Like a Branch Over Troubled Water

What do the smell of alcohol prep pads, Tyler Perry movies and orange traffic barrels all have in common? They all cause a sharp, stress-induced rise in my blood pressure. However, while my issues with getting a shot and awful filmmaking will probably never go away, I've now realized that construction around here isn't so bad - at least, by comparison to construction in Meghalaya.

Do you know how long it takes them to build a bridge in Meghalaya? Do you even know where Meghalaya is? That's ok, neither did I. But now we can both know that it's in India, and a bridge there can take up to 15 years to make.

Why? Because their bridges are made of trees. Check it out:

In this little Indian city (with a population of over 2 million people), they get over 15 meters (20,000 leagues) of rain every year, so traditional wooden bridges will rot. So the people train the roots of trees to grow across chasms and over rivers to make these "living bridges." The bad news is that these types of bridges can take 10 to 15 years to become fully ready to cross. The good news is that they get stronger with time - and they look like something out of Lord of the Rings, which is always a bonus.

Thanks to, alert reader, Ethan for sending this one in!

Practically Eleanor Abernathy

We've talked about YouTube remixes on Slice of Fried Gold before. And we've mentioned cats a couple of times, too. Well, now they've come together in glorious harmony - eHarmony, that is:

Here's the original video:



And here's the remix, once again, by The Gregory Brothers:



That cat band really ties that song together, doesn't it?

Now, truth be told, "Debbie" is actually named Cara Hartmann, and she made the original video as a joke. While it does make the first video a little less funny to know that she's faking her emotions for cats, I still think the song is catchy and entertaining. I'd like to thank, alert reader, Emily for sending it in.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go feed my cats.

*sniff*

I love them so much.

Kitty Wants Some Candy

You know that song that goes "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands?" Well, apparently hands aren't enough for some people. If you really want to show people that you're happy, you need a pair of brain-wave-controlled kitty ears.

Sounds crazy, no? Well, a company called Neurowear has invented a new way of communicating your emotions with the Necommi. Take a look:



Who needs facial expressions and verbal communication when a pair of kitty ears will let people know how you're feeling? It does concern me a bit that a corporation in Japan is able to tap into our brain waves, but at least they seem to be using this power for good.

So, what do you think of the Necommi brain-wave-reading kitty ears? Leave a comment and let me know, or just post a picture of the current position of your ears.

Freddie the Elephant Packed His Trunk and Said Goodbye to the Circus

Hello, faithful readers. Remember a while back when we witnessed a cat getting busted for barking like a dog? Remember how embarrassed that cat was? Well, I've mentioned a couple of times on this blog how dogs and cats are different (I've also mentioned a number of times how much Twilight sucks, but that's a different story) and I'd like to prove my point once again.

Check out this video, sent in by, alert reader, Crystal:



Fred has no shame - and I love that. In fact, I wish we could all be a little more like Fred and unleash the elephant inside. Faithful readers, it's time to be an elephant! Run to your windows, faithful readers and trumpet through your nose as loud as you can!

. . . . .

Ew. That didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to.