And the winner is...

Encyclopeidacs, you voted, and you chose...

Jon with Little cop!!



Two days, 63 votes, here are the results:



Thanks for your participation!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

And the finalists are...

Thank you for your comment and e-mail submissions! Just for fun, and because I can, I have expanded it to four top entries. Hereeee they are!

White Goodman, submitted by Maven



Napoleon Dynamite, submitted by Testanator



Man Elmo, submitted by James



And last but not least...

Little Cop, submitted by Jon



Also, creating her own category, LJ gets the award for best pumpkin submitted!



Here is where the popularity part comes in, whichever costume has the most votes by October 30 at 11:59 pm wins the glorious pumpkin head full of Kudos!!

Ready, set VOTE!!!

The winner of the ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN Halloween costume contest should be...

White Goodman

Napoleon Dynamite

Man Elmo

Little Cop

ugg boots

When you vote a little window will pop up, it means your vote was counted. Just close it up and continue with your day :)

The Atlantic City boardwalk was the first in the U.S.

The Atlantic City boardwalk was the first in the U.S.. Built in 1870, the boardwalk was eight feet wide, one mile long, and one foot above the sand. Today the boardwalk is little over four miles, 60 feet wide at it's widest point and sits 12 feet above sea level.



Personally, when I visit AC, I'm not spending my time strolling the boardwalk...my time is spent in the casinos. There are 11 glorious casinos in Atlantic City. Now, I'm not much of a gambler, but I can't resist spending $20 on my beloved video poker.



There are a couple of reasons (aside from video poker)why I love AC...

* When you arrive in AC, you pull up to the valet and from that moment on you pretty much don't have to worry about much else.
* No one has to drive.
* Everything you need is right there in the casino, from food to entertainment and everything in between.
* The people! Such a mixed bag - where else will you see old ladies in sweatpants right next to dolled up young ladies? There truly is something for everyone.
* I can get dolled up. And then go change into sweats if I feel like it.
* There is no time. You get there and clocks don't exist. I stayed out till 5? Really?
* The sound of slot machines - glorious.

Most of all...

* The nightlife!!!

I paid a visit to Harrah's this weekend to celebrate my friend Adam finishing his first semester at medical school (or something involving a white coat) and had the an amazing time.



Congrats Adam!

We went to The Pool, which is Harrah's indoor pool turned into a nightclub. Love it. Everything about it, from the lighting, to the music, to the WONDERFUL staff is perfect. With palm trees and natural moonlight from the domed ceiling, it reminded me of sitting by a pool in the Dominican.



Another great thing about Harrah's, checkout is at 12. And trust me, you'll need it...



I did.

Celtics made their New Years resolutions on Halloween (and they also had free stuff)

Celtics made their New Years resolutions on Halloween (and they also had free stuff). Halloween originated over 2,000 years ago with a Celtic festival called Samhain, which was also their new year. They believed that on the night before the new year, the worlds of the living and dead would combine, and dead people would come back to life. To celebrate, they would make a BIG fire, make plant and animal sacrifices and dance around in costumes of animal skin.

Two thousand years later, this once sacred day has become a day of scandalous costumes and overindulgence in first candy, then as you grow older alcohol and then even older your children's candy.



I love it.

Which is why I have decided to give away... FREE STUFF!

Yes. Here it is, the first annual ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN Halloween costume contest! Here is how to enter, in the comments section below, post a link of you in your best Halloween costume (if you don't have a linkable photo, email it to lrbranigan AT gmail DOT com). You must post by October 28 at 11:45 PM. Top three costumes will be posted and voted on. Winners will be announced on Halloween. The grand prize winner will receive...



A PUMPKIN FULL OF KUDOS!!!

I know. It's an awesome prize. I might have outdone myself this time. Ready, set, POST!

UPDATE: you can post up to 2 links, but only one can be included in the top 3.

The Queen of Sheba loved nuts

The Queen of Sheba loved nuts, but not just any nuts, Pistachios. She loved them so much that she decreed all pistachios in Assyria be kept for her and her court, and could not be grown for private use.



I don't blame her. I can't stop eating them. I didn't even know I liked pistachios, and then I saw a certain commercial....



...so I bought them (they got me! it must be subliminal messaging) - except I bought CVS Gold Emblem, HaHA! But now I'm hooked.



My first thought about nuts is fat and calories. However, many nuts, including pistachios have great nutritional value. Check it out...

* Pistachios have more antioxidants than green tea
* They contain a appetite suppressing compound called oleoylethanolamide
* Lower phytosterol (bad cholesterol) more than any other nut
* Have more potassium than half a banana
* Trans-fat free
* The green part contains lutein, a compound which helps prevent blindness
* Higher in fiber than any other snack nut

Not bad! I have also decided that you burn calories when opening them, bonus!

For more info on the healthy benefits of pistachios, visit Pistachio Health.

The FTC is the buzz kill of the Blogosphere

Yeah, maybe there are a number of bloggers who post ANYTHING for a bit a swag but most bloggers just enjoy blogging, sharing their opinions and thoughts with others. But now, all that self expression could cost you thousands of dollars.

Now I don't know about anyone else out there, but ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN doesn't make a dime on its quest to share random knowledge - this is a non-profit reference source, there are no ads (truthfully I couldn't figure out how to use Google Ads)and I haven't received any swag (doesn't mean I wouldn't accept it - who doesn't like presents??), but I don't really like the thought of a large fine, so I better come clean.

I AM A PUBLICIST!!!

Yes! It's true. I've never hidden my profession, I've even written about the wonderful (award winning - wink) agency I work for multiple times, even posted video. If you Google me, you can see I blog for my company too - I'm pretty Hotsheet (hehe). From time to time I will post about something one of my clients is doing. No one has ever asked me to do this. I include them in posts because I think they are interesting and can fit into my format.

So to make sure the FTC doesn't fine me for misleading the consumers of America, whenever a post includes one of my agency's clients I will link to this article.

And that's all I have to say about that.

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan, and most of those people like to read about

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan, and most of those people like to read about catfish! Yes, the post with the most pageviews in the first year of Encyclopedia Branigan was "A catfish has approximately 100,000 taste buds".



So in the Encyclopedia Branigan one year blogversary contest, the winner is...

LAUREN MACKIEL GORY, who will receive a $15 Barnes & Noble gift certificate and a 2010 Encyclopedia Branigan calendar.

Katie and Beth will also win calendars for guessing the correct answer.

Thanks to all who participated!!

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan since October 12, 2008. That's right, on Monday, October 12 it will be one year since the first post on Encyclopedia Branigan, Peanuts are not nuts.


I can't believe it. I started this blog a year ago as a work assignment, and never ever in a million years thought people would actually read it. But they have!


And I thought, maybe they are just my friends...but I don't have 11,000 friends...



...in 118 places all over the world.

So how should I celebrate this momentous occasion? How about by giving away FREE STUFF!

Yes! All you have to do is guess which of the following posts has generated the most pageviews.

Easy right? Everyone who guesses the correct post will win...

...an official, limited edition, only available here, ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN 2010 wall calendar. I know. SO exciting.

BUT THERE IS MORE!

Because I care about continuing education, the first person to guess the post with the most pageviews will also receive a $15 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

Here are the posts:

A. Peanuts are not nuts
B. What is a crownie?
C. Tattoos, getting underneath the skin for 5,200 years
D. Cheese balls were originally made out of livestock feed
E. A catfish has approximately 10,000 taste buds
F. Yawns are more contagious for primates who care
G. There is a 1 in 40 chance of winning the mega millions
H. Earthquakes in New Jersey are Ramapo's fault

Post your guess in the comments section below. Please include your e-mail address or you can't win. Tell me which post on all of Encyclopedia Branigan is your favorite, and you get TWO guesses.

The deadline for entry is Sunday, October 11 at 11:59 PM. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 12.

Ready, set, go!

Utah had the highest rate of volunteerism in 2008

Utah had the highest rate of volunteeriam in 2008, with more than 43% of the state participating in some kind of giving back activity. Disappointingly, the Garden State was ranked #46 out of the the WHOLE country, with only 21.1% participation.

Come on Jersey! Well...at least we beat New York, who came in LAST with only 18.7% of people volunteering. As a matter of fact, none of the Tri-states made it into the top 10. Lets change that. "But How," you ask?

One day at a time - one Disney day.


The Mouse has teamed up with HandsOn Network - the largest volunteer network in the country - to encourage volunteerism in 2010 with the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" program. While volunteering is rewarding on its own, Disney Parks has sweetened the deal and is giving away 1 MILLION park tickets to people who give back next year. Just go to www.disneyparks.com to find out more.



You heard the man!

There are more than 250 HandsOn Network affiliates around the country, all with great opportunities to get involved, give back to your community and make this world a better place.

Tri-State area, I officially challenge you to become one of the top 10 volunteering states in 2010. Ready, set, GO!

It is possible to eat half a sheet cake in 11 minutes

It is possible to eat half a sheet cake in 11 minutes, but not in 10, as demonstrated by the one and only Joe Perri...



That was the most amazing eating competition I had seen since I watched Kobayashi...take on a Kodiak bear.



According to my sister, it is almost impossible to eat a pita (just one) in one minute.

I smell a challenge...

Today we're gonna party like it's 5770

Today we're gonna party like it's 5770 - which it is, according to the Jewish calendar. That's right. It's Rosh Hashanah (which literally translates into "head of the year") the Jewish new year and start of the High Holy days.

I know, according to your mcblackberry it's 2009 but the Jewish calendar started a couple thousand years before the CE, so the year count is a little higher. The calendar also has a different start date and subsequently a different new year.

To celebrate the new year, Jews (like myself) get together, go to temple, eat apples and honey (to symbolize a sweet new year) and round challah (round to symbolize a year), say L'Shana Tova (translates to "for a good year") and blow the Shofar.

Blow the what?! The Shofar, a special rams horn which was originally sounded off to let people back in the day (before Outlook reminders) know that it was the new year.



Wow. Talk about lungs.

Rosh Hashanah, like Passover , lasts for two days so that there was time to celebrate even if you weren't first to hear the Shofar.

The purpose of Rosh Hashanah is to celebrate the start of a new year, but its not all fun and games. From now until Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) Jews have to reflect upon their lives, seek forgiveness from those they may have hurt, and forgive those who have wronged them in an effort to start with a clean slate and be a better person in the coming year.

I see myself as more conceptual than religious (I don't go to temple regularly, I don't keep kosher and I have a tattoo), I believe it is the meaning behind the religious practice that is important - not the practice itself.

I try to use Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as an opportunity to look at my life and my choices and make sure that I am doing everything I can do to be the best person I can be, not only for the people around me, but for myself. Yeah, I make a new year's resolution in January - usually something along the lines of becoming less fat - but this is different, more of a reflection of what you have done than a resolution of what you are going to do.

I challenge anyone reading this, Jewish or not, to think for a few minutes about the last year of your life, the kind of person you have been, and the kind of person you would like to be.

And then go celebrate :)

The world's tallest man also holds the record for largest feet and hands

The world's tallest man also holds the record for largest feet and hands. At 8' 1.5", Sultan Kosen was recently crowned the world's tallest living man.



The tallest man of all time was Robert Wadlow. Robert, also known as the Alton Giant (because he was from Alton, IL), reached 8' 11.1" inches and 490 lbs.



Want more? BuzzFeed posted a great list of the 30 tallest people ever. Check it out here.

There are more than 200 places to eat in Walt Disney World

There are more than 200 places to eat in Walt Disney World ranging from Asian-fusion to African to American cuisines. There are also over 150 attractions. With so much to do, and eat, how does one choose what to fit into a four day vacation?



I am currently planning a December Disney weekend getaway for me, my mom and my sister. While guidebooks and Web sites are a help, as an influencer I like to get my advice in first person, and what better place to get park-savvy perspective than from the Walt Disney World Moms Panel. The panel provides thousands of answers to Walt Disney World questions - a great resource for anyone planning a trip to see the Mouse. There are also helpful videos including one on how to enjoy the park as an adult (like enjoying a touch of the bubbly in France).



Do you have some advice for planning the perfect Walt Disney World vacation? Have you been there more times than you have fingers? Guess what! Walt Disney World is now looking for 10 new moms/dads/grandparents to join the panel - to find out more visit www.disneyworldmoms.com/2010.

Pusan and Busan are the same city

Pusan and Busan are the same city in South Korea. Back around 2000, the government of South Korea decided to adopt a Romanization system, representing a symbol as written text.

When switching to such a system the English spelling and pronunciation of a word will can change, as is the case with Pusan becoming Busan.

Busan is the largest port in South Korea with a population of more that 3.6 million people. It is also the latest stop on the "Where in the world is Francis James" world tour.



According to the New York Times, South Korea makes the best bootleg purses in ALL of Asia.

I am partial to Coach...just in case anyone in South Korea was wondering ;)

Olive oil can be used for baking

Olive oil can be used for baking instead of butter or shortening. Olive oil is free of cholesterol, and is significantly lower in fat making your favorite baked goods a little bit healthier without losing any delicious taste.

When swapping your butter or shortening for olive oil amounts must be changed - check out the handy conversion chart below:




I know what your thinking...and no, it will not make your crownies taste like olives as long as you use extra light olive oil.

I sampled a brownie made with olive oil from the Bertolli booth at the Feast of San Gennaro in New York City, and it tasted nothing like olives and everything like a delicious chocolaty brownie.



The Feast of San Gennaro is the longest running and largest religious festival in the United States. This year it will take place from September 10 through September 20. I would definitely recommend taking a trip to Little Italy and checking it out.

In 9 years, 2 cats (and their babies) can generate more than 11,000,000 kittens

In 9 years, 2 cats (and their babies) can generate more than 11,000,000 kittens, according to the Greenville Humane Society. That's a lot of kitty!

How is that possible, you ask? Well, cats will have approximately 3 litters per year, if not spayed, with about 4 kittens per litter. So that's 12 new cats, which could potentially each create 12 new cats, and each one of them 12 more cats and on and on and on...


Eeek! Make it stop!

Unless you are some kind of cat lady, the thought of 11,000,000 uncontrolled cats roaming the neighborhood is not an attractive one (I have frequently expressed my feelings on cats).

How can you prevent 11,000,000 cats from being generated over 9 years? As Bob Barker always said...



If you have adopted a pet that is not spayed or neutered, contact the shelter you adopted it from to find out about discounts. If you purchased your pet, contact your vet. If you live in the area, try mine.

A cold or the flu is contagious a day or so before symptoms occur

A cold or the flu is contagious a day or so before symptoms occur, however, contagiousness reaches its peak about three days after contracting the virus. Let me take this opportunity to apologize in advance if anyone I have seen Thursday through today gets sick - I'll bring you some sympathy soup.

So, how does one know if they have a cold or the flu?

Being the responsible adult that I am, I took a trip to the local Minute Clinic to find out, and to make sure I didn't have the, dare I say it... dun dun dahhhh... swine flu.

Upon my arrival to the clinic the nurse-lady gave me a handout which clearly explained the difference between cold and the flu:



Had I had this chart ahead of time, I would have probably stayed on my couch... but the trip did give me the chance to pick-up some medicines and the BEST tissues in the world (be careful, they are addictive).

But its always better to be safe than sorry - and since I believe everything I see on TV, you should be really careful this year, wash your hands ALL the time, carry sanitizer and don't talk to ANYBODY (kidding).

For some tips on avoiding sickness this fall, click here.

Smart people don't eat anything in Japan...

Smart people don't eat anything in Japan...because their food speaks. What does it say? It tells them random facts.

Yes, it's true. Proof? Check out one of the (slightly disturbing) trivia videos I found on BuzzFeed:



And there are a bunch of them, and they share random facts like that a flamingo's mothers milk is red, a squid has three hearts and that Mandarin ducks break up once they finish their nest. I checked it out... they are true. I'm not really sure how I feel about this - I'm half intrigued, half creeeeped out.

Turns out Mameshiba are not really talking food - they are just little dog faced bean creatures (kinda like Hello Kitty or Pokemon) that like to hide in what you are about to eat and share knowledge with you.

To see more, visit their the Mameshiba YouTube channel.

Tomato juice does not remove the smell of a skunk

Tomato juice does not remove the smell of a skunk, it just masks it. The only way to really remove a skunk's spray is through oxidation - basically removing the odor from the skin though the chemical process of removing one compound (skunk stink) from another (your skin).

But if you're not keen on conducting science experiments on you or your pet, you can try the tomato sauce method - and here's how to do it.

1. Remove stinky clothes (assuming that you were wearing them) - you could try to bleach them, but your best bet is throwing them away, far far away
2. Fill a bathtub with water and enter it
3. Wash yourself off with soap (carbolic is best) to remove dirt and maybe some smell
4. Next wash yourself with equal parts vinegar and water
5. Get a large amount of tomato juice, like you might have to Costco it, and pour it all over your body
6. If you still smell, rinse and repeat

Generally I avoid skunks when I can, I saw one while walking along the Hudson in Edgewater last night, and I contemplated jumping into the river. I had never seen one so close (alive) and it was kinda cute. Some people think they are really cute and even turn them into pets.



No worries - that one is descented. Interested? To find your own black and white buddy visit OOPS, or Owners of Pet Skunks.

Candy Land was created as a treament for Polio

Candy Land was created in 1949 as a treatment for Polio , not for the physical illness, but for mental health. Sick children who played the game were able to take their mind off of their sickness and fly away to another world - a delicious world of candy!

Sixty years later, the world of candy is still helping children in need - to celebrate Candy Land's birthday, Hasbro invited children from a local hospital to play the game on a life sized board down the crookedest street in the world - Lombard Street, in San Francisco. Check it out:



How could you NOT love Candy Land? With an age range of 1 - 100 and a setup time of under 3 min, its truly a game for everyone - well accept if you are color blind, then you might need a friend to help (but you can still play!). I remember playing as a kid, and while I always wanted to look like Queen Frostine, my favorite character had to be Gloppy the molasses monster.



Look how happy he is! Not a care in the world...but melting.

Who is your favorite Candy Land character?