Yummy Wakame

Tim Brender was getting ready to move and “knew he needed to start getting things organized,” said his wife, Lani. The Madison, Wisc., man went to the basement of his rented townhouse to start packing. He moved a table, which knocked over a can of spray paint, which landed on a hammer on the floor. The can was punctured, and it started to spray wildly, shooting paint into the water heater. The paint fumes were ignited by the pilot light, which ignited a cushion, which spread to stored gunpowder. The ensuing inferno destroyed everything in the home. “You couldn’t set up this scenario to happen,” Lani said. (Madison Capital Times) … Fire investigators believed that, since the couple wasn’t insured.

More stories like this from This is True.

Bsti breaks down an interesting article explaining sleep paralysis and night terrors which I found extremely interesting.

5 years ago when I was living in a particular house in Midrand, South Africa, I would have them every night. I didn’t have them anywhere else but this house, and it was usually always the same experience.

I’d wake up in the dead of the night with a sudden bang, my eyes burst open, I’m lying flat on my back (quite unusual in itself) and see this huge creature floating over me from head to toe. Its the blackest black you can imagine, blacker than the darkness in my room, I couldn’t see any eyes but I could feel it staring into mine, as close as 5cm away from my nose, just hovering over me. Almost touching me. Of course it absolutely terrified me – I try to move but I’d be completely paralysed. All I could do was open my mouth to a huge scream but nothing came out, just air. I’d keep trying to scream until eventually a strange muffled moan would escape, waking Pieter… who by now knew what’s happening so he’d turn on the light, and I’d be crying… feeling like I’d gone completely mad.

The same disturbance every night. Some nights I’d wake up before it’s over me, see it approaching me by the side of the bed, or just standing in the corner of the room, or floating up on the ceiling in the corner of the room… but most of the time it was lying over me. It’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever had to face, and knowing it would come for me every night. Some nights it would happen more than once, so I’d be too afraid to fall asleep and just lie there with the lights on. I didn’t know what it was. It didn’t feel like it could be an “alien” (that never occurrred to me) and it didn’t feel like it was a projection of myself.

These episodes thankfully stopped as soon as I left that house and it hasn’t happened since.

“If the density of the universe one second after the Big Bang had been greater by one part in a thousand billion, the universe would have recollapsed after ten years. On the other hand, if the density of the universe at that time had been less by the same amount, the universe would have been essentially empty when it was about ten years old.” ~ Stephen Hawking, Physicist

As seen on Chapel Perilous.
More coincidences…

Lost.

Wow. This couple must have the most incredible sex life. I can’t imagine what else could hold them together…

Gay Rights Law Divided Microsoft

Also, Bill talks about Microsoft’s decision to outsource R&D, innovation, and uses various verbs and nouns!

“I want some repairs done to my cooker as it has backfired and burnt my knob off.”

“I wish to complain that my father hurt his ankle very badly when he put his foot in the hole in his back passage.”

“Their 18 year old son is continually banging his balls against my fence.”

“I wish to report that tiles are missing from the outside toilet roof. I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off.”

“My lavatory seat is cracked, where do I stand?”

“I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is coming away from thew all.”

“Will you please send someone to mend the garden path. My wife tripped and fell on it yesterday and now she is pregnant. We are getting married in September and we would like it in the garden before we move into the house.”

“The toilet is blocked and we cannot bath the children until it is cleared.”

“Will you please send a man to look at my water, it is a funny colour and not fit to drink.”

“Our lavatory seat is broken in half and is now in three pieces.”

“Would you please send a man to repair my spout. I am an old age pensioner and need it badly.”

“I want to complain about the farmer across the road; every morning at 6am his cock wakes me up and its now getting too much for me.”

“The man next door has a large erection in the back garden, which is unsightly and dangerous.”

“Our kitchen floor is damp. We have two children and would like a third so please send someone round to do something about it.”

“I am a single woman living in a downstairs flat and would you please do something about the noise made by the man I have on top of me every night.”

“Please send a man with the right tool to finish the job and satisfy my wife.”

“I have had the clerk of the works down on the floor six times but I still have no satisfaction.”

“This is to let you know that our lavatory seat is broken and we can’t get BBC2.”

“He’s got this huge tool that vibrates the whole house and I just can’t take it anymore.”

“That is his excuse for dogs mess that I find hard to swallow.”

“My bush is really overgrown round the front and my back passage has fungus growing in it.”

This is an absolutely fascinating documentary. Could you imagine living like this? I would have absolutely loved to grow up like this…

WHERE THE WILD KIDS ARE
BBC Radio 4, Documentary
Listen to the archived program

In 1972, six groups of parents embarked on a ten-year experiment that involved them “pooling” their children ? 16 of them. Since none of the children now “belonged” to any of the parents they all took the same surname ? Wild ? and moved between homes on a rota basis. It was the sort of thing people did in the immediate post-hippy years, experimenting with social structures in a bid to come up with Utopia. Gerry Kennedy tracks them all down.

The early 1970s saw numerous experiments in alternative ways of living, but few as intriguing as a group of communes whose members decided that the children would not be raised just by their natural parents, but collectively. To reinforce this, and since none of the children “belonged” to any of the parents they all took the same surname ? Wild ? and moved between homes on a rota basis.

Gerry Kennedy tracks down the Wild kids to see how they turned out.

While the topic on irc is still sorta fresh, what one would you choose?

Yes to the trout slap?

No to the trout slap?

I think we all know what the answer is!

Why are monster-movie zombies so horrifying
and talking animals so fascinating?

Promoting open, rigorous discussion of all phenomena related to the conscious experience.

Essential Fonts for Designers

Put your secret on a postcard and send it to PostSecret

NPR interviews the man behind the idea

Bsti found this. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Documenting and photographing places where we’re not supposed to go!

Check out Buffalo Central Terminal, NYC, Roswell Missile Silo, New Mexico, Whitby Psychiatric Hospital, Toronto, La Grande Hermine, ship, Paris Catacombs, Rochester Subway, NYC

I’ve always wanted to explore abandoned buildings and tunnels taking photos, touching the walls, smelling the air, feeling the energy of all the people who passed through there. Abandoned subways are especially intriguing to me. But as a woman I’m too scared to do it for fear of bumping into some weirdos. As a kid I remember having recurring dreams about exploring drains, tunnels, buildings, deep pools and wells. It always gave me the shivers.

Wikipedia definition: Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the elementary constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactions between them. It is also called high energy physics, because many elementary particles do not occur under normal circumstances in nature, but can be created and detected during energetic collisions of other particles, as is done in particle accelerators.

My definition: particle physics is sexy.

Years ago I’d easily spend 5+ hours a day on IRC. I’d forgotten how much fun it was!

#99060 +(13582)
t0rbad> so there i was in this hallway right
BlackAdder> i believe i speak for all of us when i say…
BlackAdder> WRONG BTICH
BlackAdder> IM SICK OF YOU
BlackAdder> AND YOUR LAME STORIES
BlackAdder> NOBODY HERE THINKS YOURE FUNNY
BlackAdder> NOBODY HERE WANTS TO HEAR YOUR STORIES
BlackAdder> IN FACT
BlackAdder> IF YOU DIED RIGHT NOW
BlackAdder> I DON”T THINK NOBODY WOULD CARE
BlackAdder> SO WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT FAG
*** t0rbad sets mode: +b BlackAdder*!*@*.*
*** BlackAdder has been kicked by t0rbad ( )
t0rbad> so there i was in this hallway right
CRCError> right
heartless> Right.
r3v> right

#258908 +(6426)
Ben174> If they only realized 90% of the overtime they pay me is only cause i like staying here playing with Kazaa when the bandwidth picks up after hours.
ChrisLMB> If any of my employees did that they’d be fired instantly.
Ben174> Where u work?
ChrisLMB> I’m the CTO at LowerMyBills.com
*** Ben174 (BenWright@TeraPro33-41.LowerMyBills.com) Quit (Leaving)

#5273 +(18535)
erno> hm. I’ve lost a machine.. literally _lost_. it responds to ping, it works completely, I just can’t figure out where in my apartment it is.

#207373 +(7565)
anamexis> oh man
anamexis> I was opening a coke, right
–> Beefpile (~mbeefpile@cloaked.wi.rr.com) has joined #themacmind
anamexis> and it exploded
anamexis> ALMOST all over my keyboard
anamexis> but I got it away just in time
<-- Beefpile has quit (sick fuckers)

BBC Radio: Afternoon Play

A hypochondriac Englishman journeys across Peru in search of true love and himself, but his western mindset is melted by the seemingly crazy, fuzzy logic and unpredictability of everyday life in Latin America.

“If somebody would have told me that one day I would be lying on the floor of a hut in the Amazon jungle, spasming uncontrollably, my mind in pieces… then they would have been right and presumably blessed with some kind of power to see the future. But I wouldn’t have believed them, because among the things I like least are travel, jungles and spasming uncontrollably. So how did I end up combining all three?

Margherita. Not the drink but a girl, just as intoxicating and with the same bitter after taste.”

You can listen to the archived show: select “Listen to Monday”

Here’s a quick dictionary reference for American readers who have no idea what I’m talking about – FYI these are all commonly known words in the UK:

blag v. To convince another person that all the stuff you just made up is in fact true and worthy (“Bob blagged his way through the interview and got the job.”); or to get access to a restricted area, usually by lying, cheekiness or confidence trickery (“I blagged my way backstage.”); or to get something for nothing (“Bob’s always blagging cigarettes off people.”).

cheeky adj. To be cheeky is just short of being rude. You’re being cheeky if you make a joke that you can only just get away with without getting into trouble or if it’s said tongue-in-cheek. I am in fact a cheeky monkey. I have heard it is also used to describe smoking weed in a sly or quick manner (“Hey Bob, fancy some cheeky in the basement?”).

cock-up n. v. No it’s not a complete pushup using your nether regions. To cock-up is to make a complete mess of something. “Nathan tried fixing his blog and ended up deleting Bob’s. He cocked it up completely.” The phrase “balls-up” means same thing although it’s seen as a lot less rude.

dodgy adj. Someone who exercises in illegal deals like drugs and or stolen goods (“Bob bought it off some dodgy punter in the pub”); sexually suggestive (“My boss sometimes checks me out in a dodgy way.”); or simply not quite as things should be (“Bob’s car is really dodgy. It broke down twice on the way to the pub.” or “When Bob went to the loo, things felt a bit dodgy and he knew it was the st0nes again.”).

suss v. To check out for dodginess (“I sussed Bob out. Let’s just say I wouldn’t leave him alone in a room with my sister.” “But you don’t have a sister.” “Oh yeah.”); to figure out something dodgy (“Bob thought if he put Nathan’s ciggy box back he wouldn’t notice. Unfortunately the box was empty so he got sussed.”)

taking the piss n. Making fun of someone (“Hey Bob you’re fat.” “No I’m not.” “Nah you’re right, I was just taking the piss.”) To push your luck (“Look Bob, you’re just taking the piss now. One more sick day and you’re going to lose your job.”)

tits up expl. A situation that’s gone wrong, maybe even disasterously. (“Well that blag really went tits up.”)

whinge v. To bitch, complain or whine. A whinger is partial to whinging. (“Bob stop whinging! Just hold it if it hurts.”)

wonky adj. Messed up or not working properly (“Bob has the wonkiest computer in the world. It can’t even run Windoze.”)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

“… In one of the furniture shops i came across a saleslady and a client. the client was afrikaans. i knew this because she spoke afrikaans. the saleslady spoke english. it was an endearing experience to witness. the lady spoke in afrikaans and the sales lady replied in english. this went on for about ten minutes. both could understand each other. neither tried to speak the other’s language.

where else can you do that besides in south africa.” ~ eKapa

Officially, the youngest language in the world is Afrikaans. By the early-20th century Afrikaans had developed from Dutch, French and other influences into a fully fledged language with its own dictionary. After a mere 90 years, it is the second most spoken language in South Africa. Zulu is the most spoken – the Zulu people being the largest ethnic group.

A blog all about (not) quitting smoking.

InformationWeek > Microsoft To Launch 64-bit Windows Monday >Microsoft To Launch 64-bit Windows Monday

Conveniently released just after I purchased my new laptop, similar to my last computer purchase which occurred literally days before XP was released. They should really have a guy who goes door to door telling people about this sort of stuff…

Community Exchange System (South Africa)

“Caught in the money trap? Break free by joining the Talent Exchange

Conventional money causes poverty because it is based on debt. It comes into existence when banks grant loans. This determines the quantity of money, which has nothing to do with the amount of money people need to live decent lives. Talent Exchange ‘money’ is created by its members so it can never be in short supply. So long as you can offer something of value to the community you can have from the community goods and services of like value. Join the growing community who have discovered a new way of ‘doing’ money.”

Greak link Kenna!

“livvie look at the sweet aye-aye” ~ Ken