Friday, August 31, 2007

Elderly Indian farmer wants to father to 100

21 kids...his first in 1943 and his most recent at age 90!!!

More power to him!

he attributes his vitality to "the miracle of camel milk" and a carnivorous diet of lamb, rabbit and chicken.

Get me some Camel Milk!!!

Edwards' wife talks of Clinton 'hatred'

interesting comments by Edward's wife about Hillary...

I totally agree...

I know MANY people that aren't sure who they will vote for, but know exactly who they will vote against.

Russia plans manned Moon mission by 2025

I think this is an important step for a multitude of reasons...

1st...the human race needs this, no matter who it is that gets there.
and 2nd...another "Space Race" will only help drive the US to do what it should have done years ago...

I just don't understand why the US and Russia (among others) don't just expand the lessons learned while working together on the International Space Station into moon colonization...through in China, England, Japan and India and we may be able to get there in 10 years instead of 20

Embattled Sen. Craig to resign: report

What a dope...this goes past a "Mistake"

Judge finds Duke prosecutor in contempt

It's about time...

He only get's one day in jail...not sure if that is 9 to 5 or overnight...

hopefully it's longer than Lindsay Lohan's 82 minutes.

Now all we need is to hear that Judge Roy Pearson...another court official making a mockery of the US Judicial system...is going to get punished as well.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Go Yankees!

Ok...so..now you know...I'm a Yankee fan!

Man loses top of his head in brain operation

SO..he loses the top of his head...replaced by plastic...has constant headaches.

He gets about $4100 in damages because he sued about the plastic replacement.

The court found that the plastic replacement was better than the original and it wasn't causing his headaches...the surgery did!

LOL

Now in america...not only would that have been a $40mm Lawsuit, but I bet the doctors probably could have sued the insurance company because of the mental trauma they had going through a trial!

Orchids date to time of the dinos

they have been around for an estimated 84-76MM years...I guess that means they made it through the Dino extinction and comet impact 65MM years ago.

very cool

Subprime inflicts new damage in U.S. and Europe

It looks like another down day on the market

Study confirms 2006 human-human spread of bird flu

Very scary...

'Spider-man' suit secret revealed

Very cool.

Science can be an amazing thing...

As many of you know...this spring I had 14" maple trees growing out of my gutters because I was afraid of heights and wouldn't get up on the ladder...

So...I may not be the first to buy one of these suits....but it's still pretty cool

Thursday, August 23, 2007

6th mine borehole offers last hope

I still can't imagine what these families are going through.

I'm not sure where I stand on the situation...do you risk more lives to find the remains of miners? or do you continue in the hope that they are alive? Do the families have a right to know what happened? I find it interesting that the mine owner has made an about face in his approach to the rescue/recovery...is he hiding anything or truly distraught?

There has to be a better way to do things than the way they do...

Foreign airlines fined $300 million

Wow...Huge fines and these don't include ones levied by the UK either.

But, if people don't think this goes on all the time, they have their head in the sand...

Intel report questions Iraq's government

Did we really need a report to figure this one out?

Math genius wins university place, aged 9

Wow...this kid passed his entrance exams...

I found it interesting that a few schools didn't allow him admittance...but I really think that beyond being a prodigy, this kid needs to be a child first...

He won't get the same social development of other kids his age...but then again...if Hong Kong's public schools are anything like ours...I don't know if he would get a great deal of positive social development with kids his age either...

Top 5 most addictive games

as determined by MSNBC...I would put the relatively new LOTRO game a very close 6

Game widows grieve ‘lost’ spouses

What a great article.

As more and more time is spent playing online games...it's more and more time away from the spouse...

My poor wife can vouch for that!

I will say this...there are more and more women playing these games as well...

My favorite is Lord of the Rings Online...or LOTRO to you noobs...

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Angels' Anderson takes 10-RBI outburst in stride

Only the twelfth player in MLB history to have 10 RBIs in a game.

An amazing feat that I wish didn't happen against my favorite team the Yankees!

China warns on U.S. soy as Chinese goods under scrutiny

Here we go...it's always easier to point at someone else than to fix your own practices.

Now China is saying that US products sent to China have been substandard...

I say fine...I'm still boycotting Chinese products now...at least as best I can...since everything is made there now.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Time Travel Machine Outlined

yesterday I posted about artificial life...today about time travel...

While the idea is very cool...(I mean who wouldn't want to be able to take their kid back in time to see a T-Rex????)...it's exactly like the artificial life post...

I simply don't trust the scientists (or others) not to exploit the technology...

Rare dead star found near Earth

cool article...

The do say that the dead star is in the earth's neighborhood, but they don't know which street.

they have a relatively large range of distances. Somewhere between 250 and 1000 light years away...

FYI - a light-year is approximately 6.3 Trillion miles

NFL's Vick agrees plea deal in dog-fighting case

We all knew it was coming after his partners "rolled" last week.

That being said, now comes the wrangling with the NFL and the Falcons in particular.

If Vick can't perform under his contract, he may be forced to pay back much of his signing bonuses...what a situation he put himself in...

very similar to the person that wins the lottery and ends up destitute and on the street , due to bad decisions, very soon after

Capital One slashes jobs, mortgage industry swoons

Not that I ever want to see people lose their jobs...but I sure hope they laid off the person responsible for filling my mailbox with spam.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Artificial life likely in 3 to 10 years

As you can tell from many of my posts...I love science and technology...

But this article is scary for so many reasons...

I simply don't trust all scientists to do things for the common good...someone will do something that is either stupic, insane, motivated by greed, because they are forced to or a combination of the above, that will really screw things up for the rest of us...

France offers U.S. symbol with Iraq trip

I'm still not buying French wine...

That is much easier to boycott than Chinese products though...

Which I am doing my best at as well...

Clinton says negatives won't keep her from winning

I just don't know if that is accurate.

While she leads her party for the nomination, in the broader polls though she has a very high negative rating.

Negative is very different than just plain Democrat versus Republican.

Obama may have the better chance to win the general election...Clinton will drive people to vote that normally don't...that isn't good if your negative rating is that high...

We shall see...

Immigration activist arrested in L.A.

I'm all for trying to get into this country legally...

But the bottom line is, she was arrested while using someone else's social security number.

If it was your number would you be ok with it???

NOT ME!

Poll: Family ties key to youth happiness

If you have kids...it's a great article to read...

Cramer's picks haven't beaten the market--Barron's

He's fun to watch...not too good to listen to though...

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Study: Erosion causing lakes' water loss in Lake Huron and Michigan

We just don't know the impact of what we do...

Dredging of the St. Clair river in the 60's has apparently caused water outflows in excess of 2.5 billion gallons a day in the great lakes system.

As a side note, with costs of municipal water around $15 per thousand gallons...that's about $37MM down the drain every day.

Army suicides highest in 26 years

What a sad statistic...and there is no mention of the number of attempts at suicide.

Very disheartening that on top of doing what they are ordered to do in Iraq and Afghanistan...they have to deal with financial issues because they don't get paid enough for what they do...

Hopefully many of them will be on their way home soon.

Fed's Poole says no need for emergency rate cut

This doesn't rule out a rate cut in mid-September...

So if you need a refinance and can wait a few weeks...you may want to sit tight.

I think we will see at minimum a 1/4 point drop in rates, maybe more.

Images, noises offer hope at Utah mine

this has been going on for 10 days now...hopefully something will happen soon to change the status quo.

The poor miners and the poor families...

Can you imagine what it is like for every other miner in the country that has to go underground every morning.

Very brave people...I don't have the courage to do that, and they do it every day!

Toy industry challenged by disposal plan

The lead painted toys that have been recalled by Mattel now pose an environmental problem...

When a majority of the products end up in the landfill the paint will leach off into the ground causing an environmental issue.

It looks like China found a way of disposing of it's waste instead of dumping it into it's own rivers...send it to America!!!

Buried in the article is the fact that laws would allow Mattel to "Re-export" toys that don't pose an environmental risk to another country for resale!!!!

Horrible!

Boycott Made in China!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Rumsfeld resigned before election, letter shows

An interesting twist...

While I always thought that GW asked Rumsfeld to resign it appears that this isn't the case.

Some say that by not announcing the resignation before the election more Republican seats were lost...I would agree with that...

What I can say though is it showed some class waiting...One thing that you can say about George Bush is that he is loyal to his friends...

Guard uses Taser on man holding newborn

I couldn't watch the video attached to the article...maybe I should have before I comment...but that is just nuts.

The father obviously lost his cool...but he was contained in the hospital. With no way to exit, there must have been a better way to handle this.

That being said, the guard is an off duty police officer that should have had training for this type of situation that a private security guard may not have...

What a horrible situation for the baby...

Iran Guards 'join US terror list'

This is an interesting move...It will be the first time that a foreign country's Army will be included on the terrorism list.

Not sure what good this does.

Can we add the Pentagon to the list for "losing" 190,000 guns and hundreds of millions of dollars that undoubtedly went to insurgents???

At some point incompetence is just as bad as intention.

Australia holds the world's last great savanna

an interesting article.

While it's not the savanna that I am used to thinking about (lions, tigers and giraffes etc.) it is amazing that 70% of the worlds remaining savanna land mass is in Australia.

China toy group says was aware of problems

China was aware of the problems with the toys that were delivered since MARCH!!!

The article says that there was no comment as to what took so long to do anything about it...

we all know the answer...MONEY.

There are a ton of emails going around that say to boycott gas from Venezuela because of comments from Hugo Chavez...and that is just for comments by some dope...

Why aren't there emails saying to boycott "BROKEN IN CHINA, SHIPPED TO AMERICA"...especially when in regards to the safety of our children?????

BOYCOTT MADE IN CHINA!

The new public enemy #1: bottled water

I'm one of the culprits myself.

Everyone of those bottles goes into the landfills...

Why not start a bottle deposit on water and juice bottles???

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Wife who killed preacher set free

She served only 7 months!!!

You have got to be kidding me??????????

How is this possible???

People spitting on the sidewalk have spent more time in jail than this woman.

One thing that was never proved was that her husband abused her...ever...but she did admit to shooting him in the back with a shotgun...

She also stated during the trial that she wiped blood off of his mouth while he was dying and he asked her "Why?"....now I don't know about you, but when I do something wrong...I know it...If I beat my wife, I doubt I would be confused when she got angry!!!!!!

let's get our punishments in line...Murder 7 Months????

"Holy Cow!" Former Yankee Rizzuto dead

today marks the passing of a baseball legend.

While he drove me nuts sometimes when I wanted to know what was going on in the game...his stories were priceless.

What a class act...

And who can forget his role in "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" by Meatloaf...

Was "Holy Cow!" his signature statement before this song hit the airwaves???

Our Lives, Controlled From Some Guy’s Couch

What a great article!

It is definitely an interesting theory and well worth the read...

Today there are some very popular games where people use simulated characters to do real life things. For example, Lord of the Rings online, World of Warcraft (8million players!!!), the Sims...

People spend real money to buy "fake" money and necessities in these games...

Is it a stretch???

Calif. squirrels heat tails for defense

Squirrels heat their tails to distract heat sensing rattlesnakes...and rattlesnakes only.

They don't do it when confronted by other snakes that don't use heat to find their prey.

Amazing bit of evolution there...

Scan sees brain activity in 2nd vegetative patient

an interesting article about using a standard MRI to detect brain activity in vegatative patients.

Not much hope for a cure, but anything is a start

Home Depot profit slumps on housing weakness

Did Home Depot sales and profit slump on a weak housing market or because of horrible customer service and bad products?

More people than ever are fixing up their houses because they can't afford to move...In this case...it's a simple excuse

Mattel set to announce second recall

Yet another recall of children's products

This is a similar situation to every Governor in the nation looking at bridge safety AFTER a collapse.

If there wasn't any attention brought to products from China would Mattel have recalled the products???

I'm not so sure...they should have been sampling product in the first place.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Intact 2,000-year old Etruscan tomb discovered

Another cool article.

Not much is known about the Etruscans other than that they had a civilization that lasted almost as long as the Roman Empire...1000 years.

Lincoln may have had facial defect

The tidbits of information you pick up from articles are really cool.

Hawaii's Big Island on hurricane watch for Flossie

you might say..."Yeah, what's the big news here?"

to which I would respond, "well, the last time a hurricane hit Hawaii was in 1871!!!"

nope...nothing going on with the environment...nothing at all...

Blind driver caught again...AGAIN?!?!?!?!

AGAIN?!?!?!?!?!

He was drunk and had three people giving him directions...

How drunk were the passengers that they felt it was a better idea for a blind drunk man to take to the wheel instead of one of them????

Adelphia's Rigases report to prison - FINALLY

they were found guilty in 2004...what took so long?!?!?!?!?!?!

Filling Your Cup With Water Plays

Well, I for one think that Water/Sewer/Infrastructure is the Internet play of the future...

While I haven't had the best track record with things that I have invested in...the ones that really skyrocket are the ones I don't buy...

So...good news for you folks, is that I don't have a dime to put into this sector...so...your chances are that it will give you a good return!

4 Australian lawmakers doubt need to cut gases

Interesting point of view.

I have said a million times that I can have a conversation around how bad global warming is, how much of an impact we are having but I really find it hard to believe that people still think we are not having an impact on the environment.

who knows...

Romney: Iowa Win not hollow

It was a win that was expected, but some of the other finishers really showed well in the more conservative Iowa Straw Poll.

One in particular who made a great showing with much less money was Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who garnered 18.1% of the vote.

While Romney spent Millions, Huckabee stated that he only spent $100k on the campaign in Iowa.

Amazing results if that is the case!

Gagne blows lead for Boston, Yanks trim deficit to 4 games

Sometimes the best trade is the one you don't make.

At the trading deadline the Yankees had a chance to get this guy...but they passed on giving up some very good future prospects for a "Rental"

I think Boston is still a better team for making the trade, even with the blown save, but the Yankees are also a better team for not making it as well.

Tiger wins PGA, is now 5 shy of Nicklaus

Sometimes I would rather be stuck in traffic than playing bad golf...too frustrating, but it is fun to watch someone that is just THAT GOOD.

He's only 5 shy of Jack Nicklaus for all time in major wins...

Tiger is 4 years (and in his prime) ahead of Nicklaus who was 35 when he won his 13th.

Snakes on a Plane

No, not the movie...but close...

A Saudi man tried to get on a plane in Cairo with a bag full of snakes (including a cobra), chameleons and even a few baby crocodiles.

You have got to be kidding me?!?!?!

Inspection Finds Debris Penetrated Shuttle’s Tiles

I really don't understand the science behind this issue....thousands of hours of research following Columbia and they still can't keep this from happening...those thousands of hours don't include the original research in the design phase of the shuttles.

Lets see how the repair procedures go...

I really hope this isn't an issue.

Nasa has been like an unreliable relief picture with great stuff...one game great and then a really bad game. You really never know what you are going to get.

How about some consistency folks!

E-ZPass records out cheaters in divorce court

7 of 12 states in the EZ-Pass system release records for some civil and criminal cases.

It is what some people are worried about..."Big Brother"...

But let's put it this way, there is so much other information out there, if you are doing something wrong, someone will find out.

Karl Rove to quit this month

Lightning rod and President Bush's closest aide has decided to resign his post at the end of August.

In response to comments that he was leaving to avoid scrutiny by the Democrats he was quoted as saying "I'm not going to stay or leave based on whether it pleases the mob."

I'm not too sure I believe that...

China toy boss kills self after recall

The head of the company in a major US toy recall hung himself in disgrace.

While I am all about punishment for companies that put lead in paint used for children's toys...

this may be a little harsh.

I will say this though...I think a few CEOs in America need to feel a little disgrace for their actions.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Bush says markets can withstand credit concerns

I hope this isn't a statement on the same level of accuracy as "major military actions in Iraq have ended" Stated March 1, 2003...

If it is...sell every stock you own, put your money in gold and buy a gun...because the economy will be crashing by Tuesday!

I caught a fish THIS BIG...


Rescuers within 500 feet of Utah miners

Rescuers are getting close to being able to run communications and food lines to the cavity that the miners are thought to be in.

Again...let's hope for some good news.

BNP freezes $2.2 billion of funds over subprime

Another fallout from the subprime worries...A bank in France has frozen assets and won't allow people to access cash in the accounts.

Scary stuff.

"Genius" videos may hinder baby development

Are you kidding me???

I'm sure it was the same way in my parents generation...

Every day you read something where someone says that they have a way to give your kids a head start in the world and you do your best to get it done...

a couple of years later you read that, what you were told may not have been the case...

who knows...

Rare river dolphin 'now extinct'

A rare river dolphin called a baijis that lived in the Yangtze River in China is the first extinction of a large vertabrate in over 50 years.

Finds test human origins theory

For those of you that may be worried...Don't...this isn't a story about intelligent design or some other theory besides evolution...

It appears we are still evolved from apes...we just don't know which ones.

Red Cross sued for use of cross emblem by J&J

amazing...how this kind of stuff ends up in the hands of lawyers is beyond me....

Yet another Chinese import recall

The recall applies to Westlake, Compass and YKS brand tires

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Testicle surgery mystifies police

and again...another STRANGE story...

I would have this man committed if I were his kid...

It's so strange it's actually a little funny

Blind man arrested for driving car

what a funny story!

Man smuggles monkey into NYC airport

Crazy story...

31 days in quarrantine and then off to the zoo for the marmoset

Major setback in Utah mine rescue effort

hopefully we will hear some good news soon...

People that do this for a living really need to get more credit for it...Scary and dangerous

Bonds sets home run record with 756th blast

Bonds sets home run record...

Go A-Rod!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Hitting the road

Hello folks. Sorry for the delay in posts...I'm running late in will be traveling all day.

Over the next few days, I will only be posting early in the morning and late at night.

So, have some patience.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Word of the day - Sarcasm

sar·casm [sa'ar kazzem ]noun
Definition: cutting language: remarks that mean the opposite of what they seem to say and are intended to mock or deride
[Mid-16th century. Directly or via French< late Latin sarcasmus< Greek sarkazein "tear flesh" < sarx "flesh"]

I think you might see some in the posts today...

I also won't commit to there being a different word tomorrow or the next day either!

China to send 2 giant pandas to Spain

Very cool...

In a sign of warming relations between Spain and China, China agrees to send the two giant pandas to Spain for 10 years.

I just hope they don't get "Recalled" for having too much lead in them!

Energy search goes underground

Essentially, dig a hole 3 miles underground...fill it full of water, the pressure and heat boil the water to 350+ degrees...now take the superheated water out of the ground to produce electricity...

Very clean for the environment...except for the EARTHQUAKES!

American Home Mortgage files for bankruptcy

Layoffs of 90% of it's staff...

Great job!

Pentagon loses track of weapons for Iraqi forces

I posted a story about this the other day...

It only gets better.

It's still the same number of 190,000 weapons missing (or in better terms...in the hands of insurgents).

The missing weapons are 54% of the weapons issued to Iraqi forces!!!

In dollar terms at an average of $450/gun (which is very cheap) - that's $85+MM out the window...

and finally...why is the US supplying RUSSIAN MADE AK-47's to Iraq?

Who runs the pentagon these days???

Glavine wins 300th game

Congratulations!

Boy, the Mets bullpen is "Exciting" to watch!

Ex-Home Depot boss Nardelli takes Chrysler helm

Next at Chrysler...

5 salesmen to every customer...none of them knowing what an engine is
Self check-out lines at all dealerships
Cars made in China
Do-it-your self, 37 minute or 3 mile warranty

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Car Bomb headed towards a US naval base in SC

A scary story over at the Further West...

A relatively "quiet" story about a car filled with what may have been explosives heading towards a Naval Base in SC.

Soldier sentenced to 110 years for Iraq murders

Amen to this!

What a horrible story.

Only the ring-leader (Pvt. Steven Green) is left...and unlike the other killers, he will cost the American taxpayer hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars to prosecute him because he was discharged from the army with a "Personality Disorder"

I would hope that the Military would put into place some methods to keep people with "personality disorders" from carrying a gun...unless of course that is what they are looking for.

Barry Bonds hits 755 to tie Aaron

Well, it is timely that Barry Bonds hits 755 less than 12 hours before the close of my latest poll on Steroids/HGH/Drug use in baseball prior to the rules changes...

a whopping 47% of respondents (in what is FAR from a statistically significant sample) feel that over 50% of players were "Cheating" in some form or fashion. No one said it was less than 10% or over 75%...

That being said, this is what I have to say about Barry Bonds...even if he cheated, he wasn't alone. If greater than 50% of players were doing something to enhance their game, then he was facing "Juiced" pitchers. If that's the case, did he have that great of an advantage? I'm not so sure...he was still that much better!

Does this make me think that Barry isn't a dope? Not a chance. Does this make me feel any better? Not really. I feel more betrayed by Baseball and Bud Selig than I do by Barry Bonds in particular. Baseball needed congressional hearings to move on what everyone knew was wrong...Horrible...Bud Selig is the worst commissioner in any major sport and has been for way too long!!! Horrible Horrible Horrible.

An interesting side note, Bonds hit his 755th off of Clay Hensley who was suspending in 2005 for violating the leauges Minor league steroids policy.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Democrats court liberal bloggers

At a debate that featured 7 of the 8 democratic nominees and questions from a crowd of 1500 bloggers, Clinton took the heat. That is what happens when you are the front-runner...but I don't think she handled herself too well.

Please note my post about Clinton cozying up to Tata consultancy (Clinton Woos...) .

Now sshe steadfastly continued to stick by her decision to take special interest money.

She seems to be ok selling her political soul to get the nomination.

Nuff said about her.

Two great quotes I can agree with from John Edwards: "I just heard some discussion about negotiation, compromise" — rather than overhauling government. He said the nation needs "big change, not small change."

Edwards then called on the field to join him in refusing donations from lobbyists. He suggested that accepting lobbyists' money would make Democrats no better than Republicans.
"We don't want to trade their insiders for ours," he said.

Alex Rodriguez becomes youngest in baseball history to hit 500 home runs

A-rod hits 500 after a 10 day wait.

After doing something that no one has done in 120 years of baseball he was pretty humble about the accomplishment...

A great quote by him: "You wish you could pay each fan back by shaking their hands, but all I could do is hit a home run and win a game," he said. "They wasted a lot of Kodak film on me this week, I'm just glad I was able to pay them back."

I can only imagine what is in store for us when Barry-Humble-is-not-in-my-vocabulary-Bonds finally passes Aaron,

Bad bosses get promoted, not punished?

I really doubt that many people really needed a study to figure this one out...

Probe lifts off for journey to Mars

Very exciting!

I think this is what we need to be doing as a country and as a planet.

Look for another post around May 25 of next year when the probe arrives.

UPS Celebrates Its 100-Year Anniversary

Amazing...I never knew UPS was around so long...

in 1907 two teens started delivering packages on foot and bicycle...

very cool!

Sector Wrap: Infrastructure Companies

An nice article if you are interested in stocks and investments.

keep in mind that infrastructure includes roads, bridges, water, sewer and more broadly power and utility...

Disclaimer (in case anyone actually values what's written here-hehehehehe) , I don't own any of the stocks listed in the article and I will have to do more research to determine if I agree with the assumptions, but it's a start if you are looking for a place to put money. The recommendations listed in the article are made by the analyst and not by me! hehehehe how was that???

Pakistan criticizes Obama on comments

I'm really not sure how I feel about this article.

There are days when I agree with Obama and other days I think that Pakistan has been a solid ally in the war on terror. (we can discuss the reasons for why they are helping another day...)

Where I think my opinion waivers is in capacity versus capability...they lead to two different points of view.

I personally feel that the government of Pakistan has the capacity to help and is "on-board" with the war on terror. I also feel that they just don't have the capability to do what really needs to be done. This is due to political, financial, technological and other internal pressures that the government is experiencing.

That being said, do they get credit for trying or do we "hammer" them until they relieve those internal pressures that are limiting their effectiveness in the war on terror????

I'm not sure...someone tell me the ramifications of both approaches

McCain changes course on immigration

I think that his about face is a little late.

Has he changed his stance because of a belief change or because of politics?

Is it a good sign that he can change his opinion in a time when many of our politicians are so bull-headed????

McCain got clobbered on this issue and has moved his stance more in alignment with public opinion...I actually think that is good no matter what the reason.

While you elect politicians because of where their views are "Grounded" you want them to be open to new information and new insight....at least I do!

Arkansas couple welcomes 17th child

My wife brought this article to my attention with a simple "OH MY GOD!"

We're out of energy with just two kids!

The oldest child is only 19 and there were only two sets of twins!!!

For all you tax accountants out there...that is a huge set of exemptions!!!

China draws up export blacklist amid health scares

I think that this is a great step. I hope that it has teeth.

I have had regular problems with products from China whether it's the directions not making sense, pieces missing, pieces not fitting together, or having to return CHILDREN'S TOYS because they contain LEAD!

It is very worrisome and quite annoying. I have better things to do than to go back to a store to return crappy products.

Only recently have I started to search for the "Made In..." label and when I have a choice not to buy from China...I do. It's a shame that the whole country is getting heat for a few criminals but if that is what it takes...so be it.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Aztec leader's tomb found - The First Ever

Mexican archaeologists have found underground chambers they believe contain the remains of Emperor Ahuizotl, who ruled the Aztecs when Columbus landed in the New World.

This is the first ever Aztec leader's tomb ever found.

First alarm about bridge over I-35W raised in 1990

As I mentioned yesterday, bridges don't usually collapse without some sign or warning.

A horrible and needless decision.

Buried in the article is that there are 70,000 bridges across the country that are in equally bad, or worse shape than the I-35W bridge.

$188B and a generation to fix the article says.money

Court orders man to complete eBay deal

This guy tried to sell a $215k plane on Ebay...he did but for only $128k...his established reserve price.

WHOOOPSY.

Bad job on that one, what makes it worse is he tried to sell it to someone else after the auction went off and tried to cancel the deal.

So...in short, he sold a $215k plane...for about $90k less and then had to pay attorney fees on top of that.

Lake Superior changes mystify scientists

Not sure what is causing it, but Lake Superior is losing it's water.

There is so much about the environment that we just don't know

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Baseball Steroids Poll

Only two days left to vote.

The results are not as clear cut as they were early on in the voting.

Please let me know what you think.

I have a few comments to make...and I don't want to make them if they are no longer valid!

hehehe

Your vote will help!

Governors order new bridge inspections after Minneapolis collapse

Governors across the nation order new bridge inspections after the collapes in Minneapolis...

All I have to say is this, if you have to order a "new" round of inspections it's because you don't already know the answer!!!

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible.

Saturn's Mysterious G-ring Explained

I read it...but I don't understand it!

Feel free to try...leave me with a yeoman's version as a comment if you do get the gist!

hehehehe

Newfound Planet Has Earth-Like Orbit

Extra-solar planet has a similar (1 earth year) orbit to our homeworld.

The research can be used to determine what will happen to our sun in about 2-3 billion years.

So, if you expect to be around then, you may want to follow this story!

Very cool

Katrina victims lose in appeals court

What a crime...

Katrina victims lose in court on technicalities.

Insurance companies...Horrible, Horrible, Horrible.

More people missing in Bridge Collapse

The death toll stands at 4, but the number of missing people has reached 30.

what a very sad story.

A bridge just doesn't decay over night.

They are built to last 50-100 years, so signs of degradation usually show up much sooner.

All this money going overseas and our very infrastructure is collapsing.

It's a horrible cycle...the money that should have been spent on repairing the bridge will now go to the families as damages for the lives that never should have been lost in the first place.

The sick thing is, is that now the money will be spent on the bridge anyway and the bridge will be repaired. So all that was achieved is 30+ lives lost, hundreds of millions in damages, millions in lawsuits and millions in studies to determine "What went wrong"...all because the State government couldn't put the funding together to fix the bridge in the first place. It probably would have cost a few hundred thousand dollars...a very small percentage of what it will cost now!

Horrible

Chinese go online to torture, kill corrupt officials

An interesting tactic to discuss the evils of corruption.

A local Chinese government has released a game where people can go and kill corrupt officials.

It has been downloaded 100,000 times and has already been sent back to the drawing boards to allow for more users.

I wonder when the first murder case involving this game as a part of the defense will pop up???

Russia plants flag in North Pole seabed as race for riches hots up

As mentioned in this blog before...as the Arctic circle starts to melt more and more emphasis will be placed on the resources that can be found there.

This is yet another example of something that is "Frosting" the relations between the US and Russia.

Aztec pyramid ruins found in Mexico City

Pretty cool stuff...

Construction workers found the ruins of an Aztec city that was razed by the Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes in the 16th century.

The ruins are under Iztapalapa...a crime infested neighborhood in Mexico City.

Very cool.

A side thought...I can see the city government using the find and subsequent exploration of the complex as an "Opportunity" to demolition parts of the neighborhood. Not only to explore the site but to remove crime elements from the city...or at least shift them elsewhere.

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts announces she has breast cancer

Roberts of Good Morning America took some of her own advice while doing a story on co-worker and movie critic Joel Seigel (who died of cancer in June) and did a self examination She found a lump in her breast. A doctor visit followed and she will be heading into surgery.

While this will be a trying time for her, she has a wonderful opportunity to spread the news about the benefits of self examinations, regular doctor visits and early detection.

I wish her well.

Indiana Jones 4 - viral ad campaigns are starting to pop up

It's filming now with Harrison Ford, Kate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone and now Karen Allen.

Early Summer of 2008 is the projected release date...

Shia LaBeouf seems to be the new up and coming star...recently released transformers movie and now tied in with Steven Spielberg for a series of Indiana Jones movies...not bad for a 21yr old!!!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Medicare plan increases use of costly drugs

Interesting article, but not really surprising.

Essentially the Medicare Part D drug benefit was to provide drug coverage to a segment of the population that didn't have it (or acceptable coverage) beforehand...

I wonder if the study shows there was increase in drug utilization (meaning more people used a drug more often than before) or if there was increased cost per prescription (meaning people shifted from a lower cost drug to a higher cost drug while still using the same amount/type of drug)...

This will take years to sort out the ramifications of this legislation...

Fisher-Price to recall nearly 1M toys

Toy-maker Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of toys — including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters — because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.
YUP! You guessed it! MADE IN CHINA!

F-14 parts sold despite sales ban

Horrible...the only country in the world that still flies the F-14 is Iran...

I highly doubt that anyone else is trying to buy these parts.

As frustrating as this article is, at least there seems to be some hope that this stuff won't happen anymore or at least as often.

Just plain stupid...yet again.

US cannot account for 190,000 guns in Iraq: report

This is the type of news that makes me wonder if we shouldn't just take our toys and come home.

These weapons and body armor are being used by our enemies by now...that along with the hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from a Iraqi bank a few short weeks ago means that our own government has funded terrorism more than any other organization in the world.

This is just plain stupid!

Michael Strahan of the NY Giants - Still holding out...or retiring

Either way, Strahan should just let his team know what the story is.

He signed a contract and if he wants to renegotiate. TOUGH!

You made a deal cry baby!!!

Show up or retire, but whichever you choose do it soon.

Besides that, this is a dysfunctional team with a dysfunctional coach.

Nuff Said

Clinton pulls further ahead in a new poll on Democratic Presidential Nominees

Clinton has hit 43% up from 39% and Obama has dropped from 25% to 22% from a June Poll

Device wakes man with severe brain injuries

What a great story...

Essentially a brain "Pacemaker" is implanted in the chest to provide stimulation to parts of the brain.

Very cool and very promising to a part of the population most people (except for their families) forget about.

Cool stuff!

Clinton woos the outsourcers feared by U.S. workers

Great article about Clinton's alignment with Tata Consultancy Services...this is an organization that primarily helps organizations outsource their workforce overseas.

An interesting gamble for the NY Democrat that says she is a fighter for the American Worker...

Sean Avery receives $1.9MM and the Rangers quickly accept

A post over at The Commissioner's desk about Sean Avery.

The Commissioner's Desk

A new blog...all about Hockey and only Hockey!!!

Trades, rumors, Stats, roto/fantasy impacts etc.

Three contributors - All of them Brilliant if I do say so myself!

Chris - of The Further West Fame
Duane - new to the blogging arena
and...ME!

Please check it out

MUSINGS OF A WHISKEY REBEL: Politics at High Level

Great article over at Whiskey Rebel that deals with Atty. General Alberto Gonzales.

Why people have sex: It feels good

News Flash!
amazing!
Brilliant!
Astounding!

I wonder how much government funding it took to find this out!

I was however disgusted to find that one of 237 reasons to have sex was to give someone a sexually transmitted disease!!!

Obama might send troops into Pakistan

an interesting statement and one that shouldn't be taken out of context.

I think the entire article needs to be read...

He has a plan, that is for sure and he seems to be able to deliver the message in ways that are resonating with people.

Culpepper signs with Raiders while No. 1 pick Russell remains unsigned

an interesting move by the Raider's front office.

I think it says more about the contract negotiations with JaMarcus Russell than it says about anything else.

Culpepper can be a huge help to this team, even though it already has two other potential starters to carry the torch until Russell finally gets signed.

Glavine fails in bid to win No. 300

there is an interesting headline!

Glavine didn't fail!

He left the game with a 2 hitter and his bullpen blew it!

This is an accomplishment by a person I can root for!

He's a class act and most likely one of the last players in a LONG time to pass the 300 win milestone.

No one is even close

US border fences 'an eco-danger'

so says the Mexican government...

There can be no meaningful conversation about immigration if there is no control of the borders.

I'm sorry but in this case I feel the environment just has to suffer a little.

If Mexico is so concerned about the impacts, why not patrol it's border and do something (anything actually) to curb border jumping.

O.J. criticizes Goldman family over book

what a sad, sad, sad story...

this is a weird world when this stuff goes on.

The rights to this book shouldn't matter.

Simply put, why would anyone want to buy it???

It's a sad statement of our society.

nuff said

Sunni Arab bloc quits Iraqi government

Another blow to Iraqi agenda.

But then again, since the Iraqi government decided to take a month off while bombs were going off and killing their citizens, they have another month to get them back to the table.

What makes people act the way they do?

With all the recalls associated with Chinese products, do you look at the label now to see where a product is made?

NEW POLL: What percentage of baseball players were taking steriods, HGH or other enhancing drugs (like amphetamines) before the rules changes instituted by MLB?

Which would you prefer?

You're at the Final table of the WSOP. You get dealt 2 Aces. What do you do?