Nervous over Irene Day 2 - hurricane makes landfall in N.C.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So far it’s not been as bad as expected…

UPDATES BELOW

Good Morning Humboldt County!

I skipping my usual format to follow the course of Hurricane Irene. Note yesterday’s post.

My wife (who is in Baltimore, Maryland) is doing fine and is in good spirits. Because the storm hasn’t been more than a CAT 1 I have hope this supposedly “historic storm” will not be so bad.    Breaking News

11:15 PST:

Hurricane Irene batters N.C.; 3 confirmed dead

NYC closes transit system as Hurricane Irene nears

According to my wife, the weather is not bad in Baltimore. Just overcast.

photo source

2:55 PST

Six dead as Hurricane Irene edges into Virginia

Boy killed when tree slams into home; surfer dies in huge waves off Florida

6:05 PST

Eight dead as Irene churns to Virginia

Eight people, including two children and a surfer, were dead, a million people were without power and the East Coast was a solid wall of red hurricane warnings Saturday as Hurricane Irene lashed the Virginia coast. Forecasters and authorities warned that its run north could be catastrophic.

!0:30 PST

At 11 p.m. ET, about 450,000 homes and buildings were without electricity in Maryland where Shirley’s staying. Maryland emergency officials said a tree fell on a house in Queen Anne's County, killing one person.

Tropical storm conditions spread north into Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware. With Virginia, they make up the so-called DelMarVa peninsula, where tornadoes were reported.

Maryland Police also said they spotted a tornado in a wooded area of the lower eastern shore.

Nervously waiting for Irene: my wife is in the path of what may be an historic hurricane

UPDATE BELOW

Quick backround: my wife, Shirley, is in Baltimore, Maryland and is driving 100 miles a day (round trip) to a VA Hospital in Washington D.C. to be with her brother, Tom, who is enduring chemo treatments for leukemia.

When the quake hit the east coast she was in Washington D.C. at this hospital which is located four miles from the White House. The hospital sustained minor damage in the basement area. I know this because Shirley said they had to take her brother down to the basement for a cat scan and discovered water everywhere from burst pipes and ceiling tiles all over the floor.

Obama: All signs show Irene will be 'historic' storm

Talking with her last night, she said they expect Irene to hit them Sunday. Shirley, her sister-in-law, and niece, are planning on riding Irene out at the VA hospital with Tom. Throughout the bad weather she’s been experiencing, Shirley has maintained an amazing calm. I wish I could say the same! Listening to the news and wondering how hard D.C. is going to get hit is nerve-wracking.

She was greeted with rain on her first day in Maryland - nearly three weeks ago – and the weather has been weird since. Some of the hospital staffers kid her and say that she brought northern California weather with her. Rain and earthquakes.

At times, I feel like I’m in a surreal movie, helplessly watching an oncoming train and powerless to do anything about it. All I can do is stay tuned….

UPDATE at 11:18

Shirley just got back from shopping for supplies. Crazy people everywhere.Her plans have changed. Looks like they intend to ride out Irene in Baltimore. It’s raining now.

UPDATE at 5:55

2.5 million people ordered to safer areas as Irene nears

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

“It’s a monster storm”

Is it just me, or is Ron Paul trying to get some attention by displaying his stupidity?

After a lunch speech today, he slammed FEMA, and said that no national response to Hurricane Irene is necessary. Oh really?

I’m trying to process his statements, but the red idiot light keeps coming on…

Ron Artest changes name to Metta World Peace, wireless system works when disaster hits, and Mexican president berates U.S.

UPDATE:

 Ron Artest’s name change was to become official, that he was to become Metta World Peace. And he was excited about it.

But the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly. As the Associated Press explains.

A Los Angeles court commissioner delayed ruling on a name change petition by the Lakers forward until Sept. 16. Superior Court spokeswoman Elizabeth Martinez says the court cited Artest’s outstanding traffic warrants as the reason for the delay. If we’ve all waited this long for World Peace, we can wait another few weeks, can’t we?

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Good to see you. Pull up a chair, ottoman, bean bag, rocker, or carpet, and let’s get the day started with a few stories making news today: 

Lakers player changes name to Metta World Peace

The Lakers flamboyant forward, Ron Artest, is officially changing his name today. It’s important to understand the guy’s a bit odd but is living life large. “You can call me Ron today and then it’s over. It’s a wrap,” Artest said. “It’s about love, world peace. Everybody can relate to that, whether it’s in the same community or the same state or the same country or whether it’s a country going to war. “It’s about world peace. You know what I mean? The kids need to know that, and they know that now.”

A wireless system that works when disasters hit

One of the first things to disappear in the wake of a major disaster is reliable communication. Without access to cell phone service or the Internet, it's difficult for first responders — or anyone who wants to help out — to speak with each other.

And while satellite phones work in these situations, they're too expensive for many first responder organizations to purchase en masse.

Mexico's Calderon berates U.S. after casino attack

President Felipe Calderon declared three days of mourning on Friday and demanded a crackdown on drugs in the United States after armed men torched a casino in northern Mexico, killing at least 52 people.

Under intense pressure as violence soars, Calderon said he would send more federal security forces to the city of Monterrey, where gunmen set fire to an upmarket casino on Thursday in one of the worst attacks of Mexico's drugs war.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

‘To transform the emptiness of loneliness, to the fullness of aloneness. Ah, that is the secret of life’

quote by - Sunita Khosla   photo source

Rogue Panda rampage, newly weds arrested for stealing food, and Bull semen spill causes scare and closes highway

Good Afternoon Humboldt County!

I got a late start today. Friends in town. Grab a chair, a cool beverage, and let’s take a quick tour of the news today:

Hoax sign warns Arizona drivers of panda rampage

A wave of "panda-monium" has swept through a northern Arizona city thanks to a mischievous street sign hacker who warned motorists of a "ROGUE PANDA ON RAMPAGE." State transportation officials said Tuesday that a person was able to post the hoax warning by hacking into an electronic message board in Flagstaff, Arizona, over the weekend.

image

Bride, groom arrested for stealing food for wedding feast

The hot hors d'oeuvres for a wedding reception in central Pennsylvania were a little too hot, and landed the newlyweds in jail on theft charges, police said on Thursday.

Arthur Phillips, 31, and his bride Brittany Lurch, 22, were arrested on Saturday for stealing groceries valued at $1,049 for their wedding feast that evening, Patton Township Police Chief John Petrick said.

image

Bull semen spill causes scare, closes highway

A spill of frozen bull semen bound for a breeder in the state of Texas triggered a scare on Tuesday that temporarily shut down a U.S. interstate highway during the morning rush hour.

The incident began when the driver of a Greyhound bus carrying the freight alerted the fire department he had lost a part of his load while negotiating the ramp on a highway near Nashville.

"We didn't know what it was, but we were told (the canisters) were non-toxic," said Maggie Lawrence, a fire department spokeswoman.  image

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Study says moods and weather go together, East Coast quake sets tweet record, scientists say global warming causing extreme weather

Good Morning Humboldt County!

I’m looking forward to another beautiful day. Have a cup of coffee, or tea, with me while we check out the following weather-related stories:

Moods really are tied to the weather

According to popular belief (not to mention popular music), there's long been a link between mood and weather. Some of us can't stand the rain. Others aren't happy unless we can feel the warm glow of sunshine on our shoulders.

But does rain really make us blue? And does the sun really cheer us up? A new study in the journal Emotion explored this popular belief by surveying nearly 500 adolescents and their mothers and found that for some of us, weather does indeed have a direct affect on our mood.

According to popular belief (not to mention popular music), there's long been a link between mood and weather. Some of us can't stand the rain. Others aren't happy unless we can feel the warm glow of sunshine on our shoulders. But does rain really make us blue? And does the sun really cheer us up? A new study in the journal Emotion explored this popular belief by surveying nearly 500 adolescents and their mothers and found that for some of us, weather does indeed have a direct affect on our mood.

East coast earthquake beat bin Laden (in tweets per second)

Almost immediately after a moderate earthquake shook up the east coast yesterday, people rushed to Twitter — for news and humor. And in that process, they managed something notable: They tweeted more (per second) than they did when news of Osama bin Laden's death broke.

According to an initial statistic posted on the official @Twitter account, the earthquake tweets came in at a rate of 5,500 per second. The bin Laden news, on the other hand, peeked at 5,008 tweets per second (TPS).

Nation's weather extremes may be the new normal

A record-setting winter in much of the country has been followed by more records: tornadoes, flooding, drought and heat. Climate change is largely to blame, scientists say.

Oklahomans are accustomed to cruel climate. Frigid winters and searing summers are often made more unbearable by scouring winds. But even by Oklahoma standards, it's been a year of whipsaw weather.

Residents in Guthrie, Okla., salvage belongings after a tornado in May.… (Sean Mullins, Associated Press)

Time to walk on down the road…

Part IV : 60’s & 70s psychedelic posters on display

  

  

Google images

NEWS ALERT - D.C., N.Y. areas evacuate as quake felt across East

My wife, Shirley, was in a Washington D.C. VA hospital (just four miles from the White House) visiting her brother when the quake struck.

She said the whole building rolled and woke her brother up who had just had an infusion to treat his leukemia. Everything was back to normal pretty quickly she said (phones and such were down shortly). The hospital staff has been on alert since it hit. No injuries reported. A lot of scared people according to Shirley.

On the lighter side (yes there generally is one) some of the staff accused Shirley of bringing the rain (it’s rained since she got there every day) and now an earthquake!

Here’s some details from NBC News:

Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated buildings across the East Coast on Tuesday after a moderate earthquake in Virginia that was also felt as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. No tsunami warning was issued, but air and train traffic was disrupted across the East Coast.

Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were among the areas evacuated.

At the Pentagon in northern Virginia, a low rumbling built and built to the point that the building was shaking. People ran into the corridors of the government's biggest building and as the shaking continued there were shouts of "Evacuate! Evacuate!"The quake even broke a water main inside the Pentagon, flooding parts of two floors, NBC reported.

Centered some 90 miles south of the nation's capital, the quake was a magnitude 5.9, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Skydiving Pug, iconic Japanese cartoon cat gets museum, and the oil market smells a rat in Libya

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Odin looks like a rock star skydiving with his best buddy!

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Pull up a seat, grab of cup of Joe, and let’s go: My Pug Millie insisted I post this video of Odin the Pug (she thinks he’s hot).

Iconic Japan cartoon cat gets his own museum

He's a small, blue robot cat from the future who's been the inspiration for an animated TV series, served as Japan's cartoon cultural ambassador and is beloved around the world.   graphic

 

The Oil Market Smells A Rat

Libyan rebels, we are told this morning, have captured Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s stronghold in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

On the news this morning, the Dow rallied 125 points and is close to 11,000 again after Friday’s late-day sell-off.

Nothing like a little regime change to take our minds off the prospect of total economic collapse this morning, eh? So far the undeclared Libyan war has cost the US alone an estimated $6.6 billion – a drop in the bucket of a $3.8 trillion annual budget. But the oil market is sniffing a rat.

With two drawn-out, unaffordable, imperial wars already under way...in addition to the three covert wars in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan...how long’s it going to take and how expensive will it be to “wage the peace” in Libya now? Getting Libya’s 1.3 million barrels a day of light sweet crude production back online will be no small task, either.

Time to walk on down the road…

‘Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky’

quote - Rabindranath Tagore

Fortune-telling scam rakes in millions, weird food festivals, and Ferry captain stuck on toilet while ship goes aground

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Thanks for stopping by. Pull up a seat and have a cup of coffee, or tea, with me as we look at today’s headlines. The first story is a cautionary tale for those who think fortune-telling is legitimate. Most of the time it’s not:

8 charged in alleged $40 million fortune-telling scam

Prosecutors say a family of gypsies amassed $40 million in a fortune-telling scam, warning victims that if they didn't follow their advice, terrible things would happen to them or their loved ones. The Sun Sentinel reported that one victim, a bestselling author, gave an estimated $20 million.

image

The weirdest food festivals in the world

From launching tomatoes to heaving tunas, people love to throw food, and some of the most spirited annual events offer an excuse to do so.

Slideshow: World’s weirdest food festivals

La Tomatina food festival in Buñol, Spain (right), is the world's largest food fight, with tens of thousands of people throwing more than 250,000 pounds of overripe tomatoes at one another.

Ferry runs aground after captain stuck in toilet

A Finnish ferry has run aground while its captain was stuck in the bathroom. One member of staff managed to slow the island-hopping tourist ferry down, but the vessel, carrying 54 passengers, slammed onto a rock near the shore of Helsinki, the Finnish coastguard said Friday.

The captain got stuck in the bathroom because of a jammed lock and yelled for help, the coastguard said.Some passengers were bruised and tableware was broken in the incident. The coastguard is investigating whether the captain's actions amounted to criminal endangerment. "He was stuck in the toilet. As soon as the staff member got the door open, it was too late," said Jan Sundell, head of investigation.    image

Time to walk on down the road…

As It Stands: ‘Flash robs’ - the evil evolution of ‘flash mobs’

                                             

   By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

        Posted: 08/21/2011 02:30:25 AM PDT

The first time I heard the phrase “Flash Mobs” in 2003, instant images of flashy gangsters came to mind.
Then I read an article about them. It described a bunch of fun-loving young people meeting in public places to do goofy things like dancing on a street corner to a Michael Jackson tune.
The first flash mob was created in Manhattan in May 2003, by Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine. His first attempt was unsuccessful after the targeted retail store was tipped off about the plan. Waik was persistent and set up a second flash mob on June 3, 2003. He sent participants to preliminary staging areas – in four prearranged Manhattan bars – where they received further instructions about the event and location just before the event began.

As the people gathered in the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel they told curious salespeople they were shopping for a "love rug" and they made all their purchase decisions as a group. At the prearranged time, 200 people simultaneously applauded for about 15 seconds.

 
The flash mob was born. Over the years, I followed various flash mob events like Worldwide Pillow Fight Day (or International Pillow Fight Day) on March 22, 2008. Nearly everything I read about flash mobs indicated they were a fun thing to do and non-violent.

That changed this year. I’ve noticed an ominous trend for flash mobs. They’re getting violent. They’re often politically charged too, and are reshaping parts of the world like the Middle East.
The so-called “Arab Spring” couldn’t have happened without tech smart young people organizing political protests with social media tools like smart phones and the internet. They called for a universal flash mob against their oppressive governments.

The evolution of flash mobs has brought the common people a new way to get their word out. That’s the good news. The bad news is an increase in mass civil disobedience - outright criminality- in countries like England and the U.S. The recent riots in London were fueled by mobs protesting the death of a man shot by the police. But criminal elements took advantage of their sheer numbers and set out on a path of destruction and looting.

A notorious gang boss was observed by police standing on a corner in Manchester, talking into his cell phone. He was flanked by teenagers dressed in black. Police reportedly suspect that he orchestrated the riots and looting.
 The criminals stayed one step ahead of the police by staying in cell phone contact and reporting every move the police made. It was a slash and grab orgy that stunned the British people at first. Now their reclaiming their neighborhoods from the hoodlums who trashed them.
 

It seems like every good technological advance, like cell phones, has a dark side when people abuse it. What started out as harmless fun is now the tool of revolution and increasingly a tool for crime.
Sure, there’s still fun flash mob activity. It’s the increasing reports of flash mobs gone bad that concern me. For example the violent flash mob that recently gathered (June) in Philadelphia causing fear and mayhem.
The 27-year-old online editor for The Onion, a satirical newspaper, had her leg broken when she and her friends were attacked by a group of 40 teens looking for trouble. They also hospitalized a man with major injuries.
 In cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia we’re seeing a new and violent kind of flash mob — gangs of young men suddenly converging to harass or attack unsuspecting pedestrians or to “flash rob” a local merchant. They quickly disperse before the police can respond. (Recommended reading - 8/14 Associated Press article, “From bling to lingo, US inspires UK gangs.”)
What’s causing these violent flash mobs? There’s more ethnic diversity than ever before. Racial tension; gangs; historically hard economic times; desperation, rage, hopelessness, frustration; high, unrelenting summer temperatures and short tempers; and easy access to drugs and guns are all possible explanations.
As It Stands, it looks like my initial reaction to the phrase “flash mobs” so long ago was almost intuitive.

Websites carrying this column:

#1 Broken Controllers – #2 TV Deck – Browsing Eureka #3 Interceder – Flash Mobs

Today’s question: is Idiocracy replacing Democracy in our society?

Did you ever see "Idiocracy," the 2006 sci-fi comedy set in an utterly dysfunctional nation 500 years in the future? Here’s a summary:

“The premise of "Idiocracy" is that a guy named Joe, with a "perfectly average IQ," is selected — along with a prostitute — for a hibernation experiment that inadvertently keeps him asleep until 2505, when he awakes to a world where, as the prologue explains, evolution "began to simply reward those who reproduced the most and left the intelligent to become an endangered species."

The result is a trash-strewn society in which crops are watered with a sports drink called Brawndo, people have names like Frito and Mountain Dew, and the most popular form of entertainment is a reality show called "Ow, My Balls," which consists of footage of a man repeatedly getting whacked in the groin.

Meanwhile, Costco is where you go for toilet paper and a university education, and IQs are so low that "average Joe" is considered a genius.” – source           

                                           Idiocracy in the News:

“The latest issue of the Economist has an article about the business-sabotaging effects of the battles in Washington, headlined "American Idiocracy." A recent blog post on the Psychology Today website was headlined "Idiocracy: Can We Reverse It?" Meanwhile, it's popping up in causal conversations, Internet comments and, most notably, on Twitter.”  - source

           Idiocracy entertainment:

“Judging by popular culture in 2011, it's hard not to wonder if 500 years was a too optimistic prediction, since "Jersey Shore" just might make "Ow, My Balls" look like "Masterpiece Theater." But mainstream entertainment has been the domain of idiocrats for a long time. A bummer of more recent vintage is the way our political system has followed suit.”  - source

                                                              Idiocracy in our Government

“What else can you call it when Congress gets the nation's credit rating lowered thanks to toddler-like stubbornness over an issue that many of its members barely seem to grasp? Put simply, fearing idiocracy isn't a matter of being liberal or conservative. It's a matter of not being an idiot. At least in theory.” – source

                                     Idiocracy – the downfall of society:

“Maybe it's naive to think that ideological opponents can be brought together by a common fear of mass stupidity: Call it idiocraphobia. After all, the downfall of society is in the eye of the beholder; for every progressive who sees the "tea party" as the equivalent of Costco U., there's someone waving a Gadsden flag who earnestly believes Michele Bachmann emerged from a time capsule to protect babies from being named Frito.”  source

The greatest railway project of all time proposed, does E.T. think we’re evil? and Alligator fat for fuel!

Good Morning Humboldt County!

It’s a still and quiet morning and the birds are singing and greeting one another. I’m slamming down my first cup of Joe. Pull up a seat, grab a cup for yourself, and let’s look at a few news items to get things going:

Report: Tunnel linking US to Russia gains support

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s backed top officials idea to construct a $60 billion tunnel under the Bering trait recently.It would  be the first dry connection between the two continents since a land bridge 21,000 years ago. The tunnel would mean Russian territory would meet U.S. jurisdiction underneath the islands of Big Diomede, which is Russian, and Little Diomede, which is American.

What if E.T. thinks we're evil?

A study that reviews a host of sci-fi scenarios for contact with extraterrestrials stirred up such a ruckus today that NASA had to step in and distance itself from the research. The controversy focuses on the idea that E.T. could well decide that we're a threat to interstellar order, and therefore we have to be stopped before we spread.

The report itself, published in the journal Acta Astronautica, covers ground that's familiar to dedicated fans of E.T. lore. For example, the premise of the 1951 sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is that universalist-minded aliens see our civilization as so rooted in violence that it's better to snuff us out than let us ruin the neighborhood. (The 2008 remake, starring Keanu Reeves, recycled that idea with an environmental theme.)

Alligator fat to fuel cars?

“The alligator meat industry sends 15 million pounds of fat to landfills each year. What a waste, thought researchers in Louisiana who have shown it makes for a great biofuel.

The fat, which is trimmed off in processing, is rich in oils that can be recovered and converted into biodiesel, according to Rakesh Bajpai and colleagues at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.”

Time to walk on down the road…

Why not? Marijuana is going to the dogs and I say right on!

Why am I not surprised?

Marijuana for Mutts, Cannabis for Canines, Dank for Dogs, and medical pot Patches for Pups.

Have you ever seen an illegal class one drug (which the mutants in the Justice Department insist on ranking marijuana) go so mainstream that even the animals are doing it?

“In February 2011, a company called Medical Marijuana Delivery Systems, LLC (MMDS) acquired the rights to a patent for a transcutaneous (through the skin) delivery of medical marijuana to humans and animals. The MMDS goal is for public availability of this patch by year end.  Given the trade name Tetracan, this skin patch delivery system could be called a pot patch for pups, canine cannabis or even medical marijuana for mutts.

Animals suffer from many of the same debilitating illnesses that humans do, like arthritis and cancer.  With many U.S. states legalizing the use of medical marijuana for humans, it doesn’t seem like such a stretch to apply this concept to animals.

In 2000, a Santa Ana Pueblo tribe member in New Mexico, Walter Cristobel, experimented with finding a transcutaneous delivery system of marijuana for his mother’s pain relief and was awarded a patent.  In 2010, businessmen Jim Alekson and Chester Soliz — learning of Cristobel’s patent — joined him in forming MMDS, “a company devoted to the advancement, research and development of marijuana delivery modalities.”

“MMDS is pleased to be working with Walter Cristobal to help him develop his innovative ideas as MMDS advances the research and development of TETRACAN holistic, therapeutic products,” stated Jim Alekson, ADG Market Focus spokesperson for MMDS in a press release.  Other delivery systems such as creams, gels and oils will be explored for other ways of delivering medical marijuana.

Alekson informs me he has been working on a stock exchange listing for MMDS that is expected to take place shortly.  With that and the new bio-chemists with trans-dermal expertise coming on board, the arranging of manufacturing contracts in medical marijuana-legal states should see the Tetracan patch available by second quarter, 2012.”            story source  --    Photo credit: Chris Yarzab via flickr

Life Reflects Art : a Killer Shark in the Seychelles just like ‘Jaws’

In the movie Jaws, Robert Shaw (left) plays Sam Quint the expert shark killer, and now we have a Fisherman's task: to Catch island paradise's killer shark a story ripped out of today’s headlines which seems eerily close to the iconic movie.

Daryl Green, (right) a fisherman known in the Seychelles as "the guy who can catch anything" is on the trail of the killer shark. Let’s hope he doesn’t end up like poor old Quint!

Pig-out! Meet Boris, the 550-pound porker who had to go on a diet

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I thought my pet was a bit overweight, but Boris gives new meaning to porky!

“If you ever complain about how much your pet eats, be glad Boris isn’t part of your family. This hefty pig has been put on a diet but he wasn’t always this size.

When his Australian owners first adopted him, they were told he’d weigh 150 pounds, at most. But when he exceeded expectations, tipping the scale at 550 pounds, his veterinarian said he needed to lose weight – STAT! Lucky for Boris and his owners, it seems like his diet is working.

But even though he’s dropped an impressive 70 pounds, the sneaky snorting genius has figured out how to raid the fridge! He can open the door, find the potatoes and even close the door behind him. Seems like someone needs to be put on a short leash.”

story source

Space hotels, floating buses, and contest winner to live in an airport

GOOD MORNING HUMBOLDT COUNTY!

It’s good to see you on this foggy morning. Grab a cup of coffee and check out these three stories I have for you. They’re all travel-related. My question with the Russians is how do they expect to put a hotel in space when they can’t even put a communications satellite safely in orbit?

They just lost a billion dollar satellite. That’s right, just lost it. I sure wouldn’t want to spend a night in one of their space motels…it would end up being the 21st Century remake of “Lost In Space!”

Russians tout plans to launch space hotel by 2016

“Russian firms highlighted their plans at the country's premier air show this week at Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, saying the race was on to build a new craft to take people into space following the retirement of NASA's space shuttle.

A hotel in orbit, lunar sightseeing flights and luxury rides into the cosmos — all are part of Russia's vision to ensure it is not left behind in the growing space tourism industry. An artist's conception shows a cutaway view of the commercial space station envisioned by Russian companies.”

Floating tour bus launches in Amsterdam

If you’ve got a long layover between flights, your choices at most airports are to eat, drink, shop or attempt to nap while sitting up − and without drooling.

But passengers with at least five hours to wait at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport now have a new, entertaining and amphibious option.

On Wednesday, after a month-long delay, the Floating Dutchman welcomed aboard its first paying customers.

Contest winner moves into Vancouver airport

Armed with a video camera and his skateboard, Jaeger Mah is moving into the Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

The 29-year-old Vancouver, B.C. resident won the Live@YVR contest to be an in-residence citizen reporter at YVR and, starting Wednesday, will spend 80 days – and 80 nights – without leaving Sea Island, the airport’s home.

Mah will get to sleep, swim and do his laundry at the on-site Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel and will have $50 a day for snacks and meals. He’ll also be paid about $15,000 when he moves out. In return, he’ll prepare regular video reports about what goes on at the airport, including behind the scenes, and share his observations on Facebook and Twitter.

Time to walk on down the road…

Todays Epiphany: it’s a dog’s and congressman’s life

My  dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.   
She  has her food prepared for her. She can eat whenever she wants.  
Her meals are provided at no cost to her.   
She  visits the doctor once a year for her checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.  
For this she pays nothing, and nothing is required of her.  
She lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is  much larger than she needs, but she is not required to do any upkeep.

If she makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.   
She has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.   
She receives these accommodations absolutely free.   
She is living like a Queen, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.  
All of her costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.  
I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick ...

I think my  dog is a  member of Congress!

Smart dog displays math skills, giant rodent on the loose in California, and survey shows tea party less popular than atheists and Muslims

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Daylights breaking and I’ve got the coffee going. Thanks for dropping by. Pull up a seat, grab a cup of freshly brewed, and let’s look at a few headlines to get the day started:

Montana dog becomes local celebrity for his math skills

Labrador Retrievers are known for their hunting skills and friendly dispositions, but Beau, a black Lab who lives in Montana, is winning acclaim for his math abilities.

Owner David Madsen says if he tells Beau there are six dogs at the park and three dogs leave, and then asks him how many are left, the dog replies: "Woof, woof, woof." "He counts, he adds and subtracts, he can do some division and has memorized square roots," Madsen said.               Photo

Giant South American rodent spotted in California

A giant South American rodent weighing at least 100 pounds (45 kgs) was spotted at a waste-water treatment facility in California recently before disappearing in the brush, according to a wildlife official. The animal, which was identified as a capybara, is the world's largest rodent and feeds on vegetation.

The capybara is believed to be an escaped pet, Tognazzini said. It was last seen about two weeks ago at a waste-water treatment facility in Paso Robles, 175 miles northwest of Los Angeles, he said.

Survey’s surprising finding: tea party less popular than atheists and Muslims

In an op-ed article in the New York Times, Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard, and David E. Campbell, a political scientist at Notre Dame, say they have collected data indicating that the tea party is "less popular than much maligned groups like 'atheists' and 'Muslims.'"

Early tea partiers were described as "nonpartisan political neophytes," Campbell and Putnam write, but their findings showed that tea partiers were "highly partisan Republicans" who were more likely than others to have contacted government officials. "They are overwhelmingly white, but even compared to other white Republicans, they had a low regard for immigrants and blacks long before Barack Obama was president, and they still do," they went on.            Cartoon

Time to walk on down the road…