Asian gangs in Los Angeles County.

A listing of train cabooses for sale. Also, caboose hotels, motels, and B&Bs in the US.

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Train dinnerware.

SF Chronicle: Pack of Chihuahuas attack Fremont cop.

Kinda odd but neat videos of some guy bicycling up all the really, really steep hills in San Francisco.

The Church of Scientology vs. The Internet. [via look at this]

Small collection of train-related signs.

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The crystal ball.

Amateur night. Also, tips for controlling blood alcohol concentration.

How to get high without drugs. Also, how to roll a joint.

Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. ~Oscar Wilde. Happy New Year and be careful out there.

Our reflection in an ornament hanging from the Christmas tree in San Francisco's Union Square.

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A buncha photos from Pink Floyd's The Wall concerts at NY's Nassau Coliseum in February 1980.

AP: Shark Attacks Trans-Atlantic Rowing Boat.

Mountain bike porn. Hmm. [via velorution and NSFW!]

No updates for about a week as we're off to Ohio's frozen tundra to celebrate the holidays with family and show the boy the true meaning of frostbite. In the meantime enjoy yourselves and, as always, thanks for reading.

Commonly asked questions about Santa's elves.

Great photo of pro cyclist Bart Wellens kicking a fan who had been throwing beer and mud at him during a cyclo-cross race over the weekend in Belgium.

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A teenager in a town in British Columbia has been arrested and faces assault and weapons charges after a snowball fight degenerated into a brawl with a knife. -Kids today...

FOCUS ON: Sausages.

An Abruzzo sausage, from an awesome pictorial guide to sausages that I've probably linked to before. Because I like sausages.

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Tips for protecting yourself from carjackers. Because you never know.

Confessions of a turtle wife. Also, the Turtle TV Network.

Photo gallery of supermodel Gisele Bundchen singing and playing guitar. Is there anything she can't do (aside from not return my many, many calls)?

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My girlfriend informs me that Bob Weir has a massive wiener. Not that she knows from firsthand experience. -From a funny review of the Grateful Dead's new 10 CD box set.

George Clooney's pets.

I went mad, and was constantly accosted by lovely old grannies asking about the music, saying wasn't it wonderful to work in such an environment. I was reduced to dribbling like a child and smiling politely. -BBC article on working in stores where Christmas music is always playing.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Applied: George W. Bush Speaking at 'Ground Zero'.

A few photos from a Christmas tree farm.

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How to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in a buncha different languages.

Where did your house grow?

Slow loading but funny ad featuring cycling. [tnx starspirit]

The Biker Shorts Guy custom action figure.

Orange Roughy cartoon.

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A man pleaded guilty to cutting down a pine tree at the airport, saying he did it because he couldn't afford to buy a Christmas tree. Police said they cracked the case because Bart Bellin dropped his checkbook at the scene. Officers went to his apartment and found the tree. -Sad and funny.

Teen Commandments plaque. The first commandment: God is #1.

Pro death penalty webpage.

Myths and causes of bedwetting.

The Famine Foods Database - Plants that are not normally considered as crops are consumed in times of famine. This botanical-humanistic subject has had little academic exposure, and provides insight to potential new food sources that ordinarily would not be considered. More.

Photo of an incredibly intricate and incredibly orange sculpture made out of cheese doodles. Awesome.

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The Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away from North America so fast that it could end up in Siberia within 50 years. The shift could mean that Alaska will lose its northern lights, or auroras, which might then be more visible in areas of Siberia and Europe. -It must be stopped!

A recipe for applesauce cheddar fruitcake. Yuck.

Draw your own Celtic knots.

BBC: Robotic vessels against pirates.

Sweet article about a grateful humpback whale.

Scotland FAQ.

A collection of some very interesting Elvis Presley paintings by Japanese artist Naoki Mitsuse.

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ElvisFind.com - The Elvis Presley Search Engine & Site Directory.

The Elvis Seance - January 8, 1994.

Hi! This bicycle, that my husband left behind when he abandoned me last month, has got to go! He is 6' tall, and I am 4'11"- no way can I reach the peddles (as if I cared to)! -An ad on Craigslist.

AP: Diplomats Get Better About Paying Tickets. That's swell.

"Suddenly KFC wanted Brazilians to pick up pieces of chicken with their fingers, when it's not the Brazilian habit to eat with your hands. Also, the pieces of chicken were served in cardboard buckets. Brazilians are not used to being served like that." -Arabic fast food more popular than American in Brazil.

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Writing & poetry scams.

Why seven days in a week? Also, how Britain got the calendar wrong.

Richard Pryor. RIP. Also, NPR remembers Pryor.

A&E is airing a Jerry Garcia biography tomorrow at 4:00 AM.

Free soundboard recordings from the latest Phil Lesh & Friends tour.

Bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong.

Portland Snore-egonian, Washington Compost, Dallas Morning Snooze. -From a listing of newspaper nicknames. [via wonkette]

How to lace flower patterns into your bicycle wheel spokes.

New, two part interview with Lance Armstrong.

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Really, really, really freaky photo of comedian Carrot Top. Do not click.

The Bible in Chinese.

Stamp out “God” from US coins.

Panama Canal's not enough. Need more.

The 1,000+ foot 'MSC Pamela', the world's second largest container ship. Also, interesting BBC article on the future of shipping.

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A listing of container shipping terminals in southern California.

Demockratees.

Flashlight modification and creations.

The legendary cobbles of the Forest of Arenberg return to next year's Paris-Roubaix cycling race.

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Meat stamps. Also, super-broccoli.

Fish FAQ. Excellent.

AP: Man Apologizes for Stealing Snowplow.

The have you seen God mandala collection.

Charlie Chesterman: Ham Radio.

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Try shit you’d never order if you were paying for it. Test the bartenders, have them make you drinks you’ve only heard about, make up names for drinks just to see what you’ll get. “Yeah, that’s right I said give me a Double Moon Tequila-Whiskey Eclipse, with a Sunrise Slingshot Topper” If you don’t like it, put it down on a table somewhere and go to the other bar. -How to survive your office holiday party.

Send someone a virtual gift horse!

Joan Crawford listens politely as Colonel Sanders makes a point. [via b-rivets]

Ear Training & Musicianship.

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Hispanics are disproportionately victims across the South. They die in pedestrian-vehicle accidents at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group in every Southern state except Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee, where only blacks die at a higher rate. -Being an immigrant pedestrian in the South very dangerous.

A good source if you're interested in the Grateful Dead/Archive.org fiasco.

Dick Van Patten sells pet food? I did not know that. [via coudal]

We expect extreme success in our choice of career, which means we work extreme hours and demand extreme dedication and efforts from our employees. It seems that that drive spills over in our personal lives, so that we don't just sit on the couch when we get home. We go out and push it. -NY Times article on cycling and swimming becoming the new 'golf' in Silicon Valley. I see some of these people on my rides and they certainly seem extreme.

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50 days to love your liver. Also, my organs are for sale.

Lady Grecian Formula has been discontinued. Just like that.

The original complete analysis of Pink Floyd's The Wall.

The Pink Floyd Record of Illegitimate/Indeterminate Origin database.

"Teacher Puppet" - animation art from Pink Floyd's The Wall.

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"They don't mow their lawn, they don't do their landscaping, they don't paint their houses," he said of the typical customers. "And they don't put up Christmas lights." -The outsourcing of Christmas decorating.

Store window near Union Square as seen on a Saturday morning before 10.

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I will say, the Australiana aspect is very inventive, and executed with attention to detail, although predictably they often miss the mark. Just as plagiarism can be construed as the highest form of compliment, so can the bastardisation of one's native culture be taken in stride and much enjoyed. -An Australian reviews Outback Steakhouse.

Many, many covers of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. [tnx mjmc]

Cherie Currie, rock singer and professional chainsaw carver. Sweet. Also, the Wisconsin School of Chainsaw Carving.

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Myth: Eating turkey makes you sleepy. [via memepool]

"If you go back five years, if a woman wanted to show their allegiance for a team, they put on a men's small or medium sweatshirt." Now, Susan Rothman, the NFL's vice president of consumer products says: "They're shopping, and they're wearing our products. The pink jerseys have been very popular." -The NFL courts women.

Skycaps may become extinct.

Photos of San Francisco's homeless people. [via jafproject]

How they set up the big circus tent.

Princeton University Library has a gigantic collection of old circus posters.

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Lots of old circus logos.

"We're much more active. A widow in the olden days would sit inside and wear black. Today she's probably out dancing." -Seniors discover speed dating.

Dead governors of New Jersey.