Where there's a will, there's a way, whether it's the best way or frighteningly unique. Dark Roasted Blend has a big collection of people finding ways to get things done, from eating lunch without a fork to working on the roof without a ladder. Link
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This video shows us the strangely fascinating process behind the formation of coffee rings on a surface. As the water evaporates, the solid particles of coffee rush to the edges of the spill. The research was done by the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Because we all know that scientists are obsessed with coffee. Read more about it at Open Culture. Link
Previously: The Physics of Spilled Coffee.
Whatever you think of politics, President Obama, or the upcoming election, you have to hand it to this guy who rigged up a Halloween costume as Shepard Fairey's "Hope" poster. At the link, you'll see a different angle that makes it look real. Link
Redditor coffee_IV won a costume contest with this lovely version of Sissy Spacek's character in the movie Carrie. I love the suspended bucket of blood! She said the whole costume cost about $15 to make. I bet her mother warned her before she went to the contest that they were all going to laugh at her. Link
(Image credit: Flickr user MTAPhotos/Aaron Donovan)
(Image credit: Flickr user MTAPhotos/Aaron Donovan)
Here's something you don't see often -or ever. The New York City subway system is empty. The MTA closed down all train routes yesterday in preparation for Frankenstorm, or hurricane Sandy, which is expected to hit the city today. At the top is the Times Square station, normally the busiest subway junction in the city. Underneath is a photo of Grand Central Station, sans travelers. Jason Kottke posted these as part of a frequently-update mega post with links to all kinds of news and information on the storm. Link
Be mindful that the four stories in this list all came from the time travelers themselves. It starts of with the case of Andrew D. Basiago.
Basiago claims that as a child growing up in the 60s and 70s he was involved in “Project Pegasus,” a project lead by the United States military exploring time-travel and teleportation. One-hundred and forty children total were involved. Basiago’s adventures include being sent back to 1,000,000 BC and watching dinosaurs, being sent to 2045 to pick up microfilm, and meeting Barack Obama while he was still in school. As a reward for his good time-service Basiago was sent to hear Lincoln give the Gettysburg Address, where claims to have been photographed. BOOM! Proof!
Since coming forward with his claims Basiago has campaigned for the US government to reveal its time travel secrets. He’s also jumped on the 2012 band wagon, claiming a series of events will leave the Washington D.C. underwater.
The story of Basiago goes on to tell of how he traveled to Mars with Barack Obama and the number #2 time traveler on the list at Weird Worm. Link -via the Presurfer
Video artist and alphabet nerd Evan Seitz has another quiz, this time featuring video games from A to Z. How many can you name? -via Daily of the Day
See more of Seitz's alphabet quizzes.
During World War II, when real wool was scarce, the synthetic fabric Aralac became popular as a substitute. It was made from cheese! Maggie Koerth-Baker at Boing Boing tells us how Aralac is made, and although you don't see it much anymore, an improved fabric using the technique is still produced by a German company. Link
Although European vampire panics died out in the 1700s, America had its share of scares in the 1800s, particularly in New England, and particularly during outbreaks of tuberculosis. Some of the dead were dug up and killed a second time, just to make sure.
The particulars of the vampire exhumations, though, vary widely. In many cases, only family and neighbors participated. But sometimes town fathers voted on the matter, or medical doctors and clergymen gave their blessings or even pitched in. Some communities in Maine and Plymouth, Massachusetts, opted to simply flip the exhumed vampire facedown in the grave and leave it at that. In Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont, though, they frequently burned the dead person’s heart, sometimes inhaling the smoke as a cure. (In Europe, too, exhumation protocol varied with region: Some beheaded suspected vampire corpses, while others bound their feet with thorns.)
Often these rituals were clandestine, lantern-lit affairs. But, particularly in Vermont, they could be quite public, even festive. One vampire heart was reportedly torched on the Woodstock, Vermont, town green in 1830. In Manchester, hundreds of people flocked to a 1793 heart-burning ceremony at a blacksmith’s forge: “Timothy Mead officiated at the altar in the sacrifice to the Demon Vampire who it was believed was still sucking the blood of the then living wife of Captain Burton,” an early town history says. “It was the month of February and good sleighing.”
Yes, it happened in several states, a lot more often than one would suspect in 19th-century America. Read about these incidents in Smithsonian magazine's extensive article about American vampires. Link -via The Week
The blog Pregnant Chicken rounded up a whole slew of pumpkins and Jack O'Lanterns that were arranged and carved in such a way as to illustrate a pumpkin giving birth. Many of them appear to be from obstetrician's offices and maternity wards, because they need Halloween decorations, too! Be warned that as funny as they are, some images may be a little too graphic for the very young or very sensitive. Link
The blog Pregnant Chicken rounded up a whole slew of pumpkins and Jack O'Lanterns that were arranged and carved in such a way as to illustrate a pumpkin giving birth. Many of them appear to be from obstetrician's offices and maternity wards, because they need Halloween decorations, too! Be warned that as funny as they are, some images may be a little too graphic for the very young or very sensitive. Link
Jens and Anna designed some papercraft monsters to share. Check out the Snake o'Death, Bone Crusher, Giant Bulging Orb, Tentacle Slimer, Gut Gobbler, Eyeball Mucher, and Smiling Terror. Download the patterns, print out, and fold up these adorable horrible scary monsters for yourself! Link
Craftster irisx crocheted 637 granny squares to create this Nyan Cat blanket! The project took nine weeks. The finished product is something special. There's also a time-lapse video showing how the squares were assembled. Link -Thanks, Lisa!
A fire station in Lanzhou, Gansu province, China, was gutted by a fire recently, causing chagrin for the local fire department. It was first announced as a "training exercise," but later fire officials had to admit that a welding spark ignited a nearby can of gasoline, and the resulting blaze spread out of control. The improperly-stored gas can led at least one blogger to ridicule fire officials.
"They're forever telling other people what to do, how many extinguishers to have and closing down businesses because they don't meet fire regulations.
"How about we close them down now?" said one local blogger.
Kitty see, kitty do! What? Have you never seen a woman dancing with her cat before? -via Daily PIcks and Flicks
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