Fingerprints: Facts and Patterns

Image via Wikipedia

Fingerprint ridges are formed during the third to fourth month of fetal development. The ridges begin to develop on the skin of the thumbs and fingers.

Source

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The earliest dated prints of the ridged skin on human hands were made about 4,000 years ago during the pyramid building era in Egypt.  In addition, one small portion of palm print, not known to be human, has been found impressed in hardened mud at a 10,000-year old site in Egypt.

It was common practice for the Chinese to use inked fingerprints on official documents, land sales, contracts, loans and acknowledgements of debts.  The oldest existing documents so endorsed date from the 3rd century BC, and it was still an effective practice until recent times.  Even though it is recorded that the Chinese used their fingerprints to establish identity in courts in litigation over disputed business dealings, researchers fail to agree as to whether the Chinese were fully aware of the uniqueness of a fingerprint or whether the physical contact with documents had some spiritual significance.

Source

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Source

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation established its first fingerprint identification division in the year 1924, with a collection of 810,188 fingerprint files taken mostly from the Leavenworth Penitentiary. These files became more and more important with the emergence of an increasing number of intellectual criminals who crossed all legal and state lines.  Today, the FBI has in possession more than 250 millions different sets of fingerprint records. This collection is enormous and is composed of both civil as well as criminal prints. The civil file includes prints of government employees and candidates for federal jobs.

Source

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More courtroom questions

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Questions actually asked of witnesses by attorneys during trials and responses given by insightful witnesses.

Reported in the Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyers Journal, the following are questions actually asked of witnesses by attorneys during trials and, in certain cases, the responses given by insightful witnesses:

1. “Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?”
2. “The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?”
3. “Were you present when your picture was taken?”
4. “Were you alone or by yourself?”
5. “Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war?”
6. “Did he kill you?”
7. “How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?”
8. “You were there until the time you left, is that true?”
9. “How many times have you committed suicide?”
10. Q: “So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?”
A: “Yes.”
Q: “And what were you doing at that time?”
11. Q: “She had three children, right?”
A: “Yes.”
Q: “How many were boys?”
A: “None.”
Q: “Were there any girls?”
12. Q: “You say the stairs went down to the basement?”
A: “Yes.”
Q: “And these stairs, did they go up also?”
13. Q: “Mr. Slatery, you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didn’t you?
A: “I went to Europe, sir.”
Q: “And you took your new wife?”
14. Q: “How was your first marriage terminated?”
A: “By death.”
Q: “And by whose death was it terminated?”
15. Q: “Can you describe the individual?”
A: “He was about medium height and had a beard.”
Q: “Was this a male or female?”
16. Q: “Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?”
A: “No, this is how I dress when I go to work.”
17. Q: “Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?”
A: “All my autopsies are performed on dead people.”
18. Q: “All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?”
A: “Oral.”
19. Q: “Do you recall the time that you examined the body?”
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.”
Q: “And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?”
A: “No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.”
20. Q: “You were not shot in the fracas?”
A: “No, I was shot midway between the fracas and the naval.”
21. Q: “Are you qualified to give a urine sample?”
A: “I have been since early childhood.”
22. Q: “Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?”
A: “No.”
Q: “Did you check for blood pressure?”
A: “No.”
Q: “Did you check for breathing?”
A: “No.”
Q: “So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?”
A: “No.”
Q: “How can you be so sure, doctor?”
A: “Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.”
Q: “But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?”
A: “It is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.”

By anisha
Published: 5/4/2001

Funny questions asked in a courtroom

…These questions will either break the ice, get a laugh, or completely confuse the witness…

“Just how old were you really on your twenty-fifth birthday?”
“Can you see without your glasses or your teeth?”
“What was the defendant doing while you were in the bathroom?”
“Do you still feel you are brain damaged?”
“Where did you live in town after you moved away?”
“What don’t you know about the accident and when did you find out?”
“Just when did you realize you hadn’t been killed in the accident?”
“You’re just saying that to confuse me, or is that your normal way of talking?”
“Did you look at the defendant when you saw him?”
“Can you describe what you didn’t see?”
“Was that when you were in a coma or had you already left the hospital?”
“Are you qualified to be an expert or is there somebody else more qualified to make that conclusion?”
“I think we all know who will be the judge of that, right Judge?”
“Could you repeat that again for those who heard it the first time?”
“I see you have clothes on today.”
“What do you mean exactly by that particular phrase you elucidated?”
“Could you be more specific than “I don’t remember?”
“And what time was it by the watch you weren’t wearing?”
“Do you have a first name, John?”
“Do you consider yourself to be an honest or a dishonest person when you promise to tell the truth?”
“Have you ever lied to anyone before today?”
“Have you ever driven drunk before the accident?”
“And how many teeth would you estimate you have?”
“Are you able to touch your nose and walk a straight line better today than you were on the date of the accident?”
“Can you estimate how many wives you have?”
“Do you consider yourself to be as honest as the Judge in this courtroom?”
“Have you been practicing what you would say today?”
“And exactly when did you come up with a conclusion that would make sense?”
“We’ve never met before today, except for that time in Vegas, have we?”
“Have you ever been to Vegas?”
“Does your wife know about that trip?”
“What caused you to be a child when you were that age?”
“Did you eventually become an adult?”
“Do you know what questions I’m going to be asking you to give me answers to or are you just guessing?”
“You seem confusing. Are you speaking too fast or would you like me to slow down?”

Source

African pastor, dead in mortuary for three days, returns to tell his experience

The videos of the account of Pastor Daniel Ekechukwu’s resurrection are hard to understand in places.  For more information, see the link at the bottom of this post.

Nigerian pastor Daniel Ekechukwu physically died in the late evening of Friday, November 30th, 2001, was dead for at least 42 hours, visited heaven and hell during the time of his physical death, and was raised from the dead between 3:50 P.M. and 5:15 P.M. on Sunday, December 2nd, 2001 in the basement of the Grace of God Mission, located in Onitsha, Nigeria.

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Part 1 – Introduction of the events preceding his death.

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Part 2 – Angelic encounter in the ambulance where they take him to heaven and explain the differences between the gathering of the angels vs the gathering of the saints.

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Part 3 – Description of the heavenly mansions and singing flowers.  Then an angel takes Daniel to hell where he describes the experience…the angel explains the reason why the pastor encounters a soul who practiced witchcraft (Rev 21:8).

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Part 4 –  The angel explains to Daniel why if the book of life was closed, hell would be Daniel’s portion.  Powerful message about reaping the harvest of unforgiveness and Daniel’s insatiable desire for revenge…

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Part 5 – Daniel’s experience about coming back to his body, which was lying in the mortuary for three days.

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Much more information about this story can be found here.

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A Point to Ponder:

1) I was thinking about the number of views this video received so far: Views: 22,271.  Compare that to Susan Boyle: Views: 78,717,532.  Just thought I’d throw that in.

2) Regarding salvation–if everyone is going to heaven, why did Jesus have to die?

[photos] Funny wallpaper

Source

Biologists need your vote for the ugly bug contest

Image via Wikipedia

The biologists from Dow AgroSciences, NAU Imaging and Histology Core Facility, ASU International Institute for Species Exploration and W. M. Keck Bioimaging Laboratory are pleased to present the Ugly Bug contestants for 2009. Each of the bugs are anxious to be crowned champion so be sure to vote soon and vote often.

On the list:

1. Macrosiphon: “The Blade” Aphid
2. Xylocops “The Hammer” Carpenter Bee
3. Periplanta americana “La Cucaracha” Cockroach
4. Acanthocephala “The Leaf Foot” Coreidae
5. Tipulidae “The Gollywhopper” Crane Fly
6. Apis “Sweetness” Honey Bee
7. Harpegnathos “The Ringleader” Jerdon’s Jumping Ant
8. Polistes “The Shocker” Paper Wasp
9. Hadurus “The Stinger” Scorpion
10. Agulla “Stretch” Snakefly

Cast your vote here.

Shark performs caesarean section

Visitors to a New Zealand oceanarium watched in astonishment when one shark tore a chunk out of another’s stomach.  But they were even more astonished when four baby sharks tumbled out of the gaping wound.

Staff at Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, in Auckland, had no idea the shark was pregnant until visitors came running to tell them about the impromptu caesarean section.  Initially skeptical, they found the mother with a large cut and four little sharks swimming around.

The oceanarium’s aquarist, Fiona Davies, said it was not uncommon for sharks to chomp on each other, even in the wild.  But she had never heard of an incident like this.

The relationship of the other shark to the mother was unknown, but Davies praised its actions, saying the unusual deliver had probably saved the babies’ lives.

Four more babies were found inside the female when mother and young were removed to a nursery tank.  The eight young sharks are now on show and will eventually be released into the wild.

The Independent

 

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Court documents reveal MJ’s private memorial price tag: $1m

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson’s private family funeral was fit for a king and had a price tag to match: roughly $1 million, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Although Jackson died in June and had a large public tribute at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in July, the private family funeral held Sept. 3 appeared to have been arranged with urgency.

Legal requests for payments filed with estate administrators by attorneys for Michael Jackson’s mother only three days before the scheduled burial noted that if payment was not received by the funeral home and the Glendale Police Department by Sept. 1, “the funeral will not proceed.”

The lawyers warned that such a development would cause Katherine Jackson and the family “public embarrassment and added grief, along with the daunting task of having to make new arrangements.”

There was no indication of resistance by the administrators, who approved payment of all expenses and reimbursement of Michael Jackson’s sister Janet for an advance payment to Forest Lawn-Glendale of $49,000.

The final tally of costs included $855,730 to Forest Lawn for cemetery and funeral charges including the purchase of other plots within the same mausoleum that houses Jackson’s body.

Also listed were: $35,000 for burial garments; $1,975 for wardrobe for the family; $2,000 for usher costumes; $3,682 for framing of a photograph of Jackson next to the casket; $959 for embroidery; $11,716 for invitations and programs; $16,000 for flowers; $30,000 for cars and security; and $15,000 for a funeral designer. There was also a charge of $21,455 for the “funeral repast” at a restaurant after the ceremony.

During the period that the family waited to bury Jackson, they were charged $5,000 a month for holding the remains in a temporary vault.

The documents showed that his mother, brother Randy and sister Janet were involved in the planning and were mindful that the media would be covering the funeral, although media were not allowed inside the ceremony.

“Mrs. Jackson and her family wish to honour her son by a funeral that seeks to offer solace to his multitude of fans and by which the family also may be comforted,” the attorneys said. The costs were substantial but “entirely commensurate with the decedent’s worldwide status as an entertainer and the world’s grief over his death.”

Mrs. Jackson’s attorneys were granted the request for $1 million. The administrators noted this was in addition to the costs of the Staples Center tribute, which was approved by the court as part of the agreement with entertainment group AEG.

Outside court on Tuesday, lawyer Howard Weitzman, who represents the administrators, said: “I would have done it less expensively. But it was Michael Jackson, who was larger than life. There’s no reason he should not have a funeral that’s larger than life.”

Source

(8) Strange funeral customs

Eaten by Vultures

The ancient Zoroastrians believed life was a constant battle between light and dark, good and evil. Their duty was to preserve the natural balance until, as with all eschataological beliefs, the world would end and a new better world would be born in which true believers would live forever in spiritual delight.

However, in the boring material world people die and need to be disposed of. How to do this without upsetting the elements? Well the Zoroastrian way, which still exists in parts of Iran and India, is to perch the naked body onto a ‘dokhma’ (a stone tower) and let it be eaten by vultures. No waste, you see. Apparently in recent years a lack of vultures in India has made this process more difficult.

A very similar custom called sky burial was practised by Buddhists in Tibet who believe the body is nothing more than flesh after death.

Hanging Coffins

In certain regions in China and the Philippines it won’t be just birds you find nesting on cliff faces. Because the ancient tradition of coffin hanging amongst some groups, primarily the Bo people in China, in Sagada on Luzon Island in the Philippines and amongst the Sa’da Toraja people of Indonesia ensured some of the best spots for the deceased. The coffins were lowered down on ropes and fixed between wooden stakes. The practice does not exist today but the coffins are still there with their beautiful sea views.

Eating the Ashes

The Yanomami tribe of the Amazon do not believe in death. Or at least they do not believe in death as a natural state. They believe all death is inflicted from a hostile source, an evil spirit, a shaman of another tribe. To ensure the evil is destroyed the Yanomami cremate the body after death and swallow the ashes, during which there is a lot of screaming and shouting, thumping the earth and singing.

Another form of endocannabalism is practised by the Amahuaca tribe of Peru. They like to crush the bones of their tribe members into a paste, cook and eat. They also take hallucinatory drugs and kill their children. Still if you’re a woman you get to enjoy the company of all your husband’s brothers.

Funeral bundles

In the Andes the Paracas people would shape their dead into the fetal position and wrap them in a bundle with gifts, clothing, food and gold. The funeral bundle was then moved to a nearby burial site, often in a cave and marked with a pole or a cane.

Exploding Ashes

The great thing about ashes is you can scatter them anywhere. Off a cliff, in the sea, on a football pitch, in a computer, even in space. And yes all of these scatterings have happened. To be buried in a computer was the dying wish of one William Alan Watson who is now spending his time inside a SPARCstation. The floppy drive, hard drive and power supply had to be removed to accommodate William but apparently he now rests very peacefully. Condolences were written on Post-it notes and posted through the floppy slot.

One of the first men on Earth to have their ashes exploded in space was Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. In 1997 Gene along with the ashes of writer Timothy Leary and nineteen others were popped into a space capsule and blasted into orbit. Unfortunately after ten years the capsule dropped back to Earth and burnt up in the atmosphere. Still they were ashes not people.

Writer Hunter S Thompson (pictured above) was determined to cause a bang. His final wish after he shot himself through the head was to be the central part of a huge fireworks display. His ashes were exploded from a 150ft cannon during a party at his home in Colorado, all paid for by the actor Johnny Depp. It cost millions apparently.

Novelty Coffins in Ghana

Getting buried in Ghana is fun. Especially if you’re a member of the Ga tribe. The Ga tribe do coffins in a big big way. Basically whatever your job was or your love, interest or hobby is exactly what you are going to be buried in the earth in. So that guy down the road who loved cigarettes and smoked 100 a day and died yesterday at the age of 45 will be buried in a giant cigarette. The man who wore new shoes everyday will enter the ground in a giant shoe. The woman who washed floors is buried in a bucket, the fish man in a fish, the kid who liked coke a Coke bottle. You get the idea? It is simple and it is brilliant and I want to die in Ghana.

The Religions

We need to devote at least three lines to the world’s main religions so here goes:

• Christianity: House, church, coffin, burial, cremation
• Judaism: House, synagogue, burial (as soon as possible after death, same day or next day) seven days of mourning
• Islam: Bathe the body (males wash males, females wash females (except husbands and wives)) ,enshroud body in white sheets (no more than three), funeral prayer, burial, head pointing towards Mecca
• Buddhism: Prayers and cremation
• Hinduism: Funeral before sun goes down on day of death, body laid head pointing south, oil lamp lit next to body and burnt for three days after death, body washed and dressed, body covered with flowers and cremated

Go Green

As the world gets greener so do the funerals. You can now be buried wearing a bio-degradable shroud inside a cardboard or bamboo coffin within an eco-cemetery (a park or natural woodland) with a tree planted on top. No one will know you were ever here.

Source

My first photo inclusion!

I’m feeling kind of good!  I received an email from the Schmap Niagara Falls Guide–my photo is in their online and mobile guide.  I took the picture at the Buttefly Conservatory.

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Hi 1websurfer,I am delighted to let you know that one of your photos with a Creative Commons license has been selected for inclusion in the newly released ninth edition of our Schmap Niagara Falls Guide:Butterfly Conservatory
www.schmap.com/niagarafalls/sights_stamford/p=260923/i=260923_95.jpg

If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then this same link will take you directly to your photo in the iPhone version of our guide. On a desktop computer, you can still see exactly how your photo is displayed and credited in the iPhone version of our guide at:

Butterfly Conservatory
www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=niagarafalls&sid=sights_stamford&p=260923&i=260923_95

Finally, if you have a blog, you might also like to check out the customizable widgetized version of our Schmap Niagara Falls Guide, complete with your published photo:

www.schmap.com/guidewidgets/p=88016544N00/c=SM20791419

Please enjoy the guide!

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/ewilliams

 

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Awesome!

Here’s my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/1websurfer/

Here’s a related :13 video:

WARNING: Graphic photo of Princess Diana in the Mercedes

I came across this picture of Diana on a website posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2007.  Not quite sure how I found it.  I debated for a long time if I should post this blog.  I’m still not sure…

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“Newspapers have reported that the program (Princess Diana – The Witnesses In The Tunnel [48:02]) features previously unpublished photographs of the princess receiving medical attention from a doctor as she lay dying in the back of the black Mercedes S-class vehicle in which her lover, Dodi Fayed, and the driver, Henri Paul, also were killed.”

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It was an incredibly violent crash. No one was wearing a seatbelt. Paul and Fayed were dead. Dr. Frederic Maillez, an off duty emergency doctor, stopped his car 30 seconds later.

“I remember almost nobody around me walking toward the wreckage,” he said. “And my first intention was to see if there were any victims.”

An off-duty fireman was already tending to the bodyguard in the front seat. Without knowing who she was, and with little equipment, Maillez focused on Diana.

Images are found here.

“She was laying on the floor of the car, she was unconscious,” he said. “The first thing I had to do was to lift up her head, apply the respiratory bag so she could breathe a little bit better. What I could see is that she did not have any injury on her face. Her face was intact. Just a few drops of blood and that’s it. She was still very beautiful, very sophisticated lady.”

As Maillez worked, others began to arrive including the photographers who had been left behind.

“Little by little, there was more and more flash more and more photographs taken – there was like ‘tsh tsh tsh,’ ” Maillez said.

So it would appear these pictures do match up to an eyewitness account of how Diana appeared after the accident. SOURCE

[12 photos] Video stills from final video of Princess Diana

Read the details to all these photos here.

Sometimes having a bad day is a blessing in disguise

Image via Wikipedia

The following “ponder this” lesson became reality on a few occassions…an example at the end of the post.

As you  might remember, the head of a company survived 9/11  because  his son started  kindergarten.

Another  fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ  Turnpike because of an auto accident.

One of them missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.

One’s car wouldn’t  start.

One couldn’t get a  taxi.

A man who put on a new pair of shoes that  morning, took the various means to get  to work.  But before he got there, he  developed a blister on his  foot.  He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.  That is why he is alive today…

When you’re stuck  in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone … all the little things that annoy you, consider this is exactly where God wants me to be at that very moment.  The next time your morning seems to  be going wrong, the  children are slow getting  dressed, you  can’t seem to find the car  keys, you hit every traffic light, don’t  get mad or frustrated.  It may be just that God is at work watching over you.  May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible  purpose.

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I was in a hurry one night to get home after a hard day at work.  While driving down the rain-soaked highway, my wipers kept getting stuck so I had to pull over a few times.  Then I had to slow down to avoid hitting a deer.  Those two annoyances caused me complain and mutter, “God, where are you?  All I want to do is go home and relax from a hard day at work.  Is that too much to ask?”  When I reached the city and pulled up to the first stop light, a truck skidded off the road and hit a car that pulled up next to me seconds before.  It was a bad accident.  Anyway, to shorten a much longer story, my question was answered.  I was annoyed for a few minutes but was able to enjoy a safe and peaceful night at home.  I totally believe “the steps [or annoyances] of a good man are ordered of the Lord.” Psalm 37:23

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Can you relate?  Were you ever spared a disaster because of an inconvenience?

Gold-silver glitter phrases for emails and websites (I-W)

Here’s the last of the phrases…

Silver-glitter phrases for your emails and websites (A-H)

I made some glitter phrases and thought I’d share them with you.  Just right click, choose ’save image as’ and then use them any way you want!

If you’d like to see more phrases, let me know and I’ll make them!

Gold-glitter phrases for your emails and websites (A-H)

I made some glitter phrases and thought I’d share them with you.  Just right click, choose ’save image as’ and then use them any way you want!

More coming later in another post…

[12 photos] Restored church creates heavenly living quarters

A couple purchased this old church in Kyloe, North Cumberland, England.  They invested lots of money to keep the outside and inside as it was, and restored instead of renovated (3 times more money).

What a heavenly idea!

[video] Heart-sick young man is looking for his MsDreamy

Once upon a time, a gentleman had a nightmare.  But out of this nightmare appeared the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.  Adam Pacitti believes she’s a real person and will not stop searching until he finds her.

Click here for more info.

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Have you ever dreamed of someone and then met them in real life?

[video] Weather/cloud experts–please identify

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Visitor survey, please comment

This is just a short survey to find out what posts keep you coming back.

1) For first-time visitors: what was your favorite post?

2) For repeat visitors: what are your favorite tags/categories/posts (humor, photos, oddities, unique, wallpaper)?

3) For all visitors: how did you find the blog?

Thank you for your feedback.

(30) Movies with the most mistakes

According to this website, the top 30 movies with the most audio, continuity, deliberate, factual, revealing and visible crew/equipment goofs are:

1. Apocalypse Now (391) – Continuity: After the helicopter attack when the chopper drops the patrol boat into the water, you can see the canopy and the radar type antenna break and collapse. When you see it again it’s in perfect condition.
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (296) – Factual error: In the scene immediately following Harry and Hermione’s travel back through time, she tells him, “It’s 7:30.” The clock, however, is striking the bells for an hour, not a half-hour.
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (288) – Visible crew/equipment: In the dueling scene, when Snape pulls Malfoy back onto his feet, a cameraman is visible on the far left of the screen.
4. Superman IV:  The Quest for Peace (267) – Continuity: While Superman walks with the kid to the UN, the sky changes from sunny to cloudy in a nano-second.
5. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (261) – Audio problem: When Bilbo is back at his house after the party, Gandalf asks him whether it is so hard to give up the Ring, and Bilbo says, “Well no,” though his mouth is very out of sync.
6. Star Wars (259)
7. The Wizard of Oz (259)
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (257) – Deliberate mistake: When Merry is running away from the Orc in Fangorn Forest he has a big gash on the left side of his head, yet when he’s in Treebeard’s hands it has changed to his right side. Due to shot/scene flipping, this occurs numerous times.
9. Scary Movie 3 (254)
10. Beauty and the Beast (243)
11. The Pirates of the Caribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (240)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (225) – Visible equipment: In Shelob’s lair, when Frodo is caught in the web, in the first close-up while hanging there the camera pans down to his feet. Both ankles are wrapped and have foot supports and the wire cables attached to his ankle straps are visible, especially his left. In the next back shot, as Frodo turns around the wrist/arm support at his right arm, while he holds Sting, is seen too.
13. Jaws (214)
14. Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone (214)
15. Troy (212) Other: During the first shot of the 1000 ships, oarsmen can be seen rowing, but their oars are not disturbing the water. Yet as they approach the beach, the shot is from the same distance and now splashes can be seen.
16. The Big Sleep (204)
17. Titanic (201) – Continuity: When Rose is trying to rescue Jack she spies a fire axe. Smashing all the glass out from the holder she grabs the axe and turns round. The next camera shot shows Rose standing in front of the case with almost all of its glass intact.
18. The Goonies (198)
19. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (196)
20. Aladdin (193) – Factual error: The animators have clearly tried to make all the writing in the film look Arabic. However in one scene we see the faces of Jafar and the Sultan as they read a scroll. Their eyes move from left to right; Arabic is read right to left.
21. The Crow: Wicked Prayer (183)
22. Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (181)
23. Gladiator (178) – Visible equipment: In the “Battle of Carthage” in the Colosseum, one of the chariots is turned over. Once the dust settles you can see a gas cylinder in the back of the chariot.
24. Star Wars III – Revenge of the Sith (177)
25. Independence Day (171)
26. Peter Pan (165) – Continuity: Tinker Bell comes in through the window, zips around the nursery and flies to the bookcase, knocking the two statue bookends and all of the books in between onto the floor leaving an empty shelf. Yet moments later Peter enters the nursery, follows Tink towards the hallway, passes the bookcase on the way and now there are other books on the top shelf.
27. Pearl Harbor (164)
28. Labyrinth (162)
29. Spider-Man (161)
30. Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones (156)

Source

Inmates’ last statements and executed offender details

Image by Melody Kramer via Flickr

What follows are quotations taken from inmates’ last statements in Texas.  The statements, delivered before family members, relatives of victims, friends and the press, are compiled out of chronological order.

– CLAIRE CAMERON, the author of “The Line Painter”

• Go ahead?
• Nothing I can say can change the past.
• I done lost my voice.
• I would like to say goodbye.
• My heart goes is going ba bump ba bump ba bump.
• Is the mike on?
• I don’t have anything to say. I am just sorry about what I did.
• I am nervous and it is hard to put my thoughts together. Sometimes you don’t know what to say.
• Man, there is a lot of people there.
• I have come here today to die, not make speeches.
• Where’s Mr. Marino’s mother? Did you get my letter?
• I want to ask if it is in your heart to forgive me. You don’t have to.
• I wish I could die more than once to tell you how sorry I am.
• Could you please tell that lady right there — can I see her? She is not looking at me — I want you to understand something, hold no animosity toward me. I want you to understand. Please forgive me.
• I don’t think the world will be a better or safer place without me.
• I am sorry.
• I want to tell my mom that I love her.
• I caused her so much pain and my family and stuff. I hurt for the fact that they are going to be hurting.
• I am taking it like a man.
• Kick the tires and light the fire. I am going home.
• They may execute me but they can’t punish me because they can’t execute an innocent man.
• I couldn’t do a life sentence.
• I said I was going to tell a joke. Death has set me free. That’s the biggest joke.
• To my sweet Claudia, I love you.
• Cathy, you know I never meant to hurt you.
• I love you, Irene.
• Let my son know I love him.
• Tell everyone I got full on chicken and pork chops.
• I appreciate the hospitality that you guys have shown me and the respect, and the last meal was really good.
• The reason it took them so long is because they couldn’t find a vein. You know how I hate needles. … Tell the guys on Death Row that I’m not wearing a diaper.
• Lord, I lift your name on high.
• From Allah we came and to Allah we shall return.
• For everybody incarcerated, keep your heads up.
• Death row is full of isolated hearts and suppressed minds.
• Mistakes are made, but with God all things are possible.
• I am responsible for them losing their mother, their father and their grandmother. I never meant for them to be taken. I am sorry for what I did.
• I can’t take it back.
• Lord Jesus forgive of my sins. Please forgive me for the sins that I can remember.
• All my life I have been locked up.
• Give me my rights. Give me my rights. Give me my rights. Give me my life back.
• I am tired.
• I deserve this.
• A life for a life.
• It’s my hour. It’s my hour.
• I’m ready, Warden.

A version of this article appeared in print on September 20, 2009, on page WK10 of the New York edition.

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Related article

Executed offenders (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) – This reveals the offenders name, prior prison record, summary of the crime, and much more.

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Calling for submissions and advertisers

Reality with a twist.

It’s unique.  It’s unexpected.  It’s Perspectives.

See the new Christian Perspectives magazine on the site.

(4) CREATIVE ads!

And the punch line…

Yoga and alcoholic similarities [humor/photos]

No explanations are necessary; the images say it all…

Eye test [humor]

From an email…

_____ _____

If you can’t decipher anything,

trying pulling the corner of your eyes.

Unique way to organize books

How cool is this!

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Don’t take life so seriously [photos]

DANCE

REST

GET RETAIL THERAPY

SLEEP

KISS A LOT

RELAX IN NATURE

HAVE FUN

GIGGLE A LOT

SCREAM AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS

TAKE A BUBBLE BATH

And be happy!

(10) Pimped up car interiors [photos]

For car enthusiasts everywhere–here are three samples of pimped-up car interiors found at the site below:

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A mother’s job description

* Copied from a forwarded email.  If you are the author, please let me know so I can give proper attribution.

POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama, Mum, Mommy, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:

• Long term team players needed for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. 
• Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24-hour shifts on call. 
• Some overnight travel required including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. 
• Travel expenses not reimbursed. 
• Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:  The rest of your life. 

• Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily until someone needs $5. 
• Must be willing to possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60mph in three seconds flat, in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not from someone crying wolf. 
• Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. 
• Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. 
• Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. 
• Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys and battery-operated devices. 
• Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. 
• Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. 
• Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: Virtually none.  Your job is to remain in the same position for years without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required, unfortunately.  On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES & COMPENSATION: You pay them!  Offering frequent raises and bonuses.  A balloon payment is due when they turn 18.  When you die, you give them whatever is left.  The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

 

                  

Man tries to extract a lodged fish bone with a spoon [photo]

A 50-year-old man presented to the emergency department with marked dysphagia, dyspnea, and paroxysmal cough. He had swallowed a spoon while trying to extract a fish bone that was stuck in his throat. The presence and position of the spoon were verified in two radiographs (Panels A and B). With the patient under general anesthesia and with the aid of a laryngoscope, the end of the tablespoon was grabbed with forceps and safely extracted. No fish bone was detected on evaluation with esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The spoon was 19 cm in overall length, and the bowl of the spoon was 6.5 cm by 4 cm by 0.5 cm in its largest dimensions.

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