The Human Sheep

How Fast do they go?

2012-02-05T03:04:00.000-08:00

0 to 100 km/h (62 mph): 1.7 seconds
0 to 200 km/h (124 mph): 3.8 seconds
0 to 300 km/h (186 mph): 8.6 seconds

Every F1 car on the grid is capable of going from 0 to 160 km/h (100 mph) and back to 0 in less than five seconds.

Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4

0–100 km/h 0–62.1 mph 2.46 seconds

0–240 km/h 0–149.1 mph 9.8 seconds

0–300 km/h 0–186.4 mph 14.6 seconds

0–400 km/h 0–248.5 mph 50 seconds

Public speaking: Students given 4 minutes to talk their way to victory

2012-02-04T18:31:00.001-08:00

KARACHI:

We are all the pupils of time, said Abdul Nafay Siddiqui, a student, as he raised his fist and volume at the 7th All Pakistan Declamation Contest held at St Patrick’s High School. “Time is about living not dying.”

Siddiqui did not win but a girl from his school, Hafsa Sarwar, bagged the top slot with prizes such as a return ticket to London and an iPod Nano. Sarwar and Siddiqui are currently enrolled at the Generation School. St Michael’s Convent School’s Arvin Anoop came in second while Zineerah Saleem of DHA College for Women came in third.

Around 47 O- and A-Level students from 40 schools gave inspirational and somewhat philosophical speeches to win the prize at the event on Saturday. Some faltered, some got confused while others tried to give a lecture in four minutes to prove themselves to a panel of six judges.

The participants were asked to speak on one of the three topics – ‘In the republic of mediocrity, genius is dangerous’, ‘With the disappearance of God, the ego moves forward to become the sole divinity’ and ‘Time is a great teacher but unfortunately it kills all its pupils’. The students spoke about how ‘gifted’ people were isolated from the mediocre crowd. Aiman Khan, a student, said that Apple’s Steve Jobs was rejected by his peers but he went ahead with his plans and proved himself.

While talking on the same topic, Mohammad Abbas, another student, said that nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan was isolated by society.

St Patrick’s High School teacher Nazish Nomani said that she had judged the event every year and felt that over the years, the students had become much more confident.

“We are looking for students who have a clear progression of thoughts,” she said. “Sometimes students from a well known school do not do well.” Another judge, Margaret Madden, said that such events help young people share their ideas and opinions. Madden has 27 years of teaching experience under her belt.

The crowd seemed to enjoy the debating competition. Ali John, a student from the Anchorage School, said that it was a great platform for students because it taught them how to speak in public.

Alizeh Faisal from the Convent of Jesus and Mary spoke about the ego becoming the sole divinity. She said that her topic was a sensitive one and needed deeper understanding. She added that her speech focused on how people were unaware of the real meaning of prayers.

Afreen Tariq and Sareeha Shamsuddin from the Westminster School said they liked the way the event was set up. “It’s not boring,” said Shamsuddin. “We have attended many debating contests but this is well organised and on a much bigger scale.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2012.

Love my Beef Cuts

2012-02-02T01:37:00.000-08:00

	Beef Sirloin Joint Cut Type: Roast Description: The premium beef roasting joint both tender and flavoursome.
	Beef Sirloin Joint on Bone Cut Type: Roast Description: The premium beef roasting joint both tender and flavoursome. This one is for those who like it on the bone.
	Beef Rib Joint Boned and Rolled Cut Type: Roast Description: Beautifully marbled giving a delicious flavour, an easy to carve joint perfect for your roast dinner.
	Beef Rib Joint on the Bone Cut Type: Roast Description: The definitive roasting joint- the connoisseurs choice for taste and value. Make Yorkshire puds with the fat.
	Beef Topside Joint Cut Type: Roast Description: Topside of Beef, a traditional beef roasting joint.
	Beef Silverside Joint Cut Type: Roast Description: A very lean joint - good for corned beef or bresaola.
	Beef Fillet Steak Cut Type: Steak Description: Luxurious cut of superb beef from under the sirloin. Grill or fry. Used for Chateaubriand.
	Beef Fillet Tail End Cut Type: Steak Description: The delicious tender narrow end of the fillet used for grilling and frying. A cut traditionally used in a stroganoff.
	Beef Rib Eye Steak Cut Type: Steak Description: The Rib-Eye steak is a very popular steak in the States. Taken from the fore-rib this is a large steak with a beautiful flavour.
	Beef Sirloin Steak Cut Type: Steak Description: When beautifully marbled this steak has a delicious flavour and is superbly tender. Just don't overcook it!
	Beef Rump Steak Cut Type: Steak Description: Really super for frying and grilling - the steak of choice for many meat eaters.
	Beef Feather Steak Cut Type: Steak Description: The Beef Feather Steak, is a forequarter steak, so-called because of the heavy marbling of the meat which gives the steak a feather like appearance. This cut was championed by Rick Stein in his Food Heroes series. Serve very hot as this steak will toughen up on cooling, the flavour however, is tremendous.
	Beef Minute Steaks Cut Type: Steak Description: As the name suggests cook these steaks for no longer than 30 seconds each side. This cut makes the most delightful steak sandwich.
	Beef Braising Steak Cut Type: Slow cooking Description: Underrated. One of most delicious cuts of beef; beautiful when given time to cook.
	Beef Chuck Steak Cut Type: Slow cooking Description: Chuck is another cut which benefits from time in the pan. Use it in stews and casseroles but remember don't rush.
	Beef Brisket Joint Cut Type: Slow cooking Description: Real beef flavour in this fore quarter cut. Very slow roast / pot roast / boil.
	Beef Skirt Cut Type: Slow cooking Description: The traditional cut used in Cornish pasties.
	Shin of Beef Cut Type: Slow cooking Description: Four hours cooking will give this a satisfyingly rich gravy, while the meat still retains texture. Popular on the bone.
	Beef Oxtail Cut Type: Slow cooking Description: Once cooked for a long time, the oxtail creates a well flavoured liquor with gelatinous meat and sinew that just falls off the bone.

Beef Cuts

Beef is first divided into what are called primal cuts which are the basic cuts from which the different meats, you will find listed below, have come. At the bottom of the page are two diagrams showing the American and British cuts of beef. If you look at these you will see that the closer to the middle back that the cut comes from the more tender the meat is. The reason for this is muscle use. The animal's legs and neck muscles do the most work and they are the toughest part of the animal . . . the further the cut of meat is from "hoof and horn" so its tenderness increases.

Ageing Beef

Before the beef arrives in the butcher's for the customer to buy it has to be aged. Ageing is very important both to the flavour and texture of the meat. The ageing process allows natural enzymes to break down fibres and tenderise the meat. The process of ageing beef allows natural enzymes to break down fibres and tenderise the meat. Originally beef was dry aged but the increasing cost of this saw the majority of beef being wet aged by the 1940s. Dry ageing gives a lot more flavour but the economics of modern food win out and it is rare to be able to enjoy dry aged beef in this day and age.

Cooking Beef

The method of cooking beef is largely determined by the cut of beef to be cooked. For example, tender (and generally more expensive) cuts of meat benefit from fast, high heat cooking while tough cuts benefit from a slower and longer cooking methods.

Wow ! Jackie Evancho - "To Believe" (with Lyrics)

2012-02-01T22:25:00.002-08:00

http://videos2view.net/2believe-JE.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKhmFSV-XB0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Evancho

Jacqueline Marie "Jackie" Evancho ( /iːˈveɪŋkoʊ/ ee-vayng-koh; born April 9, 2000) is an American child singer described as a classical crossover artist.^[1] After entering some talent competitions, issuing an independent album, Prelude to a Dream, and attracting interest on YouTube, she gained wider popularity in 2010 with her performances in the fifth season of the America's Got Talent (AGT) competition, at the age of 10, finishing in second place. With the subsequent release of her O Holy Night EP, she became the best-selling debut artist of 2010 and the youngest top-10 debut artist in history. She went on to contend, in June 2011, for the top position on American album charts with her Sony Music debut album, entitled Dream With Me. Billboard ranked Evancho the top Classical Albums Artist for 2011.

Evancho impressed composer Tim Janis and producer-songwriter David Foster, each of whom included her in his concerts beginning in 2009. Foster later produced her album Dream With Me and a subsequentPBS special. Among Evancho's many post-AGT appearances was a performance at the 2010 National Christmas Tree lighting in Washington, D.C., with U.S. President Barack Obama present. Evancho is the ambassador for Mission: Humane, a Humane Society program that encourages children's involvement in the protection of animals. Evancho featured songs from the album in a series of solo concerts in the summer and autumn of 2011. She released another full-length studio album, Heavenly Christmas, on November 1, 2011. On November 7, 2011, Evancho became the youngest person ever to give a solo concert at Lincoln Center in New York City. She was included on the National League of Junior Cotillions' list of "Ten Best-Mannered People of 2011".

Russian Ladies

2012-02-01T18:31:00.001-08:00

Bored

2012-02-01T04:52:00.001-08:00

Think

2012-02-01T04:51:00.001-08:00

Wealth is a Smile

2012-02-01T04:49:00.001-08:00

Indian Advice

2012-02-01T04:47:00.001-08:00

Learning

2012-02-01T04:46:00.001-08:00

Modern Gran

2012-02-01T04:45:00.001-08:00

Story of my Life

2012-02-01T04:43:00.001-08:00

Bouncy Castle

2012-02-01T04:40:00.000-08:00

Earthlings

2012-02-01T04:37:00.001-08:00

Me or them ?

2012-01-31T23:43:00.001-08:00

Sleeping mother and baby

2012-01-31T23:40:00.001-08:00

Autism

2012-01-31T23:37:00.001-08:00

Religion is like a Penis

2012-01-31T23:36:00.001-08:00

Telepathy machine reconstructs speech from brainwaves

2012-01-31T22:21:00.000-08:00

Neuroscientists are on the verge of being able to hear silent speech by monitoring brain activity

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21408-telepathy-machine-reconstructs-speech-from-brainwaves.html?full=true

Video: Hear how speech is reconstructed using two different models

When you read this sentence to yourself, it's likely that you hear the words in your head. Now, in what amounts to technological telepathy, others are on the verge of being able to hear your inner dialogue too. By peering inside the brain, it is possible to reconstruct speech from the activity that takes place when we hear someone talking.

Because this brain activity is thought to be similar whether we hear a sentence or think the same sentence, the discovery brings us a step closer to broadcasting our inner thoughts to the world without speaking. The implications are enormous – people made mute through paralysis or locked-in syndrome could regain their voice. It might even be possible to read someone's mind.

Imagine a musician watching a piano being played with no sound, says Brian Pasley at the University of California, Berkeley. "If a pianist were watching a piano being played on TV with the sound off, they would still be able to work out what the music sounded like because they know what key plays what note," Pasley says. His team has done something analogous with brain waves, matching neural areas to their corresponding noises.

How the brain converts speech into meaningful information is a bit of a puzzle. The basic idea is that sound activates sensory neurons, which then pass this information to different areas of the brain where various aspects of the sound are extracted and eventually perceived as language. Pasley and colleagues wondered whether they could identify where some of the most vital aspects of speech are extracted by the brain.

The team presented spoken words and sentences to 15 people having surgery for epilepsy or a brain tumour. Electrodes recorded neural activity from the surface of the superior and middle temporal gyri – an area of the brain near the ear that is involved in processing sound. From these recordings, Pasley's team set about decoding which aspects of speech were related to what kind of brain activity.

Sound is made up of different frequencies which are separated in the brain and processed in different areas. "Simply put, one spot [of neurons] might only care about a frequency range of 1000 hertz and doesn't care about anything else. Another spot might care about a frequency of 5000 hertz," says Pasley. "We can look at their activity and identify what frequency they care about. From that we can assume that when that spot's activity is increasing there was a sound that had that frequency in it."

Frequency isn't the only information you can extract. Other aspects of speech, such as the rhythm of syllables and fluctuations of frequencies are also important for understanding language, says Pasley.

"The area of the brain that they are recording from is a pathway somewhere between the area that processes sound and the area that allows you to interpret it and formulate a response," says Jennifer Bizley, an auditory researcher at the University of Oxford. "The features they can get out of this area are the ones that are really important to understanding speech."

Pasley's team were able to correlate many of these aspects of speech to the neural activity happening at the same time. They then trained an algorithm to interpret the neural activity and create a spectrogram from it (see diagram). This is a graphical representation of sound that plots how much of what frequency is occurring over a period of time. They tested the algorithm by comparing spectrograms reconstructed solely from neural activity with a spectrogram created from the original sound.

They also used a second program to convert the reconstructed spectrogram into audible speech. "People listening to the audio replays may be able to pull out coarse similarities between the real word and the constructed words," says Pasley. When New Scientist listened to the words, they could just about make out "Waldo" and "structure". However, its fidelity was sufficient for the team to identify individual words using computer analysis.

Crucial to future applications of this research is evidence that thinking of words promotes activity in the brain that resembles hearing those words spoken aloud.

"We know that for much of our sensory processing, mental imagery activates very similar networks," says Steven Laureys at the University of Liège, Belgium. We need to be able to show that just thinking about the words is enough, which would be useful in a medical setting, especially for locked-in patients, he says.

"It's something we'd like to pursue," says Pasley. His isn't the only team that is hoping to produce sound from thoughts. Frank Guenther at Boston University, Massachusetts, has interpreted brain signals that control the shape of the mouth, lips and larynx during speech to work out what shape a person is attempting to form with their vocal tract and hence what speech they are trying to make. They have tried out their software on Erik Ramsey, who is paralysed and has had an electrode implanted in his speech-motor cortex. At present the software is good enough to produce a few vowel sounds but not more complex sounds.

Laureys has also been working on ways to distinguish brain activity corresponding with "yes" and "no" answers in people who cannot speak. Other neuroscientists have been devising similar ways to communicate with patients in vegetative states, by monitoring brain activity using fMRI.

"Of course, it would be much better if one could decode their answers, their words and thoughts," he says.

Auditory information is processed in a similar way in all of us so in that sense the new model can be applied to everyone, says Pasley, but the settings certainly need to be tuned to the individual because of anatomical differences across brains. He says the training process is short and involves listening to sounds. After the model is trained it can be used to predict speech – even words it has not heard before.

Pasley says the technology is available to turn this idea into a reality. "The implants transmit the recorded signals to a decoder that converts the signals into movement commands, or in our case, speech." He wants to develop safe, wireless, implantable interfaces for long-term use.

No one will be reading our thoughts any time soon, says Jan Schnupp, also at Oxford, as only a small number of people having essential brain surgery will have these devices implanted.

But for those in need of a voice the work is a positive step. "It adds to the fascinating literature of decoding thoughts which is getting more and more precise," says Laureys. "We have reason to be optimistic."

We don't know if speech from thoughts is possible yet, says Pasley – but he's upbeat. "It's certainly the hope."

Journal reference: PLoS Biology, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001251

‎"Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to achieve it."

2012-01-30T22:53:00.001-08:00

I am your father---nooooo

2012-01-30T21:27:00.001-08:00

Us from Space

2012-01-30T21:05:00.001-08:00

Japanese- why go around?

2012-01-30T21:04:00.001-08:00

Trust is like paper

2012-01-30T18:11:00.003-08:00

IPod Algerien Style

2012-01-30T06:06:00.001-08:00

Nice Message

2012-01-29T01:42:00.001-08:00

Lovely feet

2012-01-28T08:30:00.001-08:00

2000 Facebook friends at the funeral?

2012-01-28T04:59:00.001-08:00

Home renovation apps

2012-01-26T16:18:00.001-08:00

Home renovation apps an attractive proposition

Houzz is a glorious design gallery featuring more than 260,000 high-resolution photos.

I'M NEVER more inspired to tackle a home improvement project than after watching a TV show in which an attractive expert rejuvenates a living room in a day, for less than $200.

Then I realise all I need to complete the project is $200. And that attractive expert to help. Gratis.

These attractive experts do not yet live in one's mobile device, but apps are doing an increasingly good job at taking their place – even offering step-by-step video instruction. And some of them actually are free.

That includes the first on my list of best apps for home improvement aspirants, Houzz (free on Apple). At its core, Houzz is a glorious design gallery featuring more than 260,000 high-resolution photos. It is also one of the rare non-gaming apps with an average iTunes rating of five stars, after thousands of reviews, and the high ratings are well deserved.

The thought of sifting through 260,000 of anything, no matter how beautiful, is a bit daunting. But Houzz makes the process painless by sorting photos according to style or metro area. You can also search by keyword or phrase – "reclaimed lumber," for instance – and find matches.

If Houzz somehow does not satisfy your needs, Dwell (free on Apple and Android) is another good app that offers modern design ideas, but with videos and text in addition to photos. It is designed for smaller devices only, but even stretched onto the iPad's bigger screen, the app was useful.

If your project involves a marginal rearrangement or full reinvention of a room, download Home Design 3D by LiveCad ($6 for iPad, $4 for iPhone), with free trial versions for iPhone and iPad.

This is one cool app. Home Design is a slimmed-down version of a desktop PC application that costs $44 and is bought mostly by professional designers and homeowners who cannot leave well enough alone. The mobile app is for people with the opposite problem: those who don't even know how to start.

In this case, you start by dragging a finger across the screen to create a room with the dimensions of one in your home. This is, naturally, an easier and more aesthetically pleasing process on an iPad than on a smaller device. Next, you drag furniture, fixtures, windows and doorways to the room, and adjust their measurements to conform to the features of your room. You can then press a button and view the room in 3D. In the 3D view, you can also change the colours of anything you like, or put wood paneling or floorboards into place. To rearrange the furniture, re-enter the 2D mode and drag things where you like.

Once the brainstorming sessions are done and you are ready to go to work, a few how-to apps will come in handy. Such asHandyMan DIY ($2 on Apple), which features text-based instructions for various projects, along with a list of materials needed for a job.

HandyMan also includes good video guides for various tasks, but the videos are selected from YouTube. If, after reviewing the instructions, you decide to embark on a project, you can start a new page in the app, with a checklist for materials, a to-do list and other pages that help you manage the project and track its cost. It's well-designed and worth the money, even if the videos come from elsewhere.

New York Times

Big Pig

2012-01-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

So cute

2012-01-25T17:46:00.001-08:00

His name is Furia (Fury) ~ A baby dolphin, with its umbilical cord still attached, was found beached in Uruguay. It is now being reared by the NGO, S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina. A beached baby dolphin, found alive with its umbilical cord still attached, is being hand-reared in Uruguay. The male La Plata dolphin was found and was sent to the non-government wildlife rescue organisation S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina. The Head of S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina, Richard Tesore, has been photographed this week caring for little mammal - bottle-feeding her and taking her from her small tank at the rescue centre for swims in the sea. It is not the first time Tesore has been pictured with a cute juvenile dolphin - pics of a dolphin rescued in similar circumstances being introduced to a rescued penguin made the news last year. The La Plata Dolphin or Franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) is found in coastal Atlantic waters of southeastern South America. It is a member of the river dolphin group and the only one that actually lives in the ocean and saltwater estuaries, rather than fresh water.

http://www.divinedolphin.com/

President Cool

2012-01-23T00:32:00.001-08:00

Africa's Size

2012-01-22T22:41:00.001-08:00

Tranny

2012-01-22T22:39:00.003-08:00

Life

2012-01-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

If Jaws Was Made By Disney

2012-01-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

This is so dam funny--- http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82208104/

Simon Dale's $5000 house- brilliant !

2012-01-20T04:22:00.000-08:00

Using only £3000, a chisel, a chainsaw and a hammer, Simon Dale and his father-in-law raised this cozy, woodland home up from the ground in just four months.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8b80dXMgME&feature=related

Despite not having experience as a carpenter or contractor, he was determined to build a home that was at one with nature, embracing the landscape around him and using mostly recycled materials. With this ethical drive, Dale scrounged up wood and branches and laid out the framework for his woodland abode.

Built in 2005, the house is set into the earth, giving it the appearance of a hobbit home - but this is no fanboy ode to J.R.R. Tolkien. The design allows for increased energy-efficiency, keeping the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Separated into two floors, the ground level is a cozy living room and children's room, heated with a wood-burning stove, while the second floor is a master bedroom. Although the house features an extremely natural aesthetic, it also has all the trappings of modern living, including solar panels that provide energy for everything from the lighting to the computer.

Dale hopes his home will be an example for others who want to live a simple, ecological lifestyle, and he plans to continue building and perfecting his vision with more homes. As of 2009, he and his family had left the hobbit house and were working to create the first Welsh eco-village, featuring low-impact homes, forest gardens and a sheep barn. Dale's website includes contact information for those who want to get their hands dirty and join his cause.
http://www.simondale.net/house/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETdDMMeQvM4&feature=player_embedded

Funny stuff

2012-01-19T22:45:00.001-08:00

1. My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30 this morning, can you believe that? 2:30am?
Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes.

2. The Grim Reaper came for me last night, and I beat him off with a vacuum cleaner.
Talk about Dyson with death.

3. Paddy says, "Mick, I'm thinking of buying a Labrador .
"Really," says Mick "have you seen how many of their owners go blind"

4. I saw a poor old lady fall over today on the ice!!
At least I presume she was poor - she only had £1.20 in her purse.

5. My girlfriend thinks that I'm a stalker. Well, she's not exactly my girlfriend yet.

6. Woke up last night to find the ghost of Gloria Gaynor standing at the foot of my bed.
At first I was afraid, then I was petrified.

7. The wife has been missing a week now. Police said to prepare for the worst.
So I have been to the charity shop to get all her clothes back.

8. A mate of mine admitted to being addicted to brake fluid.
When I quizzed him on it he reckoned he could stop any time.

9. I went to the cemetery yesterday to lay some flowers on a grave.
As I was standing there I noticed 4 grave diggers walking about with a coffin, 3 hours later and they're still walking about with it.
I thought to myself, "These guys have lost the plot!"

10. My daughter asked me for a pet spider for her birthday, so I went to our local pet shop and they were $70.
"Blow this," I thought, "I can get one cheaper off the web."

11. Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarves are not happy.

12. I was at an ATM yesterday when a little old lady asked if I could check her balance, so I pushed her over.

13. I start a new job in Seoul next week. I thought it was a good Korea move.

14. I was driving this morning when I saw an RACQ van parked on the side of the road.
The driver was sobbing uncontrollably and looked very miserable.
I thought to myself, "That guy's heading for a breakdown."

15. I just met a fat, alcoholic, transvestite. He wants to eat, drink, and be Mary!

Japanese women vs. Chinese women: A little mean, but makes some good points!

2012-01-18T01:13:00.000-08:00

Japanese women often teach their children to bravely fight the forces of evil, and even if they lose, it is still infinitely glorious, the highest honor.

Chinese women often teach their children that when they encounter the forces of evil they must be good at hiding/running away/avoiding. They say that God will punish them [the forces of evil].

Japanese women believe Japan is the world’s greatest country.

Chinese women usually believe that the moon may be rounder abroad ["the grass is greener"].

Japanese women usually believe marrying foreigners is a kind of disgrace.

Chinese women usually feel that marrying foreigners is a kind of infinite glory.

Japanese women are normally lady-like, but dirty in bed.

Many Chinese women are lady-like in bed, but dirty out of bed.

Most Japanese women abide by the rules of a woman, supporting her husband, raising her children, dutifully.

China is the world’s number one country for one-night stands and extramarital affairs.

Japanese women are almost all very filial, seeing their mother-in-law as their own mother.

Most Chinese women are all too eager for their mother-in-law to quickly die.

Japanese wives treat their husbands with encouragement and concern. Returning home late at night exhausted at the end of a day, the wife will say “you’ve had a tough day.”

Chinese wives treat their husbands with complaints and scolding. Returning home late at night exhausted at the end of a day, the wife will roar “where the hell did you go this time?”

Most young Japanese girls will find a man who is around their age to marry, and make a life with him together.

Young Chinese girls always find a wealthy “old” man, and don’t mind even being his Nth mistress/wife.

Japanese mothers teach their daughters to look after their husbands, and diligently be filial to her parents-in-law.

Chinese mothers teach their daughters that they must keep firm control of all the man’s assets.

10.

Japanese women can tolerate men without money [poor men], but definitely cannot tolerate cowardly and weak men.

Chinese women can tolerate cowardly and weak men, but definitely cannot tolerate men without money.

11.

Japanese women see manly men as the most charming men.

Chinese women see manly men as male chauvinists.

12.

Most Japanese women are very lenient towards men’s infidelity.

Most Chinese women are very lenient towards their own infidelity.

13.

Japanese women almost never say bad things about Japanese men in public or in the media.

Chinese women always loudly curse and mock Chinese men on various media.

14.

The first words of Japanese women on their wedding night is: “If I do not look after/service you well tonight, please be forgiving.”

The first words of Chinese women on their wedding night is: “Hurry and see how much money was received today.”

SEX:after 50 years

2012-01-15T01:10:00.001-08:00

This is too funny to be dirty - enjoy!

The husband leans over and asks his wife, 'Do you remember the first time we had sex together over fifty years ago? We went behind the village tavern
where you leaned against the back fence and I made love to you.'

Yes, she says, 'I remember it well.'

OK,' he says, 'How about taking a stroll around there again and we can do it for old time's sake?'

Oh Jim, you old devil, that sounds like a crazy, but good idea!'

A police officer sitting in the next booth heard their conversation and, having a chuckle to himself, he thinks to himself, I've got to see these two
old-timers having sex against a fence. I'll just keep an eye on them sothere's no trouble. So he follows them.

The elderly couple walks haltingly along, leaning on each other for support aided by walking sticks. Finally, they get to the back of the tavern and
make their way to the fence. The old lady lifts her skirt and the old man drops his trousers. As she leans against the fence, the old man moves in..
Then suddenly they erupt into the most furious sex that the policeman has ever seen. This goes on for about ten minutes while both are making loud
noises and moaning and screaming. Finally, they both collapse, panting on the ground.

The policeman is amazed. He thinks he has learned something about life and old age that he didn't know.

After about half an hour of lying on the ground recovering, the old couple struggle to their feet and put their clothes back on. The policeman, is
still watching and thinks to himself, this is truly amazing, I've got to ask them what their secret is.

So, as the couple passes, he says to them,' Excuse me, but that was something else. You must've had a fantastic sex life together. Is there some
sort of secret to this?'

Shaking, the old man is barely able to reply, 'Fifty years ago that wasn't an electric fence.'

Revenge or Walk ?

2012-01-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

While I really do admire people who never seek revenge I also admire those who settle the score- when I was young I read "Not and Penny More Not a Penny Less" it shows that getting even does not have to be about blood and guts but a tactic of levelling that has the effect of making wrongdoers sit back instead of letting them continue to harm as they please.

I wrote that in response to an article by Facebook friend Monia Ma Ṽ

Revenge lives between love and hate. Love brings out our highest instincts such as putting others’ needs before our own. When love brings disappointment or pain, however, people who cannot integrate feelings of love with hate toward the same person must split these feelings so that where love was, hate lives. The formerly loved person is cast as “the devil” or the hated person, and they see themselves as the innocent angel. In extreme cases, the innocent angel is an avenging angel....

When people feel hurt by the ones they love, sometimes their impulse is to hurt the loved one back. Some people justify taking revenge from a moral perspective, thinking that their significant other deserves to be punished. Sometimes the thinking is, “I want them to know what it feels like.” This philosophy is doing the same thing to them as a way to get even or the belief that if someone does me wrong; they should get the same treatment back. Though this might seem fair, is it?

As Michael Price writes in the Monitor on psychology, “Historically, there are two schools of thought on revenge. The Bible, in Exodus 21:23, instructs us to “give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” to punish an offender. But more than 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King Jr., responded, “The old law of ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.””

Most people who admit getting revenge on a romantic partner, for example cheating if they’ve been cheated on, later admit that it wasn’t a good idea or that they know it was childish. Getting even with a person who has wronged you isn’t worth it in the long run. It doesn’t make you a better person and it actually makes it more difficult for you to move on.

Price writes, “… revenge comes at a price. Instead of helping you move on with your life, it can leave you dwelling on the situation and remaining unhappy, psychologists’ research finds.”

Ian McKee, PhD, of Adelaide University in Australia, studies what makes a person seek revenge rather than just letting an issue goes. In May 2008, he published a paper that linked revenge to vengeful tendencies. McKee writes, “People who are more vengeful tend to be those who are motivated by power, by authority and by the desire for status,” he says. “They don’t want to lose face.”

When someone has hurt your feelings, usually the best thing is just forgetting all about that person. Revenge may sound like a tempting thought, but more often that not it’s not worth the trouble. You will be happier if you focus on positive things rather than obsessing about the wrongdoings someone has inflicted on you. But still… sometimes the “walk it off” advice doesn’t help everyone, and harmless revenge may be better than doing something you’ll really regret.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold. I have always thought that revenge is a dish best not served at all. All it really does is lower you to the other person's level, no matter how much they might deserve it. i firmly believe that the words, "The best revenge is to live well." are true and I have lived my life that way with no exceptions that I can recall.::

As sweet as revenge may have been, to stand by and watch a person harvest the bitter fruit of the seeds they have sown... knowing you had nothing to do with it, but that what ever greater power or force that is... be it nature finding it's own level, God dealing out his vengeance, or just dumb luck... has settled the accounts and "brought the chickens home to roost"....

Well, there isn't much sweeter than that.

As delightful as it may be to dig a hole and watch someone who has wounded you fall in, it is soooo much more delightful to watch them fall into a hole they dug for themselves.

Enjoy that bed in which you sleep, you made it yourself and have no one else to blame, despite what you may think.

As for my bed... it is so very warm and comfortable, and safe... filled with love and joy... If this is the harvest from the seeds I planted... I guess i wasn't all that bad after all, now was I?

By/ Monia V.

References:

Price, Michael. Revenge and the people who seek it. Monitor on Psychology. June 2009, Vol. 40, No.6 http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/06/revenge.aspx

McKee, Ian. Social Justice Research. 2008, Vol. 138, No. 2

Indian Talent Show out of control- total nuts

2012-01-14T17:59:00.001-08:00

http://www.videofy.me/alimehdi/319823

Your personal genome decoded for just $1260

2012-01-11T17:32:00.000-08:00

A desktop machine not much bigger than a microwave that can in one day decode the entire three billion "letters" of the human genome for just US$1000 ($1260) has been built, an American biotechnology company has announced.

The breakthrough is a milestone in bringing nearer the possibility of routinely sequencing a person's entire DNA in order to identify, and possibly correct, genetic defects that could lead to disease or death.

It also raises the question of who should have access to the results of such testing. In addition to doctors and their patients, insurance companies or employers may also have a vested interest in knowing about a person's genetic predispositions.

The cost of sequencing the three billion letters of the human genetic code has tumbled since the first genome was published a decade ago. It had originally cost US$3 billion and taken hundreds of scientists many years to complete the first full genetic sequence of the human genome.

As automation has improved and the cost of computing fallen, DNA sequencing has also became much cheaper and faster. In 2009, the US$1 million genome was announced and a year later, in 2010, a scientist announced that he had deciphered his own genome for the then record low cost of US$50,000.Life Technologies, based in San Francisco, says its Ion Proton Sequencer, which costs US$149,000, can now do the job in a day for US$1000, bringing it closer to the costs and timescales of routine diagnostic tests.

If it becomes possible to sequence a person's entire genome in less than day and at a price that health bodies can afford, it could help doctors predict future problems by analysing the smallest DNA changes linked to chronic illnesses such as heart disease or Parkinson's.

"A genome sequence for US$1000 was a pipedream just a few years ago. A US$1000 genome in less than one day ... will transform the clinical applications of sequencing," said Richard Gibbs, director of the Human Genome Sequencing Centre at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Kiwi Joke- World Cup Rugby Train Ride

2012-01-09T20:49:00.001-08:00

Three Australians and three Maori's are travelling by train to a

Rugby match at the World Cup in England . At the station, the three

Maori each buy a ticket and watch as the three Aussie buy just one ticket between them.

"Hey bro are the three of you going to travel on only one ticket?" asks

one of the Maori. "Watch and learn," answers one of the Aussies

They all board the train. The Maoris take their respective seats

but all three Aussies cram into a toilet and close the door behind them.

Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around

collecting tickets. He knocks on the toilet door and says, "Ticket

please."

The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket

in hand. The conductor takes the ticket and moves on.

The Maoris see this and agree it was quite a clever idea. So after

the game, they decide to go one better on the return trip and save

some money (being clever with money, and all that).

When they get to the station for the return trip, the Aussies buy a single

ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the Maoris don't buy a ticket at all!!

"How are you going to travel without a ticket?" says one perplexed

Aussie

"Watch and learn bro ," answers a Maori.

When they board the train the three Aussies cram into a toilet and

soon after the three Maoris cram into another toilet nearby. The train

departs.

Shortly afterwards, one of the Maoris leaves the toilet and walks

over to the toilet where the Aussies are hiding. He knocks on the door and says,

"Ticket please."

Life-like cells are made of metal

2012-01-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

Could living things that evolved from metals be clunking about somewhere in the universe? Perhaps. In a lab in Glasgow, UK, one man is intent on proving that metal-based life is possible.

He has managed to build cell-like bubbles from giant metal-containing molecules and has given them some life-like properties. He now hopes to induce them to evolve into fully inorganic self-replicating entities.

"I am 100 per cent positive that we can get evolution to work outside organic biology," says Lee Cronin (see photo, right) at the University of Glasgow. His building blocks are large "polyoxometalates" made of a range of metal atoms – most recently tungsten – linked to oxygen and phosphorus. By simply mixing them in solution, he can get them to self-assemble into cell-like spheres.

Cronin and his team begin by creating salts from negatively charged ions of the large metal oxides bound to a small positively charged ion such as hydrogen or sodium. A solution of this salt is squirted into another salt solution made of large, positively charged organic ions bound to small negative ones.

When the two salts meet, they swap parts and the large metal oxides end up partnered with the large organic ions. The new salt is insoluble in water: it precipitates as a shell around the injected solution.

Cronin calls the resulting bubbles inorganic chemical cells, or iCHELLs, and says they are far more than mere curiosities. By modifying their metal oxide backbone he can give the bubbles some of the characteristics of the membranes of natural cells. For example, an oxide with a hole as part of its structure becomes a porous membrane, selectively allowing chemicals in and out of the cell according to size, just like the walls of biological cells. This property gives the membrane control over the range of chemical reactions that can happen within – a key feature of specialised cells (Angewandte Chemie, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201105068).

The team has also made bubbles within bubbles (see images), creating compartments that mimic the internal structure of biological cells. Better yet, they have started imbuing the iCHELLs with the equipment for photosynthesis by linking some oxide molecules to light-sensitive dyes. Cronin says early results suggest he can create a membrane that splits water into hydrogen ions, electrons and oxygen when illuminated – the initial step of photosynthesis.

"We've [also] got an indication that we can pump protons across the membrane" to set up a proton gradient, says Cronin – another key stage in harnessing energy from light. If he can assemble all these steps, Cronin could create a self-powered cell with elements of plant-like metabolism.

It's early days; other synthetic biologists are reserving judgement for now. Cronin's bubbles are never going to be truly life-like until they carry something like DNA to drive self-replication and evolution, says Manuel Porcar of the University of Valencia in Spain. That is theoretically possible, he says, "but I cannot imagine what kind of system they would implement". Cronin isn't sure yet either, but last year he showed that he could get polyoxometalates to use each other as templates to self-replicate (Science, DOI:10.1126/science.1181735).

In an ambitious seven-month experiment, Cronin is now mass-producing bubbles and injecting them into an array of tubes and flasks filled with different chemicals at different pH levels. He hopes that the mix of environments will allow only the fittest bubbles to survive. "If the pH is too low and [some bubbles] dissolve then those droplets will have died." Others may persist and accumulate. In the long run, the real test will be whether the cells can modify their own chemistry to adapt to different environments. Cronin hints that his latest work may show this, but is unwilling to give details as yet. "I think we have just shown the first droplets that can evolve" is all he will say.

If Cronin is right, then the possible range of extraterrestrial life is blown wide open. "There is every possibility that there are life forms out there which aren't based on carbon," he says. Tadashi Sugawara of the University of Tokyo, Japan, doesn't see why not. "On Mercury, the materials are all different. There might be a creature made of inorganic elements." Cronin may be some way from proving this, says Sugawara, but "he has pointed out a new direction".

Video: See how life-like cells can be made from metal

Top 250 Movies

2011-12-31T21:24:00.001-08:00

Rank	Rating	Title	Votes
1.	9.2	The Shawshank Redemption (1994)	686,769
2.	9.2	The Godfather (1972)	516,438
3.	9.0	The Godfather: Part II (1974)	323,038
4.	8.9	The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)	215,280
5.	8.9	Pulp Fiction (1994)	539,673
6.	8.9	12 Angry Men (1957)	166,823
7.	8.9	Schindler's List (1993)	359,849
8.	8.8	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)	286,827
9.	8.8	The Dark Knight (2008)	620,958
10.	8.8	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)	479,254
11.	8.8	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)	351,703
12.	8.8	Inception (2010)	468,551
13.	8.8	Fight Club (1999)	514,603
14.	8.8	Seven Samurai (1954)	119,888
15.	8.7	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)	500,420
16.	8.7	Goodfellas (1990)	303,218
17.	8.7	Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)	397,043
18.	8.7	City of God (2002)	225,917
19.	8.7	Casablanca (1942)	203,855
20.	8.7	Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)	99,027
21.	8.7	The Matrix (1999)	498,417
22.	8.7	Rear Window (1954)	149,606
23.	8.7	Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)	303,380
24.	8.7	The Silence of the Lambs (1991)	328,599
25.	8.7	The Usual Suspects (1995)	335,409
26.	8.6	Psycho (1960)	184,217
27.	8.6	Se7en (1995)	386,168
28.	8.6	Forrest Gump (1994)	422,911
29.	8.6	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)	429,812
30.	8.6	It's a Wonderful Life (1946)	129,341
31.	8.6	Memento (2000)	362,869
32.	8.6	Leon: The Professional (1994)	278,471
33.	8.6	Sunset Blvd. (1950)	69,571
34.	8.6	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)	186,796
35.	8.6	Apocalypse Now (1979)	216,379
36.	8.5	American History X (1998)	310,434
37.	8.5	North by Northwest (1959)	113,899
38.	8.5	Citizen Kane (1941)	165,208
39.	8.5	Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)	314,091
40.	8.5	American Beauty (1999)	373,648
41.	8.5	Toy Story 3 (2010)	177,744
42.	8.5	Saving Private Ryan (1998)	354,258
43.	8.5	Taxi Driver (1976)	210,330
44.	8.5	Alien (1979)	230,267
45.	8.5	Spirited Away (2001)	144,694
46.	8.5	City Lights (1931)	39,437
47.	8.5	Vertigo (1958)	114,345
48.	8.5	The Shining (1980)	239,794
49.	8.5	Paths of Glory (1957)	56,962
50.	8.5	Amelie (2001)	239,985
51.	8.5	The Pianist (2002)	184,130
52.	8.5	M (1931)	50,222
53.	8.5	WALL·E (2008)	261,584
54.	8.4	The Departed (2006)	351,959
55.	8.4	Double Indemnity (1944)	47,410
56.	8.4	The Lives of Others (2006)	105,885
57.	8.4	A Clockwork Orange (1971)	246,503
58.	8.4	Lawrence of Arabia (1962)	95,819
59.	8.4	Aliens (1986)	215,168
60.	8.4	Modern Times (1936)	48,990
61.	8.4	To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)	102,462
62.	8.4	Life Is Beautiful (1997)	148,554
63.	8.4	Requiem for a Dream (2000)	247,155
64.	8.4	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)	289,914
65.	8.4	Back to the Future (1985)	273,348
66.	8.4	Das Boot (1981)	85,989
67.	8.4	Reservoir Dogs (1992)	274,275
68.	8.4	The Third Man (1949)	61,354
69.	8.4	The Prestige (2006)	295,788
70.	8.4	L.A. Confidential (1997)	205,503
71.	8.4	Chinatown (1974)	99,943
72.	8.4	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)	40,983
73.	8.4	The Green Mile (1999)	275,260
74.	8.4	Cinema Paradiso (1988)	60,478
75.	8.3	The Great Dictator (1940)	49,745
76.	8.3	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)	190,183
77.	8.3	Once Upon a Time in America (1984)	95,570
78.	8.3	Rashômon (1950)	50,059
79.	8.3	Gladiator (2000)	378,333
80.	8.3	Raging Bull (1980)	113,516
81.	8.3	Amadeus (1984)	123,554
82.	8.3	Full Metal Jacket (1987)	201,027
83.	8.3	Some Like It Hot (1959)	84,458
84.	8.3	Singin' in the Rain (1952)	69,296
85.	8.3	All About Eve (1950)	42,689
86.	8.3	Bicycle Thieves (1948)	37,455
87.	8.3	The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)	73,548
88.	8.3	Braveheart (1995)	313,328
89.	8.3	Pan's Labyrinth (2006)	207,552
90.	8.3	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)	198,229
91.	8.3	Metropolis (1927)	51,947
92.	8.3	Oldboy (2003)	135,479
93.	8.3	The Apartment (1960)	47,700
94.	8.3	Unforgiven (1992)	130,105
95.	8.3	Downfall (2004)	111,766
96.	8.3	Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)	271,353
97.	8.3	The Sting (1973)	83,053
98.	8.3	Inglourious Basterds (2009)	283,050
99.	8.3	Princess Mononoke (1997)	87,088
100.	8.3	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)	219,933
101.	8.3	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)	40,720
102.	8.3	The Elephant Man (1980)	76,649
103.	8.3	Up (2009)	195,265
104.	8.3	On the Waterfront (1954)	50,857
105.	8.3	Die Hard (1988)	247,375
106.	8.3	Gran Torino (2008)	203,663
107.	8.3	The Maltese Falcon (1941)	62,051
108.	8.3	A Separation (2011)	22,260
109.	8.3	The Seventh Seal (1957)	50,134
110.	8.3	The Great Escape (1963)	78,270
111.	8.3	Rebecca (1940)	43,602
112.	8.3	The Lion King (1994)	211,544
113.	8.2	Grave of the Fireflies (1988)	47,841
114.	8.2	Batman Begins (2005)	356,865
115.	8.2	Yojimbo (1961)	36,509
116.	8.2	Sin City (2005)	322,321
117.	8.2	For a Few Dollars More (1965)	61,548
118.	8.2	The General (1926)	25,331
119.	8.2	Heat (1995)	191,596
120.	8.2	Witness for the Prosecution (1957)	23,627
121.	8.2	Blade Runner (1982)	229,375
122.	8.2	Fargo (1996)	203,584
123.	8.2	Snatch. (2000)	241,995
124.	8.2	Ran (1985)	41,795
125.	8.2	Black Swan (2010)	197,083
126.	8.2	Wild Strawberries (1957)	28,218
127.	8.2	Jaws (1975)	177,739
128.	8.2	Hotel Rwanda (2004)	121,238
129.	8.2	The King's Speech (2010)	139,301
130.	8.2	Touch of Evil (1958)	40,010
131.	8.2	No Country for Old Men (2007)	263,350
132.	8.2	Toy Story (1995)	220,185
133.	8.2	The Big Lebowski (1998)	232,682
134.	8.2	The Deer Hunter (1978)	112,958
135.	8.2	The Wizard of Oz (1939)	131,516
136.	8.2	Cool Hand Luke (1967)	58,023
137.	8.2	The Sixth Sense (1999)	312,974
138.	8.2	It Happened One Night (1934)	31,403
139.	8.2	Strangers on a Train (1951)	44,094
140.	8.2	Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)	302,674
141.	8.2	Annie Hall (1977)	84,131
142.	8.2	Scarface (1983)	209,436
143.	8.2	Ikiru (1952)	20,556
144.	8.2	Platoon (1986)	140,038
145.	8.2	High Noon (1952)	42,166
146.	8.1	Warrior (2011)	35,852
147.	8.1	Donnie Darko (2001)	272,469
148.	8.1	Into the Wild (2007)	154,528
149.	8.1	Trainspotting (1996)	198,553
150.	8.1	The Gold Rush (1925)	27,718
151.	8.1	The Kid (1921)	20,953
152.	8.1	Slumdog Millionaire (2008)	254,310
153.	8.1	The Wages of Fear (1953)	18,302
154.	8.1	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)	72,610
155.	8.1	The Grapes of Wrath (1940)	29,587
156.	8.1	Million Dollar Baby (2004)	194,102
157.	8.1	Notorious (1946)	38,423
158.	8.1	Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)	174,043
159.	8.1	Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)	14,896
160.	8.1	Gone with the Wind (1939)	102,222
161.	8.1	There Will Be Blood (2007)	169,604
162.	8.1	The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)	41,435
163.	8.1	The Thing (1982)	112,589
164.	8.1	Amores perros (2000)	81,916
165.	8.1	Groundhog Day (1993)	183,767
166.	8.1	Casino (1995)	143,853
167.	8.1	Life of Brian (1979)	122,859
168.	8.1	Ben-Hur (1959)	74,286
169.	8.1	Finding Nemo (2003)	237,628
170.	8.1	The Terminator (1984)	241,032
171.	8.1	The Big Sleep (1946)	35,215
172.	8.1	Les diaboliques (1955)	19,628
173.	8.1	The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)	21,223
174.	8.1	The Graduate (1967)	100,789
175.	8.1	My Neighbor Totoro (1988)	47,479
176.	8.1	How to Train Your Dragon (2010)	115,064
177.	8.1	Stand by Me (1986)	117,711
178.	8.1	District 9 (2009)	230,869
179.	8.1	V for Vendetta (2006)	312,018
180.	8.1	Twelve Monkeys (1995)	216,821
181.	8.1	Dog Day Afternoon (1975)	80,505
182.	8.1	The Manchurian Candidate (1962)	41,274
183.	8.1	The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)	203,812
184.	8.1	Good Will Hunting (1997)	208,882
185.	8.1	Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)	18,832
186.	8.1	Network (1976)	46,061
187.	8.1	Gandhi (1982)	68,366
188.	8.1	The Night of the Hunter (1955)	32,289
189.	8.1	The 400 Blows (1959)	31,199
190.	8.0	Mary and Max (2009)	32,770
191.	8.0	The Battle of Algiers (1966)	18,218
192.	8.0	The Wrestler (2008)	136,294
193.	8.0	Drive (2011)	87,284
194.	8.0	8½ (1963)	38,308
195.	8.0	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)	139,405
196.	8.0	The Princess Bride (1987)	148,928
197.	8.0	Dial M for Murder (1954)	40,938
198.	8.0	The Killing (1956)	31,762
199.	8.0	Persona (1966)	22,992
200.	8.0	Ratatouille (2007)	189,501
201.	8.0	Hugo (2011/II)	13,918
202.	8.0	The Hustler (1961)	31,743
203.	8.0	La Strada (1954)	22,689
204.	8.0	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)	26,247
205.	8.0	The Exorcist (1973)	141,106
206.	8.0	The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)	14,362
207.	8.0	The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)	44,338
208.	8.0	Fanny and Alexander (1982)	19,281
209.	8.0	Star Trek (2009)	199,794
210.	8.0	The Wild Bunch (1969)	38,294
211.	8.0	Avatar (2009)	386,516
212.	8.0	Howl's Moving Castle (2004)	68,045
213.	8.0	Stalag 17 (1953)	24,921
214.	8.0	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)	42,630
215.	8.0	Barry Lyndon (1975)	49,712
216.	8.0	Rocky (1976)	136,774
217.	8.0	Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)	16,474
218.	8.0	Sherlock Jr. (1924)	10,936
219.	8.0	The Truman Show (1998)	225,116
220.	8.0	All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)	27,256
221.	8.0	Nights of Cabiria (1957)	14,970
222.	8.0	Infernal Affairs (2002)	45,140
223.	8.0	Mystic River (2003)	162,428
224.	8.0	Let the Right One In (2008)	89,828
225.	8.0	Roman Holiday (1953)	41,231
226.	8.0	Festen (1998)	33,742
227.	8.0	Rosemary's Baby (1968)	68,893
228.	8.0	Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)	16,532
229.	8.0	In Bruges (2008)	142,965
230.	8.0	Magnolia (1999)	145,878
231.	8.0	The Incredibles (2004)	216,335
232.	8.0	Rope (1948)	42,352
233.	8.0	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)	323,713
234.	8.0	Big Fish (2003)	185,305
235.	8.0	A Beautiful Mind (2001)	187,745
236.	8.0	The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)	28,437
237.	8.0	Manhattan (1979)	50,244
238.	8.0	Harakiri (1962)	7,229
239.	8.0	Ip Man (2008)	35,560
240.	8.0	Ed Wood (1994)	91,235
241.	8.0	Tokyo Story (1953)	11,157
242.	8.0	Stalker (1979)	28,264
243.	8.0	Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)	242,415
244.	8.0	Monsters, Inc. (2001)	179,084
245.	8.0	Beauty and the Beast (1991)	104,009
246.	8.0	Shutter Island (2010)	222,450
247.	8.0	Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)	30,099
248.	8.0	Three Colors: Red (1994)	30,562
249.	8.0	Nosferatu (1922)	35,989
250.	8.0	Castle in the Sky (1986)	30,803

The formula for calculating the Top Rated 250 Titles gives a true Bayesian estimate:

 weighted rating (WR) = (v ÷ (v+m)) × R + (m ÷ (v+m)) × C

where:

R = average for the movie (mean) = (Rating)
v = number of votes for the movie = (votes)
m = minimum votes required to be listed in the Top 250 (currently 3000)
C = the mean vote across the whole report (currently 6.9)

Orangutan iPad program

2011-12-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

For the last six months, three orangutans at the Milwaukee County Zoo have had the pleasure of playing with a donated iPad a couple times a week, and guess what? They love it.

"We show them the iPad, and read them stories or let them have different apps," said Jan Rafert, curator of primates and small mammals at the zoo. "We don't let them hold them, but they can do some of the paint apps by sticking their fingers through the mesh."
The orangutan iPad program, known as Apps for Apes, was started after the gorilla keeper at the zoo mentioned on her Facebook page that she'd like to get some iPads for her gorillas to play with, Rafert explained. It was kind of a joke, but a zoo volunteer took it seriously and donated a used iPad to the zoo. It turned out that the gorillas didn't really enjoy the iPad - "they are more stoic," said Rafert - but the orangutans went wild.

Now the orangutans' keeper, Trish Khan, lets the orangutans play with the iPad about twice a week. The orangutans are not allowed to hold it because they are so strong that they would probably wind up cracking it in half. Khan holds it up to their cages and allows them to interact with it.

The orangutan conservation group Orangutan Outreach is now involved with the project and is hoping to get Apps for Apes started at other zoos. Richard Zimmerman, executive director of the group, said Zoo Atlanta, the Toronto Zoo and the Phoenix Zoo are just waiting to get iPads for their orangutans to play with. The Houston Zoo already has an iPad, but has not yet introduced it to the orangutans.

Once the other zoos are on board, Zimmerman said zookeepers will arrange primate playdates - where orangutans from different zoos can see each other via the iPad.

Nobody has done research on how orangutans interact with iPads, but Zimmerman said that may be coming soon. For now, the Apps for Apes program has two main goals: providing stimulation for orangutans who are easily bored when in captivity, and raising awareness for orangutan conservation in Malaysia and Indonesia where the animals are suffering declining numbers and loss of habitat.

"Seeing the animals with the iPad has had an effect on the zoo visitors," he said. "They have this recognition that these are amazing, cognitive, curious creatures, which gets back to our message, that these are animals that need to be saved."

If you have an old iPad you'd like to donate to the orangutans, you can contact Zimmerman at rich@redapes.org

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/tablets/orangutans-go-ape-for-ipads-20111230-1petg.html

The Los Angeles Times

Thank Christ for Australia

2011-12-21T16:44:00.001-08:00

Russell Crowe once said- God bless America. God save the Queen. God defend New Zealand and thank Christ for Australia

The Famous Night Raids on Matakana Island

2011-12-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

During the Matakana litigation we knew some of the defendants were growing dope on Matakana Island and were selling it to pay their lawyers. Again after police failed to do anything about it we thought we would.

So we took the door off a Cessna flew over the area and took aerial photographs of where we suspected the dope was growing among the maize.

The pictures here are from the second raid. The first raid is part of our film.

In the first raid we did the same- took aerial shots, told the police but they did nothing so from the photographs we mapped the areas of interest, put on camouflage clothing, and some expertise in these sorts of operations, with a zodiac boat and night vision gear went onto the island. You will have to wait to see the film as to what happened. And that story is even more funny than this.

Below are some of the photographs we took from the aircraft.

For the second raid we had put together 2 teams of 5. But the fields on a near by island we were going onto this time included an area I was unfamiliar with. So I decided to carry out a reconnaissance with Craig Upston who is now married to National Member of Parliament Louise Upston.

Three nights before the main raid Craig and I met up at the Tauranga marina at a boat owned by a mate Tauranga real estate agent Mark Grindrod. Mark has since sadly died but at that time had a lovely deep sea fishing boat.

Keen and ready for the recon Craig and I stormed aboard the boat only to discover Mark was pissed as a chook. But through the slur of speech he offered us a small inflatable and when I say small I mean small. Powered by a 10hp so Craig and I knew this was going to be an adventure. It was already dark, the wind was on our nose with gusts of 20-30knots. The pounding waves were coming over the top of us but slowly we made our way up the harbour to the 2nd island known as Rangiwaea.

It was hard going but through laughter and perhaps madness we ventured on soaked to the skin. About 200 metres from the shore we turned the motor off and paddled in to help keep our mission undercover. The nearest house was perhaps 100 metres from our landing point. Somehow the dogs knew we were there so we covered the boat under some bushes and started making our way to where we had mapped the marijuana was growing. The first crop was in my guess 300 metres.

Keeping off the main track, we both noticed the wind was getting wild a real storm was setting in. We made our way stopping once and while to get our bearings- a group of trees here, a barn there etc. Excitement grew as we closed in. Then suddenly right in front of us was a large crop of tall green stuff. Lupins.

Not deterred off we trekked to the next crop spot- again Lupins...and again and again......We were soaking wet- the wind was now howling as we realised the mission was a flop. Dejected and now fearful of the barking dogs, we wondering if our boat had been discovered so we cautiously made our way back to the hidden boat. We were lucky.

After paddling some 200 metres from shore made easy because of the downwind gusts of some 30-40knots it took no time to get distance between us and the island. I quickly started the motor and as we headed off down the harbour we were both intensely reflecting the failure of our mission. How could we have been so wrong?

The harbour was now starting to get choppy as we set our sights on the Tauranga marina some 2 km away when all of a sudden the boat engine died. I knew that sound I had heard it before as a lad on lake Rotorua- but surely not...we had run out of fuel.

By now the outgoing tide and strong tail wind saw us moving at a fast speed. The problem was I knew the tide was going to take us around the end of Matakana and out to sea. Our only options being to paddle onto Matakana and sleep in the forest till morning or get help. But being cold and dejected I thought I would try calling Mark.

My phone was wet but somehow I got through. I had expected to find Mark fast asleep it was around 2am- but no, Mark had a full blown party on board his boat tied up at the marina we had left some 5 hours earlier. So after a few quick direction as to where we could be found floating down the harbour Mark's mate also a boat owner took control and headed out to find us. It took them about 30-40 minutes to get to us and as they pulled along side us the roars of laughter were coming from the crowd on board who went into hysterics when they heard what became of our adventure.

RIP Mark Grindrod, you were one guy who deserved a longer life.

Ukrainian lighting engineer stuns the audience- brilliant !!!

2011-12-14T22:28:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf6WYxLl2DU&sns=fb

Sam Richards - A Radical Experiment in Empathy

2011-12-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUEGHdQO7WA

www.youtube.com

Sam Richards is a sociologist and award-winning teacher who has been inspiring undergraduate students at Penn State since 1990. Every semester, 725 students ...

Tattoo where it hurts- R18

2011-12-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

Protip: It is rarely a good idea to make your vagina look like a demon monster! Demon monsters are the universal symbol for “Do not touch me! I am a demon monster.”
10. Vagina Butterfly
Butterflies are pretty. Vaginas are pretty. But somehow the combo doesn't quite work? I dunno. Kind of losing focus here already. What is this post about?
9. Cat With A Bowtie Vagina
Actually, no. I'm fine with this. Look! It's a cat with a bowtie! You are not wearing any underpants.
8. This Demon Monster Vagina
Ah, so demon monster vaginas are a thing. Everybody's got one! This one is scarier than the last.
7. This Homer Simpson Vagina
Homey is looking at your toes!
6. Hippie Vagina Dude
Shave your beard, Hippie Vagina Dude! Don't shave your beard.
5. The Anatomically Correct Vagina Tattoo
Even more anatomically correct than usual!
4. The Fish
I think it's a trout?
3. The Girl
One of those ideas that was maybe better as a concept? Or just no. Not a good idea.
2. The Mario Pipe
Sure. Why the hell not?
1. This Homer Simpson Vagina
A true classic. Homer is in such a good mood!

THE DIFFERENCE IF YOU MARRY A MAORI GIRL FROM NEW ZEALAND

2011-12-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

Three friends married women from different parts of the world.....
The first man married a Filipino. He told her that she was to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man married a Thai. He gave his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. The first day he didn’t see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done, and there was a huge dinner on the table.

The third man married a Maori girl from N.Z . He ordered her to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn’t see anything, the second day he didn't see anything but by the third day, some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye and his arm was healed enough that he could fix himself a sandwich and load the dishwasher

Bad and Good Luck

2011-12-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

If you throw a coin 1000 times- about 500 will be heads and 500 tails give or take a slight variance - however during the throw you may get 11 tails in a row and I was thinking life is like that- sometime bad luck is in a row but good times will come again.

The World's longest piano

2011-11-19T14:53:00.001-08:00

JOHN BISSET/FAIRFAX NZ

MAKING MUSIC: Adrian Mann's piano is heading to Dunedin to be displayed at the Otago Museum.

Adrian Mann, owner of the longest piano in the world, is taking it off to Dunedin – in the hope entertainer Elton John might drop by and play.

Yesterday was moving day for the piano Adrian started building at the Pareora Huts, near Timaru, seven years ago when he was just 15.

Through a range of contacts Adrian has teed up the piano's first major outing – a visit to the Otago Museum, where it will have pride of place in the foyer for the next three weeks.

Adrian is making the trip after his supporters' best efforts failed to set up a visit by Sir Elton to the Pareora Gorge farm shed, where the piano has been housed.

They had hoped the uniqueness of the handmade 7.5-metre long piano might have intrigued the entertainer and pianist.

While that did not work, a deal was struck with the Otago Museum which was more than happy to host a visit from Adrian and his piano.

"Although there was some motivation for bringing the piano down around getting Elton John to play the piano, I think for us it's just a great opportunity for the Otago community to be able to see such a fantastic accomplishment by a young South Cantabrian," museum marketing co-ordinator Juliet Pierce said.

The piano will be on display in the museum's foyer from tomorrow through to December 5, with Adrian playing the piano at 1pm each day from Monday to Friday next week.

A special concert has been arranged for Sunday night at which invited Dunedin pianists will be given the chance to play the Alexander piano.

Adrian completed the piano 2 1/2 years ago, and since then several concert pianists have visited the farm shed where it is housed, and performed concerts.

While Adrian realises it is a long shot that Sir Elton, who is playing a concert in Dunedin on November 25, will arrive at the museum to check out the piano, the chance of having his creation on display, and playing for the public, is an appealing prospect.

Picture Moments

2011-11-19T01:03:00.000-08:00

Danger Dogman

2011-11-19T00:40:00.000-08:00

The dogman is the assistant of the crane operator, responsible for assuring that the load is safely on the crane’s hooking and then directing the crane operator by radio when it can be raised and advising him until the load is properly placed for the riggers to remove it from the hook.

Why is the name for this job “dogman”? Thirty odd years ago (maybe more recently), the dogman was on the line, riding it up with the load, advising the crane operator by hand signals. He helped release the load from the hook and returned to earth with the empty hook, standing in a hose-covered loop of cable. No safety belt, nothing but good Aussie guts.

Starting as a dogman was a good way up (pun intended), advancing to crane operator and maybe to becoming an operator owner, like the managing director of Sydney Cranes, Enrico Di Grande.

The job title has stuck and is also used in New Zealand. From- http://quezi.com/11778

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/search?searchTerm=dogman

DOGMAN INJURED. Peter Lansone, 65, a dogman, residing at 64 Garden-street, Alexandria, fell about 60 feet from the hooks of a crane at a building at Rawson-place and Pitt-street yesterday and fractured his skull.
Sydney Morning Herald… Tuesday 13 May 1913

DOGMAN KILLED. MELBOURNE, Tuesday. Charles E. Greig, 40, a dogman, of Glenroy, was killed instantly to-day when the cable attached to a crane box snapped at a building in course of construction
Sydney Morning Herald… Wednesday 6 May 1931

DOGMAN KILLED. Hugh McDonald, aged 32 years, a dogman, of Bridge-street, Drummoyne, was killed shortly before 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon, owing to the breaking of the hawser on which be was convoying a 2 ton girdor to the top of the building

Sydney Morning Herald… Friday 23 September 1927

Crane Dogger Killed Unloading Chain - Updated

What

A crane dogger was killed when struck by a materials trailer, which detached from a crane while being moved to a new position in a pick and carry operation.

Why

Investigations are continuing but contributing factors include, but were not limited to, the following: 1. The wide angle of separation of the links on the crane hook affected security of the load 2. The security was further reduced by the crane travelling with a suspended load. 3. The dogger did not use a tagline and was not in a safe position when the load fell. 4. The crane operator had a limited view of the dogger's location and proximity to the load.

Recommendations

All mines review crane management and practices with regard to: Relevant Australian Standards - in particular AS2550.1 and AS2550.5 for mobile cranes; WorkCover guide "Dogging"; Cranes and lifting equipment being fit for purpose; Lifting equipment being appropriately tagged and checked by a competent person; Awareness of the increasing danger with widening separation of slings or links when they are hung from a hook without the use of a bow shackle; Crane hooks used to the manufacturer's specifications; Ensuring all persons in the vicinity of a crane's load are in a safe location in the event of an unforeseen failure.