Things the World May or May Not Need

I'm late getting to my "odd things in the news" blog this week.  I would gladly blame the current  heat wave stagnating over the Midwest that is withering my garden and burning off my brains cells, but more the more likely culprit is poor time management on my part.  So...lets talk about a few things that are being reported that may or may not be a positive addition to our planet....and we all know that we were sooooo very close to having it perfected.

What are you looking at?????

A Cat With More Hair

Yes, the Guiness people have added yet another record-breaking addition to their lists.  Colonel Meow, a two-year-old Himalayan-Persian kitty who hails from Los Angeles, was crowned cat with the longest fur.  (Quite a beauty. Looks really friendly, don't you think?)

The Colonel was measured by three independent veterinarians and the Colonel's fur -- taken on average from 10 hairs -- stretched an impressive 22.87 cm.

"We already knew that he was the best cat in the world, but to be recognized in the Guinness World Records book takes it to the next level," said the Colonel's person, Anne Marie Avey.

Avey says his colossal coat requires brushing twice or three times a week, and fur still gets all over everything in the house. (Bet that goes well.)

"His fur is so epic -- it takes two of us to properly brush him," Avey and co-owner Eric Rosario said in a statement. “Literally everything in the house has hair on it, including us!  I feel like I’m always vacuuming!"

 Nothing says welcome like cat hair.

Drive-In Sex Boxes

"What's that/" I hear you asking.  Basically they are little wooden structures where people can pull in to discreetly meet up with prostitutes. 

Doesn't this just scream romance?

This week the first of the sex houses opened to a very modest audience. There were, in fact, more press than prostitutes. That might explain why the first car that pulled in quickly looked around and made a hasty retreat.

The second car, a family vehicle driven by a man in sunglasses under cloudy evening skies, broke down and needed jump starting in front of a host of photographers, snickering into their cameras.

Zurich authorities had said they expected a modest start to the country's first so-called "sex boxes", a row of drive-in wooden garages on a looping track where clients in cars can visit prostitutes, shielded from prying eyes and security cameras.

With an estimated annual turnover of around 3.5 billion Swiss francs ($3.79 billion), prostitution has been legal in Switzerland since 1942, with sex workers in Zurich required to have a special permit, health insurance and pay tax.

The number of prostitutes in the Alpine nation has risen sharply over the last decade, due to the decriminalization of procuring and passive solicitation of sex alongside agreements between Switzerland and the European Union on free movement of people.

The sex boxes, which echo similar drive-in systems in the Netherlands and Germany, are being touted as a way to get large numbers of prostitutes and their clients off Switzerland's otherwise pristine streets.

Don't they have motels in Switzerland?  


A Twisted Robin Hood

The 36-year-old Bellingham, Wash. man was arrested on Tuesday morning after he allegedly fired an arrow -- wrapped with a package of marijuana -- at the second-floor recreation area of Whatcom County Jail. Police say he intended to gift the weed to inmates, but Jordan claims he was hunting squirrels, according to

The Bellingham Herald.

A civilian employee with the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office allegedly spotted Jordan getting out of his Ford pickup at about 8:40 a.m. on the south side of the jail. He witnessed Jordan firing the weed-laced arrow at a mesh screen near the top of the second floor, and called the sheriff's office.

He reportedly shot too high, and his arrow landed on the roof, the Associated Press reports. Sheriff Bill Elfo said that at the right angle, he may have succeeded.

Still, "He had no explanation as to why squirrel hunting requires attaching marijuana to an arrow," Elfo told the Herald.

The baggie on the arrow contained a few grams of weed and an unknown substance, the New York Daily News reports.

Officials obtained a search warrant and forced their way into Jordan's home after he wouldn't let them in. Earlier this month, he served a 20-day jail sentence for two counts of assault and one of resisting arrest. He was rebooked Tuesday evening on suspicion of introducing contraband to a corrections facility, resisting arrest and obstructing law enforcement.

His current cell is on the first floor, the Herald notes.

I wonder what they listed on his paperwork as his occupation?  Green grocer or delivery man???


 Loose Screws


North Charleston police on Wednesday caught a couple having sex in a shed at a Home Depot store, a report states.

Police charged Shaun Bowden, 31, of Saw Palm Drive in Ladson, with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct in connection with the incident, according to the report. The woman who was found with him, Emily

Craig, 20, of Spoleto Lane in North Charleston, is charged with disorderly conduct and providing false information, police said.

Officers were called to the Home Depot on Northwoods Boulevard about 8:30 a.m. after people at the store reported seeing a man and woman walk into a display shed, close the door behind them.

The couple was still inside the shed when officers arrived. (I am sensing there is about to be cop-tus interruptus)

The woman appeared disheveled and partially clothed, police said. Her dress was untied at the top and hanging around her waist, according to the report.

The shirtless man who was with her was caught with his pants down at his knees and his genitals exposed, police said.

Police questioned the couple and determined that they were having sex in the shed. (they had to ask questions? The exposed genitals kind of gave it away didn't it?)

Police said the name and birthday that Craig gave to officers didn’t match the identification found in her purse.

Bowden and Craig were arrested and held at the Charleston County jail pending a bond hearing, jail records show.

How would you like to have to explain to friends and family "WHY" you got arrested on that one?

I Said This Wouldn't Happen

By now all of you have either heard about or seen clips of the bizarre behaviors of the celebs at the VMA Awards show.  I am still scratching my head asking myself when and why did things go so wrong.

While I am no longer MTV's desired demographic....well...to be honest, I am at the age I am no one's desired demographic unless maybe someone who trying to sell long-term health care insurance....but still, I watched the mayhem in hopes that there would be a musical act or two worth seeing.  I actually, enjoy some popular music so I gave it a shot. It turned out that it was a shot that missed the target...by a mile.

I now,  have come to the realization that if you really want to feel OLD,  the quickest, most efficient way, is  just watch anything dealing with pop music. I am relatively sure that I can  feel my vital organs fossilizing at I type. 

It wasn't always like that, There was a time way back when in 1981 when I was considered to be in the appropriate demographic for MTV.  When they launched in August of that year, they said they were marketing to adolescents through young adults. As luck would have it, I was a young adult then...depending on what one considers young.

As if I wasn't already feeling like I crossed some invisible line into old-fogyism  thanks to a number of  things I saw on the VMA show, I had the added bonus of reading about a new poll that just came out that says that the average age a person starts morphing into the behavior of their parents is 32. Coincidently, that would be pretty close to the age I was when MTV started.  SOOO...it would seem that I started turning into an old bitty just in the nick of time.

BUT WAIT!!!!........DIDN'T I PROMISE MYSELF THAT I WOULD ALWAYS STAY CURRENT AND TRENDY?


Thought Number One:   Out of Touch

Well...I obviously made promises that  I couldn't keep..... because here I am so out of touch, without so much as an inkling of understanding about  anything dealing with popular music videos or the people associated with them.

 If Crabby Pants and I would of gone to Brooklyn to join in the fun, we might of come across less than cool.
 

The VMA dress code is to go "light" on the dress.

 

OR maybe the rule is to cover everything up in a bizarre kind of way.

Were we supposed to wear animal costumes and show our panties? 

Or maybe just be an animal.

What is Beetlejuice doing at the VMAs???

Thought Number Two:  I am now going to embrace being the antiquated relic that I am.


Yep, for all the promises to my young-self to stay current and cool....I couldn't of imagined that crotch grabbing would be trendy.  I didn't see that coming. 


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They Have a Plan

Every week when Crabby Pants and I look over the odd news reports, we come to the conclusion that at some point all of the subjects of these stories, thought they had a brilliant plan.  But, alas, at some point things went wrong.  Here are a few of the great ideas that have the potential for disaster this week.

Dental Plan

A Canadian dentist is hoping to clone John Lennon using DNA from one of the singer's rotten teeth. Michael Zuk, who bought Lennon's molar at a 2011 auction, has begun sequencing the former Beatle's DNA – the first step in a process set out by scientists who propose to clone a woolly mammoth.

Two years ago the Red Deer based dentist paid £19,500 for a "discolored molar" that had been passed down by Lennon to his Weybridge housekeeper, Dot Jarlett. It was acquired in the mid-60s, and Jarlett's son said it had "been in the family ever since". At the time of the sale, Omega auction house claimed the tooth was "too fragile" for DNA testing.

The tooth has since  been couriered to an unnamed US lab where scientists are "considering ways to extract it's genetic code". "I am nervous and excited at the possibility that we will be able to fully sequence John Lennon's DNA," Zuk said. "With researchers working on ways to clone mammoths, the same technology certainly could make human cloning a reality."

Zuk is convinced with new advances in genetic research, he believes that Lennon's DNA can be harvested and, in time, converted from tissue cells into stem cells, and eventually into a reborn Beatle. "To say I had a small part in bringing back one of rock's greatest stars would be mind-blowing," he said. (Am I being harsh by thinking maybe Zuk's mind is already blown?)

In the meantime, Zuk is promoting his other dental endeavors: pendants and a sculpture made from Lennon's "tooth dust", a photo book of celebrity champers, the parody song Love Me Tooth, and other initiatives to promote awareness of mouth cancer.

Perhaps the dentist is biting off more than he can chew with trying to recreate John Lennon.  But if that fails, perhaps he can hope to sell the song rights of Love Me Tooth.  Sounds catchy. don't you think?

That Plan Sucked

A pair of enterprising thieves  in Salt Lake, UT, took a car wash to the cleaners: They used a powerful shop vacuum to suck quarters out of a coin-operated machine, police said Wednesday.

The duo drew the suspicion of a passing police officer and failed to make a clean getaway.
"They had a good plan. They were enterprising. If they were successful they could have returned night after night," said Sgt. Gary Young in the Salt Lake City suburb of Cottonwood Heights. "More often thieves just

use a crowbar. They get an A for effort but an F for execution." (how nice to get compliments from law enforcement!)

Todd Herburg, 53, and Scott Luker, 55, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of burglary.
More charges are pending.

What gave the men away was a crude attempt at altering their vehicle's license plates. They used a piece of black electrical tape to change a "D'' to a "B," Young said.

They used their own shop vacuum to do the work, he said. It was powered by an inverter rigged inside their Jeep SUV to produce household current. Police haven't counted their stash of quarters yet. Young said the coin-operated machine probably held no more than $30.

The fact these geniuses got some coins sucked out is amazing but seems like an extraordinary amount of effort to go for $30.00.  


Bad Dog

An animal rights group is asking the maker of hot dogs designed to poke fun at New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner to offer a vegetarian option. ( Really??? That's their only objection?)

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to marketing executive Randall Richards of Orlando, Fla., who teamed with an Illinois company to create Carlos Danger Weiners -- designed to poke fun at Anthony Weiner's sexing scandal using his own made-up name. (The word poke is starting to feel uncomfortable.)

"Playing on the double entendre of Anthony Weiner's name to sell a product that can contribute to impotence in men is like selling an energy drink that puts you to sleep," PETA Senior Vice President of Campaigns Dan Mathews said. "Meat hot dogs cause misery to the animals they're made from, and they're bad for the humans who eat them. So Mr. Richards should start selling Carlos Danger Veggie Weiners."



I wouldn't think that anyone would want to eat wieners named after Anthony Weiner's alter ego's ...well...you know.  Can we all say....EWWWWW?

Passing the Blame

Many of you that have been following me for awhile, know that every morning at 6:00 AM, I walk here in Kansas City with a friend who lives in Dallas, TX.  Yes, with the aid of modern technology in the form of a
Bluetooth earpiece that has wind reduction capabilities, we can walk 5 miles together while simultaneously solving the world's problems.

This morning she was telling me about a conversation she heard at work where a young (ish) girl was saying that she totaled her car because of the size of the Sonic cup her soft drink was in.  According to the co-worker's account of the accident, the careless driver in front of her stopped suddenly.  Co-worker said she would of avoided hitting  the car had it not been for the Route 44 Sonic drink flying out of the cup holder. In her effort to save the drink or keep the soda flood at bay (take your pick which she was trying for) she let up on the brake and smashed into the car.

That wasn't even the end of the story.  Co-worker girl said that she had moved back home after a divorce and really was fine with the car being totaled.  It turns out that the insurance settlement paid off the loan with a bit of money to spare.  She figured she could use her parents' car, thus not having a car payment.  WIN, WIN!!!

Which brings up the subject of today's post.

Thought Number One :  RATIONALIZING 

(according to Wikipedia)
 In psychology and logic, rationalization (also known as making excuses is an unconscious defense mechanism in which perceived controversial behaviors or feelings are logically justified and explained in a rational or logical manner in order to avoid any true explanation, and are made consciously tolerable – or even admirable and superior – by plausible means.

HHHMMM...I am not sure that I think the word unconscious needs to be involved. Besides, don't they mean subconscious.  Would we even be making excuses if we were unconscious?? But I digress... I think many of us that have an extreme talent for justifying our behavior and we are very conscious while we make our excuses.

 Dare, I say that I think our family has a genetic ability to find a positive spin on just about anything we want to justify.  I come from a long line of people with this talent. Then, to really make sure that our gene pool remained pure, I married a guy that was equally great at rationalizing.

Crabby Pants with her 1st cousin, Fancy Pants

Yep, people in my family can call themselves "big boned" instead of fat and eat large quantities  of ice cream saying it's a good source of calcium AND ...our very best example of rationalizing comes into play often and regularly.

It was a DEAL!

(yes, you know who you are!)

Thought Number Two: Not a One Trick Pony

Our little tribe isn't just about being able to spin anything that could be perceived negative into something that is substantive positive, we also have a lock on being able to put off anything to a later date.

Yes, ...we train our young ones early that everything can wait.

Yes, Grandson #2 now sports the phrase "maybe next Saturday", no matter what the request is.  Our gene pool remains strong.





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How Cliche

 This week in odd news there seems to be a number of people that have tried to act out on old cliches but sadly got them wrong. 

Stop Lion

A Chinese zoo  has customers calling foul.....not to be confused with fowl.  The zoo in the People's Park of Luohe has been playing fast and loose with substituting common animals and trying to pass them off as exotic animals.

One zoo patron brought her son to the zoo to educate him on the sounds that animals make. As she was standing at the cage marked African Lion, she heard barking.  (Seriously????That was the ONLY thing that gave it away??)

The so-called lion was a Tibetan Mastiff in disguise. 

 "The zoo is absolutely is cheating us." said one customer who paid the $2.45 price for the ticket. 

The lion...Errrr dog .. Wasn't the only substitution. A white fox was subbing for a leopard and another dog was filling in for a wolf. 

"This is not funny at all. This is sad for the zoo and the animals." said someone on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

Something seems amiss in China.  They know how to build an iPhone but can't tell a dog from a lion.  Maybe we could send pictures to them on Sina Weibo.

Cheap Sleep

Have you ever gotten so drunk that when you woke up you realize the B&B you checked into is actually a shipping container?  If you have, you aren't alone.  If you haven't you probably missed a hell of a party. 

After a night of drinking in Qingdao, China, Jiang Wu found himself trapped in a sealed 60 foot container that was being prepared for a two week journey across the Pacific to Los Angeles.  According to the Fairfax New Zealand News, Wu thought the container was a Bed and Breakfast.  

Luckily, Wu had a cellular phone on him and managed to call the police.  The police were at a loss as to which container contained a hungover Wu was in,  as there were 1000s of containers stacked for shipment. After an extensive search, Wu was located in a container stacked 18 meters up.

General rule of thumb...when you are so drunk that you think a storage container is a B & B,  you are TOO drunk.  Do B & Bs look differently in China compared to those in the U.S.?

Dinner rush 

Two Chicago burglars were trying to rob the Clifton Grill in  West Rodgers Park in the Chicago area but were sidetracked when the owner asked if they could come back in an hour when he wasn't so busy. 

Proving that some crimes don't have a mastermind in charge, the two  bungling burglars came armed with a fake gun (although it appeared real) and threatened the owner.  The owner  fearing for the safety of his customers, asked them to come back when there weren't so many people dining,  and he would be free to be robbed. (I don't think that is how he phrased it..but it's implied.)

So while these geniuses are crooks they are "accommodating crooks" and they left the restaurant. You may not be surprised to hear that after they left the owner called the cops.  Upon their return to the restaurant,  there were policemen waiting for them.  The two burglars, Mario Garcia and Domingo Garcia-Hernandez were arrested and charged with attempted aggravated robbery.

These two need to find a different line of work.  

And Last But Not Least

It's NOT

Droning On

Remember when you once played the game  I Spy.  I don't mean the board game but the child's game. 
Often it was played in the car on trips to pass the time away.  I know this might seem foreign if you are young enough to be used to sitting in the car with a DVD player or having iPads/tablets to divert your attention away from seeing any actual sights that might be of interest outside your car window. 

Anyway,.....as I was saying..there is a game where a person said "I spy with my little eye, something that's starts with an "D" (as an example) and the other person tried to guess what had been seen. (Hint: For today's  subject we are not seeing dogs, dolls, dorks, or dancing divas.)

Just as I was getting used to the idea that  groups of people were tracking what I buy, what Internet sites I look at,  reading my email and checking out my cell phone calls, I read about the drones hovering around

I hope Mr. Corbet isn't speaking for all rednecks.

keeping tabs on things. Mind you I am not necessarily talking about military drones.Private companies are also using drones to keep track of the activities of others.

I happened to be reading the paper last week when I noticed a story on the front page  of the Kansas City Star that addressed a serious problem arising around the U.S.

I would have inserted more of the article but the fact that it was about a third of a newspaper page doesn't really endear itself to be put here on TAOBC.

Essentially it said, hunters aren't thrilled about being spied on. (are we to assume that other groups are open to be spied on?) and have declared open season on unmanned drones.  You might be surprised to hear that the FAA is less than thrilled about these drones being shot out of the sky and are asking the hunters to be prepared to face some consequences.  

For example,  a Colorado town, Deer Trail, population 550, has garnered international attention by proposing an ordinance that would permit shooting down drones.  Licensed hunters may even collect $100 bounty if they present verifiable pieces of a drone.

As with all "differences of opinion" lately, this is stirring up the debate of  "their rights versus our rights."   Clearly, there is a lot of snooping going on. Do we have a right to privacy?   

Crabby isn't sure what the limit is for drones. 

Thought Number Two:   To those that are watching

For anyone that is monitoring my Facebook/Twitter/email/blog/cell phone or computer  for information, try to laugh at my jokes, ignore the rants,  don't tell certain family members about the blog as they are better off not knowing.  Oh...and some of the stuff I Google...it's for research purposes only...quit judging me.

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And the Award Goes To

I have been very busy this week...well...busy might be a tad of an over statement. I have been otherwise occupied with the pursuit of being a lazy bum.  While that might not seem plausible that a person could fill up  entire days whiling away time, I have proven it is possible.

Our  little band of travelers have been hanging out in the Ozarks again.  If you haven't been to Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, Missouri,.... it is truly a beautiful resort.)

BUT...For today...It's time for a few of the odd stories that appeared in the media this week. 

I will be giving awards out again this week as some people just deserve to be recognized.

Third Place Award .....Worst Driving Test Fail

A video of a South Korean woman failing her driving test has become an on-line hit. In a mere SEVEN seconds, a woman manages to overturn her car while the examiner is screaming in Korean at her. (I have to think that there are some four letter equivalents in there but can't say for sure.)

According to the You Tube users that speak Korean, supposedly the driver is asking, "What do I do? What do I do?" The driving instructor  (allegedly) says "Goddamn it! I said press the brakes. What are you doing not even knowing which pedal you are pressing? I am going to go crazy. Get out of this car!".



 Can anyone out there speak Korean and tell us what is being said?   That is surely worth more than just one bad word.

Second Place Award for the Worst (or maybe co-worst or maybe tri-worst) Candidate in New York City Political Race

Just when you thought the race for public offices in NYC couldn't get any more tainted, ...it did.
In the latest twist to the scandal ridden campaign season in New York, Kristen Davis has tossed her hat into the ring.  (that would  be the ring as in a 'three-ring circus'.)

Kristen, who is running for the office of comptroller against the former NY governor, Eliot Spitzer.

Surely, there are a couple of reasons
people might vote for this
comptroller.

Talk about irony...Spitzer resigned as governor amidst a scandal involving prostitutes and Kristen Davis used to be a Manhattan madam. (as in managing aforementioned prostitutes).  Obviously, they have a few things in common.

It's not the fact,  that Kristen is an ex-madam that is the presenting a problem.  Her current woes are she has been indicted with four counts  of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance. She currently has been released on $100,000 bond.  She has said she plans to plead not guilty.

Gauging the quality of the candidates, this may or may not hurt her chances to get elected.



First Place Award....The most idiotic mistake made by a builder

This mistake has taken an OOPSIE to a staggering new level.  That level would be about 47 floors off the ground.

The Intempo skyscraper in Denidorm, Spain, was built to be a striking symbol of hope and prosperity.  It was a testament to Denidorm showing the world that  the city was  coming out of financial crisis.

biggest piece of exercise equipment ever

The problems with Intempo started early on during the construction phase.  Initially it was funded by  a bank called Caixa Galicia but after the project started the funding was changed to Sareb. Sareb has the distinction of being  called Spain's "bad bank."  The amount of the mortgage was taken down.

Also, there was the problem that the original plan was for the building to be 20 floors high but the developers decided to raise it to 47 stories so they could place 269 units in. More floors, more units equals more profit...right??? Not so fast.

As it happened,  the design was never reworked to include an elevator past the 20th floor.

Yeah...no elevator.  Nor did they allow any room large enough to house the mechanicals that would be needed to install an elevator of the type that could run up and down 47 floors of a building. 

I'm not sure how Caixa Galicia got the reputation for being the "bad bank" but I bet the missing elevator gets the Intempo's builder the "bad builder" nod.  Nothing as inviting as a 47 floor walk-up.

Not THAT 50 Shades of Gray

 Is it just me or is it becoming increasingly more difficult to discern between who is right and who is wrong?   What is fair or unfair?  No matter what the topic, the proponents are seeing it one way and the opponents are resolute in their convictions as well.  Things have become very complicated.


Thought Number One:  Saying Too Much

Take for example, this week there is the story of a news reporter out of Huntsville, AL that was fired for things she wrote in her personal blog.  Yes, Shea Allen was expressing her personal opinions on her personal blog about her job.  Unfortunately, she like millions of other people, assumed she had the right to say whatever she wanted under the auspices of her First Amendment Rights.

Shea wrote a post on her blog,  No Apologies: Confessions of a Red Headed Reporter, where she stated among other things that she is frightened of old people.

 Shea's boss wasn't feeling the love as far as Shea's blog goes and he certainly didn't find any humor in it.  Along with firing her, he released a statement saying that she did irreparable harm to the station's image.

Now, instead of being the reporter...she is the reported.  Shea has done a number of interviews in the past week saying that she feels it is unfair that she was fired.  She goes on to say, that all of her statements were supposed to be quirky and funny.

Again...her boss wasn't laughing.

In an interesting article by Ruth Carter of the Carter Law Firm, who coincidently is an attorney that specializes in legal issues stemming from social media,   brings up some interesting points. While a person may have the right to say whatever they want, an employer in a at-will state may legally choose to fire someone for anything he chooses as long as it isn't about a protected area (i.e. gender, race, religion, disability etc.)  Unfortunately for Shea, making bad jokes about her job isn't a protected area.

Ruth, who has her own blog, says there is a lot a gray area in social media disputes. Not only does her law firm handle such cases, she has a book out The Legal Side of Blogging: How Not to Get Sued, Fired, Arrested or Killed.

So...who is right and who is wrong?   My personal opinion is she crossed a line by talking about her job in a negative way using her real name and her actual place of employment. Should she of been fired??? I am wavering back and forth.  She offered to take down  the offending post but is that too little, too late.  Will deleting the post and apologizing undo the damage of negative publicity and public scrutiny brought on by Shea's insensative blog comments?   Overall, everyone should realize that things you put on the Internet are NOT  the same as writing them in your diary. It's out there for the world to see.


Thought Number Two: Sharing Too Much

I don't think Shea is alone in crossing some undefinable line of how much sharing is too much sharing.  That may be unfair as I am also a blogger and you might know more about me than you should or for that matter...more than you care to know.

Still I try to be somewhat mindful of what should remain private for both me and for those of my family members that had no say in my starting this blog in the first place. 

I will tell you...I follow a lot of blogs.  Considering the time I spend reading blogs, it could be said I need to cut back a bit.  I really should cut back on salt, and caffeine too but,  I don't see that any of the three are in harm's way at this point.

But...as I was saying..I follow a lot of blogs and am often shocked at how willing some people are to share some amazingly private things.  Now don't get me wrong...sometimes sharing private thoughts about what's happeining in their lives, is necessary depending on the type of blog it is. That is especially true of those that are chronicling illnesses or difficult periods in their life. That is the intent of the blog to channel those thoughts.  I get it.

Another class of blogs that can pretty much get away with anything are the humor blogs. For the most part  I/we know they are trying to be funny.Yeah, I totally get that too.

 However, occasionally a blog will "all but come up and out of the computer to slap me in the face" with it's shocking or explicit subject matter.




Just kidding, of course, we are here for ya!  Blab away!!!

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Parks and Sparks

Have you heard of one of the newest bills being introduced in Congress?  I know there are endless possibilities as to what silliness is being hacked up over there, but the one I am talking about today is the bill to make the moon a National Park.  Yeah, you know like Grand Canyon without the view or Yellowstone without the geyser. 

There is a reason behind this madness..well if you are an "outside the box" kind of thinker, that is. U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md. and Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-TX, are co-sponsoring a bill called the Apollo Lunar Landing Legacy Act.

Edwards, a member of the House Space Subcommittee, is concerned that artifacts left at the six Apollo landing sites could be pirated away.

Yep, with all the important things that are being argued about in Congress, it seems that we are concerned with our trash being hijacked off the moon.  AND to be sure there is a lot of it.  Everything from landing stages to moon buggies.

One of the problems with this legislation, other than pissing off aliens that are chomping at the bit (do they have bits?) to get their hands (do they have hands?) on our cast offs, is that there is a treaty that was signed in 1967 by one hundred nations, including the U.S. which prohibits any country from claiming property in space.  The Outer Space Treaty, also, has a part that says: "Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means."

Well, that was before the U.S. left a bunch of good sh** up there including 3 golf balls clubbed by Allen Shepard.  Sports memorabilia is big business and those have to be worth something.

Hey, Litterbug!  Have you seen those three golf balls?

Speaking of National Parks...

For many of us that are of a certain age...that age being OLD, we remember the early days when Smokey Bear would be a stern sort that pointed his finger at us and tell us in no uncertain terms to be careful about starting forest fires.   I took him at his word that he meant business.

I, also, wondered why he didn't correct all of the people that inadvertently kept calling him "Smokey the Bear" when his name is Smokey Bear but I guess he's more concerned about fires than names.

Anyway...it does seem that people and bears mellow with age.

He is giving up the "in your face" finger pointing and now has resorted to hugging everyone he can get his big bear arms around. 

The NEW softer cuddly bear...



 Kind of sad that the girl didn't get a hug too. She was being a good camper, as well.

Note: On some of the mobile apps, the video may not appear. If you aren't seeing the video click here       Smokey Bear Hugs