Ten trivial (i.e. non-work-related) items

Big toys for big boys via In through the Outfield by Neil Infield
It is often said that men are just boys in adult bodies. This seems to be the approach taken by Männerspielplatz, an amusement park for men that lets them get in touch with their inner construction worker (thanks to SpringWise)
Neil has really surpassed himself with finding this gem!

Baby pictures in lost wallets increase the chance they will be returned via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow

Edinburgh psych researcher Richard Wiseman and team left a load of wallets lying around with various contents, trying to see if there was a correlation between, say, baby pictures or cards indicating charitable giving and the rate at which wallets are returned.
Want to keep your wallet? Carry a baby picture (via Derren Brown)

via Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate
Christina Hoff Sommers has been called a "thug," a "parasite," and a "female impersonator." But to be accused of practicing "metonymic historiography" - Oh, dear... more

via Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate
The mind is not the brain. To confuse the two, which is what neuroscience does all the time, leads to a world bereft of meaning, morality, dignity, and freedom... more

via Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate
Albert might marry Victoria, but he was not to run the household. He was only allowed to bring from Germany his valet, his librarian, and his greyhound... more

Friday Fun: Redstar Fall via the How-To Geek by Mysticgeek
This Friday we take a look at a fun and relaxing physics flash game called Redstar Fall. It becomes challenging the higher up in levels you go and provides fun distraction until the whistle blows. The goal of the game is to get the red star on the platform by removing different objects but don't let it fall off. Play Redstar Fall

via Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate
Auto repair as a skilled manual labor is far more cognitive than most people realize, Matthew Crawford says. And it's one thing that can't outsourced to China... more

Birth and early history of the Internet video via Phil Bradley's weblog
Found this really nice little gem of a video from Peter Scott's weblog.
It's about 8 minutes long and gives a really nice simple introduction to the early history of the Internet.
History of the Internet from PICOL on Vimeo.

via Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate
Col. Percy Fawcett was convinced by research, deduction, and clairvoyance that an undiscovered city lay hidden in the Amazon. So he tried to find it... more

Survival of the fitness craze by Fiona Russell via The Herald
It started with the Russian special forces and was then revamped as a US military training method, before celebrities such as Lance Armstrong, Sly Stallone, Jennifer Aniston and Penelope Cruz became converts. Now the ancient-looking kettlebells have arrived in Scotland and it seems that demand is outstripping workshop places. Read more
But what is a kettlebell? I was intrigued to discover that it's more like a kettle ball. Take one medium-sized child's ball and add a handle from an old-fashioned, stand on the stove, kettle and there you just about have it.
Google brings up a lot of companies trying to sell these things, which come in a range of colours and weights (including pink 2kg ones for the ladies), but my favourite find was a photo from Iran in 1897 on a “vintage kettlebells” blog.

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