Flying Lemurs

But they are not Lemurs.  Oh well, still neat little creatures.  More info available here.

Brief Solar Flare

From the Bad Astronomy Blog

Neat Gift that has a lot of utility

Just a few examples, for more information click here.

These items are made from multiple colors of paracord, they look very attractive, yet if you ever need some cordage you will have some with you.

They even offer to replace for free if you ever have to use it in an emergency.  As long as your willing to send them your story & photos so they have an endorsement from satisfied customer.

Personally I think they look good enough to wear just for the look, but then I like neat things like this.  Check out "EDC" [Every Day Carry, usually refers to small items that might be useful] labeled posts on my blog for some other things I think are neat.

So a good, modest priced, gift idea for kid or adult, specially for anyone that likes outdoor activities.  That could actually save someones life, or more realistically, provide a temporary fix to get you home.

If your not familiar with paracord, it is cordage (basically thin rope) that meets the standards needed for parachute.  It is the gold standard of rope for hikers, astronauts, hunters, military, etc. 


Wikipedia link for more information on paracord.

Here is a picture showing what the insides look like, you can use the smaller inner strands for thread if you need to mend clothes or a tent.

Really cool keychain

This is really neat, I am going to get one or two and try out. I like the shackle for the keys, lets you keep the keeps from making so much noise.  Link here.

Earth's Trojan Asteroid, the first one found!

Cool video from NASA of the orbit.  For more information go to Space.com

Blogger, big post making expanding or read more section

This is something that is real easy.  ONCE you know how.  When editing a post or making a new one just put your cursor (curser?) where you want the break then click on this button in menu bar, [see picture, click pic to enlarge]

If your using the newer version of Blogger for posting, the button is near the "link" & "picture" buttons, right after add video.  The button itself still looks the same as it does in that picture.


For official help page click here.

Dolphins, at least some, can detect electricity

Interesting, BBC story here.

I knew sharks could, I will have to do some research on this and do a more detailed blog about it, in the near future.

I'm not sure if they are detecting the electrical  activity of the muscles or the change in the electrical flows in the water.  I suspect it is the latter for two reason.  First I am unaware of any land animals that have this ability.  Secondly, the electrical impulse that muscles generate is very very small.  We need electrodes attached to skin to detect that, that is what they are doing at the hospital when they check your heart.

Back Pain

Use a Tennis Ball!

Well I finally tried something for my crummy back yesterday that I had heard of some time ago but never tried.  Used a tennis ball between my back and a wall so I could get the pressure were I needed it on my back.

Helped a lot.  Did it 4 times yesterday for about 3-5 minutes at a time, really loosened up the muscle knots in my back.  There is a bit of a learning curve to get it working good, by the third time I tried it yesterday I finally started getting the knack.

All you need is a tennis ball and a wall, though some people lay down instead, I found that standing against the wall I am able to put enough pressure on the muscle knots to get them to release. Don't think I could get enough pressure on them while laying down.

So now with Tennis ball and this great book Stretching that I reviewed on my other blog, I feel like I am getting my back pain under control.

Science projects anyone can do with their kids, or by themselves

Crystal Radios are easy to build.  Here is a link to an inexpensive kit from Amazon
here is a link to detailed instructions for making a crystal radio from parts.

So something useful & neat, if your looking for something besides a radio, Science Toys has lots of other projects you can do.  All of it is educational, not just the science, but the skill building and problem solving required to get it right are valuable skills for learning any topic or dealing with real world issues.

Now those are neat offices

But would you want your Boss to be able to literally make you "walk the plank?"

Dus-T a T Shirt with a dust mask

I can see several uses for this T shirt, from keeping bugs out of your mouth to dealing with windy days and dust/sand blowing about.

DUS-T link.

Search Engine Showdown Blog: The User's Guide to Web Searching

Another good Blog/Resource I have found The Engine Showdown Blog: The User's Guide to Web Searching, real useful resource for learning how to find what you want on the Net.

I found this page while looking for more cached search options than Google offers.  Don't know if the average user will get much from this page.  A serious user or someone who does Google Hacking will find more than a little useful information IMO.

Neat way to carry 2 piece fly rod

From Jason's blog, The Patron Pole: A Combination Hiking Staff and Fly Rod Case
How to pack your 2-piece fly rod while backpacking, Jason's blog is worth reading on a regular basis.

Not Running a Hospital

New Blog to me, worth following I think.  Former Hospital CEO talking about health care & hospital issues.

Link to Not Running a Hospital.

TED: Ideas worth Spreading

A REALLY cool website. TED link

All kinds of topics covered, they add new videos or audio podcasts every week.

Good way to spend some time.

Video of Peter Ward lecture on Earth's mass extinctions

Here is the link to his lecture.

Peter Ward is a paleontologist.  I have been reading his books for a decade or so, he focuses on Mass Extinctions (Dinosaur die off is the Mass Extinction most people are familiar with) the study of which is a hobby of mine.

Here is a short bio of his from the University of Washington webite, he is faculty there.

Here is a list of some of his books Peter Ward books

How to turn Cleartype on to makes things easier to read on computer.

Here is a very clear youtube that show how, cleartype really helps reduce my eyestrain & fatigue.

If you don't like cleartype it is easy to switch back.

SC2 Teamliquid News, quick link list for when I am on the road

 Teamliquid Tournaments page

Teamliquid Streams page

Teamliquid featured News

Teamliquid Community News

Teamliquid everything page

Teamliquid wiki

EDC Blog

I am a big fan of the EDC Blog, a lot of neat gadgets show up there that I have never seen or heard of before. I really like the watch in this picture.

Jules Underwater Lodge

Whether your into scuba diving, marine ecology, eco tourism, or not Jules Underwater Lodge is simply cool.

Imagine spending the night underwater, about 30 feet down, with windows to view the sea life and all the comforts your used to at home.

They are also paired up with Aurora Aerospace to provide zero G flights, like astronauts use for part of their training, as a package deal.

How to make Link open in new page HTML help

Need some help with HTML for blogging or basic webpage? quackit
Helps, this makes links open in new window:  <a href="http://www.quackit.com/html/html_help.cfm" target="_blank">HTML Help</a> 

All you need to do is cut & paste this: target="_blank"

Amazon Associate how to make simple text link

If you would like to link directly to an item's page using a simple link, do this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN/?tag="tracking ID here"

Replace "ASIN" with the 10-digit ISBN or ASIN of the product,

So from this link  http://www.amazon.com/Incredibad-CD-DVD-Lonely-Island/dp/B001NY4WLA

You need "B001NY4WLA"

OdeWire: Positive News search engine

Tired of all the if it bleeds it leads?  Checkout OdeWire.

In their own words:  OdeWire presents news to inspire intelligent optimists.  Our unique wire is constantly refreshed by an automated system that combines advanced semantic technology with the guidance of our editorial staff.  Around the clock and around the world, OdeWire is always looking at the most authoritative news sources for stories that focus on solutions rather than problems, and on positive changes rather than negative ones. Unlike other news sources that are over-weighted with negativity, OdeWire contributes to a more balanced media diet.