The Childhood Goat Trauma Foundation was created in 1982 by a small group that originally came together as a an informal support group for problems that were the result of traumatic experiences at petting zoos as children. Each year, over 6,000 people are traumatized by goats in the United States alone.
Through its programs and workshops, individuals from all walks of life have been able to live happier and more fulfilling lives, without the ever-present ghosts of their personal goat traumas. Some have even made such progress that they have been able to put their traumas completely behind them and rejoin mainstream society.
Here's an example of Goat Trauma in action. What you don't see here is the goat lurking just below desk-level, gnawing away at this man's right leg.
The Childhood Goat Trauma Foundation
Lifted
When an overconfident teen alien gets behind the controls of a spaceship, he must attempt to abduct a slumbering farmer under the watchful eye of a critical instructor. But abducting humans requires precision and a gentle touch, and within a few missteps it's painfully clear why more humans don't go missing every year.
(via Neatorama)
How To Predict The Weather Without A Forecast
Long before technology was developed to predict the weather, people had to rely on observation, patterns and folklore to avoid being caught off guard by the elements. In 650 BC, the Babylonians predicted the weather from cloud patterns. In about 340 BC, Aristotle described weather patterns in Meteorologica. Chinese weather prediction lore extends at least as far back as 300 BC.
Ancient weather forecasting methods usually relied on observed patterns of events. For example, it might be observed that if the sunset was particularly red, the following day often brought fair weather.
If your plans, livelihood or even your survival depend on the weather, it certainly wouldn't hurt to become familiar with some of these methods, especially since you never know when you might be out of touch with the local weather report. These methods aren't foolproof, but they have their usefulness, and if you don't have a forecast on hand, what do you have to lose by trying them?
Père-Lachaise Cemetery Virtual Tour
The Père-Lachaise Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in the city of Paris, France. It is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the graves of those who have enhanced French life over the past 200 years. The cemetery takes its name from Père François de la Chaise, the confessor of King Louis XIV.
There are many famous people burried at the cemetery, like Sarah Bernhardt, Georges Bizet, Maria Callas, Frédéric Chopin, Yves Montand, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and Oscar Wilde.
Take a virtual tour of the Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
(via Nag on the Lake)
10 Products To Keep Your Pets Cool
From Inventor Spot:
In summertime, it is important to take precautions against the danger of heat exhaustion and heatstroke for your pets. After all, cats and dogs don't release body heat by sweating. Instead they cool down by releasing heat through their footpads and by panting - ways that aren't always effective, leaving pets vulnerable to warm weather.
Here are 10 products to keep your pets cool.
World's Largest Toilet
The world's largest toilet has opened in Chongqing, China. There are more than 1,000 toilets spread out over 30,000 square feet. Some urinals are uniquely shaped, including ones inside open crocodile mouths and several topped by the bust of a woman resembling the Virgin Mary.
We are spreading toilet culture. People can listen to gentle music and watch TV, said Lu Xiaoqing, an official with the 'Foreigners Street' tourist area where the bathroom is. After they use the bathroom they will be very, very happy.
Spot The Knockoff
Can you spot a fake Prada wallet a mile away? Are you sure? Not only have the counterfeiters who stock knockoff markets become more savvy about replicating telltale details, they're copying niche brands you might not expect.
Can you tell faux from fashionable?
Try the 'Spot the Knockoff' quiz.
The Teachings Of Diogenes
Diogenes of Sinope was a Greek philosopher who lived ca. 400 - ca. 325 B.C. He was the most famous exponent of Cynicism, which called for a closer imitation of nature, the repudiation of most human conventions, and complete independence of mind and spirit.
But he was also a very playful philosopher who liked to use great wit when challenging the values and beliefs of his fellow citizens in ancient Athens. Here are some examples:
Someone asked, 'Why is it, Diogenes, that pupils leave you to go to other teachers, but rarely do they leave them to come to you?' 'Because,' replied Diogenes, 'one can make eunuchs out of men, but no one can make a man out of eunuchs.'
Diogenes was asked, 'What is the difference between life and death? He answered, 'No difference.' 'Well then, why do you remain in this life?' 'Because there is no difference,' Diogenes said.
The Teachings of Diogenes.
The Mancatcher Voodoo Kit
Girls! Get your man and make him yours forever. Don't sit at home alone at night, waiting for the phone call that never comes. Enjoy the thrill that every woman craves.
Learn how you too can win and keep the man you love with the Mancatcher Voodoo Kit.
How To Overcome Papaphobia
Defined as a persistent, abnormal and irrational Fear of the Pope, each year, this common phobia causes millions of people needless distress. The financial toll of this phobia is incalculable. Living with fear means you can never concentrate fully and give your best.
Papaphobia will likely cost you tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime. Now Papaphobia can be gone for less than the price of a round-trip airline ticket, or a few weeks of drugs or conventional therapy.
VapoRub Stops Meerkat Fights
Animal experts from Paultons Park near Romsey, Hampshire, England, have discovered an ingenious new way to stop their meerkats fighting, by using VapoRub, a humble cold remedy. The staff were concerned that their two existing meerkats would fight with three new arrivals.
They realised a decongestant rub, normally used to ease cold symptoms, could mask the African animals' scent. In the wild, meerkats normally attack newcomers to a group. The five animals at Paultons Park have had the strong smelling rub applied to their noses to hide their scent long enough for them to get used to each other without any arguments.
The Best Dangerous Science Jobs
A biosafety Level 4 lab researcher and a propulsion engineer have very dangerous jobs. But did you know that grad students are number 6 on a list of dangerous science jobs?
Even the most mundane job in science is hazardous if you don't know what you're doing. Grad students in labs around the world are in constant danger of, well, screwing up.
The Best Dangerous Science Jobs.
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: Freegan.
click on the picture for real size
Jumping Spider Mating Ritual
An interesting video of a male jumping spider trying to impress a female spider. This particular spider bobs his body and waves gis front legs in a higly specific manner. But the most interesting part are auditory signals, sounding like buzzes and drum rolls.
(via Nothing To Do With Arbroath)
What Does 120 Calories Look Like?
Do you know what the corresponding aspect of these two pictures is? Yes, of course you know because you've seen the title of this post. Indeed, both are showing food with 120 calories.
More pictures of how 120 calories look like.
Your Real Age
We all know that the choices we make and the medical conditions we have affect our lives. This Real Age Calculator shows how greatly we can alter our lives simply by cutting out that donut or smiling more. Answer some questions and get your Real Age.
Here are my results. I know that I look much younger than I am (I'm 57) and I also know that I usually act younger than I am, and the test results confirm that.
The Mutato Collection
The Mutato Collection is a collection of non-standard fruits, roots and vegetables found at Berlin Super- and Farmer Markets.
The Mutato Project serves to document and archive the last survivors of biological variety.
(via Grow-A-Brain)
Penguin Teaboy
Tea too strong? Too weak? Problem solved. This nattily attired tea penguin always brews the perfect cup.
Set the timer for your ideal brew time (from 1 minute up to 20) and he lowers the teabag into the water. When the time is up, he lifts it out.
Nano Journeys - Adventures Beyond The Decimal
Nano Journeys whisk you away to the micro and nano cosmos. On various routes you can gradually 'shrink yourself' into worlds invisible to us and penetrate into the smallest known dimensions of our universe.
(via Ursi's Blog)
The Hornet Spook Light
photographs by Ed Gibson, Grove, Oklahoma
Twelve miles southwest of Joplin, Missouri, USA, a roughly paved road runs through a narrow canyon. Nearby is the former border village of Hornet, and close to that is the site of what once was a spook light museum. The place is remote and far from civilization, so why do so many people come here?
They are searching for an unexplained enigma, a puzzle that most of them actually seem to find. It has been seen along this road since 1866 and has created such a mystery that even the Army Corps of Engineers officially concluded that it was a 'mysterious light of unknown origin.' It has gone by many names, but it's most commonly known as the Hornet Spook Light.
World Database Of Happiness
The World Database of Happiness is an ongoing register of scientific research on the subjective enjoyment of life. It brings together findings that are scattered throughout many studies and provides a basis for synthetic work.
Jealous Computers
All over the Internet, reports are flooding in of angry computers attacking their users. A closer look reveals they all have one thing in common: a new Nokia N95 was on the scene of each incident.
The Healthy Computer Volunteer Group came to a clear conclusion: the use of advanced Nokia technology in combination with slogans like 'It's what computer have become' is obviously upsetting a wide range of 'old school computers.'
Jealous Computers is Nokia's lastest advertising campaign. See some shocking footage of angry PC's caught on camera. Read vivtims' testimonies and learn how to prevent a jealous computer attack.
10 Real-life Superheroes
And you thought superheroes existed only in fiction? Inspired by fiction superheroes such as Batman and Superman, these people wear masks and capes in order to fight real crime on the streets. Here's a list with 10 of the most famous real-life superheroes.
Historical Sounds
Historical Sounds in MP3 Format is a collection of audio files intended to archive the greatest speeches in recorded history. Most of the files are from the 20th century, but there are a few exceptions, such as the Edison recordings.
Clever Google Tricks Worth Knowing
Find the face behind the result, find free anonymous web proxies, judge a site by its image, Google for music, videos, and ebooks, and some other clever Google tricks.
10 Worst Drivers Ever Caught On Video
This is about people that obviously lack the requisite skills to operate a motor vehicle - who were also unfortunate enough to have the evidence caught on film.
Things That Are Difficult To Say When You're Drunk
There are things that are difficult to say when you're drunk. There are also things that are very difficult to say when you're drunk. And then there are things that are downright impossible to say when you're drunk.
Redheads
Over 50 redheads rode the subway together and protested a Manhattan Wendy's for their 'racist logo.'
(via Cynical-C Blog)
A Study On Phone Carrying
Information from a series of Nokia street surveys conducted between 2003 and 2006 that explored where people carry their mobile phones and why.
The mobile phone's effectiveness as a communication device is partly dependent on its owner noticing incoming communication and it was assumed by the authors that the process of deciding to carry an object would correlate with a minimal level of its effective use.
The Virtual Egyptian Museum
The Virtual Egyptian Museum brings you a collection of antiquities never shown before in the New World. No one has seen any of these artifacts in a 'real museum' for the past 25 years.
In the Virtual Egyptian Museum, the almost unlimited amount of space available for information and the negligible overhead required for redundant information makes it possible to provide the visitor with complete historical, geographical, sociological, religious, economic and technological context for each and every object.
(via corsinet)
System Administrator Appreciation Day
ployees may often take for granted that when they arrive at work, all they need to do is turn on their workstations, click on some desktop icons and start checking e-mail and doing their work. But, somewhere at the company headquarters is a room with lots of machines, lots of wires, lots of blinking lights and a constant buzzing sound. This is the territory of the SysAdmin. This is where things happen.
Today is System Administrator Appreciation Day. On this special international day, give your System Administrator something that shows that you truly appreciate their hard work and dedication.
List Of Artificial Objects On The Moon
A list of artificial objects on the surface of the Moon. They have been abandoned after having served their purpose. The list does not include smaller objects such as the retroreflectors and Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package.
Nor does it include several commemorative or personal objects left there by Apollo astronauts, such as the golf balls from Alan Shepard's lunar driving practice during Apollo 14, flags, or the Fallen Astronaut statuette left by the crew of Apollo 15.
I Like Turtles
Ten-year-old Jonathan Ware of Milwaukie, Oregon, was asked by a reporter what he thought of his elaborate face paint. Jonathon stared zombie-like into the camera lens and said, 'I like turtles!'
Eco-Friendly Flying Saucer
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology here in the Netherlands has embarked on a four-year project to develop 'the ultra-eco-friendly plane' which happens to be a flying saucer.
The faculty is currently hard at work recruiting a special research team to design this innovative aircraft in a project called CleanEra.
The Collected Works Of Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche is unchallenged as the most insightful and powerful critic of the moral climate of the 19th century. His exploration of unconscious motivations anticipated Freud.
He is notorious for stressing the 'will to power' that is the basis of human nature, the 'resentment' that comes when it is denied its basis in action, and the corruptions of human nature encouraged by religions that feed on such resentment.
The Collected Works of Friedrich Nietzsche.
How The Mafia Works
The Mafia has controlled everything from the street corner drug trade to the highest levels of government. Glorified by movies and television, hounded by law enforcement officials, marked for death by their enemies, mobsters live violent and often brief lives. The Mafia at its core is about one thing - money. Still, there are secret rituals, complicated rules and tangled webs of family loyalty.
In this article from 'How Stuff Works' you'll find out how people get into the Mafia, what the Mafia does and what law enforcement agencies have done to stop them. You'll also learn about the important people and events that have shaped this not-so-secret society.
Oscar The Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths
Oscar is a hospice cat at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Oscar seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours.
His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.
According to Dr. David Dosa, many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one.
101 Amazing Earth Facts
What is the hottest place on Earth? And the coldest place? How far does regular dust blow in the wind? Has the Moon always been so close? What is the wettest place on Earth? How old is Earth? Are rivers alive?
101 Amazing Earth Facts.
Physical Activity At Work
People who work at their desks all day tend to stay in one position for a long time.
Physical Activity at Work has videos that are designed to counter the effects of sitting at your desk.
The Strangest Sights In Google Earth
With its detailed satellite photos, Google's interactive map lets everyone be a virtual globetrotter. And some of the things to be found are downright bizarre.
The Church Of The Latter-Day Dude
While Dudeism in its official form has been organized as a religion only recently, it has existed down through the ages in one form or another. Probably the earliest form of Dudeism was the original form of Chinese Taoism, before it went all weird with magic tricks and body fluids.
The originator of Taoism, Lao Tzu, basically said 'smoke 'em if you got 'em' and 'mellow out, man' although he said this in ancient Chinese so something may have been lost in the translation.Come join the slowest-growing religion in the world - Dudeism. An ancient philosophy that preaches non-preachiness, practices as little as possible, and above all, uh...lost my train of thought there...
Is Your Printer Spying On You?
Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer - and potentially, the person who used it. Sounds like science fiction, doesn't it?
Unfortunately, the scenario isn't fictional. In a purported effort to identify counterfeiters, the US government has succeeded in persuading some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. That means that without your knowledge or consent, an act you assume is private could become public. And what's worse, there are no laws to prevent abuse.
The White House Coup
Rumours of a link between the US first family and the Nazi war machine have circulated for decades. Now British newspaper The Guardian has obtained confirmation from newly discovered files in the US National Archives that a firm of which Prescott Bush (the current president's grandfather) was a director was involved with the financial architects of Nazism.
Documents uncover details of a planned coup in the USA in 1933 by a group of right-wing American businessmen. The coup was aimed at toppling President Franklin D. Roosevelt with the help of half-a-million war veterans.
The plotters, who were alleged to involve some of the most famous families in America, (owners of Heinz, Birds Eye, Goodtea, Maxwell Hse and Prescott Bush) believed that their country should adopt the policies of Hitler and Mussolini to beat the great depression.
More information on the White House Coup:
Wall Street's Plot to Seize the White House.
The Orb
The Orb is a new generation of mobile structures created specifically to fire the imagination of a younger, style conscious generation. It has been designed to appeal across three distinct markets: commercial show units, holiday park homes and adaptable home offices.
Built to a standard far beyond that of comparable structures using marine technology, it is both incredibly durable, lightweight and transportable.
(via Ursi's Blog)
Bennett Robot Works
Robot sculptures by Gordon Bennett, made from a mixture of found objects which are both old an new. The parts are found in various places including garbage dumps, basements, construction sites, and garage sales.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Real Life Sea Monsters
The sea contains untold numbers of strange and bizarre creatures. It is said that we know more about our own solar system than we know about our oceans.
Indeed, some creatures of the sea can seem more alien than anything you can imagine. But even worse, some of them can seem more frightening than your worst nightmare.
Pikifx
Pikifx is a website that allows users to upload their image and add a range of cool effects while online. Basically you can make your images look cool without having any desktop software installed or the knowledge on how to use the software. You can resize and crop your photo, and add creative effects, borders and text.
Here I took a picture of my Sandra, applied a 'fade to black' effect and used an old television set as a border.
Try Pikifx yourself.
The Saddest Caveman In The World
The official site of the saddest caveman in the world.
(via Miss Cellania)
The US ZIPScribble Map
What would happen if you were to connect all the ZIP codes in the US in ascending order? Is there a system behind the assignment of ZIP codes? Are they organized in a grid? The result is surprising and much more interesting than expected.
101 Frightening Ice Cream Flavors
Ice cream is a frozen dessert made from dairy products, such as cream, combined with flavorings and sweeteners, such as sugar. In the fifth century BC, ancient Greeks sold snow cones mixed with honey and fruit in the markets of Athens. Roman emperor Nero had ice brought from the mountains and combined with fruit toppings. Today's ice treats likely originated with these early ice delicacies.
But at some point, the world of ice cream took a turn for the worse. Here are 101 very frightening ice cream flavors.
(via Dark Roasted Blend)
The Which Lolcat Are You? Test
You've heard of lolcats, haven't you? If not, go here.
Now there's the Which Lolcat Are You? Test. Answer questions and be awarded the title of one of 8 notorious lolcats.
Eight Things
I have been tagged with a blogging meme by Jon Baas. The rules state that I must share eight little known random facts about myself. So, here we go!
Eight little-known facts about me:
*1. I spent my education on a boarding school where, at the age of 11, I had to speak French because the school was founded by Napoleon. Fortunately, a couple of months after I arrived, we were allowed to speak our own language.
*2. My family descends from Spanish gypsies. Although we have been in the Netherlands since the 1700s, our family line goes back to the Beticos, a group of Spanish 'Gitanos.' Even my last name, Vlemmings, refers to Spanish gypsies. Vlemmings comes from 'Flamenco' which comes from Andalusi Arabic 'fellah mengu,' meaning 'peasant without land.'
*3. When I was 16 years old, I almost died from a double pneumonia. I haven't been sick for a single day since that time.
*4. I know everything about Formula 1 Racing. And I mean everything! Every statistic about the 58-year old history of Formula 1 is in my head. I am a walking racing encyclopedia.
*5. For six months I have lived on a small island off the coast of the Netherlands.
*6. Many years ago I was a table tennis champion.
*7. Looking back I realize I have been living a rather exciting but also dangerous life. I have been jumping out of airplanes, I have been involved in car racing, I have been hang gliding and base jumping. I did most of these things when I was young and foolish, some of them without my parents even knowing.
*8. I suffer from a slight form of 'Entomophobia,' a fear of insects. I am not afraid of flies and mosquitos and I also realize that most insects pose no threat. It's the fearsome looking insects that give me the shivers. Grasshoppers, earwigs, spiders etc. Probably because I have seen them under the microscope.
Custom Bridal Wear For Your Dog Or Cat
My Faux Paws was born when our resident designer, 'Vyra Wag,' was looking for a way to combine two of her favorite things, animals, and dressing people. 'Ms Wag' worked on many shows, usually involving herself in sets, props, and, what else? Costumes!
Even as a child her favorite game was 'dress up,' and she spent many hours creating outfits for herself, her friends, and her dolls. Even her cats wore their share of her creations. She is very happy to be using her design talents to dress up the animal world and is constantly coming up with new ideas for outfits.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: Spoiler Alert(!?)
click on the picture for real size
Laws Of Cat Physics
* Law of Cat Stretching: A cat will stretch to a distance proportional to the length of the nap just taken.
* Law of Furniture Replacement: A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
* Law of Cat Sleeping: All cats must sleep with people whenever possible, in a position as uncomfortable for the people involved as is possible for the cat.
Laws of Cat Physics.
(via jvworldwide)
Weird Facts
While driving from Beloit, Wisconsin, company founder Benjamin Hirsch, the developer of Plastone car polish, stopped at a place named Turtle Creek, rested by a stream, and was struck by his reflection in the water.
Realizing that his car polish provided a wax coating as tough as a turtle shell and as reflective as Turtle Creek, he renamed his product, Turtle Wax.
More weird facts.
Haruo Suekichi - Steampunk Watchmaker
Haruo Suekichi from Japan has made thousands of watches, each with an individual name. His watches are not like anything you have ever seen. He's a Steampunk Watchmaker.
Steampunk refers to a subgenre of speculative science fiction which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used - usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England.
Easy Mac Micro Mania
What happens when you put eggs in the microwave? Or a football, ketchup packets, gummy worms, christmas lights, soap, or crayons?
Look what happens when these items are heated up.
Traffic Wardens Need Love
Traffic Wardens Need Love is a movement of people who feel traffic wardens need more love. They are only doing their job, and everybody seems to hate them.
This website is a portal for traffic wardens all over the world to come to visit and see just how much they are loved.
(via Nothing To Do With Arbroad)
45 Freeware Design Programs
Do you like to draw, edit images, illustrate, create animations, or do some 3D modeling? Then here are 45 design programs to download that are absolutely free!
Leonardo - Right To Left
Leonardo da Vinci wrote in Italian using a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself. People who study his notebooks have long been puzzled by something else, however.
He usually used 'mirror writing,' starting at the right side of the page and moving to the left. Only when he was writing something intended for other people did he write in the normal direction.
Now you can write in Leonardo's style yourself.
(thanks Yelena)
update: I just realized this is a re-post.
People Playing Chess On Roller Coasters
People playing chess on roller coasters, inspired by a web comic.
Arnold Height
One of the world's most puzzling questions is 'How tall is Arnold Schwarzenegger?' This is unknown, although it is estimated he's somewhere between 5'9" and 6'2". Arnoldheight.com is a team consisting of around 200 scientists working around the clock to discover the true height of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnoldheight.com is the only website dedicated to this exciting field of research after the takeover and liquidation of websites such as www.tinyarnie.com and www.shortzenegger.org which are now no more.
(via J-Walk Blog)
Now Watch
The most accurate time piece ever invented! Precisely accurate in all time zones throughout the entire universe. A timely reminder of the only moment that really matters.
Thriller
Michael Jackson's Thriller by 1,500 inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines.
News Anchors Can't Stop Laughing At Falling Model
NBC anchor Jim Vance reports on a story out of Paris Fashion Week, where a runway model fell down not once, but twice on her way back from the end of the catwalk. Vance and company can barely keep it together to finish reporting it.
The Five Day Weekend
What a great idea. The major goal of the Five Day Weekend is simple: to reverse the workweek so that Americans clock in for two good days of work, followed by five well-earned days off.
Why? Because overwork has become a major problem for Americans, and it's getting worse by the year. The two-day weekend was created in 1930, and despite decades of unparalleled technology growth, people are actually working more and more each year.
Fivedayweekend.org believes overwork in America has become a soul-crushing epidemic, getting worse every year since the 1940s. They believe there's a way to break the trend, and they could use your help.
They're actually taking a Five Day Weekend petition to Congress in a month or so. Help them by signing the petition.
Flaming Cursor
When you surf the Internet to much, too fast, and you click on every link possible, you know what's going to happen sometime?
Your cursor might get a little bit hot.
Science Stuff You Got Wrong At School
Water is blue, not just because of the sky. Electricity does not travel at the speed of light. Seasons are not the same length. There is no dark side of the Moon.
Science Stuff You Got Wrong At School.
The Story Of Sack
You've probably heard of the Philips Bodygroom Shaver. It's the all-in-one grooming solution, exclusively for men that safely trims and shaves all body zones.
But before there was the Philips Bodygroom, there was Sack. Frank 'Furback' Sack, the inventor of the TuftBeGone, the mechanical monstrosity that foreshadowed the modern Bodygroom.
(thanks Melanie)
A Bark In The Dark
Bart Bonte made a new 'point and click' game called A Bark in the Dark with some surprises and twists.
Simpsonize Yourself
To promote the launch of the first full-length Simpsons feature film, Burger King and Fox have created The Simpsonizer. Turn a photo of yourself into a Simpsons character. Use a closeup of your face with a minimum resolution of 640x480. Color only. Then follow the instructions.
Here's me as a Springfield resident.
Vilcus Plug Dactyloadapter
The Vilcus dactyloadapter was especially developed for people who like closing the electrical circuit with their own fingers. Many people get a kick out of a direct contact with AC power supply.
To that end, people normally use U-shaped fragments of bare wire, paper clips or even usual metal forks. All these gimmicks are unreliable, short-lived and, most important, tend to cause a short circuit or even an inflammation in the wiring.
Warning: The Vilcus Plug Dactyloadapter is an art project by Russian design Studio Art Lebedev. Playing with electrical sockets is very dangerous. Don't ever try this.
Signature
Your signature is more powerful than you think. An award winning video from Amnesty International. Winner of the Gold Lion at the Cannes Lions 2007.
This film illustrates graphicaly how a simple signature on a petition can provide real help to victims of torture, abuse, arbitrary imprisonment.
(via Ursi's Blog)
Backyard Chickens
Backyard Chickens has become the #1 destination for the information you need to raise, keep, and appreciate chickens. Read 'Raising Chickens 101' for the most basic information on why and how to raise chickens. Tour the Learning Center which has detailed information about raising your backyard flock, including information about chicken coops, supplies, diseases, and predators.
Or join the Chicken Forum with hundreds of wonderful, friendly, and knowledgeable members! It's the best place on the web to get your chicken questions answered and share your experiences with an amazing community.
So You Wanna Work At Google?
So, you're keen to work with world-class engineers and invent new stuff? You'd better be prepared. Be very well prepared.
Extreme Japanese Custom Vans
Pimping out your vehicle generally involves a nice spray paint, flashy rims, oversized subwoofers, and ground effects kits and spoilers. In Japan they go a little bit further.
(via Plep)
Satellite Dish Art
From Dark Roasted Blend:
The satellite dish, being one of the most recognizable symbols of technological progress, gets various funny and artistic treatments from creative individuals around the world.
A plain vanilla white dish seems to be just as offensive to the senses as the dumb beige of the standard PC hardware. No wonder people bring out the colors and make that 'telecommunication flower' bloom all over the place.
Glazastik - The Big Eyed Guy
During a press conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that took place on the G8 summit, a young activist started to throw out propaganda leaflets.
This incident became very popular in Russia. But not because of the activist, or Putin's reaction, but because of the facial expression of the man sitting behind the activist. In Russia, they now call him Glazastik (Big-Eyed Guy).
As was expected, the Internet was soon flodded with Photoshopped versions of the Big-Eyed Guy.
Walk Score
Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.
Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. The walkability of an address depends on how far you are comfortable walking - after all, everything is within walking distance if you have the time. Only available for the USA.
Oscar Pistorius
Oscar Pistorius is a South African Paralympic runner. Known as the 'Blade Runner,' Pistorius is the double amputee world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres events and runs with the aid of carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs. His artificial lower legs, while enabling him to compete, have also generated claims that he has an unfair advantage over other runners.
Last week, at the Roma Golden League Games, he ran the 400 m. with able bodied athletes. He was last till the final stretch but finished in second place.
Deleted Images
Deleted Images brings unsharp, moved, blurry and unfocused pictures back to life. Before you delete you images on your camera, have another look and start sharing what you would have deleted with the rest of the world.
Bling My Bomb
Choose from 5 pieces of crap and turn them into mechanical masterpieces. Pimp your car!
(via Grow-A-Brain)
The Open Library
The Internet Archive has launched a demo of the Open Library, a project that seeks to gather all the information about all the world's books and make it publicly available as a giant books wiki.What if there was a library which held every book? Not every book on sale, or every important book, or even every book in English, but simply every book. First, the library must be on the Internet. No physical space could be as big or as universally accessible as a public web site. Second, it must be grandly comprehensive. It would take catalog entries from every library and publisher and random Internet user who is willing to donate them.
But most importantly, such a library must be fully open. Not simply 'free to the people,' but a product of the people: letting them create and curate its catalog, contribute to its content, participate in its governance, and have full, free access to its data. So let us do just that: let us build the Open Library.
(via Boing Boing)
Untamed
Untamed is a photographic project by Steve Bloom. For more than 10 years, Steve Bloom travelled all over the world, roaming the jungles of Borneo, the African savannahs, and the frozen banks of Antarctica to assemble a dazzling collection of photographs of animals in their environments.
The photos bring to life a vast panorama of animal diversity, and of the landscapes, climates, and habitats in which they live.
Samsung Dance
Koreans pull off an amazing coordinated dance. Specially-designed costumes, discipline, and computer-generated choreography combine in this dance celebrating Samsung.
Knife Throw
Put one of many celebrities on the wheel and test your knife throwing skills. The wheel has 20 targets and your objective is to hit them in numeric order using all your twenty knives. Be careful, if your aim is off and your dagger dents your assistant on the wheel, the sharp blade of your knife might hurt him/her.
As you can see below, I'm not very good at knife throwing.
I think I killed Lindsay Lohan.
(via A Welsh View)
Blogging Is Ten Years Old
It's been 10 years since the blog was born. They've roiled presidential campaigns and given everyman a global soapbox. We are approaching a decade since the first blogger - regarded by many to be Jorn Barger - began his business of hunting and gathering links to items that tickled his fancy, to which he appended some of his own commentary.
On Dec. 23, 1997, on his site, Robot Wisdom, Jorn Barger wrote: I decided to start my own webpage logging the best stuff I find as I surf, on a daily basis. The Oxford English Dictionary regards this as the primordial root of the word 'weblog.'
The Wall Street Journal has an article where twelve commentators - including Tom Wolfe, Newt Gingrich and actress-turned-blogger Mia Farrow - tell what blogging means to them.
By the way, The Presurfer was born almost 7 years ago.
Human Brain Cloud
Human Brain Cloud is a massively multiplayer word association game or experiment. The idea is that given a word, a player types in the first thing that comes to mind and the results are combined into a giant network.
Over time and with many players, the Human Brain Cloud will gradually grow to represent words and phrases people tend to associate with other words and phrases, assuming it doesn't get inundated with spam.
One Giant Leap For Space Fashion
In the 40 years that humans have been traveling into space, the suits they wear have changed very little. The bulky, gas-pressurized outfits give astronauts a bubble of protection, but their significant mass and the pressure itself severely limit mobility.
Dava Newman, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems at MIT, wants to change that. Newman is working on a sleek, advanced suit designed to allow superior mobility when humans eventually reach Mars or return to the moon. Her spandex and nylon BioSuit is not your grandfather's spacesuit - think more Spiderman, less John Glenn.
The Night Sky
Learn how to identify constellations, stars, planets and how to navigate at night. The night sky has followed you your whole life. It may be the only thing your distant ancestors would recognize today.
How much of it do you recognize? Take this Night Sky course and spend 15 minutes of your time to learn to recognize plenty.
Living In Three Centuries: The Face Of Age
Living in Three Centuries: The Face of Age is the working title for a black-and-white photographic portrait project by Mark Story. Some of the portrayed are over a century old.
The photographs for this portrait series were taken in various locations around the world between 1987 and 2005.
(via debgpi)
Tennis Ball Bench
You may have thought tennis balls were just for tennis, but creative Dutch designer Tejo Remy has found another use for the bright yellow bouncy felt-and-rubber balls.
He makes seats that are fashioned from a steel frame and dozens of tennis balls. The seats are comfortable, sturdy, and extremely eye-catching.
Control-A-Kid Remote
Parents, do you ever find it difficult to cope with your little tear-aways running riot around your feet. Do you wish you could assert more control over them without the need to raise your voice or belt. Now there is another method you might just like.
The Control-a-Kid Remote has all the functions you will need to help keep those little monsters under control. Functions like stop sulking or tantrums, eat greens to do homework and more. What is even better is that this remote does not use batteries, but is powered by positive thinking.
Pillowig
Pillowig is hand made wearable pillow comforting trieness of people in daily lives, enabling users to sleep comfortably whenever and whenever they'd like. When user test is done in public spaces - subway, airplane, library, class room and laundromat, viewers commented: 'I would like to have it for my trip.' 'Very funny.' 'This is practical, but a laugh, too.'
Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature
Why most suicide bombers are Muslim, beautiful people have more daughters, humans are naturally polygamous, sexual harassment isn't sexist, and blonds are more attractive.
Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature.
Hawaii Stuff!
Everything you ever wanted to know about Hawaii. This is a place to look around and get ideas. Originally built by RJ for family and friends, everyone is welcome to use this page.
Hawaii Stuff! has hundreds of links to interesting places on Hawaii and lots of info about restaurants, museums, national parks, fish ponds, volcanoes, gardens, culture, etc.
(thanks RJ)
Real-Life Desktop
Digital interface design usually tries to take elements from the analog world and translate them into recognizable elements on a computer screen. Here is a clever video of someone doing the exact opposit.
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: The Devil's Advocate.
click on the picture for real size
The Incredible Hulk Of Hounds
People mistake her for a pitbull with a pinhead, but Wendy the whippet is one rare breed. Wendy is a 27-kilogram rippling mass of muscle. Forget the so-called six-pack stomach: Wendy has a 24-pack. And the muscles around her neck are so thick, they look like a lion's ruff.
She was born with a genetic defect which has left her looking like the Incredible Hulk of Hounds. While her head, heart, lungs and legs are the size of those of a normal whippet, her gene defect means she is 'double muscled.'
A Collection Of Myostatin Deficiency Pictures
The genetic mutation of Wendy the whippet is a deficiency in myostatin, which is a growth factor that limits muscle tissue growth. But that rare genetic defect does not occur only in the whippet breed. In fact, it can and has occurred in other animals… even in humans themselves!
The ultimate collection of myostatin deficient monstrositie.
The Wealthiest Americans Ever
When wealth is measured as a percentage of the economy, John D. Rockefeller was the wealthiest American ever. Many of the all-time richest Americans made their fortunes during the Gilded Age of the late 1800s.
An interactive graphic showing the 30 all-time richest Americans.
Student Knits Her Own Ferrari
Art graduate Lauren Porter knitted a Ferrari sportscar for her honours degree at Bath Spa University, England. The classic red bodywork consists of 250 squares of garter stitch made by Lauren and 20 family members and friends.
The windows are V-shaped stocking stitch, while the details are crochet and the badge is embroidered. It's all supported by a steel frame which Lauren Porter, 22, of Greatham, Hants, welded herself.
Mars Exploration Rover Animation
Maas Digital created this animation of the Mars Exploration Rover mission. The animation represents roughly five years of part-time work. Everything in the video is as accurate as possible to the real mission.
The Tallest Man Meets The Shortest
In terms of height they are worlds apart. The world's tallest man, Bao Xishun shakes hands with He Pingping who claims to be Earth's shortest. But these two men actually hail from the same region of Inner Mongolia.
Sympton Checker
Need information as you determine what to do about your symptoms? Get help figuring them out by answering a series of questions. To get started, click on male or female, find your age, then the part of the body that is troubling you. Use the Symptom Checker to select parts of the body where you are experiencing symptoms.
Remember, the Sympton Checker does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
10 Greatest Alcohol Items Of Al Time
Do you know where the Guinness Toucan comes from, or the Barcardi Bat, Mr. Boston or the Hamm's Bear?
The Face on the Bottle.
(via Dump Trumpet)
Tooth Tunes
Getting your kids to brush their teeth can be a daily battle. Not any more! Tooth Tunes is a new, revolutionary toothbrush for kids that makes brushing their teeth fun and entertaining.
Your kids will love brushing their teeth to their favorite hit songs from some of their favorite artists. As sound vibrations stream from the bristles through their teeth, they hear the music in their heads. But, when they stop brushing, the music stops playing in their head. So they'll actually want to keep brushing for a full two minutes.
Available songs for the Tooth Tunes are Queen, Beach Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Jamiroquai, Kelly Clarkson, KISS, The Village People, and Destiny's Child.
All Basketball Players 1979 - 2007
A huge graphic of every NBA player for every season in which he played at least five minutes since 1979.
Points Per Game are on the Y-Axis, sum total of every other stat on the X-axis, with the data points colored with RGB depending on the player's statistical tendencies during that season.
(via Metafilter)
Popeye's Thimble Theatre Homepage
Elzie Crisler Segar was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of Popeye, a character who first appeared in his newspaper comic strip, 'Thimble Theater,' in 1929.
The strip made its debut on December 19, 1919, and featured the characters Olive Oyl, Castor Oyl, and Ham Gravy, who were the comic's leads for about a decade. In January of 1929, when Castor Oyl needed a mariner to navigate his ship to Dice Island, Castor picked up an old salt down by the docks named Popeye. The Popeye character 'stole the show' and became the permanent featured character.
Face-Blindness And Stones
Prosopagnosia, or face-blindness, is when you are unable to recognize other humans by their faces. This page explains what it can be like to try to recognize your friends with other brain centres than the one that is designed for it.
Have you ever wondered how it can be possible to recognize one face among hundreds of thousands? We don't seem to have the same ability for other types of objects, do we? If you think that a face has far more describable features than a stone, take a minute and contemplate the following exercise.
What To Do In A Zombie Attack
A 1950s 14-minute film showing how to survive a zombie attack.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Search Crystal
Search Crystal lets you search and compare multiple engines in one place. It is a search visualization tool that enables you to compare, remix and share results from the best web, image, video, blog, tagging, news engines or RSS feeds.
You can embed Search Crystal as a widget on your site or blog to share personalized crystals, or use it to find out what is popular on Wikipedia.
(via Ursi's Blog)
USB Air Conditioned Shirt
Ex Sony technician Kouzi Ichigaya has come up with a simple idea to keep cool this summer:
The USB Air Conditioned Shirt.
It's powered either by USB or AA batteries or through your car's cigarette lighter. At present half sleeve shirts for men and women are available for the price of $159.
All Online Data Lost After Internet Crash
Officials confirm that all online data has been lost after the Internet crashed and was forced to restart.
(via Grow-A-Brain)
Share Hat And Other Strange Projects By Jordi Canudas
Our social lives are defined by the people we know. 'Share' celebrates our relationships by transforming the standard and personal form of a hat to accommodate several wearers at once.
This multiplication of function represents the way we integrate within social groups. A space that was invisible, but existing intuitively becomes both visible and humorous. It represents the umbrella of our everyday conversations.
Share Hat and other weird projects by Jordi Canudas.
Baby Mammoth Discovery Unveiled
The remains of a baby mammoth which died 10,000 years ago in the ice age have been found in Siberia.
The discovery of the baby mammoth gives researchers their best chance yet to build a genetic map of a species extinct since the Ice Age.
See a video of the baby mammoth.
Hair Growing Hat
From Popular Mechanics Magazine, June 1924:No matter how thin your hair may be, this remarkable new scientific invention is absolutely guaranteed to give you a brand new growth of hair in 30 days - or it costs you nothing.
This new invention - the result of an experience gained in treating thousands of cases of baldness - is in the form of a new kind of hat. It is worn on the head just 10 minutes a day. No unnecessary fuss of any kind. Just put the hat on your head. Wear it 10 minutes. And that's all there is to it.
By Alois Merke, Founder of Famous Merke Institute, Fifth Ave., N, Y.
(via Neatorama)
Wordie
Wordie is like Flickr, but without the photos. Wordie lets you make lists of words - practical lists, words you love, words you hate, whatever. You can see who else has listed the same words, add citations and comments, and discuss.
How To Give A Homie Handshake
The homie handshake is only for cool people. If you're not cool - move on. If you think you are cool but don't know how to shake hands, watch this video and learn.
Schools In Chechnya
Chechnya is a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia, which declared its independence from Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Situated in the eastern part of the North Caucasus, Chechnya is surrounded on nearly all sides by Russian Federal territory. Most Chechens are Sunni Muslim, the country having converted to that religion between the 16th and the 19th centuries.
Journalist Yulia Vishnevetskaya recently visited Chechnya and took photos of schools, outside and inside. Some of these schools are exemplary, reconstructed and with playgrounds, and others are really gloomy, with barely any life left in them.
(via Plep)
Teeing Off The Cops
Increasingly, the t-shirt is the canvas upon which Americans choose to express themselves. The Smoking Gun has mug shots of 10 recent arrestees offering a fine example of these cotton belles lettres.
Funny Animals - The Cute, The Weird And The Ugly
From Dark Roasted Blend.
A collection of funny animal pictures.
More funny animals.
List Of Colors
Did you know that the above colors are called Thistle, Puce, Chartreuse, Hollywood Cerise, Periwinkle and Malachite respectively?
Here's a list of colors with associated articles. Most of the color swatches on this list are taken from computer-domain-specific naming schemes such as X11 or HTML4. RGB values are given for each swatch, because such standards are defined in terms of the sRGB color space. Note also that color naming is fuzzy and arbitrary, and varies between people and cultures.
Sand Art
You've probably seen sand art videos before.
One of the best sand artists is Ilana Yahav from Israel.
Favorite Backyard Birds
Attracting birds to your own backyard is a great way to enjoy the hobby of bird watching. People love the wild birds in their backyards and want to know more about them. Birds are the only other two-legged creatures on our planet and they are fascinating. The mystery of flight, and the beauty of the individual species entrance bird watchers.
All bird watchers have their favorites. American Robin, Goldfinch, Chickadees, Mockingbirds, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Cardinals …there are too many to mention. On this page you will find links to the most popular backyard birds, state birds, and North American Bird lists.
(via corsinet)
The iPhone - Will It Blend?
Everybody knows that the iPhone can make phone calls, play movies and music, surf the web, and a lot more.
But, Will It Blend? That is the question.
Eyes Wide Shut
In 1947, Life Magazine asked some famous comic strip artists to draw their famous characters while wearing a blindfold.
The results are interesting. Some drawings don't even look like the original while others are still recognizable.
Wooden Memory Sticks
USB memory sticks are always nice to have around when transferring files from computer to computer.
These wooden sticks are made to stand out against its natural environment of computers and offices.
The sticks are picked from the woods and are manually selected on their natural beauty, professionally handmade into unique and personal USB memory sticks.
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
Select one of 5 children as your teammate. Then select a category. After 2 rounds of answering the questions correctly, you will have to choose a new teammate.
Each teammate has a category in which they are knowledgeable. Select the correct answer and hit the red button to 'Lock In' your answer.
I must say it was a relieve to find out I'm smarter than a 5th grader.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
Color Inspiration From The Masters Of Painting
The world has seen thousands of artists and millions of great pieces of art. Here are just a handful of pieces of art from some of the greatest masters of painting to show a little of how they were inspired by color… or perhaps, how they inspire us with color.
Breaking Wind: Legendary Farts
Drawing near to his old home, Abu Hasan looked down upon it from the hills with brimming eyes, and said to himself, 'They might recognize me, so I will wander about the outskirts and listen to what people are saying. May Allah grant that they do not remember what happened.'
He listened carefully for seven nights and seven days, until it happened that, as he was sitting at the door of a hut, he heard the voice of a young girl saying, 'Mother, tell me what day was I born on, for one of my companions wants to tell my fortune.' The mother answered, 'My daughter, you were born on the very night when Abu Hasan farted.'
No sooner had Abu Hasan heard these words than he rose up from the bench and fled, saying to himself, 'Verily my fart has become a date! It will be remembered for ever and ever.'
Folktales about flatulance selected and edited by D. L. Ashliman.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Terrorist Organization Logos
Terrorist groups, like any organization, need brand identities. With so many groups claiming credit for terrorist acts, and so many videotapes being put out featuring men in ski masks, it’s hard to keep track of which group committed what violent act. So terrorist organizations have logos.
David of Ironic Sans did some research and rounded up as many logos as he could find from terrorist groups past and present. While he (and I) hate to give terrorists any more attention, he still think it's interesting to see the various approaches they took in their logos, and wonder what considerations went into designing them.
Paris Windows
A Flickr collection of beautiful photos of windows in Paris, France.
(via Nag on the Lake)
Sacred Destinations Travel Guide
Nearly every culture in human history has sought to encounter and honor the divine, the mysterious, the supernatural or the extraordinary in some way. This most often occurs at sacred sites - special places where the physical world seems to meet the spiritual world.
Such sacred sites might include awe-inspiring natural places, sites made special by their connection to a god, a saint or a religious hero, places where miracles occurred, or buildings made sacred by their use for worship or ritual.
Founded in April 2005 by a religious historian who loves to travel, the Sacred Destinations Travel Guide has grown into an ecumenical guide to more than 1,300 sacred sites, holy places, religious buildings, religious artifacts, and pilgrimage destinations in 55 countries around the world.
Hands Off
When you meet Gayle Westmoreland, a 61-year-old Columbia resident, greet her with a nod; she believes the handshake is an unsanitary and intrusive custom. She feels so strongly about the matter, in fact, that she published a treatise, Hands: Stop Shaking Them! A Cultural Shift to End Handshaking in America!
Westmoreland hopes that one day the nod will be considered a legitimate alternative to the handshake, and she has a plan to make that happen.
My goal is to have one of my books in every household in America, she says, seated at her dining room table. I don't want to get rid of the handshake altogether. I just want a choice.
Hm, I think she just wants to sell her book.
Cliff Pickover's News Chewer
Cliff Pickover (well-known for his weblog Reality Carnival) is Editor-in-Chief of a new website called News Chewer. News Chewer brings daily hot breaking news, always guaranteed to delight the mind and endocrine system.
From the depths of interstellar space to the heights of raw sexuality, what more could one ask for? News Chewer is presented in 4 columns and centers on weird universes and creatures, hyperspace physics, UFOs, fractals, the anthropic principle, and sex. You can stop the motion of any column by moving your mouse to it.
The Institute Of Practical Underpants
Everyone wears underpants. For some they are sexy, for others conservative. In spite of everything, everyone must find the fit that is most practical for them.
The Institute of Practical Underpants was created to define a methodology based on this principal.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Great Commercial
A brilliant commercial. I'm not showing the title of this video because that may give away too much. Just watch it.
Unofficial Google Advanced Search
The Unoffical Google Advanced Search page is provided as a reference and a guide to using the advanced search operators that Google provides. Most of the operators have a Google Search box pre-filled so you can see example results.
Home Schooled
Home Schooled is a comics series by American artist Ash Jackson.
Co-writing by Silas Jackson.
The Presurfer will feature a Home Schooled cartoon every Monday. This is an absolute exclusive cooperation between The Presurfer and Ash Jackson.
Home Schooled is more or less a reflection of the wacky and occasionally interesting adventures of the artist, Ash Jackson, himself, with the aid of his friends, family, and other cohorts.
Title: It Was Destiny.
click on the picture for real size
Wow Russia!
Wow Russia! is a satirical site created by Elena Marus, a student at the British Higher School of Art and Design in Moscow.Russia is the biggest country in the world... Everybody knows there are two cities in Russia - Moscow and St. Petersburg... The rest of the country is called Siberia...
So what else do we have in Russia? We have bears, of course. Lots of different bears... We do have the biggest problems with the street bears. For they cause the greatest traffic jams ever, especially in Moscow. So we have the special bear-movement schedule and our government has to keep special shoulder strap werewolves on duty to control the bears.
Wereldwonderen
Wereldwonderen is a Dutch site in the English language. Wereldwonderen means Wonders of the World. The original seven wonders were the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Pharos of Alexandria.
Wereldwonderen shows the new 100 wonders of the world presented in a modern way. From video's till bookmarks in Google Earth and Wikipedia information.
Memorial Spaceflights
Leaving Earth to touch the cosmos is an experience few have ever known, but many have often dreamed of. Space Services makes it possible to honor the dream and memory of your departed loved one by launching a symbolic portion of cremated remains into Earth orbit, onto the lunar surface or into deep space.
Memorial Spaceflights are a fitting tribute for explorers, pioneers, entrepreneurs, aerospace professionals, and all who have an interest in space exploration, or who simply feel at home in the cosmos. Your loved one will venture into space as part of a real space mission, riding alongside a commercial or scientific satellite.
Psychedelic Furniture Showcase
Dark Roasted Blend has an article about weird shaped furniture. You ain't seen nothing till you've set your eyes on some of the ugliest, voluptuous and sometimes even dangerous pieces of household equipment.
Which Hobby Best Suits Your Personality?
From exploring the great outdoors, preparing exotic cuisine or persuing the hundreds of TV channels from your multi-media center, the options for leisure time in the modern world seem limitless. So, what's right for you? Take this quiz from CNN and find out which hobbies best suit your personality.
It seems 'discovery' is the hobby that suits me best and they could be right.
Life is a journey, and you take the time to smell every single rose along the way. Your brain is a sponge, soaking up every detail of life around you, and you constantly look inward to figure out the ties that bind you to the universe.
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it's what makes you tick. You might like hobbies like participating in archaeological digs, botany, assembling models, playing the stock market, meditation or even parapsychology.
Benches Of The World
On June 29, more than a hundred of artists gathered together nearby Tretyakovskoi Gallery in Moscow to paint 151 'benches of the world.' Then they joined the benches together to make a 1,000 feet long bench with continous artworks on it.
(via Dump Trumpet)
Tunguska Explosion
On June 30, 1908, an enormous explosion flattened about 500,000 ac of pine forest near the Stony Tunguska River in central Siberia. Its energy is estimated to have been equivalent to that of about 15 megatons of TNT.
Uncertain evidence suggests that a meteoroid or, less likely, a comet disintegrated in the atmosphere high above Earth's surface, creating a fireball and blast wave but no crater. Eyewitnesses spoke of a fireball lighting the horizon, initially visible from about 500 miles away, followed by trembling ground and hot winds strong enough to throw people down and shake buildings.
Measurement Of Calories Expended
How many calories did you burn today? How much weight did you lose? Find out with this program which shows you how many pounds you lose at various levels of exercise.
For example, washing the dishes for 30 minutes lets me burn 71 calories while washing the car for 30 minutes burns 143. Jogging burns 315 calories and playing cards 55.
Calculate the number of calories you've burnt.
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is a well-known hymn. The words were written c. 1772 by Englishman John Newton; they form a part of the Olney Hymns that he worked on, with William Cowper and other hymnodists.
The melody most often used for this hymn was not original. As with other hymns of this period, the words were sung to a number of tunes before it became linked to the current tune that appeared in American hymnbooks of the 1830s.
Essential Music And Audio Websites
Online music has always been popular, and now social networks, peer recommendations and personalized radio stations are helping fans find bands faster than ever before.
Here are more than 90 sites for musicians, fans, and everyone who enjoys music.
10 Richest People In Tech
Bill Gates, known for so many years to be the wealthiest person in the world, now has to settle for second place, because a Mexican tycoon came in first; Carlos Slim Helú beats him by over $8 billion.
Is this a sign that IT is yesterday’s news? Actually, no: Carlos himself is a telecommunications magnate, and while the top 10 list isn't dominated by tech people, the top 100 still has its fair share of geeks.
Let's take a look at the list of top 10 wealthiest people in IT.
(via Cynical-C Blog)
iPhone: The Musical
New York Times technology columnist David Pogue ditches his old cellphone for the iPhone in this sing-a-long sequel.
Ötzi The Iceman
Ötzi the Iceman is a well-preserved natural mummy of a man from about 3300 BC found in 1991 in the Schnalstal glacier in the Ötztal Alps, on the border between Austria and Italy. He is Europe's oldest natural human mummy.
Ötzi was found by two German tourists from Nuremberg, Helmut and Erika Simon, on September 19, 1991. The body was at first thought to be a modern corpse. The body was taken to a morgue in Innsbruck, where its true age was subsequently ascertained.
During the 16 years since he was discovered, scientists have poked, prodded, and x-rayed the 5,000-year-old mummy and they now think he was murdered.
Examine the Iceman.
Cadaver Calculator
So you've bitten the big one and instead of pushing up daisies your loved ones decided it would be best to sell your body to science. This survey will tell you approximately how much money they'd get for it.
Cadaver values are primarily based on overall health and the level of interest your corpse holds to the medical research industry.
It seems my body is worth $4,415.
Find out how much your body is worth.
Detacho Divorce Playhouse
Ben Forman created a toy which incorporates the issue of divorce, something which is all around us in society, yet is ignored by toy manufacturers.
The Detacho Playhouse is a re-configurable toy house which can be separated and made into multiple homes to replicate issues such as divorce and the changing make-up of many modern day families.
(via Random Good Stuff)
Who Is Hosting This?
'Who Is Hosting This?' is a tool that enables you to find out who is hosting any web site. Simply type in any domain name, and you'll get a link to the company that's hosting this particular domain. It's that simple!
Jersey Boys
In sports, there's only one No. 99 (Wayne Gretzky) and No. 66 (Mario Lemieux), but who's number one among those who have actually worn No. 1?
Is it 12-time NBA All-Star Oscar Robertson or is it Warren Moon, the only player to be enshrined by both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame?
A number - be it on a jersey, the side of a car, or a saddlecloth - often becomes one with the athlete. A team of Sports Illustrated finest numerologists crunched the data on jersey numbers to come up with the best performers (across all sports) at each number from 00 to 99.
Flying Humanoids Filmed Over Mexican Skies
Testimony from dozens of persons and police officers depict seeing what appear to be witches flying through the skies of remote Mexican towns. Several people videotaped the strange phenomenon. The creatures appear to infest the skies over an old cemetery.
Toilet Smugglers
A $25,000 bathtub anyone? How about a $10,666 toilet? Speaking of toilets, would you believe it? Americans are crossing the border to purchase illegal 3.5-gallon-per-flush toilets!
Ritual Self-Mummification
In 1960, Japanese historian Ando Kosei revealed the presence of 18 mummies in the Buddhist temples of the prefecture of Yamagata in Japan. The ritual of self-mummification is very long and very tiresome for a normal individual and it is not authorized any more in Japan.
The monk undertakes a 3,000-day quest that ends with him being buried alive. He limits himself to a diet of buckwheat dough, hazelnuts, and nutmeg for 1,000 days, then restricts himself to bark and the roots of pine trees for another 1,000-day period, towards the end of which he starts to drink a toxic tea that begins preserving his internal organs.
He is then entombed while still alive and left to die. Once exhumed, he has become sokushinbutsu, a living god, and is placed in a shrine to be worshipped.
MizPee
Do you ever find yourself desperately looking for a clean toilet in the city? MizPee finds the closest, cleanest toilet and gives you entertaining reading material once you get there. Since the service is cell phone-based, it's always with you, when you really need it.
Dead Body Guy
A computer programmer with no acting experience, who dreams of getting a Hollywood role as a corpse, has created a website to show just how good he would be at the job.
On deadbodyguy.com, 47-year-old Chuck Lamb is pictured playing dead in a variety of increasingly outlandish poses, all photographed by his devoted wife Tonya.
The House Of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan
In case you're wondering where this hotel is, it isn't a hotel at all. It is a house! It's owned by the family of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the former president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu-Dhabi.
Update: According to reactions in the comments this is a hotel after all. And Snopes confirms it's a hotel too.