Saturday, March 16, 2013
Penis Snatching on the Rise -- Africa’s Genital-Stealing Crime Wave Hits the Countryside
Reports of genital theft have spread like an epidemic across West and Central Africa over the past two decades, in tandem with what appears to be a general resurgence of witchcraft on the continent. Anthropologists have explained this rise as a response to an increasingly mystifying and capricious global economy.
How much cornstarch can I rinse down the drain before it clogs?
Read the whole thing:
When you mix cornstarch and water in a bit under a 2:1 ratio, you get oobleck, a substance with some odd physical properties. This is a great kitchen science experiment everyone should try at least once.
At low speeds, oobleck behaves like a liquid. If you gently swish your fingers in a bowl of it, it feels like milk or heavy cream. However, if you make a fist and punch the surface, your hand bounces off with a thud—it’s like hitting a slab of raw meat.
If you vibrate oobleck, even stranger things happen.
When you mix cornstarch and water in a bit under a 2:1 ratio, you get oobleck, a substance with some odd physical properties. This is a great kitchen science experiment everyone should try at least once.
At low speeds, oobleck behaves like a liquid. If you gently swish your fingers in a bowl of it, it feels like milk or heavy cream. However, if you make a fist and punch the surface, your hand bounces off with a thud—it’s like hitting a slab of raw meat.
If you vibrate oobleck, even stranger things happen.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Mark Steyn dusts off his article from the last change of Pope
Mark Steyn: What follows originally appeared in The Irish Times and The Daily Telegraph, and is adapted and anthologized in my book Mark Steyn's Passing Parade:
In an hilarious self-parody of the progressivist cocoon, on Saturday afternoon the New York Times website posted its obituary of John Paul II as follows:
Even as his own voice faded away, his views on the sanctity of all human life echoed unambiguously among Catholics and Christian evangelicals in the United States on issues from abortion to the end of life.
NEED SOME QUOTE FROM SUPPORTER
John Paul II's admirers were as passionate as his detractors, for whom his long illness served as a symbol for what they said was a decrepit, tradition-bound papacy in need of rejuvenation and a bolder connection with modern life.
"The situation in the Catholic church is serious," Hans Kung, the eminent Swiss theologian, who was barred from teaching in Catholic schools because of his liberal views…
In an hilarious self-parody of the progressivist cocoon, on Saturday afternoon the New York Times website posted its obituary of John Paul II as follows:
Even as his own voice faded away, his views on the sanctity of all human life echoed unambiguously among Catholics and Christian evangelicals in the United States on issues from abortion to the end of life.
NEED SOME QUOTE FROM SUPPORTER
John Paul II's admirers were as passionate as his detractors, for whom his long illness served as a symbol for what they said was a decrepit, tradition-bound papacy in need of rejuvenation and a bolder connection with modern life.
"The situation in the Catholic church is serious," Hans Kung, the eminent Swiss theologian, who was barred from teaching in Catholic schools because of his liberal views…
Best obituary ever
A Mississippi man who only sported T-shirts designed by "fashion house Fruit of the Loom" and had a penchant for buttermilk served in martini glasses is bringing thousands of people joy in his afterlife, thanks to an obituary written by his daughter.
Eighty-year-old Harry Weathersby Stamps of Long Beach, Miss., died on Saturday, but his quirky qualities — being a member of a bacon-of-the-month club, outsmarting squirrels — were just starting to take on a life of their own when his daughter, Amanda Stamps Lewis, published his obituary in Mississippi's Sun Herald.com.
Eighty-year-old Harry Weathersby Stamps of Long Beach, Miss., died on Saturday, but his quirky qualities — being a member of a bacon-of-the-month club, outsmarting squirrels — were just starting to take on a life of their own when his daughter, Amanda Stamps Lewis, published his obituary in Mississippi's Sun Herald.com.
via Instapundit.
Twist-Ties vs. Plastic Clips: Tiny Titans Battle for the Bakery Aisle
It’s a battle fought by the makers of inconspicuous little products that cost a fraction of a penny to produce—the ones that everyone knows and nobody thinks about, but which represent more than an estimated $10 million in annual sales. Insiders describe the turf as the bakery bag closure and reclosure market; this is the battle of the plastic clip vs. the twist-tie.
For St. Patty's Day: Excellent Drinking Stories
Andre the Giant reportedly once drank 119 beers in a single night.
And here are 5 Drinking Stories That Put Yours To Shame.
And here are 5 Drinking Stories That Put Yours To Shame.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Mark Steyn: The 'Racist' and the Unknown Man
The other day in Copenhagen, he answered his doorbell and found a man in his early twenties who appeared to be "a typical Muslim immigrant" pointing a gun at him. He fired from a yard away, and, amazingly, missed. The bullet whistled past Lars's ear, and the septuagenarian scholar then slugged his assailant. The man fired again, but the gun jammed, and, after some further tussling, the would-be assassin escaped. He has yet to be found.
How does one report an assassination attempt on a writer for expressing his opinion? Most North American media didn't report it at all. The BBC announced, "Gunman Targets Islam Critic Hedegaard" — which is true, although one couldn't but notice that the Beeb and the Euro-press seemed far more interested in qualifying the victim's identity ("Islam critic") than in fleshing out the perp's. And then there were the Swedes. Across the water from Lars's home town, most prominent outlets picked up the story from the national news agency, TT, the local equivalent of the Associated Press. Here's how they began:
Lars Hedegaard, once convicted for racism, has been subject to an assassination attempt. An unknown man reportedly shot at Hedegaard outside his Copenhagen home.
The author Hedegaard is one of the few Danes who is a certified racist, as he some years ago was fined by a High Court for having stated in a blog interview that Muslim fathers rape their children. He was later acquitted by the Supreme Court.
That last sentence negates the ones above. There is no conviction for "racism": Both it and the fine were quashed, reversed, overturned, kicked into the garbage can by the supreme court. The prosecution was outrageous, and some sense of what Denmark's most eminent jurists made of it can be deduced from their decision to revoke his conviction 7–0. What sort of reporter writes that "the author Hedegaard is one of the few Danes who is a certified racist" ("papper på att han var rasist")?
Dominos Pizza Founder Wins Court Order Stopping HHS Abortion Mandate
The founder of Dominos Pizza won his bid for a court order to prevent enforcement of the mandate while the lawsuit it filed against the Obama administration over the HHS mandate that forces religious employers to purchase drugs that may cause abortions for their employees continues.
Judge Zatkoff previously ruled in favor of granting an emergency temporary restraining order in January. The preliminary injunction extends the previous ruling to protect the plaintiffs for the entire pendency of the case.
Judge Zatkoff previously ruled in favor of granting an emergency temporary restraining order in January. The preliminary injunction extends the previous ruling to protect the plaintiffs for the entire pendency of the case.
More at Life News.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Credit Scores Relaxed Under Obama Pressure
Bullied by President Obama's new consumer watchdog, the Big Three consumer credit bureaus have curved credit scores for deadbeats. The capitulation is a bad omen for the economy.
The campaign began in 2011 when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigated scoring models used by the consumer credit-reporting agencies. They include the VantageScore owned by the three biggest credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — which provide scores and reports to underwriters.
Then last summer, the administration fed a front-page story to the Washington Post lamenting how "credit scores of black Americans have been systematically damaged" by subprime foreclosures, "haunting their financial futures." A week later, CFPB announced in Detroit that it would start policing Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
"These companies have never before been subject to any federal supervision program," CFPB chief Richard Cordray said in July. "Now, they will be monitored just as big banks are monitored."
By that, he meant his diversity cops will subject them, as well, to "disparate impact" investigations. Under that dubious doctrine, policies found to have an adverse impact on minorities are deemed racist, even if they're racially neutral and applied evenly.
The campaign began in 2011 when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigated scoring models used by the consumer credit-reporting agencies. They include the VantageScore owned by the three biggest credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — which provide scores and reports to underwriters.
Then last summer, the administration fed a front-page story to the Washington Post lamenting how "credit scores of black Americans have been systematically damaged" by subprime foreclosures, "haunting their financial futures." A week later, CFPB announced in Detroit that it would start policing Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
"These companies have never before been subject to any federal supervision program," CFPB chief Richard Cordray said in July. "Now, they will be monitored just as big banks are monitored."
By that, he meant his diversity cops will subject them, as well, to "disparate impact" investigations. Under that dubious doctrine, policies found to have an adverse impact on minorities are deemed racist, even if they're racially neutral and applied evenly.
Climate Change: Key Mission for the US Navy?
The Onion infographic: Who Is Pope Francis?
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After less than 24 hours of deliberation, the College of Cardinals has elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina to become the Roman Catholic Church’s 266th leader, who will be the Church’s first-ever South American pope and who will be henceforth known as Pope Francis. Here are some facts about the new pope:
Date Of Birth: December 17, 1936
Date Of Death: November 16, 2015
Number Of People Who Don’t Give A Shit What He Thinks About Anything:Approximately 5.8 billion
Spouse: Isabel Alba Bergoglio
Children: Rebecca (b. 2002), Timothy (b. 2006)
Main Goals For Papacy: Keep Catholic people Catholic, convince other people to become Catholic
Old: Yes
White: Yes
Women’s Rights: Nah
Ability To Walk Up Steps Without Help: Not great
Highest-Charting Single:“Wanna Do Ya Girl (But tha Lord is My Love),” 1989, Arista Records
Official Website: techdeals.com
What He Thinks Heaven Is Like: Mix of clouds and astroturf
Outrage Over Sexual Abuse In Catholic Church: Yeah, sure
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Mark Steyn on pop-tart gun suspension: No society can survive this level of stupidity!
Remember the little boy that got suspended for chomping his pop-tart into a gun? Well Mark Steyn says this incident my seem small, but it’s no little thing. And not only was the suspension itself absurd, but then a memo went out to parents, according to Steyn, telling them that school counselors were available to assist any child who had issues with this inappropriate gesture. After reading the memo, Steyn said this:
You’re doomed America! You’re done for! No society can survive this level of stupidity! The school counselor is available to meet with any students who are traumatized by hearing reports of some guy four grades below them who nibbles a pop-tart into a gun-like shape.I’ve never subscribed to this whole greatest generation thing, you know. But you look at those guys, they weren’t much older than the kids from the school. A lot of them were like seventeen, eighteen years old. And they’re storming out of these transport ships in the churning waters of the English Channel and the North Sea and they’re landing on the beaches of Normandy. And their getting out of these and they stomping up the beaches and they’re taking German gunfire and all the rest.Do you think if you raised people so that you make a school counselor to available to them in cased they’ve been traumatized by someone who was nibbled a pop-tart into the shape of a gun….do you think if they’re ever called upon to get out those ships and the storm the beaches of Normandy, do you think they’re gonna be up to that?‘Oh no look, the Germans, they’re all holding pop-tarts! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!’No society can survive this level of stupidity! These small things are not small. They tell you a lot about the institutionalized stupidity of our institutions.
Twinkies Are Coming Back
At The Corner:
The Twinkie will return this summer, thanks to two private-equity firms that bought Hostess Brands. Daren Metropoulos, a principal at one of the firms, announced the Twinkie’s comeback this afternoon: “Our family is thrilled to have the opportunity to reestablish these iconic brands with new creative marketing ideas and renewed sales efforts and investment. We look forward to having America’s favorite snacks back on the shelf by this summer.”
The Metropouloses have a history of resurrecting iconic American brands — in 2010 they took over Pabst Blue Ribbon and have stewarded it through difficult times. The free market to the rescue once again.
The Twinkie will return this summer, thanks to two private-equity firms that bought Hostess Brands. Daren Metropoulos, a principal at one of the firms, announced the Twinkie’s comeback this afternoon: “Our family is thrilled to have the opportunity to reestablish these iconic brands with new creative marketing ideas and renewed sales efforts and investment. We look forward to having America’s favorite snacks back on the shelf by this summer.”
The Metropouloses have a history of resurrecting iconic American brands — in 2010 they took over Pabst Blue Ribbon and have stewarded it through difficult times. The free market to the rescue once again.
No word on what happens with the union contracts that caused Hostess to go belly up in the first place.
In a Surveillance Society, Do Prisons Need Walls? Read more: SXSW: In a Surveillance Society, Do Prisons Need Walls?
The architects of this proposal have no particular juice with the prison industry, or a government partner itching to roll out a national pilot. It could go nowhere. But the alternative is to either do nothing, as overstuffed detention centers become cesspools (potentially turning non-violent offenders into violent ones), or else build more prisons, throwing more money at a problem that currently costs state governments a total of $51 billion per year.
Tuesday links
Gallery: Vintage Drink Stirrers and Cocktail Sticks
Herring Sperm DNA Shows Surprising Flame-Retardant Properties.
Gallery of Soviet anti-alcohol posters.
Top Ten Afterlife Journeys of Notable People.
Infographic: History of Home Heating.
Man with history of bestiality charged with assault and death of Guinea fowl.
"He has faced similar charges in the past, including a 2001 incident with a chicken in a hotel room."
Monday, March 11, 2013
Maine town set to vote on mandatory gun ownership
Residents of a Maine town are expected to vote Monday on whether each household should be required to own a firearm, a decision that has thrust the tiny town of Byron into the heated national debate on gun control.
via HotAir.
The Case Against Government Bans on Feeding the Homeless
Read the whole thing:
I mention Elijah’s selflessness and generosity toward me and these two men for this startling reason: While Elijah’s act of sharing food with me would be legal virtually anywhere in this country, his decision to feed the homeless men who ate with us could be illegal in many cities today. The reason for this dramatic discrepancy boils down to this fact alone: I slept with a roof over my head, but the others slept under the stars.
Such illogic has led cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and Houston to ban residents from sharing food with the homeless and less fortunate. I called such laws “unconstitutional, discriminatory, and wrongheaded” in a column I wrote over the summer. They remain so.
But since I wrote that widely read column in June, I’ve noticed a welcome pattern emerging. These unjust laws are under attack.
Glenn Reynolds column: Public school insanity
When schools and teachers react hysterically to such non-threats, they're telling us one of two things: Either that they lack the ability to respond realistically to events or that they recognize that there's not any sort of threat, but deliberately overreact in order to stigmatize even the idea of guns. The first is educational malpractice; the second is educational malpractice mixed with abuse of power. Neither inspires confidence in the educational system in which they appear.
Top Ten Afterlife Journeys of Notable People
Why Beethoven, Galileo, Napoleon and others never truly rested in peace.. Read the whole thing, but Napoleon was the weirdest:
Napoleon Bonaparte
After the former French emperor died in exile 1821 in Great Britain, 20 years would pass before his body returned to its home country. What happened next is the result of an autopsy that took one too many liberties. The doctor had allegedly removed the emperor’s genitals, and they joined some of Napoleon’s other belongings in a collection that was later auctioned in London in 1916. In 1927, the organ went on display at the Museum of French Art in New York City. It changed several collectors’ hands until the 1970s, when it was purchased by an American urologist, who kept it in a suitcase underneath his bed until he died in 2007 and his daughter inherited it.
Napoleon Bonaparte
After the former French emperor died in exile 1821 in Great Britain, 20 years would pass before his body returned to its home country. What happened next is the result of an autopsy that took one too many liberties. The doctor had allegedly removed the emperor’s genitals, and they joined some of Napoleon’s other belongings in a collection that was later auctioned in London in 1916. In 1927, the organ went on display at the Museum of French Art in New York City. It changed several collectors’ hands until the 1970s, when it was purchased by an American urologist, who kept it in a suitcase underneath his bed until he died in 2007 and his daughter inherited it.
Another cool Little Free Libraries story
I really mean to make one of these, one of these days:
So when his parents decided to turn a kitchen cabinet built by their son into a mini-library and install it in front of their east side home, an artist decoupaged pages from Reader's Digest condensed books on the tiny repository, which features a handmade sign: "Little Free Library Brought to You by Brandon's Tool Shed."
Wyzbinski-Gelzer committed suicide a few years ago, and each year on his birthday his parents, Pat Wyzbinski and Scott Gelzer, have organized a community service project in his memory. Last year, when their son - who was training to be a carpenter - would have turned 29, the couple organized the construction of 29 such libraries.
The Sequestered Life of Julia
Julia consumes more government services than she pays for. But what about a non-socialist version of Julia? How much worse would things be with absolutely no entitlement programs or government-funded education?