Fargo, and its sister city Moorhead, make up the #1 Happiest City In The US, according to Self Magazine...much to the chagrin of McAllen TX, the #2 designee, whose newspaper wrote a nice thorough article on the competition. Self's website says Fargo ranks #10 out of 100 of healthiest cities -- not bad in any sense -- with the lowest rankings for violent crime, depression, and unemployment. North Dakota, they note, is in the bottom 5 states for birth control and abortion access, but one may note that ND's only abortion provider is here in Fargo, and our city tends to be less conservative than the rest of the state (although more liberal residents may note that's not saying much). #

I can think of, like, four people who should have said, "I want one of those!" when watching the creepy "WE LOVE THE SUBS!" Quizno's commercials from last year. Even though they acted confused and scared that something like those things (technically called "Spongmonkeys") could be purchased and kept at home. Well, Joel Veitch, creator of such tomfoolery, is offering a stuffed version of the Spongmonkey. No, not "stuffed" like "taxidermy" -- stuffed, like, cotton batting and velvet. You creepy person. #

In 1939, A car bomb went off, killing a man whose father was at odds with the local unions. The place: Moorhead, Minnesota, a sleepy village across the river from Fargo, ND. At that time, Moorhead was a tiny town that seemed far removed from the Chicago and New York union/mob violence of the same period. The Northwest Bakery, run by John Lee and John Knutson, resisted unionization, but the cheerily-named "Bakers and Confectionery Workers#

Ever wondered where you'd "pop" out if you dug straight through the Earth? As usual, Google has a way of finding this out. Click on the map, see where the other end of the hole will emerge on the other side of the world. It's not China, I'll tell you that (unless you're in the very mountainous regions of South America, to which I say, "hola!") #

Wow...I seriously could watch this all day. Naked skateboarding mannequins is apparently the national sport of some former-Soviet-bloc country, and this video is of the world championships. The video removes all superfluous content, such as color commentary, slomo replays, and explanations of why the game is played in the first place. It's just good 'ol naked mannequins on skateboards. Guess who wins? Enjoy (as long as you're not offended by naked mannequins). #

If you ever wanted to see me giggle uncontrollably, it would happen while watching me read this Fark thread. Who knew so many absurdly wierd pictures could come together in one place and make me laugh? I did -- that's why I went there! Duh! Many are internet culture self-references and inside jokes -- research them, and you will understand much of the 'WTF' things you encounter online. Your life will be more complete. #

I admit, I'm a MySpace snob who won't 'friend' anybody I don't actually know or appreciate, but I felt I couldn't just snub Bobby Blaine (especially since his parents seemed to be 70s pro-wrestling fans). Imitating Marc Horowitz' epic 7 Days in a Sentra experience, Blaine will live out of his Nissan for a week here in Fargo, documenting it on his MySpace page and hobnobbing with various Fargo media. Good luck to him: it's going to get cold very, very soon. #

Nov 6 2006 0 comments

My sis, who prefers to be called "Ed" these days, seems to have a mohawk now, according to her poor-contrast grainy LiveJournal icon.

On another note, The Wifey also has a mohawk -- a very short one, around an inch long, with the surrounding hair only cut short, not shaved to the scalp. According to Wikipedia, the non-shaved mohawk is called a fauxhawk, but it's a readily recognizeable mohawk nonetheless.

Is this a trend in women's fashion? I can see the lead-in now: Women from their twenties to their forties are embracing the ancient hairstyle: The Mohawk! Grandmas, accountants, gradeschool teachers...most women have got tattoos hidden someplace on their bodies, so why not rebel a little further?

Destiny says two of her male classmates have mohawks (although more likely fauxhawks), and has requested one of her own; we've dissuaded her under the logic that hair grows so slow, and if she wanted to change hairstyles again she wouldn't get rid of it except for shaving bare and starting from scratch. A bald-headed 10-year-old isn't what most little girls want to be.