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26 Sep 2011 11:10

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Culture: More pet owners choosing to euthanize suffering pets at home

  • traditional Losing a pet and having to pay someone to put them out of their misery; it’s something that many people pay vets to do from the cold comfort of a vet’s office.
  • trending Paying someone to make a house call. It’s becoming increasingly common to pay someone money to put a pet down from the warm comfort of home. source
  • » A tough decision for pet owners: Some pet owners see going to the vet’s office as a bit too difficult to handle. “It really made a terrible situation much better,” noted Wendy Bowlds of Gainesville, Va. “There’s nothing so awful as leaving the vet’s office with nothing but the empty leash.” Bowlds had her own dog put down in her kitchen. So, what do you guys think? Personally, we could never do a house call. Too disturbing. Could you?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Sep 2011 10:23

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World: Wangari Maathai, African sustainable development advocate, dies at 71

  • She will be remembered as a committed champion of the environment, sustainable development, women’s rights, and democracy.
  • Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan • Speaking about Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, who died Sunday of ovarian cancer at age 71. Maathai, a Kenyan, founded the Green Belt Movement, an organization that encouraged methods of sustainable development. Her work with the Green Belt Movement, which spanned over 30 years, led to her winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. “We need people who love Africa so much that they want to protect her from destructive processes,” she noted in a 2005 speech. “There are simple actions we can take. Start by planting 10 trees we each need to absorb the carbon dioxide we exhale. Get involved in local initiatives and volunteer your time for services in your community.” This world needs more people like her, not less. Based on the strong response on Twitter today, lots of people agree. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Sep 2011 23:37

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U.S.: Occupy Wall Street: How often does the NYPD pull out the pepper spray?

  • Not very often at all, according to the New York Times. In the weekend’s most unbelievable video, a number of young women were pepper sprayed after reacting towards another man’s arrest, seemingly arbitrarily. “A cop in a white shirt — I think he’s a superior officer — just comes along and does these quick little spritzes of pepper spray in my and these three other girls’ eyes,” said Chelsea Elliott, one of the four women sprayed. It’s not a common occurrence for the NYPD to use it. While it got used during a 2003 antiwar protest, it didn’t get used in a much-larger 2004 protest that accompanied the Republican National Convention. “We don’t use it indiscriminately like other cities do,” notes former deputy chief Thomas Graham. So why was it needed for this protest? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Sep 2011 11:23

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World: Libya: Mass grave from 1996 massacre discovered

  • 1,270 bodies from 15-year-old massacre found source
  • » Memories still linger: The 1996 massacre at Abu Salim prison in Tripoli was one of the many catalysts to the civil war that effectively toppled Muammar Gaddafi. And this will be a difficult one to decipher. “We are dealing with more than 1,270 martyrs and must distinguish each one from the other for identification by comparing their DNA with family members,” said Libyan medical official Dr. Osman Abdul Jalil. “It may take years to reach the truth.”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Sep 2011 11:04

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Politics: House GOP shows weak points after failing to pass shutdown vote

  • While it is widely expected that the parties will eventually reach a compromise to avoid a shutdown, Wednesday’s 230-to-195 vote showed what can happen when the GOP majority operates with no more than minimal Democratic support.
  • Washington Post writers Rosalind S. Helderman and Paul Kane • Correctly pointing out the weak spot in the GOP’s House leadership — that the GOP members aren’t all on the same page, so as a result, the leadership can push for one thing, but have it taken in a different direction by far-right members of the party. (In this case, the bill passed the House only with the addition of some timely anti-environmental-funding rules, then died in the Senate.) And with no help from Democrats, it becomes harder for GOP leaders to push their agenda without making room for compromise. And this isn’t even considering the Senate and president, who provide blockades of their own (unless you’re Obama and you compromise). source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Sep 2011 10:37

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World: Saudi Arabia: What women can and can’t do in the country

  • can Vote, and run for office, in local elections. King Abdullah has opened up a significant route of social reform for women in the country, which is incredibly conservative to this day.
  • can’t Drive. Leave the country on their own. Work without approval from a male guardian. And so on. While the equality movement has gained a significant victory today, it has a very long way to go. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Sep 2011 10:14

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World: Mahmoud Abbas: “The Palestinian Spring has been born”

  • We have told the world that there is the Arab Spring, but the Palestinian Spring has been born. A popular spring, a populist spring, a spring of peaceful struggle that will reach its goal.
  • Palestinians President Mahmoud Abbas • Drawing a comparison between his push for a Palestinian role in the United Nations and the Arab Spring movement. Abbas’ popularity has leaped in his home country after he boldly submitted an application to the United Nations for membership, despite loud protests by the U.S. and Israel. The U.S. has promised to veto any opportunity for Palestine to gain full UN membership, but Palestine would be willing to settle for lesser observer status in the general assembly, which would still give them a way to continue to push for their agenda in the United Nations. source
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24 Sep 2011 22:19

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Music: Nirvana’s “Nevermind” turns 20: And now you feel really old

  • When Nirvana took to the majors, nobody expected the level of lasting success that “Nevermind” or its lead single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” would quickly attain. (Above is “Lithium,” a classic all its own.) But for many music fans, it proved an entry point — a rare underground-leaning release that rose overground — and unlike fellow flag-bearer Pearl Jam, it’s one that didn’t lose its oomph after the fact. But it caught a few folks off-guard. Former “120 Minutes” host Dave Kendall, who premiered “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on MTV, puts it as such: “I have to say, quite honestly, as soon as I heard that record and saw that video, I had no idea they were going to be as huge as they were, I was very, very impressed. I was moved but I really didn’t have any idea it would explode to the extent it did. There’s the truth.” MTV has some great features on the album that defined the network for a solid couple of years. Forget the overhype; let’s remember them for what they were: A great band in the right place at the right time. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Sep 2011 18:31

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U.S.: Early investigation: Mechanical failure may have caused Reno crash

  • A tiny part of the plane might have gone missing. Competitive planes such as Jimmy Leeward’s Galloping Ghost are often highly-customized to help them move quicker and more efficiently. One of those part is the “elevator trim tab,” a piece of the plane that helps neutralize controls during a flight — something which comes in handy more than usual if, say, you regularly fly more than 500 miles per hour, like you might in a racing plane. In planes like Leeward’s, not having that piece would have made maneuvering the plane very difficult, and may have forced the plane to pitch severely upward. It might have even caused him to black out just before the crash itself. While the NTSB’s own report was vague, those in the aviation community suggest this combination of things caused Leeward to black out, leading to the crash. In the photo above, the part appears to be missing from the plane, so it’s entirely feasible. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Sep 2011 13:21

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World: Vladimir Putin may face tougher economic road second time around

  • The task of the government is not only to pour honey into a cup, but sometimes to give bitter medicine. But this should always be done openly and honestly, and then the overwhelming majority of people will understand their government.
  • Russian Premier Vladimir Putin • Explaining what might be coming next for Russians — that is, austerity measures. The former-and-likely-to-be Russian President grew greatly popular on the back of business-friendly economic measures (a flat tax!) that may not be easy to keep up in the current global economic climate. Will Putin, round two, prove to be as memorable as Putin, round one? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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