The other thing that happens when Mitt Romney comes to town

There is a lot of fanfare this year about the chances that we could have the first Mormon president.. beyond that, the GOP platform is anti-gay marriage and pro-life.. But when Republicans party, they let their hair down and unfasten those striped ties.

The proof? Strip clubs in Tampa are prepping for the Republican presence. 

CNN is reporting this evening that while GOP officials are closely watching the track of Tropical Storm Isaac, strip clubs are getting their poles shined.  The strippers want the GOP to ‘make it rain,’ CNN says. CNN’s profile also speaks about a roof view where you can get a ‘quick launch’ lap dance. Or one called a ‘death lay.’ 

CNN is also reporting in the same dispatch that strip clubs are playing on thought that conservatives are stuffy. Clubs offering the chance to 'party like a liberal' are popping up around the city..One place called Thee DollHouse is even offering a VIP entry with a government ID, according to their sign outside. Republicans believe in voter ID. Perhaps it will translate into strip club ID as well..

How many clubs will paint the pole red, white, and blue for the week? How many strippers will come dressed or undressed in patriotic pride? G-strings with a small elephant.. lots of aspiring women working night jobs to support a day life, hoping the wealth of the Republican party will translate into dollars down  the pants and lap dances behind the plants. Interesting, though.. we will see how much play this strip club story gets. 

Some comments on the CNN article are speaking of the potential hypocritical nature of this story. After all, will CNN have a similar report about the Democrats…? Or is just expected that strip clubs will be busy when Donkeys act like asses? 

What CNN failed to talk about in their piece was just how many MALE STRIP CLUBS were going to try to get the same attention that the female folks do… and how many Republicans may sneak a show into one..? All the while cheering on the floor of the convention to have a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage…

JOHN NOWAK/CNN

Caillou.. the kid all parents hate, but love.

Attention parents out there.. what is the deal with Caillou? My son loves him.. but I don’t get him. Is he real? an illusion?

Perhaps he is just an enigma. The imagination of an insane older grandmother who is intent on believing he exists. 

I cannot imagine a father in reality like  Caillou’s. Or a mom. Or even a sister. No fighting!? No drugs!? No alcohol at an early age!

No,  Caillou must be fake. He carries no knives, no weapons. Not like the reality of kids today.

But the fact he likes making crafts and enjoys doing laundry makes me happy my son watches him.. after all,  Caillou is a boy of peace. I think. OR a villain waiting to rear his ugly head..

Nude Congressmen!! "Legitimate rapes!" This is why Republicans will lose in November.

Just the facts first: A Republican named Todd Akin in Missouri was a favorite to win this fall in a Senate race against incumbent Claire McCaskill. Then he said this: It seems to me first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare, If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down” .. Enter the firestorm. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have distanced themselves already, Akin has Tweeted constant sorrys from his account.. and he has vanished from the media glare as the firestorm continues across the political landscape. Now a woman who was set to lose in the fall, McCaskill, may have an issue, a new fire to hit back, and a chance to win and keep the Senate for the Democrats in November.

Second, this one more obscene than the ‘legitimate rape’ stupidity: A Republican Congressman named Kevin Yoder from Kansas went to the Sea of Galilee last year with lots of other Republicans. They decided to get really drunk and party, and in a sign of stupidity, immaturity, and absolute disrespect for where he was, took his clothes off and went skinny dipping into the sea. And now the FBI is looking into it!  Other Republicans were there, too—including former Vice President Dan Quayle’s son Ben.. OH, and one Congressman’s daughter swim with all of the others.. Hmm.. Yoder, thus far, is the only one making ‘waves’ for being completely in the buff in the historic sea of Galilee. He also Tweeted a sorry, too.

These two stories have intense political significant, and pop culture repercussions, too. Legitimate rape? Swimming nude in the Sea of Galilee? If this is how Republicans are without the media spotlight, just imagine how they’ll act next week at their own convention!? 

HAPPY SATURDAY TO ALL

It is going to be a beautiful weekend. Summer is almost over. Enjoy life

Some new sick news in the Penn State scandal

When the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke wide open last fall, one or two reporters published articles that the boys molested may have been part of a larger sex ring. Those stories were pushed aside to focus on the known allegations against Sandusky at Penn State.

Now CBS News reportedly that US Postal inspectors are leading an investigation as to whether Sandusky shared images of children through the mail.

And now today, the story has taken an even more horrid turn for the revolting. Radar Online is reporting that a witness is claiming he saw Sandusky abuse boys on a private plane—and this is a Penn State booster!  Radar also reports that a new investigation into a pedophile ring is being conducted by federal authorities.  Radar reports that this booster has been interviewed in the past few weeks, presumably after the conviction of Sandusky and the Freeh report condemning the entire Penn State University system for allowing abuse to continue for years.

In the mean time, while Sandusky sits in prison for his crimes, Graham Spanier, former Penn State president, ,has a new job: He is working for the federal government!  Spanier will be working with the FEDs on projects related to national security. (?!) Perhaps no background check was conducted…?

Now how cool is this! Get from the US to London in just 1 hour!?

It’s about time we have a super sonic jet for public use. If aliens can use them why not us.. Or maybe the fact the military is ‘designing one’ means they have had one, and those little green men have never been little green anythings but instead fat earthlings testing new equipment. 

Nonetheless here is the DAILY MAIL article about a potential future in which a supersonic jet will be able to transport you at 4500 mph. That’s pretty darn fast.

Funny enough,  I am a little scared about air travel. But if a flight could last only that long I’d be much more inclined and quite excited about going around the one in just an hour or two. 

Some air travel lovers may argue that it would eliminate those beautiful and breathtaking images you can see our of a window. But if you’re afraid of heights you’ll go so fast it wouldn’t matter. And in the event of a crash you’ll never know what hit you.

I think it’s true love!!

Would love to hear from people from London: Is life after the Olympics a huge let down or is it just good to have your city back?

And how much trash did the world leave behind..?

I was just thinking earlier today: Is George Michael in jail?

And bam, or should I say Wham! He appears at the Olympics singing freedom. The irony..

Paper reports military is being prepped to prepare to fight Americans

Paper reports military is being prepped to prepare to fight Americans

Did the athletes use all their condoms?

Thanks to news organizations reporting that it is a sexual fiesta behind the scenes at the Olympics, now I’m watching the closing ceremonies wondering who used all their gold medal protection. Thanks CNN. Thanks…

My God it appears that Paul Ryan is causing sexual discomfort amongst liberal Obama voters .. Ryan making some certainties in the Democrats’ camp suddenly developing man crashes on a P90X performing VP candidate?!

Now we know: Paul Ryan only has 6 to 8% body fat

Now we know..

Now we know: Paul Ryan only has 6 to 8% body fat

No way!! Butter popcorn linked to Alzheimer's??!

The next time you’re in the movie theater, you may think twice about popcorn, now that a new study has linked butter popcorn to Alzheimer’s..
The chemical linked to Alzheimer’s in the new study is diacetyl .. That same ingredient has been linked to lung disease..
Even more, diacetyl is in more than just popcorn, including eggs in greasy spoon restaurants, and often used as the spray on skillets for foods in restaurants such as shrimp, steak, chicken, and fresh vegetables..

You are what you eat. So watch what you eat. And know what you eat—sometimes it’s painful to do research on your ingredients but it may just pay off in the end..

No way!! Butter popcorn linked to Alzheimer's??!

They may not win but they’ll sure be color coordinated in defeat

Whoops

Mitt Romney got so excited, that he introduced Paul Ryan as the next president of United States

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPxMZ1WdINs?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=374]

Here is six minutes of a video becoming famous now that Drudge linked it.. Paul Ryan on health care. I expect this will be a preview of what we are going to expect from now through November.

The great debate begins.

Strap in.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Here is an image of Paul Ryan 

NOOOO IT’S NOT!

Or is it?

Why did Mitt pick Paul? Clearly Paul liked what he saw.. we have to assume Romney did too.

The Romney campaign made it official: It’s Paul Ryan.

Not sure how well that ticket will work in November but they sure would make great funeral directors.

The stage is set. Reporters’ cameras cleaned.. All eyes on deck. Did Mitt Romney pick a good VP in Paul Ryan?

So after all that, Mitt will go with Paul Ryan?

People seem to think so this morning.. Surprised Romney is naming someone before the Olympics are over..

The news is always better upside down. Ayden Morris catches up on the week’s events

Yes, Drudge, we get it. Sexual innuendo. Clever.

But the story is strange to say the least.. Janet Napolitano is being sued by males for filling top positions with females who were hell-bent, the lawsuit says, on treating male staffers like dogs…

According to the suit, male staffers were ‘banished to bathrooms’ and humiliated. 

I’m guessing we will be hearing about this for a while—which gives many more opportunities for Matt Drudge to place photos with hidden meanings on the top of his site.

I'm only in my early 30s but this is an example of how the mind is the first thing to do

I had to Google the term “oops I crapped my pants” this morning. Why? Because I actually could not remember if it was a joke on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE or a real company advertising slogan for adult diapers. I got my answer.

I bet I forget again when I’m in my early 40s.

This is the world we live in: All within a week of news

The conversation changes rapidly these days.

Here were the topics—and they all took place within a week.

We started by complaining that NBC was failing at its obligation to provide good Olympics coverage. We briefly cared about Syrian refugees, even though their plight is horribly more important than Bob Costas bantering about athletes and how firm their muscles are. 

We moved on quickly to the Mars Curiosity Rover. How amazing. And yes, it is amazing. But in the shuffle we ignored Russia’s Pussy Riot being put in jail by Vlad the impaler in Russia—even though Madonna cared. 

Back to the Olympics for a while! Everyone got excited at water polo even though few understood what it was. I like soccer, so I ignored water polo. Bob Costas did not.

And finally, with all the mayhem in the world and juvenile leadership from the elite controllers, what are we left with this Friday? What is the conversation? You guessed it: Honey Boo Boo. 

Sadly, Hillbilly child Honey Boo Boo will be around in the news and conversation a lot longer than Syrian refugees, too..

Happy Friday.

Prosecutors accidentally send out images of a dead Trayvon Martin.

This seems to be a pretty horrible error made by Florida prosecutors in the Trayvon Martin murder case. Among the confidential documents that were ‘accidentally’ released was a photograph of Martin’s dead corpse.  Prosecutors quickly emailed reporters requesting that they do not use the picture of Trayvon Martin’s lifeless body, as they were not meant for public consumption.

I actually hope the photos don’t get ‘out’ there.. we have enough morbid and grotesque websites showcasing famous peoples’ dead bodies. I would be sick to think that a teenage kid’s body would appear on one of those sites. 

Nonetheless, we are living in an age where mistakes happen quickly, and when  they do there is little time to re-do the action you did wrong the first time. Click and save these days means upload and publish—long before you get the chance to run the document or blog post by anyone who would say, “are you sure you want to publish photographs of the dead victim before this trial begins??”

Listen, I love a good conspiracy. The bigger the alien, the more I like it. The bigger then disaster awaiting mankind, the more it gets my attention. But on this matter, I just ain’t seein’ it bro.

A wave of net conspiracy theories have turned up after a photo from the Curiosity Mars rover was delivered back to earth. It appears to show a blotch in the horizon. Could it be a monolith!? A Martian!? Oh wait.. maybe it’s dust. After all, Mars is quite a dusty planet. A color photo coming from NASA tomorrow or so that Curiosity will beam back will show just how red and dusty it is.

Here is my bottom line on this: 
And I know lots of conspiracy folks may say NASA would hide signs of life on Mars. I say no. First of all, think of the monetary situation they currently find themselves in. They are broke, and the budget money they actually get is cut with every budget cycle. If they announced life is out there, I imagine a huge push would occur to give them more cash to find more life. Cash for cells .. 

And even more, if they truly found signs of life past or present, I don’t think something that major could stay hidden. Who would it benefit?
Of course if aliens were mounting ships in space to attack the planet, I can see that being a national security secret. But microbes on Mars? Nah. That is public information. 

A caveat: If alien walks in front of the Rover, bends down, and looks into the lens? I think President Obama may have to decide if that image gets out.
But who really thinks THAT kind of life exists on Mars, anyway…
 

Really not sure if this is the type of logic that will gather more votes for Obama, but hey, he said it: He wants to repeat the auto bailout for ... every.. industry... Huh?

The POLITICO reported today, and Drudge put up a siren about it too, that President Obama campaigned today in Colorado and seemed to suggest that he wants to bail out, well, everyone. Everywhere. Everything!

The POLITICO dispatches this:

“I said, I believe in American workers, I believe in this this American industry, and now the American auto industry has come roaring back,” he said. “Now I want to do the same thing with manufacturing jobs, not just in the auto industry, but in every industry.

“I don’t want those jobs taking root in places like China, I want those jobs taking root in places like Pueblo,” Obama told a crowd gathered for a campaign rally at the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fairgrounds here.

It’s quite clear that the cost to taxpayers of government bailouts is quite high. What was the bang for the buck of the GM bailout? Some would argue it saved American cars, but others would point out that MORE TOYOTAS ARE BUILT IN AMERICA AND GENERAL MOTORS cars.. 

Not sure if this logic will help his gather independents into the fold. And I wonder if someone forget to give him the teleprompter at this event..

Really not sure if this is the type of logic that will gather more votes for Obama, but hey, he said it: He wants to repeat the auto bailout for ... every.. industry... Huh?

Somehow Sir Toppham Hat decided to nap with Ayden

But an FYI, I woke him up to watch the final 90 seconds of the USA Japan soccer game at the Olympics .. He got to see the US win

Stars and stripes waving in London

The USA women’s soccer team, together, waving the flag of the United States in London as they beat Japan 2-1.. I’m actually tearing up in all out pride .. Amazing game. Hope my VHS tape worked..

USA DEFEATS JAPAN IN SOCCER!!!

Gold medal in London!! USA beat Japan.. Japan denied the gold by the amazing women’s soccer team from the United States!!!

My own 20th century technology meets the London Olympics

The USA vs Japan in women’s soccer today .. I am desperately trying to find a tape to tape the game—and it hit me! It’s not the 2000 Olympics. This is the modern era, baby! I don’t T-vo it? I don’t digitally record it!? No! I have the old tape style.. and a VCR that kind of works. And while I’m getting myself completely stuck in the 20th century, I came to look into my closet just the other day and see that I have a life’s worth of tapes collected. Home videos, movies.. TV shows.. old Late Night with David Letterman recordings. All on VHS. I guess it’s time to stop being kind, I should not rewind, and I should work on converting these to the new world order of movie watching. 

Hot and heavy Olympic flame burning

The television version of the Olympics is tame. The most risky of things broadcast so far during Olympics coverage on NBC was probably Al Roker’s awful red pants that he sported on the TODAY show. But what really goes on behind the scenes?
You know.
Come on, you know.
Sex. And a lot of it.

Olympics athletes all seem to agree on what is happening when the bright glare of cameras fades: Parties and sexual intercourse. Hope Solo even said the down and dirty athletes often take part in intercourse right out in the open. 150,000 condoms later, the Olympics teams from around the world get to know each other better than perhaps they ever thought they would.

CNN’s report featured a quote from a former gold medalist, not named:

"They know, the officials know, even the media. It’s not a secret, everyone knows!

"(Sex) is all part of the Olympic spirit. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) wouldn’t say that, but it is, you can’t shy away from it. Why do you think they give away so many condoms?"

Smile! Or you can be arrested

More Olympics insanity.

A spectator was arrested for not smiling at the games. Really.
And a a swarm of bugs invaded Olympics stadium. 
Who would smile at that?

It's the end of the world as we know it.. and I feel.... like it's not true!

Anyone in the Nibiru camp knows who John Moore is. Moore has been talking about Navy maps and all the like for decades. Planet X, or as I like to call it, Planet X-y Sexy, is coming in for a landing soon, so says The Liberty Man Moore.

In recent weeks, the internet has lit up into a frenzy of activity yet again, as now Moore has predicted DATES of x-y Sexy’s arrival: It may be as soon as August 17, he said. This year! Like in a few days! 

Here is a link if you’d like to read more of the theory.. And it’s interesting that even the conspiracy-minded folks over at Godlike Productions are questioning the doom and gloom logic of the Liberty Man.

But tonight, George Noory’s Coast to Coast AM (don’t you wish Art Bell was still the voice of late night???) is going to take us for a wild ride into the land of Nibiru as well. Not sure if he will mention John Moore’s latest predictions of doom, but he will host a show with  ”archeo-astronomers” and “researchers” about planet X. 

I just sigh at the thoughts of this one. I love conspiracies. And yes, I even love hearing things about the famed planet x. Not that I believe it.

But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the 200 MPH winds will tear me to shreds—if of course the 200 foot tidal wave doesn’t get me first. Or maybe the pole shift will melt my brain.. or maybe the comets will cause nuclear explosions across the planet when the New Madrid fault blows.. or Yellowstone goes.. or…

I’m just tired.

Goodnight.

Maybe I’ll wake up at 1AM EDT to hear if George Noory’s blabbering about planet X and Nibiru. 

Though I still miss Art Bell.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgoVDTwPaA0?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]

Congrats to my nephew Shawn Jr. You were sworn into the USMC today. The world will rely on you and your fellow comrades in the future. 
It wasn’t too long ago that you painted Easter Eggs with your sister and was excited by ‘Ho ho’ on Christmas.. Or when you were learning to ride a bike.. I recall it all. I think you may too.And you may have been late for school, forgot your homework, and forgot to tuck your shirt in. Those days have quickly passed by. You’re an adult now. And with it comes great responsibilities. 
You enter a world of war—but one of skies of blue and clouds of white, bright blessed days, and dark sacred nights..  And you’ll see heartache below those bright skies .. you’ll see tears and warfare within the dark of night.
You may be called to protect a nation. And I have confidence you’ll be a force to reckon with, and one to rely on. 
Congrats on fulfilling a dream —and now good luck with the rest of it.
The prayers of your Uncle Bryan are with you. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

AND IF THE BIG FLARE HITS, THERE WOULD BE NO PLACE TO RUN

AND IF THE BIG FLARE HITS, THERE WOULD BE NO PLACE TO RUN

Ask anyone who knows me. I get paranoid about solar activity. Really, I monitor SpaceWeather.com like it’s my son’s baby monitor while he sleeps. 

And when that big flare hits?? Yes, like you I won’t be ready. And just like you I’ll hope for the best. Although from all the doomsayers that I read on a regular basis, the best may not occur should a massive flare actually hit this planet head on.

And here is the latest example: A scientist is warning of dangers to the power grid over the next year as the solar cycle hits its ten year max.  Mike Hapgood is the scientist quoted. And he has credentials, as he specializes is Spaceweather amongst other prestigious things.. Then again, all these folks who say doom is only a flare away have credentials. According to most, we are overdue.
And we are overdue for a major quake in the New Madrid and Yellowstone.
And the Canary Islands.
And while we’re at it, John Moore is on his radio show predicting doom and gloom with a planet X Nibiru on August 17 or so.. Coast to Coast AM will tackle the planet X subject later this week, wonder if Noory will allow dates to be mentioned on his show as much as Moore has allowed on his from the Missouri Ozarks?

Doomsayers have always existed, though. And doom never seems to come.
But solar storms have. 
In South Africa. Russia. And probably many other places before we had the benefit of power grids and electricity.

I picture a sky somewhere in caveman lure, lit up with Northern Lights all the way to the Southern reaches of the Northern Hemisphere.

Northern Lights are beautiful. Power outages on a widespread scale may not be. 
Of course we will take what we get, as really when talk about the sun, there is no choice BUT to take what you get. Solar storms burst out like big burps from our star. 

Would we be back to the stone age? I don’t know.
But for a while a while we’d learn how modern life can be crippled by something that is much too much beyond the control of all of our combined egos in this egocentric world

Print is dead. Here is proof.

I recall when I was a young teenage kid. I had subscriptions to US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, TIME MAGAZINE, AND NEWSWEEK. It was exciting to get them in the mail.. Read them.. know the news.

And yes, I repeat, when I was a teenage kid.

There are two points of curiosity, perhaps, for you. First off, it may be strange for a teenage kid to enjoy getting news magazines in the mail, and secondly, based on today’s news, it’s strange to get news magazines in the mail at all!

As a matter of fact, magazine sales at US newsstands are stale.
SNOOZEWEEK. LIME MAG. US SNOOZE (already gone).. and lots more leaving us by the day.
Magazine was once the king. Print was in. And now it’s thin.. going by the wayside in the age of the digital culture, where nothing is on paper but.. most people still print it anyway!

So what magazines are doing worst? Well, pretty much every one of them.
Here is the full list. If you’re in the print biz you’ll read and weep—and maybe tweet ..
COSMO is doing pretty awful.. Almost 16% drop since ‘11.
WOMAN’S WORLD.. not read..
People? No people read it..
FAMILY CIRCLE? A circle jerk ..
Even the NATIONAL ENQUIRER down.. maybe people are shopping less?

MEN’S HEALTH.. WEIGHT WATCHERS.. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. Read it and sleep.

VOGUE, VANITY FAIR.. And SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE—you know, the magazine that kids used to pick up for some raunchy sex tips for teens. Now kids can see it all online, no holds barred. All bare skin from screen to screen. And touchscreen to WIFI and back again.

Yes, I was certainly a boring kid, reading those old print magazine. Relics of the past. The 20th century is dead. Print is dead.

But what else dies with it?

Covers like this, from 1999:

Where is James Vanderbeek now!?

Some doctor’s office or dentist office in Des Moines, collecting dust as time passes by ever so quickly.

And the US wins the Dust Bowl!

A victory so hot you can taste it.. cut it with a knife, serve it with corn, drizzle it was sweat.
Yes, indeed, the NOAA is telling us now that July, 2012, was the hottest month ever. On record. Period.

Now, ‘ever’ a long time, and certainly since the NOAA didn’t exist forever, the ‘ever’ is a little limited by ‘in recorded history’ of the NOAA. But it’s worth noting, as the NOAA did, that this year has now surpassed the hottest period of time during the famed 1936 Dust Bowl. It goes without saying that this year, the dust bowl has returned. Corn crops and other farmland is drying up, becoming brittle. Rivers are drying and fish are dying. Riverbeds are just muddy as water levels drop to new lows. And the great and mighty Mississippi is ever-so-quickly becoming wimpy and weak.

So what does the hottest month on record mean to you?  If you’re like me, it meant lots of air conditioner use, light headed feelings during noontime walks, damp clothing after a day of sweating. It was almost unbearable. And at times it was unbearable for many. People have died during this heat wave, along with those crops and animals. Also dead are the hopes of a nice yield during the harvest time. It was supposed to be a great crop this year. Those hopes quickly dried as quickly as rivers and streams. The harvest moon coming later this year may be a bad moon rising.

The other quotable notable from the NOAA report is this point from Jake Crouch, a scientist at NOAA’s National Climate Data Center:

Dry soils in the summer tend to drive up daytime temperatures, and because dry soils prevailed over so much of the United States, that helped make things hotter over a wide area, Crouch said by telephone.

"The hotter it gets, the drier it gets, the hotter it gets," Crouch said.

What made this year different from the Dust Bowl summer of 1936 was nighttime temperatures, he said. In the Dust Bowl years, the warmth was largely driven by daytime highs. This July, the record heat was also pushed by warm nighttime temperatures — the overnight lows weren’t that low.

Lots of people may have let out an extended sigh of relief when Hollywood Video closed.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t good at all to see that part of our modern American life turn into a scrap heap of shredded videotape—we will probably look back in years and lament the death of video stores just like generations grew melancholy over the lack of drive ins.  And it sure wasn’t nice at all to see the thousands of people who lost jobs as stores all over closed down.

But regular customers of Hollywood would ‘bring home the entertainment’—and have the late fees to prove it. Remember those days when people rented videos fromstores!? Remind the fees if you didn’t rewind, you were not kind—and got socked with a couple bucks extra of money?

When Hollywood closed, it was clearly apparent that the Netflix, internet, and RedBox era had finally taken over. By this point my own personal late fees had been paid (something I maybe would not have done were I to know the store would be closing!) But lots of other folks who didn’t pay late fees thought, ‘Phew! don’t have to worry about those now!’

Not so fast, skippy.

Today, you can read the RED TAPE CHRONICLES ON NBCNEWS.COM, and be alarmed like I was: Hollywood Video debt collectors are harraassing past customers of Hollywood Video, assessing fees that maybe aren’t true, threatening to ruin peoples’ credit scores, and plain out bullying consumers who answer the phone.

The NBC report named Universal Fidelity as one of the debt firms trying to rake in late fees that were never paid to Hollywood Video when it was alive. NBC reports this:

The drumbeat became so loud that Hollywood Video’s bankruptcy trustee,First Lien Term Lenders Liquidating Trust, reached a settlement with all 50 states’ attorneys general under which it would drastically alter its collection tactics. It promised to remove any credit blemishes it had placed on consumers’ reports and never to threaten consumers’ credit reports in the future. It also turned to a set of new collection agencies, including Houston-based Universal Fidelity, which promised to clean up the process.

But within the past two months, a pile of fresh complaints has arrived from around the country, raising new questions about the collections process. In Houston, 430 of the roughly 1,000 complaints filed against Universal in the last 12 months have arrived since June 1.

In some instances, when former customers of Hollywood say they paid their bills before the store closed, the debt collector is insisting that unless a receipt is produced, the bill is still owed.

Really, a receipt?

So if you were not kind, did not rewind, you’re credit score can be ruined unless you produce a receipt that the $2 fee was paid?

Of course you can also reach out to governmental agencies and lawyers that may be able to assist you in fighting off the threats of intimidation.
All for late fees.
Interesting stuff.

And with one statement, a new conspiracy theory may be born

NASA’s Curiosity is rolling across the red planet and snapping photos as it goes, all for us to enjoy. But one comment from a project scientist may create a whole new batch of conspiracy theories:

"You would really be forgiven for thinking that NASA was trying to pull a fast one on you and we actually put a rover out in the Mojave Desert and took a picture,” project scientist John Grotzinger said.

The images are amazing. The red planet looks like the pale blue dot.

A full color high resolution photo is expected by the end of the week.
Can’t wait.

By now you know.. But the weekend ended bloody in Wisconsin

But yet again, another violent weekend bloodbath, this time at a Sikh temple, another shooter’s neighborhood in lockdown, and more debate coming up this week about violence, guns, conspiracies, and all that. Yes indeed, the times are never good, especially the ones we live in.. Thoughts go out tonight for those dead. Questions fill my mind about the shooter, who is reportedly a white male in his 30s..

Heads in the cloud

You may have heard a lot of cloud computing recently. And if you did, your opinion may have been formed depending on which computer geek you spoke to. I myself like to arm myself with opposing geek positions and then I form my conclusion based on the geekiest and scariest of arguments.

And concerning the Cloud: It freaks me out.
You trust your data to be there when you want it and need it. You trust that no one will hack it. And you trust it all so much that you don’t retain a copy for yourself but just store it on the ‘Cloud,’ reaching up from time to time when you want to grab a hold of something important.

In theory it sounds in part like it could work. Why worry about storing your data on your own hard drive, which when corrupted, can’t operate. You may lose everything. All those photos.. songs.. everything.

That is when the cloud get tempting.

But …. and here is the big big but, you really can’t say you own it anymore. You sign away things through legal terms of agreements that you don’t understand. And just in case you believe me to be a prognosticator of doom, here is a story from Agence France-Presse about Steve Wozniak, the man who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs.  The quote:

“I really worry about everything going to the cloud,” he said. “I think it’s going to be horrendous. I think there are going to be a lot of horrible problems in the next five years.”

He added: “With the cloud, you don’t own anything. You already signed it away” through the legalistic terms of service with a cloud provider that computer users must agree to.

“I want to feel that I own things,” Wozniak said. “A lot of people feel, ‘Oh, everything is really on my computer,’ but I say the more we transfer everything onto the web, onto the cloud, the less we’re going to have control over it.”

There are some computer nerds that are friends of mine whom I trust. And they have a problem with the cloud..
But I think all nerds, geeks, experts, and coders will agree: If Steve Wozniak is worried about the cloud and who owns the data, I think all of should be.

An idea to get more stuff done around the house

Let NBC’S Olympics coverage play in the background. The majestic music they use as bumpers will lead to you think even the most mundane of house chores have suddenly become heroic feats of valor victory.

STORMAPALOOZA: LALLAPALOOZA EVACUATED AFTER STORM THREAT

STORMAPALOOZA: LALLAPALOOZA EVACUATED AFTER STORM THREAT

If anyone is interested in getting me an early birthday present, here is a thought: Ice Cream Chews.

I loved these candies as a kid, until one tragic event occurred when I was about 12 or 13: I ate so many of them in one night that I vomited everything inside of my body out onto myself in bed when I was trying to sleep. I guess that’s one of those horrible things that all kids have to get through.

But now, over 15 years later, and I think I’d ready to get them again.. maybe

Friday night freak out

Captain Trips does not exist. But Ebola does. And the World Health Organization is assuring the planet that the Ebola breakout on the African continent is under control..
While the WHO attempts to calm worldly nerves, this news broke today: A prisoner with Ebola symptoms has escaped and is on the loose in Uganda..
It may sound like the plot of THE STAND so far but I sure don’t hope it ends that way..

The last laugh. As he becomes the greatest..

The last laugh. As he becomes the greatest..

FOR ALL THOSE WHO COUNTED OUT MICHAEL PHELPS…

TAKE THIS!!

 

FULL MOON RISING:

THIS ONE FULL, THE NEXT ONE BLUE

The world is about to see two full moons this month—the first coming tonight. The second will be the final day of August..

The second full moon of this month earns the title of ‘blue moon,’ which his unusual but it happens..

Perhaps it will be a good night to open the mini blinds, and tune in to Coast to Coast AM as George Noory interviews John Hogue about prophecies for 2012.

And guaranteed by the end you’ll wish Art Bell was back on radio..

OLYMPICS 2012: LONDON A 'GHOST TOWN'

This is interesting news given officials’ hopes and prayers that the London games would create a mini economic boom during a period of Euro fizzle. So far it’s not what it was all cracked up to be.

OLYMPICS 2012: LONDON A 'GHOST TOWN'

A troubling story from India as the infrastructure has been crippled.. a major blackout occurring has left 370 million without electricity ..

And coupled with the lack of power: The lack of air conditioning or fans during a tremendously hot period of time..

A troubling story from India as the infrastructure has been crippled.. a major blackout occurring has left 370 million without electricity ..

It's garbage night in my humble abode, but it begs the question ..

I had chicken wings last week. Wednesday night. There are still some left and I am throwing them out. How long have YOU kept chicken wings?

Truly horrible story as this man, David Kwiatkowski, a former lab technician at Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire, may have infected thousands with Hepatitis C..

Still standing: America's flag is still on the moon

…or in a Arizona desert.. You be the judge.

Still standing: America's flag is still on the moon

Putin vs the punks: The world is watching how the trial of a female punk band in Russia will go..

And sadly there isn’t much hope for the punks.

Putin vs the punks: The world is watching how the trial of a female punk band in Russia will go..

A tale of two Americas

This is the world we live in..

On one side: Progress, on the other… the 1800s.

The Democratic Party had added support of gay marriage to its draft convention platform.. Keep in mind, it’s just a draft. We’ll see if they ‘go there.’

On the other hand, in Mississippi, a church has refused to marry a black couple..

This is outrageous: A writer for THE INDEPENDENT has been silenced by Twitter after NBC complained about critical tweets concerning the Olympics

There is a chilling effect here.. 
The death of the free net, perhaps? 

And remember this: Twitter and NBC formed a partnership for these Olympics. 

Think about this.. this deep about this..,

This is outrageous: A writer for THE INDEPENDENT has been silenced by Twitter after NBC complained about critical tweets concerning the Olympics

Another worthy night for Coast to Coast AM

George Knapp at the mic tonight. His topics: Possessions and exorcisms. Demons will take over late night radio. If you’re awake from 1am to 5am EDT tonight perhaps the show will be worth the scare..

Day two

If the seat problem won't dampen your spirit, maybe rain will? Olympics drenched

But damnit.. it’s London! Rain happens. 

It actually makes things more interesting..

If the seat problem won't dampen your spirit, maybe rain will? Olympics drenched

Sorry for all these empty seat photos from the Olympics, but it’s just driving me crazy. I say, open the doors, let in the crowds.. Make it free!!

The biggest games on earth and no one there to watch.. 

    

    

Romney visits the Western Wall in Israel, declares imminent domain, knocks it down, and builds a Best Buy. Just kidding. 

Homeland Security 'gearing up' for 'civil unrest' before November elections

Homeland Security 'gearing up' for 'civil unrest' before November elections

This empty seat problem at the Olympics is getting weirder by the match..Now the MILITARY has been drafted to fill the seats and watch the games!  No word of a lie.. the military ..

At this point, let people in for free!

The images on TV look awful: Empty seats abundant at the biggest games ever in London? Big TV ratings but no one in the stands. This presents a confusing picture of the 2012 Olympics.

Americans may run on Dunkin, but do toddlers?

Is it weird that my son, age 18 months, sees a cup of coffee and literally begs for it like an animal? We gave him a taste a month ago. He went crazy for it, laughed like a giddy school girl, and moved his feet like he was in LORD OF THE DANCE.

At one point months ago, we gave Ayden an empty coffee can for him to bang his toys on.. We thought: A noisemaker! Kids love noisemakers, and it’s a cheap toy! Ayden had other plans. He turned the can around, and stuck his fingers in where coffee grinds once were. And he began licking his fingers like some type of an addict who fell off the wagon.

Mind you this was when he was about 12 months..

This morning he saw my Dunkin Donuts cup, which I was trying to hide in back of my laptop, and kindly said “peeeaase” … His other word was ‘dunt’..

So Ayden declares: America runs on Duntin.

That or he is the reincarnated soul of Juan Valdez.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ5LpwO-An4?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=374]

I figured, what better way to start a Sunday.. right?

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

China dominating the Olympics in London

This may truly be their century. Or at least half of us.. We will see. 

How would the world respond if it turned out at least to be China’s games?

China dominating the Olympics in London

Thanks for following, new followers. Hope you're not just expecting nudity.

I was quite surprised that I actually gained followers after recycling the Tweeted photo of Lady Gaga virtually nude. I was sure some would drop me like 50 pound high heel shaped like the male genitalia—such as one Lady Gaga most likely has in her arsenal of wardrobe malfunctions. Nonetheless, the photo shows how popular Lady Gaga is. I think the same thing happened to me when I showed the image of Madonna poking her breast out from behind her shirt somewhere in the world during her tour. 

This may be the end for me posting photos of folks in the buff. Unless of course that magic picture gets released somehow of Chris Christie. Gag now.. 

There is only 100 days until the November presidential election. The hostage situation of our commercials on TV will soon come to an end. This madness will be behind us.

There is only 100 days until the November presidential election. The hostage situation of our commercials on TV will soon come to an end. This madness will be behind us.

Could be an interesting COAST TO COAT AM with John B. Wells tonight .. 

Tune in if you’re awake and sober to hear the sobering news of surveillance and harassment. 

Roger Tolces, will discuss how surveillance and harassment has shifted from hardware to bio-coded directed energy, and the various technologies being used to manipulate individuals.

Science fiction meets fact. Our world is a surveillance society. And if you’re awake from 1am to 5am EDT time you can hear all about it..

Well it’s in the public domain now, like it or not.

Lady Gaga tweeted a naked picture of herself..While she is fully naked we can’t see everything. We do, however, see her covering the essentials.

I debated whether this should have been posted. I try to be family friendly, but it’s a Saturday night..

Here are some more images of the 2012 LONDON empty seat Olympics nightmare

Biggest ratings for an opening ceremony ever? Billions watching? Millions in London. And so many seats unfilled.. This is perplexing.

Quite the peculiar circumstance: Tickets are sold out but.. the TEE VEE shows lots of empty Olympic seats

I was amazed while watching the United States female soccer team win today how few seats there were filled. I knew of the stories that long lines were waiting at windows only to be told the games have been sold out. 

But the venue appears empty. And now according to the UK TELEGRAPH, there are some officials who are wondering why exactly the ‘sold out’ London games are looking like an empty house on television broadcasts.. 

Quite the peculiar circumstance: Tickets are sold out but.. the TEE VEE shows lots of empty Olympic seats

The darker they rise the lighter they fall

The more they rise, the more they fall.. this DARK KNIGHT falls hard.. This weekend’s developing box office story may be just how much THE DARK KNIGHT RISES has fallen in money when compared to last week.. Industry insiders predicted the film would have staying power, but on Friday Warner Bros and experts were amazed at the startling speed down that ticket sales have taken.. Insiders say there has been a 76% drop.. Could it be the week of news about James Holmes? Fear of a dark theater? Madness used to be confined to the screen. Now it’s in the audience.. Watching the rest of the weekend to see if the slide continues.. 

Are you all machete ready? Lady Gaga will make her acting debut in MACHETE KILLS.. and the poster has been revealed.

Ebola back in Uganda, according to a report

"Laboratory investigations done at the Uganda Virus Research Institute…have confirmed that the strange disease reported in Kibaale is indeed Ebola hemorrhagic fever," the Ugandan government and WHO said in joint statement.

Ebola back in Uganda, according to a report

Disturbing story from Maryland.. cops say they thwarted another DARK KNIGHT massacre by arresting a man claiming to be the joker and threatening to blow things up..

Good job Maryland police. 
Things are getting strange. 

Disturbing story from Maryland.. cops say they thwarted another DARK KNIGHT massacre by arresting a man claiming to be the joker and threatening to blow things up..

The me generation meets the education system: A student is suing his teacher and a school district about a C+ grade

Interestingly enough, back last century before I myself graduated in ‘99, there were times I prayed for at least a C+…

The me generation meets the education system: A student is suing his teacher and a school district about a C+ grade

Biking during the Olympics

Biking at an exponential speed is hard enough during the Olympics. . but London’s summer heat coupled with fans breaking the safety rules and almost standing directly in front of Olympic bikers just for a snapshot on their camera makes things a little worse. Sure, these problems have been around since I guess bikes themselves. But watching some coverage this morning of racing, I am amazed with how no one is being hit or injured by athletes..

IT AIN'T 08! PHELPS BARELY QUALIFIES

IT AIN'T 08! PHELPS BARELY QUALIFIES

I get confused and horrified by some of the Google searches that lead to my site

And I often don’t get them. I have nothing on here about dismembered genitals. But someone came across this little hole on the net by searching for that very term, albeit the person’s search was more offensive than  the one I used. So now I need to think about my writings, my musings, and my terms… 

So I am curious to know out there: What is your favorite sport of the Olympics if you have one, and are you going to be watching?

I missed this from a week or so ago,  but watched it now. David Letterman got political again .. this time on the topic of fracking. He said we are screwed. Can you argue with that?

So they got rid of softball and baseball but kept badminton?

How terrible.

Bloody terrible. 

Speaking of the parade of nations..

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a crazed person who worships the youth or beauty of someone’s face. Beauty is skin deep and under wonderful skin is often ugly creatures that deserve no time.

But I will say this: While trying to ignore the political talk banter of Matt Lauer and Bob Costas last night (is it me or were they just checking Wikipedia ever time they saw a new nation?) I was struck with how beautiful all the athletes are. Well, some Romanians scared me, and I certainly wouldn’t cross the flag bearer from South Africa. 

The athletes were just immersed in makeup and wonderful attire. And their hair was perfect.. their cameras were out. Oh, and at least 15 condoms each wait for them when they exit Olympic stadium.

Whenever I see Queen Elizabeth, my American mind can’t help but think about the first NAKED GUN movie with Leslie Neilsen ended up on top of her when she fictitiously visited Los Angeles. But a true unappreciated scene of that movie was just how board she was at the fictitious Dodgers baseball game.

Fast forward about 20 years to reality: The Queen was snapped picking her nails just when Great Britain marched into Olympic stadium for the parade of nations, the culmination of excitement for the crowd after seeing all the other member states come in. Perhaps it was all those countries with ‘anias’ or “stans’ that forced the Queen to become tired by the spectacle. She did, after all, jump out of a chopper, right?

Here is the story from Yahoo! Sports on the subject. Even the UK TELEGRAPH said that the Queen and the Royal Family looked bored.

Now it feels like summer

There has been heat wave after heat wave. Droughts abundant. The Mississippi River is drying up and corn crops are obliterated. But it truly didn’t feel like summer until the parade of nations in London. The Olympics will take our minds off of real life for a while.

The irony is these nations that march in together and place their flags side by side often hate each other and are confined to wars with each other. 

We are in the 21st century but yet so many of the people from countries coming in are leaving a homeland of disease, death, and pestilence. 

The modern era is still a stone age for some. 

But the games are beginning..

Tears .. Gold medals .. high drama. High expectations. And high security.

Let there be peace on each for two weeks but a battle in sports! 
Let there be peace on earth after that too. Too hard to ask?

Yea.. I guess so. 

This was the Queen after her pretend entrance. Did they try to make it look like she really did parachute in?

Her cameo in the James Bond style joke is the talk of British papers already.

The Queen’s grand entrance.. 

Olympics British style.. Mr. Bean brings down the house in London

NO TIME FOR TEA! THE QUEEN DECLARES THE GAMES ARE OPEN!

NO TIME FOR TEA! THE QUEEN DECLARES THE GAMES ARE OPEN!

The Games begin. In drenching rains.

Not that I can see it live. Thanks NBC and other media.

AND THEY BEGIN! 

2012 LONDON. Opening ceremony now. Later in the USA time zones

You read that right. While the Olympics opening ceremonies are occurring as I type (4pm on the East Coast of North America) the United States won’t be privy to the might and majesty of the occasion until PRIME TIME. NBC did issue some type of bogus press release high in PR as to why Americans will wait longer than other Earthlings to view the ceremony. 

The real reason, of course, comes down to the traditional thing TV network execs care about: Ratings. Business INSIDER reports on that part of the story.

Maybe you can follow on Twitter. Find your favorite British Tweeter now. It just will lack the majesty of something broadcast on the TEE VEE..

24/7 news cycle? Internet age? 

TIME DELAYS baby. The old meets the new!

Who’s mighty now?

Not so mighty: Mississippi at record lows, forces ligher barges..
Mississippi River dropping in Memphis..
Receding Mississippi exposing historic relics..

The Midwest is suffering its worst drought in 50 years.. Could this be the ‘new’ norm? Will the United States go from bread basket of the world to the dust bowl of the planet? Will the record warmth continue? More and more hot records relative to cold records have taken place for some time.. The past two years have seen many more hot records as opposed to cold records. These recent heat waves have made this drought much worse—after a winter of almost no snow in much of the United States. Global changes are in full effect. Big economic impacts will be coming this fall, expect that at a grocery store near you. The fires that we saw this year may be a new norm, too.. Earth changes will get worse and worse.. Greenland has lost 97% of its ice. Even the highest points in Greenland are melting. Major transformations of landscapes coming—coastal area flooding? worst case could be a massive sea rise? 

But planes still fly and cars still drive. If manmade impacts are the reasons for warming, then humans seem not to care. If it’s the earth itself, humans are in for a wild ride—one not seens for centuries.. 

The drought that is occurring has some ominous signs for our future.. In Illinois, people are beginning to become alarmed with just how dry and hot things have been.. The drought in the United States is also going to cause problems for China..

The drought and constant heat waves that have hit the United States this summer have been only intensifying and shows no signs of receding.. According to one report, the drought size has increased by the ‘size of Texas’..

This summer’s horrid weather will have one extremely negative ramification for this world.. for our wallets.. for us: Food prices will skyrocket until at least 2013..

Street view named desire: Google broke its promise

Google got caught illegally obtaining street view information. It told regulators it would delete the data. Google said sorry when it admitted that it didn’t delete some of what it said it would..

Street view named desire: Google broke its promise

Some rough storms rolled through my mountains and maybe your mountains or skylines too. Hope all is safe, they were vicious..

New information: James Holmes sent his notebook to his psychiatrist detailing plans on how he would massacre a movie theater.. it went unopened in the University of Colorado since July 12

If true, this is very unsettling..

New information: James Holmes sent his notebook to his psychiatrist detailing plans on how he would massacre a movie theater.. it went unopened in the University of Colorado since July 12