Learning to play a musical instrument can be quite daunting; not only do you need to know how to change the pitch in a musical way, but also how to physically manipulate the sound of the instrument. The following instruments are easy to learn because they simplify one or the other (or both) of these [...]

By George! A modernized version of “by Jove!” (in other words, Jupiter). For Pete’s Sake! A softer form of “for God’s sake” or “for Christ’s sake,” supposedly a reference to St. Peter. For the Love of Mike! Slightly less popular, according to Google, than “for the love of Pete!” but Pete’s already made the list, so I [...]

2007 seems to be the year for “3″ movies; not only films with “3″ in the title (e.g., 300, The Number 23), but also for those that are third in a series. Here are seven of them, listed in order of their release date.

Spider-Man 3: May 4, 2007 Shrek the Third: May 18, 2007 Pirates of the [...]

Just recently I was listening to a Peter, Paul and Mary album, and realized how many of their songs involve travel or someone leaving someone else behind (e.g., Leaving on a Jet Plane, Early Morning Rain). More than that, many of their songs mention a mode of transportation in particular. I guess it shouldn’t be [...]

Non-Newtonian fluids are substances that can act like both liquids and solids, depending on the pressure exerted upon them. Here are some video clips showing experiments people have undertaken to show the various properties of Non-Newtonian fluids.

A pool filled with non-newtonian fluid: This clip from a Spanish TV show features very excited people walking across [...]

With the win of Happy Feet for Best Animated Feature Film at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony, that makes two consecutive years in which a movie featuring penguins has won an Oscar (last year March of the Penguins won Best Feature Documentary). It may seem like the success of March of the Penguins has spawned the [...]

Tomorrow, February 24, is the 18th anniversary of the death of Laura Palmer. (And to think that she was only 17 at the time…gosh, it makes me feel old.) Laura Palmer was, of course, the fictional character around whom the plot of the TV series Twin Peaks revolved. A few minutes into the pilot, her [...]

When I first saw the ads for Norbit, Eddie Murphy’s new movie in which he portrays three different characters, I had a strong case of déjà vu. I thought, hasn’t he just been in a movie where he has more than one role? When I looked into it, I realized that he hasn’t done so [...]

If you’re looking for movies to watch with that special someone this Valentine’s Day, I suggest one of these gems as an alternative to the usual “date movie” suspects. These films highlight the sorrows and comedic travails of their quirky heroes and heroines in their search for true love.

A Fish Called Wanda: John Cleese and [...]

I’m not much of a sports fan, but I am intrigued by the nicknames colleges give to their sports teams. Although many are uninspired (e.g., Bears, Beavers, and Bobcats), others provide great fodder for creative visualization, like this list of team match-ups I’d like to see.

Meredith College Angels vs. University of the Sciences in Philadelphia [...]