If studying for the Physics 3 final isn’t exactly what floats you boat, perhaps you should take a break by … watching physics lectures?

Walter Lewin is a professor of physics emeritus at MIT.  He is known for (among other things) his introductory physics lectures that are all available on YouTube thanks to MIT OpenCourseWare.

If you pay attention, you will notice one neat trick of his that has fascinated many of his videos’ viewers: drawing dotted lines. Very, very quickly. Also, as an added bonus, it makes arguably the coolest sound ever!  Thankfully, some enterprising person has decided to make a short mashup of Lewin’s best dotted lines. Enjoy.

Yes, that's a cat giving another cat a massage.

There’s no record of anyone dying from an OD of cuteness (yet), but if anyone’s feeling up to the task, there’s Cute Roulette. Joining the plethora of websites featuring the distracting adorableness of the animal kingdom, Cute Roulette brings you and a puppy falling asleep (oh boy can we sympathize), a panda playing soccer (it’s like watching two fat black and white fluffballs roll each other around), and a cat trying to fit into a water bottle (because the internet isn’t complete without a healthy dose of feline).

Not to be confused for that other roulette, which is probably definitely NSFW.

Goodbye productivity, hello adorable hugging cats.

Remember that time you saw that hamster working out in Toms and a vintage The Clash t-shirt at the OMAC? Maybe it’s a little more mainstream now, but Bon Iver frontman/hamster god Justin Vernon might be giving these kids a reason to spend a little less time discussing the newest Tumblr and a little more time werkin’ it.

Vernon teamed up with his personal trainer and biffle Jeff Rogers to create a straight-to-DVD workout video that follows Bon Iver as they run up and down stairs, lift weights, and do sit-ups, all while still looking appropriately apathetic. Don’t be fooled — an indie folk star doesn’t do squats to J-Lo. The trailer is set to the soothing melodies of We Are The Willows. Maybe this will motivate you to take a study break at the Bear’s Lair?

What’s better than an afternoon espresso break to get you through that 25 page paper you need to write on the sociological significance of Beyonce’s Irreplaceable video? Well dressed children in skinny jeans making your espresso for you!

That’s right, some parents out there probably from Brooklyn thought it would be a great use of their time to teach their two seven-year-old kids how to operate that overpriced espresso machine that’s been taking up useful counter space in their beautifully minimalist, designer loft. The result? Ellanie and Ethan, two youngsters I can only assume are the world’s most accomplished baristas still in the first grade. Set the whole thing to a Postal-Service-like soundtrack and you have viral video gold.

Now if only someone could teach them how to make me a half-caf, two-pump, hazelnut soy latte with a shot…

…I’d be in child labor heaven.

If you’ve got some free time this evening (HA!), lie down and look up at the night sky. The Geminid Meteor Shower is going on … well … everywhere tonight, starting at 7 pm. The best place to watch would be dark corners (also good for hook-ups, hint, hint), or the Ladd Observatory, if you’re feeling up for a trek.

Besides, it couldn’t hurt to make some wishes during these upcoming weeks.

Please let me pass Chem0330, please let me pass Chem0330, please let me pass Chem0330 …

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Being a blog and all, it makes perfect sense that we here at BlogDH have an obvious soft spot for…well, other blogs.

That said, Buzzfeed recently posted its annual list of the best Tumblrs of the year  (a joyous event that always happens to perfectly align with the start of finals) and needless to say there are a lot of real winners. If accidental Chinese hipsters aren’t your thing, or you’re bummed at the news that Textsfrombennett is actually fictitious (big ol’ duh! right there) there’s always ANIMALS TALKING IN ALL CAPS.

A new addition to the blogosphere, the idea is deceptively simple: caption funny pictures of animals with hilarious anthropomorphic banter, and you’re sure to leave college students awkwardly laughing to themselves in very public locations as they seek solace from that damn take-home final they’ve yet to begin.

So, take a break from assuring yourself that you “work best under pressure” and check out this cat lamenting about her addiction to drunkenly shopping online. If that’s not productive, I don’t know what is.

Alas, the finals countdown has reached zero and finals are officially here. This past week, we’ve had fun keeping you busy with plenty of time-wasters and study breaks. But the fun doesn’t stop there— the idiosyncrasies of your fellow AQR- and FriSC-dwellers can be just as noteworthy and entertaining as the study breaks we provide. Yes, my friends, I’m talking about the art of people-watching. 

You won’t need to divert much time away from your studies to engage in this activity. To show you just how efficient this study-break is, examples are given in the most concise form known to any person living in the 21st century: tweet form (hashtags included). You don’t think we can do it in 140 characters or less? It’s on. 

• And another one bites the dust. #casualties (see right)
• To person reading, writing up notes on the LiveStrong case for ENGN9: It’s Lance Armstrong, not Louis Armstrong. #NOTawonderfulworld #jazzymistake
• You wore those leggings yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. #doyourlaundry #takeashower
• I see you, Ratty take-out #pointless #seewhatididthere
• Where da NDR at? #finalsrunondunkin

We all know North Korea has a lot of great things going for it. Passionate soccer fans, beautiful hotels and bad-ass synchronized gymnasts, North Korea is one country that truly has it all — if, by “all,” you of course mean widespread poverty and rampant political oppression. Throw in that biddie his supreme leader Kim Jong Il and you’ve got a real recipe for success, a nation at the forefront of the 21st century ready to take the world by storm (provided they know there is an outside world).

Insane dictators and their strange social experiments aside, it seems there’s one more thing North Korea can add to its list of valuable national assets: freakishly robotic, guitar playing toddlers. Hooray for brainwashed  talented youth! After all, the children are our future y’all.

Remember that time you were watching that Chinese talent show with scantily-clad young women playing electric string instruments in tutus and knee high boots? No? Okay, then you had a more productive afternoon than yours truly, but I feel confident saying that if you haven’t seen this video, you really are missing out.

Why, you ask? Well, I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that if you’re a fan of elderly Chinese folk in Hawaiian shirts being rolled onto stage in an oversized dollhouse to cover a Lady Gaga greatest hit, then you’re going to LOVE this video.

The 3 minutes and 32 seconds of bizarre, alternate reality have so many winning moments that it’s hard to pinpoint just one as a personal favorite, but I think the synchronized dance moves these Asian geriatrics whip out at the 1:50 mark may just take the cake. Are they doing the Macarena or the Robot? It’s hard to tell. Either way, it’s like a brilliantly choreographed train wreck, I can’t look away.

Disclaimer: If you want to avoid having nightmares for the remainder of the week, avoid looking at the terrifying facial expressions the woman in red displays beginning at  the 3:16 mark.

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the TA you’ve been obsessed with all semester  that special someone? Here’s a site that shows you what not to get. While Etsy is generally a good place to find one-of-a-kind gems, it’s also where arts and crafts go very very wrong. Regretsy assembles the funny, the suggestive, and the “why does this exist?!” all in one place, so you know what isn’t appropriate for a holiday gift… and what to buy for that second cousin you really dislike. Happy holiday shopping!

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