Top 10 Twitter Posts: Odd Jobs, Virus-Fueled Cars and 'Minimum Rage'

If you're in the U.S. then you're probably dreaming of how you'll spend your Fourth of July day(s) off already .... mmmm beaches, BBQs, fireworks, picnics, the whole shebang. But our summer holiday planning hasn't kept us from checking out the latest and greatest on Twitter! Follow our day-to-day convos at @BWCnews — just dive in (the water's fine)!

Credit: PayDayOne

1. Unusual Jobs and Their Paydays on PayDayOne.com: Ever thought of being a submarine cook? An airplane repo guy or gal? A crop duster pilot or crime scene cleaner? Yeah, they're not really professions that come immediately to mind when you consider what you want to be "when you grow up." But they're out there, and if you're curious about how much they pay, here's an interesting infographic that gives you an idea of how they're compensated.

2. iPod Magician Marco Tempest on YouTube: In a mash-up of technology, sleight-of-hand deftness and storytelling, this magician delivers a close-up show like you've never seen. It had us wondering how he pulled it off — like any good magic would leave you wondering.

3. Minimum Rage: College Grads in the Service Industry in Utne Reader: Apparently the average restaurant worker made $15,000 in 2009 and the average manufacturing employee raked in somewhere around $74,000. It's a startling disparity and one that's artfully addressed in this article, which profiles service industry workers who for years consider their jobs "just temporary." But if people are keeping them for years on end, maybe it's time to start advocating for workers rights in that arena? Or maybe it's just a reminder of the value of nurturing manufacturing as a domestic job sector.

4. My Dream: To Drive a Virus-Powered Car on BBC News: Well that's one way to put a harmful thing to good use. Better than it attacking our fragile immune systems! BBC reported this week on an advance that would allow vehicles to run on viruses that "construct powerful new batteries, clean hydrogen fuels and record-breaking solar cells." Read on to find out how.

5. A Sip of Soda: How Soft Drinks Impact Your Health on InfographicsList.com: If you needed any more convincing about how much havoc soft drinks wreak on your body, here's a reminder. Asthma and dissolved tooth enamel?! Yeah, might want to opt for the iced tea next time ...

Credit: Area Development

6. Advanced Manufacturing Will Drive the U.S. Economy on Area Development Online: Though advanced manufacturing already grows at a steady clip, it needs hundreds of thousands more workers to keep up with heightening demand. The inability of companies to find machinists, engineers, craft workers, distributors and technicians has put a damper on productivity, despite the industry's upswing in momentum. It raises the oft-repeated question: How do we fix that?

7. Some Tips to Better Brainstorming on Fast Company: Got a brilliant idea? OK, what about the second-best idea? Sometimes thinking outside the box, brainstorming, involves thinking aloud to the point where not everything you say is going to be top-notch brilliant. That's part of the whole process, though. And it's an important part of it. Thinking out loud in a group is how mediocre ideas get refined into something better. Don't be shy!

8. Edible Books to Tackle World Hunger on BBC News: What, so you're telling me I can have my book and eat it, too? Hmmm...

9. Oxygen Foam Could Buy Breathing Time on Scientific American: There's a new way to get oxygen to your blood in the event of an emergency, like if your windpipe's blocked. It's with tiny-bubbled foam, which gives your bloodstream a needed dose of air — buying precious minutes that could save someone's life.

10. 30 Days of GOOD on GOOD Magazine: We're always on the lookout for more ways to improve the way we eat, whether that's opting for a la carte over a full entree or nixing the yummy-but-fattening fried stuff. That's why we're inspired by this series on GOOD magazine the offers all kinds of creative ways to breakaway from your mundane or unhealthy eating habits. We'll give some of these challenges a try!