The Detroit Free Press has published a multimedia tribute to Aretha Franklin’s recording of "Respect," which was the number one song 40 years ago. It’s a fascinating story. Link -via Metafilter

The Box Doodle Project challenges you to make something out of a box. The object is to make the most out of the least material. The site includes a box doodle tool, so you can doodle a box online! Link -via Everlasting Blort

Music store proprietor Steve Baker sent a guitar to his stepson in Iraq in 2004. His stepson’s friend wanted one, too, so he sent another. When more requests came in, Operation Happy Note was born. As of now, Baker and his wife have sent over 300 musical instruments to soldiers overseas. Link -via Exploding Aardvark

Paul Potts sells phones for a living, but he's always wanted to be an opera singer. He entered the competition for the UK show Britain's Got Talent and performed Nessun Dorma, to the delight of the judges and the audience. Push play or go to YouTube. -via the Presurfer

The World Monuments Watch is keeping track of the world’s most endangered cultural landmarks. The sites may be imperiled by politics, war, environmental degradation, financial straits, or a combination of factors. Click on the interactive map to get the story on each of the top 100 endangered sites. Link -via Cynical-C

85% of the 1.3 billion citizens of China share only about 100 family names. There are 93 million people with the surname Wang! To alleviate the confusion, the Chinese government is considering new naming rules.

Under a new draft regulation released by the ministry of public security, parents will be able to combine their surnames for their children, a move that could open up 1.28 million new possibilities, the China Daily reported.

For instance, a father named Zhou and mother named Zhu could choose to call their child either Zhou, Zhu, Zhouzhu or Zhuzhou, the report added.

And then if this child married George Bailey’s daughter, her name would become... oh never mind. Link -via Fark

Here’s a webpage where you can learn what is the largest island, the largest lake, the largest lake on an island, the largest island in a lake, the largest island in a lake on an island, the largest lake on an island in a lake, the largest lake on an island in a lake on an island, the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake, and the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island. Which is Vulcan point in Crater Lake on Vulcano Island in Lake Taal on Luzon. Link -via Fark

National Geographic Reptile Expert Dr. Brady Barr studies wild crocodiles. To get up close and personal with the crocs, he dresses like a crocodile! This special suit was designed by a team of engineers at National Geographic for both realism and protection. Link -via Metafilter

Imagine spending half an hour hanging upside-down high above the ground! That happened Saturday in Arkansas as a power outage shut down a roller coaster in mid-ride. Link -via Just One Word

These teddy bears are designed to hold the cremated remains of a loved one. Is this a great idea or just tacky? http://www.huggableurns.com/ -via Cynical-C

Play Scrabble with other Scrabble fans online at Scrabulous! Choose from different Scrabble variations, member rooms, or play against a computer. Registration is required to compete against other members, but you can try Scrabble Solitaire first. Link -via Omega Mom

Have you ever wondered what happens to an ice sculpture after the event it was created for is over? At the Toledo Zoo, they apparently recycle such sculptures by giving them to the polar bears, who appreciate the gesture! Link (which has nothing to do with ice sculpture) -via Grow-A-Brain

What musical instrument would the Star Wars characters play? This site has some good guesses, er, suggestions. Shown is a Jackson Randy Rhodes signature Flying V in black, the obvious choice for Darth Vader.

It looks like it could cut through anything, like, say, your long lost son's forearm.

Link -via Metafilter

This will really impress you if you think it’s about psychology. But if you think of it as a math game, it makes perfect sense! Push play or go to YouTube. -via Bits and Pieces

The Mason-Dixon line never made any sense. The South begins where the restaurants serve sweet tea. Link -via Metafilter