The Roundup August 31 - Sept 4

Tonic would like to be the first to welcome you to three days of rest and relaxation, barbeques and Dog Day farewells. Labor Day weekend may mark the end of summer in the back of our minds, but we're sure to have some warm sunshine sticking around for a little while. On the flip-side, it's a full moon, so there is a special kind of crazy coming out of the woodworks. Let's kick off the holiday with some quirk and funk that'll hopefully make you laugh (if not make you squirm) on this special oddball edition of the Roundup.

• Tonic just can't resist bringing you random fun in the form of our Smile File. From hilarious finds on the ol' YouTube to shamelessly cute puppies to primary colored shoes that may make you want a foot-long wiener, Erin Green has the tireless job of finding the kookiest laughs of the day. (Rough life, huh?) Scroll down for miles of fun. 

• In "There's More to Life Than Fingernails," Kathy Erich Dowd gives us a peek into sympathies for a very strange heartbreak. Twenty-eight feet of non-acrylics were this woman's best friend until she bid them bye-bye in a car accident that luckily resulted in no more serious injuries. Grown for 30 years (29 years and 52 weeks too long, if you ask me), these whopping claws are no longer her identity -- and it's becoming clear that that's a good thing.

• And in weirder news, the Ladybag lives up to its name, giving women an alternative to squatting by the side of the road. Can't hold it 'til a rest-stop? Have no fear, the Ladybag's here! In "The Really Portable Potty" by Courtney Rubin, you too can discover the convenience of a this veritable external bladder. Shaped like a leaf and the "size of a chocolate bar," huh? That's quite advertising leap of faith.

• Kirk Bromley wants to know just how well you can use your noggin to make, er, other noggins. Skulls, to be specific. That's right, he's got hollowed heads on display in "Show Your Skull a Skull-a-Day." This post is skulltastic, highlighting an artist who has cultivated a culture of crossbones (forgive me) by setting out on a mission to craft one creative skull rendering a day. Now he's got fans and is urging you to get your artistic thinking cap on and go to town. A dark icon gets a flowery, colorful twist.

• And finally, Science writer David Bois brings to our attention some sweet stuffed animals that may just make you run for the hills (or the doctor). Ever think you'd snuggle up with a heartworm (while wearing your now-more-fashionable-tha-ever Snuggie, perhaps) or an H1N1 microbe? Well, chances are you probably won't anyway, but should the occasion arise that you are craving a little sweet salmonella lovin', look no further than "Snuggle Up With These Cuddle Bugs."