MABELS STRANGE PREDICAMENT!: 2010

Amazing- incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary

Anger- enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden

Angry- mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed

Answer- reply, respond, retort, acknowledge

Ask- question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz

Awful- dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant

Bad- evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, harmful, injurious, unfavorable, defective, inferior, imperfect, substandard, faulty, improper, inappropriate, unsuitable, disagreeable, unpleasant, cross, nasty, unfriendly, irascible, horrible, atrocious, outrageous, scandalous, infamous, wrong, noxious, sinister, putrid, snide, deplorable, dismal, gross, heinous, nefarious, base, obnoxious, detestable, despicable, contemptible, foul, rank, ghastly, execrable

Beautiful - pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling

Begin - start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate

Big - enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, colossal, gargantuan, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous

Brave - courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome

Break - fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish, atomize

Bright - shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous, luminous, incandescent, intelligent, knowing, quick-witted, smart, intellectual

Calm - quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof

Come - approach, advance, near, arrive, reach

Cool - chilly, cold, frosty, wintry, icy, frigid

Crooked - bent, twisted, curved, hooked, zigzag

Cry - shout, yell, yowl, scream, roar, bellow, weep, wail, sob, bawl

Cut - gash, slash, prick, nick, sever, slice, carve, cleave, slit, chop, crop, lop, reduce

Dangerous - perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe

Dark - shadowy, unlit, murky, gloomy, dim, dusky, shaded, sunless, black, dismal, sad

Decide - determine, settle, choose, resolve

Definite - certain, sure, positive, determined, clear, distinct, obvious

Delicious - savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite

Describe - portray, characterize, picture, narrate, relate, recount, represent, report, record

Destroy - ruin, demolish, raze, waste, kill, slay, end, extinguish

Difference - disagreement, inequity, contrast, dissimilarity, incompatibility

Do - execute, enact, carry out, finish, conclude, effect, accomplish, achieve, attain

Dull - boring, tiring,, tiresome, uninteresting, slow, dumb, stupid, unimaginative, lifeless, dead, insensible, tedious, wearisome, listless, expressionless, plain, monotonous, humdrum, dreary

Eager - keen, fervent, enthusiastic, involved, interested, alive to

End - stop, finish, terminate, conclude, close, halt, cessation, discontinuance

Enjoy - appreciate, delight in, be pleased, indulge in, luxuriate in, bask in, relish, devour, savor, like

Explain - elaborate, clarify, define, interpret, justify, account for

Fair - just, impartial, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, honest

Fall - drop, descend, plunge, topple, tumble

False - fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious

Famous - well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious

Fast - quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, lickety-split, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash

Fat - stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, plump, full, rotund, tubby, pudgy, chubby, chunky, burly, bulky, elephantine

Fear - fright, dread, terror, alarm, dismay, anxiety, scare, awe, horror, panic, apprehension

Fly - soar, hover, flit, wing, flee, waft, glide, coast, skim, sail, cruise

Funny - humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly

Get - acquire, obtain, secure, procure, gain, fetch, find, score, accumulate, win, earn, rep, catch, net, bag, derive, collect, gather, glean, pick up, accept, come by, regain, salvage

Go - recede, depart, fade, disappear, move, travel, proceed

Good - excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, gracious, obliging, pleasant, agreeable, pleasurable, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honorable, reliable, trustworthy, safe, favorable, profitable, advantageous, righteous, expedient, helpful, valid, genuine, ample, salubrious, estimable, beneficial, splendid, great, noble, worthy, first-rate, top-notch, grand, sterling, superb, respectable, edifying

Great - noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty

Gross - improper, rude, coarse, indecent, crude, vulgar, outrageous, extreme, grievous, shameful, uncouth, obscene, low

Happy - pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed

Hate - despise, loathe, detest, abhor, disfavor, dislike, disapprove, abominate

Have - hold, possess, own, contain, acquire, gain, maintain, believe, bear, beget, occupy, absorb, fill, enjoy

Help - aid, assist, support, encourage, back, wait on, attend, serve, relieve, succor, benefit, befriend, abet

Hide - conceal, cover, mask, cloak, camouflage, screen, shroud, veil

Hurry - rush, run, speed, race, hasten, urge, accelerate, bustle

Hurt - damage, harm, injure, wound, distress, afflict, pain

Idea - thought, concept, conception, notion, understanding, opinion, plan, view, belief

Important - necessary, vital, critical, indispensable, valuable, essential, significant, primary, principal, considerable, famous, distinguished, notable, well-known

Interesting - fascinating, engaging, sharp, keen, bright, intelligent, animated, spirited, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, involving, moving, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, lively, racy, spicy, engrossing, absorbing, consuming, gripping, arresting, enthralling, spellbinding, curious, captivating, enchanting, bewitching, appealing

Keep - hold, retain, withhold, preserve, maintain, sustain, support

Kill - slay, execute, assassinate, murder, destroy, cancel, abolish

Lazy - indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish

Little - tiny, small, diminutive, shrimp, runt, miniature, puny, exiguous, dinky, cramped, limited, itsy-bitsy, microscopic, slight, petite, minute

Look - gaze, see, glance, watch, survey, study, seek, search for, peek, peep, glimpse, stare, contemplate, examine, gape, ogle, scrutinize, inspect, leer, behold, observe, view, witness, perceive, spy, sight, discover, notice, recognize, peer, eye, gawk, peruse, explore

Love - like, admire, esteem, fancy, care for, cherish, adore, treasure, worship, appreciate, savor

Make - create, originate, invent, beget, form, construct, design, fabricate, manufacture, produce, build, develop, do, effect, execute, compose, perform, accomplish, earn, gain, obtain, acquire, get

Mark - label, tag, price, ticket, impress, effect, trace, imprint, stamp, brand, sign, note, heed, notice, designate

Mischievous - prankish, playful, naughty, roguish, waggish, impish, sportive

Move - plod, go, creep, crawl, inch, poke, drag, toddle, shuffle, trot, dawdle, walk, traipse, mosey, jog, plug, trudge, slump, lumber, trail, lag, run, sprint, trip, bound, hotfoot, high-tail, streak, stride, tear, breeze, whisk, rush, dash, dart, bolt, fling, scamper, scurry, skedaddle, scoot, scuttle, scramble, race, chase, hasten, hurry, hump, gallop, lope, accelerate, stir, budge, travel, wander, roam, journey, trek, ride, spin, slip, glide, slide, slither, coast, flow, sail, saunter, hobble, amble, stagger, paddle, slouch, prance, straggle, meander, perambulate, waddle, wobble, pace, swagger, promenade, lunge

Moody - temperamental, changeable, short-tempered, glum, morose, sullen, mopish, irritable, testy, peevish, fretful, spiteful, sulky, touchy

Neat - clean, orderly, tidy, trim, dapper, natty, smart, elegant, well-organized, super, desirable, spruce, shipshape, well-kept, shapely

New - fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent

Old - feeble, frail, ancient, weak, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, ragged, faded, broken-down, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, passe, veteran, mature, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, conventional, customary, stale, musty, obsolete, extinct

Part - portion, share, piece, allotment, section, fraction, fragment

Place - space, area, spot, plot, region, location, situation, position, residence, dwelling, set, site, station, status, state

Plan - plot, scheme, design, draw, map, diagram, procedure, arrangement, intention, device, contrivance, method, way, blueprint

Popular - well-liked, approved, accepted, favorite, celebrated, common, current

Predicament - quandary, dilemma, pickle, problem, plight, spot, scrape, jam

Put - place, set, attach, establish, assign, keep, save, set aside, effect, achieve, do, build

Quiet - silent, still, soundless, mute, tranquil, peaceful, calm, restful

Right - correct, accurate, factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair

Run - race, speed, hurry, hasten, sprint, dash, rush, escape, elope, flee

Say/Tell - inform, notify, advise, relate, recount, narrate, explain, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, enlighten, instruct, insist, teach, train, direct, issue, remark, converse, speak, affirm, suppose, utter, negate, express, verbalize, voice, articulate, pronounce, deliver, convey, impart, assert, state, allege, mutter, mumble, whisper, sigh, exclaim, yell, sing, yelp, snarl, hiss, grunt, snort, roar, bellow, thunder, boom, scream, shriek, screech, squawk, whine, philosophize, stammer, stutter, lisp, drawl, jabber, protest, announce, swear, vow, content, assure, deny, dispute

Scared - afraid, frightened, alarmed, terrified, panicked, fearful, unnerved, insecure, timid, shy, skittish, jumpy, disquieted, worried, vexed, troubled, disturbed, horrified, terrorized, shocked, petrified, haunted, timorous, shrinking, tremulous, stupefied, paralyzed, stunned, apprehensive

Show - display, exhibit, present, note, point to, indicate, explain, reveal, prove, demonstrate, expose

Slow - unhurried, gradual, leisurely, late, behind, tedious, slack

Stop - cease, halt, stay, pause, discontinue, conclude, end, finish, quit

Story - tale, myth, legend, fable, yarn, account, narrative, chronicle, epic, sage, anecdote, record, memoir

Strange - odd, peculiar, unusual, unfamiliar, uncommon, queer, weird, outlandish, curious, unique, exclusive, irregular

Take - hold, catch, seize, grasp, win, capture, acquire, pick, choose, select, prefer, remove, steal, lift, rob, engage, bewitch, purchase, buy, retract, recall, assume, occupy, consume

Tell - disclose, reveal, show, expose, uncover, relate, narrate, inform, advise, explain, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, recount, repeat

Think - judge, deem, assume, believe, consider, contemplate, reflect, mediate

Trouble - distress, anguish, anxiety, worry, wretchedness, pain, danger, peril, disaster, grief, misfortune, difficulty, concern, pains, inconvenience, exertion, effort

True - accurate, right, proper, precise, exact, valid, genuine, real, actual, trusty, steady, loyal, dependable, sincere, staunch

Ugly - hideous, frightful, frightening, shocking, horrible, unpleasant, monstrous, terrifying, gross, grisly, ghastly, horrid, unsightly, plain, homely, evil, repulsive, repugnant, gruesome

Unhappy - miserable, uncomfortable, wretched, heart-broken, unfortunate, poor, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, melancholy, glum, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad

Use - employ, utilize, exhaust, spend, expend, consume, exercise

Wrong - incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, erroneous, improper, unsuitable

Lies in class

http://www.zenmoments.org/my-favorite-liar/

Axtor Disney

http://www.espeluzland.com/

Monday, March 8, 2010

cool sketches

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Illustrations/200879

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Plot Points

http://futureisfiction.com/plotpoint/index.cgi?

Most American car horns honk in the key of F.
The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie.
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. It supposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realize what is occurring, relax and correct itself.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every 2 weeks otherwise it will digest itself.
The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929; '7' was selected after the original 7-ounce containers and 'UP' for the direction of the bubbles.
101 Dalmatians, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Mulan are the only Disney cartoons where both parents are present and don't die throughout the movie. .
A pig's orgasm lasts for 30 minutes.
'Stewardesses' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
To escape the grip of a crocodile's jaws, push your thumbs into its eyeballs - it will let you go instantly.
Reindeer like to eat bananas.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver and purple.
The word "samba" means "to rub navels together."
Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin during World War II Killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
More people are killed annually by donkeys than airplane crashes.
A 'jiffy' is a unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A whale's penis is called a dork.
Because of the rotation of the earth, an object can be thrown farther if it is thrown west.
The average person spends 6 months of their life sitting at red lights.
In 1912 a law passed in Nebraska where drivers in the country at night were required to stop every 150 yards, send up a skyrocket, wait eight minutes for the road to clear before proceeding cautiously, all the while blowing their horn and shooting off flares.
More Monopoly money is printed in a year, than real money throughout the world.
Caesar salad has nothing to do with any of the Caesars. It was first concocted in a bar in Tijuana, Mexico, in the 1920's.
One quarter of the bones in your body are in your feet.
Crocodiles and alligators are surprisingly fast on land. Although they are rapid, they are not agile. So, if being chased by one, run in a zigzag line to lose him or her.
Seattle’s Fremont Bridge rises up and down more than any drawbridge in the world.
Right-handed people live, on average; nine years longer than left handed people.
Ten percent of the Russian government's income comes from the sale of vodka.
In the United States, a pound of potato chips costs two hundred times more than a pound of potatoes.
A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel.
A person cannot taste food unless it is mixed with saliva. For example, if a strong-tasting substance like salt is placed on a dry tongue, the taste buds will not be able to taste it. As soon as a drop of saliva is added and the salt is dissolved, however, a definite taste sensation results. This is true for all foods.
Nearly 80% of all animals on earth have six legs.
In the marriage ceremony of the ancient Inca Indians of Peru, the couple was considered officially wed when they took off their sandals and handed them to each other.
Ninety percent of all species that have become extinct have been birds.
There is approximately one chicken for every human being in the world.
Most collect calls are made on father's day.
The first automobile race ever seen in the United States was held in Chicago in 1895. The track ran from Chicago to Evanston, Illinois. The winner was J. Frank Duryea, whose average speed was 71/2 miles per hour.
Each of us generates about 3.5 pounds of rubbish a day, most of it paper.
Women manage the money and pay the bills in 75% of all Americans households.
A rainbow can be seen only in the morning or late afternoon. It can occur only when the sun is 40 degrees or less above the horizon.
It has NEVER rained in Calama, a town in the Atacama Desert of Chile.
It costs more to buy a new car today in the United States than it cost Christopher Columbus to equip and undertake three voyages to and from the New World.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
An eighteenth-century German named Matthew Birchinger, known as "the little man of Nuremberg," played four musical instruments including the bagpipes, was an expert calligrapher, and was the most famous stage magician of his day. He performed tricks with the cup and balls that have never been explained. Yet Birchinger had no hands, legs, or thighs, and was less than 29 inches tall.
Daylight Saving Time is not observed in most of the state of Arizona and parts of Indiana.
Ants closely resemble human manners: When they wake, they stretch & appear to yawn in a human manner before taking up the tasks of the day.
Bees have 5 eyes. There are 3 small eyes on the top of a bee's head and 2 larger ones in front.
Count the number of cricket chirps in a 15-second period, add 37 to the total, and your result will be very close to the actual outdoor Fahrenheit temperature.
One-fourth of the world's population lives on less than $200 a year. Ninety million people survive on less than $75 a year.
Butterflies taste with their hind feet.
Only female mosquito’s' bite and most are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any other color.
If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
It is illegal to hunt camels in the state of Arizona.
In eighteenth-century English gambling dens, there was an employee whose only job was to swallow the dice if there was a police raid.
There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
The human tongue tastes bitter things with the taste buds toward the back. Salty and pungent flavors are tasted in the middle of the tongue, sweet flavors at the tip!
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s gum. [link]
When you sneeze, air and particles travel through the nostrils at speeds over100 mph. During this time, all bodily functions stop, including your heart, contributing to the impossibility of keeping one's eyes open during a sneeze.
Annual growth of WWW traffic is 314,000%
%60 of all people using the Internet, use it for pornography.
In 1778, fashionable women of Paris never went out in blustery weather without a lightning rod attached to their hats.
Sex burns 360 calories per hour. [link]
A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continually from the bottom of the glass to the top.
Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it.
The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words. More than 2 billion pencils are manufactured each year in the United States. If these were laid end to end they would circle the world nine times.
The pop you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually a bubble of gas burning.
A literal translation of a standard traffic sign in China: "Give large space to the festive dog that makes sport in the roadway."
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV.
Larry Lewis ran the 100-yard dash in 17.8 seconds in 1969, thereby setting a new world's record for runners in the 100-years-or-older class. He was 101.
In a lifetime the average human produces enough quarts of spit to fill 2 swimming pools.
It's against the law to doze off under a hair dryer in Florida/against the law to slap an old friend on the back in Georgia/against the law to Play hopscotch on a Sunday in Missouri.
Barbie's measurements, if she were life-size, would be 39-29-33.
The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30ft.
One third of all cancers are sun related.
THE MOST UNUSUAL CANNONBALL: On two occasions, Miss 'Rita Thunderbird' remained inside the cannon despite a lot of gunpowder encouragement to do otherwise. She performed in a gold lamé bikini and on one of the two occasions (1977) Miss Thunderbird remained lodged in the cannon, while her bra was shot across the Thames River.
It has been estimated that humans use only 10% of their brain.
Valentine Tapley from Pike County, Missouri grew chin whiskers attaining a length of twelve feet six inches from 1860 until his death 1910, protesting Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency.
Most Egyptians died by the time they were 30 about 300 years ago,
For some time Frederic Chopin, the composer and pianist, wore a beard on only one side of his face, explaining: "It does not matter, my audience sees only my right side."
1 in every 4 Americans has appeared someway or another on television.
1 in 8 Americans has worked at a McDonalds restaurant.
70% of all boats sold are used for fishing.
Studies have shown that children laugh an average of 300 times/day and adults 17 times/day, making the average child more optimistic, curious, and creative than the adult.
A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes. [link]
You were born with 300 bones, but by the time you are an adult you will only have 206.
If you go blind in one eye you only lose about one fifth of your vision but all your sense of depth.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
The strongest muscle (Relative to size) in the body is the tongue.
A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class. [link]
Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
A palindrome is a sentence or group of sentences that reads the same backwards as it does forward: Ex: 'Red rum, sir, is murder.' 'Ma is as selfless as I am.' 'Nurse, I spy gypsies. Run!' 'A man, a plan, a canal - Panama.' 'He lived as a devil, eh?'
The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA'
In 1986 Congress & President Ronald Reagan signed Public Law 99-359, which changed Daylight Saving Time from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday in April. It was estimated to save the nation about 300,000 barrels of oil each year by adding most of the month April to D.S.T.
The thumbnail grows the slowest, the middle nail the fastest, nearly 4 times faster than toenails.
The Human eyes never grow, but nose and ears never stop growing.
The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had. [link]
Tom Sawyer was the first novel written on a typewriter.
If Texas were a country, its GNP would be the fifth largest of any country in the world.
There are 1 million ants for every human in the world.
Odds of being killed by lightening? 1 in 2million/killed in a car crash? 1 in 5,000/killed by falling out of bed? 1 in 2million/killed in a plane crash? 1 in 25 million.
Since 1978, 37 people have died by Vending Machine's falling on them. 13 people are killed annually. All this while trying to shake merchandise out of them. 113 people have been injured.
Half the foods eaten throughout the world today were developed by farmers in the Andes Mountains (including potatoes, maize, sweet potatoes, squash, all varieties of beans, peanuts, manioc, papayas, strawberries, mulberries and many others).
The 'Golden Arches' of fast food chain McDonalds is more recognized worldwide than the religious cross of Christianity.
Former basketball superstar Michael Jordan is the most recognized face in the world, more than the pope himself.
The average talker sprays about 300 microscopic saliva droplets per minute, about 2.5 droplets per word.
The Earth experiences 50,000 Earth quakes per year and is hit by Lightning 100 times a second.
Every year 11,000 Americans injure themselves while trying out bizarre sexual positions.
If we had the same mortality rate now as in 1900, more than half the people in the world today would not be alive.
On average, Americans eat 18 acres of pizza everyday.
Researchers at the Texas Department of Highways in Fort Worth determined the cow population of the U.S. burps some 50 million tons of valuable hydrocarbons into the atmosphere each year. The accumulated burps of ten average cows could keep a small house adequately heated and its stove operating for a year.
During a severe windstorm or rainstorm the Empire State Building sways several feet to either side.
In the last 3,500 years, there have been approximately 230 years of peace throughout the civilized world.
The Black Death reduced the population of Europe by one third in the period from 1347 to 1351.
The average person spends about two years on the phone in a lifetime.
Length of beard an average man would grow if he never shaved 27.5 feet
Over 60% of all those who marry get divorced.
400-quarter pounders can be made from 1 cow.
A full-loaded supertanker traveling at normal speed takes at least 20 minutes to stop.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.
Hong Kong holds the most Rolls Royce’s per capita.
Average number of days a West German goes without washing his underwear: 7
WWII fighter pilots in the South Pacific armed their airplanes while stationed with .50 caliber machine gun ammo belts measuring 27 feet before being loaded into the fuselage. If the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, he went through "the whole 9 yards", hence the term.
Average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.
In the early 1940s, the FCC assigned television's Channel 1 to mobile services (like two-way radios in taxis) but did not re-number the other channel assignments.
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
Firehouses have circular stairways originating from the old days when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
Statues in parks: If the horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
The expression 'to get fired' comes from long ago Clans that wanted to get rid of unwanted people, so they would burn their houses instead of killing them, creating the term 'Got fired'.
"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight in case of war or emergency, they could be used as airstrips.
The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army. G.P. for 'General Purpose' vehicle.
The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary, because when it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.
The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19, the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
In Aspen Colorado, you can have a maximum income of $104,000 and still receive government subsidized housing.
Honking of car horns for a couple that just got married is an old superstition to insure great sex.
Dr. Kellogg introduced Kellogg's Corn Flakes in hopes that it would reduce masturbation. [link]
The sperm of a mouse is actually longer than the sperm of an elephant.
In medieval France, unfaithful wives were made to chase a chicken through town naked.
The Black Widow spider eats her mate during or after sex.
Napoleon's penis was sold to an American Urologist for $40,000. [link]
Eating the heart of a male Partridge was the cure for impotence in ancient Babylon.
A bull can inseminate 300 cows from one single ejaculation.
When a Hawaiian woman wears a flower over her left ear, it means that she is not available.
The "save" icon on Microsoft Word shows a floppy disk with the shutter on backwards.
The only nation whose name begins with an "A", but doesn't end in an "A" is Afghanistan.
The following sentence: 'A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed.' Contains the nine different pronunciations of "ough" in the English Language.
The verb "cleave" is the only English word with two synonyms which are antonyms of each other: adhere and separate.
The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable. [link]
The shape of plant collenchyma’s cells and the shape of the bubbles in beer foam are the same - they are orthotetrachidecahedrons.
Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian coat of arms for that reason.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan. [link]
PEZ candy even comes in a Coffee flavor.
The first song played on Armed Forces Radio during operation Desert Shield was "Rock the Casba" by the Clash. [link]
Non-dairy creamer is flammable. [link]
The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades - King David, Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts - Charlemagne, and Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
Golf courses cover 4% of North America.
The average person will accidentally eat just under a pound of insects every year.
Until 1994, world maps and globes sold in Albania only had Albania on them.
The value of Pi will be officially "rounded down" to 3.14 from 3.14159265359 on December 31, 1999.
The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space.
A piece of paper can be folded no more then 9 times.
The amount of computer Memory required to run WordPerfect for Win95 is 8 times the amount needed aboard the space shuttle.
The average North American will eat 35,000 cookies during their life span.
Between 25% and 33% of the population sneeze when exposed to light.
The most common name in world is Mohammed.
Mount Olympus Mons on Mars is three times the size of Mount Everest.
Most toilets flush in E flat.
2,000 pounds of space dust and other space debris fall on the Earth every day.
Each month, there is at least one report of UFOs from each province of Canada.
40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.
You can be fined up to $1,000 for whistling on Sunday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It takes about 142.18 licks to reach the center of a Tootsie pop.
The serial number of the first MAC ever produced was 2001.
It is illegal to eat oranges while bathing in California.
If done perfectly, a rubix cube combination can be solved in 17 turns.
The average American butt is 14.9 inches long.
More bullets were fired in 'Starship Troopers' than any other movie ever made.
60% of electrocutions occur while talking on the telephone during a thunderstorm.
The name of the girl on the statue of liberty is Mother of Exiles. [link]
3.6 cans of Spam are consumed each second.
There's a systematic lull in conversation every 7 minutes.
The buzz from an electric razor in America plays in the key of B flat; Key of G in England.
There are 1,575 steps from the ground floor to the top of the Empire State building. [link]
The world's record for keeping a Lifesaver in the mouth with the hole intact is 7 hrs 10 min.
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
The world record for spitting a watermelon seed is 65 feet 4 inches.
In the Philippine jungle, the yo-yo was first used as a weapon.
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
Texas is also the only state that is allowed to fly its state flag at the same height as the U.S. flag.
The three most recognized Western names in China are Jesus Christ, Richard Nixon, & Elvis Presley.
There is a town in Newfoundland, Canada called Dildo. [link]
The Boston University Bridge (on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts) is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
In space, astronauts are unable to cry, because there is no gravity and the tears won't flow.
Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
There are more plastic flamingos in the U.S that there are real ones.
The crack of a whip is actually a tiny sonic boom, since the tip breaks the sound barrier.
Jupiter is bigger than all the other planets in our solar system combined.
Hot water is heavier than cold.
The common idea that only 10% of the brain is used it not true as it is impossible to determine the actual percentage because of the complexity of the brain.
Lawn darts are illegal in Canada.
There are more psychoanalysts per capita in Buenos Aires than any other place in the world.
Between 2 and 3 jockeys are killed each year in horse racing.
5,840 people with pillow related injuries checked into U.S. emergency rooms in 1992.
The average woman consumes 6 lbs of lipstick in her lifetime.
Some individuals express concern sharing their soap, rightly so, considering 75% of all people wash from top to bottom.
Conception occurs most in the month of December.
CBS' "60 Minutes" is the only TV show without a theme song/music.
Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.
'Obsession' is the most popular boat name.
On average, Americans' favorite smell is banana.
If one spells out numbers, they would have to count to One Thousand before coming across the letter "A".
Honey is the only food which does not spoil.
3.9% of all women do not wear underwear.
This common everyday occurrence composed of 59% nitrogen, 21% hydrogen, and 9% dioxide is called a 'fart'.
"Evaluation and Parameterization of Stability and Safety Performance Characteristics of Two and Three Wheeled Vehicular Toys for Riding." Title of a $230,000 research project proposed by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, to study the various ways children fall off bicycles.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age.
Meteorologists claim they're right 85% of the time (think about that one!)
In 1980, a Las Vegas hospital suspended workers for betting on when patients would die.
Los Angeles' full name 'El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula' is reduced to 3.63% of its size in the abbreviation 'L.A.'.
If you went out into space, you would explode before you suffocated because there's no air pressure.
The only real person to ever to appear on a pez dispenser was Betsy Ross.
Mike Nesmith's (the guitarist of The Monkeys) mom invented White Out. [link]
Only 6 people in the whole world have died from moshing.
241. In a test performed by Canadian scientists, using various different styles of music, it was determined that chickens lay the most eggs when pop music was played.
The storage capacity of human brain exceeds 4 Terabytes.
In Vermont, the ratio of cows to people is 10:1
Any free-moving liquid in outer space will form itself into a sphere, because of its surface tension.
The average American looks at eight houses before buying one.
In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator.
Koala is Aboriginal for "no drink".
Shakespeare spelled his OWN name several different ways.
The first contraceptive was crocodile dung used by the ancient Egyptians.
A signature is called a John Hancock because he signed the Declaration of Independence. Only 2 people signed the declaration of independence on July 4. The Last person signed 2 years later.
Arnold Schonberg suffered from triskaidecaphobia, the fear of the number 13. He died at 13 minutes from midnight on Friday the 13th.
Mozart wrote the nursery rhyme 'twinkle, twinkle, little star' at the age of 5.
Weatherman Willard Scott was the first original Ronald McDonald. [link]
Virginia Woolf wrote all her books standing.
Einstein couldn't speak fluently until after his ninth birthday. His parents thought he was mentally retarded.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
Deborah Winger did the voice of E.T.
Kelsey Grammar sings and plays the piano for the theme song of Fraiser.
Thomas Edison, acclaimed inventor of the light bulb, was afraid of the dark.
In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.
You can sail all the way around the world at latitude 60 degrees south.
The earth weighs around 6,588,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Porcupines can float in water.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched."
All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20, a national pot-smokers hour.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt."
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
Tigers not only have striped fur, they have striped skin!
In most advertisements, including newspapers, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10.
On the ground, a group of geese is a gaggle, in the sky it is a skein.
To Ensure Promptness, one is expected to pay beyond the value of service – hence the later abbreviation: T.I.P.
When the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers play football at home, the stadium becomes the state's third largest city.
The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra's "Its A Wonderful Life."
A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
On an American one-dollar bill, there is an owl in the upper left-hand corner of the "1"encased in the "shield" and a spider hidden in the front upper right-hand corner.
The name for Oz in the "Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z; hence the name "OZ."
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
Mr. Rogers is an ordained minister.
John Lennon's first girlfriend was named Thelma Pickles.
There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
The scene where Indiana Jones shoots the swordsman in Raider’s of the Lost Ark was Harrison Ford's idea so that he could take a bathroom break.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
A snail can sleep for three years.
All polar bears are left-handed.
China has more English speakers than the United States.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you will have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
The word "set" has more definitions than any other word in the English language.
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
One of the reasons marijuana is illegal today is because cotton growers in the 1930s lobbied against hemp farmers they saw it as competition.
Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
Starfish haven't got brains.
The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
The name of all continents in the world end with the same letter that they start with.
There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.
The longest word comprised of one row on the keyboard is: TYPEWRITER
You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.
The average person spends 12 weeks a year 'looking for things'.
The symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe..
The dot over the letter 'i' is called a tittle.
Ingrown toenails are hereditary.
"Underground" is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the letters "und"
The longest word in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis..
The longest place-name still in use is: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiakitnatahu, a New Zealand hill.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button. It was eliminated when he was sewn up after surgery.
Telly Savalas and Louis Armstrong died on their birthdays.
Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.
The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint - no two lions have the same pattern of whiskers.
Steely Dan got their name from a sexual device depicted in the book 'The Naked Lunch'.
The Ramses brand condom is named after the great pharoh Ramses II who fathered over 160 children.
There is a seven letter word in the English language that contains ten words without rearranging any of its letters, "therein": the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, therein, herein.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
Cranberries are sorted for ripeness by bouncing them; a fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a basketball.
The male gypsy moth can "smell" the virgin female gypsy moth from 1.8 miles away.
The letters KGB stand for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti.
The word "dexter" whose meaning refers to the right hand is typed with only the left hand.
To "testify" was based on men in the Roman court swearing to a statement made by swearing on their testicles.
Facetious and abstemious contain all the vowels in the correct order, as does arsenious, meaning "containing arsenic."
The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means "the king is dead."
The first episode of "Joanie Loves Chachi" was the highest rated American program in the history of Korean television, a country where "Chachi" translates to "penis".
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses. No one in Greece has memorized all 158 verses.
Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.
Giraffes have no vocal cords.
The pupils of a goat's eyes are square.
Van Gogh only sold one painting when he was alive.
A standard slinky measures 87 feet when stretched out.
The highest per capita Jell-O comsumption in the US is Des Moines.
If a rooster can't fully extend its neck, it can't crow.
There were always 56 curls in Shirley Temple's hair.
The eyes of a donkey are positioned so that it can see all four feet at all times.
Worcestershire sauce in essentially an Anchovy Ketchup.
Rhode Island is the only state which the hammer throw is a legal high school sport.
The average lifespan of an eyelash is five months.
A spider has transparent blood.
Every acre of American crops harvested contains 100 pounds of insects.
Prince Charles is an avid collecter of toilet seats.
The most common street name in the U.S. is Second Street.
Tehran is the most expensive city on earth.
The sweat drops drawn in cartoon comic strips are called pleuts.
Babies are most likely to be born on Tuesdays.
The HyperMart outside of Garland Texas has 58 check-outs.
The Minneapolis phone book has 21 pages of Andersons.
In the 1980's American migraines increased by 60%.
Poland is the "stolen car capital of the world".
Jefferson invented the dumbwaiter, the monetary system, and the folding attic ladder.
The S in Harry S. Truman did not stand for anything.
In Miconesia, coins are 12 feet across.
A horse can look forward with one eye and back with the other.
Shakespeare is quoted 33,150 times in the Oxford English dictionary.
The word Pennsylvania is misspelled on the Liberty Bell.
NBA superstar Michael Jordan was originally cut from his high school basketball team.
You spend 7 years of your life in the bathroom.
A family of 26 could go to the movies in Mexico city for the price of one in Tokyo.
10,000 Dutch cows pass through the Amsterdam airport each year.
Approximately every seven minutes of every day, someone in an aerobics class pulls their hamstring.
Simplistic passwords contribute to over 80% of all computer password break-ins.
The top 3 health-related searches on the Internet are (in this order): Depression, Allergies, & Cancer.
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.
The first owner of the Marlboro company died of lung cancer.
All US Presidents have worn glasses; some just didn't like being seen wearing them in public.
Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.
Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
The site with the highest number of women visitors between the age of 35 and 44 years old: Alka-Seltzer.com
The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.
Pearls melt in vinegar.
It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.
Thirty-five percent of people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
The 3 most valuable brand names on earth are Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser (in that order).
Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands.
Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a 'Friday the 13th'.
The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they can be easily confused at a crime scene.
The mask worn by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games--MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL--are the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star Game.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
When the French Academy was preparing its first dictionary, it defined "crab" as, "A small red fish, which walks backwards." This definition was sent with a number of others to the naturalist Cuvier for his approval. The scientist wrote back, "Your definition, gentlemen, would be perfect, only for three exceptions. The crab is not a fish, it is not red and it does not walk backwards."
Dr. Jack Kevorkian first patient has Alzheimer's disease.
Fictional/horror writer Stephen King sleeps with a nearby light on to calm his fear of the dark.
It's possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
It was discovered on a space mission that a frog can throw up. The frog throws up its stomach first, so the stomach is dangling out of its mouth. Then the frog uses its forearms to dig out all of the stomach's contents and then swallows the stomach back down.
The very first song played on MTV was 'Video Killed The Radio Star' by the Buggles.
William Marston engineered one of the earliest forms of the polygraph in the early 1900's. Later he went on to create the comic strip Wonder Woman, a story about a displaced Amazon princess who forces anyone caught in her magic lasso to tell the truth
Americans travel 1,144,721,000 miles by air every day
The the U.S. you dial '911'. In Stockholm, Sweden you dial 90000
38% of American men say they love their cars more than women
The U.S. military operates 234 golf courses
100% of lottery winners do gain weight
Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers were all invented by women
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
Cats urine glows under a black light.
In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
Lorne Greene had one of his nipples bitten off by an alligator while he was host of "Lorne Greene's Wild Kingdom."
Pamela Anderson Lee is Canada's Centennial Baby, being the first baby born on the centennial anniversary of Canada's independence.
Pinocchio is Italian for "pine head."
When possums are playing 'possum', they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror.
Who's that playing the piano on the "Mad About You" theme? Paul Reiser himself.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Most lipstick contains fish scales!
Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants!
There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building!
Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand!
The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!
The average American/Canadian will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year!
Over 1000 birds a year die from smashing into windows!
The state of Florida is bigger than England!
Dolphins sleep with one eye open!
In the White House, there are 13,092 knives, forks and spoons!
Recycling one glass jar, saves enough energy to watch T.V for 3 hours!
Owls are one of the only birds who can see the color blue!
Honeybees have a type of hair on their eyes!
A jellyfish is 95 percent water!
In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals!
The katydid bug hears through holes in its hind legs!
Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States!
166,875,000,000 pieces of mail are delivered each year in the US
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave
The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head
Daffy Duck's middle name is "Dumas"
In Disney's Fantasia, the Sorcerer's name is "Yensid" (Disney backwards.)
In The Empire Strikes Back there is a potato hidden in the asteroid field
Walt Disney holds the world record for the most Academy Awards won by one person, he has won twenty statuettes, and twelve other plaques and certificates
James Bond's car had three different license plates in Goldfinger
Canada makes up 6.67 percent of the Earth's land area
South Dakota is the only U.S state which shares no letters with the name of it's capital
The KGB is headquartered at No. 2 Felix Dzerzhinsky Square, Moscow
The Vatican city registered 0 births in 1983
Spain leads the world in cork production
There are 1,792 steps in the Eiffel Tower
There are 269 steps to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand while drawing with the other

http://www.dipity.com/tatercakes/Internet_Memes/embed_tl?skin=

Backpackin Destinations

http://offtrackplanet.com/headline/otps-top-10-backpacking-travel-destinations-for-2010/

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Documentrys

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/all/

HAHA YES!

genius

http://www.wikihow.com/Think-Like-a-Genius

drawing tutoroals

http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/inspiration/40-free-tutorials-on-advanced-drawing-techniques/

Monday, March 1, 2010

Inspirational Art FANTASY

http://lightnightrains.blogspot.com/search/label/Grimm%20and%20Other%20Folk%20Tales/search?label=Grimm%20and%20Other%20Folk%20Tales

Can box

http://www.atomicshrimp.com/st/content/drink_can_tinwork

A SOFTER WORLD

http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=201

claymation

http://www.dandad.org/awards08/qt.asp?entry_id=31316&f=000L&title=Play-Doh

really facinating animation

http://www.evanparsons.com/mib_a.html

Charactor Charts for Writting and Acting

The EPIGUIDE.COM Fiction Writer's Character Chart / Dossier
Print this form and fill in as much info as possible for each main character you create.

Character's Full Name:
Date this chart was completed:
Reason or meaning of name:
Nickname(s):
Reason:
Birth Date:
Place of Birth:
Ethnic Background:
Religion:
Degree of Religious Practice:
Current Address:
Does s/he rent or own?
Brief Description of Home (apartment, trailer, house, other, etc.):
Does s/he live with anyone?
Describe the area in which s/he lives (big city, town, rural, other):
Is this his or her ideal home and location? If not, what would s/he prefer?
Home decor: ___ Expensive ___ Inexpensive ___ Carefully planned ___ Comfortable ___ Neat ___ Cluttered
When someone walks in, what's their first impression?
Any Pets? __ No (why?) ___ Yes (what kind/how many/names?)
How important are they? How well are they treated?
Current Occupation:
C
Income Level:
E
Marital Status:
C
Length of Time Married (if more than one marriage, include all):
Name by Which S/he Addresses Spouse/Lover/Partner:
How Did They Meet?
Children (number, names, ages):
Does s/he drive? Own a car? (Make, model, color, age, etc.):
What's his or her most prized possession, and why?
FAVORITES:
Color:
Music:
Literature:
Hangouts:
Food:

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:
Age: Eye Color: Glasses or contacts:
Weight/Height: Type of build: Skin tone: Skin type:
Distinguishing Marks: Any famous person s/he looks like?:
Shape of face/Predominant feature:
General Health/Good, Excellent, Poor...?
Chronic Conditions? Current Conditions?
How does s/he dress? (price/style): ___ Expensive/Conservative ___ Expensive/Trendy and Daring __ Average/Conservative
__ Average/Trendy and Daring __ Inexpensive/Casual (Whatever's comfortable?)
__ Inexpensive/Shabby
Does s/he dress to be noticed? Why?
Jewelry: Other accessories:
Grooming: __ Very neat (Why?) ___ Average Grooming __ Clean but sloppy __ Unkempt (Why?)
Describe Hairstyle (long, short, crewcut, dreds, bangs, side-part etc.):

Natural Hair Texture (smooth, wavy, curly, etc.): Current Hair Texture (if different):
Natural Hair Color: Current Hair Color (if different):
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE/COMMUNICATION:
Pace: (Talks fast, Average, Slow...) Voice Tone (high, average, deep, etc.):
Accent or Dialect, if any: Favorite Words/Phrases? Curse words?
Mannerisms/Demeanor? ___ Cool/confident __ Volatile/moody __ Nervous/fidgety/shy __ Other?
Posture: ___ Stiff and rigid __ Stands straight but not stiffly __ Average, varies with mood
__ Slumped and defeated __ Slouchy, careless __ Relaxed __ Other
Gestures: __ Infrequently __ Controlled __ When excited/upset __ Most of the time __ Wildly/weirdly
Favorite Gesture:
FAMILY:
Mother's name: Mother's current status: ___ living ___
deceased
Relationship with her:
Father's name: Father's current status: ___ living ___
deceased
Relationship with him:
Any Step/Foster/Birth Parents (if not same as above):
Sibling(s): Birth order:
Relationship with each:
Children of siblings: In-Laws, if any:
Other than the above, who else in the story is part of his/her extended family (e.g. cousins, etc.)?

THE PAST:
Hometown:
Type of childhood:
First memory:
Most important childhood event that still affects him/her:
Did/does s/he like school? Why or why not?
Significant Past Jobs:
Police Record (Arrest(s), convictions, sentence(s) served):
First sexual experience was with...?
First (romantic) love?
Major accidents or traumas? How is s/he still affected, if at all?
EVERYDAY BEHAVIOR / HABITS:
Finances: (prudent/cautious, some debt, lives paycheck to paycheck, deep in debt, criminal activity, etc.):
Personal Habits: Smoking, Drinking, Drugs, Gambling, Sex? Are any of these addictions?
Morning Routine: Describe the character's morning rituals. Who else is sleeping in the same bed? What time does he/she wake
up? Is he/she cheerful in the morning? What does he/she do during breakfast-read, watch tv, feed kids, etc.
Afternoon/Workday: Does s/he work outside the home? How does he/she get there? Is s/he good at this job? What would he/she
rather be doing? How long and hard is the work day? Does s/he have any friends, rivals, enemies?
Dinner: Does s/he eat at home or go out a lot? What is/are his or her favorite restaurant(s)? Who cooks at home? Who does
he/she eat it with?
Evening: What does your character do on a typical evening? Where? With whom? How much does he/she enjoy it? What is the
ideal evening for him or her?
Sleep Habits: Fall asleep easily, or an insomniac? Any recurring dreams? Sleep soundly, or toss & turn?
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS:
How does character relate to strangers?
Friends?
Spouse/Lover?
Own children, if any?
Other family members
The opposite sex?
Children in general?
Others who are more successful
Others who are less successful
Boss
Underlings at work
Competitors
Authority (police, IRS, politicians, attorneys, doctors, etc.)
What about him/her do family/friends like most?
What about him/her do family/friends like least?
Any secret attractions/crushes?
Person s/he dislikes most & why:
Person s/he likes most & why:
Person s/he most misunderstands or misjudges:
Person who most misunderstands or misjudges him or her:
MENTAL ATTITUDE/PERSONAL BELIEFS:
Optimist or pessimist: Why?
Introvert or extrovert: Why?
Most comfortable when ... (alone, hanging w/friends, drinking, etc.):
Most uncomfortable when ... (in a crowd, alone, speaking in public, etc.):
What does s/he most value/prioritize? (family, money, success, religion, etc.)
Whom does s/he really love best?
What would s/he be willing to die for?
Is s/he generally compassionate or self-involved?
Personal philosophy:
Past failure s/he'd be embarrassed to have people know about, and why:
If granted one wish, what would it be? Why?
Psychological issues (e.g. phobias, depression, paranoia, narcissism, etc.)?
Any prejudices (race, culture, sexuality, religion, etc.)?
Political party or beliefs, if any:
Does s/he believe in fate or destiny? Is s/he superstitious?
Character's greatest strength (whether s/he sees it as such or not):
Other good characteristics:
Character's greatest flaw (whether s/he sees it as such or not):
Other character flaws:
Character's chief vulnerability/soft spot:
Is this vulnerability obvious to others? If not, how does character hide it?
Quirks:
Biggest accomplishment:
Minor accomplishments:
Character's darkest secret(s)? Does anyone else know? How'd they find out?
How does s/he react to a crisis?
What types of problems occur most often? (Romance, jealousy, financial, etc.)
Whom does s/he secretly admire (nonromantic), and why?
Who was his/her biggest influence, and why?
Who's the most important person in his/her life right now, and why?
SELF-PERCEPTION:
Paragraph of self-description:

What's his/her favorite/least favorite physical feature?
How does s/he think others perceive him or her?:
Biggest regret:
Minor regrets:
What would s/he most like to change about self? Why?

ASPIRATIONS/THOUGHTS OF THE FUTURE:
Short term goals:
Long term goals:
How does s/he plan to accomplish these goals?
How will others be affected?
What event does s/he most fear?
What does he/she actively work to gain, keep or protect?

Copyright 2004 by EPIGUIDE.COM, the Guide to Web Entertainment
This chart may be reprinted as long as above credit is included

Sunday, February 28, 2010

http://www.scottishapartment.com/49-beautiful-shots-of-edinburgh.html

Telephone reminders

http://wakerupper.com/

art deco for walls

http://i-contain-multitudes.blogspot.com/2009/08/been-seeing-lot-of-wall-decals-recently.html

Island of the Dolls

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/mexicos-island-of-the-dolls-is-beyond-creepy.html
cool

Write room

http://darkcopy.com/
this is awesome for me....not maybe for all though

Eating Right

http://www.businesscreditcards.com/bootstrapper/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/top-100-foods-for-productivity-brief-535w.png

paper flowers

http://dozidesign.blogspot.com/2008/05/paper-flower-tutorial.html
not as easy as it looks

decorating

http://www.eightyonedesign.co.uk/how-would-you-improve-your-graphic-design-studio-or-office/

Friday, February 26, 2010

Russian researchers in the late 1940's kept five people awake for fifteen days using an experimental gas based stimulant. They were kept in a sealed environment to carefully monitor their oxygen intake so the gas didn't kill them, since it was toxic in high concentrations. This was before closed circuit cameras so they had only microphones and 5 inch thick glass porthole sized windows into the chamber to monitor them. The chamber was stocked with books, cots to sleep on but no bedding, running water and toilet, and enough dried food to last all five for over a month.

The test subjects were political prisoners deemed enemies of the state during world war II.

Everything was fine for the first 5 days, the subjects hardly complained having been promised (falsely) that they would be freed if they submitted to the test and did not sleep for 30 days. Their conversations and activities were monitored and it was noted that they continued to talk about increasingly traumatic incidents in their past, and the general tone of their conversations took on a darker aspect after the 4 day mark.

After five days they started to complain about the circumstances and events that lead them to where they were and started to demonstrate severe paranoia. They stopped talking to each other and began alternately whispering to the microphones and one way mirrored portholes. Oddly they all seemed to think they could win the trust of the experimenters by turning over their comrades, the other subjects in captivity with them. At first the researchers suspected this was an effect of the gas itself...

After nine days the first of them started screaming. He ran the lenght of the chamber repeatedly yelling at the top of his lungs for 3 hours straight, he continued attempting to scream but was only able to produce occasional squeaks. The researchers postulated that he had physically torn his vocal cords. The most surprising thing about this behavior is how the other captives reacted to it... or rather didn't react to it. They continued whispering to the microphones until the second of the captives started to scream. The 2 non screaming captives took the books apart, smeared page after page with their own feces and pasted them calmly over the glass portholes. The screaming promptly stopped.

So did the whispering to the microphones.

After 3 more days passed. The researchers checked the microphones hourly to make sure they were working, since they thought it impossible that no sound could be coming with 5 people inside. The oxygen consumption in the chamber indicated that all 5 must still be alive. In fact it was the amount of oxygen 5 people would consume at a very heavy level of strenuous exercise. On the morning of the 14th day the researchers did something they said they would not do to get a reaction from the captives, they used the intercom inside the chamber, hoping to provoke any response from the captives they were afraid were either dead or vegetables.

They announced: "We are opening the chamber to test the microphones step away from the doors and lie flat on the floor or you will be shot. Compliance will earn one of you your immediate freedom."

To their surprise they heard a single phrase in a calm voice response: "We no longer want to be freed."

Debate broke out among the researchers and the military forces funding the research. Unable to provoke any more response using the intercom it was finally decided to open the chamber at midnight on the fifteenth day.

The chamber was flushed of the stimulant gas and filled with fresh air and immediately voices from the microphones began to object. 3 different voices began begging, as if pleading for the life of loved ones to turn the gas back on. The chamber was opened and soldiers sent in to retrieve the test subjects. They began to scream louder than ever, and so did the soldiers when they saw what was inside. Four of the five subjects were still alive, although no one could rightly call the state that any of them in 'life.'

The food rations past day 5 had not been so much as touched. There were chunks of meat from the dead test subject's thighs and chest stuffed into the drain in the center of the chamber, blocking the drain and allowing 4 inches of water to accumulate on the floor. Precisely how much of the water on the floor was actually blood was never determined. All four 'surviving' test subjects also had large portions of muscle and skin torn away from their bodies. The destruction of flesh and exposed bone on their finger tips indicated that the wounds were inflicted by hand, not with teeth as the researchers initially thought. Closer examination of the position and angles of the wounds indicated that most if not all of them were self-inflicted.

The abdominal organs below the ribcage of all four test subjects had been removed. While the heart, lungs and diaphragm remained in place, the skin and most of the muscles attached to the ribs had been ripped off, exposing the lungs through the ribcage. All the blood vessels and organs remained intact, they had just been taken out and laid on the floor, fanning out around the eviscerated but still living bodies of the subjects. The digestive tract of all four could be seen to be working, digesting food. It quickly became apparent that what they were digesting was their own flesh that they had ripped off and eaten over the course of days.

Most of the soldiers were Russian special operatives at the facility, but still many refused to return to the chamber to remove the test subjects. They continued to scream to be left in the chamber and alternately begged and demanded that the gas be turned back on, lest they fall asleep...

To everyone's surprise the test subjects put up a fierce fight in the process of being removed from the chamber. One of the Russian soldiers died from having his throat ripped out, another was gravely injured by having his testicles ripped off and an artery in his leg severed by one of the subject's teeth. Another 5 of the soldiers lost their lives if you count ones that committed suicide in the weeks following the incident.

In the struggle one of the four living subjects had his spleen ruptured and he bled out almost immediately. The medical researchers attempted to sedate him but this proved impossible. He was injected with more than ten times the human dose of a morphine derivative and still fought like a cornered animal, breaking the ribs and arm of one doctor. When heart was seen to beat for a full two minutes after he had bled out to the point there was more air in his vascular system than blood. Even after it stopped he continued to scream and flail for another 3 minutes, struggling attack anyone in reach and just repeating the word "MORE" over and over, weaker and weaker, until he finally fell silent.

The surviving three test subjects were heavily restrained and moved to a medical facility, the two with intact vocal cords continuously begging for the gas demanding to be kept awake...

The most injured of the three was taken to the only surgical operating room that the facility had. In the process of preparing the subject to have his organs placed back within his body it was found that he was effectively immune to the sedative they had given him to prepare him for the surgery. He fought furiously against his restraints when the anesthetic gas was brought out to put him under. He managed to tear most of the way through a 4 inch wide leather strap on one wrist, even through the weight of a 200 pound soldier holding that wrist as well. It took only a little more anesthetic than normal to put him under, and the instant his eyelids fluttered and closed, his heart stopped. In the autopsy of the test subject that died on the operating table it was found that his blood had triple the normal level of oxygen. His muscles that were still attached to his skeleton were badly torn and he had broken 9 bones in his struggle to not be subdued. Most of them were from the force his own muscles had exerted on them.

The second survivor had been the first of the group of five to start screaming. His vocal cords destroyed he was unable to beg or object to surgery, and he only reacted by shaking his head violently in disapproval when the anesthetic gas was brought near him. He shook his head yes when someone suggested, reluctantly, they try the surgery without anesthetic, and did not react for the entire 6 hour procedure of replacing his abdominal organs and attempting to cover them with what remained of his skin. The surgeon presiding stated repeatedly that it should be medically possible for the patient to still be alive. One terrified nurse assisting the surgery stated that she had seen the patients mouth curl into a smile several times, whenever his eyes met hers.

When the surgery ended the subject looked at the surgeon and began to wheeze loudly, attempting to talk while struggling. Assuming this must be something of drastic importance the surgeon had a pen and pad fetched so the patient could write his message. It was simple "Keep cutting."

The other two test subjects were given the same surgery, both without anesthetic as well. Although they had to be injected with a paralytic for the duration of the operation. The surgeon found it impossible to perform the operation while the patients laughed continuously. Once paralyzed the subjects could only follow the attending researchers with their eyes. The paralytic cleared their system in an abnormally short period of time and they were soon trying to escape their bonds. The moment they could speak they were again asking for the stimulant gas. The researchers tried asking why they had injured themselves, why they had ripped out their own guts and why they wanted to be given the gas again.

Only one response was given: "I must remain awake."

All three subject's restraints were reinforced and they were placed back into the chamber awaiting determination as to what should be done with them. The researchers, facing the wrath of their military 'benefactors' for having failed the stated goals of their project considered euthanizing the surviving subjects. The commanding officer, an ex-KGB instead saw potential, and wanted to see what would happen if they were put back on the gas. The researchers strongly objected, but were overruled.

In preparation for being sealed in the chamber again the subjects were connected to an EEG monitor and had their restraints padded for long term confinement. To everyone's surprise all three stopped struggling the moment it was let slip that they were going back on the gas. It was obvious that at this point all three were putting up a great struggle to stay awake. One of subjects that could speak was humming loudly and continuously; the mute subject was straining his legs against the leather bonds with all his might, first left, then right, then left again for something to focus on. The remaining subject was holding his head off his pillow and blinking rapidly. Having been the first to be wired for EEG most of the researchers were monitoring his brain waves in surprise. They were normal most of the time but sometimes flat lined inexplicably. It looked as if he were repeatedly suffering brain death, before returning to normal. As they focused on paper scrolling out of the brainwave monitor only one nurse saw his eyes slip shut at the same moment his head hit the pillow. His brainwaves immediately changed to that of deep sleep, then flatlined for the last time as his heart simultaneously stopped.

The only remaining subject that could speak started screaming to be sealed in now. His brainwaves showed the same flatlines as one who had just died from falling asleep. The commander gave the order to seal the chamber with both subjects inside, as well as 3 researchers. One of the named three immediately drew his gun and shot the commander point blank between the eyes, then turned the gun on the mute subject and blew his brains out as well.

He pointed his gun at the remaining subject, still restrained to a bed as the remaining members of the medical and research team fled the room. "I won't be locked in here with these things! Not with you!" he screamed at the man strapped to the table. "WHAT ARE YOU?" he demanded. "I must know!"

The subject smiled.

"Have you forgotten so easily?" The subject asked. "We are you." "We are the madness that lurks within you all, begging to be free at every moment in your deepest animal mind." "We are what you hide from in your beds every night. We are what you sedate into silence and paralysis when you go to the nocturnal haven where we cannot tread."

The researcher paused. Then aimed at the subject's heart and fired.

The EEG flatlined as the subject weakly choked out "so... nearly... free..."

Thursday, February 25, 2010

AP HISTORY

http://www.pptpalooza.net/
i look at these when i want to feel smart

Guitar

one of these days
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/guitar-lessons.html

I Check It Daily

http://showmenow.com/

I do not think i have seen better characterizes or for that matter a collection of such relevant celebrities to me.

50 things

http://thetravelersnotebook.com/activity-guide/50-things-to-do-before-you-die/
I WILL DO ALL OF THESE...trust me

http://beatcrave.com/2009-02-09/the-most-unwanted-song-scientifically-composed/

Our Tax System Explained: "Bar Stool Economics"
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten
comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go
something like this:

The first four men (The poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7.

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the
arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all
such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily
beer by $20." Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the
first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.

But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they
divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They
realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from
everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up
being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be
fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded
to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).

The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to
drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare
their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to
the tenth man," but he got $10!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth
man. "I only saved a dollar, too It's unfair that he got ten times more than
I!" "That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back
when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute,"
yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The
system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down
and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they
discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of
them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how
our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most
benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being
wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start
drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics University of Georgia

Go ahead, take day off

http://www.guidespot.com/guides/world_war_ii_posters

Home Made Christmas Tree

http://www.fresh99.com/can-christmas-tree.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iIOmubk5sA

art a day

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Make-Something-Cool-Every-Day-2009/171640
each one is a masterpiece

http://lamarapprovesofkoolaid.ytmnd.com/
because, yo always need mo koolaid

great graves

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Ce5nc/www.sunbeltsoftware.com/stu/gravemarkers/index.html

Dirt Cheap Recipies

http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/13/100-delicious-dirt-cheap-recipes-for-the-starving-student/comment-page-1/
this may be helpful

Egg Art

http://thedesigninspiration.com/articles/40-creative-and-funny-egg-paintings/

Underground House

http://www.trendir.com/house-design/underground-home-designs-swiss-mountain-house.html
I WILL BUY THIS HOUSE

A TRUE STORY RECEIVED FROM AN ENGLISH PROFESSOR

You know that book Men are from Mars, Women from Venus? Well, here's a prime example of that. This assignment was actually turned in by two of my English students: Rebecca (last name deleted) and Gary (last name deleted).

First, the Assignment:

English 44A
SMU
Creative Writing
Prof. Miller

In-class Assignment for Wednesday:

Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story. The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to his or her immediate right. One of you will then write the first paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story. The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back and forth. Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached.

And now, the Assignment as submitted by Rebecca & Gary:

Rebecca starts:

At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The camomile, which used to be her favourite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked camomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again. So camomile was out of the question.

Gary:

Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed, asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago.

"A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off, a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.

Rebecca:

He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one
last pang of regret for psychologically brutalising the one woman who had
ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless
hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4.

"Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel",
Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited
her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth --
when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no newspapers to
read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at
all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to
become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------

Gary:

Little did she know, but she has less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted, wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through Congress had left Earth a defenceless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty, the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverise the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan.

The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion which vaporised Laurie and 85 million other Americans. The President slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow 'em out of the sky!"

Rebecca:

This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic, semi-literate adolescent.

Gary:

Yeah? Well, you're a self-centred, tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium.

Rebecca: Asshole.

Gary: Bitch.

http://www.sonnyradio.com/perspective.htm
i used to read this book when i was little I love it

Rhymes

http://www.writerhymes.com/
This is pretty awesome. Great for stuff like, writing poems and songs or whatever

air pollution reduction

Air Pollutant Removal By House Plants
Many plants can help our indoor air, including Rubber Plants, Eureka Palms, and Peace Palms. Putting plants in your house or office can help your health. Below is a table indicating the pollutants removed by certain plants.

Air Pollutant Removal By House Plants Over 24 Hours
House Plant Chemical Pollutant Initial ppm % Removed
English Ivy Benzene 0.235 90 %
Trichlorethylene 0.174 11 %
Peace Lily Benzene 0.166 80 %
Formaldehyde 10.0 50 %
Trichlorethylene 20.0 50 %
Spider Plant Formaldehyde 14.0 86 %
Carbon Monoxide 128.0 96 %
Chrysanthemum Benzene 58.0 54 %
Formaldehyde 18.0 61 %
Trichlorethylene 17.0 41 %
Mother-in-law tongue Benzene 0.156 53 %
Trichlorethylene 0.269 13 %
Golden Pathos Benzene 0.156 53 %
Formaldehyde 18.0 67 %
Carbon Monoxide 113.0 75 %
Madag Dragon Tree Benzene 0.176 79 %
Formaldehyde 15.0 60 %
Trichlorethylene 0.136 13 %
Waneckii Benzene 0.182 70 %
Formaldehyde 8.0 50 %
Trichlorethylene 17.0 24 %
Heart Leaf Formaldehyde 27.0 71 %
Corn Plant Formaldehyde 20.0 70 %
Chinese Evergreen Benzene 0.204 48 %

Surreal photos

http://psdfan.com/inspiration/photography/30-beautiful-examples-of-surreal-photography/
interesting photos

travel tips

Travelling is all about experience, so here are 27 generic* travel tips towards improving your experience** on your next trip.
*I mean “generic” in the sense that these tips pretty much apply to all destinations.
**I mean “experience” in the sense that it is about you and the destination sharing a moment together.

1. Before you go or while you are there, read literature about the destination. Travel literature, preferably, or a novel or history book. Films, too, of course.
For example, if you’re going to Vietnam, read Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, Bao Ninh’s The Sorrow of War and Michael Herr’s Despatches.

2. Get up early in the morning. You’ll see different things, and less tourists.
This is a case of “do as I say, not as I do” as I’m terrible at getting up early.

3. Try to talk to the locals (other than the ones you’re guaranteed to talk to in the service industry).
A good starter is to ask for directions or advice (”Where’s a good restaurant?”). If you reckon you won’t understand their answer, keep a map handy.

4. Learn at least a few phrases of the local language. Get a phrasebook (whether a paper version or digital) and this becomes all too easy.
Even the children will laugh at your pronunciation. Keep at it. They respect you, really… kind of.

5. Use the public transport. Don’t get taxis everywhere.
Typically bewildering at first, but once you get the hang of the system you’ll experience much more of a destination. And get to see how grumpy people are in subway systems all over the world.

6. Get lost (in a safe area of town, obviously).
This is best done on foot, of course. Probably not a good idea to try this in a forest, or any countryside.

7. Travel as light as possible. You can always buy more clothes at the destination — which will help you fit in as well.
The mortal enemy of light travel is a large suitcase/backpack. It will fill up before you can say children’s belly dancing outfit.

8. Variety is good, but deeper contact can be made by being a regular. For example, instead of having your breakfast in a different place each day, go to the same place and get to know the staff and clientele.
I mean, of course, go back to the same establishment if it was good the first time. And you haven’t moved on to a different city.

9. Take your hobbies with you. If you’re interested in architecture, go on a tour run by an expert in the field; if you’re into kite flying, see if there is a local group and attend their meeting.
My hobby is photography. All the photos on this page are by me. I know … some aren’t relevant to the tips they accompany.

10. Eat the local food. You don’t have to eat fried insects and the like, but do try a variety of the national or regional dishes.
Of course, not only do you improve your understanding of the destination, but you will also get better food. Non-local dishes are rarely very good. For example, from personal experience, I would advise against eating pizza in Fiji.

11. Change your travel behaviour during the trip…If you are travelling solo then tag along with another traveller for a day or so. If you are travelling with another person, split up for a couple of days and experience the destination on your own.
This change will usually happen by itself if you are a normal human being: the freedom of solo travel becomes a burden when you need to take all your bags into a sweaty toilet cubicle to avoid their theft; and travelling brings out the best and the worst in your closest friends.

12. Respect the local culture and customs and you’ll see the locals wanting to talk to you or help you more.
This doesn’t mean you have to adopt the local culture. In fact, this may be insulting. For instance, there is something wrong about visitors to Australia adding “mate” to the end of every sentence. Know what I mean, mate?

13. Where possible stay at family run accommodation, rather than international chain hotels. You’ll help the local economy, and get a more intimate relationship with the destination.
Security is the only concern when staying at smaller hotels (not that theft isn’t an issue at large hotels). I’ve never had a problem, though. If you book through the internet, like Lonely Planet’s Hotels & hostels, then the hotel staff are more likely to look out for you or they’ll suffer the wrath of user feedback and being de-listed.

14. Don’t plan activities all day, every day. The best days are the days you spend sitting on a park bench chatting to someone, even though you don’t have a common language. (Thanks to ImogenB for this tip.)

15. If you like jogging, take a jog around town on your first morning to get your orientation and sneak a peak at some of the top tourist attractions before they get crowded. (Thanks to lcfranks for this tip.)
Jogging also has the benefit of making you look at places differently. Ask your hotel or hostel staff for a good running route.

16. Similarly, if you’re not in Bangkok or some other crazy traffic town, hire a bicycle and ride around the lesser visited neighbourhoods.
Inner city neighbourhoods in large cities are rarely indicative of how the majority of the population live. There may not be a big difference, but there’ll be a difference.

17. Take a compass. Walking around a city becomes easier when you can orientate yourself.
A compass also helps to get back on track when you get lost on purpose (or otherwise). See #6.

18. Think outside the normal touristy things. For instance, go to a house auction. You’ll get to see inside a local’s house, etc. Or go to a court case.

19. Learn to do something while you’re there that is relevant to the local culture… A cooking class, a surfing course, etc.

20. Make travel an experiment. John Steinbeck, for example, used to try to buy something in a city that he thought it couldn’t possibly have. When one shop owner didn’t have it he’d ask where else may. A wild goose chase will make you see a destination differently from a planned series of sights.

21. Vary your budget. Splurge on the finest restaurant if you’re travelling economically, or limit yourself to the bare minimum for a day or two if you’ve been living in luxury.

22. Test your normal limits. For example, try something adventurous like white water rafting. Challenge your taste buds by eating a questionable local delicacy.

23. Slow down at museums and galleries. Sure, it’s hard not to try to see it all because you’re thinking you may not return ever again. But getting to know a few pieces well will stay with you longer than browsing the entire exhibition.
In other words, most museums are like supermarkets, but try treating them like delicatessens.

24. Locals like to see how/where you live. Bring a photo of your house and your family and you’ll be surprised how much easier it is to be accepted in some countries.
Night photos are acceptable if your house is a dump (like mine).

25. Obviously, take a guidebook, specifically one that helps you get around (many other guidebook publishers have only arrival guides not travel guides). But remember that they are only guides, not the ten commandments. There are no set ways to see/feel/engage, etc., with a destination.

26. Vary your focus to get the full picture. If you’re walking down a street, for example, look up at rooftops then look at the names on the door-bells to an apartment block. Experienced hikers do this instinctively in the wild: considering both the vista and the proverbial lily, to get immersed at all levels.

27. Always remember that people rarely equate to their government (or, rather, your media’s representation of their government). A good rule of thumb is never bring up politics or religion in a conversation with a local unless they do. And, even then, avoid bringing in your point of view. You’re there to learn, not preach.
There are exceptions to this rule. Some countries, for instance, only have one or two citizens. It is perfectly fair to equate these people to their “government”.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Monday, March 8, 2010

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Monday, March 1, 2010

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010

Thursday, February 25, 2010

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