Scientists Develop "Cuddle Spray"

According to this article [article link], scientists have developed what women really want; a cuddle spray for men. According to the article, the spray makes men more affectionate, more caring and tuned in to their "feminine side." The "cuddle spray" makes men more like a "woman." In fact, the spray made 'levels of sensitivity usually found in females.'

I'm not sure what to say about this. With all due respect to the ladies, I don't want to become "more like them." I just don't believe women really want a man that is a wimp! Oh, I'm sure there are women who would love to have a man who is affectionate, caring and in tune with their feminine side. In fact, I know that to be true. But, just speaking strictly for myself, I would have to take a pass on the "cuddle spray." As I said, I am sure there are women who would want a man that is "infected" with the cuddle spray. And, I have no problem with that. But, I just don't believe women would want a man who is "artificially" affectionate, caring and tuned in to their feminine side. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

HubPages: My Review

I joined this HubPages Revenue Sharing site about a month ago. At first, I wasn't sure this site was for me. I always thought HubPages was meant for people who had to explain "how to do things." I was wrong about that. On HubPages, you have a lot of topics you can post about. The topics range from sports, to arts&crafts to politics. So, I setup my account, indicated which topics I was interested in writing about. In my case, it was sports, politics, books and writing, technology. If you enjoy writing, this is most certainly the place for you.

I thoroughly and completely enjoy this site. Now, you can make money by way of Google's Adsense ads, Amazon affiliate and Kontera. I can't say I've made any money as yet. This appears to be a slow process. You have noticed I already have Kontera ads on my site now. I joined up with Kontera about a week ago. So, I thought I would make mention of it. What they do is link keywords with a small underline. Back to HubPages...I suggest you give it a try. I didn't think I would like it. I've known about HubPages for about two years. But, never gave it a chance. I suggest you check it out. Also, check out five of the fourteen "Hubs (posts)" on HubPages.

Senator Lindsey Graham Says No Immigration Bill Until 2012

Key Scrambler - Addon for Firefox

Serial Dreams

Tea Party: What's The Uproar About?

On the Road to Getting Published for the First Time - #1

Nature Wednesday

This week for Nature Wednesday, since old man winter is in our rear view mirror, how about three pics of polar bears? Enjoy!

Immigration Fight in Arizona

The Arizona Illegal Immigration Bill (senate bill 1070) is a cause for revolution among some of the "professional protesters" bused into the state to create problems. Violent riots broke out among the "legal immigrants" on the Arizona state Capitol grounds. Some protesters smeared refried beans [article link] in the form of a swastika on windows of the capitol building. Meanwhile, back in the civilized world, Governor Jan Brewer said since the federal government has not stopped the steady stream of illegal aliens into Arizona, the state government had to take action. Just two weeks ago an Arizona rancher was murdered [article link] on his own property. Law enforcement authorities tracked the suspect back across the border into Mexico. Governor Brewer says the action was taken to protect Arizona residents from the estimated half-million illegal aliens in the state.

Seriously, I don't know what these people are protesting about. If you are illegal, you have no rights to begin. You should be arrested and charged with a felony. That is the only way illegal immigration is going to stop, along with imprisoning illegal employers here in the United States. Ok, they are worried about racial profiling. So, if a police officer looks and finds someone they think is in the country illegally, should he ignore him because he is hispanic? Facts are facts. The overwhelming majority of illegal aliens in this country are hispanic. To ignore that is to ignore facts. Sure, it is possible that a legal hispanic immigrant could be stopped and asked for papers. If he or she is in the country legally, why should this upset them so much? The alternative is that you can leave if it bothers you that much. But, somehow, I don't see that ever happening. This racial profiling is nothing more than an excuse to stop the arrest of illegals in this country. That's all.

As a side note; I am curious what happens to illegal aliens in Mexico, the very government that is interfering in a domestic issue of a sovereign nation?

My Old Motorcycle

Back in the early 70s, I was stationed in Naples, Italy while serving in the U.S. Navy. I was there for just over three years. I hated and loved my time there all at once. One thing I did, while I was there, was to buy a Triumph 650cc motorcycle. The day I bought that thing (and had to take it through customs on the base...never did understand that) I was as happy as I could be. Myself and two other guys rode all over Europe back in the day. We rode to Munich, Germany to Bern, Switzerland to Pisa, Italy. Those were some fun and high, high days of my youth. I'll never forget it as long as I live. I loved that Triumph of mine.

When my time was up in the Navy, I shipped my motorcycle back home. There I continued to ride it for another eight years. Unfortunately, due to some financial difficulties back in 1982, I had to sell that beautiful bike. It was so very hard to do. Since that time I often wondered what happened to it. Last Saturday, I got my answer. I noticed a man on a familiar looking motorcycle at a McDonald's that I frequent in the mornings for my coffee. I asked him his name and, lo and behold, it was the guy I sold my Triumph 650 to back in 1982. He said, "Here she is, just good as new and running like a charm." I felt a lump in my throat, I could hardly speak. He had taken very good care of that bike of mine. It was hard to believe that bike was still running twenty-eight years after I sold it. I told him I was gratified that the bike was still running and that he enjoyed it.

Yeah, it hurts that I no longer own it. I didn't bother asking him if he wanted to sell it back. I could tell he loved that old Triumph 650 much in the same way I did...and the same way I guess I still do. It brought back great memories. Memories I will always have despite not having that old Triumph 650 any longer.

Cruise Ship's Sharp Turn Hurts 60 Passengers

In a desperate attempt to avoid hitting [article link] an adrift buoy, Carnival Cruise liner, Ecstasy, made a manuever that injured approximately 60 passengers. Carnival Cruise based out of Miami, Florida, notified the Coast Guard about the partially submerged buoy that was nearly hit by the giant liner. Authorities do not believe any of the injuries were serious. The ship successfully docked at Galveston, Texas, its home base.

We have a Carnival Cruise liner based in Mobile, AL. While I have never been on the liner, we did have an incident last year that I do not believe was ever concluded. At least the FBI has made no mention that their investigation was over. A middle-aged woman with a new grandson went missing on the ship's return back to Mobile. The alarm was sounded early in the morning and the Coast Guard was notified. After a thorough search was made of every inch of the ship, it was concluded that the woman either jumped to her death or was pushed. Her husband was interrogated, but no motive was believed to have been found. No one actually saw her jump from the ship or pushed. After several days of searching, her body was never recovered from the Gulf of Mexico. This is the last update on this incident: click here.

Fight Results in Skull Fracture for Six Year Old Boy

It what is absolutely amazing to me, two 6 year old Las Cruces, New Mexico boys [article link] involved in a fight on a school bus, results in one getting a fractured skull. The boy with the fractured skull managed to walk off the school bus. He later complained to his mother that he had "headaches" and didn't feel good. His parents took him to a hospital where he was diagnosed with the skull fracture. The school bus driver did report the incident to the school. Neither boy had their names revealed due to their ages.

Six years old? Sure, I got into fights at school too. I don't remember any when I was in the first grade. But, I don't recall any fight becoming that violent. The boy must have taken a very hard fall on the floor of the school bus for this to happen. That's the only thing that makes sense. It is difficult to imagine two six year old boys becoming violent enough for one to receive a fractured skull. If one had a baseball bat and used it on another kid, I could understand the fractured skull. But, just using their fists, I don't get it. Maybe kids are bigger and stronger at that age now. I don't know. It was all I could do to carry my books at that age. And I never thought about trying to seriously hurt another kid at six years of age. A strange story.

Nature Wednesday

This week for Nature Wednesday, deer, beaver and a raccoon!

City Wants to Nip It in the Bud!

Brooksville city council members originally just wanted to crack down on city employees who don't use deodorant (???). Then, they took it a step further. The city fathers further mandated that employees would also have to wear underwear! The horror! But, even this wasn't enough for these "another brick in the wall" city council members. Now, they not only want to crack down on their tobacco use at work...but at home [article link] during personal time as well! The city council members are graciously giving its employees one year to comply with the new directive.

I don't know how you feel about this. But, what I do in the privacy of my home is my business. I don't smoke. I don't like smokers around me in restaurants. Which is why I always request the no smoking sections in restaurants. But, if smokers want to kill themselves, I see that as being their business. Not mine. Sure, some will say it is all about the cost of health insurance (Thanks to Dear Leader, this is no longer a worry) as being the prime driving force behind this no smoking policy at home. I don't buy that as an excuse. In fact, they didn't even mention it in the article. This seems to be all about power. It's not George Orwell's 1984. But, it's getting damn close to it when government leaders think they can regulate your personal behavior at your own home. I see lawsuits on the horizon when the first person is fired over this policy.

Iceland Volcano Eyjafjallajokul Eruption

The Iceland Volcano [article link] has spewed ash throughout most of Europe. This has virtually shut down all of the passenger flights from and to Europe. Passengers are stranded throughout Europe and trying to find other modes of transportation. Scientists are saying that volcano activity is increasing and cannot say for sure when it will be safe for flights to resume in Europe. The ash plume is rising as high as 30,000 feet which is usually the cruising altitude of jet airliners. The worries seem to be escalating as to how this is going to hurt commerce. Food shortages could happen if this volcano activity continues for a prolonged period. Passengers are running short on money, causing them to leave hotels and sleep in the airports throughout Europe.

As of now, there is no mention of the ash plume reaching the United States. However, one has to think if this eruption continues unabated for another 10-14 days, we would also be seeing volcanic ash in our country as well. Of course, this volcano is starting up another debate that was probably expected; end times prophecy. There have been numerous earthquakes throughout the world so far this year. Many see this and the unprecedented eruption of the Eyjafjallajokul volcano as another indication of a potential worldwide disaster. I'm not sure if anyone on this earth knows when the world will end. But, this kind of natural disaster only heightens fear and worry among people.

Taxpayers Fund State Department's Liquor Bill

It was reported yesterday [article link] that taxpayers funded a bill for $3,814.00 for Jack Daniels whiskey at the State Department. Furthermore, it was reported that last year the liquor bill was nearly $300,000 to pay for alcoholic beverages. This was about twice as much as the previous year (2008). All this being reported with President Obama urging government agencies to cut wasteful spending. Apparently, Secretary Clinton, who is well known to partake of alcoholic beverages, is ignoring the request of the President. Based on his own spending habits with taxpayer money, it is no wonder she is ignoring him.

I suppose it is a sign of the Obama Administration in that they are careless with taxpayer dollars. There are people across this nation losing their homes, their jobs and are becoming homeless. Yet, our government officials can drink and be merry. It just goes to show how completely out of touch with reality that Democrat elitists have become with the ordinary working family. Sure, this money is recognized as being legal under the law. But, as a small token of appreciation to the American taxpayer, you would think the Clinton State Department would be less inclined to imbibe of alcoholic pleasures while Americans are suffering. Oh, what am I saying? This is Hillary Clinton I'm talking about. This is the Obama Administration I am talking about. Never mind.

Arizona Starts Arresting Illegals

Arizona lawmakers passed [article link] what appears to be the toughest illegal alien enforcement legislation in many years. Police in the state of Arizona now have the authority to stop anyone they suspect is in this country illegally. Immigrants Rights groups quickly condemned the legislation. They feel that it is discriminatory against "immigrants." "The objective is to make life miserable for immigrants so that they leave the state," said Chris Newman, general counsel for the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

Well, yes, Mr Newman, that is the whole objective to any anti-crime legislation. It is meant to deter lawbreakers from committing crimes. As much as illegal alien supporters want you to believe they are not violating any law, they most certainly are breaking laws on the books (1986) that are not being enforced. Immigration is a drain on the economy with social services and unemployment among Americans and legal immigrants, the people who knocked on the front door of this country. I don't buy the standard mantra that making them legal and taxing them will make up for the burden they place on social services. They will bring their entire immediate family and they all will be eligible for a nearly bankrupt Social Security program. If you want to see the drain illegals cause, take a good look at California today. Sure, politicians are certainly responsible for that state's problems. But, the illegals in schools and social services have bankrupted that state. We have a front door in this country. Get in line, wait your turn like all the legal immigrants have done.

Most likely, the anti-American illegal alien support groups will file suit against this legislation. But, at least, Arizona is trying to do something to help guard their citizens against the ravages of illegal immigration. Unfortunately, it is too late for Arizona Rancher Rob Krentz [article link].

Nature Wednesday

In keeping with the violent weather theme for this week, Wind, Rain and Surf!

Google to Decide What News You Read

Google CEO and Obama activist (amazing) Eric Schmidt stated yesterday [article link] that Google's machines would decide what news that you, the user, reads in the near future. Mr. Schmidt stated that they would do this based on the user's past reading behavior. Mr. Schmidt further stated this would also help tailor advertisements based on a user's reading habits. The shocker here is that the Google CEO stated that the new initiative will direct "...readers' to a story with an 'opposing' view.


I feel that last sentence above is a bit surprising since Google is well known for its leftist views. Basically, Google will decide what you will read and what advertisements you will see. You get the feeling that Google has suddenly become too big when they decide something such as this. They use the excuse that it will be based on the user's reading behavior. But, isn't that, in and of itself, an invasion of the user's privacy? Maybe, maybe not. I find it alarming that Google will start doing what the left-wing has long advocated; a liberal viewpoint for every conservative view. Progressive ideology is a failure in the media world (Air America) as well as in the economic sense. But, the USA is going to give the socialist experiment one more try, come hell or bankruptcy. Google, like MSNBC, CBS, ABC and Fox News, has suddenly decided that reporting the news isn't enough. They all now want to become the news.

Everyone Changes

Facebook is an amazing site. You can catch up on old school friends, former friends from military days and so forth. In fact, I came across a guy from my days in the U.S. Navy I had not seen or heard from in almost forty years. To say the least, he has changed. Well, I suppose I have changed also...maybe a little. ;-) But, this guy was one of those know it alls that you just cringe when you would come across him. He is totally different now. In fact, I hated the guy when we were in the Navy together. We have been catching up on old times.

I also met a former High School friend on Facebook. Steve was a big, strong, tough guy that no one wanted to mess with back in the day. I was a skinny, scared and shy kid. For whatever reason, Steve took a liking to me. We became the best of friends. He even taught me how to defend myself. Like I said, he was a good friend. I wouldn't say he was my best friend. But, he was a good friend I could always count on in High School. Imagine my shock when he sent me a message on Facebook! He lives up in Oregon now, I live in Alabama. He is a retired cop, of all things. I never would have dreamed that in a million years. He is insisting I come up there for vacation this year. I might just do that. I know one thing, I still owe him for almost destroying my Honda motorcycle (he paid for the damages though). Steve is still a pretty big guy. So, maybe I'll just let him buy me a couple of beers instead!

9-1-1 Crash Tax?

Cary Feldman, Chicago Heights, Illinois was driving his scooter when he got hit from behind [article link]. He was just fine and sustained minimal damage to his scooter. He did not call 9-1-1. Someone else called them. Fire trucks, Emergency Rescue truck and police arrive, looked around and then left. Mr. Feldman didn't think anything of it.

Mr. Feldman received a $200 dollar bill for the "services" of the fire and rescue team's arrival. It is called a "crash tax." They did nothing. The accident wasn't his fault and he didn't even call them. Apparently, this is a new tactic by municipalities to gain much needed revenue during this depression, I mean, recession. As Mr. Feldman stated, citizens are already paying taxes for those services. So, how can city and county governments legally do this? Apparently, they do it because they can. That is the answer many are receiving. This is probably going to make people very reluctant to call 9-1-1. What if you hear someone breaking into your back door, you are alone and afraid to go look? Do you call 9-1-1 or hope for the best? If it is the neighbor's dog, you can get docked for at least $200. Mr. Feldman summed it up best; he called it a scam. How can you argue with that when you are already being taxed for that service? In essence, you are being taxed twice for one service.

"Bear Man" Pleads Guilty After 20 Years

A man who has fed black bears and grizzlies for over 20 years [article link] has pled guilty on charges of feeding wild game. Charlie Vandergaw, 71, has been feeding bears at his "Bear Haven" and was even featured on a special of Animal Planet. He faces a suspended sentence and fines up to $72,000 dollars. Mr. Vandergaw was importing more than 10,000 pounds of dog food to his bear habitat. Mr. Vandergaw has no dogs.

I remember watching this special on Animal Planet a couple of years ago. My first reaction was this guy is nuts. There is absolutely no margin of error in dealing with wild animals, especially bears. Grizzly bears? He is definitely nuts. As I watched this special, two other things came to mind. One, this has to be illegal. I was surprised Animal Planet actually made this special in the first place. Secondly, he was setting these bears up to be destroyed. Feeding the bears took away the fear of humans. Bears see humans and they immediately think they have food. If they can't find food, then they take the next best thing, the human. I thought that was common sense at the time. Once those bears attack a human, they are hunted down and killed. If this man really cared about these bears, he would have thought of that. I don't recall that being brought up in the special. Regardless, this guy got off easy. I suspect he will be at this again in the not too distant future.

Nature Wednesday

This week for Nature Wednesday, how about some good old lightning strikes? Yeah, it's in keeping with the springtime theme. Some very violent weather this time of year.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Is At It Again!

Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio known for his sweeps of illegal immigrants, drug smugglers and making prisoners wear pink uniforms, is serving notice to inmates they will have to work for the power they consume. I mean that literally. Sheriff Arpaio noticed that many inmates were getting fat. So, he had a customize bicycle [article link] wired to generate electricity. If inmates want to watch TV, they have to have someone get on the bicycle and work for it. So, if inmates want to watch TV for. let's say an hour, someone is going to get on the stationary bike and keep pedaling for that hour. That helps with the county jail power bill and makes for a healthier inmate as well. I see it as a win-win situation. But, I'm sure some organization (ACLU) will deem it as demeaning and an infringement on the rights of the inmates.

Second Blog Anniversary

Two years ago today, I made my very first post on this new blog called David's Musings. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to post or how long this would last. I was amazed it lasted a year, quite frankly. But, by a lot of blog standards, two years is downright ancient. For the most part, I have enjoyed blogging. It gives me a chance to do what I really enjoy; writing my thoughts and opinions. In some cases, writing my own opinion has gotten me in hot water with some visitors. I make it a point to respect everyone, even if I completely disagree with them. It seems some people do not share my perspective. Regardless, I did not let a very few ruin this hobby of mine.

I'm met a lot of interesting people on this blog, so to speak. Made some friends and probably some enemies as well. I am now branching out to write for profit sites such as Xomba and Hubpages. I am not sure how that is going to affect my time on this blog. Initially, I don't think it will. But, I probably won't be as active as I once was on this blog. I posted at least once a day the first three months of this blog. Over the course of the next twenty-one months I posted five times a week except due to bad health or surgery. But, this blog is the motivation that got me to writing again.

I still have a novel that I am trying to get published as many followers of this site know. It is in the hands of a literary agent (yes, I vowed I would not work with them in the past). So, we will see what happens next. Before closing out this anniversary post, I must make mention of someone who came here to encourage me when I first started out and make comments when comments weren't cool. That person is Matt of the former blog "Matt-Speak." Matt has not been around since his brother passed away. He had a very popular blog and gave unique perspectives on politics you won't find anywhere else. I miss you Matt. As for blogging itself, I feel that Twitter has really hurt the blogosphere. You can put your entire point in 140 characters in front of a captive audience. I don't think blogging will go away any time soon. But, it would be impractical to not admit blogging was not nearly as popular as it was two years ago. The lack of comments compared to what I used to have is pretty good evidence of that to me. But, never to fear, I will not quit blogging anytime soon. I still enjoy it.

Couple of Noteworthy News Items

It seems that Democrats are not promoting [article link] the HCR Bill to their constituents on the Easter vacation (two weeks). Well, gee, I wonder why? Could it be they are not interested in hearing what the people who voted them into office have to say? No, that couldn't be it, could it? President Obama, on the other hand, is flying all over the USA trying to sell this monstrosity to the American people. These people don't want to explain things like the Cornhusker kickback, the Louisiana Purchase or Gatorade to the people of their district or state. Those things, along with the one-trillion dollar cost (which will mushroom into 3 trill, I wager) of this bill. Never mind people are still losing their jobs left and right. Never mind that we are well on our way to becoming a debtor nation. These Democrats don't have to explain to the voters now. And, most, if not all, won't have to explain after November as well.

Our girl Hillary Clinton is at it again. I can almost understand why President Obama has marginalized her role as Secretary of State. Like his dufus VP, Joe Biden, she doesn't know when to shut her mouth. While visiting in Canada [article link], she proclaimed ".... And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion." Now, Pro-life groups in both Canada and the USA are in an uproar over her comments on an official visit to a close, but foreign nation. If you feel President Obama is too incompetent for his job, take a look at his choices for VP and Sec. of State. That should be all you need to know.

Romney Defends MA Healthcare

Yesterday, Mitt Romney, a potential candidate for the Republican nomination for President, defended the [article link] Massachusetts healthcare he helped create while he was governor of MA. He stated the distinctions between his MA healthcare and Obamacare is one where "...solved our problem at the state level. Like it or not, it was a state solution. Why is it that President Obama is stepping in and saying ‘one size fits all’’? One thing he glossed over was the much hated individual mandate that the MA healthcare reform law required. That is the same individual mandate that Obamacare requires. The constitutionality of it is going to be fought in the courts.

This MA healthcare law is the very reason I see little chance for Mitt Romney to win the Republican nomination for President. This is an albatross that he simply can't shake off. The campaign this fall will be about 1) Jobs and 2) Obamacare, in that order. I know a lot of people think Obamacare is what can possibly cause Democrats to lose the House and potentially the Senate. But, if people keep losing jobs (yesterday it was reported 24K more jobs were lost in March), then this issue will surely eclipse Obamacare. I'm against Obamacare. I think it is another entitlement program ripe for corruption and abuse, much like Medicare. We simply can't afford this, not right now anyway. But, again, I think the jobs issue is what can hurt the Democrats this fall. They can't keep blaming George Bush forever. Or can they?