Harm Aid
Out looking for a place to live, my wife and I happened upon a quaint little house in the city that we liked. There was a cyclone fence that wrapped around the backyard with an old-fashioned and weathered “beware of dog” sign on the gate. The front yard was grass.
We thought the yard and the fence would come in handy for those times when family stopped by with their dogs. In anticipation of the fun we’d have we even picked up a Chuckit and ball.
At no time were we advised there were plans to change anything about the house. The property management people treated us throughout the entire process like the rental scum that we were.
Finally it was moving day. We rolled into town in our U-haul and arrived at the property. It was so exciting. We hadn’t seen the house in two months.
Surprise. The fence was gone although the gate remained. It was no longer a place for dogs. The lawn had been replaced with raw dirt that would soon be the uber cool and trendy urban front-yard farm.
Sorry, dog. We’ve been victimized by bait-and-switch. There’s no place for a game of catch around here. But I do see a nice place where you can bury your bones. Please, feel free.
Comic: Corplé – The Water Cycle
Homework
Mint Press News – Nestle’s Water-Bottling Activities Amid California Drought Underscore A Lack Of Policy Options
Forbes.com – Nestlé Sued AGAIN For Falsely Representing Bottled Tap Water As Naturally Spring-Sourced
Stop Nestle Waters.org – Holding Nestle Waters of North America’s Water Bottling operations accountable
FoodAndWaterWatch.org – Watch a TV Journalist Debunk Nestlé’s Water Rhetoric
The Story of Stuff – Nestlé’s water privatization push
The Story of Stuff – The Story of Bottled Water
Urban Times – Nestlé: The Global Search For Liquid Gold
Flow: The Film – The 21st Century – The World Water Crisis
Addendum
I was going to include a list of brands owned by Nestlé but (my emphasis added) …
Nestlé has some 8,000 brands, with a wide range of products across a number of markets, including coffee, bottled water, milkshakes and other beverages, breakfast cereals, infant foods, performance and healthcare nutrition, seasonings, soups and sauces, frozen and refrigerated foods, and pet food.
Source: Wikipedia – Nestlé
And, finally, a quotation from Peter Brabeck, the Chairman of Nestle Group:
Man To Man?
A wise person once said, “I feel in need of a long, hot shower.” Yep, that’s the most recent comment on this blog as I sit down to work on this post and a fitting way to start. Yesterday’s topic decidedly left me wanting the same.
The key word in the opening statement is “hot.”
Q. What goes in the toaster?
A. Bread, you idiot.
Q. Do you sell any hot water heaters?
A. No, you idiot. You don’t need to heat water that’s already hot.
Ah. So we’ll need a water heater if we want our shower to be nice and toasty.
We’ve lived in the big city for eight months now. During that time the hot water has had a rosy hue. Kind of the like the candy apple red on the car in the movie Corvette Summer starring Mark Hamill. We’ve been showering in rust.
The water heater, circa 1985, was almost 30 years old. My wife finally convinced the property management company to put in a new one. They were sending over their man to install it.
The big day came and I listened out of the corner of my ear, working on my computer, safely ensconced in my office, as my wife met the guy and they set about the task. Everything seemed to be going fine.
Until…
I went to the kitchen to get a refill on my coffee. The man saw me. Oh shit.
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How To Survive After A Disaster
Gurney can be so meanie but those eyes are so dreamy.
I am not in the mood for writing. Not at all. So I’m not gonna. Today I’m just going to go wordless because Wednesday is making me its bitch. No words for you!
Gurney Halleck: Not in the mood? Mood’s a thing for cattle and loveplay, not writing!
Tom B. Taker: I’m sorry Gurney.
Gurney Halleck: Not sorry enough!!!
Okay, okay! Dammit. I will wordlessly through the power of magic share one of my most top secret survival tips of all time. For you, the loyal reader, this is when all the bullshit you’ve put up with finally pays off.
Any idiot can survive a disaster: natural, manmade, Godmade, or otherwise. All it takes is shit-ass luck. So you survived. What do you want? A medal. Fuck that. Now comes the hard part.
Surviving your fellow human beings.
Good luck. You’re gonna need it.
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If You Could Pee What I Fear
I think I shall try my hand and headline writing. Please indulge me for a moment.
Green councilman feels blue, quoted ‘yellow is way to take city out of red to black’
Colorful, ain’t I? This is part of my ongoing coverage to stream news of note.
Out of the Netherlands comes a story about an elected official with a novel way to conserve water: Pee in the shower. Councilor Bert Wassink is a member of the left-wing green party GroenLinks.
Wassink is on a quest to be Number One!
“When you combine showering and peeing and thus saves a lot of water and euros … why not?”
–Bert Wassink
According to Ad.nl, the average person uses 39 litres daily in showering and 36 litres “flushing.” Wassink stressed that saving clean water is good for the environment and also has a financial benefit.
When pressed, Wassink confirmed he engages in the practice, saying, “Yes, I dare quietly admit.”
Weird grammar courtesy of Google Translate.
Top 10 Coffee Mistakes
Click for Source: seanbonner (Flickr)
Coffee is made in the morning. At least it is in my house you friggin’ crazy idiots. And, being morning and all, we’re not exactly playing our best game. Not quite using all of ye olde “bean,” if you get my drift.
So here are ten early morning coffee mistakes that are common in the Taker household.
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Shouts from the Abyss 
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