Events & Items Of Interest

[sandrewn]

From today's status update, the argument ' Is the Great Wall of China Visible From Space?' The following references will tell you the truth of it all.

 

 

https://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/workinginspace/great_wall.html

 

https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/Collections/

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-chinas-great-wall-visible-from-space/

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-05/14/content_330829.htm

 

 

sandrewn

(no more arguments now)

[sandrewn]

From today's status update, giraffes can't swim. One comment was, but they could wade. Yes they do cross rivers, but with reluctance. If they fall over, they must get up as quickly as possible. If not, death is almost certain.

 

 

 

 

Being so tall in the animal world is not all it is cracked up to be.

sandrewn

(but their long blue tongue is way cool)

 

I added this fantasy thanks to Williams quick searching for a bit of humor, thanks.

 

 

sandrewn

(Phelps take note)

Edited January 2, 2017 by sandrewn

[sandrewn]

Vending Machines, the untold story.

 

 

Will You Win Powerball? A Vending Machine Death Is More Likely

By Sara G. Miller, Staff Writer | January 12, 2016 12:56pm ET

 

 

Updated January 13th at 10:00 am.

The winner of this Wednesday's Powerball drawing is poised to collect a staggering $1.5 billion (before taxes). But with the discouraging odds of 1 in 292.2 million, it's extremely unlikely that you'll find yourself with the winning ticket. In fact, you're more likely to die from a vending-machine-related accident than to draw the lucky number. (The odds of dying from a vending-machine-related accident are 1 in 112 million, according to "The Book of Odds" by Amram Shapiro.

Here's a roundup of scenarios that statistics predict are more likely than winning this Wednesday's Powerball:

 

droughtquake - even I think this one is going to far:

 

http://time.com/62027/marijuana-vending-machine-unveiled-in-colorado/

 

SolarMaxx & Zarek - shaking and tilting is the main culprit:

 

Vending Machine Accidents

Most of us have relied on a vending machine for a snack or a drink at one point in our lives. The convenience and relative cost-effectiveness of vending machines make them a valuable addition to most school, offices, and public areas.

However, despite the convenience of these machines, they are notorious for some of the problems they exhibit—especially in dispensing, or not dispensing, a person’s chosen snack. Many people, moved to frustration by this, will attempt to shake their snack free by either reaching an arm up into the machine or by rocking the machine itself.

Actions like these, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, have caused at least 37 deaths and 113 injuries since 1978. Vending machines are not secured to a wall or to the floor, and as such, they have a high chance of falling over when rocked or tilted by a patron.

Nevertheless, despite growing awareness of some of the dangers posed by vending machines, vending machines have not been changed in terms of their design in an attempt to make them any safer or any less likely to tip over.

However, since 1995, it has become standard for all vending machines to have a safety label on them warning customers of the dangers of lifting, tilting, or rocking the machine.

 

 

http://cmuems.com/2013/a/kristina/09/05/fatalities-caused-by-vending-machines-take-heed/

 

 

Soda Pop Vending Machine Injuries

Michael Q. Cosio, MD

Author Affiliations

JAMA. 1988;260(18):2697-2699. doi:10.1001/jama.1988.03410180105039

 

Fifteen male patients, 15 to 24 years of age, sustained injuries after rocking soda machines. The machines fell onto the victims, resulting in a variety of injuries. Three were killed. The remaining 12 required hospitalization for their injuries. Unless changes are made to safeguard these machines, people will continue to suffer severe and possibly fatal injuries from what are largely preventable accidents.

 

 

This last one is my favorite one. Some of the facts given could liven up (smiles) a fading party or dull diner table.

 

https://healthebay.org/vending-machines-more-hazardous-than-sharks/

 

 

sandrewn

[William King]

Yeah I know, they're crazy things, vending machines, killing the same number of people as baths. I looked it up, you know, people slip in the bath, and what, drown I suppose. I never take a bath myself. Then if you include with vending machines the ones you punch your ticket into to pay for the parking, where there are always bums hanging around to cut your throat for some loose change. And hospitals, what about when you arrive at the hospital and you have to take a ticket from the 'vending' machine, and it says, outpatient, or inpatient, or just don't f*****g know. And you read the number on the ticket and it says 869 and there are 601 people in front of you, your expected waiting time is 987 hours, and you sit down trying to work out just how long that is. Where is the threat you ask, it comes when you get near the head of the queue, if you're still there, if you aren't still waiting you might die on your way home, from worry or other complications. And if you're still waiting, you need food and drink. And yes you guessed it, it's from vending machines!

[Former Member]

I worked at a large department store chain back in the late '70s through the mid-'80s. To discourage us from attempting to shake or tilt the vending machines, we were allowed to ask for cash refunds from the store office. They had a small amount of petty cash from the Employee Association which profited from vending machine use. (The Employee Association provided a free Holiday meal and was the group that paid for retirement gifts for long-term employees. They also paid for the refrigerator and microwave in the Employee Lunch Room.)

[sandrewn]

Some of this stuff is just plain scary.

 

 

 

 

http://www.thoughtpursuits.com/20-practical-uses-coca-cola-proof-coke-belong-human-body/

 

 

 

 

sandrewn

(I still drink it)

[glitteryantlers]

A friend of mine (a professional photo artist) made this photo from Lake Balaton this morning:

[sandrewn]

Sumo - a Traditional Japanese Martial Art

 

 

http://www.japanesesearch.com/sumo-traditional-japanese-martial-art/

 

 

I really think that if they(Japan) had attended all the games(5) from 1900 to 1920. Participated in all the Tug-of-Wars. That they would have swept the field and won all the medals for that event, each time. That's what I believe, anyways.

 

sandrewn

Edited January 7, 2017 by sandrewn

[Former Member]

A friend of mine (a professional photo artist) made this photo from Lake Balaton this morning:

 

How much Coca-Cola did they add to the lake to get that to happen?  ;-)

[Former Member]

 

Sumo - a Traditional Japanese Martial Art

 

 

http://www.japanesesearch.com/sumo-traditional-japanese-martial-art/

 

 

I really think that if they(Japan) had attended all the games from 1900 to 1920(5). Participated in all the Tug-of-Wars. That they would have swept the field and won all the medals for that event, each time. That's what I believe, anyways.

 

sandrewn

 

Just imagine what the doped-up GDR and USSR contenders would have looked like!  ;-)

[glitteryantlers]

More winter wonderland in Hungary: Frozen waterfall, lake and a poor little fish in Lillafüred

 

http://kepek.444.hu/2017/01/07/kapkodod-a-levegot-megfagyott-a-lillafuredi-vizes-a-toba-pedig-egy-hal

[Former Member]

More winter wonderland in Hungary: Frozen waterfall, lake and a poor little fish in Lillafüred

 

http://kepek.444.hu/2017/01/07/kapkodod-a-levegot-megfagyott-a-lillafuredi-vizes-a-toba-pedig-egy-hal

 

I like the third picture. It almost looks like fractals!

[sandrewn]

Up close and personal

 

Photographer Muhammad Roem has some really amazing image captures.

 

 

A penny for your thoughts

 

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38388182?intlink_from_url=http://www.bbc.com/news/topics/14745d1f-885d-4b9f-b28a-24540e7beb15/animals&link_location=live-reporting-story

 

 

 

Fascinating

sandrewn

Edited January 11, 2017 by sandrewn

[sandrewn]

How do Whales and Dolphins sleep

without drowning?

 

 

 

 

Baby Under Tow

 

 

Napping

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-whales-and-dolphin/

 

 

sandrewn

(important life lessons)

[Former Member]

 

Up close and personal

 

Photographer Muhammad Roem has some really amazing image captures.

 

 

A penny for your thoughts

 

And you think a gecko knows anything about car insurance!

[sandrewn]

And you think a gecko knows anything about car insurance!

 

Probably as much(if not more) as those who thought the election was a slam dunk.

[sandrewn]

I have seen and heard of some mighty strange things in my life, but this one might take the cake.

 

There are over Seven Billion People on this World of Ours!!

 

To Know That a Named Cockroach has its own Wikipedia Page

 

Simply Bloody Amazing!!!!

 

I present to you

 

Nadezhda

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadezhda_(cockroach)

 

 

Now it seems that she has founded a Dynasty

Spaceroach Birthdays

A "pet project" of Russian space scientists has recently experienced the joys of motherhood.

Born in space, 30 cockroaches (dubbed spaceroaches) spent 12 days in orbit before returning to earth. The roach babies are descendants of grandmother cockroach Nadezhda (meaning "hope, and is actually the original derivative of my name, Nadia. Guess I should be flattered.).

The first in history to be conceived in space, in an orbiting laboratory named Foton-M, Nadezhda's children, despite maturing at a faster rate than normal, created spaceroaches that show no "freak" characteristics.

Obviously being stuck in orbit must be romantic, experiencing weightlessness as you slightly escape the pull of earth's gravity, constantly falling around the earth, and the earth tugging down at your spacecraft.
Read the rest of the post . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

sandrewn

who needs Ripley's Believe it or not)

[Former Member]

I'm confused. (So what else is new?) Who is Nadia? (Aside from being a Romanian Gymnast who performed to a soap opera's theme song.)

 

 

(For the longest time I just assumed that 'Sandrewn' was a female name like 'Sandrine.' But we all know what they say about assumption.)

[sandrewn]

I'm confused. (So what else is new?) Who is Nadia? (Aside from being a Romanian Gymnast who performed to a soap opera's theme song.)

 

 

(For the longest time I just assumed that 'Sandrewn' was a female name like 'Sandrine.' But we all know what they say about assumption.)

 

Let me repeat myself. Click on the following to see the answer to your question.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadezhda_(cockroach)

 

 

 

If droughtquake is your actual name, you have my sympathies. Mine is a combination of all of my names. Everything in my stats is true. Your assumption was wrong.

 

 

Have a nice day

sandrewn

Edited January 13, 2017 by sandrewn

[Former Member]

I know my assumption was wrong. That was kind of the point of my mentioning it. I'm sorry if I offended you, that was definitely not my intent.

[sandrewn]

The truth about Niagara Falls freezing over. I, like droughtquake assumed frozen over completely and not frozen completely solid, an entirely different situation. The points Valkyrie made were also true. The 1848 event referred to was that the river flow was stopped, due to an ice jam. I choose to think of the trickle as with any dam that leaks a bit(not a lot!!!).

 

The following are articles I found on the subject.

 

 

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/help-with-geography/89334-niagara-falls-great-freeze/

 

http://www.alearned.com/niagara-falls/

 

http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Niagara_Falls_freeze_in_1932_and_1911

 

https://www.reference.com/history/cold-niagara-falls-froze-1932-8809daab51b532a8

 

 

sandrewn

[Daddydavek]

Speaking of ice, take a look at the weather channel map picture below from today.   I live in Missouri, but pity the poor people in Kansas....  The light blue areas are for snow, the darker pink and lighter pink are for ice accumulations....

 

[Former Member]

It looks like a sideways testicle. I guess that tells you something about how my brain works!  ;-)

 

(And I'm seeing more of a lavender color than light blue on my MacBook's display.)

[glitteryantlers]

Ice drift on the Danube.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94MAbKgZ3x4

 

on the theme of frozen over (incompletely/completely): There is a mocking song in Hungarian about the river Maros flowing while in a standstill :-P

[sandrewn]

The Longest Hiccup Fit

 

 

It was Charles Osborne of Iowa and it lasted for 68 years.

 

 

http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/long44.html

 

 

As for Pope Pius XII, in this video I found of his last years, the hiccups are mentioned(8:23 min).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3PR1_vb4To

 

 

sandrewn

(learning something knew every day)