Would You Like to Ride in My Beautiful Balloon?

MelBivDevoe

Image by Bill Heinsohn, Getty Images

Summer may be the most popular time to travel, but I love vacationing in autumn - temps are cooler, places are less crowded, and those annoying kids who would ruin your flight are all back in school (HA! Take that, punks!).  So where should you head if you're taking to the road this fall?  You can start at the International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico, shown here.  (National Geographic)

Me, I want to visit these amazing "hanging" pools that make it appear as if you're swimming in mid-air.  I just need to hurry up and win the damn lottery already!  (The Atlantic)

Feel It In the Air, Summer's Out of Reach

MelBivDevoe

Image by Roberto Porto via MSNBC

Mid-August already and you can see autumn coming on fast.  One sign that summer is winding down was the annual appearance of the Perseid meteor shower this weekend.  Were you able to catch a glimpse of this celestial wonder?  (MSNBC)

Another sign that signals the approaching end of summer - the Olympics wrapped up yesterday.  Here's the final medal count for the US - it wasn't our best ever, but it was a damn good year, and our athletes should be proud of what they achieved!  (Mercury News)

And this image from the Olympics shows what it's all about.  (Buzzfeed)

Robocop's Got Dancin' Feet!

MelBivDevoe

Happy Friday, y'all!  Big plans for the weekend?  Maybe thinking about shakin' your groove thang like Robocop over there?  That lovely attitude en pointe pose (total guess there, never took ballet) was drawn by super talented artist Jesse Lonergan on his "Dancer a Day" blog.  I highly recommend taking the time to scroll through his tumblr.  (Dancer a Day h/t Pleated Jeans)

According to a recent poll, 78% of viewers are enjoying Ryan Seacrest's coverage of the Olympics.  Apparently, they're also fans of Bob Costas, too.  Two things: one, where do they find the people who take these polls, and two, don't encourage NBC, for goodness sake, or it'll be all Seacrest, all the time!  (Washington Post) 

I think my next pet shall be a hedgehog.  We can even drink Lactaid together!  (Colossal)

Wendy's in Japan has started selling lobster and caviar sandwiches for $16 a pop.  Interesting, but I think I'll just stick with the Baconator.  (laist)

Bill Murray is My Spirit Guide

MelBivDevoe

Good morning!  Some days, you wake up and think, eh, I'm just not feeling it today.  That's me today.  So, let's ease into things, shall we?

How about the most adorable photo of a baby gorilla ever to get us started?  Man, that stethoscope must've been cold, look at that expression!  I just want to smush his widdle face!  (Buzzfeed)

Here's a gallery of the stars who have stopped by Sesame Street over the years.  Man, I loved Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann when I was little! (EW)

Josh Hutcherson, best known as Peeta from "The Hunger Games," is auctioning off the chance for five lucky winners to have dinner with him.  Proceeds from the auction will benefit a paralyzed young woman who attended his alma mater.  Forget the gorilla, I want to smush Josh's cute widdle face!  I would totally enter that contest myself, but it might be weird if a 29 year old woman showed up to dinner and just gawked at him all night.  (Crushable)

Curiosity Lands on Mars, Ferdowsi Lands in Our Hearts

MelBivDevoe

While many of us were sleeping Monday morning, NASA's latest rover, Curiosity, landed on Mars for a two-year research mission.  Here's what you missed if you weren't breathlessly awaiting touchdown. (io9)

Meanwhile, back on Earth, NASA activity lead Bobak Ferdowsi suddenly became the toast of the internet when images of his hawt mohawk hit Twitter.  An intelligent rocket scientist who's also cute?  Be still my heart!  (Buzzfeed)

Octopus Spurs You to Glory with Hot Links

MelBivDevoe

The US Olympians have certainly been bringing home the glory with their amazing achievements - Gabby Douglas, Missy Franklin, the Williams sisters and many others have been smashing records and making history with their wins.  But sometimes merely qualifying for the Olympics is a win in itself - just ask Oscar Pistorius of South Africa.  (HuffPo)

Also glorious?  These images from MTV's "House of Style."  You can almost hear Jon Stewart thinking "What the hell am I doing here?" in the third photo.  (Buzzfeed)

Cue the Backlash in 3... 2...

MelBivDevoe

We appear to have reached the point in the Olympics where everyone starts to complain about how they're just not as good as they used to be.  As far as I'm concerned, this writer is correct - hate the Games, not the players.  (Mother Jones)

Or, you know, hate on the players, if that's your thing.  Or if you just don't like fratboy-ish swimmers.  (Me, I will continue to ignore Lochte and focus on humble cutie Conor Dwyer.)  (Jezebel)

I am guilty of ogling the swimmers, it's true.  But when it comes to the media focusing on the, um, assets of certain athletes, you'll find that volleyball players tend to be the biggest victims.  These photographers know that the players have faces, right?  (Metro)

Links To Make Your Life Better

Park

                                                                                         

Whoa, its August already! You know what that means, right? A desperate need to get things done so you don't feel like you've wasted the nice weather! Just me? Cool, cool, cool.

But seriously, here's some amazing links that will help you make things better.  Want a cooler room? Want to be more inspired to get that book written? Want to keep track of the Olympics with a cool app? Got you covered folks.  This is gonna be the best month ever!

I haven't been that big on the Olympics.  Okay, well I wasn't until I saw this hilarious photogallery (Buzzfeed) 

For you Olympics fans that want the full experience, it never hurts to be prepared (Bite)

I Fell in Love in the Library, Once Upon a Time

MelBivDevoe

I could spend all day looking at the gorgeous libraries in this first link.  That image to the left is from Priceline.com founder Jay Walker's personal home library - and that shiny object hanging from the ceiling?  Sputnik.  Seriously.  (Beautiful-Libraries)

One book I'm sure you wouldn't find in Erica Jong's personal library would be "Fifty Shades of Grey."  Here, she and other notable erotica experts discuss the book's sexual merits (as opposed to its literary merits - or lack thereof).  (Velvet Roper)

My Heart's Aflame, I'll Love You 'Til Tuesday

MelBivDevoe

That graph is true.  The endless bounty of the internet has taught me much.  Just today, I learned how to turn an Android phone into a wifi hotspot.  Which would be super helpful if I had an Android, but perhaps it will be of help to some of y'all instead!  (Lifehacker)

These gorgeous watercolor illustrations from molecular biologist David Goodsell will have you looking at cells in a whole new way.  I've never thought of Hepatitis B as beautiful before.  (i09)

Hot men holding babies is surprisingly adorable.  And with bonus baby lamb just in case you hadn't already died from the cuteness!  (Pajiba)

The Queen is Not Amused, But the Internet Definitely Is

MelBivDevoe

Good morning!  Been keeping up with the Olympics this weekend after Friday's nice but slightly underwhelming Opening Ceremonies?  Bleacher Report has a nice round-up of what you've been missing on this side of the pond.  (Note: Their reporting is up-to-the-minute from London, so if you don't want to be spoiled don't click other stories - this one is from Sunday, so you'll be safe!)

My favorite thing from the Olympics so far?  The "Unimpressed Queen Elizabeth" meme.  I like the Queen, and I'd like to imagine she finds these images funny, too.  (Uproxx)

M is for Magneto, But W is for Weekend!

MelBivDevoe

This amazing Magneto print is the work of artist René Mambembé.  It's just one of a series called "helvetica, my hero" that combines typography with superheroes and villains.  (Behance)

Would you approve of a tax on beer and cigarettes if it meant it would help treat 34 million people worldwide who have HIV?  What if I mentioned that the tax could be as little as 1.5 cents a bottle or 10 cents a carton?  (NPR)

I'm not one for doing funky manicures, as I'm pretty clumsy when it comes to painting small details, but this marbled manicure seems like it might be klutz-proof!  And all it takes is some plastic wrap!  (Birchbox)

News of an affair between Kristen Stewart and director Rupert Sanders broke this week and fans of Stewart and Robert Pattinson lost their damn minds.  Now, Liberty Ross, Rupert's wife, has responded with her own take on Stewart.  If I weren't already on her side for being the scorned wife, I think this would've won me over.  (The Gloss)

Hump Day Links Are Here!

MelBivDevoe

Animals do have amazing instincts, no?  Particularly their uncanny sense of timing, as this slideshow of animal photobombs can attest.  (HuffPo)

Did you know that they still offer Glamor Shots in some malls around the country?  I thought those went out with the '80s.  These Soviet shots almost make me want to have my own glamor session... almost.  (The Gloss)

Look, I loved the minions from "Despicable Me," but a whole movie of nothing but them jabbering away in their gibberish might be too much for me to handle.  (AV Club)

I Could Use a Little Romance Sometimes

MelBivDevoe

Oh, Fabio.  You really are a living, breathing romance cover.  

I'm a sap for romantic stories of love conquering all.  In this case, love conquered the spirit of competition in the Olympic games for these 9 couples.  (Time)

This has to be one of the best pieces of satire that I've read in a while.  And yes, it IS satire.  Author Amber Estes, a student at UGA,  fooled everyone, even sites like Jezebel with her sarcastic wit - and kudos to her!  Here are her instructions on how to snag that perfect husband while in college.  (Red&Black)

When I first read this headline, "Is an Expensive Haircut Worth It?" I assumed they meant like a $100 cut.  But $950???  For a haircut???  Unless that cut comes with a freakin' diamond tiara, it's not worth it! (Shine)

Zachary Levi kissed a fan for a $1000 donation at a charity event at Comic Con this weekend, and from this video, you can see it was quite a smooch!  Then Nathan Fillion wanted in on the action.  And so did Adam Baldwin.  Can't blame 'em - who could resist Levi?  (Crushable)

Come Down and Waste Away With Me

MelBivDevoe

Good morning!  Feeling a little like you're wasting you life away?  Time for a reinvention!  Just follow the lead of these celebrities who revamped their lives using social media.  Oh, Takei, you are a national treasure.  (Mashable)

It's really wonderful to see the hip-hop community embracing the gay community.  First, Frank Ocean came out and was met with love and support.  Now, in his latest video, rapper Murs fights homophobia with a same-sex kiss.  (Gawker)

Also wonderful: this slideshow of Olympic athletes and their pets.  It's almost too much cuteness for one link!  (People)

"How I Met Your Mother" might be renewed for a ninth season.  Ugh.  Look, it's a great show, but it's time to wrap things up.  I think they've dragged out the central mystery long enough now!  (Uproxx)

Don't Wake Me Up If I'm Dreaming...

  MelBivDevoe

Good morning!  Happy Friday!  Stop sleeping at work and get ready for links!

One of our sisters over at Persephone Magazine has a great op ed on how you're never too old to conquer your dreams.  It's a pretty inspiring read.  (Persephone Mag)

Speaking of inspirational, this photo spread of "Bodies We Want" might have you recommitting to your fitness goals.  Or, it might just send you to your bunk.  NSFW for some tasteful nudity.  (ESPN Mag)