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This week's water tower is found in Plains, GA. Their town website is pretty hideous looking.
Joel Stein writes a good op-ed about how 2006 was the year Americans began to act like adults again.
Rolling Stone’s list of the ten best movies of 2006.
Here’s a bit more about the how the world’s tallest man saved two dolphins.
Meet Baney the frog.
Toys for little conservatives.
Buy your scorpion suckers here.
Why would the Bush administration actually do the right thing for once in six years by requesting that the polar bear be protected under the Endangered Species Act? Call me cynical, but I'll tell you exactly why. Because the steps needed to ensure its survival will soon be impossible without completely turning energy production, policy and usage upside-down, which will then give conservatives the needed faux-public outrage (headed by their talk radio and Fox News lackeys, of course) needed to gut the ES Act. And you thought the Spotted Owl nonsense in the '80s got nasty?
Largest Arctic ice break in 25 years.
The anti-science, pro-mythology republicans in charge are not allowing government scientists or employees to tell visitors the real estimated age of the Grand Canyon because it makes the baby Jesus cry, or something.
In an essay/rant I wrote for dailykos a while back, I half-jokingly suggested planting mirrors at the North Pole to reflect sunlight and slow global warming. Check this out: The Swiss are actually doing this. Sort of.
Al Gore caught warming globe to increase box office profits.
iPod Shuffle (a day late):
Trivia (6 Biomes points): 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = ?
David Neiwert, over at Orcinus, is in the process of putting together an incredible ten-part series on the history of eliminationism. Part IV is especially educational (and horrific) and documents the decimation of North America’s indigenous peoples by the newly arrived Europeans. I'm looking forward to the next six chapters.
I bet the neighbors hate the owners of this insane Christmas lights display.
Draw your way to the flag. I gave up.
The Underwear Oracle. According to this very short quiz, I'm apparently the type of guy who lets his girlfriend pick out his shorts. No comment.
Anyone know why hundreds of people are googling "Hoyt Pollard" all of a sudden?
Beautiful landscape photos. Maru, you’ll want to bookmark this one.
I knew “American Pie” would show up on this list even before I saw it.
Now we’re cookin’: Dirty secrets of the food processing industry.
Trivia (10 Biomes points): If you were to spell out the numbers, starting with “one”, how far would you have to go to reach the letter “A”?
RIP President Ford. A republican who wasn't a dimwitted, warmongering twit. High praise indeed.
Watch some very funny ads.
A history of religion in 90 seconds, featuring a very cool flash map.
Here’s a government fact sheet on how you can get rich exploiting the chaos we created in Iraq.
Baghdad Bob revisited.
Wow. A new study finds that ancient Egyptians made the pyramids by pouring concrete into molds, not by heaving the huge blocks up ramps as we were taught in school.
This week's water tower is covered in Christmas lights.
A Christmas Story in 30 seconds as re-enacted by bunnies.
Watch what happens when a flame touches a dry christmas tree.
Buy your little chocolate sneakers here.
Flying Spaghetti Monster nativity.
The physics of Santa and his reindeer.
Today’s long read: Boss Hog, from Rolling Stone. Welcome to the dark side of the other white meat. And enjoy your christmas ham.
Here’s a ten second movie about a squirrel.
Buy your Sesame Street Giggle Drill here.
The long arms of the world’s tallest man saved two dolphins from dying after eating plastic.
Explaining Finland’s mysterious mirages.
So Long and Thanks, Fish is a very good essay on the imminent collapse of the world’s marine ecosystems due to overfishing pressures.
Possible histories of the Christmas Tree.
Golly, gosh, aww gee whizz, Rummy’s gone as of last Friday.
Today’s slide show is about some kids' reactions to Santa. Merry Christmas.
Here’s a nice article about Gene Wilder.
iPod Shuffle.
(Image probably via Maru.)
Did you know that apparently Santa Claus is now a Disney-owned character?
Reminder: It’s that time of year again for all Pastafarians to celebrate the FSM.
Holiday cheers from a Pastafarian.
Pet Corner: Here are the ten least intelligent breeds of dogs.
Dick Cheney: “That’s Funny!”
Happy holidays from the whitehouse dogs (image swiped from a Daily Show clip).
I’ve been pretty worked up about the climate crisis lately, culminating in this rant I put up at Dailykos, as well as attending my first Moveon.org house screening of An Inconvenient Truth on Saturday. But here’s a bit of possible good news. A scientist is proposing that injecting a million tons per year of sulpher (like what a major volcanic eruption would do) could offset the effects of greenhouse gasses. The downside as I see it, however, is that sulpher is a major cause of acid rain. Still, it’s worth a thorough study to see if this could work.
I want to live in this wind-shaped pavillion.
Another website designed to induce seizures in my dog.
You know that ISG report that has been all over the internet, radio and TV for the past few weeks? A Newsweek poll has revealed that 26% of Americans responded “Report, what report?”
Search Results: Someone found the Biomes Blog by googling “my dog keeps eating potting soil”. It brought them here.
Oh, please. Mary and I were eating in an outdoor cafe a few months ago when a skunk wandered in and started poking around under the tables for dropped food. The waitress said he showed up every few days. Aside from a few legs lifted up to let him pass, the most common reaction was to reach for a cell phone camera. Where are these wimps eating?
How many seconds until it’s tomorrow?
Pet Corner: Ugly dog contest.
Gore on the “Worst President Ever”. (via Blah3)
Movie Rating: The Boondock Saints.
I keep up pretty well with movies as they are released, so it’s unusual for me to find a gem that I’d never even heard of before. This film, set in a Boston that is even grittier than the one I know, combines mob wars and vigilantism to create a bloody, violent two hours that also has some of the funniest scenes and lines I’ve seen in any film of this kind. Willem Dafoe is outstanding as usual as a brilliant FBI agent. 4.9 starfish out of 5.
[Update: Yikes. Not many critics agree with me.]
MahJong Christmas is one of the most addictive online games I’ve found so far.
Pet Corner: Mr. Herman’s Cat Games.
Here’s a great ad for the September Fund.
This essay, written by Ron Kovic (the guy Tom Cruise played in “Born on the Fourth of July”) should be read and passed around.
Albino Monday: Camel (from Scorpio).
The Biomes Blog turns three years old today. Here's my first post from Dec. 17, 2003.
Listen to tons of bird calls here.
Watch someone get slapped in the face in slow motion.
Congratulations. You've been named Time Magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year".
Morford: The Sad Death of “Organic”.
What will be in your Christmas stocking? My results:
| Your Christmas Stocking Will Be Filled With Coal |
 Santa is just screwing with you |
