This cannot be comfortable

November 2, 2009 @ 10:48 pm

You know, sitting naked in a pile of leaves and twigs. Not to mention the tiny little bugs that could potentially be crawling into every crevice. Blech.

View the full photo by chrisnyback on Flickr (BOOBIES, so don’t click if you’re at work).

Ladybug invasion in Boulder, Colorado

August 19, 2009 @ 1:20 pm

5D and EX1 Lady Bug Swarm from Michael Ramsey on Vimeo.

Remember that ladybug invasion video I posted a few weeks back? Well, at the time, the news story would not mention the exact location of that place or tree, so I was left without any clue as to where to begin to look for more information about the invasion.

But now, a new video has popped up showing what looks like a very similar ladybug invasion and now at least I know the phenomenon happens in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado. So go ahead and watch the video above and get disgusted all over again!

Ladybug invasion

July 17, 2009 @ 5:18 am

Or maybe it’s an infestation? Whatever the case, this sort of creeps me out and I hope that I never encounter this many ladybugs all at once.

Giant tree decal for any room

April 29, 2009 @ 11:55 am

tree-wall-decal

Living in New York City, it’s hard to find a place big enough to plant a large tree, so if you’ve ever wanted a tree to call your own but didn’t have the space for it, maybe this 70″ tree decal will be of some use.

It’s about 70″x70″ and costs $80. Plus, it won’t ever wither, die, or need water.

Modern deforestation in progress

January 25, 2009 @ 5:33 pm

When I think of deforestation, I picture the scenes from Fern Gully that show heavy machinery slowly making pulp out of trees, with conveyor belts and chop saws lined everywhere. It turns out that the process is a lot less cinematic but definitely still captivating when you witness it in action. [via]

The video above shows just how quickly deforestation can take place nowadays. With machinery that can cut a tree down, strip it of its bark, and chop it up into pieces in a matter of seconds, it’s no wonder that people are concerned about the rate at which we take advantage of our natural resources.

Dry Christmas trees burn like mad

January 2, 2009 @ 1:19 am

Christmas has passed already, but knowing the habits of some folks, they’ll probably keep their Christmas trees for another few weeks before tossing them out. If that’s the case, then you better make sure you water it because if you don’t and it somehow catches on fire, you can pretty much kiss your house goodbye.

As seen in this demonstration video from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a dry Christmas tree can be utterly devastating for any house corner as it will quickly spread fire and black smoke. At one point it looks like the flames are being shot out of a flame thrower!

Here’s another video of a dry Christmas tree fire compared to a Christmas tree on fire that has been fed water. Incredible how intense those flames are on both trees.