Fitness American Style

Snakes Used To Predict Earthquakes

Scientists in China say they can predict earthquakes - by observing behaviour in snakes.

Officials at the earthquake bureau in Nanning, in southern Guangxi province, monitor snake farms via 24-hour internet video links.

Researchers claim the snakes can sense a quake from 75 miles away, up to five days before it happens.

Jiang Weisong, director of the earthquake bureau in Nanning claims: "Of all the creatures on the Earth, snakes are perhaps the most sensitive to earthquakes.

"When an earthquake is about to occur, snakes will move out of their nests, even in the cold of winter. If the earthquake is a big one, the snakes will even smash into walls while trying to escape," he told China Daily newspaper."

He added: "By installing cameras over the snake nests, we have improved our ability to forecast earthquakes. The system could be extended to other parts of the country to make our earthquake forecasts more precise."

2004 Mike Ditka Kick Ass Red

Bam! Just in time for the SuperBowl.

Produced by the Mendocino Wine Co. in California, “Mike Ditka Kick Ass Red” is primarily a Zinfandel with a plumy color and a briny aroma rife with notes of cherry, ripe berries and other non Dikta aromas.

Armed with an almost 15% per cent alcohol level and a $50 price tag, it is not a wine for the timid.

Only 3,600 Bottles were produced so this year so be prepared to fight it out on the line of scrimmage for your bottle.

The Canary Project

The Canary Project

You don't have to see Al Gore's new documentary to know that there's a new kind of canary in the coal mine, and it comes in the form of Austria's desiccated glaciers or Costa Rica's enervated cloud forests.

At numerous places around the globe, the Earth is melting, drowning, drying up, or increasingly battered. Since 2005, The Canary Project has dedicated itself to capturing large-scale photographic evidence of locations in the grip of such dramatic climate change.

Armed robber, 7, in Lego heist

Police in Florida are looking for a little girl, aged about seven, who tried to steal Lego at knife-point.

The girl pulled a knife on a cashier at a Wal-Mart store in Largo as she tried to walk out with two boxes of Lego.

Police say the girl, aged about seven or eight, hid the toys under her coat and tried to walk out, reports Tampabays10.com.

A store employee approached the child, asking her to turn over the Lego blocks.

Police say the little girl then opened her jacket and pulled out a 10ins carving knife.

The employee talked the girl into putting down the knife and the toys. The girl then rode away on her bicycle.

Phone Features And Their Star Codes

A list of phone features one needs to know other than *69,
Why don't they list this in the front of the phone book?

Anonymous Call Rejection
Incoming calls with Caller ID blocked receive a message telling them this line does not accept calls from callers who block their number. (Does not tell the caller how do do this!) (Monthly charge per line -- Free with Caller ID.)

• To turn on: *77
• To turn off: *87

Call Trace
Have the most recent calling number automatically recorded at Verizon's Unlawful Call Center. This can be used as evidence in court. (Per successful usage charge -- currently $1.00.)

• To use: *57

Per Call Blocking Blocks sending of name and phone number on outgoing individual call. Must be done for each call. (Free.)

• To use: *67 (+ number being dialed)

You can test Per Call Blocking by trying it out on 800/562-5588. (If blocking is not working, you will get some repair service.)
Per Line Blocking

Blocks sending of name and phone number on outgoing all calls from this line. Must be undone on a per call basis to contact people with Anonymous Call Rejection. (Free.)

• To deactivate: *82 (+ number being dialed)

You can test Per Line Blocking by trying it out on 800/562-5588. (If blocking is not working, you will get some repair service.)

All Time 50 Best Robots

Last Year Wired put out there list of 50 Best Robots. I not sure what criteria they used to generate and rank this list, but it’s a sure bet that you will not guess #1

Here are some favorite bots and their rankings.

#19. R2-D2
R2-D2 and C-3PO - the Abbott and Costello of space - may be the most popular robots in history, but it's the littler one that really steals the show.

#04. ROBBY THE ROBOT
Few robots can trace their origins to Shakespeare. Robby, from the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, was inspired by Ariel in The Tempest

#03. SPIRIT AND OPPORTUNITY
Some robots sit in labs for researchers to tinker with. These two bots are on frickin' Mars

See the whole list go to Wired Best Bots

Survey America - Daily Living

What surveys say about Americans

Daily Living


90% of us depend on alarm clocks to wake us.

53% read their horoscopes regularly.

16% of us have forgotten our own wedding anniversary (mostly men).

59% of us say we're average-looking.

Less than 10% are trilingual.

37% claim to know how to use all the features on their VCR.

53% prefer ATM machines over tellers.

44% reuse tinfoil.

57% save pretty gift paper to reuse.

66% of women and 59% of men have used a mix to cook and taken credit for doing it from scratch.

53% of us would take advice from Anne Landers.

28% of us have skinny-dipped. 14% with the opposite sex.

51% of adults dress up for a Halloween festivity.

On average, we send 38 Christmas cards every year.

20% of women consider their parents to be their best friends.