|
Surprisingly Awesome (podcast)
''Surprisingly Awesome'' was an American podcast formerly hosted by Adam Davidson and Adam McKay and subsequently hosted by Rachel Ward and frequently guest hosted by John Hodgman. In each episode, one of the hosts would take a seemingly boring topic, and try to make the other believe that it is interesting. These topics have varied from mold to interest rates. The podcast was hosted by Gimlet Media. The idea for the podcast came from the friendship that developed when McKay and Davidson worked together on ''The Big Short ''The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine'' is a nonfiction book by Michael Lewis about the build-up of the United States housing bubble during the 2000s. It was released on March 15, 2010, by W. W. Norton & Company. It spent 28 weeks on '' ...''. McKay and Davidson would have long conversations when they would try to "out-fascinate" each other and make dull subjects seem interesting. After searching for a new host for the show, Gimlet chose form ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adam Davidson (journalist)
Adam Davidson (born 1970) is an American journalist. He was a co-founder of NPR's Planet Money program. Previously he has covered globalization issues, the Asian tsunami, and the war in Iraq, for which he won the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. He and Adam McKay were former co-hosts of Surprisingly Awesome from Gimlet Media. Davidson worked as an economics columnist for ''The New York Times Magazine'' and in 2016 took a position at ''The New Yorker''. Early life and education Davidson's father, Jack Davidson, was a film and television actor, and he grew up in the Westbeth Artists Community in Manhattan's West Village. He attended college at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1992. Adam is an atheist of Jewish descent. Career Davidson worked at PRI as a Middle East correspondent for ''Marketplace'' and then went on to work at NPR as the international business and economics correspondent. In 2008, Davidson, along with Alex Blumberg founded ''Planet Money'' on NPR. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gecko Feet
The feet of geckos have a number of specializations. Their surfaces can adhere to any type of material with the exception of Teflon (PTFE). This phenomenon can be explained with three elements: * Foot structure * Structure of the material to which the foot adheres * The ability to adhere to a surface and become a part of it Background Geckos are members of the family Gekkonidae. They are reptiles that inhabit temperate and tropical regions. There are over 1,000 different species of geckos. They can be a variety of colors. Geckos are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of foods, including insects and worms. Most gecko species, including the crested gecko (''Correlophus ciliatus''), can climb walls and other surfaces. Structure Chemical structure The interactions between the gecko's feet and the climbing surface are stronger than simple surface area effects. On its feet, the gecko has many microscopic hairs, or setae (singular seta), that increase the Van der Waals forces - the dist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cardboard
Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light brown in color, depending of the specific product; dyes, pigments, printing, and coatings are available. The term "cardboard" has general use in English and French, but the term cardboard is deprecated in commerce and industry as not adequately defining a specific product. Material producers, container manufacturers, packaging engineers, and standards organizations, use more specific terminology. Statistics In 2020, the United States hit a record high in its yearly use of one of the most ubiquitous manufactured materials on earth, cardboard. With around 80 per cent of all the products sold in the United States being packaged in cardboard, over 120 billion pieces were used that year. In the same year, over 13,000 separate pieces of con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wendy Doniger
Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (born November 20, 1940) is an American Indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. A scholar of Sanskrit and Indian textual traditions, her major works include, 'The Hindus: an alternative history'; ''Asceticism and Eroticism in the Mythology of Siva''; ''Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook''; ''The Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology''; ''Women, Androgynes, and Other Mythical Beasts''; and ''The Rig Veda: An Anthology, 108 Hymns Translated from the Sanskrit''. She is the Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of History of Religions at the University of Chicago, and has taught there since 1978. She served as president of the Association for Asian Studies in 1998. Biography Wendy Doniger was born in New York City to immigrant non-observant Jewish parents, and raised in Great Neck, New York, where her father, Lester L. Doniger (1909–1971), ran a publishing business. While in high school, she studied dance under George Balanchine and Mart ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciousness untouched by the mind ('' Chitta'') and mundane suffering (''Duḥkha''). There is a wide variety of schools of yoga, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism,Stuart Ray Sarbacker, ''Samādhi: The Numinous and Cessative in Indo-Tibetan Yoga''. SUNY Press, 2005, pp. 1–2.Tattvarthasutra .1 see Manu Doshi (2007) Translation of Tattvarthasutra, Ahmedabad: Shrut Ratnakar p. 102. and traditional and modern yoga is practiced worldwide. Two general theories exist on the origins of yoga. The linear model holds that yoga originated in the Vedic period, as reflected in the Vedic textual corpus, and influenced Buddhism; according to author Edward Fitzpatrick Crangle, this model is mainly supported by Hindu scholars. According ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flossing
Dental floss is a cord of thin filaments used in interdental cleaning to remove food and dental plaque from between teeth or places a toothbrush has difficulty reaching or is unable to reach. Its regular use as part of oral cleaning is designed to maintain oral health. Use of floss is recommended to prevent gingivitis and the build-up of plaque. The American Dental Association claims that up to 80% of plaque can be removed by flossing, and it may confer a particular benefit in individuals with orthodontic devices. However, empirical scientific evidence demonstrating the clinical benefit of flossing as an adjunct to routine tooth brushing alone remains limited. A Japanese macaque and long-tailed macaques have been observed in the wild and in captivity flossing with human hair and feathers. History Levi Spear Parmly (1790-1859), a dentist from New Orleans, is credited with inventing the first form of dental floss. In 1819, he recommended running a waxen silk thread "through the i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maeve Higgins
Maeve Anna Higgins (born 24 March 1981) is a comedian from Cobh, County Cork, Ireland and is based in New York. She was a principal actor and writer of the RTÉ television production '' Naked Camera'', as well as for her own show ''Maeve Higgins' Fancy Vittles''. Her book of essays ''We Have A Good Time, Don't We?'' was published by Hachette in 2012. She wrote for ''The Irish Times'' and produces radio documentaries. She previously appeared on ''The Ray D'Arcy Show'' on Today FM. She is a regular panelist on the NPR radio show '' Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'' Higgins appeared in her first starring film role in the 2019 Irish comedy '' Extra Ordinary''. Career Higgins started in comedy in 2005 and has written and performed at many festivals and shows. She began her comedy career on the national radio station Today FM after auditioning for ''The Ray D'Arcy Show'' in February 2004. She failed to win. From 2005 to 2007, she took part in the hidden camera show '' Naked Camera'' wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Marie Garofalo ( ; born September 28, 1964) is an American comedian, actress, and former co-host on the now-defunct Air America Radio's ''The Majority Report''. Garofalo began her career as a stand-up comedian and became a cast member on ''The Ben Stiller Show'', ''The Larry Sanders Show'', and ''Saturday Night Live'', then appeared in more than 50 movies, with leading or major roles in ''The Truth About Cats and Dogs'', ''Wet Hot American Summer'', ''The Matchmaker'', ''Reality Bites'', ''The Wild'', '' Steal This Movie!'', ''Clay Pigeons'', '' Sweethearts'', ''Mystery Men'', '' The Minus Man'', and ''The Independent'', among numerous others. She has been a series regular on television programs such as '' Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp'', '' 24'', ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce''. and ''Ideal''. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene. Early life Garofalo was born in Newton, New Jersey, the d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maternal Insult
A maternal insult, also referred to as a "yo mama" joke, is a reference to a person's mother through the use of phrases such as "your mother" or other regional variants, frequently used to insult the target by way of their mother. Used as an insult, "your mother..." preys on widespread sentiments of parental respect, making the insult particularly and globally offensive. "Your mother" can be combined with most types of insults, although suggestions of promiscuity are particularly common. Insults based on obesity, height, hairiness, laziness, incest, age, race, poverty, poor hygiene, unattractiveness, homosexuality, or stupidity may also be used. Compared to other types of insults, "your mother" insults are especially likely to incite violence. Slang variants such as "yo mama", "yo momma", "yer ma", "yer mum", "ya mum", "ya mom", "ur mom", "your mum", "ur mum", "ur mother", "Joe mama", or "your mom" are sometimes used, depending on the local dialect. Insults involving "your m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Insult
An insult is an expression or statement (or sometimes behavior) which is disrespectful or scornful. Insults may be intentional or accidental. An insult may be factual, but at the same time pejorative, such as the word "inbred". Jocular exchange Lacan considered insults a primary form of social interaction, central to the imaginary order – "a situation that is symbolized in the 'Yah-boo, so are you' of the transitivist quarrel, the original form of aggressive communication". Erving Goffman points out that every "crack or remark set up the possibility of a counter-riposte, topper, or squelch, that is, a comeback". He cites the example of possible interchanges at a dance in a school gym: Backhanded compliments A backhanded (or left-handed) compliment, or asteism, is an insult that is disguised as, or accompanied by, a compliment, especially in situations where the belittling or condescension is intentional. Examples of backhanded compliments include, but are not lim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mattress
A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a lying person. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, containing materials such as hair, straw, cotton, foam rubber, or a framework of metal springs. Mattresses may also be filled with air or water. Mattresses are usually placed on top of a bed base which may be solid, as in the case of a platform bed, or elastic, such as an upholstered wood and wire box spring or a slatted foundation. Popular in Europe, a divan incorporates both mattress and foundation in a single upholstered, footed unit. Divans have at least one innerspring layer as well as cushioning materials. They may be supplied with a secondary mattress or a removable "topper". Mattresses may also be filled with air or water, or a variety of natural fibers, such as in futons. Kapok is a common mattress material in Southeast Asia, and coi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boredom
In conventional usage, boredom, ennui, or tedium is an emotional and occasionally psychological state experienced when an individual is left without anything in particular to do, is listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement, is not interested in their surroundings, or feels that a day or period is dull or tedious. It is also understood by scholars as a modern phenomenon which has a cultural dimension. "There is no universally accepted definition of boredom. But whatever it is, researchers argue, it is not simply another name for depression or apathy. It seems to be a specific mental state that people find unpleasant—a lack of stimulation that leaves them craving relief, with a host of behavioral, medical and social consequences." According to BBC News, boredom "...can be a dangerous and disruptive state of mind that damages your health"; yet research "...suggest that without boredom we couldn't achieve our creative feats." In ''Experie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_May_2012.jpg "Click for more on -> Adam Davidson (journalist)")
.jpg "Click for more on -> Gecko Feet")
