The space shuttle just reported something awfully bright beaming from Spain..
Oh it’s my buddy John Daly. Well, he is currently serving a six month suspension from the PGA for behavior so he’s enjoying himself on the European tour.
He may be one of those athletes, like Michael Phelps, that deep down inside I want to curl up with and watch movies..okay I admit it.
Daly drinks a lot, smokes too much, and has a thing for Hooters events. On occasion, he does play golf and was spotted in these awesome pants this week in Spain!
I wish I was so happy after losing millions to gambling, having four ex-wives, and struggling to make ends meet as a pro golfer. He doesn’t give a crap and he’ll write a country song about it.
Gotta get those pants…
Bdbdbdbdbd…dat’s just the Swine Flu ee’ee’verybody
As of right now, you probably don’t have it and very unlikely that you will. They don’t currently have a vaccine to kill the media bug but it’s coming…god I can only pray!
Just follow a few standard and simple rules:
1) Don’t share glasses with a stranger in a bar right now
2) Don’t lick door handles in strange places
3) Don’t purposely run into the middle of someone’s sneeze pretending like it’s a sprinkler on a hot, summer lawn
4) Don’t eat fallen food that has surpassed the 20 second rule on your desk. However, food dropped on the sidewalk, in my opionion, seems cleaner so the rule doesn’t apply.
5) You can eat pork and the pork industry wants you to know this.
It should be taken seriously to prevent any further cases like we have seen in Mexico. The influenza virus can be very dangerous if not treated promptly, so take care of yourselves. Wash your hands, cover your sneezes, stay home if you feel poopy, don’t fly to Mexico unless you have a bachelor party scheduled, and lastly drink a lot of water and get your Zzzzz’s. Bust most of all, please do not freak out!
Craigslist murderer seemed like you and I…but don’t they all
A killer?
What a sad story and how shocking to discover a medical student turns out to be a cold blooded killer. I haven’t read much on this story until now. The dude is a college grad from SUNY Albany, had a ton of “normal” friends in school, partied, had girls, drank booze like each of us, a second year medical student at Boston U, and then ends up beating and shooting to death a hired masseuse in a hotel room.
There are always signs that a person might have a tendency to be violent, and he showed those signs.
My condolences to the family of Julissa Brisman.
Miss USA pageants: I have an idea…how about no more questions????
Apparently, the Miss USA competition could care less if you answer a question from your heart. Instead, the better answer is one that is politically correct and is satisfactory in the eyes of Perez Hilton?
This pageant is now complete garbage and a waste of time. I feel sorry for these bright, young ladies who suffer through the embarassment and pressure to engage in this horse crap of a competition.
Forget your beauty, forget your education, forget your viewpoint, and forget the fact that someone just asked you a question and expects an honest answer…the truth is not the truth but rather the truth is that you better lie and tell them what “they” want to hear or you can kiss your crown goodbye.
Kudos to Carrie Prejean for speaking her mind even if it wasn’t “the” answer. Anti gay marriage or pro gay marriage, this is a joke of a contest. However, for the sake of TV ratings – I’ll still watch it.
Rural Missouri town getting answers from a big name, Erin Brockovich
Since late 2007, there has been a problem in a small, rural Missouri town outside of Kansas City. Brain tumors, and a lot of them. In a seven month period over a dozen people were diagnosed with brain tumors and since that time some of them have died and others have endured lasting disability. Something was wrong in Cameron, MO.
Doctors are only required to report cancerous brain tumors to the Health Department. Most of the tumors in Cameron are large, but benign. So there is no official agency collecting the data however local residents demanded answers.
Initially, residents got State senators involved until finally the EPA came out and ran tests of the water and soil. To no surprise, nothing was found outside of normal levels. Epidemiologist testing revealed that the number of brain tumors was not “statistically higher than the state averages” They essentially told the residents that compared to national and state averages, the rate of brain tumors is in line. HA! That’s an interesting statement, so basically brain tumor rates are considered “normal” as long as everyone is evenly getting diagnosed. How f”ing comforting!
Enter Erin Brockovich. In October 2008, the story caught wind and the famous activist paid a visit to the small town of Cameron.
Since visiting Cameron and holding a series of town hall meetings and personal interviews, she launched her own investigation into the brain tumor issue. The findings of her investigation are just now coming to light and are beginning to make press in the Kansas City area.
Initial findings indicate a dangerous, chemical byproduct from a manufacturing plant had been used as a fertilizer in the region for over two decades.
The details of the lawsuit can be viewed on local Kansas City ABC affiliate, KMBC News. Currently, it appears as if two plaintiffs have filed suit but I can only imagine what will come of this if the allegations are found to be true and the lawsuit is awarded.
Makes you feel really safe and secure, don’t it?
Everyday can be an Earth Day…a little PSA
The recognition of Earth Day is now in it’s fourth decade and I think we’ve come a long way in our acceptance that it’s our responsibility to keep things clean and green. If you think about the effort it takes on your part, it is very minimal.
Don’t throw trash out the window of your car and pick up after yourself. How simple is that? There are a ton of “green”products on the market now anywhere from hybrid vehicles to cleaning products made from biodegradable chemicals. You don’t have to buy anything and everything that has an eco-friendly label on it, just do the little things people.
Mother nature has an amazing way of healing herself and making new but I do believe there is a point where we have to step in to lend a hand. Nobody likes to see Diet Dr Pepper bottles floating in a pond or cigarettes being flung out windows. I’m not saying that you need to dawn the scuba gear and plunge into your neighborhood watering hole searching for bottles and cans, but if you see something outside needing to be thrown away or recycled, do it. You don’t need to pack your trunk full of random garbage, but do something. Yeah, trash is icky and god knows who’s hands have been on it, but most bacteria and viral infections die relatively quickly once exposed to the outside air (hehe).
Seriously, picking up something off the ground is no different then you grabbing a door handle at Arby’s…think about it?
Do something small, walk a block or two instead of hopping in your car, carpool if you can (a lot of metro areas have carpool websites and clubs where you meet people close to you and share rides, or people at your place of employment who want to ride share) In the summer, mow your lawn closer to sunset or early in the morning if you can. Drink more filtered tap water if you can’t stand the thought of doing away with your water bottles (Brita pitchers are so cool and easy to refill during the day)
If the government can’t get it done, then you need to. Don’t wait for someone else to come along and make it cleaner or smell better. Get your hands dirty and quit worrying about your god damn manicure or that new Rolex you just wrapped around your hairy, limp wrist. Get down from the narcissistic cloud you float around on and make a real difference. (I don’t mean you unless this fits) You don’t have to be a granola to be environmentally conscious. Just have an awareness that for every little move you make, there are people nearby who see you do it and think twice about their own actions. Kind of like that commercial you see where random people witness an act of kindness and then perform one themselves? Is blogging going to fix the world, no…but it’s a great way to express myself and get you to think too.
You see this pitch all over the place but obviously it’s an important one or we wouldn’t be bombarded by the message. It’s common sense – you take care of yourself so take care of your world.
Why do songs come to life more late at night when alcohol is involved?
I have been asking myself this for years. The low lights, the shuffling crowd, and the emotionally charged atmosphere. At times, it brings out the best or the beast in us, some guys fight, some girls fight, or sometimes fight each other. Alcohol makes you focus (accept behind the wheel!), it makes you think, it opens your mind to ideas you’ve never had before, you develop ambitions that have escaped you, your guard is down, you love the guy next to you, or the girl. Everyone goes deaf and voices get louder, more spit flies into your face as your buddy or BFF taunts and teases you about something you’d rather not talk about.
The environment takes on a different look and feel, your mind races and remembers every move and sound you hear. People seem more interesting, you bond more with people you normally wouldn’t, and groups of strangers converge under one roof in a solitary, intimate setting watching each other intently as if everyone has a specific purpose for being there.
The time when the hope of new love or flashes of old love run crazy in your head. People who are important to you become that much more important as the alcohol cast a veil of truth over your body and there is no escaping its pull. You reflect on how things are and how they could be. For a few hours of the evening (or the afternoon), the outside world is a mere shadow of itself and you are now lost in an amazing jazz piece from the trio, or maybe a 70’s classic rock song blaring from an old school jukebox, or the thumping of an R&B song from the loudspeakers which seems to take on a new meaning and you think to yourself “I actually like that!”
The music becomes more intense, your admiration for a beautiful person in your life becomes stronger, and the cares of the everyday are swept away and everyone shares the feeling either together or deeply tucked away in their hearts and souls.
One thing is always a constant, the music. The melody is more catchy and the lyrics are more deeply meaningful..and hurtful. You listen harder, you sulk into the moment, you wish for things that haven’t happened yet, you reflect on past events and try desperately to sort them out into a somewhat logical order, you realize you liked that kind of music but never confessed it to anyone.
You swear to yourself that after tonight, I’m gonna get better, look better, act better, be a better friend, call my folks, call my brother, make a move, call her, call him, play with my kids more, share something personal with someone…but most of all…your juices are flowing and you don’t know why!
Just a few of my favorites to hear in a bar (or anywhere for that matter):
Frank Sinatra- In the Wee Small Hours. The song is from a man’s viewpoint but equally tugs at the heart of both sexes. Sinatra’s version is by far the best. Rumored to be right around the time he was in the midst of ending a relationship with actress Eva Gardner, the album In the Wee Small Hours was recorded in 1955. This time period is by far one of my favorites in modern music. Many say the songwriting was over the top and lyrics overly poetic but I think it was perfect.
Dave Brubeck Quartet- Take Five. I heard a live version of this at a jazz bar about four years ago and was memorized. The song is in a catchy 5/4 time signature which forces you to move. The entire club was bobbing their heads and “digging it man”
Journey – Send Her My Love. Now that you have picked yourself off the floor and wiped your tears from your laughing outburst, bare with me. The band wrote some pretty damn good ballads in their prime. Total junior high dance for 30 somethings now but still a shit bar classic. I bet you’ll still find Journey tunes in some pool halls out there!!! Like I said, when it’s 1:30am and you have a glazed, half baked feeling as you lean against the dusty bar, then this song sounds like it was written for you, just yesterday.
Lily Allen- The Fear. Now jumping to the present and boy what is it about her that I can’t get enough of. She’s very normal appearing at first glance until you notice she dresses odd, wears strange wigs in public, and is not a nice gal to talk to as I’ve heard she can be quite frank and offensive when interviewed, mmmm I like her even more now. I’m not a big techno, club music guy but damn. I want to pour her thick, English accent all over myself like hot chocolate syrup and…well…I dig the song too…and it grows on you.
The Airborne Toxic Event – Sometime Around Midnight. Well…not much to say…the song was written about this very topic and it’s cool too.
Susan Boyle’s performance…something to make you feel all warm and fuzzy
This was the chatter of the week in case you’ve been hiding under a rock. Susan Boyle stunned the Britian’s Got Talent audience (and the judges) with her singing.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you need to. The video cannot be embedded so please follow the link. It is fun to watch! You need to watch the audience before she sings and you literally see people laughing and mocking her before she even begins. Watch the turnaround and watch Simon’s face as she starts her song…it is priceless. I wanted to run through the house and shout out the window.
What an amazing resume of work in the music biz!
A 68 year old genius who is a pioneer record producer and one of the most influential men in the music business of the late 20th century. The originator of the “Wall of Sound”production technique, he was a pioneer of the 1960s’ girl group sound and clocked in over twenty-five Top 40 hits between 1960 and 1965. In later years he worked with such artists as Ike and Tina Turner, John Lennon, George Harrison and the Ramones with similar success, including production work on the Academy Award winning Let It Be and Grammy Award winning Concert for Bangladeshsoundtracks. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. He has produced albums for Connie Francis, Gene Pitney, The Ronettes, LaVerne Baker, The Righteous Brothers, The Beatles, John Lennon (most notably the Imagine album), George Harrison.
Albums which he’s produced:
1959: The Teddy Bears Sing – The Teddy Bears
1963: A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector– Various Artists
1963: Twist Uptown – The Crystals
1963: He’s A Rebel – The Crystals
1964: Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica – The Ronettes
1965: Ronettes – The Ronettes
1966: River Deep – Mountain High – Ike and Tina Turner
1970: Let It Be – The Beatles
1970: All Things Must Pass (co-producer) – George Harrison
1970: Plastic Ono Band (co-producer) – John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
1971: Imagine (co-producer) – John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band with the Flux Fiddlers
1971: The Concert for Bangla Desh (co-producer) – George Harrison and friends
1972: Some Time in New York City (co-producer) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Elephant’s Memory plus Invisible Strings
1975: Rock N’ Roll (co-producer) – John Lennon
1975: Born To Be With You – Dion
1977: Death of a Ladies’ Man – Leonard Cohen
1980: End of the Century– Ramones
1981: Season of Glass (co-producer) – Yoko Ono
1986: Menlove Ave. (co-producer) – John Lennon
1991: Back to Mono (1958-1969) (Box set compilation) – Various Artists
2003: Silence Is Easy(co-producer) – Starsailor
Thank you Wikipedia for this great information!
And here is Phil Spector today….
Somali Pirates – Wake up world and see what is really happening
I am glad the ship captain and his crew are safe now, however if you do some basic research and educate yourself you will discover why there is an outbreak of vessels being pirated by Somalians and it’s simple. They want their piece of mind and waters back. The country fell into a lawless state in the 1990’s and little by little the Somalian waters have been teeming with foreign ships illegally fishing and destroying the aquatic environment.
Gangs have been formed to defend these waters since the government has no power to stop these international vessels from desecrating the waters off the coast.
The trawlers began to come closer to the coast – looking for lucrative fish species – triggering direct confrontation between the foreign vessels and Somali inshore fishermen,” Omar Abdulle Hayle, a Mogadishu based fishery expert says.
“Criticism of the illegal fishing came from the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC), a United Nations body, but its words were not backed by deeds, ending up having no effect,” Mr. Hayle added.
Somali fishermen complained that their nets and other fishing equipment were repeatedly destroyed. There were reports of small boats being crushed by larger vessels and nets and their catches being taken by the foreign fishermen. “We have been lucky that foreigners have not landed on our beaches to take over our villages and mud huts,” observed Ally Bakari, a fisherman in Brava district, 210 kilometers south of Mogadishu.The first foreign fishing boats, which discovered that Somali waters were not guarded, encouraged many others to venture into the illegal fishing,” Mr. Hayle said. “Attempts to stop the foreign trawlers produced armed gangs that are now more interested in hijacking defenseless commercial ships, which possibly give them better rewards in terms of ransom payment.”
Is hijacking ships internationally acceptable? No! The gangs are so determined to stop the boats that innocent relief aid shipments are being compromised by the hijackings. The Somalian government realizes this and cannot stop it! Many of these same ships are trying to deliver aid to Somali which is even more disturbing. It’s a battle of two factions, one being the companies/countries that send these vessels out and the other being local Somalian fisherman and villagers looking out for themselves. They have no where else to sail the ships. The Gulf of Aden, which links the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, is the shortest route from Asia to Europe. More than 20,000 ships cross the vital sea lane every year.
The International Maritime Board and the International Maritime Organizations have done nothing to stop outsider vessels from intruding on Somali waters and robbing it of resources. The Somalian government has condemned these acts but are virtually powerless against them.
If the international community wants to see an end to these gangs overtaking vessels, then they need to address the root cause but sadly, I think the economic repercussion is too great to keep these boats out. The IMB is a multi national sea crimes watchdog group which operates under a long and ambiguous set of maritime or “admiralty” laws which govern all ships in open waters. They are good at stopping illegal piracy activity but they have no authority to squelch the issues that NATO and the United Nations should be handling.
By sea law, or the way it’s written right now, the Somalis have a right to fight for this environment according to Article 56(1)(b)(iii) of the Law of the Sea Convention.
It reads: In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State has jurisdiction as provided for in the relevant provisions of this Convention with regard to the protection and preservation of the marine environment”.
Article 57 of the Convention in turn outlines the limit of that jurisdiction:
“The exclusive economic zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured”.[
Someone in the Navy know what that means and could you please speak up? I read this as a country has a right to defend it’s borders in a so called “zone of economic interest”, however anything beyond 200 miles is not protected by that article’s statements. Somali gangs are controlling roughly 1.1 million nautical miles of coastline, their coastline. So of course the IMB sees these vessel hijackings as acts of pure piracy rather then protecting their economic interest in the waters.
I see no end to this as long as once again, the laws are vague and the interest of international commerce and shipping is at stake. Again, we have business meets humanity…a no win situation.
Heard It In A Bar RSS Feed- Texas – what the hell is wrong with you!? September 3, 2010I’m going to be honest with you, it is going to be very difficult for me to be calm about this. First, we had the Rep. Barton apologizing to BP for the Obama “shakedown”. Even his own party rolled their eyes and popped their Tums. I was up in arms over this and even got [...] […]She
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- Teetering on the edge…how does Bret Michaels do it? September 3, 2010I have to give Bret Michaels credit, he has battled a life of disease and he keeps bouncing back. At the age of six, he was diagonosed with Type I diabetes and has struggled to maintain his health all the while becoming an 80’s glam metal rock god, a history of hard hard partying, and what [...] […]kansasview
- A softball player who just happens to know the law, sign her up… September 3, 2010Does this woman really matter to you? If you look deep into the background of a possible supreme court justice, do you want actual bench experience or do you prefer someone who knows the law and has written a few hundred papers on well…the law? Princeton graduate, Harvard Law Dean,…on the surface at least Elena Kagan [...] […]kansasview
- When it rains for Tiger, it pours… September 3, 2010The muscle of this man has shrunk and shows more sign of atrophy as each new story surfaces. This blog did a pretty good job of leaving Tiger alone and I have to say after the recent events, I still stick to that credo. The bomb of the last couple months has dropped, the shrapnel has [...] […]kansasview
- Where have we been? September 3, 2010Well, a few good men and an even better woman started the idea of this blog and we owe it to someone to unspill the contents of our head, or at least mine. The time has come to once again say all the things I want to say and it’s an invitation for you as well! It’s [...] […]kansasview
- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling September 3, 2010Not that it’s another tragic celebrity death, not that it’s another young life taken so early…these are all troubling and sad in their own right. It’s another tragic case of someone getting caught up in the web of drugs…the legal type! It truly saddens me that so many of these stars seek out more and more prescription [...] […]kansasview
- Internet fun for the weekend… September 3, 2010By far one of my favorite websites of late is called GraphJam.com. Essentially, the website attempts to break down the world and how we interact with it in a series of graphs. It is hilarious when you see how the world around us can be so easily summed up in a pie or bar chart. [...] […]kansasview
- So why are more companies not yet hiring? September 3, 2010U.S. Workers are still filing a large amount of unemployment claims and this is after five weeks of declines in this area. Where are the culprits and which industries are still hurting? It’s apparent as we have seen over the last year is that a gradual stabilization of the economy does not naturally translate to a increase [...] […]kansasview
- Facebook is down…Facebook is down…5:42 (cst) September 3, 2010This website is not a help desk for Facebook but it’s a civic duty to keep the American public aware of all possible natural disasters!! Facebook is down! Facebook is down! Don’t toss your Iphone in the river or hurl it at your wife and complain that it doesn’t work worth a s***. Here is the current [...] […]kansasview
- Texas – what the hell is wrong with you!? September 3, 2010
