Battered Haiti hotel offers refuge for all
A once-elegant hotel leaves its doors open and operates a hospital in its front entrance.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Today is ...
Today is Friday, January 15, the 15th day of 2010.
There are 350 days left in the year.
Today In History January 15
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
International Fetish Day
There are 350 days left in the year.
Today In History January 15
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
International Fetish Day
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
as well as Germany, and the United States
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
as well as Germany, and the United States
Today's Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
It's not usually easy to part you from your hard-earned pesos, even if you have a good excuse to shop, like a birthday, the holidays or some such special occasion.
So when you wake up today with the urge to spend some serious money, go for it.
If anyone can afford to splurge, it's you.
And if a dear one's along for the ride, try and prepare them for this temporary turn of events.
You know what you want, you're after it and that's that.
Have cash, will spend.
It's not usually easy to part you from your hard-earned pesos, even if you have a good excuse to shop, like a birthday, the holidays or some such special occasion.
So when you wake up today with the urge to spend some serious money, go for it.
If anyone can afford to splurge, it's you.
And if a dear one's along for the ride, try and prepare them for this temporary turn of events.
You know what you want, you're after it and that's that.
Have cash, will spend.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Diplomat is 1st American Quake Victim
The first American reported killed by the earthquake in Haiti was a foreign service officer crushed when her home collapsed.
Full StoryBomb donated to museum goes out with a bang
A World War II relic that was displayed outside an Alaska bar for years turned out not to be a dud.
Bomb donated to museum goes out with a bang
Bomb donated to museum goes out with a bang
'We want our money back'
Obama: 'We want our money back'
President Obama wants to recoup every taxpayer dollar spent on the bailouts.
Credit-card firms profit from Haiti donations
Credit-card firms profit from Haiti donations
As aid pours in from around the world, banks and credit-card companies stand to make millions.
New obstacles for aid workers in Haiti
New obstacles for aid workers in Haiti
Food and water shortages add a layer of danger to rescue efforts as the search for survivors continues.
Dimbulb joins Pat Robertson on hot seat
Dimbulb joins Pat Robertson on hot seat
Lush Dimbulb's remarks about the Haiti disaster and Obama have stunned many.
China holds firm in favor of censorship
Did anyone really think the repressive Chinese government would back down to Google or any other foreign company?
China would much rather have a local search engine company such as Baidu who they can control.
Google, Yahoo! and other US based internet companies should have known this all along and held firm to their ideals instead of selling out earlier.
Were they really so naive?
China would much rather have a local search engine company such as Baidu who they can control.
Google, Yahoo! and other US based internet companies should have known this all along and held firm to their ideals instead of selling out earlier.
Were they really so naive?
Minister of the State Council Information Office, Wang Chen, said that online pornography, fraud and "rumors" were a menace. He said Internet media must help "guide public opinion" in China, which has the world's biggest number of Internet users at 360 million. He did not mention Google.
Wang's comments suggested little room for compromise in the Internet dispute that could stoke tensions between China and the United States, already at odds over the yuan currency, trade, climate change, and Taiwan.
On a more amusing note, China's top internet search engine was the victim of attacks by Iranian hackers.
Very strange.
Very strange.
Dimbulb says don't help Haiti
Dimbulb dissuades listeners from donating to Haiti. Says US has helped them enough, and that relief effort is all an Obama plot.
This idiot is astounding. He ranks up there on the asinine scale with Pat Robertson saying that Haiti made a pact with the devil and that's why all these bad things are happening.
The Haitian ambassador then responded to Robertson on the Rachel Maddow show last night.
Hell, even Don Imus wants to be the one to pull the lever on Pat Robertson when he gets the electric chair like he deserves.
This idiot is astounding. He ranks up there on the asinine scale with Pat Robertson saying that Haiti made a pact with the devil and that's why all these bad things are happening.The Haitian ambassador then responded to Robertson on the Rachel Maddow show last night.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
What will be their response to Dimbulb?Hell, even Don Imus wants to be the one to pull the lever on Pat Robertson when he gets the electric chair like he deserves.
Men more different from chimps than women
The result of rapid evolution taking place over the six to seven million years.
In genetic terms, as everyone but religious extremists acknowledges, human beings are in general very similar indeed to chimpanzees.
In genetic terms, as everyone but religious extremists acknowledges, human beings are in general very similar indeed to chimpanzees.
Life Sentence for Seattle Jewish Office Shooting
A man who went on a shooting rampage at a Seattle Jewish center, killing one woman and wounding five others, appealed for forgiveness and blamed his medication as a judge sentenced him Thursday to life in prison without parole.
California woman's car repossessed with toddler inside
Police in California say a car dealer who repossessed a San Jose woman's Honda Accord left with something a bit more valuable: her 2-year-old son.
California woman's car repossessed with toddler inside
California woman's car repossessed with toddler inside
Still glowing strong after 109 years
The world's oldest light bulb has been burning for 109 years - so little wonder it has a fan club with thousands of members and its own website.
Teen booted off flight for spiky Goth shoes
A British teenager was forced to wear plastic bags on her feet by airport security because her Goth boots were considered a terror risk.
Boston cops: citizen recording of abusive busts is "illegal wiretapping"
And of course they are wrong ...
Boston cops are using the Massachusetts electronic surveillance laws to arrest and prosecute citizens who use their cellular phones to record abusive arrests. Though they haven't been successful in prosecuting the acts, it hasn't stopped the arrests -- presumably the point isn't to secure convictions, but rather to chill the recording of illegal police activity. However, police have convicted citizens who secretly recorded their own abusive arrests, charging them with illegal wiretapping.
Boston cops are using the Massachusetts electronic surveillance laws to arrest and prosecute citizens who use their cellular phones to record abusive arrests. Though they haven't been successful in prosecuting the acts, it hasn't stopped the arrests -- presumably the point isn't to secure convictions, but rather to chill the recording of illegal police activity. However, police have convicted citizens who secretly recorded their own abusive arrests, charging them with illegal wiretapping.
Simon Glik, a lawyer, was walking down Tremont Street in Boston when he saw three police officers struggling to extract a plastic bag from a teenager's mouth. Thinking their force seemed excessive for a drug arrest, Glik pulled out his cellphone and began recording.
Within minutes, Glik said, he was in handcuffs.
"One of the officers asked me whether my phone had audio recording capabilities,'' Glik, 33, said recently of the incident, which took place in October 2007. Glik acknowledged that it did, and then, he said, "my phone was seized, and I was arrested.''
The charge? Illegal electronic surveillance.
Mexico's Museum of Drugs
The Mexican military's Museum of Drugs, opened in 1985 in Mexico City, is now running out of exhibit space.Sadly, it's a private museum, open only to government officials, diplomats, and members of the army.
The Washington Post's William Booth got a tour, accompanied by photographer Sarah L. Voisin.
From the Washington Post:
Probably the best-known exhibit is the life-size diorama of a grower in the countryside guarding his crop. Montane flips a switch and a cassette player begins a bouncy narco-corrida, the popular ballads honoring the derring-dos of drug outlaws. In the corner, a mannequin lounges in his dark shades, a shotgun across his lap, beside a pile of empty Tecate beer cans. In front are beans on the stove and a bust of Jesús Malverde, a highwayman who legend has it was killed by authorities in 1909 and is revered as a patron saint of traffickers and a Robin Hood for the poor.Around the corner, the exhibits show how drugs are smuggled, and here human ingenuity is on full display. There is dope hidden inside picture frames, logs, gas tanks, clay pots, tamales, concrete blocks, truck tires, soda cans, car bumpers, shoes, stuffed armadillos and a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
There is a kind of James Bond or Dr. Evil quality to some exhibits. An attache case confiscated from an outlaw surveillance team holds computer boards and other gadgetry to monitor cellphone calls. The cartels now employ their own fleets of semi-submersible submarines. On display is a large sea buoy with a coded beacon device the traffickers attach to huge payloads of drugs they can dump into the sea and pick up later. Also, apparently, the narcos now have their own line of clothes. There are dark blue polo shirts sporting a kind of family crest for the Zetas, a notorious cartel founded by former special forces soldiers that controls vast swaths along the Gulf of Mexico from Brownsville, Tex., to Cancun. The shirts, which appear to be 100 percent cotton, are emblazoned with a Z and the words: "Cartel del Golfo."
Early signs of Alzheimer's are in the eye
A simple eye test could soon help diagnose Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's
A new way of counting dying eye cells could allow Alzheimer's disease to be diagnosed before other symptoms show up.
Early signs of Alzheimer's are in the eye
Poor neighborhoods can kill
The strain of life in a crime-ridden inner city seems to send tumors into overdrive. And cancer is just one disease fueling US health inequalitiesPoor neighborhoods can kill
Five emotions you never knew you had
There are six emotions that we know everyone feels.But others may also be universal – and for good biological reasons.
Five emotions you never knew you had
Major Antarctic glacier is 'past its tipping point'
A catastrophic collapse is imminent, according to the latest study
A major Antarctic glacier has passed its tipping point – it is poised to collapse in a catastrophe that could raise global sea levels by 24 centimeters.
Major Antarctic glacier is 'past its tipping point'
Cop News
In Cop News
Massachusetts cops arrest videographers under non-existent "you can't photograph police brutality" law
Michigan Deputy gets eleven months for unauthorized access to data
California police officer and police chief under investigation for alleged misconduct
Unidentified off-duty Chicago cop charged after shooting incident
Suspended Florida officer named in civil suit against Orlando police, other officers
Massachusetts cop who was convicted of stealing $2,000 during traffic stop gets 1 year trimmed from 3-4 year prison sentence
Florida police officer released from jail after altercation at bar
Massachusetts cops arrest videographers under non-existent "you can't photograph police brutality" law
Michigan Deputy gets eleven months for unauthorized access to data
California police officer and police chief under investigation for alleged misconduct
Unidentified off-duty Chicago cop charged after shooting incident
Suspended Florida officer named in civil suit against Orlando police, other officers
Massachusetts cop who was convicted of stealing $2,000 during traffic stop gets 1 year trimmed from 3-4 year prison sentence
Florida police officer released from jail after altercation at bar
Why Haiti keeps getting hit with disasters
Why Haiti keeps getting hit with disasters
Geography isn't the only factor behind the island nation's unending string of catastrophes.
How to really get a free credit score
How to really get a free credit score
These companies will tell you where your credit rating stands — without costing you a dime.
Stop your biggest cash-flow leaks
Stop your biggest cash-flow leaks
Find thousands of dollars in your budget by answering these basic questions.
How to slash your car insurance rates
How to slash your car insurance rates
A simple phone call to your insurance company can help shave up to $400 off your premiums.
Entry-level jobs with big earning potential
Entry-level jobs with big earning potential
Careers in these fields will allow you to learn while your pay and responsibilities increase.
Cities where homes aren't selling
5 cities where homes aren't selling
In some areas, prices are still falling, and houses sit on the market for more than half a year.
Eat more of these foods and lose weight
Eat more of these foods and lose weight
Eating an egg a day can keep the weight away, and so can a delicious plate of pasta.
Big dangers for American economy
4 big dangers for American economy
If any of these four scenarios happen, it could stop the current recovery — and scare off hiring.
Obesity Rate Increases In Teen And Pre-Teen Boys
Researchers blame the usual culprits -- soft drinks, video games and inactivity.
Obesity Rate Increases In Teen And Pre-Teen Boys
NY Court OKs Internet Music Sales Lawsuit
The lawsuit brought by music purchasers had been tossed out by a lower court judge.
NY Court OKs Internet Music Sales Lawsuit
NC officers find pot growing in buried school bus
A search dog fell through a camouflaged trap door leading down to a full-length school bus buried eight feet under a backyard tool shed.
Boy can't get off U.S. terror watch list
From the "This is a sick joke" & the "What is with these people" Department:
Boy can't get off U.S. terror watch list
Mikey Hicks was first patted down at 2 years old.
At 8, he is still aggressively frisked.
Today is ...
Today is Thursday, January 14, the 14th day of 2010.
There are 351 days left in the year.
There are 351 days left in the year.
Today In History January 14
Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:
Dress Up Your Pet Day
and
Organize Your Home Day
Dress Up Your Pet Day
and
Organize Your Home Day
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canarias, Spain
Malmo, Skane Lan, Sweden
London, England, United Kingdom
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Enfield, England, United Kingdom
Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
as well as Northern Ireland, Portugal, Wales, and the United States
Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canarias, Spain
Malmo, Skane Lan, Sweden
London, England, United Kingdom
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Enfield, England, United Kingdom
Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
as well as Northern Ireland, Portugal, Wales, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
After days of hibernating, you've had it with dim lights, soft music and rented videos.
You're ready for some lively company, some exciting entertainment and some personal attention.
The good news is that you probably know exactly who to contact to have all that and more delivered right to your door.
Well, place your order -- but don't stay in once it arrives.
It's time to meet the world again.
You're ready for some lively company, some exciting entertainment and some personal attention.
The good news is that you probably know exactly who to contact to have all that and more delivered right to your door.
Well, place your order -- but don't stay in once it arrives.
It's time to meet the world again.
Party!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Pat Robertson Blames Haiti's Earthquake On Its Victims
This guy is a freaking insane idiot!
On Wednesday, wingnut wacko Pat Robertson of the "700 Club," while stating his cult will be there “to help the people," blamed the disaster on the victims.
He said that the earthquake was a result of a "pact with the devil" that the Haitians made long ago.
He said that the earthquake was a result of a "pact with the devil" that the Haitians made long ago.
NYC's "skinniest" house sells for $2.1 million
A town house dubbed New York City's skinniest house has sold for $2.1 million.
The red, 9 1/2 foot wide, 42 foot long brick building in Greenwich Village was built in 1873 on land used as an alley between homes.
NYC's "skinniest" house sells for $2.1 million
The red, 9 1/2 foot wide, 42 foot long brick building in Greenwich Village was built in 1873 on land used as an alley between homes.
NYC's "skinniest" house sells for $2.1 million
Fungus-gardening Ant Species Has Given Up Sex Completely
The complete asexuality of a widespread fungus-gardening ant, the only ant species in the world known to have dispensed with males entirely, has been confirmed by a team of Texas and Brazilian researchers.
Full Story2,000 Endangered Sea Turtles Killed or Injured by Frigid Waters in Florida
From Treehugger:
All photos via Georgianne Nienaber's column at the Huffpo Green
Investigative journalist Georgianne Nienaber has been covering the devastating effect the exceptionally frigid waters in Florida are having on the marine life. According to her reports, innumerable fish have been washing up dead and at least 2,000 endangered sea turtles have been injured or killed by the unusually cold temperatures. Heartbreaking photos of the sick turtles and the rescue attempts after the jump . . .
Invasive Tilapia Threaten Fiji's Natives
From Treehugger:
Tilapia—a fast-growing, highly palatable, fish native to Africa—has become a favorite among sustainability-minded diners. Indeed, when sourced from U.S. fish farms, the Monterey Bay Aquarium gives it a "best choice" rating.
But tilapia's hardiness, its versatility, its ability to grow quickly with little protein—the very things that make it so successful in aquaculture—mean that it is a dangerous invasive species when allowed to escape into new ecosystems.
Article continues: Invasive Tilapia Threaten Fiji's Natives
Thought Jaws was Scary? 10 More Fish to Inspire Nightmares
From Treehugger:
Eating fish can be healthy, doctors say. A little fish oil is good for the brain. What isn't good for fish, however, is overfishing, pollution, and disassociation, like landlubbers who don't concern themselves with the quality of life in our lakes and oceans. So here's a look at some of the 10 scariest fish on the planet, with big teeth, ugly mugs, and extra creepiness. Some of these fish are endangered. We need to remember that the less cuddly the creature, the more the need for awareness and diligence to make sure they and their habitat are protected. Let the uncomfortable awareness begin.
Jobs even a recovery won't bring back
Jobs even a recovery won't bring back
Some industries will bounce back as the economy improves, but these jobs are likely gone forever.
Haiti quake affects 3 million, shatters U.N. headquarters
Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital Wednesday after the strongest earthquake to hit the poor Caribbean nation in more than 200 years crushed thousands of structures, from schools and shacks to the National Palace and the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters.
Haiti completely devastated by earthquake
The biggest quake to hit the area in 200 years leaves a grim scene of bodies and crushed buildings.
Haiti in ruins, thousands feared dead
Untold numbers are still trapped in crushed buildings after Tuesday's massive quake.
Antarctic "Time Capsule" Hut Revealed
Nearly a century after Capt. Robert Falcon Scott explored the southern continent, experts are working to save the British explorer's wooden hut and three others in the area from slipping under the snow forever.
An Edible Schoolyard in Durham
From Treehugger:
We're big fans of edible schoolyards. From Alice Waters' original edible schoolyard efforts in California to one school's garden in the arid deserts of Arizona the concept is reconnecting kids with their food and each other. Kids in my neck of the woods are getting their hands dirty too, and they've even created a great video to show the world the fruits of their labors.
Article continues: An Edible Schoolyard in Durham: How Kids Grow (Video)
Endangered US Jaguars Catch a Break
From Treehugger:
photo: Tambako the Jaguar
Though there's nary a word of it yet on the US Fish and Wildlife Service website, conservation group Defenders of Wildlife is reporting that the handful of remaining jaguars in New Mexico and Arizona will finally get a recovery plan, including setting aside protected habitat, a crucial first step in saving the animals from extinction within the United States:
Has Faux News Gone Rogue on Rupert?
Roger Ailes played the part as Rupert Murdoch's political apparatchik — transforming Faux News into the repugican party id to suit his corporate master's political interests.But recent events suggest Murdoch's no longer in control of the beast he created.
The Disposable Worker
Pay is falling, benefits are vanishing, and no one's job is secure.
How companies are making the era of the temp more than temporary
You know American workers are in bad shape when a low-paying, no-benefits job is considered a sweet deal.
Full Story
Full Story
2009 Was A Warm Year In USA
Despite an unusually chilly year in the Midwest, the national U.S. temperature was slightly above average in 2009, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
2009 Was A Warm Year In USA
Scotland Yard Captures The "Facebook Fugitive"
It couldn't last forever, could it?
The "Facebook Fugitive," or Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, who has been taunting police via Facebook since his escape from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England a few months ago, has been captured.
The "Facebook Fugitive," or Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, who has been taunting police via Facebook since his escape from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England a few months ago, has been captured.
Record Highs Beating Record Lows in US by 2-to-1
From Treehugger:
image: UCAR--much bigger image here
Back in November scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and other equally prestigious organizations informed us that since the 1980s record highs have been outpacing record lows. And last year the ratio was more than 3:2--a normal ratio over time is about 1:1. Well, since the recent snows across Europe and cold snaps across much of the United States have brought the "it's cold today so global warming must be a scam" crowd out in droves, I thought (through Joe Romm's inspiration) that bringing back the graphic above is appropriate.
Article continues: Record Highs Beating Record Lows in US by 2-to-1, Redux
Object headed towards Earth an asteroid, not junk
A newly found object that will buzz Earth on today is probably a 15-metre asteroid – the close pass is likely to change its orbit.
What's the difference ..
Hey, kiddies!
What is the difference between today's depression and the depression in the 1930s?
In the thirties, the people robbed the banks.
What is the difference between today's depression and the depression in the 1930s?
In the thirties, the people robbed the banks.
Today is ...
Today is Wednesday, January 13, the 13th day of 2010.
There are 352 days left in the year.
Today In History January 13
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Rubber Duckie Day!
There are 352 days left in the year.
Today In History January 13
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Rubber Duckie Day!
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
London, England, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Turin, Piemonte, Italy
Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland
Skovde, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden
Kingsston, Kingston, Jamaica
Vilnius, Vilnaius Apskritis, Lithuania
Strathmore, Alberta Canada
Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
as well as Singapore, and the United States
Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
London, England, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Turin, Piemonte, Italy
Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland
Skovde, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden
Kingsston, Kingston, Jamaica
Vilnius, Vilnaius Apskritis, Lithuania
Strathmore, Alberta Canada
Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
as well as Singapore, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
So you thought you were serious yesterday?
And totally unwilling to crack a grin, much less let anything slide?
Well then, batten down the hatches, because you ain't seen nothing yet.
That was practice.
You're now fully prepared to do whatever it takes to grab hold of the steering wheel and hang onto it, especially if you feel that whoever is currently driving isn't up for the challenge.
Go ahead.
Grab that wheel.
By late tonight, you'll have arrived -- and you'll be ready, willing and able to have a bit of unexpected fun.
Fun, Yeah!
So you thought you were serious yesterday?
And totally unwilling to crack a grin, much less let anything slide?
Well then, batten down the hatches, because you ain't seen nothing yet.
That was practice.
You're now fully prepared to do whatever it takes to grab hold of the steering wheel and hang onto it, especially if you feel that whoever is currently driving isn't up for the challenge.
Go ahead.
Grab that wheel.
By late tonight, you'll have arrived -- and you'll be ready, willing and able to have a bit of unexpected fun.
Fun, Yeah!
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