A look at the Right’s bizarro Constitution fetish – or, how you can tell when a Tea Party person crosses the road

             Good Day Humboldt County!

I’ve found an interesting Op-Ed writer for your consideration today. He offers unique insights into politics without being too boring!

Seth Ackerman, a doctoral candidate in History at Cornell, is an editor at Jacobin. He has written for Harper’s and In These Times, and was a media critic with Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting.

An excerpt from “Burn The Constitution” by Seth Ackerman

“It’s easy to make fun of the Right’s bizarro Constitution fetish, especially in its current Glenn Beck-ified form. Beck’s late guru, the Bircher and Mormon extremist W. Cleon Skousen, is now the main source of the Tea Partiers’ constitutional wisdom; his books, once out of print and gathering dust, have become posthumous bestsellers and required reading at Tea Party training courses.

A true fanatic and weirdo, Skousen believed the Founding Fathers were inspired by the example of the ancient Anglo-Saxons, who in turn were inspired by the Biblical Israelites. All adhered to the divinely sanctioned principles of limited government, a system under which America made more progress in its first century than the world had made in the previous 5,000 years (hence the title of Skousen’s magnum opus, The Five Thousand Year Leap). But it all started falling apart at the start of the twentieth century, when progressives and socialists attacked the Constitution and Woodrow Wilson embraced their Satanic cause, taking the first fateful steps on the road to the serfdom we know today: minimum wages, a Federal Reserve, national parks, Medicare — all, Skousen insists, are unconstitutional.” Read the whole article here.

Time for me to walk on down the road….

Under Public Transportation: Would You Be Willing to Travel on the World’s Largest Bus?

 Good Day Humboldt County!

I’m not a bus kind of guy, so the possibility of riding in this caterpillar-like vehicle would never enter my skull.

Just wouldn’t happen. But, in all fairness, it may have it’s good points. The German company that makes these mega-buses is touting them as being “environmentally friendly.” For the life of me, I can’t see anything green about this machine. What am I missing? It looks like a commuter’s nightmare:

“At more than 100-feet end-to-end, a bus capable carrying 256 passengers and driving nearly 5 miles in all-electric mode is the world’s longest bus.The people mover was developed to “bridge the gap between conventional city buses and [street cars], offering new possibilities for an environmental friendly public transport,” the German research institute Fraunhofer IVI noted in a news release.

Potential clients include burgeoning cities in Asia and South America where rail transport is unrealistic due to cost, space, or time restrictions.The AutoTram Extra Grand, as the three-segmented bus is called, has a multi-axle steering system, which allows it to be maneuvered like a standard 39-foot bus, the university said.”  – via Clean Technica

Time for me to walk on down the road…

No profound message today: But some really cool street signs might stimulate your minds!

                  Good Day Humboldt County!  

I thought I’d start this Monday off with the most nonsensical thing I could as it’s a holiday.

 Happy Labor Day!

Watch out for cows in Taos, New Mexico, and Hookers in a town near you! You want to see more crazy road signs?

Go to Weird road signs contest: Which one is wackiest? By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau of LIFEINC.

AS IT STANDS: Beware of politicians promising a return to the ‘Good Old Days’

             Dave Stancliff/for The Times-Standard
   What Good Old Days?
   I know there are people who pine for the years following WW II, from 1945 to 1965,when “everything was better.” America had emerged as a superpower and a manufacturing force second to none in the world. We were number one.

  Historians quickly called the generation that won the war the “Greatest Generation.” Their children were given the best of everything in life. The American Dream was within every man’s or woman’s grasp.
  But something happened. When those children became teenagers, the world shifted slightly and societal changes came hard and fast. Vietnam, Hippies, Drugs, Free Love, and college students leading  protests against war.

  Let’s hold it right there. I want to discuss the “Good Old Days” (as defined above) a little further.

  Do you think African Americans and other people of color thought those were the Good Old Days? Frankly, I doubt it.
  If you were an African American living in the deep south from 1945 to1965, you lived in another America. One that had no dreams. No hope. You survived at the whim of the white man. You couldn’t eat in the same building or shop in the same store because of your color.
 Let’s not linger on this aspect of the supposed Good Old Days too long, but it does have to be examined. Instead, let’s look at a whole new view of the Good Old Days. Are you ready?

  The reason they were considered the Good Old Days was simple; people didn’t know what was happening everywhere in the country and the world. They were uninformed for the most part, especially in rural America.
  So they didn’t know all the terrible things that happened in a 24 hour news cycle worldwide. They were not bombarded with all that negative news and views. There was no internet. Sure, they heard news on the radio,  but music dominated the airwaves and the movies from 1945 thru 1965.
  I wouldn’t say ignorance is bliss, but in some cases it seems preferable to knowing too much and being stressed out about things you can’t do anything about. Try to imagine what it would be like to not to hear all the negative things you hear every day.
  I think it’s fair to say technology has advanced considerably since those Good Old Days. We’re living longer in the 21st century. Because of robotics, we’re actually more productive in the workplace than in the Good Old Days when we were a world leader in manufacturing.
  I know that sounds odd, especially when you compare the workforce in the Good Old Days when jobs were plentiful, and the workforce today with over 8% of all Americans unemployed, and jobs as scarce as water in our current historic drought.
  Moving on, I really don’t think there were ever any Good Old Days in the sense that every thing was rosy, or people were all nice and respectful to each other. Progressive and regressive forces have always battled it out. 
  Some people have selective memories, which make those days of yore so special. Which leads me to a warning about politicians who use our faulty memories of a golden age that never existed to political advantage. You know the ones I’m talking about. They promise to “turn the clock back to a better time.” Whatever that means.

 They pledge to bring morals back to the country, and more of the Christian God to our government. They invoke memories of the “Greatest Generation,” and promise a new one - just like the old one  - is on the way. They lie.
  You can’t restore a myth. You can’t change a society and turn the clock back to a dream that only existed for some white Americans.

There were wars being fought worldwide, crime at home, segregation issues and all the terrible things we face as a society today were going on back then, too.

  Some politicians, vultures seeking your votes, will try to tell you they can bring back the Good Old Days, and say we once lived in a patriotic utopia.

   As It Stands, when you hear people calling for those Good Old Days, take a moment and ask them to what good old days are they referring? 
                                                                    
        
                    Reader response VIA Emails: 

“Right on! Yesterday on FaceBook, I posed the question,"What does it mean, 'take our country back.' Back where, how?" Strangely enough, no one responded either negative or positive.
Your column makes so much sense.
Admittedly, i have liberal leanings, and fail miserably in understanding how anyone with an ounce of intellect can honestly believe that the Republicans have the answer to take our country forward. Thanks for writing.” - Pam Cavanagh

                                               Websites that have picked this column up:

1) Go here to SiloBreaker

2) Schema.root.org - United States politicians at the federal level

3) Journalism Newswire

Check out the wisdom and insanity of funny guy Will Ferrell

(source)

N.H. woman arrested 4 times in 26 hours for loud music, assault

          Good Day

     Humboldt County!

 The following story is so unique I had to share it. I’ve heard of people getting in trouble for playing loud music after a certain time of night (curfews vary from city to city, but one example is San Bernardino where it’s 10:00 p.m.), but a serial repeater? Nope. New to me. How about you?  

This series of booking photos shows Joyce Coffey after being arrested four times in 26 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Joyce Coffey of Epping, N.H., just didn't seem to get it -- or care -- when she was arrested four times in 26 hours earlier this week. The police run-ins stemmed from loud AC/DC and Guns N' Roses music police said could be heard blasting from her house as well as Coffey allegedly throwing a frying pan at her nephew.

Epping police said they first visited Coffey's home on Tuesday at 3 p.m. local time, when they warned her to turn down the music, WMUR-TV in New Hampshire reported. They returned an hour later, found the music was still playing, and arrested her.

The final call to Coffey's home was for a report of a domestic disturbance. Police said Coffey's nephew alleged she threw a frying pan at him, hitting him in the head, when he tried to get some of his belongings from her house.

She was arrested a fourth, and on Thursday a judge ordered her to undergo a mental health evaluation.If she completes the evaluation, the judge said, she will be released to home confinement with electronic monitoring. The judge also suggested that Coffey, who is due back in court on Oct. 15, use headphones to listen to music, WMUR reported.” (source)

News Flash: 'Honey Boo Boo' ratings topped Republican National Convention

                     GOOD DAY HUMBOLDT COUNTY!

This is really kinda embarrassing for the Republican Party, but this little entertainer – “Honey Boo Boo” - has more viewer clout than Mitt Romney!

Not sure how Romney’s campaign will spin this interesting little fact, but it tells us volumes when it comes to the relevancy and importance of the convention. Let’s face it, “Honey Boo Boo,” is more of a charmer than Romney.

"Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," TLC's controversial reality show about a self-proclaimed "redneck" family and their "Toddlers and Tiaras" daughter, hit another ratings high on Wednesday night. The fourth episode of "Honey Boo Boo" pulled in just shy of 3 million viewers at 10 p.m., according to Nielsen overnight ratings, growing 30 percent from last week's 2.3 million haul.

In the demo, "Honey Boo Boo" did even better. The half-hour series' showing among adults 18-49 bested all other cable outings for the night — coverage of the Republican National Convention, included — to pull a 1.3 rating.

Fox News gave the show its closest competition with a 1.2 adults rating in that same time period. On the broadcast networks,"Honey Boo Boo" bested ABC and CBS' demo showing for the RNC combined and topped NBC by two tenths of a point. Aggregate coverage of the RNC across networks obviously eclipsed "Honey Boo Boo" considerably.” (source)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Related story:

STORY: Why 'Honey Boo Boo's' Ratings Are No Cause for Alarm (Yet)

LEARNIST: Introducing a website that you’re going to love with Apps for iPAD and iPHONE!

                 UPDATES BELOW!       

          Good Day Humboldt County!

I’m excited to share this new website – LEARNIST – with you, especially as I’m on the staff – as a political news contributor.

Check it out. I think you’ll really enjoy the thousands of topics curated by experts in every field. Look for me under POLITICS.

Grockit(TM), the social learning company that introduced Learnist(TM) in May 2012, today announced that its popular people-curated, social learning application will enable mobile social learning experiences via Learnist for the iPhone(R) and Learnist for the iPad(R).

 

Introducing Learnist Apps for iPad^® and iPhone^®

 

Learnist is like a collaborative, multimedia, and interactive ebook from the future.

Create lessons on any subject using your iPhone's camera.

Browse thousands of learning resources curated by experts and teachers on the iPad and iPhone.

                        Go here for detailed lessons on how to use the new Learnist Apps

“From the beginning, Learnist was designed with mobility in mind. The Retina displays of the iPhone and iPad make for an unparalleled learning experience, and the fact that so many millions of people have these devices with them all the time means just that many more opportunities for collaboration and creation,” says Grockit founder Farbood Nivi.

The 'Learnist for (the) iPhone' App makes it easy to use the high-resolution camera to capture images that you can instantly sequence into a how-to guide or lesson. Share your lesson with anyone and collaborate with your readers. Learnist on the iPhone can even use GPS to show your location on learnings that use maps. You can also browse and learn from thousands of topics created and curated by other Learnist members.

The 'Learnist for (the) iPad' App is optimized for learning from the thousands of topics curated by experts, teachers, and other members. The, long battery-life, large stunning display and LTE capabilities make multimedia, interactive and collaborative learning available from almost anywhere at anytime. Browse and learn about topics including Art & Design, Education, Food & Drinks, Travel & Places, Sports and more.

“Whether it’s in the classroom, the workplace or the home, people learn best when they do it together and often when they are sharing a computer or tablet screen,” says Roy Gilbert, Grockit CEO. “Our goal is to help people learn from and teach each other with the incredibly rich educational resources found all over the internet. Our new mobile apps make it fun for Learnist users to do this.”

                      Update on Learnist

In a two-month-long, invite-only beta of the Learnist web application, tens-of-thousands of people joined Learnist sharing expert knowledge focused on a wide range of academic and casual learning topics. Notably, several thousand American teachers joined Learnist, creating “Learnboards” covering 100% of the new Common Core academic standards for public school grades 7-12. And, influential non-academic experts are adopting Learnist, including best-selling author of Lean Startup, Eric Ries and fashion designer Melissa Fleis, popular contestant on reality TV series Project Runway.

To request an invitation to Learnist, please visit Learni.st or download Learnist for the iPad or Learnist for the iPhone on the Apple(R) App Store(SM), here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/learnist/id522850398

News VIA Street Insider

                                          For those of you who aren’t on FaceBook: 

Users can use Learnist without having a Facebook account. 

While they will not be able to create content, like or comment within the application, they can still access all of the content on Learnist.   This allows users to pull up the Learnist website during a class period, meeting, or in any situation where Facebook is restricted and still explore the content in Learnist.  While there is different values in having members use all of Learnist's features, we have designed this solution as a work around for our current users who can't access Facebook at the workplace.

Here's some more information on why we use Facebook in connecting to Learnist:

Facebook is only used to authenticate users, and any sharing features are turned off by default. As an online educational community, Learnist is fully integrated with the web, which allows for a rich experience, but also presents its own unique challenges. We strive to keep our educational community as authentic and valuable as possible. In that regard, we hope to keep the Learnist community clear of fake users, spam and advertising which will not add value to the community, or worse - distract from it.

To be clear, Learnist uses your facebook name and profile picture to populate your Learnist profile. Additionally, your Learnist account will automatically follow any friends you have on Facebook that are also on Learnist. That's the extent of Facebook integration, unless you select to activate Sharing/Social features, which are turned off by default. No one can access your Facebook profile from Learnist, or vice-versa - unless one chooses to do so.

In essence, there really isn't a a 'blurring' of professional and personal lives in terms of privacy. However, we do hope that the Learnist community is useful in both a professional and personal sense and transcends more traditional concepts of education. :) 

We chose to start with Facebook during our Beta phase because the social aspect is central to our philosophy. We believe that learning is deeply individual, it is also highly social. While our discovery engines play an important role, we've always valued people over algorithms. We've found that people learn more and quicker with the help of others. The social element – sharing and commenting – is integrated throughout; you can push “learnings” to your Facebook timeline; you can follow people as well as topics. As learners move through the resources, they can check off the “learnings” they’ve completed. And they can add and suggests new learnings, as well as suggest experts (or, well, “others”) contribute to particular boards.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

                           UPDATES: The following links are covering this breaking story:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/grockit-unlocks-mobile-social-learning-learnist-app-for-iphone-and-ipad-available-now-2012-08-30

http://grockit.com/blog/main/2012/08/30/learnist-for-the-ipad-and-learnist-for-the-iphone-available-in-the-apple-appstore/

http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/08/k-12/now-with-apps-curation-board-learnist-may-one-up-pinterest-for-education/

http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/30/grockit-steps-beyond-test-prep-learnist-brings-social-learning-to-iphone-and-ipad/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

http://edudemic.com/2012/08/what-the-new-learnist-apps-mean-for-education-technology/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

http://pymnts.com/news/businesswire-feed/2012/august/30/grockit-unlocks-mobile-social-learning-learnist-app-for-iphone-and-ipad-available-now-20120830005293/

http://www.educationdive.com/story/learnist-iphone-pad-apps-grockit/?utm_source=tweet&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=twitter_educationdive

http://gigaom.com/2012/08/30/learnist-a-pinterest-for-education-releases-apps-for-iphone-ipad/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120830005293/en/Grockit-Unlocks-Mobile-Social-Learning-%E2%80%98Learnist%E2%80%99-App?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Here’s a Touching Tale to Digest: Boy finds a Bonanza in Whale Vomit

An 8-year-old boy in England could be up to $63,000 richer, thanks to a piece of solidified whale vomit he picked up on the beach.

The chunk may look like a yellow-brownish rock, but it's actually a primo piece of ambergris, an expensive perfume ingredient that is, um, spewed out by whales.

Charlie Naysmith stumbled upon the loaf-sized lump at Hengistbury Head, on the southern coast of England, the Bournemouth Echo reported over the weekend.

All’s well that ends well: former boxers Tyson and Holyfield now buddies

  I’ve followed boxing at a very early age hearing about my father’s fights in the Marine Corp. He was a welterweight. Growing up it was one subject my dad and I loved to talk about.  We followed all of the weight classes.

I still remember when dad bet on an then unknown Cassius Clay to beat the monster Sonny Listen. He cleaned up that night! through the years I’ve selected my favorite boxers of all times in each division.

There was actually a time I considered Mike Tyson…well okay…I’m still divided…as a heavyweight great. I actually lean more towards Evander Holyfield (another Marine…hhmmmm) as a hall of famer. Still, this is a nice story about these two once bitter rivals: 

“Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are continuing to take advantage of their notorious history together, turning it into a marketing opportunity.

In  1997, in perhaps the most heavily hyped rematch of all time, Tyson lost his composure and bit off part of Holyfield's ear. At the time, that earned Tyson a $3 million fine and a ban from boxing.

Nowadays, the one-time superstars have turned it into a marketing opportunity.

On Monday, Holyfield tweeted a photo of himself wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of Tyson's facial tattoo. He wrote:

@MikeTyson bit my ear and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.

Tyson is selling the T-shirt as part of the Mike Tyson Collection.

That followed on the heels of a Twitter exchange between them in June, in which Tyson helped Holyfield sell his Real Deal Barbecue sauce.

It's good that they can joke about it now -- Tyson apologized to Holyfield on "The Oprah Show" in 2009 -- but it was hardly a joking matter the night of the fight. After Tyson bit Holyfield in retaliation for what he said was intentional head butting, rioting broke out in and around the MGM Grand casino. It's a lot better for all concerned to see them friendly and joking with each other than the way they were back in 1997.” (source)

Cop Jared Rohrig Charged with Posing as His Twin to Have Sex with His Girlfriend

                                     Good Day Humboldt County!

  I’ve got an interesting tale of a real douchebag that I thought would be fun to kick the day off with. Just when you think you’ve heard it all, guys like Jared Rohrig prove you’re wrong.

 Straight from True Crime Report:

“Orange, Connecticut policeman Jared Rohrig has a ton of class. When his twin brother Joseph's girlfriend arrived at the family home late one night -- yes, he's 25 and he still lives with his mom -- Jared pretended to be Joseph. He and the unnamed woman hung out in the hot tub before heading to bed.
But the woman -- who we're guessing was a little tipsy -- noticed something unusual in the midst of having sex. Her boyfriend has a cowboy tattoo on his butt. The man she was romping with did not. That's when she discovered she was sexing up the wrong brother. The woman tried to flee, but she says Jared pulled her back to bed, put a pillow over her face, and continued to rape her...

He's been hit with rape and impersonation charges, and has since resigned from the Orange PD. His mother, Joanne Rohrig, was so embarrassed she will not seek re-election to the Milford, Connecticut Board of Education. And Joseph -- we're just hoping here -- will soon be charged with assault for kicking the living shit out of his brother. He's expected to be acquitted under a rare ecclesiastical statute that permits beating your brother in the event that he sleeps with your girlfriend.”

Time for me to walk on down the road…

AS IT STANDS: The court of public opinion is in order

Good Day Humboldt County!  It’s great to be back. For those of you who didn’t read my column last Sunday here you go:                           

     By Dave Stancliff/for the Times-Standard
     In a court somewhere in America. 
  Bailiff - “Everyone please remain standing until the Honorable Judge Les Hearit takes his seat.”
  Judge - “You may take your seats. The court of public opinion is now open.”
  A lawyer for the defense of judgmental Americans steps forward.
  Defense Lawyer for the public - “Your honor, George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin and said it was self-defense. America can’t just sit back and wait for a trial. This is big news. A lot of people think he’s a racist and profiled Trayvon. Many others like a good scandal.”
   Judge - “I understand what you’re saying counselor.”

  Defense lawyer for Zimmerman - “What happened to innocent until proven guilty, your honor? I shouldn’t have to defend my client in front of the whole country before the real trial begins.”
   Judge - “Haven’t you ever heard of Judge Judy? Public trials generate cash for the economy. People like to hear people express their opinions.”
   Defense lawyer for Zimmerman - That may be true your honor, but how will we ever get an unbiased jury for the trial when my client’s name tops all the top 10 search engines on the internet?”
  Judge -  “Don’t worry counselor, there are still people out there who don’t watch TV, read newspapers or magazines, use the internet, kindles, nooks, and don’t belong to social media websites like FaceBook or Twitter.”

  Defense lawyer for Zimmerman - “Who are they?  A group of people who live in caves and expect the end of the world this December?”
  Judge - “Watch how you address the court counselor! Show some respect.”
   Defense lawyer for Zimmerman - “Pardon me, your honor. It’s just that the court of public opinion could hurt my client’s chances of being acquitted of the charge against him.”
   Judge - “I don’t agree with that, counselor. Look at the Casey Anthony case. The whole country wanted her to be found guilty, but a jury said she wasn’t. And how about the John Edwards trial? There were a lot of people who thought he was guilty, but once again a jury said he wasn’t.”
   Defense lawyer for the public - “Thank you, your honor, for supporting our right to convict or to acquit anyone without all the facts. It’s truly the American way.”
    Prosecutor - “I’ve been quiet all this time for a reason, your honor. If it please the court, I have no objections to Zimmerman’s case being tried openly like this as it is providing valuable material for the upcoming trial.”
   Defense lawyer for Zimmerman - “Just what do you mean by that, sir?”
   Prosecutor - “Stuff like that Fox interview where your client looked like a puppet being pulled by Sean Hannity’s strings, and yours. He was about as sincere as a rock! That farce was nothing more than a fundraiser for Zimmerman’s website that accepts donations for his defense.”

  Defense layer for Zimmerman - “Objection! My client isn’t a rock! That should be struck from the record!”
   Judge -  “Order in the court! I won’t allow you two to continue to make your cases if you can’t play nice.”
   Defense lawyer for the public - “Oh, come on your honor. This is exactly what we want. Unfounded allegations, outright lies, concealed information, partial truths, and lots of emotion on the part of Trayvon’s parents, the African-American community, the NRA, and other gun lobbies. It’s not about getting to the truth; it’s about entertainment. We want something else to talk about other than the economy, the presidential election, the drought, floods, and healthcare.”

   Judge - “You’ve got a good point counselor…let’s continue.”
   Prosecutor - “The bottom line is Zimmerman brought a knife to a fist fight.”
   Defense lawyer for Zimmerman - “My client feared for his life.”
   Prosecutor - “If he hadn’t got out of the car, Trayvon would be alive today.”
   Defense lawyer for Zimmerman - “My client was trying to protect his neighbors’ houses.”
    Prosecutor - “Trayvon was being chased by a stranger he thought was going to do him harm.”
   Judge - “That’s enough for today. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow at 9 a.m. The court of public opinion is dismissed.”
   As It Stands, being judgmental is a national pastime.

Notice To Readers: I’m on my annual blog break until Aug. 28th

Just to keep it real I pull myself away from my blog once a year.

That time has come. I’m going to be wandering in the hinterlands and heartland of America just because.

If you haven’t gone through my blog archives (they go back four years), you may find them amusing. Then, there’s my newspaper column archives – on the right. Feel free to leave comments, I always answer acknowledge them.

PEACE OUT!

Livestock Pollution Unchecked: FDA doesn’t even know where all the livestock farms are!

A report to Congress in 2008 said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was failing to regulate pollution from the nation's livestock farms because it lacked information as basic as how many farms existed. Four years later, the EPA still doesn't know the location of many livestock farms, let alone how much manure they generate and how all the waste is being handled.

Environmentalists say they were flabbergasted when the EPA recently decided against adopting a rule that would require livestock operators to provide the agency with information. But industry officials say there's no reason for farmers to have to give the EPA information. An EPA spokeswoman says nobody at the agency is available to discuss the decision. (source)

Table Dancers Turn Tables, Show Up To Church To Protest Being Protested

            Good Day Humboldt County?

I can’t help thinking about that popular song back in the day, “Harper Valley PTA.” The following story really struck me as funny and full of irony.

“The dancers at the Foxhole in Coschocton County, Ohio, are used to arriving at work to the sounds of protests from members of the nearby New Beginnings Ministries church. But the same couldn't quite be said for the churchgoers, who showed up for services on Sunday and were greeted by the sight of bikini-clad protesters.

For the last four years, the pastor at New Beginnings has led a protest outside the Foxhole every weekend. Beyond just voicing their disapproval of the strip joint, the church members also videotape the license plates of the bar's patrons and then post the info online.

So the crew at the Foxhole decided to give the churchgoers a taste of their own medicine, sitting outside the church in skimpy outfits and cooling each other down with Super Soakers as they grilled up burgers.

They also held signs with Bible quotes like:
Matthew 7:15: Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing
Revelations 22:11: He that is unjust, let him be unjust still

The strip club's owner has unsuccessfully tried to sue the church for their protests, but now he's hoping that this table-flipping will help to put an end to things. "When these morons go away, we'll go away," he said. "The great thing about this country is that everyone has a right to believe what they want."

One of the Foxhole dancers, a married mother-of-six, says the protesters outside the strip club every weekend are ill-informed:

These church people say horrible things about us... They say we're homewreckers and whores. The fact of the matter is, we're working to keep our own homes together, to give our kids what they need.

The New Beginnings pastor counters that he and the other protesters aren't there to condemn the dancers, but to offer them a way out. "I tell them, 'I will put a roof over your heads, and your bills will be paid, and your children's bellies will be full,'" he explains.

The pastor says the protests outside his church of only served to confirm the churchgoers' feelings. "They have now seen the evil firsthand," he says. "This has just made us stronger." The Foxhole owner sees things differently. "They're just mad," he said, "because their wives won't let them come to my club." (source)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

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The Roman Sword or Gladius is one of the most widely recognized swords of any culture. These swords were in use between 4th century BC and 3rd Century AD.

The Romans where highly skilled and disciplined and great weapons such as the sword were a must especially for cavalrymen and infantrymen. The skills of these men and the advances in sword making techniques made this sword a deadly weapon and was one the major factors behind a long and successful military reign. To identify a person’s sword the name was often etched into the blade.

GO HERE TO READ MORE

Meandering Monday: some views on current news

                   Good Day Humboldt County!

Let me start by saying this world gets weirder by the day; exhibit A:

A former hacker wanted by Swedish authorities for rape and sexual assault charges, Jullian Assange, steps out on the balcony of the Ecuadorean embassy in Great Britain (where he’ll be arrested if he dares set foot outside it) and calls for the President of the United States to free a member of the American military who was caught leaking Top Security information to Assange (or whoever gave it to him)??? Really?

Rep. Todd Akin, a Republican who recently won a senate seat did so despite his lame ass remarks on abortion rights in instances when a woman is a victim of rape. You want ignorance? Listen to this baby-faced (see photo on right) woman-hater explain his wacky rationale regarding some rapes:

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said. Yes, I know, it’s an incredibly insensitive remark to make about rape, but he still won the election. What’s with the GOP assault on women anyway?

I’m trying damn hard not to imagine how many millions of dollars are being spent as we watch NASA’s new play toy on Mars break a rock with a laser beam!

That high tech little off-road vehicle called Curiosity fired 30 pulses at a nearby rock in a 10 second span and guess what? It put a hole through it! Okay. For the sake of science you say?

 Like all good Martian land rovers, Curiosity has a  social media team who made a reference to Austin Powers when it tweeted, "Yes, I've got a laser beam attached to my head. I'm not ill-tempered; I zapped a rock for science." Then it signed off "#PewPew," a nerd reference to the sound lasers make when discharged.

 So that you have it folks; we’ve destroyed a rock on a distant planet with a laser gun, and are heralding the moment as historic and only the first in many more to come. Man’s calling card, “Mindless destruction.” Don’t you just feel “tingly” about spending your tax dollars on this? I sure don’t.

Another reason to hate Mondays: Mondays really are the worst day of the week for the stock market.

Records show Monday is the only day the stock market is more likely to fall than to rise. The Dow Jones industrial average has been down 10 of the past 11 Mondays. And the two worst days in market history are both known as Black Monday.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

AS IT STANDS: Contemporary Art is Not for Everyone

                         

“The people no longer seek consolation in art. But the refined people, the rich, the idlers seek the new, the extraordinary, the extravagant, the scandalous. I have contented these people with all the many bizarre things that come into my head. And the less they understand, the more they admire it. By amusing myself with all these games, all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, I became famous... I am only a public entertainer who has understood his time.” (Pablo Picasso)
                     By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard 
   One person’s junk can be another’s treasure. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase used in many contexts before. There’s no better example than contemporary art. For those not familiar with what constitutes contemporary art I’ll give you a brief description: anything goes.
  That’s right. Contemporary art is basically a tangible piece of art or installation ranging from a row of porcelain men’s urinals on a wood frame to a rock tied up with colorful ribbons.

Artists and gallery owners say the most important thing to remember is that contemporary art is a frame of mind, in addition to taking action. That said, I freely admit I don’t get it.
  I’m certainly not going to make the same mistake Morley Safer did twenty years ago on a 60 minutes segment, when he made fun, scorned, and satirized the whole contemporary art movement.

  With knowing winks, he showed odd-looking displays that seemed to be nothing more than stuff pulled out of peoples garages, cellars, recycling bins, and trash cans. The art world took notice of this infamous snub.
   Last April, Safer followed up on that controversial segment. He gamely took the “I told you so’s” from art dealers and collectors who were enjoying unprecedented sales, like a good sport. Most of those interviewed for the new segment were people who remembered his earlier attitude.
   I won’t say Safer seemed convinced contemporary art was “legitimate” art in this last segment, but I think he regrets his original condescending attitude. The prices contemporary art commands today make an argument for some legitimacy.

  I’ve discovered that most people who buy contemporary art are wealthy. As in uber-wealthy and ready to pay any amount for the latest “hot” piece. Status comes with owning a collection of electrical cords arranged around a sculpture of a broken telephones that sold for $1.2 million dollars.
  Contemporary art is a billion dollar a year industry in America, according to Safer’s report. There’s nothing laughable about that.

    If you’re interested in buying, or investing in contemporary art works I recommend reading In Art Auctions: A Survey of Empirical Studies (Working Paper No. 8997) by Research Associate Orley Ashenfelter, and co-author Kathryn Graddy.
  They review what is known about how the art auction system actually works and discuss whether art makes a good investment. They also assess the accuracy of expert estimates of value, and examine the determination of reserve prices.

   Just be prepared to enter unregulated territory where insider knowledge is the norm, and fixed prices among art gallery owners is the way business is done. It’s like the stock market on steroids. Like an artificial bubble, that when it bursts, won’t really affect the main players. They mostly spend their pocket money anyway. 

   Getting involved with contemporary art is easy. Google “ArtBook Guy” to see how. I wish you the best of luck. I think it’s kind of silly to pay for things I perceive to be everyday objects going for astronomical prices, so I’ll never be a collector.
  I suppose that’s just a sign of my art ignorance. Somewhere down deep in my brain the “art spot’ must be underdeveloped. I would like to add that I do appreciate more traditional art, and I’m not a complete art philistine.

  Thus far, no contemporary art pieces have rivaled traditional ones like Paul Cezanne’s “The Card Players” which sold for $250 million in 2011, to the country of Qatar. Needless to say, that was the most expensive piece of art ever sold.
  Pablo Picasso was among the first contemporary artists to be internationally recognized for his work. It’s interesting to note that he had no illusions about what he was doing. He was amusing himself at the expense of others and getting famous for his efforts.
   As It Stands, when someone sells a pair of dirty socks for a new art record, I’m going to become a contemporary artist!

Can you Guess What the Most Dangerous Drug in the World is?

Looks like we’re a couple of years behind the British when it comes to recognizing the deadliest drug available to man today…Alcohol!!!

2010 Findings – Study says “Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin”

MCDA modeling showed that heroin, crack cocaine, and metamfetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals (part scores 34, 37, and 32, respectively), whereas alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others (46, 21, and 17, respectively). Overall, alcohol was the most harmful drug (overall harm score 72), with heroin (55) and crack cocaine (54) in second and third places.

Interpretation

These findings lend support to previous work assessing drug harms, and show how the improved scoring and weighting approach of MCDA increases the differentiation between the most and least harmful drugs. However, the findings correlate poorly with present UK drug classification, which is not based simply on considerations of harm. (source)

The Battle Goes On: Medical Marijuana Supporters Sue City of Los Angeles to Stop Ban

                   GOOD DAY HUMBOLDT COUNTY!

What did voters vote for when they passed the 215 Law?

That’s the question poised at the heart of this controversial crack down. I doubt if there’s any way to check out that assertion, yet it’s the argument used by supporters of the pot ban. Nothing short of total legalization of marijuana will solve this issue. Meanwhile the battle goes on… 

“A medical marijuana trade group sued the city of Los Angeles Friday, seeking to stop officials from enforcing a new ban designed to shut down more than 1,000 pot dispensaries. The Patient Care Alliance, Los Angeles, or PCA-LA, announced that it filed a lawsuit Friday seeking an injunction against a controversial ordinance approved by the city council last month that supporters said was needed to grapple with the proliferation of marijuana dispensaries.

"The city council's actions are not only reckless, heartless and pointless, they're just plain stupid," said Marc O'Hara of PCA-LA. "The city knows that it will never be able to successfully defend this lawsuit."

It comes the same week that the city sent out letters to 1,046 locations where medical marijuana dispensaries are thought to be operating, according to the office of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. The letter -- sent to 1,774 business and property owners, according to the city -- is cited in the lawsuit.

The letter, mailed Tuesday, instructs business owners that a new ordinance making their operations illegal becomes effective Sept. 6. The new city ordinance affects any "medical marijuana business," which is defined as "Any location where marijuana is cultivated, processed, distributed, delivered or given away to a qualified patient, a person with an identification card, or a primary caregiver," the letter states.

"Continuance of a medical marijuana business at this location may subject you to legal action resulting in a court ordered closure and imposition of monetary penalties of $2,500 a day, as well as prosecution for a misdemeanor, punishable by six months in jail and a $1,000.00 fine," the letter states. "Each day that the property is used in violation of city law is a separate violation."

The city attorney's office said in a statement that the letter "is not part of any enforcement scheme," noting it advises business owners to consult with their attorneys. The city's ordinance, approved unanimously after many hours of debate before a packed council chamber on July 24, generated lawsuit threats immediately.

Medical marijuana advocates also vowed to put a referendum on the ballot asking voters to halt enforcement of the ban until a forthcoming California Supreme Court decision is issued clarifying pot-shop regulation. Many dispensaries in the city have in recent weeks been gathering signatures for the ballot measure.

When the ordinance passed, city officials said Los Angeles had 762 registered dispensaries. The list of 1,046 locations that received letters this week were compiled from several sources, the city attorney's office said, adding that the locations had not been verified.

At the same time it approved its ban, the council also passed a measure asking city attorneys to study and draw up plans to allow 182 pot shops -- ones that registered with the city under a 2007 ordinance attempting to regulate the dispensaries -- to continue to operate. That seemingly contradictory move could take months to realize.

Friday's lawsuit was filed on behalf of 11 patients who have been prescribed medical marijuana for serious medical conditions, according to the complaint. It states that the city's ordinance is in conflict with California's 1996 law legalizing the medical use of marijuana – legislation that was passed by voters through Proposition 215.

Supporters of the city's pot-shop ban say that voters who approved of medical marijuana use never envisioned the development of a multi-billion-dollar industry in the state, nor the explosive growth of dispensaries and pot-focused medical clinics. The lawsuit argues that the city ordinance is unconstitutional and denies business owners due process.”  (source)

Time for me to walk on down the road…