Maps

Map via The Future Mapping Company

I love a good map.  Better yet, a great map.  Check these suckers out:

American Migration Map

Topography of Faith Map

Around the Web

A list of the Top 10 Enjoyably Pointless Twitter accounts

A smart little girl.  Watch out, Ogilvy. [Via]

Speaking of advertising, someone isn't getting paid enough because this is brilliant.

Mr. Ed as a teenager.

A fashionistas "Choose Your Own Adventure"

The truth about Zack Morris

The perfect present for future cinematographers

Speaking of movies, this is awesome and hysterical.  Or just awesical, if you're lazy.

The Official Mustache Crime Chart. Developed by an FBI Profiler, no doubt.

No one could top Adele, but these two come pretty darn close.

Neat idea.  I mean, it's not Post It Notes or anything, but it's still pretty brilliant.

An interesting article for single women who are looking for love.

A great article about how to talk to little girls. I'm now making an effort to change my own behavior!

NSFW, but VVF (very, very funny).

The US Budget, Simplified

This scares the bejeebus out of me.

(Click to enlarge)

Creativity Abounds

I've always loved making things. As a kid, I spent hours upon hours making friendship bracelets* and tye-dyed tee-shirts. I fell head-over-heels for the jewelry-making craze during college and, before leaving Chapel Hill for grad school this fall I spent every Thursday at a sewing class. And, no, I'm not Amish.

That being said, it's not hard to see why this recently made it onto my Google Reader list. Some of the entries are silly, but they're all undeniably creative.  And who can't appreciate a little creativity every once in awhile?

* Insert "you had friends?!" joke here

Around the Web

Color, as defined by the sexes. [Via]

How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you.  As it turns out, there is an 89% chance that my cat, Bubbles, is out to get me.  Good to know.

Are you wearing pants?  A self-check guide for hipsters. [Via]

Animal cruelty, brought to you by a crying German Shepherd.  [Via]

Back to the Future: A website dedicated to recreations of old photos.  The best is the one of the brothers in the bathtub! [Via]

Check out Moby's bangin' new digs. [Via]

Life inspired by art. [via]

Donald Glover's blog is dope.  You know, Donald Glover the actor.  The comedian.  The rapper.  All of the above.  [Thanks, B.]

Pigeons: More than just sky rats!

O'Fallon Township High School in da house!!

I loved high school.  Not so much that I'd ever want to relive it, mind you, but I have very fond memories that stem from that period of my life.  Blizzard.  Sneaking out after curfew.  Basketball tournaments.  Playing soccer under the lights.  Eating cinnamon rolls for lunch and not gaining weight.  Developing crushes on different boys every week.  Annoying my soccer teammates during practice by yelling the best cheer on the face of the earth:

"O!! O-F-A!! O-F-A-L-L-O-N O'Fallon all the wayyyyyyyy!!"

That one just never gets old.

Had we made a music video in the school while I was still a student, I'm sure that would be up there on the list of awesome memories too.  To all you current OTHS students out there: I am officially jealous.

OTHS Broadcast Club Lip Dub Music Video from OTHStoday.com on Vimeo.

Animation Inspiration

This short animated film is incredible, I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.

[Via Rockstar Diaries]

Oh Colorado... How do I love thee?

This makes me want to pack up my belongings, jump in the car, and head due west until I run smack into a ski resort.  (I'm looking at you, Telluride.)

Addendum

Please add...

These suckers to my post regarding amazing calling cards:

Liv to my list of girl crushes:

(This photo is perfection)

This commercial to my post on advertisements:

These helmet, this basket and - dare I say - this horsey, to my list of biking "needs":

 

The following videos to my post on animals:

Dolphins are incredibly smart animals, so the fact that they devised this trick on their own and taught it to their fellow dolphins is no surprise.  Unfortunately, they're probably doing this because they are being held in captivity and are thus incredibly bored.  Can you tell that I've viewed (and loved) 'The Cove'?

This to my list of awesome online magazine offerings:

(Plus, Dominophiles should click here for some great news!)

 
[Business cards spotted on Black*Eiffel]
[Liv Tyler photo from La Vie Boston]
[Commercial from I Suwannee] 
[Rainbow bike helmet from Nutcase]
[Black bike helmet from Bern] 
[Bike basket from Bent Basket] 
[Horsey from Sub-Studio]
[Sweet Paul Magazine found here]

For My Peeps

My married friends, Dave and Rachel, are like my siblings.  I take care of their dog, Laurel, when they're out of town.  Ray is my workout buddy.  Dave is the guy I call when my car breaks down.  I've known Dave since our first days of nursing school at UNC in 2006.  Since then, we've worked in neighboring ICUs and reunited for graduate school in Winston-Salem.  Rachel is finishing up the last leg of her physical therapy doctorate work.    Needless to say, we have a lot in common.

One thing the three of us love is a good documentary.  I found this list of great "docu's" on A Cup of Jo and had to pass it along.  I've seen Surf Wise, Food Inc., and Man on Wire, and all are great films.  My favorite documentary, The Business of Being Born, while not on the following list, is also a must see.  (As is The Cove, my second favorite documentary.)  I'm looking forward to adding the rest of these suckers to my Netflix queue!  A list which, by the way, also includes the following: The Fog of War, Earth, The Botany of Desire, Picture Me, Waiting for Superman, Inside Job, Frontline: Sick Around America, and Frontline: Sick Around the World.  In case you were wondering.

As avid cyclists and triathletes, I thought Dave and Ray would also appreciate the following video of a street in the Netherlands, a country where 1/3 of residents bike to work.  I wonder if people driving cars there yell at the cyclists to share the road?

[Bike rush hour from A Cup of Jo]

The human brain is so friggin cool

Exhibit Z:



[via Petunia Face]

Soda in a word: Happy. Or smile.

This is so cool.



I'm headed to L.A. this summer to visit one of my best friends and I am totally heading to the Soda Pop Shop while there.  Pencil it into your calendar, Christen!

P.S. I adore his recycling rant.  "If we were really caring about the environment, we would have reuse, not recycling."  Preach it, brother!

[Legally confiscated from In(side) the Loop]

I'm Filing This Sucker Away...

... it may come in handy the next time some guy tries to argue that men are superior to women.  They are not, as the following video clearly illustrates.  Besides, the whole "we birth things" response is overdone.

Dinner Is On Me!

Remember that time you lost the receipt for that really expensive business dinner you hosted and your company refused to reimburse you unless you could produce said receipt?

Well, never again will you have to use your personal savings to cover your work-related expenses, thanks to the lads at Expense-A-Steak.

What an amazing idea! Not that I would ever utilize it or anything -- my moral character is ironclad! That and, as a nurse, I no longer take business trips or have the need for an expense account*. But mainly the former.


* It always bugged me when my former bosses referred to an expense account as a "kitty". As in, "why don't we treat our clients to dinner? I'll just take it out of my kitty." Really? I can't be the only one who finds this offensive.

[Click on image for source information]

Stranger Things Have Happened

There are certain things in this world that people inherently doubt. Examples include ghosts, promises made by politicians, and Tom Cruise's sexuality. Another is reincarnation.

Since we're on the topic of reincarnation (how did THAT happen?!) two things have, from my perspective, tipped the scales in favor of the phenomenon. The first relates to the documented fact that I'm overwhelmingly spectacular. And I think we can all agree that this level of win would be nearly impossible to achieve in one measly lifetime. The other thing is this:

I'm not saying that everyone should believe this kid. What I AM saying is that those who don't should challenge him to an aircraft carrier landing competition just to prove their point. Oh, not so confident now are ya?

[Video first spotted on Petunia Face]

Best Idea EVAR

World's Largest Gummy Bear

I mean, really, who's going to argue with me on this one?

[Purchase your very own bear-like vat of jiggly gummy goodness here]

Back to the Future

Remember back in grade school when your class was asked to make a time capsule, which would be buried in an unidentified location on school property and opened in 10-years time?

That was so 1992.

Say hello to FutureMe, a website in which you can write an email to yourself and designate when you would like for it to be sent. (Anything up to the year 2037 is fair game!) You can even read through the letters that were designated as "public" by the writers. My favorite?

Dear FutureMe,

are we rich yet?

[From Daily Candy]

The Future of Email

Brain recently introduced me to lifehacker.com, a really cool website filled with information on stuff you never knew you wanted to know about. Like how to silence a squeaky bed, for example, or the most efficient and effective way to take lecture notes, packing to keep your clothes wrinkle-free, and tips on looking good in photos among many, many others. One of the featured links led me to discover Google Wave. According to the folks at Google, Wave is "what email would be if it were invented today", and it's got some pretty astounding features. Even for those of you, like myself, who use Gmail (and for those of you who don't, all I can say is "WHA??!!?"), Wave looks to be a major step-up.


To learn more about this new email client, feel free to check out the full 80 minute demonstration video. Rather just see just the highlights? Click here. Between you and me, I'm too selfish to switch to a new email client and report back to Google about any let-downs or possible improvements that should be made when Wave officially hits the WWW, but 100,000 willing and lucky folks will be doing just that come September. If you'd like to throw your hat in the ring and have a chance at testing the product, sign up here.

And, of course, be sure to report back and keep me updated on all the email awesomeness I'm missing out on. Jerk.

Shaw-co-lot

Brain and I share a love of chocolate - we especially love the rich, dark variety. (That's what she said!) Once, following a nice meal, Brain introduced me to the glorious pairing of dark chocolate with a nice port. I would try to describe the taste to you, but that would be like attempting to describe the second coming of Christ, so... yeah.

I just caught wind of Askinosie Chocolate, hand-made bars of goodness created by an ex-defense attorney and based in Springfield, Illinois. Bean growers in Africa are given a share of the company's profits and Mr Askinosie works with local homeless children to teach them the joys and demands of running a successful and socially conscious business. Which, when you think about it, means that if you don't buy and consume this chocolate you're essentially giving African workers and disadvantaged American youth the middle finger. Is this actually the case? Probably not. Am I grasping for any excuse to eat artisan sweets? You betcha.

This Makes Me Hungry

I could really go for some Pixie Stix topped with pin cushins right about now.

[Featured on Goldteef]