Happy Christmas - whatever your faith, or lack of it

Chess - a game for tired minds?

Here comes the weekend

It's only and effin name

From Irish Independent, 2nd December, 2011:

A Limerick woman has started an online campaign to get her native village recognised by Facebook. But Ann Marie Kennedy (47) has a problem: the village of Effin has been branded 'offensive' by the social networking giant. ... "It will recognise Limerick but I'm not from Limerick city, I'm from Effin. I'm a proud Effin woman. And I always will be an Effin woman."- Facebook finds town too Effin rude for site - National News - Independent.ie

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Facebook might also want to take note that there are townlands in Ireland with the entirely legitimate placenames like Bastardstown in Co. Wexford (ok so technically that's illegitimate but why should they be treated any differently?) and the enchantingly sounding Muff in Co. Donegal - no offence intended.

Further reference material:

• From Bastardstown to Muff – What’s in a name!?
• Placenames in Ireland that sound dirty but are not

Toothpaste - don't leave home without it

Received via e-mail from someone who shall remain nameless. We make no claim as to the veracity of the claims made in the following. You follow the advice given at your own risk. Don't come crying to us if you end up destroying your designer clothes, antique furniture, your general health and/or sanity. Always consult with a specialist before acting on advice received over the internet. Likely it comes from a source that is about as authoritative as the man in the pub.

WE ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN NEW THINGS – WHEN WE STOP LEARNING THEN WE DIE!

26 Things You Can Do With Toothpaste

Although the primary use of toothpaste is to clean and improve the aesthetic appearance and health of teeth, there are also 26 other things that you can use it for. Every household has one and every household uses it at least twice a day. And because of the common availability of toothpaste, you can try everything below. Remember, use only white paste.

1. Removes stain from cloth

 

To take out all kinds of stain like ink or lipstick. Squeeze some on the spot, scrub and rinse.


2. Even out scratches on CD / DVD

If the screen freezes, take out the disc, put some toothpaste on it, scrub and clean it off.


3. Cleans diamond ring

Just squeeze a little on a used toothbrush, wet the ring, scrub gently, rinse and your diamond ring should be look sparkling new.


4. Cleans silver

Toothpaste can be used to polish any kind of silver. It really does bring out the shine in silverwares.


5. Placate burns

Right after you get burnt, put it on. It helps to relieve the sting.

6. Removes crayon from painted walls

Rub the marks with the toothpaste and a damp rag. Wipe with water to get rid of residue.


7. Remove carpet stains

Squeeze some onto the carpet, scrub, rinse and let it dry.


8. Relieves insect bites

Spread a little over either of these and you’ll feel soothed and no itches. Mosquito, flea and ant bites work especially well.


9. Keep girl babies’ bows in their hair

If they don’t have much hair this is particularly useful. It doesn’t pull it out, it just washes out.


10. Clean your nails

Teeth and nails are made of the same material. To clean your nails, squeeze some on top of a toothbrush, wet your nails and brush them thoroughly. Be amazed by the sparkle.


11. Clean shoes

Scrubbing toothpaste with a wet toothbrush over the boots, working shoes and rubber part of sneakers will work. It can also be used to remove scuffs.


12. Put up posters

You can use toothpaste to put up posters without damaging the wall. However, avoid using it for collector posters. It can damage the ink over time.

13. Use it to temporarily seal holes

Can be used as a spackle to fill nail holes. This sounds evil, but you can use it right before you move out of your rented apartment. =P


14. Clean around the bathroom

Use it to clean shower doors and rings around the bath tub. It has an abrasive so that is why it works good.


15. Clean your vehicle’s headlight lenses

Put some toothpaste in a bowl with some water. Use a buffer pad and clean off fog caused by dirt and bugs hitting them.


16. Clean model cars

Hobbyists who collect and build model cars, robots and action figures can certainly use toothpaste to make them nice and shiny.

17. Remove scratches on your watch crystal

Dab some on the watch and scrub it with tissue.


18. Treat acne

Be very careful when using this. Use it at most once a week. Just dab a small amount on a pimple before bed, wake up and it will dry up.

19. Prevent fog in your swimming goggles

Just wipe it on, clean it off. Works well for me.


20. Clean piano keytops

A dab of toothpaste, a soft cloth and some rubbing will usually clean piano keytops and turn them white again.


21. Deodorize smelly hands

Wash your hands with a dab of toothpaste and it will remove smells like onions and other unpleasant odors.


22. Remove scratches on glassware

Polish with a squeeze of toothpaste. Your glassware should be shining in no time.

23. Remove beach tar

Getting that black beach tar on your feet can put a small crimp in your vacation, but it is easy enough to remove. Just rub it with some non-gel toothpaste and rinse.


24. Deodorize baby bottles

Works for sour smelling baby bottles. Scrub with toothpaste and a bottle brush and the bottles should end up smelling clean and fresh.

25. Cleans clothes iron

The mild abrasive in non-gel toothpaste is just the ticket for scrubbing the gunk off the bottom plate of your clothes iron. Apply the toothpaste to the cool iron, scrub with a cloth, then rinse clean.


26. Remove water marks from furniture

To get rid of those telltale watermark rings left by sweating beverages, gently rub some non-gel toothpaste on the wood with a soft cloth.

Inquest baffled by OAP's spontaneous combustion - News, Frontpage - Herald.ie

A MAN who burned to death in his own home died of spontaneous human combustion, a coroner has ruled.

Dr Kieran McLoughlin said it was the first time in his 25 years as a coroner he had returned such a verdict.

But the death of Michael Faherty (76) in Galway could not be explained any other way.

Gardai and fire officers had never come across such a phenomenon either. - Inquest baffled by OAP's spontaneous combustion - News, Frontpage - Herald.ie:

'via Blog this'

Further resources and reference material on Spontaneous Human Combustion:

• BBC website - Does spontaneous human combustion exist?
• How Stuff Works - Spontaneous Human Combustion
• mental_floss Seven Cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion

Economy Watch: The Great Malls of China

This video was posted on the Disinformation website earlier this year. Anyone thinking the Chinese 'miracle' is going to save the world might want to think again. They could be in it just as deep as the rest of us. 

Something to Ponder

Introducing the all new solar-powered bikini

Yes! you read it right and No, we haven't descended to the level of peddling in smut - yet! We have a long way to fall before that happens.

This from BreakingNews.ie - for people who feel naked on the beach without a fully charged MP3 player or similar device.

Howth faithful bemused at bin Laden memorial services

Re-posted from The Irish Times, Monday, May 9, 2011:

Howth faithful bemused at bin Laden memorial services

Well someone was bound to do it. Only a matter of time. On a long enough timeline silliness eventually takes over; if it wasn't already there to begin with.

Source: The Irish Times

What Now, Brown Cow?

A report being attributed to a 'Richard Gray in London' has been appearing on various webcasts and newsfeeds and presumably in printed media too, if anyone still reads them. The claim is that scientists in China have created genetically modified cows that produce 'human' milk.

Our initial reaction was that it is some sort of belated April Fools Day prank - one that was picked up on too late for inclusion. But subsequent efforts on our part reveal that the story first appeared as early as 24th March.

So there you are. 

Really, Mrs Clinton!

From The Irish Times - Wednesday, March 30, 2011:

US SECRETARY of state Hillary Clinton has raised the possibility that the United States may offer arms to Libyan rebels opposing Col Muammar Gadafy. There could be “legitimate transfers”, she said, because the US believes the United Nations resolution on Libya overrides “the absolute prohibition” on arms shipments.

Really, Mrs Clinton! You and whose army? Not this one by any chance?

Something for the weekend

Political Evolution by Means of Random Selection

Ever wonder why there is so much apathy, cynicism, decay about politics? Could it be that the apathy and cynicism comes from within and that this is part of the decay?

Political systems often seem to act as a magnet for self-seekers and careerists - with minds focussed on their own narrow agenda - while the rest of us are content to remain on the outside, resigned to defeat or at least to the idea that you just can't win. And this state of affairs prevails no matter how much we try to perfect the mechanisms with PR, devolution, quotas, etc.

So what if parliament and similar institutions that govern were randomly selected? This is the suggestion of a group of IgNobel Prize winning political scientists. Voting could become like doing the lottery - if it's not already. It Could Be You!

Interestingly, random selection is not a new idea in democracies. For example, in the ancient Athenian democracy of the 6th century BC, drawing lots was the primary way of appointing officials. - Technology Review, Why Randomly-Selected Politicians Would Improve Democracy

We think this is an intriguing idea and offer it to our readers to make up their minds as to whether it could work or not. Think about it for a minute. Would it not eliminate cronyism, careerism and a whole lot of other such manifestations that plague various political systems - even those that have evolved differently? Read more ...

Mother of 3 Arrested for Taking Pictures of Tourist Attraction at Airport » Long Island Lawyer Blog

There's nothing like a bit of left-wing fascism to counterbalance all that stuff that went own during the neo-con era of the Bush II presidency. But watch out Obama: 2012 is just around the bend and Sarah Palin is coming up hard on your rear (metaphorically speaking that is). 

From the Long Island Lawyers Blog: A woman is arrested for taking pictures of tourist attraction at an airport, is held, taunted and abused. - full story here