Google's Valentine Surprise

Type the following gobbledygook math function into Google for a Valentine's Day surprise:

1.4sqrt(cos(x))*cos(300x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(6-x^2), -sqrt(6-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5

Happy Valentine's Day!

(via Mashable)

Groundhog Day Explained

The king of YouTube informational videos CPGrey is back with an explanation of Groundhog Day. Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow on Feb. 2? Will we have six more weeks of winter, or will spring come early this year? We shall see.

I do know one thing — if your alarm clock awakes you with "I Got You, Babe" on Thursday, go back to sleep.

The Giant Snowflake of 1887

Back in 1887, on January 28 to be exact, the folks of Fort Keogh, Montana entered the Guinness World Record book when the world's largest snowflake fell on their town. How they were able to measure the 15 inch (38 cm) wide snowflake is a mystery, but Google is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the event with today's doodle.

(via Mashable)

Will Shortz Celebrates 25 Years of NPR's 'Weekend Edition Sunday'

This week, Will Shortz celebrated the 25th anniversary of Weekend Edition Sunday and (my favorite segment) the Sunday Puzzle. The NPR weekend program, billed as "the radio version of the Sunday paper," first premiered on Jan. 18, 1987. Shortz, the editor of The New York Times crossword puzzle, has made an estimated 1,300 program appearances as NPR's resident puzzle master.

> Test your solving skills on today's NPR Sunday Puzzle, a two-week creative challenge

I Can Haz Friggatriskaidekaphobia?

(via KYM)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Jenny's Noodle!

May you fulfill all of your resolutions for 2012. Or there's always next year.

It's Time to Celebrate Hanukkah

"When you feel like the only kid in town, without a Christmas tree... Here's a list of people who are Jewish, just like you and meeeeeeeee..."

The 2011 Word of the Year is...

Dictionary.com has announced the 2011 Word of the Year:

ter·gi·ver·sate 
Pronunciation: tur-JI-ver-seyt 
Part of speech: verb 
Etymology: Latin tergiversātus (past participle of tergiversārī to turn one's back), equivalent to tergi- (combining form of tergum back) + versātus, past participle of versāre, frequentative of vertere to turn 
Date: 1645–55 
Meaning: to change repeatedly one's attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.

"We're taking a stand on this choice," said Jay Schwartz, Dictionary.com's Head of Content. "We think that it's immensely rewarding to find existing words that capture a precise experience, and this year, tumult has been the norm rather than the exception. There are contested public spaces around the world, where people are demonstrating in one direction or another. Opinions and circumstances have been oscillating so much."

Like many, I'm unfamiliar with the word "tergiversate," and thus I find it an interesting choice. With so many options, I imagine it would be difficult to come to a consensus on just one word. In fact, I wonder how many times the lexicographers tergiversated their final selection prior to announcing the official winner.

(via The Huffington Post)

Map of Thanksgiving Dinner

"Memories..."

Image Credit: Incidental Comics

Thanksgiving as a Kid vs. as an Adult

> See the full infographic at The Oatmeal

All-in-One Thanksgiving Cupcakes

Photo credits: fetette

I prefer a military plate, however if you don't mind the flavors of Thanksgiving all mushing together, the innovative Thanksgiving Plate Cakelettes look fun to try.

The cakelettes may also be paired with another recipe that I'd like to sample, Candied Yam Tartlettes. Mmmmm...

(via Fetette)

Nobody Should Wear Velvet on 11-11-11

By now you probably realize that today is the rare date 11-11-11. And you probably know that it's Veterans Day. But you may not know that today is also Corduroy Appreciation Day.

Says who? The Corduroy Appreciation Club. Yes, it exists. But why did they choose to celebrate on 11-11-11? Because the elevens comprising this date most closely resemble the texture of Corduroy fabric.

Another point of interest is the CAC’s main public symbol, the whale. Whale is a homonym of wale, which is the name for the raised portion of Corduroy—the fabric's most distinctive trait.

Wow, hard core.

It's Palindrome Day (11022011)

 Image: ICHC

Happy Palindrome Day! !yaD emordnilaP yppaH

Today, Nov. 2, 2011 (or 11022011), is a special date—a palindrome.

A palindrome is a word, line, verse, number, sentence or series of symbols reading the same backward as forward. You know, phrases like "a man a plan a canal panama," or your friend "bob."

According to a university professor who studies the phenomena, "After 2011, there will be one more year in this (21st) century containing two palindrome dates. That will be 2021, with palindrome dates Jan. 20, 2021 (1202021) and Dec. 2, 2021 (12022021)."

The more you know.

(via LA Times)

MoMA's 'Starry Night' Jack-o'-Lantern

Photo: Museum of Modern Art via Facebook

Scrapers and carving tools down! The Museum of Modern Art's "Starry Night" pumpkin wins this year's Halloween prize for most creative jack-o'-lantern.

(via MoMA)

'Gettin' Sugar High' Kids Rap

"Don't open up your door unless your candy's brand name!"

Entertainment happens when Kidz Bop meets 50 Cent on Halloween.

(via Buzzfeed)

50 Years of 'The Phantom Tollbooth'

"There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself — not just sometimes but always. When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in ... Nothing really interested him — least of all the things that should have."

The Phantom Tollbooth was first released on this day in 1961, and fifty years later, the popular children's book has never gone out of print. Written by Norton Juster with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, the classic story is still on bookshelves in libraries throughout the world — as long as they still exist!

(via Yahoo!News)

Vote on Sandra Lee's Halloween Costumes

Aunt Sandy as Barbra Streisand.

Halloween just wouldn't be the same without Food Network's special holiday programming, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, specifically.

"Can I tell you?" Aunt Sandy's Halloween costumes are ridiculous over the top legendary. This year, for no apparent reason, you can vote for your favorite look from years past. There are 12 costumes to choose from and you can vote up to 10 times per day. Because you've got time to waste, no?

And don't forget to join Sandra Lee for Cocktail Time (and cooking perhaps?) as "Sandra's Halloween Wonderland" premieres on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9 a.m. ET/PT. Will the tablescape include special place settings for Kimber and Brycer? I'll be tuning in to find out.

Mangia! It's National Pasta Month

Welcome to October! If you can't wait for Halloween, here's something to celebrate in the meantime... October is National Pasta Month!



(via Discovery Channel)

Google Doodle Celebrates Jim Henson's 75th Birthday

"As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for
some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.” ―JIM HENSON

Saturday would have been the 75th birthday of the prolific American puppeteer Jim Henson (Sept. 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990).

From Sesame Street to The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock, Henson created dozens of characters beloved by children - and adults alike - all throughout the world.

In honor of this momentous occasion, the Jim Henson Company and Google have partnered to create an interactive home page Doodle. Here's a bit of the explanation behind the inspiration:

Reflect: Sept. 11, 2001-2011

A 9/11 tribute poster encouraging people to look back and reflect after 10 years.

Created by Extra Credit Projects.

(via Ads of the World)