Exterminate!

I've been watching Dr. Who since 1980-something. While I'm not as up on current Doctors as I should be, I'm still a fan. Brilliant speculation about the future, c.ompelling plot lines, sexual tension, SCIENCE!, and time travel How can you not be intrigued?!

For you nubes out there, here's an expertly diagrammed history of the best Doctor in the business. Hit this link for a better image.

Not a big cat person...

But, damn, this is cute.

While cats don't generally like water, it appears that they're kinda into water creatures.

Stunning artwork, year 'round!

I have the honor of knowing an incredibly talented artist. Actually, I know many incredibly talented artists, but this is the only one putting out a calendar (so far as I know). If you need 12-months of jaw-dropping Dia de los Muertos artwork in your life, you need to act quickly. I have a Day of the Dead themed dining room, all based on one of the amazing prints she did.

The simply fabulous Ms. Natasha Mark will be happy to oblige.

History's greatest egos go head to head

I was fortunate enough to learn about this last night on a fantastic blind date (of all places!). Apparently I'm late to the dance party, considering the number of views on each video. Witness: "Epic Rap Battles of History." Possibly the greatest thing since Jib Jab.

I frequently threaten to challenge people to a break-dance fight, but I think a rap battle may be the way to go if I need to prove a point.  See my fave below...

Smiling Scrooge

Xmas makes me nuts. While I like giving gifts to my dearest loved ones, I don't like to be told when to do it. Still, I hop on the Internet, and spend a bunch of dough I don't have, every December, in the name of the holidays. I felt guilty last year because I was having a holiday party for my motorcycle club, and my brother was coming for the holiday, so I bought a tree and ornaments and stuff.

Fortunately, Target had a black Xmas tree. I suited the tastes of a guilty atheist perfectly! My roommate has offered to put up the tree this year, and I told him he could if he likes, but I really don't care.

Honestly, if this Xmas tree existed for purchase, I would buy it, and display it year-round. Godzilla lording over my living room, in tree form. Gotta love it. Then I would have the illusion that I give a shit about the holidays AND Japan.

Smithers, release the hounds!

If you're having a bad day, watch this. It will make you feel better.

If you're having a good day, this will brighten it further.

Who *doesn't* like puppies?! Geez.

If you shopped for school supplies between 1985 and 1995, you will remember this.

Lisa Frank. Yeah, I know that's a name from way back (I'm assuming the reader is over 25...), and you probably haven't thought about bug-eyed kittens, or unicorns with neon, rainbow manes in *years*. But believe it or not, she's still producing and marketing panda-shaped note pads, and magical, purple puppy folders.

For the highly nostalgic, and fashionably brave, she's even got tees for grown-ups. Not sure where you'd wear one though...

It happens to everyone. You're not alone.

We've all had it happen: un-friending. Social networking is a fickle mistress. Will you be the next victim of a "clean-up" frenzy by that girl you met at a bar 6 years ago? Your boyfriend's cousin's ex-girlfriend's news feed has suddenly disappeared from view and you miss the status updates about her cats.

Friend to us all, William Shatner, has some words of encouragement.

What's he *really* thinking...?

Ladies: we all have heard it - "men think about sex every seven seconds." Well, an Ohio State University study suggests that the number is actually more like 20 times a day. Less than once per waking half hour. While that's still much less than women, 20 times is WAY less than the 8,000 times we were assuming our male counterparts were thinking about knockin' boots.

Here's the interesting bit: know what your man is really thinking about almost as much as sex? Food. Yep, ladies, we're almost edged out of importance by turkey sandwiches and apple pie. For every 19 thoughts he has about "doin' it," he has another 18 thoughts about blueberry muffins or scalloped potatoes.

Feeling special right about now...

Designer beer for EVERYONE!

There has been an *explosion* in home brewing and locally crafted micro-brews in the last 10 years. Everyone with a functional knowledge of brewing is trying their hand at it. Even those with out it are taking a stab at their own brands.

In the footsteps of Lenny Bruce and Thelonious Monk, the Hanson Brothers (remember them?), are coming out with their own micro brew. The name? MMMhop. No foolin'. (Although I sorta wish I was...) Are they even of legal drinking age?

Ever lost just one glove?

If only they had mitten clips for adults, or some kind of GPS locator chip for that one that always goes missing.

In the mean time, form meets function, meets ridiculously cute with Spirit Hoods. Xmas is coming and you could make me a very happy and warm lady with one of these. (Especially, the Panda one. Hint! Hint!)

Additionally, when you buy one of these stylish fuzzies, you help real fuzzies with the Pro Blue.

It's official: Detroit hates Nickleback

55,000+ people have signed the petition asking that Nickleback be removed as the half-time act for tomorrow's NFL football game with the Green Bay Packers.

I hate Nickleback too, so I don't feel terribly bad for them, but the band has retaliated with their own, incredibly hysterical, video. Who knew Chad Kroger had a sense of humor??

Great idea, actually.

Ladies: ever been out at the bar/club/concert venue and suddenly realized that those cute heels are absolutely KILLING you? There are ways to get around this - lean on the corner of the bar and shift from foot to foot, find a seat and stick to it until the throbbing goes away long enough to take a potty break, or go totally shoe-less. But wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to leave the bar to retrieve the pair of flats you know are in your trunk from, like, a year ago?

Problem solved! Rollasole has you covered. Quietly excuse yourself to the vending machine, load in about $10, and solve your problems with some cheap but stylish flats. Why this hasn't caught on in the States is totally beyond me. Maybe we can re-purpose those cigarette machines into shoe machines.

Squishy damn kids these days

A school in Toronto has banned "hard" balls because they might hurt the kiddies. Kids are great and precious and all, but if I had a nickel for every friend I had in grade school that fell off the monkey bars and broke something, I'd surely have enough for a bag of Cheezits.

Children are faced with much bigger challenges now than a "hard" ball. Middle schoolers are getting pregnant, drug experimentation runs rampant, and violence is everywhere. While we desperately want to, we can't protect the youngsters from everything. There are things that they will need to learn on their own.

For instance: paying attention during gym class is important, standing up to a bully is more effective that tattling, and some times, you lose. Happens to the best of us.

So this decision to ban "hard ball" sports is a complete over-reaction. We rode to school without seat belts, brought peanut butter sandwiches into the building without worry, and played on the 12-foot-tall play structures over concrete without worry.

There's something about childhood that doesn't seem complete without a physical "learning experience" It's tough enough to get kids to put down the Wii controler. Why make it harder?

Passwords must include a symbol, capital letter, Sumerian glyph, photo of great-grandparents, and blood sample.

I get it. The Internet is an open expressway of info. People get hacked all the time, whether they are savvy or not. (Happens to me about twice a year, actually. Ignore those emails about penis enlargement...sorry.)

Protecting your financials, buying habits, dating life, correspondence, and pornography habits gets tougher and tougher. So Internet companies are charged with making it *even* tougher to pick up your password. Although, you're forced to come up with some insane combination of characters, it ultimately benefits you. (Write it down. For serious.)

Here's the list of 2011's most frequently used passwords. I'm horrified to admit that one of my numerous passwords is on this list. (Don't bother guessing, I've already changed it.)

• password
  
• 123456
  
• 12345678
  
• qwerty
  
• abc123
  
• monkey
  
• 1234567
  
• letmein
  
• trustno1
  
• dragon
  
• baseball
  
• 111111
  
• iloveyou
  
• master
  
• sunshine
  
• ashley
  
• bailey
  
• passw0rd
  
• shadow
  
• 123123
  
• 654321
  
• superman
  
• qazwsx
  
• michael
  
• football

Again with the "I don't *GET* kids these days.

How can you possibly not enjoy reading? I have hundreds of books I've read over and over, and a list of hundreds more I want to read. Except "The Scarlet Letter." That book sucked.

Being a blogger, social networker, Internet business owner, etc., I get my fair share of time with tech, but I still enjoy the smell of a new book. The tiny crunch you hear when opening a new hardcover is irreplaceable. The feeling of a fresh page as you turn it to uncover the next can't be simulated. I refuse to purchase a Kindle, despite the new, aggressive pricing, because the sensory experience is so personal.
 
Apparently, more than half-a-million Facebook users are anti-book. While the world's population continues to climb towards 7 BILLION+, it still makes me sad to see this.

Cupcakes for the rest of us

Not sure about you, but I'm not a huge fan of sweets. I like the occasional mini Snickers, but otherwise, I'm a protein-craver. Meat, cheese...gimmee!

So, the fine Cupcake Linnie, has come up with a solution for the "meat and taters" crowd: Beer and Cheese cupcakes! How can this miss? Two of the greatest inventions in consumable history in a portable snack. Geeeeeenius!

Check out her other creative cupcake recipes. While bacon and cheddar can't be beat, there are a LOT of others coming at a very close second.

Robotic help for loud sleepers

I will be the first to tell you, I sleep like I'm dead. The only thing that (usually) wakes me up is my alarm clock(s) and the subconscious knowledge that I have to be at work on time. Weekends? All bets are off. Usually, a fidgety dog kicking me in the stomach signals morning.

I've been told, more than once, that I'm a loud snorer. Being a heavy smoker and heavy sleeper, I totally believe it. In fact, I have had exes voluntarily relocate to the sofa due to my nocturnal noise-making. But the Japanese (yeah, them again), have come up with a fuzzy, cuddly, alarmingly cute, solution.

So I guess I either need an equally-heavy-sleeping partner, or one of these and a box of wine.

Lego bible

Sadly, this is not a post extolling the virtues of everything Lego. While I'm a great proponent of the "variety bucket" over the kit with instructions, and the imagination that Lego inspires in general, this one is just a pathetic marketing ploy/brand presentation.

I get it. It's tough to get kids to read and understand the Bible. Honestly, the original document isn't terribly well-written, and the subject matter isn't easy to connect to. Contextually speaking, it's fairly irrelevant too. Especially the Old Testament.

But the "Brick Bible" is really too much. The intersection of logos children recognize and religion is despicable. As though there aren't enough 1-year-olds that recognize McDonald's/Barbie/XBox/pick one!, let's try to throw the Old Testament in there with a brand they might recognize.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not anti-religion. Religion is actually a great thing for some people. It provides hope, and comfort for millions. But there really should be a distinct separation between retail marketing and religion. Is that really what we've come to? "Separation of church and sales pitch."

I want my kids, when I eventually have them, to have a choice. Choose their belief system, choose their morals (with guidance from oddly-hyper-moral athiest Mom), and choose how to be a good person. I hope that I can overpower logo-ed influence in that decision.

While this concept disgusts me on a number of levels, the effort and art put into its creation is admirable.

More than you've ever wanted to know about turkey sex

Stephen Dubner, author of the greatest book ever written (Freakonomics), visits NPR's "Marketplace" with some interesting (disturbing? TMI?) news about next Thursday's entree.

While you're sucking down your gravy soaked turkey, think of the tender care of the farmers charged with raising these birds to Thanksgiving standards. Or rather, don't. Might ruin your appetite.