There are 65,000 miles of highway in the 50 states. Much of this makes up the interstate highway system that was built by the federal government. In fact, 23 percent of all roadway traffic is on interstate highway. Interstate usage is equal to one trip around the world for 37,000,000 people every year, or three trips around the world for each American starting from 1956.

Communications is another field that the government has made major contributions to. The federal government funded the development of the telegraph in the 1840′s and, within a decade of Samuel Morse’s first electric telegraph, 20,000 miles of cable had been installed. This accelerated American expansion. Eventually, Samuel Morse was involved with the creation of the first transatlantic cable, making communication much easier between the United States and Europe.

The government is also responsible for building communication satellites that have led to the proliferation of cable television, radio broadcasting and mobile apps. Additionally, these satellites have lowered costs of long distance calls from their original cost of $10/minute.

The American government is responsible for many more projects that have ultimately succeeded in improving American expansion and growth. These include education, energy supply and the public health. In this infographic, BestSocialWorkPrograms.com takes a look at these projects and shows you just how much the government can really get done.

Image compliments of Best Social Work Programs

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Montreal Museum of Fine Arts – 1972

Around 2 a.m. on September 4, 1972, three art thieves broke into the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and committed the largest art heist in Canadian history. Among the 18 paintings looted were works by Delacroix, Gainsborough and Rembrandt, as well as some of the museum’s jewelry and figurines, a theft estimated to have been worth $2 million at the time and around $10 million today. Among the Rembrandt paintings stolen was a rare landscape valued at a hefty $1 million at the time, a figure that experts predict would have grown to $20 million today. The tragedy? None of these pieces have ever been recovered. The bright side? The thieves left behind an additional 20 paintings when they set off an alarm and had to flee.

Musee Marmottan Monet – 1985

In what was dubbed at the time as the “art theft of the century,” the Musee Marmotten in Paris, France suffered a loss of some of the most influential impressionist paintings ever created one harrowing day in October 1985. While most art heists occur under the cover of night, the five-masked gunman behind this scheme held a crowd of 50 security guards and museumgoers at gunpoint while they scoped and stole 9 paintings worth an estimated $12 million. Of these were paintings by Monet, Renoir and Morisot, the most significant of which was Monet’s Impression, Sunrise, the painting that gave the movement its name. Luckily, the paintings were recovered in 1990, leaving a serious mark on the thieves’ criminal records.

The Scream – 1994 and 2004

Hugely popular and reproduced a million times over for its elongated, surreal face of angst, Munch’s “the Scream” stands as a hallmark of greatness for art lovers and pop culture followers everywhere. Not just once, but twice, has this beacon of our culture been stolen, but luckily, twice has it also been recovered. The first theft took place in 1994 as two men broke into the National Gallery in London while the beginning of the Olympics distracted crowds. They left the note, “Thanks for the poor security,” but for all their sassiness, the $22 million painting was recovered two years after. A similar occurrence happened exactly one decade later as two men robbed the Munch Museum in Norway at gunpoint and walked outside with the painting in broad daylight. Again, the suspects were found two years after the dedicated search began, much to the relief of the Norwegian public. For both set of art thieves, their criminal arrest records won’t be able to recover from these art crimes. Still, it seems like this painting needs a little better security.

The Mona Lisa – 1911

What’s the most famous painting in the world? As to be expected, panic ensued the moment the Mona Lisa turned up missing from the Louvre in Paris, France in 1911. Considered by most to be the greatest portrait of all time, the Mona Lisa was missing for 26 hours before someone noticed – a considerable amount of time for this unmistakable $100 million original by Vincent van Gogh. Two years passed with a dark hole in the art world before the perpetrators were apprehended. Fortunately, the thief was caught and the painting replaced. Vincenzo Peruggia, the man behind the heist, said he stole the painting to return it to his native Italy, but conspiracy theories still abound to this day about what really happened and why the day the Mona Lisa disappeared.

Isabella Stewart Gardner – 1990

The largest art heist in recorded history took place one late March night in 1990 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston, MA. Perhaps the cleverest art thieves ever born dressed up as police officers and convinced the security guard to let them in, saying they were responding to a call. Then they threatened the security guard with a warrant for his arrest, made him step away from the alarm button, call the other guard on duty, and from there, they tied up both security guards while leisurely rampaging the museum. They got away with $300 million of paintings and artifacts: among those stolen were works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Flinck, Degas and Manet. To this day, the art is still missing and the museum has put out a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the thieves and the recovery of the works.

Bonus: Worst Art Restoration Of All Time

Fresco depiction of Jesus – 2012

As a bonus art bloopers, the worst art restoration of all time happened last year in a church in northeastern Spain. An “ecce homo,” or “bound with thorns,” painting of Jesus Christ that had been painted centuries earlier by fresco artists had been disintegrating over the years. One day, 80-year old Cecilia Gimenez, a devout follower, decided to take it upon herself to restore the painting because she said it made her upset to see the paint flicking off. This woman was not a professional painter or art historian, and despite her good intentions, one glance at the “restored” painting says it all. She may have had a clear record before this, but she’ll now be going down in history for “the botched Jesus restoration.”

(Image Source: nytimes.com)

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If you think you’re up to the challenge of traveling through time, and it is a challenge. Strap on your safety belts, put on your thinking caps and be prepared to generate enough gigawatts to get this baby in motion. Be prepared to face the joy and the terror that comes from traveling through space. We hope you’ve brought your own weapon because this has only been done once before.

Be sure to remember that if you meet yourself or any family member, it is better not to talk with them. The first rule of time travel is do not talk about time travel.

Via: Edudemic

The post How to Build a Time Machine appeared first on Digital Bus Stop.

credit: napkinshoe

Crowdfunding. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? You get online, write an eloquent blog post about why your brand really, really needs this money you guys, rake it in and stick it to the man. Of course, it doesn’t always work like that. For every story about the little brand that could, there are thousands more about the little brand that raised $15 in 64 days and became the laughing stock of Kickstarter. We’re going to focus on the latter; because, you know, it’s more fun that way.

Animal Collective’s Deakin Doesn’t Understand Deadlines

When people give you money for a product, they usually expect something in return. Deakin took all this onboard, nodded like he understood it, then promptly gave his funders the finger. In 2009 the tortured artist took to Kickstarter, asking fans to fund his new charity trip to Mali. In return, they’d get a book, photographs and a newly-recorded CD. Fast forward to 2012 and nobody who coughed up the dough for Deakin’s vacation has seen a single goddamn thing. Deakin’s excuse? It’s like, really, really hard recording an album… maybe next year? What an asshat.

Brett Uren Fails Big Time

Who the hell is Brett Uren, you might be asking. Well, hold the hypothetical interruptions and I’ll tell you: Brett is the creator of comic series Kuzimu. The reason you haven’t heard of that either is because no-one has. Earlier this year, Brett put up a call for funding on Indiegogo; with the intention of making New York Comic Con and dazzling all the assembled dignitaries with his unique blend of pictures and words on a page. After a heartfelt appeal to his fans, Brett sat back to wait for the cash to roll in; and was still waiting as NYCC sailed past without him. From a target of $1,7500, Brett raised $500; $499 of which doubtless came from his mother.

No One Wants Your Hipster T-Shirts

credit: Images_of_Money

Everyone loves hating on hipsters. So here we go: the Individuality Protest is the brainchild of a bunch of Brighton-based renegades who want to “inspire people to believe in themselves” through the power of t-shirts. Yes, t-shirts. By pledging a mere £27, you too can receive a totally unique t-shirt; because there’s no way anyone else has ever though to offer this service before. The project is ongoing, so if you want to help these hip-young individuals raise £2,700 to make a few tye-dye shirts, by all means pledge your hard-earned money now.

Apparently, Idiots Love Rainbows

Jessi Arrington deserves your contempt, but also a fair amount of respect. This human embodiment of everything twee and cutesy decided she wanted a marching band for her birthday; and nothing, not even being the most irritating person alive, was going to stop her. So she took to Kickstarter to raise the funds and… well, raised them. People looked in their wallets, saw the extra bills floating around and evidently decided ‘I’m far too rich, better spoil some brat I’ve never met’. Not only did she make her target, she more than doubled it. All this while being the nearest human-equivalent to a goddamn Care Bear.

And finally, Some Irony

After that car-crash of losers, egomaniacs and inexplicably-successful idiots; we thought we’d leave you on a lighter note. Last summer, Glenn Fleishman decided to crowdsource funding for his new book: ‘Crowdfunding: a Guide to What Works and Why’. In a twist that only someone who has never heard of ‘irony’ could fail to see coming, the project bombed spectacularly. Fleishman raised $3,800 of $35,000, while blowing his own project completely out the water. Kind of makes you smile, don’t it?

These crowdfunding conundrums were compiled by the folks at PrinterInks.com.

The post When Crowdfunding Goes Wrong appeared first on Digital Bus Stop.

Killing in the Name – Rage against the Machine (2009)

CC Via Flickr

The 2009 Christmas song of the year is remarkably one of the bland numbers to have made it to number one in many years. The Rage against the Machine band conspired with a group of defiant X-factor opponents, who were keen on frustrating top contenders from getting the top spot. The song’s title is nothing to write home about, not forgetting the disparaging elements in the lyrics. True to reviews, most people who supported it did not really like the content. An objectionable drive and a feeling of resentment inspired it; the justification of having it at number one was simply flawed.

Mr. Blobby – Mr. Blobby (1993)

Rated as UK’s worst Christmas hit of all time, Mr. Blobby featured in a television cast in the 1990s. Mr. Blobby was depicted a disliked dummy character who was to gain popularity and attained a theme park song, which took the 1993 Christmas songs recognition from deserving groups. The awful number was to deny renowned hit group Take That the top spot, even though the Mr. Blobby music composition was barely a match to any amateur compositions. This is not forgetting the incompatible theme it displayed, in contrast with the Christmas mood.

Lonely This Christmas – Mud (1974)

CC Via Flickr

The Christmas season is not a time to depict seclusion and misery. Lonely This Christmas is one hit that degrades the festive mood synonymous with Christmas. The dreary lyric composition of a character jilted over Christmas, will sure numb down your graceful spirits faster than any monotonous nursery tune ever. Gloominess is a bad theme for a Christmas adventure; yet it is utterly unimaginable that the song really made it to number one in 1974 and still features among other top Christmas hits.

Long Haired Lover from Liverpool – Jimmy Osmond (1972)

CC Via Flickr

Long Haired Lover from Liverpool was another hit that other than having a disjointed Christmas concept, gained popularity for all the wrong reasons. Having been sang by a member of the Osmond’s family, which was a reason many thought it deserved a top spot, the only mentionable aspect about the song was the accomplishment by Johnny Osmond. Johnny was the youngest member from the Osmond’s to have a top Christmas at only nine years, though the song still had a lackluster effect.

Please Daddy Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas- John Denver (1975)

Although Denver had been acclaimed as a powerful Christmas song composer with several Christmas hits, his 1975 sad Christmas composition made it to the top of the worst Christmas hits of all times. Unlike his previous hits, this one left a remorseful feeling over a Christmas mood that should have sounded fairly cheery. Many other reviews censure the song, perhaps because it was a real Christmas time error.

Christmas songs got you feeling festive? Visit Prezzy Box who provide loads of awesome Christmas gifts!

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However, mobile games have grown exponentially. Designed to be compatible with a wide range of devices such as phones and tablets made by different companies, their wide availability, low price, low production costs and, of course, mobility have made mobile games appealing to casual, hard core gamers and designers alike.

Without having to worry about the latest graphical capabilities, designers can focus on user friendliness and making their games well, fun. Game developer salaries have grown by about 50% in the past decade and the game industry generated almost as much revenue as the U.S.’s current national debt. The Apple iOS has almost 600,00 applications to date.

Graphic brought to you by Qualcomm Developer Network. Empowering your mobile development.

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Whether you are an employee or an employer, a safe and secure workplace is essential. While safety and freedom from health related issues is important on the job, OSHA also addresses current obligations for compliance to environmental protection standards.

Many business owners attempt to monitor the changing regulations designed to keep employees safe at work, but diligence is often not enough. Legalities and safety standards change frequently and often differ per locality. Not only are OSHA programs designed keep up with these changing obligations, their programs provide continued education in safety procedures and employee preparedness.

OSHA caters to the individual needs of a business, and a partnership with OSHA assures a safe and healthy work environment. OSHA offers individualized programs and plans to cover any size or type business.

[VIA: OSHA ]

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The London Underground, Britain’s most famous rapid transit system (affectionately known as “The Tube”), is home to the world’s oldest underground railway, first opened in 1863. The Underground services 270 stations and features over 250 miles of track, 45 percent of which is below ground level. Over the decades, the tube has changed significantly as technology advanced, with London Transport abandoned routes and stations which proved to be an economic loss, updating trains, and changing their maps, amongst other things. Here are some glimpses at some of the London Underground’s old and hidden treasures.

Abandoned Shoreditch Tube Station

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Formerly a terminus of the London Underground’s East London line, and in its history also a station on the Metropolitan line, the Shoreditch Station is now abandoned and decaying, having never really been widely used in its entire 137 year history.

Abandoned Brompton Road Tube Station

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Brompton Road tube station was opened on the original incarnation of the Piccadilly Line (Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway) in 1906. Passenger numbers were always low, however, being very close to other stations in a relatively wealthy area, which meant that (at the time) it was rarely used. It was closed in 1934.

Inside An Old Tube Train

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This is the view from inside an old 1938 Norther Line tube train preserved at the London Transport Museum.

War Time Use

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This is a fascinating picture of a map of London from the Second World War buried deep within Brompton Road station from when it was used as the Royal Artillery’s Anti-Aircraft Operations Room for Central London.

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This is one of the entrances to the Stockwell deep level wartime shelter, one of the many deep level shelters built under tube stations during the Second World War. It now stands as a memorial, decorated by children at local schools.

The Thames Tunnel

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Originally opened in 1843, and designed by Marc Isambard Brunel, the Thames Tunnel was the first ever underground tunnel built with tunnel shield technology, a technology that would be used for the building of the deep level London Underground lines in the near future. The tunnel was initially built as a pedestrian tunnel under the Thames connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping, but was purchased in 1865 by the East London Railway Company in order to use it as a rail tunnel. It would later be used as part of the East London Line. To this day, it is still used by London Overground trains passing between Rotherhithe and Wapping stations.

Old Tube Maps

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The famous Tube Map has had many different incarnations over the years. This is a picture of a 1920′s map of the tube, where the lines were still drawn geographically. Notice how the colours of the lines have mostly remained the same, apart from the Piccadilly, Central, and Metropolitan Lines. It wasn’t until Harry Beck produced his famous circuit diagram inspired map in 1931 (pictured below) that the tube map began to take its modern shape.

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Author: This article was put together by the team at British Antique Replicas.

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These days, more people are choosing to go green by finding and using more environmentally friendly products. Pope Benedict XVI is no exception. He was recently presented with his first electric car, a customized white Renault Kangoo for use at his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. Renault also presented a blue version for the Vatican gendarms to use around Vatican City.

The Pope’s Wheels over the Years

For centuries, popes used carriages and sedan-chairs. The papal sedan-chair was carried by twelve “palafrenieri” in red uniforms. Only recently have they started using automobiles. At the beginning of the 20th century, the pope’s fleet included vehicle brands such as Fiat, Bianchi, Graham-Paige, Itala, Citroen, and others. But it wasn’t until 1930 that they first started using popemobiles, when Mercedes-Benz presented Pope Pius XI a Mercedes-Benz Nurberg 460.  Mercedes-Benz has been making customized popemobiles ever since. Some are open air, and others enclose the pope behind bulletproof glass. Some allow the pope to sit, and in others he stands. This variety allows the Vatican to select one appropriate to the situation. Here are some of the past popemobiles and other cars in the pope’s fleet:

• Mercedes-Benz 300 d given to Pope John XXIII
• 1964 custom built Lehmann-Peterson, used by Pope Paul VI in New York, 1965, and again in 1970 in Bogota
• Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman-Landaulet for Pope Paul VI
• Model 300 SEL from the 109 series for the fleet
• A converted G-class car, first one to have a transparent superstructure, given to the Vatican
• A special version of the Merecedes-Benz 500 SEL for the fleet
• A long wheel-base landaulet version of the S 500, also for the fleet
• A small truck based on the Polish FSC Star, for Pope John Paul II when he traveled to his home country
• A Ford D series truck, used by Pope John Paul II’s trip to Ireland
• A converted 230 G Gelandewagen for Pope John Paul II’s trip to Germany, 1980
• A popemobile based on the ML 430 for Pope John Paul II in 2002

The Pope’s Newest Car, the Electric Renault Kangoo

The Pope’s newest car is a customized white Renault Kangoo. There are two versions of the electric Renault: the Kangoo Z.E. and the Kangoo Maxi Z.E. They feature the same practical functions as their internal combustion-engined counterparts (the Kangoo and Kangoo Maxi).

1. The Kangoo Z.E.

The Kangoo Z.E. is both comfortable and practical. It has a 22kWh battery and is powered by a 44kW electric motor which boasts 90 percent energy efficiency. This is far better than the 25 percent energy efficiency typical of internal combustion engines which have higher energy losses. The motor is also very quiet, while still getting up to 10,500 rpm. It has a carrying capacity of 3 to 3.5 cubic meters.

2. The Kangoo Maxi Z.E.

The Kangoo Maxi Z.E. is an extended version of the Kangoo Z.E. It will be available in two forms: a two-seater and a five-seater. The Kangoo Maxi Z.E. has more carrying capacity (up to 4.6 cubic meters) than the Kangoo Z.E. It has a combined cycle-range of up to 170 km.

They both have dashboard displays that keep the driver informed as to battery charge and range of operation. It also has an ‘econo’-meter, which shows the energy consumption use. There are three color coded levels: light blue for normal energy usage, dark blue for optimal energy usage, and red for excessive energy usage. Prices for the Kangoo start at 15,900 euros ($20,000).  Presumably the Pope’s car costs a good bit more with the

Conclusion

This is just an example of how the pope’s wheels have changed over the years, from pre-automobile times all the way to his newest electric car.

Chris Turberville-Tully is a marketing strategist for L and L Automotive, a dealership specializing in Mercedes-Benz, AMG, and Smart brands.

The post The Popemobile Goes Green: A List Of The Pope’s Wheels From Past to Present appeared first on Digital Bus Stop.

But there are many unusual health tips out there that you probably have never, ever heard about, and they are actually true! The top X strangest but true health tips include:

1. Use Toilet Stall #1

After an careful analysis of 51 public rest rooms, a study determined that the stall that is closest to the door of the restroom ALWAYS had the lowest levels of bacteria (and also, the largest amount of toilet paper). Why is this? It is probably due to the fact that the first stall is closest to the door and most people want to have the most privacy possible in their bathroom moments. I know personally, when I am in a public restroom, I head for the toilet as far from the door as possible. I plan to change that, now! Also, be aware that when you flush the toilet, stand up first. When many toilets flush, you can get a mist or drops of water on your backside. That water contains bacteria and can actually cause you to get intestinal viruses and even hepatitis.

2. Scratch the Other Arm

If you have ever had an itch under a cast, it can drive you positively crazy! You can’t reach the itch no matter what you do, so what should you do? One trick is to scratch the identical area that itches, but on your other arm or leg. This can, in some cases, trick your brain into thinking that you have scratched the itch.

3. How to Break a High Fever

If you have a fever of 102 or less, you can deal with that by just taking aspirin and drinking a lot of water. However, if you have a fever higher than that, it can be dangerous, especially if it persists for a day or more. To get your high fever under control, you should try putting a pack of ice underneath your arm, or in your groin. Icing these areas will quickly cool your core temperature. Yes, it’s unpleasant, but it works, but only temporarily. Then get to a doctor ASAP.

4. A Quick Remedy for Claustrophobia

Do you have a tendency to get claustrophobia? You might get this feeling in an elevator, a subway or even in a small office. What you can do in a pinch is to visit a grocery store or a fruit stand. If you sniff a piece of green apple, it can help to temporarily relieve your claustrophobia. You can also just carry a piece of apple with you and replace it every few days. Also, if you are trying to sell your home, you can put some fresh green apples on a table. It can actually help to make buyers perceive that your house is bigger than it is.

5. Do Not Use Antibacterial Soap

This is a case of marketing winning out over science. There is no reason to purchase any soap that is called ‘antibacterial.’ This is according to the American Medical Association. About 50% of soaps have antimicrobial agents, but the AMA says there is no evidence that such products are better than regular soaps in stopping infections. In fact, the AMA has stated that antibacterial soaps can worsen infections. The idea is that the bacteria is made stronger and more resistant.

6. Use Pepper to Stop Bleeding

If you cut yourself with a kitchen knife, reach for black pepper fast. First, clean the wound with cold water and soap. Then, sprinkle black pepper on the wound and put pressure on it. The bleeding will cease in no time. Black pepper has strong antibacterial, analgesic, and antiseptic properties. Pepper does not sting at all, either!

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