No time ...

Now that I'm back in school, regretably, I just don't have much time to blog.

Of course, as my employer sees me as a bottomless well of time, effort and productivity, I should be able to post hourly 24/7. The well is running pretty dry.

I'll continue to post on an irregular basis as situations permit and warrant.

A School District Money-maker?

Maybe school boards ought to take a lookat this potential source of revenue ...

Boxy buses that once carted American children now haul Congo's impoverished people, young and old -- and their loads of preserved fish, powdered milk, beans, onions and cassava. Charging breakneck around the capital, the yellow buses rattle fiercely, as they hurtle through the potholes peppering Kinshasa's roads. The blinking tail lights that had protected many a child are now either missing or broken. More ...

CNN.com - POSTED: 12:56 p.m. EDT, September 7, 2006

Nature's Wonders

This has to be one of the most absurd marketing strategies of all time!

Natural American Spirit is the only brand that features both cigarettes made with 100% certified organic tobacco as well as cigarettes made with 100% additive-free natural tobacco.

Our product line was created based on our belief in the traditional American Indian usage of tobacco—in moderation and in its natural state. We feel that tobacco is a powerful herb worthy of the respect it is given in American Indian tradition. Our name, Natural American Spirit, was chosen as a symbol of our respect for this tradition.

I learned of this product from a heavy-paper insert in Newsweek, probably a very expensive insert. Organic, natural, additive-free cigarettes. What will they try to sell us next? (Remember, arsenic, poison hemlock, and uranium are all "natural".)

BTW: If you visit their Web site, you must answer "Are you a smoker?", YES, to be admitted.

Just a Rapidly Fading Memory

Summer vacation? What you talkin' about? When was that?

It's amazing how you just fall right back into rhythm, like you were never away. Just the faces and the names change, and not even some of those.

Seventh grade homeroom!!! Those combination locks, oh, WOW! I miss my seniors. :*(

If we claim to have spent tens of thousands of dollars on air conditioning, you couldn't prove it in my room. But, some people were saying they were too cold. I don't know!

Kids were mostly OK. One new kid tried to push my buttons, but I didn't let him get to me, and in the end he was alright. Speaking of new kids, I was getting scared to open GradeQuick. Every time I did, I had a new kid in some class.

We bought 20 new geometry books and I ran out. Oh, well, 1 down, 179 to go.

NC School Shooting

(CNN) -- A student was shot in the shoulder after a suspect fired eight shots toward a Hillsborough, North Carolina, high school, police told a local television station.

According to WTVD-TV, Orange County deputies have the suspect in custody.

The male suspect drove to Orange High School about 1 p.m. ET and didn't stop for school security, WTVD reported. He got out of his vehicle and fired the shots, striking the female student in the shoulder.

Another male student was injured by broken glass, the television station reported.

Another television station, News 14, said two guns were lying on the ground outside a gray minivan in the parking lot. One appeared to be a shotgun, the other a rifle, the station reported.

Orange High School and nearby Stanford Middle School are both on lockdown, and parents were not being allowed at the schools, according to WTVD.

Hillsborough is located about 45 miles northwest of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Orange High has 1,009 students in grades nine through 12, the school Web site states.

POSTED: 4:35 p.m. EDT, August 30, 2006 CNN

Free Books

Official Google Blog: Download the classics: "Starting today, you can go to Google Book Search and download full copies of out-of-copyright books to read at your own pace. You're free to choose from a diverse collection of public domain titles -- from well-known classics to obscure gems.

Before the rise of the public library - a story chronicled in this 1897 edition of The Free Library - access to large collections of books was the privilege of a wealthy minority. Now, with the help of our wonderful library partners, we're able to offer you the ability to download and read PDF versions of out-of-copyright books from some of the world's greatest collections."

More

8/30/2006 09:38:00 AM Posted by Adam Mathes, Associate Product Manager, Google Book Search

Back to School / 7 Trends ... (Pgh Post-Gazette)

When he thinks about the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Jim Testerman of the Pennsylvania State Education Association is reminded of a statement attributed to Albert Einstein.

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."

Back to School / 7 Trends to Watch: No Child Left Behind has altered the face of education

Second of a series, Monday, August 28, 2006

By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Supporters of the practice of high-stakes testing believe that the quality of American education can be vastly improved by introducing a system of rewards and sanctions for students' academic performance," researchers at Arizona State University's Education Policy Studies Laboratory said in a September 2005 report condemning the practice.

NCLB keeps score with the designation known as "adequate yearly progress" or "AYP."

While NCLB has focused all states on reading and math, the law hasn't standardized testing across the states. As a result, making AYP can be a tougher goal in one state than another.

"In Pennsylvania, the bar has been set very high for what it means to be proficient," Mr. Testerman said.

Others have suggested that the country move to a longitudinal analysis of test scores; that is, measure the proficiency of a class from one year to the next and drop the traditional approach of comparing one year's third-grade scores against third-grade scores of the preceding year. Proponents say the change would yield a better picture of whether more students are becoming proficient.

It's an Epidemic

Altoona Mirror - Making It Happen For You: "A tax collector for Manns Choice Borough misappropriated $127,806 from her tax collector's accounts to feed her gambling addiction, police said."

“The money was used to fuel her gambling problem,” court documents state.

Seen the previous post from CNN.

Do the Math!

CNN.com - Woman admits stealing $2.3M to play lottery - Aug 23, 2006: "A former bookkeeper for a doctor's office pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than $2.3 million from her employer to buy lottery tickets."

"She obviously had a gambling problem," said Donna Planty, assistant district attorney. Ya Think??!!

BACK-2-SCHOOL

NO! NOT YET! NOT NOW!

You Can Fool Some of the People ...

In the last two weeks, I've noticed a new advertising tack from SUV/Pickup advertisers. They now feature the total distance you can travel on a tank of gas. So! If I put a big enough fuel tank in my gas-guzzler, I can travel any distance I want.

Wow! Look at our SUV. Five hundred miles on one full tank.

If my Super Hammer Trak averages a mere 10 mpg, but I put in a 50 gallon tank, I can travel 500 miles on that full tank. On the other hand, if my two-door Speck is averaging a respectable 25 mpg with a 20 gallon tank, I can still travel 500 miles on a tankful.

They must think we're incredibly simple-minded. Oh, yeah. They're mostly right!

Part 2

I'm terribly annoyed by the tendency of health care types to name every medical ailment acronymically, ADD, CPOD, RLS, AMI, PDL, TBI, and on and on. I thought a PDA was something to keep your calendar and contacts handy. Guess not. PDA is Posterior Descending Artery.

I think it's another aspect of MPM (medieval priest mentality), we have to speak in code so the morons don't catch on.

World Trade Center

This afternoon I saw the Oliver Stone film, World Trade Center. It's a powerful film about two Port Authority police officers trapped in the rubble of the collapsed towers of the World Trade Center. Based on true events, the officers, John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno (played by Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena), are two of only twenty people rescued from the WTC on 9/11/2001. According to a story I read in Newsweek, the film very accurately depicts the struggle of these two men to stay alive when it seemed their rescue was impossible. "Jimeno called the film 95 percent accurate." I am not a big fan of seeing movies in theaters, but it was worth seeing this one. The sound of the film is integral and could not be appreciated as well in another venue.

Perception of Numbers

I heard a radio commercial for some organization selling chances on a flash motorcycle for $25 each. They claimed that only 3500 tickets would be sold, so the chances of winning should be relatively good. One chance in 3500 doesn't seem too bad.

I got to thinking about how people perceive numerical relationships in the light of what they would like the numbers to mean.

Imagine you had 3500 pistols arranged on the floor. One and only one of these weapons is loaded and has a round in the chamber. You can select any one gun, put the barrel to your head and squeeeze the trigger. If you're still alive after this you get, a million dollars. This time the one chance in 3500 that you blow your brains out appears quite remote.

In the motorcycle raffle, you have a 3499/3500 (99.97%) likelihood of losing. In the loaded pistol lottery, you have a 1/3500 (0.03%) likelihood of losing. But, most people see both situations as providing a fair possibility of a favorable outcome.

Parlez Vous Francais?

I was sitting in my car a couple days ago waiting for someone and I just happened to take a good look at the air bag warning label that is on each sun visor.

I couldn't help but notice, being the keen observer that I am, how many more words are required to express the warning in French than are needed in English. I wonder if this is usually so in most French-English translations.

And you gotta love the French for "air bags", "coussins gonflables".

What Were They Thinking?

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wed, 8/16/06
By Peter Leo, The Morning File

How the Web has changed the world: Worst-named Web sites

List making the rounds in cyberspace. They're real. Check 'em out:

1. You go to a site called 'Who Represents' to find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name... wait for it... is: www.whorepresents.com.

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange views: www.expertsexchange.com.

3. Looking for a pen? Look no farther than Pen Island at: www.penisland.net.

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at: www.therapistfinder.com.

5. Then there's the Italian Power Generator company: www.powergenitalia.com.

6. If you're looking for computer software, there's www.ipanywhere.com.

7. For really fast art designers, try www.speedofart.com.

8. Want to holiday at Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure Web site at: www.gotahoe.com.

Jihad Indoctrination

CNN.com - Face to face with a smiling abductor - Aug 15, 2006:
"Then one of them said in Arabic, 'What are you? What are you?'

A tiny voice next to me replied, 'I'm a Mujahid,' a holy warrior.

It was a boy -- I'd learn that his name was Ismael, and he was 5 years old. Just a child, already indoctrinated."

More

See my earlier video posting about the war on terror.

Move on, Mr. Ford

I watched Firewall over the weekend, starring the 64 year-old Harrison Ford.

Ford plays a bank's IT security guy whose family is taken hostage in an effort to force Ford to assist the bad guys in stealing millions of dollars from his bank.

This movie is average at best. It was somewhat ludicrous to watch Ford as a character who had to be at least 20 years younger than he really is (born 13 July 1942). No 64 year-old bank employee could take the physical pounding that Ford more or less shrugs off. At times, his age showed glaringly as he moved like a senior citizen.

Then there was his family, a mid-thirties wife, a teenage daughter, and a pre-teen son. Yeah, right.

Harrison Ford is just too old to be taken seriously in this kind of role. It's time to "grow up" as a character and take more appropriate rolls.

Image from Movieweb.com

My New Ride

Here's my new car! A Suzuki Aerio. It's a sporty little AWD hatchback that seems very comfortable, roomy, and drives nicely. It's got a lot of features including heated mirrors, ABS, and MP3/WMA compatible 6 disc CD changer.

I really liked my Kia Sorento. It's big shortcoming, however, was fuel economy (or lack thereof). Seventeen mpg just wasn't working with $3 gas. The window sticker on this Suzuki said 24/29, and all my Web research reported 26/31 mpg. It's only got a 13 gallon tank, though, so I'll still have to fill up just as often. It won't cost $50 to do so, though.

I didn't find anything really negative in my research apart from some reviewers not liking the radical styling. Even the Car Talk guys said it was a good, very nice car.

Math hasn't changed since Isaac Newton

Sun's McNealy Leads Non-Profit Open-Source Drive - Forbes.com: "Sun's McNealy Leads Non-Profit Open-Source Drive"

Greg Levine, 08.04.06, 4:42 PM ET

'Math hasn't changed since Isaac Newton,' declares Scott McNealy. So why, he asks, is California paying some $400 million annually to 'update' grade-school textbooks?

That's just one of the practices questioned by the Sun Microsystems chairman. And one of the problems he believes can be solved.

McNealy, who handed Sun's chief executive reins to Jonathan Schwartz earlier this year, is now applying his know-how to steer the Global Education and Learning Community (GELC). That's a non-profit entity, spun off from Sun in January, which aims to make open-source software available to the world's kids for free--just as Sun sought to distribute its Solaris operating system and other wares to businesses, for profit. "

Citing instances of California schools "afraid to tell you their test scores," the Sun co-founder declared that the 2001 No Child Left Behind act championed by the George W. Bush administration should really be recast as "no child held back" by physical and economic data constraints.

(More)

Flight 93 Memorial

A one-minute compilation of stills and video shot at the crash site near Shanksville, PA, 8/6/06

(Sorry, in the uploading process the last few seconds got clipped. I'm trying to resolve that.)

The Hard Disk That Changed the World

Levy: The Hard Disk That Changed the World - Newsweek Steven Levy - MSNBC.com: "If there's a bottle of vintage champagne you've been saving, next month is the time to pop it open: it's the 50th anniversary of hard-disk storage. Don't laugh. On Sept. 13, 1956, IBM shipped the first unit of the RAMAC (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control) and set in motion a process that would change the way we live."

"The total amount of information stored on its 50 spinning iron-oxide-coated disks—each of them a pizza-size 24 inches—was 5 megabytes."

IDENTITY - An Interesting, Unusual Film

I'm not often as totally surprised by the turn of events in a movie as I was by Identity.

Image from IMDB

Ten disparate strangers including an ex-cop turned limo driver (John Cusack), a hooker (Amanda Peet), and a corrections officer (Ray Liotta) come together in an isolated motel in the Nevada desrt, stranded by a torrential storm. It's not long before, one by one, they are being murdered and counted down using room keys. As the night passes, the travellers distrust of each other rises along with the body count.

A not unpredictable plot line which for a good portion of the movie could have been subtitled, "When Bad Thing Happen to Stupid People", one of those movies you watch once and never think about it again. Then, wait for it, comes the plot twist. I did not see this coming and suddenly the earlier events of the film are seen in an entirely different context.

Not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. (More on IMDB)

Obsession: What The War on Terror Is Really About

WATCH THIS! I've gained new insights and understanding of the Islamic extremist methods and ideology. Interesting are the way these militant Islamists use the media to propagandize, how they indoctrinate their children with hatred, and the parallels with Nazi Germany. Included are actual clips of Arab TV broadcasts, music videos, and more. Many of the people doing the commentary are Middle Eastern with unique insights.

I'm whit stupid!

The potential stupidity of human beings seems boundless.

Listening to a radio ad this morning for a local motorcycle dealer who is apparently in the process of moving to a new location, it went something like this, "We will be open at our present location at ___ until August 20th. Beginning August 28th, we will be open from 8:30 AM until ..." At no time was the address of the new location given. Duh!

Steeler Camp

Steeler camp opened at St. Vincent College in Latrobe this weeked with an estimated 14,000 fans braving the heat and humidity for a first look at the defending champions of the NFL.

First round pick Santonio Holmes is signed and reports are that Ben Roethlisberger was throwing well.

I feel bad for those guys getting into the soup right from the git-go with even hotter more humid conditions expected this week. Then again, they are being rather well compensated.

Camp is open to the public after 3 PM.

Charlie Chan in Egypt

I just watched Charlie Chan in Egypt, a 1935 entry in the Charlie Chan series. This starring Warner Oland as Chan. (I prefer the Sidney Toler entries as being a bit more humorous.)

In this film Chan is investigating deaths related to an Egyptian archeological expedition and treasure discovered. It has an almost horror film feel about it.

My principle reason for commenting on this film, however, is the portrayal of the character Snowshoes by Stepin Fetchit. It was difficult for me to bear watching the demeaning way in which this African-American actor played the role. His speech was mumbled and difficult to understand. The character was lazy and hesitant and childlike.

Worse than that, though, was the way he was treated by his white employer. He was constantly being spoken to harshly, degraded, and even physically pushed around in the most matter-of-fact manner.

It's hard to understand seventy years on how such content could have been tolerated at that time. I found it very disturbing to see an African-American actor portraying his race in such a derogatory manner.

For more on this and other films, visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)

Hot Pockets®

Another "Things I wonder about "
Why does it matter which side of the Hot Pocket® crisping sleeve faces up?
I have to admit I do occasionally indulge in Hot Pockets® (as well as Lean Pockets, Croissant Pockets, and Subs) , and when I have, I always wonder what difference it makes how the crisping sleeve is placed. I can see no structural difference that gives any clue as to why one orientation would be preferable to the other.

If you have a clue why this is so, please leave a comment here. Or, if you have had a Hot Pockets® disaster resulting from placing the wrong side up while microwaving, I'd love to hear about it.

Five minutes of stand up Hot Pockets® comedy from Jim Gaffigan

Hot Pockets® is a trademark of Societe des Produits NESTLÉ S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

What Do They Do?

The sign lists some of the businesses located in the South Altoona Business Park. I was curious about the two businesses named on the third panel, Inmate Telephone, Inc. and Corrections Development Intl.

A Google search didn't turn up much on Inmate Telephone, Inc. Apparently they provide, or at least have proposed to provide, telephone service to inmates of various state correctional facilities.

I found nothing at all about Corrections Development Intl.

It appears as though they might be in the same house, so to speak.

UPDATE: Further research indicates Digital Solutions, Inc may be connected with Inmate Telephone, Inc. (7/26/06)

Just curious ...

Tour de 'Toona

First night of the Tour de 'Toona, a highly acclaimed international bicycle race held annually here in Altoona.

Devorris Center

The Devorris Center for Business Development is perhaps the most strikingly designed building in Altoona. The radical geometry of the building is something not often seen in this area.

Unfortunately, it's located at 3900 Industrial Park Drive where few people apart from locals ever see it.

Yesterday I shot these photos as well as several others which are viewable on Picasa Web Albums now.

It's a beautiful, unusual building and certainly worth taking a look at.

More on the Devorris Center

DEVORRIS CENTER BUSINESS DEVEL
3900 INDUSTRIAL PARK DRIVE
ALTOONA , PA 16602-1732

Cell Phones and Driving

As you may know, I am an advocate of laws limiting or eliminating the use of cell phones while driving.

This article appears in the online edition of the Altoona Mirror, Sunday, July 23 --

Altoona Mirror - : "Reaching for a moving object increases the risk of a crash or a near-crash by nine times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; applying makeup by three times; dialing a handheld device [typically a cell phone] by three times and talking or listening on a handheld device by 1.3 times, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute." (more)

It IS July!

"Some like it hot, and some sweat when the heat is on"
-- Robert Palmer

"It isn't the heat, it's the humidity"
-- Widely-held truth

At any rate, it IS hot, and it IS humid, and I do SWEAT! But, it IS July, closing in on August. This is pretty much how it's s'posed to be.

Somebody please explain to me ...
... why it's always so darn hard to screw the top off mouthwash bottles.
... why virtually every guy who sells cars thinks he should appear in his own TV ads.

Interesting Tag

Mathematician?

I saw this license plate outside Eat-n-Park, Altoona, Sunday morning.

At first, I thought math teacher, but then I realized it was on the back of a Cadillac. 

Every Teacher , Parent, and Teen Should Read This

I read this story, Murder on Their Minds, in the current issue of Newsweek. I feel everyone who has significant interaction with teenagers should read it, too.

We often tend to dismiss warning signs of real trouble as "just the way kids are". Kids say so many things they don't mean, dramatizing the most trivial of issues, it's very difficult to know when something needs to be given serious attention. But, we live in an era in which virtually anybody is capable of almost anything.

Documents released last week by the Jefferson County sheriff's office show that the boys repeatedly dropped hints at school about their murderous state of mind. Klebold wrote a graphic story about the slaughter of some "preps" and a paper on Charles Manson, while Harris wrote about Nazis and "Guns at Schools." (more)

Furthermore, kids need to be aware of the impact the way they treat other kids might have on those kids. A push in the hallway or the cafeteria might not be the end of the confrontation. A slight, real or imagined, by a would-be friend can have devastating effects.

When he wrote just weeks before the killings, the hurt was raw again. "I hate you people for leaving me out of so many fun things. You people had my phone#, but no. no no no don't let the weird looking Eric KID come along."

I Got Some Skills

I created this panorama using three pictures of the Kings Valley Golf Course taken by Ken Nevling, Sunday, July 9.

I worked in Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 using Photomerge to stitch the images together. Then I did a lot of work to try to get the sky and foreground grass to blend from the center image into the two outer ones. This was a problem because the center image had color levels that didn't match the others.

I'm an amateur at this stuff, but I think it turned out OK. 

The Ostrich Problem

Altoona Mirror: "Pennsylvania high school seniors are increasingly drinking to excess and getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday. It also found that about one in five has gone to school drunk or high.

Fifty-four percent of the state’s 12th-graders reported drinking alcohol during the prior month - the highest level recorded in eight surveys since 1989, and 5 percentage points higher than two years ago. " (more)

There was a segment on WJAC news this morning related to this story in which a local adult was being interviewed. The adult said she believed that 54% was much too high a number for this area.

Based on my own experiences, being around high school kids all the time, I think 54% is probably too low. In my opinion (not supported by any scientifically collected data), it's probably more like 2/3 or 3/4.

Many high school kids talk openly about their drinking experiences. Locally, it's a much bigger issue than it seems most adults are willing to acknowledge.

I do know that there are even some parents who support or enable underage drinking in their homes.

Youth and Underage Drinking: An Overview
Underage Alcohol Abuse Prevention Facts & Information

or Google "underage alcohol"

Ben Roethlisberger

More on Ben Roethlisberger's accident last month.

"They told me that I was literally seconds, maybe a minute away from dying because I slit a vein or artery in my mouth or my throat and it was draining blood right into my stomach ..."

From SI.com

Image : Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Math Pays Off

Note the t-shirt.

Image from a Publishers Clearing House TV ad. 

Customer Service, A Concept Fading

Let's add Staples to the list (along with Don Pablo's, Eat-N-Park, Sears, Weis deli, Circuit City... ) of businesses I've walked out of recently because there was very poor customer service.

In Staples this morning, I was attempting to buy a computer desk. A bearded, middle-aged employee wheeled the box up to the front near the checkouts. He asked if this was all. I, in turn, asked if he could tell me where some other merchandise was located. He said he didn't know and walked away. I foolishly assumed he was going to ask someone else the location of these items. He began talking with another employee and remained so doing for several more minutes without so much as a glance back in my direction at which point I walked out.

By the manner of these employees, you would think it was difficult to find people to fill these retail and restaurant jobs. Perhaps it is. That, however, would be a surprise to me unemployment being what it is. I am even more surprised that employers tolerate this shoddy performance.

Bravo, Italia!

L'Italia, il vincitore della Coppa del Mondo di 2006!

Italy, World Cup Champions 2006!

I will readily acknowledge that I am not a soccer fan, but I am enought of a sports fan to know that this is a big deal. I watched almost every minute of the match, surprising even to myself. I got caught up in the intensity of the competition. I found myself really enjoying it.

ESPNsoccernet -- CBS SportsLine.com

Image: AP Photo/Martin Rickett/PA

Back to ...

Here's another one. (Staples, July 8)

These retailers just can't wait to get a piece of that back-to-school pie.

And you know mom and dad (or other adult caregiver) have had just about enough of their perfect little progeny.

 

GAS (The Saga Continues)

Friday, July 7, 12:30 pm

The upward spiral continues.

It was kind of a lucky day, though. I put a dollar in the change machine at the car wash and got out five quarters! Don't ya luv it when fate smiles on you even just a tiny bit? 

Freudian Slip?

I pulled this from an email I received from Buy.com offering a free poster from Shutterfly --

"Make a big impact with your favorite photo - decorate the wall of your home or office an incredible vacation moment or family portrait immoralized in your Poster Size Print. To get your high quality print delivered ..."

I think it speaks for itself!

Cola Wars Redux

From CNN.com -- FBI nabs 3 over Coca-Cola secrets

I found it interesting that something like this seems to be such a big deal!

"Dirk" provided other documents to the FBI for $5,000 and agreed to take $75,000 for a highly confidential product sample from a new Coca-Cola project.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

You gotta be kiddin' me!

I snapped these the morning of July 5, at Big Lots!

Please, don't make me start thinking about that yet.

Fireworks Fotos

These are three of the more than 40 photos I shot from the parking lot of Motel 6 looking out over the Blair County Ballpark (Altoona, PA) earlier this evening.

This is my first fireworks shoot. I used a Canon A430 Power Shot in Scene mode - Fireworks, mounted on a tripod.

These images have been processed, but you can view all the fresh, raw, full-size images at my Picasa Web Albums.



Look for the edited images (like with that annoying street light removed) to be posted soon. The finished images are posted now.


HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Duh!!!

From USA Today -- More restrictions on teen drivers result in less accidents, study shows

Can you imagine? What will they think of next?

(image: www.alexanderlaw.com/accident.jpg)