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The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.


Saturday, March 13, 2010

Al-Qaida suspect from Jersey worked at six nuclear plants

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100312/capt.c21cdff117ee4628812c82d38934c77d-c21cdff117ee4628812c82d38934c77d-0.jpg?x=213&y=304&xc=1&yc=1&wc=287&hc=410&q=85&sig=kJBphhf3NGOKbrUDiw1g5w--

An American seized in Yemen in a sweep of suspected al-Qaida members had been a laborer at six U.S. nuclear power plants, and authorities are investigating whether he had access to sensitive information or materials that would be useful to terrorists.

Sharif Mobley, 26, worked for contractors at plants in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland from 2002 to 2008, mostly hauling materials and setting up scaffolding, plant officials said.

Overdue library materials lead to arrests


Overdue library materials lead to arrests

Aaron Henson and others are shocked when they land in jail over delinquent fines.  

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Which tax records to keep and for how long

Which tax records to keep and for how long

The IRS says there are a few basic records that everyone should keep.  
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Speaking of Walmart

"The fact that Wal-Mart is carrying this movie - a movie that specifically exposes Wal-Mart’s 
past practice of taking out secret “dead peasant” life insurance policies on its employees and 
naming itself as the lone beneficiary should the employee meet an “untimely” early death - 
need you any further proof that Corporate America is so secure in its position as the ruler of 
our country, so sure of its infallible power that, yes, they can even sell a movie that attacks 
them because it poses absolutely no threat to them?" 
 
    ~ Michael Moore, on Wal-Mart selling his “Capitalism: A Love Story” DVD 
 

Man hit kids at store for thrill

 You knew it had to be at Walmart, right?!

Police in Ohio say a man in a Walmart store punched children with a key protruding from his fist and told investigators it was a thrill.

Man lives off frequent-traveler points

Man lives off frequent-traveler points

A man who lost both his home and his job is able to keep a roof over his head with miles. 
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Teacher writes 'loser' on assignments

Teacher writes 'loser' on assignments

The mother of a sixth-grader says her daughter's teacher is bullying the girl with his notes.  

(There is none!)
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Behind Dimbulb's curious Costa Rica vow

Behind Dimbulb's curious Costa Rica vow

Why would someone opposed to health reform flee to a country with socialized medicine for care?  
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Want to bet there are underage male brothels on Costa Rica just like in his favorite 'vacation' spot the Dominican Republic as well.

Tea(Douche)Baggers: NAZIS plain and simple

The philosophy held by douchebags, holding that no one other than themselves (or perhaps their close associates) matters in the least bit. Closely related to fascism, which has been practiced by control freaks such as Adolf Hitler.

It is utterly amazing how the wingnuts have it all backward. Just watch and listen to this video. Every single 'point' they assert that Obama (and by extension Democrats) is doing or is trying to do this nation is in reality what the shrub and the repugicans DID to this nation.

Also, them calling themselves 'patriots' is the most outrageous vile insult to we real patriots who have bled for our freedom.

Today's Anti-American is ... Bruce Springsteen?

From MediaMatters:

In an effort to critically analyze another piece of pop music, Glenn Beck and his sidekicks reached the conclusion that Bruce Springsteen's 1984 hit "Born in the U.S.A." is critical of America and, therefore, unpatriotic. In fact, the song was deemed so unpatriotic by the former shock jock's crew that co-host Pat Gray declared it to be "anti-American." This simplistic version of patriotism appears to leave little room for any criticism of America, its policy, or the behavior of its people. 

After Gray revisited Beck's earlier deconstruction of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," the gang turned its collective attention to Springsteen, with Gray getting the ball rolling by noting that Fourth of July fireworks displays often include "Born in the U.S.A." in the musical medley. Beck then broke into a spoken word version of the song.
Full Story 

*****
Batshit Crazy defined!

Growing rift puts repugicans in awkward spot

Growing rift puts repugicans in awkward spot

A clash between evangelicals and tea party leaders could make for a wingnut showdown.  
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Shady tactic behind $50 billion cover-up

Shady tactic behind $50 billion cover-up

A startling new report on the Lehman collapse zeroes in on an accounting trick known as "Repo 105."  
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NYC: Taxi drivers overcharged riders by $8.3M-plus

 You knew about this already didn't you ... anyone who's ever taken a cab in New York City knew about this.

New York City officials have discovered a widespread scam in which thousands of taxi drivers overcharged passengers by more than $8.3 million.

Ancient monster unleashed in 'Dinoshark'

Ancient monster unleashed in 'Dinoshark'

Cult legend Roger Corman's movie stars a killer dinosaur shark and some very campy bloopers. 

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Surprising voice behind 'Shrek' villain

Surprising voice behind 'Shrek' villain

The new 'Shrek' sequel is loaded with stars, but that's no actor in the part of the evil Rumpelstiltskin.
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Doctors may be overtreating patients

Too much cancer screening, too many heart tests, too many cesarean sections. A spate of recent reports suggest that too many Americans - maybe even President Barack Obama - are being overtreated.

Doctors may be overtreating patients

A spate of recent reports suggests that many Americans get unnecessary tests and procedures.

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A diet that helps you stay feeling full

A diet that helps you stay feeling full

This hunger-reducing plan gives you up to three weeks to gradually reduce your portion sizes.  

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Pope under fire for transfer, letter on sex abuse

Germany's sex abuse scandal has now reached pope Benedict XVI: His former archdiocese disclosed that while he was archbishop a suspected pedophile priest was transferred to a job where he later abused children.

Life-enabling molecules spotted in space

Life-enabling molecules spotted in space

The chemical fingerprints of potential life-building molecules are detected in the Orion nebula. 

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Get Set For Earth Hour With Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady

From Treehugger:
 
It shouldn't take a gorgeous super model and her rather handsome NFL husband to convince you to participate in this year's Earth Hour on Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 pm, but it certainly doesn't hurt. From time zone to time zone, the world's citizens will be turning off their lights. Giselle and Tom have their candles ready, do you?

Tips to ease into daylight saving time

Tips to ease into daylight saving time

Feel healthy, happy, energized, and well-rested as the clock springs forward one hour.  

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President Obama's Weekly Address


Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
March 13, 2010
Lost in the news of the week was a headline that ought to be a source of concern for every American.  It said, “Many Nations Passing U.S. in Education.”   Now, debates in Washington tend to be consumed with the politics of the moment: who’s up in the daily polls; whose party stands to gain in November.  But what matters to you – what matters to our country – is not what happens in the next election, but what we do to lift up the next generation.  And the fact is, there are few issues that speak more directly to our long term success as a nation than issues concerning the education we provide to our children.
Our prosperity in the 20th century was fueled by an education system that helped grow the middle class and unleash the talents of our people more fully and widely than at any time in our history.  We built schools and focused on the teaching of math and science.  We helped a generation of veterans go to college through the GI Bill.  We led the globe in producing college graduates, and in turn we led in producing ground-breaking technologies and scientific discoveries that lifted living standards and set us apart as the world’s engine of innovation.
Of course, other nations recognize this, and are looking to gain an edge in the global marketplace by investing in better schools, supporting teachers, and committing to clear standards that will produce graduates with more skills.  Our competitors understand that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow.  Yet, too often we have failed to make inroads in reforming and strengthening our public education system – the debate mired in worn arguments hurled across entrenched divides.
As a result, over the last few decades, we’ve lost ground.  One assessment shows American fifteen year olds no longer even near the top in math and science when compared to their peers around the world.  As referenced in the news report I mentioned, we’ve now fallen behind most wealthy countries in our high school graduation rates.  And while we once led the world in the proportion of college graduates we produced, today we no longer do.
Not only does that risk our leadership as a nation, it consigns millions of Americans to a lesser future.  For we know that the level of education a person attains is increasingly a prerequisite for success and a predictor of the income that person will earn throughout his or her life.  Beyond the economic statistics is a less tangible but no less painful reality: unless we take action – unless we step up – there are countless children who will never realize their full talent and potential.
I don’t accept that future for them.  And I don’t accept that future for the United States of America.  That’s why we’re engaged in a historic effort to redeem and improve  our public  schools: to raise the expectations for our students and for ourselves, to recognize and reward excellence, to improve performance in troubled schools, and to give our kids and our country the best chance to succeed in a changing world.
Under the leadership of an outstanding Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, we launched a Race to the Top, through which states compete for funding by committing to reform and raising standards, by rewarding good teaching, by supporting the development of better assessments to measure results, and by emphasizing math and science to help prepare children for college and careers.
And on Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind.  What this plan recognizes is that while the federal government can play a leading role in encouraging the reforms and high standards we need, the impetus for that change will come from states, and from local schools and school districts.  So, yes, we set a high bar – but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it.
Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down.  For the majority of schools that fall in between – schools that do well but could do better – we will encourage continuous improvement to help keep our young people on track for a bright future: prepared for the jobs of the 21st century. And because the most important factor in a child’s success is the person standing at the front of the classroom, we will better prepare teachers, support teachers, and encourage teachers to stay in the field.  In short, we’ll treat the people who educate our sons and daughters like the professionals they are.
Through this plan we are setting an ambitious goal: all students should graduate from high school prepared for college and a career – no matter who you are or where you come from.  Achieving this goal will be difficult. It will take time.  And it will require the skills, talents, and dedication of many: principals, teachers, parents, students.  But this effort is essential for our children and for our country.  And while there will always be those cynics who claim it can’t be done, at our best, we know that America has always risen to the challenges that we’ve faced.  This challenge is no different.
As a nation, we are engaged in many important endeavors: improving the economy, reforming the health care system, encouraging innovation in energy and other growth industries of the 21st century.  But our success in these efforts – and our success in the future as a people – will ultimately depend on what happens long before an entrepreneur opens his doors, or a nurse walks the rounds, or a scientist steps into her laboratory.  Our future is determined each and every day, when our children enter the classroom, ready to learn and brimming with promise.
It’s that promise we must help them fulfill.  Thank you.

Today is ...

Today is Saturday, March 13, the 72nd day of 2010.

There are 293 days left in the year.

A reminder: Daylight-Saving Time begins Sunday at 2 a.m. local time.

Clocks go forward one hour.


Today In History   March 13

Today In History March 13


Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day,
International Fanny Pack Day,
Earmuffs Day
and 
Geneaology Day

Our Readers

Some of today's readers have been in:

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Suva, Central, Fiji
Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania

as well as Hong Kong, and the United States in such cities as Zepherhills, Clemson, Greenwood, San Bernardino, Amarillo, Liverpool, Raleigh and more

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Don't worry, there's nothing unusual about how you're feeling right now. 
All you need is someone to talk to and snuggle up with -- and after all the times you've done just that for several dear ones, it really shouldn't be too hard to find someone who's willing to accommodate you. 
Oh, and if it is? 
Well then it's a good time to increase your circle with some more available friends. 

That'd be nice.