joi, 30 mai 2013

Damn Cool Pics

Damn Cool Pics


Epic Internet Powered Birthday Invite [Video]

Posted: 30 May 2013 04:41 PM PDT


Tomorrow is Ryan Kennedy's 30th birthday and to get the deserved attention for the special occasion, he had the creative idea to crowd-source his birthday invitation, asking people all over the world to contribute via Youtube. Here's the result:

Cassette Tape from the 80's and 90's

Posted: 30 May 2013 02:36 PM PDT

Cassette tapes of the '80s and '90s. Good old days.



































































Hot Girls of Indy 500's Snake Pit

Posted: 30 May 2013 02:10 PM PDT

The massive infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway includes an area called the "Snake Pit," best described as a party zone where the grass is littered with thousands of smashed beer cans, while people of all ages though the demo skews college-aged & white generally go nuts.


































































































Via: villagevoice

30 Rare and Unusual Animals

Posted: 30 May 2013 12:32 PM PDT

Animals that you didn't know existed.

Lamprey

Lampreys are a type of jawless fish that live mostly in coastal and fresh waters whose adults are characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. They attach themselves to fish and suck their blood. Lampreys have been around for nearly 300 millions years and their body structure has remained relatively unchanged. 





The Dhole

The Dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. The dhole is a highly social animal, living in large clans which occasionally split up into small packs to hunt. It primarily preys on medium-sized ungulates, which it hunts by tiring them out in long chases, and kills by disemboweling them. Though fearful of humans, dhole packs are bold enough to attack large and dangerous animals such as wild boar, water buffalo, and even tigers.



The Babirusa

Babirusa, meaning "Hog-deer", are members of the pig family found in Wallacea, or specifically the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. If a babirusa does not grind its tusks (achievable through regular activity), they will eventually keep growing so as to penetrate the animal's own skull.



Pink Fairy Armadillo

The pink fairy armadillo is approximately 3.5-4.5 inches long, excluding the tail, and is pale rose or pink in color. It has the ability to bury itself completely in a matter of seconds if frightened. It is a nocturnal animal and it burrows small holes near ant colonies in dry soil, and feeds mainly on ants and ant larvae near its burrow. It uses large front claws to agitate the sand, allowing it to almost swim through the ground like it is water. It is torpedo-shaped, and has a shielded head and back.



The Fossa

The fossa is a cat-like, carnivorous mammal that is endemic to Madagascar. The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar and has been compared to a small cougar. It has semi-retractable claws and flexible ankles that allow it to climb up and down trees head-first, and also support jumping from tree to tree.





The Gerenuk

The gerenuk, also known as the Waller's gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry thorn bush scrub and desert in Eastern Africa. The word gerenuk comes from the Somali language, meaning "giraffe-necked". Gerenuks have a relatively small head for their body, but their eyes and ears are proportionately large. Gerenuks seldom graze but browse on prickly bushes and trees, such as acacias. They can reach higher branches and twigs than other gazelles and antelope by standing erect on their rear legs and stretching their elongated necks.





Naked Mole Rat

This creature has a lot of characteristics that make it very important to human beings. For one it is resistant to cancer. They also live up to 28 years, which is unheard of in mammals of its size. It seemingly does not age much in those 28 years either. It remains "young, healthy and fully fertile for almost all its days, which for an elderly animal is equivalent to an 80-year-old woman having the biological make-up of someone 50 years younger." The naked mole rat is used in both cancer research and the study of aging. Not only making it a bizarre creature, but an incredibly important creature as well.



Irrawaddy Dolphin

The Irrawaddy dolphin is a species of oceanic dolphin found near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. Genetically, the Irrawaddy dolphin is closely related to the killer whale.





Markhor

The markhor is a large species of wild goat that is found in northeastern Afghanistan and Pakistan. The species is classed by the IUCN as Endangered, as there are fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan. While chewing the cud, a foam-like substance comes out of its mouth which drops on the ground and dries. This foam-like substance is sought after by the local people, who believe it is useful in extracting snake poison from snake bitten wounds.





Yeti Crab

Also known as the Kiwaidae, this crab is a type of marine decapod living at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. The animals are commonly referred to as "yeti crabs" because of their claws and legs, which are white and appear to be furry like the mythical yeti



Snub-Nosed Monkey

Snub-nosed monkeys live in various parts of Asia and get their name from the short stump of a nose on their round face. Snub-nosed monkeys inhabit mountain forests, in the winter moving into deeply secluded regions. They spend the majority of their life in the trees and live together in very large groups of up to 600 members. They have a large vocal repertoire, calling sometimes solo while at other times together in choir-like fashion.



The Maned Wolf

The Maned Wolf is the largest canid in South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur. This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees throughout South America. The maned wolf is the tallest of the wild canids and it's long legs are most likely an adaptation to the tall grasslands of its native habitat.





Southern Red Muntjac

Found in south Asia, it has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair and is omnivorous, feeding on grass, fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small animals. It sometimes even displays scavenging behavior, feeding on carrion. It gives calls similar to barking, usually upon sensing a predator. Males are extremely territorial and—despite their diminutive size—can be quite fierce. They will fight each other for territory using their antlers or their tusk-like upper canine teeth, and can even defend themselves against certain predators such as dogs.





Cyphonia Clavata

It is a species of treehopper called Cyphonia Clavata that literally has an ant growing out of its head. Well not literally, the ant-like thing on its head is an appendage that hides the treehopper's actual body from predators.



Sunda Colugo

Also known as The Sunda flying lemur, it is not actually a lemur and does not fly. Instead, it glides as it leaps among trees. It is strictly arboreal, is active at night, and feeds on soft plant parts such as young leaves, shoots, flowers, and fruits. The Sunda Coluga can be found throughout Southeast Asia in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore



Tufted Deer

The Tufted Deer is a small species of deer characterized by the prominent tuft of black hair on its forehead. It is a close relative of the muntjac, living somewhat further north over a wide area of central China. It is a timid animal, mainly solitary or found in pairs and prefers places with good cover, where it is well camouflaged.



Raccoon Dog

The Raccoon Dog, or Tanuki, is a canid indigenous to East Asia. The raccoon dog is named for its resemblance to the raccoon, to which it is not closely related. They are very good climbers and regularly climb trees.





Patagonian Mara

The Patagonian Mara is a relatively large rodent found in parts of Argentina. This herbivorous, somewhat rabbit-like animal has distinctive long ears and long limbs and its hind limbs are longer and more muscular than its forelimbs.



The Amazonian Royal Flycatcher

The Amazonian Royal Flycatcher is found in forests and woodlands throughout most of the Amazon basin. They are about 6 1/2 inches in length and like to dart out from branches to catch flying insects or pluck them from leaves. They build very large nests (sometimes up to 6 feet long) on a branches near water. The nest hangs over the water which makes it hard for predators to reach.





Zebra Duiker

The zebra duiker is a small antelope found in Ivory Coast and other parts of Africa. They have gold or red-brown coats with distinctive zebra-like stripes (hence the name) Their prong-like horns are about 4.5 cm long in males, and half that in females. They live in lowland rainforests and mostly eat leaves and fruit.



Star-Nosed Mole

The star-nosed mole is a small mole found in wet low areas of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. It is easily identified by the 11 pairs of pink fleshy appendages ringing its snout, which is used as a touch organ with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors, known as Eimer's organs, with which this hamster-sized mole feels its way around.



The World’s Dirtiest Jobs [Infographic]

Posted: 30 May 2013 09:52 AM PDT

Whether it's cleaning a smelly animal cage or a bloody crime scene, there are many dirty jobs in the world and somebody has to perform them. This infographic from Master Cleaners illustrates some of the world's dirtiest jobs.

Click on Image to Enlarge.
Worlds Dirtiest Jobs
Via Master Cleaners

Read This If You Love Science

The White House Your Daily Snapshot for
Thursday, May 30, 2013
 

Read This If You Love Science

This Friday, an asteroid nearly two miles wide will pass by the Earth. The fly-by is harmless — at its closest, the asteroid will be about 15 times farther from us than the Earth is from the Moon. But we still think it's a good topic for conversation.

Tomorrow at 2 p.m. EDT we're hosting the second in a series of "We the Geeks" Google+ Hangouts to talk asteroids with Bill Nye the Science Guy, former astronaut Ed Lu, NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, and more.

RSVP today, and we'll send you a reminder to join the hangout.

The White House will host its second "We the Geeks" Google+ Hangout this Friday.

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:

President Obama Speaks at AAPI Heritage Month Celebration
On Tuesday, President Obama delivered remarks before over 200 members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community at a White House celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.

Republican Court Unpacking Plan Takes Judicial Manipulation to a New Level
Republicans in the Senate have made no secret of their efforts to block the President’s constitutional responsibility to appoint federal judges. They have filibustered unquestionably qualified nominees, like Caitlin Halligan. And their obstruction of the confirmation process kept several nominees waiting more than a year for a vote.

The White House Kitchen Garden Summer Harvest
On Tuesday, a group of student helpers joined First Lady Michelle Obama for the summer White House kitchen garden harvest.

Today's Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

12:55 PM: The President departs Chicago, Illinois

2:40 PM: The President arrives Joint Base Andrews

2:55 PM: The President arrives at the White House South Lawn

4:15 PM: The Vice President and Dr. Biden’s arrives in Brasília

Get Updates

Sign up for the Daily Snapshot

Stay Connected

 

This email was sent to e0nstar1.blog@gmail.com
Sign Up for Updates from the White House
Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy
Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House

The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

 

An RSS Reader A Week: In Search of a Google Reader Replacement

An RSS Reader A Week: In Search of a Google Reader Replacement


An RSS Reader A Week: In Search of a Google Reader Replacement

Posted: 29 May 2013 07:58 PM PDT

Posted by Dr. Pete

This post is a bit of an experiment, but I’ll get to that in a minute. As you probably know, Google Reader will be shutting down on July 1st. Like many people, I still use RSS to get information from trusted sources, and I’m looking for alternatives. So, I’m going to try a new RSS reader each week and write about my experiences here. I’ll be writing the post as I go, updating it every Thursday, so that I can get alternatives into your hands as I test them. As I update, the newest week will be pushed to the top.

Get Your Data Out Now!

First things first â€" don’t find yourself on July 2nd realizing that Google Reader is gone and you have to completely recreate your entire list of feeds. Here’s what you do â€" open Google Reader and click on the gear icon in the upper-right. Select “Reader Settings” and you’ll see a screen like this:

Google Reader export, step 1

Click on the “Import/Export” tab, and you’ll see “Export your information” at the bottom. That link takes you to Google Takeout, which allows you to download your data from Google products. You could also just jump straight to Takeout. You’ll need to log in with your Google account. Once you’re logged in, click on the “Choose services” tab (to just download Reader data):

Google Reader export, step 2

Select “Reader” from your list, and you’ll see something like this:

Google Reader export, step 3

Click on “Create Archive” and then be prepared to wait a couple of minutes. You can opt to have Google email you when they’re done. Eventually, you’ll see this:

Google Reader export, step 4

Don’t forget to click “Download”, or you’re going to be really sad later. You’ll get back a zipped archive with more data than you really need, but drill down until you find a file called “subscriptions.xml” â€" that’s the one you’ll need later to import into other readers. Some import automatically, but that option may not be available after July 1st, so I highly recommend backing up your data while you still can.


Week 1 - Feedly (www.feedly.com)

FEATURES: 5 stars
USABILITY: 5 stars
IMPORTING: 4 stars

I almost regret starting with Feedly, because it’s honestly such a good tool that I’m not sure I want to try much else. Feedly isn’t technically a web-based app, but it integrates with Chrome and Firefox and has apps for iOS, Android, and Kindle. I’m using the Chrome version, which has all the bells and whistles. Feedly defaults to a “Today” page, which is pretty handy:

Feedly's Today page

I'm old and easily frightened, so I can be a bit squeamish about too many new features, but it doesn’t take much time at all to figure out Feedly, and it’s easy to default to a more familiar view and dive right into your own feeds:

Feedly category pages

The giant “Mark as read” button may be one of my favorite features of Feedly, and the category-based view will be very familiar to anyone used to Google Reader. The Chrome version of Feedly also installs an extension to allow you to easily save or share any page for later. It appears as an icon in the lower-right, which expands into a full-featured toolbar (I've added the text labels):

Feedly Toolbar

Importing data from Google Reader into Feedly is basically automatic (no export/import required). The only reason I marked Feedly down is that currently they connect directly to the Google Reader API. Once the API goes away, it’s unclear how people will migrate. Feedly has made it clear that they are building their own data back-end, and hopefully there will be no service interruption. That uncertainty is the only question mark on an otherwise impressive and easy-to-use offering.


Week 2 â€" The Old Reader (theoldreader.com)

This review will be available on Thursday, June 6th.


Week 3 â€" NewsBlur (www.newsblur.com/)

This review will be available on Thursday, June 13th.


Week 4 â€" Netvibes (www.netvibes.com)

This review will be available on Thursday, June 20th.


Week 5 â€" Pulse (www.pulse.me)

This review will be available on Thursday, June 27th.


Week 6 â€" Taptu (www.taptu.com)

This review will be available on Wednesday, July 3rd.


Week 7 â€" RSSOwl (www.rssowl.org)

This review will be available on Thursday, July 11th.


The Experiment Continues...

I'll be giving each tool a full week before I review it and will update this post every Thursday until I'm done. I know the format is a bit unusual, so if you love it or hate it, let me know. If your favorite RSS reader or alternative is missing, be sure to tel us about it in the comments.


Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

Seth's Blog : What does your brand stand for?

 

What does your brand stand for?

If you tell me about service and quality and customer focus, you haven't answered my question, because a hundred other brands stand for that. If you are what others are, then there's nothing here to own or protect or build upon.

Compared to what? Compared to all those that you compete with for attention, for commerce, for donations and for employees, what do you stand for? Are you one of a kind or even one in a million?

Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton... they don't actually stand for anything, do they? They can't, because they stand for precisely the same thing. Puma vs. Adidas vs. Nike... They all want to stand for winning. How substantial are the differences?

Make a list of the differences and the extremes and start with that. A brand that stands for what all brands stand for stands for nothing much.

     

More Recent Articles

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Don't want to get this email anymore? Click the link below to unsubscribe.




Your requested content delivery powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 9 Thoreau Way, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA. +1.978.776.9498