Newsflash: Living in 1628 is hard work So that big reality show that had us all on the edge of our seat is finally over: that's right Colonial House! This is the latest in a series of programs done joinly with PBS and Channel 4 in the UK that explores what it would be like to live in a certain historical time period - modern people try to recreate that time with as much accuracy as possible. Hilarity, controversy and awesomeness insue (with video diaries!). more inside

Non-MacOS users need not apply. But if you like little choo-choos, you might want to get access to some fruity machine just for this 3D model train simulator (3Mb .SIT file). Need fresh air this weekend, SO keeps calling just to see if you're still alive, got plenty work piling up? Then DON'T look at this nifty toy. You've been warned. This post goes in loving memory of someone I know would have really liked it.

Friday Funnies Songs that stick in your head, comics, art, literature, politics...lots of the recent monkeyposts are tied together here.

Rodeohead. Bluegrass tribute music. Found here.

Read books online for free - Read Print is a free online library that "offers thousands of free books for students, teachers, and the classic enthusiast." Authors include George Orwell, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, and many many more. This makes me very, very happy. more inside

Art Imitating Life: So while cicadas have taken over large chunks of the United States, they now seem to have invaded the modern rock scene a theme song courtesy of the awesome band The Shins. Their song, Those to Come wasn't written with the red-eyed devils in mind, but the song appears to be a perfect fit, and band members seem happy to play along.

FreshHotGraphicArtFromRedChina!

It's always the equivalent of Cinco de Mayo somewhere in the world, dammit. For those of you who are always looking for an excuse to celebrate, DateDex lists every holiday, festival, major conference, "Awareness" day, celestial event and major sporting contest in the world. more inside

Medicine cabinet portraits: "People really do subconsciously compose their medicine cabinets," says New York photographer Coke Wisdom O'Neal. "They make these beautiful little landscapes." The photographer has been surreptitiously looking into people's medicine cabinets for years and "I pretty much carry my camera everywhere I go." He works under difficult conditions when he visits: "I mean, how long is it okay to be in the bathroom? Maybe three minutes? Four at the most. That's not a lot of time." A short Q&A with O'Neal about the exhibition can be found here.

Who is Rance? "Rance" claims to be an A-list Hollywood celebrity. But who is it? more inside

Curious George: Song in Your Head? Okay Monkeys, you've got a song stuck in your head. 1) How do you suggest getting it out? 2) What song is it? more inside

Scan your records These guys scanned old records with a laser and used a software program to get pristine audio from old and scratched 78 rpm records and wax cylinders. Mmm, I could have used this to rip my record collection before I sold all of them recently. There is also a (not related to this research) commercial laser record player on the market and it's even on sale. Only $4980 for a demo model.

Wayne White If you're lucky enough to be in New York, check out Wayne White's exhibition at the Clementine Gallery. White buys cheap trashy paintings at garage sales and thrift stores, and adds his own text, to amazing effect. You may recognise his work from Lambchop's albums. Okay, maybe he's a one-trick pony, but what a trick. [Via http://www.kottke.org].

How to fake UFO photos from Jr. Skeptic magazine, authored and photographed by Skeptic Art Director Pat Linse. [stolen from randi.org]

Mesopelagic woman with supraorbital ridge becomes compliant in linear accelerator lab - Your Monkey Task for today is to slip that phrase into everyday conversation. From Reality Carnival more inside

The Starry Messenger. Electronic history of astronomy.

Spot The Fake Smile. You'll see videos of twenty people's smiles. Decide which ones are fake, which genuine. Check you answers at the end. Discuss. [link swiped from avva] more inside

People of the forest. "Conrad Feather is only part way through his PhD but has already spent several years living with indigenous people in the Amazon, helping them drive loggers from their ancestral land. Recently he trained them to use GPS devices so that they could create the first map of their territory and make an ambitious bid to win legal title to it. This month the project won him the prestigious St Andrews Prize for the Environment." [Via Disinformation.]

Feral Argentinian Monk Parakeets on the Chicago Southside Legend has it these longtime Hyde Parkers protected a Mayor's tenure in office. The parakeets even had their own bodyguards. To me, they are the Hyde Park Wind-Up Birds. When I walk to work in the morning and hear them in their nests, I know impending doom will soon descend upon me.

I get so emotional, baby. It's emo night on Monkeyfilter! Here's a primer on methods for naming your "emo"/post-whatever band.