Sunday, November 30, 2008

The man who can't get fat

Mr Perry, 59, can eat whatever he likes - including unlimited pies, burgers and desserts - and never get fat. He cannot put on weight because of a condition called lipodystrophy that makes his body rapidly burn fat.
He used to be a chubby child, but at age 12 the fat dropped off "almost over night". He initially tried to eat more to gain weight, but it had no effect. Mr Perry, of Ilford in Essex, endured a decade of tests before the illness was diagnosed. It finally emerged that his body produces six times the normal level of insulin. Doctors have admitted that the condition would be a "slimmer's dream".

Name Pronunciation Guide

Have you ever picked up the phone to call someone, only to realize that you didn't know how to pronounce that person's name? Have you ever read a name but had no clue how to say it? Is your name commonly mispronounced? If you have ever been in any of these situations, we have the solution for you. Our database lets you learn how to pronounce names as a native speaker would say them. Not sure how to pronounce the name "Nguyen"? Listen to a native Vietnamese speaker pronounce it. If you can't find a name you need to know how to pronounce, let us know. We are constantly adding more names and languages to our expanding database.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Married Couple First Dance

Bank Robber 1 - Armed SWAT Team 0

It appeared to be a real emergency that hit in the middle of the night in Montgomery, New Jersey. It started when an alarm went off in a local bank, sending cops to the scene in a hurry. When they peered inside through the closed blinds, trying to see what might be going on inside the darkened building, they spotted someone inside.
They ordered him out, but he stubbornly refused to move, standing his ground, seeing to almost defy them to take him on.
The situation quickly became a tense standoff, as heavily armed police rushed to the neighborhood, sealing off the area and evacuating three apartment buildings in case things went wrong.
Specially trained SWAT officers pulled out bullhorns and demanded whoever was inside emerge. And still no one came out.
After numerous phone calls went unanswered, this dramatic robbery in progress took a final turn, as SWAT teams broke through the doors and stormed the bank, finally smashing through the locks.
And that's when they finally got their first look at the 'suspect' who caused so much commotion. It was a full-sized cardboard cutout of a person used for promotional purposes, left standing near the window.
Red faced cops quickly withdrew after realizing the cardboard man wasn't likely to do much more than give them a paper cut. But at least he didn't offer any resistance.
But this investigation still isn't over - authorities are trying to figure out what set off the alarm in the first place.

Thanksgiving on a Cupcake

A little culinary confection art for Thanksgiving.
Yeah, that’s a cupcake!

Mystery piano in woods perplexes police

Was it a theft? A prank? A roundabout effort to bring some holiday cheer to the police? Authorities in Harwich, Massachusetts, are probing the mysterious appearance of a piano, in good working condition, in the middle of the woods.
Discovered by a woman who was walking a trail, the Baldwin Acrosonic piano, model number 987, is intact -- and, apparently, in tune.
Sgt. Adam Hutton of the Harwich Police Department said information has been broadcast to all the other police departments in the Cape Cod area in hopes of drumming up a clue, however minor it may be.
But so far, the investigation is flat.
Also of note: Near the mystery piano -- serial number 733746 -- was a bench, positioned as though someone was about to play.
The piano was at the end of a dirt road, near a walking path to a footbridge in the middle of conservation land near the Cape.
It took a handful of police to move the piano into a vehicle to transport it to storage, so it would appear that putting it into the woods took more than one person.
Harwich police have had some fun, though. Among the photos they sent to the news media is one of Officer Derek Dutra examining the piano in the woods. The police entitled the photo "Liberace."

Unusual Friendship

Coco the parrot massages Lucky's head and face.
Both are curious about one another
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Friday, November 28, 2008

Proposal at Best Buy

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Offenders iron out bad behavior

Ironing has been added to a list of punishments for young offenders to complete their community service orders.
A scheme in Wrexham has seen 14-17-year-olds ironing clothes donated to Salvation Army charity shops.
Wrexham Youth Justice Service (WYJS) said the project had been so successful there were plans to extend it.
One 16-year-old offender said he enjoyed giving something back to the community, but added: "I didn't tell any of my friends."
The offender, from Wrexham, added: "We had to collect clothes from the charity shop and then iron them to be sold.
"I did it for a couple of months. At first I thought 'This is mad.' I expected to be doing painting or something like that.
"But it wasn't that bad. It's about giving something back to the community.
"I didn't tell any of my friends because they'd probably all laugh. It's a girl's thing, isn't it?
"I've done some of my own ironing as well."
It said a common response among offenders was: "I'm not ironing, that's women's work."

Dad tells 5-year-old, 'You did the crime, you walk the line'


5-year-old boy was made to walk two-and-a-half hours to school.
A Northern Territory man has been making his five-year-old son walk two-and-a-half hours to school every day, after he was kicked off the school bus. When Jack Burt confessed that he'd been banned for five days for hitting the bus driver in the head with an apple core, dad Sam thought he should learn the hard way. He and Jack last week were getting up at 5.10am for the 13km-hike from the Darwin rural area of Herbert, all the way to Humpty Doo.
At the end of the old-fashioned punishment, Mr Burt, 38, took out a public notice in the Northern Territory News. "Jack Burt and his dad wish to thank all the kind people who stopped to offer them lifts in the past week," the ad read. "It's good to see a number of good people in the community. Jack hopes to be allowed back on the bus on Monday."
But in the battle of wills between tall and short, the smart money's on Jack. "Shame it didn't work," Mr Burt said. "He got back on the bus Monday, and within three stops he was in trouble again. I couldn't believe it. I don't understand - he's good at school, he gets awards all the time." So it was back on the road again the next day - with seven-year-old sister Caitlyn, who was fighting with Jack on the bus at the time, in tow.
Mr Burt, who owns a crash repair shop in Palmerston, has also been sacrificing his nights, working back late because his morning starts have been delayed. "But I'm doing it for a good cause," he said. However, a breakthrough might be in sight.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

When Money Is Not A Problem

Click to Enlarge

The world's most luxurious dog kennel to be built at cost of £250k
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This is the incredible home to the soon-to-be world's most pampered pooches.
A dog lover has turned half of her £1.4 million home into a luxury "kennel" for her Great Danes - complete with their own plasma screen TV, lounge and spa, it was revealed today.
The surgeon, who wants to remain anonymous, told her architect the hi-tech bungalow on the Lower Mill Estate in Gloucestershire must include separate deluxe living quarters for her two pets.
The plush kennel, estimated to cost more than £250,000, will be the latest eccentric build on the Cotswold Water Park, already famous for its futuristic, sustainable designs and its population of beavers.
Sheepskin-lined, raised beds will allow the dogs to keep guard out of the windows, while in the lounge they can listen to a £15,000 sound system or enjoy shows on a 52in plasma screen TV.
A retina-controlled "dogflap" system allows them to come and go from the zinc, glass and limestone home with ease, keeping out undesirables.
A temperature-regulated Dogspa (with saline purification system) will ease their muscles and clean their coats after a hard day.
Cameras all around the property will allow the owner to watch her dogs online, wherever they roam.
The Dog House is divided into two bedrooms, and living room, all with the heat controlled remotely via the internet.
It also has its own adventure play area. Self-cleaning food and purified water bowls dispense top-of-the-range dinners and breakfasts automatically.
Designed by architect Andy Ramus, the work is expected to begin on the main three-bedroom house near Cirencester in spring.
The dogs will have some unusual neighbours on the 500-acre estate in the shape of 12 beaver kits, which appeared after three pairs were successfully reintroduced more than 13 years ago.
Lower Mill's publicist Dee McCourt said today: "It's amazing. This lady obviously cares an awful lot about her dogs. We offer a bespoke service but it is the first animal request we've had.
"We've got outline planning permission and the dogs' quarters have been designed with all their needs in mind."
Estate owner Jeremy Paxton told the Gloucestershire Echo: "It's a very interesting house with fabulous architecture and unusual requirements. "Most houses are built with human specifics in mind then animals fit in around that, but this is the other way round."
The Great Dane Adoption Society said the breed was demanding and should not be left alone for more than four hours at a time.
Lower Mill is a sustainable housing complex with homes designed by 30 of the world's leading architects.

What’s the gas price where you live?


$1.37 per gallon here in St. Louis
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$1.80 per gallon here in Seattle.
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$1.56 per gallon here in this part of OK.
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$1.66 per gallon here in Waterloo
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$2.40 per gallon near Buffalo, NY

According to Mrs. Geraghty’s kindergarten class

Ivette — Banana Pie: You buy some bananas and crust. Then you mash them up and put them in the pie. Then you eat it.
Russell — Turkey: You cut the turkey up and put it in the oven for ten minutes and 300 degrees. You put gravy on it and eat it.
Geremy — Turkey: You buy the turkey and take the paper off. Then you put it in the refrigerator and take it back out and cut it with a knife and make sure all the wires are out and take out the neck and heart. Then you put it in a big pan and cook it for half an hour at 80 degrees. Then you invite people over and eat.
Andrew — Pizza: Buy some dough, some cheese and pepperoni. Then you cook it for 10 hours at 5 degrees. Then you eat it.
Shelby — Applesauce: Go to the store and buy some apples, and then you squish them up. Then you put them in a jar that says, "Applesauce." Then you eat it.
Meghan H. — Turkey: You cut it into 16 pieces and then you leave it in the oven for 15 minutes and 4 degrees. You take it out and let it cool and then after 5 minutes, then you eat it.
Danny — Turkey: You put some salt on it to make it taste good. Then you put it in the oven. Then you cook it for an hour at 5 degrees. Then you eat it.
Brandon — Turkey: First you buy it at Fred Meyer. Then you cut it up and cook it for 15 hours at 200 degrees. Then you take it out and eat it.
Megan K — Chicken: You put it in the oven for 25 minutes and 25 degrees and put gravy on it and eat it.
Christa — Cookies: Buy some dough and smash it and cut them out. Then put them in the oven for 2 hours at 100 degrees. Then take them out and dry them off. Then it’s time to eat them.
Irene — Turkey: Put it on a plate and put it in the oven with gravy. You cook it for 1 minute and for 100 degrees. Then it’s all cooked. Your mom or dad cuts it and then eat.
Moriah — Turkey: First you cut the bones out. Then you put it in the oven for 10 hours at 600 degrees. Then you put it on the table and eat it.
Vincent — Turkey: You cut and put sauce on it. Then you cook it for 18 minutes at 19 degrees. Then you eat it with stuffing.
Jordyn — Turkey: First you have to cut it up and put it on a plate in the oven for 9 minutes and 18 degrees. Then you dig it out of the oven and eat it.
Grace — Turkey: First you add some salt. Then you put it in a bowl. Then you put brown sugar on it. Then you mix it all together with a spoon and then you add some milk and mix it again. And then you put it in a pan. Then you put it in the oven for 15 minutes and 16 degrees. Then you take it out of the oven and then you eat it.
Alan — Turkey: First you shoot it and then you cut it. And then you put it in the oven and cook it for 10 minutes and 20 degrees. You put it on plates and then you eat it.
Jordan Salvatore — Turkey: First you put it in the oven for 15 minutes at 100 degrees. Then you cut it up and then you eat it.
Jordan Simons — Chocolate Pudding: Buy some chocolate pudding mix. Then you add the milk. Then you add the pudding mix. Then you stir it. Then you put it in the refrigerator and wait for it to get hard. Then you eat it.
Whitney — Turkey: Cut it and put it in the oven for 50 minutes at 60 degrees and then you eat it.
Jason — Chicken Pie: Put the chicken in the pot and put the salad and cheese and mustard and then you mix it all together. Then put chicken sauce and stir it all around again. Then you cook it for 5 minutes at 9 degrees. Then you eat it.
Christopher — Pumpkin Pie: First you buy a pumpkin and smash it. Then it is all done. And you cook it in the oven for 12 minutes and 4 degrees. Then you eat it.
Christine — Turkey: First you buy the turkey. Then you cook it for 5 hours and 5 degrees. Then you cut it up and you eat it.
Ashley — Chicken: Put it in the oven. Then cut it up. Then I eat it.
Jennie — Corn: My mom buys it. Then you throw it. Then you cook it. Then you eat it.
Jordan — Cranberry Pie: Put cranberry juice in it. Then you put berries in it. Then you put dough in it. Then you bake it. Then you eat it.
Adam — Pumpkin Pie: First you put pumpkin seeds in it. Put it in a pan and bake it at 5 degrees for 6 minutes. Then take it out and eat it.
Jarryd — Deer Jerky: Put it in the oven overnight at 20 degrees. Then you go hunting and bring it with you. Then you eat it.
Christina — Turkey: Get the turkey. Put it in the oven. Cook it for 43 minutes at 35 degrees. Put it on a plate, cut it up, then eat it.
Joplyn — Apple Pie: Take some apples, mash them up. Take some bread and make a pie with it. Get some dough and squish it. Shape the dough into a pie shape. Put the apples in it. Then bake it at 9 degrees for 15 minutes.
Isabelle — Spaghetti: Put those red things in it. Then put the spaghetti in it. Then cook it in the oven for 2 minutes at 8 degrees.
Bailey — Chicken: Put pepper and spices on it. Cook for one hour at 60 degrees. Then eat it. Nicholas — White and Brown Pudding: First you read the wrapper. Get a piece of water. Stir. Then you eat it.
Sean — Turkey: Put it in the oven for 5 minutes at 55 degrees. Take it out and eat it.
Lauren — Turkey: First you find a turkey and kill it. Cut it open. Put it in a pan. Pour milk in the pan. Put a little chicken with it. Put salsa on it. Take out of pan. Put it on the board. Cut into little pieces. Put on a rack. Put in the oven for 7 minutes at 10 degrees. Take out of the oven and put eensy weensy bit of sugar on it. Put a little more salsa on it. Then you eat it.
Olivia — Corn: Get hot water and put on stove. Wait for 8 minutes. Put corn in. Then put it on a plate. Then eat.
Siera — Pumpkin Pie: Get some pumpkin and dough for the crust. Get pumpkin pie cinnamon. Cook it for 20 minutes at 10 degrees.
Kayla — Turkey: Buy it. Take it home. Then you cook it. Put it in the oven for 1 hour. Take it out of the oven. Put it on a plate. Then you eat it.
Tommy — Pumpkin: Cook the pumpkin. Then get ready to eat the pumpkin.
Wai — Pumpkin Pie: Get a pumpkin. Cook it. Eat it.
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Anonymous said...
Hi! I enjoyed reading what kids think and today in my 1st/Kinder class I will try it out to see what they say. Today is national Pie day. Wish me laughs!
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You should get plenty of laughs.
You need to share some with us.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans




Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Magical Tap

You can admire these incredible fountain that seems a Magical Tap floating in the sky while delivering an endless supply of water.
It seems a Photoshopped picture but it's not. It is real, just a clever idea that makes possible this optical illusion. Actually there is a hidden pipe inside of the water jet that functions both as a support for the whole structure and to supply the water.
"Aqualand" near Cadiz and Technorama Science Park in Zurich



Did You Know.......

Marbled Icebergs
Normally an iceberg appears White as a result of the tiny bubbles trapped within which scatter light in every direction. Blue stripes are created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form. When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a Green stripe. Brown lines are caused by sediment, picked up when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the sea
So there is nothing very strange about those colored stripes except the fact that it's an incredibly rare coincidence that all those phenomenon have occurred in a relatively small piece of ice
Another striped iceberg with a striking diagonal blue line through it, which towered about 30 meters above the ocean surface, was spotted a few days later

Another unusual ice formation





Funny Ducks

Prepare for landing!
They've got their air brakes full on!

In the News

Man ringing Salvation Army kettle gets a diamond
A volunteer ringing the bell at a Harrisburg, Pa. Salvation Army kettle in south-central Pennsylvania got an unusual donation: a diamond ring. The ring was handed to August Memmi, who volunteered for the Salvation Army in Harrisburg during his lunch hour Tuesday.
The young man told Memmi that he'd bought the ring for his mother using money he'd earned mowing lawns, but she died this year and he wanted to put it to good use.
The ring's value was unclear Tuesday; the Salvation Army planned to have it appraised.
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Drive More Than Takes Care Of Man's $3K Water Bill
Drive To Help 84-year-old Wis. Man With A $3,000 Water Bill Brings Outpouring Of Help
An 84-year-old man hit with a $3,000 quarterly water bill won't have to pay a dime. In one week, a drive to help Norman Beckman raised $4,027 as of Tuesday. Organizers stopped accepting the contributions that were still coming in. "The donations ranged from $5 to $500," said Bryan Kassube, who started the drive. "I'm just floored we reached our goal in one week."The big bill was for the period from Jan. 1 to March 31. Beckman was not able to live in his home at the time, and in his absence water pipes froze, causing three leaks that allowed 44,700 cubic feet of water to go through the meter. Despite the large volume of water, no damage to the house was reported. Kassube said he was mailing a check for $3,006 to the city water utility to cover the bill plus interest on the unpaid balance. The rest goes to Beckman, who said he has plans for it. "I want to give it to the Salvation Army," Beckman said, "but I'm going to wait until Dec. 5 when Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has promised to match donations to the Army's Red Kettle campaign." Thrivent, an Appleton-based financial services organization, has announced it will match the red kettle donations made Dec. 5 in Wisconsin's Fox Valley, up to a total of $125,000. Beckman said he felt humbled by the response to his problem."It tells me there are many ways we can be proud of this community," he said.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Creative Drainpipes

Drainpipes are a really boring and dull part of the urban landscape.
But here can see some interesting drainpipes



Flower Pots


Forward and Reverse


This one is also called a See-Saw-Bike

The chase is on…

The frog that ate too much

I can’t believe I ate it all

In the News

Here's a feel-good story to start your week off.
Trucker hauls butterfly to Florida after its wing is fixed
A woman named Jeannette Brandt found an injured butterfly near her home in upstate New York recently.
She and Mike Parwana fed the butterfly from fruit and honey they produce on their Lake Luzerne property
They used shreds of cardboard as a splint to fix its broken wing.
After about a week, the monarch was able to fly again but in need of warmer weather.
They put the butterfly in a shoebox and headed to a truck stop.
A trucker from Alabama who was headed to Florida agreed to transport it.
The trucker called the couple last week to say the butterfly had been set free in Florida, where tens of millions of other monarchs are making their winter migration to Mexico.
All together now, aawwwwwwww.
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Scrub-a-dub...whoops!
An elderly Pensacola woman was trapped in her own bathtub for three days
But miraculously, she survived by drinking the water.
Harriet Patterson, 82, was about to take a bath when she fell in the tub and broke her arm and dislocated her pelvic bone.
Patterson said she tried to get help by banging on the door, but remained hopeful as the days went on.
Patterson's neighbor eventually came to her rescue. She is now undergoing rehabilitation treatment for her injuries.
You gotta love this woman's attitude.
Says Patterson: "The first thing I did was I laughed at myself and thought, "Honey, you got yourself in quite the predicament right now."
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Man wins 2 vehicles in 10 days
In a span of 10 days, a man learned he won two automobiles in separate contests. Michel Horton from Topeka Kansas picked up his newest ride on Friday, a 2008 "Bon Jovi Special Edition" Saturn Outlook, at a dealership in Topeka. He was notified of the win on Oct. 15.
The entry also netted him a guitar and gold-plated Bon Jovi records.
But that was his second free vehicle. Horton was notified Oct. 5 he had won a Mitsubishi Lancer in a contest sponsored by Bic lighter.
As if that weren't enough, he also won tickets to a recent Kansas City Chiefs game in another drawing.
Horton said rather than collecting the Lancer, he opted to take the cash-in value of $28,800 for the car. He said that will help pay taxes on his winnings.
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UFOs, aliens and ghosts are believed in more than God
Believers in UFOs, aliens and ghosts outnumber those who follow mainstream religions, a survey has found. While 54 per cent of people believe in God, 58 per cent believe in the supernatural.
Researchers found women were more likely to believe in the supernatural than men, and were more likely to visit a medium.
Nearly a quarter of the 3,000 questioned by researchers claimed they had an encounter with the paranormal.
Some 37 per cent said aliens and ghosts were the basis of their belief system.
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It’s Just A Billion Dollars
The U.N.'s Palace of Nations is falling apart.
The Palais des Nations is the U.N.'s European headquarters, flanked by the Swiss Alps to the west and Lake Geneva to the east. Peacocks roam freely on the grounds of the pristine, 111-acre Ariana Park that surrounds it.
But on the inside, the onetime home to the League of Nations is plagued by 70-year-old wiring, fire hazards and miles of rusty pipes that have flooded the archives repeatedly. Asbestos lines some of the walls, and the roof is in danger of caving in. The palace is in need of a major facelift.
The tab: one billion dollars, says Director General Sergei Ordzhonikidze, who heads the U.N. Office at Geneva.
But critics say it's not worth a cool billion to preserve a diplomatic palace. They say new offices could be built for less, and the money could be spent to heal the sick and feed the hungry.
For $1 billion, a firm could build 407,244 square meters of office space in Geneva. That's one and a half times the size of the Empire State Building, and five times the size of the main building at the Palais des Nations.
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Council harassed "BLIND MAN" for £571 parking fine
A blind student was hounded by bailiffs for a parking fine on a car that did not belong to him. Mark White, 39, from Welling, was sent bailiff letters demanding him to pay £571.76 resulting from a parking fine on a car he never owned. Despite being registered blind with Bexley council for four years and giving up his driving licence 15 years ago, the engineering student had to contact the DVLA and the police himself to prove the car was not his.
He proved his identity was stolen and someone had registered the Escort with the registration L508 XAE in his name two years ago. Despite this, he was told by a council worker last Wednesday that he still could not be removed from their enquiries. Mr White, a student at Greenwich University said: "They don't seem to see me being blind as not being able to drive a car. I have been registered blind with them since 2004 but they think I still own a car. I drive a guide dog!" He said: "I am on the Bexley council blind list. Some alarm bells should have been going." A spokesperson for Bexley council said: "Bexley has cancelled this ticket and halted any action by bailiffs."
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Monday, November 24, 2008

Trooper saves donut shop

An Indiana State Police trooper is being credited with saving a Lafayette donut shop, after noticing it on fire early this morning as he was passing. According to a release from Indiana State Police, Trooper Ryan Winters noticed flames at the Krispy Kreme donut shop at 4030 State Road around 1:49 am. Winters notified dispatchers, then busted out the front glass door to see if anyone was inside. The business was closed and nobody was inside. Winters grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the fire that had started in the kitchen area.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Funny and More News


I haven't felt good lately a lot of sneezing and blowing my nose.
I hope I be back posting tomorrow.
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Welcome Home Daddy


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On Nov. 21: Madison Lutes, 7, runs to greet her dad, Air Force Capt. Jaymes Lutes as he leads his unit into the hanger at the Arizona Air Guard's 161st refueling Wing at Sky Harbor International Airport early in Phoenix. Lutes is a member of the 996th Area Support Medical Company arriving home after serving one year in Iraq.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Two for the price of one

Canadian court rules the obese are entitled to two airline seats for the price of one.
Canada's airlines must give obese people two seats for the price of one on domestic flights, the country's highest court has ruled.
The supreme court declined to hear an appeal by Air Canada and WestJet, the country's two largest airlines, on a January 2008 decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), which gave the airlines a year to implement the policy after they failed to show that a "one-person, one-fare" structure would cause undue hardship.
By convention, the court gave no reason for declining to hear the case.
What remains unresolved is when exactly obesity constitutes a disability. The CTA said airlines must develop procedures to assess eligibility, adding that free seats need not be awarded to overweight people who are merely uncomfortable in a single seat.
The agency recommended that the airlines adopt a policy used by the American carrier Southwest Airlines, which stipulates that people who are too big to lower the armrest should be given an extra seat.
The airlines had lost an appeal at the federal court of appeal in May and had sought to launch a fresh appeal at the supreme court.
The "one-person, one fare" policy already exists on other types of public transport, including buses, trains and ferries.
The new policy will be in effect from Jan 2009.

Now you done it


In the News

New York Elementary School Renamed After Barack Obama
At the behest of its students, an elementary school near New York City has been renamed after President-elect Barack Obama.
The Hempstead Union Free School District board voted unanimously Thursday night to rename Ludlum Elementary School as Barack Obama Elementary School. The change went into effect immediately, school officials said Friday.
Officials for the Long Island district say they think the school is the country's first to be named after the first black president-elect, although similar efforts to rename schools, parks and streets are under way elsewhere.
The Clear Stream Avenue School in Valley Stream, N.Y., also on Long Island, will consider a renaming resolution in December. Students at the Clark K-8 At Binnsmead school in Portland, Ore., are seeking to rename it after Obama. And the prime minister of the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has said he wants its Boggy Peak renamed Mount Obama.
Most of the 466 Hempstead pupils are black or Hispanic, and Obama's election was a big source of pride, principal Jean Bligen said Friday.
Some of the children read essays about Obama and the election at the school board meeting on Thursday night. "That really was effective," Bligen said.
The change will be formalized at a ceremony in December. School officials hope Gov. David Paterson, the state's first black governor and Hempstead High School graduate, will attend.
Built in the 1920s, the Ludlum Elementary School was named after Dr. Charles Ludlum, a local physician who served on the school board for about 40 years.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Oops!

US Airways sends elderly Tampa-bound woman to Puerto Rico
We just hope US Airways has a better sense of direction when it's actually flying.
Because if someone in the company can confuse Tampa and Puerto Rico, we're in trouble.
Here's the story.
Wheelchair-bound Elfriede Kuemmel was on her way back home to Tampa when a US Airways employee wheeled her on to the wrong connecting flight.
The 83-year-old wound up in Puerto Rico.
They made nice, though. The company put Elfriede up in a hotel, paid for her dinner, and flew her back to Tampa first class.
Hope she enjoyed the trip.

She calls herself a teacher.

Well, not anymore.
The St. Lucie County School Board voted unanimously to suspend an elementary school teacher without pay for one year after she let kindergarteners vote on whether 5-year-old Alex Barton could remain in class.
Alex, in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, had left the class twice that day for discipline referrals to the principal’s office.
The teacher brought Alex to the front of the classroom and asked students to tell him how his behavior affected them.
After classmates talked, the teacher asked the class to vote on whether Alex should stay in the class.
Alex lost the vote, 14 to 2.
Maybe the teacher is watching too many reality shows.
We suggest she star in one: Survival: The Meanest Teacher in Florida.
What do you think?

The worst day of their lives so far for these young ladies.

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They are finding out at a young age that not everything goes the way you want it.
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Lost bird's 'phone call' to owner

A missing cockatiel is now safe and sound at home after confirming its own name in a phone call to its owner.
Accountant Sue Hill, who found the bird in Wrexham, was put in touch with a possible owner by a local vet.
When she called the number she let the bird listen to the voice at the other end of the phone - at which point it chirped its own name: "Smokey."
Mrs Hill said it was the first time the bird had spoken, which convinced her she had found its owner.
Smokey the grey cockatiel went missing for two days after flying out of the door of David and Carole Edwards' home in Wrexham.
Mrs Hill, who lives about two miles (3.2km) away, spotted him in a tree and he flew down to perch on her shoulder.
She said: "I didn't really know what to do, so I just carried on walking. One man walked past with his dog and said, 'Why don't you get a dog like everyone else?'
"I must have looked really silly.
"I took him home because I didn't think he would survive, and it was a Sunday so there was nobody I could really contact.
"But the following morning I rang the local vet and amazingly, they had been contacted by someone that morning."
The vet passed on a telephone number for the Edwards', and Mrs Hill set out to prove they were the real owners.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

When is it a bad time to sneeze

When you sneeze while driving and lose control.
An untimely sneeze nearly cost Andrew Hanson his life. The 42-year-old Weymouth man told authorities that a sneeze caused him to lose control of his pickup on Soldiers Field Road and plunge into Boston's Charles River on Tuesday.
Hanson was able to wade to shore after escaping from the truck, which was partially submerged in 4 feet of water. He was not seriously injured but was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Lawrence Callahan of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said Hanson told him that after he sneezed, "the next thing he knew he was in the river."
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Study Finds Fast Food TV Ads Linked to Child Obesity

They spent who knows how much money and time to say what everyone already knows.

A little less "I'm Lovin' It" could put a significant dent in the problem of childhood obesity, suggests a new study that attempts to measure the effect of TV fast-food ads.
A ban on such commercials would reduce the number of obese young children by 18 percent, and the number of obese older kids by 14 percent, researchers found.
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Let's Dance




Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Whales - Fake and Real

Man Builds Life-Sized Whale

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Whales Blowing Bubble Rings
Japanese Beluga whales that have been trained to blow bubble rings.

Virginia Librarian Leaves $2M to Alma Maters

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A retired Virginia school teacher and librarian who died two years ago left more than $2 million to split between the universities she attended, the schools announced Tuesday.
Jane Iris Crutchfield's estate will donate $1.1 million each to the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.
Crutchfield earned her bachelor's degree from the former Mary Washington College in Frederickburg, Va., then her master's degree at U.Va. in 1952 and the equivalent of a master's degree at UNC in 1955.
She taught for the Virginia Public Schools system for almost two decades before becoming a school librarian in 1960. She never married or had children.
Friends said they didn't realize how much money she had saved until they began disbursing her estate after she died in 2006 at the age of 92.
"I had no idea," said Mary Kay Lanzillotta, Crutchfield's longtime neighbor, guardian and co-trustee. "It was only after her passing that we looked through her estate and realized, 'Wow, this is going to be a significant contribution."

Female astronaut loses her bag in space

R.I.P. Pillsbury Doughboy

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 81. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Today is World Toilet Day

Did you know?
2.5 billion people do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet.
One gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs. The simple act of washing hands with soap and water after going to the toilet can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by over 40%. Safe disposal of children's feces leads to a reduction of nearly 40% in childhood diarrhea.
November 19 is World Toilet Day – a day to celebrate the humble, yet vitally important, toilet and to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis. WaterAid is working hard to change this, using simple and low cost solutions, and there are many easy and fun ways you can get involved.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Who's going to get out and changed the flat?


Overloaded In the Oops Category...


Hair Cut


Nap Time


Swinging at the Bus Stop While Waiting


It's fun to have a kid inside you.

In the News

$7,500 Mistakenly Left in Shoes Donated to Goodwill
It took some fancy footwork, but a Goodwill store in Glen Carbon Illinois has found the owner of $7,500 in cash mistakenly donated with old shoes.
A newcomer to the United States from Bulgaria found the money this month on her first day at the Goodwill store in Glen Carbon. Teodora Petrova turned over the money to management.
The cash was found in a shoebox, bundled in large denominations.
Goodwill found the family through hints on scraps of paper left in the box. The donor apparently also called the Goodwill office, figuring he was the source of the cash.
The shoes belonged to the man's recently deceased parents. The store said he didn't want to be identified. The family has offered Petrova a gift for turning over the money.
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UPDATE: Goodwill worker gets $500 for honesty
Goodwill announced a Glen Carbon, Ill., employee will receive $500 after she discovered $7,500 in cash stuffed in a shoebox and turned it in.
Teodora Petrova, who had just arrived in the United States from her native Bulgaria two months earlier, discovered the shoebox full of money while sifting through donated merchandise at the store during her first day on the job Nov. 7, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday.
Goodwill said 12 people called the store to say the money might be theirs after news reports of the find, but slips of paper found in the box matched the story of three Glen Carbon-area brothers who had donated items from their parents' home after the death of their mother three months ago. The brothers asked not to be identified, the Post-Dispatch said.
"One of the brothers was watching the story over the weekend and thought to himself: 'I just donated shoes on Thursday,'" said Phyllis Weiss, a spokesperson for Goodwill.
Lewis Chartock, president and chief executive of Goodwill, said Petrova will receive a $500 reward for her honesty in turning the money in to managers.
"We want everyone in our system to know how proud of her we are," he said.
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La. town finally gets a ZIP code
The U.S. Postal Service announced the 7,000-person town of Larose, La., has been given its own ZIP code, meaning residents will finally receive mail at home.
Residents previously had to visit post offices in the neighboring towns of Cut Off and Lockport to pick up their mail, but the issuing of ZIP code 70373 to the community means that as of Monday, mail was to be delivered to boxes at the homes of Larose residents, The (Lafourche Parish, La.) Daily Comet reported.
Daisy Comeaux, spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service, said the move comes after a June 16 community survey found most respondents supported the idea of bringing mail carriers to Larose.
"It was a very lengthy process, but for the Postal Service to make any type of change like that we have to go through that type of process," Comeaux said.
"We're really pleased we were able to give that service to the customers. It will add convenience, community service and identity for residents of Larose."
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Monday, November 17, 2008

Cats Bunk Beds


It’s Ok To Cry

Click to Enlarge

Spam sales up as economy heads down

One factory in the United States has been busy for months as the rest of the economy slows down -- the Hormel Foods in Austin Minn. that makes Spam.
The factory in Austin, Minn., has been operating two shifts a day seven days a week producing the canned lunch meat, Workers, with all the overtime they can handle, have been told the long hours are likely to continue indefinitely.
Dan Bartel, a business agent for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 9, said that Spam "seems to do well when hard times hit." The lunch meat is reasonably priced protein, if not gourmet food.
Other budget food items are doing well. A spokeswoman for Safeway said sales of rice and beans are up and surveys found that pancake mix and beer sold well in October.
"We'll probably see Spam lines instead of soup lines," Bartel said.

In the News

Prank NY Times: 'All the news we hope to print'
Commuters nationwide found out during Wednesday's morning rush hour that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had ended. Global warming, health care spending and the economy's problems were on their way to solutions too.
Some 1.2 million copies of a spoof of The New York Times, dated July 4, 2009, were handed out by the liberal pranksters the "Yes Men."
The 14-page parody announces the abolition of corporate lobbying, a maximum wage for CEOs and a recall notice for all cars that run on gasoline.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

You don’t want to be in a confine space


4 yr old Girl calls 911 for help with her math homework

Stone Age Temple May Be Birthplace of Civilization

It's more than twice as old as the Pyramids, or even the written word. When it was built, saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths still roamed, and the Ice Age had just ended.
The elaborate temple at Gobelki Tepe in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, is staggeringly ancient: 11,500 years old, from a time just before humans learned to farm grains and domesticate animals.
According to the German archaeologist in charge of excavations at the site, it might be the birthplace of agriculture, of organized religion — of civilization itself.
"This is the first human-built holy place," Klaus Schmidt of the German Archaeological Institute says in the November issue of Smithsonian magazine.

Record litter boosts population of rare Komondor dogs by 25%

One of the world's rarest dogs has seen its UK population boosted by a quarter after a record litter of nine pups.
Kyra gave birth to Britain's biggest-ever litter of Komondors, which are worth £1,000 each. The breed is known as the world's hairiest dog because their fur grows in long dreadlocks which resemble a 'mop' reaching the floor.
There were only 40 Komondors in Britain but the breed's population has gone up by a quarter thanks to the unprecedented litter. Each fluffy pup is identical and so they have been daubed with a different colour on their tails so that their owners can keep track of them. The method has also helped name them with the litter known as Red, Blue, Purple, Green, Silver, Brown, Pink, White and Tiny - named because he was slightly smaller than the others.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Longest beard in the world

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A Surrey, B.C., man is hoping he may soon be recognized as having the world's longest beard on a living male. Three judges measured Sarwan Singh's beard at 2.33 meters, or seven feet 7.75 inches, on Tuesday at a special ceremony at the Akal Academy where Singh is a music teacher.

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