Yes, they are among us and "THEY DO BREED!"
Sorry about the earlier glitch! I didn't know that the title was tgoing to apply to me this morning!
Coffee out on the patio again this morning. How about some fresh cantalope?
Thursday, February 28, 2013
You Just Can't Fix Stupid...! UPDATED!!!
Let me show you what I mean!
Yes, they are among us and "THEY DO BREED!"
Sorry about the earlier glitch! I didn't know that the title was tgoing to apply to me this morning!
Coffee out on the patio again this morning. How about some fresh cantalope?
Yes, they are among us and "THEY DO BREED!"
Sorry about the earlier glitch! I didn't know that the title was tgoing to apply to me this morning!
Coffee out on the patio again this morning. How about some fresh cantalope?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Andersonville For Western Wednesday...
Often we forget just what a vast amount of human lives were lost during the period of the Civil War.
Many of the deaths suffered by both sides were not from battle, but from the horrid conditions that haunted the prison camps of both Union and Confederate control. There are no appropriate words to describe what despicable conditions existed in these places!
On this day in 1864, the first Union inmates begin arriving at Andersonville prison, which was still under construction in southern Georgia. Andersonville became synonymous with death as nearly a quarter of its inmates died in captivity. Henry Wirz, who ran Andersonville, was executed after the war for the brutality and mistreatment committed under his command.
The prison, officially called Camp Sumter, became necessary after the prisoner exchange system between North and South collapsed in 1863 over disagreements about the handling of black soldiers. The stockade at Andersonville was hastily constructed using slave labor, and was located in the Georgia woods near a railroad but safely away from the front lines. Enclosing 16 acres of land, the prison was supposed to include wooden barracks but the inflated price of lumber delayed construction, and the Yankee soldiers imprisoned there lived under open skies, protected only by makeshift shanties called "shebangs," constructed from scraps of wood and blankets. A stream initially provided fresh water, but within a few months human waste had contaminated the creek.
Andersonville was built to hold 10,000 men, but within six months more than three times that number were incarcerated there. The creek banks eroded to create a swamp, which occupied a significant portion of the compound. Rations were inadequate, and at times half of the population was reported ill. Some guards brutalized the inmates and there was violence between factions of prisoners.
Andersonville was the worst among many terrible Civil War prisons, both Union and Confederate. Wirz paid the price for the inhumanity of Andersonville; he was executed in the aftermath of the Civil War.
The loss of human lives from both sides affected the United States for many years beyond the actual conflict. We can only hope that our country never again has to go through anything like this again! Time to learn from history, don't you think?
Coffee out on the patio today. We'll take a chance on the weather and the wind. Maybe we won't get blown away!
Many of the deaths suffered by both sides were not from battle, but from the horrid conditions that haunted the prison camps of both Union and Confederate control. There are no appropriate words to describe what despicable conditions existed in these places!
Feb 27, 1864:
Federal prisoners begin arriving at Andersonville
On this day in 1864, the first Union inmates begin arriving at Andersonville prison, which was still under construction in southern Georgia. Andersonville became synonymous with death as nearly a quarter of its inmates died in captivity. Henry Wirz, who ran Andersonville, was executed after the war for the brutality and mistreatment committed under his command.
The prison, officially called Camp Sumter, became necessary after the prisoner exchange system between North and South collapsed in 1863 over disagreements about the handling of black soldiers. The stockade at Andersonville was hastily constructed using slave labor, and was located in the Georgia woods near a railroad but safely away from the front lines. Enclosing 16 acres of land, the prison was supposed to include wooden barracks but the inflated price of lumber delayed construction, and the Yankee soldiers imprisoned there lived under open skies, protected only by makeshift shanties called "shebangs," constructed from scraps of wood and blankets. A stream initially provided fresh water, but within a few months human waste had contaminated the creek.
Andersonville was built to hold 10,000 men, but within six months more than three times that number were incarcerated there. The creek banks eroded to create a swamp, which occupied a significant portion of the compound. Rations were inadequate, and at times half of the population was reported ill. Some guards brutalized the inmates and there was violence between factions of prisoners.
Andersonville was the worst among many terrible Civil War prisons, both Union and Confederate. Wirz paid the price for the inhumanity of Andersonville; he was executed in the aftermath of the Civil War.
The loss of human lives from both sides affected the United States for many years beyond the actual conflict. We can only hope that our country never again has to go through anything like this again! Time to learn from history, don't you think?
Coffee out on the patio today. We'll take a chance on the weather and the wind. Maybe we won't get blown away!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
I Didn't Want To Do It...!
Because of the extreme amount of Spam I've been receiving as of late, I have started moderating the comments.
The whole time that I have been blogging I've never had to do this. I hate it, but because of all the bad stuff being passed on through links in some comments, links in e-mails, and in unknown links to programs in general I feel this is the thing to do.
I'm sorry if this causes any inconvenience for anyone, but I would feel really bad if any visitor became infected from a visit to my blog, ya know?
In other news, I recently had to replace my computer with another . The old one was using Windows XP while the replacement was loaded with Windows 7. There is a little bit of a learning curve, at least for me, but I think it will be OK. For one reason or another, I've been having some issues with FireFox, so I changed over to a different browser. I like Firefox, but one thing I won't tolerate is a browser that locks up or goes too slow. Too many other choices out there, ya know?
Believe it or not, one of the fastest browsers I tried is Safari (from Apple). I've never tried it before, but I like it! Too bad that it's made by Apple, but at least it isn't a Microsoft product. I really didn't want to start using IE, so Safari might just be the one to stay with.
Seems like it's always something with these computers, which is the main reason I keep two laptops for backup. That way I don't have to be without my daily fix of the Internet for long! Guess I'm addicted!
Monday, February 25, 2013
The Whistler Mystery...!
Often what at first seems like an annoyance can become a full blown mystery! A pretty scary one at that!
I think that the mysterys in life that play with your mind are by far the most disturbing, don't you? s your imagine can make things much worse than they may really be. I've heard it said that our imagination can be our biggest enemy! However, the imagination wasn't the only bad thing for this young girl. I'm sure that it only helped intensify the situation, though!
In February, eighteen year old Jacquelyn Cadow of Paradis, Louisiana began hearing wolf whistles outside her bedroom window at night. The home she shared with her mother was also broken into by an intruder. She reported the incidents to the authorities, but nothing came of it. Night after night, she heard the same whistles until she announced her engagement to State Trooper Herbert Belsom. The whistler changed his tune to a menacing funeral dirge.
Around this time, Jacquelyn also received telephone threats, the voice on the other end of the call promising to come to her home and stick a knife in her if she went ahead with her marriage. Her sleep continued to be broken by whistling dirges and bloodcurdling moans. Newspapers picked up the story, and hundreds of curiosity seekers began driving by the house in the hope of catching a glimpse of the phantom whistler or his victim.
Jacquelyn suffered a collapse when she, her mother, her aunt, and a New Orleans States-Item reporter heard the whistler at work. The reporter and Belsom searched the yard, but found no one. Investigations by the State police and the sheriff’s office turned up nothing. The harassed bride-to-be, her nerves shattered, tried staying with relatives. The whistler soon followed. And when she went to the home of Belsom’s parents, the whistler called her mother with a message: “Tell Jackie I know she’s at Herbert’s house.”
On October 1, she and Belsom married. Was the whistler at the wedding as he’d promised? If so, he never spoke up, nor did he carry out his threats. The local sheriff considered the case closed—a hoax by persons he declined to name. Who was the phantom whistler and why did he choose to terrify Jacquelyn Cadow? We’ll never know.
I do hope that this young girl was finally able to get on with her life. Maybe she was able chaulk this whole thing up to a very bad experience and move forward to a much more peaceful life.
We better have our coffee inside this morning. A little storm is bringing in some bad weather.
I think that the mysterys in life that play with your mind are by far the most disturbing, don't you? s your imagine can make things much worse than they may really be. I've heard it said that our imagination can be our biggest enemy! However, the imagination wasn't the only bad thing for this young girl. I'm sure that it only helped intensify the situation, though!
The Phantom Whistler
1950
In February, eighteen year old Jacquelyn Cadow of Paradis, Louisiana began hearing wolf whistles outside her bedroom window at night. The home she shared with her mother was also broken into by an intruder. She reported the incidents to the authorities, but nothing came of it. Night after night, she heard the same whistles until she announced her engagement to State Trooper Herbert Belsom. The whistler changed his tune to a menacing funeral dirge.
Around this time, Jacquelyn also received telephone threats, the voice on the other end of the call promising to come to her home and stick a knife in her if she went ahead with her marriage. Her sleep continued to be broken by whistling dirges and bloodcurdling moans. Newspapers picked up the story, and hundreds of curiosity seekers began driving by the house in the hope of catching a glimpse of the phantom whistler or his victim.
Jacquelyn suffered a collapse when she, her mother, her aunt, and a New Orleans States-Item reporter heard the whistler at work. The reporter and Belsom searched the yard, but found no one. Investigations by the State police and the sheriff’s office turned up nothing. The harassed bride-to-be, her nerves shattered, tried staying with relatives. The whistler soon followed. And when she went to the home of Belsom’s parents, the whistler called her mother with a message: “Tell Jackie I know she’s at Herbert’s house.”
On October 1, she and Belsom married. Was the whistler at the wedding as he’d promised? If so, he never spoke up, nor did he carry out his threats. The local sheriff considered the case closed—a hoax by persons he declined to name. Who was the phantom whistler and why did he choose to terrify Jacquelyn Cadow? We’ll never know.
I do hope that this young girl was finally able to get on with her life. Maybe she was able chaulk this whole thing up to a very bad experience and move forward to a much more peaceful life.
We better have our coffee inside this morning. A little storm is bringing in some bad weather.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Blast From The Past-'Toon Style...!
Way back in the past, cartoon's were a lot different than they are now.
Seems to me that the character had more style! Why else would some of them still be remembered and watched after all these years, ya know? On top of that, the music wasn't all that bad!
I'd say that ol'Betty looks pretty good for a woman her age, wouldn't you?
Somehow I can relate to this situation a little. Guess anyone that has ever been in the kitchen of a farmhouse knows what it feels like!
Just imagine when not only most all of the cartoons, but the films as well, were done in black and white! Makes me realize just how spoiled we are now days with everything being done in color and HD!
Let's have our coffee out on the patio this morning. Looks good for right now...
Seems to me that the character had more style! Why else would some of them still be remembered and watched after all these years, ya know? On top of that, the music wasn't all that bad!
I'd say that ol'Betty looks pretty good for a woman her age, wouldn't you?
Somehow I can relate to this situation a little. Guess anyone that has ever been in the kitchen of a farmhouse knows what it feels like!
Just imagine when not only most all of the cartoons, but the films as well, were done in black and white! Makes me realize just how spoiled we are now days with everything being done in color and HD!
Let's have our coffee out on the patio this morning. Looks good for right now...
Saturday, February 23, 2013
This Just Ain't Right...!
Most of us have a pretty good idea of just how uncaring the big chemical and drug companies are, but there is a story that points that fact out better than most.
Not that we needed any more proof, but this story from Listverse is a good example of what I'm talking about!
In the four years between 1996 and 2000, companies in the US exported a little over a billion pounds of chemical pesticides to third-world countries. That’s not really a big deal, but this is: Most of those pesticides were banned in the US because they were known carcinogens—but through a loophole, it’s still legal to manufacture and export them, as long as they’re not being used in the country.
As a result, over 350 million agricultural workers in areas like Africa and Central America are put in contact with these chemicals, only, through another loophole, they’re not told about the small fact that without the proper gear they have a very good chance of dying. So you end up with a situation like this plantation in Costa Rica that was sold a pesticide called Counter by American Cyanamid Co.
A quick fact about Counter: The chemical in it is an organophosphate—that’s what they used to make nerve gas before WWII. Counter is only approved for handling if you’re wearing gloves, a face mask, and eye protection. The uninformed Costa Rican farmers, on the other hand, worked shirtless and spread the pesticide with their bare hands. Some of them even used full bags of Counter as pillows at night. After a few days, the workers were literally vomiting blood and foaming at the mouth from the toxins that had worked into their bodies.
And it’s still happening everyday. Companies like American Cyanamid and Chevron Chemical Co. export about 10 million pounds of these chemicals out of the country each month—to areas that provide approximately a quarter of the produce sold in America, freshly dusted with illegal pesticides.
It's really sad that some companies put the quest for profit far above human lives. You have to wonder how these folks sleep at night, ya know?
Coffee out on the patio this morning. Anyone want a bear claw?
Not that we needed any more proof, but this story from Listverse is a good example of what I'm talking about!
American Cyanamid Co.
In the four years between 1996 and 2000, companies in the US exported a little over a billion pounds of chemical pesticides to third-world countries. That’s not really a big deal, but this is: Most of those pesticides were banned in the US because they were known carcinogens—but through a loophole, it’s still legal to manufacture and export them, as long as they’re not being used in the country.
As a result, over 350 million agricultural workers in areas like Africa and Central America are put in contact with these chemicals, only, through another loophole, they’re not told about the small fact that without the proper gear they have a very good chance of dying. So you end up with a situation like this plantation in Costa Rica that was sold a pesticide called Counter by American Cyanamid Co.
A quick fact about Counter: The chemical in it is an organophosphate—that’s what they used to make nerve gas before WWII. Counter is only approved for handling if you’re wearing gloves, a face mask, and eye protection. The uninformed Costa Rican farmers, on the other hand, worked shirtless and spread the pesticide with their bare hands. Some of them even used full bags of Counter as pillows at night. After a few days, the workers were literally vomiting blood and foaming at the mouth from the toxins that had worked into their bodies.
And it’s still happening everyday. Companies like American Cyanamid and Chevron Chemical Co. export about 10 million pounds of these chemicals out of the country each month—to areas that provide approximately a quarter of the produce sold in America, freshly dusted with illegal pesticides.
It's really sad that some companies put the quest for profit far above human lives. You have to wonder how these folks sleep at night, ya know?
Coffee out on the patio this morning. Anyone want a bear claw?
Friday, February 22, 2013
Would You Drink This...?
I am changing "Friday travels" up just a bit. Instead, we'll be calling it "Crazy Friday!"
I can't think of anything more crazy to start today's version than this article I found over at Listverse! If this one isn't crazy, I don't know what is!
Let’s just go ahead and say it: Panda Tea is a drink made from panda poop, and it’s the single most expensive tea in the world—one dried kilo of the tea will run you about US $77,000. Why would anybody want to drink it? The theory is that pandas really only use about 30 percent of the bamboo they eat, eliminating the rest of the unprocessed bamboo in their fecal matter. It’s believed that, among other nutrients, bamboo contains antioxidants that can prevent cancer, so panda tea is marketed as an anti-cancer tonic and a weight loss aid.
The facility is located in the Sichuan Province, and the owner of Panda Tea, Yanshi An, started his company with 11 tons of dung that he bought from a nearby panda sanctuary.
When I read this story, the first thing I thought was that I am really glad I like plain ol' coffee a lot more than tea! Even if I was a big tea drinker, I couldn't afford any of this stuff, and that is fine by me! I wouldn't drink it even if I could afford it, believe me!
Let's have our coffee out on the patio this morning. It's shaping up to be a nice day, and the sun should feel pretty good!
I can't think of anything more crazy to start today's version than this article I found over at Listverse! If this one isn't crazy, I don't know what is!
Panda Tea
Let’s just go ahead and say it: Panda Tea is a drink made from panda poop, and it’s the single most expensive tea in the world—one dried kilo of the tea will run you about US $77,000. Why would anybody want to drink it? The theory is that pandas really only use about 30 percent of the bamboo they eat, eliminating the rest of the unprocessed bamboo in their fecal matter. It’s believed that, among other nutrients, bamboo contains antioxidants that can prevent cancer, so panda tea is marketed as an anti-cancer tonic and a weight loss aid.
The facility is located in the Sichuan Province, and the owner of Panda Tea, Yanshi An, started his company with 11 tons of dung that he bought from a nearby panda sanctuary.
When I read this story, the first thing I thought was that I am really glad I like plain ol' coffee a lot more than tea! Even if I was a big tea drinker, I couldn't afford any of this stuff, and that is fine by me! I wouldn't drink it even if I could afford it, believe me!
Let's have our coffee out on the patio this morning. It's shaping up to be a nice day, and the sun should feel pretty good!
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