Every Monday I like to post some music to start the week off on the right foot.
This week is Ida Maria – I Like You So Much Better When You`re Naked.
And December II Chapter VII – Taken By Cars
News stories the mainstream media missed : 03/06/10
Here are some news stories from this week that I think the mainstream media completely missed out on. All links are from legitimate news sources and not the fringe / wacko sites.
* Campbells is a bunch of scheming bastiches! “An ABC investigation shows Campbell’s “Healthy Request” and “Low Sodium” tomato soups contain the same nutrients and exact same amount of sodium as regular tomato soups, but [the healthy request] costs more.” So it’s the 100% same product, just more expensive if you want the “healthy” sticker on the can? RIP! OFF! [CONSUMERIST]
* Forget the cows. There’s methane coming out of the Arctic on an insane scale. “7 teragrams of methane are currently being released annually from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf. That’s about equal to the amount of methane that is annually released from the rest of the world’s oceans combined, and much more than was previously believed to be released from that part of the Arctic…. the levels in the Arctic now average about 1.85 parts per million, the highest level in 400,000 years.”” OK, whether you believe in global warming or not, this methane release IS happening. So how about putting aside the bickering on whose clipboard is bigger and try to solve this 100% increase in methane before we all keel over? 400,000 years is not a statistic to be ignored. [NSF.GOV]
* Speaking of changes happening on the Earth, Venezuela has had no lightning at all this year. From a standard 20,000 bolts per 9 hour show every single night to absolutely none. The really trippy part? It might have been the result of the recent earthquake in Chile! “The last time the phenomenon vanished was in 1906 after a catastrophic 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia unleashed a tsunami.” [GUARDIAN.UK]
* Another week, another mega financial crisis is getting underway. Just keep moving. Nothing to see here folks. [ABCNEWS]
* Drag racing Naval ships? Oh hell yes! Put that on SPIKE TV right before UFC! The headline says “A Navy captain was demoted because she berated and assaulted her crew, not because she led her guided missile cruiser on a drag-race with another U.S. warship in the Pacific” Wait, yelling at enlisted personnel of lower rank in the military is now a bad thing? [GOOGLE NEWS]
* Speaking of military news, the department of the Navy might be renamed to”Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.” Why you ask? “Families of Marines killed in action receive condolence letters from the secretary of the Navy, with no mention of the Marine Corps in the letterhead. Proponents of the bill want to change this.” Guys? You’re solving the wrong problem here. [THE HILL]
* One last military news bit. Dogs serving in the military that are coming back from the war are exhibiting PTSD just like some soldiers. Enough with these damn wars! Operation GTFO needs to start right now! [WSJ]
* Why aren’t people moving to where the jobs are? Apparently they’re trapped in a vicious cycle. “One in four homeowners is trapped in their house because they owe more than the house is worth, so they can’t move to take another job — until they sell or walk away.” Catch-22 anyone? [BUSINESS INSIDER]
* Praising kids all the time? Giving everyone who was in a contest ribbons and trophies and saying they’re all winners regardless of the outcome? Turns out it’s bad for them! More stupid baby boomer feel-good BS finally exposed for what it is! [NYMAG]
* Are you sitting down? Well don’t! Sitting down at your job is horribly bad for you! [NY TIMES]
* Want to pay for your waiter’s healthcare? That’s what the San Francisco restaurant industry hopes. They are tacking on a surcharge to each restaurant bill to help pay for their employee’s healthcare plans. What’s next? Rent surcharge? An electricity usage fee? [CHICAGO TRIBUNE]
* The managers at AIG are furious! Furious at the nerve that the American taxpayers want their money back! A manager summarized it all by saying… “To be honest with you, I really hope it blows up. I think the U.S. taxpayer deserves to lose a trillion dollars over this thing for the way they have behaved.” I like to think I’m a reasonable guy. But I think we need to get someone like good old “two fingers” Vinnie to go have a chat with AIG executives about the money they owe us. [WASHINGTON POST]
* OK, take a deep breath before you read this one. Ready? Here goes… “Extra small condoms for boys as young as 12” will be on sale soon in Britain because “not enough 12 to 14-year-old boys were having protected sex.” Wow. Where to begin with this? I’ve said it earlier in this post, but how about… Solving! The! Wrong! Problem! [DAILYMAIL.UK]
* ABC News is going to “Close all of its physical bureaus around the country except Washington and halve the number of its domestic correspondents.” Dude! So why bother calling it ABC News? Just pull an MTV and drop the extra title you don’t need anymore! News. Psssh. Who needs that crap? [LA TIMES]
* Got a bomb of a movie? Get a bad review? No worries! Variety will re-rate your movie for just $400,000! [GAWKER]
* USPS – no more Saturday mail? $10 BILLION in debt? Shorting their retirees to make ends meet? Maybe because nobody uses postal mail anymore? Can I possibly end this with one more question? [CNN]
* And finally, the Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid concept gets 78 mpg and hits 62 mph in 3.2 seconds. Vanity license plate BOO YAH not included. [AUTOBLOG]
That’s all for this week. Have a great weekend everyone!
You know you’re in cowboy country when…
You know you’re in cowboy country when… you find the Cowboy Country Federal Credit Union!
Cowboy County Credit Union
I reckon I need ta git mah spurs on afore I mosey on in thar.
4 hour business road trip today. Photos to follow.
I had a surprise 4 hour business road trip today. It was beautiful 75 degree Texas weather today and just a few clouds rolling in near the end of the drive.
I got some good photos to post, but right now this is gonna have to do….
Clouds on 030410
Recall : T. Marzetti Veggie Dips, Oak Lake Chip Dips and Great Value Chip Dips
Ever since I found out that I have a very nasty “visit your local ER” allergy to a particular food item, I’m always on the lookout for notifications and recalls that target the foods most people chow down every day.
Back on the 1st of this month, the T. Marzetti Company announced they are immediately recalling their… “Veggie Dips, Oak Lake Chip Dips and Great Value Chip Dips because an ingredient used in the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.”
The big long list of what’s being recalled follows….
“Products subject to this recall that were distributed nationwide in the United States under the T. Marzetti brand in plastic tubs and sold in the produce section include:
* T. Marzetti Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip, 15.5 ounce (UPC 70200 52004)
Best By dates: APR2010F, APR2810F, MAY1610F, MAY3110F, JUN0610F, JUN1410F, JUN1910F
* T. Marzetti Fat Free Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip, 13 ounce (UPC 70200 52033)
Best By dates: MAY1610F, MAY3010F, JUN0810F, JUN1210F, JUN2510F
* T. Marzetti Spinach Veggie Dip, 15 ounce (UPC 70200 52059)
Best By dates: APR1910F, MAY0910F, JUN0710F
Products subject to this recall distributed in Canada and Laredo, Texas, under the T. Marzetti brand in plastic tubs and sold in the produce section include:
* T. Marzetti Spinach Veggie Dip, Epinards, Trempette A Legumes, 340 gram (UPC 70200 58843)
Best By dates: 10AL11F, 10AL17F, 10AL24F, 10AL30F, 10MA08F, 10JN12F
* T. Marzetti Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip, Ranch style sud-ouest americain Trempette A Legumes, 340 gram (UPC 70200 58844)
Best By dates: 10AL17F, 10AL24F, 10AL30F, 10MA08F, 10JN05F, 10JN14F
Product subject to this recall distributed in Ohio under the Oak Lake Farms Brand in plastic tubs and sold in the refrigerated case includes:
* Oak Lake Farms French Onion Chip Dip, 16 ounce (UPC 73534 43480)
Best By dates: APR2310F, JUN1110F, JUN2610F
Product distributed in the United States under the Great Value brand in plastic tubs and sold in the refrigerated section includes:
* Great Value Ranch Chip Dip, 16 ounce (UPC 78742 43099)
Best By dates: 042810F, 050810F, 052910F, 053010F, 053110F, 060410F, 060510F, 061110F”
Toss ’em if you got ’em!
Recall : Castella Chicken Soup
Looks like Castella Chicken Soup had to be recalled because of some good old fashioned Salmonella contamination!
The affected items are…
“Castella Chicken Soup Base 1 lb. is packaged in an opaque plastic jar with a white cap, a gold seal, a light yellow label, and UPC code 7 50144 33000 5. The recalled lots are: 0912039918, 1001121915, 1002013074, and 1002194266. The expiration dates for the lots affected are 12-3-2010 through 2-28-2011.”
There’s an industrial-sized version of the soup being affected by the recall too.
“Castella Chicken Soup Base 25 lb. is packed in an all white bucket, a yellow label, and UPC code 7 501144 3320 9. The recalled lots are: 0911259508, 0911259508A, 0912150738, 0912180973, 0912211087, 1001192342, 1001282925, 1002194267. The expiration dates for the lots affected are 11-25-2010 through 2-28-2011.”
And just because Salmonella looooooves you so much, it will give you… “fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. [And] in rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.”
Fun!
Money Soap Followup
Waaaaay back in 2009, I got a bar of Money Soap… Money In Every Bar!
Well, I recently got it to the point where I finally get to what was inside!
Money Soap Followup 1
Ahhhh money money money money money. I already had big plans for that $50! And if it happened to be a $20, well, that was OK too.
Money Soap Followup 2
It was wrapped inside and coiled tight. I pulled off the cling wrap, carefully peeled off the supporting tape and….
Money Soap Followup 3
….a dollar.
Let me try that again… a dollar! Woo hoo!!
Hey, it was $1 more than I woke up with. And besides, that couple of months was still much better than playing the lottery because I knew I definitely won at least $1 cash money. And it kept me amused much longer than a scratch ticket would.
The soap was pretty good throughout this whole time, and the consistency of the bar was pretty even too.
Now where did my wife’s Money Bar go off to?
Monday Morning Music : 03/01/10
Every Monday I like to post some music to start the week off on the right foot.
This week’s choices are recent hits that have really grown on me.
First up: Panic At the Disco – The Green Gentleman
…and Michael Bublé – Haven’t Met You Yet.
News stories the mainstream media missed : 02/27/10
Here are some news stories from this week that I think the mainstream media completely missed out on. All links are from legitimate news sources and not the fringe / wacko sites.
* Ginormous hedge bets are being placed against the Euro by George Soros and other mega-sized Wall Street hedge funds. In English, this means they’re betting the Euro will collapse (or tank in value) so $1 Euro = $1 US… or worse! And if they’re right, they will make tons of money off their bet! When multi-multi-billionaires put a large chunk of their money on something, they either know something we don’t know, or are about to cause something we don’t know about yet. Oh yeah. This is going to get ugly. With a capital U G L and Y. [DAILYMAIL.UK]
* Meanwhile, “China has confirmed the intention to purchase 191.3 tons of gold from the International Monetary Fund at an open auction.” That’s HALF of the IMF’s gold. Why do I have a feeling this is going to come back to bite us right in the kanickies? [PRAVDA]
* The winner of the solid gold WTF crown this week is the Unites States! Specifically, the part of the United States that is currently selling arms to India and Pakistan. And not just guns! Surveillance drones too! Because nothing says “good times” like arming two countries who hate each other and watching what happens! [DAILYTIMES.PK]
* A very, very close runner up to the WTF crown this week is this one… Texas has been turning over blood samples from all newborns to the federal government in order to build a DNA database. Sure they said they are going to destroy the blood already collected, but if the blood sample is in the master database already, then whats the damn point of destroying the samples they came from? Invasion of privacy much? [TEXAS TRIBUNE] and [DSHS.TX]
* If you throw a riot and no one knows about it, does it count? There was a real riot in UC Berkley last Friday night, but nobody cared enough to cover it! [HUFFINGTON POST]
* A Danish study has shown temporarily stopping blood flow in the arm prevents damage in people having a heart attack. That’s very valuable information! I should get these directions tattooed on my arms for later. [BBC]
* The “you don’t deserve any privacy” Patriot Act was successfully renewed this week. To make it happen, the Republicans said they would filibuster everything if the Democrats didn’t go along and renew the Patriot Act as-is. It’s nice to see the two parties are working together at last! And by that I mean the Republicans pimp-slapping the consistently cowardly Democrats around like they always did before the election. [EFF]
* Scientists are closing in a giant cosmic secret… why do why do we gain weight as we age even though we eat less? You would think all that damn fiber would help grandpa stay slimmer! [NPR]
* Speaking of cosmic secrets, scientists this week have determined the general theory of relativity is wrong… because a spinning top told them so. Trippy. Maybe this week they will ask a Slinky for a second opinion. [SOFTPEDIA]
* A computer program from 1987 composes and performs better classical music than most humans do! So what was every composer’s response that saw this program in action? To ban the software engineer from the music industry and call for the computer to be destroyed! Why does this sound like an old Frankenstein movie? Use the woodwinds as torches! Hammer the trombones into pitchforks! Storm the castle of the monster! It must not be allowed to live! [MILLER-MCCUNE]
* The pentagon is finally going to allow women on submarines! Haven’t they heard the superstition that if a woman is on a boat it will sink? Waitaminute…. [CLTV]
* You will soon be able to power your home all year with a battery no bigger than a regular sized brick! Its not science fiction… it’s already done! And, of course, Google has one of their own. [TARANFX]
* This isn’t science fiction either, but I wish it was. The professor who went nucking futs at the University of Alabama may have created a “herpes bomb… in which a herpes-like virus spreads throughout the world, causing pregnant women to miscarry.” Yeah, it sounds silly at first, but the problem is, she’s smart enough to do it… and her colleagues think she actually made one, too. Completely psychotic and a brilliant bio-engineer. Oh yeah, this one needs to be put in solitary confinement fo-ever! [NYTIMES]
Off to enjoy my weekend (some more). Back Monday!
The US consulate just closed all of their offices in Reynosa Mexico due to the increased violence
I woke up this morning and heard the U.S. Consulate just closed all their offices in Reynosa, Mexico due to the sudden upswing in violence.
Consulate Closing
It’s front page news here in the valley and on every TV station, but CNN has the story buried in the “other news” links. So far, based on what I’ve seen on the ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX news channels this morning, a killer whale at Sea World is more important than what is quickly coming to a boiling point down here.