happy 50ith blog post

today is my 50ith blog post on this blog! I know its not that big of a deal, but it feels exciting for me! I wasn't really sure what to blog about today so I guess I'll just give everyone this link it's about Anna Chapman who was part of the Russian spy ring that the FBI uncovered this week. I find it really interesting! she looks nothing like a spy she blends in (just like she should) i guess she wasn't the best spy though because she did get caught. Here are some links about this story: new york times,  guardian (a English news paper i think),and  the huffinton post,

toto, I don't think we're in Montana anymore!!

On Sunday evening around 4:30 pm a tornado hit Billings Montana. Thankfully,  only one injury was reported (someone got hit on the head with hail) and no one was  killed, but a number of local businesses and the metra (a local sports stadium) were severely damaged.  officials say that the tornado touched down around 4:30 and stayed around for about 15 minuets.  The storm before the tornado produced golf ball size hail and a ton of rain (2.5 inches). I hope they can get the mess cleaned up and I hope people's businesses will be ok!!

Update: here is a link to a video

weird words friday!!

(above: On being an octopuss by holgaguy on flickr)

If you have a word that you think is weird or strange comment and I'll use it for the next weird words Friday post!!

1. Zenzizenzizenzic- The 8th power of a number
2. Snollygoster- A shrewd, unprincipled, person, especially a politician  ex. "why do politicians have to be such snollygosters??"
3. Dactyonomy- The art of counting fingers  I don't have an example for this strange word
4. Interrobang- A question mark and a exclamation mark combined  ex. "?! Is an Interrobang"
5. Onychophagist- A person who bites their nails  I also don't have an example for this word
6. Jobbernowl- A blockhead       ex. "Julia stop being such a jobbernowl!"                                                                
7. Kerfuffle- A fuss or commotion  ex. "there was quite a  kerfuffle at Eloise's 6th birthday"
8. Shickersnee- A big knife  ex. "Indira please stop swinging that shickersnee around before you kill someone!"
9. Squabash- A put down, crushing defeat  ex.  "Louisa felt squabashed when she lost the singing contest"
10. Zizany- A harmful weed  ex. "Margret! don't eat that zizany plant, It could kill you!!!"

make your own pepper spray!!

(above: lipstick pepper spray, ingenious no?)

Last night i had a thought, shouldn't every girl know how to make pepper spray?? I researched some pretty simple ways to make the stuff right in your own kitchen! 

is was pretty much the same recipe on all the websites I found. Here it is!

WAY ONE

what you'll need: One small spray bottle (like an old travel size hair spray bottle), something spicy (jalapeno peppers, chili flakes, hot sauce, or all three) water, and vinegar, a blender, and a stove.

1. use a blender to grind the peppers and chili flakes if you are using them
2. mix together the ground peppers, chili flakes, vinegar, and water
3. cook on your stove in til boiling
4. strain into your container (this is important, you don't want the bits of pepper to clog your spray bottle)

tada! you have your own pepper spray!!

(remember, don't test this on your little brother/sister!! And clean up after your self!!)

WAY TWO

what you'll need: one small spray bottle, red pepper powder, oil (canola oil or baby oil), rubbing alcohol, blender.

1. in the blender mix together the alcohol and red pepper powder
2. add in oil (about two tsp.)
3. mix together REALLY well
4. filter in spray bottle using some cloth

WAY THREE
what you'll need: reallllly gross stuff (perfume, pepper, alcohol, toilet water, cat pee, you get the idea), one spray bottle, blender

1. mix everything together really well
2. strain and pour into bottle

Let me know which method works best!!

another sinkhole!!!

 

(above: this is the only picture I could find of it. photo credits, bozeman daily chronicle. and another sinkhole to compare the two)

this sinkhole is tiny (6ft wide, i don't know how deep, maybe 3-4ft?) this sinkhole is on a road by where I live!!!! i saw this in the paper this morning and FREAKED out!!! apparently the river flooded and caused the soil to erode under the asphalt (the rivers are SO high here because of all the snow melt off plus all the rain is causing the rivers to flood). this sinkhole also caused a underground gas line to rupture. it is so exciting for something like this to happen where you live!! (even on a small scale)

what a cool website!!

(above: Eliza Pinckney, isn't she pretty?)

yesterday for social studies in home school we learned about Eliza Lucas Pinckney, who discovered that indigo could be grown in south Carolina. more about Eliza here. in researching Eliza I came upon a REALLY cool website, distinguishedwoman.com  they have information on a ton of awesome woman (Joan of arc, Rachael Carson, and much more)

hello again

I'm Sorry I haven't posted for awhile. I have carpal tunnel in my thumb from too much reading and too much piano ): so I haven't been aloud to get on the computer. anyways!! here is what I want to do, go toGuatemala city, and go inside the giant sinkhole!!!!! anyone wanna come?? more here  and here!!!