Thursday, November 30, 2006

 

Contagious Shooting


A contagious shooting or "mass reflexive response" is "gunfire that spreads among officers who believe that they, or their colleagues, are facing a threat. It spreads like germs, like laughter, or fear."

Incidents: 2006 Five officers fired 50 rounds at Sean Bell who was leaving his bachelor party in New York, including 31 by one detective;
2006; Three officers fired 26 shots at a pit bull that had bitten a chunk out of an officer’s leg in the Bronx, New York in July; 2005 Eight officers fired 43 shots at Brian Allen, an armed man, in Queens, New York killing him; 1999 Five officers fired 50 rounds at Amadou Diallo, an unarmed man in the Bronx, New York on February 4, 1999; 1998 New Jersey State Police fired 11 shots at Daniel Reyes and three other basketball players in their car in April.

Reference: How Stuff Works: Contagious shooting

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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

 

World Carrot Museum


The World Carrot Museum is a virtual museum that attempts to collect and present information on all aspects of carrots. The museum does not currently have a brick and mortar existence but operates only as a website. It was initiated and continues to be curated by John Stolarczyk of Bradford, England. The museum contains information on recipes, trivia, cultivation, games and toys, history, and nutrition of carrots as well as description of carrots as they exist in the wild. [Photo shows carrot diversity from around the world.]

External links: World Carrot Museum Homepage, Article on Stolarczyk and the museum from the Cleaveland Plain Dealer, Article by Dave Barry about the museum.

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

 

Corporeal Reanimation


Corporeal reanimation is the theoretical concept of reanimating a dead organism, restoring its living functions and enabling it to move and to freely interact with the world of the living as it did when it was alive.
Reanimation also refers to alleged supernatural phenomena in which the souls of deceased persons reinhabit their dead bodies and return to this world, usually to complete unfinished business.

In fiction: Many people, mainly fiction writers, have proposed how it would work, but their theories are only portrayed in movies or fantastic tales of "Zombies" or living-dead, and such. The central idea focuses on the dead organism's brain being crudely revived to re-enable simple functions and allow passive ability of normal bodily operation, such as eyesight, hearing and acting on instinct, though how the brain is 'revived' is never explained. It is roughly reflected with movie plots, such as the introduction of a virus into a body, which slowly kills the host and reanimates it. This can be seen most notably in the George A. Romero's Living Dead films and in the Resident Evil series of video games.

In culture: An example of reanimation appears in the Caribbean tradition of voodoo: the zombie. True to modern portrayals, zombies have no mind or will of their own and are basically living-dead — although their bodies are metabolically active.

In science: The scientist and inventor James Lovelock pioneered reanimation research in the mid-1950s. In an interview with the BBC's Mark Lawson (BBC Four, May 22, 2006), he referred to an early experiment in which a common hamster was trained to find its way through a maze, then "frozen", and later brought back to life. "It was as good as new!" Lovelock said, "it could make its way through [the] maze, as it was trained to do before..."

Notes and references: Reanimation of rats.

See also: Resident Evil, Re-Animator, List of zombie films, Cryonics

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Monday, November 27, 2006

 

Therianthropy


Therianthropy is a generic term for any transformation of a human into another animal form, or for a being which displays both human and animal characteristics, either as a part of mythology or as a spiritual concept. The word is derived from Greek therion, meaning "wild animal" or "beast", and anthrōpos, meaning "man".

In folklore, mythology and anthropology, therianthropy can be used to describe a character that shares some traits of humans and some of non-human animals. The most commonly known form is lycanthropy (from the Greek words lycos ("wolf") and anthropos ("man")), the technical term for the transformation from man to animal form. Although the precise definition of lycanthropy specifically refers only to the change into wolf form (as with a werewolf), the term is often used to refer to shape changing to any non-human animal form.

Therianthropy can also refer to characters that share man and animal traits at the same time, for example with the animal-headed human forms of gods in Egyptian mythology (such as Ra, Sobek and others) as well as creatures like centaurs and mermaids.

Mental illness: When people believe they change into an animal form (theriomorphosis), or possess supernatural non-human animal traits, the term clinical lycanthropy is often used. This classification is a form of mental illness, though many anthropologists would point out that the belief has extensive religious precedent in shamanic cultures. Likewise, people who call themselves shapechangers as a form of social identification are generally not considered ill by mental health professionals unless their beliefs interfere with the normal functioning of their lives. This can be a controversial issue, as the line between what the mind passes off as a strange or alternative belief and what is considered a mental illness is indistinct.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006

 

Boxed Thoughts


Boxed Thoughts is a collection of thoughts posted by anonymous users. Together, these thoughts form a stream of thought, or a ‘thoughtstream’. The thoughtstream represents the flow of thought or thoughts that embodies humanity.

Users post whatever is on their minds without being judged. All thoughts are anonymous so nobody can identify you, unless you decide to post something that will identify you. The idea is to post whatever thought is on your mind at the time, good or bad....

You have a 100x100 pixel box to work with so you can only fit a certain amount of text into the box. This is when you have to be creative with what you want to say.

Although BT is an anonymous community there is still communication among the users through the stream.... Sometimes a trend will become very popular and you will see many thoughts about that topic on the stream. Some trends only last for a few thoughts, some are still being mentioned almost a year after they were started. Certain users have created some themes and trends, and due to those users popularity among other users the trends seem to become more popular and spread throughout the thoughtstream.

External links: BoxedThoughts, BT’s official Forum

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Friday, November 24, 2006

 

Kynoid


Kynoid refers to any being whose body structure resembles that of a dog especially in the context of science fiction and fantasy fiction. It usually refers to sentient beings, while the rest is described with "canidae". The term (originally, in Russian) was coined by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky in their 1979 sci-fi novel Beetle in the Anthill (translated into English in 1980) to describe the extraterrestrial sentient species nicknamed "Headies".

Usually, a fictional kynoid species has four legs (all of them primarily used for walking, although other purposes, like fighting, are not excluded) or two legs and two paws (used for wielding instruments and weapons), a tail and a canine head. Very often kynoids possess also the ability to speak and communicate - even if only in their own language. Other details, like size, weight, fur color (if any), even the shape of the head, may differ from species to species.

In sci-fi universes, kynoids are generally shown as specimen of entire alien races, while in fantasy worlds they tend to appear as single supporting characters. Because dogs are assumed the human's best friend in the animal kingdom, many books and movies feature a kynoid as a partner and a friend-in-need of a human character, although wolves are often presented as adversaries. The common image of a werewolf can also be classified as kynoid (in the animal form).

List of fictional kynoid characters:
Frank the Pug, a typical example of a kynoid from Men in Black II; Angua (a werewolf, Discworld); Drimarondo (a talking dog, Labyrinths of Eho by Max Frei); Ein (a sentient dog, Cowboy Bebop); Fenrisulfr (a giant wolf, Edda); Frank (an alien in a dog suit, Men in Black and its sequels); Gaspode (a talking dog, Discworld); Gmork (a sentient wolf, The Neverending Story); Huan (the Hound of Valinor, Middle-earth); Maugrim (a talking wolf, The Chronicles of Narnia); Schyokn-Itrch (a Headie, Noon Universe); Sirius Black (transfigures into a black dog) and Remus Lupin (a werewolf, Harry Potter book series); Toto (a talking dog, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz); Wildmutt (a Vulpimancer, Ben 10).

List of fictional kynoid races:
Doog (Star Control); Headies (Noon Universe); Moon Dogs (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons); Shistavanen (Star Wars); Vulpimancers (Ben 10); Werewolves (Middle-earth).

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Thursday, November 23, 2006

 

Autocentrism


Autocentrism is a style of living characterized by dependency on the automobile for transportation. Autocentric communities are found throughout the suburban United States and are one characteristic of urban sprawl. In such communities, public transportation is either enormously unpractical due to time concerns, or wholly unavailable. Smart growth and New Urbanism advocates view autocentrism as an undesired state, arguing that it results in a weakened sense of community in the affected neighborhoods, as well as having negative impact on the environment. Detractors do not view autocentrism as anything manifestly negative, merely a choice made by consumers out of preferences.

Relevant source: Crawford, J.H., Carfree Cities.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

 

The Best-Selling Female Recording Artist Ever


The best-selling female recording artists of all time:

1.Madonna (entertainer) 257,000,000 Records Sold
2.Mariah Carey 232,000,000 Records Sold
3.Whitney Houston 220,000,000 Records Sold
4.Nana Mouskouri 206,000,000 Records Sold
5.Diana Ross 189,000,000 Records Sold
6.Donna Summer 178,000,000 Records Sold
7.Celine Dion 175,000,000 Records Sold
8.Barbra Striesand 168,000,000 Records Sold
9.Janet Jackson 138,000,000 Records Sold
10.Shania Twain 132,000,000 Records Sold
11.Tina Turner 125,000,000 Records Sold
12.Dolly Parton 120,000,000 Records Sold
13.Cher 116,000,000 Records Sold
14.Aretha Franklin 108,000,000 Records Sold
15.Britney Spears 78,000,000 Records Sold

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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

 

Book of Spells of Serpents

The Book of Spells of Serpents, a lost work ascribed to St. Paul, would be considered part of the New Testament apocrypha, as it appears in a 6th century list of works that were considered non-canonical, but no known text has survived, although it has been referenced numerous times in other non-canonical ancient books.

From its descriptions, the book appears to be an anti-Ophite work, supporting the orthodox position that the serpent in the Garden of Eden was evil, rather than the Ophites' position that the serpent was a hero who tried to teach Adam and Eve in order to let them escape what the Ophites saw as an evil world created by a demiurge.[1] According to the early church fathers,the work described the beguiling nature of the serpent, and its crafty use of spells, and clever oratory skills, to obtain favour in the Garden and to manipulate the first man for its own gain: the serpent was so wily that it routinely confused Adam about the instructions God gave him, eventually leading to his expulsion.

However, as this is the report of those opposed to the Ophites' views, this description of the text may be somewhat misleading. For example, it was also said that the text briefly touches on the wisdom of the Serpent, and warnings he communicated to Adam, and to Eve, about God's devious nature and fearful admonitions against disobedience. This point of view supported that of the Ophites, and contrasts greatly with the prior description that puts the serpent as the villainous trickster.

References:
^ For more about Ophite theology, see Ophites. See also Ophite Diagrams, Lost New Testament Apocrypha, Non-canonical Pauline Epistles.

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Monday, November 20, 2006

 

Visualizing Wikipedia Evolution


(This is not an article marked for deletion but rather a topic for us to discuss.)

The entry for evolution on Wikipedia was altered 2,081 times by 68 editors between December 2001 and last October. IBM's Watson Research Center produced the image at left, which tracks the transformation. Each vertical line is a new version; each color is a different editor. A black line occurs whenever the entire entry is deleted by a vandal. The initial version of evolution (indicated by the "1") is 526 words long.

For more details of this study, see Susan Kruglinski's "Map: Evolution Evolving, A very public online fracas" DISCOVER Vol. 27 No. 07. Image credit: Visual Communication Lab, IBM Research.


Sunday, November 19, 2006

 

Satan Claus


Satan Claus is a theory that Santa Claus is actually an alias for Satan. The theory is based primarily on the fact that "Santa" could be an anagram for "Satan." This theory is a popular belief among many Christian communities.

Other evidence is the fact that Saint Nicholas, the origin of Santa, could have never existed. Ole Nick was a fallen Angel. Nick is a common nickname for Santa. (e.g. Old Saint Nicholaus) Old Nick is a British term for "the devil". Nicholas is one of the most common names for the devil, for Germans.

Many Christians are infuriated with the fact that Santa shares, or in some cases takes the spotlight from Jesus at Christmas time.
Some facts about both Jesus and Santa: They are both Omniscient. They are both Omnipresent. They both have a white beard.

Santa can be rearranged to spell Satan. Claus is old English for "Hoof-Claws." Claus can be rearranged to spell "Lucas" which resembles Lucifer. Kriss Kringle means "little Christ child".

External Links: SANTA CLAUS: The Great Imposter -- Christian anti-Santa site.

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Saturday, November 18, 2006

 

Hutber's law


Hutber's law states that "improvement means deterioration". It is founded on the cynical observation that a stated improvement actually hides a deterioration.

The term has seen wide application in business, engineering and risk analysis. It was first articulated by Patrick Hutber, an economist and journalist working for The Sunday Telegraph in London. Hutber is also credited with inventing the concept of Tax Freedom Day.

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Friday, November 17, 2006

 

Kiwi!


Kiwi! is a short, digitally animated movie by Dony Permedi. The movie is just 2 minutes and 20 seconds long, not including introductory title and closing credits. Character models and animation were generated using Maya.

Along with the millions of views on YouTube, the film is notable for the honors it has received on that website. With tears of joy filling its eyes, and a single teardrop streaming across its face, the kiwi satisfies its biggest dream....

There are many parallels that can be found between the film's kiwi and the human condition.

Complete film hosted by YouTube

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kiwi!". This article is an excerpt from a larger entry. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

 

Khartoum (fictional horse)


Khartoum was the name of the fictional horse owned by movie producer Jack Woltz in the novel The Godfather and the movie of the same name. This was the unfortunate horse whose head was severed and put in the bed where Woltz was sleeping in the now-infamous scene of the book and film.

Of note is the fact that an actual horse-head was used for this scene.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Khartoum (fictional horse)". Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

 

Fan Death


Fan death is an urban legend that originated in South Korea, but has since spread to other countries in the Far East. The belief is that an electric fan, if left running overnight in a closed room, can result in the death (by suffocation, poisoning, or hypothermia) of those inside. This belief also extends to air conditioners and the fans in cars. When the air conditioner or fan is on in a car, some people are apt to leave their car windows open a crack to avoid "fan death." Fans manufactured and sold in Korea are equipped with a timer switch that turns them off after a set number of minutes, which users are frequently urged to set when going to sleep with a fan on.

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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

 

Two singers named Alicia to be discarded


Alicia Pan (born Nov 11, 1984) is one of Taiwan's rising stars. Born and raised in Singapore, Alicia Pan has been singing and playing the piano since the age of 3. She moved to Taiwan in 2005 and began pursuing her career in the mandarin pop scene. ... Subsequently, Universal Music released an EP of Alicia's first Mandarin single in conjunction with Far East Tone, a Taiwanese telecommunications company.


Alicia Dara (born Alicia Dara Friedman on December 9, 1973) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer, and educator based in Seattle, WA. She started her record label, Stegosaurus Records, in 1997 and has released 4 self-produced CDs of original songs.... In 2001 Alicia released Alchemy, a haunting and melodic piano-based record. Alchemy was co-produced with Experience Music Project sound designer Brad Purkey and featured a host of Seattle musicians.... Her own site's popularity is further augmented by fan sites which collect and distribute rare B-sides and covers....

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Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit


The "Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit" is an argument for the improbability of the existence of God introduced by Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion. His statement (in its entirety) is as follows:

"However statistically improbable the entity you seek to explain by invoking a designer, the designer himself has got to be at least as improbable. God is the Ultimate Boeing 747."

The reference to the "Boeing 747" is an allusion to Fred Hoyle who reportedly compared the random emergence of even the simplest cell to the likelihood that "a tornado sweeping through a junk-yard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein." (see eg Fred Hoyle. Hoyle was not a theist - but Dawkins is objecting to this argument being deployed theistically.)

Dawkins does not explain what he means by statistically improbable. The standard probabilistic form of the argument from design is to take some feature of the universe (X) and to argue that p(X/God) >> p(X/No_God). Obviously p(God/No_God)=0 < p(X/No_God), but this says does not address the argument for design. So Dawkins seems to be arguing:

  1. If "D designed X" then, for any Background assumptions B, p(D/B) < p(X/B)

  2. Hence for any B and X, if "God designed X", p(God/B)< p(X/B)

He gives no justification of (1) and consideration of an artist D who designs n paintings all but one of which are destroyed shows that (1) is not necessarily true. And this argument says nothing about a comparison of p(X/N) with p(X/G). Further publications may elucidate these questions. (The symbol / should be a vertical bar symbol.)

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Tuesday, November 14, 2006

 

Geek Rock


Geek Rock is a musical subgenre of alternative rock which embraces technology and technological themes, often in a humorous or ironic context, as well as other subjects considered "geeky." Progenitors of geek rock include Devo, Talking Heads, and REM. More recent examples of geek rock bands include Weezer, The Minibosses, The Young Knives, The Rentals, Lemon Demon, Cake, Ben Folds, Grandaddy, The Franchise, Nerf Herder, Jonathan Coulton, MC Paul Barman, Ozma, and They Might Be Giants.

See also: Nerdcore hip hop

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Coulrophilia


Coulrophilia is the paraphilia involving sexual attraction to clowns.

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Monday, November 13, 2006

 

Sutra neti


Sutra is the Sanskrit word for string. Sutra neti is the method of clearing nasal obstructions with a string. It is a practice used in yoga to aid pranayama. It is considered an advanced practice that is usually preceded by jala neti. This is a very effective method of keeping the nasal passages open to their fullest capacity.

Sutra Neti is performed by passing a cord made of cotton threads or a rubber catheter into the nose through one nostril and then out via the mouth. The cord is gently pulled to and fro for some time, removed and then threaded through the other nostril and out the mouth again. With practise, the cord can be passed in one nostril and out the other nostril....

99% of the benefit is obtained by simply passing the string up to and through this nasal-throat valve while gently massaging the nasal membranes which reflex back to the powerful group of nerves which serve in common the entire cranium.

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Sunday, November 12, 2006

 

The beard theorem


The Beard Theorem is a political theorem that relates to the Communist Party and its members. The Beard Theorem is a theory that suggests that the size of one's Beard, whether it be a puff, French Fork or Mutton Chop, has a direct correlation to the radicality of a person's Socialist views. If one was to have a large, beard, that person has a higher chance of being a communist revolutionary than one other person who has only as moustache, or worse: no facial hair at all. This theorem is proved by many of the communist Russian revolutionaries of the 1900's, those like Karl Marx, who has a massive, beard and, in accordance to the theorem, is a great communist. V.I. Lenin, the leader of the Russian Revolution, had a beard, yet it was not as profound, thus he is not as truly communist as Marx or Engels, as he has a relatively small beard, but it is still present and is truth of his communisity. Josef Stalin, the leader of the Communist Vanguard Party in Russia from the mid 1920's to 1952, has no beard, yet has a moustache. Stalin, in accordance to the theorem thus has very little Communist Blood in him, as he is a Stalinist, and a social fascist. Exceptions to the rule is most East Asian Communist leaders.

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Saturday, November 11, 2006

 

Exophilia


Exophilia is an attraction, generally sexual in nature, to new, strange, or otherworldly things, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, supernatural beings, and robots. Exophilia may be regarded as the sexual form of neophilia, which is the more generalized attraction to new and unknown things.

The 2001 book Extraterrestrial Sex Fetish by Supervert defines exophilia specifically as an erotic attraction to extraterrestrial beings and describes at length a character afflicted by this fetish.

Sometimes exophilia is regarded as a fetish, but some are born that way, just as people may be born gay, lesbian, etc. It also is linked to the belief of otherworldly entities, energies, and/or beings. Because paraphilias are used for gratification, as well as masturbation, exophiliacs are either well-satisfied or not satisfied enough. Mythos from other cultures tell of spirit/alien/demigod/etc. couplings with humans that are sexual in nature, which gives hint that perhaps at one time exophilia was possibly more common.

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Friday, November 10, 2006

 

Ursa Major Awards


The Ursa Major Awards are intended to be the furry fandom award for outstanding achievement in anthropomorphic and furry arts, equivalent to the science fiction fandom's Hugo Awards. The awards were first presented in 2001 at ConFurence 12. With the demise of ConFurence in 2003, it was decided that the awards would be presented at as many furry conventions as possible....

The UMA trophy consists of a framed certificate containing the Awards' illustrated logo designed by Heather Bruton, with the name of the winner....

To be eligible, a work must have been released between January 1 and December 31 of the calendar year for that award, and must include a non-human being given human attributes (anthropomorphic), which can be mental and/or physical (for example the intelligent rabbits in Watership Down for the former, and Bugs Bunny for the latter.)

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Mike the Headless Chicken


Mike (The Headless Chicken) (April 1945March 1947) was a Wyandotte rooster (cockerel) that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off. Many people thought it was a hoax, so its owner took it to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and had it examined, which confirmed that it was legitimate.... Mike was still able to balance on a perch and walk clumsily; he even attempted to preen and crow, apparently not noticing that neither activity could be accomplished properly without a head....

Mike was on display to the public for an admission cost of 25 cents, and at the height of his popularity was earning a princely $4,500 per month ($50,000 in 2005 dollars)...

Post mortem, it was determined that the axe blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was severed, most of his brain stem and one ear was left on his body. Since basic functions (breathing, heart-rate, etc) as well as most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem, Mike was able to remain quite healthy.

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Thursday, November 09, 2006

 

Love rectangle


Love rectangle is a somewhat facetious term to describe a romantic relationship that involves four people, analogous to a love triangle. Many people use this term for a romantic relationship between two people that is complicated by the romantic attentions of two other people, but it is more frequently reserved for relationships where there are more connections. Minimally, both male characters usually have some current or past association with both female characters. These relationships need not be sexual; they can be friendships or familial relations. Both males and/or both females can also be friends, family members (frequently siblings) or sworn enemies. The addition of bisexual or homosexual characters can add complexity.

The term "love rectangle" can imply that the arrangement is unsuitable to one or more of the people involved whereas an arrangement that is agreed upon by all parties is sometimes called polyamory.

The word "love" can be added to the front of other shapes to reflect romantic relationships involving more people, e.g. "love pentagon".
In William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, there is a love rectangle between the characters Lysander, Demetrius, Helena, and Hermia. Demetrius is granted Hermia's hand in marriage by her father, but Hermia loves Lysander, and the two flee, intending to elope. Demetrius pursues the couple, and Helena pursues Demetrius, whom she has always loved. The fairy Puck, in trying to use magic to resolve the situation, temporarily transfers both men's affections to Helena. Further tampering restores Lysander's love for Hermia. Demetrius, now in love with Helena, withdraws his claim on Hermia, and both couples are wed.

See also: love triangle, polyamory.

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Discuss: Wikipedia Ideas


Wikipedia is a marvelous tool. What features would you most like to see added to Wikipedia to make it even better, for example, to make it even more usable?

For example, I’d like to see an option that may be selected to temporarily color code text by date of entry. Thus, text that was green, because it was five years old, might be more “trustworthy” than text that was red, which was ten minutes old or text that is orange that is two days old. The color option may be toggled on an off by the user.

 

Discuss: Future of Wikipedia?


What do you foresee for the future of Wikipedia? Do you feel that the number of entries will continue to grow at the current astronomical rate? More generally, what is the future of the kinds of projects that evolve according to the behavior of a collective intelligence?

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

 

Maid in Akihabara


Maid in Akihabara is a 6 episode series that was produced in Japan on 2005 and released on Feb 24, 2006. Each episode ran about 15 minutes, and took place in Akihabara, Tokyo - the cyber city of Japan. The story begins when an woman, named Saki, tries to find a job to hide from a bar gang, since she have worked at a bar before. She ends up getting a job at a Maid cafe called Meido no myage (Maid's gift). She is the third maid to be joining the cafe. With the addition of being homeless, she lives in a 24h internet cafe.

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Women in physics


Oftentimes one cannot help but wonder at the heavily biased gender ratio at the level of original research in Natural Sciences. The issue is very relevant to Physics in particular. Hence it is a valid question to ask why there are so fewer women physicists around as compared to their XY counterparts. The answer, in the lack of scientific evidence of cognitive differences, convincingly lies buried in the history of deep-rooted socio-econo-religious structures that have been prevalent in civilizations across the world, and inevitably perpetrated into our academic institutions.

Physicist Sean Carroll, in a column in his blog, calls this Unconscious but Pervasive bias, and refers to a recent New York Times article discussing a report from the National Academy of Sciences titled Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering, which raises voice against outmoded institutional structures in academia. [material excised for brevity]

Recently, an effort has been made by Nina Byers and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA, to compile a list of 83 women physicists, who made significant contributions in the field in the 20th Century (pre-1976). The website also has a list of names of 300 contemporary women physicists who have been leading research in their respective fields. The list doesn't claim to be (and is by no means) exhaustive, but it is nevertheless a commendable attempt to create a database of contemporary women physicists with significant contributions in their respective areas of research.

External Links: NYT article; National Academy of Sciences Report; Contributions of 20th Century Women in Physics; APS Women in Physics Group; APS statistics; IOP Women in Physics Group; Women Nobel Laureates in Physics; Turning Women into Leaders; Physics needs Women.

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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

 

List of fictional worms


Worms are often used in fiction. This is a list of fictional worms.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Legends: The Lambton Worm, of 15th-century English legend; The Worm of Sockburn, of 14th-century English legend ; The Worm of Linton, of 12th-century Scottish legend; The Sjö-Orm of early Norse seafarers' legends; Great Orms of fresh and salt water in early Gaelic and Brythonic legends; The Jörmungandr or Midgard Serpent of Norse Mythology.

Books, television, music and film: The Bookworm character of various children's reading programs; The .303 Bookworm in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels; The Graboids in the Tremors films and television series; Jeff, the giant subway worm in the film Men in Black II; The ghost-eating sandworms in the film Beetle Juice; Sandworms in the books, film and TV series Dune; Mr. Mind, the super-intelligent arch-nemesis of DC's Captain Marvel character; Fip, the word-eating worm in the book, The Word Eater; Slimey, pet of Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch; Lowly Worm, from Richard Scarry's Busytown; The unnamed "worm chile" seen in various Pogo strips, including the first (sometimes just one, as in "the apprentice cobra" Snavely is tutoring, and sometimes several who, together, play a flute); Lazy Jay Ranch's worms in Rocky and Bullwinkle; The documentary The Future is Wild featured three species of worms: garden worms, slickribbons and gloomworms; In the 2005 film King Kong, a giant bloodworm-like predator called the carnictus lives in the rents and chasms of Skull Island. They grow to be 7-13 feet long, and they kill a character named Lumpy in the film; Evil Jim, Earthworm Jim's evil twin from the Earthworm Jim TV series. The Bookworm in Warner Brothers "Sniffles" cartoons; The Bookworm in Tiny Toons; Doctor Worm, from the They Might Be Giants song featured on Nickelodeon's Kablam; One of the unrecorded cases of Sherlock Holmes involves a "worm unknown to science."

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of fictional worms". This entry is a fragment of a larger work. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

 

Arabocentrism


Arabocentrism or Arab chauvinism is the practice, conscious or otherwise, of placing emphasis on not simply "Middle Eastern" but more specifically "Arab" concerns, culture and values at the expense of those of other cultures (typically countered from other Middle-East cultures and European culture). Like its equivalent, Eurocentrism, it is an instance of ethnocentrism, perhaps especially relevant because of its alignment with or opposition to current and past real power structures in the world. It can be a less overt form of Arab supremacy, as opposed to white supremacy. As Arabocentrism involved overemphasizing claims of superiority or claiming that everything is of Arab origin, this discourse may be behind advocating - whether actual or perceived - Arab influence over various non-Arab cultures as being such, or denying their true existence at all.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Arabocentrism". Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

 

Voden inscription


The Voden inscription is an alleged archaeological find purporting to be a medieval inscription in Old Slavonic by the Bulgarian Tsar Samuel dating from 989 AD. It is believed by some analysts to be a 19th-century forgery. If genuine, it would be of important historical value for Balkan history. It was found at early 1997 at Voden, present day Edessa, an ancient town of northern Greece. In text tsar Samuel (957-1014) is self-referred as Tsar of Bulgars and Romans. Relevant is the Bitola inscription dating from 1015 A.D. of Bitola Museum in Republic of Macedonia. Both inscriptions reveal the Bulgarian character of Samuel’s State.... Ever since, inscription remains hidden by Greek authorities.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Voden inscription". This entry is a fragment of a larger work. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged

Monday, November 06, 2006

 

Hologram Theory


The "Hologram Theory," as it relates to 9/11, proposes that no commercial airliners hit the World Trade Center on Sept 11 2001. Proponents of the theory contend that rather than full sized airliners, the World Trade Center was hit by "Cruise" type Missiles which appeared to the naked eye to be airliners through the use of sophisticated hologram technology. Rosalee Grable is one the the theory's leading proponents. One eyewitness described the 'airplane' he saw: "It just disappeared. It disappeared like a, like a, bad special effect. Disappeared right into the building." Eyewitness Accounts. This theory is controversial even among 9/11 researchers.

External links: Fringe Theories Harming 9/11 Truth Movement; Hologram Theory Hologram Theory Overview; 'Ghostplane' - Rosalee Grable; See Also 911 Truth Movement.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hologram Theory". Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

 

Cynthia Cameron


Cynthia Cameron is a published author, an online communications specialist, and editor in business, lifestyle and health sectors, including former editor of the Canadian trade publication, Environmental Digest.

In recent years, Cameron introduced the online world to Canada's first E-book store (www.wordclix.com), from development through to implementation, Wordclix.com launched successfully in 2002. Cameron maintains her official site, as an all encompassing freelance communications firm, marrying IT knowledge-transfer, with traditional writing and business administration system applications. She also writes The Cameron Report.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cynthia Cameron". This article is an excerpt from a larger entry. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

 

Allodoxaphobia


Allodoxaphobia is the phobia associated with the fear of opinions. Although allodoxaphobia is a rare fear, individuals suffering from this phobia can seek professional treatment from either psychologists or psychiatrists.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Allodoxaphobia". Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

 

List of songs about hair


This is a list of songs about hair.

"Almost Cut My Hair" - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young ;"Bangs" - They Might Be Giants; "Bald" - The Darkness; "Cut My Hair" - The Who ; "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement ;"Devil's Haircut" - Beck ; "Devilock" - The Misfits ; "Five Colours In Her Hair - McFly ; "Fixing Her Hair" - Ani Difranco ; "Get a Haircut" - George Thorogood ;

"Hair" - Hair (musical) ; "Hair"-The Early November ; "Hair" - PJ Harvey ; "Haircut" - Kevin Devine ; "Haircut Economics" - Hot Hot Heat ; "I'm So Bald" - Mr. Mason ; "I Am Not My Hair" - India.Arie ; "I Think I'm Going Bald" - Rush ; "I Won't Cut My Hair"- D-A-D ; "Le Frisur (entire album)" - Die Ärzte ; "Lend Me Your Comb" - The Beatles ; "Long-Haired Child" - Devendra Banhart ; "Man and Wife, the Latter (Damaged Goods)" - Desaparecidos ; "More Than a Haircut" - The Waifs ; "Pull My Hair" - Bright Eyes ; "Pull My Hair" - Ying Yang Twins ; "Sampson" - Regina Spektor ; "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) - Scott McKenzie ; "Screaming Infidelities"- Dashboard Confessional ;

"The girl I love she got long wavy black hair" - Led Zeppelin ; "Torra Fy Ngwallt N Hir" - Super Furry Animals ; "Who Found Who's Hair in Who's Bed? - Owen ; "You're Not You" - The Good Life ; "Suicide Blonde" by INXS ; "Short Haired Woman - Lightning Hopkins ; "Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine - Johnny Cash and The Carter Family ; "He Took A White Rose from Her Hair - The Carter Family ; "Long Blonde Hair - The Meteors ; "Ain't Got No Hair - Professor Longhair ; "Black Is the Color Of My True Love's Hair - Nina Simone ; "Dark Hair'd Rider - Heavy Trash

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of songs about hair". Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.


 

Bum darts


Bum darts (butt darts or asshole darts) is a party game played with cups or glasses and a coin or bottle cap. The objective of the game is to pinch the coin/cap with the buttocks and drop it into the cup. There are several versions of the exact rules of the game.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bum Darts". Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

 

LisaNova


LisaNova is a video blog that came to international attention via YouTube, a popular video sharing website.

The LisaNova channel is currently listed as 11th most popular channel on YouTube with 13528 subscribers as of October, 2006 and usualy averages around 100,000 or 200,000 per vlog, often receiving much higher ranges in selected acts.

It started when an aspiring artist known only as 'Lisa' posted her sketch comedy on YouTube and realised a few hundred thousand people viewed her post.

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Is your entry about to be deleted from Wikipedia?


If your entry is about to be deleted from Wikipedia and sent to an early grave, give us the link. I’ll give you a second chance and consider making the entry immortal.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

 

Drunk blogging

Drunk blogging, also known as drunk posting, occurs when an inebriated person creates a blog (using a blog hosting site such as Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress, etc.) or logs into an existing blog account and posts entries that are of an extremely private nature or that are completely nonsensical. Drunk blogging also includes visiting other blog sites to leave inappropriate comments.

Drunk blogging typically occurs in the early morning hours after one has consumed large quantities of alcohol. Drunk blogging is not the same as drunk dialing, which utilizes a phone.


This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Drunk Blogging". Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.

 

Enochian angels


Enochian angels are entities as expressed in the enochian system of ritual magic, introduced by John Dee and Edward Kelley in the 16th century.

Enochian magic takes a view similar to Buddhist teaching that postulates a plurality of deities, but no "supreme" deity. It denies the existence of a personal God in the sense of an Absolute Deity. However, according to the Enochian viewpoint, there are angels, or intelligent rulers, of each world, each planet and each sun, and so on. This idea is a result of a "Law of Hierarchies" which states that from the highest realms of spirit to the lowest levels of matter, everything in between is composed of a host of gods, monads, or life-atoms arranged in a myriad of hierarchies. The following rules are applied to hierarchies:

- All aggregates are composed of hierarchies.
- For every hierarchy there is a governing ruler or hierarch.
- Hierarchies descend infinitely into matter.
- Hierarchies ascend infinitely into spirit.
- The universe has a hierarchical structure, interlinking groups of entities living and working together.
- Hierarchies are born, evolve over time, and die.
- Worlds are created by hierarchies of cosmic Builders and Architects acting together.
- Every world contains hierarchies of Recorders who constitute the forces of karmic history for that world.
- The cosmic elements and planes are composed of countless hosts of evolving hierarchies.
- Every hierarchy is composed of a host of smaller hierarchies.
- Every hierarchy is a component part of a larger hierarchy.

According to the Enochian monad model, every entity enters the cosmic planes of manifestation as unself-conscious life-atoms that slowly evolve into self-conscious monads, and they in turn slowly evolve into gods as a result of karmic evolution.


The chief of a hierarchy is called the hierarch, each of the watchtowers is viewed as a hierarchy. Each Watchtower is divided into six subhierachies. The hierarch of each of these is called a Senior. Each of the four Watchtowers is also divided into four subquadrants whose hierarchies are called Archangels. These are further divided up into smaller hierarchies whose rulers are called Angels. In this way, the entire universe, visible and invisible, is teeming with beings in varying states of self-consciousness.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Enochian Angels. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.


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