Do you know the differences between Ravens versus Crows?

A lady down the street from me feeds the local crows everyday. They hang around, those special few who’ve discovered her generosity, on the electrical lines in the front of her house. 
For some silly reason I always think of those two British speaking Crows, Heckel and Jeckel, in the cartoons.   

While on one of my daily walks with my pug, I had my 3-year-old granddaughter with me.
She was delighted with those black birdies, and I told her they were Crows.
I also told her that there were other black birdies bigger than Crows called Ravens.
In the delightful manner of a know-everything 3-year old, she nodded her head and said, “I know.” A snap shot moment.
For those who don’t know all the differences between these two intelligent birds, I’ve listed some differences below on the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the common raven (Corvus corax).
Physical Differences: Crows average around 17 inches long, and ravens about 24-27.

• A raven weighs about four times that of a crow.
• Crows have a wing span around 2.5 ft., and ravens about 3.5-4 ft.
  • A raven's wing sometimes makes a prominent "swish, swish" sound, while a crow's wingbeat is usually silient.
• Ravens have pointed wings, while crows have a more blunt and splayed wing tip.
• Crows have a fan-shaped tail (squared-off), while raven tails are long and wege-shaped.
• Besides having a bigger, more powerful bill, a raven's bill is curved, while a crow has a more-or-less flat bill. Additionally, atop a raven's bill is a tuft of hairs absent on crows.
  • As a result of being larger and more powerful, ravens are the more efficient predator. (Predation is a very small percentage of crow and raven diets.)
  • Crows are more at home in the urban landscape, given their ability to be more socially inclined than ravens.
  • Diet: While both are commited to being vociferous omnivores, ravens are drawn to carrion (especially sheep), while crows may be less picky
  • Ravens probably find food faster in the wild, considering anecdotes from tappers about how fast ravens could find the carrion in their traps.
• Vocalizations: For the sake of basic reference, a crow's call is a "caw" and a raven's is a low and slow croak.
• Crows exhibit at least two dozen differnt calls, while ravens can express themselves with 20-100's of different vocalizations, depending on the expert cited.
• GO HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE TWO BIRDS.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Charlie Brown just wants some…

Have you heard about subliminal messages, and methods big companies (or authors) do to insert them into their products? They were quite popular few decades ago, and you can still see number of instances where hidden stuff is implemented in such a way that not everyone will notice. One of the spoofs that references these was made by Brad Pitt in Fight Club blockbuster (when they’ve inserted a photo of male genitalia as a single frame into family movie screening).

Theory says that people unconsciously notice the subliminal message, which triggers an action desired it would by its author. For example, there is a legend theaters used to insert short frames of food and drinks into their movie rolls, hoping to awaken hunger and thirst among audience, eventually resulting with higher sales of their fast-food products. One such subliminal thing is supposedly hidden in Charlie Brown’s portrait. I’m not exactly sure where this came from, or whether it’s just a coincidence, but if you spot it – it should perfectly fit with the title of this article. Happy hunting!

Consumer Reports won't recommend iPhone 4

'There is a problem with its reception,' publication says

The highly regarded publication said its engineers tested three iPhone 4s, and found that complaints by others about the phone's reception are valid. Apple, contacted for comment, did not respond.

As It Stands: Channeling Ian Fleming: Spy story perfect stuff for a thriller

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 07/11/2010 01:30:21 AM PDT

Holy red scare in suburbia, Batman!

A network of Russian spies in America!

Tabloid editors are ecstatically churning out fascinating details, such as the photogenic quality of one of the spies, Anna Chapman. Newspapers across the country breathlessly follow the stunning story of the spies among us.

Eleven people, 10 in the U.S. and one last seen in Cyprus, have been charged with being unregistered foreign agents. The cops are still looking for the one who was arrested in Cyprus but disappeared after a Cypriot judge freed him on $32,500 bail and embarrassed the Cyprus government in the process. The man went by the name Christopher Metsos and allegedly supplied money to the spy ring in America.

Ian Fleming, British author and journalist best remembered for his character James Bond in 12 novels and nine short stories, would really have a jolly go with this story.

The setting:

Richard and Cynthia Murphy, with their two children, live on a quiet street in suburban New Jersey in a beautifully maintained colonial house with maroon shutters. Cynthia is vice president of a financial service firm and loves to tend the hydrangeas in the front of the house.

The children, Katie, 11, and Lisa, 7, can safely ride their bikes in the nearby cul-de-sac in this serene upper-middle-class neighborhood. But like any good spy novel, this family isn't what it appears to be.

Their home, on Marquette Road, is owned by the “Moscow Center,” an intelligence arm of the Russian government. These seemingly ordinary Americans are actually Russians reporting to their handlers in Moscow. Go here to read the rest.

RELATED POSTS:

Attorney general: Russian spies posed threat to US

Biden tells Leno US did fine in Russian spy swap

UPDATE:

A web site called News and More in Just In Cyprus picked up today’s column on spies.

And on Twitter Spy Guy is tweeting this column

In case you wondered – Study shows lobbyists sponsor 39 percent of Calif bills

When you think of lobbyists you generally think of their influence in Washington D.C. There’s thousands of lobbyists who, like locusts, descend upon both houses throughout the year.

We must not forget about the lobbyists at the state level who burrow into the political scene statewide, and exert an undue amount of influence on what bills get passed or rejected every year. How bad is it you ask?

Outside interests sponsored 39 percent of the bills introduced during a recent two-year session of the California Legislature, according to a published report today.

 

Spy swap mystery: The one that got away

I’m really disappointed at this whole spy story. We’re never going to know what those 10 Russians were spying on. How bogus is that?

There was so much potential, and then the U.S. and Russia suddenly made the biggest spy swap since the Cold War and in record time too!

But the story doesn’t have to end here. You can channel your inner Ian Fleming and come up with a much more interesting story line. See Sunday’s AS IT STANDS for more thoughts on spy stories.

Man vanished from Cyprus after being released on bail

The United States and Russia swapped 14 spies with precision, but one piece of the puzzle remains: The alleged spy who disappeared after posting bail in Cyprus.

Did he flee on his own? Get away with help from the Russians? Trick local residents into unwittingly aiding an escape? Meet some other fate

The spy suspect (shown here) who called himself Christopher Metsos vanished after handing over a Canadian passport that claimed he was 54 and got released on bail.

Iconic church brings New Mexico village together

 In Ranchos de Taos, preserving a church has become a rewarding rite of summer.

In the center of this northern New Mexico village stands a sun-baked adobe church made famous by the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe and the photographs of Ansel Adams and Paul Strand.

But if it weren't for an annual ritual that has been kept alive for nearly two centuries by the close-knit community of Ranchos de Taos, it's likely the iconic church wouldn't be standing at all.

Hundreds of parishioners gathered over two weeks under the summer sun to plaster the thick walls of the San Francisco de Asis Church with a fresh coat of mud, from the massive buttresses at the back of the fortress-like church to the courtyard walls and the tops of the bell towers.

Obama: More post-traumatic stress help for vets

The government is taking what President Barack Obama calls "a long overdue step" to aid veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, making it easier for them receive federal benefits.

The changes that Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will announce Monday fulfill "a solemn responsibility to provide our veterans and wounded warriors with the care and benefits they've earned when they come home," Obama said in his weekly radio and online address Saturday.

Photo:In this April 9, 2010, file photo Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki speaks at the Togus Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta. Shinseki will announce the changes Monday, July 11. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Greetings from the Gulf Coast – oil up and have fun!

Mike Lester, Rome News Tribune / Politicalcartoons.com

Today’s thought: You should be careful what you wish for

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him.

The waitress asks them for their orders.

The man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?"

"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order. "That will be $9.40 please." The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke.."

The ostrich says, "I'll have the same.."

Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.This becomes routine until the two enter again. "The usual?" asked the waitress.

"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and a salad," says the man. "Same," says the ostrich. Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62."

Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table. The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me,sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?"

"Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there.."

"That's brilliant!" says the waitress.. "Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!" "That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," says the man

The waitress asks, "What's with the ostrich?"

The man sighs, pauses and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick

with a big butt and long legs who agrees with everything I say.."

DEA Flouts Mendocino Medical Marijuana Ordinance by Raiding First Grow Permit Applicant

COVELO, Cal, Jul 7th 2010:   The DEA  flouted Mendocino County's newly enacted medical marijuana cultivation ordinance by raiding the first collective that had applied to the sheriff's cultivation permit program.
  A multi-agency federal task force descended  on the property of Joy Greenfield, 68, the first Mendo patient to pay the $1050 application fee under the ordinance, which  allows collectives to grow up to 99 plants provided they comply with  certain regulations. Ms Greenfield  had  applied  in the name of her collective, "Light the Way," which opened in San Diego earlier this year.  Her property had  passed  a preliminary inspection by Mendo sheriff's deputies shortly before the raid, and  she had bought the sheriff's "zip-ties" intended to designate her plants as legal. In the days before the raid, Ms Greenfield  had seen a helicopter hovering over her property;  she inquired with the sheriff, who told her  the copter belonged to DEA and wasn't under his control.
  The agents invaded her property with guns drawn, tore out the collective's 99 plants and took Ms Greenfield's  computer and cash. Ms Greenfield was not at home during the raid, but spoke on the phone to the DEA agent in charge.  When she told  him that she was a legal grower under the sheriff's program, the agent replied  "I don't care what the sheriff says."
  When she returned to her house  she found it in disarray with soda cans strewn on the floor. "It was just a mess," she said, "No one should be able to tear your house apart like that." Ms. Greenfield  called the raid a "slap in the face of Mendocino's government."
   The DEA has been tight-lipped about the raid, but claims it was part of a larger investigation involving other suspects."Here Mendo is trying to step out in front by passing this ordinance, and what do the feds do but raid the first applicant," commented Ms Greenfield's attorney, Bob Boyd of Ukiah. " The DEA is stepping all over local authorities trying to tax and regulate."
    Neither Boyd nor other locals believe that the sheriff tipped off the DEA or gave them  any information about permit applicants. Sheriff Allman has been highly supportive of efforts to bring local growers into the permit program.  Nonetheless, observers fear that
the raid will have a chilling effect.
   "This raid is clear evidence that the DEA is out of control,"
said California NORML director Dale Gieringer.  "A change in federal law is long overdue. In the meantime, the DEA needs a new director who will enforce Attorney General Holder's pledge not to interfere in state medical marijuana laws." The agency is currently directed by Michele Leonhart, a Bush holdover who has presided over numerous medical marijuana raids and has obstructed  research efforts to develop marijuana for medicine. Obama has denominated her to head the agency -  a move strongly opposed by drug reformers, who are calling on the administration to honor its pledge of change.

Dale Gieringer - dale@canorml.org
California NORML, NEW ADDRESS:  2261 Market St. #278A, San Francisco
CA 94114 -(415) 563- 5858 - www.canorml.org

UPDATE:

In response to this post:

Hide your granny, another hardened criminal off the streets

You Should Know Why Snakebites Are About to Get a Lot More Deadly

The cure for bites from North American coral snakes is about to disappear.

Find out why an unprofitable antivenom may end up costing lives.

If you live in Alabama, Arizona,Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, or Texas, you should know that unfortunately, after Oct. 31 of this year, there may be no commercially available antivenom (antivenin) left. That's the expiration date on existing vials of Micrurus fulvius, the only antivenom approved by the Food and Drug Administration for coral snake bites. Produced by Wyeth, now owned by Pfizer, the antivenom was approved for sale in 1967, in a time of less stringent regulation.

 

U.S., Russia exchange spies in biggest spy swap since the Cold War

Planes land in U.K. and Moscow after Cold War-style airport handover

Just when it looked like this recent spy story was going to be an ongoing saga the Russian and American governments put a lid on it.

After the swiftest swap in spy vs spy history between the two countries, the story comes to an inclusive ending. What were those Russian spies reporting on to their Moscow handlers?

We just barely got to know what happened. Spies in suburbia sure sounded like a good outline for a James Bond movie.

As a matter of fact, As It Stands this Sunday in The Times-Standard, will be about channeling your inner Ian Fleming and coming up with a better ending to this tale!

Paul the Octopus is Germany’s answer to Pennslvania’s Punxsutawney Phil

‘It looks like a clear-cut victory for Spain,’ spokeswoman says

An octopus named Paul opens a box decorated with a Spanish flag and a shell inside on Friday at the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, western Germany.

View related photos

I was traveling around today with a buddy who had a camera

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It was beautiful along Highway 36 today.

My friend Carl Young and I were in the Dinsmore area and he started snapping away with his fancy camera.

This is my favorite photo from the bunch he took. I might have to start posting his stuff on a regular basis. What do you think?

______________________________________________

Judge: Federal gay marriage ban unconstitutional

Lawsuit deals with ban on pension, other benefits for same-sex couples

U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro ruled in favor of gay couples' rights in two separate challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, a 1996 law that the Obama administration has argued for repealing. The rulings apply to Massachusetts but could have broader implications if they're upheld on appeal, but it was not clear if the Obama administration would appeal.

Are you kidding me? Palin to replace Steel? From the gaffe king to the gaffe queen

How desperate is the Republican Party? Let’s put it this way - if GOP members pick Palin to head their party they’re panicked to the point of denying reality. Palin is a cartoon for extreme Conservatives, a comedian’s delight, and possibly the dumbest Republican star to emerge since George Bush. Look at her track record. She couldn’t even finish her term as Alaska’s Governor because she was getting into trouble with staff and letting her husband run things behind the scenes. The seat was becoming too hot and her handlers advised her to vacate before she ended up losing the job. But she figured out that the real money (forget a governor’s small salary) could be made flapping her guns from coast-to-coast to crazed Conservatives who thrive on rhetoric.   

When McCain pulled her out of obscurity, he created a monster. She found out that there were bigger fish to fry than what the political waters in Alaska offered. She let the world know that she could almost see Russia from her back door, and created that much repeated chant, “Drill baby Drill.” Now she gets a reported $100,000 per speaking engagements where she can continue to share her special views on the Constitution, her love for the NRA and hunting wolves from helicopters. All great grist for the GOP agenda.

The only positive thing I see coming out of Palin heading the GOP Party is it ought to drive any sane Republicans (if any are left) into becoming Independents and giving them a much needed lift to be  a  real player in politics.   

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

Banks beg lawmakers not to throw them in the briar patch – just like that clever Briar Rabbit in the children’s story

R.J. Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch / Politicalcartoons.com

Swipe, smile, blow: Pa. has wine vending machines

Some question machines' efficacy in preventing sales to minors

Pennsylvania, which has some of the most Byzantine liquor laws in the U.S., recently introduced the country's first wine "kiosks."

Keith Wallace, president and founder of The Wine School of Philadelphia, described the kiosks as well-intentioned failures with limited selections and overtones of Big Brother.

"The process is cumbersome and assumes the worst in Pennsylvania's wine consumers — that we are a bunch of conniving underage drunks," Wallace wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press

GOP chair Steele staying put despite latest gaffe

Steele, once known as “Homie The Clown” back in the days when he earned an honest living, sure isn’t getting many laughs from his GOP playmates.

'Everyone is basically working around him,' says former Republican rep

The outspoken Steele has faced calls for his resignation from conservatives and some in the GOP after he said that the nine-year-old conflict in Afghanistan was a mistaken "war of Obama's choosing." So far, Steele has ignored demands for him to step down.

Latest pot legalization study ‘casts more smoke than light’

Looks like another inconclusive academic study regarding Marijuana legalization. I got this email from Dale this afternoon (at noon):

“Overall, this report casts more smoke than light on the issue , but that is in the nature of any academic study where so many basic facts remain in dispute. The most important lesson to be taken away is that the benefits of legalization depend strongly on how it is implemented.  Passing a  bill or initiative is therefore just the first step in a lengthy process requiring many additional, carefully considered policy decisions.”

      - Dale Gieringer Cal NORML

http://www.canorml.org/background/mjeconomics.html

CONCLUDING REMARKS OF RAND REPORT (p.  69)

The current California proposals to legalize marijuana would go well beyond cannabis reforms in any other nation to date-even the Dutch cannabis coffee-shop system. California voters and legislators face considerable uncertainty because it is very difficult to estimate how much more marijuana will be consumed in the state or how the change will affect tax revenues, criminal-justice costs, and health-care costs. Nonetheless, we believe that bringing together relevant data in a systematic fashion and developing a model has provided some important insights:
* The pretax retail price of marijuana will substantially decline, likely by more than 80 per-
cent. The price consumers face will depend heavily on taxes, the structure of the regula-
tory regime, and how taxes and regulations are enforced.
* Consumption will increase, but it is unclear how much because we know neither the
shape of the demand curve nor the level of tax evasion (which reduces revenues and the
prices that consumers face).
* Tax revenues could be dramatically lower or higher than the $1.4 billion estimate; for
example, uncertainty about the federal response to California legalization can swing esti-
mates in either direction.
* Previous studies find that the annual cost of enforcing marijuana laws ranges from around
$200 million to nearly $1.9 billion; our estimates show that the costs are probably less
than $300 million.
* There is considerable uncertainty about the impact that legalizing marijuana in Califor-
nia would have on public budgets and consumption, with even minor changes in assump-
tions leading to major differences in outcomes.

* Much of the research used to inform this debate is based on insights from studies that
examine small changes in marijuana prices or the risk of being sanctioned for posses-
sion. The proposed legislation in California would create a large change in policy. As a result, it is uncertain how useful these studies are for making projections about marijuana
legalization.
Legalization has many potential dimensions; thus, the term can mean many different
things (MacCoun and Reuter, 2001). An examination of the Dutch system, the Australian
and Alaskan home-cultivation allowances, and the far more-extensive international experiences with alcohol and tobacco regulation suggests that the devil is in the details. On many dimensions, neither the Ammiano bill nor the RCTC proposition is particularly good at the details. Indeed, many of the issues addressed in this paper are specific to the "details" of these two proposals, not to marijuana legalization in general.

photo source

Wacky Wednesday: People with pets that reflect their personalities

GO HERE TO SEE MORE. Beware…some are rather risque, but all are funny.

Europeans on nudity: Just grin and bare it

But uninhibited behavior can be a shock to American travelers

In the south of France, sunbathing grandmothers have no tan lines. In Norway, young children play naked in fountains. On summer days, accountants in Munich head to the park on their lunch break to grin and bare it, trading corporate suits for birthday suits.

It's quite a shock to Americans (they're the ones riding their bikes into the river and trees). In Belgium, huge billboards advertise soap by showing a woman's lathered-up breasts. A Copenhagen student tourist center welcomes visitors with a bowl of free condoms at their info desk.

Snakes alive! Those jeans may save your life!

If you’re a hiker planning to trek into rattlesnake-infested hills this summer, take a fashion cue from a pair of California reptile researchers:

 Make sure to wear jeans. Snake scientists at Loma Linda University have discovered that denim clothing significantly cuts the amount of venom injected by angry rattlesnakes, reducing the poison by up to 66 percent.

The researchers, William K. Hayes, a biology professor, and Shelton S. Herbert, a doctoral student, tested 17 small and large southern Pacific rattlesnakes, allowing them to strike liquid-filled latex kitchen gloves, some covered with denim fabric and some left bare. They reported their findings in a recent issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine

Here’s an interesting example of body painting with soul

Body painting with soul… err, I meant sole!

Temptu, a company which concentrates on airbrush makeup and cosmetic innovations, painted some smelly feet for the NY Magazine.

When New York Magazine needed to recreate the appearance of shoes on actual feet, using just makeup, they contacted Temptu. Body paint artists, John Maurad and Jenai Chin created the results you see below for the article titled “You Walk Wrong”. Their work includes a traditional wing tip for men, a pair of  Christian Louboutin heels, and an old-school Adidas Gazelle shoe. The Adidas one is so incredibly rendered on the bare foot, it’s hard to believe it’s not even real! The only problem with these, is that I can’t decide whether to choose the slip one, or Adidas one as my favorite.

 

Photos and text source

Justice Dept. to sue over Arizona immigration law

The U.S. Justice Department is filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's new law targeting illegal immigrants, setting the stage for a clash between the federal government and state over the nation's toughest immigration crackdown.

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

Lawsuit questions constitutionality of controversial bill targeting illegal immigrants

Is it possible to be an all-American company?

California flashlight maker is close, but it's still a rough road

Anthony Maglica has lived the American Dream – arriving in booming post-war United States as a penniless young man, he made his way to California in a rusty Studebaker, worked hard and saved just enough money to start his own business. He parlayed the humble sum of $125 into a business empire.

Maglica’s company, Mag Instruments, has sold 420 million of its aluminum-encased flashlights since 1979. Its Maglite brand is known worldwide as a high-quality American product. But the company’s story illustrates just how difficult it is to be all-American. Not only does it face a flood of cheap imports, but Mag is in perpetual legal battle to protect itself from copycats

Volunteers needed to smoke cannabis regularly for science – one hitch – you have to live in the UK

Do you use cannabis regularly?
Does cannabis stimulate your creativity?
If so, we are interested in hearing from you…

Pioneer Film and Television Productions are producing a new 3 part series about drugs for the BBC and are looking for people to take part in the series as contributors that we follow over a relevant period of time.
The use of recreational drugs is widespread and growing, this series is an honest and non judgmental look at drugs and the impact they have on the human body. Combining the testimony of cannabis users, medical experts and cutting edge CGI we will explain how drugs create the effects they do.
Please only contact if you are over 18 and based in the UK.
Please contact Matt or Lisa at research@pioneertv.com
Or call: 01753 785 486

Tea partiers search Constitution for parts that support their beliefs

I’m reminded of those evangelist preachers who take parts of the Bible and quote it out of context to support their personal agendas. They try to take the high road by associating themselves with a mainstream religion, but in fact are just greedy people using the belief in a higher power to their advantage.  

Not much difference here. Read this article and note Tea Partiers reject certain parts of the Constitution because they’re only interested in the parts that fit into their narrow world view. Their just using the Constitution the way rogue religious leaders use the Bible.

Crazed preachers and Tea Partiers have a lot in common. How many examples can you think of? While you’re buried in deep thought, take a look at this story:  

'Tea party' goes back to school on Fourth of July

Tea Party activists across the nation tried to put the "independence" back in Independence Day this weekend with festivals and other gatherings focused on the Constitution — and how to use it for political gain.

No surprise corner: Companies find ways to bypass ban on earmarks

Congressional whores have pimps just like any other streetwalker. They’re called Lobbyists.

They're using nonprofits — some they've created — to funnel money now…

Just one day after leaders of the House of Representatives announced a ban on earmarks to profit-making companies, Victoria Kurtz, the vice president for marketing of a small Ohio defense contracting firm, hit on a creative way around it.

End game: Chess icon Fischer exhumed for DNA test

Back when I belonged to a chess club, Fischer was my idol. I studied his games for hours. I copied his strongest opening moves, and end game moves.

The guy had no personality and was kinda of a nut job, especially towards the end of his life. However, he established himself as one of the greatest Grandmasters of all time.

'Professional and dignified' procedure aims to establish paternity of girl, 9

Authorities in Iceland have exhumed the body of American chess champion Bobby Fischer to determine whether he is the father of a 9-year-old girl from the Philippines.

As It Stands: The Pug Zone: An approach to politics and life

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 07/04/2010 01:27:17 AM PDT

Wouldn't it be nice to see all our elected officials as loyal to us as pug dogs are to their owners? Pugs were bred to be cheerful and friendly companions. Pugs don't lie. They're great watchdogs and clowns.

The men and women we vote into office are supposed to be watchdogs we can trust to promote our interests. They're always supposed to tell us the truth. We like it when they're friendly and cheerful and sometimes that's enough to make us vote for them. However, we often end up with career politicians who are devoid of pug-like attributes, with one exception; being clowns.

Don't be alarmed if I'm not writing about one of the major disasters going on in our world. I know they're happening. You know where to go if you want to read, see, or hear about them. This week I've decided to defiantly write about all things pug.

You're now in the pug zone. Pull up a chair, sit back and relax while I tell you some interesting things about these wonderful canines.

Latin scholars thought a pug's head looked like a clenched fist, thus the word “pugnus,” and one possible origin of the name. The other is the marmoset “pug” monkeys kept as pets. The dogs looked somewhat like them. They're one of the oldest breeds of dogs, originating somewhere in Asia prior to 400 B.C.

My pug, Millie, can expect to live 12-15 years. She's 5 years old now and we take walks every day to help her keep her “girlish” figure. She's our second pug.

READ THE REST HERE.  PHOTO: Millie relaxing in my Laker room/Den.

UPDATE:

Here’s a cool site called netvibes that picked up todays column. Look under Prince Google News on right.

From Colorado Springs we have this blog that picked up today’s piece on pugs (July 4th).

Another site called WoPular picked up the column Monday morning.

What’s next ? Russian spy ring in jail, but no one knows what they were looking for

In an upcoming As It Stands column (July 11th) readers are asked to channel their inner Ian Flemings…

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

Beware of ‘Qwerty Tummy’ - your keyboard can give you food poisoning

Keyboards can be up to five times dirtier than toilet seats, study found

As if there aren’t already enough ways to contact germs, I found another “hot zone” that could ruin your day.

Stomach sicknesses caught from computer equipment have been dubbed "qwerty tummy" after the "Q-W-E-R-T-Y" keys on a keyboard.

“The major culprits for this grodiness are people not washing their hands after using the restroom and eating food at their desks. In the latter case, sticky fingers transfer sauces and edible particles onto and between the keys.”

Great balls of fire! Grill injuries can ruin your cookout

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18,000 people head to the ER each year with burns and blisters

As the Fourth of July holiday shifts barbecue season into high gear, doctors and fire officials warn that grilling accidents can have serious, even deadly, consequences.

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GOP chair Steele makes stupid Afghan war remark, stirs firestorm

Steele called Afghanistan 'a war of Obama's choosing'

I can’t believe how stupid Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele is.

This guy is setting a standard for moronic remarks that eerily reminds me of George Bush. What world does he live in? Afghanistan is Bush and Cheney’s other war. Obama inherited the hot potato and is having problems dealing with it.

But to say this is “Obama’s war,” that’s just downright moronic. Just think, this clown is the head of the Republican Party. I don’t see the Republicans going anywhere in 2012 with such uninspired leadership. Maybe that’s a good thing when you look at some of the people the GOP are considering as presidential candidates. Mike Huckabee anyone?  

Believe it or Not: Ripley's reopens in S.F. with Mirror Maze

After $5 million renovation, Believe it or Not! Odditorium unveiled

A figure of Grace McDaniels, who once complained about a publicist calling her "the ugliest woman in the world," is shown on display at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium in San Francisco.

Suryia the swimming ape shows off in pool

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

Summer bummer: Ocean swimming can make you sick

You seldom see people swimming in the beach here in Humboldt County.

However, people do surf these coastal waters. Are the surfers at risk then?

A new study by Florida scientists trying to account for pollution suggests that staying out of the water might keep you healthier than going for a dip.

Last moment visions and common deathbed experiences

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A renowned expert – and former Elisabeth Kübler-Ross co-author – offers a new book on death and grief and shares visions reported by loved ones before their final breaths.

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Feds raid Butte County medical marijuana dispensaries today

This report just in:

“Reportedly some 100 agents were dispatched to raid all of the medical marijuana dispensaries in Butte County today.

   Although labeled an "investigation," agents acted more like pirates, seizing medicine, cash and computers.

   The Butte Co Sheriff's Department and District Attorney owe an apology for their atrocious misuse of law enforcement resources.”

  - from Dale Gieringer, Cal NORML

Go here for the story by Channel 7 News.

He’s Back! Pee-wee Herman coming to big screen

Judd Apatow set to produce new movie about Paul Reubens’ character

The new Pee-wee picture will reportedly take him on the road in "a gigantic adventure."

If you ever saw his first movie, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”then you know this guy is a crack-up.

Weird? Yes. Bizarre? Yes. Funny? Yes. Stay tuned for the latest antics of Pee-wee Herman.

Free conflict management workshop offered

Humboldt Mediation Services Presents Conflict Management Training One Day Workshop To Be Offered July 17 June 29, 2010, Eureka, CA - Humboldt Mediation Services, a local non-profit known for resolving community disputes since 1983, will once again be offering their popular conflict management workshop from 8:30am to 4pm on July 17.

(PHOTO: Three trained volunteers (facing camera) mediate a dispute between two individuals.

"Anyone can benefit from this class," said HMS Case Manager Jessica Adkisson.  "You will learn proven techniques for good communication, effective listening skills and practice collaborative strategies for creating workable solutions to all kinds of problems.”

The training will be held in Eureka, and requires advance registration. Discounts are available for people signing up in pairs, but space is limited. To reserve your spot, call (707) 445-2505 or visit www.humboldtmediationservices.org.

Largest leviathan yet: Giant whale-eating whale discovered

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Skull of 13 million-year-old fossil found off coast of Peru

The giant 3-meter (10-foot) skull of what's been dubbed Leviathan melvillei (in honor of the author of "Moby Dick") was found with teeth in its top and bottom jaws up to 36 centimeters (14 inches) long. The discovery is reported in the July 1 issue of the journal Nature.

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Little miss muffets sought for fear study

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Phobia researchers on the hunt for girls, 8-13 who are afraid of spiders

An Austrian university is on the hunt for girls who recoil at the sight of spiders for research into how fear affects the processes of the brain.

Illustration source

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Major earthquake hits southern Mexico – no casualties reported

People in capital flee their homes as 6.2 temblor strikes

Locals wait outside their homes in Mexico City, Mexico, on Wednesday after an earthquake rattled buildings at 2:22 a.m. local time (7:22 GMT).

 

The End of an Era: Larry King to step down from CNN's 'Live'

Goodbye Larry.

I enjoyed many of his interviews over the years. He had a style that was unique, low key, but still penetrating when it came to asking the right questions.

Larry King, who has interviewed statesmen and stars from a prime-time perch at CNN for 25 years but has seen his ratings sag recently, said Tuesday that he will step down this fall from his nightly show.

Test Case: Medical marijuana user sues over Walmart firing

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ACLU acting on behalf of employee who suffers from brain tumor, cancer

A man who uses medical marijuana to treat symptoms of an inoperable brain tumor and cancer claims in a lawsuit filed Tuesday he was wrongfully fired from a Walmart store in Michigan after testing positive for the drug.

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Myths and realities about vampires vs romantized movies

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Bloodsucking humans in medieval times

This 16th-century woman, whose remains were excavated during an archaeological dig near Venice, apparently had a brick shoved into her trap because she was thought to have a thirst for human blood.

Scholars trace the myth that humans rise from the dead and suck the blood of others to medieval ignorance about how diseases spread and bodies decompose.

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Video Violence: here’s some of the games kids play

This video game is called “ETHNIC CLEANSING” and was developed by Resistance Records, an underground music label specializing in Neo-Nazi and White Supremist bands. You can choose to be a Skinhead or a Klansman that goes out and kills minorities.

See 11 more controversial video games that American youth play. And we wonder why there’s so much violence in this country. It starts right here folks!