Broken Fingernails-at last

World's record holder breaks nails in car crash!

Ms Redmond of Salt Lake City, Utah, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the accident this week, the Deseret News reported.
She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the longest fingernails in the world.
Ms Redmond's nails, which hadn't been cut since 1979, were broken in the crash. According to the Guinness Book of World Records website, her nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches.
Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt Don Hutson said Ms Redmond was freed from an SUV in the crash and taken to the hospital in a serious condition.

Better the nails than the neck....

Barbie turns 50

Forget the furore over Madonna turning 50, an even more imposing fashion icon is hitting the big five zero and she is doing so in serious style. Barbie, who (whisper it) must have had work done because she’s looking a little plastic, is about to be feted in a series of fashion celebrations.
Taking time out from her many demanding careers — astronaut, rap artist, Unicef ambassador, Marine Corps sergeant, air hostess, paediatrician, firewoman and politician – Babs will take centre stage at the first ever Barbie runway show at New York Fashion Week on Valentine’s Day.

And just think how much those original dolls would be worth today! I pierced my Barbie's ears and gave her a haircut but then again, she would only be about 40 years old. I think my babysitters had the original ones.

Latest in computer hacking

Road Signs!

Wish I had the skills to hack into traffic signs--just to see people's faces as they drive by. The first one appeared early last week in Texas. Soon to follow was the second one and I'm sure it will not be the last as hackers can't help but be copycats. The computers that run these signs are located right on the sign itself...guess that means its public domain. Local traffic directors, however, aren't laughing and are saying the violators will be prosecuted.

Yeti expedition returns

The recent return of the first expedition searching for Yeti in 2009 has come back with a few frightening stories. The hunt was supported by MonsterQuest, who filmed an episode of their Season Three during the investigative journey.
Senior producer Will Yates just told me http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/1-yeti-exp-09/ that the team found themselves, indeed, on “a dangerous expedition out in Nepal. The trekking was much more difficult than they anticipated and at one point a crew member nearly slipped to his death. At the end of the expedition helicopters had to do an extraction off the mountain.”

Picture on the right is an oldie of Sir Edmund Hillary with a supposed Yeti skullcap. MonsterQuest must still be editing because season three has started and there's no mention of the Yeti in www.historychannel.com 's monsterpedia.

Snakes that won't fit on a plane

CNN) -- Scientists in Colombia have unearthed the remains of a true pre-historic monster believed to be the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth.

Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the snake would have weighed 1,140 kilograms (2,500 pounds) and measured 13 meters (42.7 feet) nose to tail tip -- dwarfing the largest modern pythons and anacondas which can grow to 6 meters (19.5 feet).
Scientists believe it slithered around the planet between 58 and 60 million years ago.
Geologist David Polly, who identified the position of the fossil vertebrae which made a size estimate possible, said in a statement Wednesday: "At its greatest width, the snake would have come up to about your hips."

I'm thinking this snake probably ate St. Bernard sized rodents!

Bat'leth Bandits

The Klingons are back in the news

and will probably be making first contact in Colorado as someone has stolen one of their weapons and is robbing 7-11s with it:

A man used a "Star Trek Klingon type sword" to allegedly rob two Colorado Springs stores early Wednesday morning, police told The Denver Post.
The robber used a weapon described to police as a "Batleth" sword, according to the newspaper.
Police said the man was wearing a black mask, blue jeans and a black jacket, and fled on foot from both stores with an undisclosed amount of cash, The Denver Post reported.
He targeted two 7-11 stores in the span of an hour, starting shortly before 2 a.m., police said.
Bat'leth itself means "Sword of Honor" in Klingon.
A replica bat'leth was among the blades surrendered to British police as part of the 2006 knife amnesty.

I am curious as to how the 7-11 workers knew this was a Bat'leth...aren't most Trekkies retired by now?

Happy Birthday, Beth- 62 on Jan. 31.

Happy Birthday Beth. Sorry I didn't get this on the blog sooner. Do you remember
where you were when this was taken??? Hope you got your card on time.

Springbreak in Chariton

Midnight temperatures heading into February, 2009. If this continues, I'm taking my Spring break in Chariton, IA...too cold in Florida...

Don't doubt Redoubt

Something's brewing in Alaska

and the last time Redoubt Volcano erupted, some 20 years ago, the above pictures were taken. Redoubt is only 100 miles southwest of Anchorage. Here is today's report:

Unrest at Redoubt Volcano continues. Seismicity levels have remained relatively constant since yesterday afternoon at 3:30 PM AKST, and are still well above background. Clear web camera views currently show a steam plume rising to roughly 10,500 ft asl.

I was just on the webcam site and was very upset that it wasn't downloading...all I had was a black screen and I hoping to see the moment of eruption. Then I realized it was probably night there just like it is here...the eruption, however, is imminent...to watch in real time go here:

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/webcam/webcam.php?cam=Redoubt%20-%20Hut

Alaska's volcanoes are not like Hawaii's. "Most of them don't put out the red river of lava," said the observatory's John Power.
Instead, they typically explode and shoot ash 30,000 to 50,000 feet high — more than nine miles — into the jet stream.

The picture below is the jet stream on Feb 1, 2009 and if I am deciphering this thing correctly...get your goggles and air masks ready...the ash snow is coming our way!!!

Bouabidi Family - taken on their cruise in Dec.2008

Etch A Sketch Obama

80 hours - 1 continuous line

Obobblehead Shortage

Send all Obobbleheads to:

103 E Ave

Grundy Center, IA 50638

Please no C.O.D.s... she's on a fixed income.

Bobblehead pictured is a pretty good likeness but I have no idea who sells it. Here is another one:

http://www.politicalwobbles.com/

Obama Action Figures

The Japanese have bestowed Obama a Ninja...quite an honor, I think. These action figure dolls are hitting the market (or at least the internet) by Japan's Gamu-toys. I thing the American versions will be 'Obama on the Blackberry' and 'Obama plays basketball.' What else will the Japanese think of?

Obama vs. Godzilla?