When you persuade THE BEATLES to reunite, there must be something special in the air.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Man charged in slaying of abortion doctor
A 51-year-old Kansas man was charged with first-degree murder late Sunday in the death of a physician whose Kansas women's clinic frequently took center stage in the U.S. debate over abortion, authorities said.
Weather phenomenon worries meteorologists
Vast ocean search under way for Air France jet
Military aircraft is scanning the Atlantic, but the first ship isn't expected to reach the area of the plane's disappearance until Wednesday.
Search under way for Air France jet
Also:
What 'value menu' items really cost restaurants
A survey of franchise owners reveals how much stores are making — and losing — on fast-food promotions.What 'value menu' items really cost restaurants
Also:
Obama puts 31-year-old in charge of fixing GM
Brian Deese just got out of graduate school and is now tasked with revamping General Motors.Obama puts 31-year-old in charge of fixing GM
Also:
Alphabet War? GMAC vs ABA
Ally Bank, the banking arm of GMAC Financial Services, is in a budding dispute with the American Bankers Association over the higher interest rates the lender is offering on its savings accounts.
GMAC chief executive Al de Molina today sent a letter to the ABA's leader calling the trade association's recent complaints about its interest rates “inappropriate.” De Molina also defended his bank's health and stressed Ally Bank's effort to be “straightforward” with customers.
De Molina's missive was prompted by a letter last week from ABA CEO Edward Yingling to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. CEO Sheila Bair that drew attention to GMAC's above-average rates.
“ABA believes it is completely inappropriate, and indeed risky, for GMAC Bank/Ally Bank to be allowed by regulators to continue to pay rates well above the market,” Yingling wrote. “We urge you to apply the same principles that would apply to other banks in a comparable situation to GMAC/Ally.”
GMAC changed the name of its bank to Ally last month and began stressing its commitment to higher rates and fewer fees in a bid to add more deposits at an institution hard hit by the auto industry's travails and a load of bad mortgage loans. GMAC converted to a bank holding company last year to receive federal bailout funds.
In his letter, Yingling said Ally was offering six-month certificates of deposit last month at rates at 2.13 percent, more than double the national average. He called this strategy “egregious” because GMAC is a “troubled bank” in which the government has a “controlling interest.” He also noted that GMAC lost money in 2008 and the first-quarter of 2009.
In his response, de Molina said the bank is considered more than “well capitalized,” no longer makes the mortgage loans that have spurred its losses and is lending as required under the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program. In a filing Friday, GMAC said the government holds 35 percent of the voting power in the company.
“You might want to assist your members in figuring out how they are going to compete in the new market place rather than ask regulators to direct Ally Bank to pay its depositors less competitive rates,” de Molina wrote.
Detroit-based GMAC has been expanding its presence in Charlotte, where de Molina, Bank of America's former chief financial officer, lives. Its hiring of former Bank of America executives has addled his former employer, which has sent letters to former employees now at GMAC reminding them of their obligations under non-compete and other agreements.
*****
Don't you just love it when these snakes in-fight!
Swine Flu in Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg County has its first confirmed case of swine flu.
The Mecklenburg County Health Department spoke about its first case this morning at a 10:30a.m. news conference.
The elementary school student contracted the swine flu when the family visited New York Memorial Day weekend, said Dr. Stephen Keener. The child was well on Friday, but fell ill on Monday when the family returned by car to their home in Mecklenburg County.
The child was in contact with an ill person in New York, but Keener could not confirm if that person had the swine flu.
The child did not go to school and was admitted to Carolinas Medical Center on Wednesday. The child has since been discharged. The child is isolated at home, Keener said.
"There is no intervention that needs to be done with the school because there was no exposure at the school," Keener said. It is not known what school the child attends.
The child has only had close contact with her parents. So far the parents have not shown any symptoms.
*****
North Carolina now has 15 total cases of swine flu, although the state still has far fewer cases than some of its neighbors. Federal health officials have counted about 9,000 confirmed swine flu cases nationwide.
South Carolina officials report 37 people have been diagnosed since the first case in the state was confirmed in late April. A handful were hospitalized, but no one has died. Nearly 300 people suspected of having the virus were asked to stay home under voluntary isolation for up to a week.
Most of the cases were linked to a private school in Newberry whose students had returned April 20 from a trip to Mexico.
Officials say the voluntary quarantines and quick dispensing of medicine helped contain the virus in South Carolina.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked the virus to 15 deaths in the United States.
Headlines
Headlines for the day:
- Pakistan militants abduct 400 students in troubled region
- Chasing ghosts: Fighting the Taliban - if the U.S. can find them
- Suspect identified in Kansas abortion doctor's killing
- Gay-marriage complicating San Francisco mayor's run for governor
- British singing star Susan Boyle suffering from exhaustion
- President Obama makes good on campaign promise to Michelle
- Missing French jet hit thunderstorms over Atlantic
- AP NEWSBREAK: U.S. military tweets
- Canadian at Guantanamo asks to dismiss US lawyers
- Netanyahu rejects U.S. calls for settlement freeze
- Reports: North Korea prepares long-range missile launch
- UK singing star Susan Boyle suffering exhaustion
In the News ...
Oil climbs to near $68, new high for the year Oil prices rose to near $68 a barrel Monday, hitting a new high for the year as world stock markets rallied and investors banked on hopes that the global recession is easing.
Stocks open higher on more signs of recovery Stocks are starting June with a gain, as upbeat data on overseas manufacturing and U.S. consumer spending added to hopes for a global economic recovery.General Motors to close or idle 12 more plants General Motors Corp. says it will permanently close nine more plants and idle three others to trim production and labor costs under bankruptcy protection.Assembly plants in Pontiac, Mich., and Wilmington, Del., will close this year, while plants in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Orion, Mich., will shut down production but remain on standby.Nutritionist Charged in Fraud Case A Silver Spring nutritionist who was convicted of Medicaid fraud last year has now been charged with mortgage fraud.Mom finds abducted son on Facebook A British woman has been reunited with her son, who was abducted by his father 27 years ago, thanks to the social networking Web site Facebook.
Stocks open higher on more signs of recovery Stocks are starting June with a gain, as upbeat data on overseas manufacturing and U.S. consumer spending added to hopes for a global economic recovery.General Motors to close or idle 12 more plants General Motors Corp. says it will permanently close nine more plants and idle three others to trim production and labor costs under bankruptcy protection.Assembly plants in Pontiac, Mich., and Wilmington, Del., will close this year, while plants in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Orion, Mich., will shut down production but remain on standby.Nutritionist Charged in Fraud Case A Silver Spring nutritionist who was convicted of Medicaid fraud last year has now been charged with mortgage fraud.Mom finds abducted son on Facebook A British woman has been reunited with her son, who was abducted by his father 27 years ago, thanks to the social networking Web site Facebook.
Judge OKs Chrysler-Fiat Deal Judge OKs Chrysler-Fiat Deal Chrysler LLC has told a bankruptcy court it plans to eliminate 789 of its dealers - or about 25 percent of them - across the country as part of its restructuring process.
Duluth Man Makes Music From Bizarre Instruments
Tim Kaiser started out playing the guitar, then made the illogical transition to playing the rotary phone.
Far-flung dino?
It's a Jurassic curiosity: As far as anyone can tell, the fossilized, three-toed dinosaur tracks in north-central Wyoming and on Scotland's coast are indistinguishable.
Warship fires on village by mistake
The Russian navy said on Friday that one of its anti-submarine ships had fired artillery at a village by mistake, state RIA news agency reported.
Taiwan confiscates cocaine-laced energy drinks
Taiwanese authorities say they have confiscated nearly 18,000 cases of Red Bull energy drinks containing slight traces of cocaine and imported from Austria.
Remains of Loch Ness-style creature found
The remains of a Loch Ness-style creature that lived in the English Channel 200 million years ago have been found on a beach.
Jogger injured after using Twitter as he ran
James Coleman, a jogger, has become the first man in Britain to suffer a 'twinjury' - an injury sustained while using Twitter.
Drowning man kept alive with tube
A HIRE boat operator has been hailed a hero after using a vacuum cleaner hose to save a worker trapped underwater by machinery.
Air France Flight Missing
An Air France flight that has gone missing on its way from Brazil to France has 228 people on board, Air France said on Monday.
The flight left Rio de Janeiro on Sunday at 07.00 p.m. local time and was expected in Paris on Monday at 11.15 a.m. (0915 GMT), a spokesman said.
There are 216 passengers and 12 crew on board the plane.*****
Disappearances over the Atlantic aren't new, but is has been a while since the last one.
*****
Air France plane disappears mid-flight
A plane carrying 228 people from Brazil to Paris hits strong turbulence and goes missing.
Question and Answer
Q: How many managers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: We've formed a task force to study the problem of why light bulbs burn out, and figure out what, exactly, we as supervisors can do to make the bulbs work smarter, not harder.
A: We've formed a task force to study the problem of why light bulbs burn out, and figure out what, exactly, we as supervisors can do to make the bulbs work smarter, not harder.
Bing gets it right
When you type "miserable failure" into a search engine on the internet the first result is the shrub or at least in used to be ... in 2007 Google 'protected' the shrub from showing up as the first result for miserable failure. Bing doesn't.
What is amusing about this is that as of today (right now as a matter of fact) on Google the first result for a search of "miserable failure" is a listing of their 'bomb' removal of the first result being the shrub - so even though they bar the shrub from being the 'first' result for "miserable failure" , he still shows up as the first result.
You cannot block the truth!
What is amusing about this is that as of today (right now as a matter of fact) on Google the first result for a search of "miserable failure" is a listing of their 'bomb' removal of the first result being the shrub - so even though they bar the shrub from being the 'first' result for "miserable failure" , he still shows up as the first result.
You cannot block the truth!
Man threatening suicide is pushed off bridge
A man was pushed off a bridge by an angry passer-by after his threat to commit suicide held up traffic for five hours, it has been reported.
Giant Feral Pig Ate Cow - Mystery 'Solved'
A mystery surrounding pictures of a giant feral pig allegedly shot in Australia after it was spotted eating a dead cow has reportedly been solved.
Weird Drinking Laws
Underage folks may find the "21 and over" rule to be weird. People wanting to buy beer seven days a week may find the fact that liquor stores are closed on Sundays in many states to be strange.
Bride rescues family from house fire
A Connecticut family was saved from a house fire by a newlywed who rushed inside through thick smoke while wearing her wedding gown.
America's most promising cities for jobs
These places already have solid job markets, but they also have the right elements to create new, well-paying positions in the future.Also:
We got a month all to our own!
June is International Men's Month
In keeping with that theme we the staff here at Carolina Naturally (all two of us) will be featuring stories of interest to men - so naked women and beer here we come!
No seriously we will feature 'real' articles of interest other than the stereotypical ...
In keeping with that theme we the staff here at Carolina Naturally (all two of us) will be featuring stories of interest to men - so naked women and beer here we come!
No seriously we will feature 'real' articles of interest other than the stereotypical ...
Unusual Holidays and Celebrations
June happens to be:
Perennial Gardening Month
Turkey Lovers Month
Bathroom Reading Month
National Iced Tea Month
Perennial Gardening Month
Turkey Lovers Month
Bathroom Reading Month
National Iced Tea Month
The Power of the Wind
From BBC-Science
 |  | Wind farms on the US's high plains could eventually help power the country's coastal population centers, experts say. |
General Motors files for bankruptcy
The automaker's filing is the largest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history.General Motors files for bankruptcy
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Israel
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Worcester, England, United Kingdom
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Munich, Bayern, Germany
Luqa, Luqa, Malta
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
as well as Wales, and the United States
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Israel
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Worcester, England, United Kingdom
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Munich, Bayern, Germany
Luqa, Luqa, Malta
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
as well as Wales, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
It's not usually tough to get along with you.
To dear ones, you're almost predictable because you're so grounded, stable and solid.
Those traits won't apply to you now, though, especially since once you open your mouth, you'll be anything but predictable.
Kind of fun to surprise them every now and then, though, huh?
You bet it is!
It's not usually tough to get along with you.
To dear ones, you're almost predictable because you're so grounded, stable and solid.
Those traits won't apply to you now, though, especially since once you open your mouth, you'll be anything but predictable.
Kind of fun to surprise them every now and then, though, huh?
You bet it is!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
It was twenty years ago today ...
Tiananmen 20 years after
20 years on: Memories of Tiananmen
Hong Kong protest over Tiananmen
China's Tiananmen generation speaks
Urinals Among Top Memorabilia Requests
An executive involved in the sale of pieces of the old Yankee Stadium says urinals are a hot commodity for those seeking New York Yankees mementos.
Urinals Among Top Memorabilia Requests
I have always said Yankees fans were strange (to be polite about it).
Urinals Among Top Memorabilia Requests
I have always said Yankees fans were strange (to be polite about it).
Texting While Driving is as Dangerous as Drunk Driving
This one of those 'Like, Duh!' stories:
A recent study found drivers who use their cell phones behind the wheel perform just as poorly as legally drunk drivers.
A recent study found drivers who use their cell phones behind the wheel perform just as poorly as legally drunk drivers.
Dying Man Bets on Own Life and Wins
The phrase "you bet your life" has taken on new meaning for 59-year-old Jon Matthews.
Dying Man Bets on Own Life and Wins
Dying Man Bets on Own Life and Wins
New passport rules begin Monday
Travel from the U.S. to Canada or Mexico will require more identification as tighter security measures take effect.
New passport rules
Also:
Perks and pitfalls of taking a nap
As little as three minutes of snoozing can rejuvenate, but a chronic nap craving can signal a bigger sleep problem.Perks and pitfalls of taking a nap
Also:
California lab unveils 'super laser'
A U.S. weapons lab, with the help of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, shows off a powerful new laser that can burn as hot as a star.
'Super laser'
Also:
Interesting thing about Lobsters ...
A 1 & 1/4 pound Lobster is 7 to 9 years old.
If a Lobster looses an eye he grows a new one.
If a Lobster looses an eye he grows a new one.
Senior Bowlers Thwart Teen Thief
A teenage would-be thief who tried to swipe two women's purses got a surprise when he was thwarted by a group of senior citizen bowlers.
Terrorists struck in America this morning
The anti-abortionist lunatics have murdered an American based on their misguided and misbegotten extremist religious views.
George Tiller, the Wichita doctor at the center in the debate over abortion, was shot to death this morning as he walked into church services.More here
Policeman Fights Paramedics With Patient In Ambulance
Here's how our friends down under view this 'incident' (and I dare say so does most of the world - hold the same opinion as well that is).
IN America, they give the idiots - the really dangerous idiots - a gun and a brown shirt. Yeah just like the Nazis.
Oklahoma’s Tulsa World newspaper reports on a fight between a brown-shirted highway patrol officer, who has pulled over an ambulance that was racing a patient to hospital, and the paramedic.
The ambulance did not have a siren on. The copper did.
Having issued a “failure to yield” citation to the ambulance driver, the man in the brown shirt was further upset when he believed one of the paramedics flipped him the finger.
The brown shirt then insists one of the paramedics wait in his car. He then tries to handcuff the paramedic, which results in a fight.
The patient’s husband films it all. And then the man in the brown shirt lets the ambulance go.
And the really amazing thing is - get this - the coppers never shot the man in the face nor tasered him in the neck and heart. How’s that for restraint!
*****
One thing to point out - there is no legal standing for the police to issue a 'failure to yield' citation to an ambulance driver even if the police have their lights on. There is however a law that makes what the police did criminal because they 'hindered an emergency medical worker in the performance of his duties'.
All vehicles must yeild to emergency vehicles even other emergency vehicles - but there is a hiearchy to the yielding and the police are at the bottom of that hiearchy and therefore must yield to other emergency vehicles - especially ambulances.
Did you know ...
A watermelon is a vegetable and not a fruit.
A tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable.
A tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable.
Kindness works every time
This is a concept the repugicans will never know about - it runs contrary to the inner core nature.
It was the power of cookies - or rather the power of kindness behind the cookies that 'broke' torture victim Abu Jandal and yielded actual truthful and useful information about bin Laden.
Ali Soufan, a former fbi interrogator, says that Osama bin Laden's bodyguard, Abu Jandal, talked about the 9/11 attack only after he was given sugar free cookies. Jandal is diabetic and was unable to eat the regular cookies given to him with his tea. noticing this, Soufan offered the suspect sugar-free cookies at their next meeting. Soufan says it was this act of kindness, not rougher methods, that opened up a dialogue between the two. "we had showed him respect, and we had done this nice thing for him. so he started talking to us instead of giving us lectures," soufan said.
More here
Hooked On Facts
Today's six facts are:
Mushrooms are more closely related to humans and animals than they are to other plants.
A 100 pound person on Earth would weigh 38 pounds on Mars.
Fine-grained Volcanic ash can be found as an ingredient in some toothpastes.
Some toothpastes and deodorants contain the same chemicals found in antifreeze.
Tablecloths were originally meant to serve as a towel with which guest could wipe their hands and face after dinner.
A fully loaded supertanker traveling at normal speed takes at least twenty minutes to stop.
Today's Bonus Fact:
Coca Cola's 'Super Pure' Dasani bottled water is just filled with filtered tap water.
Mushrooms are more closely related to humans and animals than they are to other plants.
A 100 pound person on Earth would weigh 38 pounds on Mars.
Fine-grained Volcanic ash can be found as an ingredient in some toothpastes.
Some toothpastes and deodorants contain the same chemicals found in antifreeze.
Tablecloths were originally meant to serve as a towel with which guest could wipe their hands and face after dinner.
A fully loaded supertanker traveling at normal speed takes at least twenty minutes to stop.
Today's Bonus Fact:
Coca Cola's 'Super Pure' Dasani bottled water is just filled with filtered tap water.
Small dogs scare off cougar
A cougar picked the wrong little dogs for a fight. Chiquita the Chihuahua and Rosie the border terrier chased off the cougar.
Science News
In Science News:
- Scientists Reveal the Secret to Hockey’s Wrist Shot How professional hockey players get off that perfect wrist shot.
- Volcanic Eruption Implicated in Mass Extinction A study has found evidence in China that a volcanic eruption was responsible a mid-Permian mass extinction event.
Headlines
Headlines for today:
- Troops hunt Taliban as Pakistan says victory nears
- Majority of GM bondholders accept debt-for-equity swap offer
- GOP senators tone down racially charged criticism of Sotomayor
- Reports: Late-term abortion doctor Tiller shot at Kansas church
- Foreclosed homes add to U.S. hurricane hazards
- Some antidepressants may cut drug's effect on breast cancer
- Orangutan hospital on Malaysian island sparks controversy
- Muslims want tangible change on Mideast from Obama
- Trapped residents emerge, seek food in Swat town
- Tiananmen: A battle of remembering vs. forgetting
- US journalists' trial begins in NKorea this week
- 6 dead in battle between Hamas, Palestinian police
- UK Lawmakers should not decide their own salaries
- Myanmar defends trial of opposition leader Suu Kyi
Woman Fatally Stabs Father After Dinner Roll Argument
Prosecutors say a woman in a Detroit suburb has been accused of fatally stabbing her father after an argument over a dinner roll.
Oregon man, 92, promoted to admiral in Polish navy
He achieved the rank of lieutenant commander while serving 5 1/2 years during World War II, chasing German U-boats and protecting troops on D-Day in 1944.
Giant Hairy Cow-Eating Pig Shot In Australia
This is a picture of a 220kg giant feral pig shot on a Pilbara cattle station after it was spotted eating a cow.Ok, now you decide is this a hoax or not?
Where was Obama's 'Gramps' on D-Day?
Lituus
From BBC-Science:
New software has enabled researchers to recreate a long forgotten musical instrument called the Lituus.
Professor hopes to decipher ancient scrolls
A University of Kentucky scientist is attempting to read a 2,000-year-old scroll without even unrolling the fragile papyrus document found near Italy's Mount Vesuvius.
Ancient scrolls
Ancient scrolls
Daily Alamanac
Today is Sunday, May 31, the 151st day of 2009 with 214 to follow. The moon is waxing ...
The Almanac - May 31
The Almanac - May 31
Poison Sno-Cones Sicken Zoo Patrons
Blue sno-cones are out at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS. Why? A mistake having to do with a cleaning solution that looked just as blue as the blue sno-cone solution, with the result being that several people were sickened (and not just blue in the face).
Man Calls 911 Because Orange Juice Missing from McDonald's Order
"A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine."Remember those old Anita Bryant Florida orange juice commercials? OK, OK, I know, but I do, and perhaps this Oregon McDonald's patron did too, and felt a missing OJ from his order was enough reason to call 911.
Serena WIlliams says opponent cheated
Williams accuses an opponent of not playing by the rules at the French Open — and TV replays seem to back her claims.
Serena WIlliams says opponent cheated
Obama's 'night on the town', oh how the repugicans hated it
President Obama takes his wife Michelle to New York, and the repugicans takes offense.
Obama's 'night on the town'
Hell, they're nothing more than just an offense against humanity themselves - not to mention pedophiles and otherwise assorted perverts - so who cares what they think, much less find 'offensive'!
10 things gas stations won't tell you
Using inaccurate pumps, imposing debit-card fees, and selling gas refined by the competition are among the hidden truths about gas stations.
10 things gas stations won't tell you
Also:
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Medan, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
Vancouver, British, Columbia, Canada
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Linkoping, Ostergotlands Lan, Sweden
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Karachi, Sindh, Pakisatn
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Medan, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
Vancouver, British, Columbia, Canada
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Linkoping, Ostergotlands Lan, Sweden
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Karachi, Sindh, Pakisatn
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Today's horoscope says:
There are lots of small details to wrangle today, but you will flourish under the pressure and leave people impressed with your abilities!
It's an excellent day for planning and finding facts, so you might want to sit yourself in front of the computer for a while.
It's exciting knowing that all of the answers you need are right at your fingertips, and your brain is ready to soak them all in.
You'll have a blast and time will fly by.
Awesome!
There are lots of small details to wrangle today, but you will flourish under the pressure and leave people impressed with your abilities!
It's an excellent day for planning and finding facts, so you might want to sit yourself in front of the computer for a while.
It's exciting knowing that all of the answers you need are right at your fingertips, and your brain is ready to soak them all in.
You'll have a blast and time will fly by.
Awesome!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sweet tooth drives tool use in chimpanzees
Some chimps use multi-purpose tools to forage honey from hives – an achievement close to those of early Stone Age humans.
Tool use in chimpanzees
'Wired' nights taking toll on teens
Technology keeps caffeine-fueled kids multitasking into the wee hours, and putting themselves at risk, a study finds.
'Wired' nights
Also:
Best ways to land a government job
Find out how to apply for the hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the stimulus package.
Best ways to land a government job
Also:
Susan Boyle beaten in 'Talent' finale
In a case of pure bullshit ...
The 48-year-old church volunteer takes second place.
If you ever thought these things just might be rigged you can wipe any doubts you may have harbored as to them maybe being legit from your mind - this bullshit (there is no other term to describe it) removes all doubt!
The 48-year-old church volunteer takes second place.If you ever thought these things just might be rigged you can wipe any doubts you may have harbored as to them maybe being legit from your mind - this bullshit (there is no other term to describe it) removes all doubt!
Fossil in the kitchen
After a factory had found a 40-million-year-old whale fossil in a limestone kitchen counter, researchers investigated the stone's fossil-packed quarry, which could shed light on the origins of African wildlife.
Paper Runs Ad Calling for Obama's Assassination
A Pennsylvania newspaper should be expecting a visit from the Secret Service soon.
The Warren Pennsylvania Times-Observer published an ad on Thursday that called for the assassination of President Barack Obama.
LG Launches Universal Translator for Teen Speak
It's no secret that texting has actually become more popular than talking on cell phones, and skews more toward the youthful set. Parents though, might not understand when a teenage child texts them with "TTYL" or "ROFL." LG has unveiled DTXTR (or “de-text-er”), a translation tool for us old fogies.
Can poison ivy spread after you wash it off?
A doctor explains how this pesky plant makes us so itchy.Can poison ivy spread after you wash it off?
Also:
And I Quote
To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them.
Saturday Jam
Today's Saturday Jam takes us back the the roots:
Grandfather MountainThis is what is called fun and games.
Scottish Power
Manawatu Scottish Society
Grandfather MountainThis is what is called fun and games.
Scottish Power
Medley
Manawatu Scottish Society
President Obama's Weekly Address
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Washington D.C.
This week, I nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Court of Appeals to replace Justice David Souter, who is retiring after nearly two decades on the Supreme Court. After reviewing many terrific candidates, I am certain that she is the right choice. In fact, there has not been a nominee in several generations who has brought the depth of judicial experience to this job that she offers.
Judge Sotomayor’s career began when she served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York, prosecuting violent crimes in America’s largest city. After leaving the DA’s office, she became a litigator, representing clients in complex international legal disputes. She was appointed to the U.S. District Court, serving six years as a trial judge where she presided over hundreds of cases. And most recently, she has spent eleven years on the U.S. Court of Appeals, our nation’s second highest court, grappling with some of the most difficult constitutional and legal issues we face as a nation. She has more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court Justice in the past 100 years. Quite simply, Judge Sotomayor has a deep familiarity with our judicial system from almost every angle.
And her achievements are all the more impressive when you consider what she had to overcome in order to achieve them. Judge Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in the South Bronx; her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War. Her father was a factory worker with a third grade education; when she was just nine years old, he passed away. Her mother worked six days a week as a nurse to provide for her and her brother, buying the only set of encyclopedias in the neighborhood and sending her children to Catholic school. That’s what made it possible for Judge Sotomayor to attend two of America’s leading universities, graduating at the top of her class at Princeton University, and studying at Yale Law School where she won a prestigious post as an editor of the school’s Law Journal.
These many years later, it was hard not to be moved by Judge Sotomayor’s mother, sitting in the front row at the White House, her eyes welling with tears, as her daughter – who had come so far, for whom she sacrificed so much – was nominated to the highest court in the land.
And this is what makes Judge Sotomayor so extraordinary. Even as she has reached the heights of her profession, she has never forgotten where she began. She has faced down barriers, overcome difficult odds, and lived the American dream. As a Justice of the Supreme Court, she will bring not only the experience acquired over the course of a brilliant legal career, but the wisdom accumulated over the course of an extraordinary journey – a journey defined by hard work, fierce intelligence, and the enduring faith that, in America, all things are possible.
It is her experience in life and her achievements in the legal profession that have earned Judge Sotomayor respect across party lines and ideological divides. She was originally named to the U.S. District Court by the first President Bush, a Republican. She was appointed to the federal Court of Appeals by President Clinton, a Democrat. She twice has been overwhelmingly confirmed by the U.S. Senate. And I am gratified by the support for this nomination voiced by members of the legal community who represent views from across the political spectrum.
There are, of course, some in Washington who are attempting to draw old battle lines and playing the usual political games, pulling a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of Judge Sotomayor’s record. But I am confident that these efforts will fail; because Judge Sotomayor’s seventeen-year record on the bench – hundreds of judicial decisions that every American can read for him or herself – speak far louder than any attack; her record makes clear that she is fair, unbiased, and dedicated to the rule of law. As a fellow judge on her court, appointed by Ronald Reagan, said recently, "I don’t think I’d go as far as to classify her in one camp or another. I think she just deserves the classification of outstanding judge."
Congress returns this week and I hope the confirmation process will begin without delay. No nominee should be seated without rigorous evaluation and hearing; I expect nothing less. But what I hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past. Judge Sotomayor ought to be on the bench when the Supreme Court decides what cases to hear this year and I’m calling on Democrats and Republicans to be thorough, and timely in dealing with this nomination.
As President, there are few responsibilities more serious or consequential than the naming of a Supreme Court Justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure. They are charged with applying principles put to paper more than two centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time. And the impact of their decisions extends beyond an administration, but for generations to come.
This is a decision that I have not taken lightly and it is one that I am proud to have made. I know that Justice Sotomayor will serve this nation with distinction. And when she ascends those marble steps to assume her seat on the Supreme Court, bringing a lifetime of experience on and off the bench, America will have taken another important step toward realizing the ideal that is chiseled above its entrance: Equal justice under the law.
Thanks.
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Brussels, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Brandenburg, Brandenburg, Germany
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
as well as Scotland and the United States
Brussels, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Brandenburg, Brandenburg, Germany
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
as well as Scotland and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Buying things to make yourself feel better might provide temporary fulfillment, but whatever you're trying to distract yourself from isn't going away any time soon!
You can't sacrifice your bank account in an attempt to give yourself retail therapy.
Instead, focus on being grounded in reality.
Face whatever you are trying to avoid.
Until you do this, you will never find the peace of mind you deserve.
You are not the bad guy here.
So you're saying hold off on the yacht then?
Buying things to make yourself feel better might provide temporary fulfillment, but whatever you're trying to distract yourself from isn't going away any time soon!
You can't sacrifice your bank account in an attempt to give yourself retail therapy.
Instead, focus on being grounded in reality.
Face whatever you are trying to avoid.
Until you do this, you will never find the peace of mind you deserve.
You are not the bad guy here.
So you're saying hold off on the yacht then?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Meanwhile in Looney-Land
Heard the latest from the wing-nuts?
Faux News Embraces Wing-Nut Theory That Obama Is Forcing GOP-Owned Car Dealerships To Close
Damn, they've got to quit it! My sides can't take much more from the laughter!Fom the "Wall of Sound" to prison walls
Spector, 69, who worked with The Ronettes, The Beatles, Cher and Ike and Tina Turner, was accused of shooting Clarkson, 40, in the mouth in the foyer of his castle-like home in the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra. The Feb. 3, 2003, shooting occurred hours after the two met at the House of Blues nightclub, where Clarkson worked as a hostess.
Spector has denied murdering Clarkson. His attorneys suggested Clarkson committed suicide. But several witnesses testified that Spector for years had bullied and tormented them with guns.
Spector was convicted in April in a retrial after a previous jury deadlocked in 2007.
Before the sentencing, the victim's mother, Donna Clarkson, told the judge she was heartbroken over the death of her daughter. "All our plans together are destroyed. Now I can only visit her in the cemetery," she said.
Clarkson's family has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit, which has not yet gone to trial.
Vietnam Plans to Outlaw Dancing in Karaoke Clubs
Busting a move in a karaoke club may soon get you busted in Vietnam. Government officials are currently pushing for a ban on dancing in the country's increasingly popular singing establishments.
Just ban Karaoke and the problem is solved.
Lee Iacocca losing pension, car in Chrysler plan
The famed CEO credited with saving the car company in the 1980s isn't getting special treatment.
Lee Iacocca
Bargain airline to add fees
Laodicean wins Spelling Bee
The word that is ...
Kavya Shivashankar from Olathe, Kansas won the 2009 National Spelling Bee in Washington, on May 28, 2009, by correctly spelling the word Laodicean to win.
Oil is plentiful — so why are gas prices rising?
The supply is abundant and demand is low, so why are drivers getting hit with higher prices at the pump?
Why are gas prices rising?
Also:
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Credit & Copyright: Ken Crawford (Rancho Del Sol Observatory)
Science News
From BBC-Science:
Beavers brought over from Norway for a reintroduction program have been released into the wild in Argyll.
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