Moncurious

Your Brain Will Melt After You See This Negative Image

2012-01-25T11:14:00.001-08:00

Want to add more wrinkles to that ol' brain of yours? Stare at the colored dots on the girl's nose in the photo above for 30 seconds. Then look at a white surface (blank browser, mayhaps) and start blinking. You should see a non-negative image of the girl. WHAT. BRAIN. MELTING. WHAT. OHMYGOD. Yep, that jiggly stuff in your head just processed a negative image. Sweet.

I work for a cool company in Utah...

2011-12-06T12:51:00.001-08:00

Bombings, beheadings? Stats show a peaceful world

2011-10-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

Moncurcious typically reports about lighter topics... but this article was so interesting I thought I should share it...

Story user rating:

SETH BORENSTEIN
Published: Oct 22, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) - It seems as if violence is everywhere, but it's really on the run.

Yes, thousands of people have died in bloody unrest from Africa to Pakistan, while terrorists plot bombings and kidnappings. Wars drag on in Iraq and Afghanistan. In peaceful Norway, a man massacred 69 youths in July. In Mexico, headless bodies turn up, victims of drug cartels. This month eight people died in a shooting in a California hair salon.

Yet, historically, we've never had it this peaceful.

That's the thesis of three new books, including one by prominent Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. Statistics reveal dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, racism, rape, murder and all sorts of mayhem.

In his book, Pinker writes: "The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species."

And it runs counter to what the mass media is reporting and essentially what we feel in our guts.

Pinker and other experts say the reality is not painted in bloody anecdotes, but demonstrated in the black and white of spreadsheets and historical documents. They tell a story of a world moving away from violence.

In his new book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined," Pinker makes the case that a smarter, more educated world is becoming more peaceful in several statistically significant ways. His findings are based on peer-reviewed studies published by other academics using examinations of graveyards, surveys and historical records:

- The number of people killed in battle - calculated per 100,000 population - has dropped by 1,000-fold over the centuries as civilizations evolved. Before there were organized countries, battles killed on average more than 500 out of every 100,000 people. In 19th century France, it was 70. In the 20th century with two world wars and a few genocides, it was 60. Now battlefield deaths are down to three-tenths of a person per 100,000.

- The rate of genocide deaths per world population was 1,400 times higher in 1942 than in 2008.

- There were fewer than 20 democracies in 1946. Now there are close to 100. Meanwhile, the number of authoritarian countries has dropped from a high of almost 90 in 1976 to about 25 now.

Pinker says one of the main reasons for the drop in violence is that we are smarter. IQ tests show that the average teenager is smarter with each generation. The tests are constantly adjusted to keep average at 100, and a teenager who now would score a 100 would have scored a 118 in 1950 and a 130 in 1910. So this year's average kid would have been a near-genius a century ago. And that increase in intelligence translates into a kinder, gentler world, Pinker says.

"As we get smarter, we try to think up better ways of getting everyone to turn their swords into plowshares at the same time," Pinker said in an interview. "Human life has become more precious than it used to be."

Pinker argued his case in a commentary this past week in the scientific journal Nature. He has plenty of charts and graphs to back up his claims, including evidence beyond wartime deaths - evidence that our everyday lives are also less violent:

- Murder in European countries has steadily fallen from near 100 per 100,000 people in the 14th and 15th centuries to about 1 per 100,000 people now.

- Murder within families. The U.S. rate of husbands being killed by their wives has dropped from 1.2 per 100,000 in 1976 to just 0.2. For wives killed by their husbands, the rate has slipped from 1.4 to 0.8 over the same time period.

- Rape in the United States is down 80 percent since 1973. Lynchings, which used to occur at a rate of 150 a year, have disappeared.

- Discrimination against blacks and gays is down, as is capital punishment, the spanking of children, and child abuse.

But if numbers are too inaccessible, Pinker is more than happy to provide the gory stories illustrating our past violence. "It is easy to forget how dangerous life used to be, how deeply brutality was once woven into the fabric of daily existence," Pinker writes in his book.

He examines body counts, rapes, sacrifice and slavery in the Bible, using an estimate of 1.2 million deaths detailed in the Old Testament. He describes forms of torture used in the Middle Ages and even notes the nastiness behind early day fairy tales, such as the evil queen's four gruesome methods for killing Snow White along with a desire to eat her lungs and liver.

Even when you add in terrorism, the world is still far less violent, Pinker says.

"Terrorism doesn't account for many deaths. Sept. 11 was just off the scale. There was never a terrorist attack before or after that had as many deaths. What it does is generate fear," he said.

It's hard for many people to buy the decline in violence. Even those who deal in peace for a living at first couldn't believe it when the first academics started counting up battle deaths and recognized the trends.

In 1998, Andrew Mack, then head of strategic planning for U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, said a look at the statistics showed the world was becoming less violent. The reaction from his professional peacekeeping colleagues?

"Pffft, it's not true," they told Mack, arguing that the 1990s had to be the worst decade in U.N. history. It wasn't even close.

Joshua Goldstein, a professor of international relations at American University and author of "Winning the War on War," has also been telling the same story as Pinker, but from a foreign policy point of view. At each speech he gives, people bring up America's lengthy wars in the Middle East. "It's been a hard message to get through," he acknowledged.

"We see the atrocities and they are atrocious," Goldstein said. "The blood is going to be just as red on the television screens."

Mack, who's now with Simon Fraser University in Canada, credits the messy, inefficient and heavily political peacekeeping process at the U.N., the World Bank and thousands of non-governmental organizations for helping curb violence.

The "Human Security Report 2009/2010," a project led by Mack and funded by several governments, is a worldwide examination of war and violence and has been published as a book. It cites jarringly low numbers. While the number of wars has increased by 25 percent, they've been minor ones.

The average annual battle death toll has dropped from nearly 10,000 per conflict in the 1950s to less than 1,000 in the 21st century. And the number of deadliest wars - those that kill at least 1,000 people a year - has fallen by 78 percent since 1988.

Mack and Goldstein emphasize how hard society and peacekeepers have worked to reduce wars, focusing on action taken to tamp down violence, while Pinker focuses on cultural and thought changes that make violence less likely. But all three say those elements are interconnected.

Even the academics who disagree with Pinker, Goldstein and Mack, say the declining violence numbers are real.

"The facts are not in dispute here; the question is what is going on," John Mearsheimer, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago and author of "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics."

"It's been 21 years since the Cold War ended and the United States has been at war for 14 out of those 21 years," Mearsheimer said. "If war has been burned out of the system, why do we have NATO and why has NATO been pushed eastward...? Why are we spending more money on defense than all other countries in the world put together?"

What's happening is that the U.S. is acting as a "pacifier" keeping the peace all over the world, Mearsheimer said. He said like-minded thinkers, who call themselves "realists" believe "that power matters because the best way to survive is to be really powerful." And he worries that a strengthening China is about to upset the world power picture and may make the planet bloodier again.

And Goldstein points out that even though a nuclear attack hasn't occurred in 66 years - one nuclear bomb could change this trend in an instant.

Pinker said looking at the statistics and how violent our past was and how it is less so now, "makes me appreciate things like democracy, the United Nations, like literacy."

He and Goldstein believe it's possible that an even greater drop in violence could occur in the future.

Goldstein says there's a turn on a cliché that is apt: "We're actually going from the fire to the frying pan. And that's progress. It's not as bad as the fire."

___

Researcher Julie Reed Bell contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Steven Pinker's web site: http://stevenpinker.com/

A lecture by Pinker with his statistics and graphics on a "history of violence:" http://bit.ly/rupVbk

Joshua Goldstein's book website: http://winningthewaronwar.com/

The Human Security Report Project: http://www.hsrgroup.org/

Friends Help Friends Quit IE

2011-10-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

Help out a friend...

The dots are on the line.

2011-10-18T23:00:00.001-07:00

How a girl looks with make-up

2011-10-11T21:10:00.001-07:00

College: You can only choose two.

2011-10-04T17:32:00.001-07:00

Severe Planking Fail

2011-08-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

Getting fresh in the office...

2011-08-16T14:47:00.001-07:00

I came into work today... and found these two getting fresh in the office...

Test Answer FAIL

2011-08-14T09:45:00.001-07:00

Workplace Torture...

2011-08-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Man Allegedly Urinates on 11-Year-Old Girl During Flight to New York

2011-08-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

A dancing carrot proposes marriage in China

2011-08-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Published: Aug 10, 2011

In this photo taken on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, a total of 49 people dressed in giant carrot costumes dance on a square before Pang Kun, one of the 49 carrots, proposes to his girlfriend in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province. According to Chinese news reports and photos posted online Pang has spent three weeks and 100,000 yuan ($15,000) for his wedding proposal to his girlfriend, assisted by his 48 friends, on China's Valentine's Day which fell on Aug. 6. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

BEIJING (AP) - If your girlfriend's favorite color is orange and you want to propose, maybe dressing yourself and 48 friends as giant carrots is the best way to get her to say yes.

According to Chinese news reports and photos posted online, that is what one lovestruck Chinese man did recently for China's Valentine's Day in the center of the eastern city of Qingdao.

As bemused shoppers - and his girlfriend - looked on, the man spoke into a microphone inside his costume about their first date six months ago.

He then peeled away his disguise and proposed. Shoppers shouted "marry him, marry him," and she accepted.

The reports say the proposal took him three weeks to plan and cost 100,000 yuan ($15,000).

Gotta get your mail in the right spot...

2011-08-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Business in the front, party in the back...

2011-07-12T00:19:00.001-07:00

Directions to Lake Powell

2011-06-16T21:45:00.001-07:00

Here are the directions to the camping spot... it is in a canyon called Farley's Canyon... It is the first canyon past the turnoff for hite marina. We aren't exactly sure where we are going to be camping in Farley's canyon, but it should be right at the end on the water. Come on down... you can't miss us. I don't think we will have cell service either... so you'll just have to make it.
http://goo.gl/maps/GgqB

This machine eats trees...

2011-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Apparently Obama's birth certificate...

2011-05-06T11:19:00.001-07:00

Osama's Last Facebook Post

2011-05-05T21:09:00.001-07:00

Base Jumping from the Church Office Building = Awesome

2011-04-26T15:48:00.001-07:00

Church Office Building from Marshall Miller on Vimeo.

Pizza Club Review: Terra Mia

2011-04-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

Our pizza club goes to different pizza restaurants a few times a month and rates different pizza places. More or less we really liked Terra Mia... with an overall score of 7.6. The restaurant was nice and clean and the pizza was mostly pretty good. The Mateo's pizza was a little weird (looked like it had a whole salad on top of it) but we really liked the pesto and the 4 stagoni.

Here are the overall stats from the pizza club:

Ambiance: 7.4 / 10
Crust: 8.4 / 10
Sauce: 6.4 / 10
Toppings: 7.6 / 10
Service: 7.0 / 10
Worth the $$$: 6.8 / 10
Presentation: 7.6 / 10
Overall Pizza: 7.2 / 10
Overall Restaurant: 7.6 / 10

Government Safety Tips

2011-04-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

The US government has a website, http://www.ready.gov. It's another attempt at scare mongering in the style of the old "duck and cover" advice after WWII.

The fun thing is that these pictures are so ambiguous they could mean anything! Here are a few interpretations below. Enjoy!
Note: This parody site was built for fun. For the serious stuff, see our friends protecting our great country at http://www.ready.gov or the Department of Homeland Security athttp://www.dhs.gov

	If you have set yourself on fire, do not run.
	If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. If you are Vin Diesel, yell really loud.
	If you spot a terrorist arrow, pin it against the wall with your shoulder.
	If you are sprayed with an unknown substance, stand and think about it instead of seeing a doctor.
	Use your flashlight to lift the walls right off of you!
	To eliminate smallpox, wash with soap, water and at least one(1) armless hand under a faucet with no sink.
	Michael Jackson is a terrorist. If you spot this smooth criminal with scary eyes, run away now.
	People, animal corpses and the biohazard symbol are all at risk of being sucked into the time-tunnel vortex.
	Be on the lookout for terrorists with pinkeye and leprosy. Also, they tend to rub their hands together manically.
	If a door is closed, karate chop it open.
	If your building collapses, climb under your table and practice yoga postures.
	Try to absorb as much of the radiation as possible with your groin region. The current world record is 5 minutes, 12 seconds.
	After exposure to radiation it is important to consider that you may have mutated to gigantic dimensions: watch your head.
	If you've become a radiation mutant with a deformed hand, remember to close the window. No one wants to see that.
	If you hear the Backstreet Boys, Michael Bolton or Yanni on the radio, cower in the corner or run like hell.
	Your respiratory and digestive systems are optional. Cast them aside if you feel you no longer need them.
	If you are trapped under falling debris, conserve oxygen by not farting.
	Survive a biohazard attack by first standing, then begging on your knees, then rolling over and playing dead.
	Do not drive a station wagon if a utility pole is protruding from the hood.
	A one-inch thick piece of plywood should be sufficient protection against radiation.
	No pyromaniacs admitted.
	A quick family snapshot in front of the latest scene of a terrorist attack may became a treasured family keepsake that will preserve precious memories for years to come.
	That closet door in your bedroom leads to the gates of Hell. Don't go there.
	The middle of a terrorist attack is not an appropriate time to catch up on your reading or paperwork.
	If you see colors in the sky, grasp your throat and pretend to choke yourself. Girls go for that.
	If your intended destination is suddenly vaporized, consider pulling over and watching the cool light show.
	If the weather is overcast with dark skies, look for worms in the grass.
	After all life is gone, modern appliances will continue to run forever. Think about it.
	Your telephone may be a practicing physician. Look for a phone with no numbers on it.
	"Wash your hands" of traditional long distance telephone providers.
	Only the coolest irradiated citizens will be allowed into the 'underground' rave in the shelter.
	In case of emergency, the parking brake may be used as an adult novelty item.
	In time of war, real Americans eat red meat only! No wimpy fish or poultry, please.
	There is a reason you failed chemistry.
	Watch out for people who come out of white tents and try to steal the shirt off your back.
	If you are trapped with no hope of being found, amuse yourself in your final moments with shadow puppets.
	Radioactive materials come in 4 convenient sizes: - individual dose - family value size - neighborhood spray pump size - supersize!
	Satellite photos of Texas show the large embarrassing radioactive crop circle in Southeast Texas.
	When the looting begins remember to consider the weight/value ratio. Here we have a few examples of high value, low effort.

Seriously why not go dogboarding...

2011-03-30T23:47:00.001-07:00

Dogboarding from DANIELS on Vimeo.

Lost Dog...

2011-03-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

Spanish Graffiti at its Finest

2011-03-07T14:03:00.001-08:00

Bam!!!

2011-03-07T09:16:00.001-08:00

Sneaky Sneaky

2011-03-07T08:08:00.001-08:00

Useful Shower Temperatures

2011-03-02T19:58:00.001-08:00

No Thumbtacks in Wall...

2011-03-02T19:31:00.001-08:00

Your iPhone is actually a speaking watch...

2011-03-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

For all those iPhone users out there... who walk to school in the cold... and don't want to actually pull your phone out of your pocket to see what time it is... there is home. You can actually use the iPhone voice command to have your phone speak to you the time. Just activate the voice command, then speak "What time is it?" ... your iPhone will then speak back to you in the sexiest voice possible what time it is. Amazing.

Single RM Seeking Valentine...

2011-02-19T11:18:00.001-08:00

Jimmerlicious

2011-02-16T09:31:00.001-08:00

I'm Famous

2011-02-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

http://byumusa.com/post/3290865287/mechanical-engineering-in-new-england

Authorities: 'Twilight' fan lied about bite marks

2011-02-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Published: Feb 12, 2011
MARATHON, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida teen has told police that bite marks on her body came from "Twilight"-inspired vampire role playing - not from someone who attacked her while she was out jogging.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that the Monroe County Sheriff's Office has charged the 15-year-old girl with making a false report.
Authorities say the girl is a fan of the vampire-based "Twilight" movies and books. The sheriff's office says the girl had engaged in "fantasy biting" with a 19-year-old man in August and worried her mother would see the marks. She told her mother she had been attacked while jogging.
When deputies couldn't find evidence of the attack, the girl eventually revealed what really happened.
No charges have been filed against the 19-year-old man.
___
Information from: South Florida Sun Sentinel, http://www.sun-sentinel.com

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

2011-02-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of these people

This shaving helmet is as awesome as it seems...

2011-02-08T08:49:00.001-08:00

When is it okay to read twilight?

2011-02-07T07:26:00.001-08:00

A Great Time to Be a Cougar

2011-02-06T23:50:00.001-08:00

5 Things You Must Take Camping

2011-01-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

As an avid camper... there are 5 very important things I recommend that you take camping with you...

If you go to BYU, and use the internet, this post will make your day...

2011-01-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

The most annoying thing about BYU to me is the fact that every time I go to a new building (and I usually visit several daily) I have to re-authenticate my computer with the BYU internet. Every building. Every day. So annoying. I just found out today that you can register your computer with BYU OIT so that you don't have to bother with this. Honestly I wished someone had told me this two years ago... so I am taking that responsibility and letting the world know... via Moncurious... that there is a way around this.

Step 1) Lookup Your MAC Address - Instructions for Looking Up Your MAC Address
Step 2) Register Your Computer

Go to the Registration Page
Login Using the Login Link in the top-right corner
Register your computer (using the MAC address found in Step 1)
Enjoy your new found freedom

We Can't Rebuild Him... We Don't Have the Technology

2011-01-25T10:09:00.001-08:00

Estimate: A Good Guess

2011-01-24T19:45:00.001-08:00

Great Contemporary Furniture!

2011-01-21T08:14:00.001-08:00

Directions vs. Reality

2011-01-21T08:09:00.001-08:00

Most Amazing Robot I've Ever Seen

2010-12-13T17:29:00.001-08:00

Amazing Stopping Saw!

2010-12-09T22:40:00.001-08:00

Courage to Hope Video

2010-12-09T15:34:00.001-08:00

Get a Startrek Door for your House

2010-12-06T19:09:00.001-08:00

THIS JUST IN! Britain Delivers Killer Blow to Terrorists, Office Supply Salesmen

2010-11-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

by Paul Carr

25 people liked this

“Is this CNN or the Onion?” The question has become something of a cliche over the past nine years or so. Every time a terrorist invents a new way to try to bring down a plane, you can guarantee that either the American or British government will enact a piece of bizarre knee jerk legislation to firmly lock the stable door after the terror-horse has bolted.
Box cutter hijackers? No airside butter knives!
Shoe bomber? Passengers must remove shoes before boarding!
Underwear bomber? Genital scanning for all!
And so when I heard that a Somali al-Qaedan had planted a cellphone bomb inside a printer cartridge on a cargo plane, I knew it was only a matter of time until….
…3….
…2…
…1…
“Britain is cracking down on security in the wake of the cargo plane terror plot by banning printer cartridges in hand luggage”
Are you freaking kidding me? Printer cartridges?
I feel like Tom Lehrer after Kissinger won the Nobel peace prize. I literally don’t know how to parody this; it simply defies comical exaggeration. Here, for the benefit of travelers, is a full list of things which are now banned on transatlantic flights…

Printer cartridges
Liquids
Zippo lighters
Raindrops on roses
Whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles
Warm woolen mittens*
Brown paper packages tied up with string
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
Butter knives

Finally I feel safe.
* may be carried in checked baggage.

Genuine Witch Spell Casting Now Available Online!!!

2010-10-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

Found this website.

http://www.7witchescoven.com/

You can purchase spells to be cast. Money spells, love spells. Awesome. I'm debating which one to purchase...

Luke... use the force...

2010-10-07T03:47:00.001-07:00

Name Win

2010-10-03T08:00:00.001-07:00

2010-09-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

This is an actual photo taken of David Beckham at his last game.
Find out how be as cute as Beckham at wendyandpeter.etsy.com

HBLL Promotional Video - Hilarious

2010-07-15T11:30:00.001-07:00

Word of Wisdom

2010-06-29T13:42:00.001-07:00

Rock Canyon - Part 4 of 7 - Aliens

2010-05-28T22:17:00.001-07:00

So almost exactly a year ago me and Ashley went on our second date where we went to J Dawgs, then did a little rock climbing. After we were done climbing, we were walking out of the canyon, and we saw these bright lights off on the mountains on the other side of the lake. The lights were really bright and were moving around on the mountain. The way they were moving and the their surprising brightness kinda baffled us... We asked some guy who was coming down the trail if he knew what they were, and he claimed it was people jeeping. I thought his explanation made sense until we saw one of the lights slowly float up 100 to 200 feet above the mountain. That was the point when we were pretty sure that it was some sort of paranormal activity... most likely aliens. Either way though... it was something really weird and really awesome.

I thought that I had taken a picture of it... but I can't seem to find it. I have four other friends who also saw it though... if you want more information let me know.

Rock Canyon - Part 3 of 7 - Haunted Canyon

2010-05-28T22:14:00.001-07:00

So as me and Casey reached the top of Rock Canyon last night, it was starting to get dark, and we still had 2.5 miles to get down. As we were walking down I remembered this creepy story that I read about rock canyon.

From the Shadowlands Website, it reads:

Provo - Rock Canyon - The history on this place is that dozens of rock climbers have died right at the mouth of the Canyon, where the huge rocks start, there has also been one or more killings up there and some satanic rituals have been performed up there. People have heard noises, and have actually seen a 70's/80's dressed man standing on a rock peek, then proceeding to run/glide down the ROCK mountain at a faster then normal pace. When leaving you can feel a presence trying to follow you.

Because we didn't really want to hike down in the dark and be haunted by this old man and possibly even satan himself, we actually ended up running the whole way down. I was actually quite a good work out too. Good times...

Rock Canyon - Part 2 of 7 - The Hike

2010-05-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Through the years I have spent a lot of time up Rock Canyon.. mainly just in the first half mile of the canyon or so. This last week I had the great idea that I wanted to hike all the way to the top of the canyon to see what was up there. My dad claimed that there was this cool campground called "Hope Campground" but I needed to go up there myself to check it out. I attempted this hike last Saturday with Ashley but we kinda go distracted by the nature and didn't make it more than a mile up the canyon. I was resolved that I would try again to get to the top, so last night me and my brother Casey left at 7 PM to head on up there.

We saw a lot of interesting things up there including a cave used to sleep in undoubtedly by homeless bums, bats, eagles, mice, what we thought was a bear (but turned out just to be a rock), and some pot-smoking hippies. I also took some pictures of the scenery so that it could be enjoyed by all.

Stairway to heaven.

A mountain and the sunset. There was this cool creek flowing below it, but you can't really see it in the dark picture.

This is Casey standing near this cool mountain. There were neat snow-streaks on the mountains in the background. They looked really neat.

I have this neat GPS tracking app on my iPhone called MotionX. I used this app to track our trail and I think it is neat to have all the statistics from it. I have also have a kml file that I save. You can download it if you want to look at it closer up. Download the kml file.

Part 3 and 4 of the serious will be especially good... covering the topics of aliens, and ghosts in Rock Canyon. So be excited!

7 Day Series on Rock Canyon - Part 1 of 7

2010-05-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Being a native Utah Valley resident as well as an outdoor enthusiast I have always enjoyed sharing the outdoors with others. Living here in Utah is amazing because some of the most beautiful scenery is right at our back door.

After two beautiful hikes this week up Rock Canyon I have decided that I am going to do a 7-Day blogging series about Rock Canyon and some of the interesting/cool things that I has experienced with this beautiful place.

My first blog post will include information about the history of Rock Canyon that I found online on some BYU geology website.

The first mention of Rock Canyon in local history is related to the difficult time the early settlers of Fort Utah had with the Ute Indians. The Utes were understandably disturbed by the pioneers taking over their valley. The disputes peaked in 1850 when a battle broke out along the Provo River between approximately 70 Indians, led by Big Elk, and a militia of Mormon men. For several days the battle continued until one evening the Indians, many of whom were wounded, took flight. In their escape they split into two groups; one headed south toward Spanish Fork, and the other smaller group went toward Rock Canyon. Big Elk headed the Rock Canyon group; however, he was severely wounded and died near the mouth of the canyon. As a portion of the militia approachedRock Canyon in pursuit of the Indians, it is rumored that Big Elk’s squaw attempted to climb the cliffs, but fell and was killed. Squaw Peak, near the mouth of the canyon, was named for the incident.
Frequent travel into Rock Canyon began after July of 1855 when "William M. Wall was given a grant to build a road. On completion of the road he was to be permitted to charge fifty cents for each load of wood hauled out of the canyon. There was also a provision in the order to the effect that the grantee should allow all persons desiring to do so, to work on the road; and that they should receive, as compensation therefore, the right to haul out eight loads of wood for every day’s work performed."No mention was made of any fee for geology excursions, rock collecting, or rock climbing, evidently they were not "popular" activities back then.
During the 1860's, Rock Canyon was settled by pioneer families. Rock Canyon Creek provided the early settlers in the Provo area with drinking water. Land was cleared in the canyon and was used for farming. The land proved to be too hostile for the European farming methods, and was quickly abandoned. The pioneers then turned to using the canyon for raising cattle and sheep. The livestock was taken up the canyon to graze during the summer. The canyon quickly became a popular grazing region for the surrounding communities. Eventually intense overgrazing stripped the land of its vegetation. This overgrazing eventually led to the disastrous flood of 1936.

Stay tuned for more interesting information about Rock Canyon.

Cut Paper - On the Cutting Edge of Technology

2010-05-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

All this was done using nothing but paper, scissors, and a .22 rifle.

Move To Wash My Hands? That’s Crazy!

2010-05-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Dresses and Such

2010-05-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm certainly no expert on fashion... or kids... and especially not the both of them combined... but I feel like this is a pretty cool little dress for little girls. The reason I put this on my blog... my fiance made it... from scratch. I think that my kids will be well dresssed... perhaps too well dressed :) ... anyways... You can check out Ashley's stuff at: http://www.wendyandpeter.etsy.com or http://withlovefromashley.blogspot.com.

Texas is the New 'New Mexico' ?

2010-05-11T16:38:00.001-07:00

Steve Jobs' Grave

2010-05-10T23:31:00.001-07:00

ARM Powered Android LEGO Rubik's Speedcuber

2010-05-04T13:30:00.001-07:00

Candle Scent Fail

2010-05-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

The staircase I always dreamed of as a child...

2010-05-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

Germany is now doing to cars, what robots did to humans in "The Matrix"

2010-05-02T23:46:00.001-07:00

Cool video of the Iceland Volcano Smoke

2010-05-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Alaska dog honored for leading troopers to fire

2010-04-30T08:52:00.001-07:00

RACHEL D'ORO
Published: Apr 24, 2010

Buddy appears at a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday, April 23, 2010. The German shepherd was hailed Friday as a hero for guiding Alaska State Troopers through winding back roads to a fire at his owner Ben Heinrichs' workshop on April 4. He received a commendation and a stainless steel dog dish from the troopers. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Buddy the German shepherd was hailed as a hero for guiding Alaska State Troopers through winding back roads to a fire at his owners' workshop.

"Buddy is an untrained dog who for some reason recognized the severity of the situation and acted valiantly in getting help for his family," Col. Audie Holloway, head of the troopers, said Friday at a ceremony for the 5-year-old dog, who stood quietly before an adoring crowd.

Buddy, whose good deed was caught on a patrol car's dashcam video, received a stainless steel dog bowl engraved with words of appreciation from troopers for his "diligence and assistance."

Buddy also received a big rawhide bone, and his human family got a framed letter documenting his efforts.

"He's my hero," owner Ben Heinrichs said, his voice breaking. "If it wasn't for him, we would have lost our house."

The dashcam video shows Buddy meeting the trooper's vehicle, then dashing to their property about 55 miles north of Anchorage on April 4.

Heinrichs said he was working on parts for his truck when a spark hit some gasoline and ignited, lighting his clothes blaze. The 23-year-old man ran outside to stomp out the flames by rolling in the snow, closing the door to keep the blaze from spreading.

Heinrichs then realized Buddy was still inside the burning building and let the dog out. Heinrichs suffered minor burns on his face and second-degree burns on his left hand, which was still heavily bandaged Friday.
Buddy was not injured.

"I just took off running," Heinrichs said. "I said we need to get help, and he just took off."
Buddy ran into the nearby woods and onto Caswell Loop Road, where the dog encountered the trooper, Terrence Shanigan, whose global positioning device had failed while responding to a call about the fire. He was working with dispatchers to find the property in an area with about 75 miles of back roads.
Shanigan was about to make a wrong turn when he saw a shadow up the road. His vehicle lights caught Buddy at an intersection, and the dog eyed the trooper and began running down a side road.
"He wasn't running from me, but was leading me," he said. "I just felt like I was being led ... it's just one of those things that we're thinking on the same page for that brief moment."

The video shows Buddy occasionally looking back at the patrol car as he raced ahead, galloping around three turns before arriving in front of the blaze, which was very close to the Heinrichs' home.
From there, the trooper guided firefighters to the scene.

The workshop was destroyed and a shed was heavily damaged, but only some window trim on the house was scorched.

The Heinrich family said they knew Buddy was smart ever since they got him six weeks after he was born to a canine-officer mother and that he was brave, twice chasing bears away while Ben Heinrichs was fishing.
But saving their home beat them all.

"Downright amazing, I would say," said Tom Heinrichs, Ben's father. "Maybe there was some divine intervention."

Probably the Best Use for a Mac

2010-04-29T17:20:00.001-07:00

Cool iPhone Accessory

2010-04-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Huge laser aims to create star on Earth

2010-04-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Livermore, California (CNN) -- Scientists at a government lab here are trying to use the world's largest laser -- it's the size of three football fields -- to set off a nuclear reaction so intense that it will make a star bloom on the surface of the Earth.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's formula for cooking up a sun on the ground may sound like it's stolen from the plot of an "Austin Powers" movie. But it's no Hollywood fantasy: The ambitious experiment will be tried for real, and for the first time, late this summer.

If they're successful, the scientists hope to solve the global energy crisis by harnessing the energy generated by the mini-star.

The lab's venture has doubters, to be sure. Nuclear fusion, the type of high-energy reaction the California researchers hope to produce, has been a scientific pipe dream for at least a half-century. It's been pitched as a miracle power source. But it hasn't yielded many results.

To make matters worse, the U.S. Government Accountability Office this month released an audit of the lab's work that cites delays and mismanagement as reasons it's unlikely the scientists will create a fusion reaction this year.

But researchers in Livermore, about an hour's drive east of San Francisco, say it's not a matter of if but when their laser-saves-the-Earth experiment will be proved successful.

"We have a very high confidence that we will be able to ignite the target within the next two years," thus proving that controlled fusion is possible, said Bruno Van Wonterghem, a manager of the project, which is called the National Ignition Facility.

That would put the lab a step closer to "our big dream," he said, which is "to solve the energy problems of the world."

Read More...

Tattoo Fail

2010-04-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

I love to post the best stuff I find on fail blog. This one made me laugh out loud... so I had to post it.

On 4/19 at 10:30 p.m., a parole agent called SBPD to report that Ismael Ramirez, a known gang member, was wanted for parole violation. Ramirez violated his parole by going onto a neighbor’s property. He had strict instructions not to go there because he had committed a crime against this neighbor in the past. Ramirez’s high-risk status required that he wear a GPS ankle bracelet at all times. The bracelet can alert if Ramirez goes anywhere he is prohibited, such as the neighbor’s property.

False Prophets

2010-04-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

So I read this story this morning, and couldn't help but think of this scripture in the Book of Mormon

3 Nephi 14:15-17

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Woman gets probation for starving son with cult

BALTIMORE (AP) - A woman who starved her 1-year-old son to death at the behest of a religious cult leader was given a sentence Wednesday that won't require her to serve any more jail time.

Ria Ramkissoon, 23, pleaded guilty last year to child abuse resulting in the death of Javon Thompson. She admitted denying food and water to the 16-month-old child when he did not say "Amen" before a meal. Javon wasted away over the course of a week before his heart stopped beating.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Timothy J. Doory suspended the balance of Ramkissoon's 20-year sentence and ordered her to report to a residential treatment facility for young women. The treatment program includes Bible study, and Ramkissoon will be required to complete the program, which doesn't have a specified length, before she can live on her own.

Ramkissoon, who has been in jail since her August 2008 arrest, also was given five years of probation.
At the time of Javon's death, Ramkissoon was living with a small religious cult led by a woman who calls herself Queen Antoinette. She told Ramkissoon that the child had "a spirit of rebellion" inside him and that denying him food would cure him. After Javon died in late 2006 or early 2007, Antoinette told her followers to pray for his resurrection, and Ramkissoon spent weeks with her son's body. She testified in February at Antoinette's trial that she still believes her son will be resurrected, and her plea deal contained an extraordinary provision: If Javon comes back to life, the plea will be withdrawn. A jury convicted Antoinette, her daughter Trevia Williams and another follower, Marcus A. Cobbs, of second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. They face 60 years in prison when they are sentenced next month. Ramkissoon appeared more relaxed Wednesday than when she testified at trial. Her attorney, Steven D. Silverman, said Ramkissoon felt intimidated by Antoinette, who acted as her own attorney and cross-examined Ramkissoon extensively. Before the hearing began on Wednesday, Ramkissoon smiled, gestured and made faces at her mother, Seeta Khadan-Newton. "I just want to say thank you to everybody that did their best ... and listened to me and believed in me," Ramkissoon told the court in a soft voice. Silverman said the swift jury verdict against Antoinette, Williams and Cobbs helped his client understand what the cult had done to her and her son.

"She was really sucked in and duped by these people," Silverman said. "I think she is starting to realize, albeit painfully realize, that there will be no resurrection, that Queen Antoinette never spoke with God."

Khadan-Newton said her relationship with her daughter had improved markedly in the past several weeks. When she was arrested in August 2008, "she was like a zombie," and she wanted no contact with her family, Khadan-Newton said.

Ramkissoon was born in Trinidad and raised a Hindu; she converted to Christianity as a teenager. Javon was born out of wedlock when Ramkissoon was 18.

Assistant State's Attorney Julie Drake said the sentence was compassionate but fair. "The state has always seen her as something of a victim in this case," Drake said. Doory reminded Ramkissoon that she would have to live with knowing she was partly responsible for Javon's death, but added, "You were misled and did not do this with any ill will to your son."

ReinBeer

2010-04-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

I don't drink beer, nor do I endorse in any way the drinking of it, but this images made me laugh out loud so I had to post it...

Snake Found In Toilet

2010-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) - A woman reported finding a python in the toilet of her La Vista hotel room. Officials with the Nebraska Human Society estimate the python found Thursday morning at the Hampton Inn was about 3 years old. They said pythons aren't typically found in the wild, so it's likely this python was a pet.
Hotel officials declined to comment.
___
Information from: KETV-TV, http://www.ketv.com

Mustache advocacy group seeks tax break

2010-04-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

ST. LOUIS (AP) - It's time that mustached Americans got in on the stimulus money. At least that's the proposal being pushed by tax policy professor John Yeutter and the St. Louis-based American Mustache Institute. The tongue-in-cheek group dubs itself "the world's only facial hair advocacy and research organization."
On the eve of the deadline to file income tax returns, the professor and the AMI are pushing for a $250 annual tax incentive for people with mustaches. The funds would be used for mustache grooming supplies.
The AMI said the current system "provides a disincentive for the clean-shaven to enjoy the mustached American lifestyle."
The AMI said the stimulus money could be used not only for trimming instruments but for wax, combs and mirrors.

Bacon Tuxedo

2010-04-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Ashley bought me this to wear to our wedding... I am SO excited!!!

If it's not for you, it's not for you...

2010-04-12T21:22:00.001-07:00

Running Across Utah Lake

2010-04-11T00:09:00.000-07:00

Just read this crazy post about a guy who ran all the way across Utah Lake... thought I'd share with the world...

http://www.crockettclan.org/running/utahlake.html

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

2010-04-08T00:32:00.000-07:00

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes:
A little discomfort will make the difference!

Saturday April 10th, 2010
University Mall, Orem, UT
Begins at 8:00 AM

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes asks men to literally walk one mile in a pair of women's shoes, while raising fund for The Center for Women and Children in Crisis (www.cwcic.org). It is not easy walking in these shoes, but it is a fun opportunity for men to educate the community about a very serious subject. So challenge your buddies and help get the community to talk about something that's difficult to talk about: sexual violence. Registration is only $5.

Why Walk? One in three women has experienced sexual assault in her lifetime. One in six boys are sexually assaulted by the time they are 18. That means someone you know, someone you care about has been a victim of sexual assault. So walk for your daughter, your son, your wife, your mother, your niece, your nephew, your colleage, yourself!

Of course, women are welcome to walk - the men might need a little support along the way!

More Questions? Contact: Lindsee Anderson, 801/380-9714 or lindsee.anderson@gmail.com

Fire Dancing in Hawaii

2010-04-05T17:00:00.001-07:00

By brother, who is on his mission in Hawaii sent me this video today.

Pretty crazy!

Busted for Laughing

2010-03-22T23:18:00.001-07:00

Ostrich Win!

2010-03-22T23:09:00.001-07:00

There I Fixed It... One of My Favorite Blogs

2010-03-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

Reasonable Accommodation is Made

Click it or ticket!

Peel & Stick Abs

2010-03-04T11:45:00.001-08:00

Mass. newlywed couple spend 1st night in jail

2010-03-03T15:05:00.001-08:00

Published: Yesterday
HYANNIS, Mass. (AP) - A newlywed Massachusetts couple spent their wedding night in separate jail cells after police said the bride tried to run over an old flame of the groom.
Police say 22-year-old Hyannis resident Marissa Ann Putignano-Keene tried Monday to run over the other woman and the woman's son in a parking lot. The intended victim later told police that she had previously been in an intimate relationship with the groom.
Police say the couple got married at Barnstable Town Hall and split a bottle of Champagne afterward.
The bride was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Her husband, 37-year-old Timothy Keene, was riding in the car with her and was charged with disorderly conduct.
Both were released Tuesday. It was unclear if either had hired an attorney.

Why are we grinding our teeth so much?

2010-03-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

By Finlo Rohrer
BBC News Magazine

Some dentists are reporting that we are grinding our teeth more, as stress and even fears over the recession grip us. What's wrong with us?

Dentists often call it bruxism. To the layman it is "teethgrinding", although it may only be clenching rather than grinding.
A lot of it happens at night, but there can be clenching during the day.

I bit into this soft sandwich and heard this crack

Juliet Conner

Some people may suffer headaches as a result, or shooting pains in their jaw. But many may not realise they are doing it until the dentist spots it.
Dentists look for particular patterns of wear, which can involve flaking of the enamel, although in more serious cases the "cusps" at the corners of molars may snap off, or they may be a total fracture of a tooth.
Often, irate sleeping partners are the first to discover the activity. It is not a pleasant thing to be woken by.
"It is the most horrendous noise," says dentist Andre Hedger, who has a practice near Gatwick airport, and saw a 20% rise in cases in 2008 and 2009. "It is like a concrete mixer running down a blackboard."
A full explanation for why we grind our teeth is yet to be established, but it is believed that stress and anxiety are at least exacerbating factors.
"Often the reason they are doing the grinding or clenching is stress, the recession", says Dr Hedger. "We have never seen so many stressed patients. They all say things have changed in the workplace - they are working longer hours."

TELL-TALE SIGNS OF BRUXISM

1. Enamel is worn away and softer, orange coloured dentine is exposed

2. The lower incisors are worn flat

3. Upper teeth become more angled, thin, and translucent, also putting them at-risk for chips

4. The roof of the nerve chamber is visible in the tooth's centre

A paucity of studies means it is not easy to establish the numbers of sufferers in the UK. The advisers who man the helpline at the British Dental Health Foundation anecdotally report an increase in calls. And an unscientific straw poll by the British Dental Association identifies a number of dentists who think it is on the rise.
One reports: "I have definitely seen a huge interest in grinding-related problems since the start of the recession… I would say that I am probably seeing about five times as many cases as usual."
Another suggests: "We have seen a lot of grinding and clenching of late. Because grinding can take a long time to show up as tooth wear it would be difficult to say that clinically obvious examples have started within the last twelve months or so."
Yet another notes: "Whilst I haven't noted a particular increase of signs and symptoms associated with parafunctional [not to do with normal actions] clenching and grinding during the period of the recession, this is generally a phenomenon that is slowly increasing in prevalence."
Colchester dentist Francois Roussouw has noted a marked rise in people suffering the effects of teethgrinding.

Dentists have developed treatments for bruxism

"Over the last six-to-nine months there has been a 30% increase," he says.
"We see fracturing teeth without any decay being present. People who fractured a healthy tooth in the past - that was very rare. In the past two months I've seen three patients where a perfectly healthy virgin tooth has been fractured into the root."
Juliet Conner is one such patient.
"I bit into this soft sandwich and heard this crack. There was pain and I thought 'what was that'."
Mrs Conner suffered a broken tooth in October. And then another one in December. But she doesn't fit the pattern of stressed, recession-fixated business people.

SOME SYMPTOMS

Abnormal wear on teeth

Fractures in healthy teeth

Headaches

Pain in jaw

"I lost my husband six-and-a-half years ago - whether it's subconscious worry over that I don't know.
"I'm not a particularly stressed person."
Yann Maidment, who is part of a three-dentist-practice in central Edinburgh, can't be sure that the recession is to blame for the increase in patients with bruxism at his dental practice.
"We are sitting right in the middle of a financial district. We have seen a higher instance of clenching and grinding of the teeth. You ask them about stress - they are under more pressure
"We know that stress is involved in the process but there can be other factors. When we take histories from people they will often describe an increase in stress levels that have accompanied the onset."
But while stress is a big factor, it's certainly not the only thing causing teethgrinding.
"There are other factors for example the anatomy of the jaw, the shape of the jawbone, the position of the teeth in respect of each other," says Dr Maidment.
Something more fundamental in Western lifestyle could be to blame, says Dr Hedger.

Soft foods could be leading to underdeveloped jaws, Dr Hedger says

"It is common in the West because we have underdeveloped upper jaws. We have a very soft diet - our jaws are getting smaller and more crowded."
Dr Hedger also works on patients who have Temporo Mandibular Joint Dysfunction, a group of conditions related to bruxism. Some are terribly affected, he says, reduced to crawling at the start of the day and afflicted by a range of unpleasant conditions.
"They are very ill with it. They have chronic fatigue, headaches, migraines and tinnitus."
When given questionnaires many patients say they have been accused of imagining or faking symptoms, and a fifth have considered suicide.
Opening bite
For those with run-of-the-mill bruxism, a nightguard is often offered by the dentist. In the UK this can cost anything from £100 to a few hundred pounds. Typically this resembles a sport gumshield and is custom-fitted to the lower teeth. It is to be worn every night.
But the use of the one of these nightguards can sometimes fall short, says Dr Hedger.

We have a very soft diet - our jaws are getting smaller and more crowded

Andre Hedger

"They actually can increase the clenching activity. Where they win is they slightly open the bite by a number of millimetres, which often relieves the jaw joint."
But he is one of the dentists promoting an alternative, the catchily-named nociceptive trigeminal inhibitor.
"They are designed to put pressure on the front teeth. When the grinding starts in the night the pressure is applied to the two front teeth… they send quite a strong signal to the brain saying 'what are you doing?'."
The aim is to stop the grinding rather than, as with a basic nightguard, mainly to protect the teeth from damage by covering them.
Other treatments range from muscle massage to relieve symptoms, counselling to reduce stress, and even hypnosis.
But the important thing, the dentists say, is getting early treatment. Otherwise bigger dental problems may beckon.

Send us your comments using the form below.
Bruxism can have a funny side too. One night my husband tried to stop me grinding my teeth without waking me, by holding onto my lower jaw. I awoke to find my husband apparently trying to strangle me...
Karen, Wiltshire
I'm a long-term sufferer. My bruxism is caused by an overcrowded mouth and over-small jaw; I simply can't close my mouth completely comfortably. I use the traditional kind of night-guard, but the wear on my teeth during the day is very heavy, and the enamel on the back of my front teeth is in a pretty poor state. Without the night-guard, though, I'd have ground my teeth to powder by now. I'd simply echo the advice in the article - do go and see a dentist sooner rather than later. You can save yourself a lot of pain and dental destruction.
Stuart, Birmingham
I developed pains in my jaw some years ago after a bereavement. The dentist put it down to stress and teeth grinding at night. He made me a bite guard which solved the problem in a few days. I'd recommend one to anybody suffering this problem.
Andrew Leonard, United Kingdom
What a strange feeling of relief to read this article. The stresses caused by my partner's nocturnal tooth grinding was one of the factors in the break up of our twenty one year relationship. Obviously there were bigger, more important factors, but the issue over the grinding became an incredible catalyst for all our tensions and resentments. I was being woken every night - sometimes three or four times in a single night - as bad as with a new born baby. Was I exaggerating it? Was it unreasonable of me to ask my ex to go to the doctor to try to do something about it? Was I the cause of her stress?
She did get a gum shield, but found it incredibly uncomfortable and refused to wear it (which actually was fair enough - it looked pretty horrible). But then it became impossible for me to gets a good night's sleep in the same bed. So increasingly I would end up on the sofa. And when that starts happening... it's the beginning of the end.
Anon, UK
I have been a grinder of teeth for years, since I was a young child my parents always reported hearing me grind my teeth at night. During my teenage years my front teeth has very faint crack marks running vertical up then and the bite surface was very smooth. In my early 20s I noticed a sort of "v" shaped pattern in my top two front teeth and the bottom front teeth were worn away to about 1/2 their original size. I've always had to have treatment to repair my fillings throughout the years because I grind my original ones away.
As for gum shields - a few months and I'm grinding a hole through the hard plastic. At the moment I have been suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia since Halloween, another typical symptom of teeth grinding. If anyone else has had TGN neuralgia you'll know of the intense agony it causes - I liken it to a "screwdriver in the ear". I'm in my late 30s and if I am having all these symptoms at the moment, what will I be like in 20-30 years time? My front four teeth are now crowns, replaced, not through decay but through my intense grinding. My advice? See your dentist as soon as possible.
Red246, Glasgow
I notice that antidepressants cause me to grind my teeth, something confirmed by a friend who took the same tablets. Bearing in mind the huge surge in prescriptions for these drugs in recent years, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a major contributor.
Frank Smith, Buxton, Derbyshire
It's funny, I was remarking on the pain in my jaw muscles to my girlfriend only yesterday then, today, I see this article! Around 4 years ago I had both lower wisdom teeth extracted and, ever since, I've had recurring problems with TMJ. Apparently this can be caused by an imbalance in one's bite and, presumably, this can be a side effect of such extractions. I'm blaming it squarely on the extractions, not the recession though! Although I had my wisdom teeth removed on the NHS it looks like I'll now have to fork out myself if I want to get my dentist to do something about it.
Oli, Edinburgh
I was grinding my teeth for 10 years and all various dentists would say to me was that it was stress, even though I wasn't stressed. I'd given up until I mentioned it in passing to a new dentist... turns out, having my wisdom teeth out changed the alignment of my teeth so they didn't sit properly on top of each other and effectively my jaw was always tense, hence the grinding. All he did was file a millimetre or so off my back teeth (painlessly!) and I haven't ground them since. It was so simple yet quite life changing. He said at the time many problems like this are caused by damage dentists do during treatments... I knew it wasn't stress, just wish it wasn't used so readily as a diagnosis.
JC, London
Yep I used to clench my teeth very hard when I had to wear a brace (the plastic insert type) because it was so irritating. Now I suffer from "clicky jaw syndrome" which apparently is called TMJ. The dentist wants £5,000 to fix it. No way I am paying that kind of money.
Richard Lewis, Southampton
I have always found the "stress" explanation for bruxism overly convenient. I am in my mid-twenties and have been aware that I grind my teeth for four years or so. After being told by a friend that I make funny noises while I sleep I had a look at my teeth and could see that they were being worn down. Now I wear a mouthguard every night, and have found that when I don't I frequently wake myself up clicking my teeth together. Fortunately I don't have any other problems such as jaw pain or headaches, but it is a pain in the rear to think that I might have to sleep with a piece or rubber in my mouth for the rest of my life (which I have to get replaced every year or so when it has (A) had holes worn in it (B) become an unsightly yellow colour (C) gone into the washing machine/drier by accident). I have heard the stress argument fairly often but I find that my teeth-grinding has no relation to how stressed I am.
Tom, London
I have just got back from a dentist appointment due to ongoing jaw problems, resulting in discomfort in the joint and the development of headaches during the course of the day. My other half has also suffered exactly the same thing recently. It would appear that both of us have been grinding our teeth in our sleep, and I also quite often find my teeth clenched whilst driving, which I do a lot of. An NHS dentist will fit you with a bite guard, which you can expect to cost around £200, though they can also refer you to your local hospital if preferred, where the same treatment shouldn't cost you a penny. I am now at the point where my jaw is not sitting 'flush' in the socket, though I am advised that surgery is often more of a problem than a cure, so I would urge anybody suffering the same symptoms to go and see their dentist as soon as they experience any discomfort.
Jim Lee, Newton Abbot
I've been grinding my teeth for years and as mentioned in the report I was told about it by my then partner. The standard mouthguards do only prevent damage to the teeth, and don't prevent the grinding, but beware, the NTI technology is not yet proven and half of the clinical trials have indicated that the device may cause more problems than it solves. It's important not only to try to de-stress but to find a solution that works for you.
Ade, Edinburgh
According to my girlfriend, I grind my teeth in my sleep. Not with any great frequency, mind, but every now and again she'll wake up to the most awful noise. She'll try to get me to stop doing it by holding my jaw, poking me, or suchlike, but I just sleep straight through. Apparently I don't do it for very long; just long enough to disturb her sleep. I'm not a particularly stressed person - very laid back in general - and I don't get jaw-ache and my dentist hasn't noticed any side-effects of the grinding. It's just something I do every so often with no rhyme or reason which really annoys my girlfriend. Sorry, petal!
George, London, England

Stuff White People Like

2010-03-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

So my roommate just got this calendar called "Stuff White People Like". I read it every day as I eat breakfast and the one I read this morning was so funny I had to post it up here.

You can never be too safe...

2010-03-01T08:04:00.001-08:00

Bulletproof Buttocks Patent:

Actual Patent Illustration - All Inventions Hold Real USA Patents

Tsunami Watch In Hawaii today.

2010-02-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

My brother is on his mission in Hawaii, where a Tsunami is supposed to hit in a few hours. This tsunami was caused by a big 8.8 earthquake that happened in Chile. He is evacuated and up on a hill near the temple in Laie. Hopefully everything will be ok.

Ohio police officers get drunk _ on purpose

2010-02-27T08:16:00.001-08:00

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Law enforcement officers in southwest Ohio were chugging down alcoholic drinks this week as part of a training exercise on how to give field sobriety tests. Several police officers and deputy sheriffs in Montgomery County volunteered to drink so colleagues could practice conducting the tests given to suspected drunk drivers.
Dayton officer Will Wright says officials wanted officers to drink until they had slurred speech, glassy eyes and a lack of coordination.
One test required intoxicated officers to walk heel-to-toe down a line and then hold up one leg to demonstrate balance.
Wright says he hopes the exercise at the Dayton Police Academy helped officers gain a better understanding of how to deal with impaired drivers.

Drunk mom allegedly runs through school with sword

2010-02-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Police said the mother of an elementary school student drank a 40 ounce bottle of malt liquor before brandishing a sword in her child's school. The woman, 32, apparently intended to confront the parents of another child who had been in a spitting match with her child the previous day.
According to court records, an employee at Riverview Elementary School in Memphis reported a drunk woman armed with a sword was running through the halls of the school and had threatened to cut her.
Officers who arrived on the scene retrieved a black cane that concealed the blade.
The woman charged with aggravated assault and having a weapon on school property.

___
Information from: WMC-TV, http://www.wmctv.com/

Woman says her love handles saved her life

2010-02-24T15:43:00.001-08:00

Published: Yesterday

In this photo taken Monday Feb. 22, 2010, Samantha Lynn Frazier, 35, of Florida, talks about a gunshot that hit her in the abdomen at the Egg Harbor Township, NJ, home where she is staying. Frazier was shot while entering an Atlantic Ciity bar to get a drink early Saturday morning. (AP Photo/The Press of Atlantic City, Vernon Ogrodnek) MANDATORY CREDIT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - A Florida woman said her love handles saved her life when she was shot entering an Atlantic City bar. Samantha Lynn Frazier said she heard two pops when she walked into Herman's Place early Saturday. The 35-year-old then felt pain and saw blood on her hand after she grabbed her left side. Atlantic City police said Frazier was an innocent bystander.
Detective Lt. Charles Love said the gunman was aiming for a man who escaped with a bullet hole in his down jacket.
The suspect remains at large.
Frazier told The Press of Atlantic City that 'I could have been dead. They said my love handles saved my life."
Frazier also told the newspaper that she had been "hollering" that she wanted to lose weight. She now said "I want to be as big as I can if it's going to stop a bullet."

Self-Defense Training by the BYU Police

2010-02-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Hot Air Ballooning Mishap

2010-02-20T09:05:00.001-08:00

Some Cool Paintings...

2010-02-16T07:19:00.001-08:00

The Man Who Looked Into Facebook's Soul

2010-02-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

Some Facebook research people made this mad out of the United States from research getting data from Facebook. It's kinda interesting.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_user_data_analysis.php

Scent of Mullet Win

2010-02-05T17:01:00.001-08:00