After a few years of leading the world and receiving free rent, some ex-presidents and prime ministers go on to other, more lucrative careers. Harry Truman only had his $112 a month army pension when he left office, so he rolled up his sleeves and went to work writing his memoirs. He was still in such poor financial straits that he became the first recipient of a presidential pension. Other world leaders did much better. mental_floss takes a look at what some of them do for money now that they are out of office. Link

Cake Wrecks is an entire blog dedicated to those occasions when professional cake decorating goes horribly wrong. Sad to say, they seem to have plenty of material. Link -via Cynical-C

Check out this wonderful selection of t-shirts showing the great things you can do with science! Link -via Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

Have you ever wondered how Lego bricks are made? Gizmodo takes a tour of the factory in three videos.

While the storage areas are the most impressive part of the factory, I have to admit that nothing had prepared me for the scope and complexity that is required to make and pack 19 billion bricks every year. The scale of this factory, specially compared to the tiny bricks it produces, is absolutely breathtaking.

Link -via Geek Like Me

(College Humor link)
If fonts were people, what would they be like? -via YesButNoButYes

Whether you are new to the world of comic books or a regular reader, certain classics of the genre should be read by every comic book enthusiast.

Sure, it may seem silly, but, comic books mean something. Soldiers used dog-eared copies of Captain America to keep their spirits up in WWII. The Green Lantern and Green Arrow made kids actually think about issues like racism and heroin. And millions gasped when they heard the news that Superman died. In fact, the vibrant medium is so often pegged as children’s pulp, or fun for the feeble-minded, that people tend to forget that comics have actually grown with and continued to reflect the spirit of our times.

mental_floss takes a look at 26 groundbreaking or otherwise important comics you ought to be familiar with -if you can find them! How many have you read? Link

Buildings aren't supposed to move, but these 12 did! When there is a "good enough" reason to put tons of construction on wheels (or some other method), there are engineers to rise to occasion. Web Urbanist has stories and videos. Link -via Digg

Is it a worm, a snake, a lizard, or something out of a movie? No special effects here; this is a ajolote, a reptile found in Mexico that has only two legs. It lives underground, where front legs for digging are more valuable than hind legs that would only be dragged along. Link

My daughters were excited to receive their Neatorama t-shirts! When you get yours (there are lots to choose from), model it for the camera and send us a picture. Link

The Boston Globe has another set of eye-popping pictures of Olympic preparations in Beijing and other spots around China where events will be hosted.

Final preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics are in full swing in Beijing. This includes completing hundreds of construction projects, reconstructions, pollution controls, cultural training, and a general "beautifying" of greater Beijing. Rehearsals and drills take place daily as Chinese citizens hurry to finish up - after all, the whole world is coming soon. The Olympics are set to begin on August 8th.

Link -via Digg

(image credit: Reuters/Reinhard Krause)

Those are beautiful nails. Are they real? O RLY? Yes, Orly Nail Lacquer. The brand has been around a long time, but if you got a kick out of the ORLY chocolate bar, you'll like this, too. Link -Thanks, Ty!

Fast food companies a lot of time and effort suing each other and their detractors, which can sometimes backfire by bringing more publicity! See The 7 Most Bizarre Fast Food Industry Lawsuits. Link -via Digg

The new X Files film is coming out this Friday. To get you ready, YesButNoButYes take a look at some of the weird monsters, aliens, and supernatural beings from the television series.

The X-Files stands as not only a definitive pop culture milestone of the 90's, it contains some of the best storytelling in television history.

The show was suspenseful, scary and well crafted. There was a savvy blend of modern story devices and old school monster-movie magic.

And man, were there some beautiful monsters.

Link -Thanks, Johnny!

Hmm, this ancient Egyptian sculpture resembles someone, but I can't quite put my finger on who it is. Do you know who it might be? This photo was taken by Flicker user mandalariangirl, who has her own opinion. Link -Thanks, Jenna!

(Break.com link)
Man, this looks like fun! Wonder where I can get a giant ring? -Thanks, Ring!