This Would Explain A Lot

   It seems the maker of the King of Beers is being sued in several class action lawsuits in the States. Anheuser-Busch has been accused of watering down its Budweiser, Michelob and other brands after employees claim it was corporate practice to water down the brews as they were being bottled to cut expenses. Just how watered down.....anywhere up to 8% of the stated alcohol content, and 10 different beers are alleged to have been doused.
   The brewing company refutes the claim, saying they are in compliance with labelling laws, and says those claims are groundless. Several suits have been filed, each for 5 million dollars.
   This reminds me of the kerfuffle that went on when it was revealed Subway's foot-long's were an inch short. Maybe there's a marketing angle in this. Grab a not quite foot-long and a not quite 5% beer for not quite 9 dollars.
   No offence to my friends in the States, but this is more proof that American beer is like sex in a canoe. Both are fucking near water.
   'Nuff said.

Oh, Crap. They're At It Again.

   In Montreal, thousands of students took to the streets in an illegal demonstration against that provinces government. And like the whiny little turds have done so many times in the past, they're protesting tuition hikes. Hikes that will add a staggering 70 dollars to their fees. Not 7 thousand, not 7 hundred. 70 fucking dollars a year! Give me a break! That turns out to be a 3% increase. This year, my property taxes are going up damn near 5%. My power, water and gas bills are going up as well. And it's sure as shit is more than 70 bucks a year!
   And all this after the bitching bastards protested last year, and likely helped bring down the government of the day. Mainly because the government of today said they'd look at fee increases, after vowing to hold the line.
   Instead, they've indexed the tuition fee hikes to cost of living. I just wish all my increases were indexed to the cost of living. They'd sure be a lot easier to take. And 70 bucks?!? Hell, in Quebec that's 5 packs of smokes. Or 10 Staryucks cafe supremes. Maybe 30 plates of poutine. Put another way, it's 19 cents a day over the course of a year. 19 cents! So, suck it up buttercup, get your asses back to your classes. And count your blessings that the cops in Montreal didn't bust your skulls for staging a protest before giving proper warning.
   'Nuff said.

Stimmen Für Adolf Hitler

   Yes! Vote for Adolf Hitler!

   No, not that one. Not the nutty Nazi that plunged the world into war, resulting in the deaths and suffering of millions. Not him. But today, people living in a northern state in India will have a chance to put their "X" next to Adolf Hitler's name in an election for their assembly. If you can find it on what's a crowded ballot to say the least with 345 names on it. And Adolf Hitler's name was there. It seems the state is famous, or maybe infamous, for people having strange names. The Hitler on the ballot is Adolf Lu Hitler, and he's won 3 elections to the state assembly, despite having the same name as the guy above.
   Apparently, the senate candidate's father worked with the British Army, but it wasn't clear if his dad was in the war. Anyway, dad was apparently fascinated with the dictator, hence the naming of his son. Lu has travelled the world, including trips to the U.S and Germany and says despite his moniker, he's never had trouble getting a visa. In fact, when asked about his name, Lu says he didn't have a whole lot of say in the matter at the time. My question is: Why not change your name? Well, it seems to have worked well for him in the past. And Adolf Lu Hitler isn't the only one with a strange name. In fact, one other candidate has another unusual one:

  Yup! Frankenstein. Well, Frankenstein Momin to be exact! I guess name recognition plays a large part in the election. And not that you asked, but if I had a choice, I'd vote for Frankenstein. At least twice! Better a fictional monster than a real one. Any day.
   'Nuff said.

I Wasn't Going To Go There!

   Really I wasn't, But I, like so many others around the world, have been caught up (if not inundated) by the story of South African double amputee Olympic Champion Oscar Pistorius:

   You know the background by now, that Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder in the Valentine's Day shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home. He claims he thought the person in his bathroom was a dangerous intruder when he fired a gun through the door. It wasn't. It was Reeva, and she died after being hit 4 times. There's a lot of legal ramifications still being sorted out, so I won't, for a change, give you MY 2 cents on what I think happened.
   But I can tell you that Oscar has been granted bail, with several conditions. And that bail is around 115 thousand bucks. Shit, if he'd been arrested in Canada, he'd more than likely be in remand until his trial, however long that takes. In the States, his bail would probably be set at at least a million, probably more. But, I guess the South African justice system knows what it's doing. And it likely wouldn't be difficult to identify him should he decide to skip the country. The Magistrate hearing the case also commented on the fact that Pistorius has been co-operative so far.
   The trial is still likely several months away, and for what it's worth, I don't think he has a real leg to stand on. And I'm not sorry, either!
   'Nuff said.

He's Giving Us All A Bad Name

   Back in December, I blogged about a guy in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who claims to be an atheist, who got his jockey shorts twisted over that city's transit buses scrolling "Merry Christmas" in those electronic destination signs they use.
   Well, Ashu Solo is at it again.
   This time, he's gone to that provinces Human Rights Commission bitching about a member of council offering a prayer before an event. Solo.....who's name is an anagram for U Ass Holo.....is pissed that politics and religion were mixed at the gathering sometime last year. Mr Holo (sorry, Solo) has also asked for an apology from the mayor and council member involved, and  a promise not to do it again.
   As an atheist myself, I'm offended by his position. If you don't like a prayer being said before an event, do what I do. Simply block it out and think of something else. But going to a Human Rights tribunal simply proves that Ashu Solo certainly deserves his anagram. He lost his case to have the "Merry Christmas" message removed from buses. And if he thinks he's going to win this case. Well, maybe he should start praying.
  'Nuff said.

They "Suspect" Foul Play?!?

   Police in L.A have recovered the body of a 21 year old Canadian woman missing since late January. Not much unusual about that.....until you hear the grizzly details. Elisa Lam was on a cross country trip across the U.S, and was staying at the Cecil Hotel.....a 2 star hotel on the edge of L.A's Skid Row of the homeless, drug users and other 'upstanding' members of society. Her body was found on the roof. Wedged into a water tank. In fact, guests at the opulent Cecil alerted management when they noticed a drop in water pressure. It was confirmed Lam was the victim using marks on her body.
   And that's where the question of "suspicious" comes in. I find it hard, if not impossible, to believe she went for a midnight dip in a water tank and got stuck. Nor do I find it believable that this was a suicide, although the Cecil has seen more than one of those. No. My thought is that poor Elisa met foul play, made even more foul by her next to final resting place. So I'm hoping the LAPD will solve this soon, so her family can at least have closure.
   'Nuff said.

Are You Serious?

   That's the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, celebrating her 60 years on the throne, and it was meant to be handed out to people who have made a difference in their community. You know the type, people who have devoted their lives to the betterment of their community through volunteerism, working with special interest groups, and even civic politicians who have improved their community through initiatives meant to help them grow. But not, apparently, London Ontario.
   The entire council there, all 14 members, got the medal, after voting themselves as recipients. This, after they applied for 300 medals, but were told only 129 would be available to the city. That meant some people who thought they were getting a medal, didn't. That included a 90 year old woman who survived the holocaust, and ran a clothing store for 50 years. This woman had been nominated, but after an in camera meeting of council late last year that approved the 14 members of council for the award, she was told she wasn't getting it.
   And did they deserve it? Those 14 members of council? That's a question I can't answer, cause I don't live there, but it seems kinda shitty to nominate a 90 year old holocaust survivor, then tell her she ain't getting one, while the "old boy" network kicks in for self congratulations. Maybe the provincial government should look into this. Maybe the Lieutenant Governor. For that matter, maybe the Governor General. These idiots should have their medals stripped from them for the simple reason that it was a back-door, underhanded, secret decision they made to have themselves honored.
   Since this decision came to light, an anonymous donor gave his to the woman in question, and 4 members of council refused theirs, sayng the secret decision was not unanimous, and their medals should go to others in the community.
   I just hope the man who GAVE his to the 90 year old gets special recognition and a new medal, for his actions. And I also hope the 10 members of council who apparently decided to hang on to their medals don't sleep well at night.
   'Nuff said.

Maybe The Sky IS Falling!..NEW INFORMATION

   It certainly seemed that way in the Ural mountain region of Russia today! A meteor streaked through the sky above Chelyabinsk, some thousand miles northeast of Moscow. You've probably seen the video of the vapor trail, then a blinding flash of light. Then at least 2 sonic booms. It was those that caused windows to blow out, injuring at least a thousand people who were watching the spectacle in homes, apartments and businesses, mostly due to flying glass.
   One egg-head I heard on my local radio station was saying if this 7 ton chunk of rock had hit the ground, it would be devastating. He likened it to the power of the second atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki during World War 2. That was the equivalent of 20 kilotons. 20 thousand tons of TNT. A different scientist says the blast was 15 times bigger than that, at 300 kilotons! That makes it easily the largest meteor blast in a century. But more on that a little later.
   The death toll would have been huge had it hit any populated area. Chelyabinsk, Moscow, Paris, London, Rome. Hell, any city you'd care to name would have been ravaged. And there was another space rock, half the size of a football field, passing inside the orbits of some communication and weather satellites. 27 thousand kilometers away, but still a near miss when you talk about cosmic distances. And it didn't hit. Which is a good thing, cause I heard it was about 3 times the size of the one over Russia.
   These aren't unusual either. Once a decade or 3, we get a 10 ton rock slamming into the atmosphere, and every few hundred years something the size of the one that brushed by.
   But those pale in comparison to the Tunguska event in 1908. A meteor, asteroid or comet burst in the air above the Tungus river in Siberia, flattening millions of trees in an area said to be 2 thousand kilometers. The energy equivalent of that was said to be 5 to 30 megatons. That's a fucking hydrogen bomb!
   And even that was small potatoes compared with the one that scientists believe slammed into the earth 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs. And THAT was even dwarfed by a supposed impact on the order of hundreds of millions of years ago.
   So, today at least, Chicken Little was right! The sky was falling. At least in Chelyabinsk, Russia. And as the Russians might say,Святое дерьмо! Holy Shit!
   'Nuff said.
   *****NEW INFORMATION: Scientists have drastically revised upward the size and explosive potential of the meteor, now saying it was 55 feet, weighed about 10 tons, and had the explosive equivalent of 500 kilotons!

Nice Job If You Can Get It

      And until questions start being asked about the spending habits of members of Canada's (unelected) Upper Chamber. 4 of the politically appointed senators are under scrutiny. The senators books are being gone over by an independent auditor to see about housing and travel expenses being claimed by all 4 of them. It's alleged that the senators in question don't meet residency requirements in their home provinces, and that one racked up travel expenses of 351 thousand dollars since 2010. That's a hell of a lot more than most people in this country (me included) make in 8 or 9 years. And the taxpayers are footing the bill.
   That senator claims to spend 168 days a year in the home province. The travel bill between there and Ottawa was over 29 grand
   Hell, one of them is under investigation for alleged sexual and physical abuse, and has been suspended. Apparently with pay.
   And there are other perks as well. Staff, a wonderful salary, pension benefits and, if the senator in question is 69 year old Rod Zimmer, you get to bonk this:

 So long as the Viagra's in effect. That's 23 year old Maygan Sensenberger, and I've blogged about her enough already.
   My American friends have the right idea when  it comes to the senate. A fixed number of senators, and they must be elected.
   Anyway, enjoy the pig trough Canadian senators. I hope your days of sucking the taxpayers teats dry are almost over.
   'Nuff said.

They're At It Again

   For a 3rd time, North Korea has detonated a nuclear device, this time a smaller one than those previously tested. And now there are fears (rightly so) that Pyongyang is getting close to having one small enough to mount on a rocket capable of hitting the U.S.
   And what is the world going to do? Probably the same as always. Make a lot of noise about how Kim Jung Un, or Sum Dum Fuk or whatever his name is shouldn't be doing that. They've been told quite a few times by the U.N that playing with nukes is a no-no. But I'm afraid the U.N telling North Korea to stop testing is like a parent of a 2 year old telling the child to quit sticking their hand in the candy dish. And both have had the same penalty.....a slap on the wrist and the wagging finger in the face saying "don't do it again, or you're in REAL trouble".
   The problem with that is obvious on 2 fronts. First, a 2 year old has more intelligence than the leaders in the PRK, and might just get the message. And secondly, the leaders in the PRK don't give a flying fuck about what the rest of the world (including China) thinks. Nor do they care about their people if the U.N unleashes the big punishment.....more sanctions. The vast majority of people in the north worship the cult of leadership, meaning no matter how much like dogshit their "leaders" treat them, they'll always be back to worship and adore.
   What needs to happen here, short of a thermonuclear holocaust, is for China.....North Korea's "ally".....to lean hard on Kim and his krew of krazies to back down. China's economy is starting to really boom (no pun intended), and they need markets in the west, especially the U.S, to flourish. So it's in China's best interest to put the screws on the North, and sit little Kim and the rest of his mob in the "quiet corner" for a while. At least until this tantrum is over. And maybe, Kim needs his diaper changed too. It, like him, seems to be full of shit.
   'Nuff said.

Good-Bye, Benny

   Yep. Benedict 16 says he's resigning on February 28th, and that a new pope will be chosen sometime in March. It's the first time in almost 600 years a pope has resigned. The last was back in 1415. And while today's move took an awful lot of people by surprise, others say they weren't as stunned. Benny turns 86 in April, and says the reason for his departure (something he's hinted at for quite some time) is simply the fact that he says he's getting too old for the job. One he was elected to in 2005. At age 78.
   The supposed "Rottweiler" of church doctrine certainly leaves quite a mess for the next chap to clean up, and based on his actions.....or lack of them.....the rottweiler was either muzzled or had his teeth yanked out. The Führer-Kinder pope seems to have been the latest in a long line of church leaders (not all catholic, either) to turn a blind eye to the ongoing sexual abuse scandal. He also seemed befuddled by the Vati-Leaks scandal as it became known in the media, when his own butler (allegedly) stole papal papers and leaked them. And there was some damning stuff in there, including a supposed plot to bump off Benny, and install a "new boy". Which will now happen in March.
   Yep, the Cardinals (not the bird) will meet in conclave to pick his successor, and according to the rules, Cardinals can't be over 80 in order to vote. So, you have a pack of mainly 70 years olds deciding who gets to be their next leader. Hopefully this time, they'll elect someone NOT of their generation who will clean up the church's act, clamp down on the pedophilia that seems to be prevalent among priests. Not the majority, mind you, but enough to cost them billions in restitution. If you believe all the media reports.
   As for Benny.....well, he'll apparently go into a monastery in Rome to live out the rest of his days.
   So, I'll bid Farewell Benny! And wish the new guy good luck. He's gonna need it!
   'Nuff said.

Thursday Thoughts

   And there are a few things to go over. First, you've no doubt seen the picture of the Russian Aeroflot cabin attendant flipping the bird to passengers on the plane. She's in the rear of the aircraft, and extends her fuck finger to the backs of those on board. Needless to say, she got fired. But it begs the question about just how many flight attendants are giving the one-finger salute to passengers on all airlines? I'm sure it's more than a few. And I'm just as sure that when they get those precious few minutes of a break between serving drinks and meals, then collecting other people's garbage, they're probably verbalizing their feelings about certain passengers among themselves. And who can really blame them? You're stuck at 35 thousand feet with several hundred whiny, demanding people who think your sole duty is to cater to their every need. For several hours at a stretch. In this case, though, the attendant broke the 11th commandment of "Thou Shalt Not Be Found Out".
   Second, you'll also know Disney is planning yet another Star Wars movie. This will be the 7th in what was originally planned to be a trilogy. And it supposedly will be a stand-alone featuring Jedi master Yoda. A shit I don't give. This particular cow has been milked dry, and should now be turned into dog food. Don't forget the flop they had with "John Carter".  Hopefully this will also tank, and we can leave the whole franchise far, far away.
   Finally ( and not too soon at that) from the Land Down Under: Seems Aussie lawmakers are going to take the fun out of kids birthday parties. By forbidding them from blowing out the candles on their cake if they celebrate at school. Why? Was this a fire hazard? Were too many kids rushing in and blowing them out before the birthday child? No to both. A medical research council says kids can't blow out their candles because it spreads germs!
   I think this "council" is the one that blows!
   'Nuff said.

Now THAT'S An Apology!

   That young lady is Minami Minegishi, and she's part of a 90 member Japanese girl band called AKB48. And before you ask, I've never heard of either. Until today. It seems Minegishi-san took to YouTube, with her head shaved, and tears streaming down her face apologizing to her, and the bands, fans.
   What did she do wrong? Pull a Justin Bieber and get caught drinking sizzurp? (A mix of codeine based cough syrup and fizzy fruit punch.) No. Did she disgrace herself by appearing drunk in public? No. Minami was photographed leaving her boyfriends place after spending a night there not long ago. So fucking what you ask? Well, it seems members of the group.....which is divided into several teams.....have a no dating rule, in order to protect the band's clean image targetting their mainly male fanbase. Mini was also in the top-ranked division, but was demoted to the band's lowest rank.
   All this has people in Japan wondering just how much influence AKB48's management team has over their young charges, and why Mini took such a drastic step.....if she even took it on her own. Head shaving in Japan is seen as a serious way of showing contrition, and women rarely do it.
   And if that's the way she says she's sorry, them maybe Bieber should practice seppuku, a ritualistic Japanese form of suicide taken by plunging a long knife into the abdomen, and slashing upwards. Please practice seppuku Biebs. PLEASE!!!!!
  'Nuff said.

He Did It!..Update

   Back on October 15th, I brought you the story of Felix Baumgartner. He's the man who broke 3 word records when he jumped from a capsule tethered to a balloon from a height of 24 miles. He broke the record for the highest manned ascent in a balloon, the highest parachute jump, and the highest speed attained in free-fall. In fact, he became the first person to break the sound barrier without the use of a jet engine.  He went supersonic for about 30 seconds before denser air started slowing him down.
   Back in October, it was said he got to 834 miles an hour (1,342 k/ph). Well, NASA has revised that speed.....upwards.
   According to "official" numbers, Baumgartner actually got to 1,357 k/ph. That's 843.6 miles an hour. That's almost 10 mph faster than originally thought!
   Not that it really matters anyway. He'd still have the record one way or another.
   Anyway, congrats Felix!
   'Nuff said.

What A Pair Of Douchebags

   One for leaving a sort nasty note instead of a tip, the other for firing the waitress who posted it online. Lets re-wind and start from the start. A pastor was in a St. Louis area restaurant, and apparently wasn't too pleased about the 18% gratuity tacked on the bill. And while said pastor paid the tab, she wrote on the bill saying "I give god 10%. Why do you get 18%", explaining the work for god absolved her of tipping. She also put a 0 with a line through it where the tip should go. Oh, yeah. The bill was for just over 34 bucks, meaning the tip would be about 6.
   Anyway, pastor Douchebag complained to the management at the eatery after the bill went viral, saying the firestorm ruined her reputation. And that''s where Douchebag #2 comes in.
   The manager FIRED the waitress, a move that surprised her since posting something like that was never covered in the company employee handbook of "do's" and "dont's". In fact, she thought it was comical, but I guess the 12th commandment is "Thou Shalt Not Sully The Name Of Thine Employer By Posting Shit On-Line". The 11th commandment is, of course, "Thou Shalt Not Be Found Out".
   No word yet if the waitress plans on suing for wrongful dismissal. If she does, I hope she doesn't get a douchebag for a lawyer. Oh yeah. I guess that's really not possible, is it.
   'Nuff said.

They Won!!

   Back on January 4th, I blogged about the young Icelandic girl and her mom who were challenging that country's official Registry of  Names. Her mother had a local priest christen her daughter Blaer (Blair), which means "Light Breeze", before realizing the name was not on the list of some 18 hundred "approved" girls and 17 hundred boys names. The registry wasn't going to allow her to keep the name, because they felt it  was more male than female.
   Today, Blaer Bjarkardottir and her mom Bjork Eidsdottir got word that they won their battle in a regional court, and Blaer's name can now go on documents like her passport. Up until today, she had to use "Stulka", which means "girl".
   Not only is it a victory for her and her mom, but other parents because if they want to call their daughters "Blaer", they can also do so now.
   So, a big CONGRATS to both of you!
   'Nuff said.