Saturday, March 28, 2009
- m4w – 19 (Uptown 3 Train)
If not for your noisy Tambourine, I would not have seen you.
Your green skirt looked terrible, but that leather jacket makes you look just right.
I was the attractive guy sitting to your left just before you got off.

Monday, March 23, 2009
-m4w (Harlem)
Remember? Uptown A train. Sunday at around 9pm. I was the black dude reading Bukowski’s Post Office. You were reading the Arts and Leisure section. You passed wind rather loudly and started chuckling. I’d like to see you again. The flatulence wasn’t a turn-off.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
-w4m -22 (williamsburg)
i bought you that milkshake
you just didn’t realize it.

Be sure to check out Sophie’s site. Thanks Lizzie!

Cure Your Hangovers—with Bacon!

Ah, bacon. For years, we’ve devoured it in all its crispy glory without worrying about the side effects. But now, scientists at Newcastle University’s Centre for Life have given us a new reason to gorge on the stuff. They say that when it comes to hangovers, bacon is a miracle drug. In fact, the study found that bacon is most effective when united with bread in sandwich form. The protein in bacon supplies the body with amino acids, which the brain needs to restore the neurotransmitters damaged by alcohol. Meanwhile, the bread’s carbohydrates give the body energy to get up and go. Now, if only sausage could delete all of those text messages you sent last night.

Of course, that doesn’t do much for the vegetarian boozehounds in our audience. But fear not, the wonderful blog blurtit has assembled quite a few of the hangover cures in the world. Here are a few hangover cures that I have no intention of trying:

*Jackrabbit Tea- A Wild West morning-after beverage made from rabbit droppings and hot water. Like Blurtit says, “There is no medical reason why water and pre-chewed plant matter would help with a hangover, and it certainly won’t help with your morning breath.”

*Soot and Warm Milk- 19th century chimney sweeps used this charcoal based “cure all” to soothe their stomachs.

*Pickle Juice- Apparently, the high levels of electrolytes and minerals are supposed to help cut through the headache. I’m guessing they mean dill pickles, not kimchi or Bedekar’s lime pickle, but I’d be equally unwilling to try any of them.

*Tsar Nicholas II’s lemon wedge- Probably the tastiest (and certainly the most blue-blooded option) on the list, the shooting Tsar used to coat a lemon slice with sugar and ground coffee and then chomp down.

In any case, the site also lists plenty of meaty options from various cultures (ground swallow beak and myrrh, deep-fried canary) and even a few traditions you can embrace before drinking (like rubbing lemon wedges under your arms per the Puerto Ricans, or placing a voodoo curse on the beverages New Orleans’ style). Or, I guess you could just drink in moderation. So, do you have a favorite/fail-safe hangover cure you’d like to share with the world? Drop it in the comments!

Link via The Presurfer.

For those of you interested in the exciting world of hearse production (I’m assuming that’s a large portion of our audience), Japanese limo maker Lequois is planning to roll out a line of hybrid hearses based on the Toyota Prius. And while these extra green casket carriers promise to be environmentally friendly, at $80k a pop, they’re not cheap. Or good looking. In any case, seeing the sketch made me curious about what other souped-up, modern hearses are on the market. Here are just a few that I found:

For the Monster Hearse Rally

If you’re looking to jump over and crush a long string of average-sized hearses, or you’re simply hoping to off-road it to the funeral, Jalopnik and Declubz have a couple of ideas for you.

For Getting There Faster (Much Faster)

Apparently, hearse drag racing is pretty popular. Seems like a perfect premise for The Fast and The Furious 5.

For the Motorcycle Enthusiast

Motorcycle hearses are surprisingly common. This UK site boasts all sorts of hearses made from Triumphs and Suzukis and Harleys. In fact, they’ll even provide you with a trained and experienced British driver to escort your dearly departed to the service.

For the Buddhist Funeral

Wikipedia’s page on hearses showcases a number of beautiful rides, but I think this ornate Japanese hearse is probably my favorite. From other views online, it seems like these models are equally beautiful on the inside.

For the Harold and Maude Tribute Funeral

While this car doesn’t look quite as stylish as the one Harold zipped around in, George Ball & Son does have a fleet of Jaguar hearses and even Jaguar limos for your funereal needs.

For the Budget/DIY Funeral

I’m sure ReadyMade and Make Magazine have better tricks for doing this. Still, it seems to have served its purpose.

And One After My Own Heart

I simply wouldn’t trust a hearse that you couldn’t go camping in. Or one that doesn’t have horns on the front. Thankfully, this “Koolabago” has both.

Of course, if you’re legitimately interested in buying a hearse (they actually pop up on eBay occasionally), the hearse appreciation site Grim Rides features both a helpful FAQ, and a classified section.

Of course, we’ve also talked about hatred for soups (he banned them at the White House), that whole Watergate debacle, and his completely pathetic style of dating (he asked his wife Pat to marry him on their first date, and when she said no, he drove her around on dates with other men just to spend a little more time with her.) Also, he was kind of a racist.

Today, the NY Times is reporting that the newly released Nixon tapes showcase his “ambivalent” stance on abortion after the Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling. Part of the reason he didn’t make a public statement about the case was because he was in two minds about it: 

“Nixon worried that greater access to abortions would foster “permissiveness,” and said that “it breaks the family.” But he also saw a need for abortion in some cases, such as interracial pregnancies.

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he told an aide, before adding: “Or a rape.””

I have no interest in fanning an abortion discussion on the blog (we just put out the apolitical, feel good issue of the year, after all!), but I did think this was helpful in getting a little more insight into his complex mind.  Thanks Lizzie!

Designer Kyle Bean’s portfolio is really fun to look through. I saw these cellphone nesting dolls on Boingboing’s excellent Gadget site, and realized I had to share them. (The Dynatac and the Razr are my favorites). But then I stumbled into Kyle’s stop-motion video in honor of (international?) Laundry Day and couldn’t help posting that below as well. If only my clothes would take such initiative!

Laundry Day from GDI'09 on Vimeo.

More of Kyle Bean’s genius design work here.

Here’s the artist statement: 

After studying abroad I had to leave one of my best friends in Minneapolis. As a joke I produced t-shirts and posters to give to my friends back home, so whenever I missed Travis, they’d put them on and pretend to be him. 

For more of Rob’s work, click here, via the always terrific Neatorama. Oh, and if you’re looking for cool shirts that don’t have Travis’ face on them, be sure to check out our own selection at the mental_floss store.

That’s right. The top story coming out of North Korea is that Russian dancers took to the stage in Wonson City. For those of you who are interested, they “put on the stage colorful pieces representing national emotion and customs of peoples of Russia and other countries.”

Click here for more Official Korean News.

“These planets are alternately squeezed and stretched as they circle their stars, resulting in “tidal heating” that warms the gas inside the planet. This counteracts the cooling effect, inflating the planet – an effect that can last for a billion years or more.”

It’s tough news for obese planets that they’ll have to do a billion or more laps before they start losing weight, but here’s hoping they stick to their routine.  More at New Scientist.

Story via the always stunning The Cellar.