What if we reduced the world to a village of just 1,000 people? What then? How would the numbers pan out, eh? It's an interesting question. The answer, according to the World Village Project, is that there'd be 584 Asians, 124 Africans, 84 Latin Americans, 95 Eastern/Western Europeans, 55 (former) Soviets, 52 North Americans, 4 Australians and 2 New Zealanders. Moreover, in this village of 1,000 there'd be 330 children and only 60 people over the age of 65. There'd be seven teachers and one doctor. 70 people would own automobiles. And you? Where would you fit in? That's easy. Having done our own calculations, we determined that against all odds you'd be the one person left still reading Yahoo!'s Picks of the Week. Which brings us then to just this: Welcome! Boy are we glad to see you! Welcome!
Just think, if the world were a mere village of 1,000 folks, it'd be a whole lot easier keeping track of your friends. Don't you think? Meanwhile, because (even in the age of email) managing your contacts can be problematic, we suggest opening a free account at PlanetAll, the service that "keeps you in touch." Something like a multi-purpose daily planner, once you've registered (it's private, they won't sell your vital stats!), PlanetAll will, amongst other things: create for you an automatically updated virtual address book, keep you in touch with old college friends and alumni, let you know when your travel plans coincide with any of your pals' plans. And then some. Convenient. Cool.
All things considered, the abovementioned scenario might not be so bad. Afterall, a world-as-village would almost certainly improve your chances of winning at Bingo Zone, the "continuous, free, online bingo game." Great fun, easy to play, Bingo Zone offers a new game every half hour, with prizes for each tourney ranging anywhere from four to twenty dollars. You need to register beforehand, but the whole process is free. So: best of luck to you. Let's hope the numbers and letters are on your side. See you on the half hour? (Tip: head on over five or ten minutes early to be assured a place in any given game.)
Perhaps what you really need to win at bingo is the luck of the Irish. Well, okay, if not their luck, then at least their architecture. Not just any old architecture, either - we're talking the real McCoy here: Architectural Dublin, a fascinating tour of exactly what the title suggests. A work in progress, the site currently offers a look at "the myriad glories" of Dublin's architectural development from medieval times through the 17th and 18th Centuries. Soon to be included: the 19th and 20th Centuries. In the meantime, read about and view images of Trinity College, Christchurch Cathedral and Dublin Castle, amongst others. In short, visit this beautifully done site to see everything that makes Dublin so... so... so... well, so Dublin-like.
For more of (almost) the same, try Syria: A Photographic Journey, an exploration of this ancient land through a series of striking photographs accompanied by writing excerpts from the likes of T.E. Lawrence, Mark Twain, Salah al Din, Lady Hester Stanhope and others. Composed as a sort of literary and photographic meditation on the country, the site visits Damascus, Palmyra, Aleppo, the "dead cities" of Syria and much more. Be warned, because of the size of some images (and, of course, depending on your connection speed) you may need to be patient as some of the photographs load. It is indeed well worth the wait.
Not interested in a trip through Syria? Rather take flight with one of them James Bondesque Rocket Belts? Fine. We can see you've got your feet firmly planted on the ground. Go ahead. Just be careful, this could bring a whole new meaning to the term Mile High Club. Ya know?
Finally, a few words on Thanksgiving. Well, okay, not a few words, really a few recipes. The important stuff(ing). We've been preparing for the big day at Talking Turkey, a collection of deeelish menus put together by the folks at Epicurious. Because it is after all home to us Yahoo!s, we're going with the menu titled California Thanksgiving. What does this mean? Well, it means this: Grilled Turkey with Cranberry Gravy, with Three-Onion Stuffing and Whipped Chipotle Sweet Potatoes. Side dish? Absolutely. Date, Goat Cheese and Mesclun Salad. Yum. There are altogether 16 Thanksgiving menus to choose from, including Colonial Boston, Shaker, Country and, of course, Heartland.
We'd like to point out that though Epicurious has done a fine job of planning our upcoming meal for us, we're still going with the Candied Yams a la Whitney Houston. Seems only right.
Hey, it's either that or balance the U.S. national budget. Up to you. Weigh the options, take your pick(s). And have a great great Turkey Day.