Tuesday, July 29, 2008
U.S. Deteriorating Infrastructure
1 in 4 U.S. Bridges Needs Upgrading; At Least $140B Needed
PHILADELPHIA — At least $140 billion is needed to make major repairs or upgrades to one of every four U.S. bridges, transportation officials from states across the country said in a report released Monday.
State officials said bridge repairs are just one element of a pressing need for more federal funding to improve the country's deteriorating transportation infrastructure.
"We need federal intervention, and federal intervention at a big level," Gov. Ed Rendell said after details were released of the report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
The report cited Federal Highway Administration statistics that 152,000 out of the nation's 600,000 bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The $140 billion price tag was derived by multiplying the total number of square meters of the problem bridges by the average cost per square meter — in 2006 dollars — to do the work.
"States are doing their best to improve them, but construction costs are skyrocketing ... forcing states to delay needed repairs," said Pete K. Rahn, head of the Missouri Department of Transportation and the group's president.
The Pizza Pro
Slice and serve pizza easily with this new invention. It combines kitchen shears with a wedge-shaped spatula so you can slice and serve with one hand without ever losing toppings.
Learning numbers…
The teacher asked little Andy if he knew his numbers yet.
"Yes, teacher," he said, "my dad taught me."
.
"Good, Andy. Tell me what comes after two," the teacher said.
"Three," replied Andy.
.
"Very good. What comes after five, Andy?" asked the teacher.
"Six," answered Andy.
.
"Excellent. Your dad did a very good job.
Now, what comes after ten?" the teacher asked.
.
"A Jack!" replied Andy.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Rockport Paper House Is Most Ambitious Papercraft Ever
Back in 1922, a mechanical engineer began building his summer home in Rockport, Massachusetts, out of paper. Originally used just as insulation, Elis Stenman soon began to make furniture and decorations out of paper as well. What resulted was Rockport's Paper House, which is remarkably still standing after 80 years. Stenman's grandniece is now in charge of the house, which was turned into a museum in the 1930s.
In the News
Rock or Priceless Relic?
This may seem like a lump of old rock to you, but to one expert it is priceless. Until a few weeks ago the 80 million-year-old fossilised fish head was part of a garden rockery - until a chance conversation led to it being viewed by Dr Ed Jarzembowski, Maidstone Museum’s keeper of natural history. "I have never seen one of these before. Quite simply it’s priceless," he said.
The cod-like creature, which stares eerily from its prison of rock, probably roamed the open ocean at around the same time as Tyrannosaurus Rex still lived on what would become the continent of North America. The head was owned by Maidstone councillors Peter and Daphne Parvin, who believe they found it on a beach about 15 years ago. Since they moved to their home in Meadow Walk, Maidstone, the stone has been sitting in their rockery, giving visitors its creepy stare. The Parvins have resigned themselves to the fact that the fish head won’t be returning to their rockery. They are now considering donating it to the museum.
PICTURE
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70-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton found
Japanese, Mongolian scientists recover complete skeleton of young dino
A fossilized complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old young dinosaur recovered in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia is shown. The fossil of Tarbosaurus — related to the giant carnivorous Tyrannosaurus — believed to have died at age five and measured about 6.6 feet long, was uncovered by Japanese and Mongolian scientists.
Japanese and Mongolian scientists have successfully recovered the complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old young dinosaur, a nature museum announced Thursday.
The scientists uncovered a Tarbosaurus — related to the giant carnivorous Tyrannosaurus — from a chunk of sandstone they dug up in August, 2006 in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, said Takuji Yokoyama, a spokesman for the Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences, a co-organizer of the joint research project.
"We were so lucky to have found remains that turned out to be a complete set of all the important parts," he said.
PICTURE
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Four giant panda cubs born within 14 hours
The births began Saturday at a breeding center in southwest China
Four giant panda cubs were born within 14 hours at a breeding center in southwest China, a mini baby boom for the rare animals, a state news agency reported Sunday.
The births began Saturday at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center when 9-year-old Qiyuan, or Magic Luck, gave birth to female twins at 5:24 p.m. and 6:16 p.m., Xinhua News Agency reported, citing center expert Yang Feifei.
Eight-year-old Chenggong, or Success, gave birth to a cub at 7:51 p.m., followed by 8-year-old Zhuzhu, or Pearl, who delivered at 6:55 a.m. Sunday, Yang said.
The center currently has 71 pandas in captivity, Xinhua said.
The giant panda is revered as an unofficial national symbol of China. Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in southwestern Sichuan province, which was hit by an earthquake in May that killed nearly 70,000 people.
China's most famous panda preserve, the Wolong Nature Reserve, was seriously damaged in the quake and forced to relocate most of its pandas. The preserve is at the heart of China's gargantuan effort to use captive breeding and artificial insemination to save the giant panda.
PICTURE
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‘Most Prolific Mom’ Gives Birth to 18th Child
A Romanian immigrant gave birth to her 18th child in British Columbia, making her the province's most prolific mother in 20 years.
Proud dad Alexandru Ionce said Saturday that his 44-year-old wife, Livia, gave birth on Tuesday. Their daughter Abigail weighed in at seven pounds, 12 ounces (3.5 kilograms).
"We never planned how many children to have. We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life," said Alexandru Ionce.
The couple immigrated to Canada from Romania in 1990 and now lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23 years old.
Ionce said he did not know if the couple would have more children. The family now has 10 girls and eight boys.
"We would have liked a boy to be even," he said. "We thank God all of them are healthy and happy."
This may seem like a lump of old rock to you, but to one expert it is priceless. Until a few weeks ago the 80 million-year-old fossilised fish head was part of a garden rockery - until a chance conversation led to it being viewed by Dr Ed Jarzembowski, Maidstone Museum’s keeper of natural history. "I have never seen one of these before. Quite simply it’s priceless," he said.
The cod-like creature, which stares eerily from its prison of rock, probably roamed the open ocean at around the same time as Tyrannosaurus Rex still lived on what would become the continent of North America. The head was owned by Maidstone councillors Peter and Daphne Parvin, who believe they found it on a beach about 15 years ago. Since they moved to their home in Meadow Walk, Maidstone, the stone has been sitting in their rockery, giving visitors its creepy stare. The Parvins have resigned themselves to the fact that the fish head won’t be returning to their rockery. They are now considering donating it to the museum.
PICTURE
.
70-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton found
Japanese, Mongolian scientists recover complete skeleton of young dino
A fossilized complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old young dinosaur recovered in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia is shown. The fossil of Tarbosaurus — related to the giant carnivorous Tyrannosaurus — believed to have died at age five and measured about 6.6 feet long, was uncovered by Japanese and Mongolian scientists.
Japanese and Mongolian scientists have successfully recovered the complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old young dinosaur, a nature museum announced Thursday.
The scientists uncovered a Tarbosaurus — related to the giant carnivorous Tyrannosaurus — from a chunk of sandstone they dug up in August, 2006 in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, said Takuji Yokoyama, a spokesman for the Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences, a co-organizer of the joint research project.
"We were so lucky to have found remains that turned out to be a complete set of all the important parts," he said.
PICTURE
.
Four giant panda cubs born within 14 hours
The births began Saturday at a breeding center in southwest China
Four giant panda cubs were born within 14 hours at a breeding center in southwest China, a mini baby boom for the rare animals, a state news agency reported Sunday.
The births began Saturday at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center when 9-year-old Qiyuan, or Magic Luck, gave birth to female twins at 5:24 p.m. and 6:16 p.m., Xinhua News Agency reported, citing center expert Yang Feifei.
Eight-year-old Chenggong, or Success, gave birth to a cub at 7:51 p.m., followed by 8-year-old Zhuzhu, or Pearl, who delivered at 6:55 a.m. Sunday, Yang said.
The center currently has 71 pandas in captivity, Xinhua said.
The giant panda is revered as an unofficial national symbol of China. Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in southwestern Sichuan province, which was hit by an earthquake in May that killed nearly 70,000 people.
China's most famous panda preserve, the Wolong Nature Reserve, was seriously damaged in the quake and forced to relocate most of its pandas. The preserve is at the heart of China's gargantuan effort to use captive breeding and artificial insemination to save the giant panda.
PICTURE
.
‘Most Prolific Mom’ Gives Birth to 18th Child
A Romanian immigrant gave birth to her 18th child in British Columbia, making her the province's most prolific mother in 20 years.
Proud dad Alexandru Ionce said Saturday that his 44-year-old wife, Livia, gave birth on Tuesday. Their daughter Abigail weighed in at seven pounds, 12 ounces (3.5 kilograms).
"We never planned how many children to have. We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life," said Alexandru Ionce.
The couple immigrated to Canada from Romania in 1990 and now lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23 years old.
Ionce said he did not know if the couple would have more children. The family now has 10 girls and eight boys.
"We would have liked a boy to be even," he said. "We thank God all of them are healthy and happy."
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