A couple in California had a new baby on the way and they needed to find ways to save money. So, in 2008, they removed their front lawn and replaced the grass with wood chips. This saved the city thousands of gallons of water and slashed the homeowner’s water bill. Sounds like a win-win, right?
Wrong. Cities want you to keep your lawn for aesthetic reasons. The green looks pretty, even though it takes a whole lot more maintenance and resources than other options. Lawns help to keep property values up. In this particular case, the couple lives in a town that requires homeowners to have at least 40% live landscaping in their front yards. So, they are being taken to court for not having enough green. (And, this is in Southern California, where some cities fine overzealous lawn waterers.)
A neighbor of the couple says,
“It’s their yard, it’s not overgrown with weeds, it’s not an eyesore,” said Cleek, whose own yard boasts fruit and avocado trees. “We should be able to have our yards look the way we want them to.”
Even more disturbing than the draconian landscaping rules is the way this has played out. The couple has made several changes to the front lawn in order to comply with the 40% rule. And, in an example of local government efficiency, the homeowners heard nothing from the city in return until the misdemeanor charge. Way to work together on a compromise, Orange County.
“It’s just funny that we pay our taxes to the city and the city is now prosecuting us with our own money,” Quan Ha said. “Doesn’t it waste funds to go back and fourth in court, rather than sending pictures, e-mails and having phone conversations?”
There’s a problem in the Florida Everglades that has nothing to do with climate change or the depletion of habitat. The problem is from pet owners who buy snakes they don’t know anything about, and then dump the snakes out in the swamp when they get too difficult to handle. The animals are then free to disrupt the ecosystem.
Wildlife biologists say the troublesome invaders — dumped in the Everglades by pet owners who no longer want them — have become a pest and pose a significant threat to endangered species like the wood stork and Key Largo woodrat.
Two types of non-native pythons are taking over the Everglades: the Burmese python and the African rock python. These snakes proliferate quickly, laying 50 to 100 eggs at a time, and experts say there may be as many as 150,000 of them in the area. The pythons have no predators in their new environment, so they can pretty much run roughshod over the local wildlife.
Not to mention a Florida resident who owned a Burmese python, only to have it escape and strangle his girlfriend’s two-year old daughter one night in 2009. A tragedy that could have been avoided with a little common sense.
Obviously, you shouldn’t buy pets you don’t understand or know anything about. Unless you have a full-time experienced keeper on hand, it’s irresponsible to keep exotic pets. But, even WORSE is to dump the animal out in the wilderness once it’s no longer any fun. Especially when you don’t know what the repercussions might be to the environment. At least give the animal to a local zoo.
If you’re a fan of wearing your PJs in public, be glad you don’t live in Shanghai or in Cardiff, Wales.
With the World Expo 2010 looming, officials in Shanghai have launched a campaign encouraging citizens to leave their pajamas at home. If you look at the photos, it’s hard to see what the fuss is about. The pajamas look quite respectable: They match, they’re bright and colorful, and we don’t see any obvious stains or signs of wear. I mean, most people don’t have PJs this nice.
A grocery store in Wales is now refusing service to anyone shopping while wearing PJs. I understand that a few folks might be uncomfortable at the thought of someone, fresh from bed, frolicking amongst the cantaloupe in his or her night clothes. However, there isn’t much difference between pajamas and most of the casual “workout” clothes you see people wearing all the time. In fact, athletic clothes are usually tight, and some of the folks wearing said outfits should be in much, much looser clothing.
It can be a hard call, too. Some pajamas don’t look like pajamas, and some regular clothes might be confused for PJs. How can you really be sure?
I would much, MUCH rather see people in loose-fighting, tasteful pajamas than some of the outfits I’ve seen while shopping in Target and Walmart. Not to pick on those two fine retail establishments, but…well, there’s a web site you can check for verification. We made fun of the “pajama/jean” concept here, but perhaps this is a just a bigger trend to get us all in pajamas 24/7. (Sure would come in handy after a big meal!) So, lighten up on the PJs, folks. It could be worse.
Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.
Some people had common sense.
Time Magazine did a profile on They Might Be Giants‘ kids album called Here Comes Science. Glad to see a great band getting some props. Kids need smart music!
Too broke to fly home for Uncle George’s funeral? No problem. Some funeral homes now begin to stream funerals live on the Web.
A Texas family cut their grocery bill in half by planning their meals a year in advance. A lot of work, I’m sure, but knowing what you need to buy down the road allows you to wait until it goes on sale, etc.
And, some did not.
A TSA agent planted fake drugs on a traveler as a gag. Nice, huh? Agent no longer employed by TSA.
A New Hampshire man called the cops to complain that he paid for sex and did not receive it. Clearly not a student of the law. He and the woman were both arrested (shocker!).
Detroit shoplifters ran over and killed the Kmart employee trying to stop them. Now they face armed robbery and homicide charges. The shoplifters were making off with $400 of CDs. That’s worth going to jail for, don’t you think?
On August 28th,1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of the most powerful speeches in modern history. Commonly referred to as the “I have a dream” speech, King spoke bravely and wisely, and called for an end to discrimination.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, celebrated every third Monday in January, honors his birthday, which is January 15th. The day is one of only four United States federal holidays which commemorate an individual.
So, on this third Monday of January 2010, take a moment to listen again to (or reread) his iconic words spoken 47 years ago. The words are just as relevant and important now as they were then.
Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.
Some people had common sense.
A Nevada brothel will offer male prostitutes. Whoo hoo! Long live equality! Grab your GPS, ladies.
A Bloodmobile in Washington will give a pint of beer to each person that donates a pint of blood. It’s a win-win! Not surprisingly, the program has been so successful that it’s being expanded.
Saying it’s better to be honest than greedy, an NYC cab driver returned a purse with $21,000 in cash along with some jewelry to its owner. The Bangladesh native is a full-time college student and surely could have used the money. But, he did the right thing.
And, some did not.
Suri Cruise’s parents (you know who they are) bought her a $30,000 toy racing car. If they have more money than they know what to do with, I can make a few suggestions. Most involve me….
People keep talking to Rob Blagojevich. And, he keeps saying incredibly stupid things. Lay off media, and let this moron go away already.
The genius criminal who escaped from jail and then taunted the police via Facebook has, shockingly, been captured. Way to stick it to the man, dude.
We’ve been taking it easy over the holidays and enjoying some time off. But, that doesn’t mean we’re not paying attention. Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.
Some people had common sense.
No one wants to get sick, especially with health care so expensive. NYTimes.com had a great article on how to recover–cheaply–once the sniffles start. Simple stuff is what works, and they give some facts on all the hoodoo and other remedies that do little, if any, good.
The TSA has dropped their case against two bloggers who posted a copy of the agency’s intense security directive for Christmas day. Shouldn’t they be worried about terrorists, not bloggers? At least our tax dollars won’t be wasted in this trial.
Experts at exposing flim-flam and wastefulness, Consumer Reports Health Blog posted a list of “9 items not worthy of your holiday cash.” These include such gems as Latisse, the Night-Light Condom, diet pills, and Kinoki footpads. If you thought your body was leaching toxins from your feet at night, we’ve got a bridge we’d like to sell you.
In absolutely the CRAZIEST shoplifter story ever, a couple caused quite a ruckus at a Walmart in Tennessee. He’s trying to steal flat-screen tvs, she’s stabbing someone in the parking lot. It’s a like some zany, mad-cap sitcom plot from Hell.
Maine and California will consider putting a cancer warning on cell-phone packaging, despite the fact that the jury is still out in the scientific community. Way to fear-monger, legislators.
How stupid do you need to be in order to shoot bullets into the air for fun? Even if you’ve never heard of Newton or his Law of Gravity, you know if you throw an orange in the air that it will fall back down to the ground. Well, shockingly, bullets work just like oranges. If they go up, they eventually come down. And sometimes innocent people get hurt.
This past NYE in Atlanta, a 4-year old boy was killed at 12:30 AM while sitting in church with his mother. (The fact that a 4-year old was out at 12:30 AM and not home in bed is surely the topic of an upcoming DDOCS post, but I digress….) A gun (likely an AK-47 rifle) had been fired into the air within a 3-mile radius of the church and the boy was a tragic casualty.
Sadly, this incident is not the only example of stray bullets falling from the sky and doing harm. You have to wonder what these shooters are thinking. Do they believe that the bullets will disappear? Or, perhaps be absorbed in the clouds like in a Bugs Bunny cartoon?
I learned about gravity as a kid, mostly through this video. (Another reason why taking Schoolhouse Rock off the air has made future generations less smart.)
I usually don’t just link to other commentary here (as I like to throw in my own .02, too), but there is such a great post on Gizmodo regarding the TSA that everyone should RUN to read.
It’s been nearly a decade since terrorists used airplanes to attack our country, and last week’s attempt makes it clear that the lack of terrorist attacks have nothing to do with the increasing gauntlet of whirring machines, friskings, and arbitrary bureaucratic provisions, but simply that for the most part, there just aren’t that many terrorists trying to blow up planes. Because god knows if there were, the TSA isn’t capable of stopping them. We’re just one bad burrito away from the TSA forcing passengers to choke back an Imodium and a Xanax before being hogtied to our seats.
No one wants to die in a terrorist attack. However, look at the odds. You are more likely to be killed by a bolt of lightening than a terrorist attack. And, your chances of being killed by lightening are very, very low. (Read more about your “Odds of Airborne Terror” here.)
Think the TSA is responsible for that? From Johnson’s post:
Security expert Bruce Schneier nails the core incompetency: “For years I’ve been saying ‘Only two things have made flying safer [since 9/11]: the reinforcement of cockpit doors, and the fact that passengers know now to resist hijackers.’”
And, yet, we shake down old ladies, business men, mothers, and husbands at the airports like THEY are the criminals. It’s sad, really. And it’s only about to get worse. The last hour of your plane flight, you’ll be confined to your seat. You also won’t be able to have anything in your lap during that last hour.
Is it me, or has 911 become a self-help line? In recent news, there have been some crazy requests called into the hotline that is supposed to be for EMERGENCIES only. For example:
In November, a Florida man called 911 looking for sex. He claimed it was the only number that would work since his cell minutes ran out.
A volunteer firefighter in Colorado was just arrested last week for making 48 phony 911 calls. Depressed and suicidal, the woman seemed most interested in monitoring the law enforcement response to her calls.
Today, a mom in Boston called 911 because her son would not stop playing video games. Police responded and were able to convince the child to go to sleep.
It seems that some people have lost the ability to judge what is an emergency. I was taught that 911 should only be used in a life-threatening situation. Minor injuries, routine medical check-ups, parental assistance, and loneliness don’t count.
This article has a great discussion of the increasing abuse of the 911 system:
If you call 911 because your toilet is overflowing, the fire department will come. Call 911 because you’re lonely, the fire department comes. If you call 911 but call back to say you changed your mind, it’s too late.
The fire department will come.
“We err on the side of responding,” [Lt. Jake Nyhart of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue] said. “That one time you miss a real call and someone dies, you’re liable.”
Some communities have carried out 911-awareness campaigns to educate the public on when it is appropriate (or not appropriate) to contact emergency services. According to the article, these sorts of efforts generally only increase the number of non-emergency calls to 911.
The unfortunate part is that these trips cost money, sometimes three or four hundred dollars a pop. And, since it’s taxpayer money at work, that means you and I are on the hook for it. I think anyone who calls 911 for a non-emergency situation should be issued a bill. They should be expected to pay back their frivolous waste of taxpayer money. Then, perhaps they would think twice about calling the next time a non-emergency occurs.
Daily Dose of Common Sense cuts through the crap, hype, and pseudoscience to tell it like it is. Part science, part news, and part, er, common sense, this site may be harsh sometimes but it's just tough love.
A couple in California had a new baby on the way and they needed to find ways to save money. So, in 2008, they removed their front lawn and replaced the grass with wood chips. This saved the city thousands of gallons of water and slashed the homeowner’s water bill. Sounds like a win-win, right?
If you’re a fan of wearing your PJs in public, be glad you don’t live in Shanghai or in Cardiff, Wales. 
On August 28th,1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of the most powerful speeches in modern history. Commonly referred to as the “I have a dream” speech, King spoke bravely and wisely, and called for an end to discrimination.
I usually don’t just link to other commentary here (as I like to throw in my own .02, too), but there is such a great post on Gizmodo regarding the TSA that everyone should RUN to read.
It seems that some people have lost the ability to judge what is an emergency. I was taught that 911 should only be used in a life-threatening situation. Minor injuries, routine medical check-ups, parental assistance, and loneliness don’t count.
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