various thoughts

kbutno: wolf-impact: i’ve never felt sorry for a tree...

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 23:34:02 -0500

kbutno:

wolf-impact:

i’ve never felt sorry for a tree before

Is that message from the pole or from the sheet of paper?

this is great!!! I love this!!

gotta get this into my head!!!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:44:14 -0500

gotta get this into my head!!!

Photo

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:08:30 -0500

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!!

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:19:22 -0500

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!!

kateoplis: Christoph Niemann’s sketches while running the NYC...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:38:38 -0500

kateoplis:

Christoph Niemann’s sketches while running the NYC marathon

kbutno: hapsetshut: velocicrafter: tentacritters: 11:03AM...

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:52:42 -0400

kbutno:

hapsetshut:

velocicrafter:

tentacritters:

11:03AM GMT 31 Oct 2008

Staff believe that the octopus called Otto had been annoyed by the bright light shining into his aquarium and had discovered he could extinguish it by climbing onto the rim of his tank and squirting a jet of water in its direction.

The short-circuit had baffled electricians as well as staff at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, who decided to take shifts sleeping on the floor to find out what caused the mysterious blackouts.

A spokesman said: “It was a serious matter because it shorted the electricity supply to the whole aquarium that threatened the lives of the other animals when water pumps ceased to work.

“It was on the third night that we found out that the octopus Otto was responsible for the chaos.

“We knew that he was bored as the aquarium is closed for winter, and at two feet, seven inches Otto had discovered he was big enough to swing onto the edge of his tank and shoot out the 2000 Watt spot light above him with a carefully directed jet of water.”

Director Elfriede Kummer who witnessed the act said: “We’ve put the light a bit higher now so he shouldn’t be able to reach it. But Otto is constantly craving for attention and always comes up with new stunts so we have realised we will have to keep more careful eye on him - and also perhaps give him a few more toys to play with.

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank, another time he threw stones against the glass damaging it. And from time to time he completely re-arranges his tank to make it suit his own taste better - much to the distress of his fellow tank inhabitants.”

This is one smart octopus.

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank”

^^^^^
Octopodes I will not fuck with.

that is a bamf octopus

Isn’t this the one who predicted the outcome of the World Cup?

smcoolbeans: Glass Beach During the early 20th century...

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:25:51 -0400

smcoolbeans:

Glass Beach

During the early 20th century residents of Fort Bragg, California chose to dispose of their waste by hurling it off the cliffs above a beach. No object was too toxic or too large as household appliances, automobiles, and all matter of trash were tossed into the crashing waves below, eventually earning it the name The Dumps. In 1967 the North Coast Water Quality Board closed the area completely and initiated a series of cleanups to slowly reverse decades of pollution and environmental damage. But there was one thing too costly (or perhaps impossible) to tackle: the millions of tiny glass shards churning in the surf. Over time the unrelenting ocean waves have, in a sense, cleansed the beach, turning the sand into a sparkling, multicolored bed of smooth glass stones now known as Glass Beach. The beach is now an unofficial tourist attraction and the California State Park System has gone so far as purchasing the property and incorporating it into surrounding MacKerricher State Park.

Photo

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:18:53 -0400

shark fin soup ban

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:10:55 -0400

shark fin soup ban:

soon in california we won’t be able to buy shark fin soup!!! it will be banned!!!!!! it’s about time!!!

I’ve seen videos of people catching sharks for the fins, it’s disgusting!!! they catch the shark, cut off the fin and discard the rest.

kateoplis: 73 million sharks are killed for their fins,...

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:55:44 -0400

kateoplis:

73 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.

shark fin soup will be banned in california soon!!!!!! it’s about time!!!!! I’ve been boycotting it since I was young, but now it will be banned!!!!!!

kateoplis: Why Occupy

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:34:36 -0400

kateoplis:

Why Occupy

How to Speak Republican: A Dictionary

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:31:39 -0400

How to Speak Republican: A Dictionary:

kateoplis:

America (United States of): A country located in the N. Western Hemisphere that is #1.

Bible: A sacred text that provides incontestable answers when thumped.

Birth Certificate: An official birth record required of all US Presidents, regardless of race, since 2008.

Capitalism: A system of economic organization that has never been attempted.

Christmas: A holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, now rarely celebrated due to persecution by atheists.

Compromise: (uncommon) A form of political suicide.

Coast (East): A very bad coast of the continental United States.

Coast (West): Another really inexcusable coast.

Communism: The belief that the government should ever do anything.

Condescending: Accurately informed.

Constitution (U.S.): The hallowed founding document of the United States, the text of which must be interpreted strictly and amended immediately.

Corporations: Large people who are overtaxed.

Elitist: Qualified.

Endangered Species: Animals that have it coming.

Evolution: A theory of human origins that is out there.

Extremist (Liberal): Espousing or adhering to political beliefs that are held by only a majority of Americans.

Forest (National): Trees that have it coming.

Gut: Region of the body from which decisions should be made.

Homosexuality: A membership-only lifestyle organization that perpetuates itself through youth recruitment.

Hitler: A man to whom it would be inappropriate to compare President Obama in spite of the many uncanny similarities.

Jesus: Charismatic religious leader and son of God; born in Bethlehem in the year 0; beliefs include love, charity, enhanced interrogation, privatized healthcare, elimination of the estate tax, and the right to carry concealed semiautomatic weapons.

Liberal: A person who should be rounded up and shot but not really.

Marxism: A political and economic philosophy developed by Karl Marx and promulgated by Paul Krugman.

Medicare: A fraudulent, socialistic boondoggle that is sacrosanct.

Mexicans: Brown people who have it coming.

Mountaintops: Ancient rock formations that have it coming.

Muslims: Brown people who have it coming.

News: Fox News

Organic: Eaten by lesbians.

Party (Tea): A grass-roots movement of patriotic Americans fighting for the principle of “No Taxation With Representation.”

Poverty: The condition of having inadequate financial or material resources due to not trying hard enough.

Propaganda: The politically motivated dissemination of biased information, opinion, or data through its publication in the New York Times.

Racism: A form of discrimination that typically happens in reverse.

Regulation: Rules issued by a government agency for no reason.

Scientist: A person who employs a rigorous system of observation, experiment, measurement, and verification to perpetuate his Godless left-wing agenda.

Taxes: Levies imposed by the government that raise more revenue the lower they are.

Terrorist: A person to whom a person who threatens to destroy the U.S. economy unless his demands are met should not be compared.

Wealthy (the): People who earned every penny.

Warming (Global): An anomalous, anthropogenic increase in the earth’s atmospheric and oceanic temperatures that isn’t happening.

Yes: (no translation available)

Iraq War Facts & Stats

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:03:49 -0400

Iraq War Facts & Stats:

kateoplis:

US soldiers killed: 4,481

Seriously wounded: 32,195

Psychological damage: 30% of US troops develop serious mental health problems within 3-4 months of returning home.

Journalists killed: 229

Iraqi Police & soldiers killed: 10,125

Estimated Iraqi civilian deaths: Between 108,000 and 150,000 although there’s criticism that that only includes deaths reported by media agencies.

Coalition deaths: 318

Private contractor deaths: 550

Approved & spent: $900 billion taxpayer money through Nov 2010.

Lost & unaccounted for: $9 billion and $549.7 million in spare parts shipped to contractors.

Lost and reported stolen: $6.6 billion dollars earmarked for Iraq reconstruction, reported on June 14, 2011 and called “the largest theft of funds in national history.”

Missing: $1 billion in equipment provided to the Iraqi security forces.

Mismanaged & wasted: $10 billion, per Feb ‘07 Congressional hearings.

Halliburton charges Pentagon has called unreasonable & unsupported: $1.4 billion

Annual air-conditioning cost in Iraq & Afghanistan: $20.2 billion

Percent of professionals who have left Iraq since 2003: 40%

Iraqi physicians before the Invasion: 34,000. Those who left: 12,000. Those murdered: 2,000.

sadam hussein was a terrible person and a horrible leader, but getting him out of Iraq wasn’t worth it!! for them, or for us!!

on 9/11/2001 we were attacked, people around the world had sympathy for us. we fought back, removed sadam Hussein and Osama bin laden and at the same time destroyed Iraq and afghanistan, and now the world hates us!!!! and, I believe, we are at a much greater risk of terrorist attack now than we ever were!!! and we never got rid of the Taliban, they will just reorganize and get even more determined to get us!!

kbutno: zebablah: is this snake fucking serious like was that...

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:45:08 -0400

kbutno:

zebablah:

is this snake fucking serious

like was that actually fucking necessary

“‘Step on a crack, break your momma’s back,’ eh? Fuck you, mom.”

I think we let the facts cloud our judgement, of course the...

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:48:12 -0400

I think we let the facts cloud our judgement, of course the evidence is wrong!!

I think it’s funny that many of these non-scientific people, when they make an argument, they refute facts, by just saying things like “the evidence is wrong!” no other justification is given:)

of course the earth is 6000 years old because you said it, it MUST be true:)

congratulation to all that finished the nlke womens marathon yesterday!! I was out there watching,...

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:22:16 -0400

congratulation to all that finished the nlke womens marathon yesterday!! I was out there watching, you girls/guys are awesome!!

Why Finland’s schools are great (by doing what we don’t)

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:16:32 -0400

Why Finland’s schools are great (by doing what we don’t):

kateoplis:

For the past decade, 15-year-old Finnish students have consistently been at or near the top of all the nations tested in reading, mathematics, and science. And just as consistently, the variance in quality among Finnish schools is the least of all nations tested, meaning that Finnish students can get a good education in virtually any school in the nation. That’s equality of educational opportunity, a good public school in every neighborhood.

What makes the Finnish school system so amazing is that Finnish students never take a standardized test until their last year of high school, when they take a matriculation examination for college admission.

Their own teachers design their tests, so teachers know how their students are doing and what they need. There is a national curriculum — broad guidelines to assure that all students have a full education — but it is not prescriptive. Teachers have extensive responsibility for designing curriculum and pedagogy in their school. They have a large degree of autonomy, because they are professionals.

Admission to teacher education programs at the end of high school is highly competitive; only one in 10 — or even fewer — qualify for teacher preparation programs. All Finnish teachers spend five years in a rigorous program of study, research, and practice, and all of them finish with a masters’ degree. Teachers are prepared for all eventualities, including students with disabilities, students with language difficulties, and students with other kinds of learning issues.

The schools I visited reminded me of our best private progressive schools. They are rich in the arts, in play, and in activity. I saw beautiful campuses, including some with outstanding architecture, filled with light. I saw small classes; although the official class size for elementary school is 24, I never saw a class with more than 19 children (and that one had two assistant teachers to help children with special needs).

Teachers and principals repeatedly told me that the secret of Finnish success is trust. Parents trust teachers because they are professionals. Teachers trust one another and collaborate to solve mutual problems because they are professionals. Teachers and principals trust one another because all the principals have been teachers and have deep experience. When I asked about teacher attrition, I was told that teachers seldom leave teaching; it’s a great job, and they are highly respected.

And by the way, the Finnish teachers I saw — those heaped with laurels as outstanding professionals — didn’t look or act differently from many, many teachers I have seen in the United States, even in so-called “failing schools.”

Finland has one other significant advantage over the United States. The child-poverty rate in Finland is under 4 percent. Here it is 22 percent and rising. It’s a well-known fact that family income is the most reliable predictor of academic performance. Finland has a strong social welfare system; we don’t. It is not a “Socialist” nation, by the way. It is egalitarian and capitalist.

Read on.

Photo

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:30:02 -0400

ok, I’m just being a couch potato today!! Sunday I ran the Portland (Oregon) marathon!! and...

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:25:20 -0400

ok, I’m just being a couch potato today!! Sunday I ran the Portland (Oregon) marathon!! and I’m a bit sore.

the marathon was great, great people, great crowd support, nice route, and great stuff. nice medal and two tech tees (long and short sleeve) Portland seems to be a great city!! unfortunately I was there only two days:( next year, I’m gonna stay longer, and take a day or two off and explore!!

Photo

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:12:20 -0400