Friday Travels To Colca Canyon...!

As often as I can, I find some interesting places for us to travel to. Today is no exception!

This is one more place that I've never been to and probably never get a chance to visit. Thank goodness for th3e powers of the internet and pictures!

Colca Canyon Peru

Colca canyon is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States and it still retains inhabitants who maintain their pre-Inca stepped terraces (for cultivation of food). As well as archaeological sites and cultural attractions, there are numerous spas in the area for those who want a healthy dip in subterranean water.

Beautiful place, I must admit! I wouldn't mind spending a week or two camping there. How about you?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. It's supposed to reach the 80's today, but it's still chilly this morning.

Hey D.O.D., So Not Funny...!

Sometimes even the D.O.D. makes mistakes. Well, maybe more often than "sometimes!"

We all know that our government often acts without thinking. Certainly they are not the only ones that screw up, but some of their screw ups can certainly be massive in the negative effects on others. This is just one example of what I mean!

Department of Defense Photo Shoot over Manhattan


On Monday April 27th, 2009, many New Yorkers were shocked to see a low-flying Boeing 747 trailed by an F-16 circling the Statue of Liberty. Thankfully, the spectacle was not another terrorist attack, but a phenomenally stupid photo shoot organized by the Air Force. Many citizens of New York – including Mayor Bloomberg – had not been warned about the planned photo op. The aircraft caused widespread panic in downtown New York. Thousands streamed out of residences and businesses, calling their loved ones and fearing the worst. The jets circled for an hour, got their pictures and soared off. 



Incredibly, another photo shoot was planned to take place in Washington, D.C., soon after the one in New York, however following the disaster in New York a government official was quick to confirm that this had been canceled. Ultimately Louis Caldera, a former Secretary of the Army who ran the White House Military office, took the blame for the terribly thought-out plan and said: “While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.”

I hope that I never make this type of unthinking move! I would hope that I and most of the people I know would be more aware of the possible consequences! I reckon that's why we don't have jobs in the government, right?

Coffee in the kitchen once again. How about some toasted homemade bread with applesauce?

Once Again, It's Western Wednesday...!

Our discussion today isn't about the old west per se, but it does have a western flair!

If you were like me growing up, radio was a big part of family entertainment. Radio sets, records and record players, and sheet music or song books were found in nearly all homes...and were used quite regularly!

My folks were really into shows like the "Grand Ol' Opry" and we sang along with many of the tunes that were played!

Nov 28, 1925:

The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting

The Grand Ole Opry, one of the longest-lived and most popular showcases for western music, begins broadcasting live from Nashville, Tennessee. The showcase was originally named the Barn Dance, after a Chicago radio program called the National Barn Dance that had begun broadcasting the previous year.

Impressed by the popularity of the Chicago-based National Barn Dance, producers at WSM radio in Nashville decided to create their own version of the show to cater to southern audiences who could not receive the Chicago signal. Both the Grand Ole Opry and the National Barn Dance aired on Saturday nights and featured folk music, fiddling, and the relatively new genre of country-western music. Both shows created a growing audience for a uniquely American style of music and were launching grounds for many of America's most-loved musicians--the singing cowboy Gene Autry got his first big break on the National Barn Dance. The WSM producers recognized that Americans were growing nostalgic for the rural past, so all live performers at the Grand Ole Opry were required to dress in hillbilly costumes and adopt old-time names.

The four-and-a-half-hour Grand Ole Opry program became one of the most popular broadcasts in the South, and like its Chicago cousin, helped make country-western an enduring part of the popular American musical landscape.

Just thinking about it kinda makes me nostalgic, ya know?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Fresh baked bread with some apple-jalapeno jelly on the top makes a good snack!

How About Some Food For Thought...?

I'm going to change things up just a bit today!

I found some facinating things that you might find interesting. I know that I did!

Wisconsin has an army of hunters




If hunters are counted as a military force, the State of Wisconsin has the 8th largest standing army in the world, at about 615,000. That’s almost 100,000 more armed people than there are in the Iranian Army.

South Dakotans can shoot Indians by the carload





There is a South Dakota state law, still current, that goes as follows: “Any group of five or more Indians of any tribe or nation is to be considered a raiding party and may be fired upon.” Many lists could be compiled of truly stupid laws, but this one is genuinely dangerous. A person in South Dakota could deliberately murder 5 Native Americans at once and get off scot free.

Flatworms can learn through ingestion


Certain species of planarians (a type of flatworm) have been gradually taught to run a maze. If you grind them up and feed them to a second batch of planarians, the second batch can run the maze on the first try.

Now if you have all this crazy stuff stuck in your head, I'm gonna make it worse! Let's talk about the brain cells!

Brain cells don’t regenerate


You are born with all the brain cells you’re going to get, anywhere from 50 to 100 billion. They are the smallest cells in the body. Once they die, the number goes down and stays down. A 12-ounce beer will kill precisely zero of them. Drinking 5 beers and waking up with a hangover will kill precisely zero of them. But drinking yourself sick every day for 30 years will kill millions of them, because of the stress through which you’re putting your brain. The next morning’s headache is caused by the alcohol evaporating water all over the body, especially in the head. Drinking water during the night’s festivities will largely prevent the hangover. However, a 10-minute fever at 106 degrees Fahrenheit will kill about 50 million brain cells.

I don't know about you, but I've had enough of this stuff to last me for today! More pleasant things to think about!

Coffee inside this morning. I have hot chocolate if you'd rather!

Monday's Mystery Is "Why"...

Many questions have yet to be answered about things like this!

This particular mystery is one of the most disturbing that I've come across in a long, long time. The consequences of what could happen if this stockpile was compromised is like something straight out of a Stephen King novel. Trust me on this. I've read nearly all of them!

Weaponized Rabies


 Theorists strongly contend that rabies is the virus whose effects on the central nervous system most closely match the popular concept of the zombie. In fact, 97% of the world’s human rabies infections occur via dog bites. It has been all but eradicated in most countries with modern medicine. But the government has stockpiled every disease that has ever existed in varying amounts. This is defended as studying disease mutations to prepare for the worst.



But if we have rabies vaccine stockpiles, why do we bother keeping the disease? There is only one known strain of rabies virus, and it kills by only one method, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). It is 100% fatal without treatment, and in the lead-up to death, causes the victim to go insane. Violent acts may or may not occur, but the person is no longer himself. He is something else.



If it were possible to keep such a person alive, his brain damage would be irreversible and almost total. Only the cerebellum would remain unscathed. If the cerebellum is inflamed, the person dies. Thus, theorists claim, the very existence of stockpiles of this virus proves the government’s intent to weaponize it, and the result can only be the complete “zombification” of human beings.



I'll be perfectly honest with you. This type of thing scares the Hell out of me! I can't see any reason to store the disease if we already have the treatment, can you?

Coffee in the kitchen again this morning How about some Angel Biscuits?

Sunday Smiles...!

First of all, let me say "howdy" to all the new followers that have signed up lately! Welcome to our patio!

By now I'm sure that everyone is ready for some silly stuff. No arguments, politics, or other serious type things allowed! OK?



I love some of these older 'toons! Don't you?



What a good way to start the day and the week! Nothing but some good ol' fashioned fun, right? Right!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. I have some coconut cream pie I'll share! How's that?

Great Gift From The Past...!

I know it probably looks a little silly on the surface, but I'd like to have one of these!

At first glance, this cane doesn't seem that impressive. But given the era in which it was introduced, it must have been quite an addition to any gent's wardrobe!

Multipurpose Cane


Admittedly, though bizarre, I can see the value in this particular invention. What this invention does is quite clear: it serves its standard function as a cane, as well as providing many other uses to its bearer. Some of the noble pursuits which the cane was tailored to were flute playing, horse measuring, and the capturing of butterflies. Should a gentleman ever be caught in the rain, fear not: for the cane contained an umbrella as well, keeping the man nice and dry to light his cane-pipe. I see nothing more bizarre about this invention than a standard Swiss army knife, and can you use a Swiss army knife as a cane? That depends upon how tall you are, but I have my doubts.


You could think of this as a very early multifunction tool! Hard to believe that it was invented when it was. Of course, in today's world the cane would have to include some kind of firearm!

We better have our coffee in the kitchen this morning. It's trying to rain off and on, and it's cooling off.