Funny picture from leungski on flickr:
From the description:
Chrystie realized this was more than a growth spurt, and there was no such thing as "big boned." Rumor had it she was genetically modified.
(thanks to whoever posted this on IRC, and sorry for forgetting who it was)
A "GOOD" poster illustrating the first 100 days of the presidency of every American president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. (It's CC by-nc-sa licensed, awesome).
I like what different ideals are expressed by the inauguration speeches, and all the details, such as the popular vote.
By the way, if you are fast enough, allegedly this can be bought at Starbucks up until today.
(via Jason Kottke)
Nice: About a week ago, world-class trumpeter Wynton Marsalis was on the Colbert Report, and here's a video of it:
If you don't care about them talking, forward to 5:10ish and listen to Steve Colbert and Wynton Marsalis in a duet version of the US national anthem.
By the way, that's one fine horn Marsalis is playing there. It's made by Dave Monette from Portland, Oregon. Incidentally, I was there once and got to play Wynton's trumpet (the same kind only, obviously) and it's the heaviest trumpet I've ever played: It felt like a solid chunk of metal. Believe me, making that sound good takes some serious skills. Needless to say, Marsalis has them.
(via allaboutjazz.com)
"Quick, put the disco music on, he's having a heart attack!"U.S. doctors have found the Bee Gees 1977 disco anthem "Stayin' Alive" provides an ideal beat to follow while performing chest compressions as part of CPR on a heart attack victim.
The American Heart Association calls for chest compressions to be given at a rate of 100 per minute in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). "Stayin' Alive" almost perfectly matches that, with 103 beats per minute.
The study left the open if wearing the appropriate attire is also beneficial for the patient's survival.
By the way, when he refers to "Ohio", he means the state's unique relationship to voting machines.
(via killefit)
This xkcd comic is just way too cool to be left unblogged:
Needless to say, due to its ginormous size I needed to cut off the middle part (one of the beauties of its CC-by-nc license), so make sure to click on the picture to see it in all its beauty.
Randall Munroe made a map of the observable universe, from top to bottom, on a logarithmic scale. I love the details ("Eris: All hail discordia!"--Eris is the Greek goddess of strife, or Cory Doctorow in a balloon, or Pluto (not a planet, neener neener)...). It's also cool how funny the buildings look due to the scale.
It's also available as a poster!
Gotta love Amazon recommendations. Apparently, it found out due to my viewing history, that I am interested in stem vowels:
What they did not explain is how the Belgium they came up with that (I know for a fact that I did not search for that), and more importantly, how it is even possible to develop an interest in stem vowels.
Then again, I am not a linguist, so maybe I am just an utter philistine when it comes to the beauty of stem vowels. Who knows?
"OSU vs. USC" by michelleface on flickr
OSU Beavers fans rushing the field after the game Oregon State University vs. University of Southern California.
The Jewish Council for Education and Research made a pretty funny video to encourage young voters who have Jewish grandparents in Florida to fly there and convince them of voting Obama: "The Great Schlep".
(Naturally, don't take it too seriously).
RememberTheMilk is an online todo-list tool that I use to keep track of my everyday chores as well as, lately, the next steps I need to take for my master's thesis. (We are in the 21st centure, pencil and paper are overrated ;) )
Recently I took a look at their page's source code, and it seems, they have a Latin motto:
The Latin "Non vi sed virtute, not armis sed arte paritur victoria", for my readers whose Latin is a little rusty, means "Not by force but by virtue, not with arms but with art, victory is won."
And thanks to a little digging I can even tell you the (probable) origin of this quote: According to an article in the American Numismatic Society Magazine (yup, coin collectors), the Latin quote appears in the Sacrorum Emblematum Centuria Una (Cambridge, 1592) of Andrew Willet (1562-1621), an Anglican divine who believed that reasoned argument was a tool superior to persecution in attempting to convert Catholics to the Church of England. This sentiment is encapsulated by the Latin motto.
