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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.


Monday, February 8, 2010

Group home under scrutiny after arrest of patient

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is investigating whether a group home in Holly Springs is a dangerous facility.


The VAGAP Health group home came into question after 22-year-old Gregory McClain was arrested Saturday. Police say he repeatedly stabbed another group home resident with a screwdriver during an argument. He now faces charges of attempted murder.

Officials are now trying to figure out whether the home created an unhealthy environment for the patients.

Windcrest subdivision resident Shannon Dye has lived in her home on Apple Drupe Way, which is right across the street from the group home, for more than three years.

"I received a call from a neighbor saying police cars came flying down the street, guns drawn, busting in the door and that the man was taken out on the stretcher covered in blood," Dye said.

She said she and her husband dreamed of raising their their boys in this Holly Springs subdivision until the group home opened. They say they are now considering moving.

"Clients, patients being brought in and they were being patted down and some were actually being brought here in handcuffs by the police and released into the house, and that's when we started to become a little more concerned," Dye said.

And concern has spread from the mouths of neighbors to the ears of police.

"The home, as far as we know, opened in December, and since that time we have responded to 17 calls for service," Police Chief John Herring said.

In response to community outcry, town officials and the chief of police reached out to DHHS, who late Monday suspended the facility's license.

"There were many things the facility didn't do correctly when admitting these clients,” Jeff Horton, with DHHS, said. “They weren't properly accessing the clients to see what their needs were, they weren't providing proper supervision."

The suspension indicates the facility may present imminent danger to the health, safety and welfare of the clients, which makes Dye and residents like her question whether their own safety is being protected.

"I'll tell you I have used my home alarm system more in the past 16 weeks than I have in the entire three-and-a-half years that I have lived here," Dye said.

There are more than 3,000 group homes like this one around the state.

Double honor for female Iranian skier

Double honor for female Iranian skier

Marjan Kalhor will be the first woman to represent Iran in the Winter Games.

FDA targets tiny serving sizes

FDA targets tiny serving sizes

When a "serving" is six chips, people don't realize how fattening a snack really is, critics say.

Boost your food power by decoding calories

Boost your food power by decoding calories

If you spend lots of time fixated on calories, then you should probably understand how they work.

Why prices are often hidden online

Why prices are often hidden online

Asking shoppers to put items in their cart to see the price is part of a larger retail battle.

NFL might make big rule change

NFL might make big rule change

Commissioner Roger Goodell is looking for ways to reduce the frequency of concussions.

How to get in on 'Cash for Refrigerators'

How to get in on 'Cash for Refrigerators'

Shoppers can get sizable government rebates on energy-efficient appliances, but the rules vary.

Spat over world's first bill of rights heats up

Spat over world's first bill of rights heats up

Iran says it's cutting ties with the British Museum over a Babylonian artifact from 539 B.C.

New fashion combines jeans with pajamas

New fashion combines jeans with pajamas

Designers come up with pants they say work as well in bed as they do out in public.

Rice that doesn't need to be cooked

Rice that doesn't need to be cooked

A newly developed variety can go from the field to the dinner table without using heat.

New storm bears down on battered East

New storm bears down on battered East

Still not dug out from record snowfalls, the coast prepares for another major hit.

The healing power of herbal tea

The healing power of herbal tea

Making your own tea is an easy way to fight off everything from indigestion to hearing loss.

Best cameras for less than $300

Best cameras for less than $300

One top brand takes amazingly clear shots in low light — and lists for just $197.

Seven quick dinners

Seven quick dinners

Making dinner is a stress-free event with these easy menus for every day of the week.

Simple habits that help kids stay slim

3 simple habits that help kids stay slim

These basic household routines can go a long way toward warding off obesity, experts find.

America's worst winter-weather cities

America's worst winter-weather cities

Washington, D.C. is getting tons of snow lately, but these five places take a beating every year.

Blue-collar workers in high demand

Blue-collar workers in high demand

One of the best-paid positions is also extremely recession-proof, says one expert.

Favorite color test shows CEOs are unusual

Favorite color test shows CEOs are unusual

A personality test finds business leaders pick colors in a different way than most people.

Sri Lankan opposition leader arrested for sedition

Sri Lanka's defeated presidential candidate was hauled from his office by military police Monday and will be court-martialed for allegedly planning to overthrow the government while serving as the head of the army.

Full Story

Sri Lanka's former army chief and presidential candidate general Sarath Fonseka addresses the media on February 3 in Colombo.

CNN
From the "They walk among us" Department:

Authorities said a man accused of stealing a car then reporting it stolen remains in custody after telling police he was robbed at gunpoint while trying to buy crack cocaine with a credit card.

Man tries to buy crack with credit card

Pensioner joins judo elite

A Scottish pensioner has become one of only seven living people to hold judo's highest rank.

Full Story

Coffee shop chain bans man for coffee complaint

A Canadian man has been permanently banned from a coffee shop chain for complaining that his brew tasted like "brown, burnt water."

Hey, if the shoes fits ...

You serve bad coffee (is there any other kind) don't expect people not to tell you about it.

Full Story

Just so you know ...

Mount Everest may be the tallest mountain on Earth, but that's only if you're measuring from sea level.
Thanks to the curvature of the planet, Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the highest if you're measuring from the center of the Earth.
In fact, by this system, Everest comes in fifth.

No joke: South Carolina now requires ’subversives’ to register

South Carolina Subversive Agent Form

Terrorists who want to overthrow the United States government must now register with South Carolina’s Secretary of State and declare their intentions — or face a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

The state’s “Subversive Activities Registration Act,” passed last year and now officially on the books, states that “every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States … shall register with the Secretary of State.”

There’s even a $5 filing fee.

No joke: South Carolina now requires ’subversives’ to register

Just remember North Carolina is not South Carolina. We have brains that actually function.

World's most precise clock created

A new optical clock based on the oscillation of a trapped aluminium-27 atom keeps time to 1 second in 3.7 billion years.

Science News

From BBC-Science:
Enceladus
The Cassini probe returns yet more data to back up the idea of a sub-surface sea on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

And I Quote

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

~ Fred Allen

Liars and Fools

Liars and Fools for the day are:

Faux's Glen Brick falsely claiming "the progressives" are "grabbing our children in many ways ... by the throat".
No, but grabbing you by the short hairs and throwing you in jail has occurred to more than a few.

Obama "wants to annihilate us!" lies Michele Bachmann (reptile - Minnesota).
No, you're doing such a fine job of it yourself who are we to stand in your way

Faux' Glen Brick lies again saying that "progressivism" is the exact same kind of thinking that led to" Holocaust, eugenics.
One your projecting again Brick ol'boy, two, there is no such word as 'progressivism', you ignorant asshole.
Oh and by the by the NAZIs were all a bunch of Lefties, ya know, really they were, no really - now how about that land three miles east of Miami, can let it go cheap - what do ya say.

*****
Faux News personalites have a long pattern of violent rhetoric.
No real need to say it - everyone knows it already, but still ...

Cop New

Like a good neighbor ...

State Farm has canceled 125,000 home insurance policies because Florida regulators wouldn't allow a 47% rate hike.

Curse those regulators for not allowing homeowners to be raped!

You might like to know ...

KBR would like to rape Jamie Leigh Jones again, this time in court.

But wait ...


... there's more evidence, (as if more evidence is needed), that repugicans are amazingly stupid.

15 Ways Smoking Ruins Your Looks

Have you been trying to kick the habit but don't have the resolve?

Try these on for size -- from our friends at Health.com.

If you smoke, you already know you need to quit. It's bad for your heart, lungs, brain, and even your sex life. But let's face it: You'd have kicked the habit yesterday if smoking's ill effects were a bit more obvious. What if each cigarette created a black pockmark on your face, for instance?

Read on to discover 15 ways smoking is ruining your appearance.


Oz Sword Swallower Sets New World Record

An Australian street performer has set a Guinness World Record by swallowing 18 swords in one go.

Oz Sword Swallower Sets New World Record

Child 'Waterboarded' By Dad Over Her ABCs

A US soldier has been accused of "waterboarding" his four-year-old daughter because she would not recite the alphabet.

Child 'Waterboarded' By Dad Over Her ABCs

Once again, a cold rain is coming

From the "Oh, Goodie" Department:

Another stormy week is on tap for the eastern United States, but the Charlotte metro region apparently will miss the worst of it.

A winter storm expected to sweep across the Midwest and to the East Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday will bring a cold rain to Charlotte.

And another storm forecast to develop later this week is predicted to cross Florida and remain south of the Carolinas.

Tuesday's storm will begin affecting the region around daybreak Tuesday. With temperatures a few degrees above freezing, the precipitation will be all rain in Charlotte, say forecasters. A bit of sleet is expected to mix with the rain around daybreak in the foothills, but the precipitation will change to all rain in a few hours, with no accumulation expected.

Rainfall is not expected to be heavy this time, with about a half-inch predicted for the Charlotte area. Last Friday's storm system dumped 2 inches on the region, causing flooding and bringing the total rainfall since Dec. 1 to more than 14 inches -- far above the average.

Tuesday morning's conditions could be different in the mountains, where heavy snow and sleet could accumulate several inches. A winter storm watch is posted for Tuesday in Watauga, Alleghany and Ashe counties.

The main impact of the storm on the Charlotte area might be at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. The system is expected to dump heavy snow on a wide area, ranging from Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland later today and Tuesday, to the East Coast cities later Tuesday and Wednesday.

Don't look for warm weather this week.

Today's forecast high temperature of 49 degrees, which is 5 degrees below average, will be the warmest we see, meteorologists say. On Wednesday, behind the departing storm, a gusty and cold northwest wind will add more chill to the high temperature of only 40 degrees. And highs for the rest of the week will be limited to the low to mid 40s.

Why filing tax returns early can hurt you

Why filing tax returns early can hurt you

Waiting may make financial sense, and some experts say it could lower your audit risk.

World's tallest lookout suddenly shut down

World's tallest lookout suddenly shut down

Just a month after its grand opening, the Burj Khalifa unexpectedly shutters its observation deck.

The Height of Hypocrisy

Sarah Palin Defends Lush Dimbulb’s Use Of the word ‘Retard’

OK, who’s surprised that Sarah Palin is holding a Democrat to a different standard than a repugican?

Full Story

Hypocrisy all right, but typical repugican.

Good Thoughts

If you listen to the Republicans, the GOP has done nothing wrong. Never. Not Once. There is no connection between the current economic decline in the nation and Bush's decision to cut the taxes of the top 1% of the U.S. population and go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. No, no connection whatsoever. It was Clinton's fault. It is Obama's fault. It is FDR's fault. No, our current situation has nothing to do with Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, or King George the Usurper. Yet, the republicans have been in charge of this nation for 28 our of the last 41 years; the Democrats held control for only 12 of those 41 years. Still, nothing is the responsibility of the Republicans. They want you and I to buy their lie. They want you and I to consider them a viable alternative. They want us to embrace them. It lacks any credibility what so ever! It is insane! It is sin!

I tell you, look at the works of the GOP. They favor the wealthiest, and put the burden of their colonial wars upon the poorest of the poor of our nation. They let people die of treatable disease because it is too expensive for them. They let the widow and homeless suffer in the cold. They turn their back on the afflicted and injured. They deprive men of wages earned. They make those who can least afford it support the burden of the prosperity that they enjoy! So, where then is their faith? Is it in Jesus? Is it in God? Or is it in the level of wealth that they have achieved at the expense of others?
Well put, well put indeed.

Survey Says Americans Support Carbon Tax More Than Cap-and-Trade - But Nobody Really Knows Much About Either

From Treehugger:

20100208-carbon-tax-support.jpg

There have been a slew of surveys coming out lately showing what Americans supposedly want or don't want in terms of energy policy, climate policy and about climate change more broadly. I say supposedly, because the results of these different surveys don't always jive with one another. This latest one, by the US Climate Task Force, and highlighted by The Energy Collective, says that US voters think a straight carbon tax is a better idea than the current only option on the table, cap-and-trade:

A ship is an island

This camouflaged Dutch ship successfully disguised itself as a small tropical island and avoided the Japanese Navy after the Battle of the Java Sea.


HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen was stationed in the Dutch East Indies when WW II began. After the destruction of the Allied Fleet by the Japanese during the Battle of the Java Sea in February 1942, Crijnssen's captain was ordered to escape with his ship to Australia. Covered with tree branches, the minesweeper crossed the Japanese naval lines camouflaged as a tropical island.

The economy ...

... now in easy-to-understand charts for arguing with dumb people
(in other words repugicans)

From Bob Cesca, comes a couple of charts that easily show the progress President Obama has made with the economy thus far:


Photobucket
Dow Jones under the shrub & president Obama


Photobucket
Job losses under the shrub & President Obama

Goodbye cables, hello energy beams

Your gadgets are finally about to become truly wireless - as long as you don't mind lasers criss-crossing your living room.

Unplugged

Helium clue found in echo of the big bang

Light left over from the birth of the universe has revealed another secret: a subtle hint of ancient helium.

Helium clue found in echo of the big bang

China finds 170 more tons of tainted milk powder

China has found another 170 tons of tainted milk powder in an emergency crackdown that has made it increasingly clear many products discovered in the country's 2008 milk scandal were repackaged for sale instead of destroyed.

170 more tons of tainted milk powder

Body Found In Landing Gear Of US Flight

A man's body has been found in the landing gear of an airliner that had flown from New York to Tokyo.

Body Found In Landing Gear Of US Flight

Today is ...

Today is Monday, February 8, the 39th day of 2010.

There are 326 days left in the year.

Today In History February 8, 2010

Today's unusual holiday and celebration is:

Laugh and Get Rich Day

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Nijmegen, Gelderlend, Netherlands
Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
Prague, Hlavni Mesto Prahah, Czech Republic
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Hirsohima, Hiroshima, Japan
Sheffield, England, United Kingdom
Helsingor, Frederiksborg, Denmark
Jena, Thuringen, Germany
Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy
Munich, Bayern, Germany

as well as France, Scotland, Wales, and the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Even when you're not consciously working at it, there's something about you that's tough to resist.
It happens without any effort at all.
So when you're consciously and passionately involved in the outcome of a situation, as you are now, you're positively lethal -- which means your willing hostage will say or do just about anything to stay in your presence.
Seeing exactly what that might be would certainly be fun and definitely tempting -- but would it be fair?

Simply irresistible.