Humboldt Sentinel

The ‘Why We Love Russia’ Compilation

(A VIRAL HUMOR VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

We’ve seen our share of strange things going down in Humboldt– but we’ve got nothing on the peeps from
Russia.

Those folks can REALLY think outside of the box.

They sure do improvise at a moment’s notice when the going gets tough and the tough get going– 
…some way, sideways, or every which way and loose.

They’re natural professionals.  Must be the Stoli.

NSA Whistleblower Breaks Silence in Rare Chat Session

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel 

The whistleblower behind the biggest intelligence leak in NSA history is answering your questions about the NSA
surveillance revelations – and you can follow it live now.

It’s the interview the world’s media has been chasing for more than a week.  This morning Edward Snowden broke his silence and gave the Guardian News, its reporter, Glenn Greenwald, and readers an exclusive question and answer session.

The 29-year-old former NSA contractor and source of the Guardian’s NSA files coverage took questions today on why he revealed the NSA’s top-secret surveillance of US citizens, the international storm that has ensued, and the uncertain future he now faces.  Snowden, who has fled the US, told the Guardian he “does not expect to see home again”, but where he’ll end up has yet to be determined.

Snowden was online today at 9 am and the live chat was subject to his security concerns and access to a secure internet connection.  The Guardian reported “It is possible that he will appear and disappear intermittently, so if it takes him a while to get through the questions, please be patient.”

We have several excerpts below.  For the full session, please see the Guardian’s full article here.

Glenn Greenwald:  Let’s begin with these:

1)  Why did you choose Hong Kong to go to and then tell them about US hacking on their research facilities and universities?

2)  How many sets of the documents you disclosed did you make, and how many different people have them? If anything happens to you, do they still exist?

Snowden responded:

1)  First, the US Government, just as they did with other whistleblowers, immediately and predictably destroyed any possibility of a fair trial at home, openly declaring me guilty of treason and that the disclosure of secret, criminal, and even unconstitutional acts is an unforgivable crime.  That’s not justice, and it would be foolish to volunteer yourself to it if you can do more good outside of prison than in it.

Second, let’s be clear:  I did not reveal any US operations against legitimate military targets.  I pointed out where the NSA has hacked civilian infrastructure such as universities, hospitals, and private businesses because it is dangerous.  These nakedly, aggressively criminal acts are wrong no matter the target.

Not only that, when NSA makes a technical mistake during an exploitation operation, critical systems crash.  Congress hasn’t declared war on the countries – the majority of them are our allies – but without asking for public permission, NSA is running network operations against them that affect millions of innocent people.  And for what?  So we can have secret access to a computer in a country we’re not even fighting?  So we can potentially reveal a potential terrorist with the potential to kill fewer Americans than our own Police?

No, the public needs to know the kinds of things a government does in its name, or the “consent of the governed” is meaningless.

2)  All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me.  Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.

Regarding whether you have secretly given classified information to the Chinese government, some are saying you didn’t answer clearly – can you give a flat no? (Spencer Ackerman)

No.  I have had no contact with the Chinese government.  Just like with the Guardian and the Washington Post, I only work with journalists.

US officials say terrorists are already altering TTPs because of your leaks, and calling you traitor.  Respond? (Kimberly Dozier)

US officials say this every time there’s a public discussion that could limit their authority.

US officials also provide misleading or directly false assertions about the value of these programs, as they did just recently with the Zazi case, which court documents clearly show was not unveiled by PRISM.

Journalists should ask a specific question:  since these programs began operation shortly after September 11th, how many terrorist attacks were prevented SOLELY by information derived from this suspicionless surveillance that could not be gained via any other source?

Then ask how many individual communications were ingested to achieve that, and ask yourself if it was worth it.  Bathtub falls and police officers kill more Americans than terrorism, yet we’ve been asked to sacrifice our most sacred rights for fear of falling victim to it.

Further, it’s important to bear in mind I’m being called a traitor by men like former Vice President Dick Cheney.  This is a man who gave us the warrantless wiretapping scheme as a kind of atrocity warm-up on the way to deceitfully engineering a conflict that has killed over 4,400 and maimed nearly 32,000 Americans, as well as leaving over 100,000 Iraqis dead.

Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American, and the more panicked talk we hear from people like him, Feinstein, and King, the better off we all are.  If they had taught a class on how to be the kind of citizen Dick Cheney worries about, I would have finished high school.

Is encrypting my email any good at defeating the NSA survelielance?  Is my data protected by standard encryption? (Malthius 1)

Encryption works.  Properly implemented strong crypto systems are one of the few things that you can rely on.  Unfortunately, endpoint security is so terrifically weak that NSA can frequently find ways around it. 

My question: given the enormity of what you are facing now in terms of repercussions, can you describe the exact moment when you knew you absolutely were going to do this? (AhBrightWings)

I imagine everyone’s experience is different, but for me, there was no single moment.  It was seeing a continuing litany of lies from senior officials to Congress – and therefore the American people – and the realization that that Congress, specifically the Gang of Eight, wholly supported the lies that compelled me to act.

Seeing someone in the position of James Clapper – the Director of National Intelligence – baldly lying to the public without repercussion is the evidence of a subverted democracy. The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed.

What would you say to others who are in a position to leak classified information that could improve public understanding of the intelligence apparatus of the USA and its effect on civil liberties? (Ryan Lavaitas)

This country is worth dying for.

Tahiti, Hawaii, Polynesia, and Ocean Voyages Beyond

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Across Humboldt’s rugged Pacific ocean, 2,500 miles away
in a Southwesterly direction, lay Tahiti, Hawaii, Fiji, and the
greater Polynesian islands.

The Polynesians were intimately tied to the ocean.  No other culture embraced the open sea so fully with such skill and an intuitive adeptness for navigating it.

They sailed the sea at least 1,300 years before Christ– and hundreds of years before the Europeans– using voyaging canoes crafted from island materials and stone tools.  The ocean was naturally integrated into Polynesian culture;  the people came from small islands surrounded by vast and extreme ocean expanses.

For the continental Europeans, the ocean was looked upon as a menacing and terrifying world that only the bravest of explorers would venture out upon for any length of time.  To a Polynesian islander of Tahiti, however, the world was primarily aquatic.  It had always been that way for them.  The Pacific Ocean covered more area than land on their little piece of the planet. 

In island culture, the navigator and his double outrigger canoe were integral to the survival of the people.  As their islands became overpopulated, Polynesian navigators were sent out to sail uncharted seas to find thousands of undiscovered islands.  For weeks at a time with only a few earthly possessions taken aboard, they and their families would live on the small flotilla of boats made from wood and lashings of braided fiber in search of new homelands for the next generation.

It was a dangerous undertaking.  A mistake, an error in judgment, or any lapse of memory on the part of the navigator, no matter how small, could have deadly consequences on the open sea.  The navigator’s responsibility was great and exacting.  He held an enormous position of leadership, knowledge, and trust for which everyone in the clan depended upon for their mutual survival.

Thousands of miles were traversed by these ancient navigators without the aid of maps, sextants, or compasses.  They navigated their canoes by the stars, swells, natural life, and other signs coming from the ocean and sky.

Asleep during the daytime, the paths of the stars and the rhythms of the sea guided these navigators by night.  The color of the sky and sun, the angle of the light and shapes of clouds, the movement of the breeze and the direction from which the swells were coming, guided them by day.  The ocean swells and the presence of certain sea and land birds would tell them exactly where land lay ahead.  Several days away from an island still out of sight, they were able to determine the exact day of landfall.

Navigation was a precise science to the Polynesians, a learned art passed on verbally from one navigator to another for countless generations.  Only the best, brightest, bravest and wisest were chosen to be navigators:  taught over many years through lecture, songs, or with sticks and seashells laid out like a mental map on the sand by elders, they knew over 150 stars by name, as many islands and their chains, and the methods of vessel construction.  It was all burned into the navigator’s collective memory, having no written aids to assist them during their long voyages.  Stories are still told by the Polynesians today about the adventures and travels of these early explorers– whom they refer to as the Great, or Master, Navigators.

In 1768, as he sailed from Tahiti, Captain Cook was amazed to find the Polynesians could always point in the exact direction in which Tahiti and various islands lay, without the use of the ship’s charts.  Unlike later visitors to the South Pacific, Cook understood that these Polynesian Great Navigators could guide canoes across the Pacific over great distances without help.

These traditional navigation skills, along with the double canoe, eventually disappeared with the emergence of Western technology, which mariners over the world came to rely upon.

By the 1970s, these Great Navigators from Tahiti and Polynesia, now old men with the millennia of experience taken from generations of explorers before them, began passing away in record numbers.

Except for Nainoa Thompson, these navigators are mostly gone, their knowledge lost forever.  No longer do these ancient aquanauts– or even the newest generation of mariners– need to traverse the open seas discovering new lands for survival and home.

* * * * * *

We wonder:  traveling thousands of miles in exploration across the Pacific, did these great navigators ever reach the shores of present-day California?

Recently, linguist Kathryn A. Klar of University of California, Berkeley and archaeologist Terry L. Jones of California Polytechnic State University have proposed there were contacts between Polynesians and the Chumash and Gabrielino Indians of Southern California, between 500 and 700 AD.

Their primary evidence consists of the advanced sewn-plank canoe design, which is used throughout the Polynesian Islands, but is unknown in North America — except for those two tribes.  Moreover, the Chumash word for “sewn-plank canoe,” tomolo’o, may have been derived from kumulaa’au, the Polynesian word for the Redwood logs used in construction.

(This film is by courtesy of Devin Graham and best seen at a full-screen setting.  For the good folks of Molokai who spent hours patiently telling us the story of these great navigators at the Coconut Grove, thank you.)

A Time Capsule History

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Here’s a fascinating video made by Joe Bush, a 19-year old film student as part of a project for his video productions
class.

Joe gathered hundreds of images from all over the Internet and mashed them up to form a 2-minute dramatic video depicting the history of mankind.

Traveling through time highlighting Earth’s events in chronological order, it starts with the formation of the universe, the evolution of man, and to the mostly-American present day– followed by glimpses of our predicted future on a small and fragile planet.

We’ve come a long way in 650 million years.  Let’s hope we can last the next hundred.

* * * * * * *

This clip is suitable for the full-screen setting.  If you’re curious, the song is ‘Mind Heist’ by Zach Hemsey from the Inception soundtrack.

(Our appreciation to local media guy Jim Hight tipping us off)

Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

By Sylvia Rincon

A social media storm continues after several controversial tweets were made this week when 11-year old Sebastien De La Cruz sang the National Anthem at Game Three of the NBA Finals in a Mariachi outfit, causing the story to get national attention.

But, the young boy in the center of the social media storm says he isn’t paying it any attention to those mean tweets.

The Spurs fan and San Antonio native who first got national recognition on America’s Got Talent, said,

“I knew that one day when I sing people were going to judge me, and that’s why over that time I have grown…. I’ve learned you don’t really care about what people say about you; it’s about what you think about yourself.”

Only twice in Sebastien’s singing career has he sung the national anthem: first, at a Spurs versus Lakers game; then on Tuesday as backup for Darius Rucker at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio before their battle with the Miami Heat.

Fans at the game and hundreds more agreed Sebastien nailed the Star Spangled Banner.  He told Fox News San Antonio he hoped the song would give the Spurs luck.

Although the Spurs did win, racial tweets spoiled the spirit of the game.

One guy, Domenic DeGregorio, tweeted this about Sebastien: “9 out of 10 chance that kid singing the national anthem is illegal.”

Another one, Ben Koeck, said, “This kid is Mexican why is he singing the national anthem.”

And the tweets only got worse from there.

Now, at the center of a social media storm, Sebastien had this to say:

“I don’t really care about what y’all say and I am doing this right now…”

And wiping his shoulders with his hands in a simple brushing-off gesture, he added:  “It’s off my shoulders.”

* * * * * * * *

You can catch this young man’s spectacular full performance of the Star Spangled Banner here.

Sebastien, you are a true gentleman, a model for example, and a real class act in our book.

Going ‘Us Weekly’ on the Messenger

(VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

As John Oliver sees it, Edward Snowden blowing the lid off of the NSA surveillance state scandal presents the media with a specific problem: “Do they prioritize the legal and ethical implications of an unprecedented government surveillance program, or do they go ‘Us Weekly’ on the messenger?”

Two guesses as to which one they chose.  Snowden revealed a program of massive dragnet surveillance by the NSA of American’s Internet activities on every major platform available.

In true form, Fox News, CNBC, and CNN would rather shoot the messenger and not the monitor of treasonous spying.

On Yesterday’s “Daily Show” Oliver slammed the establishment media for demonizing Snowden: where he went to middle school, his girlfriend’s pole dancing, and taking issue with Joe Scarborough’s frat house name-calling.

Instead of focusing on the fact that warrantless wiretaps and web communication surveillance have secretly continued since 2001, the story has been quickly spun to center around the “treason” committed by Snowden, whom the mainstream media is pointing out again and again is a mere high school dropout– although that apparently didn’t stop the NSA from paying him $200,000 a year as an NSA contractor.

Yes, Scientific Study Says

(VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

No man is an island, and it turns out neither is his Johnson.

New research suggests that Mr. Happy’s size does matter (sorry, guys), and is a contributor to his manly allure.

A man’s overall attractiveness to a woman, researchers have found, depends in part on the trio and ratio of height, body shape, and well, size.  A study released in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) offers either the good or bad news depending where you stand:  Women are attracted to penises, and the bigger the better.

“Size does affect attractiveness,” lead author Brian Mautz, a University of Ottawa post-doctoral researcher said.

Past research has seemed to indicate that women, as a group, are drawn to larger male members.  But those results have been disputed as sexist, or scientifically flawed, or both.  And mind you, not all women are heterosexual, either. 

But Mautz and his team, working at the Australian National University, designed an experiment in hopes of settling the controversy– and these are the findings they came up with.

Of course, this is the 21st century and most men wear pants nowadays.  They don’t parade around naked like they did in the days of evolutionary yore.

So Mautz was quick to soothe men by also saying that his study did not include other proven mate choice factors; shallow things like money, intelligence, hair, or whether a guy drives a cherry red 2013 Mercedes convertible with a good sense of humor, compassion, and wicked bad boy tattoos.

Beauty, it seems, really is in the eye of the beholder.

And Big Gas Savings

(Humorous Viral Video)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

We can only imagine the executive boardroom’s gasp when their junior management guy pitched this
advertising idea.

Kmart surprised consumers everywhere recently with the “Ship My Pants” ad, a viral juvenile-humor hit viewed more than 18 million times on YouTube since being released in April.

The “Ship My Pants” edgy poop joke was such a hit– quickly becoming one of the most-shared ads ever– that it was inevitable that Kmart would follow up with another attempt at the silly wordplay tongue-in-cheek humor.

Now, the all-purpose discount retailer appears to have struck goofy gold yet again, with an online ad promoting Kmart’s “Big Gas Savings,” below.

Say either phrase quickly — “ship my pants,” or “big gas savings” — and you’ll get the bawdy joke.  Each of these phrases is repeated and tweaked over and over again in their respective spots in an attempt to, we guess, attract a more ’cool’ demographic.

Whatever the case, Kmart appears to have two back-to-back social media viral hits on its hands.

The main point of the ad is to make people laugh and think about Kmart more, we think.  It is odd when you consider, though, that Kmart doesn’t even sell gas at any of its stores.

* * * * * * *

We normally won’t shill for corporate commercials but this one was too odd, offbeat and too far out there and bizarre for us to pass up.

Our appreciation to Spunky Spetzler for passing it along to us.

Summer is Here

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

It’s a beautiful day in Humboldt today.  Tomorrow’s looking
pretty good, too.

Summer is here:  sunshine, water, family and friends, fun.

Go for it, grab it, and get yourself outside.  Before you know it Summer will have come and gone in what seems like the blink of an eye. 

Enjoy the longer days while you can.  They won’t last forever and your life is too short.

Have a good Summer, Humboldt.

(This high-def clip is best seen at the full-screen setting)

Local Public Broadcasting Station at Risk; KEET Could Close Without Support

By Valerie Eachus and Ron Schoenherr
KEET-TV

 In recent weeks you may have seen spots featuring the President and CEO of the Public Broadcasting System
speaking to viewers about the importance of their support
to their local public television station and to the long-term
future of PBS.

You may have wondered why such a message was necessary, and why now.  The reasons are perhaps not unexpected.  The recent recession and the loss of members and community funding throughout the country have caught up to public television and to our local PBS station, KEET-TV.

KEET-TV is one of the smallest PBS stations in the nation.

Like most PBS stations it is funded in part by Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  CPB is allocated funding by Congress and distributes these funds to both PBS stations and public radio stations.  In order to receive any CPB funding, all public television stations are required to raise $800,000 each year from their viewers and communities.

No matter the size, it is this funding that is identified as Non-Federal Financial Support (NFFS).  That money comes from memberships, pledge nights, auctions, corporate underwriting of programs, major donations, board fundraising and special events, non-federal grants, gifts of stock, grants from foundations, non-federal grants, our Ready To Learn Vehicle Donation Program and bequests.

Our station has not been able to raise the $800,000 and CPB is requiring that KEET-TV explore either a merger with another California station, enter into some form of a collaboration or partnership with another station or come up with a viable plan to ensure that the $800,000 of NFFS can be raised each year, if it is to receive funding in the fall.

It is clear that KEET-TV is at risk of no longer being able to receive CPB funding in the future and that would mean an end to KEET-TV as you see it today.

We feel that merging with another station should be the last option.  KEET would lose control of our national and local programming.  

In a merger KEET would lose the ability to produce local programming like North Coast Perspectives, the award winning documentary Searchlight Serenade, HomeWork Hotline, the Humboldt County League of Women Voters’ candidate forums, our Ready To Learn early childhood project, Exploring Humboldt and other local productions.

Over the past few years KEET-TV has raised an average of $570,000 -$600,000 in NFFS funds annually from the people and communities we serve.  We can only reach that $800,000 annual NFFS level through an increase in our community support.

We can reach that goal through increasing our membership numbers from our current level of 2400 to 4400, increase our underwriting support from the business community, and seek out more non-federal grants.  

Many people watch one of KEET’s channels but don’t join as a member.  Public television is not free and most households could afford at least a basic membership to do their share.

We will need to demonstrate by June 30 an increase in our community support or a merger with another station will be the result.

How can you help?  If you are not a member of KEET-TV, join
today.  If you are a business owner consider being an underwriter
or join KEET with a business membership.  Consider KEET in your
estate planning or donate a few shares of stock.

If you want KEET to remain a locally operated community station and if you enjoy and appreciate the programming and services KEET-TV provides your community, we need your support.

If you are not a member, join today by calling the station at 445-0813 or sign up online at www.keet.org.

* * * * * * *

Valerie Eachus is board president and Ron Schoenherr is executive director of KEET-TV.

Please pass this onto others you know.  We support public access, alternative news, and local programming for our rural area.  Please pitch in and support our local television station bringing us many of the programs we enjoy.  We do.

It will be a dark day for media and information on the Northcoast should KEET close its doors and send its employees home with pink slips.  Any contribution, no matter how small, by way of membership, donation, underwriting, bequests, or through their Spring auction happening tonight and tomorrow, helps.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Launching Humans 50 Feet High

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Remember:  for every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction. 

And what goes up must come down.

Devin Graham visited Bullfrog Marina at Utah’s Lake Powell filming this video with the the help of friends jumping from the top of a houseboat onto The Blob, sending some adventurous soul high into the air and then back down again with an amusing splat.

Below is the behind-the scenes-take of how it all went down.  It wasn’t easy, there were accidents, and fat guy Matt is choice in both his comments and shameless plugs.

Flying From Trampolines

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

They not only can acrobatically dunk in freestyle form, but fly doing it.

These athletes from the Hungarian Acrobatic Sports Team have been travelling the world for years entertaining crowds with their visually stunning dunk-off trampoline exhibitions choreographed to music.

The Faceteam entertainers are probably closer to circus acrobats than actual basketball dunkers, but every basketball fan can appreciate the skill, precision, and what these guys can do flying through the air to the hoop.

Shot in in Budapest over the course of two days, the filming was done by Devin Graham and Lindsey Stirling.  The song is Higher by Peter Hollens, and friends Scott and Brendo.  This high-def clip is best seen at the full-screen setting.

Lost World, Lost Paradise

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Its beauty is spectacular.

Kauai, the oldest island of the Hawaiian Island chain, was born of rock and fire long, long ago.  It’s a special place having a natural beauty and unique geographical features unlike any other place on earth.

The 553-square mile island has a stunning array of rainforests, beaches, deserts, swamps, and mountains, many of which are remote and untouched, bathed in the tropical rain and sunshine.

Among its diverse landscape are sea caves, waterfalls, steep canyons, river valleys, and endangered species of plants and exotic birds, some of which are found nowhere else but on this precious isle.

God shined when he made Kauai– a heaven on earth, a scintillating pearl among pearls.

Aloha on.

(This video is best viewed at the full-screen setting)

 Believe It or Not

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

The Center for Public and Media Affairs at George Mason University is a nonpartisan research and educational organization which conducts scientific
studies of the news and entertainment media.

This is their piece released yesterday, May 28, 2013:

A leading media fact-checking organization rates Republicans as less trustworthy than Democrats, according to a new study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) at George Mason University.

The study finds that PolitiFact.com has rated Republican claims as false three times as often as Democratic claims during President Obama’s second term.  Republicans continue to get worse marks in recent weeks, despite controversies over Obama administration statements on Benghazi, the IRS and the AP.

According to CMPA President Dr Robert Lichter, “While Republicans see a credibility gap in the Obama administration, PolitiFact rates Republicans as the less credible party.”

The study examined 100 statements involving factual claims by Democrats (46 claims) and Republicans (54 claims), which were fact-checked by PolitiFact.com during the four month period from the start of President Obama’s second term on January 20 through May 22, 2013.

Major Findings:

PolitiFact rated 32% of Republican claims as ‘false’ or ‘pants on fire,’ compared to 11% of Democratic claims, a 3 to 1 margin.  Conversely, Politifact rated 22% of Democratic claims as ‘entirely true’ compared to 11% of Republican claims, a 2 to 1 margin.

A majority of Democratic statements (54%) were rated as mostly or entirely true, compared to only 18% of Republican statements.  Conversely, a majority of Republican statements (52%) were rated as mostly or entirely false, compared to only 24% of Democratic statements.

Despite controversies over Obama administration statements regarding Benghazi, the IRS and the Associated Press, Republicans have continued to fare worse than Democrats, with 60% of their claims rated as false so far this month (May 1 –May 22), compared to 29% of Democratic statements by a 2 to 1 margin.

This study’s findings are similar to those of a previous CMPA study, which found that PolitiFact gave more negative ratings to the Romney campaign than the Obama campaign during the 2012 presidential election campaign.

Examples of PolitiFact Ratings:

Pants on Fire:  Michele Bachmann decries ‘huge national database’ run by IRS with “personal, intimate” details (May 15, 2013).

True:  Obama says bipartisan background check plan ‘outlawed any (gun) registry’ (April 17, 2013).

* * * * * * * *

Be this as it may, the Democrats aren’t exactly up there with 22% of their claims registering as ‘entirely true’ according to this CMPA/Politifact study.  With one of the lowest approval ratings in history, both aisles of Congress– Democrat and Republican alike– haven’t fared so well in the public’s view.

We wonder how this study might have turned out if it had weighed in with the Independents, Greens, and Libertarians for overall truthiness.

The Center for Media and Public Affairs is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization which is affiliated with George Mason University.  It has monitored news coverage of every presidential election and every new administration since 1988.

For CMPA findings on the Obama administration see: cmpa.com

To note, Politifact.com is an adjunct of the Tampa Bay Times and recipent of the Pulitzer Prize in reporting.

(Hat tip to Mitch)

Thick as a Brick Snips

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Sacramento Port Woes

West Sacramento will turn its port over to a private operator
in July as a last resort to save the 50-year-old facility, which
has been bleeding money for years.

The city plans to lease the port for five years to its current manager, SSA Pacific of Seattle.

The Port of West Sacramento has lost $6 million over the last five years alone, and narrowly dodged bankruptcy before the city of West Sacramento took over operations.

Long-term, however, the port’s future remains uncertain.  Its annual debt service stands at more than $2.7 million and despite the investment of millions of government dollars in new infrastructure, its cargo base has shrunk to almost just one product:  rice.

We hope someone tells the City of Eureka– before they pile more money into the proposed Humboldt port and rail fantasy bunny hole.  Uh, ‘study’.  We bad.

Read more in The Sacramento Bee:  “West Sac Getting Out of the Port Business”

Protest Monsanto and Get Stalked by Blackwater

Remember the private mercenary army Blackwater that caused such a stir in Iraq during an unprovoked attack in 2007?

Kai Extradited to New Jersey for Murder Rap

A man who gained Internet fame as “Kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker” will be returning to New Jersey to face a murder charge in the death of a lawyer.

Caleb “Kai” McGillivary waived extradition Monday in a brief hearing in Philadelphia.

24-year-old Kai is charged with killing 73-year-old Joseph Galfy Jr. after the pair met in New York City.  Authorities say Galfy was found beaten to death in his bedroom in Clark, N.J.  He was arrested this month after being spotted in a Philadelphia Starbucks.

He had gained fame in February after intervening in an attack on a California utility worker and giving an interview describing how he used a hatchet to fend off the attacker.

Read more at NBC:  “Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker to Be Extradited on Murder Charges”

Marijuana Edibles and Easier Availability Leading to More Child Emergency Room Visits

Thanks to more relaxed laws for medical marijuana users, and with the first states legalizing recreational pot, kids are more likely to ingest marijuana in dangerously high doses.

Doctors at the Children’s Hospital in Colorado noticed children were coming into the emergency room after accidentally ingesting marijuana.

The researchers say homemade brownies speckled with pot don’t pose much of a significant threat to kids, but commercial products formulated for medical use — as well as loose-leaf marijuana grown for medicinal purposes — do, especially since they contain concentrated amounts of THC.

“They’re sold as edible products and soft drinks that kids will eat or drink because they don’t know it’s any different,” says Dr. George Wang, the study’s lead author and a medical toxicology fellow at the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center.  “If they’re going to eat a whole cookie with 300 mg of THC, they will get much more symptomatic and sick and have to be admitted to the hospital.”

“We’re in this new age of allowing marijuana and we are seeing things we haven’t seen before,” says Wang, also a clinical instructor in the department of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  “We need to educate families to keep it out of the reach of kids.  Treat it like a drug because it is a drug.”

Read more in Time:  “More Kids Accidentally Ingesting Marijuana Following New Drug Policies”

More Money Laundering on a Massive Scale Like You’ve Never Seen Before

The founder of an online currency transfer business was indicted in the United States along with six other people in an enormous $6 billion money-laundering scheme described as “staggering” in its scope, authorities said today.

Arthur Budovsky, the founder of Liberty Reserve, a Costa Rica-based website long favored by cybercrime scammers, was arrested in Spain on Friday.

“The scope of the defendants’ unlawful conduct is staggering,” said an indictment unsealed in federal court in Manhattan.  Federal prosecutors are expected to detail the charges at a news conference set for this afternoon.

We wonder if they’ll get a large fine, a mere slap on the wrist by the Department of Justice like HSBC did in its little money launderingcaper recently.  Money makes the world go round and greed has no bounds.

Read more in The New York Times:  “NY Indictment Filed in $6B Money-Laundering Case”

Centuries-Old Frozen Plants Revived

Plants that were frozen during the “Little Ice Age” centuries ago have been observed sprouting new growth, scientists say.

Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions.  Researchers say this back-from-the-dead trick has implications for how ecosystems recover from the planet’s cyclic long periods of ice coverage.

“When we looked at them in detail and brought them to the lab, I could see some of the stems actually had new growth of green lateral branches, and that said to me that these guys are regenerating in the field, and that blew my mind,” said Catherine La Farge, lead author of the study.

“If you think of ice sheets covering the landscape, we’ve always thought that plants have to come in from around the margins of an ice system, never considering land plants as coming out from underneath a glacier,” La Farge said.

Read more in the BBC News:  “Centuries-Old Frozen Plants Revived”

Letters of the Week:  Humboldt County’s Lack of Transparency a Costly Shame

I read with interest your coverage of the recent lawsuit with Humboldt County having to do with county violations of the California Public Records Act.

It seems to me that someone in the County Counsel’s office should be held accountable for these violations.  Their misdeeds cost taxpayers $100,000.  And I’ll bet a ton of staff time as well.

I hope some kind of action results from losing this lawsuit.

Dottie,
Eureka

I was shocked to read the story about the lack of disclosure of public documents (”HumCPR, County Reach $100K settlement,” Times-Standard, May 9).

It is appalling that our county had to be sued to provide public documents that show how our taxes are being spent.  Doesn’t the county understand that it’s our money and we have the right to know what they are doing with it?

Thank you, HumCPR, for not backing down and forcing County Counsel to follow the law.

Michael,
Freshwater

You’re Hired!
(PHOTO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

When you’re looking for a new job, it’s important to minimize those job application mistakes because it may
cost you the position.

This Taco Bell job application is complete and total perfection.

We believe they got the job.

(Thanks to the NonConformist, who got it from the Huffington Post, who got it from BuzzFeed, who got it from Reddit)

Remember Me
(HD VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

“Computers themselves, and software yet to be developed, will revolutionize the way we learn.
It’s not a faith in technology.  It’s faith in people.”

~Steve Jobs

Every day, everything we see, hear, touch and feel is stored in real time in our brains.

You are the crown of creation.

Think of it:  from the union of only two cells were you created.  When your body was complete, you were born.  Your cells slowed their remarkable replication after your heart, lungs, eyes, skin, organs and other functions were fully formed.  After only nine months, you were ready for life in a hostile environment, a brave new world.

From that original union of two cells you also came able to possess one of the most marvelous instruments ever created:  your brain.  It’s computing ability has no equal nor does anything even remotely compare to what it can do.  It is a pinnacle of achievement.

Almost god-like living on a remarkably benevolent planet, we have done great things that no other species could accomplish and accomplished things no person ever dreamed possible.

But out of all these great accomplishments and feats man has done, we have still yet to overcome the lack of communication and understanding with others across the globe.  Conflicts and wars, global inequity, political and ideological differences still persist.

This is changing— and rapidly so in a world of instant communication, technology, and even social media.  In the future these final barriers could, perhaps, be brought down.

Our shared memories and emotions help define who we are.  It is safe to say that these are the last private and intimate pieces of ourselves that haven’t been uploaded to social media for others to see.  At least for now.

A shared future, a social revolution, and a new dawn is around the corner for all of us– You and I.

Now get back to mowing the lawn.

(Filmed in high-def, we suggest seeing the above video at a full-screen setting)

14-Year Old ’Tina’ Tears It Up in Guitar Solo

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Who is this girl?

She plays a wicked stick and slays a hard number.

Her name is known only as Tina S.  She’s 14-years young and she rocks.

Five years ago, the guitar prodigy made a minor splash with her remarkably dexterous performance
of Ferdinando Carulli’s Andante at the tender age of nine. 

She has since traded in her classical guitar for a custom Vigier Excalibur model, and ditched Carulli in favor of Van Halen.  Taught by teacher Renaud Louis-Servais who shot and posted the above video, Tina makes playing a cover of Eddie Van Halen’s Eruption appear convincingly effortless while looking bored and seemingly unimpressed.

The Internet darling is also tearing it up on YouTube:  3 million hits in four short days.

That’s all we know.  That’s all anyone knows.  Well, What…ever.

You go, girl.  Everyone else keep practicing.

Miles Brothers Rare Film Footage Provides Glimpse of the City Days Before Earthquake

(ENHANCED VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

The film you are seeing here is a very rare bird indeed.

A Trip Down Market Street was recorded by placing a movie camera on the front of a cable car as it proceeds down San Francisco’s Market Street in 1906.

A virtual time capsule from over 100 years ago, it shows many details of daily life in a major American city, including the fashions, transportation and architecture of a bygone era.  It was as stellar and novel for its time as Star Wars and Avatar is today.

The film begins at the location of the Miles Brothers film studio between 8th and 9th Streets, and continues eastward to the cable car turntable at The Embarcadero in front of the San Francisco Ferry Building.

Originally thought to have been made in 1905, historian David Kiehn, who examined contemporary newspapers, weather reports and car license plates recorded in the film, reported that Trip Down Market Street was actually filmed on April 14– just four days before the devastating April 18, 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed Market Street and the entire downtown area—and thus preserving a moment in the history of San Francisco that would soon cease to exist.

Produced by the four Miles brothers– Harry, Herbert, Earle and Joe– the 13-minute “actuality” film was made as part of the popular Hale’s Tours of the World film series.  Older brother Harry cranked the Bell & Howell
camera during the filming.

The Miles brothers had been producing films in New York and established a studio at 1139 Market Street in San Francisco in early 1906.

Harry and Joe Miles left the city with their film footage on April 17, but heard of the tragedy enroute by train to New York.  They turned back with their equipment but sent the Market Street footage onto New York.  Their San Francisco studio was destroyed, burning to the ground as the city lay in ruins.  The film Trip Down Market Street narrowly survives today because it was sent away only a day before the tragedy.

The company set up a temporary office in Earle’s home at 790 Turk Street and during the next few weeks shot film of the ruins, refugees, and the begin-
nings of reconstruction.

The Miles vowed to rebuild their studio, but never did.  San Francisco’s early role in the film industry faded from memory with the loss of the Miles’ business.  They continued to operate, but the business industry changed.

In 1908, Thomas Edison formed the Motion Picture Patents Company with other large film producers.  Edison’s Patents Company tried to force independent producers and filmmakers out of business so it could control both the production and distribution of films on all levels.

They succeeded at first, and the Miles Brothers New York office was forced to close.

Herbert Miles became a fierce opponent of the Patents Company, partnering with the founders of soon-to-be Universal and Fox Films to establish independent production companies and distributors.  Joe Miles eventually founded a film storage company.  Earle Miles ran the San Francisco office as an industrial film producer and non-theatrical distributor.

Harry Miles however, the oldest brother who did the filming here, did not live to carry on the fight.  Suffering from insomnia and a series of epileptic fits that forced him to withdraw from the business, he killed himself in January of
1908 by jumping from the seventh floor of his
apartment building.

In 2010, Trip Down Market Street was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

* * * * * * *

Note:  Although it seems there are many automobiles in the film, the number of them is deceiving.  That’s because the same cars frequently circle around and pass by the cable car on more than one occasion.  California began registering automobiles in 1905, and license plates are visible on several of them.  The car with plate 5057 was registered in February 1906 by the Reliance Auto Company.

This version of Trip Down Market Street has been enhanced to full high-definition and can be seen at a full-screen resolution for better detail.

It has been motion-stabilized, noise-filtered, and sharpened.  We’ve seen the 1906 original—pioneering motion photography for its day– which is scratchy and bumpy, discolored and light-faded by comparison.

(For Ray Hillman, a San Francisco and Humboldt historian who has always taken the time as a gentleman and engaging teacher to patiently answer our many questions about everything under the sun, inspiring us to know and learn more about our place in history)

And In Your Head
(VIRAL VIDEO and LINKS)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Our fascination with strange, weird and scary creatures has kept monsters alive in our psyche for thousands of
years, leaving us hanging on the edge of our seats just to
see what they might do next.

Dwelling around in dark places and corners, monsters are found under your bed, in your closet, and outside the safety of your home and family, just like Stephen King and your big brother always told you.

More often than not, though– and fortunately for you– these creatures with the creepy human or animal appearances are usually imaginary.  They are typically found living only in your head.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Well, most of the time.

Real or imagined, they share the same terrible motive.  Creeping, lurking, and waiting to scare the holy bejeezus out of you at every chance they get, guaranteed.

The word monster is derived from the Latin word “monstrum”, which means ‘omen’.  Monsters of legendary lore– vampires, werewolves, chupacabras– are often described as morally evil, sadistic, uncaring, and larger than life.  They can be a mere freak of nature, a display of God’s anger, an omen of the future, or a symbol of moral virtue or vice.

Horrible things with an evil mind, moral defects, and physical deformities, monsters inspire horror and disgust on a deeply intrinsic level within ourselves and in our minds.

Wherever they reside, they’re scary.  Just run like hell.  You should be OK.  Most of the time.

If you want to know more about the strange things seen above, here’s some links for enlightened reading:

Encantado
http://www.helium.com/items/1688824-t…
http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2012/0…

Kraken
http://www.unmuseum.org/kraken.htm
http://lozanox.deviantart.com/art/Kra…

Chupacabra
http://randomactsofartwork.tumblr.com…
http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/…

Mongolian Death Worm
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/24/mon…
http://crimzonlogic.deviantart.com/ar…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrvpsb…

Vinegaroon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o16jYG…

Bootlace Worm
http://www.aphotomarine.com/worm_line…

Electric Eel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP-kWY…

Werewolf
http://aznkyuubi.deviantart.com/art/W…
http://alam25.tripod.com
http://www.livescience.com/24412-were…

Loup Garou
http://www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com…

Bigfoot
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/21/b…
http://www.bigfootencounters.com/

All Of The Giant Ape Monsters
http://www.crystalinks.com/bigfoot.html
http://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.co…
http://www.livescience.com/8766-bigfo…

Mothman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78qG8e…
http://www.monsterparade.com/portfoli…
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/…
http://mothmanfestival.com/

Wendigo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFMakW…
http://apparitionabolishers.com/expos…
http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/wend…

Vampires
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/96…
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the…
http://www.livescience.com/24374-vamp…
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ne…
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/…

Yara-ma-yha-who
http://fetus-man.deviantart.com/art/Y…
http://www.bogleech.com/yaramayhawho….
http://treebeerdstuff.com/2012/04/02/…

Yara-Ma-Yha-Who, by Blanca Martinez de Rituerto
http://vimeo.com/12554098
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Up7yX…

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Taking a Trip to Somewhere Different

Or, Taking a Trip Back Home

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Africa is one vast, beautiful, and spectacular place.

It’s the most interesting and diverse continent on the earth:  home to an incredible variety of people, animals, geographies and climates.

Africa covers six percent of the earth’s total surface, has a billion people, and speaks over 2,000 languages in its 54 countries.

It was also your house at one time.  Like, home.

Long before we were around, Africa was joined to the other continents in a massive continent called Pangaea.  Over millions of years this huge continent broke apart, shaping the landscape as we know it today.

The cradle of mankind, ancient ancestral hominids first appeared in Africa more than 3-4+ million years ago; anatomically modern human beings migrated in several waves from here more than 200,000 years ago.   The first great civilization, Egypt, arose from Africa’s humble origins.  All of humanity– all of us, you and I, we– likely descend from this very place.

It’s also home to the world’s largest and shyest primate (the gorilla), the largest land mammal (the African elephant), and the fastest and the tallest animals (the cheetah and giraffe)– among its 3,700 unique species.  It is where the largest reptile, the Nile crocodile, resides.

Straddling the equator, Africa is the only continent to extend from the northern temperate zone to the southern temperate zone, laying claim to being the hottest continent on the planet.

Africa has the longest river in the world, the Nile, meandering along for 4,132 miles.  The world’s largest desert, the Sahara, is almost the size of the United States.  Victoria Falls, Africa’s largest waterfall, is 355 feet high and one mile wide.

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on the continent, towers above 19,300 feet.  It’s so tall that glaciers can be found at its summit– even though the mountain is near the equator.

What a long strange trip it’s been:  Out of Africa and Into the Wild.  We’re fortunate to be here in this diverse world, a beautiful planet, living, breathing, and dancing for a brief evolutionary moment.

Let’s hope we don’t wear out our welcome.

Devin Graham’s high-def video is best seen at the full-screen setting.  You might also enjoy his ‘Children of Africa’ video, too, one of our favorites.

Giving us a special glimpse into an extraordinary place, he and his girl describes their mighty-white-of-you Mogambo experiences in Kenya, below, along with some stunning visuals and an absurd breakfast on the Maasai Mara savannah.

Waldo Mellon
Professional Guesser

Dear Waldo,

I was in the college library where I was supposed to meet this girl who never showed up and I’ll admit it, I was gassed out of my mind on this sick weed my roommate brought back from Humboldt, and I wandered up to the third
floor which I had never been to and there was this enormous
globe of the world.

I had heard about it but I never saw it due to my not liking of geography and my not coming to the library almost ever.  This fucker must be ten feet in diameter.  So I started spinning it because a sign says that’s OK to do if you want to for research purposes.  At first I zoned out on all the colors, but then I started to notice there goes China, there goes India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Atlantic ocean, New York, the Great Lakes, Pacific ocean and then it all started up all over again, China, India, around and around.

And then I had this amazing thought I admit I probably wouldn’t have had if I wasn’t so ripped out of my gourd.  What if I had this giant rake, OK?  And what if what this rake did is, it raked up just these two things: People, plus all the things that people have ever made.  And what if I’m standing in the library with my giant rake and I keep spinning the globe and running my rake over the entire ball except now it’s the real world and I’m raking up all the people and all the things that people have ever made into one gigantic pile.  I rake up the Empire State Building, every house on the planet, every truck, every couch, every shoe, books, the Great Wall of China, tools, pipes, wires, oil tankers, movie theaters, every screw, every brick, every road, airplanes, building materials, bulldozers, cranes, hottubs, garbage, bottles, let’s even say satellites. Everything, every single person and every single thing people ever made, into one gigantic pile.

Here’s my question: If I raked up all that stuff into the United States, what’s the smallest state you think I could fit that entire junkpile in?

I just got back from going into the bathroom and I’ll admit it, I sucked down some more Humboldt weed because I was getting all cheesed out on this globe thing and a whole nother unbelieveable idea came to me: What if a sorcerer came along and I traded my rake for a magic wand which I know is a cliché even wrecked, but what if I made the trade anyway and then poof, I got rid of the entire pile of people plus all the shit people have made.  Poof.  Pile gone.  Which leads to my question number two: Would the planet be better off or worse off?  I can not deal with my own question. That is one mind-fuck question.

Well, that’s it.  No, one more question.  Do you think smoking dope
is good or bad.  Because I’m guessing I’m going to wake up tomorrow
with a familiar feeling that goes What the fuck.

Thank-you,
Paul

Dear Paul,

Stoned out of your ever-loving mind or not, I think you’ve stumbled upon a fascinating proposition.  I’ll bet most people think of the world as theirs, as a platform made especially for them.  There’s animals and bugs and plants and that kind of thing, but most folks think this production is sponsored by us, humans, and that the planet is really our stage, and so quiet down Everything Else because we got a show to put on.

But this giant rake concept of yours makes it clear that people, for all their huffing and puffing, have had nothing to do with most of what goes on in our planet.  My guess is that the smallest state that could accommodate all of the things your rake rakes up would be, ohh, Massachusetts.  I live in Massachusetts and it seems to me, as I look around while driving, that there’s plenty of extra room here for a gigantic pile of every house, battle-ship, truck, cinder-block etc., particularly if you take care to pile things efficiently.

I could be laughably wrong.  I realize that there are minds capable of approaching your question with tools much more sophisticated and precise than my handy all-in-one Wild-Guess Mallet.  And so let’s choose a place on earth which we all can agree is sufficiently large to accommodate this pile you’re talking about Paul.  Texas?  Alaska?  Definitely one of those.  Let’s pick the bigger of the two: Alaska.

Rake rake rake rake rake rake rake.  Good.  Now there’s everything made by man ever, plus every person on earth, in a pile on Alaska.

Spin that globe Paul.  Well what do you know.  It’s clear we’re really not responsible for much, given all there is.  Just that little pile of shit every time Alaska comes around.

Anyway, in answer to your second question Paul, about would the world be better or worse without us.  If those are my only two choices, I say better off.  Please keep in mind that I could be laughably wrong.

In answer to your third question, here’s what I say about marijuana, chardonnay, Heath Bars, LSD, coffee, nutritious foods, nicotine, water, or anything else that eventually enters our bloodstream:  Holy shit!  How about this!  We’re nothing but test tubes filled with a balance of chemicals so delicate that we can change moods or even go kerflooey at the drop of a hat!

Thank-you for your letter Paul.  Happy Graduation!

Your Fan,
Waldo Mellon

* * * * * * * * * *

Waldo Mellon wishes he had more writing credits to boast about, but he doesn’t.

He did go to a fancy, expensive college, yet most of the things that got stuffed into his head there are now nowhere to be found.  In fact, he has a breath-taking lack of the kind of knowledge that comes from things he’s read and things he’s been told, as opposed to things he’s experienced.

A mysterious fellow, he likes his life very much and that’s the vat he draws from.

Ground Control to Major Tom

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Canadian astronaut and Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield just finished his five-month tour of duty aboard the International Space Stationship (ISS) this Monday.

During that time he sent out a flurry of songs, thousands of snapshots and tweets, and other social media beamed directly from outer space to Earth.

And this is what he also did:  a rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”  Since its posting this Sunday, it’s been viewed more than 14 million times.  Even Bowie has been retweeting it.

This music video took months in the making:  With Bowie’s approval, copyright permissions, and NASA signing off, the song’s lyrics were tweaked to reflect Hadfield’s return from the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz craft.  His son, Evan, worked diligently on the production, too.  From Earth.

“Lock your Soyuz hatch and put your helmet on,” Hadfield sings in the video.  After showing scenes of Hadfield strumming on his guitar and gazing soulfully out the station’s windows in zero gravity, the video winds up with a Soyuz parachuting down to its landing– which is exactly how Hadfield returned four days ago.

Why did he do it?  Commander Hadfield said he wanted to do a different kind of farewell video than others have done, and using social media as a platform.  It was an emotional send off.

“Who’d have thought that five months away from the
planet would make you feel closer to people?” he asked.

“Not closer because I miss them, just closer because seeing an experience this way, and being able to share it through all the media we use, has allowed me to get a direct reflection immediately back from so many people,” Hadfield said.

“It makes me feel like I’m actually with people more– that we’re having a conversation.  This experience isn’t individual; it’s shared and it’s worldwide,” he said.

Indeed.  You can see the International Space Station from Humboldt.

It’s easy if you know where and when to look for it.  The ISS is the third brightest object in the sky, after the sun and moon.  You can’t miss it because it looks like an incredibly bright, fast-moving star.

Just remember there are people up there, an international crew of seven living for months at a time in a station, which, with its solar arrays out, is about the size of a football field.

Built in pieces and weighing in at over 4,000 tons, it has more livable room than a conventional five-bedroom house, with two bathrooms, a gymnasium, and a 360-degree bay window.

It’s been up there for 12 years now and has traveled more than 1.5 billion miles, or the equivalent of eight round trips to the Sun.  It’s made 57,000 orbits around the Earth traveling at 17,500 miles per hour.  That’s five miles per second.

110 years following the Wright Brother’s first flight, 204 individuals have visited the Space Station via rockets and shuttles, taking a total of 164 space walks outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

What a long, strange trip it’s been, Major Tom.

(For the best picture definition, see the video at the full-screen setting)

Victim or Suspect of Sexual Assault?

(VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Kai, the ‘hatchet-wielding hitchhiker’ who became an Internet sensation earlier this year, has been arrested 
for the murder of a New Jersey man.

He was captured by Philadelphia police at the Greyhound Bus station in Philadelphia earlier today, Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow said.

“I believe that everyone is a little safer with this person off the streets,” the prosecutor said.

According to Glassboro Police Chief Alex Fanfarillo, he was taken into custody in Philadelphia shortly after his department was contacted about interviewing witnesses to Kai’s visit and discovering the drifter had stayed in the town of Glassboro, New Jersey.

Police were seeking the 24-year-old over the murder of attorney Joseph Galfy Jr, who was found dead in his Clark, NJ, home on Monday, May 13.  An autopsy showed that he died as the result of blunt force trauma.

Romankow said Kai met up with 73-year-old New Jersey lawyer in New York’s Times Square on Saturday night, left, and then returned to Galfy’s home.  Witnesses reported Kai was with Galfy over the course of two or more days.  Authorities suspect Galfy was involved in some sort of sexual encounter before being beaten to death.

After the alleged murder, Kai’s movements included two trips to meet a fan in Asbury Park, a trip to Philadelphia and another to Glassboro in southern New Jersey, before he took a train bound for Philadelphia, authorities said.

Kai, whose real name is Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, became an overnight hero after a man he was getting a hitchhiking ride with proclaimed that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and deliberately rammed his car into the back of a Pacific Gas and Electric worker.  After a woman tried to help the worker, the driver got out of the car and started squeezing the woman.

Kai– or McGillvary, if you prefer–  then intervened and smashed the man three times in the head with his hatchet.

Kai is a drifter and prefers to call himself “homefree” rather than homeless.  He achieved semi-celebrity status after giving a colorful and profanity-laced F-bomb interview to a local news crew describing his Good Samaritan act that went viral.  He also appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show and Stephen Colbert.

He was a frequent traveler to Humboldt County and  the Arcata Plaza, last visiting in March.

A Facebook post from Kai last week thanked his many fans who let him visit, stay the night or share a meal in recent months:

“Hey id like to express my gratitude to all the gnarly awesome people whove invited me in, partied hardy with me, and brought me to such cool places to meet such cool people. ive met some of the greatest people in my life in these last three months and i wouldnt trade these experiences with you for all the money in hollywood.

“i was thinkin today about that whole thing and really the best thing in the world was getting to know all of you.”

But on Tuesday a far darker note emerged.  It suggested he woke up and discovered he had been drugged and sexually assaulted.

He asked his fans:

“what would you do if you woke up with a groggy head, metallic taste in your mouth, in a strangers house… walked to the mirror and seen come dripping from the side of your face from your mouth, and started wretching, realizing that someone had drugged, raped, and blown their fuckin load in you?  What would you do?”

One man calling himself Terry says he would beat the man with a hatchet.  Kai responded: “i like your idea terry.”

Galfy was found bludgeoned to death around the same time.  Police discovered his body while performing a welfare check after he failed to show up at work.  He was found dead in his bed, clad only in underwear and socks.

Investigators say Kai cut his long hair and tried to disguise himself.  He went on the run, staying with his Facebook fans after the murder before being caught and arrested in Philadelphia.

Kai’s carefree traveling days on the road may have come to an abrupt end.

Charged with murder, Romankow said the hatchet-wielding,  homefree hitchhiker will be processed on his arrest warrant and sent back to New Jersey for arraignment and possible trial. 

His bail was set at $3 million.

Pages From A Forlorn and Depressed Feline Existence

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Now we know what lurks in their little minds.

Living in a world of insufferable confusion and loneliness, devoid of any logic, and surrounded by neglectful authorities, it’s a tale of sorrowful tragedy we can scarcely fathom.

The full story of their life hasn’t been revealed until now:  the Diary of a Sad Cat.

Smiles and Laughter
(VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
–Dr. Seuss

It’s a universal trait.  Genuinely warm, touchingly human, and known throughout the world.  Everyone knows how to do it and how to say it.  It needs no language or translation.  Simply smile.

These are the smiles and laughter of the children at a small village in Kenya, Africa.

The continent of Africa has always been presented as a backward place where people constantly battle for survival.  It results from the continent’s internal instability, politics, or the dearth of proper food and water.

Children of Africa, however, takes us a step beyond all the troubles and toils that prevail in the different African states—if only for a moment– and shares the brilliance, beauty, and humanity of children and their smile.

The song is “Shiyambonga.”  Translating roughly to ‘We ask for peace on Earth,’ it was made especially for this video.  Photographer Devin Graham explains below how he got the children smiling; an extraordinarily simple lesson we all should know.  If you like his work and this video, check out our “Africa:  Into the Wild” post.

If you’re reading this… Congratulations, you’re alive.  If that’s not something to smile about, then I don’t know what is.

(For Karen, Sue, Caitlin and her Mom, Liz.  Your smiles light up the room making everyone feel warm and welcome)

(Don’t Try This at Home– It Won’t Work)

A SHORT VIRAL VIDEO

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Just a little something to brighten your way.

Everyone loves a light show, large things that sparkle,
loud things that go boom in the night.

Vibrant colors, noise, and a freedom and fear factor all combine for
a brief moment or two, making for an incredible show.

Life is too short, so enjoy the ride while you can.

For the people of Boston, who looked after us when we were visiting.
Boston Strong throughout , you were proud and unwavering.  You
kindly showed us your beautiful City, the inspiring history of our
forefathers, and this sweet land of Liberty as the marathon
bombing mayhem went down around us all. 

You didn’t even so much as flinch.

Thank you, Boston.  This is for you.  Let freedom ring.

(The above video is best seen at the full-screen setting)

Tons O’ Fun
(VIRAL VIDEO)

Devin Graham
DevinGraham Blogspot

So I’ve been trying to put out a video once a week.

Which let me tell you… this has meant I don’t sleep, and have been working around the clock 24/7.  Not only am I creating the main video, but also the behind the scene videos, which is a full time job within itself… So yes, I don’t sleep very often, haha.

Here’s the latest video I shot a couple months back.

In fact, I have shot 19 YouTube videos within the last 3 months that I still have to release.  I have a ton of content I shot during the warmer months, so I could release them each week and be a head of schedule, but I often find that because I’m a perfectionist I don’t have the videos done until the day I release them

These videos I did with my friends company at the BlueHouse Ski Company.  They provided the house boat, skis, food, and helped make it all happen!

If you read the comments on a lot of the videos, everyone says that we must have rich parents, haha, when in reality, I’m able to pull off these videos because I get sponsors and people that believe in what I’m doing.

So they help pull resources together to make them happen, and that’s what happened with BlueHouse Skis.

Here’s the main video above, and the ‘Behind the Scene’ video below.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

More Allegations of Misconduct Face DA Alexander in Federal Court

By Chris Marshall
Courthouse News Service

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – California officials shielded a child molester who contributed to a district attorney’s campaign,
and arrested a mother when she took the children to be examined
in another county, the mother claims in court.

Barry and Jennifer Brown sued Del Norte County District Attorney Jon Alexander, the county itself and five other people, in Federal Court.

Jennifer is the mother of two co-plaintiff children Jane Does 1 and 2; Barry, her father, is a former investigator for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

They claim Alexander refused to investigate claims that defendant Donald Crockett – Jennifer’s Brown’s ex-husband – had molested their children.

And, the Browns claim, Alexander et al. had Barry Brown falsely charged with kidnapping when the Browns took the children to Eureka to be examined.

DA Alexander’s Woes

This lawsuit is not the only challenge facing Alexander.

The San Jose Mercury News reported in May 2012 that Alexander faces possible disbarment for professional misconduct: allegedly taking a loan from a defense attorney working on a case he later dismissed.

The newspaper reported , in an Associated Press article, that Alexander was a recovering methamphetamine addict when he was elected in campaign using the slogan “Death to Meth.”

Alexander also has been sued by Michael Riese, the former Del Norte County district attorney whom Alexander defeated in the 2010 election. Riese claimed Alexander tried to frame him for child endangerment and driving under the influence.

Allegations of the Suit

In the Browns’ lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that when Jennifer told a sheriff’s deputy in June 2009 that her 2-year-old daughter said Crockett “had hurt her vagina with his finger” and that it appeared red and irritated, the sheriff took no action.  A local hospital refused to examine the girl and neither she nor her daughter were interviewed by police about these or earlier complaints against Crockett, the Browns say.

Crockett is co-owner of a flower-growing business, which is one of the largest employers in the county, and has other business interests, according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs claim Crockett and his family contributed to Alexander’s election campaign and “have exerted their personal and political influence throughout county agencies to effectively protect Crockett from criminal and child protective investigations and also to inflict harm on plaintiffs.”

Crockett and Jennifer Brown divorced in 2009 after 4 years of marriage, after which they shared custody, with Jennifer the primary caregiver of their twin girls, born in 2007.

The Browns claim that sheriff’s deputies in November 2011 destroyed a tape of a police interview with Crockett, after Jennifer Brown reported that her children said he had showed them movies of men and women “naked belly dancing on a bed.”

When Brown asked police why they destroyed the tape, they told her that “showing pornography to children is not a criminal offense,” according to the complaint.

Alexander and his co-defendants again refused to investigate Crockett after Sutter Coast Hospital Urgent Care filed a report against him for neglect and molestation after both children alleged that Crockett had molested them, the complaint states.

The Browns claim the defendants “were made aware of the claims of Jane Doe 1 and 2 and that the defendants decided not to investigate Jane Doe 1 and 2′s claims about Crockett, whose family exerted political and personal influence over the defendants, whose careers rose and fell on the favor or disfavor of the Crockett family.”

Concerned that the officials were ignoring their claims, Barry Brown claims he contacted his former employer to obtain a Sexual Assault Response Team exam.  He was told the children could have the exam if they went to Eureka, the seat of Humboldt County.

Falsely Arrested

Barry says he wrote a letter to the defendants and told Alexander over the phone that he was temporarily removing the children from Del Norte County for their safety and under the terms of California Penal Code Section 278.5.  But Alexander and other officials had a magistrate judge issue a warrant accusing the Browns of kidnapping the girls, and said they did not know where they were, according to the complaint.

“These defendants knew that the basis for the warrant was false when it was presented to the judge for issuance,” the complaint states.

An all points bulletin was issued for Barry Brown and he was arrested the next day at the Crescent City office of the California Highway Patrol while working on a separate investigation, he says.  He works now as a licensed private investigator.

Alexander and defendant Deputy Sheriff Ed Fleshman agreed that no criminal charges would be filed, but booked and photographed Barry Brown on felony child-stealing charges, creating a felony arrest record that made its way into national criminal background databases, according to the complaint.

Barry Brown says he was released within a few hours and no charges were filed against him.  He says he suffered financial loss and personal embarrassment when the all points bulletin with an enlarged photograph was sent to police in Humboldt County.

Jennifer Brown claims that in March 2012, county sheriffs used excessive force while arresting her, though she was not resisting. They took her to the Crescent City jail and put her in a holding room with glass walls, which was brightly lit day and night and in full view of male correctional officers and the public, according to the complaint.

Jennifer claims she was held in jail there for two days while the jail staff mocked her and refused her requests for medical attention for lupus.

She claims the jail staff even threw a pizza party in front her cell, “celebrating her arrest and further humiliating her.”

After she was arrested, Child Welfare Services took her children into custody “without benefit of due process hearings,” while Crockett had unfettered access to the children, the Browns claim.

Crockett was grated custody of the children in June 2012 and Jennifer Brown was limited to 10 hours of visitation per week, according to the complaint.

Officials Turn a Blind Eye

One of the girls told defendant Child Welfare Services worker Cindy Salatnay in January this year that Crockett had molested her, according to the complaint.  Salatnay examined the other girl’s vaginal area and told court-appointed visitation monitor Arlene Kasper “there’s something there,” the Browns say in the complaint.

When Kasper asked Salatnay what she was going to do, Salatnay “said there was nothing she could do as she had been told by her supervisor, defendant [Julie] Cain, that no matter what Jane Doe 1 or 2 said, she (Salatnay) was to come back with either an inconclusive or unsubstantiated report,” according to the complaint.

Kasper said her “hands were tied,” and repeated it in front of two other witnesses, according to the complaint.  Kasper is not a party to the complaint.

Though Child Welfare Services documented the molestation allegations, they placed the children in a foster home instead of returning them to their mother, Jennifer Brown claim.

She claims the defendant claimed that she had “created stress on the children by reporting abuse and molest.”

Salatnay returned the girls to Crockett’s custody without supervision in March this year after they refused to repeat the allegations to a male detective, which was done without court authorization though a child dependency petition hearing had been held and a subsequent jurisdictional hearing was set for the next week, the Browns say in the complaint. Jennifer Brown says she was allowed to be with the girls only 5 hours per week under supervised conditions in a small room.

Salatnay then lied to and misled the court in a jurisdictional report in which she argued the girls should be left in Crockett’s custody, the Browns claim.

They claim that “only sham investigations were conducted so as to protect Crockett from scrutiny by law enforcement.”

They seek millions of dollars in damages for conspiracy, false imprisonment, false arrest, defamation, abuse of process, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, vicarious responsibility and other civil rights violations.

Del Norte County Sheriff Dean Wilson also is named as a defendant.

The Browns are represented by Thomas N. Petersen, with Black, Chapman, Webber & Stevens, of Medford, Oregon.

* * * * * * * * *

Article by Chris Marshall and the Courthouse News Service

Welcome to the Machine

(VIRAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

This video features a huge Rube Goldberg machine,
a deliberately over-engineered contraption that performs a very
simple task in an overly complex and nonsensical fashion.

Why?  Who knows why.  That’s the whole pointless point.  Just like your daily 9-5 workday, it’s an enigma wrapped up in a bean burrito.

In the video, the entire “This Too Shall Pass” song by OK Go is sung to a set of mechanical ‘dominos’ falling in a chain reaction.  It was built and engineered by a creative geek group of mad scientists, art lovers, and inspired geniuses collectively going by the name of Syyn Labs.

In total some 65 people worked three months to build and film the machine in an Echo Park warehouse in Los Angeles.  It took over 60 takes to get the one perfectly filmed version you see here, shot perfectly in time to the music.  It was no easy task; resetting the machine after each failed try took over an hour.

The tune is catchy and the overall piece is engaging, inventive, and original.  It would be wholly unbelievable if it weren’t shown in one uninterrupted take.

The video went on to become one of the most watched viral hits on YouTube with over 40 million views since appearing in 2010.

(Filmed in high-def, it’s best seen at the full screen setting)

Thousands of Christian Peeps Battle for Glory–

(VIRAL MUSIC VIDEOS)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Time out for a little fun and sun from an otherwise typical
college day.

Thousands of young Mormons gathered on the field of battle in Provo, Utah, armed with nothing more than a few thousand water balloons and a strong sense of destiny. 

The Brigham Young University students threw their virginal, uncaffeinated selves into the fray, thereby setting a Guinness world record for the Largest Water Balloon Fight in July of 2010.  They also made the viral video above, “You Always Make Me Smile” by Kyle Andrews, garnering over two million views on YouTube.

In total, 3,927 Mormons lobbed 120,021 balloons, unleashing a massive barrage of colorful cool frolic for six minutes.  It had taken the students three days just to fill that many balloons.

Most water balloon fight observers thought the BYU record would last the ages.  It was certainly a stout and glorious victory that would be hard to beat.  But alas!  A couple thousand Kentuckian faithful proved them wrong.

Mind you, Kentucky held the previous record– until the Mormons came along and stole it out from underneath them.

So the University of Kentucky Christian Student Fellowship led the charge to recapture the Mormon-held record once and for all.

In August of 2011, over 5,000 equally wholesome young people from the Bluegrass State launched 153,497 balloons.  Some, like the video below, claim it was really 8,957 people and 175,141 balloons, but you know how confused facts get in the heat of battle.  Especially when setting a new world record for college glory.

Whatever the numbers, the Guinness guys said Kentucky had it– and BYU lost it.

Below is the video of that epic winning event.  The Kentuckians, though, lost the video side of the competition to their Mormon brethren, capturing only one million YouTube hits.

Be Scared and Be Prepared

(VIRAL VIDEOS)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Utah native Devin Graham’s video of people cliff jumping in Hawaii will mostly leave you wishing you were
there, though some moments– especially with the point of
view cameras– are a little stomach churning.

They deserve to be.

Cliff jumping or tombstoning sometimes makes the news, and unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

Every summer, many youngsters severely injure themselves or die because they dive off rocks and cliffs – often inebriated – into waters of unknown depths and submerged obstacles.  Some are knocked unconscious; others drown.

We’ve had our fair share of accidents off Big Rock, Sandy Beach, Swimmer’s Delight, and a host of other Humboldt jump spots.  It’s a death wish of sorts if one isn’t thinking about taking the fun jump halfway seriously and with a clear head.

Tombstoning, however, has a long tradition that goes back to ancient tribes – inhabitants of Easter Island or Hawaii, for example – that used cliff jumping as an initiation rite.  Tombstoning is done in such a way that the jumper enters the water from a very high point vertically straight, like a tombstone.  It was practiced with some degree of, well, let’s just say institutional experience, the wisdom and experience and trepidation of those mentors and elders who went before you.  If you didn’t listen to your elders, you were toast.  After all, these were the same guys who navigated thousands of miles across the ocean using only the stars and memory for a compass.

Instead of condemning the activity, we say go ahead and do it if you must– but do it wisely with someone who knows and has carefully checked out the lake, pond or ocean they’re jumping into.  Or simply watch the older pros do it.

Heed your elders, Grasshopper, because there are plenty of cool cliff jumping and tombstoning sites all around to live and dive for.

These viral videos by Devin Graham are best seen at full-screen resolution. 

Tarsiers, the Wild Kingdom, and Finding Out Life Isn’t Fair

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Freaky, freak, freaky.

Tarsiers are that much and more, as the above clip shows.

Don’t worry, it’s safe to watch.  There’s not too much drama and trauma going on.  Just those big bug eyes staring blankly into your soul.

I’ve always been wary of animal flicks ever since they offed Old Yeller.  Some boundaries are sacred and shouldn’t be crossed.  Old Yeller was one of those lines.  A protective and gentle yellow Lab winning the heart of the frontier family, the faithful old dog was put down after contracting rabies.  It was one of those unfair endings brutally assaulting and ripping the innocence out of our childhood and left us bawling on the floor.

OK, life is unfair.  We get that.  And we’ve never been the same ever since.  Thank you, Mr. Disney.

Then there was the “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.  He was a  total pain in the ass for any animal crossing his path.  There’s a way to film animals without harassing them and screwing up their day but this guy didn’t know it.  He constantly had to be poking, taunting and wrestling them, working his schtick to prove what a brave Aussie scamp he was until nature finally canceled his film contract.

You’ll recall it was a benign stingray calling it curtains for Irwin.  This should have been a normally uneventful crossing of paths between man and aquatic beast.  But no-o-o-o…  Mr. Crikey had to  screw with the stingray and catch a spike to the heart.  Nature is all about the quick and the dead.  Nature batted first, not last, with the Crocodile Hunter.  It’s surprising it took that long.

Mutal of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom reflected the realism of nature early on for those who remember.  No longing shots of doe-eyed baby seals and cute furry-faced koalas here but ’round-the-clock-murder that constituted the natural world and made observing its moments of grace such an ephemeral joy.

Wild Kingdom was hosted by the gentlemanly, avuncular, and dapperly-dressed Marlin Perkins.  Mr. Perkins was an expert on reptiles and particularly venomous snakes, of which he was bitten four times.  Unlike Irwin, however, he survived.

Perkins took his viewers all over the world and was one of the first voices to embrace the idea of conservation and  the protection of endangered species.  He had a particular love of odd animals and was fond of civets, mongooses, hyenas and the wild dogs of Africa.  Neatly dressed in his freshly pressed khaki safari suit, Perkins loved square-offs and showdowns between nature’s Davids and Goliaths– the weasel-like mongoose killing the infinitely more frightening king cobra, a scorpion backing up a coyote with a bad-ass tail display, a six-ounce kestrel pounding the holy crap out of a pigeon in flight.

Mr. Perkins was a stickler for realism.  His show was filmed on location and very often his co-stars, Jim Fowler and Stan Brock, would wind up in some hair-raising struggles with wild animals.  Being the boss and certainly being no one’s dummy, Mr. Perkins usually stood in the foreground when danger was most imminent.  He would remind the viewer just before the commercial break, “If a Bengal tiger ever tries to chew your face off… make sure you have adequate insurance coverage with Mutual of Omaha.”

Jim Fowler, freaked out and frantically pointing at his head, was screaming and yelling as stuff poured out.  Perkins wryly retorted, “Jim is getting quite a workout now, isn’t he!”

A Soon-to-Be Viral Video.  We Don’t Know Why…

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

“Hey, let’s blow up a cow pattie with an M~80.”

“Whaddya think’s gonna happen?”

“I dunno.”

“Do you think it’s gonna blow up?”

“Maybe, maybe not.  But let’s see, we’ll find out.  Do ya think cow pie shit really can hit the fan?”

“Nah.  But let’s try it.  It’s better than cow tipping.  You go first, shit-for brains.  I’ll film it.”

“Uh… well …yeah, OK.”

…Silly sod farm boys looking for fun in all the wrong places.  LOL.  Silly people.  It’s going to be stuck in his braces forever.  Hope he didn’t have a date that night.

Who knew they could have so much redneck dairy fun in McKinleyville?

Ah, to be young and dumb again…

World’s Best Pro Scooter Riders

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

They’re the Lucky Pro Riders:  Kota, Jon, and Mike.

Yeah, they’re really good, they’re professional, and they’re
sponsored by the Lucky Scooter Company.

Who knew scooters could be so cool.  Or you could get paid to ride them.  We didn’t.

Scooters, or kick scooters as we knew them, used to consist of a thin stamped steel or wood platform, a soon-to-be wobbly handlebar, and some ultra-cheap, cheap, wheels propelled by the rider furiously pushing himself off the ground.  They were notoriously flimsy affairs that often fell apart or broke in short order about a week or two after Christmas.  Doing any sort of tricks on them was akin to taking your life into your hands.

That all changed in 1996 when a Swiss company produced the Razor, a durable and foldable aluminum scooter with inline skate wheels.  After it was introduced in Japan in 1999, many young people used it for simple transport, and the Razor became the fad du jour throughout the world.

Due to the new light weight and durability, a new sport, “freestyle scootering,” was born from the folding scooter which you can see in the above video.

Today, unfoldable professional scooters with rigid one-piece welded chromoly or 6061 grade aluminum stems and handles with a flip-deck are the choice for the pro trick riders you see here.  Competitions involving tricks, stunts, flips, whips, and spins are held similar to BMX freestyle events.

Scooters are now designed with wider decks, hand brakes, and larger wheels.  Some models sport three, and even four, wheels for added stability.  Another brand of scooter advertises it can support up to 300 pounds of weight.  Some are motorized.

Below is the ‘Behind the Scenes’ 7-minute clip describing more of what it’s all about and how it was filmed for those scooter and photography buffs out there wanting to know more.

Filmed in high-def by Devin Graham, both videos here are best viewed at full-screen resolution.

–Taking The Three-Wheel Trikes Out For a Little Spin–

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Who says there’s not enough for kids to do.  Kids are an adventurous and innovative lot.  Especially when it comes to
slapping on some wheels, the need for speed, and trying out
something new.

Move over, Big Wheels.  Enter Trike Drifting.

Drift trikes are modified tricycles that have slick rear wheels, normally made from a hard plastic, most often PVC.  They are usually ridden on paved roads with a steep downhill grade and some corners.  Smooth roads are preferred to coarse roads so they don’t wear out the rear wheels faster.

Riders gather most of their momentum through gravity, but many trike drifters choose to have a freewheeling pedal front wheel which makes for a more versatile trike.  Operating speeds for drift trikes is generally between 15 and 40 MPH, but higher speeds are attainable.

Many drift trikes are homemade or custom fabricated affairs by professional welders.  However, Huffy, Trek, and a number of other companies have released children’s versions commercially.  Two companies, MadAzz Trikes and Maple’s Wheels, produce full size custom trikes for adults in New Zealand.

Once up to speed, trike drifters engage in ‘drifts,’ taking pride in their ability to cut corners and spin.  Trike Drifting is commonly within the jurisdiction of cyclist traffic laws, but many districts, regions, and countries require the use of safety gear– helmets, brakes, a rear red reflector, and lights– along with shoes, which are notably absent in the top clip.

A spin-off of drifting has been trike racing, seen in the second video here.  It’s a different deal altogether.  It’s fast and furious and freewheelingly far more dangerous.

The origins of drift trikes come from New Zealand, where the sport was first invented.  The above video, for example, was shot along New Zealand’s Colonial Road, a popular drifting spot.  Fueled by New Zealand’s on-going car and drift culture of ‘boy racers’ and car enthusiasts, the sport has a dedicated following and it’s quickly growing in popularity across the globe.

It’s not without controversy, however.  Trike Drifting and trike racing have led to their share of scrapes, bruises, and worn out shoes.  Yes, there’s been a few crashes and collisions along the way.  Life has risks.

Kids just wanna have fun.  Like everyone else.

* * * * * * * *

Young filmmaker Devin Graham talk a little about the photography techniques and equipment he used in Trike Drifting Behind the Scenes.

The tune is ‘Toys for Boys’ by Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.

These videos are best viewed at the fullscreen setting.  Other film works by the young Devin Graham that we’ve covered include Wingsuit Racing and The Phantom of the Opera.

–The Lemonade Lesson–

Humboldt Sentinel
Good Humor Department

Yes, one can click on the ‘toon to clarify or biggify.

Leave it up to Calvin to explain something so simply.  Our appreciation goes to the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson.

We hope this gives you a jest-deserved chuckle today– a small snicker, a smug giggle, a bigger titter, or a teensy tee-hee.

This post originally appeared in the Humboldt Sentinel November 3, 2012.  It seems just as relevant today as it was then, or when Bill first penned it to life over 20 years ago.

Bill retired Calvin and Hobbes in 1995.  We miss his good humor and the ever-thoughtful messages he crafted in an innocent and gentle way.  Thanks for the memories, Bill.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Shooting the Tube and the Far-Flung Slip ‘N Slide Slingshot

(TWO VIRAL VIDEOS)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

This looks like something tailor-made for the Humboldt peeps.

We know of a few good spots to try.  C’mon Summer.

Devin Graham’s video features a 1/4 mile culvert transformed into a 1/4 mile water long slide.  Water draining from nearby mountains of a semi-secret Utah location are blocked for about 4 minutes and then released, slip-sliding the riders away down the heavy current through the culvert to the other side.

The song in the video is ‘Come With Us‘ by Can’t Stop Won’t Stop and Lindsey Stirling.

Almost as cool is the ‘Slingshot Slip And Slide’ Devin shot last year, below.  Devin’s an old pro at filming this sort of thing, having been around the block before.  It’s one of the coolest things we’ve seen.  Just hold on to the tube and be prepared to be slung and flung.  Happy flying!

Looks like an awesome time and almost worth a little injury.

As always, these videos are best seen at full-screen resolution.

Department of Defense and DARPA’s Latest Pet Projects

(VIDEOS)

Meet Mr. Domo DARPA Roboto– and His Little Friends

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Imagine this Mr. Roboto guy knocking at your door to conduct a police manhunt for a suspected terrorist.  Stayin’ Alive takes on a whole new meaning.  Say hello to the future.  Say hello to our little friend(s).

Released on April 5, the PETMAN robot seen above was developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) CBD program.

PETMAN is used to test the performance of protective clothing designed for hazardous environments.  The video shows initial testing in a chemical protection suit and gas mask.

PETMAN has sensors embedded in its skin that detect any chemicals leaking through the suit.  The skin also maintains a micro-climate inside the clothing by sweating and regulating temperature.

We suspect Mr. Roboto will take on other military and combat applications for the battlefield soon.  Partners in developing PETMAN were MRI Global, Measurement Technology Northwest, Smith Carter, SRD, CUH2A, and HHI.

DARPA’s Cheetah robot, above—already the fastest legged robot in history—just broke its own land speed record of 18 miles per hour.

In the process, Cheetah also surpassed another very fast mover: Olympic runner Usain Bolt.  According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, Bolt set the world speed record for a human in 2009 when he reached a peak speed of 27.78 mph for a 20-meter split during the 100-meter sprint.

Cheetah was recently clocked at 29.3 mph for a 20-meter split.  The Cheetah had a slight advantage over Bolt as it ran on a treadmill.

Cheetah is being developed and tested under DARPA’s (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Maximum Mobility and Manipulation  program by Boston Dynamics. The increase in speed since results were last reported in March of 2012 and is due to improved control algorithms and a more powerful pump.  The goal is to reach 50 mph.

DARPA’s intent with the Cheetah-bot and its other robotics programs is to attempt to understand and engineer robots having certain core capabilities that living organisms have refined over the course of evolution:  efficient locomotion, manipulation of objects, and adaptability to environments.

By drawing inspiration from nature, DARPA gains technological building blocks that create possibilities for a whole range of robots suited to future Department of Defense military missions.

For more on Cheetah and DARPA’s other robotics programs, visit: http://go.usa.gov/rVqk or https://twitter.com/darpa

Here’s where it all comes together:

The Pentagon’s DARPA and others reveal their most sinister robots coming together into a cohesive whole in the above collage clip.  The wickedly Star Wars-like project named the LS3 starts at minute 2:34.  The new developments in insect drones start at 3:50.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, released video footage of these projects that have been long in the works and are now starting to take shape.  These related projects could very well be all it takes to scare off any insurgents once they’re combat ready for the battlefield.

Produced in numbers, they may very well counter the largest standing army in the world:  China, with 3.5 million available soldiers at the ready (though estimates of their size vary and kept secret by Chinese officials).

Better living– and an even quicker death–  through science and technology in the 21st century.

Welcome to the future, our Brave New World, brought to you by DARPA, the Department of Defense, and your generous tax dollars.

Styx got it right 30 years ago for those who remember:

“MR. ROBOTO” by Styx (from the album Killroy Was Here, 1983)

You’re wondering who I am, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
Machine or mannequin, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
With parts made in Japan, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
I am the modern man.

I’ve got a secret I’ve been hiding under my skin,
My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain IBM,
So if you see me acting strangely, don’t be surprised,
I’m just a man who needed someone and somewhere to hide,
To keep me alive, just keep me alive,
Somewhere to hide to keep me alive.

I’m not a robot without emotions, I’m not what you see,
I’ve come to help you with your problems so we can be free,
I’m not a hero, I’m not a savior, forget what you know,
I’m just a man who’s circumstances went beyond his control,
Beyond my control, We all need control,
I need control, We all need control.

I am the modern man, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
Who hides behind a mask, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
So no one else can see, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
My true identity,

Domo arigato, Mr, Roboto,
Domo, Domo,

(Thank you very much, oh Mr. Roboto,
For doing the jobs that nobody wants to)
 (And thank you very much oh Mr. Roboto,
For helping me escape just when I needed to)

(Thank you thank you, thank you)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto,
(I wanna thank you)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto,
(Please thank you)

The problem’s plain to see,
Too much technology,
Machines to save our lives,
Machines de-humanize,

The time has come at last, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
To throw away this mask, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
Now everyone can see, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
My true identity…

I’m Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy…

A Perfect Fit for Humboldt
(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Have you ever said to yourself, “Marathons are too easy, and Triathlons are for sissies?”

Well, we haven’t either.  Those races are hard.  Really hard.  Think about it.  The first person to run a marathon actually died.  Yes, he died!  And we surmise he didn’t have fun along the way.

Welcome to a new kind of race:  THE DIRTY DASH.  It’s a perfect fit for Humboldt to do.  Or shamelessly imitate.  It’s independently zany, it’s crazy, and it’s wildly colorful.  A racy race that would cause your Grandma to blush her bloomers.

This dirty race puts all other races to shame.  The Dirty Dash is a mud run obstacle course where military boot camp meets your inner five-year-old fantasy.  It converts boy to man, and then man to swine in a really dirty sort of way.

It’s also fun.  And we mean Way Fun.

You’ll need endurance to trudge up mountains of sludge, courage to overcome uncompromising obstacles, a complete lack of shame to wallow in pits of mud, and then a smile to show how happy you are making it through to the end!

This mud-run obstacle course could become your new guilty pleasure and your Facebook wallpage photo.  Going solo or with some of your dirtiest, filthiest, & uncouth friends, you’ll be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I am a Dirty Dasher and there’s no shame in my game!”

Then, and only then, can you proceed to clean yourself off like the cheeky monkey you are.

Eleven 3-5 mile charity races are run throughout the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest– from Oregon to New Mexico– from June through September.  Some of the shorter races also sport a 3 ½ mile shortcut.  Why not?  Everyone loves a shortcut.

They don’t care much about timing the races, either.  It doesn’t matter.  They also run rain or shine, saying:

 “Seriously?  How can the weather be bad?  Shame on you; your glass is clearly half-empty.  If it rains, even better, more mud!  The Dirty Dash is as dependable as (and far less subsidized than) the US Postal Service and goes on rain or shine, global warming or global cooling.

If it gets too hot, feel free to bask in the mud pit for longer and if it gets too cold, feel free to drop into the fetal position with your teammates and cuddle for warmth.

However, rule #1 is safety first, so if there is lightning, we’ll postpone waves and running until it blows over.  In case anyone was wondering, rule #2 is complete and brutal honesty amongst group members, and rule #3 is everyone hooks up with a local.”

Because it’s a family race, there’s only one version to do.  You Dirty Dash however you need to and however long it takes.

You can walk.  Run.  Crawl.  Wallow.  Skip.  Clamber.  Lollygag.  Grovel.  Just be yourself and just finish before sundown so the coyotes and mosquitoes don’t git ya.  You can run in sublime running shorts or dress up in a flashy costume.  Pets and kids are welcome, too, but not necessarily in that order.  They’ll also take you as on as a volunteer and ease you into this dirty lifestyle nice and slow.  Keep in mind there is an age limit.  It’s 106.

You can run it by yourself or with a team of your favorite friends, enemies and friendemies.  Whoever likes to get dirty or whoever needs to simply get down and dirty in the worst way.  Teams may encourage each other, mock each other, or drag each other over obstacles.  “Feel free to clasp hands, smack bottoms, or open mouth kiss,” the rules say.

Did your last personal record run have a 175-foot slop n’ slide in the middle of it?  Probably not.  And a final finale mud pit?  Nope.  Sprinklers and showers and water blasters?  Heavens to Betsy, no.  While we’re at it, let’s throw in a Pig Sty, a Hog Wash, and a Piglet Plunge.  Now
that’s what we call a race.

Wherever they go, runners completely change the landscape to an ultra muddy hue, making for the most interesting and diverse course ever run.  The course itself, as you can see in the video, is full of obstacles ranging from mud pits, water slides, tires, logs, hay bales, wood structures, to just plain mud, more mud, and even muddier mud everywhere.  Uh, did we say mud?

Why do it?  Exercise?  Maybe.  Camaraderie?  Most likely.  Fun?  You bet your mud-balls.  Good cause? Check.  Besides benefitting your cardiovascular system, each muddy Dirty Dash benefits local charities through the registration fees, online donations, water balloon sales, and shoe donations.

In this viral video best viewed at full-screen resolution, cinematographer Devin Graham filmed a Dirty Dash race taking place in Soldier Hallow, Utah.  The race, like most of them, completely sold out in record time.  Let’s face it:
people love to get dirty when it’s socially acceptable.  A good
Dirty Dash race beats a bad diaper rash case.

It’s a perfect fit for our area– and it would be a muddy hit for someone getting it together for the Humboldt peeps.  Half of our towns would turn out to run and watch.  We would, too.  In two shakes of a kitten’s whiskers.

If you know of someone in our running community interested in putting on something similar, share this with them.

Six Rivers Running Club?  HSU?  Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence?  The Kinetic Sculpture Race or the babelicious Rutabaga and Humboldt Roller Derby Queens?  Justin Bieber? (Sorry, all you Beliebers).  Send it along …and we’d thank you for it!  We’d love to see them all get a bit dirty.  Sarah Palin and Anderson Cooper, too.  We’d pay for that.

After all folks, this isn’t Survivor.  It’s more like Jackass mixed with Dirty Jobs mixed with America’s Got Talent.  And we’d like to have more fun with like-minded Humboldt folks and friends and cheeky monkeys everywhere.

No time for nattering nabobs of negativism here!  It’s time to smile– and run a muck.

If you’d like to know more, you can find out all about these mud races in this link: 

http://www.thedirtydash.com/

Happy Running.

* * * * * * * *

(For our Humboldt County runners)

The World on a String
(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Meet Adrienn Banhegyi.  She’s the best jump roper in the world.

Who knew?  Jump roping isn’t necessarily for aspiring Rocky Balboas and little kids anymore.

After 15 years of competitive rope skipping, holding 2 world records and winning World and European Jump Rope Championships several times, Adrienn was selected to be an artist of Cirque du Soleil after performing in New York City and touring in North America for a while.

She’s got some wicked moves.  Adrienn’s rope skipping routines are perfectly choreographed with the music:  high speed, manipulations, vigorous footwork, and rope releases combined with spectacular acrobatic elements.

With her jump rope performances, she reveals the endless possibilities of using a simple tool in creative and fun ways.  Yeah, she makes it look aerobically easy, too.

Not only a performer, Adrienn gives workshops to children, adults, athletes, and future rope skippers all over the world, helping them keep fit, improve their concentration and coordination, and discovering creative and effective ways of exercising.

She’s our kind of gal.  Having the world on a string, she’s up there with the Zach Gormley, the Yo-Yo Kid.

The above video shot by cinematographer Devin Graham at Heroes’ Square and the Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest, Hungary, went viral with over two million views in the past week.  As with Devin’s past films, it’s best viewed at full screen resolution.

National Yo-Yo Contest Champion at 16

and Busting Out Some Awesome Moves

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Meet Zach Gormley, the national yo-yo champion.

The 16-year-old kid has busted onto the string scene in a big way, and with some wicked tricks.

In four years the teen has accomplished more with a ‘return top’ than most do in a lifetime.  From promising performances across regional and international contest stages– to most recently taking the coveted US National 1A YoYo title– Zach has now claimed his spot at the top of North American contest scene.

It’s a serious business.  First invented in ancient Greece, yo-yos have spread in popularity since the 1920s.  Regional and national championships are held in 15 countries of the US, Europe, and Asia.

Competitions usually consist of two parts: a set of compulsory tricks and a freestyle portion.  Compulsory tricks have been chosen before the contest, and the competitor must successfully complete each trick.  In the freestyle event, a player performs a routine to their choice of music with points awarded by judges based on the difficulty of the tricks, synchronization with the music, and the artistic performance.

Elite players from around the world consider Zach to be one of the most influential and impressive players to pick up the toy in recent years.  It appears he’s only just hitting his competitive stride, winning 12 competitive titles in four years.  With the national title now under his belt, the World YoYo Championship in Orlando is the next stop and biggest gig to be crossed off of Zach’s list. 

Many players can be quite one-dimensional and reclusive, yo-yo athletes profess, but Zach is surprisingly well rounded for his level of talent and ability.  When he’s not blowing minds at contests, one can catch him enjoying the great outdoors, playing tennis, and taking incredible photographs.  We also suspect he practices.  A lot.  Like a Zen master.

The St. Paul, Minnesota native lives in Colorado where he’s an industrious student.  Reportedly a normal, well-adjusted and engaging person, friends describe him only as ‘a nice guy’– which is something we’d expect from someone out of Minnesota.

We don’t know if having the world on a yo-yo string will help him grab scholarships and get into college.  But it will be interesting to see where things go for Zach as he accomplishes his goals using his own unique brand of string theory.

Whoever taught this kid to tie his shoes did an awesome job.

* * * * * * *

Things have come a long ways since we used to walk the dog, shoot the moon, and go to sleep.  We didn’t know any of the stringing, sleeping, and looping tricks shown here. 

We also wonder what the above might have looked like if Zach had used the Duncan glow-in-the-dark model which we thought was the coolest thing as a kid.

(This film was done by Devin Graham.  Shot in high-def, it’s best viewed at full screen resolution.  Or not.)

Skippy’s on vacation for awhile, folks.  See you in a few…