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4048

Fun Time / F****** AUSTRIA

« on: January 27, 2010, 07:59:20 PM »

No, I'm not cursing Austria!  How could I hate a country that gave us Heir Schwarzenegger?  When I say, Fucking, Austria, I am referring to an actual town in the municipality of Tarsdorf in the Innviertel region of that country.

Fucking is named after a man from the 6th century called Focko. "-ing" is an old Germanic suffix indicating the people of the root word to which it is attached; thus Fucking means "The Place of Focko’s people."

Fucking's most famous feature is the roadsign with the village's name on it.  Tourists stop and take pictures in front of it and it has been stolen so many times that the residents took a vote in 2005 to change the name of the town.  As it is, the residents liked the old name too much and kept it, opting for a more theft-proof sign which is welded to steel and secured in concrete.

4049

Beauty Fashion LifeStyle / EYE TATTOO

« on: January 27, 2010, 07:46:53 PM »

This fellow from Toronto tattooed his eyeball blue.  Although corneal tattoos have been around for centuries, this is one of the first I have seen of someone doing it for body modification purposes.

This procedure included ten injections and, yes, the eye worked perfectly afterward even though the recipient reported a sensation of something 'being in his eye.'

Sorry, some of these pictures are pretty disgusting.

4050

Pics / Door to Hell

« on: January 27, 2010, 07:23:04 PM »

The Door to Hell, as locals call it, is situated near the small town of Darvaz in Turkmenistan.  Thirty-five years ago, geologists were drilling for gas when they encountered a very large cavern underground filled with a poisonous gas.  They ignited the gas expecting it to burn off in a few hours.  Thirty-five years later, the gas is still burning.

4053

Gup Shup / Holy Cow !!!

« on: January 27, 2010, 07:10:28 PM »

These cows have been given a fistula, a hole directly into the stomach that scientists can reach into and study to see how certain foods get digested.  Through this kind of work, better food can be concocted and studies into stomach cancer and other problems can be conducted.  Although it looks inhumane, the cows don't seem to mind.

4054

Cars / A Bus or A Mobile Home?

« on: January 27, 2010, 06:59:28 PM »

I WUD LIKE TO OWN ONE  :happy:

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4055

Pics / Picture of Day

« on: January 27, 2010, 06:31:44 PM »

4057

Gup Shup / 10 Best Places to Live for Escaping World Conflict

« on: January 27, 2010, 06:02:37 PM »

Where would you be the safest if World War 3 broke out tomorrow? Perhaps it’s a grim subject, but safety and distance from world conflict can be a motivating factor in your choice to expatriate. At the very least, conflict around the world can weigh heavy on the soul, and it’s nice to know there are some places still left in the world where you might be left in peace. Thus, we’ve assembled a list of the 10 best places to live if you want to escape world conflict.

10. Switzerland

Switzerland’s long history of neutrality and its tucked away location among the valleys of the Alps still make it a safe bet, even despite having a high number of bordering nations. It helps that neighboring Austria is also considered a neutral nation.

9. Costa Rica

Costa Rica has a stable democracy, a disbanded military and a national policy of neutrality. It also ranks highly on the Global Peace Index, Happy Planet Index, and Life Satisfaction Index. Although it sits in the middle of a tumultuous region, there are far worse places to sit in peace as the world goes down in flames all around.

8. Papua New Guinea

There are regions of Papua New Guinea that are still being discovered for the first time. The canopy covered, mountainous nation contains some of the most isolated places in the world. Tuck yourself away in a nook here and it may be one of the few places left where you can completely insulate yourself from the outside world.

7. Canada

Canada is the second largest nation in the world, yet it only shares a land border with one other country– the U.S.A.– and it is a peaceful border. That means there is a great expanse to escape to, if need be. Furthermore, Canada has few world enemies, ranks consistently high on the Global Peace Index, and is relatively homogeneous.

6. Seychelles

Aside from being safely isolated from the rest of the world in the middle of the Indian Ocean, this beautiful island nation is a great place to forget about your worries. Isolation is the key here. And conflict is as transparent as the water.

5. Finland

Finland has a long history of desiring to stay out of international conflicts, is recognized as neutral and always ranks in the top 10 of the Global Peace Index. It’s northerly location also typically means the remote areas of this country are a perfect place to disappear.

4. Tuvalu

Isolated in the middle of Micronesia, Tuvalu is among the safest and most remote places in the world. It is the third least populated country on Earth, and the forth smallest. There are only a few places more distant from the world’s strife than Tuvalu.

3. Iceland

Iceland, of course, has no borders, has remote locations, is stable as a country and has virtually no world enemies. Its people are happy and the nation always ranks highly on the Global Peace Index. If world conflict erupts, Iceland is one of the few stable nations in the world unlikely to get caught up in the middle.

2. Bhutan

Landlocked among the Himalaya mountains, Bhutan is one of the most isolated nations in the world. It also showcases one of the most stable balances in the world between moderization and retention of ancient culture. Its religious population believes in peaceful resolution to all conflict, and although it sits in a troubled region, it remains protected by its geography.

1. New Zealand

New Zealand might be the most isolated and expansive fully developed nation in the world. It shares no borders, sits relatively distant from any other nation, has no real national enemies, has a safe democracy and a diverse landscape with many remote places to hide away within. Furthermore, it ranked #1 on the Global Peace Index in 2009.

4058

News Khabran / Future Shock: Intel Wants Brain Implants in Its Customers’ Heads by 2020

« on: January 27, 2010, 05:29:28 PM »

If the idea of turning consumers into true cyborgs sounds creepy, don’t tell Intel researchers. Intel’s Pittsburgh lab aims to develop brain implants that can control all sorts of gadgets directly via brain waves by 2020.

The scientists anticipate that consumers will adapt quickly to the idea, and indeed crave the freedom of not requiring a keyboard, mouse, or remote control for surfing the Web or changing channels. They also predict that people will tire of multi-touch devices such as our precious iPhones, Android smart phones and even Microsoft’s wacky Surface Table.

Turning brain waves into real-world tech action still requires some heavy decoding of brain activity. The Intel team has already made use of fMRI brain scans to match brain patterns with similar thoughts across many test subjects.

Plenty of other researchers have also tinkered in this area. Toyota recently demoed a wheelchair controlled with brainwaves, and University of Utah researchers have created a wireless brain transmitter that allows monkeys to control robotic arms.

4059

News Khabran / Japanese Scientists Create Elastic Water

« on: January 27, 2010, 05:11:29 PM »

Elastic Water could eventually replace plastic, or be used in an environmentally-safe plastic.

Bernama, a part of the Malaysian National News Agency, reports that Japanese scientists have created “elastic water.” Developed at the Tokyo University, the new material consists mostly of water — 95-percent — with an added two grams of clay and organic material. The resulting substance resembles jelly, but is extremely elastic and transparent.

The invention was originally revealed last week in the latest issue of the Nature scientific magazine. According to the article, the new material is quite safe for the environment and humans, and may be a “long-term” tool in medical technology, possibly to help wounded or surgically cut tissue to remain closed.

Bernama also reports that--by increasing its density--the new material could be used to produce "ecologically plastic materials," or could replace plastic altogether. This aspect is still under investigation until September 2010. However, if successful, the scientists may have found a way to make the world a little greener.