0 Who Really Should've Won 'The Voice'?




Congratulations to Javier Colon on winning ("This is") The Voice last night.

Just my opinion, but I think it should've been Dia Frampton. She's had my vote ever since her creative performance of Kanye's Heartless.

What do you think — did the best singer win? Will you watch Season 2?

0 Happy Social Media Day #SMDay


Social Media Day, SMDay, Mashable
Happy Social Media Day (or #SMDay if you're on the Twitter)!

This internet holiday was originally created in 2010 by the folks at Mashable, to "celebrate the revolution of media becoming social."

> Celebrate the second annual #SMDay by joining Jenny's Noodle on Twitter and Facebook

0 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' Quiz


Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory quiz
MentalFloss has posted a fun little quiz to celebrate this year's 40th anniversary of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Not to brag, but I scored 12/12 (it is my fav movie, after all). How well did you do?

> "Will you find a golden ticket or fall victim to a snozzwanger?" Take the quiz

0 NPR Sunday Puzzle: June 26, 2011


Will Shortz, NPR Sunday Puzzle
Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 19):

Answer: HELMUT KOHL (helmet and coal)
NPR Sunday Puzzle for June 26:
Take the word "ballerina," drop one letter and rearrange the remaining eight letters to name a well-known fictional character. Who is it?
Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

0 Meet the New Detroit Art Examiner


Detroit Art Examiner, Examiner.com
It's me! That's right, I'm excited to announce that I've been selected as the new Detroit Art Examiner for Examiner.com!

You won't want to miss any of my most interesting articles, so be sure to check out my profile and articles here (and click subscribe).

Oh and one more thing... if you've got a bit of expertise and passion for writing about a particular topic, you could become an Examiner too. If you're interested, please click here, and remember to tell 'em I sent ya!

0 Swoosh! An Iconic Logo Turns 40


Nike swoosh
Forty years ago this week, a little athletic shoe company found its logo.

The iconic Nike swoosh was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971.

She was paid a whopping sum of $35 for her work.

Here is her story:


(via NPR)

0 Coffee: The Greatest Addiction Ever [Video]




The narrator sounds like he drank a few cups too many, but otherwise a very informative video — in a fun way.

(via Laughing Squid)

0 Where's Waldo? In Dublin, Of Course!


Where's Waldo, Where's Wally, world record, Dublin
Can you spot Waldo in the photograph above? It shouldn't be too difficult!

Wearing his signature red and white striped shirts, matching hats and dark-rimmed glasses, a total of 3,657 fans showed up in Dublin this weekend to break the Guinness World Record for the most Waldos in one location.

Where's Waldo (or Wally, as he's known in the British version) is a popular children's book created by British illustrator Martin Handford. The first book was published in 1987, and I'm pretty certain that at some point as a kid I found all of the hidden objects in every book of the entire series (and the Where Are They? series as well).
Did you know? Around the world, Waldo is known by a variety of names:
British - Wally, Hindi – Hetti, German – Walter, Hungarian – Vili, Icelandic – Valli, Croatian – Jura, Danish – Holger, Estonian – Volli, French – Charlie


(via Guardian)

0 The First Day of Summer 2011


First Day of Summer, Takashi Murakami, Google Doodle
The weather is a tad steamy today in Michigan, which I guess is appropriate for the first day of summer. But for at least the next few months? weeks? days? those of us living in "the mitten" are happy to enjoy a few minutes of warm weather.

This morning, it was Google that welcomed me to the start of the sunny season. Today's Google Doodle is a colorful contemporary design entitled The First Day of Summer. The image was created by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and rendered in his trademark Superflat style.

Here's to enjoying ice cream, playing outdoor tennis and getting a nice tan!

0 The Mystery of Pottermore


Pottermore, J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter
"The owls are gathering...Find out why soon."

That's the mysterious message posted on J.K. Rowling's YouTube Channel. And according to the countdown clock, the Harry Potter author will be making some sort of fantastical announcement in just a couple of days. But what could it be?

Whatever the news, it somehow relates to Pottermore — J.K.'s new website that's "Coming Soon..." I'm guessing it will be some sort of magical online world dedicated to the boy wizard, launching to coincide with the final movie release on July 15. We'll all know soon enough...

0 The Best TV Dads Through the Decades




Happy Father's Day!!

0 NPR Sunday Puzzle: June 19, 2011


Will Shortz, NPR Sunday Puzzle
Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 12):

Answer: 18 lines (illustrated here).
NPR Sunday Puzzle for June 19:
Think of a former world leader whose first and last names both sound like things you might see in a mine. Who is the leader, and what are the things?
Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

0 The World's Favorite Food Is . . .


spaghetti, Oxfam survey
Photo credit: SteamyKitchen
. . . pasta!

According to a new Oxfam survey of over 16,000 people in 17 countries, the world loves to eat pasta.

And pizza too!

In the United States, pizza was ranked the most popular food, with 15% of Americans listing it as their favorite followed by steak, chicken and Mexican cuisine.

Globally, the top three foods are pasta, meat and rice.

I'm proud to be an American! And a citizen of the world as well!

> Read the full Oxfam report

(via Time)

0 100 Years of IBM Innovations




IBM Centennial Film: 100 X 100 - A century of achievements that have changed the world
The film features one hundred people, who each present the IBM achievement recorded in the year they were born. The film chronology flows from the oldest person to the youngest, offering a whirlwind history of the company and culminating with its prospects for the future.

IBM (International Business Machines) celebrates its 100th birthday on June 16, 2011.

FUN FACT: I recently learned that Jeopardy contestant/computer "Watson" was named after IBM's first president Thomas John Watson, Sr. But you already knew that. Sure you did, Ken Jennings.

0 Dripped: The Animated Quest of an Artist




A colorful animation created "en hommage à Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)."

(via ChezEddy)

0 "It's Gettin' Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot" Rap




Went to Whole Foods after work this evening. Wish I had seen this sooner so I could've sung to the cashier...

"Damn, I'm about to check out.
Pay my 80 bucks for 6 things and get the heck out."


(via HuffPo)

0 Happy Flag Day!


Jasper Johns, Whitney Museum, Three Flags
"Three Flags" (1958) by Jasper Johns; Encaustic on canvas (30 7/8 x 45 x 5 in); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Art © Jasper Johns/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

0 Fashion Tips from Michael Kors [Video]



Project Runway judge and designer favorite Michael Kors recently shared 3 of his best fashion tips with ABC's 20/20. Listen to the man, ladies — he's a style genius.

(via Shopping Blog)

0 Cheers to Animated Dads


father's day, animation, beer cans
 
Can you guess which animated dads are referenced by the minimalist beer cans above?

> See the answers here


Remember: Father's Day is this Sunday, June 19!

0 Magimix Cutting Edge Veggie Art


Magimix vegetable art ads
Fruit and vegetables recreate art masterpieces by Magritte, Leonardo da Vinci and Picasso in this clever ad campaign for kitchen food processor Magimix.

(via Ads of the World)

0 NPR Sunday Puzzle: June 12, 2011


Will Shortz, NPR Sunday Puzzle
Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 5):

Answer: American Idol and Eric Idle
NPR Sunday Puzzle for June 12

This Hat Rack Puzzle by Sam Lloyd was published 100 years ago in Woman's Home Companion:

A hat room contains a wall with 49 pegs, arranged in a 7-by-7 square. The hat clerk has 20 hats that are to be hung on 20 different pegs. How many lines, containing four hats in a straight line, is it possible to produce?

A line can go in any direction: horizontally, vertically or obliquely. To explain your answer, number the pegs in order, from 1 in the upper left corner to 49 in the lower right corner; list which pegs you put the 20 hats on, and give the total number of lines containing four hats in a row.
Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

0 Meredith Vieira's Final Journey on TODAY




In case you missed it — maybe because you have a job and are a responsible employee who always arrives at work by 9:00am — this was one of the more entertaining farewell tribute segments to Meredith Vieira during her final TODAY Show.

No Tony Soprano cameo. But good to see Abe Vigoda still going strong!

0 NPR Sunday Puzzle: June 5, 2011


Will Shortz, NPR Sunday Puzzle
Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 22):

Answer: URBAN and RURAL
NPR Sunday Puzzle for June 5: Take the two-word title of a TV series. The first word contains a famous actor's first name in consecutive letters. The second word is a homophone for this actor's last name. Name the series and the actor.
Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

0 GE Brings Van Gogh to Life at London's National Gallery


Photo credit: GE
"A Wheatfield, with Cypresses" (1889), Vincent van Gogh
You're probably familiar with the slogan: "GE, we bring good things to life." Now for the first time ever, General Electric (GE) has has brought a famous painting to life, right outside London's National Gallery.

The "living wall" is a reproduction of Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece A Wheatfield, with Cypresses, and is situated on the western side of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Over 8,000 plants of more than 26 different varieties were used to recreate the piece.

The live painting will be grown throughout the summer and autumn, remaining on public view until the end of October 2011.

A Wheatfield, with Cypresses was painted in September 1889, when Van Gogh was in the St-Rémy mental asylum, where he was a patient from May 1889 until May 1890.

> Also see: Starry Night recreated on Etch-A-Sketch

0 And the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee Winner is . . .


Scripps National Spelling Bee 2011, Sukanya Roy, cymotrichous
Photo credit: Zap2it
cy·mot·ri·chous
Pronunciation: sahy-mo-truh-kuhs
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: having wavy hair
Congratulations to Sukanya Roy, the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner!

In case you missed last night's final round on ESPN (I didn't), Sukanya, a 14-year-old girl from South Abington, Pennsylvania, won with the word cymotrichous. As in, the humid weather causes my cymotrichous to flare up. Okay, maybe that's not exactly the correct usage.

> Would you have qualified for the Semifinal round? Test your spelling skills

0 June 3 is National Donut Day!




Time to make the donuts — June 3 is National Donut Day!

Today also happens to be National Repeat Day.

I say why not celebrate both? Eat a donut. And then eat another one. And another. And repeat. And so on. And so on...

0 Gumball Wars [Video]




(via Scott Thierauf)

0 USDA Serves Up MyPlate, Replaces Conventional Food Pyramid


USDA food pyramid, myplate, michelle obama
The conventional food pyramid poster we all remember from Health class has been replaced with a new minimalist Simon game-esque plate.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled the federal government’s new food icon, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices.

"When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we’re already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew," said the First Lady, "so it’s tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates. As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden. That’s how easy it is."

Wait, no dessert?!



> Learn more at www.choosemyplate.gov

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