A few months ago I said I’d blog about the highlights I had gleaned from my friends’ blogs. Well, here they finally are: Twitter is the latest social software craze from the valley, whose appeal I barely understand. Anyway, if you want to know what the buzz is about, Thomas Han, an avid user, has …
Category Archives: Oddities
One gold coin. One million dollars.
Get a load of this: earlier this month, the Royal Canadian Mint introduced a gold coin with a face value of C$1 million. It’s 99.999% pure gold and weighs 100 kilograms, or 45 pounds 220 pounds.
Bizarre misuse of languages
You may have heard of Engrish.com, which showcases the bizarre ways English is often used to “look cool” in Japan and China. Well, two can play that game: Tian Tang was inspired by Engrish to set up Hanzi Smatter, which is dedicated to the bizarre ways Chinese characters are used to look cool in Western …
Speaking of viral videos…
Here are the latest in web fun, courtesy of Clemens and Jason: The amazing powers of thermite, especially when it meets a car Lighting a barbecue grill… with liquid oxygen (a classic) What if the Transformers landed on Earth during the Industrial Revolution? The real life Simpsons introduction, commissioned by Sky TV in the UK
“Important Safety Precautions”
Here are a few safety warnings in the manual of my new cell phone, the LG VX6100: “Do not use your phone in high explosive areas as the phone may generate sparks.” (I personally never want to be in a high explosive area.) “Never place your phone in a microwave oven as it will cause …
Floating islands
How would you like your lakeshore backyard destroyed by a floating island crashing into it?
I’m eligible for what?
Here’s one of the more amusing letters I’ve gotten recently: Dear Mr Jimmy Lin, Our records show that you haven’t yet registered for the benefits of AARP membership, even thought you are fully eligible…. I know I’ve been a grad student for a long time, but still…
School Mistakes Huge Burrito for a Weapon
“I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,” school Principal Diana Russell said.
USB flash drives that look good enough to eat
I’ll be darned: USB flash drives that really look like sushi.
Signpost Forest
Now this is my type of visitor attraction: Signpost Forest in the Yukon Territory. (Thanks to Ripley’s Believe It or Not, April 5, 2005.)