Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The 4,301-calorie entree: America's worst meal?
At 540 calories, KFC's controversial Double Down sandwich is chicken feed compared to these 7 shamelessly unhealthy dishes!
Jailhouse tech -- because prison really brings out your inventive side
"Prison tech" is a term for all the bits and pieces of homemade (prison-made?) contraband that is discovered inside inmates' cells. From complex transistor radio scanners to tattoo guns.
Explore the World of Android Apps
Gizmodo and Verizon have teamed up to bring you the brand-new Essential Android Apps Directory, a compendium of the best apps—complete with insightful descriptions and QR codes to instantly grab the apps you need. It's a must-bookmark page for all Droid owners.
Climbing Trees Can Be Dangerous
One look at any of these remarkable trees might make you say "Ouch!" in an instant. What is so threatening about them that we feel subjected to a fear of pain just by looking at them?
Google Confirms Android 2.2 Will Support Flash
In an interview with The New York Times, Google’s Andy Rubin revealed that the upcoming version of the Android mobile operating system will fully support Flash technology. Code named Froyo, Adobe showed us Android 2.2 with Flash 10.1 on a Nexus One last month.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Shanghai World Expo Set to Open
SHANGHAI (AP) -- Visitors to Shanghai's World Expo say organizers have plenty of kinks to iron out before the event -- the biggest-ever World's Fair -- formally opens on May Day. "Three big suggestions for fixes: space, time and mindset," the Shanghai Morning Post said Wednesday in the closest China's state-controlled media came to criticizing the Expo's first seven-hour trial run, involving 200,000 people. Visitors said they were disappointed with the food, the long lines and the limited number of pavilions open by the time they finally got through security checks and into the vast Expo park. "Before I went, I was mentally prepared that it would be very crowded, but it turns out I underestimated," said Ding Yangshen, a 64-year-old retired engineer, who visited the park with his wife using trial-run tickets from his government-worker son. The Expo, which runs May 1-Oct. 31, showcases the latest in concepts for "Better City, Better Life" in pavilions from practically every country and many international organizations, cities and big corporations. Some 70 million people are expected to visit, and organizers have said they will limit the number entering the park on any single day to 600,000.
Click on this article title for the full story & photos.
Click on this article title for the full story & photos.
How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?
Competitors float face down in a chilled pool, not to stop them cheating but to induce the mammalian diving reflex: when your face is submerged in cold water, outer blood vessels constrict, directing blood away from the extremities and towards the heart and brain. Your heart rate slows, reducing the rate at which oxygen is pumped around the body. With training, experienced breath-holders can drop their heart rate by twice that of non-divers upon immersion in cold water.Click on this article title for the full story.
Introducing: The Completely Clear Car
Shell has a new oil that is formulated to clean the inside of your engine – so what better way to prove that then to build a functional glass car to prove it? Shell decided there was no better way, so they built exactly that – and filmed it for your enjoyment.
Learn Any Foreign Language For Free
Welcome to fsi-language-courses.org - the home for language courses developed by the Foreign Service Institute.
These courses were developed by the United States government and are in the public domain.
This site is dedicated to making these language courses freely available in an electronic format. This site is not affiliated in any way with any government entity; it is an independent, non-profit effort to foster the learning of worldwide languages. Courses here are made available through the private efforts of individuals who are donating their time and resources to provide quality materials for language learning.
These courses were developed by the United States government and are in the public domain.
This site is dedicated to making these language courses freely available in an electronic format. This site is not affiliated in any way with any government entity; it is an independent, non-profit effort to foster the learning of worldwide languages. Courses here are made available through the private efforts of individuals who are donating their time and resources to provide quality materials for language learning.
Looking For a Laptop? Get One That Lasts
There's nothing worse than buying new gear that malfunctions shortly after you purchase it. If you're in the market for a new laptop, check out warranty-provider SquareTrade's detailed laptop-reliability report to find the most dependable hardware.
Portable Electronics Before Bed? Not If You Plan On Sleeping Well!
Taking your laptop, cellphone, or iPad to bed might seem to be an obvious candidate for keeping you up—you're playing with the device after all—but the real culprit is the glow of the screen.
This Weekend I Dove The Homestead Crater
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| Joe & me getting ready to hit the 96 degree water! |
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| Maximum depth was 60 feet for us. Ten feet below this sign was the silty bottom just waiting to be stirred up! |
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| At the bottom the water was actually right at 101 degrees! |
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| Looking up from the bottom you can see the hole in the top of the dome letting in the sunlight. |
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| This is the last time I saw my friend Joe... What the hell does 'HELF' mean anyway?? |
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Good Dog!
Alaska State Troopers are presenting a special award to Buddy, a German Shepherd that led authorities to a fire at his owners' property. The owner suffered minor burns. (April 22)
Flightdeck video of ACT A300 landing accident at Bagram
On March 1, 2010 an Airbus A300 cargo plane, owned by Turkish carrier ACT Airlines, suffered a landing accident at Bagram Air Base (BPM), Afghanistan. The left hand main gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest on the side of the runway. The airplane, registered TC-ACB, suffered substantial damage but the five crew members escaped unhurt. At 03:10 the crew gets outside and sees the plane... A video of the landing mishap shot from the jump seat.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Fun Night of Storm Cells
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| It started with some pretty good thunder storms! At 550 PM MDT... National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph.. this storm was located 10 miles southeast of Swan Falls... or 25 miles west of Mountain Home... and was moving north at 45 mph. * The severe thunderstorm will be near... Big Foot Butte around 555 PM MDT... Initial Point around 610 PM MDT... Kuna around 620 PM MDT... Meridian around 630 PM MDT... Eagle around 635 PM MDT... Star around 640 PM MDT. |
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| Now we're looking at some steady rain and wind. |
110 mph winds slam into a ski lift
The video is from the Sublette Chair at Jackson Hole, Wyoming's ski resort, taken on March 30, 2010 around 9:45. It shows what happens when a microburst of snow and wind hit just as an unlucky group of skiers were stopped up on the lift.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
You're Saying It Wrong!
This is an educational video to all the newsreporters in the world that are trying to report from the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland ;)
Eyjafjallajökull (pronounced [ˈɛɪjaˌfjatlaˌjœkʏtl̥], translated "island mountain glacier")
Ey - ja - fja - lla - jö - kull
Aye - ya - fyah - dla - jow - kudl
Five Best Tools for Managing Your Multi-Monitor Setup
Multiple monitors expand your screen real estate, boost your productivity, and give you tons of extra room to spread out your work. Boost the benefit of your multiple monitors with these great tools.
Underwater Sculpture Park
Creator of the world’s first underwater sculpture park, Jason de Caires Taylor has gained international recognition for his unique work. His sculptures highlight ecological processes whilst exploring the intricate relationships between modern art and the environment. By using sculptures to create artificial reefs, the artist’s interventions promote hope and recovery, and underline our need to understand and protect the natural world.
10 Weirdest Urban Ecosystems On Earth
Cities are havens for weirdness. From communities built around garbage to dogs that ride the subway, urban environments have fostered all manner of weird patterns. Here are the 10 freakiest urban ecosystems on the planet.
The Walled City Where Sunlight Couldn't Reach
Kowloon Walled City arose out of a weird circumstance in the treaty between the Brits and the Chinese that created Hong Kong. China gave the New Territories to the Brits in 1898 but excluded the Walled City, which the Chinese wanted to be able to use as an outpost. The Walled City developed a kind of status as a no-man's land — but it was really only after the Japanese surrendered after World War II that the Walled City became totally ungoverned, with neither the Chinese nor the British exercising control.
I've Posted About This Before
I've Posted About This Before
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Property Line Fiasco!
About a year and a half ago, our neighbor called me over to express his concern about an image he had viewed on the Ada County Property information website. He walked me over to our shared property line and in the course of 10 minutes explained that he believed, based on the information provided by the county, that we were looking at a mess. He was correct. Here is the satellite view with our property line in yellow.
At this point you may be noticing the slight issue involving the lower left corner of the lot. That's right, they used a radius pin along the street curve thinking it was the property line marker. This error occurred before both houses were ever built so both the neighbor and I had no idea it was wrong until he discovered the website. We do some digging and finally end up contacting our Title Insurance provider. After some time it was indeed verified that we had a problem and yes it was covered by insurance.
The fix has taken some time and is still ongoing. Obviously the neighbor has bought and paid for a parcel of land that I am currently squatting on. I have built a shop, installed a sprinkler system, a French drain system, and landscaped the entire triangle of land while not paying one cent for it. Well, I paid for all of the improvements, I just got the land for free.
So began the quest for a resolution. There were some wild ideas presented by the insurance company obviously working for a deal that would cost them very little.
How about this idea?
This grand idea to "adjust the property line" was soundly rejected by us and the neighbors.
We have submitted with Ada County this idea.
That's right, just make it the way it has been since we both moved in! The insurance company will have to buy the land from the neighbor and we can get back to normal. I will keep you posted as to when (and I guess it's not too certain to leave this out) and if this "fix" does the trick. We received a letter from the county yesterday saying that they had approved the lot line adjustments so this is good news!
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| Wow, what do you think the yellow means... "I think it's supposed to be the property line!" |
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| This Isn't Right! |
The fix has taken some time and is still ongoing. Obviously the neighbor has bought and paid for a parcel of land that I am currently squatting on. I have built a shop, installed a sprinkler system, a French drain system, and landscaped the entire triangle of land while not paying one cent for it. Well, I paid for all of the improvements, I just got the land for free.
So began the quest for a resolution. There were some wild ideas presented by the insurance company obviously working for a deal that would cost them very little.
How about this idea?
 |
| REALLY?! You think we are going to go for this? |
We have submitted with Ada County this idea.
That's right, just make it the way it has been since we both moved in! The insurance company will have to buy the land from the neighbor and we can get back to normal. I will keep you posted as to when (and I guess it's not too certain to leave this out) and if this "fix" does the trick. We received a letter from the county yesterday saying that they had approved the lot line adjustments so this is good news!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
3D/Astro/Space
Get out your anaglyph glasses, because this Flickr gallery of 3D-ized Apollo landing sites (and more) is something special.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Mind games: Keeping your brain sharp through play
Your brain benefits from use both at work and at play.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Frequent Flier's Guide to Finding Cheap Airfare
Summer's just around the corner, and if you haven't made your travel plans yet, now's the time. Our guide to finding cheap airfare will have you whistling all the way to Peru—and saving you money all year-round.
To→done
Stop
making todo lists and
start
getting things done→
What's wrong with todo lists?
☹ We think that traditional todo lists are simply a way of avoiding real work.☹ And let's face it, a list full of todos is oppressive and demoralizing.
☹ Does anyone keep up with them? We sure don't.
☹ Todo lists just don't compel you to act.
How is To→done different?
☺ To→done is about taking action.☺ To→done isn't about keeping up with a system.
☺ To→done will never make you feel bad. It's like milk & cookies.
☺ To→done works for even the most severe procrastinators among us.
How does To→done work?
- Tell us what you need to get done and about how long you think it'll take.
- When you have time, ask To→done for something to do.
- To→done will give you a task that fits in the amount time you have.
- Either finish the task or give up and try again later.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Vivos - Nationwide Underground Shelter Network for Survival of Future Catastrophes
"You and your loved ones are invited to survive the next earth devastating catastrophe, terrorist or nuclear attack. Vivos is the life assurance solution for your family, to survive for up to one year in an autonomous, hardened and nuclear blast proof, underground shelter. We invite you to join us and a community of 200 people, as a co-owner of the Vivos survival shelter complex closest to your home area from our planned network of 20 shelters. Where else would you go with just a few days' notice?"
"You cannot predict, but you can prepare for the immediate future and beyond."
"You cannot predict, but you can prepare for the immediate future and beyond."
How I Did It: Jerry Murrell, Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Along with his sons, Jerry Murrell of Five Guys Burgers and Fries built a 570-store chain that enjoys a cult following.
Whitten Update
Deb's Foot:
It has now been 6 1/2 weeks since Deb's Bunionectomy and all is going well. Deb still has a slight limp as her foot is still swollen. The Dr. says it usually takes 3 months to completely recover and getting the foot to flex normally is the battle. For your viewing pleasure I present some Deb foot photos:
The Pool & Yard:
Friday the pool people came out and joined the landscape guys in the battle to prepare the backyard. We know it is early to start on the pool but last year the opening crews were so busy we lost a couple of good weeks of swimming waiting for someone to show up.
The landscaping took a mighty beating this winter and we wait anxiously to see if 6 large Hemlock trees are going to come back or not. If they don't we have an expensive job ahead of us. Interesting to note is that only the Hemlock's suffered, all of the other trees are in great shape. How bad are damaged (or dead) trees?
The House:
Everything seems to be holding together around the house with the exception of some touch-up painting needing to get done.
The Cats:
All three of them are doing well! We have had the kittens (from now on referred to as cats) for over a year now and they continue to change in size and personality. Mishra is not calling either one of the boys friends but they all seem to tolerate each other.
In Conclusion:
We have a cruise coming up in May as we prepare for the sun to come out and stay awhile!
It has now been 6 1/2 weeks since Deb's Bunionectomy and all is going well. Deb still has a slight limp as her foot is still swollen. The Dr. says it usually takes 3 months to completely recover and getting the foot to flex normally is the battle. For your viewing pleasure I present some Deb foot photos:
 |
| Before Surgery |
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| Two Weeks After Surgery |
 |
| Deb's Foot Today |
Friday the pool people came out and joined the landscape guys in the battle to prepare the backyard. We know it is early to start on the pool but last year the opening crews were so busy we lost a couple of good weeks of swimming waiting for someone to show up.
 |
| No dead critters, hardly any leaves and no damage from the minus 10 degree winter! |
 |
| They Look Pretty Bad! |
Everything seems to be holding together around the house with the exception of some touch-up painting needing to get done.
The Cats:
All three of them are doing well! We have had the kittens (from now on referred to as cats) for over a year now and they continue to change in size and personality. Mishra is not calling either one of the boys friends but they all seem to tolerate each other.
In Conclusion:
We have a cruise coming up in May as we prepare for the sun to come out and stay awhile!
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