From a Hungarian PSA (No translation necessary. Mostly safe for work; use headphones): Rarrrrrr. Turns out, Hungary has an entire government position devoted to promoting bicycling. In Hungary, the Ministry of Economics and Transport actually has a Deputy Minister for cycling by the name of Adam Bodor. Bodor's job, put simply, is to get people on their bikes. Now, why can't the U.S. do that?

Nifty: Left: All the water in the world (1.4087 billion cubic kilometres of it) including sea water, ice, lakes, rivers, ground water, clouds, etc. Right: All the air in the atmosphere (5140 trillion tonnes of it) gathered into a ball at sea-level density. Shown on the same scale as the Earth.

From a compilation of responses given to AP reporters throughout the year: FAVORITE FOOD TO COOK DEMOCRATS: Clinton: "I'm a lousy cook, but I make pretty good soft scrambled eggs." Edwards: Hamburgers. Obama: Chili. Richardson: Diet milkshake. REPUBLICANS: Giuliani: Hamburgers or steak on the grill. Huckabee: Ribeye steak on the grill. McCain: Baby-back ribs. Romney: Hot dog. SHUNNED FOOD ITEMS DEMOCRATS: Clinton: "I like nearly everything. "I don't like, you know, things that are still alive." Edwards: "I can't stand mushrooms. I don't want them on anything that I eat. And I have had to eat them because you get …

Grist reader, donor, and prize-winner (See? We really do give that stuff away!) Irvin Smith of Rochester Hills, Mich., sent in this adorable photo of his son and nieces eating ice cream out of the ice-cream maker he won. A big, public Grist thanks to Irvin. As I was looking at the photo, I thought to myself: Self, what a fabulous opportunity to give props to all our wonderful donors. So thank you, Grist donors! We are but a humble nonprofit, and without your generosity, we'd all be sitting here in the dark. If you're reading this and it moves …

The FDA is thinking about allowing Big Chocolate to pass off waxy imitations as the real deal: Like all foods in the United States, chocolate is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that consumers get a safe and consistent product. But perhaps no longer. The FDA is entertaining a "citizen's petition" to allow manufacturers to substitute vegetable fats and oils for cocoa butter. The "citizens" who created this petition represent groups that would benefit most from this degradation of the current standards. They are the Chocolate Manufacturers Assn., the Grocery Manufacturers Assn., the Snack Food Assn. and …

Remember that wacky Federal Way, Wash. father who opposed showing An Inconvenient Truth in public schools? ("Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore!") Well, he's back, and on the Daily Show: Some choice quotes, in case you can't watch the video: "The global warming we're experiencing right now would have to be God's wrath ... These are precursors to the rapture, which should occur in about, you know, 5 to 7 years ..." "If you have not accepted Jesus Christ, then you are basically left behind, and a bowl of God's anger is poured upon the sun, …