Biomes Blog

Entry #626

Animals of the Week: Flying snakes.  Watch the movies.

Wiki’s list of eccentric people.

Now we’re cookin’: A 6,991 pound sandwich.

Dept. of Educashun: Gutenberg’s printing press.

Where’s Riverbend?

Movie Rating:  This is Spinal Tap.  This is one of those movies that you need to watch once a year.  Directed by and starring meathead and the crew who would would go on to make all of Christopher Guest’s great “mockumentaries”, this film goes to eleven starfish.  But enough of my yackin’, let’s boogie. 5 starfish out of 5.

Now we’re cookin’ II: The Golden Ring Diet. Lose weight by only eating things with a “food void” (hole in the center).

How hurricanes form.

Mixter lists the top 100 songs (with ratings) of 1982, the year I graduated from high school as well.  How could there be no Seger or Springsteen on this list?

I’m not hypnotizable since I scored a 1 out of 5.  How hypnotizable are you?   A few years ago a friend of a friend took hypnosis lessons (bilked out of $200) and I bet her a hundred bucks she couldn’t hypnotize me.  She lost but never paid up because she said I was “uncooperative”.

Bush in check.

Weird Science on the Religious Right.  Seven of the greatest hits (or misses) of conservative Christian 'science' show just how little fact goes into these beliefs, and how much damage they can cause.

Entry #625

I’ve got hummingbirds all over the place at my house, and although I haven’t found any praying mantids (my favorite insect) yet, I don’t really want to watch this play out in my back yard.

  Whalesounds.

Search Results: Someone found the Biomes Blog by image googling “Hard Body”.  It brought them to an image of Graham’s “Darth Bush” photoshop on this post.

This is the key paragraph in Joseph Heller’s novel “Catch 22”.  It pretty much defines the term as it has been used since.

"There was only one catch and that was “Catch 22”, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask, and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to."

Dept. of Educashun: Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.

Try out the Reality Game.  Follow the instructions carefully.

Whoa.  If Armando’s sticking his neck out here, you know there is something to it.

Meet John Titor, time traveler.

Ugh, lobster flavored ice cream, with real chunks of lobster meat, sounds disgusting.

Entry #624

Read (or listen to) Nature’s Revenge: Hurricane Risk for New Orleans.

A little piece of Dylan: Can't Wait (1997).

Cobra origami.

Buy your sharktooth products here.  (Actually, don’t.  It just encourages the killing of them.)

So, how do I respond to an attempt by a creationist fundy to convert me to Christianity when said attempt is done by a client in my own place of business?  I chose to just smile and nod and hand back the cds and pamphlets espousing the joys of the invisible cloud being.  Although I did manage a “I’m way past the god thing”, which probably wasn’t too cool.  I do have to confess that the passive-aggressive naming of my African Tortoise “Darwin” was done to prod these people.

The Boy and I were watching the documentary “Hands on a Hard Body” the other night, and he got quite a kick out of Norma the religious nut.  Graham laughed saying “I think her God has more to deal with than making sure this lady wins a pickup truck”.

The footprint of the American chickenhawk.

Albino Monday: The albino doberman page.

You are nurturing, kind, and lucky. Like mother nature, you want to help everyone. You are good at keeping secrets and tend to be secretive. A seeker of harmony, you are a natural peacemaker. You are good natured and people enjoy your company. You put people at ease and make them feel at home with you.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Entry #623

Astronomers have pinpointed the moment Ansel Adams clicked the shutter on his famous photograph, Autumn Moon, the High Sierra from Glacier Point. It was taken on September 15, 1948, at 7:03 pm.

From a guy in Idaho, “Mr. President, Get Out Of My State”. 

Cool Site of the Week: Colored smoke photos.

Malls of America is a blog about malls. Of America.

  Play! Panda Golf.

Stuff You Should Know: How to fold a napkin.

Blogcritics lists their top thirteen overrated songs.

Why the Flying Spaghetti Monster Theory should be taught in school science classes.

I can appreciate math puzzles and brain teasers, but Everything is Four is really kind of dumb.  Try it out.

iPod Shuffle, two days late.

1. Ignoreland (REM)
2. Brothers of the Road (Allman Brothers)
3. On the Road to Find Out (Cat Stevens)
4. Leather Jackets (Elton John)
5. Railroad Lady (Jimmy Buffett)
6. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Bob Dylan)
7. Old (Paul Simon)
8. Take it to the Limit (The Eagles)
9. Woman Goin' Crazy on Caroline Street (Jimmy Buffett)
10. Frozen Man (James Taylor)

Entry #622

See, the pResident isn’t really on vacation.  A Bushco spokesman said it, so I know it must be true.  Is there anything these people won’t lie about?

Timewaster of the Week: Flyswatter.

RIP Philip J. Klass, the world’s leading UFOlogist.  Here’s an interview from 1999.

A primer on the Doomsday Argument.

Morford: Liberals Are So Intolerant!

Stuff You Should Know: How to twirl a pen.

Movie Rating: March of the Penguins.  Aside from a bit of overdone anthropomorphism, I left the theater speechless and in awe.  This movie is just stunning and I can’t wait for the DVD to come out to watch the “making of” segment that’s sure to be included.  4.8 starfish out of 5.

Name that candy bar.

The Simpsons season six is out.  Off to load up my Netflix queue.  Nice packaging.

Entry #621

Celebrity atheists via AmIannoying.com.

Today’s slide show is of trips to Disneyland in the 50’s and 60’s.  What’s up with those glasses?

A few words from Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-Obviously).

Play! Prognosticate.  Very clever take on news trivia, and damn hard to do.

The boy goes, “Hey, Dad. Want a jelly bean?” These things are gross, especially if you’re not expecting to bite into vomit flavored candy.

The owner of the world’s ugliest dog, has a blog.

Buy your official Backwards Bush Days Left in Office Countdown Clock Keychains here.

Friday Echinoderm Blogging: Fuzzy six-legged starfish, from Images of Antarctica.

 

Entry #620

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." -- Susan B. Anthony 1896

Like the good Christian that he is, Pat Robertson publicly called for the assassination of the elected President of Venezuela.

Meet Margo and her pet worm.

Jim points to this article about lab grown meat products.  If this could be perfected and found to be economically feasable, as well as nutritous and safe, I wouldn’t object to this at all.  I went from my ravenous meat-eating 20’s to vegetarian early 30’s, then back to ravenous-but-guilty-about-it meat-eater today.  Bring on the test tube burgers.

“Shell Baby” sculptures are kind of creepy.

Pet Corner: Chickensuit.  Clothing for your hens.

Read “Bush won’t say it, but I will”.

Take the Democratic loyalty quiz.
My Results:

"Your score is 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. You are a pure, unabashed, die-hard Democratic loyalist. You are appalled by the way Republicans are turning America into a theocratic, corpo-fascist police state, and you'd gladly walk through a furnace in a gasoline suit to elect a Democratic president. In your view, there is no higher form of patriotism than defending America against the Republican Party and every intolerant, puritanical, imperialistic, greed-mongering, Constitution-shredding ideal for which it stands."

Right on.  Hand me my gasoline suit.

Entry #619

Animal of the Week: Orange Roughy. A fish with a lifespan of 150 years. Greenpeace has been doing their part to help preserve this fish.

Now we’re cookin’: Insect cheese dip.

This story about autistic savant Daniel Tammet is pretty amazing.  He doesn’t go to the beach because there are too many pebbles to count and he just can’t help but count them if he goes.

Stuff You Should Know Avoid: The top ten deadliest animals.

Picture in your mind what the office of a philosopher who ponders human immortality would look like.  Then click here and see how well it matches up.

The life progress bar is very depressing (via Apostropher).

Entry #618

Presidentin’ is hard work.  Bush shatters Ray-gun’s vacation record.

Morford: One Happy Big-Box Wasteland.

Gravity is refuted by evangelical scientists promoting “Intelligent Falling”.

I don’t care how dumb I’d look wearing them, I could use this product.

Google the moon.  Learn about the moon landings and see if you can find proof that our satellite is made out of cheese. (Hint: Play around with top left buttons.)

Some guy in New Mexico dropped his digital camera in a pond.  He fished it out and now it takes really funky photos.

An email interview with Kris Rasmussen, who apparently knows something about Roald Dahl.

Painting by Congo the chimp.

Entry #617

So the first day of our teacher workshops was a bust.  One woman came in with her daughter, but they were here for a birthday party that is scheduled for next Sunday.  I need some sleep.

Thanks to Fanatic Cook, I’ve added Waiter Rant to the blogroll.  He can be a little “blue”, but it’s some seriously entertaining reading.  My brother has been bartending and waiting tables for twenty years in the city (That would be Providence.  There’s only one real city in Rhode Island) and he’ll love this site.

A little piece of Dylan: It Ain't Me, Babe (1964).

Majikthise on why most chickenhawks are hypocrites.  And Gilliard nails the chickenhawk non-defense.

Morford: Who Loves Creepy Megachurches?

Stuff You Should Know: The story behind Van Morrison’s “Brown-eyed girl”, my buddy Craig’s favorite song. (Heh, Craig.)

Check out my hero James Randi’s encyclopedia of claims, frauds and hoaxes.

Occam’s Razor, by Tom Tomorrow.

Roger Ebert liked the movie “Grizzly Man”.

If you need to spit while driving, try the window (roll it down first), not the door.  Robbin “Droolin'” Doolin learned that lesson recently.

From the sick mind of right-wing TV shrew Tucker Carlson:

CARLSON: Yes, yes. Third, they [the French] blew up the Rainbow Warrior. Twenty years ago on Sunday, they blew up the Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior, in Auckland Harbor. It was a bold and good thing to do.

Tell it to the daughter of Fernando Pereira, bow-tie boy.

Albino Monday: Peacock.

Entry #616

Sleep deprived and getting ready to host the first of seven straight days of teacher workshops at the center. So, not much for today.

A must read Frank Rich column about Cindy Sheehan.

Cool Site of the Week: The Alice in Wonderland interactive website.

Watch a plane get struck by lightning. (No one was hurt.)

Stuff You Should Know: How to avoid being attacked by a hamster.

Oh, this is just too funny.  The Crawford vacationer’s approval rating is at 29% in Rhode Island.

Entry #615

It goes without saying that this is awful for the girl and her family, but it’s not right for the animals either.  What the hell is wrong with these people?

P Diddy drops the “P”.  Now this is news!

Reintroducing megafauna onto the American planes  I don’t agree that this is a good idea.  Customs will have a fit.

Morford: Now You Hate Chocolate Cake.

Movie Rating: The Grifters.  John Cusack and Angelica Huston are con artists that just can’t get a break.  Featuring Annette Bening with some really funky 80’s hair.  3.8 starfish out of 5.

Welcome to the museum of scientifically accurate brain art.

Timewaster of the Week: Infinite Freedom.  Do anything you want on this website, without restrictions and completely free of charge.

Happy belated birthday to the Big Dog, the best president in your lifetime.

Today’s Long Read: The truth about Travelgate.

This week's recipe is mu-shi pork with chicken, in the extended post below.  This isn't your usual greasy, cabbage-filled mu-shi wrapped in a chinese pancake.  The spicy meat filling is served in a cold lettuce cup.  This is my own recipe.  Try it out and let me know what you think.  The meat can be substituted with a pound of cubed firm tofu for a great vegetarian dish.

Entry #614

Play! Pong Tennis.

Check out Bob’s Newswire, the anti-Drudge.

Dept. of Educashun: Learn about different types of wolf howls.

Gee, we didn’t see this coming, did we?  Worst. President. Ever.

iPod Shuffle:

1. Darling Lorraine (Paul Simon)
2. Human Touch (Bruce Springsteen)
3. This Old Porch (Lyle Lovett)
4. The Lazarus Heart (Sting)
5. Dancin' (Chris Isaak)
6. Living for the City (Stevie Wonder)
7. Kodachrome (Paul Simon)
8. Goodbye Stranger (Supertramp)
9. Like a Rolling Stone (John Mellencamp)
10. Gun Love (ZZ Top)

The evolution of Man and Woman.

Buy your glass beetles here.

Friday Echinoderm Blogging: Long-spine Urchin.

 

Entry #613

“You know patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings.  Steal a little and they’ll throw you in jail, steal a lot and they’ll make you king.” --Bob Dylan

Pet Corner:  Luxury cat furniture.

  Check out some really cool hand art

Welcome to Monobrow.

Buy your WD-40 straw holders here. (Here’s a hint: insert straw and snip it short enough to fit the cap over it.  It will still work fine and you’ll never lose the straw again.)

Watch Mei Xiang, the National Zoo’s newest addition, on the Panda Cam.

Breaking: White House denies existance of Karl Rove.

Watch “Horton Hears a Human”.

Stuff You Should Know: Six ways to spot a diet scam.
How about my one way: If it doesn’t include eating fewer calories and burning some off by exercising, it’s a scam.  How difficult is that to grasp?

Whoever image-googled “Terminator 3” from Pakistan (I think), congratulations.  You are the Biomes Blog’s 50,000 customer.

Entry #612

Animal of the Week: Red-tailed Hawk.

This is one hellava treehouse, but what do they do as the trees grow?

Now we’re cookin’: Some Byzantine recipes from the 10th century.

Buy your cheerleader hairpieces here.

Check out the most beautiful machine.

If anyone can figure out what the hell this is all about, please let me know.

A really cool photo of a solar flare.

Search the web with Biomes Blogle.

Richard Dawkins’ pick for the one thing about science he wishes the world understood.

Check out the world’s first all glass undersea restaurant.