Paradise Driver: 08/16/08

Saturday, August 16, 2008

"DEAD ZONE"

COMING SOON TO AN OCEAN NEAR YOU

Anyone out there old enough to remember when we were taught in school that, eventually, the oceans would feed the world. Famine would be eradicated. The seas of the globe were vast enough to provide for everyone. Even the Disney movie 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea tauted this concept. Then something went wrong. Turns out there are Dead Zones out there and they are growing. Areas with a lack of free oxygen to sustain life. Huge 3 dimensional deserts in the water that extend from the surface to the floor. Areas as lifeless as the face of the moon.

That press conference about "Bigfoot" yesterday in Palo Alto CA was about what we all expected. Midway sideshows moved to the internet. When I was younger, it was all about Fairies and Leprechuns and Neanderthals and, of course, the Abominal Snowman. People seem to enjoy lining up to to have SUCKER tatooed across rheir forehead. A fool and his money are soon parted.

Associated story.

Interesting review of NBC-TV's internet coverage of the Olympics.

Studies have now shown that the 8 tentacles on Octupi are actually 6 "arms" and 2 "legs". BTW - The creatures are extremely smart.

A new fad? Anonymous Nagging.

If you are going to use a designated driver, please make sure they are old enough to legally operated a motor vehicle.

Some criminals are always looking for a way to "cut out the middle man".

Hey!

Enjoy your weekend!

Okay?

"Let's all be careful out there!"

AUGUST 16TH

***

Today is Saturday, August 16, the 229th day of 2008.
There are 137 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tenn., at age 42.

On this date:

In 1777, American forces won the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington.
In 1812, Detroit fell to British and Indian forces in the War of 1812.
In 1858, a telegraphed message from Britain's Queen Victoria to President Buchanan was transmitted over the recently laid trans-Atlantic cable.
In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York at age 53.
In 1954, Sports Illustrated was first published by Time Inc.
In 1956, Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
In 1960, Britain ceded control of the crown colony of Cyprus.
In 1978, James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., told a Capitol Hill hearing he did not commit the crime, saying he'd been set up by a mysterious man called "Raoul."
In 1987, 156 people were killed when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed while trying to take off from Detroit.
In 2000, delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles nominated Al Gore for president.

Ten years ago:

Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland united in uncomprehending grief over the car bomb slaughter of 29 people in Omagh a day earlier.
A day before President Clinton was to face a criminal grand jury concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, his lawyer said, "The truth is the truth, and that's how the president will testify."

Five years ago:

The Midwest and Northeast were almost fully recovered from the worst power outage in U.S. history.
A car driven by U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow ran a stop sign on a rural road in South Dakota and collided with motorcyclist Randy Scott, who died in the accident.
Idi Amin, the former dictator of Uganda, died in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia; he was believed to have been about 80.

One year ago:

Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held for 3 1/2 years as an enemy combatant, was convicted in Miami of helping Islamic extremists and plotting overseas attacks. (Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaida to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb," was later sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison on the unrelated terror support charges.)
A cave-in killed three rescuers in the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah; the search for six trapped miners was later abandoned.

Today's Birthdays: