John Dickerson

Amazing video from Jason Kottke. Go to his site to read how the Japanese bee protects itself.

Rick Perry speaks plain truths.

Water balloon doesn’t break on face. (via Andrew Sullivan) 

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One of the things that makes North Korea such a tricky rogue regime is that it may in fact be true that all military personnel have nuclear devices in their enormous souffle hats. This amazing photograph makes North Korea look like Sim City circa 2000.

Entire collection here.

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There is a guy with 59 tattoos of Julia Roberts on his body. Can you stalk someone while standing still? I found this set of tattoo pictures actually interesting, though it had the whiff of click fishing. 

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August lightning storm in Grand Canyon. (by DanRansom.com via @reddit)

Supernova by Girlyman. 

What would my natural reaction have been to this arrival of the tsunami? I mean the body just isn’t prepared for this kind of thing to happen.

Why we react to wonderful music the way we do

When a listener experiences a frisson, Huron believes that he first reacts with fear toward the stimulus, then comes to enjoy it by consciously recognizing that the stimulus is actually harmless.

Story on music-evoked frisson.

We Who Are Your Closest Friends

 by Phillip Lopate

we who are
your closest friends
feel the time
has come to tell you
that every Thursday
we have been meeting
as a group
to devise ways
to keep you
in perpetual uncertainty
frustration
discontent and
torture
by neither loving you
as much as you want
nor cutting you adrift

your analyst is
in on it
plus your boyfriend
and your ex-husband
and we have pledged
to disappoint you
as long as you need us

in announcing our
association
we realize we have
placed in your hands
a possible antidote
against uncertainty
indeed against ourselves
but since our Thursday nights
have brought us
to a community of purpose
rare in itself
with you as
the natural center
we feel hopeful you
will continue to make
unreasonable
demands for affection
if not as a consequence
of your
disastrous personality

then for the good of the collective