Month: June 2008

Yellowstone Springs

Yellowstone National Park has some of the most beautiful hot springs found in the world.

Morning Glory Pool
Morning Glory Pool

Morning Glory Pool is a hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It was named in the 1880s for its similarity to the morning glory flower. The distinct color of the pool is due to bacteria which inhabit the water. Several entryways have been clogged due to objects being thrown in by tourists, reducing the hot water supply, and in turn altering the overall appearance of the pool.

On a few rare occasions the Morning Glory Pool has erupted as a geyser, usually following an earthquake or other nearby seismic activity. Several attempts by park officials to artificially induce eruptions to clear the pool of debris and clear blocked entryways have been met with mixed results.

[via: Wikipedia]

Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, next to those in New Zealand.

The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.

[via: Wikipedia]

Steamboat Geyser
Steamboat Geyser

Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park’s Norris Geyser Basin, is the world’s tallest currently-active geyser. During major eruptions, water may be thrown more than 300 feet (90 m) into the air.

Steamboat’s major eruptions last from 3 to 40 minutes in length, and are followed by powerful jets of steam. Steamboat does not erupt on a predictable schedule with recorded intervals between major eruptions ranging from four days to fifty years.

Cistern Spring, located nearby, will drain completely during a major eruption of the geyser; the spring refills within a few days.

[via: Wikipedia]

Free: Ferocious Attack Kitten

Here’s your chance to get a guard cat. Trust me, they exist and in some cases are better than dogs. My wife has two cats from before she met me and I shit you not, one of them acts like a dog. Both though will protect the house and yard as if it were constant warfare. Now I know we’re not the only one’s to own a guard cat. Check out this ad:

Ferocious attack kitten is available for adoption to any home willing to accept him.

This destructive kitty has been trained as a proud warrior and will fiercely defend your house, even against you. Well-trained since 10-weeks of age to attack anything in his presence, he will protect your family from evil things, including the following:

  • other trained attack kittens
  • babies
  • toilet paper
  • anything under a blanket
  • unwanted house guests
  • paper bags
  • floor rugs
  • Chuck Norris
  • Feet

Great with children (assuming you don’t like the children). Probably best used for professional cat fighting. He is housebroken, but only because he wants to be. This attack cat has trained himself to seek out his food anywhere you hide it and rip the bag open to feed himself, great for those who travel extensively. Also trained to drink water out of toilet bowls and dishwater from items in the sink. Knows how to open some doors. He will find you wherever you hide.

Neutered (trust me, you wont want to him to procreate). Has not been declawed, but you’ll figure that out really fast.

Understands and responds to a variety of vulgar and profane verbal commands. Has a very soft and furry belly, like a teddy bear – however he will bite your face if you try to touch it.

Willing to accept trades. Potential adopters must have experience with trained attack-kittens… please be prepared to show scars.

For the love of God, someone please take this thing out of my house.

[via: craigslist]

XM Radio: Channels Online VS Channels In Your Car or Home

XM RadioI love my XM Satellite Radio, always have. I listen to it in my car, I listen to it online at work and at home. The days of commercial radio have long been gone for me. But there are a few oddities that I just don’t understand.

For instance, the channel options online are slightly different than the channel options on the device in your car or home. I actually first noticed it a year or two ago when me and wife were trying to listen to a hockey game. The channel couldn’t be found.

I noticed it again a few days ago. I had been listening to a station online and decided to tune it in on my drive home. The station couldn’t be found. They just straight up skipped the station and instead presented the next station after.

What’s up with that? You would think that this is satellite radio, all channels would be fed through the satellite. I’m guessing not all of them are though. Maybe some are streamed only online. If all stations were fed through satellites, why would you only pick up a station online and not in your vehicle or home? It just doesn’t make sense.

Another kind of odd, but totally explainable thing is that when you listen online, if there is no activity for 2 hours, the system automatically cuts your connection and you have to click the station again to restart the music playing. That only happens online. I totally understand the reasoning for it, but at the same time – it kind of gets annoying.

Still, I couldn’t imagine not having XM Radio. It’s obviously better than conventional radio, and personally I believe it is better than Sirius Satellite Radio as well. But that’s just my opinion.