Book Of Norm

It's an interesting and incredibly sad story: commercial airliner shot down over Ukraine. Not only that, but this is a Malaysian Airlines plane - who so famously had the most bizarre disappearance in the history of modern commercial aviation. It's the kind of story rag newspapers are printed for. But there are some very basic and very valid questions: Why was it flying over a war zone? How did it get shot down? The answer to the first question is surprisingly simple. European and Ukranian authorities were allowing all commercial traffic over 32,000ft to proceed as normal. Eurocontrol, the co-ordination centre for air-traffic control in Europe, said: “This route had been closed by the Ukrainian authorities from ground to flight level 320 [32,000 feet] but was open at the level at which the aircraft was flying.” The plane was flying at the lowest permitted altitude over the area, flight level 330 [33,000 feet], when it disappeared from the radar. Since the crash,...

From the Boston Globe - this is pretty hilarious... the story of the first photo ever uploaded on the internet. The First Photo Uploaded On The Internet 22 Years Ago Was A Gem The first photo to be posted to the Internet featured Les Horribles Cernettes, a parody comedy group. SCREENSHOT/ FACEBOOK By Megan Turchi Boston.com Staff JULY 18, 2014 12:59 PM   SHARE     COMMENT SHARE 1 COMMENT Think back to the first photo you posted on the web. Maybe it was an awkward high school prom photo on Myspace or a selfie you posted on Facebook. But for four British women, their first photo on the Internet was THE first photo in the history of the Internet. Angela Higney, Michele de Gennaro, Colette Marx-Neilsen and Lynn Veronneau were a part of an all-female parody comedy group, “Les Horribles Cernettes.” They were also a part of the first photo to be posted on the web, according to  The Guardian . RELATED   First Photo Was Upload...

While the world waits to see if Angela Merkel has the cohones to actually put sanctions on Putin's Russia for giving advanced SAM launchers to a bunch of morons, Russia is apparently falling apart from the inside. Literally. There'a  huge hole in Russia. From.. err.. something. Probably a giant "natural" underground explosion. Because that makes sense.  8 New Video of Mysterious Giant Siberian Hole Filmed by Investigation Team By  Omar Kardoudi  on  18 Jul 2014  at  2:00AM Watch new footage of the  mysterious giant hole that opened up in Siberia  as a scientific expedition—with the country's Emergencies Ministry represented—reaches the remote site and looks inside. An explosion below the ground is currently thought to be the most probable explanation—but the date and cause remain unknown. If a Russian speaking reader could help with a detailed translation of the video it would be appreciated. The Emergencies Ministry...

Turns out that yes - Netflix is an internet hog. We don't tend to upload a whole lot, mostly BitTorrent. Interesting to look at. 

Ever tried to impress someone on a dating site? How about taking a selfie with a tiger? Apparently, this is a big enough issue in NY that we have to pass a law about it... So proud right now. New York state lawmakers have passed a bill banning residents from taking "tiger selfies" — a rising trend on dating websites in which single men post photos of themselves posing with the ferocious felines in hopes of impressing potential mates. (tinderguyswithtigers.tumblr.com) Enlarge Photo New York state lawmakers have passed a bill banning residents from taking “tiger selfies” —  a rising trend  on dating websites in which single men post photos of themselves posing with the ferocious felines in hopes of impressing potential mates. Assemblywoman  Linda Rosenthal , a Democrat, explained that she introduced the legislation in order to increase safety at circuses and fairs, but acknowledged proudly that it would also put the kibosh on tiger selfies, which have becom...

Virginia authorities back off plan to take pictures of teenager while he's aroused http://cir.ca/s/QF9

Over 4,000 deadly snakes call this tiny 110 acre island home, including one species with venom that can 'melt human flesh.' By:  Bryan Nelson Sat, Jul 05, 2014 at 01:48 PM 23 Facebook 7 Twitter 0 Pinterest 0 Google+ Photo:  Prefeitura Municipal Itanhaem /Flickr This is one island you wouldn't want to find yourself  shipwrecked  on. Ilha de Queimada Grande, a small 110 acre island off the coast of São Paulo, Brazil, is home to over 4,000 deadly snakes, earning it the nickname of 'Snake Island.' Some reports suggest you can find  one snake per square meter  here. It might just be the deadliest island on Earth,  according to the Huffington Post .   Even more terrifying, the island is the only known home of the golden lancehead (Bothrops insularis), one of the most venomous vipers in the world. The snake's venom is three to five times more potent than any snake found on the mainland, and it is appare...