Those of us of a certain age may do better than others on the Rocky Horror Picture Show quiz at mental_floss. How well do you remember not only the movie, but trivia about the stars and the making of the film? You are also invited to leave your RHPS memories in the comments. I scored 100%, although I'm not sure whether that's something to be proud of! http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/43177
Miss Cellania's Blog Posts
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Shorewood High School made a lip dub video to Hall and Oates' song "You Make My Dreams Come True". That's quite an accomplishment in itself, and might remind you of the "I Gotta Feeling" video (seen here) ...but wait, there's something not quite right about this video. It won't take you long to figure it out! -via reddit
It's beginning to look a lot like winter in some areas, and run-of-the-mill snowmen are popping up here and there. Bad Astronomer Phil Plait got geekily creative and made a Dalek out of snow! Link -via Geeks Are Sexy
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Just another way I can prove to my kids that I am, in fact, a genius. -via reddit
75-year-old Stanley Dudek found a book entitled "Facts I Ought to Know about the Government of My Country" among his mother's possessions when she died in 1998. He didn't know it was a library book at the time. Last year, he noticed the book was due back on May 2, 1910. On Monday, he finally returned the book to the New Bedford Public Library in Massachusetts.
The book, which was printed in 1894, was given to Dudek's mother in 1922 when she arrived in the US from her native Poland. The library has no record as to who originally checked it out. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/12/book_overdue_fo.html -via Unique Daily
(image credit: Peter Pereira/The Standard Times)
"I didn't feel I should keep it any longer. It belongs to the people and city of New Bedford, the government. felt it was my duty to get it back to the library," he said.
Fortunately for Dudek, the fine on the book -- about $360, he said, or a penny for each day overdue, which was the charge way back when -- was waived.
"My blood pressure will probably go down now," Dudek said.
The book, which was printed in 1894, was given to Dudek's mother in 1922 when she arrived in the US from her native Poland. The library has no record as to who originally checked it out. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/12/book_overdue_fo.html -via Unique Daily
(image credit: Peter Pereira/The Standard Times)
Well I'm a polar bear and my name is Bjorn
and I've been a polar bear since the day I was born.
Welcome to my kingdom and the world that I roam
the circumpolar arctic, the place that I call home.
Written by science teacher Tom Rugg. Complete lyrics are available at the YouTube link. This video is part of the BBC Wales' series Green Season. Link -via Arbroath
We've seen space wars fought in movies and TV shows for almost a hundred years now, but what would a real-life space battle be like? It wouldn't be like the movies, that's for sure!
That's just the beginning of the difference we would see between a movie battle and what would happen in the outer space we have. Read more at Gizmodo. Link -via Digg
In principle, yes, your enemy could come at you from any direction at all. In practice, though, the Buggers are going to do no such thing. At least, not until someone invents an FTL drive, and we can actually pop our battle fleets into existence anywhere near our enemies. The marauding space fleets are going to be governed by orbit dynamics – not just of their own ships in orbit around planets and suns, but those planets' orbits. For the same reason that we have Space Shuttle launch delays, we'll be able to tell exactly what trajectories our enemies could take between planets: the launch window. At any given point in time, there are only so many routes from here to Mars that will leave our imperialist forces enough fuel and energy to put down the colonists' revolt.
That's just the beginning of the difference we would see between a movie battle and what would happen in the outer space we have. Read more at Gizmodo. Link -via Digg
Astronomers are identifying more and more exoplanets, planets that exist in other star systems besides ours. Of the hundreds of exoplanets we know of, the one that most resembles earth is called GJ 1214b. It can be studied because it is only 42 light years away.
The folks at Wired believe that GJ 1214b deserves a better name, and is taking suggestions and votes for a new name. Of course, Stephen Colbert is high on the list. I voted for Sagan. Link to story. Link to poll. -via Metafilter
Based on its radius and mass — about 2.7 and 6.6 times that of Earth’s — Charbonneau and the other astronomers have calculated GJ 1214b’s density. It appears to be composed of extraordinarily deep oceans, surrounding a rocky core.
The planet’s atmosphere and precise composition remain a mystery, but it’s likely composed of many of the same elements found elsewhere at sites of planetary formation, in swirling disks of dust and gas that have yet to accrete: hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, magnesium, oxygen, carbon.
That list of ingredients raises at least the possibility of life. With an estimated temperature of 370 degrees Fahrenheit, GJ 1214b is an unlikely incubator (Earth’s toughest extremophile, a microbe that lives in deep-sea volcanic vents, maxes out at 284 degrees) but it’s not impossible.
The folks at Wired believe that GJ 1214b deserves a better name, and is taking suggestions and votes for a new name. Of course, Stephen Colbert is high on the list. I voted for Sagan. Link to story. Link to poll. -via Metafilter
We are being inundated with not only end-of-the-year lists, but also end-of-the-decade lists. It's nice to look back at the biggest news stories, sports highlights, and the best photographs, but I prefer the offbeat lists, like these memorable mug shots. Pictured is Phil Spector. Link
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The company that produces Help Stop Snoring, a UK product, asked snorers to send in recordings of their snores. The sounds were assembled into a song for an ad. Link -via Arbroath
A Hello Kitty menorah? Yes, it's just one of a collection of off-the-walll menorahs at Urlesque. The Star Trek menorah we featured recently is in there, as well as a menorahs shaped like a moose, a cat, a Jeep, and some that are hard to describe. I wonder how many of these are actually used to celebrate Hanukkah. Link
This cute Japanese coin bank has a kitten inside with its hand raised just like Maneki Neko! In this case, money does come to him. I wish I knew where to buy this. -via Buzzfeed
Update: You can get one from the NeatoShop!.
Update: You can get one from the NeatoShop!.
Would you let your children pose with this Santa and his taxidermy donkey? This postcard is part of an extensive collection of found photos belonging to Albert Tanquero. I spent a lot of time this morning looking through pages and pages of his Flickr stream of old photographs, each of which has a story we may never know. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefound/ -via mental_floss (where you'll find more creepy Santas)
This Star Wars Christmas decoration is one you can make yourself! The TIE fighter is made from felt, cardboard, and pipe cleaners with a sprig of mistletoe added. Hang the finished product over a doorway in the traditional manner of mistletoe. Instructions included. http://www.starwars.com/kids/do/crafts/f20091210.html -via Unique Daily
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