Pop Culture

"Not now" wrote the headline writer for Ginia Bellafante's May 11 New York Times story (below). Brooklyn readers are welcome to weigh in. The sign up top was placed at the behest of the Brooklyn borough president, Marty Markowitz.

I first introduced you to the talented balancing Coonhound named Maddie and her owner/photographer Theron Humphrey a ways back with 33 fabulous images. In that post I said the photos were begging to be a book and knew it would not be long before Maddie was atop shelves in bookstores as well as atop various items and objects. Maddie is a sweet-tempered dog who has accompanied her owner, Theron, on a yearlong, cross-country trip while he worked on a photojournalism project. In his spare time, Theron took photos of Maddie doing what she does best: standing on things. From bicycles to giant watermelons to horses to people, there really isn't anything that Maddie won't stand on with grace and patience. The beautifully photographed and compelling images of Maddie are now bound into a hardcover book. The poignant Instagram photos of this beautiful dog and her offbeat poses have captured the imagination of all those who long for a road trip with a good dog for company. Maddie on Things celebrates the strange talent of one special dog and will resonate with any dog lover who appreciates the quirky hearts (and extraordinary balance) of canines. Buy Maddie on Things: A Super Serious Project About Dogs and Physics. http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Wild animals are not your friends. They would be quite content to kill and even eat you. How will you survive? Liam Gooley illustrated helpful guides that show you how to keep safe if you meet dangerous creatures, such as elephants, scorpions and aliens. You can read all of these guides at the link.Link -via Pleated Jeans | Liam Gooley's Website

I love this attack on our nation's state birds so so much, mainly because the guy is SO ANGRY.I also love that he recognizes Minnesota's state bird, the common loon, is right on the money.Check out your state rating.His comment on Arkansas gives you an idea of what you'll get: "Christ. What makes this even less funny is that there are like eight other states with mockingbird as their official bird. I’m convinced that the guy whose job it was to report to the state’s legislature on what the official bird should be forgot until the day it was due and he was in line for a breakfast sandwich at Burger King. In a panic he walked outside and selected the first bird he could find, a dirty mockingbird singing its stupid head off on top of a dumpster."

Photo: Miaow Miaow/WikimediaLove may just be a subway ride away. Ropid, Parague's public transport company, is planning to provide singles-only train cars:The project's planners hope the single-only carriages will provide people with a rare opportunity to meet and form a relationship in an increasingly frantic world dominated by work."In the metro you can already read and learn, so why not find a partner?" said Filip Drapal, spokesman for Ropid, Prague's transport company. "We want to make life more pleasant. People today have no time to meet."We do not know yet whether the dating car will be the last carriage on each train and whether it will work day a week or one an hour," he added. "We need to do some fine tuning."Aneta Rehkova, spokeswoman for the metro system, said they were conducting surveys to find out what age groups would be interested in the special carriages and what times would be best to run them.Link

(Video Link)In 2010, doctors diagnosed Jen with a rare type of bone cancer. As part of her thankfully successful recovery, part of Jen's pelvis was surgically removed. Now she can bend her left leg much farther than ever before. In this video, she asks TV show host Ellen DeGeneres to let her show off this ability on television.-via Yababoon

Aka the soft machine. Love it. A 2008 design by Benedetta and Carlo Tamborini for Diamantini & Domeniconi. From Italy (where else?). [via reader Jo Woo Bay who all of a sudden is on a roll — more like this, please.]

Tulsa, Oklahoma, is not the largest city around. It's not even the largest city in Oklahoma. But they are thinking about putting in a bid to host the 2024 Olympics. "I see this as a great opportunity, I really do,” said Tulsa’s mayor, who probably has a name like Dewey Bartlett. Oh. His name really is Dewey Bartlett. Anyway: "If we come off looking a little lighthearted on it, so much the better, but we are serious about putting our name out there."Although Tulsa has almost 400,000 people, the Olympic Committee might consider it a small town. ESPN Playbook had a little fun with the idea, and made a template for small-town Olympic bids. All you have to do is fill in the name of your town. A sample:Gym Sports Venue: High School Gym and the YMCABasketball, volleyball, wrestling, badminton, whatever handball is, gymnastics -- we can host them all. The main gym floors at our high school and our town’s YMCA have lines for basketball and volleyball. There is also a full-sized basketball court at the middle school, but the floor is pretty old and it is slippery even if it’s just been swept.If these venues are not enough to accommodate all the gym sports, the badminton competition can be moved to any number of backyards in our town. Gymnastics have not been part of our gym curriculum since the late '80s -- again thanks to insurance issues. (People will sue you nowadays if their kid gets hurt falling off a pommel horse.) However, we probably have most of our gymnastics equipment still in some equipment closet somewhere.The rest covers aquatic, equestrian, and other sports venues, athlete housing, transportation, and production for the opening and closing ceremonies. Link -via mental_floss

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mailin their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.See More Secrets. Follow PostSecret on Twitter. PostSecret on Facebook Amazon.com Widgets-----Email-----Three years ago I had the privilege of meeting you at a PostSecret Event. That same night, I also met a guy named Tyler. He was extremely good looking and we both loved PostSecret. We started dating a month later and it has been an amazing three year journey with him. Just last month he proposed! We are now in the midst of the crazy, yet exciting wedding planning and I just wanted to say "thank you" for creating such a wonderful project that brings people together - in many ways - through anonymous secrets.-----Email-----Hi Frank,I don't know if you can help. My girlfriend left me. I've loved her since we met and was too scared to tell her. We used to lie in bed every Sunday reading the Sunday Secrets. She's obsessed with it. I want her to know I loved her and I think this is my only shot at telling her.

The Doctor, Amy Pond. and The Daleks Doctor Who Seatbelt BeltAttention Doctor Who fans! Are you looking for an out world accessory worthy of adventurous Time Lord such as yourself? Behold The Doctor, Amy Pond, and The Daleks Doctor Who Seatbelt Belt from the NeatoShop. This fantastic belt is made of tough nylon webbing and features an authentic seatbelt clasp as the belt buckle. Be sure to check the NeatoShop for more great Apparel & Accessories. Link