Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
MOVE YOUR MONEY
Our last post regarding the year in review made light of the poor financial situation affecting this country.
In reality, the situation we're in is worse than you can imagine. Unemployment statistics reveal that as of November 2009, 15.4 million people are unemployed, a number that was 7.5 million in December 2007*.
The "Housing Bubble" is a stupid euphemism that means entire families are now living under bridges, in tent cities, in decrepit conditions and with other members of their families in crowded over-filled houses.
Who's to blame? Ordinary people are a minor cause. There were millions of people who bought houses without the means to support the mortgage payments. The MAJOR cause? "Predatory Lending" from major financial institutions that don't give a fuck.
From Huffington Post:
"The big banks on Wall Street, propped up by taxpayer money and government guarantees, have had a record year, making record profits while returning to the highly leveraged activities that brought our economy to the brink of disaster. In a slap in the face to taxpayers, they have also cut back on the money they are lending, even though the need to get credit flowing again was one of the main points used in selling the public the bank bailout. But since April, the Big Four banks -- JP Morgan/Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo -- all of which took billions in taxpayer money, have cut lending to businesses by $100 billion."
Have you had enough of this Wall Street Bullshit? Then help support Main Street!
Join a Grassroots Movement that can impact you and help free America from the callous, jaded and wholly unacceptable behaviour of these big banks.
In reality, the situation we're in is worse than you can imagine. Unemployment statistics reveal that as of November 2009, 15.4 million people are unemployed, a number that was 7.5 million in December 2007*.
The "Housing Bubble" is a stupid euphemism that means entire families are now living under bridges, in tent cities, in decrepit conditions and with other members of their families in crowded over-filled houses.
Who's to blame? Ordinary people are a minor cause. There were millions of people who bought houses without the means to support the mortgage payments. The MAJOR cause? "Predatory Lending" from major financial institutions that don't give a fuck.
From Huffington Post:
"The big banks on Wall Street, propped up by taxpayer money and government guarantees, have had a record year, making record profits while returning to the highly leveraged activities that brought our economy to the brink of disaster. In a slap in the face to taxpayers, they have also cut back on the money they are lending, even though the need to get credit flowing again was one of the main points used in selling the public the bank bailout. But since April, the Big Four banks -- JP Morgan/Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo -- all of which took billions in taxpayer money, have cut lending to businesses by $100 billion."
Have you had enough of this Wall Street Bullshit? Then help support Main Street!
Join a Grassroots Movement that can impact you and help free America from the callous, jaded and wholly unacceptable behaviour of these big banks.
The theory is that if ordinary people started to move their money into local community banks and credit unions, then the big banks wouldn't be able to spend millions of dollars to lobby the government against US. It's an idea so simple, that it just might work. Of course, we aren't economists but we are optimists and believe that one good turn deserves another.
WAKE UP SHEEPLE and JOIN THE REVOLUTION!
A MUST SEE!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
2009 Year in Review
2009 was quite a year and one we are happy to have end.
The economic situation dominated everything and changed America's spending habits. Staycation became a household word - pun intended. Money, or lack of it, has driven some people to suicide and despair while others are taking advantage. After all, mansions are half price now.
We lost more celebrities than any other year in history. Although somehow, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears managed to stay alive. Go figure!
Celebrity scandals were almost low key except for the J&K+8 explosion. Jon and Kate Gosselin dominated the gossip rags ALL year. We can't even wait for J. Goss to kill himself. Go for it Jon! And take your whores with you! Speaking of whores....
Tiger "Check out my One Wood! Have you seen my Love Club"? Woods. We actually have to hand it to this guy. How the hell did he have time to 1) have a successful busy career, 2) marry and have 2 kids and 3) have sex with 675 whores a year? Beware of Tiger's Not-so-Hidden Dragon!
For some reason, celebrity divorces seem to be the big end of the year story. We couldn't care less.
Reality shows continued to dominate in 2009. Every profession has one: repo men, pawn shop owners, salon owners, saloon owners, bakers, paranormal investigators, wedding dress proprietors - not to mention ice road truckers and Bering Sea crabbers. We would like to see one on Administrative Assistants That Kill.
Pawn Stars is one of our favorite shows of all time. It's like the Antiques Roadshow on steroids. Love. It.
Survivor, Top Chef and Amazing Race had their BEST SEASONS EVER. Seriously, after 20 seasons Jeff Probst is just hitting his stride. We are looking forward to Survivor All Stars: Heroes vs. Villains. Anyone for more Johnny Fairplay? How about Colby? We're just guessin'.
Movies this year received scathing blows from critics leading most people to avoid them at all costs. Still, teens flocked to Transformers 2 and New Moon, and the end of the year Hollywood numbers are off the chart because of Avatar and Sherlock Holmes.
Wolverine was one of our favorite movies this year. Hugh Jackman is AWESOME as Wolverine. And Liev Strieber was in it - cannot go wrong there. Speaking of Liev, anyone see Defiance? Great movie about defiant Jews. And speaking of Defiant Jews - Run don't walk to rent Inglorious Basterds. Best. Jewish. Revenge. Fantasy. Ever. Although it's probably the ONLY Jewish revenge fantasy movie.
Star Trek was definitely worth it. Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy is inspired casting at its best. Go Karl! BTW, Karl had the Best Movie of 2007 - Pathfinder (with the ever awesome, fave actor Clancy Brown). Go rent it.
The Hangover is THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR. Hands down. This movie is spectacularly hilarious. Comedies are really never funny the whole way through. Hangover is hysterical. On every level. The whole way and do not miss the credits!
In politics...oh, the hell with it. Do you care?
Let's talk SuBo!! Susan Boyle is one our favorite people this year. Her story is incredible and lovely. It's a Cinderella fantasy come true! How could a middle-aged frumpy lady become an international sensation outselling Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Beyonce and Rihanna combined!? Her record "I Dreamed a Dream" has smashed the record charts on every continent in the world, becoming history in and of itself. We're happy for her!
Lady GaGa. What can we say? Anyone who can make a dress out of Kermit the Frog dolls and another one out of Hello Kitty dolls deserves 15 minutes of fame. Talk about letting your Freak Flag Fly...YGG!
Well, we can't wrap-up our 2009 end of the year post without mentioning.....2012! 2012 end-of-the-world-mania has taken off and gone mainstream. Everyone knows about it now. What will happen? Will the world end? Will we be obliterated through war, famine, disease, an asteroid, zombies? We'll save our opinion for another post, but are leaning towards zombies right now....
Other things to mention for 2009? Captain Sully, Michael Jackson, Somali Pirates, Barack Obama, Ted Kennedy, Swine Flu, Juan del Potro....There are 50 million more subjects that we could have touched on for 2009.
The economic situation dominated everything and changed America's spending habits. Staycation became a household word - pun intended. Money, or lack of it, has driven some people to suicide and despair while others are taking advantage. After all, mansions are half price now.
We lost more celebrities than any other year in history. Although somehow, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears managed to stay alive. Go figure!
Celebrity scandals were almost low key except for the J&K+8 explosion. Jon and Kate Gosselin dominated the gossip rags ALL year. We can't even wait for J. Goss to kill himself. Go for it Jon! And take your whores with you! Speaking of whores....
Tiger "Check out my One Wood! Have you seen my Love Club"? Woods. We actually have to hand it to this guy. How the hell did he have time to 1) have a successful busy career, 2) marry and have 2 kids and 3) have sex with 675 whores a year? Beware of Tiger's Not-so-Hidden Dragon!
For some reason, celebrity divorces seem to be the big end of the year story. We couldn't care less.
Reality shows continued to dominate in 2009. Every profession has one: repo men, pawn shop owners, salon owners, saloon owners, bakers, paranormal investigators, wedding dress proprietors - not to mention ice road truckers and Bering Sea crabbers. We would like to see one on Administrative Assistants That Kill.
Pawn Stars is one of our favorite shows of all time. It's like the Antiques Roadshow on steroids. Love. It.
Survivor, Top Chef and Amazing Race had their BEST SEASONS EVER. Seriously, after 20 seasons Jeff Probst is just hitting his stride. We are looking forward to Survivor All Stars: Heroes vs. Villains. Anyone for more Johnny Fairplay? How about Colby? We're just guessin'.
Movies this year received scathing blows from critics leading most people to avoid them at all costs. Still, teens flocked to Transformers 2 and New Moon, and the end of the year Hollywood numbers are off the chart because of Avatar and Sherlock Holmes.
Wolverine was one of our favorite movies this year. Hugh Jackman is AWESOME as Wolverine. And Liev Strieber was in it - cannot go wrong there. Speaking of Liev, anyone see Defiance? Great movie about defiant Jews. And speaking of Defiant Jews - Run don't walk to rent Inglorious Basterds. Best. Jewish. Revenge. Fantasy. Ever. Although it's probably the ONLY Jewish revenge fantasy movie.
Star Trek was definitely worth it. Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy is inspired casting at its best. Go Karl! BTW, Karl had the Best Movie of 2007 - Pathfinder (with the ever awesome, fave actor Clancy Brown). Go rent it.
The Hangover is THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR. Hands down. This movie is spectacularly hilarious. Comedies are really never funny the whole way through. Hangover is hysterical. On every level. The whole way and do not miss the credits!
In politics...oh, the hell with it. Do you care?
Let's talk SuBo!! Susan Boyle is one our favorite people this year. Her story is incredible and lovely. It's a Cinderella fantasy come true! How could a middle-aged frumpy lady become an international sensation outselling Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Beyonce and Rihanna combined!? Her record "I Dreamed a Dream" has smashed the record charts on every continent in the world, becoming history in and of itself. We're happy for her!
Lady GaGa. What can we say? Anyone who can make a dress out of Kermit the Frog dolls and another one out of Hello Kitty dolls deserves 15 minutes of fame. Talk about letting your Freak Flag Fly...YGG!
Well, we can't wrap-up our 2009 end of the year post without mentioning.....2012! 2012 end-of-the-world-mania has taken off and gone mainstream. Everyone knows about it now. What will happen? Will the world end? Will we be obliterated through war, famine, disease, an asteroid, zombies? We'll save our opinion for another post, but are leaning towards zombies right now....
Other things to mention for 2009? Captain Sully, Michael Jackson, Somali Pirates, Barack Obama, Ted Kennedy, Swine Flu, Juan del Potro....There are 50 million more subjects that we could have touched on for 2009.
What else happened in 2009? The Omni Report! We hope you've enjoyed our "little blog". Thanks for reading and supporting our sponsors. Have a GREAT New Year and come back soon. We have lots planned for 2010.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Conspiracy Theory of the Month - 12/09
SANTA CLAUS
Does he exist or not? How does he deliver presents to all children on Earth in one night? Do his reindeer really play games and have a leader with a red nose? Are his elves volunteers or actually child laboring slaves? Is Mrs. Claus complicit, an unwitting pawn or is she the secret mastermind of this whole affair?
All these questions and more will be answered by the end of this post!
First, what is his real name? Father Christmas? Saint Nicholas? Kris Kringle? Santa Claus? Gandalf? Is he in the witness protection program? Why so many names for one man?
Secondly, where does he live? In the mountains of Finland? The ambiguous "far north"? The North Pole? He must be in the witness protection program. His location is always changing!
Legends of the man known as Saint Nicholas date back to the 8th century while others take us up to the 13th century in Germany and to 17th century legends in Belgium and the Netherlands. All describe a man giving presents to children and the other variants of the story crop up through time as the legend grew - 8 reindeer, a sled, sliding through chimneys,etc....
Current intelligence places his location at the North Pole where he is residing, as he has the past century, under the guise "Santa Claus".
Radar confirmations through the U.S. government military agency NORAD, do seem to verify the existence and travels of "Santa Claus" on the 24th night of December every year. Radar indications of a large sled pulled by eight reindeer are also confirmed! So the legends, so far, seem true!
The reindeer games are speculative. The deer aren't talking to anyone. You know how loose lips sink ships. With this economy, even the disgruntled deer know not to make waves with "the big guy". Everybody wants to keep their job. We were able to confirm through a secret Elf source, that yes, Rudolph, the lead reindeer, does indeed have a bulbous red light as a nose "that is as cute as a button and more functional than Halogen lights in a hailstorm." Another Elf source was quoted as saying "They definitely play games." Well there you have it. Now do they let Rudolph play is the question.
Interviews with the Mrs. and the Elves are a little easier to come by. According to NPZ, the North Pole exclusive gossip rag, Mrs. Claus has gone on record, going so far as to say, "It's a shame that this controversy has to come up every year. Of course my husband exists, of course he delivers presents to all children on Earth in one night...His secret? Magic, of course! Anyone for some hot chocolate?" This leads us to believe that Mrs. Claus is an innocent yet complicit pawn that secretly masterminds the entire North Pole Operation of one such "Santa Claus".
The Elves? Well, they are befuddled as to how they could be confused with "slavery" and "forced labor camps". Hermie, the Head Elf and Chief Dentist of the North Pole Elves Association, recently tweeted that Elf Service contract negotiations with "Santa" are on going every summer and that this year, despite the economy, the Elves are promised a bonus and no more furlough days. Although salaries are frozen again this year, Hermie added, "Everything is frozen up here anyway." They couldn't be happier with the the way the contract talks turned out this year.
All these questions and more will be answered by the end of this post!
First, what is his real name? Father Christmas? Saint Nicholas? Kris Kringle? Santa Claus? Gandalf? Is he in the witness protection program? Why so many names for one man?
Secondly, where does he live? In the mountains of Finland? The ambiguous "far north"? The North Pole? He must be in the witness protection program. His location is always changing!
Legends of the man known as Saint Nicholas date back to the 8th century while others take us up to the 13th century in Germany and to 17th century legends in Belgium and the Netherlands. All describe a man giving presents to children and the other variants of the story crop up through time as the legend grew - 8 reindeer, a sled, sliding through chimneys,etc....
Current intelligence places his location at the North Pole where he is residing, as he has the past century, under the guise "Santa Claus".
Radar confirmations through the U.S. government military agency NORAD, do seem to verify the existence and travels of "Santa Claus" on the 24th night of December every year. Radar indications of a large sled pulled by eight reindeer are also confirmed! So the legends, so far, seem true!
The reindeer games are speculative. The deer aren't talking to anyone. You know how loose lips sink ships. With this economy, even the disgruntled deer know not to make waves with "the big guy". Everybody wants to keep their job. We were able to confirm through a secret Elf source, that yes, Rudolph, the lead reindeer, does indeed have a bulbous red light as a nose "that is as cute as a button and more functional than Halogen lights in a hailstorm." Another Elf source was quoted as saying "They definitely play games." Well there you have it. Now do they let Rudolph play is the question.
Interviews with the Mrs. and the Elves are a little easier to come by. According to NPZ, the North Pole exclusive gossip rag, Mrs. Claus has gone on record, going so far as to say, "It's a shame that this controversy has to come up every year. Of course my husband exists, of course he delivers presents to all children on Earth in one night...His secret? Magic, of course! Anyone for some hot chocolate?" This leads us to believe that Mrs. Claus is an innocent yet complicit pawn that secretly masterminds the entire North Pole Operation of one such "Santa Claus".
The Elves? Well, they are befuddled as to how they could be confused with "slavery" and "forced labor camps". Hermie, the Head Elf and Chief Dentist of the North Pole Elves Association, recently tweeted that Elf Service contract negotiations with "Santa" are on going every summer and that this year, despite the economy, the Elves are promised a bonus and no more furlough days. Although salaries are frozen again this year, Hermie added, "Everything is frozen up here anyway." They couldn't be happier with the the way the contract talks turned out this year.
As far as Santa's one-night delivery system, good and bad children's list and strange clothing style, we're told by "a source" that Santa has been on top of technology from the beginning and was "way ahead of Lotus notes" and "turbo charged fuel injected nitrous overdrives." One Elf close to Hermie's upper echelon camp bragged, "Twitter and Facebook have nothing on what we've got!"
We couldn't obtain a comment about the clothes so we went to The Fashion Master, Tim Gunn, and asked his opinion. All he could say was that Mrs. Claus must have had to "make it work".
Well, for some, Santa will always be a conspiracy. A made up commercial "Deity" for mass consumption and everything that is wrong with a materialistic society that has "lost its way".
For others he will always be real.
Why is it important to believe in Santa Claus?
Because Hope, Magic, Faith and Dreams are the things that bring out the best in us and what makes us better human beings. He represents Giving, Family and Selflessness. And that is a Good Thing.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Paranormal Article - December 2009
Special Double Article
Guardian Angels / The Third Man Factor
Guardian Angels / The Third Man Factor
Guardian Angels
Most of us are familiar with the concept of a Guardian Angel regardless of religious upbringing. It is an spiritual being or angel assigned by God to protect and/or guide a person.
The bible references them specifically in Matthew (18:10) inferring that children have Guardian Angels. Apparently, the belief was also common amongst the ancient Greeks. They wrote that "God sends a spirit to watch every individual."
The Catholic Church changes every so often on the subject, but as of 2009, the Guardian Angel Feast Day is October 2nd. Supposedly every person is assigned a Guardian Angel, although some Catholic saints believed whether or not you were given a Guardian Angel had to do with "how great the dignity of the soul."
Islamic angels, record your deeds from two angels that sit on each shoulder, but they do not influence or interfere, guide or protect.
Contrary to medieval belief, most modern guardian angels do not appear with humongous wings and a glowing halo. They appear to people as other common people. Some have been described as so normal and common as to be just another middle-aged gray haired kindly man. Or a just another good looking lady. What makes them stand out as a guardian is the manner and timing of their appearance. It's at a persons lowest point mentally or physically or at the moment of near death.
Sometimes the angel will appear to deliver a few words of comfort and vanish and other times the angel will appear to have stayed and interacted perhaps, but not really, as other people will not have seen the person that is described as helping. Other times, the angel has a direct physical interaction that saves a life from death in a survival situation. Or, sometimes just a voice is heard giving advice to move or not move or whatever it is that in the next few moments can save your life.
There are literally thousands of Guardian angel stories on the Internet. Too many to mention! Here are some slightly whacked out but excellent sites. Enjoy the stories there.
I Believe In Angels.com
Angel Realm.com
Angels-Online.com
Angel Focus.com
Beliefnet.com (Padre Pio's angel story)
The Third Man
* Frank Smythe turned to his companion, an offering of food in his hand, and was shocked to find no one there.
* James Sevingy was alone when he heard the voice telling him he had to live.
* Ernest Shackleton and his two companions, on their long march to survival, swore that they were a party of four, not three.
* Charles Lindbergh alone on his solo flight discussed navigational problems with something aboard his plane.
* Ron DiFrancesco was told to "get up" by a disembodied voice that kept him moving through fiery flames to safety.
All of the above men, and more, experienced what is called The Third Man Factor, during their intense near death fights for survival.
Frank Smythe was alone on Mt. Everest's Death Zone fighting to live when the sense of the comforting presence that kept him going was so strong he tried to feed it!
Sevingy had just suffered a severe fall in a mountain climbing accident. The voice spoke to him for hours, invisibly leading him to water and eventual rescue. Get this - after leading him through the mountains Sevingy encountered 2 people - a nurse and a mountain guide! Who better to rescue anyone hurt and stranded on a mountain?
The Shackleton expedition, a survival story of epic and legendary proportions, was literally on it's last ounce of energy, traversing by foot an entire antarctic island - desperate and starving. All three men literally thought a fourth man was walking with them. Shackleton wrote extensively of it afterwards.
Lindbergh was suffering from extreme cold and sleep deprivation. The beings in his cockpit kept him awake, on course and alive.
DiFrancesco was guided by a disembodied voice from the World Trade Tower seconds before collapse, making him one of only 4 people to escape from above the 81st floor.
This phenomena, The Third Man, isn't common but is recorded most amongst travelers and explorers under extreme duress and survival conditions. Those in dire peril have been inspired to live by this invisible yet strong and comforting presence. Sometimes it is just the feeling of an invisible presence other times it is a clear audible voice that gives critical information for surival.
There are literally thousands of Guardian angel stories on the Internet. Too many to mention! Here are some slightly whacked out but excellent sites. Enjoy the stories there.
I Believe In Angels.com
Angel Realm.com
Angels-Online.com
Angel Focus.com
Beliefnet.com (Padre Pio's angel story)
The Third Man
* Frank Smythe turned to his companion, an offering of food in his hand, and was shocked to find no one there.
* James Sevingy was alone when he heard the voice telling him he had to live.
* Ernest Shackleton and his two companions, on their long march to survival, swore that they were a party of four, not three.
* Charles Lindbergh alone on his solo flight discussed navigational problems with something aboard his plane.
* Ron DiFrancesco was told to "get up" by a disembodied voice that kept him moving through fiery flames to safety.
All of the above men, and more, experienced what is called The Third Man Factor, during their intense near death fights for survival.
Frank Smythe was alone on Mt. Everest's Death Zone fighting to live when the sense of the comforting presence that kept him going was so strong he tried to feed it!
Sevingy had just suffered a severe fall in a mountain climbing accident. The voice spoke to him for hours, invisibly leading him to water and eventual rescue. Get this - after leading him through the mountains Sevingy encountered 2 people - a nurse and a mountain guide! Who better to rescue anyone hurt and stranded on a mountain?
The Shackleton expedition, a survival story of epic and legendary proportions, was literally on it's last ounce of energy, traversing by foot an entire antarctic island - desperate and starving. All three men literally thought a fourth man was walking with them. Shackleton wrote extensively of it afterwards.
Lindbergh was suffering from extreme cold and sleep deprivation. The beings in his cockpit kept him awake, on course and alive.
DiFrancesco was guided by a disembodied voice from the World Trade Tower seconds before collapse, making him one of only 4 people to escape from above the 81st floor.
This phenomena, The Third Man, isn't common but is recorded most amongst travelers and explorers under extreme duress and survival conditions. Those in dire peril have been inspired to live by this invisible yet strong and comforting presence. Sometimes it is just the feeling of an invisible presence other times it is a clear audible voice that gives critical information for surival.
The name, The Third Man, comes from a poem by T.S. Elliot called "The Waste Land." Elliot, inspired by Shackleton's story penned the following:
"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or a woman
But who is that on the other side of you?"
The Third Man Factor by John Geiger at Amazon.com
Friday, December 18, 2009
Happy Birthday Steven Spielberg!
A Freilekhn Gebortstog!
Thank you for bringing us the following films that you either directed or produced. Some of these films were purely fun, some were eye-opening and a few were truly inspired works of genius.
Our Faves by year of release:
Jaws
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Blues Brothers
Used Cars - one of our faves of all time!
Raiders of the Lost Ark
E.T
Poltergeist
Gremlins
Back to the Future
The Goonies
Empire of the Sun
Harry and the Hendersons
Jurassic Park
Schindler's List
Amistaad
Men in Black
Saving Private Ryan
A.I.
Munich
War of the Worlds
We know we left off quite a few. Spielberg's career has been amazing.
Spielberg also won the Medal of Freedom this year for his work in the Shoah Foundation Project..
Our Faves by year of release:
Jaws
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Blues Brothers
Used Cars - one of our faves of all time!
Raiders of the Lost Ark
E.T
Poltergeist
Gremlins
Back to the Future
The Goonies
Empire of the Sun
Harry and the Hendersons
Jurassic Park
Schindler's List
Amistaad
Men in Black
Saving Private Ryan
A.I.
Munich
War of the Worlds
We know we left off quite a few. Spielberg's career has been amazing.
Spielberg also won the Medal of Freedom this year for his work in the Shoah Foundation Project..
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Writer of the Month - December 2009
Sir Arthur C. Clarke
One of the greatest writers in history was born today in 1917. Sir Arthur C. Clarke, British Grand Master of Science Fiction who entirely reinvented the genre and set a course unmatched even today.
More than just a writer, Clarke held degrees from King's College in London in Mathematics and Physics. This on top of a first class career in the Royal Air Force, serving from radar specialist to Flying Officer to Flight Lieutenant, where in each of these positions he had involvement in developing new technologies in the field of radar technology.
Later, his ideas on bouncing radio signals upwards and then back to Earth would lead to the development of and and credit for inventing the Geostationary Telecommunications Satellite! This is amazing stuff that you cannot make up!
His involvement in real life science lead to incredibly rich and through science fiction novels.
He is most well known for his grand epic 2001: A Space Odyssey series. It ponders the concept of what is driving everything and is a pretty in-depth commentary of the meaning of what it means to be alive and how far the machines of the future will think they are alive. The Stanley Kubrick movie version is well worth watching again. The dynamic between the astronaut Bowman and the intelligent ghost in the machine HAL is amazing. The line, "My God, it's full of stars!" is a classic.
His other most popular novel was Rendezvous with Rama, an amazing tale of a giant space ship that enters the solar system and is met by a group human explorers, "who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries." It is THE. BENCHMARK. OF. SCIENCE. FICTION. It is a classic that has won every major sci-fi award, including the Hugo and Nebula awards.
Our favorite Clarke work is the first we ever read of his. Childhood's End. This book blew our minds. It's an vivid take on aliens, politics, religion, the implications of human evolution cloaked/not-so-cloaked in a thorough social commentary...it's a rich tapestry that's a fast easy intelligent and worth-while read.
Clarke wrote for numerous magazines and was super-popular then and today. He may be remembered for a few TV shows that aired in the 1980's that centered on the mysterious and paranormal.
Arthur C. Clarke was awarded numerous honors during his lifetime including (from Wiki):
* The UNESCO-Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science in 1961.
* The Command Module of the Apollo 13 craft was named "Odyssey".
* 1969 Academy Award nomination with Stanley Kubrick in the category, Best Writing,
Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
* In 1985, The Arthur C. Clarke Award for the best science fiction novel published in the United Kingdom was established.
* Clarke was knighted in 2000
* In 1994, Clarke was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
* In 2000, he was named a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.
* The 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter is named in honour of Sir Arthur's works.
* In 2003, Sir Arthur was awarded the Telluride Tech Festival Award of Technology.
* In 2004, Sir Arthur was awarded the Heinlein Award for outstanding achievement in hard or science-oriented science fiction.
* In 2005 he lent his name to the inaugural Sir Arthur Clarke Awards
* On 14 November 2005 Sri Lanka awarded Arthur C. Clarke its highest civilian award, the Sri Lankabhimanya for his contributions to science and technology and his commitment to his adopted country.
* An asteroid was named in Clarke's honour
* A species of ceratopsian dinosaur is named for him: Serendipaceratops arthurcclarkei, discovered in Inverloch in Australia.
* The Learning Resource Centre at Richard Huish College, Taunton, which Clarke attended when it was Huish Grammar School, is named after him.
* Clarke was a distinguished vice-president of the H. G. Wells Society, being strongly influenced by H. G. Wells as a science-fiction writer.
We recommend his opus "Childhood's End" - Amazing!
* NOTE: Phillip K. Dick was also born this day. He is another award winning and fabulous writer whose epic, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" went on to be made as the sci-fi classic movie - Blade Runner. A few of his others books were adapted into the blockbuster movies Total Recall and Minority Report!
* The Learning Resource Centre at Richard Huish College, Taunton, which Clarke attended when it was Huish Grammar School, is named after him.
* Clarke was a distinguished vice-president of the H. G. Wells Society, being strongly influenced by H. G. Wells as a science-fiction writer.
We recommend his opus "Childhood's End" - Amazing!
* NOTE: Phillip K. Dick was also born this day. He is another award winning and fabulous writer whose epic, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" went on to be made as the sci-fi classic movie - Blade Runner. A few of his others books were adapted into the blockbuster movies Total Recall and Minority Report!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Chief Sitting Bull
"My feather is, and always will be, bigger than yours..."
From Wiki:
"Sitting Bull 1831 – December 15, 1890 was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man, who led his people as a war chief during years of resistance to United States government policies.
He is notable in American and Native American history for his role in the major victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn against Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment on June 25, 1876, where Sitting Bull's premonition of defeating the cavalry became reality. Seven months after the battle, Sitting Bull and his group left the United States for Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, where they remained until 1881.
Sitting Bull returned with most of his band to the US and surrendered, coming to live at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in the Dakotas.
After his return to the United States, he briefly toured as a performer in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. After working as a performer, Sitting Bull returned to the Standing Rock Agency in South Dakota.
Because of fears that he would use his influence to support the Ghost Dance movement, Indian Service agent James McLaughlin at Fort Yates ordered his arrest. During a struggle between Sitting Bull's followers and the agency police, his supporters fired at police. Standing Rock policemen Tatankapah and Marcelus Chankpidutah shot Sitting Bull in the side and head in return fire.
Sitting Bull became a Sioux holy man,during his early twenties. His responsibilities as a holy man included understanding the complex religious rituals and beliefs of the Sioux, and also learning about natural phenomena that were related to the Sioux beliefs. Sitting Bull had an "intense spirituality that pervaded his entire being in his adult years and that fueled a constant quest for an understanding of the universe and of the ways in which he personally could bring its infinite powers to the benefit of his people." Sitting Bull knew techniques of healing and carried medicinal herbs, so he was commonly called a medicine man.
Because of his status as a wichasha wakan, Sitting Bull was a member of the Buffalo Society, a dream society for those who dreamt of buffalo. He also was a member of the Heyókȟa, a society for those who dreamed of thunderbirds."
How cool is it that they had a society for those who dreamed of thunderbirds?
WOWAHWA TANKAL! (Peace Out)
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Last Great Pharaoh of Egypt
Zahi Hawass!
He's done it again! Facing mandatory retirement can mean mandatory retirement to most people but not the Last Great Pharaoh of Egypt. Dr. Hawass has defied convention again.
The President of Egypt has signed a decree to name Zahi Hawass the Vice Minister of Culture, therefore skirting the mandatory retirement rule, as Vice Ministers and Ministers cannot be forced to retire!
Are we surprised that Dr. Hawass could pull something like this off? NO! This man is the most amazing Egyptian in modern history. His official title is: Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt/Vice Minister of Culture of Egypt/General Headcase or something like that...
In regard to his Indiana Jonesian quest for stolen artifacts, just today, France returned another piece. This only serves to solidify his hold as the reigning Pharaoh.
It's only a matter of time before Zahi becomes President of Egypt and then the world will finally behold the power of Hawass!
This guy takes narcissism to entirely new level, like Mock 10.
See for yourself at http://www.drhawass.com/ and hey while you're there join the Fan Club!
He's done it again! Facing mandatory retirement can mean mandatory retirement to most people but not the Last Great Pharaoh of Egypt. Dr. Hawass has defied convention again.
The President of Egypt has signed a decree to name Zahi Hawass the Vice Minister of Culture, therefore skirting the mandatory retirement rule, as Vice Ministers and Ministers cannot be forced to retire!
Are we surprised that Dr. Hawass could pull something like this off? NO! This man is the most amazing Egyptian in modern history. His official title is: Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt/Vice Minister of Culture of Egypt/General Headcase or something like that...
In regard to his Indiana Jonesian quest for stolen artifacts, just today, France returned another piece. This only serves to solidify his hold as the reigning Pharaoh.
It's only a matter of time before Zahi becomes President of Egypt and then the world will finally behold the power of Hawass!
This guy takes narcissism to entirely new level, like Mock 10.
See for yourself at http://www.drhawass.com/ and hey while you're there join the Fan Club!
Sports Roundup - 12/14/2009
CYCLING:
We are jumping out of our seats! It's just been announced that IVAN BASSO will ride the Tour de France this year! It's been 4 years since the Italian was a contender in the big race. We can't wait!
Yaroslav Popovych has been chosen as one of the riders on Lance Armstrong's new team, Radioshack. Great news for young Popovych!
OLYMPICS:
Shaun "The Tomato" White won the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Colorado on Saturday. This is a critical first step towards defending his Olympic Gold in Vancouver.
Marcel Hirscher of Austria won the Alpine Skiing World Cup Sunday with a giant slalom victory high in the French Alps. Former Olympic Champ Bode Miller skipped the event because he sprained his ankle earlier in the week playing volleyball. What an idiot.
RUGBY CUP 2011:
Calling all Wellington Lovers - the venue is New Zealand!
So grab your All Blacks Jacket and get your tickets here: http://tickets.rugbyworldcup.com/info/ticketPrices.aspx
AMERICA'S CUP:
The 33rd America's Cup Match is in Valencia, Spain on February 8, 2010 between the Société Nautique Genève of Switzerland and the Golden Gate Yacht Club of the United States of America. These things always get nasty and weird so stay tuned.
NFL:
13-0! Kudos's to the New Orleans Saints - the Aint's no more - and the Indianapolis Colts. This is well on its way to being a historical season and potential Superbowl match up.
We are jumping out of our seats! It's just been announced that IVAN BASSO will ride the Tour de France this year! It's been 4 years since the Italian was a contender in the big race. We can't wait!
Yaroslav Popovych has been chosen as one of the riders on Lance Armstrong's new team, Radioshack. Great news for young Popovych!
OLYMPICS:
Shaun "The Tomato" White won the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Colorado on Saturday. This is a critical first step towards defending his Olympic Gold in Vancouver.
Marcel Hirscher of Austria won the Alpine Skiing World Cup Sunday with a giant slalom victory high in the French Alps. Former Olympic Champ Bode Miller skipped the event because he sprained his ankle earlier in the week playing volleyball. What an idiot.
RUGBY CUP 2011:
Calling all Wellington Lovers - the venue is New Zealand!
So grab your All Blacks Jacket and get your tickets here: http://tickets.rugbyworldcup.com/info/ticketPrices.aspx
AMERICA'S CUP:
The 33rd America's Cup Match is in Valencia, Spain on February 8, 2010 between the Société Nautique Genève of Switzerland and the Golden Gate Yacht Club of the United States of America. These things always get nasty and weird so stay tuned.
NFL:
13-0! Kudos's to the New Orleans Saints - the Aint's no more - and the Indianapolis Colts. This is well on its way to being a historical season and potential Superbowl match up.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Archeology Site of the Month - Dec. 2009
The Dome of the Rock This holiday season we look to the Holy Land and to what is considered the holiest city on Earth, Jerusalem and its Dome of the Rock.
What makes the city of Jerusalem sacred? It is a major player in the world's three largest and most popular religions. For the Jewish people, it is the biblical city of Zion, the city of David and the site of Solomon's great temple. For Christians, it is the city where a 12-year old Jesus blew the minds of the temple elders with his religious understanding and knowledge. More importantly for Christians, it is the site of last supper and where the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus took place. For the Muslim people, it is the place where the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven with the angel Gabriel.
Jerusalem houses over twelve hundred synagogues, over one hundred and fifty churches and over seventy mosques. In addition, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the al-Aqsa Mosque and The Western Wall are located here. Unquestionably, the 3 most well known places to worship on Earth.
We turn to the The Dome of the Rock erected high on the Temple Mount (also known as Mount Moriah), widely considered the oldest Islamic building in the world. The rock itself, over which the dome is built, is considered by Jews to be the site of the Holy of Holies. It is placed over the Foundation Stone that covers that Well of Souls. According to religious legend it is here that Yahweh fashioned Adam out of the very ground. And it was this spot, this rock, where Adam, Cain, Abel, and Noah offered sacrifices to their God. Additional Jewish sources claim this to be the place where Abraham wanted to and almost killed his only son for his Jewish God, Yahweh. And it is also known as the place where Jacob had a dream about a "ladder" from heaven with angels ascending and descending upon it. That's a lot of history, right there.
The Dome itself is magnificent. It is said to have been casted from 100,000 gold dinar coins, that were melted down to be used as the exterior. It's gleaming gold can be seen for miles. It's difficult to believe the dome was built between the years 685 and 691, when such architecture is rarely designed or built today with modern construction equipment.
The walls are constructed of porcelain in splendid, vivid Byzantine design. Thousands of lavish tiles comprising mosaics decorate the exterior walls and the inside as well, along with heavy marble inlays. The inside is splendid and the rock itself is right there, left as an unfinished floor of mountain, basically.
We turn to the The Dome of the Rock erected high on the Temple Mount (also known as Mount Moriah), widely considered the oldest Islamic building in the world. The rock itself, over which the dome is built, is considered by Jews to be the site of the Holy of Holies. It is placed over the Foundation Stone that covers that Well of Souls. According to religious legend it is here that Yahweh fashioned Adam out of the very ground. And it was this spot, this rock, where Adam, Cain, Abel, and Noah offered sacrifices to their God. Additional Jewish sources claim this to be the place where Abraham wanted to and almost killed his only son for his Jewish God, Yahweh. And it is also known as the place where Jacob had a dream about a "ladder" from heaven with angels ascending and descending upon it. That's a lot of history, right there.
The Dome itself is magnificent. It is said to have been casted from 100,000 gold dinar coins, that were melted down to be used as the exterior. It's gleaming gold can be seen for miles. It's difficult to believe the dome was built between the years 685 and 691, when such architecture is rarely designed or built today with modern construction equipment.
The walls are constructed of porcelain in splendid, vivid Byzantine design. Thousands of lavish tiles comprising mosaics decorate the exterior walls and the inside as well, along with heavy marble inlays. The inside is splendid and the rock itself is right there, left as an unfinished floor of mountain, basically.
Thousands of pilgrims and tourists come to Jerusalem and The Dome of the Rock every year. It is widely held that Israel, Jerusalem in particular, is one of the safest places to travel in the world. Hundreds of tour groups conduct tours here daily and during the religious holidays thousands of Catholics go to re-trace the footsteps of Jesus and walk the the stations of the Cross without incident or fear.
The Foundation Stone as seen from under the Dome
Detail of the lavish mosaic tiles comprising the outer walls
The entrance to the Well of Souls
Interior mosaic detail 
The Dome cupola
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Art Gallery - Diego Rivera (1886-1957)
The Outskirts of Paris, 1918 
Portrait of Natasha Gelman, 1943
Evening Twilight at Acapulco, 1956
House Over the Bridge, 1909
Portrait d'Adolfo Best Maugard, 1913Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Imagine
Imagine there's no HeavenIt's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
R.I.P.
John Lennon (10/9/40– 12/8/80)
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
Monday, December 7, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Person of the Month - December 2009
Fred Hampton
"You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution."
— Fred Hampton
40 years ago today, Black Panther Chairman and popular outspoken leader, Fred Hampton, was murdered by the Chicago Police Department, in a bloodbath, as he lay drugged and asleep in his apartment bed.
Fred was born and raised in Chicago and its suburbs. A natural leader he immediately became active as a youth organizer through the NAACP.
He coined the term "Rainbow Coalition" in 1969 in relation to his efforts in ending gang-related violence in Chicago and bringing together the youth there. Fred was instrumental in starting the free breakfast program which guaranteed inner-city kids at least one meal a day.
Fred became active with the Black Panthers as an adult. Far from being the stereotypical Panther radical thug, Fred Hampton brought his God-given oratory skills to the forefront and sought out non-violent change for black equality.
The FBI were alerted to Fred by the popular rallies he would hold in downtown Chicago. When Fred spoke thousands of people showed up to hear. He was super-intelligent, thought-out, dedicated and talented. And beyond that - he was a man who cared about changing the street paradigm - and he tried- very, very hard to do so.
The FBI COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) held Fred high on its "Agitator Index."
He was only 21 years old when he was shot multiple times by the very people supposed to protect and serve. Fred was assassinated like the other black leaders of the 1960's: Medgar Evers (1963), Malcolm X (1965), Rutledge Pearson (1967) and MLK, Jr. (1968), to name a few.
To quote Bernadine Dorhn of Weatherman infamy "They were locking us whites up...but they were killing the blacks."
— Fred Hampton
40 years ago today, Black Panther Chairman and popular outspoken leader, Fred Hampton, was murdered by the Chicago Police Department, in a bloodbath, as he lay drugged and asleep in his apartment bed.
Fred was born and raised in Chicago and its suburbs. A natural leader he immediately became active as a youth organizer through the NAACP.
He coined the term "Rainbow Coalition" in 1969 in relation to his efforts in ending gang-related violence in Chicago and bringing together the youth there. Fred was instrumental in starting the free breakfast program which guaranteed inner-city kids at least one meal a day.
Fred became active with the Black Panthers as an adult. Far from being the stereotypical Panther radical thug, Fred Hampton brought his God-given oratory skills to the forefront and sought out non-violent change for black equality.
The FBI were alerted to Fred by the popular rallies he would hold in downtown Chicago. When Fred spoke thousands of people showed up to hear. He was super-intelligent, thought-out, dedicated and talented. And beyond that - he was a man who cared about changing the street paradigm - and he tried- very, very hard to do so.
The FBI COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) held Fred high on its "Agitator Index."
He was only 21 years old when he was shot multiple times by the very people supposed to protect and serve. Fred was assassinated like the other black leaders of the 1960's: Medgar Evers (1963), Malcolm X (1965), Rutledge Pearson (1967) and MLK, Jr. (1968), to name a few.
To quote Bernadine Dorhn of Weatherman infamy "They were locking us whites up...but they were killing the blacks."
Over 5,000 people attended his funeral where he was eulogized by such notables as Jesse Jackson, who later stole Fred's Rainbow Coalition theme for himself, and Ralph Abernathy.
A federal suit was eventually settled to Fred's family for an undisclosed amount.
Chicago celebrated Fred Hampton day on 12/4/1992 as a way to heal and let feelings on both sides sort out, saying that "Fred Hampton, who was only 21 years old, made his mark in Chicago history not so much by his death as by the heroic efforts of his life and by his goals of empowering the most oppressed sector of Chicago's Black community, bringing people into political life through participation in their own freedom fighting organization."
A federal suit was eventually settled to Fred's family for an undisclosed amount.
Chicago celebrated Fred Hampton day on 12/4/1992 as a way to heal and let feelings on both sides sort out, saying that "Fred Hampton, who was only 21 years old, made his mark in Chicago history not so much by his death as by the heroic efforts of his life and by his goals of empowering the most oppressed sector of Chicago's Black community, bringing people into political life through participation in their own freedom fighting organization."
Wiki article on Fred
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Top Animal Videos 2009
Verified as the Cutest.Kitten.Ever.
How Ninja Cat got it's name
The unbelievable creativity of animals and why we MUST save them
When we saw this thing, we immediately wanted one
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Causes
This time of year our thoughts are on our nation's firemen, who risk their lives every day to rescue people from fires. Winter is the most common time for fires and the time of year when your local firemen need your help the most.
Help People
Help People
Help Children
Help the children affected and displaced by fire:
Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation
Help Animals
The Dalmatian, known as the classic fire fighter dog, desperately need your help!
Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue
Help the Planet
Always remember "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires."
Happy 65th Birthday Smokey!
Smokey Bear.com