Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Nothing like standards
Most EU citizens will recognise this sign. It is in place on electrical devices (fridges, freezers, washing machines...) so that the consumer can make an easy assessment of the power consumption and efficiency of the device and determine the true 'cost of ownership'. It has been used for about 15+ years and has gained widespread acceptance and recognition.
According to Monblot the EU has now decided to scrap it (under pressure from the manufacturers) and replace it with a numbering system. The higher the number, the more efficient. The problem is, the more efficient an item is/becomes, this number can go higher. The high to low scale is the opposite of how the current system is graded and will inevitably cause confusion and doubt in the consumers mind. Additionally, it is perfectly feasible for identical products to sit side by side in a store, be manufactured in the same factory in the same month, and to have different numbers. Confused? You will be.
According to Monblot the EU has now decided to scrap it (under pressure from the manufacturers) and replace it with a numbering system. The higher the number, the more efficient. The problem is, the more efficient an item is/becomes, this number can go higher. The high to low scale is the opposite of how the current system is graded and will inevitably cause confusion and doubt in the consumers mind. Additionally, it is perfectly feasible for identical products to sit side by side in a store, be manufactured in the same factory in the same month, and to have different numbers. Confused? You will be.
Fractal Spain Brain
This place is relatively close to me.
One of the things that amazes me regarding tourists in Spain is how much they actually miss of the country while they raise their melanoma risk factor.
Here.
One of the things that amazes me regarding tourists in Spain is how much they actually miss of the country while they raise their melanoma risk factor.
Here.
25 ways to impress a girl
This from here.
25 ways to impress a girl
When she asks how she looks, shrug and say "could be better" this will keep her on her toes, and girls love that.
2. Never hold her hand. This can be interpreted as a sign of weakness (or if she grabs your hand squeeze hers really, really hard until she cries. This will impress her by showing her what a strong man you are.)
3. Once a month sneak up on her from behind and knock her over. Girls are like dogs. They love to be roughed up.
4. Call her in the middle of the night to ask if she's sleeping. If she is say "you better be" , repeat this 4 or 5 times until morning. This will show her you care.
5. When she is upset about something, suggest to her that it might be her fault. This will pave the way for her own personal improvement, and every girl needs some improvement.
6. Recognize the small things, they usually mean the most. Then when she's sleeping, steal all her small things and break them. Because jewellery is for pussy's and Asian ladies.
7. If you're talking to another girl, make sure she's looking. When she is, stare into her eyes mouth the words fuck you and grab the other girls arse. Girls love competition.
8. Tell her you're taking her out to dinner. Drive for miles so she thinks it's going to be really special. Then take her to a burning tire yard. When she starts to get upset tell her you were just kidding and now you're really going to take her to dinner. Then drive her home. When she starts crying and asks why you would do something like that lean over and whisper very quietly into her ear "...because I can."
9. Introduce her to your friends as "some chick". Women love those special nicknames.
10. Play with her hair. Play with it HARD.
11. Warm her up when she's cold...and not by giving her your jacket... then you might get cold. Rather, look her in the eye and say "if you don't stop b*tching about the cold right now you're going to be b*tching about a black eye." The best way to get warm is with fear.
12. Take her to a party. When you get there she'll have to go to the bathroom (they always do). Leave immediately. Come back right when the party's dying and yell at her the whole way home for ditching you at the party.
13. Make her laugh. A good way to do this is if she has a small pet. Kick the pet. I always find stuff like that funny. Why shouldn't girls?
14. Let her fall asleep in your arms. When she's fast asleep, wait 10 minutes then JUMP UP AND SCREAM IN HER EAR! Repeat until she goes home and you can use your arms for more important things. Like basketball.
15. Spit often. I hear girls like guys that spit.
16. If you care about her never ever tell her. This will only give her self confidence. Then you can never turn her into the object she deep down desires to be.
17. Every time you're in her house steal one of the following: shoes, earrings, or anything else that comes in pairs. Only take one of the pair. This way she'll go crazy.
18. Take her out to dinner. Right when she's about to order interrupt and say "No she's not hungry". Make her watch you eat. Girls love a guy that speaks for her.
19. Look her in the eyes and smile. Then clock her one. Girls love a spontaneous guy.
20. Give her one of your t-shirts... and make sure it has your smell on it. But not a sexy cologne smell. A bad smell. You know what I'm talking about.
22. If you're listening to music, and she asks to hear it, tell her no. This way she'll think you're mysterious.
23. Remember her birthday but don't get her something. Teach her material objects aren't important. The only thing that's important is that she keeps you happy. And your happiness is the greatest present she can ever get.
24. When she gives you a present on your birthday, Christmas, or just whenever, take it and tell her you love it. Then next time you know she's coming over on a trash day leave the trash can open and have the present visibly sticking out of the can. Girls actually don't like this one that much but I think it's funny.
25. If she's mad at you for not calling her when you say you will, promise her that you will call her at a certain time of the day. This will make sure that she waits by the phone. Tell her when you call you're going to tell her a special surprise. Now she'll be really excited. Now don't call. That's also quite funny
25 ways to impress a girl
When she asks how she looks, shrug and say "could be better" this will keep her on her toes, and girls love that.
2. Never hold her hand. This can be interpreted as a sign of weakness (or if she grabs your hand squeeze hers really, really hard until she cries. This will impress her by showing her what a strong man you are.)
3. Once a month sneak up on her from behind and knock her over. Girls are like dogs. They love to be roughed up.
4. Call her in the middle of the night to ask if she's sleeping. If she is say "you better be" , repeat this 4 or 5 times until morning. This will show her you care.
5. When she is upset about something, suggest to her that it might be her fault. This will pave the way for her own personal improvement, and every girl needs some improvement.
6. Recognize the small things, they usually mean the most. Then when she's sleeping, steal all her small things and break them. Because jewellery is for pussy's and Asian ladies.
7. If you're talking to another girl, make sure she's looking. When she is, stare into her eyes mouth the words fuck you and grab the other girls arse. Girls love competition.
8. Tell her you're taking her out to dinner. Drive for miles so she thinks it's going to be really special. Then take her to a burning tire yard. When she starts to get upset tell her you were just kidding and now you're really going to take her to dinner. Then drive her home. When she starts crying and asks why you would do something like that lean over and whisper very quietly into her ear "...because I can."
9. Introduce her to your friends as "some chick". Women love those special nicknames.
10. Play with her hair. Play with it HARD.
11. Warm her up when she's cold...and not by giving her your jacket... then you might get cold. Rather, look her in the eye and say "if you don't stop b*tching about the cold right now you're going to be b*tching about a black eye." The best way to get warm is with fear.
12. Take her to a party. When you get there she'll have to go to the bathroom (they always do). Leave immediately. Come back right when the party's dying and yell at her the whole way home for ditching you at the party.
13. Make her laugh. A good way to do this is if she has a small pet. Kick the pet. I always find stuff like that funny. Why shouldn't girls?
14. Let her fall asleep in your arms. When she's fast asleep, wait 10 minutes then JUMP UP AND SCREAM IN HER EAR! Repeat until she goes home and you can use your arms for more important things. Like basketball.
15. Spit often. I hear girls like guys that spit.
16. If you care about her never ever tell her. This will only give her self confidence. Then you can never turn her into the object she deep down desires to be.
17. Every time you're in her house steal one of the following: shoes, earrings, or anything else that comes in pairs. Only take one of the pair. This way she'll go crazy.
18. Take her out to dinner. Right when she's about to order interrupt and say "No she's not hungry". Make her watch you eat. Girls love a guy that speaks for her.
19. Look her in the eyes and smile. Then clock her one. Girls love a spontaneous guy.
20. Give her one of your t-shirts... and make sure it has your smell on it. But not a sexy cologne smell. A bad smell. You know what I'm talking about.
22. If you're listening to music, and she asks to hear it, tell her no. This way she'll think you're mysterious.
23. Remember her birthday but don't get her something. Teach her material objects aren't important. The only thing that's important is that she keeps you happy. And your happiness is the greatest present she can ever get.
24. When she gives you a present on your birthday, Christmas, or just whenever, take it and tell her you love it. Then next time you know she's coming over on a trash day leave the trash can open and have the present visibly sticking out of the can. Girls actually don't like this one that much but I think it's funny.
25. If she's mad at you for not calling her when you say you will, promise her that you will call her at a certain time of the day. This will make sure that she waits by the phone. Tell her when you call you're going to tell her a special surprise. Now she'll be really excited. Now don't call. That's also quite funny
Dishwasher
The dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane in 1886 to protect her china that had been in the family since the 17th century.
I particularly like the poached salmon although the Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne looks rather nice. Would that be spin-cycle lasagne if it were a washing machine instead?
Seven to One
This is the ratio of water required to produce 1 litre of water....
Apparently, according to the article, orange juice is a worse polluter... here.
Apparently, according to the article, orange juice is a worse polluter... here.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Foreign Residents
In my travels throughout the world I have encountered many 'interesting' medical issues. My worst being a bite from a sand fly just on the shin by the sock line. In a short space of time this turned into a bad local infection that could have resulted in limb loss. the sand fly bite and infection has been one of the major injuries affecting soldiers in Iraq.
The fly carries two main infection causing parasites - one is a disease that attacks the nervous system and the other causes localised necrosis (i.e. the flesh rots around the bite area). I had tried various anti-biotic treatments and there was extreme concern that it was not getting any better regardless of any treatment. It was only a minor comment from a retired war veteran in our village who had spent time in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Not having access to reliable medicine supplies it was fairly easy for a minor cut or graze to cause major, life-threatening, infections. The guy mentioned that they had used the pulp from the inside of a papaya skin as a means of alleviating infection. Willing to try anything at this point I tried this. Incredibly, within the space of about an hour or two the burning sensation stopped, the swelling went down, and the wound began to heal. Within a week the wound was 'comfortable'.
I was reminded of this event in my life when I read about the hate mail that Sir David Attenborough received from Creationists 'angry' that he did not make mention of 'God' in any of his nature broadcasts. His comments were:
"They always mean beautiful things like hummingbirds. I always reply by saying that I think of a little child in east Africa with a worm burrowing through his eyeball. The worm cannot live in any other way, except by burrowing through eyeballs. I find that hard to reconcile with the notion of a divine and benevolent creator."
The main reason being the Loa Loa worm that takes up residence in the eye of humans. For the strong stomached, there is a picture of one in an eye here.
The fly carries two main infection causing parasites - one is a disease that attacks the nervous system and the other causes localised necrosis (i.e. the flesh rots around the bite area). I had tried various anti-biotic treatments and there was extreme concern that it was not getting any better regardless of any treatment. It was only a minor comment from a retired war veteran in our village who had spent time in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Not having access to reliable medicine supplies it was fairly easy for a minor cut or graze to cause major, life-threatening, infections. The guy mentioned that they had used the pulp from the inside of a papaya skin as a means of alleviating infection. Willing to try anything at this point I tried this. Incredibly, within the space of about an hour or two the burning sensation stopped, the swelling went down, and the wound began to heal. Within a week the wound was 'comfortable'.
I was reminded of this event in my life when I read about the hate mail that Sir David Attenborough received from Creationists 'angry' that he did not make mention of 'God' in any of his nature broadcasts. His comments were:
"They always mean beautiful things like hummingbirds. I always reply by saying that I think of a little child in east Africa with a worm burrowing through his eyeball. The worm cannot live in any other way, except by burrowing through eyeballs. I find that hard to reconcile with the notion of a divine and benevolent creator."
The main reason being the Loa Loa worm that takes up residence in the eye of humans. For the strong stomached, there is a picture of one in an eye here.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Simply THE best airline complaint
This letter in the Telegraph sent to Richard Branson re a flight from Mumbai to Heathrow and the food quality...
Truly excellent. Here.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sofa, so good...
This BBC tale relates to a future post I will be making... here. Truly wonderful and typically 'British'.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Secret is...
... to walk away from the scene of the crime and try to avoid telling the paramilitary types that the badge on their uniform is back to front. Here.
Unrecognisable...
Some very interesting 'before and after' shots... some you know, some you do not... here.
Pro-lifers
My wife was listening to a radio show about Pro-lifers (really they should be called 'Anti-abortionists'). A caller made a wonderful comment "If an anti-abortionist goes to a restaurant I hope they order eggs instead of chicken". Personally, I think pro-lifers should rename themselves to "Anti-Abortionists" OR be active in stopping war, standing up against the death penalty and other associated 'life' issues i.e. PRO-Life.
There are many changing opinions regarding this but overall I think they should come clean with exactly what their campaigning is all about instead of hiding behind poorly interpreted Bible quotations (here and here). A relatively 'good' example of this excerpt below from here. The associative 'proof' is unproven and the literal translation (using a range of dictionaries) is "Why then did you allow me to be born? I wish that I had died and no-one had seen me":
"The first passage to be sited is Job 10:18, "Wherefore then hast thou brought me f orth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me. " This passage shows without a doubt that Job believed he had a spirit inside the womb. This proves that the unborn child is alive. Since "the body without the spirit is dead, "' then the spirit is essential to life. The unborn child has a spirit so he has life. What kind of life? Human life, that's easy. If it was a dog, it would be dog's life, since it is a human we are discussing, it would be human life."
The interpretation of "giving up the ghost" as being evidence of a spirit has many counter entries in the Bible which show the generic understanding of this being the physical evidence of death NOT life. The actual definitions as they are currently generally understood are best shown in these two examples below
Ghost (from Anglo-Saxon gast, from a root word seen in Icelandic geisa, to rage as fire, and Swedish gusa, to ferment): a visible spirit, a disembodied spirit, an apparition.
Spirit (from Latin spiritus, from spiro, to breathe): the vital or essential part of anything; a supernatural existent life.
Many Biblical quotations (some sound practical advice e.g. drinking alcohol while pregnant) have little regard for the relevance to modern day and discard much of what is known in science. The phrase is 'cherry-picking'. The Bible consists of the writings and interpretations of word of mouth of many people over a great deal of time. As a result it is (like all writing in general and other religious tracts) full of inconsistencies and contradictions. If many of its quotations were taken literally there would be many moral and social issues - the courts would be very busy. Stoning anyone? Eye plucking? The Catholic Church has a rather good site that lays out (fairly well) what their position on the abortion issue (and many others) is... here.
My favourite for the depth it goes into the subject is here. The Skeptics Annotated Bible...
I actually like the approach taken with AskMoses... here. Very pragmatic in its 'case by case' advice.
The Pro-Life 'Sidewalk Counseling' ... "instead of educating them about the facts we engage them" is intrusive and preys upon people who are making a fairly major decision that will affect their life. For me, the morals of using this approach are questionable.
Here is an example of some advertising. Here is another. The coat-hanger image is wonderful.
This is a huge and far ranging subject with some heated opinions on all sides. I believe strongly that women should have the right to decide how they want to live their lives and whether or not a pregnancy is terminated. Those who base their beliefs on their interpretation (or that of their church) of words written a long time ago regarding what life is should keep out of it until they have empirical evidence based on fact. See this here.
And, as a footnote, why Sarah Palin should NOT be in a position of power here (or anywhere for that matter), here (wonderful - apparently terrorists have few career opportunities and "I am lost in a blizzard of words"), here, here (my favourite) ... and obviously countless more
Chinese Astrology
Apart from being hogwash it is clearly important to determine if you are a Cock or an Ass... here. I am one day away from being a Rooster and have to settle for being a Monkey. This is apparently a good thing to be. Much better than being a goat. Note: Word of the day is 'bellwether'
Obama and Teletubbies!
Obamamania has hit the streets in scores of ways... here. I particularly like that there is also a TellyTubbies 'brand'
Well Groomed...
Sometimes, parody is TOO real
Extraordinary rendition
Two 'simple' words. Most of you will have heard these over the past few years. Do you REALLY know what this action is and what it means? Spare a while to watch the video regarding this... here.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
What DO Women Want?
This fascinating article reveals a lot of the current research. Draw your own conclusions... here.
An Interesting Challenge
For those of you who believe you are good at assessing people 'just by their looks' this is a source of endless entertainment... here.
You can post a photo of yourself and receive feedback from the clicks that people make. I am sure DJ and GM will have a field day with my photo as they have always (for 10+ years) called me 'Old Man'.
Fascinating what guesses people make. Even taking into account errors and deliberate mistypes the overall result is a fair assessment I think. My assessed versus actual age? I will let you know...
You can post a photo of yourself and receive feedback from the clicks that people make. I am sure DJ and GM will have a field day with my photo as they have always (for 10+ years) called me 'Old Man'.
Fascinating what guesses people make. Even taking into account errors and deliberate mistypes the overall result is a fair assessment I think. My assessed versus actual age? I will let you know...
A Wonderful Way With Words
There are many approaches to writing a story. Some focus on the 'plot'. Some on the word structure. This article is interesting regarding the approach to structuring a sentence. Here.
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