Zombies descend on American Idol auditions in Texas shouting "Television rots your braaaaaaaiiiins." Some lighthearted fare for those of us watching too much hurricane coverage today. And for those of us who think it'd be terribly fun to be part of a zombie flash mob.

In an effort to understand her students, an anthropology professor performed an ethnography of her students. While the study was originally published under a pseudonym to protect the author's anonymity (the second link gets into the ethics of undercover research a little), the NY Sun outed her as Cathy Small last week, and CNN has confirmed their story. more inside

Buffo is the World's Strongest Clown. Yeah, you *should* be scared! (Warning: the site contains a brief, annoying bit of audio, so turn off the speakers if you're at work or in a computer lab!)

Curious George: In what order should I read the _Chronicles of Narnia_? more inside

Who are the Melungeons? A group of people in the American Southeast are trying to re-define their racial and cultural identity. more inside

Mr. Floaty, the seven-foot-tall poo, wants to educate us about sewage treatment. -- via BoingBoing

Fragrance for your belly button. Jessica Simpson is concerned about how your navel smells. -- via Pop Culture Junk Mail more inside

Space Shuttle Discovery is set to launch Wednesday. If all goes well, the shuttle should launch at 3:51 ET. more inside

Curious George: Universal Remote Codes I just bought a new TV, and I'm having trouble finding the universal remote codes for it. more inside

Life on a research station in Antarctica Simon Coggins has been in Antarctica since 2003, and he writes about his adventures. -- via BoingBoing more inside

Happy Summer Solstice, Northern Hemisphere monkeys! Happy Winter Solstice, Southern Hemisphere monkeys! more inside

Pinatas! Is it wrong to love pinatas as a "grown-up?" Some silliness for the weekend. more inside

Artist Dave Devries takes children's drawings of monsters and turns them into paintings. -- via BoingBoing

One member of the FCC wants to investigate "rampant" product placement in television and radio. FCC member Johnathan Adlestein says that "secret" product placement breaks laws that deal with payola. Who knew the FCC could be useful? Of course, who knows if chairman Kevin Martin will actually allow the FCC to get involved in this? more inside

Girls in Mission, TX made "Toothpaste," a film about teen pregnancy. (The link above goes to a description and link to the film. To see the film, you need Quicktime.) Mission, TX has one of the highest teen pregnancy and STD rates in the US, yet they only receive information about abstinence in their schools. Here's the AP story on the film. more inside

Daily Show correspondent Stephen Colbert is getting his own show. Where the Daily Show makes fun of news broadcasts, Colbert's show is supposed to make fun of talking heads. Hopefully, it'll be good.

A Ukranian sign language news interpreter told people the truth about the election. While the state sponsored news broadcast told people that the (Russian backed) candidate had won, the sign language interpreter let everyone know the fix was in.

There's still time to buy the new Pope's old car. You still have 5 days to bid! (The link's in German, but you can get the gist.) more inside

African gorilla family, believed stolen ... wasn't. more inside

Gated Community Guerilla Art The LA art collective Heavy Trash has installed big orange viewing platforms that allow people to look into gated communities as both a protest against the idea of gated communities and an invitation to begin a dialogue about possible alternatives. more inside