Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Oh That’s Right! Spring has Sprung and It’s Time for the Young
Hey Ewe!
A pair of lambs sit in the shade of a tree among daffodils at the Hall Farm in Stratford St. Mary, eastern England.
Chris Helgren / Reuters
A ship-based laser tested by the Navy's research arm could put the heat on Somali pirates.
No matter how you look at it, it’s Buck Rodger’s stuff to old coots like me!
Excerpt:
“The baseball-sized laser beam, though, could be used to stop small crafts from approaching naval ships. It could also target pirates.
"You can use the laser to ward off an attack, or you can dial it down to a non-lethal level where it basically becomes a very bright light so they know they are being targeted," Michael Deitchman, the director of air warfare and weapons at the Office of Naval Research, said Wednesday.
Deitchman said the laser provides two benefits not seen in other military weapons. The laser is precise, unlike bullets that can ricochet and hit unintended targets, and the laser's strength can be dialed down from a lethal level to a nuisance level.” Story Here
PHOTO: An optimistic artist's rendering of a fully operational Maritime Laser Demonstrator.Office of Naval Research
Good morning Humboldt County! Another post from ‘As It Stands’ to greet your day…
Well here we are on a wacky Wednesday where the improbable is possible, and the world continues to turn…
From a salesman falling on his sword to ingenious and improbable products, infomercials entertain as well as shock and enlighten us.
Skip ahead to read about:
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A Collection of the Best and Historic Magazine Covers of All Time
Esquire: December 2000: Clinton
It was said that this photo was inspired by Lincoln Memorial, but everybody interpreted it with reference to Monica Lewinsky.
TIME: June 21, 1968:
A figure by Roy Lichtenstein, representing a hand with a pistol. This cover was released after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. It demanded a legislation about restricting the arms sales.
Texas Monthly: January 2007: The Dick Cheney Cover
After the famous lampoon cover (the sixth from the top in this list) the same idea was remade here, with a few modifications, of course.
This cover also became a huge success and won the Best Cover Line of the Year award from Magazine Publishers of America in 2007.
GO HERE TO SEE THE REST
I’m getting ready for the 2012 elections and already know who I‘m voting for…
If you think this sign is funny GO HERE and see 22 more examples of humorous signs…
Marking 150 Years since the Civil War – Let’s Get One Fact Straightened Out…
The 54th Massachusetts Regiment, featured in the film Glory, was not the first black unit to fight. That’s right. Forget what Hollywood told you.
“Black regiments from three other states -- Louisiana, South Carolina and Kansas -- have stronger claims to being the first organized. The 1st Kansas Colored Infantry, military historians seem to agree, engaged the enemy on the battlefield before any other black unit.” Story here.
No ‘rollin on the river’ this year the way things are looking
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?
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
d a volunteer firefighter and very much involved in the Southern Humboldt community.
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.
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