Drive-Bys

JihadGene says, "It's Friday! Let's Dance!"

Frug, anyone?


_____

What do you get when you put Becky, lurker/commenters Tina and Jackie D and me in the same room at Camp Blownstar as Paul, who had possession of my Flip video camera?


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Yep.
_____

I found out another blast from my childhood past is dust. Sheesh. I spent many a Saturday matinee there.

It was a delightful combination of classy and tacky.
_____

Because I'm sick to death of murders, politics and the generally crappy things the news media shines the spotlight on, I bring you this story.

Now doesn't that make you feel better?
_____

Finally someone with half a brain figures out that it's generally not the dog -- it's the owner:

[T]he City Council approved a dangerous dog ordinance that requires owners to: purchase liability insurance and indoor and outdoor pens; put up fences and signs; walk their dogs only if the animals are muzzled and on short leashes and in some cases, confine repeat offenders to their property.

Schulter's ordinance would get infinitely tougher.

It would impose a five-year ban on dog ownership in Chicago against any owner found guilty of ignoring the dangerous dog requirements.

And those with multiple violations over a five-year period would be barred forever from owning a dog within the city limits. Violators would face up to six months in jail. Their dogs would be seized.

Now that's more like it.
_____

Good Lord, this reminds me of my own most precious child!
_____

To the ladies and gentlemen of the House of Representatives who are contemplating firing up the magic money machine again, I have but one thing to say:


see more dog and puppy pictures

If people can't afford expensive new vehicles, they should not buy them.

I certainly shouldn't have to pay for my neighbor's shiny new vehicle just because he or she wants a new one.

You Washington types want them to have nice new cars? Fine. Y'all pay for it out of your own damn pockets.

Leave mine alone.
_____

And to those same geniuses who insist that Cap 'n Tax will save us all:

Summertime Chi? Oh brrrbrother. Try summertime shy.

The average temperature in July this year was 69.4 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. That number is computed by adding the daily average high and average low and dividing by two. The average July temperature is 73.8 degrees.

That makes it:

• • The coldest July since the recording station was moved from the lakefront in 1942.
• • Part of a three-way tie -- with 1996 and 2000 -- for second place in logging the most July days with less-than-80-degree highs. Each had 14. July 1992 was tops with 18 days.

Yep. Global warming. Now pass me my sweater.
_____

Do you ever donate whole blood or platelets? Ever thought about doing it? Please stop thinking and call your local donor center now.

Why?

There's a critical shortage of platelets this year, because there's a critical shortage of qualified platelet donors.

What changed?

At my own donor center here in Chicago, hundreds of letters were sent out to former platelet donors letting them know they were no longer qualified because "women who have been pregnant sometimes carry antibodies that can trigger a rare, but serious reaction in a small number of transfusion recipients."

I don't know why the news media here in the U.S. doesn't seem to have picked up on this very important story.

The pool of people who can donate whole blood has been getting narrower for years, and now the pool of platelet donors is shrinking further.

At one point or another in their battles with cancer both of my parents received transfusions of both whole blood and platelets. I know just how vital they can be.

It doesn't take a lot of time. It doesn't cost you anything but time. You can give platelets far more often than you can give whole blood.

Make the call. Roll up your sleeve.

You can do it.
_____