Year: 2017

The name of the province known as Newfoundland and Labrador is just way too long

Markozen.com Geography

Labrador is the distinct northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle. It is the largest and northernmost geographical region in Atlantic Canada.

newfoundland-and-labrador-location-on-the-canada-map

Though Labrador’s area is over twice that of the island of Newfoundland, it has only 8% of the province’s population. Only 27,000 people live in Labrador, yet it has its name included in the official title of the province, Newfoundland and Labrador. The two names must be included in the title or one would be committing political correctness sacrilege. All the media and politicians have to say both names. No getting around it.

newfie

This long version of the name is a relatively recent phenomenon. It seems to have started around 10-15 years ago. Why this occurred is clearly blatant political correctness gone wild. Before this long name was introduced it was perfectly fine to call the province just Newfoundland. This double name is like calling Florida, Florida and Panhandle. Totally absurd.

So I have come up with a solution. The map below shows how I would name the province. Hopefully the politicians become aware of the name and implement it pronto.

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US Marines Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE) System

Markozen.com Military

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The Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE) system was developed by the US Marines as a technique to rapidly insert and/or extract a reconnaissance patrol from an area that does not permit a helicopter to land. SPIE has application for rough terrain as well as water inserts/extracts. It is an adaptation of the Vietnam War-era STABO rig.
Generally, the SPIE rope is lowered into the pickup area from a hovering helicopter. Patrol personnel, each wearing a harness with an attached carabiner, hook up to a D-ring inserted in the SPIE rope. A second safety line is attached to a second D-ring located above the first. The helicopter lifts vertically from an extract zone until the rope and personnel are clear of obstructions, then proceeds in forward flight to a secure insert zone. The rope and personnel are treated as an external load and airspeeds, altitudes, and oscillations must be monitored.

The Special Personnel Insertion/Extraction was first designed by the Marines of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, the Marine division’s 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing riggers. They created and combat tested several versions of the SPIE before it was officially recommended to be tested. In May 1970, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Amphibious Force coordinated input from the 1st Marine Division and his 1st Marine Air Wing. A request was sent to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and to the Development Center for certification of the SPIE rig and to its safety and use.
The parachute test jumpers of the Naval Parachute Unit (NPU) and Marine Corps, all qualified parachutist designers and engineers, assembled together at El Centro for the initial testing and evaluation of the SPIE rig. After a few test dummies were tried, Marine Major Bruce F. Meyers, along with four Navy NPU parachutist engineers, successfully attempted the first flight on the SPIE assembly. This rig has made escapes and rescues much easier.

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Map: All the air routes the UK and US just banned electronic devices on

Markozen.com Aviation, Terrorism

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The UK just announced that it will be banning large electronic devices – laptops and iPads – from the passenger cabins of flights originating in Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tunisia. Over the next 12 months the restriction is set to affect 15,432 departures on 53 routes operated by 15 airlines, according to OAG schedule data compiled by PlaneStats.com.

Unlike, the similar US ban announced today, the measure ends up affecting both foreign and domestic-UK carriers including British Airways, EasyJet, Turkish Airlines, and Saudia.

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The US’s restriction covers a different, but overlapping list of locales: flights from the airports of Cairo, Kuwait City, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Casablanca, Jeddah, Amman, Riyadh and Istanbul.
That amounts to 19,619 scheduled flights, on 56 routes with capacity to carry up to 6.75 million passengers over the next 12 months, and represents 2.25% of all international arrivals to the US, and 4.45% of all inbound-US capacity.

The reasoning is that terrorists could smuggle weapons in the devices.

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Medical Marijuana for the Pooches

Markozen.com Animals, Offbeat

‘We have our dog back’: B.C. woman treats pet with medical marijuana

CBC

hudson

There was a time when Hudson’s anxiety would mean no one in the family could be in the same room as him. Now he’s calmer thanks to being treated with medical marijuana.

Rebecca Hass says the only thing that’s helped her aging canine is cannabis, but that doesn’t mean it’s pot for pets.

Hudson is a 14-year-old Portuguese water dog — he’s in his late 90s in human years. As he’s gotten older, Hass says Hudson has been in increasing distress, whining and yipping every day, often for hours on end.

And if Hass and her family go out, Hudson’s anxiety grows even more.

“We’ve had separation issues that have accelerated to the point that we can’t go away anymore. I think we’re pretty much … married to Hudson now ’til the bitter end.”

There seemed to be nothing physically wrong with Hudson: he was eating well and going for walks and Hass thought he may have anxiety caused by dementia — in dogs it’s called cognitive dysfunction.

“When we talked to a vet they supported that idea, especially since his yipping at that point was really getting worse after 4 p.m., sort of the witching hour apparently.”

Hass says mornings weren’t so bad but “by supper we really couldn’t bear to be in the same room as him.”

One vet told Hass it was cognitive disorder, but there was no real treatment for dogs and they would just have to unfortunately live with it.

But for Hass that wasn’t an option.

After trying some treatments which made no difference, Hass learned that some people were turning to hemp to try and help treat their dogs, and she gave it a shot.

She notes that marijuana is extremely dangerous for pets — so it’s not about sharing the marijuana a human would buy. There’s a big difference between marijuana and hemp that’s rich in a chemical called cannabidiol or CBD — which she claims offers the medicinal benefits without psychotropic effects, though it can be deadly if used improperly.

Hass says Hudson is now calmer: he sleeps better, he’s more mobile, he plays again, and he’s no longer licking obsessively.

“I know it doesn’t work for everyone but it has really changed our life with our dog,” Hass is happy to say.

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Hudson getting his treatment

“We feel like we have our dog back.

“I just couldn’t ignore this dog that I can’t seem to comfort,” she tells Tremonti.

Where could this go?

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dogs8

Trailer Park Boys Jim Lahey Shittacisms

Markozen.com Offbeat, Television

Beware: strong language

I just noticed Trailer Park Boys reruns are back on the tube after a little hiatus. Amazing how you don’t realize how much you miss something until it is gone. But the boys are back.

The first thing that struck me was Jim Lahey’s shittaphors.Lahey is the old warped drunkard who from time to time manages the trailer park.  The man loves the word shit. He adds the word to almost everything he has to say. And sometimes it comes across as quite funny.

So I wasted my time compiling the list below.

Lahey taking a small swig

jim

You know what you get when two shit-tectonic plates collide? Shitquakes, Julian. Shitquakes.

Shit-apples never fall far from the shit-tree

Yes I used to drink Randy but I got the shitmonkey off my back for good

The shit pool’s gettin full Randy, time to strain the shit before it overflows. I will not have a Pompeiian shit catastrophe on my hands

Your shit-goose is cooked, Ricky

I’m watching you, like a shithawk

The ole shit liner is coming to port, and I’ll be there to tie her up.

He’s about to enter the shit tornado to Oz.

Do you feel that Randy, the way the shit clings to the air? Shit Blizzard

Captain Shittacular

Did you see that Randy, Goddamn shitapple driving the shitmobile. No body else in this park gives a fuck why should I?

Birds of a shitfeather flock together, Randy.

We’re in the eye of a shiticane here Julian, and Ricky’s a low shit system!

Never Cry Shitwolf

When you plant shit seeds, you get shit weeds.

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 Lahey and his sidekick Randy in the drunk tank. Notice Lahey has wet himself.

you boys have loaded up a hair-trigger, double barrelled shitmachinegun, and the barrel’s pointing right at your own heads

How dare you involve my daughter in your hemisphere of shit

We’re sailing into a shit typhoon Randy, we’d better haul in the jib before it gets covered in shit

“You started this shitstorm, limpy.”

Ricky: “Why bother with a couple of shit sticks when you can have the whole shit trolley?” Lahey: “Nice shit analogy, Rick.”

“When you keep getting pelted by shit balls, Deputy, you gotta get a shit bat.”

“We gotta nail those shitiots.”

“Well, Ricky, it looks like you cooked your shit goose this time.”

(Erica:) “Ricky is a shit leopard that can’t change his spots.”

“Those two shit rats just pissed on forty dollars worth of eclairs at the bake sale.”

“It’s some kind of distraction from those shitniks.”

“He grew up as a little shit spark from the old shit flint hen he turned into a shit bonfire and then, driven by the winds of his monumental ignorance, he turned into a raging shit firestorm. If I get to be married to Barb, I’ll have total control of Sunnyvale and then I can unleash a shitnami tidal wave that will engulf Ricky and extinguish his shit flames forever. And, with any luck, he’ll drown in the undershit of that wave….shit waves.”

“You just opened Pandora’s shit box, Ray.”

“Shit moths, Randy. They started out as little tiny shit larvae, and then they turned into shitapillars, a pandemic of shitapillars. Everywhere you look, Randy, shitapillars. I tried to put an end to the shitapillars life cycle, but I failed. And now? Shit moths.”

“I sense a shit derailment coming.”

“Listen, we don’t want to cause any shit talk here, boys. Matter of fact, I’ve been thinking about shit a lot less these days. Seeing as how I stepped in so much over the last few years, I’m sick of shit. Sick of shit.”