HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY LEGOS … One of the Greatest Toys of all Times

Today, marks the 50th anniversary of the Legos brick. Happy birthday to one of the greatest toys ever invented for children. Legos have expanded more children’s minds with the building of nearly everything from houses to airplanes and all things in between including that what children just dreamed up on their own. Once again Legos … Happy 50th Birthday to easily one of the top 5 toys of all times. Legos are truly building blocks of child and adult learning.

The Lego company plans to celebrate the anniversary with, among other things, a worldwide contest to discover the best kid Lego builder. Each country will have its own national champion, Lego promises, and these lucky kids will get the right to come to headquarters in Denmark to fight it out for the world title.

Having, as I said above, covered two adult U.S. national model builder competitions, I can tell you that these things are great. I don’t know what Lego plans for the kids, but if it’s like the adult version, they’ll get some time to pull bricks from endless bins, and then a few hours to build something magical. They’ll also have to all craft the same object, with the best models getting a leg up for later in the competition.

Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund Crowned Miss America 2008 … From Anorexia to Miss America

19 year old Miss Michigan, Kirsten Haglund, was crowned the 2008 Miss America. Thankfully, she was not asked any questions on regarding geography or why Americans cannot find the US on a world map as last years contestant from South Carolina was. Just three years ago, Kirsten Haglund was was battling an eating disorder and today she finds herself Miss America 2008. 

LAS VEGAS —  Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund, a 19-year-old aspiring Broadway star, was crowned Miss America 2008 on Saturday in a live show billed as the unveiling of the 87-year-old pageant’s new, hipper look.

Haglund, of Farmington Hills, Mich., sang “Over the Rainbow” to clinch the title. She beat Miss Indiana Nicole Elizabeth Rash, the first runner up, and Miss Washington Elyse Umemoto, the second runner up for the $50,000 scholarship and year of travel that comes with the crown.

Haglund, a cheery, classic blond, wore a revealing silver sequined dress and black bikini during the evening gown and swimsuit portions of the pageant. As her platform issue, she promised to advocate for awareness of eating disorders, an illness from which she has recovered.

Army Sergeant Competes for Miss America Title: Jill Stevens, A.K.A. ‘GI Jane,’ Can Shoot a Rifle and Model a Swimsuit 

Miss America’s image has taken a beating lately, but this year an unlikely hero may be coming to rescue of the beleaguered pageant: “GI Jill.”

Among the contestants who will parade their talents, poise and beauty before the judges tonight in Las Vegas is Miss Utah — Army Sgt. Jill Stevens, from Kaysville, Utah, who will trade in her cammies for haute couture.

Serial Rapist: DNA Link Between Missing Brianna Denison and December Sexual Assault of University of Nevada-Reno Student

19 year old Brianna Denison has been missing since January 20, 2008, when she went missing without a trace from a Reno, NV friends home. Blood was found on her pillow and her cell phone and purse were left behind.

Police are now saying that there is a DNA link between the missing Brianna Denison and a prior sexual assault that occurred on December 16 of a University of Nevada – Reno student. The DNA was a match. It would appear that the Reno, Nevada area has a serial rapist on their hands.

Police said Sunday a DNA link between the disappearance of a 19-year-old woman and the December sexual assault of a college student leads them to believe a sole attacker was responsible for both cases.

DNA taken from the scene where Brianna Denison was last seen Jan. 20 matches DNA gathered after the Dec. 16 sexual assault of a University of Nevada-Reno student who lived several blocks away,
police commander Ron Holladay said.

Police believe a white male in his 30s is responsible for Denison’s disappearance and the attack, Holladay said.

“Our chances of capturing the suspect are exponentially increased now because of the DNA,” he said. “He probably lives in the area. It’s still my hope that Brianna is alive, and we’re expending every resource possible to get her back safely.”

Holladay said the victim of the earlier attack was interviewed again after the DNA match was made and that a more detailed description of the suspect was developed.

That victim was abducted outside her home on Dec. 16, taken to another location and sexually assaulted, then brought home by her
attacker, Holladay said. She also was the victim of a Jan. 19 attempted burglary at her home that may be connected to the attacker, Holladay said. (KOLO-TV)

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Scared Monkeys Radio Daily Commentary – Monday, January 28, 2008 – Finally, Some Happy News From Hollywood

• Dana discusses Milwaukee’s honoring of Arthur H. Fonzarelli

Download and Comment at ScaredMonkeysRadio.Com

“A Christmas Story” Comes to Life … Two Indiana 4th Graders Double Dog Dare as Tongues Froze to Flag Pole

Life imitating art … the childhood right of passage of sticking tongue to a flag pole. The end result is always the same.

Well it was right out of Ralphie and “A Christmas Story”. The flag pole tongue freezing incident even took place in Indiana of all places. The very location that “A Christmas Story” was supposed to take place in the northwest Indiana community of Hammond in the 1940s. Two 4th grade boys, Gavin Dempsey and James Alexander decided to put the theory to the test in real life.

Ralphie’s friends Flick and Schwartz disputing over whether or not a person’s tongue will stick to a frozen flagpole. Schwartz gives Flick a “triple dog dare,” and Flick’s tongue gets stuck to the pole, much to his terror. A suction tube within the flagpole was used to simulate the freezing of Flick’s tongue to the pole.

Well, they do show “A Christmas Story” for 24 hours straight from Christmas Eve day into Christmas Day so why wouldn’t one think that kids would do their “double dog dare” right of passage and see if their tongues really would stick to a flag pole.

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