"I am my own heaven and hell."
- J.C.F. von Schiller

Teach/Learn

Me/You

Optical Illusion

Good/Evil

How Big is a Google?

A googol is 10 to the 10th power or a 1 followed by 100 zeros.

(This post is for Cameron... he's 8 :)

Problem 1. How much money would it take to fill up our classroom with $1 bills? A stack of 250 bills is about 1 inch high. You will need to find the volume of a $1 bill along with estimating the size of the classroom.

Problem 2. How many tennis balls would it take to fill the earth, if the earth were a hollow ball? The radius of a tennis ball is about 1.2 inches and the radius of the earth is about 4000 miles. The volume of a sphere, such as the earth or a tennis ball, is given by formula


V = 4/3 × pi × r3,
where r is the radius. You may use 3.14 as an approximation for pi.

Problem 3. A stack of 15 quarters is approximately 1 inch high. How much money would it take to form a stack of quarters that would extend from the earth to the sun? The sun is about 93 million miles from the earth.

Problem 4. How much money would it take to form a stack of $1 bills that would extend to Proxima Centari? This is the nearest star to the sun, and is about 25 trillion miles from the earth.

Problem 5. The most distant object known is about 10 million light years from earth. How much money would it take to form a stack of $100 bills that would extend to this object?

Go Navy!!!

Discover Magazine

Pretty sure I really need this!

"Green" SUV?

Discover Magazine

Just say NO!

Discover Magazine

Bible belt weather observes the Sabbath.

from Discover Magazine

calling tinkerers tree huggers and students with lab kits

Ok, but which one is more fun to kick back with a brewski & watch the game?

Discover magazine Article - magnets

Yes, Please.

courtesy of Discover Magazine

Coolest Doghouse ever ~Roof,Roof!~

Discover Magazine

~ Einstein ~

Courtesy of Discover Magazine

Awesome Macro!

Found in Discover Magazine

Now we know what a Frito Farm looks like

Found in Discover Magazine

And you thought they didn't come with Instructions!

Thanks to Cory for sending me these :)

~ Sebastien Centomo ~ Riverkings Hockey

The first time I met Mr Sebastien Centomo he asked me if I had a favorite Riverking. All of the sudden I was too tongue-tied to speak so I just sort of stammered, blushed and sent the boys in to get a picture with him. So, I thought this might clue him in... well that's assuming that he ever happens to actually see it.

cuz i can't sleep

You Are Psyche!

Eternally in search of purpose and insight. You're curious and creative with a total sense of wonder. Totally empathetic, you pick up on other's moods easily. Just be sure to pamper yourself as well!

What Goddess Are You?

You Are a Question Mark

You seek knowledge and insight in every form possible. You love learning. And while you know a lot, you don't act like a know it all. You're open to learning you're wrong. You ask a lot of questions, collect a lot of data, and always dig deep to find out more. You're naturally curious and inquisitive. You jump to ask a question when the opportunity arises. Your friends see you as interesting, insightful, and thought provoking. (But they're not always up for the intense inquisitions that you love!) You excel in: Higher education You get along best with: The Comma

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Your Native American Name Is...

Kakawangwa Kaliska Your name means: Bitter Coyote Chasing Deer

What's Your Native American Name?

Not a Jealous Bone in Your Body

You're secure, trusting, and giving with friends and lovers And while you may have been hurt before, you've bounced back You're generally happy with your life - and no one's grass is greener than yours One word of caution: some may see your lack of jealousy as indifference!

Are You A Jealous Woman?

You Should Have Been Born Under:

You are totally loyal, faithful, and honest. However, you don't trust others to be as ethical as you are! Straight forward and direct, you really aren't one for small talk. You are a great listener - and an agreeable companion when you're in a good mood! You are most compatible with a Tiger or Horse.

What Year Should You Have Been Born Under?

You Hardly Remember Your Ex

You're definitely not a psycho, and you probably don't even think of your ex often. You've moved on, and your life is the better for it. Just remember to remember why the two of you did break up - so you don't fall for him again!

Are You a Psycho Ex-Girlfriend?

You Are the Ace of Hearts

Youthful and playful, you love life and the world. You have a kind spirit, and you bring happiness to everyone you know. Artistic and bold, you see the world in bright colors. And you certainly aren't afraid to express everything you see and feel. You are sentimental, and your emotions are very deep. You are easily swept away and easily hurt. A gamble you should take: Blackjack Your friends would describe you as: Unique Your enemies would describe you as: Weepy If you lived in Vegas, you would be: An up and coming chef or fashion designer

What Playing Card Are You?

Make your own ceiling cat!

Motörhead - Ace of Spades ~Pish Dolls

Haha! That's pretty funny :) It almost seems to be a disfavor to Lemmy & Motorhead , but barbie dolls are one of my guilty pleasures... i love them!

Unusual Names in Georgia

{I just returned from a week in Atlanta.}

There are some amazing names on those lists!

Sponge - Plowed

Will I wake up
Is it a dream I made up
No I guess its reality
What will change us
Or will we mess up
Our only chance to connect
With a dream

Say a prayer for me
Im buried by the sound
In a world of human
Wreckage
Im lost and Im found
And I cant touch the
Ground
Im plowed into the sound

To see wide open
With a head thats broken
Hang a life on a tragedy
Plow me under the ground
That covers the message
That is the seed

despair.com

Coloring.com

One Door Away from Heaven by Dean Koontz

I read a LOT of books. I'm always reading at least 1 book if not 2 or 3. Sometimes, I read them quickly, sometimes it takes awhile for me to get through them;but, I am always reading something. I've read a lot of really good books. Good books are the books that I enjoyed reading and also usually wished they were longer so I could remain in that world for far longer.

Every once in a while I read one that is even better than a really good book. It's a book that I feel thankful for having the opportunity to read. A book that renews my faith or gives me hope in some way. A book that taught me something (or many things...) A book that even though it may have negative elements does not in any way make you feel degraded or hurt. A book that keeps you turning the pages long after bed time because you just have to see what happens. And even if you've long since intuited the plot twists and turns and know exactly how it's going to end, you happily immerse yourself in the story anyway. But, the best way to tell that I've found a great book and not just a really good book, is that when I've put the book down after reading the last page: It stays with me. I feel uplifted and energized. The story is someplace that I can and will revisit when I need to have someplace/someone to turn to. When I'm running out of sources of joy, I will be able to bring up the story and have 1 more source. Every person finds joy and renewel in their own way, thus everyone will have a different definition for a really great book. But, this book definitly fits my personal description very well.

Dean Koontz has been one of the authors I've been reading for my whole life. He has some books that didn't quite reach the mark as really good books let alone really great books. He also has some truly, dark, terrifying stories out there. In fact, when I first started reading his books, he scared the crap out of me, even more than Stephen King. Mr Koontz incorporates the BIG picture into his books. Bringing the whole universe into his stories. And, when the universe is a scary place that is just about the scariest thing that I can imagine. Albert Einstein once said, "the single most important decision any of us will ever have to make is whether or not to believe that the universe is friendly." Experiencing the universe as an unfriendly place is terrifying. Thankfully, Mr Koontz and I have at least 1 thing in common. And I know this by reading his newer novels. Somewhere along the line we have both decided that the universe is a friendly place. There is Love and Light wherever you choose to see it, because it is EVERYWHERE. Sure he adds some darkness and negativity into his stories, it wouldn't be much of a story without them. But, it's darkness with a little d, and negativity on a human scale. Bad things happen, adversity visits us all, sometimes things don't work out like we wanted, and yes there really are much worse things than dying. C'est la vie. That's just how it is. What we do with that knowledge is the important part.

One Door Away from Heaven has it all. Suspense, fantasy, characters that you'd like to have as friends and some that you wouldn't EVER want as enemies, twists and turns, humor and intelligence. It is also educational and has a message.

This review from Amazon.com seemed to sum up the plot and action fairly well:
Dean Koontz virtually invented the cross-genre novel, and in One Door Away from Heaven he mixes an action thriller with post-X-Files alien paranoia to remarkable effect. Micky Bellsong is a young woman at a crisis point in her life, using a stay at her Aunt Geneva's to sort things out. Then the precocious and deformed Leilani Klonk walks into her life, telling stories of her stepfather and drugged-up mother, who believe aliens will beam the girl into their mothership and heal her deformities before her 10th birthday. But tales of the stepfather's vicious past, including his hand in several murders, leave Micky believing that a far more terrible fate awaits her friend. So when the parents take off with Leilani, Micky pursues.
As is typical with a Koontz novel, nothing turns out to be what it seems, and the meticulously crafted plot tightens like a noose with every turn of the page. His characters are exceptionally drawn, driving the novel forward with realism and warmth. Micky is one of his more attractive young heroines, but the real star is Leilani, a mature young girl whose plucky nature and sparkling dialogue instantly make her Koontz's most memorable creation. She embodies his belief that despite violence, pain, and suffering, there is always goodness to be found in every person and situation. Koontz has once again proven why he is one of the premier novelists of his generation. --Jonathan Weir, Amazon.co.uk

But what about the educational aspect and what is the message you may have wondered? This book is "powered by an impassioned stand against utilitarian bioethics." (Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc) Mr Koontz's afterword makes it very clear that Utilitarian bioethics is not a figment of his imagination and is in fact a real threat to all of us. He recommends reading the book Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America by Wesley J. Smith. I haven't read it yet but Mr Koontz says, "You will find it more hair-raising than any novel you've ever read." He also says, "One day our great universities will be required to redeem themselves from the shame of having honored and promulgated ethicists who would excuse and facilitate the killing of the disabled, the weak, and the elderly." I've been thinking that there is something 'wrong' with medical ethics for a long time. Now I know exactly what it is and what is driving it in the direction it has taken. Utilitarian bioethics "embodies the antihuman essence of fascism, expresses the contempt for individual freedom and for the disabled and the frail that has in the past marked every form of totalitarianism." Which unfortunately does not bring to mind this quote from Kurt Vonnegut, "History is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again"; but this one by George Santayana, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Now onward to the message. What is the message of this book? It's one that's so very simple and so very beautiful. "We are the instruments of one another's salvation and only by the hope that we give to others do we lift ourselves out of the darkness into light." And as many people have heard me say "it only takes 1 match to set the world on fire." Share your flames people! Fan those sparks! Let's get this place LIT UP!

See how beautiful that is?!

The alieN

Alice in Wonderland: This illustration is by Arthur Rackham
The Alien
by Lynn S.

Where is he from, some alien nation?
What Frankenstein designed this creation?
For the monster he is, I'd like to give credit.
I'd use other terms, but I'd have to edit.

Just who do I thank for bearing this gift?
If I could find out, the kick would be swift.
I'm not always vengeful or given to spite,
But someone should pay, because he isn't right.

Who cooked up this mess that plopped in my lap?
That's who I would like to pay for this sap.
For all that he's done, who'll pick up the tab?
A monster's not born, he's made in a lab.

So was it a chemist? A genius of sorts?
Perhaps a computer with electrical shorts?
Whatever it was, it won't stake its claim.
But I wouldn't either for something that lame.

His origin's foreign, I don't know the source.
He thinks that his blood is quite royal, of course.
If that be the case, well, then let him eat cake.
But I'm sure that someone has made a mistake.

I still think he's come from an alternate plane,
A place where it's normal to be quite insane.
I wish he'd go back and get new circuitry,
But they probably won't take him without charging...me.



© 2003

"My Oberon! what visions I have seen. Methought I was enamoured of an ass."
—Titania's first words after Oberon removes the love-charm from her eyes and she awakes.
From "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare

This illustration came from: Craik, Dinah Maria Mulock. The Fairy Book. Warwick Goble, illustrator. London: Macmillan & Co., 1913.

The Mask: Red Riding Hood

Illustration by Paul Woofroffe

The Masked Man

By Lynn S.

Who was that masked man who offered relief?
I thought him a hero. He turned out a thief.
I gave him my heart. He took so much more.
He offered me hope, and then closed the door.

He made the right moves. He said the right things.
He said I could fly, and then clipped my wings.
I gave him my trust, and thought he was true.
The mask that he wore, I couldn't see through.

One night the mask slipped. I feared what I saw.
The evil beneath was naked and raw.
His eyes became black, his countenance cold,
Consumed by a rage, unyielding and old.

His cape covered secrets, he turned from the light.
His words became weapons, his arrows of might.
I changed in that moment. I just could not see
How I'd been so blind. Was it after all, me?

Had I been so wrong? Had nothing been real?
But I couldn't have known that he couldn't feel.
Who was that masked man who played on my need?
A liar, a robber, he's Lucifer's seed.

© 2003

Not sure if this is true, but it IS funny.

Sheriff's car
The Kern County, California, Sheriff's Department orders
plain white patrol units and has the graphics applied locally.
In this case, what they ordered was not quite what they got.

This car was driven for 1 week before an officer noticed what the graphics company employee did on the passenger side of the car. The employee did this on his last day working for the graphics company before he retired.

1 of the tornados in Memphis

A certain pirate sent me this picture. "This photo was taken at the BN Railway yard.
This is a picture of the Tornado that hit the Memphis ramp Tuesday. Someone from the tower took it as it came through the yard."

3 versions... same feeling(s)

Buttons!

Many thanks to Susan for sending me the link to the coolest Button site EVER! These are just some of the awesome buttons you can find there.

Take Off Your T-Shirt (If You Can't Name A Song By The Band That's On It)

Haha I totally Agree with this.



Take Off Your T-shirt If You Can't Name A Song By The Band That's On It Lyrics


I cut class, I skipped school
I hauled ass to sleep out in the parking lot of Coconuts where they had the Ticketron
Tower 2; Obstructed View I saw the show that changed my life
But I did not see you so

TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
Miss Metallica: You were 2 years old when Ride The Lightning came out
You felt no pain when Burton died but you cried when they cancelled Baby Muppets
You're master of no puppets

TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT
Miss AC/DC: you don't even know Hell's Bells from Hatebreed
You got that shirt cuz Urban stuff is so cool
For those about to suck we salute you

TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
If you can't name a song by the band that's on it

No size tag and faded
Decal disintegrated
How I suffered cash in hand while clawing to the concession stand
Like a flag my shirt has flown through countless painful nights you could have never known

TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
Mr. Misfits
You mistook Glen Danzig for Trent Reznor once you dipshit
Miss Motley Crue I mean you, no they did not sing Every Rose Has it's Thorn
The sheep must be shorn

TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
Iron Maiden¦the number of the beast was not 6-6-7
I'd like to learn about Black Sabbath from you but
They don't play then on MTV2

TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
Strip to the waist, take it off be honest
You can't name a song by the band that's on it NO

Still so crisp from hanging on the rack
This T-shirt stretched across your back
Says nothing of a sacrifice; through thick and thin, wind snow and ice
Did I through adolescence wield
This 100% cotton shield
Now face to face and shirt to shirt it's revealed:
Your ignorance of Queensryche!
Won't you let them be? Cuz they belong to me

TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
TAKE OFF YOUR T-SHIRT
Strip to the waist, take it off be honest
You can't name a song by the band that's on it
You don't know the guys printed on your garment so
TAKE THAT SHI(r)T OFF NOW

Quotations of the day
By The Associated Press

"Tonight I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner for the nomination of president of the United States. And I don't really mind it one bit.'' -- Arizona Sen. John McCain after winning several key states during the Super Tuesday Republican primaries.

------

"It ripped the warehouses apart. The best way to describe it is it looks like a bomb went off.'' -- Desoto County, Miss., Sheriff's Department Cmdr. Steve Atkinson describing damage from a tornado that hit the area.

------

"I am extremely concerned about the toll the current pace of operations is taking on them and on their families, on our equipment and on our ability to respond to crises and contingencies beyond ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.'' -- Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying soldiers should be limited to yearlong combat tours, instead of 15-month deployments.

AP-ES-02-06-08 0450EST