AS IT STANDS

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Poinsettias are not toxic and the debunking of other myths

Researchers debunk conventional wisdom about poinsettias, sugar and holiday suicides -- and note that Coca-Cola can only do so much.

Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not toxic to people or animals, suicides do not increase over the Christmas holidays, and sugar does not make kids hyperactive.

Also, Wales winning the rugby grand slam does not influence the death of popes, and douching with Coca-Cola is not an effective contraceptive method.

The supposed toxicity of poinsettias has been a subject of warnings ever since the red and white flowers have been associated with the Christmas holiday, but numerous reports from poison control centers do not support the warnings, according to Drs. Rachel C. Vreeman and Aaron E. Carroll of the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Los Angeles Times/Dec. 21 Gina Ferazzi/LA TIMES Photo

Political Correctness leaves Santa Claus Polarized!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

It's Cold Outside and I'm Thinking About Polar Bears!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa Passes Out Condoms to Men & Women!

By John Jalsevac

TORONTO, December 18, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Christmas shoppers were shocked this week to find men and women dressed up as Santa Claus on some of the busiest streets in Toronto, handing out condoms.

The publicity stunt was arranged by Durex, the condom manufacturer.

A press release from the company explained that costumed representatives, dressed as Santa Claus, would be handing out the condoms beginning on Tuesday, December 16.

“This holiday season, Durex(R) wants lovers to really feel the Love,” says the release. “Helping Canadians get in the mood to wrap their packages, Durex and Santa will start celebrating the holidays by handing out Love condoms this Tuesday, December 16, 2008 in downtown Toronto. Giving never felt so good!”

“It’s deeply saddening to me that at one of the most sacred times of the year, Durex would do such a thing,” said Suresh Dominic of Campaign Life Catholic in response to the publicity stunt.

“Santa Claus is simply another name for St. Nicholas, a Catholic bishop and saint from the early Church known for generosity to the poor. He is also a symbol of the beauty and mystery of Christmas, particularly for children. To use the figure of Santa to promote an ideology of casual sex on busy public streets is offensive in the extreme.”

Dominic encouraged readers to contact Durex as well as the Toronto mayor and Toronto city councillors to complain.

The condom manufacturer is not the only organization that is hijacking Christmas to spread a message of casual sex. Planned Parenthood also recently made the news by offering gift certificates that can be redeemed for everything from contraceptives and sexually transmitted disease testing to abortions.

Former major league pitcher Dock Ellis has died at 63

Associated Press

8:05 AM PST, December 20, 2008

Dock Ellis, who infamously claimed he pitched a no-hitter for Pittsburgh under the influence of LSD and later fiercely spoke out against drug and alcohol addiction, died Friday. He was 63.
His wife, Hjordis, said he died at the USC Medical Center in Los Angeles.

ARCHIVE: Ellis is trying to strike...

Dock was one of my favorite pitchers in baseball. It's sad to see him die at such an early age due to liver disease.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Vintage Travel Posters Take Us Back To Simpler Times

Click Here to see more fine art posters at Enjoy Art. The site has a real nice collection to look at.

I just discovered this site and thinks it's only fair to warn the reader that fine art prints are sold here, but that's not the reason I recommend it.

It has some really cool posters to check out!

I don't know about you...

but I'm a lookie-loo!

Car Enthusiasts Put Down Thousands to Show Off Their Creations

Blagojevich babbled...'I'm gonna fight, fight, fight...

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich made a statement to the media at his downtown Chicago office building a short time ago.

The embattled governor has kept his trap shut up till now, since his arrest last week on federal corruption charges.

Prosecutors say FBI wiretaps caught Blagojevich scheming to deal President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat for campaign cash or a plum job.

Blagojevich told reporters that he's innocent and would not step down and "would fight till his last breath." You gotta hand it to this creep, he isn't going quietly into the night!

The stage is set. The characters have taken their positions. Stay tuned...

AP file photo

Hilda Solis named Labor Secretary by Obama

AP Photo

I think she's a great pick. I use to live in La Puente (early sixties) and she's from there. However, there's a lot more reasons to think she's a really smart choice. Click here for her story in the Daily-News Latino.

1950: This was a popular children's gift for Christmas

I was born on November 7th, 1950, so regretfully, I don't remember this little bit of trivia. But it was sure fun seeing it and comparing it to what children get today for Christmas. What a difference between generations! No wonder we're often world's apart from this new generation. Lo tech versus high tech. Simple versus complex. Inexpensive versus very expensive. I suppose I'm not the only baby boomer out there that feels nostalgic this Christmas. Peace.

Some American's Are Already Sick of All Of That Snow!

As winter whiteouts spread across the country there are some people who are less than delighted with a visit from Old Jack Frost!

Bush Bails out Automakers to the Tune of $17.4 Billion

President Bush announced he was bailing out the Big Three this morning.

He said he did it to avoid them going into bankruptcy which would weaken the economy.

He called this move a "stop-gap"measure. Note that Congress wouldn't take this step before going into recess.

I think this bail-out was the wrong thing to do. In typical Bush fashion, he sidestepped Congress to get his own way.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Las Vegas hasn't seen this much snow since records were kept

I have a nephew who lives near Las Vegas.

He works in the city however.

I've been there many times myself, and in every season, but have never seen snow there. Don't tell me there's no global warming!

Click Here for the story.

AP News Photos

Blog babble on a Rainy Thursday Afternoon

I was checking out the most popular post in the last 48 hours and without a doubt it's the column I wrote for the Times-Standard - Election Fallout: Hate Groups Show Growth (see column on right for a link) a couple of weeks ago. Over 100 readers looked at it.

I have two followers. One, is Tom Holloway who has his own blog: "The Grand Life" (See my blog roll). And the other is ANEMONE (who does not have a blog). I do not know who this person is...but thanks for subscribing!

There's been 50 foreign visitors in the last 48 hours. England and Canada lead the way for the most appearances.
Hello to: Rheden Gelderlands, Netherlands; Taby, Stockholms-Lan, Sweden; Waremme Liege, Belgium; Istanbul, Turkey; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania; Thana Maharashtra, India; Rezekne, Latvia; London, United Kingdom; Huddersfield, Kirklees, United Kingdom; Glasgow, Glasgow City, United Kingdom; Erwitte, Nordrhein-westfalen, Germany; Torhout, West-vlaanderen, Belgium; Newport, United Kingdom; Delta, British Columbia, Canada; Winnipeg, Mantiba, Canada; Birmingham, United Kingdom; Shannon Clare, Ireland; Belgrade, Serbia Proper,Serbia; Camberley, Surrey, United Kingdom; Stratford, Ontario, Canada; Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Athens Atiki, Greece; Veldhoven, Noord brabant, Netherlands; Tasikmalaya, Jawa Barat, Indonesia; Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; Haarlem, Noord-holland, Netherlands;Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; Whitby, Ontario, Canada;Brno, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Czech Republic; Ajax, Ontario, Canada; Sable River, Nova Scotia, Canada; Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Etropole, Sofiya, Bulgaria; Keighley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom;
Naples, Campania, Italy; Plaza, Cagayan, Philippines;Auckland, New Zealand; Ijmuiden, Noord-holland, Netherlands; Padova, Veneto, Italy; Northwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom; Reutlingen, Baden-wuttemberg, Germany;Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, United Kingdom; Wallsend, North Tyneside, United Kingdom; Tumba, Stockholms Lan, Sweden; Barnsley, United Kingdom; and Knottingley, York, United Kingdom.

Thanks also to the rest of my visitors from throughout the United States. You're getting too numerous for me to list anymore. Your coming in the hundreds every day and I just have to say...thanks for coming my way!

BLOG ON!

Take a Tour of the First Ice Motel in North America

About 10 km east of Québec City, near Montmorency Falls and within the grounds of the Duchesnay winter resort, the first ice hotel in North America is erected each January.

Its 22 beds were sold out when it first opened in 2000. In its last iteration it had 85 beds, all made of ice but lined with deer furs and covered with mattresses and arctic sleeping bags.

Only the bathrooms are heated, in a separate insulated structure.

The hotel is usually made (the architecture and size may vary from season to season) with 4,750 tons of sculpted ice, forming arches over rooms with 16 foot (5 m) and larger and higher spaces for two art galleries (filled with ice sculptures of course) a bar, a movie theater, and a chapel where weddings are celebrated.

The walls are more than 4 feet (1.2 m) thick on average. All of the furniture is made of ice. In addition to using ice glasses as in the Kiruna ice hotel, the bar (and room service) also serves cold cuts on ice plates.

Photos from Damn Funny Pictures

Obama Picks New SEC chief and other regulators

President-elect Barack Obama introduces Mary Schapiro as his designate for Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman during a news conference in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008.

With them is Gary Gensler, the President-elect's designate for Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman and Daniel Tarullo, right, for a Federal Reserve seat.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Street Art:Where Illusions Challenge Reality and Perspective

Abandoned Art Comes To Life Across America:Junk or Jewels?

Cars are deserted and left to rust in every country all over the world. Most people wouldn't see them as very photogenic, but take a look below and see what a little ingenuity with lighting can achieve! These vehicles are from all over the USA, you can see some more abandoned vehicle pictures here.

Foreign Countries are Major Donors to Clinton Foundation

Former President Bill Clinton's foundation has raised tens of millions of dollars from foreign governments that his wife will engage as the next secretary of state.

The former president's foundation is releasing a list of its donors Thursday under an agreement that cleared the way for President-elect Barack Obama to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state.

Saudi Arabia gave more than $10 million to the foundation, which pays for Clinton's presidential library and his charitable work around the world.

Other foreign government givers include Norway, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Italy and Jamaica. Indian interests are represented.

The huge donor list is packed with international business leaders and billionaires.