Italy Trip:Interesting Book! Venetian Legends and Ghost Stories A Guide To Places Of Mystery In Venice

Venetian Legends and Ghost Stories

While on vacation in Italy we stayed in Venice (which you'll read about in later blogs). We found a book (in English) about ghosts and weird stories that we got for a friend. I wound up reading it on the plane ride home (I couldn't resist). It's called "Venetian Legends and Ghost Stories A Guide To Places Of Mystery In Venice" by Alberto Toso Fei

I Recommend this Book! -   This book isn't just about ghost stories, it's about witches, mermaids, shrieking skulls, curses, dealings with the devil, wizards and more. Italians have a LOT of weird stories and this book was full of them. It was very interesting and entertaining and a good read.

One weird story called "The Squid With the Eyes of a Woman"  involved a not so friendly woman named Linda Cimetta who disappeared in April 1947 from her Venice shop. A Gondolier was arrested for her murder and was accused of trying to send contraband to her - and it was a deal gone wrong. So he murdered her, dismembered her and stuffed her parts in a trunk. Then he tossed the trunk into one of Venice's canals  The trunk was later found by two boys fishing, who found the grisly parts under squid. 
  Fisherman who fish in that area later have reported seeing many squid with the eyes of a woman. Creepy!!

You can find it on Amazon.com here in the U.S. at: http://smile.amazon.com/Venetian-Legends-Stories-Places-Mystery

• Perfect Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Editrice Elzeviro; 2nd edition (2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8887528063
• ISBN-13: 978-8887528060

The IRONY: 2 Pastors Arrested for Sex Trafficking of Minors

Here's something from the news in Tennessee last week that clearly shows the hypocrisy and stupidity of the GOP's argument over transgender people using a bathroom. TWO PASTORS were arrested for Sex Trafficking with CHILDREN!  Children are 100 times more likely to be abused by religious people than transgender or gay people. Just look at the scandals that rocked the Catholic church for decades from the U.S. to Europe. 
  The Republican argument against transgender people is ridiculous. Instead, they should be worried about their huge voter block of "religious" people.


IN THE NEWS: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation: 2 Pastors Arrested, 32 charged for Sex Trafficking in Undercover Operation

STORY FROM KTTN.
http://www.kttn.com/tennessee-bureau-of-investigation-2-pastors-arrested-32-charged-for-sex-trafficking-in-undercover-operation/ 
What's interesting is that they list ALL of the names of the people arrested and what they were charged with... just click the URL 

STORY:  A three-day operation by Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and detectives with the Knoxville Police Department to combat human trafficking in Knoxville has resulted in the arrest of 32 men and women on prostitution and human trafficking-related charges. 

The pastors arrested for trafficking children

Two of the men, including a children’s minister, responded to ads for what they thought were girls under the age of 18. The Knoxville anti-trafficking operation, called “Operation Someone Like Me”, is the fifth operation of its kind in the state between the TBI and partner agencies to help identify, investigate and prosecute trafficking, and rescue victims.

Here's what the "Pastors" are charged with: 

• Zubin Parakh, 32, Oak Ridge, TN – Patronizing Prostitution, Trafficking

• Jason Kennedy, 46, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution, Trafficking

 

With the partnership including the Knoxville Police Department, Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, End Slavery Tennessee, and Second Life Chattanooga, TBI Agents and intelligence analysts embarked on an undercover operation to identify potential victims of trafficking, arrest those seeking to purchase illicit sex from a juvenile, and learn more about the specific nuances of this type of crime.

“Finding these people who are trying to buy Tennessee children is a priority for us,” says TBI Director Mark Gwyn. “We want anyone responding to these ads to think there may be a TBI Agent on the other end of it. We will do whatever we can to make a difference in reducing the human trafficking that takes place in Tennessee.”

During the three-day operation, undercover Agents posted ads on Backpage.com. During that time, more than 300 contacts were made to those ads. In one ad the Agents posed as a juvenile girl. That ad received more than two dozen contacts.

“Human trafficking is a scourge on society,” says Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch. “We will continue to commit all the necessary resources and work alongside our law enforcement partners to help protect our most precious resource, our children.”

“We’re changing the conversation about human trafficking,” says TBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Margie Quin. “These operations are designed to identify and help victims of trafficking, as well as take these predators off the street.

With the assistance of nonprofit agencies Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, End Slavery Tennessee, and Second Life Chattanooga, the undercover operation conducted this week also identified potential victims of trafficking. The women were offered services provided by the nonprofits that include housing, counseling and addiction treatment. Three women took advantage of those services and left the operation and were immediately placed in safe houses.

Last year, Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation into law giving TBI original jurisdiction over investigations of human trafficking. Additionally, the state legislature approved funding for four Special Agents, who work exclusively to investigate human trafficking cases and train law enforcement statewide on recognizing and combating this type of crime. These four Special Agents, who have now completed their fifth operation across the state, have arrested or cited just under 100 individuals during that time.

Last year, as part of its commitment to address this issue, the TBI unveiled a public awareness campaign, entitled “IT Has To Stop,” which includes online resources, public service announcements, and contact information for nonprofits who work with survivors of human trafficking. Visit www.ITHasToStop.com for more information.

“OPERATION SOMEONE LIKE ME” STATS
Since “Operation Someone Like Me” began in May 2015, there have been 98 arrests/ citations. The investigation was conducted in Brentwood/ Clarksville, Jackson, Chattanooga (twice, once in conjunction with Georgia Bureau of Investigation), Knoxville.
As a result of “Operation Someone Like Me” this week in Knoxville, 32 individuals were arrested/ cited.

A great comics trade paperback: Green Lantern Vol. 3: "The End"

I love the Green Lantern (DC Comics superhero). For several years I've gone to the Baltimore ComicCon dressed
up as Hal Jordan's Green Lantern. So, when I got for a gift the graphic novel "Green Lantern Vol. 3: "The End" Paperback, I read it and really enjoyed it.
   It features several great Green Lanterns (they're an intergalactic police-like group powered by green power rings that make constructs that they envision in their mind to combat evil anywhere in the cosmos)  that include Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Sinestro, Kyle Rayner and introduces the new muslim Green Lantern, Simon Baz (a great character)!

SUMMARY: Comics' hottest writer Geoff Johns continues his historic run on one of the best-selling titles of DC Comics The New 52, GREEN LANTERN!  The universe is in shambles and the Guardians are the cause. Their mysterious Third Army has risen across the cosmos like a plague, destroying everything in its path and Hal Jordan and Sinestro are nowhere to be found. It is up to wrongfuly accused Simon Baz to clear his name and become the hero that the Corps needs in order to get to the bottom of Hal and Sinestro's disapperance and the Rise of the Third Army!  This volume collects Green Lantern #13-20, 0.
 

Don't Listen to Religions that say "pets don't cross over or have souls"

As someone who has had the ability to get messages from spirits of people and pets since I was a teenager, there is absolutely nothing that makes me angrier than hearing that "Religious people" tell pet parents that "animals have no soul," and that "animals don't go to heaven.' That is SO stupid. Really. Yes, I said stupid because it makes me so angry- they're ignorance Hurts grieving pet parents and they don't know what they're talking about.

First, EVERY living thing has a soul. A Soul is the combination of memories and personalities and intelligence. We all know that pets learn, they have love, they have memories (just don't feed them on time and they'll let you know), and they all have their own personalities. OF COURSE ANIMALS HAVE SOULS.

Religious people only know what their books tell them and their books were written for primitive times when no one understood science, behavior or the afterlife. They never talked with spirits on the other side as mediums do. So, how can they make these ridiculous claims that pets have no souls? Answer; They can't. They have no idea what they're talking about and it does so much harm to grieving pet parents. It's appalling and maddening!

I have seen my family dogs on the other side in the light waiting for my dad. I've received THOUSANDS of messages from pets who have given me so much detail, that I couldn't possibly know - and they've proved their identities. In fact I've received SO many messages, I wrote "Pets and the Afterlife 2" that contains many of them.

So, next time a religious person tells you animals don't have souls, I would tell them that they apparently don't have a soul, and that your cat or dog will be in heaven long before they will (Yes, I'm feisty here, but there's nothing that angers me more). Of course the religious person will find out how wrong they are when they die and transition to spirit.

SO, take heart. Your dog, cat, horse, bird, etc. will ALWAYS be connected to you and will be waiting for you on the other side.

For my latest book "Pets and the Afterlife 2" by Rob Gutro, or "Pets and the Afterlife" you'll find them on Amazon.com in paperback or E-book.

Our new favorite family picture!

We love taking our kids out for a ride, and that often leads to some of the most fun and great pictures. Here's one we took on May 25, 2016. In the back is Dolly (Weimaraner) and in front is Tyler (Dachshund- black and tan) and Franklin (Dachshund- red)

Listen Tonight at 9pm Live! "Pets and the Afterlife 2" interview on Do You Believe" on Paranormal Zone TV!

Tonight at 9pm Live! "Pets and the Afterlife 2" interview on Do You Believe" on Paranormal Zone TV!

   On May 26, Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT - Rob Gutro returns to Noreen Belovich's Paranormal Zone TV about "How Spirit Pets Communicate with their living parents" You'll learn about the ways pets give signs and how they do it. You'll be able to find signs from your own pets who have passed.

Host Norene Balovich

   Rob will share a couple of stories from his new book "Pets and the Afterlife 2" that was just published 3 months ago (on Amazon.com- click to see it). You will be astounded at a warning message from one spaniel, and an incredible amount of detail from "Buddy" who gave names, showed his favorite place and more.

Rob Gutro and his dog Tyler

   

This book and this show is all about Healing for grieving pet parents.


   Rob's books are best sellers on Amazon.com. 
 

TUNE IN:   https://www.youtube.com/user/NoreneB

2 Great Mysteries: newest from Mr. Monk and Murder She Wrote!

While on vacation over the last two weeks, I read two great paperback mysteries in my 2 favorite series: Murder She Wrote and Mr. Monk. Both highly recommended!!
 SAD NOTE: The 2nd writer of the Mr. Monk series has called it quits, so this is the final in the Mr Monk series. It's really a sad day because I love them and have read and enjoyed all of them! 

 Here are the summaries of each book:
1) Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant by Hy Conrad (4.5 STARS) 
(based on the great detective series of the 2000s) 
SUMMARY: Monk and Natalie have finally settled into a new office routine—but the detectives soon have another problem to deal with: Captain Stottlemeyer’s new lieutenant, A. J. Thurman—a man of limited skills whom Monk finds insufferable.
   Despite Thurman’s presence, Monk and Natalie attend the funeral of Judge Oberlin, and it’s a good thing. In typical fashion, Monk examines the body in the casket—and finds evidence of poison. The judge was murdered.
   When Captain Stottlemeyer shows the same symptoms the judge had shown, Monk detects the work of a diabolical killer who wants both men dead. With his friend in danger and an enemy close, Monk will have to put his reservations aside to crack the case in time.

To order on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Monk-New-Lieutenant-Conrad/dp/0451470591
2) Murder She Wrote: Death of Blue Blood by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain (5 STARS!!) 
(based on the TV series that ran for 12 seasons from the 1980s and 90s)
SUMMARY:  In the newest mystery in the USA Today bestselling series, Jessica Fletcher is invited to ring in the New Year with British aristocracy. Too bad someone’s about to end the life of the party....
Jessica Fletcher and her friend Scotland Yard detective inspector George Sutherland are invited to attend a New Year’s Eve Ball at Castorbrook Castle, thanks to her British publisher. Shortly after arriving in the idyllic English countryside, Jessica discovers the body of a lady’s maid in the garden.
  While their host, Lord Norrance, his snobbish third wife, other members of the household, and party guests squabble over the tragic death in tight-lipped, perfectly mannered, thoroughly British style, family relations are strained as old wounds are reopened and cutting remarks are freely handed out. And that’s only during teatime!
  As midnight beckons at the ball the next night, the earl offers a toast, complete with fireworks. But the merriment crashes to a halt when he falls ill and dies, apparently poisoned—and the number of suspects with a grudge against the lord of the manor sprouts like English ivy.
   Now it’s up to Jessica and George to find the killer—or killers—before another corpse welcomes in the New Year....
To order on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Murder-She-Wrote-Death-Blood/dp/0451468252

A warning to pet parents who have workers come to their home

We're posting this story as a warning to pet parents who have workers come to their home. 
As dog dads who have a beautiful Weimaraner in our family, and who work with Weim rescues, we were horrified and outraged over this story from Texas where an energy company worker beat a homeowner's dog with a wrench and killed the dog!

This bastard that should be locked in a cell with rabid dogs. We post this to make you aware to keep your dogs in your home or in a different part of your home away from workers. You never know who will be coming into your home and your dogs are your children.

I went to the company's facebook page and they said they are "looking into it." So I commented on their page: I work with Weimaraner rescues and am furious about the beating death of this dog by your employee. Our dogs are our children. - killing this dog is the same as killing a human child. There is NO excuse for killing. This employee should be immediately fired and arrested. Dog rescues around the country need to be aware of who he is so they can be made aware of this dangerous individual. The employee and your company should not only cover vet bills, but make a huge donation to Weimaraner Rescues.

PLEASE Comment on their page: https://www.facebook.com/CenterPointEnergy  

 ******************************************

Dog hit with wrench by contractor in viral video has died

KINGSTON, Texas (WJBK) - After a video showing a contractor hitting a pair of dogs with a wrench gained national attention last month, one of the dogs died this week from its injuries.
A homeowner in Texas released video of an energy company contractor striking his dogs with a wrench that now has more than a million views and since it was posted a few weeks ago, one of the dogs has died.

  

The video shows the two Weimaraner bird dogs approaching the contractor, who was working for CenterPoint Energy. As they get closer, he begins lashing out at the dogs with a wrench. After they were hit, the dogs ran away from the man.

Dog hit with wrench by contractor in viral video has died

Homeowner Mike Wilcox said the worker faces the $2,000 vet bill accrued while experts took care of the injured dogs.

CenterPoint released a statement on the incident, claiming: "We have determined that a CenterPoint Energy contractor was at this address on this date. CenterPoint Energy does not condone or tolerate abuse of animals by our employees or our contractors. We have notified the contract company and they have assured us that they will conduct a full investigation into the incident.”

My Note to Senator Sanders- Some Serious Concerns

- This weekend I posted a note to Senator Sanders Facebook campaign page. I'm a democrat, but have been really disturbed by several things that he has done in the last couple of months that are exactly the same things Donald Trump has done in the GOP. 
  My letter is below.  

Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders in Debate

Dear Senator Sanders- I agree with many of your positions, and had supported you- but have noticed things that have made me change my mind: in the last 4 months:
1) you've not tried to stop violence caused by your supporters (as Trump doesn't) and 
2) you've now said "the system is fixed" (as Trump does) and 
3) you are trying to steal delegates from Secretary Clinton (as Trump is trying to do from other GOP candidates). As a result, you have lost my vote and my respect. 
4)  Further, you have not raised money for any Democratic candidate running for House or Senate (as Mrs. Clinton has).. Why not? 
5) Finally, there is no possible way you can secure the nomination, yet you continue to attack Secretary Clinton instead of doing the right thing and bowing out and supporting her to make the Democratic party stronger. 
 I am so disappointed in you.
Rob G. 

Our Amazing Friend Rich's Navy Retirement

Our friend Rich just retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of service and we attended his celebration this past weekend. Read about this incredible serviceman...

It's amazing that you can know someone for so long, but because of their quiet nature (and they can't talk about their job) you learn so much when they retire.

Capt O'Toole and Rich

Rich is one of the most intelligent guys you'll ever meet, but he's very quiet and reserved, and didn't talk about his career or accomplishments in the 15 years we've known him. He's very humble and you would never know all of the things he's done. We were astounded to hear about his accomplishments and education during the ceremony. Rich is a man who has changed the lives of so many in the Navy for his service.

Greg and Rich

What has Rich done? He's had an amazing career, and he's incredibly accomplished. He's got a BS in Ocean Engineering, an MS in Nuclear Engineering and a Master's in Engineering Management. That's the tip of the iceberg. He's done so many amazing things including teaching at the Naval Academy,working in submarines as a scuba diver and nuclear engineering officer. We could fill pages with his titles, accomplishments, management, teaching and command positions. We can't think of anyone who has had a more accomplished military career and served our country with such fervor and passion.

Rich presents his parents with thanks

During the 90 minute ceremony recognizing him, Capt. O'Toole read some of his accomplishment and presented him with recognition from President Obama and the Secretary of the Navy. (Video at the bottom is the Capt. reading "Relieve the Watch.")

  Rich's career was filled with awards and challenges. He traveled all over the world on assignments and taught countless servicemen and women. He noted the passing and injury of friends and colleagues in the service, 

Rich presents Greg with Thanks

He cited challenges to his career like the "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy that spawned so many witch hunts trying to find gay service members, of which over 1,600 were outed and dishonorably discharged. He took time out to give special commendations to his parents and long-time partner Greg, who took care of things on the home front (and the dogs) over their 11 years together during Rich's countless days of travel. He cited his aunt who inspired and supported him (and whom passed away recently).  

Rob , Judy and Tom

Rob, Jeff and Tom

He brought a tear to my (Rob) eyes about 10 times during his speech.What an amazing friend we have and his partner is just as amazing. We had the pleasure of meeting both of their parents, and our friends Judy (retired from the Navy) and Jeff (Greg's brother).

Greg watching the ceremony

A special pillow Judy made for Rich

What great ceremony for a truly amazing man whom we are so proud to call our friend. 
- Rob and Tom 

Rich gives hisremarks

Capt. O'Toole reads Rich's accomplishments

 Here's a video of the end of the ceremony when Capt. O'Toole relived Rich of duty and marked his official retirement. He read "Relieve the Watch." (1 min. 16 seconds). It really teared me (Rob) up! 
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/HE_T5QHYtvA

What is a Premonition?: My Experience about My Recent Trip: Airplane

Egypt Air

On May 19, 2016, a premonition I had (back in April) came true about a plane blowing up on the day

we would be coming home from our vacation. My premonition was about a plane departing from the airport we did. It turned our that was exactly what happened to a plane leaving Charles DeGaul airport in Paris, headed to Cairo, Egypt. .

As we were preparing for our vacation to Europe, as far back as January 2016 kept getting the sense that an airplane leaving the airport in Paris that we were leaving from would blow up over the ocean. I made sure that a number of people were informed about who we wanted to take care of our dogs for the rest of their lives, in case of emergency. I told Tom what I was doing and he thought I may have been paranoid - but I was being careful because I kept getting a premonition (I didn't tell Tom about it).

What is a premonition?  Is it tied into an ability to read energy?
 Does it have anything with an ability to communicate with ghosts and spirits?
A premonition is a strong sense of something that will happen in the future, especially something unpleasant.
It's not a "Deja Vu" which is an event that you sense happened before to you and there is nothing you can do to change it. It's about the future, not present time.
- I think that people who have them DO have the ability to read energy, and some can communicate with people who passed (which I can).

So, I contacted friends and family before we left for vacation and verified that they would indeed take care of our kids should something happen to us. At least I could rest easy about that.

What I didn't expect was that it would come true- for another flight that departed the same morning from the Same airport in Paris, and left one terminal away from where we left. By now, you've read that an airplane bound for Cairo, Egypt blew up over the Mediterranean Sea on May 19. The day we were flying home.

Terminal at Charles DeGaul airport

It's unnerving for a couple of reasons 1) My premonition came true 2) The plane was from the same airport 3) The plane was one terminal away 4) People lost their lives

In my book "Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium" by Rob Gutro, the spirit of my dog Buzz gave me a premonition that if I walked my new dog in the same area where Buzz was killed on the 1 year anniversary of Buzz's death, the dog's leash would open as it did with Buzz (causing his death when he ran across the street), so I heeded the premonition, and fortunately I did because I as walked with my dog Dolly thought a wooded area instead, her leash mysteriously opened. It really scared me, and I took her right back home.

Here's the story from CNN on May 21, 2016: According to CNN on May 21, "New clues emerged Friday about EgyptAir Flight 804, but there were no answers as to what caused the plane to go down in the Mediterranean Sea.There were smoke alerts near the airliner cockpit early Thursday in the minutes before it crashed, according to flight data CNN obtained Friday from an Egyptian source. The data came through the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS)...The plane carrying 66 people disappeared while flying from Paris to Cairo.Egyptian officials say they suspect terrorism, but no group has come forward to claim credit. No survivors have been found, but searchers in the Mediterranean Sea located debris on Friday, including suitcases and human remains."

How Gullible Are You: Part 2: Redhead Sues Parents, Disney's Tower of Terror Replacement

Here's another blog asking "How Gullible Are You?"  - This is the latest round of stuff people are emailing each other believing these to be true, whether they are or not. What do you think?

1)  Red-Haired Teen Sues His Parents for $2M for Being Born "Ginger"  (This is just too stupid)
Fake news reports a redheaded teenage boy has launched a controversial 'wrongful life' lawsuit against his parents.
 

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Disney Replacing Tower of Terror with Elsa's Ice Castle?

Disney Parks isn't replacing the "Tower of Terror" attraction with "Elsa's Ice Castle."
 

---

 
Christians Burned Alive by Muslims

A photograph from a 2010 oil tanker explosion in the Democratic Republic of Congo is frequently shared with misinformation about the victims.
 

You’re Definitely Not Cleaning Your Toilet Right There’s a MUCH better way.!

According to this story from NBC news,  You’re Definitely Not Cleaning Your Toilet Right There’s a MUCH better
way.!  So, we're going to try this.  It includes vinegar.
  On a related note, every month we use vinegar and baking soda in the sinks and shower drains  to help keep them open and remove clogs.

For most of us, “cleaning the bathroom“ means wiping the mirror, Swiffer-ing the floor and emptying the trashcan. And every so often, cleaning the shower, bathtub and toilet, too.
Newsflash, people: You should be giving your toilet a true deep cleaning at least once per week. And there is a highly efficient way to go about it.

Watch the video belowfor totally doable instructions on how to keep your porcelain throne in sparkling shape.
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-often-should-you-clean-your-toilet_us_5722463fe4b0b49df6aa7f2b?

**IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE VIDEO; - it says:
1) Turn off water to toilet
2) Flush water in bowl out
3) scrub under the ring of the toilet with a sponge
4) Add 1 cup vinegar to bowl
5) Wait 1 hour
6) Turn on water and flush


CAUTION:   Never mix vinegar with bleach, or any cleaning solutions or toilet cleaner that may contain bleach, as the combination can produce chlorine gas.

Good Mystery: Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons

I (Rob) recently finished reading the sixth novel in the Dixie Hemingway mystery series called Cat Sitter Among
the Pigeons by Blaize Clement.
  Of all 6 I think I liked this one least, but did enjoy the story. I thought it a bit far-fetched that Dixie joins a group of guys to rescue a baby, but it worked out. I love happy endings. The characters were enjoyable as they are in all the series novels. Dixie is a firecracker, and I love the supporting characters of her brother and his partner, and Dixie's love interest, Guidry the detective. 
  I give it 4 out of 5 stars- it's well worth the read.


SUMMARY: Former Florida police officer turned pet-sitting sleuth is once again on the prowl. Dixie Hemingway―no relation to you-know-who―is helping an elderly gentleman, Mr. Stern, take care of his orange shorthair cat, Cheddar. But it's Stern's infant granddaughter, Opal, who really wins Dixie's heart. Problem is that Opal's mother, Ruby, has some dangerous connections to certain local big-money honchos. Ruby has enough insider information to send them to prison for life…and they are willing to do anything, even threaten Opal's life, to shut her up and preserve their ill-gotten gains. Now it's up to Dixie to protect Opal from harm―at all costs. And she must do it without letting law-enforcement people know―not even Detective Guidry, with whom she happens to be romantically involved. Does Dixie have her claws sunk in too deep to make it out of this one? Or are her nine lives finally up?

Hero Dogs in the news: Florida police K9 sniffs out 72 bags of marijuana

Here's something we like hearing:  
Hero Dogs in the news: Florida police K9 sniffs out 72 bags of marijuana
May 5, 2016, 6:08 AM
Source: CBS NEWS: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-police-k9-sniffs-out-72-bags-of-marijuana/
MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- A drug detecting K9 named Rocky discovered more than $225,000 worth of marijuana inside a pickup truck in Florida on Tuesday, reports CBS affiliate WKMG.
Officials haven't said why they stopped a blue Ford F-350 pickup truck in Marion County on Tuesday, but while investigators were talking with the driver, Rocky and an officer conducted a drug sniff of the truck.

Florida K9 officer Rocky and the 72 pounds of marijuana he discovered on Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Visible in the vehicle's bed were large pieces of used furniture and multiple cardboard boxes, but Rocky quickly realized the boxes were packed with marijuana, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Officials found 72 one-pound vacuum-sealed bags, worth a total of about $225,000.
The driver, Lee Alan Minchew, was arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail on charges related to trafficking more than 25 pounds of marijuana. He posted a $25,000 bond and was released from jail on Wednesday.

 

New Novel about Lois Lane: Double Down"

 For fellow comics fans, there's a new novel about Lois Lane: called "Double Down"  by Gwenda Bond- available on Amazon.com and in book stories.

 
ABOUT THE BOOK> 
Lois Lane has settled in to her new school. She has friends, for maybe the first time in her life. She has a job that challenges her. And her friendship is growing with SmallvilleGuy, her online maybe-more-than-a-friend. But when her friend Maddy's twin collapses in a part of town she never should've been in, Lois finds herself embroiled in a  dangerous mystery that brings her closer to the dirty underbelly of Metropolis.

VIDEO : https://youtu.be/AThepD6BDRg

In the News Marvel Comics Movie Designer To Make Astronaut Outfits

As a superhero fan, I found this fascinating!  Thanks to our friend Orli for sharing.

Marvel Movie Designer To Make Astronaut Outfits

SpaceX wants to carry its first astronauts to the International Space Station next year and plans to take humans to Mars by 2025.

09:39, UK, Thursday 05 May 2016

The designer of Iron Man's costume is working for SpaceX Pic: ©Marvel 2016

The man who created the superhero outfits in the Iron Man and Captain America movies has been hired to design the space suits worn by SpaceX astronauts.

Company boss Elon Musk says he wants the designs to be "stylish" and "heroic" - rather than the utilitarian outfits typically designed for space travel.
Marvel and DC movie legend Jose Fernandez says he has previously taken inspiration from Mr Musk when creating the costume for Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr's character Tony Stark is modelled on the billionaire inventor.
Reports suggest the design is unlikely to be ready until next year.
SpaceX wants to carry its first astronauts to the International Space Station then, and plans to take humans to Mars by 2025.

Iron Man flying through the skies in the hit 2008 movie. Pic: ©Marvel 2016

It is likely that a concept will be drawn up by Mr Fernandez, before being handed over to engineers who will attempt to make it suitable for space travel.
The outfits will be to be able to withstand extreme environments, as they will face a variety of temperatures.
Temperatures can fall as low as -150C in Earth's orbit alone, and reach as high as 120C.
NASA has said it wants to send its first astronauts to Mars wearing Z-2 suits which will be 3D printed and customised for each crew member.
The Tron-style outfits feature red electroluminescent details so they can be better seen in darkness, and are designed to make it easier to walk.
NASA said: "The suit is designed for maximum astronaut productivity on a planetary surface – exploring, collecting samples, and manoeuvring in and out of habitats and rovers."
NASA says it is aiming for a human mission to Mars in the 2030s.

Short Educational Video: A look at a Cool Deep sea Jellyfish

Here's a 42 second video look at a Cool Deep sea Jellyfish courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

 

This stunningly beautiful jellyfish was seen during Dive 4 of the 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition on April 24, 2016, while exploring Enigma Seamount at a depth of ~3,700 meters.

Scientists identified this hydromedusa as belonging to the genus Crossota. Note the two sets of tentacles — short and long. At the beginning of the video, you'll see that the long tentacles are even and extended outward and the bell is motionless. This suggests an ambush predation mode. Within the bell, the radial canals in red are connecting points for what looks like the gonads in bright yellow.

Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas.


Video: https://youtu.be/QGFh3UNvuCQ  

In the news: Coffee, wine good for the gut

IN the News!

Coffee, wine good for the gut!

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/coffee-wine-good-for-the-gut-but-what-about-soda/

The food you eat and the medicines you take can alter your gut bacteria in ways that either help or harm your health, two new studies suggest.
     Foods like fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, wine, yogurt and buttermilk can increase the diversity of bacteria in a person's intestines. And that diversity can help ward off illness, said Dr. Jingyuan Fu, senior author of one of the studies. "It is believed that higher diversity and richness [in gut bacteria] is beneficial," explained Fu. She is an associate professor of genetics at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
    On the other hand, foods containing loads of simple carbohydrates appear to reduce bacterial diversity in the gut, Fu and colleagues found. These include high-fat whole milk and sugar-sweetened soda.
In addition, medications can also play a part in the makeup of your gut bacteria. Antibiotics, the diabetes drug metformin and antacids can cut down on gut bacterial diversity, the researchers found. Smoking and heart attacks also can have a negative effect, the team said.
 "One dose of an antibiotic may disrupt your gut bacteria for a year," he said.    Johnson noted that other research has shown that poor sleep, obesity, diabetes and the use of artificial sweeteners also can interfere with gut bacteria.Both studies were published in the April 29 issue of the journal Science.

In the news: The Republicans who did ‘exactly what Hillary did

A fascinating article explaining the hypocrisy of politics. Hillary Clinton has been under intense scrutiny for using a private email server, while so MANY Republicans against her have done the EXACT same thing.... yet, they are not being investigated. What's more is that many of them deleted emails. So for anyone who thinks the former Secretary of State has done anything different from others, or anything illegal, think again. It's all a scam from the republican party to make people not want to trust her.  

 The Republicans who did ‘exactly what Hillary did’

03/13/15 08:03 AM—Updated 03/13/15 08:20 AM

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By Steve Benen   Source MSNBC

One of the under-appreciated angles to the story about Hillary Clinton’s email problem is that Hillary Clinton isn’t the only one with an email problem. In fact, in an ironic twist, some of the former Secretary of State’s leading Republican critics have also relied on personal email accounts and shielded selected messages from public scrutiny.

 

Aliyah Frumin explained this week, for example, that “several potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates are facing email and transparency issues of their own” and they “also leaned heavily on private emails during their time in office – and have been criticized in the past for not releasing other documents – just as they skewer Clinton for not being forthright with her personal emails.”

 

The Wall Street Journal today, for example, takes a look at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s (R) record.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a likely Republican presidential candidate, primarily used a personal email account on his own computer server when he was in office from 1999 to 2007. In December, he posted online hundreds of thousands of emails from both the private and government accounts. Mr. Bush’s spokeswoman said that emails from the private account unrelated to government business weren’t turned over to the state or preserved. […]

 

But much like with Mrs. Clinton, the decision over which emails should be considered official and which remain private was made by Mr. Bush. It is unclear how many emails Mr. Bush withheld because he deemed them unrelated to state business.

Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, told the WSJ that Jeb Bush “did exactly what Hillary did.” The former governor and his aides “went through those emails and decided what were public-record emails and what wasn’t.”

 

By some accounts, the messages Team Bush chose not to share related to “politics” and “campaign donors asking for favors” – topics that may be relevant in a presidential campaign.

 

Bush is hardly the only one among the likely GOP presidential candidates with this email problem. Indeed, most of the Republican field should probably hope this issue goes away quickly:

 

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R): Though he called Clinton’s use of a private email address an “outrage,” Walker is at the center of a Wisconsin controversy surrounding his use of a private email address.

 

* Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R): The Republican lawmaker deleted emails from his private account during his tenure in state government, despite using his personal account to conduct business related to his official duties.

 

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R): The Bergen Record reported this week, “Nearly a year before revelations that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used her personal email account for official business, the Christie administration was chastised because members of its own staff communicated through private emails. And that criticism came not from Governor Christie’s political foes, but from lawyers hired by his team to investigate the burgeoning George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal.”

 

* Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R): Both Republican governors conducted official business from their private email accounts and have not released the emails for public scrutiny.

 

Just to be clear about this, I’m not suggesting the Clinton story is irrelevant. On the contrary, legitimate questions have been raised that deserve answers. What’s more, there are some differences between the Clinton story and the circumstances surrounding her Republican critics, most notably the fact that they seemed to operate two email accounts – one governmental, one private – while the former Secretary of State used one.

 

But the hypocrisy matters, too. Some of the same Clinton critics reaching for the fainting couch because the public won’t see messages she deemed private also conducted official business from their private accounts in emails that will receive no public scrutiny at all.

 

For that matter, the Clinton “scandal” seems oddly detached from the fact that (a) the Bush/Cheney White House lost millions of important emails, and the Beltway media largely ignored the story; (b) Mitt Romney went to hilarious lengths to hide his public emails from scrutiny in the last presidential campaign, and the Beltway media largely ignored the story; and (c) previous Secretaries of State sent and received emails that the public has never seen, and will never see, and no one seems to find that particularly controversial.

STUPIDITY IN THE NEWS University of New Hampshire regrets buying a $17,570 dining hall table

Here's a story we call  STUPIDITY IN THE NEWS
University of New Hampshire regrets buying a $17,570 dining hall table
The table cost almost exactly as much as one year's in-state tuition.

 

   Someone at the University of New Hampshire thought buying a $17,570 dining hall table was a good idea. It would allow UNH dining staff to demonstrate healthy cooking techniques for students — not to mention the fact that it features a flashy top with LED lights.

But, just weeks after its installation, the university admitted that spending so much money on a table probably wasn’t the best idea.
   “Purchasing a custom-made chef’s table for the recently renovated Holloway Commons costing thousands of dollars should not have happened,” said university spokeswoman Erika Mantz. “Steps have been taken to ensure it is a mistake that won’t be repeated.”
    Dining hall operations director Jon Plodzik told the university’s student newspaper, The New Hampshire, that the $17,570 price included “delivery from the workshop in Chicago, which we considered reasonable for a custom piece of furniture made exclusively for UNH.”
Soon after the table was delivered, The New Hampshire reported that the LED light display wasn’t working. The Union Leader spoke to a student who sat at the table when it was operating correctly, and she didn’t seem impressed.
“I ate at it once,” Maddie Dombrowski told the paper. “It lit up. I ate my food, and I left.”
Other students, noting that the table cost almost exactly as much as one year’s in-state tuition—$17,624—took to social media to voice their concerns.
 VIDEO FROM WMUR-TV, New Hampshire: https://youtu.be/Af8aQlufOwU
 

How Gullible Are You? - A Berned Photo

Social media enables anyone's claims to go out to millions, even billions of people in a short time, but it takes
longer to find the truth. Here's an example of a photo that some people sent around claiming this massive crowd had assembled to support democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. It is an impressive amount of people and would inspire some to join the crowd and support him, too, but it's not reality.


Origin:In mid-April 2016, the above-reproduced image purportedly depicting a Bernie Sanders rally in New York City began circulating on social media, captioned as follows:

"And I watched with tears in my eyes ...As the world BERNED."

Social media users likely found the image plausible as it appeared to reflect reporting on the 13 April 2016 Bernie Sanders rally in Washington Square Park, attendance for which was estimated at around 27,000 people.
Photographs from the Sanders event were easy to find.  However, this particular image was not linked with the Sanders rally.  In fact, it depicted a far larger demonstration that occurred more than a year earlier: It was taken in January 2015 in Paris, France, following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks.  Source: http://www.snopes.com/as-the-world-berned-picture/

In the News: Embedded traffic lights in the sidewalks for Smartphone Users

In the News: Just when you expect people to CARE about their own safety crossing the street, Germany has learned many do not! Instead there have been so many deaths of pedestrians being hit by cars there (and in the U.S.) because of looking at their phones, that a city in Germany has taken safety to the extreme.The city embedded traffic lights in the sidewalks so that smartphone users don’t have to look up.
   Really -Wouldn't you think that people would care about crossing the street safely over who sent you a text?
We shake our heads.
Article: 

Few nations in the world take red traffic lights more seriously than Germany.

Foreign visitors frequently wonder why crowds of Germans wait for traffic lights to turn green when there are no cars in sight.

That is why officials in the city of Augsburg became concerned when they noticed a new phenomenon: Pedestrians were so busy looking at their smartphones that they were ignoring traffic lights.

The city has attempted to solve that problem by installing new traffic lights embedded in the pavement — so that pedestrians constantly looking down at their phones won't miss them.

"It creates a whole new level of attention," city spokeswoman Stephanie Lermen was quoted as saying. Lermen thinks the money is wisely spent: A recent survey conducted in several European cities, including Berlin, found that almost 20 percent of pedestrians were distracted by their smartphones. Younger people are most likely to risk their safety for a quick look at their Facebook profiles or WhatsApp messages, the survey found.

That problem may be even more widespread in the United States: A survey by the University of Washington found that 1 in 3 Americans is busy texting or working on a smartphone at dangerous road crossings. The Department of Transportation has established a clear connection between such habits and an increase in pedestrian deaths.

According to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, not everyone thinks the new lights are a good idea. Some commentators have complained that the project was a waste of taxpayers' money.

(Thomas Hosemann/Stadtwerke Augsburg)

"Until now, I didn't even notice them," one young pedestrian told the local Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper after reporters made him aware of the lights.

But city officials say their work is justified: The idea to install such traffic lights came after a 15-year-old girl was killed by a tram. According to police reports, she was distracted by her smartphone as she crossed the tracks.

Augsburg is not the only city that has been forced to react to an increasing number of smartphone-obsessed pedestrians.

In 2014, the Chinese city of Chongqing made headlines when it experimented with a 165-foot stretch of pavement where pedestrians had to choose between walking on a normal lane and one reserved for smombies -- a portmanteau of "smartphone" and "zombies" used to describe people walking and staring at their devices.

"There are lots of elderly people and children in our street, and walking with your cellphone may cause unnecessary collisions here," marketing official Nong Cheng told the Associated Press at that time.