Tom Faranda's Folly

3 Separate cancers in one year - no problem! Guy's trekking to the South Pole

Well, he's a better man then me... From the Telegraph (UK). Hit the link forthe whole article - it's a quick read - pretty amazing.

British grandfather celebrates beating three types of cancer in a year with trek to South Pole

Doctors operated almost immediately, removing parts of his large and small intestines, stomach muscles and five lymph nodes.

Mr McIntosh thought he was cured, and seven months later scaled Kilimanjaro – taking less than three days to do so.

But then he was diagnosed with skin cancer, needing to have moles removed from his face, hands and back.

And in spring 2013 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which required a seven hour operation. Unbelievably, none of the cancers were connected – it was all, his doctors said, bad luck.

"I thought to myself, I'm still alive, so I should do something to help other people make it," he said. "No one wants to hear about cancer, but everyone likes stories of physical feats. That's when I hit on the idea of trekking to the South Pole."

 

Five Facts about Mickey Mantle, in 45 seconds

The Mick! A couple I didn't know & the record in #5 will never be broken.

 

Greek election - what a mess

From the Guardian (UK)

For the first time since the foundation of the modern Greek state nearly 200 years ago, radical leftists – marginalised, tortured and tormented for the best part of the 20th century – were on course to assume power. “Greeks,” he said, “should rejoice.” The government that had put the country through an assault course of austerity would soon be over.

The radical leftists wasted no time, announcing that Tsipras would hold his first pre-election speech in central Athens on Monday night. The result of the presidential poll indicated the thirst, at least on a political level, for new beginnings. Opinion polls at the weekend confirmed Syriza’s popularity among a population exhausted by austerity.

An Alco poll published in Proto Thema on Sunday showed the neo-Marxists leading by 3.3%.

Many supporters are neither leftist, nor admirers of Syriza’s anti-capitalist rhetoric, but Greeks appalled by the catastrophic effects of policies that have left 1.5 million unemployed, 3 million facing poverty and the vast majority unable to pay their bills.

Amusing: People can no longer fix gadgets

From the Telegraph (UK).

She's right! And it's not just "under 40's" - I'm the same way. in fact my well-under-40 son Joe is pretty good at fixing gadgets.

Young people are 'lost generation' who can no longer fix gadgets, warns professor

Danielle George, Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering, at the University of Manchester, claims that the under 40s expect everything to ‘just work’ and have no idea what to do when things go wrong.

Unlike previous generations who would ‘make do and mend’ now young people will just chuck out their faulty appliances and buy new ones.

 

 

 

 

 

NY Jets clean house, GM and Rex Ryan out

After another bad season (4-12) no surprise.

"...Going in a different direction"

Owner Woody Johnson made the decisive, if not surprising, moves after his team stumbled to 4-12, its worst record since 2007. Johnson recently called it the most difficult of his 15 seasons as the head of the organization.

Johnson said in a statement that he made the changes after "extensive thought and reflection about the current state of our football team."

"Both Rex and John made significant contributions to the team, and they have my appreciation and gratitude for their efforts and commitment. Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great postseason runs, which all of us will remember," Johnson said in a statement.

Per-Ingvar Branemark, Modern dental implant innovator

I never heard of this guy, until I saw his obit. in the NY Times. A Swedish orthpodedic surgeon whose research and discoveries revolutionized dental implants. 

Implants have been a major advance in dentistry, liberating millions of elderly people from painful, ill-fitting dentures, a diet of soft foods and the ignominy of a sneeze that sends false teeth flying out of the mouth. But addressing those problems was not Dr. Branemark’s initial intent.

At the start of his career, he was studying how blood flow affects bone healing.

In 1952, he and his team put optical devices encased in titanium into the lower legs of rabbits in order to study the healing process. When the research period ended and they went to remove the devices, they discovered to their surprise that the titanium had fused into the bone and could not be removed.

Dr. Branemark called the process “osseointegration,” and his research took a whole new direction as he realized that if the body could tolerate the long-term presence of titanium, the metal could be used to create an anchor for artificial teeth.

Pretty interesting and vital to many peoples' health.

The 20 Richest NFL QB's of all time

Interesting list in a magazine I never heard of - it was posted on ESPN.

Giants QB Eli Manning is tied at #6 with Joe Montana ($80 million) while Roger Staubach is way ahead of the field, with a net worth of $600 million (mostly real estate investments).

Oh, and Peyton Manning is ahead of Tom Brady, but that doesn't count Brady's supermodel wife's income.

The 20 Richest NFL Quarterbacks of All-Time

 

You too, can get Gov. Cuomo's autographed biography!

Up on ebay, where it's been available from the seller for months. A "Buy It Now" price of $56.56.

ANDREW M. CUOMO SIGNED BOOK "ALL THINGS POSSIBLE" 1ST ED. HARDCOVER NEW BOOK

Not very popular on amazon, where today it's currently ranked #353,700 on their purchase list. Most of the reviews with one star, no doubt by people who didn't read it.

All Things Possible: Setbacks and Success in Politics and Life

Even though the book has sold a miniscule number of copies, the Governor has done allrighty. How stupid was this publishing house (It's Harper Collins)?

Networks Skip Gov. Andrew Cuomo Selling 945 Books -- and the $700,000 Advance

Nice work if you can get it.

 

CNN: NYPD Farewells Officer Ramos

The end, very emotional - simple gestures by the officer presenting the flag ...

 

For Christmas: The NY Times had two op eds by atheists

Ho hum. As mentioned here - Couldn't the New York Times give it a rest on Christmas Day and feature a column by a believing Christian? No, it couidn't.

Here's the first one -

Religion Without God

As it happens, this kind of God-neutral faith is growing rapidly, in many cases with even less role for God than among Unitarians. Atheist services have sprung up around the country, even in the Bible Belt.

The author, a woman, likes the music and sense of community.

Here's the second one -

An Atheist's Christmas Deam

I’ve spent much of my life trying to ignore Christmas. As a secular Jew, an atheist and a progressive, my reasons are common. It’s a commercial, obnoxious, even dreaded holiday. But it’s not changing anytime soon and we should make the best of it. (Hanukkah, I might note, is no better, although it gives us an excuse to eat latkes.)

Nothing is as simple, though, as it seems when you’re young, when my dislike of Christmas was more intense. In fact this is a good week. The winter solstice, by definition the gloomiest day of the year, represents optimism: The days do nothing but get longer and brighter from now on. Sweet-smelling trees can turn a cramped apartment into something exotic.

He goes on, explaining that religion has not ended wars, blah, blah, blah. Hit the link forthe whole deal.

WaPo: "Islamic State (ISIS) Failing as a State"

The Washington Post -

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — The Islamic State’s vaunted exercise in state-building appears to be crumbling as living conditions deteriorate across the territories under its control, exposing the shortcomings of a group that devotes most of its energies to fighting battles and enforcing strict rules.

Services are collapsing, prices are soaring, and medicines are scarce in towns and cities across the “caliphate” proclaimed in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State, residents say, belying the group’s boasts that it is delivering a model form of governance for Muslims.

Slick Islamic State videos depicting functioning government offices and the distribution of aid do not match the reality of growing deprivation and disorganized, erratic leadership, the residents say. A trumpeted Islamic State currency has not materialized, nor have the passports the group promised. Schools barely function, doctors are few, and disease is on the rise.

In the Iraqi city of Mosul, the water has become undrinkable because supplies of chlorine have dried up, said a journalist living there, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his safety. Hepatitis is spreading, and flour is becoming scarce, he said. “Life in the city is nearly dead, and it is as though we are living in a giant prison,” he said.

Worse than Cuba. There's more if you hit the link above; stuff like this -

Videos filmed in secret by an activist group show desperate women and children clamoring for handouts of food, while photographs posted on the Internet portray foreign militants eating lavish spreads, a disparity that is starting to stir resentment.

Much of the assistance that is being provided comes from Western aid agencies, which discreetly continue to help areas of Syria under Islamic State control. The United States funds health-care clinics and provides blankets, plastic sheeting and other items to help the neediest citizens weather the winter, a U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Well, I'm glad we're supplying humanitarian aid.

Study: Religious people happier than the non-religious

No surprise really. Plenty of past studies have found the same thing.

The study found that people who attend religious services on a weekly basis are nearly twice as likely to describe themselves as “very happy” (45%) than people who never attend (28%). Conversely, those who never worship are twice as likely to say they are “very unhappy” (4%) as those who attend services weekly (2%).

The correlation between religiosity and happiness is clear, but explanations of the connection and possible causal relationship are less clear. One theory suggests that the social support that religious communities can provide may be a key factor contributing to increased happiness, since “religious Americans are more apt to be involved in their communities.” Yet even here, the study found “that those who attend religious services often are happier than their peers with similar levels of involvement in the community.”

These statistics tying happiness to religiosity have held true over time. A similar survey conducted ten years ago generated similar results, leading to the same conclusions. When the General Social Survey asked a sample of Americans in 2004, “Would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?” religious people were more than twice as likely as the non-religious to say they were “very happy” (43%-21%). The secular people, or those who never attend worship services, were overwhelmingly more likely to say they were not too happy (21%-8%).

Now this is a one minute workout!

By the former multiple ('87, '91, '93) shot put world champion, Werner Gunthor. This has to be an old video, since he's now 53 years old.

The last 12 seconds ... YIKES!

 

St. Nicholas and Charity

Merry Christmas!

A brief essay - and neat picture - from Ethika Politika

Nicholas committed his single most notable act of charity in his youth: He provided dowries anonymously and out of his own inheritance for three young women who would otherwise have had no way to support themselves over the long term other than slavery or prostitution. By providing dowries, Nicholas made it possible for these young women to avoid the worst indignities of desperation. He had no desire to scold the young women or their father for their circumstances or for the terrible choices that they were contemplating. He gave them—without question, condition, or lecture— a way out of their desperate circumstances, and, when he was caught and confronted, he explained simply that he wanted the credit to be given to God.

Pope Francis Christmas Eve Homily

... do we have the courage to welcome with tenderness the difficulties and problems of those who are near to us, or do we prefer impersonal solutions, perhaps effective but devoid of the warmth of the Gospel? How much the world needs tenderness today!

Governor Cuomo vetoes help for adoption

An "Albany Update" press release. See if you can follow Cuomo's logic.

Governor “Grinch” Steals Christmas From Foster Care Kids

Albany, NY –The Adoption Tax Deduction Bill (S.3382-A – Hassell-Thompson/A.2378-B – Crespo), which would provide a personal income tax deduction for all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the adoption of a child in New York’s foster care system during a given tax year, has been vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Rev. Jason J. McGuire, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, made the following remarks:

“Gov. Andrew Cuomo has failed thousands of adoption-eligible foster children across New York by vetoing the Adoption Tax Deduction Bill. This bill would encourage adults to adopt children from the foster care system, and would mitigate financial concerns that might otherwise prevent families from considering adoption. While the Governor claims that cost concerns make it advisable for this bill to be considered within the budget process, his argument does not hold water. First, the slight amount of tax revenue that the state might lose due to adoption tax deductions would likely be more than offset by the savings realized due to decreased foster care costs. Second, the Department of Health has proposed to provide Medicaid funding for elective surgeries for transgendered persons, and plans to make this change not through budget negotiations or legislation, but through a rulemaking process. If so-called ‘sex reassignment’ surgeries can receive taxpayer funding outside of the budget process (and without any action by the Legislature), adoptive parents should be able to receive tax deductions outside of the budget process. Better yet, the Governor ought to jettison the taxpayer-funded surgeries and use those funds to provide tax deductions for adoptive parents. Where are the Governor’s priorities?”

“Gov. Cuomo should remember that his decision regarding the Adoption Tax Deduction Bill has made it more difficult for foster children in New York to be united with ‘forever families.’ We were hoping to encourage these kids with an early Christmas gift, but the State of New York has a Grinch for governor.”

NYP: "De Blasio doth protest too much — and blows his cover"

Good column by Michael Goodwin in the NY Post.

The real problem, as de Blasio sees it, is the media. I kid you not — he actually shot the messenger. He accused the reporters assembled in front of him of stoking outrage by focusing on “the few” protesters doing “immoral” things. “They are wrong,” he said, his voice rising. “But are you going to keep dividing us? What you manage to do is pull up the few who do not represent the majority.”

He went on in that vein for several minutes, becoming more forceful and shutting down a persistent reporter by addressing him as “my friend,” a phrase he paired with a death stare.

Rather than convince, the tirade revealed. Like looking at an X-ray, we saw the real de Blasio. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

His heart remains with the protesters, and in spirit, he is still with them, denouncing the very police force that works for him. His passion for the anti-cop agenda is so deep that he wasn’t capable of following his own advice to take a break from divisiveness for even a single day.

******

As a councilman or public advocate, he could be the radical pol who marched for the cameras, got arrested and made wild charges against “the man.”

Nobody cared or noticed.

Better yet, he could have skipped government and become a go-fer for Al Sharpton, maybe rising to deputy organizer.

It’s easy to imagine him wielding a bullhorn and a clipboard and leading chants of “No justice, no peace.”

Unfortunately, de Blasio opted for another path, thinking that as “the man,” he would be in a position to remake New York.

He could stir marginalized blacks, anarchists and rootless young people by invoking Jim Crow segregation and accusing NYPD bosses of being modern-day Bull Connors.

None of it is true, but facts don’t matter to him.

He’s a believer. Like most radicals with no real-world experience, he assumes the way to fix things is to first smash them into pieces. That’s what he’s doing to New York.

 

Amazing: LLBean Boot most popular teen footwear!?

Wow! This means Tom and Brigid are on the cutting edge! Who'd a thunk it?

 

 

Pope Francis critiques & warns the Church bureaucrats

An could be addressed to politicians everywhere.

 

EMT's effort to save the murdered NYC policemen

Heartbreaking.

here's the link - How Medics Fought Frantically to Save Two Murdered New York Police Officers

"Paramedics strove valiantly to revive grievously wounded Officers Liu and Ramos—and were left shattered when their efforts failed."

Great! Booze calculator: your drinking nationality

A calculator supplied by the BBC. Brigid came in as French (ranked #18 in natioonal booze consumption). I came in as Timor-Leste ?!? which is the joint eighth lightest drinking country in the world. They simply ask you to plug in your drinks for the last week - Kind of fun.

Hit this link: Booze calculator: What's your drinking nationality?

In the month of December alcohol consumption increases as many people celebrate the festive season. But how does your drinking measure up to the average from countries around the world? Find out ... if you are similar to a boozy Belarusian or a teetotal Kuwaiti.

 

 

Good quote from NYC Detectives' Association Leader

In the NY Times article yesterday, "A Widening Rift Between de Blasio and the Police Is Savagely Ripped Open"

“This is a nightmare of the highest magnitude for everyone,” said Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association. Leaders at City Hall, he added, “need to dig down deep in their souls and understand that campaigning to be a leader is easier than being a leader.”

The Sainsbury Christmas video that's gone viral

Sainsbury's is the big - vast actually - United Kingdom grocery store chain. They issued their official Christmas Ad on November 12th. It's a beautifully done story and has already had over 15 million hits.

 

Go here for The Story behind the ad   

And here to see how it was made Sainsbury's Christmas 2014 - The making of our Christmas ad

NY Police turn their backs on NY Mayor de Blasio

De Blasio (the most arrogant NYC Mayor i can ever recall) ran his mouth off for political purposes after the Grand Jury decision on Eric Garner. He didn't cause the deaths of the two policeman assassinated Thursday afternoon, but he and other politicians certainly have made the racial situation worse, and that's a contributing factor. The two murdered policemen - one was Asian and the other appears to be Hispanic. You can see their pictures in this CBS article.

 

Tim hits a big shot put throw

46'4", for a second place finish at the Fordham Prep throwfest/jumpfest Thursday evening. And a new PR with the HS 12 lb. shot. Football over; now it's on to the indoor track season for Tim, and track is Tim's major sport.

With the extension of Stepinac's football playoff season Tim got a late start on his throwing, but should be able to make up ground in the next six weeks. This throw puts him around 35th in the state for high school shot put throwers. Next meet is tomorrow, Sunday the 21st.

Pregnant woman who survived Sidney terrorist writes a tribute

to her friend who protected her, and the manager of the coffee shop. Both of them died. Published in a few places - here it is in the Daily Mail (UK) - along with other stuff in the article if you hit the link. I excerpted the entire statement below the link -

Julie Taylor

Barrister Julie Taylor today penned an emotional statement about this week's tragic events

Although words cannot describe the events of the last few days and the feelings that I have towards the survivors and victims of the Martin Place siege, there are a few things I would like to say.

Katrina Dawson was the most wonderful person I have ever met. She was my closest friend, a role model and confidant. Her bravery and strength was, and continues to be, a comfort and inspiration for me. She invested every moment of her life in her friends and family, and will be greatly missed by everyone who has known her. My thoughts and sympathy are with her family, whom I have come to know and love.

I would like to pay tribute to Tori Johnson. Although our acquaintance was forged under the worst imaginable circumstnaces, I feel privileged to have known you and I will always remember you as a kind, considerate, level-headed and courageous person. It was clear to me how much you loved your family, and how much compassion you had for everyone you met. I am grateful that you were with my throughout our ordeal.

It is difficult to be positive at a time like this, but there are two things which provide comfort to me. The first is the overwhelming display of public support for everyone involved in this crisis, including me. My own visit to the Memorial at Martin Place gave me a strength for the coming weeks which I thought that I might not have, as have the messages and kindnesses that have been sent to me by everyone I know and many I don’t. It is good to know that none of us is alone.

Finally, my husband and I have been told that our unborn baby is healthy and unharmed by this crisis. If all goes well, and there is no reason to think that it won’t, we will give birth to a precious baby in a few months. Although it is an emotional time, we are trying to keep ourselves healthy so that can occur.

I thank members of the media for their respect of our privacy in this difficult time, and ask that you continue to do so.

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin ...) extends life?

From the UK Express. FULL DISCLOSURE: I use it all the time.

Ibuprofen adds 12 years to life! Cheap painkillers can slow ageing and fight disease

Regular doses of ibuprofen could allow people to live up to 12 years longer.

In tests, the drug appears to hold back the ageing process as well as helping fight disease.

Ibuprofen, which is used every day at home by people to treat inflammation, pain and fever, may be the key to developing a long sought after anti-ageing drug.

Dr Brian Kennedy, president and chief executive of the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing in California, said: “There is a lot to be excited about.

"The research shows that ibuprofen impacts a process not yet implicated in ageing, giving us a new way to study and understand the ageing process.

“Ibuprofen is a relatively safe drug, found in most people’s medicine cabinets.

But don't get too excited - the research has been ...

In laboratory tests, ibuprofen was found to extend the lives of worms and flies by the equivalent of about 12 years in human terms.

The creatures not only lived longer, they appeared to maintain their fitness and health as they got older.

Despite the huge evolutionary gap between worms and people, the researchers believe they have found a new aspect to ageing that could have major implications for humans.

Hit the link for the whole article.

Number of executions hits 20 year low

Good.

The number of executions in the United States hit a 20-year low in 2014, a dip driven in part by lethal-injection drug shortages and legal battles stemming from botched procedures. Thirty-five death-row inmates in seven states were killed last year, the lowest number since 1994, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment.

Richard Dieter, the center's executive director, said as some of the litigation is resolved, the number of executions may rise next year — but he thinks that trend is temporary. Death sentences hit a 40-year low last year and have been in steep decline for the last two decades, plunging from 315 in 1994 to about 72 in 2014. "The realization that mistakes have been made, that innocent people are still being freed, has made juries hesistant," Dieter said. "They are willing to convict but not sentence to death. There is a demand for perfect proof, and so prosecutors are taking more plea bargains."

The wealth gap in USA; no recovery for middle income Americans

Very interesting, and frustrating. From the LA Times business section.

"The latest data reinforces the larger story of America's middle-class household wealth stagnation over the past three decades,"

Using the latest Federal Reserve data, the Pew Research Center said Wednesday that the median wealth for high-income families was $639,400 last year — up 7% from three years earlier on an inflation-adjusted basis.

For middle-income families, the median wealth — that is, assets minus debts — stood at $96,500 last year, unchanged from 2010.

******

In Pew's definition, middle-income households are those earning between two-thirds and twice the median income, after adjusting for household size. The median marks the halfway point.

For example, a one-person household was categorized as middle income if its earnings last year were at least $22,000 but less than $66,000. For a four-person family to qualify as middle income, earnings had to be at least $44,000 but less than $132,000.

Based on these thresholds, 46% of American households were classified as middle income last year. One-third were considered lower income, and 21% upper income.

******

Seen over a longer period, the typical wealth of upper-income households in 2013 was about double what it was in 1983, after adjusting for inflation.

For middle-income households, there was practically no change in wealth over the 30-year period. The median wealth for the middle class was $94,300 in 1983. That peaked at $158,400 in 2007 and has since retreated to $96,500.

For lower-income households, wealth rose to a high of $19,100 in 2001, but has since fallen to $9,300 last year. Their median wealth was $11,400 in 1983.

St. Augustine teacher: Mr. Platt's Christmas decorations

Mr. Platt is Joe and Tim's former gym teacher at St. Augustine's. For years (decades actually) he's extravagantly decorated his Ossining house for Christmas.

This is last year -

 

WSJ: Inside the Pakistan school

Horrendous.

 

Rugby: USA beats Fiji in 7's

The Plate Final, between teams that have lost in the first round. A great win for the USA - Fiji is one of the great 7-a-side rugby powers.

 

interview: The guy who discovered the Gruber Obamacare tapes

One guy with a computer, doing the job of the major media.

 

PBS: The last hours of George Washington

Pretty grim - wakes up sore throat at 2am, dead by 10:30 in the evening.

 

New York Times continues to shrink

Job cuts at the New York Times will exceed the stated goal of 100 newsroom positions eliminated, the Newspaper Guild of New York said yesterday in a memo to union members.

Rugby: Mandela 7's tournament 2nd day

South Africa wins second World Series tournament in a row.

 

Yay! today is Boston Tea Party Anniversary

Dec 16, 1773: Sons of Liberty dump British tea

Parliament, outraged by the blatant destruction of British property, enacted the Coercive Acts, called the "Intolerable Acts" by the colonists, in 1774. The Coercive Acts closed Boston to merchant shipping, established formal British military rule in Massachusetts, made British officials immune to criminal prosecution in America, and required colonists to quarter British troops. The colonists subsequently called the first Continental Congress to consider a united American resistance to the British.

No Taxation ...

The Telegraph (UK): "Victims of Sydney Siege Hailed as Heroes"

I get the Telegraph's morning email:

A mother of three and a man who died trying to save other hostages from an Islamist gunman have been named as the two victims of the Sydney siege.

Katrina Dawson, 38, a barrister and mother of young children, and Tori Johnson, the 34-year-old manager of the Lindt cafe on Martin Place, were killed as police made a daring attempt to free those still held.

Police confirmed that two hostages and the hostage-taker, Iranian-born refugee Man Haron Monis, died and four others were injured during the operation that brought the 17-hour siege to an end.

The two have been hailed as heroes for trying to save the others trapped in the cafe. Mr Johnson had tried to wrestle the shotgun from the 50-year-old self-styled preacher after he had fallen asleep at around 2am.

Six people managed to flee after gunshots were heard coming from inside after a struggle between Mr Johnson and Monis ended in the manager being shot.

 

Fitocracy: Calculate your fitness age

Fitocracy is the website where I record my gym and outdoor sessions. They have a point system which is half-baked, but otherwise it's a reasonable workout diary.

Anyway, here's a recent feature. I did it - took five minutes and scored ridiculously young (despite my cancer history, so again, half -baked) - won't say how young.

Fun to do.

"Is your fitness age younger than your real age? Use this tool to find out..."

Calculate Your Fitness Age

Congressman Peter King on the torture report

He's right. And the problems with the CIA "techniques" should not have been publicly aired. Love the line "stop this self-loathing."

Here's a full four minute interview -

 

Telegraph (UK) 4 min. video: Sidney siege

According to reports the area this occurred in would be similar to having it happen in Times Square in NY.

 

Cardinal Dolan comments on the NYC protests

In the Daily News this morning.

Formulaic - I stopped reading 2/3's of the way down.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan: Demonizing NYPD or city's leaders won't unite New York —

Really Neat: A tortoise saves a tortoise!

UPDATE: Comment from Australia, Brigid's niece - "One suspects that there may be an ulterior motive.  The rescuer is in pretty hot pursuit once the tortoise has been resurrected..."

One minute video - And the crowd goes wild!

CNN: The Navy's new laser weapon

Looks like it's straight out of Star Wars

 

NY police tell Mayor De Blasio Stay away from our funerals

His cheap-shots on police recently - lower than low.

The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association distributed a flier to members, blaring: “DON’T LET THEM INSULT YOUR SACRIFICE!” Cops were encouraged to sign and submit the “Don’t Insult My Sacrifice” waiver to ban the cop-bashing pols from their funerals.

“I, as a New York City police officer, request that Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito refrain from attending my funeral services in the event that I am killed in the line of duty,” the waiver states.

“Due to Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito’s consistent refusal to show police officers the support and respect they deserve, I believe that their attendance at the funeral of a fallen New York City police officer is an insult to that officer’s memory and sacrifice.”

You may recall this absurd & disgusting remark:

De Blasio ... warned his 17-year-old, mixed-race son, Dante, to be careful around police officers.

“We’ve had to literally train him, as families have all over this city for decades, in how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him,” the mayor said.

 

Joe DiMaggio's career in 30 seconds

But no mention of his after-career performance selling Mr. Coffee ...

 

Good stuff about champagne

I love champagne, and Piper's is one of my/our favorites.

Got to love the CEO's accent! Her's how Cecile Bonnefonds got to the top of the champagne world.

 

The blood price of Jihad - 5,000 people a month

This is from The Telegraph (UK) and the link is tothe BBC article.

A unique study has found that global jihadist movements killed 5,000 people worldwide last month alone. Groups ranging from Boko Haram in Nigeria to Isil in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan butchered hundreds every day, according to a study for the BBC. In all, about 80 per cent of their victims were fellow Muslims. Four countries - Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Nigeria - accounted for the great majority of the deaths.

Today is Brigid's birthday

HA! She asked me for an omelette pan, which I'm happy to get her (got two actually) since I like omelettes.

Brigid, two months ago, near Bear Mountain

 

Past history on gifts to Brigid:

When we were both living in Jamaica (which is where I met Brigid - we were both teaching in different schools in Mandeville, JA), I went off the Island in the summer of '78 (we met February 17th, 1978, at a party at my house {that she crashed} although I'd seen her around town prior to this and asked about her {was told she had a boyfriend at the bottom of Shooter's HIll, which turned out to not be true [I think]}.

Anyway, I wrote her over the summer (1978 - before email) and asked what I could bring back for her. She wrote back asking me for a "wok" - which I had no idea what it was - and not to buy a junky or cheap wok but a really good, high quality one. So I got some advice and brought back a really, really, good one.

And it worked out very well for me - Brigid still uses it and it woks up great food!

John McCain on the Senate Committee torture report

Here's what I posted yesterday - CIA torture report - and they lied about it.

And here's what Senator McCain said -

John McCain breaks ranks with GOP over CIA torture

... Most of all, I know the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies, our belief that all people, even captured enemies, possess basic human rights, which are protected by international conventions the U.S. not only joined, but for the most part authored.

******

...When we fight to defend our security we fight also for an idea, not for a tribe or a twisted interpretation of an ancient religion or for a king, but for an idea that all men are endowed by the Creator with inalienable rights. How much safer the world would be if all nations believed the same. How much more dangerous it can become when we forget it ourselves even momentarily. “Our enemies act without conscience. We must not....

I agree with everything McCain said - except - that it was good to go public with the report. That was unnecessary and could be harmful. Stopping these shameful practices - and maybe disciplining the people involved - didn't require this type of public disclosure.

Most of all, I know the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies, our belief that all people, even captured enemies, possess basic human rights, which are protected by international conventions the U.S. not only joined, but for the most part authored. - See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/john_mccain_breaks_ranks_with_gop_over_cia_torture#sthash.v97ipdWG.dpuf

Most of all, I know the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies, our belief that all people, even captured enemies, possess basic human rights, which are protected by international conventions the U.S. not only joined, but for the most part authored. - See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/john_mccain_breaks_ranks_with_gop_over_cia_torture#sthash.v97ipdWG.dpuf

Most of all, I know the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies, our belief that all people, even captured enemies, possess basic human rights, which are protected by international conventions the U.S. not only joined, but for the most part authored. - See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/john_mccain_breaks_ranks_with_gop_over_cia_torture#sthash.v97ipdWG.dpuf