Pallets of bottled water wait to be loaded onto helicopters onboard the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier enroute to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 15, 2010.
Full Story
Friday, January 15, 2010
Tennessee fugitive captured in Atlanta
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says a fugitive on its top 10 list has been captured at a homeless shelter in Atlanta.
Tennessee fugitive captured in Atlanta
Tennessee fugitive captured in Atlanta
Yemen says airstrike kills al-Qaida military chief
Yemeni warplanes struck outside a desert village near the border with Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing six al-Qaida operatives, including the group's top military leader in the country, security officials said.
Yemen says airstrike kills al-Qaida military chief
Yemen says airstrike kills al-Qaida military chief
What happens when Mom makes more
What happens when Mom makes more
When a wife earns more money than her husband, who has to change the diapers?
What some home sellers don't tell buyers
What some home sellers don't tell buyers
Eager sellers aren’t above fibbing about lot sizes, utility bills, and noise issues.
Words of Wisdom
When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.
A Challenge to Howard Kurtz: Beck backs up Limbaugh, says Obama is 'dividing the country' by reacting so rapidly on Haiti
And as predicted by everyone ... the wingnuts are howling about aid for Haiti (as in-there is no need for it) and they are attacking everyone who is trying to aid them.
From Crooks and Liars: By John Amato
(h/t Media Matters)
From Crooks and Liars: By John Amato
(h/t Media Matters)
Conservative teabaggers couldn't contain themselves, as I predicted, unfortunately, because I figured they would complain that Obama acted quickly in a time of a real catastrophe. They are lapping up the Haitian disaster not because they are worried about the thousands of people that have been killed and are suffering there as we speak, but lapping it up to see how they can harm the president. Really, when will the media start treating them exactly like the disgusting lunatics they really are?
Limbaugh said the White House thinks it can use the disaster to boost its credibility with the “light-skinned and dark-skinned black community” in the U.S. Defending his comments, Limbaugh attacked Obama for speaking publicly about Haiti sooner than he had the failed Christmas Day terror attack. Today on his radio show, Fox News host Glenn Beck jumped on the bandwagon:
BECK: I also believe this is dividing the nation…to where the nation sees him react so rapidly on Haiti and yet he couldn’t react rapidly on Afghanistan. He couldn’t react rapidly on Ft. Hood. He couldn’t react rapidly on our own airplanes with an underwear bomber…it doesn’t make sense. [...] Three different events and Haiti is the only one. I think personally that it deepens he divide to see him react this rapidly to Haiti.
The teabagging talkers are all lying about how America feels President Obama is handling terrorism. His poll numbers are actually improving, but that doesn't matter.
I challenge Howard Kurtz to stop playing the false equivalency games and be very succinct in his critiques of the right wing media's performance during the earthquake in Haiti on his Reliable Sources Sunday show. If he needs help and he can seearch C&L or any other credible blog for some facts and he can check out Jamison Foser's rundown: The right-wing media react to Haiti
*****
And just WHO is 'dividing' this country?
And just WHO is 'dividing' this country?
Space satellites help Haiti relief effort
Space satellites help Haiti relief effort
NASA and other agencies are training their satellites on the nation to map destruction.
It's a Blond World
A blond goes to the Hairdresser's and chooses a hairdo.
Seated in the chair, she declines the request to remove her headphones.
The assistant warns her it's a lot more difficult to cut her hair with the phones on, but she persists.
The hairdresser is nearly finished with his job, as, in his enthusiasm he cuts the wire of headphones.
While he's making his apologies, the blond drops out of the chair.
After the ambulance has arrived, the medic can only declare the girl dead.
Of course, they close the shop for the day and, while cleaning the shop floor, the hairdresser finds the blond's ipod, which is still playing.
Being curious, the hairdresser takes his own headphones to hear what the girl was listening to.
All he hears is: "Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out, breath in......."
Seated in the chair, she declines the request to remove her headphones.
The assistant warns her it's a lot more difficult to cut her hair with the phones on, but she persists.
The hairdresser is nearly finished with his job, as, in his enthusiasm he cuts the wire of headphones.
While he's making his apologies, the blond drops out of the chair.
After the ambulance has arrived, the medic can only declare the girl dead.
Of course, they close the shop for the day and, while cleaning the shop floor, the hairdresser finds the blond's ipod, which is still playing.
Being curious, the hairdresser takes his own headphones to hear what the girl was listening to.
All he hears is: "Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out, breath in......."
Obama death-plot skinhead pleads guilty
A US man pleaded guilty to charges he plotted to kill then-Senator Barack Obama and dozens of other black people in 2008.
Full StoryHow to get your tax refund in 10 days
How to get your tax refund in 10 days
The IRS launches its fast, free, and safe system that sends refunds straight into bank accounts.
Secret hideaways multiply in Senate
Secret hideaways multiply in Senate
A coveted perk once tied to seniority and clout expands to even the lowliest Senate members.
New Osama bin Laden images
New Osama bin Laden images
Digitally updated photos of the al-Qaida leader account for a decade of aging and a shorter beard.
Unusual odor prompts wider drug recall
Unusual odor prompts wider drug recall
Johnson & Johnson pulls batches of Tylenol, Motrin, and Rolaids after reports of mild illness.
France considers a ban on Islamic veils
France considers a ban on Islamic veils
Any face-covering garment would be banned under a law that would be a first for Europe.
Cash in your frequent-flier miles
Cash in your frequent-flier miles
Airlines are making it harder to redeem your miles, but these insider tips will help.
Wall Street to pay record bonuses
Wall Street to pay record bonuses
On a per-employee basis, one large bank will pay out $379,000 on average.
World's cheapest car coming to U.S.
World's cheapest car coming to U.S.
The Tata Nano costs $2,500 in India, but safety changes will raise the price tag in the United States.
Best-tasting sausages from the store
Best-tasting sausages from the store
These six won top honors in a test of more than 100 store-brand links.
Florida Hunters Urged to Use Cold Weather to Kill Invasive Pythons and Reptiles
From Treehugger:
That's a 10' rock python trying to eat an entire deer. Photo: Alex Griffiths via flickr.
Brian just reminded us that Florida's ongoing problem with invasive and dangerous pythons has some people worried that a new hybrid constrictor might come out of their interbreeding. But as the Christian Science Monitor reports, recent cold weather may help quell those fears:
The Girl Who Conned The Ivy League
“She’s a criminal genius,” says Jon Campbell, the South Carolina police detective who eventually exposed her trail of deceit. “She was manipulative, controlling, brilliant. We didn’t know what to make of her.” With so many unanswered questions, authorities treated Esther Reed’s disappearance as an all-out emergency, suspecting her not only of fraud but of murder and international espionage. The tabloids had a field day with this brazen girl who had conned her way into the Ivy League; front-page headlines worried over her whereabouts and wondered what dangerous secrets she might be keeping.
No one guessed the truth, which was simpler, and therefore stranger, than their wildest theories: that the scared young woman so hotly pursued by South Carolina police, the Secret Service, federal marshals and even the U.S. Army was actually on a bizarre and misguided journey of self-discovery. A 28-year-old high school dropout from Montana, Esther Reed just wanted to stop being Esther Reed and to embark on a new, better life of her own design. She was pursuing the American Dream, with a twist: Rather than forge a new identity from scratch, she would steal someone else’s and remake it to suit her own needs. Reed never imagined that her ill-conceived self-help program would land her on America’s Most Wanted and brand her as a threat to national security — or that for one brokenhearted family in South Carolina, the fulfillment of her hopes and dreams would mean the end of their own.
Paired stars may bear multiple litters of alien worlds
Unlike single-star systems, those with two suns could produce more than one generation of planets.Paired stars may bear multiple litters of alien worlds
Alligators' bird breath may explain dinosaurs' triumph
The airflow through alligators' lungs is strikingly bird-like, suggesting that super-efficient one-way airflow evolved in an ancestor of dinosaurs.Alligators' bird breath may explain dinosaurs' triumph
Transparent frogs, tiny geckos and snail-sucking snakes
An expedition to the coastal rainforests of Ecuador has discovered 30 new species of frog, a slug-sucking snake and a tiny gecko.Transparent frogs, tiny geckos and snail-sucking snakes
From Treehugger:
Photo via Paul Hamilton / RAEI
One look at a newly discovered species of gecko, small enough at its full-grown size to rest comfortably on the eraser of a pencil, and it's difficult not to be mesmerized by the seemingly boundless forms of biological diversity--while simultaneously reminded of its fragility. For the last seven years, the Ecuadorian Biodiversity Project has scoured the Amazon to observe and record the rainforest's unique wildlife, and to draw attention to the imperiled ecosystem in which they live. So far, the organization has catalogued almost 6,000 species, taking roughly 25,000 photographs. Recently, 30 new species of reptiles and amphibians have been discovered, though sadly they could all become extinct due to the various factors that have long threatened the region.
Article continues: Incredible New Species Discovered in Ecuador
90 Accomplishments of President Obama Which The Media Fails to Report....
- Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending
- Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices
- Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women
- Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
- Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB
- Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information
- Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful rules and approval of fallen soldier's family
- The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information Act
- Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible
- Limits on lobbyist's access to the White House
- Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration
- Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
- Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren't even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
- Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
- Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
- New federal funding for science and research labs
- States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards
- Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect
- Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
- New funds for school construction
- The prison at Guantanamo Bay is being phased out
- US Auto industry rescue plan
- Housing rescue plan
- $789 billion economic stimulus plan
- The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying
- US financial and banking rescue plan
- The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed
- Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards
- Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
- The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
- Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
- Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
- Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions
- Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office
- Successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job
- US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast
- Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles
- Cash for clunkers program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulated auto sales
- Announced plans to purchase fuel efficient American-made fleet for the federal government
- Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children
- Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program
- Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return home to visit loved ones
- Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions
- Expanding vaccination programs
- Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters
- Closed offshore tax safe havens
- Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals
- Ended the previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back
- Ended the previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry's predatory practices
- Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources
- Lower drug costs for seniors
- Ended the previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings
- Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel
- Improved housing for military personnel
- Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses
- Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals
- Increasing student loans
- Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program
- Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy
- Established a new cyber security office
- Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.
- Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts
- Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness
- Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient
- Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced
- Improving benefits for veterans
- Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration
- Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud
- The FDA is now regulating tobacco
- Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules
- Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports
- Authorized discussions with North Korea and private mission by Pres. Bill Clinton to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons
- Authorized discussions with Myanmar and mission by Sen. Jim Web to secure the release of an American held captive
- Making more loans available to small businesses
- Established independent commission to make recommendations on slowing the costs of Medicare
- Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court
- Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans
- Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000
- Renewed loan guarantees for Israel
- Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan
- Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan
- New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans
- Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production
- Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters
- Paid for redecoration of White House living quarters out of his own pocket
- Held first Seder in White House
- Attempting to reform the nation's healthcare system which is the most expensive in the world yet leaves almost 50 million without health insurance and millions more under insured
- Has put the ball in play for comprehensive immigration reform
- Has announced his intention to push for energy reform
- Has announced his intention to push for education reform
Oh, and he built a swing set for the girls outside the Oval Office!
There is more but this is all that could be thought of off the top of the head.
From DailyKOS
Here's a thought
Someone should tell Lush that the Dominican Republic is right next door to Haiti.
Without his favorite Dominican under-aged male brothels he’ll have to go to interstate rest stops to get his jollies.
Without his favorite Dominican under-aged male brothels he’ll have to go to interstate rest stops to get his jollies.
Dimbulb doesn't back off Haiti comments
Despite a firestorm of criticism, the talk show host reaffirms his dig at President Obama's relief efforts.
Rise of a very unlikely cable mogul
Rise of a very unlikely cable mogul
Patrick Gottsch built a 24-hour cable network that attracts 13 million weekly viewers.
Clothes you should get rid of right now
How about all of them ... go nude instead.
Clothes you should get rid of right now
Create more closet space by tossing these tired and goofy-looking items.
World scrambles to save lives in Haiti
World scrambles to save lives in Haiti
Rescue teams work quickly while the quake-ravaged nation faces new threats.
S.C. Senate adds hunting dog restrictions
The Senate gave final passage Thursday to a bill that prohibits hunters from using dogs to hunt on property without a landowner's permission.
S.C. Senate adds hunting dog restrictions
S.C. Senate adds hunting dog restrictions
Haiti quake aid snarled; up to 50,000 feared dead
Doctors and search dogs, troops and rescue teams flew to this devastated land of dazed, dead and dying people Thursday, finding bottlenecks everywhere, beginning at a main airport short on jet fuel and ramp space and without a control tower.
Full StoryGives "Viral Video" A New Meaning
It's a Youtube clip that redefines the term "Viral Video."
A woman who claims she's spreading AIDS in Detroit, trying to kill her lovers.
And she's naming names.
But is it real?
Or is it just a sick hoax?
Gives "Viral Video" A New Meaning
Update: According to the latest it was a hoax ... still ...
Malaysia police tipped off by $500-note tip
Malaysian police have arrested a Lebanese man allegedly carrying fake currency with a face value of $66 million after he tipped a hotel staff with a $500 note, news reports said Friday.
Lebanese man caught with $66 million in fake bills
Lebanese man caught with $66 million in fake bills
ABC Board Chair Resigns
The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday that Mecklenburg County ABC Board Chairman Parks Helms announced his resignation in a letter sent to county commissioners.
ABC Board Chair Resigns In Midst Of $9,000 Holiday Dinner Investigation
Caribbean at risk of more large earthquakes
Historical records suggest the tragedy in Haiti did not release all the energy that has built up in the faults that run through the Caribbean.Caribbean at risk of more large earthquakes
'Blazing ring' eclipse longest on record
'Blazing ring' eclipse longest on record
A stunning eclipse that swept across Africa and Asia won't be matched for more than 1,000 years.
Riskiest places to use your debit card
Riskiest places to use your debit card
The threat of "skimming" has made typing your PIN at the pump a bad idea.
Battered Haiti hotel offers refuge for all
Battered Haiti hotel offers refuge for all
A once-elegant hotel leaves its doors open and operates a hospital in its front entrance.
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.
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