At the time of publication, neither we nor Wikipedia knew Essjay’s real name. Essjay’s entire Wikipedia life was conducted with only a user name; anonymity is common for Wikipedia admin-istrators and contributors, and he says that he feared personal retribution from those he had ruled against online. Essjay now says that his real name is Ryan Jordan, that he is twenty-four and holds no advanced degrees, and that he has never taught. He was recently hired by Wikia—a for-profit company affiliated with Wikipedia—as a “community manager”; he continues to hold his Wikipedia positions. He did not answer a message we sent to him; Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikia and of Wikipedia, said of Essjay’s invented persona, “I regard it as a pseudonym and I don’t really have a problem with it.”

"Some nameless fear stands between me and my desire to be heard."

"The terrifying reality regarding your resume is that for all the many hours you put into fine-tuning, you've got 30 seconds to make an impression on me. Maybe less."

"Britney Spears' recent exploits brought into focus just how embarrassing getting out of a car can be. Even if you're wearing underwear, you probably don't want to flash them to the world, but if you're in a short dress or skirt it can be hard not to do so when exiting a vehicle. The next time you go out on the town, follow these steps to get out of the car gracefully and modestly."

"Have you ever gotten up off the couch to get a beer for the umpteenth time and thought, 'What if instead of ME going to get the BEER, the BEER came to ME???' Well, that was how I first conceived of the beer launching fridge. About 3 months and several hundred dollars later I have a fully automated, remote controlled, catapulting, man-pit approved, beer launching mini-fridge."

14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn't get mowed this weekend.

Meal planning made simple

"Want to be creative but don't have the time? Start a story on StorySquared and see where it goes. Friends and family contribute to a story thread that you create. The results can be funny, imaginative, or just plain strange."

"Pole dancing, once exclusively the province of exotic dancers, has flared up as a much-hyped Hollywood exercise craze, and has seeped into the collective unconscious through shows like 'The Sopranos' and 'Desperate Housewives.' A variant called motorized pole dancing, which occurs in stretch limos, has raised eyebrows as far away as Britain, where some female university students pole-danced as a fund-raiser for testicular cancer. And mini-poles have even been spotted as dance props at over-the-top bat mitzvah parties in suburban precincts."

"Scientists exposed study participants to one brand of soft drink then asked them to think of alternative brands. Alone, they came up with significantly more products than when they were grouped with two others."

For the most part, completely unverifiable, but still kinda fun.

The Doors 1969, Maria Muldaur 1974, Nirvana 1992

"If this doesn’t motivate you to raise your net worth, I couldn’t tell you what does."

"Last summer's mix of sun, beer and excitement during the football World Cup appears to have produced a massive hormone rush in German bedrooms, gardens and back alleys. Nine months on, birth clinics across the country that hosted the tournament are reporting a much-needed baby boom." See -- soccer really is boring.