Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
“Most Beautiful Woman In The World.”????
Lupita Nyong’o is People magazine’s “Most Beautiful Woman In The World.”???? OK, she's cute but????
No hair, no boobs. Most beautiful???? Woman????
MIGHT SOME POLITICAL CORRECTNESS BE AT PLAY HERE????
The Nerdiest States In America
To do this, we analyzed Facebook data for every U.S. state and the District of Columbia to determine the percentage of users who listed these 12 criteria as interests:
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Cosplay
- Harry Potter
- Star Wars
- Anime Movies
- Dungeons & Dragons
- LARPing (Live Action Role-Playing)
- Doctor Who
- Fantasy Lit
- Lord of the Rings
- Magic: The Gathering
- Comic Books
Ukraine got Talent
THIS GIRL WILL DEFINITELY MAKE IT BIG!!! NO WONDER PUTIN WANTS THE UKRAINE SO BAD!!!!
Thursday, April 24, 2014
For 150 years, top ten surnames in the United States
For 150 years, surnames in the United States have hardly budged. Here are the top 10 surnames for 1860:
1860: Smith, Johnson, Brown, Williams, Jones, Davis, Clark, Taylor, Thompson, Hall
1910: Smith, Johnson, Brown, Williams, Jones, Miller, Davis, Anderson, Wilson, Taylor
1990: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown, Davis, Miller, Wilson, Moore, Taylor
How many German immigrants changed Schmidt to Smith or Müller to Miller upon arrival on American soil—or in response to anti-German sentiment surrounding World War I? More Americans actually identify themselves as having German roots than any other ethnic group. As the new millennium began, both Garcia and Rodriguez made it into the top 10 for the first time:
2000: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones, Miller, Davis, Garcia, Rodriguez, Wilson
1860: Smith, Johnson, Brown, Williams, Jones, Davis, Clark, Taylor, Thompson, Hall
1910: Smith, Johnson, Brown, Williams, Jones, Miller, Davis, Anderson, Wilson, Taylor
1990: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown, Davis, Miller, Wilson, Moore, Taylor
How many German immigrants changed Schmidt to Smith or Müller to Miller upon arrival on American soil—or in response to anti-German sentiment surrounding World War I? More Americans actually identify themselves as having German roots than any other ethnic group. As the new millennium began, both Garcia and Rodriguez made it into the top 10 for the first time:
2000: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones, Miller, Davis, Garcia, Rodriguez, Wilson
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Ross Perot, 1930-
Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown.Born in Texarkana, Texas to a father who worked as a cotton broker, Ross Perot could have lived and died in obscurity like thousands before him. But from a young age, Perot’s ambition set him apart. He became an Eagle Scout in high school and then attended the Naval Academy where he helped establish the school’s honor code and became class president and battalion commander.
After leaving the Navy, Perot became a salesman for IBM. Perot quickly distinguished himself from the pack, filling the year’s sales quota in two weeks. Full of entrepreneurial ideas, but ignored by the higher ups, Perot left IBM in 1962 to found his own company, Electronic Data Systems. Things started off rocky; Perot’s initial attempts to sell their data processing services to corporations resulted in 77 rejections. Yet Perot persisted, won EDS government contracts, and turned the company into a technology powerhouse. EDS was eventually bought by GM for a cool 700 million. Not content to rest on his business laurels, Perot began to involve himself in political policy issues, an interest that culminated in his famous run for the presidency in 1992. Garnering the largest percentage of the popular vote as a third party candidate since TR’s run in 1912, Perot’s success surprised the pundits and assuredly a lot of folks back in Texarkana.
And there's so much more. When Jimmie's 1980 mission to rescue the embassy personnel in Tehran failed miserably Ross mounted- despite US gov prohibition- a successful mission and rescued his EDS people from prison in Tehran. The 1992 run was retaliation for the 1980 Gov interference.
Self-Made in America
The following story comes from pages 100-103 of the book “Self-Made
in America” by John McCormack with David R. Legge.
Compare the attitude and actions of the couple described below to that of so many Americans today – hundreds of millions, actually – who belittle the rich, while they moan and cry about their “right” to food stamps, section 8, welfare, “free” health care, etc. I think this story will provide excellent food for thought and many revelations on How to Become a Millionaire.
When Maryanne and I were building our Greenspoint Mall salon thirteen years ago, a Vietnamese fellow would stop by each day to sell us doughnuts. He spoke hardly any English, but he was always friendly, and through smiles and sign language, we got to know each other. His name was Le Van Vu.
During the day, Le worked in a bakery, and at night he and his wife listened to audiotapes to learn English. I later learned that they slept on sacks full of sawdust on the floor of the back room of the bakery.
In Vietnam, the Van Vu family was one of the wealthiest in Southeast Asia. They owned almost one third of North Vietnam, including holdings in industry and real estate. However, after his father was brutally murdered, Le moved to South Vietnam with his mother, where he went to school and eventually became a lawyer.
Like his father before him, Le prospered. He saw an opportunity to construct buildings to accommodate the ever-expanding American presence in Vietnam and soon became one of the most successful builders in the country.
On a trip to North Vietnam, however, Le was captured by the North Vietnamese and thrown into prison for three years. He escaped by killing five soldiers and made his way back to South Vietnam where again he was arrested. The South Vietnamese government had assumed he was a “plant” from the North.
After serving time in prison, Le got out and started a fishing company, eventually becoming the largest canner in South Vietnam.
However, when Le learned that the U.S. troops and embassy personnel were about to pull out of his country, he made a life-changing decision.
He took all of the gold he had hoarded, loaded it aboard one of his fishing vessels, and sailed with his wife out to the American ships in the harbor. He then exchanged all of his riches for safe passage out of Vietnam to the Philippines, where he and his wife were taken into a refugee camp. After gaining access to the president of the Philippines, Le convinced him to make one of his boats available for fishing and, again, Le was back in business. Before he left the Philippines two years later en route to America (his ultimate dream), Le had successfully developed the entire fishing industry in the Philippines.
Nevertheless, en route to America, Le became distraught and depressed about having to start over once again with nothing. His wife tells of how she found him near the railing of the ship, about to jump overboard. “Le,” she told him, “if you do jump, what ever will become of me? We’ve been together for so long and through so much. We can do this together.”
It was all the encouragement that Le Van Vu needed. He decided to fight one more time.
When he and his wife arrived in Houston in the 1970′s, they were flat broke and spoke no English. In Vietnam, however, family takes care of family, and Le and his wife found themselves ensconced in the back room of his cousin’s bakery in the Greenspoint Mall. We were building our salon just a couple hundred feet away.
Le’s cousin offered both Le and his wife jobs in the bakery. After taxes, Le would take home $175 a week, his wife $125. Their total annual income, in other words, was $15,000. Further, his cousin offered to sell them the bakery whenever they could come up with a $30,000 down payment. The cousin would finance the remainder with a note for $90,000.
Here’s what Le and his wife did:
Even with a weekly income of $300, they decided to continue living in the back room. They kept clean by taking sponge baths for two years in the mall’s restrooms. For two years their diet consisted almost entirely of bakery goods. Each year, for two years, they lived on a total of $600, saving $30,000 for the down payment.
Le later explained to me his reasoning: “If we got ourselves an apartment, which we could afford on $300 a week, we’d have to pay the rent. Then, of course, we’d have to buy furniture. Then we’d have to have transportation to and from work, so that meant we’d have to buy a car. Then we’d have to buy gasoline for the car as well as insurance. Then we’d probably want to go places in the car, so that meant we’d need to buy clothes and toiletries. So I knew that if we got that apartment, we’d never get our $30,000 together.”
Now, if you think you’ve heard everything about Le, let me tell you, there’s more. After he and his wife had saved the $30,000 and bought the bakery, Le once again sat down with his wife for a serious chat. They still owed $90,000 to his cousin, he said, and as difficult as the past two years had been, they had to remain living in that back room for one more year.
I’m proud to tell you that in one year, my friend and mentor Le Van Vu and his wife, saving virtually every nickel of profit from the business, paid off the $90,000 note, and in just three years, owned an extremely profitable business free and clear.
Then, and only then, the Van Vu’s went out and got their first apartment. To this day, they continue to save on a regular basis, live on an extremely small percentage of their income, and, of course, always pay cash for any of their purchases.
Do you think that Le Van Vu is a millionaire today? I am happy to tell you, many times over.
As I write these words, Le is in the process of starting or acquiring six substantial companies. Newspapers and magazines have written articles on the “miracle” of Le Van Vu. Recently, he met with the deans of several major business schools at my house, and they were in awe of what Le has been able to accomplish with his life – again and again.
Compare the attitude and actions of the couple described below to that of so many Americans today – hundreds of millions, actually – who belittle the rich, while they moan and cry about their “right” to food stamps, section 8, welfare, “free” health care, etc. I think this story will provide excellent food for thought and many revelations on How to Become a Millionaire.
When Maryanne and I were building our Greenspoint Mall salon thirteen years ago, a Vietnamese fellow would stop by each day to sell us doughnuts. He spoke hardly any English, but he was always friendly, and through smiles and sign language, we got to know each other. His name was Le Van Vu.
During the day, Le worked in a bakery, and at night he and his wife listened to audiotapes to learn English. I later learned that they slept on sacks full of sawdust on the floor of the back room of the bakery.
In Vietnam, the Van Vu family was one of the wealthiest in Southeast Asia. They owned almost one third of North Vietnam, including holdings in industry and real estate. However, after his father was brutally murdered, Le moved to South Vietnam with his mother, where he went to school and eventually became a lawyer.
Like his father before him, Le prospered. He saw an opportunity to construct buildings to accommodate the ever-expanding American presence in Vietnam and soon became one of the most successful builders in the country.
On a trip to North Vietnam, however, Le was captured by the North Vietnamese and thrown into prison for three years. He escaped by killing five soldiers and made his way back to South Vietnam where again he was arrested. The South Vietnamese government had assumed he was a “plant” from the North.
After serving time in prison, Le got out and started a fishing company, eventually becoming the largest canner in South Vietnam.
However, when Le learned that the U.S. troops and embassy personnel were about to pull out of his country, he made a life-changing decision.
He took all of the gold he had hoarded, loaded it aboard one of his fishing vessels, and sailed with his wife out to the American ships in the harbor. He then exchanged all of his riches for safe passage out of Vietnam to the Philippines, where he and his wife were taken into a refugee camp. After gaining access to the president of the Philippines, Le convinced him to make one of his boats available for fishing and, again, Le was back in business. Before he left the Philippines two years later en route to America (his ultimate dream), Le had successfully developed the entire fishing industry in the Philippines.
Nevertheless, en route to America, Le became distraught and depressed about having to start over once again with nothing. His wife tells of how she found him near the railing of the ship, about to jump overboard. “Le,” she told him, “if you do jump, what ever will become of me? We’ve been together for so long and through so much. We can do this together.”
It was all the encouragement that Le Van Vu needed. He decided to fight one more time.
When he and his wife arrived in Houston in the 1970′s, they were flat broke and spoke no English. In Vietnam, however, family takes care of family, and Le and his wife found themselves ensconced in the back room of his cousin’s bakery in the Greenspoint Mall. We were building our salon just a couple hundred feet away.
Le’s cousin offered both Le and his wife jobs in the bakery. After taxes, Le would take home $175 a week, his wife $125. Their total annual income, in other words, was $15,000. Further, his cousin offered to sell them the bakery whenever they could come up with a $30,000 down payment. The cousin would finance the remainder with a note for $90,000.
Here’s what Le and his wife did:
Even with a weekly income of $300, they decided to continue living in the back room. They kept clean by taking sponge baths for two years in the mall’s restrooms. For two years their diet consisted almost entirely of bakery goods. Each year, for two years, they lived on a total of $600, saving $30,000 for the down payment.
Le later explained to me his reasoning: “If we got ourselves an apartment, which we could afford on $300 a week, we’d have to pay the rent. Then, of course, we’d have to buy furniture. Then we’d have to have transportation to and from work, so that meant we’d have to buy a car. Then we’d have to buy gasoline for the car as well as insurance. Then we’d probably want to go places in the car, so that meant we’d need to buy clothes and toiletries. So I knew that if we got that apartment, we’d never get our $30,000 together.”
Now, if you think you’ve heard everything about Le, let me tell you, there’s more. After he and his wife had saved the $30,000 and bought the bakery, Le once again sat down with his wife for a serious chat. They still owed $90,000 to his cousin, he said, and as difficult as the past two years had been, they had to remain living in that back room for one more year.
I’m proud to tell you that in one year, my friend and mentor Le Van Vu and his wife, saving virtually every nickel of profit from the business, paid off the $90,000 note, and in just three years, owned an extremely profitable business free and clear.
Then, and only then, the Van Vu’s went out and got their first apartment. To this day, they continue to save on a regular basis, live on an extremely small percentage of their income, and, of course, always pay cash for any of their purchases.
Do you think that Le Van Vu is a millionaire today? I am happy to tell you, many times over.
As I write these words, Le is in the process of starting or acquiring six substantial companies. Newspapers and magazines have written articles on the “miracle” of Le Van Vu. Recently, he met with the deans of several major business schools at my house, and they were in awe of what Le has been able to accomplish with his life – again and again.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
A HISTORY OF ANGRY DISGRUNTLED DEMOCRATS
In 1865 a Democrat shot and killed Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States and a Republican.
In 1881 a left wing radical Democrat shot James Garfield, President of the United States who later died from the wound.
In 1881 a left wing radical Democrat shot James Garfield, President of the United States who later died from the wound.
In 1963 a radical left wing socialist shot and killed John F. Kennedy, President of the United States.
In 1975 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at Gerald Ford, President of the United States.
In 1983 a registered Democrat shot and wounded Ronald Reagan, President of the United States.
In 1984 James Hubert, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 22 people in a McDonalds restaurant.
In 1986 Patrick Sherrill, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 15 people in an Oklahoma post office.
In 1990 James Pough, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 10 people at a GMAC office.
In 1991 George Hennard, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 23 people in a Luby's cafeteria.
In 1995 James Daniel Simpson, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 5 coworkers in a Texas laboratory.
In 1999 Larry Asbrook, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 8 people at a church service.
In 2001 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at the White House in a failed attempt to kill George W. Bush, President of the US.
In 2003 Douglas Williams, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people at a Lockheed Martin plant.
In 2007 a registered Democrat named Seung - Hui Cho, shot and killed 32 people in Virginia Tech.
In 2010 a mentally ill registered Democrat named Jared Lee Loughner, shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed 6 others.
In 2011 a registered Democrat named James Holmes, went into a movie theater and shot and killed 12 people.
In 2012 Andrew Engeldinger, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people in Minneapolis.
In 2013 a registered Democrat named Adam Lanza, shot and killed 26 people in a school.
As recently as Sept 2013, an angry Democrat shot 12 at a Navy ship yard.
One could go on, but I'm sure you get the point, even if the media does not. Obviously, there is a problem with Democrats and guns.
Not one NRA member, Tea Party member, nor Republican conservative was involvedin these shootings and murders.
THERE'S ONLY ONE SOLUTION:
We must pass a law making it illegal for Democrats, mentally ill and or otherwise to own guns.
In 1975 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at Gerald Ford, President of the United States.
In 1983 a registered Democrat shot and wounded Ronald Reagan, President of the United States.
In 1984 James Hubert, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 22 people in a McDonalds restaurant.
In 1986 Patrick Sherrill, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 15 people in an Oklahoma post office.
In 1990 James Pough, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 10 people at a GMAC office.
In 1991 George Hennard, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 23 people in a Luby's cafeteria.
In 1995 James Daniel Simpson, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 5 coworkers in a Texas laboratory.
In 1999 Larry Asbrook, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 8 people at a church service.
In 2001 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at the White House in a failed attempt to kill George W. Bush, President of the US.
In 2003 Douglas Williams, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people at a Lockheed Martin plant.
In 2007 a registered Democrat named Seung - Hui Cho, shot and killed 32 people in Virginia Tech.
In 2010 a mentally ill registered Democrat named Jared Lee Loughner, shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed 6 others.
In 2011 a registered Democrat named James Holmes, went into a movie theater and shot and killed 12 people.
In 2012 Andrew Engeldinger, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people in Minneapolis.
In 2013 a registered Democrat named Adam Lanza, shot and killed 26 people in a school.
As recently as Sept 2013, an angry Democrat shot 12 at a Navy ship yard.
One could go on, but I'm sure you get the point, even if the media does not. Obviously, there is a problem with Democrats and guns.
Not one NRA member, Tea Party member, nor Republican conservative was involvedin these shootings and murders.
THERE'S ONLY ONE SOLUTION:
We must pass a law making it illegal for Democrats, mentally ill and or otherwise to own guns.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
A PSALM OF LIFE
A PSALM OF LIFE
WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN
SAID TO THE PSALMIST
TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
Be a hero in the strife !
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !
Let the dead Past bury its dead !
Act,— act in the living Present !
Heart within, and God o'erhead !
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Friday, April 18, 2014
SCIENTOLOGY HAS A DIRTY SECRET
Jamie DeWolf is an ordinary man with an extraordinary family tree: he’s
the great-grandson of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.
L. Ron Hubbard's son (Ron deWolf) discloses the extensive criminal activity, occult practices, illegal drug taking and human rights abuses perpetrated by his fatER
L. Ron Hubbard's son (Ron deWolf) discloses the extensive criminal activity, occult practices, illegal drug taking and human rights abuses perpetrated by his fatER
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
THE BOSS WHO REACTS BEFORE GETTING THE FACTS
If you've ever worked for a boss who reacts before getting the facts and thinking things through, you will love this!
Arcelor-Mittal Steel, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers.
On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall.
Arcelor-Mittal Steel, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers.
On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall.
The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business.
He asked the guy, "How much money do you make a week?"
A little surprised, the young man looked at him and said, "I make $400 a week. Why?"
The CEO said, "Wait right here."
He walked back to his office, came back in two minutes, and handed the guy $1,600 in cash and said, "Here's four weeks' pay. Now GET OUT and don't come back."
Feeling pretty good about himself the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-ball did here?"
From across the room a voice said, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."
He asked the guy, "How much money do you make a week?"
A little surprised, the young man looked at him and said, "I make $400 a week. Why?"
The CEO said, "Wait right here."
He walked back to his office, came back in two minutes, and handed the guy $1,600 in cash and said, "Here's four weeks' pay. Now GET OUT and don't come back."
Feeling pretty good about himself the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-ball did here?"
From across the room a voice said, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."
HOW MANY YOGA MATS HAVE YOU EATEN LATELY?
Nearly 500 ways to make a yoga mat sandwich
Thursday, February 27, 2014
If you’ve planked on a yoga mat, slipped on flip-flops, extracted a cell phone from protective padding or lined an attic with foam insulation, chances are you’ve had a brush with an industrial chemical called azodicarbonamide, nicknamed ADA. In the plastics industry, ADA is the “chemical foaming agent” of choice. It is mixed into polymer plastic gel to generate tiny gas bubbles, something like champagne for plastics. The results are materials that are strong, light, spongy and malleable.
EWG researchers who are constructing the database found that ADA is listed as an ingredient on the labels of many well-known brands of bread, croutons, pre-made sandwiches and snacks, including Ball Park, Butternut, Country Hearth, Fleischman’s, Food Club, Harvest Pride, Healthy Life, Jimmy Dean, Joseph Campione, Kroger, Little Debbie, Mariano’s, Marie Callendar’s, Martin’s, Mother’s, Pillsbury, Roman Meal, Sara Lee, Schmidt, Shoprite, Safeway, Smucker’s, Sunbeam, Turano, Tyson, Village Hearth and Wonder.
This synthetic additive has been largely overlooked because it is not known to be toxic to people in the concentration approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration – 45 parts per million. According to the World Health Organization, workers handling large volumes have reported respiratory symptoms and skin sensitization, but ADA has not undergone extensive testing of its potential to harm human health.
See list of 500 products here:
http://www.ewg.org/research/nearly-500-ways-make-yoga-mat-sandwich
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
THE YEAR WAS 1947
The year was 1947. Some of you will recall that on July 8, 1947 , a
little more than 66 years ago, numerous witnesses claim that an
Unidentified Flying Object, (UFO), with five aliens aboard, crashed onto
a sheep and mule ranch just outside Roswell , New Mexico .
This is a well-known incident that many say has long been covered-up by the U.S. Air Force, as well as other Federal Agencies and Organizations.
However, what you may NOT know is that in the month of April, year 1948, nine months after the historic day, the following people were born:
Barrack Obama Sr.
Albert A. Gore, Jr.
Hillary Rodham
William J. Clinton
John F. Kerry
Howard Dean
Nancy Pelosi
Dianne Feinstein
Charles E. Schumer
Barbara Boxer
Joe Biden
This is the obvious consequence of aliens breeding with sheep and jack-asses.
I truly hope this bit of information clears up a lot of things for you. It certainly did for me.
And now you can stop wondering why they support the bill to help all Illegal Aliens.
This is a well-known incident that many say has long been covered-up by the U.S. Air Force, as well as other Federal Agencies and Organizations.
However, what you may NOT know is that in the month of April, year 1948, nine months after the historic day, the following people were born:
Barrack Obama Sr.
Albert A. Gore, Jr.
Hillary Rodham
William J. Clinton
John F. Kerry
Howard Dean
Nancy Pelosi
Dianne Feinstein
Charles E. Schumer
Barbara Boxer
Joe Biden
This is the obvious consequence of aliens breeding with sheep and jack-asses.
I truly hope this bit of information clears up a lot of things for you. It certainly did for me.
And now you can stop wondering why they support the bill to help all Illegal Aliens.
China’s Concubine Culture
World News
04.14.14
China’s Concubine Culture Lives On in Mistress Villages
For Chinese men there’s no status symbol like a mistress, or two, or three, or four
A
friend attended a work-related banquet in China recently. Seated at
the same table were several men who were executives of Chinese
state-owned enterprises. As bottles of Hennessy Cognac and
jet-fuel-like baijiu were opened and quickly consumed, the topic
of conversation awkwardly jostled from work to geopolitics to the price
of Apple’s latest iPhone. One executive, his face glowing red from the
night’s imbibitions, said he needed to buy one because his mistress
demanded it. In fact, she was texting him about it as he spoke. He
held out his phone’s lit screen as proof, new messages still incoming on
his WeChat account.Pouring out of the man’s mouth were words of complaint, but they were part of the act. The other guests at the table teased him about not being able to rein in his girl; after all, who was she to be nagging him when he was out with friends? This led to a discussion about how they maintained their ernai, sannai, sinai—second wives, third wives, or even fourth wives. They had finally found something they could all talk and laugh about.
It is not just the men in China who are open about their extramarital solicitations. Mei, a girl in her early twenties living in Shenzhen, has no occupation. She lives alone in an upscale two-bedroom apartment, a far cry from her family’s farmhouse in Zhejiang province. As she reached into her white leather Prada handbag, she offhandedly remarked, “This is a gift from him, so I know it’s not fake.” Out came her smartphone, on which she flipped through pictures of her residence. Everything was white as bleach. “Pure,” she teased, “like me.”
FULL ARTICLE
Said to mimic end-of-life experiences, an ancient Native American sweat lodge ceremony
At death, euphoria also sets in, along with bliss and intense feelings of joy similar to those you experience when you’re falling in love.
Said to mimic end-of-life experiences, an ancient Native American sweat lodge ceremony has drawn new devotees, all eager to understand what it feels like to die.
READ HERE
Scenes from the 2014 Masters
Scenes from the 2014 Masters Golf Tournament
The 78th Masters
Tournament started on April 10 among the colorful flora of the Augusta
National Golf Club. The well-kept grounds of the course make a great
backdrop for photographing the sport, and the good weather helps with
interesting shadows and warm sunlight. --Leanne Burden Seidel (31 photos total)
AMERICA DARKENS AND GRAYS
The Next America
Two Dramas in Slow Motion
Demographic transformations are dramas in slow motion. America is in the midst of two right now. Our population is becoming majority non-white at the same time a record share is going gray. Each of these shifts would by itself be the defining demographic story of its era. The fact that both are unfolding simultaneously has generated big generation gaps that will put stress on our politics, families, pocketbooks, entitlement programs and social cohesion. SEE HEREJACK'S JOKE OF THE DAY 4/15/14
The briefcase--
A modern day cowboy has spent many days crossing the Dakota prairie without water.
His horse had already died of thirst. He's crawling along the dusty ground, certain that he has breathed his last breath, when all of a sudden he sees an object sticking out of the ground several yards ahead of him.
A modern day cowboy has spent many days crossing the Dakota prairie without water.
His horse had already died of thirst. He's crawling along the dusty ground, certain that he has breathed his last breath, when all of a sudden he sees an object sticking out of the ground several yards ahead of him.
He crawls to the object, pulls it out of the ground and discovers what looks to be an old briefcase.
He opens it and out pops a genie.
But this is no ordinary genie.
She is wearing an IRS ID badge and a dull grey dress.
There's a calculator in her pocketbook. She has a pencil tucked behind one ear. 'Well, cowboy,' says the genie,
'You know how I work....You have three wishes.'
'I'm not falling for this,' said the cowboy,
'I'm not going to trust an IRS genie.'
'What do you have to lose? You've got no transportation, and it looks like you're a goner anyway!'
The cowboy thinks about this for a minute and decides that the genie is right.
'OK! I wish I were along-side a lush spring with plenty of food and drink.'
***POOF***
The cowboy finds himself beside the most beautiful spring he has ever seen, and he's surrounded with jugs of wine and platters of delicacies.
'OK, cowpoke, what's your second wish.'
'My second wish is that I was rich ....beyond my wildest dreams.'
** *POOF***
The cowboy finds himself surrounded by treasure chests filled with rare gold coins and precious gems.
'OK, cowpuncher, you have just one more wish.
Better make it a good one!'
After thinking for a few minutes, the cowboy says,
'I wish that no matter where I go, beautiful women will want and need me.'
***POOF***
He was turned into a tampon.
Moral of the story:
If the U.S. government offers to help you, there's going to be a string attached.
He opens it and out pops a genie.
But this is no ordinary genie.
She is wearing an IRS ID badge and a dull grey dress.
There's a calculator in her pocketbook. She has a pencil tucked behind one ear. 'Well, cowboy,' says the genie,
'You know how I work....You have three wishes.'
'I'm not falling for this,' said the cowboy,
'I'm not going to trust an IRS genie.'
'What do you have to lose? You've got no transportation, and it looks like you're a goner anyway!'
The cowboy thinks about this for a minute and decides that the genie is right.
'OK! I wish I were along-side a lush spring with plenty of food and drink.'
***POOF***
The cowboy finds himself beside the most beautiful spring he has ever seen, and he's surrounded with jugs of wine and platters of delicacies.
'OK, cowpoke, what's your second wish.'
'My second wish is that I was rich ....beyond my wildest dreams.'
** *POOF***
The cowboy finds himself surrounded by treasure chests filled with rare gold coins and precious gems.
'OK, cowpuncher, you have just one more wish.
Better make it a good one!'
After thinking for a few minutes, the cowboy says,
'I wish that no matter where I go, beautiful women will want and need me.'
***POOF***
He was turned into a tampon.
Moral of the story:
If the U.S. government offers to help you, there's going to be a string attached.
SCARY NEW CHILDHOOD MENTAL DISORDER
!!!SLUGGISH COGNITIVE TEMPO DISORDER!!!
Idea of New Attention Disorder Spurs Research, and Debate
With
more than six million American children having received a diagnosis of
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, concern has been rising that
the condition is being significantly misdiagnosed and overtreated with
prescription medications.
Yet
now some powerful figures in mental health are claiming to have
identified a new disorder that could vastly expand the ranks of young
people treated for attention problems. Called sluggish cognitive tempo,
the condition is said to be characterized by lethargy, daydreaming and
slow mental processing. By some researchers’ estimates, it is present in
perhaps two million children.
Experts
pushing for more research into sluggish cognitive tempo say it is
gaining momentum toward recognition as a legitimate disorder — and, as
such, a candidate for pharmacological treatment. Some of the condition’s
researchers have helped Eli Lilly investigate how its flagship A.D.H.D.
drug might treat it. READ HERE
Monday, April 14, 2014
SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT SPRING BREAK
Six Stupid Things Adults Believe About Spring Break
April 11, 2014
I got in a “teensy”
bit of trouble last week for saying you should be more worried about
your daughters attending Spring Break than your sons. The quotes that
got yanked into the blogosphere ranged from the relatively tame “It’s
called different genitalia!” to the incendiary “these women are human
garbage whose parents don’t love them.” Jon Stewart called my feelings “sexist.”
Unfortunately, TV news is a medium where you only get a few seconds to
yell out your point, and very few people got my message right. Nobody’s
saying Spring Break should be banned or even that it can be stopped.
We’re saying today’s Spring Break is worlds away from what you
experienced. Here are half a dozen misconceptions about the holiday.
NSA Exploited Heartbleed Bug for Years
HACKER WAS PAID FOR FINDING HEARTBLEED
Thank the hackers. This week's Heartbleed vulnerability has everyone running scared (see box below
to read what you might do to protect yourself). The serious crack in
the foundations of the supposedly secure internet was revealed earlier
this week by a software engineer probing website security in his spare
time. He received a cash bounty for his work, which he then donated to
the Freedom of the Press Foundation, an organisation that funds
encryption tools for journalists.
The idea of publicly rewarding people who discover bugs could greatly improve internet security. New Scientist spoke with Merijn Terheggen, CEO and co-founder of HackerOne,
the platform through which Google's Neel Mehta received his $15,000
reward. Terheggen hopes that Heartbleed will be the first of many
vulnerabilities HackerOne turns up. If his vision is fulfilled, then the
rewards for discovering these dangerous holes in internet security will
ramp up quickly, both in financial and reputational terms.
How can crowdsourcing fix the internet?
Any bug can be found if enough people are looking for it. We want to adopt a similar model to Wikipedia
for securing the internet. Ten years ago no one would have ever
believed that an encyclopaedia written by random strangers from the
internet would be better than the Encyclopedia Britannica, but
that's the power of crowdsourcing. HackerOne builds both financial and
reputation rewards right into the process of vulnerability disclosure. FULL ARTICLE HERE
Any bug can be found if enough people are looking for it. We want to adopt a similar model to Wikipedia
for securing the internet. Ten years ago no one would have ever
believed that an encyclopaedia written by random strangers from the
internet would be better than the Encyclopedia Britannica, but
that's the power of crowdsourcing. HackerOne builds both financial and
reputation rewards right into the process of vulnerability disclosure. FULL ARTICLE HERENEW ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY
The Israelis are developing an airport security device that eliminates the privacy concerns that come with full-body scanners. It’s an armored booth you step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have on your person. Israel sees this as a win-win situation for everyone, with none of this racial profiling. It will also eliminate the costs of long and expensive trials. You’re in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion. Shortly thereafter, an announcement: “Attention to all standby passengers, El Al is proud to announce a seat available on flight 670 to London. Shalom!”
Sunday, April 13, 2014
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