Gotta Love This Toy...!

With Christmas coming up, you may know someone that would like one of these sets!

Heck, I'd like one of these myself! Never had one before, I'm sorry to say! Did you ever wonder about the folks that invent a toy like the erector sets? Pretty smart people, if you ask me!

I looked up the man that came up with the Erector Set as we know it, and thought you might like to know a little about him. Interesting to say the least!

Born in Salem, Oregon in 1884. A. C. Gilbert (1884-1962), boyhood love was magic tricks: he became so proficient that he once matched a traveling professional magician trick for trick, and earned the prescient praise, Gilbert was also a brilliant student, and soon went on to Yale Medical School. He helped pay his tuition by performing as a magician, and founded a company, Mysto Manufacturing, which sold magic kits for kids. In 1909, Gilbert finished medical school, but decided to expand his budding toy business rather than practice as a doctor.

Like many residents of New Haven, Connecticut, he often took the train to New York City; and on one trip in 1911 he was inspired with what would be the most popular of his dozens of inventions. Watching out the train window as some workmen positioned and riveted the steel beams of an electrical power-line tower, Gilbert decided to create a children's construction kit: not just a toy, but an assemblage of metal beams with evenly spaced holes for bolts to pass through, screws, bolts, pulleys, gears and eventually even engines.

A British toy company called Meccano Company was then selling a similar kit, but Gilbert's Erector set was more realistic and had a number of technical advantages --- most notably, steel beams that were not flat but bent lengthwise at a 90-degree angle, so that four of them nested side-to-side formed a very sturdy, square, hollow support beam.

Gilbert began selling the "Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder" in 1913, backed by the first major American ad campaign for a toy. The Erector set quickly became one of the most popular toys of all time: living rooms across the country were transformed into miniature metropoles, filled with skyscrapers, bridges and railways.

Those kids who already owned a set would beg Santa annually for an upgrade, aiming for the elusive "No. 12 1/2" deluxe kit that came with blueprints for the "Mysterious Walking Giant" robot. It is difficult for anyone under the age of 35 today to appreciate just how popular the Erector set was for over half a century.

A. C. Gilbert was one of the most multi-talented inventors of all time. With many fields open to his ingenuity, he chose to educate and entertain children through toys.

You know, you have to admire people that choose to make children happy as their life's work! What a satisfying career that would be! I mean, what can match the joy on the faces of children on Christmas morning? Very few things in this world, I'm thinking!

Now, my friends, let's have some fresh coffee in the kitchen. A little chilly outside this morning!

Glad He's Not My Friend...!

Did you ever get the feeling of being uncomfortable around some of your friends?

Well, if any of them are not any smarter than this guy that's probably a good thing! I would be the very first to admit that sometimes certain members of my family don't act like rocket scientist and that some of my friends seem lacking in the total marble count!

However, some of these traits are part of what adds to their personality and makes them who they are! I would not deem any of them as dangerous, certainly not dangerous in the same vein as this guy!

Also, I would like to think that most people I know would have a lot more common sense than this! I would hope that nearly all folks would be smarter than this, but as this story shows...that isn't the case!

Police: Vermont man killed in gun prank

By the CNN Wire Staff
November 26, 2010 5:09 p.m. EST

(CNN) -- A 24-year-old Vermont man was fatally shot by a friend who used a gun in a prank, police said.

The alleged shooter apparently tried to prank his sleeping friend by waking him up with the loud sound of an air rifle, police said.

However, police said, the man mistakenly used a real rifle in the prank.

Nicholas Bell, 23, was charged with manslaughter after the incident Thursday, Manchester police said.

"The accused fired the weapon, which was a loaded .22 cal rifle hitting the [victim] in the chest," a police statement said. "The victim died at the scene."

The victim was identified as 24-year-old Jeffrey Charbonneau.

Both men were guests at the Manchester home where the shooting occurred, police said.

Bell was jailed and bail was set at $250,000.

My real concern is that man says that he couldn't tell the difference between a real gun and a BB or pellet gun. If you had no idea of what the difference was, then why in the world would you even THINK of going through with a prank like this?

You know, I want to try and be understanding about this whole thing, but try as I may...I can find no excuse for this type of stupid behavior! Know why? Because there isn't any! None at all!

You know what, my friends? After this story, I'm going to need another fresh cup of coffee! Want to join me?

I Think That This Is Me...!

Somewhere, lost in this wonderful, artistic work of words, is an apt description of me!

In fact, it probably describes a lot of us better than we might want to admit! No one could put it into words any better than old George himself!

Once in a great while, their comes along someone that can be called a genuine "Wordsmith" and this gentleman was certainly one of them...probably one of the best!

He had a way of putting things into words that we could understand, and of taking serious issues into the light of true discussion, while seeing the humor in those same issues! It's a shame there will not be another George for a very long time...if ever!



You can't help but admire this man, if only for his memory! I can only see him as a modern version of Mark Twain! To make others laugh at themselves, talk about real problems while seeing how foolish it is to get angry at the discussion, and to show what an enormous effect just one man can have on the world as a whole!

One person can make a difference, by the very starting of a dialogue! We just need to try it more often!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit in the kitchen for a bit! Maybe we could share a grin or two, ya think?

Oh Yeah ! Let's Keep It In The Family...!

Just when you think that most of the jerks are taking a day off, something like this pops up and makes you realize that mental illness actually runs in the family!

I'm really getting fed up with these bozos being allowed to run around free, spreading terror and mayhem each and every place they show up!

Nice example this father is being to his son, huh? While some fathers teach their sons to throw a ball, hunt, or maybe work on cars...this guy is teaching his son to beat up a senior citizen!

Of course, the way our courts are now days, they both will be allowed out after a slap on the wrist! I'm thinking that 2 broken knee caps and a little castration would be more in order!

Dad, 12-year-old son beat up 84-year-old man in Delray Target parking lot

November 26, 2010 10:45 AM
By SCOTT T. SMITH / WPEC-CBS12.com

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- Police arrested a 53-year-old Delray Beach man and his 12-year-old son on felony charges Thursday after an 84-year-old man was punched, thrown to the ground and kicked in the groin in a Target parking lot confrontation caught on surveillance video.

Delray Beach police say the victim, Lawrence Blank, of Delray Beach, was loading items into the rear of his car Sunday when a silver Corvette with the tag QUIK SL started backing out on the opposite side of the parking aisle. The Corvette nearly struck Blank and his car, prompting a bystander to yell "Watch out," according to a probable cause statement filed by police.

Police say Blank asked the man why he almost hit him, after which the driver later identified as Barry Arthur Hochstadt, replied with "---- you!" Blank asked Hochstadt to move his car so he could leave, and Hochstadt reportedly replied with "Make me!"

Blank told police he walked toward the Corvette and pointed at Hochstadt saying "Move your damn vehicle!" and got the same response from Hochstadt. At this point police say the passenger, later identified as Hochstadt's 12-year-old, 92-pound, 5'2" son exited the Corvette wearing a Ravens jersey and threatened to "beat the ----" out of Blank if he said anything more to his father.

Blank told the boy to get back in the car, and Blank says the boy responded by shoving him into his car and onto the ground, standing over him and punching him repeatedly in the jaw. Hochstadt exited the Corvette and kicked Blank in the groin, Blank told police. At that point, the store's loss prevention officer arrived and helped Blank get up while Hochstadt and his son returned to the Corvette and left the scene.

Police said Blank had injuries to his shoulder, arm and hand and complained of back pain. He also had a large bruise on his inner thigh. In a later interview with police he said he was having difficulty moving his hands, which were black and blue.

Police tracked Hochstadt down first by tracing the credit card he used to pay for his Target purchase. When police arrived at his apartment on Northeast Fifth Avenue, they found a silver Corvette, but with different tags than the Target security guard had seen. The tags on the Corvette were registered to Hochstadt's fiancee, police said. While investigating the Corvette they saw a juvenile wearing a Ravens jersey waving what they later found was a toy gun.

Police spoke with the boy and his father on Thanksgiving Day, spotting the QUIK SL tag inside Hochstadt's apartment, and both described Blank as the aggressor. The boy said he lost his temper because Blank reached inside the Corvette and touched his father; he said only fought the man after Blank grabbed him by the throat and threatened to slap him.

Hochstadt, a New York native and salesman for an Atlanta business described by police as 5'6" and 240 pounds with a Corvette tattoo on his right shoulder, told police his only involvement was to diffuse the situation and that he never hit Blank. He said he didn't report the incident because he thought the man was uninjured and the confrontation was not important. When asked about the Corvette tags, Hochstadt said he switched them only because the QUIK SL tag was expired, not because he was hiding anything. Police determined the tag was valid through 2011 but not assigned to a vehicle.

Based on the statements of all three and the Target employee who witnessed the confrontation, plus the surveillance video, the father and son were arrested Thursday. Hochstadt remains lodged in Palm Beach County jail on felony charges of battery on a person older than 65, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and property damage for dents and scratches to Blank's 2011 Chevy Equinox.

His son, a student at a charter school in Anaheim, Calif., was arrested on felony charge of battery on a person older than 65 and criminal mischief and lodged in juvenile hall.

You can't help folks like this! They are beyond help and certainly not worthy of any special consideration as far as punishment is concerned! I think I have the perfect answer in this case!

I could get some of the members of the OFC (Old Fart's Club) and the SJL (Seniors Justice League) and we could pay this gentleman and his son a very special visit!

We might just be effective where the courts have failed! Couldn't hurt to try!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit in the kitchen for a bit! We can discuss some appropriate punishment for trash like this!

You Go, Granny...!

I hope that everyone had a great holiday yesterday with lots of food, family and maybe a nap thrown in for good measure!

All was pretty quiet at my Mother's house, with only Mom and myself there to eat all that food! There were supposed to be others there, but in usual fashion...they didn't show, even after saying they would! But that's OK...just more dessert for me!

Baby Sis and her husband were in the big parade in downtown Houston! They do this every year and at least this year, they had some decent weather for it! Heck, they even got to be close to Santa! I hope that she put in a good word for me with the Big Guy! I need all the help I can get!

I found the following story and thought it was pretty cool! I wanted to share it with you, because it shows just how even the most tangled screw-ups can be worked out,when folks like this granny's family get it in their head to force the issue!

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Gladys Malarkey is back from the dead - just in time to celebrate her 105th birthday.

The centenarian, who also goes by Toots, was declared dead by Social Security earlier this month.

"They thought I was dead," Toots said, slapping her knee at such nonsense.

Her granddaughter, Bev Ridge, 64, of Lehigh Acres, Fla., explained that several weeks ago she received notice that Toots' bank account was overdrawn.

"My first thought, was Oh no, it's probably fraud,' " Ridge said.

But then she learned Social Security didn't send Malarkey's monthly check. The agency somehow determined Malarkey was no longer living and canceled her $1,100 payments, which cover her expenses at her assisted-living residence.

"When I first called about it, they wouldn't talk to me because I wasn't a payee," Ridge said. "I'm pretty sure they thought I was trying to steal her checks or something."

A payee is a representative appointed to receive benefits for someone who is unable to direct his or her money.

Ridge said a Social Security employee went to the home of Ridge's deceased mother, who shared Malarkey's last name, and was told by neighbors that the woman had been dead for years - not realizing they were talking about a different person.

Ridge offered to bring her grandmother to the Fort Myers Social Security office as proof. Instead, Social Security sent a representative to her.

Patti Patterson, spokeswoman for the Social Security office in Atlanta, said such mistakes are rare. She said the agency receives death notices from family members, hospitals and funeral homes, and they're usually verified with a death certificate.

"As soon as we become aware of a situation where our records are incorrect, we immediately take action," Patterson said. "I know this was really upsetting to the family, and we're working with them to take care of any concerns."

Malarkey, for her part, seems to have few concerns. Despite failing eyesight and hearing, she spends her days joking with friends, taking shopping excursions and listening to "little records," as she calls CDs. She hums to her favorite song, "Somewhere My Love," surrounded by her great-great-grandchildren's drawings - mostly sea horses, which she loves because "they're so rare."

When she was born in a small coal-mining town in southwestern Pennsylvania, the American flag had just 45 stars, only 8 percent of homes had a phone and the average life expectancy was 47 - which Toots has surpassed by 58 years.

On her birthday Tuesday, she looked forward to savoring chocolate cake, listening to live piano music, donning a new gown, dancing the two-step and being surrounded by friends. It's all part of her secret to longevity:

"Live with love in your heart and a smile on your face."

Now, I want to tell you that this old gal certainly has a positive attitude about life! Karma has a way of watching out for people like this! Positive attitudes attract positive results! My hat's off to this lady and her 64 year old grand daughter who made sure that granny was taken care of in time for her birthday!

You know, there's an old saying that "what goes around, comes around" and I believe it for sure! So let me just say this! If you say you're going to do a thing, then do it! Show respect for your family, especially the older folks!

Practice the Golden Rule! Remember that one? Basically, it says that you should treat others as you want to be treated! Want folks to remember you when you are older? Want folks to show you respect? Want to put a smile on the face of an older family member? Then you know what to do...and you know what I'm talking about!

Hey, sorry to get off on a tangent this morning! How about we get some fresh coffee and sit in the kitchen for a bit? A little chilly outside this morning, ya know?

If you want, I can even get you a piece of pie! How about pumpkin? Cool whip on that?

How About Some Turkey Trivia...?

Since today is officially "Turkey Day" or Thanksgiving, I thought some good old fashioned trivia would certainly be called for!

After all, it would be nice to know a little bit about the (in most cases) guest of honor! Just think, you can spout this stuff off and amaze the grand kids with how smart you are!

Either that, or the whole bunch will reckon that gramps (or granny) has finally lost it and needs a keeper! No matter which one, a little fun is called for!

Of course, you know I got this fun stuff from the pages of the Almanac, right?

Turkey Trivia

Here is some fun trivia about turkeys, the all-American bird.

* There are several theories about how turkeys got their name. One story claims the Christopher Columbus heard some birds say "tuka, tuka", and his interpreter came up with the name tukki, which means "big bird" in hebrew.

* Because the wild turkey is quick to defend itself and fight against all predators, Ben Franklin wanted it as the symbol of the United States. Comparing it to the eagle, he called the turkey "a more respectable bird, a true original native of America."

* The average person in the United States will eat 15 pounds of turkey this year.

* The wild turkey is one of the more difficult birds to hunt. It won't be flushed out of the brush with a dog. Instead, hunters must try to attract it with different calls. Even with two seasons a year, only one in six hunters will get a wild turkey.

* By the 1930s, almost all of the wild turkeys in the U.S. had been hunted. Today, thanks to conservation programs, there are plenty of wild turkeys—they even invade cities!

* A male turkey is called a tom, a female is a hen, and a youngster is a poult.

* The domestic tom can weigh up to 50 pounds, the domestic hen up to 16 pounds. The wild tom can weigh up to 20 pounds, the wild hen up to 12 pounds.

* The domestic turkey can't fly. The wild turkey can, for short distances, but it prefers to walk or run.

* The average life span of a domestic turkey, from birth to freezer, is 26 weeks. During this period of time, it will eat about 75 pounds of turkey feed. The average life span of a wild turkey is three or four years. It generally feeds on seeds, nuts, insects, and berries.

* The wobbly little thing on the turkey’s chest is the turkey's beard and is made up of keratin bristles. Keratin is the same substance that forms hair and horns on other animals.

* Only male turkeys, or toms, can gobble, and they mostly do it in the spring and fall. It is a mating call and attracts the hens. Wild turkeys gobble at loud sounds and when they settle in for the night.

Well, there ya go! Probably more information than you ever wanted to know about the turkey! Just think! If ol' Ben Franklin would have had his way, the Tom Turkey would have been the symbol of the United States!

That's a pretty scary thought, isn't it?

Got time for a cup of fresh coffee on the patio? I certainly hope so, my friends!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Bright-Eyed And Bushy Tailed...!

Well, at least the bright eyed part is true!

Went to the VA yesterday and got the cataract surgery done on the left eye! So now, both eyes are done and I should be good to go for a while, Lord willing!

Eyesight is one of those things that can get worse very slowly until suddenly...you just don't see well at all! That's when you realize just how much you need it and depend on it!

My baby Sis was kind enough to take me there yesterday! Had to be there at the doctors office at 6:30 AM...which, in my book, is pretty early! I really hated to ask anyone to take me there and back, but the VA has some crazy rules about not letting folks that just underwent eye surgery drive themselves home!

Crazy, huh?

Anyway, we got there by 6:10 AM, got into the prep room and then the operating room pretty quick. Out of the operating room, into the recovery room, then released from the place just before 9:00AM.

I thought that was pretty darn good! What made it even more special is the doctor came by recovery to check on me and said "I'll go see if I can get you a cup of coffee"...didn't even have to ask her! Would your doctor do that?

I may poke fun at the government and get mad at them a lot...but I'll be the first to say that the fine folks at the VA have always treated me fine. Treated me like a real person and not a number! I appreciate that...a LOT! They certainly have my respect and my thanks!

Now, my friends, to celebrate the new vision...let's get some coffee and sit outside for a bit! OK?

What Image Do We Put Forth...?

What does it say about what the rest of the world thinks of our "leadership", when there is more interest in the limo than in the prez?

When I read a story like this, I am extremely saddened by the fact that this is the image of America our leaders are presenting to the rest of the world.

I'm thinking that this is an example of what a laughing stock our representatives have become! I'm afraid that not many folks are taking the U.S. seriously anymore.

Obama's limo revs up media

November 20, 2010

LISBON, Portugal -- Portuguese media seems fascinated by Obama's limousine, a sleek, armored car they've dubbed Cadillac One.

Newspapers and magazines have run photos and half-page graphics marveling at the vehicle, which also is known in Washington as "The Beast" because of its extra-thick doors and huge tires.

Noticias magazine called it a "bunker on wheels." Sabado, another magazine, calculated that the gas-guzzling Cadillac cost more than three times the Portuguese president's unarmored car.

Obama's limo attracted outsize interest from local media during portions of his recent trip to Asia, as well.

Maybe we could save a whole lot of money the next time around if we just send the limo on tour and the president can stay at home and work on some of the issues facing our nation! Just a thought!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for just a bit. OK?

You Think Winter Is Here...?

I don't know about you, but I think this must be some kind of record!

I know that for some folks this doesn't sound like a lot of wrecks, but to me the number shows that way too many folks don't pay attention to weather conditions when driving!

How many reminders do people that live in areas with road ice need? You would think by now they would know that Winter driving calls for extra caution. I guess that common sense is taking a holiday for the colder months!

More than 370 crashes in Minnesota blamed on icy weather

(CNN) -- Freezing rain and ice-covered roads made for a treacherous Saturday night in Minnesota, where more than 370 crashes were reported, most of them in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, officials said Sunday. One person was killed.

"We had some rain, and as the temperature got below freezing, it created a layer of ice on the road," said Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske. "Until people hit it, they didn't realize it was out there. It was like an ice skating ring... everyone had a difficult time dealing with it."

Law enforcement continued to warn late Sunday about treacherous conditions, as roads ice up again overnight and more freezing precipitation moves in. A post on the state patrol's Twitter page read, "Many roads are still very icy (dangerous)."

A freezing rain advisory for the area expired 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) Sunday, but the National Weather Service issued another one in south and southeast Minnesota from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST on Monday as a low-pressure system moves across the region.

Forecasters predicted that ice as thick as one-tenth of an inch could accumulate on the state's roadways -- with bridges and overpasses especially susceptible.

Saturday night's fatality occurred in a crash on an ice-covered road, and weather was likely a factor, according to Roeske. Other possible factors in the crash were under investigation, he said.

More than 50 of the crashes on Saturday involved injuries. None of the injuries were categorized as serious, Roeske said, but there is a possibility that some could have been and that busy first responders did not classify them that way.

"Because it was an ice situation, it made it much worse than just a simple snowstorm," he said. "Over the course of just a couple of hours, it went from dry roads to wet. That ice is the problem because there's no way to distinguish it from the roadway."

The roads were so slippery that it was difficult to even walk, Roeske said. "Obviously, with that number of calls, it was something extreme to deal with. It was an incredibly busy and dangerous night."

As of Sunday morning, "We have problems keeping the plow trucks on the road," Carver County Sheriff Sgt. Dewitt Meier told the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune. "The plow trucks keep going in the ditches."

A sheriff's department employee was involved in an accident on the way to work Sunday, but was not injured, Meier said.

"I can't say enough how any travel that isn't absolutely necessary is not advisable," he said.

Just how many times have we heard "Slow down in the icy weather"? In this case, I think that it should be just "slow down in the Winter".

You know, there are times that I'm actually glad I live in the deep south! This Winter is shaping up to be one of those times!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! No ice out here on the patio today!

I'm Pretty Lucky...!

You know, all things considered I'm pretty damned lucky!

I mean, I am still fairly healthy for a guy my age. Other than a few minor problems, I've made it to my present age without having a whole lot to complain about! Heck, I even still have most of my hair! I don't mind if it's mostly gray, in fact, I like it that way!

Anyway, since it's my birthday, I wanted to play one of my all-time favorite songs. I first heard this song in the movie "Pump Up The Volume" and fell in love with it. Something about it just touches me, but then that's what really good music does...it reaches deep down inside you and touches you in a special place and in a special way!

There are a lot of versions of this song, including some by Leonard Cohen who wrote the song...but this group "Concrete Blonde" is one of the best in my opinion!

Listen to the words...!



Now, I have a new computer I'm still getting to know, so that's what I'm going to be doing the rest of the day! I hope that you can find something restful to do, my friends! After all, it is Sunday!

Let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! I'll turn the music up a little!

Another Reason To Hate Lawyers...!

As if we needed one, here is just another example of why we hate lawyers!

It takes a sick individual to do this if you ask me! Makes me sick to my stomach, ya know?

Freehold attorney fined $2,500 for trapping, drowning squirrels

SPRING LAKE — A Freehold-based attorney pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after his wife turned him in for using a "Havahart" trap to capture squirrels then drowning the animals in their backyard fountain pond, authorities said.

Edward F. Colrick, 62, of Atlantic Avenue, pleaded guilty to the animal cruelty charge on Tuesday in Spring Lake Heights municipal court, where Judge George C. Pappas fined him $2,500 and ordered him to cease trapping animals, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Colrick, a partner in the Freehold-based law firm of McGovern, Provost and Colrick, was represented by fellow partner Timothy J. Provost, who told Pappas that Colrick did not know it was against the law to drown squirrels, and that the squirrels were causing damage to his property, according to Amato.

"What he should have done after trapping the animal was call a professional so the animal could be relocated. This is no way to take out an animal," Amato said, adding that a necropsy was performed on the animal by the Cornell Medical Institute, which confirmed it died by drowning.

After a three- or four-year struggle with her husband over the trapping and killing of squirrels at their Spring Lake home, Patricia F. Colrick called police on Oct. 17 to report his transgressions, according to a written statement she provided to the Monmouth County SPCA in October.

"I witnessed my husband capturing a squirrel in a 'Have A Heart' (sic) trap on the floor of our exterior side porch, carry the cage with the live animal in it, and put the cage with the squirrel in it into the small pool at the foot of my antique fountain in our backyard," she wrote.

"When I saw what he was doing, I immediately tapped loudly on the kitchen window but my husband ignored me," she explained in the statement detailing the animal cruelty incident.

"My husband has killed squirrels in this way for at least 3 or 4 years by baiting the trap with peanut butter and setting it on our side porch stairs, which leads to the patio and backyard," Patricia Colrick wrote in her statement. "His more recent way of killing them has been to drown them in our fountain pond, and he has refused to stop this senseless killing of innocent animals by saying that he feels he is saving his house from squirrels."

Patricia Colrick told investigators her husband blamed squirrels for damage to the woodwork of their home.

She went on to say she heard the sound of the outside water spigot for the hose on their patio being turned off after her husband filled "the fountain pool with enough water to drown the animal."

Sgt. Matthew Juliano the Monmouth County SPCA responded to the scene and found the dead animal inside the trap in the water-filled fountain, Amato said. The trap was confiscated, he added.

A phone call to the Freehold law office of Edward Colrick was not immediately returned.

I think that there is probably a special place in Hell for folks that deliberately cause harm to animals and/or children! It's bad enough for anyone...but when it turns out to be a so-called "officer-of-the-court", it makes it even worse!

The world seems to have more and more nut cases showing their true colors each and every day! Time to take out some of the trash, if you know what I mean!

C'mon, my friends, and let's get some fresh coffee. We can sit out on the patio this morning! You can help me protect the squirrels from any lawyers that might be lurking around!

Yams Or Sweet Potatoes...?

First of all, I apologize for not posting yesterday! I was getting the pre-op exam done at the VA for my eye surgery next Tuesday and by the time I got home...I could not see well enough to do a post!

Now, about this question regarding the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. It seems they are actually two entirely different things, which I didn't know!

According to this article from the Old Farmer's Almanac, it's a case of "almost nearly, but not quite hardly" if you know what I mean!

The Great Yam Scam: Are sweet potatoes really "yams"?

Yams are big tuberous roots that are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and belong to the genus Dioscorea. They are related to grasses and lilies, growing in tropical and subtropical countries that provide eight to ten months of warm weather to mature. Yams can grow two to three feet long and some can weigh as much as 80 pounds. According to horticulturist U. P. Hedrick, the word yam means "to eat" in the dialect of Guinea.

Sweet potatoes are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family. In the United States today it is possible to find true yams in some urban Hispanic markets. However, most yams in the U.S. are actually sweetpotatoes with relatively moist texture and orange flesh. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier.

Both the yam and the sweet potato DO grow underground and have yellowish-orange flesh, but there the similarity ends. Yet the two became entwined in this country by household vernacular in part through the work of a publicity campaign. Earlier this century, sweet potato promoters attached the word yam to the deep orange, moist-fleshed varieties of sweet potatoes and left the words sweet potato to the smaller, yellowish, and drier-fleshed varieties.

The two types of sweet potato are interchangeable in cooking, but bring different tastes, textures, and colors to your plate. Centennial and Puerto Rico are two popular moist-fleshed (formerly called yam) varieties; Nemagold, New Jersey Orange, and Nugget have the lighter and drier (sweet potato) flesh.

Today it is common to find either or both words used in supermarkets, although sweet potato promoters wish we would all stop saying yam. The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission currently urges the world to spell "sweetpotato" as one word. But it's an uphill battle. If your Mama called them yams, for certain you will, too

No matter what you call 'em, I can't imagine a Thanksgiving dinner without them! Baked, mashed, or in sweet potato pie...they are good any way you fix 'em, in my opinion!

Now, my friends, let's get some coffee and sit in the kitchen for a bit. Too chilly to sit outside, ya know?

Does This Mean A Road Trip...?

This just might be a good way to finish off your Christmas shopping!

Get a new truck for yourself and a gun voucher for the wife! Or maybe the other way around...who knows? Now if you're single like me, keep them both for yourself!

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of folks from all over show up! There probably won't be many gang-bangers, though. I don't think the average gangster would be caught dead driving a pick-up truck!

However, there just might be a lot of Texas road trips between now and the end of the sale! According to this story from the Houston Chronicle, the sale ends at the end of November...so hurry if you want to beat the traffic!

Florida dealership offers used-truck buyers AK-47 incentive

Associated Press
Nov. 15, 2010, 9:40AM

SANFORD, Fla. — A central Florida dealership trying to drum up business is offering an unusual perk for potential used-truck buyers: A free AK-47 assault rifle.

General sales manager Nick Ginetta says that since the promotion was announced on Veterans Day, business has more than doubled at Nations Trucks in Sanford.

Customers would have to pass a background check before using the $400 gun shop voucher. They also have the option of using the money toward other firearms, or they can request a check in that amount instead.

The dealership has fielded some complaints about the deal, which Ginetta acknowledges is controversial. But, he adds: "My buyer is absolutely a gun owner, no question."

The promotion runs through the end of November.

I wonder what the weather is like in Florida right now? Be my luck that if I went down there...it would start snowing! So, what do ya say? Are you up for a road trip?

Maybe we had just better stick around here and have some fresh coffee on the patio. I don't really need another truck or an AK-47 that bad, ya know?

Please...Stop This Insanity !

It's spreading all over the world, it seems!

This story is from the U.K. and it clearly shows what can happen if the inmates are allowed to run the asylum! This whole power thing is so out of control, it's not even funny! In fact, I'd even say it's sad! It's very sad...and it has to STOP!

This story was lurking over at the Daily Mail in the U.K. and I thought you all should see it!

Gingerbread 'person', the PC pudding: Now even biscuits can't escape the politically correct brigade

By Liz Hull
Last updated at 1:53 PM on 13th November 2010

Gingerbread biscuits have been stripped of their gender by the politically correct Lancashire council

In the nursery rhyme, the Gingerbread Man fled from the clutches of an old woman and her husband. But now he has been cornered by an even more unforgiving foe – political correctness.

Council bureaucrats have stripped gingerbread men of their gender and renamed them gingerbread ‘persons’ on menus for 400 primary schools. Parents in Lancashire were astonished when they discovered the change.

‘It is absolutely ridiculous,’ one mother said. ‘Someone has obviously taken the effort to change this and it is almost offensive. ‘I am all for anti-discrimination but this is a pudding. The gingerbread man is a character from a rhyme in a book, for goodness sake.’

Laura Midgley, of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, added: ‘It is totally ridiculous political correctness, nobody wants to talk about gingerbread people. They are what they are.

‘It is not just an innocent mistake. Whoever did it, I hope they will think long and hard about it.
‘If these sorts of things go unchallenged, they become the norm.’

The wording went out on the new autumn-winter weekly menu provided by the Lancashire School Meals Service. Preston MP Mark Hendrick described the change as ‘daft’.

The outcry has since forced officials into an embarrassing U-turn. They now claim renaming the biscuits was a mistake and that their gender will be reinstated as soon as possible. Last night a spokesman for Lancashire County Council confirmed the gingerbread man would be back on school menus after Christmas.

It is not the first time the gingerbread man’s gender has come under threat from the PC brigade. In 2006 branches of Bakers Oven in the West Midlands changed the name of gingerbread men to gingerbread persons, but reversed the decision after opposition from the public.

It follows a series of similar decisions by councils nationwide, including the renaming of school dinner favourite Spotted Dick to Spotted Richard last year by officials in North Wales.

They said they were fed up with customers’ childish sniggering.

Now here's a friendly warning for the PTB! When you start trying to brainwash our kids and teach them false history and faulty doctrine...you're treading on thin ice!

When you try and pass and enforce silly and obscene laws and rules that favor the unjust...you're really pushing the envelope!

But when you start messing with our beloved traditional Gingerbread Men...you have crossed the line! Time to back up and regroup, Bozo! Now you have finally found a cause that could awaken legions that, up until now, have sat quietly by and and allowed themselves and their lives to be continuously violated!

LONG LIVE THE GINGERBREAD MEN!

Sorry about that! Sometimes I get carried away! Old traditional habits are hard to let go of!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit in the kitchen for a bit! We can discuss some other traditions of the upcoming season, OK?

It's Been A Bad 4 Days...!

I've been using a laptop for my main computer for about 2 years now.

Originally the laptop was a back-up for my desk top PC, but when the original desk top went belly-up I started using the laptop full time.

All was well until about 4 days ago, when I started having trouble with some of the functions of the laptop. I thought that it was a hang over from the virus I had picked up last week. It took about 2 or 3 days to find and clear the virus, but I finally got it all...or at least I thought I had!

Suddenly, 4 days ago, Windows decided to shut down all the way! Nothing unusual for a Windows based PC, right? Things kept getting more and more strange until finally...POP! Died a permanent, blue screen death!

I called my oldest who works in the computer field (with a degree and everything, as he is more than willing to point out) and asked him if he happened to have a copy of Linux that I could put on my laptop and get it back to working! He did!

So, day before yesterday, Ashley came over and he spent all of the afternoon and most of the night getting the laptop set up again! Back in business! That night and yesterday, I started having trouble again with the sound and with the various programs! Today, belly-up again!

Major Bummer! So, I went over to Mom's and borrowed (read stole!) her PC to use until I could get another! Before you jump on me, I did get her permission before I moved it!

Anyway, here I sit with a busted laptop, working with a borrowed PC and I'm trying to remember all of the things that I didn't back up before the laptop went south! I know better than to have files that I haven't backed up, but knowing and doing are often two different things, right?

Hopefully all the bad stuff is over with for now! I'm too old to deal with this kind of drama...I like my life to be simple, ya know?

C'mon, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside. I need the company 'cause I'm tired of talking to myself! My cat is starting to stare at me in a funny way!

Hey...If You Don't Care, I Don't Care...!

All I can say about this guy, is that he must have been really hungry!

I'm talking REALLY HUNGRY! Either that, or that sandwich was extremely good! How can someone get shot twice, one being in the groin, and then still go home and eat his sandwich before going to the hospital?

I certainly hope that the reason he put that trip to the hospital wasn't because of the quality of the treatment!

New Haven man shot, eats lunch before going to hospital

Published: Wednesday, November 10, 2010
By Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — A city man who said he was wounded in a daylight shooting ate his lunch before asking his father for a ride to the hospital.

Police were sent to Yale-New Haven Hospital Tuesday afternoon on a report of a shooting.

The victim, identified as Miguel Soto III, 25, of Howe Street, told police that he bought a sandwich at the deli near George and Day streets and when he exited heard three shots. He was wounded in the groin and thigh.

Soto stated he then went home and ate his sandwich before asking his father for a ride to the hospital. Investigators received a description of the two unknown male suspects.

Soto was expected to recover.

Maybe there is some kind of magic ingredient in that sandwich! If so, I think that we should get us some! If this guy is so tough that he just doesn't care that he is shot...TWICE...but would rather eat than get his groin fixed, then so be it!

Hey, if he don't care...I don't care!

Now, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside while it's still cool! OK?

Is This Really Necessary...?

Now I don't know about you, but there are somethings that it's not necessary to instruct me in.

I would hope that I had enough common sense NOT to do this and I certainly don't want to work with a bunch of folks that need signs posted that remind them not to !

Somehow this whole building just doesn't sound so "new and improved" to me, but maybe that's because I don't see the big picture! I'm not really sure that I want to see the whole thing as it might be a lot uglier than it appears!

Rules in Chandler restrooms: don't drink from toilets

by Edythe Jensen - Nov. 10, 2010 06:01 PM
The Arizona Republic

Chandler's new City Hall comes with some features that have municipal workers and visitors scratching their heads. Like the restroom signs that tell people not to drink out of the urinals and toilets.

And the lights that shut off when nobody flips a switch.

A few employees have been cracking jokes and speculating about what it would take to make them slurp from potties when water fountains and sinks are a few feet away.

"I'm glad that I saw that sign because I was very thirsty and looking for a means to quench my thirst," Mayor Boyd Dunn quipped. "Seriously, I'm certain there's some regulation out there that requires that type of sign."

It's possible.

The environmentally-friendly five-story building uses recycled gray water from its cooling system to flush the urinals and toilets. The notices disclose that. "There's a lot in this building that's so new and different; it's exciting stuff," Dunn said. As an aside, he said his private mayor's office restroom doesn't have a don't-drink-out-of-the-toilet sign.

City spokesman Craig Younger said the city had to get a building code variance not to color the reused water and post the signs instead.

Workers also are getting used to the building's energy-saving "light harvesting system." It's set up with light and motion sensors so if there's enough illumination from the sun or if offices and meeting rooms are empty they shut off. Marian Norris, assistant to the city manager, said the motion detector shutoffs save energy by extinguishing lights when workers leave their offices and forget to flip the switch. But crews are adjusting the system because it has been shutting off lights when people are working but are too still. That happened during a recent City Council subcommittee meeting that prompted one official to jump out of his chair and walk briskly around the table just to bring the lights back.

The new building and all its features will be dedicated by Dunn on Monday before the first City Council meeting there. Free refreshments and entertainment from 5 to 7 p.m. will proceed the formal session.

Now, I would take it as a personal insult if someone thought I was dumb enough to drink from the toilet, and put up a reminder sign for me. Like I said though, that may just be me!

One thing that's safe enough to drink, however, is the coffee on MY patio...so let's get a fresh cup and sit outside for a bit!

I'll Be Out Of Touch For Today...!

Lately I've been having 'puter problems...and finally it bit the dust!

I'm sending this from a borrowed PC just to let you know that I'm going to be out of touch until I can get things all fixed up!

Hope to be back on the air tomorrow! Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause anyone! Thanks to any that stopped by today anyway!

Coffee's in the back so help yourself!

Can You Even Believe This...?

Folks like this are beyond help!

What can you do with them, besides putting them on an island somewhere and leaving them there! He's probably lucky he didn't get shot! I see this type of story each and every day, and I can't understand how these folks have managed to stay around as long as they have!

If he keeps up like this, he won't have to worry about his next birthday! Someone will take him out long before then! We can thank the fine folks over at The Smoking Gun for this story!

Mouse Found Lodged Inside Naked Arrestee

NOVEMBER 9--A naked South Carolina man who had a computer mouse lodged in his rectum was arrested Saturday evening after he allegedly burglarized a home and later attacked officers responding to a call about the break-in.

Noah Smith, 24, slapped, kicked, and tried to bite Oconee County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who responded by using pepper spray, a Taser, and their batons to subdue the suspect, according to an incident report.

Deputies noted that Smith, pictured in the above mug shot, later told doctors that he could not recall fighting with law enforcement officers. It was in the hospital emergency room where a “physician noticed a mouse could hanging from male subjects rectum. X-rays shown part of the mouse was lodged in the male subjects rectum.” A police representative told TSG that the word "could" was a typo and should have read "cord."

That mistake contributed to initial reports that the mouse found was a rodent, not a computer peripheral.

The police report provides no further insight as to how the mouse ended up inside Smith.

Deputies noted that witnesses surmised that Smith “was most likely under the influence of mushrooms.” Smith was charged with burglary, assault, resisting arrest, and indecent exposure. He is being held without bond in the county jail.

One good thing can come of all this! This fool should be very popular and fit right in while he's in jail! Should be an interesting time for him, without a doubt!

C'mon, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit in the kitchen for a bit! Just make sure you leave my mouse alone, OK?

How Safe Do You Feel Now...?

I don't want to rain on any one's parade here, but if you were thinking that the PTB were willing and/or able to always protect you, then you may be interested in this story from the Chronicle!

It's bad enough when something like this happens and the government steps in to put a stop to this type of activity, but when they don't even know who it was or where the missile or object came from...then your concern for the safety of you and yours should really take a hit!

I would hate to think that anyone could fire off a missile so close to land and not be spotted or found by all the spy stuff the PTB have at their disposal, ya know? Seems a little strange that they don't know who it was or what it was! At least, it does to me!

Pentagon can't explain 'missile' off California

By PAULINE JELINEK Associated Press © 2010 The Associated Press Nov. 9, 2010, 11:46AM WASHINGTON — The Pentagon Tuesday said it was trying to determine if a missile was launched Monday off the coast of Southern California and who might have launched it.

Spokesmen for the Navy, Air Force, Defense Department and North American Aerospace Defense Command said they were looking into a video posted on the CBS News website that appears to show a rocket or some other object shooting up into the sky and leaving a large contrail over the Pacific Ocean.

The video was shot by a KCBS helicopter, the station said Tuesday.

"Nobody within the Department of Defense that we've reached out to has been able to explain what this contrail is, where it came from," Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said. "So far, we've come up empty with any explanation."

Lapan said officials are talking to the Air Force, Navy and NORAD as well as civilian authorities who control and monitor air space. "Right now, all indications are that there was not (Department of Defense) involvement in this," Lapan said, adding that some object might have been launched by a private company.

Officials had no information to make them suspect that the action was taken by any U.S. adversary. "At this point, until we know more information about what it may have been, there is not alarm," Lapan said. "But that could change depending on what we find out."

___ Associated Press writer Jeff Wilson contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

Now, really! I wouldn't be surprised in the least if tomorrow or even sooner, some plausible explanation is given by the government! Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing was just a government activity that went wrong, or at the very least, was staged! Stranger things have happened!

Do you think we'll ever know for sure what it was? Probably not! Are you comfortable in knowing that this type of activity is going on close to the coast? Probably not! Do you think there's a good chance that the whole thing will just go away for now? Probably so!

One way or another, you can bet that there are some government types in the mix somewhere! Of course, that's just my uninformed opinion, for what it's worth!

Now, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside on the patio. Just keep one eye on the sky, OK?

There Goes The Water Skiing...!

Water sports are a really fun way to spend some time, especially if the temps are up in the 80's or 90's.

However, seeing one of these big boys in the area where you and your family are swimming or splashing around could really ruin your day!

I have a feeling that if I was in the water and ran across this guy or one of his relatives...I might learn real quick just how to walk on water! My movement would probably be more like running instead of walking, though!

Boat-towing gator sets record for Fla.'s longest

© 2010 The Associated Press
Nov. 8, 2010, 4:06PM

In this Nov. 1, 2010 photo provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Orlando-area nurse Robert "Tres" Ammerman poses for a photo with the new state-record alligator in Orlando, Fla. Ammerman set the new record while hunting Nov. 1, the last day of the state's alligator harvest. The alligator was caught in the Lake Washington area of the St. Johns River in Brevard County. The alligator measures 14 feet, 3 1/2 inches long and weighs 654 pounds. (AP Photo/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A man who trapped and killed an alligator so big it pulled his boat around a lake has snared what authorities say is Florida's longest gator on record, exceeding 14 feet.

Wildlife officials say the gator caught by Robert Ammerman, a nurse who traps gators as a hobby, weighed 654 pounds and measured 14 feet, 3 1/2 inches. It was caught Nov. 1, the last day of Florida's alligator harvest, in Lake Washington near Melbourne.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the previous record was a 14-foot, 5/8-inch alligator trapped in 1997. The state's heaviest gator on record was taken in 1989, weighing 1,043 pounds.

Ammerman said the gator thrashed and pulled his boat for about 45 minutes after being harpooned and took two hours to tow to dock.

Any way you look at it, this is a BIG gator! I mean, I've seen some gators about 3 feet or so and they were big enough for me. Only way I'm gonna go out and try to catch one is if there is a reward...and I mean a BIG reward!

That critter is ugly enough to be twins with my ex-mother in law! Believe me, that's bad!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! OK?

Please Give This Guy A Visit...!

Once in a while I get the urge to give some credit where I feel that it's due!

Just a couple of days ago, I started reading a blog for the first time and I was surprised! What surprised me the most is that I haven't visited this particular blog before!

It's well written, entertaining, and full of interesting and useful information! I've spent the last two nights reading all of the past post and it has been a very enjoyable read indeed!

I love to find these guys that are doing everyday what so many of us want to do. They go through the trials and tribulations...then share their experiences with us so we can learn from them!

I've gained a lot of respect for folks like this! Folks that do the work, forge the path, and mark the trail for the rest of us. The main thing about this man's blog is, to me, how honest he is about not only the good, but the bad as well!

I don't often do reviews as you know, but I certainly feel that this is one that I wish I had done a long time ago! Please take the time to go over and give the guy a read! He's good people, as we used to say!

He goes by the name of SixBears and you can find him here! Please do me and yourself a favor and drop by for a visit! I think you'll like what he has to say!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! Should be a great day!

Wow ! Been A Long Time...! Post 1107 !

It just dawned on me today that the old Blog is getting some age on it!

I started this little experiment with my first post on November 17TH of 2007! That's a long time ago for me! I have to admit that I haven't stayed with many things in my life like I have with this blog.

Actually, to be honest about it, I started the blog as a way to try and advertise some programs I was involved with on the net! Some where down the line, I found that I was meeting plenty of interesting people, finding out about some really intelligent life styles, and most of all I was learning! Learning a LOT, as it turned out!

So many things that I was interested in are being actually lived by folks out there! Folks more than willing to share information and helpful tips and first hand knowledge...all you have to do is ask!

It seems to me that the more I learn and pick up from these friends on the 'Net, the more I find out how much I don't know! Nothing wrong with admitting you need to learn more! The only thing that's wrong is in not taking advantage of the knowledge and experiences of other people to advance your own personal knowledge!

There are so many folks out there not only talking the talk, but walking the walk as well! Many of them have blogs, and many of those blogs are listed on the left of this page! May I suggest that you give them a read when you can, ask any questions you want, and take advantage of all of this real life experience being offered!

No one can pick it up totally on their own. By sharing the ideas and experiences of those that have been down the road...we can all become more productive, more helpful to ourselves and others, and more capable of dealing with whatever comes our way!

Learn as much as you can, from where ever you can, for as long as you can! Remember, knowledge is power...and it could save your life someday!

Now, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! While we are here, can you teach me something new?

It's About Time...!

You would think that after all these years, I would be used to this time change thing!

Still, every year at this time I have to be reminded by someone to change my clocks! All I can say is thank goodness for the folks at Old Farmer's Almanac! they send out these great little newsletters about so many helpful things...and, luckily for me, one of the things covered is the time change!

This whole time change thing has been a conduit for disagreement ever since its' first use. Some folks like it, some folks don't! I don't think I like it much any more.

Here's a little history behind Daylight Savings Time from the pages of the Almanac. I thought that since tomorrow is the time change once again...you might find it interesting!

Daylight Savings ends on Sunday, November 7, at 2:00 A.M. Remember to "fall back" by setting your clocks back one hour. (The exceptions are Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.)

Credit for Daylight Saving Time belongs to Benjamin Franklin, who first suggested the idea in 1784. The idea was revived in 1907, when William Willett, an Englishman, proposed a similar system in the pamphlet The Waste of Daylight.

The Germans were the first to officially adopt the light-extending system in 1915 as a fuel-saving measure during World War I. The British switched one year later, and the United States followed in 1918, when Congress passed the Standard Time Act, which established our time zones. This experiment lasted only until 1920, when the law was repealed due to opposition from dairy farmers (cows don't pay attention to clocks).

During World War II, Daylight Saving Time was imposed once again (this time year-round) to save fuel. Since then, Daylight Saving Time has been used on and off, with different start and end dates. Currently, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 A.M. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2:00 A.M. on the first Sunday in November.

So, like it or not...it's here again! Just remember the old saying "Spring forward, Fall back" and all will be normal again (time-wise) until next year! That is, unless someone else comes up with another way to screw with our heads and with the time!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside! Anyone got the time?

Completely Out Of Control...!

Does this border on insanity?

This story just goes to show how much the Prez and his gang care about helping our economy! Funny how you only find these stories in foreign news, and never in the American media! I have to thank the people of the Telegraph in the UK for this story!

Barack Obama's Indian delegation 'books 800 rooms in Mumbai'

Barack Obama and his travelling delegation have book at least 800 rooms for the president's trip to Mumbai, according to reports, including the entire Taj Mahal hotel.

By Philip Sherwell, New York
Published: 6:46PM BST 24 Oct 2010


Barack Obama's Indian delegation has booked the entire Taj Mahal hotel. The president, who is scheduled to set off on a twice-postponed Asian tour with his wife Michelle after next week's midterms, has reportedly block-booked all 570 rooms in the Taj Mahal hotel as a security measure.

On top of that, US navy ships will also be deployed, as the president is staying in a hotel by the ocean.

The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks which claimed at least 173 lives, ended with a siege at the Taj Mahal hotel.

"Obama's contingent is huge," a senior Indian security official told the newspaper. "There are two jumbo jets coming along with Air Force One, which will be flanked by security jets. The President's convoy has 45 cars."

The Economic Times also reported that Mr Obama's delegation is so large that another 300 rooms have reportedly been booked in other luxury Mumbai hotels.

The scale and cost of the visit is certain to provoke criticism from Mr Obama's Republican foes in the US at a time when the country is mired in economic difficulties, with unemployment standing at nearly 10 per cent.

The report also claimed Mrs Obama has been invited to visit Mumbai's red-light district, the largest in the world, to meet prostitutes and hear about their lives.

Gee, I wonder why they think that the American would be upset? Believe me, it's not only the Republican foes that are upset, but everyone else struggling to make ends meet that has a problem with this kind of reckless action!

Shows a total lack of respect, if you ask me! Someone needs to have a serious talk with this fool and try and explain things to him! Not that it would do any good!

This just makes me sick! It really does...!

Let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! Maybe I'll be able to keep mine down!

A Bad Day Just Got Worse...!

Some days you're better off staying at home!

Here is a case in point. This is definitely one of those days to stay inside and NOT show the world just how stupid you really are! It's probably a pretty well known fact anyway, especially in your own neighborhood! No need to flaunt it!

Police: Man smashes Walmart TVs with bat

By Carrie Wells

Published: Monday, November 1, 2010 at 2:36 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 1, 2010 at 2:36 p.m.

BRADENTON - Samuel Lott was having a bad day, and he wanted to smash something.

Authorities said the 22-year-old man was intoxicated when took a baseball bat to several TVs at a Walmart in the 5300 block of Cortez Road, causing over $2,000 in damage.

Police said they found Lott in the electronics section of the 24-hour Walmart at around 3:30 a.m. on Monday. He had a half-full beer bottle at his feet and three smashed flat-screen TVs around him, police said.

When police arrested Lott, he told them he was “having a bad day” and that was why he smashed the TVs, according to an arrest report. The baseball bat was also from Walmart, police said.

Good thing this fool was smart enough to stay out of the sporting goods section. That's where they have the guns and ammo! Go into a section like that and start acting stupid...it could be detrimental to your health!

I think I need to start another Blog totally for the really stupid folks! Trouble is, there re so many of them out there I'd run out of room way too soon! Besides, I don't want to get too close 'cause some of this stupidity might rub off!

Let's get some coffee and sit in the kitchen...it seems to still be raining outside!

My Question Is Why...?

I'm sure there must be a good reason for it, but I'm not sure I understand what it is!

I understand that the manufacture process of the cardboard tubes causes a lot of extra scrapes, but the tubes themselves offer a wide range of uses, I think.

First of all, I can't help but wonder what type of support will be with the rolls without the tubes. Also, will the rolls stay on the holder as well without the tube as with it? If not, when will someone invent a different type of holder and how much will it cost?

I like the tubes to carry a lot of useful items for camping or bugging out! Items like fire-starters made from dryer lint. Might come in handy, ya know? Rolls stuffed with useful things can fit in a back pack very easily.

Besides, you want to make some kids happy? Just give them an empty cardboard box, some tin foil, and some TP rolls...and watch what they'll come up with! Surely this should have some effect on the decision to get rid of the tube!

'Tube free' toilet paper headed for stores

Published: Oct. 27, 2010 at 2:27 PM

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Texas-based paper products giant Kimberly-Clark said the first "tube free" toilet paper is on its way to stores in the Northeast United States.

The Irving company said Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper will be available Monday at Sam's Club and Walmart stores across the Northeast, and the brand may go global if sales are high, USA Today reported Wednesday.

Kimberly-Clark said the technology may also be adapted to its paper towel brands if the toilet paper is successful.

The company estimated 17 billion toilet paper tubes are produced each year in the United States, creating about 160 million pounds of garbage.

"We found a way to bring innovation to a category as mature as bath tissue," said Doug Daniels, brand manager at Kimberly-Clark.

This is one of those actions that you like and don't like at the same time! I do think it's a good thing that such a big company is trying to upgrade their product, even though it may be profit driven. If it can help reduce the waste, then it's a good thing! I just can't help but wonder if the company couldn't find something to make out of all that scrap...something useful! Seems like it to me, but what do I know? I'm just a big user!

Let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit. We can come up with some good uses for your empty tubes, ya think?

Sometimes Stupid Hurts...!

Just when I think I've seen and heard all the stupid things that folks can do to one another or themselves, something else comes along!

I'm beginning to think that there is an abundance of folks out there dedicated to blowing their most important parts completely away!

I don't know about you, but this makes me hope that stupidity is not catching!

Bar shooting may be from gun in pants

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A shooting at a Grand Rapids bar may have been caused by the victim's own carelessness.

Around 2 a.m. Sunday, police were called to Julian's Two on South Division on reports of shots being fired, but found nothing when they arrived.

A short time later, a man showed up at an area hospital with a wound to his groin. Police believe the man accidentally shot himself in the scrotum.

The wound is similar to a wound for someone carrying a gun in their pants.

The investigation into this incident continues!

Now this is a case where I would suggest that this idiot needs to watch a few more action movies where the gun carriers...both good and bad, stick their guns in their pants in the back, not the front!

Of course, a class in gun safety would have helped a great deal! I mean, it's obvious that common sense is not showing up at all!

I don't know...maybe these guys deserve what they bring on themselves! I'm just thinking that this is a solid case for having the right equipment for your tools, especially if those tools are capable of removing your manhood!

Lord save us all!

let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! Oh, you're not packing, are ya?

Lock Up The Women, The Kids And...The Goats ?

We all knew that there were a lot of sickies running around, but this story proves it!

At least, the family turned this particular S.O.B. in to the cops! Of course, in the infinite wisdom of the courts, a slap on the wrist was in order!

Our legal system has almost become a joke, folks! But most of us already knew that! This is just one more example of how the courts are making the streets so much safer for all of us! I know I certainly feel safer, don't you?

All I can say is...better keep those fire sticks locked and loaded...and close at hand! Who knows when this goat loving fool may show up at your door! He might just decide to switch to dogs and cats!

Ferndale man pleads guilty to sexually abusing goat

A Ferndale man pleaded guilty Monday, Oct. 25, to first-degree animal cruelty for sexually abusing a goat at a property near Enterprise Road at Willeys Lake Road in May.

Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Charles Snyder sentenced Gary A. Veldhuizen, 27, to one month in the custody of the Whatcom County Jail.

Veldhuizen has no prior felony convictions and was facing a standard sentencing range of one to three months in jail, according to state guidelines.

A family member caught Veldhuizen having sex with the animal on May 6 and contacted Whatcom County Sheriff's deputies, who arrested Veldhuizen.

Believe me, folks, I don't make this stuff up! You can read the original story right here!

It's getting to be that I don't even want to read the news much any more! I almost don't want to know about these people, but there are just so many of them around!

Let's get some coffee and talk about what kind of justice is appropriate! Got a rope?