miss-cellania

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Bulletproof Backpacks

With all the books, supplies, and clothing children need for back-to-school, this year's hot item is the bulletproof backpack. Ballistic Bookbags were developed by two Massachusetts dads, Mike Pelonzi and Joe Curran, and the number of units sold so far has been higher than they expected. At $175 each, they cost about ten times what I spent on backpacks this year. Is the paranoia inherent in this type of product worth it? The advertising video for Ballistic Bookbags is enough to give you nightmares.... READ ON

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Life Before Air Conditioning

How in the world did people deal with the heat of August without air conditioning? Lots of ways, both time-tested and... READ ON

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9 Really Cool Aquariums

A well-designed and maintained aquarium is a treat for the eye, a conversation piece, and a satisfying hobby. Some are much more than... READ ON

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Who flew before the Wright Brothers?

Orville and Wilbur Wright are generally credited with being the first in flight. Whether that's true depends on your definition of "flight". If you mean controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, then that's what they are known for, but even that may not be quite true, since controlled and sustained are not black-or-white terms. There were plenty of aviation pioneers working on flying in the nineteenth century; after all, we had automobiles and balloons and... READ ON

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Don't Try This at Home: Totally Dangerous Experiments

Learning about science and the experimental method is a lot of fun. Mix this with that and see what you get! Sometimes the result can be, well, hazardous to your health. But if you survive such an encounter, you have to tell all your friends. With the internet, you can tell everyone, and even show the video. But seeing it done doesn't make these experiments any safer. Remember, the ones who survived to tell their tales are the lucky ones. Most of the experiments detailed here were done by... READ ON

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Ten Reasons why Teddy Roosevelt is the Coolest President Ever

Last week, mental_floss asked for input on three possible covers for the upcoming magazine issue. The one featuring president Theodore Roosevelt was the favorite among commenters. I don't know which cover was selected, but it made me think of the many ways Roosevelt stands out in history. Here are just ten, in no particular order. One commenter mentioned that readers of this blog would not know who Teddy R. is. That would surprise me, but maybe this will help you know him a little better. 1.... READ ON

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12 Pop Culture Cavemen (and Cavewomen)

The caveman movie National Lampoon's Homo Erectus will hit theaters in September. The sitcom based on the GEICO Caveman ads will premiere in October. But cavemen are nothing new to pop culture. A man (or woman) who resembles us but does not understand or fit in with the confusing modern world is a wonderful device for both comedy and adventure. These 12 cavemen and cavewomen are not ranked; who am I to rank cavemen? They are in chronological order. 1932 Alley... READ ON

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The LOLcat of Death

The internet is composed of about 75% cat pictures and 20% unbelievable stories to amaze your friends.* So it's no wonder Oscar, the cat who predicts death, captured the imagination of cyberspace last week. Oscar lives in a nursing home, and only curls up with patients who die within the next few hours. You can read the entire report in the New England Journal of Medicine, or the shorter Associated Press story we linked... READ ON

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Niche Dating Sites

Online dating was once regarded as a bit strange, and possibly a last resort of the lonely. Now, online dating sites and social networking are downright commonplace! Thousands of people have joined eHarmony and Match.com, and posted a profile on Yahoo Personals. Social networking sites that are more than dating services (such as Friendster and Facebook) are quite popular. But the size of those pools can be intimidating. You can narrow your search for a date by seeking out a niche service, a dating service... READ ON

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A Dozen Pumpkins

I have twelve orange pumpkins in my garden (and a couple of green ones). I didn't even plan to raise pumpkins this year! We had a bit of a warm spell in February, when I noticed there were some pumpkin sprouts in the compost pile, from the seeds of last year's Jack O'Lantern (which came from our garden). I rescued the sprouts and potted them up, keeping them safe and warm til May, then transplanted them into the garden. With that head start, the pumpkin crop is already beyond my... READ ON