Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 06 - Ditch The Mansion

The Global Warming Survival Guide

Purchasing a smaller home is one of the many ways to help save the environment, and at the moment, Ryan and I are living in it.  But our future goals have us buying a much larger one.  In this day and age there are many energy saving products we can buy, so hopefully by the time we build or buy our larger home we will still be doing our part.  

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can meet these goals of saving our environment.  And yes, even one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU! - Peter aka Blade7184

6. Ditch the Mansion

Oversize houses aren't just architecturally offensive; they also generally require more energy to heat and cool than smaller ones, even with efficient appliances. And in the U.S., big houses are becoming the norm, even though a relatively inefficient small house consumes less energy than a greener large house and uses fewer building materials, which expand the carbon footprint. A typical new single-family home in the U.S. is nearly 2,500 square feet today, up from about 1,000 square feet in 1950, even as the average household has shrunk from 3.4 to 2.6 people. 

If you really want to live small, visit Jay Shafer. The former art professor dwells alone in a home fit for a hobbit, 100 sq. ft. in northern California that he designed and built himself in 1999. Shafer now runs Tumbleweed Tiny House and sells custom designs for miniature dwellings that range from 70 sq. ft. to 350 sq. ft. He made his move because he felt guilty about the size of his residential carbon footprint, and now prefers life tiny and tidy. "If I throw my jeans down on the floor, I can't get across the room." 

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future

Cyanide and Happiness: Last Meal

Are People Really This Stupid? Issue No. 22 - Gone in 60 Seconds

I'm sorry, I'm doing my best here, but this is the second time this month and the third time in a row that I've come across the most dumbest question on "Yahoo Answers".  I can't take this stupidity anymore. LOL. Just kidding, I love it!

In the last issue a guy asked Yahoo Answers "why is my girlfriend unhappy?" after his girlfriend's father just passed away, and he kicked her out of the house within a week of each other.  Then wanted to know how he could make her happy again. Seriously?

This time, are 60 seconds really the same as 1 minute?  Remmy P doesn't seem to think so, and is going to Yahoo for answers....

click to enlarge

I'm not going to comment on this...  I'm done! LOL.

Laugh of the Day: Oprah Repos Her Favorite Things

OMG, this was f-ing hilarious! You need to watch this.  Everybody and their mother knows Oprah, and everybody and their grandmother remembers when she used to give away her favorite things.  Well, Jimmy Kimmel decides to take a trip to the OWN offices to share some new show ideas for her television network.  For example, one of his show ideas is to have Oprah take her things back from the people she gave her favorite things to.  Let me tell you, the moment I saw Oprah taking one of her cars back, I started ROFL.  I won't say anymore, you gotta watch. This is some funny shit.

WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 020 - Space Exploration & Space Station

We all know that President Obama is to blame for everything; According to the REDs anyway.  But unfortunately for them, they are wrong, and most of the country knows they are.  I can't name the number of times I've heard these fools at work or family say that its Obama's fault the Space Shuttle program ended, and that the Soviet Union (they forget there's no more Soviet Union) will regain their dominance in space and blow us to bits.  Lord help them.  I think they forgot China is on the rise, not RUSSIA.

The beginning of the end of the Space Shuttle program came with the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia in February, 2003 (6 years before Obama took office).  "Immediately after the accident, NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe activated the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, or CAIB. Very early in the investigation one common topic of discussion among CAIB members and staff was whether the shuttle was too dangerous to continue flying, and whether the CAIB should recommend its immediate retirement."  Those are not my words, those are from the Space Review.  The date for its 2010 retirement was set way, way before our current President took office, and until the REDs pull their heads out of their ass and read some articles from time to time, they will never learn the truth. Ugh. They frustrate me so.

Let's get started with today's achievements...

WTF-58

Worked with international allies on International Space Station

With the release of his fiscal year 2011 budget, President Barack Obama advanced his promise to continue working with the United States' international partners on the International Space Station.

Continuing to use the ISS over the longer term is not a foregone conclusion, since its expected retirement date is officially January 2016. But in seeking to continue utilizing the station until at least 2020, Obama followed the recommendation of the U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, a blue-ribbon panel more commonly known as the Augustine Committee, after its chairman, Norman Augustine, the former CEO of Lockheed Martin.

That committee advised that "the return on investment of (the International Space Station) to both the United States and the international partners would be significantly enhanced by an extension of ISS life to 2020," according to a summary released last September. "It seems unwise to de-orbit the station after 25 years of assembly and only five years of operational life. Not to extend its operation would significantly impair U.S. ability to develop and lead future international space flight partnerships. Further, the ISS should be funded to enable it to achieve its full potential: as the nation's newest national laboratory, as an enhanced test bed for technologies and operational techniques that support exploration, and as a framework that can support expanded international collaboration."  [Read More]

WTF-59

Increased spending to prepare for longer space missions

Because Republicans in congress would rather spend money on causing wars, than spending it on space, this has yet to pass, but it is still considered an achievement and promise kept for the President.

During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama said his administration would "support increased investment in research, data analysis and technology development across the full suite of exploration missions including the Mars Sample Return mission and future missions to the moon, asteroids, Lagrange points, the outer solar system and other destinations."

Obama's budget proposes canceling Constellation, the successor system for the space shuttle, and jettisoning the idea of returning astronauts to the moon by 2020. Instead, NASA would allocate billions of dollars to "commercial crew" programs and the development of new technologies, as well as $3 billion over five years to pursue robotic missions "to scout locations and demonstrate technologies to increase the safety and capability of future human missions and provide scientific dividends."

As with all elements of the president's budget, nothing is final until Congress passes the relevant appropriations bills and the president signs them. In the case of exploration missions, securing the degree of investment the president wants depends in part on his administration's ability to wring savings from its proposed cancellation of Constellation, whose defenders in Congress could pose an obstacle to the president's broader space agenda. (Some of the money would come from a less controversial source, the end of the space shuttle program.)

That said, the president has not only stated a commitment to further space exploration but has proposed funding levels that outpace inflation. In our view, he has lived up to his promise to "support" such a course. Even though Congress has not yet acted to implement it, we are moving this promise from Stalled to Promise Kept. [Read More]

WTF-60

Added another Space Shuttle flight

Obama "supports congressional efforts to add at least one additional Space Shuttle flight to fly a valuable mission and to keep the workforce engaged. He will work to ensure there is adequate funding to support that additional flight so that it does not interfere with developing the Shuttle's successor."

As the clock ticks on the soon-to-be-retired space shuttle, the president has kept alive the hopes of scientists who want to install a device that would be used for one more experiment on the International Space Station.

First, an update on the space shuttle. The shuttle, which first orbited the Earth in 1981, is slated for retirement in 2010. The Bush administration in 2004 decided to wind down the program so that funding allocated to the shuttle could be redirected to building its successor. As a result, NASA had to cut the number of shuttle flights assigned to assembling and supporting the International Space Station. Originally, the shuttle had been expected to operate throughout the lifetime of the ISS. Under the new Bush policy, all flights were to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2010, specifically Sept. 30, 2010. 

Once in office, Obama did two things. First, with passage of the fiscal 2010 budget resolution on April 29, 2009, he presided over the removal of the Sept. 30, 2010, cutoff date for the shuttle program, giving NASA the scheduling flexibility to complete the remaining flights without excessive time pressure. Second, on May 7, 2009, Obama requested funds for the AMS mission in his fiscal year 2010 NASA budget. The mission is scheduled to launch in mid to late 2010, although it is widely expected that some shuttle launches will slip into the first half of fiscal year 2011.  [Read More]

I promise to come back to this topic in another issue, until then, please feel free to read my previous issues by clicking here.

Make sure to read the next issue
Issue No. 021 - Transparency & Accountability

WTF Has Obama Done is an ongoing series posted daily or weekly on BLADE 7184 until Election Day, 2012!

The New iPhone 5???

If you were to go online today you would find countless and countless of iPhone 5 prototypes.  From the boring to the not-so-boring.  

Supposedly the iPhone 5 will be released later this year, and according to my love, Ryan, this will be the perfect time to get one.  We still have the original iPhone 3G, not the "3GS".   Sure it takes an hour for the maps to work and an hour for the photos to load, but it still works!  If we can still call each other every hour, it's perfect!  And since we got the phones 3 years ago, Ryan's phone has only been synched once. LOL.

In either case, are you excited about the iPhone 5, or are you happy with the one you have so long as it's still working?  Here are a few prototypes I found online.  I especially liked the one on top.

OMG Hilarious! - When I Die...

OMG! LMAO!

Can You Guess The Movies?

Now, this is really cool.  You'll even enjoy figuring out the movies each image represents.  You have a chocolate cake, a pie, a diamond, fruit and more. There are 12 images, and I knew the first one could only be The Chocolate Cake Factory.  I couldn't figure out 4, 7, 8 and 12.  Please leave me a comment if you figured them out.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

View the other 6 photos after the jump...

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 51 - Bird Lovers Beware

And this is why they make separate cages for Lions and separate cages for birdies.  Geez, this is horrible.  Ryan would say otherwise, because it was a Blue Heron that killed our Koi two years ago.  Actually, the scene around our Koi pond looked more like a slaughterhouse than a murder scene.

A YouTube commenter said it best, "Looks like Simba finally got sick of Zazu's bullshit." LMAO.

Some Pretty Cool Stuff - Issue No. 003

Yay, it's time for Some Pretty Cool Stuff, LOL.

Well... I guess that's really up to you to decide. But for me, I'm always finding cool stuff online, especially things that I need.  I will try my best to list where you can purchase the item.  If I can't find it and you do, please let me know by leaving a comment.

The Kleenex Pillow

Who could not use this thing?  Being that I have a huge problem with sinuses and I'm always sniffling and snuffling, this would be perfect!  Or if you cry watching movies in bed - c'mon do I need to keep going?  Only problem is, it's a bit pricey.  $75.00

The Portable Chair

Now you don't have to wait in line for 30 minutes, you can pull out the cardboard portable chair and have a place to sit in seconds.  You'll be reading your book in no time. LOL. $9.00

Colored Pencil Display

Being that I was in Art for 6 years (Junior High and High School), I love this colored pencil wall display.  It uses 500 colored pencils and mounted plastic casings to create not only a work of gradient-inspired wall art, but a totally convenient way to grab your pencils.  I'm sure it’s going to be a blast sharpening all these babies. $50.00

For other cool stuff, make sure you check out my previous issues here.

I Quote That - Beliefs

Loving One Another - Issue No. 012

1, 2, 3, and It's Gone! Fort Steuben Demolished

Just because we all know how much I love demolition videos!  Not really, but I did want to show you this pretty awesome demolition of an old 1928 bridge.  The Fort Steuben bridge in Ohio was demolished last Tuesday at 7:15 in the morning, and what a spectacle it was.  Using 153 pounds of explosives the huge bridge literally blew up and came down within 3 or 4 seconds - it was that fast.  The cool thing about the video below; you can also watch it in slow motion as well.

Cyanide and Happiness: Black Friday

Why Does The Military Love Ron Paul?

Think most military service members are donating to Mitt Romney, New Gingrich, and Rick Santorum?  Think again, they're giving their money to Ron Paul.  And why, you ask?  I imagine service members are tired of fighting endless wars.  Or maybe it has something to do with coming back home to no jobs?  Democrats say cut defense spending, Republicans scream back, "you're a terrorist".  Seriously?

The 2012 presidential race tells a different story: The lion's share of political contributions by servicemembers and defense industry workers is going to anti-war, "soft on Israel," also-ran candidate Ron Paul. In fact, the battle for their dollars isn't even close: Paul has raised at least $282,868 from individual active-duty servicemembers and Pentagon employees—more than four times what the other three Republican presidential candidates have raised, combined. (President Obama has fared slightly better, drawing $123,644 from that group, but still less than half of Paul's total. Full Story Here.

30,000 Dominoes Toppled in a Spiral

These are probably the most dominoes you will ever see toppled in your lifetime.  When do you think you'll ever have a chance to witness a bigger event?  This literally will take 9-1/2 minutes to watch.  I'm actually typing this blog as I watch the video.  Think of it more as a meditation and relaxation time for you to watch. LOL.  It would probably relieve some stress.

The Iron Lady Takes Home Oscar #3 - Complete List of Winners!

Meryl Streep's first and most recent Oscar win for Best Actress
Kramer vs Kramer & The Iron Lady

Here are the 2012 Oscar Results from the 84th Annual Academy Awards last night!  If you were like Ryan and myself, we didn't watch it.  We had more important things to watch, like The Walking Dead and Shameless, LOL.  

Actually, we didn't think highly of any of the Oscar nominations this year except for one.  I have provided a list down below courtesy of BBC.  After reviewing the winners, it looks like the 3D adventure drama, Hugo, took home the most awards last night, but the night belonged to one special lady, an Iron Lady.   

Meryl Streep won her third most-deserved Oscar for her portrayal of the former Primer Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.  A big shout-out for her, she is one of my favorite actresses, alongside Glenn Close and Sally Field.

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

War Horse
The Tree of Life
Moneyball
The Descendants
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

BEST ACTOR

Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Demian Bichir - A Better Life
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
George Clooney - The Descendants
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

BEST ACTRESS

Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Octavia Spencer - The Help
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs

You can check out the remaining winners after the jump...

Quoted - President Barack Obama for the It Gets Better Campaign

"Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the deaths of several young people who were bullied and taunted for being gay and who ultimately took their own lives. As a parent of two daughters, it breaks my heart. It's something that just shouldn't happen in this country. Now we've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage, that it's some inevitable part of growing up. It's not. We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids. And to every young person out there, you need to know that if you're in trouble, there are caring adults who can help. I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay, but I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes you don't belong. It's tough. And for a lot of kids the sense of being alone or apart, I know it can just wear on you. And when you're teased or bullied it can seem like somehow you have brought it on yourself for being different or for not fitting in with everybody else. But what I want to say is this: You are not alone, you didn't do anything wrong, you didn't do anything to deserve being bullied, and there's a whole world waiting for you filled with possibilities. There are people out there that love you and care about you just the way you are. And so, if you ever feel like because of bullying, because of what people are saying, that you are getting down on yourself, you've got to make sure to reach out to people you trust;  whether it's your parents, teachers, or folks that you know care about you just the way you are. You've got to reach out to them. Don't feel like you are in this by yourself. The other thing you need to know is things will get better, and more than that, with time you are going to see that your differences are a source of pride and a source of strength. You'll look back on the struggles you've faced with compassion and wisdom, and that's not just going to serve you, but it'll help you get involved and make this country a better place. It will mean that you'll be more likely to help fight discrimination, not just against LGBT Americans but discrimination in all its forms. It means you'll be more likely to understand personally and deeply why it's so important that as adults we set an example in our own lives and that we treat everybody with respect, that we are able to see the world through other people's eyes and stand in their shoes, that we never lose sight of what binds us together. As a nation, we're founded on the belief that all of us are equal and each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness, to make the most of our talents, to speak our minds, to not fit in; most of all, to be true to ourselves. That's the freedom that enriches all of us. That's what America is all about, and every day it gets better."

- President Barack Obama for the It Gets Better Campaign

Poster of the Week - Issue No. 47 - Misfortune

Continuing alphabetically, I bring you this week's poster, "Misfortune".

Sunday Funday: Tom Daley and His Olympic Diving Team

Tom Daley reminds me so much of Thomas Finchum from the US Olympic team.  Remember him?  Well, while we have our favorite little gay boy, so does Great Britain.  Ah you can say whatever, the boy is gay.  Straight girls just wish he was straight.

In either case, Tom Daley and his Olympic diving team took some time off to lip sync to LMFAO's "Sexy and I know It."  And they're right -  they're sexy and they know it!  They paraded around in their speedos, perfectly tanned bodies, and really tight abs.  

Enjoy your Sunday, Funday!

Troll of the Day: The Gift Wrap Issue

OMG, I can't count the number of times of done this to my co-workers.  I did mine a little differently though.  I actually got some boxes, wrapped each of them with different paper, leaving the bottom side open.  I then placed them over each item on the desk. Like a small gift box for the mouse, a big box for the computer screen, a medium long box for the keyboard, and so forth.  The nurses I did this trick on thought they received lots of gifts, when in fact it was their entire computer and other items. LOL.  Major Troll!

Cyanide and Happiness: Treasure

I Want An Action Pad

No, serioustly?  WTF is up with this picture?

Whitney Houston SPARKLE Sneek Peek

Whitney Houston had just finished filming her fourth movie right before she died.  It has now been set for an August 2012 release.  The movie, titled Sparkle, is a remake of a movie with the same name, inspired by The Supremes.  The movie also stars Jordin Sparks, Cee Lo Green, Mike Epps and many others.

The Plot:  Musical prodigy, Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (Whitney Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager, Stix (Derek Luke) while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters (Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era. [ref]

It truly is sad, because she was really looking forward to this.  She felt this was the much needed boost she needed to help her struggling career.   You can check behind the scenes footage that has also been released below.

Listen to Whitney singing alongside co-star Jordin Sparks at the (1:04) and (2:24) marks:

Music Video Flashback - 2010: WHIP YO EXORCIST

I'm sorry, but I was feeling a bit nostalgic and had to share this wonderful, wonderful video.  It's been so long since I've posted a Music Video Flashback and came across this parody to Willow Smith's song, "Whip Your Hair".

I can't believe how fast time has flown by.  Her song was released in the fall of 2010 and here we are - a year and half later - whipping our hair back and forth. LOL.  

I posted this video on Facebook around the same time and wanted to share it with my blog readers.  The video uses footage of Linda Blair from the notorious horror movie, "The Exorcist", and she does in fact whip her back and forth. LOL.

Crimes of the Century - No. 12 - The Son of Sam

THE SON OF SAM, 1977

New York seemed to be going to hell in the summer of 1977. Already in perpetual fiscal crisis the city was plunged into a 25-hour blackout on July 13 that saw massive looting and arson. And the Son of Sam killer was still out there after more than a year, waiting to kill again, sending his perverse missives to the police and to New York Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin. The killer had called himself the Son of Sam in his letters, which spoke of Papa Sam as a drinker of blood and master of Satanic mayhem. And on July 31, the Son of Sam struck again, shooting a young woman, who was killed, and her male companion, who would be blinded. But it would be the last attack. 

A witness on the night of that shooting saw a man in the neighborhood remove a parking ticket from a Ford Galaxie. The police tracked their records and found 24-year-old David Berkowitz, a dweeby, pudgy employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Trained as a sharpshooter with the M16 rifle in the U.S. Army, he had used a .44 pistol in all the shootings, killing six and wounding seven. Who was Sam? Sam, said Berkowitz, was a cantankerous former neighbor. But Berkowitz said he was the devil and that he transmitted his orders through the infernal and incessant barkings of his dog, Harvey.

 ***

You can learn more about this notorious killer here, and yes the maniac is still alive.  He is currently serving time at a correctional facility in Fallsburg, New York with his next parole hearing due in May of this year.  He has been denied the previous 5 times so it is unlikely he will be granted one.

TIME Magazine posted this article online several years ago, along with a list of 24 additional notorious crimes that I have been posting and will continue to post every Saturday on my blog.  Hope you enjoy.

Go back and read the previous 11 crimes here.

Cyanide and Happiness: Water Cooler

Isn't This The Truth? The String Section

HOW I SEE IT:

HOW OTHER PEOPLE SEE IT:

I Like Your Man Areas, I Like Your Man Areas, I Like, Like, Like to Lick, Lick, Lick Your Man Areas

Johnny McGovern, what have you gone and done?  You may remember me blogging about him before - I've posted a couple of his raunchy music videos in the past.  I'm not going to explain who he is, for that you can read my previous post "Likin' Big Dicks".  As strict as YouTube is with their rules, I'm surprised he can even upload these videos.

In December I posted his much talked about "Dickmatized" and it was pretty darn hot, but this video I'm posting today is downright crazy hot.  It's definitely NSFW.  Let's just say the words in the video say, "I like your man areas, I like your man areas, you know I like, like, like to lick, lick, lick, your man areas, your not so tan areas..."  yeah it's pretty raunchy, but very hot nonetheless.

Troll of the Day: The Plant in a Keyboard Issue

Who doesn't know what Trolling is?  Here's a very short history lesson.  It supposedly started in the late 80's, and at the time it was pretty much trying to piss someone off in order to get a rise out of them, earliest known case was 1992.

In the early part of 2000 it mostly had to do with being a prick on the internet because you could. You would pretty much be a bully and would unleash one or more cynical or sarcastic remarks on an innocent by-stander, because it's the internet and, hey, you can.

But today, it's taken a different turn.  It's become the art of pranking.  Yep, everyone's done it.  It's when you play a prank on your sister, brother, mom, dad, co-worker, or friends by doing such things as placing a thousand post it notes on their car, wrapping their desk items in gift wrapping paper - that sort of thing.  I've done it. :-)

Today I bring you my new series - Troll of the Day!

And here is my next project... LOL.

What's The Difference Between Cats and Dogs?

THIS!

 

I'm sorry kitty lovers, but it's mostly true.  LOL.

Super Pac Attack

What is a Super Pac?  A Super Pac (Political Action Committee) is an organization in the United States that campaigns for or against political candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation.  At the federal level, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives more than $1,000 according to the Federal Election Campaign Act. At the state level, an organization becomes a PAC according to the state's election laws. [Ref]

Personally, I think it's a hot mess, because Super Pacs can alter an election, especially when huge corporations are the ones making the most contributions.  And we all know they don't want to pay taxes, while the rest of us have a 31% tax rate.  Corporations can donate and unlimited amount of money and have proven to be instrumental in bringing down or hurting Democratic candidates.  This was the case when George W. Bush won the governorship in the state of Texas and when John Kerry was swift-boated with the horrendous lies provided by these organizations.  Don't get me wrong some of them are legitimate, but you're not going to sit there and tell me that Karl Rove's Super Pac and the Koch brother's Super Pac are.

Attack of the Super PACs

Laugh of the Day: The Birds and The Bees

OMG, this was absolutely-crazy-hilarious.  I dare you to watch this video.  Better yet, I double dog dare you.  LOL.  I could never imagine my parents talking to me about the birds and the bees.  Are you kidding me?  If they were anything like these two, I would've thrown up.  It's mom and dad c'mon!!!