Ramblings & Smiles

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9/22/2018

Today is the Start of that Fun Time of the Year, Fall, ..... and in Germany, Oktoberfest

Self Driving Cars Can't Handle Rain, Sleet or Snow
As things stand today, the driverless car of the future can’t handle more than a dusting of snow.
It’s a known problem in the field, and vaguely embarrassing when the end result is supposed to be robots sophisticated enough to navigate the uncertainties of traffic and improve on lackluster human perception. In Boston, where NuTonomy has been road testing autonomous vehicles in cooperation with city planning officials, snow and seagulls have emerged as two of the biggest obstacles. Via: Bloomberg:

Rahm Emanuel’s failure is an ill omen for all Democrats

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admits conservative staffers 'don't feel safe to express their opinions' at liberal tech giant

The Hacks Can do Good Things
In a rare moment of bipartisanship Monday, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a sweeping package of bills aimed at addressing the nation's deadly opioid epidemic. : Senate passes sweeping opioids package.

Marijuana Use Increasing Among Older Adults :Health News : NPR

Eating Cheese and Butter EVERY DAY LINKED TO LIVING LONGER

Fidays Open Road

9/21/2018

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall
F. Scott Fitzgerald

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9/20/2018

This Image of the Total Eclipse Is Being Called “History’s Most Amazing Photo”
Over 200 million Americans watched the total solar eclipse in August 2017, but no one had a better view than photographer Jon Carmichael. He spent years plotting how he could capture the total eclipse in a unique way, eventually combining his passions for photography, astronomy, and flight. MORE

We love to see funny on the internet. We love to see animals on the internet. So I’m certain the internet will love the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

A new UNM study shows medical cannabis is effective in treating a wide range of health conditions. The researchers use mobile app to identify and track symptom relief. MORE

Study Reveals Big-Game Animals Must Learn to Migrate | News | University of Wyoming

Invasive Reptiles Are Taking Over Florida—and Devouring Its Birds Along the Way …The Audubon

More voters now expect extreme positions, and more politicians are finding it harder to resist taking them. Why Trump’s Politics Will Outlast Him – Bloomberg

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9/19/2018

You Reap What You Sow
Evergreen State College freshmen enrollment drops to 300 students, professor says

Floating Trash Collector Set to Tackle Pacific Garbage Patch
The Ocean Cleanup’s nearly 2,000-foot boom will collect ocean plastics from the gigantic garbage gyre over the next year.

There Is Always Going To Be An Apex Hunter In The Wilderness
Two hunters were involved in a bear attack Friday, September 14, in the Teton Wilderness while field dressing an elk near Terrace Mountain, approximately 5.8 miles northeast of the Turpin Meadow Trailhead.
Florida resident Corey Chubon shot an elk during a guided bow hunt late Thursday afternoon. He and his guide, Mark Uptain of Martin Outfitters, were unable to locate the wounded animal before nightfall. The pair returned Friday morning to locate and remove the elk. They found the undisturbed carcass in the early afternoon and were preparing to pack out the elk when they were aggressively charged by two large bears.

London falls behind NYC as World’s Financial Center
New York is now the world's top financial center in Z/Yen's annual index, overtaking London as companies become increasingly concerned by the prospect of the U.K. losing access to the EU's single market.

Missing wages, grueling shifts, and bottles of urine: The disturbing accounts of Amazon delivery drivers may reveal the true human cost of 'free' shipping.

But The Good News Is,
Jeff Bezos is launching a $2 billion fund to help the homeless and develop new schools.

Should a police department ever have to explain why they tased an 87-year-old woman?
The police chief of a small Georgia town is defending an officer who deployed a stun gun on a “smiling” 87-year-old woman, saying she refused to comply with numerous commands to put down a kitchen knife she was using to cut dandelions.

He said there is police body-camera footage of the incident, but he has yet to release it because charges against the woman are pending.

It’s not that the public doesn’t deserve an explanation. It’s that there is seldom any reason to deploy that type of force against 5’2″ 87-year-old. But that’s what Chatsworth Georgia Police Chief Josh Etheridge had to do after one of his officer’s tased the woman during a “confrontation” behind the local Boys and Girls Club.

President Trump has instructed staff to move forward with the next round of tariffs on Chinese goods
The tariffs are expected to apply to about $200bn worth of imports from China, including electronic parts and consumer goods such as handbags which could be as high as 25%.

President Trump ordered his staff to start preparing the tariffs this summer, escalating a dispute over what the US says are China's unfair trade practices, such as state subsidies.

The new duties would add to tariffs the US has already imposed on $50bn in Chinese goods as part of that dispute, as well as tariffs that China levied on $50bn in US goods in retaliation.

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9/18/2018

National Cheeseburger Day
America’s favorite sandwich is honored every year on Sept. 18 with a melted slice of cheese. The best way to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day is by enjoying one of these delicious sandwiches, you can check out some of the many burger joints around and some of the burger joints give out free or discounted cheeseburgers on National Cheeseburger Day – something that any good cheeseburger aficionado may want to check out..

Bacon Lovers, Rejoice!
If you’re like me and love it, you know that Bacon goes with everything. There is a new contest from one of the world's largest pork processors that just might be a dream come true. Smithfield Foods, which is based in Virginia but distributes its products globally, is giving consumers a chance to win enough bacon for a lifetime as part of a sweepstakes running through the end of the year.

The contest will grant one winner enough bacon for 50 years in the form of one package of bacon per week (assuming the winner doesn't keel over from too much bacon before then!) awarded as coupons and cash gift cards valued at $20,777. That's a lot of bacon!
For those who don't win the ultimate prize, Smithfield is also awarding more than 1,000 additional prizes, including five "bacon bicycles" (bacon-themed, single-speed cruiser bikes), 10 Smithfield cornhole boards, 500 sets of four Smithfield pint glasses and 500 sets of four Smithfield slap koozies (yes, there is such a thing as a koozie that snaps onto a can just like those signature bracelets slap onto wrists).

If the contest sounds too good to be true, your right, there’s no way that your doctor be happy with you. For one, bacon is one of the main foods that many cardiologists avoid eating because of its high fat and salt content. But if you decide to go forward, you will have to buy a package just to enter ... which I guess isn't so bad. It’s like playing the lottery.

To enter, anyone can mail one entry on an index card to Smithfield's headquarters (the address is included in the official rules) or you can purchased a specially marked package and enter a unique code found inside (which I know isn't that bad) . Each person is limited to 100 entries. If you do hit that mark, you may just want to keep quiet about it next time you have to visit with your doctor. Also get ready to write a cook book on all the great recipes that you will come up with.
More at Bacon for Life contest

New Cancer Vaccine
Scientists have developed a new vaccine that — in conjunction with existing therapies — can not only treat aggressive melanoma, but also prevent its recurrence.

Doctors Hail New Approach of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
A new treatment that kills two genes responsible for causing pancreatic cancer — one of the most fatal forms of the disease — is being hailed as a possible breakthrough.
Dr. James Cleary, an oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said pancreatic cancer research had been “left behind” — but not anymore..

Scientists Find Enzyme That Could Help Create Universal Blood Type — NOVA --PBS

The Best Time to Get the Flu Shot Is Earlier Than You Think | Time

Weight-loss pills can help. So why don't more people use them?

According to the latest numbers from the CDC, sexually transmitted diseases are breaking records. The U.S. saw a record number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases in 2017, marking the fourth straight year of sharp increases in gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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9/17/2018

Man Dies In Cape Cod Shark Attack
A man has died following a shark attack off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, police say.
The attack happened around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Cape Cod National Park Service said. The scene unfolded just 300 yards south of Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. U.S. park rangers and Wellfleet Police are investigating.

More Than Half of Trans Male Teens Attempt Suicide
A new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows an alarmingly high rate of suicide attempts among transgender teens, particularly trans boys.
Nearly 14 percent of all adolescents in the study, “Transgender Adolescent Suicide Behavior,” based on data from “Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors” survey from the Search Institute, reported they had attempted suicide. But 51 percent of transgender males reported at least one attempt, the highest percentage of any gender identity group. The second highest was among nonbinary teens, nearly 42 percent. The full study in Pediatrics is available to subscribers only, but the abstract can be viewed here.

Good Guys with a Gun…

Concealed-Carry Gunowner praised for joining cops in shootout with suspect After Police Officer Is Shot 4 Times
A man with a concealed-carry license was commended for coming to the aid of Cicero Illinois police who were engaged in a shootout with a man who shot and wounded an officer near the Stevenson Expressway Thursday, authorities said.
Cicero Police Officer Luis Duarte, 31, was shot four times during the encounter near the 4200 block of South Cicero Avenue during the evening rush hour, but it might have been worse if the armed citizen hadn’t stepped in, officials said.

From Florida
A man with a concealed-weapons permit shot one of three men who tried to rob him at a gas station just outside West Palm Beach, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
He had just paid for his gas and was walking back to his car when three men approached and demanded money. Rather than hand it over, he drew his gun and shot at them, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The wounded would-be robber is in custody and is expected to survive.
The attempted robbery happened just before 7 a.m. Saturday at the Shell station at 2970 N. Military Trail, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Teri Barbera.
“The victim, in fear of this life, discharged his firearm, which he has a concealed weapons permit for, striking one of the suspects,” she said, in a statement.
The gas station clerk, who would only identify himself as Mr. Nasser, said the intended victim appeared unhurt.
“The guy came in and paid for the gas and they tried to rob him and he fired at them,” Nasser said. “He was not killed, but somebody was injured.”
Via Sun Sentinel:

The Swamp Rats are Fighting Back
President Trump’s splashiest idea for lowering the cost of prescription drug prices was to force pharmaceutical companies to include the prices of their products in TV and other advertisements.
But when Capitol Hill had a chance Thursday to help him achieve that goal, lawmakers failed. It was House members in the president’s own party who ultimately nixed the provision. In fact, it was a Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, pushing the measure hardest.

Because you can't make this stuff up

9/16/2018

I
Man Pretends To Have Down Syndrome So He Could Get Caregivers To “Touch Him”
An Arizona man feigning to suffer from Down syndrome tricked a series of female caregivers into bathing him and changing his diaper, according to investigators who have filed felony sex abuse and fraud charges against the creepy scamster.
As alleged in court documents, the scheme by Paul Menchaca, 30, began in May when he advertised on CareLinx, a “nationwide professional caregiver marketplace” that connects clientswith home care workers.

Life Become Art……. for one romance writer
In a twist of irony so devious it would have turned Agatha Christie green with envy, Oregon chef Daniel Brophy was found shot to death nearly seven years after his wife of 27 years penned an essay titled “How to Murder Your Husband.” Nancy Crampton-Brophy, the writer of sensuous mysteries such as “Hell on the Heart” and “The Wrong Husband,” has now been arrested for the murder of her husband, more than three months after his death

It's at least worth an Academy Nomination
Fake news has its newest member of the fraternity, the fake weather. The weather reporting is” “If it Blows, it Shows.” If the wind can’t do the job all on its own, just give it a helping hand. The weatherman in this video should be facing into the wind and the guys walking in the background didn’t seem to be having that much of a problem. More

Hurricane Florence has diminished in its power, but it has left a trail of flooding and destruction.

Wasn’t Taco Bell just voted the best chain Mexican restaurant?
A video of an argument with a Taco Bell employee has unleashed a wave of indignation on social media.The incident happened on Wednesday night, when Alexandria Montgomery was trying to place an order — in English — at a Taco Bell drive thru window in Hialeah Florida. The employee refused to take her order because she wasn’t speaking Spanish.

More Trump Derangement Syndrome
Like an untreated STD --TDS keeps eating away at the brain until so little of it still works that the dumbest things seem to make perfect sense.
Take for example the longtime College of Southern Nevada sociology professor who is now facing felony gun charges in connection with an on-campus shooting on the second day of classes.
Mark J. Bird was charged last month with discharging a gun within a prohibited structure, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and possessing a dangerous weapon on school property, court records show. He was found bleeding from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his arm about 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 28 outside a bathroom in the Charleston campus K building.
Inside the bathroom, campus police found a $100 bill taped to a mirror along with a note that said, “For the janitor,” according to Bird’s arrest report. On the floor of the restroom was a black-and-white, .22-caliber pistol and one spent shell casing.
I’m no psychiatrist, but I’d say he is suffering from some serious paranoia along with delusions of grandeur. Maybe somebody should “get” him a straight jacket and a nice padded cell.
Trump doesn’t just live rent-free in this guys head, he’s building condos and a golf course in there. Good thing there’s plenty of room in that empty skull. Via Las Vegas Journal:

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9/15/2018

Nightmare in The Merrimack Valley
Investigators worked Friday to pinpoint the cause of a series of fiery natural gas explosions that killed a teen driver in his car just hours after he got his license, injured at least 25 others and left dozens of homes in smoldering ruins.
Authorities said an estimated 8,000 people were displaced at the height of Thursday's post-explosion chaos in three towns north of Boston that were rocked by the disaster. Most were still waiting, shaken and exhausted, to be allowed to return to their homes.

Billion Dollar Lawsuit Filed Against The Social Media Giants
Freedom Watch has filed a class action suit against Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter accusing the tech firms of colluding to restrain trade in a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
The plaintiff holds that the defendants have pursued a coordinated effort to stifle the speech of those who support the president and of attempting to nullify the vote of the millions of citizens. According to Freedom Watch:

The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet said Wednesday that, while Europe can help refugees, “Europe belongs to the Europeans” and migrants should rebuild their homelands.
The Dalai Lama made the comments at a conference in Malmo, Sweden, which has struggled with an increase in rape and violent crimes correlating to an increase in refugees from Syria and other predominantly Muslim countries. The Dalai Lama argued that European countries were “morally responsible” for assisting “a refugee really facing danger against their life,” but that refugees should ultimately go back and rebuild their home countries.

The spiritual leader’s comments likely struck a chord with locals, as Sweden has experienced an explosion in violent migrant gang-related incidents, many of which involved military-grade explosive devices, since 2014 when over 100,000 asylum seekers from predominantly Muslim countries settled in the area.

The Dalai Lama also made similar comments concerning refugees in Germany in 2016, saying that “Europe, for example Germany, cannot become an Arab country.”
“Germany is Germany. There are so many that in practice it becomes difficult,” he said, according to Independent. MORE

U.S. Workers Report Highest Job Satisfaction Since 2005

Fridays Open Road

9/13/2018

 We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.
Ronald Reagan

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9/13/2018

Hurricane Florence
Hurricane Florence is taking aim at the Carolinas — with North Carolina in the crosshairs first today, followed by South Carolina and possibly Georgia through early Saturday. There will be a big need for all the people living in those areas. If you want to help those in the path of Hurricane Florence, the American Red Cross is asking for donations now. Donations have been down over the summer so this could really help a lot of people right now. For more information, on ways you can help: contact: The American Red Cross

A Public Service Announcement
Authorities are looking for information on this POS for a disgusting act of severe disrespect to the veteran’s cemetery in Somerville Ma. The unidentified man was observed pulling out and peeing on several miniature flags at the cemetery. On Monday, the POS and his female companion entered Somerville Veterans Memorial Cemetery where she acted as a lookout while he tore up the flags and then urinated on them. From Boston’s NBC affiliate NBC 10, “Man Accused of Urinating on Flags at Veterans Cemetery”:

FDA Considers Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes
The head of the Food and Drug Administration is considering pulling all flavored e-cigarettes from the U.S. market in response to an “epidemic” of teen use. The FDA said on Wednesday that makers of vaping devices have to come up with plans to prove that their products can be kept away from teenagers. The companies have 60 days, or the FDA may take further action including the possible ban of flavored products.

CBS is Cleaning House
CBS Corporation announced Sunday night that longtime leader Les Moonves was given his walking papers as chairman, president, and CEO of the company. The announcement came hours after a second Ronan Farrow report in The New Yorker in which six more women alleged sexual misconduct by the television veteran.
Then on Wednesday, Jeff Fager, the longtime executive producer of the iconic "60 Minutes" Sunday news broadcast, was sacked after months of allegations of sexual harassment.