Uncle George ((A Short Sketch For Old Folks, 1987)(A Minnesota Story))

(Winter of 1987) I thought we were headed toward the River Road, along the Mississippi, in St. Paul, Minnesota, I, my mother, Aunt Anne, Uncle George was heading to the airport (a tired old man now, about five foot eight inches tall, one hundred and fifty pounds, at one time a lively sort of person, a talkative kind of fellow (a little quiet now), a sporty man and hard working, kind of played the big shot, but it was an act more than reality), and it was winter of 1987. They picked us up at my mother's apartment, on Woodbridge Street, George smoking a thin cigar as usual, waiting in his car for Anne and us to come down the two flights of stairs, and get into his 1987 Mercury, he liked Mercury's, made by Ford, bought one every three years, so he boasted and so he did, matter of fact, it was a highlight in his life to do so, and let us all in the family know.

Gates gets chilly reception on Air Force tour

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colorado (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates stood alone on an empty stage in an Air Force auditorium, two spotlights throwing odd diminutive shadows of the Pentagon chief on the curtain draped behind him.

Run Your Car on Water - is it Really That Simple?

"Can my car really run on water?" It is a very common question these days. With oil prices reaching upwards of $140 a barrel, it has many people asking how they can increase the fuel efficiency of their vehicles. Oil prices are not only hitting us in the wallet for our cars but in food, household goods, etc because everything is delivered by trucks, trains or boats which all require fuel to run. So can you really run your car on water? Yes you can, sort of. In this article I'm going to show you how to save gas by running a car on water and explain how easy and inexpensive it is to actually convert your car to run on water saving you hundreds of dollars that would otherwise go to the oil companies.

Underground drinks party ends in mayhem

LONDON (Reuters) - Police arrested 17 people and had to close six London Underground stations after a party involving thousands of revelers to mark the last day of drinking alcohol on the tube turned ugly.

Clinton says not pushing for vice presidency

BRISTOL, Virginia (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton distanced herself on Thursday from a push to convince former Democratic rival Barack Obama he should select her as his running mate and said the decision on a vice president was his alone to make.

Cleaver Snakes (From the Book - "The Jumping Snakes of Bosina")

The old man, as he was called, Mr. Goose, being his proper name, had noticed the snakes had a higher quality of skills during the last twelve months, prior to his end date for his quest to be completed; skills in escape procedures, and although you are aware of all this I shall entertain you with one example, story or call it a sketch, one indeed, and one most flustering for him during that last trying year, so you good reader will be aware of the situation at hand, the problem he was facing, for this of course is but one example, and there are 365-days to a year, and the old man faced many similar to this one, the closer he got to the completion of his final fifth year, the day of-what he called, the snake eater called, his day of triumph, conquest, or perhaps wrecking.

Seven Poskoks and the Old Man (from the Book "The of the Jumping Snakes of Bosina")

The wild man, Mr. Goose, was an undomesticated kind of, someone, quick as a rabbit, and deadlier than a rattlesnake, and quiet as a dove; and I know you folks reading this, are somewhat aware of this, but I felt it needed repeating for this sketch where the old man, sees his seven prey, for as swift and keen as he be, he was no a magical worker, he had to work hard at what he did, and what you are reading is what he did, and therefore we must give him some credit, if not recognition for his efforts, I mean, he is, or was not the most likable someone, anyone had ever met. Hmph," he grunted looking at seven snakes, poskoks, -- in the thick of the woods, "I'll eat you all, eat you like an axe grinder, like a feed chopper, if I can get to you"! He murmured.

Preparing For the Driving Test

The driving test is an important one as it determines your capability to hit the road. While the government would like to give you your licenses they can only do so if you prove to be a competent driver. This is why the driving test both the written exam and the actual test are designed to be challenging. This really pays off in the long run as it reduces accidents on the road. Even though the driving test is challenging, if you are prepared and know how to handle yourself and the car, there is really little chance of failing. Every area has different standards and requirements for getting your driver license. Generally, a learner's permit will only require a computerised knowledge test and the completion of a set amount of driving hours as set by the local regulatory agency. Afterwards, the new driver will have to wait up to one year and the complete an on road driving test to qualify for the full driver's license.

Automaker sales plunge, drag market down in May

DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales tumbled in May as consumers spurned pickup trucks and SUVs in the face of record gasoline prices, driving General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC to double-digit declines.

How to Run Your Car on Water

The extremely high prices of oil and petrol all around the world meant that the time for an alternate source of energy was nigh. Although gasoline based products had served the world brilliantly over the past century, their declining supply coupled with increasing fuel demands along with constant threat of environmental pollution meant that alternatives needed to be researched out that for an appropriate solution. Most alternative sources such as solar energy, wind energy and bio mass have been researched and using them in a compact form for our day to day life proved to be expensive as well as cumbersome. However, in the midst of all this there was one source that stood out amongst the rest as a cheap and efficient energy source and that was the water fuel technology.

Suspected U.S. missile fired in NW Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A pilotless U.S. drone was suspected to have fired a missile into a Pakistani area on the Afghan border on Tuesday, but there was no word on the target or casualties, a government official said.

Online Drivers Education - Learn to Drive Online

Learning to drive is something that many people of all ages need to find a way to do. There are a couple of options for this; if you are young, you may need to take drivers education classes. If you are older, you may need to figure out how to drive on your own. I believe that no one should learn to drive on their own. Online drivers education is available and can help anyone learn to drive online quickly and easily. The reason why I think that online drivers education is so great is because the resources available are just as good, if not better than formal and more traditional classes with an instructor. Using an online program to learn how to drive is just like doing drivers ed, but at your own pace and time.

GPS Navigation System Can Save You Gas and Money at the Pump

Have you ever wondered what a GPS Navigation system was and how it can be an important piece of technology for you and your family? Simply, a GPS navigation system is an electronic device that can pinpoint and determine one's exact location on earth, anywhere. GPS is the short form of Global Positioning System. This navigation system was first developed and implemented by the United States' Department of Defence, in an effort to out smart the enemy. The primary function of a GPS navigation system is to pinpoint its actual location on earth using the signals it intercepts from GPS satellites. To do this, the GPS navigation system must be able to locate and intercept signals from three or more GPS satellites. Once the signals are intercepted, GPS navigation use basic principles of mathematics called triangulation to compute its actual position.

Clinton lays plans for Obama endorsement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Frustrated in defeat, Democrat Hillary Clinton is to endorse U.S. campaign rival Barack Obama on Saturday and party strategists said she needs to set aside any bad feelings and put on a convincing show of unity.

Old Josh and the Monk (1870)

Josh Jefferson, was about twenty-seven years old when Silas, his oldest child was born, and old doc, Doctor Benjamin Lee Ssumsky (who came from Australia in the year 1795 to San Francisco, and then found himself a wife, by the name of Estelle, visiting San Francisco, who lived in Dothan, Alabama, married her, and having enough doctors in Dothan, and not enough in Ozark, they both found themselves down in Ozark because he married that gal from Alabama, and Ozark needed a doctor, and Dothan didn't and so here he and she was, and in time he would also, deliver Jordon, 1830, and Josh's wife, wife Sweep Pea gave quick deliveries he told Josh. Doctor Ssumsky was a friend of Charles Hightower so Josh got a white doctor to take delivery of his children, and perhaps it was for the better she had those children when she did, because old doc Benjamin died in 1832.

Old Josh, In - A Delicate Wind (1902)

The summer became fall, and the fall itself advanced to a pre frosty winter, a chill in the air, Josh had less and less light to escape from his shanty, and from the fields, to the fishing down at he creek, Goose Creek. Soon it became darker before it got later, when he finished his chores on the plantation, he got ready to go down to the creek, in the dark actually, left the barn, grabbed his fishing pole, and took those big feet of his and nonetheless, dark or not, headed across the fields to the creek, looking back he saw the misty appearance of the barn, his shanty, the mansion, the Hightower Mansion. Molly Benton had her light on in her little house by the creek, usually when he got down there late, especially in December, it was tangible to think the false darkens was late at night, when in essence it was only 6:00 PM.

Full of Beans at Wallace Creek ((Adolescence) (1965, Chapter Fifteen, Summer of 1965))

Advance: In the spring of 1965, Wallace Creek was full of mud and cold cool fresh water, from the meltdown of a cold winter, when summer came the creek was flowing almost like the river it connected to, it was high; the sun likened to a fire from a winter's, plantation's hearth, which made for a great summer getaway down by the creek. Bees were buzzing, birds chirping, and dogs barking, and there was a warm wind that whirled its way into, through and around the slim branches of the trees, loosening the leaves attached to those slender branches, and they wiggled free, and fell drunkenly onto the ground; Cassandra was eleven years old looked thirteen if not older and developing; Langdon, was all of fourteen, and as handsome as any movie star in Hollywood.

HHO Gas Fact Or Fiction? Fact!

Is HHO Gas fact or fiction? One thing is for sure, HHO gas is definitely a fact! Also known as Brown's Gas, it's a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen. Put simply, it's created by passing an electrical current though water. The chemical formula for water is H2O, which means two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen. HHO gas contains the same two elements, but rather than being molecularly combined as in water, in HHO gas they are simply mixed. So given this, why are people asking if HHO gas is fact or fiction? The reason is the recent remarkable discovery that you can in fact use HHO Gas as a fuel additive in your car or truck! Let's look at how this can help you save as much as 50% on your gas bills.

Before Getting a Water Powered Car

You must be wondering to yourself, "What is all the hype about water powered cars for?" Well, if you haven't heard, Hydrogen Fuel Technology is the latest breakthrough in science that promises a cleaner and more secure energy for our future. Indeed, this means that we can gradually place less reliance on the burning of natural fuels to generate energy to power our machines, especially cars. Emissions from cars today are the main contributing factors to global warming and air pollution. Furthermore, maintenance of a car has become increasingly expensive with the rising fuel prices today. So, using water powered cars does not only enable you to make savings as it is a cheaper and more reliable alternative, but also ensures that our Earth is well protected. However, before getting a water powered car, you should be aware of what to look out for when making this conversion.

Do You Know How to Figure Out How Many Miles Per Gallon Your Car is Getting?

Now that gas is over $4 a gallon, it's time to calculate your vehicle's fuel efficiency. You cars fuel efficiency is an indicator of the health of your car's engine. As the oil ages and the tuning drops you will see a drop in the miles per gallon you get. As gas prices continue to rise, it is taking a bigger chunk out of our income just by getting to work and running errands. You should keep tabs on your car's fuel efficiency because it will let you know certain things about your car like whether your vehicle needs tuning up or if someone is siphoning your gas. If you don't know how to figure out how many miles per gallon your vehicle gets, then the steps listed below should help you figure it out. Don't be surprised if your car is not getting good gas mileage, this may be why you have a hole in your wallet where money used to actually be.

The Peculiar Case of Judson Small (A Short Story, WWI)

One morning, Lilly Ann Small, moved her chair up to the living room window for a long peaceful morning, gloating , not at the empty yard, since her husband had died in WWI, a year or so ago, it was now 1919, but on her new suitor, James Jason, who worked at the Huntsville, courthouse, he was an old boyfriend, one that didn't make the grade she had felt, one that was now contriving to ease her grieving pain by asking her to marry him. She watched the chickens in the coop over by the large oak tree, and beyond that the orchard her and Judson were going to cultivate through the many years of marriage they had planned together, clutching the windowsill in front of her, she saw a man walking up the lane, she rushed to lock the door, out of some unknown panic, he didn't look like James Jason, and she was several miles out of town, on her little farm of twenty acres. And strangers usually did not come so boldly up the lane at 9:00 AM in the morning.

The Wench is Deceased (WWI)

Earnest Stanley, call this war, his war, WWI, the wench, or strumpet, or wild girl, it was all the same to him, it was on a Bridal horizon you might say, the war took him away from his wife, new wife, a wench grabbed him, and he had to yield to her call to active duty in the United States Military, the Army, this youthful blue-eyed and handsome man had just married, and off to war, to WWI, for it had just started for America, once in Europe, he was among the many foreigners mixed together like goulash, it was 1917, only one year would he remain there, not even that, perhaps eight-months, but he had marred Ella in 1916, and she would wait, and it was hard for him to keep his mind on a war, when he had a new wife, a plantation, well kind of a plantation, he had put money down on it, it was rocky, it had to be cleared, it was not what it could be, would be, if he could take care of it, all the things a young man dreamed of, and her comes a war, he never wanted to fight another mans battles, but I guess some did, and he was part of the pack that elected that someone to office, so he could get drafted into the Army. It was a traumatic experience for him to see the dead, the maimed, to know about the Missing POW's, the trenches filled with Germans shooting at him nine-hundred feet away; colonials, privates, the French, and the British among him, among the Americans, God's human masses colliding together, collectively trying to eliminate an enemy, sometimes at lightening speed. Cigarettes lit one after the other, as men stood waiting for the next onslaught, trying to understand this war of mud and trenches, and death and diseases, while remaining in a repugnant stalemate.

The General's Star (Part II, WWI, a Short Story)

The General watched from his guarded post, the battalion, was to charge over the top of the trenches, day two in his war with the Germans, after three years watching nothing happen, and wanting his second star, the general was desperate. He had put in Corporal Abernathy for the Distinguish Service Medal, and there was much talk about it, everyone now wanting a medal to bring home, and he General wanting the second star, and everyone's blood was like hot vinegar, hoping to empress him the general, and so he ordered another attack, he was reinforced with a new company, a new 172-troops, soldiers, untested under fire, and these new troops knew, the General lost 125- soldiers a day ago, the day before, and they had just arrived, to be told there was a second suicide mission, and they heard about what happened to the to that 125-soldiers, and they didn't like what they heard, and they were causing trouble with the other three companies, over 600-soldiers.

Broadcom ex-CEO indicted over drug parties, options

SANTA ANA/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Broadcom Corp's former CEO took cocaine and spiked customers' drinks with ecstasy while also directing a criminal stock-options backdating conspiracy that cost the microchip company $2.2 billion, federal indictments released on Thursday charged.

McCain wants low corporate taxes, regulated CEO pay

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican White House candidate John McCain will promise on Tuesday to lower corporate tax rates if he wins the U.S. presidency and ease the tax burden on middle-class workers to help revive the faltering economy.

Iron Skirts-for Phnom Penh (Story No: 11, To: "Voices Out of Saigon")

Last Story to "Voices out of Saigon" Mr. Morgan Carter, otherwise known as Staff Sergeant Carter, and still with the nick name was called Serge, was of Irish decent, and lived along the Levee, in St. Paul, Minnesota, until they tore it down in 1960, and then he and his family moved towards what the city called, the North End, and he joined the Army. Thus, he was now retired, it is May of 1980, and he's been retired for only a few months now, and has taken a vacation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia of all places. He has seen most of the sights, in particular, the Grand Stupa in Phnom Penh, which he thought was impressive. And now he is walking along the banks of the Mekong River that runs along side the city.

Mayhem in the Countryside (1893, North Carolina - A Short Sketch)

The First house, the very first house, that really didn't look like a house, ever to sit on the Abernathy plantation property, was a shack with two rooms, and one room had a stove you fed with wood, that was back in 1853, when Elmer Abernathy was born, built by Aston Cole Abernathy (born 1771, died 1855), he built that shack in 1803, he would be Langdon's Great, Great Grandfather. Thereafter, Elmer, married a woman twice his age, and had a child by her, she named the child Alex, born in 1879, then she ran off, a drunk with a drunk, and he, Elmer, the Great Grandfather to Langdon Abernathy, got his divorce, and he married a good woman named Elsie, gave her, her new name, Abernathy, and in 1882, she gave him a son they named Justin C. Abernathy, the 'C' for Cole, Langdon's Grandfather the one who fought in WWI, the Corporal, he died in 1947.

Josh's Christmas Fable (1962)

"Lawd save us," Old Josh shouted, "here comes a bad wish, and everyone fell onto their backs and stomachs and everyone fell onto their knees, I swear they did, even onto one another, as the storm went through and picked them up, tossed them about, like cotton candy, they done rolled down hills, rolled up hills, tumbled like frogs off a lily pad into the water, picked them up like tornados do and done threw them every which place, that there wind did that, I swear it did... and all cus someone had a bad wish," Old Josh told Langdon and Cassandra on Christmas Day, in 1962. "Come on now Josh, tell us more, I hope its as good as the story you told us last year, around Christmas time, when I came up to visit cousin Langdon, with my ma and pa," said eight year old Cassandra.

Obama turns focus to McCain, starts VP search

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama turned his focus to the five-month general-election fight for the White House against Republican John McCain on Wednesday and announced a three-member team to head his search for a running mate.

The Inheritance (Chapter Five To, "The Last Plantation")

Amos, and Josh are sitting with Minnie Mae, out by her shanty, in back of the barn on the Wallace Plantation, Amos playing the banjo, and Josh drinking a large glass of something, it looks like beer, but he usually drinks beer with moonshine in it, so I'd bet that is what is in that large wooden cup of his. Burgundy, she is dancing wildly around the bonfire trying to catch the sparks as they drift off the burning wood and into the air, as if she's possessed with a voodoo demon; her family does have an ounce or two of Haitian blood in them, and therefore, she has something on that order likewise in her blood, and so it has been said, but not on these three plantations, the Wallace's, Stanley's and Abernathy's.

U.S. Business on Collision Course With Internet Gridlock

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that for the fifth consecutive year the most common disruption to business was the loss of broadband internet connection, with 39 per cent of businesses reporting some kind of failure. The current perception is there is a significant excess capacity in carrier networks. This has led to a reduction in investment in optical fiber installation. But according to TIA, this is incorrect. Utilizing data on historical bandwidth drivers, past fiber and equipment usage trends, and an understanding of networks, the system is near its capacity limit. Carriers in the United States are rapidly running out of bandwidth and may face capacity shortages as soon as this year. If the bean-counters react in time and significantly increase funding of fiber projects, none of the worst case scenarios is necessary.