Holy Water dispenser invented to fight Swine Flu …really I’m not kidding

 While drinking my first cup of coffee this morning, I ran across this story.

The Swine Flu has been in the news throughout the year, but this is the first time I’ve seen holy water to combat it!

“ROME (Reuters) – An Italian inventor has combined faith and ingenuity to come up with a way to keep church traditions alive for the faithful without the fear of contracting swine flu -- an electronic holy water dispenser.”

 Click here to read the rest.

Photo from Reuters – Inventor Luciano Marabese displays a prototype of his holy water dispenser at his office in Capriano …

Technorati Tags: swine flu,holy water

Veterans Day: A vet’s view…

 This picture was taken in February of 1970, when I was stationed in Vietnam. I was 19 years-old. (I turned 20 while in-country)  I was a Combat Engineer (31st Eng Battalion).

My specialty was Enemy Ordinance Disposal (EOD), but I also drove heavy equipment - like bucket loaders, as shown in the photo below.

 Looking at these photos today, I looked impossibly young and thin. Was I really that young once? I left Vietnam an old man in a young man’s body.

This Veteran’s Day I find myself thinking of my buddies who didn’t survive that hell in Vietnam. Some came home, like me, only to fall prey to PTSD. The casualty rate still continues today.

I recently read about how the military is basically blackmailing people who are locked up for going AWOL. The soldiers end up staying in jail for long periods of time (some for over a year) before their cases even go to trial.

Some of these AWOLs have already served combat tours and don’t want to go back. The authorities offer soldiers a way out of jail if they will agree to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. Blatant blackmail by a military that is running short of bodies to sacrifice.

I look at the record numbers of soldiers coming back from these wars with PTSD. Their numbers are overwhelming. The VA’s in need of a major overhaul to help them.

  On this day to honor veterans I’m torn between remembering those who gave their all to this country, and the challengers our veterans face today. My heart is with each and every one of America’s veterans every day.

  Don’t expect jingoism from me. I think war is wrong. I’m unhappy with the president, and the punks in the Pentagon who don’t want our protracted wars to end. Their reasons are dark, and colored with greed and mindless imperialism.

  Instead of martial rhetoric for this day, I hope to see a Veteran’s Day when we are not at war with other countries. John Lennon’s song comes clearly to me this morning. Join me, if you will, in singing “Imagine.”

--Dave Stancliff

Technorati Tags: Veterans Day,Vietnam,PTSD

   

I agree with Kucinich : H.R. 3962 sucks!

I’ve been following the health care debate (with millions of other Americans) and the passing of H.R. 3962 was a sell-out to the current insurance system. I like the fact that Kucinich voted against his fellow Democrats - setting ideology and party politics aside.

The Dems celebrated a hollow victory because this version of the health-care bill is unacceptable, and will get shot down if not heavily revised in the Senate.

After voting against H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made the following statement: 

Kucinich: Why I Voted NO

“We have been led to believe that we must make our health care choices only within the current structure of a predatory, for-profit insurance system which makes money not providing health care.  We cannot fault the insurance companies for being what they are.  But we can fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit health insurance industry, the very source of the problem. When health insurance companies deny care or raise premiums, co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make a profit.  That is our system.”

Read the rest at Congressman Kucinich’s website.

Technorati Tags: health care votes,senate,congressman dennis kucinich

NBA great Abdul-Jabbar has rare form of leukemia

One of my favorite Lakers is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I was surprised to see that he has a rare form of cancer this morning.

Apparently, it’s not the worst kind of cancer you can get, and chances of survival are good.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is being treated for a rare form of leukemia, and the basketball great said his prognosis is encouraging.

Read the story at Yahoo Sports

AP File Photo

Technorati Tags: basketball hall of famer,Abdul-Jabbar,leukemia

Who says turkey’s are dumb?

With Thanksgiving coming up the smarter turkeys are already practicing their imitations of other animals….

cartoon via Marbella text by Dave Stancliff

Technorati Tags: editorial cartoons

The problem with legalizing pot is…

Cartoon via dopesmoke.com

Technorati Tags: editorial cartoons

Suicides in the downturn raise worries about recession’s real cost

Coroner John White is presiding over a sad tally in this northern Indiana county, tracking rising numbers of suicides he believes are linked to the lingering recession.

Read the whole story at msnbc

Data on every U.S. county
You can see the suicide rate for U.S. counties for 1979-2006 in these PDF files:

• an alphabetical list of counties
• a ranking of counties by suicide rate
• year-by-year suicide figures for each county

Photo by Jennifer Shephard / The Elkhart Truth

Technorati Tags: recession,suicides

A look at seven subjects that seriously tick people off

 I’m back…it’s time to start posting stuff again. I wonder if you missed me as much as I missed blogging?

Here’s today’s offering:

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 11/08/2009 01:27:25 AM PST

Remember comedian George Carlin's 1972 “7 Dirty Words” monologue? It's still controversial, but every one of those words can now be heard on cable TV. I wondered what words would cause such a controversy today?

Then it came to me. Not words; subjects. The following subjects are guaranteed to cause controversy. If you don't want to start a heated argument, don't mention any one of them. Of course, if you're bored with a dull conservation and looking for a stick to throw in the fire, then toss in one of these subjects to warm things up. Click here to read the seven subjects.

Don’t be concerned – everything will be ok

  I’m taking a blog break for a week.

I’m going to recharge the batteries that tickle my brain with ideas.

I’m doubling my walks and I’m going to read a book (fiction).

Shirley has taken the week off and we’re going to explore the nooks and crannies of this beautiful area we live in.

Just because.

Hopefully my meandering will motivate my muse and sharpen my views. Don’t let that stop you from exploring the archives listed on the left of this page.

Feel free to leave comments about things you like or dislike, or things you’d like to see. I’ll make answering you my duty.

Peace be with you. May the wind be behind you - and the truth always before you!

Dave

Op-Ed: Numbers, not shouting, overwhelm health care debate

 Here’s an interesting read about the health care debate. Dingell (I should say his researchers and staff) has made some good points regarding a public option in this Op-Ed piece today.

I do believe our current health care system is in shambles and something has to be done about it. The research in this article is accurate (I did take the time to check quoted stats).

I’m not suggesting you read this Op-Ed piece because a Democrat wrote it. If a Republican would have brought up the same stats and logic I would have run it. I’m not interested in promoting either party. I am interested in trying to get out as much accurate information on this subject as possible.

What do you think about this Op-Ed piece? For or against?  

By Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.)

“We have the best medical professionals in the world, but fewer and fewer Americans can afford to pay for the care they can provide. The trends indicate that problem will get much worse.

About 17 percent of our $14 trillion dollar economy is dedicated to health care. We pay more for health care than we do for food. Too much of what we spend on our care does nothing to improve our health. We pay for our highly bureaucratic and unwieldy health care system not just with dollars, but with the lives and well-being of millions of Americans. The Affordable Health Care for America Act will reform our health insurance industry so companies prioritize policyholders’ health instead of investors’ profits.

The insurance industry has done everything possible to make you think otherwise. This summer’s massive disinformation campaign – exposed by Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone magazine last month – has distracted millions of honest, engaged citizens during this debate. During two town halls in my District this summer, I witnessed first hand how fear hijacked a much-needed serious conversation.

 
But the facts scream louder than even the angriest protester – and the data tells us the current system could literally destroy our way of life.

Consider these statistics:
•   The top ten health insurance companies made $8.2755 billion last year and they stand to make more when medical costs go up.  
•    The average annual premium for employer-sponsored health insurance is $13,375 for family coverage.
•    Approximately 45,000 people die each year because they lack health insurance.” 

Go to News.Yahoo.com to read the rest of this Op-Ed piece.

AP Photo of Rep. John Dingell (Mich.) 

Technorati Tags: health care,town hall meetings,insurance companies

Unused Tenn. bestiality law put to test in new cases

“Two years ago, the Tennessee legislature put into statute what most people assumed should go without saying — it is illegal to have sex with an animal in this state.

But prosecutors across Middle Tennessee have cause to be glad that someone spelled that felony out. No less than three bestiality cases have come up in separate counties in recent months.

Three people stand accused of engaging in sex acts with farm animals in Maury County. In Humphreys County, a youth football coach was already under investigation for child rape when police reportedly found images of bestiality on his cell phone.” Read the rest at USA Today

 

Technorati Tags: bestiality law,Tennessee,maury county

Brazil's Pirahã Tribe: Living without Numbers or Time

The Pirahã people have no history, no descriptive words and no subordinate clauses.

That makes their language one of the strangest in the world -- and also one of the most hotly debated by linguists.

 Go to Spiegel Online International to read the whole story.

Technorati Tags: brazil,piraha tribe

Teabagger Express predicts ‘Judgement Day’ will send all Democrats to hell

If you’re not a “real American” as defined by Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck, then you’re going to hell buckaroo!

The crazy get crazier, as we watch the religious right continue to dress up and interrupt town hall meetings.

What do they really want? You can go to their  "Tea Party" website and read all about their “Tea Party Express II:Countdown To Judgment Day."

Snippet from AlterNet:

“What will happen on their predicted "Judgment Day"?
If you buy the biblical spin of the Religious Right folks -- that make up the bulk of the Tea Party movement -- the implication is clear: Jesus will soon return, send all Democrats, gays, blacks, progressives, liberals, college-educated unbelievers, etc., to Hell, while saving what Sarah Palin calls "us" "Real Americans" -- in other words unreconstructed frightened and resentful white lower middle class Americans.”

Read the rest here.

ABOVE IMAGE FROM: teapartyhandbook.com/

Technorati Tags: teabaggers,sarah palin,democrats,religious right

Baseball’s dirty little secret

Just think; while you’re enjoying your first cup of coffee this morning your also learning about a little known fact about baseballs.

What a way to start a day!

Harvesting baseball's 'magic mud'

“Nobody knows this is where I get the magic mud," Bintliff says.

Out of nine brothers and sisters, Bintliff was the one picked to carry on the family business -- Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud.”

• Jim Bintliff has provided Major League's "magic mud" for 44 years
• Rubbing baseballs with mud became common after batter was killed with pitch

Read the whole article at CNN

Technorati Tags: muddy baseballs,magic mud

When they come packing to make a point

Via Seatllepi.com Cartoon by Horsey

Darwin dreamed of being an astronaut someday…

(via WhereDidYouBuyThat)

Technorati Tags: satire

It’s that time of year – Go Lakers!

From the LA Times today…

Lakers want to ring in new season carefully

Snippet of story:

“The Lakers begin the season tonight against the Clippers, but not before they receive their championship rings from last season's successful playoff run.”

Read the whole story here. 

Image above via Bright Star Images

Technorati Tags: la lakers,basketball season starts

‘Peephole’ season USA on the way

 I’m so glad that it doesn’t snow here in Humboldt County! I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and I know how miserable scraping ice off your windows is.

I haven’t been back there since 1972, and don’t intend to ever go back. Look at the guy in the photo. Imagine doing that every day?

FROM USA TODAY WE HAVE:

Police watching for ‘peephole drivers as winter nears

ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: David Michael scrapes ice from his car during a Jan. 27 winter storm in Nicholasville, Ky. In some states, police can cite drivers for obstructed vision.

Photo By Charles Bertram, AP

Technorati Tags: snow season,icy windows

9 Brain Habits You Didn’t Realize You Had…

From MindCafe today…

“The brain is certainly the most amazing part of human body. It becomes more interesting when it does not work the way you expect it should. Psychology frequently establishes our intuitions about how human mind works, but it reveals a number of surprises as well…

Although some psychology students will have heard one or two of these before, here’s a list of brain habits you probably didn’t realize you had:

1) The maximum capacity of your short-term memory is seven.

Humans have basically three forms of memory: Sensory, Long-term and Short-term. Long-term memory is just like hard-drive space. Similarly, Short-term memory functions like a very small RAM. This Short-term memory is capable to hold only about five to nine (seven is an average) items at a time.

Retrieving information longer than this will need you to either pack it together into seven units or store it in Long-term memory. Have you observed that the most phone numbers have only seven digits?

Click here to see the remaining eight.

 

Technorati Tags: brain tumor,habits,short-term memory,long-term memory

More Americans believe in haunted houses than global warming : A scary Halloween tale.

In the United States, more people believe that houses can be haunted by the dead than believe that the living can cause climate change.

Is this simply a scary Halloween tale or our frightening future?

Read this article by: Dave R. at Care2

 

Technorati Tags: global warming,haunted houses