Restaurants with Themes

Oh dear. The Heart Attack Grill, in Las Vegas, recently claimed another victim. But not all themed restaurants require their customers to eat like a whale. Here's a look at some of the nation's oddest themed restaurants in the Mesquite News. Are there any restaurants near you that have cool themes?

New Pope on the Block

 Fellow chemists may find this interesting. First, it seems Pope Francis has a master’s degree in chemistry. Very cool! Second, how do they get the black smoke so black and the white smoke so white in the Sistine Chapel chimney smoke signals? For black, they use a mixture is potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulfur. For white, potassium chlorate, lactose and a pine resin. Very exothermic! This fellow looks like a keeper.

I Could Care Less

Do you grind your teeth and spit infinitives every time you see or hear someone use the term "I could care less"?

You are not alone.

See story in the Richmond County Daily Journal.

Sheldon's Greatest Bits

Do you watch CBS's Big Bang Theory? Who's your favorite character? Here's some of Sheldon's best lines:

• Sheldon (to Raj): Interesting. You’re afraid of insects and women. Ladybugs must render you catatonic.

• Sheldon (to Leonard): Please don’t take this the wrong way, but the day you win a Nobel Prize is the day I begin my research on the drag co-efficient of tassels on flying carpets.

• Sheldon (to Penny purchasing vitamins): There’s some value to taking multivitamins, but the human body can only absorb so much. So what you’re buying here are the ingredients for very expensive urine.

Read more in the Richmond County Daily Journal.

My Subway is short

When is a Footlong not a foot long? The answer, apparently, is when it’s a Subway sandwich. It seems these tasty, elongated snacks haven’t been measuring up to vigilant customers’ expectations lately.

Armed with their trusty yardsticks, pernickety patrons aross the country have resolutely sunk the Sub’s promotional promise of being one foot long (or exactly 12 inches for the dimensionally challenged). Many of the $5 Subway sandwiches have been “weighing in” at a stunted 11 inches.

Full article in the Mountain Democrat.

Kooky Conspiracy theories

I recently wrote about the crazy conspiracy theory folks out there (including Florida professor James Tracy who thinks Newtown was a hoax). Seems my story, which was about the current python hunt in the Everglades, was picked up as being REAL by some foreign sites. I guess parody doesn't translate too well.

Recognize this guy?

Are you old enough to recognize this guy?  So did he steal milk from your front doorstep, too?

Christmas and the Fiscal Cliff Mess

I usually leave poetry to the poets, but this fiscal cliff stuff at Christmas was irresistible.  If you can stand more verses, they are here. Also mentioned in the WSJ.






'Twas the night before Cliff Mess, and throughout the land,
Democrats, Republicans were taking a stand.
Their positions unwavering, intractably firm,
With donkey-like stubbornness or entrenched pachyderm.

But the public were hopeful all snug in their beds,
With visions of compromise alive in their heads.
“Come on!” said the people in frustrated dismay.
“Abandon this meaningless partisan fray”.........

Improving the Presidential Debates

“Mr. President, do you ever get muddled and take Joe for a walk in the Rose Garden and Bo to cabinet meetings?”

“Governor, is it true you wanted ‘You’re so Bain’ for your campaign song?”

These probing questions will make the next presidential debate more vivacious. More questions in this week's Times and Democrat.

Unbelievable Mars Rover Photo

The Mars Curiosity rover found a shiny object, shown here (real photo). Sure looks like a tiny alien to me.

If we could zoom in, bet he's holding up an "Earthlings go home!" sign.