's triangle paradox:
http://io9.com/5898961/how-do-you-get-nothing-from-something-with-currys-paradox-of-course


- Countries that drive on the left-side of the road.  Basically, most countries that were a part of the British empire once automobiles were invented:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Countries_driving_on_the_left_or_right.svg


- Mad Men critique by someone who walked the walk:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/04/reviewing-mad-men-world-someone-who-was-there/50851/#


- Middle-age is an evolutionary trait:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/evolution-has-given-humans-a-huge-advantage-over-most-other-animals-middle-age/2012/03/12/gIQAtVnccS_print.html


Alone together.  Technology makes it uber-easy to communicate with each other, yet we are more alone than ever.  Great read:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?_r=1


- Republicans more informed, more open-minded than Democrats.  Every Republican I have ever met inherently knows this.  It's nice to see a scientific survey prove it:
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/22/science-say-gop-voters-better-informed-open-minded/

- I almost didn't post my 2012 Oscar picks.  Tough to motivate myself this year.  We are well into the 21st century, yet a black and white, silent movie is going to win most of the major awards.  My picks:


Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin.  Clooney won a few years ago for Syriana.  The academy prefers actors who stretch, and play difficult roles.  Clooney is simply playing himself in The Descendants.
Best Actress:  Viola Davis.  Last night over dinner, the son of a friend of mine explained to all of us that the Academy award voters are mostly old white guys.  This is correct, however the voting academy is still one of the most politically-correct entities on the planet.  Davis wins.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer.  Plummer for best supporting actor, and The Artist for best picture, are the two locks of the night.
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer.  See Best Actress


This cat at the NY Times seems to have a good feel for who will win the 2012 Academy awards:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/movies/awardsseason/the-carpetbaggers-2012-oscar-predictions.html?pagewanted=all


- For car buyers, it's tougher to end up with a lemon:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvGaZXiSG6GL1qG7aXj2dbiCb9DA


- "Who was the best pilot I ever saw?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Yeager


- Soprano's was one of the best TV series ever created.  I was certainly hooked on it.  It created a whole new genre and style of television, but was that a good thing?
http://www.avclub.com/articles/did-the-sopranos-do-more-harm-than-good-hbo-and-th,69596/


- 20 common grammar mistakes:
http://litreactor.com/columns/20-common-grammar-mistakes-that-almost-everyone-gets-wrong


- Why do astronauts crave spicy foods?
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/02/23/147294191/why-astronauts-crave-tabasco-sauce

John Tyler and Lewis Carroll prefer Jedi Shadows over Hunters

- "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
http://io9.com/5872014/the-answer-to-the-most-famous-unanswerable-fantasy-riddle


- Having a grand time playing Star Wars, The Old Republic.  Plenty of people have asked me to compare The Old Republic to World of Warcraft.  Here is what I say to them: if you have never played an online game, and want to start one, I would recommend Warcraft over Star Wars. If you have never played an online game, and you are a Star Wars junkie, I would recommend Star Wars over Warcraft.  The story of how SWTOR got created:
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/01/20/star-wars-the-old-republic-the-story-behind-a-galactic-gamble/#/0


- Former president John Tyler (1841-1845) has living grandchildren.  How is that possible?
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/former-president-john-tyler-1790-1862-grandchildren-still-191230189.html


- The most popular sports in America:
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/mid/1508/articleId/950/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/Default.aspx


- Detroit's infamous purple gang:
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=183


- Why is Scotland Yard named "Scotland Yard?"  The Yard is located in London:
http://www.historybytheyard.co.uk/scotland_yard_name.htm


- The last World War I veteran passed away:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2012/02/very-last-world-war-i-veteran-has-died/48402/


The average life-span has nearly doubled in the past 100 years, but the maximum age attainable has been rather static.  Why is that?
http://singularityhub.com/2012/02/14/while-average-lifespans-increase-114-remains-a-stubborn-and-mysterious-upper-bound-why/


- There are billions of stars in the typical galaxy, and there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe.  Let that sink in for a bit.  In our Milky Way galaxy, there is likely at least one planet for each star:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203436904577154803588270744.html


- Stubborn body myths:
http://lifehacker.com/5873922/10-stubborn-body-myths-that-just-wont-die-debunked-by-science

Snoopy and Hobbes avoid starvation

- I am not a big fan of religious parables, but this one does a perfect job of explaining the core difference between good and evil:
http://www.tpub.com/religion/shortstories/newsubmit/newpage37.htm


- The top six websites you should visit if you love to drink:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-6-websites-visit-love-drink/


- The making of a Charlie Brown Christmas.  Linus's soliloquy on the true meaning of Christmas might be the most earnest moment in TV history, and certainly one of the top five moments in animated TV history.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/a-charlie-brown-christmas-the-gospel-truth-behind-how-a-humble-peanuts-holiday-classic-defied-the-odds/2011/12/02/gIQA0NNPWO_blog.html


- Let's stick with the Peanut's animation vibe.  Seven things you didn't know about It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-7-things-you-dont-know-about-tonights-peanuts-special/2011/10/26/gIQAQPZhKM_blog.html


- How to categorize fantasy literature:
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0000/7796/files/Dark_Fantasy_2.jpg?101916


- Why Robert Scott was doomed to lose the race to the South Pole (and ultimately perish due to his decisions.)
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/survival/stories/why-the-british-were-doomed-to-lose-the-race-to-the-south-pole-6617203


- An extensive illustration of Batman's costumes.  The illustrator calls this list all of the "significant" costumes.  Being a Batman junkie, I could certainly argue with this claim:
http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/batman-infographic.jpg


- A grown-up Calvin and Hobbes fighting with an adult, evil Christopher Robins and Winnie the Pooh.  Wonderful!  Wonderful!
http://io9.com/5871516/behold-calvin-and-hobbes-all-grown-up-++-and-fighting-an-evil-winnie-the-pooh


- IBM predicts five new technologies in the next five years:
http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2011/12/the-next-5-in-5-our-forecast-of-five-innovations-that-will-alter-the-landscape-within-five-years.html


- Five over-rated comedians.  I dont agree with the first few sentences of the article, but I definitely agree these five comedians aren't even vaguely entertaining:
http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2011/12/31/george-carlin-wasnt-funny/?singlepage=true

Shoelaces suspects the Batman has lupus

- Why most people are right-handed:
http://io9.com/5840005/why-are-most-people-right+handed


- Very interactive chart of the top 50 most populous countries:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204528204577009922309104512.html?mod=e2tw


- Do you really need to go to college?  The amount of financial debt you accrue, and the huge number of worthless degrees companies are not interested in, makes college less tempting:
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/11/college-has-been-oversold.html


- It use to be the case that most great scientists made their wonderful discoveries before the age of 25.  That's no longer true:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45198217/ns/technology_and_science-science#.TrnEo1YbfpU


- Further versus farther:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/further-versus-farther.aspx


Bruce Wayne's medical history, as charted by his physician.  Fun read:
http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/blog/2011/11/14/patient-bw-dob-2161971/


- The very first photograph:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/diy-it/the-story-of-the-first-photograph/288


- What is a QR code, and how does it work?
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/seo/those-barcode-looking-things-theyre-called-qr-codes-heres-what-they-do/4339


- Historical college football stats:
http://football.stassen.com/records/


- When you woke up Sunday morning, November 27th, did the air you breathe smell a little bit fresher?  Did your food taste better that day?  Perhaps the pain in your hip disappeared? Your dog stopped chewing on your sneakers?  You found a missing $20 bill in your jeans pocket?  You suddenly realized you have more work vacation than you had previously thought?  Your car stopped making a strange noise?  Construction ended on a stretch of freeway you use every day?  This is why:

 FINALLY!!! After eight long, unbearable years of gut-wrenching madness, Michigan defeated The Great Evil.  The universe has been set right.  Love, joy, happiness and purpose return to our lives.

After the Big Bang, Polk and Einstein rejuvenate Motown

- The five stages of the universe.  Stages three, four and five (which make up a vast majority of the timeline) won't be much fun:
http://www.fathom.com/course/10701055/session1.html


- Ten tech concepts you have always wanted to learn:
http://lifehacker.com/5845665/top-10-tech-concepts-you-always-wanted-to-learn-about-but-never-did


- Top five scientists.  Let's replace Turing with Isaac Newton (how the heck do you make a top scientist list without Newton!?!?) and let's replace Linus Pauling with Michael Farraday.  The rest I can live with:
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=17431792&nid=968


- How much do the top tech companies pay their employees?  Search by company and city:
http://techcompanypay.com/


- Name the 44 U.S. presidents in ten minutes.  I got 41 out of 44.  I struggle with the presidents from 1836 to 1860 and the presidents from 1876 to 1896.  There were some real lemons during those two time-frames:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/games/Trivia-US-Presidents.html


- Is the city of Detroit finally starting to turn it around?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204294504576617280722057142.html?mod=e2tw
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-10-09/detroit-comeback-lions/50713354/1

Color-blind Super Grover forgets his ATM pin

- Bill Belichick wants the extra-point to die in the NFL.  So do I.  Complete waste of time.  Give the fans what they want.  More action:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Bill-Belichick-wants-the-extra-point-to-die?urn=nfl-wp5693


- Super Grover!
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Super_Grover


- Ten myths about TV:
http://io9.com/5834269/10-myths-about-television-that-fans-and-viewers-buy-into


- Geeky PIN numbers:
http://spikedmath.com/285.html


- How to quickly chill a canned or bottled beverage:
http://lifehacker.com/221974/chill-a-coke-in-2-minutes?tag=softwarehousehold


- Guide to living in ten fictional worlds:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/pl_fictionalworlds/


- How televisions have changed over the past ten years:
http://mashable.com/2011/09/07/television-birth-infographic/


- Online color challenge.  Test how accurately you see colors.  0 is a perfect score, 100 means you lack the ability to see any shades of color (which makes you functionally blind.)  I scored a 5.
http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77&Lang=en


- Which college football teams are the most popular?  This season if the #2 team on this list beats the #1 team on this list, I suspect the #2 team will leap-frog the #1 team in popularity:
http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/the-geography-of-college-football-fans-and-realignment-chaos/?src=twrhp


- Six movie plot holes you never noticed due to editing.  I am a firm believer in the stupidity of the Dark Knight plot hole and the Indiana Jones plot hole.  I will argue to my dying days that both those plot holes are perfectly awful and should have never made it into either movie:
http://www.cracked.com/article_19435_6-movie-plot-holes-you-never-noticed-thanks-to-editing.html

IBM's favorite science-fiction font

- Life gets better at 50.  Why?  It sounds incredibly cynical, but makes perfect sense when you think about it, "In some ways, we become relieved of the burden of a future."
http://news.yahoo.com/life-gets-better-50-012600469.html



- Ten words you need to stop misspelling:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling


- The IBM PC turned 30 last week.  It's form-factor defined how people think of a desktop PC:
http://technologizer.com/2011/08/11/ibm-pc-oddities/


- Star Wars pilgrims:
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2011/08/08/star-wars-tourists-follow-films-around-globe/


- Apple passed Exxon in market-cap last week.  According to the Dow Jones industrials, Apple is the most valuable company in the world.  However, there are many ways to judge the size and value of a company.  Given other metrics, Apple isn't even near the top:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/guides/2011/08/does-this-metric-make-my-company-look-big.ars/


- 42 of the best fonts for writing computer code.  I prefer Consolas and Monaco:
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/work/FontSurvey.aspx


- Ten science-fiction books that changed the course of history:
http://io9.com/5832078/10-science-fiction-books-that-changed-the-course-of-history


- 90% of people who buy video-games never finish the game they buy.  Lord knows I can be a lazy SoB, but do not lump me into this category.  I bend over backwards to finish the games I buy.  I have played over 100 single-player computer/console roleplaying games, and I can think of only two I have not finished: Wizard's Crown (super-old computer game) and Dragon Age (currently sitting on my living room shelf.)  The reason why people don't finish video games applies to everyone, even if you don't play video games:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/08/17/finishing.videogames.snow/


- When you read as many websites, blogs, RSS feeds, message boards and FAQs as I do on a daily basis, you start to notice over-arching patterns in online writing.  Online writing is different from academic and journalistic writing, but wants to have the same amount of intellectual credit.  Online writers want to have a conversation with you, as long as you subconsciously notice that the writer is striving to be sophisticated, witty, grammatically correct, and a little quirky.  Online writers tend to belong to generation-X.  Nothing scares a typical gen-x'er more than not being liked.  Bloggers often frame each sentence they write to not only entertain you, not only inform you, but to also make sure they don't say anything to you that might cause you to "no longer like them."  Passive-aggressive words and phrases are the norm.  Starting sentences with words like "sort of", "really", and "pretty much" give a feeling of easy conversation, and also allows the writer to casually distance themselves from future sentences that may offend someone.  Am I guilty of this writing style?  Sure.   If you want to find the person who may be responsible for creating the modern online writing-style, start with David Foster Wallace:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/another-thing-to-sort-of-pin-on-david-foster-wallace.html