Fire occurrence rates in the Amazon have increased in 59% of areas with reduced deforestation and risks canceling part of the carbon savings achieved by UN measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Research from University of Exeter, published in June, 2010, in Science, analyzed deforestation and fire data from the Amazon. It found that carbon savings achieved by avoiding deforestation would be partially offset by increased emissions from fires. So, if we don't cut the trees down, nature will take care of itself. Another reason to not fool with Mother Nature.
Jun 15, 2010
Historypin
Here is an interesting web site that allows you to add historical pictures to Google Street Maps. Now you can put yourself on the map. HISTORYPIN Very Cool Stuff.
Clowning Around
The tradition of painting clown's faces on eggs began in the U.K. around 1946 at what was then the International Circus Clowns Club, now called Clowns International.
A member named Stan Bult started recording clown images on chicken eggs with the insides blown out. It started as a hobby, and, like many hobbies, it just grew. The collection continued to be lent out after Mr. Bult's death but sadly most of the eggs were destroyed in an accident at one such exhibit around 1965.
Clown Bluey became chairman of Clowns International in 1984 and resurrected Mr. Bult's practice of recording clown members' faces on eggs. This time a professional artist was used and the faces were painted on china-pot eggs instead of chicken eggs. Over the years, many of the lost older eggs have been reproduced, and new eggs are added frequently.
The eggs are a miniature portrait. In addition to paint, the artist uses samples of the clown's costume material and wig-hair to produce an exact match. A photo of the egg collection may be seen at the Clowns International website. LINK
Leon "Buttons" McBryde heard about the British practice of registering clown makeup using eggs. He and his wife Linda eventually met the caretaker of the British clown egg registry, and started a similar registry for clowns in the US. This collection shows clowns of all types from around the world. It grew to contain thousands of eggs, and became an almost official way to lay claim to a unique appearance. There is at least one documented court case where the egg was involved to prove intellectual property of a pilfered make-up design. I have to stop clowning around and get back to work.
A member named Stan Bult started recording clown images on chicken eggs with the insides blown out. It started as a hobby, and, like many hobbies, it just grew. The collection continued to be lent out after Mr. Bult's death but sadly most of the eggs were destroyed in an accident at one such exhibit around 1965.
Clown Bluey became chairman of Clowns International in 1984 and resurrected Mr. Bult's practice of recording clown members' faces on eggs. This time a professional artist was used and the faces were painted on china-pot eggs instead of chicken eggs. Over the years, many of the lost older eggs have been reproduced, and new eggs are added frequently.
The eggs are a miniature portrait. In addition to paint, the artist uses samples of the clown's costume material and wig-hair to produce an exact match. A photo of the egg collection may be seen at the Clowns International website. LINK
Here is a sample egg of Emmett Kelly.
Leon "Buttons" McBryde heard about the British practice of registering clown makeup using eggs. He and his wife Linda eventually met the caretaker of the British clown egg registry, and started a similar registry for clowns in the US. This collection shows clowns of all types from around the world. It grew to contain thousands of eggs, and became an almost official way to lay claim to a unique appearance. There is at least one documented court case where the egg was involved to prove intellectual property of a pilfered make-up design. I have to stop clowning around and get back to work.
Jun 11, 2010
Top Five Candies of 2010
Who says older is not better? Here are four oldies and one new one. All of them are still dominated by Mars and Hershey. Of the top ten candies, five are gum and five are chocolate.
1 M&Ms - Named after its two inventors, Forrest E. Mars Sr. and R. Bruce Murrie, M&Ms originally were packaged in a tube in 1941.
2 Reese's Pieces - H.B. Reese was a former dairy employee of Milton S. Hershey who began selling "penny cups" of peanut butter dipped in Hershey's chocolate in 1923. Hershey bought his company 40 years later.
3 Hershey's - Milton S. Hershey began making his milk-chocolate bar in 1900.
4 Snickers - Snickers has been around since 1930 and was the Mars family's second product. It was named after their favorite horse.
5 - Orbit Gum - Orbit hit the U.S. market in 2001, but the brand goes back in Europe to 1976, when it was introduced as Wrigley's first sugarless gum. Mars took over Wrigley in 2009.
1 M&Ms - Named after its two inventors, Forrest E. Mars Sr. and R. Bruce Murrie, M&Ms originally were packaged in a tube in 1941.
2 Reese's Pieces - H.B. Reese was a former dairy employee of Milton S. Hershey who began selling "penny cups" of peanut butter dipped in Hershey's chocolate in 1923. Hershey bought his company 40 years later.
3 Hershey's - Milton S. Hershey began making his milk-chocolate bar in 1900.
4 Snickers - Snickers has been around since 1930 and was the Mars family's second product. It was named after their favorite horse.
5 - Orbit Gum - Orbit hit the U.S. market in 2001, but the brand goes back in Europe to 1976, when it was introduced as Wrigley's first sugarless gum. Mars took over Wrigley in 2009.
Where Did Calories Come From
Rotund Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters introduced a new word, calorie, to the world in 1918. Peters’ book, 'Diet and Health, With a Key to Calories', which included a phonetic spelling of the word “calorie,” because so many people were unfamiliar with it. It probably sold more than a million copies and established calorie-counting as the framework of a good health.
The diet regime gave a dangerous tool to those looking for a way to quantify and reduce their food intake. The Scarsdale Diet of 1979, a strict 700-calorie a day diet that works, because you are starving.
The diet regime gave a dangerous tool to those looking for a way to quantify and reduce their food intake. The Scarsdale Diet of 1979, a strict 700-calorie a day diet that works, because you are starving.
British Papers Go Online
The British Library has announced a project to make 40 million pages from its newspaper archive available online. It has more than 300 years of information, including coverage of the Crimean and Boer Wars. The plan is to complete the digitization of more than 4 million pages within the first two years.
With journalism standards as they are today, the world will get a totally different view of reality, if it depends only on newspapers.
With journalism standards as they are today, the world will get a totally different view of reality, if it depends only on newspapers.
To Be a Bee
A queen bee is selectively bred in a special "queen cell" in the hive and fed royal jelly by worker bees to induce her to become sexually mature. A virgin queen that survives to adulthood without being killed by her rivals will take a mating flight with a dozen or so male drones. During mating, their genitals explode and snap off inside the queen.
The snapped-off penis acts as a genital plug to prevent other drones from fertilizing the queen. Ouch!
The snapped-off penis acts as a genital plug to prevent other drones from fertilizing the queen. Ouch!
Dr. Demento Moves On
Do you remember Doctor Demento? Last weekend, the Dr. Demento Show had its final broadcast on KIYU, KLOO, WLVQ (QFM96), WRKH and KOZT after forty years of wacky, lively, interesting broadcasting and great music, like 'The Chainsaw Juggler, 'Dirty Old Man', 'You Wanna Buy a Bunny', and more.
He will continue producing new shows every week, starting this weekend for www.drdemento.com for the foreseeable future. New shows will be posted every Saturday. That is good news for the Demento Society and his legions of followers. You know you liked him.
He will continue producing new shows every week, starting this weekend for www.drdemento.com for the foreseeable future. New shows will be posted every Saturday. That is good news for the Demento Society and his legions of followers. You know you liked him.
Birds Moonwalk
Here is a cute video of a bird doing the moonwalk to attract a mate. Click on the title for link.
Jun 8, 2010
Lost in Translation
All official road signs in Wales are bilingual, so the local authority e-mailed its in-house translation service for the Welsh version of, "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only."
Unfortunately, the e-mail response to Swansea council said in Welsh, "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated."
Wake-up Call
Want to have some fun? You can call anyone, including yourself and schedule a wake-up call. The calls can be text or voice. Need to get out of a meeting early? Schedule a message to yourself to go off ten minutes after the meeting starts. The first ten are free. Here is the link to http://wakerupper.com/
What's in a Name
Here are five web site names, not meant to be funny, but they are. Read the web site names slowly and enjoy. You can also click on the link to prove they are real.
Experts Exchange – a site where programmers can trade advice. http://www.expertsexchange.com
La Drape – a British company selling high-end quilted bedspreads. http://www.ladrape.co.uk
American Scrap Metal – a scrap metal recycling firm. http://www.angelfire.com/alt/americanscrapmetal
Speed of Art – a collective of art designers. http://www.speedofart.com
Therapist Finder – a directory for therapy services. http://www.therapistfinder.com
Experts Exchange – a site where programmers can trade advice. http://www.expertsexchange.com
La Drape – a British company selling high-end quilted bedspreads. http://www.ladrape.co.uk
American Scrap Metal – a scrap metal recycling firm. http://www.angelfire.com/alt/americanscrapmetal
Speed of Art – a collective of art designers. http://www.speedofart.com
Therapist Finder – a directory for therapy services. http://www.therapistfinder.com
Name That Place
A pub is short for public house. It is a place where drinks are sold to be consumed on the premises.
A Tavern is a place where alcohol is served with food.
A Bar is pretty much synonymous with pub, however it also refers to a long bar at which stools are arranged for sitting.
A Saloon is a room with tables where drinks are served rather than at the bar.
A pub, bar and saloon are almost the same thing. All bars are pubs, not all pubs are bars. All saloons are pubs, not all pubs are saloons. Let's go have a drink.
A Tavern is a place where alcohol is served with food.
A Bar is pretty much synonymous with pub, however it also refers to a long bar at which stools are arranged for sitting.
A Saloon is a room with tables where drinks are served rather than at the bar.
A pub, bar and saloon are almost the same thing. All bars are pubs, not all pubs are bars. All saloons are pubs, not all pubs are saloons. Let's go have a drink.
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