Today in the News:
– The MTA planning express train service from Penn Station to Hamptons
– China is looking into sudden dog and pig deaths
– and Stephen Hawking says, the Big Bang Didn’t Need Divine Intervention
– (and KFC removes bones to satisfy lazy eaters
Finally the MTA has heard our calls here in NYC, for faster transport to the beach in the summer, and for the first time ever, the MTA plans express service from Penn Station to Westhampton Beach on summer Friday nights that will zoom passengers to their weekend homes in just 94 minutes. But not only that! The MTA is also for the first time ever, offering return express service on Sunday evenings. For more than 100 years, The Cannonball has run to Westhampton from Hunters Point in Long Island City on summer Friday nights. Passengers from Penn Station would have to transfer to the train in Jamaica. Now The Cannonball will depart Penn Station at 4:07 p.m. on Fridays and run non-stop to Westhampton, followed by local stops all the way to Montauk. The 94-minute express run from Penn Station to Westhampton Beach will be 37 minutes faster than the current service with the change in Jamaica. Great news for some of us indeed!
A Chinese village has closed nearby chemical plants after hundreds of pigs and dogs died mysteriously, sparking fears among local residents. A total of 410 pigs and 122 dogs were found dead in Dongtun village in Yanshi city, Henan province. Chinese officials say the deaths were not caused by an epidemic or the new H7N9 bird flu strain, and nearby chemical factories are being investigated. Last month, more than 16,000 dead pigs were pulled from Shanghai’s main river, and around 1,000 dead ducks were found in a river in Sichuan. China is also dealing with a serious bird flu outbreak. The H7N9 virus has infected a total of 83 people, killing 17, according to state media. China is now investigating the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the virus. China has warned that the number of infections, 82 so far, could rise. Most of the cases and 11 of the deaths have been in the commercial capital Shanghai.
The famous cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, told a packed house at the California Institute of Technology, that our universe didn’t need any divine help to burst into being. According to Hawking, time began at the moment of singularity, and this has likely occurred only once, in his opinion. The age of the universe — now believed to be about 13.8 billion years — fits that model, as the number and maturity of observed galaxies seem to fit in the general scheme. Hawking encourages continued exploration of the cosmos, fr the future of humanity, as he does not believe humanity will survive another thousand years without escaping our fragile planet earth.
KFC’s quest to change chicken into as many shapes as possible, might be coming to an end, as the company is introducing yet another unnatural variation of their signature recipe: fried boneless chicken chunks. The new chicken variety, which is available as of April 14th, comes in either dark or light meat varieties and allows customers the opportunity to enjoy Kentucky fried chicken without having to strip meat off legbones or breastplates. Based on customer trends, the company says chicken with bones could eventually be pushed off its menu entirely. Next thing we know KFC will grow boneless chicken, to make production easier on the company.
Today in the News:
– The MTA planning express train service from Penn Station to Hamptons
– China is looking into sudden dog and pig deaths
– and Stephen Hawking says, the Big Bang Didn’t Need Divine Intervention
– (and KFC removes bones to satisfy lazy eaters
Finally the MTA has heard our calls here in NYC, for faster transport to the beach in the summer, and for the first time ever, the MTA plans express service from Penn Station to Westhampton Beach on summer Friday nights that will zoom passengers to their weekend homes in just 94 minutes. But not only that! The MTA is also for the first time ever, offering return express service on Sunday evenings. For more than 100 years, The Cannonball has run to Westhampton from Hunters Point in Long Island City on summer Friday nights. Passengers from Penn Station would have to transfer to the train in Jamaica. Now The Cannonball will depart Penn Station at 4:07 p.m. on Fridays and run non-stop to Westhampton, followed by local stops all the way to Montauk. The 94-minute express run from Penn Station to Westhampton Beach will be 37 minutes faster than the current service with the change in Jamaica. Great news for some of us indeed!
A Chinese village has closed nearby chemical plants after hundreds of pigs and dogs died mysteriously, sparking fears among local residents. A total of 410 pigs and 122 dogs were found dead in Dongtun village in Yanshi city, Henan province. Chinese officials say the deaths were not caused by an epidemic or the new H7N9 bird flu strain, and nearby chemical factories are being investigated. Last month, more than 16,000 dead pigs were pulled from Shanghai’s main river, and around 1,000 dead ducks were found in a river in Sichuan. China is also dealing with a serious bird flu outbreak. The H7N9 virus has infected a total of 83 people, killing 17, according to state media. China is now investigating the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the virus. China has warned that the number of infections, 82 so far, could rise. Most of the cases and 11 of the deaths have been in the commercial capital Shanghai.
The famous cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, told a packed house at the California Institute of Technology, that our universe didn’t need any divine help to burst into being. According to Hawking, time began at the moment of singularity, and this has likely occurred only once, in his opinion. The age of the universe — now believed to be about 13.8 billion years — fits that model, as the number and maturity of observed galaxies seem to fit in the general scheme. Hawking encourages continued exploration of the cosmos, fr the future of humanity, as he does not believe humanity will survive another thousand years without escaping our fragile planet earth.
KFC’s quest to change chicken into as many shapes as possible, might be coming to an end, as the company is introducing yet another unnatural variation of their signature recipe: fried boneless chicken chunks. The new chicken variety, which is available as of April 14th, comes in either dark or light meat varieties and allows customers the opportunity to enjoy Kentucky fried chicken without having to strip meat off legbones or breastplates. Based on customer trends, the company says chicken with bones could eventually be pushed off its menu entirely. Next thing we know KFC will grow boneless chicken, to make production easier on the company.