A friend sent me an email today with a video of someone laughing. Yes someone laughing. There was a comedy act going on but when this humorous laugh eminated from one of the guests the host couldn't contain himself and the result was so funny you couldn't help but roar at the scenario yourself. Frankly I was laughing so hard I was actually tearing up (crying in manspeak). Have a look yourself and then read below. http://glumbert.com/media/laugh
I lifted the following from a site on the net (http://helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm)
Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.
“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.
Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.
With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain. Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
There you go a great start to any day!!!

Why do the airlines continue to show people how to use a seatbelt when everyone has used seatbelts for years and years in cars as well as airplanes??
Why do people constantly line up at the " maximum of 10 items"grocery store check out with 15 or 20 items?
Why do people still allow their dogs to crap on other peoples property and then walk away without cleaning it up?
Why do people come to a stop at the same time at a 4 way stop and then wait to see who has the courage to go first?
Why do cops set up speed traps to catch people doing 60km per hr in a 50 km per hr zone and ignore people going 120 km in a 100km zone?
Why does a pop and a bag of popcorn cost 12 dollars at a movie, $10 at a ball game, $6 at a Convience store and $3.50 at a grocery store?
Why does a person driving a small sitdown scooter feel they have the right to take up a lane of traffic on the side streets but drive on the sidewalk on the main thoroughfares?
Why do some people feel that blocking one nostril and blowiing out their nose with the other acceptable on the street and in the change room of the gym?
Why do some people merge into stop and go traffic at the last possible second before the lane ends rather than merging in an orderly manner earlier?
Why do some people put out their garbage 5 days ahead of pickup day and expect it to stay orderly until the truck rolls around?
Why do some people treat public washrooms like pig stys rather than like their own toilets at home?
If you have any answers to these questions please respond.

While there are many illnesses and diseases that plague our planet cancer remains one of the most deadly killer of them all. As I look back over my lifetime and think about the many friends, associates, relatives and general aquaintances who have been touched by this disease in some way or another it makes me shudder when I view the number. Kids as young as 10 all the way up to adults in their 70's have fought this extraordinary enemy and were not always victorious. The other sad thing about this disease is that the treatment in some cases is almost as painful as the disease which is why some people forego the chemo for onstance if it is the third time around for them. It seems we have raised millions and millions over the years to fund research into discovering a cure for this malady but there seems to be nothing on the horizon as of yet. Granted there have been improvements in the different types of treatments and some success with lab animals but nothing yet that can stop the destruction of human cancerous cells in their tracks. Recently a former work associate succumbed to the disease after two separate battles. The first was with breast cancer in which she seemed to have been successful in eradicating the bad cells from her system. But with only a short period of time to enjoy the freedom from pain and intrusive therapy she was diagnosed with brain cancer and died shortly thereafter. If I was to guess I would say this woman wasn't long into her 50's which is not very old in our current day and age. She also had a beautiful family and was an extremely gifted person who excelled with anything electronic ie computors. Another example of how this disease can ravage a family is the story of my old boss who in the space of two years lost his oldest daughter and his wife to this dreaded disease. I know people today that have gone into remission which is fantastic but the bravery they exhibit knowing it could reoccur at any time is beyond belief. The following are some Canadian Cancer statistics;
General cancer statistics for 2010
An estimated 173,800 new cases of cancer (excluding about 75,500 non-melanoma skin cancers) and 76,200 deaths will occur in Canada in 2010.
• Approximately 83,900 Canadian women will be diagnosed with cancer and an estimated 36,200 women will die of cancer.
• Approximately 90,000 Canadian men will be diagnosed with cancer and an estimated 40,000 men will die of cancer.
• On average, 3,340 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer every week.
• On average, 1,470 Canadians will die of cancer every week.
The risk of cancer increases with age: 43% of new cancer cases and 61% of cancer deaths will occur among those who are at least 70 years old. However, cancer can occur at all ages.
• Lung, prostate, breast and colorectal cancer account for 50% of all new cancer cases every year.
• Lung cancer accounts for over a quarter (27%) of all cancer deaths each year.
• Breast cancer accounts for over a quarter (28%) of new cancer cases in women.
• Prostate cancer accounts for over a quarter (27%) of new cancer cases in men.
Probability of developing or dying from cancer
Based on 2009 incidence rates, 40% of Canadian women and 45% of men will develop cancer during their lifetimes.
An estimated 1 out of every 4 Canadians are expected to die from cancer.
Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Canada: 1,026,600 years of life were lost in 2004 as a result of cancer. This represents 32% of the potential years of life lost resulting from all causes of death.
Prevalence
At the beginning of the year 2005, there were approximately 723,000 cases of cancer that had been diagnosed in the previous 10 years.
Survival
Based on 2002-2004 estimates, 62% of people are expected to survive for 5 years after their cancer diagnosis compared to the general population of the same age and sex. Survival rates differ according to the type of cancer

Why do Liberals and Socialists always resort to personal attacks to smear their opponents? I've asked this question many times and I have always come up with the same answer. They can never debate issues because their logic is so convoluted that they resort to attacking the individual rather than defending their point of view. Take for instance the "would be" mayor of Toronto who made a statement yesterday regarding the possible relocation to Toronto of the "Tamil boat people" who landed in BC this week. In short he said something like, our city is so deep in debt and our infrastructure so stretched that it is not the time to take in any more immigrants. We must get our finances in order so we can take care of those that currently live in the cty today as well as easing the burden on our taxpayers. This seems like a common sense approach and yet the Libs and the lefty press media called him a racist for saying these things. These people look for any opportunity to score political points even if it means fabricating stories and using race baiting as a tool to achieve their goals. It is shameful but not surprising. The humourous thing is that a large majority of Torontonians agree with him, including new and old immigrants because they all have one thing in common, "they are taxpayers" and they don't want the Libs putting their hands in their pockets anymore than they have done over the past 8 years. Another amazing example is the furor over the planned mosque at ground zero in New York city. Those who suggest that putting this mosque so near the place where fanatical muslims flew planes into the twin towers is insensitve to all Americans and in particular to the families of the victims who died are now being labelled racist. What is wrong with arguing the point about the insensitivity instead of immediately firing off the racist bomb to attack your opponent's credibility? Because this is common sense and once again it is difficult for the intellectual elite to justify their position. I really believe that the tide is beginning to turn and people are rejecting this nonsense and the politically correct limitations on free speech. If we had more politicians and people in public life like Rob Ford or Don Cherry we would all be better off. Truth would be the rule of the day and political spin could be dumped over the cliff where it belongs. The average citizen must embrace these folks if we are to change the rules of political discourse in this country so get on board "the staight talk express" and support truth and integrity even if it hurts. Wait a minute.....did I say something wrong.....should I rephrase that?

I went to Buffalo again yesterday to pick up 13 dogs (12 from Georgia) and everything went reasonably well this time. The number of animals was just right so it wasn't as taxing a job as trying to fit 17 into the van considering the limited space available. What struck me about these particular dogs was that half of them were emaciated with their ribs clearly visible. They obviously hadn't had much nourishment in their last hotel and were severely in need of some good food. It is sad to see an animal in this condition and it amazes me that anyone could stand by and watch them slowly starve. The good news is that current lodgings will provide them with good food and hopefully in the long run a new home with a loving family. Although I didn't spend a lot of time with these canines it was obvious to me that they were beautiful animals that were loving and affectionate and would be an amazing addition to any family. When I think back to our first dog which we obtained from the pound in the 60's she was a small mutt with no identifiable breed markings but she lived 17 years and was our darling throughout that time. We couldn't afford a pure breed then and when we got our second dog we again went to the pound to get a doberman that turned out to be a wonderful pet. So much so that when she passed on we opted for another of the same breed for our next two pets and we were just as happy with those girls as well. We didn't really think about rescue dogs back then and of course we centered in on a particular type of dog which pointed us to "pure breds" out of a litter which was produced to make money for the owners. Many of my friends and family have done the same thing because they liked and were comfortable with a certain breed of dog and wanted nothing else. After my recent experiences with the rescue farm I have totally changed my opinion and I suspect any animal lover would do the same if they were exposed to these lonely pets that have been abandoned and/or abused. There are so many of these animals of all types that are left to fend for themselves that it raises the question, "How do we get people to look at these canines first before heading to a puppy mill to get a dog?" Someone suggested legislating or making puppy mills illegal but this infringes on the rights and freedoms of our citizens which is not the way to go. I believe it is possible to inform and educate people through the various types of media with mass and repititious communications. Because this is not a money making exercise it will take charity and many volunteers to make it happen but I am sure it can be done. Until we get there and if you are in agreement please pass on the above to your friends and aquaintances as a first step in getting the word out.

Lying side by side in the long green lush grass which gently bends in the cool evening breeze on this isolated piece of paradise in the middle of nowhere she quietly whispers.......... Got ya!! I am waiting to see how many extra hits I get this week because of the title of this article. No matter what new thing hits the market it can never compete with sex. Howard Stern has always maintained that sex is the main driver behind every important event that has happened in history since man lived in caves. He's probably right when you think about considering the average lifespan of people back in the "olden" days was around 50 years so the testosterone was still pumping strong for most if not all of their lives. I can't remember the exact studies but I think it's conclusions were that post puberty boys thought about sex every 5 seconds and this number didn't increase much up to the age of 50. As humans became more civilized and men were required to exercise more control of themselves the actual number of acts obviously decreased but not the feelings and the urges lying just under the surface of each male's thought process. On the other hand females are said to think about sex less often but also in different terms. They have a natural purpose to prolong the species and therefore have to reproduce which requires a man to complete this objective. Given their ability to control their urges much better than men they had the upper hand and usually the smart women were able to use this to their advantage. I remember when I was young that I would have only considered doing the most ridiculous things asked by a girl for mere seconds if it meant getting to first base. Reaching second base allowed no time for thought about any request and I would have had no memory about what I did as long as I reached safely. Now a days the mystery surrounding sex is all but gone as pictures, stories and porn inundate the senses from every direction. Imagination and anticipation don't seem to be as important as they were years ago which may or may not be a good thing. Immediate gratification reverses our direction on our approach to sex and it is strange that women seem to be relinquishing their control of males in this area in the quest for so-called equal status with men. When you hear young girls talk about servicing boys with a ho-hum attitude in order to remain in the clique it seems like such a shame that the mistique has been shattered. It has now become another asset in the stable like the proper fashions, the right makeup and the up to date electronic toys. I am a male so I must confess I have stated things like I was born too soon, or where were those teachers when I went to school but somehow in the back of my mind I'm not sure I would trade my history for a shot at today's goodies. Maybe it was because the frequency was so low that the imagination and anticipation burned the experiences into my brain so that I can remember the details like it was yesterday. Then again..............................................

Tomatoes belong to the genus Lycopersicon, while potatoes belong to the genus Solanum; Both of which belongs to the same "flowering plant family" solanaceae. The similarities in leaves and flowers justifies this taxonomic grouping.
When the tomato plant was first introduced into the UK, some areas were not willing to consume the fruit because they were considered poisonous. Other plants that were poisonous, and in the same family as the tomato, such as the henbane, mandrake and the deadly nightshade were reasons to be concerned.
Tomato plants were transported by colonists from Britain to North America. The plants were most valued for removing pustule (Pimples, Blisters - Pus filled, inflamed skin). The inventor of peanut butter, George Washington Carver, strongly urged his poor Alabama neighbors to consume tomatoes because of their unhealthy diet. However, he had little success convincing them that the plants was edible.
Throughout the western world, tomatoes began to grow in popularity. In the 1820s, several cookbooks included recipes which required or called for tomatoes. Tomatoes were sold by the dozens in Boston's Quincy Market in 1835. In Thomas Bridgeman seed catalogue, 4 varieties of tomatoes were listed: Cherry, Pear, Large Yellow and Large Squash.
Bruist, a seed merchant commented on the tomato in 1858 - "In taking retrospect of the last eighteen years, there is no vegetable on the catalogue that has obtained such popularity in so short a period as the one now under consideration. In 1828-29, it was almost detested; in ten years almost every variety of pill and panacea was extract of tomato. It now occupies as great a surface of ground as cabbage, and is cultivated the length and breadth of the country."
Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants which tend to become genetically homozygous after many generations. Tomatoes will rarely cross breed and usually produce plants will similar characteristics as the parents.
Some heirloom varieties have interesting histories as well; at least I think so. Lets talk about the story of a heirloom name Mortgage Lifter. A radiator repair shop owner, Charlie, experienced hard times, as did much of the nation through the Great Depression. Because of financial reasons, most people abandoned their cars and Ol Charlie's business too a hard hit. He decided to use his four largest fruit producing tomato plants to cross breed repeatedly with each other to create a plant that produced two pounds of fruits.
Claming that his plants could feed a family of six, Charlie peddled the crops for a dollar per plant. Within four years, Charlie generated enough money to pay off the $4,000 dollars mortgage on his home, which led to the heirloom name "Mortgage Lifter."
Elbe was cultivated in 1889 near the Elbe River in Germany. Since the 1870s, the Amish in Pennsylvania cultivated the Amish Paste variety. Brandywine was also cultivated by Amish farmers near Brandywine Creek in Chester County Pennsylvania in 1885. The hills of Virginia is thought to be the origin of the Hillbilly variety. Old Virginia was cultivated in Virginia as well in the early 1900s. In 1953 Campbell Soup Co., introduced the Ace variety which is still popular for canning. On Edgar Allan Poe's estate, a cultivar found growing there bears his mother's maiden name, Hopkins.

This past week there were two accidents involving motorcycles and in both cases the men died. There were no other vehicles connected to the mishaps so these guys were the authors of their own demise it seems. With these types of incidents happening frequently over the summer people constantly ask me, "Why do you continue to ride with so much danger lingering on the roads for those two wheel coffins?" (or something similar). The simple answer is, "I love my Harley! and I love to ride it!" A more detailed answer would include several other things such as I love;
-The sound of the 1450 CC engine with Samson duel pipes roaring down the highway in top gear
- The feel of the bike as it leans and hugs the road as you wind around the "S" curves in the road
- The joy of hearing Toby Keith or Willie Nelson blaring in your ears as you thunder down the highway
- Running through the gears from 1 to 5 as you accelerate from a dead stop.
- Juicing the speed from 65 mph to 85 mph in 3 seconds as you fly by a semi on the interstate
- Feeling and hearing the rumble of the Harley engine as you idle at a stop sign
- Leaning back and resting your legs on the highway pegs as you roar down a straight-a-way.
These are a few of the reasons I love/live to ride but don't get me wrong I know there is an element of thrill built in because there is no iron cage between you, the road or any other vehicles. Danger of some sort has always driven men in one way or another toward activities or sports that test your will and courage to overcome your own fears. Women usually forego this desire although that seems to be changing these days.
Finally there is the look of that hunk of steel and chrome shining in the noon day sun with the leather bags black as coal and their studs sparkling in your eyes. As you mount the beast and bring the engine to life I can truly say there is absolutely nothing better ( ????). Ok ok ok ok.
Rest in peace boys.

As I watch my grandsons grow up and observe their lifestyle in this day and age I often compare it to when I was their age or a bit older. There are definitely some positives to living in 2010 but I wonder if they are enough to offset the things that we enjoyed as kids in the 50's. First there is no comparison to the amount of toys that my grandchildren enjoy and the ones that I had back in those times. In fact I would venture to say that they get more at one Christmas morning than I ever received during my entire first 15 years on this earth. On the positive side I could walk out my door and go to any one of 10 neighbours on my street and find a friend to play with outside either in our backyards or more than likely in the farmers fields at the back of our subdivision or the bush at the end of the street. The only instructions I received were to be home for lunch or dinner which ever was the upcoming meal on the itinerary. Sadly today, my grandsons cannot leave the sight of a parent or a designated supervisor while they are outside of the house. Today kids are taken to school by a parent or driven by bus after being dispatched from the bus stop by their supervisor. I walked to school beginning in kindergarden and every grade thereafter and it was about 3/4 of a mile. It's not the distance that is the difference it is the freedom of fear in those days that anything bad could happen during the walk to classes. My grandsons have fantastic imaginations and I try to encourage them by playing along with them wherever, whenever and whomever they want me to be. It could be in outer space, fighting monsters in the jungle or at a fire scene as a fireman it doesn't matter because they provide the commentary and the necessary prompts for my actions. I don't think the imaginations of the kids today differ any from my time it is just where they are manifested. Today they tend to be inside the house or the backyard, in front of a TV screen (WI or Xbox) or using a handheld gaming device where in my day they came to life outside with pieces of wood and other made up accessories. I could go outside with my friends and play baseball or street hockey for hours without seeing a single adult whereas to day most if not all children's sports activities are organized and controlled by adults. If you play baseball on Tuesday night then the glove and ball sits in the hallway until that night rolls around. I started playing organized baseball at 11 and hockey at 15 but from the age of 7 until then, I played hundreds of pickup games with my pals on the street, the farmers field or the frozen over creek at the edge of the bush. The other thing that I question is the speed at which kids develop now a days. Because there is so much information easily available to everyone, kids find out adult type things at a much earlier age. You may supervise what your kids watch on TV or the internet but there are those that don't and their kids take that info and spread it around at school or at the playground. There is no question that the children of today are smarter and more advanced than we were years ago but I sometimes wonder if the price they pay is worth it. I admit I don't remember a lot of details from those times but I do remember they were the happiest of times spent with my buddies in that little town in rural Ontario.I just hope my grandsons develop the same memories of these years.

Reeking" Is His Business Model: Homeless New Jersey man Richard Kreimer said in February (2006) that he had settled, on undisclosed terms, part of his most recent lawsuit, against a transit company and two drivers, for having denied him rides because of his foul odor. Kreimer's history includes a $150,000 settlement with the public library in Morris County, which had tried to keep him out because of his odor, and, by his count, $80,000 in additional lawsuit-related income (though some went for legal expenses). Kreimer filed another foul-odor lawsuit in February against a transit company and a train station in Summit

People who live or work in New York City believe themselves to be among the world's toughest and hardiest, but at least 51 of them are apparently legendarily soft: the 51 city bus drivers who between them took 3,200 days of paid leave last year to "heal" over the single workplace "injury" of being spit on by passengers. (Thirty-two other spit-upon drivers did not request leave.) An official with the Transport Workers Union called spitting "physically and psychologically traumatic" and requiring "recuperat(ion)." [New York Times, 5-25-10]

Vying in recent years with Washington, D.C., as the nation's "district of calamity" is Detroit, whose previous mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, was in May ordered to prison to serve 1-1/2 to 5 years after repeatedly violating his probation on his conviction for obstruction of justice. In June, Detroit's school board president Otis Mathis resigned under fire, then tried to un-resign by offering to cure himself of the behavior that started his downfall, specifically, Mathis' touching and fondling himself during several one-on-one meetings with the school system's General Superintendent, Teresa Gueyser. [Detroit Free Press, 5-25-10] [WXYZ-TV (Detroit), 6-17-10

According to a May report by Seattle's KOMO-TV, former Oregon National Guardsman Gary Pfleider II is awaiting the results of his latest appeal to end the garnishment of his disability checks to cover $3,175 for gear he supposedly "lost" when he was shot in Iraq. Pfleider was hit in the leg by a sniper in 2007, bled profusely and was evacuated (and is awaiting his ninth surgery on the leg), but the Oregon Guard apparently believes that, despite the trauma, Pfleider somehow should have paused to inventory the equipment he was carrying and to make arrangements for its safekeeping during his imminent hospitalization. [KOMO-TV (Seattle), 5-28-10

Catholic Youth Organization coach Michael Kman, 45, was charged in May with various misdemeanors regarding an alleged attempt over a several-month period to fix kids' basketball games for Kman's Our Lady of Lourdes church team in East Pennsboro Township, Pa. According to police, Kman sent multiple text messages to referees Jay and Jon Leader, offering them as much as $2,500 if certain games reached the "right outcome." The Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg has suspended Kman from coaching. In Kman's day job, he is a financial consultant. [Patriot-News (Harrisburg), 5-14-10]

British mechanical engineer John Tyrer told an audience at the annual meeting of the Institute of Physics in Brighton, England, in March that he and his colleagues were using lasers to design a more comfortable bra. "A breast imposes various load distributions ... and vibrational problems as the woman walks," he said, and he criticized the "strap design" that "transmits the load to the wrong places." According to Tyrer, the technology, "Electron Speckle Pattern Interfermometry," analyzes the way a three-dimensional surface (like a bra) changes when a force is applied to it.