This sweet Labrador retriever has been trained in water rescue and evidently couldn't wait for an opportunity to help someone he thought was in need. He spotted this child playing in the lake and must have thought that was as good a time as any to save the day. The child looks alarmed, but that doesn't diminish the Lab's exuberance in pulling him to shore. Via Tastefully Offensive.
Lisa Marcus's Blog Posts
Dolphin used by the U.S. military to perform mine clearance in the Iraq war
Sadly, regardless of how barbaric it may be, war is a scourge of humanity that has yet to be eradicated. Since ancient times, military forces across the globe have used every weapon and strategy imaginable in an effort to gain an edge over their enemies. One such idea has been training animals for use in maneuvers from intelligence gathering to combat.
An animal trained for military purposes that recently made news is the dolphin. In the Ukranian conflict, Russia seized a number of dolphins from Ukraine that were trained by their military. For decades, the dolphins were taught to recognize enemy submarines, attack enemies via knives attached to their heads and carry bombs in "suicide" missions.
Currently the United States has 75 dolphins in San Diego that have been trained for military purposes. Historically, the U.S. has used dolphins in military operations in both Viet Nam and Iraq.
Read more about military dolphins and other animals used to fight human conflicts here.
Image: Wikipedia
This video gives us a breakdown of the elements that make up an iPhone. How many can you guess before learning the answers? As it turns out, the screen consists of some of the rarest chemical substances on the planet. Funny, the screen seemed to me to be the most ordinary part. Via The Presurfer.
The ultimate Christmas Story costume
Image: Ashley P. Ash
One of my favorite types of people are those who show grace in the face of adversity. If one looks, they'll find that the world is full of amazing people who fit that description. Some are incredibly courageous from the moment their life takes a bad turn. Some work to counsel and inspire others with the same troubles. One common thread that such personalities typically share is the ability to liberally apply humor, whether it's to lighten the tension their situation may cause during interactions with new acquaintances or strangers, to bring more joy to their lives, or in other instances.
The amputees pictured here are great examples of people who are handling their disabilities admirably, with openness and levity. See more pictures here.
Tattoo "in honor" of the shark that bit off his arm
Image: imgur
Messing around at the beach
Image: reddit
Prosthetic as a drink stand
Image: reddit
This compilation shows a number of adorable puppies being introduced to howling behavior by their humans. This is part three of three video compilations; here are links to parts one and two. I enjoy these videos because my 1-year-old dog howls right along with the puppies onscreen. Via Tastefully Offensive.
Takeru Kobayashi of Guinness Book and award-winning competitive eating fame, and the tiny hamster, of tiny hamster fame, face off against each other in a hot dog eat-off. The hot dogs (made to scale, in fairness to T.H.) fly off the plates until one competitor makes it to 10. Who will take the title? Click play and see for yourself. Via Laughing Squid.
New Zealand-based Laura Hawker is a self-taught artist who does these excellent body paintings. Imagine the luck of Laura's closest family and friends when Halloween comes around! Designs like this would be ideal for such an occasion. See more of Laura's work at her Deviant Art page or her Tumblr. Via Laughing Squid.
Images Credit: Laura Hawker
Paul Smith has suffered from cerebral palsy since birth. Simple things that most folks take for granted, such as holding a brush or a writing utensil, aren't within the realm of possibility for him. Yet Mr. Smith did not let a disability stifle his spirit and desire to create art. As a young man, Smith began to "paint" with a typewriter. Using only ten symbol keys, Smith creates the impressive works of art shown in this video. Paul Smith may be confined to a nursing home in Oregon, but he has the power to inspire people all over the world with his talents, gracious demeanor and perseverance in the face of hardship. Via Lost at E Minor.
There are so many amusing things in this 1981 television report about getting newspaper content from the Internet that it's hard to keep track. The smirk and smug tone of voice of the reporter, as if she's informing the public of a quaint yet ridiculous idea that stands no chance of ever being embraced by the public. The opening line: "Imagine if you will, sitting down to your morning coffee and turning on your home computer to read the day's newspaper." Mind boggling! The CRT screens, dial-up connections using a phone receiver and hours of download time for a text file.
I think the thing that I enjoyed most was the picture of the pioneering gent who was receiving the San Francisco Examiner online with his name and a caption underneath that read "owns home computer." Ahh, the 80s. -Via Lost at E Minor.
YouTube user Vang Tsal filmed this large wasp nest outside his window. His footage makes for an interesting video. See Tsal's YouTube channel for two more videos of the nest, one with microphone added for sound and another timelapse version. (I'll be sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth while holding a can of pesticide.)
The Chinese city of Chongqing created what is thought to be the world's first pedestrian lane specifically for those using smart phones. In an effort to make a point that pedestrians who aren't paying attention to their surroundings are a danger to others, the city divided a length of approximately 170 feet to separate the phone hawks from the rest of the public who is interested in getting from point A to B expeditiously.
While any results from this social experiment have yet to be published, I imagine such a system to be similarly effective as the side-by-side bicycle and pedestrian lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge. While the bicyclists respect the boundary, countless pedestrians get so caught up in taking pictures of themselves or their companions that they regularly cross the line into the cycle lane, where they risk being knocked down by a bike. It seems to me that those in the phone lane would so frequently veer into the pedestrian lane as to render it ineffective. What do you think? Via Geek.com.
Images: News.cn.
Irish pro golfer Rory McIlroy's tee off shot on the 14th hole veers toward the trees and ends up in the pocket of an audience member. During the second round of the Tour Championship, McIlroy's ball hit a tree and made a straight drop into the right pocket of a man's shorts. The game rules called for the ball to be played from a spot as near as possible to where it landed, but McIlroy joked that he had no plans to retrieve the ball himself. "I wasn't going in there. I know how sweaty my pockets are. I'm not going into anyone else’s," he said. Via Viral Viral Videos.
In the realm of British insults, calling someone a "chocolate teapot" is equivalent to telling them they're useless. Yet with the advent of the U.K. Nestle Product Technology Centre's victory in creating a chocolate teapot that can withstand several minutes of hot tea brewing, the phrase may not be such an insult after all. A group of scientists and engineers got together to make this crucial milestone in chocolate technology.
The design ingredients necessitated dark chocolate with 65 percent chocolate solids, which created a base that wouldn't melt quickly. Molding the base ingredients into a teapot with thick walls gave the end result more delicious stamina. The final product melts just enough per brew to give your cup of tea a light chocolate flavoring. I have a coconut tea that would work nicely. Bring it on!
Read more about the chocolate teapot and see a video of its construction here.
The arrow seen here appears to reverse due to refracted light. The light must travel through the air, glass, water, back of the glass and again through the air before landing on the arrow. When light passes from one material into another, it is refracted. The arrow appears to reverse itself because the glass of water acts as a magnifying glass. When light shines through a magnifying glass, it bends toward the center. The point in which the light appears to join together is the focal point. Past the focal point, the image appears to reverse, because the bent light rays pass each other. The light on the right side is now on the left and vice versa, thus the arrow appears reversed. Via Science Dump.
Mari the Shiba Inu has a silly man repeatedly in her face, talking nonsense. After all, she's not fluent in Japanese, she just knows select words here and there. So why bother her with meaningless dialogue? Anyone who does will be put in their place by Mari in whatever way is most convenient. Via Tastefully Offensive.
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