January 29, 2011
January 29 is … National Cornchip Day. Have a Frito today!
BRUCE A. BRENNAN BLOG FROM THE WORLD AND MY MIND
The news as I see it and the views as I want them
Why isn’t this proposal a Federal law? On Jan. 7, 2011 a bill was introduced into the Kentucky House of Representatives that would require all adults who receive public assistance to participate in a State sponsored and paid for drug testing program. Those who fail to pass the tests must enter into a state sponsored and paid for drug abuse program. If they fail the assistance program or refuse to participate, they lose their welfare benefits. This should be expanded to include those over the age of twelve. All loopholes, and there will be plenty, must be closed.
Many people convicted of a crime or sentenced for the commission of a crime include aspects of the sentence that are designed to embarrass and inconvenience the Defendants i.e. Victim Impact Panels, Drug or alcohol classes, public service hours cleaning the highways, etc. I think welfare recipients should be embarrassed and inconvenienced also. They are not working so they have the time. If you add some duties and responsibilities associated with receiving free money, food, housing, medical care, education and other benefits and you start it at a young age, perhaps some people will see it is not that easy anymore and get off the freebies. If we cannot educate them enough to get them off the welfare gravy train, let’s embarrass them to get them off.
Egypt seems to be having a problem or two. We always seem to back the countries having trouble or countries that need our financial assistance. Who do you think is going to pay to get Egypt back on its feet with a working government? They will not want our help but they will cash our checks. Egypt is already cashing in on United States foreign aid. Egypt has received U.S. foreign aid (since 1979, an average of $2.2 billion per year) and is the third-largest recipient of such funds from the United States following the Iraq war. Its main revenues however come from tourism as well as traffic that goes through the Suez Canal. Egypt produces less than ten per cent of the oil Saudi Arabia produces.How come we back Egypt and Israel, the two countries in the Middle East that do not survive off of oil exports? If you have oil reserves, we will start a war with you or just always be at odds with you. If you do not have large oil reserves, you are our friend. Please, take our money. Something is wrong with this picture.
Scientists investigating the death of thousands of blackbirds in Arkansas say they've identified the cause of death: blunt force trauma. Locals in Beebe, Ark., were mystified when as many as 5,000 red-winged blackbirds dropped out of the sky Dec. 31. Studies commissioned by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission ruled out possible causes such as disease and poison. The tests revealed hemorrhaging "consistent with blunt trauma," according to a Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study. "In most instances, such traumatic injuries in wild birds are due to flying into stationary objects such as trees, houses, windows, power lines, towers, etc."
There has been a string of mass animal deaths so far this year, from dead fish in the Detroit River to hundreds of dead starlings in South Dakota. Arkansas blackbirds have poor eyesight and don't normally fly at night. The AGFC said the birds were probably disturbed by "unusually loud noises" and flew lower than normal due to New Year's Eve fireworks. The rare night flight was even recorded on radar data. "The first exodus occurred about 10:20 [p.m.] and contained approximately 6,000 to 7,000 birds per cubic kilometer," said Sidney Gauthreaux, professor emeritus at Clemson University. "At 11:21 p.m., another pulse of birds with a slightly smaller density left the roost."
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture admitted it was behind the death of hundreds of starlings in South Dakota. The USDA said it put out poisoned bait for the birds after a local farmer complained they were defecating in his animal feed. A local said that the birds made the streets of Yankton, S.D., look like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. In Arkansas, the mystery of the red-winged blackbirds may be solved, but officials are still mystified as to what killed more than 80,000 freshwater drum in the Arkansas River last December. So far, officials have ruled out bacteria, viruses and parasites as the culprit, according to the Arkansas Times. "Unfortunately, we probably will never know exactly what killed these fish," said AGFC Assistant Chief of Fisheries Chris Racey.
BRUCE A. BRENNAN
DEKALB, IL 60115
COPYRIGHT 2011
Email: brucebrennanlaw@aol.com
Go to web sites below to buy books by Bruce A. Brennan. It is still a good time to purchase an interesting and inexpensive read. My second book should be available by February 15, 2011. More information will be forthcoming.
www.barnesandnoble.com (do a quick search, Title, my name)
www.smashwords.com Do a Title or author search, Check this site out.
https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/dashboard NEW SOURCE FOR BOOK
Check out the site below. Paybox is a new site, competing with PayPal, etc. Sign up is free. It seems good for small businesses or ebay users.
“In gallant trim the gilded vessel goes, Youth on the bow, Pleasure at the helm.”
