Reggae Rising falling: Ticket-holders looking for refunds
Sounds like a foregone conclusion that there won’t be a Reggie Rising in SoHum this year.
What do you think?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
No ‘rollin on the river’ this year the way things are looking
Monday, April 11, 2011
Recent techie news: Navy uses laser gun with success, sinks boat
Buck Rodgers would be proud. Or, would he? Things were different back in the 20s…they used their ray guns to go after that rat Merciless Ming and his minions, and didn’t waste them on helpless little boats. Leaner times and all.
Navy raygun disables boat with new high energy laser marks the first time that a high energy laser has properly functioned as a weapon on the high seas.
Another Manic Monday – or, How is Your Day Going?
It’s Monday, and the start to another week that will surely bring surprises, both good and bad.
Scanning the headlines this morning I see that there were Three strong aftershocks jolt Japanese quake zone.
My Lakers looked real bad in losing their 5th straight game to the Thunder.
Here’s one headline that really got my attention: Drivers start to cut back on gas as prices rise. The article suggests it’s a puzzling decline because Americans usually curb driving only as last resort.
Photo - A portable Texas Department of Transportation sign in downtown Houston displays a message programmed by an unknown prankster who gained access to the onboard computer that controls the sign, Sunday, March 13, 2011. … Read more
Sunday, April 10, 2011
As It Stands: Next stop online: Humboldt Blogs, a slice of Americana
Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 04/10/2011 02:40:31 AM PDT
The Humboldt Blogisphere, where increasingly more county residents go for information on natural disasters or local news, is part of a national movement of online citizen reporters.
Local bloggers can instantly pass on information that may not come from more traditional sources in times of emergency. A prime example of this is Kym Kemp's blog “Redheaded Blackbelt.”
Her online viewers are given up-to-the-moment information on area events. After the recent massive landslide on Highway 101 (Photo by Kim Sallaway posted on Kym’s blog), she provided emergency updates, links and photos, with help from her many resources. She's also a well-known marijuana activist whose articles have been published in national magazines like “High Times.”
I'm not saying we don't have great radio stations and print media. I am saying local blogs offer a wealth of information on all things Humboldt.
If you're a liberal, brace yourself for ridicule when you visit and make a comment at the Humboldt Mirror. This right-wing blog's “Bugs” like to slice and dice “Progs” (the slang for progressives). If you're a conservative, be ready for scorn if you stop by and make a comment at The Humboldt Herald blog whose motto is, “Provoking Humboldt Since 2006.”
Both popular blogs provide lively local news and political debate. The “Bugs” cutting-edge humor is one reason to read them. The author(s) of the Humboldt Mirror (Do Good, look good. Do Bad, look out.) are unknown, which is probably a good thing.
Equally mysterious is The Humboldt Herald's spokesperson, Heraldo, who seems to have a lot of resources when it comes to local government news. Check out The Humboldt Herald's blog list for links to the majority of other Humboldt County blogs.
Combining their radio expertise successfully with their own blogs are Tom Seaborn (shown here with Cynthia McKinney), program director for KGOE, the only progressive commercial news talk station in Humboldt County, and Eric Kirk, who covers Southern Humboldt and does a one-hour talk show on KMUD on the third Thursday of the month.
For local history I recommend a trio of blogs. “Lynett's NorCal History blog” has historical articles and old photos of Native Americans who lived on the North Coast. “Adventures of the Klamath Librarian” by blogger Adrienne R.S. Harling deals with the history of the Klamath River region. Adrienne is from Orleans.
The third one, “Ernie's Place,” features “Tales of the Eel River Valley and the wisdom of the people who live there.” Blogger Ernie Branscomb (shown on firetruck) finds time to talk about most anything, so the reader gets a blend of history and his wit and observations on daily life. Ernie is a businessman an
Another Southern Humboldt blog, out of Garberville, is called “Always a Vixen, Mostly a Vegan” by blogger Sundara. She features great vegan recipe, and her food photos will make you salivate. Some “down home” advice and insightful dishes make this a pleasant blog to visit.
And for just plain fun, there's “Planet Tapperass” by blogger Sal. He features a humorous quasi-competition for all Humboldt blogs each year. Basically, Sal introduces new, or lesser known, blogs to the Humboldt Blogisphere. This year it came down to Tom Seaborn's Blog and The Plazoid, featuring Tad, a local homeless activist. He also comments on local issues in Arcata. Tom Seaborn's Blog prevailed among some really tough competition.
According to Sal's website, he used the 2011 NCAA Men's College Basketball Division 1 Tournament to determine the winners of each match-up. He matched each blog up with a college team and then followed their progress. Tom Seaborn got the University of Connecticut Huskies, who won the championship this year.
I started my blog “As It Stands” nearly three years ago. I recall my early efforts at starting it up and how hard it was for me. I've always been technically challenged and nearly gave up the idea.
I'm glad I didn't, or I would have missed out on the online community that ties in so closely to our lives here. I got help from some local bloggers and endured. Setting up a blog these days is a more user-friendly experience. Even for people like me.
As It Stands, if you want a slice of true Americana, then check out a region's local blogs. You'll be glad you did.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
As It Stands Takes a Peak at the Blogs of Humboldt County Sunday
I take a look at the blogs that form our regional blogisphere, and share their stories.
Bloggers – don’t miss out on this dead-tree edition; you might be in it! It’ll make a great souvenir. Of course you can read it online at the T-S or here. Is the column controversial?
You’ll have to decide that.
Let’s take a look at some of the world’s most unusual Theme Parks
When you think theme park, you think roller coasters and family fun. As for gas masks or watching a reenactment of the crucifixion? Not so much. But then you haven't checked out some of most unusual theme parks in the world yet.
Skip ahead to read about:
From Somalia to Sweden with love: man finds job training camels to accept riders
Imagine Ali Abdullah Hassan's surprise when he emigrated from Somalia in 2007 and after working some odd jobs found secure permanent employment training and caring for a pack of camels.
Hassan's new home, of course, is Sweden, near Gyttorp, to be precise. The camels are a family, in fact, mother, father and son. Hassan is training them to carry riders and sings to them in Arabic. Source
User Alert - In spite of scam, Facebook not 'closing' today
Users on social networking site should not click on link seeking confirmation
Despite the best efforts of online scammers — and the dreams of its competitors — Facebook is not closing today.
A scam is currently spreading through Facebook, hitting accounts with a prophetic message that the social networking giant is shutting its doors, the security firm Sophos reported.
“Facebook is closing all accounts today. They can’t handle so many accounts,” the message reads. “Most of the old accounts are not active, so they are deleting everything.”
Then comes the bait: In order to make sure your account stays alive, the message informs users they must confirm they are active Facebook users, otherwise their account will be automatically trashed.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Volunteers help family after farmer dies sandbagging
'This is just the Midwest attitude,' says man's son, 'it's all about helping people out'
I’m impressed by this show of concern among neighbors. It harkens back to the day when most Americans helped each other out without question. It’s good to know people are still willing to step up for others – especially strangers - during this miserable economy. This is the kind of thing America needs right now, more than ever.
Earth to get very close look at a huge asteroid
Let’s hope we don’t have to divert this asteroid because someone’s off on their calculations. I’m reminded of those disaster movies where the hero’s are trying to shoot a monster asteroid down before the earth is destroyed.
Anyway, mark your calendars (November 8th, 2011) for an impressive and upcoming flyby of an asteroid that’s one of the larger potentially perilous space rocks in the heavens – in terms of smacking the Earth in the future.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
What about Mom? LeBrons’ mother in trouble with law again
She was arrested for DUI in Cleveland in 2006, and now she got herself arrested for slapping a valet at a swanky Miami hotel. No problem though, LaBron’s money will get the best lawyer available and they’ll probably turn this case around and sue the assault victim for getting in the way of her hand!
New Car Engine Sends Shock Waves Through Auto Industry
This new engine sure sounds good to me, but I wonder if it will ever go on the market? Seems to me Big Oil might get nervous and put up some roadblocks.
Researchers at Michigan State University have built a prototype gasoline engine that requires no transmission, crankshaft, pistons, valves, fuel compression, cooling systems or fluids.
Their so-called Wave Disk Generator could greatly improve the efficiency of gas-electric hybrid automobiles and potentially decrease auto emissions up to 90 percent when compared with conventional combustion engines.
Relatives of George Washington selling collection of his artifacts
This article doesn’t explain why the family decided to sell these family keepsakes. It’s usually a matter of needing money, but not always. Washington memorabilia is extremely popular with presidential collectors and history buffs.
I don’t think I’ll be bidding on these items, they’re a little out of my range. For example, there’s a couple of books that are starting at $10,000 each, and you know the final price will be considerably higher. Do you want a piece of George Washington? Go to the link below to get the info:
Excerpt:
“Not only is such a sale by an old family unusual, those experts say, but the size of the collection and the variety of items provide a window on the life and times of both outsize and ordinary Americans in two pivotal centuries.” Story Here - Photo source
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Glenn Beck's show sinks in ratings, Fox gives him the boot
Well how about that? Someone finally realized Beck was a basketcase!
Sinking ratings, an ad boycott and a focus on conspiracies lead to its demise.
Completing a swift rise and fall from TV stardom, controversial host Glenn Beck will lose his once-popular Fox News show later this year, the network announced Wednesday. Story Here.
The tax man cometh: how much did you pay for America’s wars this year?
What the heck? While you’re figuring out you taxes, due on April 18th, here’s something else you can figure out: How much did you pay to support the USA’s colonialism?
When will we say “Enough?”
Watch the video.
See how much of your income taxes will pay for war.
If the clowns go what would a government shutdown look like?
Forget “Bring on the Clowns,” because the new version for that old phrase is “Watch the Clowns Do Nothing!” in 2011.
Based upon past shutdowns (1995-1996), here’s what we can expect if our dysfunctional government decides to shut down:
First off, forget about going to the National Zoo in Washington. It’ll won’t be open. I hope you don’t plan on going to any national parks when our polarized politicians are playing their games, because they won’t be open.
If you have a refund coming from The Internal Revenue Service, you’re going to have to wait a while because they could stop issuing refund checks.
How serious are these Republican and Democratic morons about going through with their tantrum? Today, “nonessential employees” were told to “..turn off their BlackBerrys during a shutdown, or risk punishment for working while on furlough.”
The Smithsonian Institution has a sign ready: “Closed for government shutdown.” Just think how thrilled tourists will be when they arrive this spring and find that out. That’s not going to be pretty! It would be nice if they could give fair warning to the public, but guess what? No one knows when the “Bad Day” will arrive, or how long the shutdown will be.
No cleanup work was done at toxic waste sites during the last two shutdowns because contractors could not be paid and Environmental Protection Agency officials could not monitor cleanup work. No reason not to think the same thing will happen again.
As It Stands, if the clowns are no longer funny, then it’s time for a whole new show. Sweep ‘em all out and start over!
Here’s an article on this subject from today’s headlines:
As shutdown looms, agencies brace for impact
Beware of smiling faces–grining lawmaker unveils plan to dismantle Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare
Makes you want to move to Wisconsin doesn’t it? Not!!
Here’s the latest attack on middle America from the Greed Only Party. Rep. Ryan plan’s on leaving seniors out in the cold.
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan officially unveiled his much-anticipated 2012 budget yesterday, which he dubbed the "Path to Prosperity," which includes ambitious plans to dismantle Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. National media tripped all over itself calling it a "conversion" of traditional Medicaid into a voucher program rather than actually report it as an elimination of the program all together, even though it actually changes the system from a national coverage plan to a voucher system that leaves seniors on their own to find private insurance instead.
Spies and news anchors: Like ABC, Fox Had FBI Mole In Its Midst
From the Smoking Gun this morning…
“Turns out ABC wasn’t the only television outfit to have an FBI mole in its ranks during the 1990s, according to bureau memos.
A “Fox Network News Anchor” was enlisted by New York agents in mid-1992 to obtain the name of a confidential source being used by fellow Fox journalists who were then preparing a story about Jimmy Hoffa’s murder for the syndicated tabloid show “A Current Affair,” records reveal.”
The Buick is back! No, really …
I bought a 1956 Buick hard top off my Dad in 1968 (Photo left – not mine, but one like it) when I was a senior in high school.(hail Azusa High!) Back then gas was .19 a gallon! Can you imagine? My buddies and I all would kick in a dollar and we’d fill ‘er up and go adventuring. Aaaaaaahhh…those were the days my friend…we thought they’d never end.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
As the sun slowly settled into the West the clouds glowed bravely
This photo was taken by Carl Young of Fortuna from his front porch. Thanks Carl …
Monster calls suit over mouse in can a 'shakedown'
If I drank this crap, which I don’t, I’d be resting easy now. The drink maker says it was impossible for a rodent to enter the manufacturing process to get in the can. They think the guy left the can open for a long period of time...
Probably right after this photo was taken…
Top 10 US Corporate Tax Avoiders Named on Senate Floor
While you’re making out your taxes due April 15th, corporate America is laughing all the way to the bank!
Despite the Supreme Court 's finding that corporations are basically people in the eyes of the law, corporations themselves cannot be moral or immoral -- they are entities, not sentient beings. We have a system that rewards the gamers, where winners take all, and influence peddling is rife; where the defense for a highly profitable company not paying taxes is that it is within the law.
“Despite complaints about the U.S.'s burdensome 35% corporate tax rate, two-thirds of American corporations pay no taxes in a given year. In a speech last week on the Senate floor, Senator Bernie Sanders (pictured here) (I) of Vermont called out the top 10 corporate tax avoiders:
Among those actually getting money back from the Feds:
- ExxonMobil made $19 billion in profits in 2009, paid no federal income taxes, received a $156 million rebate
- Bank of America received a $1.9 billion IRS refund despite $4.4 billion of profits
- General Electric had $26 billion in profits, and $4.1 billion refund (GE made it onto another top 10 list of top corporate lobbyists in 2010, spending $39 million)
- Chevron nabbed a $19 million refund after making $10 billion in profits
The cow jumped over the...
Now here’s a real cowgirl!
I never heard of riding cows before, but that just shows you how little I know. Apparently there was a time when it was common to ride cows in Europe!
“When Regina Mayer's parents dashed her hopes of getting a horse, the resourceful 15-year-old didn't sit in her room and sulk. Instead, she turned to a cow called Luna to make her riding dreams come true.” Story Here
Monday, April 4, 2011
H&P Industries Inc: Wipe-maker shuts doors after U.S. Marshals arrive
For months now, FDA officials have been aware H & P Industries has had a problem with contaminated Povidone Iodine Prep Pads, but just fooled around playing politics instead of instantly taking them off the market.
How does this kind of thing happen? Can you say Lobbyists? Bribe, bribe, and more bribe.They’ve probably been aware for a long time, but it’s become so public lately they had to perform a “dog and pony show” and send in some U.S. Marshals in a dramatic attempt to sooth the public outrage. Only in America…
“A Wisconsin firm accused of making contaminated medical pads and wipes is closed after U.S. Marshals on Monday arrived at H&P Industries Inc. with orders to seize products.” Story here image source
Family dog kept missing boy alive, sheriff says
A mixed Labrador retriever was being hailed as a hero after it was found with a 22-month-old boy who had gone missing the night before.
"That dog is what kept him alive," Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews told The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C.
Wearing only a T-shirt and diaper, Tyler Jacobson had gone missing from his Elgin, S.C., home on Friday night. His mom and her boyfriend told police that he vanished after leaving the family bedroom, where they were watching TV, to get some juice, The State reported.
Temperatures had dipped into the 40s overnight, and while police searched with bloodhounds and a helicopter until midnight, they couldn't find the boy.
The search resumed the next morning, when the boy's crying led rescuers to him. He and his family's dog were behind a neighbor's home across the street.
Linda Harr, who lives in the house near where Tyler was found, said she had heard the helicopter and thought a criminal was on the loose. "So I locked the door," WIS TV reported her as saying. "The last thing I was gonna do is go outside."
"I just wish I'd have known, I could have warmed him up, called the cops," she said.
Emily DuBose, another neighbor, called it surreal. "Just thinking that a dog would watch a baby over the night, it's kind of like a movie instead of real life," WIS TV quoted her as saying.
Matthews noted that living conditions in the boy’s home were “deplorable" and that the state Department of Social Services had been notified, The State reported.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
As It Stands: Peak Oil: It's not if it will happen, but when
By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 04/03/2011 09:12:51 AM PDT
While filling my car's gas tank the other day I had a sense of foreboding. Watching the dollars add up as each gallon registered, I suspected $4.25 a gallon was going to look good by this time next year.
What's happening? Why are prices steadily going up? You can thank oil speculators for that. Those daring, greedy gluttons are making us dance like puppets at the pumps. But there are other things going on that drive up oil prices.
Have you ever heard of Peak Oil? I won't attempt to go into the whole subject in this limited space, but I will share some points on this controversial subject with you.
M. King Hubbert, a Shell geoscientist, correctly predicted in 1956 that the United States would pass its peak oil production between 1965 and 1970. Since then, U.S. production has dropped steadily, and we've become more dependent on foreign oil.
Fast forward to an April 2009 meeting in Washington where Department Of Energy (DoE) bigwigs discussed the growing demand for liquid fuels. Glen Sweetnam, who heads the publication of DoE's annual International Energy Outlook, told his peers the decline of liquid fuels production between 2011 and 2015 could be the first stage of the “undulating plateau” pattern, which will start “once maximum world production is reached (Peak Oil).”
A hint of worry there, but the DoE dismissed the controversial Peak Oil theory, which assumes that world crude oil production should irreversibly decrease in the near future.
Lauren Mayne, responsible for liquid fuel prospects at the DoE, recently told the French newspaper Le Monde, “Once maximum world oil production is reached, that level will be approximately maintained for several years thereafter, creating an undulating plateau. After this plateau period, production will experience a decline.” The Obama Administration goes along with this line of thought.
Sweetnam's warning was followed by warnings from The Wall Street Journal, The Houston Chronicle (main daily newspaper of the world capital of crude oil trade), the CEO of Brazilian oil company Petrobras, former Saudi national oil company Aramco and an International Energy Agency (IEA) “whistleblower” on Nov. 9, 2009.
The whistleblower was a senior IEA official who claimed the U.S. was influential in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields and overplay the chances of finding new reserves.
Today, the U.S. fears that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, may not have enough reserves to prevent oil prices from rising. In a Feb. 8 article in the Guardian, U.K., cables released by WikiLeaks urged Washington to take seriously a warning from a senior Saudi government oil executive, al-Hussenini, that the kingdom's oil reserves have been overstated by as much as 300 billion barrels -- nearly 40 percent.
The U.S. consul warned Washington, “While al-Hussenini fundamentally contradicts the Aramco company line, he is no doomsday theorist. His pedigree, experience and outlook demand that his predictions be thoughtfully considered.”
Here's the thing: Everyone agrees we will run out of oil someday. It's when we will run out that predictions vary. Now I'm going to throw in another factor. It's not just how much oil is left -- it's also how much oil can be extracted at a significant energy profit. The bottom line.
Howard Odum wrote in the early 1970s, “The true value of energy to society is net energy, which is that after the energy costs of getting and concentrating that energy are subtracted.”
That net energy is what powers our world, from cars to planes and everything in between. In 2005, the DoE commissioned a report to examine the impact of Peak Oil. The Hirsch Report, named for its lead author, energy advisor Robert Hirsch, put the problem in stark terms. It recommended 10 to 20 ye
The general consensus is we will have big problems in an undetermined future, starting in 10 to 50 years (depending upon who you talk to), unless we change our fuel habits quickly and convert our economy to alternative energies. So who should we believe? How close are we to reaching Peak Oil and economic disaster?
As It Stands, it doesn't take a seer to see $4.25 a gallon will actually seem cheap sooner rather than later.
Websites carrying this column:
Energy Shortage – World Wide Energy Shortages
The PowerSwitch Peak Oil Daily – scroll down to Business
Peak Oil News - Exploring Hydrocarbon Depletion
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A view of the Eel River Valley taken on April 2nd…
This photo was taken by a local veteran activist, Fortuna resident, and my buddy, Carl Young. He likes to roam around taking photos in Humboldt County with his fancy camera, and often shares them with me. In turn, I’m sharing one with you now…
Corporate Scumbag for April: Transocean gives safety bonuses despite Gulf spill deaths
I’m establishing the first “As It Stands Corporate Scumbag of the Year Award” and Transocean Ltd. is the first entry.
Company filing calls safety record 'exemplary' for meeting internal goals…
“Transocean Ltd. gave its top executives bonuses for achieving the "best year in safety performance in our company's history" — despite the explosion of its oil rig that killed 11 people, including nine of its own employees, and spilled 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.”
Southwest passengers recount harrowing ordeal as hole opens in plane fuselage
I’ve never never been a fan of flying – see
Excerpt:
“I was never enthralled with the concept of hurtling through Earth’s atmosphere at 20,000 or 30,000 feet above the ground. Call me silly or a coward. It was a plane that took me to that dirty little war in Vietnam, and I’d never forgive that airline if I could just remember which one it was!” Editor’s Note: scroll down stories until you get to my column.
Meanwhile…
“Passengers described a harrowing journey Friday when a Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix to Sacramento suffered a rapid loss of cabin pressure, and the crew found a hole in the top of the fuselage.”
Photo - A cellphone image of the hole in the cabin of a Southwest flight from Phoenix to Sacramento. Flight 812 was diverted to Yuma, Ariz., Friday where it landed safely. (Joshua Hardwicke via Associated Press / April 1, 2011) Story here.
Here’s five rare disorders you probably never heard of…
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine: Jumping Frenchmen of Maine is an extremely rare neuropsychiatric disorder that causes an exaggerated startle reaction. Something as small as an unexpected poke in the ribs can cause sufferers to jump, scream, flail their arms, hit or throw things, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
The oddly named condition is a nod to the French Canadian lumberjacks in the Moosehead Lake region of Maine -- the original jumping Frenchmen. The cause is unknown, although some researchers believe that a behavioral disorder is at the root of the strange condition, while others argue that it's caused by a gene mutation.
Fregoli delusion: What if your sister, your boyfriend, your boss and your next-door neighbor were really all the same person, who was constantly altering her appearance in order to fool you? Sufferers of Fregoli delusion believe (very, very mistakenly) that different people in their lives are actually the very same person, using an elaborate array of disguises and costumes to trick them.
It's related to Capgras delusion, a rare psychiatric disorder that causes a person to believe her friends or family members have been replaced with impostors. And like Capgras, psychiatrists believe it's the result of troubles with facial perception, which can be caused by traumatic brain injury.
Swallowing syncope: Ever eat such a good meal it made you feel faint? In 2007, UCLA reported a strange case of a 68-year-old woman who was standing at the sink, drinking a glass of milk -- when she suddenly fainted. Three months later, it happened again, this time while she was eating a bagel. Swallowing syncope -- or, fainting after swallowing -- is unusual, but not unheard of; case reports date back as early as 1958. In this woman's case, doctors prescribed an anticholinergic medication, which stopped her from losing consciousness when swallowing.
Kung fu colitis: This is the sad story of a blow to the stomach that resulted in bloody diarrhea, a trip to the emergency room and an eventual diagnosis of colitis for one poor 21-year-old dude.
The cramps and bloody mess started an hour after he was kicked in class, and it was still happening the next morning, according to a case report in this month's Annals of Emergency Medicine. He was observed for 12 hours in the ER, and then sent home with strict instructions to stick to a clear-fluids diet.
Spasmodic dysphonia: Is it a crime if one can only speak in rhyme? About 30,000 Americans suffer from a mysterious condition called spasmodic dysphonia, which means the parts of their brains controlling speech have malfunctioned. Strangely, many sufferers have found they aren't able to speak in their normal voice -- but if they sing, speak in a silly higher or lower pitch, or recite poetry, they regain their ability to speak.
Story Source
Friday, April 1, 2011
As I predicted, hate-monger Pastor Terry Jones burned the Koran
Intolerance of American Muslims…
I’ve provided two links below to show how predictable cult leader Pastor Terry Jones is. One reader, commenting on my column when it came out, thought I should just ignore him and he’d go away.
I can’t do that. Jones is part of an overall assault on American Muslims that has seen them go on public trial twice now. First, when lawmaker Peter King held his witch hunt a couple of weeks ago, and then this latest outrage.
If you’re not a Muslim, then you don’t know what it’s like being prosecuted for your religion in America today. In my opinion, there’s already too much intolerance in this country without targeting religious groups.
“American pastor promotes 'International Judge the Koran Day' today” Did you catch the part about “so-called peaceful Muslims” like such a thing is impossible? That tells you that no matter what argument is made for Islam, Pastor Jones and his prejudiced flock will find the religion guilty. Then what? Threaten to burn the Koran again and incite every devout Muslim in the world?
Florida pastor oversees Quran burning The controversial Florida pastor who halted plans to burn a Quran on the 9/11 anniversary last year oversaw the burning of the Islamic holy book on Sunday after it was found "guilty" during a "trial" at his church.
I should note that eight UN workers were murdered, two were decapitated, by an outraged crowd in Kabul, Afghanistan when they found out what Jones did.
My son Nate is in the news today talking about his up close encounter with a massive land slide
From the Times-Standard today:
“Seeing and hearing the landslide up close; a forgotten clipboard may have saved a life”
By Thadeus Greenson/The Times-Standard
Posted: 04/01/2011 02:30:36 AM PDT
Plainly, Nathan Stancliff has never liked the route.
Though he's driven his Del Reka Distributing truck from Eureka to Garberville once a week for several months to deliver to Southern Humboldt grocery stores, he's always done so a bit nervously.
“I've told everyone that I don't like this route because I feel there's going to be a landslide,” Stancliff said Thursday -- a day after a massive slide covered all four lanes of U.S. Highway 101 with tons of mud, rocks and debris. “I'm always worried I'm going to end up in a situation where there's going to be a landslide coming down and a cliff on the other side. Imagine that.”
On Wednesday, Stancliff (shown above driving in his truck) didn't have to imagine. He was there to see, hear and feel what he described as “this huge green blob” descend from the mountain to eat the highway. According to Caltrans, what Stancliff saw was a 600-foot-wide piece of earth stretching 1,500 feet up the hillside move at once, descending on the roadway and buckling it 50 feet in both directions.
And if it weren't for an absent-minded moment, Stancliff said, he and his truck might also have been right in the middle of it.
When preparing his truck to head south, Stancliff said, he left his clipboard on the ground of the loading parking lot. He had to turn back to get it, putting him a couple of minutes behind schedule -- a couple of minutes that may have saved his life.
Not thinking much of it, Stancliff said, he proceeded on his route, listening to music and enjoying the day
Everything was pretty calm -- kind of eerie calm,” he said.
Near Phillipsville, Stancliff said, he rolled down his window. A few minutes later, he noticed a growing noise in the distance that began drowning out the music playing in his cab as he came around a sweeping corner.
“You could just hear this crunching -- just crack, crunch, snap, crack,” he said. “Then it didn't take long to realize what the snapping and cracking was -- I saw this tree that is upright sliding down right onto the road in this huge green blob. When I first saw it, the top was moving so quick it was like when you take butter and put it on a hot pan and it just goes bloop. ... And you could feel it when it hit.
”Needless to say,” Stancliff continued, “I was in complete shock. It was dumbfounding. I don't even have the words for it.”
In the moment when he was downshifting his truck, slowing down while approaching the massive slide, Stancliff said he felt oddly calm. His life didn't flash before his eyes. There was no panic.
“When it was so intense there for a minute, I felt kind of at ease and pictured my daughter smiling,” Stancliff said, referring to Carissa Ann, his 4-year-old.
On Thursday, Stancliff said, he's just grateful to be around to tell his story -- grateful that he absent-mindedly left his clipboard on the ground while closing up his truck's tailgate.
“Those couple of minutes were crucial to my being here today,” he said. “It's pretty heavy. It really makes you appreciate life when something like this happens.”
Labor Department says more jobs added, but people are still losing jobs for numerous reasons
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Middle-aged casino waitresses fired after told they don't look good in new uniforms
Employment grew solidly in March; jobless rate declined
“The U.S. economy posted a second straight month of solid gains in March as the nation’s jobless rate fell to a two-year low of 8.8 percent, marking a decisive shift in the labor market that should help to underpin the economic recovery.” Story here.
Waitresses fired when new uniforms don't fit
“Sixteen cocktail waitresses at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City were fired after being told they’re not a fit for the casino’s new sexy uniforms.” Story Here.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
IT'S NOT JUST GLENN BECK: FOX News Has Lost 21% Of Its Audience This Year
Apparently people are figuring out how truthful Fox News is. I knew that it was only a matter of time. The Fox family is losing ratings while the other news outlets are gaining on them.
“All in all Fox News actually lost 21% of its primetime audience during the quarter.
Compare this to CNN which is up 28% in primetime and MSNBC which is up 9% (Rachel Maddow increased by 16.65% and Anderson Cooper by 18%) and then take into consideration all the breaking news there's been since Christmas, and one might begin to draw the conclusion that people are beginning to turn elsewhere for news news coverage.”
source: http://www.businessinsider.com/glenn-beck-ratings-fox-q1-2011-3
Want to reduce BPA exposure? Cut canned foods from your diet, report says
Exposure to the chemical Bisphenol A, or BPA, through canned foods and other food packaging can be significantly reduced with simple dietary changes, according to a report released Wednesday by the nonprofit Breast Cancer Fund and the Silent Spring Institute, a breast cancer research group.
BPA is a chemical that is often used in clear, shatterproof plastics, such as baby bottles and food-storage containers, as well as the liners of metal food cans. Studies have shown BPA can leach from plastic and cans into food. Story here.
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