Filter me balls, matey! An amusing way to while away a Saturday afternoon.

The Self-Mummified Buddhist Monks of Japan
The Yamagata prefecture of Japan is home to several temples that house the Buddhist mummies of Japan. These mountain-dwelling ascetic priests of the Shingon sect of the Dewa Sazan voluntarily underwent a long process of slow, painful suicide to mummify themselves in an attempt to break the cycle of rebirth. Meet Daijuku Bosatsu Shinnyokai Shonin of the Dainichi-bo temple and read one blogger

Railgun Blog

The Mi'kmaq: Nova Scotia's dominant aboriginal population (with representation in Newfoundland and Quebec). Learn how to speak their language with a talking dictionary, (toboggan and wigwam are both borrowed words from the Mi'kmaq language), browse portraits from the 1500s to the present, discover their distinctive decorative techniques of porcupine quills on birchbark, and marvel at the fact that the biggest shopping centre in Halifax is still called Mic Mac Mall. more inside

Star Wars Ep II with hand puppets! Uh, the concept is funnier than the actual site.

Curious George: Whither MeFi? So either you got signed up, didn't, don't want to but the option is there. What will (or would) you do now?

Random Acts of Reality has always been a good read. Written by a London EMT, it's a consistently interesting glimpse inside the ambulance. Recently, though, it's become even more compelling. It started when the site's author lived out every healthcare workers' fear. (Warning: unpleasant medical details inside) more inside

The Amazing Beer-O-Matic! Incredibly sophisticated technology tells you how many pints or bottles you'd have to quaff to drink your weight in beer. Happy Friday!

Curious, George: Hey good looking, wanna swap? more inside

Magnetic Poetry! Choose from 10 different kits and go bananas!

The Basis of the American Republic from "An Outline of American Government". With all this talk about the constitution and patriotism maybe it would be a good idea for us to all do some readin' more inside

The 48 Hour Film Project , an international filmmaking competition where teams have just two days to make a short film from scratch, is back and bigger than ever -- and they're recruiting filmmakers in cities around the world. So, call your friends, grab a camera and hold on for a wild weekend of movie making.

Friday Flash Math Fun

It takes a Facist to understand politics. Alan Wolfe explains the current infatuation of some leftists with Carl Schmitt and how his views on politics influence both the left and right (especially the right). [via A&LD] more inside

The New Global Elite. "An identikit member of this Duty Free generation would be younger than 35. She would move jobs from capital city to capital city, never staying longer than a few years. The thought of moving to a provincial city in her home country is more unsettling than a move to the other side of the world. She hardly uses local public services. She may invest her money internationally, and so has no significant stake in a single national economy. When she goes abroad, she stays with foreign friends who share her tastes and understand her acronyms. She may end up marrying one of them." more inside

50 Earth-like planets A new technique suggests that half of the 100+ planetary systems known so far may have Earth-like planets capable of supporting life. Details on extrasolar planets, and local bodies (including Sedna and all that), in case you need a refresher.

Are you G? Are you on a budget? Well, then. Iced Out Gear is perfect for you. My favourite items are easily the pimp cups. "Caution: These cups are made out of plastic and you should not drink out of them"

Pong World Champioship Belfast is the venue for the 3rd annual Pong championship. The event is being run as part of the city's film festival(!). The prize: A genuine 1970s Pong cabinet. (Me want!) The Wikipedia covers the illustrious history of Pong.

What is this world cumming to? Nun becomes prostitute. To make matters worse, she writes about it.

The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus. Previously mentioned in this thread, I'm amazed that it never made it to the front page. It's a classic now, enjoy!