BBB Geeky Novelty

Most illusions I can figure out but this one really does trick me. Even when I take the image apart and look at it, I literally "don't believe my eyes". But it's true, nonetheless: squares A and B are the same shade of gray.
Click image for larger view.

News from all over - Manhattan

An all-chocolate room was unveiled in Manhattan - a pre-Valentine's Day creation complete with furniture and artworks made of the sweet stuff. "It's the perfect bit of sin," said Heroes TV series actor Ali Larter of the Godiva chocolate "pearls" that are her private daily indulgence.

Here, they were dripping off the chandeliers above the dining table, which was a sea of stars, truffles and crescents - all chocolate, of course, under glass. Anyone who buys the winning box of chocolates - for $23 and up - may win the chocolate room. It is to be re-created in a suite of Manhattan's Bryant Park Hotel for a pampered getaway weekend for two in May.
Source

Today in History - 1958

President Dwight Eisenhower received a telephone call shortly after 10:48 a.m. on his direct line to Cape Canaveral, Florida informing him the launch of the Explorer I satellite was successful.

Explorer I was put into orbit around the earth by a Jupiter-C rocket. Radio signals from the transmitter aboard the 30.8 pound satellite were picked up in California within a few minutes after the launch.

The first U.S. space satellite, Explorer I, orbited the earth every 114 minutes at a maximum height of 2,000 miles and a minimum altitude of 230 miles. Its purpose was to measure cosmic radiation found in space and send the data back to earth.

So Now You Know

Unsweetened chocolate has more thickening power than bittersweet. Cocoa solids are rich in starches and unsweetened has more of those "solids".

BBB Swell Site

A rule of thumb is a homemade recipe for making a guess. It is an easy-to-remember guide that falls somewhere between a mathematical formula and a shot in the dark. A farmer, for in­stance, knows to plant his corn when oak leaves are the size of squirrels' ears. An economics profes­sor knows from sad experience that inviting more than 25 percent of the guests for a univer­sity dinner party from the economics depart­ment ruins the conversation. Rules of thumb are a kind of tool. They help you appraise a problem or situation. They make it easier to consider the subtleties of the topic at hand; they give you a feel for a subject.

Now, I bet you wish there was one place where you could access a multitude of rules of thumb. Wish no more.

News from all over - Williamsburg

Galapagos Art Space, the Williamsburg arts haven that is rehabbing an old stables for a move to DUMBO, lost almost $300,000 worth of security devices that were supposed to keep its future home protected, cops said.

Thieves entered the arts and performance space, at the corner of Main and Water streets, through a hole under the front door after 6 pm on Jan. 15. When workers returned the next morning, they found that the surveillance system, valued at over $270,000 was missing.

Also gone was high-end computer equipment worth more than $32,000.
Source

Today in History - 1798

The first brawl in the U.S. House of Repre- sentatives was witnessed by legislators. Congressmen Matthew Lyon and Roger Griswold duked it out right there on the House floor. Lyon became the first member to have an ethics violation charge filed against him when he was accused of "gross indecency" for spitting on Mr. Griswold.

Lyon also has the distinction of being the only person to be elected to Congress while in jail. In 1798, Lyon was found guilty of violating the Alien and Sedition Acts, which prohibited malicious writing of the American government or its officials. Lyon was the first person to be put to trial for violating the acts on charges of criticizing Federalist president John Adams and disagreeing with Adams' decision to go to war against France. Lyon was sentenced to four months in jail and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and court costs. While in jail, Lyon won election to the Sixth Congress. Lyon would get his revenge on Adams after the election of 1800, which ended in an electoral tie. Matthew Lyon cast the deciding vote for Jefferson.

So Now You Know

Whales and dolphins can literally fall half asleep. Their brain hemispheres alternate sleeping, so the animals can continue to surface and breathe.

BBB Etymology - Grog

In 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon (1684-1757) of the British Royal Navy issued an order that henceforth all sailors in the Royal Navy would be served a daily ration of rum mixed with water. While that might sound like the sort of order that would be popular with seamen, it was not, because up until that point they had been entitled to a daily ration of undiluted ("neat") rum.

Vernon had long been known to the rank and file as "Old Grog," a reference to the grogram cloak he always wore aboard ship. Seething over their watered-down rum rations, the men quickly transferred the Admiral's nickname to the feeble drink itself, and rum cut with water was thereafter known in the Navy as "grog."
Why "grog" now? Well, Harkins wondered about its derivation in The Dead End Kids Of Space, a story referenced in yesterday's BBB Pulp Pick.

Today in History - 1936

On this day Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson were the first players to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

News from all over - Erie

[From the video] From John Lennon and the Beatles to iconic paintings such as "American Gothic," Barry Snyder's art gets its core appeal from those little stickers that grace your produce at the supermarket. Snyder said, "There's times when your diet sort of focuses around one particular fruit or vegetable because you're looking for a certain color chip that's in season at the store."

His highly-detailed work all got started on a whim, "It just sort of evolved from putting em on a piece of paper on the refrigerator into doing designs with 'em, to maybe I can do an image with 'em," said Snyder.

A big piece, like one he's doing of John Lennon from the Sgt. Pepper's album cover, will take him six months to finish. And since each work takes thousands and thousands of stickers, he relies on the kindness of strangers. "That's a big part of the fun for me is having people I've never met in my life send me stuff in the mail cause they've heard about me, so that makes me feel a little special."

Snyder hopes he can inspire others. After all, his work proves there's the potential for art in all sorts of things. "You can take anything to you know be creative, you don't have to go and buy a bunch of oil paints."
Source Apologies for the bumpers on the video .. part and parcel, as they say.

Quotable Quote

They started something here and the kids are keeping the ball rolling. I hope some of you kids will be in the Hall of Fame. I'm very glad that in my day I was able to earn my place. And I hope youngsters of today have the same opportunity to experience such feeling.
-Babe Ruth (acceptance speech upon his induction into the Hall of Fame)

Today's Chuckle

BBB Pulp Pick - Universe

This classic cover from Universe magazine was selected this week not so much for its cover design but what lied within .. yes, the actual story related to the cover art! Through the magic of futuristic digitizers, Dead End Kids of Space is available to download right to your computer in pdf format! Who needs flying cars when you can download and read something published fifty years ago .. wait, now that I think about it, that's not really a new, cool concept. Ah well, enjoy it anyway.

News from all over - near Redhill

A British farmer built an entire mock castle behind a screen of hay bales and lived there concealed for four years to evade planning regulations, officials said on Friday -- but it may be torn down anyway. Robert Fidler hopes to take advantage of a provision of planning law that allows buildings without planning permission to be declared legal if no objections have been made after four years

But Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in the southern English county of Surrey is not impressed. "It does not count because the property was hidden behind hay bales," said a spokeswoman. "No one knew it was there."

The council wants the building some 19 miles south of London to be demolished, along with an associated conservatory, marquee structure, wooden bridge, patio, decking and tarmac racecourse. "It looks like a mock-Tudor house from the front and it's got two turrets at the back," the spokeswoman said. "I understand there is also a cannon."
Source

Today in History - 1934

The first ski tow in the US was introduced at Woodstock, Vermont by Bob and Betty Royce, proprietors of the White Cupboard Inn. (Some say it was as early as the 18th.) Their tow was driven by the rear wheel of a Ford Model A. Wallace "Bunny" Bertram took it over for the second season, improved operations and renamed it from Ski-Way to Ski Tow.

Their relative simplicity—a car engine, some rope and a few pulleys were all that was needed—made ski tows widespread and contributed to an explosion of the sport in the United States and Europe. Before tows, only people willing to walk uphill could ski. Within five years, more than 100 tow ropes were operating in North America.

Quotable Quote

I do not participate in any sport with ambulances at the bottom of the hill.
-Erma Bombeck

Today's Chuckle

BBB Destination - Northlandz

There may be more expansive indoor railways in miniature but Northlandz certainly is worth the trip! As they say, "Up to 100 trains running daily, and 8 miles of track are just the beginning. 25 years went into sculpting 35 foot mountains and building 40 foot bridges. Marvel at the thousands of handcrafted buildings and over 10,000 freight cars." In fact, it's reported the setup has over 300 bridges and more than 500,000 lichen trees, not to mention using enough wood to build 42 full scale houses!

Not enough of a draw for you? Well, don't overlook other sites at Northlandz:

• a 94 room dollhouse mansion complete with indoor swimming pool, ballroom with doggie band, and 2 story library
• over 200 collectible dolls
• a 2,000 pipe organ, a centerpiece to a 500 seat Music Hall
• art galleries with over 250 paintings and works of art

News from all over - Mars

Snickers announced a new candy bar which promises to wallop a kick of energy. No longer just packed with peanuts, the new Snickers Charged also contains caffeine, along with taurine and B-vitamins.

The bar contains 60 milligrams of caffeine. By comparison, it would be about two-thirds the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, which contains about 95 milligrams. The average soft drink has 20 to 30 milligrams of caffeine and an energy drink usually has about 160 milligrams, according to Snickers.

The new candy bar has the same taste as a traditional Snickers, according to officials with the company, and is a low glycemic index food. The company says the new candy bar provides a slower release of energy that has a stable effect on blood sugar.
Source

Today in History - 1890

Police cleared a path through a cheering crowd for reporter Nellie Bly as she stepped off a train in New York just 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds after setting sail east to prove she could circle the globe in less than 80 days.

Bly, born Elizabeth Cochrane, challenged the fictional record of Phileas T. Fogg, hero of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, at the suggestion of her employer, the New York World. As Bly traveled via ship, train, jinricksha, sampan, horse, and burro, the World carried daily articles about her journey and offered a trip to Europe to the person who could come closest to guessing her finish time. The paper received nearly 1,000,000 entries and circulation boomed.

No stranger to fame, the daring Miss Bly had already made a name for herself by exposing the deplorable conditions of an insane asylum on New York's Blackwell's Island. Bly researched the story by feigning insanity and having herself committed for ten days. Her exposé on the asylum and later reports on slum life brought about needed reforms and helped pave the way for women in journalism.

So Now You Know

In 1923 the Mars family created its second confection, the Snickers bar (the first being Milky Way) named after one of their favorite horses. The familiar chocolate coating wasn't added until 1930.

BBB Geeky Novelty

Ever feel a little too old or know someone who feels a bit young? Well, as Al says, "It's all relative." Imagine how old you'd be if you were living elsewhere, like on another planet ... Actually, no need to imagine, just rocket over to the Your Age On Other Worlds, plunk in a couple numbers and find out. You can even add a little science to your day by reading about orbits and gravity. [And speaking of gravity, if you're feeling a little heavy - or light - find your relative weight on other worlds here. With little effort you can figure out where you'd be the "youngest" and lightest.]

News from all over - Anglesey

Barney and Daniel Jones want fellow devotees to be able to join them close to their home. Barney, 26 - or Master Jonba Hehol - and Daniel, 21 - Master Morda Hehol - head the UK Church of the Jedi. They say their services will include sermons on "the Force," light sabre training, and meditation techniques.

Barney became interested in the Jedi faith after 390,000 other Star Wars fans across England and Wales declared it as their religion on the 2001 census. "We would read out essays members of the congregation have submitted on their feelings about the Jedi and the Force: do meditation, relaxation and visualisation techniques and a bit of light-sabre training."

Already six followers regularly meet in north Wales to discuss setting up the "church".
Source

Today in History - 1899

The first rubber heel for shoes was patented by Irish-American Humphrey O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan patented the rubber heel which outlasted the leather heel then in use.

So Now You Know

A snow crystal can be 50 times as wide as it is thick, so even though crystals can be lab grown to more than two inches across, they’re generally far thinner than a piece of paper.

Today's Chuckle

BBB Swell Site

Visuwords is a swell site that takes a little getting used to but it has become one of my personal favorites. It's beauty lies not in providing new information, it's basically a thesaurus and dictionary. Rather it's *how* it provides that information that makes its word searches more interesting. In addition to being a reference guide to find an a word or it's definition, I find myself exploring.

News from all over - Bremen

The world's first commercial ship powered partly by a giant kite set off on a maiden voyage from Bremen to Venezuela, in an experiment which inventor Stephan Wrage hopes can wipe 20 percent, or $1,600, from the ship's daily fuel bill. "We aim to prove it pays to protect the environment," Wrage told Reuters. "Showing that ecology and economics are not contradictions motivates us all."

The 10,000-tonne 'MS Beluga SkySails' -- which will use a computer-guided kite to harness powerful ocean winds far above the surface and support the engine -- combines modern technology with know-how that has been in use for millennia.
Source

Today in History - 1907

Charles Curtis of Kansas began serving in the United States Senate. He was the first American Indian to become a U.S. Senator. He resigned in March of 1929 to become President Herbert Hoover's Vice President. Curtis also holds the distinction of being the last U.S. Vice President or President to wear a beard or mustache while in office.

So Now You Know

Rumor has it that George Lucas and a co-worker were editing American Graffiti, when a co-worker asked Lucas for "Reel Two, Dialog Two", which is abbreviated "R2D2". Lucas supposedly wrote down the abbreviation and used it as the name of the now famous droid in Star Wars.

BBB Etymology - Kick the bucket

In addition to the familiar meaning that it retains, a bucket was a beam from which things could be hung, including slaughtered pigs strung up by their hind legs to bleed after their throats had been cut or to facilitate butchery. In struggling vainly, they would kick the bucket and this (probably) led to the slang expression.

Today in History - 1946

The Central Intelligence Group, which later became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was established by U.S. President Harry S Truman's directive issued this day.

News from all over - Dallas

Before Friday, Al Brewster was known as the owner of one of the city's oldest real estate companies and the largest billboard in Dallas. Now, he's also a proven crimefighter. He may be 87 years old, but Brewster wasn't about to let a burglar steal from his real estate office without a fight. "He was the mouse and I was the tiger," he said.

The business owner raced to his office with his wife at his side after a security alarm went off after midnight. Richard Earl Woodard was inside ransacking a closet where Brewster kept two hunting rifles. With a cane in hand, Brewster chased Woodard to a window that was broken when the burglar entered. "We were in a duel," Brewster said. "I don't know who was hitting who."

By the time it was over, the burglar was bruised, but okay. Brewster said, "The truth is, I didn't use good sense, but he was making off with all my guns, and that ticked me off."
Source

Today's Chuckle

BBB Pulp Pick - Out of This World

Another cover that raises *way* more questions than not. Like why does he get a helmet? Is he related to Flash? Did the monster kill her with, of all things, a dagger? What goes through those tubes? ... Oh the list goes on ...

News from all over - Destin

Derrick Logan Dale, 21, of Hurlburt Field, is charged with grand theft and criminal mischief. Dale, also known as "Double D" and "D Rock", according to his Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, said the alleged theft was unintentional.

"He explained that the strap of the purse fell onto his foot and then he turned around and it went with him. The next thing he knew, the purse was in his hands and he was being approached by two men who took the purse from him," a deputy wrote in the report. As Dale was sitting in the patrol car, the deputy went inside to get statements from witnesses. While he was gone, Dale kicked out the back window. "He claimed it was due to him being claustrophobic and couldn’t stay in the confined space of my back seat," the deputy wrote.
Source

Today in History - 1959

The Kingston Trio (Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Dave Guard) received a gold record for Tom Dooley.

So Now You Know

"MTA," about the hike in Boston subway fares, was originally written for Walter O'Brien's 1949 campaign for mayor of Boston on the Progressive Party ticket. Ten years later, the Kingston Trio changed the song's lyrics from "vote for Walter O'Brien" to "vote for George O'Brien" because of the Progressive Party's association with the Communist Party.
Source

Today's Chuckle

BBB Destination - South Philly

When in South Philly, *the* place to go is Geno's Steaks, well, aside from Pat's King of Steaks across the street. Three cheese options: Whiz, American, Provolone. Arguments on which is better will last as long as they do, but for my money, I'll take the clean digs at Geno's every day.

Today in History - 1950

The federal tax on oleomargarine was repealed - but suppliers still couldn't color the stuff until July 1, 1950.

News from all over - Qatar

Children in Qatar can explore the biomechanics of complex animal robots to discover how real animals work at a touring exhibition "The Robot Zoo" to be held here from February 7 to 15.

The 5,000 square-feet exhibition reveals the magic of nature. Eight robot animals and more than a dozen hands-on activities illustrate fascinating real-life characteristics, such as how a chameleon changes colors, a giant squid propels itself and a fly walks on the ceiling.

The larger-than-life-size animated robots include a chameleon, a rhinoceros, a giant squid with 18-foot tentacles and a platypus. Also featured are a house fly with a 10-foot wingspread, a grasshopper, a bat and a giraffe whose head and neck alone stretch nine feet tall.

Machinery in the robot animals simulates the body parts of their real-life counterparts. In the robot animals, muscles become pistons, intestines become filtering pipes and brains become computers. Using real-time color image processing at three computer workstations, visitors can "paint" digital patterns which appear almost instantaneously on a seven-foot-by-11-foot rear-projection screen behind the robot chameleon.

Video monitors covering the robot quickly display the same patterns, effectively blending the chameleon with its background. Other sensory activities include "Swat the Fly," a test of the visitor's reaction time (one-twelfth as fast as a house fly's), and "Sticky Feet," where visitors wearing special hand and knee pads can try to stick like flies to a sloped surface.

Triggering the "Tongue Gun" demonstrates how a real chameleon shoots out its long, sticky-tipped tongue to reel in a meal. The exhibition, produced by the Texas-based Evergreen Exhibitions is based on the book "The Robot Zoo" which was conceived, edited and designed by Marshall Editions of London.
Source

So Now You Know

While it's true the Smurfs became a worldwide hit after Hanna-Barbera featured them in an animated series in the 1980s, their origin is quite different.

In 1947, Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, better known as Peyo, created a comic called Johan et Pirlouit about a young boy and his faithful (if boastful and cheating) dwarf sidekick. In 1958, in the ninth issue of the comic, the duo met tiny, blue-skinned creatures called "Les Schtroumpfs."

BBB Geeky Novelty

In 2005, Japanese electronics company Sanyo built what is probably the world’s coolest solar photovoltaic power generation facility: the Solar Ark. The building is 1,033 ft long and 121 ft tall and has over 5,000 solar battery panels. It can generate 630 kW of electricity, enough to power 200 homes for a year.

News from all over - Chicago

A University of Chicago study on sexual behavior found sex does not decline as people age. One of the nation's most comprehensive studies of sexual behavior from early adulthood until late in life found sexuality remains an important part of life as people age. The frequency of sexual activity, for those who are active, declines only slightly from the 50s to the early 70s.

In other research, Rick Thompson of Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, said the brain's chemistry affects how people attach to one another. Thompson, who teaches courses in hormones and behavior, social behavior and behavioral neuroscience, said that there is a chemical produced within the brain called oxytocin that promotes trust and attachment, and one of the things that promotes its release within the brain is sexual contact, particularly orgasm.

"Thus, the strengthening of attachments through sex or, more romantically, the deepening of love, may be a result of the actions of this brain chemical," Thompson said in a statement.
Source

Today in History - 1905

The Punchboard or Salesboard was patented in 1905 by C. A. Brewer and C. G. Scannell of Chicago. Even though the equivalent of punchboards had been around for many years, they had never been available in such a neat and portable form.

Once the boards became cheap to manufacture, they literally flooded the country. Noted gambling author John Scarne estimates that 30 million punchboards were sold in the years between 1910 to 1915. He also estimates that 50 million punchboards were sold in 1939 alone, during the peak of their popularity.

Quotable Quote

It is not sex that gives the pleasure, but the lover.
Marge Piercy

BBB Swell Site

Need I say more than this single word ... Toasters.

News from all over - Terre Haute

A South Carolina man who spent more than six weeks on the run after faking his death was formally charged Monday with counterfeiting thousands of dollars, and prosecutors plan to fight any attempt to lower his bond. A judge entered a not guilty plea for Julius "Butch" Nesbitt during his initial hearing on two felony counts of counterfeiting stemming from nearly $60,000 in fake money found when he was arrested last week at a friend's home in Terre Haute.

A hearing was scheduled for Tuesday on a request for Nesbitt's bond to be reduced. Vigo County Deputy Prosecutor John Springer said he would object to that request. "I'll argue that he has allegedly faked his death and I would say he would be a flight risk," Springer said.
Source

Today in History - 1866

Mr. Everett Barney patented the all-metal screw clamp skate. They would clamp on to the edges of the soles of shoes and you tightened them with a key. With the advent of athletic shoes, there was no place to clamp the skates so the clamp skate disappeared.

So Now You Know

Reportedly, the first Automatic Pop-up toaster was marketed in June 1926 by McGraw Electric Co. in Minneapolis under the name Toastmaster. The retail price was $13.50.

BBB Etymology - Balls to the wall

On an airplane, the handles controlling the throttle and fuel mixture are often topped with ball-shaped grips (though not those pictured), referred to by pilots as balls. Pushing the balls forward, towards the wall of the cockpit, is to apply full throttle and the highest possible speed.

Today in History - 1906

Willie Hoppe was an excellent 18.1 Balkline and 18.2 Balkline player, winning the world 18.1 balkline championship by beating Maurice Vignaux of France on this day (at the tender age of 18) and by going on to win the title in 1908 through 1911, and from 1914 through 1926. Although he lost the championship to Jake Schaefer Jr. in 1926, Willie Hoppe rightfully regained it in 1927, which was the last year in which competitive play took place for that type of billiards. He was also the world 18.2 balkline champion in 1907, from 1910 through 1920, from 1923 through 1924, and in 1927.

Watch him in action here.

News from all over - Berlin

German academics believe they have solved the centuries-old mystery behind the identity of the "Mona Lisa" in Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait.

Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant, Francesco del Giocondo, has long been seen as the most likely model for the sixteenth-century painting. But art historians have often wondered whether the smiling woman may actually have been da Vinci's lover, his mother or the artist himself.

Now experts at the Heidelberg University library say dated notes scribbled in the margins of a book by its owner in October 1503 confirm once and for all that Lisa del Giocondo was indeed the model for one of the most famous portraits in the world.

"All doubts about the identity of the Mona Lisa have been eliminated by a discovery by Dr. Armin Schlechter," a manuscript expert, the library said in a statement on Monday.
Source

So Now You Know

In 1911 Vincenzo Peruggia, a former Louvre worker, walked into the museum and, noticing the room containing the Mona Lisa had no guards or visitors, took the painting off its pegs, removed it from the frame, and walked out of the Louvre with it under his arm.

After keeping the painting hidden in his apartment for two years, Peruggia grew impatient and was caught when he attempted to sell it to the directors of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. After confirming authenticity, the directors turned him over to Italian authorities.

After its recovery, the painting was exhibited all over Italy and then returned to the Louvre in 1913.

Today's Chuckle

BBB Pulp Pick - What were they thinking?

One set of pulp covers I want to "cover" this year is from those wacky would-be "inventors" whose ideas were published in pulp such as Popular Science and Mechanix Illustrated .. kinda like this one from September 1933.

Look, out on the lake, it's a balloon, it's a plane, it's, it's ... who knows??

News from all over - York

Masking his appearance with a coat of drywall compound wasn't enough to protect the identity of a bank robber, authorities said. A NASCAR plate on the getaway car led police right to him.

Robert Coulson Lavery, 56, was convicted Wednesday in the Nov. 24, 2006, robbery of the New Cumberland Federal Credit Union, which netted $7,910, Fairview Township police said.

He was charged along with Robert Steven Miller, 53, who drove the getaway car, which bore a Rusty Wallace NASCAR plate on the front. A tip from someone familiar with the car led police to Miller, who confessed to helping Lavery in the robbery, police said.

When Lavery was arrested at Miller's home in Harrisburg, police found $3,775 in cash, clothing with smears of drywall compound, and more drywall compound in the passenger side of the car.
Source

Today in History - 1914

Henry Ford announced the newest advance in assembly line production of cars. The new continuous motion method reduced assembly time of a car from 12 hours to 93 minutes.

So Now You Know

At the peak of its efficiency in the early 16th century, the Venetian Arsenal employed some 16,000 people who apparently were able to produce nearly one ship each day, and could fit out, arm, and provision a newly-built galley with standardized parts on an assembly-line basis not seen again until the Industrial Revolution.

BBB Destination - Flora-Bama Lounge

Mr BBB has pretty much given up the lounge scene but he might make an exception if he finds himself walking along Perdido Key where Florida meets Alabama (or where Alabama meets Florida depending). There one can wander in the Flora-Bama Lounge known not only for some pretty wailing good times but also for the "SUPER" Chili Bowl Cook Off (the 14th annual event is coming up February 2) and, my personal favorite, the Interstate Mullet Toss. It just doesn't get any better than this!

Today in History - 1770

The first shipment of rhubarb was sent to the United States from London. Benjamin Franklin sent the plant to John Bartram, an early American botanist and horticulturalist, who some said was the "greatest natural botanist in the world."

As Garrison would sing ...

One little thing can revive a guy,
and that is a piece of rhubarb pie
Serve it up, nice and hot
Maybe things aren't as bad as you thought.
Momma's little baby loves rhubarb rhubarb,
Be-Bop-A-Re-Bop Rhubarb Pie

News from all over - Cumbria

Professor Richard McGregor, of the University of Cumbria, insists there is plenty of evidence that the right sort of music, played at the right sort of volume, could help bring about a happy workforce and increase productivity. "There's clear evidence that a happy workforce is a productive one, and the easiest way of raising the spirits in the office is to put on the radio or a CD," he said. "But the choice of music is vital and there is a risk that, if it's the wrong choice, it could be a recipe for office disaster and upset most of the office."

The Snow White anthem or The Beatles' We Can Work it Out would be the kind of music likely to induce a happy, productive atmosphere. But playing the Boomtown Rats' I Don't Like Mondays or Cilla Black's Work is a Four Letter Word could be counter-productive if played in the workplace.

"If you have the wrong sort of music or music that people don't like, it can be counter-productive. But the right sort of music can help people relax and help people concentrate better on their work," he said.
Source

So Now You Know

Rhubarb, a deadly poisonous plant (don't eat the leaves), started out as a medicinal aid, its root considered excellent by the Chinese for constipation and other unmentionable digestive troubles. Rhubarb probably came from northern China originally where it is mentioned in writings dating to 2700 BC; not to mention its mention in the writings of Marco Polo.

BBB Geeky Novelties

Personally, I'm not one to play with my food but Carl Warner is, he creates "Foodscapes" like the one here for his photography (click image for larger view). But there are many more to be seen (along with much of his other work). Surf over to his flash-based site ... foodscapes can be found by clicking the orange box (FOTOGRAPHICS), then the second folder (FOODSCAPES).

News from all over - Revere

Personal relationships can go through hot and cold spells just like the weather - a sometimes harsh reality illustrated by this year's new sayings on the New England Confectionery Co.'s traditional Valentine's Day heart candies.

NECCO said today that its Sweethearts Conversation Hearts will include the weather-themed phrases "Melt My Heart," "In A Fog," "Chill Out," "Cloud Nine," "Heat Wave," "Sun Shine" and "Get My Drift."

The sayings "highlight the excitement and unpredictability of the day-to-day change of weather and people's love lives," NECCO marketing manager Lory Zimbalatti said in a statement.

This year's 10 new sayings also include nature-inspired phrases "Wild Life" and "Nature Lover," and the saying "Do Good."
Source

Today in History - 1949

RCA Victor released the first 45 RPM single, 7" in diameter, with a large center hole to accommodate an automatic play mechanism on the changer, so a stack of singles would drop down one record at a time automatically after each play. Early 45 RPM records were made from either vinyl or polystyrene.

So Now You Know

The speed of 33 1/3 was introduced in 1927 after theoretical analysis of the compromise between signal-to-noise ratio and playing time (3 minutes per radial inch) by J. P. Maxfield of Bell Laboratories for sound films produced on the Vitaphone system. And it was a professional de facto standard before it became commercialized by CBS in 1948. It has been suggested that 78 minus 33 equals 45 was the reason for the emergence of 45 rpm records but, in fact, Maxfield's analysis still applies: the 45 "single" was RCA's equivalent to a 10-inch, 78 rpm record, only smaller.

This just in ...

Try getting this baby in the front door .. Panasonic demoed its new 150" plasma TV at CES, Yep, that's 150" ... approx 8 by 11 feet! (Might the elephant be shown actual size?) Reportedly it looks great even up close, is bright and uses less power.

Want more info on CES? Well, there's the official site, but for my money, I'd start with the list of his personal favorites over at John's Lousy Blog.

BBB Swell Site

Sometimes it's the simple things one looks for. Here's an example of a site offering Haikus to order .. with a sense of humor. You even can submit your own.

News from all over - Torpoint

A man wearing a nun's costume beat up two party-goers dressed as a pirate and a parrot. His two victims – dressed as Pirates Of The Caribbean characters Captain Jack Sparrow and an exotic bird – were attacked at a cash machine in Torpoint, Cornwall.

They had stepped in to help a woman dressed as Catwoman – who was fighting with her boyfriend. A police spokesman said: 'Someone must have seen the nun and Catwoman. This was a very nasty assault.'
Source

Today in History - 1493

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing near the Dominican Republic, sees three "mermaids"--in reality manatees--and describes them as "not half as beautiful as they are painted."

So Now You Know

The oldest manatee in captivity is Snooty who is held at the South Florida Museum. He was born at the Miami Seaquarium on July 21, 1948 and came to the South Florida Museum in Bradenton, Florida in 1949.

BBB Etymology - Axe to Grind

The Oxford English Dictionary says the phrase originated with Ben Franklin, but the OED's first published citation is not from Franklin but from his fellow Pennsylvanian, Charles Miner, a Connecticut-born essayist and newspaper editor. From Essays from the Desk of Poor Robert the Scribe in which Miner recounts the tale of a boy who gets conned into turning the grindstone for someone who wants his ax sharpened.

When I see a merchant over-polite to his customers, begging them to taste a little brandy and throwing half his goods on the counter,—thinks I, that man has an axe to grind.

Today in History - 1901

The American Bowling Congress installed six lanes in Chicago's Welsbach Building and 41 teams (a total of 205 bowlers) showed up to shoot for a $1,592 prize fund in the first ABC National Championship Tournament.

Under the leadership of the ABC, bowling quickly became both popular and respectable as indicated in the 1905 Milwaukee tourney pictured. Gambling was virtually eliminated--partly because of prize money offered not only by member leagues, but also in ABC-sanctioned regional and national competition.

With the sport cleaned up, women were attracted to bowling in large numbers. The Women's National Bowling Association, founded in 1916, conducted its first national championship the following year.

Quotable Quote

And thus they give the time, that Nature meant for peaceful sleep and meditative snores, to ceaseless din and mindless merriment and waste of shoes and floors.
-Lewis Carroll

News from all over - Las Vegas

You could throw a party in the Starry Night "sleeping centre" with its surround-sound system and a TV projector in the headboard capable of beaming images up to 10ft across on to the facing wall.

A workaholic could also keep busy thanks to a powerful computer, internet connection and wireless keypad.

If all you want to do is sleep in it, the bed will heat or cool the mattress before you get in. When you are asleep, it will monitor your body movement and breathing patterns and adjust itself to stop you snoring.

The bed - which will cost an estimated $20,000-$50,000 depending upon which options you choose - is being unveiled at this week's Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, the world showcase for domestic gadgets.

Some of its features are based on military technology, including the vibration-detection system designed to eliminate snoring. When it senses a snore, a motor in the mattress lifts the sleeping position forward by seven degrees. The theory is that this allows the nasal passages to open and so alleviate snoring, after which the bed returns to its original position.

The vibration sensor and a mattress pressure system also measure how much a sleeper tosses and turns or how often they get out of bed during the night. Tips on how to improve sleep quality are then offered via the computer screen. The computer - which has an astonishing 1,500 gigabytes of memory - can heat or cool each side of the bed separately through water pipes inside the mattress.

There is also an iPod docking station and a hard disc storage system capable of holding and playing back up to 400,000 songs or 2,000 hours of video.

"The bed is a place for reading, watching movies, spending time with the kids, listening to music and even folding laundry. ...

"It's time our bed becomes our sleep counsellor. And when we improve our sleep, we can improve our quality of life."
Source

BBB Pulp Pick - Uncanny Stories

Seems like just the kind of story to start off the new year. Forget global warming ... there are Giant Germs Coming!

BTW, this April, 1941 issue of Uncanny Stories was the only one. Not to worry, Uncanny Tales continued its run from 1940-1943 .. more from it another Monday.

News from all over - Bexhill

A burglar was caught after she left a trail from the scene of crime. Amber McCarthy, 31, accidentally scattered cornflakes after stealing cash from a florist’s till.

Cops followed the 300-yard trail to her hotel in Bexhill, East Sussex. They found cash and flowers in her room, Hove Crown Court heard. McCarthy, of Eastbourne, had grabbed the cereal from the hotel's bar. She admitted the burglary and three others and got a three-year supervision order.
Source

Today in History - 1927

31 calls were made on this, the first day of public transatlantic telephone service. Service began between New York and London. The calls cost $75.00 (U.S.) each for five minutes.

So Now You Know

When the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858 by businessman Cyrus West Field, it operated for only a month; subsequent attempts in 1865 and 1866 were more successful. Although a telephone cable was discussed starting in the 1920s, to be practical it needed a number of technological advances which did not arrive until the 1940s. Transatlantic telephone service that started in 1927 was radio-based.

Just for the record

Well, the BBB awakens to a New Year. No major changes are expected to the format for now but some "variations on a theme" are definitely in store.

Oh and the current tally on the Holiday Funnies? No fewer than 118 items have been added this season (up from 68 last year). Blondie contributed the most, with fourteen entries; Bizarro was second with eleven. Fewest? Beetle Bailey had but one. Even Foxtrot, a Sunday only strip, got three nods. Most consistently high quality? Speed Bump - one entry tied for my favorite comic of the season. Here's the other, from Rubes.

But stay tuned, there may be more. The final entry for the 2006-07 season didn't come until January 22.

BBB Still Napping

Shhhh. The BBB is still napping. Meanwhile, Holiday Funnies are being updated and there's always that silly "BBB Classic" button ... or maybe this.