Dye Men

Patrick Spina IV who lives in New Jersey, USA likes the colour green ....

Pools look Better In Green?

 .... so much so that he thought his neighbours should also like it.

Red Hot Chille

 For some reason, growing or developing the worlds hottest chilli pepper is a keenly fought for honour ....

PepperX

 

... it may be because the Guinness Book of records honours the successful breeder.

Cowabunga Explosion

This story didn't make the ripples you might have thought ...... 

South Fork Dairy Barn Explosion

 ..... the deadliest barn fire on record (and almost certainly ever).

Desperate Dogs

The Italian village of Vastogiradi was suffering a plague of vandalism in 2023 ....

Bad Doggie ....

 .... specifically having the tyres of their cars slashed.

Stoned Pets

 Legalising cannabis doesn't just affect humans ....

Stoned Dogs Are Not Happy Pups

 .... our little furry friends also get affected.

Doggie Finds

 I have never owned a dog ....

North Mount Loretto State Forest

.... we were always cat people in my family of long ago, and I have never had a pet since becoming an adult (didn't fit in with my lifestyle or relationships and now I'm too lazy).

Surprise Nest Egg

Jennifer Hall had been raising chickens for three years in her backyard farm in Texas and would either sell or give some of the eggs to her elderly neighbours. 

Egg With Penny In The Yolk

One time in December 2023 she gave them half a dozen eggs before leaving town for a few days, but when she returned they approached her and said that one of the eggs had an (American one-cent coin) 'penny' inside it. 

Crusty Crabs

Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean is an external Australian Territory just 366.93km south of the Indonesian Archipelago, but 2,000 km (1,243.96 miles) from Australia.

Christmas Island Inhabitant

 .... but as its administered by Australia, its also a safe tourist attraction and so has golf courses.

Civilisations

A conversation in the pub turned somewhat esoteric, when we were suddenly discussing the rise of civilisations (not cultures, which can be vibrant and rich, but often disappear from history, with just limited traces for modern archaeologists to find), and why some areas had not developed a big cradle civilisation? 

The Cradles Of Civilisation

We got as far as agreeing that small island cultures with a few exceptions, would probably not have the resources to develop stone or brick cities etc, and writing as part of being cradle civilisations, even if they had rich cultures.

Hairy Stripper

What to do with your pet after it dies?

Roborovski Dwarf Hamster

  .... its a question that many of us have pondered at one point or other in our lives.

Its Bananas

 On TV once, I saw a mad scientist dip a banana in to liquid nitrogen ....

Banana Hammer

.... and then use it to hammer a nail into a piece of wood.

Is Democracy In The US Dying?

It's a question that has to be asked ....

Free and Fair Elections In USA

 ... not just because of President Trump's authoritarian approach to the Presidency. Nor the vengeful sackings and prosecutions of Civil Servants, apparently for just doing their jobs, ranging from Capitol Hill police officers, Justice Department lawyers continuing to sackings such as the recent sacking of Bureau of Labour Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer for bringing bad news.

DooDoo Necklaces

Apparently you can import Giraffe droppings in to the USA ....

Giraffe DooDoo

..... but only with the correct permits.

Montana Mountain King

There were some hardy and enterprising men in the American wild west .....

Arthur Jack Schubarth

.... and Mr Schubarth proves that Montana ranchers are still a breed of their own.

Pension Contributions and Paycheck to Paycheck Living

The US have a worker/employer pension scheme much like the UK's, often called the 401(k) ...

Living From Paycheque To Paycheque

You contribute a percentage of salary pre-tax and your company matches what you put in up to a certain amount, which can vary from employer to employer in the ranges of 5 - 13% (usually around 6%). If you pay your 401(k) contributions post tax, then your final payout is 100% tax free.