Forbes has published their first list of America’s Most Miserable Cities. This survey is based on each city’s crime rate, inflation, unemployment, commute times, toxic waste, weather, and taxes. The top ten are:

1. Detroit, MI
2. Stockton, CA
3. Flint, MI
4. New York City
5. Philadelphia, PA
6. Chicago, IL
7. Los Angeles, CA
8. Modesto, CA
9. Charlotte, NC
10. Providence, RI

http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/01/29/detroit-stockton-flint-biz-cz_kb_0130miserable.html -via J-Walk Blog

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Another delicious stop-motion breakfast video from James Provan, who brought you Pancakes in 2006. -via Viral Video Chart

Britain’s first playground for people over age 60 has opened in Manchester. The specially-designed equipment provides not only fun, but movement and exercise to benefit the elderly.

Residents' association chairman Joan FitzGerald said: "When we tested it all the people we took in were over 70 and I have never heard so much laughing. I believe you are never too old to play and this also helps keep you fit."

The playground is next to a children’s playground, so children can watch their grandparents having fun. Link -via Unique Daily

The secret to a good cheeseburger is its freshness. Hot off the grill, with crisp vegetables if you like. Not the kind of food you’d think to put in a can. The graphics on this German site make it clear this product is intended to pack for outdoor sports such as canoeing, but I can’t help but feel you should go with something you’d expect to eat out of a can. Maybe soup. http://www.trekking-mahlzeiten.de/trekking-mahlzeiten-online-shop/produkte/Zwischenmahlzeiten_507/Cheeseburger_in_der_Dose_4641.html -via Cynical-C

Montage-a-google is an online application that builds a montage of images from Google Search. Type in your search term, and the grid is generated automatically. The montage here was generated by the term “Neatorama”. The actual image is larger. Link -via the Presurfer

The Museum of Organs is a gallery of the most beautiful instruments in Europe dating back hundreds of years, and modern pipe organs as well. This picture is of the cathedral of Lavaur, Haut-Garonne, France.

The organ dates from 1523. The case, which was built by the carver Nicolas Bachlier, is one of the most luxurious examples from 16th century in Southern France. The present instrument was built by A. Cavaillé-Coll in 1876.

Link -via Ursi’s Blog

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The loris tarsier is looking at YOU. -Thanks, Jan!

Agility competitions for cats? It’s a growing trend, although some cats are more keen on finishing the obstacle courses than others are. The contests are fashioned after canine agility contests.

"Some of the cats finished in two minutes, some didn't finish at all, some got distracted in the middle and went off on their own adventures,' says Bengal cat breeder Ree Hertzson, who saw her first agility competition at The International Cat Association show in Syracuse. "And the Persians would stop after a few seconds and lie around looking pretty."

Participants say cats can be trained to compete, although you have to find a unique motivation suited to the cat’s personality. And they have to be in the mood on contest day. Link -via Geek Like Me

(image credit: Richard J. Carson/USA Today)

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Phil Plait of Bad Astronomy Blog worked hard to counter the rumor that an asteroid would hit earth this morning. He even posted an explanation on YouTube. However, IRONMANAustralia "fixed" that video.

In this leaked Top Secret footage Phil Plait tells the real story, before NASA edited it and no doubt forced him to post it on his blog in order to prevent the inevitable public panic.

Ha! At least the earth is still here today. Link

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Run! Run for your lives before the germs get you, too! -via Gorilla Mask

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I won’t tell you what happens, but it’s artful and mesmerizing. This is labeled as the “intro”, so there will no doubt be more coming see more here. It’s an ad for Lakai Limited Footwear. -via YesButNoButYes

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Google Maps joins science fiction lore in this eerie video. -via Digg

It was twenty-two years ago today that the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched for the last time. It exploded less than two minutes into the flight. The Texas Space Grant Consortium has a rundown on what happened that day, with an explanation on what went wrong. Link -via Fark

Aboard were commander Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialist Judith A. Resnik, mission specialist Ronald E. McNair, mission specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis, and teacher-in-space Sharon Christa McAuliffe. You’ll find more on each crew member at NASA. Link

If you are old enough to remember, tell us where you were when you heard the news that day.

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When I brought home a Roboquad robot the other day and started playing with it, our resident guardian K9 was none too pleased. I decided to put Roboquad in "autonomous" mode, set his aggression level to high, and let the battle unfold.

I like the 8-bit videogame style! From Demonbaby -via Viral Video Chart

Have you ever wondered what the home office of Facebook, Digg, or Craiglist looks like? This post has pictures of 12 workplaces that run some of the web's popular sites. Neatorama isn't there. As far as I can tell, it's run from a small storage building in Alex's backyard somewhere in California. Link -via the Presurfer