Daily SiBlurb- 4/30/07

Random

-24 hours of Flickr - What happens around the world in one day?
-Umbrella with Lights - Pretty stupid but kinda interesting
-Cubic Pillow Has Holes for Sound - Perfect for movies and those late night conference calls

Daily Video

Not like you wanted to get an exercise while riding your bike....

Pool Excerciser

This reminds me of a SNL skit I saw when I was a younger where Mike Myers plays a young "Hyper-hypo" kid that is in a body harness and hooked to a rope. He has so much energy that he constantly runs and jumps to the end of the rope, which snaps him back. In this skit he also talks about how one time when their car ran out of gas they just hooked him to the front, gave him a candy bar and pop and he towed the car home.

I got to be able to find that skit.....oh wait I found it, here you go!

More Chuck Norris 6!

When his martial arts prowess fails to resolve a situation, Chuck Norris plays dead. When playing dead doesn’t work, he plays zombie.


Although it is not common knowledge, there are actually three sides to the Force: the light side, the dark side, and Chuck Norris.


Scientists used to believe that diamond was the world’s hardest substance. But then they met Chuck Norris, who gave them a roundhouse kick to the face so hard, and with so much heat and pressure, that the scientists turned into artificial Chuck Norris.


God offered Chuck Norris the gift to fly, which he swiftly declined for super strength roundhouse ability.


When Chuck Norris was denied a Bacon McMuffin at McDonalds because it was 10:35, he roundhouse kicked the store so hard it became a KFC.


Chuck Norris drinks napalm to quell his heartburn.


A duck’s quack does not echo. Chuck Norris is solely responsible for this phenomenon. When asked why he will simply stare at you, grimly.

Chuck Norris once tried to defeat Garry Kasparov in a game of chess. When Norris lost, he won in life by roundhouse kicking Kasparov in the side of the face.

Chuck Norris’ roundhouse kick is so powerful, it can be seen from outer space by the naked eye.


Chuck Norris doesn’t believe in Germany.


If you want a list of Chuck Norris’ enemies, just check the extinct species list.

Bike Suitcase

Cool idea and interesting design

The Goat: James Bond Bike Suitcase

The Chinese-made suitcase bike might be the only way to fly with a bike and not have to pay ridiculous fees for checking a huge box. The suitcase bike will sell for $400 if anyone in the world decides to buy one. Here’s a video that shows how it works, sadly you can’t use it like a normal suitcase. It would be kind of fun to ride it around the airport—until Homeland Security started shooting at you.

This Week in Health, Fitness and Science

A Bad Week For:

• Microbes: One boy, against all odds, shows bacteria and parasites that they aren't the only ones who can claim the toilet as home. A boy and his mother entered a fire department after he put his head in a trainer seat and couldn't get it out. http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2510721720070425?feedType=RSS
• Jabber Mouths: A plight has spread over the nation killing off bees and some scientist say it's do to radiation from cell phones! The shortage of bees could have a huge effect on the food supply. Without those cute little critters we can't pollinate our plants, not to mention the impact it will have on pop culture and sex ed when we have to edit the 'Birds and the Bees' song! http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2449968.ece
  

A Good Week For

• Drug Store Cowboys: As a man and many others find their niche as lab guinea pigs. Check out how one individual made 80,000 over three years by donating his body to clinical drug studies! http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.05/feat_drugtest.html
• Illegal Aliens: Scientists say they have spotted a small planet outside our solar system that orbits a small star and could be very similar to earth! http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268230,00.html

Modern Drunkard: Drinking Game Installment1!

The first drinking game in a series from Modern Drunkard Magazine is out! The game goes like this:

1. Two able bodied drinkers blinded by bandannas and cloaked in fury are seated across from each other at a dimly lit table with a 12 pack of beer in the middle.
   
2. The gamemaster shakes a random beer and places it in with the 12 pack and promptly shuffles the barley beverages.
3. The fiery drinkers trade off snagging beer and placing it at their lips. The crowd must then cheer 'Dau, Dau, Dau...'
   
4. Promptly pop the top! If the beer explodes in your face you lose. If not continue to slam the beer.
5. Continue the spar until a loser is distinguished, covered in beer and heckled.
6. Seat another contestant and continue until the 12 pack or case is finshed!

A sure crowd pleaser!
http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/issues/01_07/md_drinking_games.html

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/27/07

Random
I have become increasingly busy with my real J-O-B, so I have limited time to surf the web for daily stories. I also don't ever really know if anyone goes to the links because I don't get any comments. I will try to add them when possible but if I don't here and there then I am sorry.

-Real Mouse Mouse - Gutted mouse for scrolling pleasure
-Flygun Extermination Gun - Kill your household flies with a gun

Daily Video
A funny SNL skit of an angry boss starring Will Ferrell

Eyeball Jewelry!

A new fashion statement has started in the Netherlands referred to as Eye Jewelry. You actually insert a platinum jewel into your eye for aesthetic value. Apparently the procedure can cost up to 3,900 dollars and their is a large waiting list for this new fashion statement.



However, many opthalmologists say risks include chronic irritation, inflammation, infection and rejection. They didn't officially comment on the stupidity of anyone who would have this procedure done. Perhaps in the future we'll know a little more about this wacky artistic expression.

Friday Fashion

All right, boys and girls, since Spring is here and the weather (should) be getting nicer, I'm going to give you a little tutorial, with the help of Nordstrom.com as to what to wear for Spring/Summer 2007.

Today I'm going to work with the men. I don't know how many ladies actually read this site, but considering all I really see is male comments (for now), I'm going to touch on the men. Now men, fashion is an important thing, whether you'd like to admit it or not. Being a woman, I tend to look at the type of style a man has. You can usually tell the type of personality they have, if they are more high-maintenance than myself, or if they just don't give a S*&T. Personally, I care if a guy puts time into themselves. I'm not talking an hour's worth of time, but someone who knows how to dress and if they are with a woman, dress out of respect of her. I mean, you wouldn't want to go on a date with some woman that rolled out of bed with greasy hair and dirty smelly clothes, would you? Women don't want that in a man either.

So, here we go.

Shirts: Silk screening and embroidery are definitely the trend for Spring/Summer 2007. Now, guys, please take into consideration with this that less is more!! You don't want to buy a t-shirt or a collard shirt that has the screening or embroidery all over it - so much so that you look like an quilt, but little details that accent the shirt are great. Take a look at the shirts below. You'll also notice that the plaid "western" shirts are also in. I love those.



7 Diamonds "Rock this Town" Embroidered Stripe Shirt



7 Diamonds "Love at First Sight" Western Shirt.




Juicy Couture Short Sleeve Vintage T-Shirt

Pants/Shorts: Plaid shorts are definitely "in" this summer. Quicksilver has several great pairs to choose from with different colors and plaid patterns/sizes. Longer shorts are a must this summer, more of the "board short" look. Jeans also have a hint of design to them. This can usually be found on the pockets or the hem of the jeans. Put these jeans below with one of the shirts found above and you're ready to go!


Quicksilver "Santiago" Plaid Shorts



William Rast "Danny" Flap Pocket Bootcut Jeans

Shoes: Sneakers and sandals are going to be the thing to wear this summer. But throw those old Tiva's away and grab a new pair of Pumas. I thought these two pairs below were pretty awesome. They're sporty, fashionable and most importantly, comfy. I put in the green pair for Simon. I thought he'd think those were spiffy. In fact, I think he had a pair in high school pretty similar??



Onitsuka Tiger™ 'Fencing LA™' Sneaker





Puma 'RS100 LE' Running Shoe

Well there's a quick fashion tutorial for you. All of the descriptions are links to the product at Nordstrom. If you want any advice or ideas for future fashion posts, just leave a comment!

Ninja Hamster that Sings

Readers wanted ninjas, so I have brought you ninjas....well kinda. This ninja is a hamster that twirls his nunchaku and sings “Kung Fu Fighting” (though that does not make sense to me - ninjas don't sing Kung Fu songs)! He kinda reminds me of Master Splinter, but not nearly as funny! I know many of you probably cannot live without this ninja rodent so here is the Product Page

More Chuck Norris 5!

Chuck Norris never cries, because of this when he's sad he roundhouse kicks himself and it makes him feel better since he knows he is the only one who can survive the roundhouse.

Chuck Norris does not procreate, he breeds

When asked what type of vehicle he drives, Chuck Norris responded slyly with "Don't you mean what kind of vehicle drives me?"

Chuck Norris' evil twin brother, Richard Simmons, once approached Chuck with the hope of reconciliation, but at the sight of Richard's curly, well kept hair, Chuck Norris became so enraged that he turned green with hate and ripped Richard Simmons arms and legs off. This action was the origin of the Marvel Comic badass, The Incredible Hulk.

Chuck Norris doesn't worry about changing his clock twice a year for daylight savings time. The sun rises and sets when Chuck tells it to.

Chuck Norris only masturbates to pictures of Chuck Norris.

Filming on location for Walker: Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris brought a stillborn baby lamb back to life by giving it a prolonged beard rub. Shortly after the farm animal sprang back to life and a crowd had gathered, Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked the animal, breaking its neck, to remind the crew once more that Chuck giveth, and the good Chuck, he taketh away.

Chuck Norris was the fourth Wiseman. He brought baby Jesus the gift of “beard”. Jesus wore it proudly to his dying day. The other Wisemen, jealous of Jesus’ obvious gift favoritism, used their combined influence to have Chuck omitted from the Bible. Shortly after all three died of roundhouse kick related deaths.

Chuck Norris used live ammunition during all shoot-outs. When a director once said he couldn’t, he replied, “Of course I can, I’m Chuck Norris,” and roundhouse kicked him in the face.

If paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper, what beats all 3 at the same time? Answer: Chuck Norris.

Who’s Doin’ it Bloggystyle!

Check out the 10 biggest Blog spots in the U.S. Denver, Colorado, home of the SiBlog, didn’t make cut it, despite having a huge IT base. I guess everyone’s out skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, drinking or hitting up too many Dungeon and Dragons conferences. All of the young single Denver men be out chasing other Blog instead of sticking with their own! Among the top ten were cities like DC, San Fran, LA, Harlem, Portland and more...Check it out!

http://outside.in/news/bloggiest_neighborhoods.php

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/26/07

Random

-Bullshit Button - Calling your friends out with a Staples-like button
-Bizarre Airplane Pics - just look

Daily Video

How to tie your shoes....but faster! The other night I was out with some buddies bowling and I showed one of my good friends this trick. She was so excited that she decided to show everyone in our group....and before long I was teaching a group of adults how to tie their shoes.

More Chuck Norris 4!

Once a grizzly bear threatened to eat Chuck Norris. Chuck showed the bear his fist and the bear proceeded to eat himself, because it would be the less painful way to die.

If Chuck Norris is late, time better slow the f down

Chuck Norris sleeps with a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris can touch MC Hammer.

Chuck Norris ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.

A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Chuck Norris and that you will be handicapped if you park there.

Chuck Norris frequently donates blood to the Red Cross. Just never his own.

There is no such thing as tornados. Chuck Norris just hates trailer parks.

Giant Microbes

Thanks for the post Paige


Meet Syphilis

Thanks to Giant Microbes, now you can get the Clap without actually getting the Clap! Giant Microbes specializes in making stuffed animals that look like tiny microbes—only a million times actual size! They are fun for everyone! Give your dog Rabies. Carry the Flu. And even give your girlfriend Syphilis! But be careful mixing these stuffed animals with your old favorites, they could be deadly!

Make your own Paper Wallet!

Make your Own Paper Wallet!

Have you ever wanted to make your own wallet, how about do some Origami, or are you just excited about having an arts and crafts night. Well, here is your opportunity! This website helps you through the steps needed to accomplish this extraordinary endeavour. http://www.instructables.com/id/S9331VJF3DES9J73YS/

Check it out! You can fit bills and credit cards in this rugged billfold and it’s much thinner than a leather or vinyl one. Personalize it and show it off to your friends! You can even find out how to make your own wallet out of an old keyboard circuit sheet.

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/25/07

Random

-Chrono Shedder - Shreds your calendar days as each days passes. Cool idea but it seems messy.
-Keychain Lens Cleaner - Good idea for people with glasses or those who wear sunglasses obsessively
-Google Phone? - Interesting
-Booze Belt - Sweet belt for hard alcohol

Daily Video
I am going to torment you with Red vs. Blue videos until the series ends! This video is the newest episode (95) that just came out yesterday

Roofie'd No More!!

Have you ever been in the bar and trusted someone a little too much to get a drink for you and then next thing you remember is....well, nothing? I have. And thanks to Simon, my trusty friend who happened to be with me that night, we have a solution: Spikey Drink Spiking Stopper.

"Spikey is a small plastic single use stopper that prevents your drink from being spiked when left unattended. The device is inserted into the neck of a bottle, leaving a hole that is only big enough for a straw to pass through. Naturally, this would make it much more difficult to slip drugs or alcohol into the drink."

So, next time you're at that bar, it's better to be safe than sorry! Spikey Stop your drink today!!

For more information about Date Rape Drugs, please visit the following sites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-hydroxybutyrate

http://www.emergency.com/roofies.htm

http://www.4woman.gov/faq/rohypnol.htm

Firefox Tips

Check out some of these great Firefox tips courtesy of Lifehacker.

Open search results in a new tab

This first tip is great! Do you use your search box in the top right hand corner of Firefox....I use mine all the time. This tip simply opens a new tab for you when you search with that tool. Before I had to hit Ctrl+T to get a new tab and then search, now this will do it for me!

Firefox Tip: Open search results in a new tab

When you Ctrl+K to the Google search box in Firefox, type your terms and hit Enter, the results appear in your current tab - but it's easy to make 'em open a whole new tab so you don't lose your current page. The How-To Geek explains:

Type about:config into the address bar, and then put the following into the filter box: browser.search.openintab. Double-click the value to change it to true.

Restore Session

Geek to Live: Top Firefox 2 config tweaks

Fx 2.0 only: As a blogger and web mail user, it breaks my heart to recount how many times I've composed a long post or email message, then accidentally closed the tab or browser and lost all my work. No more! With Firefox 2, set the browser.startup.page key to 3 to restore your browsing session - with form entries intact! - every time you start your browser or undo close tab after a wayward click. Note: By default, Firefox 2 automatically restores your session if your browser crashes - but this does it every time you restart your browser normally. Thanks for the tip, Arun!

* Key: browser.startup.page
* Modified Value: 3
* Default: 1 (open your specified homepages)

Update: Ryan points out that doing it this way is like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer. To do it the normal person way, from the Tools menu choose Options, and in the Main area, select "Show my windows and tabs from last time" from the "When Firefox starts" dropdown. D'oh! Thanks Ryan!

Tab width before scrolling kicks in

Geek to Live: Top Firefox 2 config tweaks

Fx 2.0 only: The biggest interface changes in Firefox 2 involve tabbed browsing. Power surfers who open more than a dozen tabs will notice that Firefox 2 minimizes tabs to a certain width, then sets the excess to scroll off the tab bar with left and right arrows. As someone who often has more than a dozen tabs open, not being able to see them all made me crazy. One solution is to reduce the minimum tab width so that more tabs fit in the bar before the scroll kicks in. The default is 100 pixels; I found that 75 worked better for me - page titles were still readable, but more tabs could fit. Compare 100 width, which fits 7 tabs across at this size (see Lifehacker for pics)

To disable tab scrolling entirely, set the value to 0.

* Key: browser.tabs.tabMinWidth
* Modified Value: 75 (fit in more tabs before overflow enables scroll)
* Alternate Modified Value: 0 (disable scroll entirely)
* Default: 100

Looking for some more tips? Go here!

Build-a-Couch with Lego Couches

They may not look comfortable, but boy are they cool!

These Lego shaped blocks of comfort completely change the whole meaning of rearranging the couches! How could you ever get bored of these...and talk about being able to create a sweet fort! I may just be selling my recently purchased couches!

This Lego-shaped Sofa, named Bekky, not only looks like Lego’s, but acts like Lego’s too. These building block Lego pieces of furniture can actually be rearranged into any creation you want (if you have the money to buy enough to make your creation). If you get tired of your Lego couch design one day, just rearrange the blocks and you have yourself a whole new couch.

The Lego Sofa set retails for a price of $466, which really is a reasonable price for ANY sofa, let alone a cool looking Lego sofa. Looks like it could be comfortable too.

Here is the product page if you want to buy one - No Made Design

A little Known Fact about Simon And Chuck Norris!

One day a former friend asked me, "Who do you think would win between Mr. T and Chuck Norris?" The words barely made it from his mouth before a fatal roundhouse crushed his face. True story! Mr. T chimed in, "I pity the fool..." and they chuckled and High-Fived. The magnitude of their hand's colliding unfurled the most colossal event yielding changes in 'earth, wind and fire', a mediocre band, and the birth of brother Simon.

So to this day Simon has super human strength. I repeat, don't test him! I once saw him destroy The Ultimate Warrior and Micael Bolton with two back to back double roundhouse kicks while simultaneously beating Super Mario 3 and humming Stairway to Heaven on his Harmonica. It was one of those Harmonica's that sits on your face while you play.

It's reported that the first double round house to Michael Bolton's face made him straight. Unfortunately the second killed him and crumpled John Tesh's saxophone!

More Chuck Norris 3!

Rudolph has a red nose because he got lippy and Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked him across the face several times

China was once bordering the United States, until Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked it all the way through the Earth.

Chuck Norris is what Willis was talking about

If you have five dollars and Chuck Norris has five dollars, Chuck Norris has more money than you.

Chuck Norris sent Jesus a birthday card on December 25th and it wasn't Jesus’ birthday. Jesus was to scared to correct Chuck Norris and to this day December 25th is known as Jesus' birthday.

When Chuck Norris had surgery, the anesthesia was applied to the doctors.

Chuck Norris once broke the land speed record on a bicycle that was missing its chain and the back tire.

Chuck Norris once kicked a baby elephant into puberty

Multiple people have died from Chuck Norris giving them the finger.

Chuck Norris once tried to wear glasses. The result was him seeing around the world to the point where he was looking at the back of his own head.

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/24/07

Random
-5 Strange Gadgets - Weird gadgets...like a wooden Olympus Camera
-Halo 3 Action Leaked - Pretty sweet stuff but the music sucks
-Donut Clock - every hour is a different treat!
-Kryptonite discovered in mine - Better keep Superman away
-Cookie with edible nutrition facts - not amazing, but interesting. Reminds me of grocery store cakes with your picture on them

Daily Video
I put this in my Daily SiBlurbs as just a link a few weeks back, but since no one commented on it I figured no one watched it. This is a pilot for a TV series that Ben Stiller was to produce in 1999. It stars Jack Black and Owen Wilson and here is the plot: An astronaut, Jack Austin (Jack Black), flew too close to the sun, his brain expanded—"like cookie dough"—and he became three times smarter than the smartest man on earth, though only when the sun is up. "Heat Vision" (Voiced by Owen Wilson) is his motorcycle, sidekick, and unemployed best friend, formerly known as Doug. Heat Vision was transformed from human to motorcycle by character actor Ron Silver. Heat Vision and Jack fight crime and aliens while be chased by Ron Silver who is always hot on their tracks. This is 30 minutes long but I think it is worth it - check it!

Bacon Traffic

I figure that this picture is fake and was Photoshop'd, but I like to think it is real

Makes sense huh? I think I would be more understanding if traffic was because of bacon...or maybe I would be in more of a rush because I would want bacon too! Healthy people and vegetarians would definitely be upset

This Week in Health, Fitness and Science

A Good Week For:

• X-Files: A little while back, France opened up it's UFO files. Some of the stories and sitings can be accounted for by plausible scientific reasons or are blatantly ridiculous. Like the lady who reported a UFO that looked like a giant roll of toilet paper. We obviously know it wasn't Chuck Norris' spacecraft because he doesn't take s**t from anybody or anything. Other sitings and stories however made a good case for signs of extraterrestrial life. http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn11443-france-opens-up-its-ufo-files.html
  
• Me: From birth, rats are inherently scared of cat urine for obvious survival reasons. However, after infection with the brain parasite Toxoplasma Gondii the rats became attracted to the cat urine making them easier prey. Anyways, I am currently enrolling single attractive females in my own research study. It is a simple study and involves tiny little things that are unseen by the naked eye, a quick signature on a boring form, my urine and your hormones. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070403-cats-rats.html
  
• Chickens: An anaysis of 20 studies and almost 4,000 patients revealed that Chondroitin, the popular supplement, doesn't provide any significant symptomatic relief for arthritis patients. Chondroitin Sulfate is a structural component found in cartilage and can be derived from chicken keel cartilage. Chondroitin was proposed to help with osteoarthritis by helping restore damaged cartilage. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_47949.html
• An Uprising: A comprehensive study by some blasphemers stated that cured meats like bacon and hot dogs increase your risk of lung disease. Who believes that? The study was probably done by a bunch of vegetarians! Booo!!! These blasphemers obviously didn't take into account the euphoria and lasting enjoyment it provides! They also didn't factor in how it keeps you warm in the winter. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_47967.html
  

A Bad Week For:

• Men: Men need not apply! Scientists think women may soon be able to produce their own sperm leading to a possible all female conception. I really have no comment on this one other than, sorry ladies, you still can't pee standing up!
  http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2444462.ece

Browser Stats - SiBloggers Love Firefox

Since I have added Google Analytics to Teh SiBlog I have come to realize just how useful of a tool it is. It breaks down every possible stat for me - from where in the world my visitors are coming from, to where in the internet I am getting my hits from. So the other day I was playing around with Google Analytics and found a new tool within it that gives me browser stats. After playing with the dates to get my whole sites timeline I was happy and proud to see that over 70% of our visitors use Firefox as their browser! Cheers to you and keep spreading Firefox!

More Chuck Norris 2!

Chuck Norris is ten feet tall, weighs two-tons, breathes fire, and could eat a hammer and take a shotgun blast standing.

Chuck Norris is a man of few words. Chuck Norris is not a man of few roundhouse kicks to the face.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse actually live in Chuck Norris's nutsack.

When observing a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick in slow motion, one finds that Chuck Norris actually smokes a cigarette with Dennis Leary, and then roundhouse kicks them in the face.

Chuck Norris put humpty dumpty back together again, only to roundhouse kick him in the face. Later Chuck dined on scrambled eggs with all the king's horses and all the king's men. The king himself could not attend for unspecified reasons. Coincidentally, the autopsoy revealed the cause of death to be a roundhouse kick to the face. There is only one King.

When Chuck Norris played golf for money, chuck marked down a hole in 0 every time, a pro at the golf club, said to Chuck: "excuse me sir, but you cant score zero on a hole". Chuck Norris turned towards the man and said, im Chuck Norris, the man then proceeded to pour gas over his body and set himself on fire because that would be less painful than getting roundhouse kicked by Chuck Norris, Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked him in the face anyways.

Chuck Norris made Ellen Degeneres straight.

Chuck Norris kicked Neo out of Zion , now Neo is "The Two"

Chuck Norris' iPod came with a real charger instead of just a USB cord

Chuck Norris knows where Carmen Sandiego is.

PsyBlog

Hello! My name is Paige, and as the newest addition to Teh SiBlog, I thought I'd share a little bit about myself and share an idea about a topic to add to this site.

I've known Simon since the good ol' days of Tony's Meats, making our pastries and selling our overpriced coffee. Somehow I made my way out to SoCal (Southern California) where I just graduated with my Psychology degree this past December. My other interests include reading up on pop culture, the financial industry, and the oh so important, beer promotional work.

Being that I am a psychology major, I thought I'd add "PsyBlog" . My hope is that I can share some interesting Psychology articles or facts! Please give me your feedback and comments!


And for my first post.....

Phobias. We all have something or someone that makes us nervous or anxious. However, when do you know that that nervousness or anxiety is a little too much to handle? Perhaps it's preventing you from living a "normal, functional" life? It is possible that you have a phobia.

According to Dictionary.com, a phobia is described as "a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it." A couple phobias that are worth noting are:

• Kathisophobia - the fear of sitting down (this could be a problem in many ways).
• Melophobia - the fear or hatred of music
• Pediophobia - the fear of dolls
• Pogonophobia - the fear of beards

And a few "serious" ones:

• Nyctophobia - the fear of night or darkness
• Pteromerhanophobia - the fear of flying
• Soceraphobia - fear of parents-in-law
• Triskaidekaphobia- fear of the number 13

If you'd like to see the most lengthy list of phobias, you can visit phobialist.com. Let me know what you think!

Online Dating: Outside the Box!

In "The Week" magazine I came across some nontraditional online dating sites. They look promising!

Airtroductions.com - Choose your next in-flight seatmate based on online profiles! It Definitely ups your chances for some in-flight romance.

Trekpassions.com - Use the internet to scan the Galaxy for a date! Free Sci Fi dating and networking. Set your dating prospects criteria based on their favorite Star Trek character or best episode of Dr. Who.

Darwindating.com - Accepts only good looking members. Apparently it promises no "ugly, unattractive, desperate fatsos." You get to vote on new prospective members. If they don't meet the minimum requirements then they get booted from the site.

I'm going to put up a new online dating site that will sort and match all members using the basic criteria of favorite Chuck Norris movie, favorite Chuck Norris hairstyle, favorite Chuck Norris roundhouse kick, and finally based upon their score to the Chuck Norris Worthiness Test. This is just to celebrate 10 Days of Chuck Norris!

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/23/07

Random

-Grand Piano DJ Setup - Grand Baby Piano Turntable Set
-Sweet Wine Glass - Wine fills into the base of it!
-Mini Cooper Stretch Limo - I think that is a oxymoron
-Amazing Praying Mantis Photo - Really cool pic
-Croc eats boy after boy teases croc - Title says it all

Daily Video
In the Spirit of Chuck Norris...

Diet Coke with Bacon

Waitress: What can I get for you two to drink?
Walter: I'll do a Pepsi, please!
Beatrice: Why I'll do a Diet Coke with Bacon!

Please Welcome Paige to Teh SiBlog

We have a new poster to Teh SiBlog and her name happens to be Paige. She has been a friend of mine for many many years as well as a reader/commenter of this blog since its early days. She has given me many recommendations in the past as well as some other great ideas so I am very excited to see her posts! She can probably tell you more about herself but in the meantime please welcome her to Teh SiBlog!

More Chuck Norris 1!

Chuck Norris is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a darn Indian.

There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist.

In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.

The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Chuck Norris out. It failed misserably.

Crop circles are Chuck Norris' way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie the f down.

Chuck Norris once commented, "There are few problems in this world that cannot be solved by a swift roundhouse kick to the face. In fact, there are none."

Chuck Norris once ate an entire ream of rice paper and shat out origami swans and Mister Miyagi from Karate Kid.

Last Weeks Poll Results and New Changes

Here are the results from last weeks poll:
1st - Bacon Posts (71.4%)
2nd - Video Posts (42.9%)
3rd - Comical and Health Posts (28.6%)
4th - Political, Other and Don't change anything (14.3%)
5th - Tech and Daily News (0%)

I am pumped that Bacon took first and I will continue to make Bacon posts...in fact I have a slew of salty swine waiting for you this week. The shocking part of the poll is that no one likes my tech posts (nerd-haters), sooo instead I will now post daily ramblings, funnies, etc and a daily video that may be funny, informational or whatever I feel like. I will post all of these to the Daily SiBlurbs so definitely remember to check these out at the end of the day. Many of the links to this daily post are stuff I would love to write about, but unfortunately I have a J-O-B. I will continue to post important tech related news even if you like it or not...and that is because I am a nerd!

Zach will continue to cover the health stuff because I can be a very unhealthy individual at some times (or most times).....And between the two of us I am sure we can dig up a few political posts to get everyone a little riled up. Oh ya!...and maybe some more Top Tens, Chuck Norris and Ninjas!

Any more requests can be sent to us via email.

Nacchio Guilty of 19 Counts of Criminal Insider Trading

With all the Virginia Tech stuff going on I totally missed this! I wish he would have been guilty on more counts, but I am glad that they at least caught him.

Prison life could jolt Nacchio

Joe Nacchio, once accustomed to a seven-figure salary and multimillion-dollar bonuses, could soon be earning 12 to 40 cents an hour doing menial labor as a federal prison inmate.

It's a dramatic fall for the former Qwest chief executive, who was found guilty Thursday of 19 counts of criminal insider trading. Each count could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

In prison, Nacchio, who earned an annual salary of $1.17 million from Qwest, could expect to work seven hours a day as a food server, plumber, painter, warehouse worker or groundskeeper, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He could use his new salary to buy items from the prison commissary or to pay his phone bill.

"Club Fed does not exist anymore," said California attorney Alan Ellis, co-author of the "Federal Prison Guidebook."

"These places suck. The amenities are not what you're used to - there are probably no toilet doors. You're showering with everybody else. Your job is menial, and you're away from your loved ones and friends."

Nacchio is scheduled to be sentenced July 27. If sent to prison, the former hard-charging executive would have a structured day.

Wake-up is at 6 a.m. Lights out at 9 p.m. At the 4 p.m. daily count, all inmates must stand at their bunks to be tallied.

Legal analysts say it's likely that Nacchio, 57, would be sent to a low-security federal prison. These facilities feature a double-fenced perimeter and mostly dormitory or cubicle housing.

"If you're a 'master of the universe' type, as most CEO's are, prison can be a very difficult experience," said Ellis, who specializes in the defense of white-collar offenders. "No longer are you giving orders; you're taking orders."

Other convicted executives, including former Enron chief executive Jeff Skilling and former WorldCom chief executive Bernard Ebbers, are serving time in similar prisons.

"He is entering a whole new world. It's almost like going to a foreign country," said Jeffrey Ian Ross, a criminology professor at the University of Baltimore and author of several books, including "Behind Bars: Surviving Prison." "Your time is not your own - you wake up when someone tells you to, you wear a uniform. It's a very regimented lifestyle."

Nacchio's attorney's have said they will appeal the conviction.

As a federal prison inmates, Nacchio would be limited to 300 minutes of phone calls each month. He could not accept incoming calls. Nacchio would be able to put his wages toward his phone bill. He also could spend his earnings at the commissary on items such as toiletries, stamps and snacks.

His wife, two sons and other approved visitors would be able to visit at least once a week.

If sentenced to prison, Nacchio also wouldn't have to pack a big suitcase. Inmates are limited to bringing in a wedding band - no stones - a religious book and medallion. No family photos or other personal items are allowed.

Of the 195,820 inmates currently serving time in the federal prison system, 53.6 percent are doing time for drug offenses, followed by 14.3 percent who are in for "weapons, explosives and arson." Slightly more than 4 percent were convicted for "extortion, fraud and bribery," the category Nacchio would fall under.

Low-security prisons house the largest percentage of the population, with 38.5 percent.

Ellis said he believes Nacchio has a good chance of ending up in a minimum-security prison, also known as a camp, which usually has no perimeter fencing. Martha Stewart served in such a facility.

"If he goes to a camp, he's highly unlikely to see any hint of violence," he said. "That's the ideal solution."

Chuck Norris!!!

BY POPULAR DEMAND!
THE TOP TEN
CHUCK NORRIS FACTS:

Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever!

Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers the
probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.

If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see
Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and
unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized,
Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back.
The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should
have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of
the month.

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris built a time machine and went back in time to stop
the JFK assassination. As Oswald shot, Chuck Norris met all three bullets
with his beard, deflecting them. JFK's head exploded out of sheer amazement.

Chuck Norris has already been to Mars; that's why there are no signs of
life there.

They once made a Chuck Norris toilet paper, but it wouldn't take shit
from anybody.

A blind man once stepped on Chuck Norris' shoe. Chuck replied,
"Don't you know who I am? I'm Chuck Norris!" The mere mention
of his name cured this man blindness. Sadly the first, last, and only
thing this man ever saw, was a fatal roundhouse delivered by Chuck Norris.

I hope you enjoyed this introduction into the legend known as
Chuck Norris. This is the first installment in a series of
Chuck Norris education blogs. Stay tuned for the 10 Days of Norris!

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/20/07

It is a lazy Friday today....so that means limited links

Tech
-Office Depot Xbox 360 Clearance - Only $399.99 for platinum addition
-Airsoft Roomba kits up with plastic pellets - Roomba that shoots
-Magic Backup Camera's Video Stays Hidden Away Until You Need It - Check it out

Random
-Ugly X-Ray - Nasty X-Ray
-Fast Food: Ads vs Reality - I don't remember if I posted this earlier but....

...And One Pipe to Rule Them All

A few weeks ago I wrote an article on Yahoo! Pipes and how I thought that it was going to revolutionize the internet and RSS feeds. I don't think anyone really read the article and believed me. Since then I have played around with it more and think that it is one of the most useful tools on the internet right now. If you are an information junkie or a blog fanatic like myself then this tool is for you.

I follow and read about 5-10 blogs a day to keep me up-to-date on the latest in technology and random stuff. I used to pull each one of these blogs up in their separate tabs (in Firefox) and use the ReloadEvery Firefox add-on to make them relaod every 5 minutes or so. I would scan each of them once every few hours to see what was new. Yahoo! Pipes has simplified all of this into one nice Pipe. I simply grabbed all of the RSS feeds from each blog (plus mine) and the RSS feed from Digg.com and placed them into one Pipe. In this Pipe I limit what Digg articles can come through by their DuggCount and then sort everything by their publication date. After that, I run the ReloadEvery Firefox extension on it so I know I am getting the most current data. In the end I get one feed that has pretty much everything that I read in a day. The possibilities really are endless with this tool. I sure I will soon send a good news feed through this Pipe to make it even more useful!

Why not use any other simple RSS feed reader? Yahoo! Pipes is the only feed reader that I know of that lets you add logic and filters to your feed. Not only can you aggregate all of the feeds into one but you can also filter the content that you really read. Another great feature is that you can create as many Pipes as you want. For example you could create a Tech Pipe and a News Pipe and a Medical Pipe and so on and so forth....and then if you wanted all of that content together you could create a Pipe that aggregates all of those Pipes. Once again, the possibilities are endless with this tool. So, if you read dozens of sites and blogs a day I recommend making your life simpler with Yahoo! Pipes.

Did You Know?

Did You Know: It never fails! You hop in the pool, hot tub or even a nice bubble bath (lavender is my favorite) and sure enough within minutes you need to 'Pee'. Why is that? Well the culprit behind this nuisance is the pressure exerted by the water on your carotid arteries.

Your 2 carotid arteries are found in your neck and work to get blood up to your brain. When they sense pressure, the arteries trigger your heart to produce Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) which causes you to pee. Concurrently, other hormones that cause you to retain water are being down regulated such as Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) and Aldosterone. Ultimately, you get that urge to urinate.

The most likely reason we have this response is that the receptors in the carotids sense the pressure increase and think it is due to high blood pressure. One way your body deals with high blood pressure is by ultimately decreasing overall blood volume by filtering some of the blood fluid into your pee. Hence we urinate!

My other alternative hypothesis for this adaptation is a purely primalistic/hunter-gatherer/ evolutionary response to being strangled. If someone has their hands around your neck (pressure on the carotids) then, naturally, your going to do whatever you can to get away. If that means peeing in their face, so be it. If that means wetting yourself, so be it. I can't think of a better, more honorable way to die than in a puddle of your own urine.

So now you know! Don't wear your tie to tight, don't swim in the baby pool and when someone has their hands around your neck then just unleash hell, fire and water and pray for the 'Piss Shiver'! That quick convulsion may be all you need to save your life!

Mustache Nose Cups

Ever wanted to know what your sister would look like with a big nose and a mustache? Me too! But instead of expensive plastic surgery and a strict diet of Rogaine and steroids, simply purchase these Mustache Nose Cups!

This Week in Health, Fitness and Science

A Good Week For:

• Michael Jackson: Researchers have found a genetic link to the rare skin disease Vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin disease where skin cells that produce pigment, Melanocytes, are destroyed leaving white patches of skin. Michael Jackson is said to suffer from Vitiligo and new research may help treat this disease.
  
• Roofers: A new study has shown that Tai Chi may boost older adult's immunity to Shingles virus, Varicella Zoster. Shingles is an infection in sensory nerves that manifests as nerve pain and fluid filled vesicles. Varicella Zoster is the same virus that causes Chicken Pox, their is now a vaccine that can help prevent both of them. Shingles really doesn't have anything to do with roofing or the craft of building a roof. Nonetheless, It's my personal opinion that the elderly should stay off the top of their house, even if they perform Tai Chi or not.
  
• Mud Wrestling: Scientists at Bristol University think they have found a link to depression and the bacteria Mycobacterium Vaccae. M. Vaccae is a bacteria found to inhabit both dirt and the human gut. It has been implicated in an improvement in the quality of life in cancer patients by activating neurons that produce serotonin. Deficits in serotinin are linked to depression, and drugs like Prozac help boost brain serotonin levels. Hmmm, me thinks this is another reason that mud wrestling leads to so much joy and elation!

A Bad Week For:

• Keith Richards: Since large amounts of Niacin, a B Vitamin, which is used by individuals trying to beat a urine drug test has been shown to be very toxic. Excessive Niacin has caused some individual's problems such as liver toxicity, heart palpitations and acidosis.
  
• Keith Richards: Keith Richards reportedly said that he snorted a mixture of cocaine and his deceased fathers cremated remains. Some people keep the cremated remains in an urn, some spread them across a forest, but Keith Richards keeps them in his nasal cavity real close to his brain. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, off the record of course, that maybe all those years of Niacin toxicity finally caught up with him! I've heard some weird stories and heard of other routes of drug administration.... Anyways no one wants to know about Heroin suppositories, especially the late Mr. Richards!
  

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/19/07

Tech
-Gizmodo: Source: iPhone Either Getting Delayed or Will Have Thin Launch - iPhone could be delayed
-Engadget: Hitachi's 1TB 7K1000 hard drive gets reviewed - 1TB Hard Drive...Oh mi Gato!
-Consumerist: Blackberry Owes You A New Girlfriend - Why didn't she just call him?
-Froogle Dead - Froogle has been renamed “Google Product Search”

Random
-Wedding Pills - Take your vows and take a drink
-DaysAgo - Timer to put on your food to track how old it is
-Desktop Pitching Machine: Batting Practice At The Office - This mini pitching machine comes with 12 soft plastic mini-baseballs and a collapsable bat that can fold up for easy storage
-Woman Registers a .47 on Breath Tester - That is really really drunk

Red vs. Blue: Blood Gulch Chronicles Coming to an End

I know I have posted stuff in the past about the Red vs. Blue series and no one has made any comments because no one really cares....well I am going to do it again. Red vs. Blue is a machinima comic science fiction video series created by Rooster Teeth Productions that started many moons ago with Halo 1. Since it has started it has pumped out 4 complete seasons (plus a spin-off) and is now on its 5th. Season 5 and the the whole "Blood Gulch Chronicles" series will end at episode 100 (They are currently at episode 94). Don't worry I am sure there will be another series from these guys soon!
So say one night you are completely bored and you have already watched those Friends seasons 1-10 DVDs too many times, then I have the solution for you! Just watch each one of these seasons below to get caught up on one of the greatest gamer/geek shows ever! It is funny. It is suspenseful. It is stupid. And it is Halo. Watch it!


Season 1 - Kinda choppy but you can follow it...and the characters are not quite developed yet


Season 2


Season 3


Season 4


Season 5 - Episodes 78-92. You can find the newest episodes (93 & 94) at the Red vs. Blue homepage


Mini-Series: Out of Mind


Enjoy!

Teh SiBlog Comments, Questions, Suggestions, Requests Email

Do you want to see a post about Ninjas? Or do you think that my posts really suck? Or do you think we should start doing more posts on Chuck Norris? If so, then send us an email! Down at the bottom of the page and to the left is an email address where you can send us your thoughts....or I will just post it here, Duh! Notice that it is in the format of a picture? That way the email address wont get picked up by everyones spam spiders (I hope). Speaking of that...No Spam please, we have already eaten plenty of it in my life! Can't wait to hear from you!

What Blogs do you Read?

Readers, I need your help! I read about 6-8 blogs/sites a day to help keep me up to date on the buzz around the internet. From these blogs/sites I get inspiration and ideas for posts to my blog. I want to know what blogs/sites you read! I know you don't just get your information from me...because that would be scary! There are some great sites out there that offer a lot of content and information, I want to know about them! I am sure there are a few jewels that I don't know about! I also think there are some silent readers out there that don't ever comment and would like to hear from them too! Tell me!

Pee & Poo: Helping your Kids Learn about Feces!

Pee and Poo are two of the oddest kids toys/characters that I have ever seen. They are designed to teach kids about toilet stuff and the facts of life. I can totally see this going in the wrong direction - "Timmy couldn't find his Poo doll today and instead started playing with his own Poo".....But what do I know, they could be a great idea to get kids to want to learn how to use the toilet like big boys and girls!

Also, you can send Pee and Poo ecards to your friends and family....lucky them! I already sent an ecard to my girlfriend and she was pumped! Oh, and guess what else? Adults can also purchase tighty-whities with the Pee logo on the front and the Poo logo on the back! Now you won't get confused either!

[via Random Good Stuff]

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/18/07

Tech
-SlashGear: Save the classics with the Plus Deck Cassette Converter - remember all those sweet mixes you made from taping them off the radio? Now you can save them for eternity!
-Engadget: Google Phone launching end of 2007? - Will Google take on the phone industry?
-Lifehacker: Google Maps mashup shows "Who is Sick?" in your area - Find out what the cool sickness of the week is with Google Maps and WhoIsSick!

Random
-Gizmodo: Hotdoll - I don't even know what to say for this dog toy
-Girl's sick feet - If you had the urge to throw-up today
-Sweet chairs that transform into art - Pretty cool idea
-Consumerist: 3 Confessions From A Former Used Car Salesman - Great tips to read before going to buy a car.
-Desktop Trebuchet - Assault your co-workers with this handy desktop trebuchet

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

Taken from Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund from official Virginia Tech website. Leave a donation if you are able.

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

* Grief counseling
* Memorials
* Communication expenses
* Comfort expenses
* Incidental needs

In the wake of this tragedy, we are confident that Hokie Spirit will only grow stronger and more resilient. We thank you for your continued support.

Happy Birthday Zach!!!!!!!

Since it is the birthday of one of Teh SiBlog posters, let's take a look at some interesting information about April 18th:

Special:
-International Jugglers Day
-National Columnists Day
-National School Librarian Day
-Zimbabwe – Independence Day.

Events:
-1506 - The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid.
-1906 - An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9, destroys much of San Francisco, California.
-1923 - Yankee Stadium, "The House that Ruth Built", opens.
-1946 - The League of Nations is dissolved.
-1987 - Mike Schmidt joins the 500 home run club.
-1999 - Hockey player Wayne Gretzky's number (99) is retired league wide in the NHL.
-2005 - Adobe Systems announced an agreement to acquire Macromedia.
-2007 - The US Supreme Court upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in a 5-4 decision split along partisan lines. (just today!)

Births:
-1947 - James Woods, American actor
-1976 - Melissa Joan Hart, American actress

Deaths:
-1955 - Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879)

AquaSkipper - You too can look like an Idiot!

Ever wanted to hop across the lake and look like a complete idiot while doing it? Well, now you can with this new invention called the AquaSkipper! With it's patented design, hydrofoil wings and fiberglass spring let you fly across the water by hopping up and down. So take-on the surf. Try new tricks. Race your friends. Turn heads everywhere you ride. And look completely stupid! Get one now at Inventist

Did You Know?

Did you Know: When was the last time you gulped down a slurpee too fast, or dug into your Ben and Jerry's too excessively causing that obnoxious, acute headache known as a 'Brain Freeze'? A 'Brain Freeze' or Spheno Palatine Ganglioneuralgia is a term for the head pain experienced after rapid ingestion of a cold substance like ice cream.

The cause of the 'Brain Freeze' is due to the cold substance contacting the roof of your mouth. The cold sensation causes constriction of the blood vessels to conserve heat. The blood vessels then massively dilate causing pain. The pain is then transmitted to the brain causing discomfort behind the eyes and the front of the head. It can also be transmitted to other area like the arm. 'Brain Freeze' relief can be accomplished by pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth, sipping room temperature fluid, or making a mask with your hands and breathing into them. Interestingly enough migraine sufferers experience this much more frequently than non migraine sufferers.

So think twice before shoving your head under the Slurpee machine and 'wease the juice'!

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/17/07

Tech
-Wired:Intel Metro Notebook: LL Cool Laptop - Sweet new laptop with two screens (kinda like a flip phone)
-Gizmodo: Xbox-Top: Giant Japanese 12-inch LCD for the 360 - A screen that fits directly on your Xbox 360
-Engadget: SolidAlliance's USB FoodHub: we recommend the special - Plate of yummy USB eats
-Random Good Stuff: Haier Micro-Phone - Really cool tiny phone
-Engadget: Xbox 360 Laptop mk2 - Beginning of a 3 step DIY program to building your own Xbox 360 Laptop
-Gizmodo: Wi-Fi Fish Tank Lets You Care for Your Goldfish From Afar - Control everything in your aquarium via WiFi when on vacation!
-Trade Your Old Xbox for a 360 Elite trade in your old school or new school Xbox for a new elite....or just sell me your new school Xbox 360
-TechCrunch: Google’s Office Suite Complete: Google “PowerPoint” Confirmed - With Word and Excel already covered, Google is now planning on releasing a PowerPoint competitor

Random
-Nile Crocodile Bites Veterinarean's Arm Off (pictures) - Pretty gross, but doctors successfully reattached the arm
-Fast Food Ads vs. Reality - Great look at what fast food companies advertise to what they deliver

Virginia Tech Shooting: Ismail Ax and Richard McBeef

Interesting discussions about Cho Seung Hui are going on around the web and especially over at Wired and boing boing. Some claim to have found a picture of him, while others speculate on the words "Ismail Ax", which were scrawled on the inside of his arm. No one knows for sure about any of this yet but they are some interesting theories out there. If you are interested, take a look at some of the data I have gathered so far...

A lot has come out about Cho Seung Hui, 23, the man police have named as the shooter. He was an English major at Virginia Tech, whose creative writing so disturbed his teachers that he was referred to the school's counseling service. He may have been taking medication for depression.

The most detail comes from the Chicago Tribune, which reports that Cho left a note in his dorm railing against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus. He died with the words "Ismail Ax" scrawled in red ink on one of his arms. (If you know what that means, let us know).

Police are reportedly searching Cho's computer for clues to what drove him. Surprisingly, though, there seems to be nothing on the internet. Cho has no apparent Google hits predating today. He's an English major who wrote creatively, but seems to have never shared his thoughts in a MySpace or Facebook profile.

Some press reports claim that Cho had been dating one of his first victims, student Emily Hilscher, and that she broke up with Cho two weeks ago. Other news reports say this is false. Hilscher has a public MySpace profile that's been abandoned since December, and is linked to nine friends, none of them Cho. One them has changed her MySpace handle to "R.I.P Emily Hilscher. You will be missed."

The Smoking Gun has unearthed a one-act play Cho submitted to a contest last year.

Reader Gabe points to this Flickr photo of a South Korean man who, according to the caption, uses the name Ismail "because his (real) name is very hard to pronounce, especially for Indonesian people. His real name is Cho Seung Hoo ....... or is it Jo Sung Ho? " The photo is dated July 17th, 2006. The author apparently writes more about this Ismail in this blog post, which needs translation.

BoingBoing has a long thread exploring some theories about "Ismail Ax." A growing consensus has it that the phrase is an oblique reference to Islamic theological history -- though so far nobody's described Cho as Muslim.

Xavier expands on the theory, and ties it to Cho's play.

The Prophet Ibrahim destroyed the villagers false idols to wealth and sex with an Ax in order to please Allah. Allah then saves him from the fury of the Babylonians for this act. He grants Ibrahim a gift, a prophet child. Ibrahim names this prophet child "Ismail." Ismail, the Islamic prophet, comes from Ibrahim's act with the Ax. The link I supplied goes into a little detail on the story, but there's more detailed accounts of the event all across the internet.

As well, the story you linked to from the Smoking Gun also has significance. Reading it, there's a few lines that support the idea that Ismail Ax references the founding of Islam and that Cho is a Muslim.

The boy calls his "father" a "Fat piece of pork."
Cho writes later: "No wonder your name is McPork--I mean, McBeef"
When Cho describes how the mother strikes, he describes her with the
line: "Takes off her shoes to strike him"

Pork is of course considered a sin to eat by Muslims, and it is a Islamic insult to beat someone with your shoes.

Here is a similar explanation:

"For those of you still searching for meaning in this phrase, written in ink on Cho Seung-Hui's arm and also how he signed his infamous note, it starts with the story of Ibrahim's Ax (Ibrahim = Abraham):

After making sure that nobody was left in town, Ibrahim went towards the temple armed with an ax. Statues of all shapes and sizes were sitting there adorned with decorations. Plates of food were offered to them, but the food was untouched. "Well, why don't you eat? The food is getting cold." He said to the statues, joking; then with his ax he destroyed all the statues except one, the biggest of them. He hung the ax around its neck and left.
--The Koran

Ismail was Ibrahim's son. It was Ismail that Ibrahim wanted to sacrifice for Yahweh (with an ax)."

Taken from Bangkokker

UPDATE: There are now more reports saying that "Ismail Ax" could possibly be his Xbox Live Gamertag for Battlefield 2. If so, that will not be good for the gaming industry

UPDATE: according to joongang ilbo (korean's newspaper) , this is cho's myspace - http://myspace.com/ChoSeungHui

UPDATE: MSNBC is reporting that Cho Seung-Hui, the alleged gunman in Monday's Virginia Tech killings, sent a package of correspondence to NBC News before the mass shooting. NBC has shared the contents with FBI investigators:

"We received a package that included some images a lengthy diatribe. We believe it may shed some light on what he was doing between the first shooting and the second. It includes some images, and a disturbing, rambling, multi-page statement. (...) We are not going to give out any specifics of the information."

UPDATE: Check out MSNBC for the Multimedia Manifesto

UPDATE:

Update 3: CNN is reporting that the words were "Ax Ishmael"

Update 2: Cho Seung-Hui allegedly mailed a package to NBC News containing "rambling, manifesto-like" written statement as well as several QuickTime video clips of himself talking to the camera, and photographs, such as the above.
The return address of the Express Mail package was from "Ismail" (or Ishmael).

Why did Cho send the package to NBC News? The answer seems simple: Seung wanted a mass news outlet, and NBC News has the most memorable address: 30 Rockefellar Plaza, New York City.

Update 1: The Washington Post is reporting that the words were tattooed on his arm, not written in pen. Further, the Post contends that the spelling was actually Ismale Ax.

For those of you still searching for meaning in this phrase "Ismail Ax," written in red* ink on Cho Seung-Hui's arm and also how he signed his infamous note, it starts with the story of Ibrahim's Ax (Ibrahim = Abraham):

After making sure that nobody was left in town, Ibrahim went towards the temple armed with an axe. Statues of all shapes and sizes were sitting there adorned with decorations. Plates of food were offered to them, but the food was untouched. "Well, why do you not eat? The food is getting cold." He said to the statues, joking. Then, with his axe, Ibrahim destroyed all the statues except one, the biggest of them all. He hung the axe around its neck and left.
--The Qur'an

Believing his people were guilty of idoltry, Ibrahim smashed their statues with an ax. Ismail (alternate spelling, Ishmael) was Ibrahim's son. It was Ismail that Ibrahim wanted to sacrifice for Yahweh (with an ax or knife), and is a prophet in Islam. . .

A reader pointed out that "Ismail" is also a variant on the narrator in Moby Dick (spelt Ishmael), and although Cho was an English major, the relationship between Moby Dick's Ismail and an ax/e is less clear.

*Additionally, The Color Red brings connotations of death and bad luck in Korean culture.

Taken from Bangkokker

Cornhole: The Best Game in the World!

I know this is kinda a bold statement to make, but it really is the best game in the world. Not only does it take athleticism, skill and concentration, but it also can be played while having a beer. If you have never played Cornhole then you are missing out....Basically it is the same idea and concept of Horseshoes but it is portable and way more fun. When I was in college, my buddies and I would play this game all day. I had a sweet board set that my father, grandma (The Sewing Master of the Universe) and I made and I would haul it around everywhere with me. Unfortunately after a few years of play it broke from a friend falling on it. Since then I have been thinking about building a new and improved set. You can buy a whole set online but it is usually outrageously expensive and I don't even want to know how much shipping would cost. I would recommend going to the hardware store and fabric store with these Cornhole Specifications and making it yourself.....It really isn't that hard.

Once you have the boards and the bags all you need are the rules...

• Place boards 30 feet apart facing each other. (measure the playing distance from the center of each hole on the boards).

• 2 teams (2 or 4 players); teammates stand at opposite ends diagonal from each other.

• A Cornhole set includes 8 bags (4 red and 4 blue). Each team gets 4 bags (same color) to throw per round.

• Players must throw from behind the front of the board to avoid a foot fault. A foot fault results in the bag being removed from the playing surface ( if applicable). The same rule applies if a player throws out of turn.

• Each team alternates shots beginning with the team that scored last. To determine the first throw of the game, a player from each team throws one bag. The players closest to the hole throws first.

• Bags must land and stay on the board (without touching the ground) or go completely through the hole to score.
A bag on the board surface = 1 point.
A bag in the hole = 3 points.

• Points cancel each other out.
For example: The Red team has 3 bags on the board (3 points) and 1 bag in the hole (3 points) totalling 6 points. The Blue team has 3 bags on the board (3 points) and one bag off the board (0 points). The Red team wins the round with 3 points (6 points minus 3 points).

• The first team to 21 points wins the game. 11-0 is a "Cornzilla" or "Skunk".

• Knocking an opponents bag off the board is Legal.

• A bag that bounces from the ground onto the board surface is disqualified and removed before the next throw.

External Links:
-PlayCornhole.org
-AmericanCornhole.com and AmericanCornhole.org
-CornholeTheMovie.com
-Cornhole Specifications

Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's

I know I posted this in my Daily Siblurbs yesterday but I thought I should remind everyone to go out to their local Ben & Jerry's to get some free Ice Cream! To find a store near you just go to the Official Ben & Jerry's website and type in your zip code! Also, don't forget your costumes so that you can hit it up as many times as possible! I can't wait to get some Cherry Garcia....like 5 times!

The Onion's Floyd Landis-inspired Cheat-To-Win lifestyle bracelet

The Onion's Floyd Landis-inspired Cheat-To-Win lifestyle bracelet is perfect for your deceitful lifestyle. This is a Great knock-off of Lance Armstrong's Livestrong bracelet. This bracelet also reminds me of my captain on my college wrestling team my freshman year who always said "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'"....boy he was a real winner.

Daily SiBlurbs- 4/16/07

Tech
-Consumerist: How To: Build Your Own WiFi Signal Booster - DIY WiFi Booster
-Engadget: Stanton DJ unveils T.90 USB turntable - USB Turntable
-Wired: Old School Convergence: Pen and Paper Together at Last - Pen and Paper finally combined into one product.

Random
-Gizmodo: Stance Angle Chair: Park Your Ass Every Which Way You Want
-Random Good Stuff: Make your very own Communist - Use the magic hair wand to create your favorite communist! No matter who your favorite communist is, you’re sure to love Create A Commie.
-Consumerist: Tomorrow is Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day... and Tax Day - Go get some free ice cream at your local Ben & Jerry's