Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for less than a 4 percent GDP today.

But as countries across the region begin to see growth accelerate, Citi estimates it could more than double its share of the world's economy.

Growth has been fueled by commodities.

But that's rapidly changing as wealth per capita increases and new industries develop.

Citi's David Cowan recently published a report titled Sub-Saharan Africa: The Route to Transformative Growth.  We drew on the report to show how growth in the sub-Saharan region has evolved and how crucial China has become to the region.

Thanks to Citi for giving us permission to feature their charts.

Growth in sub-Saharan Africa has accelerated since 2000. And the potential for further growth is enormous given its positive demographics and natural resources.

Already, SSA countries are seeing strengthening per capita GDP growth as international trade with the region picks up.

Oil and other commodities have played a significant role in that growth — with oil exporters outstripping neighboring countries.

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Whether it be on the field or off, athletes provide us with endless entertainment (and, well, our jobs) and we're very thankful for that.

From the diving catches and crazy goals that keep us watching to the off the field antics of our favorite party boys, the best athletes in the world always find a way to cheer us up.

So thanks, and keep it coming!

Rob Gronkowski because well, this is normal for him. Keep fiesta-ing Rob, and get better soon.

-Leah

Kobe Bryant because he has no filter this year and gave the best quote of the season, "I don't ride horseys."

-Tony

McKayla Maroney, because she started the greatest sports meme ever

-Cork

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

If you ever get the chance to speak to a veteran floor trader, you really should.

That's because they're likely full of incredible stories about the good (or bad) ole days on the floor. 

They'll probably tell you about the amazing sense of camaraderie on the floor and the epic pranks they used to pull on each other.    

"Every joke was invented down there," a retired NYSE specialist said.  

However, the humor has subsided in recent years.

"Fortunately, or unfortunately, you don't see those pranks anymore," another veteran floor trader told Business Insider. 

The reason for the pranks in the past, the trader explained, is that they helped everyone on the floor "blow off steam." 

"You can't be running at 100 percent all the time.  You need to break the tension and that's why on the floor, every floor, they'd have some sort of prank or joke," the trader told Business Insider. 

Now traders have to worry about lower trading volumes and what's going on in the eurozone.  

Another reason they're fewer pranks is that the NYSE emerged as a publicly traded company, meaning there are more sensitive eyes these days. The CME Group, which owns the Chicago Board of Trade and the New York Mercantile Exchange, is also publicly traded.

"We always had respect for what we did as a living -- it was just joking around.  Once we went public the world was watching," the trader said, adding, "Now it's strictly business once everyone went public. Everyone down here is holding the utmost respect." 

Veteran traders both in New York and Chicago from the NYSE, CBOT, NYMEX and AMEX told us about some of the classic pranks and jokes they used to pull back in the day. 

* If you have another trading floor prank, joke or story you would like to share, please send Julia an email at jlaroche@businessinsider.com.  

If you tripped and fell at the NYSE, they'd make it look like a crime scene.

Location: NYSE

The prank: Back when the floor of the NYSE was super crowded if a guy would fall down, others floor brokers and specialists would draw a chalk outline around him.  

A new broker at the American Stock Exchange would be given a fake stock to trade as part of their initiation.

Location: American Stock Exchange

The Prank: The entire AMEX floor would prank the newbie by giving them a fake stock to trade.  The entire floor would be on it and prevent the new broker from getting their order executed until the stock ran up five points.  Then the newbie's booth would make them sell it.  The crowd would block the new broker from getting their order executed until the stock ran down five points.

"The broker would not know what's going on. Then, all of the sudden, a hand would reach in and grab his collar of his shirt and rip it off and the crowd would cheer and he would now be considered 'one of us,'" former AMEX broker "Groucho" said.

If someone got engaged everyone would taunt them.

Location: American Stock Exchange

The Prank:"When someone got married, we took them outside and handcuffed them to a fire hydrant and then tossed anything and everything we could find -- ketchup, mustard, powder, flour. And actually we cuffed the bride-to-be alongside her future and did it to her also," former AMEX broker "Groucho" said.

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The Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania is nearly four times the size of Serengeti National Park, but is relatively unknown on the safari circuit, especially to tourists visiting from the U.S. who tend to hit the more popular game-viewing parks in the north.

It's a shame, because The Selous turned out to be one of my favorite destinations on a recent press trip to Tanzania. I saw a lion nearly take down a wildebeest and boated on Lake Tagalala, reputed to have the densest crocodile population in the world.

Click here to jump right to the hotel photos >>

Perhaps the best part was that our camp, called Beho Beho, was so remote that we didn't see a single other safari vehicle during our two-day stay in the park. It was like we had the entire 21,000-square-mile reserve to ourselves.

Beho Beho was a unique and stunning property. The British owners overhauled it from a private camp to a grade "A" lodge a little more than a decade ago, and have managed to create what they call a "house party" atmosphere in the middle of the bush.

The camp is centered around a massive stone "banda"— a three-sided building with an open front looking out onto a man-made watering hole and the plains beyond. Meals are communal, and guests rotate among the safari guides for their daily game-viewing drives.

The rooms — ten smaller bandas on either side of the main building — are huge, with canopied beds, sitting areas, and outdoor showers. The rate, including accommodations, meals, drinks, laundry, and safari activities, is $920 per person per night, and there's a three-night minimum.

There are also options for guests who prefer more privacy. Beho Beho recently opened a "treehouse" lodge a half-hour walk from camp, where couples can sleep in a tent hoisted onto a large platform. Another option is Bailey's Banda, a two-bedroom house that comes with a pool and private chef, available for a $1,000-a-night surcharge.

For travelers looking for something off the beaten path, there's no better place to stay.

Disclosure: Our trip to Tanzania, including travel and lodging expenses, was sponsored by the Tanzania Tourist Board, Africa Adventure Company, Singita Grumeti Group, Coastal Aviation, Qatar Airways, Tanzania National Parks, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and Wildlife Division.

Beho Beho has its own airstrip, just a five-minute drive from camp.

I could tell from the moment I arrived that the place had a sense of humor.

Until about 14 years ago, the camp was used as a vacation home by its owners. After a major overhaul, it's a high-end resort in the middle of nowhere.

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In America, hot dogs and ketchup go hand in hand. Not so in the Philippines.

In this Southeast Asian country of 7,000-plus islands, the ballpark staple is commonly found cut up and mixed in with spaghetti, then tossed with something they call banana sauce.

It’s sweet, it’s tangy — and it tastes nothing like bananas.

Check out the bizarre condiments >

Banana sauce is just one of many condiments from around the world that is used in ways that may strike us as, well, strange. For others, like fermented bean curd from China, the way it’s used isn’t as surprising as, say, the way it tastes or smells.

These small, slippery cubes of fermented tofu are so pungent that half of one can be enough to flavor a heaping bowl of rice or breakfast porridge. (It can also be described as umami, a Japanese word that refers to a fifth taste — outside of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter — and is often used to describe fermented or aged foods.)

China’s condiment of choice isn’t the only one with a strong flavor profile. There’s a spicy kick to many of the world’s most popular condiments, from India’s mango pickles to a habanero sauce made in Belize and available in “No Wimps Allowed” and “Beware” versions.

Of course, food has always been a direct way to gain insight into another culture. And tasting a destination’s quintessential condiment—whether its tkemali in the Eastern Europe country of Georgia or harissa in Tunisia—can only make that dining experience more flavorful.

But that doesn’t mean you need to book a flight. It’s increasingly easy to try out new sauces and spreads in your own neighborhood. If some of these condiments don’t sound so bizarre to you, it may be thanks to your grocery store; many across the U.S. are dedicating more aisle space to jars, cans, tubes, and bottles from overseas.

Read on for a taste of these exotic condiments and, more important, explanations for how they’re used—so next time you’re abroad (or in a local ethnic restaurant), you won’t be caught putting banana sauce on roast pork.

And if you’ve sampled an unusual condiment, share your experience by posting a comment below.

More from Travel + Leisure:  World's Strangest Bridges >

More from Travel + Leisure:  The Foodie's Travel Bucket List >

More from Travel + Leisure:  Great Farm To Table Restaurants >

More from Travel + Leisure:  Europe's Best Wine Bars >

Fermented bean curd, China

These silky, pungent cubes of fermented tofu are mixed very sparingly with rice or breakfast porridge.

You can season an entire stir-fry dish with one or two of these soft cheese-like cubes.

Tkemali, Georgia

Everything from fried chicken and grilled meat to potato dishes will taste tart, sweet, and spicy thanks to this thick sour plum sauce.

Recipes vary, but it usually gets its array of flavors from a blend of garlic, coriander, dill, chili pepper, and salt.

Harissa, Tunisia

This super-spicy paste of chiles, coriander, caraway, and garlic is now made in France, due to the large population of Tunisian immigrants.

There are countless ways to incorporate it into a meal; a few favorites are to rub it on steak before grilling or mix it with lemon juice and olive oil (or even plain yogurt) and serve with pita.

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Along with baseball, college football is one of America's longest-standing past times.

Long before the NFL and the NBA, the football teams of northeastern universities were the primary focus of the American sports landscape.

The Library of Congress has a massive cache of football photos from the 1910s. We collected the most stunning portraits and action shots to get a feel for what the game was like 100 years ago.

Princeton practicing (1913)

Yale team arriving (ca. 1910-1915)

Yale running onto the field (ca. 1910-1915)

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Buy this home in Chicago for $799,000.

The house, on W. 109th Street in Mt. Greenwood, spans 5,000 square feet, and has five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. It's great for a big family.

Welcome to the Mount Greenwood neighborhood of Chicago.

The home is 5,000 square feet.

We love the color of the granite counter tops.

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Goldman Sachs' Hedge Fund Trend Monitor report takes a close look at what the world's biggest hedge funds are trading.

The report includes the Very Important Short Positions (VISP) -- stocks in which hedge funds have the most short interest outstanding.

Considering the relatively strong performance of the stock market this year, these short positions have done pretty well.

Year-to-date, a portfolio of VISP stocks is up 7.4 percent.

We pulled the 50 stocks on Goldman's VISP list and ranked them by the total dollar value of short interest; the extent to which hedge fund managers have been betting against the stock. Also included are the short interest expressed as a percentage of float cap, the YTD return, and the stock's ticker and sector.

Mylan Inc: $0.7 billion of short bets

Ticker:
MYL
YTD return:
+19 percent
Short interest as a % of float:
7 percent
Industry:
Pharmaceuticals

Source: Goldman Sachs

Aetna Inc: $0.7 billion of short bets

Ticker:
AET
YTD return:
-2 percent
Short interest as a % of float:
5%
Industry:
Managed Health Care

Source: Goldman Sachs

Progressive Corp: $0.7 billion of short bets

Ticker:
PGR
YTD return:
+16 percent
Short interest as a % of float:
6 percent
Industry:
Property & Casualty Insurance

Source: Goldman Sachs

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The Los Angeles Auto Show kicks off on Wednesday, and we will be on scene to check out the nearly 50 new cars that are making their debuts.

Here's a quick look at the ten rides we're most excited to see, including big reveals from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover, Acura and more.

Acura will bring the all-new RLX, the production version of the RLX concept pictured here. The front wheel drive sedan has a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 310 hp.

The Chevrolet Spark is General Motors’ first all-electric vehicle, and will make its world debut at the show.

The yet-to-be-revealed XFR-S is Jaguar’s most powerful and fast sedan ever. Jaguar has only released a teaser image, and says just 100 will be made in 2014.

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Do you need a false, knitted beard?

Or some really expensive beef jerky?

What about a figurine of a man being stabbed full of kitchen knives?

If so, then Facebook has you covered.

The social network's new "Gifts" button allows users to open up a virtual mini store of tchotchkes and knickknacks. Most of the gifts are exactly the kind of thing you'd want to send a friend on whim — candy, gourmet foods and toys.

But some of the presents are ... well, see for yourself.

Ex-boyfriend knife-holder: For $69, "Best friend nursing a broken heart? Cheer her up with The Ex, a set of five essential blades—plus a sleek holder that’s just asking for it. ... Voodoo doll not included."

Pug T-shirt: For $17, "Cute and cuddly is always the way to go. If you're having a tough day, we highly recommend putting on this wild T-shirt and looking in the mirror—it's a guaranteed mood lifter. Thanks to The Mountain's unique printing process, it's hard to tell where the print ends and the shirt begins on this amazingly lifelike tee. ... T-shirt has an oversized relaxed fit."

Old-school rap pencils: For $6, "these quirky pencils add a small dose of joy to everyday life. Stamped with an antique hand press, each set distills pop culture references down to little expressions, almost like a haiku."

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Apple had an incredibly busy 2012.

How will it follow it up?

We're expecting a big year for software, not hardware. But that doesn't mean we're not going to get a lot new hardware.

We've broken out all the major product releases were expecting in this list.

Our list is based on speculation, so don't treat this as official. We think all these products are announced, if not necessarily in the order we present.

Spring: Apple television?

Apple updated just about everything at the end of 2012. We got new iPhones, iPads, iMacs, and iPods. That suggests it's either got nothing planned for the Spring, or alternatively, it's got something huge planned.

We're going to lean towards something huge, and guess that Apple reveals its television. Rumors of a television have been rampant for years, it has to happen in 2013, right? And just like the iPhone and iPad were announced at the start of the year, why not announce the Apple TV early, too?

This is all speculation, just to be clear.

Spring: Apple TV app store

In addition to an Apple television, look for Apple to make its Apple TV platform open to developers. Apps are a big part of the reason the iPhone is a smash hit. We assume the Apple TV will get apps too.

Spring: iPad Mini with Retina display

Apple's iPad Mini is the "real iPad," according to Apple bloggers. There's only one big problem with it — the screen is a dud. Apple should rectify this problem next year. We think Apple will do it surprisingly early. Our rationale: Why not? Put the pedal to the metal. Don't give up ground to Amazon or Google.

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Things are pretty grim in Chicago following its deadliest summer in recent memory.

By Oct. 21, Chicago had recorded 435 murders, ahead of 339 in New York and 241 in Los Angeles. The Windy City has the highest murder rate of all Alpha world cities, according to NBC Chicago.

And while things are finally starting to slow down, the mood in the city definitely isn't great.

As an Illinois ex-pat living in New York and looking on at one of my favorite cities from afar, I have to wonder, how did we get here?

Before the bloody summer, things were going well.

From 2002 to 2011, crime in a majority of the city's neighborhoods had been dropping drastically.

In the Hyde Park-South Kenwood community for instance, crime dropped 39 percent from 2002 to 2011, according to the University of Chicago.

And in 2002, the total number of homicides in Chicago dropped below the total in LA with 20 fewer murders that year than in 2001.

As of 2010, Chicago had more cops per 100,000 residents than any other big city, according to the Chicago Justice Project.

So how did things get so bad? It started with massive cuts to the Chicago Police Department.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel drew the ire of Chicago's police union last year when he proposed slashing the police department's budget by $190 million, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.

There was also speculation that Emanuel would cut about 1,400 police vacancies, which would save the city $93 million.

“How does ‘eliminating vacancies’ save $93 million when zero dollars were being spent on the vacant spots in the first place?” Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Shields told the Sun-Times. “That’s some real Enron-style accounting.”

Emanuel's office cited the city's $635 million budget gap as the reason for the cuts.

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Any company can "do" marketing. But the companies that can consistently create marketing people love are the companies that really get noticed.

Problem is, lovability is kind of a hard thing to synthesize. I mean, how do you quantify exactly why the brands you love elicit those warm and fuzzy feelings inside of you?

Sometimes it's their copywriting, other times it's their design sensibility, sometimes it's just the way they talk to you on social media -- but it's not the easiest thing in the world to replicate for brands out there trying to create more lovable marketing. But, we're going to try to explain it (so maybe you can replicate it) anyway.

This post will highlight some brands that we think consistently create lovable marketing, and explain exactly why their marketing is worthy of such adoration. And of course, this is not an exhaustive list.

Moosejaw

Moosejaw is a outdoor apparel and sporting goods company.

Big whoop, there's lots of 'em, right?

That's one of the reasons their marketing is so fantastic—because they find a way to stand out in that already heavily saturated industry by positioning their products in a more entertaining, less clinical way.

When you go to most sites in this industry, you're reading about things like the lens width on your ski goggles. Yawn. Moosejaw's marketing content tells you all that … but in a way that doesn't make you want to take a nap on your desk. Take their site layout, for example. When you're looking up shirts, you see headings like these:

They're trying to show you their new items in stock, pretty common for ecommerce companies, but instead of just saying "New Items," they say something that your buddy might say to you. Or, what an in-store associate would say if you visited a location (way to replicate the in-store experience online, guys)!

They even get a little ridiculous. Take this heading, for instance:

"I have never eaten a radish." What? I don't even totally get that joke, but I love that it shows they don't take themselves too seriously. They think shopping should be a fun experience, and they do their best to make it feel like that with their marketing content. If you want a laugh, spend some more time perusing their website … you'll find content like this on every page.

HubSpot.com

Naked Pizza

Naked Pizza takes a different approach to the whole "not taking yourself too seriously" thing by leveraging an embarrassing experience that everyone can relate to in their marketing. Have you ever had a bit of sauce on your face after eating a slice of pizza? Or maybe some crumbs from the crust?

Everyone can relate to that -- either being the person with stuff on their face, or the one who has to tell the person with stuff on their face that ... they have stuff on their face. Their marketing pokes fun at you, and enables you to poke fun at yourself -- but in a way that isn't offensive. Creating marketing that brings everyone in on the joke is incredibly lovable.

HubSpot.com

JetBlue

JetBlue is known for being a beloved brand, and I think their engaging tone and creative marketing campaigns have a lot to do with it. You may remember their recent "2012 Election Protection – Live Free or Fly" campaign, or their "You Above All" campaign. In the latter campaign, they feature people in real-life situations being deprived of things they expect. For example, they created a video where people in a taxi cab were charged extra fees for legroom and luggage.

The campaign is lovable because it's playing off an experience everyone has been frustrated by. We've been stuck on planes with no legroom, charged ridiculous fees for having luggage (who doesn't have luggage when they're flying?!), and all those other pains of flying. JetBlue addresses them head on by creating real life analogies to demonstrate just how absurd the other airlines are. I mean, who wouldn't get behind a brand that mocks the others in the industry taking advantage of consumers?

HubSpot.com

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It can happen to anyone and it's really pretty easy: all you have to do is enter your information into a suspect field or two and then — ZANG! — suddenly your bank's calling you because you're trying to rent hotel rooms in Barbados.

(And if you get that call, consider yourself lucky, it could be much worse.)

So, in the interest of keeping everyone's info safe and secure this holiday shopping season, we've scoured the web for the best tips and tricks to keeping your ID safe.

Have a dedicated credit card

Use a dedicated internet shopping credit card, and make sure it only has a limit of about $500 to a $1000. This way, if you do make a mistake, it will be relatively manageable.

Most people won't have to rearrange their entire lives to fix a $500 mistake.

Have a decent security software on your computer

We've all heard how awesome and super-unhackable Mac computers are — but it's usually not the computer that makes the mistake ... (it's the human).

Having an up-to-date security software will help identify any potential threats, before you even enter you credit card info.

If you're shopping on a mobile device, make sure the device locks

This should seem obvious, but if you do your "Cyber Monday" shopping on a mobile device, make sure that device locks.

If someone steals it from you, and it doesn't lock, they'll use the credit card info your browser likely stored in order to rent hotels in Barbados.

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Launched just over a year before the bicentennial of the United States in 1975, the USS Nimitz has been diagnosed with mechanical problems that will keep it sidelined for at least two months.

See the Nimitz >

Aside from offering a hard look at America's aging naval force, the Nimitz's propulsion system problem will leave just one carrier in the Persian Gulf for the first time since December 2010.

With a projected lifespan of about 50 years the Nimitz is more than a decade away from possible retirement. This longevity is expected with regular maintenance and overhauls, like the one USS Nimitz underwent in Bremerton, Washington in 2011.

The carrier spent more than a year in port undergoing service and re-entered service in March 2012, but whether this breakdown is a concern after such an extensive overhaul has yet to be confirmed by the Navy.

In the meantime, it's the USS Eisenhower that will pick up the slack and cover the Nimitz's rotation in the Persian Gulf. The Ike is already in that part of the world with 5th Fleet in Bahrain, but will be returning to its home port of Norfolk for a flight deck resurfacing before heading back.

A changing schedule is part of Navy life and servicemembers and their families do their best to keep that in mind and go with the flow, but it's a disruption on everyone involved.

With the Nimitz making today's headlines we thought we'd take a look at the flag ship of Carrier Strike Group 11.

USS Nimitz is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11 that included five other ships and four additional fighter squadrons on its last deployment

The carrier will be at sea for at least six months when deployed and supplies are constantly brought aboard

Carrier Air Wing 11 is attached to the Nimitz and its pilots and ground crew work alongside sailors

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As we enter the golden age of design in startups, highly talented user-interface and product designers are becoming ever more important.

Some companies leading the charge are Apple, Path, Pinterest, Square, and Airbnb. What those companies have in common is that design is at the core of their businesses.

But which school is best suited to get you the design job you want?

Over the past couple of months, we conducted a survey to find the top 25 design schools in the world. 

All of these schools are comparable in terms of academics, quality of staff, and amazing campuses. But what matters most is how valuable these schools really are. 

Of our 633 respondents to the survey, 87.8% said they studied or participated in a college-level design program.

Most of the respondents were either art directors (26.9%) or product designers (30.3%). The vast majority of respondents (76.6%) said skills and knowledge were the most valuable asset their respective design programs offered.

 We ranked the schools by a simple metric: What percentage of respondents ranked the schools somewhat valuable, valuable, or extremely valuable?

25. Illinois Institute of Technology

Rating: 55% of respondents said the program is valuable.

About: The IIT ranked number 13 on Businessweek's list of best design schools in 2009 for its focus on the intersection between strategy and human-centered innovation.

Location: Chicago, IL

Founded: 1940

Total Enrollment: 7,738

Business Insider's rating is based on a simple and pragmatic survey that asked how valuable each design school's program really is. 

24. Georgia Institute of Technology

Rating: 55.3% of respondents said the program is valuable.

About: Georgia Tech has a great blend of engineering, manufacturing, business, and design in its curriculum. It's also the alma mater of several prominent designers including Michael Arad, who designed the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City and "Trading Spaces" designer Vern Yip.

Location: Atlanta, GA

Founded: 1885

Total Enrollment: 20,000

Business Insider's rating is based on a simple and pragmatic survey that asked how valuable each design school's program really is. 

23. Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture (fka University of Art and Design Helsinki)

Rating: 55.6% of respondents said the program is valuable.

About: The School of Arts, Design, and Architecture is broken into five departments: Media; Design; Art; Architecture; and Motion Picture, Television and Production Design. All departments put an emphasis on a humanist world view and aim to implement human-oriented environments.

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Founded: 1871

Total Enrollment: 2,779

Business Insider's rating is based on a simple and pragmatic survey that asked how valuable each design school's program really is. 

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Avid travelers know that packing carefully is crucial. But even the most prolific travelers don't have everything.

From comfortable shoes and warm jackets to language translators and waterproof digital cameras, we've found the best gifts for the adventurous traveler in your life. 

The Self-Set Digital Alarm Clock With Temp will keep you on schedule.

This travel alarm clock automatically sets the time for the time zone you're in (even taking into account Daylight Saving Time) and it includes a snooze feature and a soothing orange backlight. It also tells you the interior temperature.

Price:$20

CitySlips fold-up ballet flats and carrying case will save your feet.

These flats conveniently roll up into a small and stylish pouch, which can easily fit into a purse.

These shoes are a lifesaver after a long day of wearing uncomfortable high heels.

Price:$22

The Samsonite Luggage Universal Power Adapter will allow you to charge all of your electronics.

It may not be the most exciting gift, but this is undoubtedly one of the most useful things for travelers.

With this power adapter, travelers can charge their electronics in outlets in 150 countries; the adapter also has two USB ports for charging small electronics. It's sleek and small so it can easily fit in luggage.

Price:$27

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Google Fiber will soon be a viable cable alternative in many neighborhoods in Kansas City.

Hopefully it will also soon become an alternative in every city.

For $120 a month, Google Fiber brings you normal cable TV, a massive digital video recorder, and broadband Internet access that is 100-times as fast as your cable company's.

For $70 a month, you can get just the Internet access.

If that's not enough, there's one promise Google is making that will make cable customers everywhere jump for joy.

Google is promising that its installer will arrive when he or she says he will arrive — not force you to stay home for hours for an appointment "window."

It's a big country, so it will unfortunately likely take a while for Google to come to your neighborhood.

But if nothing else, here's hoping Google Fiber scares the bejeezus out of the cable industry, forcing cable companies to upgrade their own broadband services and finally put a bigger premium on customer service.

Google Fiber is a new tv and internet service rolling out in Kansas City.

The TV service is basically cable TV. The Internet service is 100-times as fast as your cable company's.

Together, the two services will cost you $120 a month, less than many cable bills. The Internet alone costs $70.

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How many signatures could you get in three days on a petition to outlaw navel lint?

How about a proposal to let Herman Cain host Saturday Night Live?

If you thought at least 150 Americans would endorse an attempt to name Velveeta the official cheese of New Jersey, you’d be surprised to know how many serious White House petitions haven’t gotten that far.

Here’s a collection of ten earnest petitions on WhiteHouse.gov — some interesting, others disgusting — that have been in circulation for at least three days without collecting 150 signatures.

That’s the minimum number required before the Obama administration will add a petition to the website for the public to see.

This may be the only place you’ll ever see them, but the White House hasn’t deleted any of them — even though a few will make you want to take a shower after reading them. (#1 is wrong on so, so many levels.)

So if any of these ideas tickles your fancy, you might want to add your signature. Along with just a few dozen of your new friends.

10. Draft a proposal to have the USA and the Russian Federation joined into a military and economic union

Days: 5
Signatures: 1

"Americans, as citizens of a prosperous country, in my opinion, would benefit effusively if the US Government were to put forward a proposition to form an alliance with the Russian Federation that would form both countries’ military forces into one entity. It would also better the USA’s foreign relations with the R.F., which would, in turn, increase trade with the R.F.”

9. This petition is for the Polyamorous to be allowed to be recognized as legal relationships within the United States

Days: 8
Signatures: 105

“Polyamorous relationships can be of: Polygyny – One male with multiple Wives; Polyandry – One female with multiple Husbands; Triad – a Couple who is dating a third Person; Quad – A relationship between two couples; Open relationships / Open marriages”

8. Be Truthful on suppressed Technology, and to stop lying and Denying the existence of extra-terrestrial and there [sic] Crafts

Days: 8
Signatures: 4

“Word comes from New Mexico to researchers that Los Alamos has developed an antimatter weapon, which allegedly will be used as a last resort if ‘the Greys cannot be pried away from the planet.’ The number of Greys on Earth is estimated at 20 million, this is very real problem. That must be addressed.”

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Unfortunately there will always be cheating when it comes to sports.

Lance Armstrong's career just completely unfolded when a damning report came out last month with strong evidence of his alleged doping.

Many athletes have also used steroids to get ahead, plenty of them have gotten caught.

Here are some of the most famous cases, many of them baseball players.

A young Barry Bonds

Now he's in the middle of a steroids controversy

Mark McGwire in his early days

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