It’s Thursday night, which means it’s once again time for GUESS THE THEME. All the clips below have something in common. Do you know what it is? Leave your best guesses in the comments section.

Michael Bolton – That’s What Love Is All About (more…)

I can probably pick out a Manet from a Monet, or a Picasso from a Dali. But I had a much, much harder time picking out a Hitler from a Churchill. See if you fare any better than me below.

Take the Quiz: Hitler or Churchill?

It’s not always a trained negotiator who talks a potential jumper off the ledge. Sometimes it’s a shock jock, a rapper, or a hotel maid.

1. Howard Stern Keeps Caller On the Line, On the Bridge

Howard Stern gets odd phone calls every day, but on the morning of December 7, 1994, he got a real doozy: 29-year-old Emilio Bonilla called Stern’s show while perched on the outer edge of New York’s George Washington Bridge.

Bonilla explained to Stern and co-host Robin Quivers that he was planning on jumping, and Stern decided that he had to do whatever it took to keep the Bonilla on the line until help could arrive. Stern later said, “Once I determined this was a jumper, I said: ‘I have to keep this man laughing . . . until the cops get there.’”

Stern cracked that if Bonilla jumped, he’d miss the Stern’s upcoming film. Port Authority police who were listening to the show heard Stern joking with Bonilla and sent officers to the scene to pull the jumper back onto the bridge. Another Stern listener beat them to it, though. When Brooklyn’s Helen Trimble heard the Stern broadcast while crossing the bridge, she got out of her car, ran to Bonilla, and put him in a bearhug to keep him from jumping.

Police officers congratulated Stern on helping avert a potential tragedy, but Stern was self-deprecating about his actions. “Who better to help someone who is psychologically disturbed than Howard Stern, who himself is psychologically disturbed?” he joked.

2. Rapper Makes His Best Video

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We’ve heard plenty (probably too many) athletes try to become musicians. But what happens when it goes the other way?

Soul singer Marvin Gaye actually considered dropping his musical career at one point to fulfill his dream of playing in the Super Bowl with his hometown Detroit Lions. In the midst of a depression after the death of his longtime singing partner Tammi Terrell, Gaye recorded the single “What’s Going On.”

Appearing as background singers on the track were two of Gaye’s friends, Lions cornerback Lem Barney and running back Mel Farr. Barney had once introduced himself to Gaye by knocking on the door of his Detroit home and the two became fast friends, eventually roping Farr into the friendship. Gaye brought them to the studio when he recorded “What’s Going On” and invited them to sing on the track. However, when Motown producers refused to release the politically-charged single, Gaye again turned to his friends to pursue his longtime dream of playing in the Super Bowl with the Lions.

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I’m not a teacher, but I came across this excellent video by teacher C.G.P. Grey explaining his system for organizing and managing his teaching life. While it is in part an ad for his time-management coaching services, it actually seems useful on its own — and he’s giving away what appears to be the good stuff, rather than holding it all back for paid customers.

So what do you think, teachers? Is this good stuff? What tips would you add? Also check out the YouTube comments for some helpful tips (and, uh, some crappy YouTube comments).

For the record, I don’t know this guy and have no connection to him. But his YouTube videos are really great.

We’re continuing Movie Week with a look at one of the ’90s classic cult films. Crank up your AC/DC, shave your head, ramp up your teenage angst and see how much you remember about Empire Records.

And chime in in the comments with your favorite song off the soundtrack.

Take the Quiz: Empire Records

We see fossil reconstructions or illustrations of species that have come and gone and we sometimes say, “Come on now, that can’t be real!” Or maybe you don’t, but I have, because these creatures look like they came from a horror film or a child’s most frightening nightmares.

1. The Creature: Platybelodon
The Nightmare: Pink Elephants on Parade on Acid

Quick -how many prehistoric relatives of the elephant can you name? Mammoth, mastodon, and …that’s it, right? Meet Platybelodon. Even the minds who conceived Heffalumps and Snuffleupagus would consider this creature to be too ridiculous to believe. When I first encountered Platybelodon in this illustration by DeviantART member Sk00tie, I thought the artist had made up the species. But no…

Platybelodon was a “shovel tusker”. Ten million years ago, it roamed Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America, eating trees and plants that grow in swamps. It is one of several ancient elephants from the Gomphothere family. See more of Platybelodon in a YouTube video.

2. The Creature: Bullockornis
The Nightmare: The Demon Duck of Doom

What looks a bit like a duck, but is eight feet tall and eats wombats? Bullockornis planei was a bird that roamed Australia as far back as 15 million years ago, but possibly also survived to see mankind.
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The daily mentalfloss.com Brain Game has been around a few years now, and it amazes me that we’ve been allowed to even reach the 26th entry in the Really, Really Bad Rebus series. In the past, I’ve singled out a few of these puzzles that lived up to their descriptive adjectives. But today’s entry is truly, absolutely, positively the worst one I’ve ever done. It kinda breaks the rules of a rebus in about eight ways. And I’m sorry.

Of course, the payoff will be better if you give it a good sporting try, so please do so before succumbing to temptation. Good luck!

Don’t lash out! Welcome this final day of June with today’s multiple-choice 5 Questions quiz: “Lash” Blast

What was that weird expanding halo of light seen from Hawaii? It looked like a giant blowing bubbles, but astronomy forums have worked out a more reasonable explanation.
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15 Badass Recipients Of The Dickin Medal. This is an award for animals who served honorably during wartime, even the pigeons.
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How do polar bears cope with shrinking ice caps? They eat less, grow less, and have fewer cubs -all bad signs for their future.
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I love Swede Mason’s re-edit of the TV show MasterChef into a snappy techno rhythm. I love the buttery biscuit base, too!
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6 Beloved 80s Toys With Bizarrely Horrifying Origin Stories. And what does this say about the movers and shakers who grew up on these tales? (NSFW text)
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The Ray Harryhausen Creature List. The legendary special effects wizard was a master of the stop-motion monster, every one of which you’ll see in this video.
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7 July 4th Traditions from Around the Nation. Although it is quite possible to grow up in New England and never eat salmon for the holiday.