Somethin Insane

Beautiful Ground Coffee Art

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 00:19:00 -0700

Amazing artworks made out of ground coffee by talented artist Liv Buranday. Great way to start each morning: drink coffee and create unique coffee art.

10 Amazing iPhone and iPad Apps For Web Designers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 6 Jan 2014 02:49:00 -0800

Apps are at their best when they’re work fast and handle secondary jobs. In the area of web design, there are a lot of apps that attempt to take on the big jobs that are best left to a full-sized computer. Drawing, image manipulation, and file organizing apps seem to be the most common. On top of that, they have a lot of buttons, sliders, and other controls that make them cumbersome on a small platform like an iPhone or iPad. Since these types of apps are the ones that get a lot of attention, it’s easy to miss some really useful web design-related apps that have recently been released. Here are ten that are easy to use and perform those spur-of-the-moment tasks when a laptop or desktop isn’t available or necessary.

1. Marksta

2. What the Font

3. Air Display

4. Ruler Phone

5. Gusto

6. MyPrice

7. Blux Camera Pro

8. PHP Cheat Sheet

9. Ego

10. Night Mode

8 Most Wonderful Acts of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 1 Sep 2013 09:49:00 -0700

The Couple Who Died Holding Hands After 72 years Together

Iowa couple Norma and Gordon Yeager were both in their 90s and had been married 72 years when they were hospitalized following a car accident. The nurses and doctor kept the two together in the intensive care unit. They were barely responsive, but they were holding hands. Gordon passed away, and exactly one hour later, Norma followed him, still holding his hand.

Ninety-year-old Norma and 94-year-old Gordon Yeager met while Norma was still in high school and Gordon was working at the Chevrolet Garage in State Center, Iowa. They were married on May 26, 1939, the day Norma graduated. They had four children together, one daughter and three sons.

The Couple That Grew Stronger After One of Them Had a Four Limb Amputation

Few high school sweethearts make it past the hat toss at graduation. However, Taylor Morris and Danielle Kelly have made it through so much more. The Iowa natives stayed together and, in 2007, Morris enlisted as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the Navy. After years of training, Morris was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 12 and the couple moved to Virginia Beach, Va.

While Morris, a Petty Officer 2nd Class, was deployed to Afghanistan, the couple talked about their future plans. But then Morris stepped on an improvised explosive device, losing both legs above the knee, his left arm, and right hand. However, that tragic incident has done nothing to stifle the couple's relationship.

Their story of love has crossed the globe. Twenty-two photos of Morris and Kelly were posted on BuzzFeed, a collection house of viral content on the web, under the headline "A love story in 22 pictures." As of Sept. 20, the story had more than 2.6 million views.

Tim Dodd, the professional photographer (and Morris' longtime friend) who took many of the photos in the post, said the sailor is happy that his story is reaching so many people. (Link)

The 96-Year-Old Man Who Wrote a Love Song to Honor His Wife of 72 Years

Fred and Lorraine Stobaugh were together for 75 years. So when she passed away, the 96-year-old's heart broke. He had lost the love of his life. Soon after Lorraine's death, the Illinois man penned a song in his wife's memory.

Then, on impulse, he sent the song in to Green Shoe Studio's singer-songwriter contest after he saw an ad for the competition in a local paper. The contest required participants to upload songs onto the internet, but Fred just sent his handwritten song via snail-mail. He also knew that he couldn't sing a note.

At Green Shoe Studios, the song caught the attention of Jacob Colgan, who was so moved by Fred's tribute that he decided to produce it.

The performance begins at 5:53 in the video, but you'll want to watch the entire heartwarming tale.

The Modern Day Romeo and Juliet Who Killed Themselves Because They Weren't Allowed to be Together

It was a story buried in the middle of the Indian newspapers. In 2009, two star-crossed lovers committed suicide after the local village council, or panchayat, ordered them to annul their marriage or face death.

Amreen was Muslim and her husband, Lokesh, was a Hindu. Their match was simply unacceptable to their communities, so the couple poisoned themselves. Police charged the entire panchayat with abetting suicide. (Link)

The Couple Who Died Hours Apart in a "Final Act of Love" after 66 Years of Marriage

Harold Knapke met his wife Ruth in third grade, began their romance during World War II, and married her soon afterwards. The couple died on the same day, just hours apart, after 66 years of marriage. Their children called their deaths a "final act of love."

Ruth contracted a rare infection shortly before her death, and it was clear that she was not going to recover. Margaret recalls that when she and her siblings told her father the news, he took it calmly, but they saw a "shift" in him. Just a few days afterward, their daughters noticed that their father appeared to be very ill. Three days later, Harold died at 7:30 a.m.

After their father died, the Knapke children surrounded their mother -- who was not lucid -- and told her, "Dad's up there waiting. They got the card game going and it's time you got up there. Don't stick around for us," Ted Knapke said. Ruth Knapke died that night at 6:30 p.m.

Harold was 91 and Ruth was 89.

The Couple Who Reunited After a Long-Lost Love Letter was Discovered in the Fireplace

A couple got married after they were reunited when a long-lost love letter, sent ten years ago, was found unopened behind a fireplace. In 2009, Steve Smith and Carmen Ruiz-Perez, both 42, walked down the aisle following a separation of 16 years.

The pair fell in love and got engaged in their 20s after Carmen moved to England as a foreign exchange student. However, after a year-long relationship the couple drifted apart when she had to move back to France. A few years later, Steve wrote to her in a bid to rekindle their romance, but Carmen's mother put it on the mantlepiece and it slipped down the back of the fireplace. It remained there unopened for the next decade, until the fireplace was removed for renovations.

Carmen, who had remained single and never forgot the love of her life, was given the letter in which Steve had written, "I hope you are well. I was just writing to ask if you ever married and if you ever still thought of me? It would be great to hear from you, please great in touch if you can. Steve XXX."

Carmen said that, initially, she was too nervous to call since so much time had passed, but she plucked up the courage and the pair arranged to meet. They met up in Paris a few days later and have now wed - 17 years after they first fell in love.

The Couple Who Has Worn Watching Outfits for the Past 35 Years

Donald Featherstone, an artist, is most famous for inventing the plastic pink flamingo lawn ornament. However, people who know him and his wife Nancy well think of them as an incredibly close and romantic couple. For the past 35 years, they've worn matching outfits everywhere they go. (Link | Via)

The Teenager Who Carried a Friend on His Back for 8 Years

Because love is not only about couples but also about friendship, we've included this last story. In Hebei, China, a 16-year-old teenager named Lui Shi Ching has carried his friend to school on a daily basis for the last eight years. His friend, Lu Shao, has a congenital disorder which makes it difficult for him to walk.

Eight years ago on a rainy day, Lu shao was stuck at school when his mom didn't come to pick him up. Lui Shi Ching, who was smaller than Lu Shao, decided to help and carried him home. Since then, he has carried Lu Shao to and from school and even to restrooms.

Lui Shi Ching didn't brag about his good deeds too much; his parents didn't even find out until four years after he first helped his friend. Lu Shao mentioned in his diary that Lui Shi Ching's help has lifted a dark cloud in his life and let sunshine into it. (Via)

The World's most Amazing and Ugliest Dog Contest 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 08:12:00 -0700

“People come up to me and say that dog is not right,” said Tammie Barbee, who owns Walle, the 2013 winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. “But I love him,” she added. The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is held annually at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, and this year the contest celebrated its 25th anniversary. Luckily, the event’s official photographer, Kira Stackhouse of Nuena Photography, was there to take these fantastic photographs – like this one of Rascal on stage with his owner Dane Andrew.

In this photograph, the judges, including actor Jon Provost – who played little Timmy Martin on CBS TV series Lassie – take a look at contestant Icky. Icky is a three-year-old Chinese crested, which is a breed that has had a lot of success at this competition in the past. The judging panel at 2013’s event also included football legend Joe Montana’s father, Joe Montana Sr.

Here’s a portrait shot of Icky, all dressed up in his punk outfit. We’re not sure about the ugly tag, because he looks pretty adorable to us. But the competition isn’t simply about comparing aesthetically challenged pooches; it also aims to increase awareness about animal welfare as well as encourage the adoption of rescue dogs.

The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is a high-profile event, attracting crowds of up to three thousand spectators a year. The majority of canine contestants are American, but the competition is open to dog owners the world over. However, 2012 was the first time a non-American dog took the title. That year the title of World’s Ugliest Dog was awarded to Mugly from the UK.

We’re not sure the string of beads is helping this Chinese crested, named Josie, look much more elegant – but she’s kind of cute just the same. Chinese cresteds come in two varieties: powderpuff, which have thick coats; and hairless, which, like Josie, only have tufts of fur on their paws, tails and heads. It’s the rather strange appearance of the second variety that helps them win so many “ugly” competitions.

Boolah’s exact combination of breeds is unknown – but she certainly looks pretty unique in this image. Her owners think she’s a cross between terrier mix and either part Chinese crested or part Mexican hairless. Unlike the case in many dog shows and competitions, there’s no pedigree requirement to enter the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. The competition has both purebred and mutt categories as well as an overall winner. As for Boolah, in true beauty pageant queen spirit, her owners said, “Her wish is for homemade poochie snacks... and world peace.”

In this photo, a proud owner hugs his dog, Isaboo, whose name he even has printed on his T-shirt. This remarkable looking dog is part Chinese crested and part wiener – which, as you can see, gives him an elongated shape. Although Isaboo wasn’t judged the ugliest-looking dog in the contest, he did win a very respectable third place in the category for mutts.

Here, this year’s overall winner, Walle, gives his best pose on the red carpet. Walle’s victory was described as an upset, as some felt that he just wasn’t as ugly as some of the other entries. Walle is a beagle, basset and boxer mix, and he beat Chinese crested and hairless chihuahuas that normally dominate the competition. Is Walle too attractive to be the ugliest dog in the world? We’ll let you decide.

Next up, Isaboo poses for a studio photograph with his hair in a rather wispy Mohawk. There were 30 dogs in 2013’s competition, and the winning owner receives a $1,500 cash prize and a very large trophy. This year’s winner, Walle, also went on to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the Today Show. Sometimes it pays to be ugly.

Penny the purebred pug may not have won the competition, but she certainly doesn’t lack the necessary qualities for entering. In all seriousness, although they don’t have to be good-looking, the dogs do have to be healthy, and all owners must provide up-to-date documentation of their pet’s vet checks. Dogs with disabilities are not discriminated against, however. The contest’s 2008 winner, Gus, had three legs and just a single eye.

Addie the chihuahua has come a long way from the side of the road, where she was found, to the red carpet. And although she has a missing bottom jaw, crooked legs and no teeth, we still think she’s pretty adorable. Perhaps she’s also a little bit uncomfortable with all the attention.

Here’s a close-up of Roo, another Chinese crested. Roo won in the competition’s pedigree category, and it’s not hard to see why. According to contest producer Vicki DeArmon, the standard was extremely high this year. She said, “This was the best in the seven years I’ve produced the contest. A wide variety of dogs and a record crowd made the energy just electric and the hosts were hilarious.”

Here, hairless chihuahua Molly is on stage in the arms of her owner. Molly may be an odd-looking dog, but clearly she’s well loved – and well fed. Although entering your dog in the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest might seem a little mean, it’s obvious that the owners of these pets have a lot of affection for their pets. And fortunately, the dogs don’t know what they’re competing for.

Walle and Roo share the stage in this shot. Judge Brian Sobel had this to say about Walle: “This dog looked like he's been photo-shopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals.” He does have a sweet face, though. As for Roo, well, his looks do all the talking.

Ellie Mae is another hairless Chinese crested. She’s eight years old and has been with her owners for six years, after her original family moved to a colder climate. Like the rest of the entrants, Ellie Mae might not be beautiful, but she definitely has a charm of her own. “Even after all these years, she is so comical that I can’t help but smile whenever I look at her,” says her proud owner. We understand completely.

9 Most Strange Train Railways

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 05:14:00 -0700

Maeklong Market Railway (Thailand)

The food market in Maeklong, Thailand is located on top of train tracks. Several times a day shopkeepers swiftly pack up their food stalls and pull back their canopies to let the trains pass. Once the trains have rumbled through, the crates of vegetables, fish, and eggs are placed back into position and shoppers return to the tracks, which serve as a path through the market.

Napier-Gisborne Railway (New Zealand)

The Napier to Gisborne Railway Line is unique in that it crosses the main runway of the Gisborne Airport. Trains have to stop and seek clearance from the air traffic control tower to cross the runway and continue down the line; a 1939 steam train in the middle of an airport runway isn't exactly a common sight!

Tren a las Nubes - Train to the Clouds (Argentina)

The Tren a las Nubes (Train to/of the Clouds) is a touristic train service in Salta Province, Argentina. The service runs along the eastern part of the C-14 line of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano, connecting the Argentine Northwest with the Chilean border in the Andes mountain range. At over 4,220 meters (13,850 ft) above mean sea level, it's the third highest railway in the world. Originally built for economic and social reasons, it is now primarily a tourist attraction as a heritage railway.

The railway line has 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 2 spirals, and 2 zigzags. Because of the design decision not to use a rack-and-pinion system for traction, the route had to be designed to avoid steep grades. The zigzags allow the train to climb, travelling back and forth parallel to the slope of the mountain. (Link)

Tunnel of Love (Ukraine)

The Tunnel of Love is a beautiful spot in Klevan, Ukraine. A three kilometer railway section leads to the fibreboard factory. The train runs three times a day and delivers wood to the factory. However, the trees make a green corridor, which attracts many couples, as well as photographers, for its eye catching avenue.

It is said that if you and your beloved come to the Tunnel of Love and sincerely make a wish, it will come true. (Link)

Trans-Siberian, World's Longest Railway (Russia)

The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway line in the world. There are connecting branch lines into Mongolia, China, and North Korea. It has connected Moscow with Vladivostok since 1916 and is still expanding.

Full-time construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in 1891 and was put into execution and overseen by Sergei Witte, who was then Finance Minister. Similar to the First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA, Russian engineers began construction at both ends and worked towards the center. (Link)

The Landwasser Viaduct (Switzerland)

Switzerland has large areas of land that are mountainous. Before the 19th Century, the mountainous terrain meant that it was difficult to travel across the country, and consequently communication was relatively poor. Swiss railway engineers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries had to be extremely innovative, imaginative, and courageous to build a complex and efficient mountain railway system. This not only included planning and building difficult mountain routes, but also constructing the many bridges and tunnels needed to cross and go under mountainous areas. The Swiss are still investing heavily in their railway network, making it one of the most efficient and advanced in the world.

One of the most impressive feats was the building of the Landwasser Viaduct, built in 1902, which carries a mountain railway track. This is possibly one of the most famous railway viaducts / bridges in the world and is seen in most Swiss travel / holiday brochures.

Georgetown Loop Railroad (USA)

The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of Colorado's first visitor attractions. Completed in 1884, this spectacular stretch of three-foot narrow gauge track was considered an engineering marvel of its time.

The thriving mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume lie two miles apart in a steep, narrow mountain canyon. To connect them, the railroad's builders designed a “corkscrew” route that traveled twice the distance, slowly gaining more than 600 feet in elevation. It included horseshoe curves, grades of up to 4%, and four bridges across Clear Creek, including the massive Devil's Gate High Bridge. The Colorado & Southern Railway operated the line for passengers and freight from 1899 to 1938, when it was abandoned.

In 1973, the Colorado Historical Society began restoring the railroad as part of its 978-acre Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park. A replica of the High Bridge was completed in 1984 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its original construction.

The Death Railway (Thailand)

The Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway, is a 415 kilometer (258 mile) railway between Bangkok, Thailand and Rangoon, Burma. More than 90,000 workers and 16,000 Allied prisoners of war died during the construction of this railway, a horrific episode that forms the backdrop for David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai. A ride on a surviving section of the route is now a popular activity for visitors to Kanchanaburi, which is northwest of the Thai capital. The train hugs the sides of sheer cliffs and passes over a number of rickety wooden bridges.

Gyeonghwa Station (South Korea)

There are 340,000 cherry trees in Jinhae, South Korea. When they bloom in the spring, they create a dazzling display of falling blossoms. Gyeonghwa Station, where this photo was taken, is a popular tourist attraction for that reason.

Amazing Portraits Art done by using Hubble Space Telescope images

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 02:28:00 -0700

10 Most AMAZING CLIMBER SURVIVAL STORIES

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 08:05:00 -0700

Climbing relies in no small part on self-management and mental strength; and keeping anxiety in check and having the confidence to reach one’s goals may also be key. Taking on the world’s highest peaks is an adrenaline-filled activity fraught with danger, and the lure of the summit can drive mountaineers to push themselves and achieve great things.
Sometimes, however, events go terribly wrong, and unfortunate adventurers find themselves caught in serious life-or-death situations, forced to dig deeper than ever before and dredge the will to survive. Climbers have been forced to witness the deaths of companions and friends, have lost body parts to frostbite, and have even experienced the so-called Third Man factor, which has been described by scientists as a kind of coping mechanism.
Take a look at the traumatic circumstances these ten climbers endured to survive – physically, mentally and emotionally – against the odds. All ten stories are inspirational and a testament to the resilience and determination of the human spirit.

BECK WEATHERS

From May 10 to May 11, 1996, nine people died during an attempt to scale the world’s tallest mountain in an event that is now referred to as the Mount Everest disaster. Writer and mountaineer Jon Krakauer was one of the 34 people trying to ascend the frozen peak – and the large number of climbers is said to have been one of the factors behind the tragedy. This high traffic led to delays, with the majority of those who reached the top doing so after the advised turnaround time.
Unusual weather conditions are believed to have sent oxygen levels plummeting by 14 percent, and a blizzard on Everest’s southwest face also reduced visibility for the descending climbers, several of whom got lost and disoriented in the worsening storm. Between them, the mountaineers suffered exhaustion, hypothermia, frostbite and hypoxia.
Beck Weathers, who was part of Krakauer’s expedition, had been discovered by a team member badly frostbitten and unable to move or even properly respond. Yet after being left for dead, and despite serious hypothermia, Weathers somehow came to, walking under his own power to catch up the other survivors at Camp IV. After a storm, Weathers was again believed dead and nearly abandoned, but he was found to be conscious by Krakauer. In spite of his deteriorating condition, Weathers managed to make it down the mountain. Frostbite claimed his nose, one hand, and five digits, but he recovered.
Following his own experience of the grueling ordeal, Krakauer has said he feels remorse for the others who died, and he wrote the bestselling book Into Thin Air as what he has described as “an act of catharsis.” Krakauer added, “I thought that writing the book might purge Everest from my life. It hasn’t, of course.”

CHRIS BONINGTON AND DOUG SCOTT

On July 13, 1977, Chris Bonington and Doug Scott became the first climbers to summit Baintha Brakk in Pakistan, a peak known as The Ogre. However, the descent turned disastrous when Scott slipped while rappelling and broke both his legs. Bonington then also had an accident while coming down the mountain, breaking several ribs and later contracting suspected pneumonia.
Both men were helped by their team members but still had to maintain mental control in the face of many setbacks and the pain of their injuries. Scott, who crawled for 12 whole days, said he persevered by focusing on “one feature at a time. A nub of rock, a pinnacle. Get there and then think about the next bit. Because to think about the whole thing was a bit mind-boggling.” The team eventually made it to base camp where rescuers came to their aid.
Although these experiences are incredibly intense and potentially traumatizing for the climbers, their families are likely to suffer too – and even in cases where there are no fatal accidents, partners and children must cope with having a husband and father who constantly puts his life at risk. Bonington’s wife Wendy has found a perspective on the situation that works for her. “Love to me is the whole plant. Once we put conditions on something, that is cutting off one branch of growth,” she says. “There are very often things about another person that you cannot understand, but to me that does not change whether you love them or not.”

LINCOLN HALL

While broken bones may heal and pneumonia can be recovered from with time, some people have paid an even higher price for their survival. Australian climber Lincoln Hall is a prime example. Hall managed to summit Everest on 25 May 2006, but not long after reaching the peak, he came down with a serious case of cerebral edema, which swells the brain and causes extreme lethargy and hallucinations. Several Sherpa guides attempted to assist Hall and struggled to get him down the mountain, but eventually they were forced to abandon him, and he was assumed dead.
Miraculously, though, Hall survived the night without oxygen or proper equipment at a height of around 28,000 feet (8,600 meters). He lost a toe and the tips of eight fingers to frostbite but made it down the mountain the next day with the help of a team trying for the summit that found him.
Hall, who recently passed away, said the experience gave him a new perspective, explaining, “I really have a different relationship with death now. So it really has changed my understanding of the world. And it was just extraordinary to experience how much I meant to people.” He added, “When something goes wrong, that’s it usually, so it was just an extraordinary thankfulness to be back, and every day’s a bonus really.”

ARON RALSTON

On April 26, 2003, climber Aron Ralston was negotiating a slot canyon in Utah when an 800-pound (360-kilogram) boulder fell and crushed his right hand, trapping him. He tried to shift the rock using ropes and chipped away at it with his blunt multi-tool, but nothing worked. By day four, Ralston had run out of water, so he saw only one option: to amputate his own arm. First, he broke both bones in his arm; then he sawed through the soft tissue, arteries, tendons and, most painfully, the nerves.
“All the desires, joys, and euphorias of a future life came rushing into me,” Ralston said of the experience. “Maybe this is how I handled the pain. I was so happy to be taking action.” Speaking in 2011, after his memoir of the ordeal was turned into the Oscar-nominated film 127 Hours, Ralston also reflected, “It was the relationships in my life that carried me through; all those loving connections with my family and my friends.”

ARLENE BLUM

American climber, feminist and scientist Arlene Blum is no stranger to tense mountaineering situations. In 1970, with her expedition having just reached the peak of Denali in Alaska, team leader Grace Hoeman collapsed, and the 25-year-old Blum assumed command, steering the all-female group through a rescue operation at high altitude. Yet far from it being traumatizing, Blum states that dealing with the life-or-death situation launched her to a new level. “I felt a whole new burst of courage and strength on the mountain, and a much greater self-confidence after we all got safely back down.”
Not all of Blum’s mountaineering endeavors have ended so happily, though. In 1978, she led an all-woman team on an expedition to scale Annapurna in Nepal. This was marred by tragedy when two climbers fell to their deaths. While in the Pamir Mountains in 1974, Blum also became acquainted with Soviet mountaineer Elvira Shateava, shortly before Shateava and her seven-strong team perished one by one on the descent from Lenin Peak.
Although Blum gave up mountain climbing after the birth of her daughter, she credits her tough childhood with giving her the wherewithal to succeed in the risky pursuit – proving her doubters wrong and showing the world what women can achieve in the process.

JIM DAVIDSON

On June 21, 1992, Jim Davidson and friend Mike Price were descending Mount Rainier near Seattle, Washington. Davidson was in front when he left the trail to dodge a crevasse but fell into a deep chasm hidden in the snow. Price managed to slow Davidson’s fall but ended up plummeting 80 feet to his own death.
Davidson explains, “Everybody deals with sadness and difficulties and grief in their own way. I don’t have a prescription for others and how to deal with their grief. Mine changed with time. At first there was a lot of sadness and I had to struggle to accept it and then there was some doubt about – why am I still here and what am I supposed to do with my life now? And it took, you know, the better part of a decade, eleven years really till I got to the position where I could feel comfortable enough to share with other people.”
Davidson, whom it took over five hours to climb to safety, says he often feels close to Price during expeditions he has been on since the tragedy, both when things are going well and in difficult situations.

JAMES SEVIGNY

While some climbers faced with life-or-death situations may make it through with sheer steely will to survive, others claim to have been aided by a seemingly external and mysterious force. After he was swept away by an avalanche, mountaineer James Sevigny experienced what has been called the Third Man factor.
On April 1, 1983, Sevigny and friend Richard Whitmire were climbing Deltaform in the Canadian Rockies when an avalanche carried the pair almost 2,000 feet down the mountain. Sevigny eventually regained consciousness, but he had suffered an extensive catalog of injuries. His back was broken in two places, and he had torn the ligaments in both knees. One of his arms was fractured, and the other had severe nerve damage thanks to a broken scapula. Several of his ribs were also cracked, his teeth and nose were broken, and he was bleeding internally.
After discovering that Whitmire had perished, Sevigny decided to lie down next to his friend and wait for death – when he heard a voice behind his right shoulder telling him not to give up. The voice continued to give the desperate climber instructions and only left him moments before his discovery and subsequent rescue by skiers. The Third Man factor is a strange, but not uncommon, phenomenon that has been compared to a guardian angel and described as a way to cope in extreme circumstances.

CHARLES HOUSTON

In 1953, disaster struck a team of mountaineers attempting to summit the legendary mountain K2 in Pakistan. On August 7, after a series of challenging incidents, expedition member Art Gilkey collapsed, thought to be suffering from thrombophlebitis, or blood clots. Leader Charles Houston and the other climbers made a heroic effort to rescue Gilkey, attempting to descend the mountain in potentially dangerous conditions.
A group fall down a treacherous ice sheet nearly led to the death of almost all of the team members, but incredibly, climber Pete Schoening single-handedly managed to stop six of them plummeting by using an ice axe to quickly set and hold the rope, allowing his colleagues to scrambled back up. Gilkey was subsequently lost in what was assumed to be an avalanche, although the rest of the team made it to safety.
Some people have suggested that Gilkey worked himself free and ended his own life when he realized the peril in which he was putting the expedition. Others have countered this theory, saying that it would have been impossible or was simply not the case. Either way, Houston felt guilty about the turmoil he had put his family through and all but abandoned mountain climbing. Instead, he focused on research into altitude sickness, the results of which may have helped save many climbers’ (and pilots’) lives.

TONY STREATHER AND JOHN EMERY

Climbers Tony Streather and John Emery were the only two surviving members of a failed four-man Oxford University team’s attempt to summit Haramosh Peak in Pakistan in 1957. And both survivors, particularly Streather, seem to have experienced the Third Man factor during the harrowing ordeal, which included avalanches, multiple falls and exposure to the elements.
According to John Geiger, author of The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible, the phenomenon can occur at low to moderate altitudes as well. Factors like solitude, monotony and isolation may contribute to the appearance of what some see as a supernatural external force, or divine intervention. However, the stress of losing a team member, the so-called “widow effect,” could also play a part.
One of Streather and Emery’s colleagues fell to his death and the other was incapacitated by frostbite and later perished. During the dramatic, failed climb, Streather sensed “a being of some sort” helping him to continue, while at one point Emery felt as though he “had two minds… or was two people.” In both cases, the men’s experiences helped them to survive.

1. JOE SIMPSON

In 1985, Joe Simpson and climbing mate Simon Yates successfully scaled the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes, which up until then had not been ascended. All seemed well until Simpson broke his leg during the descent, and because both men were traveling light, they felt they had no choice but to continue in darkness.
Yates lowered Simpson down the mountain, but when the knot connecting the two men snagged, Yates made the decision to cut the rope, to save himself from being pulled off the face. This sent Simpson falling 150 feet into a crevasse – and yet he did not die. Left alone, Simpson was sure he was finished, but in what he assumed would be “a form of suicide,” he took action by rappelling further into the deep crack in the ice and was able to exit via a ledge. For the next three and a half days, Simpson crawled the agonizing five miles to base camp.
Simpson, like other survivors on this list, wrote about his traumatic experience, and his award-winning 1988 memoir Touching the Void was turned into a documentary film in 2003. While retelling such stories might bring up potentially distressing memories, Susan Pease Banitt, author of The Trauma Toolkit: Healing PTSD From the Inside Out, thinks that it could also have a beneficial effect. “Disclosure promotes physical health and well-being. It does not seem to matter whether the traumas are told in therapy, among friends, or in writing; what does make a difference is the telling,” she says.

10 Most Popular U.S. Presidents Who Never Graduated From College

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 08:47:00 -0700

Our nation’s leaders carry the weight of the country on their shoulders, so it’s not unreasonable to expect them to have attained a higher educational level than the Average Joe. The current President of the United States, Barack Obama, is certainly no slouch in the academic department: he studied political science at Columbia University, majoring in international relations. In 1991 Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.

However, some of the greatest presidents in US history did not set foot in an institute of higher learning, let alone graduate from one. Often, education was simply not an option for the following ten presidents. That said, through hard work and sheer determination – or an action-packed stint in the US Army – they managed to rise to the top. And though they may not have been college graduates themselves, they still realized the importance of education.

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

On March 4, 1865, Andrew Johnson was inaugurated as vice president during Abraham Lincoln’s short-lived second term. He became the 17th US president just over a month later, on April 15, 1865 – the day Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.

Johnson was born in a log cabin in North Carolina on December 29, 1808. His mother was a laundress, and both his parents were practically illiterate. At just ten years old, Johnson was sent to work as an apprentice to a tailor, where another employee helped him learn basic reading and writing. Locals came by to read to the tailors, and the future politician listened. According to Johnson’s biographer Annette Gordon-Reed, this is where the future president’s skill for public speaking originated. When he was 17 years old, Johnson opened a tailor shop in Greenville, Tennessee. He also met his wife Eliza McCardle at 17 and she helped him with reading, grammar and mathematics. The pair went on to marry in 1827 when Johnson was 18 years old and McCardle was 16.

Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)

Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784 in Barboursville, Virginia. He grew up in a cabin in the woods on the Ohio River in Kentucky, before his planter parents’ fortunes changed and the family moved back into a brick house. Although Taylor had an aptitude for learning quickly, there were no formal schools in Kentucky and his education was hit and miss. His early handwriting would later be described as “that of a near illiterate.”

On May 3, 1808, Taylor joined the army as a first lieutenant. He spent the next 40 years as a career officer in the US Armed Forces, participating in a series of wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. His success in the military saw him promoted to major general in 1846, and he gained recognition as a brave and heroic figure. He was then successfully persuaded by the Whig Party to run for president. Assisted by his standing as a national hero, in 1848 Taylor was elected to the presidency, in spite of his ambiguous platform and general want of political interest. He took up office on March 4, 1849. However, Taylor’s presidential term was quite short, as he died of a digestive ailment on July 9, 1850. Rumors that he was poisoned abounded.

Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

Millard Fillmore was launched into the presidency after the sudden death of Zachary Taylor, under whom he had served as vice president. He took the position on July 9, 1950 – the day of Taylor’s death. Fillmore was born in a log cabin in Moravia, New York on January 7, 1800. He worked on his father’s farm and was educated in various one-room schoolhouses. At age 14, he was apprenticed to a cloth maker in Sparta, New York. Soon after, he took up a similar position in nearby New Hope.

Receiving a decent education on the frontier was a challenge for Fillmore, who in 1819 attended New Hope Academy for half a year. He abandoned cloth making later that year and began working as a clerk for a local judge, who started to teach him law. Eventually, Fillmore moved to Buffalo and continued to study law in a lawyer’s office, becoming a fully-fledged attorney in 1823. In 1834, in partnership with his friend Nathan K. Hall, he founded the Fillmore and Hall law firm, which was renamed Fillmore, Hall and Haven in 1836. The firm went on to become quite highly regarded. In 1846 Fillmore founded the University of Buffalo.

James Monroe (1817-1825)

Growing up in Virginia, James Monroe had an education that began at home, where his mother Elizabeth tutored him. When he was 11, he went to Campbelltown Academy, and here he shone at both mathematics and Latin. In 1774 he began studying at the College of William and Mary. There, Monroe became involved in revolutionary activities. He dropped out in 1775 and joined the Continental Army as an officer, never returning to attain his degree. In June of that year, following the battles of Lexington and Concord, Monroe and a group of older cohorts broke into the Governor’s Palace and stole 200 muskets and 300 swords. The weapons were given to the local militia. Then in 1780 – hoping that a legal education would influence his political career – Monroe began studying law under Thomas Jefferson. He succeeded in his efforts and on March 4, 1817 became the fifth President of the United States.

Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)

By the time he was 15, Andrew Jackson was both an orphan and a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. While still only a teenager, he had been held prisoner by the British and had suffered the loss of two brothers. Jackson had received a certain degree of education, but it was sporadic at best. He thus took his academic career and future into his own hands when he decided to study law in Salisbury, North Carolina. In 1787 Jackson managed to pass the bar and became a country lawyer. In 1788 he moved to the frontier town of Nashville, where he practiced law and quickly became involved in local politics. Jackson would become the state’s first congressman and later a senator.

In 1801 Jackson was named commander of the Tennessee militia and led his forces to several heroic victories. His actions during the War of 1812 made him a national hero and earned him a gold medal and the Thanks of Congress. Sworn in on March 4, 1829, Jackson held office as the seventh president of the US until March 4, 1837.

Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 and 1893-1897)

Grover Cleveland was born in Caldwell, New Jersey on March 18, 1837 and grew up in Fayetteville, New York. He attended school until he was 16 years old, when the death of his father forced him to drop out and contribute to supporting the family. Thanks to his brother William, he became an assistant teacher at the New York Institute for the Blind, but he only stayed in the position for a year. And although one of Cleveland’s church elders had offered to finance his college education on the condition that he become a minister, he chose to move out west instead.

In Buffalo, Cleveland’s uncle employed him as a clerk and introduced him to a group of influential figures. He began working for law firm Rogers, Bowen, and Rogers, which paved the way for him to pass the bar exam in 1859. Not letting his lack of formal education hold him back, Cleveland went on to become the mayor of Buffalo and the governor of New York. He was elected president for two non-consecutive terms – 1885 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897. He remains the only president to have served two non-consecutive terms.

William Henry Harrison (1841)

William Henry Harrison was born into a notable political family in Charles City, Virginia on February 9, 1773. Growing up in Virginia, he studied Latin and French at various academic institutions. Eventually he ended up in Philadelphia and in 1790 enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied medicine. Apparently, Harrison didn’t much care for the subject, though, so when his father died a year later and left him without any funds to continue his education, the 18-year-old Harrison decided to join the US Army.

Harrison was in the army for seven years, after which he retired and set his sights on a political career, becoming the Indiana Territory’s governor in 1801. He became the ninth President of the United States on March 3, 1841. Unfortunately, Harrison is best known for having served the briefest term in US presidential history. He died of pneumonia and septicemia on April 4, 1841, just a month after his inauguration.

George Washington (1789-1797)

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland, Virginia. He spent his childhood in Virginia, where he was educated by several different tutors and also attended an Anglican clergyman-run school. When Washington was just 11 years old, his father died. This prevented the boy from furthering his education at Appleby School in England as planned.

Explaining his rise to prominence, Washington said, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” Washington held office as the first president of the US from 1789 to 1797. And even though he himself never graduated, he considered education paramount and said, “A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?”

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He received very little academic training during his formative years. By the time he came of age, his limited schooling from itinerant teachers amounted to an ability to “read, write and cipher.” Describing his childhood, he said, “It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up… Of course when I came of age I did not know much.”

However, Lincoln was an ambitious learner and eagerly devoured any book he could get his hands on, including those on law. An autodidactic approach to legal studies, along with his dedication and hard work, enabled Lincoln to become a practicing lawyer. He spent eight years on the Illinois legislature and traveled courtroom to courtroom for years. Lincoln said he viewed education as “the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.” One of his law partners described his ambition as “a little engine that knew no rest.” Lincoln held presidential office from March 4, 1861 until his assassination on April 15, 1865.

Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri on May 8, 1884 and enjoyed history, piano and reading as a young child. In 1901 he graduated from Independence High School (now known as William Chrisman High School). Although he enrolled in Spalding’s Commercial College to study business, Truman dropped out after just one semester. He gave higher education another go in 1923 when he took night classes at the Kansas City School of Law (now known as the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law), but dropped out again in 1925, after he lost his administrative government job with the Jackson County Court.

Truman became a US senator in 1934, and on January 20, 1945, he became vice president, serving under Franklin D. Roosevelt. On April 12, 1945, the shock death of President Roosevelt thrust Truman into the limelight, the vice president having only been in his position for 82 days. He became the 33rd President of the United States, holding office until January 20, 1953. Truman is the most recent US president to have never obtained a college degree. However, the politician still realized the importance of education, saying, “Without a strong educational system democracy is crippled. Knowledge is not only key to power. It is the citadel of human freedom.”

Amazing Tattoo Inspiration by Marcin Surowiec

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 07:42:00 -0700

Wonderful Tattoo Art done by Marcin Surowiec based in in Warsaw, Poland. .

12 Amazing Bionic Animals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 6 Aug 2013 06:17:00 -0700

Beauty the Bald Eagle

Beauty was found foraging on a rubbish tip, painfully emaciated. Closer inspection revealed that she’d been shot in the face and the top part of her beak had been blown off. Initially, she was force-fed liquids through a tube, before being fed solid food with forceps. Many people thought Beauty should be put to sleep, but her rescuers refused to give up hope and eventually came across an engineer who, with the help of scientists, researchers and even his own dentist, designed and built Beauty’s new upper mandible.

Chris P. Bacon the Piglet

As if having an unfortunate name wasn’t bad enough, poor Chris was born without the use of his hind legs. When the piglet was just ten days old, American vet Len Lucero created this dog-style wheelchair to help him get around. He filmed Chris using it and it became a Youtube sensation. Chris is now doing excellently and even has his own Twitter account.

Emma the Miniature Donkey

Emma was born with a deformed hind leg that had to be amputated shortly after she was born to allow her to stand. Now, thanks to a clinic that’s part of the same company that built Winter the Dolphin’s tale, she can run with the rest of the herd. Emma will need to have several of these prosthetic legs fitted as she grows into adulthood, but she is doing really well so far.

Ethel the Rabbit

Ethel’s back legs became paralysed by a mystery illness, so her owner got online and found out about an American company that makes carts for disabled animals. She sent off Ethel’s measurements and ordered her wheels and says that the bunny now has a ‘new lease of life’. Ethel is the first rabbit in the UK to have her own custom-made chariot.

Fuji the Dolphin

Fuji had to have 75% of her tail removed because it was being destroyed by a necrotic disease. Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone created a specially-designed tail made from silicone, rubber and carbon fibre. That was almost ten years ago and today, Fuji is thriving and can be seen at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan.

Motala the Elephant

Motala was a working elephant who was seriously injured when she stepped on a landmine. In great pain, she endured a three-day trek to the elephant hospital, where vets told her owners she would have to have her leg amputated. Seven years later, thanks to the elephant hospital, Motala got her first prosthetic leg. She needs new legs as her weight changes, but currently, she’s got a more permanent one and is doing great – not bad for a three tonne animal.

Mr Stubbs the Alligator

Mr Stubbs was rescued by the Phoenix Herpetological Society, Arizona, from the back of a truck packed with other gators. Sadly for him, his tail had been bitten clean off by one of his fellow passengers. Although Mr Stubbs survived, he couldn’t swim. That was until eight years later, when he was fitted with a special prosthetic tail which allows him to enjoy the water, as well as life on land.

Oscar the Cat

When Oscar the cat’s owners found him bleeding at the edge of a field, they realised he must have got caught in the combine harvester of a nearby farmer. He lost both of his legs and the outlook was bleak, but the family contacted someone they knew who made prosthetic limbs for dogs. He agreed to help and after a complicated operation, Oscar got his titanium limbs – and his owner even wrote a book about him.

Patch the Guinea Pig

Patch the guinea pig of Saffron Walden, Essex, UK, lost the use of its back legs. Six-year-old owner Helen Auty was extremely upset, until family friend Paul Scott, an engineer, stepped in to make the cavy a wheelchair. Using a toy car and a skating pad strap, he made patch mobile again.

Tonka the Tortoise

When this rescue tortoise was found in the Californian hills, her front left leg was in tatters. Vets were concerned she’d never move properly again, but one of her rescuers came up with a clever idea: toy car wheels that she is able to steer with her right leg.

Uzonka the Stork

After being assaulted by a human being, poor Uzonka the stork had a badly broken bill. Experts at the Uzon Animal Hospital in Uzon, Romania, gave her five painstaking, preparatory operations before finally fitting her with this prosthetic, which allows her to eat and continue life as normal.

Winter the Dolphin

Winter was found off the coast of Florida, having been caught in a crab line trap. Her injuries were so bad that she lost two of her vertebrae and her entire tail. But thanks to expert prosthetics companies, vets and dolphin trainers, she swims using her new tail. Winter lives at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and is even the star of her own film: Dolphin’s Tale.

25 Most Insane and Coolest Logistics

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 4 Aug 2013 12:08:00 -0700

Look ma, I invented a tubular-scopic perambulator!! Read more at

Money laundering:

Not really sure what happened here:

This is what Russian "Yellow Pages"

Gym! -

Wild West birdie house:

The weak link:

The strong solution:

This requires more skill than your usual billiard cue:

Headphones

Slippers

DIY fish bowl:

Take your fish for a walk:

No unpacking required:

What?! This must be an advertisement

These guys are probably trying to fix the air

Another great way to use plastic bottles

I like this packing tape:

Amazing Tattoos by spaniard

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 2 Aug 2013 10:41:00 -0700

These are the neo-traditional tattoos of Xam The Spaniard, who revives themes like the girl and skull portrait, Eye of Providence, red roses, and more.

408 hot air balloons took off from former Nato base in Chambley, France bid to break the world record

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 1 Aug 2013 09:25:00 -0700

Filling the sky with a mass of colour, these extraordinary pictures show hundreds of balloons taking off during a new world record attempt.
A total of 408 hot air balloons took off from a former Nato base in Chambley, France, in the hope of setting a new record for a mass take-off.

7 Marvellous Physical Occurrence nevermore seen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 08:50:00 -0700

Venezuela's Everlasting Storm

Honduras' Rain of Fishes

Morocco's Climbing Goats

Kerala's (extraterrestrial?) Red Rain

Brazilian's longest wave on the Earth

Denmark's Black Sun

Idaho's Fire Rainbow

10 Most Moron Brilliancy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:05:00 -0700

The man who can burp at 110 decibels

The contortionist who can squeeze through the head of a tennis racquet

The man who can pull a minivan using his eyelids

The man who can squirt milk with his eye

The man who can fit an entire Coke can in his mouth

The woman who plays two recorders with her nose

The man who can stretch his skin for over 6 inch

The professor who can draw a perfect freehand circle

Remarkable Voluptuousness Jet internal Design

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 12:20:00 -0700

Flying from place to place can be stressful and tiresome, but private and chartered jets are able to change the experience to one of pure delight. High-speed Internet, lavish furnishings and aesthetically pleasing designs are opening up the field of customized interiors. And this may be just the thing for those whose lifestyle requires plenty of time in the air. Inside these amazing luxury jets, comfort is never sacrificed and every detail is painstakingly

Nick Gleis: Cockpit

Nick Gleis: Space Age

Nick Gleis: Curving Couches

AERIA Luxury Interior

Nick Gleis: Conference Table

Nick Gleis: Bathroom

Nick Gleis: Red Room

Nick Gleis: Bathroom sink

Nick Gleis: Kitchen

Donald Trump Jet Interior

Nick Gleis: Brown Room

Nick Gleis: Angel Doors

Jackie Chan Jet Interior

Prince Al-Waleed Jet Interior

The 24 Most Quaint brunt in Baseball memorials

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 11:40:00 -0700

1. Ken Griffey Jr. missed a game when his protective cup slipped and pinched a testicle. (I spent four years in journalism school and three decades as a sportswriter wondering if I'd ever get to write such a sentence.)

2. Pitcher Jamie Easterly started a new workout regimen at home in Crockett, Texas, back in the mid-1980s. One drill included backwards running. He promptly stepped in a gopher hole and hurt his back.

3. Outfielder Marty Cordova missed time with the Orioles in 2002 because he scorched his face in a tanning bed and was ordered by doctors to avoid direct sunlight. Standing in the sun from February through September apparently didn't give him the glow he sought.

4. Reliever Steve Sparks dislocated his shoulder while ripping a telephone book in half emulating some motivational speakers he just heard speak.

5. Wade Boggs might've laughed at that if he didn't miss a week after straining his back while tying to pull on his cowboy boots.

6. According to the legend of Clarence Blethen, the Red Sox rookie pitcher in 1923 thought he looked meaner without his false teeth when he was on the mound. He supposedly didn't think to put them back in his mouth while he batted. That led to Blethen sliding into second base and getting bit in the posterior by his own teeth.

He was removed from the game for excessive bleeding.

7. Relief pitcher Ernie Camacho signed autographs for a charity one spring, stopped after 100 or so and made a beeline for the team doctor complaining of pain in his pitching elbow.

8. In Atlanta one year, utility infielder Randy Johnson dislocated his thumb putting on his socks and spent six weeks on the disabled list.

9. Brian Giles, a free-spirit, blamed his absence from the Indians lineup one year on spider bites.

10. Tough-guy Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, famous for hog-tying Robin Ventura when Ventura rushed the mound, was bitten by a very brave coyote.

11. Jose Cardenal missed a game in the 1970s, citing fatigue. His claim: crickets got into his hotel room and kept him awake all night. That was his story. Another one of his stories: In 1974 he missed a game because his eyelid was "stuck open," preventing him from blinking (but not, apparently, fabricating bogus injuries).

12. Rickey Henderson missed several games one August. The reason: frostbite. Why do I feel the need to add "allegedly"?

13. Atlanta Braves closer Cecil Upshaw missed the entire 1970 season when his ring got caught on an awning as he tried to demonstrate his slam dunk technique.

14. Reliever Greg A. Harris once missed two starts after spending an entire game flicking sunflower seeds at a friend who was sitting nearby. Diagnosis: inflamed elbow.

15 and 16. Pitcher Tom Glavine broke a rib vomiting. How weak! Kevin Mitchell only strained a muscle while vomiting.

17. George Brett broke a toe while running from the kitchen to the TV. Why the rush? To see Bill Buckner hit. I would've guessed it was to see Bill Buckner field.

18. Outfielder Moises Alou, who came from a proud baseball family, injured his knee falling off a treadmill, then hurt his knee again a year later running over his son with a bike.

19. Pitcher David Cone got bit by his mother-in-law's dog. Perhaps on command.

20. Watching a brawl break out one game, reliever Ted Power leapt to his feet in defense of his teammates and strained a calf muscle.

21. Cubs' pitcher Ryan Dempster went on the DL with a fractured right big toe suffered while tying to jump the dugout railing to celebrate a Chicago victory.

22. Kevin Mitchell didn't get hurt vomiting all the time. Once, according to ESPN.com, he showed up at spring training four days late after getting hurt eating a microwaved donut and requiring a root canal.

23. Blue Jays outfielder Glenallen Hill fell out of bed and crashed into a glass table while having a nightmare that he was covered by spiders. To which even the most sympathetic manager would say, "Yeah, sure you did."

24. In 2011, Indians' rookie Jason Kipnis strained his hamstring while stretching to avoid, you know, straining his hamstring.

10 Stunning Brutes Glare in the Murk

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 09:19:00 -0700

Bioluminescence in animals is one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena and may greatly delight the casual observer. However, the showy displays of light produced by the creatures themselves, or by luminous symbiotic microorganisms, serve a range of important purposes. Predatory anglerfish may use bioluminescence to lure victims, while other species glow in order to attract mates or distract enemies.

Bioluminescence naturally occurs in an array of aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates along with land invertebrate species, but human intervention has brought about some other less likely glowing candidates as well. Read on to discover 10 incredible glow-in-the-dark animals – and a few surprises to boot.

Hawaiian Bobtail Squid

Cephalopod molluscs are famed for their ability to spray clouds of ink and make quick escapes when threatened. However, the Hawaiian bobtail squid – which can be found off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands and Midway Island in the north Pacific Ocean – relies on bioluminescence for self-defense. In order for the squid to evade the attacks of predators, bioluminescent displays eclipse its silhouette, making it invisible rather than a ready meal. The squid also uses the same mechanism to feed on prey such as brine shrimp. As it lacks the chemicals to produce its own light, the Hawaiian bobtail squid collects bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri bacteria in a special light organ. This organ contains “lens” tissue to focus the light through the squid’s mantle and is surrounded by a modified ink sac that acts like a camera diaphragm. Interestingly, the squid jettisons its luminous bacteria during the day to save energy.

Deep Sea Anglerfish

Deep sea anglerfish are surely some of the scariest-looking fish one could encounter. Yet anglerfish – both deep sea and shallow water – have also got to be some of the world’s most finely-adapted predators. There are over 200 species of anglerfish, and they vary in size, with some growing as long as 1.2 meters – although most are much smaller. As they stalk the waters of the oceans, female anglerfish flaunt one part of their body in particular: a small, fleshy lure at the end of a stem-like appendage that attracts prey.

Many deep sea anglerfish inhabit the sunless depths of the bathypelagic “midnight zone” as far as a mile below the waves. In order to attract prey, therefore, female deep sea anglerfish possess a lure specially adapted to allow bioluminescent bacteria to enter it and produce a glowing bright light. Unsuspecting prey are then drawn towards the curiously shining “fishing pole,” only to be attacked in an instant.

Quantula Striata (Glowing Snail)

Most the Earth’s bioluminescent mollusc species – and indeed bioluminescent organisms generally – inhabit the oceans. However, one peculiar terrestrial snail has also developed this trait. Its bioluminescence is powered by an organ inside it, rather than through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria. Quantula striata – sometimes known as Dyakia striata – lives in forest and garden habitats in Southeast Asia, feeding on plants, detritus and even carrion, and it is the only land snail that glows this way. Still, the exact purpose of the unusual snail’s light show remains unknown. Scientists studying certain marine snails believe Quantula striata glows as a form of self-defense, perhaps aiming to attract the predator of its predator. Another possible theory is that it uses its strange luminous abilities to communicate.

Bioluminescent Jellyfish

Jellyfish may induce both awe and fear. They glide through the water like graceful alien creatures, but all species also sting – sometimes with deadly results. Many species of jellyfish around the world also use bioluminescence as a form of defense against their natural enemies by apparently advertising their toxicity. It has been theorized that bioluminescent jellyfish parts may act as “sacrificial tags” that will make transparent predators stand out should they swallow the glowing bits – a trick thought to discourage attacks. Jellyfish and other bioluminescent organisms produce what is known as “cold light,” meaning that over 80 percent of the light is produced without thermal radiation. Bioluminescence enzymes also serve as antioxidants and may curb the proliferation of free radicals in jellyfish.

Fireflies

Fireflies are perhaps the most widely known and commonly appreciated bioluminescent creatures on our list. Roughly 2,000 species of firefly light up the air over every continent except Antarctica, as they engage in spectacular mating and prey-attracting displays that resemble a natural light show. Interestingly, fireflies are not flies at all, but are types of beetle.

Many aquatic practitioners of bioluminescence use symbiotic bacteria to glow; the firefly, on the other hand, glows independently. Bioluminescent chemicals, including the enzyme luciferase, react with fireflies’ luciferin substrates to produce a spectacular glow-in-the-dark display. The reaction also features oxygen and magnesium, helping to create what have been called “nature’s fireworks.” Fireflies not only glow, but use a variety of flashes to communicate with one another during displays. In addition, the glow of firefly larvae is believed to warn predators of the grub’s toxic nature.

Arachnocampa Gnats

Arachnocampa gnats are native to Australia and New Zealand, and their maggots produce the ethereally-lit cavern displays that have created a multimillion-dollar tourist industry in Australia. While many species employ bioluminescence as a defense against predators, the gnat larvae uses a light-producing internal chemical reaction to attract prey into its web-like structure. To a human observer, the larvae resemble an entire galaxy of stars in the darkness, although more sinisterly they light the way for the final flights of their prey.

Googly-Eyed Glass Squid

Around 60 species of glass squid make up the Cranchiidae, or glass squid, family. The largest glass squid is the colossal squid, the mantle of which can grow to almost 10 feet long. The family gets its name from the fact that most glass squid are transparent, which serves as a handy form of camouflage in the water. Many glass squid are also bioluminescent, including the colossal squid and its close relative the googly-eyed glass squid (pictured above), known more formally asTeuthowenia pellucida.

The googly-eyed glass squid is a rare deep-sea species found in the Southern Hemisphere. The squid’s cells form bioluminescent photophores that emit light and make it stand out in the gloom of the bathyal zone, deep beneath the surface of the ocean. As with several of the animals on this list, the light produced by these organs is generated by the chemical processes of symbiotic bacteria, which require energy to work. Interestingly, the googly-eyed glass squid’s stalked eyes have light organs, just like those of the colossal squid.

Cookiecutter Shark

Don’t let the cute-sounding name fool you – the cookiecutter shark gets its name from the fact that it likes to bite circular plugs of flesh out of bigger animals. Its signature bite marks have even been found on submarines, subsea cabling and human bodies. The cookiecutter shark, which is known to inhabit warm waters around the world, uses its bioluminescent ability as a form of self-defense and as a means with which to feed.

The shark has purportedly been known to glow green for up to three hours once it has been removed from the water. It employs a series of ventrally-situated photophores to disrupt and disguise its outline in a method known as counter-illumination. It has been suggested that the shark’s tapered neck further enhances its deception by replicating the outline of a much smaller fish in the eyes of the cookiecutter’s unsuspecting victims. Unlike in other cases of counter-illumination, however, the cookiecutter’s belly has such a large amount of light cells that the luminescence still appears uniform close up.

Ultraviolet Scorpions

While the glow-in-the-dark animals featured in this article operate through a natural process of bioluminescence, scorpions differ by glowing only under fluorescent ultraviolet light. Scorpions possess a number of small “eyes” along their bodies, prompting some researchers to suggest that the entire fluorescent exoskeleton itself functions as a light sensor. This has led to the widespread use of UV lights to quickly spotlight the predatory arthropods during scorpion research surveys. For the scorpions themselves, the ultraviolet fluorescing exoskeleton might be used to pick up the shadows of starlight and moonlight.
Like fireflies, scorpions inhabit every continent except Antarctica. They feed on a wide variety of small prey that they catch in their claws, following up with their notorious stinging tail. Interestingly, less than 2.5 percent of the more than 1,000 scorpion species in the world are deadly to humans.

Scaleless Black Dragonfish

Bioluminescent or not, the scaleless black dragonfish, also known as Melanostomias bartonbeani, is not a deep sea creature you’d like to bump into. The demonic-looking barbeled dragonfish is an aggressive predator with sharp, needle-like teeth, and once bothered, it lights up the length of its body – including its fins. Using photophores, the deep-sea dragonfish produces its own light. However, what makes this bioluminescent creature even more unique – and frightening – is the fact that it can glow red, as well as the more common bluish color associated with bioluminescence.

According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, “The light of the black dragonfish can be such long wavelengths that it is almost infrared and barely visible to the human eye. The ability to produce this type of light gives the black dragonfish an enormous advantage over its prey as it can find its way to unsuspecting prey through the deep dark depths of the ocean.”

Amazing Light Art Performance Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:23:00 -0700

An Headpiece Check up

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:11:00 -0700

1. A lady read a book, turned the light out and went to sleep. In the morning, when she saw in the newspaper that a ship had sunk drowning all on board, she committed suicide. Why?

2. A young man entered a bar and asked for a glass of water. The person behind the bar produced a gun and pointed it at the man. He replied, "Thank you," and walked off. Why?

3. Imagine you are driving a Mercedes at 100 mph. The steering locks. The doors lock. The brakes fail. You can't get out! You're heading for a 1,000 foot cliff! What do you do?

4. 2 + 2 + 5 = 247. Add one small line to make the sum correct.

5. Luke had it before. Paul had it behind. Ladies have it at the beginning, but only once. Abraham Lincoln had it twice. Boys cannot have it at all. Doctor Lowell had it before and behind. He actually had it twice as bad behind as he had it in front. What is it?

6. A man once broke all of the Ten Commandments. He lied, stole (the value of the article is irrelevant), lusted—which the Bible says is "to commit adultery in his heart," failed to love God above all else, failed to honor his parents, as well as to keep the Sabbath holy. He hated (which God sees as murder), failed to honor God's name, and he also "coveted," which means to want other people's things. How could God, who is perfect and holy (and therefore by His very nature must punish transgression of His Law), forgive him freely, and yet justice still be done? How can the man avoid Hell and go to Heaven?

7. A man on horseback went on a two day trip. He left on Tuesday and arrived home on Tuesday. How could this be?

Impact of Smocking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:04:00 -0700

What will happen if you smoke everyday in huge proportion?
Here is an interesting artwork with leaf, that showing how much is
that “good”........

Miraculous God name take a form in Brinjal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:59:00 -0700

Felicia Teske of Boothwyn, Delaware County was preparing fried eggplant for dinner. Upon slicing the eggplant she noticed that the seeds in one slice appeared to spell out the word "GOD". Her husband Paul looked at the sliced eggplant and couldn't believe it either, calling Action News. Felicia told Action News that she recently had family members pass away and it is comforting that "GOD" appeared.......

15 Curious Creature Beck

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:47:00 -0700

I had a revelation the other day that there are probably some funny signs out there related to animals. Sure enough, the wonderful users of Flick r were already on the case. Here's a collection of my favorites.......

50 Maximal Quotes on Men

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:38:00 -0700

Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That’s exactly what the majority of men do. Napoleon Hill

Today’s post as you can see from the title itself is dedicated to men. Well, technically women since they would be the one trying to find answers about men. After researching all day I have been able to compile this post with quotes that might answer some questions and some, as always, will remain unanswered no matter how hard we try.........

1. I never liked the men I loved and never loved the men I liked. ~ Fanny Brice
2. You can tell the strength of a nation by the women behind its men. ~ Benjamin Disraeli
3. Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power. ~ George Bernard Shaw
4. When men and woman die, as poets sung, his heart’s the last part moves, her last, the tongue. ~ Benjamin Franklin
5. Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever. ~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld
6. If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see. ~ Henry David Thoreau
7. All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone. ~ Blaise Pascal
8. The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on that on which our success in life depends. ~ William Hazlitt
9. All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his. ~ Oscar Wilde
10. God made woman beautiful and foolish; beautiful, that man might love her; and foolish, that she might love him. ~ Unknown
11. Young men want to be faithful, and are not; old men want to be faithless, and cannot. ~ Oscar Wilde
12. It’s not the men in my life that counts, it’s the life in my men. ~ Mae West
13. A man may conquer a million men in battle but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors. ~ Buddha
14. Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place. ~ Billy Crystal
15. Men play the game; women know the score. ~ Roger Woddis
16. Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most times he will pick himself up and carry on. ~ Winston Churchill
17. There are some sluggish men who are improved by drinking; as there are fruits that are not good until they are rotten. ~ Samuel Johnson
18. When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself. ~ Louis Nizer
19. Happy is he who still loves something he loved in the nursery: He has not been broken in two by time; he is not two men, but one, and he has saved not only his soul but his life. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton
20. Few men have been admired of their familiars. ~ Michel de Montaigne
21. Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men. ~ Kin Hubbard
22. If it’s true that men are such beasts, this must account for the fact that most women are animal lovers. ~ Doris Day
23. All men [are] of one metal, but not in one mold. ~ John Lyly
24. Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, they lose their worth. ~ Chuck Norris
25. Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters. ~ Victor Hugo
26. Men seldom, or rather never for a length of time and deliberately, rebel against anything that does not deserve rebelling against. ~ Thomas Carlyle
27. Is it not rather what we expect in men, that they should have numerous strands of experience lying side by side and never compare them with each other? ~ George Eliot
28. A child, from the time he can think, should think about all he sees, should suffer for all who cannot live with honesty, should work so that all men can be honest, and should be honest himself. ~ Jose Marti
29. The greatest truths are the simplest, and so are the greatest men. ~ Julius Charles Hare
30. Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them. ~ Marilyn Moroe
31. There are more men ennobled by study than by nature. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero
32. Young men preen. Old men scheme. ~ Mason Cooley
33. If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman. ~ Margaret Thatcher
34. A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman’s birthday but never remembers her age. ~ Robert Frost
35. Classical quotation is the parole of literary men all over the world. ~ Samuel Johnson
36. Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
37. The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge caused men to fall. ~ Francis Bacon
38. Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves. ~ Aristotle
39. Men should be like Kleenex, soft, strong and disposable. ~ Cher
40. There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~ Will Rogers
41. Priests are not men of the world; it is not intended that they should be; and a University training is the one best adapted to prevent their becoming so. ~ Samuel Butler
42. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course. ~ William Shakespeare
43. Men are only as great as they are kind. ~ Elbert Hubbard
44. Men kick friendship around like a football, but it doesn’t seem to crack. Women treat it like glass and it goes to pieces. ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
45. Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. ~ Confucius
46. In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high. ~ Henry David Thoreau
47. It is a fact often observed, that men have written good verses under the inspiration of passion, who cannot write well under other circumstances. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
48. If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. ~ Frederick Douglass
49. Violent men have not been known in history to die to a man. They die up to a point. ~ Mohandas Gandhi
50. Great men or men of great gifts you shall easily find, but symmetrical men never. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

18 Anormal Photographs Taken at the Exact Time

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 10:30:00 -0700