Yesterday the city of Santa Cruz, California joined a legion of other groups around the world in the attempt to create a world record for the number of people simultaneously dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” while also raising money for a number of charity organizations around the globe – the event is called “Thrill the World.”

Santa Cruz, California

Portland, Oregon

Mill Creek, Washington

Oakland, Maryland

Helsinki, Finland • Nanchang, Jiangxi, China • Los Angeles, California • Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Canada • Xi’an, Shaanxi, China • Sydney, Australia • Ankara, Turkey • Newton, New Jersey • Mount Vernon, Washington • São Paulo, Brazil • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Orange County, California • Seattle, Washington • Neusiedl-am-See, Burgenland, Austria • Gray, Maine • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Lanzhou, China • Mt. Rainer, Maryland • Chicago, Illinois • Denver, Colorado • Goldsboro, North Carolina • Needham, Massachusetts • Bloomington, Indiana • St. Petersburg, Florida • San Antonio, Texas • Ottawa, Canada • Mount Pleasant, Michigan • Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

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Early this morning at 4:31AM Pacific Time, NASA sent the 2.5 ton LCROSS Centaur rocket screaming on a collision course with what we’ve hoped to be an ice-filled crater at the Moon’s south pole (called Cabeus Crater).

And the resulting impact was totally AMAZING sucky. I’ve seen more spectacular car wrecks. And I’m glad I didn’t sit outside with a telescope at 4:30 in the morning looking for this.

HERE’S THE VIDEO:



NOT SUCKY BONUS ROUND:
NASA/JPL’s 2005 Deep Impact probe collision with Comet Tempel 1 (nice, big explosion).

The JAXA (Japan’s Space Agency) 2007 SELENE/Kaguya probe passing ~50km over the surface of the Moon; watch the Earth rise at 1:20.

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(images from Tim Burton Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures)

We all remember the scene in “Mars Attacks!”
The Martian Ambassador says “We come in peace” and a hippie in the crowd releases a dove and the Martian Ambassador blasts the sh!t out of the dove. And we all run screaming . . .

THIS VIDEO IS TEN. TIMES. FUNNIER:

okay . . . maybe only five times funnier.

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Part 1 of Blogadilla’s Medica Obscura

TEFLON FLU – influenza-like symptoms resulting from exposure to the noxious fumes and byproducts of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE): commercially known as “Teflon.” Symptoms include malaise, fever, chills, nausea, aches, cough and other respiratory maladies. By 392ºF Teflon-coated cookware can emit fluorocarbon gases, by 550ºF the Teflon will begin to deteriorate and powderize, and by 680ºF it will generate toxic fumes. In a 20/20 news demonstration, frying bacon in a Teflon pan reached 500ºF. These fumes are known to be lethal to birds.

One of the noxious byproducts of Teflon degradation is perfluoroocatnoate (PFOA), sometimes known as “C8.” PFOA is a known carcinogen – associated with liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancers. It has been associated with infertility and it has toxic effects on the liver, immune system, and can effect thyroid hormone levels. Here is the scary part – PFOA has been found in the blood serum of most Americans. Aside from Teflon cookware, PFOA has been found in microwave popcorn bags. In an exposé by 20/20, a DuPont representative admitted awareness of “teflon flu” . . . and so they have provided this detailed vague and helpful useless page on their website.

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What appears to be a new (giant) species of Tadpole Shrimp was recently found in the Donets’k region of (Eastern) Ukraine.

Most species of Tadpole Shrimp do not grow larger than 2 inches long . . . this new specimen was nearly 8 inches long. It appears to be a new species of the Triops genus. These creatures are very ancient: based on fossil evidence, Tadpole Shrimp have gone nearly unchanged for 250 million years.
(via Russia Today)

Triassic Bonus Round:
The Giant Isopod

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Last night the city of San Jose, California, was totally dead.
Really dead.
Undead.

Last night was San Jose’s first ever Zombie-O-Rama zombie crawl: hundreds of zombies took to the streets in search of brains, drink specials, and an outdoor screening of “Shaun of the Dead.”

Here are some photo highlights:

BBRRAAAINNNSS Bonus Round:
RobotAlphabet’s Zombie Sarah Palin

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Yesterday the flags in Shermer, Illinois were hung at half-mast.
Writer, producer, director John Hughes passed away having suffered a fatal heart attack.

John Hughes wrote and directed a number of wonderful and influential films of the 80’s and 90’s.

We at Blogadilla will miss you, John.

Neo-Maxi Zoom Dweebie Bonus Round:
A nice montage tribute to the late John Hughes, by Eclectic Method.

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