Saturday, May 14, 2011

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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As It Stand’s first “What Gall!” award goes to Jack Gerard

Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute

I’m not in the least surprised to see the oil barons go into spin overdrove on their obscene record profits last year. But to listen to Gerard, we should all be happy the Energy Industry is holding us hostage at the pumps! I don’t think so. 

After Exxon Mobil posted first-quarter 2011 profits of $10.7 billion - $6.3 billion more than it earned last year by this time - the company put out a defensive statement arguing that it is not to blame for gasoline exceeding $4 around the country.

So who is to blame?

Jack Gerard, CEO (above)

of the American Petroleum Institute

Instead, the company blamed skyrocketing gas and oil prices on the U.S. government, saying Exxon makes about seven cents on a gallon of gasoline, while state and federal governments collect 40 to 60 center a gallon in taxes.

Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry's lobbying group, spun his industry's record income as a positive, saying high oil company profits signal a stronger U.S. economy. Gerard said Americans "should be proud" of a high-earning oil industry, since it supports millions of jobs and provides income for retirees in the form of profits paid on shares in people's retirement accounts.”

Exxon vice president Ken Cohen portrayed the push to eliminate $4 billion in government subsidies for the industry as an attempt to raise taxes on the industry, saying the subsidies help keep jobs from being exported to other countries.

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Here’s 10 websites that might get your brain to sit up and listen

Supposedly browsing the internet requires more brain power than watching television. Although judging from some of the websites I’ve come across that assumption is cast into doubt. Here’s some of the sites I like that might get your brain to sit up and listen:

TED -

A conference that started in 1984 bringing together experts in technology, entertainment and design quickly grew into so much more. The conference itself is invitation only, but the website features all the talks at the conference in high res video format.

 

 New Scientist

The New Scientist website carries new articles from the magazine as well as the NS archive of over 76,000 pieces

 


Big Think

The Big Think website is a collection of ‘global thought leaders’ who offer their thoughts and analysis on world events and other important developments

 Cafe Scientifique

‘for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology’ The idea behind Cafe Scientifique is that anyone can go to one of the many events organized throughout the world for a layman’s explanation of a scientific subject by a scientist involved in the area.

 

 Breathing Earth

This fantastic website by David Bleja demonstrates CO2 emissions and world population growth in real time on a global map

 

 

  XKCD

It is a web comic, but it’s in a league of its own. XKCD by Randall Munroe (A former NASA contractor). The comics follow a theme of ‘romance, sarcasm, math and language.’

 

 

Arts & Letters Daily

A great collection of articles, essays, disputes and reviews by a select collection of bloggers and publications.

 


How Stuff Works

An enormous website that explains the workings of everything from electronics to déjà vu.


 

Academic Earth

Free university video courses spanning a range of subjects including history, chemistry and computer science.


Eyewitness To History

A collection of eyewitness accounts and media from the ancient world through to modern history


Sourced

Time for coffee and sharing this Saturday…

Good morning. Pull up a chair and have some coffee or tea with me while I share some news and views.

How about the Mysterious boom in parakeets — in England?  Native to the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa, the rose-ringed parakeet is enjoying a population explosion in many London suburbs, turning a once-exotic bird into a notorious pest that awakens children, monopolizes garden bird feeders and might even threaten British crops.

Look out liars! This article, Pants on fire: Scientifically proven ways to catch a liar lays out all the ways you can use to catch liars. Politicians in particular should be sweating their asses off if the general population learns how to tell when they’re lying!

Big Brother is alive and well in Texas. This story cracks me up: Cameras in Texas schools to keep eyes on fries The next time children in some elementary schools in Texas try to sneak extra French fries onto their tray in the cafeteria line, the eye in the sky will be watching them!

Here’s a story that’ll get you. Talk about long odds. Talk about Dad having to do some explaining! Excuse me, but aren’t we brothers? Luck, fate, kismet -- whatever you want to call it, two guys named Joe and Rick got hit by all three on a beach in Hawaii.

It started innocently enough: Joe Parker was walking on the beach one day. He saw a family taking pictures and offered to take a group photo of Rick Hill and his family. Rick and Joe get to talking, one thing leads to another -- and voila: Turns out they're related! And not as 13th cousins twice-removed -- the pair discovered they were from the same part of Massachusetts, which led them to find out that they had something else in common: Dad.

This story make me wonder if the White House has a wine cellar? Cost-cutting government to sell its best wines Cost-cutting government plans to sell off some of its stock of fine wines to pay for cheaper bottles that will be offered to visiting dignitaries to England.

The way I look at this cost-saving move is visitors are now going to know they’re not getting the best wines when they visit leaders in England. This might be a big break for some cheaper wines , like Ripple and Boones Farm!

Busy day ahead. I’m meeting with a man at Niveen’s in Mack Town at 10 a.m. He is a regular reader of my column and says he has a method (not surgery) of strengthening my eyes so I don’t have to wear glasses for long distance! Should be an interesting conversation. I might even write about this meeting.

Meanwhile, It’s time for me to head on down the road…

Friday, May 13, 2011

Today is a special Friday the 13th…do you know why?

fridaud13th

May 13, 2011 is the only Friday the 13th of the whole year! And believe it or not, the superstitious may feel even more out of luck on this Friday the 13th in particular. Why? In the science of Numerology, the exact date of May 13, 2011 reduces to ... you guessed it: the number 13.

Did you know that:

--The 13th day of the month is slightly more likely to be a Friday than any other day of the week.
-- Every year has at least one and at most three Friday the 13ths.
-- Just as many people are born on Friday the 13th as any other day, but there are slightly more people who die on Friday the 13th. The theory is that fear, with or without reason, can kill.

Image source

Another manic Friday…the 13th! What me worry?

Image: Man dressed as Batman

Good Morning Humboldt County! What a crazy world we live in. Pull up a chair and have a cup of coffee with me as you look over the news of the day:

A man dressed as Batman was arrested after police in a small Michigan town found him hanging off the side of a building and carrying concealed weapons including a baton and a can of chemical irritant spray.

Image: Andy Warhol's "Self-Portrait"

Andy Warhol's very first self-portrait was sold a couple of days ago when it soared to $38.44 million at Christie's post-war and contemporary art auction.

I never could appreciate Andy’s work. Campbell Soup cans aren’t my idea of art. I’m trying to wrap my mind around the person who bought this self-portrait. My guess is it’s King Midas, or a Wall Street stock trader.

 Musicians' memories really sing, according to study.All those years of playing an instrument, practicing scales, and rehearsing regularly can payoff in midlife and beyond, new research finds. The advantage musicians have may well be between their ears.

This study found that people with four or more decades of musical training appear to have sharper thinking and hearing skills than their less musically inclined peers. Better yet, these benefits seem to buffer against some age-related memory and auditory declines later in life.

A glowing mystery surrounds the first American in orbit Suddenly John Glenn was no longer alone.

Surrounding Friendship 7, like tiny light motes from some fable of fairyland, were thousands of tiny creatures.  Some came right to his window, and he stared in wonder at the tiny specks.  Then he saw they were frost and ice. Some were shaped like curlicues. Others were spangled and starry, like snowflakes sailing and dancing and swirling in an incredible swarm about the spacecraft.Glenn was beside himself with awe and curiosity and fascination.  He had no idea where this stunning phenomenon had originated.
I never heard this story of the colorful fireflies in space before.

Southwest tells woman, mother they are 'too fat to fly'

Kenlie Tiggeman is impressive, to say the least. She's a budding gardener at her mother's home in Galliano, a political strategist working in New York City, a blogger, and in the last two years — she's lost 120 pounds. But unfortunately, some people only look skin deep.

"It doesn't matter how far I have come. I have a long way to go, but no one sees that. All they see is my exterior — someone who is fat," explained Tiggeman.

She said that's what happened during a layover in Dallas on Easter Sunday, when she and her mother were singled out by a Southwest employee for their weight.

Southwest's "Customers of Size" policy states passengers are required to buy a second seat if they cannot fit between the armrests, which measure 17 inches across.

That’s about all this morning. Time for me to head on down the road…

 

Cyber War: Facebook's Google smear campaign outed

Cyber wars spill over into the mainstream media more often than ever these days. Now Facebook, working hard to shore up its own reputation as a company that plays loose with users' privacy, admits to using a PR firm to spread malicious information about Google's privacy practices to the media.

The social networking giant has been trying to get newspapers and websites to run stories saying that the search giant is invading users' privacy. Those bad boys and girls. What will they do next? It’s really a nasty little battle they have going, complete with people defecting from one company and going to the other one.

Dan Lyons, of The Daily Beast, said that when "confronted with evidence, a Facebook spokesman last night confirmed" that the company hired PR giant Burson-Marsteller to do the dirty work. USA Today, which was pitched as well by the PR firm, looked into the story, and found it meritless, that "the claims were exaggerated," said Lyons.     Photo source

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Thursday Morning musings…

Image: Man dressed as Batman

Good Morning Humboldt County! What a crazy world we live in. Pull up a chair and have a cup of coffee with me as you look over the news of the day:

A man dressed as Batman was arrested on Wednesday after police in a small Michigan town found him hanging off the side of a building and carrying concealed weapons including a baton and a can of chemical irritant spray.

Image: Andy Warhol's "Self-Portrait"

Andy Warhol's very first self-portrait was sold Wednesday when it soared to $38.44 million at Christie's post-war and contemporary art auction.

I never could appreciate Andy’s work. Campbell Soup cans aren’t my idea of art. I’m trying to wrap my mind around the person who bought this self-portrait. My guess is it’s King Midas, or a Wall Street stock trader.

 Musicians' memories really sing, according to study.All those years of playing an instrument, practicing scales, and rehearsing regularly can payoff in midlife and beyond, new research finds. The advantage musicians have may well be between their ears.

This study found that people with four or more decades of musical training appear to have sharper thinking and hearing skills than their less musically inclined peers. Better yet, these benefits seem to buffer against some age-related memory and auditory declines later in life.

A glowing mystery surrounds the first American in orbit Suddenly John Glenn was no longer alone.

Surrounding Friendship 7, like tiny light motes from some fable of fairyland, were thousands of tiny creatures.  Some came right to his window, and he stared in wonder at the tiny specks.  Then he saw they were frost and ice. Some were shaped like curlicues. Others were spangled and starry, like snowflakes sailing and dancing and swirling in an incredible swarm about the spacecraft.Glenn was beside himself with awe and curiosity and fascination.  He had no idea where this stunning phenomenon had originated.
I never heard this story of the colorful fireflies in space before.

Southwest tells woman, mother they are 'too fat to fly'

Kenlie Tiggeman is impressive, to say the least. She's a budding gardener at her mother's home in Galliano, a political strategist working in New York City, a blogger, and in the last two years — she's lost 120 pounds. But unfortunately, some people only look skin deep.

"It doesn't matter how far I have come. I have a long way to go, but no one sees that. All they see is my exterior — someone who is fat," explained Tiggeman.

She said that's what happened during a layover in Dallas on Easter Sunday, when she and her mother were singled out by a Southwest employee for their weight.

Southwest's "Customers of Size" policy states passengers are required to buy a second seat if they cannot fit between the armrests, which measure 17 inches across.

That’s about all this morning. Time for me to head on down the road…

 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Cops To Attend Candlelight Vigil and Say "Legalize Drugs" to Honor Fallen Colleagues

In conjunction with Peace Officers Memorial Day, some police are pointing out how too many law enforcers are killed in the line of duty enforcing a senseless and unwinnable "war on drugs."  The group, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), is calling for the legalization and regulation off all drugs, and they're telling stories about their fallen friends and colleagues to back up their case.

"When one of my best friends was killed doing an undercover drug purchase, it opened my eyes to the fact that not only are these drug laws ineffective, but they lead to brave and dedicated law enforcers losing their lives," said Neill Franklin, a 34-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department, now LEAP's executive director. "Ed Toatley was one of the best narcotics agents the state of Maryland ever had, but this failed drug war wasn't worth him losing his life over."

See http://copssaylegalize.blogspot.com/2011/05/remembering-our-fallen-comrades.html for more information about Ed Toatley's story.

Here's a piece we have on Huffington Post today on this topic: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neill-franklin/lets-legalize-drugs-to-sa_b_860473.html

WHO: Former police officers who support legalizing drugs

WHAT: Candlelight vigil in remembrance of fallen colleagues

WHEN: Friday, May 13 @ 7:30 PM EST

WHERE: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial; on E St. between 4th and 5th Sts., NW, Washington, DC

The candlelight vigil, which officially begins at 8:00 PM, is sponsored by the National Law Enforcers Memorial Fund and is part of National Police Week. 25,000 to 40,000 police officers and family members are expected to attend official events over the course of the week. The group of pro-legalization police officers will be available for on-site press interviews around 7:30 PM, before the start of the vigil.

CONTACTS: Tom Angell - 202-557-4979 or media@leap.cc or Neill Franklin - 443-286-6737 or neill.franklin@leap.cc

A cowardly act of treason? Tea Party members call out House Speaker John Boehner

Rev. William Temple spoke during a news conference that coincided with an address by House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). Temple, dressed in Colonial-era regalia, called Boehner "a wimpy RINO," which stands for "Republican In Name Only." (Mark Wilson / Getty Images / May 9, 2011)

'Tea party' members have accused House Speaker John Boehner and his lieutenants of preparing to sell them out to the White House in 'a cowardly act of treason against coming generations.' Story Here.

Photo - Rev. William Temple spoke during a news conference that coincided with an address by House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). Temple, dressed in Colonial-era regalia, called Boehner "a wimpy RINO," which stands for "Republican In Name Only." (Mark Wilson / Getty Images / May 9, 2011)

Bob Marley: It’s been 30 years since the music stopped

(Clockwise from left) Bob Marley performing in 1975, Bob Marley's boyhood home & mausoleum & the Marley Brothers performing with Rastafarian flag (© Ian Dickson/Rex Features; Rene Burri/Magnum Photo; Camilla Morandi/Rex Features)

May 11, 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of iconic reggae singer Bob Marley’s death. To honor the legend’s life, we take a look at how he grew from modest beginnings to one of the world’s most beloved musical icons. Story here.

Skip ahead to read about:

His political influence

His legendary music

His death

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Lethal ladies: 7 novels about killer women

  • From wronged wives to a psychotic socialite, these fictional femmes are playing for keeps

  • You know the expression “dressed to kill”? You might not want to use it around any of the characters in these seven deadly books.

  • Spring and summer fiction is packed with women who can do almost anything in cold blood. From wronged wives to a psychotic socialite, they would do well to stay away from anything sharp.

  • (But, of course, they don’t.) Superstars like James Patterson and Charlaine Harris return with their latest, but there are also gripping works from newcomers, such as Canadian Holly Luhning, who weaves a story around the legend of sixteenth-century Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time. Bathory was bricked up in a castle as punishment for her crimes, and you might want to brick yourself up somewhere quiet to work through this killer reading list.          Photo source

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver split up after 25 years

The former California first lady has moved out after 25 years of marriage. Maria Shriver helped bolster Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign against charges that he groped women during his movie career.

I guess it wasn’t easy living with the Terminator. He could be a cranky bastard when he wanted to. Now that the “Governator” has made his mark on California he’s back to making movies. He’s got one coming out soon according to reports I’ve read.

Meanwhile I’ll eagerly await Maria’s tell-all bio about what it was like living with a barbarian! 

What bugs you? Book uncovers science of what irks us

The way your significant other chews. Your co-worker's ringtone. People who spell "definitely" "definately." Videos that won't stop "buffering." Traffic. "Halfalogues."Farmville.

You know what bugs you. But do you know why? In the new book "Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us," two science journalists attempt to answer exactly that. We spoke to Joe Palca, an NPR science correspondent, and Flora Lichtman, multimedia editor for NPR's Science Friday, to find out why certain things drive us nuts. Story Here.

Image source

Monday, May 9, 2011

Attention Humboldt Bloggers! Dave wants you!

UPDATE: Like an ass, I forgot to mention I’ll be available for interviews on local radio stations only. This is truly a grass roots campaign.

Looking for a lighter side to this upcoming presidential election? I’ve got just the thing for you. My presidential campaign will offer comedic insights into a process that’s really quite a joke these days.

So why the hell am I telling you this? Because I’m running a very austere bid for the presidency, and any publicity is GOOD when I don’t have to pay for it. That’s where your blog comes in:

How can you help me get elected - or rejected-  in my quest?

1.) Carry this link to my Online Presidential Campaign Headquarters on your bloglist. That would be cool.

2.) My “Grass Roots” campaign is ideally suited for Humboldt County blogs and will give you another local subject to blog about.

3.) Who knows? Maybe my campaign will get national attention and I’ll be able to forward a new agenda for America. Can you see it? Humboldt Bloggers promote one of their own and expect kickbacks if Dave is elected. You’re going to have to help me with that new agenda though. Got any ideas? Talking points? Jokes?

In conclusion; I’m looking for a Campaign Manager (the pay is peanuts – I bought some in bulk at Costco) but just imagine the satisfaction you’ll have heading up this campaign! By the way, I’ll need some suggestions for what to call the New Party that I’m going to have to form. I don’t want anything to do with the current political parties.

Blog On!

 

Monday morning musings…

Image: Galos Caves

As I delicately slurp my coffee this morning, I’m still trying to get over the shameful exit my Lakers made from the playoffs. It stressed me out. So, this morning I’m looking at places to shed that stress.

There’s places you can de-stress in a brewery, a prison or underwater spas. The world's strangest spas are in the last places you'd look.

Photo –you no longer have to visit Poland to experience salt caves built with crystals from the Black Sea—thanks to the Polish and Ukrainian specialists who came to Chicago to construct the first U.S. salt-iodine caves (opened in 2005). Visitors spend about an hour in the dim caves, listening to calming music, and breathing in the salty air.

Viera-tease.thumb-m[1]

After nearly five years as co-anchor of TODAY, Meredith Vieira has decided to leave the show in June. Ann Curry will take her place as co-anchor of America’s No. 1 morning show along sImage: A demonstrator, his hair cut and his head painted in red, to read in Spanish: 'No More Violence'ide Matt Lauer. Meredith will continue in a new role at NBC News, with an official announcement in the coming months.

Tens of thousands of Mexicans Sunday marched into the capital city to protest the wave of killing that has claimed 38,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon launched his war on drug gangs in late 2006.

Demonstrators, many wearing white and walking in silence, held up placards that read "Not a single more death," "Enough already" and "No more bloodshed."

The march started Thursday about 45 miles from the capital in the tourist city of Cuernavaca, which has been rocked by drug-related violence and where in March suspected hitmen killed the son of writer Javier Sicilia, who is heading the march.

Photo - A demonstrator, his hair cut and his head painted in red, to read in Spanish: 'No More Violence,' protests during a march against gang violence in Mexico City on Sunday

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Requiem for a Dynasty in the NBA: Lakers get swept in playoffs

imagesof a heavyweight

You get spoiled when your team wins year-after-year. It’s like supporting an undefeated  heavyweight champion. You know that the odds are against him from winning forever. Someday, someone will out punch him out. Today was that day for The Lakers.

It was a sad day for a lot of reasons. The two-time consecutive champion(s) looked old and were battered into submission.
One, was they way the Lakers got beat. It was humiliating. It was never close. The team didn’t (couldn’t?) rally for “The Gipper” aka Phil Jackson. No story book ending.

The Mavs made playoff history with a million 3-pointers! (At least it seemed like that many!) I lost count after they hit 11 of them in the first half! The 3’s continued to come down like rain in the second half with nine more 3s for a total of 20 in the game. The record is twenty 3s in a game. Ouch! That’s some slugging!

Two, what a sad legacy for Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, the most winning coach imagesCA1TQQAOin NBA history. His last team self-destructed. They were blown out in game four. I should say knocked out like a tired old heavyweight. Everyone thought the Lakers had plenty of fight left, and that no team could sweep them. He never coached another team that played so shamefully in the end.

Throughout this series with the Mavs, there was an undertone of discontent among certain players on the team. Rumors flew. Bad things happened. The players were defeated by toxic chemistry in the locker room. It was a poorly held secret. Kobe’s wife involved with Pau Gasol’s girlfriend in getting her to leave him. Pau was mad at Kobe. Kobe caught in between. Then Lamar Odom’s reality show with his famous wife was too painful for his team mates to watch. Just too much. All of this drama worked against Jackson who hoped for a better exit to his illustrious career. He certainly deserved better than this. he deserved professionals, but got a bunch of drama queens.

Three, where was the pride the Lakers have always shown in their playoff history? It wasn’t there. The players hung their heads like criminals awaiting execution. They were like deer frozen by the Mav’s hoopster headlights… then ran over. All but Kobe. He never gave up. He played his heart out. Like, or dislike Kobe, you have to respect the pride he played with. Right up until Jackson took him out.

When you’re a champion you have to lose like a champion. Odom was thrown out of the game for a flagrant II foul on Dirk. Then Bynum creamed J.J. Barrea (another flagrant II) and was ejected from the game a minute later! I never saw a more embarrassing playoff loss in my life! The Lakers were down by 27 points at the time frustrated and pissed off. Each player has to know their legacy has been tainted now as part of this 2011 team.

History tells me what will happen next. The Lakers management is going to dismantle this team (with the exception of Kobe). There’s a few other key players under contract for a year, but even they could become trade material.
It’s the end of an era. Sigh.
I wish it could have happened with more dignity.

As It stands,One thing won’t change today however…I’ll continue being a loyal Laker fan (over four decades and counting)  and hope for better days ahead.  
 

As It Stands: Humboldt County columnist announces bid for presidency in 2012

Dave the 4th of July (240x180)

UPDATE! My Online Campaign Headquarters will be ready to roll on Monday May 9th. It’s time for REAL CHANGE!

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 05/08/2011 02:40:40 AM PDT

Thank you for stopping by today because I have an announcement to make: I'm running for president of the United States.

As soon as you quit laughing, allow me to explain why I couldn't do any worse than the idiots who currently entertain the same thought. Let's start with Donald Trump. He tried a “birther” platform, and when that failed to work, he became the butt of every comedian in show business and President Obama. Trump didn't miss a beat and went after the president's school records!

Don't ask me why. It makes no sense. People seem to be fascinated with him, but that's Capthjivvvrejust the point. Real estate mogul Trump is also an entertainer (”You're fired!”). Recently, he's deluded himself into thinking he can buy some prime real estate at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C.

If people can take Trump seriously, then I see no reason why they can't take me seriously and vote for some real change. As an open and transparent candidate, I'll be ready to show my “Live Certificate of Birth” (Cleveland, Ohio), my military records (Army), my school records, and a blue first-place ribbon I won in third grade for making 10 out of 10 free throws.

If Sarah Palin decides to throw her tube of lipstick into the presidential candidate parade, I'll be ready. When she starts with that “I can see Russia (or was it Putin?) from my back porch” babble I'll counter with, “I can see redwood trees from mine.”

Her claim is obliviously ridiculous, and mine is absolutely true.

That's the biggest reason to vote for me; I'll tell you the truth, and I don't have to cater to lobbyists and career politicians. I'm imagesCA4KPGERno political party's puppet. I'll tell you straight out. I can barely tolerate politicians. Especially career politicians. I don't think the Constitution was written with such an animal in mind.

Since our society has decided we need political parasites, I'll introduce term limits that will apply to all elected positions. No exceptions. One term, and it's time to go down the road and earn a honest living. If a person wants to leave a positive legacy, they'll spend all their time in office serving the people who elected them.

That will eliminate the need to build up a billion-dollar campaign chest halfway througvoyefor56nvh a term of office in order to get re-elected.

I'll also make sure that politicians who are caught in corrupt acts suffer a lot more than a puny censure from their peers. In my administration, they'll face the same penalties as anyone else caught doing the same crime, regardless of their status in office or society.

Another big benefit when you vote for me is I don't know any politicians in Washington. Not one. That will allow me to objectively look at every person's resume for appointed positions, including my cabinet.

I'll gather the best non-partisan economists in the country and take their advice on how to get America out of debt. There'll be cutbacks, but they won't be o28667205v1_225x225_Frontn the back of the middle class and the poor. Programs like Medicare will face intense scrutiny. The millions being flushed down the drain in fraud will dry up when I set the watchdogs loose.

None of these things will happen if you don't vote for me. My goal is to shake up this country with common sense instead of the political rhetoric that's polarizing our entire political process.

If elected, it'll be just my wife, our pug and myself in the White House. Taxpayers won't pay for extravagant parties because we aimagesohkcbren't interested in having any. We'll stick with the current furniture and decorations and won't go through the White House changing things around like past presidents did. It wasn't easy to get my wife to agree to this condition, but she promised, if I'm elected.

Please don't send me any campaign contributions. I'm running my campaign on a shoestring budget (my monthly allowance after paying all the bills). All I ask is that you vote for me in 2012. It would be nice if you'd tell your friends about my candidacy as I'm depending upon word of mouth to inform the voters.

As It Stands, in the interest of full disclosure, my hair is real, and my teeth are false!

Web sites carrying this column:

AOL NEWS Online news magazine (May 8)

Basic Famous PeopleYou have to be famous to be featured in this online magazine. They have all things Trump and comments about him.

Birth Records are Free - Birth Records Free For Research

Donald Trump for President - donaldtrumpforpresident.org is an website that endorses, and wants to help Donald Trump get elected president in 2012. They are a grass roots organization, made up of fans of Donald Trump, and his ideas. They are not connected directly to Donald Trump, or any of his organizations.

TRUMP 2012 - This website was created and is funded and maintained by volunteers who seek a better America and who believe Donald Trump as President may provide the leadership to make that happen.

So Donald Trump in Real Time Online magazine that follows Trump’s progress in politics. In association with SoCeleberties magazine.

Schema-rootEncyclopedia of current events (May 8) Cross-referenced news and research resources about  columnists

Cleveland Newswire - Comprehensive Real-Time News Feed for Cleveland, OH (article #22 - 5/8/11)

PennRealtySite - The Best place to find news on Pennsylvania real estate. (Don’t ask me why, I don’t get it)

Waterindtell - Water Purification Stocks, Wave Energy, Tidal Power, Water Desalination Companies (Here’s another unusual blog that picks up my column every week)

Survive December 2012 Are these the end times? You might be right or wrong.

Humboldt County Newswire - Comprehensive Real-Time News Feed for Humboldt County, CA.

Universal Music Power

In a delightful description of the power of music William Congreve wrote "Music hath charms to sooth a savage beast..." in his 16...