i kno that women's gymnastics tends to be more popular than men's, but holy crap if they only had men's pairs or groups in the olympics everyone would be watching this instead. (around minute 1.28 is crazy!)
Monday, July 30, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
sticky shoes
Even our most primitive ancestors engaged in recreational chewing. Along with human bones and other prehistoric artifacts, archaeologists at some sites have discovered well-chewed wads of tree resin.
Clove gum was one of America's most popular flavors during Prohibition; patrons of speakeasies used it to hide the smell of alcohol on their breath.
The first bubble gum was invented by Frank Fleer in 1906 - but never made it to the market. It was so sticky that the only way to remove it from skin was with vigorous scrubbing and turpentine.
Why is bubble gum pink? Pink was the only food coloring on the shelf the day the first commercial batch of Dubble Bubble was made.
New York Central Railroad once employed a full-time gum removal man to clean discarded gum from Grand Central Station. He harvested an average of seven pounds a night. The wad grew to fourteen pounds on holiday weekends.
On June 3, 1965, the Gemini IV astronauts chewed gum in outer space. And according to NASA, when the astronauts were finished with the gum they swallowed it.
Monday, July 23, 2007
godless
amen!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
rewriting history
+----------- Bizarre Historical Misconceptions -----------+
There is no evidence that Betsy Ross sewed the first U.S. flag. The story didn't even flutter forth from her relatives until 1870.
George Washington did not toss a dollar across the Potomac. Even if he did toss something, the dollar didn't come into being until after the U.S. gained independence.
Francis Scott Key did not write our national anthem. He penned the words then set them to an old English drinking song. It did not become our national anthem until 1931.
Most of the midnight ride of Paul Revere was accomplished by other horsemen. It was Samuel Prescott, in fact, who carried the warning to Concord.
The Declaration of Independence was not approved on July 4, 1776. Only John Hancock, for the assembly, signed it that day. The other signatures were made on August 2.
George Washington wasn't the first U.S. President. John Hanson was the president of the Congress of the Confederation and carried the title of president of the U.S., as did eight men after him.
"Yankee Doodle" is not an American song. It was a British ditty designed to harass ragtag colonists during the French and Indian War.
(are these really true? i got them from an email subscription i get which seems to only print true things, but some of this stuff...)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
incest
incest: sexual intercourse between closely related persons.
inbreeding: to breed (individuals of a closely related group) repeatedly.
ie: incest = babyless sex. inbreeding = babies
so maybe it's that i don't have any siblings that made me think of this, but if a brother and sister are not being forced or manipulated to and can basically guarantee that they won't produce offspring from the act, is incest really immoral? the main ...rational (for lack of a better word) reason people object to siblings having sex is because inbreeding brings up a greater instance recessive traits in the offspring, which may or may not be a bad thing. but what if you were to just indulge in incest and not inbreeding? no babies, no problem, right?
course, many people would disagree. siblings and parents, whatever, should not be having sex together. but i think that might only really hold true in cases of rape or other forms of manipulation or pressure. what if the two know better, aren't being pressured to in any way at all, but still really want to do it; is it still wrong? (let's keep religion out of it)
for me, immorality has a lot to do with an individual's rights being violated. in cases of incest (and not inbreeding), there really isn't much of a scientific objection besides that it does seem to be a bit unnatural (as almost every culture shuns it) and that it might lead to inbreeding (accidentally or no). and if the two adults participating are fully self-willing and self-wanting, then i don't see how i can morally object to incest. you?
randoms
i don't update much anymore because i almost never go online much anymore. and if i do, rarely is it for an extended time period. but do check back occasionally. :)
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
say wat?
1. Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump: (referring to Apple Computers) He got me invested in some kinda fruit company.
2. The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert
Adam/Felicia: Oh for goodness sakes, get down off that crucifix, someone needs the wood!
3. Dumb and Dumber
Harry: Yeah I called her up, she gave me a bunch of crap about me not listening to her, or something, I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention.
4. My Best Friend's Wedding
George: It's amazing the clarity that comes with psychotic jealousy.
5. Hope Floats
Birdee: Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts. So, when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up. And it will.
6. Demolition Man
Edgar Friendly: I'm no leader. I do what I have to do - sometimes people come with me.
7. Ski School
Dave: If you want to be the best, you must... lose... your... mind.
8. The Truman Show
Christof: We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.
9. The Usual Suspects
Kobayashi: One cannot be betrayed if one has no people.
10. Clue
Mrs. White: Husbands should be like Kleenex: soft, strong, and disposable.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
quotations
Anita Shreve - A Wedding in December
"Nothing makes a person more selfish than being in love." (82)
"It was crap that confessing a thing relieved one of guilt... How convient to think so, how utterly deluding. Confessing a thing, he knew now, made the thing more real." (276)