As It Stands: Next stop online: Humboldt Blogs, a slice of Americana

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 04/10/2011 02:40:31 AM PDT

The Humboldt Blogisphere, where increasingly more county residents go for information on natural disasters or local news, is part of a national movement of online citizen reporters.

Local bloggers can instantly pass on information that may not come from more traditional sources in times of emergency. A prime example of this is Kym Kemp's blog “Redheaded Blackbelt.”

Her online viewers are given up-to-the-moment information on area events. After the recent massive landslide on Highway 101 (Photo by Kim Sallaway posted on Kym’s blog), she provided emergency updates, links and photos, with help from her many resources. She's also a well-known marijuana activist whose articles have been published in national magazines like “High Times.”

I'm not saying we don't have great radio stations and print media. I am saying local blogs offer a wealth of information on all things Humboldt.

If you're a liberal, brace yourself for ridicule when you visit and make a comment at the Humboldt Mirror. This right-wing blog's “Bugs” like to slice and dice “Progs” (the slang for progressives). If you're a conservative, be ready for scorn if you stop by and make a comment at The Humboldt Herald blog whose motto is, “Provoking Humboldt Since 2006.”

Both popular blogs provide lively local news and political debate. The “Bugs” cutting-edge humor is one reason to read them. The author(s) of the Humboldt Mirror (Do Good, look good. Do Bad, look out.) are unknown, which is probably a good thing.

Equally mysterious is The Humboldt Herald's spokesperson, Heraldo, who seems to have a lot of resources when it comes to local government news. Check out The Humboldt Herald's blog list for links to the majority of other Humboldt County blogs.

Combining their radio expertise successfully with their own blogs are Tom Seaborn (shown here with Cynthia McKinney), program director for KGOE, the only progressive commercial news talk station in Humboldt County, and Eric Kirk, who covers Southern Humboldt and does a one-hour talk show on KMUD on the third Thursday of the month.

For local history I recommend a trio of blogs. “Lynett's NorCal History blog” has historical articles and old photos of Native Americans who lived on the North Coast. “Adventures of the Klamath Librarian” by blogger Adrienne R.S. Harling deals with the history of the Klamath River region. Adrienne is from Orleans.

The third one, “Ernie's Place,” features “Tales of the Eel River Valley and the wisdom of the people who live there.” Blogger Ernie Branscomb (shown on firetruck) finds time to talk about most anything, so the reader gets a blend of history and his wit and observations on daily life. Ernie is a businessman and a volunteer firefighter and very much involved in the Southern Humboldt community.

Another Southern Humboldt blog, out of Garberville, is called “Always a Vixen, Mostly a Vegan” by blogger Sundara. She features great vegan recipe, and her food photos will make you salivate. Some “down home” advice and insightful dishes make this a pleasant blog to visit.

And for just plain fun, there's “Planet Tapperass” by blogger Sal. He features a humorous quasi-competition for all Humboldt blogs each year. Basically, Sal introduces new, or lesser known, blogs to the Humboldt Blogisphere. This year it came down to Tom Seaborn's Blog and The Plazoid, featuring Tad, a local homeless activist. He also comments on local issues in Arcata. Tom Seaborn's Blog prevailed among some really tough competition.

According to Sal's website, he used the 2011 NCAA Men's College Basketball Division 1 Tournament to determine the winners of each match-up. He matched each blog up with a college team and then followed their progress. Tom Seaborn got the University of Connecticut Huskies, who won the championship this year.

I started my blog “As It Stands” nearly three years ago. I recall my early efforts at starting it up and how hard it was for me. I've always been technically challenged and nearly gave up the idea.

I'm glad I didn't, or I would have missed out on the online community that ties in so closely to our lives here. I got help from some local bloggers and endured. Setting up a blog these days is a more user-friendly experience. Even for people like me.

As It Stands, if you want a slice of true Americana, then check out a region's local blogs. You'll be glad you did.

As It Stands Takes a Peak at the Blogs of Humboldt County Sunday

Venture where no non-blogger has gone before in this Sunday’s Op-Ed section of the Times-Standard.

I take a look at the blogs that form our regional blogisphere, and share their stories.

Bloggers – don’t miss out on this dead-tree edition; you might be in it! It’ll make a great souvenir. Of course you can read it online at the T-S or here. Is the column controversial?

You’ll have to decide that.

 

Let’s take a look at some of the world’s most unusual Theme Parks

When you think theme park, you think roller coasters and family fun. As for gas masks or watching a reenactment of the crucifixion? Not so much. But then you haven't checked out some of most unusual theme parks in the world yet.

Skip ahead to read about:

Gatorland

Dickens World

Tierra Santa

Article source

From Somalia to Sweden with love: man finds job training camels to accept riders

Imagine Ali Abdullah Hassan's surprise when he emigrated from Somalia in 2007 and after working some odd jobs found secure permanent employment training and caring for a pack of camels.

Hassan's new home, of course, is Sweden, near Gyttorp, to be precise. The camels are a family, in fact, mother, father and son. Hassan is training them to carry riders and sings to them in Arabic. Source

User Alert - In spite of scam, Facebook not 'closing' today

Users on social networking site should not click on link seeking confirmation

Despite the best efforts of online scammers — and the dreams of its competitors — Facebook is not closing today.

A scam is currently spreading through Facebook, hitting accounts with a prophetic message that the social networking giant is shutting its doors, the security firm Sophos reported.

“Facebook is closing all accounts today. They can’t handle so many accounts,” the message reads. “Most of the old accounts are not active, so they are deleting everything.”

Then comes the bait: In order to make sure your account stays alive, the message informs users they must confirm they are active Facebook users, otherwise their account will be automatically trashed.

STORY HERE

Should we cheer because our government isn’t shutting down tonight, even though they’ve only come to a temporary agreement?

Via Stumbleon

Volunteers help family after farmer dies sandbagging

'This is just the Midwest attitude,' says man's son, 'it's all about helping people out'

I’m impressed by this show of concern among neighbors. It harkens back to the day when most Americans helped each other out without question. It’s good to know people are still willing to step up for others – especially strangers - during this miserable economy. This is the kind of thing America needs right now, more than ever.

Story Here

Earth to get very close look at a huge asteroid

Let’s hope we don’t have to divert this asteroid because someone’s off on their calculations. I’m reminded of those disaster movies where the hero’s are trying to shoot a monster asteroid down before the earth is destroyed.

Anyway, mark your calendars (November 8th, 2011) for an impressive and upcoming flyby of an asteroid that’s one of the larger potentially perilous space rocks in the heavens – in terms of smacking the Earth in the future.

Story Here

What about Mom? LeBrons’ mother in trouble with law again

Okay…so everyone knows who LeBron James is right? He’s that famous basketball player with more endorsements than Tiger Woods. It seems his Mom has some problems with booze. Has his fame gone to her head?

She was arrested for DUI in Cleveland in 2006, and now she got herself arrested for slapping a valet at a swanky Miami hotel. No problem though, LaBron’s money will get the best lawyer available and they’ll probably turn this case around and sue the assault victim for getting in the way of her hand!

New Car Engine Sends Shock Waves Through Auto Industry

This new engine sure sounds good to me, but I wonder if it will ever go on the market? Seems to me Big Oil might get nervous and put up some roadblocks.

Researchers at Michigan State University have built a prototype gasoline engine that requires no transmission, crankshaft, pistons, valves, fuel compression, cooling systems or fluids.

Their so-called Wave Disk Generator could greatly improve the efficiency of gas-electric hybrid automobiles and potentially decrease auto emissions up to 90 percent when compared with conventional combustion engines.

Story here

Relatives of George Washington selling collection of his artifacts

This article doesn’t explain why the family decided to sell these family keepsakes. It’s usually a matter of needing money, but not always. Washington memorabilia is extremely popular with presidential collectors and history buffs.

I don’t think I’ll be bidding on these items, they’re a little out of my range. For example, there’s a couple of books that are starting at $10,000 each, and you know the final price will be considerably higher. Do you want a piece of George Washington? Go to the link below to get the info:

Excerpt:

“Not only is such a sale by an old family unusual, those experts say, but the size of the collection and the variety of items provide a window on the life and times of both outsize and ordinary Americans in two pivotal centuries.” Story Here - Photo source

Glenn Beck's show sinks in ratings, Fox gives him the boot

Well how about that? Someone finally realized Beck was a basketcase!

Sinking ratings, an ad boycott and a focus on conspiracies lead to its demise.

Completing a swift rise and fall from TV stardom, controversial host Glenn Beck will lose his once-popular Fox News show later this year, the network announced Wednesday. Story Here.

The tax man cometh: how much did you pay for America’s wars this year?

What the heck? While you’re figuring out you taxes, due on April 18th, here’s something else you can figure out: How much did you pay to support the USA’s colonialism?

When will we say “Enough?”

Watch the video.
See how much of your income taxes will pay for war.

Source

If the clowns go what would a government shutdown look like?

Forget “Bring on the Clowns,” because the new version for that old phrase is “Watch the Clowns Do Nothing!” in 2011.

Based upon past shutdowns (1995-1996), here’s what we can expect if our dysfunctional government decides to shut down:

First off, forget about going to the National Zoo in Washington. It’ll won’t be open. I hope you don’t plan on going to any national parks when our polarized politicians are playing their games, because they won’t be open.

If you have a refund coming from The Internal Revenue Service, you’re going to have to wait a while because they could stop issuing refund checks.

How serious are these Republican and Democratic morons about going through with their tantrum? Today, “nonessential employees” were told to “..turn off their BlackBerrys during a shutdown, or risk punishment for working while on furlough.”

The Smithsonian Institution has a sign ready: “Closed for government shutdown.” Just think how thrilled  tourists will be when they arrive this spring and find that out. That’s not going to be pretty! It would be nice if they could give fair warning to the public, but guess what? No one knows when the “Bad Day” will arrive, or how long the shutdown will be.

No cleanup work was done at toxic waste sites during the last two shutdowns because contractors could not be paid and Environmental Protection Agency officials could not monitor cleanup work. No reason not to think the same thing will happen again.

As It Stands, if the clowns are no longer funny, then it’s time for a whole new show. Sweep ‘em all out and start over!

Here’s an article on this subject from today’s headlines:

As shutdown looms, agencies brace for impact

Beware of smiling faces–grining lawmaker unveils plan to dismantle Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare

Makes you want to move to Wisconsin doesn’t it? Not!!

Here’s the latest attack on middle America from the Greed Only Party. Rep. Ryan plan’s on leaving seniors out in the cold.

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan officially unveiled his much-anticipated 2012 budget yesterday, which he dubbed the "Path to Prosperity," which includes ambitious plans to dismantle Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. National media tripped all over itself calling it a "conversion" of traditional Medicaid into a voucher program rather than actually report it as an elimination of the program all together, even though it actually changes the system from a national coverage plan to a voucher system that leaves seniors on their own to find private insurance instead.

Story here

Spies and news anchors: Like ABC, Fox Had FBI Mole In Its Midst

From the Smoking Gun this morning…

“Turns out ABC wasn’t the only television outfit to have an FBI mole in its ranks during the 1990s, according to bureau memos.

A “Fox Network News Anchor” was enlisted by New York agents in mid-1992 to obtain the name of a confidential source being used by fellow Fox journalists who were then preparing a story about Jimmy Hoffa’s murder for the syndicated tabloid show “A Current Affair,” records reveal.”

The Buick is back! No, really …

Buick not only survived, it’s now starting to thrive. For the first two months of the year, the nameplate, which is being positioned as a mid-luxury brand, outsold Lexus, a vehicle brand that has long been dominant in the U.S. luxury market.”  Story here

I bought a 1956 Buick hard top off my Dad in 1968 (Photo left – not mine, but one like it) when I was a senior in high school.(hail Azusa High!) Back then gas was .19 a gallon! Can you imagine? My buddies and I all would kick in a dollar and we’d fill ‘er up and go adventuring. Aaaaaaahhh…those were the days my friend…we thought they’d never end.

As the sun slowly settled into the West the clouds glowed bravely

This photo was taken by Carl Young of Fortuna from his front porch. Thanks Carl …

Monster calls suit over mouse in can a 'shakedown'

If I drank this crap, which I don’t, I’d be resting easy now. The drink maker says it was impossible for a rodent to enter the manufacturing process to get in the can. They think the guy left the can open for a long period of time...

Probably right after this photo was taken…

 Story here.

photo source

Top 10 US Corporate Tax Avoiders Named on Senate Floor

While you’re making out your taxes due April 15th, corporate America is laughing all the way to the bank!

Despite the Supreme Court 's finding that corporations are basically people in the eyes of the law, corporations themselves cannot be moral or immoral -- they are entities, not sentient beings. We have a system that rewards the gamers, where winners take all, and influence peddling is rife; where the defense for a highly profitable company not paying taxes is that it is within the law.

“Despite complaints about the U.S.'s burdensome 35% corporate tax rate, two-thirds of American corporations pay no taxes in a given year. In a speech last week on the Senate floor, Senator Bernie Sanders (pictured here) (I) of Vermont called out the top 10 corporate tax avoiders:

Among those actually getting money back from the Feds:

• ExxonMobil made $19 billion in profits in 2009, paid no federal income taxes, received a $156 million rebate

• Bank of America received a $1.9 billion IRS refund despite $4.4 billion of profits

• General Electric had $26 billion in profits, and $4.1 billion refund (GE made it onto another top 10 list of top corporate lobbyists in 2010, spending $39 million)

• Chevron nabbed a $19 million refund after making $10 billion in profits

Wall Street made the list as well; the Senator's office notes,"Goldman Sachs in 2008 only paid 1.1 percent of its income in taxes even though it earned a profit of $2.3 billion and received an almost $800 billion from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury Department." Full Story.