The Lion DOES Sleep Tonight...

I never knew the multitude of musical areas Medress influenced beyond just singing that song...
R.I.P.


From CNN.COM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Hank Medress, whose vocals with the doo-wop group the Tokens helped propel their irrepressible single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to the top of the charts and who produced hits with other groups, has died of lung cancer. He was 68.
Medress died Monday at his Manhattan home, relatives said.
He was a teenager at Brooklyn's Lincoln High School when he launched his vocal quartet in 1955 with Neil Sedaka, performing as the Linc-Tones. When Sedaka departed for a successful solo career, lead singer Jay Siegel joined brothers Mitch and Phil Margo and Medress to become the Tokens.
It wasn't until 1961 that the group scored its singular smash, its hypnotic "Wimowehs" derived from a traditional Zulu melody. The Weavers had made the song a folk staple in the '50s, but the Tokens brought their version to No. 1 on the pop charts. (Siegel handled the distinctive lead, with its wordless falsettos.)
The band had other minor hits, including "He's in Town" in 1964, "I Hear the Trumpets Blow" in 1966 and "Portrait of My Love" in 1967 -- but never recaptured the success of its enduring single.
Medress would return to the charts, though, when the Tokens landed a production deal. The all-girl vocal group the Chiffons benefited from his studio touch with the classic '60s singles "He's So Fine" and "One Fine Day."
After splitting with the Tokens in the 1970s, Medress worked with a record company executive and singer ("Bless You") named Tony Orlando, persuading him to handle vocals on "Knock Three Times" -- a move that catapulted the song into pop history. Medress and production partner Dave Appell also produced the Orlando and Dawn hit "Candida."
In the 1980s, Medress helped former New York Dolls lead singer David Johansen reinvent himself as lounge lizard hipster Buster Poindexter, producing his debut album and the single "Hot, Hot, Hot."
From 1990-92, he served as president of EMI Music Publishing Canada. More recently, he worked as a consultant to Sound Exchange, a nonprofit group helping musicians collect royalties.
He was survived by four children and two grandchildren.

SteamPunk Rules ...

Courtesy of WIRED.COM

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mods/multimedia/2007/06/gallery_steampunk?slide=1&slideView=3

How Does This Happen?

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/06/25/070625fa_fact_hersh?printable=true

Star City, We Have a Problem

So the Russian computers that control the international space station's orientation and oxygen and water supplies died last night ~ and they are having trouble getting them started again.

Ummm...know why?

Because no one at the PC Help Desk Call Centers in INDIA speaks Russian.

This is what happens when you buy this crap at the Moscow Wal-Mart. Sure, they got a good price, but nobody showed them how to re-boot the damn things.

Besides - you really CAN'T run a Space Station with an old Intellivision

Hunh??

I'm Totally confused here....
If it's "counterfeit" toothpaste, then why is Colgate recalling it? It's not THEIRS.
(OK, so I get that it's a PR thing... but still... it's NOT THEIRS)
Also - wouldn't this all be rather easily traceable? the discount store bought from a supplier. If they can't produce records for the purchase, then they get penalized/prosecuted/shut down for poisoning. If they DO produce records, then the same thing holds true for the distributor, and the "importer", etc, etc ...
Plus ... Since WHEN would someone believe that SOUTH AFRICA was a viable producer of TOOTH PASTE????

the longe rI live, the more fucked up the world is... I swear.


Counterfeit Colgate Toothpaste Recalled
Antifreeze chemical found in tubes in 4 states; no injuries reported

MSNBC.COM Updated: 7:10 p.m. ET June 13, 2007
The Colgate-Palmolive Company said Thursday that 5-ounce tubes of counterfeit toothpaste sold in discount stores in four states under a Colgate label are being recalled because they may contain a poisonous chemical.
A Food and Drug Administration official, Doug Arbesfeld, said Wednesday that testing had found the chemical in a product with the Colgate label, but said in the initial announcement that the FDA was unsure whether it really was Colgate or a counterfeit.
“We are aware that toothpaste is something that’s been counterfeited in the past,” he said. “We don’t want to alarm people unnecessarily.”
MS USA Trading, Inc. of North Bergen, N.J., the importer involved in the initial recall announcement, said the toothpaste may contain diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze.
The company said the toothpaste, imported from South Africa, was sold in discount stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“Made in South Africa” is printed on the box and includes Regular, Gel, Triple and Herbal versions.
The trading company said the problem was discovered in routine testing by the Food and Drug Administration. It said no illnesses have been reported to date.
Counterfeit tubesThe same chemical has led to the recall of several brands of toothpaste imported from China in recent weeks.
Consumers who have purchased 5-ounce toothpaste under the Colgate label can return them to the place of purchase for a refund, MS USA Trading said.
Colgate-Palmolive issued a press release early Thursday saying the tubes are counterfeit.
The company said it does not use, nor has ever used, diethylene glycol as an ingredient in Colgate toothpaste anywhere in the world.
“Colgate does not import toothpaste into the United States from South Africa,” said the statement from Colgate-Palmolive. “In addition, the counterfeit packages examined so far have several misspellings including: ‘isclinically,’ ‘SOUTH AFRLCA’ and ‘South African Dental Assoxiation.

“Counterfeit toothpaste is not manufactured or distributed by Colgate and has no connection with the company whatsoever,” the company said, adding that Colgate is working closely with the FDA “to help to identify those responsible for the counterfeit product.”
But Colgate said consumers who suspect they may have purchased counterfeit product can call Colgate’s toll-free number at 1-800-468-6502.

R.I.P. Olive...

Lost my friend today.

Thanks, Olive, for being there whenever I came home...
Always forgiving;
Always loving;
Always loyal;
And ALWAYS treat-ready!

You protected this house from everything from moths to monsters.

And you gave me more than you ever took.
Thanks, girl.
Godspeed

"TWO Sizes Too Small.."

From The Drudge Report 06/08/09
Cheney to have heart defibrillator replaced


I bet they open him up and find an empty chest cavity... Just sayin'

Big girls Don't Cry...

From CNN.COM
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A judge has ordered Paris Hilton returned to jail to serve out her 45-day sentence for a parole violation in a reckless driving case.
She was taken from court screaming.
"It's not right!" shouted the weeping Hilton. "Mom!" she called out to her mother in the audience.
Earlier, a crying Hilton was taken to court in a police car Friday for a hearing on her early release from jail.
Hilton appeared to be in handcuffs when she was placed into a black-and-white patrol car, which sped away from her Hollywood Hills home with lights flashing. Paparazzi sprinted in pursuit and news helicopters pursued overhead, broadcasting live TV coverage....

Stated the prison warden: "We'll always have Paris."

(Sorry, folks - I just COULDN'T resist...!)

WAR OF THE WORLDS

As some of you know, I own a cat by the name of Olive. Well, as cats go, a human doesn't really OWN them as much as they are "tolerated in the presence" of a cat.

And Olive has been ill, thus requiring the administration of two pills per day to her.
Olive is quite a good-tempered pet, but it must be pointed out that she and pills are not a compatible mixture.

I have tried multiple methods of getting her meds in her. And the process is an adventure to say the least. Some friends have told me that grinding up the pills in baby food has worked for them, so I gave it a shot.

Well, Olive scoffed at the baby food idea.
She sniffed, then tasted (it was turkey – and smelled exactly so), took one HARD look at me … and walked away. I swear I heard her say "Foolish Human" as she did, too.

DRAT! FOILED AGAIN.

But being the coyote to her road-runner, I will keep trying.
(I have ordered and am waiting for delivery of one ACME Pill Launcher)

At that point we then had a huge ‘throw-down’ over the traditional pill-taking method.
It was quite worthy of something that FOX would show as a new reality series.

That succeeded in getting ½ of a pill down her throat (DON’T ASK how it got cut in half – suffice it to say it was not a planned event but feline eye teeth and
my remaining 9 fingers were involved).

I then ground the rest up and mixed it with some tuna. Success.

Until I tried the same thing this morning,
Much like Cylons, Olive adapts, evolves ... and has a plan.
The tuna disguise was useless against her olfactory powers and steely will (not to be confused with ‘steely-wool’, which has no health benefits, but does clean the pots fairly well).

So I donned my urban camo fatigues and snuck up on her from behind – pretending to be a coffee table.
Once close enough, I pounced, oven mitt covered hands forcing her mouth open in a way reminiscent of crocodile wrestling on Mutual of Omaha
and SLAMMED the pill down her gullet.
Completely taken by surprise, she gulped and inadvertently swallowed it whole.
I think it was the surprise involved in being force-fed by a coffee table.

But I know, just as the sun will set and Buddy Cianci will return to power once again, that she will not fall for that methodology again.

I am contemplating a new plan for tonight – one that involves the jaws-of-life and a blow-gun.
To paraphrase The Who: "She won’t get fooled again…"

Ducks of Diversity.

I SO want about 100 of these to throw in the pool ...
They are just cool.




I also like the part in the ad that says "Assorted Beak Colors" ...
That's an important thing to consider.


http://www.intheswim.com/shopping/product.aspx?productid=SKU702&GCID=C14163x039&e7=Y&e8=T9050&pcode=113&keyword=T9050

Rhetoric Doth NOT Warm a War

“HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (AP) -- President Bush on Wednesday discounted Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to retarget missiles on Europe, saying "Russia's not going to attack Europe."”

Yeah… that will put their minds at rest, since he’s been spot-on with every other one of his assessments about ANYTHING in the last 7 years.

Diplomacy: No Country Left Behind

VERY IMPORTANT ....

In future administrations, this will be used to resolve all conflicts.
(considering the LAST method really hasn't worked for shit.
We must study this, learn it, know it.
Live it ~ Be it.

http://www.wikihow.com/Win-at-Rock%2C-Paper%2C-Scissors