Contact Us

WATSON WINS - The new super computer "Watson" from IBM bested two Jeopardy Champs in a showdown between computer and man.  Watson can sort through 200 million pages of information in three seconds.  Dr. David Ferrucci, Principal investigator in the Deep QA/Watson Project says "We are using information as it exists and making the computer smarter in analyzing that content to compute answers." IBM is already working on implementing applications in the fields of healthcare, finance and telecom.   

39 BILLION- The World consumes 39 billion bottles of water every year.  End to End it would circle the Earth 161 times. Consider the positive impact we each could make by using refillable water canteens.

10 YEARS AGO- On Feb. 18th Dale Earnhardt was killed when his black #3 Chevrolet slammed into the wall at 160 mph on the last lap of NASCAR's bigget race, The Daytona 500. Earnhardt fans still mourn the loss of their favorite Intimidator. 

50 YEARS AGO- John F. Kennedy begins his term as our 35th President.  He was the second youngest President (Teddy Roosevelt was the youngest), the First Catholic and the only President to win a Pulitzer Prize.  The Beatles made their debut at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.  They would go on to play the basement Club 292  times and make Rock-n-Roll History.   

100 YEARS AGO Porsche Had the World's First Hybrid 

In the early 1900's electric vehicles were the most popular.  The gasoline engine which was used solely to charge the batteries, would let Ferdinand Porche's first vehicle set land speed records.  As gasoline became exceptionally cheap, Porsche didn't see any reason to continue to develop hybrid vehicles. 

Other 100 Year Ago's: 

•  There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
• The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
• Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
• Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

•  The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
• The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
• More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
• Sugar cost four cents a pound.
• Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
• Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
• Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
• The American Flag had 45 stars.
• The population in Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30!
• Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea had not yet been invented.
• Two out of every 10 U.S. adults could not read or write.

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. 

BEWARE OF THE IDES OF MARCH - In Roman times the 15th day of the month of March, May, July and October were referred to as the Ides of that month.  This represented the full moon.  Julius Caesar was killed on March 15th, in 44 B.C.  He was warned by a Seer that foretold his peril, hence "Beware the Ides of March".  George Clooney recently began filming The Ides of March about a Democratic Governor campaigning in a Presidential Election.  Filiming started in Cincinnati and will finish in Michigan in March.  Et tu, George?

BUG CUISINE - After studying for her anthropology degree in the Yucatan region of Mexico, Daniella Martin developed an interesting passion for Bug Cuisine.  Back before Christopher Columbus' arrival, the amount of big game in that area was very small, so the locals relied on insects for their protein in bugged-out dishes like "chapulines," a tasty treat from the Mexican state of Oaxaca that combines dry-roasted grasshoppers with lime and chili.  As an edible insect advocate, Martin loves creating insect treats, such as a scorpion cupcakes made with a flour of ground-up crickets.  "There is no shortage of good logical science behind the idea of insects as food," she said.  "They're a good source for animal protein and can be easily implemented in regions where it's hard to grow crops."  However, insects have terrible PR--they need rebranding!"  Martin is hoping to do just that by becoming "an edible insect advocate."  One of her projects is Girl Meets Bug, a website where she offers cooking tips on the proper way to prepare larva tacos.  She is also part of a loose-knit cricket-eating collective of women who are trying to show that bug eating isn't exclusive to 8-year-old boys daring each other on the playground.  "I use cricket flour when I'm baking and wax worms are especially good in stir fries," she said.  "When I do cooking demonstrations, if people smell the food and taste it, I have a 75 percent conversion rate-- and not a single bug left."  Right now, the biggest marketing for boosting bug-eating are "first adopting foodies," the folks most likely to jump on something that seems new or different, and people who are familiar with ethnic cultures where insects are eaten. 

MARCH 17th- St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by Irish and Non-Irish all over the world.  It began in the 17th Century as a Catholic Holiday in Ireland.  It has gradually become more of a secular celebration of Irish Culture.  Cities all over the US have parades,  including New York City, Chicago, Savannah, and San Francisco.  It is the one day a year sane people can drink GREEN BEER!!  

SPORTS DRINK OF CHAMPIONS: BEER?  Americans have never really been fans of alcohol-free beer.  Erdinger Alkoholfrei, a Bavarian brewer, thinks it can win us over.  Well, the athletes among us, at least.  The non-alcoholic brew is an incredibly popular option for European athletes at the end of sporting events.  The carbohydrate-filled beverage boasts that its vitamin-rich, no additive recipe contains all of the essentials to restore athletes after a workout- without Gatorade's jitters or alcohol's buzz.

AMERICA - NOT THE WINNERS THIS TIME- Despite what you might think, a report released on February 11 from the World Health Organization on the world's drinking habits, concluded that Americans don't actually drink that much.  In fact Europe and Russia drink America under the table.  Russia however, has finally joined the rest of the world and admits that beer is alcohol.  Last Tuesday the Russian Parliament passed legislation limiting the sale of beer, including near public schools, where you can often spot teenagers downing brews during their lunch breaks.  Though America usually finds not winning to be tough medicine to swallow, this one is one contest where not coming in first is a good thing.  It's estimated that alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths a year, more than AIDS or tuberculosis.  In Russia, one in five male deaths is caused by the drink.  Yikes!!