NEWZ & MORE
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Sep. 1, 2009
The Station Fire that has been ravaging an area just north of Los Angeles doubled in size during the last two days of August. Two firefighters have been killed and 18 houses destroyed. The Station Fire now covers more than 85,000 acres.
NASA’s Terra satellite took images of the Station Fire from space. These images show the hot spots where the fire is most intense, and the massive amounts of smoke can be seen drifting to the northeast.
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Aug. 31, 2009
Spider-Man meets Mickey Mouse. The characters of Marvel Entertainment will have a new home in the Magic Kingdom when the Walt Disney Company purchases the comic creator for $4 billion.
Marvel Entertainment owns the rights to more than 5,000 comic characters. In addition to comics, Marvel just recently started producing its own movies. One of the first, “Iron Man,” became a blockbuster last summer earning $100 million in its first three days.
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Aug. 31, 2009
The Athenaeum Hotel in London is getting a green façade makeover. The sides of the eight-story building will be turned into an “antigravity forest” consisting of more than 12,000 plants.
French botanist Patrick Blanc is the artist behind this unusual gardening design. He’s done similar work at a Portuguese shopping mall and other structures, but this is his largest project.
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Aug. 28, 2009
Break out the big fruit for a “green” source of energy. According to a new study, watermelon juice could be used to make the biofuel ethanol.
Almost 20 percent of watermelons grown in the U.S. are rejected because of scars or unusual shapes. Instead of being thrown away, these reject watermelons could be pressed into service in making the “green” fuel. Researchers even envision mobile breweries that would drive to watermelon farms and transform the juice on the spot.
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Aug. 28, 2009
Perky Jerky is a meat snack that also provides a boost of caffeine—150 milligrams per bag, to be exact. The company says its new treat contains 100 percent all natural beef. It also contains Guarana, a “natural energy booster.” Check the nutritional information before giving it a try.
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Aug. 28, 2009
A slender home in New York City measures only nine-and-a-half feet wide. The narrow floor plan hasn’t dimmed the home’s value, though. It’s on the market currently for $2.7 million.
Located in Greenwich Village, the home was built in 1873. Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once lived there, as did anthropologist Margaret Mead. The home is 42 feet long.
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Aug. 27, 2009
Stores in Mexico City are no longer allowed to provide non-biodegradable plastic bags thanks to a city law that went into effect Wednesday. Punishments won’t be given to violators for at least a year, though. The law gives commercial establishments until Aug. 18, 2010, to switch to more environmentally friendly bags. -
Aug. 26, 2009
A Colorado bear wandered into a skate park in the resort town of Snowmass and found it impossible to climb out. The wild animal was found Tuesday morning. The bear spent the night trapped due to the skate park’s steep concrete sides.
Workers from the Parks and Recreation Department responded to help the bear. They extended a ladder into the park’s bowl and waited for the bear to climb out. Once it used the ladder, the bear walked away without incident. No injuries were reported.
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Aug. 25, 2009
On this date 400 years ago, Italian scientist Galileo presented his revolutionary telescope to lawmakers and merchants in Venice. Within a year, Galileo used his telescope to discover Jupiter’s four moons.
After exploring the stars and planets with his telescope, Galileo suggested that the Sun was the center of the solar system rather than Earth. This idea was not well received, and Galileo spent the end of his life under house arrest.
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Aug. 25, 2009
A Chinese woman used only her hair to drag six cars a distance of 50 meters, which is more than 164 feet. Zhang Tingting performed the feat this month in Beijing, setting a record in the process. -
Aug. 25, 2009
A man using a public restroom in Australia found himself stuck to the toilet seat last Saturday. Someone had smeared quick-drying glue on it. The 58-year-old man was taken to the hospital after paramedics removed the seat. The police called the prank a “sick joke” and urged any witnesses to come forward.
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Aug. 24, 2009
On this date in 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius shook southern Italy and boiled over into one of the most devastating volcanic eruptions in history. Since then, the mountain has erupted more than 50 times.
The eruption 1,930 years ago buried the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum with hot ash. The ash preserved the cities just as they were at the time of eruption. Excavators even found an oven that still contained loaves of bread almost 2,000 years old.
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Aug. 24, 2009
A groundskeeper at the Morrison Lake Country Club near Grand Rapids, Mich., stumbled upon a 10,000-year old mammoth tooth last week. The single tooth weighed an astonishing 10 pounds.
The tooth was sent to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Paleontology, where a researcher confirmed it belonged to a mammoth. Bones and a portion of the tusk were later found at the site as well.
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Aug. 21, 2009
Olympic champion Usain Bolt, of Jamaica, set world records this week in the 100- and 200-meter sprints at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Bolt won the 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, breaking his own record of 9.69, which he set last year at the Beijing Olympics. His time of 19.19 in the 200 meters broke his previous world record of 19.30, also set in Beijing.
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Aug. 21, 2009
Young baseball players from around the world are gathered in Williamsport, Pa., today for the start of the 2009 Little League World Series. ESPN and ABC will broadcast many of the games starting today through Aug. 30.
Eight teams from the United States will compete on one side of the bracket. Teams from Curacao, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Canada and Chinese Tapei will compete in another bracket.
The winners of each bracket will meet in the championship game Sunday, Aug. 30, on ABC. A team from Hawaii won the 2008 championship.
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Aug. 21, 2009
Today marks the 50th anniversary of Hawaii’s statehood. On Aug. 21, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive order, officially making the former U.S. territory the 50th state in the Union. Alaska had become the 49th state months earlier on Jan. 3, 1959. -
Aug. 20, 2009
Want a PlayStation 3? Sony’s game console will come a little cheaper after a 25 percent price cut to $299. Sony made the announcement while also introducing a slimmer version of the PS3 that will go on sale at the same price the first week of September.
Some experts say Sony’s price cut may inspire Nintendo to lower the price of its Wii.
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Aug. 20, 2009
Tokyo has unveiled a monstrous robot to help publicize its bid to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics back to Japan. Named “Gundam,” this 59-foot tall robot billows smoke out of its chest. He stands near what would be the beach volleyball venue if Tokyo were to receive the 2016 Games.
More than 1 million people have visited Gundam since he was unveiled. Tokyo last hosted the Olympics in 1964. London will host the 2012 Games.
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Aug. 19, 2009
A newly discovered pitcher plant that feasts on rodents is believed to be the largest meat-eating shrub in the world. The plant has been named Nepenthes attenboroughii, after British wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough.
Botanists first discovered the plant on Mount Victoria in the Philippines. The plant is red and green, and it lures insects and rats into its mouth before dissolving them with acidic enzymes.
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Aug. 19, 2009
Orville Wright was born on this date in 1871 in Dayton, Ohio. In honor of Wright’s birthday, Aug. 19 is honored each year as National Aviation Day.
Orville and his brother Wilbur were operating a bicycle shop when they began experimenting with kites and gliders. After years of tinkering, the brothers built an airplane and Orville piloted the first known powered flight. The flight took place on Dec. 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, N.C. It lasted less than 1 minute.
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Aug. 18, 2009
A curious squirrel stepped into a timed camera shot and created an unexpectedly hilarious picture. A married couple was trying to take a nice photograph along a picturesque lake in Banff National Park, Canada. Just before the timer went off, the unnamed squirrel jumped into the shot. Since, he’s become an Internet sensation … even though he’s probably not aware of it. -
Aug. 18, 2009
The British government has provided the details of hundreds of UFO encounters reported between 1981 and 1996. Most of the sightings can be explained, but some remain equal parts mystery and humor.
In 1995, two men in central England described an alien with a lemon-shaped head in a hovering UFO. The two humans reported that the alien said: “We want you; come with us.” On another occasion, two women reported seeing a UFO hovering over the jazz stage at a music festival.
The British Ministry of Defence received 608 UFO-sighting reports in 1996, a huge jump from the 117 reports in 1995. Theories suggest British citizens may have been more eager to see UFOs due to the release of the “Independence Day” film in which Will Smith fights aliens and the popularity of the supernaturally-themed television show “The X-Files.”
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Aug. 18, 2009
Six orphaned gorillas are new residents on an isolated island near Gabon’s Loango National Park. Each of the six gorillas has been rescued from illegal trade. They are ages two to seven.
The plan is to move the six gorillas to a wider wilderness area within three years. Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered, and this project is to help increase their numbers. Experts will monitor the gorillas’ progress from a base camp on the island.
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Aug. 17, 2009
Gather up 800 eggs, 200 pounds of flour and 200 pounds of sugar, bake for 12 hours and you too can break a world record. Ryan Abood, who owns Gourmetgiftbaskets.com, baked a 1,224-pound triple vanilla cupcake with pink frosting, which earned the distinction as world’s largest.
Abood’s cupcake made its debut at the Woodward Dream Cruise classic cars event in Royal Oak, Mich. A representative of Guinness World Records verified that it was more than eight times the size of the previous record holder.
The world’s largest cupcake packed an estimated 2 million calories. After confirming the record, the cupcake was sliced into pieces and served in exchange for donations to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization.
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Aug. 17, 2009
NASA is using high-tech devices to help predict when a volcano might erupt. Small pods called “spiders” have been lowered into and placed around Washington state’s Mount St. Helens, which erupted severely in 1980.
These spiders are equipped with a seismometer, GPS receiver, infrared sounder and lightning detector. The pods can go where people can’t, and they are designed to sense magma rising to the Earth’s surface, even miles below the ground.
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Aug. 17, 2009
One of America’s most famous frontiersman, Davy Crockett, was born on Aug. 17, 1786. He grew up in the Tennessee woods, learning to live in the outdoors at a young age. He also served his state in the United States Congress.
Crockett died on March 6, 1836, helping Texas revolutionaries defend the Alamo in San Antonio, Tex.
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Aug. 14, 2009
The much-anticipated Fisker Karma will make its first public appearance this weekend at the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races. This new plug-in hybrid is scheduled to make two laps around the racetrack on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Fisker Automotive unveiled the Karma as a concept car 20 months ago. The Karma uses a battery with a 50-mile range. A gas-powered engine can extend that range to 300 miles. The Karma reaches a top speed of 125 miles per hour, and it will sell for between $88,000 and $104,000.
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Aug. 13, 2009
Rawlings new S100 batting helmet is built to withstand a pitched baseball traveling up to 100 miles per hour. The batting helmets currently used by major league players can be compromised at speeds of 70 m.p.h.
The S100 is more protective, but it’s also far bulkier. Some players say they would refuse to wear the helmet because of its appearance. “I am absolutely not wearing that,” New York Mets right fielder Jeff Francoeur told the New York Times. “We’re going to look like a bunch of clowns out there.”
But San Diego Padres second baseman Edgar Gonzalez will try anything. He was hit in the head by a 93-mile-per-hour fastball three weeks ago, and he still feels dizzy when he lies down. “I would wear anything,” he said. “I don’t care how goofy it looks.”
Even if major league players refuse, Rawlings is hoping high school, college and minor league players will start using the more protective S100.
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Aug. 12, 2009
A vacationing woman driving along Lake Erie received quite a surprise this week when a fish fell from the sky and shattered her windshield. Authorities say that an eagle had been carrying the fish—a freshwater drum known as a “sheepshead”—when the bird dropped it from a height of 40 feet. The driver said the fish hitting her Toyota’s windshield made a sound like a brick.
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Aug. 11, 2009
A British Cub Scout has become one of the youngest people in the world to scale to the top of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. Jack Harley-Walsh, 10, reached the 19,330-foot summit with his mother on Thursday, Aug. 6.
“I can’t believe I’ve done it,” Jack told the British Broadcasting Corporation. “I’m really emotional and really happy.”
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Aug. 10, 2009
Boaters off the coast of Florida received a shock this weekend when a nearly 6-foot shark jumped out of the ocean and into their watercraft. Mike Powers and his passengers scrambled to get away from the bull shark.
The predator thrashed around on the boat’s floor, injuring itself and bleeding profusely. After 30 minutes, the shark finally calmed down enough for the crew to throw it back into the water. Luckily, none of the boat’s passengers were injured.
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Aug. 7, 2009
Fifty years ago today, the first photo of Planet Earth was snapped from space. On Aug. 7, 1959, U.S. satellite Explorer VI transmitted the image. Previous images of Earth were merely drawings based on projections. -
Aug. 6, 2009
A patron at Idaho’s Tautphaus Park Zoo accidentally dropped their mobile device into water at the pelican exhibit this week. After a number of the birds played with the cell for a while, one of them swallowed the phone.
Zoo workers spent three hours trying to identify which bird had sucked down the cell. Fortunately, the swallowing bird eventually regurgitated the phone.
“We just need folks to be really cautious when they’re in the zoo,” said zoo superintendent Bill Gersonde, “and remember that they’re guests in the animals’ homes and they need to keep their personal belongings as close to them as possible.”
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Aug. 5, 2009
Three horses raced onto an Israeli highway this week and began running alongside an automobile. Things became complicated when an oncoming vehicle burst onto the scene. The first two horses swerved out of the way, but the third horse trampled over the car, crashing through the windshield before continuing ahead. Tourists caught the bizarre incident on video.
Neither the animal nor the car’s passengers were seriously injured.
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Aug. 4, 2009
A 7-year-old boy accidentally sliced himself with a newly purchased knife as he was walking out of a store June 23. The knife penetrated his upper-right leg and severed his femoral artery. Good thing Cub Scout Mavry Sepulvado, Pack 3039, New Caney, Tex., was on the scene.
Ten-year-old Mavry was in a car with his mom when the accident occurred. While a store manager helped the injured boy lie down, Mavry quickly took off his shirt and offered it as a tourniquet. Paramedics soon arrived and whisked the injured boy to the hospital. When the store offered Mavry a new shirt, he said: “That’s O.K. I’m a Cub Scout. That’s what we do.”
The City of Humble, Tex., where the accident occurred, honored Mavry on July 24.
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Aug. 3, 2009
The 2009 edition of the Perseid meteor shower is slowly starting as August begins, but the real sky show takes place Aug. 11 and 12. According to NASA, “Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream” on those dates, and as many as a dozen meteors can be seen each hour.
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Jul. 31, 2009
Muffy the dog disappeared from her home in Brisbane, Australia, nine years ago. Authorities recently went to investigate a possible cruelty case in Melbourne—1,200 miles away from Brisbane—and they discovered a “fluffy white mutt sleeping outside on a scrap of cardboard.”
A microchip in the dog’s neck identified her as Muffy, the missing pooch who once belonged to Natalie Lampard in Brisbane. While Muffy will return to her original home this week, no one will ever know how she traveled so far or what she’s been doing for most of the last nine years.
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Jul. 30, 2009
Troop leader Don Leever became extremely ill while hiking with eight Scouts this month in Colorado. Leever figured it was altitude sickness, and he continued to push himself. But, after four days, he could no longer stand or walk. He couldn’t keep down food or water, so the Scouts made a quick decision to evacuate their leader.
Using trekking poles and bear rope, the Scouts fashioned a stretcher. After the Scouts and other chaperones carried Leever partially down the mountain, paramedics met them. They discovered that Leever’s blood sugar had risen to dangerous levels, and he was airlifted to a nearby hospital.
“They led me like a little puppy dog and put me on the stretcher,” Leever told The Houston Chronicle. “They were carrying me, and it was pretty awesome to see everybody sharing the load — and not a word of complaint.”
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Jul. 29, 2009
A 20-year-old driving an SUV blamed a multi-car crash on baby snakes that escaped from his pockets. Angel Rolon was driving down Main Street in Hartford, Conn., when the two snakes slithered out of his pockets and onto the floorboard.
Rolon and another passenger were trying to catch the snakes when he lost control of his car, swerved into another lane and caused the accident. Three other cars were involved in the crash. Police officers later recovered the snakes from the car.
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Jul. 28, 2009
A member of the National Symphony Orchestra has built an electric violin out of a baseball bat. Just before the Fourth of July, Glenn Donnellan’s used his creation to play the Star-Spangled Banner. He posted a video of his performance online, and it became a YouTube sensation.
Donnellan made his baseball-bat violin to use in children’s concerts. He borrowed backstage tools from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and he spent hours making holes with a drill press. Now, thousands of people have watched him play this unusual instrument on the Internet.
The Washington Nationals have invited Donnellan to play the National Anthem before a baseball game on Aug. 8.
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Jul. 27, 2009
Retiring U.S. Army officer Henry Moak wanted one thing at his retirement ceremony — a military C-ration can of pound cake. He’d held onto one since his last tour of duty in Vietnam. The can dated back to 1969, and Moak remembers receiving it while working as a Marine helicopter pilot off the Vietnamese coast in 1973.
After the retirement ceremony last week, friends and family watched as Moak popped the top on the 40-year-old can. He said it smelled good, took a bite, and claimed that the canned pound cake even kept its moistness.
A spokesman from the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia, Pa., strongly urged that consuming old C-rations is a bad idea. Leaky seals can cause mold or botulism.
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Jul. 24, 2009
Students at Virginia Tech have made a car that can be driven by the visually impaired. The vehicle uses a laser range finder that gathers information and monitors distance. Voice software tells the driver how far to turn the wheel. The car and its systems worked perfectly when used by blind drivers on a closed course.
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Jul. 23, 2009
Japanese fishermen are preparing for the arrival of a swarm of humongous jellyfish. Known as “Nomura’s” jellyfish, these large sea creatures can grow to be 6-feet long and weigh 450 pounds. Ocean currents are carrying them into the Sea of Japan, where the jellyfish tear holes in fishing nets, devastating the local economy.
Similar swarms arrived in Japan in 2005 and 2007. Japan now has a system of warning fishermen about the jellyfish, a method that may cost the seamen a big catch, but one that will save their expensive nets.
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Jul. 22, 2009
The longest-lasting solar eclipse of the 21st century darkened parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday. The moon fully covered the sun for as long as 6 minutes 39 seconds in some places. People in India, Japan, China and other countries gathered outside to watch this extraordinary occurrence. The next solar eclipse expected to last longer will take place in 2132.
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Jul. 21, 2009
An object has collided with Jupiter and left an Earth-size mark on the largest planet in our solar system. An Australian astronomer noticed the mark this week and alerted NASA, which confirmed the impact.
The exact nature of the object remains a mystery. Experts speculate it could have been a large block of ice or a faint comet. The size of the object is also a mystery, but the scar it left behind is roughly the size of Earth.
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Jul. 20, 2009
A 151-pound cupcake baked in Minnesota has been declared the largest in the world. Displayed Saturday at the Minneapolis Mall of America, the record-breaking dessert stood 1-foot tall and 2-feet wide. It used 15 pounds of fudge filling and 60 pounds of yellow icing.
Cakes.com baked the humongous cupcake. After the display, the cupcake was taken to a pig farm for devouring. Plans to distribute portions of the cupcake to mall visitors were scrapped because most pieces wouldn’t have had icing. Instead, cakes.com distributed 4,000 smaller cupcakes.
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Jul. 17, 2009
Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel is known as the nicest place to stay in town. Presidents, celebrities and visiting baseball teams have bedded there. But the Pfister also has a reputation for housing some ghoulish guests.
Minnesota Twin Carlos Gomez heard voices and watched his iPod go haywire on one trip to play the Brewers. Other Major League Baseball players have found windows randomly opened. Some players even refuse to talk about their scary experiences.
Legend says that the “ghost” is actually Charles Pfister, who founded the hotel with his father in the 19th century. He’s said to roam the hotel’s hallways, riding the elevator and walking his dog.
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Jul. 16, 2009
A shark weighing more than 5,000 pounds washed onto a beach in Long Island, N.Y., this week. The 26-foot fish, a male basking shark, died shortly after arriving ashore. Authorities say the shark was most likely suffering from an illness.
Basking sharks can reach lengths up to 35 feet. They are the second-largest ocean fish, behind only the whale shark.
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Jul. 15, 2009
America Online and the J.F.K. Presidential Library will recreate the first moon landing Thursday, July 16, to celebrate Apollo 11’s 40th anniversary. Go to WeChooseTheMoon.org beginning at 8:02 a.m. Eastern, and enjoy the interactive recreation at 9:32 — exactly 40 years since the launch.
Visitors can experience the launch as it happened, using archival audio, video, photos and “real-time” transmissions. Register to receive e-mail reminders throughout the four-day mission, through July 20.
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Jul. 13, 2009
Rupert Grint, the actor who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, battled the swine flu this summer, but is now fully recovered. He panicked when doctors first gave him the diagnosis, but it wasn’t a big deal in the end. “It was just like any flu I’ve had before,” Grint said. “It was just a sore throat and I was in bed for a while.”
That latest movie, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” opens this Friday, July 17.
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Jul. 10, 2009
When a lightning bolt struck through Tristan Coxwell’s kitchen ceiling and struck his mother, the 9-year-old acted quickly to help save her life. Kimberly Krone was clearing the table last month when she heard two loud booms outside. Lightning then passed through the recessed ceiling, bounced off a frying pan she was holding and channeled directly into her chest. She tried to drop the pan but couldn’t. The current passed out through her little toe.
Tristan watched his mother collapse. He then grabbed a cell phone out of her back pocket and dialed 9-1-1. Tristan collected himself and told the dispatcher exactly what had happened. Paramedics arrived 16 minutes later.
Kimberly Krone survived thanks to Tristan’s quick thinking.
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Jul. 9, 2009
Dress like a cow and get a free meal tomorrow. July 10 is Chick-fil-A’s fifth annual Cow Appreciation Day, and the chain’s 1,440 locations will give away food to any customer costumed like a bovine.
Also, young people are invited to take a picture and enter it online into Chick-fil-A’s “Show Us the Cow” contest. From June 22 to Aug. 31, enter to win exciting prizes including a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond and free Chick-fil-A for a year.
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Jul. 8, 2009
A group of meandering turtles has caused delays at one of the world’s busiest airports. New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport serves almost 50 million passengers each year, but 78 diamondback terrapins stumbled onto a runway that juts out into a bay Wednesday morning, delaying flights until they could be gathered and returned to the wild.
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Jul. 7, 2009
A boxer-mix named “Pabst” has been tabbed as the world’s ugliest dog. Owner Miles Egstad rescued Pabst from a shelter as a puppy and entered him in the contest, held yearly at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Northern California.
Pabst has a two-inch underbite, a large burn scar on his stomach and nails that grow in crooked directions. As winner, Pabst receives $1,600, a modeling contract and various other prizes.
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Jul. 6, 2009
Rick “Pellet Gun” Krause took the men’s International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship this weekend with a hurl of more than 48 feet. His wife, Marlene, took home the women’s title by spitting a pit 36 feet 6 inches. The couple lives in Tuba City, Ariz.
The competition is held each year at the Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire, Mich. An orchard owner started the championship 36 years ago as a joke. Now it brings contestants from around the country.
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Jul. 1, 2009
Make your opinion known by voting for Major League Baseball’s All-Star team. Only two days remain to cast your online ballot. These players currently lead at their positions:
American League
C: Joe Mauer, Twins
1B: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
2B: Ian Kinsler, Rangers
3B: Evan Longoria, Rays
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
OF: Jason Bay, Red Sox
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
OF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
National League
C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
1B: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
2B: Chase Utley, Phillies
3B: David Wright, Mets
SS: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
OF: Raul Ibanez, Phillies
OF: Ryan Braun, Brewers
OF: Carlos Beltran, Mets
Don’t see your favorite players? Click here and vote for them today!
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Jun. 30, 2009
Eager for more adventure stories, the same kind you read about each month in Boys’ Life? The Outdoor Channel’s “Scouting for Adventure” follows everyday Scouts on fantastic outdoor endeavors. Season Two premieres at 8:30 a.m. Eastern tomorrow, July 1. Set your DVR or carve out time to watch the 13 new episodes each week at the following times:
• Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.
• Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Sundays at 6:00 a.m.
The Outdoor Channel is No. 606 on DirecTV and No. 153 on Dish Network. Check local listings for other cable and satellite providers.
Click here to get Season One on DVD.
Click here to learn more about this exciting Scouting programming.
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Jun. 29, 2009
Break out the markers, doodle on a backpack and enter to win $10,000 in prizes. Office Depot and Sharpie have partnered for “Project Backpack.” Now through Sept. 19, purchase an Office Depot canvas backpack or simply download and print an official contest template. Once you’re done drawing, upload a photo of the design or scan in your template to the Web site and submit the completed entry form. The winning design, judged by online voting, will be sold in stores next year.
This contest is open to anyone ages 5 and up.
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Jun. 26, 2009
Three young men featured in the July issue of Boys’ Life have been honored for their role in the musical "Billy Elliot." Teens Trent Kowalik, David Alvarez and Kiril Kulish shared the title role, and each received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a musical. The production earned 10 awards overall at the 63rd Tony’s.
Check out the BL Headliners section in our July issue to read more.
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Jun. 25, 2009
Kenneth Chauncey lives at the Union Rescue Mission in one of the roughest parts of Los Angeles, Calif. His walk to and from school takes more than an hour, but his hardships haven’t stopped him from achieving. The 17-year-old is an honors student and the starting running back on the Helen Bernstein High football team. He was just named best overall academic student for his junior year.
Kenneth dreams of attending Harvard and studying medicine.
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Jun. 24, 2009
In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of man’s first steps on the Moon, Borders is promoting the “Train Like an Astronaut” Sweepstakes. Through July 27, enter for a chance to win a four-day trip to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex near Orlando, Fla.
Three Grand Prize winners will each be awarded a trip, which includes roundtrip airfare for the winner and three guests, three nights accommodation in Cocoa Beach, car rental for four days — and the unique opportunity to participate in a Family Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) at Kennedy Space Center. ATX participants will get to perform a mock space shuttle mission, ride flight simulators, have lunch with an astronaut and receive a guided tour of Kennedy Space Center, including an up-close view of the space shuttle launch pads and the Apollo/Saturn V Center — the home of a 363-foot long Saturn V Moon rocket.
The “Train Like an Astronaut” Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the United States and Canada (except Quebec) who are ages 8 (as of March 2009) and up.
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Jun. 23, 2009
Gerrit Blank was walking to school two weeks ago when a pea-sized meteorite struck him in the hand. The 14-year-old German went flying, and the meteorite buried itself in the road. Gerrit was unhurt afterward, but the outer-space object did leave a scar on his hand.
Experts have confirmed that the small object is indeed from space. They estimate it was traveling 30,000 miles per hour when it hit Gerrit.
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Jun. 22, 2009
Summer is the most likely time to get struck by lightning. The National Weather Service is promoting Lightning Safety Awareness Week, June 21 to 27, to help reduce the amount of lightning-related injuries and fatalities.
To avoid being struck by lightning, the National Weather Service recommends that you:
• Get into a fully enclosed building or hardtop vehicle at the first rumble of thunder.
• Stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last thunderclap.
• Monitor the weather forecast when you’re planning to be outdoors.
• Have a plan for getting to safety in case a thunderstorm moves in.
• Do not use a corded phone during a thunderstorm unless it’s an emergency; cell phones are safe to use.
• Keep away from plumbing, electrical equipment and wiring during a thunderstorm.
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Jun. 19, 2009
Grab your wheels and participate in International Go Skateboarding Day, taking place this Sunday, June 21. Go online to find underground movements, backyard sessions and public events. Last year, people in more than 32 countries participated.
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Jun. 18, 2009
Pictures sent by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show a 30-mile-long canyon that once held water. This canyon lake most likely formed 3.4 billion years ago and reached depths of 1,500 feet. The water probably froze or evaporated during a period of climate change.
Click here to learn more about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
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Jun. 17, 2009
Three-dimensional drawings of deep canyons are helping slow speeding bicyclists on a North London path. British Waterways commissioned artists Joe Hill and Max Lowry to draw the terrifyingly real images in order to keep pedestrians safe.
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Jun. 16, 2009
A young British dog spent four hours in a pipe after his 4-year-old owner decided to bathe his muddy pet in the toilet. Daniel Blair accidentally flushed the 1-week-old cocker spaniel down the drain.
Daniel’s mother, Alison, feared the worst, but she called for help anyway. Plumber Will Craig came to the rescue. He used special camera equipment to locate the puppy about 20 yards away toward a neighbor’s house. Craig was able to remove the scared dog from the pipe without injuring him.
Young Daniel’s reaction to the ordeal: “I’m so, so sorry. I won’t do it again.”
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Jun. 15, 2009
A rapidly shrinking star named Betelgeuse—one of the largest known stars in the universe—is puzzling astronomers as it grows smaller. Betelgeuse is a supergiant 600 light-years away. It glows red and marks the left shoulder of the Orion constellation.
Scientists measured Betelgeuse in 1993 using an infrared instrument atop of Mount Wilson in Southern California. Using the same instrument today, the star has lost 15 percent of its former size. The reason behind the shrinking remains a mystery, but researchers did say they noticed a red spot on the star three years ago.
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Jun. 12, 2009
When the NASA space shuttle Endeavour launches Saturday morning, it will carry the 500th human to ever visit outer space. The Endeavour and its seven-person crew will rendezvous with the International Space Station and its six residents. The 13-person get-together will be the largest assembly of humans ever in space.
Endeavour is set to launch at 7:17 a.m. Eastern on Saturday. The entire crew—including Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Russians and Japanese—will spend 16 days adding on to the International Space Station.
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Jun. 11, 2009
Jessica Terry suffered from stomach pain, vomiting, fever and other symptoms for eight years. She lost weight and often had to miss school, but doctors couldn’t determine what caused her abdominal distress.
Then this past January, Jessica figured it out while sitting in AP science.
The 18-year-old looked through a microscope at slides of her own intestinal tissue. Her pathologist had already stated that these slides looked perfectly normal. But Jessica looked closer and saw an inflamed area called a granuloma. This inflamed area was a clear indication that she had Crohn’s disease.
Jessica's teacher took a picture of the slide and sent it to another pathologist. This one confirmed that Jessica did indeed have Crohn’s. Hearing that she was suffering from such a serious disease was difficult for Jessica. Still, she felt relieved to finally have a diagnosis. Jessica is now being treated correctly.
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Jun. 10, 2009
A Florida angler went fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and came home with an eight-foot-long American air-to-air missile. Rodney Salomon-Prudo kept the weapon—released by an F15 fighter jet in 2004—strapped to the top of his boat for days.
Salomon-Prudo finally turned it over to the Eglin Air Force Base Bomb Squad. They immediately informed him that the missile was “live and unstable.” But it turns out the missile was used only for testing purposes and was not armed. Still, officials declined Salomon-Purdo’s request to keep it as a souvenir.
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Jun. 9, 2009
Learn behind-the-wheel-safety from real life racecar drivers. Driver’s Edge is a non-profit organization that makes safe driving fun. If you’re younger than 21 and have a valid driver’s license, you can participate in a free one-day course. Dates and cities available are:
June 13 and 14, New York City, N.Y.
June 27 and 28, Washington, D.C.
July 11 and 12, Greensboro, N.C.
July 18 and 19, Columbus, Ohio
July 23 and 24, Reno, Nev.
July 25 and 26, Reno, Nev.
Aug. 1 and 2, Chicago, Ill.
Aug. 29 and 30, Minneapolis, Minn.
Sept. 19 and 20, San Jose/Santa Clara, Calif.
Sept. 26 and 27, Los Angeles, Calif.
Oct. 17 and 18, Nashville, Tenn.
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Jun. 8, 2009
A curious bear cub managed to get a bird feeder stuck on its head last month. A landowner in northwestern Wisconsin noticed the trapped bear and notified the Department of Natural Resources. State officials tried to help, but the cub’s overprotective mother kept them away.
Traps were set, and the cub and its mother were caught. The feeder was found next to them. It’s assumed the mother chewed it apart to free her cub. Officials released the bears into the woods.
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Jun. 5, 2009
A New York store owner stood down a would-be robber, then took mercy on the failed thief. Mohammad Sohail was working in the early morning hours last month when a man wielding a bat entered his convenience store. Sohail pulled a shotgun from behind the counter, and the bat-swinging man immediately fell to his knees to beg forgiveness.
Sohail gave it to him.
The store owner gave the man $40 and a loaf of bread. In exchange, the thief promised never to rob another store. Sohail then went to the back refrigerator to get a carton of milk, but the man left before Sohail could give it to him.
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Jun. 3, 2009
Sony unveiled this week a new PlayStation Portable called “Go.” This new version doesn’t need Universal Media Discs. Instead, just purchase and download games at Sony’s online PlayStation Store.
Look for the new PSP Go to hit stores in October. Cost will be $250.
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Jun. 2, 2009
Thousands of bees trapped employees in a game store for hours last month, forcing the business to close for an afternoon. The incident took place in one of New York City’s busiest shopping areas.
A bee specialist eventually arrived and lured the bees into a box using the scent of a queen bee. The store reopened and no one was injured. The bees were taken to hives in upstate New York.
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Jun. 1, 2009
A fire at a Milwaukee school built in 1894 recently revealed an unusual artifact—a 45-starred American flag from 1897. Lightning struck the steeple of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. K-8 School on April 25. During the cleanup, the flag was discovered in an unused attic area.
The flag shows signs of wear and tear, and it may have sat in the attic for 112 years. Officials plan to restore and display the flag.
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May. 29, 2009
A 7-year-old named Julian learned that the Spirit Mars rover was stuck and decided to help. He grabbed a pencil and sheet of paper and put his mind to work. Julian sent to NASA a drawing that shows the rover’s camera used as a tripod to lift the rover out of Martian sand.
NASA is going to try Julian’s idea, and they have sent him an award for ingenuity. Spirit launched in 2003 and has been exploring Mars since early 2004.
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May. 28, 2009
An 11-year-old from Sandy, Utah, placed 43 snails on his face Saturday in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record. Fin Keleher sat in a recliner and used snails gathered from neighbors’ gardens. Each snail had to remain on his face for 10 seconds, and it took Keleher three tries before he claimed the record.
The current record is thought to be 36 snails. Keleher’s family is sending witness statements and video to Guinness this week.
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May. 27, 2009
The USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg now rests at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. This retired U.S. Navy warship was intentionally sunk on Wednesday in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It will become the world’s second-largest artificial coral reef.
The ship sank in less than 2 minutes. The goal of this project is “to divert fishing and diving pressure away from natural reefs.” Built in 1943, the Vandenberg is 522 feet long and weighed 17,250 tons.
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May. 22, 2009[caption id="attachment_8544" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Eldred's original Eagle badge."]
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Years of hard work and merit badge requirements led Minnesota’s Anthony Thomas to Scouting’s highest honor. Little did he know his Eagle Scout ceremony also marked an important milestone.
Thomas, of the Northern Star Council and Troop 3471, was announced today as the 2 millionth Eagle Scout. He made an appearance at the BSA’s National Meeting in Orlando, Fla.
More than 96 years have passed since New York’s Arthur Eldred became the first Eagle Scout. Daniel Carter Beard, Wilbert E. Longfellow and Ernest Thompson Seton were among those who examined Eldred to ensure his qualifications. Eldred was notified of the honor on Aug. 21, 1912, and he received his badge on Labor Day that same year.
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May. 21, 2009
Phillip Mains was driving his two sons home from a Nebraska restaurant Sunday night when he passed out from low blood sugar. His older son, 6-year-old Tustin, leaped from the backseat onto his father’s lap, where he steered for several blocks until a North Platte police officer noticed him driving.
Officer Roger Freeze pulled his car alongside the Mains’s truck. Freeze left his vehicle, ran to the truck, reached inside an open window and put the gearshift into park. Thanks to Tustin's bravery, the truck received only a minor scrape and everyone in the vehicle remained safe.
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May. 20, 2009
On this date in 1873, Levi Strauss first patented his denim pants—better known as blue jeans.
Strauss moved to San Francisco, Calif., in 1853 with the purpose of opening a dry goods store. Customers told him a good strong pair of pants was hard to find, so he started making trousers out of canvas. When the customers complained about chafing, Strauss switched to twilled cotton made in Nîmes, France. Called “serge de Nîmes” at the time, it would later be known as denim. A customer named Jacob Davis began to market Strauss’s pants. The two entered a partnership and had their “blue jeans” patented on May 20, 1873. The duo received U.S. Patent No. 139,121.
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May. 19, 2009
A mother duck wandered around a bustling Washington D.C. neighborhood, searching desperately for her four babies. Local firefighters heard her squawking near a storm drain, and they quickly went to investigate.
When the cover to the storm drain was removed, the firefighters saw four ducklings swimming in water about six feet below the street’s surface. The rescuers removed the ducks and took them to a rehabilitation center. Once healthy enough, the mother and her ducklings will be returned to the wild.
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May. 18, 2009
A 1957 Ferrari racecar sold for a record $12 million Sunday at an Italian auction. The 250 Testa Rossa is one of only 22 ever made. If first raced at the 1958 Buenos Aires 1000 kilometer, where it came in fourth place.
The previous record sale price was $9.6 million spent last year for a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT.
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May. 14, 2009
You can help pick who plays in this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Place your votes for American and National League position players starting this month. The winner of the game earns home field advantage for their representative in the World Series.
The 2009 All-Star Game will take place July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
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May. 13, 2009
The Children’s Book Council has announced the winners of the second annual Children’s Choice Book Awards. Winners were determined this year by more than 220,000 online votes by young people across the country. Did you miss reading one of these titles? Stop by your local library or bookstore and take a look.
This year’s winners are:
Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year
”The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems
Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year
“Spooky Cemeteries” by Dinah Williams
Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year
“Thirteen” by Lauren Myracle
Teen Choice Book of the Year
“Breaking Dawn” by Stephenie Meyer
Author of the Year
Stephenie Meyer, for “Breaking Dawn”
Illustrator of the Year
Jon J Muth, for “Zen Ties”
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May. 12, 2009
A 500-pound moose leapt to its death Tuesday when it jumped an interstate guardrail and landed 18-feet below on another road. Near Clinton, Maine, a driver called police around 8 a.m. to say a moose “just fell out of the sky.”
Officials say the moose most likely panicked due to heavy traffic on the interstate. Unfortunately, the moose jumped onto the road instead of an adjacent field.
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May. 11, 2009
The space shuttle Atlantis launched this afternoon. Its mission is to repair the Hubble Space Telescope for the fifth and final time.
Hubble rocketed into orbit in 1990. Since then, it’s sent incredible images of the universe back to Earth. This mission should keep Hubble in working order until 2013, when the James Webb Space Telescope will be launched.
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May. 8, 2009
A black heifer made a bold sprint out of a New York City slaughterhouse Wednesday. The escaped bovine wandered around Queens for an hour before police captured the animal and took it to an Animal Care and Control center. Employees at the center nicknamed the cow “Molly.”
This isn’t the first time a cow has run from certain slaughterhouse death. In 2002, a cow in Cincinnati, Ohio, jumped a six-foot fence to escape a meatpacking plant and grazed in a nearby park for 10 days.
Molly will be placed at a farm sanctuary if the slaughterhouse chooses not to claim her.
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May. 7, 2009
The Pokémon Video Game World Championships begin this weekend in Seattle. Check out the schedule below to see if there’s some championship action near you:
May 9 — SEATTLE
Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion
305 Harrison Street
Seattle, WA 98109
May 16 — SAN FRANCISCO
City Beach
4020 Technology Place
Fremont, CA 94538
May 23 — PHOENIX
Phoenix Convention Center
West Building Hall 2
100 N 3rd St
Phoenix, AZ 85004
May 30 — DALLAS
Arlington Convention Center
Hall 1
1200 Ballpark Way
Arlington, TX 76011
June 6 — PHILADELPHIA
Valley Forge Convention Center
Montgomery and Lancaster Rooms
1160 1st Ave
King of Prussia, PA 19406
June 13 — NASHVILLE
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Ryman Exhibit Hall B5
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
National Championships — ST. LOUIS
June 27
America’s Center
701 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
World Championships — SAN DIEGO (Invitation Only)
August 14
Hilton San Diego Bayfront
1 Park Boulevard
San Diego, California 92101
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May. 6, 2009
A deep-sea volcano in the Pacific Ocean’s Northern Mariana Islands has been erupting continuously, sending lava and acidic sulfur into the water. First observed in 2004, this is the first underwater volcano that scientists have discovered erupting.
The volcano is also growing. In a four-year period, it expanded 131 feet in height and 984 feet in width.
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May. 5, 2009
Participate in the “7 Reasons Why I Love My Dad” contest, and you could win a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com. Father’s Day is June 21, and young people ages 7 to 13 are encouraged to submit their list along with a photo taken with their dad.
To enter, send the list, the photo and an entry form to:
I Love My Dad Contest
1710 First Avenue
PO Box 283
New York, NY 10128
The deadline for entry is June 5, 2009
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May. 4, 2009
Many states are now using robotic animals in sting operations to catch poachers red-handed. Using robotic animals that look and act like the real thing, authorities wait for poachers to shoot from their car. The violator is given a ticket once shots have been fired.
It’s estimated that one animal is killed illegally during hunting season for every one animal that is killed within the limits of the law. Wild turkey, deer, grizzly bear and other decoys have been used to stop these poachers.
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May. 1, 2009
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled all athletic cups that have the Under Armour logo. These include cups made in adult, teen and youth sizes. The cups were sold separately, or as part of compression, slider of jock shorts. The cups in question were sold from January 2006 to March 2009.
Under Armour has received reports of these athletic cups breaking. Injuries have included cuts and bruising.
For more information, call Under Armour at (888) 823-0343 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
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Apr. 30, 2009
Broken metal, ivory carvings and stone slabs engraved with a dead language are among the artifacts found inside a newly discovered temple in Turkey. The temple is thought to date back to 1200 to 900 B.C., a period of time known as a “dark age.”
Researchers first examined the temple’s southern entrance, which included a stone courtyard and a wide staircase. Experts believe the temple was built during the time of King Solomon and destroyed during the 8th century B.C.
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Apr. 29, 2009
An Ohio auto-body specialist has designed an exact replica of NASA’s Saturn V rocket. Steve Eves’s model stood 36-feet high and weighed 1,648 pounds — one-tenth the size of the real thing. Eves launched the model on April 25 in Price, Md.
After the launch, the rocket reached a height of 4,441 feet. It then broke down into pieces, each with a parachute attached, and the disassembled rocket floated back to Earth a half-mile from the launch pad. The model broke the world record for tallest and heaviest model rocket to be launched and recovered.
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Apr. 28, 2009
An 11-foot alligator found Belinda Donaldson’s doorstep last Thursday, and the reptile decided it was a good place to rest. Donaldson lives in Tampa, Fla. One of her neighbors called and warned her to stay inside.
A trapper spent more than an hour trying to snag the gator. The uninvited guest was estimated to weigh between 400 and 500 pounds. Many Florida alligators begin to roam in the springtime as they search for mates.
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Apr. 27, 2009
The Golden Ribby Awards are an opportunity for talented young people across the country to showcase their gifts in music, comedy, dance, art, science, sports and more. With help from their parents, young people are invited to make a video or take a digital picture highlighting their talents and upload it at WonderWorldTV.com.
Finalists are eligible to receive prizes from 11 categories. You can win a Golden Ribby Mini and a $100 gift card, a Silver Ribby Mini and a $50 gift card or a Bronze Ribby Mini and a $25 gift card. Winners from each quarter will advance to the voting for the annual grand prize. The grand prize will be awarded late in 2009 and the recipient will receive $10,000.
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Apr. 24, 2009
The bite of a Sydney funnel-web spider unleashes deadly venom, but a 94-year-old Australian woman defied the odds this week. Mavis Tanner, a great-grandmother, stepped into her shoe when she felt something strange. She then reached her hand into the shoe, and the spider bit her on the toe and finger.
Tanner received anti-venom medication, and the spider was sent for testing. It turns out the biting spider was a male. The venom of a male funnel-web is more dangerous than a female’s. Bites from a funnel-web are very painful, mostly because of the acidic nature of the venom. Victims who are not treated begin twitching, first in the tongue and then throughout the entire body as the venom attacks the nervous system.
Mavis Tanner is now the oldest known person to survive the bite of a Sydney funnel-web spider.
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SCOUTS IN THE NEWS- Boy Scouts honor their history
- Cub Scout earns every badge
- The Boy Scouts Celebrate One Hundred Years of Service
- Leadership and community service inspires local scout to eagle rank
- Locals mark 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America
- Scouts' time capsule yields 1985 artifacts
- Scouts celebrating organization's 100th anniversary
- N.J. family celebrates generations in Boy Scouts on 100th anniversary of organization
- 100 Boy Scouts celebrating 100 years
- Local Boy Scouts help mark 100th anniversary
