9.21.2007

Mammoth Dung Could Accellerate Global Warming

For millennia, layers of animal waste and other organic matter left behind by the creatures that used to roam the Arctic tundra have been sealed inside the frozen permafrost. Now climate change is thawing the permafrost and lifting this prehistoric ooze from suspended animation.

But Zimov, a scientist who for almost 30 years has studied climate change in Russia's Arctic, believes that as this organic matter becomes exposed to the air it will accelerate global warming faster than even some of the most pessimistic forecasts.

Full story at Washington Post

World's Worst Police Dog

9.20.2007

Man Who Puts Pet Rattlesnake in Mouth Gets Bit



Can you say "duh"?

Tiger Attacks Men Riding Elephants

7.16.2007

Parents Allow Children to Starve to Play Online Games

RENO, Nev. - A couple who authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.

The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age 11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said. Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence.

Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games, mainly the fantasy role-playing "Dungeons & Dragons" series, to give their children proper care.

"They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Police said hospital staff had to shave the head of the girl because her hair was matted with cat urine. The 10-pound girl also had a mouth infection, dry skin and severe dehydration.

Her brother had to be treated for starvation and a genital infection. His lack of muscle development caused him difficulty in walking, investigators said.

Full article at Yahoo News

7.14.2007

Birdy Car Ride



Stupid bird.. that is SO cute!

7.13.2007

Gored in the Leg by a Fighting Bull

This is by far one of the best bull gore pictures I've seen so far >=D

link and image: Yahoo News

A Bit of Downtime

It's a bit of a long story, so I'll copy and paste from my personal blog:

Cat Found

My cousin and his friend walking around some school at night when they found a little kitten mewing for them to pick him up. Normally a kitten his age should look like this:but he looks like this:

He's tiny enough to fit in the palm of my hand, he's so skinny I can feel the joints, ridges, and curves of all his skeletal bones and his kidneys can be easily felt through his back. He was so dirty that when I washed him, I had to use three buckets of water to get the brown out of his fur, and he was beginning to get a distended colon from the fecal buildup.

After getting him washed-up and picking off all the fleas, he looked a bit like this cat, but much skinnier:

We've been feeding him for the past two days and he's taking food well, but he has some sort of respiratory illness. He coughs, sneezes, and has a running nose most of the time. If he can get past that, then I'm sure he's gonna be fine. If he'll live, I'll update with some pictures of him when he looks more like a kitten rather than a Ren and Stimpy character =/

Alas, the irony..

I have never been allergic to ANYTHING in my life, and for one reason or another with this cat.. I have hives ALL OVER MY BODY!!! I can deal though..

As for the cat.. he's not gaining much weight and he might be getting sicker.. I really hope he lives, he's too sweet to die..

Rest in Peace, Oreo

Oreo the kitten was put to sleep yesterday. I don't think I've ever cried so hard and so long in my life, and I never knew I could get so attached to someone so quickly. I had fed, held, and slept next to the kitten for the full four days I took care of him, and it had gotten to the point where he would follow me around everywhere I went and would cry for me when I was gone. The first two days he would eat food constantly, but each day after he'd eat less and less until yesterday when I couldn't even feed him with a bottle without him choking.

He slept the whole night curled between my chin, neck, and shoulder, and woke me and Mauro up in the morning crying. Oreo kept mewing and crying. His little body had already wasted away to nothing but bones; his muscles weren't even strong enough to hold his head up.

Me and Mauro grabbed the cat and jumped in the car to find a medical supply store to buy a feeding tube, our last chance to save him. We drove to five different pharmacies, and the best thing we could find was eye droppers. As a last resort, we stopped by an animal shelter to ask if we could buy a feeding tube from them. By this time Oreo was still mewing and crying, but he wasn't even conscious enough to realize who I was or where he was at. I guess we had reached the point of no return. The shelter [nor any of the vet offices we visited] would allow us to buy a feeding tube, and the kitten was suffering immensely.


The lady at the desk was very nice about everything, but said we couldn't keep the body because a found cat is technically city property [meaning the city doesn't want to lose the $5 they'll be paid by pet food companies to use the body in pet food]. We could have filed a claim saying the cat was ours, but we'd have negligence charges on us for the poor state of the cat.

The lady told us Oreo would be put to sleep within two hours, we said our goodbyes, and left.

I felt so guilty for letting the poor thing die. He had trusted me with his life, begged me to make him better, and I had sent him to death. Nothing hurts more than to have something look you in the eyes and cry for your help when you can't do a damned thing.

Mauro drove me to the beach and took me to eat after. Neither of us could bring ourselves to eat much and we mostly just sat there. Then, a bit more than an hour after we had left the shelter, we were just sitting in the restaurant and I could distinctly smell Oreo [I could only smell him when he slept with me; it was a bit of a spoiled milk smell, but it was very unique and specific] for a few seconds, then it was gone. Mauro suddenly wanted to leave. I asked him if he smelled something a minute earlier, and he said it was the cat.

I don't know quite what had happened, but I have had many occurences in which it had seemed I had been contacted by a dead pet. I might be inclined to think I was just imagining things, but Mauro had sensed it too, so I don't know.. One way or another, I felt much happier afterwards..

I'm really gonna miss the little guy..
Turns out the hives were an airborne form of Cat Scratch Fever; it's nothing serious, but it itches like crazy! Anyways, that was my vacation story =/

7.02.2007

Panda Escape Artist

7.01.2007

Starving Japanese Dog


I'd say he's hungry..

Pet Hyenas

Faten Shwaykani plays with pet hyenas at her house in the suburb of Garamana near Damascus June 27, 2007. Shwaykani's husband is a hunter of dangerous animals which he keeps at their house and farm.
They're so cute!

link and image: China Daily via Spluch

Spoiled Brat Cries Over $67,000 Lexus Present


Is this girl bi-polar? I love the "Everybody Hurts" cameo at the end.

6.30.2007

Water Skiing Monkies

6.29.2007

Kuntzkamera- Russian Mutter Museum Mixed with a Torture Chamber


“Kuntzkamera” it’s a museum in St. Petersburg. It’s a really strange place, was founded by Russian Tsar Peter the First. He collected different weird stuff all over the Russia to this museum: freaky people and animals preserved in alcohol, torture instruments, strange paintings and much more.
More gruesome stuff at English Russia

Incarcerex- Anti Drug War Commercial


I don't condone the use of drugs, but putting someone in jail is more like sending someone to criminal college if you ask me. Instead, give some one ways to work out their problems rather than let them simmer in it for twenty years..

Drug Policy Alliance via BoingBoing

Cute Food Plushies

I just LOVE the color smears on the gumball ice cream doll.

These are just a few of my favorites. You can see many more at Play Food!

Origins of the Domestic House Cat


The ancestry of the world's household cats can be traced to an ancient region of the near east, suggesting an unusually exotic origin for one of the most aloof animals ever to be domesticated by humans.

A major genetic survey of nearly 1,000 feral and domestic cats has revealed that every breed of household cat alive today originates from just five lineages which lived alongside ancient settlers in the Fertile Crescent, an area stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.

The earliest archaeological evidence for cat domestication dates to 9,500 years ago, when cats were thought to have been kept as pets in parts of Cyprus. But the researchers believe domestication started 3,000 years earlier, with the family feline having broken ranks with its wild relatives as long as 130,000 years ago.

Rest of article at Guardian Unlimited via Madville

Woodland House- DIY


The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Being your own (have a go) architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass produced box designed for maximum profit and convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with producers profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.

Main tools used: chainsaw, hammer and 1 inch chisel, little else really. Oh and by the way I am not abuilder or carpenter, my experience is only having a go at one similar house 2yrs before and a bit of mucking around inbetween. This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverence and a mate or two to give a lift now and again.
I wouldn't mind having one of these.

More pictures of each step of construction at Sense 4 Fun via Found on the Web

6.28.2007

The Serpent Mother at Burning Man

There has never been a sculpture like the Serpent Mother. The warmth of her fire and her circular design create an experience in which over 1000 people come together -- drawn in by her embrace.

She prompts her audience not only to interact with the art, but also with one another. Wherever she exists, she creates new communities.

The Serpent Mother is a 168' long sculpture of a skeletal serpent, coiled around her egg. Propane fire runs down her spine, with 41 "poofers," or flame-throwers, that erupt from the top of her vertebrae. Reaching 20 feet in the air, her head and jaws are hydraulically operated.

She is a highly kinetic, participant controlled installation. Fire effects are a major interactive, sculptural element of the piece. The audience helps to direct her movements, using controls that move the head and jaws and pushing buttons located on the ribs that set off flame effects, effectively making each show a unique event created by the participants.

The Serpent Mother challenges the traditional art perspective by creating an interactive experience which is the opposite of passive viewing. Unlike an unapproachable painting in a prestigious museum which invites only an intellectual admiration, the Serpent Mother invites viewers to physically engage in her art.

What I wouldn't give to see that!

link and image: The Serpent Mother via BoingBoing

Affectionate Lions

Forget bears, who wants a lion hug?

via xpock

Eclyse the Zorse

For while most zebra-horse crossbreeds sport stripes across their entire body, Eclyse only has two such patches, on its face and rear.

The one-year-old zorse was the accidental product of a holiday romance when her mother, Eclipse, was taken from her German safari park home to a ranch in Italy for a brief spell.

There she was able to roam freely with other horses and a number of zebras, including one called Ulysses who took a fancy to her.

When Eclipse returned home, she surprised her keepers by giving birth to the baby zorse whose mixed markings betray her colourful parentage.

The foal was promptly given a name that is in itself a hybrid, of her parents' names.

Now she's become a major attraction at a safari park at Schloss Holte Stukenbrock, near the German border with Holland, where she has her own enclosure.

Udo Richter, spokesman for the park, said, "You can tell she is a mix just by looking at her. But in temperament she can also exhibit characteristics from each parent.

"She is usually relatively tame like a horse but occasionally shows the fiery temperament of a zebra, leaping around like one."

Horses and zebras are often crossbred in Africa and are used as trekking animals on Mount Kenya.

link and image: Daily Mail via Welsh View

6.27.2007

Peruvian Guinea Pig Festival


Peru’s celebration of the guinea pig included contests for the biggest, the best-dressed _ and the tastiest. The second annual festival of the cuy, as guinea pigs are known in the Andes, brought brass bands into the streets of highland Churin on Sunday to celebrate all things related to the furry rodents.

"Zero cholesterol! Protein for anemia!" Teresa Figeroa shouted from under her woven, flower-lined hat.

For 20 soles ($7), she sold plates of guinea pig fried, grilled, baked _ even cuy au vin _ with generous helpings of Andean potatoes and large Peruvian corn called choclo.

link and image: Neatorama

6.23.2007

Freaky Kids Cartoon- Adventures of Mark Twain



Apparently this cartoon has been banned from television. It's sad how sterile children's cartoons are today. I'd much rather have my kids exposed to many differing [and occasionally offensive] opinions and perspectives rather than to have everything filter-fed to them.

Toys for Pigs

Five Dutch artists presented newly invented pig toys in a desiging contest today in the practical farm of Wageningen University’s Animal Science Group in Raalte, the Netherlands.

Musician Eva Meijer invented the ‘magical ball’, containing of different layers each having a different taste or smell. "Pigs like destroying and they love to chew on things," she motivated her choice.
Artist Irma Horstman produced a chain with edible rings in various shapes and colours.
Seesaw
In addition, a pig seesaw called Piggy Wiggy was introduced. On this device, pigs can walk in their search for food.
Artist Sharon Geschiere introduced a wall containing elements that will intrigue the pigs’ feeling senses.
Last but not least, a pig roulette was introduced.
Legislation
The contest was organised with a view on new legislation.
Following European legislation, as from July 1st, 2007, pig producers in the Netherlands are compelled to offer some entertainment for their pigs.
This decision was made because the animals could seriously harm each other when they get bored.
Requirements
In order to be shown today, the new pig toys were required to be interesting for pigs, not very labour intensive and usable for more than one hog.
Several manufacturing companies have showed an interest in the newly presented art objects.
The story may seem a bit trivial, but this is very good news considering how much mental anguish these highly intelligent animals go through while stuck in their tiny pens. I say if you're going to keep something just to eat it, at least give it some kind of a life before hand.

link and image: Pig Progress via Arbroath

7 Year Old Weighs 400 lbs


Does anybody know where to find the follow-up to this video?

Dog Costumes

This dog looks a lot like Sammy. I wonder if they're related..

Many more cute dog costumes at Ueba via Welsh View

World's Ugliest Dog 2007


Elwood, a 2-year-old Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix, was crowned the world's ugliest dog Friday, a distinction that delighted the New Jersey mutt's owners.

Elwood, dark colored and hairless — save for a mohawk-like puff of white fur on his head — is often referred to as "Yoda," or "ET," for his resemblance to those famous science fiction characters.

"I think he's the cutest thing that ever lived," said Elwood's owner, Karen Quigley, a resident of Sewell, New Jersey

Quigley brought Elwood out to compete for the second year at the annual ugly dog contest at the Marin-Sonoma County Fair. Elwood placed second last year.

Most of the competing canines were also Chinese Crested, a breed that features a mohawk, bug eyes and a long, wagging tongue.

Quigley said she rescued Elwood two years ago. "The breeder was going to euthanize him because she thought he was too ugly to sell," said Quigley.

"So ha ha, now Elwood's all over the Internet and people love him and adore him."

Beyond the regal title of ugliest dog, Elwood also earned a $1,000 reward for his owner.

link and image: Yahoo News

6.22.2007

Cheetah Poops into Sunroof

Well.. I guess you know the cheetah's opinion..


via Neatorama

PBF Comics

Perry Bible Fellowship has got to be my favorite online comic [and as far as I know, the only one that doesn't specialize in video games].

Enjoy more irreverent fun at PBF Comics

Free WiFi


Tired of surfing the web in the house? WiFi Free Spot List establishments that offer free WiFi all over the world and is searchable by region. I'm not too sure how up-to-date it is, but I'm sure it's still handy.

How Far Can You Drive on Empty?


Tank on Empty allows you to find your car's model and view or add data about how far you can continue driving once the low gas alert appears.

I'm not going to freak out so much now that I found my car gets 50+ miles.

link: Tank on Empty via The Consumerist

Duct Tape Computer Mod

More pictures available at Duct Tape Server via Welsh View

Chinese Man with 33 Pound Tumor on his Face

A Chinese man prepares to undergo an operation to remove a 15-kilogramme tumour from his face.

Huang Chuncai suffers from the world's most extreme recorded case of neurofibroma, a steadily growing tumour that has left him in continual pain and forced him to withdraw from society. But now doctors in southern China are preparing to carry out an operation the thirty-one-year-old hopes will transform his future.

pictures: NBC10

video: Reuters

Custom Made Angel Sword Guitar on Ebay


Available for $4,500 for those of you drooling right now

link image: Ebay via Spluch

Boys Beware- 1960's Propaganda



"One may never know when the homosexual is about.."

I think there was [and still is] a completely misled association between gay people and child molesters..

6.20.2007

Custom Creature Taxidermy

Custom Creature Taxidermy is owned by a very talented, and very busy by the looks of it, taxidermist specializing in unusual mounts. She might fix up a recently-passed pet if you ask her nicely.

link and image: Custom Creature Taxidermy

10 Reason not to Save for Retirement


So the IRS really DOES have a sense of humor..

  1. There are so many important things I need that money for NOW. An extra dinner out this week with the family. That new driver to revolutionize my golf game. The fancy pair of sneakers that make the whiz bang noise with each step.

  2. There'll always be time to save later. Let's just focus on the here and now. Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.

  3. Maybe I won't live long enough to retire. Life is so uncertain. Why should I miss out on the high life now when I might not even need to have money put aside for my old age? (If married, change pronouns in this reason to the plural.)

  4. I love a challenge. Working into my 70's or 80's or 90's can't be that hard.

  5. Social Security payments alone will take care of my needs. I know the average Social Security payment is $838 a month. And I'll only need money for things like food and housing.. and medical care.. and clothing and..

  6. I don't know how to begin. There are so many ways to go about saving for retirement that I need more time to think about it. After all there's the retirement savings plan at work and IRA's and even investing in things like real estate. I just don't know where to start.

  7. I don't know how much I need for retirement. But I bet it's a huge number and I don't think I can do it. So I won't do anything.

  8. Planning for retirement is such a big, complicated undertaking. There's no one I can talk to about it. They'd know that I haven't really started saving yet. That would be embarrassing. And how should I invest the money I save? Who can you really trust in this day and age?

  9. I might get lucky. You never know, I may win the lottery. Or I may be remembered in the will of a long lost relative. Or I might find that my house is right in the middle of a diamond field.

  10. Taking care of me financially will provide wonderful character-building opportunities for my children. And so many chances for me to feel warm gratitude toward them.
link: IRS via Welsh View

Human MPG


A 155 lb human walking at 3 mph will burn 246 kcal/hour, or 82 kcal/mile. Feed that human one gallon of gas in potential energy--31,548 kcal--and he'll have enough energy to walk for 128 hours. At 3 mph, he'll cover 384 miles; in other words, he'll get 384 mpg at that weight and speed.* That's seven times more efficient than the Prius, and 24 times more efficient than a Hummer H2.

It is worth noting that the Prius, say, can carry five people without seriously compromising its efficiency, and it can go well over 60 mph, and carries a big gas tank, consumes zero gas while out of use, and so on (people drive cars for a reason after all!).

As it happens, caloric as a Big Mac is, a car still couldn't get too far on such a diet. McDonald's says a Big Mac contains 540 calories, which translates to about 57 Big Macs of energy in a gallon of gas. By this measure, a Prius could get almost a mile per Big Mac, while a H2 could only get a quarter mile, and bit further on a quarter pounder.


link: David Archer via Welsh View

Skin Whitening



More videos available at The Consumerist

Look at the other videos available, it's surprising how they try to manipulate you into feeling worthless without the product. It's just a tad bit [not much] more invasive than advertising here..

New from Christian Science pt 2: Searching for Pterosaurs


Mission Statement

The goal of Project Pterosaur is to mount an expedition to locate and bring back to the United States living specimens of pterosaurs or their fertile eggs, which will be displayed in a Pterosaur Rookery that will be the center piece of the planned Fellowship Creation Science Museum and Research Institute (FCSMRI). Furthermore, the rookery facility will establish a breeding colony of pterosaurs in order to produce specimens that could then be put on display by other regional institutions or church groups.

By doing all this, we hope to accomplish three goals:

  1. Support Creation Theory by showing the incorrectness of the philosophy of Evolutionism.
  2. Educate the population about Creation Science.
  3. Create excitement about Creation and the Bible in the public.

I (Dr. Paley) am the founder and Chief Officer of the project. I will also be leading the expedition and acting as Science Liaison to the public. Funding is being provided by Fellowship University, the Fairlight Institute, and donations from wealthy Christian businessmen who wish to remain anonymous at this time.

I'd love to see live dinosaurs as much as any other Jurassic Park enthusiast, but I don't understand how seeing a live one will convert a person to Christianity, or at least dispute evolution. Especially seeing how we have many species of animals alive today that were also alive during the dinosaurs' time and beyond.

Another precious gem from the site:

Remains of wicked pterodactyl found in Flood sediments. Note penitent stance preserved at moment of death.
Physics and Biology weep for you, Creationism..

link and image: Objective Ministries

Breast Shock Absorber


A generator that creates an animation to compare the restraint each bra has over breasts.
Factors to choose from: breast size, bra, and exercise level

link and image: bounce-o-meter

Cute Viagra Ad


image: creative criminal

Exercise Your Eyes

Can you find the C?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once you’ve found the C……….

Find the 6!

9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999699999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999

Once you’ve found the 6…

Find the N! (it’s hard!!)

MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM

link: TreeBeard31 via Random Good Stuff

6.19.2007

New from Christian Science: Geocentrism

What’s even worse than the debate raging in American schools about the teaching of the soulless doctrine of evolution, is the non-debate over an issue that rational Americans have foolishly conceded to the secular among us: the issue of Heliocentrism, or the idea that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

...It seems clear that it may occasionally be convenient to assume that the calculations of Copernicus and Kepler were mathematically sound. However, for both moral and theological reasons, we should always bear in mind that the Earth does not move. If it moved, we would feel it moving. That’s called empiricism, the experience of the senses. Don’t take my word for it, or the evidence of your own senses, Copernicans. There’s also the Word of the Lord:

“He has fixed the earth firm, immovable.” (1 Chronicles 16:30)

“Thou hast fixed the earth immovable and firm …” (Psalm 93:1)

The reason we don't feel the Earth move is the same reason we don't feel a car move at 60 mph on the freeway after we've spent six hours looking for the right turn off: we don't feel anything unless speed is being gained. I can easily assume that Earth has been rotating at it's approximate speed of 18,000 mph for quite some time now, so I think I'll stick with my basic high school physics instead of "scriptural wisdom".

It's also interesting to note how information is just thrown this way and that without much correlation to anything other than the words sound similar. If you can't discern the difference, you might wanna check out Bread is Dangerous

link: Blogs4Brownback via Cruel
image: Basic Science Concepts

The Internet is for Porn

It looks as if this has been around the internet for awhile, but its the first time I've seen it.

The Real Story of the Whaler

CUTTING-IN A RIGHT WHALE OR BOWHEAD.
AFluke-chain adjusted to the "small."
BFin-chain fastened around left fin.
CRing of fin-chain into which blubber-hook is fastened to raise fin and blanket-piece (the starting point when unwinding blubber from the whale).
DHole in root of lip into which blubber-hook is inserted to hoist lip on board ship.
F-GScarf to detach and hoist lower lip.
E-HScarf cut from fin below and forward of eye to blow-holes H on head.
E-IScarf from fin E to back of whale L.
J-KScarf cut in removing blubber while whale is being rolled. (The other spiral lines show final scarfs.) L-Hole mortised in head for head-chain.
MOne method of hoisting head by head-chain and `toggles, the chain being passed through the blow-holes.
M, M (Fig 2). —Newer and better method of hoisting head by use of chain strapped blocks. Tail of chain passed through from H, under several feet of blubber to and through the hole cut at L and then coupled to sister-hooks on the lower block.
NCutting made by man with an ax (while overboard) in order to detach the head bone.
0Lower edge of bone which is very thin and requires only light strokes to free it.
PMarkings showing where the spade is inserted to start the throat bone in detaching head.
QWhere the hole is made in throat in order to haul it on board.
RThroat-chain and toggle by which throat is sometimes taken on board.
SDotted line to show where backbone is cut to lessen strain on windlass when taking off blubber.
TWide section of blanket-piece which is trimmed down by boarding-knife when taking blubber on board.
The Real Story of the Whaler is a book from 1916 scanned and made available online. Includes much information on the whaling way of life, items that were carried on voyages, songs the whalers would sing, how to properly chain a whale carcass, etc, many detailed illustration on whales hunted, instruments used, ships, and more.

link and image: The Real Story of the Whaler

Prairie Land Destruction

A prairie dog colony killed off, most likely for land to graze cows.

A pile of buffalo skulls waiting to be ground into fertilizer-1870's

It's amazing how the human race possesses such great creative yet destructive powers.
The pictures are from a website dedicated to the restoration of a small bit of prairie land into a preserve. I Learned about some history and extinct animals I never knew about before.

"I was born upon the prairie where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures and where everything drew a free breath. I want to die there and not within walls."

--Pawa-Wa-Samen (Ten Bears) of the Yamparika Comanches, Treaty Speech of 1872

link and images: Great Plains Restoration Council

Public School: Now Specializing in Mental AND Social Debiliation


Fairfax County middle school student Hal Beaulieu hopped up from his lunch table one day a few months ago, sat next to his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder. That landed him a trip to the school office.

Among his crimes: hugging.

All touching -- not only fighting or inappropriate touching -- is against the rules at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna. Hand-holding, handshakes and high-fives? Banned. The rule has been conveyed to students this way: "NO PHYSICAL CONTACT!!!!!"

School officials say the rule helps keep crowded hallways and lunchrooms safe and orderly, and ensures that all students are comfortable. But Hal, 13, and his parents think the school's hands-off approach goes too far, and they are lobbying for a change.

"I think hugging is a good thing," said Hal, a seventh-grader, a few days before the end of the school year. "I put my arm around her. It was like for 15 seconds. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

Wait, read the full article and it continues that the student's two infractions were touching and leaving his assigned seat for lunch. Sheez, is this nazi school or something?

Full article is at Washington Post via Spluch

6.18.2007

David Smith, the Man Who Lost 400 lbs.


I used to weigh 630 pounds. I have been overweight all my life. I was close to death. I was written off by everyone, even myself. All of a sudden I woke up it seemed from my despair and I realized feeling sorry about my life wasn’t going to solve my problems. I decided to change my existence.

I weigh 229 now, I lost 401 pounds but I have excess skin. I wear a Large shirt and I can fit in a 34 waist. WEIGHTLOSS IS DONE! When I first started losing it was hard, I could only walk 500ft. I can now walk for days. I had problems doing everything, but I persevered over every obstacle. People used to laugh in my face, take pictures, and other degrading stuff. Now its another story getting buff, and so on. All within 3 years of starting. Crazy part is that I'm only half done! I want to be around 230 solid cut up when done.

I need surgery to remove excess skin, all my surgeries have been recorded for TV and will probably air next year. I have had 2 surgeries so far. One on Dec 7th and one on Feb 28th. These two surgeries removed 22.5 pounds of skin. The average person has 7 to 8 pounds of skin. My upper body is almost done I just need one more surgery. My lower body needs a inner thigh lift as well.

More videos and images at Spluch and Fulgerica

World War II Pictures in Color

Divers near a cliff where Japanese citizens would commit suicide.


Northrop YB-49


Mustang in Wind Tunnel
For so many years, historians and casual observers alike have observed the events of World War II through faded black and white images. What most people do not know is the fact that quite a large portion of the WWII was shot using color film! However, it wasn't until recently that a lot of the photographs and motion picture footage was de-classified by the U.S. Government. We don't just have a collection of U.S. images, but we also have a diverse collection of German, Russian, Japanese, British and Italian photos. View our picture gallery to see them!
My Great Grandpa tells me so many stories about his days in the Navy during WW2. Seeing pictures of the events in color helps me appreciate just how recently the World Wars occured.

link and images: World War 2 Pictures in Color

Animaniacs was a Great Show

I've almost forgotten how good it was..





I was never too fond of the animation style, but the jokes and the character development were superb.

For those interested in The Animaniacs's creation, Platypus Comix has an interesting [but long] interview with the animation studio that was commissioned to make several shows.

For those of you who've just been smacked upside the head with nostalgia, the DVD sets of Animaniacs is available through Amazon here:


Body Mods- Scarification



My favorites are the mix of scars and tattoos.

More pictures and information at ModBlog

Cat Rape?


I'm not sure if this one is real.. lets hope not.

Two women attempted to experience sexual pleasure from an intimate contact with a cat. The weird endeavor ended rather sad for one of the women: she was hospitalized with severe genital injuries.

Doctors arrived to hospitalize a woman, who had suffered from unexpected bleeding, as they were told on the phone. They saw a woman lying on the sofa. The woman was wearing only a jumper. Streaks of blood could be seen on her legs. The woman's friend was speechless to explain what happened. The woman was taken to the gynecological department of the local hospital, where doctors determined the unusual character of the genital injuries. Stitching the wounds, they supposed that a sex maniac had attacked the woman and injured her in the crotch. The truth, however, surpassed all expectations. When the woman recovered, she confessed that she had been injured during her love act with a cat. The woman's name was Svetlana. Her husband, an entrepreneur, was constantly away on business trips. That day he was out of town too. Svetlana was bored and she decided to visit her friend, Vera. The two women had some wine and started talking about intimate matters. Vera was the first, who suggested trying something totally unusual: "Do you wanna try the real thing?" asked she. When Vera clarified, what the real thing was about, Svetlana was terrified. However, the idea seemed to be attractive to her after the women talked about it and had some more wine. "Life is too short, one has to try everything!" Svetlana decided. Vera brought in a cat. The cat named as Timka was living in the house for quite a long time. Vera took her clothes off, put the light out and played an adult movie on the video recorder. She lied down, took a bottle of valerian and poured some on her most intimate body part. When the cat smelled valerian, he started licking it away, putting Vera in the state of ecstasy. "Now it is your turn, you try," Vera told Svetlana when she was done. "You know, my friend, there is nothing better than the cat's little tongue," said she. When the cat started licking valerian off from Svetlana, something happened to the animal. Timka probably took too much of the medication: he started licking the liquid away but all of a sudden he seized the genitals of the poor woman with his claws and teeth. Svetlana screamed and tried to push the fierce pet lover away from her, but the cat wouldn't let go. Vera hurried to help her friend: she emptied a bucket of water on the cat and threw the animal out of the house. When she saw that Svetlana was bleeding, she called an ambulance. When Svetlana returned home from the hospital, she had to tell the story to her husband, Boris. The man could not take the fact that his wife preferred having oral sex with a cat: Boris kicked Svetlana out of the house and the abandoned woman had to stay with her mother. The offended man is not going to forgive his wife: the couple is currently divorcing. It is noteworthy that lonely women often use their pets (cats or dogs, regardless of sex) to satisfy their sexual needs. Such pet adventures often lead to lamentable consequences - not for pets, but for orgasm-craving women, as a rule. An overdose of valerian can make the loveliest cat become a fierce and aggressive animal. Sobkor

via FunReports