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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, May 2, 2011

Justice has been done ...

Osama bin Laden Is DEAD!
The terrorist leader responsible for 9/11, Osama bin Laden, has reportedly been killed by the U.S. military.  
Also: 
    Jubilant Americans gather to celebrate as details emerge about the Sept. 11 mastermind’s death. 
    Also: 
    The president says the terrorist leader responsible for the 9/11 attack was killed in Pakistan.  
    Also: 
      http://www.strictconstruction.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/obama-mission-accomplished-300x163.jpg
      "Justice has been done..."
      http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225152_211678958856878_109487445742697_754817_6915981_s.jpg
      ~ President Barak Obama announcing Osama bin Laden is dead
      ***
      Editorial Note:
      "I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure"
      ~ Mark Twain

      Better late then never ...

      Sorry to be a mite late with this but the timing of our publishing schedule and life in general has kept us from posting the happy news above until now.

      Osama Bin Laden Beats Federal Criminal Rap Thanks To Intercession of CIA, U.S. Military


      Thanks to the efforts of an elite team of American forces, Osama bin Laden will soon have criminal charges formally dismissed against him in federal court in New York City.

      The Daily Drift

      The Daily Drift
      Today's horoscope says:
      There's no time like the present to start working on your future!
      Think about where you want to go, and start making a plan -- this includes vacation spots and family reunions.
      If someone else is trying to influence your choices, this is a good time to take back control and remind yourself that, ultimately, you're in charge of your own life.
      Get back in touch with your independence by working out a solo vacation or at least some leisurely alone time soon.

      Some of our readers today have been in:
      London, England, United Kingdom
      Santiago, Region Metropolitana, Chile
      Paris, Ile-De-France, France
      Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
      Montreal, Quebec, Canada
      Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
      Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
      Pinneburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
      Rome, Lazio, Italy
      Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Muara, Brunei Darussalam
      Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
      Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
      Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
      Weert, Limburg, Netherlands
      Berlin, Berlin, Germany
      Moscow, Moskva, Russia
      Madrid, Madrid, Spain
      Perth, Western Australia, Australia
      Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

      as well as Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sudan, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Maldives, Qatar, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Norway, Finland

      and in cities across the United States such as Tionesta, Commerce City, Lodi, Tullahoma and more.

      Today is:
      Today is Monday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2011.
      There are 243 days left in the year.

      Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

      National Play Your Ukulele Day.

      Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

      Man unknowingly liveblogs Bin Laden operation

      A computer programmer, startled by a helicopter clattering above his quiet Pakistani town in the early hours of the morning Monday, did what any social-media addict would do: he began sending messages to the social networking site Twitter.
      With his tweets, 33-year-old Sohaib Athar, who moved to the sleepy town of Abbottabad to escape the big city, became in his own words "the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it."
      Soon the sole helicopter multiplied into several and gunfire and explosions rocked the air above the town, and Athar's tweets quickly garnered 14,000 followers as he apparently became the first in the world to describe the U.S. operation to kill one of the world's most wanted militants.
      His first tweet was innocuous: "Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)."
      The noise alarmed Athar, who had moved to the upscale area of Abbottabad to get away from city life after his wife and child were badly injured in a car accident in the sprawling city of Lahore, according to his blog in July.
      Nestled in the mountains around 60 miles (95 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Abbottabad is a quiet, leafy town featuring a military academy, the barracks for three army regiments and even its own golf course.
      As the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden unfolded, Athar "liveblogged" what he was hearing in real time, describing windows rattling as bombs exploded.
      He questioned whose helicopters might be flying overhead. "The few people online at this time of the night are saying one of the copters was not Pakistani," he tweeted.
      Athar then said one of the aircraft appeared to have been shot down. Two more helicopters rushed in, he reported.
      Throughout the battle, he related the rumors swirling through town: it was a training accident. Somebody was killed. The aircraft might be a drone. The army was conducting door-to-door searches in the surrounding area. The sound of an airplane could be heard overhead.
      Athar did not respond to media requests for comment - he explained in another tweet that a filter he set up to stop his e-mail box from flooding could be culling out requests for interviews.
      Soon, however, the rumbling of international events far beyond the confines of this quiet upscale suburb began to dawn on Athar, and he realized what he might be witnessing.
      "I think the helicopter crash in Abbottabad, Pakistan and the President Obama breaking news address are connected," he tweeted.
      Eight hours and about 35 tweets later, the confirmation came: "Osama Bin Laden killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Athar reported. "There goes the neighborhood."

      Obama mocks Trump at dinner

      The president exacts comic revenge on the Donald at the annual journalists' event.
      Also: 
        http://web22.twitpic.com/img/289266367-3c72107ecd8790fa5ffaab2d22892c67.4dbec6f0-full.jpg

        Donald Trump razzed online and on Twitter after Obama's bin Laden announcement

        Online news site NMA News, which spoofs current news in videos that use Sims-style animation, wasted no time with one of the biggest news stories of the year: the killing of Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in a raid by U.S. Special Forces troops. 

        Wizard of Id

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        Media multitasking is really multi-distracting

        Multitaskers who think they can successfully divide their attention between the program on their television set and the information on their computer screen proved to be driven to distraction by the two devices …
        Media multitasking is really multi-distracting

        Being a Grandparent

        1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, 'But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!'
        I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye!!

        2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, '62.'
        He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, 'Did you start at 1?'

        3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, 'Who was THAT?'

        4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: 'We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild
        raspberries in the woods.'
        The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, 'I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!'

        5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, 'Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?'
        I mentally polished my halo and I said, 'No, how are we alike?'
        'You're both old,' he replied.

        6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. 'What's it about?' he asked.
        'I don't know,' she replied, 'I can't read.

        7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying, 'Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!'

        8. Wh en my grandson Melvin and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, 'It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.'

        9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, 'I'm not sure.'
        'Look in your underwear, Grandpa,' he advised. 'Mine says I'm four to six.'

        10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, 'Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.'
        The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. 'That's
        interesting,' she said, 'how do you make babies?'
        ''It's simple,' replied the girl. 'You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'.'

        11. Children's Logic: 'Give me a sentence about a public servant,' said a teacher.
        The small boy wrote: 'The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.'
        The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. 'Don't you know what pregnant means?' she asked.
        'Sure,' said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child.'

        12. A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. 'They use him to keep crowds back,' said one child.
        'No,' said another, 'He's just for good luck.'
        A third child brought the argument to a close. 'They use the dogs,' she said firmly, 'to find the fire hydrants!

        Ziggy

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        Driver In Fatal St. Cloud Chase Charged With Murder

        A man accused of fleeing police last month and crashing his vehicle in Waite Park is now charged with two counts of third-degree murder.

        Controversial homeless plan

        Atlantic City's proposal is meant to remove squatters from its streets and public spaces.  
        Also: 

        Random Celebrity Photo

        http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4488751797_390ce1b1fc.jpg
        The Dalai Lama

        Gretzky's NHL rookie card auctioned for $94,163

        The Great One is still setting records. Wayne Gretzky's NHL rookie card earned $94,163 at an online sports memorabilia auction Sunday.

        Odds and Sods

        A female German jogger was recovering with only minor injuries Monday after she managed to fight off a crazed deer by putting it into a headlock, daily newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported.

        Signs You May Be A Redneck

        The most common phrase heard in your house is, "Somebody go jiggle the handle."

        Your best shoes have numbers on the heels.

        Your dog passes gas and you claim it.

        You see a sign that says "Just Say No To Crack!" and it reminds you to pull up your jeans.

        You've ever asked a widow for her telephone number at the funeral home.

        You come back from the dump with more than you took.

        You consider a six pack of Pabst and a bug-zapper quality entertainment.

        Your dog and your wallet are both on a chain.

        You think "six to ten pounds" on the side of the Pampers box means how much the diaper will hold.

        Your lawn furniture used to be your living room furniture.

        You've ever "hit on" somebody in a V.D. clinic.

        Windfarms paid extra cash to stop producing energy

        Six Scottish windfarms were paid up to £300,000 to stop producing energy. The turbines, at a range of sites across Scotland, were stopped because the grid network could not absorb all the energy they generated. Details of the payments emerged following research by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF).

        The REF said energy companies were paid £900,000 to halt the turbines for several hours between 5 and 6 April. According to the REF research, the payments made cost up to 20 times the value of the electricity that would have been generated if the turbines had kept running. Dr Lee Moroney, planning director for the REF, which has criticized subsidies to the renewable sector in the past, said:


        "The variability of wind power poses grid management problems for which there are no cheap solutions. However, throwing the energy away, and paying wind farms handsomely for doing so, is not only costly but obviously very wasteful. Government must rethink the scale and pace of wind power development before the costs of managing it become intolerable and the scale of the waste scandalous."

        The National Grid said the network had overloaded because high winds and heavy rain in Scotland overnight on 5 and 6 April produced more wind energy than it could use. A spokesman for the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), described the incident as "unusual" and said more electrical storage was needed.

        Photograph

        "Walk at low tide," photographed by Ludwig Windstosser in 1957.

        Pain and itch connected down deep

        A new study of itch adds to growing evidence that the chemical signals that make us want to scratch are the same signals that make us wince in pain.

        The interactions between itch and pain are only partly understood …

        Ten ways to heal a bruise

        10 ways to heal a bruise

        Tornado victims wary of aid

        Despite suffering, some illegal immigrants are reluctant to seek help for fear of deportation.  
        Also: 

        Bad Cops

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        Washington cop won't be disciplined for sleeping through Amber alert while 12-year-old girl was murdered

        Ohio chief deputy charged with rape, gross sexual imposition, endangering a child and kidnapping

        Michigan deputy charged with forgery, theft

        New York police officer pleads guilty to 100 armed robberies, stealing 250 kilograms of cocaine and $1M

        Off duty New York cops guilty in attack on motorist

        Denver deputy behind bars for sexual assault on a child

        Georgia police officers accused of excessive force in melee at IHOP

        Missouri city pays $130K to settle police brutality lawsuit

        North Carolina sheriff's detective charged with molesting a child; fired by department

        Ohio police detective arrested on felony charge

        Florida police mistakenly raid judge's home and order family out of house at gunpoint during Easter dinner

        Seattle police officer informs handcuffed suspect that "I'm going to beat the f*cking Mexican piss out of you, homey" and delivers as promised

        Veteran Indiana police officer accused of stealing from drivers during traffic stops

        Alleged illegal searches by NYPD may be increasing marijuana arrests

        Former North Carolina local law enforcement officer arrested for sexually abusing his own child

        California sheriff's deputy arrested on suspicion of having sex with an underage girl

        Louisiana sheriff's deputy charged with assault, battery

        California deputy charged with domestic violence

        Justice Dept. probe of Seattle Police aided by self-incriminating SPD video, court evidence

        Lunatic Fringe

        Michele 'Batshit Crazy' Bachmann Implies The Holocaust, Taxation, Are Analogous to Each Other

        Michele Bachmann has been accused of being off the deep end before, but her latest statement is bound to cause a lot of flak: on Sunday's she used the Holocaust as an analogy when speaking about taxes.

        Even the Holocaust deniers are shaking their heads in disbelief at that one!

        Texas repugicans approve tax cuts for yachts over $250,000

        It's especially curious since most of those yachts are now built in China.
        Why do Texas repugicans want to encourage new business in China as opposed to in the USA?

        Obviously they hate America.
        The Texas House Ways and Means Committee has approved a tax break for those who want to buy yachts costing $250,000 or more.

        In a vote late Thursday, the committee approved a bill by Houston repugican John Davis. The proposed law would cap the maximum sales tax the state would collect on the sale of a personal boat.

        Davis says the measure is needed because Florida has a similar law and boat buyers are going there to make their purchases. The measure passed on an 8-3 vote along party lines.

        Non Sequitur

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        Why Is Damning New Evidence About Monsanto's Most Widely Used Herbicide Being Silenced?

        Good question, that ...

        It turns out that Monsanto's Roundup herbicide might not be nearly as safe as people have thought, but the media is staying mum on the revelation.

        Tech company's value explodes

        Close to oblivion 14 years ago, this company is now the world's second most valuable.
        Also: 

          Ways to become a millionaire

          Delaying retirement by just a couple of years could help you hit the mark.
          Also: 

            McDonalds Hires 62,000

            Turns Away Over 938,000 Applicants For Minimum Wage, Part-Time Jobs
            The "good" news: McDonald's hired 62,000 people at an employment event, which was 24 percent more than they planned. The bad news: More than more than one million people applied for the jobs, which means at least 938,000 applicants were turned down.

            Culinary DeLites

            7 almost-instant dinners
            Also:

            Rooftop Urban Farm Brings Fresh Local Produce To Montreal All Year Round

            lufa rooftop farm montreal photo
            Image credit Lufa Farms
            Lufa Farms founder Mohamed Hage was complaining about how hard it was to get decent fresh food in Montreal in winter, that it is "handled, packaged, shipped, stored, refrigerated and reshipped perhaps dozens of times before it could appear on our dinner plates." Especially in a Montreal winter. Now, after four years of work, he has built a 31,000 square foot farm under glass on a rooftop and is supplying fresh food within 24 hours of harvesting.
            I have been dismissive of vertical farms, but rooftop farms like this just might make sense.
            Article continues: Rooftop Urban Farm Brings Fresh Local Produce To Montreal All Year Round

            Morocco Timber Mafia Threatens Water Supply By Felling Cedars

            cedar bough photo
            Echoes of what contributed to catastrophic flooding in Pakistan last summer: Illegal logging by a timber mafia ("a cedar mafia, an organized mafia") is felling so many of Morocco's iconic cedar trees that the nation's water supply is threatened due to erosion.
            Article continues: Morocco Timber Mafia Threatens Water Supply By Felling Cedars - Setting Up A Natural Disaster?

            The 6 Most Terrifying Historical Car Races

            People love a race.
            They began to race cars before any of the kinks in such an undertaking were worked out.
            Consider the 1903 Paris to Madrid road race:
            As a result of the constant, unremitting horror that unfolded on the first day, the race officials just drew a new finish line in Bordeaux.
            Given the nascence of car manufacturing, not many people understood yet the inherent danger of traveling that fast in a wood and steel shell filled with explosives. All day, cars crashed into trees, burst into flames, careened into groups of spectators or just straight up disintegrated. Out of all the hundreds of racers that started, more than half crashed out in that first day, at least eight people died including one of the founders of Renault.
            But that was just one race. 
            Things got considerably worse in the next, when locals shot at passing vehicles! 
            Read all six stories at Cracked.

            Ten spots that could disappear

            Peru’s lush rainforests and the Maldives islands are some of the world's most unique sites.
            Also: 

            Awesome Pictures

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            Cockfighting Ring Busted At Kid's Party

            Police busted a cockfighting ring in Texas that was using a children's party as its front, officials said Sunday.

            Manul - The Cat That Time Forgot

             

            Have you ever wanted to take a trip through time to see what animals looked like millions of years ago? When it comes to cats there is little or no need. This beautiful specimen is a Manul, otherwise known as Pallas's Cat.

            About twelve million years ago it was one of the first two modern cats to evolve and it hasn't changed since. The other species, Martelli's Cat, is extinct so what you are looking at here is a unique window in to the past of modern cats.

            Tourist's lucky escape from bear in China

            A tourist looking for wildlife in China's northwestern Xinjiang Province got more than he bargained for when a brown bear charged at his car.


            The man, Mr. Quan, had spotted the wild animal by the side of the road and started filming it when the bear suddenly rushed towards him, but he managed to close the window in time.

            Quan said that he and his friends at first thought the bear was a Tibetan Mastiff dog wandering on the grassland.



            Local officials in charge of wildlife protection in Emin County said that it was very unusual to see a bear wandering so close to the road in the daytime.

            Animal Pictures

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