News of the Week

Posted on December 21, 2013December 21, 2013 by Dusty Roads

While I was out Partying in the best Holiday Tradition, ugly sweater and all, the world kept turning and strange news kept happening. Here’s a few of this week’s headlines. 🙂

Peabody ducks retire to Jack Daniel’s distillery

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. (AP) — A group of ducks retiring from service at Memphis’ Peabody Hotel has moved to Lynchburg.

According to a news release from Jack Daniel’s, Peabody ducks generally retire to the farm where they were raised. But in a Wednesday ceremony, one group walked down red and black carpets following Peabody Duckmaster Anthony Petrina and Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Jeff Arnett to a new home in a pond just below the distillery’s cave spring. There, the ducks will eat the same grain and drink the same iron-free water used to make Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Legend has it that the 80-year-old tradition of letting ducks swim in the Peabody fountain is linked to Jack Daniel’s, in a roundabout way. Supposedly, the Peabody general manager left his live duck decoys in the hotel fountain after enjoying a little of the whiskey on a hunting trip.

Jack Daniel’s is owned by Louisville, Ky.-based Brown-Forman Corp.

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Dog that survived gassing headed to Rose Parade

Samantha Henry, AP

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Things are coming up roses for a scrappy New Jersey beagle who survived a dog pound gas chamber.

Daniel will be among eight shelter dogs riding on a float in the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif.

The 2-year-old beagle mix was 6 months old on Oct. 3, 2011, when he was scheduled to be put down at the animal control facility in Florence, Ala. He was placed with 17 other dogs in a stainless-steel box roughly the size of a pickup truck bed that was filled with carbon monoxide.

Workers at the facility were surprised when he emerged, scared but unscathed, from the chamber. They named him Daniel after the biblical figure who survived the lion’s den.

He was adopted by Joe Dwyer of Nutley, N.J., and has been living happily with Dwyer’s family and other rescue dogs at their home about 10 miles west of New York City.

Dwyer, a motivational speaker, said Daniel’s story of surviving and thriving has prompted laws in 31 states that protect shelter animals against inhumane forms of euthanasia.

Daniel will perform his “high five to keep pets alive” trick and perform with other animal shelter survivors on a parade float sponsored by the Lucy Pet Foundation, which runs mobile spay, neuter and adoption clinics across the country. Daniel has been chosen as the “spokesdog” for the California-based organization, Dwyer added.

“He’s definitely one of the most joyous, happy dogs I’ve ever met in my life,” Dwyer said. “I think his positive attitude is why he’s survived.”

The Rose Parade takes place on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif.

And Last but not least, this Florida man must have had a real bad thirst!

“Florida man cited for trying to trade four-foot alligator for 12-pack of beer”

I don’t think that needs any explanation. 🙂

Have an outstanding day everyone!

Posted on May 27, 2013May 27, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Well Once again I am counting my lucky stars! Sandy and I had a great trip on the Island Princess only to come home to news that Royal Caribbean passengers aboard the Grandeur of the Seas are not having such a good time!

John Bacon and Gene Sloan, USA TODAY10:59 a.m. EDT May 27, 2013

MIAMI — A fire broke out Monday aboard a cruise ship on its way to the Bahamas, but the blaze was quickly extinguished and no serious injuries were reported, Royal Caribbean Cruises said.

The ship Grandeur of the Seas did not require evacuations and continued under full power, reaching Freeport, Bahamas, this morning. Royal Caribbean said that after the fire on a rear mooring deck, passengers had to report to evacuation stations. The ship is being “evaluated,” the company said.

“Grandeur of the Seas experienced a fire this morning. Captain mustered all guests. No injuries of guests or crew reported,” the line said on Twitter.

Royal Caribbean Cruises owns several cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

The fire is the latest in a series of cruise ship mishaps that has shaken the industry. In February, fire in an engine room of the cruis ship Carnival Triumph left the ship dead in the water in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to a lack of propulsion, the ship was without power for essential services such as food preparation and, for a time, running water. Toilets stopped working, as did air conditioning and lighting. The vessel eventually was towed to Mobile, Ala., but not before passengers had to spend four days on board in what was described as miserable conditions.

America’s trust in cruise lines has dropped significantly in the wake of problems aboard the ships, according to a Harris poll released in March.

The survey of 2,230 U.S. adults, which took place between Feb. 19 and 21, found a 17% drop in a measurement of America’s trust in Carnival Cruise Lines following the much-publicized February incident.

Measurements of trust in rival lines including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Holland America also dropped, though not as sharply.

Back to the real world (Almost)

Posted on January 25, 2013January 25, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Sorry I haven’t posted in a few days. The ship had an internet cafe but it was very pricey and the connection slow so I held off trying to get online…boy was that hard! But I’ve still been writing some posts and hope to start getting them uploaded soon. Thanks for hanging in there with me. 🙂 I’m using Free WiFi at my hotel right now…yeah!