Lots of pictures

flyingwulf.lotpics hello

2011-07-16T01:30:00.000-04:00

flyingwulf.lotpics hello how's your day going? I wanted to let you in on this , I'm doing pretty well Once you read this you'll see what I mean http://bit.ly/qmjcla

"Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others." -- Groucho Marx

Mushrooms Morels and small things of the forest

2011-05-04T02:37:00.001-04:00

I had pleasant other day out "mushroom hunting" with Michelle (my wife). I use quotes as I usually end up just walking around and finding other neat things in the forest. This time I found a small baby mouse, a different mushroom, a few itsy bitsy morels and some wild flower no bigger than an eraser head off of a pencil.

I used the macro setting on my digital camera (Canon Powershot a470), manual settings for exposure and made the collage with Picasa.

Picasa takes no time to make a collage of pictures. Get it use it I love it.

A computer geek and internet marketers life.: Marc and Angel Hack Life

2011-04-27T11:52:00.000-04:00

A computer geek and internet marketers life.: Marc and Angel Hack Life

Links
Free Online Games-+-Gaylord Gossip-+-Gaylord Guide network-+-Join Myspace-+-My Auctions-+--+-ProFastServers-+-Random Stranger-+-Script Installations-+-

Early Spring Flowers

2011-04-09T03:25:00.000-04:00

For those of you who just can't wait for spring flowers ... Here's a picture of what is growing on the south side of our house. Click on the image and see the full size view . Make it your wall paper. PS. The weather has been cold but getting warmer the flowers were growing in 25-35 degree weather a couple weeks ago. Amazing... simply amazing

A Bag of Nails

2011-03-22T10:15:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time there was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he should hammer a nail in the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. But gradually, the number of daily nails dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the first day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He proudly told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

“You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, it won’t matter how many times you say ‘I’m sorry’, the wound is still there.”

Fire Dragon

2011-03-22T00:03:00.000-04:00

Always always be careful of what you ask for I used to say that all the time.

well it happened yet again... someone wanted a a dragon and lo and behold she came in with a force not to be reckoned with...All in all it was nice visit a little on the warmer side of things but no one was in the hot seat lol

Getting Rid of, selling, expiring domains

2011-03-21T23:30:00.001-04:00

The network of websites / domains and traffic flow I own follows the pattern similar to the picture you see here... And to be truthful was fairly difficult to setup and continue operating as the network needed regular maintenance from checking stats to make sure sever load was staying balanced to traffic redirection while updates where flowing well and keeping up on the usability of the sites based on the visitors who came to the many sites....

Quite simply the formula was more complex than what is nessacary for understanding the math behind the picture...( Credit for the image goes to Knot polynomial identities and quantum group coincidences)

I decided to allow a few of my websites go to the way side of the internet crub. Most of these sites are decent domains that have at the minimum paid for thier existance (annual domain registration and hosting). The primary purpose for the decision has come from shifting my direction and focus ... on a smaller network of websites and giving them my best, rather than stretch servers resources and myself out.

The pain about letting some of these websites go is going through all of the domains I am keeping and updating the links to the sites I am removing ... it wouldn't be so bad but I am limiting my domain ownership down to about 20%. I must admit I truly dislike updating web-links in static lists... can we say TIME CONSUMING...

Somethings you just shouldn't do

2011-03-21T22:51:00.000-04:00

Let the list begin with allow your 13 yr old daughter have a blindfold making up competition
During here 13th' birthday party/sleep over. The results can be scary.

Even Mia our dog was scared... Veronika in the middle taking the picture is as always happy to show the world just how interesting make-up and blindfolds can be ...

picture of the florr and my foot

2011-03-21T22:32:00.000-04:00

It never surprises me. I almost always take at least one "mis-shot" of my foot the floor or on occasion something I can't quite identify... today it was my foot lol

Father Daughter Dance 2011

2011-03-13T00:29:00.001-05:00

We hada nice night out dressing up and going out for the Father Daughter Dance... it's a function where all the fathers in the area take thier daughters out for a dance ... but in reality it's more like enter the place hang coats father attempts to stop the daughters from running off before the coats are hun the coats get hung up and the ladies of the evening or off with thier friends... the Fathers find a location and causially seat themself while having casual conversation with the other fathers whose daughters too ran off to be with thiere friends... lol

In truth we had a wonderful evening

Fossils from lake Huron in Northern Michigan

2011-03-12T23:22:00.000-05:00

So I undestand Fossils or very often found on the lake huron beaches This is one that I found that was simply the best ... of what type of fossil I am not completely sure. if it's not a fossil then it's a prehistoric "back massager"

Links
Free Online Games-+-Gaylord Gossip-+-Gaylord Guide network-+-Join Myspace-+-My Auctions-+--+-ProFastServers-+-Random Stranger-+-Script Installations-+-

Lake Huron Beach Wallpaper

2011-03-12T23:11:00.000-05:00

THis is the wall paper for my desktop... I like it so I thoguht I would share it with you
Links
Free Online Games-+-Gaylord Gossip-+-Gaylord Guide network-+-Join Myspace-+-My Auctions-+--+-ProFastServers-+-Random Stranger-+-Script Installations-+-

Roni testing out here modelsing Skills

2011-03-12T22:55:00.000-05:00

After some mild higlighting and shadowing on the picture here is her testing out a shot for "play modeling"
Her friend Laura took the picture
Links
Free Online Games-+-Gaylord Gossip-+-Gaylord Guide network-+-Join Myspace-+-My Auctions-+--+-ProFastServers-+-Random Stranger-+-Script Installations-+-

My Last day ever with Chewie

2011-03-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

THis was taken on my last day ever with my dog Chewie, I miss you buddie ... Laid to rest 02-11-2010

Praying Mantis... in my hand

2011-03-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

It's a Praying mantis ... she even says so...

Links
Free Online Games-+-Gaylord Gossip-+-Gaylord Guide network-+-Join Myspace-+-My Auctions-+--+-ProFastServers-+-Random Stranger-+-Script Installations-+-

Lake Huron Beach

2011-03-12T22:31:00.000-05:00

We went to lake huron beach two summers back ... here aer afew pictures of the beach there It was a windy and very warm day in summer in northern Michigan

Links
Free Online Games-+-Gaylord Gossip-+-Gaylord Guide network-+-Join Myspace-+-My Auctions-+-My Used Car Locator-+-My Used Car Sales-+-ProFastServers-+-Random Stranger-+-Script Installations-+-Shorten URL's-+-Wisconsin Dining-+-

Consignment for items being sold

2010-07-07T02:50:00.001-04:00

Consignment for items being sold

Newly opened Consignment Shop. We have paintball equipment, antique furniture, bed frames, dressers, nicknacks, air conditioners, small kitchen appliances, dvds, vhs, tvs, shoes, sandals, antique "Blue Willow" dishes, rototiller, Pella windows, food industry mixer and grater, full sized pizza oven, food service refrigeration units, ceiling fans, purses, jewelry, electric mower, snowblower, and more. Come and see our store at 3764 E M-32 Gaylord, MI. Under 4 miles east of Gaylord, right on M-32. Or, give us a call at 989-350-9322. Open 11AM -6PM Thursday through Sunday only. Accepting consignments and donations. We may be able to pickup items at your location. Just give us a call or stop in.

- Sent using Google Toolbar

Madagaskar stone forest

2010-05-03T01:57:00.001-04:00

.madagaskar stone forest
	Stephen Alvarez ::: Madagaskar Stone Forest. Фотографии: Stephen Alvarez

http://saturnic.livejournal.com/385746.html

Mayan calendar Articles section on the Mayan Calendar

2010-05-02T21:35:00.001-04:00

I think there are some interesting articles here concerning the Mayan calendar. Specifically, how 2012 is incorrect. the guy's site is an author of a few books about Mayan/aztec culture and the calendar.

It seems like some of the articles require a bit of background in the terminology of mayan culture and calendar.

http://www.mayanmajix.com/art_mc.html

2012 Planetary Alignment | Exploring Life's Mysteries

2010-05-02T19:03:00.001-04:00

December 21, 2012 - the End of a Cycle

Since the Mayan calendar is based on cycles (read our article on How Does the Mayan Calendar Work to learn more), December 21, 2012 merely indicates the end of a cycle that began on August 11, 3114 BC. While there are wild interpretations as to what this date means, and many holiday resorts are booked out on this day, there is no evidence from any Mayan literature suggesting that the world will come to an end.

It is simply the end of the current Long Count, and December 22, 2012 will be the beginning of the next Long Count, or cycle in the Mayan calendar. In fact, the Mayans have names for the Long Counts, and the fact that they've named Long Counts beyond this one suggests that this won't be the last. It is significant, however, that we are entering a new cycle in the Mayan calendar.

What Will the Next Mayan Long Count, or Epoch, Bring?

Assuming as we did above that the world will not come to an end on December 21, 2012 - we ask ourselves, what will happen? What is so significant about December 21, 2012? The significance lies not merely in the fact that a Mayan epoch is coming to an end, but in the celestial events that astronomists have confirmed will occur on this day.

What happens on December 21, 2012?

December 21 is the winter solstice, and in 2012 the Sun on the solstice will be almost perfectly aligned with the plane of the galaxy (the Milky Way galaxy). What is astonishing is how precisely the Mayan calendar was able to pinpoint this alignment of the planets.

What's so Special About Planets Aligning?

The equator of the Milky Way galaxy (Galactic Equator) and the path of the Sun (the Ecliptic) will cross each other at exactly 11:11 am GMT on December 21, 2012. What does this mean exactly? Or, even better, what is the probability of this occurring?

Every year on the winter solstice, our Sun has a Declination of -23.5 degrees, and a Right Ascension of 18 hours. But what makes the alignment of 2012 special is how this alignment occurs relative to very distant stars. On December 21, 2012, the alignment will be right along the plane of the entire galaxy. This precession of the equinoxes goes in a complete circle and happens only once every 26,000 years. In other words, the winter solstice moves 360 degrees every 26,000 years, or 0.01 degrees each year.

A significant detail that promoters of the 2012 doomsday fail to point out, however, is that the plane of the galaxy is not the width of a needle. The plane of the galaxy is quite wide - in fact, it takes the winter solstice between 700 hundred and 1,400 years to cross the plane of the galaxy! So 2012 is just one year amidst a span of 700 years.

We Are Entering a New Mayan Epoch

Did the Mayans know something about 2012 that we don't? I think more significant than the fact that the planets align in 2012 is the fact that we are entering a new Mayan epoch, or Long Count. While the pundits will be focused on doomsday prophecies and the destruction of the world, those pondering our purpose may find themselves enlightened by a greater perspective - one that may not be clear until hundreds or thousands of years from now.

According to the Mayans we are entering a new age. What does this mean? We think it may have something to do with the shift towards a more Eastern, or spiritualist, way of life. The Western way of life, and the worship of material goods, progress, and capitalism, has accelerated its way headfirst into battles and wars for hundreds of years. Hopefully, our race will eventually elevate itself to a new era of understanding - one where we find ourselves to be more introspective, and spending our time pondering not only the bigger questions of life - but the smaller ones as well. Spending more quality time with our loved ones, and enjoying the moments. Because we feel there will be many more to come.

How Does the Mayan Calendar Work? | Exploring Life's Mysteries

2010-05-02T19:02:00.001-04:00

The Mayan Calendar Explained

The Mayan calendar has a long and deep history. But its premise is quite simple. Maybe not as simple as our Roman calendar, however. One of the defining characteristics of our Roman calendar is that it is based on various cycles. From minutes, to hours, days, weeks, months - we divide our calendar into increments that repeat on their own cycle.

For example, each hour has a first minute, each week has a Monday, each year has a first of January, and so on. However, it's not every year that a Monday is also the first of January - this occurs only every seven years or so. The Mayan calendar works on a similar premise. As we examine the history of the Mayan calendar, we are given insight into its workings.

Roman vs. Mayan calendar - Working in Cycles

You might say that the Mayan calendar works the same as the Roman calendar, but with more complex, and overlapping cycles. A 52 year cycle on the Mayan calendar, for example, is called a Calendar Round. Now, similar to the way the first of January only occurs on a Monday every seven years or so, each day in the Mayan Calendar Round, referred to as a Long Count, is given a unique name based on a combination of various cycles.

Base 10 vs. Base 20

Unlike the Roman day, which is calculated using base ten, the Mayan Long Count is calculated using base twenty. What is base twenty? Just like our base ten system uses 10 numbers (zero through ten), the Mayan base 20 system uses 20 numbers (zero through twenty). So, while moving the decimal one spot in the Roman system changes our result by a factor of 10, moving the decimal in the Mayan system changes the result by a factor of 20.

Breaking Down the Mayan Long Count

The Mayan Long Count breaks down into the following units, where a kin is one day in the 52 year period:

20 kin = 1 uinal
360 kin = 19 uinal = 1 tun
7200 kin = 360 uinal = 20 tun = 1 kactun
144000 kin = 8000 uinal = 400 tun = 20 kactun = 1 bactun
13 bactun = 1 Mayan epoch
1 epoch ~ 5125.26 Mayan years

Subtracting from today, that puts the beginning of the current Mayan Long Count at August 11, 3114 BC, and the end at December 21, 2012 AD.

Does that mean the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012? We don't think so. Read our article on the 2012 Planetary Alignment to find out why.

13 States Suing over health care reform into law

2010-03-24T04:09:00.001-04:00

Obama signs health care reform into law

13 states sue

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., introduced a bill to repeal health reform, while 13 Republican state attorneys general filed suit to strike the legislation as unconstitutional, arguing that the federal government cannot force individuals to purchase health insurance, as the legislation would require in four years.

Most states require individuals to carry auto insurance, and the White House predicted the lawsuits would be easily defeated.

But Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning argued that it is akin to forcing people to buy electric cars. Other states filing suit were Florida, Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Alabama, South Dakota, Louisiana, Idaho, Washington and Colorado.

"With all due respect, you don't pass a bill the American people didn't want, then try to sell them on it," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "Democrats here in Washington can celebrate all they want. But that celebration is going to be short-lived. The American people aren't fooled."

FAKE TERROR - THE ROAD TO DICTATORSHIP

2010-03-20T02:17:00.001-04:00

FAKE TERROR -
THE ROAD TO WAR AND DICTATORSHIP

Michael Rivero

It's the oldest trick in the book, dating back to Roman times; creating the enemies you need.

In 70 BC, an ambitious minor politician and extremely wealthy man, Marcus Licinius Crassus, wanted to rule Rome. Just to give you an idea of what sort of man Crassus really was, he is credited with invention of the fire brigade. But in Crassus' version, his fire-fighting slaves would race to the scene of a burning building whereupon Crassus would offer to buy it on the spot for a tiny fraction of its worth. If the owner sold, Crassus' slaves would put out the fire. If the owner refused to sell, Crassus allowed the building to burn to the ground. By means of this device, Crassus eventually came to be the largest single private land holder in Rome, and used some of his wealth to help back Julius Caesar against Cicero.

In 70 BC Rome was still a Republic, which placed very strict limits on what Rulers could do, and more importantly NOT do. But Crassus had no intentions of enduring such limits to his personal power, and contrived a plan.

Crassus seized upon the slave revolt led by Spartacus in order to strike terror into the hearts of Rome, whose garrison Spartacus had already defeated in battle. But Spartacus had no intention of marching on Rome itself, a move he knew to be suicidal. Spartacus and his band wanted nothing to do with the Roman empire and had planned from the start merely to loot enough money from their former owners in the Italian countryside to hire a mercenary fleet in which to sail to freedom.

Sailing away was the last thing Crassus wanted Spartacus to do. He needed a convenient enemy with which to terrorize Rome itself for his personal political gain. So Crassus bribed the mercenary fleet to sail without Spartacus, then positioned two Roman legions in such a way that Spartacus had no choice but to march on Rome.

Terrified of the impending arrival of the much-feared army of gladiators, Rome declared Crassus Praetor. Crassus then crushed Spartacus' army and even though Pompey took the credit, Crassus was elected Consul of Rome the following year.

With this maneuver, the Romans surrendered their Republican form of government. Soon would follow the first Triumvirate, consisting of Crassus, Pompeii, and Julius Caesar, followed by the reign of the god-like Emperors of Rome.

The Romans were hoaxed into surrendering their Republic, and accepting the rule of Emperors.

Julius Caesar's political opponent, Cicero, for all his literary accomplishments, played the same games in his campaign against Julius Caesar, claiming that Rome was falling victim to an internal "vast right wing" conspiracy in which any expressed desire for legislative limits on government was treated as suspicious behavior. Cicero, in order to demonstrate to the Romans just how unsafe Rome has become hired thugs to cause as much disturbance as possible, and campaigned on a promise to end the internal strife if elected and granted extraordinary powers.

What Cicero only dreamed of, Adolph Hitler succeeded in doing. Elected Chancellor of Germany, Hitler, like Crassus, had no intention of living with the strict limits to his power imposed by German law. Unlike Cicero, Hitler's thugs were easy to recognize; they all wore the same brown shirts. But their actions were no different than those of their Roman predecessors. They staged beatings, set fires, caused as much trouble as they could, while Hitler made speeches promising that he could end the crime wave of subversives and terrorism if he was granted extraordinary powers.

Then the Reichstag burned down; a staged terrorist attack.

The Germans were hoaxed into surrendering their Republic, and accepting the total rule of Der Fuehrer. Hitler had German troops dressed in Polish uniforms attack the radio station at Gleiwitz, then lied to the Germans, telling them Poland had invaded, and marched Germany off into World War Two

The state-sponsored schools will never tell you this, but governments routinely rely on hoaxes to sell their agendas to an otherwise reluctant public. The Romans accepted the Emperors and the Germans accepted Hitler not because they wanted to, but because the carefully crafted illusions of threat appeared to leave no other choice.

Our government too uses hoaxes to create the illusion that We The People have no choice but the direction the government wishes us to go in.

In 1898, Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal were arguing for American intervention in Cuba. Hearst is reported to have dispatched a photographer to Cuba to photograph the coming war with Spain. When the photographer asked just what war that might be, Hearst is reported to have replied, "You take the photographs, and I will provide the war". Hearst was true to his word, as his newspaper published stories of great atrocities being committed against the Cuban people, most of which turned out to be complete fabrications.

On the night of February 15, 1898, the USS Maine, lying in Havana harbor in a show of US resolve to protect her interests, exploded violently. Captain Sigsbee, the commander of the Maine, urged that no assumptions of enemy attack be made until there was a full investigation of the cause of the explosion. For this, Captain Sigsbee was excoriated in the press for "refusing to see the obvious". The Atlantic Monthly declared flat out that to suppose the explosion to be anything other than a deliberate act by Spain was "completely at defiance of the laws of probability".

Under the slogan "Remember the Maine", Americans went to war with Spain, eventually winning the Philippines (and annexing Hawaii along the way).

In 1975, an investigation led by Admiral Hyman Rickover examined the data recovered from a 1911 examination of the wreck and concluded that there had been no evidence of an external explosion. The most likely cause of the sinking was a coal dust explosion in a coal bunker imprudently located next to the ship's magazines. Captain Sigsbee's caution had been well founded.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt needed a war. He needed the fever of a major war to mask the symptoms of a still deathly ill economy struggling back from the Great Depression (and mutating towards Socialism at the same time). Roosevelt wanted a war with Germany to stop Hitler, but despite several provocations in the Atlantic, the American people, still struggling with that troublesome economy, were opposed to any wars. Roosevelt violated neutrality with lend lease, and even ordered the sinking of several German ships in the Atlantic, but Hitler refused to be provoked.

Roosevelt needed an enemy, and if America would not willingly attack that enemy, then one would have to be maneuvered into attacking America, much as Marcus Licinius Crassus has maneuvered Spartacus into attacking Rome.

The way open to war was created when Japan signed the tripartite agreement with Italy and Germany, with all parties pledging mutual defense to each other. Whereas Hitler would never declare war on the United States no matter the provocation, the means to force Japan to do so were readily at hand.

The first step was to place oil and steel embargoes on Japan, using Japan's wars on the Asian mainland as a reason. This forced Japan to consider seizing the oil and mineral rich regions in Indonesia. With the European powers militarily exhausted by the war in Europe, the United States was the only power in the Pacific able to stop Japan from invading the Dutch East Indies, and by moving the Pacific fleet from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Roosevelt made a pre-emptive strike on that fleet the mandatory first step in any Japanese plan to extend its empire into the "southern resource area".

Roosevelt boxed in Japan just as completely as Crassus had boxed in Spartacus. Japan needed oil. They had to invade Indonesia to get it, and to do that they first had to remove the threat of the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. There never really was any other course open to them.

To enrage the American people as much as possible, Roosevelt needed the first overt attack by Japan to be as bloody as possible, appearing as a sneak attack much as the Japanese had done to the Russians. From that moment up until the attack on Pearl Harbor itself, Roosevelt and his associates made sure that the commanders in Hawaii, General Short and Admiral Kimmel, were kept in the dark as much as possible about the location of the Japanese fleet and its intentions, then later scapegoated for the attack. (Congress recently exonerated both Short and Kimmel, posthumously restoring them to their former ranks).

But as the Army board had concluded at the time, and subsequent de-classified documents confirmed, Washington DC knew the attack was coming, knew exactly where the Japanese fleet was, and knew where it was headed.

On November 29th, Secretary of State Hull showed United Press reporter Joe Leib a message with the time and place of the attack, and the New York Times in its special 12/8/41 Pearl Harbor edition, on page 13, reported that the time and place of the attack had been known in advance!

The much repeated claim that the Japanese fleet maintained radio silence on its way to Hawaii was a lie. Among other intercepts still held in the Archives of the NSA is the UNCODED message sent by the Japanese tanker Shirya stating, "proceeding to a position 30.00 N, 154.20 E. Expect to arrive at that point on 3 December." (near HI)

President Lyndon Johnson wanted a war in Vietnam. He wanted it to help his friends who owned defense companies to do a little business. He needed it to get the Pentagon and CIA to quit trying to invade Cuba. And most of all, he needed a provocation to convince the American people that there was really "no other choice".

On August 5, 1964, newspapers across America reported "renewed attacks" against American destroyers operating in Vietnamese waters, specifically the Gulf of Tonkin. The official story was that North Vietnamese torpedo boats launched an "unprovoked attack" on the USS Maddox while it was on "routine patrol".

The truth is that USS Maddox was involved in aggressive intelligence gathering in coordination with actual attacks by South Vietnam and the Laotian Air Force against targets in North Vietnam. The truth is also that there was no attack by torpedo boats against the USS Maddox. Captain John J. Herrick, the task force commander in the Gulf, cabled Washington DC that the report was the result of an "over-eager" sonar man who had picked up the sounds of his own ship's screws and panicked. But even with this knowledge that the report was false, Lyndon Johnson went on national TV that night to announce the commencement of air strikes against North Vietnam, "retaliation" for an attack that had never occurred.

President George H. W. Bush wanted a war in Iraq. Like Crassus, George Bush is motivated by money. Specifically oil money. But with the OPEC alliance failing to keep limits on oil production in the Mideast, the market was being glutted with oil pumped from underneath Iraq, which sat over roughly 1/3 of the oil reserves of the entire region.

George wanted a war to stop that flow of oil, to keep prices (and profits) from falling any further than they already had. But like Roosevelt, he needed the "other side" to make the first move.

Iraq had long been trying to acquire greater access to the Persian Gulf, and felt limited confined a narrow strip of land along Kuwait's northern border, which placed Iraqi interests in close proximity with hostile Iran. George Bush, who had been covertly arming Iraq during its war with Iran, sent word via April Glaspie that the United States would not intervene if Saddam Hussein grabbed a larger part of Kuwait. Saddam fell for the bait and invaded.

Of course, Americans were not about to send their sons and daughters to risk their lives for petroleum products. So George Bush arranged a hoax, using a public relations firm which has grown rich on taxpayer money by being most industrious and creative liars! The PR firm concocted a monumental fraud in which the daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States, went on TV pretending to be a nurse, and related a horror story in which Iraqi troops looted the incubators from a Kuwaiti hospital, leaving the premature babies on the cold floor to die. The media, part of the swindle from the start, never bothered asking why the "nurse" didn't just pick the babies up and wrap them in blankets or something.

Enraged by the incubator story, Americans supported operation Desert Storm, which never removed Saddam Hussein from power but which did take Kuwait's oil off of the market for almost 2 years and limited Iraq's oil exports to this very day. That our sons and daughters came home with serious and lingering medical illnesses was apparently not too great a price to pay for increased oil profits.

Following the victory in Iraq, yet another war appeared to be in the offering in the mineral rich regions of Bosnia. Yet again, a hoax was used to create support for military action.

The photo (right) of Fikret Alic staring through a barbed wire fence, was used to "prove" the existence of modern day "Concentration Camps". As the headline of "Belsen 92" indicates, all possible associations with the Nazi horrors were made to sell the necessity of sending yet more American troops into someone else's nation.

But when German Journalists went to Trnopolje, the site of the supposed Concentration Camp. to film a documentary, they discovered that the photo was a fake! The camp at Trnopolje was not a concentration camp but a refugee center. Nor was it surrounded by barbed wire. Careful examination of the original photo revealed that the photographer had shot the photo through a broken section of fence surrounding a tool shed. It was the photographer who was on the inside, shooting out at the refugees.

Once again, Americans had been hoaxed into support of actions they might otherwise not have agreed with.

While several American Presidents have willingly started wars for personal purposes, perhaps no President has ever carried it to the extreme that Bill Clinton has.

Coincident with the expected public statement of Monica Lewinsky following her testimony, Bill Clinton ordered a cruise missile attack on Sudan and Afghanistan, claiming to have had irrefutable proof that bogeyman extraordinaire (and former Afghani ally) Osama Bin Ladin was creating terrorist chemical weapons there.

Examination of the photos of the debris revealed none of the expected structures one would find in a laboratory that handled lethal weapons-grade materials. Assurances from the CIA that they had a positive soil test for biological weapons fell on their face when it was revealed that there had been no open soil anywhere near the pre-bombed facility. Sudan requested that international observers come test the remains of the factory for any signs of the nerve gas Clinton had insisted was there. None was found. The Sudanese plant was a harmless aspirin factory, and the owner has sued for damages.

Later examination of the site hit in Afghanistan revealed it to be a mosque.

Click for larger image

Meanwhile, back in Kosovo, stories about genocide and atrocities were flooding the media (in time to distract from the Sudanese embarrassments), just as lurid and sensational and as it turns out often just as fictional as most of William Randolph Hearst's stories of atrocities against the Cubans.

Again, the government and the media were hoaxing Americans. The above photo was shown on all the American networks, claiming to be one of Slobodan Milosovic's Migs, shot down while attacking civilians. Closer examination (click on the photo) shows it to be stenciled in English!

Like Germany under Chancellor Hitler, there have been events in our nation which strike fear into the hearts of the citizens, such as the New York World Trade Tower bombing, the OK City Federal Building, and the Olympic Park bomb (nicely timed to divert the media from witnesses to the TWA 800 shoot down). The media has been very quick to blame such events on "radicals", "subversives", "vast right wing conspiracies", and other "enemies in our midst", no different than the lies used by Cicero and Hitler.

But on closer examination, such "domestic terrorist" events do not appear to be what they are made out to be. The FBI had an informant inside the World Trade Tower bombers, Emad Salam, who offered to sabotage the bomb. The FBI told him "no". The so-called "hot bed" of white separatism at Elohim City, occasional home to Tim McVeigh in the weeks prior to the OK City bombing, was founded and run by an FBI informant!

Click for larger image

And nobody has ever really explained what this second Ryder truck was doing in a secret camp half way from Elohim City to Oklahoma City two weeks before the bombing.

So, here we are today. Like the Romans of Crassus' and Cicero's time, or the Germans under a newly elected Hitler, we are being warned that a dangerous enemy threatens us, implacable, invisible, omnipresent, and invulnerable as long as our government is hamstrung by that silly old Bill of Rights. Already there have appeared articles debating whether or not "extraordinary measures" (i.e. torture) are not fully justified under certain circumstances such as those we are purported to face.

As was the case in Rome and Germany, the government continues to plead with the public for an expansion of its power and authority, to "deal with the crisis".

However, as Casio watch timers are paraded before the cameras, to the stentorian tones of the talking heads' constant dire warnings, it is legitimate to question just how real the crises is, and how much is the result of political machinations by our own leaders.

Are the terrorists really a threat, or just patsies with fake bombs and Casio watches, paid for by Cicero and given brown shirts to wear by Hitler?

Is terrorism inside the United States really from outside, or is it a stage managed production, designed to cause Americans to believe they have no choice but to surrender the Republic and accept the totalitarian rule of a new emperor, or a new Fuhrer?

Indeed, given that acts of terror undermine the very public support needed by the so-called "terrorists" to bring about change, it may be argued that there are in fact no genuine acts of terror; that they are all manufactured events to be blamed on the groups wishing to challenge the status quo.

Once lost, the Romans never got their Republic back. Once lost, the Germans never got their Republic back. In both cases, the nation had to totally collapse before freedom was restored to the people.

Remember that when Crassus tells you that Spartacus approaches.

Remember that when thugs in the streets act in a manner clearly designed to provoke the public fear.

Remember that when the Reichstag burns down.

Remember that when the President lies to you about weapons of mass destruction.

Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing?

2010-03-13T00:26:00.001-05:00

Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing? - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

Looking for change, but not quite ready for a revolution? Disappointed in President Obama and Congress, but not ready to turn your back on Washington? Prefer a double, non-foam latte over a cup of Earl Grey? The Coffee Party might be for you.

Months after the Tea Party erupted onto the national scene at health care town halls, an alternative, more pro-government group of citizens is emerging to say they're angry, too -- they just want less yelling and more talking.

Just as the Tea Party organized to remind the Republican Party what its conservative base stands for, the Coffee Party movement is organizing to represent citizens who believe in government solutions for national problems but aren't necessarily enthralled with Democratic leadership. After gaining steam online over the past few months, the Coffee Party is launching its first national event this Saturday: National Coffee Party Day.

What is the Coffee Party, and How Did it Start?

The Coffee Party is a loosely organized movement that has yet to adopt a platform -- but it has a message that its members feel is resonating across the country.

It started with a Facebook note from Annabel Park, a documentary filmmaker from the Washington area, who felt like venting about the Tea Party. She was inundated with feedback from people who agreed that the Tea Party did not represent the America they knew. The sentiment snowballed into a Web site that attracted 170,000 visitors in its first week and Facebook page that as of Friday morning, had more than 110,000 fans -- just beating out the number fans of the Tea Party Patriots page.

Park explains the movement in an introductory video on the Web site: "We object to obstructionism and extreme political tactics that are, I think, are fear based, not reality based and in many ways just deliberate misinformation," she says. "So we're organizing. We want people to understand that we're voters... We need everyone engaged in the political process. That is the only way our government can function, as an expression of our collective will."

The Coffee Party is about open discussion and deliberation for the purpose of solving common problems. The group welcomes everyone and embraces diversity -- ethnic, geographical and even political diversity. There's one caveat Park gives in her opening statement: "If you don't believe the government has any role, than yeah, you should join the Tea Party."

What's Going on Saturday?

This Saturday, local Coffee Party organizers will hold more than 350 meetings, in nearly every state, for the Coffee Party National Kick Off. National organizers are encouraging local leaders to convene groups of no more than eight people at a local coffee shop to discuss the issues that matter to them.

"We just wanted to find a way to make it fun and bring back that feeling of civic pride that pretty much all Americans had in 2008," Eric Byler, one of the leaders of the national Coffee Party, told Hotsheet. "What I saw was people who were really, really proud to get a chance to vote for John McCain -- after eight years, to vote for a war hero -- and people proud to vote for the first 21st-century, multi-ethnic, citizen of the world candidate. I felt so good about our democracy in 2008... we're just trying to bring people back in."

The groups on Saturday will be encouraged to come to a consensus about what issues matter to them the most. Each group will take a picture at the coffee shop with a sign that reads "coffee and..." with the issue of their choice. National Coffee Party organizers will collect the pictures on their Flikr account to create an "issues mosaic."

Shouldn't Voters Seeking Government Solutions be Happy with Washington Right Now?

The issues likely to come up at Saturday's meetings could very well arise at a Tea Party meeting.

"We want jobs with decent pay for all Americans," the Coffee Party declares on its Facebook page. "We want affordable health care and education. We want our government to cut wasteful spending and practice fiscal discipline. We want regulation of Wall Street to protect consumers and promotion of financial literacy."

The coffee partiers share a lot of the same grievances as tea partiers -- even though they are much more likely to have voted for President Obama.

But the recession hit everyone, explains Frances Lappe, a best-selling author and follower of the Coffee Party movement. Liberals and conservatives alike are hurt by a government that caters more to special interests than its citizens, she said, especially in a time of economic hardship.

Lappe is releasing a second edition of her book "Getting a Grip," which explores the process of creating a "living democracy." The aftermath of the 2008 election compelled Lappe to update her book, which was written during the Bush era.

"I, too, was in some way lulled into the idea that a change at the very top could bring about the kind of systemic, cultural change I believe is very necessary," Lappe told Hotsheet. "Clearly, changing the president is not going to do it. In a way, the disappointment that many have felt is the greatest gift Obama has given us -- to disabuse us of the notion there is a quick fix."

Nothing will change, Lappe says, until power is no longer concentrated in the hands of the few and the wealthy.

Is There Common Ground Between the Tea Party and the Coffee Party?

And that is a goal for which both coffee partiers and tea partiers can strive for, the Coffee Party says -- putting power back in the hands of the people, whether that means wresting it from government or private special interests.

"You work for us, not for corporations," the Coffee Party says in its Message to Congress. "We hired you and we get to fire you. We pay you and give you great health insurance. Now get to work serving the interests of the American people, or get out."

The message appeals for citizens to "discard the labels that obfuscate reality like Democrat, Republican, conservative and liberal... Democracy is not a zero sum game."

Lappe contends that the Coffee Party may even be able to convince tea partiers that government can have a positive role in society. Government size shouldn't count for much, she says, but rather, people should worry about to whom the government is accountable and how it functions.

"Without an accountable government we end up with the big government clean-ups like the Superfund," Lappe said, referring to the federal law designed to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites. "A government that is accountable is a reasonable size... If you want [government] small, is that before or after we solve the Toyota recall? In a complex society we need a government that is looking out for our interests in a transparent way."

What Happens After National Coffee Party Day?

The Coffee Party is eager to start the debate, but its future remains unclear. After small groups of local coffee partiers meet Saturday to choose the issues that matter to them, the national group expects to come to a consensus on at least some of the issues and propose specific solutions.

Another, hopefully larger, meet up session is scheduled for March 27, according to Byler. During the upcoming congressional recess, the movement plans to hold "Coffee with Congress" sessions where they will invite their representatives to sit down for a cup of coffee with them. The movement has even started "campus coffee" branches at universities across the country and hopes to have a day in April where every college campus will have a "coffee date."

For its second Coffee Party day on March 27, the group is asking people to take its Coffee Party sphere survey, which asks 60 questions about a person's beliefs on a range of issues. The survey creates a visual representation of one's beliefs and political priorities, which the Coffee Party is using to as a consensus-building tool.

"So far only a few thousand people have taken it, but it seems there's a lot more agreement than you would expect watching the steel cage death match that is political television," Byler said. "It's sort of liberating to say, this is how I feel, and I'm not going to be afraid to speak out because there are people organizing around some negative emotions."

Instructions for Life

2010-03-07T23:11:00.000-05:00

Life is a test. It is only a test. If it had been real, you would have been told where to go and what to do.

No, seriously, here are some useful
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE
I suspect you will be surprised at how well you're doing already.

01. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

02. Memorize your favorite poem.

03. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.

04. When you say, 'I love you', mean it.

05. When you say, 'I'm sorry', look the person in the eye.

06. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

07. Believe in love at first sight.

08. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

09. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

11. Don't judge people by their relatives.

12. Talk slowly but think quickly.

13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

15. Call your mom often.

16. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

17. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

18. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

19. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

20. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

21. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

22. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

23. Spend some time alone.

24. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

25. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

26. Read more books and watch less TV.

27. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.

28. Trust in God but lock your car.

29. A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.

30. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

31. Read between the lines.

32. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

33. Be gentle with the earth.

34. Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.

35. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

36. Mind your own business.

37. Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.

38. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

39. If you make or have a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.

40. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.

41. Learn the rules, then break some.

42. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.

43. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

44. Remember that your character is your destiny.

45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Once I found out the secret of the Universe. I have forgotten what it was, but I know that the Creator does not take Creation seriously, for I remember that He sat in Space with all His Work in front of Him and laughed. -- Lord Dunsany, 'The Hashish Man

Links

Free Online Games-+-
Gaylord Gossip-+-
Gaylord Guide network-+-
Join Myspace-+-
My Auctions-+-
My Used Car Locator-+-
My Used Car Sales-+-
ProFastServers-+-
Random Stranger-+-
Script Installations-+-
Shorten URL's-+-
Wisconsin Dining-+-

Bozeman officer buys groceries for shoplifting suspect

2010-03-07T22:31:00.001-05:00

Sean Sperry
Bozeman Police Officer Marek Ziegler purchased groceries for a man after arresting the suspect for theft from a grocery store. (AP Photo/Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Sean Sperry)

BOZEMAN — Bozeman Police Officer Marek Ziegler was called to Van's IGA last Friday night to check on a shoplifting report.

The 33-year-old officer has been on the Bozeman force for three years. He is a K-9 handler and works nights, from about 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

When he got to the grocery store on North Seventh Avenue, employees told Ziegler that a 32-year-old man had stuffed food and "pens, pencils, maybe markers, things for his kids" into his coat.

The officer arrested the man, cited him for theft and then released him.

But the story didn't end there.

Ziegler had asked the man why he had been stealing.

"He was really upset," Ziegler said this week. "Basically, he told me he's having a hard time and can't provide the food for his family right now, so that's why he was stealing."

Ziegler already had the man's address, but asked for the man's phone number.

"I told him, Give me 15 minutes,' and I went and got him some food."

Ziegler ran to Wal-Mart, picked up a few frozen pizzas and delivered them to the man's house.

"Obviously, as a police officer, I have a job to do, but we're still human, too," Ziegler said.

When the officer handed over the food, the man shook his hand and thanked him for understanding, Ziegler said.

And then Ziegler kept the story to himself.

However, a Bozeman Daily Chronicle reporter was at the 911 dispatch center that night. She overheard tidbits of the officer's report that he was going to buy the man some food. The Chronicle sought out the story. Ziegler wasn't seeking attention for his good deed.

"These guys, they just don't really brag about things like that," Acting Police Chief Marty Kent said. "It wouldn't surprise me that he wouldn't say anything."

Ziegler shrugged off the idea that he had done something out of the ordinary.

"It's just what we do to take care of each other," he said.

Former Monsanto VP now Obama's Food Safety Czar

2010-03-07T04:03:00.001-05:00

The man that brought you Monsanto's genetically
engineered bovine growth hormone is now america's food safety czar

Published on 07-23-2009
Source: Huffington Post - Jeffrey Smith
http://blacklistednews.com/news-4963-0-6-6--.html

The person who may be responsible for more food-related illness and death than anyone in history has just been made the US food safety czar. This is no joke.

Here's the back story.
When FDA scientists were asked to weigh in on what was to become the most radical and potentially dangerous change in our food supply -- the introduction of genetically modified (GM) foods -- secret documents now reveal that the experts were very concerned. Memo after memo described toxins, new diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and hard-to-detect allergens. They were adamant that the technology carried "serious health hazards," and required careful, long-term research, including human studies, before any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could be safely released into the food supply.

But the biotech industry had rigged the game so that neither science nor scientists would stand in their way. They had placed their own man in charge of FDA policy and he wasn't going to be swayed by feeble arguments related to food safety. No, he was going to do what corporations had done for decades to get past these types of pesky concerns. He was going to lie.

Dangerous Food Safety Lies
When the FDA was constructing their GMO policy in 1991-2, their scientists were clear that gene-sliced foods were significantly different and could lead to "different risks" than conventional foods. But official policy declared the opposite, claiming that the FDA knew nothing of significant differences, and declared GMOs substantially equivalent.

This fiction became the rationale for allowing GM foods on the market without any required safety studies whatsoever! The determination of whether GM foods were safe to eat was placed entirely in the hands of the companies that made them -- companies like Monsanto, which told us that the PCBs, DDT, and Agent Orange were safe.

GMOs were rushed onto our plates in 1996. Over the next nine years, multiple chronic illnesses in the US nearly doubled -- from 7% to 13%. Allergy-related emergency room visits doubled between 1997 and 2002 while food allergies, especially among children, skyrocketed. We also witnessed a dramatic rise in asthma, autism, obesity, diabetes, digestive disorders, and certain cancers.

In January of this year, Dr. P. M. Bhargava, one of the world's top biologists, told me that after reviewing 600 scientific journals, he concluded that the GM foods in the US are largely responsible for the increase in many serious diseases.

In May, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine concluded that animal studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between GM foods and infertility, accelerated aging, dysfunctional insulin regulation, changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system, and immune problems such as asthma, allergies, and inflammation

In July, a report by eight international experts determined that the flimsy and superficial evaluations of GMOs by both regulators and GM companies "systematically overlook the side effects" and significantly underestimate "the initial signs of diseases like cancer and diseases of the hormonal, immune, nervous and reproductive systems, among others."

The Fox Guarding the Chickens
If GMOs are indeed responsible for massive sickness and death, then the individual who oversaw the FDA policy that facilitated their introduction holds a uniquely infamous role in human history. That person is Michael Taylor. He had been Monsanto's attorney before becoming policy chief at the FDA. Soon after, he became Monsanto's vice president and chief lobbyist.

This month Michael Taylor became the senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA. He is now America's food safety czar. What have we done?

The Milk Man Cometh
While Taylor was at the FDA in the early 90's, he also oversaw the policy regarding Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH/rbST) -- injected into cows to increase milk supply.

The milk from injected cows has more pus, more antibiotics, more bovine growth hormone, and most importantly, more insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is a huge risk factor for common cancers and its high levels in this drugged milk is why so many medical organizations and hospitals have taken stands against rbGH. A former Monsanto scientist told me that when three of his Monsanto colleagues evaluated rbGH safety and discovered the elevated IGF-1 levels, even they refused to drink any more milk -- unless it was organic and therefore untreated.

Government scientists from Canada evaluated the FDA's approval of rbGH and concluded that it was a dangerous facade. The drug was banned in Canada, as well as Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. But it was approved in the US while Michael Taylor was in charge. His drugged milk might have caused a significant rise in US cancer rates. Additional published evidence also implicates rbGH in the high rate of fraternal twins in the US.

Taylor also determined that milk from injected cows did not require any special labeling. And as a gift to his future employer Monsanto, he wrote a white paper suggesting that if companies ever had the audacity to label their products as not using rbGH, they should also include a disclaimer stating that according to the FDA, there is no difference between milk from treated and untreated cows.

Taylor's disclaimer was also a lie. Monsanto's own studies and FDA scientists officially acknowledged differences in the drugged milk. No matter. Monsanto used Taylor's white paper as the basis to successfully sue dairies that labeled their products as rbGH-free.

Will Monsanto's Wolff Also Guard the Chickens?
As consumers learned that rbGH was dangerous, they refused to buy the milk. To keep their customers, a tidal wave of companies has publicly committed to not use the drug and to label their products as such. Monsanto tried unsuccessfully to convince the FDA and FTC to make it illegal for dairies to make rbGH-free claims, so they went to their special friend in Pennsylvania -- Dennis Wolff. As state secretary of agriculture, Wolff unilaterally declared that labeling products rbGH-free was illegal, and that all such labels must be removed from shelves statewide. This would, of course, eliminate the label from all national brands, as they couldn't afford to create separate packaging for just one state.

Fortunately, consumer demand forced Pennsylvania's Governor Ed Rendell to step in and stop Wolff's madness. But Rendell allowed Wolff to take a compromised position that now requires rbGH-free claims to also be accompanied by Taylor's FDA disclaimer on the package.

President Obama is considering Dennis Wolff for the top food safety post at the USDA. Yikes!

Rumor has it that the reason why Pennsylvania's governor is supporting Wolff's appointment is to get him out of the state -- after he "screwed up so badly" with the rbGH decision. Oh great, governor. Thanks.

Ohio Governor Gets Taylor-itus
Ohio not only followed Pennsylvania's lead by requiring Taylor's FDA disclaimer on packaging, they went a step further. They declared that dairies must place that disclaimer on the same panel where rbGH-free claims are made, and even dictated the font size. This would force national brands to re-design their labels and may ultimately dissuade them from making rbGH-free claims at all. The Organic Trade Association and the International Dairy Foods Association filed a lawsuit against Ohio. Although they lost the first court battle, upon appeal, the judge ordered a mediation session that takes place today. Thousands of Ohio citizens have flooded Governor Strickland's office with urgent requests to withdraw the states anti-consumer labeling requirements.

Perhaps the governor has an ulterior motive for pushing his new rules. If he goes ahead with his labeling plans, he might end up with a top appointment in the Obama administration.

Brainwave Frequency Glossary -

2010-03-07T00:47:00.001-05:00

Brainwave Frequency Glossary

Brainwave Frequency Listing - Glossary

Adrenal - An organ located above the kidneys - it manufactures a natural steroid called cortisol, which is associated with stress.

Amygdala - This is a pair of structures that exist an inch or so in from the forehead - there's one on the right side and one on the left side - they supposedly have an impact on moods. (The right one is active when a person is depressed, and the left one is active when a person is cheerful.) Also, they are associated with fear, and the "fight or flight" response.

Note - some disagreement over precisely how the Amgydalae operate - this article seems to reflect what I put above. Although, other sources I've been told say the backs of the two amgydalae are associated with "bad" feelings and the fronts of both are associated with good feelings. (Neil Slade seems to subscribe to this theory. Here's his website.)
Assc with religious experiences - one causes elation/the other fear[ http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com/shakti_lite/index.htm ]

Angular Gyrus - A tiny part of the brain in the right cortex that some sources connect with out of body experiences. (Here's the link - judge the validity of this claim for yourself:)

http://escribe.com/science/keelynet/m14917.html

Astral Projection - In a nutshell, it's a kind of out of body experience. I don't want to bog the definition down with a lot of details. (I've never astrally projected, myself - so I can't really vouch for it one way or the other.)

Auriculotherapy - "Ear Acupuncture". This site has more information:

http://www.auriculotherapy.com/

Binaural Beats - A technique used with brainwave entrainment that allows a person to perceive tones that are below the range of human hearing (or pretty damn close to it.) For a more elaborate explanation, read the definition for Brainwave Entrainment in its entirety.

Brainwave Entrainment - This is using stimulii (such as sound, light, or EM fields) to influence the rate of our brainwaves, which in the process affects our mental state.

Our brain plays "monkey see/monkey do" with stimulii in the proximity. If you have lights flashing at 4 cycles a second, our brain will begin to mimic that with its own brainwaves. When our brainwaves are at a certain frequency, our body will do whatever it normally would do -- we normally produce brainwaves of 4 cycles a second when we're sleeping - so pulsating light at this rate would put a person to sleep.

Say you want to do this with sound instead of pulsating light - since most brainwave entrainment frequencies are below 30 HZ, and are often below human hearing range, you (usually) can't just generate the tones using a wave generator. There are two methods that are typically used to generate these ultra-low tones in a way that humans can perceive them and feel their effects :

1) Binaural Beats - Using a computer or synthesizer (and a good pair of stereo headphones), generate two tones, one in the left ear, one in the right - your brain imagines it hears a third tone equal to the difference between the two tones. (For instance, if you had a 400 HZ tone in one ear, and a 404 HZ tone in the other, you would perceive a third tone of 4 HZ.) And this would have the same effects that a pulsating light at 4 cycles per second would. In order for this to work, the two tones need to be below 1000 HZ. There are two good programs for creating Binaural Beats : CoolEdit from Syntrillium Software and Brainwave Generator. The latter is probably the most user-friendly, and is good for people new to brainwave entrainment, since it has presets that come with it. (I found it to work very well, since it incorporates a strobe light into the mix as well.)

2) Modulation - While a tone at 4 HZ would be too low to hear by itself, if you generate noise and then fluctuate its pitch or volume at 4 times each second, this can also be used for brainwave entrainment, and would affect us the same way a 4 HZ binaural would. CoolEdit from Syntrillium Software is the best software to use with this method. (Although, he uses a slightly more complicated technique than just fluctuating the pitch or volume.)

As far as which of these two methods are better - binaural beats probably work better for brainwave entrainment, but the second method will work from speakers - headphones aren't required. That can come in handy - especially when you want to experiment with brainwave entrainment while sleeping or meditating - ever tried falling asleep wearing headphones? I have a cordless pair, and even with those, it's not that comfortable.

(And if that's not enough information about Brainwave Entrainment, check out the Brainwave Entrainment links for even more.)

Brainwave Ranges - In talking about brainwaves, they are typically broken up into ranges, each range being associated with different mental states. The five common brainwave ranges are listed below (although I really simplify what they're associated with here - for more specific mental states these ranges are associated with, consult the brainwave frequency list itself.)

Delta Range - 0.5 to 4 HZ (associated with deep sleep)

Theta Range - 4 HZ to 8 HZ (seen in dreaming sleep, and other mental states where the mind is wandering, like daydreaming and imagining)

"A person .. driving on a freeway & discovers .. they can't recall the last five miles, is often in a theta state--induced by the process of freeway driving .. [It's] .. a state where tasks become so automatic .. you can mentally disengage from them." http://brain.web-us.com/brainwavesfunction.htm

"[Our dominant brainwave] edges down toward theta when we go into trance." http://www.enformy.com/dma-chin.htm

Alpha Range - 8 to 13 HZ (relaxed but awake)

" [There is] .. more alpha wave functioning when we listen (but it edges up into beta when we do extremely active listening, as in the cocktail-party effect when we consciously narrow attention to one voice amidst a babble.)" http://www.enformy.com/dma-chin.htm

Beta Range - 13 HZ to 30 (??) HZ (normal awake state/aware)

There is an abundance of betawave functioning when we speak .. http://www.enformy.com/dma-chin.htm

Gamma Range - 30 (??) HZ to 60 (??) HZ (associated with consciousness - the brain stops producing gamma waves when we're put under for anaesthesia, for example)

"Gamma rhythms appear to be involved in higher mental activity, including perception and consciousness. It seems to be associated with consciousness, eg it disappears with general anaesthesia .. Synchronous activity at about 40Hz appears to be involved in binding sensory inputs into the single, unitary object we perceive." [INT] http://brain.web-us.com/40hz/default.htm

Note that there's a LOT of disagreement over where Beta range ends and Gamma range begins. (hence the question marks)

Also, some sources will take it and break it down further, into "high beta" & "low beta" or "Theta1" & "Theta2", for example. And there are a couple other ranges like Epsilon, Lambda & Sigma that some sources throw in to the mix that really aren't as commonly used.

Caudate Nucleus - a part of the brain - one side of it is associated with various states of arousal. The other side is associated with relaxation/calm. http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com/shakti_lite/principles.htm

Clairvoyance - the alleged power of seeing things not present to the senses. (from a dictionary I own - unfortunately the cover and cover pages got lost a long time ago, so I'm not sure which one it is.)

Christ Consciousness - it seems to be a similar concept to the "Holy Spirit" of Christianity. Edgar Cayce mentions it quite a few times.

Color - WARNING : Those frequency listing entries that requested you see this - they really aren't frequencies in HZ - they are wavelength values in NM. On the Brainwave Generator message board in April 2003, Glen Oberman posted a conversion equation between NM and HZ for colors. In his words :

If you had 'k' nm, you would have 3*10^17 / 'k' hz.

Since the true values in HZ would be extremely high, it's necessary to reduce the octave [divide in half] until you're in the audible hearing range. (In much the same way Hans Cuosto does with the orbits and revolutions of planets, except he's usually going up in octave, not down.)

I used the table on this webpage as the basis for the wavelength values for the various colors, for the sake of converting them into frequency values in HZ. I plugged them into a spreadsheet I cooked up in Quattro Pro, and arrived at these values :

Color Range	Values in NM	Values in HZ
Infrared	1000-751	68.21 - 90.83
Red	750-650	90.95 - 104.94
Orange	640-590	106.58 -115.61
Yellow	580-550	117.61 - 124.02
Green	530-490	128.70 - 139.21
Blue	480-460	142.11 - 148.29
Violet	430-390	158.63 - 174.90
Ultraviolet	380-280	179.51 - 243.61

Potential problems with this table :

1) As you can see, the source for the wavelength values left tiny gaps in between where one color ended and the next began. (It probably doesn't make a big difference in terms of wavelengths.) Take red and orange, for instance. A value between 104.94 and 106.58 likely would be right on the border between the two.

2) Any of these HZ ranges for each color can be reduced or increased an octave by doubling or halving the values in that range. So, you likely have ranges that overlap. For instance, a value HZ that may be associated with the color red could also be associated with a lower octave of another color. So it makes me think perhaps other methods of associating colors with sound frequencies are needed.

(Chakras, anybody?) (What does www.voicesync.org use to associate colors and tones? They seem to have some funky system they use in all their freeware sound programs.)

Cortisol - It's a natural steroid which is produced in the adrenal cortex (located above the kidneys) which both inhibits the immune system and has anti-inflammatory effects. It's also associated with stress and aging. (It's released in response to stress.) Reducing cortisol production in theory could be used for anti-aging effects. Increasing it could be helpful for people with allergies, where the immune system is going bonkers over a foreign agent in the body which is usually harmless - it's not the agent itself which causes the allergic reaction, but the inflammation caused by the immune system attacking the hell out of it. If you can eliminate this misfiring of the immune system, in theory, you can eliminate the allergic reaction.

Cymatics - The study of the effects of sound on matter - I use it as a very loose term to cover sound frequencies that claim to effect matter or human biology in some way.

DHEA - A hormone manufactured in the Adrenals, just above the kidneys - production of it starts off slow in early childhood, and then begins to pick up, hitting its maximum when a person is in his/her 20s, and then it declines from there. It's not completely known what this hormone does - although many claims are associated with it [anti-aging, AIDS therapy, anti-cancer, increased sex drive, weight loss, muscle gain, etc]. This site has a lot of useful information on DHEA - http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/dhea.html

Endogenous Opiates - A family of chemicals the brain produces that serve as pain-killers, and also help to reduce anxiety and fear. This family includes Endorphins, Ekephalins, and Dynorphins. (Paraphrased from : http://www.xrefer.com/entry/149561)

Endorphins - These are chemicals the brain generates that regulate pain. (the right sort of endorphins serve as natural pain killers.)

"Endorphins actually determine what 'reality' is for each of us - endorphins, our natural opiates, are a filtering mechanism in the brain. The opiate system selectively filters incoming information from every sense - sight , hearing , smell, taste and touch and blocks some of it from percolating to higher levels of consciousness."
http://www.core77.com/mackay/7.html

Enkephalins - Like endorphins, these are chemicals the brain generates that can serve as natural pain killers.

Excretion - The process of removing waste materials from the body. Besides the most obvious 'waste materials', excretion would also cover things like exhaling carbon dioxide. Per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an excretion differs from a secretion in that secretions are useful biologically in some way (like sweat), whereas excretions are not - the body just dumps them. (This makes for a great topic at parties, particularly when people are eating.)

Frontal Lobe - The frontal lobe is one of the five lobes of the cortex and its primarily function is receiving input from the rest of the brain, planning, organizing, problem solving, selective attention, personality, motor control, and a variety of higher cognitive functions, including behavior and emotions. Source : http://pbl.cc.gatech.edu:8080/mindy/377

Ganzfeld Effect - This effect was first noticed by Arctic explorers - when they encountered blizzard conditions and could see nothing but white regardless of where they looked, it tended to create altered states of consciousness. These altered states can also be created by sound in the same way - if pink noise is blasted through headphones into both ears, it creates a "sonic blizzard" with the same altered states of consciousness that you get with a literal blizzard.

More information : http://brain.web-us.com/ganzfeld.htm

Harmonic Box X Method - A method of creating binaural beats using more than one voice, where the monaurals and accidental binaurals created actually complement the primary binaural, either having the same value of it, or a multiple of that value. This post on the BwGen message board explains how to create them using Brainwave Generator :

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/bwgen/message/7673

An example of a preset using the Harmonic Box method can be found on the Sonic Alchemy Logbook page [see entry for 10/26/03].

Hippocampus - Simple definition - A part of the brain that is required to form long term memories. If we took that part of the brain out, short term memories could still be formed, and memories stored would still be there, but no new long term memories could be formed. For more information, visit this site, scrolling about midway down the page.

Assc with religious experiences; one side deals with nonverbal thinking/positive thoughts/spatial perception/visual memory/imagination; other side deals with verbal skills/negative thoughts/logical thought [ http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com/shakti_lite/index.htm ]

Hypersonic Sounds - sounds above human hearing. while not audible to humans directly, can "affect the acoustic perception of audible sounds .. Psychological evaluation indicated that the subjectsfelt the sound containing an HFC to be more pleasant than thesame sound lacking an HFC." From : http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/6/3548

Hypnagogic State - This is the state where a person is right on the brink between being awake and being asleep. It's often accompanied by sleep paralysis, and some believe it to be the state a person needs to be in to have out of body experiences.

Hypnopompic State - Similar to the Hypnagogic State, except where the Hypnagogic State happens while in the process of falling asleep, the Hypnopompic State happens while coming out of sleep.

Hypothalamus - "The hypothalamus is generally very active in regulating our primary instincts and emotional responses. The instincts for basic survival, fight or flight, mating, eating, and drinking, are all regulated right here. It is very easy to evoke an intense rage or pleasure response by stimulating the hypothalamus." (This definition is from this article.)

Infratonic Qui Gong Machine - The Infratonic QGM was developed out of scientific research in Beijing China which studied natural healers and found that most powerful healers were able to emit a strong infrasonic (low frequency sound) signal from their hands. The sound emitted from average individuals was only a hundredth as strong. The Infratonic, now used by 1% of all doctors in the United States, was developed out of this research. http://www.chiexplorer.com/infrasonic.html

Keely - Finally, some information on Keely. Per biu.gung@juno.com, he designed something called the Krell Helmet - chances are it's some kind of brain stimulation device that relies on electromagnetic fields generated in the helmet. I'll add more as I learn more.

Kundalini - A very general description - Kundalini is some sort of mystical energy or force that exists at your base, and during a Kundalini awakening, makes its way up from your base into your forehead region. Supposedly, if people aren't "ready" for a kundalini awakening, it can really mess them up. There are forms of yoga that help to stimulate the kundalini. (I've never had any experience with any of this - but I feel the need to include a definition though, since it's mentioned in the frequency list and it's not a common word.)

"Life energy" frequency - 10 PHZ (PETAHERTZ) "This was probably the frequency used by the Russian scientist Vlail P. Kaznacheyev in his experiment. The result of the experiment, the Kaznacheyev effect, is that if a cell culture is killed or injured, and the "death" photons from it are sent to another culture, which in the absence of visible light (which would quench the paranormal effects, see the above mentioned Excalibur Briefing), suffers the same effects." [MM]

Limbic System - "a group of subcortical structures (as the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the amygdala) of the brain that are concerned especially with emotion and motivation" [from Merriam-Webster dictionary via AOL]

Lucid Dreaming - A form of dreaming where you are consciously aware that you are dreaming, and can control your actions in the dream, and in some cases, even control the environment of the dream itself.

Lymphocytes - Simple definition - these are a sort of white blood cell that help fend off foreign cells and other unwanted things that have "invaded" the body. It's the lymphocytes that sometimes cause a body to reject a transplanted organ, for instance, and they're sometimes responsible for allergic reactions as well.

Magic Window - Frequencies which (according to Thomas E. Bearden) are especially suited for coupling to and bringing energies from other dimensions. [EX via MM] Another source seems to imply such frequencies could be used to communicate from one dimension to another. (As you can see - this is kind of venturing into the realm of new-agey pseudo-science, but I wouldn't rule it out for that reason alone - much of what we take for granted today in science was seen as pseudo-scientific at one point.)

The range of frequencies that most of these magic windows fall under are well above human hearing - more than likely, they are intended to be 'accessed' using electromagnetic means (a device that creates an EM field). Although, if you're up for a challenge, you could try lowering the octave of these frequencies (i.e. dividing the number by two) until you reach a point where you're in the range of audible sound, and then try plugging that frequency into a sound generator.

Melantonin - A hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain - it helps to promote normal sleep patterns. [TM] also mentions that it can decrease the aging process. Another source says it can create very vivid dreams.

Neuralgias - A simple definition - a condition that causes brief episodes of stabbing pain between the eyes and ears.

Norepinephrine - A natural chemical the body generates which acts as a vaso-constrictor [constricts blood vessels]. It also increases heartrate & blood pressure, and opens up the air passages in the lungs. It is generated in response to short-term stress, and serves to mobilize the body's resources in order to meet the stressful challenge.

(Paraphrased from : http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/09326.html)

Octave - Okay, a very simple definition. Ready? "do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do". The two do's are an octave apart. The second "do" is a higher octave of the first "do". The first "do" is a lower octave of the second "do". The significance of octaves is that they are the same note - the only difference is the pitch. So, for any of the (sound) frequencies on this list, higher and lower octaves in theory could have the same effects that the original frequency does.

Determining higher and lower octaves of a frequency is a piece of cake - just double or half the number. Higher octaves of 7.0 HZ, for instance, would be 14.0, 28.0, 56.0, etc. You can keep going until infinity - just keep on doubling it.

One use for this is to bring frequencies that are below hearing range to a point where it is an audible sound - this is how a lot of the "planetary" tones were calculated. They determined the fraction of a revolution a planet would go through in a second, and then kept doubling the number until they got to an octave that was an audible tone.

It also can be used to bring frequencies above the human hearing range to the point where they're an audible sound - instead of doubling the number, half it instead until you reach an octave that is within human hearing range.

Phosphene Imagery - The funky pattern/haze you get when you rub your eyes.

Pineal - a tiny organ in the brain [about the size of a pea] that helps to regulate sleeping patterns in mammals [i.e. circadian rhythm], as well as seasonal changes. It is sensitive to light - in the absence of light, it produces a hormone (melantonin) that makes us sleep. Functionally, it is the closest thing we have to a "third eye".

Pyramid Frequency - We finally have a definition for this one, thanks to Kris Edgar. Per Kris, the 'outside' pyramid frequency is the frequency found to resonate outside of the great pyramids in Egypt. The 'inside' pyramid frequency resonates inside the great pyramids. It's still a little ambiguous for a definition, but it's better than we had before. (Can anybody add any additional detail? I'm kind of curious if it's any particular Egyptian pyramid, like Cheops, for instance.)

Rife frequency - Rife was a fellow who tinkered with using electromagnetic fields at certain frequencies to cure/treat various ills. The frequency set of 20 HZ, 727 HZ, 787 HZ, 800 HZ, 880 HZ, 5000 HZ, and 10000 HZ were used for general treatment across the board, and other frequencies were then added to treat specific conditions.

While Rife's frequencies were generated using electromagnetic means - some of the "mental state" entries for Rife may work using a sound medium, since brainwave entrainment can be done with any periodic phenomena, whether it be light [strobe lights], sound [ocean waves,binaural beats,etc], EM fields [from appliances], vibration [those funky massaging contraptions they sell], or even motion [rocking a baby to sleep].

I don't have every Rife frequency that exists on this page - really, I doubt a frequency to treat something like scoliosis or rectal itching would be very useful to many people, and would only serve to take up a lot of space - if you're looking for frequencies to treat very specific diseases, this page looks like it has every frequency ever used by Rife or any of the researchers who played around with the same sort of thing : Turf's Electroherbalism Page / frequency listing archives.

Samadhi - The state of being aware of one's existence without thinking. Definition from + More Info at : http://www.self-realization.com/samadhi.htm

Schumann resonance - A simple definition - EM field generated by the earth's atmosphere when it's struck by energy from the sun - it can entrain brainwaves much as EM fields from appliances can, in theory. Here's some additional information.

A resonant cavity is formed between the ionosphere and the earth. Energy from sferics or other sources may excite this natural resonator to ring at about 8 Hz. Special purpose receiver, can be home built. [from http://www.altair.org/natradio.htm]

The Schumann Resonances are actually observed by experiment to occur at several frequencies between 6 and 50 cycles per second, specifically 7.8, 14, 20, 26, 33, 39 and 45 Hertz, with a daily variation of about +/- 0.5 Hertz. [from http://www.innerx.net/personal/tsmith/Schumann.html]

7.83 is the strongest of the seven resonances, per http://www.danwinter.com/schumann/schumann.html

The amplitude (i.e. intensity) of the Schumann resonance is, however, not constant, and appears to be extremely dependent upon tropical (and hence global) temperature. Indeed preliminary results seem to indicate that a mere one degree increase in temperature seems to be correlated with a doubling of the Schumann resonance. This could not be more significant. http://fusionanomaly.net/schumannresonance.html

Serotonin - A chemical in the brain which helps regulate moods - too little of it, and you can end up depressed. Too much of it can cause migraines and nausea. Just the right amount, and it's a great anti-depressant/mood elevator.

Sleep, Deep Dreamless - Experts are finding that it's only during deep, dreamless sleep that the body restores itself, fixing wear and tear and building new skin, bone, and muscle. http://health.com/wynks/SleepDisWYNK2000-MAL/whatishappening.html

Sphincter Resonance - In the 1960s, apparently, somebody discovered the resonating frequency of the sphincter. They created a device called an "Anal Sphincter Resonator" - an organ-like device. It was used in a suspense thriller play - they intended it to "shake up" the audience when danger was being acted out - apparently it caused the entire audience to soil themselves. (I've also heard this referred to as a 'Brown Note'.)

The original link I got this information from is dead. It was deadlink://www.newphys.se/elektromagnum/physics/KeelyNet/flanagan/flan2.txt. MPT 7/7/04

Synodic Month - Middle period from one new moon to the next.

Thalamus - A component of the brain that acts as a 'routing center' for all sensory information that comes up the spinal cord from the body. Drugs that shut down the Thalmus are often used for anesthetic effects. (This definition came from this article.)

Thyroid - A butterfly-shaped gland just below the Adam's apple which controls the body's metabolism - it does this by producing thyroid hormones, which tell the body how fast to work and use energy.

The definition came from this now dead link: deadlink://www.the-thyroid-society.org/faq. Attemping to go to the main page now loads up some crappy search engine that tries to finagle you into using it as your startup page, so I wouldn't advise going there. (Anybody remember when the internet didn't have that sort of rubbish?) MPT 7/7/04.

Brainwave/Cymatic Frequency Listing

2010-03-07T00:45:00.001-05:00

Brainwave/Cymatic Frequency Listing

Brainwave Frequency Listing

This is a listing of frequencies that various parties have claimed can affect the human mind or body in some way. The following sorts of frequencies are included :

Brainwave Frequencies - These are frequencies associated with various mental states. Using brainwave entrainment, you can coax your brainwaves to a certain frequency, and in doing so, achieve the mental state associated with that frequency.

"Healing" Frequencies - These are frequencies that various parties claim could be used to heal illnesses of different kinds, or stimulate some region of the body (chakras). The medium used to do this varies - some of these parties used devices that generated EM fields which were applied to a precise part of the body, while others used vibration and sound. (I don't have any experience with using EM fields - most of my personal toying about with this stuff uses a sound medium.)

Natural Phenomena Frequencies - This includes natural frequencies that occur in nature [Schumann's Resonance, for instance], as well as sound tones calculated from the revolution/orbit of the various planets. The sources of these frequencies claimed that they could affect humans in a variety of ways.

The original page that I began building this compiled information from is

http://members.aol.com/networktcp/research/freq.htm

The information in green is from this original page. The information I've added is in violet. My personal comments are in light blue. Hyperlinked words have glossary definitions that you can access by clicking on them. To find the original source for any of this information [or where I got it, at least], check the letters in brackets at the end of the entry and refer to the bibliography. This is also where I'll give any indications about what medium the source for the information used (sound, light, EM fields, or vibrations). By default, assume it to be sound.

If you want to redistribute this, please include the Bibliography page as well -- the original sources deserve their reference. Also, please leave my introduction at the top as it is, along with my name, email, and URL.

Disclaimer : I wouldn't take everything you read on this list for granted. Some of it is verifiable by science -- and, there's probably a lot of new-agey crap as well. Although the mere fact some of it sounds new-agey in itself doesn't mean there isn't some truth to it. (The powers that be might have just been too imaginative naming it.)

Disclaimer #2 : Anything you do with the frequencies below is your personal risk - if you manage to burn out a couple of brain cells or harm yourself in some other way, I do not take any responsibility nor will I be held liable. (Just protecting my butt here.)

Sincerely,

Michael Triggs

lunarsight@verizon.net

http://www.lunarsight.com

CYCLES PER SECOND (HERTZ), and Correspondences to MENTAL STATES, PHYSIOLOGY, COLORS, NOTES & PLANETS

These frequencies are of all types; light, sound, electrical, etc. The two- or three-character source codes after each frequency are defined in the bibliography.

0.1-1 Organ/muscle resonances [SS]

0.1-3 Delta range, according to [NEU+CRI] - deep sleep, lucid dreaming, increased immune functions, hypnosis [NEU]; Decreased awareness of the physical world. Access to unconscious information. Dominant brainwave in infants under one year old. This range normally decreases when we focus, but this doesn't happen when a person with ADD - delta waves actually increase when they try and focus. [CRI]; "Monroe focus 21" [MB2 via DW];

0.16 - 10 - Neuralgias [AT]

0.18 - 10 - Mod. therapy [AT]

0.20 - 0.26 - Dental pain [AT]

0.20 - 10 - Post-traumatics [AT]

0.28 - 2.15 - Alcohol addiction [AT]

0.28 - 10 - Arthritis [AT]

0.30 - 0.15 - Depression [AT]

0.30 - 10 - Cervobrachial syndrome [AT]

0.37 - 2.15 - Drug addiction [AT]

0.40 - 10 - Confusion [AT]

0.45 - 10 - Muscle pain [AT]

Below 0.5 - Epsilon range, extraordinary states of consciousness, high states of meditation, ecstatic states of consciousness, high-level inspiration states, spiritual insight, out-of-body experiences, Yogic states of suspended animation. [CNR]

0.5 - very relaxing, against headache [MB], for lower back pain [AS] ; Thyroid, reproductive, excretory stimulant, whole brain toner [SS]

0.5-1.5 Pain relief [SS + CMP] ;

Confusing Exit Signs

2010-03-07T00:43:00.001-05:00

Hoked On Fonics

Every word but "Exit" is misspelled on this highway sign in Wisconsin.

(source)

Hello my name is...

2010-03-07T00:39:00.001-05:00

InigoMontoyaPrepareToDie.jpg (JPEG Image, 450x297 pixels)

How to DIY your own vinyl record bowl

2010-03-07T00:36:00.001-05:00

When we were brainstorming centerpiece ideas for our Mexican-themed vintage-style wedding, we really wanted to incorporate something that really represented us, our life and our tastes. We HAD to have chips 'n salsa on the tables (hello! Mexican wedding in Texas!) and wanted an economical, handmade vehicle for that tasty goodness.

So! After reading other people's tutorials on making vinyl record bowls and realizing how stinkin' easy it was we had to go for it! We're vinyl record collectors and had a few records we felt we could sacrifice for the cause. It was hard to let go, but boy did everyone love these chip bowls! We ended up giving them away to people who wanted them after the dance-tastic reception.

This is OUR (hubs' and mine) tutorial on how to make these bowls. You can find numerous others online, but we feel ours is the most descriptive and best one in the world. So here goes nothin'!

Materials:

7" metal bowl (for shaping) —> or other heat safe bowl
8.5-9" metal bowl (for heating) —> or other oven safe bowl
cookie sheet
vinyl record
oven

CAUTION: use oven mitts or good potholders at all times

The sizes of your bowls depend on the look you're going for. If you want a more upright bowl that resembles a slightly bucket-ish shape then use a smaller bowl with slightly upright sides (for the shaping bowl). If you want a more low-slung, fruit bowl style bowl then use a bowl with more relaxed, wider sides.

Step 1:
Preheat oven to around 185 degrees for ten minutes (set the timer!). Place large metal bowl on cookie sheet open side down. Place cookie sheet with bowl on it in the oven for about four minutes to warm it up and get it ready for your record.

Step 2:
Take your record, with the side you want on the INSIDE of your bowl facing down, and place it on top of the over-turned bowl in the oven. It sort of resembles a top hat now.

Step 3:
Bake the record in the oven like that until you see it start drooping over your bowl and getting pliable. Every vinyl record bowl + oven combination will take different amounts of time, but for us our record was ready to take out at about five minutes. Check it every minute or so by pulling it out (with your oven mitt on!) and gauging the flexibility of it.

It's okay if it's not flexible enough the first time you take it out of the oven! Vinyl is awesome in that you can just put it back in and heat it until it gets more melty and no one will ever know.

Step 4:
When your record seems pliable enough to shape, take it out of the oven and place it right side up inside your smaller (shaping) bowl. Press it down with your fingers in the bowl and shape it to your tastes. Don't be afraid to get physical with your record shaping!

Step 5:
Let your record cool for a minute or so and then pull it out of the bowl and admire it! You now have an amazing, rad-tacular vinyl record bowl. If you plan to serve food in this bowl, then line it with plastic wrap, paper or another bowl first.

If your record is trying to stick to your melting bowl, then just spray a little Pam or similar on the bottom of the bowl before baking them.
source credits goto Offbeat Bride | How to DIY your own vinyl record bowl

Gamma Rays and Thunderstorms a Flight Risk?

2010-03-07T00:27:00.001-05:00

Ker Than

for National Geographic News

Published March 5, 2010

Airplane passengers flying near thunderstorms could be exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation in the form of terrestrial gamma ray flashes, scientists say.

In space gamma rays—the most energetic forms of light—are created by violent events, such as supernovae, and powerful objects, such as neutron stars.

Scientists have known for decades that thunderstorms on Earth can also create gamma rays, possibly during lightning production. Storms that make gamma rays usually hover about 9 miles (15 kilometers) above Earth, about the same altitude at which many commercial planes fly.

The new study shows that just one of these terrestrial gamma ray flashes, or TGFs, can equal the radiation dosage of about 400 chest x-rays—creating potential hazards for frequent flyers. (Related: "Gamma Ray Burst Caused Mass Extinction?")

In theory, stray gamma rays can alter the structure of human DNA, possibly triggering cancer.

Still, much is unknown about TGFs, including how likely it is for an airplane to fly close to gamma ray sources in storms, noted study co-author Joseph Dwyer, a space scientist at the Florida Institute of Technology.

"I would put this pretty far down on the list [of airplane hazards]," Dwyer said. "I've worked a lot on this, and I would not hesitate to hop on an airplane and fly with my kids across the country."

In fact, people are probably at bigger risk just driving their cars, said Brant Carlson, a TGF expert at Stanford University in California.

"I would say this is a very, very unlikely event, much less likely than many other flight hazards, or the hazards involved in getting to the airport in the first place," said Carlson, who was not involved in the study.

Gamma Ray Strobe Lights

Terrestrial gamma ray flashes were accidentally discovered in the 1990s, when space telescopes designed to study cosmic gamma ray sources began detecting unexpected gamma rays coming from the direction of Earth. (Related: "Mysterious 'Dragons' Make Universe's Gamma Ray Fog.")

Unlike cosmic gamma ray bursts, which typically last a few seconds, TFGs last only about one to two milliseconds.

"That's how you can recognize them immediately" as Earth-based, rather than cosmic, gamma rays, study co-author Dwyer said.

"You can think of a cosmic gamma ray burst as someone switching on a light, leaving it on for a bit, and turning it off. A terrestrial gamma ray flash is more like a strobe light—very brief and very bright." (See a picture of a gamma ray burst in space that was visible to the naked eye.)

The amount of danger TGFs pose to airplane travelers is still unknown, because scientists aren't sure exactly where TGFs originate inside a thundercloud or how big the TGF formation regions are.

"If [the source region] is big, it's more diffuse, and you don't get as many gamma rays hitting you," Dwyer said. "If it's compact, the dose is more concentrated."

Also, if TGFs originate near the tops of thunderclouds and propagate upward, airline passengers cruising below the clouds should be safe.

Few Gamma Ray Protections

If further research proves that terrestrial gamma ray flashes are a threat, there's very little airlines can do to protect passengers.

"These things are so penetrating that you would need quite a bit of lead to have any chance of stopping them," Dwyer said. "And of course you can't really do that with a plane," since it would make the craft too heavy to fly.

The good news is that scientists think TGFs form inside the most violent parts of thunderstorms, areas pilots already try to avoid.

"You can probably list off a half dozen ways that a thunderstorm can kill you in an airplane," Dwyer said. "So you could just think of this as one more reason to stay away from them."

Zen meditation raises pain threshold - fact

2010-03-04T17:13:00.001-05:00

ZEN meditation helps lower sensitivity to pain by thickening a part of the brain that regulates emotion and painful sensations, according to a Montreal study published yesterday.

University of Montreal researchers compared the grey matter thickness of 17 Zen meditators and 18 non-meditators and found evidence that practising the centuries-old discipline can reinforce a central part of the brain called the anterior cingulate.

"Through training, Zen meditators appear to thicken certain areas of their cortex and this appears to underlie their lower sensitivity to pain," lead author Joshua Grant said.

Building on an earlier study, the researchers measured thermal pain sensitivity by applying a heated plate to the calf of participants.

This was followed by scanning the brains of subjects with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The MRI results showed central brain regions that regulate emotion and pain were significantly thicker in meditators compared with non-meditators.

"The often painful posture associated with Zen meditation may lead to thicker cortex and lower pain sensitivity," Mr Grant said.

The study was published in a special issue of the American Psychological Association journal, Emotion.

In the previous study, the researchers recruited Zen meditators with more than 1000 hours of practice and non-meditators and measured their respective tolerance to pain.

Several of the meditators tolerated a maximum 53C produced by a heating plate.

They appeared to further reduce their pain partly through slower breathing: 12 breaths per minute versus an average of 15 breaths for non-meditators.

"Slower breathing certainly coincided with reduced pain and may influence pain by keeping the body in a relaxed state," Mr Grant said in the earlier study.

Ultimately, Zen meditators experience an 18 per cent reduction in pain sensitivity, according to the original study.

20 Argument Tactics to Avoid for Effective Communication

2010-03-04T17:00:00.001-05:00

Communication Blunders and Bad Argument Tactics – Part 1

1. "That makes no sense"

You can't expect anything positive to come from telling a person that you think what they're saying is stupid. A better choice of words would be, "I don't understand" or "this does not make sense to me."

The idea is to communicate how you are relating to the other person's perspective without casting a negative judgment upon what they are saying.

2. "I told you so"

I vote to completely remove the phrase "I told you so" from the English vocabulary. If you believe a circumstance has happened that proves your previous point to be correct, there's a great chance that the other person recognizes this without you throwing it in their face.

If possible, catch yourself before these words come out of your mouth and think about what you will accomplish. You won't make the other person more likely to listen to you in the future, but you may leave them feeling negatively about their choice. And you have greater issues that need to be addressed if hurting the other person is what you desire from a quarrel.

If you are so insecure or egocentric that you have an obsessive need to be proven right, you may benefit more from self improvement information than the person you're arguing with.

3. "It doesn't matter"

If you've thrown this phrase around in the middle of an argument, you know that it is usually not true. The very fact that you're going back and forth with someone on an issue means that it matters. Nonetheless, we often get frustrated and just want the disagreement to end.

Unfortunately, an issue that is left unaddressed will fester within. And it will resurface like a thief in the night when you least expect it.

Instead of throwing in the towel, try taking a deep breath and a few moments to yourself. Revisit the issue when both parties have calmed down.

4. "You're not listening"

In an argument, both people are often so busy defending their position that they are not listening to each other. However, when one person says, "you're not listening," the other simply disagrees by saying, "yes I am." And then both people sit there arguing about whether or not they're listening. What a waste of time and energy!

A more effective way to let someone know that you don't think they're hearing what you have to say is: "I don't feel that I'm getting my point across to you. " Yes, both statements are similar, but the former casts blame and will only lead to more defensive behavior. Encourage the behavior that you want rather than griping about what you don't like.

5. "Whatever…"

It is just a word, but in the middle of a disagreement, it's toxic. It sends a strong message. That message is basically, "I don't care what you're saying" or "I'm not listening to you" or "Your opinions don't matter."

For obvious reasons, this doesn't go over well and it hinders any possibility of a resolution.

6. "It's your fault because…"

Blame is never the way to go for effective communication. Even if you feel that a situation is clearly the fault of another, DON'T SAY IT.

There's a huge chance that the other person will not agree that they are at fault, thus raising the level of intensity in the disagreement. And even if they do accept fault, it doesn't change the position that you were in when the dispute began.

In your communication with others, focus on a goal. If the goal is to fix a broken system at work, discuss solutions rather than worrying about who caused the problem. Remember… if you're busy blaming, you're a big part of the reason that the issue remains unresolved.

7. "You made me feel…"

This is a big one, particularly in romantic (and other non-business) relationships. We've all heard some variation of this one. "You made me feel unwanted," "you made me feel stupid," "you made me mad," "you hurt my feelings," "you don't make me feel special."

The way you feel often seems so related to the words or actions of others that you see them as the cause of your feelings. Well, this isn't exactly a fair burden to place on another person. Furthermore, giving someone else control over your feelings is an act of being unfair to yourself.

Realize that what you feel is caused by what you think about what the person did or said—not by their words or actions alone.

If someone says that you're an idiot, you can choose to let that make you upset or you can dismiss it as hogwash. The choice is yours, so accept responsibility rather than passing it off.

Nobody wants to be blamed for making you do, think, or feel something that they really don't have control over. And personal accountability should be a major part of your self improvement journey.

8. "Everybody else…"

We start using this phrase in childhood to convince our parents that they should act like other parents. However, it spills over into adulthood as we use other people's situations as supporting evidence for our arguments.

"Everybody else sees it my way," is not a phrase that induces effective communication. The underlying message is, "I have majority opinion on my side, so you are wrong."

This is not the way you want to come across, so stick to the facts and leave everybody else out of it.

9. "Anybody could see that…"

If you think that something positive will come out of a statement that tells a person you think they're an idiot, try using the phrase, "Anybody could see that…"

Any hope of successful communication may fly right out of the door at the moment these words seep from your lips. So, you may want to avoid using this counter-productive phrase; as well as, the one word version of it: obviously.

In the middle of an argument, the word "obviously" has the same negative connotation as "anybody could see…." And both statements are likely to be translated as, "This is obvious, yet you don't get it, so you must be stupid." That's almost as bad as a slap across the face.

Think about it this way: If what you're saying is actually obvious, there won't be a disagreement. So just avoid any statement which implies that your point-of-view is the obvious truth. For the only thing that is obvious is that the topic at hand isn't obvious to at least one person—and that's the only person (other than yourself) that matters during the disagreement.

10. "Yeah Right…"

When you're arguing with someone who offers a truce, it's not exactly a good idea to make a statement that shows your lack of confidence. If you don't believe the person you're speaking with, it may be tempting to say, "Yeah right… you won't do what you say" or "this change won't last." However; if you feel strongly that you can't trust someone to do what they're saying, a better choice may be to eliminate your interaction with them.

A relationship, whether business or personal, is bound for turmoil if there is no trust between the two parties.

American Idol - Crystal Bowerson in hospital

2010-03-03T20:05:00.001-05:00

Crystal Bowerson was hospitalized for complications stemming from her diabetes. She will be back and well enough to perform by Thursday night.

FOX representatives announced that American Idol had changed it's schedule to accommodate Bowersox's hospitalization but will return to it's usual format by next week.

They said she would be back next week

but she is on! go Crystal

photo source: http://www.breakingnewsviews.com/03/american-idol-crystal-bowersox-in-hospital.html
- http://www.breakingnewsviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Crystal-Bowersox-Illness-Shuffles-American-Idol-Schedule.jpg

*********************************************************************

Source: American Idol Crystal Bowersox In Hospital

All in a cats day

2010-02-28T20:59:00.001-05:00

It all started this morning
When I made breakfast
For the cranky youngsters

And fed the baby a bottle.

I loaded up the kids in the car seat and took them to daycare & school

I was late for work and
Traffic was a nightmare

My husband called my cell
Phone to tell me he got laid
Off from his construction job

I got to the office
(I'm a Tech Analyst)

My supervisor chewed me out

For misplacing the mouse

I went out for lunch and
Got caught in the rain

I left work early to pick up
My new glasses (wrong size)

I then picked up the kids
From school & daycare

Fed them all a quick meal
>
Drove the boys to karate lessons

And the girls to tap & ballet

When we got back home, all
They wanted to do was watch TV

and sing karaoke instead
Of doing their homework

After much chaos, they took
Their baths, got ready for
Bed and brushed their teeth

I read them their
Nightly bedtime story

And they finally went to sleep

I tried doing some aerobics
In the living room

Uh oh, I don't think all the 'fast-food' and exercise is agreeing with me

Now, I think I'm getting a migraine

And a runny nose

I'm pretty certain it's the flu

After a long and gruelling day,
I crawled into bed and
Was just drifting off when

I realized I had forgotten something

Dear Lord, despite the
Topsy-turvy day I've had,
I give thanks to you and

For all the blessings you've bestowed upon me and my family.
Next week, I'm off to the spa and pool for some much-needed rest and relaxation with my girlfriend

That's how MY life is going....
How are things with YOU?

Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don't worry about storage limits. Check it out.

Underwater Archeology: Diving Below an Ancient Cathedral | Design + Ideas on WU

2010-02-26T06:04:00.001-05:00

Underwater Archeology: Diving Below an Ancient Cathedral | Design + Ideas on WU

Underwater Archeology: Diving 800 Feet Below an Ancient Cathedral

By Delana in Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places

One of the oldest and largest cathedrals in the world hid a fantastic secret for centuries, one that was often rumored but not confirmed. The vast, splendid Hagia Sophia, which is now a museum, sits atop an ancient series of underground tunnels said to connect the cathedral with the Basilica Cistern, Princes' Islands and Topkapi Palace. Director Göksel Gülensoy has enjoyed a long-standing love of the Hagia Sophia, and he decided to embark on a scuba diving expedition under the building to unlock some of her ancient secrets.

Gülensoy began his documentary project in 1998, but budget concerns and Turkish government red tape delayed its completion until late 2009. His 50-minute film, "In the Depths of Hagia Sophia" (or "Ayasofya'n?n Derinliklerinde") shows a side of the historic structure that has never before been explored in depth, let alone filmed. Along with two divers and four spelunkers, the director delved into the mysterious depths to see what, exactly, Hagia Sophia was hiding.

The team began by opening the reservoir doors in the main hall; the two doors had both been shut for quite some time, and never before had a diver been allowed into the reservoir. After studying the small first chamber, the team moved on to the larger second reservoir. There they found flasks thought to have been left behind by British soldiers in 1917, a chain which may have contained a prisoner at one time, and various other bits and pieces of the cathedral. The spelunkers then took over and moved into the two passageways beneath the Hagia Sophia.

Beneath the huge cathedral, the team found sealed passages, a graveyard full of children's bones, and the burial chamber of Hagia Sophia's first priest. Threats of gas leaks, landslides and collapses weighed heavily on everyone's minds, but the entire team emerged safely. For their own peace of mind, and to head off any rumors that might arise in the future, every person who dove beneath Hagia Sophia that day underwent a full-body X-ray to prove that no artifacts had been removed from the site.

After the project, it became clear that Gülensoy and his team had disproven many of the myths surrounding the ancient cathedral. The passages long thought to lead to the Basilica Cistern and Princes' Islands were found to be nonexistent. However, the exploration led Turkish officials and the Hagia Sophia Museum Director to believe that further research should be carried out to see what other mysteries may be hiding beneath this beloved building. If he can gain the necessary government permissions, Gülensoy plans to return to make another film about the hidden history of Hagia Sophia.

I blame the Rabbit

2010-02-26T06:02:00.001-05:00

Yes unlike what you maybe thinking
and in much agreement with Audrie...
I BLAME THE RABBIT

The 90/10 Principle

2010-02-26T05:59:00.000-05:00

Discover this 90/10 Principle.
It will change your life (or atleast the way you react to situations).

---

WHAT IS THIS PRINCIPLE?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you...
90% of life is decided by how you react.

WHAT THAT THIS MEAN?

We really have NO control over the 10% of what happens to us.
The 90% is different.
YOU determine the 90%

HOW?
By your reaction.

You cannot control a red light.
However, you can control your reaction.

Do not let people fool you.
YOU can control how you react.

---o0o---

Let's see this example:

You are having breakfast with your family.
Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt.

YOU HAVE NO CONTROL over what has just happened.
What happens next will be determined by HOW YOU REACT.

...

You curse.
You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.
She breaks down in tears.

After scolding her, you turn to your wife and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table.
A short verbal battle follows.

You storm upstairs and change your shirt.
Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish her breakfast and getting ready to go to school.
She misses the bus.

Your spouse must leave immediately for work.
You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school.

Because you are late,
you drive 40 miles per hour in a 30 mph speed limit zone.

After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60.00 traffic fine away,
you arrive at school.
Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.

After arriving the office 20 minutes late,
you realize your forgot your briefcase.

Your day has started terrible.
As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.
You look forward to coming home.

When you arrive home, you find a small wedge
in your relationship with your wife and daughter.

Why?

Because of how you reacted in the morning.
-
Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is: D
-
You had NO CONTROL over what happened with the coffee.

How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day!

>>>
Here is what could have and should have happened.
<<<

Coffee splashes over you.
Your daughter is about to cry.

You gently say:
'It's okay, honey, you just need to be more careful next time.'

Grabbing a towel, you go upstairs and change your shirt.
You grab your briefcase, and come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus.
She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff.
...
Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios.
Both started the same.
Both ended different.

WHY?

Because of how you reacted.

You really have no control over 10% of what happens in your life.
The other 90% was determined by your reaction.
.
.
.

----------------------------------------

Absolutely everything we do, give, say or even think,
It's like a Boomerang.
It will come back to us.

If we want to receive, we need to learn to give first...
Maybe we will end with our hands half empty, but our hearts will be filled with love.

And those who love life,
have that feeling marked in their hearts..."

Links

Free Online Games-+-
Gaylord Gossip-+-
Gaylord Guide network-+-
Join Myspace-+-
My Auctions-+-
My Used Car Locator-+-
My Used Car Sales-+-
ProFastServers-+-
Random Stranger-+-
Script Installations-+-
Shorten URL's-+-
Wisconsin Dining-+-

Pigcat and a puppy

2010-02-24T07:17:00.001-05:00

I really don't know what that animal with the cute puppy but it's obvious they are playing

IF you know aht the other animal is please let me know (I know it's not a pigcat)

Dead Sodas old soda-pop cans

2010-02-24T07:13:00.001-05:00

Collecting old cans and bottles of soda, preferably full, is one of the things about me that I try to hide from those closest. It's a shameful hobby, I admit, but it's not my fault God wired me in such a way that I cannot live without two sealed cans of Surge serving as bookends for six or seven really light books. Because sodas obviously grow rare when they're discontinued, they aren't exactly the cheapest thing to collect. So, let's try to squeeze an article out of them to justify the fact that I can't afford new soda because I bought too much ten-year-old soda.

Below are eleven of the most-dead soft drinks in my collection, each with its own story to tell, each way past its expiration date. Relive the glories of things you used to drink!

Crystal Pepsi: I think part of the reason why Crystal Pepsi was considered such a flop is because Pepsi built up its debut like the second coming of Christ. I mean, you buy a minute-long Superbowl commercial where Van Halen credits Crystal Pepsi as the root of a cultural evolution, and you damn well better be more than a can of Pepsi without any brown in it.

Still, it was one of those things that people had to try at least once. There was no excuse for avoiding a novelty factor that high. A childhood friend and I forced his little sister into doing a blind taste test, and we were shocked when she couldn't tell which glass was regular Pepsi and which was Crystal Pepsi. I don't think the phrase "BOOYAH" had even been coined yet, but there we were, screaming it at this poor little idiot girl who couldn't tell Pepsi from its bastard naked cousin named after the worst secondary character from Roseanne history.

Trying to market soda as something pure is a fool's game, but the truth is, Crystal Pepsi didn't taste that much different than the regular stuff. It was different, but not hideously different. People slammed the taste, but most of our gripes were on a psychological level. It looked like a citrus drink, or worse, really flat Pepsi. Proper, non-fruity soda is supposed to look like sewer water.

After sales went to shit, Pepsi tried to capitalize on our wrongful assumptions of Crystal Pepsi by transforming it into "Crystal By Pepsi," which was actually meant to taste like citrus soda. I'm a bit unclear as to what the thought process was for this strategy, because it was basically them saying, "Well, you assume our product tastes like some crap you don't like, so we're going to actually make it taste like that crap you don't like." Needless to say, Crystal By Pepsi lasted half as long as its already short-lived predecessor. (1993)

Coke II: Most of you know the basics of the Great New Coke Fiasco of '85, where Coca-Cola made friends with Father Suicide by recalculating its star beverage for no good reason at all. Losing some (not a lot, but some) of their market share to Pepsi, the Coke folks freaked out and tried to make Coca-Cola taste more like Pepsi.

For better or for worse, millions of people had spent years absorbing Coke and growing to consider its acid-like sting as an extension of their lives. Changing Coca-Cola sounded downright sacrilegious, but since people didn't want to look like retards who'd claim "blasphemy" over a cornerstone of Americana switching from sugar to corn syrup, we just got spiteful and said that New Coke tasted like shit. Really, it tasted like any other soda, but when you're pissy, you go for the throat.

The company only halfway caved at first, keeping New Coke but bringing back the original formula as "Coca-Cola Classic," a moniker that stuck for far longer than needed, because I remember drinking cans with Coca-Cola Classic logos on them wayyyy after New Coke had finally been annihilated.

Only, it wasn't annihilated forever. Stubbornly refusing to collect their losses and move on, Coca-Cola brought the beverage back as "Coke II" in 1990, where it survived on life support for over a decade in just a few cities across the country. One of those cities was Chicago, and even when I visited a friend there in 2001, Coke II was still on store shelves. I'm still kicking myself for not picking up a 12-pack and figuring out some way to wall-mount it over my television. Now it's been completely discontinued, and I hate that, because it's so cool when sodas get sequels. (1990)

Pepsi's Wild Bunch: I realize that it's still hard for many of you to grasp the concept of a "soda collectors' market," but I swear, it exists, and it's given me powerful knowledge about soft drinks most of the world never knew existed. Sharing this information is what makes me special.

In 1991, the folks at Pepsi had their big annual company picnic, and let's just say that the grass had never been so green. The next day, Pepsi put into motion a plot to introduce three new fruit-boosted brands in the hopes that Wild Cherry Pepsi's success could be, literally and figuratively, bottled.

This trio of would-be conquerors was collectively known as the "Pepsi Wild Bunch," and I CANG UNDERSTANG why it never made it past a few test markets. Maybe they just tried too hard -- aside from throwing a 6-pack here and a 12-pack there at a bargain price, Pepsi actually sold the new flavors in a boxed three-pack, meant to look like a shipping crate from the jungles of Sha'boochla. "Fresh from the tropics," they claimed.

When you got inside the box, the three bold new Pepsi flavors stood tall, almost daring you to drink them. The three soda entries below mark one of the Internet's only resources on these lost Pepsi flavors, a fact that makes me prouder than a new parent after his kid's first shit.

Strawberry Burst Pepsi: This is my favorite of the three Wild Bunch flavors, but since I never actually tasted them, I'm just going on pure hypothesis and cool can designs. I'd be curious to know just how much different Strawberry Burst was from Wild Cherry Pepsi. Probably just a bit sweeter. Since most stores aren't willing to dedicate a second aisle to soft drinks just because some tyrant at Pepsi wants to make 146,000 different kinds of it, it's likely that the Wild Bunch failed because the public and the stores they shopped in felt like they'd already hit their limit on the amount of Pepsi brands they could introduce to their lives.

While regular soda often goes fruity, the reason so many fruity takes on classic soft drinks go extinct is because...well, cherry was an anomaly. Cherry worked because diners made their own Cherry Coke and Cherry Pepsi concoctions during the soda boom of the 1950s, and there was a residual interest. Cherry worked in soda not because it was a fruit, but because it was one of the only fruits that could get away with swimming in our soda. (1991)

Raging Razzberry Pepsi: Raspberry soft drinks came into fashion in recent years, but the artificial raspberry flavoring of today is far different from the artificial raspberry flavoring of yesteryear. After all, 1991 was the peak of the infamous "blue raspberry" craze, where every company in the world charged with producing edibles fueled the madness with blue raspberry spins on classic products, turning everyone's tongues ridiculous colors in the process.

Blue raspberry, of course, tasted nothing like real raspberries. The flavor was better described as the "deeply sugariest sugary sugar," and since Raging Razzberry Pepsi arrived in '91, it stands to reason that it too considered raspberry not so much as a tart berry, but as a license to sugarfy soda like it'd never been sugarfied before. Spellcheck hated this paragraph to death. (1991)

Tropical Chill Pepsi: The final brother of the Wild Bunch and its most androgynous member, Tropical Chill Pepsi didn't want you to know what it was made of. The can features images of pineapples and of another fruit that could've been a grapefruit or an orange or even a cantaloupe. The written description on the can only told us that it was "Peps-Cola with tropical fruit."

Now, I've heard of everything from cherries to lemons being referred to as a "tropical fruit." In the world of artificial flavors, it's a pretty vague term. So, I imagine that the fun in drinking Tropical Chill Pepsi lied mostly in trying to discern the different fruits that composed it upon each sip. "Hmm, that one tasted like it had a little banana in it." "Uh oh...think I hit mango on that last swig." It was sort of like that dinner drug Wonka gave Violet, only without a climax worth telling your friends about later. (1991)

Tropical Chill sounds more offbeat than the other two Wild Bunchers, but it doesn't matter which was best and which was worst -- all three flavors came and went in unison, and the Wild Bunch never made it out of test markets. That's why the person standing next to you should make a foghorn sound effect whenever you mention them.

You: Pepsi Wild Bunch.
Friend: Waaaaaah wuhhhhhhhhh.

Surge: Surge remains wildly popular today. Few soda brands have fully fleshed-out fan sites, but I've come across online tributes to Surge featuring everything from love poems to a drawing of a ducks drinking Surge from a straw, with the caption, "Even Ducks Like It."

Surge was Coke's chosen opponent for Pepsi's Mountain Dew brand, and while its chief usage was by video gamers binge-playing for nights on end, the commercials insinuated that it was actually fuel for people who liked to rig bungee equipment off untested cliffs so they could live life to the extreme.

After some roof-raising successes beginning after the drink's debut in the late '90s, Coca-Cola ultimately discontinued Surge. But, since it was already a widespread and totally national release, Surge lovers had ample time to stock their garages with as many cases as they could find, and even today, it's not impossible to find 12-packs on eBay. Here's the kicker: People generally aren't bidding on 'em for "collectible" purposes. No, they want to drink it!

While I remember Surge mostly for a series of commercials on WCW Monday Nitro where Bill Goldberg held a can to the camera and threatened to kill my momma with it yarrrrrr, I was never into soft drinks from the Mountain Dew side of the pie graph. Upon tasting it yesterday for the first time, however flat it was, I can see where the fascination comes from. It's good, and it's really green. It's like drinking magic juice.

After Surge's demise, its fan were up in arms. This had happened before when beloved sodas got the ax, but Surge marked the first time that people had something called an Internet to let their voices be heard as one. Oh, the many online petitions that were signed. Oh, the many forum signatures edited to enlist the clueless to the Surge-saving cause. Pointless? Not really. At least according to those who protested, it's largely due to these virtual picketers that Coke released a drink called "Vault" a few years later. People claimed that Vault tasted much like Surge in a very intentional way, but I've tried both and I just don't see it. Maybe it's because the two beverages were entirely different colors. That seemed like a pretty big tip-off that we were grabbing at straws. (1997)

Pepsi Cool Cans: Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat, because the Pepsi itself was totally normal with nothing new about it. Only the cans were given an upgrade. I was in the 5th grade when Pepsi Cool Cans burst on the scene in 1990, advertised by a great commercial where some famous rapper whose name escapes me sung his little heart out in tribute to the redressed Pepsi cans. The promotion was boosted by some correlating contest where soda drinkers could win wads of cash, but that was all secondary to the real treat: Drinking Pepsi out of wacky new cans!

There were four Cool Cans available. Three of them featured bright and sunny imagery of people doing summery things, but the fourth one, shown above, was such a rapid departure from the packaging norm that there wasn't a soda drinker on the planet who didn't stand up and point to it as the greatest thing in history. As the four can designs came out one week after the next, or something like that, my friends and I waited with bated breath, or something like that, for the ultra swank neon can. I've long considered Coke as being a little edgier than Pepsi. Maybe it's the hipster polar bears, or because it's named after hard drugs. Still, in the summer of 1990, the neon black Cool Can pushed Pepsi miles ahead of Coca-Cola. We were drinking Vegas.

The neon Cool Can went on to even greater fame for allowing the thirsty to spell out the word "SEX" by stacking one can on top of another in a specific way. See how it was done over at Snopes. My biggest regret in life is that I didn't hear about this wonderful trick back then, as teaching people in the schoolyard how to spell "SEX" with soda cans surely would've made me captain of the kickball team. (1990)

Orbitz: Orbitz was made by Clearly Canadian, who if you'll recall were neck-and-neck with Mistic for jurisdiction over the realm of sodas that posed as fruit-flavored waters. Orbitz was much like regular Clearly Canadian fruit sodas, save for two important differences: It was a lot thicker, and it had tiny candy balls from Jupiter floating around inside it.

Yes, it's that drink -- the one with the balls. While Orbitz drinks would've seemed worlds apart from the competition sheerly on the merits of their oddball flavors (Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut?), it was the dozens of gelatinous, colored balls floating around each bottle that made it famous. The balls were more or less flavorless, serving only to soak up whatever flavors their liquid homes bore. This was like the kiddy version of the holy flakes in a bottle of Goldschlager.

I remember buying them in the Woodbridge Mall over in Jersey, for no other reason than the fact that the Woodbridge Mall was the only place around that sold Orbitz. So, I'd buy it, and I'd wander around the mall sucking up piles of Fruit Roll-Up feces with a straw, and only now do I realize what an asshole I must've looked like. As the brand boasted screwy flavor varieties that were a real round of Russian Roulette to try, the public refused to push Orbitz past its status on the novelty echelon. It wasn't long before its makers realized that they couldn't survive on the sales of curious five-year-old girls alone.

The drinks weren't carbonated. This and other factors have made Orbitz almost safe to drink if you're still able to find them. Of course, it was hard for me to guzzle down sips of something "Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut" flavored and not chalk up what I was tasting to an expiration date past, but on the other hand, it didn't kill me. I can't decide if the floating balls look more like pastina or tadpole larva or the end result of trying to grab a piece of Styrofoam out of its container with too much force. There was nothing like Orbitz previous to its debut, and there hasn't been anything like it since. (1996)

Pepsi Blue: Of all the soda failures to occur after the turn of the century, none have been more legendary than Pepsi Blue, the extremely misfired "Berry Cola Fusion" experiment that turned brother against brother and sent an entire nation into despair.

Had Pepsi opted to release the drink as its own brand and not as some kind of mutated, alien blue version of its primary offering, maybe it would've caught on. As someone who indeed gave Pepsi Blue a shot, I can confirm that when we first put our lips to the bottle, we had "okay, this stuff is going to taste somewhat like regular Pepsi" running through our heads. Of course, it didn't taste like Pepsi, nor was it meant to. Assaultingly fruity with a color to match, Pepsi Blue catered to everyone who rubbed genie lamps and wished that they could "drink candy."

I hated the stuff. You know how certain hard candies contain a liquid center, and how that liquid center is always excessively tangy and causes your face to contort into all kinds of sourpusses? Pepsi Blue was a whole bottle of that.

What really bothers me is that, in theory, blue soda sounds so can't-miss. I knew from the second I tasted it that I was not a fan, but man, I really wish I was. (2002)

Pepsi Fire & Pepsi Ice: Wow, this article sure is Pepsi-heavy. I knew I should've bought that can of OK Soda when I had the chance.

I'm actually not sure if Pepsi Fire and Pepsi Ice were ever available in the States. The bottles above came from another country, but everything is written in English and the bottle labels' legal lines aren't helping to clue me in. If they ever were in the States, they're gone now.

Pepsi Fire was subtitled "Cola on Fire," tasting like a car accident between a can of Pepsi and a bottle of ground cinnamon. Pepsi Ice, or "Ice Mint Cola," tasted just like mouthwash. Seriously. Neither were/are any good, but they certainly looked the part. Pepsi Fire was a rich red, while Pepsi Ice was even more blue than Pepsi Blue was, even though that sounds impossible as I type it.

Further research tells me that these brands were sold in places like Guam and Thailand, and that they were "limited editions." I think that's a bit of revisionist history. My bottle labels don't say anything about them being "limited." Pepsi just doesn't want to admit that they tanked. Shame on you, Pepsi. (2005)

In foreign nations, both Pepsi and Coke have tried out all kinds of brands that we were never privy to. There was Australia's mango and tamarind flavored Pepsi Samba, for example. This is one of the reasons that I'll spend more time in the supermarkets than seeing the sights should I ever visit another country. I can't wait to hit Japan's 7-11 for polybagged tea eggs and Rice Coke.

In the months to come, it's entirely likely that I'll have accumulated enough weird, old sodas to give this article a Part II. Whether I go through with that or not is up in the air, because having done it once, I know that it's actually really hard to write more than six words about old soda.

-- Matt (2/4/07)

State of the Internet - Sent using Google Toolbar

2010-02-24T07:10:00.001-05:00

State of the Internet

Cheap screen printing tutorial

2010-02-24T01:44:00.001-05:00

Cheap screen printing tutorial

Alright, I've finally had the time to "screen print" another shirt, so here's the tutorial...

Materials needed: a t-shirt, yucky/cheap paint brushes, an embroidery hoop, screen printing ink (I use Speedball brand), a glue that isn't water-soluble (I use Mod Podge), curtain sheer material/tulle/old nylons, and a computer with a printer (or a good hand for drawing things).

Find an image you like and that has good contrast. My cow needed to be "cut out," and I've only got Microsoft Paint on this computer and it worked fine.

Save the image as a Monochrome Bitmap file and it will turn it black and white. If this loses all the detail, fudge around on Paint or try a different picture, haha.

Print it out so the image is the size you want it on the t-shirt (and also so it's not bigger than the embroidery hoop you spent ¢67 on).

After pulling the sheer curtain material/tulle/old nylons tight across the embroidery hoop (and screwing it shut real good), trace the image onto the material with a pencil with the material close to the paper, not upside down so it's far away.

You should be able to see the pencil outline easily without squinting too hard. If it's too detailed, fudge some more.

Turn the thing over and with the glue, paint all the "negative space," (all the places you don't want ink to go, the white space). Make sure the material isn't touching whatever surface you're working on otherwise you'll end up gluing the whole thing down, obviously.

Some people say you can use tape to fill in the bigger area, but I think that painting the glue on all over the larger spaces is the best part, but do what you will.

After the glue dries, center the image on the shirt face down, and I sort of stipple the ink through the material making sure it's fully saturated, but also making sure not to glob it all over the place.

Carefully peel it back, wait for it to dry, and follow the "setting" directions on the ink (mine is to iron it on medium 3 - 5 minutes each side with a piece of cloth/paper between the iron and the ink).

I hope that helps some!

Edit 5/11/06: I get emails when comments are made and will always try my best to answer questions, even if they have been answered in all these pages of replies. No need to come to my personal journal to drop notes; I get them--I promise!

Edit 8/13/06: Here is a brief FAQ I compiled that might help some people with their questions so that they don't have to scroll through all these pages of comments trying to find it or emailing me with them.

What paint? What glue?

Speedball brand Screen Printing Ink and Mod Podge glue are both what I use. I don't like the way fabric paint looks on fabric and I've never tried acrylic paint mixed with a textile medium, though I know people have gotten results to their liking with both. Mod Podge is a non-water-soluble glue. It cannot be washed out once it has dried. I buy both at Hobby Lobby and have no idea where else they are carried.

My printed image looks pixelated and rough; help!

If you used nylons/tulle, that's probably why. I like those two fabrics if you're really on the low-cost side of DIY, but a sheer curtain material works much better as the "weave" of the fabric is much tighter, making a more detailed screen/print.

Will the ink bleed through to the back layer of my shirt?

Maybe. Use caution as you would when working on a shirt any other time--put some newspaper between the front and back.

Can I print on other things?

Yes, so long as you use the right type of ink/medium mixed in your acrylic paint. Speedball makes ink for metal/wood/plastic (I believe) and there are a number of mediums you can purchase for your paint.

Can I wash out the glue?

No, that's the whole point. The glue doesn't wash out so you can use the screen with the same image over and over again. I think it's a little too much effort to make to use just once; if that's what you want, I'd do a stencil instead.

How do I do more than one color?

I'm sure you can separate layers in Photoshop and such and make multiple screens, but I've yet to try it out myself.

I'm from Such and Such publication; can I reprint this tutorial?

Please email me: kristyk51 at yahoo dot com.

Eat meat, stupid.

No, thanks.

This is a stupid idea.

Then don't do it.

I'll probably continue to edit this as needed. Thanks!

Find this archived at my blog here: http://stringstothings.blogspot.com/

Commonsense Puns

2010-02-22T22:24:00.001-05:00

Pun-itive Sentences

1. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

2. Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat minor.

3. To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

4. A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired.

5. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

6. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

7. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

8. If you don't pay your exorcist you get repossessed.

9. What's the definition of a will? It's a dead giveaway.

10. The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

11. Every calendar's days are numbered.

12. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

13. When the electricity went off during a storm at a school the students
were de-lighted.

14. I used to be a tap dancer until I fell in the sink.

15. He wears glasses during math because it improves division.

16. She was only a whisky maker but he loved her still.

17. She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off.

18. Those who jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine.

19. It wasn't school John disliked it was just the principal of it.

20. It's better to love a short girl than not a tall.

21. There was once a cross-eyed teacher who couldn't control his pupils.

22. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum
Blownapart.

23. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

24. The one who invented the door knocker got a No-bell prize.

25. Old power plant workers never die they just de-generate.

26. There was a ghost at the hotel, so they called for an inn spectre.

27. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

28. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at
large.

29. Some Spanish government employees are Seville servants.

30. He drove his expensive car into a tree and found out how the Mercedes bends.

31. Show me someone in denial and I'll show you a person in Egypt up to
their ankles.

32. Two peanuts were walking in a tough neighborhood and one of them was
a-salted.

33. When cannibals ate a missionary they got a taste of religion.

34. When an actress saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she'd dye.

35. He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

36. Marathon runners with bad footwear suffer the agony of defeat.

37. Driving on so many turnpikes was taking its toll.

38. To some - marriage is a word ... to others - a sentence.

39. Old lawyers never die they just lose their appeal.

40. In democracy its your vote that counts. In feudalism its your count
that votes.

41. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

42. It was an emotional wedding. Even the cake was in tiers.

43. Old skiers never die -- they just go down hill.

44. A cardboard belt would be a waist of paper.

45. Local Area Network in Australia: the LAN down under.

46. When the TV repairman got married the reception was excellent.

47. An office with many people and few electrical outlets could be in for a
   power struggle.

48. How do you make antifreeze? Steal her blanket.

49. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his
   grandmother telephoned to ask how he was a nurse said 'No change yet'.

50. A pediatrician is a doctor of little patients.

51. Nylons give women a run for their money.

52. Talking to her about computer hardware I make my mother board.

53. Ancient orators tended to Babylon.

54. The best way to stop a charging bull is to take away his credit card.

55. If you give some managers an inch they think they're a ruler.

56. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

57. He had a photographic memory that was never developed.

58. Old burglars never die they just steal away.

59. A lawyer for a church did some cross-examining.

60. Chronic illegal parkers suffer from parking zones disease.

61. Some people don't like food going to waist..

62. A cannibal's favourite game is 'swallow the leader'.

63. You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

64. Girls who don't get asked out as often as their friends could feel
out-dated.

65. We were so poor when I was growing up we couldn't even afford to pay
attention.

66. A pet store had a bird contest with no perches necessary.

67. A backwards poet writes inverse.

68. If a lawyer can be disbarred can a musician be denoted or a model deposed?

69. Once you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

70. When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U C L A.

71. A plateau is a high form of flattery.

72. When chemists die, we barium.

73. A long knife has been invented that cuts four loaves of bread at a time
called a four loaf cleaver.

74. When the wheel was invented, it caused a revolution.

75. Two robbers with clubs went golfing, but they didn't play the fairway.

76. Seven days without a pun makes one weak.

77. A circus lion won't eat clowns because they taste funny.

78. A toothless termite walked into a tavern and said, "Is the bar tender
here?"

79. Did you hear about the fire at the circus? The heat was intense.

80. A tattoo artist has designs on his clients.

81. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

82. A lot of money is tainted. It taint yours and it taint mine.

83. When they bought a water bed, the couple started to drift apart.

84. What you seize is what you get.

85. Gardeners always know the ground rules.

86. Some people's noses and feet are built backwards: their feet smell and
   their noses run.

87. Two banks with different rates have a conflict of interest.

88. A successful diet is the triumph of mind over platter.

89. What do you call cheese that is not yours? Nacho Cheese.

90. When a new hive is done bees have a house swarming party.

91. Looting a drugstore is called Pillaging.

92. Never lie to an x-ray technician. They can see right through you.

93. Old programmers never die, they just can't C as well.

94. A music store had a small sign which read: Bach in a Minuet.

95. Long fairy tales have a tendency to dragon.

96. Visitors to Cuba are usually Havana good time.

97. A bachelor is a guy who is footloose and fiancee-free.

98. A ditch digger was entrenched in his career.

99. A girl and her boyfriend went to a party as a barcode. They were an item.

100. A criminal's best asset is his lie ability.

*******

LET'S ASK THE EXPERTS:

We are more often treacherous through weakness than through calculation.
~ Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?
~ Chuang Tzu

A man with one watch knows what time it is; a man with two watches is never quite sure.
~ Lee Segall

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop. ~Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
~ Andre Gide

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.
~ Aesop

Only that in you which is me can hear what I'm saying.
~ Baba Ram Dass

I am a part of all that I have met.
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

There's more to the truth than just the facts.
~ Unknown

Even a clock that does not work is right twice a day.
~ Polish Proverb

Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth.
~ Ludwig Börne

If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?
~ Stanislaw J. Lec

The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer.
~ Edward R. Murrow

We are all but recent leaves on the same old tree of life and if this life has adapted itself to new functions and conditions, it uses the same old basic principles over and over again. There is no real difference between the grass and the man who mows it.
~ Albert Szent-Györgyi

When the student is ready, the master appears.
~ Buddhist Proverb

A gun gives you the body, not the bird.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Before enlightenment - chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.
~ Zen Buddhist Proverb

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
~ Henry David Thoreau

I tell you everything that is really nothing, and nothing of what is everything, do not be fooled by what I am saying. Please listen carefully and try to hear what I am not saying.
~ Charles C. Finn

Oh, Heaven, it is mysterious, it is awful to consider that we not only carry a future Ghost within us; but are, in very deed, Ghosts!
~ Thomas Carlyle

Knock on the sky and listen to the sound.
~ Zen Saying

By daily dying I have come to be.
~ Theodore Roethke

There are some remedies worse than the disease.
~ Publilius Syrus

You never know what is enough, until you know what is more than enough.
~ William Blake, Proverbs of Hell

Men are probably nearer the central truth in their superstitions than in their science.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.
~ Henri Louis Bergson

If you think you're free, there's no escape possible.
~ Ram Dass

The fly that doesn't want to be swatted is most secure when it lights on the fly-swatter.
~ G.C. Lichtenberg

Don't miss the donut by looking through the hole.
~ Unknown

You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep. ~Navajo Proverb

Life has the name of life, but in reality it is death.
~ Heraclitus, Eustathius ad Iliad

Whatever I take, I take too much or too little; I do not take the exact amount. The exact amount is no use to me.
~ Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

Alice came to a fork in the road. "Which road do I take?" she asked.
"Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat.
"I don't know," Alice answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."

~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Each forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind.
~ John Lancaster Spalding

The map is not the territory.
~ Alfred Korzybski

No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head.
~ Terry Josephson

Would there be this eternal seeking if the found existed?
~ Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

If you're going to tickle, use a feather not a whip.
~ Terri Guillemets

He who has seen present things has seen all, both everything which has taken place from all eternity and everything which will be for time without end; for all things are of one kin and of one form.
~ Marcus Aurelius

If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.
~ Russian Proverb

The observer, when he seems to himself to be observing a stone, is really, if physics is to be believed, observing the effects of the stone upon himself.
~ Bertrand Russell

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.
~ Roger Miller

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.
~ James Thurber

You cannot step into the same river twice.
~ Heraclitus, in Diogenes Laertius, Lives

One day, someone showed me a glass of water that was half full. And he said, "Is it half full or half empty?" So I drank the water. No more problem.
~ Alexander Jodorowsky

Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases.
~ Hippocrates, Aphorisms

It takes all the running you can do just to keep in the same place.
~ Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, 1872

We waste a lot of time running after people we could have caught by just standing still.
~ Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

You can't reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.
~ Unknown

You can see a lot by just looking.
~ Yogi Berra

Proverbs often contradict one another, as any reader soon discovers. The sagacity that advises us to look before we leap promptly warns us that if we hesitate we are lost; that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but out of sight, out of mind.
~ Leo Rosten

Who depends on another man's table often dines late.
~ John Ray

Things are entirely what they appear to be and behind them... there is nothing.
~ Jean Paul Sartre, Nausea

You become responsible forever for what you've tamed.
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince, 1943, translated from French by Richard Howard

When the pain is great enough, we will let anyone be doctor.
~ Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

A thousand men can't undress a naked man.
~ Greek Proverb

We often repent the good we have done as well as the ill.
~ William Hazlitt, Characteristics, 1823

The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.
~ Buddha

Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.
~ Santayana, Essays

The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.
~ Niels Bohr

Who is more foolish, the child afraid of the dark or the man afraid of the light?
~ Maurice Freehill

I believe that men are generally still a little afraid of the dark, though the witches are all hung, and Christianity and candles have been introduced.
~ Henry David Thoreau, "Solitude," Walden, 1854

Eggs cannot be unscrambled.
~ American Proverb

A thing, until it is everything, is noise, and once it is everything it is silence.
~ Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

The road was new to me, as roads always are going back.
~ Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country Road of Pointed Firs, 1896

We used to think that if we knew one, we knew two, because one and one are two. We are finding that we must learn a great deal more about "and." ~Arthur Stanley Eddington

No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place.
~ Zen

The moment a little boy is concerned with which is a jay and which is a sparrow, he can no longer see the birds or hear them sing.
~ Eric Berne

The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different.
~ Aldous Huxley

Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong. They are conflicts between two rights.
~ Georg Hegel

We are spirits clad in veils.
~ Christopher P. Cranch

We often think that when we have completed our study of one we know all about two, because "two" is "one and one." We forget that we still have to make a study of "and."
~ A. Eddington

If I am not pleased with myself, but should wish to be other than I am, why should I think highly of the influences which have made me what I am?
~ John Lancaster Spalding

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.
~ Francis Bacon

To believe with certainty we must begin with doubting.
~ Stanislaus I of Poland

The world always makes the assumption that the exposure of an error is identical with the discovery of truth - that the error and truth are simply opposite. They are nothing of the sort. What the world turns to, when it is cured on one error, is usually simply another error, and maybe one worse than the first one.
~ H.L. Mencken

The future influences the present just as much as the past.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.
~ John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra, 1911

One does what one is; one becomes what one does.
~ Robert von Musil, Kleine Prosa

You can't fall off the floor.
~ Unknown

A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
~ Unknown

In general people experience their present naively, as it were, without being able to form an estimate of its contents; they have first to put themselves at a distance from it - the present, that is to say, must have become the past - before it can yield points of vantage from which to judge the future.
~ Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion

The only Zen you can find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.
~ Robert M. Pirsig

A stumble may prevent a fall.
~ English Proverb

When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
~ Friedrich Nietzche

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.
~ Matsuo Basho

...but still we ask ourselves:

IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it. Don't waste
them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain?
Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass, a green leafy vegetable, and a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable slop.

Q: Is beer or wine bad for me?

A: Look, it goes to the earlier point about fruits and vegetables. As we all know, scientists divide everything in the world into three categories: animal, mineral, and vegetable. We all know that beer and wine are not animal or mineral, so that only leaves one thing, right?
My advice: Have a burger and a beer and enjoy your vegetables.

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body, and you have body fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one,etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good.

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: You're not listening. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil.
How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO ..... Cocoa beans .. another vegetable!!!
"It's the best feel-good food around!"

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. Have a cookie...

One more thing... "When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt."

*****

Peter Kay jokes, attributed

1) Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones.

2) At the end of every party there is always a girl crying.

3) One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger.

4) You've never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps.

5) Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator.

6) Reading when you're drunk is horrible.

7) Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly.

8) You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have
a fire in your back garden.

10) Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl.

11) You never know where to look when eating a banana.

12) Its impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat.

13) Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel manly.

14) Rummaging in an overgrown garden will always turn up a bouncy ball.

15) You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses.

16) Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school.

17) The most embarrassing thing you can do as schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad.

18) The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at
the first given opportunity.

19) Some days you see lots of people on crutches.

20) Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee, flushed half way through and then raced against the flush.

21) Old women with mobile phones look wrong.

22) Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee.

23) Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited.

24) You never ever run out of salt.

25) Old ladies can eat more than you think.

26) You can't respect a man who carries a dog.

27) There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something.

28) No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers.

29) Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan.

30) The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug.

31) People who don't drive slam car doors too hard.

32) You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of
wood specifically to stir paint with.

33) Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal their nose.

34) Bricks are horrible to carry.

35) In every plate of chips there is a bad chip.

36) Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

and more questions:

1. Why does your gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed?

2. If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth?

3. Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?

4. Is it possible to brush your teeth without wiggling your arse?

5. Why is it called Alcoholics Anonymous when the first thing you do is stand up and say, 'My name is Bob, and I am an alcoholic'?

6. Why are they called stairs inside but steps outside?

7. Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

8. Why does mineral water that 'has trickled through mountains for
centuries' have a 'use by' date?

9. Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a
horrible crisp no one would eat?

10. Is French kissing in France just called kissing?

11. Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll
squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out'?

12. What do people in China call their good plates?

13. Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but
don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?

14. What do you call male ballerinas?

15. Why is a person that handles your money called a 'Broker'?

16. If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

17. If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from
vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

18. Why is it that when someone tells you that there are over a
billion stars in the universe, you believe them, but if they tell you there is wet paint somewhere, you have to touch it to make sure?

19. Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

20. Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets
mad at you but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out of the window?

One Liners from Stephen Wright - a Canadian comic:

Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next-door went nuts.
Should you trust a stockbroker who's married to a travel agent?
If it is zero degrees outside today and it is supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?
Since light travels faster than sound, isn't that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak?
Since Americans throw rice at weddings, do Asians throw hamburgers?
Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it.
Do they have reserved parking for non-handicapped people at the Special Olympics?
So what is the speed of dark?
How come you don't ever hear about gruntled employees? And who has been dis-ing them anyhow?
Why don't they just make mouse-flavored cat food?
I just got skylights put in my place. The people who live above me are furious.
Why do they sterilize needles for lethal injections?
Isn't Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?
How come abbreviated is such a long word?
Why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery is dead?
Why are they called buildings, when they're already finished? Shouldn't they be called builts?
Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together?
Why do banks charge you a "non-sufficient funds fee" on money they already know you don't have?
What would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it?
Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?
When two airplanes almost collide why do they call it a near miss?
It sounds like a near hit to me!
Do fish get cramps after eating?
Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?
Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors?
Why do scientists call it research when looking for something new?
If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
When I erase a word with a pencil, where does it go?
Why is it, when a door is open it is ajar, but when a jar is open, it is not a-door?
How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him?
If "con" is the opposite of "pro," then what is the opposite of progress?
Why does lemon juice contain mostly artificial ingredients but dishwashing liquid contains real lemons?
Why buy a product that takes 2000 flushes to get rid of?
Why do we wait until a pig is dead to "cure" it?
Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
Why do we put suits in a garment bag and put garments in a suitcase?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
What do little birdies see when they get knocked unconscious?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
Is boneless chicken considered to be an invertebrate?
Do married people live longer than single people do or does it just SEEM longer?
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the
self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
If all those psychics know the winning lottery numbers, why are they all still working?
Isn't the best way to save face to keep the lower part shut?
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.

I took a lie detector test the other day. No I didn't.

A friend of mine once sent me a postcard with a picture of the entire planet Earth taken from space. On the back it said "Wish you were here".

Last week I bought a new phone. I took it out of the box, hooked it up to the wall and pressed redial. The phone had a nervous breakdown.

Every so often I like to stick my head out the window, look up and smile for a satellite picture.

In my house there's this light switch that doesn't do anything. Every so often I would flick it on and off just to check. Yesterday I got a call from a woman in Germany. She said "Cut it out".

My theory of evolution is that Darwin was adopted.

I had some eyeglasses. I was walking down the street when suddenly the prescription ran out.

I used to be an airline pilot. I got fired because I kept locking the keys in the plane. They caught me on an eighty-foot step ladder with a coat hanger.

When the guy who made the first drawing board got it wrong, what did he go back to?

The moon may be smaller than the earth, but it's further away.

I talk to myself a lot. That bothers some people because I use a megaphone.

more 'why's'

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered
assassinated instead of just murdered?

If money doesn't grow on trees then why do banks have branches?

Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat round?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in"... but it's only a "penny
for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were
buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What illness did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would
be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake
up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

If you drink Pepsi at work in the Coke factory, will they fire you?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in
binoculars to look at things on the ground?

How come we choose from just two people for President and fifty for
Miss America?

If a 911 operator has a heart attack, whom does he/she call?

and finally...

Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

*****'

1. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

2. If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have
monkeys and apes?

3. The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all
the bad girls live.

4. I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the
self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the
purpose.

5. What if there were no hypothetical questions?

6. If a deaf person swears, does his mother wash his hands with
soap?

7. If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself,
is it considered a hostage situation?

8. Is there another word for synonym?

9. Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"

10. What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an
endangered plant?

11. If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

12. Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

13. Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone
will clean them?

14. If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

15. Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

16. If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right
to remain silent?

17. Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?

18. How do they get deer to cross the road only at those yellow road
signs?

19. What was the best thing before sliced bread?

20. One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other
people.

21. Does the Little Mermaid wear an algebra?

22. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

23. How is it possible to have a civil war?

24. If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown, too?

25. If you ate both pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

26. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

27. Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have "S"
in it?

28. Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of
"assteroids"?

29. Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?

30. Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

31. If you spin an oriental man in a circle three times does he
become disoriented?

32. Can an atheist get insurance against acts of God?

*****

There's always more ...........

Misers aren't fun to live with but they make wonderful ancestors.

Act your age, not your I.Q.

The first half of our life is ruined by our parents and the second half
by our children.

May you live all the days of your life.

The English have a remarkable talent for remaining calm even when there is no crisis.

Hertz Van Rental is not a Dutch impressionist painter!

I just heard from Bill Bailey. He's not coming home.

Negative thinking: On the day Edison invented the light bulb, the
headlines would have read "Disaster hits the candle-making industry!"

Why is it that women's petticoats sag, yet men's shirts creep up?

TV permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you
wouldn't ordinarily let into your house.

There's an old saying - if you hear an owl hoot "whom" instead of "who", it was probably born and educated in Boston.

A television audience is a lot of people with nothing to do watching a
lot of people doing it.

Banks lend billions of dollars to third world countries, but for us,
they chain down their pens.

The place was so crowded, you couldn't breathe in and out. You had to breathe up and down.

Adult western. Where the hero still loves his horse, only now he's
worried about it.

Tautology. 'Armed and dangerous". Ever heard of anyone being 'Armed and gregarious or armed and helpful'?

If you want people to take notice of a Wet Paint sign, spell it Whet paynt.

And now to the weather. Its zero outside. No temperature at all.

No man forgets where he buried the hatchet.

When it come to giving, some people stop at nothing.

Never slap a man in the face if he's chewing tobacco.

You write? What a coincidence, I read.

Sleep faster, we need the pillows.

I get up at 6 am every morning, no matter what time it is.

We were so poor, chicken soup was the water we boiled the eggs in.

A fly in the soup is better than no meat at all.

My old age is probably explained by the fact that I did not touch
cigarettes, alcohol or women - until I was twelve years old.

The difference between truth and fiction is that fiction has to make sense.

How can something be pretty ugly or a little big?

We are involved in precision guessing.

Work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do.

What do nudists do with their car keys after locking the car?

What is called congestion on the roads is called intimacy in night clubs.

Don't make the wrong mistakes.

The easiest way to find something which is lost is to buy a replacement.

If rocket scientists are so smart, why do they always count backwards?

If you tell people a star is ten billion miles away, they believe you.
Put a sign saying 'wet paint' and they feel an irresistible urge to
touch and check.

Thank God I'm an atheist.

A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg.

Speaking of unemployment, the human brain has more than ten billion cells.

My wife gave me a watch. It was waterproof, anti-magnetic, shockproof, unbreakable, lifetime guarantee. I lost it

Maybe the fish goes home and brags about the size of the bait he stole.

There is a difference between wanting a job and wanting work.

No one is too busy to tell you how busy they are.

What can one expect of a day that begins with getting up in the morning?

Rain - something that, when you take an umbrella, it doesn't.

I go on working for the same reason that a hen goes on laying eggs.

A wise man will never plant more garden than his wife is capable of
taking care of.

Punctuality is the art of arriving just in time to be indignant at the
lateness of others.

Strip away the layer of artificial tinsel which he displays and get to
the real tinsel underneath.

You can sleep on a matter before you decide - as long as you don't have a competitor who doesn't need sleep.

They don't make antiques like they used to.

It comes in three sizes. Large, Giant and Super. I'll give you the small
one - Large.

The watermelons were so big it wouldn't take many to make a dozen.

Name two pronouns. Who? Me?

Among things science does not understand is why mosquitoes do not need sleep.

I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

Et cetera: That which makes people believe you know more than you do.

"Our answering machine is away for repair. This is a person speaking."

The brain is an organ with which we think we think.

History is something that never happened, written by a person who was not there.

A person who dares waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.

Sign on a gravestone, "What Are You Staring At!"

A book is a thing you look at when your TV is broken.

A myth is something that was never true but always will be.

Give me the luxuries of life and I will do without the necessities.

Everyone has one thing they can do better than anyone else, even if it is reading their own handwriting.

The more I see of mankind, the more I like my dog.

The human leg is a source of delight;
it carries your weight and governs your height.

Popular music is popular because a lot of people like it and for no
other reason.

Ninety percent of all scientists who ever lived have not yet died.

Research consists of going up alleys to see if they are blind.

Fish and guests begin to smell after three days.

***

and more puns...

1. Two peanuts walk into a bar. One was a salted.

2. A pair of jumper cables walk into a bar. The barman says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

3. A sandwich walks into a bar. The barman says, "Sorry we don't serve food in here."

4. A dyslexic man walks into a bra. (thnik abuot taht ofr a miunte)

5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the road."

6. Two aerials meet on a roof, fall in love and get married. The ceremony wasn't much but the reception was brilliant.

7. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?"

8. "Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'"
"That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome."
"Is it common?"
"It's not unusual."

9. Two cows standing next to each other in a field, Daisy says to Dolly "I was artificially inseminated this morning."
"I don't believe you," said Dolly.
"It's true, no bull!" Exclaimed Daisy.

10. A guy walks into the psychiatrist wearing only Saran Wrap shorts.
The shrink says, "Well, I can clearly see you're nuts."

11. Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar. One says, "I've lost my electron."
The other says, "Are you sure?"
The first replies, "Yes, I'm positive..."

12. A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet and says, "My dog's cross-eyed, is there anything you can do for him?"
"Well," says the vet, "let's have a look at him." So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then checks his teeth. Finally, he says, "I'm going to have to put him down."
"Why?, Because he's cross-eyed?"
"No, because he's really heavy"

13. Apparently, 1 in 5 people in the world are Chinese. And there are 5 people in my family , so it must be one of them. It's either my mom or my dad... or maybe my older brother Colin. Or my younger brother Ho-Cha Chu. But I'm pretty sure it's Colin.

14. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.

15. I went to the butcher the other day and I bet him 50 bucks that he couldn't reach the meat off the top shelf.
He said, "No, the steaks are too high."

16. A man became conscious in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted, "Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!"
The doctor replied, "I know you can't, I had to amputate your arms."

17. I went to a seafood disco party last week.... and pulled a mussel.

18. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, but when they lit a fire in the craft it sank; proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

19. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

************

Why are fire engines always red?
Fire engines have 4 wheels and 8 men.
4 and 8 make 12.
There are twelve inches in a foot.
A foot is a ruler.
Queen Elizabeth was a ruler.
Queen Elizabeth is the name of one of the largest ships on the seas.
Seas have fish
Fish have fins.
The Finns fought the Russians
Russians are red ...
Fire trucks are always rushin'
Therefore, fire trucks are red. (Traditional)

Reasons The World Won’t End on December 21, 2012

2010-02-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

No doubt about it, 2012 and doomsday prophecies are big nowadays. According to the Mayan calendar, the world as we know it will end sometime around December 21st, 2012. Of course, if it doesn't, that won't mean we'll be out of the woods. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ may return at any moment to destroy the armies of the Antichrist and reestablish his throne in Jerusalem, thereby ushering in a thousand years of peace. And if that doesn't occur, there's always the chance that the Mahdi will arise to institute a kingdom of justice and, alongside the returned Isa Al-Maseeh (Jesus), will fight against the Dajjal, the Antichrist of Islam. Then, of course, there's always the chance that—at least according to the Hopi Indians—a blue star will suddenly appear in the sky to signal the start of a great atomic war which will destroy the white man and other ancient races.

Sounds like there's quite a few ways we might catch it, but what are the chances that any of these things might actually happen? Of course, there is no way to prove that something won't happen, but below are the top ten reasons why one would be ill-advised to believe the end is coming in 2012 or any other time soon.

10. Because a reversal of the magnetic poles would not be catastrophic.

It seems that every few hundred thousand years or so, the Earth's magnetic field dwindles to practically nothing and then gradually reappears with the north and south poles flipped. Now this flipping of the magnetic poles—which appears to have last happened about 780,000 years ago—isn't particularly dangerous, but this brief period—about a century or so in duration—of decreased magnetic fields could threaten life on the planet, for without magnetic protection, particle storms and cosmic rays from the sun, as well as even more energetic subatomic particles from deep space, would strike Earth's atmosphere, eroding the already beleaguered ozone layer and causing all sorts of problems to both man and beast (especially among those creatures that navigate by magnetic reckoning). Further, scientists estimate that we are overdue for such an event and have also noticed that the strength of our magnetic field has decreased about 5 percent in the past century, possibly signaling that such an event may be in our immediate future—within a few centuries if not sooner. However, in being so gradual, should scientists in the future discover that such a shift is in the works, there should be plenty of time to take the necessary precautions to avoid the most destructive effects by moving underground or off planet, or perhaps strengthening the planet's atmospheric defenses through the use of exotic, futuristic technologies. In any case, it isn't something we need to worry about in the short term—though it could be a concern for those living a few hundred or even thousands of years from now.

9. An increase in sunspot activity in 2012 will not have any particularly detrimental effect on the planet.

As every schoolchild knows, our sun is constantly shooting gaseous plumes of white hot plasma thousands of miles into space which our atmosphere generously shields us from. Sometimes these plumes are much larger than normal, however, and are what we refer to as solar flares (more properly known as coronal mass ejections). Fortunately, these enormous magnetic outbursts that bombard Earth with a torrent of high-speed subatomic particles are also largely negated by the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field, so we seldom feel the effects of these plasmic bursts, beyond creating havoc for ham-radio users and increasing the luminosity of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. They are of concern mainly to space explorers, who really would have a problem if they are caught in orbit without suitable shelter when one of these things go off. The sun goes through a natural twenty-two year cycle when such storms increase significantly for a time before decreasing again. Such a period is scheduled to occur in 2012, which has some folks all atwitter. For those who are expecting the worst, it might be beneficial to realize that the sun reached similar period of solar activity in 1990, 1968, 1946, and it will again in 2034, 2056 and 2078. While these periods can produce large solar flares that can effect satellite communications and, in a worst-case scenario, adversely affect the flow of electrical energy through the power grids, it is unlikely to do more than produce some especially spectacular light shows in the northern skies and make people onboard the International Space Station a little nervous.

8. Because the poles cannot shift or the planet's orbit be otherwise altered.

Some well-meaning but scientifically challenged individuals maintain that the planet's physical poles are on the verge of reversing (that is, the planet is flipping over onto its top) or that gravitational forces from the other planets or from the galaxy itself could affect Earth's orbit and, hence, dramatically alter its climate and environment. Fortunately, however, the gravitational forces that effect our planet and its place in the solar system are mandated by Newton's laws of planetary mechanics and cannot be changed without some extremely rare (think one chance in ten billion over the next three billion years) and dramatic event taking place—such as a collision with a small moon or a massive black hole making its way through the solar system, both of which would be noted well in advance or whose effect would be so gradual as to take centuries to have any great impact. As far as we know, there are no such cosmic events known to be on the horizon—at least for the foreseeable future (and well beyond 2012).

7. Because Earth climate change is a gradual process and one easily adapted to.

Some take a more hand-on approach to the end, claiming that humanity will perish as a result of human-caused weather changes, which, it is claimed, will melt the polar ice caps, raise the ocean sea levels, and change weather patterns over large portions of the planet. Even if the science holds together, however—which many claim it does not—such a process would be felt over a period of years or even decades, giving human beings time to adapt to the changes (relocate, create shoreline reclamation technologies, etc.) It is even possible that a warmer planet might ultimately be beneficial by, for example, increasing arable land in Siberia and North America as the permafrost layer retreats northward. In any case, the year 2012 has no particular significance in regards to any Earth changes that may occur over the next few decades.

6. Because the people who suggest the end is coming don't know what they're talking about.

Unfortunately, human beings have a tendency to invest great authority in people who can convince them they are prophecy "experts" or have some sort of hidden knowledge others do not possess that allows them to read the future. Many of these people are sincere individuals who simply misinterpret ancient bible texts, while others are deluded crazies who only want to include others in their fantasy world. A few are even unscrupulous charlatans out to make a quick buck. The bottom line is, however, that nobody really knows what the future holds regardless of who they are or what methodology they use. There simply is no evidence that anyone has ever successfully prophesied some future event (beyond some short-term political or military events easily surmised by gauging current international trends) with anything approaching clarity or accuracy.

5. Because the Bible Code is a parlor trick.

Using a complex type of cryptographic code called Equidistant Letter Sequencing (ELS), journalist Michael Drosnin, author of The Bible Code, contends that one can find meaningful and related patterns of words and dates in close proximity to each other within the words of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament and the heart of the Jewish Torah) which would seem to go beyond mere chance. One of these, he says, suggests the planet will be struck by a comet in 2012, with all the unfortunate consequences that would entail. However, critics dismiss Drosnin's methodology as little more than a parlor trick, demonstrating that meaningful words and phrases can be produced using his method on any similar sized manuscript. For example, Australian mathematician Brendan McKay, an ardent critic of Drosnin's process, demonstrated that a computer search of Herman Melville's nineteenth century classic Moby Dick found a number of meaningful phrases in close proximity to each other (specifically having to do with the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination in 1995), suggesting that just as the eyes can be tricked into seeing familiar faces in random patterns of light and shadow, so too can the mind be tricked into finding meaningful phrases in random collections of letters where none exists. And if that's not enough, Drosnin has been proven wrong about other "significant events" he claims were contained in the Bible, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

4. Because the Earth isn't that easy to destroy.

Sure, there are things that could do the planet in, but Earth is a lot hardier a place than many give it credit for. After all, it's been here for four billion years now, had its clock repeated cleaned by asteroids and comets, endured climactic changes of biblical proportions, and even survived a collision with another planet that created our own moon, and yet it keeps on ticking. And you think a few melting ice caps and puny nuclear weapons are going to do it in? Please…

3. Because doomsday prophecies have consistently been proven wrong.

Literally hundreds of dates have been picked by various religious leaders and self-proclaimed prophets over the last two thousand years as being the end of the world and not a one of them has ever even come close to being accurate. So why do we believe these same people today when they tell us the end is coming in 2012 (or whenever they imagine it to be coming)? Listen, you wouldn't believe your doctor if it has been repeatedly demonstrated that he has never once correctly diagnosed a patient, so why give these guys the benefit of a doubt?

2. Because Nostradamus never picked 2012 as the end date.

It has been popularly believed that Nostradamus, the famous sixteenth century French mystic, suggested the end would come in 2012, perfectly coinciding with the Mayan date, which, if true, would be very spooky indeed. However, in reading through Nostradamus' many quatrains, nowhere does he specifically mention the year 2012 or even suggest that the end would come around that time. In fact, his predictions extend all the way to the year 3797, making it seem we have some time yet before the end is neigh. Additionally, his writings are so obscure as to make any interpretation little better than a guess. Most of them are likely referring to events that took place in his lifetime, with the rest being so vague that they can be made to fit any time frame the reader so desires.

1. Because the Mayans never claimed it would.

The Mayans had many calendars they used, one of which was known as the "long count" calendar, which measures very long periods of time. According to this calendar (which has been known to archeologists for decades, by the way) the Earth's "fifth sun" would end at the Winter solstice, December 21, 2012, at which point a new, sixth 5,125-year cycle would begin. What significance this had to the Mayans is a source of some debate, but it is the general consensus that they did not attribute to it any catastrophic events. Most likely, they simply considered it a time for spiritual renewal or introspection, which doesn't sound all that dangerous to me. The teaching that the Mayan's believed it was the end of time, then, appears to be a largely westernized misreading (or deliberate misrepresentation) of the significance of the Mayan calendar and Mayan beliefs associated with it.

By J. Allan Danelek

J. Allan Danelek is a Lakewood, Colorado author who writes and talks extensively on subjects having to do with the paranormal and alternative science. His most recent book from Llewellyn Worldwide, 2012: Extinction or Utopia, deals in some detail with the entire 2012 controversy and the issue of doomsday prophecy in general, and is a must read for anyone desiring to get some sort of objective balance on the entire subject.

The StumbleUpon Addiction

2010-02-22T21:56:00.001-05:00

StumbleUpon has carried many web surfers deep in the night, into the wee hours of many mornings by offering a never ending stream of interesting randomness that is always just a click away.

It's an adventure. Your clicks bring you to visuals and sounds you never would have expected to find on the internet. Before stumbling existed, web surfing consisted of search engines and links given to you on web forums or by friends on IM. Surfing used to be a mundane process where you knew what you were looking for and only needed to find a way to get to it.

Stumbling has brought us unseen destinations, exciting vistas of information and opinion and stupidity, the exotic dangers of a random NSFW page, and the mindless time wasting flash games we would never have found otherwise. StumbleUpon has given people a reason for being on the internet when they have nothing else to do but explore.

Everything is within your grasp, everything is only a click away. Whether you know it or not, when you stumble your way through the internet you are set on a quest. Your quest is to see the entirety of the internet, its best and its worst. The more clicks you take, the deeper into the web you travel and the more difficult it becomes to leave. You enter a vastness that is impossible to comprehend, yet it is all veiled behind the mask of the click. That click, the next one might take you to something wonderful, some amazing thing no one else has seen before, you might discover the next greatness that will make you an internet rock star to your peers. One click, just one more, just one more, one more…

Parents have always told their children that it is best to take things in moderation, this also applies to the click of StumbleUpon. Most stumble addicts out there know who they are, and that's a good first step. No more stumbling through papers and meals, no more stumbling until the crack of dawn scares you into your bed. We can enjoy StumbleUpon, but we must not abuse it. The world misses you, and we only want to see you again and we hope you are doing well.

It is the evolution of the web. We've moved past railways and roadways and are now flying through the internet, teleporting from destination to destination. There is a new world to explore, and its all at your fingertips, just one more click away…

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization |

2010-02-22T21:54:00.001-05:00

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters

I'm sipping a scummy pint of cloudy beer in the back of a trendy dive bar turned nightclub in the heart of the city's heroin district. In front of me stand a gang of hippiesh grunge-punk types, who crowd around each other and collectively scoff at the smoking laws by sneaking puffs of "fuck-you," reveling in their perceived rebellion as the haggard, staggering staff look on without the slightest concern.

The "DJ" is keystroking a selection of MP3s off his MacBook, making a mix that sounds like he took a hatchet to a collection of yesteryear billboard hits, from DMX to Dolly Parton, but mashed up with a jittery techno backbeat.

"So… this is a hipster party?" I ask the girl sitting next to me. She's wearing big dangling earrings, an American Apparel V-neck tee, non-prescription eyeglasses and an inappropriately warm wool coat.

"Yeah, just look around you, 99 percent of the people here are total hipsters!"

"Are you a hipster?"

"Fuck no," she says, laughing back the last of her glass before she hops off to the dance floor.

Ever since the Allies bombed the Axis into submission, Western civilization has had a succession of counter-culture movements that have energetically challenged the status quo. Each successive decade of the post-war era has seen it smash social standards, riot and fight to revolutionize every aspect of music, art, government and civil society.

But after punk was plasticized and hip hop lost its impetus for social change, all of the formerly dominant streams of "counter-culture" have merged together. Now, one mutating, trans-Atlantic melting pot of styles, tastes and behavior has come to define the generally indefinable idea of the "Hipster."

An artificial appropriation of different styles from different eras, the hipster represents the end of Western civilization – a culture lost in the superficiality of its past and unable to create any new meaning. Not only is it unsustainable, it is suicidal. While previous youth movements have challenged the dysfunction and decadence of their elders, today we have the "hipster" – a youth subculture that mirrors the doomed shallowness of mainstream society.

***

Take a stroll down the street in any major North American or European city and you'll be sure to see a speckle of fashion-conscious twentysomethings hanging about and sporting a number of predictable stylistic trademarks: skinny jeans, cotton spandex leggings, fixed-gear bikes, vintage flannel, fake eyeglasses and a keffiyeh – initially sported by Jewish students and Western protesters to express solidarity with Palestinians, the keffiyeh has become a completely meaningless hipster cliché fashion accessory.

The American Apparel V-neck shirt, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Parliament cigarettes are symbols and icons of working or revolutionary classes that have been appropriated by hipsterdom and drained of meaning. Ten years ago, a man wearing a plain V-neck tee and drinking a Pabst would never be accused of being a trend-follower. But in 2008, such things have become shameless clichés of a class of individuals that seek to escape their own wealth and privilege by immersing themselves in the aesthetic of the working class.

This obsession with "street-cred" reaches its apex of absurdity as hipsters have recently and wholeheartedly adopted the fixed-gear bike as the only acceptable form of transportation – only to have brakes installed on a piece of machinery that is defined by its lack thereof.

Lovers of apathy and irony, hipsters are connected through a global network of blogs and shops that push forth a global vision of fashion-informed aesthetics. Loosely associated with some form of creative output, they attend art parties, take lo-fi pictures with analog cameras, ride their bikes to night clubs and sweat it up at nouveau disco-coke parties. The hipster tends to religiously blog about their daily exploits, usually while leafing through generation-defining magazines like Vice, Another Magazine and Wallpaper. This cursory and stylized lifestyle has made the hipster almost universally loathed.

"These hipster zombies… are the idols of the style pages, the darlings of viral marketers and the marks of predatory real-estate agents," wrote Christian Lorentzen in a Time Out New York article entitled 'Why the Hipster Must Die.' "And they must be buried for cool to be reborn."

With nothing to defend, uphold or even embrace, the idea of "hipsterdom" is left wide open for attack. And yet, it is this ironic lack of authenticity that has allowed hipsterdom to grow into a global phenomenon that is set to consume the very core of Western counterculture. Most critics make a point of attacking the hipster's lack of individuality, but it is this stubborn obfuscation that distinguishes them from their predecessors, while allowing hipsterdom to easily blend in and mutate other social movements, sub-cultures and lifestyles.

***

Standing outside an art-party next to a neat row of locked-up fixed-gear bikes, I come across a couple girls who exemplify hipster homogeneity. I ask one of the girls if her being at an art party and wearing fake eyeglasses, leggings and a flannel shirt makes her a hipster.

"I'm not comfortable with that term," she replies.

Her friend adds, with just a flicker of menace in her eyes, "Yeah, I don't know, you shouldn't use that word, it's just…"

"Offensive?"

"No… it's just, well… if you don't know why then you just shouldn't even use it."

"Ok, so what are you girls doing tonight after this party?"

"Ummm… We're going to the after-party."

***

Gavin McInnes, one of the founders of Vice, who recently left the magazine, is considered to be one of hipsterdom's primary architects. But, in contrast to the majority of concerned media-types, McInnes, whose "Dos and Don'ts" commentary defined the rules of hipster fashion for over a decade, is more critical of those doing the criticizing.

"I've always found that word ["hipster"] is used with such disdain, like it's always used by chubby bloggers who aren't getting laid anymore and are bored, and they're just so mad at these young kids for going out and getting wasted and having fun and being fashionable," he says. "I'm dubious of these hypotheses because they always smell of an agenda."

Punks wear their tattered threads and studded leather jackets with honor, priding themselves on their innovative and cheap methods of self-expression and rebellion. B-boys and b-girls announce themselves to anyone within earshot with baggy gear and boomboxes. But it is rare, if not impossible, to find an individual who will proclaim themself a proud hipster. It's an odd dance of self-identity – adamantly denying your existence while wearing clearly defined symbols that proclaims it.

***

"He's 17 and he lives for the scene!" a girl whispers in my ear as I sneak a photo of a young kid dancing up against a wall in a dimly lit corner of the after-party. He's got a flipped-out, do-it-yourself haircut, skin-tight jeans, leather jacket, a vintage punk tee and some popping high tops.

"Shoot me," he demands, walking up, cigarette in mouth, striking a pose and exhaling. He hits a few different angles with a firmly unimpressed expression and then gets a bit giddy when I show him the results.

"Rad, thanks," he says, re-focusing on the music and submerging himself back into the sweaty funk of the crowd where he resumes a jittery head bobble with a little bit of a twitch.

The dance floor at a hipster party looks like it should be surrounded by quotation marks. While punk, disco and hip hop all had immersive, intimate and energetic dance styles that liberated the dancer from his/her mental states – be it the head-spinning b-boy or violent thrashings of a live punk show – the hipster has more of a joke dance. A faux shrug shuffle that mocks the very idea of dancing or, at its best, illustrates a non-committal fear of expression typified in a weird twitch/ironic twist. The dancers are too self-aware to let themselves feel any form of liberation; they shuffle along, shrugging themselves into oblivion.

***

Perhaps the true motivation behind this deliberate nonchalance is an attempt to attract the attention of the ever-present party photographers, who swim through the crowd like neon sharks, flashing little blasts of phosphorescent ecstasy whenever they spot someone worth momentarily immortalizing.

Noticing a few flickers of light splash out from the club bathroom, I peep in only to find one such photographer taking part in an impromptu soft-core porno shoot. Two girls and a guy are taking off their clothes and striking poses for a set of grimy glamour shots. It's all grins and smirks until another girl pokes her head inside and screeches, "You're not some club kid in New York in the nineties. This shit is so hipster!" – which sparks a bit of a catfight, causing me to beat a hasty retreat.

In many ways, the lifestyle promoted by hipsterdom is highly ritualized. Many of the party-goers who are subject to the photoblogger's snapshots no doubt crawl out of bed the next afternoon and immediately re-experience the previous night's debauchery. Red-eyed and bleary, they sit hunched over their laptops, wading through a sea of similarity to find their own (momentarily) thrilling instant of perfected hipster-ness.

What they may or may not know is that "cool-hunters" will also be skulking the same sites, taking note of how they dress and what they consume. These marketers and party-promoters get paid to co-opt youth culture and then re-sell it back at a profit. In the end, hipsters are sold what they think they invent and are spoon-fed their pre-packaged cultural livelihood.

Hipsterdom is the first "counterculture" to be born under the advertising industry's microscope, leaving it open to constant manipulation but also forcing its participants to continually shift their interests and affiliations. Less a subculture, the hipster is a consumer group – using their capital to purchase empty authenticity and rebellion. But the moment a trend, band, sound, style or feeling gains too much exposure, it is suddenly looked upon with disdain. Hipsters cannot afford to maintain any cultural loyalties or affiliations for fear they will lose relevance.

An amalgamation of its own history, the youth of the West are left with consuming cool rather that creating it. The cultural zeitgeists of the past have always been sparked by furious indignation and are reactionary movements. But the hipster's self-involved and isolated maintenance does nothing to feed cultural evolution. Western civilization's well has run dry. The only way to avoid hitting the colossus of societal failure that looms over the horizon is for the kids to abandon this vain existence and start over.

***

"If you don't give a damn, we don't give a fuck!" chants an emcee before his incitements are abruptly cut short when the power plug is pulled and the lights snapped on.

Dawn breaks and the last of the after-after-parties begin to spill into the streets. The hipsters are falling out, rubbing their eyes and scanning the surrounding landscape for the way back from which they came. Some hop on their fixed-gear bikes, some call for cabs, while a few of us hop a fence and cut through the industrial wasteland of a nearby condo development.

The half-built condos tower above us like foreboding monoliths of our yuppie futures. I take a look at one of the girls wearing a bright pink keffiyah and carrying a Polaroid camera and think, "If only we carried rocks instead of cameras, we'd look like revolutionaries." But instead we ignore the weapons that lie at our feet – oblivious to our own impending demise.

We are a lost generation, desperately clinging to anything that feels real, but too afraid to become it ourselves. We are a defeated generation, resigned to the hypocrisy of those before us, who once sang songs of rebellion and now sell them back to us. We are the last generation, a culmination of all previous things, destroyed by the vapidity that surrounds us. The hipster represents the end of Western civilization – a culture so detached and disconnected that it has stopped giving birth to anything new.

Douglas Haddow is 28-year-old Canadian writer, designer, video artist and general media enthusiast. He has a blog: PBLKS.com.

How to name files properly

2010-02-22T21:50:00.001-05:00

How to name files properly

How to name files properly.

Nobody likes unorganized folders. If everyone took the initiative to name their files correctly, there wouldn't be such a hassle downloading and sorting files. Here is a guide on how the internet community can avoid hassles due to inconsistent file naming habits.

Champter 1: MP3s

This is an example of poor mp3 naming.

You must be much more descriptive.

- Give all the information that is necessary.

- Do not use ID tags. ID tags hide the truth, and hiding the truth is wrong.

- Instead of ID tags, use parenthesis and underscores to specify meta data.

Chapter 2: Software

There is no way one can get an accurate idea of what these files do when clicked. Do they work? Are there viruses? Is it Winamp 51 or Winamp 5.1? I can't tell. The names are too vague and unspecific.

- Be way more specific.

- Always mention problems with the software. If the file doesn't work, put that in the name. When you don't do that, it frustrates guys like me with corrupt software collections.

- Give the alias of the man who cracked it, followed by a series of exclamation marks to express how excited everybody is over the whole thing.

- Always include the build number because chicks prefer guys who are built. Or something. Nevermind. I guess Satan wins this one.

- Include periods between version numbers. Example: 'mirc 6.7.2' instead of 'mirc 672' so we know you didn't go ahead a thousand years in time and pirate version 672 from the future. That's very illegal. Don't do that.

- Specify what operating system the software is for in case you decide to download a bunch of Mac programs on your PC for no apparent reason.

Warning: Installing an application on the wrong OS may cause your video card to grow tentacles and tickle your feet while you're gaming.

Here is an example of efficient and descriptive software naming:

Chapter 3: Movies

No. It is absurd how any human person could possibly name files like that and think their morals are in alignment with the rest of the universe.

Important! All these items must be included for a proper, legible movie file name:

- name
- genre
- style
- resolution
- sequence number
- where it was ripped from
- who it was ripped by
- necessary codecs
- unnecessary codecs just in case
- a short review of the film
- what you ate that morning

Chapter 4: Porn

You shouldn't have porn on your computer. Period. You are a disappointment to me, humanity, and most of all, God. How dare you give in to temptation. Don't you have a sole? Hell no, you don't. Rodney Mullen's old shoes have more sole than you. Sinner.

And if you're wondering how I got that screenshot, the answer is yes. I did have to download hours of porn, but it was for educational purposes. And yes, I did spank to all of it for several weeks straight, but it was only to verify its quality in order to guarantee that this article is genuine.

Just because you're annonymous on the internet doesn't mean you can get away with naming files like shit. Remember, other people on Limewire might not see you, but God knows everything you do, including all the ten second sex clips you download and the half-assed ways you name and organize them.

Think about that next time you shit-assedly name a file. And if not, you can think about what you're going to name the file that Satan will use to scrape your foreskin off with, and then feed it to rabid turtles with mullets and ADHD.

Audrey Hepburn's Big Oscar Night

2010-02-22T18:26:00.001-05:00

The Moment Oscar Fell in Love With Audrey

In her first leading film role, Audrey Hepburn charmed audiences and Academy voters alike, playing an undercover princess who spends an enchanted day with Gregory Peck's newspaperman in 1953's Roman Holiday. It's rare for the Academy to nominate a newcomer in its lead-actor categories — but Audrey was indeed that rare gem: "Paramount's new star sparkles and glows with the fire of a finely cut diamond," TIME magazine wrote.

Crazy cool tree picture face

2010-02-22T18:23:00.001-05:00

I simply think this is a great picture witha face in the scenery... Made from the trees

CELTO-NORSE WIRE INLAY TUTORIAL

2010-02-18T05:16:00.001-05:00

Ben Potter Bladesmith

CELTO-NORSE WIRE INLAY TUTORIAL

Wherein Ben endeavors to explain one of his methods for inlaying non-ferrous metals into steel.

The first step is to mark the pattern on the steel. I like to do the layout in pencil.

Then I go over it in pen.

The gravers I use are (top to bottom):
1/8in flat, 1/16in flat, 3/64in flat, 1/16in V graver, knife graver, and round punch.
For most of the work I drive the gravers with a hammer.

This shows the test piece that I did to try the techniques for this blade.

Here is the clamp set-up I use. The 2x2in oak board is held in the vice and
the C-clamps hold the blade. I use a towel for padding to help prevent
scratching and to further secure the blade.

I use the 1/8in graver to cut the channel for the twisted wire border.
Different patterns can be achieved by varying the depth of the cut.

Next, using the V-graver, I engrave the trinity knot and herringbone lines.
I cut the runes using the 3/64in flat graver.

All the areas to be inlayed must be undercut or the inlay will work loose.
I do this on the longer lines with the knife graver held at an angle.

For the shorter lines I use one of the flat gravers to undercut the edges.
The undercutting is the most critical part of the process. Done right, the
rest is easy and the wires fly into the grooves. Done wrong, the wires will
not stick and must be scraped out and the undercut redone.

The undercut notches on the bottom of the wider channels help lock the wires down.

For the runes I first draw the wires out and square them. I use pliers
for this because I don't have a draw plate.

Here you can see the wire drawn to the proper width. All wires must be
annealed to dead soft by heating up to red and quenching in water.

The wires must fit very closely or gaps will be visible in the finished piece

I use the 1/8in graver to cut the wires to size.

For the dot inlays I form a bead on the end of the wire using a torch.

Then I hammer them into place with a flat-end punch.

For the thinner wires I start at one end, hammer them in, trim them with a graver...

...and hammer them down all the way.

For lines with sharp corners it helps to work from the corners out.

This is my set-up for twisting the wires. They must be annealed several times during
the twisting and again at the end before inlaying them. It also helps to square them.

The two sets of twisted wires must be inlayed at the same time. Setting about a
half-inch at a time helps keep them even. By changing the alignment of the twists
different patterns can be formed.

Here is the blade after all the wires have been inlayed.

I then file off most of the extra metal.

Finally the inlay is taken down flush with the rest of the blade using 220gt sand paper
and a hardwood sanding block.

Most Important Rules of Life You NEED to Know

2010-02-18T01:41:00.000-05:00

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. Don’t worry about what people think, they don’t do it very often.

3. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.

4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.

6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

8. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.

10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.

12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.

13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.

1 4. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.

15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

16. A balanced diet is a muffin in each hand.

17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.

18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.

19. Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.

20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.

21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.

23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

24. Someone who thinks logically provides nice contrast to the real world.

25. It ain’t the jeans that make your butt look fat.

26. If you had to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved it’s full potential, that word would be ‘meetings’.

27. There is a very fine line between ‘hobby’ and ‘mental illness.’

28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

29. You should not confuse your career with your life.

30. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

31. Never lick a steak knife.

32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

35. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside we ALL believe we are good drivers.

36. Your friends love you anyway.

Links

Free Online Games-+-
Gaylord Gossip-+-
Gaylord Guide network-+-
Join Myspace-+-
My Auctions-+-
My Used Car Locator-+-
My Used Car Sales-+-
ProFastServers-+-
Random Stranger-+-
Script Installations-+-
Shorten URL's-+-
Wisconsin Dining-+-

Lots of pictures

flyingwulf.lotpics hello

Mushrooms Morels and small things of the forest

A computer geek and internet marketers life.: Marc and Angel Hack Life

Early Spring Flowers

A Bag of Nails

Fire Dragon

Getting Rid of, selling, expiring domains

Somethings you just shouldn't do

picture of the florr and my foot

Father Daughter Dance 2011

Fossils from lake Huron in Northern Michigan

Lake Huron Beach Wallpaper

Roni testing out here modelsing Skills

My Last day ever with Chewie

Praying Mantis... in my hand

Lake Huron Beach

Consignment for items being sold

Madagaskar stone forest

Mayan calendar Articles section on the Mayan Calendar

2012 Planetary Alignment | Exploring Life's Mysteries

December 21, 2012 - the End of a Cycle

What Will the Next Mayan Long Count, or Epoch, Bring?

What happens on December 21, 2012?

What's so Special About Planets Aligning?

We Are Entering a New Mayan Epoch

How Does the Mayan Calendar Work? | Exploring Life's Mysteries

The Mayan Calendar Explained

Roman vs. Mayan calendar - Working in Cycles

Base 10 vs. Base 20

Breaking Down the Mayan Long Count

13 States Suing over health care reform into law

13 states sue

FAKE TERROR - THE ROAD TO DICTATORSHIP

FAKE TERROR - THE ROAD TO WAR AND DICTATORSHIP

Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing?

Instructions for Life

Bozeman officer buys groceries for shoplifting suspect

Former Monsanto VP now Obama's Food Safety Czar

Brainwave Frequency Glossary -

Brainwave Frequency Listing - Glossary

Brainwave/Cymatic Frequency Listing

Brainwave Frequency Listing

Confusing Exit Signs

Hello my name is...

How to DIY your own vinyl record bowl

Gamma Rays and Thunderstorms a Flight Risk?

Zen meditation raises pain threshold - fact

20 Argument Tactics to Avoid for Effective Communication

Communication Blunders and Bad Argument Tactics – Part 1

American Idol - Crystal Bowerson in hospital

All in a cats day

Underwater Archeology: Diving Below an Ancient Cathedral | Design + Ideas on WU

Underwater Archeology: Diving 800 Feet Below an Ancient Cathedral

I blame the Rabbit

The 90/10 Principle

Pigcat and a puppy

Dead Sodas old soda-pop cans

State of the Internet - Sent using Google Toolbar

Cheap screen printing tutorial

Commonsense Puns

One Liners from Stephen Wright - a Canadian comic:

Reasons The World Won’t End on December 21, 2012

10. Because a reversal of the magnetic poles would not be catastrophic.

9. An increase in sunspot activity in 2012 will not have any particularly detrimental effect on the planet.

8. Because the poles cannot shift or the planet's orbit be otherwise altered.

7. Because Earth climate change is a gradual process and one easily adapted to.

6. Because the people who suggest the end is coming don't know what they're talking about.

5. Because the Bible Code is a parlor trick.

4. Because the Earth isn't that easy to destroy.

3. Because doomsday prophecies have consistently been proven wrong.

2. Because Nostradamus never picked 2012 as the end date.

1. Because the Mayans never claimed it would.

The StumbleUpon Addiction

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization |

How to name files properly

How to name files properly.

Audrey Hepburn's Big Oscar Night

The Moment Oscar Fell in Love With Audrey

Crazy cool tree picture face

FAKE TERROR -
THE ROAD TO WAR AND DICTATORSHIP