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Saturday, June 16, 2007

Mary Poppins Brings Back The Kid in You




Thursday, June 07, 2007

Willy Volk of Gadling wrote a post (well, actually two) compiling the Weirdest Amusement Parks in the world. For example, the Suoi Tien Park, a Buddhist-themed amusement park in Vietnam:
In addition to a giant splash park and various thrill rides, the "amusement park" features Heaven Palace, the Park’s vision of eternal life for people who manage to escape the torments of hell after years of gambling, adultery, and taking drugs. If hell isn’t enough to scare you straight, the park also features "Bat cave with innumerable bats, Mid air cycling over crocodile farm with more than 1,500 crocodiles of all sizes which cause fearful feeling for tourist." Yikes.
Here are the links: Very Weird Amusement Parks More Very Weird Amusement Parks

Monday, June 04, 2007

~~Teach A Penguin To Read Week~~


Saturday, June 02, 2007

Weekend Whimsy





Friday, June 01, 2007


Monday, May 21, 2007



Goldfish Live In Deep Fat FryerSupposedly these goldfish live under the oil in a fryer. The oil and water do not mix so the water stays cool while the oil is over 300 degrees.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Candy Wrapper Quiz They show you a letter from a wrapper and you guess what candy it's from. Fun!

Friday, May 18, 2007

I'm already tired of these cartoon penguins being all cute. How about a movie where they're evil and nasty? Have them be the ones causing the hole in the ozone.

Funny News


Ten Thousand Penguins
Air Force pilots stationed on the Falkland Islands have devised what they consider a marvelous new game. Noting that the local penguins are fascinated by airplanes, the pilots search out a beach where the birds are gathered and fly slowly along it at the water's edge. Perhaps ten thousand penguins turn their heads in unison watching the planes go by, and when the pilots turn around and fly back, the birds turn their heads in the opposite direction, like spectators at a slow-motion tennis match. Then, the paper reports, "The pilots fly out to sea and directly to the penguin colony and over fly it. Heads go up, up, up, and ten thousand penguins fall over gently onto their backs."

Sunday, May 13, 2007


Captain Ozone - http://www.captainozone.com~~A very, very strange sort or super hero guy. Yes kids, he's real and in color! Kid friendly site!


People will start a website about anything~~This one is all about balls and round objects~~All Ball - http://www.allball.org/THE WORLD'S ONLY KNOWN BALL ARCHIVE!

Ukrainian artist Nikolai Syadristy's miniature art works are most likely the smallest in the world; some are less then a millimeter high. The fly above is about as big as this comma ,
Syadristy creates his works of art with tools he also makes. "It's infernal work, considering the fact that very often it has taken more time to make an instrument than to process a part with it", he says. "Every new piece needs a new set of instruments. When I make my miniatures, I try to hold my breath and touch the work with the instrument between the beats of my heart to prevent my hand from trembling".
Among his masterpieces - or is that micropieces? - are a 3.85mm model of Columbus' ship the Santa Maria, composed of 256 gold parts - and a detailed nest of birds. The nest, for starters, being made out of half a hollowed-out poppy seed with some of the birds inside the nest and some in flight around it.
For great photos of his work see
Microart.kiev.ua

Saturday, May 12, 2007


Virtual Dog-Walking Arcade Game.
This is Lisa Katayama from Tokyomango playing a dog walking arcade game in Japan. Lisa explains: “basically you have to walk on a treadmill while holding this white dog’s leash. Walk too fast, and he’ll get tired. Walk too slow, and he’ll get bored. And when obstacles like the neighborhood bully dog or a oncoming car shows up on the screen, you better steer clear! If you mess up, your dog dies.”

Friday, May 11, 2007

WARNING: Humor may be hazardous to your illness.

Politically Correct Cat Facts


  1. My cat does not barf hairballs, he is a floor/rug redecorator. -
  2. My cat does not break things, she helps gravity do its job.
  3. - My cat does not fear dogs, they are merely sprint practice tools. -
  4. My cat does not gobble, she eats with alacrity. -
  5. My cat does not scratch, he is a furniture/rug/skin ventilator. -
  6. My cat does not yowl, he is singing off-key. -
  7. My cat is not a "shedding machine", she is a hair relocation stylist. -
  8. My cat is not a "treat-seeking missile", she enjoys the proximity of food. -
  9. My cat is not a bed hog, he is a mattress appreciator. -
  10. My cat is not a chatterbox, she is advising me on what to do next. -
  11. My cat is not a dope addict, she is catnip appreciative. -
  12. My cat is not a lap fungus, he is bed selective. -
  13. My cat is not a pest, she is attention deprived. - My cat is not a ruthless hunter, she is a wildlife control expert. -
  14. My cat is not evil, she is badness enhanced. -
  15. My cat is not fat, he is mass enhanced.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Halloween is still five months away but there’s talk of haunting spirits, ghostly happenings and unexplained mysteries at one of the area’s liveliest nightclubs.
The Locker Room Saloon in Utica, on Tuesday will celebrate the 102nd anniversary of the fire that destroyed the village of Utica, wiping out 50 buildings and leaving more than 150 homeless.
There will be a psychic for customers in the main bar area but a small select group will attend a private seance in an effort to determine whether the bar on Auburn near Van Dyke is haunted.
“We have a ton of weird stuff happening here,” said Dave Pittman, whose family has owned and operated Locker Room Saloon for the past 25 years.
A massive fire in 1904 swept through what was then a tiny village, wiping out much of the business district and St. Lawrence Church. The epicenter of the fire was the former Exchange Hotel, which was located on the property now known as Locker Room Saloon.Continue Reading »




The World’s First Computer?
Was the Antikythera Mechanism the world’s first computer? [link]


Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Theme Song Quizzes~~These Are Fun!


Monday, May 07, 2007

Paul Revere never completed journey
On the evening of 18 April 1775, Paul Revere was instructed to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them, and then ride on to Concord. Riding a horse that he borrowed from his friend Deacon John Larkin, he alarmed the countryside, stopping at each house, and reached Lexington at midnight.
After delivering the message, Revere was joined by William Dawes, who had been sent on the same errand by a different route. On route to their next destination, Concord, Massachusetts, where weapons and supplies were hidden, they were joined by Dr Samuel Prescott. At 1am, they were arrested by a British patrol, but Prescott and Dawes managed to escaped. Revere was released without a horse at 2 am and returned to Lexington.


The top five moneymaking films of all time are: "Titanic" [$1,835m], Jurassic Park" [$920m], Independence Day" [$810m], "Star Wars" [$780m], "The Lion King" [$767m]. Notice that they all are family-type movies. In fact, movies with strong sexual or violence content usually bomb at the box office. According to the American Family Association, the average cost to produce a movie in 1996 was $40 million. Sex films grossed on average only $700 000. Movies with strong Christian or family content each grossed over $37 million.
"Frankly my dear...""Gone With The Wind has been the best-attended film since its release in 1939. Without a doubt the most famous line in the movie is when Rhett Butler tells Scarlet O'Hara, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." According to "Curse Control", a book by James O'Connor, director David Selznick was fined heavy for that curse word: $5,000. A lot of money in those days. The movie is based on the book by Margaret Mitchell. It was the only book she wrote.

50% of Hollywood movies never achieve a cinema release. Those that do, make 5 times more from video sales than cinema takings.
The biggest movie promotion deal is the $2 billion agreement between George Lucas - the director of the "Star Wars" trilogy - and Pepsi for exclusive worldwide use of the film's characters.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

The world's largest diamond mine~~

This diamond mine in eastern Siberia (Mirny) is so deep that the surrounding "air zone" is closed for helicopters after a few accidents in which they were "sucked in" by downward air flow.









The red arrow in this last picture is pointing at a 22o ton rockhauling truck which is over 20 ft. tall.

Fiendish Curiosities
Fiendish Curiosities was founded in 2003 by Prof. Burnaby Q. Orbax, aka the Great Orbax, in an attempt to combine the greatest passions in his life: sideshow, science, and monsters.Using a combination of current special effects techniques, latex casting and molding, sculpture and modern taxidermy, the company create one of a kind works of custom art for the discerning collector. Fiendish Curiosities attempts to incorporate the sciences of zoology, anatomy, and teratology while devising their curiosities so that in many case, while not cute and cuddly, they do appear as they would had they been the result of natural mutation and adaptation.

What does WD mean in WD-40?


Water Displacement~~WD-40 was originally developed in 1953 by the Rocket Chemical Company, as a rust preventative solvent. Their first customer, Convair, used it to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile, America's first nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile. The formula was the 40th attempt at developing the suitable water displacement product, thus the name "WD-40". The original ICBM-protecting formula remains unchanged to this day, even if its uses are somewhat more mundane.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Fake brands are rampant in China sold with unreasonably low prices at marketplaces. Foreign companies have frequently complained of trademark violation. China recently has also cracked down on fake brands by closing down business retailers in order to build a better positive image to outsiders. Check out some 19 fake brand pics in the link.
LINK

Friday, May 04, 2007

What was the name of the street where this standoff took place?

Answer: Avenue of Eternal Peace~~Chang'an Dajie, which in English means "Avenue of Eternal Peace", leads to Tiananmen Square. The identity of the man in the photo, and his ultimate fate after being pulled to safety by onlookers, to this day are a mystery. The Sunday Express (UK) initially identified him as Wang Weilin, although many doubt the authenticity of this account.It is interesting to note that although this image is famous throughout the world, it is virtually unknown in China, where all media (including the Internet) is tightly monitored and controlled. Many Chinese are unaware this standoff even took place.


Security is when everything is settled. When nothing can happen to you. Security is the denial of life. -Germaine Greer
Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be. -Jose Ortega y Gasset
You don't have to fear defeat if you believe it may reveal powers that you didn't know you possessed. -Napoleon Hill
When things go wrong - don't go wrong with them.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. -Ambrose Redmoon
Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler
It's not the load that breaks you down - its the way you carry it.
Do you know what a pessimist is? A person who thinks everybody as nasty as himself, and hates them for it. -George Bernard Shaw
Don't be afraid to take a big step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps. -David Lloyd George
Try to relax and enjoy the crisis. -Ashleigh Brilliant
Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born. -Dale E. Turner
Nothing contributes more to peace of soul than having no opinion at all. -George Christopher Lichtenberg
If it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.

Thursday, May 03, 2007


It was law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed.
During the 6th Century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because it was thought that they were expelling evil from their bodies. During the great plague of Europe, the Pope passed a law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed.
There still are some weird laws on the books. In Washington state, it is against the law to boast that one's parents are rich. In Maryland, it's illegal to play Randy Newman's "Short People" on the radio. In Alabama it is illegal to play Dominoes on Sunday. And in Minneapolis, double-parkers can be put on a chain gang.

What Do Fireflies Eat?


Fireflies are not flies at all, but they are kinds of beetles. They are also called lightning bugs. Firefly eggs hatch into little wormlike creatures called larvae. Some kinds of larvae glow in the dark, and those that do are called glowworms. The glowworms eat very small creatures such as other insects, snails, and slugs. Some adult fireflies also eat other insects. Some eat pollen and other flower parts, and some probably do not eat anything at all.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Toilet Paper Whatnots



Zeth Wheeler patents rolled and perforated wrapping paper in 1871. By 1874 he had is own business the Rolled Wrapping Paper Company, but the company couldn't turn a profit. In 1877, Wheller reorganized into the Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company and began selling Perforated Toilet Paper ('The Standard') on a roll. It sold in plain brown wrappers and fit conveniently into the American bathroom, which at the time was quite small.

Invention:
Toilet Paper
Function:
noun / TP, lavatory paper, toilet tissue, bathroom tissue
Definition:
A thin, soft, lightweight, sanitized paper used in bathrooms for personal cleanliness.Toilet paper, which differs in composition from facial tissue, is designed to deteriorate when wet in order to keep drain pipes clear.

Doggie Greeter


A Chinese store owner is dressing up her pet dog in jeans and a t-shirt to welcome and attract customers.The dog, wearing his distinctive outfit, sits on the front step of the leather goods shop in Suzhou city."He is very polite. When a customer comes in, he will smile, and bark in welcome," the owner told People's Daily."And when a customer is leaving, he will bow, expressing thanks."

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Useless Facts


The most played song on American radio during the twentieth century was You've Lost That Loving Feeling which was written by Barry Mann, Phil Spector, and Cynthia Weil. Although recorded by different artists, the song is the only one in history to be played over 8 million times on the radio. That amounts to about 45 years if the song was played back to back! Three songs were played 7 million times: Never My Love, Yesterday, and Stand By Me (in that order).
Source: The BMI Top 100 Songs (BMI)
"Weird" Al Yankovic received a Bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1981. He also served as valedictorian of his high school at age 16.
Source: VH1's Behind the Music
The oldest business in the United States of America is the cymbal company Zildjian which was founded in Constantinople in 1623.
Source: American Heritage of Invention & Technology, Winter 2000
Every act that has had a Billboard Top 40 hit whose title included the name of a different recording act, that other act had at least one Top 40 hit at the same exact time. Some examples (not a complete list):
1964: The song We Love You Beatles by the Carefrees was on the charts while The Beatles had seven songs of their own in the Top 40.
1984-85: Rick Springfield had the minor hit Bruce while Bruce Springsteen was charting himself with Born in the U.S.A.
1987: Both the ABC song When Smokey Sings and Smokey Robinson's song One Heartbeat were in the Top 10 at the same time.
1992: Weird Al had the hit Smells Like Nirvana at the same time that Nirvana had the hit Come As You Are.
Source: Chart Beat Chat, Billboard Online, April 28, 2000
There are approximately ten million bricks in the Empire State Building.
Source: A&E Top 10 Architectural Wonders
The lightning that we see actually goes from the ground to the sky in what is known as the "return stroke" at 1/3 the speed of light. We can't see the initial "stepped leader" that passes from the sky to the ground.
Source: USA Today Weather Book by Jack Williams (1992, page 127)
From space, the brightest man-made place is Las Vegas, Nevada.
Source: Understanding Electricity, The Learning Channel, March 27, 2000
Janis Joplin's will called for a party for 200 people at her favorite pub in San Alselmo, California at a cost of $2,500.00.
Source: The People's Almanac #2 by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace (1978, page 1200)
Contrary to common belief, elephants are not afraid of mice. Go to any zoo and chances are that the mice are living in the same quarters as the elephants. The mice eat the grain and nest in the hay that is so common to elephant habitats.
Source: National Geographic web site
The Carpenters signature song, We've Only Just Begun, was originally part of a television commercial for a California bank. The music played in the background of a scene in which a newlywed couple had, of course, just begun their lives together. Richard Carpenter saw the commercial and sculpted it into the classic song that we know today.
Source: The liner notes of the Carpenters' album The Singles 1969-1973
Actress Cheryl Ladd started her career as the singing voice of the character Melody on the 1970's cartoon Josie and the Pussycats.
Source: Cheryl Ladd in an interview on Live with Regis & Kathy Lee (8/24/99)
The most common invention of the 19th century was the washing machine. Between 1804 and 1873, at least 1676 patents were issued by the United States Patent Office for various forms of this device.
Source: Household Wonders (The History Channel)
The five most stolen items in a drugstore are batteries, cosmetics, film, sunglasses, and, get this, Preparation H. Apparently people are just too embarrassed to purchase the last item. And, just in case you are curious, one of Preparation H's main ingredient is shark liver oil. The oil not only helps shrink hemorrhoids, but will shrink any tissue. As a result, many older women in Florida use the stuff to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles!
Source: Do Pharmacists Sell Farms? by Vince Staten (1998, Simon & Schuster)
It's widely known that Alexander Graham Bell beat Elisha Gray to the patent office by a mere two hours with his application to patent the telephone. However, ten years after Bell's patent was issued, patent examiner Zenas Wilber admitted in a sworn affadavit that he had taken a $100 bribe from Bell, had taken a loan from Bell's patent attorney, and had given Bell the complete details of Gray's caveat. Hmmmm....
Source: Inventor's Digest, July/August 1998, pages 26-28.

Wonder Why He Looks So Unhappy~~


Times boy and bicycle." 1921. View full size. National Photo Co. Collection. Winner of a Mead Ranger bike by virtue of selling 30 newspaper subscriptions. The Ranger contest was a promotion of various papers from about 1917 to 1923.

How Saran Wrap Came To be


In 1933, Ralph Wiley, a Dow Chemical lab worker, accidentally discovered polyvinylidene chloride or Saran. Ralph, a college student who cleaned glassware in a Dow Chemical lab, came across a vial he couldn't scrub clean. He called the substance "eonite", after an indestructible material in the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie." Dow researchers made Ralph's "eonite" into a greasy, dark green film, which Dow called "Saran". The military sprayed it on fighter planes to guard against salty sea spray and carmakers used it for upholstery. Dow later got rid the of Saran's green color and unpleasant odor.
After World War 2, it was approved for food packaging, and it was Prior Sanctioned in 1956 (Society of the Plastics Industry). PVDC is cleared for use as a food contact surface as a base polymer, in food package gaskets, in direct contact with dry foods, and for paperboard coating in contact with fatty and aqueous foods.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Foods Named After People



Fettuccine Alfredo – Alfredo di Lelio, an early-20th century Italian chef who invented the dish for his wife in 1914–1920 at his Roman restaurant and popularized it among tourists.
Caesar saladCaesar Cardini (1896–1956) or one of his associates created this salad at the restaurant of the Hotel Caesar in Tijuana.
Cobb SaladRobert H. Cobb, owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, who is said to have invented the salad as a late-night snack for himself in 1936–1937.
Graham crackers, Graham flourSylvester Graham, 19th-century American Presbyterian minister and proponent of a puritan lifestyle based on teetotalling, vegetarianism, and whole wheat.
Heath bar – the American "English toffee" bar is named for brothers Bayard and Everett Heath, Illinois confectioners who developed it in the 1920s and eventually turned the local favorite into a nationally popular candy bar.
Kaiser rolls – originally, rolls made by a Viennese baker in about 1487 for Emperor Frederick V, whose profile was stamped on top.
Margarita – there are many claims for the name of this tequila/lime/orange liqueur cocktail. Dallas socialite Margarita Samas said she invented it in 1948 for one of her Acapulco parties. Enrique Bastate Gutierrez claimed he invented it in Tijuana in the 1940s for Rita Hayworth. Hayworth's real name was Margarita Cansino, and another story connects the drink to her during an earlier time when she was dancing in Tijuana nightclubs under that name. Carlos Herrera said he created and named the cocktail in his Tijuana restaurant in 1938–1939 for Marjorie King. Ms. King was reportedly allergic to all alcohol except tequila, and had asked for something besides a straight shot. Around this same general time period, Nevada bartender Red Hinton said he'd named the cocktail after his girlfriend Margarita Mendez. Other stories exist.
Mary Janes – peanut butter and molasses candy bars developed by Charles N. Miller in 1914, and named after his favorite aunt.
Reuben sandwich – possibly Arnold Reuben, a New York restaurateur (1883–1970), created and named it c. 1914, or Reuben Kolakofsky (1874–1960) c. 1925 may have made it for a poker group gathered at his Omaha, Nebraska grocery.
Baby Ruth candy bar – most likely, Babe Ruth (1895–1948) was the inspiration for the name. Although the Curtiss Candy Co. has insisted from the beginning that the candy bar was named after a daughter of Grover Cleveland, Ruth Cleveland died in 1904 at the age of 12, while the Baby Ruth was introduced in 1921 right at a time when George Herman Ruth, Jr. had become a baseball superstar. It is interesting to note that very early versions of the wrapper offer a baseball glove for 79 cents. Babe Ruth's announced intent to sue the company is probably what drove and perpetuated the dubious cover story.
Salisbury steakDr. James H. Salisbury (1823–1905), early U.S. health food advocate, created this dish and advised his patients to eat it three times a day, while limiting their intake of "poisonous" vegetables and starches.
SandwichJohn Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792) did not invent the sandwich. Meat between slices of bread had been eaten long before him. But as the often-repeated story goes, his title name was applied to it c. 1762, after he frequently called for the easily-handled food while entertaining friends. Their card games then were not interrupted by the need for forks and such.
Tootsie RollsClara "Tootsie" Hirshfield, the small daughter of Leo Hirshfield, developer of the first paper-wrapped penny candy, in New York, 1896.

Retro Toys

If you grew up in a certain time frame, the items at Feeling Retro may cause a twinge of nostalgia. They've got a nice list of toys, games, food and music from the 60's and 70's. You can even share your favorite memories. Nice.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Nostalgic Toys



ToyNfo.com has links to all manner of vintage toys. Some of the ones featured there that I fondly recall:Some I had forgotten about .


The Japanese version of the Wii Safety manual has some hilarious illustrations. (via Global Nerdy)

Didn't Mama Say........................




You make that face and it's going to freeze that way. Monoface lets you mix, match or randomly shuffle up a new face every time.