Soldier in pink boxers praised by defense chief

Army Specialist Zachary Boyd's curious battle gear gets a special salute from the top boss.

Pink boxers

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• Obama's promise to military grads

Pump Pains

As millions fuel up for Memorial Day, climbing prices bring back painful memories.

Gas prices inching up fast

Hot dog makers in summer wiener war

Sales are sizzling and the stakes are high in the scramble to be top dog of the $2.1 billion industry.

Summer wiener war

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• Better burgers
• Grilling tips

And I Quote

Limbaugh hasn't had a natural erection since the Nixon Administration; think he's compensating for something?
Now, I wouldn't pick on him for any of this stuff, not his blubbiness, not his man-boobs, not his inability to have a natural erection - none of that stuff - to me, off limits until! until! - Mr. Limbaugh, you turn that sort of gun on somebody else - once you start doing that, you're fair game, fat boy.
Absolutely, you jiggly pile of mess.
You're just fair game, and you're going to get it, too.
You'd better watch what you say, Limbaugh, because it can come back the other way.

~ Ron Reagan Jr
(Too, bad his daddy was a repugican - at least the son and daughter have brains)

SC governor won't abide by law requiring federal cash

Proving yet again what a moron is ... the Nincompoop in typical repugican fashion thinks he is above the law ...

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford will ignore a new state law forcing him to ask for $700 million in stimulus cash to ease school budget problems, his spokesman said Friday, days before a deadline to take the money.

The repugican's plan to continue balking at the bailout came as pressure mounted on him to take the cash, which critics say is needed to avoid teacher layoffs and college tuition increases. Two students filed a lawsuit Friday with the state Supreme Court intended to force Sanford into action. An hour later, school administrators and principals sued there, too.

But Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said the governor can't be forced to take the cash. Sanford sued in federal court this week after the Legislature overrode his vetoes, effectively giving the governor five days to request the money.

"We view it as an unconstitutional act. We have no intention of enforcing an unconstitutional act," Sawyer said Friday.

Lawmakers said the governor should finally request the money to help shore up the state's newly approved $5.7 billion spending plan, and send $185 million to public schools and $100 million to colleges.

"The natural course of action would be that the governor goes ahead and does what this law instructs him to do and that's to draw down the money," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman, r-Florence.

Sanford's lawsuit is against state Attorney General Henry McMaster, who likely will enforce the law.

McMaster has until June 10 to respond. He learned Friday that he'll have to respond by Tuesday to the state challenge. McMaster spokesman Trey Walker said McMaster is not taking sides in the policy dispute.

He is "sworn to protect the Constitution of the state of South Carolina," Walker said. That "does not assign him a position" on the policy.

McMaster will defend the state against the lawsuit filed by Chapin High School senior Casey Edwards and University of South Carolina law school student Justin Williams. They asked the Supreme Court to hear their arguments directly and set a deadline of Tuesday for McMaster to respond.

The lawsuit updates one that Edwards filed last month but that the court said was premature. It asks the justices to decide that the Legislature can request money under the $787 billion stimulus law on its own. If it doesn't do that, the lawsuit asks the court to declare that Sanford must obey the state law requiring him to seek the money.

Edwards did not immediately respond to a message left on her father's cell phone. Columbia lawyer Dick Harpootlian is handling the case, but deferred questions to Columbia lawyer Dwight Drake, who represented Edwards in the first case.

The deadline isn't as much of a factor as July 1, the last day states have to request the money from the U.S. Education Department, Drake said.

Lawyers expected Sanford to ignore the deadline. "And we weren't going to wait around for that five days to pass," Drake said.

Sanford wasn't named as a defendant in the students' lawsuit. But the South Carolina Association of School Administrators named him and Education Superintendent Jim Rex in its lawsuit. It says Rex wants the money, but can't get it without Sanford's agreement to request it.

The court ordered Sanford to file a response by noon Tuesday.

Sawyer said that case is equally without merit.

But Molly Spearman, the association's executive director, said the stakes are high for school districts and children. School districts already have eliminated teaching jobs and refused to renew contracts.

"We feel like we've got to do what we've got to do to represent the children of this state," Spearman said.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Hippo can sing, but the Dog is the star of this video!

A Slice of Philosophy

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems start looking like nails.

Something to think on ...

A 6 year old can start a fire with a flint and a rock even though a 36 year old says they can only do it in the movies.

And I Quote

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

~ Gandhi

Barbecue mistakes to avoid

A grilling expert lists top errors made at the grill — and shows you how to make your next cookout a winner.

8 barbecue mistakes to avoid

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• Yummy burger recipes
• 8 healthy grilling tips

Where America's worst drivers live

Find out where your state ranks on a new list that examines drivers' knowledge of road rules.

Where America's worst drivers live

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• Most-ticketed cars
• America's scariest drives

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Paderborn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Huddersfield, England, United Kingdom
Dunfermline, Scotland, United Kingdom
Vancouver, Briotish Columbia, Canada
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Chaguanas. Caroni, Trinidad and Tobago
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
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Constanta, Constanta, Romania
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London, England, United Kingdom
Suva, Central Fiji, Fiji
Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Brussels, Brussels Hoofstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Bertrange, Bertrange, Luxembourg
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Brsibane, Queensland, Australia
Louth, Louth, Ireland
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

If you can, try to spend some time with children today.
You need a dose of their irreverent energy to perk up your outlook on life.
If you only interact with adults all day long, you probably feel like you're stuck in a rut.
Insert yourself in an environment where everyone is only thinking about having fun -- not doing what is acceptable, what is polite, or what is mature.
You can go back to being a grown-up some other day.

Honey, call the grandkids and tell'em Papa is on his way!