Life is never easy for a Storm Trooper. Invade a new planet, get eaten by a giant kitten! -via Cute Overload

(Image credit: Flicker member Piutus)

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Take a bunch of skateboarders, attach remote-control spray paint devices underneath the boards, and let them loose in a an empty pool. The result resembles a human Spirograph! -via Dangerous Minds

This hairdryer was designed by Tembolat Gugkaev, who was inspired by Star Wars. No word on whether it will ever be available to the public. http://www.behance.net/gallery/Darth-Hairdryer/1371763 -via Boing Boing

A 65-meter high minaret stands in Afghanistan, built around 1190 CE. It is covered with religious carvings and calligraphy in more than one language. But this ancient and remote edifice is surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains in a country at war, so these pictures will be the closest you get to it -for now.

Amazingly, this imposing structure was standing forgotten for centuries... until rediscovered in 1886 by Sir Thomas Holdich; then forgotten again and rediscovered in 1957. Then the Soviet invasion in 1979 again prohibited access to the area, and since then only a handful of people from outside of Afghanistan have seen the minaret, because of its middle-of-nowhere location

Read more about the Minaret of Jam and the ancient multicultural city that once surrounded it. You'll also see lots more pictures at Dark Roasted Blend. Link

Kid Casting is a blog that looks at adult movie and TV characters and the children who play those same characters as youngsters, whether in flashbacks or in earlier parts of the narrative. Oddee has collected the best examples of well-done kid casting in their latest list. Shown here are the characters of George Bailey and Mary Hatch from the movie It's A Wonderful Life as both kids and adults. Link

Owl Kitchen Timer | $17.95

What a cute little companion in your kitchen! This owl will tell you whooo, uh, I mean when, your food is done because he's a timer. No batteries, just wind up and keep time up to an hour. Get your Owl Timer today from the NeatoShop!

Check out other kitchen gadgets as well as more clocks and timers at the NeatoShop.

Artist Mike Puncekar illustrates the enemies of Mario in a way that makes them downright nightmare-inducing. See a collection of them at Buzzfeed. This piranha plant looks like it would be right at home in a Little Shop of Horrors! Link

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Chris Unitt was brave enough to become a prop for a bicyclist during a promotion for Cirque Eloize in Boston. He's got more nerves than I do! http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/default.asp?Id=241&PageSubType=258&sC=page29&mobile=0 -via The Daily What

The annual July 4th hot dog eating contest was held today in front of Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs in Coney Island. And once again, American Joey Chestnut defeated all the others by scarfing down 62 hot dogs.

It wasn't a personal best for the 27-year-old nicknamed Jaws, but it was enough to out-eat second-place finisher Patrick Bertoletti by nine wieners. Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., won $10,000 and the coveted mustard-yellow belt.

"I feel great!" he said after the contest, adding that he was going to drink a lot of water and avoid hot dogs for a few days.

In a separate division for women, Sonya Thomas ate 40 hot dogs to claim the pink belt championship. Chestnut's longtime rival, Takeru Kobayashi, did not participate because he refused to sign a contract with the eating league. Link -via J-Walk Blog

Paparazzi Shades | $9.95

Protect yourself against embarrassing photos by setting a black rectangle over your eyes -before your picture is taken- with Paparazzi Shades from the NeatoShop! Censor bars hide your identity even in real life, so your fans (and friends) can snap away while your anonymity is protected. Paparazzi Shades make a great gift, too!

Check out other pranks and gag gifts from the NeatoShop!

(YouTube link) Josh Sundquist shares some charts and graphs about fireworks, pie, and other Independence Day traditions. -via Buzzfeed

An article at The New Inquiry is a conversation between a college-level philosophy teacher and a person who writes college papers for money. Much of it concerns the prevalence, ease, and mechanics of cheating on papers, whether the work is plagiarized or commissioned. But this explanation of why so many students cheat saddened me:

I think that the system, grading in general, grading as a gold standard of employability, college as the necessary step between high school and employment, all of these things alone aren’t necessarily wrong. But when you get them all together in this network, and college is going to define your future, the grades will determine where you go, one, for a fifth of you, those of you who are going to grad school or law school or med school. For the rest of you, to get that job, you need that paper that says, “Diploma,” which means you need to pass. That’s all that matters.

If the only purpose in going to college is to get a diploma (not knowledge, not an education, and not good grades), then its no wonder students assume that you should get one just for paying the tuition and arranging for the required papers by any means necessary. Link -via TYWKIWDBI, where you can join the discussion.

(Image credit: The "Gold Guys")

A Tweet from @ProdigalSam gives us this adorable Twaggie drawn by David Barneda. Like all Twaggies, you can buy it on a t-shirt if you like. Link

Who looks more patriotically American: Superman, Captain America, or Wonder Woman? Take a close look at a gallery of cosplay photographs of these and other heroes posted to celebrate the Fourth of July at Geeks Are Sexy and decide for yourself! http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2011/07/04/fun-with-cosplay-the-star-spangled-edition/

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Jeremiah Warren attached a small (and tough) camera to fireworks and captured quite a few POV sequences. Some launches had the camera facing up and some were facing down. -via Cynical-C