Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Juha Valjakkala

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Bergenström

Am I the only one who finds this Wikipedia article confusing? Every time this Finnish murderer changed his name, he is referred to by that new name in the article. Maybe it's just me, but I think Wikipedia should stick with Valjakkala's birth name, yet list upfront all the names he's used throughout his life.

Another thing, how many times did he escape prison? Five times? Six times? I lost count somewhere along the way. Are Finnish prisons made of cardboard?

How Valjakkala was ever released is hard to fathom. Do all mass murderers in Finland get released at some point?

Also and while I'm being all fussy, why must they use a photo that makes Valjakkala look like a rock star or somebody?  

This article was brought to my attention because I am a Notable Death editor for Wikipedia and this guy recently died. My main reason for being a death editor is to make sure that cartoonists, illustrators and other creative types get listed and recognized. I am not obsessed with death.

#FB00824

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Friday, February 24, 2023

Ten Lessons / "Frog Applause" reader Songbird44

The ten practical lessons which follow, together with numerous supplementary alphabets and showcard suggestions, are the result of careful study, based upon years of experience gained in teaching the simple fundamentals of showcard writing to various groups of merchants and employees, demonstrations before Retail Merchants’ Associations, conventions and in other educational work.

The lessons were formulated into the course recently inaugurated under the direction of the Educational Committee of the Advertising Club of St. Louis. So successful was the course that this book has been prepared with the idea in mind not only to serve as a text book for instructors, where it is desired to conduct classes under the auspices of an Advertising Club, but also for the student or store employee who desires to do individual practice outside of a classroom. This is the only text book published which carries the student forward, lesson by lesson—in a simple, practical manner. (Note the charts for beginners).

It is easy to acquire, in a very short time, the ability to do suitable showcard work, provided the student first of all masters the fundamentals of lettering.

By “fundamentals” is meant the simple strokes that form most of the letters, and these “strokes” should be mastered to the extent that they will always be made uniformly.

In lesson No. 1, these fundamentals are thoroughly explained, and by using the large charts which are original with the author, the student will readily grasp the idea of properly forming the letters. With the first lesson thoroughly mastered, the remaining lessons will be very easy.

Experience demonstrates the fact that classes of this kind are made up of students from all walks of life; many of them without experience, and the majority of these young men and women come from the smaller stores in outlying districts.

For this reason, it is necessary in class work, for the instructor and assistants to render personal service to the extent that each student is encouraged along the lines he or she prefers.

As an illustration: The young man from a drug store is interested in vastly different styles of showcards than the young man employed in a grocery store, and after the primary lessons are completed, it is best to prepare suitable copy and layouts for the students, so that each may work along practical lines.

On the pages following the lessons will be found many showcard suggestions for numerous kinds of business, and various seasons, all based upon the alphabets shown in the lesson plates.


 Lessons here.

I keep asking myself (yes, over and over) why the styles in a drug store should be thought of as vastly different from those in a grocery store. 


Songbird44 / Email #1

Songbird44 / Email #2






You have talent, J. (songbird44)!

#FB00821

Hitler teapot


The Hitler teapot has been cited as an example of pareidolia, a phenomenon in which individuals perceive meaningful images or patterns in otherwise random formations. 

#FB00820

Poop-Derived Fruits Are Known to Grow in Sewage Plants



https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/poop-derived-fruits-are-known-to-grow-in-sewage-plants

Thanks, Howard'sMyHero. I know your real name, of course, but to protect your privacy, I'm only using your GoComics name.

I love offbeat scientific articles about all topics. Send links! Send! Send!

#FB00819

Invasive plants

Two of the top invasive plants in Missouri. Look up the invasive plants in your area of the US or Canada. Or in the UK, Australia... I have many readers from outside the US, too. I haven't forgotten about you either, Gale! No way, girl.

Sericea lespedeza


Garlic mustard


 Read more here.

#FB00818

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Salty licorice (salmiak liquorice or salmiac liquorice)





Salty liquoricesalmiak liquorice or salmiac liquorice, is a variety of liquorice flavored with the ingredient "salmiak salt" (sal ammoniacammonium chloride), and is a common confection found in the Nordic cuntries, Benelux, and northern Germany. Salmiak salt gives salty liquorice an astringent, salty taste, akin to that of tannins—a characteristic of red wines, which adds bitterness and astringency to the flavour. Consuming salmiak liquorice can stimulate either a savoury or non-savoury palate and response. Anise oil can also be an additional main ingredient in salty liquorice. Extra-salty liquorice is additionally coated with salmiak salt or salmiak powder, or sometimes tabe salt.

Salty liquorice candy and pastilles are almost always black or very dark brown and can range from soft candy to hard pastille variety, and sometimes hard brittle. The other colours used are white and variants of grey. Salty liquorice or salmiak is also used as a flavouring in other products, such as ice creams, syups, chewing gum, snus and alcoholic beverages.

Read more here.


#FB00817

Thank you, Randy. What are snus?




"snu snu"


 

Simone Segouin (age 97)

Simone Segouin (3 October 1925 – 21 February 2023), also known by her nom de guerre Nicole Minet, was a French Resistance fighter who served in the Francs-tireurs et partisans group during World War II. Among her first acts of resistance was stealing a bicycle from a German patrol, which she then used to help carry messages. She went on to take part in large-scale or otherwise perilous missions, such as capturing German troops, derailing trains, and acts of sabotage.

More here.

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See also:

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Jimbo

Gary Panter: Jimbo comic strip, Slash, © 1979

#FB00815
 

Saturday, February 18, 2023

How to meaningfully connect with those who have dementia

 


#FB00814

Hello


Feeling a bit under the weather and lonely today... just wanted to say hi.

#FB00814


10 Recent Works of Black History That Everyone Should Read


#FB00813
See list of books here.

Friday, February 17, 2023

Who is this?


 #FB00812


˙ɹǝƃǝnɹʞ ǝᴉppǝɹℲ ƃuᴉʎɐld ɹoɟ 'ɹǝʌǝʍoɥ 'snoɯɐɟ ʇsoɯ s,ǝH ˙sǝᴉɹǝs-ᴉuᴉɯ ,,Λ,, ǝɥʇ uᴉ ǝᴉllᴉM sᴉ ǝɥ oʇoɥd sᴉɥʇ uI ˙punlƃuƎ ʇɹǝqoR

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Pooping dog puzzle


#FB00811

 

Most Popular Song Each Month in the 1960s

 

#FB00810

Elvis (Wooden Heart)

 


#FB00809

Golden Earring (Twilight Zone)

 

I don't know what this says about me, but this is one of my all-time favorite songs. I often listen to it on a loop. My lameness is obvious to all...  

The song I like; the video not so much. The film quality is pitiful.

#FB00808

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Eating strawberries



#FB00807

Doormat


#FB00806
 

Ingrown hair removal

Ingrown hairs can look like raised, itchy bumps on the skin.

On white skin the bumps may look red. Redness may be harder to see on black or brown skin, but they may look a different color to the surrounding skin.

Sometimes one can see a hair trapped under the skin.

One is more likely to have ingrown hairs if one has coarse or curly hair.

Close up of a small, round, red bump where a hair has grown into the skin, shown on white skin.

Infected ingrown hairs can be painful.  Pus may also be seen.

Waxing, plucking and threading hair can also lead to ingrown hairs. Areas most common for ingrown hair include: the face and neck, legs, armpits, chest, back, pubic region.

The best way to prevent ingrown hairs is by not shaving.

If one wishes to shave, or remove hair in another way, there are things to do to prevent ingrown hairs and help them get better quicker.

Do

  • wet your skin with warm water and use shaving gel

  • shave in the direction the hairs are growing

  • use as few strokes of the razor as possible

  • rinse the razor after every stroke

  • hold a cool, wet cloth to your skin after shaving to reduce irritation

  • use an exfoliating scrub to help release any trapped hairs

  • try a different hair removal method, such as hair removal cream

  • try a long-term way of removing hair, such as laser treatment

Don’t

  • do not shave too close – leaving some stubble can stop bacteria getting in

  • do not use a blunt razor

  • shave every other day if possible

  • do not scratch, pick or squeeze ingrown hairs as this can damage your skin and lead to infection

A pharmacist can help with ingrown hairs

  • creams and lotions to help itching
  • shaving and hair removal products to help prevent irritation
  • exfoliating products to help prevent ingrown hairs
  • a mild antiseptic to help prevent infection

When to see a doctor

If the area around an ingrown hair is very painful, hot or swollen. Also, it one has a high temperature, feels hot, shivery and generally unwell. 


 #FB00806

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Fermented skate (Hongeo)

Hongeo, or fermented skate, is a Korean dish. It is quite possibly one of the strongest smelling and for a reason. Skates, which resemble rays, don’t urinate like most fish. Rather, they pass uric acid through their skin. When it is fermented, the uric acid breaks down into a compound that smells like ammonia. The stench is so strong that diners are recommended to inhale through their mouth and exhale through their nose to reduce exposure to the smell.


My interest is with skates passing urine through their skin. How do most fish pass urine?  

#FB00802

Monday, February 6, 2023

Postage stamp

Why is the postage amount written this way? What does it mean... 30c? Not sure what this image is about either. 


 #FB00781


Randy_B

That's a 1968 children's fairy tale stamp, from a sheet like this:
(insert "Dutch Fairy Tale Stamp Sheet.jpg" from https://www.ebay.com/itm/392270614604 )

It's part of a long-running series of fundraising stamps for the Children's Welfare Fund.  The face value of the stamp is the first number (20 cents), the surcharge (charitable donation) is the second number (10 cents), and when you buy the stamp you pay the face value plus the surcharge (30 cents).

From a web page showing modern Dutch stamp sheets from the same series:

" Since 1924, PostNL has been issuing Children’s Welfare Stamps to raise money for projects aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable children. This is achieved by adding a € 0.48 surcharge to each stamp. The proceeds from all surcharges will be used for projects developed by the independent Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland. The foundation is committed to giving children in both the Netherlands and in other countries a chance of a better life. To make this aid possible, the foundation organises, among other things, the Children's Welfare Stamps campaign."

----------
I can always count on Randy's research skills. Thank you.

Name these people!

I know from top to bottom, #1, #4, #5. I don't know #2 or #3. Help.

#FB00780
 

George Morland Kleintierfänger 1793

There is nothing I find intriging about this painting other than the expression of the dog in the lower right corner.

 #FB00779

A ladies maid purchasing a leek


There's something about the title of the drawing that I like, not the drawing itself.

#FB00778 

Sunday, February 5, 2023

The 99

Dr. Ramzi

The 99  is a comic book, created by Naif Al-Mutawa and published by Teshkeel Comics, featuring a team of superheroes with special abilities based on the 99 attributes of Allah in Islam but some are virtues encouraged by a number of faiths.

The character cast consists of Dr. Ramzi, a scholar and social activist, the 99 youngsters (some of them children), with special abilities conferred to them by "Noor" gemstones. The set of evil characters is led by the power-hungry Rughal, who seeks to steal the power of the Noor stones and their bearers for his personal benefit. The storyline pits the 99 led by Dr. Ramzi in their pursuit of social justice and peace against the forces of chaos and evil.

The 99
  • Bari the Healer (Haroun Ahrens from South Africa) with the ability to heal the wounded
  • Batina The Hidden (Rola Hadramy from Yemen) with the ability to blend into the background and become invisible
  • Mujiba The Responder (Sharifa Samsudin from Malaysia) with the ability to access the collective wisdom of mankind
  • Wassi the Vast (Ashok Mohan from India) with the ability to temporarily enlarge or elongate isolated parts of his body
  • Samda the Invulnerable (Aisha Mokhtar from Libya) with the ability to create a protective force field
  • Hadya the Guide (Amira Khan from Pakistan living in London, England) with the ability to track people and objects back along the paths they have taken
  • Fattah the Opener (Toro Ridwan from Indonesia) with the ability to open up portals to faraway places and by stepping through them instantly go anywhere he wants
  • Darr the Afflicter (John Weller from the United States) with the ability to cause physical pain by focusing his anger on people
  • Mumita the Destroyer (Catarina Barbosa form Portugal) with the ability to destroy objects
  • Jami the Assembler (Miklos Szekelyhidi from Hungary) with the ability to understand how all machines and gadgets work
  • Noora the Light (Dana Ibrahim from United Arab Emirates) with the ability to see the light of truth in others or produce illusions of light
  • Jabbar the Powerful (Nawaf Al-Bilali from Saudi Arabia) with the ability to move or break through large objects

Controversies

In a religious decree carried by Saudi websites, the clerics ruled the series blasphemous because the superheroes of its title are based on the 99 attributes ascribed to Allah in the Quran. The Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, head of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Issuing Fatwas, said "The 99 is a work of the devil that should be condemned and forbidden in respect to Allah's names and attributes." The original comic strip version, first released in 2006, had already run into opposition from Muslims not only in Saudi Arabia but also in neighboring Kuwait.

The fatwa arose when Al-Mutawa was sued by a Kuwaiti civilian for blasphemy in a court of law in Kuwait in 2014. Al-Mutawa fought the case and won. There was an appeal in 2015 which he won as well.

Andrea Peyser, columnist at the New York Post, wrote in October 2010: "Hide your face and grab the kids. Coming soon to a TV in your child's bedroom is a posse of righteous, Sharia-compliant Muslim superheroes, including one who fights crime hidden head-to-toe by a burqa."

On July 2, 2014, The Kuwait Times reported that ISIL members had issued death threats and offered unspecified rewards for the assassination of Dr. Al-Mutawa, via Twitter. Al-Mutawa defended the work saying that he had received clearance from sharia scholars and never would have gone ahead with the project had he not.

#FB00777

Friday, February 3, 2023

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Wallace the Brave scavenger hunt -- Prizes!



Details at GoComics blog post here.

Assuming that Frog Applause had anything even remotely prizeworthy to offer, describe in detail the worst possible contest that comes to mind, a contest that is commensurate with Frog Applause's nugatory existence? 

Back to prizes... come up with some actual prizes that would be a true disppointment to win. Conversely, is there anything you'd like to win that had no actual monetary value, but that you wouldn't mind winning?

#FB00775

Cough syrup

#FB00896