Liars and Fools

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Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Seoul, Seoul T'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Quartucciu, Sardegna, Italy
Kingston Upon Hull, England, United Kingdom
Almeria, Andalucia, Spain
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
London, England, United Kingdom
Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela
Gera, Thuringen, Germany
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Sevndborg, Fyn, Denmark
Sofia, Grad Sofia, Bulgaria
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Welland, Ontario, Canada

as well as Sri Lanka, Brazil and the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Equip yourself with facts, and you'll always be able to state your case and back up your argument.
Things will go much more smoothly if you have logic and lots of information on your side.
After all, it's not who you know -- it's what you know.

Good thing I already do this.

Common auto-repair rip-offs to avoid

Shopping around can save you big bucks on car maintenance, but learn to spot these repair services you don't necessarily need.

Common auto-repair rip-offs

Also:

• Signs of a questionable used car

Woman catches thieves with webcam-like security system

A Boynton Beach, Florida woman busted four robbers who broke into her house after she saw them ransacking her home on a digital webcam security system that let her check in on her house from her work computer.

Full Story

Obama twice approved force to rescue hostage

Doing something the shrub would never have done (the Captain is not one of the top 1%in wealth, so he would have been left on his own)!

President Obama twice authorized the military to rescue a U.S. captain who was being held by Somali pirates and whose life appeared to be at risk, administration official said after Sunday's rescue.

Full Story

Damn, it's good to have someone with cajones in the White House for a change! Not to mention intelligent, articulate and willing to seek answers to questions he doesn't know.

Real Gone

Sheryl Crow's tune set to 'Cars'

America's hidden unemployment crisis

Over the past decade, U.S. businesses increasingly have relied on contract workers as a way to keep a lid on health care and retirement benefit costs and to give them more flexibility to adjust payrolls as conditions change. Now, with the American economy flashing code red, companies from Wall Street to Silicon Valley are casting off temporary workers and freelancers left and right, typically without any severance pay.

Full Story

Obama makes big changes to Cuba/U.S. ties

President Obama is allowing Americans to make unlimited trips and money transfers to family in Cuba and easing other restrictions Monday to usher in a new era of openness toward the island nation.

More here.

Faux's Beck Announces Comedy Tour

Glenn Beck , Faux News Channel 's latest fiasco, is taking his show on the road for six live performances over six days during the first week of June.

Full Story

Just what we need Brick live in our or your town. He's a joke - but he thinks he's serious.

Man arrested for throwing cash out taxi window

A Taiwanese man has been charged with public endangerment and destruction of currency after throwing bank notes worth around $41,000 out of a taxi cab window.

Full Story

Boy found near alligators as babysitter slept on toilet

From the "Duh" Department:

A Florida babysitter was charged with child neglect Friday after she fell asleep on the toilet and the 2-year-old in her care wandered near an alligator-infested canal.

Full Story

Fir Tree Removed From Patient's Lung

It seems like something out of a science fiction movie, but it seems to be real.
Of course, it happened in Russia so perhaps it was some top-secret project.

Full Story

All For You

Sister Hazel
(The video is a bit shaky but the audio is fine.)

Fake feathers could take the drag out of flights

Coating the rigid wings of airplanes with artificial bristles that mimic birds' feathers could help them cut energy-sapping drag, say engineers.

Fake feathers could take the drag out of flights

Antarctica's tumultuous past

The future of Antarctica's ice is written in stone from 19 million years ago. Douglas Fox meets the geologists drilling into history.

Driller thriller: Antarctica's tumultuous past revealed

Solar 'double vision' aids space weather warnings

Imaging from a pair of satellites means space weather forecasters can predict dangerous solar plasma "burps" 24 hours before they hit Earth.

Solar 'double vision'

Elephant Hairs

From BBC-Science:

Elephant hair reveals competition Dietary and behavioral clues in the tail hairs of elephants shows how they compete for resources and time their reproduction. Elephant tail reveals diet clues

Big Yellow Taxi

Counting Crows (featuring Vanessa Carlton)

Passenger lands plane after pilot dies

When a twin-engine plane's pilot died at the wheel, a man onboard took over and saved five lives.

Passenger lands plane

Legendary sports announcer dies before game

Longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, 73, dies after being found in the broadcast booth.

Sports announcer dies before game

Speaking of Taxes

The black day of April us almost upon us and we get this news: IRS to scrutinize e-filings.
Glad we did the 'snail mail' thing this year.

'Eye chart' test can reveal Conficker virus

This simple check can help determine if your computer is infected with the Conficker worm.

'Eye chart' test

Also:

• Find more about the Conficker worm

Insani-Tea

Pointing out the obvious ... wing-nuts, neo-cons, fundies and their ilk are INSANE.

Dog eats enough clothes to fill a clothesline

Vets who operated on a dog expecting to find a tumor pulled out enough clothes to fill a clothesline.

Full Story

Don't give up the Sheep

Ralph and Sam from Looney Tunes

Parents File Lawsuit Against Driver in ATV Incident Despite Police Report

In a case of them wanting someone else to pay them for their own stupidity (or in this case their daughter's stupidity).

A Pettis County, Missouri family has sued the truck driver who accidentally hit their 10-year-old daughter when she ran the ATV she was riding in front of his truck, despite the fact that the police have already said he had no chance to avoid the child.

Full Story

Woman rubs chili pepper seeds in her eyes after setting new world record

A 28-year-old Indian woman smeared chili pepper seeds on her eyes after gobbling up 51 of the world's hottest chilies to earn a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Full Story

Jobs with the lowest stress

Hate deadline pressure or want a shorter workweek?

These professions have a minimum of typical workplace stressors.

Lowest stress

Also:

• Extreme job-hunting techniques
• Find a job

Pirates vow retaliation after captain's rescue

Somali pirates vow to avenge three colleagues who were shot dead by U.S. Navy snipers in a daring nighttime assault.

(You might want to make that U.S. MARINES snipers, though)

Pirates pledge self destruction

Also:

• Rescue raises stakes
• Pirates' deadly mistake

Common items that are money wasters

Skipping items you buy out of habit, like wrapping paper and dryer sheets, could help you save money and be more eco-friendly.

Money wasters

Also:

• Great buys at the grocery
• Prize-winning cardboard oven

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Northmead, New South Wales, Australia
Kariya, Aichi, Japan
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania
Alicante, Communidad Valencia, Spain
Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie, Polnad
Burpengary, Queensland, Australia
Seoul, Seoul T'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea
Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Carolina, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Tiruchchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
Roubaix, Nord-Pas-De-Calais, France
London, England, United Kingdom
Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Brno, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Czech Republic
Rostock, Meclenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Tehran, Esfahan, Iran
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

as well as the Aland Islands and the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Things are building slowly in a new relationship, but make no mistake -- progress is being made.

That's good.

A change in the 'lay of the land', excuse me - lay of the blog

To all our regular readers you may have noticed a change in the layout of this blog today.

The change over to this new layout was somewhat 'forced' by the last layout going haywire today - although the thought had been swirling around in my head about changing it up anyway for a few weeks, already.

This new layout allows for larger graphics (charts, photos, etc.), which will be nice. The regular features (if you can call them that) of the blog haven't changed nor will they. Also, they should be easier to find and read.

Can Cuba cope with an onslaught of Americans?

A push in Congress to do away with U.S. travel bans on Cuba could set off a flood of American visitors to the long-forbidden island.

But many wonder if a country where foreigners have long complained about lousy food, sluggish service and iffy infrastructure is ready for an onslaught of Americans unseen since the days of Meyer Lansky and Al Capone.

Can Cuba cope with an onslaught of Americans?

Details of Obamas' new dog create splash

Play Video

There is special meaning behind the name and origins of the new first puppy, which up to now has been a closely guarded White House secret.

Obamas' new dog

What to eat for gorgeous skin

These beauty-boosting foods that keep your complexion clear and radiant are as close as your kitchen.

What to eat for gorgeous skin

Also:

• Foods with healing properties
• Secrets to a healthy lifestyle

Homeowners complain of risks from Chinese drywall

Many construction firms used less-expensive imported wallboard at the height of the housing boom, but some owners are saying it is making them sick.

Risks from Chinese drywall

Also:

• Drywall in Katrina houses

Captain freed from pirates after daring rescue

U.S. Navy snipers killed three of the four Somali pirates holding Richard Phillips hostage in a lifeboat, ending a five-day high-seas drama.

Captain freed from pirates

Also:

• Officer: Split-second decision to open fire
• One pirate in military custody

Facebook Users Have Lower GPAs

Why do I not find this surprising?

While one study indicates that a little Internet leisure time at work can increase productivity, a second study now shows college students who regularly use social networking site Facebook have lower GPAs than those who do not.

Full Story

The Rainmakers

Tennessee Tuxedo

And I Quote

Weaseling out of things is important to learn.
It's what separates us from the animals... except the weasel.

~ Homer Simpson

Come and get your love

Redbone

Washington Post Again Embarasses George Will Over Climate Statements

In what can only be described as a stunning editorial, the Washington Post Friday called attention to the worrying rates of Arctic Sea ice melting while simultaneously embarrassing perhaps its most famous columnist--George Will. This is the third time in a week that Post employees have distanced themselves from George Will's misstatements on Arctic ice.

More at TreeHugger: Washington Post Again Embarasses George Will Over Climate Statements

Putting Roadkill Back on the Menu

Photo via: Cindy Funk

The L.A. Times recently published a wonderful article on the many lessons that can be found from depression era cooking. While having not fallen far enough yet to compare ourselves to the extreme hard times of The Great Depression, there are some very interesting and important lessons that can be learned from this era...

Article continues: 2009 Recession: Putting Roadkill Back on the Menu

Touting Factory Pig Farming

From TreeHugger:

photo: Seven Trees

In an age where nearly 70 percent of antibiotics produced annually are given to some form of livestock and mass production of livestock has led to widespread animal mistreatment and serious environmental repercussions, it seems flippant to claim that factory farming is done for the safety of consumers.

Article continues: Touting Factory Pig Farming Safe, Really?

Headlines

Headlines for April 12, 2009

• Rioting follows state of emergency in Thai capital
• US ship, choppers, shadow hostage captain, pirates
• IRA dissidents threaten top Sinn Fein politician
• New orangutan population found in Indonesia
• Sri Lanka to suspend offensives against rebels
• Thailand announces state of emergency in Bangkok
• U.S. warships, helicopters shadow Somali pirates holding captain
• Obama seeks new relationship with Latin America this week
• First-quarter earnings reports to provide Wall Street reality check
• Conficker worm hits more than 700 University of Utah computers
• Obama daughters to get 6-month-old Portuguese water dog

One nation under many gods

A busy week at the White House reflects America's growing openness to many faiths.

One nation under many gods

Maybe now some can get it through their thick skulls we ARE NOT a christian nation.

Best food color to protect aging brains?

Eating food of this hue may help prevent a wide spectrum of diseases.

Best food color to protect aging brains?

Also:

• Diet mistakes you could be making
• Whole grain or whole wheat?

Outrageous

You want to talk about OUTRAGEOUS?!

Then read this:

Wal-Mart becomes Oregon's Welfare Queen!

Snowblind Friend

Steppenwolf

Boulder Crashes Through Wall of Hillside Home

The hazards of hillside living ...

A large boulder tumbled down a Provo hillside Saturday and bounced through the second-story wall of a house before crashing through the floor into a basement-level garage.

Full Story

Polar bear attacks woman at Berlin Zoo

From the "What did you think would happen?" Department:

A polar bear attacked a woman at Berlin Zoo Friday afternoon after she climbed a fence and jumped into its habitat during feeding time.

Full Story

Welcome Readers

We welcome our new readers in the Aland Islands.

Our 164th country.

Is the angst bottoming out?

More doom on the horizon?
Or will happy days soon be here again?
Take your pick.
The confusion is enough to play havoc on a person's mood — or an entire nation's.

The American Mood

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Hamm, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
London, England, United Kingdom
Bad Windsheim, Bayern, Germany
Roubaix, Nord-Pas-De-Calais, France
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Tbilsi, Dushet'is Raioni, Georgia
Gafsa, Qafsah, Tunisia
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Port-Au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

as well as all fifty states in the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

You can rise above it, just look forward and move on.

All right, then.

Murder Charges Filed in Case of Angels Pitcher Adenhart

Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, was changed with DUI and murder in the death of Los Angeles rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others.

Full Story

Big banks lose 'top talent' on Wall Street

There is an air of exodus on Wall Street — and not just among those being fired.
As Washington cracks down on compensation and tightens regulation of banks, a brain drain is occurring at some of the biggest ones.
They are some of the same banks blamed for setting off the worst downturn since the Depression.

Full Story

So, the Rats that caused the damage don't like it ... tough.

And as far as they're being 'top talent' - what kind of horseshit do they think we'll believe next ... they are the ones that screwed the entire world over - they are in no way any kind of 'top talent'.

They are greedy bloodsuckers who are whining because they are no longer allowed to be free to keep butt-jamming the world and receiving utterly obscene amounts of cash way over and far above what their 'talent' level truly is and worth.

What is their 'talent' level you ask?

Does the phrase, "Do you want fries with that", ring any bells?

Then again that is an insult to the illiterate migrants who are actually doing those Mcjobs, whose 'talent' level far exceeds anything the Rats on Wall Street could ever hope to have.

Four injured after drunk drivers collide

In a twist on the ordinary: A drunk driver runs into another drunk driver.

Police in Wisconsin say four people were injured after a drunk driver hit another drunk driver in Racine.

Police say one drunk driver was traveling at a high rate of speed on Main Street when he missed a turn and went the wrong way on another street around 2:40 a.m Saturday. He hit two parked cars, rolled over and hit an oncoming car driven by another drunk driver.

Lt. Mike Polzin says none of injuries are considered life threatening.

He says a 27-year-old Pleasant Prairie man was cited for causing injury by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and a 35-year-old Racine man was cited for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Poetry

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

*****

Robert Frost (1874 – 1963)

Harris Teeter recalls pistachios

The Harris Teeter grocery chain has voluntarily recalled some packages of pistachio nuts after a supplier indicated that some may be contaminated with salmonella.

The grocery chain announced Saturday that its recall was limited to 12-oz. packages of its "Harris Teeter Natural Roasted & Salted Pistachios." The items may be returned for a full refund.

The company's California-based supplier, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., temporarily shut down after recalling more than 2 million pounds of potentially tainted nuts.

Harris Teeter's Web site says it operates 176 retail stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C.

Repugican Caller Calls Dimbulb A 'Brainwashed Nazi' for Supporting Torture

A repugican and U.S. veteran called Lush Dimbulb's radio show Tuesday, and told the wing-nut that he was one reason the repugicans lost, also telling him he was a "brainwashed Nazi" for supporting torture.

Full Story

Could it be ... a crack - the crack of dawn in fantasyland and the realization that reality is there?!

First Pup to Arrive Tuesday

The long awaited "first pup" will arrive at the White House on Tuesday.
As previously "nominated," the Obamas' new dog will be a Portuguese Water Dog.

Full Story

Liars and Fools

Liars and Fools
The insane ravings edition:

A repugican candidate for the White House in 2012 tries and fails miserably to hammer at President Obama in an anti-tax rant.

2012 repugican loser blasts budget

Love Is Only Sleeping

The Monkees

Liars and Fools

Liars and Fools
The Don't be fooled edition:

Swill O'Really: "I Despise the Media."

Faux News Channel's Swill O'Really says he 'despises' the way many in the mainstream media are covering President Obama, charging that some of his liberal rivals on TV are an 'Obama cheerleading crew.' But he also takes 'issue' with the assertion from many fellow wing-nuts that Obama is a socialist.

Full Story

Chocolate eggs under threat from witches' broom

Sales of chocolate products may be booming, but killer diseases are threatening the world's major cacao plantations.

Chocolate eggs under threat from witches' broom

Earth's deepest secrets

We know more about outer space than the planet beneath our feet, but an ambitious plan to scan deep beneath the US will change all that.

Listening to the Earth's deepest secrets

Hurricanes peak a day after lightning

A comprehensive analysis of lightning activity during hurricanes suggests that the worst winds will come a day after bolts strike.

Hurricanes

Save the Holocene!

The Anthropocene is a proposed new geological era, meant to signal the idea that we've changed the Earth's biosphere and climate so dramatically that we've left the Holocene, the interglacial period that began 12,000 years ago.

It's a catchy (if grim) concept, but one whose utility I find myself seriously questioning. I don't doubt the magnitude of human impact on the planet. Quite the opposite. I think we of disruption we've already caused by consistently underestimate the degree of disruption we've already caused by altering the raw biological function of nearly every corner of the Earth and changing the chemistry of its atmosphere, oceans and soils. Very little "wild" anything remains, and all that does remain exists at our sufferance and will endure only with our conscious commitment. None of this, it seems to me, is really a matter of much debate. It's just how the world is now.

I get the utility of using the idea of the Anthropocene to provoke recognition of the mind-bending reality that we are transforming the very planet on which we walk.

Read the rest here.

US Paper Industries Pull 8 Billion Bio-Fuel Tax Credit Scam

From TreeHugger:

Cardboard packaging. Image credit:DesignFederation,net

Much of the pulp used for paper-making comes from the century-old Kraft pulping process. Since early the 1930's, operations using it reclaim and burn the process' "black liquor" waste to produce a majority of the energy consumed. Big Paper has discovered a new Kraft process reclamation trick to make millions more each year: by perversely claiming tax credits offered under a "green" Federal fuel blending incentive.

Article continues: US Paper Industries Pull 8 Billion Bio-Fuel Tax Credit Scam

Going Green at the Farmer's Market

Photo via Nashville Farmers' Market

The Berkeley Farmers’ Markets are just saying no to all plastic bags and packaging from their three weekly markets. Their “Zero Waste” campaign is trying to "remove, reduce, and recycle plastic and to recycle and compost all materialized at the markets."

Article continues over at TreeHugger: Berkeley Farmers' Market Leaves Plastic Bags Behind

Burglar apologizes, then turns over stolen goods

Police in the southern New Hampshire town of Pelham are searching for a burglar who says he's sorry.

Pelham police say a resident who pulled into his driveway Friday afternoon caught a burglar coming out of the house with jewelry boxes and electronic items.

The homeowner told police that when he approached the burglar, the man apologized, then put the stolen goods back.

Police say the homeowner tried to detain the burglar by engaging him in conversation, but the suspect fled by the time officers arrived.

Missouri farming couple has their own 'bale out'

A northeast Missouri farming couple knows the government won't be giving them a bailout like so many big companies are getting, so they issued their own.

Dennis and Janet Garlock of rural Adair County have placed a large hay bale at the end of their driveway with a sign proclaiming: "I got my bale out!"

The stunt has their neighbors talking and a lot of heads turning.

Some of the Amish in the area apparently are confused by the sign. One inquired whether the sign means the bale is for sale.

Environmental agency offices pollutes creek

From the "Wouldn't you just know it" Department:

Washington state environmental regulators say they've finally found the source of pollution that has been fouling a creek near Vancouver Lake: the agency's own sewer pipes.

City workers have discovered that an office building's sewer line was mistakenly connected to a storm drain, rather than the municipal sewer main.

The 1970s-vintage building houses Washington state Department of Ecology regional offices, as well as those of the Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Sewage from the building has been making its way into Burnt Bridge Creek and eventually into the lake. Jay Manning, the environmental agency's director, says the discovery was "embarrassing and upsetting."

The building owner is paying for repairs.

I Need A Hero

Bonnie Tyler

Cops want teen extradited from Texas

Durham, North Carolina authorities want to extradite a 16-year-old from Texas to face a murder charge in the slaying of a North Carolina teenager

Carlos Mendoza is one of six people charged in the February shooting death of 17-year-old Alejandro Denis-Terron.

Denis-Terron died at the scene after he was shot and killed while standing with a group of friends in front of a home in Durham in February.

Investigators say a group of people were seen running through a nearby cemetery after the shooting.

Police say Mendoza turned himself in on Wednesday in Texas to federal marshals.

And I Quote

More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads.
One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction.
Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

~ Woody Allen

Somali pirates hijack tugboat

Pirates seize an Italian-flagged tugboat as U.S. warships block bandits from sending reinforcements to a lifeboat where an American captain is being held hostage.

Pirates hijack tugboat

Also:

• Photos
• Obama's cautious stance

Scary Facts

This one ought to scare you:

Nearly 22,000 checks will be deducted from the WRONG account over the next hour.

Hooked On Facts

Today's six facts are:

Anteaters prefer termites over ants.
The U.S. Army puts Tabasco pepper sauce in the ration kits it gives to soldiers - every ration kit!
Venus is the only planet to rotate clockwise.
Mexico has more U.S. citizens living there than any other country - except the U.S.!
The inventor of the Waffle Iron did not like waffles.
The lungfish can live for three years out of the water in a state of suspended animation.

Bonus Fact: Most tropical fish could survive in a tank filled with human blood!

Will climate change spread disease?

Disputes have broken out among ecologists over a study that suggests climate change might not increase the range of tropical diseases after all.

Will climate change spread disease?

Headlines

Headlines for April 11, 2009

• U.S. ships block help for pirates holding U.S. captain
• Obama urges cooperation on global threats
• Japan says it's near a deal with China on North Korea message
• California Sunday school teacher booked in 8-year-old's death
• Searchers look for more victims of central Tennessee tornado
• New green electronics, tips on combating 'vampire energy'
• Protesters force Thailand to cancel Asia summit
• US ships block help for pirates holding US captain
• Investigation of building standards in quake zone
• Suicide bomber kills 9 Sunni fighters in Iraq
• Fiji military chief returns to prime minister post
• Oprah defends record of South African school
• SKorea, China, Japan want strong message for North

Get happy in a half-hour

Conquer as many of these nine tasks as you can in 30 minutes and boost your mood.

How to get happy in a half-hour

Also:

• Get more from your workout
• 5 mood-boosters to avoid

Lice Infection Leads To Killing

Lice are notoriously contagious, and very much so.
But this reaction is overkill (no pun intended).
A Russian karate master killed his neighbors because he thought they had spread head lice to his wife and himself.

Full Story

Mambo Number Five

Lou Bega

Mellvillian Drama

Man vs. pig in Oregon like Ahab vs. Moby Dick

There's a big pig rooting its way around Jody Cyr's 400 acres of southern Coos County range-land, and Cyr has spent the better part of the past three years doing his best to kill him.

Full Story

Man Trapped in Blueberry Waffle Mix

This is too funny ...
Firefighters rescued Anthony Abruzzese, who fell more than 30 feet into a silo housing flour for blueberry waffles at a Kellogg’s plant in Winslow Township, Camden, NJ.

Abruzzese, 38, is an employee at Kellogg. He got stuck in the silo when he went to check the flour levels, only to find himself waist deep in the white, powdery mix, according to the fire chief.

Rescuers were very careful as they tried to pull him out, fearing the wrong move could cause him to sink in the 10 feet of flour. There was also a concern that the flour could ignite.

Rescuers dropped ropes inside the silo to pull out Abruzzese, who remained conscious during the entire rescue process, after which he refused treatment.

Good Sportsmanship

It is considered good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.

Health News

In today's Health News:

• Spotting skin cancer
• The secret to living longer

Why self-control may not be natural

If you've lost the battle against temptation, blame your "worn-out" self-control.

Self-control may not be natural

Also:

• Love at first sight may be genetic

Popular boots may hurt your feet

Play Video

UGG-style boots may feel comfortable, but wearing them could cause long-term pain.

Popular boots

Saturday Jam

We go LIVE!
Today's Saturday Jam includes:

The Load Out/Stay

Jackson Browne

I Love A Rainy Night

Eddie Rabbit

Heartbreak Hotel

Suzy Quatro

Kiss Me Deadly

Lita Ford

Hot Rod Lincoln

Asleep At The Wheel

President Obama's Weekly Address

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, April 11, 2009

I speak to you today during a time that is holy and filled with meaning for believers around the world. Earlier this week, Jewish people gathered with family and friends to recite the stories of their ancestors’ struggle and ultimate liberation. Tomorrow, Christians of all denominations will come together to rejoice and remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These are two very different holidays with their own very different traditions. But it seems fitting that we mark them both during the same week. For in a larger sense, they are both moments of reflection and renewal. They are both occasions to think more deeply about the obligations we have to ourselves and the obligations we have to one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what faith we practice.

This idea – that we are all bound up, as Martin Luther King once said, in "a single garment of destiny"– is a lesson of all the world’s great religions. And never has it been more important for us to reaffirm that lesson than it is today – at a time when we face tests and trials unlike any we have seen in our time. An economic crisis that recognizes no borders. Violent extremism that’s claimed the lives of innocent men, women, and children from Manhattan to Mumbai. An unsustainable dependence on foreign oil and other sources of energy that pollute our air and water and threaten our planet. The proliferation of the world’s most dangerous weapons, the persistence of deadly disease, and the recurrence of age-old conflicts.

These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone. The United States must lead the way. But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations. That is why I met with leaders of the G-20 nations to ensure that the world’s largest economies take strong and unified action in the face of the global economic crisis. Together, we’ve taken steps to stimulate growth, restore the flow of credit, open markets, and dramatically reform our financial regulatory system to prevent such crises from occurring again – steps that will lead to job creation at home.

It is only by working together that we will finally defeat 21st century security threats like al Qaeda. So it was heartening that our NATO allies united in Strasbourg behind our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and contributed important resources to support our effort there.

It is only by coordinating with countries around the world that we will stop the spread of the world’s most dangerous weapons. That is why I laid out a strategy in Prague for us to work with Russia and other nations to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons; to secure nuclear materials from terrorists; and, ultimately, to free the world from the menace of a nuclear nightmare.

And it is only by building a new foundation of mutual trust that we will tackle some of our most entrenched problems. That is why, in Turkey, I spoke to members of Parliament and university students about rising above the barriers of race, region, and religion that too often divide us.

With all that is at stake today, we cannot afford to talk past one another. We can’t afford to allow old differences to prevent us from making progress in areas of common concern. We can’t afford to let walls of mistrust stand. Instead, we have to find – and build on – our mutual interests. For it is only when people come together, and seek common ground, that some of that mistrust can begin to fade. And that is where progress begins.

Make no mistake: we live in a dangerous world, and we must be strong and vigilant in the face of these threats. But let us not allow whatever differences we have with other nations to stop us from coming together around those solutions that are essential to our survival and success.

As we celebrate Passover, Easter, and this time of renewal, let’s find strength in our shared resolve and purpose in our common aspirations. And if we can do that, then not only will we fulfill the sacred meaning of these holy days, but we will fulfill the promise of our country as a leader around the world.

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Vitoria, Paso Vasco, Spain
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Rastatt, Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany
Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
Derby, England, United Kingdom
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ipswich, England, United Kingdom
Turku, Western Finland, Finland
London, England, United Kingdom
Prague, Hlavni Mesto Praha, Czech Republic
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

as well as all fifty states of the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Deal with the resources you have -- they may not be enough, but you are never going to have everything you need.
Luckily, you have enough ingenuity and creativity to improvise.
You need this pressure to rise to your great potential.

Darn it, and here I wanted everything I needed, oh, well.