Recently in Interesting Category

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/the-ghosts-of-world-war-iis

Taking old World War II photos, Russian photographer Sergey Larenkov carefully photoshops them over more recent shots to make the past come alive. Not only do we get to experience places like Berlin, Prague, and Vienna in ways we could have never imagined, more importantly, we are able to appreciate our shared history in a whole new and unbelievably meaningful way.

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/389/the-negative-effects-of-child-fear-mongering/

I was sitting in the middle of the long, white driveway that snaked its way toward the family garage. The day was so hot the heat from the pavement periodically burned my thighs. But instead of abandoning my project, I merely shifted position until I was propped up on my knees. While my backside temporarily cooled, I reached into my bucket and grabbed another piece of chalk. Carefully, I used it to draw a number 7 in the appropriate box of my hopscotch board. I stared critically at it for a moment, wondering if I should draw a line through it like Barbie, my best friend from school, usually did. I continued to deliberate until I heard my front door slam.

I looked up quickly to see my Mother carefully maneuvering her way in my direction. A giant purse was slung over her shoulder and her arms were loaded with packages. The heel of her stiletto got caught in the crack of the sidewalk and her entire body jerked with the effort of remaining upright. However, I was completely unsurprised when my Mom recovered from her brief moment of clumsiness without dropping a single package. She was nearly an expert when it came to walking in those shoes.

"V!" she called to me, "Come on, we've got to go!"

"Where are we going?" I questioned mildly.

"I've got to run some errands," she answered, "Get in the car."

Errands. How incredibly boring. I wanted no part of it.

"Couldn't I stay here?" I asked hopefully, "I've got to finish this hopscotch board."

"I'm afraid not," she insisted, "It would be too late for me to find you a babysitter now."

The force of my Mother's words caused me to rear back so suddenly I lost my balance and landed unceremoniously on my butt. Shame and humiliation turned my cheeks a fiery shade of red. I blinked my eyes quickly as if I'd been recently slapped. My lips pursed dramatically; I'm sure I looked like I just swallowed a rotten lemon.

"Mother," I whispered, shocked and insulted, "I do not need a babysitter. I am not a baby. I am six years old! I am a kid!"

"Well, that may be so," she said, slightly amused, "But you still need a babysitter."

Almost too stunned to answer, I replied, "I am old enough to take care of myself!"

"Is that so? What would you do all day here by yourself?"

"I'd finish my hopscotch!"

"And then what?"

"I'd go inside and play with my toys!"

"What if you got hungry?"

"I'd make myself something to eat!"

I was nearly dumbfounded. I couldn't understand why she was asking me all of these questions. Could it be my own Mother thought I was a total idiot?

"Would you use the stove or the microwave without an adult? Would you leave this house without asking?"

"No!"

My Mother stared at me skeptically for a moment. I stared back, face pensive, heart thumping in my chest a million beats a minute. Suddenly, her face relaxed.

Then, "OK, I will let you try it on one condition."

I nodded eagerly.

"You don't mention this to your Father."

http://www.escapefromamerica.com/2010/06/escape-from-america-the-grim-truth/

Americans, I have some bad news for you:

You have the worst quality of life in the developed world - by a wide margin.

If you had any idea of how people really lived in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many parts of Asia, you'd be rioting in the streets calling for a better life. In fact, the average Australian or Singaporean taxi driver has a much better standard of living than the typical American white-collar worker.

I know this because I am an American, and I escaped from the prison you call home.

From Cynical-C:

From BNet:

The back-to-back, double whammy announcements that PepsiCo (PEP) is ditching high fructose corn syrup in Gatorade along with the results of a scathing new study from researchers at Princeton make it official -- allies of the controversial sweetener have lost the war.

For years, the Corn Refiners Association, a trade group consisting of companies like Cargill and ADM (ADM), has been hammering away at the bad press gushing out about high fructose corn syrup. In ads, in the press and online, they argue that the sweetener is a perfectly natural product and that it is no worse for you than regular old sugar.

Continue reading...

Via BoingBoing:

Here are a few things I've learned.

Prayer doesn't work because someone out there is listening, it works because someone in here is listening. I've paid attention. I've pictured what I want to happen in my life. I've meditated extensively on my family, my future, my past actions and what did and didn't work for me about them. I've looked hard at problems and thought hard about their solutions.

Continue reading...

http://www.blork.org/blorkblog/2007/10/18/i-am-an-introvert-heres-what-you-should-know/

I am an introvert, and I'm OK with that. No, I'm way ok with that. It's who I am, and there's nothing wrong with it. It's not like "I have only one arm and I'm OK with that because I've adapted." There's no adaptation needed with introversion. It's the way I am, and ever since I came to understand it better, I realize it's not only who I am, it's who I prefer to be.

Introversion has nothing directly to do with shyness. Shyness is on a whole other scale of things, although it is true that introverts often seem to be shy (and in many cases really are shy). But they are not the same thing, not at all.

Introversion and extroversion are personality types. One is not better than the other, although people who belong to one group often think less of the others simply because they sometimes have trouble relating to them.

From Psychology Today:

As I've mentioned in several previous postings here, mental and physical activity are the best ways to keep your body, including your brain, in top shape. This week I examine the specific contributions that leisure pursuits can make to optimal functioning throughout life.

First, I'd like to point out that the very fact that you are online and interested in maximizing your brain's potential by reading this blog is a good sign that you are headed in the right direction. Based on the feedback I've gotten through comments and online quizzes, the people reading my blog are of all ages, from high school students to retirees. Although sitting down at the computer is not exactly physical exertion, if you combine the mental stimulation you are getting now with a good workout later in the day, you are taking important steps to keep your synapses clicking.

Now let's get on with the scientific evidence on the topic of leisure pursuits and health, starting with general physical functioning. The ultimate measure of physical functioning is mortality: if you are in good physical health you will most likely live longer. In 2009, a team of Swedish researchers at Upsalla University led by Liisa Byberg reported on the results of a major study that more or less proved the point.

Continue reading...

From eurekalert.org:

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) -- The discovery of nine new planets challenges the reigning theory of the formation of planets, according to new observations by astronomers. Two of the astronomers involved in the discoveries are based at the UC Santa Barbara-affiliated Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT), based in Goleta, Calif., near UCSB.

Unlike the planets in our solar system, two of the newly discovered planets are orbiting in the opposite direction to the rotation of their host star. This, along with a recent study of other exoplanets, upsets the primary theory of how planets are formed. There is a preponderance of these planets with their orbital spin going opposite to that of their parent star. They are called exoplanets because they are located outside of our solar system.

These and other related discoveries are being presented at the UK National Astronomy Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, this week. This is the first public mention of the new planets and the research will be described in upcoming scientific journal articles.



Continue reading...

From cracktwo.com:

World War II Weapons Manual Infographs by Max Gadney