"If a man is called to be a street sweeper,
he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well
that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,
'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
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Image Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State U.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rex Barker here with, Quotes That Make You Think...
Pick the flower when it is ready to be picked.
If you don't go into the cave of the tiger, how are you going to get its cub?
Follow the local custom when you go to a foreign place.
Once bitten by a snake, you are even frightened by a rope that resembles a snake.
A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark.
If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.
Pearls lie not on the seashore.
If thou desirest one thou must dive for it. Take chances.
When rowing forward, the boat may rock.
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.
A book holds a house of gold.
A bad worker quarrels with his tools. A bad workman blames his tools.
A bad word whispered will echo a hundred miles
If you don't go into the cave of the tiger, how are you going to get its cub?
Follow the local custom when you go to a foreign place.
Once bitten by a snake, you are even frightened by a rope that resembles a snake.
A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark.
If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.
Pearls lie not on the seashore.
If thou desirest one thou must dive for it. Take chances.
When rowing forward, the boat may rock.
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.
A book holds a house of gold.
A bad worker quarrels with his tools. A bad workman blames his tools.
A bad word whispered will echo a hundred miles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.
* Continual cheerfulness is a sign of wisdom.
* A change of work is as good as a rest.
* Trouble hates nothing as much as a smile.
* A good retreat is better than a bad stand.
* Time is a great story teller.
* The work praises the man.
* There is light at the end of the tunnel.
* You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.
* A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
* Reputations last longer than lives.
* Don't postpone a good deed.
* Making the beginning is one third of the work.
* If God shuts one door, he opens another
* Continual cheerfulness is a sign of wisdom.
* A change of work is as good as a rest.
* Trouble hates nothing as much as a smile.
* A good retreat is better than a bad stand.
* Time is a great story teller.
* The work praises the man.
* There is light at the end of the tunnel.
* You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.
* A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
* Reputations last longer than lives.
* Don't postpone a good deed.
* Making the beginning is one third of the work.
* If God shuts one door, he opens another
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1910 - Thomas Crapper, said to be the inventor and developer of the flush toilet mechanism that most of us use, died on this day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spies ~ the things to remember
spiritual
physical
intellectual
emotional
social
Thanks, Tim
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Top 10 words you should use more in 2013
Every year Wayne State University publishes a list of words that it says “deserve to be used more often in conversation and prose.” Here is the fifth annual “Wayne State’s Word Warriors” list, promoting words that are “most expressive yet regrettably neglected,” the Word Warriors Web site says. The definition appears first, followed by a sentence in which the word is used.
Troglodytes natter mawkish persiflage, winkling buncombe that can dragoon chelonian fantods out of even a cerulean sky.
• Buncombe
Rubbish; nonsense; empty or misleading talk.
What a relief to have the election over — that great festival of buncombe that so distracted the nation for months.
Rubbish; nonsense; empty or misleading talk.
What a relief to have the election over — that great festival of buncombe that so distracted the nation for months.
• Cerulean
The blue of the sky.
Her eyes were a clear, deep cerulean blue, like no eyes Trevor had ever seen, and looking into them made him feel lighter than air, as though he could fly, but even if he could have flown he would have stayed where he was, content just to look.
The blue of the sky.
Her eyes were a clear, deep cerulean blue, like no eyes Trevor had ever seen, and looking into them made him feel lighter than air, as though he could fly, but even if he could have flown he would have stayed where he was, content just to look.
• Chelonian
Like a turtle (and who doesn’t like turtles?).
Weighed down by bickering and blather, the farm bill crept through Congress at a chelonian pace.
Like a turtle (and who doesn’t like turtles?).
Weighed down by bickering and blather, the farm bill crept through Congress at a chelonian pace.
• Dragoon
To compel by coercion; to force someone to do something they’d rather not.
After working in the yard all day, Michael was dragooned into going to the ballet instead of flopping down to watch the Red Wings on TV.
To compel by coercion; to force someone to do something they’d rather not.
After working in the yard all day, Michael was dragooned into going to the ballet instead of flopping down to watch the Red Wings on TV.
• Fantods
Extreme anxiety, distress, nervousness or irritability.
Jeremy’s love of islands was tempered by the fact that driving over high bridges always gave him the raging fantods.
Extreme anxiety, distress, nervousness or irritability.
Jeremy’s love of islands was tempered by the fact that driving over high bridges always gave him the raging fantods.
• Mawkish
Excessively sentimental; sappy; hopelessly trite.
To her surprise, Beth found Robert’s words of love to be so mawkish that they made her feel sticky, as though she were being painted with molasses.
Excessively sentimental; sappy; hopelessly trite.
To her surprise, Beth found Robert’s words of love to be so mawkish that they made her feel sticky, as though she were being painted with molasses.
• Natter
To talk aimlessly, often at great length; rarely, it means simply to converse.
You can tell our staff meetings are winding down when everybody starts nattering about their kids.
To talk aimlessly, often at great length; rarely, it means simply to converse.
You can tell our staff meetings are winding down when everybody starts nattering about their kids.
• Persiflage
Banter; frivolous talk.
Emma hoped to get Lady Astor into a serious conversation, but as long as the King was around she could elicit only persiflage and gossip.
Banter; frivolous talk.
Emma hoped to get Lady Astor into a serious conversation, but as long as the King was around she could elicit only persiflage and gossip.
• Troglodyte
Literally, a cave-dweller. More frequently a backward, mentally sluggish person.
Susan felt she could have saved the company if only the troglodytes in management had taken her advice.
Literally, a cave-dweller. More frequently a backward, mentally sluggish person.
Susan felt she could have saved the company if only the troglodytes in management had taken her advice.
• Winkle
To pry out or extract something; from the process of removing the snail from an edible periwinkle.
Jack showed no inclination to leave his seat beside Alice, but Roger was determined to winkle him out of that chair no matter what it took.
To pry out or extract something; from the process of removing the snail from an edible periwinkle.
Jack showed no inclination to leave his seat beside Alice, but Roger was determined to winkle him out of that chair no matter what it took.
I knew 6 ~
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HINT: (1842-1910), American philosopher and psychologist who had trained as a physician.
ANSWER: William James.
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Portland On The Web: Portland Pulp, New York Times, Rachael Ray & More
A happy ending in Portland this week as the custody battle for Obie, the obese dachshund, comes to an end. Obie's current owner, Vanatta will get to keep Obie, who appears to have enrolled in a course of doggie pilates (aka rolling around on the ground in a hilarious manner).
Fred Armisen found perhaps the only person who enjoys Rogue's bacon maple bar-flavored beer, Rachael Ray! On her program this week, she told the Portlandia star that the strange brew would be great for breakfast. Beer for breakfast? That's our kind of lady.
And finally, the New York Times Magazine wrote a giant article about how Portland's karaoke scene is basically performance art so you can go ahead and add your drunken rendition of 'Seven Nation Army' to your theater resume.
Here is a round-up of the goings-on in Portland this week:
Portland Pulp: Custody battle for Obie, everyone's favorite obese dachshund, is over
Rachael Ray: Fred Armisen visits the Rachael Ray Show
New York Times: How good does karaoke have to be to qualify as art?
Fox 12: The Sellwood Bridge's big move
Neighborhood Notes: Small Bars- 6 Portland bars for getting up, close and personal
Eater: PDX brands take home seven 2013 Good Food Awards
A happy ending in Portland this week as the custody battle for Obie, the obese dachshund, comes to an end. Obie's current owner, Vanatta will get to keep Obie, who appears to have enrolled in a course of doggie pilates (aka rolling around on the ground in a hilarious manner).
Fred Armisen found perhaps the only person who enjoys Rogue's bacon maple bar-flavored beer, Rachael Ray! On her program this week, she told the Portlandia star that the strange brew would be great for breakfast. Beer for breakfast? That's our kind of lady.
And finally, the New York Times Magazine wrote a giant article about how Portland's karaoke scene is basically performance art so you can go ahead and add your drunken rendition of 'Seven Nation Army' to your theater resume.
Here is a round-up of the goings-on in Portland this week:
Portland Pulp: Custody battle for Obie, everyone's favorite obese dachshund, is over
Rachael Ray: Fred Armisen visits the Rachael Ray Show
New York Times: How good does karaoke have to be to qualify as art?
Fox 12: The Sellwood Bridge's big move
Neighborhood Notes: Small Bars- 6 Portland bars for getting up, close and personal
Eater: PDX brands take home seven 2013 Good Food Awards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Psychology Behind Superhero Origin Stories
How does following the adventures of Spider-Man and Batman inspire us to cope with adversity?
Fajita-Stuffed Chicken
Radar, a Belgian draft horse, stands at 19.3 1/2 hands
and is currently listed as the tallest living horse in theGuinness Book of World Records ~
The missus asked if she pleased me in bed? I said, "Yes, I love that trick you do with your mouth."
"What trick?" she asked?
"The one where you shut the fuck up and go to sleep!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For the first time ever, women are scoring higher than men on IQ tests. Scientists it has something to do with breast implants not that it makes the women smarter, it just makes the men dumber." -Jay Leno
"You know who gave the shortest inauguration speech in history? George Washington. It was only like three minutes long. Well, sure. George Washington couldn't tell a lie." -Jay Leno
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"More than a million people gathered in our nation's capital yesterday, and tens of millions more watched from home to celebrate the first lady's new haircut. Most people seem to like the hair style, though some Republicans are demanding further cuts." -Jimmy Kimmel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sources are saying that Tiger Woods wants to re-marry his ex-wife and might be willing to go for a no-cheating clause. This special clause would be known as a wedding vow." -Conan O'Brien
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sister is a know-it-all who bristles at anyone's well-intentioned advice. But when our older sister gave her several clever tips, she was impressed.
"I have to hand it to Pat," she told me. "She really is smart. Not Jeopardy! smart; more Wheel of Fortune smart."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friend sat down with a new client at her gym to review her application. For the question "To what do you attribute your fitness issues?" the woman wrote, "Horrendous eating habits."
"What makes you answer that?" my friend asked.
The woman replied, "I can't spell atrocious."
You don't get product knowledge for the benefit of the customer, but for the benefit of yourself. If you know your product from A to Z you will have a feeling about it that is difficult to describe. You will be so positively charged, so fortified, so strengthened in your own mental attitude that you will be both irresistible and unconquerable.
--Arthur Dunn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In considering war, we must avoid that adoration of the material as exemplified by scientists who deny the existence of aught they cannot cut or weigh...
--George S. Patton
Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thanks, Phlax
Hence, the search for that elusive secret of military success; Soul, genius, personality--call it what you will-- is of vital interest to us all.--George S. Patton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is an incessant and constant change of 'means' to attain the inevitable 'end,' but we must take care not to let these inevitable sundry means, past or predicted, attain undue eminence in the perspective of our minds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since the beginning, there has been an unending cycle of them, and for each, its advocates have claimed adoption as the sole means of successful war. --George S. Patton
'Knowledge is power,' but to a degree only. Its possession per se will raise a man to mediocrity, but not to distinction.
--George S. Patton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to 'be happy.' But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to 'be happy.'~ Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
"I asked my doctor yesterday what the difference is between a cold and the flu and he said, 'About $80.'" -Dave Letterman
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"MGM is coming out with a remake of the classic 1959 film 'Ben-Hur.' You can tell it's a remake because instead of being about a Jewish prince who is betrayed by his Roman friend, sent into slavery, and then seeks revenge ~ it's just about sexy vampires." -Jimmy Fallon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My 10-year-old daughter has decided she is an environmentalist. So she talked me into participating in an aggressive recycling effort with her.
Last week she and I took what proved to be 134 pounds of cardboard boxes to the recycling center and earned $1.34. Counting gas and ice cream, we turned a profit of -$7.85.
We're going to use generally accepted accounting principles and see if we can apply this amount to our taxable income.
"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." - Martin Luther King Jr.
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1. We know where you live.
2. You will need good reading material in approximately 15 minutes.
3. Everyone's meal today is on you!
4. The "special sauce" came from the floor!
5. Guess what our special "drop" was in our Egg Drop Soup and win a free meal!
6. Your colon will self destruct in five seconds.
7. A recent prison escapee that is sitting near by wants to love you long time.
8. Your dog Sparky...he's no longer missing.
9. See the waiter about our new food poison life insurance policies.
10. MSG? NO!! Ebola Virus....maybe.
(From Aha!Jokes)
A frog telephones a psychic and is told, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you."
The frog says, "This is great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?"
"No," says the psychic. "Next semester in her biology class."
Q: What historic Egyptian beauty invented spike shoes for sporting events?
A: Cleat-o-patra!
Q: What kind of coffee did they serve on the Titanic?
A: Sanka!
HINT: (1947-), evangelical Christian author, speaker, and pastor who has written more than 60 books, primarily focusing on leadership.
Man Came to Rob a Pizza Joint, Left with Pizza and Tears
Man Urges New Zealand to Kill All Cats
The Octopizza
RANDOM TIDBITS
The word "taxicab" is an abbreviated version of its original name, taximeter cabriolet. The term was first used for horse-drawn carriages that charged for rides and later applied to automobiles employed for the same purpose.
Checker Motors, long the nation's leading manufacturer of taxis, was one of the very few automakers to really hold its own during the Great Depression. With fewer Americans able to afford their own cars, the option to call a cab for transportation became more important.
Many sources rank the live audience's reaction to Rev. Jim Ignatowski's repeated utterance, "What does a yellow light mean?" on a 1979 episode of TV's Taxi as the longest sustained laugh in sitcom history.
The use of the word "hack" to refer to a cab driver dates back to before the days of automobiles when a "hack" was a horse that one could rent.
Although the term "practice squad" is more commonly used today, sports teams once relied on a "taxi squad" of players that filled in positions during practice or when a player went down due to an injury.
The Harry Chapin hit single "Taxi" was banned from many radio stations, who frowned upon the fact that the song's lyrics told the story of a cabbie who liked "gettin' stoned."
1/2 of recipe (1 stuffed chicken breast): 242 calories, 5g fat, 725mg sodium, 10g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 4g sugars, 38g protein -- PointsPlus® value 6*
Like fajitas, but not into carby tortillas? These chicken rollups are for you!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup sliced green and red bell peppers
2 tsp. fajita seasoning mix
Two 5-oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
1/4 cup salsa
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray.
Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Cook and stir until softened, about 6 minutes.
Transfer cooked veggies to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. fajita seasoning, and stir well.
Season chicken cutlets with salt, black pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. fajita seasoning. Evenly divide cooked veggies between the centers of the cutlets.
Roll up each cutlet over the veggies. If needed, secure with toothpicks. Place in the baking pan.
Cover pan with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, and sprinkle stuffed cutlets with cheese. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Serve with salsa and sour cream. Eat up!
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Like fajitas, but not into carby tortillas? These chicken rollups are for you!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup sliced green and red bell peppers
2 tsp. fajita seasoning mix
Two 5-oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
1/4 cup salsa
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray.
Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Cook and stir until softened, about 6 minutes.
Transfer cooked veggies to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. fajita seasoning, and stir well.
Season chicken cutlets with salt, black pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. fajita seasoning. Evenly divide cooked veggies between the centers of the cutlets.
Roll up each cutlet over the veggies. If needed, secure with toothpicks. Place in the baking pan.
Cover pan with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, and sprinkle stuffed cutlets with cheese. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Serve with salsa and sour cream. Eat up!
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
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Search for crocodiles freed in southern Africa floods continues
As many as 10,000 farmed crocodiles are still on the loose in the Limpopo river between Botswana and South Africa, following the worst floods in more than a decade. Surging waters forced the owners of the farm where some 15,000 of the animals are kept to open flood gates to stop the crocodiles being crushed. The farmers say the hunt for the escaped crocodiles is continuing each night, and they have urged locals who spot any not to try to capture them without help.
I can’t keep a straight face. The BBC weather dude reminds me of no one more than Eric Idle.
Great one, Ed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and is currently listed as the tallest living horse in theGuinness Book of World Records ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A black guy walks into a tavern with a parrot on his shoulder...the
bartender looks up and says " where the hell did you get that thing?
The Parrot replies " Over in Africa, there's millions of them " !!!!
bartender looks up and says " where the hell did you get that thing?
The Parrot replies " Over in Africa, there's millions of them " !!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A sign seen over the toilet paper dispenser in a military "latrine" (bathroom): "Another quality product of the 3M company, sandpaper division."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mancipate
v. to enslave
v. to enslave
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You gotta sing it to the rhythm of 'I will survive'.
Girls try not to laugh too loud when you sing this!
SING IT GIRLS!!!
At first I was afraid, I was petrified.
When you said you had 10 inches, Lord I almost died!
But I'd spent so many years just waiting for a man that long,
that I grew strong,
and I knew that I could take you on...
But there you are, another lie,
I was ready for a Big Mac and you've brought me a French fry!
I should have known that it was bulls***t, just a sad pathetic dream
Should have known there was no Anaconda lurking in those Jeans!
Go on now - go! , Walk out the door,
Don't you promise me 10 inches, then turn up with only 4!
Weren't you a jerk to think I wouldn't find you out!?
Don't you know we're only joking when we say size don't count
[Chorus]
I will survive! I will survive!
Cuz as long as I have batteries,
My sex life's gonna thrive!
I will always have good sex,
With a handful of latex!
I will survive! I will survive! Hey! Hey!
It took all my self control not to laugh out loud,
When I saw your little wiener standing tall and proud!
But to hell with your ego and to hell with all your needs,
Now I'm saving all my lovin' for a cordless multi-speed!
[Chorus]
I will survive! I will survive!
Cuz as long as I have batteries,
My sex life's gonna thrive!
I will always have good sex,
With a handful of latex!
I will survive! I will survive! Hey! Hey!
Send this to all of the cool chicks you know, and all the dude's who can
handle this new re-mix...
Girls try not to laugh too loud when you sing this!
SING IT GIRLS!!!
At first I was afraid, I was petrified.
When you said you had 10 inches, Lord I almost died!
But I'd spent so many years just waiting for a man that long,
that I grew strong,
and I knew that I could take you on...
But there you are, another lie,
I was ready for a Big Mac and you've brought me a French fry!
I should have known that it was bulls***t, just a sad pathetic dream
Should have known there was no Anaconda lurking in those Jeans!
Go on now - go! , Walk out the door,
Don't you promise me 10 inches, then turn up with only 4!
Weren't you a jerk to think I wouldn't find you out!?
Don't you know we're only joking when we say size don't count
[Chorus]
I will survive! I will survive!
Cuz as long as I have batteries,
My sex life's gonna thrive!
I will always have good sex,
With a handful of latex!
I will survive! I will survive! Hey! Hey!
It took all my self control not to laugh out loud,
When I saw your little wiener standing tall and proud!
But to hell with your ego and to hell with all your needs,
Now I'm saving all my lovin' for a cordless multi-speed!
[Chorus]
I will survive! I will survive!
Cuz as long as I have batteries,
My sex life's gonna thrive!
I will always have good sex,
With a handful of latex!
I will survive! I will survive! Hey! Hey!
Send this to all of the cool chicks you know, and all the dude's who can
handle this new re-mix...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bryson Andres on twitmusic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
20 Blogs Presenting Strange Services for Sale
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An Illustrated Guide to the World’s Creation Myths
Each culture has its own version of how the universe began. Artist Noah MacMillan brings this “visual vocabulary” to life
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/An-Illustrated-Guide-to-the-Worlds-Creation-Myths-188056061.html#ixzz2J1Lk8Z7i
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mission 26 The Big Endeavour
Always worth a repeat ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Books, Reviewed: Animal Emotions, Deconstructing Detroit and the Science of Winning
Taking a closer look at some of the newest releases in non-fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~
Pale Blue Dot - Animation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A new study found that women's IQs are higher than men's for The first time in 100 years. They would have found it earlier, but the researchers were all men." -Jimmy Fallon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The missus asked if she pleased me in bed? I said, "Yes, I love that trick you do with your mouth."
"What trick?" she asked?
"The one where you shut the fuck up and go to sleep!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For the first time ever, women are scoring higher than men on IQ tests. Scientists it has something to do with breast implants not that it makes the women smarter, it just makes the men dumber." -Jay Leno
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember ~ Unicorn Poop from a few years ago? It's back....
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You know who gave the shortest inauguration speech in history? George Washington. It was only like three minutes long. Well, sure. George Washington couldn't tell a lie." -Jay Leno
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"More than a million people gathered in our nation's capital yesterday, and tens of millions more watched from home to celebrate the first lady's new haircut. Most people seem to like the hair style, though some Republicans are demanding further cuts." -Jimmy Kimmel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sources are saying that Tiger Woods wants to re-marry his ex-wife and might be willing to go for a no-cheating clause. This special clause would be known as a wedding vow." -Conan O'Brien
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sister is a know-it-all who bristles at anyone's well-intentioned advice. But when our older sister gave her several clever tips, she was impressed.
"I have to hand it to Pat," she told me. "She really is smart. Not Jeopardy! smart; more Wheel of Fortune smart."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friend sat down with a new client at her gym to review her application. For the question "To what do you attribute your fitness issues?" the woman wrote, "Horrendous eating habits."
"What makes you answer that?" my friend asked.
The woman replied, "I can't spell atrocious."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You don't get product knowledge for the benefit of the customer, but for the benefit of yourself. If you know your product from A to Z you will have a feeling about it that is difficult to describe. You will be so positively charged, so fortified, so strengthened in your own mental attitude that you will be both irresistible and unconquerable.
--Arthur Dunn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In considering war, we must avoid that adoration of the material as exemplified by scientists who deny the existence of aught they cannot cut or weigh...
--George S. Patton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dry knowledge, like dry rot, destroys the soundest fiber. A constant search for Soul-less fundamentals, the efforts to regularize the irregular, to make complex the simple, to assume perfect men, perfect material, and perfect terrain as the prerequisites to war, has the same effect on the soldier student...
--George S. Patton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--George S. Patton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“But, for my own part, it was Greek to me.”
So says Casca to Cassius in Julius Caesar, and the expression has been current in our language for 400 years. In 1978, Arnold Rosenberg of the IBM Research Center began to wonder: If we can take that as a general consensus that Greek is harder than English, then perhaps we could seek similar expressions in other languages and so discover the hardest natural language. For example, if Germans say “That seems like Spanish to me” (Das kommt mir spanish vor), and Finns say “It is totally Hebrew to me” (Se on minulle tāyttā hepreaa), then arguably Spanish is harder than German and Hebrew is harder than Finnish. Rosenberg set about collecting such idioms, and the final picture was surprisingly clear:
“Although we have found numerous hardest languages in our quest, we must acknowledge the special position of Chinese among the hardest languages,” he concluded. “If we were backed into a corner and forced to select a single language that deserved the designation ‘hardest,’ then, in terms of popular consensus, of geographical consensus, and of cultural consensus … Chinese would be the hands-down winner.”
(Arnold L. Rosenberg, “The Hardest Natural Languages,” Lingvisticæ Investigationes, June 1979.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.
--Thomas Paine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--Thomas Paine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Reading from Genesis
And God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the earth.
Then he made the earth round.
And he laughed and laughed and laughed...
Thanks, Phlax
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The First Major Museum Show to Focus on Smell
"The Art of the Scent" recognizes and celebrates fragrance as a true artistic medium rather than just a consumer product
Designing Scent: An Olfactory Exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/design/2013/01/designing-scent-an-olfactory-exhibition-at-the-museum-of-art-and-design/#ixzz2J1MHU1Uh
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/design/2013/01/designing-scent-an-olfactory-exhibition-at-the-museum-of-art-and-design/#ixzz2J1MHU1Uh
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Thanks, Brian (SSK)
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With the efforts of the historians, the case is even worse ... no matter when he writes, is by nature a man of thoughtful and studious habits utterly incapable of appreciating the roaring energy of a soldier... Colored by self deception, shaded by scholarly bookworms, our soldiers stand before us as devoid of life as the toothless portraits of Washington which adorn the walls of half our schoolrooms...--George S. Patton
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Hence, the search for that elusive secret of military success; Soul, genius, personality--call it what you will-- is of vital interest to us all.--George S. Patton
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There is an incessant and constant change of 'means' to attain the inevitable 'end,' but we must take care not to let these inevitable sundry means, past or predicted, attain undue eminence in the perspective of our minds.
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Since the beginning, there has been an unending cycle of them, and for each, its advocates have claimed adoption as the sole means of successful war. --George S. Patton
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In 1938, 18-year-old Korean soldier Yang Kyoungjong was conscripted into the Japanese army to fight against the Soviet Union.
He was captured by the Red Army, which pressed him into fighting the Nazis on the eastern front.
In 1943 he was captured by the Germans, who forced him to fight the invading Allies at Normandy.
There he was captured by American paratroopers in June 1944.
This means he fought for three different armies during World War II, and was captured each time. He died in Illinois in 1992.
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The white hot energy of youth, which saw in obstacles but inspirations, and in the enemy but the gage to battle, becomes too complacent with age.--George S. Patton
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Festive Sand Dollar Cookies
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Huskies during a training session at Feshiebridge, in Aviemore, Scotland, ahead of the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain’s annual sled dog rally.
Thanks, Ed
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'Knowledge is power,' but to a degree only. Its possession per se will raise a man to mediocrity, but not to distinction.
--George S. Patton
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It is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to 'be happy.' But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to 'be happy.'~ Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
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"Actress Megan Fox compared fame to being bullied in high school. I agree. I'll never forget that day in high school when jocks cornered me in the gym and paid me millions of dollars to star in 'Transformers.'" -Conan O'Brien
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"I asked my doctor yesterday what the difference is between a cold and the flu and he said, 'About $80.'" -Dave Letterman
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"MGM is coming out with a remake of the classic 1959 film 'Ben-Hur.' You can tell it's a remake because instead of being about a Jewish prince who is betrayed by his Roman friend, sent into slavery, and then seeks revenge ~ it's just about sexy vampires." -Jimmy Fallon
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I was the nurse caring for a couple's newborn first child, a son, after his cesarean birth. Since the mother was asleep under general anesthesia we took our tiny charge directly to the newborn nursery to introduce him to his daddy. While cuddling his son for the first time, he noticed the baby's ears conspicuously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern that some kids might call his son names like "Dumbo." The pediatrician reassured the new dad that his son was healthy, the ears could be easily corrected later during childhood.
The father still worried about his wife's reaction to those large protruding ears. "She doesn't take things as easily as I do," he worried.
By this time, the new mother was ready to meet her precious son. I placed the tiny bundle in his mother's arms and eased the blanket back so that she could gaze upon her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped, "Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!"
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The father still worried about his wife's reaction to those large protruding ears. "She doesn't take things as easily as I do," he worried.
By this time, the new mother was ready to meet her precious son. I placed the tiny bundle in his mother's arms and eased the blanket back so that she could gaze upon her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped, "Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!"
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My 10-year-old daughter has decided she is an environmentalist. So she talked me into participating in an aggressive recycling effort with her.
Last week she and I took what proved to be 134 pounds of cardboard boxes to the recycling center and earned $1.34. Counting gas and ice cream, we turned a profit of -$7.85.
We're going to use generally accepted accounting principles and see if we can apply this amount to our taxable income.
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Doctor: Did you know that there are more than 200 bones in the human body?
Patient: Shhh, doctor! There are three dogs outside in the waiting room!
Patient: Shhh, doctor! There are three dogs outside in the waiting room!
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"A smile is the shortest distance between two people." - Victor Borge
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"The very first law in advertising is to avoid the concrete promise and cultivate the delightfully vague." - Bill Cosby
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"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." - Martin Luther King Jr.
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Illustrations Of Superheroes IRL
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Pickled GARLIC
Ingredients 1/2 pound garlic, peeled
1 large red bell pepper, chopped 2 cups
distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Pickling spices
Directions
Place garlic cloves in a medium bowl, first cutting the large cloves in half. Mix in the red bell pepper.
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, place the distilled white vinegar and white sugar.
Wrap ground dry mustard and celery seed in a spice bag, and place in the liquid mixture. Bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper. Continue boiling 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard spice bag.
Place garlic and peppers in sterile containers to within 1 inch of the top.
Fill with remaining liquid to within 1/4 inch from the top. Seal and store in the refrigerator approximately three weeks before serving.
1 large red bell pepper, chopped 2 cups
distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Pickling spices
Directions
Place garlic cloves in a medium bowl, first cutting the large cloves in half. Mix in the red bell pepper.
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, place the distilled white vinegar and white sugar.
Wrap ground dry mustard and celery seed in a spice bag, and place in the liquid mixture. Bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper. Continue boiling 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard spice bag.
Place garlic and peppers in sterile containers to within 1 inch of the top.
Fill with remaining liquid to within 1/4 inch from the top. Seal and store in the refrigerator approximately three weeks before serving.
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The Least Desirable Fortunes in a Fortune Cookie
1. We know where you live.
2. You will need good reading material in approximately 15 minutes.
3. Everyone's meal today is on you!
4. The "special sauce" came from the floor!
5. Guess what our special "drop" was in our Egg Drop Soup and win a free meal!
6. Your colon will self destruct in five seconds.
7. A recent prison escapee that is sitting near by wants to love you long time.
8. Your dog Sparky...he's no longer missing.
9. See the waiter about our new food poison life insurance policies.
10. MSG? NO!! Ebola Virus....maybe.
(From Aha!Jokes)
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Normally I ignore stories about middle-aged teachers seducing their teenage students because this is 2013 and it is just not that bizarre anymore. In fact, I wish I had a few of those hot, horny, female teachers when I was a freshman in high school. But this story crosses over the line from inappropriate to "What the f#$%?"
It seems a former Brunswick County, North Carolina teacher charged with having sex with a student won't face trial after marrying the victim.
Court records show Shipman divorced her husband of 19 years last year and six days later married 17-year-old student Johnnie Ray Ison. His mother signed documents allowing him to marry while a minor.
The marriage prevented prosecutors from compelling Ison to testify against Shipman. A spouse can't be forced to testify against the defendant in most criminal cases.
The 42-year-old Shipman has pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of resisting a public officer.
Shipman taught at Brunswick County Academy when she was arrested in January 2009 on charges of sexual offense with a student, statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a student.
It seems a former Brunswick County, North Carolina teacher charged with having sex with a student won't face trial after marrying the victim.
Court records show Shipman divorced her husband of 19 years last year and six days later married 17-year-old student Johnnie Ray Ison. His mother signed documents allowing him to marry while a minor.
The marriage prevented prosecutors from compelling Ison to testify against Shipman. A spouse can't be forced to testify against the defendant in most criminal cases.
The 42-year-old Shipman has pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of resisting a public officer.
Shipman taught at Brunswick County Academy when she was arrested in January 2009 on charges of sexual offense with a student, statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a student.
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Brighton Beach, Melbourne, Australia
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Buddhist temple for sale due to odor
NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand - A Buddhist abbot in Thailand said his temple is being listed for sale because of the constant "stench" from a nearby pet food factory. Luang Pu Buddha Issara, the abbot of Wat Or Noi in Nakhon Pathom, said he wants to sell the temple, which was founded in 1990, for $67 million and donate the proceeds to a foundation, the Bangkok Post reported Monday. "The bad smell is from the pet factory, which is just [328 yards] from here and it is causing problems for monks and novices here," the abbot said. He said he plans to move to the forest to practice dharma once the temple is sold. "Temple for sale at low price. The stench from the pet food factory is unbearable," read signs posted around the area. Supoj Urjitsurakul, manager of the pet food factory, said a third odor control system is being added in an attempt to control the stench. "Monks from Wat Or Noi temple have visited the factory. I gave them a tour and showed them that we are really trying to improve things. I tried to contact the abbot but he was busy so he sent the monks instead," Supoj said.
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I was enjoying some meatloaf for dinner the other night and I came to the realization that meatloaf really got the shaft when it came to the cuisine name game.
Here are few replacement names that I came up with...
Hamburger Heap
Beef Wad
Moo Pile
Cow Clump
Bovine Mound
Any of those sound yummy, right? Well, maybe "meatloaf" really was the way to go after all.
Here are few replacement names that I came up with...
Hamburger Heap
Beef Wad
Moo Pile
Cow Clump
Bovine Mound
Any of those sound yummy, right? Well, maybe "meatloaf" really was the way to go after all.
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The Psychic and the Frog
A frog telephones a psychic and is told, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you."
The frog says, "This is great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?"
"No," says the psychic. "Next semester in her biology class."
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Held only once every twelve years, the cleansing ritual of the Maha Kumbh Mela sees up to a hundred million Hindu devotees symbolically bathe away their sins in the holy Ganges River. It is thought to be the largest gathering of humanity on earth. For 55 days devotees wade into the river to bathe, and join other religious observations on the banks of the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Various sadhu and sadhvi (holy men and women) abound. The Maha Kumbh Mela began this year on January 14, with preparations starting weeks earlier. [Editors' note: The Big Picture will not publish on Monday, January 21, as we observe the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. We will return on January 23 with regular posts.] -- Lane Turner (37 photos total)
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Police: Man called 911 10 times for rides
IMMOKALEE, Fla. - Authorities said a south Florida man was arrested for allegedly making 10 calls to 911 to ask for rides to Mexico and other places. The Collier County Sheriff's Office said Alvaro Francisco, 26, of Immokalee, first called 911 at 8:16 p.m. Saturday and made his final call at 12:45 a.m. Sunday, the Naples (Fla.) Daily News reported Monday. Deputies said Francisco asked for rides to Mexico, his friend's house and his boss' house. The man was advised during each call that his requests did not qualify as emergencies. Francisco, who deputies said smelled of alcohol, was arrested shortly after his final call on a misdemeanor charge of misuse of 911.
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Q and A Quickies
Q: What historic Egyptian beauty invented spike shoes for sporting events?
A: Cleat-o-patra!
Q: What kind of coffee did they serve on the Titanic?
A: Sanka!
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QUOTE: "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."
HINT: (1947-), evangelical Christian author, speaker, and pastor who has written more than 60 books, primarily focusing on leadership.
ANSWER: John C. Maxwell.
John F. Kennedy was the last president to attend his inauguration ceremony in a stovepipe hat.
John Quincy Adams was the first president to wear long trousers to his inauguration ceremony (breaking a tradition of colonial breeches).
During his Inaugural Parade, President Eisenhower was lassoed by a cowboy.
The Constitution does not require the president to swear on a bible, but it's been tradition from the beginning, thanks to George Washington.
Washington also holds the record for shortest speech at just 135 words. In 1841, William Henry Harrison gave the longest speech. It lasted almost two hours in freezing temperatures. As a result, Harrison would last about another month before dying of pneumonia.
In 1921, Warren Harding became the first president to use an automobile to get to and from the ceremony.
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100. CARL SAGAN: Pale blue dot
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RANDOM TIDBITS
John F. Kennedy was the last president to attend his inauguration ceremony in a stovepipe hat.
John Quincy Adams was the first president to wear long trousers to his inauguration ceremony (breaking a tradition of colonial breeches).
During his Inaugural Parade, President Eisenhower was lassoed by a cowboy.
The Constitution does not require the president to swear on a bible, but it's been tradition from the beginning, thanks to George Washington.
Washington also holds the record for shortest speech at just 135 words. In 1841, William Henry Harrison gave the longest speech. It lasted almost two hours in freezing temperatures. As a result, Harrison would last about another month before dying of pneumonia.
In 1921, Warren Harding became the first president to use an automobile to get to and from the ceremony.
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The word assassin comes from an old order of warriors who did a lot more than assassinate their enemies -although they did plenty of that, too.
In the year 1090, a charismatic man by the name of Hasan-i Sabbah used his popularity to gather together a small but devout following of Ismaili Muslims. Sabbah single-handedly molded his following – known as the Order of the Assassins, or Hashashin – into a fighting force capable of bringing down the most well-guarded leaders of the day. Zealous and disciplined, this force would strike terror into the hearts of caliphs, viziers and sultans for the next 200 years.
Sabbah’s Order of the Assassins fought for power against Christians and rival branches of Muslims. The Order was outnumbered and scorned by the Sunni majority. But despite this, as Jefferson M. Gray of Historynet.com says, “Hasan-i Sabbah and his successors were brilliant practitioners of asymmetric warfare. They developed a means of attack that negated most of their enemies’ advantages while requiring the Assassins to hazard only a small number of their own fighters.”
Not only does the name live on, so do their tactics, emulated by armies, spies, organized crime, and terrorists. Read about those tactics -they'll probably seem familiar in today's world- at Environmental Graffiti. Link
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The caption for this photo in William Middleton's The Interurban Era reads:
Two Fonda, Johnstown, & Gloversville cars suffered embarrassment after unsuccessfully contesting track space in the Gloversville (N.Y.) yard.
And the moral of the story? Never give in to anyone on anything, no matter how small, and no matter how much it costs you.
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Don't Be Late to Work
For thirty years, Johnson had arrived at work at 9A.M. on the dot. He had never missed a day and was never late.
Consequently, when on one particular day 9 A.M. passed without Johnson's arrival, it caused a sensation. All work ceased, and the boss himself, looking at his watch and muttering, came out into the corridor.
Finally, precisely at ten, Johnson showed up, clothes dusty and torn, his face scratched and bruised, his glasses bent. He limped painfully to the time clock, punched in, and said, aware that all eyes were upon him, "I tripped and rolled down two flights of stairs in the subway. Nearly killed myself."
And the boss said, "And to roll down two flights of stairs took you a whole hour?"
Consequently, when on one particular day 9 A.M. passed without Johnson's arrival, it caused a sensation. All work ceased, and the boss himself, looking at his watch and muttering, came out into the corridor.
Finally, precisely at ten, Johnson showed up, clothes dusty and torn, his face scratched and bruised, his glasses bent. He limped painfully to the time clock, punched in, and said, aware that all eyes were upon him, "I tripped and rolled down two flights of stairs in the subway. Nearly killed myself."
And the boss said, "And to roll down two flights of stairs took you a whole hour?"
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Man Came to Rob a Pizza Joint, Left with Pizza and Tears
This story underscores two things: the economic times we live in and the power of pizza.
When a man wearing a black hoodie and a red bandana covering his face entered a Papa John's Pizzaria in Helena, Montana, the clerk knew that he was about to be robbed. But nobody expected what happened next:
The cashier started to comply, but then the intruder broke down crying, saying he needed to rob the store for his wife and child.“The clerk talked to him for a while,” McGee said, and decided what the man really needed was some pizza, wings and soda — to go.
From Helena's Independent Record: Link
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http://www.neatorama.com/2013/01/25/Astronaut-Food-through-the-Ages/
NASA's Advanced Food Technology Project is tasked with feeding astronauts. It has come a long way from crackers and squeezable tubes. At the link, you can read about the team's culinary development process and see photos of astronauts trying to eat the results in zero gravity.
NASA's Advanced Food Technology Project is tasked with feeding astronauts. It has come a long way from crackers and squeezable tubes. At the link, you can read about the team's culinary development process and see photos of astronauts trying to eat the results in zero gravity.
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Japan Finance Minister Taro Aso to Old People: "Hurry Up And Die"
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso has an advice for elderly people of Japan. It can be summed up in four blunt words: "hurry up and die."
Taro Aso, the finance minister, said on Monday that the elderly should be allowed to "hurry up and die" to relieve pressure on the state to pay for their medical care."Heaven forbid if you are forced to live on when you want to die. I would wake up feeling increasingly bad knowing that [treatment] was all being paid for by the government," he said during a meeting of the national council on social security reforms. "The problem won't be solved unless you let them hurry up and die."
Justin McCurry of The Guardian reports: Link
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The L.A. Times has confirmed that J.J. Abrams, who directed the latest two Star Trek movies, will direct the first Disney film of the Star Wars franchise. The first film is projected to be released sometime in 2015. Link
This, of course, led sci-fi and movie geeks all over the internet to crack jokes about Abrams confusing the two space franchises, and speculate about the signature Abrams lens flare effect, seen in the image above posted by @DaveVzla. Here are some from the Metafilter comments:
This, of course, led sci-fi and movie geeks all over the internet to crack jokes about Abrams confusing the two space franchises, and speculate about the signature Abrams lens flare effect, seen in the image above posted by @DaveVzla. Here are some from the Metafilter comments:
Is the USS Enterprise going to do the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs now?
No, but the Millennium Falcon is going to do the Corbomite Maneuver.
There's going to be a great scene where X-Wing Pilots 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 attack a Death Star only to discover its made of smoke.
Spock with a lightsaber would be pretty badass, though.
Revenge of the Lens Flare amirite?!?
The Empire thought it had eliminated all the little vulnerabilities from the newest Death Star, and the rebels could not do anything to stop it... until someone figured out how to beam photon torpedoes into the middle decks.
I heard Peter Jackson is being tapped to direct Episode 8, but he's going to do it in 3 parts.
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And why not? Dirt is a natural product. Ne Quittez Pas, a French restraurant in Tokyo, serves a multi-course meal which features real dirt as an ingredient in each dish. Jessica of Rocket News 24 wrote a review:
The first course: a potato starch and dirt soup. It arrived in a shot glass looking so dark brown, it was almost black. It definitely looked like it had dirt in it. A slice of black truffle was balanced on top, and the staff instructed us to take a bite of it and then try the soup. So we did… and it was divine! There wasn’t a dirty flavor at all. Instead, this simple soup went down smoothly with just a hint of potato flavor.
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Russia discovers how “Low Bid” process really works!
Two amphibious assault ships bought for the Russian Navy from France in a 1.2 billion euro deal will not be able to operate in temperatures below seven degrees centigrade, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin admitted…in critical comments about the contract.
Thanks, Ed
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Long before the days of Anti-Tank Dogs and Bat Bombs, military geniuses of yore thought up of a way to drop bombs to the enemy: with rocket birds and cat bombs. What could possibly go wrong?
Link- via The Atlantic
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10 Jobs You Didn't Hear About On Career Day
http://www.neatorama.com/2013/01/25/10-Jobs-You-Didnt-Hear-About-On-Career-Day/#more
http://www.neatorama.com/2013/01/25/10-Jobs-You-Didnt-Hear-About-On-Career-Day/#more
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http://youtu.be/6Jz0JcQYtqo
Ze Frank is back with another of his "True Facts" videos, this one about the tarsier, which I have apparently been mispronouncing. As in previous videos in the series, the facts take a backseat to the pictures of the critters, to which Ze reacts the same way you do. Language just slightly NSFW. -via Viral Viral Videos
Previously: True Facts about the Angler Fish, Sloths, and Baby Echidnas.
Ze Frank is back with another of his "True Facts" videos, this one about the tarsier, which I have apparently been mispronouncing. As in previous videos in the series, the facts take a backseat to the pictures of the critters, to which Ze reacts the same way you do. Language just slightly NSFW. -via Viral Viral Videos
Previously: True Facts about the Angler Fish, Sloths, and Baby Echidnas.
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Man Urges New Zealand to Kill All Cats
Everybody loves cats, right? Well, not New Zealand economist Gareth Morgan. He's arging that "little ball of fluff you own is a natural born killer" and that the only way to save the wildlife of New Zealand is to kill them all:
"Every year, cats in New Zealand destroy our native wildlife. The fact is that cats have to go if we really care about our environment."Morgan said his website "deals with some of the myths and white lies we tell ourselves" to justify owning a cat."I am advocating responsible pet ownership, not for people to bop their pets on the head ... When their cat dies, I think people should consider not replacing it."However, Morgan's website goes as far as to suggest people euthanise their current pets as "one option" for pet owners.
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World Migration
Carlo Zapponi created an interactive graph called peoplemovin that plots the movement of people in and out of nations.
peoplemovin shows the flows of migrants as of 2010 through the use of open data (see Data Sources). The data are presented as a slopegraph that shows the connections between countries. The chart is split in two columns, the emigration countries on the left and the destination countries on the right. The thickness of the lines connecting the countries represents the amount of immigrated people.
By clicking on a country, you not only pull up statistics, but also a visualization of where its citizens emigrate to or immigrate from. It's a large chart; the sample here shows immigration to the US, which is the number one destination country. Link-via the Presurfer
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Designed in the 1930s, Palace of the Soviets, which would've been the tallest structure at the time, was supposed to be the administrative center and a symbol of the might of the Soviet Union. Alas, the German invasion of 1941 and the subsequent World War put an end to the architectural adventure.
But fans of totalitarian architecture take heart! We still got the propaganda posters and art, as compiled in this neat post by Dark Roa
sted Blend: Link
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Your getaway vehicle must be reliable. That's Crime 101. Unfortunately for these robbers in Colombia, they made a simply asinine choice:
The group had managed to steal rum, oil, rice, cans of tuna and sardines from a small shop in the tiny north Caribbean town of Juan de Acosta, according to Noticias Caracol.
They planned to load the goods onto 10-year-old Xavi, who they had stolen some 12 hours before, and make their escape.
But the animal let out a series of 'hee-haws' and unfortunately for the trio alerted nearby police.
They had to ditch the donkey, which was still carrying the stolen items, and ran to safety away from the officers.
Link -via Glenn Reynolds
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The Octopizza
Like you, I get hungry whenever I see an octopus. But donedirtcheap has made our tentacled friends even more delicious. His Octopizza is baked with a yeast dough and covered with pepperoni suckers. You can find step-by-step instructions at the link.
Link -via That's Nerdalicious!
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Remember the Fast Money round on Family Feud? Answers come easily when you're sitting on your sofa …but imagine the pressure you'd feel on national television. You might even say something stupid.
Q: Name a fruit that is yellow.
Orange.
Q: Name something that floats in the bath.
Water.
Q: Name a famous cowboy.
Buck Rogers.
Q: A number you have to memorize.
Seven.
Q: Name a part of the body beginning with "N."
Knee.
Q: Something you do before going to bed.
Sleep.
Q: Name a bird with a long neck.
Naomi Campbell.
Q: Name something with a hole in it.
Window.
Q: Name a sign of the zodiac.
April.
Q: Name something you might accidentally leave on all night.
Your shoes.
Q: Name a holiday when the stores are always busy.
Monday.
Q: Name something some people do clothed that others do without clothes.
Ride a motorcycle.
Q: Name something you do in the bathroom.
Decorate.
Q: Name the first thing you take off after work
Underwear.
Q: Something that flies that doesn't have an engine.
A bicycle with wings.
Q: Name an occupation where you need a torch.
A burglar.
Q: Name an animal you might see in a zoo.
A dog.
Q: A job around the house that has to be done every fall.
Spring cleaning.
Q: Something you might be allergic to.
Skiing.
Q: Name a famous bridge.
The bridge over troubled waters.
Q: Name something a cat does.
Goes to the bathroom.
Q: Name a song with moon in the title.
Blue sueded moon.
Q: Name an item of clothing worn by the Three Musketeers.
A horse.
Q: Name a famous group of singers.
The Simpsons.
See also: Family Feud Fails
Q: Name a fruit that is yellow.
Orange.
Q: Name something that floats in the bath.
Water.
Q: Name a famous cowboy.
Buck Rogers.
Q: A number you have to memorize.
Seven.
Q: Name a part of the body beginning with "N."
Knee.
Q: Something you do before going to bed.
Sleep.
Q: Name a bird with a long neck.
Naomi Campbell.
Q: Name something with a hole in it.
Window.
Q: Name a sign of the zodiac.
April.
Q: Name something you might accidentally leave on all night.
Your shoes.
Q: Name a holiday when the stores are always busy.
Monday.
Q: Name something some people do clothed that others do without clothes.
Ride a motorcycle.
Q: Name something you do in the bathroom.
Decorate.
Q: Name the first thing you take off after work
Underwear.
Q: Something that flies that doesn't have an engine.
A bicycle with wings.
Q: Name an occupation where you need a torch.
A burglar.
Q: Name an animal you might see in a zoo.
A dog.
Q: A job around the house that has to be done every fall.
Spring cleaning.
Q: Something you might be allergic to.
Skiing.
Q: Name a famous bridge.
The bridge over troubled waters.
Q: Name something a cat does.
Goes to the bathroom.
Q: Name a song with moon in the title.
Blue sueded moon.
Q: Name an item of clothing worn by the Three Musketeers.
A horse.
Q: Name a famous group of singers.
The Simpsons.
See also: Family Feud Fails
The article above is from Uncle John's Supremely Satisfying Bathroom Reader.
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Photographing a Giant Sequoia
Continue reading~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How do you photograph a 3,200-year-old giant sequoia that rises 247 feet from the ground? Michael "Nick" Nichols did it by stitching together 126 images into one fantastic photo of an absolutely majestic tree.
The next question is how did he take those individual pictures? For the answer to that question, you have to watch the video clip:
The word "taxicab" is an abbreviated version of its original name, taximeter cabriolet. The term was first used for horse-drawn carriages that charged for rides and later applied to automobiles employed for the same purpose.
Checker Motors, long the nation's leading manufacturer of taxis, was one of the very few automakers to really hold its own during the Great Depression. With fewer Americans able to afford their own cars, the option to call a cab for transportation became more important.
Many sources rank the live audience's reaction to Rev. Jim Ignatowski's repeated utterance, "What does a yellow light mean?" on a 1979 episode of TV's Taxi as the longest sustained laugh in sitcom history.
The use of the word "hack" to refer to a cab driver dates back to before the days of automobiles when a "hack" was a horse that one could rent.
Although the term "practice squad" is more commonly used today, sports teams once relied on a "taxi squad" of players that filled in positions during practice or when a player went down due to an injury.
The Harry Chapin hit single "Taxi" was banned from many radio stations, who frowned upon the fact that the song's lyrics told the story of a cabbie who liked "gettin' stoned."
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70 percent of the 500 billion tons of plastic produced in the world every year ends up in landfills where it will take centuries to decompose. But there are alternatives, like plastic made from plant material.
See how innovative, environmental companies are tackling this looming problem.
See how innovative, environmental companies are tackling this looming problem.
The Plastic of the 12st Century
http://www.evtv1.com/video/The_Plastic_of_the_12st_Century.aspx
The majority of plastics today are oil-based. Not only does plastic consume 10 percent of the world's oil supply, but it also increases global warming, and can take over 1000 year to degrade. Plastic made from corn is biodegradable, carbon neutral, renewable and even edible.
Watch Bioplastic Made from Corn
http://www.evtv1.com/video/The_Plastic_of_the_12st_Century.aspx
The majority of plastics today are oil-based. Not only does plastic consume 10 percent of the world's oil supply, but it also increases global warming, and can take over 1000 year to degrade. Plastic made from corn is biodegradable, carbon neutral, renewable and even edible.
Watch Bioplastic Made from Corn
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Awesome Bunny Bells Game! That is Some Addicting Stuff!
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TankOnEmpty.com allows you to know how many miles on average your car can go after the fuel light comes on.
http://www.tankonempty.com/
http://www.tankonempty.com/
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Choose an arbitrary point inside an equilateral triangle and draw segments to the vertices and perpendiculars to the sides. This divides the triangle into six smaller triangles, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Prove that the areas A + C + E and B + D + F are equal.
Draw three additional lines through the chosen point, each parallel to a side of the large triangle. This divides it into three parallelograms and three equilateral triangles. The parallelograms are bisected by their diagonals and the triangles by their altitudes, so A + C + E = x + a + y + b + z + c = B + D + F.
From Quantum, January 1990, via Ross Honsberger, Mathematical Chestnuts From Around the World, 2001.
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Q: What do Kodak cameras have in common with condoms?
A: Both capture the moment.
A: Both capture the moment.
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Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?
You know you’ve always wondered. Impress your friends with this scientific proof and maybe settle the debate once and for all! Or maybe not . . ?
(by AsapSCIENCE)
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The Worst Book Ever!
A blonde stormed up to the front desk of the library and said, "I have a complaint!"
"Yes, Ma'am?" said the librarian looking up at her.
"I borrowed a book last week and it was horrible!"
Puzzled by her complain the librarian asked, "What was wrong with it?"
"It had way too many characters and there was no plot whatsoever!" said the blonde.
The librarian nodded and said, "Ahhh. So you must be the person who took our phone book."
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Q and A Quickies
Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Snowflakes!
Q: Why did the cookie go to the doctor?
A: It was feeling crum
my!
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QUOTE: "It is often easier to become outraged by injustice half a world away than by oppression and discrimination half a block from home."
HINT: (1925-2000), American government official, journalist and author. Was an op-ed columnist for the Washington Post and the Chicago Sun-Times.
ANSWER: Carl T. Rowan.
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Most of What You Think You Know About Grammar is Wrong
And ending sentences with a preposition is nothing worth worrying about
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Most-of-What-You-Think-You-Know-About-Grammar-is-Wrong-187940351.html#ixzz2JDm4dI4T~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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RANDOM TIDBITS
Martin Luther King Jr. received a "C" in his public speaking class. Although with his passion and overcoming adversities he delivered one of the most famous speeches of all time.
January 20, 1986 was the first national celebration of King's birthday as a holiday. This was the third Monday in January, and consequently, the third Monday in January is an official holiday in the U.S. honoring Dr. King. To date, all 50 states observe the King holiday.
His father was named Michael Luther King, but changed his first name to Martin when he became a minister. The younger Michael changed his name to Martin as well, initially against his father's wishes.
On King's 60th birthday in 1988, the U.S. government unveiled a statue memorial of his likeness, to commemorate the progress of civil rights.
He is the only U.S. citizen to have a national holiday dedicated to him.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1964.
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A Lesson to be Learned on the Anniversary of Wounded Knee
December 29, 2012 marked the 122nd Anniversary of the murder of 297 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. These 297 people, in their winter camp, were murdered by federal agents and members of the 7th Cavalry who had come to confiscate their firearms “for their own safety and protection”. The slaughter began AFTER the majority of the Sioux had peacefully turned in their firearms. When the final round had flown, of the 297 dead or dying, two thirds (200) were women and children.
Around 40 members of the 7th Cavalry were killed, over half cut down by friendly fire from the Hotchkiss guns of their overzealous comrades-in-arms. Twenty members of the 7th Cavalry were deemed “National Heros” and awarded the Medal of Honor for their acts of cowardice.
We do not hear of Wounded Knee today. It is not mentioned in our history classes or books. What little does exist about Wounded Knee is normally the sanitized “Official Government Explanation” or the historically and factually inaccurate depictions of the events leading up to the massacre on the movie screen.
Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history. It ended in the senseless murder of 297 people.
Before you jump on the emotionally charged bandwagon for gun-control, take a moment to reflect on the real purpose of the Second Amendment- The right of the people to take up arms in defense of themselves, their families, and property in the face of invading armies or an oppressive government. The argument that the Second Amendment only applies to hunting and target shooting is asinine. When the United States Constitution was drafted “hunting” was an everyday chore carried out by men and women to put meat on the table each night, and “target shooting” was an unheard of concept, musket balls were a precious commodity in the wilds of early America, and were certainly not wasted “target shooting”. The Second Amendment was written by people who fled oppressive and tyrannical regimes in Europe, and refers to the right of American citizens to be armed for defense purposes should such tyranny rise in the United States.
As time goes on the average citizen in the United States continues to lose personal freedom or “liberty”. Far too many times unjust bills are passed and signed into law under the guise of “for your safety” or “for protection”. The Patriot Act signed into law by G.W. Bush, then expanded and continued by Barack Obama is just one of many examples of American citizens being stripped of their rights and privacy for “safety”. Now, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is on the table, and will, most likely be taken away for “our safety”.
Before any American citizen blindly accepts whatever new firearms legislation that is about to be doled out, they should stop and think about something for just one minute-
Evil does exist in our world. It always has and always will. Throughout history evil people have committed evil acts. In the Bible one of the first stories is that of Cain killing Abel. We can not legislate “evil” into extinction. Good people will abide by the law, defective people will always find a way around it.
And another thought Evil exists all around us, but looking back at the historical record of the past 200 years across the globe, where is “evil” and “malevolence” most often found? In the hands of those with the power- governments. That greatest human tragedies on record and the largest loss of innocent human life can be attributed to governments. Who do governments target? “Scapegoats” and “enemies” within their own borders…but only after they have been disarmed to the point where they are no longer a threat. Ask any Native American, and they will tell you it was inferior technology and lack of arms that contributed to their demise. Ask any Armenian why it was so easy for the Turks to exterminate millions of them, and they will answer “We were disarmed before it happened”. Ask any Jew what Hitler’s first step prior to the mass murders of the Holocaust was- confiscation of firearms from the people.
Wounded Knee is the prime example of why the Second Amendment exists, and why we shouldn’t be in such a hurry to surrender our Right to Bear Arms. Without the Second Amendment we have no right to defend ourselves and our families.
December 29, 2012 marked the 122nd Anniversary of the murder of 297 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. These 297 people, in their winter camp, were murdered by federal agents and members of the 7th Cavalry who had come to confiscate their firearms “for their own safety and protection”. The slaughter began AFTER the majority of the Sioux had peacefully turned in their firearms. When the final round had flown, of the 297 dead or dying, two thirds (200) were women and children.
Around 40 members of the 7th Cavalry were killed, over half cut down by friendly fire from the Hotchkiss guns of their overzealous comrades-in-arms. Twenty members of the 7th Cavalry were deemed “National Heros” and awarded the Medal of Honor for their acts of cowardice.
We do not hear of Wounded Knee today. It is not mentioned in our history classes or books. What little does exist about Wounded Knee is normally the sanitized “Official Government Explanation” or the historically and factually inaccurate depictions of the events leading up to the massacre on the movie screen.
Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history. It ended in the senseless murder of 297 people.
Before you jump on the emotionally charged bandwagon for gun-control, take a moment to reflect on the real purpose of the Second Amendment- The right of the people to take up arms in defense of themselves, their families, and property in the face of invading armies or an oppressive government. The argument that the Second Amendment only applies to hunting and target shooting is asinine. When the United States Constitution was drafted “hunting” was an everyday chore carried out by men and women to put meat on the table each night, and “target shooting” was an unheard of concept, musket balls were a precious commodity in the wilds of early America, and were certainly not wasted “target shooting”. The Second Amendment was written by people who fled oppressive and tyrannical regimes in Europe, and refers to the right of American citizens to be armed for defense purposes should such tyranny rise in the United States.
As time goes on the average citizen in the United States continues to lose personal freedom or “liberty”. Far too many times unjust bills are passed and signed into law under the guise of “for your safety” or “for protection”. The Patriot Act signed into law by G.W. Bush, then expanded and continued by Barack Obama is just one of many examples of American citizens being stripped of their rights and privacy for “safety”. Now, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is on the table, and will, most likely be taken away for “our safety”.
Before any American citizen blindly accepts whatever new firearms legislation that is about to be doled out, they should stop and think about something for just one minute-
Evil does exist in our world. It always has and always will. Throughout history evil people have committed evil acts. In the Bible one of the first stories is that of Cain killing Abel. We can not legislate “evil” into extinction. Good people will abide by the law, defective people will always find a way around it.
And another thought Evil exists all around us, but looking back at the historical record of the past 200 years across the globe, where is “evil” and “malevolence” most often found? In the hands of those with the power- governments. That greatest human tragedies on record and the largest loss of innocent human life can be attributed to governments. Who do governments target? “Scapegoats” and “enemies” within their own borders…but only after they have been disarmed to the point where they are no longer a threat. Ask any Native American, and they will tell you it was inferior technology and lack of arms that contributed to their demise. Ask any Armenian why it was so easy for the Turks to exterminate millions of them, and they will answer “We were disarmed before it happened”. Ask any Jew what Hitler’s first step prior to the mass murders of the Holocaust was- confiscation of firearms from the people.
Wounded Knee is the prime example of why the Second Amendment exists, and why we shouldn’t be in such a hurry to surrender our Right to Bear Arms. Without the Second Amendment we have no right to defend ourselves and our families.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have three eyes, all in a line.
When the red one opens, all freezes.
What am I?
When the red one opens, all freezes.
What am I?
A Stoplight
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Garden step appears to be ancient Sri Lankan moonstone
Thanks, Ed
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"Near Antarctica, scientists just discovered some new undersea creatures. I believe this deep sea discovery is yet more evidence of the wonderful bio-diversity in our oceans that we have to clear out if we're going to get at that tasty crude oil." -Craig Ferguson
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"The University of Arizona now offers a degree in hip-hop. Trust me. That's one class where you don't want to cheat off the Asian kid." --Conan O'Brien
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"According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the top two most unhealthy restaurant dishes were from The Cheesecake Factory. The Cheesecake Factory? It's always the last place you'd expect." -Jay Leno
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"A new study says that women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol every day lose more weight than women that don't drink at all. At least, that's what your wife will slur to you after she forgets to pick up the kids from soccer practice." -Jimmy Kimmel
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Regret. It takeis a bit longer to sink in....
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During a heartfelt chat with her friend about relationships, my wife sighed and said, "You know, if something happened to Lloyd, I don't think I could ever marry again."
Her friend nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean," she said. "Once is enough."
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"Sources are saying that Tiger Woods wants to re-marry his ex-wife and might be willing to go for a no-cheating clause. This special clause would be known as a wedding vow."
-Conan O'Brien
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A man was riding a bus, minding his own business, when the gorgeous woman sitting next to him started to breastfeed her baby.
The baby wouldn't take it, so she said, "Come on sweetie, eat it all up or I'll have to give it to this nice man next to us."
Five minutes later, the baby was still not feeding, so she said, "Come on, honey. Take it or I'll give it to this nice man here."
Finally the anxious man blurted out, "Come on kid, make up your mind! I was supposed to get off four stops ago!"
The baby wouldn't take it, so she said, "Come on sweetie, eat it all up or I'll have to give it to this nice man next to us."
Five minutes later, the baby was still not feeding, so she said, "Come on, honey. Take it or I'll give it to this nice man here."
Finally the anxious man blurted out, "Come on kid, make up your mind! I was supposed to get off four stops ago!"
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Let's find out what kind of perks President Obama will be enjoying for the next four years.
The president's salary is $400,000 per year. The chief executive also gets a budget for entertainment, business and travel expenses. And when he retires from the presidency, Mr. Obama will receive over $191,000 per year for life.
Fortunately he doesn't have to spend any of his meager income on housing, because the presidential diggs don't come cheap. As of a 2008 estimate the cost of running the White House was about $1.6 billion. That doesn't even include the White House staff who collectively make about $37.8 million. That includes 468 employees.
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Reflected Glory
The town of Viganella in the Italian Alps receives no direct sun for 83 days each year. So in 2006 mayor Pierfranco Midali commissioned a 26-by-16-foot mirror to be placed on a nearby mountainside at 3,600 feet. Tracking the sun with computer-controlled motors, the mirror throws light into the town square for six hours each day.
The illuminated area measures 300 square yards. “I can already see my little old ladies coming out of the church after mass and just standing there, enjoying a bit of sun,” Midali said.
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Tom Gauld + Ray Bradbury = Intergalactic Nirvana
by Tom Gauld
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Garlic treats athlete's foot
At the first sign of itching or redness between toes:
Peel & chop 5-10 cloves of garlic into a dishtub.
Fill half full with warm/hot water. (as hot as you can stand it)
Soak feet til water cools.
Rinse & dry feet
(pour cooled water around rosebushes or flowers to keep aphids away).
Feet will smell like garlic for a day or so, but, it sure beats athletes foot!
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Bernie Karl, the owner & driving force behind the new geothermal technology at Chena Hot Springs is one of my heroes
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A quiet breakthrough in geothermal power tech
AltaRock Energy — which has backing from venture capitalists, as well as Google and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s investment firm — has been working on enhanced (sometimes called engineered) geothermal tech. This technology drills wells deep into the ground, injects them with cold water to fracture the hot rocks, and creates a geothermal source of power where none was naturally occurring. Traditional geothermal systems, in contrast, tap into naturally occurring geothermal reservoirs....
AltaRock Energy said that it has reached a milestone at its demonstration site in Bend, Oregon, which it believes is a good sign that it’ll be able to commercialize its enhanced geothermal tech. AltaRock CEO and founder Susan Petty told me that the company has been able to create multiple, stimulated geothermal areas, from a single drilled well. “This has never been done before,” said Petty, who has been involved with geothermal stimulation since the 1970s.
Glossary of Scientific Words
From the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary:glossary noun
an alphabetical list, with meanings, of the words or phrases in a text that are difficult to understand
For example: a glossary of technical terms
A science workshop held in Venice earlier this year under the banner of '100 parole per la scienza'(100 words for science) challenged a group of one hundred 16-18 year olds to choose 100 words that, in their collective opinion, represent crucial factors and concepts influencing trends in science today. The students were from schools all over Italy and the workshop was organized by the San Paolo Fondazione per la Scuola and Fondazione Venezia(www.100parole.it).
Their final list was assembled after an imaginative range of seminars from notable scientists and thinkers, and after extensive discussion and individual word searches of scientific works on the web and in books and journals. Here is the result, in alphabetical order:Acid/base, aggregation status, analysis, antimatter, apparatus, atmosphere, atom, bacteria, Big Bang, biodiversity, bioethics, biosphere, black hole, carbon, cell, chaos, climate, cloning, DNA, ecosystem, electricity, electron, element, energy, entropy, environment, enzyme, equilibrium, error, ethology, evolution, experiment, force, fossil, galaxy, gene, genetically modified organism, gravity, greenhouse effect, H2O, heat, hydrocarbon, infinity, intelligence, Internet, life, light, link, magnetism, mass, matter, measurement, metabolism, mind, mole, molecule, motion, mutation, natural selection, nebula, neuron, organism, osmosis, particle, periodic table, pH, photosynthesis, planet, pollution, pressure, probability, protein, pulsar, quantum, quark, radioactivity, reaction, relativity, reproduction, research, rule, science, scientific method, solution, space, species, star, stem cell, symbiosis, systems, technology, temperature, theory, time, tissue, tumour, Universe, vacuum, virus, wave.Scientists might all learn something from this list, representing as it does how our everyday work is perceived by a small sample of bright youngsters. Alongside several words that could just as well have been listed 100 years ago (such as acid/base, magnetism, mole, scientific method), I was struck by the number of terms hinging on ethical issues in medicine and biology (6%), the theory of evolution (5%) and clinical terminology (5%). The Internet too is up there among giant scientific words such as 'Universe' and 'atom'. This thought-provoking collection of words suggests that, as working scientists, we need to care at least as much about science education as we do about publication.http://boltzmann.wikidot.com/glossary
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Garden in a bottle, anyone?
This miniature ecosystem has been thriving in an almost completely isolated state for more than forty years. It has been watered just once in that time.
The original single spiderwort plant has grown and multiplied, putting out seedlings. As it has access to light, it continues to photosynthesize. The water builds up on the inside of the bottle and then rains back down on the plants in a miniature version of the water cycle. As leaves die, they fall off and rot at the bottom producing the carbon dioxide and nutrients required for more plants to grow.
The original single spiderwort plant has grown and multiplied, putting out seedlings. As it has access to light, it continues to photosynthesize. The water builds up on the inside of the bottle and then rains back down on the plants in a miniature version of the water cycle. As leaves die, they fall off and rot at the bottom producing the carbon dioxide and nutrients required for more plants to grow.
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You won’t believe what happened when this lucky Hawks fan took a half-court shot at halftime of the Hawks Vs Jazz game on Jan 11,2013. He got the $1,000 prize.
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Cat’s first snow
Fletcher had never seen snow before. He is surprised and puzzled, but immediately takes full advantage of the fun things you can do with snow.
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There you go, the shortest horror story of all time.
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In 1989, eight-year-old Brett Martin’s (USA) parents gave him a 4-cm (1.6-in) Mario holding a mushroom. As of October 2012, Brett has amassed a treasure trove of 8,030 items, many of which you can see at videogamemm.com.
http://www.geeksaresexy.net/#35fePYua90tEZDic.99
http://www.geeksaresexy.net/#35fePYua90tEZDic.99
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Polar mesospheric clouds—also known as noctilucent or “night shining” clouds—form between 76 to 85 kilometers (47 to 53 miles) above the Earth’s surface, near the boundary of the mesosphere and thermosphere, a region known as the mesopause. At these altitudes, water vapor can freeze into clouds of ice crystals. When the Sun is below the horizon and the ground is in darkness, these high clouds may still be illuminated, lending them their ethereal, “night shining” qualities.
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Go to http://nrkbeta.no/?p=23355 to watch the entire 10 hour journey of Nordlandsbanen, from Trondheim across the artic circle, to Bodø, learn how we made it, download source footage, remix and participate.
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Invisible animals!
These Incredible images show animals doing a disappearing act when predators are near
Get your reading glasses out!
Thanks SSK
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Arnie, a stray cat who became known for his extraordinary talent as a “babysitter” of abandoned newborn animals brought to the Linton Zoo, passed away peacefully last week. Arnie’s favorite creatures were lion cubs, and he babysat all four of the zoo’s adult lions as well as some of their cubs.
Arnie wandered onto the zoo property in 2000 and quickly worked his way into the hearts of the zoo staff. Named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnie gained fame after photos of him with a lion cub made international headlines. Even after his moments in the spotlight, Arnie didn’t let fame go to his head. He continued in his role as a friend to all, greeting zoo guests (especially those who were carrying tasty treats), controlling pests, and cheering up anyone who was feeling down.
Linton Zoo staff described Arnie as a “real live Garfield” whose outstanding personality will be missed by not only the people who loved him, but by his many animal friends around the zoo - especially the animals that he babysat over the years. Rest in peace, Arnie.
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“A cactolith is a quasihorizontal chonolith composed of anastomosing ductoliths whose distal ends curl like a harpolith, thin like a sphenolith, or bulge discordantly like an akmolith or ethmolith.”
That’s from USGS researcher Charles B. Hunt’s 1953 paper “Geology and Geography of the Henry Mountains Region, Utah.” He was describing an actual geological feature — but also commenting on the absurd profusion of -lith words in geology.
Word Ways chose it as its word of the year for 2010.
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The power of the mind and its ability to affect physical change may shock you! Find out how simply imagining can make it so.
Read more at http://www.geeksaresexy.net/#35fePYua90tEZDic.99
Read more at http://www.geeksaresexy.net/#35fePYua90tEZDic.99
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The fish trapped under the ice have found a great way to escape--at least from the fishermen's point of view. Heat up the deep fryer because we're eating a lot of fish tonight!
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Blink and you'll miss it! French magician Yann Frisch shows us how much fun (or rather, frustration) that one can have with cups and balls.
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - Thanks Marge!
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Men do have trouble hearing women
Men who are accused of never listening by women now have an excuse -
women's voices are more difficult for men to listen to than other men's.
Reports say researchers at Sheffield University in northern England have
discovered startling differences in the way the brain responds to male and
female sounds.
The research shows men decipher female voices using the auditory part of
the brain that processes music, while male voices engage a simpler mechanism.
The Daily Mail quotes researcher Michael Hunter as saying, "the female
voice is actually more complex than the male voice, due to differences in
the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between men and women, and
also due to women having greater natural 'melody' in their voices".
"This causes a more complex range of sound frequencies than in a male
voice," Mr Hunter said. The report says the findings may help explain why
people suffering hallucinations usually hear male voices - the brain may
find it much harder to conjure up a false female voice accurately than a
false male voice. The research is published in the specialist magazine
NeuroImage.
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Men who are accused of never listening by women now have an excuse -
women's voices are more difficult for men to listen to than other men's.
Reports say researchers at Sheffield University in northern England have
discovered startling differences in the way the brain responds to male and
female sounds.
The research shows men decipher female voices using the auditory part of
the brain that processes music, while male voices engage a simpler mechanism.
The Daily Mail quotes researcher Michael Hunter as saying, "the female
voice is actually more complex than the male voice, due to differences in
the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between men and women, and
also due to women having greater natural 'melody' in their voices".
"This causes a more complex range of sound frequencies than in a male
voice," Mr Hunter said. The report says the findings may help explain why
people suffering hallucinations usually hear male voices - the brain may
find it much harder to conjure up a false female voice accurately than a
false male voice. The research is published in the specialist magazine
NeuroImage.
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What do you get when you combine your love for biking and coffee? Product designers Amos Reid and Lasse Oiva did just that to create a mobile espresso bar named the "Velopresso."
The duo designed the custom trike from the grounds up with environmental sustainability in mind. The Velopresso has sports a pedal-driven grinder and a gas-fired espresso machine. No electricity, no motors, no noise (except for the noise of the coffee beans being ground). Plus, it's a gorgeous work of engineering and art!
More photos and Vimeo clip below: Continue reading
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Self-inflicted torture? Dennis Storm and Valerio Zeno are the hosts of the Dutch TV show Guinea Pigs. Last week they explored what women experience (sort of) by submitting to simulated labor pains via electrodes, to the delight of the audience and women who administered them. The difference is that they only did it for ten minutes, and they did not simulate the actual birth. See the video (in Dutch) at Time. Link
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The United States is observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today. Dr. King is best known for his work to in the Civil Rights Movement and his assassination in 1968. When asked for a King quote, most Americans will respond with the most famous line from his "I Have a Dream" speech about his children living "...in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." But Dr. King had a lot to say, about poverty, religion, education, and war as well as civil rights. Take some time to read a selection of Dr. King's concise sentences that convey big ideas, along with photographs that illustrate his career from receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to being arrested, at Buzzfeed. Link
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In the Wingdings font, characters 0×25, 0×26, and 0×27 are a bell, a book, and a candle.
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Titles of actual publications collected by the librarians at Bowdoin College:
How to Abandon Ship (1942)
How to Abduct a Highland Lord (2007)
How to Attract the Wombat (1949)
How to Avoid Intercourse With Your Unfriendly Car Mechanic (1977)
How to Be an Ocean Scientist in Your Own Home (1988)
How to Become Extinct (1941)
How to Boil Water (1976)
How to Break Out of Prison (2003)
How to Bribe a Judge (2002)
How to Buy an Elephant (1977)
How to Deep-Freeze a Mammoth (1986)
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World (1979)
How to Embalm Your Mother-in-Law (1993)
How to Get a Gorilla Out of Your Bathtub (2006)
How to Hold a Crocodile (1981)
How to Label a Goat (2006)
How to Ride a Tiger (1983)
How to Run a Bassoon Factory (1934)
How to Tell a Blackbird From a Sausage (2007)
How to Tell If Your Boyfriend Is the Antichrist (2007)
How to Travel With a Salmon (1994)
How to Trick or Treat in Outer Space (2004)
How to Wreck a Building (1982)
How to Abduct a Highland Lord (2007)
How to Attract the Wombat (1949)
How to Avoid Intercourse With Your Unfriendly Car Mechanic (1977)
How to Be an Ocean Scientist in Your Own Home (1988)
How to Become Extinct (1941)
How to Boil Water (1976)
How to Break Out of Prison (2003)
How to Bribe a Judge (2002)
How to Buy an Elephant (1977)
How to Deep-Freeze a Mammoth (1986)
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World (1979)
How to Embalm Your Mother-in-Law (1993)
How to Get a Gorilla Out of Your Bathtub (2006)
How to Hold a Crocodile (1981)
How to Label a Goat (2006)
How to Ride a Tiger (1983)
How to Run a Bassoon Factory (1934)
How to Tell a Blackbird From a Sausage (2007)
How to Tell If Your Boyfriend Is the Antichrist (2007)
How to Travel With a Salmon (1994)
How to Trick or Treat in Outer Space (2004)
How to Wreck a Building (1982)
The librarians have kept a list of amusing names and titles since 1971; Eric v.d. Luft published a selection in 2008 as The Inscribed List: Or Why Librarians Are Crazy. “We librarians don’t go deliberately looking for these little nuggets of delight,” he writes. “We don’t have to. They just appear.”
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- Colombia is the only South American country that borders both the Atlantic and the Pacific.
- GRAVITATIONAL LENS = STELLAR NAVIGATION
- 28671 = (2 / 8)-6 × 7 – 1
- Can a man released from prison be called a freeee?
- “Nature uses as little as possible of anything.” — Johannes Kepler
Sergei Prokofiev died on the same day that Joseph Stalin’s death was announced. Moscow was so thronged with mourners that three days passed before the composer’s body could be removed for a funeral service.
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Each man that Miss Jones chose to bed with,
She first liked to paint the town red with,
For having made merry,
She then became very
Aroused and fantastic in bed with.
She first liked to paint the town red with,
For having made merry,
She then became very
Aroused and fantastic in bed with.
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The First Known Solar-Powered Vertebrate
Some animals, such as particular sponge and coral species, use photosynthesis to produce energy. But only recently have scientists confirmed that a vertebrate--an animal with a backbone--does so as well. When spotted salamanders lay eggs, algae colonize the egg clusters and provide the means for photosynthesis:
A close examination of the eggs revealed that some of the algae were living within the embryos themselves, and in some cases were actually inside embryonic cells. That suggested the embryos weren't just taking oxygen from the algae: they might be taking glucose too. In other words, the algae were acting as internal power stations, generating fuel for the salamanders.To find out if that was happening, Erin Graham of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and colleagues incubated salamander eggs in water containing radioactive carbon-14. Algae take up the isotope in the form of carbon dioxide, producing radioactive glucose.Graham found that the embryos became mildly radioactive – unless kept in the dark. That showed that the embryos could only take in the carbon-14 via photosynthesis in the algae.The algae do not seem to be essential to the embryos, but they are very helpful: embryos deprived of algae struggle. "Their survival rate is much lower and their growth is slowed," says Graham.
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This Latin sentence consists entirely of repeated syllables:
Te tero, Roma, manu nuda, date tela, latete.
“It is you I destroy, Rome, with bare hands, give up weapons, hide yourself.”
See Repeat Performance.
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Well, those crates of beer aren't going to sort themselves, will they? That's why this group of Romanian warehouse workers sort cases of empty beer bottles for recycling LIKE A BOSS!
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]
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From Derek Parfit’s Reasons and Persons: World A contains a large group of people (say, 10 billion), all of whom have a high level of happiness. The width of the bar represents the size of the group, and its height represents their happiness.
World A+ contains twice as many people — the original group, plus a second group who are worse off. Assuming their lives are still happy, though, it appears that A+ is no worse than A. (Assume that the groups don’t know of one another, so there is no social injustice.)
In B-, the two groups are still distinct and of equal size, but all the inhabitants are somewhat happier than the average level in A+ — say, four-fifths the level in A.
Now combine the groups to produce B. This seems as good as B-, since we’ve only merged the two populations.
Intuitively, many people would feel that World B is worse than World A — all its inhabitants are less happy. But the logic seems to indicate that B is better — that “merely adding” people with tolerably happy lives makes the world a better place. Does it?
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Redditor lingziluo is an automotive engineer in China. He built this car as a gift for his young son -a pint size working roadster! The car has an electric motor, carbon fiber body, working lights, disc brakes, a shock absorbing suspensions, and gears. See pictures of the build process at imgur and get more details in the reddit thread. Link
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ATTENTION folks, there is currently an astronaut posting to Tumblr from space. I repeat, there is a human being, that is currently in freakin’ SPACE, posting pictures (from said SPACE) to their Tumblr blog.
There are things, called words, that are failing me, about the other things, that I am feeling.
Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield: You sir, are cooler than a polar bear’s toenails.
(He’s also on Twitter)
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Gum Massager
As if trampolines weren't enough fun already.
Dolphin seeks help from diver to remove hook and line from its mouth and fin.
Baby fox plays with a little girl in the desert.
The Fresh Prince theme song in Google Translate.
Could the sun be good for your heart?
Puppy vs. Orange.
The science of persuasion.
Beautiful calligraphy of a logo.
Can money buy happiness?
Musical road en route to Mt. Fuji.
Elijah Wood's final day on the Lord of the Rings.
Guy drifts two BMWs simultaneously.
Inspirational doesn't begin to cut it: Sports Illustrated Kid of the Year.
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“There is no great invention, from fire to flying, which has not been hailed as an insult to some god.” — J.B.S. Haldane
Gum Massager….. Riiiiiight!
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"I just woke up, I'm 40 miles from my car and I can't remember where I left my
trousers. I think I'm going to be a little late."
-- Someone's employee, rec.humor.funny
trousers. I think I'm going to be a little late."
-- Someone's employee, rec.humor.funny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As if trampolines weren't enough fun already.
Dolphin seeks help from diver to remove hook and line from its mouth and fin.
Baby fox plays with a little girl in the desert.
The Fresh Prince theme song in Google Translate.
Could the sun be good for your heart?
Puppy vs. Orange.
The science of persuasion.
Beautiful calligraphy of a logo.
Can money buy happiness?
Musical road en route to Mt. Fuji.
Elijah Wood's final day on the Lord of the Rings.
Guy drifts two BMWs simultaneously.
Inspirational doesn't begin to cut it: Sports Illustrated Kid of the Year.
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For the first time, the hairstyle of the Roman Vestal Virgins has been recreated on a modern head.
The Vestals were priestesses who guarded the fire of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, among other sacred tasks. Chosen before puberty and sworn to celibacy, they were free from many of the social rules that limited women in the Roman era. Their braided hairstyle, the sini crenes, symbolized chastity and was known in ancient texts as the oldest hairstyle in Rome...
Janet Stephens, the Baltimore hairdresser and amateur archaeologist who unraveled the secrets of the Vestals' trademark braids... reported her findings Friday (Jan. 4) at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in Seattle.
The Vestals were priestesses who guarded the fire of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, among other sacred tasks. Chosen before puberty and sworn to celibacy, they were free from many of the social rules that limited women in the Roman era. Their braided hairstyle, the sini crenes, symbolized chastity and was known in ancient texts as the oldest hairstyle in Rome...
Janet Stephens, the Baltimore hairdresser and amateur archaeologist who unraveled the secrets of the Vestals' trademark braids... reported her findings Friday (Jan. 4) at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in Seattle.
Working alone on a live model with only tools ancient Romans would have had, the process takes about 35 to 40 minutes, Stephens said. Vestal Virgins, however, would likely have had slaves to dress their hair. With two or more people doing the braiding, the hairstyle could have come together in less than 10 minutes, she said.
The Vestal hairstyle requires about waist-length hair to pull off, Stephens said.
The Vestal hairstyle requires about waist-length hair to pull off, Stephens said.
More details at LiveScience.
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Ladies and gentlemen (and potatoes and dinosaurs, too, for that matter), if you’re looking for something wonderful to do for the next hour and twenty minutes, might I suggest thisfull-length, live action Toy Story made with real toys?
http://youtu.be/5G0j_Huv2Fg
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“There is no great invention, from fire to flying, which has not been hailed as an insult to some god.” — J.B.S. Haldane
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Barack Obama's ancestry online
I found the genealogical database on Obama compiled by William Addams Reitwiesner at WARGS. It is exhaustively complete, tracking known information as far back as his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents in the 17th century.
If your family name (or that of a friend) is Dunham, Armour, Payne, McCurry, Clark, Wright, Childress, Black, Abbott, Clemmons, Donovan, Poland, Davis, Taylor, Wilson, Jones, Thomas, Godfrey, Williams, Smith, Walker, Martin... etc etc you may want to check out the list for possible connections.
I didn't find any obvious links to my ancestors, but of course, once you go back that many generations, we're all related.
WARGS also has geneaologies for European Royalty, European Nobility, and other US political figures (Biden, Bush, Cheney, Clinton, Gore, Reagan, Bush, Quayle, Agnew, Mondale and cabinet officers and governors (Sarah Palin, Jesse Ventura) and senators and representatives and many others.
I found the genealogical database on Obama compiled by William Addams Reitwiesner at WARGS. It is exhaustively complete, tracking known information as far back as his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents in the 17th century.
If your family name (or that of a friend) is Dunham, Armour, Payne, McCurry, Clark, Wright, Childress, Black, Abbott, Clemmons, Donovan, Poland, Davis, Taylor, Wilson, Jones, Thomas, Godfrey, Williams, Smith, Walker, Martin... etc etc you may want to check out the list for possible connections.
I didn't find any obvious links to my ancestors, but of course, once you go back that many generations, we're all related.
WARGS also has geneaologies for European Royalty, European Nobility, and other US political figures (Biden, Bush, Cheney, Clinton, Gore, Reagan, Bush, Quayle, Agnew, Mondale and cabinet officers and governors (Sarah Palin, Jesse Ventura) and senators and representatives and many others.
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A woman's work that is never done is the stuff she asked her husband to do.
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Sometimes the double helix likes to mix it up! Scientists at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, have found that DNA at the end of chromosomes actually have a very different structure: instead of double-stranded, they have four strands.
Balasubramanian's group has been pursuing a four-stranded version of the molecule that scientists have produced in the test tube now for a number of years.It is called the G-quadruplex. The "G" refers to guanine, one of the four chemical groups, or "bases", that hold DNA together and which encode our genetic information (the others being adenine, cytosine, and thymine).The G-quadruplex seems to form in DNA where guanine exists in substantial quantities.
Jonathan Amos of BBC has the post: Link
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It's always difficult to blog an ethnic joke. TYWKIWDBI has had readers in 212 countries, so no matter what nationality or ethnic group I choose, some reader might take offense. I guess that's why movies use zombies and aliens for the bad guys.
My mother's family was Norwegian, and it was considered acceptable in my childhood to make jokes about Swedes. We also told Ole and Lena jokes about Norwegians when my grandpa wasn't around. But I'll target the Swedes for this one.
How do you keep a Swede busy all day? (Answer at the link).
My mother's family was Norwegian, and it was considered acceptable in my childhood to make jokes about Swedes. We also told Ole and Lena jokes about Norwegians when my grandpa wasn't around. But I'll target the Swedes for this one.
How do you keep a Swede busy all day? (Answer at the link).
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How Imagination Changes the Brain
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Debugger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"... you haven't seen untidiness until you've seen a room where the gravity
has failed twice in different directions."
-- Michael Marshall Smith, "Only Forward"
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has failed twice in different directions."
-- Michael Marshall Smith, "Only Forward"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have an answering machine in my car.
It says: I'm home now, but leave a message and I'll call when I'm out.
Steven Wright
Steven Wright
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A good day is when you wake up without a chalk outline around your body.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sign in an optometrist window:
If you don't see what you want, you've come to the right place.
If you don't see what you want, you've come to the right place.
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My business card says “scientist/purveyor of knowledge”, no joke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Lookin’ good everybody. Discover something wonderful this weekend. (via cosmicrot)http://cosmicrot.tumblr.com/post/40886332440
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"| <- You must be smarter than this stick to ride the Internet"
-- Mike Handler, paraphrased from Bev White
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Chomsky: "If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are."(Imagine the joy of sucking on SaturnHow to spot touristsMy favorite 1-minute video on the mystery of Ultrafinitism and Israeli mathematician Doron ZeilbergerMy answer to Edge question: "What Should We Be Worried About?" Limits of Understanding
-- Mike Handler, paraphrased from Bev White
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Link [YouTube]
There's walking and then there's precision walking. And it's a sport of sorts in Japan, complete with Precision Walking Competition (previously on Neatorama). There can only be one explanation: they're bots.
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Thanks Krisgo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We should take care not to make the intellect our god;
it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.
- Albert Einstein
it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.
- Albert Einstein
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10 year-old saves desert bird stranded in lake
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Unexplained "sand spike" concretions
Excerpted from Oddities of the Mineral World (Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1976.)
No discussion of concretions would be complete if mention were not made of a real puzzler, a truly unique type of concretion that apparently remains unexplained—sand spikes...
Briefly, the locality consisted of a series of low, sandy hillocks and banks near the Mexican-American border close to Mt. Signal, Imperial County, California. When they were first discovered, many of these unique concretions were weathering out on the surface of the ground. It became apparent, however, that there actually were beds of these strange concretions 3 feet to 8 feet underground!
These concretions consist of a ball-like end coupled with a tapering spikelike formation. In uncovering a bed of spikes over 95 percent of the formations were found pointing west. Spikes of similar types or formats seemingly occurred in the same bed or within lenslike concentrations of the sand-spike formations...
They are composed of absolutely nothing but the identical sand forming the soft little hillocks and banks in which they occur—solid sandstone with no fossil material inside. The mineral cementing the grains together is apparently calcite.
What are they? No one really knows—other than they obviously fall under the heading of concretions by virtue of their method of occurrence and basic mineralogical composition. The long points, westerly oriented, are the most provocative aspect of this truly unique locality. Some say that they are fossils of an ancient type of bulbous seaweed that drifted heavy-end eastward on some ancient shoreline... It has also been suggested that they are some type of fulgurite, which is positively incorrect, and not by any stretch of the imagination are they prehistoric man-made artifacts.See also this 1934 article in Rocks and Minerals and this one from the American Journal of Science in 1936.
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Footage taken January 2013, Duke Street, Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
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I started a new job the other day, and while riding the elevator, noticed a sign which read
(THIS IS NOT MADE-UP):
"If elevator should malfunction or doors not open, don't be alarmed. Please press the alarm button."
Is it just me, or does anybody else find this outrageously funny?
"If elevator should malfunction or doors not open, don't be alarmed. Please press the alarm button."
Is it just me, or does anybody else find this outrageously funny?
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Gavin Heffernan of Sunchaser Pictures and his team braved sub-freezing temperatures in Death Valley National Park to bring us this gorgeous gem: Death Valley Dreamlapse. Despite temps below freezing, we went on December 13th, 2012 – the night of the Geminid Meteor Shower Peak, and a time of great planetary alignment! Armed only with boxed wine, firewood, and our DSLRs, we had to conquer epic climbs, sand roads with the 4x4 Jeep, and the occasional UFO...
But it was all worth it when the skies cleared and showed us an incredible galactic palette! Star Trails shot at 25 sec exposures. No special effects used, just the rotation of the earth's axis. Photography Merging: STARSTAX. Used Canon 5D & 7D, with a 24mm/1.4 lens and a 28mm/1.8. The Geminids get crazy as the sun comes up (2:20-2:35) but you can spot a bunch more throughout, if you look closely -- or here's a nice shot (bit.ly/SkZGdw). There's also some passing planets (1:15-1:30 and 2:15-2:25). I think these are Jupiter and Mars(?), but maybe some smart astronomer out there can verify?
But that's not all! Gavin's timelapse has a nifty little twist: a UFO appeared in the skies:
The "UFO" appears at (1:30-1:35) and makes three broad circular sweeps over the desert. Though in timelapse it appears to be moving fast, consider the 5 seconds = about 50 minutes, so it's creeping. There was no sound, so it definitely wasn't a helicopter. Do you know what it is? Check out the gorgeous time lapse and let us know in the comment: Link [vimeo] - via Universe Today
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HG's Big Batch of Growing Oatmeal
1/4th of recipe (about 1 2/3 cups): 204 calories, 6g fat, 252mg sodium, 31.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 1g sugars, 6.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5*
Ingredients:
4 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
2 cups old-fashioned oats
8 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia), or HG Alternative
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large nonstick pot. Add 4 cups water, and mix well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Stirring often, cook until thick and creamy, about 25 minutes.
If you like, serve yourself a portion, and let slightly cool and thicken. Otherwise, transfer to a large container. Stirring occasionally, let cool completely, about 2 1/2 hours.
Cover and refrigerate. To serve, stir oatmeal and reheat. Enjoy!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
HG Alternative: Use 1/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated) in place of the packets. Or use 1/3 cup sugar, and each serving will have 259 calories, 46g carbs, 17.5g sugars, and a PointsPlus® value of 7*.1/4th of recipe (about 1 2/3 cups): 204 calories, 6g fat, 252mg sodium, 31.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 1g sugars, 6.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5*
Ingredients:
4 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
2 cups old-fashioned oats
8 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia), or HG Alternative
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large nonstick pot. Add 4 cups water, and mix well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Stirring often, cook until thick and creamy, about 25 minutes.
If you like, serve yourself a portion, and let slightly cool and thicken. Otherwise, transfer to a large container. Stirring occasionally, let cool completely, about 2 1/2 hours.
Cover and refrigerate. To serve, stir oatmeal and reheat. Enjoy!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
That recipe is for our classic creamy vanilla oatmeal base. Wanna zazzle it up? Add fresh fruit like blueberries, chopped apples, mashed banana, or sliced strawberries. Stir in some sugar-free pancake syrup or low-sugar fruit preserves. You can add more decadent stuff too -- mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, shredded sweetened coconut, even reduced-fat peanut butter -- but watch those portions! The recipe makes four servings, so keep that in mind when adding extras. Want some more oatmeal inspiration? There's an entire "Growing Oatmeal Bowls" chapter in HUNGRY GIRL TO THE MAX! Enjoy...
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Healthy Living from Health.com
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top2
24 FLAT-BELLY MOVES
Sick of doing crunches to get flat abs? Here are 24 moves, from simple to
killer, that will strengthen your core in no time!
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top25
ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!
You could win a fabulous trip to the Caribbean!
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top26
43 LOW-FAT CHEESE RECIPES
Have your cheese and eat it too with these healthy dishes
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top27
FIGHT STRESS AND HELP YOUR HEART
12 ways to chill out and let it go
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top28
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top2
24 FLAT-BELLY MOVES
Sick of doing crunches to get flat abs? Here are 24 moves, from simple to
killer, that will strengthen your core in no time!
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top25
ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!
You could win a fabulous trip to the Caribbean!
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top26
43 LOW-FAT CHEESE RECIPES
Have your cheese and eat it too with these healthy dishes
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top27
FIGHT STRESS AND HELP YOUR HEART
12 ways to chill out and let it go
http://health.chtah.net/a/tBRADMyBFYNexB8wc-xCFNC1EVn/top28
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name That Thing
The Visual Vocab Quiz
Test your knowledge with our 10-question challenge - and maybe learn some new words along the way.
You can try it as often as you'd like (we have many different versions).
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What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a 4-leaf clover?
A rash of good luck.
A rash of good luck.
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50 Essential Science Fiction Books
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Did you know the people that are the strongest are usually the most sensitive? Did you know the people who exhibit the most kindness are the first to get mistreated? Did you know the people that take care of others all the time are usually the ones who need it the most? Did you know the 3 hardest things to say are "I love you", "I'm sorry", and "Help me"? Sometimes just because a person looks happy, you have to look past their smile and see how much pain they may be in.
To all my friends who are going through some issues right now--Let's start an intention avalanche. We all need positive intentions right now. If I don't see your name, I'll understand. May I ask my friends, wherever you might be, to kindly copy and paste this status for one hour to give a moment of support to all those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just need to know that someone cares? Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune.
To all my friends who are going through some issues right now--Let's start an intention avalanche. We all need positive intentions right now. If I don't see your name, I'll understand. May I ask my friends, wherever you might be, to kindly copy and paste this status for one hour to give a moment of support to all those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just need to know that someone cares? Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune.
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http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/01/make-your-own-fabric-softener-crystals.html
These simple two ingredient fabric softener crystals are incredibly cheap, wonderfully fragrant and 100% natural. Click the link and find out how to make them
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Truckload of goat cheese catches fire – burns for five days!
A road tunnel in Norway has been closed – by a lorry-load of burning cheese.
A caramelised brown goat cheese – a delicacy known as Brunost – caught light as it was being driven through the Brattli Tunnel at Tysfjord, northern Norway, last week.
The fire raged for five days and smouldering toxic gases were slowing the recovery operation, officials said.
The tunnel – which is said to be badly damaged – is likely to remain closed for several weeks, they added…
Police officer Viggo Berg said the high concentration of fat and sugar in the cheese made it burn “almost like petrol if it gets hot enough”…
Kjell Bjoern Vinje, of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, said it was the first time he could remember cheese catching fire on Norwegian roads…”I didn’t know that brown cheese burns so well,” he said.
Cripes. There goes the price of gjetost, this winter. One of my favorites.
Gjetost is the name most often used in North America for Brunost. And it is unusual – and delicious. Who knew it was flammable?
Thanks Ed ~ too funny
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Welsh Tourist Wrestles Australian Shark
Paul Marshallsea of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, was barbecuing at Bulcock Beach in Australia when he heard bathers yell "Shark!" The 62-year-old tourist saw a shark approaching children and ran into the water, grabbed the shark, and pulled it away from the youngsters.
Paul Marshallsea of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, was barbecuing at Bulcock Beach in Australia when he heard bathers yell "Shark!" The 62-year-old tourist saw a shark approaching children and ran into the water, grabbed the shark, and pulled it away from the youngsters."My instincts took over and I just grabbed the shark by the tail.
"I know it was dangerous but it almost looked beautiful - you have got to have respect for a beautiful animal."
Helicopters and lifesavers on water bikes later lured the shark out to sea with the tide.
An Australian coastguard spokesman said: "We don't recommend manhandling sharks but this gentleman did a great job."
The six-foot dusky shark snapped at Marshallsea's leg, but missed by a fraction of an inch. A nearby TV crew caught the action on video. Link -via Time Newsfeed
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Middle Class in Manhattan
"What is middle class?" is a simple question with a very complex answer. Obviously, it depends on where one lives - but in Manhattan, New York, with cost of living that are akin to skyscrapers compared to other places in the United States, the answer becomes much muddier:
In a city like New York, where everything is superlative, who exactly is middle class? What kind of salary are we talking about? Where does a middle-class person live? And could the relentless rise in real estate prices push the middle class to extinction?“A lot of people are hanging on by the skin of their teeth,” said Cheryl King, an acting coach who lives and works in a combined apartment and performance space that she rents out for screenings, video shoots and workshops to help offset her own high rent.“My niece just bought a home in Atlanta for $85,000,” she said. “I almost spend that on rent and utilities in a year. To them, making $250,000 a year is wealthy. To us, it’s maybe the upper edge of middle class.”“It’s horrifying,” she added.
Amy O'Leary of The New York Times explains: Link
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Creepy Stories of Grave Robbing
There's no resting in peace when a loved one cannot bear to let go. A recent case in Detroit of a man arrested for sneaking his father's body home before the funeral inspired a list of other cases of body snatching. Some perpetrators hoped the dead would return to life. Others just wanted to keep the body around.
Jean Stevens and her twin sister June were so inseparable, they even married brothers. When June was diagnosed with cancer, Jean shared a bed with her and rubbed her back. And when June died in October of 2009, she was buried in her sister’s backyard--but only for a few days. Lonely and claustrophobic at the thought of her sister trapped underground, Jean had June dug up and brought inside to live with her, just like she had done 10 years earlier with James, her husband of 60 years, who had been buried at a nearby cemetery.
Police eventually uncovered Jean's unconventional living arrangement. Read that and other stories at The Daily Beast. Link
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What literature moves you? You can have an enormous thumbprint image of the works that speak to you. Cheryl Sorg, an artist in Boston, cuts up the covers and lines of great works of literature that appeal to individual readers:
Sorg works with her subjects to gather their favorite books, book quotes, song lyrics, movies, and anything culturally meaningful to them that can be found in text. Once Sorg has her list, she finds the corresponding text and cuts it up into tiny strands that she weaves and curves into the actual thumbprint.
I can immediately think of lines from Shardik, Anthem and So Long and Thanks for All the Fish that I'd choose. Which passages would you want on your thumbprint?
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Four nuns arrived at the gates of heaven. St. Peter makes the inspection.
The first one says:"I have to confess, I held mans penis in one hand."
St. Peter says:"You see the bowl of holy water, wash your hand and go in."
The second says:"I have to confess, I held mans penis in both hands."
St. Peter:"Wash both your hands and go in.
Suddenly the other two start fighting, something terrible.
Suddenly the other two start fighting, something terrible.
St.Peter goes there, pulls them apart, asks *What's going on?
One of them shouts I want to gargle, before she washes her ass in there.
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During WW II an American soldier had been on the front lines in Europe for three months, when he was finally given a week of R&R. He caught a supply boat to a supply base in the south of England, then caught a train to London. The train was extremely crowded and he could not find a seat. He was dead on his feet and walked the length of the train looking for any place to sit down.
Finally he found a compartment with seats facing each other; there was room for two people on each seat. On one side sat only a proper looking, older British lady, with a small dog sitting in the empty seat beside her.
"Could I please sit in that seat?" he asked.
The lady was insulted. "You bloody Americans are so rude", she said, "can't you see my dog is sitting there"?
He walked through the train once more and still could not find a seat. He found himself back at the same place.
"Lady I love dogs - have a couple at home - so I would be glad to hold your dog if I can sit down", he said.
The lady replied, "You Americans are not only rude you are arrogant".
He leaned against the wall for a time, but was so tired he finally said, "Lady, I've been on the front lines in Europe for three months with not a decent rest for all that time. Could I please sit there and hold your dog?"
The lady replied, "You Americans are not only rude and arrogant, you are also obnoxious."
With that comment, the soldier calmly stepped in, picked up the dog, threw it out the window, and sat down.
The lady was speechless.
An older, neatly dressed Englishman sitting across on the other seat spoke up. "Young man, I do not know if all you Americans fit the lady's description of you or not. But I do know that you Americans do a lot of things wrong. You drive on the wrong side of the road, you hold your fork with the wrong hand, and now you have just thrown the wrong bitch out of the window."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally he found a compartment with seats facing each other; there was room for two people on each seat. On one side sat only a proper looking, older British lady, with a small dog sitting in the empty seat beside her.
"Could I please sit in that seat?" he asked.
The lady was insulted. "You bloody Americans are so rude", she said, "can't you see my dog is sitting there"?
He walked through the train once more and still could not find a seat. He found himself back at the same place.
"Lady I love dogs - have a couple at home - so I would be glad to hold your dog if I can sit down", he said.
The lady replied, "You Americans are not only rude you are arrogant".
He leaned against the wall for a time, but was so tired he finally said, "Lady, I've been on the front lines in Europe for three months with not a decent rest for all that time. Could I please sit there and hold your dog?"
The lady replied, "You Americans are not only rude and arrogant, you are also obnoxious."
With that comment, the soldier calmly stepped in, picked up the dog, threw it out the window, and sat down.
The lady was speechless.
An older, neatly dressed Englishman sitting across on the other seat spoke up. "Young man, I do not know if all you Americans fit the lady's description of you or not. But I do know that you Americans do a lot of things wrong. You drive on the wrong side of the road, you hold your fork with the wrong hand, and now you have just thrown the wrong bitch out of the window."
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Ursa ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good luck & keep writing such awesome content.
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