"The fact that an increasing number of medications are unable to beat sugar pills has thrown the industry into crisis. The stakes could hardly be higher. In today's economy, the fate of a long-established company can hang on the outcome of a handful of tests."

Since Japan has one of the lowest (reported!) crime rates in the entire world, continuing to fall year after year, food stalls like this still exist.

Usually, they're in the countryside and they usually sell vegetables. Shoppers are supposed to pick out the food they want at the stall, and then leave cash for whatever they purchase at the unattended food stalls.

From bread in a can to crepes, the country is home to an array of unusual vending machines. Vending machines have been used to sell questionable items, like hallucinogens and piracy devices. (Though, the infamous panty vending machines are more fiction than fact.) The vast majority either sell cigarettes or drinks…

Why would you turn off land auctions? That's like turning on Free Parking Jackpot.

Fortune Street came out a little too close to the end of the Wii's lifetime, and at a time when I had a backlog of Wii games and nobody on my friends list to multiplayer against. (And anyone who would have been would also have been in the wrong time zone.) I'd definitely buy a WiiU native version if it came out now.…

Flawless strategy.

• Buy plane

Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm is a good Crash Test Dummies song, but it's no Afternoons and Coffeespoons.

Sixth rule of wargaming: don't eliminate your ride home from the game.

Recess after lunch is probably because recess can fill any amount of space left after eating. If you eat last, you might not be done.

"I'm a eunuch," he lied.

"Third hand that is also a ghost" is basically Fives from Regular Show.

"Sport" and "Sport" in a slightly higher pitch.

Alright, so it's not the hell you were thinking of, with fiery demons and Lucifer himself rocking a 47-string guitar with the best heavy metal on Earth, but it's still a hell of demons and Hall & Oates rocking a 47-string guitar and the best heavy metal on Earth. I know, I know, not your ideal vision of awesome, but…

Basically, the people who make "Pink electronic diary for girls! 5 fewer features than grey electronic diary for boys; same price" decided to make toys for grownups?

There's already a game where you fight a land war in Asia.

The movies make more money, but the TV series spend more time with us and shape our memories more. It's why my mental image of Peter Pan will always be wearing brown—that's how he dressed in Fox's Peter Pan and the Pirates series. As good as Heath Ledger was, Joker will always be Mark Hamill. ("Papa spank!" *Fires…

Ikea: you can afford it with your moving allowance, and once you have the money to replace it you'll be too familiar/complacent.

I'm not seeing the appeal compared to the Jokkmokk table with 4 chairs for $150. I assume they still sell those matching cushions with the velcro loops.