Stannous Flouride's Book of Truthiness

This Memorial Day, take a moment to read this excellent and very touching article on Cracked.com

When the next of kin sees us pull up in our most formal military attire (the Class A uniform), they immediately know what’s about to happen. Though we break the news as gently and respectfully as possible, it really does take a toll on us to watch people crumble into their most vulnerable states over and over. We help them avoid more psychological trauma at the expense of our own.

We get flak from some guys who say that this is a cushy job, since we get to stay stateside, but even battle-hardened veterans admit that this is the hardest job in the military.

My eyes are still wet.

Source: 5 Things You See Notifying The Families Of Dead Soldiers

There are 16 tigers in this illustration. Can you find them all?

Amazing Body Paint by Kay Pike

Kay Pike is a professional designer: mixed artist who also sells her own CanadaCosplay.com fashion line.

You will see her own digital artwork in the form of fantasy prints, websites, and advertising.

Kay Pike even takes the time to model if the opportunity for fun and to lend a helping-hand is there.

CanadaCosplay.com

Source: Kay Pike

And here’s some more costumery and people stylin’-

The juncos have built a new nest in my planter and produced a clutch of 5 eggs.

I’m assuming a completely ‘hands off’ approach to this batch.

It’s at the top of a 3 1/2 story light-well and is a dangerous place for the young to fledge. If the survive the descent to the concrete it’s still a 45ft. (14m) ascent to the roof.

The first time 1 died. Last time two didn’t make it.

Nature is cruel and only time will tell.

I’ll add to this post as it develops.

So decades of keeping it in the same category as heroin and cocaine has not only destroyed the lives of thousands of young people, it has added to their problem.

A survey of more than 216,000 adolescents from all 50 states indicates the number of teens with marijuana-related problems is declining.

Similarly, the rates of marijuana use by young people are falling despite the fact more U.S. states are legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana use and the number of adults using the drug has increased.Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis examined data on drug use collected from young people, ages 12 to 17, over a 12-year span. They found that the number of adolescents who had problems related to marijuana — such as becoming dependent on the drug or having trouble in school and in relationships — declined by 24 percent from 2002 to 2013.

Of course prohibition did manage to create a massive market for pharmaceutical drugs to treat troubled youths and added millions of dollars to the coffers and corruption of police departments across the US so I guess it’s not a total loss.

Source: As more states legalize marijuana, adolescents’ problems with pot decline: Fewer adolescents also report using marijuana — ScienceDaily

Share the Schadenfreude!

In June, when Trump began his campaign with a simultaneous slight denigrating virtually all Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug dealers, Latino groups called for a boycott of all of Trump’s businesses, which continues today.

While Trump boasts about the notoriety of his brand, many have come to view his brand as synonymous with racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and hatred.As the billionaire continues his march as the Republican presidential nominee toward the November general election, his businesses may continue their sharp decline.

Source: Trump Hotel Bookings Plummet 60% as Global Boycott Escalates

And here are some recently collected political cartoons and illustrations:

There are some jobs that ⅔ of Americans just WON’T do.

The Smthsonian’s 3D Digitization Program has been working to digitize the Apollo 11 Command Module “Columbia” that is currently on display at the National Air and Space museum.

“Columbia” was the living quarters for the three-person crew during most of the first manned lunar landing mission in July 1969. Scanning this module in 3D is a highly complex challenge that does not lend itself to any single 3D capture technology. Without touching the artifact, and certainly without getting inside, we are trying to document nearly every surface at the highest possible quality. For this we have enlisted the help of the Autodesk Reality Capture team. Creating terabytes of data using laser scanners, photogrammetry and structured light is one thing, but compositing this data into a single model is the larger task. Despite the enormity of this undertaking, it gives Autodesk an opportunity to grapple with a data-set that won’t be so uncommon in the future. As a result the Smithsonian gets to offer the public what will be one of the most compelling 3D visualizations of an artifact ever created. The 3D model of Columbia will be available on the 3D Program’s website 3d.si.edu in summer 2016. Users will be able to interact with it, download the model and print it with a 3D printer. The interactive model will also be featured in an upcoming exhibition on the lunar missions opening in 2020.