Quickhit

[A new way to multiply](http://clubtroppo.com.au/2007/12/22/a-seriously-cool-way-to-multiply/). Nice party trick, but it kinda falls over when you're working with four digit numbers. The proof that it works in all cases…

[The adorable animals of YouTube go out on strike with the Writer's Guild](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npqx8CsBEyk). From the writers of the Colbert Report. The writer's strike is not going away any…

[Book Design Review covers the best of 2007](http://nytimesbooks.blogspot.com/2007/11/my-favorite-book-covers-of-2007.html). Some great design here - the kind of books that you know are going to be interesting just judging from…

[A table made from a DC-4's wing](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/aviation/table-made-of-dc+4-wing-shall-be-mine-334367.php). The only problem is that you'd need to review your entire decor to match.

[Buy a 50mm fixed lens for your SLR](http://daringfireball.net/linked/2007/october#sun-14-jdd). They're cheap, and they make a massive difference to your pictures. I got one recently, and the picture's are superb.

[The true story of black debaters in the Jim Crow South](http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/thegreatdebaters/trailer1/). A little bit from the 'great teacher inspires students' cookie cutter mill, but the trailer suggest that…

[The US Civil War in Four Minutes](http://www.idkwtf.com/videos/latest-videos/the-civil-war-in-four-minutes). Nice summary of what happened, shows just how long it took for any 'progress' from the Northern point of view.

[The 15 wealthiest fictional characters](http://www.forbes.com/2007/12/11/richest-fictional-characters-oped-books-fict1507-cx_mn_de_1211fictional15_land.html). I suspect a lot of the writing for this one is done while the participants are quite drunk.

[A fantastic mobile to phone home on](http://io9.com/335383/retro+futurist-cell-phone-made-from-rotary-dialer). Could be a very profitable phone - think of all the replacements people will have to buy after spinning it too…

[Swearing in baseball in 1897](http://www.kottke.org/07/12/seven-things-you-can-never-say-while-playing-oldtimey-baseball). Not safe for work. In fact, it's hard to imagine any context where the kind of language in this would have been appropriate...