BHO may skip traditional ads and just "run clips of the Republican debates"

President Obama recently told Univision News that his re-election campaign won't require any attack ads or mud-slinging.

“We may just run clips of the Republican debates verbatim,” he told the Spanish TV network. “We won’t even comment on them, we’ll just run those in a loop.”

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A debris field the size of California from the Japan 'quake is heading toward Washington State (and may already be here)

By Jack Brummet, West Coast Editor

A debris field "the size of California" is headed for West Coast--specifically, Washington, Canada, and Alaska.  The debris was swept out to sea after the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March. 

A Seattle oceanographer and author, Curt Ebbesmeyer, says that while the bulk of the debris will take several years to arrive, items that float could hit the Washington shore any day now.  Check out Ebbesmeyer's website, Beachcombers Alert for more information.  He also runs the Flotsametrics website, where he is collecting data on the debris field as it nears Washington State. 

"My message is the debris--big objects--could be here now," said the oceanographic detective. "Aircraft wings, boats, big buoys -- big objects that catch the wind that can be here now."

Ebbesmeyer agrees with the government figures that around 100,000 tons of debris, most of it moving underwater, will hit the U.S. coast in 2013.  He believes, however, that the floating debris (as opposed to the debris being carried underwater by the current) is moving three times faster.

The oceanographer is asking the public to report any found debris on his website, flotsmetrics.com.

More than 200,000 buildings were washed out by the waves that followed the 9.0 quake. There are reports of cars, tractor-trailers, capsized ships and even whole houses bobbing around in the open water. There will also be human feet, still in their shoes, washing up.  Feet tend to be the part of humans that survive the seas because they come off bodies at the joints, and are encased in shoes that keep them floating on the surface.  Several thousand bodies were washed out to sea following and while most of the limbs will come apart and break down in the water, feet encased in shoes will float, Mr. Ebbesmeyer said.

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"Richard Gere is a decent actor" - the oddest photo we've seen today

click to enlarge

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Finger of the day, No. 22

by Mona Goldwater, Nonverbal Communications Editor

As often happens, we cannot find the sources for these images that appear on either dozens of websites, blogs, and posts, or none at all. . .at least according to TinEye.com (who are a great source for "sourcing" images).

This seems to be Sharon Osbourne and friends?

A bad Santa

Bank of America guards

The Geico Cavemen

the late metallurgist Dimebag Darrell Pantera

X-ray

former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar

Our cousin gives the finger

The Police

Homeless man gives a double finger

"Hot for words'" Marlina Orlova

Keith Richards

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is saluted by a protestor

You have to hand it to this youth, who enhanced the

family portrait, which the family missed and sent out with

the annual Christmas Card

Stan Lee of Spiderman fame salutes reporters

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the dilbert transformations

By Jack Brummet, Managing Editor

When we were just starting KnowWonder/Amaze Entertainment, the first game we published was "Young Dilbert," an "edu-game" that taught kids computer fundamentals.  One of our marketing pieces was a "make your own Dilbert" flyer.  I created these in 1997 from those templates.  The artistic challenge I set was to make these transformations using only office supplies we had in our copy-room.  I think I did about 100 of these.  Cleaning out my office, I recently found about 20 of those Dilberts.  Here are some selections.  [Mixed media:  commercially printed templates, with White-Out, Sharpies, Yellow, pink blue, and green highlighters, and Dogbert stickers].

click images to enlarge

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Faces No. 254 - Jitters Coffee Shop

drawing by jack brummet

click to enlarge

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The West Wall

By Jack Brummet
This is the west wall in my office, or, roughly, 136 square feet of faces (the north and south walls have roughly the same; the east wall is all windows).

click to enlarge

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Poem: Contemplation

By Jack Brummet



The wind scours the desolate earth
Flaying turf and churning surf
The literal and figurative ablution

Is made
But not yet the offering
Or the prayer

Because the way is unclear
You look for an omen
Like the old kings

And contemplate
Advance and retreat
Fight or flight

Waiting for The Lamplighter
In his own sweet time
To show you the sign.
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Sometimes it feels like #OccupyWallStreet is moving onto Main Street (I just saw a great banner on Ballard's Market Street)

By Jack Brummet, OWS Editor

I'm starting to see more and more signs that some of the messages and aims of Occupy Wall Street are sinking in.  Sarah Palin makes speeches that include some of the foundation planks of OWS; Republicans in the debates admit--somewhat begrudgingly--that, well, yeah, maybe things are not as equitable as they should be.  I've seen the mainstream press slowly begin to acknowledge that whatever's happening in the hundreds of OWS encampments across the country (and in over 100 other countries) may be real, and may just change the 2012 elections.  Even Fox News at times acknowledges "there's something happening here; what it is ain't exactly clear..."

Today, as I was walking along Market Street in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, I stumbled on this banner, hung below a sign for the Nordic Heritage Museum's annual YuleFest (Nordic cuisine, crafts and gifts, Santa, entertainment, brats and beer).  It's a nice juxtaposition, whoever did it--crafts and gifts and Santa and then thunk! "GIVE BACK THE BONUSES."

click to enlarge

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Weekender Edition: seven years ago on ATIT. "The Captain's Pants"

This is a post from the very first week of ATIT, seven years ago.

Long ago, when sailing ships ruled the waves, a captain and his crew were in danger of being boarded by a pirate ship. As the crew became frantic, the captain bellowed to his First Mate, "Bring me my red shirt!"

The First Mate quickly retrieved the captain's red shirt, which the captain put on and led the crew to battle the pirate boarding party. Although some casualties occurred among the crew, the pirates were repelled.

Later that day, the lookout screamed that there were two pirate vessels sending boarding parties. The crew cowered in fear, but the captain, calm as ever bellowed, "Bring me my red shirt!" And once again the battle was on, however, the Captain and his crew repelled both boarding parties, although this time more casualties occurred. Weary from the battles, the men sat around on deck that night recounting the day's occurrences when an ensign looked to the Captain and asked, "Sir, why did you call for your red shirt before the battle?" The Captain, giving the ensign a look that only a captain can give, exhorted, "If I am wounded in battle, the red shirt does not show the wound and thus, you men will continue to fight unafraid." The men sat in silence marvelling at the courage of such a man.

As dawn came the next morning, the lookout screamed that there were pirate ships, 10 of them, all with boarding parties on their way. The men became silent and looked to the Captain, their leader, for his usual command. The Captain, calm as ever, bellowed, "Bring me my brown pants!"

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Faces No. 252 - office birthday party

drawing by jack brummet

click to enlarge

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Faces No. 251 - the condo association

Drawing  by Jack Brummet

click to enlarge

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