The Most Fascinating Thing I've Heard This Century

Theoretical physicist and 2057 host Michio Kaku speculates on the future of civilization.

YouTube Video

Quote - "The generation now alive, and our grandchildren, are the most important generations ever to walk the surface of the earth."

Discuss.

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Good Thing They Have Flippers and Not Hands

Ok, I just had to share this one...

The more we study dolphins, the brighter they turn out to be.

Quote - "At the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Mississippi, Kelly the dolphin has built up quite a reputation. All the dolphins at the institute are trained to hold onto any litter that falls into their pools until they see a trainer, when they can trade the litter for fish. In this way, the dolphins help to keep their pools clean.

Kelly has taken this task one step further. When people drop paper into the water she hides it under a rock at the bottom of the pool. The next time a trainer passes, she goes down to the rock and tears off a piece of paper to give to the trainer. After a fish reward, she goes back down, tears off another piece of paper, gets another fish, and so on. This behaviour is interesting because it shows that Kelly has a sense of the future and delays gratification. She has realised that a big piece of paper gets the same reward as a small piece and so delivers only small pieces to keep the extra food coming. She has, in effect, trained the humans."

Ok... that's totally awesome. But wait, it gets better!

Quote - "Her cunning has not stopped there. One day, when a gull flew into her pool, she grabbed it, waited for the trainers and then gave it to them. It was a large bird and so the trainers gave her lots of fish. This seemed to give Kelly a new idea. The next time she was fed, instead of eating the last fish, she took it to the bottom of the pool and hid it under the rock where she had been hiding the paper. When no trainers were present, she brought the fish to the surface and used it to lure the gulls, which she would catch to get even more fish. After mastering this lucrative strategy, she taught her calf, who taught other calves, and so gull-baiting has become a hot game among the dolphins."

Incredible!

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You Think You're Tough?

As Neal Stephenson wrote, "Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest ************ in the world. If I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years. If my family was wiped out by Colombian drug dealers and I swore myself to revenge. If I got a fatal disease, had one year to live, devoted it to wiping out street crime. If I just dropped out and devoted my life to being bad."

Well these three guys win.

Boy, 5, Subdues Rabid Fox To Protect Family
"A 5-year-old boy grabbed a rabid fox by the neck and pinned it to the ground during a family cookout, protecting six other children until his stepfather could kill the animal."


Man Sucked Out Of Plane At 20,000 Feet Survives
"I was just sitting in my seat, chitchatting with the pilot and then there was this huge explosion, like this real loud popping sound," Fogg said on "Good Morning America." "I was immediately sucked to the right, right out the window."

With his legs and left arm inside the plane, Fogg fought to break free from the intense suction and 200-mph winds.

72 Year Old Ex Marine Beats Down Mugger
There are certain things in life one should learn at a young age. Don’t touch fire: it is hot and will burn you. Don’t dive in shallow water: it is not deep and you will break bones. Apparently someone didn’t learn another valuable lesson; don’t mess with a former marine, or you will likely get owned.

Enter 72-Year-Old Bill Barnes.

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Vote For June's Post of the Month

I know June didn't have as many posts as May or April did, but with Blogger locking Popular Fiction and my crazy schedule, things just got out of hand. I know there aren't many to choose from but please, post a comment and vote for your favorite story. Here's the complete list for your convenience.

P.S. I promise there will be more posting in July. Back on Schedule!

If Animals Could Talk It Would Be Scary
The Time I Almost Died
The Time I Almost Got Run Over by a Bus
Frodo and the Old Nazi
Excuse Me Sir, There's a Tree in Your Car
Sorry Buddy
Sometimes the Funny Just Isn't There
Roast Beef Is Not For Puppies
Even The Dog Won't Eat It
CIBC Lost My Bank Account
Sales Clerks - Where Do They Get These Guys?

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"We Don't Know What Ignited The Fire" Police Said

Texas cops... for the win.

Man Bursts Into Flames After Being Shot By A Taser Gun

Quote - 'Officers used the gun after the man had poured gasoline over himself.'

Quote - '"We don't know what ignited the fire," police said.'

You've gotta be kidding me.

Maybe next time they can "subdue the supsect by throwing lit matches at him in an effort to startle him." - (thanks to Mr. Fed for that great line)

This is the same state whose first female governor is reputed to have said "If English was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for Texas schoolchildren”

Wow.

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Previous News: The Best Thrill Ride Ever
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The Best Thrill Ride Ever

This news item is awesome and wrong, hilarious and horrifying. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Best Thrill Ride Ever. Words just aren't adequate, so here's a picture.



Yes, that's a guy in a wheelchair, jammed in the front grill of a semi truck.

On the highway.

Going 50 miles per hour.

Quote - "Calls began pouring in to the Paw Paw post of the Michigan State Police around 4:00 p.m. The first call came in with a woman telling dispatchers, "You are not going to believe this, there is a semi- truck pushing a guy in a wheel chair on Red Arrow Highway!""

I am in awe of this guy. He now has the best campfire story ever.

Quote - "Police say the 21-year-old man was un-harmed and unfazed by the incident. The young man was quoted as saying, "It was quite a ride.""

This guy is a master of understatement.
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blogger.com has no sense of humour

Blogger bots have no sense of humour. For five days this blog was locked by blogger.com. The spam bots declared 'Popular Fiction' to be a spam blog. Apparently the bots didn't appreciate my brand of humour. Eventually a real person looked at the blog and unlocked it. I'm sorry I was unable to post, but things are back to normal now. Thank you for your patience and I hope you continue to enjoy reading 'Popular Fiction'... as long as the bots leave me alone.

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Previous News: Vote For May's Post of the Month
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Vote For May's Post of the Month

It's June, so it's time to pick your favorite story from last month. Please post a comment stating which story you enjoyed the most. For your convenience, here's a list of all of May's stories.

I Thought I Had The Radiation Sickness
It's Not On My Resume But I Am a Skilled Pyromaniac
Nothings Wrong, I'm Just Watering The Patio
The Conclusion of the Fire Trilogy (For Now)
They Don't Call it the Chemistry "Final" For Nothing
If I Could Talk to the Animals
Electricity is Dangerous - Shocking Details Follow
Things That Go "Bonk, Smash, Ouch!" in the Night
The Top Five Fuhringer Family Fishing Trip Disasters
Everybody Wants to be Famous
Pillar of Fire - It Runs in the Family
Adventures in Cuba - The Bus Driver From Hell
I've Got a Rip in My Pants Again
That's Not How We Use Our Crayons
They Called Me "Ink Mouth"
Squirrels Aren't Stupid, They're Just Thrill Seekers
More Squirrel Madness - Indoor Rodent Sports
My Dad Could Mess Up 'Shake 'n Bake'
Barbecue Tips For the Insane
Communication - The Keep Two a Shabbly Family Live
Window Cleaning With George - Episode One
Window Cleaning Again, Now With More Golf
Golf - With My Mom
The Only Patch of Ice in the Entire Parking Lot
The Only Banana Peel in the Entire Valley
The Password is 'IMARETARD'
If the Animals Could Talk to Me

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Previous News: Popular Fiction Hits Technorati Top 100,000
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'Popular Fiction' Hits the Technorati Top 100,000

Thanks to you, loyal readers and the many people who linked here, 'Popular Fiction' is now ranked 99,788 out of the estimated 71 million blogs tracked by Technorati. Here's a picture...

Follow this link for more information about 'Popular Fiction' at Technorati. Clicking on the Authority icon or text reveals the ranking and shows who linked here.

Thank you for your support!

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Previous News: Found 20 Light Years Away - The New Earth
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This Just In - Found 20 light years away: the New Earth

Quote - "It's got the same climate as Earth, plus water and gravity. A newly discovered planet is the most stunning evidence that life - just like us - might be out there.

Above a calm, dark ocean, a huge, bloated red sun rises in the sky - a full ten times the size of our Sun as seen from Earth. Small waves lap at a sandy shore and on the beach, something stirs..."

Found 20 light years away: the New Earth

The article is sensational and speculative, but if you ignore the hype, the actual data itself is really cool. A planet in the "Goldilocks Zone", with temperatures between zero and 40c (32-102f)?

Fascinating!
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Previous News: Popular Fiction Hits 100 Visitors
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Popular Fiction Hits 100 Visitors

On Thursday, 'Popular Fiction' was read by 100 unique visitors. This was a new record.

I'd like to thank Darren Rowse of Problogger for running the 'Top Five Group Writing Project', for which I wrote the story, The Top Five Fuhringer Family Fishing Trip Disasters. This project attracted several new visitors and I look forward to participating in future projects.

I'd like to thank Bill Harris of Dubious Quality for his positive comments about 'Popular Fiction' and the link, which will hopefully also attract new visitors.

Finally I'd like to thank you, the readers for regularly visiting 'Popular Fiction' and inviting new readers. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Thanks and Enjoy!
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Previous News: Videos of Water Flash Freezing
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This Just In - Videos of Water Flash Freezing

Yesterday I posted a story in which my coffee flash froze on me during the ice storm of '98. For those naysayers who think that's impossible, I present the following videos as evidence.

Watch as hot water freezes instantly when exposed to cold air.

The above video from January 1st, 2006 was taken by the organizers of the 2006 K-300 dog sled race to demonstrate why they decided to cancel the race.

But wait, there's more...

Watch water supercooled to -21 degrees flash freeze when exposed to normal air.

In this video, the water acts very much like my coffee did that night back in '98.

And finally, a video for fans of blowing things up.

A cool video made by the American Military about the effect of a torpedo on a destroyer.

It's water related and it's cool.
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Vote For April's Post of the Month

May is here and that means it's time to vote for your favorite post from April's lineup. Please leave a comment below about which story you would call 'Post of the Month'. For your convenience, here's a complete list of all the humour stories last month.

April 2007

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction
Do You Have Poop in Your Bed?
When the Crazy Person on the Bus is You
Come On Baby, Do the Grandpa Shuffle
When Bad Things Happen to Good Toys
I'm Sorry, I Can't Understand You
The Beer Store. It's Where the Beers Are
When Your Client is a Crack-Smoking Retard
The Worst Client Ever
A Roll of the Dice
Golf - Jerry Lewis Style
It All Depends on How You Define Success
Timing is Everything
It's Hard to Believe We Survived Childhood
What Are You, Pregnant?
The Great Explosion of '82
Adventures in Cuba - When Water Skiing Kills
Indecent Exposure in the Hospital Cafeteria
Portrait of the Artist as a Baby
Adventures In Cuba - When in Doubt, Pee on Your Leg
I'm Turning Into My Father
Gino's Pizza - Where the Customer is Sometimes Wrong
Memories of the Emergency Room
Adventures In Cuba - People Are Funny When They're On Vacation
Adventures In Cuba - Mopeds Can't Climb Trees
Hungarian Humour - It's Not Funny Until Someone Dies
Hot Coffee at Twenty Below

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I Need Your Help Inviting New Readers

I welcome new readers and there are some fast and easy ways you can invite them.

1) E-Mail: At the bottom of every post is a little symbol that looks like an envelope. If you click this, the system will automatically send a link and your comments, to the address you enter. It's a great way to share a story you enjoyed with your friends. If you do this I will be very grateful.

2) If you have a blog or a website: I will happily exchange links with you. Please contact me at tfuhr@sympatico.ca. If your site is relatively clean and interesting, I will link to you. I will also consider exchanging reviews. Contact me for details.

3) Forums: If you visit forums or groups, where appropriate, you may post a message about any story you enjoyed. You have my permission to copy and paste text directly from any of my posts as long as you include a working link to the URL http://tdfuhringer.blogspot.com/.

Thank you very much for your support.

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This Just In - Dog Owners Fleeced In Poodle Scam

This cannot possibly be a real story. It just can't. No one could be that dense.

Look at these pictures. Can you tell which one is the sheep and which one is the poodle?



Apparently some people can't. Apparently some people need to go back to kindergarten.

Since human stupidity is often depressing, let me share an other animal story with you, this one far more uplifting.

Meet Nora, The Piano-Playing Cat

That's right. Two minutes and forty-eight seconds of agony while Nora beats at a piano with her paws. I dare you to sit through the entire thing.

How this ended up in their top twenty videos section I will never know.
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Previous News Post: Stephen Hawking In Space?
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This Just In - Stephen Hawking in Space?

Picture - Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, paralyzed by Lou Gehrig's disease, floats during a zero-gravity flight; an apple, a tribute to Isaac Newton, drifts along with him.

Quote - "It might not seem like a brilliant idea, allowing a frail 65-year-old paralytic to float free from gravity aboard a rising and plunging roller-coaster stunt flight.
But who's to argue with Stephen Hawking?

The celebrated British astrophysicist and black-hole theorist, author of "A Brief History of Time," paralyzed by Lou Gehrig's disease and communicating largely through eye movements, has long wanted to visit outer space. Human survival depends on getting there, he says. An event here Thursday was described as his first improbable step."

I think it's a great idea. Here's a link to the full article.

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This Just In - Drunk Man Rides Horse Into Bank

Here's the link.

I don't even have to say anything for it to be funny. Well, OK. I'll give you the picture, how's that?



Quote - "A drunk German horse rider rode into a bank foyer to sleep for the night, after having one too many for the road during a stopover at his local beergarden."

At least he didn't try to blame the Unicorn.
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This Just In - Amazing Russian Cake Art

Who doesn't love cake? I could eat cake all day. Mmm cake...

Especially white cake with butter cream icing. (Drool)

Well cake lovers, prepare to be blown away. Every single one of these pictures is a real, fully edible cake, made by Zhanna from St. Petersburg.

Too lazy to click on the link? Ok, I give you... yummy cake!

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Popular Fiction Goes Public

It's new, it's improved, it's 'Popular Fiction'.

'Popular Fiction' is a daily humour blog written by T. D. Fuhringer, covering such diverse topics as Adventures In Cuba - When Water Skiing Kills or
The Beer Store. It's Where the Beers Are and even Golf - Jerry Lewis Style.

'Popular Fiction' also includes fun news items, reviews of authors and their books, and will soon include monthly feature articles about humour, writing and of course, popular fiction.

'Popular Fiction' is a Safe For Work site and is generally family friendly, with only occasional mild language for comedic purposes. Everyone is welcome.

Thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoy it!
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This Just In - The Idiot Test

This goofy thing is making the rounds these days. If you're looking for something to kill ten minutes instead of actually working, try it!

The Idiot Test

What rating did you get?
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This even goofier bit of video shows what happens when people with way too much time on their hands take a cool idea to the extreme. I can't stop watching. It's awesome, yet deeply nerdy.

The Real Transformers

I wish I had thought of that when I was younger.
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And finally, a note to people like "Your First Critic" who commented on yesterday's This Just In. This feature is simply a bit of fun for us A.D.D. types before the main course. If you look very carefully, you'll see that UNDERNEATH every "This Just In" is the day's humour article. "This Just In" is a bonus. "Author Reviews" is a bonus. Next month's "Feature Articles" will be a bonus. The daily humour articles are and always will be the main feature of this site. Enjoy!
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