I’m headed into the boonies this week for a much needed respite, and since I won’t have internet access I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorites from Weekend Links past. Revisit these (or experience them for the first time) and remember to send me more! FlossyLinks@gmail.com.

But before we get to the greatest hits, here’s a new video from Michael at The Daily Tube, home of the best new videos on the internet…

• You might have heard of Project Greenlight, but what about a competition for the WORST movie ideas? It’s called Project Redlight, and was judged by Harvey Weinstein himself, who chose an all-out winner from a competitive field of ten. I fear the one with Rob Schneider might actually get produced.

• If only the Oxford English Dictionary (or the Urban Dictionary, for that matter) had celebrity pictures to match up with the definitions … luckily, this site does! Learn new words alongside celebrity gossip. Now that’s hot.
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This weekend, you’ll be hearing a lot about a tiny, out-of-the-way place that normally has to get hit by a natural disaster to get our attention. Such is the wonder and magic of primary season.

I’m not talking about some quiet town in the middle of Tornado Alley, though. On June 1, all eyes are on Puerto Rico, the small Caribbean island that will send 63 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, even though its residents don’t get to vote in the general election.

What gives?
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I think today’s list doesn’t require too much introduction on my part – it’s pretty self-explanatory! Feel free to add your favorite banned books in the comments.

10 Classic Books That Have Been Banned

1. The Call of the Wild by Jack London was banned in Yugoslavia and Italy and was burned by Nazis.
2. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was banned in many places across the U.S., but was particularly banned in California because the book depicted the state badly.
3. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss has been banned across the U.S. for it’s allegorical political commentary.
4. Ulysses by James Joyce was banned for sexual content. The ban was overturned in a court case called the United States vs. One Book Called Ulysses.
5. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was banned in Nazi Germany for insulting the Wehrmacht.
6. Animal Farm by George Orwell was delayed in the U.K. because of its anti-Stalin theme. It was confiscated in Germany by Allied troops, banned in Yugoslavia in 1946, banned in Kenya in 1991 and banned in the United Arab Emirates in 2002.
7. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner was banned in Kentucky because it was “anti-Christian” and contained bad language.
8. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell was banned in South Africa in 1955 for using the world “Black” in the title.
9. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was banned in lots of places across the U.S. because the character exhibited “inappropriate” behavior, plus bad language and sexual content.
10. The Giver by Lois Lowry was banned in a few states including California and Kentucky for addressing issues such as euthanasia.

Last night’s LOST season finale made mention of a “Dead Man’s Trigger,” which is another term for a Dead Man’s Switch. Although these devices are well known to some geeks, I thought I’d write a little explainer to introduce the notion more broadly. (Warning: very minor LOST spoilers follow.) While the LOST switch was in fact a “fail-deadly” (the opposite of a fail-safe), the concept is similar. In fact, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Dead Man’s Switch on LOST: Season 2 was all about Desmond’s switch.

The Dead Man’s Switch is generally a fail-safe device intended to take action if a human fails to routinely activate it — in other words, if the human dies, the switch goes off, and something happens.

Historically, a Dead Man’s Switch was installed in potentially dangerous machinery like locomotives, streetcars, and subways. The switch itself could take many forms, though typically it was a handle of some sort that needed to be operated by the user. By forcing the human operator of these machines to occasionally (or even continuously) activate the switch, you could (theoretically) ensure that the machine would shut down if the operator was dead, incapacitated, or missing. Common mechanical Dead Man’s Switches exist in New York subways and even lawnmowers and tractors. Here’s a snippet from Wikipedia:

In many modern New York Subway trains, for example, the dead man’s switch is incorporated into the train’s speed control. On the R142A the train operator must continually hold the lever in place. This was depicted in the movie and book The Taking of Pelham 123, in which a group of men hijack a New York City subway train for ransom, but because of the Dead-man’s feature, cannot escape while the train is moving.

Every lawn mower sold in the US since 1982 has an “operator-presence” device, which by law must stop the blades within 3 seconds after the user lets go of the controls.

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Today marks the anniversary of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922. It’s definitely one of the most distinguishable landmarks in Washington D.C., a place that certainly isn’t lacking in memorable monuments. But how much do you really know about the famous tribute? I’ve tracked down some interesting tidbits for you to add to your arsenal of info.

1. It took 50 years to happen

Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865. Just under two years later, in March 1867, the Lincoln Monument Association was incorporated by Congress to build an appropriate memorial to our 16th president. Apparently that was the easy part. It took the next 34 years to choose a location, and when one was finally chosen in 1901, the area was all swampland. It was another 10 years before the monument was authorized by Congress, and on February 12, 1914 (Lincoln’s birthday) the first stone was officially put into place. Eight years later, the dedication ceremony took place and was attended by Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd. The monument was dedicated by William Howard Taft.
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1. We’re getting some great comments under this morning’s spelling bee quiz. I hope more former spelling prodigies come out of the woodwork. But spelling wasn’t the only quirky way to separate yourself from your grade school classmates. Perhaps you dominated the National Geography Bee. Or won a gold medal in gymnastics at the Junior Olympics. Or were a world class math-lete. Or starred in a Crispy Critters cereal commercial. (They were indubitably delicious.) What secret talent from your youth have you been hiding?

2. Yesterday we posted an article about people fired for blogging. Got any good stories about getting canned?
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As I’ve mentioned before, my spelling bee dreams died in the Lakeview Elementary School cafeteria in 1989. But that hasn’t soured me on the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The finals are tonight on ABC.

Think you can spell with the best of them? Today’s bonus quiz contains ten winning words from past Scripps National Spelling Bees. Can you tell which variation is spelled correctly?

After you take the quiz, let us know which word spelled your downfall in your own spelling bee career.

The first thing you need to know is, it’s awesome. I tried it while in New Zealand last month, and speaking as someone who’s got issues with heights, I can assure you that once you’ve hurled yourself off the cliff/mountain/ledge and are airborne, it’s just about the most fun you’re likely to have. (As proof, check out this video of my flight and my wife’s landing; we’re practically giddy.)

1. It’s not to be confused with hang-gliding

I found this out literally as I was being driven up a hair-raising mountain switchback to the launch point. (I recommend finding out a little earlier.) The major difference lies in the wing shape and design. Hang gliders are solid wing structures, utilizing an aluminum frame to create a V-shaped wing that resembles the stealth bomber. Paragliders are soft wing structures, with no internal frame, which once inflated have an elliptical shape. Because they have a slower flying speed, they’re much more forgiving than hang gliders, and as a result the learning curve is usually less steep for paragliding. Also, paragliders fold conveniently into a small bag, so you can take them mountain trekking then paraglide down when you’re tired of being on a mountain. (Link.) (more…)

Whether you’re a Sex and the City fan or were forced to watch it with your significant other, there’s no doubt it was a cultural phenomenon for the six seasons it aired. So kick off your Manolos, pour yourself a Cosmo and see how much you remember about Sex before you go to see the movie.

Take our Sex quiz

We had more than 100 stupendous faux-quote submissions, so it took a little time to winnow it down. But we did! And we’re back with your finalists. As always, please only vote once in the comments. If you try to sneak in a second vote under a different e-mail addy, will be forced to circulate nefarious thoughts in staff CCs behind your back.

Remember: the winner gets a free copy of David Pratt’s new book, The Impossible Takes Longer: The 1,000 Wisest Things Ever Said by Nobel Prize Laureates.

And the finalists are…

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