US Eastern Seaboard to join European Union?

A Russian professor seems to think so. According to him, there is a 45-55% chance the US will have split up by the year 2010 due to econonic and social tensions culminating in some kind of civil war, making the map of the then-Divided States of America look thus (click to enlarge):
Creepy. But who am I to argue with an expert? ;)
(via)

Badger Badger Badger...

Finding it hard to believe that "my" 9th graders don't know this hilarious piece of pop culture, I can't resist putting up a link here:
http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/badgers/
You should also check out the "Harry Potter" version, which replaces "Badger Badger Badger... Mushroom, Mushroom! - A snake, a snake... iiit's a snake!" by "Potter", "Weasley" and "Snape" respectively:
http://thefifthdistrict.com/potter/

Nothing for ungood!

Yes, I know it isn't proper English. Still, this is what John from Muenster calls his Weblog about "German quirks from an American perspective". I highly recommend you give it a read.

Ye Officiale Python Tube

The Monty Pythons now have their own YouTube channel, where high quality videos of their sketches are freely available to the general public. Aren't they extraordinarily nice chaps?

"For 3 years (...) YouTubers have been ripping us off (...) It's time for us to take matters into our own hands. (...) No more of those crap quality videos you've been posting. We're giving you the real thing - HQ videos delivered straight from our vault.(...) But we want something in return. None of your driveling, mindless comments. Instead, we want you to click on the links, buy our movies & TV shows and soften our pain and disgust at being ripped off all these years."

http://uk.youtube.com/user/MontyPython

Next Year's Newspaper

The Guantanamo Bay detention camp shut down permanently, all US soldiers home from Iraq, George "Dubya" Bush indicted for high treason? "The Yes Men"'s ficticious July 4th, 2009 issue of the New York Times is back from the future, describing (some of) the hopes people set on the Obama administration (or for a better world in general, although they do go over the top a little bit on that one). Read an online version of said newspaper by clicking here.
A version of this blog posting is also available in German at http://blog.hillvalley.de/2008/11/16/die-zeitung-von-naechstem-jahr/.

Good luck also to Ms McKinney, Mr Baldwin, Mr Barr, Mr Nader and their vice presidential candidates

Never heard of them? Figures. Well, people, it is/was not JUST Obama vs. McCain today, though it may seem so. Try these links for more information:
http://www.baldwin08.com/
http://www.bobbarr2008.com/
http://mckinney2008.com/PRESIDENT/
http://www.votenader.org/

P.S. Mr Weese congratulates Barack Obama upon his victory. (Here's a transcript of his acceptance speech.)

If you dig straight down...

...where will you end up? Here's a way to check where "Down Under" really is:
http://www.ubasics.com/dighole/
Have fun swimming! ;)

Georgia On My Mind 2008

Some exclusive audio/video content coming up: Here's yours truly's humble performance of one of THE classic American "anthems" at the Alex' Summer Concert of 2008. Thanks to Johannes G. for the recording, and of course to all the members of the "combo" for having me ;)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2496069225567034672

O-aria rai-o - Obama, Obama, Obama...

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought that could be a great rallying song for Senator Obama. Besides, "Mas Que Nada" means "more/better than nothing", so I guess it fits yet again: Anything is better than George "Dubya" Bush (but that's as far as I will go taking sides in the upcoming American election - let Americans decide on whom they want as their next president, it's not up to us here really).

P.S.: My Back to the Future themed blog has a few funny BTTF/Obama-related links (the article is in German, but the linked pages aren't).

You could be a winner

Since there aren't too many contestants yet, I'll take the liberty of putting in a "commercial break" for myself here: You can win a Back to the Future "Save the Clock Tower" T-Shirt in my BTTF-themed "Hill Valley Blog" (it's in German, so here are the instructions in English: Just put your eMail in a comment or mail me at webmaster{at}hillvalley{dot}de and you're in!)
http://blog.hillvalley.de/2008/08/10/verlosung-rettet-die-rathausuhr/

R.I.P. George Carlin May 12, 1937- June 22, 2008

"Let Evel Knievel get ON the plane - I'm getting IN the plane!"

May you spend some quality time with the invisible man in the sky, or whoever it is you are discussing your post-death situation with right now. I shall even shed a few tears for you every once in a while, when nobody's looking. And here, just for y'all 's education, is G.C.'s list of "filthy" words you can't say in the public media, at least in the U.S. of A.:
"Sh*t, P*ss, F*ck, C*nt, C*cksucker, Motherf*cker, T*ts."
Thank you.

P.S.: Slightly modified to protect the innocent.
P.P.S.: While I usually do not encourage usage of said words in public, I keep pointing out to my classes that QUOTING somebody else is perfectly alright and an expression of your right to free speech, as long as you mark it as a quote. Which I've done. So, sue me ;)
P.P.P.S: Here's what director Kevin Smith has to say about the "god who cussed", once again reminding us that 'there are no such things as bad words'

Animals on the Tube

No, I'm not talking about Mr.Bean bringing his Teddy on the Underground. It's rather a phenomenon similar to the one that lets our brain see faces on Mars - if you highlight certain lines of London's Tube map, you get stylized pictures of animals such as an elephant or even a wallaby (some sort of kangaroo, I'm told). Check them out here!

A Classroom I'd Like To Teach In

One of the rare occasions that my two blogging worlds actually touch: Photographer-designer David Occhino has created a "Back to the Future" themed elementary school classroom. Neat. (But it'd probably hard for me to concentrate on my job, what with all the stuff around me just waiting to be stared at in admiration...)

http://davidocchino.com/portfolio/interiordesign/Universal_Studios_classroom.jpg

English for GERRmans

Seems like I just can't resist playing around with those acronyms ;)
Today's link takes you to an online test by the University of Düsseldorf which is designed to evaluate your English proficiency based on the official European frame of reference, in German "gemeinsamer Europäischer ReferenzRahmen", aka GERR. "My" 9th-graders might remember that this turned up in the fictitious CV in our textbook...
OK now, here goes:

http://www.psycho.uni-duesseldorf.de/abteilungen/ddp/Englischtest

Thanks again to Dr. Jörn Krieger for pointing me in the right direction ;)

OWAD's this?

"One Word A Day" - I don't know if it'll keep the doctor away (depends on the word, I guess), but it seems like a fun way to expand one's vocabulary to me: Basically, what you do is subscribe to a mailing list which gives you exactly one English word to learn every day (hence the name). Paul E. Smith tries to choose words a little out-of-the-ordinary (for example, "flawless" as a much more colorful adjective than just "perfect"), serving more than just to impress your teacher ;)

The (German) press release can be accessed here.

Thanks to Jörn Krieger of "Der Medienbote" for the press release & link!

Simpsonize Yourself

Here's how to make your own Bart Simpson Chalkboard:
http://www.addletters.com/bart-simpson-generator.htm

To create your own Simpson, go here:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/flash/play/3677/
or here:
http://www.simpsonizeme.com/

Have fun!!