This Week's Roundup of Time Wasters

This Week's Roundup of Time Wasters

It's Friday and you know I spend the week finding things to amuse you -- and keep you away from important projects. So here's this week's roundup of time killers.

• Visual DNA is a fun projective test. Just answer each question by clicking on the picture that fits. When you're done, you'll get a report about your personality. [Thanks, Judy.]
• Keep your cursor over the guy's face.
  
• Here's a video of a little white-knuckle "stroll." It's worth watching to the end -- if you can stand it. Some of the things you might wonder: Did he balance himself on those girders or was he holding onto something? How did he manage to walk with one eye looking through the camera, keep the camera steady, and not get dizzy? (BTW, if the guy really had huevos, he'd have done it on a dirt bike.)

  FYI: Originally built in 1901, this walkway now serves as an approach to El Makinodromo, a famous climbing spot in the El Chorro gorge in Andalucia, Spain. There's more on the Wiki.

  

  
  Caution: Causes dizziness and adrenaline rush.

• You've probably seen the National Geographic documentary explaining what drugs do to spiders, especially the impact on web building. Here's even more in-depth info that'll open your eyes. Watch it to the very end.
  
• This is a longish story, but heartwarming. I sent it to my list and most people thought it was quite good.

  

  In 1986, Dan Harrison (see picture above) was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. His doctorate was in mammal behavior.

  On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully.

  He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

  As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

  The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

  Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

  Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

  Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son.

  As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Dan and his son Dan Jr. were standing.

  The large bull elephant stared at Dan, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times, then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at Dan.

  Remembering the encounter in 1986, Dan couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant.

  Dan summoned up his courage, then illegally and surreptitiously climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan's legs, and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

  Probably wasn't the same elephant.

  Now if you read this far, and didn't ROTFLOL or LYAF (similar to LMAO, but you're doing it), you missed the humor (as did Snopes.)

  
  

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