THE REBIRTH OF A HIGHPOINT
(A great account of a Boy Scout's award-earning effort)

The Indiana highpoint has a much-needed new look thanks to Boy Scout Kyle Cumming's project to earn a merit badge leading to Eagle Scout. Read the Roger Rowlett interview in the latest Apex to Zenith (4th qtr '05, #71) and/or go to http://highpointers.org/gallery/indiana for a neat 22-picture story of the highpoint's renovation.

HIGHPOINTERS: Become an entrepreneur - Buy this store!

Allan Griggs, retired engineer, grape-grower, and owner of "The Merc" in Kenton, OK is selling this historic panhandle property which was built in 1898 by P.T. Barnum's nephew. Allan bought the store in '93 and has many fond memories as the hands-on proprietor. In September of '02, The Merc served as the registration station for the 200+ highpointers who attended the club's annual convention at nearby Camp Billy Joe. Allan was kept busy selling pop, trinkets, Black Mesa T-shirts and mugs, and his famous Dinosaur Burgers.

Griggs always said that Kenton (population: 16) was just waiting to be discovered and apparently it has. Investors have recently bought land in the town and close to the OK highpoint where a resort and store are being built. Allan will miss The Merc a great deal. "I got to meet a lot of interesting people from everywhere, including the President of Paraguay who stopped to shop one day. I never had a bad customer." He wants to devote more time to the vineyard on his expansive property north of Kenton at Robbers Roost.

Interested in owning Oklahoma's western-most business? For details go to http://www.kentonok.com/ or Allan can be reached at 810.424.6496.

MAN OR MOUSE. YOU?
(Or...Give me a piece of cheeeze, pleeeze....)

The January issue of Outside mag is out with a filler titled The Daredevil Gene. A Seattle-based research group has identified a gene, neuroD2, deemed responsible for "fear response," the tendency to chicken out when the prospect of being killed might be your concern. Experiments with mice engineered with only one neuroD2, revealed they showed less aversion to impending danger than if they possessed two of these, the normal number.

Human studies follow. "...different people could have different concentrations of the proteins the genes produce. Higher levels might lead to safer behavior, while lower levels might lead to more magazine covers."

The kicker: Insurance companies, armed with the results of your neuroD2 tests, could raise your premiums if you score as more man than mouse. Meanwhile, the next time you freak on a gnarly knife edge, "blame your heredity."

Water vs Coca-Cola

A few posts ago we covered some facts on water. And then there's Coke:

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days. 3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China.
4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
9. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
Note:
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.
3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!