As It Stands wishes everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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Crack down: U.S. moves to make synthetic marijuana illegal

 

I’ve seen ads in magazines for these fake pot blends, but didn’t really think anyone was stupid enough to buy them. This article explains what’s involved and it’s not pretty. The synthetic crap they use is dangerous and can even be addicting. Here’s a wake-up call for those unaware of this problem:

Government is seeking to outlaw five chemicals used to make the fake pot

“Cracking down on fake pot, the government began emergency action Wednesday to outlaw five chemicals used in herbal blends to make synthetic marijuana. They're sold in drug paraphernalia shops and on the Internet to a burgeoning market of teens and young adults.”

AND…

“It was the fastest action the agency could take to get these products off the legal market. DEA spokeswoman Barbara Carreno said makers of fake pot blends like "Spice," "K2," "Blaze," and "Red X Dawn" label the mixtures as incense to try to hide their intended purpose.”

All new TSA Luggage Tags - hot off the tarmac & holiday travel news

 A friend sent me these luggage tags today and I thought I’d share since this is such a hot topic. Especially today.

America’s net pat down procedure isn’t going  over well, but at least it looks like there hasn’t been any major flight delays caused by a groundswell movement of pissed-off passenger types.

There’s always one in a crowd…

This whole subject of personal freedoms threatened by a need for enhanced national security is partly being pushed by the mainstream media looking for sensational headlines. 

According to a recent poll, 71% of frequent flyers aren’t protesting the enhanced past downs. The protests seem to be coming more from holiday infrequent flyers. 

Airports see few delays despite planned protests

National Opt-Out Day organizers urged travelers to not fly, boycott full-body scans

“Lines moved smoothly at airports around the country Wednesday despite a loosely organized campaign urging air travelers to boycott the controversial full-body scanners at security checkpoints.”

Hold the stuffing! Obama pardons Thanksgiving turkeys

The tradition of pardoning turkeys goes back to President Harry Truman in 1947. He pardoned a bird and when the press left, he sent it to the White House kitchen and ate it! Future presidents continued this silly little show of forgiveness in an effort to show  what nice guys they were. I have a hard time separating this custom from other presidential pardons where turkeys get out of jail, or trouble, because the president is in a forgiving mood, or is a lame duck that doesn’t care what people think.

image source - NBC News

Spotlight: Medusa – artists turn in their interpretations of mythical monster

  

             Art by Jsimeth                             Mark Winters                         

GO HERE TO SEE MORE EXAMPLES FROM THESE FINE ARTISTS

In honor of the shopping season here’s some vintage ad flyers for men in the 1970s

  

Men in the 1970s didn’t just automatically know how to look good. They had to see photos and ads of their fellow men wearing the trophies of their work…work that involved silently stalking the elusive jungle couch until it could be turned into pants. I’m not even going to share any photos of me wearing the pants of the day! One example was my brown-and-white checkered bell bottoms…I still can’t believe I actually wore them!

  

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Heaviest attack yet: North, South Korea exchange fire today

2 soldiers killed by North's rockets; Seoul vows 'enormous retaliation' if North opens fire again

“North Korea fired scores of artillery shells at a South Korean island on Tuesday, killing two soldiers, in one of the heaviest attacks on its neighbor since the Korean War ended in 1953.

The South fired back and sent a fighter jet to the area, which is close to a disputed maritime border on the west of the divided peninsula and the scene of deadly clashes in the past. South Korea was conducting military drills in the area at the time but said it had not been firing at the North.”

 

Dow drops below 11,000 amid Korea clash

Triple-digit slide amid ongoing worries about European debt

“Stocks fell early Tuesday after North Korea and South Korea exchanged artillery fire near their disputed sea border, killing at least two South Korean marines. Treasury prices, the dollar and gold all rose as investors sought safe places to park money.”

There’s snow in the hills today as I try to hold on to the Fall

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Marketing Missteps: 10 toys that likely won't be on holiday wish lists

What kind of moron thought the Harry Potter vibrating broom was a good idea?

The TSA action figures may get up close and personal with travelers (right).

Make sure you talk to it while its mouth is open (below).

 

Just give her the real thing and cut down on housework (right).

“'Tis the season when toys come front-and-center in our consciousness. In the drive to produce thousands of new toys each year, the industry occasionally missteps, producing toys that anger rather than amuse the buying audience.”

As It Stands: A look at the 'Toad in the Moon' and other lunar lore

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 11/21/2010 01:27:13 AM PST

There will be a full moon tonight. Most Humboldters probably won't be able to see it, but you never know. We can hope for an unusually clear night sky.

We do know that tides will shift strongly, animals and people may act weird and strange things will happen tonight. Anecdotal stories about animals' reactions to the effects of the full moon abound.

According to a July 2007 study by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, full moon emergency room visits for pets increase compared to the rest of the month, to 23 percent higher for cats and 28 percent higher for dogs.

Why? No one really knows.

Animals are more sensitive than humans to the natural world. I think we can all agree on that. We shiver at tales of werewolves baying at the full moon. A full moon can be a great setting for a horror movie or a romance.

In China, the dark shadows on the moon are seen as “the toad in the moon,” not the “man in the moon” of Western culture. The toad is considered one of the five poisons of yin. It is believed eclipses occur when the “toad in the moon” tries to swallow the moon itself.

There's loads of evidence that full moons affect humans. Doctors report an increase in epileptic seizures and bleeding ulcers at the time of the full moon. A recent poll showed 86 percent of casualty nurses and 64 percent of doctors believe a full moon affects patient behavior.

Researchers at psychiatric hospitals in New York found a dramatic rise in admissions on the days of full moons. Law enforcement studies nationwide show motiveless crimes trebled around the time of full moons.

Experts tell us Earth is about four times the size of the moon. If you were to fly once around the moon (however unlikely that sounds) it would be the equivalent of a round trip from New York to London. If the moon were placed on the surface of the continental United States, it would extend from San Francisco to Cleveland (2,600 miles).

Here's more perfectly useless trivia about Luna (you don't have to be a Latin student to know that Luna means moon):

* Golfing enthusiasts may find it interesting that astronaut Alan Sheppard once hit a golf ball that went 2,400 feet (nearly one-half mile) while he walked on the moon. What a course, eh?

* With no competition in sight for the foreseeable future, it looks like the Apollo lunar rover will hold the surface speed record on the moon at an exhilarating 10.56 miles per hour.

* The U.S.S.R. captured the first photo of the moon taken from space in 1959, an image of the dark side of the moon. Fourteen years later the rock band Pink Floyd made an album by that name. If there's a connection, let me know.

* The footprints left by the Apollo astronauts will not erode since there is no wind or water on the Moon. Men and women sporting lab coats and degrees in science say the footprints should last at least 10 million years. I wonder how they know that?

* For all you lefties out there, astronaut Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon with his left foot. Take that, you righties!

* Your desktop computer contains five to 10 times more computing power than was used to land a man on the moon. Think about that for a moment. OK, you're cleared for takeoff!

* Everyone knows who the first man on the moon was, but did you know that in 1972 Gene Cernan was the last man to step on the moon?

* NASA claims when the Apollo 12 astronauts landed on the moon, the impact caused the moon's surface to vibrate for 55 minutes. It appears we made quite an impact.

Quick! What was the name of the guy/gal who timed it? Now there's some serious trivia for you.

As It Stands, look out for lunatics and if you see the “Toad in the Moon,” would you please report your encounter to CNN, MSNBC or Fox News?