If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Although he was a qualified meteorologist, Hopkins ran up a terrible record of forecasting the weather for the TV news program.
He became something of a local joke when a newspaper began keeping a record of his predictions and showed that he'd been wrong almost three hundred times in a single year. That kind of notoriety was enough to get him fired.
He moved to another part of the country and applied for a similar job. One blank on the job application called for the reason for leaving his previous position.
Hopkins wrote, "The climate didn't agree with me."
Antipodes (plural noun) :
Places diametrically opposite each other on the globe.
Literally "Those with the feet opposite", from Greek 'anti' (opposed) and 'podes' (feet)
Geographically 'antipodes' is defined as people or places diametrically opposite on the globe. Thus antipodes must be separated by half the circumference of the earth (180°), and one must be as far north as the other is south of the equator; midnight at one is noonday at the other.
Take a look at the Antipodes Map to find out the antipodal point of your city.
Seeing as Spencer so kindly tagged me, here are 15 random facts about myself:
1. I wear glasses
2. I detest tomatoes
3. Tramping/climbing is my favourite activity
4. I don't wear fashionable clothes
5. I wear shorts 99.9% of the time
6. Sometimes I sit down and read the dictionary
7. I enjoy word puzzles
8. I have never gone to school
9. My favourite place is Aspiring National Park in the South Island (NZ)
10. I want to go white water rafting
11. Blue is my favourite colour
12. I am not a good conversationalist
13. I have only been outside New Zealand once
14. I enjoy reading
15. I am shorter than the average person
I will refrain from tagging anyone else; a) because I have nobody to tag. b) tagging is a crime in NZ
The first verse of our National Anthem is commonly sung, but the other verses of the song are largely unknown.
The poem was written by Thomas Bracken in the 1870s; the music composed by John Joseph Woods in 1876. The popularity of 'God Defend New Zealand' continued to grow throughout the 19th century and entered the 20th century as one of the most popular hymns of the period. In 1940, 'God Defend New Zealand' was pronounced as the national hymn, but it wasn't until 1977 that, with the Queen's consent, 'God Defend New Zealand' was raised to the position of national anthem and given equal status with 'God Save the Queen'.
God Defend New Zealand
God of nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.
Men of ev'ry creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our State,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles, in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.
Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our free land.
From dishonour and from shame,
Guard our country's spotless name,
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.
May our mountains ever be,
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy Glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.
Mada, you have the honour of being one of the few males your age who are homeschooled in New Zealand. According to the Ministry of Education's statistics there are only 35 others in the country.
As at July 1 this year there were a total of 6,501 homeschooled children in New Zealand. This is less than one percent of school age children. We who are privileged to belong to this number are definitely a minority.
You can see the full report here
Disclaimer: While I personally think homeschooling is good, I understand that there are others whose opinions differ from mine. This post is not intended to offend anyone. I merely posted it because I think the statistics are interesting.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. Holmes said: "Watson, look up and tell me what you see".
Watson said: "I see a fantastic panorama of countless stars".
Holmes: "And what does that tell you?"
Watson pondered for a moment: "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow."
"Why? - What does it tell you, Holmes?"
Holmes was silent for a moment then spoke: "Someone has stolen our tent."
On September 21st, 1908, a boy was born into a comfortable two-storied home in Gloucester Street, Christchurch. He was the child of a respected Christchurch lawyer, and in time would be hailed as New Zealand’s bravest son. Charles Hazlitt Upham was a shy, quiet boy who was very courteous and gentlemanly. But right from the time of his birth there was something about him. When he was little it was obstinacy; when he was older it was called perseverance and single-mindedness. Charlie would only accept authority if he could be shown that it was right.
Charles was a student at Christ’s College in Christchurch from 1923 to 1927, where he made little impression academically. He developed a love for the land, especially the great spaces of the broad sheep stations of Canterbury, where men live among the grandeur that knows few barriers save the sprawling rivers and snow-capped mountains. Charles enrolled at Canterbury Agricultural College (Lincoln College) and was soon enthralled with work. He spent six years working in the rugged terrain of Canterbury before joining the Land Valuation Department.
In 1942, Field Marshal Rommel was pressing hard on the Allies in North Africa. On June 27 the New Zealand Division found themselves on and ‘island’ in the desert of Minqar Qaim surrounded by German troops. While both sides exchanged fire, Upham ran from section to section seemingly oblivious to the danger of being hit. That night the New Zealanders charged at Rommel’s encircling troops and punched a way through the ring. Charles Upham possessed himself of a sack full of grenades which he used to destroy German transports. Although wounded by his own grenades he kept pushing through, never relenting in his onslaught. But to mention Upham is to name but one man whose exploits in the break out were dramatic. There were dozens of men whose heroism went unseen in the darkness.
The next mission for Upham was to capture Ruweisat Ridge, an important feature overlooking the battlefield of Alamein. Charles and his men fought gallantly through stiff opposition from the Germans to reach the ridge. The Allies succeeded in routing the enemy, but tragically the promised tank reinforcements never arrived. Without tank support the New Zealanders were an easy target for Rommel’s troops and were soon utterly defeated.
The prisoners were dispersed to prisoner of war camps throughout enemy territory. Upham passed through a few prison camps and made a number of escape attempts, as well as disrespecting and annoying the Germans. Naturally this led to him being transferred to Oflag IV C, a camp for troublesome prisoners – Colditz.
Liberated when the Americans captured the area, the prisoners of Colditz were shipped back to England. On 20th June 1945 Charles married his sweetheart Molly McTamney. Once back in New Zealand it was announce that for his conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in action at Minqar Qaim and Ruweisat Ridge, Charles Upham had been awarded a second Victoria Cross. No combatant soldier had ever before attained two Victoria Crosses.
Charles always shied away from media attention, sometimes flatly refusing to talk to journalists. In 1946 he and his wife moved to Lansdowne Station in North Canterbury, fulfilling Charlie’s dream of owning a farm. He stayed on the land for 48 years and raised his three daughters. In 1994 his failing health forced him to move to Christchurch, where he died on November 22 age 86. Thus passed a brave and gallant soldier.
There is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do?
Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow." You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE-SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a Silver Medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.
And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.
Charles Darwin: 200 years from your birth, the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still. We try to practice the old virtues of 'faith seeking understanding' and hope that makes some amends. But the struggle for your reputation is not over yet, and the problem is not just your religious opponents but those who falsely claim you in support of their own interests. Good religion needs to work constructively with good science – and I dare to suggest that the opposite may be true as well.
The Church of England conceded in a statement that it was over-defensive and over-emotional in dismissing Darwin's ideas. It will call "anti-evolutionary fervour" an "indictment" on the Church".
The bold move is certain to dismay sections of the Church that believe in creationism and regard Darwin's views as directly opposed to traditional Christian teaching.
The apology, which has been written by the Rev Dr Malcolm Brown, the Church's director of mission and public affairs, says that Christians, in their response to Darwin's theory of natural selection, repeated the mistakes they made in doubting Galileo's astronomy in the 17th century.
Opposition to evolutionary theories is still "a litmus test of faithfulness" for some Christian movements, the Church will admit. It will say that such attitudes owe much to a fear of perceived threats to Christianity.
Almost everyone knows the children's song "Jesus loves the little children." Or at least they think they do. What most people don't realize is that they only know the refrain of the hymn. Another thing people are not aware of is the tune is that of an American Civil War song, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp."
One day a man passed by a farm and saw a beautiful horse.
Hoping to buy the animal, he said to the farmer: "I think your horse looks pretty good, so I'll give you $500 for him."
"He doesn't look good, and he's not for sale," the farmer said.
The man insisted, "I think he looks good and I'll up the price to $1000!"
"He doesn't look so good," the farmer said, "but if you want him that much, he's yours."
The next day the man came back raging mad. He went up to the farmer and screamed, "You sold me a blind horse! You cheated me!"
The farmer calmly replied, "I told you he didn't look so good, didn't I?"
Logic is the study of the principles of valid inference and demonstration. The word derives from Greek λογική (logike), fem. of λογικός (logikos), "possessed of reason, intellectual, dialectical, argumentative", from λόγος (logos), "word, thought, idea, argument, account, reason, or principle".
"Logic is the branch of philosophy that treats of forms of thinking."
"The science or art of exact reasoning, or of pure and formal thought, or of the laws according to which the processes of pure thinking should be conducted; the science of the formation and application of general notions; the science of generalization, judgment, classification, reasoning, and systematic arrangement; correct reasoning." ~ A treatise on Logic
The media reports that there are 204 "countries" competing in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing but with only 195 countries in the world, how does that work out? Allow me to explain.
All but three of the 195 independent countries of the world are participating in the Olympic Games, thus there are 192 countries participating.
There are twelve territories or other entities that have been permitted by the International Olympic Committee to have their own National Olympic Committee (NOC). By having an independent NOC, each of these twelve places is able to compete in the Olympic Games and plans on sending athletes to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Games there.
Thus, the total of 192 independent countries and 12 territories equals the number 204 that is being thrown about as the number of "countries" competing in the Summer Games.
Three Countries Not Participating in the Olympic Games:
Brunei has planned on sending its two athletes to the Summer Games but they unfortunately did not register swimmer Maria Grace Koh and shot putter Mohammed Yazid Yatimi Yusof on time.
Kosovo is the world's newest country and does not yet have complete international recognition. Therefore, Kosovo does not have a National Olympic Committee and could not compete in Beijing.
The Vatican City does not have a National Olympic Committee and has not publicized any aspirations to form one in order to compete in the Olympic Games.
Non-Countries Participating in the Olympic Games:
These are the twelve non-countries participating in the Summer Games. I have included the reason that each entity is not a country.
American Samoa (a territory of the United States)
Aruba (part of the Netherlands)
Bermuda (a territory of the United Kingdom)
British Virgin Islands (a territory of the United Kingdom)
Cayman Islands (a territory of the United Kingdom)
Cook Islands (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Guam (a territory of the United States)
Hong Kong (special administrative region of China)
Netherlands Antilles (a territory of the Netherlands)
Palestine (Palestine is not a country.)
Puerto Rico (a territory of the United States)
U.S. Virgin Islands (a territory of the United States)
Written by Matt Rosenberg
It is a little-known fact that King Arthur had more knights than is usually believed. They included:
Of course, there was the devastatingly handsome, but disappointingly shallow knight - Sir Face. Also...
~ Sir Pass – Arthur's best knight of all
~ Sir Port - A great help to all the other knights
~ Sir Culation – A knight who got around a bit - popular at parties
~ Sir Prise – the knight who could always be relied on to do the unexpected
~ Sir Vey – a watchful knight
~ Sir Monise – a rather long-winded and droning knight, but a good, moral sort
~ Sir Cuitous - a knight who approached his duties in a roundabout way
~ Sir Pose - a knight who stands by wild predictions
~ Sir Cumflex – a knight with a strange accent
~ Sir Cumvent – the evasive knight
~ Sir Reen – a calm and cheerful knight
~ Sir Spicious – a paranoid knight
~ Sir Real – a vague and insubstantial knight
~ Sir Cumstances – a knight whose fault it never was
Then there were the non identical twins - Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice - the longest and shortest knights.
Fancy going on a long bike tour? For two and a half years? With ten year old twin boys? That's exactly what the Vogel family are doing.
On June 10, 2008, Dad (John), Mum (Nancy), Daryl (10), Davy (10), and their dog Dash set off from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. About thirty months and 20,000 miles later they plan to arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina. Upon completion of this journey, Davy and Daryl will be awarded the title of "Youngest Person to Cycle the Pan-American Highway" by Guinness World Records. They are really excited about that one!
This is not the first long-haul ride the boys have done. In June 2007, they arrived home to Idaho after spending twelve months pedaling 9300 miles through nineteen US states and four Mexican states.
Check out more at their website
Snow is falling as far north as the Kaimai Ranges in the Waikato as a bitterly cold wintry blast hits the country. Eyewitness reports from Te Aroha confirm snow has fallen to about 800 metres on Mt Te Aroha in the eastern Waikato.
Just a hundred kilometres north and snow clouds can be seen around Auckland city. "They tend to have a bronze tinge to them" says TRN's chief weather analyst Philip Duncan.
"If Sky Tower was 3 times its height it would be snowing on the top". Duncan says the freezing level will lower to around 1000 metres over Auckland today.
New Zealand Herald
Without God our week would be:
Mournday
Tearsday
Wasteday
Thirstday
Fightday
Shatterday
Sinday
Seven days without prayer make one weak.
Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.
~ Jeff Valdez
Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you.
~ Mary Bly
The dog is mentioned in the Bible eighteen times -- the cat not even once.
~ W. E. Farbstein
If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer.
~ Alfred North Whitehead
Your cat will never threaten your popularity by barking at three in the morning. He won't attack the mailman or eat the drapes, although he may climb the drapes to see how the room looks from the ceiling.
~ Helen Powers
Dogs have Masters. Cats have staff.
~ Anonymous
DISCLAIMER: These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the blog author.
Your bedroom isn't cluttered; it's "passage-restrictive."
Kids don't get in trouble anymore. They merely hit "social speed bumps."
You're not having a bad hair day; you're suffering from "rebellious follicle syndrome."
No one's tall anymore. They're "vertically enhanced."
You're not shy. You're "conversationally selective."
You don't talk a lot. You're just "abundantly verbal."
It's not called gossip anymore. It's "transmission of near-factual information."
The food at the school cafeteria isn't awful. It's "digestively challenged"
Your homework isn't missing; it's just having an "out-of-notebook experience."
You're not sleeping in class; you're "rationing consciousness."
You don't have smelly gym socks; you have "odor-retentive athletic footwear"
You weren't passing notes in class. You were "participating in the discreet exchange of penned meditations."
You're not being sent to the Principal's office. You're "going on a mandatory field trip to the administrative building.
There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire become a great writer.
When asked to define "great" he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"
He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.
There was a young man from Dun Laoghaire
Who propounded an interesting thaoghaire:
That the language of Erse
Has a shortage of verse
'Cos the spelling makes poets so waoghaire.
It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate.
I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner. She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and she moved in a gainly way. I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I'd have to make bones about it since I was travelling cognito. Beknownst to me, the hostess, whom I could see both hide and hair of, was very proper, so it would be skin off my nose if anything bad happened And even though I had only swerving loyalty to her, my manners couldn't be peccable. Only toward and heard-of behavior would do.
Fortunately, the embarrassment that my maculate appearance might cause was evitable. There were two ways about it, but the chances that someone as flappable as I would be ept enough to become persona grata or a sung hero were slim. I was, after all, something to sneeze at, someone you could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled passion. So I decided not to risk it. But then, all at once, for some apparent reason, she looked in my direction and smiled in a way that I could make heads and tails of.
I was plussed. It was concerting to see that she was communicado, and it nerved me that she was interested in a pareil like me, sight seen. Normally, I had a domitable spirit, but, being corrigible, I felt capacitated -- as if this were something I was great shakes at -- and forgot that I had succeeded in situations like this only a told number of times. So, after a terminable delay, I acted with mitigated gall and made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.
Nevertheless, since this was all new hat to me and I had no time to prepare a promptu speech, I was petuous. Wanting to make only called-for remarks, I started talking about the hors d'oeuvres, trying to abuse her of the notion that I was sipid, and perhaps even bunk a few myths about myself. She responded well, and I was mayed that she considered me a savoury character who was up to some good. She told me who she was. "What a perfect nomer," I said, advertently. The conversation became more and more choate, and we spoke at length to much avail. But I was defatigable, so I had to leave at a godly hour. I asked if she wanted to come with me. To my delight, she was committal. We left the party together and have been together ever since. I have given her my love, and she has requited it.
Arrange the odd numbers this way, increasing the number of odd numbers in each row by one each time:
1
3, 5
7, 9, 11
13, 15, 17, 19
. . .
Add the numbers in each row. Can you see a pattern?
(If you have difficulty seeing a pattern, find the cube root of each row total.)
A young man who wants to see the world signs on to a steamship to be trained as a helmsman. He masters the classroom instruction, then starts his practical training on the wheel of the vessel. In his first lesson, the mate gives him a heading, and the young fellow holds to it. Then the mate orders, "Come starboard."
Pleased at knowing immediately which way starboard is, the young man leaves the helm and walks over to his instructor.
The mate has an incredulous look on his face as the helm swings freely. Then, rather gently considering the circumstance, he asks politely, "Could you bring the ship with you?"
Can you name the world's most spoken primary language? The largest consumer of oil? The most heavily fortified border on the planet? The current population of the U.S.?
The National Geographic surveyed 18-24 year olds across America to see how much they know about our world. The findings are appalling! More know where the TV show CSI is set than can find Iraq on a map.
- Only 37% of young Americans can find Iraq on a map—though U.S. troops have been there since 2003.
- 20% of young Americans think Sudan is in Asia. (It's the largest country in Africa.)
- 48% of young Americans believe the majority population in India is Muslim. (It's Hindu—by a landslide.)
- Half of young Americans can't find New York State on a map.
The National Geographic also surveyed 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Sweden. Sweden scored highest; Mexico, lowest. The U.S. was second to last.
Are we any better?
Test yourself here
For more findings click here
A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre Museum.
After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van. However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.
When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, "Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings. I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh."
Discalceate
Barefoot or wearing only sandals. To pull off shoes.
Discombobulate
To confuse or disconcert, upset, frustrate. Perplex or cause to be unable to think clearly.
Dissight
Unsightly thing, eyesore.
Dizen
Array with finery, deck out, dress up.
Equivoque
Play on words, pun. A double meaning.
Quondam
That once was, former: “the quondam drunkard, now perfectly sober”
Reck
Pay heed to, take account of, care about.
Sawder
Compliments, flattering speeches, blarney.
Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.
Dihydrogen monoxide:
- Is also known as hydroxl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
- Contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
- May cause severe burns.
- Contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
- Accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
- May cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
- Has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.
Contamination Is Reaching Epidemic Proportions!
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the US.
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
- As an industrial solvent and coolant.
- In nuclear power plants.
- In the production of Styrofoam.
- As a fire retardant.
- In many forms of cruel animal research.
- In the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
- As an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.
Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.
The Horror Must Be Stopped!
Act NOW to prevent further contamination. Find out more about this dangerous chemical. What you don't know can hurt you and others throughout the world.
The following concerns a question in a physics degree exam at the university of Copenhagen.
"Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer."
One student replied:
"You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building."
This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed. The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case. The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer which showed at least a minimal familiarity with the basic principles of physics.
For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn't make up his mind which to use.
On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows:
"Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer."
"Or if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper."
"But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T = 2 pi sq root (l / g)."
"Or if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up."
"If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building."
"But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor's door and say to him 'If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper'."
The student was Niels Bohr, the only person from Denmark to win the Nobel prize for Physics.
An amateur genealogical researcher discovered that his great-great uncle, Remus Starr, a fellow lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription:
"Remus Starr; horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, Escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged 1889."
In a family history subsequently written by the researcher, Remus's picture is cropped so that all that's seen is a head shot. The accompanying biographical sketch is as follows:
"Remus Starr was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honour when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."
Why don't we just spell words the way they sound?
Foloing a speling sistem (evin ours in wich mane words hav speling vareants) alows us to comunikate beter. Thear ar bilyons of English speakers and tha English language is estemated to hav at leyst a milion words. chosing to spel words tha wey thay sownd wood create an infinit number of vareants, as we ech hear sownds slitely difrently. preskoolers yuse wat thay no abowt leters and sownds to rite mesajes yusing invented speling, or speling words bi tha wey thay sownd. Bi lerning to strech out tha words to halp them hear individyule sownds, preskoolers kan labil a pikshur. In this vere urly staje of speling, tha child atempts to comunikate a mesage but tha child may be tha onle won hu kan desifer tha mesage. That rite thear is tha anser to this kwestshun - that our abilite to comunikate wood be grately impeared if we did not hav a speling sistem for our English vokabulari.
The ten longest rivers in New Zealand:
1. Waikato (425 km) - North Island
2. Clutha (322 km) - South Island
3. Wanganui (290 km) - North Island
4. Taieri (288 km) - South Island
5. Rangitikei (241 km) - North Island
6. Mataura (240 km) - South Island
7. Waiau (217 km) - South Island
8. Waitaki (209 km) - South Island
9. Clarence (209 km) - South Island
10. Oreti (203 km) - South Island
One day a man was walking in the Ureweras when he got lost. For two days he roamed around trying to find a way out. He had not eaten anything during this period and was famished. He spotted a wood pigeon, killed it, and started to eat it. Surprisingly, a couple of DOC park rangers happen to find him at that moment, and arrested him for killing a protected bird.
At court, he plead innocent to the charges against him claiming that if he didn't eat the pigeon he would have died from starvation. The judge ruled in his favor. In the judge's closing statement he asked the man, "I would like you to tell me something before I let you go. I have never eaten a wood pigeon, nor ever plan on it. But can you tell me what it tasted like?"
The man answered, "Well, it kind of tasted like a cross between a white heron and a kiwi!"
Day One: Rode on a jet boat up the Dart river. It was fun! We did five 360 spins. We got dropped off at the mouth of the Beans Burn and started walking at 11:10am. There were 8 people in our party: 4 Davidsons, Penny (who used to be in Dad's adventure racing team), Charles (her husband), Emily (15), and James (14) Webster. Penny had a 25kg pack, but she was still the fastest! The first day was mainly walking through beech forest on a marked track following the Beans Burn. At the end was a bit of rock hopping, then walking through tussock.We reached the rock bivvy at 7:05pm after 8 hours of tramping.
The rock bivvy was a few massive boulders resting on each other; the resulting gaps made fine beds and had been strewn with dead tussock leaves. There was room to stand up, and people had built walls out of stones to keep the worst of the wind out. Only Emily, James, Dad, and I slept in the bivvy, but we probably all could have fitted in.
Day Two: At 9:30am we left camp and for about 45 minutes headed up the true left of the Beans Burn to the bottom of Fohn Saddle, which was our first Pass. The first section of the steep 500m climb up to Fohn Saddle was up a dry creekbed. When we left the creekbed we were on tussock and it was just an (un)steady plod upwards. The last few minutes were over bare rocks. On reaching Fohn Saddle, Dad scouted for a route to the campsite while we had lunch and a rest. The walk from Fohn Saddle to Fohn Lake was quite easy; up the ridge a little, then sidling under some bluffs and down to the lake. We camped on a gravel stream delta on the east side of the lake. Arrived at 4pm after 6 1/2 hours of tramping. One satisfying thing about our campsite was the total absence of sandflies!
Day Three: Got up early as this was the longest day, and the forecast was for rain. Left camp at 7:45 am. Dropped down onto the Olivine Plateau (which is only relatively flat) and travelled up until we reached Fiery Creek. Fiery Col is unusual - on half is composed of the usual grey rocks while the other half is composed of striking orange rock, with a very definite join in the middle. The climb up to Fiery Col [2nd Pass] was a steady (steepish) gradient. At the top we donned crampons to descend a short patch of snow. From there to the swampy Cow Saddle [3rd Pass] was just down hill over rocks and tussock. We felt a few spots of rain while at Cow Saddle, and the clouds looked ominous, so we carried on. We clambered down to Hidden Falls Creek which we followed on the true right. Crossed over and found a track leading to the campsite, which was a grass clearing in the trees. Dad, Angela, and I arrived after 10 1/2 hours; Mum, Penny, and James arrived after 11 hours; and Emily and Charles arrived after 12 hours! The rain set in for good at 9:15pm.
Day Four: Stayed in bed until after 9:00am because it was raining. Eventually packed up and left at 1pm. It stopped raining not long after we started. We managed to locate the track through the bush up to Park Pass [4th Pass], which at first was reasonably flat but soon became very steep. We were in the cloud for the last bit up the tussock and down the other side. This was our shortest day, as after only 4 hrs we reached the rock bivvy. It was a massive boulder with a smooth overhang on one side, and a rock wall surrounding the flat sleeping area.
Day Five: The four who slept in tents were frozen overnight, while the four who slept in the open were toasty and warm. There was a cold wind and a little bit of drizzle around. At 9:40am we headed off down the track, crossing a couple of freezing streams almost immediately. We climbed over a bushy knob before descending down to the Rock Burn river flats. The rest of the day was just across river flats and through undulating sections of bush. Reached the campsite at 1:30pm. We set up camp and then we kids (eventually) got a roaring fire going. The rest of the day was spent tending the fire and relaxing. Bed at 10:00pm
Day Six: Got up at 7am. Mum had ice on her gaiters. We resurrected the fire and huddled round it to warm up. On the march at 8:45am. More river flats before the ascension began – gradually at first, but steadily getting steeper. After a 450m climb we reached the boggy Sugarloaf Pass (5th pass) overlooking the mouth of the Dart River. Angela went exploring up a hill while I had lunch and waited for the others. Dad raced down to the Route Burn so he could catch the shuttle back to Glenorchy to pick up our car. Angela went with him and it took them only 47 minutes to descend 700 vertical meters in 4 kilometers with big packs on! The rest of us followed down the knee-jarring track at varying speeds. Eventually reached the Route Burn track (footpath!), and it was only a few minutes to the car park. I arrived at 3:15pm after 2 ½ hours of torturous descent. Dad arrived in the car just before I got back. Sadly, that was the end of our tramp.
Here is a map of the 5 Pass trip which our family did in January.
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