for_sv's blog

Top 10 bizarre e-mailed stories of 2004.

CNN has its list of Top 10 bizarre e-mailed stories of 2004. The number one story:

"Bear guzzles 36 beers, passes out at campground" (August 18)

Campground workers at the Baker Lake Resort on Washington State's Puget Sound were surprised to find a black bear passed out and surrounded by three dozen beer cans. The animal had swiped the suds from campers' coolers and seemed to take a liking to the local brew, Rainier Beer.

The bear was chased away only to return the next day, presumably looking for more beer. Wildlife agents captured the bear using honey, doughnuts and beer for bait.

January 8, 2005 in Humor | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Yum Ice cream

Ice cream flavors are not what they used to be. A few years ago, in Nice France, I experienced tasting lavender, and violet flavored ice cream, the wonderful flavors just blew me away. Later on in San Francisco, I found a wonderful Indian ice cream parlor, and fell in love with the cardamom, and rose flavors. When my travels take me back to Japan, I think I will try to avoid some of these incredibly strange ice cream flavors.

January 8, 2005 in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Clueless Top 20

1. "How can I ..." (17,700,000 pages in Google)
2. "I don't really know." (764,000)


3. "What do I know." (399,000)


4. "What does it take to ..." (375,000)


5. "Does anyone know how to ..." (344,000)


6. "I wish I knew ..." (350,000)


7. "I don't have a clue." (132,000)


8. "If I knew how." (61,200)


9. "If only I knew." (42,400 )


10. "I still don't get it." (37,300)


11. "I forgot how to ..." (29,000)


12. "OK, but how?" (24,800")


13. "I really don't get it." (11,700)


14. "I'm totally lost." (11,400)


15. "Could someone help me with ..." (10,700)


16. "I don't have the slightest idea." (9,500)


17. "I'm desperate to find out." (694)


18. "I'm braindead now." (67)


19. "This puzzles me too." (60)


20. "I'm completely, totally lost." (10)

January 8, 2005 in Reality | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 07, 2005

Medieval Mystery

Medieval Mystery

This clever exhibit, sponsored by several museums in the U.S. and Europe, examines a group of eerily similar fifteenth-century paintings from the Netherlands. All of them feature a familiar pose: a beatific virgin gazing down at her lap-bound infant Messiah. In all four paintings, her head is tilted just so, her pinkie extends at just the right angle, even the folds of her dress are identical. Only the backgrounds are different. Sensibly enough, in 1926 a German art historian declared them the work of one artist, the "Master of Embroidered Foliage." But were they? Follow a detailed analysis of the four paintings, from pigment to pinkie, and see why today's curators have a different opinion.

January 7, 2005 in Art | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 06, 2005

Atanu Dey

I am a great fan of Dr. Dey's musings as he calls them. Below is an excerpt from his blog (reproduced with his permission).

I am an equal opportunity offender. I do not discriminate. If I see something rotten in the state of Denmark, I say it. When I see something rotten in my motherland (India, and there is a heck of a lot of rotten stuff here), I say it. It may offend patriotic Indians but that is an occupational hazard of being a patriot. So also, despite all my love for many things that the US is responsible for, when I note the horrors that US foreign policy inflicts on the weak, I am offended. I am offended not as an Indian or as an American (having lived for over 20 years in the US, I am well aware of how much American is in me), but as a human. Living in a place far away (in every sense of the term) from one's land of birth should cure anyone of the myopia common to most people which imprisons them within a parochial chauvinism. It is to that myopic viewpoint that I will address myself in this bit.

Why, some have asked me, do I always appear to criticize India and many things Indian? The reason is simple: I was born in India and I have very strong emotional attachments to the land of my ancestors. In some sense, you may even say that I love this place—however much I would like to say that this place is not very lovable. I care about what happens in here, I care about how the people of India live, I care about how India affects the world, I care about how India is perceived by others. I care about India in the same sense that I care about my friends and family. That immediately gives me the right to tell them where they screwed up and the responsibility to help them with their misfortunes. I will be fairly content to see a stranger screw up perhaps, but I will be damned if I will stand by and watch impassively my best friend behave like an idiot.

With maturity comes the realization that one is not just an Indian, or an Indian with a bit of American thrown in, but that one is a member of the extended human family. For convenience and tradition, that great family has been fragmented into so many warring groups. But in the end, we all are pretty much members of one big unhappy family. Some of us have more money, or are more educated, or have different pigmentation. But seen from a sufficiently far remove, we are fairly indistinguishable. We have the same hopes and aspirations, fears and longings, desires and dreams. Our station in life is dictated by a random draw that was made by forces beyond our imagination even, leave alone our control.

Each of us is like the turtle on top of a ten-foot pole: it did not get there by itself. Someone else put it up there. Can we really take any justifiable pride in being where we are? Do we inherit some merit because someone who lived in the same geographic area centuries ago did something great? What does it mean to say that a certain discovery was made by Einstein and therefore the average Jew feels somehow privileged for being a Jew? Or that the Buddha was born in the Indian subcontinent and gained enlightened in Bodh Gaya and therefore all present day residents of that land have reason to be proud of that fact?

As I see it, fundamentally, I neither inherit merit nor blame for what others who I claim kinship with have done or not done. But if one must, for whatever reason, inherit stuff, I think that one must expand one's kinship relationship to include the whole of humanity and become responsible for the entire bundle—the good and the bad. What I am objecting to is two-fold: first, the notion of defining one's kinship restrictively. Saying that I am an American and I will take pride in only American stuff. Second, selectively defining what one would like to inherit. I am an American and I am proud of all the great stuff that Americans have done. I reject that sort of parochial myopic hubris.

continue reading...

January 6, 2005 in Reality | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 05, 2005

Infrasound animals

"Infrasonic Symphony" Intrigued by reports of tsunami-avoidance behavior in Sri Lankan wildlife? Science News offers a timely antidote to simplistic mumbo-jumbo about the "mythical power" of animal earthquake detection with a detailed look at the latest research into low-frequency sound. The Elephant Listening Project is particularly interested in elephant rumblings that produce Rayleigh waves. "Mammals, birds, insects, and spiders can detect Rayleigh waves," notes The Explainer. "Most can feel the movement in their bodies, although some, like snakes and salamanders, put their ears to the ground in order to perceive it."

January 5, 2005 in Tech/Science | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 04, 2005

Andy Borowitz: pep rally shocker

IN EFFORT TO DEMORALIZE ENEMY, RUMSFELD HOLDS PEP RALLY FOR INSURGENTS by Andy Borowitz

"Charmless Offensive" Begins

In a bold attempt to undermine the insurgency prior to the Iraqi elections this month, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld hosted what was described as a "pep rally" for insurgents in Baghdad today, leaving most terrorists in attendance "totally demoralized," observers said.

With just four weeks remaining before the January 30 vote, the White House reasoned that Mr. Rumsfeld's ability to alienate and discourage large numbers of people with his curt responses and brusque manner could be a powerful weapon to attack and possibly destroy the insurgency altogether.

Over the past few weeks, U.S. planes dropped leaflets over insurgent-controlled areas in Iraq announcing today's meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld, which was billed as "a pep rally and Q & A session for all Iraqi insurgents."

At the rally today, Mr. Rumsfeld wasted no time launching into what aides called a "charmless offensive" designed to leave the insurgents feeling thoroughly discouraged.

When asked about the ragtag condition of some of the insurgent units, Mr. Rumsfeld shrugged and said, "You wage an insurgency with the terrorists you have, not the terrorists you might want."

After giving similarly dismissive responses to a handful of questions, Mr. Rumsfeld worked the crowd in a cursory way, stopping to give several insurgents his autograph with an autopen.

"Before Rumsfeld started speaking, I was dedicated to the insurgency," said terrorist Maysaloun Salim, 27. "Now I have lost the will to live."

Elsewhere, the Food and Drug Administration announced today that anyone who has taken any kind of pill in the last five years will die by the end of this week.

January 4, 2005 in Columnists, Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

More than one way to help...

Global aid organisations have launched urgent appeals for donations to help survivors of Sunday's Indian Ocean earthquake disaster.

Check the complete list.

January 4, 2005 in Info | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

50 Things to Eat Before You Die.

Check it out.

January 4, 2005 in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 03, 2005

A Precious Case from Middle Earth

The latest issue of The British Medical Journal has a case report on Smeagol, aka "Gollum". Among their conclusions,

"He fulfils seven of the nine criteria for schizoid personality disorder (ICD F60.1), and, if we must label Gollum's problems, we believe that this is the most likely diagnosis... He is hypervigilant and does not seem to need much sleep. This, accompanied by his bulging eyes and weight loss, suggests hyperthyroidism."

Of course, it could also be the effect of the One Ring, something not yet included in the current ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) codes.

January 3, 2005 in Humor | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

More medical humor:

Notes from actual patient medical records.

1. The patient refused autopsy.
2. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
3. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
4. Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
5. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
6. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
7. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.
8. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
9. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
10. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.
11. Healthy appearing decrepit 69-year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
12. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
13. She is numb from her toes down.
14. While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home.
15. The skin was moist and dry.
16. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
17. Patient was alert and unresponsive.
18. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
19. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.
20. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
21. Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
22. Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
23. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
24. Skin: somewhat pale but present.
25. The pelvic exam will be done later on this floor.
26. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.
27. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.

January 3, 2005 in Humor | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 02, 2005

The Great Auto Race of 1908

​ ​​​​Imagine driving in an auto race from New York to Paris in 1908, when horses were considered more reliable than cars. The Great Auto Race began in the bitter cold of winter and traveled westward to Alaska, across the Pacific Ocean to Siberia, then on to Paris; traversing areas where roads were rare. Competing teams from around the globe included France, Germany, Italy, and the United States. George Schuster Sr. from Buffalo, N.Y., won the race and still holds the world record. Follow the American Thomas Flyer on its winning journey across more than 22,000 miles and three continents in 169 days. Learn about the restoration of the Flyer in 1964, with the help of a 92-year-old George Schuster. Then sit back and enjoy the highlight of this site -- its video collection. Stay tuned for the centennial celebration in 2008.

January 2, 2005 in History | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 01, 2005

2004 Raised the "Bar" for Animal Protection Victories in the Nation's Courts

WASHINGTON (December 30, 2004) – As 2004 comes to a close, animal advocates are celebrating a historic year for animals in the courts. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and The Fund for Animals, which plan to merge on January 1st and launch a new Animal Protection Litigation section, have just published an in-depth article about this year's numerous legal victories for animals, available on The HSUS's web site.

Some of the groups' courtroom accomplishments this year include:

• Open and Shut Cases Against Pro-Trapping Groups: An assault on laws banning the use of cruel traps, poisons, baiting, and hounding was stopped dead in its tracks by rulings in Washington state and California. Judges in both states ruled that the measures in place to protect wildlife and family pets were reasonable and sensible restrictions, and are entirely consistent with state and federal law.
• Something To Crow About:
  The Oklahoma Supreme Court, without dissent, affirmed the constitutionality of the state's ban on cruel and barbaric cockfighting. Cockfighters had appealed the decision all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to even consider their arguments.
  
• Bear This In Mind:
  The Supreme Court of New Jersey issued a unanimous decision to cancel the state's bear hunt just four days before it was scheduled to begin. Relying on scientific and legal arguments previously presented to the state by The Fund for Animals and The HSUS, the Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling directing the state to issue bear hunting permits, and prohibited bear hunting throughout the state.
• Getting the Lions' Share:
  The Fund for Animals, The HSUS, and six other animal protection and conservation organizations reached a settlement with the federal government in a suit challenging the killing of mountain lions to "study" the impact of those killings on bighorn sheep in the Four Peaks Wilderness Area of the Tonto National Forest in southeastern Arizona. The settlement stops the killing of lions and ensures that the Forest Service will study the real threats to bighorn sheep, such as recreational hunting and off-road vehicle use.
  
• A Whale of a Victory:
  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District once again refused to modify its order prohibiting the Makah Indian tribe from hunting gray whales off the coast of Washington state, citing failure to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This is the third time that the court has said no to whale hunting.
  
• Keeping Dolphins Safe:
  In August, The HSUS and several other groups won a major ruling from the federal district court in San Francisco, which blocked the U.S. Commerce Department's attempt to weaken the Dolphin Safe tuna labeling program. Finding the department's new rules unlawfully ignored scientific evidence showing that more dolphins would be killed under the rules, the judge issued an order prohibiting the use of Dolphin
  Safe labels on tuna products caught by setting nets on dolphins.

  
  "As good as 2004 was for animals in the courts, 2005 promises to be even better," said Wayne Pacelle, president of The HSUS. "Our new Animal Protection Litigation section will boast seven full-time attorneys who will tackle new cases and seek justice for animals, will serve as a training ground for the next generation of animal lawyers and law students, and will lay the foundation for implementation of new strategies to help farm animals, wildlife, and companion animals in the courts."

  January 1, 2005 in Reality | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack