The symbol actually spells out "N" and "D" using a code once employed by ships at sea.
Also: 
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Origins of the peace sign
Actually they get it wrong - the origins go back to the Norse and their symbol/alphabetic character for 'Protection'.
US Army to End Bayonet Training
The use of the bayonet has been part of basic training since the beginning of US military history. Although its use in combat has becoming increasingly less common, US Army trainers had kept it in place for psychological reasons:“Traditionally in the 20th century – certainly after World War I – bayonet training was basically designed to develop in soldiers aggressiveness, courage, and preparation for close combat,” says Richard Kohn, professor of military history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Nonetheless, the US Army has decided to eliminate bayonet training from its basic training program and to use that time developing other skills.
Bayonet training is, in short, used to undo socialization – to “basically to try to mitigate or eradicate the reluctance of human beings to kill each other,” Mr. Kohn says. It is one of the challenges in US or Western society “where we have such reverence for the individual, where we socialize our people to believe in the rule of law, and all of that,” he adds. “What you’re doing with young people is trying to get them used to the highly emotional and irrational and adrenaline-filled situations in which they are liable to find themselves whether they are within sight of the enemy or not – and the reluctance to take a life.”
The Fighter Pilot Who Shot Himself Down
On 21 September 1956, test pilot Tom Attridge was flying Grumman’s new F-11F-1 Tiger. He fired a burst from his 20mm cannon while diving and accelerating. The cockpit was then struck by an outside object. Attridge immediately radioed that he was returning to base. While attempting to land, the jet lost power and crash-landed on the runway. Attridge, thankfully, escaped safely. A subsequent examination found three bullet impacts and one intact 20mm bullet in the plane. Attridge had managed to shoot his own fighter down:How did this happen? The combination of conditions reponsible for the event was (1) the decay in projectile velocity and trajectory drop; (2) the approximate 0.5-G descent of the F11F, due in part to its nose pitching down from firing low-mounted guns; (3) alignment of the boresight line of 0° to the line of flight. With that 0.5-G dive, Attridge had flown below the trajectory of his bullets and, 11 seconds later, flew through them as their flight paths met..
Chinese Bullet Train Sets New Speed Record
A commuter train between Shanghai and Hangzhou set a new speed record yesterday. It reached 258.86 MPH during its journey:“The new record of 416.6 km per hour shows that China has achieved a new milestone in high-speed train technologies,” Zhang Shuguang, deputy chief engineer of the Ministry of Railways, was quoted as saying.The rail service has been largely unsuccessful in attracting customers due to high ticket prices. Its managers hope that this new record will counteract that problem.
Giant, Drive-able Radio Flyer Wagon
Fred Geller and Judy Foster of Anchorage, Alaska, needed a retirement project. They settled on building a giant version of the classic Radio Flyer toy wagon. It’s built on the chassis of a 1976 Mazda pickup truck, so it can move under its own power. Fred Keller and Judy Foster worked on the car for 11 months, and finished in August of this year, and their ride has been turning heads.[...]At the photo gallery link, you can view eight pictures of the wagon under construction.
The wheels are made from hub caps and detergent bottles, and the steering wheel is the actual wheel from a wagon. The handle rises eight feet high.
Ten Archetypes of Movie Swords
Geekosystem categorized types of swords seen in Hollywood movies into 10 archetypes.Starting the list is the Ancestral Sword:
The ancestral sword is usually a gift (or yours by birthright), something that you take because, well, it’s dangerous to go alone. Maybe it’s been in your family for generations. Maybe you pried it from the cold, dead hands of your loved one and swore to avenge his death with the very same blade. Whatever floats your boat.
It’s very likely that the weapon’s significance will be so great that it will be destroyed as part of the 2nd act climax and your eventual replacing of it will be used to symbolize that you have come into your adulthood and stepped out of the shadow of your parent.
World's most dizzyingly scary bridges
The cedar planks of Canada's Capilano footbridge bounce on their steel cables as you walk across.
Also: Rednecks and other assorted weirdos
Rednecks and other assorted weirdos
Redneck WORD OF THE DAY: HERPESMy wife and I went to a birthday party and I got a piece of cake and she got herpes too.
Redneck Haiku
BeautyNaked in repose
Silvery silhouette girls
Adorn my mudflaps
Remorse
A painful sadness
Can’t fit big screen TV through
Double-wide’s front door
Options
Unemployment’s out.
Hey, maybe I can get on
Disability
Blaze
Distant siren screams
Dumb-ass Verne’s been playing with
Gasoline again
A New Moon
Flashlights pierce darkness
No nightcrawlers to be found
Guess we’ll gig some frogs
Exuberance
Joyous, playful, bright
Trailer park girl rolls in puddle
Of old motor oil
Alone
Seeking solitude
Carl’s ex-wife Tammy files for
Restraining order
Desire
Damn, in that tube-top
You make me almost forget
you are my cousin
Offerings
Tonight we hunger
Grandma sent grocery money
To Jimmy Swaggert
Drama
Set the VCR
Dukes of Hazzard Marathon
At 9 O’Clock
Deprived
In Wal-Mart toy aisle
Wailing boy wants ’rassling doll
Mama whups his ass
No Signal
White noise, buzzing static
Call Earl; satellite dish
needs new descrambler
ImpoundedSixty-five dollars
And cyclone fence keeps me from
My El Camino
Gathering
In early morning mist
Mama searches Circle K for
Moon Pies and Red Man
Pride
Grinning, he displays
The nine hundred beer cans
Filling pickup bed
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:You'd rather keep your mouth shut and play the fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
That's why you've never been much for emotional chitchat, revealing secrets to those 'below you' or confiding business matters to anyone not qualified to hear them.
It's time to reveal something now, though, so while the next 24 hours may not be surprising to you, expect that your actions may still shock, amaze and astound a loved one.
Prep them before you start to speak.
It's only fair.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Edithvale, Victoria, Australia
Kuwait, Al Kuwayt, Kuwait
London, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Swindon, England, United Kingdom
as well as Germany, Scotland, France and in cities across the United States such as Clarksdale, Sylva, San Diego, Providence and more.
Today is:
Today is Wednesday, September 29, the 272nd day of 2010.
There are 93 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
There isn't one.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
This is the craziest Christine O'Donnell clip yet!
Bill sent this to me ...
Watch this spoof from last week's Real Time with Bill Maher right here.
Watch this spoof from last week's Real Time with Bill Maher right here.
President calls 'FOX' destructive to America
Good.
Fox News pushes "a point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world," Obama said.
Teabaggers suffer from ...
Eleutherophobia- Fear of freedom.
and
Epistemophobia- Fear of knowledge
These but are two of the multitude of fears in teabaagers' psychotic delusions.
Proof of this in the post following this one ...
NY town would dig up bodies of two local Muslims and shutter tiny cemetery
From the "This is so uncool dudes" Department:
The "good people" of a the tiny upstate NY town of Sidney, Delaware County, are lobbying to dig up the bodies of two local Muslims buried in a Sufi cemetery that the town approved in 2005, much to the horror of the departed's loved ones. Town supervisor Bob McCarthy cites a nonexistent law requiring permits for cemeteries on private land (although the town has, in fact, given this cemetery a permit). McCarthy also claims that the cemetery's owners "just came in and buried the bodies" -- despite the fact that the first burial involved a police motorcade.
An email forwarded to a Huffington Post reporter purportedly from McCarthy to another party cites phone conversations with someone with Tea Party affiliation who "...wanted to know how he could help with 'the Muslims.'"
The "good people" of a the tiny upstate NY town of Sidney, Delaware County, are lobbying to dig up the bodies of two local Muslims buried in a Sufi cemetery that the town approved in 2005, much to the horror of the departed's loved ones. Town supervisor Bob McCarthy cites a nonexistent law requiring permits for cemeteries on private land (although the town has, in fact, given this cemetery a permit). McCarthy also claims that the cemetery's owners "just came in and buried the bodies" -- despite the fact that the first burial involved a police motorcade.
An email forwarded to a Huffington Post reporter purportedly from McCarthy to another party cites phone conversations with someone with Tea Party affiliation who "...wanted to know how he could help with 'the Muslims.'"
And there's certainly nothing illegal about it as far as the State Troopers are concerned. "We looked into the cemetery and it was determined what they were doing is lawful," says Captain James Barnes of the New York State Police, Troop "C," based in Sidney. This apparently isn't stopping the town board. Town attorney Joseph Ermeti wouldn't speak with us, but two other town officers indicated that in the absence of specific laws forbidding the cemetery, the town may try for a court order to force the Muslims to dig up the graves, based on a New York law against cemeteries on mortgaged land -- a technicality that covers the Muslim site, sitting in a hillside glade no larger than a Manhattan studio apartment.
Cops bust 'school' drug bus
Three British Columbia men are facing charges after police say they drove their van, disguised as a school bus, from school to school in Alberta selling drugs.
Harsher DUI punishments
From the "It's about time" Department:
Juries are becoming more likely to hand down severe sentences in fatal drunken driving cases.
Also: 
Read the whole story at UC Berkeley cuts historic baseball program
Budget cuts will eliminate Cal's team, which started playing in 1892, for the spring 2012 season.
Also: 'Lucky guy' becomes a millionaire — twice
Months after winning $1M in lottery, man wins $2M
An ex-military man quit his job after winning $1 million on a scratch ticket in June.
Also: Seven ways your resumé can date you
Putting in too much info and leaving out online contacts can make you seem like a fuddy-duddy.
Also: Culinary DeLites
Culinary DeLites
Signature dishes get turned on their heads in these menu items that you'll hardly recognize.
Also: Children with food allergies are often victims of bullying
In the first-ever study to assess the social impact of food allergies in children, Mount Sinai researchers have found that approximately 35 percent of children with food allergies, who are over the age of five, were reported to have experienced bullying, teasing, or harassment as a result of their allergies.
Now that's just Bizarre
Now that's just Bizarre
Man is addicted to eating live scorpions
A Chinese man says he has become addicted to eating live scorpions and reckons he's swallowed at least 10,000 over the last 30 years.
The Secret World of Beauty
Japanese women maintain flawless skin with rice scrubs and seaweed masks.
Also: Nine easy ways to exercise on the cheap
Park the car farther away from your destination to add more walking to your day.
Also: 
Eleven in a row
Bon Jovi is nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while another famous band is overlooked.
Also: America's only zeppelin put to new use
The throwback aircraft's slow speed makes it perfect for a certain kind of research.
Also: 
I Dream Of Atlantis
A nice illustration of Atlantis: mush closer to Plato's description than many common fantasies:
An unusual change in the northern lights
The aurora borealis has become a rarer sight than at any other time in the past 100 years.
Also: Northwest Passage increasingly an option for sea cargo ships
The good news for shipping companies is not good news for the planet.
Between 1906 and 2006 only 69 ships made the journey but in 2009 alone 24 vessels made the journey, according to Canadian maritime law expert Michael Byers, Germany's Der Spiegel newspaper reported.
Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar GrÃmsson recently claimed that the route was becoming a "trans-Arctic Panama Canal," the paper said.
Der Spiegel reported that new ships are being designed to cope with icebergs on the journey.
The MV Nordic Barents is due to arrive in the Chinese port of Lianyungang after a 3,500-mile journey through the Arctic Ocean from the Norwegian port of Kirkenes, the newspaper said. A Russian icebreaker sent to protect the ship, which was carrying iron ore concentrate, was not needed with broken ice floes only passing nearby twice.
Trio quit 'Deadliest Catch' TV show
Discovery's lawsuit against the Hillstrand brothers draws a strong reaction from the show's captains.
Also: 
Germany Makes Final Reparations Payment for World War I
In 1919, after the close of World War I, Germany was assessed 226 billion marks in reparations payments against its foes. On Sunday, that nation will pay its final installment of this bill:The final payment of £59.5 million, writes off the crippling debt that was the price for one world war and laid the foundations for another.[...]
“On Sunday the last bill is due and the First World War finally, financially at least, terminates for Germany,” said Bild, the country’s biggest selling newspaper.
Most of the money goes to private individuals, pension funds and corporations holding debenture bonds as agreed under the Treaty of Versailles, where Germany was made to sign the ‘war guilt’ clause, accepting blame for the war.
Mumbai-style terror plot exposed in Europe
Officials intercept a complex attack plan out of Pakistan as a religiously charged anniversary looms.
Also: 
U.S. city with highest median income
Workers in the top-earning metro area enjoy a household income of $85,198.
Also: Eight Infamous Wall Street Scandals
When Michael Douglas' character Gordon Gekko hit the big screen in the 1987 film Wall Street, it caused a sensation. Gekko's slick bravado and 'greed is good' mantra were appallingly entrancing. But something else captivated audiences: the convincing way the movie captured the underbelly of '80s cash-fueled gluttony.
Twenty-three years later, a sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, is on its way , and Gekko still fascinates - as do the real-life insider-trading crimes committed by Wall Street titans. Here are 8 of the most famous Wall Street cases to make headlines.
Record gap in US between rich and poor
And the repugicans want to fight over giving the richest Americans a tax cuts?
The trickle down reagan-voodoo-omics has been costly for most Americans, creating a Banana Republic-like economic environment.
For all of the repugican blather about income distribution, it has been the repugicans who have mastered the issue.
The trickle down reagan-voodoo-omics has been costly for most Americans, creating a Banana Republic-like economic environment.
For all of the repugican blather about income distribution, it has been the repugicans who have mastered the issue.
The top-earning 20 percent of Americans — those making more than $100,000 each year — received 49.4 percent of all income generated in the U.S., compared with the 3.4 percent earned by those below the poverty line, according to newly released census figures. That ratio of 14.5-to-1 was an increase from 13.6 in 2008 and nearly double a low of 7.69 in 1968.
A different measure, the international Gini index, found U.S. income inequality at its highest level since the Census Bureau began tracking household income in 1967. The U.S. also has the greatest disparity among Western industrialized nations.
At the top, the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans, who earn more than $180,000, added slightly to their annual incomes last year, census data show. Families at the $50,000 median level slipped lower.
Little progress on gender pay gap
Before 2000, female managers made 79 cents for each dollar earned by male counterparts.
Also: Five shopping strategies for dollar stores
Not all groceries are a bargain, including some candy, snacks, and cereal.
Also: Al Franken seeks legislation to reduce debt collection abuse
It's always good to see someone in Washington who shows more interest in regular voters rather than the deepest pockets. We sure could use people in Congress like Franken.
StarTribune:
StarTribune:
Franken would make it an unfair practice under federal law for private firms to use arrest warrants in debt collections, according to a summary of his proposed bill. Consumers would have the right to sue collectors over the practice. Franken said the bill won't limit judges' authority to issue arrest warrants against debtors who can pay, but don't show up in court when a creditor sues.
"That should come from the court, not the debt collector," said Franken, who asserted that the collections industry relies too much on public resources, such as sheriffs' offices, to collect private debts.
His legislation also would require collectors to furnish consumers with more information about what they owe, including a breakdown of fees and interest, and notify people of what rights they have.
How to ruin your good credit
Indulge in these habits long enough and terrible credit may be just the beginning of your troubles.
Also: Deals and Saving
Shelling out extra for these clothes and products offers big long-term payoffs.
Also: 
Save on art and jewelry at auctions and on furniture and travel at bridal expos.
Also: 
Nine Prehistoric Species Still Roaming the Earth
Photo via Geekologie
It's been about 65 million years since dinosaurs became extinct -- but a few of the species that shared the world with them still remain. Almost entirely unchanged after hundreds of millions of years, meet the modern-day birds, crabs, fish, and reptiles that that give new meaning to the term "survivor."
Rare Pink Hippopotamus Photographed In Kenya
British wildlife photographers Will and Matt Burrard-Lucas captured this image of the brightly colored hippo in the Masai Mara, Kenya. Visiting the African country on the hunt to photograph the legendary wildebeest migration the brothers were in for a treat when rumours of a pink hippo surfaced.
The hippo is pink because it is 'leucistic' [a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals and humans], and not an albino since it does have some pigmented spots and dark eyes. Usually leucistic and albino animals do not survive in the wild as they are very visible to predators and they get serious sunburn.
Trained monkeys guard athletes at Commonwealth Games
Trained langur monkeys are being deployed by organizers of the Commonwealth Games to prevent wild animals infesting sporting venues in Delhi. The highly intelligent primates have been patrolling stadiums and accommodation blocks to scare off other wildlife including wild monkeys, dogs and even snakes.
Handlers from miles around the Indian capital have been drafted in to patrol the athletes’ village as the final preparations are made for the games. Some teams threatened to boycott the competition after complaining that the accommodation was inhabitable and overrun with animals. One shocked South African competitor even discovered a deadly cobra snake in his room.
Heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding near the Games Village causing many snakes to seek refuge. Commonwealth Games organisers have also been particularly concerned by the arrival of packs of wild monkeys which have been creating a nuisance around the venues by stealing food and attacking humans.
Langur monkeys are noted for their intelligence but also their aggression and are highly effective in deterring other animals from taking up residence. The Commonwealth Games are due to get under way at the weekend and will be officially opened by the Prince of Wales. Probably.
Handlers from miles around the Indian capital have been drafted in to patrol the athletes’ village as the final preparations are made for the games. Some teams threatened to boycott the competition after complaining that the accommodation was inhabitable and overrun with animals. One shocked South African competitor even discovered a deadly cobra snake in his room.
Heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding near the Games Village causing many snakes to seek refuge. Commonwealth Games organisers have also been particularly concerned by the arrival of packs of wild monkeys which have been creating a nuisance around the venues by stealing food and attacking humans.
Langur monkeys are noted for their intelligence but also their aggression and are highly effective in deterring other animals from taking up residence. The Commonwealth Games are due to get under way at the weekend and will be officially opened by the Prince of Wales. Probably.
Dog nurses rare white tiger quadruplets
Four tiger cubs are being nursed and raised by an adoptive canine mother in Weihai city in China's eastern Shandong province. The quadruplets, born at the Xixiakou Wild Animal Preserve, are a rare occurrence within the white tiger species, which usually gives birth to one or two cubs per litter.
As a result of the larger litter, the cubs, three snow tigers and one white tiger, were abandoned by their natural birth mother and left to starve. The reserve staff brought the cubs to the nursery and provided a dog to nurse the cubs along with her two biological puppies.
Inclined by a maternal instinct, the dog quickly adopted the cubs as her own. The puppies and tiger cubs sleep and nurse together as brothers and sisters, despite the stark difference of species and appearance.
Snow tigers are a variation of the white tiger breed and they are born with white fur and blue eyes. These tigers are much rarer than their white tiger counterparts, with only 200 left in the world.
As a result of the larger litter, the cubs, three snow tigers and one white tiger, were abandoned by their natural birth mother and left to starve. The reserve staff brought the cubs to the nursery and provided a dog to nurse the cubs along with her two biological puppies.
Inclined by a maternal instinct, the dog quickly adopted the cubs as her own. The puppies and tiger cubs sleep and nurse together as brothers and sisters, despite the stark difference of species and appearance.
Snow tigers are a variation of the white tiger breed and they are born with white fur and blue eyes. These tigers are much rarer than their white tiger counterparts, with only 200 left in the world.
Leaf Carving
Leaf carving involves cutting away at a leaf until it reveals an image. This is a craft practiced by Nature’s Art, a studio in Hengshui, China. At the link, you can view several other examples as well as instructions on how to make your own.
Pineberries
"Allegedly they were sourced from an endangered strain in South Africa and have been cultivated for the past seven years, now available for limited commercial purchase in Europe. They have the same genetic makeup as a strawberry, but are white with red seeds and taste like pineapples."
Fifteen Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Bananas
Bananas are one of the most important food crops of the world. Hundreds of varieties are cultivated. Perhaps the most important species is the common banana, Musaceae sapientum.
The ripe fruit is high in carbohydrates, potassium, and vitamins C and A, and it is low in protein and fat. The U.S. imports more bananas than does any other country.
Illuminated Loo
When you get up in the dark of the night, what is it that you really need to see?
The toilet!
LavNav lights up only the toilet, so you can see where you are “going”.
It’s motion-triggered, which saves batteries, and glows red when the seat is up and green when the seat is down.
What will they think of next?
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