July 15: National Gummy Worm Day

Toy Gun Buyback Aimed At Starting Conversation About Violence

A bright green water gun, an old-timely looking plastic revolver, the box near the gym at the O’Fallon Recreation Complex in north St. Louis City quickly started filling up with toy guns.

In return, parents like Liza Pleas received things like soccer balls and coloring books.

She dropped off a couple of toy guns her 10-year-old son received for Christmas.

“I don’t allow my son to play with guns,” Pleas said. “I don’t allow him to play with violent video games, none of that. I brought them here today so they can learn there’s more to life than playing with toy guns, because toy guns can lead you to playing with a real gun.”

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/toy-gun-buyback-aimed-starting-conversation-about-violence

July 14, 1943 The George Washington Carver National Monument is founded in Diamond, MO

George Washington Carver National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service located about two miles west of Diamond, Missouri; the national monument was founded on July 14, 1943, by Franklin Delano Roosevelt who dedicated $30,000 US to the monument. It was the first national monument dedicated to an African-American and first to a non-President.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Carver_National_Monument


http://www.nps.gov/gwca/historyculture/index.htm

July 14: Macaroni Day

Jet engine-powered shopping cart hits 44 mph

The produce aisle may never be the same again. A British tinkerer attached a jet engine to a shopping cart and tore it down a track at 44 mph. Why? Because that's just what some people do for fun in England.

It's true. The jet-powered shopping trolley quest for speed has been a phenomenon for years. What Matt McKeown did differently is go faster than the other jet-powered supermarket carts that came before. A recent run found him beating the previous speed record of 42 mph, though there doesn't seem to be a governing body of shopping trolley racing to confirm the officialness of the record.

You can't just snag a shopping cart from the local grocery store and rip it down a track. It requires some mods to get up to speed. McKeown's cart has go-kart wheels and is equipped with a jet engine that is normally used in Chinook helicopters to help power up the main engine.

McKeown recalls having his shoe laces blown clean off by the exhaust the first time he stepped over the gas turbine engine. The engine was acquired from eBay and will go back up for auction once all the shopping cart runs are done.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57593531-1/jet-engine-powered-shopping-cart-hits-44-mph/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title

July 13: National French Fries Day

July 12, 1973 Fire destroys the 6th floor of the National Personnel Records Center

On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF).

Shortly after midnight, on July 12, 1973, a fire was reported at the NPRC's military personnel records building at 9700 Page Boulevard in St. Louis, MO. Firefighters arrived on the scene only 4 minutes and 20 seconds after the first alarm sounded and entered the building. While they were able to reach the burning sixth floor, the heat and the smoke forced the firefighters to withdraw at 3:15am. In order to combat and contain the flames, firefighters were forced to pour great quantities of water onto the exterior of the building and inside through broken windows. The fire burned out of control for 22 hours; it took two days before firefighters were able to re-enter the building. The blaze was so intense that local Overland residents had to remain indoors, due to the heavy acrid smoke. It was not until July 16, nearly four and a half days after the first reports, that the local fire department called the fire officially out.

http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/fire-1973.html

July 12: National Pecan Pie Day

Transcritical Refrigeration Ready for Prime Time: Panel

WASHINGTON — Retailers looking at or adopting transcritical refrigeration systems, which use only carbon dioxide (CO2) as a refrigerant, are confident that technicians and contractors will be able to handle the installation and maintenance of the new systems, though they may charge a premium.

“With a little training on the uniqueness of certain aspects of the system and understanding the higher pressures, the vast majority of technicians have no trouble with it,” said Steve Hagen, procurement manager, Sprouts Farmers Market, Phoenix, who participated in a panel discussion on natural refrigerants such as CO2 and ammonia last month at the ATMOsphere America 2013 conference here. Sprouts has installed a cascade refrigeration system that largely employs CO2 refrigerant, and “continues to look at opportunities to use natural refrigerants,” he said.

Natural refrigerants have a negligible or zero impact on global warming as well as no effect on the ozone layer. As a result, they are being considered by food retailers worldwide as a replacement for both R-22, the primary refrigerant used by food retailers that is being phased out due to its harmful effect on the ozone layer, and HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerants, which have a high global warming potential.

Rod Peterson, national procurement manager, refrigeration & HVAC, Sobeys, Stellarton, Nova Scotia, acknowledged that the Canadian grocer was concerned about whether contractors would be able to install its initial transcritical system in Western Canada “in a cost effective manner.” However, the contractor turned out to be “up to speed,” he said. “They were excited and proud to be working on the first system.”


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/sustainability/transcritical-refrigeration-ready-prime-time-panel#ixzz2YjNhlmzN

July 11, 1972 – The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer

The World Chess Championship 1972 was a match between challenger Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union for the World Chess Championship. The match took place in the Laugardalshöll arena in Reykjavík, Iceland and has been dubbed the Match of the Century. Fischer became the first American to be the official World Champion since Wilhelm Steinitz (the first world champion) became a naturalized American citizen in 1888. Fischer's win also ended 24 years of Soviet domination of the World Championship.

The first game started on July 11, 1972. The last game began on August 31 and was adjourned after 40 moves. Spassky resigned the next day without resuming play. Fischer won the match 12½–8½, becoming the eleventh official World Champion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship_1972