Biomes Blog

Entry #2208: Political Animals

Animal of the Week: The remaining twenty percent of harlequin frog species that still exist in Costa Rica are facing extinction because of global warming.

How many minutes do you need to work to earn enough for a Big Mac?

Although most of us wish we could erase the Bush years from history, these two sites gave me some hope in those days. Americans say “sorry everybody” and the world responds with a site called “apologies accepted”.

Meet Incitatus the Horse, and seven other animals that ran for government positions.

Churches in Italy now have holy water dispensers in an effort to prevent spreading swine flu to parishioners.

Entry #2207: Whale Bonding

Twenty-one news caption mistakes.

Hans found this phenomenal photo of an Inuit hunter petting a young bowhead whale that has surfaced in a breathing hole he cut for it. At another time of year he would be hunting her. I'm pretty sure that's a generator-powered pump he's using to keep the water from refreezing.

The Talking Squid identifies five easy lies you can use to misrepresent a statistical graph. I’m pretty sure Fox uses all of these on a regular basis.

Ten weird facts about the brain.

Hump Day musical interlude: The worst cover of a Beatles song ever.

Entry #2206: Making Tracks

Tuesday coonhound blogging: Creole in the slowly melting snow. Click the photograph to open it in a new window resulting in a slightly larger image.

Googled, from search engine to verb.

Stuff you should know: Admitting errors reduces them.

Taken from Mars, check out this image of Earth and its moon and Jupiter and its moons, all in one frame.

Now we're cookin': Below the fold is one of my chili recipes. This is my favorite one, but it will take you about three hours to make.

Entry #2205: Mystery of Zomia

This pit in Turkenistan, which is filled with natural gas, has been burning since 1971.

Today’s long read is the mystery of Zomia and the case against civilization.

Albino Monday: Spain grants special refugee status for a black African albino. Due to social stigmas, his life was in serious danger in Mali (thanks, Hans).

Chocolate covered bacon on a stick.

Bad art featuring Kenny Rogers.

Entry #2204: The Dropa Stones

Watch the developmental stages of a chicken egg to a baby chick.

Ten unexplained artifacts.

Morford: Let the vampire backlash begin!

Mr. Deity and the Identity Crisis. If you liked this, then you’ll like the outtakes. 

As an atheist I tend to avoid religious topics here mainly out of disinterest, unless I’m mocking the more absurd beliefs and customs. But the Evangelical Environmental Network deserves some props for developing the Creation Care website, at least basing one aspect of their works in reality and selflessness, and they’re this week’s Green Thing.

Entry #2203: Giant George

Pet Corner: Meet Giant George. He's a blue great dane from Arizona who is now the tallest known dog.

Even if you can get past the moustache, would you vote for a guy who has this campaign website?

The Broke Ass Gourmet is a niche blog that features frugal recipes that can be made for under $20.

Howdy...

Today’s slide show is of the winners of the 2006 “small world” microphotography contest (click on “slide show” to view).

Entry #2202: A Very Dylan Christmas

Buy your bacon christmas ornaments here.

Someone in Boise’s been watching Christmas Story.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas.

Mug shots of Santa Claus.

Bob Dylan, in a top hat and wig, sings “Must Be Santa”.

Entry #2201: Crab Invasion

Animal of the week: Christmas tree worms. I wrote this last year.

Meet the Christmas truck.

D. Sidhe got yesterday's trivia close enough. It's a closeup of the sunset moth's wing scales.

Outdoor trees lit up for the holidays.

Bonus animal of the week: Christmas Island red crabs.

Entry #2200: Bad Role Models

Trivia (10 Biomes points): What’s this?

Crazy menorahs.

Is Santa a bad role model for kids?

Carrot Jesus has the church’s blessing.

Hump Day musical interlude: Roy Zimmerman’s “Christmas is Pain”, a parody of Robert Zimmerman. Via Velvet Blog.

Entry #2199: Snow Hound

How to keep your christmas gift a secret.

The New York City health department has an anti-soda ad up, and you might need a strong stomach to get through it.

Stuff you should know: Why women cry more than men.

Now we’re cookin’: Perfect boiled eggs.

Tuesday coonhound blogging: Click to embiggen Creole confused by snow. Minutes later she couldn't get enough of being buried shoulder-deep.

Entry #2198: Via

Hans, who is now apparently taking over albino mondays, finds a story about a white blackbird.

Did you know you could be arrested for not leaving a tip in a restaurant, even if the service is terrible (granted, the tip was part of the bill in this case, but still)? Via Waiter Rant.

Lion and tiger and bear, living together (via Hans).

Salar De Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt flat in the world.

Impove Everywhere has another episode of their actors suddenly breaking out in song in public places. This one’s called Grocery Store Musical, and the expressions on the faces of the non-actors are great (via Sideshow).

Entry #2197: Jimmy

This week’s Green Thing is a tremendously huge pickle.

Bet you didn’t know that a male crab is called a “jimmy”.

Here are some really weird cars.

Top ten new species of organisms discovered in the past couple years.

Morford: New Coke mini: Now with 36% less death!

Entry #2196: Talking on Bananas

Check out the winners of the 2008 Oops Design Awards, given to the world’s ugliest products. This one’s a very ugly lamp that looks like a clump of salamander eggs.

Pet Corner: Dogs are as smart as two-year-old kids. (via Velvet Blog)

The bike stunts these two girls do are incredible.

Presents for the godless: The 13 days of atheist christmas.

People Talking on Bananas is another niche blog that features photos of people talking on bananas.

Entry #2195: Cook's Endeavor

Worth 1000 has a photoshop contest about animals dressed as pirates.

Geek Stuff: Scar Wars. It’s a Han Solo/Tony Montana mashup.

You can watch the entire Bill Murray film “Scrooged” online here. I didn’t know this co-starred Karen Allen.

Cool Site of the Week: Wanderlust maps out some of the greatest journeys in history.

iPod Shuffle:

1. Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan, live)
2. Nino (Jackson Browne)
3. Not Enough Love in the World (Don Henley)
4. Belle Isle (Bob Dylan)
5. Down the Road Tonight (Bruce Hornsby)

Entry #2194: The One with the Snaefell

Animal of the Week: Once endangered, the ocelot is making a strong comeback.

December's architectural eyesore of the month.

I’ve always wondered how The Boy can figure out pretty much any computer problem I throw at him. xkcd has a flowchart that explains how he does it.

Meet the Snaefell. It’s been completed.

Squirrel recipes.