Friday, March 28, 2008
The Color of Money from Around the World
Colour Lovers scoured through the 191 currently circulating currencies of the 192 member states of the United Nations to find some of the most colorful, unique and dramatic bank notes...
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Japanese Man to “Hang 10″ in Pacific Journey with Wave-Powered Boat
There are various ways to travel the sea in style. One of the most environmentally friendly ones would certainly be using sails alone. I mean, wind is free, right?
Well, a Japanese man named Kenichi Horie is attempting to be just as environmentally friendly but without the sails.
How does he do it? With a wave-powered boat. Wave power has been discussed quite a bit recently, with a lot of applications including traditional grid energy generation. However, Kenichi is taking things to the next level by powering his ocean going vehicle with the very thing it bobs atop.
As you can see in the photo (click for larger view), the boat is powered by two fins that raise and lower with the tide, which drive the propellers. On board energy is provided by solar panels and the boat is primarily made out of recycled aluminum.
By sailing from Japan to Hawai’i, Kenichi and his Suntory Mermaid II hope to set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled in this type of wave-powered ocean goer. To be sure, this boat doesn’t go very fast (it’s got about half of the speed potential of a diesel powered craft), but this type of innovation is certainly interesting to see. As long as recreational sailing exists, why not try to minimize environmental impact as much as possible, right?
In fact, if you visit the sailor’s page you can track his progress as he crosses the wide Pacific. As of writing he looks to be almost there!
Source: EcoFuss and Kenichi Horie’s page
Beautiful Picture of San Fran's Golden Gate Bridge [HDR PIC]
An HDR version of the Golden Gate Bridge during a break in a 3 day storm that hit San Francisco.
Click on Picture for full resolution 
Guinness World Record Broken for Cocktail Mixing!
Master mixologist Bobby "G" Gleason breaks the world record for mixing cocktails. Using DeKuyper®, the best-selling line of cordials and liqueurs in the U.S., and Hornitos™, a member of the Sauza® family and first to coin the word tequila. Bobby G made 253 cocktails in 60 minutes and set the new Guinness World Record™. The former record of 179 different cocktails was set in 2004.
Buy A Tree and Watch it Grow Thanks to Google Earth
| Written by Hank Green | |
| Tuesday, 25 March 2008 | |
|
You can't say there's anything wrong with paying someone to plant a tree in some spoiled corner of the Earth. But it's not exactly the most rewarding thing. That tree, the buyer assumes, is out there...but it's quickly forgotten and impossible to actually imagine. But the World Wildlife Fund is hoping to chance that, with a little help from Google Earth. Your $5.50 donation will buy a tree, lifelong care and feeding, scientific study of the forest that it becomes a part of, and the exact coordinates of where that tree is on our big beautiful Earth. Linking that data with Google Earth shows the precise location (on the island of Borneo) of the tree, as well as all of its hundreds of neighbors. Unfortunately, the resolution of that corner of the the Earth is going to have to be increased significantly before you can actually see your tree, but even now the context is nice. You can buy trees that will be planted in Indonesia today at MyBabyTree.org. Think link provided takes you past the annoyingly long intro and straight into the site. PayPal integration makes the whole thing a breeze. I planted 2 of them myself (USD$11) and received the following message in my inbox:
Hopefully they mean e-mail...and not paper mail...because that would be annoying. Via Google Earth Blog and the WWF |
In the Past I have planted trees in Israel, a very nice thing to do:
http://www.treesfortheholyland.com/
Jewish National Fund
There are many more!!
Is this a Hot Brazilian Girl or Sand Sculpture?
"I was walkin' at the Farol da Barra Beach (Bahia Brazil) last august '04 when i saw this sculpture in the sand.. It was really unbelieveble.. The guy that made this is a real Artist. Is this a sand sculpture or a real woman?
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Original 007 Sean Connery wants to be a James Bond baddie
It has been 25 years since he ordered a martini, shaken, not stirred.
But Sean Connery, who played James Bond in seven of the classic spy movies, has a sudden taste for a comeback - as a villain.
Preliminary discussions are said to have taken place between the 77-year-old actor and Bond producers since Daniel Craig reinvigorated the 007 role two years ago with Casino Royale.
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Hero or villain: Could Sean Connery be a baddie?
But it would take an exceptional pay-cheque to lure Connery, who usually commands £10million a film, out of retirement.
He first played Bond in 1962's Dr No, followed by From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever then Never Say Never Again in 1983.
"I wouldn't mind coming back as a Bond villain," he said. "But I don't think they would pay me enough money."
The actor who played Ian Fleming's agent on screen seven times, says he has been so impressed by Daniel Craig's debut that he wants to be pitched against him.
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The name's Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery in the 1962 film Dr No with Lois Maxwell
"I think Daniel Craig is a terrific choice," said Connery. "I think they're going back to a more realistic type of Bond movie as I don't think they could have gone much further with the special effects."
He added: "They don't pay the money for the other parts, only for the Bond character, although that wasn't the case when I was doing it."
The jibe about money is related to the fact that Connery earned just £50,000 to play James Bond for the first time. By his last 007 movie in 1983, where he also negotiated a percentage of profits, Connery was paid £3 million.
Scroll down for more...
Thunderball: Sean Connery with Lois Maxwell in the 1965 Bond movie
Daniel Craig has signed a £30 million deal to make the next four films in the Bond franchise.
Connery added that despite not playing 007 for the past 25 years, he is still typecast by the part.
Asked about losing the James Bond tag, he said: "It's not something that's ever likely to happen," he says. "It's with me until I go to the box."
He also revealed that although he has been given the all-clear from throat cancer, he suffered from the condition for over two decades.
"I'm healthy and happy. I did receive my annual medical checks last year and I'm feeling well. It means a great deal to me to know that people out there care so deeply about my well being."
His decision to semi-retire from acting has allowed him to spend more time with his French wife Micheline and he confesses that the marriage works because it's an attraction of opposites.
"There's no doubt that the French have a Celtic link with the Scots. But my wife speaks fluent English, which reflects rather badly on me, because I can't speak French. With her food and language she's very much more developed. I've had a poor education and can't even remember our wedding anniversary date."
He spends time playing golf – and watching old Bond movies.
He told My Weekly magazine: "I still haven't seen all the old Bond films, only the odd one or two. I have all the films on DVD so I must catch up on them."
Bond baddie? Sean Connery and his wife Micheline
Redheads 'have more sex than blondes or brunettes'
Blondes may have more fun but redheads have more sex, according to new research in Germany.
The study by Hamburg Sex Researcher Professor Dr Werner Habermehl looked at the sex lives of hundreds of German women and compared them with their hair colour.
He said: "The sex lives of women with red hair were clearly more active than those with other hair colour, with more partners and having sex more often than the average. The research shows that the fiery redhead certainly lives up to her reputation."
He added that women who dyed their hair red from another colour were signalling they were looking for a partner, and added: "Even women in a fixed relationship are letting their partners know they are unhappy if they dye their hair red. They are saying that they are looking for something better."
Psychologist Christine Baumanns said however that it may not be the women who were to blame for the better sex lives of redheads.
She said: "Red stands for passion and when a man sees a redhead he will think he is dealing with a woman who won't mess around, and gets straight to the point when it comes to sex."
Monkey Riding Mini Bike
An Indonesian monkey riding a mini bike in the streets. Probably the coolest monkey trick I've ever seen.
Monkey Riding Mini Bike - Watch more free videos
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Gilly Hicks is the Thomas Pink of underwear stores
Chismillionaire stopped at the Natick Collection yesterday with Mrs. Chismillionaire and happened by this wonderful intimates store. Gilly Hicks was filled with cheery staff and an English Plantation style decor typical of all Abercrombie stores. There were many styles and cuts with tremendous color variety. If you have seen Thomas Pink tie displays you know what I am talking about.
Since Victoria's Secret has slipped towards the trashy side and targeted increasingly younger clientèle, they have lost some of their mystique in my opinion. Gilly is an answer towards the more conservative and playful Aerie by American Eagle. Far more classy and Cheekier as their marketing proclaims, Gilly Hicks offers us gentlemen a wonderful opportunity to purchase quality intimates for our ladies that offer a benefit for both parties without risk of offense from your significant other!
www.gillyhicks.com
No e commerce site yet, but that is due in early 2009.
McLaren F1 LM as incentive prize
 |
Ron Dennis to give Hamilton a McLaren F1 LM, but only if... |
Lewis Hamilton likely doesn't need another car, but we're pretty sure he'll want this one. In addition to the many luxury AMG models given to him by his team engine supplier Mercedes-Benz, McLaren Automotive has now promised to hand over the keys to one of their most prized possessions, a McLaren F1 LM, but not without a catch -- Hamilton must secure both the driver and construtor 2008 F1 World Championship titles.
According to UK's The Sun, Team McLaren's Principle Ron Dennis has promised Hamilton one of only five McLaren F1 LM editions, each valued at over $2 million for achieving the task at hand.
"If Lewis can win the two titles, the car is his. Fortunately, our deal gives me a bit of time to save up!", Dennis said jokingly.
The LM was constructed by McLaren Automotive to honor the five McLaren GTR's that finished the legendary Le Mans endurance race in 1995. All were painted in Bruce McLaren's trademark papaya orange racing color and feature a stripped out interior, shorter gearing, and enhanced aerodynamic and handling setups.
Oh, did we forget to mention that this F1 is a beast? With an unrestricted 680 bhp on tap coming from its BMW derived V-12, it rockets to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and is so loud that its passengers have no choice but to communicate through radio headsets.
No wonder the bright orange McLaren F1 LM was Lewis' dream car at the early age of 13.
Now if we could only borrow it for a day of testing....
An Extremely Compelling "LOST" Theory
This guy may actually have it all figured out.
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Every Simpsons Couch Gag In Under 5 Minutes
wanted to embed Video, but it keeps playing automatically. Please click below to watch this!!
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Follow-up to Gary's Post: Tabletop tap tech begets bountiful beer
It's a beer lover's dream come true: a tap right at the table, with on-demand lager. No sitting around trying to flag a waitress for a refill. Just put your glass under the tap and milk it for all it's worth.
Johnny Crawford/STAFF
There's just one catch.
You're drinking on the meter and when the table hits the limit, the flow stops. At least temporarily.
Stats, a new downtown sports bar, spent $110,000 to install the system. The Table Tap technology lets guests serve themselves once waitresses check identifications and turn on a meter. The taps connect to 16 kegs in a basement cooler, and guests can pick which two they want hooked up at the table.
"I want one in my house," said Kevin McDonough of Sandy Springs, who was sipping on a pint of Harp that he'd poured himself./
The meters tick away suds by the ounce, with prices ranging from 25 cents to 37 cents. That amounts to $4 a pint for the least expensive beer.
When the table hits 180 ounces, the taps stop pouring until a server checks over the table
Table Tap founder Jeff Libby negotiated the limit with the Georgia Department of Revenue, settling on an amount equal to the largest pitchers in use at other restaurants. It's the same self-serve concept, he figured.
"You can't just sit here and endlessly pour beer," says Todd Rushing, a partner in Concentrics Restaurants.
At 180 ounces a table, that works out to 1 pint for 12 guests. Smaller groups could dream about sloshing over to Philips Arena, just a few hundred feet away.
Rushing is quick to say that Stats is positioning itself as a family-friendly place to draw visitors from the nearby Georgia Aquarium, and not the stereotypical sports bar where guys sit around and swill beer.
Still, the pour-your-own approach is much more appealing than scanning cereal through a self-serve checkout lane. Not just for drinkers, but for restaurateurs.
With meters on many of the taps, including at an upstairs bar, nobody gets a freebie.
With guests at seven tables and 10 private rooms free to pour their own, labor costs shrink.
And the technology is an exclusive for now, although Libby is preparing to sell Table Tap to other establishments now that Stats has opened.
WEB PAGE HERE: TABLETAP
20+ Awesome Miniature Spy-Guns [PICS]
We wrote once about miniature spy cameras, now we are going to up the stakes. James Bond types not only need to inconspicuously take pictures, they also need to inconspicuously kill people. When given "license to kill", it's still better to do it with as little fuss as possible.
read more | digg story
Comcast Teams Up With BitTorrent and Promises Net Neutrality
Written by Ernesto on March 27, 2008
Comcast has announced that it will lift the ban on BitTorrent traffic, which prevented its users from sharing files using the popular protocol. The ISP and BitTorrent Inc. will work together on finding customer friendly solutions for the congestion allegedly caused by BitTorrent traffic.
Comcast has announced that it will stop targeting BitTorrent transfers and has said it will invest in its network capacity. For the time being the company will throttle users who use the most bandwidth, not all BitTorrent users per se.
Comcast’s chief technology officer Tony Warner said: “Rather than slow traffic by certain types of applications — such as file-sharing software or companies like BitTorrent — Comcast will slow traffic for those users who consume the most bandwidth.”
Comcast hoped it could quietly interfere with its customer’s BitTorrent activities without getting too much attention. Unfortunately for them, their actions didn’t go unnoticed, and during August last year we broke the news that this ISP does indeed mess with its customers internet connections.
Comcasts actions sparked the debate about what “reasonable” network management practices are, and this eventually resulted in a FCC hearing last month.
It now seems that Comcast saw the light, and wants to invest in more Internet gateway capacity after all. BitTorrent Inc. announced today that it will work together with the ISP to optimize their software, so that it puts less stress on the network.
Ashwin Navin, president of BitTorrent Inc. told TorrentFreak: “We are happy that Comcast is increasing the upload capacity on its network and that they will stop sending TCP resets to BitTorrent clients. We plan to jointly test how ISPs can better address the large volume of P2P traffic and share our research with all ISPs and application developers. This is a huge win for the Internet community as a whole.”
Still, Comcast will continue to throttle heavy users, who actually use the bandwidth that was promised to them in their contracts. It is to be expected that Comcast and other ISPs will have to step away from the all-you-can-eat plans they have been offering for years, now that people actually start to use bandwidth they signed up for.
Trippiest Twilight Zone Episode Becomes A Movie
A classic Twilight Zone episode written by Richard (I Am Legend) Matheson is getting a big-screen update called Countdown. The original episode, "Death Ship," is about three astronauts who arrive on an alien planet, only to find their own dead bodies, in a crashed version of their own ship. The movie version will be written and directed by Michael Brandt, co-writer of 3:10 To Yuma and the upcoming Wanted. Details (and spoilers) below.Says Brandt:
Countdown is fantastic because it wraps the themes of fate and predestination in a movie that is really a giant puzzle (that will also) be fun for the audience to piece together... The updates that are successful - not just of this but of any of the great 1950s Sci-Fi concepts - are those that take the idea and bring a modern sensibility to it. When it misses sometimes, it's because people get caught up in the story from start to finish."Death Ship" was a short story by Matheson before he adapted it into a TV episode. In the famous TV version, after the astronauts discover their own wrecked ship and corpses, they reason that they've jumped forward in time and all they have to do is change their actions to avoid this fate. (Which could be the "predestination" stuff Brandt is talking about.) But there's also a lot of other stuff, including the astronauts seeing visions of their dead friends, and it's hinted that they may actually be dead already, and just seeing weird afterlife visions. The whole episode is up on YouTube.[SciFiNow]
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