The Pork Tornado

If I offend or bothered you - I am sorry.

I attempt to share funnies, information, news.

Many of us have access to useful and useless information - some that will save your life - others that will get you ready for Trivia Pursuit.

If it is not interesting to you - simply scroll past.

There are many posts on this site that I do not read - if it does not pertain to me or something I do not think I need to read - I don't.

Wishing you and everyone - A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

cuthbert

Thanks for the kind words.

cuthbert1776

Yum - Dog

slugs

"Revenge of the Sith" Happens at 2005 Box Office

Hollywood suffered an off year at the box office. George Lucas did not.

Lucas' Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith, charting the death of Anakin Skywalker and the birth of Darth Vader, was 2005's top-grossing movie, tapping loyalists for $380.3 million, according to the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.

The film was the only $300 million-plus grosser in a year in which, Exhibitor Relations said, overall movie attendance fell about 7 percent, and ticket sales dipped about 5 percent.

Sith, ostensibly the final chapter in the Skywalker saga, seemed unaffected by the bad box-office vibes. It now stands seventh among the all-time box-office champs, per the stats at BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Help! I can't kick my soda poppin’ habit!

Excessive consumption of the ‘fizzy lifting’ drink can cause a host of health problems.

Part One of Two

Nutritionist Joy Bauer explains why you should cut back

In 2004, Americans spent approximately $66 billion on carbonated drinks alone. If you're one of the millions who can't start their day without a sip of soda but want to stop, help is here. Nutritionist Joy Bauer was invited on the “Today” show to offer some helpful advice to help reduce the carbonated drink habit.

Do you find yourself reaching for soda at every meal? Imagine this: One 20-ounce bottle of soda is the equivalent of pouring 17 teaspoons of straight sugar into your body! What’s more, those 250 empty calories can set you up for mood swings, energy dips and weight gain.

What else can excessive soda and sugar do to your body?

Tooth decay

The sugar and acid combination causes the degradation of tooth enamel and increases the risk for decay. Soda contents include high fructose corn syrup (that is, sugar), additive dyes, carbonic or phosphoric acid, and sometimes caffeine. The carbonic or phosphoric acid dissolves the calcium out of the enamel, leaving a softened matrix that allows bacteria to enter the teeth and cause destruction. The sugar is an added insult — it’s converted to acid by the bacteria on the teeth, making the combination of acid and sugar especially destructive.

Diet soda also contains acid. So if you’re sipping a sugar-free soda while eating a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal, your teeth are at equal risk.

Bone weakening

Some health experts believe that soda leaches calcium from the bones in an attempt to buffer the body’s acidity level from the phosphoric acid intake. But there’s no solid evidence to prove this theory. In fact, many everyday foods contain more phosphorous than soda.

However, studies have shown that adolescent girls who regularly drink soda DO have lower bone densities (and higher incidence of fractures) than non-soda drinkers. These findings are most likely because excessive soft drink intake displaces milk and other calcium-rich beverage contributing to an overall calcium deficiency.

Carbonation

Help! I can't kick my soda poppin’ habit!

Excessive consumption of the ‘fizzy lifting’ drink can cause a host of health problems.

Part Two

Increased risk of diabetes

We know that the excessive sugar and calories in soda can cause weight gain – which in turn will increase your risk for type 2 diabetes. But according to a recent Harvard observational study there may be even more to the story.

Women in the study who drank at least one sugar-sweetened soda a day were 85 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank less, said Matthias B. Schulze, who presented the Harvard School of Public Health research at the American Diabetes Association's 64th scientific sessions. In addition to the sodas' excess calories, their large amount of rapidly absorbable sugars could contribute to obesity and a greater risk of diabetes, said Schulze, a post doctorate student from Germany. "It's not that sugar everywhere is important, but it seems that sugar specifically in liquid foods may be relevant," Schulze said. "So, sodas and other energy-providing drinks may lead to an over-consumption of energy that would lead to obesity and weight gain."

Another study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2004 looked at the metabolic effect of high fructose corn syrup. Their results revealed that after consuming meals rich in high fructose corn syrup, subjects showed decreased levels of leptin – one of our key appetite regulating hormones. Thus, suggesting that beverages concentrated in high fructose corn syrup do not fill you up and place you at a higher risk for weight gain.

Some things to think about

For the same 250 calories in a 20-ounce bottle of soda, you could enjoy eating nutritious foods that fill you up and can increase your energy.

Here are some substitutes:

80 baby carrots Four large Red Delicious apples 15 cups of air popped popcorn New Years Resolution for 2006 Give up one daily 20-ounce soda, and at the end of the year you’ll save:

91,000 calories 7,280 teaspoons of sugar Potentially lose up to 26 pounds of fat Give up three daily 20-ounce bottles of soda, and at the end of the year you’ll save:

273,000 calories 21,840 teaspoons of sugar Potentially lose up to 78 pounds of fat By replacing soda with a nutritious beverage, you'll feel more energetic, satiated, lighter on your feet, less bloated and less moody. The perfect health gift for 2006!

Better beverage alternatives that are low-calorie and enhance your health:

Water Flavored water Plain and flavored seltzer Skim milk, skim plus and 1 percent reduced fat milk Soy milk Green tea Chamomile tea Coffee Skim latte, skim cappuccino and skim café au lait Low-fat hot cocoa

mthead101

I will try my best to keep them coming - sometimes I have a lot of funnies to share - other times, the well runs dry.

Def Leppard News

Def Leppard's long-awaited covers album, Yeah!, reportedly is scheduled for an April release. While the pop-metal rockers plan to hit the road this year to support the CD, singer Joe Elliott says the band currently is taking a break to recover from 2005's busy touring schedule.

cuthbert1776 & peaceandguitars

I used to drink 3-5 large coffes in the morning, and then 3-5 Pepsi's in the afternoon, then dinner, then a few more pops.

A few years ago, when the 20 and 24 oz pops came out, I would do 1-2 of those a day.

Now it is 1 coffee once in a while, green tea in the evening once in a while and a 24 oz Coke will last a week or so - at the end of the week - it is pretty flat though.

Also - lots of water now.

I am trying to drain Lake Michigan :)

Then I get to drain the main vein - and put it right back in.

Yummy

peaceandguitars

RIP

Grammy-Winning Singer Lou Rawls Dies

LOS ANGELES - Lou Rawls, the velvet-voiced singer who started as a church choir boy and went on to sell more than 40 million albums has died, his publicist said. He won three Grammy Awards in a career that spanned nearly five decades and a range of genres. He was 72.

Rawls died early Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was hospitalized last month for treatment of lung and brain cancer, his publicist Paul Shefrin said. His wife Nina was at his bedside when he died, Shefrin said.

The family and Shefrin said Rawls was 72, although other records indicate he was 70.

Rawls' voice was his inimitable trademark.

Jazz historian Leonard Feather wrote in "The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Sixties" that Rawls "has a vigorous, confident style, a strong affinity for the blues and a personal sound."

"I've gone the full spectrum, from gospel to blues to jazz to soul to pop," Rawls once said on his Web site. "And the public has accepted what I've done through it all."

Rawls' grandmother introduced him to gospel in his hometown of Chicago. The singer moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s to join a touring gospel group, the Pilgrim Travelers.

After a two-year stint in the Army, Rawls returned to Los Angeles and rejoined the Pilgrim Travelers, where he sang with Sam Cooke. Rawls performed with Dick Clark at the Hollywood Bowl in 1959, and two years later, he opened for The Beatles at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.

Rawls was playing small blues and R&B clubs in Los Angeles when his four-octave range caught the ear of a Capitol Records producer, who signed him to the label in 1962.

His debut effort, "Stormy Monday," recorded with the Les McCann Trio, was the first of 28 albums Rawls made with Capitol.

His 1966 hit, "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing," topped the charts and earned Rawls his first two Grammy nominations. He received 13 during his career.

Rawls, whose hits included "Dead End Street" and "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," released his most recent album, "Seasons 4 U," in 1998 on his own label, Rawls & Brokaw Records.

The stalwart singer also appeared in 18 movies, including "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Blues Brothers 2000," and 16 television series, including "Fantasy Island" and "The Fall Guy."

A longtime community activist, Rawls visited schools, playgrounds and community centers in the 1960s, encouraging children to continue their studies and have confidence in their abilities. In the '80s, he helped the United Negro College Fund raise more than $200 million through telethons.

In 1976, Rawls became the corporate spokesman for the Anheuser-Busch Cos. breweries.

Rawls was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2004 and brain cancer in May 2005.

Besides his wife Nina, Rawls is survived by four children, Louanna Rawls, Lou Rawls Jr., Kendra Smith and Aiden Rawls.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete, Shefrin said.

Just a little slap stick humor....

1981 vs. 2005

YEAR: 1981

1. Prince Charles got married.

2. Liverpool crowned soccer Champions of Europe

3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament.

4. Pope died.

YEAR: 2005

1. Prince Charles got married.

2. Liverpool crowned soccer Champions of Europe

3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament.

4. Pope died.

An actual Road Sign seen along one of America's Highways . . .

Check it out at http://www.sydesjokes.com/pictures/h/hang_up_your_phone.jpg

cuthbert1776

Finally checking my mail for the first time in days

need to spread a little humor around here once in a while

Mouse Thrown Into Fire Sets Home Ablaze

FORT SUMNER, N.M. - A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.

Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it.

"I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," Mares said from a motel room Saturday.

Village Fire Chief Juan Chavez said the burning mouse ran to just beneath a window, and the flames spread up from there and throughout the house.

No was hurt inside, but the home and everything in it was destroyed.

Unseasonably dry and windy conditions have charred more than 53,000 acres and destroyed 10 homes in southeastern New Mexico in recent weeks.

"I've seen numerous house fires," village Fire Department Capt. Jim Lyssy said, "but nothing as unique as this one."

Two retired professors were on vacation at a hotel in the mountains.

One evening, they were sitting on the porch, watching the sun set. One turned to the other and asked, "Have you read Marx?"

cuthbert1776 & All

Land of the "Free for All"

Aerosmith Mötley Crüe tour

Lawyers should never ask a Southern grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer. In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand.

He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"

She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams I've known you since you were a young boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The lawyer was stunned! Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?"

She again replied, "Why, yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him."

The defense attorney almost died.

Do Burned CDs Have a Short Life Span?

IDG News Service - Opinions vary on how to preserve data on digital storage media, such as optical CDs and DVDs. Kurt Gerecke, a physicist and storage expert at IBM Deutschland, has his own view: If you want to avoid having to burn new CDs every few years, use magnetic tapes to store all your pictures, videos and songs for a lifetime.

"Unlike pressed original CDs, burned CDs have a relatively short life span of between two to five years, depending on the quality of the CD," Gerecke says. "There are a few things you can do to extend the life of a burned CD, like keeping the disc in a cool, dark space, but not a whole lot more."

The problem is material degradation. Optical discs commonly used for burning, such as CD-R and CD-RW, have a recording surface consisting of a layer of dye that can be modified by heat to store data. The degradation process can result in the data "shifting" on the surface and thus becoming unreadable to the laser beam.

"Many of the cheap burnable CDs available at discount stores have a life span of around two years," Gerecke says. "Some of the better-quality discs offer a longer life span, of a maximum of five years."

Distinguishing high-quality burnable CDs from low-quality discs is difficult, he says, because few vendors use life span as a selling point.

Similar Limitations

Hard-drive disks also have their limitations, according to Gerecke. The problem with hard drives, he says, is not so much the disk itself as it is the disk bearing, which has a positioning function similar to a ball bearing. "If the hard drive uses an inexpensive disk bearing, that bearing will wear out faster than a more expensive one," he says. His recommendation: a hard-drive disk with 7200 revolutions per minute.

To overcome the preservation limitations of burnable CDs, Gerecke suggests using magnetic tapes, which, he claims, can have a life span of 30 years to 100 years, depending on their quality. "Even if magnetic tapes are also subject to degradation, they're still the superior storage media," he says.

But he's quick to point out that no storage medium lasts forever and, consequently, consumers and business alike need to have a migration plan to new storage technologies.

cuthbert1776

I had heard about cds degrading overtime - but not that quickly. I thought it was decade or two or three. Not just a few months.

js1200js1000

Levi Strauss debuts iPod-ready jeans

Jeans feature docking cradle, joystick in watch pocket to operate device

LOS ANGELES - Call it the 21st Century watch pocket.

Denim giant Levi Strauss said on Tuesday it had designed jeans compatible with the iPod music player, featuring a joystick in the watch pocket to operate the device.

The Levi’s RedWire DLX Jeans for men and women, which will be available this fall, also have a built-in docking cradle for the iPod and retractable headphones. The jeans are expected to carry a price tag of over $200, a company spokeswoman said.

Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod is the No. 1 digital music player. The company on Tuesday attributed a 63 percent jump in holiday quarter sales in part to the iPod’s popularity and said 42 million of the devices have been sold to date.

Levi Strauss is not the first company to feature iPod-friendly apparel, although it believes it is the first to make iPod-compatible jeans.

Haute couture fashion houses began featuring pricey iPod carrying cases after the device’s 2001 launch, while outdoor company Burton Snowboards unveiled what it called the first iPod-compatible waterproof snowboarding jacket in 2003.

Last fall, Los Angeles-based manufacturer Kenpo launched men’s jackets selling at Macy’s for between $275 and $350, featuring iPod controls on the sleeve.

Only in Las Vegas..............

This may come as a surprise to those of you not living in Las Vegas, but there are more Catholic churches there than casinos. Not surprisingly, some worshippers at Sunday services will give casino chips rather than cash when the basket is passed.

Since they get chips from so many different casinos, the churches have devised a method to collect the offerings. The churches send all their collected chips to a nearby Franciscan Monastery for sorting and then the chips are taken by the Monks to the casinos of origin and cashed in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .