Dog-gone Right

The American heart Association says that owning a dog may well produce the following results "reduce stress levels, cardiovascular risk, and obesity". Those folks way back in the Middle East domesticated wolves for a reason, and whether we know or not we're all better off with a good beast!

Fun faux quote of the week

Senator Marco Rubio appeared on "This week" spoke about the election in Iran of cleric Hassan Rowhani who advocates a "more conciliatory" approach to the world. Mr. Rubio said "he is moderate by Iranian  political standards which is not what we would describe as moderate here in the west". Remember, Marco Rubio is considered moderate by the Tea Party standards, which again, is not how we would describe "moderate" in the west.

This weekend, in dumb da dumb dumb, dumb

On the subject of designated drivers, it turns out that folks under the influence need some better influences. Surveys show conclusively that at least 40% of the "designated drivers" actually drink and 20% to the point of being impaired. Apparently the "designated drivers" are chosen by their group because they are (according to their answers on surveys) "the least drunk among them". That's like the most capable inmate running the asylum.

The Write stuff?

It turns out that for the typical student loan, the quickest payback is to be in advertising, as in less than 10 years to pay it off. The longest payback is journalism with the average time being a staggering 32 years. If you are a writer and you have the "write stuff", you might want to consider at least doing some advertising as long as you are a journalist, and maybe split the infinity it would take get even otherwise

This week in dumb da dumb dumb, dumb

The city of Milford, CT seems determined to take the lead as  Connecticut's most backwoods backwards city by  coming out with an "interesting" calendar for the 2013-2014 school year. Looking for a hedge against snow days they decided to cut off two particular holidays, the first being Veterans Day and the second being Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I'm spelling out what Rosh Hashanah is because it's possible people from Milford reading this might not know. In any event under pressure they immediately backed off. But as a Vietnam veteran who is Jewish I am compelled to ask, Milford how don't I love thee, let me count the ways, While you're counting snow days.

When you see food, look for sea food

Survey after survey is showing a preponderance of evidence that people who eat sea food at least once a week have a 30% lower rate of dementia. What was our subject again? Oh yes, when you are looking to see food, make sure it is sea food.

This week in Who'd of thunk it

"Concerned conservatives" on the debt crisis might have a way to deal with it in the future, politically that is. That's because since World War II only three presidents have left office with a higher debt to GDP ratio than when they came in, and their names are Reagan, Bush, and Bush. So how do Republicans improve the debt ratio? Based on history, vote for Democrat Presidents.

This weekend dumb da dumb dumb

Pierre Lapupu of the NRA said to the convention in Texas this week "how many Bostonians wish they had a gun the day of the Boston Marathon?" Ok, and what would you have had these armed Bostonians do exactly? Shoot randomly at flying bomb fragments? Shoot the young man mistakenly identified as the bomber on the cover of the New York Post? Or maybe every kid with a backpack running away? Hey Mr. Lapupu why not wonder how many New Yorkers on 9/11, 2001,wish they could have shot the incoming airliners because guns solve everything? Or seriously now, how many wish they had a president was not so obsessed with allowing assault rifles to again be legal and clearing brush, that he actually took the time to read memos such as "Osama bin Laden determined to attack United States"?

This week on Dumb da dumb dumb

Granted the state of Mississippi is still one of the tardiest brain groups on the planet having taken until 1995 to ratify the 13th amendment and then until 2013 to forward it to the federal government. But there's a close second, well...make that seconds, namely Japan and Russia. It seems that these two "enlightened" countries have decided that maybe, just maybe, it's time to officially call an end to World War II. That's right a state of war still "officially" exists between them and they are "thinking" that maybe it's time to wrap things up. What gave it away that WWII was over? That's right, it was in all the papers. And that's this weekend dumb da dumb dumb, dumb.

This week in strange strange strange

A trickle-down mystery: Believe it or not, over the weekend police in Newtown found an abandoned house with 200 to 300 gallons of - and this is the truth - urine.
We'll eschew the obvious puns, but suffice to say according to the authorities it's not illegal so why drain local resources. Sorry, we couldn't help it.

The 60% solution

So it has happened, the post Newtown gun legislation has been defeated U.S. Senate. And now as before, 40% of the gun sales in this country (i.e. gun shows and over the Internet) will go on with no background checks. But that begs the question; in what other context would the Senate and House find such a 40% gap acceptable regarding the safety of their own families? Would it be okay if the FAA only inspected 40% of the airplanes for safety, or if the FDA Left 40% of our food uninspected? Would the NRA devotees in the US Congress feel safe if the airlines only screened 60% of the luggage going on board our flights? Probably not.

 President Obama was spot on when he said to those who would consider this a victory “a victory for what a victory for whom?” Well those against this legislation, ignoring the actual wording of the bill might well answer; for the survival of the Second Amendment. Really? How about considering the survival of our country’s second grades.

Real Real News

April 15, 2013 is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Alice Lewin  Bender, The music school at Yale '34. She is the lady in whose memory the Chabad House at Yale will be named. That is a singular honor for a woman of Yale, ahead of her time, of her time, but will be remembered in these times and for future times.

This weekend dumb da dumb dumb

Donald Trump has dropped his suit against Bill Maher when he suggested that due to the obvious physical similarities, and in full birther spirit, how could people not consider the possibility of a goodly amount of orangutan DNA in Mr. Trump. In any event Trumps reason for discontinuing legal action is because he now claims he has a sense of humor. We kinda sorta believe it's because he knew, at least after his lawyers told him, that there was no way in hell he was going to Dar-WIN in court. Anyway, we are glad to see Mr. Trump is undergoing some sort of personal evolution of his species.

This week in dumb da dumb dumb dumb

Recent polls (and there are number of them) show that basically due to right-wing fringe groups one third of Americans believe that Muslims should carry a special ID. Kudos to Muslim spokesman Reza Aslan, author of "No God but God: the origins evolutions and future of Islam" who said it's also unfortunate the Jews and Catholics who went through this have not led a groundswell to resist it.

This weekend dumb da dumb dumb dumb

 There's a number of very unhappy men in Kabul, Afghanistan (at least, it seems there always are), but they have a new "reason" to be upset. That is because women, appropriately dressed by their standards, fully arm and leg covered women, have formed a bicycle riding team and are competing and winning local metals. Some of the more "traditionally brained"men say this is not women's role, and we at RFN say let them roll. You go ladies.