The 100 folds of a traditional chef's hat (aka "toque") are said to represent the many different ways a chef knows to cook an egg.
July 31, 2015
July 30, 2015
No Repeat
Uncopyrightable is the longest word in the English language that doesn't repeat any letters.
(A word that doesn't repeat any letters is known as an isogram)
(A word that doesn't repeat any letters is known as an isogram)
July 29, 2015
July 28, 2015
The Pentagon
Despite spanning an area of nearly 34 acres/6.5 million sq. ft., it's possible to walk to any point in The Pentagon in seven minutes.
July 27, 2015
1967 Ford Fairlane XL
Nearly identical to the one I had, the second car I ever owned. Mine had a 390 instead of a 289, but I wouldn't have minded having the smaller engine - while mine wasn't a "gas guzzler" with a 2 bbl. carb, it didn't get the best gas mileage. Then again, at .28 cents/gallon, that wasn't such a big deal back then. Same yellow body and same black vinyl top, though.
July 26, 2015
Keeping Calm
| You Should Keep Calm and Dream On |
 No matter how bad things get, you never lose your optimism and openness to amazing possibilities. You like to focus on what could happen and the best of scenarios. You don't give up hope, and you try to make things better. You think the world would be a better place if we dreamed bigger. Big problems call for big solutions... and the crazier the problem, the crazier the solution. You believe almost anything is possible with the right technology, creativity, and mindset. You don't want to call any dream unrealistic. So when times get tough, keep dreaming. The world needs more unbridled visionaries like you and fewer cynics. And who knows? One of your outlandish dreams may end up being the thing that saves all of humanity. |
July 25, 2015
Got Milk?
The temperature of milk inside a cow is 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
But, after the cow is milked, the milk is then promptly cooled and stored at 40 deg. F.
But, after the cow is milked, the milk is then promptly cooled and stored at 40 deg. F.
July 24, 2015
Deep in the Heart of CAPTCHA
I wanted to watch a video earlier, but as is always the case with this particular website, they put in a CAPTCHA feature to keep automated programs from downloading the videos. It's usually just a "copy this phrase" but sometimes it's a multiple choice quiz and I'd never seen this one before tonight.
I'm glad I got it right.
July 23, 2015
July 22, 2015
Not Exactly a Ringing Endorsement
I have been seeing more and more recipes calling for a pinch of saffron (I'm thinking it's going to be the next trendy ingredient). I've never used it in cooking, but was familiar with it because I had once thought it might be a lucrative crop to grow. (labor intensive, though)
I had looked at it on Amazon before but that had been a year or two ago and I was wondering if it had gone up in price since that time. I sorted the different brands by customer ranking and under one highly rated I found this critical, less-than-favorable review:
(click for larger graphic)
I had looked at it on Amazon before but that had been a year or two ago and I was wondering if it had gone up in price since that time. I sorted the different brands by customer ranking and under one highly rated I found this critical, less-than-favorable review:
(click for larger graphic)
July 21, 2015
Killer Robot
July 21, 1984: In Jackson, Michigan, a factory robot crushed a worker against a safety bar in the first known robot-related death in the U.S.
July 20, 2015
July 19, 2015
What Should You Say in French?
A Texan, upon his first visit to Paris, saw the Eiffel Tower and said:
"Say, that's a pretty good-sized oil rig!"
"Say, that's a pretty good-sized oil rig!"
| You Should Say "Bonjour" |
 If you were to visit Paris, you would really be interested in the local's perspective on things. You don't want a tourist experience - you want a real experience. You want to eat where Parisians eat and do what Parisians do. It's probably best if you brush up on your French a little before visiting Paris. You've got to speak it if you want to meet local friends. Start with "Bonjour" and go from there. Before long, you'll know how to ask where the best pan au chocolat is! |
July 18, 2015
Feeling Nostalgic?
Thank goodness for high-speed Internet!
Remember "the old days" of dial-up? Relive that time with Dial Up Sound.
I used AOL a time or two when money got tight and I couldn't afford my service provider monthly charge, but I disliked the AOL browser, so I would minimize it and use Internet Explorer. I remember hooking up my first computer, using the directions I had got when I went down to the ISP office and arranged for service...it was a thrill hearing this sound, knowing that in just a matter of seconds I was going to be able to surf the World Wide Web!
My connection isn't nearly as fast as some, but at least I can now watch a YouTube video and have most pages load in a second or two. I used to keep a book or magazine by the computer to have something to do while I was waiting on my email messages to all come up.
Remember "the old days" of dial-up? Relive that time with Dial Up Sound.
My connection isn't nearly as fast as some, but at least I can now watch a YouTube video and have most pages load in a second or two. I used to keep a book or magazine by the computer to have something to do while I was waiting on my email messages to all come up.
July 17, 2015
July 16, 2015
World's First Parking Meter
On this day in 1935, the world's first parking meter was installed. Known as Park-O-Meter No. 1, it was installed on the southeast corner of what was then First St. and Robinson Ave. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Read more on the history.
Read more on the history.
July 15, 2015
The Haircut
archives:One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.'
The florist was pleased and left the shop.
When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.
Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.'
The cop was happy and left the shop.
The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.
Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.'
The Congressman was very happy and left the shop.
The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.
And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it.
July 14, 2015
Five Factor Personality Test
| You are Neurotic and Open |
 You have low extroversion. You are quiet and reserved in most social situations. A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you. You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people. Conscientiousness: You have low conscientiousness. Impulsive and off the wall, you don't take life too seriously. Unfortunately, you sometimes end up regretting your snap decisions. Overall, you tend to lack focus, and it's difficult for you to get important things done. Agreeableness: You have low agreeableness. Your self interest comes first, and others come later, if at all. In general, you feel that people are not to be trusted. And you're skeptical that anyone else really feels differently. Neuroticism: You have medium neuroticism. You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic. Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy. Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits. A great admirer of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything. |
July 13, 2015
FBI Spam
I was just clearing out the junk mail folder in my Gmail acct. when this one caught my eye...nestled in amongst the other scams and mailings from girls who saw my "social media" profile and are dying to meet me and do all sorts of things to/for me.
At first glance, it seems very official, what with the Washington, DC address:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Field Intelligence Groups J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.
Attention: Beneficiary,
We sincerely apologized for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of a certified mail, post-mail, phone or face to face conversation, it's due to the urgency and importance of the security information of our citizens, I am Special Agent Mark Giuliano from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs). We intercepted two consignment boxes at JFK Airport, New York. The boxes were scanned and they contained large sum of money ($4.1 million) and also some backup documents which bears your name as the Beneficiary/Receiver of the money. Investigation was carried out on the diplomat that accompanied the boxes into the United States and he said that he was to deliver the fund to your residence as overdue payment owed to you by the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the security company in United Kingdom.
After cross-checking all legal documents in the boxes, we found out that your consignment was lacking an important document and we can't release the boxes to the diplomat until the document is found, we have no other option than to confiscate your consignment.
According to Internal Revenue Code (IRC) in Title 26 also contain reporting requirement on a Form 8300, Report of Cash Payment Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business, money laundering activity may violate 18 USC §1956, 18 USC 1957, 18 USC 1960, and provision of Title 31, and 26 USC 6050I of the United States Code (USC), this section will discuss only those money laundering and currency violation under the jurisdiction of IRS, your consignment lacks proof of ownership certificate from the joint team of IRS and IRC, therefore you need to reply back immediately for direction on how to procure this certificate to enable us relieved the charge of evading the law on you, which is a punishable offense in the United States.
You are required to reply back within 72 hours or you will be prosecuted in a court of law for money laundering, also you are instructed to desist from further contact with any bank(s) or person(s) in Nigeria or the United Kingdom or any part of the world regarding your payment because your consignment has been confiscated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation here in the United States.
Yours In Service,
Special Agent Mark Giuliano
Regional Deputy Director
Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs)
Wow, a twist on the old Nigerian scam! I wonder just how many people have actually fallen for this sort of thing; I hope none, but I'm sure there have been a few that were gullible and greedy enough to take the bait.
Funny thing, though; these were the two email addresses given in the mailing:
reply-to: mark_giuliano@aol.com
to: markgiuliano@ic.fbi.gov
Now, why would Agent Mark Giuliano use his own AOL account as the reply-to address? He had to put the @ic.fbi.gov one in there to make it look legit, I guess, but in the msg. header out in the open on the mail was this:
AGENT MARK GIULIANO
The babyplants.co.uk looks to be a legitimate website, but I'm not sure why the spammer/scammer would spoof that particular site address in the mailing?
There are so many things I'd love to know about how these scam artists operate and do these mass mailings, but only as a matter of curiosity. I'm glad I'm at least smart enough to recognize a con when I see one.
At first glance, it seems very official, what with the Washington, DC address:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Field Intelligence Groups J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.
Attention: Beneficiary,
We sincerely apologized for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of a certified mail, post-mail, phone or face to face conversation, it's due to the urgency and importance of the security information of our citizens, I am Special Agent Mark Giuliano from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs). We intercepted two consignment boxes at JFK Airport, New York. The boxes were scanned and they contained large sum of money ($4.1 million) and also some backup documents which bears your name as the Beneficiary/Receiver of the money. Investigation was carried out on the diplomat that accompanied the boxes into the United States and he said that he was to deliver the fund to your residence as overdue payment owed to you by the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the security company in United Kingdom.
After cross-checking all legal documents in the boxes, we found out that your consignment was lacking an important document and we can't release the boxes to the diplomat until the document is found, we have no other option than to confiscate your consignment.
According to Internal Revenue Code (IRC) in Title 26 also contain reporting requirement on a Form 8300, Report of Cash Payment Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business, money laundering activity may violate 18 USC §1956, 18 USC 1957, 18 USC 1960, and provision of Title 31, and 26 USC 6050I of the United States Code (USC), this section will discuss only those money laundering and currency violation under the jurisdiction of IRS, your consignment lacks proof of ownership certificate from the joint team of IRS and IRC, therefore you need to reply back immediately for direction on how to procure this certificate to enable us relieved the charge of evading the law on you, which is a punishable offense in the United States.
You are required to reply back within 72 hours or you will be prosecuted in a court of law for money laundering, also you are instructed to desist from further contact with any bank(s) or person(s) in Nigeria or the United Kingdom or any part of the world regarding your payment because your consignment has been confiscated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation here in the United States.
Yours In Service,
Special Agent Mark Giuliano
Regional Deputy Director
Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs)
Wow, a twist on the old Nigerian scam! I wonder just how many people have actually fallen for this sort of thing; I hope none, but I'm sure there have been a few that were gullible and greedy enough to take the bait.
Funny thing, though; these were the two email addresses given in the mailing:
reply-to: mark_giuliano@aol.com
to: markgiuliano@ic.fbi.gov
Now, why would Agent Mark Giuliano use his own AOL account as the reply-to address? He had to put the @ic.fbi.gov one in there to make it look legit, I guess, but in the msg. header out in the open on the mail was this:
AGENT MARK GIULIANO
The babyplants.co.uk looks to be a legitimate website, but I'm not sure why the spammer/scammer would spoof that particular site address in the mailing?
There are so many things I'd love to know about how these scam artists operate and do these mass mailings, but only as a matter of curiosity. I'm glad I'm at least smart enough to recognize a con when I see one.
July 12, 2015
14 Punctuation Marks
There are fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar:
period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses...which are my personal favorite.
July 11, 2015
Honoring Her Hirsute History
Although the practice comes and goes, it's known that women started removing hair from the legs in 400 BC. They either plucked the leg hair with tweezers or singed them off with a flame.
July 9, 2015
Terrific Tennis Total Time Trivia
The longest rally in a tournament was one in which the ball passed over the net 643 times and the point lasted for 29 minutes. The competitors were Jean Hepner and Vicky Nelson at Richmond, Virginia USA in October 1984. Nelson went on to win the match 6–4, 7–6 (13–11), which also holds the record for the longest match, taking 6 hours, 31 minutes. (source)
July 8, 2015
July 7, 2015
July 6, 2015
What Country's Breakfast Are You?
| You Are an American Breakfast |
 You are a real go-getter, and your ambitions start early in the morning. You need a hearty breakfast. You wake up ready to take on the day. You are highly motivated and a self-starter - even on the weekends. You are energetic, and even if you're lagging, you will force yourself to get moving. You don't let anything stop you. You are charismatic and inspiring. People are impressed by what you're able to do, and you always provide yourself with the right fuel. |
Not so sure the descriptions of me in the results are accurate, but I DO love a good breakfast...at any time of the day.
July 5, 2015
Speed Limits in Space?
There is no firm boundary where space begins. However the Kármán line, at an altitude of 100 km (62 mi) above sea level, is conventionally used as the start of outer space in space treaties and for aerospace records keeping.
This means that, if you could drive your car straight up, you would arrive in space in an hour, more or less. (obeying all speed limits, of course and maybe stopping to stretch your legs)
You'd probably need a car much like this one:
This means that, if you could drive your car straight up, you would arrive in space in an hour, more or less. (obeying all speed limits, of course and maybe stopping to stretch your legs)
You'd probably need a car much like this one:
July 4, 2015
July 3, 2015
July 2, 2015
July 1, 2015
Active in Death
Abraham Lincoln's corpse has been buried, exhumed, inspected, or reburied at least 17 times since his death.
What's Your EQ?
| Your EQ is 113 |
 You usually have it going on emotionally, but roadblocks tend to land you on your butt. On an average day, you're quite happy, together, and content. You live your life well. Your emotions aren't always stable, but you can go along with the ups and downs pretty well. You tend to be motivated, energetic, focused, and level headed. You see the world pretty rationally, and you don't tend to over dramatize things. When things are bad, you know they eventually have to get better. |
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