November 2010
18 posts
1 tag
Castor and Pollux
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_and_Pollux
In the myth the twins shared the same mother but had different fathers which meant that Pollux was immortal and Castor was mortal. When Castor died, Pollux asked Zeus to let him share his own immortality with his twin to keep them together and they were transformed into the Gemini constellation. The pair were regarded as the patrons of sailors, to...
2 tags
History of the Atlanta Falcons (1965–1969)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Atlanta_Falcons#1965.E2.80.931969
The name Falcons was suggested by Julia Elliott (1909–1990) a high school teacher from Griffin, Georgia who won a contest in 1965. Though 40 other contestants had also suggested the name, Elliott wrote in an essay, “The falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey....
2 tags
2 tags
Goodnight Moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Moon
In 2005, publisher HarperCollins digitally altered the photograph of illustrator Hurd, which had been on the book for at least twenty years, to remove a cigarette. Kate Jackson, editor in chief for children’s books, said “It is potentially a harmful message to very young kids.” HarperCollins had the reluctant permission of...
3 tags
Chris Gaines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Gaines
Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic speculated that the alternate persona and elaborate marketing scheme backfired, writing, “When Brooks’ new persona and his album were revealed to the public, they were unforgiving - they didn’t think he was playing a role, they simply thought he’d lost his mind.”
L-O-L
4 tags
Hiram Walker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Walker
Walker began selling his whiskey as Hiram Walker’s Club Whiskey. It became very popular and American distillers became angry, and forced the US Government to pass a law requiring that all foreign whiskeys state their country of origin on the label. This move backfired; Hiram Walker’s Canadian Club Whiskey became more popular following the...
2 tags
Fractal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal
Chaotic dynamical systems are sometimes associated with fractals. Objects in the phase space of a dynamical system can be fractals (see attractor). Objects in the parameter space for a family of systems may be fractal as well. An interesting example is the Mandelbrot set. This set contains whole discs, so it has a Hausdorff dimension equal to its...
2 tags
Bedtime Story
t
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedtime_story
Bedtime stories can be read from a book, or rather, fictional stories made up by the storyteller. The stories are mostly rather short, between one and five minutes, and have a happy ending. A different form of bedtime reading is using longer stories, but dividing them up, thus creating cliffhangers. Children will look forward to their bedtime...
3 tags
Robot Fetishism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_fetishism
As realistic androids and humanoid robots do not currently exist in a form readily available to the consumer, this fetish can only be acted upon in a limited number of ways. Primarily this is done through fantasy, involving either self stimulation or sexual roleplaying with a partner.
One day, my robot prince will come…
5 tags
Protests against the Vietnam War (Common Slogans...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_the_Vietnam_War#Common_slogans_and_chants
“Draft Beer, not boys”, “Hell no, we won’t go”, “Make love, not war” and “Eighteen today, dead tomorrow” were a few of the anti war slogans.
I’ve decided “Draft beer, not boys!” is my Thing to Loudly Repeat 800 Times While Drunk at a...
4 tags
Date Rape Drug (Types of Drugs)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_rape_drug#Types_of_drugs
Some assailants have committed “rapes of convenience” whereby they have assaulted a victim after he or she had become unconscious from drinking too much.
C’mon baby, don’t be afraid if it wasn’t for date rape I’d never get laid.*
Drink responsible-like, kids! It’s a scary world out there.
...
2 tags
Shako
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shako
Although the nineteenth century shako was impressive in appearance and added to the height of the wearer, it was also heavy and clumsy in the field and provided little protection against enemy action or the weather. Most models were made of cloth or felt, over a leather body and peak. During the period of general peace that followed the Napoleonic Wars,...
4 tags
Canadian Dollar (Value)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_dollar#Value
The dollar has been as high as US $2.78, reached on 11 July 1864 after the United States had temporarily abandoned the gold standard.
Protip for Americans: When flipping through a Canadian magazine, prices are likely to be in Canadian dollars.
Don’t panic.
3 tags
Wizard Rock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_Rock
Top bands in this genre include Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, Voldy and the Horcruxes, Wingardium Leviosa, The Remus Lupins, the Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills, Gred and Forge, Tonks and the Aurors, Swish and Flick, Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls, Ministry of Magic, The Moaning Myrtles, The...
3 tags
Bootstrapping
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping or booting refers to a group of metaphors that share a common meaning: a self-sustaining process that proceeds without external help.
Well, that’s fair. The classic “boot and rally” is most certainly self-sustaining, and proceeds without external help… not counting the booze.
3 tags
Crumhorn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumhorn
Crumhorns make a strong buzzing sound, although quieter than their conical-bore relatives the rauschpfeife and shawm.
At least their boring relatives seem more interesting than “Uncle Jim” and “Grandma Susan.”
2 tags
Blow torch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blow_torch
The blowtorch is commonly used where a diffuse (wide spread) high temperature naked flame heat is required but not so hot as to cause combustion or welding temperature applications: soldering, brazing, softening paint for removal, melting roof tar, or pre-heating large castings before welding such as for repairing.
Naked flames. Hot.
3 tags
Will-o'-the-Wisp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o%27-the-wisp
A will-o’-the-wisp or ignis fatuus (Latin, from ignis, “fire” + fatuus, “foolish”), also called will-o’-wisp, corpse candle, jack-o’-lantern, friar’s lantern, gunderslislik, and wisp, is a Folklore depiction of ghostly light sometimes seen at night or twilight over bogs, swamps, and marshes.
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