Wabi-sabi

"The two dominant principles of Chinese and Japanese art and culture are wabi and sabi. Wabi refers to a philosophical construct, a sense of space, direction, or path, while sabi is an aesthetic construct rooted in a given object and its features, plus the occupation of time, chronology, and objectivity. Though the terms are and should be referred to distinctly, they are usually combined as wabi-sabi, as both a working description and as a single aesthetic principle."

Learn more visit: Wabi and Sabi: the Aesthetics of Solitude - Articles - House of Solitude - Hermitary

The Tsunami Information Resource

At this site you'll find information such as:

Near real-time tsunami informational bulletins
The Physics of Tsunamis: How is a tsunami generated and how does it propagate?
A Survey of Great Tsunamis : How have tsunamis affected humans?
The Tsunami Warning System : How are people in coastal areas warned about tsunamis?
Tsunami Hazard Mitigation : How can you protect yourself from a tsunami?

Tsunami!: The WWW Tsunami Information Resource

OEDILF: The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form

"It is now our intention to write at least one limerick for each and every word in the English language and to title this grand enterprise The "Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form"! As my grandfather used to say, "Aim high and you'll never shoot your foot off."

What's a limerick? It follows this form:

There once was a (person) from (place)
Who (insert more detail in this space);
When (a theme for adults
Goes in here) it results
In a (rude, yet still logical case).
— Virge

Here's an example of what's being added to the dictionary:

Alms

While I used to give freely for alms,
I admit I've been having some qualms
Since each outlay of bucks
Brings an influx of schmucks
Who are mooching and holding out palms.

Help contribute to OEDILF: The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

"Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps."

Read the letter and see the original newspaper clipping: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

What's your emotional status today?

"What's your emotional status today? Take this fun test and find out. Our psychologists have created a method of analyzing your mental state through your preference for certain colors!"

Colorgenics

2004 Weblog Awards

Based on 366,187 votes cast in all categories over 10 days in early December 2004, here are the winners of the of The 2004 Weblog Awards:
2004 Weblog Awards

Welcome to The Mistletoe Center

If you need to get in touch with your inner botanist then learn more about Mistletoe. Do you see it as something to kiss under at Christmas or a "plant pest that saps and sometimes dwarfs and kills the trees it feeds on."

Need to learn more then visit Welcome to The Mistletoe Center

Holiday Gifting Ideas

"Holiday season and time for gift giving-- and this is the last week to take care of those gifts that you didn't get around to. Here are some ideas to answer the questions, “What will I get?” and “What can I give?”

Researchers and educators (and students at all levels) are known to wear clothes, jewelry, and other adornments expressing their disciplinary leanings. Here is a list of places from which you may order something special for that special person. And, yes, there are academic and disciplinary slants for the resources. Some of the gift sites listed here contribute portions of their revenues to organizations in their fields."

Look here for some shopping ideas: Holiday Gifting Ideas -- Arts & Sciences Libraries, UB Libraries

CHRISTMAS-CAROLS.NET - Rejoice in the Christmas Spirit!

"Looking for the lyrics for classic Christmas carols? Simply click on the title that you're interested, and you'll be taken to a page that shows all of the words to the carol in question."

What are the words to "Little Drummer Boy"...find out at CHRISTMAS-CAROLS.NET - Rejoice in the Christmas Spirit!:

The Kevin F. Sherry Sweater Project

"My friend Kevin recently cleaned out his wardrobe, which, due to his pack rat nature, was crammed with clothes he hadn't worn in more than a decade. Among the discarded were 25 sweaters that can generously be described as 'hideous.' Or, as one critic put it, 'Bill Cosby would not wear this.' Kevin's defense? 'I worked at Marshalls in North Olmsted, Ohio, during high school and got a 15 percent discount. It was cold. It was the late '80s.' The horror, the horror."

Visit and view The KFS Sweater Project

Welcome to Ugly Christmas Lights.com!

"This site is here to show those houses where the residents are likely celebrating a happy holiday, but have no sense of decency in how they choose to celebrate. We will show the garish, the ugly, the weird. For your own sake, and the sake of your neighbors, do not try this at home."

Be sure to visit Welcome to Ugly Christmas Lights.com!

'Podcast' Your World

'Podcast' your world

Digital technology for iPod does for radio what blogs did for the Internet. The idea behind a podcast is simple, yet brilliant. Instead of using portable MP3 players such as the iPod only for listening to music, new software called iPodder allows one to download prerecorded radio shows onto the devices. Though several radio stations have begun podcasting shows, the medium's most visible impact has been empowering people to broadcast their own homemade radio shows with just a microphone, a computer, and a dash of brio.

'Podcast' Your World! Visit: iPodder.org :

Which File Extension Are You?

"Which File Extension Are You? Take this quiz to find out which file extension most closely matches your personality. You need to answer all the questions to get an accurate result."

So Which File Extension Are You?

You and Your Smile

Lacquer, a French musician hired a company to lend imagery to his song "Behind" by driving from Los Angeles to New York City. Laquer does not appear in the four minute video, which was shot in real time over eight days and seven nights. The camera was never off for more than five minutes. The video, greatly compressed to produce a time-lapse effect, showed that the convertible top was raised several times, corresponding with patches of rain and a stop at a carwash, before its two travelers arrived in Times Square.

Lacquer

The Holland Ring

"Did you know...

That when the name Holland is used instead of The Netherlands, it actually refers to the two Western coastal provinces, North and South Holland, which have played an important role in the country's history

That centuries ago the North-West of the Netherlands was covered with trees... That's where the name Holland comes from; 'holt-land', which means woodland.

That The Netherlands occupies an area of 41,160 square kilometres and is home to 16 million people. Partly reclaimed from the waters of the North Sea, it is Europe’s most densely populated country.

That the Netherlands is one of the European Union's most dynamic centres of trade and industry. Dutch economy ranks sixth in the European Union and fifteenth in the world. The port of Rotterdam is the biggest port in the world. Amsterdam Schiphol international airport is the fourth biggest cargo-handling airport in Europe. That is why the Netherlands is often called the Gateway to Europe.

That with only 0.008% of the world's area, the Netherlands is the world's third largest agricultural exporter after the USA and France!"

The Holland Ring - For Dutch living abroad and those who want to learn more about The Netherlands

Spam Request

This site is nothing more than a guy reading the Nigerian scam letter out loud — but as a piece of QuickTime performance art, it's weird and hilarious.

View: "request"