Headphones & Hearing Loss

Please, no more Rolling Stones!

Researchers fear the growing popularity of portable music players and other items that attach directly to the ears - including cell phones - is contributing to hearing loss in younger people.

Increasingly, Robert Novak, director of clinical education in audiology at Purdue University in Indiana, says he's seeing too many young people with "older ears on younger bodies" - a trend that's been building since the portable Walkman made its debut a few decades back.

This should force a reexamination of the experimental program of musical therapy to improve the care of newborns which began 2 years ago at the 1st Private Hospital in Kosice-Saca.

Raise Your Hand If You're Sure

No, not an anti-perspirant ad, but England cricket captain Michael Vaughan holding aloft a replica of the Ashes urn as players Kevin Pietersen, center, and Andrew Flintoff, right, celebrate during the Ashes victory parade in London on Tuesday. England regained the Ashes on Monday after drawing the final Test match against Australia winning the series 2-1. (AP Photo/Matthew Fearn/PA)

Cricket reminds me of quidditch only with the flying brooms.

Truth Springs Eternal

In the same way you can't keep the human spirit down (evidenced here by NOLA citizen, Alex Perez, carrying his cats to safety in Tupperware), the truth will out, come hell or high water.
The truth about Hurricane Katrina's aftermath is percolating through the toxic ooze of liberal reporting and slowly coming into the light of day. From the American Spectator comes More on Katrina from the perceptive Ben Stein, in which he makes a case that the MSM used the storm and its attendant sorrows to continue their endless Bush-bashing.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette comes No shame from Jack Kelly, which challenges the liberal left's contention that the federal response was unconscionably slow. To quote Mr. Kelly, "Journalists who are long on opinion and short on knowledge have no idea what is involved in moving hundreds of tons of relief supplies into an area the size of England..."

These are just two short articles and are both well worth the read.

There is no stopping the truth about Hurricane Katrina.

Thank goodness.

Never Forget

I didn't want September 11th to pass without a small reminder here on The BLOG.

The Big Boo

In case you missed it, hip hop rapper Kanye West, who used a network hurricane fundraiser to charge "George Bush doesn't care about black people" was loudly and lustily booed during last night's NFL kickoff show.

In a developing story, The Drudge Report said, "The appearance of Kanye West, who was beamed into the Boston stadium via remote from Los Angeles, received a strongly negative response from the crowd"

"The boos were thunderous and lasted for much of his number," reports the BOSTON GLOBE.

Thank you Boston for setting this big mouth straight!

Cats In Sinks Blog Friday

Have you looked in your sink lately? There may be a cat in it. The folks down at cats in sinks.com say they have discovered a feline phenomenon of staggering proportions and they have the pics to prove it.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Ever have one of those days?

Kitty with sink phobia.

Angry young kitty who hates being in the sink.

Kitty who should stay away from the mirror.

Tortie in the sink. No reason other than I have a soft spot for torties.

This site has hundreds of other photos and will accept submissions for posting. So everybody get your digital cameras out & try to catch your felines in the sink.

Trekiversary #39

The first episode of Star Trek aired on September, 8, 1966.
I watched it with my Dad and we became instant fans.

Can you name the creature in the picture?

Blank Gov

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco(D) resisted pleas from the Bush administration to declare martial law and her dithering (either because of crass political motivation, just plain incompetence, or both) opened the way for looters, rapists, and killers to prey on the already victimized citizens of New Orleans.

Unlike Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) who vowed to deal "aggressively and ruthlessly" with looters in his state, Gov. Blanco, on the other hand, initially suggested that stopping rampant looting in New Orleans wasn't a priority, telling reporters Tuesday: "We don’t like looters one bit, but first and foremost is search and rescue.”

The smoldering ruins of New Orleans are a testament to Governor Blanco´s poor handling of the situation, and her inability to punish those who would use Katrina as a free pass to steal and kill at will, yet she appears angrier with the Bush Administration than the looters! From this I conclude politically driven incompetence; the worst case scenario for Louisiana.

But the politically motivated incompetence doesn't stop there. Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, yet another democrat, threatened on national TV to punch out the president (a felony, BTW, even as a threat). BayouBuzz.com suggests that the senator should consider punching out the governor instead, which is only a misdemeanor.

Gotta love it. I'm sure there would be quite a few takers on that suggestion.

The Anti-Rudy

From an article by Craig Martelle of the Pittsburgh post-gazette.com comes this eye-opening review of the New Orleans emergency management plan and how it broke down long before the federal government became involved.

The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the state level. I urge you to read the entire article, but in short, it stresses that it is the office of the Mayor, Ray Nagin, who must coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan.

Yet, this AP photo from 9/1/05 shows a school bus park, apparently filled to capacity with buses, under 4 feet of water. Ask yourself, why if a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans was ordered, why weren't all the taxpayer-purchased buses used to evacuate the citizens who had no means to get out?

Mayor Nagin was quick to blame everyone but his own office, but the details of his utter incompetence will be made known to the world.

Mayor Nagin, you sir, are no Mayor Rudy Guiliani!

Tomorrow, Governor Blanco...

Is It 5 O'Clock Yet?

I've heard of having time on your hands, but your head?


TGIF! This photo is evocative of Fridays, especially ones before a long weekend, which always make me watch the clock.

So as you head out towards whatever you have planned, please remember the people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina who don't have the basic necessities of life. If you haven't already made a donation, please do so. If you are fortunate enough to have the means to do so, donate again.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend, everybody!

Cat Burglar Blog Friday

German police called to a break-in at an apartment in the northern town of Itzstedt found the intruder still on the premises and hiding under a kitchen cabinet.

The "cat burglar" had somehow crawled into the ground-floor of the apartment, broken window blinds, torn down drapes and trashed furniture.

Police also found fish and fish remains from a broken aquarium scattered around the apartment, said Julika Reinhardt, spokesman for the police in the town north of Hamburg.

Two officers finally found the offender, a cat, hiding under a kitchen cabinet but the heavyweight male resisted arrest, biting one officer in the thumb before they both managed to overpower it.

Reinhardt said the cat, wearing a name tag, was returned to its owner who would have to pay for the damage.

"No one knows how the cat broke in," she said. "But the damage was considerable."

The cat's name was not revealed and no next of kin could be reached for comment, but it looks like another case of a good cat gone bad.

Doggie Bag

This gives a whole new meaning to the term doggie bag.

Skinny House For Sale

This skinny house (pictured in black) in the Shepherds Bush neighborhood of west London measures an amazing 5 feet at its skinniest and 9 feet, 11 inches at its widest is up for sale for $933,868, according to estate agents.

The house which is spread over 5 levels, includes a narrow kitchen, an itty-bitty dining area, a teesy-weensy reception room, three pint-sized bedrooms, a wee shower room, a miniscule dressing room, a paltry patio, a miniature garden and a puny roof terrace which boasts panoramic views of London's west side.

And I thought real estate prices were through the roof here in Florida.

American Aid

Americans along the Gulf Coast need help. Instapundit.com
has an excellent round-up of charities to which you can send donations.

Please give what you can and then give a little more. It's a good cause and you'll feel good about it - a nice unintended consequence.

BTW I sure wish Hollywood and the Live-Aid people would rush to help Americans in their hour of need.

I know I will.

Cup Of Antioxidants?

Remember when coffee was bad for you? Well, now it's good for you again. Current research by Joe Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton shows that coffee provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet.

According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily for an average consumption of 1,299 mg (not 1,300 mg, mind you, but 1,299!). I would've guessed 2-3 cups, but that's just me.

But to further complicate matters comes an article from New Scientist.com
by Kurt Kleiner which states that most published scientific research papers are wrong. Assuming that the new paper is itself correct, problems with experimental and statistical methods mean that there is less than a 50% chance that the results of any randomly chosen scientific paper are true.

What does that say about the recent coffee study?
Or the global warming studies?
Or hormone replacement studies?
Or the cholesterol-heart disease link studies?

Other than education, common sense, and moderation, what is a consumer to do?

I don't know. I'll get back to you on that, once I have another 1,299 mg of antioxidants.

Precipice View

An American Indian tribe, the Hualapai, is planning to build a glass-bottomed walkway that will jut out 70 feet from the edge of the Grand Canyon.

The horse-shoe shaped walkway, with a glass bottom and sides, will be supported by steel beams, is designed to hold 72 million pounds, and will accommodate 120 people (unless one of them is millionaire "documentary" filmmaker, Michael Moore, in which case he and his lardass will have to venture out alone), said Sheri Yellowhawk, chief executive officer of the Grand Canyon Resort Corp., the tribal-owned company that is overseeing the project.

"You're basically looking 4,000 feet down. It's a whole new way to experience the Grand Canyon," Yellowhawk said.

The project is still seeking an insurer, said architect David Jin, who said he came up with the skywalk idea while visiting the canyon in 1996.

Yeah, I just can't resist a gratuitous Michael Moore insult.

Kat Blog Friday

This kitty is doing the Go Away Hurricane Katrina dance.

GO AWAY, KATRINA!

GO AWAY, KATRINA!

Leave my state and dissipate.

Coulrophobia

It's nothing to clown about!

Furong Furor

The Chinese government has created a special Internet police force believed responsible for shutting down domestic sites posting politically unacceptable content, blocking some foreign news sites and jailing several people for their online postings.

Sister Furong, the latest target of the crackdown, is seen above demonstrating either the lack of basic necessities like toilet paper in communist regimes or what the Chinese government can do with their latest crackdown on her photos posted on the Internet.

The Chinese authorities told the country's top blog host to move Furong-related content to low-profile parts. While her pictures can still be found online, links to them and chatrooms about her have disappeared from the front pages of major Web portals. Read more about the Chinest internet crackdown here

Aren't you glad you live in America or a free democratic republic?

Blog Of The Day!

Yes, it's true. The BLOG is today's featured Blog of the Day on Blog Explosion. I want to thank all the litle people... just kidding.

Happy Happy Joy Joy.

Octo-haute Couture

No, this isn't a photoshop photo. This model displays a creation of Colombian designer Carlos Valenzuela during the Colombiamoda fair in Medellin.

This is illustrative of the over-rated, over-priced crap that is churned out by the fashion industry. Who can take this seriously?

Tom Zaps Oprah!

From News.com.au comes news that loony Tom Cruise is doing everything in his considerable power to convert Oprah to the cultish faith of Scientology. In addition to zapping her with purple rays (shown above), crazy Cruise recently bought a house two doors away from Oprah in the glamorous suburb of Santa Barbara, California, so that under the guise of being a good neighbor, he can zap her with the mind control scientology rays with impunity.

Fellow Scientologist and Pulp Fiction star John Travolta is also trying to woo Oprah into joining the nutty cult by recently presenting her with a $700,000 Bentley car for her birthday.

Oprah would be a huge catch for the Scientologists, one internet site announced this week, and you can almost see Cruise's eyes gleaming at the prospect. Another adds: "If Oprah falls into the hands of Scientology, who can tell what influence she might have on the population? The prospect is terrifying."

All I can say is, "Oprah, you don't go there, girl!"

Papal Wind

God help me, for a split second I thought Senator Robert Bird [D-WVA] had reverted to his old rank of Grand Cyclops in the K.K.K.

Turns out this was a photo of Pope Benedict XVI's cape blown by the wind as he arrived at the Cologne-Bonn airport in Germany. [AFP/David Hecker]

Forgive me, Holy Father.

Fuji Smear?

I must admit that when I first saw this photo, I thought this guy had some kind of beef with the Fuji Corporation and went to elaborate ends to show it.

It turns out to be the Los Angeles Kings' newest goalie, Tokyo-born, Yutaka Fukufuji, displaying his jerey during a news conference in Tokyo Thursday.

Pitiable Cindy

Move America Forward will be conducting the “You Don’t Speak for Me, Cindy” caravan beginning next week. It will feature military family members who have loved ones serving in the war against terrorism in Iraq or Afghanistan. The delegation will be led by Deborah Johns of Marine Moms. (Her son has served in Operation Iraqi Freedom).

Cindy Sheehan speaks for liberal fringe groups like moveon.org, who don't have America's best interests in mind. She does not speak for me!

If she doesn't speak for you either, check out the
Move America Forward website.

Freedom and free speech aren't free. Volunteer to caravan, send a donation, or do both if you can.

Raise your voices, America. Cindy isn't the only one with something to say.

Fish Catches Man!

From Reuters (Berlin): Comes a story of a fish caught in an east German lake that lured a 46-year-old fisherman to his death, police in the town of Eisenhuettenstadt said Tuesday.

A police spokeswoman said the fish pulled the fishing rod out of the man's hands and dragged it about 100 metres away from shore at the Kleinen Pohlitzer lake near Eisenhuettenstadt. The man took off his clothes and swam after the pole.

An eyewitness said the man reached the rod floating on the surface but then suddenly stopped moving. The witness, 54, swam out to help him and pulled the fisherman back to shore, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

"I know it sounds like an incredible story but it really happened," an Eisenhuettenstadt police spokeswoman said. "It was apparently just an ordinary fish."

An ordinary fish, but an extraordinarily stupid man.

Dead Zone

Floridians are familiar with red tide, algae bloom outbreaks that occur along the Gulf Coast beaches every summer. This year's red tide blooms have been the worst many locals have ever experienced, lasting longer, covering a larger area, and killing more marine life.

Divers have documented a dead zone 20 miles offshore in the Gulf Shore from Johns Pass to Clearwater. And by dead zone, diver Mike Miller said, "I'm talking zero things are alive out there. The only way to describe it is a nuclear bomb."

Scientists theorize that the red tide blooms (caused by the microscopic troublemaker algae, Karenia brevis) became trapped underneath a thermocline, or a zone of colder water, which has forced the bloom to stay in the area much longer than normal.

Florida is one weird place.

Name That Spider Monkey

One day old female Red-Faced Black Spider Monkey (orphaned when her mother died after giving birth) is being held at the Estoril Zoo about 20 miles south of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The zoo reports that a contest will be held to name the baby primate...

With those extra-long digits, I vote for Skeletora.

Excellent, He-Man!

Crawford Redux

Am I the only one that thinks of the theme to Bonanza when I see this scene?

Dum teh deh dum teh deh dum teh deh dum dum dum dum....

Somatotropin Anyone?

NY Liberty's Becky Hammon (front) guards Connecticut Sun's 7'2" center, Margo Dydek of Poland during the 2nd half of their WNBA game at Madison Square Garden on 8/2/05.

I don't know, but I have a nagging suspicion that Dydek's anterior pituitary got a little help...*wink*wink*

BTW...anyone out there know the final score?