22 August 2010
WEBBITS
24/08/2010 08:48
A roundup of bits from the web:
* Tree beloved by Anne Frank falls down.
* Former justice minister refuses a drugs test.
* Nine-day traffic jam stretches over 100 km.
* Camel Dairy Hopes To Milk Health Market.
* Woman arrested for allowing 12-year-old to drive.
* St. Louis Gateway Arch showing rust and decay.
New Air Powered Car About To Be Introduced
24/08/2010 08:45
Tata Motors is ready to introduce Air Car. Will it be the next big thing? Tata Motors is taking giant strides and making history for itself. First the Landrover/Jaguar deal, then the world's cheapest car, and now it is also set to introduce the car that runs on air, compressed air.
With spiralling fuel prices it is about time we heard some breakthrough!
India's largest automaker, Tata Motors, is set to start producing the world's first commercial air-powered vehicle.
The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre for Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air, as opposed to the gas-and-oxygen explosions of internal-combustion models, to push its engine's pistons. Some 6000 zero-emissions Air Cars are scheduled to hit Indian streets by August 2010.
The Air Car, called the "MiniCAT" could cost around Rs. 3,475,225 ($8,177.00) in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels.
The cost of a refill would be about Rs. 85 ($2.00)
There are no keys - just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100 Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes it a perfect choice in cities where 80% of motorists drive at less than 60 Km. The car has a top speed of 105 Kmph.
As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours. Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (one litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000 Km).
The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0-15 degrees below zero, which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.
Technology’s Biggest Myths
24/08/2010 08:29
If you’ve got a PC, and most folks do, here are a couple of things you may not know about your operating system.
If you’re a Mac guy like me, there are still some tips here that will be useful.
The biggest one here is one that I have been aware of for years.Expensive cables for your TV or computer don’t work any better than the cheap ones.
So the next time the dude at Future Shop tries to sell you those Monster cables, tell him to take a hike.
The only thing extra about them is his commission.
Translating English In America
24/08/2010 08:23
What’s that you ask, translating English in America?
Who would have thought that the American Justice Department would have to hire translators to understand the English spoken by their own citizens?
But that is exactly what has happened.
When doing investigations, they can’t understand the brand of English used by many black Americans.
Some call it Ebonics, others call it jive-talk.
Either way, they don’t dig it.
☚ Click Left For Municipal Election Forum
24/08/2010 06:20
On The Road With Al Popil
Hi Don,
First snaps from Alaska. First is an immature bald eagle really doing nothing much. The second is of a marmot or so a photographer from France tells me.
Bacon and eggs and coffee for two, $27 and change.
Laptop monitor wasn't colour calibrated before I left, not sure how pix will look on your end.
Al Popil
On The Road
SINC SAYS:
Well Al, as our readers can tell the pix look just fine on this end, but if I were you, I’d learn to live without breakfast for a couple of weeks.
SATA ‘Speakers Meeting’ Goes Tonight
Hi All:
I'm just back from a week away, and thought I'd send you the excellent August Newsletter that Andy prepared for us.
Hope to see you at tomorrow's meeting (August 24th) at 7:30 pm at the St. Albert Community League Hall, 17 Perron Street, where we will hear six council candidates provide us with their thoughts.
Lynda Flannery
President
St. Albert Taxpayers Association
SINC SAYS:
Download a copy of the newsletter here.
Israeli Fire Escape Rescue
This is just ingenious!
A Lady’s Poem . . .
And he didn't like my cake,
He said my biscuits were too hard
Not like his mother used to make.
I didn't perk the coffee right
He didn't like the stew,
I didn't mend his socks
The way his mother used to do.
I pondered for an answer
I was looking for a clue.
So I turned around and
Smacked the shit out of him . . .
Like his mother used to do.
WEBBITS
24/08/2010 06:20
A Novel Excuse For A Traffic Ticket
24/08/2010 06:20
Sooner or later, nearly everyone gets a speeding ticket.
You may not have gotten yours yet, but trust me your turn is coming.
It’ll happen one day when you least expect it.
Just like this New Mexico woman who didn’t expect it either.
You see, she was doing 34 mph in a 40 mph zone.
That’s right, she was going too slow.
A Happy Birthday Despite Grim News
24/08/2010 06:19
You may never have heard of Mike Celizic, but I am suggesting you should read about him now.
Mike has been a contributor for the TODAYshow in the U.S. For many years now.
He was diagnosed with cancer and as a good journalist, decided to report on his progress towards beating the disease.
But it’s back, and in a nasty way.
He’s decided not to seek treatment and writes about why he made the decision to die.
It’s a moving piece and not to be missed.
Read Mike’s story here.
Meet Christopher, The Cat With Six Senses
24/08/2010 06:19
We’ve all heard stories about pets that can sense when their master is ailing.
Christopher the cat specializes in seeking out sick animals at a vet clinic.
His actions have drawn the vet’s attention to things he didn’t know about some animals in his care.
And Christopher gets the credit for saving some lives.
He uses a sixth sense.
☚ Click Left For Municipal Election Forum
23/08/2010 06:06
And You Thought The Smoke Was Bad Here?
Take a look at what it looks like in Jasper. SAP reader and neighbour Randy Horan travels to Jasper as part of his job and took these shots to show just how bad the smoke from those BC fires can be. Thanks for sharing them Randy.
A train approaches a siding:
A signal light looms through the smoke.
A lake alongside the tracks through the smoke:
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB’s Pub
Thursday night MGD open stage comes to the Tuesday Moosehead stage
Gordie Matthews, Fred Larose and Kelly Stodola
* Please note that Kenny Skoreyko is the regular drummer for Shaved Posse, the MGD Thursday night group. Kelly Stodola is making a guest appearance with the other two members of the group.
Kelly - I’ve known Kelly since the late 70's in St. Albert. We both worked in the same music circle with similar drumming tastes. Kelly always worked hard to learn more and pursue his drumming career with age. He moved to the west coast where he is now one of western Canada’s busiest working drummers appearing on a lot of recordings working as a session drummer and travelling with a lot of touring bands as a hired gun drummer. Great clock and plays all styles.
Fred - Mr. steady on bass Fred sits in with many big names and appears at a lot of festivals with names such as Rusty Reed and The Myrols just to name a couple. Back in the day Fred was the house bassist for the Sun-country TV show where he honed his skills getting a chance to play with big name acts that appeared on that program. Playing stand up and electric bass Fred is a drummer’s dream to play with due to his steadiness and clock work timing. Currently hosts the MGD open stage at L.B's Pub on Thursday nights and is the house bassist at Rusty Reeds blues bar.
Gordy - Also appears every Thursday night at the MGD open stage at L.B's Pub as the very respected and well known house guitarist. Playing everything from folk to rhythm and blues styles Gordy is one of my personal favorites to watch and listen to. His career has spanned decades with stints with K.D. Lang and Ian Tyson and appearances at a lot of major festivals. Keeping very busy on the local scene performing consistently and writing and recording his own music. Thursday night MGD jam at the Tuesday night Moosehead jam for this one.
Ammar’s Moosehead Tuesday Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Hosted by Mark Ammar
Moosehead Beer Specials
Sponsored by Moosehead Beer
Compass Table
Another Bixman web find that shows you how to make a table that would amaze your friends.
Five Minute Chocolate Cake
If you have a yen for some chocolate cake, here is a way to get your fix without too much effort and no leftovers either with this Bixman supplied video.
WEBBITS
23/08/2010 06:06
Russia In Color, A Century Ago
23/08/2010 06:06
“With images from southern and central Russia in the news lately due to extensive wildfires, I thought it would be interesting to look back in time with this extraordinary collection of color photographs taken between 1909 and 1912. In those years, photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) undertook a photographic survey of the Russian Empire with the support of Tsar Nicholas II. He used a specialized camera to capture three black and white images in fairly quick succession, using red, green and blue filters, allowing them to later be recombined and projected with filtered lanterns to show near true color images. The high quality of the images, combined with the bright colors, make it difficult for viewers to believe that they are looking 100 years back in time - when these photographs were taken, neither the Russian Revolution nor World War I had yet begun. Collected here are a few of the hundreds of color images made available by the Library of Congress, which purchased the original glass plates back in 1948.”
Nobody does it better than Boston.com’s Big Picture feature. See all the impressive pictures here.
How Did Dog Breeds Get Their Names?
23/08/2010 06:05
Here is an interesting little bit of information sent to us by SAP reader Marc in St. John’s NL:
“Every dog owner knows why they gave their dog its name, but how well do you know the story behind their breed names? Let's take a look at where a handful of common breeds found their monikers.”
See how many you know here.
Can Love Cause Paralyses?
23/08/2010 06:05
I’ve heard of being ‘head over heels’ in love, but this is ridiculous.
A man in Oregon suffers paralyses whenever he feels the emotion of love.
That’s right, if he gets too close to his wife, his system shuts down.
No one can explain it.
But they try here.
☚ Click Left For Municipal Election Forum
22/08/2010 08:19
Now Wait Just A Darn Minute Here Folks
What is it with David J. Climenhaga, Andy Michaelson and others who would like to discredit the St. Albert Taxpayers Association (SATA)?
They're all singing from the same "hymn book" and the hymn is getting awfully tiring, quite frankly. Why is it so darn important for them to know who is on the SATA Board of Directors and how many members they have?
Now, I know they, and others, are trying to make some sort of "connection" between SATA and the St. Albert Community League and maybe even some of the "new" candidates running for council. Indeed, conspiracy theorists abound in St. Albert! Maybe there's even a member of SATA perched on the "Grassy Knoll!!!" Duck, David, duck!! Or, maybe they're trying to pass off SATA as a bunch of “self-interest” quacks - the same "special interests" Climenhaga speaks of with such disdain?
There is one thing I do know for sure, though. With the number of people and groups that are trying to discredit SATA, you can bet your bottom dollar the organization is viewed as a very serious threat to St. Albert's "establishment," the self-appointed "power brokers" and "self-interests" in this city.
Mr. Climenhaga and friends, I have lived in St. Albert for 50 years this month and council's spending is right out of control - more out of control than I can ever remember. I, for one, appreciate the work SATA does on behalf of me and the rest of the taxpayers in St. Albert, even if you don't. And, to save you the time checking, NO, I'm not on the Board of Directors of SATA. Heck, I'm not even a member of the organization or the St. Albert Community League, for that matter.
Jim Starko
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Seems to me that there are a couple of things to be learned from David’s column, Jim. Perhaps too many people, including Climenhaga see SATA as being against everything and therein lies the problem. When an association’s basic goal is fiscal responsibility in the city of St. Albert, it might behoove SATA to soften its approach. I doubt the group is against everything. Perhaps it should state at the outset whether or not it supports the general idea of any project the city embarks upon, but then outline the reasons taxpayers can’t afford it right now. The bottom line is that council has overspent in the extreme and comparing our tax burden with any other Alberta municipality proves it. If SATA adopted a “we agree this is needed, but not until the bills for past projects are paid” policy, it would be easier for more residents to swallow.
Dog Versus Vuvuzela
Here’s a video sent in by Bixman where the dog gets the last laugh.
The Common Crow Is Scary Smart
And if you don’t believe it, take a minute to watch this bird get what it wants by using ingenuity.
WEBBITS
22/08/2010 08:19
A Nifty Little Drawing Program
22/08/2010 08:19
I found this on the web and gave it a try. I am far from being an artist, but my bet is there are some here on SAP who could produce some serious stuff with this little program.
Give it a try and show us your stuff here by return email.
My first attempt drawing a tree looked like this:
Give it a try and show us your stuff here by return email.
My first attempt drawing a tree looked like this:
15 Facts You Didn’t Know About Your Penis
22/08/2010 08:19
OK ladies, you can skip to the next item.
And you guys had better listen up.
Here’s the first three things you didn’t know.
1. Smoking can shorten your penis by as much as a centimeter. Erections are all about good bloodflow, and lighting up calcifies blood vessels, stifling erectile circulation. So even if you don't care all that much about your lungs or dying young, spare the li'l guy.
2. Doctors can now grow skin for burn victims using the foreskins of circumcised infants. One foreskin can produce 23,000 square meters, which would be enough to tarp every Major League infield with human flesh.
3. An enlarged prostate gland can cause both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. If you have an unexplained case of either, your doctor's looking forward to checking your prostate. Even if you're not.
There’s a dozen more here.
Actor Ernest Borgnine To Receive Lifetime Award
22/08/2010 08:19
The 93-year-old, who won an Oscar for his role in the 1955 film Marty, has appeared in more than 200 movies during his lengthy career.
SAG president Ken Howard said Borgnine still had "boundless energy" and boasted an "impressive body of work".
He will collect his honour at an awards ceremony in Hollywood on 30 January.”
And who could forget him in McHale’s Navy?
