We saw some camel spider pictures a while back that made us cry in our sleep. Watching a video of a camel spider eating a lizard is pretty much the scariest thing ever.
http://www.fazed.org/video/view/?id=85
Please forgive the dumb shit American soldier commentary. It's probably the first time they've seen something eat like that - other than their mothers at Burger King of course.
Oooh!
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Harsh - But Brilliant
This deserves a wider audience.
http://www.ekincaglar.com/coin/flash.html
This almost made me cry this morning…
http://www.ekincaglar.com/coin/flash.html
This almost made me cry this morning…
Katrina will scar US 'for years'
US states stricken by Hurricane Katrina will take years to recover, President George W Bush said after he flew over devastated areas on the Gulf coast.
He vowed his cabinet will take over the aid operation for "one of the worst natural disasters" the US had seen.
An extra 10,000 troops are being sent to the worst-hit areas in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi.
New Orleans is to be fully evacuated, amid fears thousands may have died there as flood waters swept the city.
With most of the low-lying city now submerged, its remaining residents have no electricity and are running out of fresh water and food.
Plans have been announced to evacuate tens of thousands of people from New Orleans - including some 20,000 sheltering in its crowded Superdome stadium.
Army helicopters have been helping survivors to safety
Asked how many had died in the city, Mayor Ray Nagin said "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."
BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead says widespread looting and the failure to stop water pouring in from burst embankments have added to the panic in the city, and most people are now desperate to leave.
Hundreds of soldiers and police have been diverted from rescue work to law enforcement duties, amid reports that heavily-armed gangs are ransacking the city.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco said she was angered to see the crisis bringing out the worst in people.
'Doubly devastating'
President Bush's aircraft circled low over the stricken region on Wednesday as it flew him to Washington, ending his month-long break in Texas a few days earlier than scheduled.
As he passed over towns whose rooftops alone remained visible above flood waters, Mr Bush said: "It's devastating."
"It's got to be doubly devastating on the ground."
Later addressing the nation from the White House, the president said the relief effort would initially focus on restoring power, communication and transport links.
He also announced the release of fuel from federal reserves to stabilise oil output, severely dented by hurricane damage to rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
"This will help take some pressure off the gas price," Mr Bush said.
'Late response'
With conditions still deteriorating, the government has declared a public health emergency along the whole of the Gulf coast to speed up the delivery of food, water and fuel to the region.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said 1,700 truckloads of essential supplies were on their way there.
Medical shelters are being set up offering 10,000 beds, while the US military is providing dozens of rescue helicopters and boats.
The Pentagon has ordered 10,000 extra national guardsmen to be despatched to Louisiana and Mississippi.
This will bring to 21,000 the total number of troops in areas hit by the hurricane, including Alabama and Florida.
President Bush flew over areas worst hit by the hurricane
Officials in Mississippi state, to the east of Louisiana, have warned the death toll is likely to climb above the current 110.
The state's Harrison County bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina as it slammed into Biloxi and Gulfport before heading inland.
Democratic senator Frank Lautenberg has accused the Bush administration of taking too long to respond.
"We are watching this devastation unfold on our televisions for days and you have to ask: where is the federal government?" the Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.
"We should have had a significant amount of troops and supplies there on the ground Monday."
Anger has also been reported among some of the poorer people hit hard by the hurricane.
"Many people didn't have the financial means to get out," Alan LeBreton, a Biloxi resident told Reuters news agency.
"That's a crime and people are angry about it," he said.
He vowed his cabinet will take over the aid operation for "one of the worst natural disasters" the US had seen.
An extra 10,000 troops are being sent to the worst-hit areas in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi.
New Orleans is to be fully evacuated, amid fears thousands may have died there as flood waters swept the city.
With most of the low-lying city now submerged, its remaining residents have no electricity and are running out of fresh water and food.
Plans have been announced to evacuate tens of thousands of people from New Orleans - including some 20,000 sheltering in its crowded Superdome stadium.
Army helicopters have been helping survivors to safety
Asked how many had died in the city, Mayor Ray Nagin said "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."
BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead says widespread looting and the failure to stop water pouring in from burst embankments have added to the panic in the city, and most people are now desperate to leave.
Hundreds of soldiers and police have been diverted from rescue work to law enforcement duties, amid reports that heavily-armed gangs are ransacking the city.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco said she was angered to see the crisis bringing out the worst in people.
'Doubly devastating'
President Bush's aircraft circled low over the stricken region on Wednesday as it flew him to Washington, ending his month-long break in Texas a few days earlier than scheduled.
As he passed over towns whose rooftops alone remained visible above flood waters, Mr Bush said: "It's devastating."
"It's got to be doubly devastating on the ground."
Later addressing the nation from the White House, the president said the relief effort would initially focus on restoring power, communication and transport links.
He also announced the release of fuel from federal reserves to stabilise oil output, severely dented by hurricane damage to rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
"This will help take some pressure off the gas price," Mr Bush said.
'Late response'
With conditions still deteriorating, the government has declared a public health emergency along the whole of the Gulf coast to speed up the delivery of food, water and fuel to the region.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said 1,700 truckloads of essential supplies were on their way there.
Medical shelters are being set up offering 10,000 beds, while the US military is providing dozens of rescue helicopters and boats.
The Pentagon has ordered 10,000 extra national guardsmen to be despatched to Louisiana and Mississippi.
This will bring to 21,000 the total number of troops in areas hit by the hurricane, including Alabama and Florida.
President Bush flew over areas worst hit by the hurricane
Officials in Mississippi state, to the east of Louisiana, have warned the death toll is likely to climb above the current 110.
The state's Harrison County bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina as it slammed into Biloxi and Gulfport before heading inland.
Democratic senator Frank Lautenberg has accused the Bush administration of taking too long to respond.
"We are watching this devastation unfold on our televisions for days and you have to ask: where is the federal government?" the Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.
"We should have had a significant amount of troops and supplies there on the ground Monday."
Anger has also been reported among some of the poorer people hit hard by the hurricane.
"Many people didn't have the financial means to get out," Alan LeBreton, a Biloxi resident told Reuters news agency.
"That's a crime and people are angry about it," he said.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Watch Me Change
I have absolutely no idea what purpose this could possibly serve other than to amuse me for a good 30 hour or so.
Pick the body style, hair, clothes, and then get changed into clothes of your choice, comes with little dance too. Now this is what the internet is for.
http://www.watchmechange.com/
Oh and hardly surprisingly it's by Gap.
Pick the body style, hair, clothes, and then get changed into clothes of your choice, comes with little dance too. Now this is what the internet is for.
http://www.watchmechange.com/
Oh and hardly surprisingly it's by Gap.
Pets - Stoopid Pets
Don't you just love it when pets do really stoopid things? I know I do...
http://www.plsthx.com/Funny_videos/346_Cat_Jump.html
http://www.plsthx.com/Funny_videos/346_Cat_Jump.html
Little Kid Prank
If I had a six year old kid I would probably do something like this, even though it quite obviously scares the shit out of the little fella...
http://www.nothingtodo.co.uk/view.php?id=1337
http://www.nothingtodo.co.uk/view.php?id=1337
Breakdancing
This is one of the best break-dancing videos I have seen. And I've seen a few.
http://www.weakgame.com/?show=1894
http://www.weakgame.com/?show=1894
Drivers
Ah, drivers of the non-male variety are celebrated here.
http://www.gophergas.com/funstuff/womendrivers.htm
http://www.gophergas.com/funstuff/womendrivers.htm
Cool College Prank
This is a cool prank, where a guy decides to randomly break out in song in the middle of an ivy-league school lecture.
http://www.kwinkies.com/index.php?mode=blog&id=3490
http://www.kwinkies.com/index.php?mode=blog&id=3490
Ugly Celebrity Babies
Ok, ok, so it's only a bit of fun, but this site gives you a glimpse of what the resulting babies might look like if celebrities mated. I really do think that the mock-up of Kevin Costner/Tori Spelling's potential love child looks an awful lot like Eddie Izzard.
Eddie Izzard
Kevin Costner/Tori Spelling
http://www.iol.ie/~bugscave/mated.htm
Eddie Izzard
Kevin Costner/Tori Spelling
http://www.iol.ie/~bugscave/mated.htm
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Ruminations
My dog is my best friend, so I didn't mind too much killing all those people when he told me to. What *did* get me upset was the furry little bastard turning me in for the reward.
It would be nice if the Grim Reaper gave 24 hours notice before taking us, allowing enough time to say goodbye and arrange our affairs so we could depart this world in a dignified manner. I'd then be able to rest in peace knowing that my obituary would read, "Local man found barricaded in basement, suffocated inside world's largest recorded bean burrito."
Everyone at work was very surprised when they found out that I smoke. They'll be even more surprised when they find out I only smoke when I drink.
If I were a conquering alien, I'd skip right past New York and Washington, DC, and head straight for Mount Rushmore so I could laser-beam some pimples, earrings and Groucho glasses on the presidents. Nothing like a little humor to win over a hostile crowd.
If I were a talking dog, I'd never speak to anyone -- unless I met someone having a bad acid trip, in which case I'd try to help talk them through it. Then, when they really started to freak out because of the talking dog thing, I'd just laugh and laugh.
Ruminations
It would be nice if the Grim Reaper gave 24 hours notice before taking us, allowing enough time to say goodbye and arrange our affairs so we could depart this world in a dignified manner. I'd then be able to rest in peace knowing that my obituary would read, "Local man found barricaded in basement, suffocated inside world's largest recorded bean burrito."
Everyone at work was very surprised when they found out that I smoke. They'll be even more surprised when they find out I only smoke when I drink.
If I were a conquering alien, I'd skip right past New York and Washington, DC, and head straight for Mount Rushmore so I could laser-beam some pimples, earrings and Groucho glasses on the presidents. Nothing like a little humor to win over a hostile crowd.
If I were a talking dog, I'd never speak to anyone -- unless I met someone having a bad acid trip, in which case I'd try to help talk them through it. Then, when they really started to freak out because of the talking dog thing, I'd just laugh and laugh.
Ruminations
Memorable Quotes
"I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous, everyone hasn't met me yet."
"The greatest possession you have is the 24 hours directly in front of you."
"Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them."
"If you need a friend, get a dog."
"The 1961 Ferrari, two-fifty GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love, it is his passion...It is his fault he didn't lock the garage."
"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. Only a person who risks is free."
"You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is."
"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
"Every man dies. Not every man really lives."
"Maybe there is no actual place called hell. Maybe hell is just having to listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they're eating sandwiches."
"Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives."
"Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?"
"Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy."
"To alcohol, the nights that you’ll never remember, with the friends you’ll never forget!"
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"
"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
"There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past."
"A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking."
"I am so busy doing nothing... that the idea of doing anything - which as you know, always leads to something - cuts into the nothing and then forces me to have to drop everything."
"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men don't think there's a lot they don't know. Women do. Women want to learn. Men think, "I know what I'm doing, just show me somebody naked."
"The greatest possession you have is the 24 hours directly in front of you."
"Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them."
"If you need a friend, get a dog."
"The 1961 Ferrari, two-fifty GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love, it is his passion...It is his fault he didn't lock the garage."
"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. Only a person who risks is free."
"You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is."
"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
"Every man dies. Not every man really lives."
"Maybe there is no actual place called hell. Maybe hell is just having to listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they're eating sandwiches."
"Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives."
"Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?"
"Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy."
"To alcohol, the nights that you’ll never remember, with the friends you’ll never forget!"
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"
"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
"There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past."
"A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking."
"I am so busy doing nothing... that the idea of doing anything - which as you know, always leads to something - cuts into the nothing and then forces me to have to drop everything."
"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men don't think there's a lot they don't know. Women do. Women want to learn. Men think, "I know what I'm doing, just show me somebody naked."
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Tequila
Here's a great website I found giving lots of useful and interesting information about tequila. He even has a little pocket guide that will help you decode the complexities of buying good tequila.
http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/
And whilst wondering where on earth I could buy good tequila in the uk I found this site, from where you can purchase a whole host of premium brands (at premium prices though)
http://www.thedrinkshop.com
They sell Casa Noble, Corralejo, El Jimador, Gran Centanario, Patron, Gran Patron (at £188 a bottle), Herencia, Herradura, Jose Cuervo, La Penca, Sauze, and Tarantula. Buy me one of each and I'll be very happy.
http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/
And whilst wondering where on earth I could buy good tequila in the uk I found this site, from where you can purchase a whole host of premium brands (at premium prices though)
http://www.thedrinkshop.com
They sell Casa Noble, Corralejo, El Jimador, Gran Centanario, Patron, Gran Patron (at £188 a bottle), Herencia, Herradura, Jose Cuervo, La Penca, Sauze, and Tarantula. Buy me one of each and I'll be very happy.
Dulwich, London, UK
I was in the East Dulwich Tavern, in Dulwich last night with my friends John and Amy. I went into the toilet, for a slash, and overheard a man on the phone talking to his friend. He asked, "I am in Dulwich, where the fuck are you?"
Surely, more accurately, he should have asked, "I am in Dulwich, where the fuck am I?"
Surely, more accurately, he should have asked, "I am in Dulwich, where the fuck am I?"
Friday, August 19, 2005
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Friday August 19, 2005
ephemeral \ih-FEM-er-ul\, adjective:
--Amy Harmon, "E-Mail Is Treacherous. So Why Do We Keep Trusting It?" New York Times, March 26, 2000
In "Mississippi Mermaid," the planter character played by Belmondo, a fellow who has sought a safe, permanent love, is liberated when he chooses to follow the ephemeral.
--Vincent Canby, "Truffaut's Clear-Eyed Quest." New York Times, September 14, 1975
Rather, we must separate what is ephemeral... from the things that are of lasting importance.
--Patrick Smith, Japan: A Reinterpretation
Ephemeral derives from Greek ephemeros, from epi, upon + hemera, day.
Synonyms: passing, short-lived, transient, transitory, fugacious
ephemeral \ih-FEM-er-ul\, adjective:
- Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; as, an ephemeral flower.
- Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only.
--Amy Harmon, "E-Mail Is Treacherous. So Why Do We Keep Trusting It?" New York Times, March 26, 2000
In "Mississippi Mermaid," the planter character played by Belmondo, a fellow who has sought a safe, permanent love, is liberated when he chooses to follow the ephemeral.
--Vincent Canby, "Truffaut's Clear-Eyed Quest." New York Times, September 14, 1975
Rather, we must separate what is ephemeral... from the things that are of lasting importance.
--Patrick Smith, Japan: A Reinterpretation
Ephemeral derives from Greek ephemeros, from epi, upon + hemera, day.
Synonyms: passing, short-lived, transient, transitory, fugacious
Walken 2008
Unfortunately Walken2008 was a hoax, damn shame that, but at least we can get the satisfaction of seeing him interview Bush.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Thursday August 18, 2005
parley \PAR-lee\, noun:
--Geoffrey O'Gara, What You See in Clear Water
Whether the Indians came out to parley or, seeing that the fort was about to fall, came out to surrender is unclear.
--Willard Sterne Randall, George Washington: A Life
In case of Servia's non-compliance with the ultimatum the army will invade the kingdom without further parley.
--"Austria Ready to Invade Servia, Sends Ultimatum," New York Times, July 24, 1914
Parley comes from Old French parlée, from parler, "to speak," from Medieval Latin parabolare, from Late Latin parabola, "a proverb, a parable, a similitude," from Greek parabole, "a comparison, a placing beside," from paraballein, "to throw beside, hence to compare," from para-, "beside" + ballein, "to throw."
parley \PAR-lee\, noun:
- A conference or discussion, especially with an enemy, as with
regard to a truce or other matters.
--Geoffrey O'Gara, What You See in Clear Water
Whether the Indians came out to parley or, seeing that the fort was about to fall, came out to surrender is unclear.
--Willard Sterne Randall, George Washington: A Life
In case of Servia's non-compliance with the ultimatum the army will invade the kingdom without further parley.
--"Austria Ready to Invade Servia, Sends Ultimatum," New York Times, July 24, 1914
Parley comes from Old French parlée, from parler, "to speak," from Medieval Latin parabolare, from Late Latin parabola, "a proverb, a parable, a similitude," from Greek parabole, "a comparison, a placing beside," from paraballein, "to throw beside, hence to compare," from para-, "beside" + ballein, "to throw."
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Wednesday August 17, 2005
dilatory \DIL-uh-tor-ee\, adjective:
--Carroll O'Connor, I Think I'm Outta Here
And what is a slumlord? He is not a man who own expensive property in fashionable neighborhoods, but one who owns only rundown property in the slums, where the rents are lowest and the where the payment is most dilatory, erratic and undependable.
--Henry Hazlitt, Economics in One Lesson
Dilatory is from Latin dilatorius, from dilator, "a dilatory person, a loiterer," from dilatus, past participle of differre, "to delay, to put off," from dis-, "apart, in different directions" + ferre, "to carry."
dilatory \DIL-uh-tor-ee\, adjective:
- Tending to put off what ought to be done at once; given to
procrastination. - Marked by procrastination or delay; intended to cause
delay; -- said of actions or measures.
--Carroll O'Connor, I Think I'm Outta Here
And what is a slumlord? He is not a man who own expensive property in fashionable neighborhoods, but one who owns only rundown property in the slums, where the rents are lowest and the where the payment is most dilatory, erratic and undependable.
--Henry Hazlitt, Economics in One Lesson
Dilatory is from Latin dilatorius, from dilator, "a dilatory person, a loiterer," from dilatus, past participle of differre, "to delay, to put off," from dis-, "apart, in different directions" + ferre, "to carry."
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Tuesday August 16, 2005
numinous \NOO-min-uhs; NYOO-\, adjective:
--Thomas W. Laqueur, The New Republic, September 18, 1995
All Quests are concerned with some numinous Object, the Waters of Life, the Grail, buried treasure, etc.
--W. H. Auden, "Secular Hobbitism" review of The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien, New York Times
Our culture is not much concerned with the numinous, but in language we preserve many of the marks of a culture that is.
--Richard Mitchell, Less Than Words Can Say
My sense of the numinous is generally keenest upstate, in the fields and forest that surround my old schoolhouse.
--Winifred Gallagher, Working on God
Numinous is from Latin numen, literally a "nod of the head" (as in giving a command), hence "divine power."
numinous \NOO-min-uhs; NYOO-\, adjective:
- Of or pertaining to a numen; supernatural.
- Indicating or suggesting the presence of a god; divine; holy.
- Inspiring awe and reverence; spiritual.
--Thomas W. Laqueur, The New Republic, September 18, 1995
All Quests are concerned with some numinous Object, the Waters of Life, the Grail, buried treasure, etc.
--W. H. Auden, "Secular Hobbitism" review of The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien, New York Times
Our culture is not much concerned with the numinous, but in language we preserve many of the marks of a culture that is.
--Richard Mitchell, Less Than Words Can Say
My sense of the numinous is generally keenest upstate, in the fields and forest that surround my old schoolhouse.
--Winifred Gallagher, Working on God
Numinous is from Latin numen, literally a "nod of the head" (as in giving a command), hence "divine power."
Monday, August 15, 2005
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Monday August 15, 2005
enmity \EN-mih-tee\, noun:
--Kathleen Norris, The Virgin of Bennington
In the course of our conversation he reverted to yesterday's aphorism about it being our joint task to guide our two peoples out of their old enmity into new amity.
--Charles Kessler (editor and translator), Berlin in Lights
There were also always those I rubbed the wrong way (sometimes to the point of outright enmity) by being too brash or too arrogant or too ambitious or too precociously successful -- or by not being inhibited or tactful enough to refrain from writing about my career.
--Norman Podhoretz, Ex-Friends
Enmity derives from Old French enemistié, ultimately from Latin inimicus, "an enemy," from in-, "not" + amicus, "friend," from amare, "to love."
Synonyms: animosity, antipathy, hostility, rancor.
enmity \EN-mih-tee\, noun:
- Hatred; ill will; hostile or unfriendly disposition.
--Kathleen Norris, The Virgin of Bennington
In the course of our conversation he reverted to yesterday's aphorism about it being our joint task to guide our two peoples out of their old enmity into new amity.
--Charles Kessler (editor and translator), Berlin in Lights
There were also always those I rubbed the wrong way (sometimes to the point of outright enmity) by being too brash or too arrogant or too ambitious or too precociously successful -- or by not being inhibited or tactful enough to refrain from writing about my career.
--Norman Podhoretz, Ex-Friends
Enmity derives from Old French enemistié, ultimately from Latin inimicus, "an enemy," from in-, "not" + amicus, "friend," from amare, "to love."
Synonyms: animosity, antipathy, hostility, rancor.
Who says baseball isn't dangerous?
Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran are outfielders for the NY Mets. Last night, they really "met" each other.
Update:
Cameron broke his nose, had multiple fractures of both cheekbones and a slight concussion.
Update:
Cameron broke his nose, had multiple fractures of both cheekbones and a slight concussion.
Oral Histories From Sept. 11
Oral Histories From Sept. 11 Compiled by the New York Fire Department - The New York Times
A rich vein of city records from Sept. 11, including more than 12,000 pages of oral histories rendered in the voices of 503 firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, were made public on Aug. 12. The New York Times has published all of them.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/20050812_WTC_GRAPHIC/met_WTC_histories_full_01.html
A rich vein of city records from Sept. 11, including more than 12,000 pages of oral histories rendered in the voices of 503 firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, were made public on Aug. 12. The New York Times has published all of them.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/20050812_WTC_GRAPHIC/met_WTC_histories_full_01.html
Ayds
This is for all those people I have been telling, and who didn't believe me, about a 1970s weightloss/slimming product called Ayds.
See, I wasn't just dreaming it.
http://www.luckykazoo.com/media/2005/08/lose-weight-with-aids.html
See, I wasn't just dreaming it.
http://www.luckykazoo.com/media/2005/08/lose-weight-with-aids.html
Egg Babies
"The Egg Babies are individually hand sculpted in polymer clay. The babies range in size from 2 to 5 inches.
The eggshell underscores the fragility of the life of a baby in the womb."
Oh god and I just ate breakfast, bleuch!
http://www3.telus.net/camilleallen/camilleallen/id9.htm
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Sunday August 14, 2005
pari passu \PAIR-ih-PASS-oo\, adverb:
--Paul Johnson, Modern Times: The World From the Twenties to the Eighties
Independent hedge funds can sell their holdings in a stock all at once, but if a hedge fund is part of a mutual fund company, it generally must sell pari passu... with the company's mutual funds that hold the same stock, constraining flexibility.
--Geraldine Fabrikant, "Should You Bristle at These Hedges?" New York Times, November 8, 1998
Pari passu literally means "with equal step," from Latin pari, ablative of par, "equal" + passu, ablative of passus, "step."
pari passu \PAIR-ih-PASS-oo\, adverb:
- At an equal pace or rate.
--Paul Johnson, Modern Times: The World From the Twenties to the Eighties
Independent hedge funds can sell their holdings in a stock all at once, but if a hedge fund is part of a mutual fund company, it generally must sell pari passu... with the company's mutual funds that hold the same stock, constraining flexibility.
--Geraldine Fabrikant, "Should You Bristle at These Hedges?" New York Times, November 8, 1998
Pari passu literally means "with equal step," from Latin pari, ablative of par, "equal" + passu, ablative of passus, "step."
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Saturday August 13, 2005
tryst \TRIST; TRYST\, noun:
--Anita Nair, The Better Man
Having left a "Dear John" letter for her husband on the kitchen table, she set off to the airport, where she waited, and waited. Of course, Henry had entirely forgotten
about the tryst, and she had to return home crestfallen.
--"The serial seducer who took Amis's wife," Times (London), May 17, 2000
Once Nick goes into the kitchen to tryst with Martha, it is Ms. Kurtz's turn to let loose with some fireworks.
--Frank Rich, Hot Seat
Scientists are hoping the cosmos will bear witness to a romantic rendezvous today as a spacecraft attempts a Valentine's Day "tryst" with an asteroid called Eros.
--Nigel Hawkes, "Eros beckons spacecraft for cosmic tryst," Times (London), February 14, 2000
Tryst is from Middle English triste, tryste, "a station to which game was driven (in hunting)," from Old French triste, "a station to which game was driven, a watch post," probably of Scandinavian origin.
tryst \TRIST; TRYST\, noun:
- An appointment (as between lovers) to meet; also, an appointed
place or time of meeting. - intransitive verb: To mutually agree to meet at a certain place; to keep a tryst.
--Anita Nair, The Better Man
Having left a "Dear John" letter for her husband on the kitchen table, she set off to the airport, where she waited, and waited. Of course, Henry had entirely forgotten
about the tryst, and she had to return home crestfallen.
--"The serial seducer who took Amis's wife," Times (London), May 17, 2000
Once Nick goes into the kitchen to tryst with Martha, it is Ms. Kurtz's turn to let loose with some fireworks.
--Frank Rich, Hot Seat
Scientists are hoping the cosmos will bear witness to a romantic rendezvous today as a spacecraft attempts a Valentine's Day "tryst" with an asteroid called Eros.
--Nigel Hawkes, "Eros beckons spacecraft for cosmic tryst," Times (London), February 14, 2000
Tryst is from Middle English triste, tryste, "a station to which game was driven (in hunting)," from Old French triste, "a station to which game was driven, a watch post," probably of Scandinavian origin.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Word Of The Day Catch-Up
Word of the Day for Thursday August 11, 2005
nugatory \NOO-guh-tor-ee; NYOO-\, adjective:
--Roberto Gonzlez Echevarria, "From Ruth to Rotisserie," New York Times, July 2, 2000
Jacoby's offense was no offense -- or an error so nugatory
as to demand no more than a one-sentence explanation.
--Lance Morrow, "In Boston, a Foolish Consistency of Little Minds," Time, July 19, 2000
Socialism no longer restrains; trade unions do so much less than they did; moral inhibitions over the acquisition and display of wealth are nugatory.
--John Lloyd, "If not socialism, what will persuade the rich willingly to pay more taxes to help the poor and preserve a decent society?" New Statesman, August 2, 1996
Nugatory comes from Latin nugatorius, from nugari, "to trifle," from nugae, "jests, trifles."
Word of the Day for Wednesday August 10, 2005
sojourn \SOH-juhrn; so-JURN\,
intransitive verb:
--Smallweed, "The trouble with hope," The Guardian, April 14, 2001
Yet he is now an accomplished student and speaker of English, a literary editor and television producer, someone who has sojourned in Paris and attended the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
--William H. Gass, "Family and Fable in Galilee," New York Times, April 17, 1988
As chance would have it, Degas's five-month sojourn in New Orleans coincided with an extraordinarily contentious period in the stormy political history of the city.
--Christopher Benfey, Degas in New Orleans
During that long sojourn in Sligo, from 1870 to 1874, he had lessons from a much loved nursemaid, Ellie Connolly; later he received coaching in spelling and dictation from Esther Merrick, a neighbour who lived in the Sexton's house by St John's, and who read him quantities of verse.
--R. F. Foster, W.B. Yeats: A Life
Sojourn comes from Old French sojorner, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin subdiurnare, from Latin sub-, "under, a little over" + Late Latin diurnus, "lasting for a day," from Latin dies, "day."
Word of the Day for Tuesday August 9, 2005
captious \KAP-shuhs\, adjective:
--"In-Closet Hypocrites," Atlanta Inquirer, August 15, 1998
Mr Bowman had, I think, been keeping Christmas Eve, and was a little inclined to be captious: at least, he was not on foot very early, and to judge from what I could hear, neither men nor maids could do anything to please him.
--M. R. James, The Haunted Dolls' House and Other Stories
Most authors would prefer readers such as Roiphe over captious academic critics.
--Steven Moore, "Old Flames," Washington Post, November 26, 2000
With the imperturbablest bland clearness, he, for five hours long, keeps answering the incessant volley of fiery captious questions.
--Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution
Captious is derived from Latin captiosus, "sophistical, captious, insidious," from captio, "a taking, a fallacy, sophism," from capere, "to take, to seize."
nugatory \NOO-guh-tor-ee; NYOO-\, adjective:
- Trifling; insignificant; inconsequential.
- Having no force; inoperative; ineffectual.
--Roberto Gonzlez Echevarria, "From Ruth to Rotisserie," New York Times, July 2, 2000
Jacoby's offense was no offense -- or an error so nugatory
as to demand no more than a one-sentence explanation.
--Lance Morrow, "In Boston, a Foolish Consistency of Little Minds," Time, July 19, 2000
Socialism no longer restrains; trade unions do so much less than they did; moral inhibitions over the acquisition and display of wealth are nugatory.
--John Lloyd, "If not socialism, what will persuade the rich willingly to pay more taxes to help the poor and preserve a decent society?" New Statesman, August 2, 1996
Nugatory comes from Latin nugatorius, from nugari, "to trifle," from nugae, "jests, trifles."
Word of the Day for Wednesday August 10, 2005
sojourn \SOH-juhrn; so-JURN\,
intransitive verb:
- To stay as a temporary resident; to dwell for a time.
- A temporary stay.
--Smallweed, "The trouble with hope," The Guardian, April 14, 2001
Yet he is now an accomplished student and speaker of English, a literary editor and television producer, someone who has sojourned in Paris and attended the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
--William H. Gass, "Family and Fable in Galilee," New York Times, April 17, 1988
As chance would have it, Degas's five-month sojourn in New Orleans coincided with an extraordinarily contentious period in the stormy political history of the city.
--Christopher Benfey, Degas in New Orleans
During that long sojourn in Sligo, from 1870 to 1874, he had lessons from a much loved nursemaid, Ellie Connolly; later he received coaching in spelling and dictation from Esther Merrick, a neighbour who lived in the Sexton's house by St John's, and who read him quantities of verse.
--R. F. Foster, W.B. Yeats: A Life
Sojourn comes from Old French sojorner, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin subdiurnare, from Latin sub-, "under, a little over" + Late Latin diurnus, "lasting for a day," from Latin dies, "day."
Word of the Day for Tuesday August 9, 2005
captious \KAP-shuhs\, adjective:
- Marked by a disposition to find fault or raise objections.
- Calculated to entrap or confuse, as in an argument.
--"In-Closet Hypocrites," Atlanta Inquirer, August 15, 1998
Mr Bowman had, I think, been keeping Christmas Eve, and was a little inclined to be captious: at least, he was not on foot very early, and to judge from what I could hear, neither men nor maids could do anything to please him.
--M. R. James, The Haunted Dolls' House and Other Stories
Most authors would prefer readers such as Roiphe over captious academic critics.
--Steven Moore, "Old Flames," Washington Post, November 26, 2000
With the imperturbablest bland clearness, he, for five hours long, keeps answering the incessant volley of fiery captious questions.
--Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution
Captious is derived from Latin captiosus, "sophistical, captious, insidious," from captio, "a taking, a fallacy, sophism," from capere, "to take, to seize."
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Friday August 12, 2005
ubiquitous \yoo-BIK-wih-tuhs\, adjective:
--Anne Sebba, Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image
Airborne gambling, shopping and videoconferencing may all be ubiquitous in the future.
--Peter H. Lewis, "The Cybercompanion," New York Times, February 7, 1999
Adding to my perplexity, this lack of clarity even appeared evident among the best and brightest sociologists, historians, literary scholars, art historians, those
working in cultural studies, American Studies, and journalism; the problem looked to be ubiquitous.
--Michael Kammen, American Culture, American Tastes
Before Tarzan, nobody understood just how big, how ubiquitous, how marketable a star could be.
--John Taliaferro, Tarzan Forever
Ubiquitous derives, via French, from Latin ubique, "everywhere," from ubi, "where." The noun form is ubiquity.
ubiquitous \yoo-BIK-wih-tuhs\, adjective:
- Existing or being everywhere, or in all places, at the same time.
--Anne Sebba, Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image
Airborne gambling, shopping and videoconferencing may all be ubiquitous in the future.
--Peter H. Lewis, "The Cybercompanion," New York Times, February 7, 1999
Adding to my perplexity, this lack of clarity even appeared evident among the best and brightest sociologists, historians, literary scholars, art historians, those
working in cultural studies, American Studies, and journalism; the problem looked to be ubiquitous.
--Michael Kammen, American Culture, American Tastes
Before Tarzan, nobody understood just how big, how ubiquitous, how marketable a star could be.
--John Taliaferro, Tarzan Forever
Ubiquitous derives, via French, from Latin ubique, "everywhere," from ubi, "where." The noun form is ubiquity.
Bush
The U.S. Postal Service created a stamp earlier this year with a picture of President Bush to honor his achievements while in office. However, it was found that the stamp was not sticking to envelopes. A commission to determine the reason for the defect was formed.
After thorough testing, the commission published the following findings:
1. The stamp was found to be in perfect order.
2. There was nothing wrong with the adhesive.
3. People were just spitting on the wrong side.
After thorough testing, the commission published the following findings:
1. The stamp was found to be in perfect order.
2. There was nothing wrong with the adhesive.
3. People were just spitting on the wrong side.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
U.N. agency urges Iran to stop nuclear activities
VIENNA, Austria (CNN) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors passed a resolution Thursday asking Iran to suspend its nuclear activities, according to a Western diplomat at the meeting in Austria.
The resolution was "somewhat amended from its original form, which expressed "serious concern" about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. CNN is awaiting a copy of the new resolution to compare it to the old.
The resolution -- written by France, Britain and Germany -- urges Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities, including uranium conversion activities at its Isfahan plant.
Those activities were restarted Wednesday after Iran removed IAEA seals on its nuclear equipment there.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/08/11/iran.iaea/index.html
The resolution was "somewhat amended from its original form, which expressed "serious concern" about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. CNN is awaiting a copy of the new resolution to compare it to the old.
The resolution -- written by France, Britain and Germany -- urges Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities, including uranium conversion activities at its Isfahan plant.
Those activities were restarted Wednesday after Iran removed IAEA seals on its nuclear equipment there.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/08/11/iran.iaea/index.html
Iran in nuclear sanctions warning
Iran has warned it would be a "grave miscalculation" for the US and EU to refer Tehran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme.
The warning came after Iran broke UN seals at its nuclear plant at Isfahan, making it fully operational.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on European Union countries to continue dialogue with Iran.
EU countries have proposed a resolution to the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna calling for Iran to halt work.
But Iran's chief negotiator at the talks there said Tehran had an absolute right to produce nuclear fuel.
The Isfahan plant is Iran's main uranium conversion facility.
Conversion is an early stage in the nuclear fuel cycle, turning raw uranium - known as yellowcake - into the feedstock for enriched uranium.
Uranium enriched to a low level is used to produce nuclear fuel, while further enrichment makes it suitable for use in atomic weapons.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4140258.stm
The warning came after Iran broke UN seals at its nuclear plant at Isfahan, making it fully operational.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on European Union countries to continue dialogue with Iran.
EU countries have proposed a resolution to the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna calling for Iran to halt work.
But Iran's chief negotiator at the talks there said Tehran had an absolute right to produce nuclear fuel.
The Isfahan plant is Iran's main uranium conversion facility.
Conversion is an early stage in the nuclear fuel cycle, turning raw uranium - known as yellowcake - into the feedstock for enriched uranium.
Uranium enriched to a low level is used to produce nuclear fuel, while further enrichment makes it suitable for use in atomic weapons.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4140258.stm
Pakistan and India, Rattling Sabres Again
Actually it seems that Pakistan is doing the rattling this time.
"Pakistan says it has fired its first cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads.
The Babur missile has a range of 500km (310miles), a military spokesman said.
The launch comes days after Pakistan and neighbouring rival India agreed to give each other advance notice of future nuclear missile tests.
India had not been informed about Thursday's test because the agreement did not cover the type of missile fired on Thursday, the spokesman said.
The agreement "does not cover pre-notification of cruise missile tests," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Naeem Khan told Associated Press.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4140692.stm
"Pakistan says it has fired its first cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads.
The Babur missile has a range of 500km (310miles), a military spokesman said.
The launch comes days after Pakistan and neighbouring rival India agreed to give each other advance notice of future nuclear missile tests.
India had not been informed about Thursday's test because the agreement did not cover the type of missile fired on Thursday, the spokesman said.
The agreement "does not cover pre-notification of cruise missile tests," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Naeem Khan told Associated Press.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4140692.stm
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Whoopee Cushion Bomb
AUSTRALIA: A bus driver sparked a major alert after finding a 'suspicious parcel' but it turned out to be a whoopee cushion
He became concerned after spotting the package on the rear seat of his bus as he came to the end of his route in Sydney
He noticed it made a popping sound when touched and, fearing it could be an explosive device, called police.
"It was an unattended item, emitting a popping sound. Just as a precaution we investigated. It's a whoopee cushion," police said.
Source: London Metro
He became concerned after spotting the package on the rear seat of his bus as he came to the end of his route in Sydney
He noticed it made a popping sound when touched and, fearing it could be an explosive device, called police.
"It was an unattended item, emitting a popping sound. Just as a precaution we investigated. It's a whoopee cushion," police said.
Source: London Metro
Friday, July 29, 2005
BBC News Can't Keep Up
Things are happening so fast today that it seems the BBC News website is finding it hard to keep up with all the details:
"Three more failed London bomb suspects are reported to be in custody following armed raids in the UK capital and Rome.
The London arrests are thought to be the men wanted for the 21 July Oval Tube and No 26 bus attacks. A third bomb suspect is already being held.
The fourth suspect, wanted for the attempted Shepherd's Bush Tube attack, has been arrested in Rome, said the Italian interior minister.
...
Anti-terrorist police are still looking for a fourth suspect in connection with an attempt to bomb a train at Shepherd's Bush, and possibly a fifth man."
Come on guys, sort your news out.
"Three more failed London bomb suspects are reported to be in custody following armed raids in the UK capital and Rome.
The London arrests are thought to be the men wanted for the 21 July Oval Tube and No 26 bus attacks. A third bomb suspect is already being held.
The fourth suspect, wanted for the attempted Shepherd's Bush Tube attack, has been arrested in Rome, said the Italian interior minister.
...
Anti-terrorist police are still looking for a fourth suspect in connection with an attempt to bomb a train at Shepherd's Bush, and possibly a fifth man."
Come on guys, sort your news out.
New name for 'war on terror'
The Bush administration is abandoning the phrase "war on terror" to better express the fight against al-Qaeda and other groups as an ideological struggle as much as a military mission.
The move is designed to reflect the wider US campaign against terror
While the slogan - first used by President George W Bush in the wake of the 9/11 attacks - may still be heard from time to time, the White House says it will increasingly be couched in other language.
In recent days, senior administration figures have been speaking publicly of "a global struggle against the enemies of freedom", and of the need to use all "tools of statecraft" to defeat them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4719169.stm
The move is designed to reflect the wider US campaign against terror
While the slogan - first used by President George W Bush in the wake of the 9/11 attacks - may still be heard from time to time, the White House says it will increasingly be couched in other language.
In recent days, senior administration figures have been speaking publicly of "a global struggle against the enemies of freedom", and of the need to use all "tools of statecraft" to defeat them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4719169.stm
Microsoft "Genuine Advantage" cracked in 24h
AV sez, "This week, Microsoft started requiring users to verifiy their serial number before using Windows Update. This effort to force users to either buy XP or tell them where you got the illegal copy is called 'Genuine Advantage.' It was cracked within 24 hours."
Before pressing 'Custom' or 'Express' buttons paste this text to the address bar and press enter:
javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all')
It turns off the trigger for the key check.
Before pressing 'Custom' or 'Express' buttons paste this text to the address bar and press enter:
javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all')
It turns off the trigger for the key check.
Terrorists on my Doorstep
Most of them have moved out now, to Birmingham (thanks Brummies!) and elsewhere, but here's a quick map of raids on addresses in my area. Incidents and raids are black dots, I live at the red dot.
Yet Another Reason the Moon Landings Were Faked
Early February 2003: The space shuttle Columbia broke into small pieces as it re-entered the atmosphere. This failure was attributed to damage sustained during the take-off fifteen days earlier when a piece of foam covering the fuels tanks broke off and hit the shuttle.
Seven astronauts – Rick Husband, William McCool, Ilan Ramon, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, and Laurel Clark - died when Columbia broke up. more...
26th July 2005: Nasa has launched its first manned space mission in two-and-a-half years as space shuttle Discovery blasted off on its 12-day flight at 1039 local time (1539 BST) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. more...
US space agency officials said they were happy with the launch, despite the sighting of what appeared to be some debris falling around the vehicle during the flight to orbit.
28th July 2005: Nasa grounds its shuttle fleet after large pieces of foam debris peeled off Discovery's external fuel tank during Tuesday's launch. more...
Now look, they can't even get this right, after two years of changes, enahancements, alterations in both the technology and procedures.
Is anybody else thinking that this is yet more circumstantial, yet compounding evidence that the moon landing were faked?
Seven astronauts – Rick Husband, William McCool, Ilan Ramon, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, and Laurel Clark - died when Columbia broke up. more...
26th July 2005: Nasa has launched its first manned space mission in two-and-a-half years as space shuttle Discovery blasted off on its 12-day flight at 1039 local time (1539 BST) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. more...
US space agency officials said they were happy with the launch, despite the sighting of what appeared to be some debris falling around the vehicle during the flight to orbit.
28th July 2005: Nasa grounds its shuttle fleet after large pieces of foam debris peeled off Discovery's external fuel tank during Tuesday's launch. more...
Now look, they can't even get this right, after two years of changes, enahancements, alterations in both the technology and procedures.
Is anybody else thinking that this is yet more circumstantial, yet compounding evidence that the moon landing were faked?
Word Of The Day
Word of the Day for Friday July 29, 2005
refulgent \rih-FUL-juhnt\, adjective:
--Martin Filler, "The Spirit of '76," New Republic, July 9, 2001
With its improbable towers tilting against themselves and its titanium sheathing in full refulgent glow, it brings on a question that the world has not enjoyed asking itself since the first moon landings: If this is possible, what isn't?
--Richard Lacayo, "The Frank Gehry Experience," Time, June 26, 2000
To the Renaissance, they [the Middle Ages] were nothing but a dank patch of history, a barren stretch of time between luminous antiquity and an equally refulgent present.
--Justin Davidson, "On the Record," Newsday, January 19, 1997
Refulgent comes from the present participle of Latin refulgere, "to flash back, to shine brightly," from re-, "back" + fulgere, "to shine."
refulgent \rih-FUL-juhnt\, adjective:
- Shining brightly; radiant; brilliant; resplendent.
--Martin Filler, "The Spirit of '76," New Republic, July 9, 2001
With its improbable towers tilting against themselves and its titanium sheathing in full refulgent glow, it brings on a question that the world has not enjoyed asking itself since the first moon landings: If this is possible, what isn't?
--Richard Lacayo, "The Frank Gehry Experience," Time, June 26, 2000
To the Renaissance, they [the Middle Ages] were nothing but a dank patch of history, a barren stretch of time between luminous antiquity and an equally refulgent present.
--Justin Davidson, "On the Record," Newsday, January 19, 1997
Refulgent comes from the present participle of Latin refulgere, "to flash back, to shine brightly," from re-, "back" + fulgere, "to shine."
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
World Stupidity Awards
It was a night of suspense and absolute idiocy as the World Stupidity Awards awarded achievement in ignorance and stupidity in one of the hottest ticket's at Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival Friday night.
While there were surprises, US president George W. Bush and Hotel Heiress Paris Hilton dominated the evening, with Hilton taking the Stupidest Woman of the Year category and Bush winning for Stupidest Statement for his comment: "They never stop thinking of ways of harming America, and neither do we. "
Some of the others winners include:
And John Gibson is still a twunt
http://www.stupidityawards.com/winners.html
While there were surprises, US president George W. Bush and Hotel Heiress Paris Hilton dominated the evening, with Hilton taking the Stupidest Woman of the Year category and Bush winning for Stupidest Statement for his comment: "They never stop thinking of ways of harming America, and neither do we. "
Some of the others winners include:
- Conservative columnist Ann Coulter won the award as Stupidest Man of the Year. She beat out Bush, U.S. Senator John Kerry, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Players Association director Bob Goodenow, and former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma.
- Ashlee Simpson's lip-synching performance on Saturday Night Live for Dumbest Moment of the Year
- Crystal meth for Stupidest Trend of the Year
- North Korean dictator Kim Jong for Stupidity Award for Reckless Endangerment of the Planet
- Fox News for Media Outlet Which Has Best Furthered Ignorance
And John Gibson is still a twunt
http://www.stupidityawards.com/winners.html
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