Everything is Interesting
The serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma or Harvard comma) is the comma used immediately before a coordinating conjunction (usually ‘and’ or ‘or’) preceding the final item in a list of three or more items.
For example, a list of three countries can be punctuated as either ‘Portugal, Spain, and France’ (with the serial comma) or as ‘Portugal, Spain and France’ (without the serial comma).
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Gun fu, a portmanteau of ‘gun’ and ‘kung fu,’ is the style of sophisticated close-quarters gunplay seen in Hong Kong action cinema and in Western films influenced by it. It often resembles a martial arts battle played out with firearms instead of traditional weapons. It may also be described by other terms such as ‘bullet ballet,’ ‘gun kata,’ or ‘gymnastic gunplay.’
The focus of gun fu is both style and the usage of firearms in ways that they were not designed to be used. Shooting a gun from each hand, shots from behind the back, as well as the use of guns as melee weapons are all common. Other moves can involve shotguns, Uzis, rocket launchers, and just about anything else that can be worked into a cinematic shot. It is often mixed with hand-to-hand combat maneuvers. Gun fu has become a staple factor in modern action films due to its visually appealing nature (regardless of its actual practicality in a real-life combat situation). This is a contrast to American action movies of the 1980s which focused more on heavy weaponry and outright brute-force in firearm-based combat.
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UV tattoos are tattoos made with a special ink that is visible under an ultraviolet light (blacklight). Depending upon the ink, they can be nearly invisible in non-UV environments, thus they are a popular consideration for people seeking a subtler tattoo. They are particularly popular in the raver subculture. Although the tattoos are sometimes considered invisible in normal light, scarring from the tattoo machine in the application process may remain, and therefore still show.
A UV tattoo becomes visible under blacklight, when it glows in colors ranging from white to purple, depending on the ink chosen. Colored ink is also available, where the ink is visible in normal light (as with a regular tattoo) but the ink will glow vividly under UV light. However, some UV inks are not as bright under normal light as normal tattoo ink and are considered not as vibrant.
InfinitInk is a tattoo ink, which allows for easier tattoo removal, with removal up to three times faster than conventional inks. It is produced by Freedom2, Inc., and is available as of 2009 in limited release in the United States. It is currently only available in black and red, with other colors planned. The initial ink formulation consisted of inert plastic beads, containing bioremovable dyes. Laser application ruptures the beads, allowing the ink to leak out and be removed by the body.
The concept for this ink arose initially from potential medical uses, such as in reconstructive surgery and in radiation oncology. However, it was clear that a permanent and safe, yet more removable ink would also find use by some artists for decorative tattooing.
The Nissan NV200 is a light commercial vehicle first shown as a concept car at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Though it is an alternative to the Nissan Vanette, it is only available as a van model. ‘NV’ stands for New generation Vehicle, or sometimes ‘New Vanette’ by fans.
It was launched in Japan in 2009. The NV200 was one of three finalists (alongside the Karsan V-1 and Ford Transit Connect) for New York City’s Taxi of Tomorrow competition. The Nissan was announced as the winner in 2011 and is expected to be awarded a 10-year contract to provide the city exclusively with some 13,000 yellow cabs, starting in 2013. A fully electric version of the Nissan NV200 may be available by 2017 for the NYC Taxi fleet.
A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. An alcohol hangover is associated with a variety of symptoms that may include dehydration, fatigue, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, weakness, elevated body temperature and heart rate, hypersalivation, difficulty concentrating, sweating, anxiety, dysphoria, irritability, sensitivity to light and noise, erratic motor functions (including tremor), trouble sleeping, severe hunger, halitosis, and lack of depth perception. Many people will also be repulsed by the thought, taste or smell of alcohol during a hangover.
While a hangover can be experienced at any time, generally speaking it is experienced the morning after a night of heavy drinking. Hypoglycemia, dehydration, acetaldehyde intoxication, and glutamine rebound are all theorized causes of hangover symptoms. Hangover symptoms may persist for several days after alcohol was last consumed. Approximately 25-30% of drinkers may be resistant to hangover symptoms.
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As a medical term, precocious puberty describes puberty occurring at an unusually early age. In most of these children, the process is normal in every respect except the unusually early age, and simply represents a variation of normal development. In a minority of children, the early development is triggered by a disease such as a tumor or injury of the brain.
Even in instances where there is no disease, unusually early puberty can have adverse effects on social behavior and psychological development, can reduce adult height potential, and may shift some lifelong health risks. Central precocious puberty can be treated by suppressing the pituitary hormones that induce sex steroid production.
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Very erotic very violent is a Chinese internet meme that originated from a news report on China Central Television’s flagship ‘Xinwen Lianbo’ program (a daily news show) allegedly quoting a schoolgirl describing a web page. On the Chinese Internet, this incident was widely parodied and weakened the credibility of the state broadcaster’s newscasts. This Chinese phrase follows the form of ‘very good very mighty,’ a snowclone (cliché template) for Internet slang popularized earlier that year.
In late 2007, ‘Xinwen Lianbo’ aired a report about the wide and easy availability of explicit content on the internet. The report appealed to juristic institutions and those seeking legislation in order to purify the internet environment. In the report, a young student described a pop-up advertisement she saw as being ‘very erotic, [and] very violent.’ After the airing of the report, internet users began to ridicule and parody the quote and question the program’s credibility, believing that it would be unlikely for a person of that age to find a web page to be both erotic and violent at the same time.
Fishing with John is a 1991 television series conceived, directed by and starring actor and musician John Lurie, which earned a cult following. On the surface, the series resembles a standard travel or fishing show: in each episode, Lurie takes a famous guest on a fishing expedition.
Since Lurie has no expert knowledge of fishing, the interest is in the interaction between Lurie and his guests, all of whom are his friends. Nothing particularly unusual actually happens, but the show is edited and narrated in a way to suggest that Lurie and his guest are involved in dramatic and even supernatural adventures. Guests included Jim Jarmusch, Matt Dillon, Tom Waits, Willem Dafoe, and Dennis Hopper. Each episode has voice-over narration by Robb Webb, which is sometimes bizarre and off-topic. The soundtrack is by Lurie, with several guest performers.
The World Pyro Olympics is an annual competition amongst the most prestigious fireworks companies in the world. The event is one of the largest and most intense international fireworks competitions of the world. The World Pyro Olympics runs through a period of five consecutive days allowing locals and tourists alike to experience the greatest fireworks display in the world.
Two countries fire each day; the last participant fires on the final evening of the event. The host of the event does not participate in the competition but performs a fireworks display on the last night. Awards, such as the People’s Choice, are given out after the exhibition. The crowning of the World Pyro Olympics Champion ends the event.
The World Fireworks Championship is one of the largest pyrotechnic competitions in the world. It takes place annually over three weeks in December and features separate fireworks displays from six international pyrotechnic production companies. Competitors come from all over the globe, with participating teams providing a 25 minute long ‘pyromusical’ show for the attending crowds.
At the end of each display, a score is awarded by a team of four international judges. By the tournament’s conclusion, the competitor with the highest score is presented with the Winner’s Trophy, which is made from solid gold. The design of the trophy is influenced by the host city taking part. As all of the firework displays are synchronized to music, each display is broadcast over the host city’s local radio stations. The host city does not take part in the displays but provides the setting for the closing ceremony and winner’s banquet.
Selective Perception is a broad term to identify behavior where people tend to ‘see things’ based on their particular frame of reference. Selective perception may refer to any number of cognitive biases in psychology related to the way expectations affect perception.
For instance, several studies have shown that students who were told they were consuming alcoholic beverages (which in fact were non-alcoholic) perceived themselves as being ‘drunk,’ exhibited fewer physiological symptoms of social stress, and drove a simulated car similarly to other subjects who had actually consumed alcohol. The result is somewhat similar to the placebo effect.
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The Daily Omnivore 