Today’s question: is Idiocracy replacing Democracy in our society?

Did you ever see "Idiocracy," the 2006 sci-fi comedy set in an utterly dysfunctional nation 500 years in the future? Here’s a summary:

“The premise of "Idiocracy" is that a guy named Joe, with a "perfectly average IQ," is selected — along with a prostitute — for a hibernation experiment that inadvertently keeps him asleep until 2505, when he awakes to a world where, as the prologue explains, evolution "began to simply reward those who reproduced the most and left the intelligent to become an endangered species."

The result is a trash-strewn society in which crops are watered with a sports drink called Brawndo, people have names like Frito and Mountain Dew, and the most popular form of entertainment is a reality show called "Ow, My Balls," which consists of footage of a man repeatedly getting whacked in the groin.

Meanwhile, Costco is where you go for toilet paper and a university education, and IQs are so low that "average Joe" is considered a genius.” – source           

                                           Idiocracy in the News:

“The latest issue of the Economist has an article about the business-sabotaging effects of the battles in Washington, headlined "American Idiocracy." A recent blog post on the Psychology Today website was headlined "Idiocracy: Can We Reverse It?" Meanwhile, it's popping up in causal conversations, Internet comments and, most notably, on Twitter.”  - source

           Idiocracy entertainment:

“Judging by popular culture in 2011, it's hard not to wonder if 500 years was a too optimistic prediction, since "Jersey Shore" just might make "Ow, My Balls" look like "Masterpiece Theater." But mainstream entertainment has been the domain of idiocrats for a long time. A bummer of more recent vintage is the way our political system has followed suit.”  - source

                                                              Idiocracy in our Government

“What else can you call it when Congress gets the nation's credit rating lowered thanks to toddler-like stubbornness over an issue that many of its members barely seem to grasp? Put simply, fearing idiocracy isn't a matter of being liberal or conservative. It's a matter of not being an idiot. At least in theory.” – source

                                     Idiocracy – the downfall of society:

“Maybe it's naive to think that ideological opponents can be brought together by a common fear of mass stupidity: Call it idiocraphobia. After all, the downfall of society is in the eye of the beholder; for every progressive who sees the "tea party" as the equivalent of Costco U., there's someone waving a Gadsden flag who earnestly believes Michele Bachmann emerged from a time capsule to protect babies from being named Frito.”  source

The greatest railway project of all time proposed, does E.T. think we’re evil? and Alligator fat for fuel!

Good Morning Humboldt County!

It’s a still and quiet morning and the birds are singing and greeting one another. I’m slamming down my first cup of Joe. Pull up a seat, grab a cup for yourself, and let’s look at a few news items to get things going:

Report: Tunnel linking US to Russia gains support

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s backed top officials idea to construct a $60 billion tunnel under the Bering trait recently.It would  be the first dry connection between the two continents since a land bridge 21,000 years ago. The tunnel would mean Russian territory would meet U.S. jurisdiction underneath the islands of Big Diomede, which is Russian, and Little Diomede, which is American.

What if E.T. thinks we're evil?

A study that reviews a host of sci-fi scenarios for contact with extraterrestrials stirred up such a ruckus today that NASA had to step in and distance itself from the research. The controversy focuses on the idea that E.T. could well decide that we're a threat to interstellar order, and therefore we have to be stopped before we spread.

The report itself, published in the journal Acta Astronautica, covers ground that's familiar to dedicated fans of E.T. lore. For example, the premise of the 1951 sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is that universalist-minded aliens see our civilization as so rooted in violence that it's better to snuff us out than let us ruin the neighborhood. (The 2008 remake, starring Keanu Reeves, recycled that idea with an environmental theme.)

Alligator fat to fuel cars?

“The alligator meat industry sends 15 million pounds of fat to landfills each year. What a waste, thought researchers in Louisiana who have shown it makes for a great biofuel.

The fat, which is trimmed off in processing, is rich in oils that can be recovered and converted into biodiesel, according to Rakesh Bajpai and colleagues at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.”

Time to walk on down the road…

Why not? Marijuana is going to the dogs and I say right on!

Why am I not surprised?

Marijuana for Mutts, Cannabis for Canines, Dank for Dogs, and medical pot Patches for Pups.

Have you ever seen an illegal class one drug (which the mutants in the Justice Department insist on ranking marijuana) go so mainstream that even the animals are doing it?

“In February 2011, a company called Medical Marijuana Delivery Systems, LLC (MMDS) acquired the rights to a patent for a transcutaneous (through the skin) delivery of medical marijuana to humans and animals. The MMDS goal is for public availability of this patch by year end.  Given the trade name Tetracan, this skin patch delivery system could be called a pot patch for pups, canine cannabis or even medical marijuana for mutts.

Animals suffer from many of the same debilitating illnesses that humans do, like arthritis and cancer.  With many U.S. states legalizing the use of medical marijuana for humans, it doesn’t seem like such a stretch to apply this concept to animals.

In 2000, a Santa Ana Pueblo tribe member in New Mexico, Walter Cristobel, experimented with finding a transcutaneous delivery system of marijuana for his mother’s pain relief and was awarded a patent.  In 2010, businessmen Jim Alekson and Chester Soliz — learning of Cristobel’s patent — joined him in forming MMDS, “a company devoted to the advancement, research and development of marijuana delivery modalities.”

“MMDS is pleased to be working with Walter Cristobal to help him develop his innovative ideas as MMDS advances the research and development of TETRACAN holistic, therapeutic products,” stated Jim Alekson, ADG Market Focus spokesperson for MMDS in a press release.  Other delivery systems such as creams, gels and oils will be explored for other ways of delivering medical marijuana.

Alekson informs me he has been working on a stock exchange listing for MMDS that is expected to take place shortly.  With that and the new bio-chemists with trans-dermal expertise coming on board, the arranging of manufacturing contracts in medical marijuana-legal states should see the Tetracan patch available by second quarter, 2012.”            story source  --    Photo credit: Chris Yarzab via flickr

Life Reflects Art : a Killer Shark in the Seychelles just like ‘Jaws’

In the movie Jaws, Robert Shaw (left) plays Sam Quint the expert shark killer, and now we have a Fisherman's task: to Catch island paradise's killer shark a story ripped out of today’s headlines which seems eerily close to the iconic movie.

Daryl Green, (right) a fisherman known in the Seychelles as "the guy who can catch anything" is on the trail of the killer shark. Let’s hope he doesn’t end up like poor old Quint!

Pig-out! Meet Boris, the 550-pound porker who had to go on a diet

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

I thought my pet was a bit overweight, but Boris gives new meaning to porky!

“If you ever complain about how much your pet eats, be glad Boris isn’t part of your family. This hefty pig has been put on a diet but he wasn’t always this size.

When his Australian owners first adopted him, they were told he’d weigh 150 pounds, at most. But when he exceeded expectations, tipping the scale at 550 pounds, his veterinarian said he needed to lose weight – STAT! Lucky for Boris and his owners, it seems like his diet is working.

But even though he’s dropped an impressive 70 pounds, the sneaky snorting genius has figured out how to raid the fridge! He can open the door, find the potatoes and even close the door behind him. Seems like someone needs to be put on a short leash.”

story source

Space hotels, floating buses, and contest winner to live in an airport

GOOD MORNING HUMBOLDT COUNTY!

It’s good to see you on this foggy morning. Grab a cup of coffee and check out these three stories I have for you. They’re all travel-related. My question with the Russians is how do they expect to put a hotel in space when they can’t even put a communications satellite safely in orbit?

They just lost a billion dollar satellite. That’s right, just lost it. I sure wouldn’t want to spend a night in one of their space motels…it would end up being the 21st Century remake of “Lost In Space!”

Russians tout plans to launch space hotel by 2016

“Russian firms highlighted their plans at the country's premier air show this week at Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, saying the race was on to build a new craft to take people into space following the retirement of NASA's space shuttle.

A hotel in orbit, lunar sightseeing flights and luxury rides into the cosmos — all are part of Russia's vision to ensure it is not left behind in the growing space tourism industry. An artist's conception shows a cutaway view of the commercial space station envisioned by Russian companies.”

Floating tour bus launches in Amsterdam

If you’ve got a long layover between flights, your choices at most airports are to eat, drink, shop or attempt to nap while sitting up − and without drooling.

But passengers with at least five hours to wait at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport now have a new, entertaining and amphibious option.

On Wednesday, after a month-long delay, the Floating Dutchman welcomed aboard its first paying customers.

Contest winner moves into Vancouver airport

Armed with a video camera and his skateboard, Jaeger Mah is moving into the Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

The 29-year-old Vancouver, B.C. resident won the Live@YVR contest to be an in-residence citizen reporter at YVR and, starting Wednesday, will spend 80 days – and 80 nights – without leaving Sea Island, the airport’s home.

Mah will get to sleep, swim and do his laundry at the on-site Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel and will have $50 a day for snacks and meals. He’ll also be paid about $15,000 when he moves out. In return, he’ll prepare regular video reports about what goes on at the airport, including behind the scenes, and share his observations on Facebook and Twitter.

Time to walk on down the road…

Todays Epiphany: it’s a dog’s and congressman’s life

My  dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.   
She  has her food prepared for her. She can eat whenever she wants.  
Her meals are provided at no cost to her.   
She  visits the doctor once a year for her checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.  
For this she pays nothing, and nothing is required of her.  
She lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is  much larger than she needs, but she is not required to do any upkeep.

If she makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.   
She has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.   
She receives these accommodations absolutely free.   
She is living like a Queen, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.  
All of her costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.  
I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick ...

I think my  dog is a  member of Congress!

Smart dog displays math skills, giant rodent on the loose in California, and survey shows tea party less popular than atheists and Muslims

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Daylights breaking and I’ve got the coffee going. Thanks for dropping by. Pull up a seat, grab a cup of freshly brewed, and let’s look at a few headlines to get the day started:

Montana dog becomes local celebrity for his math skills

Labrador Retrievers are known for their hunting skills and friendly dispositions, but Beau, a black Lab who lives in Montana, is winning acclaim for his math abilities.

Owner David Madsen says if he tells Beau there are six dogs at the park and three dogs leave, and then asks him how many are left, the dog replies: "Woof, woof, woof." "He counts, he adds and subtracts, he can do some division and has memorized square roots," Madsen said.               Photo

Giant South American rodent spotted in California

A giant South American rodent weighing at least 100 pounds (45 kgs) was spotted at a waste-water treatment facility in California recently before disappearing in the brush, according to a wildlife official. The animal, which was identified as a capybara, is the world's largest rodent and feeds on vegetation.

The capybara is believed to be an escaped pet, Tognazzini said. It was last seen about two weeks ago at a waste-water treatment facility in Paso Robles, 175 miles northwest of Los Angeles, he said.

Survey’s surprising finding: tea party less popular than atheists and Muslims

In an op-ed article in the New York Times, Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard, and David E. Campbell, a political scientist at Notre Dame, say they have collected data indicating that the tea party is "less popular than much maligned groups like 'atheists' and 'Muslims.'"

Early tea partiers were described as "nonpartisan political neophytes," Campbell and Putnam write, but their findings showed that tea partiers were "highly partisan Republicans" who were more likely than others to have contacted government officials. "They are overwhelmingly white, but even compared to other white Republicans, they had a low regard for immigrants and blacks long before Barack Obama was president, and they still do," they went on.            Cartoon

Time to walk on down the road…

‘If you believe in forever, then life is just a one-night stand’

image                                   Quote from Righteous Brothers, "Rock & Roll Heaven"

Expert says sex-crazed insects whip up 'bugnadoes' in Midwest

Tornadoes aren't the only funnels that touch down in the Midwest. "Bugnadoes" — vortexes of swarming bugs — occasionally twist through, too.

On the night of July 4, professional storm chaser and photographer Mike Hollingshead caught sight of an enormous bugnado in southwestern Iowa. The air above the cornfields was so thick with bugs "it looked like it was smoking," Hollingshead told Life's Little Mysteries. He captured the strange sight on camera, and his video has gone viral in recent days.

But what are the bugnadoes? "It’s a mating flight. The males are trying to impress the females, and the females select a mate." No one knows what the females are looking for when they choose a sex partner from among the masses, said Jo Kieper, an entomologist who is executive director of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.