Martin World News

Spanning the globe...

Today, it was back to work (YAY!).  One thing I have to say.  In the two weeks I was laid off, most of the work in my area was done by women.  As in about 95%.  And when I came in... remember the M*A*S*H episode when Radar came back after a leave and told Klinger, "I cleaned this mess for an hour- there was ANOTHER MESS underneath it!"  Well, that's what greeted me.  Nothing like two weeks of people who don't give a crap in your area to make you realize you DO do a good job of keeping it neat.  Other than that, it was like I told Laurie..."Stupid enough to want to forget all about it... and easy enough that you'll be able to."

Also, got that lovely unemployment snafu settled (YAY!).  Hopefully I won't be needing it again for a while.  And had enough energy left over to take Scrappy for a brief jaunt in our 18 degree temps.  Of course, after sitting for a spell, I now feel like I could lose a race with The Walking Dead, but que sera sera.

Anyway- here we go!

ITEM: A FoxNews bozo by the name of Mike Mettler wrote an article that there are bands  since the Beatles that have , " I think took the Fab Four’s pop revolution and made it even better, way beyond compare."  What bands does he think have added to the worldwide change that the Beatles gave us?

- Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones.  Not a bad start, but I doubt that either band would rate their contributions above the Fab Four.

-The Velvet Underground, the Replacements.  Maybe they excite the NY cult rock fans, but better than the Beatles?  Please.

-U2, Radiohead.  Other than their successful use of the internet, they surely don't clear the bar...

- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Band, Rush, The Clash.  All good bands, all stand outs in their own niche.  None as wide ranging and talented as the Beatles, though.

-Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.  If Bruce and his friends had been born in Kansas, who would have ever heard of them?  Think about it.


One thing that really paints the picture was this statement I heard on the subject.  They have been BROKEN UP for 44 years and are still the bar for everyone else.  In 44 years, Springsteen will be listening to how much better Justin Beiber was.  Well, maybe not.

ITEM:  So do you still want to tell me who won the Vietnam War?

McDonald's opens first outlet in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City

Do I really need to add anything here?


ITEM:  The Copenhagen Zoo became the monsters of Europe this weekend.  Despite offers to take him and online petitions all over the internet, put down a young male giraffe named Marius.

Why?  Because they had enough male giraffes- and didn't feel like anyone else's zoo needed the "same genetic material" either.  Despite Zoos including one in Yorkshire asking to send him there, the Zoo director said, " any space should be reserved for a genetically more important giraffe. The campaign to save him, he said, had gone "much too far"."

This animal wasn't sick, wasn't deformed.... he just wasn't "important."  Besides which, Marius was much more important as food for the zoo's carnivores.  And if that wasn't heartless enough...

 


...they also allowed the public to watch as they carved the poor thing up! I'd say this is worth an Aaron Hernandez award!

ITEM:  Blogger is fighting me tooth and nail tonight on posting pictures... at least the last few.  So they can share the coveted Ah-Crap award today.


ITEM:  Next, I have to ask you- remember McGruff the Crime Dog?

Now, THAT one downloaded just fine... go figure.

A Houston man who once portrayed McGruff the Crime Dog has shown his commitment to crime fighting apparently wasn't very deep.

John R. Morales was sentenced this week to 16 years and three months in federal prison on drug and weapons charges after police found more than 1,000 marijuana plants and 27 weapons, including grenade launchers, at two indoor farms.

Morales wore the McGruff costume for the Harris County Sheriff's Association in the late 1990s.
A real crime dog -- the drug-sniffing variety -- detected pot plans in Morales' trunk after he was stopped for speeding in Galveston in 2011. Authorities say officers found a clipboard with maps to the indoor farms.



But wait!  Hear what his attorney has to say:


Defense attorney Ken Fesler II says Morales entered the drug trade to help sick relatives.

10,000 plants and 27 guns... yeah, a real humanitarian there.

 ITEM:  Finally, a quick look at my international hockey teams.  (I know, I know, but bear with me!)  VSV in Austria and Lida in Belarus continue to wind their way through the winners and losers brackets, respectively, of their leagues playoffs.  SonderjyskE in Denmark and Rouen in France continue to lead their leagues. Sanok in Poland holds 2nd place there; Trinec in the Czech Rep, Jyvasklyla in Finland, and Sheffield in the UK are in third.  Everyone is currently in playoff contention except Martin in Slovakia (one point out), Tohoku in Asia (8 points back), and the Islanders in the NHL (12 points back).  And it's beginning to look like the change is doing good for Michael Forney in Sarpsborg.  The former Perth Thunder and VSV center in 5 games (3 wins, a loss, and an OT loss) has managed 4 goals and 3 assists for seven points- after ten goals and 21 points in 35 games in Austria.  See?  Quick.