An assault on our intelligence

Other than to kill, injure, and/or maim other living creatures, what could possibly be the purpose of owning an assault rifle?

• To join the French Foreign Legion?
• Start an army?
• Run an illegal cartel?
• Perform in the circus?
• Make Swiss cheese in a weird new way?

Given the unlikelihood of those thoughts listed above, then why sell assault rifles to anyone when there is a better than even chance the weapon will be used to do evil and harm?

Source: information2share.wordpress.com

-

Before I go any further, let me make this perfectly clear – I have no problem with someone legally owning a rifle for legitimate hunting purposes, someone who legally collects handguns or hunting rifles as a hobby, or someone who legally owns a handgun for personal safety and who has taken the proper safety and instructional courses. What I do have a problem with are individuals owning what are essentially “military” guns and large arsenals of guns and related gear that have no credible purpose other than to do harm.

-

Even more asinine is the idea of selling full body armor. Is that something that is necessary to defend oneself from a counter attack by deer, elk, or bear? Is it because they are planning to ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel? C’mon folks, let’s get realistic.

The only plausible reasons that someone would need full body armor are all bad and the merchants of death (gun lobby) know that – just like they know that the principal purpose of assault rifles is not for hunting.  The least they could do is to be honest about it.

-

It is awful enough to know there are people running about this nation with arsenals larger than some small nations, but please do not assault our intelligence on top of that by saying there are genuine reasons for selling assault rifles and full body armor. It is not only disgusting and degrading, but unethical and immoral.

Finally, I would sure like to know how sellers of assault rifles and body armor (most recently those in Colorado) can possibly live with themselves and sleep at night?

Read Full Post »

“I’m a Pepper”…in more ways than one

Source: flickerhivemind.com

The famous tag line , “I’m a Pepper” was used by Dr. Pepper for many yeast as its advertising theme and slogan. And while I love Dr. Pepper (my favorite soft drink), it is not the only pepper that I love.

Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are wonderfully yummy alone or prepared as part of a dish. Green are good too, but not as flavorful. I also like banana peppers and ground pepper. To the left is a photo of stoplight peppers (red, yellow, and green). And yes, they are sold in packages here as stoplight peppers.

I am also a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, especially after Chad started to sing “Hail to the Victors” (Michigan Fight Song) at a concert in Buckeyetown, peppermint flavored gum and candies, as well as pepperoni served on pizza at certain occasions. I also like listening to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band.

-

The only pepper I am not a big fan of are jalapeno peppers, though I can handle the more mild ones.

Read Full Post »

Ten ways to be ready for the next heat wave

Source: nitrofreeze.com

• Repair you snowblower so you mind is fixed on cold things.
• Have 200 pounds of ice ready to put in your bathtub for soaking.
• Install a walk-in freezer for your kitchen.
• Buy stock in slushies, smoothies, snow cones, Eskimo Pies, ice cream bars, ice cream, sherbert, gelato, and anything else cold.
• Wear your winter wardrobe all summer and then take it off when the temps hit 90F. You’ll at least know what your dog feels like.
• Buy a dvd of the movie Ice Station Zebra or The Day After Tomorrow to watch over and over again.
• Move to a cave.
• Buy a tuxedo and install a penguin pool.
• Learn to hibernate in summer.
• Buy Michael Jackson’s cryogenic freeze chamber at a local garage sale or auction.

Read Full Post »

A severe shortage of global cooling

With yet another day in triple digits here in Michigan, one has to ask if this prolonged heat wave is linked to global warming and climate change. Personally, I believe it most certainly is.

-

However, there are folks out there who sincerely believe global warming is a farce. While I totally disagree with them, perhaps there is one thing we can agree on – there definitely is a severe shortage of global cooling. The charts below shows temperature trends since the mid-19th century and past 1,000 years. Pretty scary stuff, if you ask me.

Source: plantseed.com

Source: plantseed.com

Read Full Post »

Post climate change Summer Olympic events

• Sauna cycling
• Climate change denier decathlon (make them run till they drop)
• Heat wave high-jumping
• Swimming in sweat
• Bad ass butt-blistering badminton
• Empty pool concrete crawl
• Track and burnt to a crisp fields
• Diving into melted marshmallows
• Hop, skip, and puddle jump
• Arid aerobics
• Hot as hell hammer throw
• Molten lava shot put (can you say hot potato?)
• Blistering baseball
• Torrid tennis
• Fiery flame fencing
• Hot foot gymnastics
• Desert doom marathon
• Asphalt egg-frying
• Perspiration polo
• Dead tree trunk lifting
• Bermuda short boxing
• Water bottle relay
• Mirage javelin  and discus throw
• Greenhouse gym-gastics
• Wrestling with guilt (everyone qualifies)

Read Full Post »

Will wonders ever cease?

Kudos to Chief Justice John Roberts and the other four members of the Supreme Court who voted today to preserve nearly all aspects of the Affordable Healthcare Act. This is a tremendous victory for all Americans, whether they know it (or like it) or not.

-

In a nation that espouses “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” nothing does more to preserve life than everyone having access to affordable health care. Now is the time for opponents to start putting patients ahead of politics!

Read Full Post »

Mapping costly climatic disasters in the USA

Here is a fascinating map depicting those areas of the United States with the most and least billion dollar disasters since 1980.  If you want to avoid destructive weather and climate related disasters, the south is not the place to be. On the other hand, Hawaii, Alaska, Wyoming, Michigan, New England, and Puerto Rico appear to be the safest. Sadly, with the recent glut of monstrous wildfires, Colorado may no longer be among the safer places.

Source: blog.cleanenergy.org

Read Full Post »

An epidemic whose cure cannot “weight”

According to a recent article in Live Science which was summarized in the National Center for Bicycling and Walking’s online publication, Centerlines, humanity is 17 million tons overweight. That is the equivalent to 34,000,000,000 pounds or another 242 million people!

Sadly, but not surprisingly, the United States is the most overweight nation on the planet. With all our fast food, fried food, super-sized sodas, lack of exercise, and over all couch-potato attitudes, we deserve to be at the top of the heap.  The research shows that while North America accounts for just six percent of the world’s population, but 34 percent of its human body mass due to obesity. that is a very sorry statistic.

Here are the lists of the top ten heaviest and lightest nations on the planet. It is noteworthy that half of the top 10 heaviest nation are located in the Middle East, while all ten of the lightest nations are from Asia or Africa. It should also be pointed out that for several of the nations included on the lightest 10 list, the opposite problem from obesity is occurring - instead of too much food (or calories) being consumed, they have too little, which is leading to risks associated with starvation.

Heaviest 10 (for nations with more than 100,000 people):

1. United States
2. Kuwait
3. Croatia
4. Qatar
5. Egypt
6. United Arab Emirates
7. Trinidad and Tobago
8. Argentina
9. Greece
10. Bahrain

Lightest 10:

1. North Korea
2. Cambodia
3. Burundi
4. Nepal
5. Democratic Republic of the Congo
6. Bangladesh
7. Sri Lanka
8. Ethiopia
9. Vietnam
10. Eritrea

The research was detailed online Sunday (June 17) in the journal BMC Public Health.

Read Full Post »

Scenes from Michigan’s vagina support rally

Here are some of my photos taken last night at the Michigan rally in support of vaginas held at the steps of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. At least 5,000 people attended in support of Women’s Rights.

Sheroes of the day – Rep. Barbara Byrum and Rep. Lisa Brown

“Vagina Monologues” being presented

Under a beautiful June evening sky.

Read Full Post »

Michigan vagina rally

Photo of portion of the crowd in front of the state capitol in Lansing.

Read Full Post »