Sunday, August 26, 2018
QuickFacts
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. . . into this . . .
. . .and this . . .
While children of identical
twins are legally first cousins, genetically, they are actually half siblings.
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Da Nang is the fourth largest
city in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) , Hanoi and Haiphong. It is located on the coast of the East Sea at
the mouth of the Han River and was a major US and allied base during the
Vietnam War as the place where arriving combat troops landed. Today memories of the war have faded with the
focus now being on tourism. West of Da
Nang is the Ba Na Hills station and
resort. A cable car opened in 2013
carries tourists to and from the resort and holds the world record for longest
non-stop single track cable car at 5801 metres in length. Unveiled in June this
year, Ba Na Hills now has another eye-catching atraction: the Golden Bridge. The bridge is located 1,400m above sea level
and is held up by a pair of giant hands, which have been finished with a
weathered effect to create an aged and weathered appearance.
The Ba Na cable car
The Golden Bridge
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Artist James O’Neal turned
this . . .
. . . into this . . .
. . . and finally this:
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In 1979 Robert G. Barbour of
Los Angeles applied to the California Department of Motpor Vehicles for
personalised plates. The form had provision
for 3 choices so he applied for “SAILING” and “BOATING”. Not having a 3rd choice that he
wanted, he wrote in the 3rd box “NO PLATE”. That is what he received: NO PLATE.
He soon began receiving
warning letters that fines had not been paid and even summonses to attend
court. It vtrurned out that that law enforcement officers were writing "no
plate" on citations for illegally parked vehicles without licence plates.
When the information was entered into a Department of Motor Vehicles computer and
the fine remained unpaid, the computer would come up with Barbour's name and
address. Over the next 7 nmonths he
received over 2,500 parking notices. He responded
with a form letter advising that they check the vehicle particulars to confirm
that it was not his vehicle at fault, which usually resulted in cancellation of
the notice. His attempts to get the DMV
to change its procedures were unsuccessful, the DMV telling him to change his plates
but by that time he had become attached to them.
Finally, about two years
after the whole situation began, the DMV issued a notice to law-enforcement
agencies requesting they use the word, "none" instead of "no
plate" on citations. According to Barbour:
"As soon as they did that, the tickets slowed down to a real light
trickle. For the last couple of years, I haven't gotten more than five or six
tickets a month." He attributes those to officers and clerks unfamiliar
with current procedure.
Said Gary Taulbee, a systems
coordinator with the San Francisco Municipal Court traffic division: "They
probably got through because it was thought that no one would be crazy enough
to have plates that said NO PLATE. We're just hoping that no one will come up
with plates that say NONE."
There have been similar instances
of licence holders receiving numerous fines and penalty notices when they have
registered their cars and, in one case, a motorcycle. with the registrations:
NOTAG
NO TAG
VOID
UNKNOWN
XXXXXXX
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In response to an enquiry by Byter Leo M:
President Donald Trump
donates his presidential salary, as he promised to do during his campaign. He writes a cheque each quarter in an amount
equivalent to one-fourth of his annual salary to the following federal
agencies: the National Park Service, the Department of Education, the
Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Transportation, and
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
According to Forbes,
President Obama donated $1.1 million (an amount representing 34% of the $3.2
million aggregate salary he received over eight years in office) to charitable
causes during his term in office. He
also donated the entire $1.4 million he received as the winner of the 2009
Nobel Peace Prize
Source:
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You know that little pocket
at the front of your jeans, ever wondered what it’s for?
Back in the 1800s, cowboys
used to wear their watches on chains and kept them in their waistcosts. To keep
them from getting broken, Levis introduced this small pocket where they could
keep their watch.
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The word Avocado comes from a
Nahuatl Indian (Aztec) word “ahuácatl” meaning testicle. It is thought that the
reference is either due to the avocado’s shape or the fact that it was
considered to possess aphrodisiac qualities by the Aztecs. In Spanish,
“ahuácatl” became “aguacate” and eventually “avogato” and then “avocado”.
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Some Avocado Facts:
An Avocado Is A Fruit, And
More Specifically A Berry:
Technically an avocado is not
a vegetable but a fruit, more specifically, a single-seeded berry. A fruit is
“the matured ovary of a flower” and consists of a tough outer layer (the skin
or rind), a middle layer we typically think of as the flesh of the fruit and a
casing around a seed (or seeds).
An Avocado Has More Potassium
Than A Banana:
A single avocado has 975
milligrams of potassium, while a banana, well-known for being loaded with
potassium, delivers just half that, with 487 milligrams per large fruit.
They’ll Ripen More Quickly
With A Banana Or An Apple Around:
Bananas and apples release
ethylene gas, a naturally-occurring plant hormone. If you store your unripe
avocados in a brown bag with an apple or a banana, the gases trapped in the bag
will help the avocado.
Avocados Are One Of A Few
High-Protein Fruits:
One avocado packs four grams
of protein, among the highest amount coming from a fruit.
It’s good-quality protein:
While they don’t contain
every single amino acid required in the body’s protein-building process, they
do have all 18 of the important ones, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Plus, all of that protein is available for the body to use, while some of the
protein you might get from meat sources is not.
You Can Swap Them Into Baked
Goods Recipes For Butter:
The creamy texture and
healthy fats make for a surprisingly-easy baking substitution. In the right
ratios, you can ditch some butter and replace with avocado for healthier
chocolate chip cookies, banana bread and brownies. See recipes at:
You Don’t Have To Eat Them To
Reap Their Benefits:
Nutritional perks aside,
avocados can play a key role in your healthy hair and skin routine. The
antioxidants, amino acids and essential oils inside an avocado can help repair
damaged hair, moisturize dry skin, treat sunburns and maybe even minimize
wrinkles. Click on the following link:
Saturday, August 25, 2018
How Cool Are These? . . .
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The Lepine Mountains is a mountain range in Italy noted for
its grottoes and wildlife anfd popular with hikers using the walking
trails. Each year the ”Carpineto
Mountain Refuge” competition aims to promote the territory and the landscape of
the Lepine Mountains by having young designers submit plans and proposals for
huts for hikers on those trails. The aim
is to promote the design of imaginative huts at locations that already have
tourist facilities but that lack architecture style and quality. Huts are to:
·
be sustainable both in the choice of materials
and in the use of passive and active integrated energy systems integrated into
the composition of architectural volume;
·
be maximum 5 metres high, area not to exceed 20
square metres;
·
contain 4 beds, a kitchen (basic services),
a relaxation area and a toilet/dressing
room (essential services).
Some designs:
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These are actually wall tapestries . . .
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. . . and these are floor rugs . . .
'
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A rustic kitchen in a mountain home:
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A log table:
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Tree bookshelf:
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Industrial crane hooks:
Awww...
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Portraits on worn paint brushes by Alexandra Dillon:
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German artist Martin Roller uses objects found on the
streets to create artistic works:
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Predator statue:
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Rings:
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Funny Friday
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Yes, it's Friday again and time for a little levity, laughter and lightheartedness. Hopefully some of the items below, which includes a couple of golden repeats, will at least raise a smile, if not a good bellylaugh. Enjoy the jpokes and the weekends amigos.
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The following item was sent to me by John P, thanks John.
Me: I was doing an overnight at a hotel away from home. I took my computer down to the bar to do some data entries. I sat down at the bar and I asked the bartender, ‘What’s the wifi password?’
Bartender: 'You need to buy a drink first.'
Me: 'Okay, I’ll have a beer.'
Bartender: 'We now have Iron Jack on tap.'
Me: 'Sure. How much is that?'
Bartender: '$6.00.'
Me: 'Here you are. OK now, what’s the wifi password?'
Bartender: "youneedtobuyadrinkfirst"; No spaces and all lowercase.'
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A husband went to the police station to report that his wife was missing...
Husband: My wife is missing. She went shopping yesterday and has not come home...
Sergeant: What is her height?
Husband: Oh, I’m not sure. About five-feet four.
Sergeant: Weight?
Husband: Don't know. Not slim, not really fat.
Sergeant: Colour of eyes?
Husband: Never really noticed, brown or green.
Sergeant: Colour of hair?
Husband: Changes a couple times a year. Maybe dark brown.
Sergeant: What was she wearing?
Husband: Usually a skirt or slacks and a blouse or polo top. I don’t remember exactly.
Sergeant: What kind of car did she go in?
Husband: She took my sports coupe.
Sergeant: What kind of sports coupe was it?
Husband: Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG 7G-Tronic finished In Magnetite Black Metallic with Black Soft-Leather Electrically Adjustable and Heated AMG Front Sport Seats with Memory; Brushed Aluminium trim with Piano Black Cappings; Unmarked 19" AMG Multi-spoke Alloy Wheels; Tyre Pressure Monitoring; Panoramic Glass Electric Tilt/Slide Sunroof; COMMAND On-line with HDD Wide Screen Satellite Navigation; Blue-tooth Telephone Connectivity; Multi-Media Interface for MP3, Ipod etc; Superb Sound System With DAB and Harman-Kardon Sound Upgrade; Leather Trimmed AMG Multi-Function Steering Wheel with Paddle Shift; Parktronic Front and Rear Parking Sensors; Parking Assist; Attention Assist; Speed Limit Assist; Electrically adjustable, heated door Mirrors with Power-fold; Electrically Adjustable Steering Column; Bi-Xenon Headlights with Power-wash and Auto Activation; LED Daytime Running Lights; Cruise Control; Rear Privacy Glass; AMG Carpet Overmats...
At this point the husband starts choking up.....
Sergeant: Don't worry, we’ll find your car...
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Lost for centuries..Volume 2 of the Irish Dancing Manual has finally been rediscovered!
It’s entitled “How To Move The Arms”
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A man found himself lost and wandering in a forest. After a few hours trying to find his way, he came upon a small house. He knocked on the door and was greeted by an old Chinese man with a long, grey beard.
"I'm lost," said the man, "can you put me up for the night?"
"Certainly," the Chinese old man said, "but on one condition. If you so much as lay a finger on my daughter, I will inflict upon you the three worst Chinese tortures known to man".
"Ok," said the man, thinking that the daughter must be pretty old as well, and entered the house. Before dinner, the daughter came down the stairs. She was young, beautiful, and had a nice shape. She was obviously attracted to the man since she couldn't keep her eyes off him during the meal. Remembering the old man's warning, he ignored her and went up to bed alone.
During the night, he could no longer bear it and sneaked into her room for a night of passion. He was careful to keep everything quiet so the old man wouldn't hear. Near dawn, he crept back to his room exhausted, but happy.
He woke to feel a pressure on his chest. Opening his eyes, he saw a large rock on his chest with a note on it that read "Chinese Torture 1: Large rock on chest".
"Well that's pretty crappy," he thought, "If that's the best the old man can do then I don't have much to worry about". He picked the rock up, walked over to the window and threw the rock out.
As he did, so he noticed another note on it that read "Chinese Torture 2: Rock tied to left testicle". In panic, he glanced down and saw the rope that was already getting close to the end. Figuring that a few broken bones were better than castration, he jumped out of the window after the rock.
As he plummeted downward, he saw a large sign on the ground that read "Chinese Torture 3: Right testicle tied to bedpost".
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A group of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders, accompanied by two female teachers, went on a field trip to the local racetrack, to learn about and to see the horses
When it was time to take the children to the bathroom, it was decided that the girls would go with one teacher and the boys would go with the other.
The teacher assigned to the boys was waiting outside the men's room when one of the boys came out and told her that none of them could reach the urinal.
Having no choice, she went inside, helped the boys with their pants, and began hoisting the little boys up one by one, holding on to their 'wee-wees' to direct the flow away from their clothes. As she lifted one, she couldn't help but notice that he was unusually well endowed.
Trying not to show that she was staring the teacher said, 'You must be in the 5th.'
'No, ma'am', he replied. 'I'm riding Silver Arrow in the seventh but I appreciate your help.'
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In the greatest days of the British Empire, a new commanding officer was sent to a jungle outpost to relieve the retiring colonel.
After welcoming his replacement and showing the courtesies (gin and tonic, cucumber sandwiches) that protocol decrees, the retiring colonel said "You must meet Captain Smithers, my right-hand man. God, he's really the strength of this office. His talent is simply boundless."
Smithers was summoned and introduced to the new CO, who was surprised to meet a toothless, hairless, scabbed and pockmarked specimen of humanity, a particularly unattractive man less than three foot tall.
"Smithers, old man, tell your new CO about yourself."
"Well, sir, I graduated with honours from Sandhurst, joined the regiment and won the Military Cross and Bar after three expeditions behind enemy lines. I've represented Great Britain in equestrian events and won a Silver Medal in the middleweight division of the Olympics.
I have researched the history of ...."
Here the colonel interrupted, "Yes, yes, never mind that Smithers, the CO can find all that in your file.
Tell him about the day you told the witch doctor to get fucked."
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Corn Corner:
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I've just been arrested by the Anti-Terror Police for advertising my new fast food outlet.
I was shouting 'Alan's Snack Bar' at the top of my voice when all Hell broke loose.
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The neighbours Great Dane got into our garden and poo'd on the grass so my Mrs told me to get the shovel and throw it over the fence.
Didn't really achieve anything though, we've still got a great big shit on our lawn and the bastards next door have got my shovel!
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Finally finished my book on the history of clocks....it's about time.
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Our local vicar has not been seen for over a week.
The church have informed the missing parsons bureau
Hidden Messages, Part 1
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From the pages of Bored Panda at:
A very amusing item . . .
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Genius Hidden Messages People Didn’t Expect To Find On Everyday Products
The Business of making money is a serious pursuit, with things like cash flow, capital, assets, and profitabilty extremely important yet also pretty boring. So when a company takes the time to have a little fun, show some humor and spread a little joy to their customers, they should be appreciated.
So that's just what we at Bored Panda are doing today! These Companies left little 'Easter Eggs' on their products for their customers to find, and make them smile. Scroll down below to check them out for yourself.
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#1 My Raincoat Reveals A Floral Pattern When Wet
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#2 Hidden Underneath A Packet Of Sweets
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#3 While We Are Talking About Shirt Tags: Classic From Top Gear
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#4 Smart Ass Wine Box
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#5 Opened Up My Gaming Headset To Replace The Cord And Was Greeted By This
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#6 The Footrest In My New Jeep Says "Sand Snow Rivers Rocks" In Morse Code
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#7 Your Turn
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#8 The Underside Of This Coconut Water
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#9 This Swiss Water Bottle Has The Shape Of A Mountain Inside The Bottle
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#10 Essential Guidance
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#11 Who In Their Right Mind Would Hit The Floofers Anyway?
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#12 Label Buried Deep In My Inside Suit Pocket
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#13 Smiley Faces Under Keyboard Knobs
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#14 A Hidden Message Underneath The Circuit Board
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#15 This Was On A Lotion They Provide At My Hotel
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#16 I Drink This Beer Often, And Just Now Noticed This
Part 2 to come.
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