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How to convert your car to run on trash with a homemade biomass converter. Just like Doc Brown in Back to the Future! (via Gizmodo)
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How cool would it be to be a buyer for Think Geek? In this interview, meet John Frazier, the guy who looks for cool toys all day.
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Ann Edie has a guide dog, but he’s a horse named Panda. Parrots, pigs, monkeys: who decides what kind of creatures can be considered service animals? (via Metafilter)
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Blow soap bubbles in cold weather and watch them freeze and break! Or see pictures from someone who did just that.
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The Iguana That Darwin Never Saw. It’s an evolutionarily distinct species that lives only on one volcano, and it’s endangered. Oh, and it’s pink!
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You’d be surprised to see what TV newscasters do during commercial breaks. Maybe they’re trying out for a variety show. (via I Am Bored)
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The not-silent killer: noise pollution. You may not be aware of the amount of stress all those sounds have on your heart.
Comments (7)
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That article on service animals was great. I had no idea that area extended to animals other than dogs. It’s such a shame though, when a few bad apples spoil it for the people who really need the animals they use.
posted by Tricia on 1-6-2009 at 7:23 am
Absolutely fantastic article on Service Animals. I recently had a lengthy train ride with a sight-impaired gentleman, and we struck up conversation about his pooch-aid. It’s very interesting to hear about noncanine animals being used as service animals.
These animals are obviously very smart, anyone think they have a sense of pride about the great service they’re providing? Or do you think it’s just so ingrained in them through training that it’s just a natural function, nothing extraordinary?
reCapthca: Economy errors … guh
posted by Michael on 1-6-2009 at 8:47 am
I just noticed that I spelled reCaptcha very wrong.
hahah, my new one is ‘re-Worst’
How very appropriate.
posted by Michael on 1-6-2009 at 8:49 am
You frequently use links (though for some reason I can’t find any right now) from a news site that does green journalism (I guess that’s the term). All sort of environmentally friendly stuff. I can’t remember what it is — any idea? Seems like it’s two words, like Green News or Earth Watch or something like that. Or maybe Blue is in the title. Help!!!
posted by S on 1-6-2009 at 5:20 pm
You might be thinking of Forecast Earth, from the Weather Channel.
climate.weather.com/
But there are other possibilities, WebEcost, TreeHugger, Environmental Graffiti, …am I getting close?
posted by Miss Cellania on 1-6-2009 at 5:30 pm
@ Miss Cellania –
Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It IS Forecast Earth. Don’t know WHY I couldn’t remember it. Just one of those things that suddenly got stuck in my head, but I couldn’t get it out I guess. Thanks so much!!!
totally off-topic, but my husband would laugh like crazy at my reCaptcha: Moody woman!
posted by S on 1-6-2009 at 5:34 pm
Interesting article on service animals. My mom’s friend since childhood (I call her my aunt.) got her first ever seeing-eye dog about 7 years ago. A couple years ago she was looking for a new apartment, and one she visited refused dogs of any kind. (including this dog, probably the best behaved dog he’d ever encounter) She decided not to argue over it though, since it wasn’t a nice apartment.
When she found a better apartment, it was across from a little park. My mom showed her and the dog around the place. They had a small audience while they did so, since the neighbors had never seen a service dog in action before.
posted by steph on 1-6-2009 at 10:46 pm