Prodigy Schmodigy , My Kid Could Paint That. more inside

As noted modestly by Capt. Renault and pointed to by Beeswacky in this thread (nearly three years old and still going strong), the U.S. has a new Poet Laureate: Charles Simic. more inside

New Yorker Monkeys Caption Contest You could actually enter, but it would probably be more fun to enter your caption in this thread.

God on Facebook. God on MySpace. God on 43 People. (I am highly suspicious that all of these are, in fact, God.) Have you found God in unexpected places?

I now have a reason to go to France. (YouTube)

"Your comments may be recorded for quality assurance and corporate retaliation by humiliating/entertaining public consumption via podcast. Have a nice day!

Lurn Web Deezyne frum a Proe

Sand sculptures archive (incredible) <--Mucho linkage. (previously) more inside

McNaught from New Zealand : un-FREAKING-believable. Check out the shots from the Southern Hemisphere in the spaceweather forum. (previously but I felt this was worth another FPP — forgive me! ).

Live near the Monticello reactor? Get your free potassium iodide! Announcement made 1/3/2007. Pills will be available "in February". On 1/16/2007 "federal officials" announced that the previous Tuesday (1/10/2007) a 35,000-pound control box fell off a steel beam inside the plant, (but outside the reactor) leading to a plant shutdown. Earlier reports (1/11/2007) said it occurred "during turbine valve testing". A 2nd update that day said: more inside

So have you played Speed Scrabble? Highly addictive. No board. Letter tiles go upside down in middle of table. Each player draws 7 tiles. At "Go" everyone flips their letters. Each player creates their own crossword with their own letters*. First player to use all 7 letters says "Take 2". Everyone takes another 2 tiles. Play continues (with anyone using all their letters to declare take two) until there are not enough tiles for everyone to take 2. Final call is "Take 1". First to use all tiles says "Done". Everyone counts up their points and subtracts the points of unused tiles. Repeat and play to 500 (or whatever). more inside

Comet McNaught (a surprise comet) , has become a naked-eye object. If you have a clear view of the W-WSW horizon line, you can see it just after sunset. A map is available on the Skytonight.com homepage. Each night the comet will appear closer to the sun (and thus more difficult to see). It will round the sun later this month and then reemerge - each night/morning getting a bit farther from the sun (and thus easier to see). It may appear even brighter then. more inside

What Makes a Cartoon New Yorker-Worthy? Draw Your Own Conclusion. How does a New Yorker Cartoonist deal with rejection? When life gives you lemons, make lemonade: The Rejection Show, Official Site for all things rejected. more inside

Just another meteor shower, you say? Perhaps not. This solar Coronal Mass Ejection (last night) was pointed almost directly at our Pale Blue Dot. A Middle Latitude Aurora Warning has been issued meaning that the Northern Lights may be seen as far south as Northern California, Kansas, Southern Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina (U.S.) and France, Northern Italy, Poland, Central Russia on the east side of the pond. Southern Hemisphere watchers should be alert as New Zealand and Southern Australia may see periods of activity. more inside

Top 20 Overrated Movies? This list seems designed to infuriate, containing some real classics (not to mention my favorite movie of all time: Moonstruck). Discuss amonst yourselves.

Vladimir Kramnik World Chess Champion releases enormous brain fart. (Ah, chess... The Immortal Game. Did you know that [t]here are some cultures, like the Taliban and when Khomeni ruled Iran, where chess in all its nuances is just too much for them, and they literally ban it. I think they understand intuitively that it's a sign of this complex, nuanced way of thinking.

"Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?" That's what Teri Horton said in response to an art teacher who had just seen the painting she purchased for $5 at a thrift shop.

Long and awkward- Wanna know the real reason your camera records video? It’s so you can enjoy a good laugh while making friends and loved ones look silly. more inside

Where to eat tonight? I think I'll go down to the Pink Taco. more inside

Monkey Fluids Has this been brought to the monkeys' attention before? If not, it made me laugh and appears to be "up" our collective "alleys" (as it were).