Joke: Misc. Tidbits

[Eric Thelin <eric@generation-i.com>]

Karl S Ackerman offered an answer to my question
about why the color of piano keys changed from
"black and white" to "white and black.  It makes
sense to me!
> I have heard that ivory (the white keys) was very expensive, and
> ebony (the black keys) was quite a bit cheaper, and therefore,
> since more raw materials are needed to make the regular keys
> (as opposed to the sharp/flat keys), the regular keys were made
> out of ebony, and the sharps/flats out of ivory. When trade with
> Africa increased in the 1800's, ivory became more available, and
> the switch was made.   -- Karl

Bob Di Giorgio adds ---
Harpsichords pluck the strings, and can't be made to sound softer or louder
by the way the keys are pressed. The piano changes this by hitting the
strings with hammers. The original name for the piano was the "fortepiano",
basically Italian for "loud/quiet", eventually becoming "piano" for short.



TIDBITS: a bit of "this and that" taken from
the TIDBITS published in Hamilton, Vermont.

NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, definitely
believes in leveling the playing field for all competitors. Drivers who
weigh under 200 pounds will have extra weight added to their vehicles in
order to eliminate their advantage over heavier competitors.

In Charlotte, one car was completely "totaled" in a NASCAR race. The good
news is that the parts were salvaged for $97,000!

The exhaust system temperature during a race can exceed 1600 degrees
Fahrenheit. Fortunately, the director of the Kennedy Space Center is a
NASCAR fan. Drivers report cockpit temperatures of 160 degrees, but thanks
to KSC scientists, this can be reduced to a mere 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Women have been competing in the Indianapolis 500 race since 1976. And
officials estimate that more than 30% of NASCAR fans are women.


[] [] [] [] [] []

"When ideas fail, words come in very handy."
	--- Goethe

"The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with
him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself
too."
	--- Samuel Butler

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to
please everybody."
	--- Bill Cosby

[] [] [] [] [] []



COMPUTER ONE LINERS
From: Walker Family <walkers4@pacbell.net>

 Logic:  The art of being wrong with confidence...

 If at first you don't succeed, call it version 1.0

 Maintenance-free:  When it breaks, it can't be fixed...

 Microwave:  Signal from a friendly micro...

 Nostalgia:  The good old days multiplied by a bad memory...

 Asking if computers can think is like asking if submarines can swim.

 Justify my text?  I'm sorry but it has no excuse.

 Programming is an art form that fights back.