More Movie Massacre fallout: five scary incidents at showings of Batman movie

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Thankfully this guy wasn’t armed, but he sure the hell scared a lot of people and sent them screaming out of the theatre.

Will it ever end? Can anyone ever feel safe going to a movie theatre again?

Since the July 20 shootings in Colorado, five incidents involving the Batman movie have resulted in five men being arrested.

One was at an Ohio movie theatre. One was in a Miami Florida movie theatre. One was arrested in Maine. One was arrested in Arizona, and the fifth one was from Southern California. 

                Here’s the first report:

“A Miami Beach man is in custody after he caused a panic in a theater during a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," police said Tuesday.

According to a Miami Beach Police arrest affidavit, 44-year-old David Martin Escamillo was at the Regal Movie Theater late Monday night when he got into an altercation with another moviegoer, left the theater and returned wearing black gloves and screamed "This is it!" from the back of the theater.

Escamillo's actions sent a hundred moviegoers fleeing for the exits, the affidavit said. When officers responded to the theater to a call of shots fired, they found three moviegoers detaining Escamillo, who was screaming, "I didn't shoot anybody," the affidavit said.

James Butler said he and his brother were two of them. They waited outside the theater and chased Escamillo down and held him until police arrived. "My instincts kicked in, and I was like, let's get this guy. He was screaming, 'I never shot anyone, I never hurt anyone,'" Butler said. Escamillo is facing disorderly conduct and affray charges in the incident and has a warrant for battery, jail records showed. He was being held on $8,000 bond and it was unknown whether he has an attorney.”

                   THE SECOND STORY IS MORE SCARY:

“Police are trying to figure out why a man took a bag of weapons with him to an Ohio movie theater showing the latest Batman movie.

Authorities confirmed that 37-year-old Scott A. Smith walked into the Regal Cinemas movie theater in Crocker Park, Ohio, on Saturday night with several weapons, according to Cleveland's NBC-affiliate WKYC. An off-duty police officer and the theater manager became suspicious after noticing that Smith was carrying a beige satchel, WKYC reported.

Smith had bought a ticket for the 10 p.m. showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" at a Regal Cinemas about 16 miles west of Cleveland. He was the first and only person inside the movie theater and he sat in the center seat of the back row -- a position with "tactical advantage," police said, according to WKYC.

Saturday's incident in Ohio comes just two weeks after the July 20 shooting rampage at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 dead and 58 wounded. The Aurora shooting happened at a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises." (source)

(Un)Holy Impostors, Batman: Maine Police Arrest Wannabe Copycat

Scarcely days after James Holmes’ horrific movie theater massacre, the Maine State Police have arrested a man who they claim is a wannabe copycat killer.

Forty-nine year-old Timothy Courtois of Biddeford, ME was stopped and arrested at 10 AM Sunday morning when police clocked him driving at 112 MPH on the Maine turnpike. Courtois’ vehicle contained an arsenal of firearms and clippings about the Aurora, CO massacre. (source)

Clark Tabor Arrested For Allegedly Threatening 'The Dark Knight Rises' Audience In California

In Southern California, a man at a Sunday afternoon showing of the film was arrested after witnesses said he made threats and alluded to the Aurora shooting when the movie didn't start.
Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were called to a cinema complex in Norwalk after moviegoers said 52-year-old Clark Tabor shouted: "I should go off like in Colorado." They said he then asked: "Does anybody have a gun?" (source)

    Confrontation causes 'hysteria' at Arizona theater

Moviegoers in Sierra Visa, Ariz., panicked when a man who appeared intoxicated was confronted during a showing of the movie. The Cochise County Sheriff's office said it caused "mass hysteria" and about 50 people fled the theater. Off-duty Border Patrol agents tackled Michael William Borboa, 27, who had a backpack with him, according to The Arizona Daily Star. Authorities said it contained an empty alcohol container and a half-empty moonshine bottle. Borboa was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct, and threatening and intimidating. (Source)

Animal Illustrations With Fantastic Personalities By Ryan Berkley

         Good Day Humboldt County!

 I don’t know what it is lately, but I keep running across these great artistic websites.

So, instead of any kind of meaningful chatter over some earth-shattering events, I’m just going to share this artist’s works and hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Artist Ryan Berkley is able to give each of his animal illustrations such fantastic personalities. He’s even created individual profiles for each of his well dressed animals. The lion, inspired by his own luscious locks, owns his own hair salon and hair care line called ”The Mane Event.” The fox is an eccentric gardener and whistles “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” to his carrots and tap-dances to entertain the corn. (GO HERE Source TO SEE MORE EXAMPLES)

 

 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Check Out this Amazing Stage Filled With Gigantic Fairy Tale Books

   Good Day Humboldt County!

I thought we’d go international today and take a look at what was a fun festival in Belgium of all places!

If you were at this year's massive Tomorrowland Festival in Belgium, which took place for three days at the end of June, you may have witnessed the incredibly amazing main stage. ID&T, the Dutch production company behind the event, pulled out all the stops to entertain the over 65,000 attendees (that's just for one day).

 

Touted as one of the world's largest music festival, Tomorrowland is known for their unique fantasy amusement park setting. This year, an entire stage was filled with a library of gigantic fairy tale books to create a sort of magical country. In the middle, sat one large book of LEDs that opened, closed and entertained the crowd.

As Stanton Warriors, the breakbeat duo from the UK stated, "Tomorrowland festival has def upped the stage design game." Talk about an experience.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

AS IT STANDS: Democracy in America: Going, going, gone!

                       
                       By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard
Democracy has always been a messy process, but somehow it’s managed to work for 236 years.

That streak looks like it’s coming to an end. Pervasive partisan polarization is crippling our political system today.This polarization is only part of the reason our system of government is slowly grinding to a halt. Another factor is the power of the wealthy and corporations which has eroded the rights of most Americans and essentially created a caste system reminiscent of India.
The signs have been there for years. Perhaps the final blow was the Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision that said corporations have the same rights as individuals. This “corporations are people” mindset was the most recent blow to democracy.

Once upon a time, Americans suspected money played a major part in our political process, but the idea of “buying” one’s way into office was considered criminal, or at least bad form.
With the creation of Super PACS this year, politicians can openly buy their way to victory.

Quick example; look at what happened in Wisconsin. Gov. Scott Walker outspent his opponent seven to one during the June recall election, with 70 percent of his donations coming from out of the state.
What should have been decided by residents of Wisconsin, was essentially decided by millions of dollars pouring in from wealthy individuals, following a national party line.
It’s apparent to most Americans - according to numerous polls - that our Congress is full of partisan clowns. Its approval rating has plummeted to historic lows for good reason. Anyone who bothers to follow the inept attempts to pass any meaningful legislation, knows that partisanship trumps serving the people.

America is so divided today that unless the current course of no compromise changes, democracy is doomed. Our infrastructure is crumbling. States are drowning in red ink. Our education system is slipping into third world status and homelessness is a national disgrace.
The National Republican Party is busy destroying unions and attacking women’s rights in an all out assault of ideology versus common sense and real world challenges. The National Democratic Party tries to claim high ground by showing more interest in the middle class while packing their coffers with Super PAC donations from wealthy individuals and unions.
As far as I’m concerned, these two major parties are driven by ideology and money. Not by a desire to serve Americans. Just look at what’s happened to our country in the last decade. Have we ever been more divided - since the Civil War? Has money ever been so blatantly used to gain influence?

Look at the power of the major lobbies in Washington DC. Each has an agenda that has nothing to do with helping the common man survive this recession. Lobbyists with bulging pockets have influence on everyone in government, including the president and the lawmakers.
The minority rules over the majority in America today. I challenge anyone to dispute my contention with facts that show otherwise. Sound bytes and rhetoric have kept Americans divided and their sense of nationalism has slipped away.
Many are held in an ideology thrall that becomes more important than reality. There’s no denying this country is in need of real leadership, but frankly I don’t see it coming from either side of the aisle.
What I do see is a steady advance of Imperialism as we send out combat troops around the globe to “protect our interests” while draining our treasury of money that could be spent at home.
I see nothing but more of the same, as we continue to “police” the world. Could it be that both parties actually agree on this? I think so. Both sides are protecting the war machine and feeding it with sacrifices from the majority of Americans.
As It Stands, we’ll probably continue to call our system democratic for many years to come, despite proof to the contrary.

Cops arrest 87-year old man for cultivation violation: too many plants

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Once again, stupidity rules, as the cops come down like gangbusters against an 87-year old man.

When you listen to this vid you’ll see how crazy things are, even with all the required 215 associated compliances.

Yes, he had too many plants according to the cops, but do you take a senior citizen like this to jail for such a minor infringement?

The answer should be NO, in a free society.

VA Starts Study on Service Dogs for Servicemen and Women with PTSD

           Good Day Humboldt County!

 As someone who has PTSD, I’m glad to see the VA is getting serious about training dogs to help PTSD sufferers.

I firmly believe in the curative powers of animals, and dogs in particular. I’ve known for a long time how good my dog, Millie, makes me feel just petting and cuddling her.

There’s been this mystic relationships between man and dog/wolf for thousands of years dating back to prehistoric times. For whatever reasons, dogs like the company of humans. Sometimes I wonder why when I see how some are treated by their masters.

With the thousands of servicemen and women who currently have PTSD, programs like the following are sorely needed. Right now there’s little chance of meeting their needs with trained service dogs, but hopefully in the near future they can. There are many challenges ahead, as described in this article: 

“There are also no widely accepted standards or best practices for training dogs to alleviate PTSD symptoms, a point of concern for many traditional service dog organizations, some of which have been in the industry for decades.

At the veterans' hospital in Tampa, a team of epidemiologists, mental health providers, veterinarians and other experts are conducting a study that will address some of these questions.

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There are neurobiological effects of interacting with an animal; research has shown that when focus is on petting and playing with a dog, it can increase oxytocin, a brain chemical that boosts trust and quiets the brain's fear response.

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Seventeen participants enrolled in the program over the past year, though Congress -- which recommended the study -- permitted the Department of Veterans Affairs to match as many as 200 with service dogs.

The study is the first of its kind at VA; the agency only just began providing benefits for service dogs to veterans with physical disabilities in 2001 and had previously done a handful of small studies looking at whether veterans benefits from mobility and hearing service dogs.” (Go here to read the full story)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Australian researchers compare humans to fruit flies to find out why Women Outlive Men – no really!

         Good Day Humboldt County!

What’s all the buzz about? I’ll tell you.

I’d like to know why scientists are always using weird test subjects to study men and women?

What’s with using fruit flies – like in the following article – to find out why men die sooner than women? You can’t tell me our anatomies are even vaguely alike, so why fruit flies?

It was bad enough using chimps to study our similarities, but insects are crossing the line! What’s next? Octopuses? The fact that all animals possess mitochondria is good enough for this group of researchers. I have a sudden urge to swat the researchers!

(HealthDay News) -- New research reveals that mutations to the DNA of the mitochondria cause men to age faster than women -- a finding that may explain why women, on average, outlive men.

The researchers from Monash University in Australia examined male and female fruit flies that carried mitochondria -- the part of the cell that converts food into energy -- of various origin. They found that genetic variation in the mitochondria predicted life expectancy in males, but not in females. The investigators concluded that several mutations within the DNA of mitochondria affect how quickly men age as well as their longevity.

Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of aging in females. They only affect males," Dr. Damian Dowling, from the Monash School of Biological Sciences, said in a university news release. "All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species. Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male aging across the animal kingdom."

The mutations result from the way mitochondrial genes are passed down from one generation to the next, the study authors noted.

"While children receive copies of most of their genes from both their mothers and fathers, they only receive mitochondrial genes from their mothers. This means that evolution's quality control process, known as natural selection, only screens the quality of mitochondrial genes in mothers," explained Dowling. "If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed. Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed."

The study authors said they plan to continue their research and explore ways to negate the genetic mutations that negatively affect men's life expectancy. The study was published Aug. 2 in Current Biology. The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about genetics.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

In the spirit of America’s favorite pastime BASEBALL, here’s an interesting team of old …

                                       House of David Baseball Team, c.1920-1955

‘The Israelite House of David religious society was founded by Benjamin and Mary Purnell in 1903. Benjamin Purnell was a sports enthusiast and encouraged the Community to play sports, especially baseball, to build physical and spiritual discipline.

In 1913, the Israelite House of David began to play competitive baseball. The House became famous touring America from the 1920s through the 1950s. The team members wore long hair and beards as they played.

 

‘By the late 1920s, the House began hiring professionals. Some professional players grew their beards out to show respect towards the God of Israel, while others wore false beards. New York City had three separate barnstorming teams touring the county, playing and evangelizing wherever they went.

‘From 1946 until 1955, there were numerous teams which bore the House of David name and wore beards.’

- Wikipedia  Source: House of David Museum

AS IT STANDS takes a look at a paramilitary group called the ‘LIGHT FOOT MILITIA’

              Good Day Humboldt County!

  You may be aware of paramilitary groups in America, but never read much about them. Today I’m offering the following information on one group – the Idaho regiment of the Light Foot Militia.

The Light Foot Militia started in Kootenai, Bonner and Boundary counties in northern Idaho, but units have sprung up around the country, including in Utah, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas and Pennsylvania. Members of the Light Foot Militia train together to prepare for a time when they must protect themselves, their families or their community from an unforeseen scenario. The Lightfoot Militia claims they are not racists, but only have Caucasian members.

The panhandle of Idaho is known for its beautiful mountains, trees, and waterways. It's also home to a growing group of men and women who call themselves the Idaho regiment of the Light Foot Militia. Members believe they are the "teeth of the Constitution" at a time of economic and political uncertainty for the United States of America.

According to the Light Foot Militia standards, a 69-page document available on the group's website, the unit’s patch is green with a Spartan helmet with crossed swords pictured below the ancient Greek words, "Molon Labe," meaning "Come and get them."

(Photo below) Members from multiple battalions of the Light Foot Militia salute the American flag while, left to right, Willard Protsman, Robert Clemens and Randall Klein remove it from a makeshift flagpole and fold it at the end of a weekend training exercise near Priest Lake, Idaho.

 "The Constitution is what protects your freedom and liberty. It’s the document the guarantees everything you do," said Maj. Stankiewicz, describing the reason he and his fellow militia members felt duty-bound to join the Light Foot Militia. "It’s the whole point of it and why we are our here to defend the free republic. The 2nd Amendment is the teeth of our Constitution." (Source)

• PhotoBlog: Learn more about the Idaho Light Foot Militia

 Time for me to walk on down the road…

It’s Summer and Time to Hit the Beach – just watch which one you pick!

          Good Day Humboldt County!

It’s summer and people gravitate to beaches like lemmings. You should know that all beaches are not safe to go to. I’ve got a list of top offenders, and some may surprise you – like Acapulco.

I remember going to Kauai in 2008 with my wife and she got caught by the dangerous riptide at Hanakapiai Beach. Lucky for her there were some strong swimmers who helped her out as I was on the beach at the time. There’s still plenty of good beaches to go to, but sadly there are an increasing number of beaches succumbing to pollution and no longer safe to swim in.

                                                         Hanakapiai Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

Over the past 40 years, more than 300 people have drowned in the waters off Kauai, far more than on any of its sister isles. Why? Kauai is the westernmost island in the Hawaiian chain, set off from the rest and the one least protected by reefs. That means that although the ocean surrounding it often looks calm, it is beset by treacherous rip currents. This is particularly true of Hanakapiai Beach; its waters have claimed 80 lives over the years. Tip: If find yourself caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the beach rather than toward it; this may allow you to escape the tug of the water, because rip currents can be as little as 20 feet wide.  

                        Cameron Parish Beaches, Louisiana

Sunburn? Yeah, that could be a problem here. But the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, is much more worried that people who swim off these beaches will end up with a serious gastrointestinal illness. The NRDC called Louisiana’s beaches the most contaminated in the United States in 2012, after testing water from 3,000 locations for bacteria found in human and animal waste. The beaches in Cameron Parish were particularly badly polluted, the problems caused by storm-water runoff and sewage effluents. Yuck.

                 Acapulco, Mexico

Vendors on the beach? Not so dangerous — unless they’re peddling Acapulco Gold, this area’s superstrong strain of marijuana, rather than ice cream. That’s reportedly the case in this once-glamorous beach town, which has become a major battleground in Mexico’s drug war. The city once known as a stomping ground for such stars as Elizabeth Taylor and Rod Stewart now has a reputation for gangland kidnappings and decapitations. According to a Reuters article in November, the number of killings in Acapulco tripled to nearly 900 in 2011, making it one of the most violent cities in the world. (See More Dangerous Beaches here)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

AS IT STANDS ART MOMENT: Body-Painting Work By Craig Tracy

Good Day Humboldt County!

I’m feeling kinda artsy today and thought a look at body painting would be interesting.

A lot of people are doing it. I’ve heard of people having a tattoo painted on first and then the real thing after the person is ready.

But full-on body painting has taken on an art form in itself. Here’s the works of someone who is a master at the technique:

Craig Tracy, a New Orleans native, has been a professional artist since the age of sixteen. Never satisfied with conventional contemporary art, Craig was always searching for a form of expression that would amplify his unique creative perspective eventually leading him to take his expertise in body painting into the realm of fine art. His work encompasses a bevy of techniques from traditional paintbrush for the majority of the work mixed with airbrush, finger-painting, sponging, splatter and dripping as part of the process as well. Often inspired by a specific body's shape or perhaps a unique pose, Craig takes inspiration from daily doses of culture, nature and intellectual constructs.

Considered a cornerstone in Body paintings progressive movement, today Craig Tracy Body paints exclusively as well he owns and operates the very first art gallery in the world dedicated to fine art Body painted images. The gallery allows even the most seasoned art collectors and novices alike to see and experience first hand what Body painting is ultimately capable of expressing. With a passionate and pioneering spirit Craig personally meets and educates hundreds of people each week in the gallery. The Craig Tracy Gallery is filled with spectacular photographic, paper and canvas prints as well there are numerous videos of the process and books that focus on this art form. Please feel free to visit the gallery if you are ever in or near New Orleans. You will not regret the experience. (Go here to see more)

Time for me to walk on down the road…