CB: [T]he main thing I feel bad for, it gives every black and white person who is racist a platform to vent their ignorance. That's the thing that bothers me the most because I watched this trial closely and I watch all these people are television talking about it. A lot of people have a hidden agenda. You know, they want their racist views, whether they are white or black -- MB: The bias comes out. CB: The bias, it definitely comes out. It was a bad situation, we all lost.
Who gave this incredibly insightful interview? Check it out in the comments...
Blogging, Facebook and Twitter are more than enough for me, but if you've caught the Pinterest bug, you might want to consider this:
When a Pinterest user euphemistically “pins” a “pin” on a “pinboard,” she’s really “copying” a “full-size photograph” to “Pinterest’s servers.” Needless to say, the bright spotlight of copyright law is harshly shining on Pinterest: even a cursory stroll through Pinterest’s various user pinboards reveals that the vast majority of pins are copyrighted works, not in the public domain, and not licensed under Creative Commons or a similar free-to-distribute regime.
If you're using Pinterest, I strongly urge you to read the whole post here.
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When Chicago's Hull House announced that it was closing, there was a great hue and cry about it being such an icon and providing vital human services. But, as Dennis Byrne says,
Wait, let me start again. No one more deserves sympathy in these troubled times than the clients these charities serve — the starving, sick, homeless, addicted, despairing and destitute.
I rephrased that because I'm not so sure that the various charities, nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations should escape scrutiny for how well or poorly they do their jobs. The popular assumption is that they are the epitome of goodness and kindness, so just lay off with the scrutiny stuff.
I disagree. They spend our money, whether our contributions (in cash and in kind) or our taxes. They have an obligation, to their clients and us, to operate effectively and efficiently, and not in the shadows created by cloaked financial reporting and apathetic or overly trusting boards of directors, all while blessing themselves with munificent salaries and benefits.
As one who sits on the Board of a 501(c)(3) organization, I completely agree with him. Go read the whole thing, then be asking questions before you donate your time, goods or money to any philanthropic organization. Even mine.
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It is a drug for the poor, and its effects are horrific. It was given its reptilian name because its poisonous ingredients quickly turn the skin scaly. Worse follows. Oleg and Sasha have not been using for long, but Oleg has rotting sores on the back of his neck.
"If you miss the vein, that's an abscess straight away," says Sasha. Essentially, they are injecting poison directly into their flesh. One of their friends, in a neighbouring apartment block, is further down the line.
"She won't go to hospital, she just keeps injecting. Her flesh is falling off and she can hardly move anymore," says Sasha. Photographs of late-stage krokodil addicts are disturbing in the extreme. Flesh goes grey and peels away to leave bones exposed. People literally rot to death.
If that doesn't make your skin crawl, nothing will.
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While I'm on the subject of things that'll give me nightmares for days, there's this news:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Jewish Health in Colorado both have issued a warning about nasal washes after two people have died from using tap water to do their sinus rinse.
Health experts say it’s safe to use nasal washes. It’s not about the rinse, it’s about the water. They warn that a mixture from a faucet could be fatal.
And just what kind of fatal?
Fornof says not to use tap water. It’s because of a brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. It’s common in warm rivers and lakes, but if it travels up the nose to the brain it’s usually deadly
An autocorrected text message, accidentally sent to the wrong number, was the catalyst to a lockdown Wednesday at West Hall middle and high schools.
Just before noon, law enforcement and school officials issued the lockdown after a West Hall community member reported a threatening text message.
The text, saying "gunman be at west hall today," was received and reported to police around 11:30 a.m. But after police tracked the number, they learned the autocorrect feature on the new cellphone changed "gunna" to "gunman."
Currently unemployed? Read this article (with an admittedly depressing title), for some good food for thought about how you may be sabotaging your own prospects... and what you can do to change. _____
One of the things I love about fall is the return of squashes in great quantity in my local supermarket. This article not only has great descriptions of all the differing varieties, it also has some great recipes for a slow cooker soup and two different stuffed squashes. Yum! _____
I was glad that Chris Christie declined to join the current presidential race because I honestly believe that he should at least finish his first full term in office before running for something else. Now that he's come out for Romney, I'm really glad he's not running... because it would have been more of the same thing Mitt's known for. _____
It's called compromise or neutral territory, people, and you ought to learn how to find it. Both sides ought to be ashamed of themselves for the example they are setting for the very students they purport to care so much for.
Now the question is, do I pre-order the 7" version, or wait for the larger model, which I understand will debut after Christmas? Decisions, decisions... _____
You remember that recent post about the critter that squicks me out in a major way? Well, it seems the freaking things have shown up in U.S. waters!
This is the first season I've come into without any preconceived notions about who might be the one(s) to watch for the series. For me, there were some pleasant surprises and some downright disappointments. Here are my predictions for staying power:
The Best of the Men
J.R. Martinez -- he's handsome, he's charming and he can dance.
David Arquette -- surprisingly sweet, fully committed and shows lots of promise.
Chaz Bono -- personality, musicality and pretty decent footwork.
The Best of the Ladies
Chyna Phillips -- the appeal of Petra Nemcova - poise, sweetness and beautiful lines.
Rikki Lake -- her waltz was flat-out gorgeous.
Kristin Cavallari -- girlfriend can shake a bon-bon.
After hearing about that awful story out of Australia where the young woman was collared with what was alleged to be a bomb this week, it brought back memories of a similar device that actually did what it was alleged it would do:
I'm so glad that Miss Pulver survived to tell her tale. And I hope they catch the sicko who dreamed that little stunt up. Let's hope karma catches up with the SOB. _____
As my old pal Jihad Gene used to say, "It's Friday! Let's Dance!"
Officials believe the man was using the portable toilet (also known as a port-a-potty) at Rockhampton Airport, in the state of Queensland, when he lit a cigarette.
What a cool way to customize your carpeting! (If I didn't have hardwood floors, this would be tempting. And I might just pick up an inexpensive area rug and give it a try anyway.) _____
Hardee's is making me miss my Darling Daddy, who was chief cook and bottle washer whenever the Princess Mom headed off to parts unknown with my favorite auntie/fairy godmother for a week or so each year:
This was one of the goodies that Daddy, who'd been a short order cook way back in history when dinosaurs roamed the earth, liked to whip up for dinner. The Princess Mom would have had heart failure, had she but known. And you can bet that we kids were zippered-lipped about this particular secret, because if we told, we'd never have fried balogna sandwiches for dinner ever again.
I like mine on soft white bread with a generous schmear of yellow mustard and nothing else. Mayo and foo-foo stuff on a fried balogna sandwich is for sissies. And biscuits? No. Just... *shudder*... no. _____
Since the passing of the Princess Mom and Darling Daddy, I think about stuff like this pretty often, and I agree entirely with the author's perspective. There's nothing wrong with me now, but I've already started having conversations about this with my daughter so that when the time comes, she'll know exactly where I'm coming from and there'll be no surprises. _____
(Yes, it made me giggle, although the subject matter did not.) _____
Is buying organic produce really better? Apparently that's a yes and a no. Go here to check out which fruits and veggies contain higher levels of pesticides and which ones don't. _____
Is it rude to text in at the movies, during a live concert or during a live theater performance?
So we really don't have to go green? All we have to do is encourage Asia to pollute more and that'll stop global warming? Or we could simply burn more coal here in order to save the planet?
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!!! _____
Has anyone else out there gotten a bazillion emails of posts to Google+ from friends who are beta testing the site?
Jeepers Creepers! It's like having Facebook invade your email. Ugh.
If anyone knows how to opt out of receiving every brilliant thought that crosses someone's mind out of my gmail, please, please, please let me know.
(No. I will not be signing up for this one.) _____
Quote of the Day #2:
"I'm really not a 'What Would Jesus Do?' kind of guy. I'm more of a 'Why Would Jesus Do That?' kind of person." -- My Baby Bro, 7/4/11
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Holy crap. I almost forgot that ADWD lands six days from now... or so they promise. Seems I'm not the only skeptic.
Back in my youth I once read my way through a chicken burning so badly that it welded itself to the pan, which had to be tossed. I was so wrapped up in my book that I didn't see or smell the smoke that had filled the entire first level of the house. (So it's no wonder that i can read in the middle of a very busy and noisy sports bar and not be distracted.)
I can now validly claim limited brain capacity... _____
As some of you are aware, I recently underwent major oral surgery -- in 16.5 hours I went from a mouthful of teeth to no teeth to a mouthful of temporary teeth.
Here are some observations:
Now I know what the phrase "like pulling teeth" really means.
My brother tells me that toothless is not my best look.
My brother tells me that I should be commended for having the guts to go out in public looking like Jacob Marley's ghost. He also confessed that he wouldn't have. (The big chicken!)
16.5 hours is a very long time to sit in a dentist's chair.
If you're going to get implants, get 'em all done at once. It's not brave. Brave would be willingly going through that more than once.
If the dentist offers you more novocaine -- TAKE IT. Don't gut it out.
Apparently I have a very high pain tolerance.
You are going to need more than four days off before going back to work -- mostly to wait for the swelling to go down and bruising to fade so your coworkers don't think you're a domestic battery victim.
Buy a couple of large gel packs and have them in the freezer before going to the oral surgeon. The eensy weensy ones you'll get from your oral surgeon are a joke.
It's a good thing you can't get stretch marks on your face, because the amount of swelling is amazing.
You'll look fine the day after. It's the day after the day after that you'll start looking like crap.
"You look pretty good, considering everything we did to you," is not a morale booster.
I just don't have it in me to do an all liquid diet for six months.
Mushy food mostly sucks.
On the other hand, I finally took my brand new food processor out of the box an put it to good use.
If toothless isn't my best look, neither is two black eyes and a purple Fu Manchu.
With your temporaries in place you'll be lithping like Winthrop Paroo. Temporaries are made of acrylic and are very thick.
My temporary choppers are bee-yoo-tee-ful... but I want my permanents, and I want them right now.
I am hyper-aware of the temporaries and of the lithping; therefore, I'm talking a whole lot less... and I was much more of a listener than a talker in the first place.
Oddly, talking less has lead to blogging less. Don't ask me why -- I surely don't know. And I'll try to do better.
What was your favorite childhood (purported) food that now makes you scratch your head in wonder? (I've got too many to count!) _____
PSA:
Do you have a universal life insurance policy? If so, you may just want to request an in-force ledger illustration. Prepare to be shocked when you get it. _____
Things I'm Digging This Week:
I'm not in any way, shape or form an oatmeal for breakfast kind of girl. I want eggs, bacon and toast on a regular basis. But, given that bacon is not on the list of mushy foods I'm allowed, I've gotten a little desperate. Fortunately, I tripped across BetterOats' mmm... muffins old fashioned instant oatmeal with flax. Yummy stuff, and not the texture of wallpaper paste.
I have a 9" Tiffany pewter bowl on my desk that I got for hanging around the company for 10 years. I put it to work as the world's largest candy dish. Normally I fill it with Hershey's kisses, Starburst jelly beans, and all sorts of appallingly normal American candy. This weekend, however, I trolled the ethnic aisles at my local Shop 'N Save and found Mieszanka Krakowska in the Polish section. Not reading a word of Polish, I figured they were fancy hard candies (and cheap), so I threw a bag in my cart.
I'm not a big candy person. Give me salt or tart. I'm the one that will choose the savory dessert plate over the chocolate mousse at a fancy restaurant. I have a piece of candy out of that ginormous candy dish maybe once a week or so. Until now.
"Named after Poland's most romantic city, these chocolate covered jellies come in a variety of flavors: orange, lemon, pineapple, raspberry. Each jelly is slightly tart, not too sweet and covered with a rich dark chocolate which makes these a favorite with adults."
I wish Gavin Coyle's version was up on YouTube, because it's absolutely haunting (and has been stuck in my head for days). _____
Update: I just noticed that Gavin Coyle will be playing at the Fifth Province Pub at the Irish American Heritage Center on June 9th. Does anyone want to go??? This is fabulous news!
Personally, I think UPDWAZU is quite humorous. _____
I find this to be a heretical thing to do to a poor, defenseless teddy bear. Then again, anyone with a name like Augustina Woodgate is probably going to end up more than a little eccentric.
P.S. -- I asked my Magic Cheezburger what were Mosley Braun's chances of beating out Emanuel and Chico in the mayoral race. Cheezburger sez, "SRY. I EATED IT." (I'll bet you the leaders of the black community that pushed so hard for her to be the "unity" candidate wish they had a Magic Cheezburger of their own and had consulted it a long time ago.)
Update: Ms. Mosley Braun offers up an apology to everyone but the one person she owes it to."
She gives the word "ungracious" a whole new face. _____
One hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction of black women in Illinois politics is Toni Preckwinkle, on whom I am developing a tremendous girl crush:
You go, girl! (Can we clone her a couple of times and send one to Springfield and the other to the White House???) _____
While this news is not good, it does not in the least take away from the fact that a toddler would not be dead if his mother hadn't left him alone to play in the hallway of a hotel while she fooled around with her boyfriend:
Faster, please! Lately there's been a blowhard sitting at the far end of my usual train car. He pontificates loudly to his seat mate all the way in to the city, and he's never got one good thing to say about anything or anyone. Bleah. _____
Oh, sure! Now use Rep. Giffords' attack as an excuse to make yourself better than the rest of us peons, will ya?
I couldn't have done it at all. That's beautiful... and awesome. I really admire people with talent like that. _____
Once again our brainiacs in Springfield seek solutions to our financial problems that will drive business from our state. Howzzat, you ask?
Some Illinois-based Web businesses were furious Thursday at a legislative plan that would require online retailers, such as Amazon.com and Overstock.com, to collect a 6.25 percent state tax if they have commissioned affiliates in the state.
That puts at risk huge revenue streams for such Illinois-based Web sites as FatWallet.com, CouponCabin.com and BradsDeals.com, which receive much of their commissions from sending customers to major online retailers. Their commissions are at risk because large retailers have shown in the past that they will sever business relationships with affiliates like those to avoid collecting state sales tax, called a use tax in Illinois, on products they sell.
The bill, passed Thursday afternoon, needs approval from Gov. Pat Quinn.
"I feel like I've been completely flipped the bird," said Tim Storm, chief executive of FatWallet, based in Rockton, near Rockford. "Essentially, 30 to 40 percent of our revenue gets shut off instantaneously."
FatWallet officials were busy Thursday scouting ways to leave Illinois, Storm said.
"The reality is that as a business owner with 52 employees, we're not going to just get shut down because of a law Illinois passes. Our customers don't care whether we're in the state of Illinois," he said.
Brad Wilson, founder of BradsDeals, in Chicago, said about half his revenue would be in jeopardy, along with 20 jobs at his company.
"We don't have much choice. If this is going to stick, we literally can't physically be in Illinois," Wilson said. "My wife is from Cleveland and would be thrilled if we moved back there. That's the kind of thing that's going through my head."
Good going there, Governor. We're going to lose business and see more people out of work because of this short-sighted bit of legislation. And, on top of that, people who are hurting and who can buy things more cheaply are once again given the shaft. _____
I don't know about you, but this is change I can believe in:
You know I am a fan of Nic Cage and Ron Perlman (whose very existence made the “Hellboy” movies possible). Here, like cows, they devour the scenery, regurgitate it to a second stomach found only in actors and chew it as cud. It is a noble effort, but I prefer them in their straight-through Human Centipede mode.
TMPAE has drunk the Kool-Aid. It's nice know I'll be able to send her a little something every once in a while that isn't ridiculously over-priced. _____
