At sunset nature is painting for us... day after day... pictures of infinite beauty

(photo original unknown)  Quote by John Ruskiin

I’ve got a good idea…how about a smile break?

My pug Millie (below), thought this photo was hilarious so I’m sharing it with you.

Interestingly enough, we use to have the same door mat (yea I know they were mass produced) and Millie never had an issue with it.

With pending ban, people hoard light bulbs

Karen Beseth is all about energy conservation. She shuts off the lights when leaving the room and sets the thermostat at 67 degrees through her small town's blustery winters. But there's one concession the DeWitt, N.Y., insurance consultant won't make -- she loves her incandescent light bulbs.

No surprise then that in advance of the federal phaseout of traditional bulbs starting Jan. 1, she's stocking up. Her garage and basement shelves are filled with 100-watt four-packs. "There's just some things we put our foot down on," she says.

Polls show that many Americans aren't even aware of the pending ban, but 13% say they are hoarding to prepare for a time when the 134-year-old technology joins heroin and sea-turtle meat in the banned-products pantheon. Home Depot, which supplies nearly a third of the bulbs that plug into the nation's 4 billion light sockets, says that as 2011 draws to a close, incandescent sales have jumped.

House Republicans succeeded in eliminating funding for enforcement of the new efficiency standards from the Department of Energy's budget last week. However, major makers of light bulbs have already made the switch. Also, to be clear, the new standards don't ban incandescent bulbs, but require that they be more efficient.

Experts like Bill Hamilton, Home Depot's merchandising VP for electrical, say alternatives to old-style incandescents have vastly improved -- light quality is up, and prices are falling fast. But not everyone's convinced.

In the House of Representatives, some Republicans are still hoping to see the ban repealed. And in Texas, the state legislature passed a bill declaring it legal to manufacture and sell incandescent bulbs within state lines -- never mind the fact that there's not a single bulb factory in Texas. "Everyone loves it," says a spokesperson for George Lavender, the representative who wrote the bill. (Smart Spending)

Holiday cards from the grave, Anonymous donors paying starngers layaways, and Santa’s ward off crime in the streets

             Good Morning Humboldt County!

Christmas is in the air this chilly morning and I have some hot coffee ready to go. Pull up a chair, grab a mug, and see what you think about the three holiday headlines I’ve selected for your reading pleasure today.

   Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy holiday cards from the grave
The holiday cards from ad man Bob McCully were truly a special delivery - from beyond the grave. About 400 people recently received the macabre but humorous greetings from McCully, who died in August at 88, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported (http://bit.ly/vXDR6s).

The former Pittsburgh advertising executive is pictured on the front of the card talking on the phone in an office. "Hello, please don't call," it reads. "I recently moved to a quiet neighborhood ..."

Inside, the card says: "My new place doesn't have a phone and our gates close after dark." Pictures show the gates at Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville and McCully's tombstone. Friends say a relative produced the card, which generated a mix of emotions for longtime McCully friend David Newell.

"It was the strangest feeling getting that card. It was almost eerie. But when I opened it, I laughed out loud. It was the ultimate Christmas card," Newell said. McCully often performed locally in satirical musical revues and was known for his darkly funny Christmas greetings. For several years, Newell said, cards were written from the perspective of McCully's former dog, Rolf. This year's card might be the most memorable of all.

Anonymous donors pay strangers' layaway accounts

The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.

He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter. “She told him, `No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa is getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.

'Santas' ward off crime in the Philippines

Ho! ho! ho! you're under arrest!

More than 1,000 police officers wearing Santa hats have fanned out across the Philippine capital in time for the Christmas holidays — traditionally the busiest period for thieves in Manila.

Metropolitan Manila police chief Geary Barias said 1,000 officers and 700 police recruits have traded their blue caps for Santa hats while conducting more patrols of Manila's crime-ridden streets. Residents generally praised the idea. "This serves as a reminder that Christmas is coming and we should have peace," said Dennis Perez, a pedestrian.

"The Santa hat is OK, but of course they should focus on their duties," said Jenny de Jesus, a parishioner in Quiapo district's Roman Catholic church.

Time to walk on down the road…

As It Stands - 2011 Christmas Gift Guide for Readers

 

                 By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard
It’s a week before Christmas Day and you’re still trying to find the perfect gifts for family and friends. You’re concerned, but not panicking yet. You still hope to find something unique for everyone on your Christmas list, but it’s a difficult task.
Shopping days are running out. Every store and online advertisement seems to offer the same stuff - Kiss Me Elmo and an opportunity to purchase an acre of land on Mars (lunarland.com).
Not to worry. I’ve put together a unique gift guide that will give you options you probably never knew were available.
               The 2011 As It Stands Christmas Gift Guide:
Everyone loves to laugh. Armed with this knowledge, let’s look at gifts that will have ‘em rolling in the aisles bedecked with holly. No cook can resist the “Snotty Nose Egg Separator” for a mere $14.99. It’s listed as a top seller on several websites.
Another top online seller is the Remote Control Fart Machine for $14.98. The Whoopi Cushion is so 20th Century compared to this diabolic little noise maker. It should be a popular gift for all ages.
There are Candy Pooping Santa Claus dispensers, Tickle Me Santa Claus Dolls, Farting Santa Butt ornaments, Flashing Santa ornaments, Santa Drinking Hats, Whizzing Santa Dispensers, Light Up Reindeer Men's Undies, Three-Way Santa Hats, Vixen Headgear, Sock Monkey Hoodie Pajamas, Skull ornaments, Blow-Up Christmas Trees, Candy Cane Tea Infusers, Toxic Teddies Collection, and Pull My Finger Santa Dolls.

 You may be interested in some of the gifts I’ve selected this year, so I’ll add them to this gift guide:
  I found a Pooping Reindeer Holiday Sweater for a mere $28.99. The bright colors make your eyes hurt, but at least you’ll be laughing. Another clever gift I selected for several people is a Reindeer Costume for their cars. They’ll get two reindeer horns to mount over the side windows.
 I found Bright Yellow Smiley Face Earmuffs, Light Bulb Candy, Just Say Ho Inflatable Wreaths, Santa’s Coal Bubble Gum, Frosty The Flying Snowman, Elf Soap, and Naughty or Nice Spray Candy for the lucky people on my list.
Nothing says Christmas like a “Christmas Tree In Your Pocket” (a little folding piece of plastic), a Raw Turkey Hat, a Rock N’ Roll Christmas Dog (with a replica of the famous Fender Stratocaster guitar on his lap), Christmas Bottle T-Shirts, Santa’s Remote Controlled Rescue Helicopter, Blitzed’n The Singing Drunken Reindeer stuff toy, Giant Bubblegum Candy Canes, and Christmas Story bandages.

 Pretty overwhelming isn’t it? Just think, I’ve only scratched the surface. There are so many unique gifts to give for the holidays it would take me until next Spring to list them all. Nevertheless, I hope my suggestions have sparked your holiday spirit and sense of humor.
I remember when I was first married 37 years-ago and was the most clueless holiday gift buyer on the planet. Can you believe it? I actually gave my bride a vacuum cleaner for our first Christmas!  
 Needless to say, I wised up as the years rolled by. It was a slow process however. My darling bride put up with the ugliest sweaters and blouses in the world for years before finally admitting they weren’t her “style.” It was a big step in our relationship.
I gave her other gifts that left her shaking her head in wonderment and amazement at how clueless I truly was when it came to buying gifts for her. She naturally assumed that because we lived together I’d know what she likes and doesn’t like. All I can say is, “never assume anything.”
 Then the great breakthrough…she read Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus (by John Gray) and realized we were from separate planets and that I wasn’t as thick-headed as I appeared. Just different.
 In the course of the last few decades I have honed my gift-giving skills to a fine art and that’s why I decided to share them with you today. I especially want to reach out to those men who find it hard to buy gifts for their mates; take heart, there’s hope.
 As It Stands, if you’re a clueless shopper it might not be a bad idea to give John Gray’s insightful book as a gift this Christmas.

I didn’t let the day pass without looking up at the sky in appreciation of the painting it presented…knowing there would never be another like it

Title: Clouds On Fire     Go here to see more stunning photos

Student suspended for ‘Tebowing’, Superhero breast self exams, and ‘Whatever’ is most annoying word says survey

           Good Morning Humboldt County!

 Time flies. Here we are in the weekend and it seems like the week just started. Thanks for stopping by. Step right in and have a cup of coffee with me. Relax and read what I’ve selected for you today.

High-school students suspended for “Tebowing”

Two New York high-school students have been suspended for organizing a bended-knee tribute to Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow

 

Comic superheroes perform breast self exams

An advertising agency in Mozambique has created a new campaign for breast cancer awareness featuring some leading female superheroes performing self breast exams (SBE). The ads feature Wonder Woman, Catwoman, X-Men's Storm and She-Hulk.

The ads feature the caption: "When we talk about breast cancer, there's no women or superwomen. Everybody has to do the self-examination monthly. Fight with us against this enemy and, when in doubt, talk with your doctor."

"Whatever" deemed most annoying word – poll

Do you want to kill a conversation? Try saying "whatever." Words like "you know" and "like" might be irritating to hear, but for the third year in a row, it's "whatever" that holds the most power to annoy, according to an annual survey by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

Nearly four in ten adults named "whatever" as the most annoying verbal filler in casual conversation, while one in five adults had similar disdain for "like" and 'you know."

Time to walk on down the road…

What a party our forefathers had before signing the Constitution

History tells us the delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention spent much of their time getting drunk.

How do we know this?

One surviving document is a bill for a party on September 15, 1787, two days before the signing of the Constitution.

Items on the bill were: 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 bottles of whiskey, 8 bottles of cider, 12 bottles of beer, and 7 bowls of alcoholic punch, all for 55 people.
Party on dude!

Double It Up: Can You Make Out The Two Words in This Box?

(source)

Reflections on ‘Tricky Dick’ and sneaky politicians today

Who could forget “Tricky Dick?”

When President Richard Nixon was hounded out of office for being involved in illegal practices (like spying on his political competitors) aka WaterGate – a generation considered him the most corrupt president ever.

21st Century politicians are making Nixon’s crimes look mild in comparison. They’ve become experts at hiding their past public performances to clear the way for moving on to bigger and better positions of power.

The latest example -Romney's missing hard drives raise questions over government records – clearly illustrates how corruption and cover ups are par for the course these days. Things have become easier to hide, always a plus for politicians, both legally and illegally. Romney isn’t the only one that’s scrubbed his past from government computers (paid for by the taxpayers); President Obama did the same thing. It’s not a partisan tactic…all of our politicians seem to think because they claim what they’re doing is legal…it is. Morally, hiding one’s past is not a plus point. The only reason politicians are getting away with it is because they make the laws – they stack the deck – and we keep electing the thieves!

Outwalk the Grim Reaper, Man steals Woman’s car during date, and Cat’s with Thumbs

             Good Morning Humboldt County!

It’s another day in paradise and your invited to stop in and have a cup of coffee. Take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I have a trio of tales for you this morning to start your day. Enjoy:

Walk 3 mph or faster to outpace the Grim Reaper, scientists say

Seniors who walk briskly may be able to delay death, essentially outrunning the Grim Reaper, a new study suggests.

Australian researchers with a wry sense of humor say they have calculated the average walking speed of the specter of death -- and it’s about 2 miles per hour. Walk faster than that and you may outrun the Grim Reaper, too, they argue in a new study published in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal.

              Cops: Man Stole Woman's Car During Movie Date

The 27-year-old Floridian was on a movie date last week with Sarah Bush, 35, when he asked for her car keys so that he could retrieve something from the vehicle. Bush gave him the keys and went back to watching “Immortals” (Pratt had paid for the movie tickets, while Bush shelled out for a nacho combo).

However, Pratt--who had been dating Bush for two weeks--never returned to the Cobb Theater in Wesley Chapel. When Bush departed, she realized that her rented Ford Focus had been stolen. When she called Pratt, he left no doubt about the whereabouts of her wheels: “Ha ha I stole your car,” he said, according to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office report.

See what cats with thumbs can do…

Cat with thumbs tops TBS review of the funniest commercials of 2011

What do a cat with opposable thumbs, a Sasquatch, and a pug with supersized strength have in common (aside from the fact that, as far as anyone knows, they’re all mythical)?

They’re all part of the commercials that were voted as this year's funniest on Turner Broadcasting System’s annual  “Funniest Commercials of the Year” special, which debuted Wednesday night.

Time to walk on down the road…