© Bob Krist/CORBIS ??If you're from a town with a strong union presence, you know that if new commercial construction happens without union labor, protests often follow. Burly guys in work boots and union shirts will take to the streets to wave signs, pass out flyers, and draw attention to whatever business has offended them. Sometimes they'll bring a special guest—a giant inflatable rat with sharp, menacing buckteeth and claws, beady red eyes and a belly scattered with festering blemishes and... READ ON

In late 2010, Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon performed a medley of hip-hop songs starting with Sugar Hill Gang and ending with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Last night it happened again, this time starting with Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" and featuring a rousing ending on Biz Markie's classic "Just a Friend." Again, I take issue with calling this the history of "rap" and think this is really a history of "hip hop" (read more about what hip hop is here), but perhaps I'm just showing my nerdcore roots.... READ ON

As I type this, there are at least two nuclear reactors in serious danger of meltdown in Japan. I think they are already in partial meltdown. I don't know, because nuclear reactors are tough things to get inside, and Japan's nuclear regulatory agency is spending most of its time trying to avert disaster rather than speculating on what might be happening (this doesn't stop lots of pundits, myself included, from weighing in). For the latest, check this page from the IAEA. But despite the headlines, we... READ ON

If you recall my post on Incredibly Specific Dating Sites (Darwin Dating is still the scariest!), I like to write about the subject. In my opinion, the problem with Internet dating is not meeting people; it's knowing when to stop meeting people. I should know, because for all intents and purposes, I met my fiancé online. And while sure, some part of finding your other half is simply perseverance and ultimate good fortune, another, perhaps larger part, is knowing the best game plan. Just like in hockey,... READ ON