Eyeglasses Using Water

Eyeglasses using a simple, self-adjusting technology are now poised to change the way the world's poor see and could aid billions of people. They are still a bit large, but the inventor is working on streamlined versions, and hopes to get the cost down to about $2 from the current $19, as manufacturing volume picks up. So far, about 30,000 pair have been sold or given away. Africa is the first target with one optician to each million people.

Early models look as if they might go well with a fake mustache. Thick Coke-bottle lenses sit in dark tortoiseshell frames flanked with a pair of syringes on either temple. By turning dials, the wearer pushes more or less fluid into the lenses, protected between two hard polycarbonate covers, until the prescription is perfect. The syringes can then be removed or left in place to allow continuing changes.

The U.S. Department of Defense is planning to buy and hand out 20,000 pairs of the glasses as humanitarian aid in Angola, Georgia, and other nations. I have seen some people wear worse looking glasses than these and they cost a heck of a lot more than nineteen bucks.

Shameless Self Promotion

One of my books, “Greatest Jokes” is cited on a wiki about president John Adams of all people.

http://simple.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Adams

Snopes is a site that debunks the myths floating around in cyberspace. Many of the popular emails asking for money, or promising that Microsoft will donate if you forward this email, etc.

This valuable site became even better recently when it cited another of my joke books for a story about Nancy Pelosi. I just love it. Now I am a credible source. . . for jokes, I guess. Such a dubious distinction!

http://www.snopes.com/politics/pelosi/captaincook.asp

Dental Humor

I couldn’t resist adding this one for the holidays. Its from “Medical Humor” Medical nonsense to tickle your funnybone by Thomas F. Shubnell. You can find it on Amazon. Be sure to check the ’search inside’ feature for a sneak preview.


A Plano, Texas, man goes to Dr. Marshall Johnson’s office, because of a throbbing pain in his mouth.

After a brief examination, Dr. Johnson exclaims, “My goodness, that plate I installed in your mouth about six months ago has nearly completely corroded. What have you been eating?”

“The only thing I can think of is that my wife made me some asparagus about four months ago with some stuff on it called Hollandaise sauce. I have to admit that it was delicious. I have never tasted anything like it. Ever since then, I have been putting it on everything.”

“That’s probably the reason,” replied the dentist, “Hollandaise sauce is made with lemon juice, which is acidic and highly corrosive. It seems as though I will have to install a new plate, but made out of chrome this time.”

“Why chrome?” the man asked.

Dr. Johnson replied, “Everyone knows that, there’s no plate like chrome for the Hollandaise.”