Ressurecting my old “Daily Digest” of random stuff that I’ve seen elsewhere on Livejournal or the Internet at Large. Some of it will be informative, some of it humourous, and none of it really worth making an entire post over. Enjoy!
Physorg.com has an article detailing The Most Offbeat Science News of 2005, including researchers in California building DNA profiles from leftovers of a dinner party, the discovery of the stone dwelling puzzle mouse, and the revelation that cane toads are attracted to disco lights.
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy food maven Ted Allen spoke with NPR’s Susan Stanberg with turkey tips and other holiday recipes. (The audio link on the page linked requires javascript and RealAudio or Windows Media Player).
Also on NPR, a rememberance of John Langstaff, founder of the Christmas Revels, who passed away last week. I meant to send this to telynor when I heard it on the radio, and figure that it fits nicely here as well.
the_magician and filkertom point to the Music Genome Project. Quoth the Magician:
A group of musicians have listened to tens of thousands of tracks by thousands of artists and figured out a “genetic fingerprint” for each … and then they’ve set up an internet streaming radio station where you can type in an artist you like (e.g. Sarah McLachlan) and they look at the fingerprint (Subtle use of vocal harmony, mild rhythmic syncopation, acoustic rhythm piano, meandering melodic phrasing and mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation.) and play other tracks that they think you will enjoy. You can vote “like”/”dislike” for each track and it will build up a better targetted radio stream for you.
Requires Flash.
kightp links to a delightfully tongue-in-cheek article on the Catholic Church’s decision to close Limbo.
You can buy a tank from Amazon. (Side note to folkmew: Where *else* would you look to buy a tank?)
beige_alert points us towards The Cavalcade of Bad Nativites. Some of this stuff is just pure freakin’ art, man.