200th Post

Tagged as: Amazing, Blog Apr 09

So over a year after starting, I’m at 200 posts. It didn’t take too long I guess. Oh well at least it’s not 50 days after starting!

I’ve gone from posting things that I really wanted to put out there to posting everyday about stupid stuff that I found online to posting once a week some things that I see in life. And sometimes I even post things that will be useful to someone else.

But one thing is constant, this is my blog, and I get to do whatever I want with it! And I love that!

Still, the fact that I’ve written that many entries is pretty amazing to me. Let’s not think about how much time was spent writing those things. Rather, let’s enjoy the fact that I have an outlet by which to release my thoughts. Priceless, I’m sure.

Pretty Powerful Hoses

Tagged as: Amazing, Video Sep 13

Firefighters use some pretty powerful hoses. I know this. You know this. But this video that I just saw confirms it. Firehoses come in different sizes, and I would assume that they’re using numerous “Blitz line” (2 1/2 inch) or maybe even 3 inch hoses in order to do this. 10 of ‘em work the magic.

[via Gizmodo via LiveLeak]

Man Vs. Wild (rawr!)

Tagged as: Amazing, Amusing, Entertainment, Gross, Television May 29

Have you seen Man vs Wild on the Discovery Channel?

If you don’t know, it’s a show that follows one man as he tries to overcome the challenge of surviving in the wilderness with little more than what a traveler might have.

I love this show. It’s amazing while also being hilarious. First off, the man’s name is Bear. That’s not a nickname. That’s just his name. You know that he’s gotta be awesome if his name is “Bear.” In any case, a cameraman (okay maybe a crew?) follows him as he does whatever it takes to survive in various harsh climates. I’ve seen him in places like the Rockies, a volcano crater in Hawaii, the African desert, and other such fun places.

7 Favorite Moments From Man vs Wild

1. When he eats a live snake by biting off the head (which according to Bear would taste disgusting) and slurping the rest of it through his mouth like a spaghetti noodle.
2. Eating maggots from an animal that was killed in an avalanche. Apparently the actual animal flesh would be dangerous to eat because it’s rotten. But the maggots that eat the rotten flesh? They’re just fine. Who would’ve thought?
3. When he tries to ride a wild horse but fails miserably because he tries to mount it after only being around it for a little bit. I think that because he’s so good, it’s pretty funny when he fails.
4. Catching and taking a big bite out of a live fish. He looked like Gollum. It was disgustingly awesome.
5. Finding a zebra that was killed by lions and then picked by vultures. The bones are clean. So what does Bear do? He cuts off the skin near the neck and eats the zebra meat raw. And then he puts some in his pocket to eat later!
6. Talking about how rattlesnakes are dangerous and how you shouldn’t get close to them. All the while walking closer and closer to the rattlesnake right in front of him.
7. Finding a mound of ants, talking about how he only eats the abdomen of the ants because the bite hurts, and then allowing an ant to bite his tongue so that you can see how much it must hurt. And the ants are actually a “sweet treat” to him.

Isn’t it amazing what people will do to survive? I don’t think that this kind of brutal living is ever hardly seen by many of us because we are in “civilized” locations.

I think that a great part of the appeal to the show is that he (seemingly) actually enjoys all of it. Oh and for some reason the British accent makes it that much more interesting and authentic.

I could learn a lot from this show. Perhaps even more than just the survival techniques. But even if I couldn’t, at least I’d have a great time being grossed out, amazed, and entertained.

What? Ants?!

Tagged as: Amazing, Entertainment, Learn, Pictures, Read-It, Television May 11

I really like watching The Discovery Channel. That makes me think of another show that I really have started to enjoy: Man vs Wild but that is a whole different entry.

Tonight I watched parts of Killer Ants and Ant Wars on The Discovery Channel. Of the Formicidae family, ants are infamous around the world. Now I am definitely no fan of these pesky insects, but I am most comfortable watching them from the safety of my home.

On the shows that I watched, I learned about an ant that I had not heard much of: the Siafu Ant. Apparently this is a very well-known ant from Africa. Why is it well-known? Well here are some highlights:

• They do not stay in the same place for very long, they have to up and move more than once a month. Imagine having to do that!
• They form highways before they actually move. The lead parties will stake out a new location and lay a chemical trail for others to follow. They will then clear the path of obstacles and actually create a trench for the new highway so that it will be easier for the large mass to navigate.
• There are at least 3 different classes of Siafu besides the queen and the male. They are differently sized and have different strengths. They range from the large soldier ants with crushing jaws to the small utilitarian ant that can perform any number of duties including cleaning larvae, hunting, and forming the walls of the colonies!
• They have to hunt in order to feed the millions of larvae that are produced by the queen monthly. Millions!
• To hunt, they will basically spread out along the forest floor and sweep around the area near the colony. They sense the carbon dioxide that living beings emit in order to find them! As soon as one ant encounters prey, it will release a chemical signal so that others will immediately come to help. They win by sheer power in numbers.
• Oh yes, and many of them do not have eyes. They do all of these things just using chemical signals.
• Not on the show, but reading about them online I found that they can intentionally hunt and prey on much larger (well larger than insects) animals! It’s not necessarily common, but it also definitely seems like it happens. Rabbits, vipers, and even a drunk with a broken leg were stories that I read about.

The bulldog ants are not as prominent in the world perhaps, but they are still pretty well known in their native Australia. They are large and independent ants that are in many ways opposite of the Siafu. One of the most interesting things about them is that they have venom that can cause anaphylactic shock! Apparently their venom is one of the most potent of any insect! (Of course this means that it doesn’t include snakes, spiders, etc) However, their nests are small and they will hunt almost strictly individually. However, because they are unafraid of human interaction, there can be literally once a week hospital emergencies on account of a bite.

Why??

Why do I care about all of this? Well besides the fact that it is simply amazing to see these creations doing what they do, I feel like there is so much to learn from them!

1. They are diligent in their work. You don’t see slackers messing around when they should be working.
2. They are willing to give their all for something bigger than themselves.
3. Trust is something that they can inherently do with ease.
4. Aspiration to be the greatest (although an admirable trait in some humans) is nonexistent with these creatures. We can learn to be a bit more satisfied with who we are, what we have, and so on instead of always being dissatisfied with every aspect of our lives.
5. They get their friends to help them out. Okay so that is just the Siafu…
6. But the bulldog ants are also good as they are so aptly named because they will refuse to let go once they bite. Once you get something good, you don’t let that go.
7. Don’t be afraid to up and change things around if it’s not working. When the ants run out of food, they will move. Just because you do something that you’ve always done does not mean that you are constrained to continue doing it.

There are many more I am sure. I enjoy finding life lessons where there are seemingly none. I also enjoy watching The Discovery Channel.

Cheatin’ Chinese

Tagged as: Amazing, Amusing, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Outrageous, Political, Read-It, The-News May 04

Sometimes Chinese people do good things. Sometimes Chinese people do bad things. And sometimes Chinese people sure do some stupid things.

Get this: Chinese people copied Disneyland. As in, they made a Disneyland park. Are you kidding me?!

I read an Engadget article about the fake Disneyland that got me to searching for more information. Amusingly, they have characters that closely mimic the Disney ones as well as rides that indicate how much of a fake it is. Their slogan (according to this other article) is that “Disneyland is too far.” Wow, that is unbelievable. I think that actually the most amusing thing about Beijing’s Shijingshan Amusement Park is that its website is http://www.bs-amusement-park.com. Haha you read that right, it’s the BS amusement park.

Although pretty humorous, this actually touches on a more serious issue (which was touched on at Even Worse Than At First Glance). And that issue is copyright infringement (or in this case complete disregard for copyrights whatsoever).

links:
The Standard (Chinese business newspaper) article - Touches the most on the significant copyright issues
Engadget article - Amusing pictures
Roller Coaster Database - Park information, list of rides, etc
Actual Disneyland-clone website - I don’t know Chinese (the language), but if you do then the story might get even more amusing for you