French cafe culture struggles to stay alive

Sitting in a cafe in France is part of every tourist cliche.
But with locals doing that less and less and the number of cafes dwindling at a rapid pace, is French cafe culture in danger of dying out? In 1960, there were about 200,000 cafes across France.

French cafe culture struggles to stay alive

Door-To-Door Atheists bother Mormons.

Turnabout is fair play as they say ...

Door-To-Door Atheists bother Mormons.

Australian filmmaker John Safran is so fed up with Mormons ringing his doorbell early in the morning that he flies to Salt Lake City Utah and tries to convert Mormons to atheism.
Needless to say, the locals were not pleased.

Liars and Fools

Liars and Fools

Sarah Palin (retarded-Alaska) continuing her lie that the health care reform proposal includes "death panels"
Batshit crazy is too tame a term for this loon.

Charles Grassley (reptile-Iowa), Newt Gingrich, Lush Dimbulb, Judy Biggert (reject-Illinois), and former New York Mayor and Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani all howling the same lie in an echoing chorus in unison
And the batshit crazies chorus chimes in on cue.

While hatemonger Michael Savage the "Democrat Rat" is "going to do an Oklahoma City"
What the hell is he ranting on about?

Faux's Brick 'jokes' about military tribunals for all those currently serving in Washington"
This idiot needs to be locked up ... like now.

Brick echoes the batshit lie that Obama wants "death panels" to judge whether handicapped kids can live.
The men in the white coats are waiting ...

Lush Dimbulb accuses Obama of "Mussolini-type stuff"
While he's buggering those little boys, I'm sure.

Michael Savage and World Net Daily continue to lie that President Obams is planning American internment camps.
Maybe, Amerikkkan internment camps, but not American. Which is not a bad idea at that.

Paul Broun (redneck- Georgia) lies about Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are plotting the declaration of martial law.
That has already been done from 2001 to 2008. We got rid of that.

'TV loves a ruckus'

The president takes a swing at the media as he fields pointed but polite questions at a Montana town-hall meeting.

'TV loves a ruckus'

Also:

• 11-year-old interviews Obama
• repugicans back away from end-of-life counseling

Thousands flee California wildfires

Play Video

Firefighters face hot, dry conditions as they battle blazes around the state.

Thousands flee California wildfires

Also:

• How to create a defensible space
• 'California is a tinderbox'

Science News

From BBC-Science:

US probe captures Saturn equinox Raw images of the moment Saturn reached its equinox have been beamed back to Earth by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft. Equinox to reveal Saturn secrets Saturn moon has 'ice volcanoes'

Antarctic glacier 'thinning fast' One of the largest glaciers in Antarctica is thinning four times faster than 10 years ago, research suggests.

Facial expressions 'not global' A new study suggests that people from different cultures might read facial expressions differently.

OTHER TOP STORIES

Bird watcher makes meal of midges

'Many hurricanes' in modern times

Green domain sparks war of words

India's water use 'unsustainable'

Lion cubs make first appearance

Humans in South Africa used fire to improve their stone tools

Blue tits use mint and lavender to disinfect nests, scientists find

Question of the Day

The Answer - it was Election Day 2000.
The court decided against the smart well qualified candidate and went with the braindead cowboy because he'd be more fun to drink with.

Letting the Banking Rats Out of the Bag

The good judge smelled a rat.

"Was there some sort of ghost that performed these actions?"

New York federal Judge Jed S. Rakoff demanded to know Monday in rejecting a deal that would let Bank of America off the hook in yet another banker bonus scandal.

Full Story

In Emails, Calif. City Councilman 'Joked' About Assassinating Obama

Atwater, California, City Councilman Gary Frago, who was in hot water earlier over racist jokes sent by him via email, is in boiling water now. Additional emails uncovered by the Merced Sun-Star indicate even more egregious emails.

Full Story

The World is Les

A little late with this (we've been ill):

Guitar Great Les Paul Dead at 94

Les Paul, famed American jazz guitarist and inventor, has died. He was 94. Reports are that Les Paul died of complications from pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, NY.

Full Story

Secret Service Detains Man Holding "Death to Obama" Sign

And providing further proof of just what insane idiots wing nuts are ...

The Secret Service is investigating an unidentified man whom authorities said held a sign reading "Death to Obama" outside a town-hall meeting on health-care reform Wednesday. Additionally, the sign had the text "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids" on it.

Full Story

Afghan law savages women's rights

Afghanistan has quietly passed a law permitting Shia men to deny their wives food and sustenance if they refuse to obey their husbands' sexual demands, despite international outrage over an earlier version of the legislation which President Hamid Karzai had promised to review. The new final draft of the legislation also grants guardianship of children exclusively to their fathers and grandfathers, and requires women to get permission from their husbands to work. "It also effectively allows a rapist to avoid prosecution by paying 'blood money' to a girl who was injured when he raped her," the US charity Human Rights Watch said.

Full Story

Amazing stunt video faked

An incredible downhill stunt hits the Web and turns out to be one of its "greatest fakes."

Amazing stunt video faked

Also:

• Find the fake 'Ball Girl' video
• 10 promotions that backfired

Iconic Woodstock couple is still together

Play Video

Bobbi and Nick Ercoline had only been dating for a couple of months when they attended the infamous free love festival.

Iconic Woodstock couple is still together

Also:

• Search: Woodstock, 1969
• The guy 'who never left'

6 hours of sleep ok for some, not all, says study

Researchers uncover a new clue to how some people can get by with less rest.

6 hours of sleep ok for some, not all, says study

Also:

• Search: Sleep disorders
• Stress keeps most students up

Fact vs. fiction

Play Video

"Death panels" and Medicare have sparked controversy, and misconceptions, about the president's plan.

What's really in health care bill?

Also:

• TV ads add to confusion
• Emails from public overload WH web site

Controller was on phone during Hudson crash

Two air traffic controllers are removed from duty over their actions on Aug. 8.

Controller was on phone during Hudson crash

Also:

• Pilot flew celebs around Manhattan
• Tourist filmed crash

Manson follower 'Squeaky' Fromme out of prison

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was 26 years old when she tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975.

'Squeaky' Fromme out of prison

Also:

• Tate killer fights for parole
• Manson crimes remembered

Missing cargo ship found

The mystery of a Russian-crewed cargo ship that disappeared in the Atlantic may finally be solved.

Missing cargo ship found

Also:

• Search: Artic sea cargo ship
• Fishermen overpower cargo ships

Not-So-Secret Squirrel Stars In Holiday Photo

Traditionally the best way to capture a squirrel is to climb up a tree and act like a nut - but this cheeky rodent is all too keen to get caught on camera.

Not-So-Secret Squirrel Stars In Holiday Photo

Science News

In Science News:

• Mermaid Sightings Claimed in Israel Reports of mermaid sightings have come from the Israeli town of Kiryat Yam.
• Mars' Victoria Crater Seen from New Angle An image of the Victoria Crater on Mars was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
• Some People Just Need Less Sleep Some people are hard-wired to need less beauty sleep than others.
• Fire Used to Make Better Tools 75,000 Years Ago Humans used fire to improve stone tools much earlier than thought, archaeologists found.
• Monkeys (and Humans) Prefer Mimics Capuchin monkeys show affiliation for those who imitate them, similar to humans.

Unusual Holidays and Celebrations

Today is Kool-Aid Day.

Daily Almanac

Today is Friday, Aug. 14, the 226th day of 2009.

There are 139 days left in the year.

Today In History August 14

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Delhi, Delhi, India
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland
Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

The only thing that matters today is doing what you want to do.
Stick to your plan and don't let yourself get distracted by anyone or anything.
Some very flighty people have been inviting you to join in on their adventures, but you are wise to decline politely and focus on your own agenda now.
Even if you're jealous of those who always have something going on, realize that their gambits aren't productive -- and none of them will help you reach your goals.

Ain't it the truth.