Ken and Anthony were childhood friends. They went to elementary and high school together. They went to college in different states, and then they lost touch. That was twenty years ago. One morning Ken was reading the newspaper with his morning coffee. Inside he saw an announcement for a poetry reading at a nearby bookstore. He was surprised to find that the featured poet was none other than his friend Anthony. Ken decided to see what his old pal was up to. Ken sat in the last row of the area set up inside the bookstore. When Anthony was introduced and came up the podium, Ken hardly recognized him. Anthony was almost completely bald and had a little potbelly . When Anthony was in high school, he was very handsome. What Anthony had lost in looks was made up for in talent. Anthony's poetry was quite good. Anthony recognized Ken sitting in the back row. When the reading was over, Ken stood in line with the others waiting for Anthony to sign a copy of his book. When it was Ken's turn, Anthony stood up and hugged his long lost friend. Anthony invited Ken to stay until he had finished signing books. Ken did, and the two men grabbed a cup of coffee at a nearby cafe. Even though so many years had passed since the two had seen each other, both men had a lot in common. Both graduated from college with degrees in comparative literature . Both went to graduate school. Anthony got his Master's of Fine Art in writing. Ken went to law school. Both men married Mexican women. Both men also had sons that were only a year apart. Ken and Anthony decided not to lose touch again. They planned to meet once a month for breakfast on Saturdays. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who went to primary school together?
2. Who was a poet?
3. What was Ken doing the day he say the announcment?
4. Did the boys talk after school?
5. did Ken go to the poetry reading?
6. Was Anthony different?
7. What happened after the poetry reading?
8. Were both men married?
9. What was the ethnicity of their spouses?
10. Who went to law school?
11. What does Anthony look like now?
12. WHat did he get his Masters in?
13. Will the two meet again?
14. When?
15. For what?
Answer: 1. Ken and Anthony
2. Anthony
3. reading the newspaper
4. no
5. yes
6. yes
7. Ken waited for Anthony to sign a copy of his book
8. yes
9. Mexican
10. Ken
11. almost completely bald with a little potbelly
12. Fine Art in writing
13. yes
14. once a month on Saturdays
15. breakfast

Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew . And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.

Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection.

Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.

American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe's machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.

Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer's hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical. It could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.

However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement . Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties . In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What was Isaac Singer's occupation?
2. What product did he improve upon?
3. And who was Elias Howe?
4. When was his birthdate?
5. What do these two men have in common regarding their nationality?
6. Was sewing a new or old practice?
7. For how long has it been happening?
8. And how did they do it?
9. What was different about what these inventors were creating?
10. Who ended up in a legal battle?
11. What was the reason?
Answer: 1. inventor
2. sewing machines
3. an inventor
4. July 9, 1819
5. Both are from America
6. old
7. thousands of years
8. used bones
9. tried to make a sewing machine
10. Singer and Howe
11. Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented

When SpongeBob SquarePants skips onto shelves in boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese next year, he may be a little less, well, yellow than your kids are used to.

Kraft has revamped its character-shaped product line for 2014, according to company spokeswoman Lynne Galia. The new versions will have six additional grams of whole grains, be lower in sodium and saturated fat, and will use spices instead of artificial food dyes to recreate the pasta's famous yellow-orange color.

"Parents have told us that they would like fun Mac & Cheese varieties with the same great taste, but with improved nutrition," Galia said in an e-mail.

The company will remove Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 from boxes containing pasta shaped like SpongeBob SquarePants and those with Halloween and winter shapes. Two new shapes of the popular pasta -- Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and "How to Train Your Dragon 2" from Dreamworks -- will also be free of food coloring, Galia said.

Check out Eatocracy's recipe for homemade Mac & Cheese

The Center for Science in the Public Interest hailed Kraft's decision on Friday. Michael Jacobson, the center's executive director, said he is pleased with the announcement but is "puzzled" as to why Kraft would not change its iconic elbow-shaped macaroni product as well.

"As Kraft has today shown, it is clearly possible to make macaroni and cheese without these harmful chemicals," Jacobson said in a statement.

The company tries to offer a wide variety of choices to consumers, Galia responded. "Making ingredient changes isn't as simple as it would seem," she said. "All of the ingredients must work together to deliver the distinctive taste, appearance and texture consumers expect and love from Original KRAFT Mac & Cheese. Our fans have made it clear they won't settle for anything less." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What did the company remove?
2. What are the two new shapes?
3. Will they be free of food coloring?
4. Who is Michael Jacobson?
5. The new version has how many grams of whole grains?
6. What is being used for the color instead of food dyes?
7. What did Kraft do in 2014?
8. Who said the company tried to offer variety?
9. What was Jacobson puzzled about?
10. Who does Jacobson work for?
Answer:
1. Yellow No. 5
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and How to Train Your Dragon 2
3. Yes
4. executive director
5. six more
6. spices
7. revamped its character-shaped product line
8. Galia
9. why Kraft would not change its elbow-shaped macaroni product
10. The Center for Science in the Public Interest