The Stupid and Pathetic Things Politicians Say

Good Day World!

 When it comes to outright lying, politicians take the prize.

They’ll say anything if they think it’ll get them votes. No matter how stupid, or inaccurate, they spew partisan views and make wild accusations.

The most recent example is an Arizona rancher and Republican congressional candidate.  

Gary Kiehne (photo) said during a primary debate that the vast majority of mass shootings in the United States are committed by Democrats.

“If you look at all the fiascos that have occurred, 99 percent of them have been by Democrats pulling their guns out and shooting people,” Gary Kiehne, who is running for the state's 1st U.S. Congressional District, said during Saturday's GOP primary in Florence, Arizona. “So I don’t think you have a problem with the Republicans.”

Where the hell did Kiehne get that information from? I searched the internet for anything pertaining to his claims and came up with a big zero! But do you think that bothers Kiehne, the lack of evidence for his claim? I sincerely doubt it.

Kiehne is a demagogue.

A demagogue is a political leader in a democracy who appeals to the emotions, fears, prejudices, and ignorance of the lower classes in order to gain power and promote political motives.

Demagogues usually oppose deliberation and advocate immediate, violent action to address a national crisis; they accuse moderate and thoughtful opponents of weakness. Demagogues have appeared in democracies since ancient Athens.

They exploit a fundamental weakness in democracy: because ultimate power is held by the people, nothing stops the people from giving that power to someone who appeals to the lowest common denominator of a large segment of the population.

Will one more demagogue get elected? That’s all we need. Another divisive voice in that rat pack called Congress!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Getting Your Pet a Rabies Shot? Think Twice and Get Advice

Good Day World!

Like most pet owners I really didn’t think much about getting my 8-year-old pug’s rabies booster shot last year.

It didn’t occur to me she could die from it. I don’t think I ever read a story about a dog dying from a rabies shot. That is until now.

I can’t stop reading about the dangers of rabies shots for animals now.

Millie, my pug was sicker than I ever saw her before after getting the rabies shot. A horrid red rash broke out three days after she got it. She had lumps the size of marbles all over her body.

My wife and I immediately called the vet and took her in.

She was given steroids to combat the effects. For weeks afterward Millie was listless and barely reacted to noises that normally would have sent her into a barking jag.

She shivered, withering away before our eyes. The look in her big brown eyes stayed sad. She died several months later.

I want to share some of the things I’ve learned out about rabies vaccinations for animals. One of the first things that struck me is that all dogs - from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane - get the same dosage.

Let me put that into perspective; a 3-pound Chihuahua gets half the dose that is given to a 1200 pound horse! All dogs get 1 ml of vaccine and horses get 2 mls of vaccine. Even a layman such as myself can see that doesn’t add up.

According to Veterinarian Jeffrey Levy DVM PCH, that dosage disparity is why small dogs are 10 times more likely to have problems from vaccines. Makes sense to me. Now, if your vet tells you that “dose doesn’t matter” and “there’s nothing in the vaccine that can hurt your dog,” challenge them to take a rabies vaccine at the same dose per pound they give to a Chihuahua!

My guess is they’ll pass on the offer.

I read a recent article about vets who had their titer (an antibody titer is a laboratory test that measures the presence and amount of antibodies in blood) levels tested at their 20th vet school reunion.

As you may, or may not know, all vets get rabies vaccinations after graduating from school. Guess what? Everyone who had their titer levels tested was still protected.

So why are dogs supposed to get rabies shots every three years? I know I’m no expert, but there’s more than meets the eye here regarding rabies shots. The law requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats. That’s for our safety, not for the animals.

You should know however, that all vaccines, including rabies, are medically approved for use in healthy animals only. So if your dog or cat is shows any signs of acute or chronic disease, the manufacturers do not recommend administration of the vaccine.

What are the rabies laws (http://www.dogs4dogs.com/rabies-laws) in your state or locality? Check to see if your state offers medical exemptions to the rabies vaccine for health compromised animals.

To that effect I found this Petition for Health Exemptions to Rabies Vaccination http://www.change.org/petitions/california-take-action-to-help-dogs-too-ill-to-receive-the-rabies-vaccine).

If you’re interested in improving your dog's chances for a safe vaccination go to :http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2010/09/23/rabies-vaccination-12-ways-to-vaccinate-more-safely/ .

Here’s a video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pQHQw-5XCw with more good information on the subject.

There is a growing awareness of the dangers of rabies shots and titers are increasingly used to demonstrate effective immunity and avoid unnecessary revaccination.One last resource I want to mention is The Rabies Challenge Fund (www.RabiesChallengeFund.org) which is financing concurrent 5 and 7 year studies at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison, with a goal of extending the state-mandated interval for boosters.

It’s one of the most important vaccine research studies in veterinary medicine today and it may save the lives of countless cats and dogs in the future.

I don’t want pet owners to be surprised if their dog or cat has a negative reaction, or dies, from a rabies shot - it’s one of those laws that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.

We got another pug after Millie’s death. Her name is Molly (photo right). She hasn’t gotten a rabies shot, nor will she ever get one. It may make her a renegade to the system, but she’s healthy and happy. She’s also an indoor dog that doesn’t wander the great outdoors exposing her to some rabid animal.

I don’t recommend my actions to anyone. It’s up to you to decide. Hopefully you’ll do the research and come to your own conclusion about the safety of rabies shots for small dogs. 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Help! I don’t have my mobile phone and I’m nomophobic

Good Day World!

I remember growing up with one phone in our house. It was considered a luxury, not a necessity.

You couldn’t take the phone outside, but if you were out in public, there were things called phone booths.

If you’re thirty or younger, you can Google “phone booths” to see what I’m talking about. The other day I read about a collector (of what the article didn’t say) who bought a “gently” restored (mostly original parts) 1905 phone booth for $35,000! Who knew?

Part of the reason that old phone booth sold for $35,000 was because it was a first of it’s kind. It really looked nice with a solid wood panel door and double-glass windows and walls for sound proofing.

I seldom used phone booths. They always made me claustrophobic. I seldom called anyone until I was a teenager, at which time my calls were made from home so I didn’t have to put my money into a pay phone. Another reason I didn’t like phone booths.

At no time - and you can quote me - was I ever worried about having to make a phone call. If an emergency came up I dealt with it. The result wasn’t always pretty, but I’m still here, right?

I assure you, the idea of carrying a phone around with me was as foreign in 1970 as being a participant in the Asia games, sometimes called the Vietnam war. I never dreamt of the possibility. I was clueless as to the onrushing technology that would soon be found in nearly every American home.

In 1977, my second son was born and the first cell phone was made in Chicago. Then companies in other places started to make cell phones. As you may suspect, there are now more cell phones than landline phones.

The results of a semiannual US wireless industry survey (go to http://www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/AID/10316 ) were stunning to say the least; 91 percent of Americans have a mobile phone!

All of which leads me to my main point today:

The fear of being without your mobile phone is on the rise.

The experts even have a name for this fear; nomophobia, or No Mobile Phobia. It’s defined as the anxiety a person feels when out of range of a cell phone tower, or if they don’t have their mobile phone with them for some reason.

This phobia, according to an NBC News report, is a growing problem. A 2013 poll in the United Kingdom said sixty-six percent of respondents reported being nomophobic.

It came as no surprise to me that the 18 to 24-year olds were the most likely to report being afraid without their mobile phone. This new condition is a generational thing, from everything I’ve read thus far.

The younger you are, the more likely you will be stricken with this fear, according to the researchers. The study said women are more likely to worry than men if they don’t have their mobile phone with them. That makes sense to me.

The study also concluded that “more than one in two” nomophobes never switch off their mobile phones.

Old timers like myself are less likely to panic if we forget to take our cell phones with us. That’s not to say I haven’t got a tiny bit spoiled by the convenience of carrying one. I seldom use the thing, but I admit it’s comforting to know that if I fall down and can’t get up, I can fish it out of my pocket and call for help.

In a complete moment of transparency, I’m copping to a growing case of nomophobia!

I can sympathize with those youngsters today who never knew about things like phone booths, and who got their first mobile phone when they learned how to string sentences together using abbreviations and popular slang.

There’s no turning back now. Any day I expect to hear that newborn cell phones - pink or blue, take your choice - will be given to new mothers and fathers when they check out of the hospital (sponsored by one of the megalithic mobile phone makers, of course).

It sure would be nice if I could swap phobias. Out with the old claustrophobia, and in with the new nomophobia.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. I just have two phobias now.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

About Pigeons: The ’Lost Battalion’, Reuters, and the Rothschilds

    Good Day World!

Look up in the sky!

It’s Super Pigeon!

He’s able to fly up to 60 miles-per-hour (that’s a mile a minute) and can cruise for 600 miles in a day. His relatives have saved infantry divisions during WW I and WW II, and made families rich.

What do you know about the part pigeons have played in history?

One of the most famous pigeons in history saved thousands of soldiers during WW II. That pigeon’s name was G.I. Joe. British soldiers called for an aerial bombardment on the Italian town of Colvi Veccia in October of 1943. They didn’t know the Germans had given up and vacated the town just before they ordered the bombing raid.

What happened next is the stuff of legends. The British moved into the town to liberate it and realized that the scheduled bombing was only a half-hour away! Their mission was to hold the town, and the British soldiers grimly held their position despite the looming threat.

Enter G.I. Joe. He carried the urgent message to cancel the bombing 20 miles in 20 minutes, and got to the airfield just as the bombers started down the runway! His speedy delivery saved many lives.

During WW I the famous ‘Lost Battalion" (77th Infantry Division) was stranded behind enemy lines without ammunition or provisions. The desperate commander made numerous attempts to communicate with headquarters without success. Pigeon after pigeon was released with pleas for help, but was shot down by the Germans.

Finally, just like in the movies, there was only one pigeon left. Cher Ami was hit by shrapnel during his daring 25 minute flight to his loft at headquarters. What was really surprising, Cher Ami took a shot in the breast and lost most of one leg. The leg with the all-important message capsule, was still attached.

I’m glad to say this brave bird was awarded the French palm for his heroic service. He died a year later from his wounds, but his story is still told by pigeon lovers worldwide.

Pigeons have also helped pave the way to financial fortunes.

When Paul Julius Reuter started his news service he depended upon pigeons to give him the edge in speedy delivery. He had a covey of 45 pigeons delivering news between Aachen, Germany and Brussels, Belgium. It turned out the pigeons were more reliable than the telegraph available in the two countries at the time.

Reuter’s real genius showed when he began to deliver the most updated stock prices and other information. He found clients who were more than happy to pay a premium for early financial information.

This method gave him an edge in 1850, but by the following year the telegraph reached most points and put his pigeons out of business, forcing him to seek new alternatives.

The Rothschild family set up a network of pigeon lofts throughout Europe during the early 1800s. The birds carried information to their financial houses quicker than anything else at the time. This speedy delivery helped the family amass a fortune.

Historians pass on one rumor about Count Rothschild (1815) who knew Napoleon had lost at Waterloo, and made financial decisions based on that information before anyone else was aware of the battle’s outcome.

There are several types of pigeons. The passenger pigeon became extinct in 1929. Two other types are the Rocky Mountain Adventures pigeons (also called homing pigeons) and carrier pigeons. Homing pigeons belong to the same species as feral pigeons, or rock doves, found in cities.

I think pigeons would be an environmentally friendly way of communicating in our hi-tech world. A bit messy perhaps, but easy to program!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

‘Someone Ate This’ - Blog Takes Food and Plays With It

 Good Day World!

It’s Friday, and you’re ready for some fun.

One way or another.

If you're on Instagram, Facebook, or really, any other social media network, you're all too aware of the "photographing your food" trend on the internet. 

Chances are, you've run into a few photographed dishes that are so unappealing that they might make you feel a bit queasy, and they'll definitely make you wonder who in the world thought this beige glob of (questionable) nourishment would make a good picture?

According to their bio, Someone Ate This "is a food blog that celebrates the hilarity of cooking mishaps, bad food photography, and the grossest things people shove down their throats. We're just two friends trying to make each other laugh."

This blog features user-submitted images of the worst, nastiest, grossest-looking piles of food you've ever seen.  We're talking the absolute worst of the goopy, beige, fried, undercooked, disgusting piles of slop ever uploaded to the internet.  It's truly amazing that yes... someone ate this.

These horrifying culinary atrocities are highlighted by extremely witty captions and hilariously blunt tags.  For example, a beige casserole came with this description:

"I wonder if this tastes as good as it looks! If only I could try it in real life! I’d get a HUGE serving spoon and scoop out one of the corners where the oil has collected. And I’d shove it in my mouth. And I’d gargle and swish it around in there to really let the complexity of the flavors come out."

Time for me to walk on down the road…