Strongest Dad in the World [From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly] Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on [...]

Note that this is not about making money from telemarketing, but from the telemarketers.
André-Tascha Lammé of Sacramento, CA has made $6,000 from unwanted telemarketers’ calls so far. He files in small claims court (online) and most companies have settled with him out of court.
That money has got to be some of the most satisfying [...]

Quite some time ago we had some issues with AT&T Wireless where our coverage on the TDMA network was gradually degrading but they wouldn’t let us cancel our contract without an early termination fee or let us upgrade to the GSM network without having to pay.
Thankfully the folks at Get Gephardt took care of us [...]

According to a study, close friends, as opposed to family, make people live longer.
“The reasons are not entirely clear. Friends and confidantes might help with coping in times of stress and difficulty, the team suggests. They might also encourage healthy behaviours, such as seeking help for new medical symptoms.”
Of course this study was conducted with [...]

On the way to work this morning I heard about the terrorist attacks on the radio. When I arrived at work, I was curious to find out more and once again I’m astounded by the power of Wikipedia and its ability to provide information.
I learned a huge amount about what happened from the London [...]

Have you ever heard the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine?”
It reminds me of Jack Handy’s observation; “Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.” The saying is slightly off according to a new study, which found that happiness is the best medicine. [...]

According to a Guardian article, users who checked their e-mail frequently had an “average IQ loss [of] 10 points, more than double the four point mean fall found in studies of cannabis users.”
When I need to concentrate and focus on something the best way is for me to close my mail client to avoid distractions. [...]

As I’ve demonstrated in the past, I like cows. Not the actual animal so much as talking about them. I find it humorous when people moo (within reason) and I think cows can be a great source of entertainment.
However, now that I know that cows are smarter than we thought, I feel I [...]

A 63-year-old man who hasn’t slept for more than two decades has been told there is nothing wrong with him by doctors.
Ukrainian Fyodor Nesterchuk from the town of Kamen-Kashirsky said the last time he managed to doze off was more than 20 years ago.
“I can’t remember the exact date and I don’t know why it [...]

I once wrote about exercising your brain because I had heard that the brain was like a muscle. New research results from a European study indicates that exercising your muscles can keep your brain from losing its cognitive abilities.
The 290 participants, all men, were between the ages of 70 and 90 when the study [...]

While perusing Google news I found this delightfully entertaining news article. Instead of politics, oil prices and Britney Spears’ marriage, we need to talk more about long-necked sea monsters.
A long-necked sea reptile that lived millions of years ago in what is now China may have used its stiff neck to sneak up on unsuspecting [...]

For $7.25 Utah drivers can access their driving record online. Phil tried signing up but it gave him an error, so if you’re concerned about losing $7.25 you may want to give it a few days.
(via Phil Windley)

Time Magazine has assembled a list of the 50 best web sites of 2004. It’s not a list of the best web sites of all time, but a list of the top sites that piqued their interest over the past year. Here’s the complete list of 50.
I especially liked fedstats.gov, freetranslation.com, mojam.com, metacritic.com, [...]

Get a free Wired Magazine subscription by providing only your mailing address. No gimmicks that I can see.
(via waxy links via gizmodo via slick deals)

Driving is already be a hazardous experience, but this latest invention could make things even more so. An inventor has come up with robotic traffic cones, but I have to wonder what happens if they malfunction? It could turn a peaceful drive home into a video game-like adventure, swerving around the crazed traffic [...]

Let’s say you’re aiming for the utmost in building entrance security. What would you use?
Did fingerprint recognition come to mind, where you have to be a technology mastermind to fool it? (at least according to the movies)
Tsutomu Matsumoto, a Japanese cryptographer, has shown that he can trick the detectors four out of five times [...]

I noticed a few new features in Gmail today. When you log in there’s an option to remain logged in for 2 weeks, which is very convenient on machines that are always on.
The other feature I know about is that you can have a signature now. Go to Settings, and it’s the last [...]

Today’s Ask Yahoo question is Where can I find a complete list of names for all the troops killed in the Iraq war?
The answer was at CNN’s War in Iraq casualties page which has an overview, and views by month (2004), country, killed, wounded, race, age, and gender.
It’s one thing to hear numbers on the [...]

If there is an increase in police officer candidates in Italy, I’m pretty sure this is the reason.
Can you imagine driving along the highway and seeing this in your rearview mirror?

I haven’t heard about the reasoning or if it’s here to stay, but my GMail account quota just went up from 1000MB to 1000000MB, otherwise known as a terabyte.
Update: The quota has been changed back to a Gigabyte. It was fun while it lasted though.

After Google’s announcement of free online e-mail with 1000MB quota, Yahoo is offering 100MB for their free users and virtually unlimited storage for paid accounts.
I wonder what gave them that idea? (Even though it’s still 10 times less than GMail)
(via jeremy)
Update: If you’re having problems using Yahoo Mail, try using a browser other than Internet [...]

The next time you feel the need to write a honku, the following article may be enough to cool your engines.
In Nigeria they have a problem with drivers going the wrong way. It’s not just once in a while either - it’s a common occurrence!
And while you may declare in a fit of anger [...]

Extra, extra! Get yer free ice cream today only.
(And it’s not an urban legend either. It’s for real)

1. Go to Google and search for cloning.
2. Click on the top sponsored link with the title, “Cloning Is Now A Reality - The Godsend Institute Can Create Life From Life Via Cloning, Today! (make sure you have flash enabled in your browser)
3. Read through the site, finding quotes like:
All of the standard arguments [...]

Today I found lots of interesting links so instead of picking just one, I’m including all of them.
Stan Wagon has developed a bicycle with square wheels, but it provides a smooth ride. How? By creating a road with a rather odd shape. More here.
Pictures of toilets from around the world. I [...]

It’s a half hour before April Fools and the article was published on March 31st in the afternoon, so I think it’s on the up-and-up. It says that Google is going to offer free e-mail with 1GB of storage, all searchable. Their revenue will come from advertisements inserted into outgoing messages based [...]

I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the site, but the Fact check site purports to provide unbiased information about the presidential candidates. The first headline I saw said Bush’s attack on Kerry lacked context. The second headline said a Democratic ad confused fact with fiction. In other words, they’re saying both [...]

I’ve become a regular listener of NPR and one of my favorite programs was Morning Edition with Bob Edwards. He impressed me as an interviewer that would consistently ask meaningful questions that I wouldn’t have thought of but wanted to know the answer to, and he did a superb job of presenting the news [...]

I was in the market for a laptop and eBay was my first stop. I checked there several times over the course of a week or two, but couldn’t find what I wanted. A concern I had was that one person’s definition of ‘great condition’ would include a cracked screen and a broken [...]

FundRace.org allows you to search by zip code or name for people who have contributed money to presidential candidates. Here are some names I found:
Stephen R. Covey, George W. Bush - $500
Karl Malone, George W. Bush - $2,000
Barbara Streisand, John Kerry - $1,000, John Edwards - $1,000
Ted Kennedy, John Kerry - $1,000, Dick Gephardt [...]

The news of today’s bombing in Madrid was unpleasant to say the least, but it hit closer to home for me because I lived there for two years. I felt awful when I learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center even though they didn’t affect anyone I knew personally. Now [...]

Lehi High School (in Utah) has decided to make students pay when they’re late. They’ve been having problems with students roaming the hallways during class, and the money will be used for student activities. Doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me.

In case anyone had any concerns about the longevity of the universe, this news will make them happy. The universe has at least 30 billion years left.

The media’s slant on politics can be frustrating at times, because you never know if you’re getting the real information or not. I was pleased to find what I consider to be an objective, (although a bit dry) article about President Bush’s $2.4 trillion budget proposal for 2005.
I like seeing actual dollar amounts and [...]

Juggling is fun, improves hand-eye coordination and can be an entertaining party trick, but that may not be all. A new study suggests that in addition the aforementioned benefits, juggling can cause changes in the brain (good changes I’m sure).
Does this mean that you’ll find the next Einstein at your local juggling club? [...]

I had a hankering for a warm piece of corn bread with honeybutter, a fresh navajo taco and a piece of pie to top it off. The hankering made me think of one restaurant: Frontier Pies. I went to the closest one I knew of and discovered it had closed. No fear [...]

Yahoo Mail has been displaying a warning about password scams recently, and although the scams I mention below have passed, there are always more coming down the line.
There have already been news articles about the paypal scam but I wanted to echo the words of caution. I received two official-looking e-mails that I might [...]

What do wedding photographers, airline pilots, skycaps and orthodontists have in common? They’re all on the list of the 10 most overpaid jobs in the US.
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows I had no idea orthodontists made so much (a median income of $350,000 a year).

A new law may allow you to keep the same phone number when switching from one cell phone provider to another. However, that may cause more annoyances for everyone thanks to our dear friends, the telemarketers.

Leo loved his fish. And I quote, “He figured the koi had had a heart attack and took it out of the water to try to resuscitate it, giving it heart massages before joining lips with the fish.”
The fish recovered.

A Chinese martial arts expert known as “the doctor” was attacked by four guys and tied up with two of his friends. The thieves ransacked the apartment and, unsatisfied with what they found, threatened the prisoners. Remarkably, the doctor managed to escape and turned the tables on the criminals, killing two and seriously [...]

For those in the Salt Lake area there is an upcoming event that may be of interest to you. Twenty-four restaurants are offering a three course meal for $25, and another nine have two three course meals for $25. It is meant to give people a chance to try out new restaurants without [...]

The story of Elizabeth Smart is being made into a movie. The producers couldn’t interview Elizabeth directly, so all of their questions were conveyed by her mother meaning the movie might not be entirely accurate. It seems wrong to capitalize on such an unpleasant ordeal, but I admit I’ll probably watch the movie.

Nik Bosyk, like many singles, turned to the web to find that special someone. Much to his surprise, the experience ended before it began. After spending 45 minutes filling out the questionnaire, the web site rejected his profile.
Bosyk was stunned. “I thought the other participants are supposed to reject someone, not the [...]

“We got away from the bow of the ship very quickly. . . it does stink,” said Nick Gales, a research scientist from the Australian Antarctic Division.
With real headlines like this, who needs fake ones?

Are you a modern man who likes to shop, wear the latest fashions and use more hand lotion than most women? You may be part of a new trend that’s sweeping a nation of formerly manly men. Make way for Metrosexuals.
If you’re not sure you qualify, take the quiz to see if you’ve [...]

Frank J. Koller, a parole officer at Riverfront State Prison has weaved his latest business idea into a cash cow, stunning friends and family who figured it was just another one of his hair-brained schemes.
He sells mullet wigs on his aptly named web site, mulletwigs.com. The wigs mock the hairstyle of the 80’s, also [...]

My brother sent me a link to a guide separating reality from myth regarding Utah.
Utah is number one in Jello consumption, anti-depressant use (both twice the national average), piano ownership, (five times the national average), birth rate, personal bankruptcies, literacy, computers per capita and household size.
Utah is dead last in families headed by a single [...]

Mars will be closer than it has been in 60,000 years at the end of August.