Thursday links

I've been accumulating these for years: Way too many Thanksgiving links.

The mean drunk gene: Your Appalling Drunken Behavior Might Be Genetic.

After 6 Years And 720,000 Attempts, Photographer Finally Takes Perfect Shot Of Kingfisher.

It's Black Friday, Charlie Brown.

The Fascinating Process of Dredging Drowned Bicycles From Amsterdam Canals Using a Giant Claw Machine.

Yesterday was "Evacuation Day, when the British ran 'way" from New York City at the end of the Revolutionary War. Here's the story of the young man who slithered up a greased flagpole to rip down the British flag.

Happy Thanksgiving (and Black Friday)

Monday links

A round-up of Thanksgiving links: how turkey got its name, why the Lions and Cowboys always play, Ben Franklin's account of the first Thanksgiving, Buffy Thanksgiving episode (ritual sacrifice, with pie), and more.

Icky science of the day - parasitic worm increases women's fertility.

The Science of Smiling.

Weird Versions of Stonehenge.

Gallery: 11,000 camels gather each year at the Pushkar Camel Fair.

Test Tasting Computer-Translated Recipes.

ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include the royalties for Mein Kampf, original names of cartoon characters, videos to entertain your cats and dogs when they're home alone, and a zoo that housed wolves and three species of bears together.

Weird Versions of Stonehenge

A semi-permanent set of Stonehenge (wiki) replicas (unlike the cupcake version I once made with kids):

Carhenge

Carhenge is located near the city of Alliance, Nebraska, on the High Plains region of the United States. It consist of 39 vintage American cars arranged in a circle and partially buried to keep them upright. Arches were created by welding more cars atop the erect ones. The entire structure is spray painted with a shade of gray to mimic the color of stone. The idea was conceived in 1987 by Jim Reinders as a memorial to his father.

Foamhenge

Foamhenge is a full size replica built of Styrofoam and locatred in the town of Natural Bridge, in Virginia, USA. Its creator, Mark Cline, took great pains to shape each 'stone' to its original shape, fact-checking his designs and measurements with the man who gives tours of Stonehenge in England. Each block is set into a hole in the ground, reinforced by a steel pipe that goes through the block. The pipe is anchored to the ground with cement. Each stone is placed in astronomically correct position. 

Fridgehenge

Fridgehenge was a Stonehenge replica built of refrigerators. Fridgehenge stood outside Santa Fe, New Mexico for almost a decade, but following complaints from neighbors, it was dismantled in 2007. Another Fridgehenge was built in the UK in 2014, and yet another one earlier this year.

More henges at Amusing Planet, via Presurfer.

Do You Have What it Takes to Win This Testicle Beauty Pageant?

Other than the word testicles, I don't think that there's anything unsafe for work in this post - if you follow the links, all bets are off.

You, yes you, could win $5,000 in this beauty contest for your balls.

The man who brought you the famous vaginal beauty contest in order to create his baffling three-orifice sex toy hasn't forgotten about you, gents. This time around, he's encouraging the men of the world to nominate their balls via photo submissions on his site, where users can rank which pair reigns supreme. But it's not just for street cred: the first place winner will collect $5,000, the second place $3,000, and the third $2,000.

If you win, your naughty bits will then be 3D-scanned and their likeness forever immortalized in novelty items like doorstops and paper weights.

Lots more here. 

D.C. Chief Lanier encourages people to “take the gunman out” in active shooter situations

She's absolutely right, of course, but given the "unconstitutionally restrictive" D.C. gun laws, this is surprising. From WTOP:

In an upcoming segment of “60 Minutes,” Metropolitan Police Chief Police Chief Cathy Lanier says it’s unrealistic to think police will make it to an active shooter situation in time to save lives, so victims will have to prepare to “run, hide or fight.”

“If you’re in a position to try and take the gunman down, to take the gunman out, it’s the best option for saving lives before police can get there,” she tells Anderson Cooper for the segment, which will air Sunday at 7 p.m. on CBS.

Lanier said this is radically different from what police have often told people. But after a series of tragic domestic attacks – including the 2013 murders at the D.C. Navy Yard — it is clear that merely calling 911 and waiting for a response isn’t enough.

“The fact is most active shooter kill their victims in less than 10 minutes,” she said. “It’s a different scenario.”