Some humorous thoughts & observations this Saturday Night Live

I’ve heard that the immune system of sharks is superior to humans… with the except of lawyers who also have other shark-like attributes. My apologies to the sharks for the comparison.

They say ants have no eyelids. I’ve never been able to get close enough to tell. Fact is, snakes don’t have ears, but don’t try sneaking up on one!
Male rats are known to mate with their mothers, sisters and any other females in their family. A pair of rats are capable of having 15,000 offspring in one year. Is it any wonder we use the word “rat” in a negative way when referring to someone?

Some animals can be gay. Really. Among them are the African Elephant, brown bears, buffalo, dogs, giraffe, chickens, emus, jewel fish, salmon, common garter snakes, the red diamond rattlesnake, and even some insects, to name some.

Snails have the ability to sleep for three years. Don’t ask my why this is a good thing but some researchers think it is. Starfish are brainless creatures of the sea, but I still like “Patrick” in “Sponge Bob, Square Pants” cartoons.
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Ants can lift objects 50 times their own weight. There use to be a comic book superhero called “Ant Man,” (DC Comics) who wouldn’t have been stopped by that nasty insecticide “RoundUp.”

Eels have two hearts. I’ve heard the phrase “slippery heart” by that’s ridiculous. And what’s with hagfish having four hearts? I’ve known hags that didn’t even have one heart!

Time to call it a day, my friends. Thanks for stopping by. (image source)

Inspirational words for a slow Saturday…

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”                                                                     ~ Mark Twain

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What does the future hold for a species bent on energy consumption?

So here we are, one foot on the bow of the sinking ship Fossil Fuel, the other on the bow of the U.S.S. Renewable Energy:

5 Myths About Renewable Energy

1. Renewable Sources Can't Replace Fossil Fuels

2. Renewable Energy Is Worthless Without Government Incentives

3. Wind Turbines Are Noisy, Costly Bird Killers

4. Solar Energy Doesn't Provide Enough Juice

5. Clean Coal Is the Answer

                                                                                             Photo -John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Humor Break – here’s a smile or two just for you…

 

 If you think these photos are cool there’s lot’s more to see here

I get a kick out of humorous photos of all kinds and based upon reader feedback…so do you!

As It Stands shares some stuff you might not have seen today…

 

Not a lot of news happening, but here’s a few interesting tidbits:

An Oregon mailman was suspended for taking a crap in a yard on his route.

Man bites dog — then sues over police canine's act

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They say that the World's Oldest Man died in Montana at 114

Walter (shown here) Breuning's earliest memories stretched back 111 years, before home entertainment came with a twist of the radio dial.

That’s all from me bunky! Have a good one, and be safe on this Friday night Live!

Victim of PTSD: Ex-Marine, veterans' advocate kills himself

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

One of the military's most vocal suicide prevention advocates tragically took his own life.

Stories like this touch my heart.

I grieve for these young men and women returning from war with PTSD.

I suffer from PTSD, and when I read about others who appear to be handling theirs well and they suddenly snap…

I can’t help but shuddering. There, but for the grace of God, goes me. Someday my story could end the same way.

There’s no time limits with PTSD. There’s no predicting when it will overwhelm you. I live with that reality. Survivor’s guilt is common among those of us who go into combat and live while others die. It can be traced back to ancient times.

But this is my life right now… and I grieve for Clay Hunt, a vibrant Iraq veteran that was chosen to be in public service announcements reminding veterans that they weren't alone…but you see he was alone, or thought he was. That’s the damn thing. Each one of us face the possibility of Clay’s fate. Even those who appear to be doing just fine.

I’ve seen those “just fine” veterans in Stand Downs as they try to convince me that they’re different. That they don’t think about their time in combat or have nightmares. Or, the fact they saw their best friends head explode before their eyes. No. they can handle it. Just like Clay Hunt could handle it.

As It Stands, rest in peace brother, the war is finally over for you.

Excerpt:  

"He was very despondent about why he was alive and so many people he served with directly were not alive," said John Wordin, 48, the founder of Ride 2 Recovery, a program that uses bicycling to help veterans heal physically and mentally.”

STORY HERE

U.S. urged dealer to continue gun sales despite concerns, inquiry finds

The Arizona gun dealer repeatedly raised red flags about weapons ending up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels as part of Project Gunrunner, but his concerns were brushed aside, congressional investigators say.

I’ve been following this issue for three years now and the one thing that sticks out to me is the denial by the NRA and gun groups that the cartels are getting their weapons from American gun dealers through the use of “straw buyers.” I’ve been reviled for even suggesting it in my columns. I’ve got comments to the effect that, “Most of the cartels guns are coming from mass shipments from Russia and Third World counties.” I’ve never seen any evidence of that contention.

What I do see is the NRA continuing to fight any efforts to curtail gun sales. As long as the NRA has Congress in it’s big pockets we’re going to continue to see American border agents murdered, and innocent American citizens on our southern borders will not be safe.

PHOTO - A U.S. Border Patrol agent passes photos of slain Border Patrol agent Brian Terry during a memorial service in Tucson. Two guns involved in the Gunrunner operation were found at the scene of a shootout in southern Arizona in December in which Terry was killed. (John Moore / AFP/Getty Images / January 21, 2011)

Excerpt:

“The investigation into a federal operation that allowed Mexican drug cartels to acquire U.S. weapons escalated Thursday with new revelations that an Arizona gun dealer repeatedly expressed fears that his guns were falling into the "hands of the bad guys" but was encouraged by federal agents to continue the sales.

Employees of the dealer videotaped gun buyers — suspected "straw purchasers" who could legally buy the guns, though cartel members could not — exchanging money with other individuals on the dealer's premises.
The aim of the ATF program, called Project Gunrunner, was to gather intelligence on suspicious weapons sales and arrest senior members of international trafficking chains.
In an eerie case of premonition, the gun dealer expressed fears that the guns he was selling could be used against U.S. border agents.” Full Story

Related:

Assault rifle used in U.S. agent's killing in Mexico traced to Texas - U.S. authorities say one of three men they arrested this week purchased an AK-47 at a Texas gun shop that was used in the attack last month that killed a U.S. federal agent and wounded his partner.

U.S. gun-tracing operation let firearms into criminal hands - A federal operation aimed at tracing weapons to Mexican drug cartels lost track of hundreds, including two guns found at the scene of a Border Patrol agent's killing in Arizona.

Key figure in ATF's Gunrunner operation cooperating in congressional inquiry - George Gillett Jr. is expected to reveal crucial information about how a federal operation allowed weapons from the U.S. to pass into the hands of Mexican drug gangs.

Arizona Legislature passes stupid presidential 'birther' bill

What is it with these people? The myth that Obama was born in Kenya has been dispelled but they continue to act stupid.

Should we fear stupid people? I think so, but we also need to challenge their bigotry and single-minded focus to get rid of a black president.

“Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix, said he was embarrassed, the Republic reported.

"Arizona is the first state to pass a birther bill. We look pretty much backward," Gallego said. "You might as well change Arizona to Alabama."   Full Story

'Desperate idiots' jailed over failed plot to kidnap Columbia Sportswear boss, 87

'It couldn't have been worse if you tried to kidnap Santa Claus,' judge tells defendants who targeted Gert Boyle

“In the 1980s, a national ad campaign showed Gert Boyle (pictured) putting her son and the products through extreme tests and her flexing her biceps tattooed with the words "Born to Nag."

Story Here

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding is at fever pitch–who gives a damn?

Who cares?

It’s a question strangely missing from the exhaustive coverage of the Royal Wedding.

Americans have been subjected to a month-long countdown complete with surveys of souvenirs ranging from commemorative plates to condoms to a signature airsick bag. Flotillas of news correspondents have been dispatched across the Atlantic to ensure that no question goes unanswered, from whether William will wear a wedding ring to whether Kate is still a virgin.

Didn’t we fight a war so we wouldn’t have to pay attention to this sort of thing? Story Here

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