Welcome to ...
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Fall Colors
Prettiest drives to see fall colors
These beautiful road trips offer scenic vistas where you can get out of the car and soak in the views.
Saturday Jam
Workin' At The Car Wash BluesJim Croce
Summertime BluesEddie Cochran
Folsom Prison BluesJohnny Cash
Blue On BlackKenny Wayne Shepherd
President Obama's Weekly Address
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
September 12, 2009
On Wednesday, I addressed a joint session of Congress and the American people about why we need health insurance reform and what it will take to do it.
Since then, I’ve continued to hear from many Americans across the country about why this is so urgent and important.
I’ve heard from Americans who can’t get health coverage; men and women who worry that one accident or illness could drive them into bankruptcy.
And I’ve heard from Americans with insurance who thought that "the uninsured" always referred to someone else – but between skyrocketing costs and insurance company practices; they’re beginning to worry that they could find themselves uninsured too.
It’s an anxiety that’s keeping more and more Americans awake at night. Over the last twelve months, nearly six million more Americans lost their health coverage – that’s 17,000 men and women every single day. We’re not just talking about Americans in poverty, either – we’re talking about middle-class Americans. In other words, it can happen to anyone.
And based on a brand-new report from the Treasury Department, we can expect that about half of all Americans under 65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the next ten years. If you’re under the age of 21 today, chances are more than half that you’ll find yourself uninsured at some point in that time. And more than one-third of Americans will go without coverage for longer than one year.
I refuse to allow that future to happen. In the United States of America, no one should have to worry that they’ll go without health insurance – not for one year, not for one month, not for one day. And once I sign my health reform plan into law – they won’t.
My plan will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance; offer quality, affordable choices to those who currently don’t; and bring health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government under control.
First of all, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have insurance through your job, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in my plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have.
What my plan will do is make the insurance you have work better for you. We’ll make it illegal for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition, drop your coverage when you get sick, or water it down when you need it most. They’ll no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or over a lifetime, and we will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses – because no one should go broke just because they get sick.
Second, if you’re one of the more than thirty million American citizens who can’t get coverage, you’ll finally have quality, affordable choices. If you lose your job, change your job, or start your own business, you will be able to get coverage.
And as I have said over and over again, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits – period. This plan will be paid for. The middle-class will realize greater security, not higher taxes. And if we can successfully slow the growth of health care costs by just one-tenth of one percent each year, it will actually reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over the long term.
Affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who don’t have it today. Stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do. That’s the reform we seek.
We have had a long and important debate. But now is the time for action. Because every day we wait, more Americans will lose their health care, their businesses, and their homes – but also the dreams they’ve worked for and the peace of mind they deserve. They are why we have to succeed.
So if you’re willing to put country before party and the interests of our children above our own; if you refuse to settle for a politics where scoring points is more important than solving problems; and if you believe, as I do, that America can still come together to do great things – then join us. Give us your help. And we will finally get health insurance reform done this year.
Daily Almanac
There are 110 days left in the year.
Today in History, September 12.
Our Readers
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as well as Ireland, and the United States
Friday, September 11, 2009
Daily Horoscope
You're really looking forward to tonight, aren't you?
Well, you have every right -- especially since the morning and afternoon look like they'll be quite busy.
Do what you have to do to take care of your responsibilities to others, then be sure to save some energy to take care of your responsibility to yourself.
You know what they say about all work and no play?
It's all true.
Got ya.
Former WWE Champ Busted for Steroids
The Moore County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Hardy's home in Cameron, NC today -- where they found 262 Vicodin pills, 180 Soma pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids and a residual amount of powder cocaine. Cops say the estimated street value of the drugs: $2,500.
Hardy was arrested on charges of "trafficking in controlled prescription pills" and possession of anabolic steroids.
World's best cities to eat well
World's best cities to eat well
Food lovers worldwide rated these cities the best places for unforgettable meals.
Hell hath frozen over
O'Reilly Defends Obama to Coulter
It's really cold, since hell froze over.
How one lost job affects a small town
How one lost job affects a small town
When Brian Whitfield was laid off, it affected not just his wife and son, but also fellow citizens.
Seven cool homes that float
Seven cool homes that float
These designer floating homes are eco-friendly and offer unique living spaces.
How to short-circuit the US power grid
Attackers could cause a cascade of failures in the US west-coast electricity grid by targeting seemingly unimportant substations.
How to short-circuit the US power grid
Better World
Better world: Redefine the bottom line
Better world: Legalize drugs
Even the repugicans are supporting the Democrats
"joe 'you lie' wilson apologized to obama. but that's not enough for the dems, who think wilson ought to apologize to the entire house of representatives.
political wire:
house speaker nancy pelosi (d-ca) "has agreed the house should vote next week on scolding rep. jowilson (r-sc) for his outburst during president obama's speech unless he apologies on the floor of the house," the hill reports. said a spokesman: "there was a violation of the rules of the house. it needs to be resolved by an apology or a resolution." house majority leader steny hoyer (d-md) will likely introduce a "resolution of disapproval" monday or tuesday unless wilson formally apologizes on the house floor. the house returns monday.
miller has raised over $750,000 since wilson's petulant tantrum. keep miller going by contributing here.
because if it's good enough for mark mckinnon, former g.w. bush advisor, it's good enough for you:
make joe wilson pay.
and by pay, i mean beat his sorry ass at the polls and send him to the private sector. that is the only way to change the political discourse in america today. because as long as louts like joe wilson can spout off and call the president a liar and get rewarded with re-election, then louts will continue to spout off. and we will continue to claw our way to the very bottom of the political swamp.
Wal-Mart founder's treatment of his employees
Around the time that the young Sam Walton opened his first stores, John Kennedy redeemed a presidential campaign promise by persuading Congress to extend the minimum wage to retail workers, who had until then not been covered by the law. Congress granted an exclusion, however, to small businesses with annual sales beneath $1 million -- a figure that in 1965 it lowered to $250,000.Walton was furious. The mechanization of agriculture had finally reached the backwaters of the Ozark Plateau, where he was opening one store after another. The men and women who had formerly worked on small farms suddenly found themselves redundant, and he could scoop them up for a song, as little as 50 cents an hour. Now the goddamn federal government was telling him he had to pay his workers the $1.15 hourly minimum. Walton's response was to divide up his stores into individual companies whose revenues did not exceed the $250,000 threshold. Eventually, though, a federal court ruled that this was simply a scheme to avoid paying the minimum wage, and he was ordered to pay his workers the accumulated sums he owed them, plus a double-time penalty thrown in for good measure.
Wal-Mart cut the checks, but Walton also summoned the employees at a major cluster of his stores to a meeting. "I'll fire anyone who cashes the check," he told them.
Urban legends about the Smithsonian
Here are a couple of them:
Myth #4: The Smithsonian discovered Egyptian ruins in the Grand Canyon.
Fact: It didn’t.
Backstory: On April 5, 1909, the Arizona Gazette ran the following headline: “Explorations in Grand Canyon; Mysteries of Immense Rich Cavern Being Brought to Light; Jordan Is Enthused; Remarkable Find Indicates Ancient People Migrated from Orient.” The article includes testimony of one G. E. Kincaid who says that he, traveling solo down the Green and Colorado Rivers, discovered proof of an ancient civilization—possibly of Egyptian origin. The story also asserts that a Smithsonian archaeologist named S. A. Jordan returned with Kincaid to investigate the site. However, the Arizona Gazette appears to have been the only newspaper ever to have published the story. No records can confirm the existence of either Kincaid or Jordan.
Myth #5: Betsy Ross stitched the Star-Spangled Banner.
Fact: Mary Pickersgill stitched the flag that inspired the National Anthem.
Backstory: The making of the first standard of the United States is popularly attributed to Betsy Ross, a professional flagmaker who has become a national folk hero. The legend stems from Ross’ grandson, William J. Canby, who, in 1870, wrote down a story a relative had told him in 1857—well after Ross’ death. The account goes that in spring 1776, George Washington approached Ross with a rough sketch of a flag and asked her to make a national standard. With the United States preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the story about the birth of the national flag captured imaginations. There is, however, no documentation that links Ross with making the first flag, and the events described in Canby’s account take place a year before the passage of the Flag Act—the legislation that dictates the style and substance of the national flag. Visitors to the National Museum of American History sometimes ask if the Star Spangled Banner—currently on display after extensive conservation efforts—is an example of Ross’s work. That flag was stitched by Mary Pickersgill and flew over Fort McHenry during the 1814 Battle of Baltimore, inspiring Francis Scott Key to pen the poem that became our National Anthem.
Six-year-old girl drives for stoned mother
Hogue is now in jail.
From NBCPhiladelphia.com:
The woman... was sitting in the passenger seat, laughing, when a patrol officer pulled her over, said police. Hogue told the Officer (Robert) Keetch that she was teaching her daughter how to drive.
"Mom made me drive because she was sleepy," the girl told police.
Then police say the aunt asked her niece, "Was your mom smoking that stinky stuff again?" The girl replied "yes," say police.
Poe archive from UT Austin goes online
The digital collection incorporates images of all Poe manuscripts and letters at the Ransom Center with a selection of related archival materials, two books by Poe annotated by the author, sheet music based on his poems, and portraits from the Ransom Center collections. Poe's manuscripts and letters are linked to transcriptions on the website of the Poe Society of Baltimore.
Consumer sentiment strongest in 3 months
Physician sentenced for illegal prescription drug distribution
Physician sentenced for illegal prescription drug distribution
What Would 9-11 Be Like in the Age of Social Media?
During the President's health care speech two days ago, the shared experience that is the real time Internet reacted to a perfect Twitter-fodder event - Joe Wilson's "you lie" outburst -- with a surprising amount of conversation about the real issue in the room, health care reform.
Wikipedia Locks Joe Wilson's Article
He's the member of Congress who blurted out "You lie" during Barack Obama's speech on health care reform on Wednesday night.
Things are so bad Wikipedia had to lock his article.
Wing Nut Killed Today
A man fatally shot an anti-abortion activist Friday outside a high school as horrified parents and students watched, then told police arresting him that he was involved in the killing of a gravel pit owner earlier that day, authorities said.
Officials found the body of Mike Fuoss, 61, in the office of his gravel production company, Sheriff George Braidwood said. Fuoss and the gunman knew each other.
Owosso Police Chief Michael Compeau said authorities did not know whether the suspect knew anti-abortion activist Jim Pouillon, 63, who was shot while protesting across the street from the school in the town about 70 miles northwest of Detroit.
One down ...
Swat Taliban spokesman held
Pakistani soldiers arrested the spokesman for the Taliban in the Swat Valley and four other commanders, the military announced Friday, striking its first major blow against the leadership of the insurgency in the one-time tourist resort.
Taiwan ex-president jailed for life
Isabella makes a 'Porno'
Rossellini's Web shorts offer wry portraits of sex in nature
Isabella Rossellini has established herself as the world's most prominent porn artist specializing in the lusty behavior of bugs, barnacles, shrimp and starfish.
New twist in gender-testing dispute
New twist in gender-testing dispute
Track star Caster Semenya withdraws from a national race amid new reports about her test results.
And I Quote
- From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter.
- Some day I intend reading it.
- ~ Groucho Marx
Stunning views of Milky Way next week
Stunning views of Milky Way next week
A new moon and shift in weather will combine to create a skygazer's paradise.
Bank exec moves into foreclosed home
Bank exec moves into foreclosed home
A Wells Fargo exec threw parties in the $12 million beachhouse, neighbors say.
Ways your siblings shape who you are
Ways your siblings shape who you are
An expert says people who grow up with an opposite sex sibling can have a big advantage.
The State of Journalism
The Truth
drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it most."
President Obama, explaining why they're fighting him so hard
South Carolina's stormy new image
The state that helped propel Obama to the presidency is now a hotbed of anti-White House sentiment.
Four sentenced in NY election night attacks on blacks
4 sentenced in NY election night attacks on blacks
You Lie! No, Joe Wilson, You Lie.
In reality, a little fact-checking shows that it's Joe Wilson who's lied, and continues to lie.
DNA evidence clear Florida inmate after 26 years
A Florida man was released from custody on Thursday after spending 26 years in prison for a rape and murder his lawyer says he didn't commit.
Anthony Caravella was ordered released after a private laboratory test revealed someone else's DNA at the crime scene.
Porn, fireworks, diamonds made with child labor
Children are used to produce everything from pornography in Ukraine to fireworks in the Philippines and diamonds in Sierra Leone, the US Department of Labor said in a report.
Sanford must go; saga a distraction
The South Carolina repugican party has asked scandal-plagued Mark Sanford to resign, joining an increasing number of repugican party officials upset with his June vanishing act to see his mistress and questions about his travel while in office.
In an expected move, state repugican (figurehead) chairwoman Karen Floyd said in a statement the party’s executive committee voted to ask the governor to step down. House and Senate repugicans have also asked Sanford to resign.
In July, the party’s executive committee voted to censure Sanford.
But now the Sanford saga has become a distraction, say party leaders.
Afghan women police battle Taliban
Afghan women police battle Taliban
World's oldest person dies in Los Angeles
World's oldest person dies in Los Angeles
Gertrude Baines celebrated her last birthday with a letter from Obama and a visit from Guinness.
Good news about the swine flu vaccine
Good news about the swine flu vaccine
One shot of the vaccine — not two — is enough protection, according to new medical data.
Wild and Wacky Places to Stay in the Countryside
Image from Tilley's Hut
With autumn days coming soon, what a lovely place to stay and watch the leaves: an original shepherd's hut in the heart of the Dorset Downs. It's not exactly rough and ready any more and the shepherd wouldn't know what to do with it, but what a delight.
The narrow (4 feet wide) hut has all the conveniences, except t.v. and the solar panel on the roof provides energy for lights and lap tops. More bliss in the countryside after the fold.
Image from heuhotels
If you really want to do countryside, what about a hay hotel. Popular in Germany, and called "heuhotels", the idea is very basic: farmers let guests sleep in their barns on the hay. As described, you bring your own sleeping bags, pay a minimal amount ($14 ) and sleep like a baby. It's clean, eco and natural. Most are located on farms so you get the benefit of the farming adventure--checking out the pigs and chickens, a campfire by night and the birds in the morning. Plus a fresh farmer's breakfast is served.
Image from Kolarbyn
Calling itself Sweden's most primitive hotel, Kolarbyn consists of twelve little forest huts set in the forest by a lake. There is no electricity, just candles and a fire to keep you warm. Built in 1996, the traditional huts were created for people interested in the art of charcoal burning, but now they have been turned into tourist accommodation.
Ice mystery unfolds ... slowly
Ice mystery unfolds ... slowly
A startling change in Greenland's ice sheet may hold clues to how sea levels will rise around the world.
Big and small ways to save more money
Big and small ways to save more money
One family cuts $50,000 in debt by penny pinching, while others resort to big changes at once.
Obama faces first 9/11 as president
Obama faces first 9/11 as president
Eight years later, Obama struggles with two unpopular wars and a murky fight against terrorism.
Daily Almanac
There are 111 days left in the year.
Today In History September 11
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Daily Horoscope
If you've been trying to choose the perfect time to get family, friends and that certain someone all together, wonder no longer.
This is it.
As of tomorrow, they'll all be more than willing to cooperate, be nice to each other and do whatever it takes to please you.
Use this advance notice to get cracking on your big plans for the weekend.
This is a heavenly gift.
Take full advantage of it.
Funny you should mention that.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The "Savage" Nation is no more
Fifteen years after launching his audio assault on decent people in the bay area as a tin foil hat wing nut and moronic idiot and blowhard who drew a myriad complaints and protests, Michael Savage finds himself without a San Francisco station to call home.
Radio Station KNEW-AM 910 announced Thursday it had yanked Savage's show from its 3-7 p.m. time slot the day before. "We have decided to go in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information," said a note on the clear channel-owned radio station's web site. "The 'Savage Nation' does not fit into that vision."
The 'more contemporary content and local information' will now be supplied by the "John and Ken show," which is syndicated out of radio station KFI-AM in Los Angeles. The show features wing nut talking heads, John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, though - so are we really getting a better deal here?
GM makes a last-ditch refund offer
GM makes a last-ditch refund offer
The automaker is so confident in its new models that it's offering a full refund on any car.
Why Sears is in deep trouble
Why Sears is in deep trouble
The retailer has "totally lost touch with the American consumer," says an analyst.
It is the kid's money, you jackasses!
Game-show jackpot squabble
A school superintendent won $1 million for charity, but now creditors want the money.
An overlooked source of cash
An overlooked source of cash
There are $16.7 billion of matured U.S. savings bonds that haven't been redeemed.
Best and worst infomercial products
Best and worst infomercial products
Fast-talking pitchmen claim products like Smooth Away and Pro Caulk will change your life.
Cheetah breaks land-speed world record
Cheetah breaks land-speed world record
An 8-year-old cheetah named Sarah is the new fastest mammal on earth.
Also:
New look at Alzheimer's could revolutionize treatment
Inflammation and worn-out blood vessels rather than plaques may be behind Alzheimer's.
New look at Alzheimer's could revolutionize treatment
What they are saying
Wonderful Job - Hillary, New York
Down Home and around the world - Larry, North Carolina
Keep hammering the real America haters ... the conservatives! -Jess, Florida
(No problem Jess. Of course it helps with them keeping on hammering themselves)
Semper fi - Terry, Texas
Great Blog - Maxine & Walter, Washington, D.C.
Love it - Hilda, Netherlands
Very Informative across the board - Peng, Malaysia
Good Reading - Antonia, Spain
'Using your head is a lot of fun'
Talking to the people who investigate urban legends for a living.
MythBusters
Velociraptor's 'killing' claws were for climbing
Velociraptor's 'killing' claws were for climbing
War Crimes Prosecutions Going Forward
What about the rest of them?!
Police Rescue 9 Women From Fake Reality Show
Police Rescue 9 Women From Fake Reality Show
Florida man demands to drink beer before arrest
Authorities in the Florida Panhandle say they arrested a convenience store shoplifter who demanded to drink the 12-ounce beer he had stolen before being taken into custody.
Speeder Wears Monkey Mask
Pigeon Beats the Internet in Data Transfer Race
In a race run in South Africa, a company proved it was faster to transmit data by carrier pigeon than to send it via the country's leading ISP.
U.S. Muslims facing harder times
U.S. Muslims facing harder times
Unlucky city named world's spam capital
Unlucky city named world's spam capital
In August alone, 93% of the emails sent to computer users in this city were spam.
Best-tasting frozen entrées
Best-tasting frozen entrées
These freezer aisle picks are diet-friendly with creative ingredients that taste great.