Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Wait,It Gets Better!

Turns out this guy was also a pro-abstinence guy, sort of like Palin, except he wanted to screw daughters.

"Stanley's legislative proposals were largely focused on pro-business issues, but he also sponsored failed measures to ban gay couples from adopting children. He also spoke out against funding for Planned Parenthood because he said unmarried people should not have sex."

In case you missed a detail, his intern mistress was only 22 years old.
These Republican pro-family guys sure have a hard time keeping their zipper closed.
Another Southern "Family Values" GOPer Resigns Over Sex Scandal.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee lawmaker has resigned from the state Senate after his extramarital affair with a 22-year-old intern was revealed by an investigation into an extortion case.

State Sen. Paul Stanley said Tuesday he has "decided to focus my full attention on my family and resign my Senate seat effective August 10."

The 47-year-old senator was appearing on a radio talk show in Memphis and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Court records show that Stanley told agents investigating a blackmail case that he had a sexual relationship with intern McKensie Morrison. Her boyfriend, Joel Watts, is charged with trying to extort $10,000 from Stanley in April in return for explicit photos of Morrison that Stanley had taken.

Fox News Outdoes Itself in Incompetency:

Intelligence or at least a sense of geography is certainly not a job requirement at Ailes' GOP propaganda network.

Fox News Misplaces Egypt






Notice that Iraq is missing and Egypt has taken its place.

Priceless!! Wonder what Rupert thinks?

Monday, July 27, 2009

Back from Wisconsin, getting the photos ready to post and going on a diet. No more deep fried cheese curds, ever.

Democratic Party and Politico: Get a Clue

This article at Fire Dog Lake has important info for people who think Politico.com is a genuine media outlet.

Read it for yourself here:
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/07/27/democratic-party-and-politico-get-a-clue/

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Fun With An iPhone

My friend Thomas, owner of Focus Audio Visual in San Rafael, put this pic together with his iPhone 3G and an app called Panarama (I think). Taken during the video taping of the Marin Municipal Water Districts recent water conservation symposium.


Bastille Celebration in Paris

I couldn't be in Paris last night, but thanks to my friend (and former tenant) Jonathan Wellons, I have a photo or two. Look for him on Facebook if you want to see more.


Republicans Have the Principled Backbone of an Invertebrate

Absolutely no invertebrates were harmed in the making of this post... right?



Well written piece that I want to share on my blog:

www.mediamarv.blogspot.com
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Breaking Story May Explain Palin's Resignation!!

Thanks to FDL and Campaign Silo for this story from Alaska:

http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/07/15/sarah-palins-medicaid-scandal-letting-people-die-while-waiting/

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Rachel Maddow Draws Fire From GOP Rep. For Reporting On 'The Family' (VIDEO)


Zach Wamp???



My relatives in TN can't explain a name like that either.

Ah, the good ol days of Billie Bobs, Bobbie Joes, and Sonny Jims.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Monday, July 13, 2009

My Friend Camille Cusumano Makes the Times.. New York that is!

Look back at my archived post on her new book and the video we did. This Sunday she made the big time: the NY Times.
Here's the link:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/travel/12journeys.html

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Thunderstorms Delay Endeavour Launch Again


Hate to say I told you so, but years ago, the choice had to be made between the Cape and Edwards AFB here in CA. Politics influenced the decision and the wrong choice was made.

Anyone care to check the weather in the mojave around Edwards today... hint: sunny and very warm!!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Friday, July 10, 2009

Clearing Up the Confusion

The photo attached to the story below belongs to another one altogether: the story about the guy who wrote a song about his bad experience with United Airlines which damaged a very expensive guitar and then delayed more than 9 months to offer any compensation. So the guy, Dave Carroll wrote a song, put it on Youtube and history is now being made.

Here's the link to his site: http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/story/united-breaks-guitars/

So much better than customer service phone trees or faxing the CEO... I'm trying to write a song about Clover Ice Cream's (Sonoma county) decision to reduce their half-gallon containers to 1.5 qts, which is the new industry ripoff standard, then on top of that, raising the price nearly a dollar! I'm having trouble rhyming moo-cow tho'.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Man Dies After Fallng Into Vat Of Chocolate (VIDEO)


"Death by Chocolate" is one of those great, yummy ideas... until it really happens. Condolences to his family.



I also agree with other posters here, no way was that chocolate boiling... to temper chocolate you raise the temp to 115 for milk chocolate, and not a degree over or you ruin it. And I know from experience. If it were a tempering vat that he fell into, temp would have fluctuated down to 82 then back up to 88 for dipping or molding.

Terrible waste of life and terrible waste of chocolate.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Wine Country Life Style

Some recent activities:
Watching Serena Ryder at Lattitudes Bar and Grill, Rohnert Park, part of KRSH radio's outdoor concerts series. She was great, even without her backup band.
Pic shows a snack, very tasty coconut shrimp and Lagunitas IPA and Serena playing against a lakeside backdrop, on a very typical Sonoma county summer.



Bike riding in the Dry Creek Valley and Healdsburg on July 3rd, before all the crowds. New Trek bicycles are really comfortable and fun to ride. Makes wine tasting cheap since there's no room for bottles, altho we did go back to the Mazzocco winery in the Dodge truck to pick up couple bottles of Petite Verdot, which is an excellent wine. Photos were taken very near Alderbrook winery, tho we didn't visit it this time. They make delicious whites, very typical of the Dry Creek appellation.



Nite life was not neglected either. We stopped by the French Garden Restaurant here in Sebastopol on a Friday night for some good beer, tasty small plate appetizers and good music. This night it was Phil Lawrence and his band mates, plus guest fiddler/violinist David LaFlamme (of It's A Beautiful Day fame) sitting in. If you love Django Rinehart music, and that style of jazz, you will really enjoy these guys. Pic shows a rare moment, Phil, a mandolin player extraordinaire, playing a tenor banjo. He doesn't do that often so it was a rare treat.


Photo taken with my iPhone, not the best quality.
More On Gas Prices:
(From the WaPo)

"Concern over such deal-making reached a fever pitch last summer, when oil prices were sky high and people were feeling pain at the gas pump. CFTC data showed last year that a significant amount of trading in oil was concentrated in the hands of just a few speculators. These worries have waned since then, as gas prices have moderated from last year's highs, though a recent run-up in fuel prices may prompt new questions"


Read the full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070603584.html?hpid=topnews

Video from The Onion That I Found Very Amusing:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/06/mexico-builds-border-wall_n_226669.html
Look For Gas Prices To Fall - Not!

If basing gasoline prices on the free market weren't a fiction, this news story would cause prices to start plummeting.
I won't be holding my breath:

HOUSTON — ConocoPhillips, the third-largest U.S. oil company, said Tuesday second-quarter production rose by more than 100,000 barrels from a year ago, but lower crude and natural-gas prices and refining margins are expected to hurt results.

The company's shares fell more than 2 percent in early trading, along with all major oil companies in a week that has seen the price of crude drop by more than $10 per barrel.

In an overview of market conditions for the April-June period, the Houston-based company said global output was about 1.86 million barrels of oil equivalent. That's up from 1.75 million barrels in the second quarter of 2008.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Photography Update
Time to put up some more original images and to remind everyone that I have been a professional photographer for 30 years- almost as long as I have been a film/video cameraman. Tho my web video work gets more attention lately, I continue to do commercial photo work for clients, including AAA of Northern CA, and the occasional portrait.
So, gather round, boys and girls, and let me present the following:

















































Seville, Spain






















Granada, Spain
















Anderson Valley, CA



















Savannah, GA



Botannical Gardens,

Medocino, CA


Cordoba, Spain





Stay tuned, another batch might show up at any time.