CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-19 03:01:17 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Infographic: extraterrestrial driving records... http://bit.ly/19CCcEr

2013-05-19 02:54:26 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 4 +1s)

Scientific American Reader: 3-D Print Your Own Invisibility Cloak at Home. http://goo.gl/mag/rR4rpR4

2013-05-19 02:52:46 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Lifehacker: Do I Really Want to See the Results of a Mail-In DNA Test? http://goo.gl/mag/R4gXBtP

2013-05-19 02:50:31 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Lifehacker: Garden Without The Back Strain with this DIY Seed Gun. http://goo.gl/mag/0STeie1

2013-05-18 20:39:01 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 27 +1s)

Lightning strikes the Grand Canyon ... Dvice - "
Photographer Travis Roe got an incredible shot of lightning striking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with the Desert View Watchtower in the foreground. The photo was taken in 2012, but Roe recently submitted it to the U.S. Department of the Interior for a contest and it quickly became a favorite." http://bit.ly/10F6rp4

2013-05-18 20:31:24 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 20 +1s)

A pedestrian catcher ... Mail Online UK - "A shovel was fixed onto the front of a car was used to reduce the number of casualties among drunk pedestrians in Paris, 1924.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2325379/Wooden-swimming-costumes-photograph-gun-send-water-uphill-The-strangest-inventions-history-human-ingenuity-boundless.html

2013-05-18 19:13:54 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Saluting our veterans on Armed Forces Day ... "Many Americans celebrate Armed Forces Day annually on the third Saturday of May. It is a day to pay tribute to men and women who serve the United States’ armed forces. Armed Forces Day is also part of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May." http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/armed-forces-day

#army #airforce #navy #marines #coastguard

2013-05-18 15:54:54 (2 comments, 5 reshares, 23 +1s)

The amphibious bike ... Mail Online UK - "The 'Cyclomer' was capable of using on both land and water. It was created in Paris in 1932."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2325379/Wooden-swimming-costumes-photograph-gun-send-water-uphill-The-strangest-inventions-history-human-ingenuity-boundless.html

2013-05-18 15:47:55 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 7 +1s)

One way of deleting all your history........LOL

2013-05-18 15:46:44 (1 comments, 4 reshares, 10 +1s)

Dambusters 70 years on: Barnes Wallis – an engineer ahead of his time ... GizMag - "It's seventy years to the day since No. 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force returned from Operation Chastise, in which specially designed bouncing bombs were dropped in an attack on the Möhne, Sorpe and Eder Dams in Germany during World War II. Though the bouncing bomb is without doubt the invention for which Barnes Wallis is most renowned (thanks in no small part to its depiction in the film Dambusters) Wallis' other work before, during, and after World War II was of great importance, and in some cases, far ahead of its time. ...

Wallis arrived at the idea of a bouncing bomb when thinking about how he, as an engineer, might help shorten World War II. His idea was that a bomb dropped from an aircraft could be made to bounce along the surface of a river before striking a dam where it wouldsi... more »

2013-05-18 15:37:57 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

Lets off road: ... Mail Online UK - "A ten wheel all-terrain car able to descend slopes up to 65 degrees invented in England, in 1936."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2325379/Wooden-swimming-costumes-photograph-gun-send-water-uphill-The-strangest-inventions-history-human-ingenuity-boundless.html

2013-05-18 15:24:43 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

May 18, 1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 10 is launched ... Wikipedia - "Apollo 10 was the fourth manned mission in the United States Apollo space program. It was an F type mission—its purpose was to be a "dry run" for the Apollo 11 mission, testing all of the procedures and components of a Moon landing without actually landing on the Moon itself. The mission included the second crew to orbit the Moon and an all-up test of the lunar module (LM) in lunar orbit. The LM came to within 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km)[2] of the lunar surface during practice maneuvers.

According to the 2002 Guinness World Records, Apollo 10 set the record for the highest speed attained by a manned vehicle at 39,897 km/h (11.08 km/s or 24,791 mph) during the return from the Moon on May 26, 1969. ...

Apollo 10 was the first of only two Apollo missions with an entirely flight-experiencedcrew. S... more »

2013-05-18 15:15:04 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

May 18, 1953 – Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier ... Wikipedia - "Jacqueline Cochran (May 11, 1906 – August 9, 1980) was a pioneer American aviator, considered to be one of the most gifted racing pilots of her generation. She was an important contributor to the formation of the wartime Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). ... Postwar, Cochran was the first woman to break the sound barrier (with Chuck Yeager right on her wing), the first woman to fly a jet across the ocean, as well as setting many other aviation records. ..." more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Cochran

2013-05-18 14:32:56 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 7 +1s)

First Taste

2013-05-18 15:55:59 (4 comments, 12 reshares, 21 +1s)

Beetle Trailer ... via Twisted Sifter ... makes sense to me

2013-05-16 17:00:31 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 11 +1s)

Moving the Mona Lisa: The WWII Story ... Twister Sifter - "Beginning in 1938, the threat of war prompted a large-scale evacuation of France’s public art collections. The storage sites chosen for works of art were châteaux, tranquil locations in the heart of the French countryside, far from strategic targets, and thus escaping the imminent danger of bombing.

On August 28, 1939, the Mona Lisa left the Louvre and on September 3, as war had been declared, a decision was taken to ensure that all of the most precious works would leave the premises by the end of the day.

During the war, Leonardo da Vinci’s smiling maiden would move another five times ..."

see the story of the saving of other great works of art: http://bit.ly/YZ0g54

2013-05-16 15:08:24 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Read one of my science fiction stories free ... in the May issue of GALAXY'S EDGE:

http://www.galaxysedge.com/n8.htm

2013-05-16 15:07:40 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Read one of my science fiction stories free ... in the May issue of GALAXY'S EDGE:

http://www.galaxysedge.com/n8.htm

2013-05-16 15:07:05 (1 comments, 3 reshares, 6 +1s)

Read one of my science fiction stories free ... in the May issue of GALAXY'S EDGE:

http://www.galaxysedge.com/n8.htm

2013-05-16 15:03:58 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 6 +1s)

from Life Magazine's Hell on Wheels: Life with Mutant Bikes - "Chicago bicycle dealer Andy Koslow rides a tiny bike built by a former vaudevillian. "This helps limber up his left leg," LIFE wrote, "which, as a former motorcycle racer, he broke seven times."

Read more: http://life.time.com/curiosities/bizarre-bikes-built-by-chicagoans-in-the-1940s

2013-05-16 15:00:35 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 7 +1s)

from Life Magazine's Hell on Wheels: Life with Mutant Bikes - "Square-wheeled bike held by Bernard Steinlauf was built by son Dave after seeing a bicycle wreck."

Read more: http://life.time.com/curiosities/bizarre-bikes-built-by-chicagoans-in-the-1940s

2013-05-16 14:57:13 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

from Life Magazine's Hell on Wheels: Life with Mutant Bikes - "Uno-Wheel, if braked suddenly, has been known to spin its rider round and round inside the big main wheel."

Read more: http://life.time.com/curiosities/bizarre-bikes-built-by-chicagoans-in-the-1940s/

2013-05-16 14:51:13 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Gizmodo: Google and NASA Are Building the Future of AI With a Quantum Supercomputer. http://goo.gl/mag/V6KpGYG

2013-05-16 14:41:51 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

LulzBot TAZ claims largest build area for desktop 3D printers ... GizMag - "If you're in the market for a 3D printer, there are plenty of qualities to weigh. Price, ease of use, size, and print resolution are all factors that could influence the types of objects you're able to create. If you want a printer that fits on your desk and can print objects the size of a basketball though, you may want to consider the latest model from Aleph Objects, Inc. The LulzBot TAZ 3D printer boasts an open source hardware approach in design and claims to have the largest print volume for desktop printers in its price range.

Once assembled, the TAZ takes up a space of 680 x 520 x 515 mm (26.8 x 20.5 x 20.3 in), but it's actual printing area measures 298 x 275 x 250 mm (11.7 x 10.8 x 9.8 in). According to the developers, this gives it the largest print volume for 3D printers under US$5,000,... more »

2013-05-16 13:34:01 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

2013-05-16 13:27:49 (50 comments, 0 reshares, 36 +1s)

too similar... a step backward in my opinion ... dumbs G+ down, not an improvement.

2013-05-16 13:15:40 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 12 +1s)

The little-known WWII bombing of Brookings, Oregon ... Dvice - "... off the coast of southern Oregon the morning of September 9, 1942. Sunlight glinted off the periscopes of Japanese I-25 submarines that peeked above the waves to survey the scene. Below decks, pilot Nobuo Fujita and his observer Shoji Okuda began to prepare. Their mission that morning was to attack America’s west coast with incendiary bombs to start what would hopefully turn into a devastating forest fire.

 ... Fujita’s bomb had far from the desired effect, prompting the Japanese to return for another try at the end of September. It also failed. Luckily for Oregonians, the Japanese hadn’t counted on Oregon’s forest being quite so damp and unable to support a forest fire in the fall. So instead of being a major battle widely remembered as the only time as enemy nation brought the war to U.S. soil, it’shardly kno... more »

2013-05-15 21:57:55 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Okay, here's what I HATE about the new G+ ... they took away some of our text space above the read more link! ... c'mon guys, for proper communications we need more space for text, not less. Let's not dumb G+ down.... please give the space back. Thanks.

2013-05-15 21:56:28 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

Okay, here's what I HATE about the new G+ ... they took away some of our text space above the read more link! ... c'mon guys, for proper communications we need more space for text, not less. Let's not dumb G+ down.... please give the space back. Thanks.

2013-05-15 21:53:03 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

Yep, this is a motorcycle with a plane engine ... Dvice - "Frank Ohle is an incredibly skilled DIYer who outfitted his motorcycle with a 150hp Rotec Radial R3600 engine. ...  a freakin' plane engine. ... Ohle figured out all of the... steps involved in this project ... and ended up with an absolutely gorgeous, incredibly noisy nine-cylinder superbike. ... This thing actually runs. See Ohle take his mutant Red Baron chopper for a spin in the video below. It's in German, but we're sure that you'll get the gist. ..." http://bit.ly/11FAsfM

2013-05-15 21:26:50 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

MINI-ME ... Twisted Sifter - "In this adorable capture, we see a Masai giraffe with their offspring. This is one of many beautiful captures of African Wildlife with their offspring by Graeme Guy, a retired biochemist who is now pursuing his passion for photography. ..." http://twistedsifter.com/2013/05/giraffe-with-baby-giraffe-mini-me/

2013-05-15 20:59:59 (2 comments, 8 reshares, 24 +1s)

Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand ... Amusing Planet - "The Waitomo Glowworm Caves, located just outside the main Waitomo township on the North Island of New Zealand, is a famous attraction because of a sizeable population of glowworms that live in the caves. Glowworms or Arachnocampa luminosa are tiny, bioluminescent creatures that produce a blue-green light and are found exclusively in New Zealand. ..." http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/05/waitomo-glowworm-caves-new-zealand.html

2013-05-15 18:33:35 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

May 15, 1928 – Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, Plane Crazy ... Wikipedia - "Plane Crazy is an American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The cartoon ... was the first creation of the character Mickey Mouse. It was made as a silent film and given a test screening to a theater audience on May 15, 1928, but failed to pick up a distributor. Later that year, Disney released Mickey's first sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie, which was an enormous success. Following this, Plane Crazy was released as a sound cartoon on March 17, 1929. ... This leads to some ambiguity as to which is the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, as Plane Crazy was the first to be produced while Steamboat Willie was the first to be released. ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plane_Crazy

2013-05-15 15:28:29 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

How a 3D printer works ... National Geographic - "Invented in the mid-1980s, it is a printer that uses plastic, wax, resin, paper, gold, titanium—a whole host of materials—instead of ink to create a solid, three-dimensional object. In much the same way that your desktop printer is directed to print the words in a document, the 3-D printer's jets, guided by computer-assisted design (CAD) software, create an object by spraying or squeezing one thin layer of material at a time onto the platform, then melding them into place ... As these microscopically thin layers build up, the desired three-dimensional object slowly takes shape. While 3-D printing is not a fast manufacturing process, it can be highly efficient because there is virtually no wastage. ..." more: http://bit.ly/15MRrya

2013-05-15 15:22:22 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

Have Dogs Fundamentally Changed Us? Human, Canine Genes Evolved in Unison, Study Says ... National Geographic - "The bond between dogs and humans is ancient and enduring. Dogs snuggle up to us at night, gambol by our side during daily walks, and flop adoringly at our feet when we crash on our couches. But new research shows that the connection runs deeper than you might think. It is embedded in our genes. Researchers from the University of Chicago and several international institutions found that several groups of genes in humans and dogs—including those related to diet and digestion, neurological processes, and disease—have been evolving in parallel for thousands of years. ..." more: http://bit.ly/104Owg2

2013-05-14 18:06:04 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 6 +1s)

April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Students and workers returning home on a trolley at 5 p.m. Please leave by rear door! ... _Shorpy, Medium format nitrate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. ... see full detail: http://www.shorpy.com/node/14560?size=_original#caption

2013-05-14 18:00:31 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 6 +1s)

The Glory Days of Air Travel ... Dark Roasted Blend - "Here is the cover of a 1937 Pan American’s Hawaiian Clipper brochure ..." see lots more: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2013/05/glory-of-early-aviation-1900s-1960s.html

2013-05-14 01:57:52 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

The Turf-Covered Houses of Norway

Oddity Central - "Norway, like all Scandinavian countries, has always taken pride in trying to live in harmony with nature, instead of conquering it, and its old turf roofs are a perfect example.Houses with their roofs looking like small meadows may seem a little strange in these modern times, but until the late 19th century, turf roofs were the most common type of roofs in rural Norway. Nowadays, inhabited turf-roof houses are very rare, as the Norwegians have turned most of them into museum exhibits. ..."

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-turf-covered-houses-of-norway.html

2013-05-14 01:56:50 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 3 +1s)

World's fastest guitarist pumps out 600 beats per minute
man, oh man, does he play fast or what?

2013-05-14 01:55:28 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Spiral hot dogs always fit the buns!
from Instructables.com

You need:
dogs of your choosing
fave dog slicin' knife
long drill bit, (or round skewer if you have things like that)

Carefully push drill directly down the center of the hot dog.
Keep the knife at the same angle as you slice thru to the drill bit, and roll the hot dog away from you as you continue down the length of the dog. (pics 1 & 2) May or may not take you a couple trys to get method of nice tight coil.

See that I boil the dogs! (pic 3) Microwaving does not produce satisfactory results, IMHO. Slide the dog off the bit and into the water. Kinda tricky to fish 'em out, I used a spatula. Straining would be clever, if you have a colander.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Spiral-Cut-Hot-Dogs/

2013-05-14 01:55:07 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

First city in the Americas?
ancient Americans were building pyramids at the same time as the Egyptians!

Peru's Caral suggests civilization emerged in the Americas 1,000 years earlier than experts believed

Smithsonian - "... Research developed by Peruvian archaeologist Ruth Shady Solís of San Marcos University suggests that Caral, as the 150-acre complex of pyramids, plazas and residential buildings is known, was a thriving metropolis as Egypt’s great pyramids were being built. The energetic archaeologist believes that Caral may also answer nagging questions about the long-mysterious origins of the Inca, the civilization that once stretched from modern-day Ecuador to central Chile and gave rise to such cities as Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Caral may even hold a key to the origins of civilizations everywhere. ..."

Read more:ht... more »

2013-05-14 01:54:45 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

The Strange History of the Sunflower

Kuriositas.com - "You may not think that there is much to know about the sunflower. After all, the plant is virtually everywhere. Yet it has a something more than a simple, straightforward history and is more of a globe trotter than you may imagine. Its story has the historical and continental sweep of a Hollywood epic, from the pre-European Americas to Tsarist Russia and back again. Here is the tale of the peripatetic sunflower, accompanied by some stunning photography. ..."

full article, LOTS of gorgeous photos: The Strange History of the Sunflower

2013-05-14 01:54:04 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

The World's Longest Lasting Lightbulb
has been burning for 110 years, in Guinness Book of World Records

Wikipedia - "The Centennial Light is the world's longest-lasting light bulb. It is at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California, and maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. The fire department says that the bulb is at least 110 years old and has been turned off only a handful of times. Due to its longevity, the bulb has been noted by The Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, and General Electric. It is often cited as evidence for the existence of planned obsolescence in the later light bulbs. ..."

article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Light

bulb's official site: http://www.centennialbulb.org

2013-05-14 01:53:55 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Candied Bacon Butter!

Butter and bacon taste good together !!!!!

Taste for Adventure - "...This recipe contains only three ingredients, but they are three of the best ingredients around! They come together to form a Candied Bacon Butter you can keep in your fridge and use to enhance almost anything you cook or eat in the next few days. I say only a few days because you will be lucky if it even lasts that long!

"Put it on toast, a bagel, English muffin, baked potato, corn, fry an egg in it, cook a burger or steak with it – you may even want to take a bath in it, it’s THAT good. ..."

Get recipe and more here: http://taste-for-adventure.tablespoon.com/2011/09/02/candied-bacon-butter/

2013-05-14 01:53:05 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Turkey's Incredible Lost Underground City

Environmental Graffiti - "Welcome to Derinkuyu Underground City, located in the Cappadocia region some 18 miles from Nevsehir in Turkey. Derinkuyu is actually one of over 200 underground cities discovered in the Cappadocia region, but it is notable for being the biggest and the deepest. Spanning eleven floors with a depth of 85m, this ancient city can accommodate anywhere between 3,000 and 50,000 people.

"...First excavated during the Hittite times, Derinkuyu was expanded over the subsequent centuries, connecting with other underground cities via miles of tunnels. The city was created as a hiding place from marauding armies seeking loot and slaves. ..."

more photos, full article: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/adventure/news-worlds-beneath-worlds-derinkuyu-underground-city

2013-05-14 01:52:55 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

The Mysterious Stone Spheres of Costa Rica

Oddity Central - "Spread all over Diquis Delta, and on the Isla de Cano, the mysterious stone spheres of Costa Rica have fascinated scientists ever since they were discovered, in 1930.Known as “Las Bolas”, by the locals, the spheres range from a few inches to meters, in diameter, and reach weights of up to 16 tons. Researchers believe they were sculpted before 200 BC and 1500 AD, but since the only way of establishing their age is stratography, and most of the balls are no longer in their original locations, it’s difficult to say for sure. ..."

full article: http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-mysterious-stone-spheres-of-costa-rica.html

2013-05-14 01:52:12 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

one of my articles from years ago

http://ralphroberts.net/?p=287

2013-05-14 01:51:23 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

12 Most Unusual Bridges of the World

below: 1. Magdeburg Water Bridge, Germany - The Germans took over 80 years to build this 918m bridge over Elbe river ... Canal engineers had first conceived of joining the two waterways as far back as 1919, and by 1938 the Rothensee boat lift and bridge anchors were in place, but construction was postponed during World War II. ... With the reunification of Germany and major establishment of water transport routes made the Water Bridge a priority again. Work started in 1997 ... The water bridge now connects Berlin’s inland harbour network with the ports along the Rhine river. more: http://www.theworldgeography.com/2011/02/12-most-unusual-bridges.html

2013-05-14 01:44:50 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

'24,' Kiefer Sutherland Returning to Fox, Will Jack Bauer Soften with the Times? ... breitbart.com - "Jack Bauer will be back to smash more terrorist cells, but will TV's toughest crime fighter still pull out all the stops to save innocent lives? Fox is expected to announce a new, limited series version of the popular terrorism drama 24 today, May 13, with showrunner Howard Gordon and star Kiefer Sutherland returning to the franchise. That's great news for fans of the show, which featured Sutherland's character doing anything and everything necessary to prevent terrorist attacks on the home front. ..." http://bit.ly/127iygX

2013-05-14 01:26:52 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

May 14, 1929 – Wilfred Rhodes takes his 4000th first-class wicket during a performance of 9 for 39 at Leyton; he is the only player in history to have reached that plateau ... Wilfred Rhodes (29 October 1877 – 8 July 1973) was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches. He holds the world records both for the most appearances made in first-class cricket (1,110 matches), and for the most wickets taken (4,204). ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Rhodes ... have no idea what that means but sounds darn good!