The Cost of Fearing Strangers
"... most people are pretty terrible at risk assessment. They tend to overstate the risk of dramatic and unlikely events at the expense of more common and boring (if equally devastating) events."
"Food Matters," by Mark Bittman
"... both a cookbook and a manifesto that shows us how to eat better -- and save the planet."
Quotation of the day
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them--work, family, health, friends, and spirit--and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls--family, health, friends, and spirit--are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."
- Brian G. Dyson, speaking at Georgia Tech's 172nd commencement address in September 1996. Dyson was then Coca-Cola Enterprises president and CEO.
WPClipart offers 23,000+ royalty free images
"... currently boasts 23,872 public domain images covering just about every subject imaginable. Most are offered as lossless PNG files."
Unhappy Meals - Michael Pollan
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy. "
Another sinus treatment recommendation
I've written before about dealing with sinus issues, and while that product is good, I'm now a fan of the NeilMed Sinus Rinse. It's helped me avoid, or quickly resolve, lots of sinus infections, which used to trouble me often in the winter for long time spans. Their mixture packets are good, but to save money I make my own, as follows: 8 ounces warm water, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. (you may need to adjust that slightly to whatever is most comfortable for you, varying the amounts and rations of salt and baking soda).
DavidPye.com - where everything is free
Very nice website with interesting stories, lots of fonts, images, avatars, desktops, and much more.
10 Facts Every Westerner Should Know About the Middle East
"Most Westerners know very little about the Middle East and the people that live there. This lack of knowledge hurts our ability to understand, and engage in intelligent discussion about, current events."
Twelve Hours Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old: the best parenting book I've read
"a very short book that does exactly what it says on the cover: it's a simple prescription for teaching your baby to sleep through the whole night by 12 weeks."
20 facts about bungee jumping. 20 facts about bungee. 20 facts about. 20 facts. 20
Most awesome headline ever.
Kongar-ol Ondar the Tuvan Singer
And there's someone you all know who can also do a bit of overtone singing.
Quote of the Day
"I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument while the song I came to sing remains unsung."
- Rabindranath Tagore
- Rabindranath Tagore
Quote of the day
"One of the major weaknesses of observational data is the possibility of bias, including selection bias and reporting bias, which can be obviated largely by using randomised controlled trials. The relevance to parachute use is that individuals jumping from aircraft without the help of a parachute are likely to have a high prevalence of pre-existing psychiatric morbidity. Individuals who use parachutes are likely to have less psychiatric morbidity and may also differ in key demographic factors, such as income and cigarette use. It follows, therefore, that the apparent protective effect of parachutes may be merely an example of the "healthy cohort" effect."
- Gordon Smith and Jill Pell, in "Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials".
- Gordon Smith and Jill Pell, in "Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials".
The Five Big Mistakes That Changed My Life and How I Moved Past Them
"I never got back to myself. I became better than I was."
Findings - 10 Things to Scratch From Your Worry List
Registration required, but use one from http://www.bugmenot.com/view/nytimes.com
The Chap Olympics
"Described for 'the perfectly dressed, under-achieving dandies with no interest in sport', the event is organised by The Chap Magazine."
Your brain lies to you
"The brain does not simply gather and stockpile information as a computer's hard drive does."
How To Write an Effective Thank You Note for Any Occasion
"Why Send Thank You Notes At All? A thank you note has two big things going for it."
PocketMod: The Free Recyclable Personal Organizer
"With the PocketMod, you can carry around the days notes, keep them organized in any way you wish, then easily transfer the notes to your PDA, spreadsheet, or planner"
Unplanned Freefall? Some Survival Tips
"First of all, you're starting off a full mile higher than Everest, so after a few gulps of disappointing air you're going to black out. This is not a bad thing. If you have ever tried to keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you know what I mean. "
6 ways you're wasting gas
"It's not easy to break bad driving habits, but if you don't, the money you lose on gas could wind up breaking your bank."
Quote of the Day
"Television is the device that has changed a generation of youngsters from an irresistible force into immovable objects."
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
20 Ways to Eliminate Stress From Your Life
"By careful editing of your life, and changing certain habits, you can eliminate most (not all) sources of stress in your life."
Free Range Kids: Giving Kids Freedom to be Kids
"At Free Range, we believe in safe kids. We believe in helmets, car seats and safety belts. We do NOT believe that every time school age children go outside, they need a security detail."
Fighting with spouse can be good for your health
"But new research at the University of Michigan shows that hashing out marital disagreements is actually good for your health. It's squelching anger, especially when you feel you've been wronged, that's dangerous."
Journalist bites reality
"How broadcast journalism is flawed in such a fundamental way that its utility as a tool for informing viewers is almost nil."
The Chili Cheese Burrito and You
"Enter ChiliCheese.org. They have compiled a list of Taco Bells that still carry the Chili Cheese Burrito. So, you can experience the wonders of the CCB once again. "
Avoid pesky shipping costs with Free Shipping On
"Free Shipping On is a new service that makes it easier to find free shipping deals. First, the site has a huge database of deals and coupon codes you can use to get free shipping from stores like Newegg, Circuit City, Staples, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Apple."
10 Ways We Get the Odds Wrong
"Our emotions push us to make snap judgments that once were sensible—but may not be anymore."
Airport Art: Digital Sculpture at Heathrow Airport Demonstrates that Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
"Commissioned for the atrium of the brand spanking new Terminal 5 at Heathrow, Cloud is a digital sculpture conceived by art and design studio Troika. "
(be sure to see the movie at the bottom of the page)
(be sure to see the movie at the bottom of the page)
Quote of the Day
"The story of English spelling is an improbable one in every sense. It is a tale of a process of evolution that contains so many curious accidents and bizarre twists of fate that the end result -- how we spell English today -- must be regarded as one of the most absurd, ridiculous, and protracted (1,500 years and counting) accidents of human culture.
"Yet no matter how accidental and ridiculous the story of English spelling is, and no matter how many suggestions have been made for "improving" English spelling (which is normally taken to mean making it more consistent), the ridiculous accident of English spelling has continued on its merry path much as before, and it's the would-be reformers who have, largely, been forgotten."
- James Essinger: Spellbound - The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling
"Yet no matter how accidental and ridiculous the story of English spelling is, and no matter how many suggestions have been made for "improving" English spelling (which is normally taken to mean making it more consistent), the ridiculous accident of English spelling has continued on its merry path much as before, and it's the would-be reformers who have, largely, been forgotten."
- James Essinger: Spellbound - The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling
Tentacle arm
"While we've been using our primitive, apelike arms like a bunch of jerks, the squids of the world have been clutching their prey with their superior tentacles and laughing at us." Hello Halloween!
10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On
"The war that's coming between the fundamentalist Christians and the hard-core Atheists probably won't be the most violent of the holy wars. But it has the potential to be the most annoying."
7 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe
""We got fired up about this because we knew that physicians accepted these beliefs and were passing this information along to their patients," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "And these beliefs are frequently cited in the popular media."
Quote of the Day
"As we view the achievements of aggregated capital, we discover the existence of trusts, combinations, and monopolies, while the citizen is struggling far in the rear or is trampled to death beneath an iron heel. Corporations, which should be the carefully restrained creatures of the law and the servants of the people, are fast becoming the people's masters."
- Grover Cleveland, U.S. President, State of the Union address, Dec. 3, 1888.
- Grover Cleveland, U.S. President, State of the Union address, Dec. 3, 1888.
Eighth wonder of the world? The stunning temples secretly carved out below ground by 'paranormal' eccentric
Here, 100ft down and hidden from public view, lies an astonishing secret - one that has drawn comparisons with the fabled city of Atlantis and has been dubbed 'the Eighth Wonder of the World' by the Italian government. "
Tired of paying taxes? Tally your 'private' cost once
"Let's consider what it would it cost me to purchase all of the goods and services that $9,000 chips in for from the private sector over one year. "
Quote of the day
"In every instance we see an American people who are good, decent, compassionate and undeterred. And, American people who are better than the government that is supposed to serve and represent them. And what has happened to the American 'can do' spirit? I will tell you what has happened: all of this is the result of the bitter poisoned fruit of corruption and the bankruptcy of our political leadership."
- John Edwards, U.S. Presidential Candidate, from a speech at St. Anselm's College, Manchester, New Hampshire, 29 Oct 2007
The Straight Dope: Why does my husband stop snoring when I nudge him? Is there a real way to make snoring stop?
A discussion of snoring and sleep apnea.
New Phrase
I just came up with a new phrase, which I'm posting here to prove I said it first:
"I cried like a pepper-sprayed baby."
Boo-yah!
"I cried like a pepper-sprayed baby."
Boo-yah!
Another Quote of the Day
"The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
- Albert Einstein
Quote of the Day
"Beware of those who argue the loudest. The truth does not care if it is questioned; the truth can always stand up to questioning. I have found that only the false fights back, retaliates, and attacks. The truth might defend itself, though it does not really need to. But liars trying to defend their lies get mean and dirty."
- Larry Winget, "Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life".
Tippi Of Africa
"Tippi is a tiny blonde girl who lives in Africa. She is the daughter of two French filmmakers and wildlife photographers, working in southern Africa.Tippi has an endearing kinship with wild animals, particularly Abu, a five-ton elephant."
Motivational Poster Generator.
"AutoMotivator is for making (or faking) motivational posters. You choose the picture, colors, and text, and make your poster."
Somewhere Deep Down, We Still Care. Don't We?
"What it got me to thinking about, other than I'm glad I'm not a meerkat facing down a cobra, was how my own attitude toward violence and suffering has changed over the years."
FreeRice - you win, others win
"FreeRice automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, assigns you an approximate starting level. You then determine a more exact level for yourself as you play. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. "
Warning: Fun ahead / Safety first, yes, but today's overprotected kids need to live a little
"The wussification of American children is a relatively recent phenomenon, but a very real one."
Diet and Fat: A Severe Case of Mistaken Consensus
"Thus begins an “informational cascade” as one person after another assumes that the rest can’t all be wrong. "
What is the Monkeysphere?
"What do monkeys have to do with war, oppression, crime, racism and even e-mail spam? You'll see that all of the random ***-headed cruelty of the world will suddenly make perfect sense once we go Inside the Monkeysphere. " (warning: adult language, not for children or the easily offended)
Prudie's advice for how to tame the bride from hell
"When did getting married become an exercise in acquired situational narcissism?"
Caring For Your Introvert
"Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice? "
The day the Pacific was whipped up into an ocean of froth
"Foam swallowed an entire beach and half the nearby buildings, including the local lifeguards' centre, in a freak display of nature at Yamba in New South Wales. "
Very good soup
I recently made some great soup, and here's the recipe:
2 chicken breasts baked with Montreal Steak Seasoning, cubed
1 large jar white northern beans
1 red onion, chopped
1 can mushrooms
1 chopped green pepper
2 cubes beef bullion
salt
minced garlic
Boil all ingredients in a large saucepan; when done, blend it with a stick-blender. The kids remarked upon how much it stank while cooking, and it did, but in a good way.
2 chicken breasts baked with Montreal Steak Seasoning, cubed
1 large jar white northern beans
1 red onion, chopped
1 can mushrooms
1 chopped green pepper
2 cubes beef bullion
salt
minced garlic
Boil all ingredients in a large saucepan; when done, blend it with a stick-blender. The kids remarked upon how much it stank while cooking, and it did, but in a good way.
Tara Donovan’s Mega Sculptures Made From Everyday Objects
Be sure and check out the text below the pictures to see what these are made of.
Englishwoman Begins Her Historic Pacific Row
"An Englishwoman woman who rowed alone across the Atlantic Ocean last year launched her effort to cross the Pacific Sunday as she headed off into glassy calm waters at Point Saint George near Crescent City."
English Russia - New Russian Sceneries
These photos are tweaked somehow, and whoever took them and tweaked them did a great job.
Pop Email Typewriter for Luddites
"Pop is a modified typewriter that allows you to send emails. You type out the recipient, subject and message on a special template sheet and the message is sent when you pull the finished page out. "
shoelace tying made easy
"Whether you want to learn to lace shoes, tie shoelaces, stop shoelaces from coming undone, calculate shoelace lengths or even repair aglets, Ian's Shoelace Site has the answer!"
The Island and Lake Combination
Including the "Largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island".
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