Danes tend to be happier than people in any other Western country. Why? Low expectations lead to pleasant surprises. Link courtesy of Boing Boing.

The True Neurotic You scored 63 anxiety, 64 awkwardness, and 72 neuroticism! Congratulations, you are The True Neurotic, you nail-biting, conflict-avoiding worrier, you. You’re plagued by self-doubt and anxiety, which makes social activity hard–even though you may be well-liked, you feel under a storm of silent criticism. It doesn’t help that people give you funny looks for organizing all your pens by color or sharpening your gnawed pencils to a delicate point. ...

Actor Drake Hogestyn – John Black on Days of our Lives -- and his family were attacked by a deranged man who wanted to exorcise Satan out of John Black, apparently confused about his Satanic possession storylines. He also hadn’t watched Days recently enough to realize that John Black is a supersoldier who can grab you by the hair and punch you in the face justlikethat. :) Everyone’s fine, except the deranged man. No word as to Stefano’s involvement. ...

This image is what RedState.com decided to use to commemorate the first day of a (barely) Democratic Congress. Wonkette covers it better, but just to get everything straight: Retreat from Saigon Communist Red Star Communist Hammer and Sickle Rays from Japanese military flag Democrat-Socialists, perhaps referring to Bernie Sanders? Isn’t that overkill? And who is retreating from Saigon? Republicans? Is Congress the helicopter, and all the people Democrat-Socialists? I don’t understand. ;) ...

Is it bad that I’m primarily interested in this new Cartoon Network show because it has “Mole Men” in the title? Link courtesy of Boing Boing.

Why We Love the Phantom Stranger VI or, The Phantom Stranger versus the TSA “Name?” “What is a name? A quick sound lost to the wind; only a man has substance, not his name, and I am just a man. No name can capture who I am – who anyone is – any more than naming a wave can trap it on the sand.” Metrics of Adulthood Personally, I like these two signs of being an adult: ...

I got tagged, so I must comply. Herd mentality, you know. These are five things you might not know about me, depending on who you are. 1. My favorite playlist in iTunes is an accidental (party shuffle) conglomeration of 25 great songs to listen to while working that I had to save permanently. It includes Toxic by Britney Spears, which is there for purely ironic reasons, and Crazy in Love by Beyoncé, which is not. ...

Chris Knight reviews Sophie Scholl: The Final Days --- the story of a member of the White Rose --- and finds the cover blurb “Chilling authenticity” goes further than anyone would think.

The first issue of Studies in Language and Capitalism is online. Looks interesting. The editorial advisory board includes the inimitable Jeremy Hunsinger.

That is apparently at least one possible sound made when you hit Dick Tracy in the head. The only thing I’m wondering is if that sounds more like KLUNK or CU-LUNKW?