CAROLINA NATURALLY: Apr 24, 2010

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
It's not like you to (barely) wake up thinking about how to get out of work, but you might be there today.
It's also not like you to spend the day at work thinking about where else you'd rather be, but you may do that, too.
Don't be too hard on yourself -- your energy is making you restless -- and there's a good reason for it.
You need to meet someone, and you can't if you're where you're supposed to be.
Change your routine just a touch.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Thun, Bern, Switzerland

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Sheffield, England, United Kingdom

London, England, United Kingdom

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Timisoara, Timis, Romania

Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland

Linz, Oberosterreich, Austria

Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

as well as Japan, and the United States in such cities such as Charlotte, Casper, Mililani, Grand Blanc and more

Today is Saturday, April 24, the 114th day of 2010.

There are 251 days left in the year.

Today In History April 24

Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

Astronomy Day

Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day

Penguin Day

Sense of Smell Day

and

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day

President Obama's Weekly Address

The State Of The Nation

The State Of The Nation

Last of Idaho's legendary loners dies

Richard Zimmerman, 94, lived in caves and never owned a telephone or a TV.

Offbeat lifestyle

Also:

Tornado tears through Mississippi

A twister leaves "utter obliteration" in its path, killing 10 people and injuring more than a dozen.

'It sounded like a train'

Also:

Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Carolina Panthers Draft Notre Dame Quarterback Jimmy Clausen

Claussen was taken with the Panthers first pick in the draft. The team is looking for a long term replacement for released quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Panthers Trade Up, Take App State's Edwards

How the Earth received its name

How the Earth received its name

When was our planet given its formal title, and what are the origins of the word?

People answer the questions

Also:

Wild sky show above smoldering volcano

Wild sky show above smoldering volcano

The Northern Lights add a supernatural beauty to the already dramatic scenes out of Iceland.

See photos

Also:

Island In The Sun

Weezer

Jon Stewart wades into 'South Park' flap

Jon Stewart wades into 'South Park' flap

The host unleashes a searing 10-minute response to the censorship controversy.

Parker, Stone on network's decision

Thursday night, Jon Stewart defended his Comedy Central colleagues, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of "South Park," in a 10-minute segment bashing a radical Muslim group for issuing a death threat against the rude-humor duo.

You can watch the segment here (warning: some PG-13 language).

Also:

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

Liars and Fools

Newt Gingrich (reptile-Georgia) says "tea party" protesters are "likely to end up as the militant wing of the repugican party".

Likely too?! Here's a clue for ya Newt, they already are.

Faux's Glen Brick tells Faux's Swill O'Really "Trouble is coming ... it will be the French Revolution, not the American Revolution".

More treason from the deluded asshole. How much does it take to get him locked away?

Senate committee claims credit rating agencies were not accurate

It's nice to see that they confirmed what everyone knew.

A probe of the credit-rating industry by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found that firms used outdated models, were influenced by their clients and waited too long to downgrade investments as the collapse in the housing market intensified in the year before the financial crisis.

The probe shows that some employees at the credit-rating companies were hungry for fees and apparently willing to compromise objective analysis of the quality of investments, according to material released Thursday.

One e-mail suggests that a Moody's employee explicitly agreed to negotiate ratings for investments based on a promise of future fees.

Oil leaking from sunken offshore rig

Oil leaking from sunken offshore rig

The Coast Guard says up to 42,000 gallons of oil are gushing into the Gulf each day.

Rupture 5,000 feet deep

Also:

Carry Me, Carrie

Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

Famous job hunter finally finds work

Famous job hunter finally finds work

Paul Nawrocki can officially retire the sandwich board that made him a symbol of the recession.

Two-year search

Also:

It's The Economy Stupid

What you should know about finance reform

These provisions in the bill will have the most impact in fixing the financial system.

What's the 'Volcker Rule'?

Also:

Ideas for great-paying summer jobs

Now is the time to start looking for fun seasonal work that's also very lucrative.

$450 a week and up for cruise gigs

Also:

Great pay without advanced degrees

Great pay without advanced degrees

The top 10% of earners in one career make six figures, but the job requires just two years of schooling.

Also:

Retire in style

8 excellent companies to retire from

One corporate giant contributes cash and stock worth up to 18 percent of pay to retirement accounts.

Great benefits

Also:

Manamana

Cut your grocery bill

Smart tips to slice your grocery bill

Savvy merchants put the most profitable items at eye level, so stoop and bend to find better deals.

27 more ideas

Also:

Easy Grillin'

Easy grilling tips for a tasty cookout

Whether you use charcoal or gas won't matter as much as how you prepare the grate.

Recipe for grilled pizza

Also:

The Haggis beast that roams Scotland

Photo: Roland Tanglao.

According to a survey in the UK, one in five Britons believes that haggis, a traditional Scottish meal made from all the sheep bits the English didn't steal, is in fact "an animal that roams the highlands."

From Reuters:

Another 15 percent said it is a Scottish musical instrument while 4 percent admitted to thinking it was a character from Harry Potter.

Thus proving that not only are Americans ignorant of what is and what is not within their own country.

Spam

Monty Python's most famous sketch.

Tough immigration measure sparks outrage

Tough immigration measure sparks outrage

A legal battle brews even as Arizona's governor promises the law won't support racial profiling.

Obama's reaction

Also:

You may also note the sign in the boy's hand - the words on it are spelled correctly ... something that can not be said for signs that those who like this abomination of law and pushed for it's passage like to wave around.

Controversial immigration bill signed

Controversial immigration bill signed

The U.S.'s toughest immigration law gives police powers that Obama says may violate civil rights.

Arizona bill details

Also:

May violate Civil Rights?! There is no 'may' about it. The law in and of itself is a violation of our Civil Rights!

Arizona will identify illegal aliens by their shoes

Seriously folks ...

Well, we have finally discovered what 'planet' the wingnut crazies come from it's called Arizona

Wild Thing

Animal sings

How much home can $300K buy?

How much home can $300K buy?

At this price, you can purchase a mini- mansion, a lakefront chalet, or a 450 sq. ft. studio.

Nationwide comparison

Also:

SEC porn scandal: Political payback for fraud suit against Goldman Sachs?

The reemergence of a Securities and Exchange Commission porn scandal may be political payback for the agency's fraud suit against Goldman Sachs, some officials suspect.

News of salacious Internet sex surfing by dozens of SEC supervisors actually broke months ago, but it got new life after the commission's April 16 vote to act against the financial powerhouse.

Repugican lawmakers have loudly slammed the decision, government sources noted.

Asked whether there was any connection between the lawsuit and the recently leaked inspector general's report on downloading porn, SEC spokesman John Nester declined to comment.

But he said the agency has been explaining since February that it looked into every report of "inappropriate" behavior. The report named 33 officials. "Each of the offending employees has been disciplined," Nester said. "Some have already been suspended or dismissed."

A week of wrangling with sea creatures

A week of wrangling with sea creatures

An octopus snatches a scuba diver's camera, while a shark chomps on a surfboard.

Remarkable stories

Also:

Buddy to the rescue

Determined dog leads troopers to fire

Buddy helps Alaskan police with a malfunctioning GPS find his burning home.

See the dashboard video

Also:

Drum Battles

Animal vs Buddy Rich from the Muppet Show in 1978

Actor Files $50M Lawsuit Against Academy of Motion Pictures For False Imprisonment

Sometimes watching the interminable Oscars can make you feel like you're being unfairly punished. But one actor says attending this year's Academy Awards was like being locked up - literally!

http://www.adultfyi.com/images/news/41399-1.jpg

Actor Michael Avmen filed a $50 million lawsuit against The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for illegal false imprisonment and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, Pop Tarts has learned exclusively.

The suit was filed in Central District Superior Court in California on Thursday. It stemmed from an incident that took place at this year’s Academy Awards. According to the suit, several days prior to the awards show, Avmen and his wife were informed that their tickets were “tentatively confirmed,” but despite several attempts by Avmen and his publicist, they were unable to locate the tickets. On the day of the event were led to believe that their tickets, like many others, including those of Robert Downey Jr., were possibly being held inside.

On the afternoon of March 7th, the actor and his wife dressed up for the Oscars and an usher for the event transported them from where they were staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to a “resolution desk” where an Academy employee they had been communicating with was working.

Avmen alleges that despite repeated requests to be able to return to the Roosevelt, he and his wife were “held against their will” for six hours in the Academy’s “detention center,” interrogated about how they were able to get onto the red carpet without tickets, and accused of lying and trespassing.

At around 10pm, uniformed Los Angeles police officers arrived and took them to the station, but no charges were filed and Avmen claims that the officer apologized profusely for how they were treated by Academy officials.

As a result of the acts, Avmen and his wife allege that they were “injured in health, strength and activity” and “sustained injury to his and her body and shock and injury to their nervous system” and have since suffered with “humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress.”

“If I or some ‘REGULAR’ individual acted as The Academy did, we would be in prison right now. I want, and I will show that these people aren’t above the law,” Avmen said in a statement. “Security is one thing, but this was outside the realm of excessive. My wife and I have suffered, and there has been a great injustice enforced.”

The Academy was not immediately available for comment.

Avmen is preparing for the release of the films "Straw Dogs," and "Battle: Los Angeles," in which he has minor roles.

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods

In Cop News

Six men say that 20 Chicago cops assaulted, Tasered and maced them in a private home, with a helicopter hovering overhead, because the men had shouted that "the kids were OK" as cops patted down a group of 10- and 11-year-old kids on the street

Second Tulsa cop is placed on paid leave as feds' investigation of fabricated drug buy continues

Florida deputy gets probation for armed standoff

Fired New York police chief pleads guilty in assault case

Seattle police withheld evidence in low-level arrest, civil rights activist learns

Second candidate for sheriff in West Virginia is arrested

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

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