Here’s some “Trashy” Art by Tom Deninger…

 Tom Deninger is an artist from Bristol. His artworks speak for themselves.

Check out the models created from nothing but trash.

I can’t believe how super-realistic they seem.

GOP Voted For $50 Billion To Rebuild Iraq Without Cuts, Now Insist On Cuts To Offset Funding To Rebuild America

The recent unprecedented onslaught of natural disasters has left already cash-strapped states with a record $36 billion in damages. Ten different natural disasters have struck in 2011. According to FEMA, damages from Hurricane Irene alone will cost at least $1.5 billion in disaster relief — and the hurricane season isn’t over.

This disastrous year is also the year that many Republican lawmakers have also decided to break precedent and demand that much-needed disaster relief be offset with cuts elsewhere in the federal budget.

(Photo - Wildfire damage in Texas) Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) vowed to quickly usher $6 billion in emergency disaster relief for states through the Senate. However, even as wildfires obliterate more than 1,000 homes in his state, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) insisted that those funds be offset because “we can’t keep spending money we don’t have.” Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), whose state has suffered “millions and millions of dollars” in wind and flood damage from Hurricane Irene, simply demanded that “we’ve got to offset everything“:

“We can’t keep spending money we don’t have,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, where deadly wildfires have charred tens of thousands of acres and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. [...]

“I think we’ve got to offset everything; anything that’s not allocated has got to be offset these days. It shouldn’t delay it,” Burr told POLITICO. “There’s hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse that could be accessed like that.”

This purist principle did not stop both Cornyn and Burr for voting to fund rebuilding efforts in Iraq without a single offset. Indeed, Cornyn voted against delaying $20.3 billion in Iraq infrastructure funds even though the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) noted that such a payment would increase the budget deficit. Overall, the U.S. has spent $44.6 billion in taxpayer funds on rebuilding Iraq through emergency supplemental bills — and not a penny was cut from elsewhere in the budget.

Cornyn and Burr’s position — first espoused by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) — is so callously out of touch that even fellow Republicans are slamming the idea. After enduring serious bipartisan backlash, Cantor is now gun-shy. Calling Reid’s emergency funds bill “unprecedented,” he is not clearly taking a stand against it.

Article source

Reflections: I was only 19 when I went to the Nam – the same as this Aussie soldier named Dave

Legendary Dave is an Aussie who fought with the US in Vietnam.

A friend sent me this video today, and it’s brought back a few memories from my experiences with Aussies in the Nam.

The video says it like it is. For example, the part about Agent Orange. A lot of people don’t realize how many Aussies fought alongside us in Vietnam and who were also exposed to that deadly defoliant.

I had a short mission – four days – assisting an Aussie unit in building a forward outpost in the bush. Those guys sure had a great sense of humor.I admit at times I couldn’t quite make out what they saying with their heavy accents but it didn’t matter.Their body language and easy laughter was infectious. Unlike most Americans in Vietnam who were minorities or from the poorer classes, the Aussie’s were mostly Caucasian.

We had many things in common, but the thing that stood out the most was our mutual disgust with the war we were fighting. None of us thought we were protecting freedom for our countries. It all came down to survival. You did what you had to do…no matter what.  

Otter love, the nation most tolerant of sex scandals, and a man dressed as Gumby tries to rob liquor store

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Welcome…step right in and have a cup of joe with me. This morning’s roundup ought to get at least one smile out of you! You may be surprised to find out that France is NOT the most tolerant nation when it comes to sex scandals.

National Kissing Day

Here’s a lineup of the cutest otters kissing that you’ve ever seen. Their expressions are priceless, but don’t take my word for it. Click the link above and be prepared to go ahhhhhhh!

And the most tolerant nation for sex scandals is..

When politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrived in France last week, cleared of a New York sex scandal, he returned home smiling despite facing a frosty reception. Maybe he should have gone to Mexico, instead.

Pay attention Anthony Weiner, Tiger Woods, Brett Favre and others caught up in public, sexual indiscretions. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday shows 57 percent of Mexicans would be either very likely or somewhat likely to tolerate the sexual indiscretions of stars and politicians. They were followed by Belgians at 55 percent. In the United States, the tolerance factor was 48 percent. France, in fact, was way down the list at only 33 percent, while Japan was the least forgiving country at only 28 percent.

Man dressed as Gumby tries to rob store

In the world of animated TV, it's no stretch to say that good-natured Gumby is far down the list of characters that would commit armed robbery. But a man clad in a full-figured Gumby costume has made a botched attempt to rob a 7-Eleven store in California, and authorities are looking for the suspect, police said on Wednesday.

It happened early on Monday when the man came into the San Diego store dressed as the green claymation figure, accompanied by an ordinarily dressed accomplice, San Diego Police spokesman Detective Gary Hassen said. The costumed man announced he was robbing the store, but the clerk thought it was a joke, police said. "Gumby said, 'You don't think it's a robbery? Let me show you my gun,'" Hassen said.

The suspect then tried to reach into his Gumby outfit but experienced a "costume malfunction" and could not fit his hand in a pocket, he said.Instead of a gun, the costumed suspect pulled out 26 cents in change which he dropped on the floor, police said. The accomplice, who had left the store and gotten into a minivan, honked at the man dressed as Gumby. He, too, walked out of the store without managing to take any money, police said. Both men left in the minivan. After their getaway, the store clerk was still not certain an attempted robbery had occurred and did not call police. The store manager, who arrived later that morning, reported the incident.

‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.’

image  —  Quote by  Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you’re a conservative who hates taxes, please do the following…

1.Do not use Medicare...

1. 2.Do not use Social Security
2. 3.Do not become a member of the US military, who are paid with tax dollars.
3. 4.Do not ask the National Guard to help you after a disaster.
4. 5.Do not call 911 when you get hurt.
5. 6.Do not call the police to stop intruders in your home.
6. 7.Do not summon the fire department to save your burning home.
7. 8.Do not drive on any paved road, highway, and interstate or drive on any bridge.
8. 9.Do not use public restrooms.
9. 10.Do not send your kids to public schools.
10. 11.Do not put your trash out for city garbage collectors.
11. Do not live in areas with clean air.
12. Do not drink clean water.
13. Do not visit National Parks.
14. Do not visit public museums, zoos, and monuments.
15. Do not eat or use FDA inspected food and medicines.
16. Do not bring your kids to public playgrounds.
17. Do not walk or run on sidewalks.
18. Do not use public recreational facilities such as basketball and tennis courts.
19. Do not seek shelter facilities or food in soup kitchens when you are homeless and hungry.
20. Read the rest at the blog What Would Jack Do?

Exploring a smile’s subtleties, ‘Schweddy Balls’, and a dumpster diving dad who does what it takes to get by

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Don’t you love the mornings? It’s so quiet and peaceful. Glad you could stop by. Pull up a seat and grab a cup of coffee or tea, and check out the headlines with me:

Read my lips: New book explores a smile's subtleties

A smile is much more than a cheerful expression, writes author Marianne LaFrance in her new book "Lip Service." The smile, she suggests, "is a social magnet, a trustworthiness meter, a device for diffusing anger, a patch for frayed interpersonal bonds, and a lubricant for keeping social ties in good working order."

Perhaps that's why turning the corners of the mouth upward is "the most instantly recognized facial expression." Whether discussing lop-sided grins, wolfish smirks, sinister sneers, or radiantly beaming, LaFrance, a Yale University psychology professor, delves into the science behind the smile and explains its affect on politics, work, relationships, and culture.

This routine was a riot. Sure miss the classic SNL skits…

Ben & Jerry's tosses out some Schweddy Balls

On Wednesday, Ben & Jerry's ice cream company announced its newest flavor, Schweddy Balls, a limited-edition flavor that harks back to an "Saturday Night Live" routine and will contain vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered rum and malt balls, according to Time magazine.

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When money ran short, this dad started Dumpster diving

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure.  For Todd, trash is simply a way to keep bread on the table for his three kids.

A programmer by day, Todd takes to the streets of North Carolina by night, digging through Dumpsters at drug stores and grocery stores all around his rural neighborhood.

"You would be simply amazed at what businesses throw out," he said. "I've only had to buy two loaves of bread all year. ... Last week I had a trunk full of cereal, cookies, chips and ramen noodles." Todd slinks in and out of smelly places with low-light flashlights to evade rent-a-cops who will shoo him away.  Most nights, his 14-year-old son comes along. "I don't like getting all the way into Dumpsters unless there's something really valuable in there, but my son doesn't mind as much. He'll jump right in," Todd said.  The two yearn for colder weather, when items spoil more slowly and the stench is far easier to bear.

Time to walk on down the road…

Blogging on the GOP primary debate: who kicked ass?

Are you ready to rumble?

I never watched a Republican or Democratic primary debate before. I admit it. By the halftime break (where everyone had to scurry to the nearest toilet – especially Ron Paul - of tonight’s GOP blab fest, I realized how entertaining this little ritual verbal punching match could be.

Huntsman looked like the sanest of the candidates early on. Not that this is such a big accomplishment considering the room full of clowns. Cain sounds like a preacher. Speaks well, but a little too fast. Bachmann as a meek onlooker. Where’s her spunk? She needs to be a junkyard dog.  She tried to sound like she knew what she was talking about, but that $2.00 a gallon gas thing puts her further down the rabbit hole. Then there was Newt. Typical theatrical Gingrich classic rhetoric (we’ve heard it for years).

Oh yeah…Sen. Santorium (I did like his pink tie) said something.Everyone watching took the opportunity to yawn. Romney and Perry parried like two drunks (no one actually landing a good blow) but I expect more in the second half. Get ‘em Cowboy! At one point they all sang that they were family and wouldn’t pick at each like rabid jackals for the entertainment of the Democrats. Then they proceeded to swing clumsy shots at at each other vying for an edge. 

 Back… Perry whines that he feels like a pinata suggesting everyone is ganging up on him. I hope he doesn’t pull out his guns as equalizers.…heartbreaking. Romney tries to act like the moderate and doesn’t kick Perry as often as he could. The others take a few dispirited jabs with no effect. Huntsman makes another nice little speech.

Perry explained how he made thoughtful reductions in the state’s education system. I tried not to gag knowing where he put the state’s money instead. Gingrich spoke up on education and it was like listening to him speak about it in the 80s. Totally clueless. Hold on! Perry’s talking about putting “boots on the ground” on the Tex Mex border. Perry calls Obama a liar. He says the Tex Mex border is not safe as Obama claims. He’s warming up.

Romney steps up on the subject and has the audience clapping. Perry withers a little behind the podium. Not one person clapped after his blathering. Gingrich is back. Oh yeah. Says we need to insist all immigrants learn English or get deported. Classic Newt. Sen. Santorium throws out the Italian immigrant race card and says he knows what to do about our illegal immigration problem.

Where’s Bachmann? There she is. Everyone she knows wants something done about illegal aliens. She knows what to do. Even if she didn’t explain what. She opened her eyes real wide and waved her hands. Now that got a scattered applause.

Cain said I agree with everyone. Next? Here’s Huntsman…he’s talking about his legally adopted Chinese daughter (I’m not sure why but he’s smiling). Paul says we don’t need to have an armed border. No really. He said that all that has to happen is for the economy to get better and everything will be peachy keen.

Final Break time. Here we go. Romney comes out and says “I’m not a card carrying Tea Party member, but I love them and agree with anything they say.” Here’s Bachmann…what the hell is she talking about? She’s not even addressing the question Brian Williams asked. She may be losing it folks.

No pledges says Huntsman! The rest of them all look a little pale…even Cain. Oh yea! Good one.

Huntsman is on a roll. Scattered applause. Perry responds. “We need someone whose worked in the private sector and who loves America. That’s me. I’m a job machine”

Bachmann on removing dictators: Obama has weakened us militarily. He not done what he should have to keep us safe. Shouldn’t have gone into Libya she says. This is the closest she’s sounded to sane yet…wait for it. A small applause.

Santorium says we need to stay spread around the world militarily. It’s what Ronald Reagan would have wanted. Huntsman – GOP can’t run from science if we want to win in 2012 – can’t make comments about evolution. Obama can’t lead, but Huntsman said he can. Perry says the idea of scientific theory of global warming isn’t right – he worries about economic impact. The science is not settled on “climate change.”

Get rid of the EPA Bachman says. Promote coal. It’ll lead to massive jobs. Drill baby, drill. Gingrich puffs up like a blow fish and rambles on about the fed. He agrees with opening up energy markets like Alaska. And off shore drilling.

Taxes. Romney says middle America hurt. No tax on people earning less than $250.000 would solve the problem. Then cut back on tax’s for corporations. Oh yeah. Sexy stuff. And Perry on the death penalty. He’s signed more death warrants than all of the other state governors combined. He feels Americans understand justice. Okay.

Back on Taxes. Cain promotes his 9-9-9 plan.Then tells everyone what they already know about the economy. Interesting tactic. I think he likes the sound of his voice, but people clapped. Paul went on a libertarian rant that lost some people. No mandates! No mandates! Looks like the debate is over.

My first and last coverage of one. Who won? Who cares????

      

Seven curious facts about Dr. Seuss books…

1. Hop on Pop

In an early draft of the book, Theodor S. Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) wanted to make sure his publisher, Bennett Cerf, was reading the manuscripts he was turning in, so instead of this line:

 “My father / can read / big words, too. / Like… / Constantinople / and / Timbuktu”

the manuscript read as follows:

“When I read I am smart / I always cut whole words apart. / Con Stan Tin O Ple, Tim Buk Too / Con Tra Cep Tive, Kan Ga Roo.”
Go here to read the rest

Health industry lobby influence on supercommittee, the new face of poverty in America, and waiting for the job market to improve

Good Morning Humboldt County!

Pull up a chair, grab a cup of joe, and join me in scanning a trio of headlines that highlight challenges facing the American economy. It’s not a pretty picture. How long will we go on like this? Something has to change soon. Too many “have-nots” versus the “haves.” The disparity is leading us away from hope for recovery and down the road to abject poverty.

Health industry gives millions to lawmakers tasked with cutting spending

Doctors, drugmakers, hospitals and health insurers have spent millions over the years wooing lawmakers who now are on the powerful congressional panel charged with finding a formula to control deficits and debt, a new analysis finds. Those very same industries would get hit hard if the supercommittee succeeds.

The industry campaign contributions, compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, reinforce doubts that the 12-member panel will issue a sweeping plan to curb federal spending, an equation that can't be solved without major Medicare and Medicaid cuts.

Working-age poor population highest since '60s

Working-age America is the new face of poverty. Counting adults 18-64 who were laid off in the recent recession as well as single twenty-somethings still looking for jobs, the new working-age poor represent nearly 3 out of 5 poor people — a switch from the early 1970s when children made up the main impoverished group.

While much of the shift in poverty is due to demographic changes — Americans are having fewer children than before — the now-weakened economy and limited government safety net for workers are heightening the effect. Currently, the ranks of the working-age poor are at the highest level since the 1960s when the war on poverty was launched. When new census figures for 2010 are released next week, analysts expect a continued increase in the overall poverty rate due to persistently high unemployment last year.

Wait for the job market to recover? Some workers can’t

The theory has it that disgruntled employees across the nation will start sending out their resumes once the weak economy turns around. But some workers can’t wait that long. They feel overworked, underpaid and unappreciated right now, and things are so bad for them that they want a new gig now.

The Labor Day holiday was created to celebrate workers, but many don’t feel like celebrating after years of cutbacks and sacrifices. More than one-third of U.S. employees believe “the spirit of the American workforce is broken,” according to the Aflac WorkForces Report released this week. And that appears to be causing the beginnings of a turnover trend even in this tough job market.

An annual labor study by Snagajob.com, a jobs website, found that 22 percent of employed individuals in the United States have changed jobs in the last year, that’s up from 18 percent in 2010.

Time to walk on down the road…

I'm 'cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs' samurai swinging man tells cops

A shirtless man swinging a 35-inch samurai sword while marching along an Indiana interstate was arrested last Sunday. The man, who appeared to be in his 40s but refused to give police his name, told officers he was “cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

He apparently abandoned his car in a middle lane of Interstate 65 and was seen waving the sword around 2:30 p.m., police said. “The man was marching like a drum major, holding the sword, moving it up and down in rhythm with his marching cadence,” state police said in a statement.

(image) The man defensively swung the sword at an approaching state trooper but then dropped it in compliance with the trooper's command. He then tried to force himself into an SUV that swerved and stopped on the inner shoulder to avoid hitting a police vehicle responding to the incident, police said. He was charged with attempted carjacking, resisting law enforcement and possession of marijuana.