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

Olympics, 2012 style

It’s tough to put on a show in the modern age. Sure, the Olympians are trained and ready and they even have thousands of condoms at their disposal, but it takes a flag mishap to cause a major diplomatic fiasco before the games even begin (officially)

So here is how things went down. As a soccer match between North Korea and Columbia was set to begin, the South Korean flag was mistakenly displayed. The North walked off the field and wasn’t seen for an hour. When the game delay was over, they went on to win 2-0. 

The National Olympic Committee offered up an apology to the newly married Kim Jong Un. No word on whether he is on a honeymoon..

The USA beat France 4-2, no one walked off that field.

And Lil’ Kim Jong Un is not a bachelor anymore.

Olympics, 2012 style

Interesting new wrinkle in the Internets: YouTube wants your full name when you comment on videos

Who needs SOPA or PIPA when you have Youtube!

Interesting new wrinkle in the Internets: YouTube wants your full name when you comment on videos

Thank you so much for mentioning Fine Art ... i'd never heard of the site before, so happy to be able to listen to old Art Bell shows. I fell in love with show many years ago, and one of my favorite episodes is "Mel's Hole". Again, thank you!

Thanks for reading, number one. 

As far the FineArtStream.com, it’s a great website. 24/7 Art Bell.. nothing can beat that. I often listen and place myself back in the time when the show was on, wondering what I was doing.. and contemplating how I have changed and how life has changed since then. But the more it all changed the more it was the same.

Read your site a bit today, too.. Love the poetry.

I started the book

The book I am writing. I will update as I go..

Hope it is worthwhile in the end.

An amazing summer melt.. should we be worried? Satellites recorded an unprecedented rate of ice sheet melt in Greenland this month. Over the course of four days in July virtually the entire surface melted—an area larger than at any time in more than 30 years of satellite observations.

Should we be worried?

Yes.

An amazing summer melt.. should we be worried? Satellites recorded an unprecedented rate of ice sheet melt in Greenland this month. Over the course of four days in July virtually the entire surface melted—an area larger than at any time in more than 30 years of satellite observations.

JAMES HOLMES WAS GIVEN A $26,000 FEDERAL GRANT

JAMES HOLMES WAS GIVEN A $26,000 FEDERAL GRANT

what's your deal?

Wow.. finally a philosophically great question. What indeed is my ‘deal.’? I don’t know. What’s yours.. what is anyone’s? As a matter of fact, what is a ‘deal’? Deal or no deal? … TBA at a later date.

Penn State Pride.. Happy Valley.. welcome to the new world

Happy Valley couldn’t be sadder today. Penn State University has been hit with unprecedented penalties by the NCAA.

The ‘death penalty’ was not imposed on the football program, but it may as well have been.

The NCAA ordered:

• No bowl games for four years


• Scholarships reduced from 25 to 15


• $60 million fine


• 14 seasons of football victories from Paterno taken away

The online world.. the cable television world. .the sports world.. the bars of America.. all will be talking about today’s news concerning Penn State. Few will talk about the victims of sex scandals. 

We will.

Jerry Sandusky was accused, prosecuted, and convicted of systematically using a charity to get underprivileged kids into his sex ring. He showered with them, and brought them to his house to rape them. The underage boys were also not helped by the University and Joe Paterno after a cover up ensued because top officials wanted to protect the name and reputation of the school… and now, due to their actions for years, the reputation of Penn State and the football program lays in ruins. Yes, this is why these penalties were imposed. 

This is why.

Who's that Joker?

On Saturday, the New York DAILY NEWS reported that Colorado shooter James Holmes was screaming at guards, spitting, and calling himself the Joker.

Today a whole new ‘Joker’ was revealed at court, causing confusion over initial reports of his wild-attitude. Instead, today, the only wild thing about Holmes were his eyes. He appeared listless and even drugged at points, with his head slow motioning back and forth.

When Holmes appeared in in court today, he appeared with bizarre reddish red hair.  He spoke no words. He is set to be arraigned next week.

Jumpy audience members fled from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES after a fight broke out in the theater

In the wake of the midnight massacre in Colorado, people seem jumpy. I am awfully curious, did the events of this past weekend cause you to think twice about going to see the movie, or is it business as usual?

Jumpy audience members fled from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES after a fight broke out in the theater

This is James Holmes as he appeared in court today.. wide-eyed and sporting red bushy hair. His face looking deranged.. He didn’t a word..

Some want the games to begin. Others are just ready for them to end.

The Olympic planning committee must be a paranoid lot. I’d join were I to know how to. They are worried about volcanoes and earthquakes during the games.. flooding and other mass casualty events. But it seems most pressing this year is something that may be realistic: An international event that could send the games spiraling into a political realm.. As a matter of fact, a TIMES OF ISRAEL article is reporting that the London Olympic planning committee is worried that Israel may strike Iran during the 2012 games... Londoners are worried about Iranian missiles that are reportedly capable of reaching the city..

Yet another report says that London is on high alert for terror attacks.  While this was likely and predictable, here is the part that is raising eyebrows: Israel fears that an Iranian terror squad is in London to attack Jewish athletes.

The games are set to begin. And with them will come pageantry and honor, decency and pride (and a lot of condoms, I think I read athletes are getting about 15 per person for a sex-ramped up romp double week of lust)… Hopefully the world will remain at peace. Hopefully the only battles will be on soccer fields or tracks.. or swimming pools or basketball courts. By God, the last thing this world needs is more anarchy and violence.. We are a small pale blue dot. We are tiny compared to this universe. And one filled with hate war.

The lost generation: Poverty in the United States is now on track to be at the highest since the 1960s

In related news. The Federal Reserve has plans to keep pumping. And the economy has its own plans. Apparently earnings now show that whatever ‘recovery’ has been going on is sputtering and another recession (as if we have not been in a depression for years!) is about to take place.. Hold on to your hat, coat.. undergarment, whatever you can still afford in this messy new life.

The lost generation indeed. Millions will grow up in a class lower than the middle, as the middle keeps shrinking, the lowest keeps peaking, and the highest keeps shrieking. This is our new life America.. 

The Great Society is back.

The lost generation: Poverty in the United States is now on track to be at the highest since the 1960s

They were people. Faces in a crowd. And now they are victims to madness

James Holmes is now known by most of the world now as the shooter and monster of the Midnight Massacre in Aurora Colorado during the DARK KNIGHT RISES. But the victims, as usual, will be forgotten in the dust of the justice system and publications in a 24 hours news cycle. So Coal Speaker will just pause for a moment in time to recognize lives that are lost.. I read these names and reports of their deeds on an LA TIMES dispatch this morning.  Clearly, the other 58 who were victims but not deceased deserve space, too. I hope we see more profiles on them soon.

The dead:

Jessica N. Ghawi, 24

Micayla C. Medek, 23

John T. Larimer, 27

Alex M. Sullivan, 27

Alexander J. Boik, 18

Gordon W. Cowden, 51

Alexander C. Teves, 24

Matthew R. McQuinn, 27

Jonathan T. Blunk, 26

Jesse E. Childress, 29

Rebecca Ann Wingo, 32

Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6

Some striking things about the list. Veronica Moser-Sullivan was in the audience with her mom for a ‘girls night out’ .. Her mother is one year older than the shooter, and now remains in critical condition with bullets in her abdomen.  

Alex Sullivan died protecting others in the theater—it was his birthday and they were at the film to celebrate. 

But maybe most chilling to me is the tale of Jessica Ghawi. She was the same age as James Holmes. And just a month ago in June, she walked out of a Toronto mall before a shooter came in and shot over a dozen people, leaving two dead. Ghawi had a person blog and she wrote these profound words:

“I was shown how fragile life was… I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end.”

Let that sink in. 

There is something bugging me about these Colorado shootings

Well, more then one thing.

First off, the media announced John Holmes as the murderer. I noticed this weekend that changed to James. Is it because John Holmes was a porn star and web searches were freaking out?

Secondly.. I am tired of how we spend about 1000 words on 12 dead and 58 wounded while the shooter will get 10,000+ words a day. I know that is the nature of the media beast, but I think a week of silence would be in order. There’s time for the trial and the story of how James Holmes was a ‘nerd’ who even gun lovers were freaked out by.. and how neighbors ‘never saw it coming’ even though lots of explosives and ammo was arriving by the day… yes, we will hear it all. But how about we stop and pause a bit for the victims. A man celebrating his birthday? A 6-year-old? They deserve a bit more than they get.

And finally I am tired of all these crappy and ridiculous DARK KNIGHT memes floating around on Facebook and the Internet. Listen, yes, we get it, you’re as upset as me. But you posting a stupid picture of BATMAN with a strange ribbon aside of him doesn’t do anything.. and BATMAN praying over a movie theater? Now that is tacky. 

Just mourn like normal humans did before the moving GIFs and crappy JPEGs of the net.. please? 

And we should mourn. Because this was a horrible weekend for good people. I hope all who are dealing with it find some sort of beauty in life again.. a monster took it away for a while. But it’s still there.. minus out all the hate and carnage and sickness of the human mind, I swear beauty is still there. 

Changing times.. changing rooms

Did a few creative maneuvers in the homestead this weekend. Switched some rooms and altered the surroundings. Those things get tough with a 2 foot person moving all about the room you’re trying to clean. And I noticed something, he was shocked things looked different. My son Ayden even seemed a bit angry at how we moved his toys, moved his books.. And I think that’s good. It was the first shake up of his 17-months of life. This was a big one. He faced it with anger but perseverance. 

I personally think, after living 31 years, life changes a little too much for me. Maybe that’s because no one ever moved my toys from one room to another. Hope we help him deal with a future of constantly evolving things.

The cursed trilogy

This was supposed to be a huge weekend for the DARK KNIGHT RISES. Instead it become a national crisis when John Holmes shot the theater in Aurora, CO. Now Warner Bros is faced with an interesting question about how to fully promote what was geared up to be the biggest movie of the year. Their immediate answer according to the always spot on Nikki Finke is that they may go all weekend without reporting or bragging about box numbers..

However non-chatty Warner is about to become, numbers will still be released to reporters ..

Question will be: how much will this effect overall numbers in the end? Does this mar the Christopher Nolan reinvented franchise?

A tragic film in a sense. Heath Ledger dead as DARK KNIGHT came popular.. DARK KNIGHT RISES released during a real midnight massacre.. Yes indeed, the BATMAN in somewhere in tears tonight..

The only image I can think of right now..

Two tales on one picture. 

When I saw this AP photo yesterday, it gave me chills.

When I see it today, it makes me cry.

Children are growing up in a world that seems to be regressing into a sick cauldron of violence and horror. I have a son, too. I want my son to be excited by a hero named BATMAN.

Our society seems to be becoming a nightmare. God bless America indeed.

If there is a God, you really still think he blesses America…?

ShortFormBlog: President Obama's Statement on Aurora Shooting

joshsternberg:

Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We…

ShortFormBlog: President Obama's Statement on Aurora Shooting

shortformblog:

Here’s a clip of the aftermath of the attack on the movie theater near Denver — a lot of commotion, doesn’t appear to be a lot of violence exposed, but it’s nonetheless harrowing. Such a scary incident, we could not even imagine this happening. 

Chaos reigned after the shooting took place. People on television reports calling in to the morning shows describing more scenes of chaos.. one witness on the TODAY show said he was also shooting people trying to escape.. 

(Source: http://shortformblog.com/)

AP: The youngest victim reported was a 6-year-old being treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, where a total of six victims were taken.

shortformblog:

The Denver Post reports that one of the injured victims was a three-month-old child. 9NEWS just confirmed the report.

This is disgusting in all forms to me.. a three month old child.. This is absolutely horrendous. 

AP: The youngest victim reported was a 6-year-old being treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, where a total of six victims were taken.

Waking up to this horrific Dark Knight news

There was a horrific shooting at a Colorado movie theater last night. A midnight massacre took place. At least 14 dead, 50 injured, more developing on that as medical professional teams release information to new stations. I just think about the people in this theater, and I cry.

Dads who took their sons because of how excited their sons were.

To go see a movie? No. To go see how disgusting our human race can so often be.

Yes there were threats to movie critics over the week and even the website rotten tomatoes had to take down its comments section. But this goes far beyond the reach of any fanboys online. This is disgusting, and frightening. 

So who is going to see THIS this weekend? Or tonight?

Some 'other' news..

THE EARTH IS CHANGING.. For several years scientists have been watching for a huge piece of ice to break off of Greenland. And now it has happened, as the crack became complete and the iceberg twice the size of Manhattan has broken off..

This could be the dramatic illustration of a warming Greenland ..

Strange situation developing in Brazil as hundreds of penguins have been found dead on beaches.. And now biologists are on the case..

There is a looming budget crisis.. and 2 million jobs could be lost within months..

Amazing video circulating around the world.. a 7-year-old girl escaped injury when she fell from a window in Brooklyn only to be caught by a neighbor..

Big drug bust in Ohio as student, age 17, is accused of a multimillion dollar drug ring.. he was netting $20,000 a month in sales..

Strange campaign: Is BANE in DARK KNIGHT a Democrat attempt to destroy Mitt Romney?

Entire states may be threatened by the now epic drought taking place across the United States.. record high food prices this fall will be next as corn crop gets decimated by continued heat..

The 2012 Dust Bowl: No End in Sight to Record Drought

A frightening situation is developing today as news emerges about a woman who bit into a needle in her sandwich on a Delta flight now being put on anti-HIV medication.. Four Delta flights are affected.. it is a possible ‘terrorist’ act.. the FBI is investigating the matter. The persons who bit into the needles were biting into turkey sandwiches. How safe from sabotage are airport food products? Apparently not safe enough.. 

I missed this story when it happened but just caught it now: Merck in June delayed a batch of MMR vaccine slated for release because it was released too early, before it was finished an internal approval process.. The company asked 39,000 vaccines to be returned..

UK reports shows that there has been a huge uptake in children receiving the MMR vaccine, 87.1%. But the number ‘falls short’ of the target of ‘95%’..

Chaos in Canada.. a food festival had to close after 17 people were hospitalized after lightning struck..

There were tornadoes in Poland of all places the other day, another heat wave building in the USA, corn crops being decimated.. truly we are living in the quickening, just hope not ‘an ending’

A fierce lightning storm turns night into day

WEBSITE 'ROTTEN TOMATOES' SUSPENDS USER COMMENTS FOR 'DARK KNIGHT' FILM AFTER FANBOYS BEGIN OBSCENE WORD WAR

According to reports tonight, the popular movie website ROTTEN TOMATOES has suspended user comments for the DARK KNIGHT film after users began making threatening and profane comments towards reviewers who gave DARK KNIGHT a less than good review..

This may be the biggest movie opening of the year, maybe ever (? we will see?).. but the fact that the website has suspended users from making comments is a first.. Also, the site is considering a move to a Facebook commenting system, which might cut down on the glut of anonymous posts..

Listen everyone: It’s a movie!!!

Yet more politicization of DARK KNIGHT occurring today as Rush Limbaugh compared Bane to Mitt's Bain

Yet more politicization of DARK KNIGHT occurring today as Rush Limbaugh compared Bane to Mitt's Bain

Owwww

milesfilesx:

That’s currently Miles’ new favorite word. He smacks himself in the head, than runs to me rubbing his head saying ow.

And than I have to kiss it.

After that, he smacks himself in the head again.

I think it’s fair to say that this is the reason kids rule. And are hilarious.

Just sickening..

Welcome to the land of savages: Chicago teens charged with beating death of man who was collecting cans because social security was not enough.. the moron teens posted the video of the beating on Facebook for their fellow savages and crude sickos to like. Fortunately someone alerted police..

We are on borrowed time

I heard this description of life: It’s a bus ride that has no stops. You just keep going faster and faster

… the only way out is a crash: Death.

I think that sums up the gravity of the situation we are all in.

Please don’t consider this a negative posting about life. Life is actually quite fun for me right now.

I have a 17-month-old little man who is the joy of life.. My wife and I have been forever changed by his existence in our world. I have a wonderful family. Friends I cherish. We have jobs. We have a roof over our heads.. we have food when we are hungry. And I have an iPhone, and all the other technology that comes with life these days, too.

In the past two weeks I have been to two funerals. I will keep the overly personal information out, and just say that one was for someone who was 95 and a World War II POW. Another was for an uncle who lived to the truly ripe old age of 94. Both were pushing 100 when they met their respective final resting places. They both had long lives and lots of memories.. they both had stories.. both had a memories.. both had loved ones, cherished friends.. We all have stories, too. No matter the person.. From the richest to the poorest. From the oldest in the world to the child that dies at birth. There IS A MEANING to life.. right?

After contemplation, I have determined that we have become overly busy with our selfish pleasures of newsfeeds and campaign stats and sports stats and bla bla bla bla bla. At least I have.

I have neglected so much in the real world because of the online world. The internet and technology have become habits instead of pleasures. It went from being a novelty to a way of life. We all have been touched by the net bug. We are addicted!! Addicted to virtual reality. Addicted to virtual everything……virtually nothing.

But back to life for a second. REAL LIFE, not virtual.
What is the purpose to all this? Why ask! you know there is no answer. Lots claim to know the truth. Many others ponder it forever. In the end we don’t have a clue. What happens when we do die!? Again, here.. no word from anyone who did perish. We are left to wonder if near death experiences are really experiences of truth or just brain waves going awry. We are left to question tenets of religion.. question all things.

In the net age we have oodles of knowledge at our fingertips. All we have to do is Google or Bing it or MetaFilter it.. or whatever it. Do people even ask Jeeves anymore? Or AltaVista? .. Asta La Vista ..

Search results would amount to tons of data if you printed it on paper. But in our paperless society paper doesn’t exist anymore… right? Even though a paper-stack of bills sits next to me, that snail mail sent me, that was licked by some underpaid secretary in a cubicle maybe even AGHAST! with a typewriter…somewhere in the world.

There are bits and bytes of data flying around the world at a record pace.

And with all this knowledge you’d think by now someone would have found the meaning of life! The closest I know that found something was John Clease in MONTY PYTHON’S THE MEANING OF LIFE. The death penalty introduced to us in that show was, well, one many men wouldn’t mind having.

The information superhighway.. that is what it was once dubbed. Now it’s filled with potholes and dead sites that have dead ends.

Where does it all go in the end, though?

No where.. bits and bytes go bye bye for us.

Our bodies were dust and to dust they return. Despite the big plans we have to strive for big goals, we are cut down by something..whether it’s fate, God, time.. science. Whatever you believe. You can be five months, 15, 35, or 95. All dust.

So after this week, with two funerals (and a wedding, congrats bro), one can only leave the day with a renewed perspective on this strange place called earth.

A new lease on life!?

Not a chance…

A constantly expiring lease?

Now that is more like it..

Interesting ..

I lost two followers after I posted a link to a video about Poland’s tornadoes.

I lost another follower tonight when I said I want politics out of the BATMAN movies.

And finally, I lost 7 followers after I posted the story about foie gras.

I guess there is just something about me people don’t like.

California imposed a ban on foie gras starting July 1 of this year, however the Presidio Social Club says it can still serve the force-fed 'delicacy'

Why? 

Because it has a business on property maintained by the federal government…

Interesting legal debate may be setting up … one food watchers and animal rights activists will be closely following.

I am actually quite sickened by the thought of foie gras.. but for some reason I think if big tall huge aliens invaded earth, they may very well force feed humans and serve us. I don’t know if we’d have a fancy name like foie gras .. and I sure don’t know if we’d be a delicacy.

Then again, during this summer of cannibal rage, maybe such a horrid act is possible..

California imposed a ban on foie gras starting July 1 of this year, however the Presidio Social Club says it can still serve the force-fed 'delicacy'

A truly suspicious package.. the TSA just had to look. I'm sure this story will makes it way around the world, but many will blush speaking about it. The man with the world's largest genitalia was thoroughly searched by the TSA

It just seems more and more like the TSA is just hell-bent on being in a porn movie..

A truly suspicious package.. the TSA just had to look. I'm sure this story will makes it way around the world, but many will blush speaking about it. The man with the world's largest genitalia was thoroughly searched by the TSA

Please for the love of God keep politics out of the DARK KNIGHT!!

Really.. Democrats are using THE DARK KNIGHT film in new advertising against Mitt Romney.. Source here

I don’t care your political belief or presidential pick, I just hope we ALL can agree that the 2012 presidential election should be kept away from what may be the movie of the year.

Please politicians just give us one thing this year that won’t be political.. We beg of you..

Then again, Mitt Romney did star in BATMAN RETURNS as Max Schreck, didn’t he?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQkBeOisNM0?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]

Music to start the week. Good luck to all who are facing the prospects of heat, humidity, horrid war, pestilence.. but I think we all will agree: CAN’T WAIT FOR THE DARK KNIGHT in theaters this weekend..

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

Old times are a flyin

Remember the show SIGHTINGS hosted by Tim White? That was one great show .. I’ve been You Tubing the past all night.. I wish it was still on

A tale of one painting. Joe Paterno had a halo after he died, but on July 14, 2012, artist Michael Pilato used his skills to remove that same halo..

Sure, the late Penn State coach is no saint. But now that the Freeh report is sinking in and new facts are being digested, it’s clear that he was no saint either. He was a man who wanted to try to cover up as much as he could to save the reputation of Penn State.. and sordid as it all seems, the children who were abused in this situation always were last on the list of people who were helped. It’s a disgusting and sick story .. one that I can’t really read about much or think about much because of how deplorable it was and is, but also because of how many generations of proud Penn State graduates are shamed for good by the scars of sexual abuse in locker rooms on the campus.

Oh, and yes, the school has decided to re-do those shower rooms.. take away the look … but not the memories. No way in hell will people forget what happened there. And with more and more information trickling out about how much higher ups knew of the situation, the story isn’t dead yet.

Tornado alley .. Polish version. You don't hear of these storms often hitting UK nations..

But today a tragic situation unfolded ..

A freak wave of tornadoes slammed in part of Poland today.. houses are wrecked, people are shocked, and tonight at least one is dead in the nation.

This summer has already given Poland and other European nations hail, flash floods, and heavy winds. And now quite powerful tornadoes have struck..

This can happen in this nation and other UK countries, but it rarely does. And when it does it is seldom as powerful as the storms that hit Sunday..

Here is a video of some tornado events:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWUtjpoM7f4]

And here is more information about just how surprising and strong these tornadoes were..

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3fmq48DGwk?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]

Beauty in a 1 minute.. 

Here is a time lapse video of the Northern Lights in the early morning hours of 7/15/2012 taken just north of Dubuque, Iowa at the Balltown, Iowa scenic overlook.

And the scenes of a green and purple aura in the sky are absolutely amazing.

Not sure if my hometown saw northern lights.. sadly the sky was cloudy all night.

Sunspot 1520 and the X flare last week caused this spectacular show, and I am truly jealous of whoever got to see it..including the residents of Balltown, Iowa.

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

DANCING IN THE DARK, LITERALLY

The arts were cut off in London last night. Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney were wowing the crowd, jamming out the night.. and then they were CUT OFF by the organizers because LONDON HAS A CURFEW.

Glory Days quickly ended. Dancing in the dark ensued.

And lots of people around the world suddenly took notice to a nanny like state that says when too much music is too much.

And yes, the angry musicians are lashing out.. Steven van Zandt said England is becoming a police state.

Next up: The Olympics! Hope the swim matches don’t go too long…

Don't get yourself caught up in an Amityville situation

We all know the story of Amityville horror, whether by watching the movie or remake, reading the book, or listening to countless interviews with lawyers and the family supposedly haunted by the murders that took place within the home in New York. The house exists still and is back and forth on the real estate market.. Lots have debunked the story of the Lutz family. Others stand by the account and believe that DeFeo murders forever haunted the property..

The house was bought by a resident in 2010 for $950,000.. and then sold.. Those who attended the house showing in 2010 moving sale at 108 Ocean Ave. but the basement was not open for public consumption at the time. The owner in 2010 did not claim any haunting took place. As a matter of fact, no owners have since the Lutz family left in the 20th century..

But it brings up an interesting question, should you conclude that your own home is haunted by spirits or worse. What do you do to get rid of the house?

You can technically walk away from the mortgage. 

But if you’re more inclined to care about credit and a future purchase, you’ll want to sell the house on the market—and we know that demons and evilspiritdoers won’t care about the asking price.  

A new show is being filmed to be on the SyFy that may help those in need of advice on how to ditch the witch. A Fort Wane, Indiana, real estate agent is going to try to help. His name is Scott FladHammer and he wrote a book “HOW TO SELL AN UGLY OR HAUNTED HOUSE.”

We all know the housing market collapsed in 2008—and what is left of it appears to be collapsing even further. Maybe we finally have a blame.. now financial institutions’ greed but instead witches and ghosts lurking in the walls of attics of homes. In which case, FladHammer will ride to the rescue.