Fabulous Funny Foolishness - Fab Fun Foo

Who said Graffiti is uggly?

2008-05-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

Graffiti (or spray paint) often regarded by others as unsightly damage or unwanted vandalism. But some times, the boring wall is supplied with a true piece of graffiti art, making it a joy for the eyes. A new game from Atari, Getting Up, is based on tagging.

I made a collection of pictures showing these fine spray paint creations. By looking at them and studying the details, you could boost your (Photoshop) design inspiration. If you're not in to design, just sit back and enjoy this amazing form of art.

Please take note that I'm not showing any graffiti tags or space spray paint in this article. Those can be pretty inspiring too.

Beautiful graffiti art

Click on the images to enlarge.

"Sir, I'm going to have to see your receipt." "Then you're going to have to chase me to my car."

2008-05-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

Some Inspiration For The Average Victim Of Walmart Receipt Checking. This Man Has The Right Idea!
I found this article at http://www.bwcitypaper.com/bw.digg.page.final.html and found it truly inspirational.This is a must read to prepare yourself for the actions needed to be taken to stand up to Walmart, Costco, Sams Club, etc.

Customer Confidential

A new Black & White consumer column helps you fight bad service, bad products, and bad ideas.

By David Pelfrey

November 16, 2006

Here’s a scenario that is familiar to anyone who has ever set foot in Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite-Aid, or any of a dozen other major retailers. After you have made a purchase, collected your bags, or packed everything into a shopping cart, you head for the exit. Just as you approach freedom an alarm sounds (usually a sequence of ugly, electronic grunts) and a robotic voice (always female) announces: “Please return to the checkout.” Other customers immediately look in your direction, and an employee begins to approach you. What’s your next move?

If you possess an ounce of personal pride or perhaps two ounces of fortitude, then the 100 percent correct move is to proceed immediately out the door. Why? There are many reasons, chief among them being that rational adults should not instantly obey mechanical voices (unless that voice instructs us to exit a burning aircraft). Also, if you haven’t stolen anything and therefore do not require interrogation, there is absolutely nothing that should compel you to linger post-transaction. It’s depressing enough simply being there in the first place. Another good reason to make a quick exit is that you aren’t being paid to assist some giant retailer with its security measures. You aren’t part of the team, and you didn’t clock in. The clearest reason for leaving the store, however, is that there exists absolutely no legal obligation to remain there, and the store has no right to detain you.

Because all of the above constitute my position on the matter, I have established a mildly adversarial relationship with many retail establishments with whom I continue to do business. I don’t mind too much, because so far I have won all the battles in this long and silly war. What does trouble me is that retailers who, as a matter of policy, routinely treat customers like criminals have not changed their attitude about the issue. In fact, some vehemently defend their policies. I began closely paying attention to this phenomenon several years ago. My story begins at Wal-Mart during the Christmas shopping season of 2000.

It’s an unpleasant fact of life that sometimes we must shop at Wal-Mart, but the selection and savings in the pharmacy and auto department are worth braving the depressing atmosphere if you can get in and out fast enough. A speedy departure is exactly what I was thinking about that December evening as I sped my cart, after paying for all nine items, toward one of the exits. I was stopped by a 60-something gentleman who said he needed to see my receipt and check what was in my cart. I smiled and said, “I’m in a hurry to get out of this madness. Can’t help you.”

The truth is that I had no idea where that receipt was, and I wasn’t keen to search for it. The gentleman moved in front of the cart and firmly gripped the sides, saying “Sir, I must see your receipt before you leave.”

“Oh, I see what you mean,” I replied. “I guess we better get one of your security people over here.”

That puzzled him for a second. “Will you wait here while I get somebody? he asked.

“No.” I said. “I’m out the door as soon as you get out of the way.”

This was a spontaneous answer on my part, but in all honesty I was delighted to have stumbled onto a perfect dilemma for this zealous worker. If he stood his ground, he couldn’t see my receipt. But if he went for assistance, he might lose an opportunity to nail the Tylenol/Windex/Aussie Moist Conditioner thief. He then began to work his way up the side of the cart toward me, his strategy apparently being to keep one hand on the side of the cart and one foot on the floor at all times. Finally, he took hold of my forearm, which surprised me, but not in a good way.

“Never mind security,” I said. “Now you better go find a real police officer.” My captor gave that notion a moment’s thought and then began sprinting toward the rear of the building, making a dash for help in an incident that, for him, must have been escalating toward Def-Con 1. He wasn’t scared; he was determined. I stood there for some time, partly because the whole ridiculous scenario had stunned me, but also because I was even more impressed by how fast the old guy could move. Two other employees and a few customers who were observing the scene were impressed in a different way, I concluded, because they were all laughing at the poor fellow. I proceeded to my car, and that was the end of that. I kept the incident in mind for future reference.

In the spring, a man’s fancy lightly turns to lawn care, and I am therefore a frequent shopper in the gardening department at Wal-Mart, an area that in character and ambience stands in pleasant contrast to the rest of the store. I also have a habit of using the garden entrance and exit. But of course, that’s where the “greeter” invariably interrupts my reverie. “May I please see your receipt?” is the common request. The correct answer, which I also happened upon by accident, is “No, you may not.” What usually occurs next is that the greeter contacts security, because she or he never comprehends that they merely asked for permission that was subsequently not granted. There is nothing in that friendly exchange that hints of criminal activity, so what’s the point of hanging around?

If it sounds at this point as though I’m being an ornery crank about the whole matter, simply consider all those retail establishments at which customers spend vastly greater sums but are not interrogated before their departure. I’ve never been harassed at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware, for example. I resent certain measures taken by retailers who don’t check bags or receipts, but who do, by implication, still manage to punish all shoppers for the deeds of a few criminals. A favorite means of combating that takes place at Banana Republic and Macy’s. Just for fun, I’ll browse through the leather jackets or expensive sport coats that are fastened together by a cable that holds an alarm sensor. When a clerk approaches and offers to unstrap the merchandise, I simply inform him that I don’t try on clothes in orange-alert, high-security areas. Yes, I’m being a jerk in a very technical sense, but I’m sending a message to management, I hope. Throughout my struggle, I have assumed that enough of these encounters will eventually work their way up through corporate levels to a decision maker who might implement change. That may be a flawed assumption.

The idea that small battles won might not lead to final victory first entered my mind at Costco. Costco is one of my favorite stores in the world, from a purely fiscal perspective. You do indeed save money there. Moreover, the employees at this well-organized, disturbingly efficient warehouse are consistently cheerful and helpful. The butcher shop is cleaner than those I see at the major grocers in town. You can get a case of Coke in glass bottles for just over $10. No way is anyone going to foul up that shopping experience. But Costco is apparently willing to make the effort.

When you check out at Costco, an employee takes your cart, places items on a conveyor, and then another employee rings up the items. There are no bags here (one of the many cost-saving measures) but you may gather empty boxes from a designated area and organize things yourself, once you have paid. It’s a warehouse, after all. In any event, at this point a customer is at least 20 feet from any merchandise, with no access to the store unless they return through the checkout line. There’s nothing between you and the exit, except another employee who must check your receipt and mark it with a highlighting marker. Never mind that all of the items in your cart, which have obviously been paid for, were also placed there by a Costco employee.

One problem with this receipt-checking system is that on busy days it forces customers to form long lines at the exit. On some of my visits, I decided to roll past this line with my items, now that I owned them, and head straight to my car. The first time I tried this, a woman shouted at me to return to the store. I believe she was still yelling “Sir! Sir!” as I departed Patton Creek and approached the interstate ramp. I wouldn’t know; I was listening to a CD I had just purchased at Costco. It was my CD, you understand. Why not enjoy it?

On another visit, I decided to get the lay of the land before attempting any more non-compliant exits. Perhaps there was a rule or policy about the Costco system that made sense. There on the wall at the exit, I discovered, is a huge sign that reads:

Why is my register receipt reviewed when I leave the warehouse?
To assure that you paid for and are not overcharged or undercharged for any item. Also, marking the receipt disallows its reuse.

The completely misleading nature of that message became obvious during my next encounter with Costco security enforcement. As I suspected, there were about a dozen customers in line for “receipt review” at the exit. That represented about six extra minutes that I wasn’t being paid for, and so I rolled toward freedom. The employee “reviewing” receipts left the line and cheerfully said, “I’m going to have to see your receipt first.”

Adopting her happy demeanor, I replied, “And you are going to have to chase me in order to do so.” Sometimes it’s worth being an ass just to see the response on people’s faces. Not only was the receipt lady registering total bewilderment, but several customers in line for the same hassle appeared equally baffled. One woman glanced at me with what looked like total contempt. Her response was invigorating, although I’m not sure why. I continued toward my vehicle, where I was greeted by a man who looked and sounded like “security.”

“Was there a problem at the checkout, sir?” he asked.
“No, actually, checkout was great,” I said. “Very efficient. But leaving the store was a little shaky. In fact, there’s definitely a problem there.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, for openers, I don’t like being treated like a shoplifter.”
“Sir,” he solemnly stated, “No one is treating you like a shoplifter.”
“Really? Then why, exactly, am I having a conversation with store security, who just happened to reach my vehicle at the same time I did?”

Minutes seemed to pass. I thought I noticed a funnel cloud moving toward Vestavia. A faint aroma of cotton candy was in the air. The forty-ish woman loading her purchase into a car two spaces down was wearing tight-fitting, corduroy jeans. She looked amazing. Finally the security guy responded. “Sir, our people checking receipts are doing their jobs. It’s a store policy that we inspect receipts. We’re trying to make sure you paid the right price.”

We get served a lob like that only so many times, and I wasn’t letting this one go. My research was finally paying off. I chose to be polite, because the security guy was actually quite calm and friendly about the whole incident. “This is a warehouse,” I replied. “There are no prices on those items in my cart, so how would they know if I were overcharged? Never mind, here’s another thing you should know. In my last five visits here, I allowed your staff to see my receipts, and they instantly marked them without so much as glancing at the totals. They were simply making certain that I had paid for something, and that I could not come back and use that receipt at a later date. In other words, to stop my attempts, present and future, at theft—you know, as though I were a potential shoplifter. Your sign with the message about ensuring that I wasn’t overcharged is what shoppers like me sometimes call bullshit. That’s Home Depot behind us. I spent a few hundred dollars there last year. Just to our right is Sears. I spent almost that much there last Christmas. No one reviewed my receipts at either store. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

The security guy walked away, perhaps wondering if Costco had not fully explained to him all the details of “receipt review.” It’s also possible that he knew, without a doubt, that I was just one more jackass who “didn’t get it.” These are store policies, damn it.

I contacted management at Wal-Mart, Costco, and other retailers to get some comments for this article about their respective policies. Long story short, no one is budging, and some retailers are downright proud of those policies. Wal-Mart has the most detached view of the issue, it seems. Their explanation of the process has to do with “security detection determining that sensors have not been deactivated; retraining transaction staff, etc.,” but nothing to do with human volition. For Wal-Mart, theft and theft prevention are natural phenomena, much like the weather. No one is being treated like a criminal, you see, it’s strictly a case of “devices detecting active sensors.” There’s really nothing Wal-Mart can do. Except have a greeter rummage through bags of items that legally belong to you. While you wait.

There are some things that shoppers can do, however. First, the deer-in-the-headlights response to security alarms must end. Smile and walk with confidence through the exit. Bear in mind that being suspected of theft is actually a reason to leave the store, not a reason to stay, in much the same way that no one remains at a party after they have been insulted by the host. If a particular retailer wants to play games by insisting that they are merely ensuring that you were not overcharged, then by all means let’s check all 74 items in the cart, poring over the receipt line by line while other customers wait. Another fun approach, if you are detained, is to inform the store that they may indeed inspect your bags or your receipt, if and only if all items are immediately returned for a full refund. That gets their attention. Or just tell them to call a cop. If you’re the theatrical type, adopt a German accent and repeat loudly that your papers are in order (with the same accent you can do the old Berlin Wall bit and say that you have friends at the central committee). The odds of a customer in the store getting the joke are very slim, but anyone who does get the reference will remember you forever. It will feel good to be someone’s hero.

Last fall, while I was waiting for a prescription to be filled, I stood near the exit of my local pharmacy reading a product description on a bottle of shampoo. Two elderly customers set off the sensor alarm as they walked out, but I told them to go ahead, because “that crazy thing had been going off all day, and we had not figured out how to stop it yet.” I also thanked them for shopping with us. When an employee arrived a few seconds later, I waved the bottle and apologized for getting too close to the sensors. All was well. I’m seldom that fast on my feet, but I was having a good week, apart from the sinus infection. With that in mind, as Thanksgiving approaches and the shopping season gains momentum, I hope that my story will be the catalyst for a quantum shift in consumer habits.

A powerful earthquake in China

2008-05-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

China quake death toll rises above 8,700

CHENGDU, China - A powerful earthquake toppled buildings, schools and a chemical plant Monday in central China, killing more than 8,700 people and trapping untold numbers in mounds of concrete, steel and earth in the worst quake in three decades.

The 7.9-magnitude quake devastated a region of small cities and towns set amid steep hills north of Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu. Striking in midafternoon, it emptied office buildings across the country in Beijing and could be felt as far away as Vietnam.

Snippets from state media and photos posted on the Internet underscored the immense scale of the devastation. In the town of Juyuan, south of the epicenter, a three-story high school collapsed, burying as many as 900 students and killing at least 50, Xinhua said. Photos showed people using cranes, mechanical hoists and their hands to remove slabs of concrete and steel.

Buried teenagers struggling to break free from the rubble, "while others were crying out for help," the official Xinhua news agency said. Families waited in the rain near the wreckage as rescuers wrote the names of the dead on a blackboard, Xinhua said.

The earthquake hit one of the last homes of the giant panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve and panda breeding center, in Wenchuan county, which remained out of contact, Xinhua said.

In Chengdu, it crashed telephone networks and hours later left parts of the city of 10 million in darkness.

"We can't get to sleep. We're afraid of the earthquake. We're afraid of all the shaking," said 52-year-old factory worker Huang Ju, who took her ailing, elderly mother out of the Jinjiang District People's Hospital. Outside, Huang sat in a wheelchair wrapped in blankets while her mother, who was ill, slept in a hospital bed next to her.

Xinhua reported 8,533 people died in Sichuan alone and 216 others in three other provinces and the mega-city of Chongqing.

Worst affected were four counties including the quake's epicenter in Wenchuan, 60 miles northwest of Chengdu. Landslides left roads impassable Tuesday, causing the government to order soldiers into the area on foot, state television said, and heavy rain prevented four military helicopters from landing.

Wenchuan's Communist Party secretary appealed for air drops of tents, food and medicine. "We also need medical workers to save the injured people here," Xinhua quoted Wang Bin as telling other officials who reached him by phone.

To the east, in Beichuan county, 80 percent of the buildings fell, and 10,000 people were injured, aside from 3,000 to 5,000 dead, Xinhua said. State media said two chemical plants in an industrial zone of the city of Shifang collapsed, burying hundreds of people and spilling more than 80 tons of toxic liquid ammonia.

Though slow to release information at first, the government and its state media ramped up quickly. Nearly 20,000 soldiers, police and reservists were sent to the disaster area.

Disasters always pose a test for the communist government, whose mandate rests heavily on maintaining order, delivering economic growth, and providing relief in emergencies.

Pressure for a rapid response was particularly intense this year, with the government already grappling with public discontent over high inflation and a widespread uprising among Tibetans in western China while trying to prepare for the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics.

"I am particularly saddened by the number of students and children affected by this tragedy," President Bush said in a statement.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge sent his condolences to President Hu Jintao, adding: "The Olympic Movement is at your side, especially during these difficult moments. Our thoughts are with you."

Premier Wen Jiabao, a geologist by training, called the quake "a major geological disaster," and traveled to the disaster area to oversee rescue and relief operations.

"Hang on a bit longer. The troops are rescuing you," Wen shouted to people buried in the Traditional Medicine Hospital in the city of Dujiangyan, on the road to Wenchuan, in comments broadcast by CCTV.

"As long as there was a slightest hope, we should make our effort a hundred times and we will never relax," he said outside the collapsed school in Juyuan.

The quake was the deadliest since one in 1976 in the city of Tangshan near Beijing that killed 240,000 — although some reports say as many as 655,000 perished — the most devastating in modern history. A 1933 quake near where Monday's struck killed at least 9,000, according to geologists.

Monday's quake occurred on a fault where South Asia pushes against the Eurasian land mass, smashing the Sichuan plain into mountains leading to the Tibetan highlands — near communities that held sometimes violent protests of Chinese rule in mid-March.

Much of the area has been closed to foreign media and travelers since then, compounding the difficulties of getting information. Roads north from Chengdu to the disaster area were sealed off early Tuesday to all but emergency convoys.

In Chengdu, the region's commercial center, the airport closed for seven hours, reopening only for emergency and a few outbound flights. A major railway line to the northeast was ruptured, stranding about 10,000 passengers, Xinhua said. Although most of the power had been restored by nightfall, phone and Internet service was spotty and some neighborhoods remained without power and water.

Nervous residents spent the night outside, some playing cards or heading to the suburbs. State media, citing the Sichuan seismology bureau, reported 313 aftershocks.

"Traffic jams, no running water, power outs, everyone sitting in the streets, patients evacuated from hospitals sitting outside and waiting," said Ronen Medzini, an Israeli student in Chengdu, via text message.

When it hit shortly before 2:30 p.m., the quake rumbled for nearly three minutes, witnesses said, driving people into the streets in panic.

"It was really scary to be on the 26th floor in something like that," said Tom Weller, a 49-year-old American oil and gas consultant staying at the Holiday Inn. "You had to hold on to something like that or you'd fall over. It shook for so long and so violently, you wondered how long the building would be able to stand this."

While most buildings in the city held up, those in the countryside tumbled. On the outskirts of Chongqing, a school collapsed, killing at least five people. Residents said teachers kept the children inside, thinking it was safer.

The city of Mianyang ordered all able-bodied males under 50 to take water and tools and walk or drive to Beichuan, where most of the buildings had collapsed.

State TV broadcast tips for anyone trapped in the earthquake. "If you're buried, keep calm and conserve your energy. Seek water and food, and wait patiently for rescue," CCTV said.

Although initially measured at 7.8 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey later revised its assessment of the quake to 7.9. Its depth — about six miles below the surface, according to the USGS — gave the tremor such wide impact, geologists said.

The earthquake also rattled buildings in Beijing, 930 miles to the north, causing evacuations of office towers. People ran screaming into the streets in other cities, where many residents said they had never felt an earthquake.

In Beijing, where hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors are expected for the Olympics, stadiums, arenas and other venues for the games were undamaged.

Li Jiulin, a top engineer on the 91,000-seat National Stadium — known as the Bird's Nest and the jewel of the Olympics — was conducting a site inspection when the quake struck. He told reporters the building was designed to withstand a 8.0 quake.

"The Olympic venues were not affected by the earthquake," said Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Beijing organizing committee. "We considered earthquakes when building those venues."

Some 660 miles to the east in Anhui province, chandeliers swayed in the lobby of the Buckingham Palace Hotel. "We've never felt anything like this our whole lives," said a hotel employee surnamed Zhu.

The massive Three Gorges dam, the world's largest about 350 miles to the east of the epicenter, was not affected, according to the information office of State Council Three Gorges Construction Committee. The area around the enormous dam remains increasingly precarious as rising waters in the reservoir have led to landslides.

Premier Wen, after arriving in Chengdu, traveled to Dujiangyan, near the collapsed high school. On his plane, he appealed for people to rally together.

"This is an especially challenging task," state TV showed Wen saying, reading from a statement. "In the face of the disaster, what's most important is calmness, confidence, courage and powerful command."

Two Foot Tall woman in a Wedding Dress

2008-05-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Why we need hands?

2008-05-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Glass wind butterfly

2008-04-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

Glass wind butterfly

2008-04-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Cool optical video!!!!

2008-04-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Aveeno Optical Illusion

2008-04-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Extremely Funny

2008-04-16T22:21:00.001-07:00

ABC Debate... Sham? Why was George Stephanopoulos moderating? Wasn't he Bill Clinton's Sr Advisor?!?!?!

2008-04-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

George Stephanopoulos is the Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and anchor of ABC's Sunday morning program, "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."

As Chief Washington Correspondent, Stephanopoulos oversees the network's coverage of Congress and reports on political and policy stories for all ABC News platforms, including "World News Tonight," "Nightline," "Good Morning America" and ABC News' digital properties, including ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.

In his role as anchor of "This Week," Stephanopoulos has interviewed every key member of the Bush administration, including President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He also regularly interviews newsmakers from both sides of the aisle in Congress, as well as prominent political leaders on the state and local level, such as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Stephanopoulos also has interviewed numerous foreign leaders, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and King Abdullah of Jordan.

In July 2003, Stephanopoulos conducted a rare joint interview with Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen Breyer, the first ever Sunday morning interview with two sitting Supreme Court Justices. He conducted a second interview with Justice Breyer in fall 2005.

The depth and variety of Stephanopoulos' interviews on "This Week" have generated significant accolades for the show, including from the Chicago Tribune, which said he has created the "most challenging, fluid and entertaining Sunday-morning show, far outdoing his rivals in both concept and content." On Election Night 2006, Stephanopoulos served as the chief analyst for ABC News' top-rated coverage and garnered praise from the Washington Post for being "extremely knowledgeable."

In the decade he has spent at ABC News, Stephanopoulos has played a pivotal role in the network's coverage of breaking news stories. In spring 2005, he reported from Rome and contributed to ABC News' duPont Award-winning coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II. Following the explosion of the Columbia shuttle, Stephanopoulos anchored a two-hour special edition of "This Week" on Feb. 2, 2003. And on Sept. 11, 2001, he was one of the first reporters on the scene at Ground Zero.

Stephanopoulos was named chief Washington correspondent in December 2005 and began anchoring "This Week" in September 2002. Previously, he was an ABC News correspondent, reporting on a wide variety of political, domestic and international stories for "This Week," "World News Tonight," "Good Morning America" and other ABC News programs and special event broadcasts. Stephanopoulos joined ABC News in 1997 as a news analyst for "This Week."

Prior to joining ABC News, Stephanopoulos served in the Clinton administration as the senior advisor to the president for policy and strategy. He is the author of "All Too Human," a No. 1 New York Times best-seller on President Clinton's first term and the 1992 and 1996 Clinton/Gore campaigns.

Stephanopoulos received his Master's degree in theology at Balliol College, Oxford University, England, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude in political science.

Stephanopoulos and his wife, Alexandra Wentworth, live in Washington, D.C., with their daughters, Elliott and Harper.

Cute Dolphins Playing

2008-04-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Dolphin Playing With Bubble Ring

2008-04-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Best Youtube Voice!!!

2008-04-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Funny Cats 2

2008-04-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Funny Cats

2008-04-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hippo,s Revange

2008-04-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Hippo singing

2008-04-11T16:38:00.001-07:00

Melting Robot

2008-04-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Sucking Reflex

2008-04-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

I Belive I Can Fly

2008-04-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

Optical Illusion

2008-04-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

Try to count the number of black dots on the image below...

Are the lines below straight or are they curved?

Try putting a straight edge against the lines on your screen to test your conclusion.

Is the blue side in the front or back of the cubes?

It's a spiral, right?

?

Look carefully at the center dots on both the left and right.
Which dot is bigger?

Are you sure they aren't both the same size?

How many legs does this elephant have?

What do you see below?

A lady or a musician? See both?

How many faces do you see?

1... 2... or 3?

What do you see?

A face or the word "liar"?

Look carefully at the two pink diagonal lines. Are they the same shade of pinkor are they different shades?

Look carefully, they are the same. Don't let your eyes deceive you!

How many full cubes can you count in this pattern?

Six or seven?

What do you see?

Which way are the stairs headed? Up or down?

This one will make you dizzy. Try focusing on just the center circle while moving your head.

What do you see?

A duck or a rabbit?

Look at the red lines, do they appear to be wavy?

They're actually straight, the circles make them appear wavy.

Behold! The Impossible Triangle.

Do you see anything in this black & white image?

Do you see the dog?

See the triangle?

It actually doesn't exist. The angles on the three images, however,
give the appearance that it does.

Read the following passage:

Did you catch the two "The"s? Most people miss this obvious redundancy.

Is the following object physically possible?

Which vertical line is longer?

They are both the same length, actually. Measure them!

How many prongs does this fork have?

Are the two purple lines parallel or are the bent?

What do you see?

Rectangles or diamonds? Or both?
(This one makes me dizzy)

Do the solid black lines seem to bend?

Use a straightedge to see if they do bend.

What do you see?

At first glance, this image consists of black splotches, but look closer.
It actually spells a word.

Catch The Moment

2008-04-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

30 Celebrities Who Didn't Get the Part

2008-04-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

30 Celebrities Who Didn’t Get the Part

We’ve been talking a lot lately about celebrities who passed up roles for some reason or another, but what about celebrities who tried out for roles and didn’t get the gig? Not all actors are just offered parts. Many audition or express interest and are turned down. Check out Glamorati’s list of 30 Celebrities Who Didn’t Get the Part.

Some you may be thankful for and some may surprise you.

Ben Affleck - Auditioned for the part of Les Anderson in “License to Drive.” Instead the part went to Corey Haim.

Jessica Alba - Auditioned for the part of Elektra in “Dare Devil, a role which ended up going to Jennifer Garner.

Marlon Brando - One of several who auditioned for the role of Jay Gatsby in “The Great Gatsby” but lost out to Robert Redford.

Alec Baldwin - Turned down for several roles including Sam in “Ghost”, Batman in two of the Batman movies and Andy Garcia’s role (Vincent) in the Godfather III.

Sandra Bullock - Lost out to Julia Roberts in “Runaway Bride.”

Nicolas Cage - Turned down for the role of John Bender in “The Breakfast Club.”

Jim Carrey - Lost the part of Howard Hughes in “The Aviator” to Leonardo DiCaprio. Jim also lost out to Johnny Depp for “Willy Wonka” and it’s rumored he auditioned to be Ferris Bueller.

John Cleese - Was considered for the role of Willy Wonka but he too lost out to Johnny Depp.

Courtney Cox - Auditioned for the role of Princess Buttercup in “The Princess Bride”.

Robert DeNiro - Considered for the role of Willy Wonka but lost out to Johnny Depp, also considered for the role of Sal in “Do the Right Thing,” the role of Hannibal Lechter in “Silence of the Lambs,” and the role of Cowboy in “The Warriors”.

Johnny Depp - Lost the role of Johnny Blaze in “Ghost Rider” to Nicolas Cage, the role of Mr.Smith to Brad Pitt, and the role of Jack in “Titanic.”

Clint Eastwood -Considered to play the part of Rambo in “First Blood.”

Emilio Estevez - Lost the lead role in Gremlins to Zach Galigan.

Harrison Ford - Lost the part of Sam Bowden in Cape Fear to Nick Nolte. Ford was also considered for the role of Sam in “Ghost” and Tom Hanks’ Academy Award nominated role in “Saving Private Ryan.”

Mel Gibson - Auditioned to play Mozart in “Amadeus” and lost the part to Tom Hulce. He also lost out to Robin Williams in “The Dead Poet’s Society”.

Whitney Houston - Considered for the lead role in “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”

Billy Idol - Was strongly considered to play Jim Morrison in “The Doors.”

Hugh Jackman - Lost the role of Robert Langdon in “The DaVinci Code” to Tom Hanks.

Ashton Kutcher - Turned down for the role of Batman in “ Batman Begins,” and the role of Superman in “Superman Returns.”

Courtney Love - Didn’t get the parts of Marla Singer in “ Fight Club”, Dorothy in “Jerry Maguire” and the lead role in “Moulin Rouge.”

Michael Madsen - Considered for Woody Harrelson’s role in “Natural Born Killers,” and the role of Marv in “Sin City.”

Paul Newman - Lost the role of “Dirty” Harry Callahan to Clint Eastwood. Also, auditioned for the lead in “Ironweed” and lost to Jack Nicholson. considered for the role of James Bond in “Live and Let Die,” tested for the role of Superman and considered for the lead in the musical “Oklahoma!”

Jack Nicholson - Lost the role of Benjamin Braddock in “The Graduate” to Dustin Hoffman and the role of Jay Gatsby to Robert Redford.

Gwyneth Paltrow - One of the contenders for Samantha in “Bewitched” and lost the role of Roxie in “Chicago.”

Brad Pitt - Though the part went to Matt Damon, “The Bourne Identity” was written with Brad Pitt in mind. Brad also lost the role of Willy Wonka, Inman in “”Cold Mountain” and it’s rumored he lost the lead role in “Rock Star” to Mark Wahlberg.

Keanu Reeves - Turned down for the role of Charlie Babbit in “Rain Man,” Wolverine in “X-Men,” and Aragorn in “Lord of the Rings.”

Ally Sheedy - Turned down for a lead in “League of their Own” and Molly Ringwald’s role in “Sixteen Candles.”

Meryl Streep - Lost the part of Evita to Madonna.

John Travolta - Turned down for a part in “Apollo 13,” and also lost the roles of “Donnie Brasco” and Jim Morrison.

Mark Wahlberg - Considered for the lead in “Cinderella Man.”

Japan is Dying

2008-04-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Hard Truth: Japan is Dying
Japan is doomed. It's partly a problem that other develped countries are facing, but partly a consequence of decades of inflexibility, racism and formality.The agent of Japan's death is simple: depopulation.The fertility rate in Japan is 1.29. That is 1.29 children per woman, whereas demographers consider replacement fertility to be about 2.1. All developed countries have lowering fertility rates, and its a problem of varying degrees. The liberation of women, higher ages of marriage, the cost of raising and educating children, all contribute towards low fertility. Japan suffers more than most (only Italy's fertility rate is lower) but it's a country-killer especially in Japan becauseJapan refuses to take immigrants.Immigration is the lifeblood of America, Canada, Australia and Europe. It keeps the economy, culture and pension systems alive in those countries. It provides young people (who have babies) and workers that both produce goods and consume them. Immigration causes some problems and the process is rarely completely smooth. But the target cultures are immeasurably enriched. New ideas, languages, cultures, food, all serve to enliven and stimulate the host country.Japan is desperately in need of new ideas, culture, and languages, not to mention babies.It is ironic that the need for immigration in Japan is in almost direct reverse proportion to its likelihood of getting it.Japan's government, police and bureacracy are all deeply racist and xenophobic. Restrictions on foreigners are extreme; foreigners (labelled 'aliens') have to carry foreign identification cards at all times, and are routinely discrinated against in employment, housing and the law. The process of obtaining permanent residency (e.g. for spouses of Japanese citizens) is fiendishly and purposely complex. Public conservatism and reluctance to accept foreigners is exacerbated by sensationalist and one-sided media reports of "foreign gangs". Foreign workers find it increasingly difficult to stay on as years go by, and even Westerners, who hold a certain charmand fascination for the Japanese, are expected to leave after a few years. Meanwhile Japanese hold the Chinese and other Asian people in open contempt. Many Japanese do not consider themselves Asian, but rather 'Japanese'This (partly imaginary) homogeneity is partly the root cause of the problem. Only Japanese are (or can be) Japanese. And Japan is only for the Japanese. The idea, more or less accepted in countries like Canada or Australia, that you can become Australian or Canadian by living there for a long time or at least by being born there, is alien to Japan. If you don't have Japanese blood, you can't be Japanese. That simple. They also expect other nationalities to be similiar. All Americans are blond and blue eyed, for example. Many Japanese were confused, for example, when I told them many Australians are Asians. For the Japanese, even living there for many generation will not make you one of them. Koreans, whose ancestors were kidnapped and brought to Japan centuries ago, who look like and sound like Japanese, who no longer speak Korean, must carry Korean identification cards.If excluding foreigners from the country was not dangerous enough, Japanese culture and government policy make it unlikely that the demographic crisis will be solved from the inside. The fertility is set to decline even further. Fewer women chose to marry, fewer couples have children, fewer children are being born to those couples who decide to have them. For Japan's powerful, professional and independent women, a life as a housewife is increasingly unattractive; and women are rarely expected to work after marriage.And who wants to marry anyway? Japanese people are about as romantic as cement, sex is so unpopular that sex rates are the lowest in the developed world, and the typical marriage has about as much passion as a bank account. Sex within marriage is reportedly so rare that it must be planned around yearly holidays, while men typically (and, from my experience, without much objection from their wives) go outside the marriage for sex, to host bars and 'soaplands', where their money can buy what their personality can't otherwise obtain for them. Meanwhile women learn the lessson that only men want sex, and women are paid for it in one way or another. My girlfriend seemed honestly surprised that I expected her to enjoy sex, apparently 'women don't enjoy sex', and the idea that women in the West can enjoy it and even seek it out took her by suprise.This is the background for kaso. Combined with the natural drift of population from the country to the city, the result is demographic disaster in the countryside. Some prefectures have upwards of 70% of residents over 70. The Japanese countryside is rapidly becoming a collection of nursing homes with attached nursing residence and collections of rice farms being farmed by over 70 year old couples.This leaves many areas completely overserviced in terms of, for example, education. There are primary schools in Minami Osumi Cho, where I was living, with 6 or 7 students. I attended a beggining of year opening ceremony with two students entering the first grade. Meanwhile, the 6th grade had 8. A rapidly shrinking school with more staff than students.Things are hardly likely to change. The government recently exhorted Japanese women to "pay attention to their duties and not be so selfish". Couples can't hold hands in public, and many men remain so sexually immature they are virgins in their thirties and forties. Both men and women lack flirting skills, while the costs of marrying and raising children are extreme ($350 for a school backpak, anyone?)The end result is not good. The latest statistics suggest that the population peaked last year; it will decline slightly this year, and will go down steadily...forever.Unless they take migrants.

Water on Mars

2008-04-06T18:06:00.001-07:00

Explanation: Can you help discover water on Mars? Finding water on different regions on Mars has implications for understanding its complex geologic history, the possible existence of past life and the sustenance of potential future astronauts. Many space missions have taken photographs of the surface of the red planet, and some of them might show a subtle clue pointing to water on Mars that has been missed. By close inspection of images, following curiosity, applying scientific principles, applying knowledge about features on the Martian surface, and applying principles of planetary geology, such clues might be brought to light.

Foreign Signs

2008-04-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

In a Tokyo Hotel: Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please. If you
are not person to do such thing is please not to read notis.

In another Japanese hotel room: Please to bathe inside the tub.

In a Bucharest hotel lobby: The lift is being fixed for the next day.
During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.

In a Leipzig elevator: Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when
lit up.

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for
wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one
should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going
alphabetically by national order.

In a Paris hotel elevator: Please leave your values at the front
desk.

In a hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office
between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.

In a Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is
the job of the chambermaid.

In a Japanese hotel: You are invited to take advantage of the
chambermaid.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox
monastary: You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian
and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except
Thursday.

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the
corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope
for.

On the menu of a Polish hotel: Salad a firm's own make; limpid red
beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck
let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people's fashion.

In a Hong Kong supermarket: For your convenience, we recommend
courageous, efficient self-service.

Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop: Ladies may have a fit upstairs.

In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results.

Outside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for street walking.

In a Rhodes tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush
we will execute customers in strict rotation.

Similarly, from the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition
of Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were
executed over the past two years.

In an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking
shape since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers.

In a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel
porter.

A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: It is strictly forbidden on
our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for
instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are
married with each other for that purpose.

In a Zurich hotel: Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests
of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be
used for this purpose.

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: Teeth extrcted by the
latest Methodists.

A translated sentence from a Russian chess book: A lot of water has
been passed under the bridge since this variation has been played.

In a Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the
afternoon having a good time.

In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of our horse-driven city
tours -- we guarantee no miscarriages.

Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand: Would you like to ride on
your own ass?

On the faucet in a Finnish washroom: To stop the drip, turn cock to
right.

In the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from
their own skin.

On the box of a clockwork toy made in Hong Kong: Guaranteed to work
throughout its useful life.

Detour sign in Kyushi, Japan: Stop: Drive Sideways.

In a Swiss mountain inn: Special today -- no ice cream.

In a Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner
if dressed as a man.

In a Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them
in all directions.

On the door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the
USSR, you are welcome to it.

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have
children in the bar.

At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any
suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

In the office of a Roman doctor: Specialist in women and other
diseases.

In an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water
served here.

In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find
they are best in the long run.

From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air
conditioner: Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in
your room, please control yourself.

From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot
heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first,
but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.

Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance:
- English well talking.
- Here speeching American.

Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?

2008-04-06T17:50:00.001-07:00

Security Glass

2008-04-06T17:43:00.001-07:00

Now this is a very bold Ad, they put their money where their marketing is!

Parody: Fear Mongering by US Govt

2008-04-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

The US government has a website, http://www.ready.gov. It's another attempt at scare mongering in the style of the old "duck and cover" advice after WWII.

The fun thing is that these pictures are so ambiguous they could mean anything! Here are a few interpretations below. Enjoy!

	If you have set yourself on fire, do not run.
	If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. If you are Vin Diesel, yell really loud.
	If you spot a terrorist arrow, pin it against the wall with your shoulder.
	If you are sprayed with an unknown substance, stand and think about it instead of seeing a doctor.
	Use your flashlight to lift the walls right off of you!
	To eliminate smallpox, wash with soap, water and at least one(1) armless hand under a faucet with no sink.
	Michael Jackson is a terrorist. If you spot this smooth criminal with scary eyes, run away now.
	People, animal corpses and the biohazard symbol are all at risk of being sucked into the time-tunnel vortex.
	Be on the lookout for terrorists with pinkeye and leprosy. Also, they tend to rub their hands together manically.
	If a door is closed, karate chop it open.
	If your building collapses, climb under your table and practice yoga postures.
	Try to absorb as much of the radiation as possible with your groin region. The current world record is 5 minutes, 12 seconds.
	After exposure to radiation it is important to consider that you may have mutated to gigantic dimensions: watch your head.
	If you've become a radiation mutant with a deformed hand, remember to close the window. No one wants to see that.
	If you hear the Backstreet Boys, Michael Bolton or Yanni on the radio, cower in the corner or run like hell.
	Your respiratory and digestive systems are optional. Cast them aside if you feel you no longer need them.
	If you are trapped under falling debris, conserve oxygen by not farting.
	Survive a biohazard attack by first standing, then begging on your knees, then rolling over and playing dead.
	Do not drive a station wagon if a utility pole is protruding from the hood.
	A one-inch thick piece of plywood should be sufficient protection against radiation.
	No pyromaniacs admitted.
	A quick family snapshot in front of the latest scene of a terrorist attack may became a treasured family keepsake that will preserve precious memories for years to come.
	That closet door in your bedroom leads to the gates of Hell. Don't go there.
	The middle of a terrorist attack is not an appropriate time to catch up on your reading or paperwork.
	If you see colors in the sky, grasp your throat and pretend to choke yourself. Girls go for that.
	If your intended destination is suddenly vaporized, consider pulling over and watching the cool light show.
	If the weather is overcast with dark skies, look for worms in the grass.
	After all life is gone, modern appliances will continue to run forever. Think about it.
	Your telephone may be a practicing physician. Look for a phone with no numbers on it.
	"Wash your hands" of traditional long distance telephone providers.
	Only the coolest irradiated citizens will be allowed into the 'underground' rave in the shelter.
	In case of emergency, the parking brake may be used as an adult novelty item.
	In time of war, real Americans eat red meat only! No wimpy fish or poultry, please.
	There is a reason you failed chemistry.
	Watch out for people who come out of white tents and try to steal the shirt off your back.
	If you are trapped with no hope of being found, amuse yourself in your final moments with shadow puppets.
	Radioactive materials come in 4 convenient sizes: - individual dose - family value size - neighborhood spray pump size - supersize!
	Satellite photos of Texas show the large embarrassing radioactive crop circle in Southeast Texas.
	When the looting begins remember to consider the weight/value ratio. Here we have a few examples of high value, low effort.

The Ultimate Rejection Letter

2008-04-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Herbert A. Millington
Chair - Search Committee
412A Clarkson Hall, Whitson University
College Hill, MA 34109

Dear Professor Millington,

Thank you for your letter of March 16. After careful consideration, I
regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me
an assistant professor position in your department.

This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually
large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field
of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.

Despite Whitson's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in
rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at
this time. Therefore, I will assume the position of assistant professor
in your department this August. I look forward to seeing you then.

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

Sincerely,
Chris L. Jensen

Math Formula Proves Girls Are Evil

2008-04-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Winners of the "I Look Like My Dog" Contest

2008-04-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Winners of the "I Look Like My Dog" Contest

I need your clothes, give it to me. Now.

2008-04-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

I need your clothes, give it to me. Now.

Dog Adopts Baby Kangaroo

2008-04-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Dogs are not only man’s best friend. This is what comes to mind when you see these pictures of an amazing dog saving a baby kangaroo. The 10yo dog found the baby kangaroo lost on a motorway near Victoria, Australia and decide to take care of it. Rex, the German short-haired pointer cross, was with its owner when they came across a dead kangaroo. The dog had found the four-month-old joey in the pouch of the mother and took it home. “He obviously sensed the baby roo was still alive in the pouch and somehow had gently grabbed it by the neck, gently retrieved it and brought it to me,” said the owner. Here are some shots of the amazing friendship:

photo source: Icon/NewsPix