Notepads we could all use from time to time......

Hey NASA, Egypt & Tunisia....Chill Out !!

Here's a little tidbit to gnaw on over the summer. (click the post title for a link to the original story)

You know how it gets hot in the summertime right ? In some places around the world, it gets really, really hot...I mean 120 in the shade...sweat dripping from places you'd rather it didn't...kinda hot...

Well, turns out that the US Military, with it's two ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq don't like the heat any more than you or I do, at least not that kinda heat. Soooo....what's their solution ? Just like you and I, they crank up the A/C. Now we all know that air conditioning is energy intensive. Your gas milage drops, your electricity bill climbs and god forbid you have the frost blasting while you've got the window open. Remember how your parents would freak out on you over that ?!?

Well.....the US Military is spending more on A/C for it's troops in Iraq & Afghanistan than.......
The entire budget of NASA or The total aid offered to fledgling democracies in Egypt and Tunisia promoting and supporting freedom where little existed 6 months ago.

Now they'll tell us that it's the cost of the fuel + the transport of the fuel + the other assorted infrastructure but come on !!
- That it's higher than NASA or Democracy
- It's $20 Billion. That's one helluva A/C bill AND it's one tiny budget for NASA or Democracy.

To top it all off, if the Pentagon would only insulate their tents & buildings, they could save upwards of 92% in fuel to run the A/C. They have done the studies, have the results, the technology is available and the ongoing bills are staggering. But so far, they just haven't twigged to the fact that they could save some gas/oil if only they closed a window or put up some foam insulation.... Secretary Gates or President Obama needs to only sign a one page memo to make it happen !!

Also, lets not forget that in those two countries, with populations of Tens of Millions, most citizens do without air conditioning (let alone refrigerated food, drinks etc..) and they've been living there for centuries !!

Yet this is the most advanced military of the most advanced nation on earth ?

Not to be glib about it but when you can save 92% of the fuel and a good chunk of the expense, hassle and grief but choose not to then something is wrong with your thinking.

I think about the impending loss of Hubble, the Shuttles, the leadership position in space exploration, the lost goodwill that could be generated in the muslim world, the promotion of free and fair elections, setting up true representative democracies and institutions where you had animosity only months before....

Guess I better chill out myself.......

You say the US is broke ? I'd say their society is broke-er.......

The asylum is being run by the lunatics...(Canadian Law Review)

Here in Canada we recently had an election where the incumbent party (insert Darth Vader theme) won but this time with enough votes to form a majority government. Now I'm not going to bore you with my usual diatribe about politics or the evils of putting pinheads in office. By now you're either in full agreement with me OR you're numb to my rantings.

BUT......One of the platform centerpieces of our new majority Conservative party is to start spending more on our prisons. Now crime rates have actually been dropping but the grand pubah in Ottawa is convinced that we need to lock more people up in order to make our streets safer. Forget the fact that his solution is expensive, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted etc...He's convinced that we need more of our population behind bars for whatever offences exist on the books. Soooo....let's have a look at some of those offences that will result in either a fine or possibly incarceration here in our glorious Canada.

National Law

• Every fifth song on Canadian radio must be by a Canadian born citizen.

• You may not pay for a fifty-cent item with only pennies.

• Citizens may not publicly remove bandages.

• No one in Canada may watch or listen to an encrypted broadcast which is not licensed by the Canadian government. This means using US satellite systems such as "DirecTV" is illegal.

• It is illegal for clear or non-dark sodas to contain caffeine.

• It is illegal to kill a sick person by frightening them.

• It is illegal to pretend to practice witchcraft.

Alberta

• Wooden logs may not be painted.

• You may never use dice to play craps.

• Businesses must provide rails for tying up horses.

• If you are released from prison, it is required that you are given a handgun with bullets and a horse, so you can ride out of town.

• In Calgary, it is unlawful to throw snowballs or set off firecrackers within the city, without the authorization of the mayor or City Council.

• All bicycle riders must signal with the arm before making a turn, and a bicycle rider must keep both hands on the handlebars at all times" in Edmonton.

British Columbia

• It is illegal to kill a Sasquatch.

• A law requires jailers to bring convicted debtors a pint of beer on demand.

• Anyone interrupting a meeting of the British Columbia Grasshopper Control Committee can be arrested.

• In Burnaby all dogs must be under control by 10 pm or the owners will be penalized.

• You are not allowed to wear a bathing suit while "loitering, playing or indulging in a sunbath" in any park or on the beach in Victoria.

Manitoba

• A by-law forbids anyone from striking the sidewalk with a metal object in Winnipeg.

• In Winnipeg, it is against the law to go naked in your own home if you leave the blinds up.

New Brunswick

• Driving on the roads is not allowed.

Nova Scotia

• When raining, a person may not water his/her lawn.

• In Halifax, no citizen is allowed to chop wood on the sidewalk.

Ontario

• It is illegal for children to eat ice-cream cones on the streets on the Sabbath in Ottawa.

• Theater owners are forbidden to start a movie that will end after 2 am in Toronto.

• You are not allowed to saw wood on the streets, or wash your automobile in Toronto.

• The speed limit is 80 kph for cars, but bicyclists have the right of way.

• Bylaw states that no more than 3.5 inches of water is allowed in a bathtub.

• If you have a water trough in your front yard it must be filled by 5:00 a.m

• The color of house and garage doors is regulated by city bylaws (a purple door get you a fine).

• It is also illegal to have a clothes line in your backyard.

• You can't work on your car in the street.

• It's illegal to climb trees.

• You can't drag a dead horse down Yonge Street in Toronto on a Sunday.

• You are not allowed to play a musical instrument in a park in Windsor, Ontario.

Quebec

• It is illegal to turn right on a red light at any time.

• All business signs in the province of Quebec must be in French. If the business operator wishes to have English on the sign, the French must be at least twice as large as the English is.

• It is considered an offense to have more than two colors of paint on your house.

• You may not own a log cabin.

• "For Sale" signs are not permitted in the windows of moving vehicles.

• One's rear license plate may not be protected by glass or plastic.

• You may not swear in French.

• Citizens may not relieve themselves or spit on the street.

• In Canada, It is illegal for a teen to walk down main street for Fort Qu'Appelle with their shoes untied.

Saskatchewan

• It is illegal to try and catch fish with your hands in Saskatoon.

Mmmmmm.....Beer Candy. Finally, something to get the man on Valentines Day !!

We now have wonderful Beertaffy (tm). Beertaffy has great beer flavor and comes in IPA and Stout. You can buy a 1/2 pound bag with both flavors in it.  We also have delicious gourmet caramels are made with real craft beer. Soft and creamy, the rich flavors come through. Beercandy® makes a great gift! The caramels come in a beautiful royal blue, shiny box with gold accents. The flavor keys and descriptions of the candies are on the box's sides. The boxes of caramels come in 2 sizes. The 4-piece, like a sampler, has one of each flavor. The 12-piece box has 3 of each flavor. 

Attention! Some of the Caramels have run out. There are no more boxes of single flavor Stout. We are also out of Hopdrops at this time. We will be making more soon! Try the assorted caramels because they all taste great!  

Hopdrops™ are a surprising marriage of bitter and sweet.  These candies are flavored with real hop oil. The bags have two flavors in them: American Cascade and  British Fuggles.

Not sure which Beercandy® to give as a gift? Check out our guide to choosing beer and Beercandy® on the Beercandy® Land page. Or you could just choose an assortment!

Breakdancing Gorilla

Nuff said !!

Rmember 'Movember ? Well, women can play too.....

In an effort to raise awareness about cervical cancers and other issues related to....well....you'll figure it out...or just click the link here to read the official story....

Toronto's Vanessa Willson, Jessie Behan and a group of their friends are encouraging women to sculpt their down-there hair during the month of July to raise money for cervical cancer awareness

G20: By the Numbers

What we wished we'd seen during the G20

• 1,100: Approximate number of people arrested during last summer’s G20 summit
• 317: Number of people charged with criminal offences related to the G20 summit
• 187: Criminal charges withdrawn since the G20 summit
• 58: Per cent of G20-related charges withdrawn, stayed or dismissed (187 cases)
• 39: Defendants who took advantage of diversion programs and had their charges dropped
• 24: Number of people who have pleaded guilty of G20-related crimes since the summit
• 11: Defendants subject to peace bonds
• 9: Number of people erroneously listed as charged

Source: Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General

What we actually saw

Anthony Weiner's Uncensored Penis Picture Plus 10 Other Images That Are Even More Obscene (Warning: Graphic)

Taken from AlterNet (I didn't ask but I do attribute.)

Weiner's junk isn't the only perverse image rocketing around the Internet -- here are 10 other shocking pics.
June 9, 2011 |

Editor's note: The following article contains images that may be shocking to some readers. It is not “work-safe,” and is intended only for mature audiences.

Almost two weeks have passed since the first racy picture of Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-New York, emerged on the Internet. Since then, the eyes of the world – or at least the major news media – have been riveted on the story as it has unfolded.

The photographic evidence of the congressman's perfidy has become ever more extreme. What began with a pair of boxer shorts led to pictures of Weiner's uncovered pectoral muscles, and finally, to the unvarnished image of a man's erect penis – a penis later confirmed to belong to Anthony Weiner.

That photo has since been removed from YFrog, but we've posted a copy of it here as a public service to our readers.

But Weiner's wiener wasn't the first obscene photograph to zoom around the Internet, and it won't be the last. We scoured our files for some other perverse images that may be getting less attention than the Weinergate pics, but are just as important.

Here are 10 of the most profane.

1. On Average, 48 Young Women Are Raped Every Hour In the Congo

Below is an image of Congolese women fleeing from the latest outbreak of violence in a series of civil wars that have devastated the country for the last 15 years – hot-points in a conflict that has led to more deaths than any other since World War II.

There's nothing obscene about the photograph, but according to Al Jazeera, “more than 1,100 women are raped every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), making sexual violence against women 26 times more common than previously thought, a study has concluded.”

More than 400,000 women and girls between the ages of 15 to 49 were raped in the war-ravaged country in central Africa during a 12-month period in 2006 and 2007, according to the study published in the American Journal of Public Health on Wednesday.

That is 26 times more than the 15,000 women that the United Nations has reported were raped there during the same 12 months.

"Our results confirm that previous estimates of rape and sexual violence are severe underestimates of the true prevalence of sexual violence occurring in the DRC," Amber Peterman, lead author of the study, said.

"Even these new, much higher figures still represent a conservative estimate of the true prevalence of sexual violence because of chronic underreporting due to stigma, shame, perceived impunity, and exclusion of younger and older age groups as well as men," she said.

2. Murder-by-State

This is Troy Davis, pictured with his mother, Virginia. Davis has languished on death row since his conviction for the shooting death of Savannah, Georgia police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989.

Of the nine witnesses who identified Davis as the shooter, seven have since recanted their testimony, claiming the police threatened and coerced them into identifying Davis, who has always maintained his innocence. One of the two witnesses who are sticking to their stories is Sylvester "Redd" Coles, originally a suspect in the case. Coles was seen acting “suspiciously” near the scene, and a witness later testified that he had bragged about killing a police officer at a party.

Davis' final appeal was rejected without comment by the Supreme Court in March, setting the stage for a new execution date – his fourth. The state delayed setting a date after Davis' mother died suddenly on April 14. Davis was not allowed to attend her funeral.

3. U.S. Steps Up Airwar to Defend Brutal Dictator

This is a picture of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a strong-arm dictator who has been in power since 1978. (He rose to power following the assassination of his predecessor, and then “won” the country's first direct election with a Stalinesque 96 percent of the vote.) Saleh was a close ally of Saddam Hussein, and supported the Iraqi leader's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

According to the New York Times, “The Obama administration has intensified the American covert war in Yemen, exploiting a growing power vacuum in the country to strike at militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets.”

The recent operations come after a nearly year-long pause in American airstrikes, which were halted amid concerns that poor intelligence had led to bungled missions and civilian deaths that were undercutting the goals of the secret campaign...

The extent of America’s war in Yemen has been among the Obama administration’s most closely guarded secrets, as officials worried that news of unilateral American operations could undermine Mr. Saleh’s tenuous grip on power.

Four civilians were reportedly killed in airstrikes targetting al Qaeda-linked militants in Yemen last Friday.

4. Murder by Health-Insurance

This is the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona -- the scene of a perverse crime.

Early last year, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a budget that eliminated the Children’s Health Insurance Program, denying health care to 47,000 low-income kids in Arizona. But she wasn't finished. Last October, Arizona also eliminated funding for certain organ transplants covered under Medicaid.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, in January, the medical center confirmed that “a patient who was refused a liver transplant because of state budget cuts has died.”

The death was "most likely" due to the defunding of the organ transplant, said Jo Marie Gellerman, University of Arizona Department of Surgery spokeswoman....

The patient is the second person to reportedly die while waiting for one of the transplants that were cut. Between 95 and 100 people were taken off a waiting list for organ transplants when the defunding took effect.

5. Modern-Day Hoovervilles, In the Richest Country in the World

This is a tent city outside Sacramento, California, last summer. There are now approximately 14 million Americans who want a job and can't find one. In March, the average length of joblessness for all unemployed workers was a record 39 weeks. Many of those people relied on their unemployment insurance to get by until it ran out and they still haven't found work -- they've come to be known as "99ers," as extended unemployment benefits in many states last a maximum of 99 weeks. Researchers at the National Employment Law Project estimate there were 3.9 million 99ers out of work last year, and project a similar number for 2011.

Meanwhile, as I noted last month, it's not only Washington that has largely turned a blind eye to the catastrophic jobs situation; a study of the corporate media's economic coverage conducted by the National Journal found that “major U.S. newspapers have increasingly shifted their attention away from coverage of unemployment in recent months while greatly intensifying their focus on the deficit.” (The study was conducted before Anthony Weiner's penis started making major news.)

But the real obscenity here is that rather than make a concerted effort to help these people, communities across the country are breaking up tent cities as they pop up, and giving law enforcement new tools with which to harass the homeless.

6. Executed Boy

This is an Afghan boy named Gul Mudin. He was around 15 years of age when a U.S. army “kill team” murdered him in cold blood, according to an investigative report featured in Rolling Stone.

According to sworn statements, two soldiers – Cpl. Jeremy Morlock and Pfc. Andrew Holmes – staged the killing to make it look like they had been under attack. Ordering the boy to stand still, they crouched behind a mud wall, tossed a grenade at him and opened fire from close range. This photograph shows Mudin’s body lying by the wall where he was killed.

Mudin was one of four Afghans murdered by the rogue unit. They represented a tiny portion of the total – according to the most conservative estimates, over 8,000 civilians have been killed since the U.S.-led intervention began.

7. Millionaire Playboy Escapes Prison by Paying Blood Money

Pictured below is one Ryan LeVin, a “millionaire playboy” who killed two tourists in Florida when he lost control of his Porsche while hurtling down a street at over 100 miles an hour, fled the scene and then lied to cops about who had been behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

At the time, LeVin had been on parole in Illinois, where he had over 50 moving violations, including one for an incident in which he struck a police officer before fleeing.

LeVin faced up to 45 years in prison for the Florida killings, but his lawyer “argued that the need for LeVin to pay restitution to the men's widows and children outweighed the need for LeVin to serve prison time.”

"The wives and children of the deceased were significantly and permanently impacted by this incident, and they have indicated ... that there exists a great necessity for restitution which the defendant can, and will, make, if permitted a sentence devoid of incarceration," LeVin's defense attorney David Bogenschutz wrote in court documents.

According to the Huffington Post, LeVin was “sentenced to two years of house arrest, which he will serve at one of his parents' two luxury seaside condos. He will be able to use the gym in the building and go to church.”

He offered no apologies to the victims' families during the hearing; his lawyer asked the court to return his Porsche.

8. Unarmed Protesters Gunned Down in Occupied Territories

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, this young protester was unarmed when he was shot by Israeli security forces on May 15, a day of commemoration of the Palestinians' expulsion from their homes during the formation of the state of Israel. He was lucky – a total of 15 Palestinians were reportedly killed that day.

This week, the L.A. Times reported that “Israeli security forces opened fire Sunday on throngs of pro-Palestinian protesters who were attempting to breach the border by crossing from Syria into the Golan Heights, the second such deadly incident in less than a month.” As many as 20 protesters were killed and 270 others were wounded, according to reports in the Syrian press.

9. Too Big To Jail

This is Brad Hintz, the top-ranked analyst for the Wall Street research firm Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. According to Hintz, Goldman Sachs is not only too big to fail, it's also too big to jail for rampant fraud that contributed to the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Hintz wrote that investors shouldn't worry too much about Goldman's criminal liability, despite the fact that the Justice Department is reviewing a blistering Senate report that unearthed major allegations of criminality on the part of the Wall Street giant. Noting that the Justice Department has eased prosecutions against the big Wall Street players since accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP collapsed following a felony charge, Hintz argued that Goldman, like other major players accused of fraud, would likely be “treated not as a hardened criminal but as the equivalent of a juvenile offender that can be reformed.”

In a worst-case environment, we would expect a “too big to fail” bank such as Goldman to be offered a deferred-prosecution agreement, pay a significant fine and submit to a federal monitor in lieu of a criminal charge.

According to Bloomberg, “under a deferred-prosecution agreement, the U.S. files charges against a company and agrees to dismiss them after a certain period, typically if the company pays a fine or penalty and improves its governance or other practices.” Last October, the Justice Department dismissed a conspiracy case against UBS AG – Switzerland’s biggest bank -- after the expiration of an 18-month deferred prosecution agreement with the Zurich-based firm.

10. Haiti

Below is a photograph of dead Haitians, victims of last January's devastating earthquake, gathered in an open pit before burial in a mass grave. All of the males in the photo presumably own penises, images of which weren't sent around the world on Twitter. So there's that.

This week, heavy flooding killed at least 25 people in Haiti. It was a little-reported story. The floods have aggravated a cholera epidemic that has sickened over 330,000 Haitians, killing over 5,000, since it broke out in mid-October.

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would resume deportations for undocumented immigrants from Haiti – a move that was condemned by international human rights groups. (Last month, the government offered a temporary reprieve for some Haitians eligible to be sent back to their decimated country.)

In November, the UN reported that most countries had failed to deliver on their pledges of aid to Haiti. According to the Washington Examiner,

… Only $506 million, or 18.9 per cent of the international assistance promised for 2010 has so far been provided.

International donors promised $5.3 billion to Haiti after the earthquake. Only four countries have delivered any money at all. The US and Venezuela pledged more than $1 billion each but have delivered nothing. As of 14 July 2010, less than 2 percent of the money that has been promised had been delivered, according to a CNN investigation.

That's every bit as obscene as the rest of these stories, none of which garnered even a small fraction of the coverage that Weinergate has triggered. While they may not be as salacious as a sex scandal lacking actual sex – or as vitally important to the national interest -- we thought we'd share them with you anyway.

John Cusack's WAR Inc. - Thanx for the line...Great writing btw....

Taken from WAR.Inc, an under-appreciated but very well done film that if you haven't seen, deserves to be on your next rental list.

Brand Hauser: Did you know that the word "person" comes from the Latin word "persona", which means mask? So maybe being human means we invite spectators to ponder what lies behind. Each of us will be composed of a variety of masks, and if we can see behind the mask, we would get a burst of clarity. And if that flame was bright enough, that's when we fall in love. What's your opinion on these divine matters?
Natalie Hegalhuzen: I'm not going to fuck you. You know that, right?


Plus, who could resist this......

Suit of FBI - "Whoops..wrong house, sorry about the door, the guns and er..umm..."

A week ago I posted a story (here) about a California man who's house was raided in the early morning by Feds looking for his wife, based on her outstanding Student Debt Loans. She wasn't living there but in the dawn raid, the coppers saw fit to beat down the man's door and cuff and toss him for 6 hours in the back seat of a cruiser...etc....etc...etc....(insert scared to fuck kids, confused ex-husband, over-caffeinated coppers)

Well, today it looks like the Feds are at it again. This time, the FBI apparently can't bother to obtain or read rental agreements, do basic surveilance OR it would seem, to adhere to the constraints of their own damn search warrants.

Not actual raid. These guys are OUTSIDE the house.

Way to go American Government. Making the streets safer, on constitutional blunder at a time.....

__________________________________________________________________

A Bellevue, Pennsylvania man is suing a dozen FBI agents for allegedly violating his and his family's constitutional rights when their home was wrongfully raided by agents wielding assault rifles.

The Pittsburg Tribune-Review reported that FBI agents used a battering ram to enter Gary Adams' rented home in search of a former resident who was charged with being part of a drug gang.

The agents had an arrest warrant, but no warrant to search the premises.

His fifty-eight-year old wife Denise Adams described the raid as "terrifying."

The suspect, Sondra Hunter, hadn't lived at that address for almost two years.

Adams lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleged that the wrongful raid violated his and his family's Fourth Amendment right to be free from unlawful search and seizure, and their Fifth Amendment right to due process. The lawsuit added that the FBI officers knew, or should have known, that Hunter had not lived there for some time.

"They had guns on my wife, my babies," he told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I'd like to know how they would feel if that happened to them."

Grumpy day so take it out on the kids.......

A few people I know work in education. A job for which they....thankfully..have the patience and good humour that I lack. Ya see, I don't have any kids (that I'll admit to), I'm impatient, somewhat satirical, definitely opinionated, completely lacking any artistic talent and brutally honest....so without further delay.....

KID'S ART DAY AT MY SCHOOL

First of all, I don't even know what this is. If it's supposed to be a dog, then it's the shittiest dog I've ever seen.

You spelled America wrong asshole. Also, I could have sworn America's colors were red, white and blue. There's no yellow anywhere, traitor.

Holy shit, I almost had a seizure when I saw this one. Three words: too many colours. Also, eggs aren't supposed to have ears, dipshit.

Terrible.

This one wouldn't be too bad if the color were kept inside the lines, you picked a new perspective, used non-abrasive colours and asked someone with talent to paint it for you. On one hand I want to give an A for effort but...

On Behalf of all Canadians....Congratulations and....Sorry !!

Unlike about 99.9% of my fellow Canadians, I am not a huge Hockey fan.

Yes, I know, it's out National Sport (sorry Lacrosse, I know you are officially it but really..) and as such, I should know the names and stats of every person who's ever laced up a pair of skates in the NHL. Ain't happening.

Hockey is to Canada what Soccer is to Brazil. Part religion, part sport and all National identity. But that being said, I just couldn't ever get my head around it. Sure, I've been to games, I cheer during the Olympics and I honestly expect us to win internationally every time because I don't know better...So there, the mea-culpa is done with.

Lastnight's Game 7 rout, blowout, beat-down of Vancouver by Boston was a National tragedy I'm told. Some kind of psychic wound felt at a very deep emotional level. Collectively we had our hopes riding on a Canadian team bringing home the Stanley Cup and instead Vancouver basically cratered.

Now I can understand the fans being disappointed, sad, upset and even really friggin' pissed off but what happened right after the game was a disgrace.

People pouring out of the arena rioted. Now Vancouver seems to have a particular fascination with this form of public behaviour. As I recall, there were in the last decade, riots over Hockey, the Olympics and a Concert. Windows get smashed, cars get torched, noses bloodied and arrests made.

Admit it people. The Cannucks lost to a better team. It's not as if they were cheated out of it by some crappy calls on the ice. They simply played a better team who quite frankly, kicked their asses !!

And over this Vancouver riots ?

So on behalf of all Canadians who're nursing a hangover and a grudge, Congratulations Boston. 39 years is a long time to wait for a championship. Trust me, I know, I live in Toronto. As for the city of Vancouver, sorry about the mess but I'm sure it was the beer eh ?

And for those pinheads who actually participated in last night's stupidity, keep it up ya friggin snapperheads. Next thing ya know,we'll get lumped in with British Soccer fans if ya keep this crap up...

Give us your cash, Bitch !!

California politics has clearly gone completely off the rails.

Now I don't pretend to know all the issues in this specific election so I can't comment on what provoked the creation of this ad but......

Besides being blatantly Racist, demeaning to both Women & African Americans and honestly and just a shitty video, this is symbolic of the widening divide between American politics and reality.

If you watch it on YouTube, you can read some of the comments which are almost as entertaining as this  commercial. I really do wonder just how much lower the American political landscape can descend.

These are people who are fighting like junkyard dogs for political office. Republicans and Democrats alike have devolved into nothing more than monkeys hurling feces at each other in the hope that come election day, the voter will have forgotten about the issues and instead sided with the more entertaining party or maybe just the one who comes out smelling the best.

Sodom and Gomorrah has made a comeback south of the 49th parallel it seems.

It's Art and It's Awesome !!

Guido Daniele is an incredible artist using paint and the human form to breathtaking effect.

Have a look at some of his Hand Art below, and if you like what you see, then head on over to his site and check out some of his other works.

Hands Art - Phenomenal !!

Do NOT watch this if you don't like heights !!

The CN Tower was, for almost 30 years, the world's tallest free standing structure. Now you can strap on a harness and live out your wildest dreams (or nightmares).

You and up to eight of your closest daredevils get to strap on harnesses, step out onto a 5ft. wide platform some 356m above the ground (1168ft. or 116 stories) above the ground. You then proceed to walk around the perimeter of the tower which'll take you 20-30 minutes.


Now if you haven't yet soiled yourself and are looking for more, you can even lean out into open space, suspended by a wire alone.


Yes ladies and gentlemen, starting Aug 1, 2011, this can all be yours for the princely sum of $175 (clean underwear not included).

ALERTS TO THREATS IN 2011 EUROPE

: BY JOHN CLEESE 

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Libya and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person and all round good egg!

Skynet is closer than you think...

Expect these to be prowling your 'hood soon. From a purely geek / toy / wow factor, this thing is awesome but I can easily see the police and military investing in a gaggle of them to patrol streets, office buildings, venues etc. Spooky !! And it's so damn quiet but can hit 60km/h ? Whoa !!

Hover-Bike !! GOTTA get me one of these !!

Holy Bat-Bike Batman, this is so freakin' AWESOME !!

I gotta get me one. That's it honey, I'm selling the car, the house, the kids and you're working a corner if that's what it takes !!

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