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Post by swamprat on May 14, 2013 12:45:29 GMT -6
Man Who Fled Zombies in Stolen Big Rig Pleads Guilty to FeloniesA Tennessee man who stole a big-rig truck in California, caused several accidents from swerving and speeding, and told investigators he was fleeing zombies has pleaded guilty to several felonies. U-T San Diego reported Jerimiah Hartline pleaded guilty Monday to assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run causing death or injury, and vehicle theft. He could get five years in prison, according to the Associated Press. The California Highway Patrol says Hartline stowed away in the truck in Tennessee and stole it when the driver got out at roadside scales near Temecula, Calif. The CHP says after Hartline caused several crashes, the big-rig overturned on Interstate 15 and spilled its load of strawberries, all because he said there were zombies. Seven people were injured. CHP investigators say Hartline told them he had to speed and swerve because he was fleeing from zombies. Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com www.newsmax.com/newswidget/man-who-fled-zombies/2013/05/14/id/504326?promo_code=1302E-1&utm_source=1302Ewctv_tv&utm_medium=nmwidget&utm_campaign=widgetphase1#ixzz2TIAOXyRC
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Post by bewildered on May 14, 2013 19:31:23 GMT -6
Britain not happy with gun cotrol is now pushing knife control. All the same arguments for gun control are now being applied to knife control. Pointy kitchen knives are the drug dealers weapon of choide, Doctors are encouraged to speak out agains knife violence etc etc etc. Knife control is not new in the early 1400s the emperor of China did not trust the people with knives so he said let them eat with sticks in grand emperor fashion thus chop sticks came into being. At one time most people in Japan owned swords and weaponsthen the nobles felt the people could not be trusted wtih swords so they instituted the great sword hunt. the idwa was to melt down the swords into plows. Where have we heard that before. The people were disarmed and most of the swords put into storage. thus disarmed the people shifted to fighting styles that used such things as fans and flutes as deadly weapons. War fans became popular. There is nothing new under the sun. Stop blowing smoke out of your rear-end, randy. The earliest known occurrence of chopsticks was in Shang dynasty China, approximately 3800 years ago (1766 B.C.). They are common throughout Southeast Asia, and weren't introduced as "replacements" for knives. Let me guess: you derive this from the "thousands of books" that you've read? Here's a good Wikipedia article about chopsticks, for those who wish to enrich their mind, instead of littering it with the weird yarns randy likes to spin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks@swampy: that one was pretty close to home. I heard about it on campus from some fellow students who live north of the accident site (the police had the interstate blocked on both sides). Strange brew.
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Post by skywalker on Jun 16, 2013 21:14:41 GMT -6
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Post by lois on Jun 16, 2013 23:03:03 GMT -6
That is really very strange. When they figure it all out update us here.
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Post by swamprat on Jul 8, 2013 10:08:42 GMT -6
Got the blahs? Feeling a little down? Well rejuvenate! Make your next vacation a VERTICAL VACATION!![/URL
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Post by skywalker on Jul 8, 2013 20:45:27 GMT -6
I do stuff like that some times. Rock climbing anyway. I've never sat on a picnic table suspended by a bunch of ropes but it looks kind of like a cool thing to do.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2013 0:58:22 GMT -6
I do stuff like that some times. Rock climbing anyway. I've never sat on a picnic table suspended by a bunch of ropes but it looks kind of like a cool thing to do. I did it a few times. One of the closest calls I had with death was on a place called "Sunrise Mountain" on the East side of Las Vegas. I was 13 or 14 years old. Me and another kid decided to hike to it, climb it, then hike back. At one point we were way up and didn't have any gear. We climbed free hand. I got to a section that I couldn't go up any further and there was no way down except to fall for a great distance. Luckily, Larry was above me to pull me up over a steep ledge. When we got to the top, we threw large boulders over the side and couldn't hear them hit below. The only time I ever used cables, harnesses, or lanyards was when I worked for the Union at places like power plants or tall buildings. I didn't like using them much but places like what are shown above would be necessary I guess.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2013 14:34:26 GMT -6
Swinging outside of buildings in K.C. was pretty cool (and fun) though. Some of the guys thought I was nuts for going out there but it had to be done.
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Post by swamprat on Sept 9, 2013 18:01:39 GMT -6
Just for fun......
Conversation between God and St. Francis.
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles. St. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass. GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there? ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn. GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy. ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week. GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay? ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags. GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it? ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away. GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away? ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir. GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work. ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it. GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life. ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away. GOD: No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose? ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves. GOD: And where do they get this mulch? ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch. GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight? ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about.... GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2013 9:49:37 GMT -6
Laughing..now THAT's funny!
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Post by swamprat on Sept 19, 2013 19:12:51 GMT -6
Mind-Control Parasite Kills Mice's Fear of Cats Permanently
By Douglas Main, Staff Writer | September 19, 2013 A fair amount of research has taken place on Toxoplasma gondii, the bizarre parasite that makes mice unafraid of cats, and the latest chapter is a strange one. A new study shows that even a brief infection with a weakened form of the protozoan caused mice to permanently lose their innate fear of cats. The protozoan is known to cause this change in mice after a lingering infection and after it produces cysts in the mouse brain, according to the study, published online Sept. 18 in the journal PLOS ONE. But until now scientists didn't know this apparently long-lasting change could occur after only a short infection, and without development of cysts and brain inflammation. The study also showed the change occurred with weakened forms of all three major variants of the protozoa found in North America. Toxoplasma gondii is found throughout the world and infects a large number of mammals, including humans. However, the protozoan can only reproduce within the bodies of cats, and in mice, the mind-controlling parasite has evidently evolved to make mice unafraid of felines and even, according to some research, sexually attracted to the odor of cat urine; this makes it more likely infected mice will be eaten, and the parasite will make it back into a cat to spawn. The parasite is found in as many as one-third to one-half of humans, and its presence in the brain has been linked with suicide attempts. It may affect other areas of mental health: One study suggested that people with the parasite scored higher on tests of neuroticism, an emotional or mental trait characterized by high levels of anxiety or insecurity. www.livescience.com/39772-parasite-makes-mice-unafraid.html
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Post by swamprat on Sept 22, 2013 12:57:02 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 14:00:12 GMT -6
good find! any questions?
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Post by skywalker on Sept 22, 2013 17:00:22 GMT -6
It did look like a dude flying on a broomstick. With all the Harry Potter fanatics on this planet that dude will soon be a multi-gazillionaire.
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Post by swamprat on Sept 26, 2013 13:45:30 GMT -6
Doctors Grow Nose on Man's ForeheadCBS News Copy Sep 26, 2013 A Chinese man whose nose was severely disfigured following a car accident will soon get a replacement -- in the form of a nose that has been growing on his forehead. A video from Chinese television station CCTV shows doctors checking the nose's progress on the forehead of a 22-year-old man named Xiaolian at a hospital in Fuzhou located in the Fujian province, Reuters reports. The man reportedly only got basic medical care after he was involved in a car accident last year. He developed an infection that corroded the cartilage in his nose, which made reconstruction surgery impossible. That's when they decided to grow a new one. Doctors placed a tissue expander into the man's forehead that stretched out his skin, fashioning it into the shape of a nose. They then took cartilage from his rib and placed it in his forehead, allowing the skin to grow over the cartilage scaffolding. That's similar to how Johns Hopkins Medicine doctors gave a woman a new ear in 2012 following an aggressive bout of skin cancer. Doctors took rib cartilage from 42-year-old Sherrie Walter last year and placed it under her forearm for four months while it got nourished by neighboring blood cells and grew skin. Doctors hope the ear will last for decades. Xiaolian's surgeons said that the new nose is in good shape after nine months of growing on his forehead, and the transplant could be performed soon, local media reported. www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Doctors-Grow-Nose-on-Mans-Forehead-225356622.html
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Post by auntym on Sept 26, 2013 13:49:14 GMT -6
... that is one of the funniest pictures i've ever seen... LOL
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Post by paulette on Sept 27, 2013 9:12:45 GMT -6
Mind-Control Parasite Kills Mice's Fear of Cats Permanently
By Douglas Main, Staff Writer | September 19, 2013 A fair amount of research has taken place on Toxoplasma gondii, the bizarre parasite that makes mice unafraid of cats, and the latest chapter is a strange one. A new study shows that even a brief infection with a weakened form of the protozoan caused mice to permanently lose their innate fear of cats. The protozoan is known to cause this change in mice after a lingering infection and after it produces cysts in the mouse brain, according to the study, published online Sept. 18 in the journal PLOS ONE. But until now scientists didn't know this apparently long-lasting change could occur after only a short infection, and without development of cysts and brain inflammation. The study also showed the change occurred with weakened forms of all three major variants of the protozoa found in North America. Toxoplasma gondii is found throughout the world and infects a large number of mammals, including humans. However, the protozoan can only reproduce within the bodies of cats, and in mice, the mind-controlling parasite has evidently evolved to make mice unafraid of felines and even, according to some research, sexually attracted to the odor of cat urine; this makes it more likely infected mice will be eaten, and the parasite will make it back into a cat to spawn. The parasite is found in as many as one-third to one-half of humans, and its presence in the brain has been linked with suicide attempts. It may affect other areas of mental health: One study suggested that people with the parasite scored higher on tests of neuroticism, an emotional or mental trait characterized by high levels of anxiety or insecurity. www.livescience.com/39772-parasite-makes-mice-unafraid.html I'm off to work but I read an article probably 6 months ago (maybe in Psychology Today) that stated that people who ended up in emergency wards of big hospitals due to self-caused car accidents were tested for this parasite and found positive and the results were "statistically significant" - more than what would be expected in the general population. So many people have cats and so many cats are allowed to roam freely (and poop in neighbors' gardens) and eat wild (perhaps infected) mice...that we are at as much risk as the rat-plagued people of the Middle Ages were when the Black Plague arrived. Meanwhile, there is an amoeba that has been found in the water systems of some towns in the Southern USA. It eats the host's brain. Very high fatality. One gets it not by drinking the water, but by snorting it into one's nasal passages (which men in particular seem to often do in the shower). The Life Force is always evolving ways of making an end run around our insistence to overpopulate and then keep everyone alive. Plagues and bad bad conditions thin our ranks. Not that anyone WANTS to be the one thinned (or one's loved ones)
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Post by swamprat on Oct 8, 2013 9:57:03 GMT -6
Just for fun........ Did You Know?Early aircraft's throttles had a ball on the end of it, in order to go full throttle the pilot had to push the throttle all the way forward into the wall of the instrument panel. Hence "balls to the wall" for going very fast. And now you know, the rest of the story. ********************************* During WWII , U.S. airplanes were armed with belts of bullets which they would shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into the wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet and contained hundreds of rounds of bullets. Often times, the pilots would return from their missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets. They would say: "I gave them the whole nine yards", meaning they used up all of their ammunition. ********************************* Did you know the saying "God willing and the creek don't rise" was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? It was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington . In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Because he capitalized the word "Creek" it is deduced that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. ********************************* In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.) ****************************** As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October). Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term 'big wig'. Today we often use the term 'here comes the Big Wig' because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy. ********************************* In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the 'chair man.' Today in business, we use the expression or title 'Chairman' or 'Chairman of the Board.' ********************************* Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, 'mind your own bee's wax.' Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term 'crack a smile'. In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the expression 'losing face.' ********************************* Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in 'straight laced' wore a tightly tied lace. ********************************* Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the 'Ace of Spades.' To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't 'playing with a full deck.' ******************************** Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to 'go sip some Ale and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term 'gossip.' ********************************** At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in 'quarts,' hence the phrase 'minding your 'P's and Q's'. ********************************** One more: bet you didn't know this! In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem....how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)
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Post by charles on Oct 8, 2013 14:41:34 GMT -6
Hi all :-) !! Swampy - thanks for that lesson in phraseology ! I always find it interesting to know the origins of sayings and phrases. I'm not sure if you use a 2 finger gesture over the pond that we use that's the equivalent of flipping the bird. This came about when the English fought the French back in the days of longbows - if the French caught an archer they cut off the index & middle finger so they could no longer use a bow hence if English archers got away from the French they stuck two fingers up to the French as a kind of (going into a Nelson from the Simpsons voice here..)'Ha-ha'! Okay, I'm still catching up on what's going on here, so will get back to some other comments soon !!! TTFN! Take care, seek peace and SMILE! Charles
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Post by auntym on Nov 10, 2013 11:26:52 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2013 21:39:02 GMT -6
Well...if anyone else is me...they're not going to be very happy with the trip
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Post by skywalker on Nov 15, 2013 21:05:04 GMT -6
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Post by lois on Nov 16, 2013 0:33:42 GMT -6
It is midnight and I was off to bed when I seen this post. Now I'm wide awake with tears running down my face. I cannot stop laughing.. I could only see half the screen for the video but could hear this man without it. They did not seem to care that he left, I mean the car they were in seems like it would have damages. Oh well that is me trying to figure it out.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 15:08:42 GMT -6
Just had to mention it. Did anyone else watch the Divisional Playoff's yesterday - Seahawks vs. Saints ? Good grief that was a great one! I wanted New Orleans to win but they gave em' a run for the title in the second half. Both teams were pumped.
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Post by lois on Apr 15, 2014 18:12:26 GMT -6
This is a very nice video of Beavers building their dam. Must watch.
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Post by skywalker on Apr 16, 2014 19:19:11 GMT -6
This is a very nice video of Beavers building their dam. Must watch. That was pretty cool, Shami. I had no idea people could get that close to beavers without getting eaten by them. I suppose all the ice might have had something to do with it. We don't have ice like that way down where I live. There aren't many beavers neither.
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Post by skywalker on Apr 16, 2014 22:06:30 GMT -6
This is pretty cool. A talented young lady from Ukraine using sand to create a story in art.
You'll notice that most of the people in the audience were crying while she was doing it. That's because a lot of them lived through the story that she was telling. Even the ones who were too young to be alive back then know it all too well.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 23:32:12 GMT -6
That's pretty amazing Sky. She has a lot of talent
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Post by swamprat on Apr 22, 2014 13:27:14 GMT -6
Just for fun..... Banana facts• Bananas may have been the world’s first fruit. Archaeologists have found evidence of banana cultivation in New Guinea as far back as 8000 B.C. • Bananas are produced mainly in tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa, Asia, and America, as well as the Canary Islands and Australia. • Bananas do not grow on trees. The banana plant is classified as an arborescent perennial herb, and the banana itself is considered a berry. • The correct name for a bunch of bananas is a hand; a single banana is a finger. • Nearly all the bananas sold in stores are cloned from just one variety, the Cavendish banana plant, originally native to Southeast Asia. • The Cavendish replaced the Gros Michel after it was wiped out by fungus. The Gros Michel reportedly was bigger, had a longer shelf life and tasted better. • The Cavendish may face the same fate as the Gros Michel within the next 20 years, botanists say. Health benefitsBananas are good for your heart. They are packed with potassium, a mineral electrolyte that keeps electricity flowing throughout your body, which is required to keep your heart beating. Regular consumption of bananas can help protect your cardiovascular system against high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and stroke. Bananas are recognized by the FDA as being helpful in lowering blood pressure and protecting against heart attack and stroke. Depression and moodFeeling down or suffering from PMS? Chow down a creamy banana. Bananas can help with depression and reduce PMS symptoms. Bananas have high levels of tryptophan, which converts to serotonin, the neurotransmitter that improves moods. Plus, vitamin B6 can help you sleep well and magnesium helps to relax muscles. Digestion and weight loss Bananas are high in fiber, which can help keep you regular. One banana can provide nearly 10 percent of your daily fiber requirement. Vitamin B6 can also help protect against type 2 diabetes and aid in weight loss. In general, bananas are a great weight loss food because they taste sweet and are filling, which helps curb cravings. They also help sustain blood sugar levels during workouts. VisionCarrots may get all the glory for being good for your eyes, but bananas do their share as well. Bananas contain a small but significant amount of vitamin A, which is essential for protecting your eyes and maintaining normal vision and improved vision at night. Vitamin A contains compounds that preserve the membranes around your eyes and are an element in the proteins that bring light to your corneas. Like other fruits, bananas can help prevent macular degeneration. BonesBananas may not be overflowing with calcium, but they are still helpful in keeping bones strong. They contain an abundance of fructooligosaccharides, which encourage digestive-friendly probiotics. Fructooligosaccharides enhance the body's ability to absorb calcium. CancerSome evidence suggests that moderate consumption of bananas may be protective against kidney cancer. A 2005 Swedish study found that women who ate more than 75 servings of fruits and vegetables cut their risk of kidney cancer by 40 percent, and that among the fruits bananas were especially effective. Women eating four to six bananas a week halved their risk of developing kidney cancer. Bananas may be helpful in preventing kidney cancer because of their high levels of antioxidant phenolic compounds. www.livescience.com/45005-banana-nutrition-facts.html
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 16:23:50 GMT -6
And my daughter is deathly allergic to them. I had never heard of anyone being allergic to bananas until she got so sick..but the doctors say that it's the first step in a bunch of allergies. Latex, avocados, nectarines and several others. Sadly...she loved bananas
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