“Relative to a Tea Cup”

I recently stumbled upon the National Geographic Animals site, which looks quite interesting, with images so cute it makes you want to just punch someone.

Hedgehog.
Could the illustrator be British perhaps?

Ruby-throated hummingbird.
The flower’s a nice touch!

Mola (sunfish).
Holy smokes, I had no idea sunfish could grow to be so big. (I first learned about their existence from a Banana Yoshimoto story, in which the protagonist visits this sunfish at an aquarium.)
The National Geographic site says that “they are harmless to people, but can be very curious and will often approach divers.” This photo, by Mike Johnson, shows just how bizarre sunfish look.

Out to Lunch?

Stuff and Junk

Add information about major bridges here.

Needless to say, neither of these Web sites proved very helpful.

Odds and Ends Pt. 6

“Real Life” by GameSpot–Just in case you need to get an idea of what real life is like before you participate.

“What’s Lost Is Found, Very Cheaply”–If you’re ever in Scottsboro, Alabama, be sure to stop by the Unclaimed Baggage Center. I’m not sure how people lose some of the stuff that ends up in the store. One shopper, called Allan, is quoted as saying, “When Jesse Jackson was running for president his suits came in here. And one year when M.C. Hammer was touring, his backdrop came in here from his concert stage.” Jewelry, skis, works of art. Nothing’s too priceless to lose. (Check out the interesting stuff section of the store’s Web site for more gems. I won’t spoil it for you.)

Driving Under the Influence–I’ve only ever seen a few minutes of Reno 911! And I will look back on those minutes fondly.

Ask MetaFilter–Have I ever mentioned that I love this site? All the discussions I’ve ever read on there have been surprisingly good (and spam- and flame-free). Get or share your answers to such timeless questions as “What exactly do people, especially young people (18-22) DO at the lake or beach all day?” I’m still trying to decide whether or not I want to pay the $5 one-time registration fee to be able to post comments.

Metropolitan Opera–This New York institution (see Moonstruck) is having its first-ever open house Sept. 22. For those with no obligations that Friday, you can attend the final dress rehearsal for Madama Butterfly, which will kick off the Met’s 2006-07 season. Tickets to the rehearsal are free and will be distributed Wednesday, Sept. 20 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Survivor–The next season of this reality adventure show will premiere Sept. 14, with four teams of five members each based on race. Which means that the show will boost the total number of Asians on TV to 5. (OK, that might be a little harsh. More like, 6.)

Pluto’s demotion–Did anyone stop to think about the astrologers??

Where Science Meets Culture

Jesse recommended I check out Phylotaxis. Pretty.

Odds and Ends Pt. 4

A man tries to make paper by referring to a poem. Learn about the results in his hilarious report “Recipe for Paper,” which recently aired on public radio program Studio 360.

Goto Reviews, which bills itself as “A Guide to the Most Efficient Things in the World,” is a nifty site. For example, it made a reference to the “Mealbox” table. The chairs and table are all shaped in such a way that they can be stacked together and packed into a box.

And thanks to dan dan noodles for his concern. When I tripped, it was on a poorly lit, nearly empty block. A guy walking in the other direction turned around and asked me if I was OK, and that was about it, no snickering or laughs that I could hear. Incidentally, today around lunchtime, I was walking down 14th Street, which some of you know as one of the major crosstown streets in New York, when an older woman in front of me tripped and fell. The gentleman who’d been walking in front of her and I stopped to make sure she wasn’t hurt, but she seemed more embarrassed than anything else, her sunglasses sitting askew on her nose.