Paradise Driver: 04/24/08

Thursday, April 24, 2008

POTPOURRI

GORGE FOR A BOY
DIET FOR A GIRL

According to a just released study, the determination of whether a new embryo is conceived as male or female might also be influenced by the mother's diet. The basic ground rule of which marathon sprinting sperm still is the major factor but mama has a say also. And I always thought it was who was "on top" at the time.

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The global "family tree" of life is being rewritten.

Science has now shown that T-Rex's closest living relatives in our world are birds. Kinda suspected that. The idea that dinosaurs were cold-blooded reptiles didn't make sense. The way dinosaurs have been presented, at least when I was in school, has always been as a grayish/brown colored elephant skinned creature. Want to bet that they were brightly colored in some sort of feather? I wonder if they would taste like chicken or turkey? Think of the size of the drumstick! Of course, to cook one, you'd need an oven the size of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center. I wonder how many tons of butter you'd need?

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"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."

A very interesting insight to the upper level eschelon workings of our military and our current administration's concept on the war in Iraq.

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I am definitely in the wrong line of work

You take over the reins of a company. You only hold that position for 4 months. During your tenure, the company's value falls by nearly 12%. During the one complete fiscal quarter you were in charge the company loses $70 million. Your contract is terminated. And what do you get? Just $11,296,759 for the 122 days you were there.

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US Life Expectancy Falls for Large Segment of Population

From 1960 to 2000, life expectancy in the United States rose by seven years for men and six years for women. However, beginning in the 1980s, large geographic disparities began to appear. The growth in life expectancy has stagnated in some areas and actually declined in others.

I am sure that the fact that the 80's were when HRM Reagan's "trickle down" economic policy went into effect and certain basic needs that all other industrialized nations of the world provide to their citizens disappeared from our lifes in America is not a factor.

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Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

18 YEARS AGO TODAY...

THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE WAS LAUNCHED

Today, NASA released 59 new images to the public.

Here is a slide show of 18 of the images of colliding galaxies.

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

I BET YOU THINK...

THIS IS A JOKE

Thanks to Happy Thoughts for finding this.

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

REMEMBERING GALLIPOLI

ANZAC DAY

Today, on the other side of the IDL, is ANZAC Day. Celebrated every April 25th to honor those lost during a failed invasion attempt of Turkey during WWI. The equivalent of Memorial Day and Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in the UK. One of the traditions is the playing of "The Last Post", the British Empire's, and later Commonwealth's, parallel to "Taps". Click on the various links and learn more. Today, ANZAC Day honors all of the Australian and New Zealand military members who have served their country, especially those who have paid the ultimate price.

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Think evolution is a crack-pot idea of elitist science? Then you might find this National Geographic study a bit hard to swallow.

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China has employed 30,000 people and spent more than $100,000,000 to guarantee that rain will not impede the Olympic Games being held there this Summer. Thats pretty ambitious. Especially considering that they are using technology and concepts from the 60's and 70's. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the Weather Modification Association (WMA), at a recent meeting, stated there is little hope that China's efforts to keep rain from falling on the Olympics will succeed. Weather modification is (very) slowly moving from science fiction to workable projects.

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The "Mosquito" has arrived on American shores. Its been used overseas for a couple of years. An audio device that emits a high pitched sound only audible to animals and persons younger than 18-21. According to reports, it becomes extremely irritating to humans about the time they reach puberty. Seems that businesses plagued with teen loitering have installed it to clear their store fronts. It is inaudible to anyone over the teen/young adult bracket. Which shows how early we start losing our hearing. Even though irritating, a ring-tone version is one of the most popular downloads among teenagers. They can receive and send messages/calls without teachers or parents even being aware that the phone has announced.

Since every State in America has a minimum age limit of 21 for the consumption and/or purchase of alcoholic beverages it seems this might be a great way to keep underage drinkers from illegally entering their premises. Placing it inside the bar would lower the risk of fines and loss of license for serving or allowing minors on premise. Legal patrons wouldn't notice a thing.

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On the local scene, the Hawaii Superferry is going to add a second round trip from Honolulu to Mau'i starting next month. With the loss of Aloha Airlines, it seems the protesters have vanished. Strange how that works.

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Are we alone? According to the renowned astrophysicist, Stephen Hawkings, the answer is "probably not". Speaking at a 50th anniversary ceremony for NASA, he stated that life probably teems in the universe, with the qualifier that intelligent life may be extremely rare. While not trying to elevate myself to his level of thinking, I concur. He also promoted the urgency of manned exploration/colonization of the Moon, Mars and even the need for interstellar forays. The only way mankind will perpetuate itself is by leaving home.

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