Look what was in the backyard this morning! A sign that spring is truly near...
Or not:p
Robert picked my mom and I the first crocuses of the year. So pretty!
Wiki: Crocus (plural: crocuses, croci) is a genus of perennial flowering plants, native to a large area from coastal and subalpine areas of central and southern Europe (including the islands of the Aegean), North Africa and the Middle East, across Central Asia to western China.
The genus Crocus is placed botanically in the iris family (Iridaceae). The plants grow from corms and are mainly hardy perennials, and are found in a wide range of habitats, including woodland, scrub and meadows.
There are about eighty species of crocus (of which approximately 30 are cultivated). Their cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flowers taper off into a narrow tube. Their color varies enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire. Crocuses typically have three stamens. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn/fall-blooming species.
Since I've had more time on my hands lately, I've been thinking about getting a dotcom address for my blog, and having other neat stuff to do while on my site than to just read my ramblings.pondering224.com seems alright but then I started thinking about what a couple of my friends call me. The crazy cat lady. crazycatlady.com or something to that effect sounds cool, but I don't post about my cats enough for that, do I? Anyways while I was on that thought train I decided to make another post about my only house pets and companions.
A popular misconception is that cats age seven years (in human years) for each calendar year. In fact, feline aging is much more rapid during the first two years of life. A cat reaches the approximate human age of 15 during its first year, then 24 at age 2. Each year thereafter, it ages approximately four "cat years" for every calendar year. Thus, a 5-year-old feline would be approximately 36 in cat years. It should be remembered that a cat who lives outdoors ages far more quickly, perhaps even twice as fast, than an indoor cat.
A Cat's Life Span
Felines are generally quite long-lived, though mileage varies depending on owner maintenance and genetic predisposition. In a handful of documented cases, cats have exceeded 30 years in age. Typically, indoor cats may live 12 to 18 years, with many surviving into their 20s. Outdoor cats face greater threat of accident and/or illness, and average roughly 10 years.
Indicators of a Cat's Age
If you've taken in a stray or adopted a cat whose age is unknown, there are some ways to determine her age. Here are some things vets check to get a general sense of how old a cat is:
The Teeth: Teeth are a great indicator of age. Older cats tend to have more staining than younger cats, assuming the previous owner was negligent in brushing the cat's teeth. And a kitten's teeth first come in between two to four weeks; their more permanent set appears at around four months of age. So if you open a cat's mouth and find permanent, white teeth, the feline is likely to be around a year old. Some yellowing might place the cat between 1 and 2, and tartar build-up on all the teeth indicates that the cat could be between 3 and 5. Missing teeth may mean you have a senior cat on your hands.
Muscle Tone: Younger cats are more likely to have some muscle definition from their higher activity level. Older cats are usually a bit bonier and may have some extra skin hanging or protruding shoulder blades.
The Coat: A younger cat usually has a soft, fine coat, whereas an older cat tends to have thicker, coarser fur. A senior cat may display grays or patches of white.
The Eyes: Bright, clear eyes without tearing or discharge are common in younger cats. A cat with some cloudiness in their eyes is likely to be 12 years old or so. While inspecting the lens, also examine the iris of the eye. Young cats have smooth irises, while the iris of an old cat can sometimes appear somewhat jagged.
My (almost) 5 year old cat Rage.
(Short for Rage Against the Machine)
He's the one I worry about the most. Shy and evil I tell you.
But looks can be deceiving.
My 2 year old cat Tool
He's so friendly, cute and adorable. Maybe I should worry about him more.
Signs Your Cat May Be Trying To Kill You
1. Seems mighty chummy with the dog all of a sudden.
2. He actually *does* have your tongue.
3. You find a stash of "Feline of Fortune" magazines behind the couch.
4. Cyanide paw prints all over the house.
5. You wake up to find a bird's head in your bed.
6. As the wind blows over the grassy knoll in downtown Dallas, you get a faint whiff of catnip.
7. Droppings in litter box spell out "REDRUM."
8. Catch him with a new mohawk looking in the mirror saying, "Mew looking at me? Mew looking at me?"
9. Takes attentive notes every time "Itchy and Scratchy" are on.
10. You find blueprints for a Rube Goldberg device that starts with a mouse chased into a hole and ends with flaming oil dumped on your bed.
11. Has taken a sudden interest in the wood chipper.
12. Instead of dead birds, leaves cartons of Marlboros on your doorstep.
13. Ball of yarn playfully tied into a hangman's noose.
14. You find a piece of paper labelled "MY WIL" which says "LEEV AWL 2 KAT."
15. Now sharpens claws on your car's brake lines.
The cat code
Doors:
Do not allow closed doors in any room. To get door opened, stand on hind legs and hammer with forepaws. Once door is opened, it is not necessary to use it. After you have ordered an "outside" door opened, stand halfway in and out and think about several things. This is particularly important during very cold weather, rain, snow, or mosquito season. Swinging doors are to be avoided at all costs.
Chairs and Rugs:
If you have to throw up, get to a chair quickly. If you cannot manage in time, get to an Oriental rug. If there is no Oriental rug, shag is good. When throwing up on the carpet, make sure you back up so that it is as long as the humans bare foot.
Bathrooms:
Always accompany guests to the bathroom. It is not necessary to do anything . . . just sit and stare.
Computer:
When the human is using his/her computer it is absolutely essential that you jump up onto the desk and walk across the keyboard just as they are completing a particularly long and complicated online task such as filling in a job application or filing a tax return. The human will appreciate your assistance and show their gratitude by leaping from the chair, throwing their hands in the air and shrieking like a maniac whilst running from the room.
Hampering:
If one of your humans is engaged in some close activity and the other is idle, stay with the busy one. This is called "helping", otherwise known as "hampering." Following are the rules for "hampering":
1.When supervising cooking, sit just behind the left heel of the cook. You cannot be seen and thereby stand a better chance of being stepped on and then picked up and comforted.
2.For book readers, get in close under the chin, between eyes and book, unless you can lie across the book itself.
3.For knitting projects or paperwork, lie on the work in the most appropriate manner so as to obscure as much of the work or at least the most important part. Pretend to doze, but every so often reach out and slap the pencil or knitting needles. The worker may try to distract you; ignore it. Remember, the aim is to hamper work. Embroidery and needlepoint projects make great hammocks in spite of what the humans may tell you.
4.For people paying bills (monthly activity) or working on income taxes or Christmas cards (annual activity), keep in mind the aim-to hamper! First, sit on the paper being worked on. When dislodged, watch sadly from the side of the table. When activity proceeds nicely, roll around on the papers, scattering them to the best of your ability. After being removed for the second time, push pens, pencils, and erasers off the table, one at a time. When a human is holding the newspaper in front of him/her, be sure to jump on the back of the paper. They love to jump.
Walking:
As often as possible, dart quickly and as close as possible in front of the human, especially on stairs, when they have something in their arms, in the dark, and when they first get up in the morning. This will help their coordination skills.
Bedtime:
Always sleep on the human at night so s/he cannot move around.
Play:
This is an important part of your life. Get enough sleep in the daytime so you are fresh for your nocturnal games. Below are listed several favorite cat games that you can play. It is important, though, to maintain one's dignity at all times. If you should have an accident during play, such as falling off a chair, immediately wash a part of your body as if to say "I meant to do that!" It fools those humans every time.
Cat Games:
1.Catch Mouse:
The humans would have you believe that those lumps under the covers are their feet and hands. They are lying. They are actually Bed Mice, rumored to be the most delicious of all the mice in the world, though no cat has ever been able to catch one. Rumor also has it that only the most ferocious attack can stun them long enough for you to dive under the covers to get them. Maybe YOU can be the first to taste the Bed Mouse!
2.King of the Hill:
This game must be played with at least one other cat. The more, the merrier! One or both of the sleeping humans is Hill 303 which must be defended at all costs from the other cat(s). Anything goes. This game allows for the development of unusual tactics as one must take the unstable playing theater into account.
Toys:
Any small item is a potential toy. If a human tries to confiscate it, this means that it is a good toy. Run with it under the bed. Look suitably outraged when the human grabs you and takes it away. Always watch where it is put so you can steal it later. Two reliable sources of toys are dresser tops and wastebaskets. There are several types of cat toys.
1.Bright shiny things like keys, brooches, or coins should be hidden so that the other cat(s) or humans can't play with them. They are generally good for playing hockey with on uncarpeted floors.
2.Dangly and/or string-like things such as shoelaces, cords, gold chains, and dental floss (& Q-tips) also make excellent toys. They are favorites of humans who like to drag them across the floor for us to pounce on.
3.When a string is dragged under a newspaper or throw rug, it magically becomes the Paper/Rug Mouse and should be killed at all costs. Take care, though. Humans are sneaky and will try to make you lose your dignity.
Paper Bags:
Within paper bags dwell the bag mice. They are small and camouflaged to be the same color as the bag, so they are hard to see. But you can easily hear the crinkling noises they make as they scurry around the bag. Anything, up to and including shredding the bag, can be done to kill them. Note: any other cat you may find in a bag hunting for bag mice is fair game for a sneak attack, which will usually result in a great Tagmatch.
Food:
In order to get the energy to sleep, play, and hamper, a cat must eat. Eating, however, is only half the fun. The other half is getting the food. Cats have two ways to obtain food: convincing a human you are starving to death and must be fed now; and hunting for it oneself. The following are guidelines for getting fed.
1.When the humans are eating, make sure you leave the tip of your tail in their dishes when they are not looking.
2.Never eat food from your own bowl if you can steal some from the table. Never drink from your own water bowl if a human's glass is full enough to drink from.
3.Should you catch something of your own outside, it is only polite to attempt to get to know it. Be insistent. Your food will usually not be so polite and try to leave.
4.Table scraps are delicacies with which the humans are unfortunately unwilling to readily part. It is beneath the dignity of a cat to beg outright for food as lower forms of life such as dogs will, but several techniques exist for ensuring that the humans don't forget you exist. These include, but are not limited to: jumping onto the lap of the "softest" human and purring loudly; lying down in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen, the "direct stare", and twining around people's legs as they sit and eat while meowing plaintively.
Sleeping:
As mentioned above, in order to have enough energy for playing, a cat must get plenty of sleep. It is generally not difficult to find a comfortable place to curl up. Any place a human likes to sit is good, especially if it contrasts with your fur color. If it's in a sunbeam or near a heating duct or radiator, so much the better. Of course, good places also exist outdoors, but have the disadvantages of being seasonal and dependent on current and previous weather conditions such as rain. Open windows are a good compromise.
Scratching Posts:
It is advised that cats use any scratching post the humans may provide. They are very protective of what they think is their property and will object strongly if they catch you sharpening your claws on it. Being sneaky and doing it when they aren't around won't help, as they are very observant. If you are an outdoor kitty, trees are good. Sharpening your claws on a human is not recommended.
Humans:
Humans have three primary functions: to feed us, to play with and give attention to us, and to clean the litter box. It is important to maintain one's Dignity when around humans so that they will not forget who is the master of the house. Humans need to know basic rules. They can be taught if you start early and are consistent.
Cat Speak:
Humans will sometimes try to speak in cat language, attempting to 'meow' at you while having no real idea what they're saying! Cats can either meow back and try and fool the human into thinking that there is a real connection going on, or they can stare at the human with a puzzled look on their face...after all, the human just told you that your mother was the ***** of every tomcat in town! Did they mean that or did they simply not understand the implications of their attempting to meow? It's hard to say, as the level of human advancement in this area is very limited...about the only 'catspeak' they actually understand is "I'm starving" and "Let me out...NOW!" If they have truly insulted you or your family, feel free to either tell them how stupid they are in cat language or walk away indignantly.
Should your cat become part of the Prozac Nation? "I give cats Prozac for a number of reasons," says Dr. Steven Melman, sometimes jocularly called "The Pied Piper of Prozac for Pets."
He explained that cats are most often given Prozac for "obsessive-compulsive disorders, like when they pull their hair out for non- allergy reasons. With Prozac they often get better," says this veterinary dermatologist/behaviorist.
Cats, like people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, may have a need to do something several times in a row or in a certain way. But unlike people, they can't check a door five times after they go out to see if it's locked.
But Prozac {fluoxetine} has been known to help cats' obsessive-compulsive behavior, such as biting themselves repeatedly in one spot, or related nipple, flank, or paw sucking.
Prozac also works for certain types of aggression as well as depression. "Cats become upset for various reasons. Say their families are breaking up, or their owner has a new boyfriend or girlfriend, is moving or whatever," says Melman, of the Animal Dermatology and Behavior Clinic in Maryland.
Since a cat can't directly tell you he's upset over these things, he may inappropriately urinate, defecate, or howl. "And Prozac may help with all of these," Dr. Melman stated.
Incidentally, if your cat is displaying these symptoms, and you're on Prozac, don't give your cat your medicine because the dosages are different. And if you're having a Prozac moment, don't take your cat's pill for the same reason.
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place. Someone who creates anagrams is called an anagrammatist. The original word or phrase is known as the subject of the anagram.
Any word or phrase that exactly reproduces the letters in another order is an anagram. However, the goal of serious or skilled anagrammatists is to produce anagrams that in some way reflect or comment on the subject. Such an anagram may be a synonym or antonym of its subject, a parody, a criticism, or praise; e.g. George Bush = He bugs Gore; Madonna Louise Ciccone = Occasional nude income or One cool dance musician; William Shakespeare = I am a weakish speller, Roger Meddows-Taylor = Great words or melody. Wiki
Common Anagrams
* Resistance = Ancestries
* Gainly = Laying
* Admirer = Married
* Sadder = Dreads
* Protectional = Lactoprotein
* Orchestra = Carthorse
* Creative = Reactive
* Deductions = Discounted
* Listen = Silent
* Replays = Parsley
* Crudities = Diuretics
* Paternal = Parental
* Angered = Enraged
* Discriminator = Doctrinairism
* Serbia = Rabies
Amusing Anagrams
* Dormitory = Dirty Room
* Evangelist = Evil's Agent
* Desperation = A Rope Ends It
* The Morse Code = Here Come Dots
* Slot Machines = Cash Lost in 'em
* Animosity = Is No Amity
* Mother-in-law = Woman Hitler
* Snooze Alarms = Alas! No More Z's
* Alec Guinness = Genuine Class
* Semolina = Is No Meal
* The Public Art Galleries = Large Picture Halls, I Bet
* The Earthquakes = That Queer Shake
* Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
* Contradiction = Accord not in it
* Conversation = Voices Rant On
* The eyes = They see
* Barbie doll = Liberal bod
* Belgium = Big mule
* Clothespins = So Let's Pinch
* Confessional = On scale of sin
* Apple, Inc = Epic Plan
* Frito Lay = Oily Fart
* Geologist = Go Get Oils
* Christmas = Trims cash
* Why do you care? = Hey you coward!
* Year two thousand = a year to shut down
* Debit card = Bad Credit
* Goodbye = Obey god
* ipod lover = poor devil
* Narcissism = Man's crisis
* Funeral = Real Fun
* Hot water = Worth tea
* Darling I love you = Avoiding our yell
* The Country Side = No City Dust Here
* Ladybug = bald guy
* Astronomers = No more stars
* A Domesticated Animal = Docile, as a Man Tamed it
Anagrams of common sayings and cliches
* The end of the World is nigh = Down this hole, frightened
* The best things in life are free = Nail-biting refreshes the feet
* A stitch in time saves nine = is this meant as incentive
* If at first you don't succeed = try deft, if cautious, second
* One good turn deserves another = Do rogues endorse that? No, never
* Rome wasn't built in a day = but laid in two years, man
* Rome wasn't built in a day = but Italians may wonder
* Rome was not built in a day = any labor I do wants time
* To cast pearls before swine = One’s labor is perfect waste
* Many a true word is spoken in jest = Men joke, and so win trusty praise
* The meaning of life = the fine game of nil
* Please hold the line = Telephone aids Hell
* Time and tide wait for no man = Notified madman into water
* Say it with flowers = we flirt so this way
This one's amazing: (From Hamlet by Shakespeare)
To be or not to be: that is the question, whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. =
In one of the Bard's best-thought-of tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns rotten.
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." -- Neil A. Armstrong =
A thin man ran; makes a large stride; left planet, pins flag on moon! On to Mars!
Some celeb names shuffled for amusing results.
* Vin Diesel = I end lives
* Lady Gaga = A glad gay
* Nicholas Cage = Angelic Chaos
* Leonard Nimoy = I'm Only a Drone
* Oprah Winfrey = Hype worn fair
* Arnold Schwarzenegger = He's Grown Large 'n' Crazed
* President Boris Yeltsin = Endless insobriety trip
Some movie & tv show titles made into Anagrams
* The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly - Not Bugged, Deathly, Hothead
* The Lord of the Rings - Trod Length of Shire
* The Lord of the Rings - three torn goldfish
* American Beauty - Bare Cutey Mania
* Lawrence of Arabia - Arab-Wear Facile, No?
* Unforgiven - Fiver On Gun
* The Departed - The Pert Dead
* Reservoir Dogs - Over, Dire Gross
* Inglorious Basterds - Boisterous Darlings
* The Empire Strikes Back - I Am the Berserk Skeptic
* Braveheart - Braver Hate
* The Graduate - Eat Daughter
* Gone With the Wind - Wow! The Hit Ending!
* Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Dud. Dusty Technicians Chase Bank.
* The Sound of Music - Seduction of Hums
* Easy Rider - Dire Years
* Austin Powers = power us satin
* A Walk to Remember (movie) - bleaker worm meat
* The Matrix - That Mixer
* James Bond: Demons jab
* Shakespeare In Love - Heaven Likes a Poser
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Pithy Female Braves Fury
* Desperate Housewives - Up Sweetie's Overheads
* The Brady Bunch - Chubby 'N' Hatred
* Grey's Anatomy - Mastery Agony
* Beavis and Butthead = Thus, be a bad deviant
* Dancing with the stars = Winners had tight acts
* The Simpson's = men's hot piss
Anagram Poems
The poem below, in blue, was written by Shel Silverstein. Below it, in red, is an anagram of the poem created by Meyran Kraus. It scans and rhymes well, paraphrasing the original remarkably closely. Such anagrams take a lot of time and patience to produce.
The Little Boy and the Old Man Shel Silverstein
Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.
And here is the anagram poem:
The Tot and the Elder Olin Foblioso & Billy Foblioso
The tiny tot went: "When I eat I mess up."
The elder replied: "O, that makes two of us."
"I soil myself," went the tot with shame
And the elder added: "O, I do the same."
On the tot told him: "I sob a lot."
"O, not only you," answered gramps to the tot.
"And what's totally bad," the tiny tot told,
"I think mom and dad don't love me at all."
While grandpa simply, pitiably smiled,
then said: "O, I understand, my child."
---
Best Anagram for your name?
I came across this neat website and found out the Anagram that best suits my name is "MANLESSLY BRAINY". So, am I inhumanly brainy or brainy because I've been single for almost 2 years? Pffft. Without my middle name the generator came up with "AS MISERABLY" Go figure!
Try it out for yourself and see what it comes up with.
A zebra/horse hybrid, The Zebroid or Zorse’s mother is a zebra and her father is a horse. She probably won’t be able to reproduce herself since equine hybrids are infertile.People have been cross-breeding zebras and horses since colonial times, but Eclyse’s coloring is unusual for such hybrids. With her über distinct makings, it’s really hard not think she’s a Photoshop mock-up.
This cartoonish muscle-dog is Wendy, a whippet with a genetic disorder causing ridiculous muscular growth.
Its real. Here's a funny/slightly disturbing story to go along w the pic. (Link)
Holy taxidermy. This is disturbing.
Is she just jumping or taken away in a dream?
Just eating an ice cream cloud.
The lady whose midsection appears to be in the process of getting sucked into a black hole is Cathie Jung, who, as you can see, has an entire website based around the fact that her body is terrifying to look at.
Dean Potters rope walk at Taft Point in Yosemite.
It may look insane, but the guy at the picture is not a Photoshoped silhouette placed over a fake landscape. He's swimming at the Devil’s Pool, a natural rock pool at the very top of the Victoria Falls, at Zimbabwe, with a height of about 100 metres.
What appears to be the background for a cheesy 80s album cover is actually an untouched photo from Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the largest salt flat in the world. It frequently floods with a shallow layer of water, allowing that dude pull off the Jesus move in the picture.
It looks like a city about to get drained out of a giants bath tub, but its actually a picture of the worlds largest diamond mine outside of Mirny, Russia. This mine is actually so large that air currents prevent helicopters from flying over it.
No need to avert your eyes, you are not in fact witnessing the worlds largest up-skirt. These bizarre, lens shaped lenticular clouds form in upward gusts of wind that naturally occur around mountains. These winds are so powerful that sail plane pilots have used them to glide 1,864 miles without a motor.
Venticular clouds are often mistaken for UFOs, which sounds retarded until you see one of these hovering over your town.
This mile-high tennis match looks like some cheesy special effect from a Nike commercial. But no, its just Dubai, whose entire economy seems to be based on building enormous things that exist only for the purpose of not making any goddamn sense. In that spirit they hosted this tennis match between Andre Agassi and Roger Federer on a helipad located on top of the Burj Al Arab skyscraper.
This humongous table and chair is a sculpture in England. The artist wanted to build a monument to the privacy and loneliness of writing.
The car rendered from what looks like vector graphics from an old-school arcade game is a wire-frame sculpture by artist Benedict Radcliffe. And we mean an actual frame made of wires.
What appears to be some normal-sized machine cropped and pasted onto a skyline is actually a gigantic machinized monstrosity designed for excavation by some Germans. Those things that look like saw teeth big enough to cut down the Empire State Building are actually buckets, each of which could pretty much scoop up your whole house.
This billboard from Indonesia is a creative effort by the Formula Toothcare company to illustrate the fact that their toothpaste builds strong teeth.
Awesome Photoshop slide show Of course these are photoshopped.
Some funny, some will make you look twice, some are just plain awesome.
If you havent checked out my first post about Ok Go's new video click here.
A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg. Wiki
A Rube Goldberg machine performs a simple task in a complex way.
Many designers of Rube Goldberg machines participate in competitions, such as this one in New Mexico.
More video examples of Rube Goldberg machines
"An Honest Mistake", a 2005 music video by the alternative rock band The Bravery
Rube Goldberg machine from the 2005 movie "Waiting"
MythBusters Rube Goldberg Machine
Japanese Rube Goldberg Contest - Amazing Rube Goldberg type machine to fix ramen for dinner
Rube Goldberg Fire Machine
Rube Goldberg stands in front of an x-ray and sees an idea inside his head showing how to keep shop windows clean.
Passing man (A) slips on banana peel (B) causing him to fall on rake (C). As handle of rake rises it throws horseshoe (D) onto rope (E) which sags, thereby tilting sprinkling can (F). Water (G) saturates mop (H). Pickle terrier (I) thinks it is raining, gets up to run into house and upsets sign (J) throwing it against non-tipping cigar ash receiver (K) which causes it to swing back and forth and swish the mop against window pane, wiping it clean. If man breaks his neck by fall move away before cop arrives.
Rube Goldberg Biography
Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) was a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, sculptor, and author.
Reuben Lucius Goldberg was born in San Francisco on July 4th, 1883. After graduating University of California Berkeley with a degree in engineering, Rube went on to work as an engineer for the City of San Francisco Water and Sewers Department.
After six months Rube shifted gears and left the Sewers Department to become an office boy in the sports department of a San Francisco newspaper. While there he began to submit drawings and cartoons to the editor until he was finally published. Rube soon moved from San Francisco to New York to work for the Evening Mail drawing daily cartoons. This led to syndication and a national presence – and the rest is history.
A founding member of the National Cartoonist Society, a political cartoonist and a Pulitzer Prize winner, Rube was a beloved national figure as well as an often-quoted radio and television personality during his sixty-year professional career. Goldberg wrote a feature film featuring his machines and sculptures called Soup to Nuts which was released in 1930 and starred Ted Healy and The Three Stooges.
Best known for his “inventions”, Rube’s early years as an engineer informed his most acclaimed work. A Rube Goldberg contraption – an elaborate set of arms, wheels, gears, handles, cups, and rods, put in motion by balls, canary cages, pails, boots, bathtubs, paddles, and live animals – takes a simple task and makes it extraordinarily complicated. He had solutions for How To Get The Cotton Out Of An Aspirin Bottle, imagined a Self-Operating Napkin, and created a Simple Alarm Clock – to name just a few of his hilariously depicted drawings.
The promise and pitfalls of modern technology make Rube Goldberg’s inventions even more relevant now than when they were originally created. From think-tanks in Silicon Valley, to the New York Times, to Sunday morning’s Meet the Press, hardly a day goes by without the name “Rube Goldberg” being invoked. In fact Rube Goldberg is an adjective in Webster’s Dictionary.
Today Purdue University hosts the annual National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest which brings Rube’s comic genius to life for millions of fans. Covered widely by the national media, the winning team and their working invention always appears on late night talk shows like David Letterman, Jay Leno, or Jimmy Kimmel Live. To get a real window into the machine contest, go to www.mousetraptomars.com where you can watch a 2 minute clip from the upcoming documentary that chronicles three teams vying for the winning slot. A coffee table book of Rube’s work is being published by Abrams in 2012, along with a calendar and children’s pop-up book.
At a time when the U.S. is looking to inspire young minds, Rube Goldberg’s legacy represents the best in American innovation, humor and unconventional thinking; an inspiring model for us all.
In the media: Various films and cartoons have included highly complex machines that perform simple tasks. Among these are Flåklypa Grand Prix, Looney Tunes, Wallace and Gromit, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, The Way Things Go, Edward Scissorhands, Back to the Future, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, The Goonies, Gremlins, the Saw film series, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Cat from Outer Space, Malcolm and Waiting...
Also in the Final Destination film series the characters often die in Rube Goldberg-esque ways. In the film The Great Mouse Detective, the villain Ratigan attempts to kill the film's heroes, Basil of Baker Street and David Q. Dawson, with a Rube Goldberg style device.
The popular 1963 board game Mouse Trap, as well as its sequels Crazy Clock (1964), and Fish Bait (1965) are based on Rube Goldberg machines. Some examples of Goldberg-inspired videogames are Incredibots, LittleBigPlanet, the 1990s-era series of The Incredible Machine games, and Crazy Machines.
Rube Goldberg gets caught in a revolving door and becomes dizzy enough to dope out an idea to keep you from forgetting to mail your wife's letter.
As you walk past cobbler shop, hook (A) strikes suspended boot (B), causing it to kick football (C) through goal posts (D). Football drops into basket (E) and string (F) tilts sprinkling can, (G) causing water to soak coat tails (H). As coat shrinks, cord (I) opens door (J) of cage, allowing bird (K) to walk out on perch (L) and grab worm (M) which is attached to string (N). This pulls down window shade (O) on which is written, "YOU SAP, MAIL THAT LETTER." A simple way to avoid all this trouble is to marry a wife who can't write.
Rube Goldberg mistakes a lot of broken glass for bath salts and when they pull him out of the tub he mumbles an idea for dodging bill collectors
As Tailor (A) fits customer (B) and calls out measurements, college boy (C) mistakes them for football signals and makes a flying tackle at clothing dummy (D). Dummy bumps head against paddle (E) causing it to pull hook (F) and throw bottle (G) on end of folding hat rack (H) which spreads and pushes head of cabbage (I) into net (J). Weight of cabbage pulls cord (K) causing shears (L) to cut string (M). Bag of sand (N) drops on scale (O) and pushes broom (P) against pail of whitewash (Q) which upsets all over you causing you to look like a marble statue and making it impossible for you to be recognized by bill collectors. Don't worry about posing as any particular historical statue because bill collectors don't know much about art.
A good friend of mine just had a baby and now all of her children and the men in her husbands family are named after men from the bible. Well that seems normal enough to me. What's not so normal is a facebook group I was recently invited to join named "My sister said if I get one million fans she will name her baby Magatron". I joined (of course) but I'm secretly hoping she won't make her own sister name her baby that. The suffering and mockery that kid is sure to endure brings a tear to my eye.
That facebook group has me thinking how celebrities name their babies the most unusual names. It's as if they don't think about the future. Or they think too much. They don't want anyone to forget the names and who's spawn they are. Here's a list of some of the most unusual celebrity babies names and the loving parents.
Aanisah: Macy Gray and Tracy Hinds (also: Tahmel, Cassius) Alabama Gypsy Rose: Drea de Matteo and Shooter Jennings Alcamy: Lance and Mary Jane Henriksen Anais: Noel Gallagher and Meg Matthews Apple: Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow (also: Moses) Aquinnah: Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan (also: Schuyler, Sam, Esme) Astrella Celeste: Donovan and Linda Lawrence (also: Oriole Nebula) Atherton Grace: Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger Audio Science: Shannyn Sossamon and Dallas Clayton Aurelius Cy: Elle Macpherson and Arpad Busson Banjo: Rachel Griffiths and Andrew Taylor Barron: Donald Trump and Melania Knauss Blue Angel: The Edge and Aislinn O'Sullivan Bluebell Madonna: Geri Halliwell and Sacha Gervasi Bogart Che Peyote: David "Puck" Rainey and Betty Rainey (also: Rocco Kokopelli) Brooklyn: David and Victoria Beckham (also: Romeo, Cruz) Bronx Mowgli: Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz Buster: Johnny Lee Miller and Michele Hicks Calico: Alice and Sheryl Cooper (also: Sonora Rose, Dashiell) Camera: Arthur Ashe and Jeanne Moutoussamy Cannon: Larry and Shawn King Caspar: Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn Chastity: Cher and Sonny Bono (also: Elijah Blue -- Cher and Greg Allman) Coco Riley: Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette Dandelion: Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg
Denim Cole: Toni Braxton and Keri Lewis (also: Diezel Ky) Destry: Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw Diva Muffin: Frank and Gail Zappa (also: Dweezil, Ahmet and Moon Unit) Ever Gabo: Milla Jovovich and Paul Anderson Everly Bear: Anthony Kiedis and Heather Christie Fifi Trixibell: Bob Geldof and Paula Yates (also: Peaches Honeyblossom, Pixie, Little Pixie) Free: Barbara Hershey and David Carradine Fuchsia: Sting and Frances Tomelty Gaia: Emma Thompson and Greg Wise Goldie Priya: Ione Skye and Ben Lee Gulliver: Gary Oldman and Donya Fiorentino Harlow Winter Kate: Nicole Richie and Joel Madden (also: Sparrow) Heaven: Lil' Mo (also: God'Iss Love Stone) Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily: Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates Hermes: Kelly Rutherford and Daniel Giersch Holden: Mira Sorvino and Chris Backus Hopper: Sean Penn and Robin Wright Hud: John Cougar Mellencamp and Elaine Irwin (also: Spec Wildhorse) Ikhyd: M.I.A. and Benjamin Brewer Indiana: Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix (also: Atticus) Ireland: Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger Jaz Elle: Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi Jazz Domino: Joe Strummer and Gabrielle Salter Jermajesty: Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza Jeronimo: Diego Luna and Camila Sodi Journey: Jenna Jameson and Tito ORtiz Kafka: Tommy Lee Jones Kal-el: Nicholas Cage and Alice Kim Kyd: David Duchovny and Tea Leoni Lennon: Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit London Emilio: Slash and Perla Ferrar Lyric: Robby Benson and Karla DeVito (also: Zephyr) Maddox: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (also: Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne) Marquise: 50 Cent and Shaniqua Tompkins Mars Merkaba: Erykah Badu and Jay Electronica Memphis Eve: Bono Moses Amadeus: Mia Farrow (also: Satchel and Lark Song) Moxie CrimeFighter: Penn and Emily Jillette (also: Zolten) Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha: Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa Ocean: Forest and Keisha Whitaker (also: Sonnet, True, Autumn) Phinnaeus: Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder (also: Hazel) Pilot Inspektor: Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf Pirate: Jonathan and Deven Davis (also: Zeppelin) Poet Sienna Rose: Soleil Moon Frye and Jason Goldberg Poppy Honey: Jamie Oliver and Jools Oliver (also: Daisy Boo, Petal Blossom Rainbow) Prince Michael II/Blanket: Michael Jackson (also: Prince Michael I, Paris Michael) Puma: Erykah Badu and Tracy Curry (The D.O.C.) Reignbeau: Ving Rhames and Deborah Reed (also: Freedom) Rocco: Madonna and Guy Richie Rocket: Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan (also: Racer, Rebel, Rogue, Rhiannon) Rowan: Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy (also: Grier) Rufus Tiger: Roger Taylor (also: Tiger Lily, Lola Daisy) Ryder: Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson Saffron Sahara: Simon and Yasmin Le Bon (also: Amber Rose, Tallulah Pine) Sailor Lee: Christie Brinkley, Peter Cook Sage Moonblood: Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack (also: Seargeoh) Satyana: Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof Satchel: Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee Seven Sirius: Andre Benjamin and Erykah Badu Snow: Robin Gibb and Claire Yang Sosie: Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick Steveanna: Randy and Eliza Jackson Story Elias: Jenna and Bodhi Elfman Sunday Rose: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Suri: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Tabooger: Dan Cortese and Dee Dee Hemby Tallulah: Bruce Willis and Demi Moore (also: Scout, Rumer) Thyme: Isaiah and Jenisa Marie Washington Tripp: Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston Tu: Rob Morrow and Debbon Ayer Yamma: James Brown and Deidre Jenkins Zen: Corey and Susie Feldman Zola Ivy: Eddie Murphy and Nicole Mitchell Zowie: David Bowie and Angela Bowie Zuma: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale (also: Kingston)
What about the celebrity parents themselves?
Many have chosen to change their given names for a more marketable moniker: Busta Rhymes: Trevor Tahiem Smith Eminem: Marshall Bruce Mathers III Kirk Douglas: Issur Danielovitch Demsky Queen Latifah: Dana Elaine Owens Whoopie Goldberg: Caryn Johnson Demi Moore: Demetria Guynes
While a lot of names come from food or places the following are just weird or odd...
But they do exist
Adolf Hitler Campbell: The name of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell hit the media late last year when his parents tried to order a cake with his name on it (the store refused). His sisters also have awful names: Joyce Lynn Aryan Nation and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell. We don't know what's going to happen to poor Adolf when he gets older, but we can only hope he changes his name as soon as possible.
I'm not saying unique is the way to go. I grew up hating my name because it is so common. I'm thankful my mom didn't name me Apple or Snake, or after food or a town.
Unique is good. Just don't overdo it ;)
A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg. Wiki
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version
For the video, OK Go enlisted the help of Synn Labs to build the
monstrous contraption. As Adam Sadowsky, president of Synn Labs,
explained to Wired.com, "a Rube Goldberg machine is in its essence a
trial-and-error thing."
For it to work, every action and reaction needs to be precise for the
full range of events to occur. That, Sadowsky says, is the most trying
and time consuming part. "It took about a month and a half of very
intense work, with people on-site all the time," Sadowsky said. About
60 people worked on building the machine.
Here's the original video, youtube embedding is disabled :( A neat Vid none the less.
Oh yeah, I really like this song too, except the electric thing they do in it. Once you hear it, you'll know what I'm referring to. I don't know but it annoys me:p
OK Go - Shooting The Moon @ Monolith Festival - Red Rocks Amphitheatre 9/12/09
I'm going on a road trip for the weekend but when I get back I will make a post further explaining A Rube Goldberg machine and give some more examples of it.
The craziest news I've heard in awhile Quake Shifted Earth's Axis, Shortened Day
Not too crazy, but think about it, the Chile earthquake has shifted the Earth's axis, creating shorter days, NASA says. The day change is permanent. 1.26 microseconds shorter!
Apart from claiming the lives of hundreds of people and wreaking enormous property damage, Chile's massive earthquake has likely altered the distribution of the Earth's overall mass, scientists from NASA say.
As a result, the length of a day is now a little shorter than it was before Saturday's magnitude 8.8 earthquake.
The speed that the Earth rotates also increased slightly in 2004 following the earthquake that struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. That 9.1 earthquake shortened the length of an Earth day by 6.8 microseconds, scientists say. The reason is that sudden changes in the dimensions of the Earth's tectonic plates, like those experienced in the earthquakes in Chile and Indonesia, can alter the velocity.
If you are interested in reading more about this, please visit one of these sites:
Chilean Quake Likely Shifted Earth’s Axis, NASA Scientist Says BusinessWeek
Chile Quake Shifted Earth’s Axis, Shortened the Length of a Day Discover Magazine
Chile Earthquake May Have Shortened Days on Earth Yahoo! News
Not big news, but somewhat disappointing to me... 10 Most Downloaded iTunes Songs of All Time
iTunes' hit the 10 Billion download marker on my birthday ;)
But I'm not very fond of many of the songs when Apple revealed the 10 Most Downloaded iTunes Songs of All Time. What do you think?
10) Kesha: 'TiK ToK' (2009)
Featured off her debut album 'Animal,' this iTunes single -- with auto-synth back beats -- muses about the singer's crazy night out partying. The chorus is a definite party rocker: "Don't stop, make it pop / DJ, blow my speakers up / Tonight, I'mma fight / 'Til we see the sunlight..."
9) Leona Lewis: 'Bleeding Love' (2007)
The 2006 'X-Factor' winner released this R&B/pop track as her lead single off her debut 'Spirit.' Although it is considered a love song, the song's structure is more R&B danced-based (with wood block percussion and synthesized strings) than a slow-tempo ballad. This song not only made iTunes top 10 most downloaded list, but was the best-selling single in the U.K., as well as the top selling track of 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
8) Taylor Swift: 'Love Story' (2008)
She may not have perfect pitch, but she sure can write, sharing the perfect love story that every girl would want, lyrically tying in the story between Romeo & Juliet (sans the tragic ending, obviously): "Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone / I'll be waiting, all that's left to do is run / You be the prince, and I'll be the princess / It's a love story, baby, just say, 'yes'." This tune was one of the first songs to successfully crossover from country to pop, and become not only the most-downloaded country track in history, but the best-selling country song in the U.S. -- surpassing LeAnn Rimes' 'How Do I Live?' by 1 million copies.
7) Flo Rida: 'Low' (2007)
The first single off his debut album 'Mail on Sunday' the song features T-Pain, who also co-wrote the song. According to the RIAA, this top downloaded iTunes song received the highest Gold & Platinum certification of any artist in March of 2008, earning Flo Rida Gold, Platinum, and 3x multi-Platinum prestige for his chart-topping song, which was also ranked No. 3 song on Billboard's Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.
6) Lady GaGa: 'Just Dance' (2008)
The playful tune with prominent dance beats has the glittery, swaggering-bombshell singing about being wasted in a club: "What's going on on the floor? / I love this record baby but I can't see straight anymore / Keep it cool, what's the name of this club? / I can't remember but it's alright, a-alright / Just dance." Praised by critics, the song stayed on the Billboard 100 for almost five months before it finally topped the charts in January of 2009.
5) Coldplay: 'Viva la Vida' (2008)
A band known for stadium-scale melodies, this track's melody is no different, recognized for it's repeated, punchy string section -- so much in fact that musician Joe Satriani accused Coldplay of copyright infringement, saying that the melody was copied from his 2004 'If I Could Fly.' Luckily for Coldplay, the case was settled last September, as both parties reached a financial settlement. The lyrics to the song mention Roman cavalry, Saint Peter and Jerusalem bells, adding religious references to a pop-y song, which won both Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or a Group at the 2009 Grammy Awards.
4) Jason Mraz: 'I'm Yours' (2008)
Even though the song was released as Mraz's first single off 2008's 'I Sing. I Dance. I Steal Things,' the track was originally included as a demo on his 2006 limited Edition 'Extra Credit,' an EP to help promote his album 'Mr. A-Z.' 'I'm Yours' was nominated for two Grammys in 2009: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Song of the Year, but lost to John Mayer's 'Say' and, yep, Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida,' respectively.
3) Black Eyed Peas: 'Boom Boom Pow' (2009)
This top iTunes song -- with furturistic lyrics "I'm so 3008 / you're so 2000 and late" and heavy auto-tune -- gives the band a digital rebirth, not only in their sound but their image as well. So much, that in fact, the group won a 2010 Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video.
2) Lady GaGa: 'Poker Face' (2008)
Despite its upbeat electropop vibe, the song denotes a darker meaning sex and bisexuality, metaphorically linking to gambling: "Luck and intuition play the cards with Spades to start / And after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart." GaGa says she wrote this top downloaded iTunes song as a tribute to her rock 'n' roll boyfriends. The song won a 2010 Grammy for Best Dance Recording.
1) Black Eyed Peas: 'I Gotta Feeling' (2009)
You've blasted this top 2009 song once or twice while getting ready to go out, danced along to it at a club, and even rocked out to it at a house party -- yep, just like the music video, which features cameo appearances by co-producer and French house DJ David Guetta (other producer is Will.i.am) along with Katy Perry, American rapper Kid Cudi, and model/actress Chantal Jones. This No.1 downloadable iTunes song won a 2010 Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Peanut Allergy Cure May Be Within Sight
Researchers in Cambridge, England, believe that they have uncovered a successful, long-term cure for the peanut allergy. As they embark on the largest clinical trial of its kind in the world, they predict a treatment for this and other potentially life-threatening food allergies in as little as three years.
For lots of us, this is important news.
Read more:
New Treatment Brings Hope to Children with Peanut Allergy - Allergy & Asthma - FOXNews.com
Parents, Rejoice: Peanut Allergy Cure Within Sight, British Study Finds -- Politics Daily
While I personally do not have an allergy to peanuts, I have a few friends and family members that do. I know how it is suffering with allergies so I do hope this study helps!
The headline caught my eye because I'm so easily amused Zombies' have free speech rights too, US court rules
WASHINGTON (AFP) – They're said to utter little more than an occasional groan, but zombies -- the blood-drenched monsters of Hollywood "B" movies -- still have a right to free speech, a US court ruled this week.
An appeals court in the northern US city of Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday allowed a group of zombies -- or rather, several protesters costumed as such -- to press ahead with their lawsuit against police who arrested them for disorderly conduct.
Over the years I've made a few websites containing jokes, quotes and questions to ponder. I have now decided to post a new blog of information I've collected and my own thoughts of everything do do with anything in the world today.
♥My Family
♥My supportive friends
♥My cats, Tool & Rage
♥Rock/metal music & shows
♥Sci-fi, fantasy, mysteries
♥The sciences and arts
♥Comedies and horrors
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I'm 27 and single.
I lust for David Draiman.
And the dude from Twilight.
I don't have any tattoos.
But think tatts look good on guys.
I <3 when someone does something amazing to grab my attention ;)
I know I'm a dork.
I love bring random and weird.
I have bad ADD.
I have cancer.
I'm a complete oxymoron.
I know who I am and I love myself. But...
I'm completely lost looking for my place in this world.
Thanks for the patience while I slowly imported from my Pondering journal over @ Live Journal. I was locked for adult content :(
Last but not least, if you have any comments, questions or ideas for posts feel free to email me @ pondering224@gmail.com
