I recently watched television. It’s not something I do very often anymore; not for the last ten years. I was somewhat shocked at how I felt when the advertisements would begin, one after another, rolling across the screen. I felt like an animal. I felt like I was cattle. I felt kind of stupid. It was strange.

Meet Senator David Norris. Norris is an academic and civil rights activist from Ireland. Norris has been raising hell in Ireland for decades, having been credited with successes like eliminating the anti-homosexuality law that was on the books back in 1988 after fighting it for 14 years.

This video of him popped up on the web recently and has been getting a lot of play time. In this video, he condemns Israel for their aggression in Gaza, saying that they’re simply using the holocaust as a means to perpetrate their own.

From the video:

“Israel is afraid of Palestinian unity, that’s what all this is about. It has nothing to do with the murder of Israeli children, the Israelis knew that Hamas had nothing to do with it before this war started. With regards to Hamas, Israel created Hamas in order to split Fatah, so they’re responsible for Fatah, and I have that confirmed in the highest level in the foreign ministry in Jerusalem...

Keeping the mind sharp is important as we age. Learning to do new things and making sure we exercise it like a muscle is how we avoid degeneration in old age. When listening to music, several areas of your brain become engaged and more active. When you play a musical instrument and make music yourself, that becomes a sort of full-brain workout. Anita Collins explains how neural pathways are created when you learn to play an instrument, and how proverbial ‘fireworks’ go off in the brain when you play. Also examined is how music and learning to play music can serve as a long-term, positive effect on your brain.

To say that Obama has been kicking the can down the road on the Keystone XL Pipeline is probably an understatement. He has refused to issue a decision on whether or not to build the pipeline, and congress has lacked the votes to pass it. But now, with Republicans sweeping the Senate, picking up 7 seats from Democrats, they’re ready to vote. Senate Republicans plan to push ahead early next year with a bill to approve the pipeline.

And Canada is also ready for them to vote. Joe Oliver, Canada’s Finance Minister, said on Thursday that the Canadian government remains committed to the Keystone XL pipeline project and that he believes it will gain approval.

Whether you’re trying to sniff out offensive pot smokers or want to win the biggest dork in the universe award, this smell-o-scope is right for you.

In Denver, where recreational marijuana is legal, residents have been complaining more often about nasty marijuana smells all over the place. Their assessment that the smell is so offensive isn’t one I agree with, but I will admit, as a Coloradan, I smell pot freaking all the time everywhere. More and more Denver citizens are calling for an anti pot-smell ordinance, and that’s where the smell-o-scope comes in.

Ben Siller, a licensed smell investigator...