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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.


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods
In Cop News





Ad for new bed blanket that blocks flatulence odor a hit
An ad for a new blanket that absorbs flatulence odor is a huge hit on YouTube.


Russian policeman kills himself scratching nose with his gun
An armed 23 year old policeman in Moscow fell victim of his own carelessness. He decided to scratch an itchy spot on his nose with a gun and accidentally killed himself.

The tragedy happened in the court security facility. At 6pm the officer’s supervisor tried to connect with him over the phone to check on him. The sergeant did not answer his phone and the supervisor had to go see him with other officers.

The police found a locked door they had to break and the body of their colleague behind the door. The policeman’s body with a wound in the head was found under the desk. The investigation ruled out a murder. There was no note that would indicate suicide.

The victim had been serving in police since 2007. He was single and was not registered with the staff psychologist. He was reported to be in good spirits on the day of the accident. The sergeant allegedly scratched his nose with his gun and accidentally pulled the trigger.

Monday, May 10, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
No matter what the subject or where you happen to be, you are rarely shy about expressing an opinion. You're not exactly shy now either, but you may start to feel a bit of unusual emotional interference coming on, so remind yourself that if anyone has the right to be confident, it's you.
You've been so diligent and hardworking for so long, so relax.
Let the rest of the world worry about your feelings for a change!
Some of our readers today have been in:
London, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Turku, Western Finland, Finland
Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia
Bursa, Bursa, Turkey
Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Quebec, Quebec, Canada
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Vienna, Wien, Austria
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

as well as Scotland, and the United States in such cities as Elyria, Chula Vista, Oshkosh, Tomah, Secaucus and more

Today is Monday, May 10, the 130th day of 2010.
There are 235 days left in the year

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Windmill Day

Kagan for high court

U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan will be nominated to succeed retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.
Also: 
U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan's appointment would be a milestone for the Supreme Court.  
Also: 

As The World Turns

As The World Turns
Serbia discovers mass grave of Kosovo Albanians killed during the 1998-99 Kosovo war

A mass grave containing bodies of ethnic Albanians killed during 1998-99 war in Kosovo has been discovered in Serbia, officials said Monday.

Mexico extradites ex-governor to U.S.

Mexico has extradited a former state governor to the United States to face charges of helping smuggle cocaine through Cancun to the U.S., in a high-profile demonstration of the nation's increased willingness to extradite suspects as it battles surging drug violence.

Pakistan Taliban blamed for bomb plot

The White House says new evidence shows Faisal Shahzad was working for a terrorist group.  
Also: 

Your House As Seen By:

Yourself...

Your Buyer...
Your Lender....

Your Appraiser...
And...
Your County's Tax Assessor...

Stir It Up

 Bob Marley

On The Job

On The Job

Wrong ways to get on the boss's good side

Your boss may be funny, but that's no excuse to react like a sitcom studio audience. 
Also: 

It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid
In one city, the average mortgage owed exceeds the current value of the home by 35 percent.
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Need a vacation

Fill your days with scenic drives and relax at night in cozy cabinlike rooms. 
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Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

After upending a wingnut repugican senator, tea party agitators set their sights on a key mid-May primary.  
Also: 

http://www.sensibleerection.com/images/entry_thumbnails/1272658436_

Faux's Glen Brick lies: "Labor unions, communists, radical organizations" want to "overthrow" America, control earth "under one government".
He's channeling Eugene McCarthy now folks ... even Hitler won't talk to him any more.

Lush Dimbulb lies: "fraud" is the "primary electoral victory mechanism" for Democrats.
Nope, Lush that'd be the repugicans wholly owning those tactics.

John Boehner (reptile-Ohio) lies: Obama has no "real comprehensive" terrorism strategy, and has merely gotten "lucky" in preventing terrorist attacks.
Well, if by getting 'lucky' catches them before they pull off their 'attacks' by all means lets have a 'comprehensive plan' in place and let them slip through our fingers after they have pulled off their attacks.
(I'd go with 'lucky' if I were you bone-head)

Faux News grotesquely smears immigrants by blaming them for over 2,000 deaths annually -- based on wild speculation.
OK, and ...

White flight shakes up America's suburbs

A surprising trend gives the suburbs a new look and possibly a new political leaning.  
Also: 

Biggest lies in real estate

Home sellers have been known to bend the truth — or even alter photos of their property.  
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Its Only The Environment After All

Its Only The Environment After All
Plan A didn't work, so oil cleanup crews now may turn to the "top kill" technique.
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Has British Petroleum Opened Another Door To Carboniferous Hell?

door to hell photo
Darvaz: The Door to Hell, a drilling project gone wrong - collapsed natural gas dome burning 35 years in Uzbekistan. 
Image credit:English Russia blog
People have a hard time accepting the fact that oil and gas deep in the earth is of biotic origin: pressure-stored plant material from the Carboniferous. So much so that there are crackpot alternate theories about extraterrestrial origin. And, of course, there's always 'God put it there for us.' (Too scary for them, perhaps, to accept a constantly-changing planet, of colliding plates floating over a uranium core that's decaying and keeping the ground above warm?)
How do oil and gas company field employees think about the earth? When they instigate a blowout or gas dome collapse (as pictured above), especially, are they thinking 'door to hell' and 'end times' or are they thinking 'decayed fern gas' and 'lost money?' Even more interesting would be to learn what portion of them are climate science deniers.
Article continues: Has British Petroleum Opened Another Door To Carboniferous Hell?

Musical About Amazonian Tribe Debuts in Germany

yanomami photo  
The Yanomami are one of the largest indigenous groups in Brazil. 
They may not be crooning cats, singing sailors, or inner-city gang members with a flair for dance, but that's not stopping indigenous Amazonian tribesmen from landing a musical of their very own. The production, called Amazonas, premiered in Germany over the weekend. It centers around the Yanomami, one of the largest remaining tribes in Brazil, and the plight that they face their from unscrupulous developers, forest fires, and climate change. These real-life threats make the rowdy Jets and Sharks seem like, well, just a bunch of guys dancing.
Article continues: Musical About Amazonian Tribe Debuts in Germany

Helpful Hints

Get rid of odors, strip away chemical buildup, and more with this common pantry item.  
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Better yet don't shop at Walmart

Walmart's focus on low prices means you should skip some high-end items.  
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Girl Sucked Through Pipe, Survives

A 10-year-old girl who lives in Forest Hills was sucked into an 18-inch drain pipe last weekend, traveled underground for 36 feet in a torrent of water and lived to tell about it.

Polk Salad Annie

 Tony Joe White

Rare Bee Species Lives Alone, Makes Nest Out of Flower Petals

From Treehugger:
bee flower entry photo
When we think of bees, we often think of those cartoon-like swarms that populate a giant hive. But a rare new species observed in the Middle East is about to change all of that. The Osmia avoseta is a solitary bee that constructs its nest from petals and mud creating a cocoon-like dwelling for a single larvae.
13 Hot Eco-Cars That Go Zoom

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods
In Cop News






Sunday, May 9, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Gossip is like fast food: it seems delicious before and during, but later on you just end up feeling disgusted with yourself.
If coworkers or friends insist on swapping other people's secrets and want you to join in, just find a way to discreetly move away.
There's no need to pass judgment or call them out -- it's just not your way to indulge in pointless chit-chat.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Balikesir, Balikesir, Turkey
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany
Shah, Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Moscow, Moskva, Russia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Santiago, Region Metropolitana, Chile
Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Treviso, Veneto, Italy

as well as Scotland, and the United States in such cities as Aliso Viejo, Mahopac, Katy, Mabank, Visala  and more

Today is Sunday, May 9, the 129th day of 2010.
There are 236 days left in the year.
There are no unusual holidays or celebrations today.

As The World Turns

As The World Turns
 Eyjafjallajokul (pronounced ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl) is still acting up ...
A new ash cloud closes some European airports and causes major trans-Atlantic travel problems.  
Also: 
South Africa's police commissioner says an early U.S. exit would make his job a whole lot easier.  
Also: 

Riot police clashed with thousands of communists demonstrating outside the government's main offices in the Nepalese capital on Sunday, injuring several protesters and police officers.

Daily Comic Relief

http://imgsrv.gocomics.com/dim/?fh=5c27933a64f6f18cab91c425905cc166

White House doesn't rule out sabotage in Thursday's wild Wall Street plunge

From The Hill:
President Barack Obama has not ruled out sabotage in Thursday afternoon's Wall Street panic.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama's economic team was jolted by the news and met Obama shortly after the market plunged.

The president announced a full review Friday, and Gibbs said Obama is waiting to hear the results before ruling out possible causes, including sabotage.

Times Square bomb scare came cheap

 
Officials following the money trail say it doesn't take much cash to have an impact.  
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Magnitude 7.4 earthquake rattles western Indonesia, prompting tsunami watch

The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 has rattled northern Sumatra in Indonesia.

Having a bad day

A Colorado man who claimed he was trying to defend himself from a mugger when he shot himself in the groin has been convicted of illegal discharge of a firearm.

Non Sequitur

http://imgsrv.gocomics.com/dim/?fh=3d5337f022d1a34a8270a3ed5a2f9138

On The Job

On The Job

Massive layoffs backfire on companies

A new study has bad news for firms that think big job cuts boost their prospects.  
Also: 

It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid
Many costs that you've been paying all your life won't be a burden in your later years.
Also: 
Even intelligent people can make these emotionally driven money mistakes.  
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Will The Wolf Survive

Los Lobos

Al Gore: Why the oil spill could change everything

Just as the oil companies told us that deep-water drilling was safe, they tell us that it’s perfectly all right to dump 90 million tons of CO2 into the air of the world every 24 hours. Even as the oil spill continues to grow—even as BP warns that the flow could increase multi-fold, to 60,000 barrels per day, and that it may continue for months—the head of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, says, "Nothing has changed. When we get back to the politics of energy, oil and natural gas are essential to the economy and our way of life." His reaction reminds me of the day Elvis Presley died. Upon hearing the tragic news, Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, said, “This changes nothing.”
I am far from the only one who believes that it is not too much of a stretch to link the ongoing wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and northwestern Pakistan—and even last week’s attempted bombing in Times Square—to a long chain of events triggered in part by our decision to allow ourselves to become so dependent on foreign oil.

Here at home, the illusion that we can meaningfully reduce our dependence on foreign oil by taking extraordinary risks to develop deep reserves in the Outer Continental Shelf is illuminated by the illustration below. The addition to oil company profits may be significant, but the benefits to our national security are trivial.

It's Only The Environment After All

It's Only The Environment After All
BP official says crystals formed inside the containment box, and crews had to move it aside. 
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Gesundheit

http://www.zgeek.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=35187&cid=18

Why we call them 'wisdom teeth'

Those large molars in the back of your mouth don't make you wiser, so why the name?  
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The Kremlin is trying to rehabilitate Stalin, just like the wingnuts are doing with McCarthy

It's interesting to read that the Russian government is trying to polish Stalin's image.
For the past several years, some wingnuts have been trying to rewrite the history of Joe McCarthy's anti-communism, in order to suggest that he wasn't all that bad of a guy either.
Kind of ironic that the rewriting is happening on both ends of the political spectrum, from the communists to the anti-communists.
What do they hope to achieve?
It is troubling that either side feels that the black mark somehow hampers their efforts, as though they'd like to be more like Stalin, or McCarthy, if the public were just more amenable.

Good News

...and bad news: 
Good - one less repugican ... 
Bad - an even worse wingnut will likely take his place.
Opponents say Bob Bennett wasn't wingnut enough for ultrawingnut Utah.
Also:

Rastafarian inmates spend 10 years in isolation for hair

Kendall Gibson would seem to be one of Virginia's most dangerous prisoners. For more than 10 years he has lived in segregation at the Greensville Correctional Center, spending at least 23 hours every day in a cell the size of a gas station bathroom. In a temporary home for the worst of the worst - inmates too violent or disruptive to live among the rest of society's outcasts - he has been a permanent fixture.

He is there, he says, not for his crimes but for a crime he will not commit - a crime against God. The only thing imposing about Gibson is his long black dreadlocks, resting on the front of his shoulders so they won't drag the ground as he shuffles along in his orange jumpsuit.

It is his hair - winding locks he considers a measure of his Rastafarian faith - that makes him a threat, according to Virginia Department of Corrections Operating Procedure No. 864.1. The rule took effect on Dec. 15, 1999. Inmates had two choices: cut their hair no longer than their collars and shave their beards, or be placed in administrative segregation.


In the beginning, Gibson was among as many as 40 inmates who opted for confinement over cutting. By 2003, when a handful of the inmates filed a federal lawsuit against the department over their detention, 23 remained in segregation. The lawsuit failed. Some cracked under the pressure of constant isolation with no visits from loved ones, educational or religious programs or commissary. Some went home.

Today, it's difficult to tell exactly how many remain in isolation. The Department of Corrections won't volunteer the information, but has confirmed 10 names. Not everyone can handle it, Gibson says. For those weak in mind or spirit, the walls can easily close in on them.

"People always ask how I can smile in a place so negative," he says. The Rastafarian God, Jah, "is my answer. Without Jah in my life I wouldn't be able to handle it."
Like most of the Rastafarians in segregation, Gibson didn't become a believer until after he entered prison. He was 18 and had a long time to do, sentenced to 47 years on robbery, abduction and gun charges.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Your creative energy is all fired up and ready to go -- so make something awesome happen!
It's time to bust out your artistic toolkit -- whatever it is that lets you noodle around and explore all kinds of ideas.
You're sure to feel inspired -- in fact, you may have so much fun playing around that you look for ways to incorporate play into your regular, everyday life.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Poitiers, Poitou-Charentes, France
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Bremen, Breman, Germany
Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia
Helmstedt, Niedersachsen, Germany
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Dresden, Sachsen, Germany
Novosibirsk, Novgorod, Russia
Grand Praire, Alberta, Canada
Mexico City, Distrito, Federal, Mexico

as well as Namibia, and the United States in such cities such as Tiverton, Gaffeny, Antelope, Woodbine and more

Today is Saturday, May 8, the 128th day of 2010.
There are 237 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:
No Socks Day
Mother Ocean Day
Stay Up All Night Day
National Train Day
National Miniature Golf Day
and 
International Migratory Bird Day

President Obama's Weekly Address

Gardening, Recycling and Nudity, Oh My

So, we’ve heard of gardening nude… a couple was recently in the news for doing just that and there’s even a World Naked Gardening Day - which is today by the way (link NSFW)… but we’ve never seen it used as a marketing tool. 
Until now.

As The World Turns

As The World Turns

War criminal attacked in prison
The first Bosnian Serb convicted of genocide for his role in the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica has been attacked in a British prison, sources said.

Confusion in China as murder 'victim' reappears after 11 years
Police in central China are re-examining the case of a man convicted of murdering his neighbour 11 years ago after the "victim" suddenly reappeared in good health. Zhao Zuohai was convicted and sentenced to death by a court in Henan province on charges of killing his neighbour Zhao Zhenxiang in a 1999 dispute over a woman they both were seeing, the Beijing News said.

His sentence was commuted to life in prison and later reduced to 20 years. Zhao Zuohai confessed to the killing after a headless body was found in a local well in Zhecheng county, where he lived.

However, his "victim" suddenly returned to the area this week after an 11-year absence, stunning police, the report said. It said Zhao Zhenxiang apparently fled the county after the 1999 dispute and relocated without telling anyone, leading to his being listed as missing.

Police were now looking into whether the "killer" should be freed - and also trying to ascertain the identity of the headless corpse. The report said it remained unclear why Zhao Zuohai had pleaded guilty to the murder in the first place but added that there were suspicions police had tortured the confession out of him.

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know
NASA opens an old investigation, while a voracious-looking sea creature may be a big softie.  
Also: 
"City of gonads" jellyfish
Sporting a reproductive "skyline," a new species of jellyfish is like nothing else known under the sea, a new study says.

Shaped like flying saucers, both males and females of the new jellyfish have gonads on the outsides of their bodies, unlike any of the approximately 3,000 other jellyfish species known to science­.

Gonads are the reproductive glands that produce sperm in males and eggs in females.


Arranged in a "crater" at the center of the jellyfish's top side, the gonads, upon close inspection, resemble "skyscrapers in a downtown business district," said Lisa-Ann Gershwin, curator of zoology at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston, Australia.

Accordingly, Gershwin gave the jellyfish the species name "medeopolis," Latin for "city of gonads."

"It's just so completely different from anything we've ever seen before," Gershwin said—in fact, the jellyfish has forced the creation of a whole new family and genus, Csiromedusidae and Csiromedusa, respectively.

From: Nat Geo

It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid
Women like teacher Sara Wade are proof that the recession isn't hitting just men hard.  
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50 Surprising Fashion and Beauty Products Made From Oil That You Probably Use Everyday (Even if You're Green)

sexy-lips-red-lipstick.jpg
With all the news and talk about the Gulf oil spill during the past two weeks, we've (unsurprisingly) been talking a lot about the science behind oil and oil production, the future of energy, and the economics behind the whole shebang. We talk about this stuff a lot anyway, but when you really think about, petroleum pervades almost every single aspect of our lives. It's what we use to power our cars and make machinery go, of course, but it's also seemingly omnipresent in thousands of unsuspecting products we use every day. And for women in particular, petroleum and petroleum-derived byproducts are hiding in some pretty sneaky places.
Article continues: 50 Surprising Fashion and Beauty Products Made From Oil That You Probably Use Everyday (Even if You're Green)

Trip to hospital interrupted as pregnant woman robbed by boyfriend for beer money

When a pregnant Two Rivers woman thought she needed to go to the hospital to deliver her baby on Wednesday, her boyfriend refused to arrange transportation, robbed and threatened to kill her, police and prosecutors alleged. Two Rivers police arrested Michael Vinson, 46, at about 2 a.m. Wednesday after responding to a disconnected 911 call the woman placed from their residence. Vinson's bail was set at $8,000 cash and he is being held in the Manitowoc County Jail.

Instead of seeking medical attention for his 36-year-old girlfriend, Vinson demanded money from her to buy beer, Assistant District Attorney Mike Griesbach said during Vinson's Wednesday bail hearing. She gave him $50 of her $150 monthly disability check, Griesbach said.


According to police and prosecutors: When the woman told Vinson she didn't have the rest of the money, he punched her in the head twice and waived a butcher knife in her face. The woman tried to escape to the bedroom, using her weight to hold the door shut. Vinson followed with the knife and tried to push the door open.

He told the woman he was going to kill her and swiped the knife at her three times. When he forced the door open, he hung up the phone while she was trying to dial 911. The woman suffered pain and swelling to her forehead. She was taken to Aurora Medical Center but her condition was unavailable. Vinson was arrested for battery, robbery and endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon. Griesbach added a charge of intimidation of a victim during the bail hearing.