Friday, September 28, 2007
Bengals: Let us cut the poop
Operators of Paul Brown Stadium want permission from the city to kill birds that have been pooping on Bengals fans.
Pigeon droppings have been falling on patrons and into their food and beverages, according to a letter to the city from Eric Brown, managing director of Paul Brown Stadium Ltd., which runs the stadium for Hamilton County, which owns it.
He asked in his letter that stadium employees who are familiar with firearms be allowed to shoot birds a few days prior to an event, adding that company officials believe the shooting to be a “cost-effective way to get this problem under control.”
City officials are working with stadium officials on both the legalities of killing the birds as well as the means by which they might be killed, said city spokeswoman Meg Olberding.
The bird issue becomes public just as Cincinnati is preparing to again be center stage as the home of a Monday Night Football game. Mayor Mark Mallory is touting the game as a way to highlight the positives of Cincinnati, asking employers to encourage their workers to wear orange and black Monday. Downtown office buildings will be lit up, and 17 downtown restaurants promise food and drink specials.
The bird problem solved itself initially, with fan noise on game days driving the birds away, said Bob Bedinghaus, the Bengals’ director of development. But the birds apparently have adapted. In fact, pigeon poop has become such a big problem around the National Football League, he said, that officials have discussed it at league meetings and stadium management meetings.
"Like every other big building in the city, pigeons make their way to our building,” Bedinghaus said Thursday. “In three of the four corners of the club level, they land and are an irritant during the week. We have to clean up a lot of bird poop. We’re looking for options to rid ourselves of these little critters.”
Brown, in his letter, wrote that any shooting “would be done discreetly during times when there is little activity in the stadium.”
Cincinnati’s municipal code, Sec. 701-15, says no person shall kill, wound, maim or injure any bird. But that doesn’t apply to any city employee or officer acting in accordance with another statute, Sec. 701-17, which says when birds and animals create a nuisance, the city manager is authorized “to use all necessary means” to destroy the nuisance-creators.
Brown’s letter said the bird carcasses would be placed in black plastic bags and deposited into the stadium’s trash compactor.
Several fans who sit in the club (middle) level have complained to the Bengals about getting hit with poop, Bedinghaus said. The birds land on “innumerable” pipes and beams in the stadium canopy - and in the corners of the stadium, the canopy hangs over the seating bowl of the club level.
Other solutions being investigated, he said, include strobe lights, noise makers (which can’t be used during games) prickly coverings for horizontal surfaces, fake owls and netting.
Posted by gjblass at 12:33 PM 0 comments
Top 10 Architecture Web sites
- archguide - excellent, attractive site catalogs many websites related to architecture. Categories include organizations, jobs, law, services and materials
- Sapling.org - UK-based architecture, planning. landscape information gateway
- ARCAT - tons of links. Great place to find anybody who is anybody in the AEC World.
- Built in America - Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) document achievements in architecture, engineering, and design in the US and its territories
- American Institute of Architects - professional organization
- Great Buildings Online - architecture from Stonehenge to Fallingwater, around the world and across history, with images, drawings and 3D models
- architecture.com - London-based site includes the searchable Royal Institute of British Architects library catalog containing more than 150,000 articles
- Googie Architecture Online - stylish site with news, articles and a gallery of images that capture the ultra-modern era of giant tailfins, tiki gods, boomerang shapes and the promise of Tomorrowland
- architectureasia.com - includes links to over 800 architecture, design and construction Websites from 21 South, North and East Asian countries, plus Australia and New Zealand
- building environments - a visual delight, abounds with interiors of offices, homes, museums, schools and more, with furnishings and details, many inspirational projects
Recommended
- e-interiors.net - catalog of of the main international furnishing companies, a valuable reference for architects, designers and those interested in interior design
- Architecture Studies Library - UNLV School of Architecture. Lots of links
- Death by Architecture - news, a listing of international competitions and many links to resources for architects and designers
- Architecture as Dynamic System - explores architecture history and theory and global culture, with articles and lecture materials
- Architects USA - directory of over 30,000 architects
Posted by Anonymous at 12:22 PM 0 comments
Beyond TV - very cool
Record and watch TV with your PC
Gain control over your entertainment experience. With Beyond TV, you determine what you want to watch and when you want to watch it. With incredible features and extensive setting options, TV is under your control.
More than a DVR, Beyond TV gives you...
- No Subscription Fees. Ever.
- Skip commercials and other parts of TV shows
- Search for shows on actor, director, or title
- Burn DVDs of your TV recordings*
- New! Automatically sync recordings to iPod, iPhone or Apple TV*
- Intelligent Program Guide resolves conflicts
- Record HDTV from free, over-the-air or Clear QAM digital TV signals
Posted by Anonymous at 11:30 AM 0 comments
32 Amazing Bridges
not posting the pics here, to many just click the link above, amazing
Posted by gjblass at 10:07 AM 0 comments
Thursday, September 27, 2007
La Tomatina - tomato fight
La Tomatina - Tomato Fight Festival in Bunol
click to see more of this annual crazy event in Bunol, Spain, a ton of pics and videos
Posted by gjblass at 11:00 AM 0 comments
Webcams
Web cam Dashboard
this was a request, very simply Webcams form around the world, very cool stuff
Posted by gjblass at 10:54 AM 0 comments
MIT's latest prank on Harvard pays tribute to "Halo Day"
MIT's known for pranks, or hacks, against rival school Harvard (and sometimes even on their own campus). Their latest hack today enhances the John P. Harvard statue with a battle-ready Master Chief Spartan helmet and assault rifle (with a bullet count of 2E) in honor of Halo day. Other notable, and perhaps more difficult, hacks include assembling a painted MIT Campus Police car on top of their great dome, assembling a MIT Fire Department truck on their great dome, and a gigantic Triforce on top of the great dome. If they somehow got the Harvard Master Chief statue on top of their great dome, we'd declare this the best hack ever.
Posted by Gary at 9:19 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
There are no ugly women
This photo was taken at a competition in June 2006. The
competition was between 9 women for best makeover. They had every
possible beauty treatment available to them over a period of 12 hours
before the contest.
Look at the before and after photos.
Conclusion - There are no ugly women,
only those who can't afford a makeover.
More...
(The woman 2nd from the
left won the contest.)
Posted by gjblass at 4:13 PM 0 comments
where vehicles are left to die
25Sep07
here are some examples of vehicle cemeteries around the world, areas on earth that have unwittingly become the home to rusting, unused machines - remember, this is just a selection of the many boneyards on earth and while they often look stunning and make for a great photo, the environmental costs far outweigh the view.
(photos found on flickr link to source)
- ships
bay of nouadhibou, mauritania
welcome to the bay of nouadhibou, mauritania, an area containing over 300 ships which have been abandoned during the last 20 years.
until recently the attraction of this particular area for frustrated boat owners was, unsurprisingly, money. in order to avoid the high costs needed to discard a ship properly, people from all around the globe slowly realised that the harbour authority in this particular bay was corrupt and would turn a blind eye to any decaying vessel in return for a cheeky backhander.
the result can be seen below. it’s a surreal, haunting image. there’s an unembeddable clip of some of the dead ships here.
have a look on google maps here.
- mining vehicles
consolidated diamond mine, oranjemund, namibia
i found this brilliant photo on flickr (click pic to go source) and, according to the description, once a piece of mining equipment or a mining vehicle enters the consolidated diamond mine in oranjemund, namibia, it’s never allowed to leave. for that reason there’s a huge vehicle graveyard near the mine. considering the mine apparently owns the largest private earthmoving fleet in the world, that must be a huge boneyard.
i’ve had a look on google maps for the boneyard but the area is massive. the picture below is of a collection of machinery i found - whether it’s the correct collection i don’t know. take a look on google maps here.
- planes
amarc/the boneyard, tuscon, arizona
home to over 4000 aircraft, amarc (aerospace maintenance and regeneration center) is managed by the us airforce material command who claim to carry out ‘a continual process of anti-corrosion and re-preservation work’ in order to stop the unused aircraft damaging the surrounding environment. whether that’s the case or not, i don’t know.
either way, it’s an immense amount of aircraft in such a relatively small area.
take a look on google maps here.
a drive through the area…
- trains
train cemetery, uyuni, bolivia
a kilometre outside the town of uyuni in bolivia is the train cemetery, a resting place for dozens of old steam engines along a short length of unused track. pretty much all of the trains are comlpetely covered in rust and way beyond any kind of repair, the eerie sight attracting a large number of tourists each year who have come to the area to see the world’s largest salt flats (salar de uyuni) and a few locals on the hunt for scrap metal.
the area on google maps can be found here.
- nuclear-propelled submarines
various harbours, far east russia
frightening but true.
following the cold war, russia is now home to the largest fleet of nuclear-propelled submarines in the world, a large percentage of these currently out of service and residing in harbours on the eastern coast of russia in various states of decay, the main reason for the neglect apparently being lack of funds. these areas have become known as the ’submarine cemeteries’.
here are some photos from just a couple of these harbours.
above: 2 unused submarines at zvezda shipyard.
below: a similar scene on google maps. direct link here.
above: submarine reactor compartment units floating in chazma bay.
below: a simliar view on google maps. link here.
sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Deputy Dog blog source
Posted by gjblass at 12:17 PM 0 comments
Y ellow Card on boy survives on Wing at 500mph for two hours
Posted by Anonymous at 8:26 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
new vw tube?
Posted by gjblass at 4:57 PM 0 comments
Boy survives two-hour flight to Moscow hanging onto plane wing
Boy survives two-hour flight to Moscow hanging onto plane wing
|
After clinging on for the entire 1300-kilometer (808-mile) flight to Vnukova Airport, the boy, named Andrei, collapsed onto the tarmac. His arms and legs were so severely frozen that rescuers were at first unable to remove his coat and shoes, the radio station said.
However, Moscow's air and water transport control department said the radio's claim was true. A department spokesman said the incident occurred on Friday, and that the boy's parents were immediately informed, and flew to the capital the same day.
Doctors said it was nothing short of a miracle that Andrei survived the flight, with temperatures hitting minus 50 degrees Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit), the radio station said. The Boeing-737 has a cruising speed of 900 kmh (560 mph).
The boy reportedly made the journey after a commonplace domestic dispute. Angry with his father, who reportedly has a drinking problem, and with his mother for siding with her husband in family rows, Andrei ran away to the neighboring village, where his grandmother lives. On reaching the village, he decided to go on, and hitched a 220-km (137-mile) ride to the regional center, Perm, where he was dropped off at the airport.
It remains unclear how Andrei was able to climb on a plane wing un-noticed, and the Perm Airport security service is being asked some serious questions, the radio station said.
Andrei is now being treated in a Moscow hospital, Radio Mayak said.
Posted by gjblass at 4:49 PM 0 comments
Michael Winslow (of Police Academy fame)
Michael Winslow (of Police Academy fame) makes noises on stage. His engine noise is better than some Ferraris.
Posted by gjblass at 4:41 PM 0 comments
Chismillionare feels good about Miami
Hotel Victor- where Axle Foley would stay if in Miami!
Now this place will give you the Quan!
Tip of the cap to the Delano as well
Posted by Anonymous at 3:46 PM 0 comments
Conde Nast Portfolio
Excellent content and it's free!
Portfolio
Posted by Anonymous at 3:36 PM 0 comments
Chismillionare's tip to buffer the impact of fraud/identity theft
This came up during discussion today at lunch:
To help prevent the risk of fraudulent charges, simply open an additional checking account at your bank. You simply have one for direct deposit and checks and the other for ATM and debit transactions. Simply transfer in the amount of money you see fit to your debit account while leaving the main account safe.
That way if your debit account is compromised and charges result, your existing checking account balance is not impacted in the time between filing a fraud complaint and and a credit being issued to your account.
Especially useful while travelling or on vacation.
Posted by Anonymous at 2:09 PM 0 comments
Bacteria from Outerspace far more deadly!
Salmonella bacteria grown on the space shuttle displayed unusual genetic activity, becoming much more virulent.A new study shows that its effects on microorganisms may be just as dramatic: Salmonella grown onboard the space shuttle was many times deadlier than its terrestrial counterparts. The study suggests that NASA and other space agencies may need to worry that long manned missions will increase the virulence of microorganisms that astronauts inevitably carry with them. It has also given microbiologists insights into Salmonella that may lead to new therapies for infections on Earth.
Posted by Anonymous at 10:44 AM 0 comments
Female Ninjas Rob Store
They should have called in some pirates! Or even better, Chuck Norris!
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Police said two women dressed as ninjas were responsible for the hold-up of a Richland Township gas station Saturday morning using a samurai sword.Police said the two women -- one with a dagger, and the other carrying the sword -- entered a Sunoco station in the 5600 block of Route 8 at about 3 a.m.According to police, the women tied up the clerk and robbed the store of cash, cigarettes and lottery tickets.
"They were all covered in black and carrying swords, so it did appear that they were dressed like ninjas," said Chief Robert Amman of the Northern Regional Police Department. "Swords, daggers could be used to seriously harm victims, so this is a very serious crime."Police said the clerk was not harmed and is OK.No arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified.Rick Lekki said it was hard for him to believe that a robbery occurred across the street from his business, R and J's bar."It's shocking. Things like that just don't happen out here. I just can't believe it happened," Lekki said.Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Posted by Gary at 10:41 AM 0 comments
JC Penney Catalog from '75
The fly outfits pictured above would be the perfect threads to put on as you enjoy the "water pipes" also sold in the catalog.
Two links with examples of fine vintage '75 JC Penney wares here and here.
Posted by Gary at 8:47 AM 0 comments
Monday, September 24, 2007
Macgregor has it right
And this scene from the Octagon proves it. Sho Kosugi was one of my heroes as a kid, but Norris owns him here.
Posted by Gary at 3:09 PM 0 comments
Ninjas vs. Pirates
NINJAS vs PIRATES
Posted Jan 10, 2006When the most archetypal enemies in the universe clash for the ultimate battle, lives and love are on the line. This could be the most epic and important film of this century. Directed by Micah Moore (soft_studios@hotmail.com)
some good sites
http://www.piratesversusninjas.com/
http://www.ninjapirate.com/battle.html
http://www.piratesversusninjas.net/
Posted by gjblass at 3:01 PM 0 comments
What $30 gets you in Alabama
You can't even make this up.
Sweet Ho's Alabama
Posted by Anonymous at 2:47 PM 0 comments
Prince Charles opens cannabis garden
Prince Charles opens cannabis garden
By Amy Caulfield
September 22, 2007 12:07pm
THE Prince of Wales will today open the only public garden in Britain to be allowed to grow cannabis.The Prince will officially open the second phase of The Alnwick Garden, in Alnwick, Northumberland, which includes the UK's only public poison garden, growing plants such as cannabis and coca under lock and key.
Earlier in the day, Charles will visit Alnwick Castle, where he will present the country's only Territorial armoured reconnaissance regiment with its first consecrated flag.
The first phase of The Alnwick Garden, which has cost £35.1 million ($A82.04 million) to construct, was officially opened by the Prince in October 2002.
This afternoon, he will view the second phase of the project, which also contains the world's largest wooden tree house, a unique set of water sculptures that combine physics with the arts and an imposing pavilion designed by architect Sir Michael Hopkins.
In the morning, Charles will present The Queen's Own Yeomanry Regiment with its first regimental guidon - a flag of crimson silk damask embroidered and fringed with gold, with the regimental battle honours emblazoned upon it and the regimental emblem embroidered in the centre.
The Queen's Own Yeomanry is a formation reconnaissance regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps and was formed in 1971.
It is made up of five sabre squadrons administered from a regimental headquarters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
In his role as patron of the Prince's Trust, Charles will also meet Prince's Trust volunteers from the North East.
Posted by gjblass at 11:47 AM 0 comments
What's the standard dosage for pot?
What's the standard dosage for pot?
September 23, 2007
The 1998 law has never spelled out how much usable pot nor how many plants make up a 60-day supply.
Now the Legislature has demanded an answer to the question by July, and the state is holding hearings to ask experts and citizens for their opinions on how to determine a two-month supply.
"There is so much you will have to take into account," says Joanna McKee, founder of Seattle's Green Cross Patient Co-op. "What about people who eat it? How different is the amount they need from people who smoke it?"
McKee was one of many who spoke at a state health department public meeting this month in Seattle. More than 100 people attended, and about 45 people spoke. Another meeting in Spokane drew similar numbers.
Most people at the meetings were clearly medical marijuana advocates. So are most who have posted comments on a Washington Department of Health website, but a few have written to express dismay at any use of marijuana. "It is a waste of our time and resources to address this non-issue," reads one such comment.
But the issue is crucial for patients who use medical marijuana.
"What has ended up happening is that in each county, law enforcement effectively decides what constitutes a 60-day supply," says attorney Alison Holcomb, Marijuana Education Project director for the state ACLU. "And in some counties, that amount has been set at zero."
Of the 12 states that protect medical marijuana patients from state prosecution, Washington is the only one without clear guidelines on the amount a patient or designated caregiver is allowed to possess.
Those amounts are different in almost every other state. Oregon allows the largest supply -- 24 ounces or six mature plants -- and several states only allow patients to have one ounce of usable marijuana on hand. In California, state law sets a limit of 8 ounces or six mature plants, but cities and counties are free to establish higher guidelines.
Dr. Gregory T. Carter, a professor of rehabilitative medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine who studies the effects of marijuana in treating patients with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, says that all of these codified limits may be too low.
"There are so many variables here. Even if you just look at smokers, you have to look not only at the quality of the pot, but also at the efficiency of the smoker," he says. "Some people are better smokers than others."
Carter and several colleagues studied the dose amounts used on a federal study of medical marijuana, which has been in progress for more than 30 years. Based on this, he says that a 60-day supply works out to nearly 4 1/2 pounds per patient -- far more than the amount allowed by any state.
And, he says, "that's probably a pretty conservative estimate."
Tom McBride, executive secretary of the Washington Assn. of Prosecuting Attorneys, welcomes the change in the law. "It doesn't make sense for a judge or prosecutor to have to determine how much a sick person needs -- that's a medical decision, and I've always felt it should be made by a doctor."
McBride says he isn't worried about a high limit shielding recreational pot dealers.
"Under Washington law," he says, "group growing and distribution isn't legal, and codifying a 60-day supply won't change that."
Many advocates hope the state will ultimately allow patient co-ops to grow and distribute medical pot, as is the case in some parts of California. But no one expects that to happen here any time soon.
Bruce Mirken is director of communications at the Marijuana Policy Project, a national nonprofit group that works for both medical and recreational marijuana policy reform. He worries that Washington's new definition will be set too low, but at the same time emphasizes that safe access remains the larger issue for all medical marijuana patients.
"It's going to remain a problem, as long as the federal government remains hostile to medical marijuana," he says.
That worry was reflected in many of the comments offered at the Seattle meeting.
Caroline Welch, 47, was one of the first to tell her story. Diagnosed with stage-three ovarian cancer earlier this summer, Welch attributes much of her ability to withstand her treatment to medical marijuana.
"There were people producing it for me before I knew I'd even need it," she says. "It would have taken me till next summer to cultivate the plants, get the knowledge base. There is no way that I could have done it."
McKee, of the Seattle patient co-op, said she had worked with thousands of medical marijuana patients over the years. "I have never seen anyone with a 60-day supply. I have seen people with a few ounces, a few plants," she said.
Public comments on the issue will be accepted until the end of the year, and in early 2008, the department of health will publish a proposed rule. The final rule must be in place by July, which is also the deadline for the health department to report back to the Legislature on the issue of safe access to medical marijuana.
lynn.marshall@latimes.com
Posted by gjblass at 11:08 AM 0 comments
The miracle of opposable thumbs wroughts?
Way over the top Chismillionare style: OceAnco yachts
Posted by Anonymous at 10:54 AM 0 comments