Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

Some things are not meant to be forgotten.

This video is one of those things.

It also bears remembering that this video is in no way representative of the beliefs of all Muslims, or even most.

That said, the video is representative of the beliefs of far too many, with far too much influence.

Top Ten 10 Craziest Science Stuff You Didn’t Know

The wonders of science never ceases to amaze.

You can Hypnotize Chickens

A chicken can be hypnotized, or put into a trance by holding its head down against the ground, and continuously drawing a line along the ground with a stick or a finger, starting at its beak and extending straight outward in front of the chicken.

If the chicken is hypnotized in this manner, it will remain immobile for somewhere between 15 seconds to 30 minutes, continuing to stare at the line.

You can have an erection once dead

A death erection (sometimes referred to as “angel lust”) is a post-mortem erection which occurs when a male individual dies vertically or face-down – the cadaver remaining in this position. During life, the pumping of blood by the heart ensures a relatively even distribution around the blood vessels of the human body. Once this mechanism has ended, only the force of gravity acts upon the blood. As with any mass, the blood settles at the lowest point of the body and causes edema or swelling to occur; the discoloration caused by this is called lividity. Sorry, no photo for this one!

Your hand can have a life of it’s own

Alien hand syndrome (or Dr. Strangelove syndrome) is an unusual neurological disorder in which one of the sufferer’s hands seems to take on a life of its own.

AHS is best documented in cases where a person has had the two hemispheres of their brain surgically separated, a procedure sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of extreme cases of epilepsy. It also occurs in some cases after other brain surgery, strokes, or infections. The HAND is after you!

Don’t laugh too much, it can kill you.

Fatal hilarity is death as a result of laughter. In the third century B.C. the Greek philosopher Chrysippus died of laughter after seeing a donkey eating figs (hey, it wasn’t THAT funny).

On 24 March 1975 Alex Mitchell, a 50-year-old bricklayer from King’s Lynn, England, literally died laughing while watching an episode of The Goodies. According to his wife, who was a witness, Mitchell was unable to stop laughing whilst watching a sketch in the episode “Kung Fu Kapers” in which Tim Brooke-Taylor, dressed as a kilted Scotsman, used a set of bagpipes to defend himself from a psychopathic black pudding in a demonstration of the Scottish martial art of “Hoots-Toot-ochaye.” After twenty-five of continuous laughter Mitchell finally slumped on the sofa and expired from heart failure. His widow later sent the Goodies a letter thanking them for making Mitchell’s final moments so pleasant.

A weapon could make you Gay.

Gay bomb is an informal name for a potential non-lethal chemical weapon, which a U.S. Air Force research laboratory speculated about producing. In one sentence of the document it was suggested that a strong aphrodisiac could be dropped on enemy troops, ideally one which would also cause “homosexual behaviour”. So that’s how they got Saddam!

It’s true, Men can breastfeed.

The phenomenon of male lactation in humans has become more common in recent years due to the use of medications that stimulate a human male’s mammary glands.

Male lactation is most commonly caused by hormonal treatments given to men suffering from prostate cancer. It is also possible for males (and females) to induce lactation through constant massage and simulated ’sucking’ of the nipple over a long period of time (months).

Bart Simpson’s Tomacco (Half tomato Half Tobacco) was possible.

A tomacco is originally a fictional hybrid fruit that is half tomato and half tobacco, from the 1999 episode “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)” of The Simpsons; the method used to create the tomacco in the episode is fictional.

The tomacco became real when it was allegedly produced in 2003. Inspired by The Simpsons, Rob Baur of Lake Oswego, Oregon successfully grafted a tomato plant onto the roots of a tobacco plant, which was possible because both plants come from the same family.

It’s OK to have a third nipple.

A supernumerary nipple (also known as a third nipple) is an additional nipple occurring in mammals including humans. Often mistaken for moles, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 2% in females, less in males. The nipples appear along the two vertical “milk lines” which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast in miniature.

You can die on the Toilet.

There are many toilet-related injuries and some toilet-related deaths throughout history and in urban legends.

In young boys, one of the most common causes of genital injury is when the toilet seat falls down while using the toilet.

George II of Great Britain died on the toilet on 25 October 1760 from an aortic dissection. According to Horace Walpole’s memoirs, King George “rose as usual at six, and drank his chocolate; for all his actions were invariably methodic. A quarter after seven he went into a little closet. His German valet de chambre in waiting heard a noise, and running in, found the King dead on the floor.”

Picking one’s nose and eating it might be healthy.

Mucophagy (literally mucus-eating, also referred as picking one’s nose and eating it) is the consumption of the nasal mucus, boogers, and other detritus obtained from nose-picking.

Some research suggests that mucophagy may be a natural and even healthy activity, which exposes the digestive system to bacteria accumulated in the mucus, thereby helping to strengthen the immune system.

A, B, C, D

Assad, Bhutto, Castro and Darfur are the focus of discussion today.

In recent weeks emissaries from Democratic presidential candidates Clinton and Obama entered into low key discussions with Syrian president Bashar Assad. These discussions were preceded by visits to Syria by a delegation led by House leader Nancy Pelosi.

Why are Democrat presidential hopefuls courting Assad? They talk about the war, the economy and health care, all domestic issues. Why deal with the Middle East, a real quagmire if you listen to the Democrats tell it?

Ronald Reagan, that’s why.

Within minutes of assuming office in 1981, the US hostages in Iran were released. Why that happened when it happened is an often told story. An emissary of President Reagan told the Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations that Mr Reagan had no intention of negotiating with the Ayatollahs’ regime. He told the diplomat that if the hostages were not released by the time Mr Reagan returned to the White House after the inauguration ceremonies, the new president would order an air strike on Tehran as his first act as President of the United States. The Iranian Ambassador was also told that the White House would not be taking his calls or calls from anyone on his behalf or on behalf of the nation of Iran until the hostages were released.

That happened a few minutes after Mr Reagan was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States.

Both candidates are hoping that if they can be seen as procuring some kind of peace deal between Israel and the Arab world, they can point to a President Bush ‘failure.’ As proof of that ‘failure,’ they will point to their efforts and immediate results. They will say they will restore America’s tarnished image and will heal the nation and the world.

Of course, if the Democrat candidates and party believes that, they are idiots.

George W Bush is not Jimmy Carter. There is no ‘malaise’ in this nation and there is nothing they can do to mask their spectacular failure as an opposition party. Despite the mortgage debacle, home ownership is at an all time high. Less than 5% of homes are in foreclosure- which means 95% of homeowners will stay in their homes.

The economy is booming despite the 12-20 million illegal aliens who are working here. That means whatever you think about immigration policies, our economy can absorb 12-20 million illegal aliens and still be an economic engine and powerhouse.

The could not get a single piece of meaningful legislation passed- even when they controlled Congress. On issue after issue, they could not muster up a 2/3 majority to override a presidential veto.

Every poll indicates the contempt Americans feel toward Congress- and justifiably so. Democrat House leaders are poster children for corruption and ineffectiveness. They have thwarted every effort at meaningful reform and both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are determined to keep pork spending hidden. They have consistently refused to support any kind of sunshine legislation on budget spending.

The fact remains that the Democrats have been foiled at every attempt to undermine the president and his administration. They are desperate to prove Mr Bush as a failed leader. They are looking to the likes of Bashar Assad, an Arab leader who has supported terror in Iraq and orchestrated the murder of Rafik Hariri in Lebanon. Mr Assad supports and hosts the leaders of terror organizations in his nation and his regime maintains ties to Iran, Hizbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups.

The Democrats are looking to the likes of yet another racist, bigoted and violent dysfunctional Arab leader to bestow credibility on them. Nice.

Fatima Bhutto has evidence of PPP electoral corruption and voter fraud in Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto’s party is keeping her legacy of corruption alive. See this, this and this for some background. Given the Hillary Clinton campaign ties to Benazir Bhutto (and the requisite cash involved) and recent allegations of voter fraud here, this story should have legs.

Castro is stepping down, or so the story goes. What that means for Cuba in the long term is unknown. In the short term future, look for some pain. Castro has hobbled his nation for decades. That country is an economic basket case and there are no quick fixes. See Fausta’s Castro Resigns: The Countdown To A Transition Officially Begins for a concise roundup.

Finally, Darfur.

As the president tours Africa and hands out record aid, it is annnouced that the ongoing tragedy in Darfur will go on. There will be no intervention by the United States to stop the slaughter. The Islamist government in Khartoum and the Arab janjaweed will be unimpeded in their genocide. History repeats itself: Bill Clinton also refused to intervene to stop a genocide in Rwanda. The death toll? Over one million.

It’s a good thing the Democrats know their priorities. They’d rather deal with Bashar Assad rather than intervene in Darfur.