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Cloud boobs. Don’t worry; it’s entirely safe for work. I’m just amused that the scientific name for the clouds seems to be entirely derived from their resemblance to breasts. (Link courtesy of Max, who got it from John.)

So have I mentioned that I’m completely obsessed with this Pepsi Win an iPod competition? (Shut up. I know, I’ve already got an iPod. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want another one, especially if it’s newer and cooler and free!) The idea is that you SMS your name and the code from the back of the bottle wrapper, and every hour they have a drawing from all the entries received in that hour and the winner gets a new 15GB iPod! And they’re doing this every hour for six weeks! I’m like, “How many people are there in Australia anyway?! And how many will play as hardcore as me?! None! I’m a shoo-in!” Now of course normally I’m a loyal Diet Coke drinker, but I figured I might as well switch it up for the duration of the contest. (Just call me Violet Beauregarde.) Thus I find myself slogging away through my sixth bottle of “Pepsi Light” – which, by the way, sucks ass. But like I said, I’m now obsessed with this contest. I’ve actually had in-depth mathematical discussions with the Snook about ways to increase my probability of winning. (For instance, if you’ve got two codes, do you send them in during the same hour or separate? We decided “separate”, but it’s a long explanation…) Last night I actually set the alarm clock and sent one in at 2:30 a.m., and then another at 5:30 when Amy woke me up. (The theory being, of course, that most people aren’t hardcore enough to send them in the dead of night.) Then I went back to sleep and had crazed dreams that I had actually won, and I was telling everybody, and I was the coolest kid in school (because for some reason I was in high school in the dream), and it was the greatest thing ever, and I was so disappointed when I woke up and discovered that I was a big fat loser that I went right back out and bought some more Pepsi Light so I could try again.

Maybe I need to lay off the caffeine.

In the fine tradition of mash-ups, fan fic, and other illegal art, a guy named Brad Neely has created an “unauthorized re-envisioning” of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the form of an alternate audio track. It’s called Wizard People, Dear Reader. Apparently you’re supposed to download it and burn it to disc, and then play the CD along with the DVD (with the sound muted). It made its cinematic debut recently at the New York Underground Film Festival. From this review I gather that it isn’t exactly for kiddies. I’m going to see if the Snook can get it for me so I can check it out for myself.

Hmmmph. I’d much rather be an Indianian than a Michigander.

Annoyance. The Sydney Morning Herald is apparently getting ready to require registration to read the paper online. That’s fine for me as a resident, but I think it’s stupid and frustrating that my international friends should have to do the same. What’s the point of targetting ads to them? They don’t even live here! I’m going to have to find another free source for Aussie news blogging.

American Traveler International Apology Shirt. I just may have to get one of those. At any rate, it’d make a fine outfit to wear to the Fahrenheit 9/11 premiere, huh?

Digital Photography Composition Tips. Very useful for those of us who possess more camera technology than we know what to do with.

Looks like you lucky European bastards are finally getting the iTunes Music Store. I hope at least if it launches Steve will have more time to focus on the Australian version…

This one’s for my Dad: “Lessons from the Wolf”, a fascinating article about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone and the amazing econological changes that are taking place there. I would have never guessed that introducing a predator would result in so much growth among seemingly unrelated species like trees and birds. It makes me wonder if the deer overpopulation problems we often have in Indiana would be better managed with a natural solution than periodic culls.

The Sydney Morning Herald has decided to clear up an issue currently perplexing Australians: Why was Ronald Reagan called “The Gipper”? I’m a little annoyed that they didn’t mention ND though. I wonder if they’re having any special memorial service on campus…