Sunday, January 31, 2010

Hayley the working dog

It's the slow time of year for the construction business in Mankato, Minnesota, but when your public relations representative is a Golden Retriever named Hayley; jobs for DeMars Construction in Mankato seem to come a little easier.
Hayley is able to climb up a ladder as well as any other on the team. "She's one of the guys, part of the crew," said owner Max DeMars. And like the crew, Hayley too can handle a two-by-four.
Since she was a pup, Hayley, now 10 years old, follows the crew wherever they go.
After hundreds of jobs over the years, she's got a pretty good handle on climbing up the ladder, even when nobody else is up on the roof.
One cold January day her solo trip nearly got her in some hot water.
The crew was working on an addition for the Hosanna Lutheran Church in Mankato when a neighbor spotted her on top of the building. The neighbor called police and a short time later an officer arrived. "The police officer came up and wanted to take her to the pound 'cause he thought it was just a stray dog," laughed DeMars. It took a bit of convincing, but Hayley showed the officer her trick and she was off the hook.
The construction dog has been back at it ever since, as she will likely help secure another gig with the kind of rooftop advertising she helped to bring this time around.
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Homeless donate $14.64 for Haiti quake victims

Donations for Haiti have poured in to the American Red Cross of Central Maryland from a range of sources. Nothing, though, has stood out like the coins and crumpled dollar bills that spilled from one envelope.
That gift - $14.64 - came from the pockets of homeless people at a downtown Baltimore shelter.
"We were all weepy-eyed," recalled Red Cross volunteer coordinator Bobbie Jones, who was at the front desk when the donation arrived.
Public relations director Linnea Anderson got teary, too. "Just the thought of those people huddled together in a shelter and seeing a need beyond themselves is enough to give anybody chills," she said. "What a remarkable example of the human spirit."
The Red Cross chapter has raised over $400,000 for earthquake-ravaged Haiti, counting pledges, Anderson said. Many donations have been hand-delivered to its Northwest Baltimore office. Jones said one man took the subway from downtown to give a few dollars and said, "I felt like I had to help." Another man, moved by images of suffering Haitian children, handed $20 to Executive Director Frank Miller.
But the modest donation from the homeless shelter made an especially big impression. It was dropped off Jan. 19 by Tim Herty, a lay pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium. Herty collected the money two days earlier while holding a church service at the city's 350-bed Guilford Avenue shelter.
"Your heart swells," said Linda Boyer, executive director of Jobs, Housing & Recovery Inc., the nonprofit group that runs the shelter for the city. She said there was no way to interview the contributors because no one took down their names.
Herty expressed concern that he may have violated a policy against collecting money from shelter residents. But Boyer said, "I don't look at it as a violation. I think it was a wonderful, warm thing for the people in our shelter to do."
Boyer, who was not at the shelter for the donation, described it as a "totally spontaneous" outgrowth of a discussion Herty had with shelter residents about the earthquake. "He didn't go in thinking, 'Gee, how much money can I get for Haiti?' "
Diane Glauber, president of Baltimore Homeless Services, said she saw no problem with the donation. "If they volunteered on their own free will," she said, "I see no problem with it. It's a beautiful gesture."
Glauber shared the story with Mayor Sheila Dixon, who praised the donation in a statement.
"Their selfless sacrifice should be a lesson of encouragement to the rest of us to also give our money, time and energy to the relief efforts," Dixon said. "If those with so little to give do so, what is our excuse not to?"
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Why did the chicken cross the road?

To play chicken with drivers on busy road
The well-fed black hen has taken up residence behind the electronic billboard at Glendale Community College for at least two months.
The chicken has dodged animal control officers several times by attempting risky flight maneuvers into traffic at Verdugo Road and Mountain Street.
The brazen bird was walking into the intersection, forcing cars to swerve around it.
Startled by traffic, the chicken quickly turned around and went back to the sidewalk.
Ricky Whitman, spokeswoman for the Pasadena Humane Society, which provides animal control services in Glendale, says the chicken is creating dangerous traffic conditions for drivers.
Whitman said the animal control shelter has received a bunch of calls from people concerned about the bird.
Animal control officials say without the extra food, the bird would become weak enough for them to catch it.
They say tranquilizers are out of the question because the chicken is so small.
Once the bird is captured, officials hope to find it a new home on a farm.
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Why did the chicken cross the road?
Chicken Crosses Road To Be on Live TV
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Friday, January 29, 2010

What do you drive

Sunny D
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Fruit On Wheels
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Blowin’ Bubbles
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What Do You Drive?

Sunny D
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Fruit On Wheels
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Blowin’ Bubbles

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In the News

Young boy faces court for bee sting prank
A prank has had serious repercussions for an Indonesian boy facing criminal charges because he caused a classmate to be stung by a bee. The boy was alleged to have stuck a bee on the cheek of a female classmate as they returned home from school. Her father then filed a police report. The boy, whose name was not given, has not appeared in court because he is depressed and afraid. This could result in a maximum penalty of a 32-month jail sentence.
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U.S. Considers 'Internet Access for All'
American citizens who can't access the Internet are at a severe disadvantage, experts say. According to Blair Levin, executive director of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Omnibus Broadband Initiative, more than three-quarters of U.S. companies now accept resumes only online.
Next month, the United States will introduce a national program aimed at giving every American access to a fast Internet connection, raising the standard from a dial-up connection to broadband. Unlike other nations, however, the U.S. will stop short of declaring broadband access a basic human right.
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3-year-old dials 911 when grandmother has seizure
A 3-year-old Maple Shade, New Jersey boy called 911 when his grandmother had a seizure, something his mother says he learned to do just days before.
Jaden Bolli was at his Grandmother Patricia Bolli's home in Maple Shade on Jan. 22.
When the 54-year-old woman went to get out some puzzles, she had a seizure.
The boy found a phone and dialed 911 for help, calmly describing what happened.
Burlington County 911 Coordinator Monica Gavio says the call was very unusual. Usually, when a child that age dials 911 she says, it's an accident.
But Gavio says it shows that young children can be taught how to get help in an emergency.
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Wait till you see this goat do the coolest thing ever.

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The end is great!

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Danish Royal guard falls flat on face after fainting

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A royal guard fell flat on his face after fainting at a gala dinner hosted by the Danish queen. The unfortunate soldier was knocked out and had to be dragged to his feet by security officials.
The guard had been in a line-up awaiting the arrival of Princess Mary and politicians at the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Have a Seat

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He’s off and running…

… Literally!
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Tesco ban on shoppers in pajamas

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A Tesco store has asked customers not to shop in their pajamas or barefoot.
Notices have been put up in the chain's supermarket in St Mellons in Cardiff saying: "Footwear must be worn at all times and no nightwear is permitted."
A spokesman said Tesco did not have a strict dress code but it does not want people shopping in their nightwear in case it offends other customers.
He said he was not aware of any other Tesco stores having to put up similar signs.
The signs are placed at the entrance to the store at the suburb on the city's outskirts.
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Cat that imitates Stevie Wonder

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Confused Dog

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Everyone Smile

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Gary Coleman “Different Strokes”

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Frustration

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How to confuse a dog

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McDonald's wrong “It was just a slice of cheese”

A McDonald's outlet in the Netherlands was wrong to sack an employee for giving a colleague a piece of cheese on a hamburger, a court has ruled.
The waitress was fired last March after she sold a hamburger to a co-worker who then asked for cheese, which she added.
The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more.
But Leeuwarden district court ruled a written warning would have been more appropriate.
McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 Euros ($5,900; £3,660) for the last five months of her contract.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Cars

One Ugly SUV
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1957 Belair Limo
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Car + Truck =
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Don't Lick The Windows

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Last “Bonanza” Star Dies! R.I.P. Pernell Roberts


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Pernell Roberts, who played Adam Cartwright on "Bonanza" (1959-1973), TV's first western filmed in color, has died from cancer at the ripe old age of 81. Roberts left the show in 1965 saying the writing was bad -- but it wasn't. Bonanza remained one of top 10 shows for years afterward.
Pernell Roberts, the ruggedly handsome actor who shocked Hollywood by leaving TV's "Bonanza" at the height of its popularity, then found fame again years later on "Trapper John, M.D.," has died. He was 81.
Roberts, the last surviving member of the classic Western's cast, died of cancer Sunday at his Malibu home, his wife Eleanor Criswell said.
Although he rocketed to fame in 1959 as Adam Cartwright, eldest son of a Nevada ranching family led by Lorne Greene's patriarchal Ben Cartwright, Roberts chafed at the limitations he felt his "Bonanza" character was given.
"They told me the four characters (Greene, himself and Dan Blocker and Michael Landon as his brothers) would be carefully defined and the scripts carefully prepared," he complained to The Associated Press in 1964. "None of it ever happened."
It particularly distressed him that his character, a man in his 30s, had to continually defer to the wishes of his widowed father.
"Doesn't it seem a bit silly for three adult males to get Father's permission for everything they do?" he once asked a reporter.
Roberts agreed to fulfill his six-year contract but refused to extend it, and when he left the series in 1965, his character was eliminated with the explanation that he had simply moved away.
"Bonanza," with its three remaining stars, continued until 1973, making it second to "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running Western on TV. Blocker died in 1972, Greene in 1987, and Landon in 1991.
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Monday, January 25, 2010

Man Finds $3,100 Hidden In Discarded Picture

A Stuart, Florida man rescued a framed space shuttle photo from a trash bin -- and found a wad of treasure in the process.
Stuart police say Warren Bendix was going to put the photo in a different frame and discovered $3,100 in cash stuffed behind the picture.
He had found the picture while going through the trash near his apartment.
Bendix reported his discovery to police on Saturday. Police say Bendix can claim the money if the owner doesn't turn up.
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Curious Chimpanzee Is Not Camera Shy

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Seven-year-old raises thousands for Haiti quake victims

A seven-year-old boy from London who was aiming to raise £500 for the Haiti quake relief effort through a sponsored bike ride has raised more than £72,000.
Charlie Simpson, from Fulham, west London, cycled five miles (8km) around South Park near his home to raise funds for Unicef's earthquake appeal.
His call for support touched the hearts of people around the world after he put a message on the JustGiving website.
Unicef thanked him "on behalf of the many children in Haiti".
On his JustGiving page, Charlie said: "I want to do a sponsored bike ride for Haiti because there was a big earthquake and loads of people have lost their lives.
"I want to make some money to buy food, water and tents for everyone in Haiti."
Unicef is helping to provide water, sanitation, education and nutrition, as well as supporting child protection.
Money raised by Charlie will go towards its Haiti Earthquake Children's Appeal.
Along with donations, Charlie was flooded with messages of support.
One donor said: "Well done Charlie - you are an inspiration to us all."
A donor who read about Charlie's appeal in New Zealand described his ride as an "awesome" act of kindness.
Another donor said: "We're cheering you on from Hong Kong."
David Bull, Unicef's UK executive director, described Charlie's ride on Sunday as a "little seed" which had rapidly grown into something much bigger.
"This is a very bold and innovative gesture by Charlie that shows he connects with and not only understands what children his own age must be going through in Haiti, but is also wise enough to know that he can help them," he said.
"The little seed - his idea - that he has planted has grown rapidly and his is a place well-deserved in the humanitarian world.
"On behalf on the many children in Haiti, I thank Charlie for his effort."
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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Trouble in the golf world but isn't about Tiger Woods.

It's about William and Dorothy Abbott who built a home in North Naples in the mid '80s. It was nothing but “scraggly farm land” at the time. Then in 1993 developers built the Stonebridge golf course next to their home.
Now golf balls rain down on their home every day.
Most land with a soft thud in the well-kept lawn. But some crash through their living room windows, smash garden ornaments crack the concrete roof tiles and rip holes through their lanai screens, reports the Naples Daily News.
Their home and yard get pelted with up to 200 golf balls a month. In letters dating to 1995, the golf course has repeatedly claimed no responsibility for errant shots by its golfers. Stonebridge plans to redesign its course, which may help the matter.
After 15 years, the Abbotts said they’re looking for peace and quiet, and an end to it all.
PICTURES
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Trusted Sites to Donate for Haiti

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American Red Cross
The American Red Cross' primary focus during the initial response of an emergency is feeding, sheltering and supplying any other basic needs.
To donate Go to RedCross.org, hit donate now button at top and then International Response Fund. You also can text `Haiti` to 90999 to donate 10 dollars to the International Response Fund. The money will go directly to relief efforts in Haiti. Or call 1-800-Red-Cross.
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AmeriCares
This nonprofit disaster relief organization delivers medicine, medical supplies and aid to people in crisis around the world.
To donate, call 1-800-486-HELP or go to AmeriCares.org. Donations will go toward medicine and medical supplies and for expenses for providing that medical aid.
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Care
This humanitarian organization's main focus is to fight global poverty, specifically by empowering marginalized women and girls. To donate to the Haiti relief fund effort, go to Care.org or call 1-800-521-CARE. Money will go toward food, water and sanitation, shelter and emergency health response.
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Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is an aid agency that works with emergency relief, micro-finance, AIDS/HIV relief, agriculture, water and sanitation, among other projects in countries around the world. To donate, go to crs.org, or call 1-877-HELP-CRS. You also can text RELIEF to 30644. You will receive a text message back with instructions on how to donate. You can send a check to Catholic Relief services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. Write "Haiti earthquake" in memo area. The money will go toward immediate needs, which includes water, food, hygiene kits, bedding and basic cooking utensils, among other items.
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Direct Relief International
Direct Relief provides medical attention to those in need on an ongoing basis and in emergencies. Monetary donations go toward medical aid, supplies and equipment in Haiti. To donate, go to directrelief.org or call 805-964-4767 and 800-676-1638, or go through Google Checkout.
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Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity provides affordable, safe shelter for low-income families and people in need. Money donated for Haiti relief efforts will go toward recovery and rebuilding. To donate, go to habitat.org or call 1-800-Habitat.
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International Medical Corps
This emergency response agency focuses on health in emergency situations. Monetary donations go toward purchasing medical supplies, medicine and emergency kits and transporting these supplies. 1-800-481-4462 or go to imcworldwide.org
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International Relief Teams
The nonprofit organizes volunteer teams to provide medical and non-medical assistance to victims of disasters and poverty. To donate, go to irteams.org or call 619-284-7979. Checks can be made out to International Relief Teams, 4560 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite 2G, San Diego, CA 92120-4309. The money will be used for medical supplies, medicine and other relief supplies, and to support volunteers heading to Haiti for relief efforts.
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Medical Teams International
The Christian global health organization sends volunteer medical teams and supplies to those in the midst of disaster or poverty. Monetary donations will go to supporting the medical teams being sent to Haiti and to the cost of shipping the medical supplies donated by corporations. Donate by going to medicalteams.org and clicking on the "Donate Now" button, or call 1-800-959-HEAL (4325) or send a check to Medical Teams International, P.O. Box 10, Portland, OR 97207.
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Doctors Without Borders
The humanitarian organization delivers medical care to people caught in crisis. Donations to its Haiti relief efforts will go toward repairing the obstetrics and trauma hospitals in Haiti that were damaged in the earthquake. They also will go to transporting an additional 70 doctors and medical supplies to the island in an effort to set up makeshift emergency medical response centers. To donate, go to doctorswithoutborders.org or call 1-888-392-0392.
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Mercy Corps
The organization provides humanitarian assistance and economic opportunities in the world's toughest places, specifically those dealing with poverty, conflict and instability. To donate, go to MercyCorps.org. Money will go toward immediate humanitarian needs in Haiti, which may include, food, water and temporary shelter.
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Operation USA
The international relief agency provides funding for reconstruction and development aid to communities that have experienced disasters, disease and poverty. For its Haiti relief efforts, the agency plans to use donations for health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements. To donate, go to opusa.org or call 1-800-678-7255, or mail a check to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Ave., Suite A, Culver City, CA 90232.
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Save the Children
The independent organization focuses on children in need in the U.S. and globally through programs for health and nutrition, child protection and education.
To donate, go to savethechildren.org, or call 1-800-728-3843 or 203-221-4030. Donations will go toward purchasing relief items, such as hygiene kits, family kits (pots, pans, food preparation items) and tarps.
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The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army's mission is to provide food, shelter, clothing and spiritual comfort during disasters. To donate money, go to salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Make sure you designate the donation for "Haiti Earthquake." Money will go to the Salvation Army in Haiti, which will determine the country's immediate needs, including water, food, medicine and transportation.
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Shelterbox
The nonprofit delivers boxes of supplies to families of up to 10 people. The boxes contain a tent and essential equipment to use while individuals are displaced or homeless. To donate, call 941-907-6036 or go to shelterbox.org
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U.S. Fund for UNICEF
The national committee for UNICEF is responsible for the organization's fundraising. UNICEF uses the money for health care, clean water, nutrition, education and emergency relief. To donate, go to Unicefusa.org or 1-800-4-UNICEF.
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World Concern
The organization lifts people out of poverty, beginning with disaster response and ending when families can live sustainable lives. To donate to its relief effort, go to Worldconcern.org or call 1-866-530-5433. You can also mail checks to 19303 Fremont Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98133. Please specify that the check is for "Haiti Disaster Response." Money will go toward water supplies, shelter, blankets, distribution of food and long-term needs, such as job training, education, loans and home construction, among other projects.
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World Food Programme
The food assistance agency's main focus is to fight hunger worldwide. The organization is working to bring food to Haiti. To donate, go to wfp.org.
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Yele Haiti
This organization, founded by Wyclef Jean, creates projects to improve the quality of education, health, environment and community development in Haiti. To donate to to its Haiti relief efforts, go to yele.org or text YELE to 501501 to donate $5.
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Sound of Music

More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. With just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of March 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music".
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Pensioner astonished by 'double banana'

Cedric Hooper, who bought some bananas at his local supermarket, was astonished when he got home and found one skin contained two bananas.
But it wasn't until the 69-year-old got home that he noticed the odd feature of the bunch.
"This banana looked fatter than the others we bought and when we split it open there were two inside instead of the usual one," he said.
"They were both within the same skin - it looked really strange.
"I like a banana most days and have bought thousands - but I've never seen anything like this one." Mr. Hooper said "Both tasted fine."
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Not a Scaredy Cat

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How one man removes the snow from his car

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Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Good Ole Days

Automobile service reminder
A penny postcard from 1928, detailing repairs for the Model T.


Here’s what the postcard says:
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Dear Sir-
We are writing this letter to you today because we want to help you get your money out of your Model T.
It’s still as good a car as it was the day the new Model A Ford was announced and there is no need to sacrifice it.
The Model T Ford is still used by more people than any other automobile. Eight million are in active service right now and many of them can be driven one, two, three and five years and even longer.
Bring your car to us and let us look it over. You’ll be surprised to see how little it costs to put it in tip-top shape.
New fenders, for instance, cost from $3.50 to $5.00 each, with labor charge of $1.00 to $2.50. Tuning up the motor and replacing commutator case, brush and vibrator points costs only $1.00, with a small charge for material. Brake shoes can be installed and emergency brakes equalized for a labor charge of $1.25. A labor charge of $4.00 to $5.00 will cover the overhauling of the front axle, rebushing springs and spring perches, and straightening, aligning and adjusting wheels.
The labor charge for overhauling the average rear axle runs from $5.75 to $7.00. Grinding valves and cleaning carbon can be done for $3.00 to $4.00. A set of new pistons and rings costs only $7.00. For a labor charge of $20.00 to $25.00 you can have your motor and transmission completely overhauled. Parts are extra.
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Boots the Cat

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Doctor's Office Hit By Meteorite

When Lawrence Reese was cleaning up his sub shop in Lorton, Virginia, late Monday afternoon, he heard a tremendous impact outside.
"Loud. Loud enough you could hear it, maybe, a block or two away," recalls Reese. "I'm surprised it didn't break our glass. That's how loud it was."
Something had come hurtling out of the sky, and crashed through the roof of a nearby doctor's office, landing in an empty examination room.
"I thought something fell in Dr. Gallini's office," explained his partner, Dr. Frank Ciampi. "I thought a bookshelf fell on him, so I ran out and saw that he was okay. And then I looked to the left and saw the debris in the hallway."
The debris was smoldering and metallic. The two physicians puzzled over the items. Whatever had come through the roof had broken into several pieces. The two doctors speculated that part of an airliner had come off and fallen through their roof. A nearly circular hole was punched through the building's roof.
An acquaintance suggested the possibility of a meteorite, so the debris was sent to the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum in nearby Washington, D.C.
"It's definitely a meteorite," concluded Linda Welzenbach, who oversees the museum's collection of natural space objects. "It has a black fusion crust which tells us that it's passed through the atmosphere."
Most meteorites are small -- about the size of a pea. The one that landed in Lorton was bigger than a human fist, before it broke into pieces inside the doctors' office.
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Man opens bag of Cheese Rings, finds one

An Australian man has opened a bag of chips and found only one inside.
Phil Jackson, 54, of Wanguri, Darwin, took the Cheese Rings to work with him on Monday.
When he opened the bag he was stunned to find it contained only one solitary ring - barely a mouthful.
Man opens bag of Cheese Rings, finds one A DARWIN man has opened a bag of chips and found only one inside.
The Northern Territory News reports Phil Jackson, 54, of Wanguri, brought the Cheese Rings to work with him on Monday.
When he opened the bag he was stunned to find it contained only one solitary ring - barely a mouthful.
"I was devastated," he said. "I put it down to the GFC - money's tight, times are hard."
The innocent snack attack victim had bought them in a large variety pack from a Coles supermarket.
Coles spokesman Jim Cooper said he would get a replacement pack.
"We certainly aren't in the business of giving people a single cheese ring in the packet," Mr Cooper said.Mr Jackson was philosophical, saying the day before he had gone to KFC to get a five-piece wing pack, only to find six pieces inside.
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In the News

Brits think bacon comes from sheep
A survey of British youngsters suggests 26 percent of the country's under-16 population erroneously believe bacon comes from sheep.
The survey of 800 children and adults, conducted for the Home Grown Cereals Authority and the National Farmers' Union, also suggests 29 percent of youngsters believe oats grow on trees and 17 percent of both children and adults are under the false impression that eggs are a necessary ingredient in bread, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.
"Everyone should know where primary foods like cereals are grown and the role they play as part of a healthy, balanced diet," said Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union. "More than half the food consumed in the U.K. is produced on British farms, yet the public, and especially young people, are unable to make this connection."
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12-year-old girl drives grandpa to help
A North Carolina man says he will reward his 12-year-old granddaughter with her own car for driving him more than a dozen miles for help when he fell ill.
George Scheuering of Ramseur, N.C. who has diabetes, said his granddaughter Anna, who he had given driving lessons, insisted on taking the driver's seat when he began feeling dizzy and faint during a drive through the mountains of West Virginia with the girl and her brother Zak.
"So we got halfway up the mountain and I told him to pull over and I was going to drive, and he let me drive," Anna said Tuesday.
Anna said she and Zak were eventually able to raise their father on their phone and he helped them find a gas station about a dozen miles away from where she began driving. The station clerk called an ambulance for Scheuering.
The grandfather, who spent six days in a hospital, said doctors told him he might have slipped into a diabetic coma if he hadn't gotten help so quickly.
Scheuering said Anna will receive her reward when she is old enough to legally drive.
"Well, when she starts high school, I told her she would have a car," he said.
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It was no joke at security gate
In the tense new world of air travel, we're stripped of shoes, told not to take too much shampoo on board, frowned on if we crack a smile.
The last thing we expect is a joke from a Transportation Security Administration screener - particularly one this stupid.
Rebecca Solomon is 22 and a student at the University of Michigan, and on Jan. 5 she was flying back to school after holiday break. She made sure she arrived at Philadelphia International Airport 90 minutes before takeoff, given the new regulations.
She would be flying into Detroit on Northwest Airlines, the same city and carrier involved in the attempted bombing on Christmas, just 10 days before. She was tense.
What happened to her lasted only 20 seconds, but she says they were the longest 20 seconds of her life.
TSA worker pulls a baggie of white powder from a passenger's laptop bag and asks where she got it. She's in a panic. Then he tells her it was just a joke.
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Friday, January 22, 2010

Slant-ruled notebook

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Cow Relocation

Click to Enlarge
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Albino deer spotted in the Italian Wilderness

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Driver of a parked car in front of speed camera gets tickets

A driver was twice sent speeding tickets after parking in front of a camera because police officers failed to notice his vehicle was stationary, it has emerged.
Jeff Buck parks in front of the camera outside his home on Watnall Road, Nottingham, because he does not have a drive or a garage.
But he has been sent two speeding fines by Nottinghamshire Police.
The mix-ups happened because officers failed to spot his car was parked as another vehicle triggered the camera by breaking the 30mph speed limit.
Police have apologized to 55-year-old Mr. Buck after he successfully contested the fines.
He told the Nottingham Evening Post: ''I assumed the first time it happened that the police would put something in place to prevent it from happening again.
''I'm concerned now that every time someone triggers the camera I'll get these notices. I am amused by it, but also angry that I have to go to the trouble of contacting the police.''
Mr. Buck received his most recent apology on Monday after he asked to see photographic evidence that his Vauxhall Zafira was doing 37mph along Watnall Road.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Animals

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In the News

City code fines a woman $27,000
The used car was a blessing for Diane Pearson of North Port, a single mother with three children and a long commute to work. And after receiving the 1998 Mercury Sable from Lighthouse Baptist Church, she found her drive to Sarasota a bit less stressful.
But now she has a problem. North Port took Pearson to court over fines of more than $27,000 for keeping her old car in the driveway without a license plate. If the city wins its case, Pearson will be left in financial ruin.
Seems North Port is a city that likes to regulate and enforce many things -- from how often you mow your grass to the cars in your driveway. And one of their rules is cars in driveways must have a current plate.
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French braid keeps Texas boy in school
A 4-year-old Texas boy disciplined for having long hair has returned to his class with a brand new hair do.
Pre-kindergartner Taylor Pugh rejoined his classmates at his suburban Dallas elementary school on Tuesday.
Elizabeth Taylor says her son's hair is still long, but now she's styled it in a double French braid pinned up at the base of his neck. The school principal approved the style.
The boy typically wears his hair long and had been sequestered from classmates at Floyd Elementary School in Balch Springs since late November.
The long hair violates the school district's dress code. It says boys' hair must be kept out of the eyes and cannot extend below the bottom of earlobes or over the collar of a dress shirt.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Cash4Gold is a Scam!

Cash4Gold, the company that targets poor, desperate late-night TV watchers with endorsements by equally cash-strapped celebrities, is a scam! Okay, maybe you already knew that. But unless you're one of the poor chumps who dialed their 1-800 number, you don't know how they fleece customers—4 Cash!—or what the state plans to do about it.
The company's advertisements—which feature washed-up rapper MC Hammer—lure in customers with handfuls of money, but in reality pay only 11 to 29 percent of an item's market value, compared with pawn shops that pay 35 to 70 percent. One victim, church organist Frank Poindexter, received 15 cents for jewelry that had been appraised at $200. "I looked at the check and thought it was a mistake," Poindexter said. "When I called them, they actually accused me of scamming them." After customers send in their jewelry for appraisal, Cash4Gold gives them only twelve days to get their goods back if they feel they've been low-balled. Sometimes when they protest they're told the jewelry has already been thrown in the furnace.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

In the News

North Dakota city skips a day on new calendar
North Dakota residents and others relying on a new calendar issued by the city of Grand Forks will get a jump-start on February.
The recently issued City of Grand Forks 2010 Calendar is missing Sunday, Jan. 31.
City spokesman John Bernstrom says the error was noticed when boxes of the calendar printed by Fine Print of Grand Forks were opened before Christmas.
Bernstrom says if Jan. 31 had been a weekday in which there was garbage or recycling collection, the city would have issued a correction or public statement. Feb. 1 appears on the calendar as a Monday so the rest of the year is correct.
Fine Print President Kevin Kuntz says January is the coldest month of the year and having one day less works for him.
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Boy's science project prompts school evacuation
Fire officials said a San Diego middle school was evacuated when a student's science project was mistaken for a bomb. Fire-Rescue spokesman Maurice Luque said a vice principal's concerns prompted the evacuation of Millennial Tech Magnet Middle School Friday afternoon. Luque said an arson team took photos and x-rays of the empty plastic bottle with wires and determined it was harmless.
Luque says the 11-year-old boy was trying to build a motion detector from instructions he found on the Internet and parts he bought online with help from his father. His parents did not realize that the object looked threatening.
He said the student was "a genius-type kid" who undertook the project on his own, had no intentions of hurting anyone or causing any disruptions.
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Monday, January 18, 2010

You can turn off the A/C now

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Are you ready to watch some football?

The average actual playing time of a 3 hour football game is a little over 10 minutes.
More replay action is shown than real football action.
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Desperate Maru strives to open sink plug

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The playground isn't just a place for kids.

This pig enjoys a trip down the slide!
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Sunday, January 17, 2010