From Wired, here comes a list of the 8 best non-Wikipedia pedias by Brian Dustrud. For example:
Uncyclopedia "The content-free encyclopedia" A parody site inspired by inaccurate but hilarious Wikipedia entries. Jimbo's creation is defined here as a massively multiplayer online editing game played by redundancy experts.
Wookieepedia "The Star Wars wiki" Did you know that "snot vampire" is slang terminology for the Anzati species? Of course not. No one did.
Dickipedia "A wiki of dicks" Sample entry: Gerald "Geraldo" Rivera is a TV journalist, noted egotist, former talk-show host, and a dick.
Fredric J. Baur, designer of the Pringles potato crisps container, was so proud of his accomplishment that he wanted to be buried in it!
Dr. Fredric J. Baur was so proud of having designed the container for Pringles potato crisps that he asked his family to bury him in one.
His children honored his request. Part of his remains was buried in a Pringles can - along with a regular urn containing the rest - in his grave at Arlington Memorial Gardens in Springfield Township.
Forget American Idol ... the funniest TV contest is coming to America straight from the King of funny TV shows, Japan. FOX TV is now casting for the American-version of Hole in the Wall.
I have a sneaking feeling that this was on Neatorama already, but what the hey, it's funny: Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] to see how it's played - via Pop Omnivore, thanks Marilyn Terrell!
If you've ever tried to redeem frequent flier miles from your credit card rewards only to find that it's nearly impossible to book a flight (or worth the hassle as the airlines want you to fly the most inconvenient flights like red-eye or multiple connections), then you already know this: credit card rewards are a real rip off.
Jessica Dickler of CNN Money has the story:
About 85 percent of U.S. households participate in at least one rewards program, according to a study released Monday by Consumer Reports. And though rewards do spur consumers to spend more, the study found that confusing rules and restrictions make most reward cards more trouble than they're worth.
"They make it 100 times more complicated," said a former marketing executive at CitiCards, referring to the popular rewards programs. For example, when you read the fine print, you might find that some rewards are limited to certain brands, or expire if not used within a certain timeframe.
Still think that cannabis is harmless? Here's another reason why you shouldn't smoke pot: scientists found that teenage cannabis smoker are more likely to suffer psychotic symptoms and full-blown mental illness later in life.
Adolescent drug takers interviewed for the largest study of its kind reported experiencing at least three symptoms indicating a risk of psychosis.
These included feeling like something strange or inexplicable was taking place, suspecting they were being influenced or followed and difficulty in controlling the speed of thoughts.
Frequent drug users were more at risk but even youngsters dabbling at an early stage were vulnerable.
The researchers also found taking cannabis in adolescence creates a greater risk of developing schizophrenia than using it when older.
A DUBIOUS DISTINCTION Alferd G. Packer holds a unique spot in American jurisprudence. He is the only U.S. citizen ever charged, tried, and convicted for the crime of murder and cannibalism. Born in rural Colorado in 1847, Packer drifted into the Utah Territory, supporting himself as a small-time con artist, claiming to be an experienced "mountain man." In the fall of 1873, he persuaded 20 greenhorns in Salt Lake City to grubstake an expedition to the headwaters of hate Gunnison River in Colorado Territory. He swore that the stream was full of gold and promised to lead them to it if they would finance the operation.
GOLD FEVER With Packer leading, they plunged into San Juan Mountains and promptly got lost. The party was near starvation when they stumbled into the winter quarters of the friendly Ute tribe. The Indians nursed them back to health, but the leader, Chief Ouray, advised them to turn back. Winter snows had blocked all trails. Ten of the party listened and returned to Utah. The other 10, still believing Packer's tales of gold-filled creeks, stayed with him. Ouray gave them supplies and advised them to follow the river upstream for safety, but Packer ignored this counsel and plunged back into the mountains. The party split up again. Five turned back and made their way to the Los Pinos Indian Agency. Fired up with gold fever, the others continued on with their con man guide. Days later, exhausted, half frozen, and out of food, they found refuge in a deserted cabin. Most of them were now ready to give up and go back to Salt Lake City.
The exception was Alferd Packer. He was broke, and returning to Salt Lake City would cost him his grubstake. When the others fell asleep, Packer shot four of them in the head. The fifth woke and tried to defend himself, but Packer cracked his skull with his rifle. Then, he robbed them ... He also used them for food. When his strength returned, he packed enough "human jerky" to get back to the Los Pinos Agency. Several miles from the agency, he emptied his pack to conceal his crime. He was welcomed by General Adams, commander of the agency, but shocked everyone by asking for whiskey instead of food. When he flashed a huge bankroll, they started asking questions.
WELL, YOU SEE, OFFICER ... Packer's explanations were vague and contradictory. First, he claimed he was attacked by the natives, then he claimed that some of his party had gone mad and attacked him. On April 4, 1874, two of Chief Ouray's braves found the human remains Packer had discarded. General Adams locked him up and dispatched a lawman named Lauter to the cabin to investigate. But while Lauter was away, Packer managed to escape. He made his way back to Utah and lived quietly for 10 years as "John Schwartze," until a member of the original party recognized him.
Packer was arrested on March 12, 1884 and returned to Lake City, Colorado, for trial. Packer claimed innocence but as the evidence against him mounted, he finally confessed. Apparently, he reveled in the attention his trial gave him and even lectured on the merits of human flesh. The best "human jerky," he said, was the meat on the chest ribs. The judge was not impressed. "Alferd G. Packer, you no good sonofabitch, there wasn't but seven Democrats in Hinsdale County, and you done et five of 'em," he thundered. "You're gonna hang by the neck until dead!"
SAVED BY A TECHNICALITY His lawyer appealed the decision, citing a legal loophole. The crime was committed in 1873, in the territory of Colorado. The trial began in 1884, in the new state of Colorado. The state constitution, adopted in 1876, did not address such a heinous crime, so the charge was reduced to manslaughter and Packer was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was a model prisoner and was paroled after 16 years. Freed in 1901, he found work as a wrangler on a ranch near Denver. On April 21, 1907, Alferd G. Packer, horse wrangler and cannibal, died quietly in his sleep.
The article above is reprinted with permission from Uncle John's Supremely Satisfying Bathroom Reader. Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts. If you like Neatorama, you'll love the Bathroom Reader Institute's books - go ahead and check 'em out!
ADDITIONAL NOTES Alferd Packer achieved somewhat of a cult status in pop culture. In 1968, students at the University of colorado at Boulder named their cafeteria the Alferd G. Packer Memorial Grill, with the slogan "Have a friend for lunch!" In 1977, Agriculture Secretary Robert Bergland wanted to get rid of cafeteria employees for bad service but was told he couldn't fire them. So he did the next best thing: he named the cafeteria after the enterprising Packer, saying "Alferd Packer exemplifies the spirit and care that this agriculture department cafeteria provides" and that the cafeteria will "serve all mankind." He even got a plaque for it. When the press found out, they had a field day and the cafeteria personnel were replaced. (Source)
When FedEx failed to deliver her shipment, Mrs Eaves of For the love of type blog wrote a protest letter os sorts ... except that she wrote it on the outside of another FedEx box!
Last week FedEx failed to deliver my ISTD submission from Australia to London. They had my package in their store all week and failed to notify me that it had not been sent! So, along with a letter of complaint, they will receive the box (which never got sent) covered with hand-drawn type expressing my anger. Typomania at its worst!
The banana we know and love today actually suck when compared to the one our grandparents ate. That cultivar, called the Gros Michel, was bigger and tastier but alas it was hit by a blight called the Panama disease and went extinct by 1960.
Now, the banana we all eat, a variety called the Cavendish, may face the same fate: Panama disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium, is back and spreading fast!
Panama disease - or Fusarium wilt of banana - is back, and the Cavendish does not appear to be safe from this new strain, which appeared two decades ago in Malaysia, spread slowly at first, but is now moving at a geometrically quicker pace. There is no cure, and nearly every banana scientist says that though Panama disease has yet to hit the banana crops of Latin America, which feed our hemisphere, the question is not if this will happen, but when. Even worse, the malady has the potential to spread to dozens of other banana varieties, including African bananas, the primary source of nutrition for millions of people.
Panama disease is so virulent that a single clump of dirt tracked in on a tire tread or a shoe can spark a country-wide outbreak.
Is that a stranded traveler sleeping on the couch in a Heathrow airport terminal? Nay, that's Michael, one of about a hundred homeless people who call the London airport home. Some of them have suitcases in order to better "blend in" with the real travelers:
Over the past three months, it has been discovered that 111 people are sleeping permanently at Heathrow, and the numbers are growing - 20 homeless are believed to be living at Gatwick and more are expected.
Airports are seen as warm, comfortable havens and safer than sleeping rough. Yet charity workers say the homeless have to play a 24-hour-a-day cat-and-mouse game to avoid detection by police and airport security and being thrown out onto the streets.
Peter Mansfield-Clark, a director of the charity Crawley Open House, based near Gatwick airport, explains: 'These people take a rucksack with them with a change of clothes. They use the toilet areas to wash or shave and make themselves look tidy.
'They'll often be in travel gear, so they appear as if they're waiting to go off somewhere or have just come back. If you look the part, you've a chance of being able to sleep without anyone disturbing you.'
Some of the homeless deliberately put on floral shirts, as though they are about to fly to a holiday in the sun, to help escape suspicion.
Panamax is the largest class of ships that can fit through the Panama Canal.
This size is determined by the dimensions of the lock chambers and the depth of the water in the Panama Canal. Panamax is a significant consideration in ship design.
The movie Fight Club is almost a decade old, but the theme is still going strong. One day, Jeff of And I Am Not Lying blog got a cryptic text from his friend "Fight Club in Union Square. GET HERE." When Jeff got there, he saw hundreds of people watching people beat the tar out of each other (and apparently, having fun doing so!):
They could have been watching some awesome breakdancing group or an unusually good street magician. But instead, two shirtless guys were flopping around on the ground, grunting and grating one another’s faces across the cobblestones. One guy pinned the other and a shirtless ref called the match. Both fighters leapt up, gave each other the universally-approved one-armed bro-hug and left the ring together, laughing.
A number of shirtless, scraped-up men paced the perimeter of the circle, alternately refereeing and answering questions. The rules were simple: find a partner, get in the ring. No face shots, tapping out ends the fight. No settling scores, just fighting for the fun of fighting. No experience or discernible skill required.
A couple of emo-hipsters in matching floppy sideways haircuts and matching white belts got into the act, proving that one does not inherit martial arts skill by simply being Asian.
One of them actually SMOKED during the fight, paradoxically making himself look both tougher and more ridiculous.
