Feb. 22, 2002

Bottle Cap Museum
It's strange how some people will collect anything and make a museum out of their obsession. But I have to confess these bottle caps are pretty cool. These caps remind me of an era when product design was less about marketing and more about artistic expression. Maybe I'm going a bit overboard here, but check out these caps and get back to me. This site gives a brief overview of collectable caps and showcases the collection in the categories of U.S. beer and soda, Canadian beer and soda, international caps, caps for sale and even a section for beer cans and trays. I'm a big fan of the overloaded waiter image on the Birra Dreher Trieste cap and the motorcycle silhouette on the Canadian Mountain Dew cap.

The Button Museum
Here's another pop culture artifact museum for you! It's all pin-back buttons promoting cartoons, bands, presidents, activism and "I Heart ___" slogans. I used to wear button pins like these all during jr. high and high school, but they were mostly punk rock bands and anarchy signs. Take a trip down memory lane with this museum and see if you can spot a few buttons that you used to wear.

Winter Games Blog
Whether you're watching the Olympics or not, you may find this blog from a security guy at the Winter Games of 2002 extremely amusing. He rambles on about big-butt speed skaters, meeting the Jamaican Bobsled Team and how watching figure skating can be considered manly.

Neuroscience Art Gallery
Some artists are just plain nuts. You don't have to cut off an ear to be considered a bit batty. And the crazy artists on this gallery prove it. The most obvious example is the progression of psychosis from the cat paintings by artist Louis Wain. At first the cats are frisky and happy, but then during his "Psychotic Period" when the artist suffered from schizophrenia his cats seem crazed, angry and abstract. It makes me wonder if the guy who painted the dogs playing poker portrait was on his way to the loony bin as well. To read more about Louis Wain and his psychotic art go to his bio on Disinfo.com.

The Zompist Phrasebook
Let's say you're an annoying American tourist and you want to whine in Spanish, French or German. You're in luck. Learn how to complain in another language with this handy phrasebook. My favorite translated phrases include "I bet those machine guns are fake" and "Don't 'imperialist pig' me, my good man."

Looney Toons Filmography
I was never a fan of Disney, but give me a Looney Toons cartoon any day! Here's a site that catalogs all the Warner Bros. short cartoons from 1929 to 1964, including screen-captures of the title cards!

Save the Kangaroo
Much like the open season America had on buffalos way back when, the Aussie government seems to be doing the same thing to kangaroos. Apparently they claim that too many roos are all over the place and they need to thin out the population. This site, however, argues that Joey and pals are being massacred purely for financial greed. Read the articles on this site and make your own judgment call. I'll happily adopt a roo if the Aussie government will let me. I'm sick of the deer and I need a change.

Modern Ferret Magazine
Personally, I would have liked it see a Ferret Fancy magazine, but this will do. Find out what the latest issue of Modern Ferret Magazine has in store for you, and get subscription info.