"4. Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, upstate New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and nearly all of Maine and Minnesota were colder than Mars on Thursday." 10 things we didn’t know last week Benedict Cumberbatch and King Richard III are cousins, and more nuggets. Read at Google+

Violence In Nigeria: 2,000 Feared Killed 2,000 feared killed in ‘deadliest’ Boko Haram attack in Nigeria Boko Haram militants raided a series of Nigerian villages last week, leaving hundreds of bodies scattered everywhere, officials said. Read at Google+

…about 6 or 7 years after it became a standard look, with its own vocabulary, fashions, and architectural aesthetic in virtual worlds like Second Life, OpenSim, etc. I make steampunk hats and things that are no big deal, but the scripted gadgets and silly weapons and vehicles in Second Life are clever, hilarious, and great fun. Community Post: The 6 Rules Of Steampunk Fashion IBM has declared Steampunk fashion to be the next big trend, so it’s time to learn its rules! Read at Google+

Hat tip to +Dave Hill for my spiffy new tag. Bryan Fischer Suggests The Charlie Hebdo Attack Was God’s Punishment For Magazine’s Blasphemy On his radio program today, Bryan Fischer speculated that the attack by radical Muslim terrorists on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo that killed twelve people may have been God’s retribution for Read at Google+

The new Illinois governor's press guy is making new friends in the local press and blogger corps… Capitol Fax.com – Your Illinois News Radar » “This is the thanks we get” Team Rauner sent out a list of inauguration events to reporters yesterday, including info on which events were open to all media and which were not. The inaugural reception and dinner, the inter-faith prayer service, Rauner’s signing of his oath of office and the governor’s dinner party were all … Read at Google+

I have all this fitness gear, and time during the day. Worth a try. Jillian Michaels’ Total-Body Shred – Health Mobile Jillian Michaels’ extra-fast holiday shred workout targets every muscle group to build strength. Read at Google+

There's some entertainingly mangled English on the Wayfair.com home decor shopping site. We bought a nice hall tree there and now need a storage/accent piece as well. I'm seriously considering this one, but worrying about whether our cycling stuff and winter gear will be corrupted, if the description is accurate. "Out of six, four drawers is designed in perverse jute way." The top drawers are vanilla, so confusing. Wayfair.com – Online Home Store for Furniture, Decor, Outdoors & More | Wayfair Read at Google+

I need more shorts, and some of the products sound like a good fit. And I totally hate how jerseys ride up. How to Find the Best Plus-Size Cycling Clothing | Bicycling Property field_dek Read at Google+

Gleaned from this that those ubiquitous web stories that are just a list of weird old tips, often with one page (and many ads) per item. And yes, the Amish are an interesting population. Anti-Vaxxers Are Idolizing the Amish, Inexplicably A viral pseudoscience article claims the Plain People never get sick because they don’t get vaccinated. Actually, members of the religious sect are prone to some terrible diseases. Read at Google+

Last year in February he didn't support the Veterans' Jobs Bill, as GOP leaders tried to slide some dirty work amendments in and Harry Reid wasn't falling for it. Funny how the GOP gets to claim victory no matter what happens, but vets almost never win. GOP blocks veterans bill Republicans said the new healthcare and education programs was not properly paid for. Read at Google+