Favorites from jessamyn
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AHH NOT FLICKR, ANYTHING BUT THAT
Going through the Nightmares Fear Factory
in Niagara Falls will cause you to face your greatest fear - getting caught screaming your face off.
First, be smart from the very beginning.
If an average-sized human body were rolled into a sphere, how big would that sphere be?
Would Cheese or Bodie have ever sat down with an accountant?
I'm curious about the theoretical tax situations of characters from The Wire.
i hope that someone gets my... i hope that someone gets my... i hope that someone gets my...
Over the last two decades, Harold Hackett has sent out over 4,800 messages in a bottle from Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province along the Atlantic coastline. Every message asks for the finder to send a response back to Hackett, and since 1996 he has received over 3,100 responses from all over the world.
Hair braiding and pillow fights, or, what is life really like in a women's college?
I am working on a piece of writing set in a women's college. Having never attended a single-sex institution myself, I'm curious about the little ways in which day-to-day life might be different. . . . standards of grooming, dress, delicacy or lack thereof in conversations about sex/bodily functions, competitiveness in the classroom, etc. I am sure there are a lot of facets I haven't considered. If you've attended a single-sex institution, or know a lot about the experience, can you help me in my research?
MetroCard dead drop?
My wife has been in New York City this week, and bought an unlimited weekly MetroCard. She's leaving NY tonight, and I'm arriving about 2 hours after she leaves (i.e. we won't be able to meet). Is there some clever way she can hand the card off to me?
help me build an awesome library
Pretend you have a ton of cash. Help me build an awesome library of interesting art books, reference books, books on nature, crafts, poetry, world cultures, what else?
What color was the sky millions or billions of years ago?
What color was the sky millions or billions of years ago?
Castells: Human Towers from Catalonia
The building of Castells, or human towers, is a tradition from Catalonia, going back to the end of the 18th century, starting in Valls. About a month ago, the annual Concurs de Castells took place in Tarragona, with groups of castellers competing to make taller and more complex towers. This video is a well-shot glimpse at the tower building, deconstruction, and some tumbles, possibly from the 2010 gathering. Via Kuriositas, which has more photos.
I Know Size Matters, But Does Order?
Watched my children in a tug-o-war this past weekend. They won 2 out of 3!! They changed the order of the team after the first round which they had lost. They then won two straight. Other than psychological reasons, from a purely scientific standpoint, assuming maximum efficiency and effort, does it matter what order the team is placed in?
If you dupe a deleted post, does it make a sound?
One is deleted because it has no link. The other is deleted because it's a dupe of the first. But can you dupe a deleted thread? Can you dupe a thread that has no link? Or is this just capitalist revisionism?
Deep space. The silence of the void. Shhh.
NOON, 22ND CENTURY. The research vessel Pegasus is getting ready for liftoff from a spaceport near Moscow. Its small crew of three comprises interplanetary zoologist Dr. Seleznev, his adventurous nine-year-old daughter Alisa, and the terminally pessimistic Captain Zeleny. As they search for rare animal specimens to expand the Moscow zoo's collection, they will discover which of the ferocious tigerat's two tails is longer, save a planet of robots from a paralyzing epidemic, and deliver a modestly sized birthday cake.
the feeling is great after he cut the chair piece to piece
"For his new project, Err, artist Jeremy Hutchison contacted various factories around the world, and asked if one of their workers would produce an 'incorrect' version of the product they make every day: in doing so, the functional objects became artworks. Hutchison has also kept all of the correspondence with the factories as part of the project."
It’s a literally hot-button issue
The practice has become so widespread – some say half of Modern Orthodox teens text on Shabbat – that it has developed its own nomenclature – keeping “half Shabbos,” for those who observe all the Shabbat regulations except for texting.
How Modern Spam Works
Through purchasing Viagra, herbal remedies, and replica watches, computer scientists explain how modern spam works. The spam business model consists of three components: advertising, click support (i.e., delivering the customer to an actual website), and realization (i.e., receiving payment and delivering the product to the customer). Different firms located across the globe carry out the various tasks. For example, the website domains are registered in Russia, the credit card payments are handled by banks in Azerbaijan, and the pills are sent from manufacturers in India. The spam business infrastructure appears to be organized around a small number of affiliate programs that coordinate the activities among the different firms. Click Trajectories: End-to-End Analysis of the Spam Value Chain (A 16 page PDF). [via]
The Best Toy Maker
Kids know that the best toys are the ones you make from stuff that's lying around. Arvind Gupta's been doing this for three decades. Take a look at his Turbine bottle cap,
Helicopter foam cup,
Drinking straw flute,
The CD hovercraft,
Magic Paper Fan,
Funny Fountain, Drinking Straw Centrifuge Pump, Climbing Butterfly.
Or check out the rest of his 1000 videos(!). Go to his website and discover an armload of books and pamphlets describing more toys (some of them classic) along with science experiments, math activities and stories. A sample:
The amazing Touching Slate, a drawing toy for blind children.
Hands On - Science Sense,
Hands On - Ideas and activities,
Toy Joy,
Little Science,
The Toy Bag,
Toy Treasures.
Little Toys
,
Finally you can hear Arvind in person at TED.com giving career advice, showing off a dozen toy examples, demonstrating the structure of methane; telling a Large Hadron Collider joke and finishing with the wonderful "Captain's hat" story.
cool math-y gifts?
I'm looking for an awesome, tactile, mathy gift for a friend of mine. Suggestions?
Limited office safety topics, unlimited office safety meetings
Unconventional safety topics?
WTH, retro style!
50 Unexplainable Black & White Photos.
That is all.
(Mildly NSFW.)
Why yes, I will totally resort to flattery if that's what you would like, Mr. McAwesomesauce!
Interviewers/HR people: what's the best cover letter you've ever read, the one that made you want to hire that person on the spot?
Is parenting going to suck forever?
I hate taking care of my 5-week-old and I'm scared it will be like this forever!
Bad as in terrible, not bad as in really good
I have an opportunity to give the most terrible scientific presentation I can possibly muster. Tell me how to make it awesomely bad.
Bibliotheca Corviniana
The library of King Matthias I of Hungary, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was "the second greatest collection of books in Europe in the Renaissance period, after that of the Vatican." Destroyed following the 15th century Turkish invasion of Hungary (despite the efforts of Matthias' vassal Vlad III the Impaler), a few surviving codices have been digitized by the National Széchényi Library and the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Polar Time-Lapse Photography
Time-lapse photography from above the polar circles • Antarctic: [ Following the sun around the horizon - Lunar Time Lapse (with a great aurora) - Aurora Australis - Scenes from around McMurdo and Scott bases - A day in the life outside the window at a McMurdo lab ] • Arctic: [ Bering Sea icebreaker ramming through pack ice - Icebreaker navigating through brash ice and swells at night - Same, at regular speed, in daytime - Sunrise in Greenland - Midnight sun from Grøtavær, Troms, Norway - Solar Eclipse from the Polish Station at Svalbard - Arctic sea ice, 1978-2009 - James Balog's TED talk about time-lapse proof of Alaskan glacial loss ]
Ones and zeroes in the kitchen?
Do you use digital media as a reference while cooking?
KILLS ALL THE GERMS! Except that one.
Why do commercials usually show the product killing MOST, but not ALL, of the things it's supposed to kill?
John O'Groats to Land's End equivalents
How do they walk cross country in your country?
Arlington Ladies: A Little More Personal Touch to the Military Funeral
An Arlington Lady does not cry. An Arlington Lady is not a professional mourner. She is not a grief counselor, according to their strict Standard Operating Procedure. She is there simply so that somebody is. But before the Arlington Ladies, there was Gladys Rose Vandenberg, wife of Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg. Starting in 1948, she was a constant attendant, sometimes the only one to join the the chaplain and the honor guard. Her dedication spread to others and to other branches of the US armed forces, and continues to this day.
"You can get here by bus!?"
Want to get to that town in the next state on the cheap? Sure, there's Greyhound, but it's hardly a bargain at $32 for a journey from Seattle to Portland. When you really need to save the cash, use Epic Transit Journeys wiki to plot your route entirely on local transit carriers, allowing you to get to Stumptown for only $11.50 and a paltry five transfers. For a truly epic journey, cross international borders for the trip to Vancouver, BC, which includes a lovely 2.9 mi stroll across the border. Oran Viriyincy's travelogue of this trip includes lots of photos of buses and trains, and the border official's shocked reaction.
You pay for WHAT?
What things would you would never consider paying money for, once you learned how easy it was to do/make/fix yourself?
My father used to do the same work.
Professional ear cleaners are not always popular amongst backpackers in India. Few realize it's an ancient trade, passed down from father to son. It's also one that may be dying in the face of stiff competition from Q-tips and western medicine. How does one recognize an authentic professional ear cleaner? By his red skull cap, of course.
Should I Charge Sales Tax?
I am opening an electronics repair shop in PA, I will be repairing cell phones, video games, and computers. Do I collect sales tax?
Counting Up to a set number with an Image??
Is there a mac app or website that allows me to count up to a set number with a big infographic? kind of similar to gaining EXP and watching your bar go towards level up.. or when a charity shows a thermometer with them adding money for the donations?
What to look for in a treadmill for a walking desk?
I'm looking at Craigslist for a treadmill (to build a walking desk). There seem to be a lot of Proforms and a few Nordics, with a smattering of other items. I'm leaning towards the Nordic, and want to find out: 1) What's a good price (they seem to be all over the map)? 2) What kind of questions should I ask the sellers? 3) Is there another brand/model that would work better for building a walking desk?
What to do with 100k?
What to do with 100k? My wife and I together have been able to save just over 100k over the last couple of years, which is nominally reserved for the purchase of a house. I am looking at potential alternatives that may be a better short/medium term investment. We already have another 100k reserved for an emergency fund.
Relative reflectivity of glass and perspex
Short and sweet... Does anyone happen to have a ballpark figure for the percentage of light reflected by a 'standard' sheet of glass and a 'standard' sheet of perspex of similar thickness?
Don't Let the Taco Win
Eighteen years ago, 11 year old Randy Neuenfeldt raced Henry the Puffy Taco mascot of the San Antonio Missions minor league baseball team in the usual 7th inning race. Through a series of unfortunate events, the taco won.
On June 24, 2010, Randy Neuenfeldt got his revenge. Also, here
It's a great day for America, everybody
After David Letterman signs off and the Worldwide Pants production logo fades, viewing audiences are oftentimes treated to a cold open of an empty talk show set... one that quickly becomes the impromptu dance floor for a shameless Scot making an absolute giddy fool of himself while lip-syncing pop songs alongside a menagerie of puppets (and a couple of scantily-costumed stagehands). Now on YouTube for your viewing pleasure, the complete collection of Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show musical numbers: "Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti and Spearhead - "White Lines" by Duran Duran - "Wonderful Night" by Fatboy Slim - "Istanbul" by They Might Be Giants - "Oops!...I Did It Again" by Britney Spears - "MMMBop" by Hanson - "In the Navy" by Village People - "Fireball" by Don Spencer - "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz - "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music - "She Taught Me How To Yodel" by Frank Ifield - "Fire" by The Prodigy - "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"
I can remember lying down in the back of station wagons and pickup trucks, but what did we do in the VW?
How did kids under 2 travel in cars before car seats were the norm, particularly on long trips? My mom recalls tots in the lap and something called a 'car bed' (got any pictures?). Would little ones get lap-belted in to prevent them from falling off the seat on corner-turns?
Camp a Little While in the Wilderness...
Where are all the camp meeting grounds in the United States? Is there a comprehensive directory anywhere?
Help me find the perfect candy bar
What's a higher quality or darker chocolate version of Nestle Crunch?
Looking for 365/daily/every day blogs
I admire the discipline of people who do an every-day project, like Noah Kalina and friends taking pictures of themselves. Jason Santamaria has a daily photo section on his site. Dean Allen posts daily pictures of his cool dog. Stormtroopers 365 was all the way fun. Cory Walker used to post a new drawing every day on his blog.
What other similar blogs/projects do you know?
Don't drink the Kool Aid!
The phrases "Don't Drink the Kool Aid" or "Drinking the Kool Aid" are
references to the 1978 cult mass-suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Though the origin of the saying is awful and unfortunate, sometimes the current phrase as it is used now just fits the situation. What are some other widely used phrases in American culture that have their origin in an unfortunate historical event?
Of course you realize this means war!
Libraries and commercial publishers have struggled with each other over the skyrocketing costs of academic journals for years. As costs have increased more rapidly than library budgets, the libraries have had to cut journal subscriptions and other acquisitions. The recent recession has necessitated further cuts. Against this backdrop, Nature Publishing Group told the University of California that next year subscription prices would increase 400 percent, with the average annual cost of a journal increasing to $17,479. UC Libraries fought back with a combative letter to UC faculty suggesting that faculty should consider boycotting the journals, and cease submitting or reviewing articles for these journals. NPG responds, saying that UC currently pays unfairly low rates, and that "individual scientists, both within and outside of California are already suffering as a result of [UC]'s unwarranted actions."
"We Con the World"
The YouTube clip, set to the tune of the 1985 charity single We Are the World, features Israelis dressed as Arabs and activists, waving weapons while singing: "We con the world, we con the people. We'll make them all believe the IDF (Israel Defence Force) is Jack the Ripper."While the Israeli government has apologized for distributing links to the video, Israeli government spokesmen nevertheless maintain that the video is "fantastic" and "what Israelis feel." And not just any Israelis: the video was produced by and stars, among others, the Jerusalem Post's deputy managing editor Caroline Glick.
I don't think you're ready for this neti
How much is too much, with regards to neti potting?
The World's Ugliest Statues
The World's Ugliest Statues
-- I think #5, in New Jersey, is the one I find most offensive, but they're all hideous.