Some Saturday... October 23rd

A 300-pound chimpanzee broke free from its chains was captured after wandering around a Kansas City neighborhood and smashing out the window of a police car. The chimp climbed on a patrol car and struck the passenger-side window with its fist before running off. Police Capt. Rich Lockhart said the department got a call that a primate was on the loose a few miles from the Kansas City Zoo. The ape turned out to be a pet that escaped from its chains. Efforts to shoot the animal, named Sueko, with a tranquilizer dart failed. The owner was eventually able to coax it into a cage and was then cited for having a dangerous animal within city limits.

There is continuing escalation in Sino-Japanese tensions over a fishing vessel incident in which a Chinese ship reportedly rammed two Japanese patrol boats near the disputed Senkaku Islands (or Diaoyu in China) after the Chinese ship’s captain refused to allow his vessel to be inspected or to leave the sea around the islands. The arrest of Zhan Qixiong has sparked demonstrations in Beijing and prompted the Chinese government to make a significant diplomatic issue out of Zhan’s detention, with the Japanese ambassador to China, Uichiro Niwa, reportedly summoned to hear Beijing's latest demand. Japan was warned against making ‘misjudgements’ and urged to find a ‘wise political resolution’. It’s a far cry from the charm offensive that China had appeared to be on until late last year to ease concerns about its growing clout.

Like many people in the good old USA these days, I have been following politics much more closely then I did in past years. Part of that is probably out of a sense of self-preservation. After all, the government has been sticking their nose in my business a lot more lately so I feel obligated to return the favor.  One of the side effects of this has been an almost constant barrage of "please send money" requests from every political organization on the face of the planet. I get several emails and letters every day -almost always decrying some outrage by the opposing side and ending by pointing out that I can ensure the good guys win if I send $25 immediately.... Frankly, I am sick of these constant attempts to reach into my pockets. There is something particularly insulting about being told how the governments taxes are breaking the country, so please donate to keep from paying more....

On this day in history in 1942 during WW II, Britain launches major offensive at El Alamein, Egypt and in 1983 Suicide terrorist truck bomb kills 243 US personnel in Beirut 




Live Long and Prosper....