A Change Of Pace
Mullet Over
Is Big Brother aware?
By James K. White | March 4, 2009
There appear to be some clever lads (and lasses) in Rockwood, Pennsylvania. Folks running a dairy farm there collect the semi-solid waste from the cattle to use in producing enough electricity to power the complete enterprise. In fact, more than enough is produced, so the excess electricity is sold to the regional power grid. An expert has calculated that similar processes across America could eliminate about 99,000,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases every year.
Is Big Brother aware? Are you sleeping well at night? There are about 17,000 pieces of manmade debris (junk) larger than 10 cm in orbit around the earth. These are being tracked by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network in hopes of avoiding undesirable collisions.
There is at least one astronaut tool bag up there. If you are a close friend of one of those CEO bonus guys, you might want to buy a C-Quester 3.That would be a $500,000 three-person submarine that can zip along at 3 knots and remain submerged for 6 hours. It has air conditioning but no bowling alleys.
The famous Gettysburg address consists of exactly 272 words and the speech contains the word “fathers,” not “forefathers” as is often misquoted. The speech was given to dedicate a cemetery at the battlefield that was the scene of the greatest man-made disaster in American history. There were approximately 21,000 seriously wounded and 10,000 dead at the battle’s end. It was some ten days afterward before the battlefield was cleared of fallen combatants. The scene was awful.
Do you enjoy watching the ads of those television-pitched products that seem to be so plentiful? You might be somewhat comforted to know that approximately 97 percent of those merchandise owner-sellers never break even on the costs of producing and advertising. Product pedaling on nation-wide television is a grueling risky business venture.
If you live near a young man that has a pickup truck, I trust that he has nice big tires on the vehicle. However, I predict that the LeTourneau truck has larger tires than any vehicle in your neighborhood. Before you offer to wager, I need to inform the reader that the tires on the LeTourneau are over 13 feet tall and almost 6 feet wide.
Each tire weighs more than 15,000 pounds and sells for $105,000. However, I do not think that the LeTourneau can do a “wheelie” or has a booming stereo so teen appeal is likely minimal. Well, good luck in your televised selling efforts and – have a splendid week.
?James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at jkwhite46 @gmail.com.
The principles upon which this nation was built
To those who study our Republic and its Constitution, this is old hat. To those who have not, it's time you did. These are the principles upon which this nation was built. Thomas Jefferson was a very, very smart man. Thomas Jefferson could be called a prophet. Very interesting in light of the present financial crisis to read what Thomas Jefferson said:
When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. - Thomas Jefferson
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. - Thomas Jefferson
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. - Thomas Jefferson
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. - Thomas Jefferson
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. - Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. - Thomas Jefferson
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. - Thomas Jefferson
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. - Thomas Jefferson
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