Friday Links

HOORAY!!!! Happy 100th anniversary ladies of Kansas!! Via Boing Boing.

Study: The human brain may not be special

Confession box turns horsebox as bookmaker Paddy Power sponsors 'sin bin' in Catholic church

Of Flattened Flora and Expulsion Cavities: The crop circle controversy continues

The quick and the dead: Embalmed biker sits astride his motorcycle in funeral home

Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii Legislature OKs historic civil unions bill; governor now must decide
By a vote of 31-20, the Hawaii House today approved a civil unions bill just hours before the end of this year's legislative session. The measure would give unmarried same-sex and heterosexual couples the same rights as married couples under state law. The bill passed the Senate in January by a vote of 18-7 and now goes to the governor for her consideration. Gov. Linda Lingle had urged lawmakers against taking up civil unions this session and to instead focus on the state's budget deficit. She has not said whether she would sign or veto the bill.

40 ways we still use floppy disks

Adventurers set sail to recreate Captain Bligh's epic journey after mutiny on the Bounty

Refined carbs are bad for the heart, not fat

The face in the clouds: British tourist spots spooky smirk above Venice church

CNNMoney: Jobless claims fall for 2nd straight week
The number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment insurance fell for the second straight week, according to weekly government data released Thursday. There were 448,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended April 24, down 11,000 from an upwardly revised 459,000 the previous week, according to the Labor Department's weekly report.