Doing a Heck of a Job! (?)

Underground FEMA fuel tanks could leak:

WASHINGTON - The government owns hundreds of underground fuel tanks — many designed for emergencies back in the Cold War — that need to be inspected for leaks of hazardous substances that could be making local water undrinkable.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has known since at least the 1990s that tanks under its supervision around the country could be leaking fuel into soil and groundwater, according to Associated Press interviews and research.

The agency knows of at least 150 underground tanks that need to be inspected for leaks, according to spokeswoman Debbie Wing. FEMA also is trying to determine by September whether an additional 124 tanks are underground or above ground and whether they are leaking.

The Paw of Doom

Don't be a Sheep

Via The Washington Post, Security Fix

LAS VEGAS, NEV. -- iPhones and other mobile devices with wireless access were among the top contributors to this year's "Wall of Sheep," a public shaming exercise debuting at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas this week that aims to educate people about the dangers of sending e-mail and other online communications over open wireless networks.

Conference organizers issued a clear warning to attendees: If you check your e-mail or communicate using the ubiquitous conference wireless network, be sure to do so over an encrypted connection (https:// versus http://). Otherwise, your credentials will be projected onto a wall where everyone will ridicule your seeming inability to grasp a fundamental tenet of online security.

Seen at the Blood Center...

A young pregnant woman bummin' a smoke & a lighter.
WTFBBQ?!

Crusin' in style

This shot was taken by a friend's wife in front of the bank where she works.
Looks like one happy dog!

We continue to fail our veterans

Soldier in famous photo never defeated 'demons' - Yahoo! News

PINEHURST, N.C. -
Officers had been to the white ranch house at 560 W. Longleaf many times before over the past year to respond to a "barricade situation." Each had ended uneventfully, with Joseph Dwyer coming out or telling police in a calm voice through the window that he was OK.
But this time was different.
The Iraq War veteran had called a taxi service to take him to the emergency room. But when the driver arrived, Dwyer shouted that he was too weak to get up and open the door.
The officers asked Dwyer for permission to kick it in.
"Go ahead!" he yelled.
They found Dwyer lying on his back, his clothes soiled with urine and feces. Scattered on the floor around him were dozens of spent cans of Dust-Off, a refrigerant-based aerosol normally used to clean electrical equipment.
Dwyer told police Lt. Mike Wilson he'd been "huffing" the aerosol.
"Help me, please!" the former Army medic begged Wilson. "I'm dying. Help me. I can't breathe."
Unable to stand or even sit up, Dwyer was hoisted onto a stretcher. As paramedics prepared to load him into an ambulance, an officer noticed Dwyer's eyes had glassed over and were fixed.
A half hour later, he was dead.

John McCain, a portrait...

Stupefaction Guaranteed!

The latest entry into my energy drink tryouts:
Stewie's Mind Erase Elixir, from Boston America.
While not amazingly great, it does pack a nice caffeine buzz with 120mg in 8.4 ounces! Along with 1000mg of Taurine, 50 mg of Inositol, 25 mg of Guarana, & 25mg of Ginseng.

Tastes just a little too much like Hawaiian Punch, though.

With a can like that, though, who can resist?

But does he like to be dipped in milk?

(CNN) — Longtime Washington talk-show host John McLaughlin is facing fire Monday for referring to Barack Obama as an "Oreo" during a segment on his Sunday political program, "The McLaughlin Group.

LoveChess

Bringing a whole new love of chess to teenage boys everywhere!

Lovechess Age of Egypt features:

• Advanced 3d sex animations system with diverse and interesting variations.
• Different sceneries, each with their own unique atmosphere.
• Multiplayer gamemodes. Play Lovechess online or through LAN against a human opponent.
• A beautiful 3D Egyptian scenery with hand painted erotic art and realistic characters.
• New and improved Chess-engine, to challenge both beginning as expert players.

Good to know..

Earth will not be gobbled up by black hole during big bang experiment, reassure scientists.

But we should stock up on snacks, just in case.

Guest Dog Update...

The guest dog we had at the end of last week got re-connected with his owner on Friday evening.
Unfortunately, she had to pick him up from the pound — it was just too much extra stress for the wife having him at the house.
About 30 minutes after she texted me to let me know that the county had picked him up, I got a call from the owner; I had put up posters all around two days earlier, but she had managed not to see them.
Since she was going to have to get him back from the county, it as going to cost her a few dollars, but I'm not sure how much. And since he wasn't wearing a rabies tag, there may have been a fine for that, as well, depending on whether or not she had his vaccination certificate to take with her.

I'm glad he's home, though, & hope that it spurs his owner on to get tags for him.

Guest Dog

So, I went to see what the dogs were barking at this morning, & found this guy wandering the neighborhood.
He appears to be a jack russell mix (maybe with a beagle?)
I took him to a vet nearby to see if he might have a microchip ID — no such luck, though. The vet thought he was maybe 2 ½ years old, & pretty healthy looking; the boys loved playing with him all day, & they all wore themselves out.
I left his description with Animal Control, in case anybody calls looking for him, & we put up a couple of fliers nearby. The wife took him for a walk around the neighborhood to see if anyone came out to say, “Hey, that's my dog!”, but no such luck.
She did meet a couple of people, though, who said that they thought this guy, & one other had been dropped off a few days ago in the neighborhood — we're near a university, & idiot students do that kind of thing all the time, I guess… .

When he started to get hungry this evening, he was a little naughty & made a grab for something that smelled tasty on a shelf — when I snapped at him a little, he shrunk back like a dog that had probably been hit before… How could anyone be like that with something so sweet?
Unfortunately, we really don't have the means to keep him, & may have to send him off to the pound tomorrow :-(
It absolutely doesn't help that I think he's adorable.

I gotta get cable!

VIENNA (Reuters) - Whether it has any bearing on Monday's crunch Euro 2008 match between the two countries is debatable but Austria drew first blood on Sunday when their topless women's soccer team beat Germany 10-5.

True Love?

Due South BBQ

The New River Valley's only real Pit Cooked BBQ... follow the smoke to the real thing.

A co-worker mentioned Due South to me recently; I can't believe they've been in the area for this long, & I hadn't tried it.
Killer barbecue, and they serve breakfast seven days a week!

I can't remember the last time I made such heartfelt yummy noises based solely on the scents getting into my nose. For someone who grew up used to Eastern Carolina style BBQ, it was insane goodness.
Each order comes with a choice of three of their five varieties of heaven sauce:

• Hot Red – 1st Place 2007 Va. State Championship
  Tomato Base, warm, slightly sweet.
• Sweet Red – Tomato Base, sweet & tangy
• Lexington – Vinegar Base, spicy
• Yellow – Mustard Base, sweet & tangy
• Sweet Brown – Tomato base, dark and sweet

The Lexington has a heart rendering goodness, and the Hot Red was very tasty as well; the Sweet Red was just a little too sweet for my taste, but still pretty good.
Next time — you'd better believe there's going to be a next time — I'll have to try the Yellow & the Sweet Brown, though I may end up buying the Lexington by the quart.

Stimulate this!

Like many Americans, we're awaiting the arrival of our stimulus check... . All $4.36 of it!

Seems the Treasury Department feels that it's in our best interest that they take the rest of what we've been paying monthly for our 2006 taxes, instead of letting us actually use the stimulus check for something important, say... paying down our debt?


Who am I kidding, this Administration doesn't know squat about paying down debt... .

It turns out that quite a few states are also taking part in this offset program. And it turns out that a lot of people are pretty pissed about it, too.

The real test will be next month, when the IRS is not supposed to withdraw any money from my bank account to continue our repayment schedule, which was working just fine for us, BTW.

R.I.P

We lost this guy last night to a passing car going too fast for our residential street.
He was a sweet guy who found us last fall, & has been dining on our front porch.
We kept saying that we need to get him fixed & find a home for him, but never were able to find a place for him.

We'll miss you, bud.

Who Expects The Spanish Inquisition

more graph humor and song chart memes

Things I may say to myself

more graph humor

Children Can Send Marriage Into Downward Spiral

File this under things we already knew.

Florida, Land of Idiots?

LAND 'O LAKES, Fla. -- A substitute teacher in Pasco County has lost his job after being accused of wizardry.

Teacher Jim Piculas does a magic trick where a toothpick disappears and then reappears.

Piculas recently did the 30-second trick in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes.

Piculas said he then got a call from the supervisor of teachers, saying he'd been accused of wizardry.

"I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, 'Jim, we have a huge issue, you can't take any more assignments you need to come in right away,'" he said.

Piculas said he did not know f any other accusations that would have led to the action.

The teacher said he is concerned that the incident may prevent him from getting future jobs.

Goose Throwdown

That's one pissed off goose!

More Schrodinger

Waiting..

For Mom.
I'm sure she'll bring treats!

Words to live by

"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history–with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila."

(Mitch Radcliffe)

Somethin' I can do for you?

Ever wonder..

Why it's called Yellowstone?

Geico Collections Agent

Hillary Says She 'Misspoke' About Wrestling Bin Laden

Courtesy of The Huffington Post

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who has been accused in recent days of padding her foreign policy resume while First Lady, admitted today that she may have exaggerated about an encounter she said she had with al-Qaeda terror mastermind Osama bin Laden in 1998.

In an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Sen. Clinton told host Tim Russert, "I wrestled bin Laden in his cave in 1998 and had him pinned to the ground before the bastard got away."

But a review of Sen. Clinton's official White House schedule from that period revealed that the then-First Lady was nowhere in the vicinity of Mr. bin Laden on that day, but was instead greeting a group of honor roll students at Disney World in Orlando.

"I may have misspoke about what went on that particular day," Sen. Clinton said today. "But it was a very busy time for me, what with having that knife-fight with Kim Jong-Il and all."

Reporters peppered Sen. Clinton's new press spokesman with questions about another purported exploit of hers, in which the senator claimed that she and a ragtag team of blue-collar drillers deflected an asteroid on a collision course with the Earth.

"Everything Hillary Clinton says is true," said her new spokesman, the author James Frey.

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com.

Abs of Steel

From The Joy of Tech:

It's a team effort

Des chatons s'amusent avec le papier toilette - Video

Partial conversations...

As I entered the elevator yesterday, heading out from work, two guys got off on our floor.
As the door closed, I heard one of them tell the other, "They keep the baby delivering machines down in the basement."

I may not know what a baby delivering machine is, but I'm pretty sure that we don't have any in our offices.

Big Brother Cast Member Fired Over Autism "Retards" Comment

It's good to see the United Autism Foundation taking this stand & doing the right thing.

From the New York Post:

THE "Big Brother" contestant who stirred up a controversy when he called autistic children "retards," has been fired from his job.

But Adam Jasinski, who worked for the United Autism Foundation, doesn't know he's been canned.

He is sequestered in the "Big Brother" house in LA, cut off from contact with the outside world, in keeping with the show's rules.

The foundation announced his firing on its Web site yesterday.

At least one advertiser (Lowes) pulled out of the show following the public outcry over the crude remark and several autism groups even called for CBS to cancel the reality series because producers chose to air the remark in an edited version of the program.

Desktop Zen - Reducing Visual Clutter on your (PC) Desktop

I found this to be an inspiring piece, even if it is almost two years old.

The idea being to go from this:

to something more like this:

Guess that locks up the Pregnancy/Cravings vote!

Ben & Jerry's founders endorse Obama

BURLINGTON, Vt. - The founders of Ben & Jerry's endorsed Barack Obama on Monday, and lent his Vermont campaign two "ObamaMobiles" that will tour the state and give away scoops of "Cherries for Change" ice cream.
If there was ever a need for real change, and if there ever was a candidate to inspire us and make that happen, it's now," said Ben Cohen.
Added Jerry Greenfield: "Barack is showing that when you lead with your values and follow what you have inside that good things will happen."
Echoing Obama, Greenfield said he and Cohen succeeded when they opened their ice cream shop 30 years ago in Burlington by doing things differently, instead of copying the "tired ways" of doing business.
"What we saw is that when you want real change it's not a marketing slogan. You have to do things differently. And that is not going to be done by someone who's been involved in the system for years and years," Greenfield said. "It needs to come from inside and Barack Obama has it."
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and his wife joined the ice cream duo to announce their radio campaign backing the Illinois senator.
Cohen initially supported John Edwards, who dropped out of the race earlier this month.
Rob Hill, director of the Vermonters for Obama campaign, said he looked forward to getting behind the wheel of one of the two ObamaMobiles — retrofitted Honda Elements.

And people will be eating Ben & Jerry's at campaign headquarters, either to celebrate their victory, or to smother their depression!

US Humane Society to honor boy who died saving pets

NEW YORK (AFP) -

The Humane Society of the United States, the leading US animal welfare organization, is to honor a New York boy who died last year after going back into his blazing home to rescue his pets.
The organization was to present the Circle of Compassion award on Saturday to Thomas and Maria Monahan, whose nine-year-old son Tommy was overcome by smoke last December after trying to save his pet dog, lizard and fish.
The award recognizes and honors individuals who have performed an act of significant courage or compassion to assist an animal in need.
Tommy and his family initially escaped from the fire in their New York home. "But when Tommy realized that his beloved pets were still inside, he broke away from his mother and ran back into the flames," the society said.
"An avid lover of animals and nature, he did what was in his heart and tried to rescue the animals who were so dear to him," it added.
The organization did not say whether any of the animals survived the blaze.

How many of us would have acted quickly & selflessly for our companion animals?
I think that we all would want to, but as "grown ups" would have stopped to weigh the consequences of our actions, & perhaps thought twice, or thrice, about running into the danger.

Evolution, anyone?

What do the non-evolutionist candidates say about things like this?

Meet Lisa the geep... a cross between a goat and a sheep.
She was born after an unscheduled amorous encounter on the farm of Klaus Exsternbrink, in Schwerte, in northern Germany's Ruhr Valley. One of his young billy goats leapt over a fence and had a passionate liaison with a ewe.

Study: Biofuels Can Be Bad

More evidence is piling up that biofuels may not be the boon to energy resources that they've been touted to be.

In recent years, studies have pointed out several potential problems with using biofuels, such as ethanol, as energy sources. Some research has indicated it may take more energy to make the ethanol than it would ultimately provide as a fuel. Some types of ethanol when burned may not cut down on the release of greenhouse gases as much as was hoped. And devoting more land to growing biofuel crops can strain water resources, other studies have found.

The gist of the studies seem to be that the creation of most biofuels takes more energy than it saves, that the clearing of land for plant resources releases large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere... .

And let's not forget how much food prices have gone up, at least in the USA, due to the higher demand for ethanol (primarily from corn), & it's higher cost (Thanks, GW).

Another human rights breakthrough!

In a legal breakthrough, a court in Stockholm has ruled that Swedish lesbians cannot be stopped from buying puppies.

The victory for equal puppy rights came in the appeals court, which upheld an earlier ruling which awarded damages to a lesbian who was refused service when trying to buy a puppy at a kennel.
The woman had been trying to buy a puppy at the kennel in Värmdö, a suburb of Stockholm, after the kennel owner had placed an advert in the paper. Things all seemed to be going well – until the woman mentioned that she and her partner would have plenty of time to care for the dog.
It emerged that the woman's partner was also a woman, at which point the kennel owner (another woman) called the sale off, The Local reports.
The kennel owner explained that this was because she didn't trust homosexuals, because she'd read that transvestites were connected to animal pornography. Which doesn't mae any sense, but there you go.
The puppyless lesbian reported the case to HomO, the Swedish Ombudsman against Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation, which sent the case to the courts.
The confused anti-lesbian kennel owner has now been ordered to pay £1,580 (20,000 kronor) in damages, and £3,560 (45,000 kronor) in HomO's legal fees.

What a let down.

They say you hurt the ones you love.
Well, I've been hurt.
I have a mouse in the kitchen...

And I have nine cats.
So, yeah, I've been hurt.

Catcam Fritz

My name is Fritz and I live at 23 Cat Street. My mistress is an artist, and now it's my turn to show what I can do. Since September 2007 we've owned a Mr-Lee-Catcam — bought as a kit and assembled by Thomi and DuD.

Check out Fritz's gallery to see all of the places he's been around town!

It gets worse?

Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse

If your spouse already bugs you now, the future is bleak. New research suggests couples view one another as even more irritating and demanding the longer they are together… .

Swede Kicks Bichon Frisé to Death

Can you believe this guy?
And that he's claiming self-defense?

Swede Kicks Bichon Frisé to Death
January 15, 2008
Unfortunately, even violence takes place against dogs here in Sweden. Aftonbladet reports this evening that a Bichon Frisé called Ronja was kicked to death by a 51-year-old man who claims he acted in self-defense.
The incident occurred earlier this summer in a holiday area called Grovstanäs, just north of Stockholm.
11-year-old Bichon Frisé Ronja and 9-month-old pup Findus were playing about on the lawn outside Cecilia Lindqvist and Morgan Svensson’s cottage.
An unnamed 51-year old male approached with his own dog, a dalmatian. Findus, ran out to the road and barked at the man.
According to Morgan Svensson the man ordered him to control his dogs and threated to kick them if he didn’t or set his own dog on them.
Ronja then came down to the road to investigate. Svensson told the man to leave his property but the man kicked Ronja in the stomach, kicking her into the air before leaving.
Svensson acted promptly, putting Ronja in his car and driving to the vet.
“But she died on the way. She looked at me and then closed her eyes,” Svensson told Aftonbladet.
The 51-year-old is now being charged with animal cruelty. He denies the charge, instead, claiming he acted in self-defense and was only trying to protect himself and his dog.
Source: Aftonbladet

High heels 'improve sex life'

This just in:
High heels 'improve sex life'

Wearing higher heels may improve women's sex life, according to an Italian doctor.
Dr Maria Cerruto says 2ins high heels can help improve pelvic floor muscles, reports the BBC.
Dr Cerruto, a urologist and self-professed lover of high heels, set out to prove they were not as bad for women's health as some suggest.
Her study of 66 women under 50 found those who held their foot at a 15 degree angle to the ground - the equivalent of a two inch heel - had as good posture as those who wore flat shoes.
And, crucially, they showed less electrical activity in their pelvic muscles suggesting they were at an optimum position, which could improve their strength and ability to contract.
Pelvic floor muscles assist sexual performance and satisfaction, and also provide vital support to the pelvic organs, which include the bladder, bowels and uterus.
But they often weaken after pregnancy and childbirth, and as women get older.
Dr Cerruto said: "Women often have difficulty in carrying out the right exercises for the pelvic zone and wearing heels could be the solution.
"Like many women, I like high-heeled shoes," she added. "It's good to know they have potential health benefits."

That must be why all the girls keep them on in porn movies... .

Blue Sky's

I remember trying one of these a while back & liking it, so when I saw the 8 oz. can for under $2.00, I grabbed one.

And it holds up pretty well.
The flavor is a generic berry taste, with just a little zing to it.
Ingredients:

• FILTERED CARBONATED WATER
• SUCROSE
• GLUCOSE
• CITRIC ACID
• NATURAL FLAVORS
• TAURINE
• SODIUM CITRATE
• GRAPE SKIN EXTRACT (COLOR)
• GINSENG EXTRACT
• L-CARNITINE
• NATURAL CAFFEINE
• ASCORBIC ACID
• NIACINAMIDE [B3]
• SODIUM CHLORIDE
• INOSITOL
• GLUCURONOLACTONE
• PYRIDOXINE HCI [B6]
• RIBOFLAVIN [B2]
• MALTODEXTRIN
• CYANOCOBALAMIN [B12].

They score extra points for using sucrose & glucose (instead of corn syrup), & for using a natural source of caffeine (probably the kola nut).
At 90mgs, the caffeine level is a little low compared to most energy drinks, which come in around 135 to 200mgs.
In that regard, it's more like a good strong cup of coffee, but with the added B vitamins to get the brain going.

I'd have to say it's a close second to the Sobe Adrenalin Rush for me.

But does it taste like chicken?

Presenting the Elephant-shrew.

This undated handout photo from the California Academy of Sciences received January 31 shows a rare new species of mammal, a shrew-like creature called a grey-faced sengi, living in a small community in remote Tanzania. Sengis -- small, furry, insect-eating mammals that live on forest floors -- are also called elephant-shrews.
(AFP/California Academy of Sciences/Francesco Rovero)

Words to live by...

In my spam....

Get a new huge colossal rod by clicking here

Us vs Them

Sasha Cohen: I Am a Fucking Olympian, Dickwad

Midwestern man, about woman spinning in center of ice rink: Awww, someone's reflecting on times passed.
New Yorker: Look at that chick in the middle -- thinks she's a fuckin' Olympian! [Yells at her] Nice work, retard!

--Rockefeller Center

via Overheard in New York, Jan 29, 2008

Something new...

This has been taunting me at the local Gas Station for a while now, so I thought I'd give it a try, instead of my usual Sobe Adrenaline Rush.
Upshot is a 2.5 ounce energy drink with 200mg caffeine — sounds good... .
Okay.. took me more thatn five minutes just to get the bottle open — that's not a good sign.

Flavor: Mocha
Ingredients: Proprietary Methylxanthine Blend - PytoXan (Proprietary blend of plant-based methylxanthines-Caffiene, Theobromine, Theophyline, from Guarana Seed extract, Green Tea extract, Kola Nut extract and USP caffeine anahydrous)
Other Ingredients: Water, Liquid Sucrose, El Salvadorian Coffee Extract, Chocolate Extract, Vanilla, Natural Flavors, Natural Gums, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (to preserve flavor).

Smell:
Like a chocolaty NyQuil (hmmm....)

Since it's only 2.5 ounces, it's gonna go down quickly (also because of the NyQuil thing...

Note to self, "Don't buy this again!"

I can't quite describe the taste.. maybe like the cheapest chocolate liqueur available in the third world, & the conveyor belt at the factory must go past bags of coffee beans, so it that gets an idea of what it's supposed to taste of.

Live and Learn!

Update: It may taste pretty bad, but it definitely got the job done, & I am just bouncing off the walls!
But I stil won't buy it again. Maybe it should be labeled, "For emergency use only."

Question of the Day

If your health insurance covers check ups,
why doesn't your car insurance cover oil changes?

The atheist's nightmare: the banana

These guys are way on out there.. Probably Huckabee supporters!

From the Youtube page:

Kirk Cameron learns why the design of such a well-thought-out fruit PROVES that 'God' is responsible for all of creation. Surely He made the banana with humans in mind. Surely He wanted us to drink daquiris, too.
Also, how does this guy explain the artichoke?

Headline of the Day

Hot Shooting Tide Women Beat 'Cocks!

Man Leaves Toddler In Van, Goes To Strip Club

You wouldn't want him to take the kid in, would you?

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. -- Prosecutors in Wisconsin are considering charges after a Twin Cities man allegedly left his 1½-year-old son in a van outside a strip club for several hours... .

Loans that change lives

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

And we're off to a wonderful start here in the U.S.

A sampling of headlines from FoxNews.com this evening:

• Arizona Beauty Queen Charged With Kidnapping, Torturing Ex-Boyfriend
• Colorado Police Arrest Suspect in Single Bullet Killing of Woman, Girl at New Year's Eve Party
• U.S. Navy Sailors Found Dead in Ghana Hotel Room
• Two Tennessee Teens Charged With Fatally Shooting Foster Mother
• Manhunt for Father Suspected of Killing Teen Girls
• Illinois Man Accused of Setting Apartment Fire That Killed Pregnant Daughter, Her Family

Gonna be a banner year!

Don't Fear Starbucks

Why the franchise actually helps mom and pop coffeehouses.

Strange as it sounds, the best way to boost sales at your independently owned coffeehouse may just be to have Starbucks move in next-door.

Family's Dog Saves 5-year-old from Cancer

Hooray for Phoebe!

5-year-old Kendall Sendall is a little camera shy and so is her best friend Phoebe, a 6-year-old Australian Shepherd. But luckily Phoebe wasn't shy about something else.

“She decided she wanted to be an inside dog,” Heidi Sendall, Kendall’s mother, said.

And that was Sendall's first clue that something wasn't right. Every time Phoebe came inside she went straight for Kendall, who at the time was 3.

“As soon as I would walk in the room she would place her paw on the baby,” Heidi said. “Kendall kept sleeping, so she kept pulling us and when she was awake she would actually pull her to us.”

The Sendall’s called the doctor. Heidi says she was told, ”Don't worry about it. It's an ear infection we'll write a prescription.”

But the doctor in Phoebe knew it was something else and she started to get more adamant.

“She came in and kept putting her paws up on us and biting us and pulling at our clothing,” Heidi said. “It wasn't any of the other children, just specifically Kendall, and pulling her or me to each other so we would meet, like there's something wrong, look at the baby. She actually ripped some of my sweatshirts. She was that desperate.”

Heidi got the picture after three days of pestering from Phoebe and took Kendall to the emergency room. The diagnosis was acute leukemia.

“It had gotten into her joints already,” Heidi said.

Phoebe knew it all along.

Kendall is now just a normal, healthy 5-year-old. The cancer is in remission, thanks to her family pet.

Phoebe was honored by the Franklin County Humane Society. They presented her with a trophy and gave the family $700 to help with Kendall’s medical expenses. They also decided not to exchange gifts among the staff members, and instead spent that money to buy everyone in the Sendall family, including Phoebe, a Christmas present.

Phoebe is now a permanent member of the family who sleeps inside with Kendall, who she is still watching over.

“She's never left her side since,” Heidi said.

Online office suites

Zoho
ThinkFree
Ajax13

All garnered from Time Magazine's © list of the top 50 sites of 2007.

West Virginia....

'Nuf said!

So, a Wolf Walks into a Bar...

A wolf walked into a packed bar in Italy, ate a steak sandwich and walked out again.

The wolf strolled into the bar at Villetta Barrea, near to the Abruzzo national park, and helped itself to a steak sandwich from a table.

Bar owner Giacinto Lorenzo, 43, said: "It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it really happened.

"Everyone here knows what a wolf looks like and there was no mistaking this beast for a big dog. It was one of the wolves from the national park.

"It looked pretty thin and we guess it must have been suffering with the recent cold weather and the snow.

"Everyone was so frightened we couldn't move for about five minutes afterwards, but the wolf just sauntered out as if it was the most normal thing in the world."

Whoops!

When something was mentioned earlier today about some big meeting happening after lunch, I made the connection that it was for the whole staff... .
Imagine my surprise when there were only six (senior) people at the table.
And, of course, once you realize that, it's too late to get out gracefully.
So two hours later, here I am back at doing some work before.

Since it's two weeks until that meeting happens again, hopefully no one will think to ask where ol' what's-his-name is.

In charge

I'll decide what we watch today, thank you very much!
Maybe that songbird special on Animal Planet...

Uber Geeky Watch

The Pilot Watch with slide rule!
This watch from Torgoen will allow you to step back in time a little bit. Featuring a circular slide rule that can solve time, distance and speed equations, it can also perform a wide variety of calculations. These include currency conversions, multiplication and division and any conversion of a linear nature such as ounces to grams, kilograms to pounds, miles to kilometers, etc.

Once before an undergrad surveying class, my calculator bit the dust, & I showed up to take the final exam with an actual slide rule (which I still have). After my prof got over his initial shock, he was at least a little impressed that someone actually knew how to use one.
If that watch wasn't so expensive, it'd be fun to have.

Who uses an odd number of batteries??

So, I've got a wireless keyboard & mouse (Microsoft) that I use with one of the machines in my office, & whenever I have to change the batteries in the keyboard I'm amazed that it takes three of them.
This is especially a nuisance since my battery charging unit works in pairs of batteries.

I feel sure that MS planned it this way, because they love to cause frustration... .

When I'm reincarnated

This is where I want to be!

A pig called Babe is living a charmed life on a private island in the Bahamas.

Fun coloring books for your kids (or grandkids)!

Each available as a handy downloadable PDF file!
You & the kids will have hours of educational fun while you're in the car going to visit relatives this holiday season!

Disaster Preparedness
Food Safety with Thermy™
Why Elephants Cry
Biomedical Research with the Lucky Puppy
and the ever popular Making firearms safety fun

Bender's Big Score

On shelves now! The straight to DVD Futurama feature movie!

The film features return appearances by many of the recurring and one-shot characters in the series. Several of the notable ones include: the Nibblonians, Fry's dog Seymour, Barbados Slim, Robot Santa, the God space entity, Al Gore (played by himself), and Coolio as Kwanzaa-bot. It also introduces Mark Hamill as the Chanukah Zombie, a character mentioned by Kwanzaa-bot in an earlier episode.

Bender's Big Score and the three follow-up films will be turned into season five of Futurama on Comedy Central, each film comprising four episodes of the broadcast season.

It is the holiday eating season, after all...

Earth's tropics belt expands
WASHINGTON - Earth's tropical belt seems to have expanded a couple hundred miles over the past quarter century, which could mean more arid weather for some already dry subtropical regions, new climate research shows.

It's official!

I've had my fill of Christmas music.

One hungry cat!

That is one starvin' little guy!

Puppy promises

Some thoughtful & (surprisingly) good advice from local media on the best way to adopt a new puppy into your home.

On the House

There has to be some way to generate energy from the heat being stored up, right?

Such a good little helper.

The warm, clean laundry has no chance to escape now!

Let's Hear it for Totalitarianism!

Another university student is causing a stir by publishing an already widely circulated image on his Facebook page.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Regent University law student says school officials have threatened to discipline him for posting an unflattering photo of founder Pat Robertson on his Facebook page.

Adam M. Key, 23, posted on the social-networking Web site a picture of Regent's chancellor and president making what appears to be an obscene gesture. Key copied it from a YouTube video in which Robertson scratches his face with his middle finger.

=============================
Regent officials gave Key two choices: publicly apologize for posting the picture and refrain from commenting about the matter in a “public medium,” or write a brief defending the posting. He faces punishment that could include expulsion.

Key, a second-year law student, said he refused to apologize and “be muzzled” by the university, so he composed the document, which includes citations from noted First Amendment cases.

Pat Robertson, not for the first time in his career, is quick to show how open his so-called Christian heart really is, and how little he apparently cares for the First Amendment when it doesn't suit his particular needs.
I suppose he isn't savvy enough to realize that by making even the slightest issue of it, more people than ever will see the image he wishes to hide — with every view of the news articles, with every view of a blog entry written about it, more users will surf over to Youtube, or Facebook to see for themselves, and realize what a little man Pat Robertson is.

Why Men Don't Write Advice Columns

Walter's Problem Page

Dear Walter:
I hope you can help me here. The other day I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't gone more than a few hundred yards down the road when my engine conked out and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help. When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was parading in front of the wardrobe mirror dressed in my underwear and high-heel shoes, and he was wearing my make up.
I am 32, my husband is 34 and we have been married for twelve years. When I confronted him, he tried to make out that he had dressed in my lingerie because he couldn't find his own underwear. But when I asked him about the make up, he broke down and admitted that he'd been wearing my clothes for six months. I told him to stop or I would leave him. He was let go from his job six months ago and he says he has been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. I don't feel I can get through to him anymore.

Can you please help?
Sincerely,
Norma

---

Dear Norma:
A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine.
Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line.
If it is clear, check the jubilee clips holding the vacuum pipes onto the inlet manifold.
If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the carburetor float chamber.

I hope this helps.

Walter

Thermodynamic Law Party: Campaign Headquarters

They get my vote!
Thermodynamic Law Party

Goals and Strategy
Our goal is to elect a Thermodynamic Law Party ticket to the office of the President of the United States of America in the year 2004. We also hope to get as many candidates elected to House and Senate positions as possible in order to help bring about the problem-free, "Make Sense" government that the Thermodynamics-orientated approach promises. To those goals, our candidates are running in local elections all across our nation, to help spread awareness of what a government based on the Laws of Thermodynamics can do for the people. After our assured win in 2004, our party will branch out to all the Democracies of the World, and work to forge new Democracies where once there was only oppression. The new Millennium will see a flourishing of freedom and self-realization amongst the peoples of the World. And it will be brought forth by governments by the people, for the people, and based on sound Thermodynamic principles.

Genetic untangling.

Tests help mutt owners find identity

For years, owners have been able to get dogs tested to prove they are the offspring of parents that breeders said they were. In the new testing, DNA markers that help tell breeds apart are checked against the thousands of DNA samples to find out Fido's ancestry.

A new test unveiled late last month by Virginia-based Mars Veterinary uses DNA from blood samples taken by veterinarians and sent to a lab in Lincoln. Within four to six weeks the genetic puzzle is solved for the dogs' owners.

The method can test for 134 of the 157 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. The company plans to have data for all the breeds by the end of this year, said Paul Jones, a scientist in England who led the method's development.

Criminal Mastermind of the Day

Man jailed for trying to pass $1M bill

PITTSBURGH - Change for a million? That's what a man was seeking Saturday when he handed a $1 million bill to a cashier at a Pittsburgh supermarket. But when the Giant Eagle employee refused and a manager confiscated the bogus bill, the man flew into a rage, police said.

Just cute cats

From slideshare.net

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Headline of the Day

Trouser snake kills Cambodian man.

OMG

As I was leaving the grocery store last night, I actually heard a girl talking on her cell phone say, "ROFL".
I wanted to walk over & slap the shit out of her — STHOOH.

Lead and Other Dangerous Chemicals Found in Chinese-Made Wal-Mart Pet Toys

Lead and Other Dangerous Chemicals Found in Chinese-Made Wal-Mart Pet Toys

ConsumerAffairs.com hired ExperTox Analytical Laboratory in Texas to test four imported toys for pets — two for dogs and two for cats — for heavy metals and other toxins.

One of the dog toys — a latex one that looks like a green monster — tested positive for what the lab’s toxicologist said are high levels of lead and the cancer-producing agent chromium.

Excuse me sir..

I'll need to see your license & registration.

One of the cutest dogs ever?

Ivy just has a great face for the camera, don't you think?
And she's oh-so full of herself!

Opposites really do attract

I have a student at the gym, who's trained with us for about a year now, who works for the D.A.'s office.
I just found out recently that his wife is a professor or Ethics!

And who can blame him, really?

Tennis star serves up a treat that mesmerises ballboy.

Suggestion from a friend on this Labor Day

While we were chatting online:

they should change the name of labor day

to rich bastards and politicians day

since they and the unemployed are the only ones not working

Subject Line of the Day

Monster erectile power
I'm not sure I even want to picture that... .

It's about Damn Time!

AFRICAN FAMILY ADOPTS BRITNEY SPEARS’ CHILDREN

Lilongwe, Malawi– Citing a desire to assist children growing up in some of the most dire circumstances imaginable, a family from the African nation of Malawi has adopted Britney Spears’ and Kevin Federline’s sons. “It would be selfish for us, who know how to wear underwear and don’t have delusions that we can rap, to do nothing while children grow up like this,” said Joseph N’Kai, a nomadic farmer with seven children who earned $387 last year.

The World's Ugliest Cars

A recent survey selects the worst designed cars of all time.
The top pick?
The AMC Pacer

HSUS Animal Fighting & Cruelty Campaign

Vote in the Knock Out Animal Fighting Video Contest.

We've chosen three stand-out submissions from an impressive pool of responses to our Knock Out Animal Fighting Video Contest. Now it's your turn to help us choose a winner!
Take a few minutes to watch all three super-short videos and then scroll to the bottom of the page to cast your vote for Heavyweight Champion for the Animals. Voting ends at midnight on Aug. 30, 2007, so vote now and tell your friends.

Happy Birthday?

So, the missus turns the big five-o next week.

And, she's "late".
She's still within the range of not being "too" late, but wouldn't that be a surprise present?

Someone's going to have fun!

I went to the grocery store across the street at lunch today to get some allergy medicine...
The guy in front of me at the checkout had:

• a bottle of Cold Duck
• a bottle of white wine
• a box of club crackers
• a block of cheese
• a can of Reddi Whip

I understand everything except the Cold Duck..

Winter's coming!

And you wouldn't want those lovelies to get too chilled, would you?
And don't forget the matching G-String!

Too Exciting?

Martial-Arts Masters Meet in 'Forbidden Kingdom'

Jet Li & Jackie Chan, acting together in a Martial Arts movie!
What martial arts enthusiasts have waited years to see, & it's hard to imagine either one of them being involved in a bad movie about the Monkey King.

For all the cube dwellers

This will almost certainly spice up your day a little (SFW).

American Mathematics

I was out & about during lunch the other day, so I just went to the drive through at a popular fast food place.
My total was $3.20, & I handed the (blond) girl at the window $3.00, then dug around for some change & handed her 20 cents.
At which point she seemed a little confused, & said, "So I owe you a dollar?"
....
"It was $3.20, right?"
"Yeah," she said.
"I gave you $3.00, then change... ."
"So, how much do I owe you?"
............
"You don't owe me anything," I tried to say without too much exasperation.
"Oh, thanks!"

And just think, she really could grow up to be a president of the same caliber as the one we have now.

Just call him "Brownie"

Federal mine safety official's credentials questioned

(Richard) Stickler used to be a mining executive who - according to various media reports - ran mines which had several fatalities and "...an incident rate that was often twice the national average."

So, let me get this straight.
The Bush administration wanted to appoint someone without the qualifications to do the job, perhaps because of political & family connections?
And after eight years we're surprised by this?

My Interest in Video Games

Has suddenly renewed itself!

Memo shows mine already had roof problems in March

Salt Lake Tribune

Operators at the Crandall Canyon mine experienced serious structural problems in the mine in March and entirely abandoned work in an area about 900 feet from where six miners remained trapped Saturday.

A memo obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune shows that mine owners were trying to work around "poor roof conditions" before halting mining of the northern tunnels in early March after a "large bump occurred . . . resulting in heavy damage" in those tunnels.

Perhaps Bob Murray isn't the wonderfully sensitive & caring mine owner that he wants to be seen as on TV... . What a shocker!
And, even more shocking, he's an energy executive who likes to flex his political muscle.

"Mitch McConnell calls me one of the five finest men in America, and last time I checked he was sleeping with your boss," Murray told the inspectors, referring to the senior GOP senator from Kentucky. The quote was repeated in an Oct. 2006 Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader article on McConnell's political influence.