Sunday, January 10, 2016

A blast of color.. A rainbow behind my house as photographed by a friend.. Directly from the woods behind the abode.. The cold air just moved in. Night is falling.. The last glimmer of light is from the array of colors fading into the winter night..

The CHAPO interview and the PENN controversy

The world is intrigued by Sean Penn meeting with El Chapo.. The Rolling Stone published the interview just as the drug kingpin was re-arrested. .  The interview is bizarre. Controversial. People are angry at Penn. The issue even became a campaign talking point for Republicans on the trail, Marco Rubio today saying it was out of line but not illegal. There are, however, some interesting interview comments that the interview has given the world to digest and contemplate.. Among them:

  • I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats 


  • Well, it’s a reality that drugs destroy. Unfortunately, as I said, where I grew up there was no other way and there still isn’t a way to survive




  • I don’t usually drink


  • On Trump: “

    Ah! Mi amigo!”



  • The only way to have money to buy food, to survive, is to grow poppy, marijuana, and at that age, I began to grow it, to cultivate it and to sell it
  • On drug addiction: “

    No, that is false, because the day I don’t exist, it’s not going to decrease in any way at all. Drug trafficking? That’s false.“
  • On drug consumption: “

    If there was no consumption, there would be no sales. It is true that consumption, day after day, becomes bigger and bigger. So it sells and sells”


The Steelers/Bengals game turned into a chaotic farce of football Saturday night.. 

Paul Doughterty, a sports writer from Ohio, expresses the feelings of a nation who watched the dangerous game: 

Too many stupid things happened. Passion has its place in football. Reckless stupidity does not.

I won’t go into detail about the game, its frantic finish yet another eye-stab. You saw it. You don’t need to read about it.

It’s mindless to blame a few plays or a few players for a loss that had more twists than a medieval thumb screw. It might have been easier had the Bengals lost 15-0. Chalk it up to another playoff fade. Only, they didn’t fade. They took the lead, 16-15, and with a first down at the Steelers’ 26 with 1:36 left, had the game won.

Only this is January and these are the Bengals so Jeremy Hill, bless him, fumbled. Then Ben Roethlisberger, whose right shoulder was ground meat, took Pittsburgh 74 yards in nine plays. Chris Boswell kicked a 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds left to send Cincinnati to its most crushing loss in … forever.

It was a nasty, nasty playoff game.

The billion coming ??

No one won the grand Powerball prize. The new grand rise over a billion bucks.. Holy moly all that’s holy

York County 911: Loud explosion heard, and various reports of booms in the Pennsylvania city

This event is taking place Friday and tonight.. Loud reports of booms in York Pennsylvania.. Officials and authorities are checking the integrity of infrastructure..



The YORK COUNTY paper reports: “Also on Saturday, local authorities contacted dam operators at the Indian Rock Dam around 5:30 p.m. to check the dam’s integrity, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Chris Augsburger said. The dam is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Dam operators, who walked with local authorities around the dam, did not find any damage, Augsburger said.”



The most recent explanation being given at the hour: Frost quakes…
Sensible perhaps.
But when considering the endless boom and explosions taking place across the planet since about seven Januarys now, this is just another example is something strange below our feet.



This one is close to home for me.


York County 911: Loud explosion heard, and various reports of booms in the Pennsylvania city

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Hillary’s EmailGate Goes Nuclear | | Observer

John Schindler writes this in the Observer tonight:



“ Back in October I told you that Hillary Clinton’s email troubles were anything but over, and that the scandal over her misuse of communications while she was Secretary of State was sure to get worse. Sure enough, EmailGate continues to be a thorn in the side of Hillary’s presidential campaign and may have just entered a new, potentially explosive phase with grave ramifications, both political and legal.”


Hillary’s EmailGate Goes Nuclear | | Observer

Demolition team dismantle Chinese hospital with patients & doctors inside

Three hospital staff were injured while trying to stop the destruction and six bodies being prepared in the mortuary were covered by falling debris.



Pictures of the Henan province hospital show collapsed walls and upturned medical devices.


Demolition team dismantle Chinese hospital with patients & doctors inside

I don’t think 2016 will be a good year for horror movies

SLATE has a review of the new January horror movie THE FOREST. I didn’t get the warm and fuzzies from the David Ehrlich piece, he really hated the movie. I am not going to see it most likely, but I bet people will. 

There is something always successful when you consider January horror. It’s the come off of Christmas feeling people get. I noticed that a long, long time ago now (too long and too quick) with a quick January PG-13 hit called DARKNESS FALLS. 

The one interesting thing about this movie this year, THE FOREST, is that it is loosely based off of real events.. The forest in Japan where people go to commit suicide is all too real and very unexplained..

Speaking of horror, there are lots of lists being compiled on the movies in 2016 you should see.. ’31’ is included with this IGN list of 12 movies. In my opinion, that makes it 11 movies you should see. I just cannot and will not get into this 31 film, regardless of anything.. And quite frankly, all of the rest of the movies look like awful.

THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR WANTS YOUR SOUL. For $800 mil, it could get it



Tonight, the POWEBALL is powerful.. set over $800 mil (if no one wins this could get to a billion) .. I am going to buy my ticket and I suspect you will buy yours. This could be a blowout for the victor.. 

Or a curse. 

There are always dreams of the but jackpot.. the fantasy of the fancy cars and fine wine that come along with any victory in the lottery game. 

But there are equally concerns. I think we all have seen those specials on TV  or the concerning documentary about people who won the lottery, people like you and me who were normal (we are, right). 

People who just tried making it in life and suddenly had millions in cold hard cash leaped on their heads. 

They fell apart… did they live some luxury lives? Some. For a while. And then their families and friendships dissolved.. Often suicide and murder took place.. The money was a hoax of happiness, a curse and blemish on their once normal lives. But normal lives have struggles. 

Bills are due and often they bite, coming out of no where when you least expect them. Yes. Dreams of the lottery are amazing.. dreams.. The odds tonight are that 1 in 292 million people will win the big record $800 million Powerball. 

The rest of us will still be dreaming. Maybe it’s safer to dream than scurry away from the blinding lights of pop culture and media attention.


The new mayor of Philly already making headlines



Yesterday we all were told a cop was shot in Philly by a man proclaiming allegiance to ISIS.. 

Now the new Mayor of the city, Jim  Kenney, said ISIS had nothing to do with the shooting. Anger ensues among some about that.. The police officer is alive, incidentally..


But you know the worst part? Life goes by so fast I forgot Nutter was out and there was even a new mayor of Philly.. and I live 90 miles north. That is a failure on my part. I hope it will not happen again.

Mid Winter storms.. bizarre mid-winter storms



This is mid winter (or it is supposed to be), but climate did not get the memo. The NWS is watching not 1 but 2 lows that have hurricane force winds in the NORTH ATLANTIC.. 

And a storm developing off the British Isles..  

How many freak storms will we get until we realize something is ‘up’ .. ? 

But remember. Earth changes are NOT happening. Tell yourself that one a few times and try not to laugh.


By now you’ve seen THIS.

You may not have wanted to.. but you did.

Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney, apparently post sexual relations, on a magazine cover.

You cannot unsee..

There are lots of comparisons to LENNON AND ONO.. Sorry. This pales in comparison.. No comparison at all frankly..

Millions of Civilians to Be Sent Back to Boko Haram's Bloody Heartland

The government says it has all but defeated Boko Haram, the ISIS-allied group that was involved in the slaughter of 11,000 people last year and ranks among the world’s deadliest terror organizations.

President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged that he will “start in earnest” to return an estimated 2.2 million citizens who have been forced to flee their homes.

However, while most of the territory once held by Boko Haram has been recaptured, experts say the insurgents’ renewed guerrilla campaign is deadlier than ever.

I guess these returning innocent lives will find out soon firsthand..


Millions of Civilians to Be Sent Back to Boko Haram's Bloody Heartland

Thursday, January 7, 2016

The most checked out book at the UN library is a book about how heads of state can be immune from war crimes prosecutions

The most checked out book at the UN library is a book about how heads of state can be immune from war crimes prosecutions

'Meth Curry' and the thoughtless, casual cruelty of Internet memes

This Mashable story about a cancer survivor who turned into the butt of a joke should be required reading for every moronic jerk who has the Internet and social media to mock fellow humans with ugly memes.. The butt of this joke doesn’t do meth. Instead he’s a cancer survivor who struggled with his own appearance. And now his struggle is receiving global attention after his image ended up online and being involved with a meme joke calling him a meth addict..


'Meth Curry' and the thoughtless, casual cruelty of Internet memes

'Making a Murderer' victim speaks about sending innocent man to jail

Interesting story.. And it is the one part of his whole Avery story that the documentary neglected to explore in depth..



On this note, I have just begun watching the series.. Only on episode 2, though I am very aware of then murder story and the further allegations that have taken place since the 2002 exoneration of Avery..



It’s an amazing documentary, very well produced, and obviously controversial since it’s an ongoing issue with a number of opinions on all sides of the issue.. The real story may be DNA, crime, and science..



Innocence until proven guilty.. Until DNA can immediately convict someone .. Or exonerate someone..



The entire judicial system is being turned on its head by progress and scientific discovery..



There are a lot of cultural and judicial ramifications. This documentary seems to be hitting a nerve.. A nerve at the core of how American justice is served. And so often not served.


'Making a Murderer' victim speaks about sending innocent man to jail

A pair of moderate earthquakes shook northwest Oklahoma late Wednesday night, part of the latest swarm of Sooner State temblors since Wednesday morning. A 4.7-magnitude tremor was followed 30 seconds later by another 4.8-magnitude quake centered in a sparsely populated area about 20 miles northwest of Fairview, Oklahoma, about 97 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The quakes struck at depths of 2.1 and 3.7 miles below the surface.

A pair of moderate earthquakes shook northwest Oklahoma late Wednesday night, part of the latest swarm of Sooner State temblors since Wednesday morning. A 4.7-magnitude tremor was followed 30 seconds later by another 4.8-magnitude quake centered in a sparsely populated area about 20 miles northwest of Fairview, Oklahoma, about 97 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The quakes struck at depths of 2.1 and 3.7 miles below the surface.

New Dietary Guidelines: Cut Sugar, Eat More Veggies

“Despite heavy lobbying by the food industry, the guidelines — which set the standard for federal food programs such as school lunches and food stamps — also recommend that most people get 2,300 mg of salt a day or less. The average American gets 3,400 mg a day, Burwell said — and that can lead to high blood pressure.”


New Dietary Guidelines: Cut Sugar, Eat More Veggies

Yellowstone about to blow? 1 in 10 chance super-volcano will 'kill millions'

There are fears that a devastating blow could take place within the next seventy or eighty years.. And not just Yellowstone but any of the world’s big volcanoes..



As reported in here days previous, some experts think we are now heading into ‘volcano season’ when things of this nature are going to occur..


Yellowstone about to blow? 1 in 10 chance super-volcano will 'kill millions'

Chinese stocks in Hong Kong fell to the lowest level in four years as mainland shares plunged, forcing an early halt to trading for the second day this week after the central bank cut its yuan reference rate by the most since August.

Chinese stocks in Hong Kong fell to the lowest level in four years as mainland shares plunged, forcing an early halt to trading for the second day this week after the central bank cut its yuan reference rate by the most since August.

South Korea to restart propaganda loudspeakers on North's border

The tension returns.. The war games return..



The broadcasts will restart on Friday, South Korea’s presidential office says, calling the North’s bomb test a “grave violation” of an agreement in August between the two Koreas, which had aimed to ease mutual tension. At that time, the two traded artillery fire after Pyongyang had demanded a halt to the broadcasts.


South Korea to restart propaganda loudspeakers on North's border

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

[gallery]

One of these is me. The other is is Doug Walker, an online movie critics with almost 700,000 followers on YouTube..
I may have found my much more popular doppelgänger.. Perhaps contact should be made? But would works collide? Would the center of gravity give out?
By the way the close up is me. The other one is the popular guy.

Rob Zombie's '31' Receives an R-Rating - Bloody Disgusting!

There were tears from the hardcore horror buffs who demand blood and gore.. This movie got an NC 17 two times.
Obviously something or somethings were cut to make it R..



No worries for those still craving the desire to see needless violence.. 31 is still going to feature, “strong bloody horror violence, pervasive language, sexual content and drug use.”
Rejoice. I suppose.


Rob Zombie's '31' Receives an R-Rating - Bloody Disgusting!

Before I forget..

Happy Russian Christmas ..
(I sang that to the tune of the South Park Christmas song)

'New shock claim' JFK was 'murdered by CIA' days after demanding UFO files and NASA visit

It’s really not a new claim.. It’s been around as long as conspiracy lure concerning the Kennedy assassination.. But it’s always interesting to see it splashed again in tabloids with new evidence being offered up that it was the desire to know the truth about space aliens that may have got JFK killed..


'New shock claim' JFK was 'murdered by CIA' days after demanding UFO files and NASA visit

MEET THE FISH FROM THAILAND THAT WAS CUT IN HALF AND LIVED SIX MORE MONTHS

I am excited! I just found out that the 2013 short film LIGHTS OUT will be a movie coming July of this year!



Now they are making a long film about the same story .. it’s in post-production right and currently set for a July 2016 release.

And no time better than now to celebrate the obvious.. the short film from 2013.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUQhNGEu2KA?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=540&h=304]

My son got sea monkeys as a gift for Christmas..

And ….his parents killed them.

On that note.. here’s some interesting facts about sea monkeys.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

The demon next to the baby..

This is going viral.. The very TABLOID UK SUN reports:

WHAT should have been a heart-warming experience for expectant parents turned into a chilling moment as a bizarre demon-shaped figure was found lurking in an ultrasound image.

The snap has gone viral since it was posted on imgur a day ago under the headline ‘A friend’s ultrasound. When you see it …’, where visitors to the site quickly picked up on the disturbing presence of the ‘demon’, seen in the top right-hand corner of the mother’s womb.

The sinister grainy outline has divided commentators, as some insist the shape resembles a mythical creature, while others among the 710,000 social media users to have seen the page insist it depicts something more sinister.

Yes, it’s really ‘volcano season,’ say scientists.. And: There’s a 5 percent to 10 percent chance in the next 80 years, scientists say, one of these eruptions will kill millions of people and poison the atmosphere beyond the imagination of anything man’s activity could do in 1,000 years.

So there you go, then.


Yes, it’s really ‘volcano season,’ say scientists.. And: There’s a 5 percent to 10 percent chance in the next 80 years, scientists say, one of these eruptions will kill millions of people and poison the atmosphere beyond the imagination of anything man’s activity could do in 1,000 years.

Americans Confused About Cancer Risks

Well when a new study comes out daily refuting the previous day’s study about what causes cancer, should there be any confusion as to why there is confusion to begin with!? Honestly, navigating through the realities of what and how to eat is difficult..

Studies about what cause cancer may actually cause cancer, according to a new study.


Americans Confused About Cancer Risks

Insult or not

My wife and I took our son to see ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS this weekend.. when we were there, the cashier told me, “When you come here, we all say you are the guy who looks like Ed Helms.” I thanked them for their….honestly? I contemplated this a bit.

I love VACATION, really funny movie. Ed Helms is talented.. but .. looking like Ed Helms? What place does that put me in life? Where am I now..? The guy who looks like Ed Helms to movie theater employees.

Insult? or not?

Nah…?

Want to feel like you're getting old? 10 movies turning 10 in 2016

Time certainly has decided to move faster, don’t you think?


Want to feel like you're getting old? 10 movies turning 10 in 2016

Monday, January 4, 2016

Panty hose comeback..

Or so some say.

But beware.. there are 48 reasons from Buzzfeed you may want to reconsider.

Asteroid 2013 TX68 was discovered in October 2013. And it’s going to be in the news March 2016

Yes, this year..



The asteroid often makes close approaches to Earth, and will make one such approach sometime between March 3 and March 8, 2016


Get this: 

While the nominal (best fit) orbit suggests that it will pass 1.3 Lunar distances (LD) from the Earth, it may pass as close as 0.061 LD (23,600 km) to the Earth or 0.032 LD (12,200 km) to the Moon- although not using the same orbit. The asteroid is only 21-52 meters across, making it approximately as twice as large as the Chelyabinsk meteor and likely creating a large fireball in the sky, and possibly an impact crater. This would create an impact between 100 and 575 meters across, assuming an impact angle of less than 45 degrees.

Here is the official NASA page on the coming event.

The Ides of March, anyone?



A controversial meme posted on a website thought to belong to Iran’s Supreme Leader suggested the only difference between Saudi rulers and ISIS executioners was the clothes they wore

CDC DEBATE: The agency’s website previously had said that any risks “likely are comparable to other lifestyle choices we make every day.” Within weeks, though, the C.D.C. reversed course. It no longer recommended caution, and deleted a passage specifically addressing potential risks for children. Mainstream scientific consensus holds that there is little to no evidence that cellphone signals raise the risk of brain cancer or other health problems; rather, behaviors like texting while driving are seen as the real health concerns. Nevertheless, more than 500 pages of internal records obtained by The New York Times, along with interviews with former agency officials, reveal a debate and some disagreement among scientists and health agencies about what guidance to give as the use of mobile devices skyrockets.

CDC DEBATE: The agency’s website previously had said that any risks “likely are comparable to other lifestyle choices we make every day.” Within weeks, though, the C.D.C. reversed course. It no longer recommended caution, and deleted a passage specifically addressing potential risks for children. Mainstream scientific consensus holds that there is little to no evidence that cellphone signals raise the risk of brain cancer or other health problems; rather, behaviors like texting while driving are seen as the real health concerns. Nevertheless, more than 500 pages of internal records obtained by The New York Times, along with interviews with former agency officials, reveal a debate and some disagreement among scientists and health agencies about what guidance to give as the use of mobile devices skyrockets.

The first–and potentially last–selfie of 16..

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIeZkE2DkjM?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]

Light above Australia called likely ball lightning.. but it’s an amazing scene nonetheless..

This week: Winter comes to the Northeast. Goodbye 70s.. hello the real thing.
Can’t say it’s the ‘return of winter’ since winter never really hit yet. This is the first time this year. And because of that, it will appear to be even colder than it is, until the body adjusts.. We aren’t used to this, Eastern Seaboard people. Time to put away the shorts and employ the highest degree of warmth available to you. Times are changing. The polar express is late. But arriving..

Sunday, January 3, 2016

This is a lost never really seen before poster for BACK TO THE FUTURE from 1985.. I would sure love to own it. I guess now I can! As can you..

The poster is going up for auction.

And from Ewbanks auction page, a description and price set. The auction scheduled for February 12, 2016. In the future..

FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: 

Strewn in the shallows of the Indian Ocean off Tanzania lie shards of dead coral reefs.

Why? Because poor Tanzanian fishermen are using explosives, illegally, to kill hundreds of fish in seconds. Blast fishing, as it’s called, not only destroys large numbers of fish directly—but indirectly as well by killing coral and the rich array of marine animals that depend on it.

Experts believe that in Tanzania, blast fishing is occurring at unprecedented rates, in part because a boom in mining and construction has made it easier for people to get their hands on dynamite. Bottle bombs made with kerosene and fertilizer are also used. “It’s pretty obvious it’s on the rise again,” says Tim Davenport, country director for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a New York-based organization, Tanzania program.

One of the greatest creepy stories on REDDIT I have read in a while

READ IT HERE..

It’s the story of a song called ‘See you after, Babe,’ by a band called Symmetry Icon, from the year 2008.

Remember that song? 

Some words..


I just wanted to be a big name
For you.But I got caught up in this craziness
Without you.We made a deal with him,
He said he’d rise us upIn exchange for something small.

I am sure you recall that song now, right?

Actually you probably don’t. (If you did, there may be some issues).. The post appears in the /nosleep Reddit thread.. the post’s author Hartijay writes ominously:

I downloaded the file and listened to it immediately. I recognized the song the second I heard it. I have no idea whether or not Hoskins is telling the truth, so I put the clip up on YouTube and sent it to some friends to see if they recognize it. They all agree this was the song, including Matt.

I don’t know what to make of this. I mean, it is kind of catchy in an out-there kind of way, and I’ve listened to it a few times just because it is kind of enjoyable and reminds me of my days in college.

Does anyone else remember “See You After, Babe” from 2008???

I just…I need to hear the whole song again, and it sucks knowing I never will.

Perhaps the creepiest part of this entire story of See You After Babe: I sort of initially recalled the song. I kind of, well, questioned my sanity afterwards.. So I sent this to my wife, who is an amateur expert on music. She did not recall it but was really bothered by the whole thing, even wondering aloud if the whole post could be REAL after all. Then I sent it to other friends, all of whom felt the same way. Creeped out even though they knew, probably, it was not real..

I went on to peruse the commentary that the post was getting on Reddit, You Tube, and @sixpenceee.. It would appear a number of people aren’t getting the hoax of it all and believing it, even desperately searching for the ‘whole song’ somewhere online..

I think that is because, deep down, we all know there have been times we have been hit with time slips–those moments when your reality is shaken to the core and no one else realized how they slipped, too.. Times when what you thought was real turns out to be a dream. Or vice versa.. 

So this song, this ‘2008 one hit wonder,’ seems to nicely fit into that category. 

As one Reddit response went,



I Googled both the song and the group. Not sure if I am glad that the search turn up with irrelevant results. I half-expected there to be pictures of 3 guys on an album cover…


Because the story seems to real..
This is quite a legendary No Sleep Reddit story already. Guaranteed it will show up on a paranormal site near you.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptnOjtMn_G4?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=540&h=304]

Week three for STAR WARS.. and it’s still rocking and rolling the New Years box office in 2016..

Much may change soon–look at that 40% drop. It’s bound to happen.. big dollars cannot continue forever..

Or…
Can they.

Nonetheless, the movie top ten this week.. DADDY is home but nothing near strong enough to topple Kylo Ren’s return with the dark side..

LA TIMES lead Sunday: Will this year's Academy Awards see a repeat of #OscarsSoWhite backlash?

Glenn Whipp writes,

Their fear: The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite will be trending on social media again.

The academy found itself on the defensive last year when white actors earned all 20 of the nominations in the lead and supporting categories. The topic came to define the Academy Awards so much that host Neil Patrick Harris opened the ceremony by quipping: “Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest. Sorry, brightest.”

The good thing to remember, all: The Oscars are completely and utterly meaningless when it comes to what is actually a good film.

Why should we exist watching movies that are validated by people often under a cloud of movie suspicion.. 


LA TIMES lead Sunday: Will this year's Academy Awards see a repeat of #OscarsSoWhite backlash?

Belgium’s Doel nuclear reactor went offline on Saturday, after it was restarted just three days ago, the plant's spokesperson said. Meanwhile, Germany has stepped up criticism on operational safety of its neighbor’s aging nuclear facilities. Doel 1 nuclear reactor, located in northern Belgium, was taken offline automatically, RTL broadcaster quoted the communications manager Els De Clercq as saying. At this point there is no safety risk, AFP reported, citing power utility company Electrabel, which operates the plant.


Belgium’s Doel nuclear reactor went offline on Saturday, after it was restarted just three days ago, the plant's spokesperson said. Meanwhile, Germany has stepped up criticism on operational safety of its neighbor’s aging nuclear facilities. Doel 1 nuclear reactor, located in northern Belgium, was taken offline automatically, RTL broadcaster quoted the communications manager Els De Clercq as saying. At this point there is no safety risk, AFP reported, citing power utility company Electrabel, which operates the plant.

2016! THE RETURN OF BOOK STORES!

I wrote several predictions for 2016 and published then on here a few days ago.. Read them if you choose.

I have also been reading some other people’s predictions. One I found in the Wall Street JOURNAL is amazingly accurate, wish I would have said it myself.

Ann Patchett predicts the return of book stores.. She writes, 



This is going to be a fabulous year for books. In 2016, Elizabeth Strout has her best novel yet coming out, “My Name Is Lucy Barton,” and I can’t wait to sell the late Paul Kalanithi’s gorgeous “When Breath Becomes Air,” and just when you think Louise Erdrich can’t get any better, she goes and writes “LaRose.” Go to your local independent bookstore this year and buy a copy. You’ll be part of the trend.


Independent book stores are amazing. All book stores are amazing.

In my county, Schuylkill County Pennsylvania, there are virtually no more book stores left. We have to leave the county to get somewhere meaningful in the print world.  This has become a detriment since my nearly 5-year-old loves book stores.. 

Last month, we signed up at the library for the first time, at least for me, in 15 years. 

It’s all worth it.
And yes, progress is amazing. Tech is great. But there will never be anything which surpasses holding paper bound together in your hand and turning pages. .

2016.. the return of book stores. I like that one.

Large Group Of Armed Militia Members Take Over Federal Building

Cliven Bundy is also advising the local ranchers, Steven and Dwight Hammond, not to submit to federal authorities as required on Monday. Instead, Bundy is urging them to go to the Harney County jail and ask for “protective custody.”


Large Group Of Armed Militia Members Take Over Federal Building

A ‘real’ headline from ‘real’ media..



Blind mystic whose followers claim she predicted 9/11 attack, ISIS and 2004 tsunami has chilling vision for 2016

That chilling vision for this year, courtesy of the fine reporting at the MIRROR:



And now it has been revealed that, before her death at age 85 she predicted “a 2016 invasion by Muslim extremists” across Europe.


Oh… Baba Vanga died in 1996, by the way. 
She must have been REALLY good to still be quoted today…

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Psychologists warn constant email notifications are 'toxic source of stress' .. MORE: A culture has developed where people must feel they are constantly available for work, study reveals

Agreed..
Agreed.
Agreed


Psychologists warn constant email notifications are 'toxic source of stress' .. MORE:  A culture has developed where people must feel they are constantly available for work, study reveals
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRjeFZuzD8w?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]

The first song of 2016 on Coal Speaker.. 
Hope you follow me in 2016. I will be here as long as you will…
I’m on Twitter too..
And Instagram.
And YouTube.

Follow me wherever you find me.

A lot of corporations utilize auto-timed social media posts.

And this year, a lot of companies got it very very wrong, wishing people a happy new year the day before it happened.. 

Social media jobs suddenly open at big corporations!? Checking Indeed.com now

The Force Sleeps tonight?

My friend Anghus at Flickering Myth wrote up a good post on the latest STAR WARS..

While the dust is still not clearing (two sold out shows at my local movie house last night when my wife and I took my son to see the newest Alvin movie), it’s worth noting that some of the amazing reviews the movie was getting is dimming.. the glittering of gold has gotten old.. Stale.. Perhaps over.

Anghus douses it with some cold water–the fandom need this..

He writes, in part:



There were so many moments where I cringed. The scene where Han Solo first appears is so terribly staged. Woefully written with embarrassing levels of convenience wrapped up nicely in an unconvincing action sequence featuring monstrous Rathtars. None of it felt like Star Wars. And yet, it’s still Han Solo and Chewbacca back in action… extremely limited action. Or the moment you realize the movie is going to feature yet another variation on the Death Star. At that moment, my eyes rolled so hard I could see my brain—and it wasn’t happy. Another Death Star? Seriously?


Anghus penned a number of controversial posts on my website back in the early 2000s. He knows how to evoke emotions and be opinionated with purpose–making a good point almost always.

While I did not award STAR WARS the movie of the year on my site for 2015, it did rank up.

And now reading this Flickering Myth column I’m wondering if the movie is just rank.

That cringe worthy scene? The first time we see Hans Solo? I felt it too. I felt that ‘force’ of wincing at the screen.. 

Time will certainly tell if the movie rates with some of the early STAR WARS films. Needless to say, it already rates stunningly higher than the PHANTOM MENACE.

New company claims they'll be able to RESURRECT THE DEAD by the year 2045!! ENTREPRENEUR Josh Bocanegra says his new company Humai area aiming to bring the dead back to life

The new company are aiming to “extend and enhance life" by freezing human brains for extended periods of time using cryonics, a deep freezing technology using very low temperatures, and then putting them into artificial bodies.
But Josh claims the company’s ultimate goal is to preserve a human brain BEFORE a person dies.


New company claims they'll be able to RESURRECT THE DEAD by the year 2045!! ENTREPRENEUR Josh Bocanegra says his new company Humai area aiming to bring the dead back to life

Saudi Arabia executes 47, including prominent Shiite cleric

Saudi Arabia executes 47, including prominent Shiite cleric

Hope for Alzheimer's sufferers as first vaccine is tested on humans

Hope for Alzheimer's sufferers as first vaccine is tested on humans

The annuity value of Saturday night's Powerball jackpot is worth $334 million

Play it.. More than once. 
But accept the consequences of a win should you be chosen by fate.

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

A guy recording an internal tree fire in Defiance, OH.. And he fell twice in the mud.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Kim Jong Un is threatening a war in 2016

He really is.

One of these years he’ll do it.

In the mean time, sit back and enjoy some parody pictures of this very real image:

See them all here.

Trying something new

Chatzy has been around for some time now.. I created a room on there and will utilize it from time to time. I am going to call it something. Just haven’t thought of the name yet.. A place to go and sulk, perhaps exchange some goodness or positive commentary.. maybe lament a day. Perhaps give good tidings or paraphrase contempt for society.. You pick the purpose.

Nonetheless the room exists here: http://www.chatzy.com/64563083013868

I will, from time to time, be live in there.. Stop by, stop in.. leave a message.. If not it will be stagnant. And disappear. Like Geocities.

Let’s not make this a Geocities chat room, okay?

The room name for now: The Sorrowful Passion



‘It’s like managing a boyband!’ Cat owner spends five hours a day running a Facebook page for her 'Magnificent 7’ pets that have attracted over a million followers and two modelling contracts

Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia all get Minimum Wage increases today

Watchful eye on January 11-13 time frame.. This storm will make Christmas Day’s 70 degrees be a distant memory if it holds.. it would be pretty significant and pretty snowy in places that haven’t seen snow yet this winter..

AND there is still a chance all of this will just end up being plain old boring rain.  Either way, a storm is brewing.

By now you may have heard of this.. it’s gruesome. The image you are seeing shows blood pouring down an elevator shaft after an electrician was killed.. it was filmed by shocked vacation goers who thought they were suddenly in the movie THE SHINING..

More here..



Matt Davis called it a “real life scene (from) ‘The Shining’” when he and his family walked by an elevator with blood pouring from the top, WFTX reports. The elevator was also struggling to open and close with cruise officials trying to steer people away from the scene.


According to Davis, he was told by a waiter that an electrician on the ship got hurt with a Carnival cruise supervisor telling him that the man passed away. “A crew member or somebody was inside or behind that wall when the elevator came down, and I don’t know what happened, but something terrifying happened,” Davis said.

Police said the man was Jose Sandoval Opazo, 66, who was an electrician aboard the ship. WFTX reports Carnival has not commented on the incident, but offered to pay for three counseling sessions for the Opazo family

A vacation from hell indeed.. and a horribly tragic way for the cruise ship worker to meet a demise.. A horrid story all around..

NATALIE COLE DEAD AT 65..
The year begins with an RIP..

MORE..

Pretty sure this is a yearly tradition now for British press.. this, in photography, is how the drunkest of the drunkest heralded in New Years 2016 across the pond. Learn from the images presented. And for the UK TELEGRAPH, get as many hits as you can since Drudge and others have now linked you up.

Pretty sure what we are seeing here is not just alcophol.. but other …things.. too. May God bless humanity.

Asylum-seekers in Sweden demand relocation in fear of ghosts



Several dozen refugees sheltered in a remote village in Sweden have asked authorities to relocate them, complaining the building allocated for their shelter is haunted by strange noises and flickering lights.

Swedish Migration Agency officials reported Wednesday that 35 out of 58 asylum-seekers accommodated in small village of Grannaforsa in the depths of Smaland province demanded relocation, according to AP.

The migrants complained Tuesday of suspicious sounds in facility’s plumbing system and malfunctioning electric lights.

“Doors are getting reopened by themselves,” Hamid Alojaili, a Syrian resident of the Grannaforsa facility, told local newspaper Smalandsposten. “And there is no one outside.”

The paranormal was in the news in 2015.. why not start it like that in ‘16..



Stefan Johansson, a co-owner of the facility, believes there ought to be natural explanations to the ‘ghost’ phenomena, blaming faulty wiring and slight deformations of the building’s structure caused by sudden temperature changes that eventually caused strange squeaking sounds.


But there are cultural and religious reasons that those logical explanation may not be of use in this situation..

Cultures are clashing..
Ghosts are thrashing..
Welcome to 2016..
The season of mean.


Asylum-seekers in Sweden demand relocation in fear of ghosts

Obama to impose new gun control curbs next week

This coming:

President Obama will meet with Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on Monday to finalize a set of executive actions on guns that he will unveil next week, according to several individuals briefed on the matter.

White House officials declined to comment on Obama’s plans beyond releasing his weekly radio address on Friday, a day earlier than usual. But according to those familiar with the proposal, who asked for anonymity because it was not yet public, the president will expand new background-check requirements for buyers who purchase weapons from high-volume gun dealers.


Obama to impose new gun control curbs next week

Portals schmortals

Happy 2016..
And for your initial conspiracy viewing of the year, this website which says a portal opened over CERN.

https://freedomfightertimes.com/videocast/new-years-alert-major-cern-update-they-opened-the-sky-in-december/#

THE GREAT SHAKING STATE OF OKLAHOMA

And it’s not stopping. The quakes in the state have been making news lately, especially within the last few days. 
And now just this morning, New Years day, another shake has hit the state. This one a 4.2..

According the U.S. Geological Survey’s website, the quake happened at 5:39 a.m. in an area 3 miles northeast of Edmond and 16 miles north-northeast of Oklahoma City.

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage.

There used to be a few dozen quakes in the state prior to 2012. After fracking took hold, there have been 800 in 2015. 800..
800..

And surely more in 2016 to go.

Not that fracking would EVER do such things…. (Remember, at one time when those against fracking said earthquakes would be a danger, they were called kooks and loons.) Who’s kooky now.

2016. THE BLANK SLATE.

[gallery]

2016 JUST HAPPENED.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOqn6DgJcF8?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]

The annual anthem of a dying year..



Groove Armada, Richie Havens Hands Of Time Live




Play us out..the new song begins in an hour. New Year’s Eve ending, sliding into another year..


HOLD ON TO 16 AS LONG AS YOU CAN



I want to sit down less in 2016.I sat down a lot this year.. Whether it was due to work, due to personal habits changing, or to my body aging, I found myself on a couch a lot more than I did walking, jogging, or being active. I want to change that.


I also want to change my attitude.

There are a number of things about attitudes, in general, that should be changed. There are times when, in my opinion, it’s worthwhile to see a specialist in all fields. Medicine. Astrology. Religion. Psychology.. and yes, even the voice in your own head—pick your favorite if you have multiple. Sit down with that inner self, get to know it.

That’s enough about me for a minute. Let’s talk about you.

How many times have you looked in a mirror and really truly not seen the person you are looking at. You’re checking your hair, or makeup. You’re making sure your concealer effectively hid away the pimple or scar.. but are you really ever getting to know the person you stare at? And what is that reflection? It’s not even you.. it’s the mirror image, yes, but it’s just an image. The real you is locked behind your eyes of whatever color. The eyes are the window to the soul—the mirror is a reflection of the body.

Get deep in yourself as the year ends and reflect the soul out. Make the body image be less important.

Use your phone less in 2016. Not saying you should stop, but give yourself a phone free day. Actually take a walk in nature and look at trees instead of photographing them.



My wife normally is the photographer of the family. This Christmas, she did not take video or images of my son opening his giant ImagineX T-Rex dinosaur with shooting missile teeth. While we may miss the image in the future, we were still both ‘in the moment.’ The image may stay with us forever—that hopeful and amazed glimmer on a child’s face when he realized Santa did show up and the cookies were eaten. I am not saying to stop taking pictures in 2016, just maybe not 100. Ten may due just fine.


Back to me.

I believe 2016 may be just fine.

I am going to say no to fear next year.



I also run a website called Night Terror News—a bit of tongue in cheek name for a site that comments on society, pop culture, entertainment, and current events. The Night Terrors are normally not real, though. There is an image I have posted before, shown here, of a monster reading news to someone frightened, locked behind a window I envision is taped shut with duct tape. That is the modern way of delivering information. Check your nightly news shows. Between the ads for prescription drugs during breaks, there is a healthy dose of fear and pestilence, disease, and murder. And politics. Who can forget politics..?


Maybe I need to pick just ONE WEBSITE for 2016..?

But the fear isn’t real. The events may be, but the reaction you and I have to it is our collective choice.

In 2016, let’s choose wisely. Let’s make it extraordinary.

And yes, every once and a while, let’s slowly drink a glass of red wine, increase the raw vegetables, and cut down on meat if not rid yourself of the carcinogens completely. You’d be calmer, happier, less fearful, and stronger in 2017 if you did such.

And speaking of 2017, that will be here before you know it, too.

So take a breather and look back in the mirror. 2015 is going…going…soon gone.

Hold on to ’16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon and make us women and men.

This is about the time of January 11.. It looks like a big storm on the East Coast with lots of rocking and rolling.

Cold air may be needed to make it snow.. But either way something big will be happening.

A message to 2016 from the soon to be previous year. Weather is wild.. times are changing. And there was a hurricane in the Arctic–the same storm that caused Christmas tornadoes made the North Pole rise above 35 for a few hours..That was 2015.

I bet 2016 is the same.

THIS IS A LINK TO THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR THE NEW YEARS 2016 TWILIGHT ZONE MARATHON ON SYFY

My favorites:

Dec 30th, 11:30 PM: Judgment Night

The one where a man finds himself on a ship in 1942 and doesn’t know how he got there.

Dec 31st, 5:30 AM: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

Jan 1st, 10:00 AM: The Midnight Sun


THIS IS A LINK TO THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR THE NEW YEARS 2016 TWILIGHT ZONE MARATHON ON SYFY

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ‘16

THE BILE ON THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR

My son got sick this morning, right before his final day of day care for the year..

As I write this, he’s watching Netflix on the couch and relaxing. I am home from work and blogging in between worried looks each time he makes a move, just in case I have to rush back to couchside to ensure the garbage can is secure while his body’s natural state does its deed to rid itself of whatever virus is running its course.

It somehow seems fitting. Ending the year with a few projectile dispatches.

Think about it..
New years is about cleaning out the mind, body, and soul. While a four and a half year old may not get the ramifications and meaning of calendar changes or balls dropping in Times Square, it’s almost like his little body decided to take part in a ritualistic cleanse..

Yes, maybe I am being over dramatic.
But my over-drama has improved since my son was born.
I fondly–sarcasm there–recall the very first time my son had a flu. He was about 2, and the vomit started occurring around 3am. And a lot of it.. in the midst of the cleaning, it almost immediately began happening to me. It was gruesome, actually. A mixture of awfulness. My wife got sick, too.. but not to the extent of dad and son.  The air was so bad we wanted to just move out.

Each time he got sick since, I was calmer each time.
That calmness may not last forever, but the years of training my mind to accept sickness as a part of life, and a part of the body’s actual defense mechanism to heal, has culminated with amazing senses.
Like this….
This morning when my son sat up, he looked funny. I was sitting next to him and saw something in his expression.. I knew. I said, “You okay?” A nod ‘yes’ occurred.. I didn’t believe it. I immediately held up the garbage can and, like an amazing 1990s Michael Jordan basketball shot, he projected refuse into the can. 3 points!
Live action dad hero.
Maybe the one time only in life that will happen.. but moms and dads get to be keenly aware of what each expression on their child’s face means.
I knew this morning what the worried look meant. “It” was coming..

My wife and I have dinner plans tonight with friends for new years eve. That may be called off now due to unforeseen bodily circumstances.  The first mission of the day is to effectively utilize Febreeze and Lysol where it needs it most. Already, every door handle was disinfected. Waiting on the current room until the dust settles..
The Twilight Zone marathon is on, too.
Not sure if my son will give a break from Netflix, or fall asleep for a bit, in time for me to tune in to a few amazing Twilight Zones on SYFY, but that’s life.
Life happens when you least expect it.

When you have dinner plans..
When the calendar changes..

So in the spirit of my son at this moment: Cleanse yourself of the trials, tribulations, and pains of 2015.  Sixteen is a brand new chance to get something right that has been going wrong for some time.  Only YOU know what is wrong. Or your body. And if it’s internal, get ready with a garbage can and some Gatorade.

May your travels be safe and your new years eve be the last day you to worry about the things you worried about in 2015.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

2015 TURNS INTO 16: The predictions from last year reviewed and new ones made.

2016: The year of the anti-tech movement


There is anti-GMO. Anti chemicals..
And in 2016, the next phase of the tech future will be the anti-techs, those who embrace a 1980s MAC and love fax machines… those who disobey the powers that be and want a washing machine WITHOUT WI-FI ..

They keep a little paper over top of their laptop camera just in case big brother or an advertiser is watching..

Deep down they make sense to you.
And in 2016, you may just join in the chorus of rebellion against gadgets..

The year you’ll dread all forms of media.


Politics is on the way.
Donald Trump is coming.
Hillary’s arrow is going to be dancing on your night time TV ads..
All forms of media are going be hit hard with political advertising.. there is no stopping it. Pop culture will be transformed into a nightmare of debate and endless punditry. It’s coming.

The predictions from last year. Now to be judged.

I wrote the following ‘predictions’ in my 2014 review.. 



The campaign for the White House 2016 will become very annoying. Straw polls, debates.. early PR disasters. Jeb Bush . Hillary Clinton .. we will be dreading 2015. A dark horse will emerge and, even more importantly, perhaps third party candidates will start becoming more acceptable to Americans. It better happen soon. 

Sort of right! Donald Trump was the 'dark horse’ who emerged.  Trump may not be the dark horse you wanted but he certainly has shaken things up.



President Obama will look very good by Christmas 2016. The economic turnaround will be slow to start by steamroll by spring, with GDP edging higher by the third quarter. Construction will rebound, at least in some sectors, and Americans will be hopeful again. 

Somewhat right. There still seem to be some issues. Interest rates.. weak jobs but more of them.. a shaky economy that may actually be in recession in 2016.



There are a few events that will make us fearful. They will come from other nations. They may be terror related, or perhaps just the wrap of daily headlines of murder and mayhem on other continents will make us tremble … 

This was general, perhaps. But there were things that made us fear. Name terrorism in Paris and then San Bernardino.



Ebola is not over. 

It never will be. I was too general. This can be considered insignificant. 



The weather will be calmer than predicted. But large storms will strike when least expected in places not used to them. Global warming has caused chaos.. we have become used to the chaos but areas not accustomed to it will be hurt. 

Not really. It was warmer than expected. But there were lots of weird storms and freak incidents. 



People will continue to stop going to theaters for movies. SONY’s release of the INTERVIEW will set a trend.. people will stream. It’s the future. 

STAR WARS, THE MARTIAN, JURASSIC WORLD all blew this prediction out of the water. I was dead wrong. And funny enough, this was the year I went to the movies the most in the last five. If I could go back and revise, I would and say “2015 will be the year people turn back to theaters”.. 



There will be a number of earthquakes in the Midwest. Some will be sizable, others barely that. But each one will make us wonder if the New Madrid fault line is waking up.. 

Oklahoma. 



The typhoon season in the Pacific will be dangerous in 2015. 

Some of the strongest storms ever. The strongest storm ever. This was a year for wild typhoon drama. 

THE PREDICTIONS FOR 2016

  1. Donald Trump will be the nominee for Republicans. He will choose Marco Rubio. Hillary will be for the Dems.. her choice as a running mate: Charlie Crist.

  2. Terrorism will be the top story by the end of 2016. As will the fear it generates.

  3. There will be a medical development with cancer that will give hope to millions who are afflicted.

  4. There will be a bigger emphasis on open-source artificial intelligence. It will be 'power to the people,’ with the dawn of the drones. Get ready. They are coming.

  5. GMO-free food will gain in popularity. But there will be increasingly and creative ways to mask GMO from consumers. It’s the year you’ll be deceived even more by fancy packages. Be smart and buy after research.

  6. There will be less tech addiction in 2016. People have had enough. Phone free Sundays may turn into phone free weeks. People may give up on Facebook, except for the emergency chats..

  7. Health–real health–will be en vogue in 2016. Not fad diets or fraud get thin quick schemes. But real long term health. This is the beginning of a new age of fitting in jeans and having a healthy heart.

  8. The Olympics will not be without incident. Massive rains–flooding rains actually–may hit just in time in Brazil.

  9. The economy that will matter in 2016: India. China will matter a lot less.

  10. It will be hot. All year.. some of the hottest weather on the planet earth in centuries is on the way.


Those are my predictions. Sealed in HTML for a year.
Maybe next year if we’re all still here we’ll see how I did.

 

The most ‘wrong’ video of the year.. has to be a girl farting the sounds of Chewbacca.. 

Just wrong.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

2016: The year of the anti-tech movement

There is anti-GMO. Anti chemicals.. 
And in 2016, the next phase of the tech future will be the anti-techs, those who embrace a 1980s MAC and love fax machines… those who disobey the powers that be and want a washing machine WITHOUT WI-FI .. 

They keep a little paper over top of their laptop camera just in case big brother or an advertiser is watching.. 

Deep down they make sense to you.
And in 2016, you may just join in the chorus of rebellion against gadgets..

MOST CONVINCING GENDER BENDING OF THE YEAR

This belongs to Justin Bieber.  The same Beebs who was nude this year online.. the same Beebs who did anything Beebs does. In 2015 he 

became a sensation online for his impression of Ozzy singing CRAZY TRAIN on the Lip Sync Battle..

And in my opinion, had a striking likeness to Monica Lewinsky..

BEST SHORT LIVED PARANORMAL RADIO OF THE YEAR

Again the prize goes to Art Bell for his show MIDNIGHT IN THE DESERT.

He also won this category in 2013 when he was on SIRIUS for 6 weeks. This year’s RADIO beat the record set in 13 but not by much. He quickly quit almost as fast as he started..
Will a return occur in ‘16? Maybe. But there may also be less of a desire for fans to listen with each quitting..

HORROR MOVIE OF THE YEAR

It almost was KRAMPUS. KRAMPUS was fun.. but the movie of this year is a dual pick. Because this is the first year I watched last year’s movie BABADOOK, I am going to have to choose that along with IT FOLLOWS..

Both movies gave a burst of creativity.. both movies had strange and sinister background stories.. both movies relied on a storyline more than a blood soaked script. And both movies gave hope to horror fans that new inspiration may be coming to a genre that is desperately in need of it.

Of course Rob Zombie is coming out with 31 soon.
So any progress made in horror could crash with that.
For now, though, both movies are great. See them. Even in 2016.

Monday, December 28, 2015

DUMBEST POP CULTURE OF THE YEAR

You know you took part in it.. you know you debated it. What color was this dress? Around February of 2015, it was the hottest argument in the world of pop culture.. The image was posted online, and people were seeing a blue dress. Others white. It was dividing marriages, ruining friendships, causing hostile and vitriolic rage on the internet. Pop culture at its finest, weirdest, and strangest. 

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