Coffee Break

-- American workers hate their jobs more than ever..."Citing excessive workload and poor promotion policies, younger employees are the most dissatisfied"...via Newsvine. 

-- "A palm-size camcorder, a slick smartphone, an HD DVD player for your Xbox 360 and more cool gear from the Gadget Lab."  Start out your week with a look at the coolest gadgets around.

-- Quote of the Break:

Some folks are wise and some are otherwise.
            - Tobias George Smolett

-- The Top 9 Laws of Physics that don't apply to Hollywood!  A funny and scientific look at why Einstein could never direct a modern action film...via Newsvine.

-- Well, it's Friday.  You survived another week but just barely and find yourself, yet again, considering working from home.  No commute, more family time, working in your pajamas?  Check out this article on the "other side of working from home!"

-- "Uncomfortable questions:  Was the death star attack an inside job?"  Some very hard questions are asked regarding the successful but suspicious attack on the Death Star.

 -- In weird news, a man tries to cash a check from God...without any luck.

-- "In the ski resort business, everything depends on white snow. But with the impending global climate change, ski resorts are going green, cleaning the air and offering better views of mountain landscapes." 

-- Kick the email habit!  When to know and what to do when your PDA/cell or your email addiction is getting out of hand.

-- 'Infomania' worse than marijuana... "Workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers, new research has claimed. The study for computing firm Hewlett Packard warned of a rise in "infomania", with people becoming addicted to email and text messages." Via Kottke.

-- The World's first interactive film debuts...$using onscreen clues and the internet, a viewer can win the $100,000 prize for solving the mystery...via Newsvine.

-- The Top 25 Web 2.0 startups - "It's getting crowded on the Web 2.0 frontier, but there are still some startups that truly stand out."

-- Top 10 Gmail tips and hacks - "Gmail offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to the way you manage your email. Innovative features like labels, a dedicated mobile phone client and rich script-ability via Firefox's Greasemonkey plugin create a unique appeal for users from nearly all walks of life."

--"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

-- "What goes 0-60 in under 6 seconds, has 3 wheels, and costs $20,000?" The new Venture One hybrid...plug-in models coming soon...

-- "10 Totally Stupid Online Business Ideas That Made Someone Rich"...we are all looking to be as fortunate as these "stupid" people...via Newsvine.

-- "Which states are the most entrepreneurial? Which have the most women-owned businesses? Here are snapshots of a few noteworthy locales."

-- Welcome to the bizarre sex laws of America. Did you know it is illegal for Women to wear patent-leather shoes because they might reflect up her dress? - and other interesting sex laws of this country...via Newsvine.

-- Music Vets Prep Next-Gen Player "Three digital music veterans have launched a stealth startup and are close to unveiling both a new portable media player and what they're calling an 'internet radio ecosystem.'"

-- "In this two-minute youtube, Rachel Ray explains a series of methods for easy jar-opening: banging the lid, using a rubber band, using rubber gloves. The audience's paroxysms of ecstasy notwithstanding, this is handy stuff to know." ... Via BoingBoing

-- Offshoring U.S. jobs seen having small impact - "Sending U.S. service jobs offshore will affect the country only modestly overall, but job markets in some cities will be hit much harder than others, according to a report released Monday."

-- Looking for the ultimate guerrilla advertising tool? The folks at Graffiti Research Lab in Rotterdam may have just the solution for you... Via BoingBoing

-- Just when you thought you'd never be able to find a Centaur to crash your party.... QuickTrainingSolutions to the rescue! The Texas Centaur is available! ...Via BoingBoing

-- "Natsuko Sone is a petite 21-year-old who stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs just 95 pounds. But she can eat 183 pieces of sushi in half an hour and down 20 pounds of food in one sitting."...Wired News

-- "White Castle is once again doing special Valentine's Day dinners this year...you get your own server and candles!"...Via Kottke

-- Wondering who were the least intimidating super-villains of all time? Check out this list of hilarious and sometimes nostalgic nemeses who failed to scare then and now just make us laugh...via Newsvine.

-- Quote of the break:

"Reader, suppose you were an idiot; and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself."
- Mark Twain

-- The top 100 things men should know about women (and probably don't!)