Saturday, November 13, 2010

On This Day in Ancient History - St. Augustine Was Born

Augustine

On this day in A.D. 354, Augustine was born in North Africa. Augustine was an important figure in the history of Christianity.

He wrote about topics like predestination and original sin. Some of his doctrines separate Western and Eastern Christianity, with St. Augustine defining certain doctrines of Western Christianity.

He lived and died in Africa during the time of the attack of the Vandals, A.D. 430.

Read more about Augustine:

For the Ages: Norman Rockwell’s Photo Realism translates into art

rockwell_wide2

I’ve enjoyed Rockwell’s art ever since my art classes in high school when we studied masters like him. It’s amazing to me what he did with a staged Black & White photo. The coloring and slight adjustments to make the scene stand out show his genius. If you’d like to see more examples GO HERE.

Watching an Island Being Born–1 in a million opportunity

Amazing Sight in the South Pacific Amazing Sight in the South Pacific

                            A BEACH?                                                        NO! THIS IS NOT A BEACH!

A yacht was traveling in the South Pacific when the crew came across a weird sight. Look at these photos and try to imagine the thrill of experiencing this phenomenon.

Coming Sunday in As It Stands–Get out of Afghanistan, There’s a War Next Door!

The U.S. State Department reported 80 Americans killed thus far this year by Mexican Drug Cartels. That’s already more than last year.

Mexico’s war is spilling into the U.S. (see chart). Our government needs to get out of Afghanistan and use that money to protect Americans at home. National security starts at home.

Record Number of Americans Killed on Border

“It has been a violent year in Mexico. Last weekend was no exception. Four Americans were killed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, which sets just across the border from El Paso, Texas. Two were fatally shot near the Zaragoza international bridge in one incident. In separate incidents, two other U.S. citizen suffered fatal shooting wounds in Ciudad Juarez.”

Six Americans killed in Mexico's drug war city

“Gunmen have killed six U.S. citizens in separate attacks since Saturday in the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez, the U.S. consulate said on Thursday, as Mexico struggles to halt surging murders.”

Mexico cops arrest child in hunt for hitmen as young as 12

'When we don't find the rivals, we kill innocent people,' an unidentified boy says in YouTube video

“Parents in the violent cities of Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana on the U.S. border say children as young as 8 years old want to grow up to be drug lords, as the thrills and wealth of the trafficking world touches their lives.”

Friday, November 12, 2010

No pun intended: 'Joking disease' is no joke

Melissa Dahl writes: Why did the cookie go to the hospital?

Because he felt crummy.

What did one snowman say to the other snowman?

Smells like carrots.

Why does Snoop Dogg carry an umbrella?

Fo' drizzle.

Terrible jokes? Or a sign of a brain disorder? Actually, sometimes it's hard to tell.

Witzelsucht (the Germans just have the best words for everything, don't they?) is a brain dysfunction that causes all sorts of compulsive silliness: bad jokes, corny puns, wacky behavior. It's also sometimes called the "joking disease," and as Taiwanese researchers phrased it in a 2005 report, it's a "tendency to tell inappropriate and poor jokes." We've covered all sorts of strange disorders of the mind in earlier Body Odd posts: one disorder makes you believe your loved ones are strangers, another convinces you that your hand has taken on a life of its own. Now, we give you a brain disorder that actually causes a poor sense of humor.

 

Better Than Nothing: Sculpture Generates Minimum Wage

Minimum Wage Machine

The Minimum Wage Machine is an artwork made by Blake Fall-Conroy. Anyone who interacts with the machine can “work” for a minimum wage.

Turning the crank by hand will yield one penny every five seconds, adding up to $7.15 an hour, which is New York State’s current minimum wage.

I’m curious to know who fills the Wage Machine up when the box is empty!

World's strongest liquors: Spirits make their way into upscale cocktails, but you may need to travel to find them

Image: Balkan 176

Grain alcohol may bring back memories — or flashbacks — of college dorms.

But Gilardi’s, a sleek Italian bistro in Springfield, Mo., offers a house-made Limoncello with lemon zest, sugar, and the 190-proof grain alcohol Everclear. It’s served straight up in a sugar-rimmed cordial glass — hardly a means to a sloppy end.

Slideshow: World's strongest liquors

The drink is no anomaly. In the last few years, exceedingly potent alcohols have moved beyond the frat house and into the mainstream palate, thanks to the revival of pre-Prohibition cocktails and our unending thirst for the latest and greatest. “There’s this new level of connoisseurship among drinkers in search of novelty,” says Noah Rothbaum, editor in chief of liquor.com. “It’s not about flavor; it’s about the experience.”

Thursday, November 11, 2010

I get a kick out of R.Lee Ermey–in both Full Metal Jacket and his current commercial about being an unsympathetic psychiatrist

This scene is a great portrayal of the iconic Marine drill instructor.

I think this commercial is hilarious! Guess I’m a R. Lee Ermey fan. My Dad was a Marine and served in the Pacific during WW II. He’s just as crusty as Ermey!

Vietnam Veterans receive the homecoming they never had at Fort Campbell

This video is touching. Tears ran down my eyes when I viewed it. These men are my brothers. We gave up our youth and left part of our souls in the steaming jungles of Southeast Asia. Our shameful return home greetings scarred us. Now, we need to embrace those who are welcoming us Home…and to be at Peace at last.

Sounds of Healing: combat veterans trade M-16s for guitars

A new Band of Brothers – Soldiers and Marines find guitar music healing. Good Veteran Day vibes

From Russia with Love: Marjorie Taylor Greene and GOP Right-Wingers Praised for Not Funding Ukraine

Russian State media can't get enough of Marjorie Taylor Greene.  She's proven to be a superstar for actively stopping aid to Ukrai...