History of Santa Claus, Rapper gets pass on pot in airport, Gas prices hit new heights in 2011

Did you know all this stuff about the jolly old elf?

        Good Morning Humboldt County!

Five more days to Christmas. We don’t expect snow, but it sure has been cold lately. Glad you could stop by and have coffee with me this morning.

TSA agent finds pot in rapper's luggage, just leaves note

A Transportation Security Administration inspector found marijuana in the checked luggage of rapper Freddie Gibbs this week, but rather than confiscate it the screener left a mildly chiding note, the musician told the world via Twitter.r

"C'mon Son," the screener wrote on the TSA "Notice of Baggage Inspection" on Wednesday, when the rapper flew to Denver to perform.

Gibbs, who has publicly expressed his love of the green bud, tweeted a photo of the notice and two bags of weed. "The TSA found my weed and let me keep it. They just left me a note," he told his followers, ending with "Lol."

Gibbs has since deleted the tweet, which several folks pointed out incriminated him for illegally transporting a controlled substance and that might get the TSA agent fired.

A TSA spokesman told The Hill that airport security workers are supposed to notify police when illegal items are found.

At gas pump, 2011 was the year of the big squeeze

It's been 30 years since gasoline took such a big bite out of the family budget.

When the gifts from Grandma are unloaded and holiday travel is over, the typical American household will have spent $4,155 filling up this year, a record. That is 8.4 percent of what the median family takes in, the highest share since 1981.Gas averaged more than $3.50 a gallon this year, another unfortunate record. And next year isn't likely to bring relief.

Time to walk on down the road…

At sunset nature is painting for us... day after day... pictures of infinite beauty

(photo original unknown)  Quote by John Ruskiin

I’ve got a good idea…how about a smile break?

My pug Millie (below), thought this photo was hilarious so I’m sharing it with you.

Interestingly enough, we use to have the same door mat (yea I know they were mass produced) and Millie never had an issue with it.

With pending ban, people hoard light bulbs

Karen Beseth is all about energy conservation. She shuts off the lights when leaving the room and sets the thermostat at 67 degrees through her small town's blustery winters. But there's one concession the DeWitt, N.Y., insurance consultant won't make -- she loves her incandescent light bulbs.

No surprise then that in advance of the federal phaseout of traditional bulbs starting Jan. 1, she's stocking up. Her garage and basement shelves are filled with 100-watt four-packs. "There's just some things we put our foot down on," she says.

Polls show that many Americans aren't even aware of the pending ban, but 13% say they are hoarding to prepare for a time when the 134-year-old technology joins heroin and sea-turtle meat in the banned-products pantheon. Home Depot, which supplies nearly a third of the bulbs that plug into the nation's 4 billion light sockets, says that as 2011 draws to a close, incandescent sales have jumped.

House Republicans succeeded in eliminating funding for enforcement of the new efficiency standards from the Department of Energy's budget last week. However, major makers of light bulbs have already made the switch. Also, to be clear, the new standards don't ban incandescent bulbs, but require that they be more efficient.

Experts like Bill Hamilton, Home Depot's merchandising VP for electrical, say alternatives to old-style incandescents have vastly improved -- light quality is up, and prices are falling fast. But not everyone's convinced.

In the House of Representatives, some Republicans are still hoping to see the ban repealed. And in Texas, the state legislature passed a bill declaring it legal to manufacture and sell incandescent bulbs within state lines -- never mind the fact that there's not a single bulb factory in Texas. "Everyone loves it," says a spokesperson for George Lavender, the representative who wrote the bill. (Smart Spending)

Holiday cards from the grave, Anonymous donors paying starngers layaways, and Santa’s ward off crime in the streets

             Good Morning Humboldt County!

Christmas is in the air this chilly morning and I have some hot coffee ready to go. Pull up a chair, grab a mug, and see what you think about the three holiday headlines I’ve selected for your reading pleasure today.

   Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy holiday cards from the grave
The holiday cards from ad man Bob McCully were truly a special delivery - from beyond the grave. About 400 people recently received the macabre but humorous greetings from McCully, who died in August at 88, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported (http://bit.ly/vXDR6s).

The former Pittsburgh advertising executive is pictured on the front of the card talking on the phone in an office. "Hello, please don't call," it reads. "I recently moved to a quiet neighborhood ..."

Inside, the card says: "My new place doesn't have a phone and our gates close after dark." Pictures show the gates at Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville and McCully's tombstone. Friends say a relative produced the card, which generated a mix of emotions for longtime McCully friend David Newell.

"It was the strangest feeling getting that card. It was almost eerie. But when I opened it, I laughed out loud. It was the ultimate Christmas card," Newell said. McCully often performed locally in satirical musical revues and was known for his darkly funny Christmas greetings. For several years, Newell said, cards were written from the perspective of McCully's former dog, Rolf. This year's card might be the most memorable of all.

Anonymous donors pay strangers' layaway accounts

The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.

He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter. “She told him, `No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa is getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.

'Santas' ward off crime in the Philippines

Ho! ho! ho! you're under arrest!

More than 1,000 police officers wearing Santa hats have fanned out across the Philippine capital in time for the Christmas holidays — traditionally the busiest period for thieves in Manila.

Metropolitan Manila police chief Geary Barias said 1,000 officers and 700 police recruits have traded their blue caps for Santa hats while conducting more patrols of Manila's crime-ridden streets. Residents generally praised the idea. "This serves as a reminder that Christmas is coming and we should have peace," said Dennis Perez, a pedestrian.

"The Santa hat is OK, but of course they should focus on their duties," said Jenny de Jesus, a parishioner in Quiapo district's Roman Catholic church.

Time to walk on down the road…

As It Stands - 2011 Christmas Gift Guide for Readers

 

                 By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard
It’s a week before Christmas Day and you’re still trying to find the perfect gifts for family and friends. You’re concerned, but not panicking yet. You still hope to find something unique for everyone on your Christmas list, but it’s a difficult task.
Shopping days are running out. Every store and online advertisement seems to offer the same stuff - Kiss Me Elmo and an opportunity to purchase an acre of land on Mars (lunarland.com).
Not to worry. I’ve put together a unique gift guide that will give you options you probably never knew were available.
               The 2011 As It Stands Christmas Gift Guide:
Everyone loves to laugh. Armed with this knowledge, let’s look at gifts that will have ‘em rolling in the aisles bedecked with holly. No cook can resist the “Snotty Nose Egg Separator” for a mere $14.99. It’s listed as a top seller on several websites.
Another top online seller is the Remote Control Fart Machine for $14.98. The Whoopi Cushion is so 20th Century compared to this diabolic little noise maker. It should be a popular gift for all ages.
There are Candy Pooping Santa Claus dispensers, Tickle Me Santa Claus Dolls, Farting Santa Butt ornaments, Flashing Santa ornaments, Santa Drinking Hats, Whizzing Santa Dispensers, Light Up Reindeer Men's Undies, Three-Way Santa Hats, Vixen Headgear, Sock Monkey Hoodie Pajamas, Skull ornaments, Blow-Up Christmas Trees, Candy Cane Tea Infusers, Toxic Teddies Collection, and Pull My Finger Santa Dolls.

 You may be interested in some of the gifts I’ve selected this year, so I’ll add them to this gift guide:
  I found a Pooping Reindeer Holiday Sweater for a mere $28.99. The bright colors make your eyes hurt, but at least you’ll be laughing. Another clever gift I selected for several people is a Reindeer Costume for their cars. They’ll get two reindeer horns to mount over the side windows.
 I found Bright Yellow Smiley Face Earmuffs, Light Bulb Candy, Just Say Ho Inflatable Wreaths, Santa’s Coal Bubble Gum, Frosty The Flying Snowman, Elf Soap, and Naughty or Nice Spray Candy for the lucky people on my list.
Nothing says Christmas like a “Christmas Tree In Your Pocket” (a little folding piece of plastic), a Raw Turkey Hat, a Rock N’ Roll Christmas Dog (with a replica of the famous Fender Stratocaster guitar on his lap), Christmas Bottle T-Shirts, Santa’s Remote Controlled Rescue Helicopter, Blitzed’n The Singing Drunken Reindeer stuff toy, Giant Bubblegum Candy Canes, and Christmas Story bandages.

 Pretty overwhelming isn’t it? Just think, I’ve only scratched the surface. There are so many unique gifts to give for the holidays it would take me until next Spring to list them all. Nevertheless, I hope my suggestions have sparked your holiday spirit and sense of humor.
I remember when I was first married 37 years-ago and was the most clueless holiday gift buyer on the planet. Can you believe it? I actually gave my bride a vacuum cleaner for our first Christmas!  
 Needless to say, I wised up as the years rolled by. It was a slow process however. My darling bride put up with the ugliest sweaters and blouses in the world for years before finally admitting they weren’t her “style.” It was a big step in our relationship.
I gave her other gifts that left her shaking her head in wonderment and amazement at how clueless I truly was when it came to buying gifts for her. She naturally assumed that because we lived together I’d know what she likes and doesn’t like. All I can say is, “never assume anything.”
 Then the great breakthrough…she read Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus (by John Gray) and realized we were from separate planets and that I wasn’t as thick-headed as I appeared. Just different.
 In the course of the last few decades I have honed my gift-giving skills to a fine art and that’s why I decided to share them with you today. I especially want to reach out to those men who find it hard to buy gifts for their mates; take heart, there’s hope.
 As It Stands, if you’re a clueless shopper it might not be a bad idea to give John Gray’s insightful book as a gift this Christmas.

I didn’t let the day pass without looking up at the sky in appreciation of the painting it presented…knowing there would never be another like it

Title: Clouds On Fire     Go here to see more stunning photos

Student suspended for ‘Tebowing’, Superhero breast self exams, and ‘Whatever’ is most annoying word says survey

           Good Morning Humboldt County!

 Time flies. Here we are in the weekend and it seems like the week just started. Thanks for stopping by. Step right in and have a cup of coffee with me. Relax and read what I’ve selected for you today.

High-school students suspended for “Tebowing”

Two New York high-school students have been suspended for organizing a bended-knee tribute to Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow

 

Comic superheroes perform breast self exams

An advertising agency in Mozambique has created a new campaign for breast cancer awareness featuring some leading female superheroes performing self breast exams (SBE). The ads feature Wonder Woman, Catwoman, X-Men's Storm and She-Hulk.

The ads feature the caption: "When we talk about breast cancer, there's no women or superwomen. Everybody has to do the self-examination monthly. Fight with us against this enemy and, when in doubt, talk with your doctor."

"Whatever" deemed most annoying word – poll

Do you want to kill a conversation? Try saying "whatever." Words like "you know" and "like" might be irritating to hear, but for the third year in a row, it's "whatever" that holds the most power to annoy, according to an annual survey by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

Nearly four in ten adults named "whatever" as the most annoying verbal filler in casual conversation, while one in five adults had similar disdain for "like" and 'you know."

Time to walk on down the road…

What a party our forefathers had before signing the Constitution

History tells us the delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention spent much of their time getting drunk.

How do we know this?

One surviving document is a bill for a party on September 15, 1787, two days before the signing of the Constitution.

Items on the bill were: 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 bottles of whiskey, 8 bottles of cider, 12 bottles of beer, and 7 bowls of alcoholic punch, all for 55 people.
Party on dude!

Double It Up: Can You Make Out The Two Words in This Box?

(source)

Reflections on ‘Tricky Dick’ and sneaky politicians today

Who could forget “Tricky Dick?”

When President Richard Nixon was hounded out of office for being involved in illegal practices (like spying on his political competitors) aka WaterGate – a generation considered him the most corrupt president ever.

21st Century politicians are making Nixon’s crimes look mild in comparison. They’ve become experts at hiding their past public performances to clear the way for moving on to bigger and better positions of power.

The latest example -Romney's missing hard drives raise questions over government records – clearly illustrates how corruption and cover ups are par for the course these days. Things have become easier to hide, always a plus for politicians, both legally and illegally. Romney isn’t the only one that’s scrubbed his past from government computers (paid for by the taxpayers); President Obama did the same thing. It’s not a partisan tactic…all of our politicians seem to think because they claim what they’re doing is legal…it is. Morally, hiding one’s past is not a plus point. The only reason politicians are getting away with it is because they make the laws – they stack the deck – and we keep electing the thieves!

Outwalk the Grim Reaper, Man steals Woman’s car during date, and Cat’s with Thumbs

             Good Morning Humboldt County!

It’s another day in paradise and your invited to stop in and have a cup of coffee. Take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I have a trio of tales for you this morning to start your day. Enjoy:

Walk 3 mph or faster to outpace the Grim Reaper, scientists say

Seniors who walk briskly may be able to delay death, essentially outrunning the Grim Reaper, a new study suggests.

Australian researchers with a wry sense of humor say they have calculated the average walking speed of the specter of death -- and it’s about 2 miles per hour. Walk faster than that and you may outrun the Grim Reaper, too, they argue in a new study published in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal.

              Cops: Man Stole Woman's Car During Movie Date

The 27-year-old Floridian was on a movie date last week with Sarah Bush, 35, when he asked for her car keys so that he could retrieve something from the vehicle. Bush gave him the keys and went back to watching “Immortals” (Pratt had paid for the movie tickets, while Bush shelled out for a nacho combo).

However, Pratt--who had been dating Bush for two weeks--never returned to the Cobb Theater in Wesley Chapel. When Bush departed, she realized that her rented Ford Focus had been stolen. When she called Pratt, he left no doubt about the whereabouts of her wheels: “Ha ha I stole your car,” he said, according to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office report.

See what cats with thumbs can do…

Cat with thumbs tops TBS review of the funniest commercials of 2011

What do a cat with opposable thumbs, a Sasquatch, and a pug with supersized strength have in common (aside from the fact that, as far as anyone knows, they’re all mythical)?

They’re all part of the commercials that were voted as this year's funniest on Turner Broadcasting System’s annual  “Funniest Commercials of the Year” special, which debuted Wednesday night.

Time to walk on down the road…

American public to Congress: Get out. All of you…

My last T-S column (12/11) Scroll down, or click link on left side of page:

 PAB Award: What Congress deserves for Christmas -

Apparently the pollsters agree with me when I said we had the worst Congress ever last week. Compare my column with the following:

“The American electorate is primed to throw out record numbers of incumbents in the 2012 election, according to new polling from the Pew Research Center.

Everywhere you look in the numbers, which were released this morning, you see political land mines for incumbents.

Sixty seven percent say they want to see most Members of Congress voted out in 2012, the highest that number has ever been in Pew polling. And, while people are more favorably inclined to see their own Member re-elected, (50 percent yes/33 percent no) those numbers still match historic lows.

The Pew data also suggests that incumbents can’t hope to be saved by simply blaming the institutional problems of Congress.” (news source)

New trial in bizarre murder case, Woman gets $6.1 million from unclaimed property, Survey asks ‘If you could rape someone, who would it be?

                 Good Morning Humboldt County!

I’m glad to see you made it this morning. It’s cold outside. C’mon in and have a cup of hot steaming coffee and relax for a little bit. I’ve collected three stories to stimulate your senses as you sip the gourmet brew we’re having today.  

Author Michael Peterson wins new trial in bizarre murder case

Michael Peterson, the best-selling author whose 2003 murder conviction in the death of his wife inspired the movie "The Staircase Murders," has been granted a new trial.

Peterson's motion for a new trial was granted Wednesday based on new evidence suggesting that the original investigation was botched and a bizarre alternative theory that has drawn support from scientific experts: the possibility that an owl killed Kathleen Peterson in Durham, N.C., in 2001.

Missouri woman gets $6.1 million from unclaimed property

The holidays this year will be especially memorable for a Kansas City woman who has received a state record $6.1 million from a Missouri unclaimed property fund consisting of a single security.

The Missouri state treasurer maintains some $600 million of unclaimed property, most of it cash from bank accounts, the contents of safe deposit boxes, stocks and bonds, according to the treasurer's office. The average payout is about $300.

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

Frat Survey Asks: ‘If You Could Rape Someone, Who Would it Be?’

The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at the University of Vermont (slogan: "Building Balanced Men") is suspended and under investigation by campus police, because they allegedly circulated a quiz among their members that included the following question: "If you could rape anyone who would it be?"

Greeeeat question, guys. How could you possibly be expected to be molded into a well-balanced man without first telling your closest scros who you'd most like to rape? Rape on, scrah. [burlingtonfreepress.com, Screengrab via sigep.org]

Time to walk on down the road…

Temporary delay saves Eureka Mail Processing Center and local jobs until May 2012 – then what?

(editor’s note: I’ve corrected the address below for mailing in comments)

What’s the future hold for the Eureka USPS Processing Center? Will it be shut down? Local jobs lost?

The U.S. Postal Service agreed to delay the closing of 252 mail processing centers and 3,700 local post offices until mid-May yesterday.

There will be a public meeting addressing the challenges the Eureka USPS Processing Center faces when this delay is over.

The meeting is set for Today December 15th at 6:00 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka.

 Closing Mail Processing Centers, like ours in Eureka, and cutting service is a penny wise and pound foolish. Reducing the scope and quality of service will not restore the Postal Service to health. What will, is for Congress to act to address the insane 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. This act required the Postal Service to pre-fund employees retirement/health benefits 75 years in advance but make payment within 10 years at the tune of 5.5 billion dollars.

Postal Service customers need and deserve first-class service. The Postal Service is
critical to our economy - delivering mail, medicine and packages on time and at
an affordable price, without a dime of taxpayer money.
The Postal Service is the only federal agency to be mandated this pre-funding. No other public agency or
private sector has this requirement. Currently, the Civil Service Retirement System is over funded 50-75 billion. The Federal Employees Retirement System is over funded by 7 billion. The Postal Service would not be recording a deficit if Congress did not impose this unrealistic law. If the Postal Service ignores YOUR comments and letters, here is what to expect:

• It goes against the purpose of the Post Office and is in violation of the law
• It is at the request of large mailers who stand to benefit
• The proposal is a rate increase since local overnight delivery will now be at
  It is at the request of large mailers who stand to benefit
• The proposal is a rate increase since local overnight delivery will now be at
express rates
• Workers, their families and communities will be devastated by the loss/transfer
of jobs
• Veterans returning from wars will have fewer opportunities for living wage jobs
• Checks, other income, and critical time-sensitive documents will be delayed
• Senior Citizens and Veterans medications will be delayed
• Mortgage and other bill payments could be delayed causing late charges or worse
• Election results could be negatively affected by the delay in mail
• Small local businesses and non-profits will see further delay in their local mailings
• The delay in service problems will be even greater for those in rural areas.
• The Postal Service willfully failed to notify all the affected communities of the proposal

This is your Service mandated by law, to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.

For more information about the meeting, or the service you may lose someday contact Mike Hetticher, president of Eureka Local 1056

at 707-616-5265

Let the Postal Service hear your VOICE!!!
Send your comments and letters to:
Manager, Consumer and Industry contact

San Francisco District - P.O. Box 193000

San Francisco, Ca. 94188.

Dec 31st is the deadline for letters

VW of the future, Immigration crackdowns snares Americans, and a Chinese artist’s portraits of corruption

       Good Morning Humboldt County!

As the day dawns a Bluejay can be seen on the lower limb of the young Redwood Tree across from my front porch. C’mon in and pull up a seat and have a cup of coffee with me. I’ve selected three stories to start your day. 

Volkswagen's Delivery Vehicle of the Future

 Volkswagen Group Research and the German postal service teamed up to envision what the (far into the) future postal-delivery vehicle could look like. They came up with the Volkswagen eT! delivery vehicle, with autonomous driving capabilities and a passenger side "drive stick."

                    Immigration crackdown also snares Americans

A growing number of United States citizens have been detained under Obama administration programs intended to detect illegal immigrants who are arrested by local police.

In a spate of recent cases across the country, American citizens have been confined in local jails after federal immigration agents, acting on flawed information from Department of Homeland Security databases, instructed the police to hold them for investigation and possible deportation.

Photo - An American college student, Romy Campos, was sent to a California jail on an immigration detainer.

Americans said their vehement protests that they were citizens went unheard by local police and jailers for days, with no communication with federal immigration agents to clarify the situation. Any case where an American is held, even briefly, for immigration investigation is a potential wrongful arrest because immigration agents lack legal authority to detain citizens.

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

Americans should have their own hall of Shame for politicians!

      Chinese artist's portraits of corruption

Zhang came up with the idea of creating his “hall of shame” as early as March 2009, during China’s National People’s Congress, the annual meeting of Communist Party officials.  It was then that he learned that 3,000 officials had been convicted for corruption in the previous year alone. “I was shocked at the numbers, I did not realize there were so many,” Zhang told NBC News during a recent visit to his studio.  “China is in such a transition period, those corruption issues also should be witnessed in a historic context.”

Time to walk on down the road…

Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?

The answer is…

Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud

If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.

US calls for ban on in-car phone use ... even with Bluetooth

I think banning in-car phone use is a GREAT IDEA. There was actually a time in this country when people drove cars without having a phone in them. 

The government's transportation safety experts recommended Tuesday to ban all American drivers from using portable electronic devices — including cell phones, even if you use a hands-free device.

The recommendation, which isn't binding but which is likely to influence the decisions of Congress and state legislatures in writing  new safety laws, makes only two exceptions: You could still use GPS navigation devices, and you could use your cell phone in an emergency.

Besides calling for government action, the NTSB also urged consumer electronics manufacturers to figure out a way to "disable the functions of portable electronic devices within reach of the driver when a vehicle is in motion" while at the same time allowing the driver to make a call in an emergency.

Spokesmen for the Consumer Electronics Association and CTIA—The Wireless Association did not immediately return calls for comment on whether such a device is possible .

"No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life," Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at a news conference in Washington.

Safety advocates have long called for such a ban to reduce the phenomenon of distracted driving, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says killed 3,092 people in 2010.

The HTSA reported last week that about 20 percent of all drivers and 50 percent of drivers 21 to 24 years old admit to having texted while driving. Overall, more than three-quarters of drivers say they are willing to answer calls on all, most or some trips.

"People continue to make bad decisions about driving distracted — but what's clear from all of the information we have is that driver distraction continues to be a major problem," NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said last week in reporting the numbers.

But similar studies linking cellphone use to poor driving have been challenged, most recently by researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, who concluded last month that some earlier studies were seriously flawed.

The report, published in the journal Epidemiology, examined to earlier studies that examined crashes in which cellphone records showed that the driver had used a cellphone. Those studies "likely overestimated the relative risk for cell phone conversations," the researchers said, because they improperly assumed that the drivers were actually in motion when they were on the phone — in other words, they didn't factor in such so-called part-time driving.

Abstract: Cell Phone Use and Crash Risk: Evidence for Positive Bias

Only 10 states ban handheld devices right now, and 35 ban texting while driving.

The recommendation comes following the NTSB's investigation of an August 2010 accident in Gray's Summit, Mo., involving a pickup truck, two school buses and several other vehicles.

The accident was blamed on the 19-year-old driver of the pickup, who sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes before the pileup, which killed two people and injured 38 others.

"That finding raises a red flag to all of us on the highways," Hersman said.

Full NTSB report on 2010 Missouri crash

The NTSB recommendation wouldn't cover GPS devices, but — if it eventually becomes law — it would ban using your phone for any reason, even with a Bluetooth headset or speakers. The only exception would be to call 911 in an emergency.

(News source)

A $13 million dollar cat, psychedelic geckos among 200 new species discovered in Vietnam, and a stray dog saves an abandoned baby

      Good Morning Humboldt County! 

 It’s great to be back home. C’mon inside and have a cup of coffee with me. Grab a seat and let me start your day with a few animal stories.  

     Former stray cat inherits $13 million

It's hard to imagine an heir more indifferent to his huge inheritance than Tommaso. The 4-year-old Italian black cat -- a former stray on the streets of Rome -- is apparently now the richest cat in the world, according to the International Business Times. Tommaso inherited an estate worth $13 million when its owner, Maria Assunta, died two weeks ago at the age of 94, The Telegraph reported. Assunta was the widow of a property tycoon, and had no children or living relatives.

Other famously wealthy pets: Tommaso is the latest in a long line of pets that became millionaires upon the death of their wealthy owners.

Leona Helmsley's Maltese, Trouble, was probably the most famously wealthy pet when his owner died in 2007, leaving $12 million to the dog. The dog itself passed away in June, at the age of 12, and the money reverted to the Helmsley Charitable Trust, The Street reported.

Other rich animals include Alexander McQueen's dogs ($82,000) and Michael Jackson's chimp, Bubbles ($1 million). Oprah Winfrey's dogs are set to inherit $30 million, according to Woman's Day.

However, none are as wealthy as an Alsatian dog named Gunther IV, who inherited a fortune worth about $372 million from a German countess, according to The Guardian.

Psychedelic gecko one of 200 new species discovered in South East Asia

A psychedelic gecko (photo right) recently discovered in Hon Khoai island, Ca Mau province, in southern Vietnam.

HANOI, Vietnam — A psychedelic gecko and a monkey with an "Elvis" hairdo are among 208 new species described last year by scientists in the Mekong River region of Southeast Asia, a conservation group announced Monday.

The animals were discovered in a biodiverse region that is threatened by habitat loss, deforestation, climate change and overdevelopment, the WWF said in a report.

The newly described species include a "psychedelic gecko" in southern Vietnam and a nose-less monkey in a remote province of Myanmar that looks like it wears a pompadour.

 Stray dog saves abandoned baby from death

A stray dog saved an abandoned baby from certain death in freezing temperatures in Romania. The hound stood guarding the child and barking and howling in a public park until it alerted passers-by to investigate.

They heard the child's cries and found the baby girl hidden in a plastic bag under a picnic table. The baby is recovering in hospital - and the maternity unit has adopted the stray dog. Doctors say the newborn would most likely have died from hypothermia very quickly unless the stray dog hadn't discovered her.The umbilical cord was still attached. She was taken to a hospital from Oradea in Arad county.

Dr. Gheorghe Tirla said: "It is a normal baby-girl of three kilos. She was lucky with that dog or she could have frozen to death. "She hadn't even had the umbilical cord severed but everything turned out fine and she is now recovering." The baby is going to be placed in an orphanage, reports the National newspaper. Police are trying to find the mother of the baby.

Time to walk on down the road…

As It Stands: PAB Award: What Congress deserves for Christmas

          

                 By Dave Stancliff/for the Times-Standard
  Welcome to the first annual As It Stands contest for Politicians Acting Badly (the PAB award). This year we have a lot of candidates to choose from. Based upon most Americans disgust with them, members of the current Congress, have to be considered the frontrunners for this special citation.
   Still, we can’t overlook the likes of ex- Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) and his cell phone shannigans, or Rep. Spencer Bachus’s (R-AL) inside trading behavior which recently came under fire in a 60 Minutes report. 
   This year’s long shots for the award are: Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) who in the heat of a political debate in August crossed the line when he said being associated with President Obama would be similar to touching a “tar baby.”  Another contender is ex-Congressman David Wu who resigned amid allegations he engaged in "aggressive and unwanted sexual behavior." He also came under fire for possible mental health issues after he mailed a picture of himself in a tiger costume to his staff.
  Here we go. Are you ready? Pass the envelope please... (tense pause). This year’s winner of the PAB Award is…the 112th U.S. Congress!
  Santa will leave rocks for every member of Congress this Christmas. The normally jolly old elf is as sick of partisan politics as most Americans.
Congress' supercommittee conceded ignominious defeat in November, setting the stage for another new low. Even for them. Neither side shows the spirit of the season.
 Our lawmakers are a pack of Scrooges stealing holiday cheer. None of them are comfortable about automatic cuts going into place if they don‘t come up with a plan. Yet the no-compromise committee, formerly known as the supercommittee, threw up their hands in defeat in time for the holidays.
  Political divisions over taxes and spending have cast a cloud of uncertainty over the U.S. economy while Greece, Italy, Spain and other European countries are reeling from a spreading debt crisis and recession worries.
  Congress continues to act as if they don’t care if their approval rating in the polls is well below 20 percent. It’s amazing to me. It’s as if  our elected officials don’t understand there will be an accounting when they’re up for re-election.
   Based on accounts provided by officials familiar with the talks, it appears that weeks of private negotiations did nothing to alter a fundamental divide between the two political parties.
   "Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve," the panel's two co-chairs, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Tex., said in a recent AP report.
  Don’t feel alone if this statement makes you want to vomit. Have you ever heard a bigger bunch of baloney? United in their belief? They’re not united enough to decide when to take a coffee break let alone solve problems for future generations!
  Has there ever been a worse Congress? I can see political historians comparing it with some in the 1880s, but unless someone proves otherwise, our current Congress must be considered the worst of the worst. Thus the PAB Award.
  I know what Americans want for Christmas. A Congress that can balance the budget. A Congress that is proactive about stimulating jobs in this down economy and passes bills with real teeth. A congress that doesn’t enrich its members with inside stock trading. A Congress committed to doing what the American people really want. A Congress that doesn’t appear to the rest of the world as a bunch of greedy partisan clowns.

  I don’t think those are unrealistic expectations. When our lawmakers took their oaths of office they promised to serve their constituents. That means they should represent the voters wishes and not those ideological demigods who demand partisan pledges that prevent compromise.
   The good news during these holidays is that things can change. Americans are rising up across the country demanding real change. I can’t wait until this time next year. I suspect we’ll elect a more responsive group of lawmakers who’d like to avoid getting my PAB award.
  As It Stands, for Christmas this year, members of Congress deserve a rock signifying their stubbornness, and they should also receive a pink slip from their constituents.  

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