Would you sing on TV for a free tank of gas? You would if you were as good as this couple who jumped at the offer! In other news, there was something worth watching on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. -via Uproxx
Continue reading to see part two.
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State governments have a lot of people on the payroll. There are legislators, judges, social workers, inspectors, police, and the educational system, from elementary school to state universities. Deadspin looked at the records and determined the highest-paid employee on each state's public payroll.
Based on data drawn from media reports and state salary databases, the ranks of the highest-paid active public employees include 27 football coaches, 13 basketball coaches, one hockey coach, and 10 dorks who aren't even in charge of a team.
Those "10 dorks" are also university employees: chancellors, presidents, or deans (and then there's Nevada). At the link, you'll find more information about where the money for the coaches comes from, and where it might otherwise go. Link -via Digg
Approximately 40 bald eagles swarmed a Nissan truck parked in Unalaska, Alaska--the site of Japanese air raid during World War II. Guys, stop. They've been our allies for decades.
Coincidentally, there were bags of fish in the back of the truck.
(Photo: KUCB)
John Green gives a quick roundup of grammar mistakes. Honestly, I know the rules, but the mistakes come from either my atrocious typing, my failing eyesight, or the fact that I edit text so much that the tenses don't match up in the finished product. Alex has a much better excuse: English is not his first language. But if we never made any errors, we'd get much fewer comments! -via mental_floss
PS: I never heard "menopause" for "mental floss," but unfortunately, I will now.
Who *yawn* are the most sleep deprived students in the world? Students from the United States, according to new research by Chad Minnich of Boston College:
"I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show," says Chad Minnich, of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.
"It's the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition," says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College.
But what about those Asian students who study all the time?
Asian countries are the highest-performing in maths tests - and Mr Minnich says this has often been associated with long hours and cramming in after-school classes.
"One would assume that they would be extremely tired," he said. "And yet when we look at the sleep factor for them, they don't necessarily seem to be suffering from as much sleep deprivation as the other countries."
Minnich placed the blame on smartphones and laptops. Sean Coughlan of the BBC has more: Link
Body Arts Teddy Bear (sold separaretly)
I know what you are thinking? Do I feel cuddly? Well, do ya punk?
Each adorable Body Arts Teddy Bear from the NeatoShop is made of soft patchwork fabric and features various body modifications. Tattoos, body piercing, and mohawks! Oh, my!
The Body Arts Teddy Bears are available in Chocolate and Gray. Buy both and make your day.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Plush Toys.
F-ck Off, I'm Shopping Coin Purse
Know someone who takes their shopping very seriously? Get them the F-ck Off, I'm Shopping Coin Purse from the NeatoShop. This cheeky little pouch features a colorful fabric liner and tassel zipper pull. It is the perfect place for them to house all that pesky loose change,
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Wallet, Purses, & Coin Bags.
Natural Magic: The Lore of the Forest Pendant Necklace
The Natural Magic: The Lore of the Forest Pendant Necklace from the NeatoShop is a truly eye-catching piece of jewelry. It is designed to look like the eye of an Ent, a giant talking tree like being and one of the oldest and wisest beings in the dark world of the Middle Ages.
The Natural Magic Necklace allows you to always keep an eye on someone you love. The necklace is handcrafted in England and is made of pewter. It features a realistic acrylic eye. Swarovski crystals accent this striking piece.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fascinating Jewelry.
Cotard's Delusion is a condition in which the sufferer is convinced he is dead. In other words, they are zombies in their minds. Cases in medical literature go back to at least 1788. Mental_floss "dug up" ten such cases.
6. In 2009, Belgian psychiatrists reported the case of an 88-year-old man who came to their hospital with symptoms of depression. The man explained that he was dead, and was concerned and anxious that no one had buried him yet. His delusions subsided with treatment.
7. The same doctors also treated a 46-year-old woman who claimed to have not eaten nor gone to the bathroom in months, nor slept in years. She explained that all her organs had rotted, that she had no blood and that doctors who monitored her heart or took her blood pressure were deceiving her because her heart didn’t beat. After multiple admissions to the hospital and a lapse in taking her medication over the next 10 months, her condition gradually improved.
Read the rest in a list at mental_floss. Link
(Image credit: Flickr user Scabeater)
IBM researchers have created the world's smallest movie: it's literally made with atoms!
The ability to move single atoms — the smallest particles of any element in the universe — is crucial to IBM's research in the field of atomic memory. But even nanophysicists need to have a little fun. In that spirit, IBM researchers used a scanning tunneling microscope to move thousands of carbon monoxide molecules (two atoms stacked on top of each other), all in pursuit of making a movie so small it can be seen only when you magnify it 100 million times. A movie made with atoms.
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]
The making of the movie after the jump:
Willie Witte presents a recursion video of his hands. There is no computer-generated images here, just obsessive editing. But the real question is, how did he take those pictures? The note on his left hand to buy more ink is a nice touch. -via Boing Boing
While watching the batting practice before an Astros-Red Sox game in Boston, reporter Kelly Nash took a photo of herself. It was a lucky shot, but it was almost a very unlucky shot:
"Producer Art Dryce had called out 'heads up!' a few times while I was taking pictures around the left field section, but none of those balls actually fell close to me, so I took my chances turning my back on batting practice for a picture.
"My whole family is from Massachusetts, and I knew they would be so excited to see me working at Fenway Park, and when I went to text them the picture I noticed the baseball by my head!
Link -via Blame It on the Voices
(Photo: Kelly Nash)
Some poster designs were accepted by movie producers and are now so famous that they're instantly recognizable. Others were rejected or printed in small numbers. Duane Dimock, a memorabilia dealer in San Diego, has a large collection of them, including sketches for Howard the Duck, The Fly, Fatal Attraction and Short Circuit. You can view them all at the link.
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