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April 30, 2014

A Lot of Blood

An adult man's body contains - on average - 1.25 to 1.5 gallons of blood. People who live at high altitudes, where the air contains less oxygen, may have up to 1.9 liters more blood than people who live in low altitude regions. The extra blood delivers additional oxygen to body cells.

Blood doesn't have it's own keyword/label in this blog, but maybe it should.


April 29, 2014

Hair - The Cowsills

Today in history: The Broadway musical Hair debuted in 1968; the movie was released in 1979. Several of the soundtrack songs hit the charts; this was the title tune:


April 28, 2014

The First E-mail

The first e-mail was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson to himself and *most likely consisted of: "QWERTYUIOP".

*Tomlinson says he's forgotten the exact text, but that was the most likely.

 photo email_plug_lg_wht.gif

April 27, 2014

I'm Well-Rounded

In more ways than one.


You Are Smart

When it comes to book smarts versus street smarts, you've got them both, baby! You are well-rounded.

You can geek out and study up like no one's business. But you also know when it's time to just dive in and start learning.

It's likely that you started out as either a book smart or street smart type and learned the other to help get by in the world.


You wear many hats, and you take a flexible approach to life. Very few people know what you are capable of. 


 

April 26, 2014

Another One Bites The Dust- Queen

Dedicated to the biggest Queen fan I know: "Mrs. Garazon".


grimalkin


grimalkin gri·mal·kin [gri-mal-kin, -mawl-] noun

1. a cat.
2. an old female cat.
3. an ill-tempered old woman.


I wasn't familiar with this word which surprised me because I love cats.  I'm not familiar with old female cats, either, because while I've had female cats hang around - and have a litter or two - they disappear after a while.  I always hope they found good homes. 

I AM familiar with ill-tempered old women, although I'd have to say ill-tempered old men are worse.

I should know.

Cat Cafe Cam


From the site:

Purina ONE is launching the first ever North American Cat Café in New York City, creating an environment of wellness where visitors learn about the 28 Day Challenge, share their experiences, interact with experts and connect with adoptable cats and other cat lovers. Learn more at www.PurinaONE.com/CatCafe and join the conversation with #CatCafe.

Just discovered this and am not sure if it's going to be a permanent thing because the cam isn't fixed and was going from cat-to-cat and often getting blocked by people in the way. (not sure about you, but I don't care a thing about a "back of people's head webcam")   From the looks of some folks on the street looking through the window, you'd think they never saw a cat before. 

Hey Mami - Josh Turner

Featuring Sam Helferich

Not my favorite video from young Mr. Turner, but one of the most interesting, using a phone app for overdubbing.

April 25, 2014

rile



rile [rahyl] verb (used with object), riled, ril·ing.
Chiefly Northern and North Midland U.S.

1. to irritate or vex.
2. to roil (water or the like).


I definitely know this word, because too many things rile me on the Internet; sometimes it's the news, but most often it's somebody whose comments go beyond the pale.  I'm getting better, though, but I sometimes will still sign up for an account just to reply to some jerk on a forum I'll never visit again.

I don't let too many people rile me on Facebook because I've already blocked most of the a-holes who post to the pages I follow.  I also do it for a few people who are friends with some of my Facebook friends but I don't want to get into it with them on my friend's wall, just out of respect for them.

I've quit commenting on YouTube videos because 99% of the time the person making some outrageous statement knows absolutely nothing about the subject.

April 23, 2014

frivol



frivol friv·ol [friv-uhl]

Informal verb (used without object, friv·oled, friv·ol·ing or ( especially British ) friv·olled, friv·ol·ling.

1. to behave frivolously; trifle.

verb (used with object), friv·oled, friv·ol·ing or ( especially British ) friv·olled, friv·ol·ling.

2. to spend frivolously (usually followed by away ): to frivol away one's time.

This blog is a frivol. Come to think of it, my entire life has been a frivol.

April 22, 2014

April 21, 2014

Would Be Glad to be a Grad

You Are Grad School
You are brilliant, studious, and even a little bit eccentric. You're willing to live life on your own terms.

You believe in education, and you want as much of it as you can get. No one can take your education away from you.

You are a geek at heart, and you love learning. You'd like to get paid to study and teach, even if those jobs are hard to come by.


And even if you can't work in academia, you'll always be an academic at heart. You love the idea of required reading.


 

The Red Baron

Today in history:  Manfred von Richthofen aka "The Red Baron" was shot down and killed near Amiens on 21 April 1918.



red baron photo red_baron_soar_dr1_hw_zps069b9409.gif

Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron - Royal Guardsmen

April 20, 2014

10 Curious Facts About Marijuana

Now, I ordinarily wouldn't "sully" Easter with such a video, but it IS 4/20, after all.  I found this interesting and informative and learned quite a few things.  The most surprising thing was that it's not illegal in N. Korea and is smoked openly.  My first thought was that maybe it's encouraged to keep the populace under control, then I remembered the Ron Paul supporters who supported him mainly for his stance on drug decriminalization...they certainly were out of control. (and, IMHO, one of the biggest reasons he never got any traction with voters)

To Everyone

To my family, friends, regular and not-so-regular readers:


April 19, 2014

Carrot Skin

True or false?  Eating too many carrots can make your skin turn orange.

It's true.  Eating an excess of carrots can result in Carotenaemia, a benign condition most commonly occurring in vegetarians and young children but was also documented in British WWII fighter pilots and gunners who ate carrots thinking it would improve their eyesight. (which was actually propaganda intended for the Germans and to hide the fact that Great Britain was having success shooting down German aircraft at night due to advancements in radar technology)

It's a condition specific to humans, though.


April 18, 2014

dyad



dyad dy·ad [dahy-ad] noun

1. a group of two; couple; pair

2. Biology:
a. a secondary morphological unit, consisting of two monads: a chromosome dyad
b. the double chromosomes resulting from the separation of the four chromatids of a tetrad

3. Chemistry:  an element, atom, or group having a valence of two.

4. Mathematics:  two vectors with no symbol connecting them, usually considered as an operator

5. Sociology:
a. two persons involved in an ongoing relationship or interaction
b. the relationship or interaction itself


I knew this word, even though it's not part of my every day vocabulary. I had to take an Interpersonal Communication class when I went back to school and I sat down at the first class thinking it was going to be a waste of time, but I changed my mind. I learned a dyad is, as the #5 definition says, the basic form of communication, being between two people.

I think the most important thing I learned about was how people play games and how nearly all of them are dishonest in nature. I wound up enjoying the class and learning a lot about communicating with others and even more about myself. The worst part was when we studied those games, this tune was in my head for a week.

Games People Play - Joe South

Carnivorous Plants

There are more than 600 species of carnivorous plants.


Todays bit of trivia comes from my daily trivia calendar, but it's also one of those coincidences that frequently happen to me. (and if they weren't so mundane, I'd think there was something more than coincidence to them.) I had just torn off yesterday's date to see this bit of trivia and not but a few minutes later, went to my Amazon shopping cart to add a bonus cash award I got from using Bing and saw a recommendation for the movie The Little Shop of Horrors - about a man-eating plant. I have the original, but not the remake.

I haven't seen them in a while, but I used to buy Venus Flytraps at the dime store when I was a kid;  they didn't live long and I always figured it was not only because I couldn't provide them the proper environment, but that I wore them out touching them to make their leaves shut.  Maybe I should buy one on Amazon and give it another try.

analphabetic


analphabetic  an·al·pha·bet·ic [an-al-fuh-bet-ik, an-al-]

adjective

1. not alphabetic: an analphabetic arrangement of letters.
2. unable to read or write; illiterate: analphabetic peoples.
3. Phonetics . of or constituting a system of phonetic transcription, as the one devised by Otto Jespersen, that for each sound indicates by separate sets of symbols the articulator, the point of articulation, and the size and shape of the mouth opening.

noun

4. an illiterate person; analphabet.


A new word for me (and my spell checker, which has this word and its derivations underlined), but to be honest, I never would have guessed its meaning. I would've said it was someone who had to make sure all their letters were written at the same height and spacing...but that's because I saw the "anal" part first.

Annie's Song - John Denver



I never was a huge John Denver fan, but have always thought this was a lovely tune.  It brings tears to my eyes, which just goes to show how big of an emotional sap I am.

April 17, 2014

picayune


picayune pic·a·yune [pik-ee-yoon, pik-uh-]
Also, pic·a·yun·ish, Informal

adjective

1. of little value or account; small; trifling: a picayune amount.
2. petty, carping, or prejudiced: I didn't want to seem picayune by criticizing.

noun

3. (formerly, in Louisiana, Florida, etc.) a coin equal to half a Spanish real.
4. any small coin, as a five-cent piece.
5. Informal. an insignificant person or thing.

I've liked this word since I first learned it.  I've seen it used in a discussion to describe someone else's concerns and sometimes even their ideas or intelligence.

If they don't know what it means, then it means it's been used correctly.  Of course, THAT means you're being picayune by thinking that.

Listen to the Mockingbird

From Wiki: "Listen to the Mocking Bird" (1855) is an American popular song of the mid-19th century. Its lyrics were composed by Septimus Winner under the pseudonym "Alice Hawthorne", and its music was by Richard Milburn.

It relates the story of a singer dreaming of his sweetheart, now dead and buried, and a mockingbird, whose song the couple once enjoyed, now singing over her grave. Yet the melody is moderately lively.

"Listen to the Mocking Bird" was one of the most popular ballads of the era and sold more than twenty million copies of sheet music. It was popular during the American Civil War and was used as marching music. Abraham Lincoln was especially fond of it, saying, "It is as sincere as the laughter of a little girl at play."

 

Mockingbird

A Mockingbird can imitate the songs of 40 different birds.


Image courtesy of ClipArtBest

April 16, 2014

Sorry About That

Technically not a 404 page, but these are really annoying when they're in my YouTube feed.


Me, the Bee

You Are a Drone Bee

It may sound like you're the type that just follows the herd, but you are actually the type most likely to be a free spirit.

You are adventurous and likely to wander. You tend to have a very different personality from those around you.

You are more of a searcher than most people. It hasn't been easy to figure out your purpose in life, but you're getting there.


You have never been one for a desk job; you would rather get out there and explore. And you have friends who are just as antsy as you are. 


 

April 15, 2014

That Smell - Lynyrd Skynyrd


Heard this song on online radio the other night and it's been stuck in my head ever since.  It reminds me of roughnecking and "nippling up", the process of hooking up the blowout preventer.  Before we began, we had to pump out the "cellar", the pit dug in the ground where drilling initially starts, in order to hook everything up and trust me, there's not many worse smells in the world (maybe something dead).  The fluid is a combination of urine (from guys peeing off the side of the rig) and fermented mud and chemicals and it would be enough to gag a buzzard.  Almost every time we were nippling up, someone would start singing this song. I know it's a song about drugs, but...

"Oooh that smell..."

April 14, 2014

Yes, I Do

Click graphic for larger view


Are You Smarter Than a Football Player?

With the NFL Draft still almost a month away, there's not a lot of football news (other than players being accused of rape or being arrested at the airport for claiming to have a bomb) so the main topic of most articles is the Wonderlic Test given to potential draftees by most NFL clubs.

Here's a chance to measure your IQ against football players!

From the site: April is the time of the pro football draft–a time when the physical performance of pro football candidates is closely measured and compared. But the testing doesn't stop at the bench press and broad jump. Players are also administered a unique intelligence measurement called the Wonderlic Personnel Test.

The test is a sort of IQ test used to measure players' aptitude for learning and problem solving. The possible score range is 1 to 50. The average football player scores around 20 points and scoring at least 10 points suggests a person is literate.

Now you have the opportunity to determine your own intelligence score. Best of all, you are compared to top pro football players—from Vince Young who barely scraped by with a 6 to former punter Pat McInally who has the only perfect score on the Wonderlic in league history.

Wonderlic scores of Dallas Cowboys QBs: Tony Romo 37, Jason Garrett 36, Drew Bledsoe 36, Quincy Carter 30 and Troy Aikman 29. (source: Blogging The Boys)
 photo FOOTBALL.gif



April 13, 2014

What Must You Do?

From the Photobucket archives:


You are on a horse, galloping at a constant speed.

On your right side is a sharp drop off, on your left is an elephant traveling at the same speed as you.

Directly in front of you is a galloping kangaroo and your horse is unable to overtake it.

Behind you is a lion running at the same speed as you and another kangaroo.

What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?

 

Go Fly a Kite!

That's what women tell me when I ask 'em out.

You Are Adventurous

Like a kite, you tend to go wherever the wind takes you. You live a carefree and spontaneous life.

You are open to whatever comes your way, and you know that scares most people. You don't mind flying solo.

While adventure can be scary, even for a free spirit like you, you prefer to think of the world as full of possibilities.


You let go and trust that things will work out well. And if you crash and burn, at less you'll get a good story out of it.


 

April 12, 2014

Dog Eat Dog - AC/DC

Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, April 1978

April 11, 2014

glib


glib [glib] adjective, glib·ber, glib·best.

1. readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely so: a glib talker; glib answers.

2. easy or unconstrained, as actions or manners.

3. Archaic. agile; spry.


I'd say glib describes just about every politician.

Well, maybe not George W. Bush...at least not the "fluent" bit.

No Use Crying

Over broken links


April 9, 2014

ad infinitum


ad infinitum ad in·fi·ni·tum[ad in-fuh-nahy-tuhm, ad in-] adverb

to infinity; endlessly; without limit.


That could be part of the description of the advertising found on most websites these days: ads ad infinitum

What's in a Name?

You Should Have a Classic Name

You are practical and cool-headed. You stay composed, even in the face of drama and chaos.

You carry yourself well, and you are quite classy. You have impeccable manners, and people like being around you.

You are not a big risk taker, and no one would accuse you of being wild. You like to stick with what's tried and true.


Classic names like Elizabeth, James, Victoria, Henry, Charlotte, William, or Anna would suit you. 


 




Nah, I believe I'll just keep my own name, thanks. I've grown used to it and am too old to respond to anything else.

Who is Gregory, Part 3

I don't know why you'd really want to, but you can click on the graphic for a larger view.

This is really getting annoying. I've said it before, but will repeat it: If I were King, there'd be an extreme penalty for spammers - a hammer taken to their hands.

That's 18 over the last few days, plus these from earlier in the month. I'd say I've had four/five hundred hit my spam folder since it started.

Who is Gregory?

Who is Gregory, Part 2

April 8, 2014

The Living Years-Mike & The Mechanics

Live at Shepherds Bush

ACME Planimeter

ACME Planimeter has got to be one of the best online web tools I've ever used.  I love to look at real estate ads, then find them on Google Earth or Bing Maps, but the Google Earth measuring tool has limitations - at least in the free version I use - in that I can use it to outline the dimensions of the property, but then have to use my calculator or an online acreage calculator to figure out the total area.  That takes time and often isn't all that accurate, the cause of which is not completely my incompetence.

Well, I want to believe that, anyway.

Here's the outline of a property I'd love to own near Quitman, Texas. (home town of Sissy Spacek) The listing says it's 50 acres and using the ACME Planimeter gives the exact same figure.


It's really easy to use. From the website:

Drag the map with your mouse, or double-click to center.
Click on the map to place points.
The enclosed area is shown below.

The page remembers your most recent position/zoom/map-type for the next time you visit. If you haven't visited before, it tries to figure out your location based on your internet address. The area computation is done using spherical geometry, so it's correct for large regions.



And I Make Your Pee Stink

You Are Broccoli

You are down to earth and practical. You go for whatever is tried and true.

You tend to be a bit cautious, but you're not as boring as people think. There's a little room for spice in your life.

You are very healthy, and you take good care of yourself. You do your best to make good choices.


You are reliable and stable. You may not be the hottest thing, but people come back to you over and over again. 


 



Not sure about being very healthy or taking good care of myself or even making good choices, but I think most of the rest holds true.  Well, maybe not reliable and stable, either, but I DO like broccoli.

The one problem with it is it's on the list of foods to avoid if you're prone to kidney stones...but I don't pay a lot of attention to that list.  Then again, when I'm in the throes of agony from a stone, I always regret not paying attention to the list.

Oddly enough, a good online friend of mine and I were talking about vegetables earlier today on Facebook after she had posted a cauliflower recipe.  Cauliflower isn't in the results, but I wouldn't have minded being that vegetable, either.  After looking at all the possible results, I'm surprised I wasn't a mushroom.

Why?  Well, because I'm usually in the dark and people feed me crap all the time.

April 7, 2014

Humpty Dumpty Link

From Cooks Illustrated:

(click graphic f/ larger view)


April 6, 2014

Dust In The Wind - Kansas


One of the loveliest songs and one of my favorites.

April 5, 2014

omphaloskepsis


omphaloskepsis om·pha·lo·skep·sis [om-fuh-loh-skep-sis] noun

contemplation of one's navel as part of a mystical exercise.


Let Sleeping Cats Lie

A "bump" from July 3, 2007 - not because I don't have anything else to post, but because the photo is better than any clipart I could get to illustrate this bit of trivia.

Cats sleep for 70% of their lives.


The Beej
Winter '06

April 4, 2014

Valerie - Steve Winwood



I was listening to an online classic rock station earlier when this song came on; while listening to it, I thought "That sounds an awful lot like Call on Me by Eric Prydz!". After reading about both songs, I found that Prydz had indeed sampled from the Winwood tune and had presented the tune to Winwood and (from Wiki) he was so impressed with what Prydz had done, he collaborated with him and re-recorded the vocals to fit the track better

Are You a Cook or a Baker?

You Are Both a Cook and a Baker

You're the type who can do it all in the kitchen, and you're always expanding your skill set.

You aren't too loyal to one cooking method or cuisine. You love to mix it up and experiment.

You may consider yourself a bit of a foodie and amateur chef. You aren't intimidated by fancy food.


You are the ultimate improviser in the kitchen. You can usually whip up something amazing from whatever you have on hand. 


 

Crazy Time - Simon's Cat


April 3, 2014

Who is Gregory, Pt 2


I had been saving my "Gregory spam" since the last post and a few days ago, I deleted them as a matter of habit, not thinking about how I had been saving them again.  No bother, within a few days I had this many again.  The one darker "cell" (from Darby Souliere) managed to sneak its way into my inbox.

Beauty - Rino Stefano Tagliafierro

See classic art come to life.

NOTE:  This is the short version; I had the original bookmarked, meaning to post it but when I clicked on the link earlier, saw that it was private.  A quick search turned up this shorter video and the explanation for why the longer one is no longer available is captioned at the start.  It's still lovely and if you like it, keep checking YouTube or the creator's own website for the longer one.

And, while I'm at it, I should add that it has some nudity, but it is of the classical sort.  If it offends you...well, I expect a lot of things offend you.

April 2, 2014

ambivert


ambivert am·bi·vert [am-bi-vurt] noun Psychology

one whose personality type is intermediate between extrovert and introvert.


I guess that would describe me fairly well.

I'm Just A Singer - The Moody Blues

Full title: I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)
Didn't want to stretch the title out in the right-hand post index)

April 1, 2014

25 Biggest Internet Lies


What's Your Intellectual Virtue?


Your Intellectual Virtue is Knowledge

You love deep contemplation but not until you have all the facts and details.

Unlike most people, you don't jump to conclusions. You look at every angle before you start thinking.

You are open to changing your mind if new facts come up. You don't get stuck in an intellectual rut.


You believe that learning is a process and a journey. Your knowledge is always evolving, and there is no end point. 


 



My intellectual virtue is knowledge? I guess that's about right, except my virtue about knowledge isn't quite a virtue; in regards to learning, I'm like a prostitute that doesn't even charge but will take it where I can and give it away to anyone who asks.

Beware!

Never mind the Ides of March, it's


Never been a big fan of this "holiday"; the jokes I've fallen for on days past were cruel/mean spirited or made me feel really stupid.  I hope the people who enjoy pulling those types of pranks get their payback in 2 weeks time. (April 15th/Tax Day)

Misfire on Angelfire

OK, it's not technically a 404 page, but is instead a 410 error...but I'd argue that they're basically the same thing in as what you're looking for isn't there. This was what I got when going through some old bookmarks that I had saved to make a post about, but darned if I can remember what there was about it I thought would be worthwhile to share with my loyal readers. Oh well, whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't THAT great or I'd have already written about it.

Click image for larger view.


Strange graphic, huh? The kid's balloon has crashed in a lovely little field, just barely missing a sheep. (or maybe the sheep was thrown clear in the crash?) I wonder why the penguin was along for the ride.  I don't know why the balloon fell to earth, but I suspect it had something to do with the little ET inside the balloon and his wrecked spaceship.

I signed up for an Angelfire space around the same time I did for this Blogger blog, but I went ahead with Blogger.  I kept signing into my Angelfire acct. however, just in case, but not long afterwards I got an email saying many of the features would be available only with a paid subscription.  No thanks. I didn't want to use the free version, so....