Paranetinfo has the 10 best unexplained cases of UFO abduction including the “Betty and Barney Hill Incident” - I’m sure you’ve heard the details (humanoid aliens, memory loss, 2 hours unaccounted for, etc).

Popularity: 29% [?]

Ahoy, mateys! Drink up, me hearties! It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Problogger writes on how using an editorial calendar can help make your blog more professional because it forces you to think about how you’ll structure your future writings. You can download an editorial calendar template at Andy Wibbels’ blog.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Chris Garrett offers a few posting tactics for a well rounded blog. He mentions that good blogs contain flagship content, link out posts, skim posts, Digg-bait, conversations with readers, polls and surveys, and PR events.

You need a good mix of posts. Some posts will be informative, some will build community, others will be about getting noticed. The key thing is not to look at these specific tactics as a to-do list but to show when you are posting there can be other benefits as well as to inform and entertain

Popularity: 32% [?]

Dosh Dosh has an article on how you can use word of mouth marketing to get new readers or sell more products on your site. Tips include looking for trend-setters or authorities and build a relationships with them, choose a micro-market, and build a niche community.

A recommendation from someone familiar and trust-worthy is the easiest path to a product sale, link or new subscriber. Why? Because recommendations are generally perceived as incentive-free, unlike the obvious motivation of advertisers, who may over-promise in a bid to increase sales.

If you want to sell more products, get more affiliate commissions or just gain more new readers or supporters for your website, word of mouth marketing is one the most powerful ways to do so. What better way to spread your brand than to have an army of supporters constantly talking about or referencing it online or offline, through conversations or links?

Popularity: 18% [?]

Andrey Summers argues about the nuances of Star Wars fandom - that Star Wars fans actually hate Star Wars and its creator, George Lucas. It’s the idea of Star Wars they love.

“To be a Star Wars fan, one must possess the ability to see a million different failures and downfalls, and then somehow assemble them into a greater picture of perfection. Every true Star Wars fan is a Luke Skywalker, looking at his twisted, evil father, and somehow seeing good.”

Popularity: 18% [?]

Beijing tourists attending next year’s Olympic Games won’t have to worry about choosing botched English names from Chinese menus. The Beijing Tourism Bureau has just released a list with 2,753 proposed names for menu options.

“Translators developed names for dishes based on one of four categories: ingredients, cooking method, taste, or the name of a person or place.”

So, no more “virgin chicken” or “steamed crap”.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Check out the website of Japanese artist, Kako Ueda, who creates intricate artwork from cut paper.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Why carry a can of pepper spray when you can wear this cool “stunning ring” that conceals pepper spray inside. To activate, just slide down the safety from the trigger, aim, and hold the trigger for 2-3 seconds.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Bl Ochman has decided to only check email a few times a day and added an autoresponder to let people know. She also has a few key steps she takes to ensure she is as efficient as possible when she does check it.

Taking what he, Merlin Mann, James Duncan Davidson and others have recommended, here’s what I’ve done besides add the autoresponder: I created a system.

• I turned off the sound that signals incoming emails.
• I check it first thing in the morning.
• I respond, delete or file immediately and delete the rest, unread.
• I repeat this procedure only three or four more times a day instead of continually.
• Unsubscribing to publications has had no effect, so I junk the ones I don’t want.
• I ignore emails that don’t have a compelling subject line.
• I don’t go through the “junk” folder for things mistakenly caught there.
• I figure, if it’s important, it’ll come again. Or the person will call me.

Popularity: 18% [?]