Exposing NJ Gov Chris Christie – the Koch Brothers Kinda Guy!

Good Day World!

There was a time when I believed Chris Christie might be the rare Republican who could get bipartisan cooperation in Congress if he were elected president in 2016.

I think I was having flashbacks from the 60s, because I’ve since discovered he’s as bad (if not worse) than some of the other GOP wackaloons longing to take our country back to some mystical time.

I’ve been following his exploits with a wary eye lately and guess what? He’s the Son of the Koch Brothers in ideology. Christie was busy this summer telling everyone he was not running for the presidency in 2016 while sneaking around the country meeting with the likes of the Koch Brothers and hiding that from his constituents in New Jersey.

I think now is a good time to really highlight that Republican rascal. Let’s start here:  

Click for Part 1 of this two-part series: "Exclusive Audio: Inside The Koch Brothers Secret Seminar

Also read Gavin Aronsen's breakdown of top Koch donors: "Exclusive: The Koch Brothers' Million-Dollar Donor Club"

“On the morning of June 26, Chris Christie, New Jersey's flamboyant, tough-talking Republican governor, appeared on NBC's Meet The Press. He then jetted out to Colorado, delivered a keynote speech at Charles and David Koch's ultra-exclusive seminar at the Ritz-Carlton resort near Vail, and returned home the same night, all without breathing a word about his adventure to his constituents.

In Part 1 of this report, we gave you the inside scoop on the Kochs' top-secret strategy meeting, where hundreds of wealthy patrons were urged to open their wallets for what Charles Koch described as "the mother of all wars"—the effort to unseat President Obama.

We also told you we'd obtained exclusive audio recordings from the event. And we promised to reveal the identity of the main keynote speaker.

With security extraordinary on the seminar's opening night—audio speakers around the periphery of the outdoor dining pavilion blasted out static to thwart eavesdroppers—David Koch introduced Gov. Christie as "my kind of guy." (The two had previously met in private at Koch's New York City office, he revealed.)

Before long, seminar attendees were roaring with laughter as Christie regaled them over dessert, telling them how, in his first weeks in office, he'd exercised extraordinary executive powers to impound billions of dollars in planned spending. ("The good news for all of you and for me," he said, "is that the governorship in New Jersey is the most powerful constitutional governorship in America.") Read the rest here from Mother Jones

Time for me to walk on down the road…

I’m Baaack! Let’s explore some ancient tunnels beneath Rome

 Good Day World!

 It’s good to be back again!

I had fun and some great adventures and experiences, but now it’s back to blogging!

Speaking of adventures, some lucky – and brave - geologists are venturing down into the bowels of The Eternal City – Rome.

(Photo: A collapsed quarry beneath Rome, caused by erosion and human activity above. These holes open suddenly over Rome's quarry network. Photo Sotterranei di Roma)

They’re out to make sure that the ancient city of Roman doesn’t disappear.

Here’s the story:

“Deep under the streets and buildings of Rome is a maze of tunnels and quarries that dates back to the very beginning of this ancient city.

Now, geologists are venturing beneath Rome to map these underground passageways, hoping to prevent modern structures from crumbling into the voids below.

In 2011, there were 44 incidents of streets or portions of structures collapsing into the quarries, a number that rose to 77 in 2012 and 83 to date in 2013.

“To predict and prevent such collapses, George Mason University geoscientists Giuseppina Kysar Mattietti and scientists from the Center for Speleoarchaeological Research (Sotterranei di Roma) are mapping high-risk areas of the quarry system.

The mapping is important, Kysar Mattietti told LiveScience, because through the years, Roman citizens have taken the patching of the quarry systems into their own hands. [Photos: The Secret Passageways of Hadrian's Villa]

"The most common way is to take some big plastic bags and fill them with cement and stick them in the holes," she said.

Lucky geology
Volcanism created the land Rome was built upon. These volcanic rocks, or tuff, were a boon to Rome's earliest architects, who soon learned the tuff was strong and easy to carve into building blocks. Lighter, less compacted volcanic ash was used as a main ingredient in mortar.

The first Romans were savvy, Kysar Mattietti said. The geoscientists quarried outside the city, and found that even when the suburbs began to encroach over the quarries, the ancient Romans knew to keep the tunnels narrow enough so that the ground above was still supported.

But two things worked against the long-term stability of the tunnels.” read the rest of the story here

Time for me to walk on down the road…

I’m Going on a Blog Break – See You Again on December 3rd

Good Day World!

I’m going to pull myself away from my computer and wander around in the real world for a few days. Who knows what adventures I’ll encounter?

While I’m gone, I invite you to look at the right-hand side of this page where you’ll find links to stuff I’ve written for newspapers, other websites, my novella “Rafter’s Redemption,” and blog posts going back five years.

Here’s a few examples of subjects I’ll be commenting on when I get back (in no particular order):

1) It's not quite a "do nothing" Congress – but it's not far off.

With only a handful of remaining legislative days on their calendar, this current Congress is on track to go down as one of the most unproductive in modern history. 

2) The question is one you may have asked yourself while standing in line at the airport or when trying not to scream in frustration while sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off:

“If airlines know there will be a surge of passengers during the holidays, why don't they add capacity in the form of extra flights?”

3) I’m going to the movies with my six-year-old granddaughter this weekend. We’re going to see “Frozen,” Disney’s latest movie.

It's the rare film that actually is worth the ticket surcharge for 3-D, and it's a princess film that defies the someday-my-prince-will-come stereotype, creating two princesses who stand firmly on their own feet and earn the crowns they wear!

I’ll let you know what she thinks about it.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Happy Thanksgiving Friends, Family and Readers!

Good Day World!

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving wherever you may be.

I feel blessed to be able to have a day where my family gathers together and enjoys good food and conversation. We’re not much on the pilgrim story that still stubbornly attaches itself to the day, but we have fun.

A couple of turkeys named “Popcorn” and “Carmel” are feeling pretty blessed after President Obama pardoned them for unknown crimes and declared they weren’t going to be the main course for some family’s Thanksgiving meal.

Some people will be standing in line on Thanksgiving Day to get deep discounts on electronics.

The next time you come across a flyer advertising a Black Friday deal that takes 50 percent off the retail price, you may not want to regard it as a "steal."

Retailers are still making big profits even while slashing prices, according to Vincent Quan, associate professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There's a science behind holiday markdowns. Retailers adhere to specific formulas set six to nine months in advance, and each discount is closely mapped out to lure consumers into the stores during Black Friday weekend and beyond.

Last year I put together a board on Thanksgiving that still resonates this holiday season. It offers some history, health advise, and ways to have fun.

 Time for me to walk on down the road…

Oh! Wait a moment!

I forgot to mention that today is my beautiful wife’s birthday! Happy Birthday Shirley Ann Holloway-Stancliff! I love you more every Thanksgiving!

 

 

Batter Up! The Pancake Man Can Create Tasty Art When He’s Not Playing in his Band

Good Day World!

I want you to meet Dr. Dan the Pancake Man.

Did your mother ever tell you not to play with your food? Well, she probably never saw ‘Dr. Dan the Pancake Man’ who turns batter into art.

Daniel Drake has been creating pancake art at the Courtesy Diner in St. Louis, MO for four years, but recently got national recognition thanks to a Reddit post. It linked to Imgur photos uploaded by one of Dan’s friends showing his cool creations, affectionately called Dan-cakes. So far, he has whipped up pancakes that look like a dog, Aladdin, a jellyfish, and Pac-man to name a few.

He even has his own Facebook fan page with over 1500 admirers flipping over his creations! When he isn’t fulfilling diners specially requested Dan-cakes, Dan is playing in the band ‘The Psychedelic Psychonauts.’

Dan says he started creating the pancake doodles after he saw someone make a Mickey Mouse pancake. His first creation was a huge smiley face for a male customer who laughed at the pancake, and then left a $15 tip. Dan knew he was on to something.

He even has his own Facebook fan page with over 1500 admirers flipping over his creations! When he isn’t fulfilling diners specially requested Dan-cakes, Dan is playing in the band ‘The Psychedelic Psychonauts.’ via Yahoo Trending Now

Time for me to walk on down the road…

One big wobbly step for a humanoid robot preparing for challenge

 Good Day World!

 Have you ever noticed that most robots basically mirror humans?

 Not all of them of course. Robots come in all shapes and sizes.

The first known robot was created around 400-350 BC by the mathematician Archytas and was a steam powered pigeon.

Archytas, who coincidentally is known as the “father of mechanical engineering,” constructed his bird out of wood and used steam to power the movements of the robot.  This bird was then suspended from a pivot bar and at one point the bird managed to fly as much as 200 meters before it ran out of steam.

Leonardo da Vinci designed and built the first known humanoid robot around 1495. This robot was an armored knight that could sit up, wave its arms, and move its head while opening and closing its jaw. You can imagine how many jaws dropped when it first appeared in public!

Isaac Asimov formulated the Three Laws of Robotics, and in the process of doing so, coined the word "robotics."

And speaking of robotics, the first real Robotics Challenge trials will be held at Homestead Speedway in Florida on Dec. 20th and 21st.

It's open to the public and free to attend, so local robotics enthusiasts can come and see a few state-of-the-art robots trying to drive, operate machinery and get across rough terrain.

“The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition put up a video

Atlas got some modifications to compete in new challenge

last week to show how even without using its sophisticated sensors, which the researchers disabled, their robot – Atlas - could make its way across reasonably rough terrain.

IHMC is modifying the Atlas, originally built by Boston Dynamics (of BigDog fame), to compete in DARPA's Robotics Challenge. DARPA, the research arm of the Defense Department, is offering a $2 million prize to the best-performing robot in a series of tests made to simulate "disaster response operations."

IHMC took first place in a virtual version of the challenge performed in June, and was awarded an Atlas robot to use for the next phase, a trial run of the real-world tasks due to take place in December.”  full story here

 More information on the event will appear here as DARPA makes it available.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

A Life of No Respect Lives On! Visit the New Rodney Dangerfield Website

 Good Day World!

 If he were alive today, Rodney Dangerfield would be grinning from ear-to-ear!

His widow, Joan Dangerfield, unveiled an online tribute to her late husband on Nov. 22, which would have been his 92nd birthday if he were still with us.

If you’re a big fan of Dangerfield like myself, this site is the Mother-of-All repositories for Rodney Dangerfield memorabilia. Check out his old movies, stand-up routines, and the story of his remarkable comedic career.

His signature comedy routine about never getting respect was always greeted with howls of laughter from audiences worldwide. The fact is, he got a lot of respect in his lifetime and was honored many times for his work.

Born Jacob Rodney Cohen in 1921 to Hungarian Jews from Long Island, he grew up largely without his father, a vaudeville performer who abandoned the family when Rodney was very young.

How did he come up with that signature respect routine?

Inspiration struck while eavesdropping on the mobster-types who hung around comedy clubs. "He overheard them saying, 'Hey, respect her, she's with me.' That kind of language. And he thought, 'That's it!' "

Years later, Jack Benny, Dangerfield's hero, called to offer his admiration: "He said, 'You have the best image of all time. Because everybody feels that at one point on another they're not getting respect.' "

Thanks for the laughs Rodney.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Airplane Traveler: ‘I’d rather have snakes in the cabin than cell phones!’

Good Day World!

 Heard at 30,000 feet…”Can you hear me now?”

If you think people talking on cell phones while checking out at supermarket lines are obnoxious, wait until the airlines new policy of letting passengers jabber at 30,000 feet on their cell phones happens. It’s going to ruin your day – not to mention your flight.

Frequent flyers are facing a new pain-in-the-ass on their trips having to listen to a cabin full of inane conversations along the lines of, “Did you hear that Betty turned down that bartender job? It isn’t going to be pretty.

The skies are getting a little less friendly. Flight attendants are aren’t happy about the new development either. It means one more chance that someone is going to get irritated at a fellow passenger.

The way people act on cell phones on land and in cars is bad enough, but wait until they take to the skies with their iPhones and Smart phones. Super duper earplugs anyone?

In the news:

“Mere weeks after the FAA relaxed rules to allow the use of personal electronic devices during all phases of flight -- a running list of which airlines are allowing gate-to-gate use is here -- the FCC is getting in on the cellphone plane party and considering letting passengers talk and text across the whole country.

When the TODAY show asked, "Should the FCC allow cellphone calls on planes?" 96 percent of responding viewers using the hashtag #orangeroom said "NO."

Passengers making phone calls could extend beyond a mere nuisance, creating negative effects on aviation safety and security that are great and far too risky said the Association of Flight Attendants.” full story here

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Academics vs Creationists: Texas Board of Education Blocks New Biology Book

 Good Day World!

I’ve always been fascinated by people who are afraid of science and facts about the world we live in.

Looking back through the ages, the church persecuted people who did not accept it’s dogma about how we humans were created.

Supposedly we’re living in enlightened times, but you have to wonder when you read stories about conservative creationists who still refuse to face scientific facts about the evolutionary process.

Nowhere in the country are creationists more prevalent than Texas. I don’t know why. They actively ban and block publications all the time that go against their conservative Judo Christian beliefs like it was the 17th century!

Luckily they can’t torture disbelievers anymore.

Here’s the latest example of what I’m talking about: 

“The Texas Board of Education used a late-night meeting to give preliminary approval to new science textbooks for classrooms across the state late Thursday night, but it blocked signing off on a major new biology text until alleged "errors" in lessons over the theory of evolution are checked by outside experts.

Textbook and classroom curriculum battles have long raged in Texas pitting creationists — those who see God's hand in the creation of the universe — against academics who worry about religious and political ideology trumping scientific fact. At issue this time are proposed high school biology books that could be used across the state at least through 2022.

State law approved two years ago means school districts can now choose their own books and don't have to adhere to a list recommended by the Board of Education — but most have continued to use approved books.

The issue is important nationally since Texas is so large that many books prepared for publication in the state also are marketed elsewhere around the country.” read full story here

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Feds raid Denver marijuana dispensaries in premptive strike

 Claiming that certain guidelines weren’t in place, the Feds descended upon Colorado pot dispensaries in a show of force.

Hiding beneath ski masks like thieves, federal agents devastated numerous grow sites and confiscated pot products, sending a chill down the newly legal marijuana market’s spine.

Pot advocates are really hoping the Feds aren’t sending a message in advance of January 1st, 2014, when it’ll be legal to dispense marijuana and cannabis products in the state.

Here’s what happened:

Federal agents raided an unknown number of marijuana dispensaries and growing sites on Thursday in Colorado, confiscating piles of marijuana plants and cartons of cannabis-infused drinks just weeks before the state allows sellers of recreational marijuana to open their doors.

The action appeared to send a message that federal authorities would be keeping a close watch on the industry as a state law legalizing pot is implemented.

The raids, conducted on a frigid, snowy morning, were the first in Colorado since the U.S. Department of Justice said in August that it wouldn't interfere with state marijuana laws as long as the drug is kept away from children, the black market and other states, among other guidelines.

In a statement, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver said the criminal investigations unit of the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Denver authorities were involved in executing the sealed search and seizure warrants.

The raided businesses were suspected of violating more than one of the eight guidelines issued by the Justice Department.Retail marijuana sales are set to begin on Jan. 1 in Colorado, though not all municipalities will be ready to regulate sales by then. For now, dispensaries are supposed to sell only to people with medical permission to use the drug. Many of the state's 500 or so existing dispensaries are making plans to convert to recreational sales.

People involved in Colorado's marijuana industry were quick to point out that the raids did not necessarily mean the federal government was going back on its word or planning to interfere with Colorado's recreational pot market.

Mike Elliott, a spokesman for the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, said the industry itself has pushed for robust regulations and expects compliance with lengthy state regulations on how the drug and be grown and sold.” full story here