Actually quite good

1. Cut a watermelon into slices (for best results, use a melon that's not overly ripe).
   
   
2. Cut the rind off the pink portion and cube the flesh.
   
   
3. Soak the watermelon cubes overnight in brine made by dissolving 2 Tbsp. of pickling salt in 1 qt. water.
   
   
4. In the morning, drain the brine off the melon cubes.
   
   
5. Put a dill head and stem (or a couple of teaspoons of dill seed) in each quart jar. If you desire, also add a hot pepper (chili) and whole allspice and/or mixed pickling spice to each quart.
   
   
6. Bring to a boil 1 cup white vinegar, 2 cups water, and 1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar (try the smaller amount first and increase the amount if you decide you like your watermelon pickles sweeter).
   
   
7. Pour the pickling solution boiling hot over the melon in the jars, filling them to 1/2 inch of the top of the jars.
   
   
8. Wipe the rims and seal the jars with sterilized lids and rings.
   
   
9. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, just long enough so the contents won't ferment. (If you process the pickles too long, they will be too soft.)

Labels: General, Reference

Fold your own steamship

What exactly is a Micromodel? Micromodels are card or paper models that were originally sold from the 1940's through the 1960's. Most were designed by Geoffrey Heighway.
Each model was made up of several small cards illustrated with the pieces of the model, all wrapped up in a label. You could cut the pieces out and carefully assemble an intricate little three-dimensional model.
Micromodels were known for the amazing details that people would add to customize their models. There were more than 100 original Micromodels of all types.

Labels: Activities, Products

Approximate your last breath

Labels: History, Reference

Make your own

"One of the great things about Google maps is it has its roots in XML. To translate for the non-web developers out there, it basically means Google maps are user hackable.

This how-to will show you how to make your own annotated Google map from your own GPS data. Plus, you'll be able to tie in images and video to create an interactive multimedia map.

We'll walk you through the steps we took to generate an annotated map of a walk we took recently through our hometown, now that it's actually starting to get warm enough to want to walk about!"

Labels: Links, Reference, Tutorials

Vocabulary game

"In this etymology game you'll be presented with 10 randomly selected etymology (word origin) or word definition puzzles to solve; in each case the word or phrase is highlighted in bold, and a number of possible answers will be presented. You need to choose the correct answer to score a point for that question. Beware! The false answers will often also seem quite plausible, and some of the true answers are hard to believe, but we have documentation!

1. A fear of spiders.
   
   
2. A fear of ingesting too much margarine.
   
   
3. A fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
   
   
4. A fear of butane lighters.

Labels: General, Humor, Reference

Fruit Flies Like a Banana

• Human Clock
  
  
• TimeLine
  
  
  
• Cable Clock
  ( See cable-clock under F7 Velocity on the left side)
  
  
• Barcode Clock
  
  
• Money Clock
  
  
• Official US time
  
  
• Mouse Clock
  
  
• Clock Link
  

Labels: Links

What this country needs is plenty of Moxie

"Contains not a drop of Medicine, Poison, Stimulant or Alcohol. But is a simple sugarcane-like plant grown near the Equator and farther south, was lately accidentally discovered by Lieut. Moxie and has proved itself to be the only harmless nerve food known that can recover brain and nervous exhaustion, loss of manhood, imbecility and helplessness. It has recovered paralysis, softening of the brain, locomotor ataxia, and insanity when caused by nervous exhaustion. It gives a durable solid strength, makes you eat voraciously, takes away the tired, sleepy, listless feeling like magic, removes fatigue from mental and physical over work at once, will not interfere with action of vegetable medicines.

PLANTATION STYLE MINT JULEP

Bubbles of fresh tasting mint in a soft drink. This one is so great! It's delicious alone, use it as a mixer or make ice cubes.

LENINADE

Many people who once escaped from the Soviet Union, upon tasting Leninade, have overwhelmingly remarked that it is "BETTER THAN EXPECTED"; and those who prefer vodka in their potables have been known mix it with Leninade and ice to make a COMMIE KAZE. The Marx Brothers would be so proud. But even if you're a teetotaler you can get tired of Russky Chai and Drink As Lenin Drank!

BOYLAN'S ORIGINAL BIRCH BEER

"Although we may be the smallest soda company around, our flagship brand is the most locally loved soft drink of its time. Rich with history, Boylan's Birch Beer started in a apothecary in the early 1890's and developed into the most popular flavor of The Boylan Sodaworks. Boylan was a bottling and keg filling operation located in the heart of Paterson, NJ, the first industrialized city in the country.

Competition increased however, and in the 1930's Boylan was forced to close its bottling lines, leaving Boylan's Draught Birch Beer as its only product. Shortly thereafter, the rights to the name, the formula, and the sole route was purchased by the driver. He, by himself, was responsible for pulling Boylan's Draught Birch Beer from near extinction to a beverage that is enjoyed by thousands at Fourth of July parades, town picnics, hot dog stands and many good times.

His reward for this accomplishment was a 7 day - 80 hour work week, but he would have it no other way.

In appreciation of our grandfather's effort, we honor him with this bottling project."

Labels: Products

By Allen Kurzweil

"THE SEARCH BEGAN with a library call slip and the gracious query of an elegant man.
"I beg your pardon," said the man, bowing ever so slightly. "Might I steal a moment of your time?"

He deposited his slip on the reference desk and turned it so that the lettering would face me. And if this unusual courtesy wasn't enough to attract attention, there was also the matter of his handwriting — a gorgeous old-fashioned script executed with confident ascenders and tapering exit strokes — as well as the title of the book he requested. Secret Compartments in Eighteenth-Century Furniture played right to my fascination with objects of enclosure.

"Let's see what we can do for you, Mr. — " I double-checked the bottom of the slip before uttering his improbably literary name. "Henry James Jesson III."

After I had directed him to the tube clerk, curiosity got the best of me, so I rang the stack supervisor and asked that she expedite retrieval. In a further breach of protocol, I pushed through the swing gate and planted myself near the dumbwaiter in Delivery, where I waited for the book to surface.

"This is terribly kind of you," Jesson said as I slid Secret Compartments under the brass grille.

"Glad to be of service."

I was professional enough not to mention the uncanny overlap of our interests — I don't meet many readers keen on lettering technique and enclosures. But that same restraint left me mildly disappointed. The call slip was so enticing, our exchange so stilted and brief.

Jesson settled himself at a table near the municipal tax codes. He quickly supplied further proof of a charmingly outmoded manner by digging deep into his capacious trouser pockets to extract a roll of paper, a tiny ink pot, and a calligraphy pen. Though he seemed to ignore the stares of nearby readers, he occasionally glanced in my direction, as if to confirm that I'd stuck around. Which, of course, I had. In fact, while he took notes on Secret Compartments, I took notes on him, convinced that the consonance of our uncommon pursuits demanded annotation.

He wore billowy trousers of moss-green corduroy that had wale as thick as pencils. These he partnered with a button-down shirt of subtle stripe and a dainty chamois vest tied at the back with a fat purple ribbon. He had an indulgent-looking face and blue-gray eyes that recalled the color of the buckram on my compact OED. Despite a bump at the bridge of his nose and teeth that predated fluoridation, he was undeniably handsome, a scholar who appeared unencumbered by the tattered frugality of most academics I assist. Those, in toto, were my preliminary observations of the elderly man wishing to steal a moment of my time."

Labels: Books

A morning's home companion

The Writer's Almanac®, a daily program of poetry and history hosted by Garrison Keillor, can be heard each day on public radio stations throughout the country. Each day's program is about five minutes long.

Labels: General, Humor, Links, Reference

Umpty ump definitions and references — maybe even a googol.

"Every File Format in the World"

This is a list of file name extension or suffixes that indicate the format or usage of a file and a brief description of that format.

KAR

MIDI file (text+MIDI) (Karaoke)

Labels: Answers, Reference

(Almost, if you've got the parts laying around)

"I started with an old PC (a Dell Dimension 4500) that had unfortunately been destroyed by lightning. After some experimentation, I figured out that the only bad portions of the PC were the motherboard and the modem (which I didn't need anyway). I decided to replace the motherboard and keep the same case and other hardware because I really liked Dell's clamshell case design. I did some research at my local Fry's electronics store and got a motherboard that would allow me to use the same memory, processor, and case. After getting . . . . .

Labels: Tutorials

Learn by example

"Some people may look at this website, browse through the portfolios, and come to the conclusion that they want to become part of Steve's art. Some others may immediately decide that they don't like what they see. They may be offended or horrified by the subject matter, by the form that Steve's art takes, by the extreme individualism exhibited herein.



So one person's idea of body modification is going to be a pierced ear lobe, and another person's idea of body modification is to look like the el Diablo himself. Just because you don't agree doesn't make it wrong."

Labels: Art, General

When and how

A Proclamation by the President: Death of Coretta Scott King

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

As a mark of respect for the memory of Coretta Scott King, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, that on February 7, 2006, the day of her interment, the flag of the United States shall be flown at half staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on such day. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Labels: General, Reference

Date an Octothorpe

"Bell Labs engineer, Don Macpherson, went to instruct their first client, the Mayo Clinic, in the use of the new (touch tone phone system). He felt the need for a fresh and unambiguous name for the # symbol. His reasoning that led to the new word was roughly that it had eight points, so ought to start with octo-. He was apparently at that time active in a group that was trying to get the Olympic medals of the athlete Jim Thorpe returned from Sweden, so he decided to add thorpe to the end."

Labels: General, History, Reference, Shortcuts

Wrong list

The "i-before-e" rule has more exceptions than words it applies to.

Dr. Language has provided a one-stop cure for all your spelling ills. Here are the 100 words most often misspelled ("misspell" is one of them). Each word has a mnemonic pill with it and, if you swallow it, it will help you to remember how to spell the word. Master the orthography of the words on this page and reduce the time you spend searching dictionaries by 50%.

Labels: Answers, General, Reference

ADDENDUM

Indoor/Backyard Battles

"Always follow the rules! If you got hit in the head by a band but you don't want to take the 2-minute penalty (for instance), don't sit there fighting it out. Just suck it up and do the time. No one's going to have fun if all you guys end up doing is yelling at each other about rules and regulations. Take your time out, and keep in mind that, in the long run, you're going to have a much better time.

Clean up afterwards. Nobody's wife (or husband) likes to see rubber bands sitting in the chicken soup she had left simmering on the stove while she went out to buy some more carrots. ("Interesting flavor, honey...")

"This beauty is a fully functional machine gun with TWELVE rotating barrels and a live action trigger. Loads 12 bands per barrel for a whopping 144 rubber bands that shoot off as fast as you can turn the handle!"

Labels: Activities, Tutorials

To be, or no to be

"E-Prime comprises standard English with all forms of the verb 'TO BE' deleted; its use prevents forms of the verb 'TO BE' creating erroneous and irrational generalizations in language and thought."

• John is lethargic and unhappy.
  
• John is bright and cheerful.
  
  
• John appears lethargic and unhappy in the office.
  
• John appears bright and cheerful on holiday at the beach.

Labels: General

(Uxoricide)

"Hailing from Anaheim, California, Big Sandy (neé Robert Williams) draws from a number of influences--country, western swing, rockabilly, doo wop, R & B, and jump blues. The best Big Sandy songs are the sexy ones about seduction, innocent on the surface and a little dirty underneath. The retro appeal of the band is equivalent to a Model T or Vargas bombshell"

1. Night Tide - Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
   
2. Between Darkness and Dawn
   
3. Tequila Calling
   
4. When Sleep Won't Come (Blues for Spade)
   
5. If You Only Knew - Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
   
6. Give Your Loving to Me
   
7. In the Steel of the Night
   
8. Man Like Me
   
9. Hey Lowdown!
   
10. My Time Will Come Someday
    
11. I Think of You
    
12. Nothing to Lose
    
13. South Bay Stomp
    
14. Let Her Know

Labels: Music

Do it yourself

. . . "this hour: the surgeon's hands. How do surgeons keep their hands healthy? What kind of training do they go through to keep their fingers tactile and sensitive? How important is touch to successful surgery? Are the hands of surgeons gifted? Over the past month, we've been talking with people who use their head and their hands in their work. Our 'How To' series continues today with surgeons.

Guests

Richard Ellenbogen, M.D. chairman of neurological surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the Theodore S. Roberts Endowed Chair in Neurological Surgery, the Chief of Neurological Surgery at Harborview Medical Center

Eric Froines, M.D., F.A.C.S. chief of general surgery, Capitol Hill Specialty Center Group Health Permanente"

Labels: Activities, General

Free tool

"Create your own special effects with any GIF -- even animated ones! Resize it, colorize it, optimize it, and jazzercise it -- then save it and take it with you. You name it and you can do it!

It's simple! Using the easy-to-use pull down menus. Simply follow the instructions to load any GIF and then manipulate the image using the GIFWorks menus. It's that easy.

The GIFWorks interface uses standard HTML and JavaScript. It should work correctly in Netscape and Internet Explorer versions 3.x and greater."

Labels: Free Stuff, Graphics

How to check it

Labels: Answers, General, Reference

A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession

"Every year on January 1, a quirky crowd of adventurers storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year — a grand, grueling, expensive, and occasionally vicious, "extreme" 365-day marathon of birdwatching.

For three men in particular, 1998 would be a whirlwind, a winner-takes-nothing battle for a new North American birding record. In frenetic pilgrimages for once-in-a-lifetime rarities that can make or break their lead, the birders race each other from Del Rio, Texas, in search of the rufous-capped warbler, to Gibsons, British Columbia, on a quest for Xantus's hummingbird, to Cape May, New Jersey, seeking the offshore great skua. Bouncing from coast to coast on their potholed road to glory, they brave broiling deserts, roiling oceans, bug-infested swamps, a charge by a disgruntled mountain lion, and some of the lumpiest motel mattresses known to man. "

PBS.org Newshour:
Conversation: 'The Big Year'
(with streaming video interview)

ChicagoPublicRadio.com:
Chicago Public Radio interview



See all Topics

Labels: Books

Or at least nearby

"I love the fact that more and more devices are sporting built-in Wi-Fi. The lone hitch: Wi-Fi is useless without a hotspot.

What if you could marry the short-range power of Wi-Fi with the huge coverage areas of high-speed cellular services such as EV-DO to create a portable hotspot?
Since EV-DO works at freeway speeds, you could even give Internet access to an entire road-trip caravan.

Now I can surf for as long as three hours without being tethered to anything but a cell signal. The project isn't cheap, but prices for the components and service are sure to come down in the next year or so. In the meantime, you can find me in the hills around Southern California. I'll be the one surrounded by PSP-packing hikers."

Labels: Activities, Products

Weather maps from around the world

Labels: Answers, General, Links, Reference, World

Your spy dollars at work

The World Factbook is in the public domain and may be used freely by anyone at anytime without seeking permission. However, US Code prohibits use of the CIA seal in a manner which implies that the CIA approved, endorsed, or authorized such use."

Azerbaijan

Local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton

Labels: General, Reference, World

Google dictionary

"To see a definition for a word or phrase, simply type the word "define," then a space, and then the word(s) you want defined. If Google has seen a definition for the word or phrase on the Web, it will retrieve that information and display it at the top of your search results.

You can also get a list of definitions by including the special operator "define:" with no space between it and the term you want defined. For example, the search [define:World Wide Web] will show you a list of definitions for "World Wide Web" gathered from various online sources."

"WordWeb Pro is a quick and powerful international English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows. It can be used to lookup words from almost any Windows program, showing definitions, synonyms and related words. There are also many proper nouns and usage examples. You can search for words matching a pattern, find and solve anagrams, and optionally search a large number of extra word lists."

Labels: Answers, Free Stuff, Help, Links, Reference

Speed the process

"Guaranteed Lowest Price on the Internet for DVD Rewinding
No More Embarrassing Fines or Hassles at your Video Rental Store !!!
No Fuss — No Waiting — Do It Online — Do It Now!
Rewind your DVDs

Labels: Humor

Accessibility Shortcuts

Several resources are available to help increase speed and effectiveness for keyboard users. Here are keyboard shortcuts for leading Microsoft products that help save time and effort and provide an essential tool for some people with mobility impairments.

• Internet Explorer 7/6/5/4
  
• Office (2007/2003/XP/2002/2000/97)
  
• PhotoDraw
  
• PowerPoint
  
• Producer
  
• Publisher
  
• Windows (Vista/2003/XP/2000/98/ME/NT)
  
• Windows Media Player
  
• Windows Movie Maker
  
• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

Labels: Shortcuts

Remember it the way you want to

"Most communities in the fifties had small town print shops that doubled as printers of local news and advertising papers. These printers could not afford graphic artists so they used stock clipart supplied by large companies who distributed common graphics for use in advertising sections of the papers. They were provided for the printer in lots of categories to meet any advertiser's needs."

Labels: Art, Free Stuff, Graphics

CrossNumber puzzles

"Sudoku , sometimes spelled Su Doku, is a logic based placement puzzle, also known as Number Place in the United States. The aim of the canonical puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell of a 9x9 grid made up of 3x3 subgrids (called "regions"), starting with various digits given in some cells (the "givens"). Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral.
Completing the puzzle requires patience and logical ability. Its grid layout is reminiscent of other newspaper puzzles like crosswords and chess problems.
Although first published in 1979, Sudoku initially became popular in Japan in 1986 and attained international popularity in 2005."

1. Enter puzzle values in Starting position grid
   
2. Set Game state to 1
   
3. Press F9 to calculate
   
4. The Possible numbers grid will show the first step in the solution
   
5. The Final position will show the current result
   
6. Continue to repeat calculation by pressing F9 until the puzzle is solved or the solver stops responding

Labels: Activities, Reference

A guy digs a hole in his back yard

"About 2 years ago I decided to dig a hole in my back yard.
Why?
Why not.
Its good exercise and I could get a tan too. Plus holes are cool."

" I'm considering selling scoops of dirt from the hole. I figure 12 bucks should cover the shipping and the trouble. I'll send you a baggie of dirt, with a signed certificate of authenticity. If you want it, you better ask for it now. My house has a sale pending so I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to do this.

If you want some other piece of a hole like a wood chip, a dead frog, or maybe a mud stained rag. Just ask."

Labels: Activities, General