Stupidity rules.
The following is an excerpt from Fox News.
While thousands have fled, two people who tried to ride out the firestorm in a backyard hot tub were burned. The pair in Big Tujunga Canyon, on the southwestern edge of the fire, “completely underestimated the fire” and the hot tub provided “no protection whatsoever,” Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said Sunday.
Continue reading
For some time, I’ve been out her in the Omani desert, working with a bunch of brits. One of the blokes out here has a rather nice coffee mug that I had admired on many occasions. It’s fairly plain, but it’s the blue flag of Scotland.
Being Scottish by birth, I’ve always been partial to things scottish. I do own an kilt in my family tartan (doesn’t everyone?) So I asked about the mug and told him that I really liked it. He tole me that he picked it up in the Heathrow airport and would be happy to pick one up for me on his next rotation in.
I jumped at the chance and told him that would be grand!
Well, the mug is shown, not quite as the one that he has, but he explained that the shop at the airport didn’t have that particular one so he picked this one up for me.
I think it’s grand! Thanks mate!
Cheers!
Return From A Life Taken
Eighteen Years After Her Abduction, Jaycee Lee Dugard Walked Back Into the World
By Neely TuckerWashington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Let’s start at the beginning.
Jaycee Lee Dugard, blond, bucktoothed and happy, sauntered past her stepdad in the garage of their house at 8:12 a.m. on June 11, 1991. It was the Monday of the last week of school. The family had moved to the sleepy little nowhere town of Meyers, Calif., from Orange County a couple of years earlier, because it was a safer place for kids.
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This was too bizarre to pass up. Go read the entire story here
I really don’t know what to say about this story. It’s un-imaginable that things like this happen, but I know they do. It’s also the kind of thing that parents all over the world have nightmares about.
I feel for the parents, especially the step dad. I’m a step dad too, and I can imagine how he felt being accused and interrogated for this event.
Just read the story.
Maybe it’s time to add a little more chlorine to the gene pool?
Somehow, even in the desert, we get fog. Such was the case today, when I walked out of my room. A heavy fog had come in during the night and was still with us this morning. The wind was blowing fairly well, and the fog was blowing from south to north, and looked very strange floating across camp and the lights. Not much water any other time of the year, so the plant life and small animals rely on the moisture in the fog to survive. It’s truly amazing.
I found the coolest site! It’s most deffinatly a ‘Guy’ site (even says so!)
I could spend a fortune there in just the iPod/iPhone section! Everything a guy could dream of is there, from a Jägermeister 6-Bottle Shot Cooler, which delivers an icy cold shot of Jägermeister to J&D’s Bacon Lip Balm! No, I’m not kidding on the last one. I’ve spent 8 hours browsing.
As a very nice diversion and possibly a little more affordable, especially for the ‘Geek’ in the family is ThinkGeek. And before you ask, yes, I do shop there…
For gift ideas that are uniquely geeky, or if your stuck for that perfect gift for someone ‘Special’, check it out….
Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77
‘Liberal Lion’ of the Senate Led Storied Political Family After Deaths of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy
Sen. Ted Kennedy died shortly before midnight Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77.
The man known as the “liberal lion of the Senate” had fought a more than year-long battle with brain cancer, and according to his son had lived longer with the disease than his doctors expected him to.
“We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever,” the Kennedy family said in a statement. “He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it.”
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Taken from ABC News
Did someone say Chappaquiddick?
Read more about Teddy
Facebook did what?
Alex Vizer | August 18, 2009
A group of Facebook users filed a civil lawsuit on Monday August 17, 2009, that alleges the social-networking site is violating California consumer privacy laws.
The lawsuit, which was filed in California’s Orange County Superior Court on behalf of five users, seeks a jury trial, as well as damages and attorneys’ fees. The five plaintiffs are described as two children younger than 13, a user of the original Facebook, a professional photographer, and an actress and model.
The 40-page complaint accuses the Palo Alto, California-based company of violating the state’s privacy and online privacy laws by disseminating private information to third parties for commercial purposes.
“Plaintiffs and the general public desire and expect a level of privacy, which Facebook has failed to satisfy under its current policies, procedures, practices, and technology,” the complaint states.
A Facebook spokesman declined to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit other than to say, “We see no merit to this suit and we plan to fight it.”
Facebook is no stranger to privacy controversy. In July, an investigation by Canada’s privacy commissioner suggested Facebook is unconcerned with members’ privacy and called on it to do more.
Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart expressed concern that while it’s easy for members to deactivate their accounts, it’s less clear on how to actually delete them. Facebook could therefore retain member data from deactivated accounts for an indefinite period of time in violation of Canadian privacy law.
The social network went through a user backlash over the introduction of its News Feed in 2006, and a bigger one over the controversial Beacon advertising program. More recently, a revision to Facebook’s terms of use prompted consumer advocacy blog The Consumerist to highlight language that it said meant that Facebook claimed ownership of user profile data and photos.
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This was found on http://www.cdnins.com/news/news_180809_01.htm.
There’s an old saying….
If you don’t want people to know your business, don’t give it to them.
That being said, I suppose that Facebook claiming ownership of a users profile and photos is a little off the mark. Imagine seeing a photo of yourself, one that you have posted into a photo page on Facebook, on some entirely different website being used in some background? Think about it though. Any picture posted anywhere can be retrieved, modified, and used for other purposes. Doesn’t have to be from Facebook, it could be from anywhere. Seems to me that personal information should remain personal. I might not want to know all your personal details, but that can’t stop me from finding out if I dig hard enough.
The point is, if you don’t want it known, don’t give it out.
The Humane Society has got this video of Michael Vick jumping on the bandwagon against ‘Animal Fighting and Cruelty’, which I personally think cruelty to animals should carry stiffer penalties for parties involved in such activities. I know that there are some that view this type of ‘Sporting Event’ as acceptable, or even a way of life in some parts of the world, but not in my book.
I’m glad that Mr. Vick has joined the cause, although I wonder if it was part of his probation. In any case, public attention needs to stay focused on the in-appropriateness of this sport, and do what they can to help prevent cruelty to animals.
There is another video that the HSUS has on it’s site on ‘Horse Tripping’. This is absolute gruesome. This ‘Sport’ should be abolished immediately and those responsible for partaking of it should be punished to the extreme! I’m sure horse lovers would agree.
Go to the web site, and navigate to ‘Animal Fighting & Cruelty’ on the Channel Navigator. If you dare watch, you won’t believe how cruel this really is.
Girl swept away by Bill wave dies after rescue
Associated Press
Aug. 23, 2009, 8:45PM
The Coast Guard says a 7-year-old girl rescued after being swept away by a large wave during Hurricane Bill in Maine has died.
Three people were rescued at Acadia National Park on Sunday and no others are believed to be missing after the wave washed over a crowd watching the surf.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class James Rhodes said the wave crashed over about 20 people. A man, a 12-year-old girl and the 7-year-old didn’t make it back to shore on their own, but were found by a 47-foot Coast Guard vessel.
The National Hurricane Center says the center of the hurricane was about 400 miles west-southwest of Newfoundland late Sunday afternoon.
The above story was pulled from the Houston Chronicle. Some of the comments were interesting to say the least. Along the gulf coast, hurricanes, and the dangers they present are well known. Not everyone is as fortunate in that aspect.
You just can’t fix stupid.
The smoking parlor has been constructed!
I was told that last year the smoking parlor was not constructed for about a week into Ramamdan. I’m sure that for some, it was difficult to refrain during daylight hours, but I have no idea where they would have hid. The camp area around here is a lot less populated than it was a year ago, and I can see where it would be difficult to find a place out of public view.
Non the less, there are a lot of smokers here in camp.