Category: Animals

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Animals Food Health Hoaxes Internet

Thursday Night Internet Hoax Hall-Of-Shame

Flesh-eating bananas ?

Bananas

If you receive an E-Mail stating that killer bananas from Costa Rica have been infected by flesh-eating bacteria and have decimated the local monkey population and are now on their way to the U.S. and could be at your local grocery store tomorrow – then don’t believe it. It’s not true. It’s all made up.

There are at least two (and probably more) variants of this particular E-Mail floating around in cyberspace. The Costa Rica banana scare (hoax) actually began way back at the start of 2000. Read all about it. Check out this timeline of ‘The Great Internet Banana Scare Of 2000’.

The Internet is the gift that just keeps on giving. Television has its endless reruns, and so does the Internet. What was a hoax way back in 2000 is still a hoax here in 2008. Bored people like to bring these hoaxes back from the dead, revive them, and pollute our bandwidth with them. They may look new to you (particularly if you’ve never seen them before), but common sense rules here. If it doesn’t sound true then it probably isn’t true, so don’t forward such diatribe. Hit that {DELETE} key !

Categories
Animals Food God Health Life People Weather

The Major’s Walk-A-Thon

Sky: Overcast, Windy, Drizzly
Temperature: 68°F
Relative Humidity: 92%
Winds: NW 8 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.03 Rising

My thoughts:

1.  At 7 AM this morning it was raining outside (just as I forecasted last night), so in lieu of walking I decided to go eating – at the Cracker Barrel. I enjoyed a MASSIVE breakfast consisting of 4 slices of french toast drowning in maple syrup, 2 scrambled eggs, 2 smoked sausages, hot coffee, and cold water. Now where did I put my Lipitor ?

2.  I got back home at 8 AM, and the rain had ended. I decided to walk the walk. It was the most unusual ‘Walk-A-Thon’ yet.

3.  My semi-basic 1.4-mile walk on a rare full stomach was done so during treacherous weather conditions – with thick dark clouds hanging low overhead, strong gusty northwesterly winds of up to 25 MPH, cold air pouring in, and even a little bit of leftover drizzle on this fresh side of the powerful cold front. I will dream of mornings like this from April through October when it’s hot and sticky outside with no wind.

4.  The ducks were out and about this morning, and they appeared to be lost, dazed, confused, and perhaps even drunk. They were stumbling about, wandering around with no sense of direction, and I saw one of them nearly tumble over in a state of mass chaos. They were wondering why the weather had suddenly changed on them. Some of them probably drank too much (rain).

5.  If my friends and acquaintances from my previous life (not capitalized) saw what I was doing today – walking, talking, laughing, and loving Life (capitalized) then they would think that I am not that same person that I was in my teens, 20s, and 30s. That plastic mannequin withered and rotted away. He died. I was reborn during the Summer Of 2006. I have a whole bunch of new friends now that are walking with me as we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These are my 40s, and everything I do I do it for God. AMEN !  

Categories
Animals Driving Health Holidays Shopping Travel

The Major’s Walk-A-Thon: Special On-Location Edition – Fort Myers, Estero, & Naples

I have returned home safely from my short 31-hour / 370-mile road-trip vacation over to Florida’s Gulf coast and back. Here are some thoughts:

1.  In addition to the 370 miles that I drove I think I walked at least 5 miles at various tourist attractions, events, and other places. It’s a good thing that my legs are my most powerful limbs. I got a great workout this weekend. It is now time to relax at home.

2.  I really enjoyed the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. I spent a good two hours there on Sunday afternoon walking around all throughout the compound. The coolest part of it all was the back portion of the actual homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford and the walking trail that runs right along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. This is a place that I could return back to next year and enjoy all over again.

3.  I spent the night at a one-year-old Hampton Inn in Estero right across the Interstate from the Germain Arena. Of all of the Hampton Inns that I’ve stayed at over the past decade or so this was definitely the best of them all. It’s a no-brainer. I’ll be staying there again on my next visit to the area.

4.  This morning I walked all around the Miromar Outlets next to the Germain Arena. This is how an outdoor factory outlet mall is supposed to look like. If I lived near Estero then this would be where I (and my VISA card) would hang out on a regular basis.

5.  I walked a good mile-and-a-half at the Naples Zoo this afternoon. I’ve been there once before, and I’ll be back again on my next visit. I love that place !  It’s laid out beautifully. I love to walk, and I love hanging out with animals. The Naples Zoo offers me both opportunities. If I lived near Naples then I’d become a member of the zoo and visit over and over again.

I think it’s official now. The Orlando area is not where I wish to live when I retire in about 15 to 20 years. I think you’ll find me living peacefully and happily ever after over in the Fort Myers / Estero / Naples area sometime in the future.

Categories
Animals Food God Health Holidays Life Travel

The Major’s Walk-A-Thon

Sky: Sunny & Clear
Temperature: 64°F
Relative Humidity: 100%
Winds: NNE 2 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.14 Rising

My thoughts:

1.  I added a tenth of a mile to my walk around my neighbourhood this morning during the seven-o-clock hour. I walked about 1.4 miles total in about 27 minutes.

2.  Ducks and chickens were in abundance during my walk. They were out and about eating breakfast. I steered away from them. I was once attacked by an angry duck. The unfortunate incident of a few years ago continues to haunt me to this day.

3.  Not a single car passed me during my walk. In fact I only saw three people outside. I think everyone was inside eating bacon. I can effectively hypothesize that because the unmistakable aroma of fresh cooked bacon permeated all throughout the morning air of my neighbourhood.

4.  A friend from afar recently asked me why I started this weekly walk. Besides the obvious health and fitness reasons this walk – inspired and encouraged by this fellow WordPress blogger – is symbolic of my walk with Jesus Christ. I’ve been walking with Him on His fantastic journey for about 18 months now. I was once a mannequin – plastic and rotting. Now I am alive. Since I am alive I am living Life (always capitalized) the way that I should have lived it during my previous 39 years on His great Earth. That includes throwing everything up in the air like ‘Tossed Salad’ (catch the symbolism there) and only catching the good stuff – the right stuff. A physical walk is now on my agenda to complement my spiritual walk with my Creator. No longer am I sitting still in neutral. I am now moving forward and going places with my Life. The Lord Almighty is driving me. I am merely His passenger.

5.  I’m taking this walk on-the-road starting tomorrow. I’ll be walking all throughout the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers tomorrow afternoon. The walk continues on Monday (Presidents’ Day) at Estero’s Germain Arena for the Cross Reference Faith & Family Expo. Maybe I’ll even make a pit-stop at the Naples Zoo on my return trip back to Homestead.