Saturday, April 30, 2011

How the U.S. saved a starving Soviet Russia: PBS film highlights Stanford scholar's research on the 1921-23 famine

An ARA transport column on the frozen Volga, Tsaritsyn

Photo - An American Relief Administration transport column on the frozen Volga in Tsaritsyn, which is now Volgograd.

The world barely remembers the terrible famine in the Soviet Russia – or the American charity that relieved it. Historian Bertrand Patenaude tells how Herbert Hoover saved more lives than any person who has ever lived.

Shelters for orphaned and abandoned children multiplied across the famine zone during the fall and winter of 1921.

Corn grits, cocoa, condensed milk, white bread and sugar.

This was America's menu for the starving millions in Soviet Russia during the 1921-23 famine – one of the greatest human disasters in Europe since the Black Death. The famine relief was spearheaded by Herbert Hoover, whose biographers credited him with saving more lives than any person who has ever lived.

The story was featured in the PBS "American Experience" documentary, The Great Famine, which aired nationwide on April 11. However, I found a link here that shows it.

An ARA supply caravan on the frozen Volga River in the winter of 1922.

The film is based on Stanford researcher Bertrand Patenaude's The Big Show in Bololand: The American Relief Expedition to Soviet Russia in the Famine of 1921.

Photo Above - Shelters for orphaned and abandoned children multiplied across the famine zone during the fall and winter of 1921.

Photo Right - An ARA supply caravan on the frozen Volga River in the winter of 1922.    All Photos from the Hoover Institute Archives

A monumental display of ignorance: All statements involving Donald Tump…

Donald Trump

After the U.S.-led military alliance ejected Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait in 1991, the Kuwaitis "never paid us."

 

Pants on Fire!

Kuwait paid $16 billion in war costs, U.S. paid $7 billion

 

Donald Trump

"CNN did a poll recently where Obama and I are statistically tied."

 

Pants on Fire!

One poll (misidentified) conducted before he delved into birth certificate issue

 

Donald Trump

"Libya supplies the oil for China. We get no oil from Libya."

 

False

More to Europe than China

 

Donald Trump

Says President Obama's "grandmother in Kenya said he was born in Kenya and she was there and witnessed the birth."

 

False

Keep listening to tape, there's an immediate correction

 

Donald Trump

South Korea doesn't pay the United States for U.S. troops that protect their country.

 

False

South Korea pays nearly $700 million a year

 

You get this idea. Truth is “Trumped” in Donald’s world. Wanna read some more stupid statements? Go here.

‘People who boast of ancestry often have little else to sustain them’

“This sad little lizard told me that he was a Brontosaurus on his mother’s side. I did not laugh; people who boast of ancestry often have little else to sustain them.  Humoring them costs nothing and adds to happiness in a world in which happiness is in short supply.”  –Robert Heinlein

So why were the tornadoes in South so deadly?

Image: Tornadoes are pictured moving through Mississippi, in still image taken from video

Twister fatalities down radically in recent years, but this was unavoidable

“The bottom line: Massive tornadoes hit populated cities head-on. Forecasters had warned of an "insane" storm system for days, so it's unlikely that the tornadoes caught many by surprise. But with few basements in Dixie Alley, not many places were safe in the paths of tornadoes that had nearly 200-mph winds. Even solidly built houses were swept away. Many entire neighborhoods were completely obliterated.” Story Here.

Tornadoes are pictured moving through Mississippi, in this still image taken from video on April 27, 2011 and released on April 28. Tornadoes and violent storms ripped through seven Southern states, killing at least 295 people and causing billions of dollars of damage in some of the deadliest twisters in U.S. history. Mandatory Credit REUTERS/Image Courtesy of Tornado Videos.net/Discovery/Handout (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT DISASTER IMAGES OF THE DAY) MUST COURTESY "TORNADOVIDEOS.NET/DISCOVERY CHANNEL'S STORM CHASERS"/NO USE AFTER 1600 GMT MAY 7, 2011. NO ARCHIVES. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Friday, April 29, 2011

It’s feeling a lot like the 1930s for America’s working class

bdnd hj

Despite the fact that nearly everyone in the country was hurt to some degree by onset of the Depression, the 1930's was a period of exacerbated class conflict. One possible reason for this was the divergent responses which upper and lower class individuals had to the crisis. While many of the richest people in America lost money when the stock market crashed, the upper classes as a whole still retained much of the wealth which they had held before the Depression and in most cases did not suffer from unemployment. Perhaps as a way of displaying their continued prosperity in the face of nationwide suffering (or of trying to show up their social equals who may have been hit harder by the crash) many among the upper classes began to flaunt their wealth more than ever. Working class Americans, many of whom were thrown out of work by the Depression (which they often correctly blamed upon the reckless financial dealings of the upper classes) were shocked and angered by this ostentatious display of wealth.

Captureclasssb

The upper classes, on the other hand, began to resent their social inferiors (as they saw the lower classes) even more than ever, particularly after the institution of the a number of New Deal programs which were paid for out of taxes on those who still had an income. They often viewed such programs as hand outs, which, as can be seen in this magazine cover (right), were not something which the upper classes felt was their responsibility to provide.They were further angered by the actions of President Roosevelt, who catered to the mass of Americans while largely ignoring the interests of the upper classes. These factors served to heighten class tensions during a period when many Americans (both rich and poor) were already tense over their financial futures.Amid this tension, class conflicts often became very visible and even violent, especially in cases of worker strikes. New Deal regulations helped foster significant unionization and these unions would often run into conflict with company hired police forces. Such conflicts, like the Memorial Day Massacre in Chicago, often left people dead on both sides. Upper class Americans, sensitized by the Russian Revolution not two decades before, feared that a class war might be on the horizon as a number of workers joined the Communist party. While these violent conflicts never reached such a boiling point (thanks largely to the New Deal programs which many among the upper classes opposed) fears of this sort helped contribute to a general suspicion on both sides for the entire decade of the thirties.

Part III - A strange thing happened to me ‘in country’

Capture1908fbv

Going back 41 years ago to this same week in April of 1970 - Part III of a 3-part series of posts                                                                                By Dave Stancliff 

One night I got drunk drinking Tiger Beer with some buddies, and found myself staggering towards the Song Ba River in the dark. Heck, I don’t know why I did that. Leaving the base camp alone was a stupid thing to do for several reasons.

Maybe I went to relieve myself. I was drunk. I don’t think I was going there for a swim. I clearly remember a young boy suddenly coming out of nowhere and startled the crap out of me! He stopped me from getting any closer to the river by pulling on my arm urgently and babbling something in Vietnamese or Montagnard. I really couldn’t make sense out of his excited babbling and I was feeling dizzier every moment. 
I tried to shake him off, and slipped and fell down on the muddy ground. Couldn’t seem to get back up.That was the last thing I recalled until I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and still on the ground.

It was early, and the sun was slowly rising when a couple of my buddies came looking for me. After giving me a ration for being outside the camp perimeter, I told them about the kid.
imagesCAVHD583

“One of them, Crow, shook his head in wonder and pointed out to the river. “If you would have gone any further down that bank you would have slid right into rolls of razor sharp barbwirVietnam-Cambodiae just beneath the waters edge!” 

There is nothing I could say that would explain that feeling of having dodged danger like that. I might have drown if I got tangled up in it while drunk. I looked for the kid the next day to thank him, but couldn’t find him.
I didn’t die because some nameless little boy took pity on a stupid grunt that night. It was one of the strangest things to happen to me during my time in country. This incident happened during the last week of April 1970. We got orders the same week that we were going to Cambodia! But that’s another story that may, or may not, be told another day.

Have you ever heard the original “Good Morning Vietnam?”

I enjoyed Robin William’s version, but let’s keep it real here!

I hope this little three-part series of posts helps you understand what it was like 41 years ago for a 19-year-old boy who had to become a man fast in a foreign land.

It helps me to share this part of my history and hopefully help people understand war is hell. For some soldiers like me with PTSD, the war never ended.

I live with tortured memories that still come unbidden. I manage to lead a somewhat normal life (what’s that anyway?) and I don’t fight my battles every day. Most of the time I’m diverted by my daily routines, and Vietnam and Cambodia stay far in my past. Another life. Another reality.

It’s the nights that sometimes get really bad during certain times of the year (like now), when the nightmares come in terrifying clarity. But medications have lessened them. Counselors call it an “Anniversary date” and attribute it to extremely bad times in a person’s life. Whatever.
I’m really not sure about that. I guess it really doesn’t matter what anyone calls it; this isn’t my best time of the year for me and that usually extends through June.

As It Stands, Thank you for reading this. It helps me to share sometimes.

Royal pain in the ass is over, Lakers win series, & it’s TGIF time

Image: Britain's Prince William salutes and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, bows her head

It’s finally over! The Royal Wedding show has come to an end and people can go back to dealing with the real world. I simply cannot see the fascination some people had with these royal jerks. The efforts to make this a “fairy tale” wedding has probably paid off for the merchandizers here and in England. By the way, did you bid on that Kate Middleton look alike jelly bean? I hear it sold for $800.00!

Meanwhile, my Lakers finished off the pesky Hornets and are now ready to face Dallas in the second round of the NBA playoffs.The Mavs eliminated the Blazers last night, and are now ready for the Lakers in what should be a tough series. (Photo - Andrew Bynum turned it on in Game 6, hitting for 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Lakers' win.)

And it’s Friday…people are looking forward to a nice weekend and an end to a long work week. Maybe that’s why Friday’s seem so special. My thoughts today are on those poor Americans suffering from the killer tornedos ripping through the Midwest. I’ve heard that there’s been over 300 casualties and will probably be more as searchers go through the ruins. It’s time for me to get on down the road…

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Fake doctors make house calls and rob naïve residents in Turkey

Turkish police donned white coats and stethoscopes to disguise themselves as doctors, then knocked on people's doors to see how easily they would fall for a confidence scam.

The undercover police officers told residents of the southeastern city of Gaziantep they were screening for high blood pressure and handed out pills, according to Turkish media.

They were alarmed when residents at 86 out of 100 households visited on Tuesday swallowed the pills immediately.

Police later returned to warn residents to be more cautious.

The police pills were harmless placebos. But a local gang had been using the same technique to give people heavy sedatives and then burgle them.

Turkish police in other provinces have also used novel methods to test citizens' gullibility.

Officers in Adana in southern Turkey last week called at houses, announcing through the intercom: "I am a burglar, please open the door."

Police said they were stunned at the number of people who opened the door, the Radikal daily newspaper reported.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; editing by Alexandra Hudson and Andrew Heavens) Image source

Brazilian Police To Wear Glasses That Scans Faces To Find Criminals

What do you want to bet we already have these scan glasses in the states?

I figure if the technology is going to be used publicly in Brazil then it’s been around for a while. Sure, they talk about testing the glasses, but I’ll bet they got a guarantee when they bought them from...hey wait a minute! Who did invent these advanced specs? There’s no indication in the story where the Brazilian cops got these goodies.

“In technology that is lifted straight from Robocop, Brazilian cops will be outfitted with glasses that can scan faces in a crowd and automatically pick out criminals. The glasses use advanced facial recognition technology that can scan 400 faces a second at 50 yards away.

Facial profiling! The glasses scans 46,000 biometric points on a person’s face and compares it against a criminal database. When the glasses find a bad guy (it’s actually a camera attached to the glasses), a red light pops up inside the glasses and alerts the officer on what to do.

The goal is to start using these Robocop glasses in test runs at crowded events (think soccer games and concerts) so police will be familiar with the technology come 2014 (when Rio de Janeiro hosts the World Cup). A big concern about the World Cup being in Brazil was the security, and if you saw Robocop, you’ll know he handled his share of bad guys with ease.” Source

Part II–The Montagnards were our allies against the NVA & VC

Going back 41 years ago to this same week in April…                                

                                          Part II – in a 3-part series of posts                                                               

                                                            By Dave Stancliff

Highway 22 overlooked the Song Ba River (photo below). To be more accurate, the Ba River as “Song” means river in Vietnamese. We called it the Song Ba River because that’s what someone wrote down on the maps we used. Maybe that someone liked the sound of “Song” and modified the real local name as Americans did so often during the war. Who cares right? My unit camped by this bridge for nearly a month.

imagesCAY8NJAG
   We had allies out in the jungle too. We were staying in the An Khe area along the West bank where some Montagnards lived (camp below right). They hated the NVA and the VC, so we became allies. The tribe that we had the most contact with was the Jarair. They were tough little nuts who were fierce fighters and who considered the Vietnamese their enemy from ancient times.

imagesCAH8I240 They also knew how to live off the land. They picked wild green onions, chopped bamboo shoots, and captured red ant nests using battery bags discarded by Americans. They’d take some of the rice they always carried with them and throw it into boiling hot water along with the green onions, bamboo shoots, and the red ants.

 The concoction wasn’t bad at all. Kind of a minty tasting. Much better than the fish head stew I once had in a Montagnard village like the one shown at the left. Pictured below is a heavily guarded Montagnard Base Camp.While we’re on the subject of local cuisine, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Vietnamese Centipede, an orange-legged terror that runs from four inches to eight inches long and has an attitude. imagesCAKS565X
 A nearby South Korean unit, we called them ROKS, liked to eat those centipedes. They put them in with their foul-smelling kim che (which already smelled bad enough to gag a maggot). They also ate monkey brains, but I’m not going any further with this.

 There was a certain lizard there, about three feet long, that also figured into the local cuisine. I don’t know what it’s real name was, but we called them “Fuck You” lizards. They hung around trees and in the night you could hear them go: “Tik, tik, tik, phuk yu!” They really sounded like someone saying fuck you. If you listened long enough.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A typical Montagnard fighter (below). They were fearless and loyal to Americans.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 We’d tell the new guys that it was Charlie out there taunting them, and that generally got their attention so well they didn’timagesCASOWP4I sleep. Saw a Fuck You lizard with a flashlight one night. It looked like a miniature dinosaur and hissed at me!

The next day I saw that lizard’s double draped across the back of a young Montagnard boy. He may have been Vietnamese. It’s hard to remember some details. It’s limp body spanned his shoulders and he smiled when I pointed at it.


“Numba one chop chop” he said.

Read Part III on Friday April 29th – “The Strangest Thing That Happened To Me in The Nam”

Oh, say can you see $1,515 for flag tank top?

Image: Balmain embellished flag-print silk tank

What recession? People are paying outrageous prices for stuff like this.

A tank top designed to look like a ripped, burned and tattered American flag is a hot seller this spring.

And the $1,515 price tag isn’t the only thing kicking up controversy.

The trashed tank, from French design house Balmain, is besieged with holes that look like cigarette burns and is held together at its open sides with safety pins. Story Here

Slideshow: Ooh la odd! Crazy couture

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Eating armadillos blamed for leprosy in the southern United States

110427-armadillo-hmed-314p.grid-6x2[1]

The next time you decide to cuddle an armadillo, think again!

Scientists are saying these “hillybilly speedbumps” as they’re often called because they get run over a lot, will infect you with leprosy!

Disease likely spreads when people handle, eat the animals, which carry bacteria for disfiguring disease.

Going back 41 years ago to this same week in April

imagesCAOG6UNB

This is a Three-Part Post.                          Part One
                                                         By Dave Stancliff
   Forty-one years ago this month, this week, I was a combat engineer serving in the Republic of Vietnam. One year earlier, I was a high school student without a care in the world and eager to graduate so that I could get on with life. Be my own boss. You remember what that was like, don’t you?
  My squad’s mission was to sweep for mines on a two-lane dirt road laughingly referred to as Highway 22. We would get up at first light and haul our heavy mine-detection equipment out and take a stroll down that reddish dirt road until we finished, usually at noon.
   The VC, who watched our every move from hidey holes, enjoyed putting “Bouncing Betty’s” beneath piles of buffalo shit as they knew the odor offended our Western sensibilities. The hoped we’d pass over the putrid piles rather than bother disturbing them. I never saw the trick work, but heard it did somewhere else from guys in other units.
I can tell you that it wimagesCAY5020Pas no fun probing for live bombs with a bayonet in a stinky mess. I got use to it however, as I got use to everything in that alien world somewhere in the Central Highlands that spring. How I managed remains a mystery to me today.

 Army units were assigned to provide us security and walked along behind us bristling with weapons as we did our job swinging those heavy mine detectors for hours at a time. Truck and tanks followed us in this daily routine.

We always had close ground-to-air-support. We could call in “Puff” the Magic Dragon, Spooky, Golf Ball, or Spectre, which were a bunch of assorted gunships made from AC-47s, C-123s, and C-130s.
Our security radioman could call those death-dealers in for a strike in a heartbeat. Charlie knew this and made it a habit not to wander around during the day. He just burrowed down into the ground and waited for darkness. Hoping that the mines he set during the night would kill some invaders during the day. Sometimes I imagined the enemy’s eyes following me. Patiently watching. Hoping to see me become a causality.It was a feeling we all had to get use to.

imagesCALV3FCDWe were on constant alert for the many signs that could mean life or death. I found an old French anti-tank mine one day. Took off my earphones and handed my mine detector to my sergeant. I found it and that meant it was mine. The earth stopped as I carefully probed the spot and slowly traced around the perimeter of the pressure plate. Time was meaningless. Sweat poured off my brow as I strained to recognize what kind of mine I’d uncovered.
I recognized it even as the sergeant said “French make.” That meant it would take at least 500 pounds on the pressure plate to set it off. Excellent for mangling vehicles like American trucks. Once I disabled it I sat down and drank some water from my canteen. I felt like throwing up, but the sensation passed.

See Part Two – Thursday, April 27 - “The Montagnards were our allies.”

The Trump Train: Donald gloats over birth certificant release, now wants to see Obama’s school records

Donald keeps giving complete idiots and racists reason to hope.

After Obama released his birth certificate today Trump’s response was to gloat that he “was honored’ to see a response to his question. He then turned around and launched into a new attack and questioned the president’s school records. Recognizing his hand was called on the “Birther” insanity today, Trump stopped gloating long enough to became a “Grader.”

I’m sure he’ll be the guiding light for a lot of disillusioned racists who had dearly hoped to keep the birth controversy issue going on forever. But now they can point their pin heads in a new direction and pursue their pastime of discrediting the president in any way possible.   

Well, I want to see “Ferret with Mange Hair’s” obedience school transcripts for the ferret playing dead on his head (see photo)! 

Following Trump's analysis, how did George W. get into Harvard and Yale? Where are his records? How did Gerald Ford get into Michigan? How did Reagan get into anything above the 9th grade? We demand to see those records. Then, we want to see how Trump got into Penn, as well as his transcripts.

Let’s get one thing straight: Trump is an ego-driven narcissistic douchebag whose been pumping up the ratings on his silly-assed reality show and news organizations like MSNBC and Fox have happily carried his rantings for ratings. The clown even said he'd announce his intentions about running for president on the season finale!

When the “Grader” crap subsides, as it will, I expect Trump will come up with something equally ridiculous to get the public’s attention.

As It Stands, I can see it now: “F*cking magnets, how do they work?"

Time to end ‘sideshow’ - Obama to speak on birth certificate

Image:  President Barack Obama's birth certificate f

This ought to shut up those “Birther” wackaloons. Now what are they going to do? The lie about his birth certificate has been sustaining the Tea Party and Republicans who can’t think of anything legitimate to go after Obama for.

White House spokesman handed out 'long-form' copies of certificate on Wednesday

President Barack Obama will speak to reporters at 9:45 a.m. ET Wednesday about the release of his birth certificate, NBC News reports.

White House press secretary Jay Carney handed out copies of the president’s “long form” birth certificate Wednesday morning, showing that he was born in Hawaii. Previously, only the president’s shorter form certificate had been made available, something that has spurred theories that Obama was not born in the United States.

White House officials have said the issue was settled long ago. But so-called "birthers" opposed to Obama have kept the issue alive. Potential Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently began questioning why Obama hadn't ensured the long form was released.

Carney says Obama felt the debate over his birthplace had become a "sideshow" that was bad for the country and political debate.

The "certificate of live birth" released Wednesday morning contained the signatures of the attending physician and the Local and State Registrars. It also contains the name of the hospital where Obama was born, Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital.

NBC News reports that the president requested the release of the birth certificate last week and that the White House counsel personally traveled to Hawaii to receive it.

The issue has continued to be part of the political dialogue despite a raft of evidence showing that Obama was indeed born in Hawaii.  More Story Here

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Lakers take over series with tough defense and renewed offense

The Lakers win tonight over the Hornets was a team affair…the way it should be: Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, and 4 assists. Kobe had 19 points. Fisher had 14 points. Ron Artest had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Shannon Brown played big off the bench with 8 points and lots of defensive hustle helping the Lakers take a 3-2 edge in the surprisingly competitive first round series.

The Lakers starters were all smiles as the final seconds ticked away in the 106-90 win at Staples Center. Game six goes back to New Orleans. photo source

A white boy can’t dance and psychologists act like this is news!

Apparently a team of psychs from Canada think they have stumbled upon something significant. I hate to pop their balloon, but most white boys can’t dance. Common knowledge. I’m a perfect example of – go ahead and say it – a stereotypical white boy who can’t dance! 

Excerpt:

“According to a team of University of Montreal psychologists, a 23-year-old Caucasian man, "Mathieu," is the first documented case of a person wholly unable to feel a musical beat or to move in time with it.”

I suspect the “A Team” from the University of Montreal didn’t visit any bars or other venues where people dance. I mean, how can they say this is the first documented case of the white boy syndrome? The truth has been out there for a long time. Just look at this photo! 

“The scientists report for an upcoming journal article that Mathieu sings in tune but merely flails with his body, bouncing up and down much more randomly than do people who are merely poor dancers.” [Science News, 3-26-11]

So let me get this straight…they compared their boy Mathieu with some people (Where did they find them? Excuse me sir, but are you a poor dancer?) who are “merely poor dancers” and came to the conclusion Mathieu is the missing link for white boys who have no rhythm. Hmmmmmmm….I’d say shaky science bunky!

photo source

Lawmakers increase fines for hand held phones & texting while driving – so what? A few extra bucks won’t make a difference

I can get in a car right now and drive down Central Avenue in McKinleyville and see someone talking on a hand held cell phone, or texting.

Guaranteed.

When are the lawmakers going to quit messing around and put some real teeth into stopping this problem?

I’ve talked with people who do this and they are completely unconcerned about paying a few bucks if caught. So far, none of the people I know that use hand held cell phones have been caught while driving. Friends and family included. It’s very frustrating to me because I take the danger very seriously, and would hate to be killed by another driver texting or talking on a hand held cell phone. I’m funny about things like that. Having survived combat in Vietnam and Cambodia, it would just suck to have some 17 year-old boy, or girl, take me out while gossiping with friends! 

  

Motorists who text or talk on hand-held phones face stiffer penalties under Senate measure

Lawmakers voted to raise the base fine from $20 to $50 for a first offense and from $50 to $100 for subsequent violations. The bill would also extend the ban to bicyclists.

“One taxpayer advocacy group questions whether the law has made the road safer, citing a study last year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. States that lack such a law also had fewer accidents, the study showed.

"It's essentially just a revenue-generating mechanism without improving public safety,'' said Matt Gray, a lobbyist for Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety.”  Photo source

Good Morning Humboldt County! Another Day in Paradise

As I slurp my Java this morning I see it’s been nothing but bad news for the Midwest. 'The town's gone': Seven dead as storm slams Arkansas  50 to 60 still are still unaccounted for in Vilonia; trail of destruction 15 miles long, three miles wide.

Emergency crews are preparing to search for dozens of people still missing early Tuesday before more forecast storms strike the area in the afternoon.

And it gets worse…

'Perfect storm' pounds central US, testing levees' limits

More than 1,000 homes evacuated in Missouri; Black River overruns barrier in 30 spots.

 

 

 

 

Members of the Missouri Highway Patrol set off by boat to patrol a flooded street and check for victims of a flash flood Monday, April 25, 2011, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

While the words "skyrocketing" and "gas prices" often end up in the same sentence, "plummeting" and “gas prices” rarely occupy even the same paragraph. In a perfect free market, prices should float up and down with equal speed. But in our market, what goes up doesn't seem to come down, at least not at once.  What gives? Why gas prices go up much faster than they come down

On a more positive note Electric cars meet the real world 

Chevrolet has sold about 1,500 Volts as of the end of March, and the company says sales will be going nationwide by the end of the year. The company has been keeping track of Volt driving patterns through its OnStar network, and the data suggest that Volt owners are getting savvier about maximizing battery use and minimizing use of the car's gasoline-powered "range extender." During March, the average mileage between fill-ups went from 800 to 1,000 miles, Chevrolet reported last week.

Time for me to wander on down the road….

Monday, April 25, 2011

Pugs Gone Wild! A Potpourri of Precious Pugs Playing and Posing

CapturekkMy Pug, Millie (left) and I thought it would be fun to do a photo page of Pugs just being Pugs…

tumblr_lfany5rUSk1qfyncko1_500This Pug on the right looks a little sleepy, but game.

 

imagesCAHK2QHC How cute is this wall-eyed baby Pug reposing in his/her swivel chair?

imagesCAQGKPM0

I couldn’t resist this postcard on the right.

 

 Babies-Riding-Dogs-6Look at the smile on this proud Pug as he plays pony for this little Chinese girl!

The cuteness factor goes of the charts here!

imagesCAOCG5B2Meet Mr. & Mrs. Pug, who just returned from a trip to Hawaii.

They both dug it there!

imagesCA8LAZURI’ll give you three guesses why I think the Pug on the left has a name like Princess…

imagesCAJA30P1

This Pug who is celebrating another birthday looks kinda thoughtful about being a year older!

tumblr_lf6cksN7wq1qa6z3eo1_500Now, don’t get the wrong idea about this little Pig Pug whose contemplating these remaining pizza crusts…

imagesoftwopugs

 

 

 

 

As all Pug lovers know…they are clowns when given the opportunity and some don’t even mind being dressed up. The Pug on the right looks okay playing Yoda, but the one on the left looks kinda peeved that he has to be Darth Vader! imagesCAT17D2J

The Pug in the swing looks a little concerned, but is gamely smiling and waiting for the photographer to pull the leash and (hopefully) gently rock him back and forth.

Pugs come in two colors.

 

With the exception of Millie, all these adorable Pugs can be found at Google Images Thanks for stopping by and viewing this Pug Potpourri!

 Pugs Rule!

It's Time to Pay Up Donnie!

It's looks like there will be some prime real estate going on the market soon in New York City. Convicted rapist and former president ...