Signs of the Apocalypse: Part One

Chill the VodKa and get out your Martini Glass: James Bond is back in a new novel

“My name is Bond. James Bond.”

He’s back! For all of you 007 Fans this is big news.

________________________

With code name ‘Project X,’ the book set to be released in 2011.

Video of Daniel Craig, the most recent Bond actor.

Video of Roger Moore reflects on playing Bond.

Image source

_____________________________

Ron Artest rescues the Lakers with last-second shot

Regular readers of this blog know that I’m a Laker fan (have been since they moved to LA and played at the old Sports Arena).

The Laker’s trip to the finals has been fascinating, frustrating, and it’s still not over. They have to beat the Sun’s in Phoenix. If they don’t, the seventh game will be at Staples Arena where the Lakers are unbeaten in the series.

Ron Artest pulled the Laker’s out of the fire at the last possible moment.

The forward's follow of Kobe Bryant's miss gives the Lakers a 103-101 victory over the Suns and puts them one victory from the NBA Finals.

Internet addicts guilty of starving baby to death

A South Korean couple were convicted Friday of abandoning their newborn daughter, who starved to death while they addictively played an online game raising a virtual child.

------------------------------------------

Related story:

Chinese Teen Beaten To Death At Internet Addiction Camp

Internet addiction is a controversial topic, its very existence is debated, but that hasn't stopped China from classifying ten million teens (about 10 percent of all teenagers) as Internet addicts. Treatment camps for the affliction have sprung up in China, but the reported tactics and methods of the doctors are often questionable
Top image source                     Bottom image source

Arizona Sing-A-Long: Read Immigration Law!

Here’s another take on the controversial immigration law

SEE SUNDAY’S (5/30) “As It Stands” in The Times-Standard for my views on Arizona’s controversial immigration law.

LIVE COVERAGE of the oil spill in the Mexican Gulf Coast

Obama and experts are now saying this is the worst oil spill ever. Anywhere.

It’s a catastrophic event caused by numerous reasons, but the underlying reason was there was NO REGULATIONS in place to prevent it.

It’s blame game time. I’m disgusted with everyone involved. There should be criminal charges brought to everyone responsible for this massive spill. Today we have live coverage of an attempt to stop it. Go here for LIVE COVERAGE of the Deepwater Horizon spill

Post Card Memoriablia: from mundane to the outrageous

--------------------------

I discovered this link this morning while surfing in Cyberspace. It has a list of categories that range from funny to shocking.

Each photo provides an interesting connection to a certain time period and culture.

Go to Bizarre Photographs to see a large assortment of thought-provoking postcards.

-----------------------------------------------

Guest Opinion: How will YOU vote in November 2010?

(Please note you the taxpayer are paying members of Congress to play computer games and on Facebook)

By Jim Davis/Veterans For Change

Come this November 2010 there will be 30 members of the Senate and 435 members of the House up for re-election! Of the 435 in the House, 32 will be retiring (see below)!

Many Americans will sit back, complain, gripe and moan about the economy, world trade, gas prices, contamination by various chemical agents and molds, care and treatment of veterans, jobs, illegal aliens, amnesty, imported foreign workers, the ever growing national deficit, you name it.

Have you tracked how your elected members of Congress have voted and on which bills that you feel are important? Did they vote for any or all veteran bills? Do you know their attendance records in Congress?

These are all very important issues, and it’s the responsibility of every single American Citizen to pay attention, learn, and decide is the person in office doing the job they promised to fulfill? Are they meeting your expectations? Are they voting for, against, or abstaining from important issues?

I took the time for you, and I personally checked the voting records of all 535 members of Congress, and not one member voted for any veteran bill in 2009 that was passed and signed into law! NOT A SINGLE ONE in 2009!

Veteran’s one and all, I am asking you to please, think carefully before casting your vote this coming November, we need to rid ourselves of all career politicians, bring in fresh blood, fresh perspectives, and at the end of their term if they too cannot perform, vote them out too.

We voted them into office, we can vote them out of office! It’s that simple!

Veterans make up 8-9% of the voting population in any state or county, and that number, small as it is can mean the difference between winning or losing a re-election campaign, and it’s time we show those in office now that WE DO COUNT! WE the people are in control!

Please be wise, don’t just vote for name sake, or re-elect someone just because they’ve been there forever, be strong, be courageous, be bold!

When you cast your vote in November 2010 make it mean something, show those in Congress now WE ARE BACK IN CHARGE and put a new body in the seat who just might be the better person!

Below are two lists, one is of all members of the US Senate who are up for re-election this year, please note the number of years in office and that not a single one of these members voted for any veteran bills! (Updated 02/18/10 2:09pm PST)

This is a Country of the People, by the People and for the People! And in case you’d forgotten WE ARE THE PEOPLE! So I urge you to please vote smart, lets not have two more years of the same House members or six more years of the Senate members who have only disappointed us beyond belief!

As It Stands goes to school: class critiques my column

I got a pleasant surprise yesterday, when a friend told me that her son read my column “Why Humboldt County Will Survive Marijuana Legalization” in his class. I thought she just mentioned it, but as it turns out, she assigned it as a project.The teacher, Ms Wozny, gave the class an assignment to critique my column.

She’s going to share those critiques with me. I’m really looking forward to seeing what these students have to say. I’ll post their comments for you. Ms Wozny looks for a controversial topic every week and selected my column to share. I’m humbled by this, and appreciative of the opportunity to get input from the next generation of Humboldtians:

May 25, 2010 - email

Hi Dave,
I didn't just mention it, it was an assignment!  They had to read it and respond to it with their own essay.  If you'd like, I'll ask if they wouldn't mind and I could send you what they write.

They are in an English class equivalent to CR's 150, even though they are in high school, and they respond to editorial pieces/controversial pieces etc., once a week.  They are usually pretty good, if I do say so myself, and this is definitely a topic they had a lot of opinions on! Thanks for taking the time to email!
From Gini Wozny - Fortuna Union High School District-Academy of the Redwoods Campus
http://redwoods.edu/eureka/academy/  (707) 601-0966 Cell  (707) 476-4203 Office (707) 476-4439 Fax

image source

After Graduation Blues: College Students Face Reality

Bob Englehart / The Hartford (CT) Courant, Politicalcartoons.com

Divers Explore Sunken Ruins Of Cleopatra's Palace

-------------------------------------------------------------

A recently excavated bronze cult statue found in the Temple of Isis sits in a bath of fresh water to desalinate it, onboard the Princess Duda research boat, anchored in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt, Tuesday, May 25, 2010.

An international team of archaeological divers led by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio is using advanced technology to explore the submerged ruins of a palace and temple complex from where Queen Cleopatra ruled, painstakingly excavating one of the richest underwater archaeological sites in the world and retrieving stunning artifacts from the last dynasty to rule over ancient Egypt before the Roman Empire annexed it in 30 B.C.

----------------------------------------------------