Police talk changed to code in the 1920's because of the scarcity of radio channels. Police had to get on and off the air quickly. It was also thought codes would provide privacy. Not anymore. In fact, the differences in local codes cause confusion. For example, an Independence, Missouri police dispatcher used plain English - instead of 10/33 - when radioing the Highway Patrol that one of their...
According to a study published in the "British Journal of Psychiatry", children who eat too much candy become violent as adults. More than 17,000 children born in 1970 were studied for almost 40 years. Of the children who ate candy daily at age 10, 69% were arrested for a violent offense by age 34. It wasn't the candy that caused the violence. Supposedly parents who use candy to bribe children...
In 2005 a manure fire started in a Nebraska feed lot, spread and burned for months. Manure stored in bags on a truck in Texas started a deadly fire. It seems that as manure breaks down, it produces both methane and hydrogen sulfide gases. If this happens in extremely hot weather, spontaneous combustion can occur. The manure can explode and catch fire. Exploding manure isn't uncommon on farms...
Between 2005 and 2006 the Transportation Security Administration confiscated 13 million items from passengers' carry-on bags. Liquids in access of 3 ounces are immediately disposed of. Guns and firearms are turned over to local law enforcement. Items of value - electric saws, meat cleavers, 10-pound exercise weights, even a kitchen sink - are donated to state surplus agencies and sold - the...
According to a study of more than 2,500 toddlers published in the journal "Child Development", spanking may be harmful to both behavior and mental development, having long-lasting effects. Toddlers don't understand enough about right and wrong or punishment. One-year-olds who were spanked tended to behave more aggressively at age 2 and didn't perform as well at age 3 on a test measuring...
For those confused by the stock market, there are simpler indicators of an improved economy. According to a restaurant advisory consultant, large piles of garbage behind restaurants mean people are eating out again. According to a chief economist, people wear bright colors when they're confident. Because men's ties are an inexpensive way to change a wardrobe, men wear pink or fuchsia ties....
According to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 10% of high school students eat the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. The 2009 report was based on a 2007 national survey of approximately 100,000 high school students. The report found 32% had the recommended 2 servings of fruit and 13% had the recommended 3 servings of vegetables. Adults...
As times change, so do companies. In 1806 William Colgate founded a company to make soap, candles and starch. Colgate toothpaste wasn't made until 1873. In 1837 John Deere was a frustrated blacksmith in Grand Detour, Illinois trying to make plows that cut through the area's clay. When he started to make his plows with cast steel, he started the John Deere Equipment Company. In 1866 David...
Veterinarians are reporting dogs and cats are living longer - some for more than 15 years. Dogs' longevity is directly related to breed size. Toy breeds live longest (12-14 years). Giant breeds live the shortest time (6-8 years). However, mixed breeds tend to live longer than pure breeds. In estimating a dog's age 1 dog year equals 12 people years, 2 dog years equal 24 people years and every...
Edna St. Vincent Millay, the poet, and Margaret Mead, the anthropologist, both were previous owners of the house at 75 1/2 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village, New York. The 3-story, red brick building was built in 1873 and supposedly has plenty of light supplied by large windows in front and back, as well as a skylight. The current owner bought the house in 2000 for $1.6 million. In 2009 it...
