U.S. has a problem: Karzai is thwarting bribery case

A top national security aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai was arrested last week on bribery charges —then released the same day “at the direction of the palace,” a senior U.S. official tells NBC News.

The handling of the case of Mohamed Zia Salehi, the chief administrator of Karzai’s national security council, has infuriated U.S. officials and raised new questions about Karzai’s commitment to cracking down on corruption within his government.

AND..

President Barack Obama's special envoy Richard Holbrooke recently testified that up to 30 percent of Afghan police salaries — paid in cash and financed with U.S tax dollars — are being stolen by their superiors.

HERE’S THE PART THAT GETS ME…

 Overall, as much $1 billion a year in cash, often stuffed in suitcases, is being flown out of Afghanistan and taken to Dubai, U.S. investigators say.

I remember going to Disneyland in 1955, when it opened

July 17th, 1955 – The night before…

The anticipation of going to a place full of rides for kids kept my sisters, brother, cousin, and I talking late into the morning hours.

Our parents allowed us all to spend the night in the living room (sleeping bags and all), and we pretended we were camping out.

We must have gotten some sleep because we were ready to go at the crack of dawn. By the time we got to Anaheim (we lived in the San Fernando Valley) a mob (see photo below right) of people were pouring through the gates. I guess they didn’t know much about crowd control in those days.

It’s hard to say what I remember most about that magical day. I was five-years old and quickly overawed at the magnificence around me. One of the most impressive was the “Rocket to the Moon/Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars” exhibit that instantly made me want to be an astronaut.

I thought the “Indian Village(left)” was neat, as I loved playing Cowboys and Indians. Looking back, I can see how people might think we were racist or politically incorrect by today’s standards.

But, back then we were innocent of such things because they were all around us and we didn’t know any better. The movies told us the Cowboys were the good guys and the Indians were the bad guys.

Back to Disneyland:

I recall riding in Dumbo, who gently went up and down and around. I thought the people dressed up like cartoon characters were cool. I asked my dad how the people inside could stand the heat? Unfortunately, I can’t remember exactly what he said. It was something along the lines of “They get paid to do it.” I sure remember the heat.

When you walked your feet stuck to the newly laid asphalt (they kept slipping out of my sandals!) that looked wet under the blazing sun. Women were getting their high heels stuck, much to my amusement. I saw more than one person fall down, only to quickly get up red-faced and embarrassed, trying to act like nothing happened. If people tripped and fell today (and it was the amusement park’s fault) they’d sue and get part ownership!

My overall impression of that day’s

big adventure (See Photo left), was one of bliss.

As we drove home I struggled to stay awake and talk with my older sister Linda, but lost the battle and passed out.

I ran across the following article this morning and it inspired me to reminisce. Enjoy:

10 Things I Miss About Disneyland

By Rick VanderKnyff

Excerpt:

“When Disneyland opened in 1955, Westerns were still the biggest thing on TV and the early Disney rides and attractions reflected that. Orange County also had Knott's Berry Farm, which comprised mainly the ghost town -- with free admission -- and chicken dinner restaurant until owners decided to go whole hog into the Disney-style theme park business. In those days, young fans would head to Disneyland or Knott's with their cap pistols strapped onto their hips and felt cowboy hats on their heads.

The Indian Village, with real people in full Native America garb hanging out amid the teepees and other paraphernalia, was one of Disneyland's original attractions in those quieter, less culturally aware times. This attraction -- with people in native costume on display -- would never fly today, and rightly so. But it's interesting to remember when this was all part of the Disney experience.”

Good Dog! Canine chews off owner’s toe, saves his life

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Is he the next Picasso? 8-year-old sells paintings for $235,803

Collectors are snapping up his works: The next Picasso?

Kieron Williamson, who just turned 8, is drawing collectors from as far from New York City and South Africa to his little British town of Holt. An exhibition of his paintings fetched the equivalent of $235,804 in under 30 minutes. London's Daily Mail dubbed him "Mini Monet." (Alban Donohoe / ©Albanpix.com)

Warning :many dietary supplements are contaminated

Retailers sell pills despite warnings, and FDA has little power to regulate

Many popular dietary supplements contain ingredients that may cause cancer, heart problems, liver or kidney damage, but U.S. stores sell them anyway and Americans spend millions on them, according to Consumer Reports.

Study suggests men should wear red shirts to attract women

 Men who want to be more magnetic need only don an article of red clothing, scientists now say.

Researchers from the University of Rochester and other institutions around the globe have discovered that the color red makes a man more attractive and sexually desirable to women, according to a report published this month in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

PHOTO: here I am trying to attract the ladies with my red shirt. I have to report it didn’t work, therefore I suspect  this studies findings!

Life is full of illusions that sometimes elude us!

Life is full of illusions. We often are unaware of them, but they exist, waiting to be studied, even admired. Perspective is one of the steps illusion uses to confound our brain while opening up new doors of awareness. 

I like to share illusions because they are often magical and make me think anything is possible. Illusions can open our “Third Eye” and lead to revelations.The photo above even gives me an audio treat as I hear the beat of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” in my head.

Take moment and enjoy this clever illusion. If you’d like to see more go here for the source.

Prick and run? Botox bandits rip off wrinkle shots

Cosmetic crooks spur surgeons to nip and tuck payment practices

You might call it a new wrinkle on the old dine-and-dash.

Last month, a woman waltzed into a cosmetic dermatology center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., spent two-and-a-half hours getting $3,300 worth of Botox and dermal fillers, then told staff she needed to duck out to a nearby ATM.

It was the last they saw of her.

PHOTO: All-American beauty (and "Botox bandit") Jaime Merk in her Tampa police mug shot

‘Scum of the Week’ Waters Broke House Ethics Rules

A California lawmaker is the second Democrat in two weeks to be accused of ethic violations. She is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, which handled the recent rewrite of legislation that regulates financial institutions and has strong protections for consumers.

    Congratulations

Rep. Maxine Waters!

Waters took the wannabes As It Stands “Scum of the Week” award on a Monday! That’s never happened before. But this gal really ran up a score…

She’s accused of breaking rules when she requested federal help for a bank where her husband was a board member and owned stock? Hmmmm…

Silverdome to Host First International Cannabis Convention

The Silverdome  in Pontiac, Michigan is to host the first International Cannabis Convention & Halloween Harmony & Harvest Fest over the coming Halloween weekend.

The event will feature entertainers, exhibits, vendors, guest speakers, and edibles for qualifying patients with current medical marijuana cards. Attendees must be at least 18.

Pontiac Silverdome spokesman John Mozena says a medical marijuana trade show will be held Oct. 29-31 at the recently reopened stadium.

Is Global Warming a Reality? Recent Reports repudiate skeptics

“IN A DEPRESSING case of irony by juxtaposition, the death of climate change legislation in the Senate has been followed by the appearance of two government reports in the past week that underscore the overwhelming scientific case for global warming -- and go out of the way to repudiate skeptics.

First came a report on global climate from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which confirmed that the 2000s were by far the warmest decade in the instrumental record -- as were, in their turns, the 1980s and the 1990s. Unlike year-to-year fluctuations, these 10-year shifts are statistically significant. Further, the report notes that it derived its conclusions from an array of data sources -- not just the land-surface readings that doubters challenge -- from ocean heat uptake to melting land ice to sea level rise.

AND…

Second was a strongly worded response from the Environmental Protection Agency to petitions that it revoke its finding that "climate change is real, is occurring due to emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities and threatens human health and environment." As with much climate-change skepticism, the petitions were based "on selectively edited, out-of-context data and a manufactured controversy," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said. Among other things, the agency reviewed every document from the "Climategate" e-mail hack at a respected British climate research unit. The EPA found what four other independent studies did: that the e-mails contained some "candid" language but nothing that seriously discredits the scientific consensus on global warming.”

Going to college this Fall? Explore some dorm gadgets that you never knew you needed

From ramen timers to bed-shaking alarm clocks to fridge lockers

I think the Mini-donut factory sounds like a must! Yum. Fresh donuts in the dorm every morn!

Writer Sean Fallon offers a list of eleven items you probably never heard of, but once you see them…well, see what you think.

 

30,000 dog bites in 6 months: rabid dogs bring death to island paradise of Bali

Epidemic kills 78 in two years on Bali, one of Asia's top tourist destinations

"Culturally, it is difficult to convince people that dogs can carry disease," Sutedja said. "In the traditional Balinese faith people believe that dogs will take them to heaven."

The Indonesian government says it's overwhelmed, with more than 30,000 dog bites reported in just the first half of this year across Bali.

Photo: A vet at the nonprofit Bali Animal Welfare Association injects a puppy held by Kadek Wirayani, 8, with a rabies vaccine.

As It Stands: 'I know I'm right' syndrome or being stupid and proud of it

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 08/01/2010 01:30:22 AM PDT

Regardless of the way some of us act, no one is perfect. That's where stupidity comes in. Because we know we're not perfect we often try to cover up our mistakes, or even the mistakes of others. That's stupid because everyone knows their time to screw up will come. It's as inevitable as taxes and death.

I won't even attempt to number the stupid mistakes I've made in my life. I sometimes talk about my stupidest failures and joke about them, hoping to get a smile or laugh that could help take away the sting.

James F. Welles, Ph.D, the author of “Understanding Stupidity: an Analysis of the Unnatural Selection of Beliefs and Behavior in Institutions and Organization,” wrote that not all failures are stupid. It seems in a behaviorist's universe, there is no such thing as stupidity. Behavior, Welles asserts, “is simply (or complexly) caused, and the corruption of the learning process and limitations on a living system's ability to adapt are inherent in the process of life.”

An understanding of how stupidity affects us could make us better people. We call self-deception stupid because we ignore facts that could help or hurt us. For example, say you're a politician arguing there's no such thing as “Global Warming” and you find new relevant information that proves otherwise.

What do you do? Change your position to reflect the truth or ignore it to further a political agenda? If you do the latter, you are stupid, greedy, or you have a broken moral compass.

Facts enlighten us and result in clear thinking. Accepting facts is acknowledging the truth. To turn away from facts is stupid. But not everyone is interested in the truth.

Go here to read the rest.

Parody Posters that please the eye and the funny bone

Here’s a great parody poster of one of my all time favorite movies, Forrest Gump.

If you’d like to see some more cool parody posters GO HERE.

Meet the zebra-donkey hybrid named Pippi Longstocking

The 1-week old animal is attracting attention at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Georgia

A zedonk, an unusual cross between a donkey and a zebra, is attracting attention at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Dahlonega after being born there about a week ago.

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Dutch brewer claims to make the world's strongest beer

A Dutch brewer with a penchant for competition has laid claim to creating the world's strongest brew: a beer that is some 60 percent alcohol by volume.

"You don't drink it like beer, but like a cocktail -- in a nice whisky or cognac glass," brewer Jan Nijboer told Dutch news agency ANP.

Men's accident rates climb with women's hemlines

Someone finally did a study of men being distracted while driving when they see women wearing brief outfits.

This has been going on since the first car rolled off the assembly line. I noticed that only 29% of the men surveyed said this happens to them.

I’d like to suggest Sheilas’ Wheels do a study of women texting, or talking on cell phones, while driving. It would be just another no-brainer study similar to this one on men.

U.K.study finds skimpy outfits distract male drivers

.The London Telegraph said the study by car insurance company Sheilas' Wheels claims men get into more accidents in the summer because they are distracted by women's skimpy outfits.

Wealthy and Alone: Mystery Heiress Maintains Mansions She Hasn’t Lived in for Decades – One of Them Was Never Occupied!

At 104, she occupies drab hospital instead of lavish estates

Huguette Clark inherited a fortune in railroads, copper mines, cattle, timber and banks. Her father also owned the land that would one day become Las Vegas.

But it was here in Santa Barbara (photo right) that she began to turn her back on all that, retreating from the world after a brief marriage.

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Friday Fun: check out this rainbow ghost optical illusion

John Shadowsky introduced a new kind of optical illusion he invented. I’m talking about one that gave us ability to see black and white photos in full color! This is the closest you get to having super-hero powers. It was really an extraordinary value added to the optical illusions field, but also an interesting phenomena brought to attention of those studying visual sciences. The below rainbow is just one of many emerging samples, based on John’s discovery.

To see this optical illusion in it’s full capacity, wait for the animated .gif to loop to its start. You’ll know you’re there when you see a full colored rainbow appear. Now stare at the center dot for few seconds, and at one time the animation will switch. But don’t move your eyes from central dot just yet! What do you see? If you followed my procedure precisely, sooner or later you’ll find out that the animation below consists of two similar images. Only difference between them, is that one is in color, and the other is black and white. After staring at the color rainbow’s central dot, negative colors burnt in your retina, and you were able to see the black and white photo in full color!