Solutions Talk

The dirt on dust mites...

Worth noting: I am not posting yet. This serves as a "trial balloon" (in the  time-honored tradition of our esteemed politicians). If you want to read "the ugly truth" about these organisms that share our homes with us, let me know. I will likely post tonight or early tomorrow. Also, please let me know if you don't want me to post this SHOCKING & ENLIGHTENING expose' on these creatures that may be causing you all sorts of health-related issues.

Your opinion counts! Please "weigh in" on this issue. Thanks. SD

Drove his Chevy to the levee to shoot pigs...

Today's Notable Quote: "It happens ever day. My gosh, that's what slaughterhouses do--that's how we get bacon and pork chops." - LeRoy Lippert, chairman of the DesMoines County Emergency Management Commission.

Ever hear the expression "shooting ducks in a barrel"? The linked artice from flood-ravaged Iowa provides another axiom..."shooting pigs on a levee". According to Mr. Lippert (quoted above) and other on-scene officials--it had to be done. Want some more details on the fate of the swimming swine? Read on for excerpts from the story by AP writer Amy Lorentzen...

Officials said they killed the pigs over worries that they would weaken the levee. Onlookers said the animals were having a difficult time trying to maneuver their way off the sandbags, and that they scurried back into the water as people approached.

Mr. Lippert went on to explain the situation, saying, "Basically you cannot have something with a hoof walk on plastic and not poke a hole in the plastic and let water into it. Hogs have a tendency to root and that would not have been good either."

According to Louisa County Sheriff Curt Braby, "They did not want to take a chance on losing a city due to a few hogs."

Lippert noted that out of a pre-flood pig population of more than 36,000, fewer than 1,000 were in left to face the rising floodwaters. "We trucked them as far as 200 miles away to other hog farms so that they would be taken care of."

and, just for the record...workers do not shoot hogs/pigs in processing plants(slaughterhouses)...

Riddle me this...Restroom Attendant...

Today's Notable Quote: "the lesser of all environmental evils are the paper towels..." - Andy Nulman from his November 22, 2007 blogpost entitled Dry Cleaned! from his Weblog POW! RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES

My "handwashing awareness" is in all likelihood in the top 5% of the US citizenry. I wash my hands before each meal, after "resting" (in the restroom), whenever coming into contact with possibly sweaty gym equipment, after shopping, etc. Why? To avoid contamination from those who do not find it necessary to wash their hands after any or all of these activities.

I am a certified "Food Safety" instructor, and have taught a number of classes on the subject. My "food safety" certification training has taught me that we need to be aware of the following factors in order to avoid the common cold, or some far more serious illnesses. 1) Wash hands in warm water with soap (lather outside the stream of water for a minimum of 20 seconds), 2) Rinse hands thoroughly (rubbing the hands together increases the likelihood that any harmful microbial agents will be removed from your hands), 3) Dry hands using hot air or disposable paper towels (use a paper towel to turn off faucet and open exit door), 4) Dispose of paper towel in nearest waste receptacle.

Andy's post--while humorous, serves to make an important point...WASH YOUR HANDS--and DON'T WIPE YOUR HANDS ON YOUR PANTS!! Do your friends, family and any casual acquaintences or complete strangers a huge favor and don't pass your contamination along...

Ecoli strains live in our intestines. If you "shake hands" with one of the "Great Unwashed" after they have made a recent "restroom stop"...you may have some of their intestinal friends on your hands/face/body as well. Worth thinking about...

Well, EXCUSE...Me!

Today's Notable Quote:  "Millions of Americans work dead-end jobs, and sometimes they just need a day off," said John Liddell, co-founder of the Internet-based company Vision Matters, which sells the notes as part of its Excused Absence Network. "People are going to lie anyway. How many people go visit their doctors every day when they're not sick because they just need a note?"

Now there is yet another "means justifying" option for those concerned only about gettin' er done--not necessarily about their integrity or how things get done. That this type of company exists and seems to be thriving is a sad and bizarre indictment against many who walk among us. This one has to be read to be believed...An Excuse-worthy advertisement

Solutions Talk Newsflash: No More Need to falsely accuse the family pet of ingesting your homework assignment or the unfinished spreadsheet for a "much-dreaded" meeting at work.

More on Gore and Nobel Global-warming Lore...

Notable Quote: "While accepting the broad arguments of the film, the judge pointed out nine scientific errors and omissions that he believes Gore raised in the context of alarmism and exaggeration." - from the linked Time Magazine article below.

From the British Court System and Time Magazine British Court: Gore Film 'Political'

Would "Inconvenient Al" s-t-r-e-t-c-h the truth for the sake of dramatic effect? Read the linked article and see what you think...

If polling me is right...I don't want to be wrong...

Today's Notable Quote: "Gallup and others got very good at scientific polling. While traditional polls are often quite wrong when question bias or moving issues are at stake, they got pretty good at measuring conventional wisdom." - Seth Godin

Polling the populace probably produces problematic  poppycock periodically. So...why do it? Perhaps it is as simple (for advertisers  and agencies) to answer truthfully as it was for the notorious bank robber Willie Sutton when asked "Willie, why do you rob banks?" to which he replied, "Because that's where the money is."

Seth Godin predicts The end of the poll in his weblog post today.

Talk about a "real" Smash-up!...

Notable Quote: "Have I got your attention now?" - Comment uttered by 75 year-old grandmother Mona Shaw as she destroyed Comcast office telephones in Northern Virginia.

This story has been in the news for the past week. Seems Bristow Virginia native Mona Shaw reached wit's end--and rather than waiting another moment for her "Triple Play" service--decided to pay a visit to the Comcast offices (hammer in hand).  I enjoyed Please hammer, don't hurt 'em - today's post from Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba's Church of the Customer Blog .

Take a moment and enjoy the "themed" musical interlude.

A New Meaning for the Expression "Dead Head"...

Notable Quote:  "Some may think such a move — to don the hair of a cadaver — would be extreme, but nobody should underestimate the determination of balding people to reverse the scourge of a receding hairline." - from the linked October 11, 2007 article published in  USA TODAY

This is a strange article. Just goes to show how far some people will go for the sake of vanity. When reading this--be sure to notice how much is being spent on hair "restoration" world-wide...and how it is being spent. Odd, amusing, interesting...

Practicing on a melon...evidently, there were no cadavers available.

The "Clinton Cackle"

Notable Quote: "You guys have been telling me to 'lighten up'...and now that I am...ha...ha...ha..." - NY Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, commenting on the relatively recent emergence of her "Hillarious" side.

Watch this...it is pretty funny...

A Real "Mini-me"...

Notable Quote: "Love your dolls! I live 5 hours from my girlfriend and can't see her so often as I would like. So my girlfriend was super happy to get a doll of little me!"  -Matt Corna, N.Y., USA

This is hard to believe--you'll have to see it to believe it!  Now you can make yourself or anyone into a tiny doll version of themselves.  Read on!  http://www.tinypocketpeople.com/

Not exactly a "living doll"...but, you get the idea...