Sunday, March 22, 2009
And in Germany: Sled Event a Wok on the Wild Side...
The annual sport of riding Chinese cooking woks on a bobsled track is about to begin. Since 2003, German celebrities such as former Playboy model Christina Surer have roared down a track at speeds of up to 100 km [60 miles] per hour in modified one- and four-man woks, wearing soup ladles on their...
Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, March 20, 2009
And in Australia: In a School Zone, Slow Down, Watch for Crocs...
Australian children in Palumpa, in the country’s rugged Northern Territory, used to take a boat across a crocodile-infested billabong (a backwater) during the rainy season. But the boat service has been cancelled because of liability concerns. Now, to get to school, the kids have to walk through the...
Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
And in China: Disaster Zone Now a Fun Park...
Seeking to turn disaster into profit, Beichuan County officials are turning last year’s earthquake-devastated area into a tourist spot. Visitors can go boating on “ Quake Lake,” a body of water created by flooding and landslides, visit a museum with an earthquake simulation, and see a school where...
Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
And at Naut’s: A Note to my Esteemed Readership...
From time to time, usually occasioned by comments received on items posted in this blog, it is necessary to point out the following: While the Tidbits and Snippets gleaned from a range of publications are the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth, at least as far as the truthfulness of...
Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, March 16, 2009
And in New York: Model Melee in Manhattan...
Online sources say it was a combination of a fight in line and a broken - down BMW that led to bedlam at auditions for America’s Next Top Model in New York City on Saturday. Three people were arrested and six others hurt, two of them hospitalized, after the stampede outside the Park Central New York...
Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, March 13, 2009
And in the US: Getting out the One-Armed Midget Vote...
What the GOP needs, according to newly elected Republican National Committee chairman Michael S. Steele, is to wage an “off the hook” charm offensive to rehabilitate the brand and to attract young voters – black and Hispanic youth in particular – into the fold. In an interview with the Washington...
Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
And in Canada: To Really Know a Cow, Stare Deeply into its Eyes...
How do you tell how agitated an approaching bull might be? Waiting until you see the whites of its eyes will let you know for sure. A University of Guelph, ON, study, which will appear in the June issue of the Journal of Animal Science, shows that cows, bulls and steers that are easily upset will...
Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
And in 1859 – Comets as Scavengers...
‘What use are comets? The question of the utility of comets has always held a conspicuous place. S.W. Fullom, well know as the author of some pleasant books, suggests a use for comets in his ‘Marvels of Science’: Descartes, Euler and many others believed that there is a subtle media pervading all...
Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
And in Michigan: Bad Name, Bad Food...
Would you be leery of something that contained magnalroxate as a food additive? How about something called hnegripitrom? If you’re like the students tested at the University of Michigan, you’d shy away from the second – even though both names are made up. That’s because hnegripitrom is more...
Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
And in India: Stewardesses Have to Keep Crews Awake...
India' s civil aviation authority has approved a new workplace aid for pilots who fall asleep while on duty. Flight attendants have been ordered to have a lively talk with pilots every half hour to ensure they stay awake. The measure has been sparked by recent incidents of airliners flying off their...
Sign in to see full entry.