http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/grenade/hand.html
http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/rus/ks-23-e.html
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Neo swing
I like The Royal Crown Revue, The Mighty Blue Kings, Roomful of Blues & Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88s. Those last 2 are kinda swingin' blues.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Kingdom of Loathing Names and Clans
Seal Clubber - LaFlarge of the Mastodon Munchers Clan
Turtle Tamer - Chelloni of the cricket Chompers Clan
Pastamancer - Anchovia of the Linguini Ladies Clan
Sauceror - Froborscht of the SpƤtzle Specialists Clan
Disco Bandit - Rhinostone Jane of the Boogie Board Clan
Accordion Thief - Raoul de Fuego of the Arrrriba Locos Clan
Turtle Tamer - Chelloni of the cricket Chompers Clan
Pastamancer - Anchovia of the Linguini Ladies Clan
Sauceror - Froborscht of the SpƤtzle Specialists Clan
Disco Bandit - Rhinostone Jane of the Boogie Board Clan
Accordion Thief - Raoul de Fuego of the Arrrriba Locos Clan
Sunday, October 21, 2012
flamenco artists
ottmar liebert
miguel de la bastide
bozzio levin stevens
miguel de la bastide
bozzio levin stevens
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
10 Fascinating Bioluminescent Organisms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena
Glowing Mushrooms (Mycena lux-coeli mushrooms)
Hawaiian Bobtail Squid (Euprymna scolopes)
Alarm jellyfish (Atolla wyvillei)
Jack-O-Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius)
Luminescent Panellus (Panellus stipticus)
Ctenophore Bathocyroƫ
Dinoflagellates
Crystal jelly (Aequorea Victoria)
Glow worm (Lampyris noctiluca)
Fireflies (Photinus pyralis)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Dance Info
Westlake Dance Center
-walk-in
-everything
Steampunk Dance
-on facebook
-single $10
-couple $14
-waltz wed and sun
-walk-in
-everything
Steampunk Dance
-on facebook
-single $10
-couple $14
-waltz wed and sun
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Translated Patched Games
http://www.dynamic-designs.us/downloads.shtml
http://www.fantasyanime.com/garden/translations_dejap.htm
http://agtp.romhack.net/projects.php
http://www.zophar.net/translations/snes/english.html
http://superfamicom.org/translations/snes-patches
http://dejap.eludevisibility.org/links.php
Chaos Seed - Zelda in feudal japan
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/564346-chaos-seed/50376471
google search
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8#hl=en&safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=chaos%20seed%20translation%20magic%20destiny&oq=&gs_l=&pbx=1&fp=158101d518659935&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=853&bih=512
http://www.fantasyanime.com/garden/translations_dejap.htm
http://agtp.romhack.net/projects.php
http://www.zophar.net/translations/snes/english.html
http://superfamicom.org/translations/snes-patches
http://dejap.eludevisibility.org/links.php
Chaos Seed - Zelda in feudal japan
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/564346-chaos-seed/50376471
google search
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8#hl=en&safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=chaos%20seed%20translation%20magic%20destiny&oq=&gs_l=&pbx=1&fp=158101d518659935&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=853&bih=512
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Xenogears Perfect Works Translation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29956195@N08/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29956195@N08/sets/72157616593453778/with/3234164343/
http://s404.photobucket.com/albums/pp125/GraphicsGoldMine/Xenogears%20complete%20maps/
http://s404.photobucket.com/profile/GraphicsGoldMine
http://www.proyecto-noah.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29956195@N08/sets/72157616593453778/with/3234164343/
http://s404.photobucket.com/albums/pp125/GraphicsGoldMine/Xenogears%20complete%20maps/
http://s404.photobucket.com/profile/GraphicsGoldMine
http://www.proyecto-noah.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Dropbox stuff
More dropbox space?
http://forums.dropbox.com/topic.php?id=58234&replies=112
turn off dropbox camera upload thing
http://forums.dropbox.com/topic.php?id=58766
http://forums.dropbox.com/topic.php?id=58234&replies=112
turn off dropbox camera upload thing
http://forums.dropbox.com/topic.php?id=58766
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/myers-briggs/enfj.htm
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/ENFJ_rel.html
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/partners.html
Human metrics MyersBriggs Test (seems accurate)
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes3.asp
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/ENFJ_rel.html
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/partners.html
Human metrics MyersBriggs Test (seems accurate)
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes3.asp
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sex and Health
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5263250/ns/health-sexual_health/t/not-just-good-good-you/#.T7v1xUXLwlQ
I found this on Redbook's website and thought it was really interesting.
Q. My fiancƩ loves for me to give him oral sex and I have no problem with that (believe me) , but he wants me to swallow his semen. Can it hurt me? Are there any health problems associated with swallowing semen?
A. The good news is that it's beneficial! Recently studies have shown that regular consumption of semen can actually have some wonderful health benefits. Semen contains at least 13 prostaglandins and high concentrations of hormones that retain potency if taken orally. The quality of the seminal hormones is thought to be superior to even prescription versions. In the study women who regularly consumed their lovers sperm showed such benefits as a reduction in ovarian cancers, lowered depression and many even had acne symptoms lessen or stop entirely. It is thought that the oral consumption of the potent hormones had a balancing effect on woman's hormonal ups and downs caused by their periods and pregnancy or breastfeeding.
The key to the findings is "regular consumption". Only once in blue moon won't have the same effect. Those that indulged once or twice a week received little benefits. The ones who received the results were the ones who ingested semen four to five times a week or more! Now that's dedication. If this seems like a lot of work you need to remember that your partner can assist in producing it. All though preferable, a blow job is not the only way to obtain semen. You might be surprised how fast your man can produce sperm for you all on their own.
Oddly enough only married or monogamous women showed the benefits. Those with multiple partners showed no beneficial effects or even reported detrimental effects. This is thought to be caused by the differences in the hormonal makeup of multiple partners.
1. Pregnant? Semen and sperm go down into your stomach, where they are digested with all your other food. There is no passage connecting your stomach to your ovaries. You can not get pregnant from swallowing sperm. If the donor has no STDs, it's perfectly safe. If you plan to have a baby with the man in question, it can also lower the chance of miscarriage. By having your body recognize the antigens in the mans semen you can reduce the possibility of an inappropriate immune response.
2. Fattening? Semen is full of protein, minerals (zinc Calcium), some fructose sugars and other nutrients. It has few calories, and is perfectly safe to swallow if it has no disease germs.
3. Your own? You can safely swallow your own semen. You can't catch a disease from yourself, only from other people. (Although you can spread your own germs to new, and perhaps more vulnerable, places on your body!)
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_it_safe_to_swallow_semen#ixzz1vdIHCkZl
http://www.thelakeandstars.com/collections.shtml
Look up the We Vibe a vibrator for use during hetero sex. invented by married couple
http://fyibydaniread.com/
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Extremophiles
Anoxic environment - a loriciferan identified as an undescribed species of the genus Spinoloricus. The creature has specialized organelles so that it can survive without oxygen. Scale bar is 50 microns.
Dunaliella Algae. Lives in driest place on earth in Chile's Atacama desert. Grow on top of spider webs, capitalizing on dew
Hyperthermophiles - survive extreme heat - 205 degrees F or more
Halophilic - high salt tolerant organisms
Psychrophiles - survive extreme cold - 5 degrees F
Endophiles - organisms that live inside rocks or other things thought impermeable to life, like crevices of animal shells, or pores b/w grains of minerals. Have been found 2 miles below earth. Not much water, but some studies show they may survive feeding on surrounding potassium, iron or sulfur. While limited in some ways, they are protected from wind and water and solar radiation.
Deinococcus Radiodurans - named specifically for how much radiation it can. take. can take a 15,000 gray dose of radiation. 10 grays is enough to kill a human. 1000 grays kills a cockroach. ALSO survives extreme cold, dehydration, vacuum conditions, AND acids. Known in Guiness book of records as "worlds toughest bacteria"
Dunaliella Algae. Lives in driest place on earth in Chile's Atacama desert. Grow on top of spider webs, capitalizing on dew
Hyperthermophiles - survive extreme heat - 205 degrees F or more
Halophilic - high salt tolerant organisms
Psychrophiles - survive extreme cold - 5 degrees F
Endophiles - organisms that live inside rocks or other things thought impermeable to life, like crevices of animal shells, or pores b/w grains of minerals. Have been found 2 miles below earth. Not much water, but some studies show they may survive feeding on surrounding potassium, iron or sulfur. While limited in some ways, they are protected from wind and water and solar radiation.
Deinococcus Radiodurans - named specifically for how much radiation it can. take. can take a 15,000 gray dose of radiation. 10 grays is enough to kill a human. 1000 grays kills a cockroach. ALSO survives extreme cold, dehydration, vacuum conditions, AND acids. Known in Guiness book of records as "worlds toughest bacteria"
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Games I should try 2
Bastion - action RPG, narrator is great ***
Outland - sidesrolling ikaruga/metroidvania with prettier colors
Terraria - minecraft in 2D. Dan Floyd likes better. More game to it
Kingdom of Loathing - very old mmo. fairly deep. And Funny
Metro 2033
Depths of Peril - Diablo like
Monday Night Combat
Trenched - Tower defense, mechs WWI setting - by Double Fine
O Game - combat spreadsheets
World of Tanks
The Cat and the Coup - artsy fringe of gaming. Free on steam
Earth Defense Force 2017 - blasting giant robots, insects, space dragons with big guns. Stupid fun
Panzercorp, tank tactics game. Like panzer general I and II
Runespell Overture - Puzzlequest RPG combat using poker hands
Catherine - Survival Horror Q-Bert with morality questions about relationships
MOnster Hunter 1 2 or 3. Incredible rewarding game
The Stanley Parable
Outland - sidesrolling ikaruga/metroidvania with prettier colors
Terraria - minecraft in 2D. Dan Floyd likes better. More game to it
Kingdom of Loathing - very old mmo. fairly deep. And Funny
Metro 2033
Depths of Peril - Diablo like
Monday Night Combat
Trenched - Tower defense, mechs WWI setting - by Double Fine
O Game - combat spreadsheets
World of Tanks
The Cat and the Coup - artsy fringe of gaming. Free on steam
Earth Defense Force 2017 - blasting giant robots, insects, space dragons with big guns. Stupid fun
Panzercorp, tank tactics game. Like panzer general I and II
Runespell Overture - Puzzlequest RPG combat using poker hands
Catherine - Survival Horror Q-Bert with morality questions about relationships
MOnster Hunter 1 2 or 3. Incredible rewarding game
The Stanley Parable
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Games I should try
RPGS
--fate of the world
--knights in the nightmare - FF tactics + Ikaruga
--Europa Universalis, Victoria II, Hearts of Iron - Hardcore Historical Strategy. Very hard to learn. Change history in whatever way you find most interesting.
--Valkyria Chronicles
--The World Ends with You
--kings field the ancient city
--demon souls
--Radiant Historia - something like Chrono Trigger, SNES art. DS?
--desktop dungeons - exploration as a limited resource. Old school pixel art
SHOOTER
Vanquish
ACTION
--Super Crate box
-Owl boy
-Dust (xbox Live)
FIGHTING
--Dissidia - besides fighting, RPG elements, and a deep single player experience
HORROR
--Amnesia the dark descent
ADVENTURE
--Ghost Trick, Phantom Detective
--Professor Layton and the Curious Village
FLASH GAMES
--Today I Die - Closest they've ever seen to an interactive Poem
--Everyday the Same Dream
--One Chant
--Company of Myself - A puzzle platformer crossed with someone's diary on lonliness
--End of Us - Friendship and attachment portrayed by asteroids
--Freedom Bridge - depressing...?
--Passage - a representation of life in less than 5 minutes
PUZZLE
--Might and Magic - Clash of Heroes
--Spacechem - Something similar to Molechemy
--Ilomilo - cute creepy, weird, beautiful, mul;ltiplayer
MMO
--Dungeon Fighter
--Minecraft
ALTERNATE REALITY GAME
--I <3 Bees
--Year Zero
--Deathball.net/notpron
GOG wishlist:
Alien shooter + expansionsn (mindless iso alien killing)
Arcanum: of steamworks and magic obscura (fallout like)
Betrayal at Krondar Pack (recommended by Spoony)
dragonsphere (free at Gog.com)
Evil Genius
Fallout Tactics
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
ghost master (ghost RTS)
gobliiins pack
lionheart: legacy of the crusader
lords of magic special
master of magic 1994 (civilization like with magic setting)
masters of orion 1-3
mob rule - Mom
nox, sacred (gold edition) - diablo like
Oddworld, all of it
original war
outcast
painkiller - quake-like shooter
planescape torment
psychonauts
realms of the haunting
redneck rampage collection
sacrifice
scratches - interactive fiction
septerra core (beware, 100 hours long!)
shadowgrounds - iso shooter
shattered steel
simon the sorcerer 1, 2- SCUMM engine
Spellforce platinum ed
Star Control
Star Wolves
Zork - all of it
Stonekeep (old dungeon crawl RPG)
Syberia 1,2
Ultima123, 456
under a steel sky (IF)
warlords battlecry 3 - RTS/RPG blend
wing commander 1&2
witcher - RPG
--fate of the world
--knights in the nightmare - FF tactics + Ikaruga
--Europa Universalis, Victoria II, Hearts of Iron - Hardcore Historical Strategy. Very hard to learn. Change history in whatever way you find most interesting.
--Valkyria Chronicles
--The World Ends with You
--kings field the ancient city
--demon souls
--Radiant Historia - something like Chrono Trigger, SNES art. DS?
--desktop dungeons - exploration as a limited resource. Old school pixel art
SHOOTER
Vanquish
ACTION
--Super Crate box
-Owl boy
-Dust (xbox Live)
FIGHTING
--Dissidia - besides fighting, RPG elements, and a deep single player experience
HORROR
--Amnesia the dark descent
ADVENTURE
--Ghost Trick, Phantom Detective
--Professor Layton and the Curious Village
FLASH GAMES
--Today I Die - Closest they've ever seen to an interactive Poem
--Everyday the Same Dream
--One Chant
--Company of Myself - A puzzle platformer crossed with someone's diary on lonliness
--End of Us - Friendship and attachment portrayed by asteroids
--Freedom Bridge - depressing...?
--Passage - a representation of life in less than 5 minutes
PUZZLE
--Might and Magic - Clash of Heroes
--Spacechem - Something similar to Molechemy
--Ilomilo - cute creepy, weird, beautiful, mul;ltiplayer
MMO
--Dungeon Fighter
--Minecraft
ALTERNATE REALITY GAME
--I <3 Bees
--Year Zero
--Deathball.net/notpron
GOG wishlist:
Alien shooter + expansionsn (mindless iso alien killing)
Arcanum: of steamworks and magic obscura (fallout like)
Betrayal at Krondar Pack (recommended by Spoony)
dragonsphere (free at Gog.com)
Evil Genius
Fallout Tactics
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
ghost master (ghost RTS)
gobliiins pack
lionheart: legacy of the crusader
lords of magic special
master of magic 1994 (civilization like with magic setting)
masters of orion 1-3
mob rule - Mom
nox, sacred (gold edition) - diablo like
Oddworld, all of it
original war
outcast
painkiller - quake-like shooter
planescape torment
psychonauts
realms of the haunting
redneck rampage collection
sacrifice
scratches - interactive fiction
septerra core (beware, 100 hours long!)
shadowgrounds - iso shooter
shattered steel
simon the sorcerer 1, 2- SCUMM engine
Spellforce platinum ed
Star Control
Star Wolves
Zork - all of it
Stonekeep (old dungeon crawl RPG)
Syberia 1,2
Ultima123, 456
under a steel sky (IF)
warlords battlecry 3 - RTS/RPG blend
wing commander 1&2
witcher - RPG
Monday, April 23, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Batman visiting hospitals
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/who-is-the-route-29-batman-this-guy/2012/03/28/gIQA8nPjgS_blog.html
Police pulled a man over on Route 29 in Silver Spring last week because of a problem with his plates. This would not ordinarily make international news, but the car was a black Lamborghini, the license plate was the Batman symbol, and the driver was Batman, dressed head-to-toe in full superhero regalia.
HOLY MOVING VIOLATION!
It didn’t take long before images of the Dark Knight’s encounter with law enforcement began turning up in Facebook news feeds, on CNN and the London tabloids. The episode even made it into Jimmy Fallon’s monologue on NBC earlier this week.
Jokers emerged instantaneously too. “Let him do his job,” one commenter urged on the Post Web site. “Batman has expensive taste,” noted another. Meanwhile, questions about Batman’s identity mounted: “Did they make him take off his mask?” someone asked.
No, they did not. Even Montgomery County police honor a superhero code of conduct, just like the Howard County officers who once helped him with a flat bat tire. Batman told officers his real name was not Bruce Wayne but Lenny B. Robinson, and that his real tags were in the car. (He was not ticketed then, but has been before for a heavy bat foot.)
The Caped Crusader is a businessman from Baltimore County who visits sick children in hospitals, handing out Batman paraphernalia to up-and-coming superheros who first need to beat cancer and other wretched diseases.
I actually know Batman. His parents are dear friends of my wife’s family, and I see him at holiday dinners where my 4-year-old son believes he is the real-life Bruce Wayne. “Daddy, he’s Batman, too,” my son will whisper to me. Though Batman has long been aware that I’m a journalist, he has never suggested I write about him. He does not crave publicity. Like his comic book namesake, he doesn’t seek credit for what he does.
“I’m just doing it for the kids,” he says.
But in light of him going viral — “Gotham City is on the verge of chaos,” Anderson Cooper informed CNN viewers — I asked him whether I could unveil the man behind the mask. He acquiesced but suggested I do so by accompanying him to the cancer ward at Children’s National Medical Center in Northwest Washington for a superhero party thrown by the Hope for Henry organization.
On Monday, he pulled up in his black Lambo with yellow Batman symbols on the doors, the floor mats, the headrests — pretty much everywhere — and he was dressed in his heavy leather and neoprene uniform that he bought from a professional costume maker.
He carried two large bags of Batman books, rubber Batman symbol bracelets and various other toys up to the front desk, where the check-in attendant asked him his name.
“Batman,” he said.
Camera phones were snapping. A man in line said, “That’s the guy who got pulled over.” Someone asked where Robin was, and Batman replied, “Home studying for the SATs.”
The check-in attendant asked for identification. Batman said it was in his Batmobile. The check-in attendant, just doing her job, asked for his real name. “Lenny,” he announced. “B, as in Batman. Robinson.”
It took Batman approximately 20 minutes to reach the elevators. He stopped to hand out Batman toys to every child he saw, picking them up for pictures, asking them how they were feeling. LaTon Dicks snapped a photo of Batman standing behind her son DeLeon in his wheelchair. She’d recognized the Batmobile on her way in to the hospital. Like everyone else, she’d seen a TV report on him being stopped by the police and protested, “You can’t pull over Batman.”
When Batman finally reached the elevator for the slow ride up to the cancer ward, I could see his face already sweating behind the mask. He told me he loses 5 to 6 pounds in water weight when he wears the superhero uniform. He paid $5,000 for it. He spends $25,000 a year of his own money on Batman toys and memorabilia. He signs every book, hat, T-shirt and backpack he hands out — Batman.
Batman is 48. He is a self-made success and has the bank account to prove it. He recently sold, for a pile of cash, a commercial cleaning business that he started as a teenager. He became interested in Batman through his son Brandon, who was obsessed with the caped crusader when he was little. “I used to call him Batman,” he told me. “His obsession became my obsession.”
Batman began visiting Baltimore area hospitals in 2001, sometimes with his now teenage son Brandon playing Robin. Once other hospitals and charities heard about his car and his cape, Batman was put on superhero speed dial for children’s causes around the region. He visits sick kids at least couple times a month, sometimes more often. He visits schools, too, to talk about bullying. He does not do birthday parties.
His superhero work is limited to doing good deeds, part of a maturation process in his own life. In his earlier years, he acknowledges that he sometimes displayed an unsuperhero-like temper and got into occasional trouble with the law for fights and other confrontations. Putting on the Batman uniform changes and steadies him.
“Eventually, it sinks in and you become him,” Batman told me. “It feels like I have a responsibility that’s beyond a normal person. And that responsibility is to be there for the kids, to be strong for them, and to make them smile as much as I can.” He understands that might sound corny, but he doesn’t care.
Batman stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor of Children’s. Spider-Man and Wonder Woman were there too — both professional actors from talent agencies, on the clock. He picked up a little boy and said, “I have a present for you.” He shook hands with a father and handed him a yellow rubber Batman bracelet, saying, “This will bring you good luck.” The father said, “We need good luck.”
The parents always say that.
Batman asked each child his or her name. He lifted up almost every child. Many were weak, their hair thin from chemo. He always told them, “I have a present for you.” When a little girl ran away, perhaps a bit scared, Batman said, “That’s the story of Batman’s love life.” (He is divorced.)
Batman overheard a mother tell someone that her toddler was going home the next day, and holding the toddler, and hugging him gently, Batman said, “I’m really glad you are feeling better.”
Stephanie Broadhead of California, Md., was leaning against the wall while her 10-year-old daughter Claire was having her face drawn by an artist. Claire has leukemia. Batman stopped by to marvel at the picture and hand Claire some gifts. “This makes a very hard thing to deal with a little easier,” Claire’s mom said.
Superhero visits to hospitals let kids be kids in a scary, adult place, but the activities are indeed therapeutic, too, the chief doctor on the cancer floor told me.
“These visits provide an immediate boost for these kids,”said Jeffrey Dome, the oncology division chief at Children’s. “Some of these children have to stay for weeks or months at a time. That wears down the children and it wears down the family. You have to keep up morale. A visit from a superhero is sort of like a fantasy in the middle of all this hard-core therapy.”
As Batman wandered around from child to child, I asked him, “Isn’t this hard?”
His children are healthy. My children are healthy.
“We are very lucky,” he said. “All I can say is we are very, very lucky.”
The party began winding down. Spider-Man changed out of his costume. Wonder Woman changed out of hers. They said goodbye to Batman, still working the floor, as he posed for a photo with a patient’s father. The father thanked Batman and said, “I saw you on the news — Route 29.”
“I think everyone saw me on Route 29,” Batman acknowledged. He asked the nurses at the front desk whether there were any children who couldn’t come out of their rooms to see him.
Assured that there weren’t, Batman headed back down to his Batmobile, followed by the mother of a baby girl with cancer and her healthy 4-year-old son, whose only goal in life at that moment was to see the Batmobile. When the boy saw the car, I thought his eyeballs were going to separate from his body. (Batman is actually in the process of having a just-like-the-movies Batmobile built for $250,000, but it’s not ready yet.)
Batman revved the engines and blasted the audio system — the Batman theme song. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Batman! He revved the engine some more. The little boy didn’t want to say goodbye, but his mom told him, “Batman needs to go fight the bad guys.”
The little boy cried.
“I want to go help him fight the bad guys,” he said.
His mom said, “You need to go help your sister fight cancer.”
Batman sped away.
Police pulled a man over on Route 29 in Silver Spring last week because of a problem with his plates. This would not ordinarily make international news, but the car was a black Lamborghini, the license plate was the Batman symbol, and the driver was Batman, dressed head-to-toe in full superhero regalia.
HOLY MOVING VIOLATION!
It didn’t take long before images of the Dark Knight’s encounter with law enforcement began turning up in Facebook news feeds, on CNN and the London tabloids. The episode even made it into Jimmy Fallon’s monologue on NBC earlier this week.
Jokers emerged instantaneously too. “Let him do his job,” one commenter urged on the Post Web site. “Batman has expensive taste,” noted another. Meanwhile, questions about Batman’s identity mounted: “Did they make him take off his mask?” someone asked.
No, they did not. Even Montgomery County police honor a superhero code of conduct, just like the Howard County officers who once helped him with a flat bat tire. Batman told officers his real name was not Bruce Wayne but Lenny B. Robinson, and that his real tags were in the car. (He was not ticketed then, but has been before for a heavy bat foot.)
The Caped Crusader is a businessman from Baltimore County who visits sick children in hospitals, handing out Batman paraphernalia to up-and-coming superheros who first need to beat cancer and other wretched diseases.
I actually know Batman. His parents are dear friends of my wife’s family, and I see him at holiday dinners where my 4-year-old son believes he is the real-life Bruce Wayne. “Daddy, he’s Batman, too,” my son will whisper to me. Though Batman has long been aware that I’m a journalist, he has never suggested I write about him. He does not crave publicity. Like his comic book namesake, he doesn’t seek credit for what he does.
“I’m just doing it for the kids,” he says.
But in light of him going viral — “Gotham City is on the verge of chaos,” Anderson Cooper informed CNN viewers — I asked him whether I could unveil the man behind the mask. He acquiesced but suggested I do so by accompanying him to the cancer ward at Children’s National Medical Center in Northwest Washington for a superhero party thrown by the Hope for Henry organization.
On Monday, he pulled up in his black Lambo with yellow Batman symbols on the doors, the floor mats, the headrests — pretty much everywhere — and he was dressed in his heavy leather and neoprene uniform that he bought from a professional costume maker.
He carried two large bags of Batman books, rubber Batman symbol bracelets and various other toys up to the front desk, where the check-in attendant asked him his name.
“Batman,” he said.
Camera phones were snapping. A man in line said, “That’s the guy who got pulled over.” Someone asked where Robin was, and Batman replied, “Home studying for the SATs.”
The check-in attendant asked for identification. Batman said it was in his Batmobile. The check-in attendant, just doing her job, asked for his real name. “Lenny,” he announced. “B, as in Batman. Robinson.”
It took Batman approximately 20 minutes to reach the elevators. He stopped to hand out Batman toys to every child he saw, picking them up for pictures, asking them how they were feeling. LaTon Dicks snapped a photo of Batman standing behind her son DeLeon in his wheelchair. She’d recognized the Batmobile on her way in to the hospital. Like everyone else, she’d seen a TV report on him being stopped by the police and protested, “You can’t pull over Batman.”
When Batman finally reached the elevator for the slow ride up to the cancer ward, I could see his face already sweating behind the mask. He told me he loses 5 to 6 pounds in water weight when he wears the superhero uniform. He paid $5,000 for it. He spends $25,000 a year of his own money on Batman toys and memorabilia. He signs every book, hat, T-shirt and backpack he hands out — Batman.
Batman is 48. He is a self-made success and has the bank account to prove it. He recently sold, for a pile of cash, a commercial cleaning business that he started as a teenager. He became interested in Batman through his son Brandon, who was obsessed with the caped crusader when he was little. “I used to call him Batman,” he told me. “His obsession became my obsession.”
Batman began visiting Baltimore area hospitals in 2001, sometimes with his now teenage son Brandon playing Robin. Once other hospitals and charities heard about his car and his cape, Batman was put on superhero speed dial for children’s causes around the region. He visits sick kids at least couple times a month, sometimes more often. He visits schools, too, to talk about bullying. He does not do birthday parties.
His superhero work is limited to doing good deeds, part of a maturation process in his own life. In his earlier years, he acknowledges that he sometimes displayed an unsuperhero-like temper and got into occasional trouble with the law for fights and other confrontations. Putting on the Batman uniform changes and steadies him.
“Eventually, it sinks in and you become him,” Batman told me. “It feels like I have a responsibility that’s beyond a normal person. And that responsibility is to be there for the kids, to be strong for them, and to make them smile as much as I can.” He understands that might sound corny, but he doesn’t care.
Batman stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor of Children’s. Spider-Man and Wonder Woman were there too — both professional actors from talent agencies, on the clock. He picked up a little boy and said, “I have a present for you.” He shook hands with a father and handed him a yellow rubber Batman bracelet, saying, “This will bring you good luck.” The father said, “We need good luck.”
The parents always say that.
Batman asked each child his or her name. He lifted up almost every child. Many were weak, their hair thin from chemo. He always told them, “I have a present for you.” When a little girl ran away, perhaps a bit scared, Batman said, “That’s the story of Batman’s love life.” (He is divorced.)
Batman overheard a mother tell someone that her toddler was going home the next day, and holding the toddler, and hugging him gently, Batman said, “I’m really glad you are feeling better.”
Stephanie Broadhead of California, Md., was leaning against the wall while her 10-year-old daughter Claire was having her face drawn by an artist. Claire has leukemia. Batman stopped by to marvel at the picture and hand Claire some gifts. “This makes a very hard thing to deal with a little easier,” Claire’s mom said.
Superhero visits to hospitals let kids be kids in a scary, adult place, but the activities are indeed therapeutic, too, the chief doctor on the cancer floor told me.
“These visits provide an immediate boost for these kids,”said Jeffrey Dome, the oncology division chief at Children’s. “Some of these children have to stay for weeks or months at a time. That wears down the children and it wears down the family. You have to keep up morale. A visit from a superhero is sort of like a fantasy in the middle of all this hard-core therapy.”
As Batman wandered around from child to child, I asked him, “Isn’t this hard?”
His children are healthy. My children are healthy.
“We are very lucky,” he said. “All I can say is we are very, very lucky.”
The party began winding down. Spider-Man changed out of his costume. Wonder Woman changed out of hers. They said goodbye to Batman, still working the floor, as he posed for a photo with a patient’s father. The father thanked Batman and said, “I saw you on the news — Route 29.”
“I think everyone saw me on Route 29,” Batman acknowledged. He asked the nurses at the front desk whether there were any children who couldn’t come out of their rooms to see him.
Assured that there weren’t, Batman headed back down to his Batmobile, followed by the mother of a baby girl with cancer and her healthy 4-year-old son, whose only goal in life at that moment was to see the Batmobile. When the boy saw the car, I thought his eyeballs were going to separate from his body. (Batman is actually in the process of having a just-like-the-movies Batmobile built for $250,000, but it’s not ready yet.)
Batman revved the engines and blasted the audio system — the Batman theme song. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Batman! He revved the engine some more. The little boy didn’t want to say goodbye, but his mom told him, “Batman needs to go fight the bad guys.”
The little boy cried.
“I want to go help him fight the bad guys,” he said.
His mom said, “You need to go help your sister fight cancer.”
Batman sped away.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Sprite Stitches - Needlepoint/Crochet from video games
http://spritestitchpatterns.wikispaces.com/The+Legend+of+Zelda+Patterns
Crossstitch conversion software
Convert:
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
About Hunger Games
http://www.salon.com/2012/03/14/what_came_before_the_hunger_games/
“The Hunger Games” taps into a vibrant current of pop culture and indeed of Western civilization in general, one that never really runs dry. It’s the idea that our species remains cruel and barbarous at heart, that the strong will always rule the weak by whatever means necessary, and that our collective obsession with sports and games and other forms of manufactured entertainment is a flimsy mask for sadism and voyeurism. Collins’ only real innovations to this formula are a post-Buffy female action hero at its center — clearly a crucial component of her success — and a slick, propulsive packaging with very little scene description or social context. (The first-person, present-tense, limited-omniscient narration of “The Hunger Games” feels more like a movie treatment than a conventional novel.)
“The Hunger Games” taps into a vibrant current of pop culture and indeed of Western civilization in general, one that never really runs dry. It’s the idea that our species remains cruel and barbarous at heart, that the strong will always rule the weak by whatever means necessary, and that our collective obsession with sports and games and other forms of manufactured entertainment is a flimsy mask for sadism and voyeurism. Collins’ only real innovations to this formula are a post-Buffy female action hero at its center — clearly a crucial component of her success — and a slick, propulsive packaging with very little scene description or social context. (The first-person, present-tense, limited-omniscient narration of “The Hunger Games” feels more like a movie treatment than a conventional novel.)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
superman and thundercats
FAFSA Exit Counseling tl;dr
https://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/SaEcGs1.do
You must complete the Financial Aid exit counseling online. This is a _MANDATORY
_requirement by the Federal Government. If you do not complete this requirement you will
_NOT_ graduate from DigiPen Institute of Technology. This means you will need to
complete this requirement asap and best to do it before mid-terms and finals!
Before you begin you will need to have your SSN, DOB, your FAFSA pin # and 3 personal
references (one must be next to kin) including name, address and phone number in order to
complete this process.
This process should only take about 10 minutes of your time. Please follow the
instructions below:
1) Visit http://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/
2) Click exit counseling
3) Click start under loan exit counseling
4) Click next and read the information regarding the intro and basics
5) You will then need to login into exit counseling by entering in your SSN, DOB, your
PIN (same number to access your FAFSA provided by the Dept of Ed.) and submit.
6) Once you access the exit counseling section, you will read and learn about your loan,
the type of loan, terminology, estimated monthly payments, how much you owe, when you
repay, repayment plans, resources, etc.
7) Lastly, you will be prompted to take a quiz. A series of questions will be asked
based upon the information regarding your loan(s).
8) Final step is to submit your quiz results. DigiPen will be notified by the Department
of Education that you completed the process.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact financialaid@digipen.edu.
You must complete the Financial Aid exit counseling online. This is a _MANDATORY
_requirement by the Federal Government. If you do not complete this requirement you will
_NOT_ graduate from DigiPen Institute of Technology. This means you will need to
complete this requirement asap and best to do it before mid-terms and finals!
Before you begin you will need to have your SSN, DOB, your FAFSA pin # and 3 personal
references (one must be next to kin) including name, address and phone number in order to
complete this process.
This process should only take about 10 minutes of your time. Please follow the
instructions below:
1) Visit http://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/
2) Click exit counseling
3) Click start under loan exit counseling
4) Click next and read the information regarding the intro and basics
5) You will then need to login into exit counseling by entering in your SSN, DOB, your
PIN (same number to access your FAFSA provided by the Dept of Ed.) and submit.
6) Once you access the exit counseling section, you will read and learn about your loan,
the type of loan, terminology, estimated monthly payments, how much you owe, when you
repay, repayment plans, resources, etc.
7) Lastly, you will be prompted to take a quiz. A series of questions will be asked
based upon the information regarding your loan(s).
8) Final step is to submit your quiz results. DigiPen will be notified by the Department
of Education that you completed the process.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact financialaid@digipen.edu.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Vertigo Inducing High Views
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-x-highest-atria-earth?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Lost ancient cities
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-13-incredible-snapshots-lost-ancient-cities?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
5 lost cities of the future
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/five-lost-cities-of-the-future/1065?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
55 airplane graveyards
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/urban-exploration/news-10-incredible-airplane-graveyards?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
home concpets of the future
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/product-design/news-meet-george-jetson-12-trippy-design-concepts-2050?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
drowned churches
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-underwater-churches?image=3
Spiral Stairs
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/the-most-terrifying-spiral-staircases-on-earth/20326?image=18
Colorful Lakes
http://www.touropia.com/beautiful-lakes-of-color/?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Bionic Buildings
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/12-most-amazing-bionic-buildings/1285
most colorful towns on earth
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/travel/news-10-most-colorful-towns-earth?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
19 unusual beds
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/product-design/news-most-bizarreeco-friendly-beds?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Monasteries in precarious places
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-beautiful-precariously-placed-monasteries/17786?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-x-highest-atria-earth?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Lost ancient cities
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-13-incredible-snapshots-lost-ancient-cities?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
5 lost cities of the future
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/five-lost-cities-of-the-future/1065?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
55 airplane graveyards
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/urban-exploration/news-10-incredible-airplane-graveyards?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
home concpets of the future
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/product-design/news-meet-george-jetson-12-trippy-design-concepts-2050?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
drowned churches
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-underwater-churches?image=3
Spiral Stairs
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/the-most-terrifying-spiral-staircases-on-earth/20326?image=18
Colorful Lakes
http://www.touropia.com/beautiful-lakes-of-color/?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Bionic Buildings
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/12-most-amazing-bionic-buildings/1285
most colorful towns on earth
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/travel/news-10-most-colorful-towns-earth?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
19 unusual beds
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/product-design/news-most-bizarreeco-friendly-beds?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Monasteries in precarious places
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-beautiful-precariously-placed-monasteries/17786?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Most haunted spots
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-seven-most-haunted-spots-earth?image=1
Polish Underground Salt Cathedral
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/wieliczka-salt-cathedral-polands-underground-wonder.html?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Abandoned Russian Mine
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-walk-through-creepy-abandoned-russian-mine
Near extinction of the bison
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-near-extinction-american-bison
Art Deco in Detroit
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/detroit-beautiful-abandoned-art-deco-skyscrapers/16195?image=1
Creepy Abandoned Brothels
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/urban-exploration/news-7-eerie-abandoned-brothels-around-world?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Vertical Gardens
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/15-living-walls-vertical-gardens-sky-farms/1202?image=1
Abandoned asylums
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-incredible-abandoned-mental-asylums/19808?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-seven-most-haunted-spots-earth?image=1
Polish Underground Salt Cathedral
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/wieliczka-salt-cathedral-polands-underground-wonder.html?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Abandoned Russian Mine
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-walk-through-creepy-abandoned-russian-mine
Near extinction of the bison
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-near-extinction-american-bison
Art Deco in Detroit
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/detroit-beautiful-abandoned-art-deco-skyscrapers/16195?image=1
Creepy Abandoned Brothels
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/urban-exploration/news-7-eerie-abandoned-brothels-around-world?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Vertical Gardens
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/15-living-walls-vertical-gardens-sky-farms/1202?image=1
Abandoned asylums
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-incredible-abandoned-mental-asylums/19808?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
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