Special Facts About Numbers

Even though I'm not hugely interested in math, I enjoy hearing things about numbers and mathematical problems if they don't make my brain hurt. If you're like me, here's a web page to check out: What's Special About This Number? It lists the numbers from 0 to 500 and gives interesting facts about each number. For example, about the number 4: "Pick any whole number... If the number is even, divide it by 2; if it is odd, multiply it by 3, then add 1. By repeating this procedure, sooner or later you'll arrive at the number 4, which will give you 2, which in turn gives you 1, and then get a 4 again! No matter what number you choose, you'll always arrive at the 4-2-1 cycle." Not all of the information is strictly math-based facts, either. For example, the site says "During any police lineup the suspects wear nos. 2 through 9 because it is considered too suggestive to make anyone display the no. 1!" There are also links to puzzles, tricks, optical illusions, and much more information on numbers. Via Rebecca's Pocket.

Quite A Few Optical Illusions

If you enjoy optical illusions, make sure you check out Michael Bach's Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena. The site presents 63 of them and explains that visual phenomena is a more accurate term than optical illusions, because the effect relies very little on the optics of the eye and much more on the workings of the visual pathway. Whatever you call them, you can look at them to your heart's content here. He has them divided into categories such as the following: · motion and time · luminance and contrast · colour · geometric and angle illusions · space, 3D, and size constancy · cognitive/gestalt effects · faces Sometimes there are explanations for the effects and sometimes there aren't, but they're all definitely worth a look. Via Internet Scout Project Weblog.

The Joy of Baseball History

If you're a baseball fan, you'll be interested in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. You'll often hear references to Cooperstown during game broadcasts; this is its online presence. It's a great site with lots of information, including material on each person in the Hall of Fame and lots of history of the game. Some of the feature articles include the following: · Ty Cobb and Coca-Cola · 1942: When Baseball Went to War · 1927 Yankees: No Baseball Team Has Ever Been Better · "Casey At The Bat" (the poem itself and a brief blurb about it) Go Jays! Via El Dorado County Library: What's Hot On The Internet This Week.

A Story About White-Collar Crime

There are certain things I'm glad I don't know about until the danger is averted, and the possibility of the collapse of numerous banks qualifies. Charles Arthur has written a detailed (but readable) article about this for The Register; it's called "How ATM Fraud Nearly Brought Down British Banking". Published in October 2005, this is "the story of how the UK banking system could have collapsed in the early 1990s." Fortunately, we all know that didn't happen—but it could have, and this article tells us about the detective work that stopped phantom withdrawals and prevented the unthinkable. Via Internet Scout Project Weblog.

Bad Album Covers

The Museum of Bad Album Covers is just what it says—a site devoted to displaying album covers that the webmaster cringes at. The site has the covers listed by category: Latin, metal, funk/soul, "The God Squad" and others. There are special sections devoted to albums by Queen (listed as "the kings of bad album covers!") and the Beatles. There are also four sections titled "Uncategorizable Awfulness"—one has a cover from an album by Fleetwood Mac that I've never heard of (it's called, appropriately, Mystery to Me). Via Internet Scout Project Weblog.

Guerilla Gardening

If you like to garden, you might be interested in the Guerilla Gardening site. The people who run this site are involved in the Guerilla Gardening project—the attempt to have "100 recorded acts of guerilla gardening across four continents by 01 September 2006." Guerilla gardening appears to be defined as members of the public working to beautify a public space with greenery. The main page lists the projects that are currently in the works. They involve such examples as shrubbery at bus stops, flowers put in abandoned planters on streets, and, most hearteningly, a (formerly) secret garden at Guantanamo Bay, started by prisoners with seeds from their meals. If you'd like to help out with the latter project, members of the public are being urged to send the prisoners seeds; here's the link to read about this. Via Yahoo! Picks.

Wolf Howls Decoded

Here's a fun site: What's In a Howl? This site features an article about wolf howls. The writer explains the different reasons for wolves to howl and there are several different places where you can click to hear different howls: · a pup howl · a confrontational howl · a chorus howl There's also a link to an article about the connection between wolves and dogs. Via Internet Scout Project Weblog.

A Site Working Toward Media Accuracy

Here's an interesting site: Regret the Error. The site says "Regret The Error reports on corrections, retractions, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the media." I like its sub-title: "Mistakes Happen." Via Ex Libris.

More About Fortune Cookies

A while back I blogged about my encounters with fortune cookies. Now I've found a web site that is devoted to them: the Weird Fortune Cookie Collection. The main page features a fortune cookie that says, "The greatest danger could be your stupidity." Now, if you're feeling like more of the above, check out the Bad Cookie site where you can get a different online (negative) fortune with every click. Here's a sample: "You have an evil heart and are greatly despised." Via Internet Scout Project Weblog.

All About The Moon

The moon has been a source of fascination to people since recorded history began—it's been a part of mythology and folklore, it's inspired works of art, and it's played a role in everything from magic rites to gardening. At the site simply called The Moon, there is a scientific background that is presented in such a way that the general public will find it readable. The same is true for this Wikipedia article on the moon. Both these pages also have a multitude of links to more information on the moon; here's one to a brief article about the moon and mythology.

The Intriguing Story of Major Martin

Normally I'm not too interested in the details of how the wars were won, but the story of Major Martin is an exception. The body of Major William Martin was found on a beach in Spain in 1943; chained to his body was a briefcase full of papers which the British government demanded be returned because of their sensitive nature. German intelligence secretly opened the briefcase before it was returned; they found details of the Allies' plans. This well-written article on Major Martin is worth reading to find out what happened next. Via Damn Interesting.

Calling All Cat Lovers

Here's a sweet site to visit: The Daily Kitten. Every day, at 3:07 p.m. GMT (10:07 a.m. EST), a photo of a new kitten is posted along with a little write-up about the kitten. If you have a photo of your own kitten that you would like featured, you can submit it for consideration. Warning: this site makes you want to rush out to the nearest Humane Society to adopt a cat or two.

A Chance to Celebrate the Rutabaga

I know some of you are wondering why anyone would want to celebrate the rutabaga. Some of you may even be wondering what the rutabaga is. To answer the last question first, the rutabaga is the vegetable that everyone I knew referred to as a turnip when I was growing up. You can see a photo of the vegetable at the Advanced Rutabaga Studies Institute, which has declared May to be National Rutabaga Month. Dave Barry has responded by suggesting that we take the rest of May off. Despite the apparent lack of popularity of rutabagas, I'm very fond of them (even though I'm still training myself not to call them turnips). Via Rebecca's Pocket.

Today is International Museums Day

In 1977 the International Council of Museums established International Museums Day. This year's theme is Museums and Young People. Here are some sites to check out in honour of the day: • the Canadian Heritage site celebrating the day • the Virtual Museum of Canada • the Museums Association of Saskatchewan According to the Canadian Heritage site, "Canada has more than 2,400 museums, which have more than 24,000 paid employees and 55,000 volunteers, and receive nearly 54 million visits annually." You might also like to read What Are Museums For? the essay by James Delingpole which won the 2005 Charles Douglas-Home Memorial Trust Award (an annual essay prize for answering a set topic).

Good For a Laugh . . . Sort Of

Well, here's a way to start your day off with a twist: The Death Psychic. This site offers you a forecast for how you will meet your end. Type in your name, age, and sex, click on the button, and presto! A prediction of how you will die. Here's mine (warning: gruesome): "An improperly hung ceiling fan falls from above you while it's running. The fast-moving blades slice through your neck with ease, launching your head across the room." Sigh. O.K.—I'll be on the watch. Via Yahoo! Picks.

All About Bats

If you've ever felt the urge to know more about bats, here's the site for you: Bat Conservation International. According to their site, their mission "is to teach people the value of bats, to protect and conserve critical bat habitats, and to advance scientific knowledge through research." There are newsletters, FAQs, information on what to do if you have bats in your house, bat e-cards, the opportunity to donate to save a bat or to help support the work of the organisation, and much more. There's also a special section for children. This site is definitely worth a browse, even if you're not a big fan of bats—there's lots to learn here.

Maybe Dog Hair is a Good Thing . . .

Here's an entertaining concept to start your week: a book called Knitting With Dog Hair: Better a Sweater From A Dog You Know and Love Than From A Sheep You'll Never Meet. Well, my dog certainly sheds enough! Via I have to say . . ..

The Fossil Museum

Here's a great site for anyone interested in fossils: The Virtual Fossil Museum: Fossils Across Geological Time and Evolution. This site has information on geological time, paleobiology, geological history, and evolution; there are also lots of high-resolution photos of fossils. Via Neat New Stuff On The Web.

Canadian Political Scandals

If you're feeling like reviewing some old gossip, you might like to check out "Up the Skirt Or In the Till: Top Ten Scandals in Canadian Political History. The title of this article refers to a quotation by journalist Valerie Gibson, who wrote that "A British politician is usually caught with his hand up a woman's skirt while a Canadian politician is usually caught with his hand in the till." You can judge for yourself whether this is true by looking at the list of scandals covered here. There are descriptions of events that include the Pacific Scandal (which brought down the 1873 government of Sir John A. MacDonald), the Gerda Munsinger matter, Tunagate, and others.

A List of Unpopular People and Things in Rock Music

There's an amusing site that lists the 50 Worst Things To Happen To Music. Here are a few of the people/things that made the top 50: · "Colonel" Tom Parker · braided goatees · electric violins · the age of 27 (when too many musicians have died, including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Robert Johnson) · Madonna's British accent Via Yahoo! Directory—What's New.

Some Information on Cemetery Plots

Do Cemetery Plots Have Expiration Dates? Well, that's certainly a question that I never thought to ask before. However, the extensive write-up at that link covers many topics relating to cemeteries, such as the following: · "will we run out of room?" · "what rights do you have in a cemetery plot?" · "how do they maintain cemeteries?" · "what happens to abandoned cemeteries?" Much of the information is U.S. based, but the author points out where practices vary around the world. Via The Straight Dope.

Ancient Observatories

Space Imaging is a site that gives us overhead images of ancient observatories such as Abu Simbel, Egypt; Angkor Wat, Cambodia; Chichen Itza, Mexico; Easter Island, Chile; Stonehenge, England; and more. In addition to photos of the sites and a listing of their latitudes and longitudes, there are short write-ups about each of them. Here's an excerpt from the piece about Chichen Itza: "In a spectacular show of shadow and light, a shadow representing the Feathered Serpent god Kukulkan slides down the northern stairway of Chichen Itza during sunset of the equinoxes and then vanishes." Via ResourceShelf.

All Generators, All The Time

Here's a fun site to visit: The Generator Blog. I'm inordinately fond of generators and can idle away a significant amount of time on them, so this site is likely one I'll be going to frequently. Some of the generators this blog has featured so far include the bad joke generator, the Bar-B-Q sign generator, the Bumper Sticker generator, and the pub crawl generator. I checked out the Inner Goddess Generator. Apparently I'm the goddess of cycling shorts, tarot cards, and cheesy pop! Via USAToday.com—Tech_Space.

Elvis the Cow

If you're looking for an amusing and heart-warming way to start your day, you might like to try reading about Elvis the Cow. Writer Jon Katz adopted Elvis, and he has some great stories to tell about the results. Via How To Save the World.

All About the Tarot

Here's a site for anyone interested in reading the Tarot: Aeclectic Tarot. The site offers a multitude of information about Tarot cards. There are many different kinds of decks featured (e.g. Tarot of Marseilles, Rider-Waite Tarot), information about the individual cards, background on the Tarot in general, and much more. You can also send a Tarot-themed eCard, and you can check out some of the many links. Via Yahoo! Picks.

For Those of Us With Older Dogs

As animals grow old, they sometimes need special care. Perhaps they're more subject to certain illnesses, and perhaps they just need a little more help getting through daily life. Here's a good site that explains about the care of older dogs: The Senior Dogs Project. There's information here about when to consider a dog a senior (it varies depending on weight), some signs of aging to watch out for, some information on medications, and some general tips on caring for senior dogs. There's also information on adopting a senior dog (and information for agencies or individuals on finding good homes for senior dogs). Finally, there are stories about senior dogs, links to more good sites, and information to help you when it comes to the end of your dog's life.

Things That Go Bump In the Night

If you're interested in any aspect of the paranormal, check out The Anomalist. The website bills itself as "a daily review of world news on maverick science, unexplained mysteries, unorthodox theories, strange talents, and unexpected discoveries." You can read material here on UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts, and more.

Looking For Keys (And Other Items) In All The Wrong Places

We've probably all had the experience of searching frantically for something that we were sure was on the table/in this pile of papers/by the pile of books. Of course, we usually are in a hurry when we look for it too. My own question when we look unsuccessfully for lost objects is this: "Did we look thoroughly the first time we looked here?" More often than not, this will turn up the item, often (but not always) exactly where it was supposed to be. There are some other good suggestions compiled by Dr. Solomon that will help in the search. But for those times when all other guidelines don't help, Dr. Solomon has put together Twelve Principles to help you find your lost object. Via Rebecca's Pocket.

All About Canadian Women

heroines.ca: A Guide to Women In Canadian History is a site to check out. It features Canadian women who are well-known or who ought to be well-known. These include Buffy Sainte-Marie, Amelia Douglas (a fur trade pioneer), Barbara Frum, Roberta Bondar, Pauline Julien, and L.M. Montgomery. There are bios, photos, historical nuggets, contests, quotes, and much more. By browsing through here I learned that it was today in 1922 that women in Prince Edward Island earned the right to vote in provincial elections and run for public office.

An Introduction to India

If you're looking to learn more about the culture of India, Kamat's Potpourri is a good place to start. This site contains information on festivals, dances, mythology, Indian weddings, street culture, temples, the visual arts, and much more. There is also a FAQ with information on such matters as sacred cows and the use of the swastika in Indian culture (one that far pre-dates Hitler's use of it and that has a vastly different meaning). Via Plep.

Blues for Peace

Here's a good site that manages to combine great music with social justice: Blues For Peace. The web site explains their mission: "Blues for Peace was set up in Israel in 1997 to honor the roots of blues music and promote peace and the understanding that ALL peoples have had their share of the blues. The Blues for Peace slogan is "And they shall beat their swords into guitars..." TM The website is dedicated to the unsung heros of blues music, the local blues musicians in every city in every country of the world that love the blues and pass it on to the next generation." There are photos, song lyrics, stories of blues musicians, writings by beat poets and other writers and poets, quotations on peace, a newsletter, merchandise for sale, and more.