Warmest September on Record

Warmest September on record EVER for South Florida. It didnt feel that warm to me..averaging mid eighties is nice - not "hot". Daytona did have a few 116 degree days (heat indexed for humidity)  back in June-July..now that was hot

Ecuador in unrest

Apparently the the national police of Ecuador are not pleased with El Presidente's plan to curb entitlements. This situation sounds very similar to what happened in Greece when entitlements were cut there.

The question of course is why do we care? Well..Ecuador and Honduras have got something going on with the Zetas aka the huge drug gang killing thousands of people on the Mexico boarder. And the US was caught tinkering with Honduras..and my understanding is that President Correa is a friend of Venezuela's "president" Chavez..who we dont like..this could be the US tinkering in Ecuador like we have every other country down there..or maybe just lazy entitled government employees who also happen to carry guns.  

South America has been slow to join the world stage but sooner or later that dragon is going to wake up and things are going to get interesting.

Bellingham's Black Widow

I've been following this story my father sent me and its led me to an interesting urban legend.(here is another link) After trolling some of Western's student forums it appears many people beleive Clark may have been picked up by the infamous Bellingham "Black Widow". This Black Widow is a male serial rapist who dresses up like an Asian woman and offers rides to young man. If this was a gay party (and some students implied that Clark was gay by his choice of clothing) then the Black Widow might have known where that scene was having parties and could have been waiting for someone to stagger out. The other possibility being thrown around is that he was kidnapped by a gang of Lummi transients who have come out of the forest and setup camp on railroad ave. But the locals (and myself) felt that he was too far from downtown at the time, or the forested areas, to be involved with transients.Then of course there is this lead which apparently happened the same day. But a truck full of people with bats..sounds fake to me.

Exoplanets

Exoplanets are planets that resemble earth in their size and location in the habitability sweet spot (ie they orbit at an earth-like distance from their star). I dont beleive they are actually finding the planet so much as mathematically calculating a high probability there is a planet there based on gravity's pull on other things in the area..its very speculative but it gives people hope.

Wikileaks self-destructs

It looks like Wiki leaks is falling apart. Proving once again all government needs to do to win any battle against regular people is apply a little pressure and then play the long game of attrition.

Mindblowing

This guy put this ship together with 1000000000s of little tiny blocks..the scale involved melts one's mind..I've never played the game but it shows what one can do with infinite legos (and free time)

Swedish court rules public urination legal

What does this even mean? Its ok if it doesnt offend people??? Who isnt offended by someone wizzing in public?

U.N. appoints ambassador for UFO's

Apparently there is an "office for outer space affairs". Doesnt sound like they beleive in aliens though. More taxpayer dollar well spent.

Pee-wee's comeback?

So...I guess he is back..at 60yo he is reprising the same role for sold out Broadway audiences..adults btw..Never been a fan myself but apparently there is life still left in the role. Now what is interesting is that he started out with the Groundlings..one of the two major feeder comedy troops for SNL. The original pee-wees playhouse was the brainchild of Phil Hartman and Tim Burton. It was designed to be an adult comedy for HBO. When I read this..especially about Phil and Tim..I was like huh?!? (btw the adult movie theater he was arrested in was in florida)

Sverigedemokraterna

Yes those wacky swedes are at it again. The Swedish Democrats, or Sverigedemokraterna have won 20 seats in government in a recent election, bring their representation up to 4% from zero. Who cares ? Well I bet the challengers do See..Sverigedemokraterna is sorta Sweden's Tea party..crazy people with guns and they have been quoted demanding their opponents in the election taken in front of a firing squad and shot. I actually like many of their policies. For example they are acused of being racists because they want to annul the indiginous rights of the Sami people. The Sami are Sweden's version of the Native American politically but they are just white people who live in rural areas in truth. I dont think government, any government, should subsidize a lifestyle..whether that be reindeer herding or Casino gambling. 

Ring tells time and temp

Via the Onion - an engagement ring that has a clock and thermometer built in. Kool. 

Justice where?

Often this world it seems spends a lot of time throwing us curveballs. I'm currently waiting on a judges verdict which I am almost certain I'm not going to win even though I'm 99.999% in the right. A clerical error - a paperwork foible that has nothing to do with the actual case- is prob going to end up costing me over $3k and technically my home even though I've already moved out. Anyhoo stuff like that can get you down -BUT- Justice is happening somewhere! Remember that little town in california where the city council all had 6-7 figure salaries? Busted. Thank God.

Kauai Voted #2 most livable island

Island magazine ranked its top islands of 2010 and Kauai made number 2. I cant agree with Hawaii being #1. Too much drugs/crime and both major cities are lame. And what is this with Tokyo being an island? But yay for the Garden island!!

I guess it does happen

In case you were wondering - employers do get jail time in the US for hiring illegals.

Where the Wild Things and our Troops are

Stole the title from NRP..apparently the government is so concerned about a new book being published "we" are going to buy every single copy. I wonder if the author has a few friends in the defense dept or a really good publicist or what. Either way I dont want to pay for it.  Here is the story

OMG! STORM WIN STORM WIN

(crickit noises)Is this thing on? Anyone out there? They must be all out rioting is celebration! Ya..

Florida ballet issues

You'd think they would have fixed this sorta thing.As I see it, the biggest problem with the florida ballet is that the "majority" parties get top billing and the governor's party get first slot. Gee I wonder who came up with that? Same-old same-old again and again anyone?

Back and Forth at NASA

So what is the solution here? If we privatize the space industry is that going help give NASA a clear mission and relieve it of red tape? Or will it end up like pretty much all the other private military contractors, sucking of the teet of government waste and lack of oversight ?

Lack of Authority

I guess its a sign of the times. Government, ever afraid to take a position, is caving into onramp/offramp panhandlers instead of throwing them in chain gains and providing them a job in exchange for a bunk room. Or is it; the argument in Orlando is that the city is doing it to push panhandlers out. If there is a meter somewhere they will have the moral authority to say "sorry no panhandling - you get benefits from the meter already".  Personally, while I think panhandlers are a public safty problem - they need to crack down on the Army/Fireman people too. They are out every day at my major intersection and not only is it annoying and uncomfortable for someone to come up to my window at a stop light, but who knows if these people are legit? Anytime these people come up to you the best thing you can do is tell them where they can find the nearest soup kitchen. Giving them anything else is just enabling them. I'm not being mean that just how reality works - cash in hand is a bad thing for a person on the street. It will hurt them. Now I feel differently about the guys that play music on the train or juggle or whatever on the sidewalk. Those people are like trees - they bring life to an area and deserve some tip.

Baby Squirrel adopted by cat "purs"

 This is just an all around great story. Cute! And it certainly tips the scales in favor of nurture vs nature. Apparently cross-species adoption is more common than you think! Like here and here

Dress for Success

Long have my parents pounded in the lessons of good appearance. I'd like to think that I've picked up many customs of cleanliness, as for example I often shower 2-3 times a day.  But I've never felt the need to "dress up". And in a broader context I've never understood people wearing suits to work..which I guess is a lost art. I was watching a ustream video of 2 highly credited video game developers and I gotta be honest it bugged me they looked like pissed off 14 years hanging out in their parents garage. They werent dressed crazy with piercing or whatever but they were very casual. Maybe I'm getting old but "proffessionals" - the people developing the next big thing - should not appear on "tv" in their slouch-around outfits.

Cant come here

Interesting story over at Fox about a UK 17 yo who called President Obama a "prick" in a email and has now been banned from visiting the US.

"The FBI asked local cops to tell college student Luke Angel, 17, that his drunken insult was "unacceptable."

""The police came and took my picture and told me I was banned from America forever. I don't really care but my parents aren't very happy," he said. "

Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried it is merely survived if you are standing outside the fire. (sorry bout the video..it was the best sounding on youtube).

I just had a day that recognizes this.

/rant In my current spiritual beliefs, if we are the "body" I consider myself a "shoulder of god". Our "souls" are all a piece of a greater being. We are sent out to experience the world, record those experiences and return with memories that enrich the collective. While some are here in this world to physically help the world and some to educate the world shoulderman exist to endure it. Shoulderman are sponges for the world's pain. We juggle it until a "hand" hopefully comes along to clean it up. While any modern day "hero" might be the hand of god, a great archetype of a shoulderman is Jesus, who "shouldered" all the sins and suffering around him and then died quite horribly. As not every life has a happily ever after our virtue is compassion in the now but not necessarily resolution.   

Weird religious conclusion like these are the only way I can explain how I'm drawn into other peoples crappy situations. Tomorrow I'll add 3 stories from just one day in my life. Child surgery, Stroke, and Costco guy.

Rush and Koran burner were classmates

Small world huh? Apparently Rush Limbaugh and that hate criminal wanting to burn Muslim holy books (lets not give him any more attention pls) were high school case mates. Anyone seen Rush recently !!? The man looks super healthy..I wanna what he is taking...and whats with all these famous people losing 100lbs..there must be a wonder drug only made available to rich people..

California microchips children

I think this makes sense. California preschoolers are given school jerseys that have been micro chipped for easy tracking. We do it for pets why not little kids - and its not like these are implanted in the body. Another great argument for school uniforms in fact at all ages. As long as the family can leave the uniform at school after school hours why not. Its not going to help with actual abductions, since any kidnapper is going to know to remove the shirt, but for community activities what a great way to keep track of people. It brings to mind the image of some large women standing in a field with one of those star trek hand held radars though. Or like the soldiers in Aliens the movie with the radar systems on their guns.

Big Brother Google

I HATE google Instant. Its causes my screen to bounce around and coughs up way too much information. I go to google for a search engine not a psychotropic roller coaster of information overload. However that isnt the worst of it. I never realized google search engine was running its own little censorship program. "So we apply the same policies that we always have, whereby we filter for violence, hate, and pornography. As a result, if you're typing for something that may not be appropriate for certain people to see, you won't see results until you press enter."

That doesnt sit well with me. I dont think Google should pick and choose what "may not be appropriate for certain people to see". Even if they are doing this to "protect" children..its the parents place to make that choice not Googles. Now that I know this I'm going to start looking at other search engines.

Self-Medication

A new study out suggests that people 55-65 who dont drink are twice as likely to die as people who drink heavily. Apparently the booze helps snip the stress circuit that leads to so many health issues at that age.

I blame the medical system. If there was an easy, affordable way to get anti-anxiety chemicals people would probably use them. But Big Doctor wants those fees to write your script. And people dont enjoy going to the doctors for a variety of reasons. So folks go without or self medicate on whats available.

I wish I could see who paid for this study.

The sky is falling

Two asteroids will pay a visit to the Earth tomorrow. One of which will come within 20% of the distance between the Earth and the Moon. 47,000 miles. Thats really friggin close. Lets say our math is wrong..what would we do? Die I guess. I wonder how many space weapons we could have bought instead of that war in Iraq..

K now that your scared - they are both smaller than a bus. But we really should do something to prepare for "the big one". 

To have wolves you must kill wolves

Interesting story here. We've gotten to the point of saturation with wolf populations where we need to be constantly gassing their dens in order to protect our precious population of walking McDonald's hamburgers. I like a good steak but between deforestation for grazing land and this sorta stuff cow really doesnt seem worth it.

Nostalgie de la boue

Nostalgie de la boue is a term I heard on NPR today. It's french for "Nostalgia for the mud". 

Cat Wars 3

Because I like the music and its cute

MTV 2010

Via Dori's show, this website that plays a music video synced to images from googlemaps of the place where you grew up. You enter in your data and suddenly feel that the music video is about you. Kool idea..no cameras on mercer island apparently though.

Whale of a tail

Here is a good ole Florida story. Fisherman finds a dead whale washed up on shore. Butchers it to eat. Gets arrested. Btw this isnt on some island somewhere...this is in Delray Beach..that Boca for ya. Here is a link to The Cove, an award winning documentary about dolphin/whale farming that I've never seen but is suppose to be mind opening. 

Hot coffee at 30,000 locations

No, not Starbucks. What I feel is the worlds best coffee is apparently available in all the bottom dwelling fast food restaurants. Quiznos being better than Subway, McDonalds is better than Burger King).  The only exception to this is Boarders vs Barnes and Noble.

Anyhoo go give them a try if you got one of these in your neighborhood..its better coffee at a better price with better presentation imho. Just dont eat the food at the restaurant.

Chim-Chimney

Another crazy love story. This one involves a lady doctor who was so desperate she tried to break into her lovers house through the chimney, got stuck, and died there. I've got a chip on my shoulder against people like doctors and lawyers who get ridiculous salaries for services that mostly involve guesswork and Wikipedia. This is a reminder that the overpaid specialists asking $100 to write a script or get in front of a judge are just regular people who were good at jumping through hoops. Though the shine was already off that bottle thanks to astronaut Lisa Novak