It's quite the time to let you know about some of our tenants. Quarrelsome and noisy bunch that they are, unlike this one:
The first one and its relatives I would like to get rid of, what with the roof gutters being constantly filled with assorted detritus and endless cooing at all hours.
The next one is less troublesome and comparatively quiet:
This one, on the other hand, is a living scandal. The level of grating noise produced by its kind must be heard to be believed.
That one is relatively nice, spending most of the time in the pine where you can see it:
And the next one is ready for a quick snack, as you can see:
And now to my personal holy grail, as far as bird photography is concerned. This miniature and quick flying character is the most difficult one to find and to keep in your sight for time enough for a shot. For a long time the best I could do was something like this:
(Can you see him?) Today, after a long vigil, I have succeeded to get a bit closer, and here he is:
And a bit closer to a face shot:
Well - quarrelsome and noisy bunch they are, and late forever with monthly payments, but we rather like them.
Now, when I get a better lens...
I have to express my sincere gratitude to CNN for bringing this to my attention. It's quite a time since I had me such a refreshing ROTFLMAO...
When young men were shown erotic pictures, they were more likely to make a larger financial gamble than if they were shown a picture of something scary, such as a snake, or something neutral, such as a stapler, university researchers reported.
Of course, in my advanced age I cannot be a volunteer for such a research, but from the impartial heights of experience the conclusion above looks as full of holes as the proverbial cheese.
To start with: young men in general are likely to perform any shenanigan when shown a nekkid picture, be the shenanigan of financial or any other nature. Now, if you choose for your test group "15 heterosexual young men at Stanford University" (which means in short words "15 sex-starved animals of male persuasion"), your ability to manipulate them into any stupid decision raises infinitely.
Then - who said that snakes and, to put it mildly, staplers, are totally unrelated to sex? Maybe in refined laboratory conditions... oh well...
"You have a need in an evolutionary sense for both money and women. They trigger the same brain area," said Camelia Kuhnen, a Northwestern University finance professor who conducted the study with a Stanford University psychologist.
I suspect that in an evolutionary sense it will be much better to siphon off some of the bloated university budgets to something more worthwhile, instead of adding another research paper to the evergrowing pile of the Research Annals of the Obvious.
And since I am sure that at least one of the readers will demand an example of such worthwhile research, here is one: channeling the excessive sexual energy of some students into increasing their zeal for the studies.
What do ya'll think?
This novel use for the cute animal was invented recently in New Zealand.
A man in New Zealand has been charged with using a hedgehog as a weapon, the New Zealand Herald has reported. Police said William Singalargh, 27, had hurled the hedgehog about 5m (16ft) at a 15-year-old boy.
The injuries were not that grievous, and the brat most probably deserved the punishment anyway.
But the incident got me thinking in another direction: what if this method of resolving disputes will be accepted all over the world? What if hedgehogs become the only weapon available to humanity for settling the differences of opinion on any given subject?
Of course, a set of rules should be established, such as moratorium on application of that weapon to some sensitive parts of human body, regulation of throwing distances and the state of the hedgehog prior to use. But all these are mere technicalities and could be easily overcome.
The world peace is coming. I feel it in my waters.
After some prolonged calculations, based on hints thinly spread here and there, I've concluded that I have signed a will at the same (more or less) age Akaky Akakievich did.
Now - did I write something about it? No.
But could I write something even remotely close to this?
Not in a thousand...
Or 78 or 83, whatever.
Source unknown, but many thanks to her/him anyway.
Haveil Havalim #161 is up and there are quite a few goodies.
Andrew Ian Dodge tells an absolutely amazing story
Big "progressive" (aka new name for socialism) shindig in London today. Some of the highlights are a logo with a swastika hidden inside it and their laughing at the sub-prime loan crisis. These people claim to be carrying & sharing but seem to enjoy the suffering of anyone who owns a home. Oh yes and they are staying a posh hotel natch.
This is only half amazing, read more here.
This is what the modern left is coming to?
This short article caused me a bizarre feeling - like finding yourself in a parallel world, where most of the familiar details are faithfully copied from the world you know, but people talk and behave differently. To start with the headline:
Hamas: Rocket attacks not aimed at Israeli women, children
Strange enough, and doesn't require comments. But the contents of the piece are real mindboggling:
"Hamas doesn't mean to kill children with its rockets," spokesman Ismail Radwan told reporters in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in response to a statement made by al-Qaida's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who said Hamas' random rockets kill women and children in violation of Islamic law.
Still no comments. Just my poor head that cannot get rid of the colorful image of Hamas and al-Qaida chiefs in Santa Claus outfits distributing sweets, toys and smiles to the children of Sderot, New York, Madrid, Baghdad...
Cross-posted on
Yourish.com.
The theme for this week PhotoHunt is "Glass".
It's another tough subject. My archives didn't serve me well this time. So I have decided to make a special effort and to find a few favorite glass objects of mine. Here they are:
And I placed them in the right sequence (left to right): you open the first, transfer the contents to the second, wait for a prescribed time (don't chew your nails please) and then pour some limited volume into the third and... GO!
Repeat as your doctor recommends.
Cheers!
Now, if you want a less gloomy depiction of the same glass objects, here it is:
You tell me which one you like best.
If you liked what you have seen (or read) in this post, add your link in the comments:I promise to visit your place as soon as possible!
To look for other photo hunters, go
there.
***
(Please remember the Elders' pledge of non-involvement, though)
By no other but Mad!
The economic and cultural boycott of the State of Israel actually predates the creation of the State itself.
The mere mention of the word "boycott" quickens the pulse of some people. Ben Cohen of Z Word blog takes a look at the various manifestation of that righteous urge by some righteous people.
I realize that we will have to make peace one day- the sooner the better. I realize that transfer is a pipe dream of the far right. It will simply never take place. I realize that there are good and bad Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims just like there are good and bad Jews.
Eitan of Continuing in Chicago on his "passing political puberty". I am a bit skeptical (not on account of Eitan, it is just that mental puberty for men is considered to be feasible around age of 70 or so), but it's a good read.
In a curious reversal of normal scientific practice, the failed experiment of the 1990s peace process is now being performed again. Its architects tell us, contrary to all available evidence, that this time the results will be different. They won't be. Instead, de facto cooperation between the region's moderate states will serve to contain the local pro-Iranian forces.
Jonathan Spyer of GLORIA Center offers increased involvement of Egypt and Jordan in Gaza and West bank respectively as a possible replacement to a peace process that is going to fail. But are Egyptians and Jordanians eager to participate in this experiment? Dunno...
Er... that headline may look ambiguous. So - it is not that no.2 you mean, it is this one:
Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri pledged Wednesday night that the group would attack Jews in Israel and throughout the world.
And CNN is also not the one you mean, it is the elusive Cave News Network.
And that "live" should rather be "alive", but let's not nitpick, OK?
Anyhow, the gist of the speech carries nothing essentially new, aside of a sign that even such a benign and largely impotent body as UN has succeeded to get on the bad side of the chief cave dwellers.
Zawahri also slammed the UN for "assisting the establishment of Israel," calling the organization an "enemy of Islam."
I expect that Adam and Eve will be blacklisted next - for letting their loins to get away with passion and to produce these darn apes and pigs (by the way, if you haven't yet joined the Apes and Pigs Alliance, you are welcome to the badge and the link on the left side of this here blog).
And then who? Oh - oh, let's not get there for now...
Now a few words about the style:
The audio message, which was accompanied by a 46-page English transcript, was the first installment of answers to a raft of online questions...
46-page English transcript definitely points to one of the two possibilities: either our forehead-damaged friend is bored to death in his cave or he is aspiring to become a TV show star to beat Oprah. Or both.
In any case, here is an offer from the Elders to al-Whatishisname: we have a few vacant caves here, so you are welcome. We'll provide food, clothing, a TV crew and a few goats.
Deal?
Cross-posted on Yourish.com.
"Ten years from now, I imagine people will be fairly sick of seeing a lot of us who are on camera now," Clooney told Reuters.
Oh boy... what a situation... how do I put it gently? Anyhow - I have some news for you, George!
This bunch of snooty media pundits and their running lackey dogs has done it again:
Israel is viewed as the country with the second most negative influence on the world, according to a poll released recently by the BBC World Service.
Iran was considered to have the most negative influence, ranked lowest in world opinion at 54 percent - the same ranking it was given in a poll taken last year.
Second baddest? Why, this gang of trade-unionized bastards has become insufferable!
We'll show them second baddest, you just wait...
No, no, don't even beg for it. The way you are surfing for it like demented lemmings is really pathetic. Get this instead:
Rest your eyes and chill your brains. There, there...
The next one is less troublesome and comparatively quiet:
This one, on the other hand, is a living scandal. The level of grating noise produced by its kind must be heard to be believed.
That one is relatively nice, spending most of the time in the pine where you can see it:
And the next one is ready for a quick snack, as you can see:
And now to my personal holy grail, as far as bird photography is concerned. This miniature and quick flying character is the most difficult one to find and to keep in your sight for time enough for a shot. For a long time the best I could do was something like this:
(Can you see him?) Today, after a long vigil, I have succeeded to get a bit closer, and here he is:
And a bit closer to a face shot:
Well - quarrelsome and noisy bunch they are, and late forever with monthly payments, but we rather like them.
