Crowding the box

Posted on March 9, 2011 | 2 comments

A lot of misinformation has been put out there regarding Minnesota’s newest traffic law on “crowding the box.” Here’s a brief explanation.

We have all been blocked from crossing an intersection on occasion or missed a green light due to idiots cramming into the intersection from the other direction and getting stuck because they just HAD to get across. It happens here in Minnesota a lot downtown or during a snowstorm.  

MN traffic law

Sitting like this and blocking the intersection in Minnesota will earn you a ticket.

A new Minnesota law says that you can’t proceed into an intersection unless you are clear to go all of the way through it without impeding traffic from another direction. If there is a backup on the other side of the intersection, you have to wait. The intersection gridlock law became effective on Jan. 1, 2011.

This law DOES NOT prevent you from entering an intersection on a left-hand turn to wait for oncoming traffic to pass. You may still do this as long as you can complete your turn before the light changes.

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How to rebuild Earth after 2012

Posted on March 9, 2011 | Comments Off on How to rebuild Earth after 2012

This is cool. The Open Source Ecology (OSE) and the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) started a project that is building 40 tools and machines that can be used to (re)create new civilizations with modern-day comforts. This technology and these new construction and agriculture designs will be great when we have to rebuild Earth after 2012. 🙂

But seriously, the prototypes here are impressive, and the practical applications are far-reaching. Think what small, remote villages and Third World countries could accomplish with these tools.
 

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Wolf Girl

Posted on March 9, 2011 | Comments Off on Wolf Girl

An 11-year-old Thai child in Bankok was just named by the Guinness World Record’s as the world’s hairiest girl. Nicknamed ‘Wolf Girl,’ Supatra Sasuphan has Ambras Syndrome which causes abnormal hair growth over her face, ears, arms, legs and back. 

Amazingly, her sweet nature has quickly won over people in her community. Although she has been teased mercilessly at school in the past, much of it has stopped. She is happy and is now quite popular. She has friends and enjoys a relatively normal life.  

'Wolf Girl,' Supatra Sasuphan

'Wolf Girl,' Supatra Sasuphan

Full story and more pictures available at Daily Mail.

Related: Book – The Strange Case of the Walking Corpse: A Chronicle of Medical Mysteries, Curious Remedies, and Bizarre but True Healing Folklore 

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10 things you didn’t know about Phil Collins

Posted on March 8, 2011 | 1 comment
Phil Collins announced his retirement yesterday. It trended on Twitter for a spell. When I heard he retired, I immediately assumed the Disney money train discontinued service on his street. The reason for hanging it up, though, according to this People magazine story, is to be a full-time father to his two young boys.
phil collins 1987

Phil Collins 1987

I have never been a big fan of Phil Collins, but I have never disliked his music either.

That being said, I decided to dig a little bit and see what I could uncover about this Grammy-winning musician.

10 things you might not know about Phil Collins:

  1. He was given a toy drum kit for Christmas when he was five. He practiced by playing alongside the television and radio and never learned to read and write conventional musical notation
  2. In 1970, he tried out for Genesis. The audition occurred at the home of Peter Gabriel‘s parents
  3. In 1982, he produced ABBA member Frida‘s solo album, Something’s Going On, which helped to spawn the title track, “I Know There’s Something Going On“
  4. “Sussudio” drew criticism from music reviewers for sounding too similar to Prince‘s “1999”
  5. Phil Collins uses Gretsch drums and Sabian cymbals. Until 1986, Collins played Paiste and Zildjian cymbals
  6. Collins made an appearance as himself in the 2006 PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, set in 1984
  7. Collins also has a lifelong interest in the Alamo. He has collected hundreds of artifacts related to the famous 1836 battle in San Antonio, Texas, narrated a light and sound show about the Alamo, and has spoken at related events
  8. Phil Collins is left-handed
  9. Phil Collins joined the long list of celebrities lampooned by South Park. It happened in South Park episode 51 entitled “Timmy! 2000”
  10. Phil is good friends with tennis legend Andre Agassi.
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Subway’s unique locations

Posted on March 8, 2011 | Comments Off on Subway’s unique locations

subway-logo

Subway sandwich chain has surpassed McDonald’s Corp. as the world’s largest restaurant chain in terms of units. How did they do it? They did it by opening outlets in non-traditional locations such as an automobile showroom in California, an appliance store in Brazil, a ferry terminal in Seattle, a riverboat in Germany, the zoo in Taiwan, a Goodwill store in South Carolina, a high school in Detroit and a church in Buffalo, New York.

If you are thinking of opening a new restaurant or eatery of some kind, maybe you should rethink your location.

Since we are talking about Subway, remember these? Remember how excited you’d get if the guy behind the register was in a hurry and gave you more stamps than you had coming? Subway finally phased out the stamps in 2005 due to widespread use of counterfeit stamps.

subway stamps

Source: juggle.com

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Radio Hanoi broadcasts Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner”

Posted on March 8, 2011 | Comments Off on Radio Hanoi broadcasts Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner”

On this day in 1971, Radio Hanoi broadcasted Jimi Hendrix’s version of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Radio Hanoi was a propaganda radio station run by the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War. I can’t imagine how the soldiers felt while listening to this epic song.

The studio version of Jimi’s rendition is available on the Rainbow Bridge album and Cornerstones collection. His performance of our nation’s anthem at the 1969 Woodstock Festival was among the most controversial renditions of the anthem ever.

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Does ‘Adjustment Bureau’ promote predestination?

Posted on March 5, 2011 | 1 comment

“The Adjustment Bureau” opened this weekend and is already getting a lot of attention because of its theme of free will versus predestination. The movie, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, is really a love story, but it forces viewers to question whether a higher power really controls what we do and decisions we make every day. adjustment bureau

In the film, “The Adjustment Bureau” are people who walk among us “adjusting” the minor details of everyday life (i.e., causing us to miss a bus, answer a phone, or run a stoplight) in order to keep us on track for the “plan” that has been written for our life. This “plan,” according to the movie, has been authored by the “Chairman,” who Christians would likely refer to as God.

In the movie, Matt Damon wants to believe he is in control of his life. He is soon confronted by the Adjustment Bureau and learns that his free will is an illusion – limited, at best – and that  deviating from the plan can have dire consequences.

I think Calvinists and free-will believers will have a heyday with this movie. Although the film muddles theology and ultimately avoids taking a clear stance on the argument, it will make you ponder the small events in life that seem inconsequential.

The movie ends by giving us hope that we can earn back free will or change God’s plan if we show that our intentions are genuine and we can be trusted with more control over our lives.

View trailer here.

Questions the movie leaves you with:

Do we really have free will, or is it limited free will?

If the “Chairman” makes all of the decisions for our lives, can we get him to change his mind? How?

Does predestination really encompass every detail of our lives, or just the major events and decisions that ultimately affect history and God’s plan?

Were you predestined to subscribe to my blog? 🙂

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How to get your child to go to sleep

Posted on March 5, 2011 | Comments Off on How to get your child to go to sleep

I know that putting a child to bed is a nightmare for a lot of parents. Bedtime can be a test of wills and nightly exercise in negotiations that would make you qualified to join the FBI.

This Sealy commercial gives parents hope that bedtime can be a peaceful transition.

The TV Commercial titled “BOY” was done by Leo Burnett. It was released in the Nov 2001. Still effective 11 years later.

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What do you think this law firm specializes in?

Posted on March 3, 2011 | 1 comment

I love advertising that conveys so much by saying so little. What do you think this law firm specializes in? Well done.

Lawyer Ad

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Rodney King, Reginald Denny, and L.A. Riots

Posted on March 3, 2011 | 3 comments

Today’s marks the 20th anniversary of the Rodney King beatings. He was beaten by police officers after leading them on a high-speed chase and resisting arrest. A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident.

The officers were acquitted of their actions. This verdict ultimately led to the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. I never will understand the desire people have to destroy, rob, and loot their own neighborhood as a way of “protesting” or showing disdain for a situation one feels is unjust.

Let us not forget that 53 people died in those riots and thousands more were injured. The severe beating of truck driver Reginald Denny almost made the death toll 54. His senseless beating was captured on video as well, but I think most have forgotten about him.*If you know where to find original footage of this beating, please contact me. Apparently much of it has been kept from the public?

All in all, it was a sad time for America and undid a lot of progress white and blacks had made to get along.

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