"With A Shout"

This is a moonbow. On a clear night in Yosemite National Park,...

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:42:22 -0700

On a clear night in Yosemite National Park, you can see a rainbow.

At night. Near both the upper and the lower falls. With the dark blue velvety, star-studded sky above, and lots of watery mist below …

Yet only for a few hours of a very few nights during the full moon in springtime and sometimes early summer, will a bow appear in the moonlight.

UN, since I know you enjoy the WoW steins, please tell me...

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:50:00 -0700

UN, since I know you enjoy the WoW steins, please tell me you’ve seen this?

davereed: What really keeps a train on its tracks?...

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:22:51 -0700

davereed:

What really keeps a train on its tracks? (2:27)

justbrowsing:

Richard Feynman explains. What I love about this clip is that it gets me wondering why I’ve never wondered about this before. And what else I should be wondering about. If that’s whetted your appetite, here’s some more Feynman goodness. (via kottke.org)

I’m embarassed that I never knew this

davereed: Crater Lake auto-reblog [Photographer: Paulo...

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:45:50 -0700

davereed:

Crater Lake auto-reblog

[Photographer: Paulo Mernik]

via acropolis: kari-shma

Life Imitates Monty Python

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:54:39 -0700

sds:

New Mother: “Is it a boy or a girl?” Obstretrician: “I think it’s a bit early to start imposing roles on it, don’t you?”—dialogue from “The Meaning of Life,” 1983

“A couple of Swedish parents have stirred up debate in the country by refusing to reveal whether their two-and-a-half-year-old child is a boy or a girl. . . . In an interview with newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in March, the parents were quoted saying their decision was rooted in the feminist philosophy that gender is a social construction. ‘We want Pop to grow up more freely and avoid being forced into a specific gender mould from the outset,’ Pop’s mother said. ‘It’s cruel to bring a child into the world with a blue or pink stamp on their forehead.’ ”—Local (Sweden), June 23, 2009

h/t James Taranto

*sigh*

That poor kid is screwed up for life.

Parenting FAIL.

New Monkey Discovered In Brazil The Wildlife Conservation...

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:07:00 -0700

New Monkey Discovered In Brazil

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced on July 7 the discovery of a new monkey in a remote region of the Amazon in Brazil.

The monkey is related to saddleback tamarins, which include several species of monkeys known for their distinctively marked backs. The newly described distinct subspecies was first seen by scientists on a 2007 expedition into the state of Amazonas in northwestern Brazil.

Let's Not Make A Deal

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:09:16 -0700

jeffmiller:

southpol:

“The Senate Finance Committee (SFC), in an effort to make health care into a bi-partisan effort, is considering a restriction on abortion funding with the passage of health care reform. This could mean not allowing a public health insurance plan to cover the cost of abortions for women.”

—

Raising Women’s Voices

Contact your members of congress

I personally believe that abortion is an impossible issue; I don’t understand how either side can feel they see things clearly. But given that a very large percentage of Americans believe that abortion is highly immoral, is it ludicrous for them to object to the Government subsidizing abortion? And if no health care proposal will pass that subsidizes abortion, will progressives really give up their hopes for reform, rather than compromise to pass something palatable to abortion foes?

This is, of course, what happens whenever the Government takes over something—it becomes subjegated to politics. I don’t even mean this in a corrupt way—I mean it in the purest way possible. If you think that abortion is immoral, then of course you are rightly upset when your tax money pays for abortion. If you think abortion is a matter of choice, then naturally you are angry when your choice is limited by a government policy. The beauty of a free market is that companies can compete for your allegiance; if you don’t like the policies of one company, you can find another—and if you can’t find one that you like, you can start one. No, the market isn’t perfect. But with Government, you’re stuck—there’s only one federal government, and you have to live with its policies. Even worse, you have to pay for them, no matter how offensive they seem to you.

I do not believe that the Government can provide a better healthcare system. But even if the Government could, it probably wouldn’t be worth the politicization of health. It’s clear from the quote above that abortion will be a contentious issue in the coming healthcare negotiations. But everything has the potential to be a contentious issue when it’s wrapped up in Government. What you eat, what you drink, who you sleep with, how you breed—these things have huge health consequences. Are you ready for these things to be subject to political debate? I’m not.

brothersbloom: ianbroyles: I finally saw The Brothers Bloom...

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:02:19 -0700

brothersbloom:

ianbroyles:

I finally saw The Brothers Bloom made by the same guy who did Brick. I’ll own this movie when I can and may even catch it again at the cheap theatre (Regency Fairfax) before it’s gone.

Seriously, such a great film. Definitely one of the best I’ve seen this year.

Meg Whitman

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:13:00 -0700

Meg Whitman:

wooliebear:

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — California’s campaigns introduce candidates not only to the state’s voters but also to its immensity. In Bakersfield, Meg Whitman, 52, the former CEO of eBay who is campaigning for the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nomination, learned about carrots.

In 1968, the Grimm brothers were selling vegetables at a roadside stand in Anaheim. They moved to Bakersfield, and today Grimmway Farms and one rival provide 80 percent of the nation’s carrots, partly because the brothers figured out how to make the vegetables pleasingly uniform in shape.

Who knew? Whitman didn’t, and the story, which she tells enthusiastically and at length, delights her because it confirms her conviction that California “was built by intellectual capital” and not just the Hollywood and Silicon Valley sort.

California’s cascading crises prefigure America’s future unless Washington reverses the growth of government subservient to organized labor. The state cannot pay its bills and poorly educates its young, and its taxation punishes whatever success that its suffocating regulatory regime does not prevent.

Whitman, a Roman candle of facts and ideas, insists, “We do not have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem of epic proportions.” Twenty-five percent of California’s revenue comes from income taxes paid by the 144,000 richest taxpayers, so “if one of them leaves, it’s a really bad thing.” Lots have left. Some never really arrive. Pierre Omidyar, after founding eBay in San Jose, resided in Nevada, which has no income tax.

Has my vote already.

"The pain was so bad that once it felt like I was delivering a child made out of razor blades."

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:22:48 -0700

“The pain was so bad that once it felt like I was delivering a child made out of razor blades.”

- Drinking Iced Tea May Increase Risk of Developing Kidney Stones - Digital Journal: Your News Network

[h/t jeff, who needs to change his beverage selection immediately.]

(via hilker)

It truly is excruitiating. I’ve had two and it is not fun. This article is helpful though:

Water is your best bet when you want to quench your summer thirst. You can always add lemon slices for some extra flavour.

“Lemons are very high in citrates, which inhibit the growth of kidney stones,” Milner said. “Lemonade, not the powdered variety that uses artificial flavoring, actually slows the development of kidney stones for those who are prone to the development of kidney stones.”

People concerned about developing kidney stones should cut back on eating foods that also contain high concentrations of oxalates such as spinach, chocolate, rhubarb and nuts.

Also, go easy on salt, eat meat sparingly, drink several glasses a water a day and don’t avoid foods high in calcium, which reduces the amount of oxalate the body absorbs.

culby: davereed: This is what I’ve been trying to...

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:06:57 -0700

culby:

davereed:

This is what I’ve been trying to say!

deadlybrad42:

This is what I think about everytime somebody mentions time travel

Yay I Made A Time Machine! - Comics Animation

So? You just make sure you go back exactly a year. BOOM, problem solved.

My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-7-5)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:21:47 -0700

My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-7-5):

Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

(via fuckyeahlordoftherings)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:22:03 -0700

(via fuckyeahlordoftherings)

"Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee!"

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:22:24 -0700

“Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee!”

- St. Augustine of Hippo (via ptbruiser)

(via myeviltwin)

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:30:41 -0700

(via myeviltwin)

We all know it is fact that a patient under Socialized health care waits an average of 10 months to see a specialist. Got cancer? Wait 10 months, if you live that long. How many months do they wait to see an abortion specialist? Or does abortion trump cancer?

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:47:14 -0700

thedailyfiona:

reduxfilms:

thedailyfiona:

grumpypantalones:

(via thedailyfiona)

I have to weigh in on this because I worked in IT Consulting for Healthcare [I’ve implemented software in both US private facilities and Canadian gov’t run facilities].

It sounds great; healthcare for everyone. BUT, the gov’t will choose if you qualify for certain treatments based on age, gender, other health complications [e.g., diabetes], and a number of other things that you wouldn’t think apply to this decision making process. For example, say you are 55 and are in need of a kidney transplant. You are also a “recovered” alcoholic, and there was some damage to your liver, but it’s still considered to be in rehabilitation [improving]. ”Someone” will review your case and come back and say, “we’re sorry you don’t qualify for this treatment” and they may or may not give you the REAL reason. BUT, you can bet that part of it is the fact that you’re 55, and according to guidelines, your rate of success in the treatment and extending your life isn’t as great as the 45 year old female that ALSO needs a kidney transplant, who, consequently DOES not have liver damage. Since this surgery is expensive, you will need to QUALIFY in order for the government to pay for it [and no, I’m not kidding].

So, even though you may pay for the healthcare out of your taxes, AND you’ve waited 10 weeks to get a consultation, another 3 weeks for their response, you will be denied. The next steps for you are to find a private practice and pay for it out of your pocket.

I’m just sayin’… it doesn’t sound so appealing when you actually know what happens. Paying for something twice, when you could have just saved the money that was pulled from your paycheck [gov’t healthcare costs] to pay for it in the first place. Seriously, I know what I’d choose.

That is all.

I completely agree. Everyone thinks it sounds appealing; but if you know the system or have had experience with the system, it actually has severe drawbacks. Emergency Departments in Canada are facing extreme burden and patients must wait in long lines to be seen; often up to 24-48 hours.

"The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men..."

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 -0700

“The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men equal; and it is right; for if they were not created equal, they were certainly evolved unequal. There is no basis for democracy except in a dogma about the divine origin of man.”

- G.K. Chesterton

Happy 4th of July, America!

davereed: Ex Nihilo - What Wondrous Love is This What...

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:37:46 -0700

davereed:

Ex Nihilo - What Wondrous Love is This

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free
I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.

This is great!

via crazyfishor

More confusion for that poor bastard who's learning English

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:33:55 -0700

1happyst:

So let me get this straight, if something is awesome, that’s good.

Correct.

But if it’s awful, that’s bad?

Um, yes.

complicatedshoes: “That government is best which governs...

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:03:46 -0700

complicatedshoes:

“That government is best which governs least.”
- Thomas Paine

Have a wonderful Independence Day, everyone.