HOLY SPLIT: Van Damme Volvo ad is AWESOME

The new Volvo truck ad starring Jean-Claude Van Damme displaying the martial artist slash Hollywood action legend's spectacular death-defying split between two moving trucks going backward is absolutely astonishing.

 

Watch Van Damme the man and his mind boggling Volvo stunt -- shot in just one take -- right here, or via this link if the Youtube video doesn't load:

 



 



Just for the record though, folks: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
 

X-Factor Wannabe Lillie McCloud is Has-been Nicole McCloud

The question on many X-Factor viewers' minds today is not why Lillie McCloud wasn't discovered sooner, but how as Nicole McCloud -- an internationally acclaimed recording artist from days long past -- she squandered so many brushes with fame.

The 54-year-old stunner proved to the wowed X-Factor judges this week that she's definitely still got talent, even decades after her top-charting music and dance hits are no longer remembered or played.

But the only problem is, McCloud was erroneously portrayed to an equally knocked out audience as a mere "mother" and "grandmother" who, after a humble lifetime of intentional obscurity, was "finally" pursuing her dreams of a music career.

It didn't take skeptical bloggers long to research the integrity of those claims, their intrigue prompted by a stellar performance that could hardly be deemed amateur in any way, and by the image of what's got to be the sexiest 50-something woman ever to prance across our screens.

And that's when it was discovered that the unknown wannabe Lillie Mcloud is actually the formerly well known has-been of the 80s, Nicole McCloud. A recording artist who's performed with some of the top pop-stars of all time, ranging from Michael Jackson to Mick Jagger.

In light of that revelation, many X-Factor fans have begun crying foul about the deliberate misrepresentation, saying, regardless of her amazing abilities, Nicole has had her chance at stardom, and that the popular talent show is supposed to be about finding true unknowns struggling against all odds for a big break.

What do you think, is the X-Factor's stretch of the truth about this once-renowned singer okay? Or is it a serious question of false advertising and a hoax?

Colonel Meow: When Beast Becomes Beauty

Web wonder Colonel Meow achieves new heights of stardom!

 

He's now entered the Guinness Book of World Records -- no, not for his looks but rather his locks.

 

The sourpussed two-year-old Himalayan-Persian lives with his proud folks in Los Angeles and already has a large online following, making him probably the most popular pet on the internet.
 

 

But recently he was also deemed the hairiest one in the universe, with a coat of fur measuring well over eight inches in length in every direction.

 

Perpetually frowning Colonel Meow the comely cat is such a furball in fact that all you can really see at a glance is his glaring eyes and upturned nose, an endearing mug that's made him virtually famous.

 

Congs to the colonel on his latest accolade. An ugly little feline who's, somehow, totally beautiful.
 

YOSEMITE FIRE: Iconic Yosemite National Park Is Ablaze

Yosemite fire threatens San Francisco electric grid

It's an American icon and a national treasure, and now our sprawling Yosemite National Park is ablaze, threatened by the out-of-control 100,000+ acre 'Rim Fire' which, despite herculean efforts, is still only two to five-percent contained.

More than 50 massive wildfires are estimated to be burning in United States at the moment, a country which in recent times has seen the burn season arriving earlier and earlier and staying longer, due to global warming.

But by far the worst inferno yet is the one that has just reached the edge of Yosemite National Park in California, menacing not only the historic park but the San Francisco electric grid as well.

The Yosemite fire is still on the park's perimeter, but as a precaution the National Park Service announced the closure of Route 120, a ribbon of highway which leads to the west side of the nature preserve and is one of just four of its main access routes.

World famous for spectacular waterfalls and giant sequoias, endangered Yosemite covers approximately 750,000 densely-wooded acres that support a highly diverse animal kingdom.

For that reason it attracts millions and millions of visitors each year all across the globe, so the loss of any portion of such a popular landmark will be immeasurable and have a long-lasting impact.

The park is also situated less than 200 miles from San Francisco, and only 315 miles from Los Angeles.

Kodak Bankruptcy a Grim 'Kodak Moment' To Forget

The Kodak bankruptcy and restructuring has been finalized and the company that's emerging, one full year after initially filing for court protection, isn't the one we all remember.

It's drastically leaner and, not so much about cameras or capturing images anymore, Kodak's focus will now be on commercial and package-printing instead.

Founded in 1880 by the king of cameras, George Eastman, his Rochester New York based behemoth expects to be up and running at 100 percent again by early September 2013, a spokesperson has promised. 

But this required shedding numerous jobs, facilities, and even its own legacy to accomplish, and, truthfully, there's little solid evidence that a smaller version of the corporation will fare any better in the digital era.

The digital dilemma is what ultimately led to the demise of Eastman's empire, and the Kodak bankruptcy was predictable from the moment the new photo technology arrived.

Add also the paperless quality to modern picture-taking, and it's easy to understand why Kodak's customers vanished virtually overnight.

Still, without waxing too sentimental here, there really is nothing quite like the shutter sound of a Pentax K1000 35mm, single lens reflex. Nor anything that compares to spending hour upon happy hour developing film and photos in a darkroom...

Maybe then Kodak company heads should reconsider their current strategy and cater their business to the millions of old time diehards in the world who still vehemently believe that photography -- from creating negatives to glossy sepia tone finishes -- is truly a fine art.

One that can't be imitated in just an instant.

Age-defying Venus of Willendorf dons star-spangled bikini

Although evasive as ever about her actual age, Venus of Willendorf apparently doesn't mind baring all when it comes to enjoying a day at the beach.

As demonstrated in the photo below, the voluptuous 20,000-something fertility goddess was recently sighted sporting a teeny weeny patriotic bikini which left nothing to the imagination.

The immodest two-piece stars-and-stripes ensemble was in fact fashioned exclusively for the world-renowned sex-symbol by Americonic Art, and, as expected, the prehistoric beauty did it justice.

So eat your heart out, Sports Illustrated.

Asked if the scantily-clad icon of art history had any qualms about exposing her full figure in a public area where hundreds of Barbie wannabes and the muscle-bound typically hang out, Venus of Willendorf just shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"I'm one of kind," she bragged, sending up a cloud of sand and a mini tidal wave as she darted past the gaping throngs and into the salty ocean. "They broke the mold when they made me," she unabashedly added.

Burst, the lady probably means -- have a great day at the beach, everybody!  

Best pizza in New York City NOT Pizza Hut

The world's best pizza comes from New York City, not Pizza Hut as far too many American consumers seem to think.

 

Granted, fast food joints like that may now hold a monopoly on the healthiest junkfood ever known to man. But, as most of us have learned the hard way, mass production and availability are not true measures of greatness.

 

Save your pennies, take a trip, and gamble on any tiny hole in the wall, from Queens to Little Italy, and you'll see what I mean: New York City KNOWS how to pound, flip, and bake a pizza pie like no other.

In fact, for this former Brooklyn resident and lifelong fan of fresh oven-baked cheese, dough and tomatoes, mentioning Pizza Hut offerings in the same breath or sentence with NYC's, almost seems sacrilegious.

Because that's not just a matter of comparing apples to oranges...

It's the difference between buying a Ford or a Ford Mustang.

OUT OF THE BOX: Converted Dumpster is Home Sweet Home

A Brooklyn man's converted dumpster takes dumpster-diving to brand new heights, serving as his no frills crashpad and home-away-from-home for whenever he comes to New York City.

New York's apartment rents and hotel rates are utterly astronomical, as everyone who's ever lived or visited there already knows, and unfortunately these continue creeping ever skyward, pricing most of humanity out of the market.

So to offset the high cost of travel and accommodations, designer Greg Kloehn, a frequent guest in the Big Apple, came up with enough cash for an economical solution that is nothing short of artistic.

He bought an old garbage dumpster and -- no rubbish -- converted it into a mini estate.

For those interested in following suit, $2000 was the total ticket-price for the stinky container. Not counting all the necessary renovations which cover everything one would need to subsist, including a kitchen sink and working toilet.

In fact, Kloehn's electrified converted dumpster, although somewhat cramped inside, even sports a wet bar, kitchen nook, lounge deck with umbrella, and a set of wheels should he ever have to relocate.

No doubt about it, Americonic Art, proud maker for over two decades of the gorgeous White Trash Collection of repurposed garbage, is pretty envious of this rugged dude's ingenuity. Despite that his little home is ... well ... kind of homely in appearance.

Dark day for Karen Black

Iconic film star Karen Black lost her battle with cancer yesterday. She was 74-years-old.

The sultry, cerebral, and sometimes silly leading lady who was frequently paired with such screen greats as Jack Nicholson, Charlton Heston and Robert Redford had been diagnosed late in 2010 with ampullary cancer and has been fighting to survive ever since.

The award-winning actress' career spanned decades, with blockbuster film credits that include classics like Easy Rider, Family Plot, Five Easy Pieces, and The Great Gatsby.

Thursday, Black's husband Stephen Eckleberry posted a message on his Facebook page to sadly announce that her fight officially ended on August 8th, 2013.

"It is with great sadness that I have to report that my wife and best friend has just passed away only a few minutes ago," his announcement read in part. "Thank you all for all your prayers and love; they meant so much to her as they did to me."

Eckleberry had struggled alongside his ailing wife, even launching an online fundraiser in order to raise monies to send her for experimental treatment overseas.

But by the time their campaign needs were finally met Black's cancer had spread to her spine and she became bedridden in the weeks before her death.

Young or old, it is always hard to part with our legendary performers or see them suffer, because they transcend the media and eras they work in, making their movies and songs and art the hallmark symbols of some of the "best years of our lives."

Rest in peace, Karen Black.

Monster Mayan Frieze and Frankenfish

Experts dub a Mayan frieze and mega-sized Frankenfish as two out-of-this-world finds this week:

Archeologists say Gods and governors decorate the Mayan ruins they discovered in Guatemala this past July. 

The deities and the deified were discovered in ancient high-relief stucco carvings which are being touted now as a 'once in a lifetime' find.

"This is an extraordinary finding that occurs only once in the life of an archaeologist," said Francisco Estrada-Belli, the professor from Tulane University who headed up the expedition. "It’s a great work of art."

Courtesy National Geographic, Estrada-Belli and and his team were exploring nearby Mayan ruins built circa 600 AD when they stumbled upon the never-before-seen Mayan frieze.

Its richly ornate sculpture and well preserved inscription of names "gives us a lot of information on the role and significance of the building, which was the focus of our research.”

Shown above, Guatemala's Mayan frieze measures 26 feet by 6 feet (8 meters by 2 meters) and features three prominent characters, each seated on the head of a monster and wearing quetzal feathers and jade.

Mayan Empire historians have determined that it was commissioned by King Ajwosaj who ruled the city-state of Naranjo, a vassal of the Kaanul dynasty.

A Virgina fisherman's catch in June was equally monstrous, although not quite as artistically appealing.

He reeled in a Frankenfish record setting snakehead that, as you can see by the photograph on the left, also takes first prize for ugly.

At nearly 18 pounds, the sharp-toothed freshwater predator from Asia that 27-year-old Caleb Newton yanked out of a northern Virginian creek is now in the record books as the largest one ever captured.

No tall fish tale, it measured three-feet in length.

This invasive species is one of the most tenacious as well, able to survive in extremely shallow streams and even mud if necessary, making eradication from America waters highly problematic.

McDonald's Franchisees Furious: Say Junk Food Giant is 'Greedy'

McDonald's franchisees furious about increasing operational costs have finally discovered a truism: The junk food giant is greedy.

The world's number one purveyor of garbage -- at both the consumption and post consumption level -- stands accused of unwieldy price hikes of late, particularly pertaining to rent, training and production.

This has left profitability in the dust, many franchisees assert, and since over 90 percent of McDonald's *restaurants* are operated by this up-in-arms mob then the chain has a significant problem on its hands.

But even before this week's corporate collision, McDonald's had recently been subjected to nationwide 'walkouts' by underpaid employees tired of flipping burgers for next to nothing and being deprived of benefits.

That made it extremely difficult for citizens in places like New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Kansas City to order their Happy Meals or supersize.

Routinely attacked for its less than nutritious offerings, the issue of a living wage, and the potential to pay that living wage, seems to be at the core of the corrupt corporation's newest crisis. 

But, judging from McDonald's long tradition of exploitation, analysts believe the company's management and policymakers are unlikely to bend very much on any of the matters for which it's currently under fire.

Salaried heads of McDonald's and shareholders' profits are far more important.

Regardless though, with hundreds of billions 'served' by now, and clearly only a tiny fraction of them satisfied, can the day of reckoning for stingy McDonald's be too far off?

Disgusted customers, disgruntled employees and disenchanted franchisees don't doubt it.

What do you think? Are McDonald's franchisees furious over nothing, or should the mega-chain finally clean up its act?

World's Biggest Afro

The world's biggest afro is BIG. 

How big is it? Well, larger than a disco ball, and, although it's definitely out of this world, still somewhat smaller than a Mars lander.

But it grows, remember, and at over four-feet in circumference already that's quite a piece of sculpture to have in tow 24/7.

A living, breathing work of art.

New Orleans resident Aevin Dugas is the proud owner of this hairy masterpiece and a Guinness Book record-holder for the world's biggest afro. 

The 38-year-old has been primping her stellar coif for almost 15 years, she says, and every now and then enduring some setbacks as a result.

“I don’t wear it like this on an airplane because people would probably slap me, because it touches people. I’ve had somebody want to beat me up at a concert.”

And that's not all. Dugas has very limited peripheral vision now, her big hair acting like veritable blinders. 

Plus, she also has to dodge trees and bushes all the time because, if she's not careful, her humungous hairdo can easily get snagged in them...

“So it can be kind of problematic," she concedes, "but I still wouldn’t change a thing about it.”

Sinkhole Montreal

Sinkhole Montreal the latest puzzling pit:

Not more than a week has passed since the Kansas sinkhole in Hoss' hayfield emerged without warning, and now a second hole in the ground has just given way. This time in the middle of a busy street in downtown Montreal Canada.

At approximately 25-feet across (so far) Montreal's sinkhole, however, is considerably smaller than the one which continues to grow in the state of Kansas. 

Nevertheless, it still managed to suck down an entire backhoe -- sans its operator, thankfully.

Sink-holing is relatively rare in Kansas, but the metropolis of Montreal and parts thereabout have regularly done battle with them. In fact, this newest one is the third or fourth to develop in that particular neighborhood, some of which have swallowed up more than one vehicle!

The Toronto Sun reports that, as with most of the other sinkholes that suddenly appeared in their region, the cause of this latest one is most likely decrepit infrastructure as well.

A sewer main had been leaking for weeks in that exact location, its effluence slowly but surely undermining the earth right beneath the pavement.

Hoss' pocked pasture, on the other hand, is still being investigated, as there is no known geological reason for why the bottomless pit should have begun growing there overnight.

No scientific explanation has yet been offered either, but usually in rural areas like Kansas heavy rains or severe droughts are the culprits. Especially when soluble soils, which are notoriously unstable, are involved.

As can be seen by the dramatic image above, sinkholes can pose significant hazards and some people have actually died as a result. Fortunately though no one was hurt in either recent episodes. 

You can view more images of Sinkhole Montreal here, and see a picture of the massive Kansas sinkhole too, plus learn about the science behind this weird phenomena, here.

Bloodhound Gang banned and bloodied in Russia

An overseas fray involving the Bloodhound Gang and, specifically, an obscene prank their bassist pulled onstage with a Russian flag has left them black-and-blue and barred from further performances at other Russian venues.

It's a painful reminder that, although it may be just a piece of cloth, you don't mess around with another nation's flag unless you're prepared to take some heat for it. Especially when you're a guest in their land.

A concert video of the American band's pariah guitarist Jared Hasselhoff stuffing the Russian flag into the front of his trousers and then pulling it out from the back of them has now gone viral, both here and abroad. 

The incriminating film footage shows Hasselhoff simultaneously yelling "don't tell Putin" to a boisterous audience before tossing the desecrated banner into the crowd.

That buffoonery was enough to get all the Bloodhound Gang members ejected from Russia and ambushed by a small mob of angry nationalists whom they say attacked them at the airport with fists, feet and whips.

There were no serious injuries reported in the altercation apart from some bruises, but the Bloodhound Gang was then escorted by Russian guards -- for their own protection and to ensure they catch their departing flight. 

Lollapalooza 2013, Elton John, and a missing appendix

While the Lollapalooza 2013 music fest rocks on, Sir Elton John is missing out on all the art and fun, stranded as it were across the pond in a hospital bed.

He's recuperating today at his home in Nice France, after recent surgery to remove his appendix.

Britain's aging knight of glitter rock and pop suffered a prolonged bout of appendicitis during which he managed to complete at least ten major performances "in agony" before succumbing to the condition this past week.

The 66-year-old could have died from the abscess and inflammation, he acknowledged, but he's alive and well, and for the time being taking it easy.

Most of Elton John's concerts planned for this summer have understandably been canceled now, but his publicists and promoters say they expect he'll be well enough to return to the stage by September or October.

The grammy-winning superstar also has a series of American gigs scheduled here in Las Vegas this autumn, provided there are no related health complications of course.

Last week he was able to post a gracious message of thanks to all his concerned fans and well-wishers worldwide:

"I would like to thank the literally thousands of people who have sent me get well cards and messages over the past two weeks," he said. "Your well wishes have touched me deeply and will play a big part in my recovery. I cannot wait to see you all and thank you in person when I resume my concert schedule later this year."

We'll content ourselves with Lollapalooza 2013 until then. Get well soon, Elton John.

What to do about Kansas sinkhole

Huge pockets of collapsing earth, like the Kansas sinkhole that formed overnight this week in Dalton Hoss' cow pasture, are becoming a frequent occurrence now.

Normally sinkholes develop after periods of heavy rain and flooding or where man has wantonly overdeveloped, shifting rock and soil deposits and thereby compromising the land's natural integrity.

But, assuming Kansans know what they're talking about, the Kansas sinkhole is an anomaly in that there aren't any large wells, caverns or mines in the area, and the region hasn't experienced that much precipitation either.

In fact, experts theorize that the recent lack of normal rainfall throughout large swaths of America over the past several years could be the clue as to why sinking land is on the rise lately.

It's basically yet another symptom of a hotter, ailing planet, they say.

Whether through excess water or drought conditions, the destabilizing effect on soil containing large amounts of soluble rock such as limestone, gypsum and salt, could be the same: It gives out suddenly, in the process of crumbling or resettling creating massive cave-ins.

Geologists familiar with sinkhole dynamics claim nearly 20 percent of communities in the United States are situated on the type of potentially unstable earth -- called 'karst terrain' -- that could one day, without warning, start to sink.

Key U.S. states where sink-holing is not so rare are Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. But the phenomena has been spreading.

What should we do with our new, fast-growing bottomless pits, besides exercising an abundance of caution when taking pictures of them? Why, fill these ever-expanding holes in the ground with tons and tons of trash, of course!

Unless, like Americonic Art, you intend to repurpose your garbage.

(Read about Sinkhole Montreal next.]

Comet ISON of Oort

Americonic Art is hoping the appearance of Comet ISON -- formerly of the Oort Cloud district of the universe -- will not only make a spectacular appearance over Earth this autumn, but maybe shed some particles in the process.

That kind of stuff would go well in the White Trash Collection, since space junk, debris and stardust are the only materials that haven't been incorporated in this vast and varied body of work.

Comet ISON, so named for the Russian-based astronomers who discovered it in 2012 (the International Scientific Optic Network), is an icy mass from distant Oort scheduled to hurtle by our planet sometime in the fall of 2013, observers say.

The event could produce the light show of the century, experts are already speculating, or it might just as easily turn out to be a complete dud.

Bedazzling or not, something's bound to drop from the celestial object -- 200+ kilograms of matter every day -- as it continues on its haphazard trek across the galaxy,,,

And it'll be finders keepers if any of it lands on or near the studio of Americonic Art in upstate New York.

Happy Birthday Sandra Bullock

LOVE POTION #9 STARLET IS 49!

Sandra Bullock, queen of levity and (now) gravity is having a birthday this month, although she's already announced she'll try her best to ignore this one which brings the award-winning actress to the brink of five full decades of life.

She doesn't look it, but the rip roaring gorgeous American icon of the silver screen officially turns 49 on June 26th, so this blogger wishes the birthday girl a very happy day nonetheless.

While Bullock's latest film project Gravity opposite George Clooney is a scify movie slated for release in October, she's at her personal best when employing that demure comedic approach for which she's now become so famous.

Like leggy beauty Lucille Ball before her, Miss Congeniality has made her own unique contribution to the art of comedy, and whether 50 or 100, she too will always have millions of grateful fans because of it.

In good times and in bad everybody needs a hearty guffaw now and then -- so thanks for the laughs and happy birthday, Sandra Bullock.

THE SKY IS FALLING (This Time For Real) 5 TIPS

For millennium, doomsday predictors have been saying the sky is falling. In fact, just browse the bible and you'll see some have even made End Times a religion.

For whatever reasons -- economic depression, famine, war, egocentricity -- every generation seems to believe that theirs will be the last.

But now global warming experts tell us mass extinction is no longer just a myth or a maybe. 

Humanity is headed for catastrophe, scientists warn: Earth is getting hotter, storm systems bigger, natural disasters more devastating... 

And it's only getting worse with every passing year.

A rising tide of concern

What can we do about the melting poles and rising sea levels at this late date, many ask. 

Can we build elaborate barriers to hold back the oceans, place our major port cities on stilts? Should we flee to higher ground and abandon these cultural icons altogether while we still can? Or should we quietly accept our fate, go out with one big bang?

After all, it's too late to do anything else. Isn't it?

Where there's life there's hope

As evidenced, Americonic Art thinks it's never too late to salvage things, not even a hurting planet.

Of course, this now requires a major paradigm shift on everybody's part.

Enlightenment.

And, naturally, we'll also have to accept that some prized species and ecosystems recently lost to us can never be reclaimed.

But we can put out the fires. We can control ourselves. We can atone for our sins.

5 quick tips to save our ship:

1. Turn out your lights for a couple hours each day and shut down your computer as well:  You already know electric isn't generated cleanly. More often than not it's made from burning fossil fuels, a leading component of greenhouse gases and global warming.

2. Don't chuck that thing in the garbage: If the item is merely *old* give it to someone else who can use it. If it's malfunctioning then fix it. Our ancestors didn't heap up landfills with their throwaways. Whatever was broken or frayed they quilted, repurposed, and mended, mended, mended.

3. Don't buy from corporations that insist on supersizing their packaging: As much trash is generated via big, fat, fancy wrappers as it is from faulty, useless products designed to break or become obsolete in a year so you'll have to purchase them again. Better yet, write these unfriendly companies' CEOs and complain -- filling a 16 ounce cereal box with 8 ounces of corn flakes and asserting that the carton is half empty due to 'contents settling' is deceptive and ridiculous.

4. Assess your needs realistically and show some restraint: Millions of people are signing on with expensive gyms to work off their six meals a day and the adverse effects of a sedentary life, when they could simply eat less, walk more, and save money in the process. Worse, those with less disposable incomes are going into hock to buy stuff they don't need and which has no real or intrinsic value anyway.

5. We're all in this together; let's be compassionate: Prejudices, dislikes, even preferences, are taught to us at a very early age and are usually unfounded. That means, to truly lend the world a helping hand, which is now so desperately needed, we have to make an effort to override these negative lessons. Because less strife, less war, less hunger, and less hate equals a greener planet.

PEACE BE WITH YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY

White Trash and a Royal Baby

With word from ye old palace that a royal baby is at last on the way -- another heir to Britain's beleaguered throne and the first grandchild of late great humanist Princess Diana -- all eyes are on England today.

Boy or girl, babies of regal birth and ones of *humble* origin both generate a lot of white trash, new moms and dads can attest. Sometimes pink or blue trash, too, depending on how traditional-minded families are.

None of it gold, however, nor inlaid with rubies.

Across the pond here, Americans keep watch on Kate Middleton as well, waiting with bated breath to rejoice in the new mother-to-be's birthing success. 

Like present day British subjects, we're also enamored of such royal goings on, even though centuries past we-the-people broke with monarchs and aspired to create for ourselves a world where there would be no aristocracy to fawn over and adore. 

No kings or queens to bow to. No lowly babies born. No royal baby to someday wear a crown and rule us.

But with our own would-be kings, corporate cabals, and celebrity gods calling all the shots per usual, it's a socio-politcal experiment that some critics claim has dismally failed. 

America's become a land of haves and have-nots, they warn. A country ruled by thousands of wealthy tyrants, selfishly lording over a disenfranchised 99 Percent.  

Other less cynical analysts nay-say the naysayers, though. They optimistically insist our democracy is still in its infancy, slowly but surely evolving to one day soon include everyone, rich and poor alike, in the American Dream scheme.

This blogger truly hopes they're right about that, and, in the interim, sends well-wishes to Princess Diana's noble son William, and his lovely wife Kate:

May these new, proud parents find peace in their ancient castles, and decades of domestic bliss.

I want my MTV hottest

MTV hottest - still

You can't begin to discuss iconic American art without mentioning our number one art form -- music.

And now, in keeping with its role as our unofficial musical tour guide throughout the years, is the MTV hottest musician awards.

From jazz to hip hop, America definitely rocks, and for the past few decades tracking it all for everyone has been MTV and its nonstop music videos.

Long before Twitter, before Facebook, before there even was an internet to log onto, it was MTV that ruled the universe.  

Now MTV wants to know who YOU think is the best artist this summer.

Is it teen heart-throb Justin Bieber? Demi Lavato? Lady Gaga? Or fabulous fivesome One Direction?

Whichever one is your favorite, tweet your vote on Twitter with the #mtvhottest hash-tag by the middle of August. 

Because this isn't just another silly contest; this isn't simply runaway fandom. It's about iconic art performed by iconic artists, and nothing's more important in the world.

Personally though, this blogger's secretly waiting on an Elvis comeback ... but wherever that dude is at the moment, it doesn't appear he's actually in the running.

Does Confirmed Apollo 11 Space Junk Really Belong to Jeff Bezos?

Confirmed Apollo 11 engines recovered in the Atlantic ocean last year by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos means that these prized pieces of space junk will never be a part of Americonic Art's expansive White Trash Collection.

That's all right though, because there's plenty more debris like that stuff currently circling the planet or sitting at the bottom of the seven seas somewhere, not to mention a countless number of meteorites and moon rocks.

However, considering it was the U.S. taxpayers who funded the pricey Apollo missions in the 1960s and 70s, is the confirmed Apollo flotsam really Jeff Bezos to own, irrespective of the mega-millions he may have spent to recover those items?

And, if so, can we all expect to see them soon listed on his website for sale? Say in the automotive or rocket ship departments?

Or will he just list them for bidding on eBay?

Oskar Schindler's List Up for Grabs on eBay

Through filmmaker Steven Spielberg, we're all familiar with Schindler's List now. And the tale of this Nazi party member's chutzpa in risking his own life to save the lives of over 1200 of his Jewish forced laborers -- destined otherwise for Hitler's death camps -- has become legend.

His list, for auction on eBay this week with a starting price of $3-million, is a prime example of trash to treasure. Not only because most items like it end up shredded these days and in a dump or recycling center, but because, to Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, those individuals on Schindler's List were also considered garbage.

German Holocaust survivor Halina Silber was one of the prisoners Oskar Schindler specifically marked for rescue. At 13, she'd lied about her age to work in one of his factories and, consequently, made his now-famous list.

Still alive today, Silber says her boss "was exceptionally caring and compassionate about what he was doing," and that he "risked not only his professional standing but his own life to save and support these Jewish workers."

Because of that, three generations and thousands more were ultimately spared extermination and genocide.

A race of people, a slip of paper ... it gives one pause when making similar evaluations today about what to prize and what to throw away, doesn't it?

World Trade Center: 'Beauty out of the ashes'

In ongoing efforts to obtain funds for finishing the World Trade Center memorial, a judge has dismissed the site developer's legal bid for additional monetary awards from the airlines whose planes where used in the terrorist attack of 9/11.

Owner/developer Larry Silverstein has already been compensated billions in insurance payouts so he could erect a single skyscraper and memorial to stand where the twin towers once stood. And while the judge cited statutes barring a plaintiff from collecting twice "from the same loss" the court heaped praise on Silverstein et al for creating "beauty out of the ashes."

Silverstein Properties and World Trade Center Properties were "disappointed with the ruling" and claim the project, which is still not completed yet, has cost them nearly 8-billion dollars. They intend to pursue their lawsuit.

Personally, if Americonic Art was in charge of that reconstruction, there would have been no new highrise defiantly and daringly built on such sacred ground. 

Instead, a massive quilt constructed from the rubble and shaped into a series of touching stars or streaks of lightning would have been installed. This ground-level design reaching as far across Manhattan as the Twin Towers' shadows did before they were leveled.

A durable outdoor quilt created from scraps of stone, brick, glass, metal and even plastic -- there's little doubt that this concept would have made for a more economical and moving tribute, as even new buildings can fall down, or, worse, be once again blown up.

92 quadrillion and the Rolling Stone cover on Etsy

Can you make 92 quadrillion AND the Rolling Stone cover by opening a shop on Etsy?

Well, probably not, but it's worth a try, some veteran sellers there do claim, so Americonic Art has done just that this week. 

Etsy's wisemen also urge newbies to apply succinct SEO tags and descriptions to all our artwork, crafts, and merchandise.

But, speaking as a traditionalist, it was challenging to part with clever titles in lieu of the more bland, longwinded -- and sometimes seriously overused -- keywords and phrases that search bots synthetically thrive on. 

(We're falling out of the 'golden triangle' here, the part in an online article where readers begin scanning, and that means to either click 'publish' or else upload an image as a bridge.)

 < uploaded image

Anyway: New Etsy store owner here, with never before seen artistic creations, some affordable, some high end.

Not expecting the Rolling Stone cover, of course, and nowhere near 92 quadrillion either, but, as it's an ongoing project, it'll be nice to get out of the studio now and then.

What's your opinion?