The face of fun. Ayden Morris having a blast at the 2012 Bloomsburg Fair.

Just days after iHeart Radio concert meltdown, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong enter rehab

Just days after iHeart Radio concert meltdown, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong enter rehab

New study finds that apes love slapstick humor

So really me and all other typical males are not that far advanced from apes. I want to find a good monkey and sit down and watch the NAKED GUN movies.

New study finds that apes love slapstick humor

Topless women become warriors: A boot camp now started for global feminism

One told the London GUARDIAN:

We are taking off our clothes so people can see that we have no weapons except our bodies. It’s a powerful way to fight in a man’s world. We live with men’s domination and this is the only way to provoke them, the only way to get attention.

We don’t hide our bodies, we don’t hide our faces, we confront our enemies face to face. We look them in the eyes and we have to be well prepared physically for that.

Indeed it may be.

Topless women become warriors: A boot camp now started for global feminism

America the depressed

The worldwide press is paying more attention to this tidbit than American counterparts: There are more Americans now that die as a result of suicide than from car crashes.. the UK DAILY MAIL reports on a study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health, which believes that suicide is under counted..

The DAILY MAIL headline however says this: “More Americans now commit suicide than die in car crashes as miserable economy takes it toll”

The world itself has seen some strange occurrences involving the collapse of humanity recently..Whether it’s the spike in suicides around the globe or just kids being abandoned in Greece, there are some rough times facing people. 

Zombies invade Scranton, PA. Mostly to get drunk I think.

I have said it before and unfortunately I am going to say it again: I am quite tired of zombies..

If it’s not the government issuing fake warnings about zombies instead of talking to citizens as adults it’s zombie conferences—much like the one now taking place in Scranton, PA. It’s the Lackawanna Historical Society’s fourth annual Scranton After Dark Walking Tour, and men and women dressed in zombie attire are roaming the streets of the Electric City.

But the premise is interesting. I’m relatively close. I didn’t actually know about this but if I did I may have tried to attend for the fun of it. The tour the Historical Society does is a virtual walking tour of the macabre of the city of Scranton, such as how bodies were stored in basements of businesses during the flu outbreak in the early 20th century, or tales of voices still being heard in some buildings. There were hangings in the town square.  And all that stuff other towns have too, probably.

But why the zombies?

This: The Infect Scranton Zombie Convention. That’s right, There is a zombie convention taking place within the boundaries of Scranton. And being a Saturday night in the Northeast of PA, there is also a bar crawl (maybe literally) of people dressed as the dead drinking like they are alive but dying.. 

However, not all are happy that the living dressed as the deceased have entered their city limits. 

The local newspapers in Scranton and Northeast PA, including the TIMES TRIBUNE, is covering the zombiethon. But naysayers are also commenting on stories posted. The comments sections is dicing up the zombie weekend. One comment pointed out that the Riverside High School is sponsoring the INFECT SCRANTON ZOMBIE CONVENTION .. Another comment from someone says this:

What a bunch of puke minded degenerates. If they want to see blood and guts why don’t some of them join the service of their country. And if they want to see torn and maimed bodies; let them visit the Veterans hospital.

Perhaps that comment is a little too much.

But what is NOT too much to me is the overabundance of zombies in our pop culture. They have undoubtedly taken over the aliens of the 20th century and the vampires of the early 21st. Zombies are everywhere. There are people even taking so many drugs that they are turning into flesh eating monsters.

And the government, constantly, warns people to be ready for the zombie attacks—they use zombies as the basis for us to get ready for natural disasters, but being it as it is, they just can’t be frank enough to tell us disasters are coming and instead rely on fictitious zombies.

But that is that. And people are dressing like the dead tonight in Scranton. Having fun. So let them. But who will clean up the vile zombie bile and drunken vomit in the morning? The city of Scranton, no doubt.

Balloons litter the sky.. the ground.. and they caused a blackout of power at the stage tonight at the Bloomsburg Fair. All in a a good first day, don’t you think?

Wells with Saturday night UFOs

The Caravan to Midnight is once again ditching politics and new world order conspiracy.

In turn, John B Wells will host a second weekend Saturday night show with UFOs as the topic.

This week, Wells brings in Vince Rotonda and Colet Abedi, both producers for a new TV series called UNSEALED ALIEN FILES. 

It’s worth noting that narration of the show is done by someone with a familiar voice—Wells.

According to Coast To Coast AM’s website, the topic tonight with both will be government cover ups of the subject, UFO sights and abductions, and photoshopped pictures ..

Should be interesting.

As John B would see, brew the proper cup of tea and board the Caravan to Midnight.

New York Minute: Ahmadinejad travels to United Nations for last address as President of Iran

He’s here..

And tonight Matt Drudge’s DRUDGE REPORT website has a source stating that Ahmainejad is stating at a Hilton hotel with the NYPD and Secret Service setting up a ‘mini fortress’.. Drudge is even linking to the Hilton website where his source says that the Iranian leader is staying..

The stuff they do on hard wood, it blows my mind

Joe Biden on cheerleaders.

Really, he said that.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9zogQOmQVM?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]

And this just in from Green Day. Apparently they are still trying to be relevant and hip. And a broken guitar proves it.

Billie Joe had quite the freak out and meltdown on stage because Green Day’s act got cut for Usher. I’d be mad too .. but breaking a guitar? How rude.

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

Fair time. Vendors armed with food. Bloomsburg Fair 2012.

And now unveiled: The 2012 fall family photo

NEWS OF THE WORLD AS FALL BEGINS

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22 2012, NEWS OF THE WORLD

The first day of autumn.. as summer slides away..

And it begins: Wreckage and debris from the Japan tsunami finally making its way to Hawaii.. first official reports now confirmed..

New information suggests that a migrating North Pole is contributing to the strange and severe weather taking place across the globe..

Fall 2012: Drought expands!

Several strong solar flares—not towards Earth..

Serious flooding occurs in Alaska..

More tension: South Korea fires warning shots at North Korea fishing boats..

Apple wants to sell 10 million iPhones in record debut..

"Slight concern" of radiation with Idaho wildfire..

Remember that Assumption parish sinkhole? The situation isn’t good yet. As a matter of fact, now there are reports that gas is “coming out of the ground everywhere” in a massive amount!

Religious leaders uniting against the sad slaughter of elephants..

Officials in LA investigating the death of a crew memeber of the upcoming LONE RANGER film.. he drowned on set..

The other day the HORROR REPORT re-printed a photo of a larger Lady Gaga.. now there are reports on Radar Online that she has been told to lose weightand new outfits have been ordered because she won’t fit into the old ones..

Gaga hits back at critics: Weight gain? So what!

Newfound alien planet the top contender to host life..

Two tickets to paradise

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

It’s almost autumn.. 

I think I saw memories of heat and drought fizzling away tonight as the last sunset of the summer season slowly occurred, leaving behind a pinkish-red aura in the sky. The type if aura that hints of chilly nights and football fights, the kind of light that welcomes frights.. the frights that bite in the cold winter blight. Good evening all.

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

Intoxication nation?

So 20/20 is running a show tonight called INTOXICATION NATION. I have been briefly watching it.. it’s painting a pretty morbid picture of the current generation, and the drinking class that seems to be classless. People do shots in their eyes? Am I just getting old or what!?

Nonetheless.. I’d be curious on opinions out there. 

Are you a binge drinker? Know someone who is? Want to be one? Hate it? 

The real question though is this: ARE WE REALLY AN INTOXICATED NATION? Has alcohol eaten away our ability to reason? Are we truly just walking morsels of what we used to be?

Opine away.

Three Mile Island nuclear plant expectantly shut down Thursday after coolant pump failed..

CNN reporting this:

The Unit 1 reactor shut off automatically about 2:20 p.m., the plant’s owner, Exelon Corporation, reported. There is no danger to the public, but the release of steam in the process created “a loud noise heard by nearby residents,” the company said.

Three Mile Island nuclear plant expectantly shut down Thursday after coolant pump failed..

THE ULTIMATE SIGN OF AUTUMN FOR ME

If tonight’s not fair weather I don’t know what is. Good luck *starting tomorrow* to the great Bloomsburg Fair. Hope people show up in the hundreds of thousands… It was cancelled by a flood last year for the first time in 100+ years.  The first time. Think about that.

So that is what makes this year’s fair all the better. 

Give me the Gyros (though I don’t eat them) and the halushki.. give me the freak shows and the Native American bands.. give me then bleenies and the snake-girl! I want it all! 

I want the cheap knock off ShamWows.. I want the bizarre people selling honey. I want the crazy man selling pianos. I want it all!

Give me the grease, the guy in the trash can who follows people around, the pigs and cows and the dog show for $.50.. Kenny Rogers will be there, too. Can’t beat that, right?

For Coal Regioners who understand this fair, it’s an amazing time. Think about this.. since the 1800s people have been going to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, for the biggest fair in the state. I have been going since 1980 when I was born. And all through time, lovers kissed under cold starlit nights, families laughed while playing games .. children were in awe of the show. It’s back again. 

So I wish them good weather and great memories.

The Bloomsburg Fair’s 157th fair is set to begin after a long hiatus due to earth changes. Glad it’s back!

Please don’t mistake this as an insult against Lady Gaga’s apparent weight gain.. But if she doesn’t get new plusser-sized outfits soon she is going to look like another ‘People of Walmart’ chain email..

i I know she's rich. I know she's famous. And yes, she's in the Royal family. But I am just tired of hearing about how people unfairly took shots of her naked and how obscure international sources are publishing them..

And in all honestly, the shots so far that I saw.. are.. well? Quite awful. Grainy images of a scantily clad Kate Middleton.. how not exciting.

i I know she's rich. I know she's famous. And yes, she's in the Royal family. But I am just tired of hearing about how people unfairly took shots of her naked and how obscure international sources are publishing them..

A sunset in early autumn. An example of why I love fall..

Strange rumors: The USA and China are working on fighting off underwater UFOs..

And this is being reported in VETERANS TODAY.. 

Strange rumors: The USA and China are working on fighting off underwater UFOs..

Calling it a night..

All the news unfit to print. Stained with coal.. all that stuff. Happy Tuesday. It's the 18th ALREADY!? Where is September going!?

Mitt Romney panic mode: Finger pointing begins weeks before the election.. A sore loser already?

OR


Keep in mind that in 2008, then candidate Obama made disparaging remarks about Americans who ‘cling to God and guns’ .. he didn’t seem to want their votes either. It’s amazing how often candidates running for the highest office in the land really don’t want the votes of people that will put them there..

Also on the political/entertainment front: Networks are being asked and persuaded to help boost Obama’s health care policy by positive portrayals on TV. Don’t believe me? Here is the proof, if you believe NEWSBUSTERS..

Now on to the real news!

A terrifying typhoon hits into South Korea.. rocks are sent flying into the air as the 100mph storm slammed..

More seismic unrest is taking place on the Canary Islands—watch this one..

Nerves are rattled as two Indonesian volanoes wake from a dormant slumber..

With all of these earthquake swarms and volcanoes coming back alive after decades if not centuries of no activity, could we look back and say we should have known? Since strange noises in Kiev were posted online, most of the world has smelled sulfur, seen fish and animal deaths, and heard odd noises coming from the ground. Quite possibilty the new activity across the planet is a byproduct or a result of the groans from the planet. Maybe something, deep down has occurred and now the crust is simply letting out the steam, so to speak, from the inside movements…? Just a thought.. A very niave and uneducated guess, perhaps. But a thought.

There is an increased use of antidepressants in a depressed Japan.. Could it be the result of just hardcore awful news for the past several months? A nuclear reactor gone wrong and a tsunami that took so many? Perhaps people are just trying to escape. Sadly medication will never, ever, help them.. And on that note of nuclear instability: A pink grasshopper has been found near Fukushima..

Is whooping cough linked to pesticide spraying? One website points to what it calls evidence that it is..

Cancer is now the number 1 cause of death for US Latinos..


A UFO photographed over Vancouver in the daylight hours.. A drone/ A plane/ SUPERMAN?.. a UFO for sure, as no one quite knows what the bright lights were off of Dallas Road in Victoria, B.C…

Fear: Arctic Sea ice melt may trigger extreme European winter..

Fear: One scientist says Arctic sea ice may completely vanish in four years..

Fear: Many people are not ready for Doomsday.. food is being stocked.. And when doomsday does not occur, hope the food won’t go bad..

Fear: Bad things happen ever 7 years! Though good things happen daily..


Court orders French magazine hand over all images of Kate Middleton nude..

Author speaks about ghostly encounters at battlefield..

Ghost hunting classes now being offered at tech school..

New election controversy brews after Mitt Romney is secretly recorded disparaging 47% of Americans as people who don’t pay taxes or take responsibility for their lives.. Romeny says he will not get their votes. With comments like this, he may not get anyone’s vote.. Romney is responding, however, the best he can with the circumstances.. He said his words were not ‘elegant’.. Elegant like his life. His wealthy life. Lots of commentators are saying that the Romney campaign is beginning to look a lot like a campaign that Thurston Howell from Gilligan’s Island would run. I say, and have said, no: He is just like Max Schreck from BATMAN RETURNS.. I just hope not as crazy..

So THE BUNNY GAME is fiction?

Tell that to Rodleen Getsic.. The NEW YORK TIMES reports that the address who stars in the direct to video horror torture porn movie actually has branding scars on her back to prove that most of what occurred to her in the movie was done in .. real terms. 

The movie is a simple concept—as most torture porn flicks have been. A truck driver kidnaps her to rape her, torture her, slap her, spit on her.. all of those things that a mentally deranged truck driver would do. 

Oh, and he puts a rabbit-shaped hood on her, giving the movie the name THE BUNNY GAME. 

THE NEW YORK TIMES profiled the movie and quoted the actress Getsic saying “Part of my soul did die in making this film.” 

The TIMES also reports that horror fans are split on this movie. (As they are about this whole newfound torture porn element of scary movies).. 

I myself don’t think I’ll be watching the BUNNY GAME. Though the image of the rabbit mask it itself is chilling, plus the fact it was shot in black and white also has a creepy factor, the movie seemed to be complete garbage. More sickening torture for .. the purpose of? What? To  showcase how someone can scream in pain? To show how someone loses a soul through constant rape? This is what entertainment is? I don’t find myself compelled to view a movie that has such disturbing elements — if the elements were tamed by more of a storyline perhaps the movie would have a societal point. But with the absence of a story besides rape and horrific brandings, I doubt this film has any point at all. Other reviewers, including this one from INSIDE PULSE, seem to agree. PULSE goes on to write:

I understand film as art and I understand showing the unpleasant side of life. But I don’t understand, nor do I want to understand, the desire to make a dark twisted film like this. If anything like what really happened in this film really did happen to Getsic then I’m really sorry for her, but I don’t see why she had to reenact it on film. Some may call The Bunny Game an art film, others will want to call it a snuff film.

But the movie’s existence in itself shows how horror is evolving, or perhaps devolving. Even though this is a low budget movie, THE BUNNY GAME produced physical pain for Getsic. She ‘got into her work’ I suppose. 

From the SAW franchise to HOSTEL .. to remakes of 1970s good horror films added the newfound torture porn element, I am just sick of it all. Rob Zombie is a bit of a genius. But to date I have refused to watch more than three minutes of his HALLOWEEN remakes. I just can’t find myself eager to watch brutality and gore without more than gore for more than that much time.

I liked SAW when it came out .. the first one. That was good. It appeared to me to be a more graphic and gory SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. But then  it phased out its freshness and created just regular old sickening scenes with torture and hopelessness. There is something about horror that can provide hope. The women in horror movies who fight back. 

THE BUNNY GAME appears to be a doing a great disservice to horror in itself. After all, there is a common thought out there that women are just abused without point in horror movies. THE BUNNY GAME seems to do that. It makes the point for detractors who already think horror is a genre not worth watching.

Maybe I am getting old.. maybe being a dad has tempered me too a place where I can only view PG-13 horror and enjoy it.. But call my crazy, there is something wrong with society if it wants to emulate torture.

I have always believed that professional wrestling and horror movies are good working examples of the pop culture and society of the day. Being that I have not watched wrestling in years, and have steered clear of torture porn since I got sick of it mid-2000s, I can only say it appears society continues to turn into a mass of dribbling and morbidly rancid-souled folks. 

Is it unfair for me to review THE BUNNY GAME without even seeing it? Maybe. Judging from descriptions of the depictions, there isn’t much at all to review anyway..

Ok. Life sometimes has a way of punching you in the face. And the most mundane of circumstances can set up a day of panic. Bumps on a baby’s legs from heat rash turn into something much worse in the mind of a 21st century paranoid dad. I think it’s time to brew a hot cup of tea relaxation tea. Avoid the colon cleansing kind. That’s a whole different story.

A 70-foot deep sinkhole is causing a massive stench in NYC

The smell is so bad that it is reportedly even making residents sick, though officials in NYC are not ready at all to admit that.

As a Coal Regioner, I have smelled bad smells. Centralia. Sulfer. All that. I cannot even imagine what a 70-foot-deep sinkhole in a sewer may smell like.

A 70-foot deep sinkhole is causing a massive stench in NYC

Maybe the crowned jewels are so miraculous that they find them necessary to be shown to the world. But does that explain the Dutchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, buffing it up as well.. She was photographed by a French magazine topless. Much to the chagrin of the Royal Family, those pictures were published.. she isn’t getting the star treatment that Prince Harry got for his wild sex romped weekend in Vegas. Middleton was more demure in her attempt to be wild. She was topless but there is no other evidence of orgies or all night pool parties with stars.

And this time, the Royal family is going to take action. They are going to sue the French Magazine closer FOR PUBLISHING THE PHOTOS.

Unfortunately if the Royal Family doesn’t think hundreds of other publications are already publishing the photo they are wrong. Forever now, Middleton’s bare-breasted day in the beach will be fully able to be seen, so as long as there is a free net and free speech.

Despite doom and gloom and news of fiction and non, this blog is a little bit family friendly. So you’ll only get a censored image from me. You can do the rest of the world yourself should you be desperate to see Kate Middleton’s breasts. Here’s a secret, though: They look like everyone else’s. Nothing Royal about body parts in the end…

The world at war: Darkness prevails. Even though love abounds.

I have been doing some thinking lately about all this violence, chaos, and nonsense surrounding us on this planet. I haven’t posted anything overly meaningful here in quite some time, so no better time than the present, I suppose.

I look at most things now through vision of a father. I became a proud dad almost two years ago. The world hasn’t changed much since my son was born. Sadly it’s degenerating quickly now. Talk of war, acts of violence.. machines taking over.. a mechanical and technological future of dictatorships and mobile devices that will track you and track everything. Jobs are scarce.. But people are abundant. There is a disconnect there and I don’t know how that will turn out. Do you?

But the most immediate concern seems to be, as usual, the Middle East. Talk of war between Iran and Israel at an all time high. Even China and Japan are in the midst of newfound tensions. And as we know, Libya is .. well, Libya. Lots of other embassies look like our embassy in Libya, too, as violence spreads.

All due to a movie? A MOVIE?

Somehow I don’t buy into that theory.

Nonetheless, it’s happening, and it’s the current theory offered by the powers that be. So for the sake of argument we’ll just go with that..

But as a dad, I think: How do you explain a world of senseless violence and cruelty to a child—a child who just wants to live, learn, and love?

Sadly lots of people ask themselves that daily.

No one to date has found an answer. From the Crusades.. to the Jonestown Massacre.. to our current day insanity of war and needless violence, how can it all keep going like this? Humanity has learned nothing since day 1.

Think about the basic invention that catapulted technology and travel: The wheel. Man created a wheel and from that point we decided to put weapons on it to make them move faster.. and that is about it.

Weapons and war and battle and death. A long trail of tears is dragging behind the human race.  

I think during trying moments in history, the bad always got worse and the good always got better. So hug your kids and love your family, laugh with friends and just smile at a sunset. Because it’s quite frankly all we have to grasp.. Madness is taking place outside our homes. We can lock ourselves in and fear it.. or simply open the window, hear it.. and live our lives anyway. 

Good Saturday morning

NODADDY!

Not even Danica Patrick was able to keep GODADDY up when Anonymous struck..

GODADDY DOWN .. and Anonymous takes credit

GODADDY DOWN .. and Anonymous takes credit

I bet Tumblr is feeling pretty proud today

Any site registered with GoDaddy.com is down. GoDaddy.com is down. Oh, and their phone isn’t working either. 

Congrats Tumblr, it’s not you.

Good morning

This shot is of Harrisburg PA last week.. The foggy mornings of fall are beautiful ..

It's been a while since I opined on politics.But I will now

If you want to know why the GOP is bound to lose  in 2012??? just watch  their convention!

They can’t dance. They have awful elevator bumper music. Their outfits are atrocious.. they … just … are… lame!

RIP NEIL ARMSTRONG..

He made one giant leap for mankind..

And was one giant man for all of time.

This is America, 2012: Honey Boo Boo ratings rise as more and more people choose to laugh at others than better themselves

Apparently Americans like watching seemingly kind hearted people make fools of themselves on TV. After all, that somehow seems to be the real secret of reality television, doesn’t it? You can safely sit on a couch behind curtains, close off the world, and flip on the boob tube and watch someone else be the fool.. watchsomeone else get laughed at.. watch someone else’s life from a distance.

The latest example of our nation’s ability to find strange programming and make it a hit comes from HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO, the show based on the child from Georgia pageant fame. The show is now gathering about 2 million plus viewers for TLC.. and now that the new child star of the “reality” genre is getting more fame and fortune, she is also being attached heavily throughout the web world. A girl, simply living her childhood, thrust onto camera and forced to be a star—and now she will have the cloud of fame that follows her beyond into age. 

Ratings are rising, promising that the sick theater of reality programming is a sure bet to continue for a while, despite the probable detrimental effect he could have on the national psyche.  So with that, for those out there who want to be famous on TEEE VEEE, with reality programming being so young, there are plenty more chances for you to get yourself involved with the genre that can steal away your dignity for a couple thousand dollars—even though your image will be plastered all over everything for ever.. 

Honey Boo Boo will one day be an adult. I wonder how her childhood of television programming and giving up a pet pig on TV will help or hinder her eventual development… Don’t you? 

Just when I felt better, increased by vitamin intake, and began to exercise again, enter this scenario: My wife and I took Ayden to eat some pizza at PIZZA HUT today for lunch and we casually brought up to the younger waitress how we used to love the ‘book it program.’ She gave us a strange blank stare, smiling saying, “I never heard of that.” She seemed stunned of the knowledge we had on the past! It was like we told her we saw the ‘wheel’ get created.

She went on to tell us that her “older” manager “always talks about old days” of Pizza Hut.

I began to get stunned. And feel really old.

The waitress was only, say, ten years younger.. and I thought to myself in horror, when did “book it” end!?

I even told the server how, back in ‘the day,’ there would be a grand pizza party during the last week of school. I didn’t tell her, but I even have a newspaper clipping somewhere in my possession showing me and my friend Kevin in third grade waiting in line for pizza. Third grade for me was … the late 1980s. So the age begins to show, I suppose.. 

Soooo.. I did some research! AND feel a whole hell of a lot better!

BOOK IT STILL EXISTS! That’s right, server! Young punk! take your no-knowledge of anything and shove it! I have proof that YOU don’t know your own trade! ha! 

I still feel old, though.

After all, perhaps BOOK IT would work better if Pizza Hut changes it to “Kindle it.” Just saying.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG8MQ8f4nF4?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=374]

Greetings earthlings across the pale blue dot.It’s the weekend. Are you ready? Summer seriously winding down.

The crickets are chirping loud.. I see some yellow tint to some leaves. I just can’t believe that the long hot summer was so short..

This time of year may be the best. Now until October. Beautiful nights.. amazing mornings.. Sunny and warm but not oppressive.

But this time of year goes by rather fast, too.. Gone soon will be the noise of leaves rustling in a summer breeze. Soon a howl of cold wind

But we cannot be depressed. The midsummer night’s dream turns into an autumnal depression.. followed by winter suppression.

But at least we have Christmas……. And the Mayan calender excitement on 12/22.. if we make it through December we’ll be fine.

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

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.