Welcome to ...

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.

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Prepare to make lots of friends in the coming days -- some of whom will want to be more than platonic.
This certainly doesn't mean you can't be just as outgoing as ever -- or even more so.
But when it comes to tossing meaningful glances across the room, or making remarks that could be taken as an indication of interest, better go easy.
You're absolutely magnetic in terms of romance.

Some of our readers today have been in:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Port-Au-Prince, Oest, Haiti
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
London, England, United Kingdom
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Tranburg, Arhus, Denmark
Poitiers, Poitou-Charentes, France
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda
Lodz, Lodzkie, Poland
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Dundalk, Louth, Ireland
Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

as well as Brazil, and the United States in such cities as South Gate, Crescent City, Poplar Bluff, Radford, Cincinnati and more

We here at Carolina Naturally would like to welcome our newest readers in:
Rwanda

 Our 182nd country out of 196 countries in the world

Today is Friday, March 26, the 85th day of 2010.
There are 280 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
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As The World Turns

As The World Turns
The search giant has the technical expertise to shed light on China's internet censoring tools
From Treehugger:
beach resort ibiza spain photo
A beach resort in Ibiza, Spain. Photo by ST33VO via Flickr.
Spain is taking what some call an extreme step to stem the rapid development of its popular coastlines: The country is bulldozing properties built too close to the seashore, angering homeowners, including many from other European nations who invested in vacation or retirement homes on the Mediterranean.
Swedish prisoner warned over flatulence protests
An inmate in a Swedish prison has been warned over using his persistent flatulence to voice his discontent towards his jailers and the penal system. Guards at the Kirseberg prison, in Malmo, have accused the unnamed prisoner of deliberately breaking wind in a dirty protest against prison life.

Anders Eriksson, the prison's warden, realized that the inmate's repeated episodes of flatulence were "a series of concerted attacks" on staff. "I have worked within the prisons and probation service since 1986 and I have never experienced a situation where behavior of this sort has led to punishment," he said.

The apparent motive came to light a couple of weeks ago when the prisoner was playing cards with fellow inmates. "I had an upset stomach while I was playing cards but did not want to fart there. So I went over to the guards instead," the 21-year-old convict told the prison authorities.

When challenged over his behavior and summoned for questioning, the prisoner claimed that his "farts were all noise and no fragrance". He has been served with an official warning that future flatulent conduct towards prison guards will be punished.

Icicles falling from rooftops kill pedestrians in Russian City of 
St Petersburg

Icicles falling from the rooftops in St Petersburg have killed and injured a record number of people after one of the bitterest Russian winters in years.

Five people have been killed and around 150 injured by falling chunks of ice that have sparked calls for better safety rules for the clearing of rooftops.

The victims include a six-month baby who was badly hurt when a chunk of ice dropped on her pram and a boy of eight who suffered serious spinal damage after an icicle struck his back.


Milana Kashtanova, 21, has been in a coma since February after she was hit by ice being cleared from a rooftop following Russia's coldest winter in 30 years. "Milana was just walking past a building in the city center. There was no warning tape, nothing to alert people that people were working on the roof," her boyfriend, Irinei Kalachev, said.

The deaths and injuries have prompted residents and relatives of victims to demand action against those responsible.

The city's governor Valentina Matviyenko has fired eleven officials accused of doing too little to keep the city's streets and rooftops free of snow and ice.

Ukrainian women berate 'Neanderthal' PM for sexist remarks

Ukraine's new pro-Russia prime minister, Mykola Azarov, has enraged feminist groups by suggesting that women are unsuitable for high political office and incapable of carrying out reforms.

Women's groups in Ukraine have angrily reported Azarov – who presides over an all-male cabinet – to the country's ombudsman following his remarks last week. They accuse him of gender discrimination and holding Neanderthal views.

Speaking on Friday, Azarov said Ukraine's economic problems were too difficult for any woman to handle. "Some say our government is too large; others that there are no women," he said. "There's no one to look at during cabinet sessions: they're all boring faces. With all respect to women, conducting reforms is not women's business."


Ukraine's new woman-free government was capable of working 16 hours a day with "no breaks and weekends", Azarov boasted.

The prime minister's gaffe echoes comments made recently by the man who appointed him – Ukraine's new president, Viktor Yanukovych. During February's election campaign, Yanukovych declared that his female opponent, Yulia Tymoshenko, should "go to the kitchen".

Today, Azarov's political enemies denounced him as an unreconstructed dinosaur. They said his derisory remark, snubbing half of the country's 46 million population, underlined just how out of touch he is with ordinary Ukrainians.
Mexico Says 'King Of Heroin' Arrested
Federal police have arrested Mexico's "King of Heroin," a powerful drug trafficker allegedly responsible for running thousands of pounds of heroin into Southern California each year, authorities said Thursday.
Asian monsoon spreads pollution
Air pollution from Asia, India and Indonesia is transported into the global stratosphere by the summer monsoon season, a study using a Canadian satellite has found.
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The State Of The Nation

The State Of The Nation

New national parks quarters unveiled

The U.S. Mint debuts the first designs in the series that will honor 56 national parks.
Also:

Philadelphia cracks down on flash mobs

Police say these impromptu gatherings organized online have left injuries and property damage in their wake. 
Also:
Well, someone held their breath ... and it worked (for now)
Texas death-row inmate Hank Skinner was slowly chewing his way through the enormous cheeseburger that was supposed to be his last supper when good news arrived: he'd no longer be forced to digest the artery-clogging meal in an executioner's chair.
The US Supreme Court intervened late yesterday to prevent a lethal injection from being given to the convicted murderer, saying it wants more time to consider his appeal.
Remember this is in Texas so ...
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Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Drive-through robbery suspects demand food

Three men demanded food, not money, during an armed robbery at a fast food restaurant in south Charlotte late on Monday night.

The robbery happened at around 11:17 p.m. at the Taco Bell located along the 5500 block of South Boulevard.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, three black males in a white vehicle pulled up at the drive-through window.


One of the people inside the vehicle pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded food.

The robbers were given fried apple pies and they drove away.

No one was injured during the robbery.
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Victory to give Democrats boost

Victory to give Democrats  boost

Despite talk of voter backlash, the health bill may help the party avoid an election wipeout.  
Also:
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And I Quote

"This is the Republican nightmare 
  -- the country gets a better system, 
  Democrats get a victory, the president 
  looks like a hero, and the country is 
  pleased with the results."  
     ~ Steve Benen,
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Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe
Liars and Fools
Delusions of adequacy I see.

The wingnuts already are gunning people down in the streets you idiots.

New Gingrich (reptile - Georgia) says Affordable Care Act is "is a coup d'etat by an elite ... to change America against the will of the people". 
Hey, Newt, then why are more and more Americans saying it was/is their will that the Affordable Care Act is now law? Oh, and in case it escaped your notice ... the overwhelming majority of Americans said it was their will that the act become law BEFORE the act became law.

Proving yet again the fat bastard doesn't know what a fact is or what a socialist is.
More threats from Teabaggers against members of Congress
But the best quote is:
Rep. Jim Moran, a fiery Virginia Democrat, got a visit from tea party activists at his office earlier this week. Aides got between the burly lawmaker and the activists. The activists, according to the congressman, asked whether he needed “bodyguards” to protect him.

“We’re not protecting him from you,” the aides said, according to Moran. “We’re protecting you from him.”
 You got to love it!
The there's this:
White powder, threatening letter, sent to Rep. Weiner's (D-NY) office

Tom Coburn hates unemployed people ...

 .... and wants them to suffer even more than we already are.
Tom Coburn (reject-Oklahoma) has blocked passage of a crucial package of expiring provisions, including extended unemployment insurance benefits that are scheduled to run out on April 5.

Coburn has balked at Democrats’ request for unanimous consent to pass the extensions, threatening a standoff similar to one that pitted Jim Bunning (rwptile-Kentucky) against the Democratic leadership last month.
The repugicans are hellbent on destroying America.
They are hellbent on financially torturing Americans.
They are hellbent on destroying President Obama.
They are hellbent on "breaking" him...and those of us who are sane and live our lives reality based.
So, here's a suggestion.
Since you are so hellbent why not just skip the middleman and go straight to HELL!

repugican blocks jobless benefits

Tom Coburn holds up a bill to extend unemployment.
Also:
David Frum loses think-tank job after criticizing repugicans
Three days after calling health-care reform a debacle for repugicans, David Frum was forced out of his job at the American Enterprise Institute on Wednesday.

Frum said the repugicans suffered a "crushing" loss.

repugicans cannot abide the truth ... especially when it is spoken in some sort of cosmic fluke by one of their own!



Eric Cantor Lied 
(as if we didn't know that already )
Police: Bullet random fire up in air, blocks from Cantor's office

For the benefit of our wingnut readers here is the definition of a lie: (1)A lie is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others, often with the further intention to maintain a secret or reputation, protect someone's feelings or to avoid a punishment or repercussion for one's actions.(2)Anything said by a repugican, wingnut, birther, teabagger, etc., et al.
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Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter Nona Hendryx's latest project: "The Ballad of Rush Limbaugh", to raise money for Haiti Relief.

Nona was outraged at Rush Limbaugh’s recent  insensitive and hateful remarks after the catastrophe in Haiti. 
With a long history of writing edgy,  provocative and often political leaning songs she decided to strike back. 
“I’ve been so pissed off with Rush Limbaugh  (for a long time) and his insensitive, racist commentary,” she says. “The final straw was his ill chosen or  mean/hateful comments about American relief efforts for Haiti. So instead of just fuming and ranting myself, I wrote a song.”
Felicia Collins, the guitarist for David  Letterman’s house band, joins Hendryx on guitar.Sing it!
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Oh, and by the way

Oh, and by the way
If corporations are people
Why aren't these "people" in jail?
JPMorgan Chase and Co., Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and UBS AG were among more than a dozen wall street firms involved in a conspiracy to pay below-market interest rates to u.s. state and local governments on investments, according to documents filed in a u.s. justice department criminal antitrust case.
They are financial terrorists.
They colluded to destroy America.
They have done more damage than bin Laden could ever have dreamed of.

Why aren't they being hauled into court?
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This is what happens when paranoia strikes

Terrorists 'could use exploding breast implants to blow up jet'

Breast-implants packed with explosives could be used by terrorists to blow up an airliner, experts have reportedly warned. Radical Islamist plastic surgeons could be carrying out the implant operations in lawless areas of Pakistan, security sources are said to warned.

Explosives experts have reportedly said just five ounces of Pentaerythritol Tetrabitrate packed into a breast implant would be enough to blow a “considerable” hole in the side of a jumbo jet. It would be virtually impossible for airport security scanners to detect the explosive if hidden inside a breast, medics have said.


Joseph Farah, a terrorism expert, said: "Women suicide bombers recruited by al-Qaeda are known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery." Plastic surgeons may also have inserted the chemical into the buttocks of would-be suicide bombers.

The discovery was reportedly made after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a London-educated Nigerian, attempted to blow up an airliner bound for Detroit on Christmas day with explosives packed into his underpants. Hours after his attack failed, British intelligence services reportedly picked up “chatter” from Pakistan and Yemen that alerted them to the bizarre new method. One plastic surgeon said "Properly inserted the implant would be virtually impossible to detect by the usual airport scanning machines."
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Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know
Tropical forest leaves (Image: Paul Harris/Earthwatch)
Forest loss slows as China plants
The speed of forest loss across the world has slowed markedly over the last decade, reports the UN.
Business leaves forest footprints
China 'unfairly seen as eco-villain'
The mysterious ability of hot water to freeze faster than cold water could simply be down to differences in impurities.
T.rex (SPL) Southern 'cousin' of T. rex found
Scientists find the first evidence that tyrannosaurs - relatives of the famous T. rex - existed in the southern hemisphere.

Discovery uncovers a billion new stars

The Web is abuzz about space, thanks to a major universe finding and a space station "man cave."  
Also:
“Originally, we all had brown eyes.”
New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. A team at the University of Copenhagen have tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6-10,000 years ago and is the cause of the eye color of all blue-eyed humans alive on the planet today.
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In Matters Of Health

In Matters Of Health

Supplementing the diets of overweight people with one type of human gut microbe makes them lose weight
Census figures show that the average life expectancy for Americans in 2010 is 78.3 years.

Best new light menus at chain restaurants

One eatery infamous for belt-busting entrees has revamped its entire menu.  
Also:

Experts make bold breast cancer claim

Up to one-third of cases could be prevented with lifestyle changes, researchers say.  
Also:

The truth about acai drinks

The popular berry may offer health benefits, but some advertisements go too far.  
Also:

Unhealthiest food choices at the mall

Besides the standard fast food items, malls offer unique treats bursting with fat and calories.  
Also:
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Loss of reefs could prove devastating

Loss of reefs could prove devastating

The supply of fish and seafood would be greatly reduced if the world's coral disappears, experts warn.
Also:
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Interesting In General

Interesting In General
This is not a joke people.
Although with the TSA you can never be sure.
How the TSA will inspect your monkey

Flying with a service monkey? Have no fear, the TSA has a set of easy-to-follow rules governing the passage of monkey helpers through airport checkpoints:
# When the handler and service monkey go through the walk through metal detector and the detector alarms, both the handler and the monkey must undergo additional screening. # Since service monkeys may likely draw attention, the handler will be escorted to the physical inspection area where a table is available for the monkey to sit on. Only the handler will touch or interact with the service monkey.
# Security Officers have been trained to not touch the service monkey during the screening process.
# Security Officers will conduct a visual inspection on the service monkey and will coach the handler on how to hold the monkey during the visual inspection.

Army changes basic training for 'softer' kids

After 20 years, the Army is changing its procedures to address the impact of video games. 
Also:

The battle over carry-on luggage

Flight attendants are demanding new policies for passengers with oversized bags.  
Also:

Wreckage of WWII Navy dive bomber found

Loggers stumble across debris from a formidable warplane known in its heyday as "the Beast."  
Also:
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Make Your Own Earth Hour Event

From Treehugger:
earth hour usa map
It is hard to find out exactly what is happening on Earth Hour; most activities are pretty local. Thirty states are turning out the lights in their governor's mansions and other public buildings, and according to USA Today, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas Strip, Niagara Falls and the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, are all shutting them down. (although why office buildings like the Empire State and the Sears tower would have them on during a Saturday night is beyond me)
Even Mount Rushmore is shutting off the lights for the first time. "As stewards of our national parks, we want to be visible leaders," says Navnit Singh, spokesman of South Dakota's Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
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It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid                                                         

How to tell if you're middle-class

Find out what typical median-income families earn, and how much they spend on homes and cars. 
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Things bosses should never say

Managers looking to burn out workers or crush their initiative might try these phrases.  
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How your freezer can save you money

It sounds odd, but putting wax candles on ice will make them burn longer.
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Why the stock market looks risky

Despite the recent rally, Wall Street could be in for a rude awakening.
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Thousands of Hill staffers make six figures

Some top congressional aides earn almost as much as elected officials.
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White House unveils new home-loan plan

In an effort to stem foreclosures, the Obama administration will help troubled borrowers get new loans.
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Taxpayers foot bill for empty buildings

The government owns many crumbling properties that have been vacant for years.
Also:
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Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods
In Cop News





















Simpsons grunt has global clout
"D'oh!"  'the grunt of frustration used by Homer Simpson' has had the most impact on the English language among many coined by the TV show, an international survey of translators said Thursday.
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