Cop tries to chase a dirt bike.

Watch here.

Looking for these Vtracs Friday Midday or Evening.

1123
1134
2213
3314

International Date Line Divides Two Days on the Earth's Surface

While the world is divided into 24 time zones, there has to be a place where there is a difference in days, somewhere the day truly "starts" on the planet. Thus, the 180° line of longitude, exactly one-half way around the planet from Greenwich, England and 0° longitude is approximately where the International Date Line is located. Cross the line from the east to the west and a day is added. Cross from west to the east and a day is subtracted.Without the International Date Line, people who travel west around the planet would discover that when they returned home, it would seem as though an extra day had passed. This situation actually happened to Magellan's crew when they returned home after their circumnavigation of the earth.

Here's how the International Date Line works. Let's say you fly from the United States to Japan. Let's suppose you leave the United States on Tuesday morning. Since you're traveling west the time advances slowly thanks to time zones and the speed at which your airplane flies, but once you cross the International Date Line, it's suddenly Wednesday.

On the reverse trip home you fly from Japan to the United States. You leave Japan on Monday morning but as you cross the Pacific Ocean, the day gets later quickly as you cross time zones moving eastward in an airplace. However, once you cross the International Date Line, the day changes to Sunday.

The International Date Line is not a straight line, either. Since its beginning, it has zigzagged to avoid spitting apart countries into two days. It bends through the Bering Strait to avoid placing far northeastern Russia in a different day than the rest of the country. Unfortunately, tiny Kiribati was split. In 1995 the island country of Kiribati decided to move the International Date Line. Since the line is simply established by international agreement and there are not treaties or formal agreements associated with the line, most of the rest of the world followed Kiribati and moved the line on their maps. Most recent maps show the change and you'll see the big panhandle zigzag which keeps Kiribati all within the same day. Now eastern Kiribati and Hawaii, which are located in the same area of longitude, are a whole day apart.

The Atlantic Ocean, Sept. 13, 2001 Hundreds of crew members of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), in dress white uniforms, spell out a reference to the quote of former President Theodore Roosevelt: "Walk softly and carry a big stick."

Test for Wednesday 21st. Straight. IL Mid & Eve.

0013 0018 0063 0068 0513 0518 0563 0568 5013 5018 5063 5068 5513 5518 5563 5568 0031 0036 0081 0086 0531 0536 0581 0586 5031 5036 5081 5086 5531 5536 5581 5586 0103 0108 0153 0158 0603 0608 0653 0658 5103 5108 5153 5158 5603 5608 5653 5658 0130 0135 0180 0185 0630 0635 0680 0685 5130 5135 5180 5185 5630 5635 5680 5685 0301 0306 0351 0356 0801 0806 0851 0856 5301 5306 5351 5356 5801 5806 5851 5856 0310 0315 0360 0365 0810 0815 0860 0865 5310 5315 5360 5365 5810 5815 5860 5865 1003 1008 1053 1058 1503 1508 1553 1558 6003 6008 6053 6058 6503 6508 6553 6558 1030 1035 1080 1085 1530 1535 1580 1585 6030 6035 6080 6085 6530 6535 6580 6585 1300 1305 1350 1355 1800 1805 1850 1855 6300 6305 6350 6355 6800 6805 6850 6855 3001 3006 3051 3056 3501 3506 3551 3556 8001 8006 8051 8056 8501 8506 8551 8556 3010 3015 3060 3065 3510 3515 3560 3565 8010 8015 8060 8065 8510 8515 8560 8565 3100 3105 3150 3155 3600 3605 3650 3655 8100 8105 8150 8155 8600 8605 8650 8655 0113 0118 0163 0168 0613 0618 0663 0668 5113 5118 5163 5168 5613 5618 5663 5668 0131 0136 0181 0186 0631 0636 0681 0686 5131 5136 5181 5186 5631 5636 5681 5686 0311 0316 0361 0366 0811 0816 0861 0866 5311 5316 5361 5366 5811 5816 5861 5866 1013 1018 1063 1068 1513 1518 1563 1568 6013 6018 6063 6068 6513 6518 6563 6568 1031 1036 1081 1086 1531 1536 1581 1586 6031 6036 6081 6086 6531 6536 6581 6586 1103 1108 1153 1158 1603 1608 1653 1658 6103 6108 6153 6158 6603 6608 6653 6658 1130 1135 1180 1185 1630 1635 1680 1685 6130 6135 6180 6185 6630 6635 6680 6685 1301 1306 1351 1356 1801 1806 1851 1856 6301 6306 6351 6356 6801 6806 6851 6856 1310 1315 1360 1365 1810 1815 1860 1865 6310 6315 6360 6365 6810 6815 6860 6865 3011 3016 3061 3066 3511 3516 3561 3566 8011 8016 8061 8066 8511 8516 8561 8566 3101 3106 3151 3156 3601 3606 3651 3656 8101 8106 8151 8156 8601 8606 8651 8656 3110 3115 3160 3165 3610 3615 3660 3665 8110 8115 8160 8165 8610 8615 8660 8665 0133 0138 0183 0188 0633 0638 0683 0688 5133 5138 5183 5188 5633 5638 5683 5688 0313 0318 0363 0368 0813 0818 0863 0868 5313 5318 5363 5368 5813 5818 5863 5868 0331 0336 0381 0386 0831 0836 0881 0886 5331 5336 5381 5386 5831 5836 5881 5886 1033 1038 1083 1088 1533 1538 1583 1588 6033 6038 6083 6088 6533 6538 6583 6588 1303 1308 1353 1358 1803 1808 1853 1858 6303 6308 6353 6358 6803 6808 6853 6858 1330 1335 1380 1385 1830 1835 1880 1885 6330 6335 6380 6385 6830 6835 6880 6885 3013 3018 3063 3068 3513 3518 3563 3568 8013 8018 8063 8068 8513 8518 8563 8568 3031 3036 3081 3086 3531 3536 3581 3586 8031 8036 8081 8086 8531 8536 8581 8586 3103 3108 3153 3158 3603 3608 3653 3658 8103 8108 8153 8158 8603 8608 8653 8658 3130 3135 3180 3185 3630 3635 3680 3685 8130 8135 8180 8185 8630 8635 8680 8685 3301 3306 3351 3356 3801 3806 3851 3856 8301 8306 8351 8356 8801 8806 8851 8856 3310 3315 3360 3365 3810 3815 3860 3865 8310 8315 8360 8365 8810 8815 8860 8865

Here it is - the list of over 500 interesting and unusual town names in the United States, as of 2001

Go Here...

To build [the Itaipú Dam], workers reenacted a labor of Hercules: they shifted the course of the seventh biggest river in the world (Paraná River, at the Brazil/Paraguay border) and removed more than 50 million tons of earth and rock." According to the magazine, "the true marvel of Itaipú, though, is its powerhouse ... a single building that puts out 12,600 megawatts -- enough to power most of California.

Rest of the story.

This is a test. 312 numbers Straight. IL Mid & Eve 20th

1629 6129 1692 6192 1269 6219 1296 6291 1962 6912 1926 6921 2169 2619 2196 2691 2916 2961 9162 9612 9126 9621 9216 9261 1674 6174 1647 6147 1764 6714 1746 6741 1467 6417 1476 6471 7164 7614 7146 7641 7416 7461 4167 4617 4176 4671 4716 4761 1679 6179 1697 6197 1769 6719 1796 6791 1967 6917 1976 6971 7169 7619 7196 7691 7916 7961 9167 9617 9176 9671 9716 9761 1274 1724 1247 1742 1427 1472 2174 7124 2147 7142 2714 7214 2741 7241 2417 7412 2471 7421 4127 4172 4217 4712 4271 4721 1279 1729 1297 1792 1927 1972 2179 7129 2197 7192 2719 7219 2791 7291 2917 7912 2971 7921 9127 9172 9217 9712 9271 9721 6279 6729 6297 6792 6927 6972 2679 7629 2697 7692 2769 7269 2796 7296 2967 7962 2976 7926 9627 9672 9267 9762 9276 9726 1249 1294 1429 1924 1492 1942 2149 2194 2419 2914 2491 2941 4129 9124 4192 9142 4219 9214 4291 9241 4912 9412 4921 9421 1749 1794 1479 1974 1497 1947 7149 7194 7419 7914 7491 7941 4179 9174 4197 9147 4719 9714 4791 9741 4917 9417 4971 9471 6749 6794 6479 6974 6497 6947 7649 7694 7469 7964 7496 7946 4679 9674 4697 9647 4769 9764 4796 9746 4967 9467 4976 9476 1129 1192 1219 1291 1912 1921 2119 2191 2911 9112 9121 9211 1174 1147 1714 1741 1417 1471 7114 7141 7411 4117 4171 4711 1229 1292 1922 2129 2192 2219 2291 2912 2921 9122 9212 9221 1774 1747 1477 7174 7147 7714 7741 7417 7471 4177 4717 4771 6774 6747 6477 7674 7647 7764 7746 7467 7476 4677 4767 4776 1299 1929 1992 2199 2919 2991 9129 9192 9219 9291 9912 9921 1744 1474 1447 7144 7414 7441 4174 4147 4714 4741 4417 4471 6299 6929 6992 2699 2969 2996 9629 9692 9269 9296 9962 9926

We get some suggestions from Conoductor Larry and hear a story about a train vs. truck. Take a listen here...

Lets Talk Trains is available on the Internet both Live, 10am pacific time Saturdays, and in the Archives 24/7.

This is a test. I will not be playing these.
576 numbers Straight. IL Mid & Eve 6-19-06

1334 1339 1384 1389 1834 1839 1884 1889 6334 6339 6384 6389 6834 6839 6884 6889 1343 1348 1393 1398 1843 1848 1893 1898 6343 6348 6393 6398 6843 6848 6893 6898 1433 1438 1483 1488 1933 1938 1983 1988 6433 6438 6483 6488 6933 6938 6983 6988 3134 3139 3184 3189 3634 3639 3684 3689 8134 8139 8184 8189 8634 8639 8684 8689 3143 3148 3193 3198 3643 3648 3693 3698 8143 8148 8193 8198 8643 8648 8693 8698 3314 3319 3364 3369 3814 3819 3864 3869 8314 8319 8364 8369 8814 8819 8864 8869 3341 3346 3391 3396 3841 3846 3891 3896 8341 8346 8391 8396 8841 8846 8891 8896 3413 3418 3463 3468 3913 3918 3963 3968 8413 8418 8463 8468 8913 8918 8963 8968 3431 3436 3481 3486 3931 3936 3981 3986 8431 8436 8481 8486 8931 8936 8981 8986 4133 4138 4183 4188 4633 4638 4683 4688 9133 9138 9183 9188 9633 9638 9683 9688 4313 4318 4363 4368 4813 4818 4863 4868 9313 9318 9363 9368 9813 9818 9863 9868 4331 4336 4381 4386 4831 4836 4881 4886 9331 9336 9381 9386 9831 9836 9881 9886 0134 0139 0184 0189 0634 0639 0684 0689 5134 5139 5184 5189 5634 5639 5684 5689 0143 0148 0193 0198 0643 0648 0693 0698 5143 5148 5193 5198 5643 5648 5693 5698 0314 0319 0364 0369 0814 0819 0864 0869 5314 5319 5364 5369 5814 5819 5864 5869 0341 0346 0391 0396 0841 0846 0891 0896 5341 5346 5391 5396 5841 5846 5891 5896 0413 0418 0463 0468 0913 0918 0963 0968 5413 5418 5463 5468 5913 5918 5963 5968 0431 0436 0481 0486 0931 0936 0981 0986 5431 5436 5481 5486 5931 5936 5981 5986 1034 1039 1084 1089 1534 1539 1584 1589 6034 6039 6084 6089 6534 6539 6584 6589 1043 1048 1093 1098 1543 1548 1593 1598 6043 6048 6093 6098 6543 6548 6593 6598 1304 1309 1354 1359 1804 1809 1854 1859 6304 6309 6354 6359 6804 6809 6854 6859 1340 1345 1390 1395 1840 1845 1890 1895 6340 6345 6390 6395 6840 6845 6890 6895 1403 1408 1453 1458 1903 1908 1953 1958 6403 6408 6453 6458 6903 6908 6953 6958 1430 1435 1480 1485 1930 1935 1980 1985 6430 6435 6480 6485 6930 6935 6980 6985 3014 3019 3064 3069 3514 3519 3564 3569 8014 8019 8064 8069 8514 8519 8564 8569 3041 3046 3091 3096 3541 3546 3591 3596 8041 8046 8091 8096 8541 8546 8591 8596 3104 3109 3154 3159 3604 3609 3654 3659 8104 8109 8154 8159 8604 8609 8654 8659 3140 3145 3190 3195 3640 3645 3690 3695 8140 8145 8190 8195 8640 8645 8690 8695 3401 3406 3451 3456 3901 3906 3951 3956 8401 8406 8451 8456 8901 8906 8951 8956 3410 3415 3460 3465 3910 3915 3960 3965 8410 8415 8460 8465 8910 8915 8960 8965 4013 4018 4063 4068 4513 4518 4563 4568 9013 9018 9063 9068 9513 9518 9563 9568 4031 4036 4081 4086 4531 4536 4581 4586 9031 9036 9081 9086 9531 9536 9581 9586 4103 4108 4153 4158 4603 4608 4653 4658 9103 9108 9153 9158 9603 9608 9653 9658 4301 4306 4351 4356 4801 4806 4851 4856 9301 9306 9351 9356 9801 9806 9851 9856 4130 4135 4180 4185 4630 4635 4680 4685 9130 9135 9180 9185 9630 9635 9680 9685 4310 4315 4360 4365 4810 4815 4860 4865 9310 9315 9360 9365 9810 9815 9860 9865

—A Little Boont—

Boontling has received world wide interest as a linguistic phenomenon. A few of the words you might see or hear while in Anderson Valley include: bahl gorms (good food), buckey walter (pay phone), pike (to walk or travel), rookie-to (quail), harp (to talk or speak), horn of zeese (cup of coffee) and Boont (Boonville).

Around the turn of the century, Anderson Valley was a very isolated farming and logging community. To pass the time (and have a little fun at it), the locals began to use self-developed terms. The language originated with the women and children workers in the hop fields and eventually spread to become the spoken word for most valley residents. Today, with most fluent “boonters” in their elder year, the language has dissolved to a few slang terms. In our desire to celebrate the heritage of our region, Anderson Valley Brewing Co. has brought back many of the old boontling terms as product names, logos, and downhome bar talk. Listed below are many of the terms that we use in reference to the Boonville beers.

• • Aplenty Bahl Steinber Horn - Really great beer.
• • Apple Head - A girl friend.
• • Bahlest - excellent or great
• • Bahl Hornin’ - good drinking
• • Barney Flats - Hendy Woods National Forest. A spectacular forest of virgin redwoods, located in Anderson Valley.
• • Belk Region - Bell Valley. A scenic valley located just beyond the baldies, northeast of Boonville. It was here in the hop fields, during the turn of the century, that the language of boontling originated.
• • Boont - Boonville. The largest community and focal center of Anderson Valley. The town where the language of boontling originated. Now famous for its local brewery.
• • Bucky - A nickel (A politically incorrect reference to the Indian head).
• • Charlie Ball - To embarrass (A local indian of this name was easily embarrassed).
• • Deep Enders - Residents of the town of Navarro, located due west of Anderson Valley and bordering the Pacific Coast.
• • Heelch - A large quantity.
• • High Rollers - Residents of the town of Yorkville, the smallest town in Anderson Valley. Located 10 miles east of Boonville.
• • Horn - A drink; to drink. (Dialectal.)
• • Jeffer - A large fire. (A Boonter named Jeff built large fires in his fireplace.)
• • Shoveltooth - A doctor; an M.D. (A local doctor was so nicknamed because he had protruding teeth.)
• • It's not just shy sluggin’ gorms neemer - It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
• • It's a slow lope'n a beeson tree - Literally a comfortable pace on a horse, while sitting on a very comfortable saddle. Commonly referred to mean “a mellow ride.”
• • Pike - A hike or stroll
• • Poleeko - Philo. The second largest town in Anderson Valley, located 6 miles west of Boonville beers originated.
• • Rudy nebs - pristine, mineral rich, well water; like that used in the production of the Boonville Beers.
• • Tidrik - A party; a social gathering. (Probably from “tea drink,” a dialectal expression meaning the same thing.)
• • Zeese - Coffee. (A local hunter-camp cook nicknamed Zeese, from his initials Z.C., made bitterly strong coffee.)

.--. .. -.-. -.- ....-

-- .- -. -.--

-. ..- -- -... . .-. ...

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five
must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in
times of war or other emergencies.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter
is uncopyrightable.

In the 1940s, the FCC assigned television's Channel 1 to mobile Services
(two-way radios in taxicabs, for instance) but did not re-number the
other channel assignments. That is why your TV set has channels 2 and up, but no channel 1.

The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every
letter in the alphabet. (Developed by Western Union to Test telex/twx
communications)

more here...

Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time is extended one month and begins for most of the United States at:

If you sit and watch the Foucault pendulum for an hour, you will "see" that the plane of the swing of the iron ball slowly shifts anti-clockwise by about 8.4 degrees per hour. This is an optical illusion. The building is actually shifting "under" the Foucault Pendulum!

The Foucault Pendulum (support + wire + iron ball) is attached to this building. The building is attached to the Planet Earth, which rotates on its own axis about once every 24 hours. The Earth also goes around the Sun, once every year. The Sun, in turn, goes around the centre of our galaxy, The Milky Way, once every 250 million years. These are all local motions.

The Foucault Pendulum somehow ignores all these local motions! The Foucault Pendulum somehow aligns itself with the Rest of The Universe.

read more...

Random live webcams from the Net

These webcams were found automatically through a variety of clever search techniques. Their owners might or might not have intended for them to be public. But they obviously are. Many of them are security cameras in companies or semi-public places. If you hover over the picture you'll see what location information is available. If you click on it, a window will open and you can see a live video feed, plus comments and ratings and other information.
1332 webcams are available as of last scan.

Go here and Scroll down to see cams.

Tehachapi Loop

A World-Famous Railroad Construction Achievement of the 19th Century

Located about eight miles west of Tehachapi, California, near Highway 58

In the 1870's the Southern Pacific (Central Pacific) Railroad sought to link their rails in central California to those in Southern California. The path was blocked by the rugged Tehachapi Mountain range, which acts as an east-west barrier between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Since construction directly south was impractical, the Southern Pacific Railroad decided to go southeast to Mojave, through the Tehachapi Pass. The summit at Tehachapi Pass was 4000'. Construction from Bakersfield to Caliente was somewhat routine, but from that point on the elevation going east rises quickly. From Caliente to the summit (now the City of Tehachapi) the rise is 2,735 feet. The maximum grade permitted was 2.2%. By routing the track alongside the slopes of the Tehachapi foothills, engineer William Hood could envision completing the task. However, just east of Keene, there was an apparently unsolvable problem. An increase in elevation of nearly 80 feet was required, unattainable using typical designs .

The problem was solved by constructing a unique loop. Going southeasterly from Keene, a train first passes through an entry tunnel. The track then does a complete counterclockwise loop, passing over the entry tunnel before continuing easterly. (See sketch below). The loop is sized to have a length adequate to achieve the needed gain in elevation. The result is a loop 3,799' long, with a typical diameter of about 1210 feet. By continuing to gain elevation throughout the loop, engineer Hood was able to make up the needed elevation (about 77' rise in the loop). With modern freight trains, often more than a mile long, the locomotive passes over (or under, depending upon direction) the final cars of its own train!

More here

Valdemar Poulsen Nov. 23, 1869 - July 1942

First Automatic Answering Machine

Ansafone - Answering Machine

The Ansafone, created by inventor Dr. Kazuo Hashimoto for Phonetel, was the first answering machine sold in the USA, beginning in 1960.

Casio's Contributions to Answering Machines

According to Casio TAD History (Telephone Answering Devices): CASIO COMMUNICATIONS created the modern telephone answering device (TAD) industry as we know it today by introducing the first commercially viable answering machine a quarter of a century ago. The product - the Model 400 - is now featured in the Smithsonian.

1971 PhoneMate Answering Machine

In 1971, PhoneMate introduced one of the first commercially viable answering machines, the Model 400. The unit weighs 10 pounds, screens calls and holds 20 messages on a reel-to-reel tape. An earphone enables private message retrieval.

Digital Tad - Telephone Answering Devices

The first digital tad was invented by Dr. Kazuo Hashimoto of Japan in mid-1983. US patent 4,616,110 entitled Automatic Digital Telephone Answering.

Voicemail - Voice Mail

U.S. Patent No. 4,371,752 is the pioneer patent for what evolved into voice mail, and that patent belongs to Gordon Matthews. Gordon Matthews held over thirty-three patents. Gordon Matthews was the founder of the VMX company in Dallas, Texas that produced the first commercial voice mail system, he has become known as the "Father of Voice Mail."

Gordon Matthews - Voicemail Inventor

In 1979, Gordon Matthews formed his company, VMX, of Dallas (Voice Message Express). He applied for a patent in 1979 for his voicemail invention and sold the first system to 3M.

"When I call a business, I like to talk to a human" - Gordon Matthews.

Three States Claim First Interstate Highway

by Richard F. Weingroff

Missouri claims the first interstate highway project to begin construction after the passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.

Where is the first interstate highway? This seemingly simple question is actually quite complicated, as Missouri, Kansas, and Pennsylvania have staked their claims to the first interstate. The answer depends on how the term "first" is defined.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways is dated from June 29, 1956 - the day President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. On Aug. 2, 1956, Missouri became the first state to award a contract with the new interstate construction funding. The Missouri State Highway Commission worked on three contracts that day, but the first signed contract was for work on U.S. Route 66 - now Interstate 44 - in Laclede County. As soon as that contract was signed, S.W. O'Brien, district engineer for the Bureau of Public Roads, called his headquarters in Washington, D.C., and confirmed that the contract was the first in the nation.

So, that's one first, but Missouri also claims another first. Also on Aug. 2, Missouri awarded a contract for work on U.S. 40 - now I 70, the Mark Twain Expressway - in St. Charles County, and on Aug. 13, this project became the first interstate project to be awarded and to start construction after the signing of the 1956 act. Well, that's two firsts, and that should be enough for any state.

Kansas claims the first interstate highway project completed
under the provisions of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.

But, Kansas also has a claim. On Aug. 31, the Kansas State Highway Commission awarded a contract for concrete paving of a two-lane section of U.S. 40 (I-70) a few miles west of Topeka. The construction was under way before the enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, but paving under the new contract began on Sept. 26. Because this was the first paving to be initiated after the 1956 act, First District State Highway Commissioner Ivan Wassberg wrote "9-26-56" in the fresh cement to mark the historic day. On Nov. 14, Gov. Fred Hall participated in a ribbon-cutting to open the newly paved road, and a sign was posted, identifying this section of I-70 as the "first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956."

The Pennsylvania Turnpike - "The Granddaddy of Pikes" and the first limited access, interstate-type highway in the United States - was used by the U.S. Army even before the turnpike was officially opened to the public on Oct. 1, 1940

Photo: Courtesy of the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors

So, that's three firsts, but there's more. Of course, construction on some of the highways incorporated into the interstate system began before 1956. Considering this fact, perhaps the first interstate highway is really the 260-kilometer stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Irwin and Carlisle. When it opened on Oct. 1, 1940, the Pennsylvania Turnpike gave American motorists their first chance to experience what someday would be known as an "interstate." Pennsylvania calls the turnpike "The Granddaddy of the Pikes."

Well, that's three firsts and a granddaddy. So, I guess that the true first just depends on how you look at it.

Richard F. Weingroff is an information liaison specialist with FHWA's Office of Infrastructure.

Mt. St. Helens, USA

A helicopter flies by the base of the slab or "fin" growing in the Mount St. Helens crater. This shot was taken from the northeast. Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Geologic Survey

A large "slab" or "fin" of molten rock is growing within the crater, pushing itself up and over previous lava dome growth, said Dan Dzurisin, a geologist with the U.S. Geologic Survey in Vancouver. The fin grows about four to five feet a day but loses some of that growth from rockfalls off its tip, Dzurisin said. The fin is about 300 feet tall from its base, reaching to 7,700 feet above sea level. That puts it about 70 feet below Shoestring Notch, the lowest point of the mountain's horseshoe-shaped crater. Cloudy weather blocked scientists' view of the mountain for several days, but Friday they were able to fly into the crater to adjust equipment and take photographs. They hope to have an animated clip on the MSH website at http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/ to show the growth in a five-day window. (Story via AP)

Cleveland, Alaska, USA

Cleveland Volcano erupted on May 23,2006 in a short-lived spurt that lasted only two hours. NASA astronaut and Expedition 13 science officer/flight engineer Jeffrey Williams on board the ISS grabbed a camera and caught this magnificent image.

... they'll all be watching you. In the digital age, Big Brother has grown into an entire Big Brotherhood, keeping track of all aspects of our lives, writes Antony Barnett reports

Sunday July 30, 2000
The Observer

From the moment you wake up tomorrow, nearly every movement you make will be tracked by somebody, somewhere. Walk to your car, turn on your computer at work, visit the local supermarket - all will be noted by cameras or databases deep in the bowels of corporate HQs and within shadowy government agencies.

Already these databases are bulging with intricate details of every facet of our private lives. Your eating habits, hobbies, whether you have children or prefer hip-hop to grunge - your tastes, preferences and passions have all been downloaded. Never in the history of mankind has personal privacy been harder to secure. Read more..

Fake Trees Are Springing Up Across America
New "species" of trees are suddenly appearing in San Diego County.  Their entire growth
cycle is completed within a few days in one of the most unusual examples of urbanization.
Read more here...

Unlike traditional flat-screen IMAX® theaters, the new, state-of-the-art Hackworth IMAX® Dome Theater features a giant eight story domed screen and six-channel, digital wrap around sound with 13,000 watts of power coming from 44 speakers. It seats 295 people in special reclining chairs that accentuate the feeling of actually being in the movie. The Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater is the only theater of its kind in Northern California.

The technology that makes IMAX unique comes into play during the production process, when film 10 times the size of standard movie images is loaded into a 52-pound camera. Each IMAX film frame is roughly the size of a business card. IMAX film cartridges, which weigh nearly five pounds when fully loaded, shoot only five to seven minutes of footage each.

Projecting the film is a technological feat in itself. The movie is stored on reels the size of tractor tires that must be loaded onto a hand-built projector as big as a Volkswagen Beetle. The loading process is done beneath the theater, inside a dust-free projection and operator's room and visible through windows as the audience prepares to enter the Hackworth. At the start of the show, the entire two-ton projection package is lifted on an elevator some 22 feet into a box, called a "dog house,'' built into the theater's seating area.

http://secure.thetech.org/ops/imax/imax_overview.html

In the winter of 1811-12, the central Mississippi Valley was struck by three of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history. Even today, this region has more earthquakes than any other part of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.

The 400 terrified residents in the town of New Madrid (Missouri) were abruptly awakened by violent shaking and a tremendous roar. It was December 16, 1811, and a powerful earthquake had just struck. This was the first of three magnitude-8 earthquakes and thousands of aftershocks to rock the region that winter.

Earthquakes in the central or eastern United States affect much larger areas than earthquakes of similar magnitude in the western United States. For example, the San Francisco, California, earthquake of 1906 (magnitude 7.8) was felt 350 miles away in the middle of Nevada, whereas the New Madrid earthquake of December 1811 (magnitude 8.0) rang church bells in Boston, Massachusetts, 1,000 miles away. Differences in geology east and west of the Rocky Mountains cause this strong contrast.

There were temporary river waterfalls where the Mississippi ran backwards during 1811-12 earthquakes.

A Cosmic Speed Limit

The velocity of light plays a central role in astronomy and in physics. According to the Einstein's Theory of Relativity, nothing in our universe can exceed the velocity of light.

For more reading, go here.

When the U.S. Navy really needs to impress people, it flies them out to one of its super aircraft carriers. Standing 20 stories above the water and stretching 1,092 feet (333 meters) from bow to stern (about as long as the 77-story Chrysler building is tall), the sheer bulk of these ships is awe-inspiring. But the really amazing thing about a supercarrier isn't its size; it's the intense scene on its flight deck. When the crew is in full swing, it can launch or land a plane every 25 seconds -- all in a fraction of the space available on a typical landing strip.

In this article, we'll find out what the U.S. Navy's modern Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are all about. We'll learn what's on the different decks, take a look at the amazing machines that help launch and land aircraft, and find out a little about daily life on these enormous floating bases. As we'll see, the modern aircraft carrier is one of the most amazing vehicles ever created.

super aircraft carriers

1970 Economy / Prices

Legend: Green M&M® Chocolate Candies are an aphrodisiac.

Origins: The Mars Company of Hackettstown, New Jersey (now M&M/MARS), has been producing M&M Chocolate Candies since 1941. (The peanut variety was introduced in 1954.) Various rumors have since been attached to different colors of the candy: the green ones are an aphrodisiac; if the last candy out of a bag is red, make a wish and it will come true; if the last candy out of a bag is yellow, you should call in sick and stay home; orange M&Ms are good luck, but brown ones are bad luck. M&M/MARS notes that all these rumors were developed by consumers, not the company.

The rumor that these green candies are an aphrodisiac apparently started or first gained prominence in the 1970s, when students reportedly picked the green ones out of packages to feed to the objects of their desires. (At that time, an average of 10% of plain M&Ms and 20% of peanut M&Ms were green.) Why the green M&Ms were attributed with this power is unknown; perhaps it was because the color green has always been associated with healing and fertility. (The company itself routinely states that they "cannot explain any extraordinary 'powers' attributed to [green M&Ms], either scientifically or medically"; the same "powers" have also been claimed of green jelly beans and gummi bears.)

When red M&Ms were temporarily taken off the market after the FDA banned the use of red dye #2 in 1976, a rumor spread that the red ones were such a powerful aphrodisiac that M&M/MARS employees were pocketing them directly off the production line.

In 1992, a California lawyer named Wendy Jaffe cashed in on the legend and started a company named Cool Chocolates Inc. Her company's sole product was a green M&M-like candy sold under the name "The Green Ones." M&M/MARS claimed trademark infringement (in part because the characters on The Green Ones' packages were quite similar to the trademarked M&M cartoon figures), and as part of a settlement Ms. Jaffe agreed to change the name and packaging of her product. (Her candy was subsequently sold under the name "Greenies.") M&M/MARS started playing on the common image of green M&Ms with an "Is it true what they say about green ones?" advertising campaign in 1996.

Have you ever wondered why the moon is more orange or yellow in color when it first rises at night. This effect is caused by the atmosphere of the earth.

The Orange Moon

A used ... pink bathrobe
A rare ... mint snowglobe
A Smurf ... TV tray
I bought on eBay

My house ... is filled with this crap
Shows up in bubble wrap
Most every day
What I bought on eBay

Listen to the eBay Song

The Bees

There was a crowd of bees flying around one day.
These bees were most peculiar. They were powered by gasoline, rather than the allergenic goodies that bees usually eat.

As the crowd flew along, periodically a bee or two
would start to sputter, it would fly down to a gas station, drink up the gas spilled in fueling a car, and then fly up and rejoin the crowd.

One bee began to sputter a little, but flew right by an open gas station. As he passed the second station, he was coughing badly, but still he flew on.

Finally, as he was on his last fumes, he dove down to a station and gassed up.

When he rejoined the crowd, his neighbor challenged him: "Look, you passed right by an open station when you started to get low. You passed another station when you were perilously low. And finally, you ran out of
gas just in time to glide into that last station. Are you crazy?"

He replied, "Well, it's like this. The first station was a Gulf station. I really don't like Gulf at all. The second station was a Texaco station. That's even worse. But the third station was an Esso station. Let me tell you, Esso is my brand of gasoline.

You know what they say don't you...




There's an Esso Bee in every crowd!

The 1900 glider produced only about half the lift the Wrights had predicted. For all their careful planning, something was obviously very wrong. Still, they were pleased with their first visit to Kitty Hawk.

Inventing A Flying Machine

15 numbers for Monday the 12th

Let's try pairs 67 & 78 for midday today.
Or maybe I'll try to find my lucky dart board.

Testing pairs.
Pairs 34, 89

Here are some jaunty tunes you will remember from yesteryear.
Advertising Jingles

1497, 2508, 3619, 4720, 5831, 6942, 7053, 8164, 9275, 0386

15 numbers for Saturday the 10th

Make your own fireworks here.

16 numbers for Friday the 9th.

Beyond Tomorrow
http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep19/turby.html

Turby could turn electricity generation on its head. It’s a personalised system which can power a whole house – from the top of that very building. Turby is a revolutionary vertical axis wind turbine designed for use in an urban or built up environment. Unlike windmills or wind generators, Turby is highly efficient even in low winds and can power up a house with ease – and when the wind doesn’t blow you switch back into the regular grid.

http://local.live.com/ 

Bird's Eye Map View Availability

The bird's eye map view is available for many major metropolitan areas.
If the bird's eye map view is available for a location, the bird's eye notification appears when you zoom in on the map to 9 miles or closer.
When you move the map to a location where the bird's eye view is not available, the map changes to the road map view.

3804, 4915, 5026, 6137, 7248, 8359, 9460, 0571, 1682, 2793

4560, 5671, 6782, 7893, 8904, 9015, 0126, 1237, 2348, 3459

2700 2701 2702 2703 2704 2705 2706 2707 2708 2709 2711 2712 2713 2714 2715 2716 2717 2718 2719 2722 2723 2724 2725 2726 2727 2728 2729 2733 2734 2735 2736 2737 2738 2739 2744 2745 2746 2747 2748 2749 2755 2756 2757 2758 2759 2766 2767 2768 2769 2777 2778 2779 2788 2789 2799 3804 3801 3802 3805 3806 3807 3809 3814 3812 3815 3816 3817 3819 3824 3825 3826 3829 3845 3846 3847 3849 3856 3857 3859 3867 3869 3879 3834 3830 3831 3832 3835 3836 3837 3839 3800 3808 3811 3818 3822 3828 3844 3848 3855 3858 3866 3868 3877 3878 3889 3899 3838 3833 3888

9220, 0331, 1442, 2553, 3664, 4775, 5886, 6997, 7008, 8119

This is a test for All States today. (6/04/06)

4740, 5851, 6962, 7073, 8184, 9295, 0306, 1417, 2528, 3639

614 725 836 947 058 169 270 381 492 503 615 726 837 948 059 160 271 382 493 504 616 727 838 949 050 161 272 383 494 505 610 721 832 943 054 165 276 387 498 509 624 735 846 957 068 179 280 391 402 513 625 736 847 958 069 170 281 392 403 514 626 737 848 959 060 171 282 393 404 515 620 731 842 953 064 175 286 397 408 519 634 745 856 967 078 189 290 301 412 523 635 746 857 968 079 180 291 302 413 524

2534 2530 2531 2536 2537 2538 2539 2504 2501 2506 2507 2508 2509 2514 2516 2517 2518 2519 2546 2547 2548 2549 2567 2568 2569 2578 2579 2589 2532 2533 2535 2500 2502 2505 2511 2512 2515 2524 2526 2527 2528 2529 2544 2545 2556 2557 2558 2559 2566 2577 2588 2599 2525 2522 2555 2700 2701 2702 2703 2704 2706 2707 2708 2709 2711 2712 2713 2714 2716 2717 2718 2719 2722 2723 2724 2726 2727 2728 2729 2733 2734 2736 2737 2738 2739 2744 2746 2747 2748 2749 2766 2767 2768 2769 2777 2778 2779 2788 2789 2799

4930 4931 4932 4935 4936 4937 4938 4901 4902 4905 4906 4907 4908 4912 4915 4916 4917 4918 4925 4926 4927 4928 4956 4957 4958 4967 4968 4978 4934 4933 4939 4904 4900 4909 4914 4911 4919 4924 4922 4929 4945 4946 4947 4948 4955 4959 4966 4969 4977 4979 4988 4989 4949 4944 4999 2430 2431 2435 2436 2437 2438 2401 2405 2406 2407 2408 2415 2416 2417 2418 2456 2457 2458 2467 2468 2478 2434 2432 2433 2404 2400 2402 2414 2411 2412 2425 2426 2427 2428 2445 2446 2447 2448 2455 2466 2477 2488 2424 2422 2444

800 911 022 133 244 355 466 577 688 799 801 912 023 134 245 356 467 578 689 790 802 913 024 135 246 357 468 579 680 791 806 917 028 139 240 351 462 573 684 795 810 921 032 143 254 365 476 587 698 709 811 922 033 144 255 366 477 588 699 700 812 923 034 145 256 367 478 589 690 701 816 927 038 149 250 361 472 583 694 705 820 931 042 153 264 375 486 597 608 719 821 932 043 154 265 376 487 598 609 710