Saturday, March 21, 2009

Good News for March 21 (posted by Mary Beth)

London's lost rivers rise again

"Stand outside the Old Tiger's Head pub in Lewisham, in southeast London, and through a manhole cover in the street you can hear the River Ravensbourne rushing incongruously underfoot.

Over the past five centuries, London has paved over, diverted into concrete channels or otherwise hidden away more than a dozen of its rivers, all tributaries to the Thames."

Click here for more on why London is planning to "uncover" some of its hidden rivers.


Astronauts go on 2nd spacewalk at space station

"Astronauts took another spacewalk at the international space station Saturday, this time to lighten the workload for future crews.

Steven Swanson and Joseph Acaba loosened bolts on batteries, hooked up an antenna and photographed a pair of radiators. But they were stymied by a protruding pin that prevented them from setting up equipment storage platforms."

For more on the out-of-this-world activities, click here.


Country discovery is reel find: Local engineer is restoring tapes of Opry legends

"For years, there have been whispers of a lost treasure-trove of country recordings hidden away somewhere in the Northeast. Tapes of George Jones, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Jr., Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, Tammy Wynette, Buck Owens, Charley Pride, and other icons - a veritable all-star spectacular - were among those rumored to be languishing in obscurity.

Last year, the myth became reality. Hundreds of tapes were pulled from a barn in southern Pennsylvania, recordings made at high schools, dances, fairs, festivals, and auditoriums in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and elsewhere."

Click here to get the lowdown on the restoration of this amazing find.


Stimulus tax-credit offer builds interest in energy fixes: Shoppers at Home Show look for ideas

"When the Boggs family moved into a 15-year-old Pearland home last fall, they penned a laundry list of renovations that they hoped to make over the next two years.

The lineup changed, however, after they learned about the tax credit offered for energy-efficient home improvements under the federal economic stimulus bill."

Is there something in the tax-credit offer to benefit you? Click here for more information.

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