They spent months warning the world of the apocalypse, some giving away earthly belongings or draining their savings accounts. And so they waited, viglantly, on Saturday May 21 for the appointed hour to arrive.
When 6 p.m. came and went at various spots around the globe, including the East Coast of the United States, and no extraordinary cataclysm occurred, Keith Bauer-----who hoped in his minivan in Maryland and drove his family 3,000 miles to California for the Rapture----took it in stride. "I had some skepticism but I was trying to push the skepticism away because I believe in God," he said in the bright morning sun outside the gated Oakland headquarters of Family Radio International, whose founder, Harold Camping, has been broadcasting the apocalyptic prediction for years. "I was hoping for it because I think heaven would be a lot better than this earth," But he added, "Its God who leads you, not Harold Camping."
Bauer, a tractor-trailer driver, began the voyage west last week, figuring that if he "worked last week, Iwouldn't have gotten paid anyway, if the Rapture did happen." After seeing the nonprofit ministry's base of operations, Bauer planned to take a day trip to the Pacific Ocean, and then start the cross-country drive back home today with his wife, young son and another family relative.
The May 21 doomsday message was sent far and wide via broadcasts and websites by Camping, an 89-year-old retired civil enginer who has built a multi-million-dollar Christian media empire that publicizes his apocalyptic prediction. According to Camping, the destruction was likely to have begun its worldwide march as it became 6 p.m. in the various time zones, although some believers said Saturday the exact timing was never written in stone.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
READY BE RAPTURED ANOTHER DAY (OCT. 21?)
At a union hall in Delaware County where, just one week ago, 150 Judgement Day believers gathered to celebrate their last Sunday on earth, there were signs yesterday that the believers may have indeed been raptured.
The building was locked and the parking lot desolate ----- except for a single crumpled blue hoodie and a toy frog that lay on its back, all bug-eyed and soulless.
The Dumpster on the lot was filled with the remnants of a decent last meal ---- pizza boxes and a case of Rolling Rock ----and broken bottles of Jagermeister and beer littered the lot's perimeter.
But then up walked believer Lester McLendon, alive and well, sporting a faded, black cap that read "Judgement Day May 21, 2011" and a jacket with "FamilyRadio.com" printed on the breast.
"We had a rough day yesterday," said McLendon, 58, who traveled to the hall in Linwood, Delaware County, from his home in Newark, N.J. "I was coming down here to find out how this thing got backfired."
He wanted to be with other disappointed members of the eBible Fellowship, which had been meeting weekly and promoting FamiloyRadio's message that Judgement Day would occur on Saturday.
Problem was, no one else had the guts to show up. Like Family Radio's Harold Camping, the 89-year-old Christian media mogul from Oakland, Calif., who said he gleaned the dayof Rapture from the Bible, local believers went into hiding.
But not McLendon.
Although disappointed that the Rapture didn't occur, he said that what Saturday was really about was the "end of salvation." From here on in, no one else can be saved, he said.
McLendon said the new-and-improved Judgement Day is Oct. 21.
"That is going to be the end of the world, definitely," he said. "May 21 was just an appetizer for the end of the world."
When he wasn't raptured on Saturday, McLendon said he called his Bible leader, who told him, "You have to be patient. God had to work this one out."
The voice mail of his "other" Bible leader, Chris McCann, 49, of Darby, who oversees the eBible Fellowship, was full, he said.
Indeed it was. McCanndid not answer phone calls yesterday, and his voice mail box was not accepting messages.
McLendon said he will continue studying his Bible verses until the next Judgement Day comes.
"I'm ready to pack it in when the Rapture comes," he said.
"And Oct. 21 is going to be the real granddaddy of Judgement Days."
The building was locked and the parking lot desolate ----- except for a single crumpled blue hoodie and a toy frog that lay on its back, all bug-eyed and soulless.
The Dumpster on the lot was filled with the remnants of a decent last meal ---- pizza boxes and a case of Rolling Rock ----and broken bottles of Jagermeister and beer littered the lot's perimeter.
But then up walked believer Lester McLendon, alive and well, sporting a faded, black cap that read "Judgement Day May 21, 2011" and a jacket with "FamilyRadio.com" printed on the breast.
"We had a rough day yesterday," said McLendon, 58, who traveled to the hall in Linwood, Delaware County, from his home in Newark, N.J. "I was coming down here to find out how this thing got backfired."
He wanted to be with other disappointed members of the eBible Fellowship, which had been meeting weekly and promoting FamiloyRadio's message that Judgement Day would occur on Saturday.
Problem was, no one else had the guts to show up. Like Family Radio's Harold Camping, the 89-year-old Christian media mogul from Oakland, Calif., who said he gleaned the dayof Rapture from the Bible, local believers went into hiding.
But not McLendon.
Although disappointed that the Rapture didn't occur, he said that what Saturday was really about was the "end of salvation." From here on in, no one else can be saved, he said.
McLendon said the new-and-improved Judgement Day is Oct. 21.
"That is going to be the end of the world, definitely," he said. "May 21 was just an appetizer for the end of the world."
When he wasn't raptured on Saturday, McLendon said he called his Bible leader, who told him, "You have to be patient. God had to work this one out."
The voice mail of his "other" Bible leader, Chris McCann, 49, of Darby, who oversees the eBible Fellowship, was full, he said.
Indeed it was. McCanndid not answer phone calls yesterday, and his voice mail box was not accepting messages.
McLendon said he will continue studying his Bible verses until the next Judgement Day comes.
"I'm ready to pack it in when the Rapture comes," he said.
"And Oct. 21 is going to be the real granddaddy of Judgement Days."
UNCLE KEVIN WROTE:
This year we're going to experience four unusual dates.
1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all.
Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born.
Now add the age you will be this year and the result will be
111 for EVERYONE.
This is the year of Money!!!
This October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5
Saturdays.
This happens only every 823 years.
These particiular years are known as "Moneybags."
The proverb goes that if you send this to eight good friends
money will appear in the next four
days as is explained in Chinese feng-shui.
Those who don't continue the chain won't receive
anything.
It's a mystery, but it's worth a try.
1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all.
Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born.
Now add the age you will be this year and the result will be
111 for EVERYONE.
This is the year of Money!!!
This October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5
Saturdays.
This happens only every 823 years.
These particiular years are known as "Moneybags."
The proverb goes that if you send this to eight good friends
money will appear in the next four
days as is explained in Chinese feng-shui.
Those who don't continue the chain won't receive
anything.
It's a mystery, but it's worth a try.
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Arlington National Cemetery is in Virginia, right outside of Washington, D.C. It is on 600 acres of land across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. The cemetery surronds Arlington House, at one time the home of the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
An outdoor auditorium is on the grounds. Here it is decorated for Memorial Day.
A national cemetery
Memorial Day is celebrated the last Monday in May. This day honors those who have lost their lives serving our country.
There are more than 100 special military cemeteries in this country and around the world.
One of the best known is Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 300,000 service members and their family members are buried. Service members from every American war, including Iraq and Afghanistan, are buried there.
The newspaper marks Memorial Day with a story about this beautiful and inspiring cemetery.
'Flags-in'
Every year on Memorial Day weekend, soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place flags in front of every gravestone of service members buried at Arlington. This tradition is known as "flags-in."
Burials
About 28 service members or their family members are buried every day at Arlington National Cemetery. The flags in the cemetery fly at half-staff from a half-hour before the first funeral to a half-hour after the last funeral.
A bugler playing "Taps" is a part of many burials.
Six matched horses pulling a caisson with a flag-draped casket are a part of some military funerals.
Slaves
More than 3,800 former slaves are also buried at Arlington in Section 27.
An outdoor auditorium is on the grounds. Here it is decorated for Memorial Day.
A national cemetery
Memorial Day is celebrated the last Monday in May. This day honors those who have lost their lives serving our country.
There are more than 100 special military cemeteries in this country and around the world.
One of the best known is Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 300,000 service members and their family members are buried. Service members from every American war, including Iraq and Afghanistan, are buried there.
The newspaper marks Memorial Day with a story about this beautiful and inspiring cemetery.
'Flags-in'
Every year on Memorial Day weekend, soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place flags in front of every gravestone of service members buried at Arlington. This tradition is known as "flags-in."
Burials
About 28 service members or their family members are buried every day at Arlington National Cemetery. The flags in the cemetery fly at half-staff from a half-hour before the first funeral to a half-hour after the last funeral.
A bugler playing "Taps" is a part of many burials.
Six matched horses pulling a caisson with a flag-draped casket are a part of some military funerals.
Slaves
More than 3,800 former slaves are also buried at Arlington in Section 27.
ARLINGTON HISTORY
Arlington House
Arlington Cemetery surronds Arlington House, which is today the Robert E. Lee Memorial. The house was built by Martha Washington's grandson, George Washinton Parke Custis. His daughter Mary Anna married Robert E. Lee, who became the leader of the Confederate Armies.
Lee left Arlington House to serve in the Civil War in April 1861 and never returned. Arlington House became an armed camp and headquarters for Union forces. Part of the property was taken for a cemetery for Union soldiers.
The Lee family lost claim to the mansion in 1864 because they didn't pay their taxes. Later, the government paid $150,000 for the property. It became a settlement for freed slaves, and later a farm.
Presidents at Arlington
Only two presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery: William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Taft's monument is 14 1/2 feet tall. His wife, Helen, is also buried there.
Kennedy's grave is marked by an eternal flame (a flame that is never put out). Also buried there are two of his children and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. His brothers Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy are buried nearby.
Who else rests there?
Nineteen of our country's astronauts are buried at Arlington. Sixty-two people from other countries also are laid to rest there. Twenty-four of them are British.
Pierre Charles L'Enfant's grave is also found at Arlington. L'Enfant was born in Paris and served in the U.S. Army during the Revolutionary War. George Washington asked him to help design the city of Washington, D.C. Today his monument overlooks the city of Washington.
Arlington Cemetery surronds Arlington House, which is today the Robert E. Lee Memorial. The house was built by Martha Washington's grandson, George Washinton Parke Custis. His daughter Mary Anna married Robert E. Lee, who became the leader of the Confederate Armies.
Lee left Arlington House to serve in the Civil War in April 1861 and never returned. Arlington House became an armed camp and headquarters for Union forces. Part of the property was taken for a cemetery for Union soldiers.
The Lee family lost claim to the mansion in 1864 because they didn't pay their taxes. Later, the government paid $150,000 for the property. It became a settlement for freed slaves, and later a farm.
Presidents at Arlington
Only two presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery: William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Taft's monument is 14 1/2 feet tall. His wife, Helen, is also buried there.
Kennedy's grave is marked by an eternal flame (a flame that is never put out). Also buried there are two of his children and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. His brothers Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy are buried nearby.
Who else rests there?
Nineteen of our country's astronauts are buried at Arlington. Sixty-two people from other countries also are laid to rest there. Twenty-four of them are British.
Pierre Charles L'Enfant's grave is also found at Arlington. L'Enfant was born in Paris and served in the U.S. Army during the Revolutionary War. George Washington asked him to help design the city of Washington, D.C. Today his monument overlooks the city of Washington.
THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS
The tomb and those who guard it
The Tomb of the Unknowns, or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is a tribute to many Americans who lost their lives for our freedom. Three unidentified servicemen, one each from World War 1, World War 2, and Korea, are buried there. There is also a tomb for a service member from the Vietnam War, but that airman's remains were identified and removed from the tomb. The Vietnam tomb is to remain empty.
A lone tomb guard takes 21 steps as he walks back and forth on a mat in front of the tomb. He stops at each end of the mat, turns around, and faces nearby Washington for 21 steps and seconds stand for the 21-gun salute, the highest U.S. salute.
The changing of the guard ceremonies are held during the daylight hours. The guards are changed every hour during the winter and every half-hour during the summer. There are also sentinels on duty at night.
A tomb sentinel walks in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded non-stop by soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) since 1948.
What a sentinel wears
A serious look, never a smile.
Sunglasses because of the glare of the white marble.
Brass buttons that are pinned on so they are easy to take off for daily polishing.
Blue dress uniforms with not a wrinkle.
Highly polished shoes with built-up thick soles that make the toes higher than the heels. This helps posture. Metal taps on the inside of the heels make a clicking sound when tapped together.
Sentinels:
* volunteer for the honor of being one. Only those who pass through difficult training are selected. Not all make it.
* must sign on for the right reasons. They must want to show respect for those who lost their lives serving our country. They must memorize seven pages of inforation about the cemetery and the tomb.
* must maintain their composure and always show respect.
* must press and steam their own uniforms and keep their brass buttons polished. They usually stay on the job for up to two years.
The Tomb of the Unknowns, or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is a tribute to many Americans who lost their lives for our freedom. Three unidentified servicemen, one each from World War 1, World War 2, and Korea, are buried there. There is also a tomb for a service member from the Vietnam War, but that airman's remains were identified and removed from the tomb. The Vietnam tomb is to remain empty.
A lone tomb guard takes 21 steps as he walks back and forth on a mat in front of the tomb. He stops at each end of the mat, turns around, and faces nearby Washington for 21 steps and seconds stand for the 21-gun salute, the highest U.S. salute.
The changing of the guard ceremonies are held during the daylight hours. The guards are changed every hour during the winter and every half-hour during the summer. There are also sentinels on duty at night.
A tomb sentinel walks in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded non-stop by soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) since 1948.
What a sentinel wears
A serious look, never a smile.
Sunglasses because of the glare of the white marble.
Brass buttons that are pinned on so they are easy to take off for daily polishing.
Blue dress uniforms with not a wrinkle.
Highly polished shoes with built-up thick soles that make the toes higher than the heels. This helps posture. Metal taps on the inside of the heels make a clicking sound when tapped together.
Sentinels:
* volunteer for the honor of being one. Only those who pass through difficult training are selected. Not all make it.
* must sign on for the right reasons. They must want to show respect for those who lost their lives serving our country. They must memorize seven pages of inforation about the cemetery and the tomb.
* must maintain their composure and always show respect.
* must press and steam their own uniforms and keep their brass buttons polished. They usually stay on the job for up to two years.
F. Y. I.
Still on the Books
In Carmel, Calif., women may not wear high heels while in the city limits.
Table Tidbits
Tomatoes were once referred to as "love apples" because superstition had it that people would fall in love by eating them.
The Switch
Whooping cranes are born with blue eyes that change to gold by the time they are 6 months old.
Quotable
by James Baldwin, American writer and civil rights activist (1924-1987)
"Not everything that is faced can be changed until it is faced."
State Stats
Alaska has the highest percentage of people who walk to work.
In the Deep
Humpback whales are capable of living up to 95 years.
In Carmel, Calif., women may not wear high heels while in the city limits.
Table Tidbits
Tomatoes were once referred to as "love apples" because superstition had it that people would fall in love by eating them.
The Switch
Whooping cranes are born with blue eyes that change to gold by the time they are 6 months old.
Quotable
by James Baldwin, American writer and civil rights activist (1924-1987)
"Not everything that is faced can be changed until it is faced."
State Stats
Alaska has the highest percentage of people who walk to work.
In the Deep
Humpback whales are capable of living up to 95 years.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Man eats 25,000th Big Mac, 39 years after his 1st
A retired prison guard ate his 25,000th Big Mac on Tuesday, 39 years to the day after eating his first....nine.
Don Gorske was honored after reaching the meaty milestone during a ceremony at a McDonald's in his hometown of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Surely McDonald's most loyal customer, Guinness World Records recognized Gorske's feat three years and 2,000 Big Macs ago, and the 57-year-old says he has no desire to stop.
"I plan on eating Big Macs until I die," he said. "I have no intensions of changing. It's still my favorite food. Nothing has changed in 39 years. I look forward to it every day."
The sign beneath the golden arhes Tuesday read "Congrats Don Gorske 25000 Big Macs."
Before he ate No. 25,000, he showed dozens of onlookers many of the different styles of cartons he has collected over the years and other Big Mac-related stories.
Before biting into the sandwich, he said, "It's been seven years since 20,000. Same thing goes this year folks. You can't have the carton and it probably still takes 16 bites for me to finish a Big Mac."
The crowd erupted into applause.
Gorske, who appeared in the 2004 documentary "Super Size Me," which examined the fast food industry, looks nothinglike one might expect of a fast food junkie. He's trim and walks regularly for exercise, and he attributes his build to being "hyperactive." He said he was recently given a clean bill of health and that his cholesterol is low.
Gorske's obsession with the burger ---- two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun, for those not familiar with the once-ubiquitous ads --- started May 17, 1972, when he bought three Big Macs to celebrate the purchase of a new car. He was hooked, and went back to McDonald's twice more that day, eating nine before they closed.
He's only gone eight days since without a Big Mac, and most days he eats two. Among the reasons he skipped a day was to grant his mother a dying wish. His last Big Mac-less day was Thanksgiving 2000, when he forgot to stock up and the store was closed for the holiday.
Gorske said he loves numbers and counting things and was inspired to start counting his burgers because McDonald's noted how many hamburgers were served on their sign.
He said he is probably obsessive compulsive and that he likes repetition and doesn't like change. He said he's kept many of the Big Mac boxes and receipts over the years, and has noted his purchases in calendars he's kept.
McDonald's says there are 540 calories in a Big Mac, which is more than a quarter of the calories a person on a 2,000-calorie diet would consume. The burger also contains 29 grams of fat and 1,040 grams of sodium, which are both more than 40 percent of the Food and Drug Administration's daily recommended value for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Tara Gidus, a registered dietitian in Florida, said she wouldn't recommend Gorske's Big Mac diet, and that he's likely stayed relatively healthy because of good genetics and because he doesn't order a lot of extras, such as fries and sodas.
She said the Big Mac provides protein and grains, which the body needs, and that she would be "less concerned about the bad stuff in the Big Mac, and more concerned about the good stuff he's missing," such as fruits and vegetables.
Gorske said he normally buys six on Monday and eight on Thursday and freezes or refrigerates them and warms them when he wants to eat them, so he doesn't have to run to the restaurant all the time.
Gorske said he likes other foods, including bratwurst and lobsters, but that he loves Big Macs and his wife Mary, a nurse, never has to worry about making him a meal.
"I really do enjoy every Big Mac," he said.
He said his wife jokes about ending his streak.
"She says.....when she has to put them in a blender, it's over," he said.
Don Gorske was honored after reaching the meaty milestone during a ceremony at a McDonald's in his hometown of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Surely McDonald's most loyal customer, Guinness World Records recognized Gorske's feat three years and 2,000 Big Macs ago, and the 57-year-old says he has no desire to stop.
"I plan on eating Big Macs until I die," he said. "I have no intensions of changing. It's still my favorite food. Nothing has changed in 39 years. I look forward to it every day."
The sign beneath the golden arhes Tuesday read "Congrats Don Gorske 25000 Big Macs."
Before he ate No. 25,000, he showed dozens of onlookers many of the different styles of cartons he has collected over the years and other Big Mac-related stories.
Before biting into the sandwich, he said, "It's been seven years since 20,000. Same thing goes this year folks. You can't have the carton and it probably still takes 16 bites for me to finish a Big Mac."
The crowd erupted into applause.
Gorske, who appeared in the 2004 documentary "Super Size Me," which examined the fast food industry, looks nothinglike one might expect of a fast food junkie. He's trim and walks regularly for exercise, and he attributes his build to being "hyperactive." He said he was recently given a clean bill of health and that his cholesterol is low.
Gorske's obsession with the burger ---- two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun, for those not familiar with the once-ubiquitous ads --- started May 17, 1972, when he bought three Big Macs to celebrate the purchase of a new car. He was hooked, and went back to McDonald's twice more that day, eating nine before they closed.
He's only gone eight days since without a Big Mac, and most days he eats two. Among the reasons he skipped a day was to grant his mother a dying wish. His last Big Mac-less day was Thanksgiving 2000, when he forgot to stock up and the store was closed for the holiday.
Gorske said he loves numbers and counting things and was inspired to start counting his burgers because McDonald's noted how many hamburgers were served on their sign.
He said he is probably obsessive compulsive and that he likes repetition and doesn't like change. He said he's kept many of the Big Mac boxes and receipts over the years, and has noted his purchases in calendars he's kept.
McDonald's says there are 540 calories in a Big Mac, which is more than a quarter of the calories a person on a 2,000-calorie diet would consume. The burger also contains 29 grams of fat and 1,040 grams of sodium, which are both more than 40 percent of the Food and Drug Administration's daily recommended value for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Tara Gidus, a registered dietitian in Florida, said she wouldn't recommend Gorske's Big Mac diet, and that he's likely stayed relatively healthy because of good genetics and because he doesn't order a lot of extras, such as fries and sodas.
She said the Big Mac provides protein and grains, which the body needs, and that she would be "less concerned about the bad stuff in the Big Mac, and more concerned about the good stuff he's missing," such as fruits and vegetables.
Gorske said he normally buys six on Monday and eight on Thursday and freezes or refrigerates them and warms them when he wants to eat them, so he doesn't have to run to the restaurant all the time.
Gorske said he likes other foods, including bratwurst and lobsters, but that he loves Big Macs and his wife Mary, a nurse, never has to worry about making him a meal.
"I really do enjoy every Big Mac," he said.
He said his wife jokes about ending his streak.
"She says.....when she has to put them in a blender, it's over," he said.
Michigan woman dons wedding dress she wore in 1938
A West Michigan woman has strolled down the aisle in her wedding dress for a second time. The first time came 73 years ago. Agnes Anderson wore the dress in 1938 when she married her college sweetheart, Delmar Anderson, in Youngstown, Ohio. The Andersons' marriage lasted more than 50 years until Delmar's death in 1989.
Her second trip down the aisle came last week at a vintage bridal gown fashion show at a church in Muskegon.
The 98-year-old from Muskegon County's Laketon Township says the dress was in mint condition when she retrieved it from a storage box.
Dick Anderson escorted his mother into the church sanctuary and to the altar.
The Muskegon Chronicle says the fashion show featured 20 bridal gowns that dated from 1933 to 2006.
Her second trip down the aisle came last week at a vintage bridal gown fashion show at a church in Muskegon.
The 98-year-old from Muskegon County's Laketon Township says the dress was in mint condition when she retrieved it from a storage box.
Dick Anderson escorted his mother into the church sanctuary and to the altar.
The Muskegon Chronicle says the fashion show featured 20 bridal gowns that dated from 1933 to 2006.
IPhone GPS aids in capture of car theft suspect
Police say an IPhone left in a stolen truck is how officers were able to capture a man suspected of multiple auto break-ins in Colorado Springs.
Officials at the El Paso County Sheriff's office said 29-year-old Joshuaa Mitzelfelt allegedly stole a truck left unattended and running in a driveway Tuesday morning. The owner's IPhone was on the front seat.
The truck's owner began tracking his vehicle's location through a website monitoring the phone's GPS application while updating sheriff dispatchers. Officers spotted the truck about seven miles from the owner's residence and arrested the driver.
Police were able to link items found in the vehicle to other burglaries in the area. Mitzelfelt has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, second degree aggravated motor vehicle theft and first degree burglary.
Officials at the El Paso County Sheriff's office said 29-year-old Joshuaa Mitzelfelt allegedly stole a truck left unattended and running in a driveway Tuesday morning. The owner's IPhone was on the front seat.
The truck's owner began tracking his vehicle's location through a website monitoring the phone's GPS application while updating sheriff dispatchers. Officers spotted the truck about seven miles from the owner's residence and arrested the driver.
Police were able to link items found in the vehicle to other burglaries in the area. Mitzelfelt has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, second degree aggravated motor vehicle theft and first degree burglary.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT!
How it works
The heart is a big hollow muscle in the middle of your chest. Its left side pumps harder than the right, which is why you can feel the left side beating when you put your hand on your chest.
Putting the parts together
The heart has four parts called chambers. Blood comes in through the top two chambers, which are called atria (AY-tree-ah). The bottom two, called ventricles (VEHN-trih-culs), pump the blood out. In between, the blood picks up oxygen, which is necessary for our cells to work.
Working with the lungs
The right atrium takes in the "used" blood from the rest of the body. It sends it to the right ventricle, which pushes the blood out to the lungs to pick up oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.
The "new" blood comes back in through the left atrium and is sent out to the body through the left ventricle.
Valves, which work a little like one-way doors, makes sure that no blood backs up. All the blood flows in one direction through the heart.
Heart a-facts
The heart is a big hollow muscle in the middle of your chest. Its left side pumps harder than the right, which is why you can feel the left side beating when you put your hand on your chest.
Putting the parts together
The heart has four parts called chambers. Blood comes in through the top two chambers, which are called atria (AY-tree-ah). The bottom two, called ventricles (VEHN-trih-culs), pump the blood out. In between, the blood picks up oxygen, which is necessary for our cells to work.
Working with the lungs
The right atrium takes in the "used" blood from the rest of the body. It sends it to the right ventricle, which pushes the blood out to the lungs to pick up oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.
The "new" blood comes back in through the left atrium and is sent out to the body through the left ventricle.
Valves, which work a little like one-way doors, makes sure that no blood backs up. All the blood flows in one direction through the heart.
Heart a-facts
- The heart is always working. It never rests. It works automatically, without the brain telling it to pump.
- Your heart is about the size of your closed fist.
- Arteries are the vessels, or tiny tubes, that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
- Veins cary blood back to the heart to pick up oxygen.
- Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day! Kids' hearts beat about 70 times a minute.
- There are about 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body.
- Your heart is protected by your ribcage.
- It only takes about 10 seconds for your blood to go from your heart to your big toe while you're active.
HEART ENEMIES
Unfortunately, some people develop habits that can damage the heart. Now, while you're young, is a great time to set good health habits that will keep your heart working well for many years.
Smoking
People smoke cigarettes because they like the feeling they get from the chemical in them, nicotine. But once you start smoking, it's very hard to stop.
Smoking damages health in different ways:
Only 100 years ago, there were many fewer overweight people. Many adults worked at jobs that required physical activity, such as farming.
People didn't have as many choices as we do about what to eat. They ate what they could grow or what could be found nearby. There wasn't time to sit around and eat snacks----chores and other activities kept kids busy.
Today, kids may have a lot of free time. We might use that time watching TV, playing video games or using a computer. But those are sedentary, or sitting, activities. Our bodies don't use much energy to do those types of things.
In addition, we have a huge number of food choices, and many of our foods are not nutritious. Fast food and snacks can have hundreds of calories that our bodies don't need for energy. So those calories get stored as fat.
Experts say that about 1 of every 3 children and teenagers is overweight or obese. Being overweight is hard on all parts of your body. It is the leading cause of early heart attacks.
Smoking
People smoke cigarettes because they like the feeling they get from the chemical in them, nicotine. But once you start smoking, it's very hard to stop.
Smoking damages health in different ways:
- It fills your lungs with hot gases, dust, carbon monoxide and other cancer-causing substances.
- Smoking kills the very small hairs that line the lungs. These hairs sweep out bacteria and keep the lungs from becoming infected.
- Nicotine speeds up your heart and narrows your blood vessels, so your heart has to work harder to circulate your blood.
Only 100 years ago, there were many fewer overweight people. Many adults worked at jobs that required physical activity, such as farming.
People didn't have as many choices as we do about what to eat. They ate what they could grow or what could be found nearby. There wasn't time to sit around and eat snacks----chores and other activities kept kids busy.
Today, kids may have a lot of free time. We might use that time watching TV, playing video games or using a computer. But those are sedentary, or sitting, activities. Our bodies don't use much energy to do those types of things.
In addition, we have a huge number of food choices, and many of our foods are not nutritious. Fast food and snacks can have hundreds of calories that our bodies don't need for energy. So those calories get stored as fat.
Experts say that about 1 of every 3 children and teenagers is overweight or obese. Being overweight is hard on all parts of your body. It is the leading cause of early heart attacks.
PUT YOUR HEART FIRST
Experts say it's unusual for a kid to have a heart attack. But doctors worry about the long-term damage of being overweight and not exercising enough. Many overweight kids willgrow up to be overweight adults, which could lead to a heart attack, stroke or heart failure.
"The risks pick up as you take those habits with you into adulthood," one expert told the newspaper. "It will catch up with you."
The good news is that kids have a lot of time to improve their health. The Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center suggests an easy way to remember to eat right and get enough exercise each day, called 5-2-1-0:
* 5 - Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
* 2 - Spend only two hours or less in front of a scren (TV, video games, computer).
* 1 - Get at least one hour of exercise every day.
* 0 - Don't have any drinks that include calories (except milk).
Calories in....
A calorie is a measurement of energy. We use this measurement to tell us how much energy is in foods.
For example, a medium-sized apple has 100 or fewer calories. It's also full of vitamins and fiber, which are good for your body. A 2-ounce Snikers bar has 280 calories and 14 grams of fat, with little fiber or vitamins.
It's all about choices
As you get older, you will begin to make more of your own choices about what you eat. It's important to learn about foods now and set good habits so that you can choose healthy foods later in life.
Start here
"The risks pick up as you take those habits with you into adulthood," one expert told the newspaper. "It will catch up with you."
The good news is that kids have a lot of time to improve their health. The Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center suggests an easy way to remember to eat right and get enough exercise each day, called 5-2-1-0:
* 5 - Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
* 2 - Spend only two hours or less in front of a scren (TV, video games, computer).
* 1 - Get at least one hour of exercise every day.
* 0 - Don't have any drinks that include calories (except milk).
Calories in....
A calorie is a measurement of energy. We use this measurement to tell us how much energy is in foods.
For example, a medium-sized apple has 100 or fewer calories. It's also full of vitamins and fiber, which are good for your body. A 2-ounce Snikers bar has 280 calories and 14 grams of fat, with little fiber or vitamins.
It's all about choices
As you get older, you will begin to make more of your own choices about what you eat. It's important to learn about foods now and set good habits so that you can choose healthy foods later in life.
Start here
- Choose low-fat proteins (meats) and dairy foods.
- Avoid white foods, such as white sugar, white bread, white rice and white potatoes.
- Eat whole grains (such as cereal) and beans.
- Watch portion sizes. A pancake should be about the size of a CD. A 3-to 4-ounce serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.
DO LAUNDRY LIKE A PRO
Follow the basic rules
- Manufacturers include care instructions on clothing labels with reason, so do as they say.
- When it comes to laundry detergent, less is more. Follow the recommendations on the bottle or box. Too many suds can actually trap dirt in the clothing and washing machine.
- Seperate your clothes (whites, darks, heavily soiled) and check pockets for items before you wash.
- Wash fine fabrics, items that can shrink and dark colors in cold water.
- Use hot water for whites, heavily soiled items and color-fast fabrics.
- To prevent your black pants and other dark clothing from fading, turn them inside out before washing and drying.
- Wash your delicates by hand in a clean sink. Fill it with cool water and a capful of mild detergent. Swish the article of clothing around for a few minutes, allow it to soak for another 10, and rinse with cool water. Then lay it flat to dry.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
TEACHING CAR CARE TO KIDS
Did you learn vehicle mainenance the hard way----by being stranded on the side of the road next to your broken-down car? Or perhaps you forced yourself to quickly learn about proper maintenance after finding yourself more than once trying to decipher the advice of a less-than -scrupulous auto mechanic.
No doubt you want your kids to be better prepared to take care of their vehicles. Of course, engaging your children in auto maintenance should depend on their age and maturity level. Start them young with simple projects, such as helping you wash the car, and over the years, gradually build their knowledge about more complicated auto-maintenance tasks. Following are some teaching tips to try.
Scrub-a-dub
On the first warm day of spring, drag out the hose, bucket, cleaning solution, sponges and vacuum, and get your kids to help you clean the winter grime off the family vehicle. Try to make it less of a chore and more of a fun and lively afternoon family project. Take the time to demonstrate some tricks of the trade you've learned over the years. Let them blow off a little steam by squirting one another. Give them treats after a job well done.
Don't forget to also show them how to clean the interior. By scrubbing seat cushions and windows and then vacuuming carpets, your kids might think twice in the future before dropping food crumbs or trash in the car. And you're teaching them a valuable lesson about taking care of family property.
All systems go
Before a road trip, ask your kids to help you ensure all of the vehicle's lights and turn signals work. Have them stand outside and tell you if your headlights, brake lights and turn signals are functioning properly. Make it fun by giving them an "official checklist" they can fill in and give back to you.
Also, pull out your vehicle's emergency kit and, with your child, check to be sure it's complete and everything remains in working order.
No doubt you want your kids to be better prepared to take care of their vehicles. Of course, engaging your children in auto maintenance should depend on their age and maturity level. Start them young with simple projects, such as helping you wash the car, and over the years, gradually build their knowledge about more complicated auto-maintenance tasks. Following are some teaching tips to try.
Scrub-a-dub
On the first warm day of spring, drag out the hose, bucket, cleaning solution, sponges and vacuum, and get your kids to help you clean the winter grime off the family vehicle. Try to make it less of a chore and more of a fun and lively afternoon family project. Take the time to demonstrate some tricks of the trade you've learned over the years. Let them blow off a little steam by squirting one another. Give them treats after a job well done.
Don't forget to also show them how to clean the interior. By scrubbing seat cushions and windows and then vacuuming carpets, your kids might think twice in the future before dropping food crumbs or trash in the car. And you're teaching them a valuable lesson about taking care of family property.
All systems go
Before a road trip, ask your kids to help you ensure all of the vehicle's lights and turn signals work. Have them stand outside and tell you if your headlights, brake lights and turn signals are functioning properly. Make it fun by giving them an "official checklist" they can fill in and give back to you.
Also, pull out your vehicle's emergency kit and, with your child, check to be sure it's complete and everything remains in working order.
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Cyril Connolly, English literary critic and writer (1903-1974)
"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
Super Gulp
A camel can drink 27 gallons of water in 10 minutes.
Rumor Has It
Napoleon carried chocolate with him on his military campaigns, and always ate it when he needed a boost of energy.
In Comparison
The monarch butterfly can discern tastes 12,000 times more subtle than those perceivable by human taste buds.
No Kidding
Zeppo Marx of Marx Brothers fame owned a patent for a wrist watch with a heart monitor.
by Cyril Connolly, English literary critic and writer (1903-1974)
"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
Super Gulp
A camel can drink 27 gallons of water in 10 minutes.
Rumor Has It
Napoleon carried chocolate with him on his military campaigns, and always ate it when he needed a boost of energy.
In Comparison
The monarch butterfly can discern tastes 12,000 times more subtle than those perceivable by human taste buds.
No Kidding
Zeppo Marx of Marx Brothers fame owned a patent for a wrist watch with a heart monitor.
NO PLACE FOR PARTISAN POLITICS IN AFTERMATH OF BIN LADEN KILLING
The death of Osama bin Laden provoked an array of emotions that pulsated throughout the American landscape.
Celebration, triumph, closure and renewed grief made Americans stand upon their feet in unity as our country finally felt a sense of justice brought down upon the leader who darkened the pages of our recent history.
But as intelligence officials disclosed the trail of evidence that led to the compound in Pakistan where bin Laden was hiding, such short-lived political unity was swept away.
Instead of those on Capitol Hill basking in the glory of a successful operation, they allowed their moment of eminence to be dragged into the muck and murk by political figures out to enhance their own party's agenda. Such bipartisanship took form inthe vindication and reproach over the debate on torture.
Before a day had passed, the chairman of the House of Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), told Fox News that the success of the hunt for bin Laden was due to waterboarding. The following morning, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said plainly: "None of this came as a result of harsh interrogation practices."
Within a single day, such a moment for rejoicing was turned into a political debacle.
Quickly following the capture of bin Laden, a chorus of Bush administration officials claimed justification for "enhanced interrogation techniques" such as waterboarding. Among them was John Yoo, a former justice department official. "President Obama can take credit, rightfully, for the success today," Yoo wrote in National Review, "but he owes it to the tough decisions taken by the Bush administration."
Yet in the end, the "ticking time bomb" justification often invoked by former Bush officials and politicians where the ends justify the means doesn't apply to the bin Laden scenario. Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the National Security Council, said: "The bottom line is this: If we had some kind of smokking-gun intelligence fromwaterboarding in 2003. It took years of collection and analysis from many different sources to develop the case that enabled us to identify this compound, and reach a judgement that bin Laden was likely to be living there."
No single man, tactic or party can take full responsibility for the success of the mission. It was an accumulation of various elements that spanned multiple presidencies that led to the capture of bin Laden. But, as we find so often in our great country of democracy, the urge to politicize such an event couldn't be resisted by Capitol Hill's hardliner bipartisans.
Quickly, the eyes of party advocates turned toward the elections on the horizon, and the aisles once again were split. But what the mainstream American should be doing is not following in their lead but rather thinking, who cares?
Who cares whether or not torture during the Bush years led to the capture of bin Laden, and who cares which president deserves the most praise. What matters nowis the fact that, through the success of a well-execulted American operation, our world has been ridden of a man whose hands were stained with the blood of more than 3,000 American citizens.
To politicize such a moment of triumph only shows how low some politicians have sunk in their morals. As a country, we should be celebrating a sense of closure and helping those who are struggling to handle reopened wounds caused by such an emotional event.
There is a line to be drawn where politics ends and human compassion and restraint take its place. To politicize such an event means one isn't clearly seeing the bigger picture. To divide and bicker when, as a country, we have made a historic turning point against the large-scale terrorist network that still threatens us today, means to turn a moment of greater triumph into a moment of disunity.
Politics has its place, but not when it begins to stain the pride of Americans.
Celebration, triumph, closure and renewed grief made Americans stand upon their feet in unity as our country finally felt a sense of justice brought down upon the leader who darkened the pages of our recent history.
But as intelligence officials disclosed the trail of evidence that led to the compound in Pakistan where bin Laden was hiding, such short-lived political unity was swept away.
Instead of those on Capitol Hill basking in the glory of a successful operation, they allowed their moment of eminence to be dragged into the muck and murk by political figures out to enhance their own party's agenda. Such bipartisanship took form inthe vindication and reproach over the debate on torture.
Before a day had passed, the chairman of the House of Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), told Fox News that the success of the hunt for bin Laden was due to waterboarding. The following morning, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said plainly: "None of this came as a result of harsh interrogation practices."
Within a single day, such a moment for rejoicing was turned into a political debacle.
Quickly following the capture of bin Laden, a chorus of Bush administration officials claimed justification for "enhanced interrogation techniques" such as waterboarding. Among them was John Yoo, a former justice department official. "President Obama can take credit, rightfully, for the success today," Yoo wrote in National Review, "but he owes it to the tough decisions taken by the Bush administration."
Yet in the end, the "ticking time bomb" justification often invoked by former Bush officials and politicians where the ends justify the means doesn't apply to the bin Laden scenario. Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the National Security Council, said: "The bottom line is this: If we had some kind of smokking-gun intelligence fromwaterboarding in 2003. It took years of collection and analysis from many different sources to develop the case that enabled us to identify this compound, and reach a judgement that bin Laden was likely to be living there."
No single man, tactic or party can take full responsibility for the success of the mission. It was an accumulation of various elements that spanned multiple presidencies that led to the capture of bin Laden. But, as we find so often in our great country of democracy, the urge to politicize such an event couldn't be resisted by Capitol Hill's hardliner bipartisans.
Quickly, the eyes of party advocates turned toward the elections on the horizon, and the aisles once again were split. But what the mainstream American should be doing is not following in their lead but rather thinking, who cares?
Who cares whether or not torture during the Bush years led to the capture of bin Laden, and who cares which president deserves the most praise. What matters nowis the fact that, through the success of a well-execulted American operation, our world has been ridden of a man whose hands were stained with the blood of more than 3,000 American citizens.
To politicize such a moment of triumph only shows how low some politicians have sunk in their morals. As a country, we should be celebrating a sense of closure and helping those who are struggling to handle reopened wounds caused by such an emotional event.
There is a line to be drawn where politics ends and human compassion and restraint take its place. To politicize such an event means one isn't clearly seeing the bigger picture. To divide and bicker when, as a country, we have made a historic turning point against the large-scale terrorist network that still threatens us today, means to turn a moment of greater triumph into a moment of disunity.
Politics has its place, but not when it begins to stain the pride of Americans.
IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD....AND WE FEEL FINE
Some Christian groups believe Judgement Day arrives on Saturday May 21, leading to the total destruction of the universe five months later. If so, we might as well try to look at the bright side.
So I guess this is the end.
In case you haven't heard, Harold Camping, Christian evangelical author and president of the religious network Family Radio, has declared this Saturday, May 21, to be Judgement Day.
So if you weren't aware, surprise!
Though Camping's theory is rejected by the vast majority of Christian groups, there are still thousands of people around the globe who believe he is correct. His theory is the result of years of searching for a formula that can calculate the date of Judgement Day. He believed he finally had one.
According to the 89-year-old Camping, the number 5 stands for "atonement," 10 stands for "completeness" and 17 stands for "heaven." Multiply the three together and then square the result.
You get 722,500.
What Camping and thousands of others believe is that Judgement Day will occur that many days after Jesus' death. Jesus is said to have died on April 1, 33 A.D., which was 1,978 years ago. If you multiply 1,978 years by 365,2422 days per year, you get 722,449 days. Subtract this number from 722,500 and you are left with 51 days. This means that Judgement Day would be 51 days after April 1, 2011.
In other words, May 21.
Judgement Day will begin, according to http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/ , with the rapture (the taking up into heaven of God's elect people). The rest of the world will suffer through five months of horrible torment, starting Saturday with a massive earthquake that will kill millions and catapult the remains of the belivers up to heaven.
The universe itself will then be destroyed completely on Oct. 21. (So much for the Phillies winning another World Series).
It's certainly a well thought-out calculation, if nothing else.
So let's say for a second that he's right. What happens if Saturday really is the beginning of the end?
I've made a list of the top five best things about the world ending. Can't hurt to keep it positive, right?
1. You won't have to worry about Dec. 21, 2012, anymore.
Sorry, Mayans, maybe next time! Can't get the end of the world right every time; even Camping has made mistakes. Indeed, the world did not end on Sept. 4, 1994, as he originally predicted.
(And before you all jump down my throat, yes, I am aware that the Mayans never actually said that 12/21/2012 was the end of the world.)
2. Juniors like me will be the first class to not deal with the stress of senior year of high school.
Not getting to graduate will be quite unfortunate, though I suppose we won't have to worry about getting into college or finding a job if the universe is destroyed. Homework, too. I'm pretty sure no one would care about physics if most of us had two days to live.
3. For people at schools like mine, which haven't had their proms yet, you won't have to stress out over whether or not you can get a date.
You'll only have to stress out about the end of the world! So breathe a sigh of relief; that's one item off your plate.
4. We'll be the only generation that gets to see the end of the world.
It only happens once, you know! We totally get bragging rights on that one. Now if only I could find someone to brag about it to....
5. Everyone will have a good excuse to break as many rules as possible and to live life to its fullest.
Time to get out the old bucket list! If the world does startending on Saturday, you'll only have limited time to go nuts and do whatever you want! Not that I'm saying you should go out and rob a bank because it won't matter in a few months, but, hey, live like you're dying.
Hopefully the world won't end. But if it does, this will probably be the last article you readers out there have enjoyed, because it may be coming to an end.
And eventhough you're probably reading this in the morning or afternoon, I feel as if I must say: 'Good night....and good luck."
So I guess this is the end.
In case you haven't heard, Harold Camping, Christian evangelical author and president of the religious network Family Radio, has declared this Saturday, May 21, to be Judgement Day.
So if you weren't aware, surprise!
Though Camping's theory is rejected by the vast majority of Christian groups, there are still thousands of people around the globe who believe he is correct. His theory is the result of years of searching for a formula that can calculate the date of Judgement Day. He believed he finally had one.
According to the 89-year-old Camping, the number 5 stands for "atonement," 10 stands for "completeness" and 17 stands for "heaven." Multiply the three together and then square the result.
You get 722,500.
What Camping and thousands of others believe is that Judgement Day will occur that many days after Jesus' death. Jesus is said to have died on April 1, 33 A.D., which was 1,978 years ago. If you multiply 1,978 years by 365,2422 days per year, you get 722,449 days. Subtract this number from 722,500 and you are left with 51 days. This means that Judgement Day would be 51 days after April 1, 2011.
In other words, May 21.
Judgement Day will begin, according to http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/ , with the rapture (the taking up into heaven of God's elect people). The rest of the world will suffer through five months of horrible torment, starting Saturday with a massive earthquake that will kill millions and catapult the remains of the belivers up to heaven.
The universe itself will then be destroyed completely on Oct. 21. (So much for the Phillies winning another World Series).
It's certainly a well thought-out calculation, if nothing else.
So let's say for a second that he's right. What happens if Saturday really is the beginning of the end?
I've made a list of the top five best things about the world ending. Can't hurt to keep it positive, right?
1. You won't have to worry about Dec. 21, 2012, anymore.
Sorry, Mayans, maybe next time! Can't get the end of the world right every time; even Camping has made mistakes. Indeed, the world did not end on Sept. 4, 1994, as he originally predicted.
(And before you all jump down my throat, yes, I am aware that the Mayans never actually said that 12/21/2012 was the end of the world.)
2. Juniors like me will be the first class to not deal with the stress of senior year of high school.
Not getting to graduate will be quite unfortunate, though I suppose we won't have to worry about getting into college or finding a job if the universe is destroyed. Homework, too. I'm pretty sure no one would care about physics if most of us had two days to live.
3. For people at schools like mine, which haven't had their proms yet, you won't have to stress out over whether or not you can get a date.
You'll only have to stress out about the end of the world! So breathe a sigh of relief; that's one item off your plate.
4. We'll be the only generation that gets to see the end of the world.
It only happens once, you know! We totally get bragging rights on that one. Now if only I could find someone to brag about it to....
5. Everyone will have a good excuse to break as many rules as possible and to live life to its fullest.
Time to get out the old bucket list! If the world does startending on Saturday, you'll only have limited time to go nuts and do whatever you want! Not that I'm saying you should go out and rob a bank because it won't matter in a few months, but, hey, live like you're dying.
Hopefully the world won't end. But if it does, this will probably be the last article you readers out there have enjoyed, because it may be coming to an end.
And eventhough you're probably reading this in the morning or afternoon, I feel as if I must say: 'Good night....and good luck."
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
TOWN NAMES
WHAT A LONG, strange trip.....Humor editor Andy Simmons explains how he got his job:
It all started in Mars, California. The way everybody stared at me made me feel as if I were from a different planet. After a good look at my reflection in Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky, I saw why. I put on hold my vacation to Prettyboy, Maryland ----a trim was in order. But where? Tater Peeler, Tennessee, it seemed, was the logical spot. I was wrong. The barbers in Scissors, Texas, made a valiant effort to save my do, but it was too late: I was left down in the dumps in Bald Head, Maine.
Comfort food was called for, and I found some in Cookietown, Oklahoma. After a month of indulgence, people wondered aloud if I were from Chunky, Mississippi.
"I haven't seen such cellulite since Sandy Mush, North Carolina!" they howled. The fat jokes got to me, so I moved to where they would never dare call me that ----Big Bone, Kentucky. It was pure fantasyland. During the day, I swam in Ham Lake, Minnesota; at night I dreamed I was in Cinderella, West Virginia, and didn't tell anyone about seeing Unicorn, Pennsylvania. Had I let that slip out, they'd surely have sent me straight to Looneyville, Texas.
But having grown up in Tightwad, Missouri, I wasn't about to pay the outrageous one-way fare. No, I needed someplace cheap. Too scared to fly into Eek, Alaska, I found an alternative lifestyle in Gay Meadows, Alabama. I told stories about my haircut and stumbled upon a receptive audience in Chuckle, North Carolina, where they swore I would kill in Humorist, Washington. They insisted that I take my jokes and drive down to Texas to Jot'Em Down. Who was I to argue? I wasn't from Squabbletown, California. I knew the editor was also staying in Texas, so I rang her doorbell in Ding Dong. And that, Dear Reader, is how I landed in South Dakota and in this Jolly Dump.
It all started in Mars, California. The way everybody stared at me made me feel as if I were from a different planet. After a good look at my reflection in Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky, I saw why. I put on hold my vacation to Prettyboy, Maryland ----a trim was in order. But where? Tater Peeler, Tennessee, it seemed, was the logical spot. I was wrong. The barbers in Scissors, Texas, made a valiant effort to save my do, but it was too late: I was left down in the dumps in Bald Head, Maine.
Comfort food was called for, and I found some in Cookietown, Oklahoma. After a month of indulgence, people wondered aloud if I were from Chunky, Mississippi.
"I haven't seen such cellulite since Sandy Mush, North Carolina!" they howled. The fat jokes got to me, so I moved to where they would never dare call me that ----Big Bone, Kentucky. It was pure fantasyland. During the day, I swam in Ham Lake, Minnesota; at night I dreamed I was in Cinderella, West Virginia, and didn't tell anyone about seeing Unicorn, Pennsylvania. Had I let that slip out, they'd surely have sent me straight to Looneyville, Texas.
But having grown up in Tightwad, Missouri, I wasn't about to pay the outrageous one-way fare. No, I needed someplace cheap. Too scared to fly into Eek, Alaska, I found an alternative lifestyle in Gay Meadows, Alabama. I told stories about my haircut and stumbled upon a receptive audience in Chuckle, North Carolina, where they swore I would kill in Humorist, Washington. They insisted that I take my jokes and drive down to Texas to Jot'Em Down. Who was I to argue? I wasn't from Squabbletown, California. I knew the editor was also staying in Texas, so I rang her doorbell in Ding Dong. And that, Dear Reader, is how I landed in South Dakota and in this Jolly Dump.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
PUZZLE
If this text were arranged alphabetically.
What would the 13th word be?
I have heard of a man who had a
mind to sell his house, and therefore
carried a piece of brick in his pocket,
which he showed as a pattern to
encourage
purchasers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answer : Heard
What would the 13th word be?
I have heard of a man who had a
mind to sell his house, and therefore
carried a piece of brick in his pocket,
which he showed as a pattern to
encourage
purchasers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answer : Heard
Bumper Sticker Sightings
- Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
- Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
- Born free, taxed to death.
- Forget about world peace.......visualize using your turn signal.
- I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
- A closed mouth gathers no feet.
- A lost ounce of gold may be found, a lost moment of time never.
- It is bad luck to be superstitious!
You said You Love Peanut Butter..........
Check out http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com/
About three out of four American households consider peanut butter a staple like bread and milk. This website is a fan club for peanut butter lovers everywhere. It gives the history of peanut butter, explains how it's made and contains other interesting information including some great recipes!
P.S. Peanuts are not actually nuts at all!
They are legumes, like beans, peas and lentils.
"To me, peanut butter is the breakfast of champions!"
Greg Loughanis, Olympic Diver
About three out of four American households consider peanut butter a staple like bread and milk. This website is a fan club for peanut butter lovers everywhere. It gives the history of peanut butter, explains how it's made and contains other interesting information including some great recipes!
P.S. Peanuts are not actually nuts at all!
They are legumes, like beans, peas and lentils.
"To me, peanut butter is the breakfast of champions!"
Greg Loughanis, Olympic Diver
Coney Island gets first new roller coasters in 80 years
The first new roller coasters to be built at Coney Island in eight decades were opened on Wednesday as part of efforts to reverse the decline of New York City's world-famous theme park. The Soarin' Eagle and Steeplechase roller coasters are part of the new multimillion-dollar Scream Zone theme park, that replaced several more ramshackle attractions that had their own loyal followings.
"Last summer was Coney Island's biggest in nearly a half century, and this year -- with the addition of the first new roller coasters since the Cyclone opened in 1927 -- it's going to be even bigger," New York City Mayor Bloomberg said at Wednesday's opening ceremony. "It had been decades since Coney Island saw any significant investment and the famed amusement district had dwindled as a result."
The City of New York rezoned Coney Island in 2009 in an attempt to revitalize the neighborhood by preserving some of its historic attractions while encouraging the development of hotels, restaurants and retail stores in the amusement district and affordable housing in the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The City bought three parcels of land, totaling 6.9 acres, and signed a 10-year lease with Central Amusement International, a New Jersey-based subsidiary of the Italian amusement park-ride manufacturer Zamperla, to build new theme parks. The first, Luna Park, opened last year, helping attract more than 450,000 visitors to the neighborhood last summer, the City said.
Under the revitalization plan, the City is spending more than $150 million on improvements to Coney Island, which has attracted thrill-seeking New Yorkers and tourists since the late 19th century.
Mayor Bloomberg says the investment will result in 6,000 permanent jobs and create $14 billion of economic activity in New York over the next 30 years.
The redevelopment has had detractors, stirring the same sort of feelings as did the transformation of Times Square from an edgy neighborhood into a family-friendly tourist attraction.
While some saw the Coney Island of the recent past as old-fashioned and seedy, others saw it as an authentic and charming neighborhood where small-scale entrepreneurs could flourish.
"Last summer was Coney Island's biggest in nearly a half century, and this year -- with the addition of the first new roller coasters since the Cyclone opened in 1927 -- it's going to be even bigger," New York City Mayor Bloomberg said at Wednesday's opening ceremony. "It had been decades since Coney Island saw any significant investment and the famed amusement district had dwindled as a result."
The City of New York rezoned Coney Island in 2009 in an attempt to revitalize the neighborhood by preserving some of its historic attractions while encouraging the development of hotels, restaurants and retail stores in the amusement district and affordable housing in the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The City bought three parcels of land, totaling 6.9 acres, and signed a 10-year lease with Central Amusement International, a New Jersey-based subsidiary of the Italian amusement park-ride manufacturer Zamperla, to build new theme parks. The first, Luna Park, opened last year, helping attract more than 450,000 visitors to the neighborhood last summer, the City said.
Under the revitalization plan, the City is spending more than $150 million on improvements to Coney Island, which has attracted thrill-seeking New Yorkers and tourists since the late 19th century.
Mayor Bloomberg says the investment will result in 6,000 permanent jobs and create $14 billion of economic activity in New York over the next 30 years.
The redevelopment has had detractors, stirring the same sort of feelings as did the transformation of Times Square from an edgy neighborhood into a family-friendly tourist attraction.
While some saw the Coney Island of the recent past as old-fashioned and seedy, others saw it as an authentic and charming neighborhood where small-scale entrepreneurs could flourish.
New Yorkers sample cheese made from human breast milk
A New York gallery on Sunday offered adventurous eaters the opportunity to sample cheese made from human breast milk, getting mixed reviews and some puzzled looks. The Lady Cheese Shop is a temporary art installation by Miriam Simun, a graduate student at New York University who hopes to use the craft of cheese-making to raise questions about the ethics of modern biotechnologies.
"Cheese is the conversation starter," Simun said. "Some people are loving it, and some people are gagging."
Simun found three nursing women willing to have their milk turned into cheese. She screened the milk for diseases, pasteurized it and learned the basics of cheese-making.
Three varieties were available on Sunday -- West Side Funk, Midtown Smoke, described as "creamy and just pure heaven," and Wisconsin Chew, the taste of which apparently reflected the vegetable-filled diet of the woman who provided its milk.
Jocelyn James, of Manhattan, who works with expectant mothers, declared her favorite was Midtown Smoke, which she said was mild. She described Wisconsin Chew as bland.
"It's a lot healthier than cow's milk, which can be very suspicious," she said, although she conceded: "It does have a stigma."
Frances Anderson sampled the cheese while breast-feeding her infant son Luan.
"I'm an adventurous eater," she said. "I know more about the source of this food than going into a supermarket and picking up Cheddar cheese. I don't know what they pumped into that cow."
Passersby seemed perplexed.
"That there's so weird," said Cheryl Coleman, a neighbor walking by.
"I love this neighborhood," she added.
Simun said she hoped her cheese will make people think about the various ways human bodies are used as "factories," producing blood, hair, sperm, eggs and organs that can all be harvested to be used by others.
And while the transfusion of human blood is a common practice, uses of human milk raise eyebrows.
Last year, a New York chef served diners at his restaurant cheese made from his wife's milk, and earlier this year an ice cream parlor in London began buying women's breast milk and turning it into frozen treats.
"You're putting it in your mouth," said Simun of human milk and the taboos around it. "There's something really visceral about that."
"Cheese is the conversation starter," Simun said. "Some people are loving it, and some people are gagging."
Simun found three nursing women willing to have their milk turned into cheese. She screened the milk for diseases, pasteurized it and learned the basics of cheese-making.
Three varieties were available on Sunday -- West Side Funk, Midtown Smoke, described as "creamy and just pure heaven," and Wisconsin Chew, the taste of which apparently reflected the vegetable-filled diet of the woman who provided its milk.
Jocelyn James, of Manhattan, who works with expectant mothers, declared her favorite was Midtown Smoke, which she said was mild. She described Wisconsin Chew as bland.
"It's a lot healthier than cow's milk, which can be very suspicious," she said, although she conceded: "It does have a stigma."
Frances Anderson sampled the cheese while breast-feeding her infant son Luan.
"I'm an adventurous eater," she said. "I know more about the source of this food than going into a supermarket and picking up Cheddar cheese. I don't know what they pumped into that cow."
Passersby seemed perplexed.
"That there's so weird," said Cheryl Coleman, a neighbor walking by.
"I love this neighborhood," she added.
Simun said she hoped her cheese will make people think about the various ways human bodies are used as "factories," producing blood, hair, sperm, eggs and organs that can all be harvested to be used by others.
And while the transfusion of human blood is a common practice, uses of human milk raise eyebrows.
Last year, a New York chef served diners at his restaurant cheese made from his wife's milk, and earlier this year an ice cream parlor in London began buying women's breast milk and turning it into frozen treats.
"You're putting it in your mouth," said Simun of human milk and the taboos around it. "There's something really visceral about that."
Not all young Australian men want more sex?
Unbelievable as it may sound, not all young men want more sex.
According to a survey of Australian men, 12 percent between the ages of 16 and 24 said they wanted less sex -- the highest proportion of any age group.
"Although it's a minority, it's still interesting that it's more of them (than any other age group), which is not that sort of myth, boys not getting enough sex and dying to get it," Juliet Richters, Associate Professor in Sexual Health, University of New South Wales, told Reuters.
Richters and a team of researchers from around Australia surveyed some 4,300 heterosexual men and 4,400 women between the ages of 16 and 64.
She said another survey five years ago showed similar results.
Only 31 percent of men in that age group said they wanted more sex, the lowest of any other age group as well.
"It may well be that they are being overwhelmed by girls of much the same age who are madly in love and very keen," she said.
"It also takes men of that age about a year or longer to commit to a relationship."
More predictably, the survey found that 57 percent of men between 35 and 44 wanted more sex compared with only 28 percent of women, while 14 percent of women said they wanted less.
Half of men aged 55 to 64 wanted more sex, while only 27 percent of women in the same age group felt the same.
"The evolutionary explanation is women are only keen on sex when they can conceive. A social explanation is a whole lot of stuff, including time, pressure, tiredness," Richter said.
"I mean, sex is a leisure activity after all."
According to a survey of Australian men, 12 percent between the ages of 16 and 24 said they wanted less sex -- the highest proportion of any age group.
"Although it's a minority, it's still interesting that it's more of them (than any other age group), which is not that sort of myth, boys not getting enough sex and dying to get it," Juliet Richters, Associate Professor in Sexual Health, University of New South Wales, told Reuters.
Richters and a team of researchers from around Australia surveyed some 4,300 heterosexual men and 4,400 women between the ages of 16 and 64.
She said another survey five years ago showed similar results.
Only 31 percent of men in that age group said they wanted more sex, the lowest of any other age group as well.
"It may well be that they are being overwhelmed by girls of much the same age who are madly in love and very keen," she said.
"It also takes men of that age about a year or longer to commit to a relationship."
More predictably, the survey found that 57 percent of men between 35 and 44 wanted more sex compared with only 28 percent of women, while 14 percent of women said they wanted less.
Half of men aged 55 to 64 wanted more sex, while only 27 percent of women in the same age group felt the same.
"The evolutionary explanation is women are only keen on sex when they can conceive. A social explanation is a whole lot of stuff, including time, pressure, tiredness," Richter said.
"I mean, sex is a leisure activity after all."
Deacon offers holy guidance at supermarket
An Austrian deacon is making a special offer at his local supermarkets -- free spiritual guidance and counseling when you pick up your groceries.
Deacon Willi Holzhammer is touring the Alpine province of Tyrol each Saturday and setting up his service for shoppers.
The retired computer specialist already runs a page on social networking site Facebook where followers can "Ask Willi" for advice.
"Personal encounters are just another step," Holzhammer said in a press release from Catholic news agency Kathpress.
His supermarket service will run for five weeks and be held at different towns in the western province.
Deacon Willi Holzhammer is touring the Alpine province of Tyrol each Saturday and setting up his service for shoppers.
The retired computer specialist already runs a page on social networking site Facebook where followers can "Ask Willi" for advice.
"Personal encounters are just another step," Holzhammer said in a press release from Catholic news agency Kathpress.
His supermarket service will run for five weeks and be held at different towns in the western province.
German mayor rescues man trapped in women's prison
A mayor in Germany helped rescue a man who became trapped in a women's prison after mistaking it for a shortcut to a nearby park, police in the northern city of Hildesheim said on Wednesday.
Hildesheim Mayor Henning Blum heard the man's cries for help while passing by the prison near the city center and notified police who came and freed the 24-year-old.
The man told police he was strolling through town and did not immediately notice he had walked into a prison. By the time it dawned on him where he was, the gate to the jail had already closed, locking him inside.
Police said they are investigating why the prison gate was open, enabling the man to wander in.
Hildesheim Mayor Henning Blum heard the man's cries for help while passing by the prison near the city center and notified police who came and freed the 24-year-old.
The man told police he was strolling through town and did not immediately notice he had walked into a prison. By the time it dawned on him where he was, the gate to the jail had already closed, locking him inside.
Police said they are investigating why the prison gate was open, enabling the man to wander in.
Royal wedding douses New Zealand's republican flame
The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is being credited with rekindling the loyalty of New Zealand, the likely future king's most distant realm.
A survey released Wednesday showed approval of the British royal family had risen to 74 percent after the wedding, compared with 60 percent when the question was last asked in July 2002.
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II the nominal head of state represented by a Governor General.
Around 1 million people lined the streets of central London to share in the show royal pomp and pageantry last week, with media estimates putting the global television audience at up to 2.4 billion.
The country's loose republican ambitions have taken a knock, with only 33 percent expecting the country to become a republic within the next 20 years from 58 percent in a 2005 survey.
The level of support for New Zealand becoming a republic was just 24 percent. Other surveys have put support for a republic at around 33 percent.
Prince William has visited New Zealand twice in the 12 months, most recently in March when he represented the Queen at a memorial service for victims of the devastating Christchurch earthquake.
A survey released Wednesday showed approval of the British royal family had risen to 74 percent after the wedding, compared with 60 percent when the question was last asked in July 2002.
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II the nominal head of state represented by a Governor General.
Around 1 million people lined the streets of central London to share in the show royal pomp and pageantry last week, with media estimates putting the global television audience at up to 2.4 billion.
The country's loose republican ambitions have taken a knock, with only 33 percent expecting the country to become a republic within the next 20 years from 58 percent in a 2005 survey.
The level of support for New Zealand becoming a republic was just 24 percent. Other surveys have put support for a republic at around 33 percent.
Prince William has visited New Zealand twice in the 12 months, most recently in March when he represented the Queen at a memorial service for victims of the devastating Christchurch earthquake.
Convict disguised as woman recaptured in Egypt
An escaped Egyptian prisoner was recaptured as he fled a police ambush disguised as a woman in the Suez canal city of Ismailia, security sources said on Saturday.
Adel Mohammed Dasouqi, 35, escaped from Cairo's Abu Zaabal prison earlier this year while serving a three-year sentence for robbery and extortion.
He was accused of using fierce dogs to force shopkeepers and other people to pay him protection money.
Dasouqi was injured when he tried to escape by jumping from the third floor of a building as police closed in Thursday, the security sources said.
They said he was dressed in a woman's outfit, including a burqa that covers the face.
"He suffered broken arms and legs. He is now being held at a military prison," one source said.
It was the second time that security forces have recaptured him since he broke out of Abu Zaabal during the chaos that accompanied the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak on February 11.
He was captured about a month ago but managed to escape from an Ismailia prison hospital where he was being held.
Adel Mohammed Dasouqi, 35, escaped from Cairo's Abu Zaabal prison earlier this year while serving a three-year sentence for robbery and extortion.
He was accused of using fierce dogs to force shopkeepers and other people to pay him protection money.
Dasouqi was injured when he tried to escape by jumping from the third floor of a building as police closed in Thursday, the security sources said.
They said he was dressed in a woman's outfit, including a burqa that covers the face.
"He suffered broken arms and legs. He is now being held at a military prison," one source said.
It was the second time that security forces have recaptured him since he broke out of Abu Zaabal during the chaos that accompanied the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak on February 11.
He was captured about a month ago but managed to escape from an Ismailia prison hospital where he was being held.
Scientists stung by theft of research bees
Several thousand bees that were part a multi-million pound neuroscience research project have been stolen from a British university.
Police in the Scottish region of Tayside were appealing for information on Tuesday after four bee hives containing several thousand British black bees were stolen from a medical school in the city of Dundee.
"This theft will undoubtedly hamper our research," said Dr Chris Connolly, the lead researcher on the Dundee project, who reported the bees missing on Sunday.
In a statement he described the bees as "very unique" and said they should be easy to identify if they are sold on.
The hives are a part of a 2 million pound ($3.3 million) project at the Center for Neurosciences at the Dundee University's medical school which is investigating the potential effect of pesticides on bee learning and health.
Police said there were keen to trace a white van and two men that were seen in the area at around 0900 GMT on May 8.
Connolly said he thought the bees may have been stolen for breeding, or for selling on to specialist bee-keepers.
"Clearly whoever did this knows what they were doing and how to handle bees," he said.
Police in the Scottish region of Tayside were appealing for information on Tuesday after four bee hives containing several thousand British black bees were stolen from a medical school in the city of Dundee.
"This theft will undoubtedly hamper our research," said Dr Chris Connolly, the lead researcher on the Dundee project, who reported the bees missing on Sunday.
In a statement he described the bees as "very unique" and said they should be easy to identify if they are sold on.
The hives are a part of a 2 million pound ($3.3 million) project at the Center for Neurosciences at the Dundee University's medical school which is investigating the potential effect of pesticides on bee learning and health.
Police said there were keen to trace a white van and two men that were seen in the area at around 0900 GMT on May 8.
Connolly said he thought the bees may have been stolen for breeding, or for selling on to specialist bee-keepers.
"Clearly whoever did this knows what they were doing and how to handle bees," he said.
Illegal immigrants arrive in grand style
A Malaysian man faces charges of attempting to smuggle nine Chinese illegal immigrants into the United States as passengers on board the luxury RMS Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, officials said on Monday.
The group, carrying forged Japanese passports but speaking scarcely any Japanese, was caught by immigration officials after disembarking in New York City on April 26, said John Saleh, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.
Officials said it was unusual for illegal immigrants to arrive in such grand style.
"We haven't really seen this in the past because of course it is expensive. It's quite an investment just to get on this ship," Saleh said.
"If they feel we'd be less likely to suspect a high-end ship as opposed to one of the fly-by-night cruise liners, they'd use that route," he added.
According to court papers, Fatt Kwee Wong of Malaysia admitted to customs officials he was paid $3,500 each to help the five women and four men sneak into the United States.
The nine Chinese boarded as paying passengers in Dubai for their voyage on the ship, which features 14 decks with opulent dining rooms, ballrooms, theaters and even a planetarium.
Cunard Line, which operates the ship, said the case was unprecedented. "To the company's knowledge, this is a first-time occurrence," said Jackie Chase, Cunard public relations manager.
The Chinese immigrants were in custody while authorities processed their deportation.
The accused smuggler was being held in federal custody and his case was expected to go before a grand jury.
The group, carrying forged Japanese passports but speaking scarcely any Japanese, was caught by immigration officials after disembarking in New York City on April 26, said John Saleh, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.
Officials said it was unusual for illegal immigrants to arrive in such grand style.
"We haven't really seen this in the past because of course it is expensive. It's quite an investment just to get on this ship," Saleh said.
"If they feel we'd be less likely to suspect a high-end ship as opposed to one of the fly-by-night cruise liners, they'd use that route," he added.
According to court papers, Fatt Kwee Wong of Malaysia admitted to customs officials he was paid $3,500 each to help the five women and four men sneak into the United States.
The nine Chinese boarded as paying passengers in Dubai for their voyage on the ship, which features 14 decks with opulent dining rooms, ballrooms, theaters and even a planetarium.
Cunard Line, which operates the ship, said the case was unprecedented. "To the company's knowledge, this is a first-time occurrence," said Jackie Chase, Cunard public relations manager.
The Chinese immigrants were in custody while authorities processed their deportation.
The accused smuggler was being held in federal custody and his case was expected to go before a grand jury.
Fans hurt after horse jumps into crowd
Spectators were hospitalized after a race horse hurdled the wrong fence and plunged into the crowd at a steeplechase in Australia Thursday.
Banna Strand, who had lost jockey Rowan Waymouth, leapt into a crowd of about 50 people after veering off course at the 5,500-meter race in Warrnambool, Victoria.
Seven people were taken to hospital, including a two-year-old girl and an elderly woman after the horse jumped a three-meter high fence, according to the AAP news agency.
Banna Strand was one of six horses who failed to complete the marathon race over 33 fences, Waymouth falling off his mount in a pile-up on the first lap.
Racing Victoria is set to launch an investigation into the incident in conjunction with the Warrnambool Racing Club.
"Our primary concern is for the well-being of those people that were injured in this freak accident," Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines said in a statement.
"Ambulances and paramedics were on hand to provide immediate assistance and transfer those requiring further attention to Warrnambool Base Hospital."
Racing Minister Denis Napthine added: "I have asked Racing Victoria to report back to me on existing safety measures and any recommendations to improve spectator safety."
A two-year-old girl suffered a fractured collarbone in the melee while an 80-year-old woman was having shoulder and hip x-rays, and a 12-year-old girl x-rays on her foot, said AAP.
Four people have been discharged from the hospital.
"There were people running everywhere and I could hear the screaming and a horse among all the people over there," an eye witness said.
Banna Strand, who had lost jockey Rowan Waymouth, leapt into a crowd of about 50 people after veering off course at the 5,500-meter race in Warrnambool, Victoria.
Seven people were taken to hospital, including a two-year-old girl and an elderly woman after the horse jumped a three-meter high fence, according to the AAP news agency.
Banna Strand was one of six horses who failed to complete the marathon race over 33 fences, Waymouth falling off his mount in a pile-up on the first lap.
Racing Victoria is set to launch an investigation into the incident in conjunction with the Warrnambool Racing Club.
"Our primary concern is for the well-being of those people that were injured in this freak accident," Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines said in a statement.
"Ambulances and paramedics were on hand to provide immediate assistance and transfer those requiring further attention to Warrnambool Base Hospital."
Racing Minister Denis Napthine added: "I have asked Racing Victoria to report back to me on existing safety measures and any recommendations to improve spectator safety."
A two-year-old girl suffered a fractured collarbone in the melee while an 80-year-old woman was having shoulder and hip x-rays, and a 12-year-old girl x-rays on her foot, said AAP.
Four people have been discharged from the hospital.
"There were people running everywhere and I could hear the screaming and a horse among all the people over there," an eye witness said.
Why some planets spin backward
Some planets are just flipping backward.
Of the more than 500 planets detected around stars besides our Sun, the vast majority appear to spin the same way the star does, scientists reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
But some of these extrasolar planets spin in the opposite direction of the stars they orbit, astronomers found. These strange, backward-spinning planets are usually gassy giants called hot Jupiters, not rocky orbs like Earth.
Besides their backwards twirling, which the astronomers call flipped orbits, these big planets huddle close to their stars, unlike Jupiter, which is about 483 million miles (778 million km) from the Sun, more than five times as distant from the Sun as Earth.
"That's really weird, and it's even weirder because the planet is so close to the star," Frederic Rasio of Northwestern University said in a statement.
"How can one be spinning one way and the other orbiting exactly the other way? It's crazy. It so obviously violates our most basic picture of planet and star formation."
Astronomers have long theorized that big gas planets form further away from their stars, while Earth-like rocks are born closer in.
But just because a Jupiter-like planet forms in the planetary boondocks doesn't mean it stays there, Rasio and his colleagues reported.
When planetary systems contain more than one planet, in addition to a star, each planet has its own gravitational force, causing the planets to interact and eventually pulling the gas giants close to the star and even reversing its orbit, the scientists found.
This process is known as gravitational perturbation, or an exchange of angular momentum.
Astronomers have been detecting extrasolar planets since 1995, but have seen only a handful. The others are inferred by the gravitational pull they exert on the stars they orbit, creating a starry wobble that indicates one or more planets present but unseen in the planetary system.
The National Science Foundation supported this research.
Of the more than 500 planets detected around stars besides our Sun, the vast majority appear to spin the same way the star does, scientists reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
But some of these extrasolar planets spin in the opposite direction of the stars they orbit, astronomers found. These strange, backward-spinning planets are usually gassy giants called hot Jupiters, not rocky orbs like Earth.
Besides their backwards twirling, which the astronomers call flipped orbits, these big planets huddle close to their stars, unlike Jupiter, which is about 483 million miles (778 million km) from the Sun, more than five times as distant from the Sun as Earth.
"That's really weird, and it's even weirder because the planet is so close to the star," Frederic Rasio of Northwestern University said in a statement.
"How can one be spinning one way and the other orbiting exactly the other way? It's crazy. It so obviously violates our most basic picture of planet and star formation."
Astronomers have long theorized that big gas planets form further away from their stars, while Earth-like rocks are born closer in.
But just because a Jupiter-like planet forms in the planetary boondocks doesn't mean it stays there, Rasio and his colleagues reported.
When planetary systems contain more than one planet, in addition to a star, each planet has its own gravitational force, causing the planets to interact and eventually pulling the gas giants close to the star and even reversing its orbit, the scientists found.
This process is known as gravitational perturbation, or an exchange of angular momentum.
Astronomers have been detecting extrasolar planets since 1995, but have seen only a handful. The others are inferred by the gravitational pull they exert on the stars they orbit, creating a starry wobble that indicates one or more planets present but unseen in the planetary system.
The National Science Foundation supported this research.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
COULD YOUR SYMPTOMS BE SIGNS OF FOOD ALLERGY?
Food allergies are caused by immunological reactions to foods, sometimes in individuals or families predisposed to allergies. Following are the symptoms to watch for, testing methods, usual treatment options and websites from which more information is available.
Allergy vs. intolerance
Fortunately, food allergies are not common only about 3 percent of adults and 6 to 8 percent of children have clinically proven allergic reactions to food----but tey can be serious, as you'll read below. Meanwhile, food intolerances (such as to lactose in dairy products) or sensitivities to certain foods are more widespread.
Common foods to which children are sensitive or allergic include eggs, milk, peanuts (often a severe allergy), fruit (especially strawberries), shellfish, soy, tree nuts (e.g., walnuts) and wheat gluten (celiac disease). The good news is that many kids outgrow their food allergies by the time they're 5 years old. That said, some allergies, most especially to peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish, tend to last a lifetime.
Common food allergies and sensitivities in adults include fish, shellfish (e.g., shrimp, lobster), peanuts and tree nuts. Food additives, such as thickeners, preservatives and dyes, can also cause a reaction, although only rarely.
While food allergies can strike anyone, the ailment does tend to run in families. Generally, people with allergies come from families in which allergies are common, including allergies to pollen, fur, feathers or medications. Someone with two parents who have allergies is more likely to develop food allergies than someone with one allergic parent.
Allergy vs. intolerance
Fortunately, food allergies are not common only about 3 percent of adults and 6 to 8 percent of children have clinically proven allergic reactions to food----but tey can be serious, as you'll read below. Meanwhile, food intolerances (such as to lactose in dairy products) or sensitivities to certain foods are more widespread.
Common foods to which children are sensitive or allergic include eggs, milk, peanuts (often a severe allergy), fruit (especially strawberries), shellfish, soy, tree nuts (e.g., walnuts) and wheat gluten (celiac disease). The good news is that many kids outgrow their food allergies by the time they're 5 years old. That said, some allergies, most especially to peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish, tend to last a lifetime.
Common food allergies and sensitivities in adults include fish, shellfish (e.g., shrimp, lobster), peanuts and tree nuts. Food additives, such as thickeners, preservatives and dyes, can also cause a reaction, although only rarely.
While food allergies can strike anyone, the ailment does tend to run in families. Generally, people with allergies come from families in which allergies are common, including allergies to pollen, fur, feathers or medications. Someone with two parents who have allergies is more likely to develop food allergies than someone with one allergic parent.
BACKTALK
Facebook post should have stayed
Hello,
When reading your section on Osama bin Laden's death in this week's newspaper, one part of one of the articles disgusted (and worried) me in particular.
However, this was not a reaction to any of the opinions applauding his death (which, too, are rather troublesome) but to the closing paragraph in the article "Sophomore standsby controversial Facebook post."
I hold a very similar opinion on this situation to the one the unnamed sophomore described in the article, and have not hesitated (nor have I seen others hesitate) to express this opinion on Facebook. Though I applaud this student's ambition to express his opinion, the last few sentences of the article, ("The student has sent an apology to those he offended.....He has since taken down the Facebook status") baffled me.
What kind of awful person is offended by sympathy and caring for human life? If I'm offended by all of the statuses celebrating the death of bin Laden, when and how do I get my apology?
Drew Muller's article closes with the sentence "Score one for the good guys." This student being forced to remove his Facebook status expressing his morally upright and righteous opinion is definitely a score for the bad guys.
This student's opinion need not be stifled, and I would encourage him to re-post his status, and take it down for no one. Forcing a student to remove their opinion from a public forum simply because it's different from the majority opinion is disgusting, infuriating and decidedly un-American.
Thank you.
Anonymous
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK:
Call Backtalk, 215-949-4135 or e-mail at : backtalk@phillyBurbs.com
Hello,
When reading your section on Osama bin Laden's death in this week's newspaper, one part of one of the articles disgusted (and worried) me in particular.
However, this was not a reaction to any of the opinions applauding his death (which, too, are rather troublesome) but to the closing paragraph in the article "Sophomore standsby controversial Facebook post."
I hold a very similar opinion on this situation to the one the unnamed sophomore described in the article, and have not hesitated (nor have I seen others hesitate) to express this opinion on Facebook. Though I applaud this student's ambition to express his opinion, the last few sentences of the article, ("The student has sent an apology to those he offended.....He has since taken down the Facebook status") baffled me.
What kind of awful person is offended by sympathy and caring for human life? If I'm offended by all of the statuses celebrating the death of bin Laden, when and how do I get my apology?
Drew Muller's article closes with the sentence "Score one for the good guys." This student being forced to remove his Facebook status expressing his morally upright and righteous opinion is definitely a score for the bad guys.
This student's opinion need not be stifled, and I would encourage him to re-post his status, and take it down for no one. Forcing a student to remove their opinion from a public forum simply because it's different from the majority opinion is disgusting, infuriating and decidedly un-American.
Thank you.
Anonymous
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK:
Call Backtalk, 215-949-4135 or e-mail at : backtalk@phillyBurbs.com
THE END OF OUR BOOGEYMAN
"Instead of asking 'what if disaster strikes,' we ask ourselves 'what if it strikes again?'"
The man who committed the most heinous act of terrorism in American history is finally dead. Now, the generation that's grown up in hs shadow has to discover where the world goes from here.
Ask anyone off the street what changed in the Sept. 11 attacks and you'll likely hear the same answer:
"Everything."
From the politicians in the Capitol to the countless citizens of every town or city in America, practically everyone will be able to tell you how their lives were irrevocably changed when the Twin Towers fell.
On that fateful late summer morning, they'll tell you, it wasn't just the World Trade Center that collapsed into rubble, but the very world we lived in.
Out of the ashes came a new, dangerous and terrifying existence referred to almost ubiquitously as the "Post-9/11 World."
Often lost in the clutter of politics, media and history, however, is the generation for whom the Post-9/11 World has been the only world. Either by being too young to remember how the world was before or by being born too late to even see it, there is an ever-growing portion of the population that has always lived with the threat of attack. A group that, along with spelling tests and multiplication tables, had to learn the government's terror alert scale and what a "threat-level orange" meant.
Now, with the recent death of Osama bin Laden, that group is learning a new word: closure. The man who has haunted the nighmares of countless Americans for almost a decade is finally gone, shot dead by Navy SEALs in a nondescript compound in Pakistan. And while the world at large debates how this affects the War on Terror, it gives the "9/11 Generation" an opportunity to stop and reflect on the effect the past decade has had on them.
It is difficult to overestimate the impact that bin Laden had on the children who grew up with his influence in the world. Many sources had titled him a "modern-day boogeyman," an almost mythical creature lurking in the world's shadows and waiting for his opportunity to strike.
The man who committed the most heinous act of terrorism in American history is finally dead. Now, the generation that's grown up in hs shadow has to discover where the world goes from here.
Ask anyone off the street what changed in the Sept. 11 attacks and you'll likely hear the same answer:
"Everything."
From the politicians in the Capitol to the countless citizens of every town or city in America, practically everyone will be able to tell you how their lives were irrevocably changed when the Twin Towers fell.
On that fateful late summer morning, they'll tell you, it wasn't just the World Trade Center that collapsed into rubble, but the very world we lived in.
Out of the ashes came a new, dangerous and terrifying existence referred to almost ubiquitously as the "Post-9/11 World."
Often lost in the clutter of politics, media and history, however, is the generation for whom the Post-9/11 World has been the only world. Either by being too young to remember how the world was before or by being born too late to even see it, there is an ever-growing portion of the population that has always lived with the threat of attack. A group that, along with spelling tests and multiplication tables, had to learn the government's terror alert scale and what a "threat-level orange" meant.
Now, with the recent death of Osama bin Laden, that group is learning a new word: closure. The man who has haunted the nighmares of countless Americans for almost a decade is finally gone, shot dead by Navy SEALs in a nondescript compound in Pakistan. And while the world at large debates how this affects the War on Terror, it gives the "9/11 Generation" an opportunity to stop and reflect on the effect the past decade has had on them.
It is difficult to overestimate the impact that bin Laden had on the children who grew up with his influence in the world. Many sources had titled him a "modern-day boogeyman," an almost mythical creature lurking in the world's shadows and waiting for his opportunity to strike.
F. Y. I.
Of Note
Only male fireflies can fly.
Body Wisdom
Your big toe only has two bones and the rest have three.
Quotable
by Princess Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997)
"Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back."
So Called
A group of goats is called a trip.
Still on the Books
In Greene, N.Y., it is illegal to eat peanuts and walk backward on the sidewalks during a concert.
Bright Light
A full moon is nine times brighter than a half - moon.
Only male fireflies can fly.
Body Wisdom
Your big toe only has two bones and the rest have three.
Quotable
by Princess Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997)
"Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back."
So Called
A group of goats is called a trip.
Still on the Books
In Greene, N.Y., it is illegal to eat peanuts and walk backward on the sidewalks during a concert.
Bright Light
A full moon is nine times brighter than a half - moon.
F. Y. I.
Famous Firsts
The first ferris wheel was built in Atlantic City in 1869.
Tip to Try
To take lumps out of a bag of sugar, place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Quotable
by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German poet, novelist and dramatist (1749-1832)
"A useless life is an early death."
Measure for Measure
Antarctica has as much ice as the Atlantic Ocean has water.
Chew on This
Cows do not have upper front teeth.
Still on the Books
In Omaha, Neb., sneezing or burping during a church service is illegal.
The first ferris wheel was built in Atlantic City in 1869.
Tip to Try
To take lumps out of a bag of sugar, place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Quotable
by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German poet, novelist and dramatist (1749-1832)
"A useless life is an early death."
Measure for Measure
Antarctica has as much ice as the Atlantic Ocean has water.
Chew on This
Cows do not have upper front teeth.
Still on the Books
In Omaha, Neb., sneezing or burping during a church service is illegal.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
POP QUIZ ( EASTER BUNNY )
What do you know about Easter traditions?
1. What was the original name of the Easter Bunny?
a) Oster Haas
b) Waffle Haas
c) Peter Cottontail
d) Wilhelm von Hoppenschmitz
2. What's the origin of Easter egg hunting?
a) Children starved by evil step-parents went in search of food.
b) Hide and seek became boring.
c) Children in the 18th century believed the Easter Bunny laid colorful eggs during spring.
d) Egg farmers began hiding eggs from wily foxes.
3. The first edible Easter eggs began in Germany during the early 19th century. What were they made of?
a) Eggs.
b) Pastry and sugar.
c) Wienerschnitzel.
d) Braunschweiger and cheese.
4. Which most closely defines Easter?
a) A goddess of light or spring
b) A spring storm missing the Nor'
c) An inhabitant of the East
d) Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate
5. The Easter Bunny is a symbol of what?
a) National Egg Council
b) Fertility
c) Yet another hoax perpetrated on children worldwide?
d) The generous nature of critters
6. In Northwest European folklore, the Easter Bunny is not a rabbit. What is it?
a) Hare
b) Spring land otter
c) Brown-beaked capon
d) A lemur with a cholesterol problem
7. The Easter Bunny was first introduced to the United States by German settlers who arrived in ....?
a) A Mercedes
b) Little Egg Harbor, N.J.
c) Tarrytown, N.Y.
d) Pennsylvania Dutch country
8. What is a female Easter Bunny called?
a) A doe
b) A deer
c) A female rabbit
d) A hoppy homemaker
9. When an Easter Bunny gives birth, what are her newborns called?
a) Bunnies
b) Pups
c) Kits
d) Kaboodles
10. Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson wrote the song "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." What other holiday song did they pen?
a) "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
b) "White Christmas"
c) "Blue Christmas"
d) "White Rabbit"
11. Americans eat 16 billion jelly-beans at Easter, enough to circle the Earth how many times?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS : 1. a ; 2. c ; 3. b ; 4. a ; 5. b ; 6. a ; 7. d ; 8. a ; 9. c ; 10. a ; 11. c
1. What was the original name of the Easter Bunny?
a) Oster Haas
b) Waffle Haas
c) Peter Cottontail
d) Wilhelm von Hoppenschmitz
2. What's the origin of Easter egg hunting?
a) Children starved by evil step-parents went in search of food.
b) Hide and seek became boring.
c) Children in the 18th century believed the Easter Bunny laid colorful eggs during spring.
d) Egg farmers began hiding eggs from wily foxes.
3. The first edible Easter eggs began in Germany during the early 19th century. What were they made of?
a) Eggs.
b) Pastry and sugar.
c) Wienerschnitzel.
d) Braunschweiger and cheese.
4. Which most closely defines Easter?
a) A goddess of light or spring
b) A spring storm missing the Nor'
c) An inhabitant of the East
d) Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate
5. The Easter Bunny is a symbol of what?
a) National Egg Council
b) Fertility
c) Yet another hoax perpetrated on children worldwide?
d) The generous nature of critters
6. In Northwest European folklore, the Easter Bunny is not a rabbit. What is it?
a) Hare
b) Spring land otter
c) Brown-beaked capon
d) A lemur with a cholesterol problem
7. The Easter Bunny was first introduced to the United States by German settlers who arrived in ....?
a) A Mercedes
b) Little Egg Harbor, N.J.
c) Tarrytown, N.Y.
d) Pennsylvania Dutch country
8. What is a female Easter Bunny called?
a) A doe
b) A deer
c) A female rabbit
d) A hoppy homemaker
9. When an Easter Bunny gives birth, what are her newborns called?
a) Bunnies
b) Pups
c) Kits
d) Kaboodles
10. Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson wrote the song "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." What other holiday song did they pen?
a) "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
b) "White Christmas"
c) "Blue Christmas"
d) "White Rabbit"
11. Americans eat 16 billion jelly-beans at Easter, enough to circle the Earth how many times?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS : 1. a ; 2. c ; 3. b ; 4. a ; 5. b ; 6. a ; 7. d ; 8. a ; 9. c ; 10. a ; 11. c
POP QUIZ ( ROYAL TREATMENT )
This quiz is a guide to the royal family that Kate Middleton has just joined.
1. A grandmother of the groom, Prince William, is Queen Elizabeth 2. What is the title of his grandfather Prince Philip?
a) Duke of York.
b) Duke of Kent.
c) Duke of Earl.
d) Duke of Edinburgh.
2. Two of Elizabeth 2's grandchildren do not have formal titles.
a) True.
b) False.
3. Kate's new father-in-law is Prince Charles. What's the official title of the new mum-in-law?
a) Duchess of York.
b) Queen-in-waiting.
c) Duchess of Cornwall.
d) Princess of Wales.
4. What is the name of the queen's first great-grandchild?
a) Elizabeth.
b) Victoria.
c) Diana.
d) Savannah.
5. William's first cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, are the daughters of which of Charles' siblings?
a) Prince Andrew.
b) Princess Anne.
c) Prince Edward.
d) Princess Margaret.
6. Who are the Earl and Countess of Wessex?
a) Prince Andrew and his former wife, Fergie.
b) Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie.
c) Princess Anne and her husband, Timothy Laurence.
d) Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.
7. The best man Friday was William's brother, Prince Harry. What year was Harry born?
a) 1984.
b) 1988.
c) 1992.
d) 1996.
8. How is George VI, the main character in thefilm The King's Speech, related to William?
a) Great-great-grandfather.
b) Great-grandfather.
c) Grandfather.
d) Great-uncle.
9. The wedding of William's parents, Charles and Diana, was watched by hundreds of millions. What year were they married?
a) 1975.
b) 1979.
c) 1981.
d) 1985.
10. What year did William's mother, Diana, die?
a) 1995.
b) 1997.
c) 1999.
d) 2001.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS : 1. d ; 2. a ; 3. c ; 4. d ; 5. a ; 6. b ; 7. a ; 8. b ; 9. c ; 10. b
1. A grandmother of the groom, Prince William, is Queen Elizabeth 2. What is the title of his grandfather Prince Philip?
a) Duke of York.
b) Duke of Kent.
c) Duke of Earl.
d) Duke of Edinburgh.
2. Two of Elizabeth 2's grandchildren do not have formal titles.
a) True.
b) False.
3. Kate's new father-in-law is Prince Charles. What's the official title of the new mum-in-law?
a) Duchess of York.
b) Queen-in-waiting.
c) Duchess of Cornwall.
d) Princess of Wales.
4. What is the name of the queen's first great-grandchild?
a) Elizabeth.
b) Victoria.
c) Diana.
d) Savannah.
5. William's first cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, are the daughters of which of Charles' siblings?
a) Prince Andrew.
b) Princess Anne.
c) Prince Edward.
d) Princess Margaret.
6. Who are the Earl and Countess of Wessex?
a) Prince Andrew and his former wife, Fergie.
b) Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie.
c) Princess Anne and her husband, Timothy Laurence.
d) Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.
7. The best man Friday was William's brother, Prince Harry. What year was Harry born?
a) 1984.
b) 1988.
c) 1992.
d) 1996.
8. How is George VI, the main character in thefilm The King's Speech, related to William?
a) Great-great-grandfather.
b) Great-grandfather.
c) Grandfather.
d) Great-uncle.
9. The wedding of William's parents, Charles and Diana, was watched by hundreds of millions. What year were they married?
a) 1975.
b) 1979.
c) 1981.
d) 1985.
10. What year did William's mother, Diana, die?
a) 1995.
b) 1997.
c) 1999.
d) 2001.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS : 1. d ; 2. a ; 3. c ; 4. d ; 5. a ; 6. b ; 7. a ; 8. b ; 9. c ; 10. b
Sunday, May 1, 2011
NOW YOU KNOW
- On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.
- On April 7, 1949, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacfic" opened on Broadway.
- On April 8, 1911, an explosion at the Banner Coal Mine in Littleton, Ala., claimed the lives of 128 men, most of them convicts loaned out from prisons.
- On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13, with astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert, blasted off on its ill-fated mission to the moon.
- On April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began as Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. (The Union troops holding the fort surrendered the following day.)
- On April 13, 1861, Fort Sumter in South Carolina fell as the Union commander, Maj. Robert Anderson, agreed to surrender in the face of the Confederates' relentless bombardment.
- On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincolon was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth during a performance of "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washinton. The president died nine hours later.
- On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died, nine hours after being shot the night before by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington. Andrew Johnson became the nation's 17th president.
- On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere began his famous ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Mass.,warning American colonists that the British were coming.
- On April 19, 1995, a truck bomb destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. (Bomber Timothy McVeigh was later convicted of federal murder charges and executed.)
- On April 20, 1999, the Columbine High School massacre took place in Colorado as two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.
- On April 21, 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Conn., at age 74.
- On April 22, 1864, Congress authorized the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins.
- On April 25, 1507, German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller produced a world map containing the first recorded use of the term "America," in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.
- On April 26, 1986, a major nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) as an explosion and fire caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. At least 31 people died fighting the plant fire.
- On April 27, 1865, the steamer Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tenn., killing more than 1,400 people, mostly freed Union prisoners of war.
- On April 28, 1789, the mutiny on HMS Bounty took place as the crew of the British ship set Capt. William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific. (Bligh and most of the men with him managed to reach Timor in 47 days.)
- On April 29, 1429, Joan of Arc entered the besieged city of Orleans to lead a French victory over the English.
Not - So - Trivial Pursuit
As Earth Day reminds us, keeping our planet green and thriving is serious business. Here's a quiz to test your everyday environmental know-how.
1. What has been called "the eight-track tape of the lighting world"?
a) the LED bulb
b) the compact fluorescent bulb
c) the Beatles "Good Day, Sunshine"
d) the incandescent bulb
2. What wastes the most energy in the average home?
a) cork flooring
b) aging hot-water tank
c) loose or cracked window and door frames
d) asbestos ceiling tiles
3. Which of the following belongs in an edible landscape?
a) azalea
b) nasturtium
c) daffodil
d) rhubarb leaf
4. Which of these building products is sustainable?
a) sawdust/wood/plastic-blend lumber
b) silicone caulk
c) redwood boards
d) vinyl siding
5. What is one of the things an energy consultant looks for when doing a home energy audit?
a) tax returns
b) valuable eight-track tapes
c) condensation
d) bank records
6. Which of these is not part of HVAC maintenance?
a) insulating air ducts
b) keeping filters and condensers clean
c) having the system checked regularly by a professional
d) using undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle
7. What is an environmentally friendly alternative to a grass lawn?
a) concrete painted green
b) small wildflower meadow
c) in-ground swimming pool
d) large garden shed
8. Which of these is the greenest interior-decorating choice?
a) Chinese silk drapes
b) Italian marble floor tiles
c) antique chair, reupholstered
d) hand-painted landscape mural
9. What is a green roof?
a) asphalt shingles painted green
b) weathered copper
c) Tuscan-style plastic tiles
d) impermeable membrane containing soil and plants
10. How can you get water to soak into the driveway?
a) drill holes in it at regular intervals
b) install pervious asphalt surface
c) do not repair cracks
d) save little packages of dessicant from shoe boxes, have contractor add to paving mixture
11. What is the best way to get rid of an old, inefficent appliance?
a) give it to your sister
b) place it at the curb and hope someone scavenges it for metal
c) take it to the landfill
d) call PECO's appliance-recycling service at 888-573-2672 or PPL at 877-270-3522
12. What's a good way to recycle newspaper?
a) shred and add to your compost pile
b) layer it in a garden bed to prevent weeds
c) use it for papier-mache crafts
d) roll it tightly and use for fireplace tinder
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. d ; 2. c ; 3. b ; 4. a ; 5. c ; 6. d ; 7. b ; 8. c ; 9. d ; 10. b ; 11. d ; 12. all four
1. What has been called "the eight-track tape of the lighting world"?
a) the LED bulb
b) the compact fluorescent bulb
c) the Beatles "Good Day, Sunshine"
d) the incandescent bulb
2. What wastes the most energy in the average home?
a) cork flooring
b) aging hot-water tank
c) loose or cracked window and door frames
d) asbestos ceiling tiles
3. Which of the following belongs in an edible landscape?
a) azalea
b) nasturtium
c) daffodil
d) rhubarb leaf
4. Which of these building products is sustainable?
a) sawdust/wood/plastic-blend lumber
b) silicone caulk
c) redwood boards
d) vinyl siding
5. What is one of the things an energy consultant looks for when doing a home energy audit?
a) tax returns
b) valuable eight-track tapes
c) condensation
d) bank records
6. Which of these is not part of HVAC maintenance?
a) insulating air ducts
b) keeping filters and condensers clean
c) having the system checked regularly by a professional
d) using undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle
7. What is an environmentally friendly alternative to a grass lawn?
a) concrete painted green
b) small wildflower meadow
c) in-ground swimming pool
d) large garden shed
8. Which of these is the greenest interior-decorating choice?
a) Chinese silk drapes
b) Italian marble floor tiles
c) antique chair, reupholstered
d) hand-painted landscape mural
9. What is a green roof?
a) asphalt shingles painted green
b) weathered copper
c) Tuscan-style plastic tiles
d) impermeable membrane containing soil and plants
10. How can you get water to soak into the driveway?
a) drill holes in it at regular intervals
b) install pervious asphalt surface
c) do not repair cracks
d) save little packages of dessicant from shoe boxes, have contractor add to paving mixture
11. What is the best way to get rid of an old, inefficent appliance?
a) give it to your sister
b) place it at the curb and hope someone scavenges it for metal
c) take it to the landfill
d) call PECO's appliance-recycling service at 888-573-2672 or PPL at 877-270-3522
12. What's a good way to recycle newspaper?
a) shred and add to your compost pile
b) layer it in a garden bed to prevent weeds
c) use it for papier-mache crafts
d) roll it tightly and use for fireplace tinder
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. d ; 2. c ; 3. b ; 4. a ; 5. c ; 6. d ; 7. b ; 8. c ; 9. d ; 10. b ; 11. d ; 12. all four
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