Take 5
Created | Updated Jun 20, 2003
Every day five new approved entries are recommended on the
h2g2 Main Page. These go by unnoticed to most users as they focus around their own page. This weekly article points out and reviews the five most entertaining and interesting entries of the week.
Shingle is a great entry on that stuff that populates Britain's beaches and now gardens and houses as well. It explains why this stuff is spreading but does not give any insight on whether it is stoppable! British beaches could really benefit from some softer substance and maybe (just maybe) I would be willing to visit them *shudder*. I wonder if the authorities ever stepped on such an idea...(ever hear of jelly shoes? Ed.)
Secret Societies covers the history of secret societies (well, three of them anyway). In fact, it tell about three related societies - Cabalists (no, I didn't mean cannibalists), Rosicrucians and the Freemasons (finally... one that the spellchecker accepts ;-)). I am more familiar with the Cabala (being of Jewish background). It seems to be praised far more than it deserves. All it appears to be is an early mystics' book. Now, what entertaining punishment will be bestowed upon me for saying that?
Jams - Half Trousers, Half Shorts - remember those items of clothing (if one can refer to them as clothing) from the 1980s?... I was lucky enough not to fully experience the damn things. They are horrifying though - I'm thankful they were a fad and didn't stick (literally they did though!). Now, when will the cycle of fads bring them back again - if anyone knows, please make sure to tell me so I can flee to isolation.
Fun Things To Do With Macaroni puts forward several suggestion of handy and useless things to create and achieve with the wonderful pasta. These range from the common Pasta Picture and Picture Frame through to innovative ideas such as a Maraca! A few more entertaining ideas are given as well. It is interesting how many wonderful pasta-related ideas people can come up with - I wonder if anyone thought about actually cooking it ;-).
Plastic is a modern-day equivalent of a 1950s government-issued education tape: Plastic - our lovely oil-based friend. Though plastics are vital to industry and have great properties unique to them, they pollute. Though recycling of plastics is becoming much more common, the processes used still create fumes, many of which are Greenhouse gases and some which destroy Ozone. It is predicted we will run out of crude oil within half a century. This date always seems to move further away the closer we get to it. With the prospect of Cold Fusion diminished, what alternative practical power source is there? Natural Gas is predicted to run out within a decade so all we are left with is Coal and Nuclear Fission (renewable being too weak).
