Saturday, December 22, 2018
10 Offbeat Stories You Might Have Missed This Week (12/22/18)
The world is full of weird and wonderful things, but a person can hardly be expected to keep up with all of them. Luckily, we’re here to help. You can check the mind-blowing list for a rundown of all the crucial stuff going on in the world right here. In this list, we present to you some of the stranger stories that made headlines.
This week, we have stories on jewels and gemstones. We talk about the largest diamond in North America, planets made of rubies and sapphires, and the rings of Saturn. We also embroil ourselves in a classic gastronomical debate, examine a 4,000-year-old cold case, and find out what kind of pornography people have been watching in 2018.
Photo credit: thetakeout.com
There is a debate which has raged on from time immemorial: Is a hot dog a sandwich? As it turns out, it might be a taco.
This is a question which is sure to divide the room as everyone has their own opinion. Some see the hot dog as meat between two pieces of bread. Therefore, it is a sandwich. Others say that a sandwich consists of a filling between two slices of bread. A hot dog bun is one piece split open and is still joined at one end. Therefore, it is not a sandwich.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council does not consider their eponymous food a sandwich. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary does, for example. So do certain states like New York for the purposes of sales tax laws.
The Washington Post kicked the hornet’s nest last week when they declared that the hot dog is, in fact, a taco. This is according to a popular new online guideline known as the Cube Rule which aims to make sense using geometry.[1]
The Cube Rule divides foods based on starch placement or, in other words, the number and locations of bread or bread-like pieces. It looks at them as if they were the sides of a cube.
A food with starch on the top and the bottom is a sandwich. A food with three connected starch sides is a taco. Therefore, the Post proclaimed the hot dog to be a taco. Surely, this will be received well and not cause further controversy.
Photo credit: thedailybeast.com
Going by the news, the United Kingdom has a problem with cheeky talking parrots. Last month, we talked about an African grey parrot that brought out the firefighters to its Daventry home by imitating a fire alarm. Before that, the London Fire Brigade tried to rescue a macaw from a roof. The bird told them to “f—k off.” Now we learn about Rocco, another African grey that’s been trying to buy stuff online using an Alexa device.
Rocco resides with foster owner Marion Wischnewski in Berkshire, England. She took him in because he was too much of a handful at the animal sanctuary where he lived. However, Marion soon discovered that the parrot has found someone else to chat with while she is away—her virtual assistant.
On separate occasions, Rocco has talked Alexa into attempting to purchase things like strawberries, watermelon, light bulbs, and even a water boiler. None of the sales actually went through thanks to a parental lock.[2]
It’s not all shopping, though. Rocco also gets Alexa to tell him jokes and play songs. On one occasion, Wischnewski returned home to find Rocco dancing to romantic music.
Photo credit: time.com
A man from Westford, Vermont, has erected a large middle finger sculpture to express his frustrations over a dispute with town officials.
For almost 10 years, Ted Pelkey has been trying to get his truck repair and recycling business moved to his property. He has been unable to do so because he can’t get the right permit.
Finally, he decided that his time and money would be better spent by showing the Westford Select Board what he thinks of their zoning regulations. He spent $3,000 on a 2-meter-tall (7 ft) carving of a wooden fist with its middle finger in the air.[3]
This November, Pelkey added a bit more visibility to his sculpture by placing it on a 4.9-meter (16 ft) pole with lights. Now it can be seen from the road by people walking or driving by. In fact, it has garnered quite a bit of fame. The disgruntled man says that motorists now pull off the road and walk up to the fist to take pictures with it.
The board’s chairwoman Allison Hope made no comment about Pelkey’s protest. She simply said that they are in the middle of an appeal “that’s been going on for a while.”
Photo credit: BBC
The largest diamond ever uncovered in North America has been found in a mine in Canada.
The gemstone was located in the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories. It is a 552-carat yellow diamond which measures 33.74 millimeters (1.33 in) by 54.56 millimeters (2.15 in). This absolutely dwarfs the previous record holder which was unearthed in the same mine and was named Foxfire.
Foxfire was two billion years old and 187.7 carats. It went on display at several museums around the world before being cut into two pear-shaped earrings which sold for $1.5 million at auction.
It is still too early to say what the future has in store for this new diamond. Even though it was discovered back in October, it still doesn’t have a name yet. The next step would be to decide on the master cutter who will cut and polish the gemstone. Given the size and value of the diamond, there are only a handful of people in the world qualified for such a task.[4]
Photo credit: irishnews.com
Last week, pornography giant Pornhub released its Year in Review recap which provides us with some interesting statistics and insights about people’s browsing habits:
This week, we have stories on jewels and gemstones. We talk about the largest diamond in North America, planets made of rubies and sapphires, and the rings of Saturn. We also embroil ourselves in a classic gastronomical debate, examine a 4,000-year-old cold case, and find out what kind of pornography people have been watching in 2018.
10Is A Hot Dog A Taco?
Photo credit: thetakeout.com
There is a debate which has raged on from time immemorial: Is a hot dog a sandwich? As it turns out, it might be a taco.
This is a question which is sure to divide the room as everyone has their own opinion. Some see the hot dog as meat between two pieces of bread. Therefore, it is a sandwich. Others say that a sandwich consists of a filling between two slices of bread. A hot dog bun is one piece split open and is still joined at one end. Therefore, it is not a sandwich.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council does not consider their eponymous food a sandwich. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary does, for example. So do certain states like New York for the purposes of sales tax laws.
The Washington Post kicked the hornet’s nest last week when they declared that the hot dog is, in fact, a taco. This is according to a popular new online guideline known as the Cube Rule which aims to make sense using geometry.[1]
The Cube Rule divides foods based on starch placement or, in other words, the number and locations of bread or bread-like pieces. It looks at them as if they were the sides of a cube.
A food with starch on the top and the bottom is a sandwich. A food with three connected starch sides is a taco. Therefore, the Post proclaimed the hot dog to be a taco. Surely, this will be received well and not cause further controversy.
9Rocco And Alexa
Photo credit: thedailybeast.com
Going by the news, the United Kingdom has a problem with cheeky talking parrots. Last month, we talked about an African grey parrot that brought out the firefighters to its Daventry home by imitating a fire alarm. Before that, the London Fire Brigade tried to rescue a macaw from a roof. The bird told them to “f—k off.” Now we learn about Rocco, another African grey that’s been trying to buy stuff online using an Alexa device.
Rocco resides with foster owner Marion Wischnewski in Berkshire, England. She took him in because he was too much of a handful at the animal sanctuary where he lived. However, Marion soon discovered that the parrot has found someone else to chat with while she is away—her virtual assistant.
On separate occasions, Rocco has talked Alexa into attempting to purchase things like strawberries, watermelon, light bulbs, and even a water boiler. None of the sales actually went through thanks to a parental lock.[2]
It’s not all shopping, though. Rocco also gets Alexa to tell him jokes and play songs. On one occasion, Wischnewski returned home to find Rocco dancing to romantic music.
8Middle Finger To The Law
Photo credit: time.com
A man from Westford, Vermont, has erected a large middle finger sculpture to express his frustrations over a dispute with town officials.
For almost 10 years, Ted Pelkey has been trying to get his truck repair and recycling business moved to his property. He has been unable to do so because he can’t get the right permit.
Finally, he decided that his time and money would be better spent by showing the Westford Select Board what he thinks of their zoning regulations. He spent $3,000 on a 2-meter-tall (7 ft) carving of a wooden fist with its middle finger in the air.[3]
This November, Pelkey added a bit more visibility to his sculpture by placing it on a 4.9-meter (16 ft) pole with lights. Now it can be seen from the road by people walking or driving by. In fact, it has garnered quite a bit of fame. The disgruntled man says that motorists now pull off the road and walk up to the fist to take pictures with it.
The board’s chairwoman Allison Hope made no comment about Pelkey’s protest. She simply said that they are in the middle of an appeal “that’s been going on for a while.”
7Size Does Matter
Photo credit: BBC
The largest diamond ever uncovered in North America has been found in a mine in Canada.
The gemstone was located in the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories. It is a 552-carat yellow diamond which measures 33.74 millimeters (1.33 in) by 54.56 millimeters (2.15 in). This absolutely dwarfs the previous record holder which was unearthed in the same mine and was named Foxfire.
Foxfire was two billion years old and 187.7 carats. It went on display at several museums around the world before being cut into two pear-shaped earrings which sold for $1.5 million at auction.
It is still too early to say what the future has in store for this new diamond. Even though it was discovered back in October, it still doesn’t have a name yet. The next step would be to decide on the master cutter who will cut and polish the gemstone. Given the size and value of the diamond, there are only a handful of people in the world qualified for such a task.[4]
6The Year In Porn
Photo credit: irishnews.com
Last week, pornography giant Pornhub released its Year in Review recap which provides us with some interesting statistics and insights about people’s browsing habits:
The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #478
You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?
It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,
from the beautiful to the repugnant,
from the mysterious to the familiar.
If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,
you could be inspired, you could be appalled.
This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.
You have been warned.
Friday, December 21, 2018
This Car Rolled Right Over This Guy...
More Great Gifs:
Takeoffs And Landings...
Just When He Least Expected It..
More Amazing Animated Gifs HERE
Animated Gif Collection #2 HERE
Animated Gif Collection #3
Animated Gif Collection #4
Animated Gif Collection #5 -OR- Motorcycles And Bulls Don't Mix..
Animated Gif Collection #6 or Bet She Lost Some Teeth...
Animated Gif Collection #7 -OR- This Is What Happens When You Fall Asleep While Driving...
Animated Gif Collection #8 -OR- Fish: 1, Dog: 0
Animated Gif Collection #9 -OR-Out Of Control Bus -OR-
Animated Gif Collection #10 -OR- How To Launch An Oil Truck Into The Air
Animated Gif Collection #11 -OR- Man That Must Have Hurt
Animated GIF Collection #12 -OR- This Is Brutal
Animated Gif Collection #13 -OR- This Guy Was Inches From DEATH!
Trump HUD Keeps Funding Obama Plan to Revamp Slums, La Raza Group Gets Millions
During Obama’s tenure Choice Neighborhoods received a breathtaking $375 million, according to HUD figures. A substantial portion—$120 million—was rewarded as a parting gift in 2016, the HUD numbers reveal and the largest chunk—$122.27 million—was allocated in 2010 when Obama launched the program. Like many of the former president’s initiatives, large sums of cash went to leftist nonprofits and community groups that aligned with his liberal agenda. Back in 2012 Judicial Watch reported that the administration paid half a million dollars to study the effectiveness of Choice Neighborhoods, including the challenges of brining healthy food options to poor areas and the characteristics of the neighborhoods being targeted for transformation.
Instead of cutting back on these dubious programs that give huge sums of taxpayer dollars to leftist groups, the Trump administration keeps filling their coffers. This month HUD announced more than $60 million in grants for Choice Neighborhoods and other housing counseling grants. Among the recipients is the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), which recently changed its name to UNIDOS US. The renowned open borders group that specializes in promoting the Mexican La Raza (“the race”) agenda is getting approximately $2.6 million, according to government records. Other likeminded groups getting cash include the Refugee Family Assistance Program ($32,000) and the Center for New York City Neighborhoods ($16,000), which lists the Mutual Housing Association of New York (an Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now—ACORN—offshoot) as a partner. The center’s board chair, Herbert Sturz, is a senior advisor to the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the deeply politicized groups billionaire George Soros uses to promote his radical leftist agenda worldwide. Read all about it in a Judicial Watch investigative report.
Earlier this year Trump’s HUD gave Choice Neighborhoods a $5 million infusion to promote “a comprehensive approach to transforming neighborhoods struggling to address the interconnected challenges of distressed housing, inadequate schools, poor health, high crime, and lack of capital,” according to a HUD statement. Los Angeles California, Lewiston Maine and Philadelphia Pennsylvania got the biggest portions, $1.3 million each. Chicago Illinois, Huntington West Virginia and Cleveland Ohio each got $350,000 to revitalize poor neighborhoods. The goal is to replace distressed public housing with high-quality, mixed-income housing and improve residents’ employment, income, health and education. Ultimately this is supposed to create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods. Three of the awardees received an additional $950,000 for “action activities” to build momentum and attract additional investment, according to HUD. The extra cash can be used to recycle vacant properties into community gardens or farmers markets or for community arts projects that beautify an area.
Weeks earlier HUD gave dozens of leftist groups that purport to fight housing discrimination $37 million. The biggest allocation—$999,962—went to a nonprofit that attacked Trump for...
U.S. Indicts Two Chinese Nationals Over Global Hack Campaign
“The indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a group that hacked computers in at least a dozen countries and gave China’s intelligence service access to sensitive business information,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein.
The two defendants worked for a company in China, Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Company, and acted in association with the Chinese Ministry of State Security’s Tianjin State Security Bureau, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The hackers Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong were members of a hacking group operating in China known within the cyber security community as Advanced Persistent Threat 10 (the APT10 Group). The two hackers carried out global hacking campaigns between at least 2006 and this year, targeting intellectual property and confidential business and technological information at managed service providers (MSPs), more than 45 technology companies in at least a dozen U.S. states, as well as U.S. government agencies.
“Zhu, Zhang, and their co-conspirators successfully obtained unauthorized access to computers belonging to...
Women Who Love Trump
His approval among female Republicans is 93%—higher than among GOP men.
A truism of the midterm elections is that women in the suburbs revolted against Donald Trump—or were revolted by Mr. Trump—and took it out on Republican candidates. Surveying the carnage among incumbent Republicans, there is little reason to challenge this conventional wisdom.
Still, some of us on principle don’t feel at home with the conventional wisdom, even as we admit its undeniable reality. So this week we are going to spend some time with what may be America’s most determined political outliers—the women who love Trump.
They aren’t just women. They are self-identified Republican women. No one likes Mr. Trump more than Republican women do. This parallel truth about women in the electorate jumped out from the data in the Dec. 17 Fox News Poll, a random national sample of registered voters.
Mr. Trump’s overall approval rating in the Fox poll is 46%. His approval among Republican women is 93%—8 points beyond his approval among GOP men. Republican women outrun men in their support for Mr. Trump on virtually every issue Fox polled.
These women aren’t doubt-free Trumpians. Of that remarkable 93% figure, 36% “somewhat” approve of him.
The president should be especially happy with the love he’s getting on the great hate of his life—the Russia-collusion investigation. The percentage of GOP women who think the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians in 2016 is a mere 12%. The Republican men in their lives buy the collusion narrative at...
The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #477
You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?
It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,
from the beautiful to the repugnant,
from the mysterious to the familiar.
If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,
you could be inspired, you could be appalled.
This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.
You have been warned.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Want To Donate To The Border Wall?
Here is the gofundme webpage:
https://www.gofundme.com/thetrumpwall
You don't pay unless it gets to 1 Billion.
Want To Shame The RINOS?
Deep Thoughts With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez #5...
Deep Thoughts With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez #4...
Deep Thoughts With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez #2....
Deep Thoughts With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez #1....
Justice Department accuses Chinese spies of hacking into dozens of US tech and industry giants
The Justice Department has unsealed a damning indictment that links an aggressive campaign to hack into U.S. tech and industry giants to spies working for the Chinese government.The indictment, out Thursday, accuses China’s main intelligence agency — the Ministry of State Security — of hacking into dozens of tech companies and government departments, largely in an effort to steal intellectual property. Prosecutors said that the hackers were part of a Beijing-backed group, dubbed APT10, which various security companies had previously linked to China.
Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, both nationals and residents of China, were charged with three counts each of computer hacking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Only the NASA Goddard Space Center and the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Lab were named in the filing.
The indictment also said that the hackers also stole personally identifiable information — including names, dates of birth, email addresses, salary information, and Social Security numbers — on more than 100,000 U.S. Navy personnel.
The hackers used spearphishing — or highly targeted phishing campaigns — to install malware using malicious Microsoft Word documents and steal data from...