Friday, February 26, 2010

Chimp sent to rehab for booze & smoking abuse

This post is dedicated to Jocko in Redding!

MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian chimpanzee has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he has picked up, a popular daily reported on Friday.

An ex-performer, Zhora became aggressive at his circus and was transferred to a zoo in the southern Russian city of Rostov, where he fathered several baby chimps, learned to draw with markers and picked up his two vices.

"The beer and cigarettes were ruining him. He would pester passers-by for booze," the Komsomolskaya Pravda paper said.

It added he has now been transferred to the city of Kazan, about 500 miles east of Moscow, for rehabilitation treatment.

(Reporting by Tanya Ustinova, writing by Amie Ferris-Rotman)

Text source via Yahoo News Photo source

Some odd history for a Friday…

There is an old Hotel/Pub in Marble Arch, London ...

Odd history Pub house

....which used to have gallows adjacent. Prisoners were taken to the gallows (after a fair trial of course) to be hung.

The horse drawn dray, carting the prisoner was accompanied by an armed guard, who would stop the dray outside the pub and ask the prisoner if he would like ''ONE LAST DRINK''.

If he said YES it was referred to as “ONE FOR THE ROAD.”

If he declined, that prisoner waTwo cavalry soldierss “ON THE WAGON.”

old wagon pic

So there you go...!

More...

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery.

 If you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor". 

 But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot they "Didn’t have a pot to Piss in" & were the lowest of the low.

cups

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring !

 Thanks for sending me this Bill Cummings!

 Have a great weekend.

 

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Cuss-free week? Calif. lawmakers to vote on it

I’m going to file the following story under “Stupid politicians wasting tax payer money again” category. Get real! No wonder this state is in dire straights with idiots like this in office. What’s next? Voting on a resolution to have an “Arnie Says” Week where Californians have to learn how to speak with an Austrian accent?

Excerpt: 

The state Assembly is scheduled to vote on a resolution today calling for a statewide "Cuss Free Week," to occur annually during the first week of March. If approved, it would go to the state Senate for a final vote on Monday.”

Image source

Lawsuit filed against Bank of America for sneaky services

Bank of America Corp.

Excerpt from Court House News Service:

Bank of America takes money from customers' accounts to pay for services they didn't order and don't want, a class action claims in Federal Court. The class claims the bank charges for "Privacy Assist" services without informing them, and refuses to refund the money when customers catch on.”

Story here.

Photo by John.R. Coughlin

Scientists pinpoint origins of little dogs

Image: Gibson, Zoie

I always thought that humans had something to do with how big or small a dog is through breeding methods.

Now, according to this article, the reason there are small dogs is because of a stretch of DNA.

“Small dogs the world over can all trace their ancestry back to the Middle East, where the first diminutive canines emerged more than 12,000 years ago.”

Go here to read story. Photo source

(Photo) A stretch of DNA allows Gibson, a Great Dane, to look a pony in the eye — while Zoie, a Chihuahua, can fit into a purse. Photo by Deanne Fitzmaurice / Science

View related photos  Click for related content Big dog, little dog, it’s in the genes,
Scientists clone glowing dogs, Cosmic Log: Cat vs. dog evolution.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Hi-Tech Back In the Day: GPS, 1964 Version

I was talking with someone the other day about their new “Tom Tom,” a GPS device available to everyone these days. When I mentioned that a GPS device was available for cars 46 years ago they said, “No way!” Yeah, way.

It looks crude now, but when it came out in a concept car it was space age stuff. I wonder why the idea didn’t catch on with other models and ever go into mass production?

First seen on a Ford Aurora concept car (which also had an interesting baby seats location, see below):

photo(s) source

NRA scare tactics are working – more states push for lienient gun laws

 Gun dealers ought to be thanking President Obama for his lack of action on gun control. Guns are now allowed in our National Parks. States are overturning gun laws, and making new laws favorable to gun dealers and buyers.

 The NRA has been crying “wolf” since the day Obama was elected. “Look out,” the NRA rhetoric roared, “Obama is going to take away your rights as a gun owner now! On the the same day Obama was elected the sales of guns nationwide spiked. A year later, what Second Amendment rights have been violated by Obama? Zero. Nada. None.

 But what about the NRA lobby who keeps crying wolf? It seems they are never satisfied with their victories. There’s always another reason to change a gun law somewhere to benefit their constituents who shower them with money. Meanwhile, the real benefactors of the NRA’s scare tactics are the gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and the ammunition industry. Oh yeah, and the criminals!

I think what bothers me the most is that the NRA keeps hiding behind their wide-open interpretation of the Second Amendment to shield themselves and attempt to take the high road to freedom. I believe in the right to own guns, but I’m also concerned about how easy it is for criminals in America to buy a gun. Any type of gun. That means semi or fully automatic. Don’t waste my time trying to tell me that criminals can’t buy automatic weapons because of already restrictive laws.

That’s a load of bullshit, but the NRA spreads it around like butter. There’s too many laws now according to some gun extremists. That tells me the NRA has done it’s job spreading propaganda and lies in order to push an agenda.

What is the NRA’s real agenda? Maybe we ought to look at their close relationship with the gun and ammunition lobbies, and how much support they buy from the NRA. Did I hear you say, “It’s all about the money?” You’re right. It’s capitalism at it’s worst.

Excerpt:

When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition. And yet the opposite is happening.”

Photo source

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Bad credit sidelines some jobless workers

Image: Debra Banks

Talk about a Catch 22…

 As if things aren’t bad enough, another barrier to employment raises it’s ugly head. Credit checks. If employers are going to check people’s credit, what comes next? 

 There are some jobs that probably should check out prospective employees credit, like banking, trading stock, etc. But when a person applies for a job, like answering phones, should the fact that their credit history is bad because of unpaid medical bills (due to not being able to afford insurance) prevent them from getting a job?

How the hell is the country going to recover with this kind of thinking? When you read Debra Banks story (below link) ask yourself what you would do? How many people across the country are in the same situation as MS Banks?

 A temporary financial setback can become a long-term employment barrier.

 (Photo) Debra Banks, 54, of Los Angeles, believes an unpaid medical bill cost her a full-time job. View related photos Photo by Ann Johansson / for msnbc.com

Monday, February 22, 2010

Pot use among seniors goes up as boomers age

Perry Parks

Gray-haired tokers turn to marijuana to relieve many problems of aging

 Is anyone surprised? What did you think the Baby Boomers would do?

Excerpt:

“In her 88 years, Florence Siegel has learned how to relax: A glass of wine. A copy of The New York Times, if she can wrest it from her husband. Some classical music, preferably Bach. And every night, she lifts a pipe to her lips and smokes marijuana.”

Go here to read the story.

PHOTO: Perry Parks, 67, takes a puff of marijuana at his home in Rockingham, N.C. The retired Army pilot suffered crippling pain from degenerative disc disease and arthritis before turning to marijuana. Photo via Chuck Burton / AP

Choking warning urged for food labels

Image: Joan Stavros Adler

When 4-year-old Eric Stavros Adler choked to death on a piece of hot dog, his anguished mother never dreamed that the popular kids' food could be so dangerous.

 My first reaction, after reading the above headline was “Not another stupid label for stupid people!”

After reading this article I changed my mind. Who would have thought?

photo source 

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Suffer the Children: The lethal legacy of Agent Orange

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 02/21/2010 01:30:30 AM PST

Although Sharon L. Perry has never been to Vietnam, what happened to her husband, who served there during his military service, has affected her life forever.

 Since he died in 2005 she has “waded through grief, hate, anger, pain, rage, and lots and lots of heartache.”

The heartache started long before Reuben “Bud” C. Perry III died from a myocardial infarction attributed to his diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and Hep C, all Agent Orange (AO) related illnesses.

It began with the birth of their oldest daughter, Danielle, who has been sick all her life. Sharon fought for years with doctors who didn't seem to know what caused her daughter to suffer debilitating muscle spasms in her neck that often lasted up to two hours.

”Finally,” Sharon said, “a doctor treated her because he said her muscles would atrophy if not taken care of.”

Go here to read the rest.

UPDATE:

BLOGS and GROUPS carrying this column as of 5:20 p.m. today:

1.) Google Group: Vietnamese Culture

2.) Friend Feed

3.) Agent Orange Legacy

4.) Twitter

5.) Northcoast BlogThing

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