By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 11/29/2009 01:27:19 AM PST
”The eye is the jewel
of the body.”
-- Henry David Thoreau
My first clue that my vision was going came when I bought a new television set in 1985 and couldn't get the picture to come in clearly. My wife and three children assured me there was nothing wrong with the set and I should see an optometrist.
Go to the Times-Standard to read the whole column.
Miguel Padilla, mistreated and abandoned, killed himself at 17
She had bounced from one stop to another in the welfare system.
When agencies fail to share details of abuse cases in L.A. County, tragedy can result. A good database remains elusive.
The abuse cases came from families that had been under scrutiny by L.A. County child welfare officials.
Go here to see a video and more photos.
I’ve got a hunch someone is going to lose their job, or worse, get reassigned to Bush’s security detail in Crawford, Texas!
Go to The LA Times for the story.
I pity the millions of Americans who have to travel long distances in this economy (and deal with the stress it causes) to be with loved ones.
I won’t be posting anything tomorrow as I will be enjoying the day with my ever-growing family.
I wish you a peaceful and fruitful day with your love ones. Here’s what millions of travels are facing:
“Millions of Americans got an early jump on their Thanksgiving travel Wednesday, with many opting to drive or take trains and buses instead of shelling out more money for flights amid a sour economy still hitting household budgets hard.”
Go to the Chicago Tribune to read this story and see a video.
Haven’t you laid awake nights wondering why your arms swing back and forth when you walk?
I’ve pondered many mysteries in my life – but this was NOT ONE.
So why post about this swigging scientific revelation? Why not?
Who knew? My wife says I have “monkey arms” because (in her estimation) they are longer than normal. There is a reason we do it however. Read On:
“BOSTON: A new study explains why people swing their arms as they walk, a seemingly unnecessary movement for which researchers have tried to find an explanation.”
Go to Cosmos Magazine to read the whole story.
Photo via the University of Michigan
My only comment is, the sooner the better!
“Signaling he's decided on new troop levels for the Afghanistan war, President Barack Obama said Tuesday he intends to "finish the job" on his watch and destroy terrorist networks in the region.”
Go to this AP article to read the whole story.
Seems to me that this is a positive sign and things are getting a little better. However, before getting too excited it’s important to understand that these statistics are based upon an expiring tax credit.
Once the deadline passes we should get a better picture of what’s really going on in the real estate market. Check back in six months and survey the economy then.
Meanwhile…
Only a 7-month supply of homes on market; bidding wars are erupting
From the Associated Press about an hour ago…
“Home sales surged for the second month in a row in October, climbing to the highest level in 2 1/2 years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax credit.”
Read the whole story here.
I’m not surprised someone has taken advantage of the positive vibes that have been going out on legalizing medical marijuana.
I am surprised that it was Oregon, and not California that got the first smoking lounge. This is the first, but I’m sure not the last.
So when are we going to get one in Humboldt County?
“The Cannabis Cafe is the nation's first medical marijuana smoking lounge. It's all perfectly legal and, for cancer patient Albert Santistevan, it's about time.”
Go to USA Today to read the story and to see a video.
PHOTO: Madeline Martinez, executive director of the Oregon chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, uses a "vaporizer," a device with a plastic bag that captures the potent vapors of heated marijuana, at the Cannabis Cafe. By Rick Bowmer, AP
By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 11/22/2009 01:27:20 AM PST
I think it's high time turkeys got more respect.
Most people don't think about this noble bird until Thanksgiving rolls around. Then, according to numerous surveys, 90 percent of American homes serve turkey as the main course in their holiday dinner.
Are turkeys stupid? This bad rap demonstrates the misinformation flying around about Meleagris Gallopavo (scientific genus and species). Just look at how turkeys got their name. I'll give you a hint; what does a country in the Middle East have in common with an American bird?
Go to The Times-Standard to read the rest of this column.
You see these things around you all the time. Some of them, you even use. The least you could do is know their names!
1. Punt, or Kick
The small indentation at the bottom or a wine bottle, designed to give the bottle extra strength, and also, to make it look like it has more wine than it really does.
To see the rest go to ListVerse
What is a lay person, such as myself, suppose to do with this conflicting information?
“Hackers broke into the electronic files of one of the world's foremost climate research centers this week and posted an array of e-mails in which prominent scientists engaged in a blunt discussion of global warming research and disparaged climate-change skeptics.”
Go to this Washington Post article via MSNBC
Every now and then I need to take a break from my blog and defending Democracy to just chill out. No politics. Just play. I'll be back ...
