Lure coursing is a sport typically for sight hounds like greyhounds and whippets. “Rabbits” (usually white plastic bags) are tied to a string loop, which goes around pulleys and is driven by a small electric motor. It’s a fairly simple setup, but dogs of all breeds love it. Well, except my dog who isn’t fooled by the plastic bags. You can hit the jump for a video of some dogs doing the lure course.
What’s my point? It’s the weekend. Get out there and do something. Have fun, even if it’s something simple.
Continue reading Simple Pleasures
I discovered the other day, to my astonishment, that I have a phone book.
I know. I’m just as shocked as you are. Apparently they still print these things! And give them out for free! Well, that part makes sense, I can’t imagine anyone paying for one, but prior to picking it up and flipping through it, I had almost forgotten that they had ever existed. Since I had one, however, I figured I should give it a try. I experimented with looking up people I know locally. Not a single one of them under the age of 50 was anywhere to be seen. Most of the younger people I know have long since abandoned their land-line phones in favour of cellphones, and those numbers, naturally, aren’t listed.
They did, of course, still have a Yellow Pages section, but even that seemed rather useless. Most of the ads listed there barely gave the most basic information about the company. Many didn’t even have an address, directing you instead to their webpage or Facebook page. A few had QR codes so you could scan the ad with your smartphone. That particular detail struck me as odd; why would you have a way to scan an ad in a phone book, which would bring up your page on their smartphone, when most people are just going to look you up on their smartphone in the first place? Maybe there’s a logic I’m missing there.
What other relics from a bygone era do you still see, but have largely faded into total uselessness?
 I’ll give it 10 points for creativity, and 11 for sheer moxie. However, there are some obvious problems in the practicality department. Though, I guess if your goal is to tell people you’ve got a bike with a Rolls Royce engine, mission accomplished. Or is that a Saab?
The idea of the easter egg is software goes back ages. Another computer tech that goes back ages is Atari’s Breakout! game. Combine the two, mix in some Google Image Search, and you get a playable bit of awesome. Give it a try! Just type in “Atari Breakout” into a GIS search box and get ready to play!
Do you know of other Google easter eggs? I can think of at least 2.
Hat tip to Batshitbox for the tip! Send little bits of awesome to tips at atomictoasters dot com.
[Image Credit: Google]
After a long day in the sun, I made the mistake last night of lying down on my insanely comfy couch to watch a little bit of racing. That didn’t go well. I woke up hours later in a rather uncomfortable position, and it took me longer than usual just to make it up the stairs to bed. There was a time when I was young enough that none of this would have bothered me.
I wish I could say this was the worst position I’ve ever fallen asleep in, but I’d be lying. I’ve historically had an almost cat-like ability to fall asleep in random positions, either sitting in a deck chair, leaning against a building, or pouring myself over the back of a couch.
What’s the most random or uncomfortable location or position you’ve ever managed to fall asleep in?
 For that one time you forgot to switch to private browsing mode.
See, this way the flight path and trjectory will be harder to predict.
Image via carabaas.livejournal.com.
The General Services Administration is one of those large, nebulous government agencies. In fact, it is responsible for basically all of the supply and transportation for the federal government. When it has equipment that has been removed from service it auctions it. These are those famous government auctions you hear about someone buying 50,000 vacuum tubes for $1 from. Well, this auction will cost you a bit more to enter (a $50,000 deposit is required to bid), but you could walk away with a piece of history — Air Force One.
Continue reading Buy Air Force One!
In all the old Godzilla movies, the eponymous villain tends to stomp around a lot, quite cranky indeed, wrecking shit and generally causing mayhem. And then he sets fire to all of it with his Amazing Fire Breath™. Now, let’s face it, that’s a pretty sweet trick he’s got there, but what if the poor fellow is just a little bit misunderstood?
I mean sure, he wrecks buildings and destroys things, but he only does this in Japan. Being that he’s a large reptile, and reptiles rely on a temperate climate, could it be, perhaps, that he’s just cranky that the destination he finally stumbles upon is just too chilly for his liking? After all, you never see him wreaking havoc on Thailand or sunny Australia. Although that might just be because Australia already has plenty of scary lizards and critters to worry about, and even Godzilla doesn’t want to deal with them. But what if Japan is just a little too chilly? I mean, if he landed here in Canada at any time other than our week or so of summer, he just wouldn’t survive; if the temperature didn’t finish him off, the Vancouver drivers would probably do it. Ditto for Russia.
Japan is unique in that regard around the Pacific rim. It’s the only place where the temperature is warm enough that Godzilla would stand a chance of surviving at any time of the year, but not so warm that he’d be able to thrive. As such, he’s probably just cranky as hell. After a few years of living in Edmonton — and quite a few more years in Northern British Columbia before that — I can say with certainty that when I’m cold, I get cranky. What if the same is true for Godzilla, and all the fire-breathing stuff he does is just to try and keep warm?
Assuming Godzilla is really just misunderstood and chilly, what’s the best way for us to keep the poor guy warm so he doesn’t stomp on Tokyo again?
 No Really Bigger Is Better [image credit - bbcimg.co.uk]
In postwar Britain there was considerable money, time, and effort spent on trying to keep the colonies nearby. The Brits went to some absurd lengths to create non-stop flights to her farthest territories utilizing aircraft such as this one.
Continue reading Flying Boats – The Princess Is At The Other Castle
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