Simon has built a hobbit-hole house in Wales complete with solar panels and wood-burning stove; completely low-impact. The owner has put together a how-to on creating one. Check the Plans tab to get a better idea of the layout. They're also trying to become an ecovillage (check the Get Involved tab). tjc

In this day and ago of collaboration and cooperation there is one field of study where secrets are the norm: Nuclear technology. Seed takes a look at how secrecy in the U.S. at the federal level affects domestic ground level enforcement agencies, international enforcement agencies and individual nation states, both friendly and hostile. Their conclusion: keeping secrets, even from enemies, can be downright dangerous. glc... This is happening everywhere, collaboration is key to any and all endeavor. tjc

Mediacurves.com wanted to know how American voters perceived Senator McCain's denial of his romantic involvement with a lobbyist. 901 voters were asked to view a video on their computers, and to respond to questions regarding how they felt about what they saw. The resultant curves show the voters reactions in real time. My apologies for the 15 second advertisement before the video. (via Slate) jmj

Ever wonder about the etiquette for a doctor to follow while sneezing during an operation? Me neither. Consider this information you didn't know you wanted to know. glc

I'm not one to call people out, but Jeffrey Dransfeldt, the Senior Sports Editor for the Oregon Daily Emerald deserves it. His latest editorial piece is a slap in the face to athletes everywhere. Let him know how you feel; 624 others to date already have. jmj

Gender stereotypes vs racial stereotypes. White woman vs black man. Researchers have uncovered which stereotype is more easily overcome. The answer may hold the key to why Obama has been making gains this month vs Clinton. No surprise that biology may play a role. (via Seed) glc

Here's some leaked footage from Where the Wild Things Are from the New Yorker. tjc

I saw Grace Potter and The Nocturnals this week in a venue that held less than 300 people. Needless to say, the show was incredible. At the end of their performances, Grace and the band gather around the drum kit and conduct a four person jam session. While this clip isn't from the show that I attended, it is similar to what I saw. jmj

We here at memeticians.com are certainly new to the world of dedicated blogging. I think I speak for all of us when I say we have good days and bad days for a variety of reasons. The abundance of desktop distractions, vocabulary limitations, fears, egos, imposed schedule rigidity, etc. I was happy to come across a trifecta of articles via Life Remix addressing fears, distractions, and vocabulary limitations of your day-to-day blogger. glc

A 28-mile long virtual fence that guards the United States-Mexico border in Arizona has been approved by Homeland Security after a successful test run. Plans to build the rest of the 770 miles that border the United States and Mexico will begin within the next coming months. Being that the first 28 miles cost approximately 20 million dollars, this will be one hefty priced invisible fence. jmj

If you like beer and sidekicks: a beer-barrel R2D2 sculpture from DeviantArt. tjc

Here is a rather comprehensive list of skills deemed obsolete in the 21st century. (via tmn) glc

Kottke had an interesting interview with Proust Was a Neuroscientist author Jonah Lehrer and refered to him as a polymath. I guess I can confess that one of my aspirations is to become a polymath, though I'm not sure you can become one. You may just have to have it or not have it. Sounds like a Yodaism. tjc

The Smurfs turned 50 this week, and are ready for a comeback! jmj