HUMOR - Parental nightmare!

POLITICS - Freedom Day 2013: The South African dream, still deferred

Perhaps there were too many noble ideals. Perhaps the founding fathers were too romantic about our future and therefore set unrealistic and unachievable goals. Maybe we ran out of good luck, or good leaders, or good faith. What if we were never the miracle nation anyway, but just an average people who attained freedom because the status quo was no longer sustainable? Maybe that’s why we are failing to be what we envisaged we would be 19 years ago? Democracy shaped a united thriving nation, which is now turning on itself. Freedom Day 2013 is a world away from that beautiful day in 1994. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-04-26-freedom-day-2013-the-south-african-dream-still-deferred/

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY - A Wet Towel In Space Is Not Like A Wet Towel On Earth

You just don't know (because who's going to tell you?) that when you leave Earth, travel outside its gravitational reach, hundreds and hundreds of everyday things — stuff you've never had to think about — will change. Like ... oh, how about a wet wash cloth?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/21/177949605/a-wet-towel-in-space-is-not-like-a-wet-towel-on-earth

POLITICS: 102 Things NOT To Do If You Hate Taxes

So, you’re a Republican that hates taxes? Well, since you do not like taxes or government, please kindly do the following...

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/06/22/102-things-not-to-do/

MY LIFE: How a crabby boy found his happy place!

Text from my girlfriend: 'I sarcastically told a very crabby son on the way to camp he needed to have a good attitude and find his happy place... After our water games turned into water wars and he was soaked head to toe, he comes running over to me and yells "I found my happy place!" '

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY: An awesome zero gravity picture!

http://mblogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/26/a-light-bending-exercise-in-space/

MY LIFE: A simple question about laundry asked out of annoyance!

If things, even after they've been washed, dried and FOLDED, still end up in the dirty clothes, why can't we just toss them? Instead of continually wasting time, water and electricity rewashing and redrying stuff that ends up never getting used, since they automatically end up in the dirty clothes and are NEVER used! Yes, I'm annoyed and frustrated!

CULTURE/SOCIETY: My Daughter Obviously Never Saw "A Christmas Story"

This is from me, and not reprinted from somewhere else. - OlderMusicGeek

If you read my Twitter page, then you already know something about this. Or if you even read my Twitter updates up above or on the side.

But the other day, my daughter got her ice cream out of the fridge. I wasn't paying attention and was working on the computer.

Suddenly, I hear a "Helf! Helf!"

I don't know how my daughter did it, but she had the front of the spoon deep in the ice cream - and the end of the spoon stuck on her tongue.

Of course, I started laughing hysterically.

"It'th not funnay. It hurth!" she said holding the tub of ice cream up so it wouldn't pull on her tongue!

I told to go pour hot water on her tongue.

She came back a moment later, not much worse for wear.


But apparently she hadn't learned her lesson. She told she had got the spoon stuck on her hand later that night!

"Maybe I shouldn't leave the spoon in the ice cream?" she suggested.

"Might be a good idea," I agreed.

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Which Is Taller? The Flood Waters Or The Tales?

This is from me, not reprinted from somewhere else.

What?! A new blog from me?! Sorry folks, I'm busy. Don't expect too many blogs from me for a while. - OlderMusicGeek

Well, it looks like it's flood times here in my home town.

My first clue was when my daughter woke me up one in the morning, cus someone was pounding on our apartment door. When I got to the door, I felt a wet squish under my feet.

And when I opened the door, there was a neighbor in shorts and a t-shirt, telling we're flooding.

I look around and there's two inches of water in an apartment hallway!


My daughter and I grabbed all the towels we can find and lay them by our apartment door to try to keep more water from leaking in. We run around like maniacs taking everything off the floor, including our computer and all the plugs and wires to it!

Then I check to see if anyone called the management company that owns our building. The maintenance man is there fairly quickly, but the wet vac he has ain't doing much good. Fortunately, a pump is brought over quickly.

Other people in the basement are talking about their bathtubs backing up. I go look and sure enough, brown water is coming up and water is leaking from the bottom of my toilet!

Eventually, the storm passes our town and I sleep. Well, cus of the overflow, some of the sewer pipes were closed. Soon as they're opened, we start flooding again.

And I had put all our wet towel in the bathtub - which has backed up again, covering them with brownish water!

Fortunately, our maintenance man has things under control this time.

And they bring a wet vac later to help dry the carpet. And in a couple of days, it dries out.


But then a bit later, I wake up from a nap to a storm. I quickly get and look out the door!

Yep, two inches of water in the hallway. I call the management company. Then put on my rain poncho and head to our maintenance man's apartment. He meets me on the way, driving with the stuff in his truck.


And today, they are sandbagging downtown, cus they are releasing a bunch of water from our dammed lake.

This makes rumours run wild!

Fifteen years ago, floods overran our water treatment center and the city didn't have water for two weeks! (A link to an article in my home town paper about the flood.)

So anyway, this the downtown river cresting, bridges being sandbagged, downtown worker being sent home, people began to panic.

My cubicle row at work spent the last hour talking about how the heard from someone who heard from someone that the water was being turned off for 24 hours. There was, of course, nothing on the news on the radio. So I continued doing my overtime.

At 4:40 pm, I got an email saying the water was being turned off - in capital letters - "NOW". Four and a half hours later, the city's water is still running!


I have to admit that I probably take these things easier than others in my hometown, because when they were going 2 weeks without water and a while without electricity, I was living in a 2-room building made of sandstone bricks with a tin roof that had no electricity or indoor plumbing, and did so for 2 years. - I was teaching in Africa. - And part of this was during a drought when water was low.

So no water or electricity is a nuisance to me, but not something to panic about!


You know, I used to feel upset about missing an important part of history in my home town and my home state. But if this is the way people were acting 15 years ago, I'm kinda glad I was in Africa.

I can assure you, they weren't going this crazy about the drought. They just did what they had to do, and that was that. Maybe we need to send some southern Africans over here to help out!

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide

The following is from the web site for the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division (DMRD). - OlderMusicGeek

Explore our many Special Reports, including the DHMO FAQ, a definitive primer on the subject, plus reports on the environment, cancer, current research, and an insider exposé about the use of DHMO in the dairy industry.

The Truth about DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE

Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is perhaps the single most prevalent of all chemicals that can be dangerous to human life. Despite this truth, most people are not unduly concerned about the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide. Governments, civic leaders, corporations, military organizations, and citizens in every walk of life seem to either be ignorant of or shrug off the truth about Dihydrogen Monoxide as not being applicable to them. This concerns us.

BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE - THE INVISIBLE KILLER!

Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year.

What are the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Facts

Dihydrogen monoxide:

• is also known as hydric acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
• contributes to the Greenhouse Effect.
• may cause severe burns.
• contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
• accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
• may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
• has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Alerts

Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions!

Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Uses

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

• as an industrial solvent and coolant.
• in nuclear power plants.
• as a fire retardant.
• in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
• as an additive in certain junk-foods and other food products.

Environmental Impact of Dihydrogen Monoxide

Among the many commonly-sited DHMO-related environmental impacts are:

• DHMO contributes to global warming and the "Greenhouse Effect", and is one of the so-called "greenhouse gasses."
• DHMO is an "enabling component" of acid rain -- in the absence of sufficient quantities of DHMO, acid rain is not a problem.
• DHMO is a causative agent in most instances of soil erosion -- sufficiently high levels of DHMO exacerbate the negative effects of soil erosion.
• DHMO is present in high levels nearly every creek, stream, pond, river, lake and reservoir in the U.S. and around the world.
• Measurable levels of DHMO have been verified in ice samples taken from both the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps.
• Recent massive DHMO exposures have lead to the loss of life and destruction of property in California, the Mid-West, the Philippines, and a number of islands in the Caribbean, to name just a few.
• Research has shown that significant levels of DHMO were found in the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 which killed 230,000 in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and elsewhere, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history.
• It is widely believed that the levee failures, flooding and the widespread destruction resulting from Hurricane Katrina along the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005 were caused or exacerbated by excessive DHMO levels found in the Gulf of Mexico, along with other contributing factors.

Industrial DHMO Dumping

In spite of the recent movement to ban unlawful dumping of hazardous chemicals into waterways in the U.S. and abroad, release of massive quantities of DHMO continues. Industry cannot be held accountable entirely because lawmakers are reluctant to pass legislation to make most forms of dumping of DHMO illegal. Reasons for this could include pressures from corporate leaders, industry lobbyists, and even vested foreign governments. This governmental inaction leading to nearly unregulated dumping may be one of the most overlooked environmental impacts of DHMO.

Meanwhile, federal (EPA) regulations are in place to make illegal the disposal of DHMO in landfills, including those licensed for hazardous waste. Regulations also stipulate that any DHMO appearing in a landfill must be removed. Judging from these laws it appears that the U.S. government recognizes the inherent danger DHMO poses to the environment, at least in certain circumstances.

The U.S. government refuses to ban the production, distribution, and use of DHMO. This inaction may be due to pressures from private interests and corporate-sponsored economists, among many, who predict a DHMO ban could produce disastrous results. Claims include damage to public health and the well-being of the U.S. and world economies.

Fortunately, some industry and governmental leaders are taking the initiative to inform and educate their employees in spite of what the U.S. government's official policy may be. Equally encouraging is the support of environmental organizations, such as the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, an important force in the southern hemisphere promoting "ecological wisdom, social responsibility, appropriate decision-making and non-violence." Notably, a busy high-ranking Member of Parliament there supports a ban on DHMO. This welcome endorsement serves as a reminder to a pre-occupied world that fostering a widespread knowledge of DHMO is crucial.

Stop the horror - Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide

Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!

THE HORROR MUST BE STOPPED!

The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its importance to the economic health of this nation. In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE!

Act NOW to prevent further contamination. Find out more about this dangerous chemical. What you don't know CAN hurt you and others throughout the world.

A link to the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division (DMRD) website

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Hmmmm, Beer Mixed with Clam Juice and Tomato Juice

Electonica artist Moby did this rather humorous take on a new drink on his blog. While looking for a photo to put in this post, I found someone's rather humorous description of drinking the stuff! - OlderMusicGeek

you might know that i'm always sort of on the look out for new products that make absolutely no sense to me.
January 18, 2008

you might know that i'm always sort of on the look out for new products that make absolutely no sense to me.
('nuts and gum-together at last' as featured on the simpsons, for example).
years ago i found a flavored bottled water for pets. oh, that was a good one.
they had 'crispy beef flavored water' for dogs.
and 'tangy fish flavored water' for cats.
i'm not making this up. really. i even bought some just so people would believe me that such things existed.
well, today someone sent me a link to 'chelada'.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/37389

'what is chelada?' i hear you asking?
and 'is it disgusting?' i hear as your potential follow-up question.
well, here are the answers:

a-chelada is a new product from the anheuser-busch corporation. it combines budweiser beer with clam juice and tomato juice. in a can. for convenience and portability.

b-is it disgusting? well, i haven't tried it, but really, how could beer and clam juice and tomato juice in a can not be disgusting? i mean, how could it not be ipecac-like in it's ability to immediately cause the consumer to start vomiting uncontrollably?

maybe i'm mistaken. maybe people love it and swear by it and find it to be refreshing and tasty.
here's the scene: it's august 10th and it's very hot outside. you've just come back from a long and healthy bike ride and you're hot and sweaty and boy do you want something refreshing to slake your thirst.
'honey! i'm back from my bike ride and boy am i thirsty!'
'welcome back honey, would you like a room temperature can of beer mixed with clam juice?'
'boy would i!!'

i personally see the target market for chelada(clam flavored tomato beer)as being senior citizens who smoke those dark brown 'more' cigarettes and are on their 3rd bypass operation and need oxygen tanks to walk to their car and who've given up and life and want to ingest things that will fill them with a feeling of self-loathing and despair. but i could be wrong.
maybe the clam flavored tomato beer market is younger and more vibrant, sort of like the people who watch the bam margera show and drink mountain dew and listen to rape rock and punch waiters?
here's the ad campaign:

4 guys in a contemporary suv, nu-metal music playing. the 4 guys are drinking chelada clam flavored tomato beer and high-fiving while throwing their empty cans at homeless people and baby deer and bunnies.
voice over: 'extreme! when all you wanna do is party, go with chelada!'
commercial ends as the 4 chelada drinking guys chase a nun down a dark alley, high-fiving all the way.

maybe they're going for the youth market? a jaded youth market, tired of being catered to in unimaginably varied ways, hungry for something new. and what's newer than clam flavored tomato beer(in a 'lite' version for our fitness conscious consumers)?

it makes me wonder what's up next in the anheuser-busch new-product pipeline.

how about:

'partita': mexican rose wine in a can, flavored with real 'south of the border' lizard blood.

'G-filte': sweet passover wine, flavored with whitefish and guarana, for a 100% kosher-kick.

'coro': deep fried beer, filtered through grade-b beef, with 2 tablespoons of lard in every can.

it's a fantastic time to be alive.

-moby


...what the hell? I love you and the flavor combination does sound intriguing enough that you might try it. So, I crack the can and sniff (because that is a trait common amongst males in my family), in order to determine whether the substance has gone bad. Despite the "Born On" date, I still don't trust it. So, I take a whiff and am greeted with a sort of odd combination of water, beer sweat squeezed from a bartop cocktail napkin, and loneliness. Yup! That's Budweiser.

But, I'm not drinking this crap without first seeing it. I bust out one of the pint glasses I stole and fill it. Words cannot describe the horror .

Things that are wrong with this picture:

1. I am holding the glass up to the light, but you cannot see through it.

2. The fluid holds little resemblance to either of the base fluids it is made of.

Oh my Christ, what have I gotten myself into? I mean, I love you. I really do. But this seems a bit far. Like Santa leaving coal in your stocking only to beat you senseless with it.

Wary of my prey, I engaged it in a stare-down. It must know I am stronger and, thus, the victor in this battle:

Due almost entirely to my incredible sideburns, the Chelada backed down and I raised the glass, firing off a short prayer to my colon hoping my sudden faith would halt it evulsing my entire GI tract. Bottoms up? And...

Seconds pass in an eternity of silence...

Nothing. It just tastes like Budweiser, which is kind of a let down. I smell the drink again, wait, then take another sip assuming some critical mass need accumulate before catalyzing a chain reaction of "flavor bursts." Sadly, nothing it me. I put the pint down on the counter, dejected, and pick up the can to see if I needed to shake it or add my own clams or something.

And then it hits me.

Loved one, the evil of the Chelada is perhaps the most evil kind of evil. It is subtle. It sneaks up on you. You sip it and encounter almost nothing yet as I sit here writing, I can still taste the horrid combination of tomatoes, clams, and hops. The aftertaste of this vile substance is probably one of the most veiled evil things I have known and I can't get it to go away. I've brushed my teeth twice already and every time I burp (which has been several times) it comes right back.

So, please, don't imbibe this foul drink. I did it because I loved you enough to find out. To find out if this was the attack on humanity I suspected. It is. It is that and so much more.

The original site of Moby's piece
A link to Moby's blog
A link to Moby's website

The complete piece on Matt, the AntiGenius trying chelada
A link to antigenius.net/blog

SPIRITUALITY/RELIGION: An Interesting Description of Christianity

This is a description of Christianity that I found in one of the profiles of one of the people is SecondLife. I found interesting and amusing enough to pass on. - OlderMusicGeek

"The universe was created by an all-powerful all-knowing being who came down to us in the form of a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father who can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree."

Posted by: Prophet May 31, 2007 11:07 PM in the Washington Post Online

I don't think Prophet was the originator of this quote. In fact, it shows up on the net before that date, but I have no idea where it came from.

It does though reminded me of what I said to some fellow non-Christians when I let my Catholic ex baptize our daughter. - She was worried about our daughter's soul and I didn't want my ex to worry about that. But I would have preferred to let my daughter choose for herself whether to be baptized or not. -

I told them that I let my (then) wife's local magic man performed a protection spell on our daughter using their magic water. :)

Oh, and Jesus was a vampire too - They drank his blood as well!