Do you have a dull carrot? Don't just throw it away! Use this carrot sharpener designed by Avichai Tadmor to make it usable again:
the kitchen gadget is a scaled-up version of the classic manual pencil sharpener, except, conceived for peeling, sharpening and curling ribbons of carrots, cucumbers, zucchinis and other oblong shaped produce onto salads and other dishes.
Link -via American Digest
Kyle Wiens, the CEO of a software development company, gives an English grammar test to prospective employees. Here's why:
If it takes someone more than 20 years to notice how to properly use "it's," then that's not a learning curve I'm comfortable with. So, even in this hyper-competitive market, I will pass on a great programmer who cannot write.
Grammar signifies more than just a person's ability to remember high school English. I've found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing — like stocking shelves or labeling parts.
But why is this important for computer programmers?
You see, at its core, code is prose. Great programmers are more than just code monkeys; according to Stanford programming legend Donald Knuth they are "essayists who work with traditional aesthetic and literary forms." The point: programming should be easily understood by real human beings — not just computers.
And just like good writing and good grammar, when it comes to programming, the devil's in the details. In fact, when it comes to my whole business, details are everything.
I hire people who care about those details. Applicants who don't think writing is important are likely to think lots of other (important) things also aren't important.
Link -via Joe Carter | Photo: puuikiebeach
On Sunday, the US National Weather Service predicted the demise of then Tropical Storm, now Hurricane Kirk. Oh, NWS. Like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target.
Link -via Theresa Coleman
You have come of age, so you must ride the Maker. Take the maker hook of our sietch, Usul, and ride this amigurumi made by smapte. Ride as a leader of men.
Link -via Geek Crafts
Hunters often use deer urine to attract their prey. Specifically, they use the come-hither-smelling urine of does in heat. And where do hunters get this urine? From professional urine farmers like Judi Collora:
The key to success as a urine farmer, she says, is understanding that different seasons bring a fluctuating urine supply. “It all depends on how thirsty the deer are,” she says. “In the summer when it’s hot, they drink way more than in the winter when it’s cold.” And the less they drink, the less they pee, and the less profit a urine farmer makes. [...]
The one question they get asked most often, Mr. Collora says, is how they know the best time to harvest estrus urine. “Hey, it ain’t rocket science,” he laughs. “You put a buck in there. When he starts riding the doe, and she lets him, they’re in heat. When they’re done, you collect their urine. That’s our whole business model.”
Link -via VA Viper | Photo: Eric Fleming
In 1993, Star Trek began a bold experiment: a series set on a fixed location. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was an unusual, experimental and gloriously successful contribution to the Star Trek universe. Here are some facts that you might not know about the show.
1. Brandon Tartikoff originally conceived of Deep Space Nine as The Rifleman in space. The station would be a wild, semi-lawless place on the frontier.
2. Captain Kirk had a reputation for seducing--then leaving--beautiful alien women. He could do that because he was in a starship. But the characters on DS9 were largely stationary. This necessitated a different type of storytelling. Michael Piller explained:
It’s like the difference between a one-night stand and a marriage. On Deep Space Nine, whatever you decided has consequences the following week. So it’s about taking responsibility for your decisions, the consequences of your acts.
3. Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisko) wanted to shave his head, but directors were concerned that he would look too much like Hawk, a character he played in the 1980s series Spenser: for Hire. It was only after Brooks was identified more with Sisko than Hawk that he was allowed to shave his head.
4. During the series, Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) bore the child of Miles and Keiko O’Brien. This was written into the series to cover for Nana Visitor’s own pregnancy. The father was Alexander Siddig (Julian Bashir), who married Visitor the next year.
5. The original plan wasn’t to have Major Kira on the show, but Ensign Ro from The Next Generation. Ro would be in recurring conflict with Sisko, just as she was with Picard and Riker. Michelle Forbes, who played Ro, turned down the role because she didn’t want to take the seven-year commitment.
Spacecat267 recommends that you eat the breadstick he made with Lon Lon Ranch sauce. Nothing can stop Link now!
Link -via That's Nerdalicious!
Redditor gigantomachy writes, "Brilliant and thoughtful parents handed these out to everyone on my flight." Bravo, bravo! Even if the babies had a terrible time, many passengers would have been too charmed to complain.
Link -via Nag on the Lake
Excuse me, sir, but that toddler is in prime condition--a real bargain. And she'll look supremely adorable in this dress that Etsy seller Seamingly Prudence made for the recent Star Wars Celebration Convention.
Link -via Fashionably Geek
Gilles Mariette, a Nineteenth Century Belgian gunmaker, designed pepperbox pistols. Working from the principle that you can never have too much ammunition, he designed handguns with increasingly large numbers of barrels. This double action percussion cap model contained 18, but Mariette appears to have gone as high as 24.
More Information | Photos: Horst Held
This caterpillar is determined to be eaten by a frog--one that seems decidedly unmotivated to do so. Which will prevail?
How much Sriracha do you need? The correct answer is "more." Try this recipe by Lisa of Parsley, Sage & Sweet which mixes it with cheddar and pepper jack cheeses.
Link -via Tasteologie
How many colors are there? A lot, as this atlas by Tauba Aurebach illustrates:
american artist tauba auerbach presents the 8 x 8 x 8-inch hard-back cubes illustrating the RGB color scheme in a page-by-page medium. a digital offset print on paper with airbrushed cloth cover and book edges create a colorful reference volume of all the colors in existence.
Link -via Nerdcore | Artist's Website
It must be a delight to hang out in the kitchen belonging to Jill of Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons. Every week, there's a new wonder to consume. Most recently, she made cupcake cones shaped like four monsters. From left to right: the Bride of Frankenstein's monster, Frankenstein's monster, the Wolfman and Dracula.
Ruthanne Wilson's life-sized Pokémon are, at a distance, almost indistinguishable from the real creatures. This Turtwig is about 54 cm tall. You can find seven other life-sized models in her shop at the link.
Link -via The Mary Sue
