Religious popular music from Upper Egypt The munshidin (en français) of upper Egypt. Just one of the many music resources at bolingo.

Santa Claus website problems.

TomTom? or DumbDumb (Tiny URL used as original exceeds 140 characters. Page is Reuters article) Drivers following the directions of their satnavs or GPS systems, are more prone to turn off their brains, and dispense with common sense in lieu of their gadget. more inside

Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying

Festivus turns 40 this year. The holiday was invented by the father of Daniel O’Keefe, a future Seinfeld writer. Many find it to be a simple family celebration, free of marketing corruption of Christmas. Traditions include the aluminum pole, the airing of grievances, and feats of strength. Meat loaf or spaghetti in a red sauce is traditional, but the writer Allen Salkin recommends a hearty beer, rum, bourbon, or wine. Now, I've got some problems with you people...

Lost-and-Found Tiwari For 60 years Raja Ram Tiwari has been reuniting people separated from each other during Hindu festivals. more inside

SMOKE SIGNALS. "The third most-used drug in this country after alcohol and cigarettes, it is often claimed that cannabis is less harmful to your health. However, a review of major health studies by the Mental Health Council of Australia has debunked this view, finding that cannabis can increase the risk of mental illness in a small number of people and is addictive. The study concludes that cannabis use can bring on schizophrenia in people who have a family history of mental illness."

The City Desk covers a non-existent city This first link is via MeFi, but it got me thinking... there are all kinds of wacky imaginary worlds out there. Let's go exploring!

Population mortality and football results "On days when the local professional football team lost at home, mortality attributable to acute myocardial infarction and stroke increased significantly in men... No increase was observed in women." Via

The future agent cat "What surfaced was that our cat actually is one of many agents from the future, sent here to spy on 'historical persons' as the cat herself put it" I just love that blog.

First Time Evar! Giant Squid Captured Live on Camera! squidfilter?

CuriousGeorge: Why are taxicabs so expensive? I'm trying to wrap my mind around the math that results in me paying $10 to go 3 miles. more inside

Elf Attack! 'Tis the season. Some Friday Flash Fun for the monkeys stuck at work today. Happy Holidays!

Concert recordings from the 1960s to the current day. The vast majority of material in Wolfgang's Vault comes from the exquisitely preserved, original archives of Bill Graham Presents. more inside

Triplets born to UK woman with two wombs: no, this isn't a Monty Python sketch more inside

Young boy sings the "Queen of the Night" aria YouTube, found via a comment on MeFi more inside

Curious George: Property Line Rights The construction crew next door keeps leaving tools on my side of the line. Can I claim them as found property? more inside

The Robot Award 2006 announced their winners today. Paro and My Spoon were the top winners. [some links in Japanese] more inside

Robots Could Demand Legal Rights In other news, laughter can be heard in the vicinity of Asimov's grave.

RoboCoaster is an industrial robot re-purposed for thrills. The videos make it it look like fun. more inside