Innovative Innovation

Bottle Hanger

Cuckoo Wrist Clock

Plastic Bag Lamp

Bike Valve Key Rack

Bird Shape Scissors

E-ntancle

Sofa Bunk Bed

Rug Cum Hut

Hanger Tea

Glass Pool Table

Finger Bookmark

Oops Cabinet

iTable

Sicko Tissues

Runny Nose Tissue Box

Underfull Table Cloth

Blood Puddle Pillow

What comes after I-Phone?

The story behind the middle finger

Claim Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle fingers of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger, the Brits would not be able to draw the renowned English longbow, and therefore would be incapable of fighting in the future. 

The longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was called "plucking the yew".

To the surprise of the French, the English won a major upset, and began mocking the French army by waving their middle fingers at them as if to say, "See, we can still pluck yew." The shortened "Pluck yew" caught on as a cry of defiance.

Over the years some folk etymologies have grown up around this symbolic gesture. "Pluck yew" is a little difficult to say (like "mother pheasant plucker", which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow). So the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F'.

Isn't it amazing that today the famous words often used in conjunction with the one-finger salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter!

By the way, it is because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the symbolic gesture is also known as "giving the bird".

Verdict FALSE!!!

Source: Adapted from a forum

Mr N Speaks Though the etymology of the famous 'F' word and origin of the one-finger salute, as presented in the claim above, have been adjudged as fictitious, what do you think of the claim as a narrative? Is the narrative believable? Does the narrative arouse your interest in history? Of has the narrative aroused your interest to search for the truth of the history behind the two famous languages, one linguistic, and the other gestural?  

Uncanny 'Preseidential' Facts

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.
 
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
 
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat!

Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford'.
Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford'.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.
 
Hey, at least this is one history lesson people don't mind reading.

Source: Adapted from a forum

Post 911: Proposed World Trade Center

WTC before 911


Proposed WTC

Class Photograph-taking

Date: 25 Feb 2010 (Thu)
Time: 1145 h
Venue: School Hall
Things to bring: School Tie

The Straits Times: Stumped by what's classified

Source: The Straits Times 

I READ with interest Mr Kwan Jin Yao's letter last Thursday, 'Let students from JCs, polys, ITE interact to aid understanding', and agree national service (NS) is a life-changing requirement for today's youth. Unfortunately, the registration process leaves me bewildered as to the definition of 'classified' information and the potential ramifications for citizens.

I was advised to register my eldest son before Wednesday, a relatively simple process of accessing the NS portal and inputting the required information. I had to input my son's IC number and its date of issue, but I could not locate my son's IC to verify the issue date, so I could not continue. 

I called the IC registration department of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to ask for the date of issue but was told this was 'classified information' and could not be revealed to anyone, even my son the IC holder. I offered to go there in person, to no avail.

I was further advised to apply for a new IC, but this was not an option as the collection date would be beyond the stipulated date of response to the Ministry of Defence.

An ICA officer suggested I call Mindef and explain my predicament. This I did and spoke to a helpful individual who promptly passed on details to a senior officer and called me back within 10 minutes to say Mindef was trying to resolve the situation. A few hours later, it did so, sending me a special password with which I was able to log on to the NS portal and register my son.

More important, the implications of my simple request for what is considered 'classified' information could be far-reaching, affecting every citizen, as under current law, communicating any classified information 'unintentionally, recklessly or in any other way' is a crime punishable by a fine and prison sentence. This appears to apply to both the IC holder and the recipient.

What we thought was innocuous information regarding an IC issue date, if revealed 'in any form', could be construed as a criminal offence. Bearing this in mind, whenever presenting my IC for inspection, for example to security staff, I shall ensure that my thumb obscures this information. I hope my blood group is declassified as my thumb is not long enough to ensure complete anonymity. 

From this date, I will also carry with me disclaimer forms that I will insist are signed and notarised in triplicate should a copy of my IC be required, or retained, for example, in exchange for office lift passes, condominium access or bowling alley shoes.

Philip J. Williams

What do you think?

1. Is the classification of the said information necessary?
2. Do you think the ICA has a basis in not releasing the said information?
3. Do you think some personal information in general can be shared?
4. If yes, what kind of information can be shared and what kind should not be shared?
5. If no, why not?
6. What are the ramifications in sharing personal information?  
7. What is the tone used in this letter?

Quote

A quote retrieved from FB.

Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.

Of English Language

As a preamble to the Oxford English Dictionary,

The Vocabulary of a widely diffused and highly cultivated living language is not a fixed quantity circumscribed by definite limits... there is absolutely no defining line in any direction: the circle of the English language has a well-defined centre but no discernible circumference.

The Epic Firing Squad (2010 1N2)

Lots of snow; perhaps, too much...

Snowed under in the most epic way (somewhere in Switzerland):



Huge vintage snow fall (would like to get some info):



Norilsk, Russia, The World Capital of Snow

Vicious winter blizzards in Norislk, Siberia, bring an inordinate- even obscene- amount of snow...






There is a car here, somewhere...




Norilsk climate is impressive not only in winter- here is a brooding storm over the city, spring 2009:

(image credit: Alexander Grishin)

Norilsk citizen's pasttime (and a popular extreme sport) - they call it "Buildering":


Snow being cleared from the Trans-Labrador Highway in northeastern Canada:



Similar "snow walled-in" road situation, this time in Japan:

(images credit: SnowJapan)

SnowMageddon... or SnowPocalypse? These pictures are from Italy:



To dig (this car out), or not to dig?

Most of the time the answer is: yes, you'll have to dig...
























"Buses are encrusted in ice and snow in the Omaha, Nebraska suburb of Elkhorn, where a fire was being put out" -

(photo by AP Photo/Nati Harnik - via)

Archeological strata - cultural remains and natural sediments, buried over time...




Digging out a BMW E-series car in Canada:





The climate inside sometimes is not much better:




Some drivers fight back and make in their garage something entirely different:



Bizarre and Terror-inducing Icicles

Here is an impressive ice formation - Hard Rime Ice, most often seen atop mountains in winter -








Might as well head out and frolic in the snow:




But if you want to catch a ski lift, you might be out of luck:
(Somewhere in Europe)