May 23, 2008

Group to have 50,000 demonstrators at DNC

A group called “Re-create '68” has secured a permit to use the Colorado State Capitol grounds on the eve of the Democratic National Convention.

The group expects as many as 50,000 people to take part in the protests.

The leader of the group said the name of his group "Re-Create '68" shouldn't cause people to brand it as a group in favor of using violent means “to get society to its desired ends.”





The very name "Re-Create '68" sounds ominous because it refers to the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago as shown in the photos above.

Link

1870 writing ball typewriter

OK, let’s see who can type 65 words per minute on this typewriter.

Hansen writing ball from 1870

Link

Are candidates’ spouses fair game?

Obama says ‘lay off my wife, can’t chivalry exist in a campaign?'

Obama's comments about his wife come after Tennessee Republicans called into question some remarks Michelle Obama made on the campaign trail earlier this year.

In February, referring to the sense of excitement among Democrats over her husband's candidacy, Michelle Obama said, "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country."



Said the state GOP: "The Tennessee Republican Party has always been proud of America."

Obama's warning to his wife's critics drew a harsh response from the McCain campaign, with aides pointing out that the DNC has repeatedly blasted Cindy McCain for not releasing her tax returns.

"I think Obama should get his party under control before he starts issuing edicts," said Jill Hazelbaker, a McCain spokeswoman.

"Instead of attacking John McCain today, maybe Obama ought to spend the day talking to Howard Dean about what is appropriate in this campaign."

If the spouse of a candidate speaks out, thereby taking an active roll in the campaign, they should definitely be ‘fair game.’

If Obama wants to insist on ‘laying off’ his wife, he should insist she stay out of the campaign.

Link

May 22, 2008

Evidence can show up in the strangest places

Kids names in black and white

Listed at the link below are the 20 most popular names for children in the following groups:

Most popular names for white girls
Most popular names for white boys
Most popular names for black girls
Most popular names for black boys

Link

Perks of retirement

Wrinkle free trousers - $49

Dress shoes - $89

Freedom to spend the summer in jean shorts and sneakers - Priceless

May 21, 2008

Hillary listened to hour-long sermon about adultery

Did thoughts of ‘all the president’s women’ race though Hillery’s mind as she sat through the hour-long sermon focused on the sin of committing adultery?

When things couldn't be looking worse for Sen. Hillary Clinton's bid for the presidency in 2008, as her rival Barack Obama closes in on gaining enough delegates to secure the nomination, the former first lady attended a church service in Bowling Green, Ky., Sunday featuring a sermon about lust and adultery.

Bill Clinton has had adulterous affairs with many women from White House interns to movie stars.

How many of the names below went through Hillary’s mind as she listened to the hour-long sermon about adultrey?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Sally Perdue, Dolly Kyle Browning, Judy Gibbs, Deborah Mathis, Cristy Zercher and Elizabeth Ward.



In addition to the partial list above, celebrities Barbara Streisand and Sharon Stone (pictured) have been linked romantically to Bill Clinton.

Link here for the adultery sermon report.

Wyoming man turned his car into stamp album in 1936

(click on picture to enlarge)


This story was published in the November, 1936 issue of Popular Science magazine.

A man from Casper, Wyoming created a very strange stamp album.

Five girls worked for six weeks to plaster the machine with the 10,000-odd specimens, which are covered with a protective coat of varnish to shield them from the weather.

May 20, 2008

Giant beetles from Taiwan seized at US Post Office

About two dozen giant beetles were seized by customs agents at a post office in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. Some of the beetles were the size of a child’s hand.

The large bugs arrived last week from Taiwan in a box whose contents were labeled as toys, gifts and jellies.



The postmaster suspected the package contained live organisms and notified authorities.

The package was sent to Philadelphia, where it was X-rayed and then opened.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency spokesman said "They are highly destructive insect pests that can cause extensive damage to fruit and vegetable crops, trees, shrubs and turf grasses."

In all, authorities found 26 Hercules, rhinoceros and Goliath beetles. It is illegal to ship live beetles into the United States without a permit from the Department of Agriculture.

Seven of the beetles were in containers labeled by gender, which means they could have been intended for breeding.

Link

Segway mom today: soccer mom tomorrow

She may be a soccer mom when her child is older but right now she is a Segway mom.

We wonder how many moms use the gyroscopically balanced Segway “people transporter” for pushing baby strollers.

May 19, 2008

Velcro marks 50th anniversary

The distinctive r-r-r-rip of Velcro fasteners has been around for 50 years.

George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, returned from a walk one day in 1948 and found some cockleburs clinging to his cloth jacket. When de Mestral loosened them, he examined one under his microscope.

The principle was simple. The cocklebur is a maze of thin strands with burrs (or hooks) on the ends that cling to fabrics or animal fur.

By the accident of the cockleburs sticking to his jacket, George de Mestral recognized the potential for a practical new fastener. It took eight years to experiment, develop, and perfect the invention, which consists of two strips of nylon fabric. One strip contains thousands of small hooks. The other strip contains small loops.

When the two strips are pressed together, they form a strong bond. VELCRO, the name de Mestral gave his product, is the brand most of us know.

Velcro has joined Thermos, Band-Aid and others brand names as a verb. We tend to call all hook-and-loop fasteners Velcor no matter who makes them.

Velcro hook-and-loop fasteners are often used to replace buttons, laces, zippers and buckles.

Link to story here. The enlarged Velcro photo is here.

SETI is all ears so speak up ET

SETI, an acronym for Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, has an improved observatory to help in the search for sounds from outer space using several dozen new radio telescopes.





The late physicist Philip Morrison, one of the founding fathers of SETI, called the outer space search “the archaeology of the future,” an attempt to learn whether civilizations more advanced than ours exist.

So, speak up ET, SETI is waiting for your call.

Link

Holy cow!

This British cow named Chilli, is six feet, six inches tall, weighs more than a ton and is the size of a small elephant!

Chili may enter the Guinness World Records as the world's tallest cow.

Link

May 18, 2008

Evolution of the cellular phone

Brief history of the cellular phone:
1973 - Martin Cooper developed a brick-like 30-ounce mobile phone (upper picture) for Motorola.

1983 - Motorola introduces the 16-ounce mobile phone that sold for $3,500.

1996 - Motorola introduced the first flip phone.

1992 - Nokia introduces its first GSM phone.

1999 - The business-friendly BlackBerry introduced.

2004 - Motorola introduced the metal-clad RAZR V3

2007 - Apple introduces the iPhone (lower picture)

Piece of cake

When something is exceptionally easy it is often called a piece of cake, or a cakewalk.

The term is said to have originated from slaves doing a dance called "cakewalking," a dance to somewhat imitate intricate ballroom dancing but made to look effortless. Slave owners would sometimes reward the best performer with a piece of hoecake.

Hoecake (pictured) is thin unleavened johnnycake or cornpone made of cornmeal. It gets its name because it was often baked by field hands on the blade of a hoe over an open fire.

See a Honda Civic parallel park in 7 seconds flat

(click on picture to see video)

He parallel parks in 7 seconds using stick shift and emergency brake. Don’t try this at home.