HELL ON EARTH

Google had enough yet?

haiti -

haiti

"How much wood can a beaver chomp? Alert travelers along U.S. Highway 20 from Toledo to Newport are getting a good idea. This line of trees along the north side of the highway next to King Salvage Co. about three miles east of Newport continues to fall, showing the telltale marks of industrious beaver logging."

How the Israelis do airport security - CNN.com

How the Israelis do airport security - CNN.com: "Isaac Yeffet, the former head of security for El Al and now an aviation security consultant in New York, said El Al has prevented terrorism in the air by making sure every passenger is interviewed by a well-trained agent before check-in.

'Stop relying only on technology,' Yeffet told CNN. 'Technology can help the qualified, well-trained human being but cannot replace him.'"

An earth-sheltered house takes shape on a coastal hillside | Homes & Gardens - OregonLive.com

An earth-sheltered house takes shape on a coastal hillside | Homes & Gardens - OregonLive.com: "Jeff Ingram and Steve Travis had long shared a dream of living on land overlooking the Yaquina River, a 50-mile serpentine ribbon of blue that empties into the Pacific Ocean at Newport. Low on cash but rich in skills and experience, the couple saw their opportunity the day the For Sale sign went up on a piece of hilltop property with soaring views of the river. They were the first to visit -- and promptly bought -- the 18-acre parcel."

News: Local | "Veterans’ clinic will be worth millions" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

News: Local | "Veterans’ clinic will be worth millions" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon: "Landowners in Eugene and Springfield are vying to provide the site of a major new regional Veterans Affairs medical clinic — worth as much as $40 million — for the Eugene-Springfield area."

News: Local | "Bay Area sea lions may have come to Oregon" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

News: Local | "Bay Area sea lions may have come to Oregon" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon: "Hundreds of sea lions that abruptly blew out of San Francisco Bay’s Pier 39 last Thanksgiving apparently have found a new home at another tourist attraction — 500 miles north on the Oregon coast.

Thousands of California sea lions started showing up in December at Sea Lion Caves, a popular tourist draw because of the Stellar sea lions living in the caves."

Unclaimed money is owed to a million Oregonians | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

Unclaimed money is owed to a million Oregonians | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal: "The state of Oregon is in possession of more than $360 million in financial assets and some of it could be yours, according to the State Treasurer's office.

Quantcast

The money, which really belongs to more than 1 million people, has ended up in the state's possession because the rightful owners could not be located, said James Sinks, the spokesman for Treasurer Ben Westlund."

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons' - Times Online

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons' - Times Online: "Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as “non-human persons”."

On Public Restrooms...

Last night the LVH CERT team held its first meeting of the year. I was surprised to hear the members ask why I hadn't written anything about our trip home from CA. Evidently, some find those essays to be humorous?

So, I started to tell them about a constant pet peeve I've noticed everywhere we travel. It got laughs so I am going to put it in today.

Somehow, there is an element of sadism across America these days that is taken out on travelers when they are at there most vulnerable position... hunkered down over a restroom toilet.

Oh yes, there have been made great strides in public restrooms since I was a kid. Take for instance the larger stalls that accommodate wheelchairs and those chrome handrails that can be a big help for old arthritic joints... Kudos to Americans for such thoughtfulness even if laws and ordinances had to be passed in order for them to become a reality.

But........

There is always a "but" isn't there? Buts tend to wipe out anything nice that was said before in a conversation like this and so it is now.

The toilet paper roll! Owners of public restrooms are either cruel or unconscious... maybe even cheap... It's hard to say..

Here you are, ensconced on the throne and it is time... well it's time to gather toilet paper to finish the job. Where is the roll? Oh! Here it is in a plastic container mounted upside down ... right here down between my ankle and knee???? You're going to need those handrails my friend as you try to coax toilet paper from the plastic, upside down, dispenser. You can't see the paper but if the oversized roll inside is big enough ..you can with use of the handrails, and a twisting action get the roll to spin and hopefully the tail of the roll will drop down enough that you can grab it. With this minor triumph in hand you must pull, ever so gently, straight down because the toilet paper is 1ply and will rip off if you so much as blink. This causes the toilet paper to twist and should you be successful in getting a piece you will have to straighten it out... Eventually, your piece of paper will break off due to to much pulling stress and that will be what you have. Now to go back a bit, should you start your pull of the paper in the dispenser at an angle instead of straight down you will have the convenience of having a serrated knife on the dispenser slice of an inch or two of paper for you.

My two knees which have been renamed, "Snap, Crackle and Pop", complain constantly about the above indignity for hours after the task is completed and my back which has been renamed, "Pain in the", isn't to happy about the situation either. My thought is that you should carry a roll of T-paper with you into any public restroom or be prepared for a gymnastic struggle with the toilet paper dispenser.

Competition brings deals to online shopping websites on clarkhoward.com

Competition brings deals to online shopping websites on clarkhoward.com: "The Wall Street Journal lists the Big Three online merchandising sites as Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Ebay.com. In their testing, they found the best overall shopping experience was to be had on Amazon. Ebay came in second, featuring cheaper prices overall. Walmart lagged behind, with a far inferior user experience."

People in 541 area code will need to dial 10 digits | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

People in 541 area code will need to dial 10 digits | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal: "Starting Jan. 10 in much of Oregon that uses a 541 area code, every phone call we make, even to someone on the other side of the street, will require that we dial a full 10 digits, instead of the seven needed now."

News... Follow in a new way

I am a news junky. If you want to see how viewing news a new way developed by the New York Times and Google makes a giant leap forward watch the below article on U-tube. Then click the above link and set it up for yourself. Be informed about what you are talking about...Give it a trial run.

News: Local | "Law helps place automated electronic defibrillators" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

News: Local | "Law helps place automated electronic defibrillators" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon: "Now another life-saving device — automated electronic defibrillators, or AEDs — are starting to gain traction as a standard feature of any building where large numbers of people congregate. And a new state law that takes effect today is expected to accelerate that trend. The law requires owners of buildings that are at least 50,000 square feet, and where at least 25 people congregate, to have an AED on the premises."

Starting today, you can't just trash that old TV or monitor | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

Starting today, you can't just trash that old TV or monitor | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal: "Residents who toss TVs, computers or monitors in the trash could draw more than disapproving looks from environmentalists. As of today, it's illegal in Oregon and could mean a $500 fine.

Oregon joins 11 other states and New York City with laws banning the disposal of certain electronics."

Ron & Ryan's Excellent trolley adventure.

For years I have wanted to ride the trolley that runs down the way from my daughter's house. So this morning grandson Ryan and I took the trolley all over the place. We were going to just go a short way and come home later. 4 hours later and a transfer to the wrong train we found ourselves in Milpitas quite away from where we were supposed to be. The train kept going somewhere else instead of where I wanted it to go.

When we bought our tickets from a machine at the station it said it would take a twenty dollar bill and make change. Tickets cost $15. I figured it would give me 3 $5's but it tarted spitting out quarters like a Casino Machine. Didn't seem like enough quarters though... Turns out to be $1 coins.. Then I spent the rest of time hiking my pants up as the dollars would drag them down.