Welcome to ...

The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.


Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Jobs that pay at least $60,000 a year

Jobs that pay at least $60,000 a year

These workers are not only in demand, but they make about $20,000 more than the average employee.

Unusual Holidays and Celebrations

Today is Tie One On Day.

Daily Almanac

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 25, the 329th day of 2009.

There are 36 days left in the year.

Today In History November 25

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Mooroolbark, Victoria, Australia
Timmins, Ontario, Canada
Comox, British Columbia, Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
Agana, Agana, Guam
Kuwait, Al Kuwayt, Kuwait
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Aabenram, Sonderjylland, Denmark
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Beunos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina

as well as Belgium, and the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

It might not be the end of the week yet, but it's definitely the end of the month -- and isn't that a great reason to celebrate?
Sure it is.
Especially for someone who's had the kind of week you've had.
Bet you can easily talk someone into taking the day off with you.
When was the last time you took a nice, long drive with a friend with absolutely no destination in mind?

Road Trip!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Repugicans are to blame

Paul Ericson is correct in his statement, "Over the past 15 years, compromise has become a dirty word" .
And, he correctly attributes the blame for this to repugicans.

Who's Blaming Whom?

SC lawmakers move toward impeachment for governor

A cool-headed legal debate has replaced the once-passionate calls to oust Gov. Mark Sanford that began after his tearful summertime admission that he disappeared from the state to pursue an extramarital affair in Argentina.

Full Story

Pennsylvania prosecutor wants 'no-tip' charges dropped

An eastern Pennsylvania prosecutor wants charges dropped against a couple who refused to pay a tip at a restaurant where they said they got poor service.

Pennsylvania prosecutor wants 'no-tip' charges dropped

Taps

We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, 'Taps.'
It's the song that gives us the lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes.

cid:X.MA3.1245793306@aol.com
But, do you know the story behind the song?

If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings.

It all began in 1862 during the War of Northern Aggression, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison 's Landing in Virginia .
The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.


cid:X.MA1.1245793306@aol.com
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field.
Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention.
Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate
soldier, but the soldier was dead.
The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock.
In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier.
It was his own son.
The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out.
Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status.
His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral.
The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate.
But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.
The Captain chose a bugler.
He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the
pocket of the dead youth's uniform.
This wish was granted.

The haunting melody, we now know as 'Taps' used at military funerals was born.

The Muppets sing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"


The original:

Mega-Droughts

While Californians worry about the three-year drought dragging on, researchers say climate change soon could create much longer dry spells--lasting decades or even centuries.

Scientists have announced the first proof after studying caves along the Sierra
Nevada

California scientists announce proof of mega-droughts

Teabaggers laugh at woman who lost daughter, grandchild

You can laugh at me, that's okay, she said, crying.
But I lost two people, and I know you think that's funny, that's okay.

~ Midge Hough,

On being heckled by heartless birther handjobs when she told a town hall meeting about her pregnant daughter's death from a lack of insurance.

Teabaggers are Douchebags

Top Ten Signs Oprah Doesn't Care Anymore

Late Night with David Letterman

“The World’s Most Notorious Illegal Spammer” Goes to Jail

The Justice Department’s prosecution of Alan Ralsky, (pictured ... left) the self-proclaimed “Godfather of Spam,” was brought to a successful conclusion yesterday when U.S. District Judge Marianne O. Battani sentenced Ralsky to 51 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and to violate the CAN-SPAM Act.

Judge Battani also sentenced three of Ralsky’s co-conspirators to prison terms ranging from 32 months to 51 months in federal court in Detroit:

Four individuals were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Marianne O. Battani in federal court in Detroit for their roles in a wide-ranging international stock fraud scheme involving the illegal use of bulk commercial e-mails, or "spamming."

Alan M. Ralsky, 64, of West Bloomfield, Mich., and Scott Bradley, 48, also of West Bloomfield, were sentenced to 51 months and 40 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and to violate the CAN-SPAM Act, and also for committing wire fraud, engaging in money laundering and violating the CAN-SPAM Act. Ralsky and Bradley were also each sentenced to 5 years of supervised release following their respective prison terms, and were each ordered to forfeit $250,000 that the United States seized in December 2007.

How Wai John Hui, 51, a resident of Hong Kong and Canada, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and to violate the CAN-SPAM Act, and also for committing wire fraud and engaging in money laundering. Hui was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release following his prison term, and agreed to forfeit $500,000 to the United States.

John S. Bown, 45, of Fresno, Calif., was sentenced to 32 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and to violate the CAN-SPAM Act, for conspiring to commit computer fraud by creating a botnet, and also for violating the CAN-SPAM Act. A botnet is a network of computers that have been infected by malicious software. Bown was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release following his prison term, and agreed to forfeit $120,000 to the United States.

"Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message to spammers whose goal is to manipulate financial transactions and the stock market through illegal e-mail advertisements," said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer. "People who use fraudulent e-mails to drive up stock prices and reap illicit profits will be prosecuted, and they will face significant prison time."

"With today’s sentence of the self-proclaimed ‘Godfather of Spam,’ Alan Ralsky, and three others who played central roles in a complicated stock spam pump and dump scheme, the Court has made it clear that advancing fraud through abuse of the Internet will lead to several years in prison," said U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg for the Eastern District of Michigan. "I commend the FBI, the Postal Inspection Service, and the IRS Criminal Investigative Division for their determined and careful investigation in this case which lead to today’s result."

"Through this conspiracy Ralsky and the others were able to manipulate the stock market and maximize their profit. They flooded our e-mail boxes with unwanted spam e-mail and attempted to use a botnet to hijack our computers assist them in the scheme. Cyber crime investigations are a top priority of the FBI and we will continue to aggressively investigate those individuals who use and hide behind computers to commit various crimes," said Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge, FBI.

"In today’s competitive international business world, there will always be a select few who illegally manipulate the system for their own profit," said Maurice Aouate, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. "IRS-CI will continue to diligently follow the money and assist in the seizure and forfeiture of any ill-gotten gains from their illegal business practices."

"Today marks a victory for all who entrust their money to others within the U.S. economy," said Joseph A. Pirone, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge. "Postal Inspectors have protected Americans from those who use the U.S. Mail for fraudulent purposes since the passage of the Mail Fraud Statute in 1872. The sentencing of Ralsky and Bradley demonstrates the Postal Inspection Service's continuing commitment to protect the public."

According to court documents, from January 2004 through September 2005, Ralsky, Bradley, Judy Devenow, Bown, William Neil, James Bragg, James Fite, Hui, Francis Tribble and others allegedly engaged in a related set of conspiracies designed to use spam e-mails to manipulate thinly traded stocks and profit by trading in those stocks once their share prices increased after recipients of the spam e-mails traded in the stocks being promoted.

Ralsky served as the chief executive officer and primary deal maker for the spam e-mail operation. Bradley, Ralsky’s son-in-law, served as the chief financial officer and director of operations for the spam e-mail operation. Bown, who was chief executive officer of an Internet services company, GDC Layer One, served as the chief technology officer for the spam e-mail operation. Hui, who was the CEO of China World Trade, served as the lead dealmaker representing the companies whose stocks were being promoted via spam e-mail.

According to court documents, many of the spam e-mails promoted thinly traded "pink sheet" stocks for U.S. companies owned and controlled by individuals in Hong Kong and China. The spam e-mails contained materially false and misleading information or omissions and were created and sent using software programs that made it difficult to trace them back to the conspirators. According to the indictment, the conspirators used wire communications, the U.S. mail and common carriers to perpetrate their frauds. The conspirators also engaged in money laundering involving millions of dollars generated by their manipulative stock trading.

According to the indictment, the defendants used various illegal methods in order to maximize the amount of spam that evaded spam-blocking devices and tricked recipients into opening, and acting on, the advertisements in the spam. These included using falsified "headers" in the e-mail messages, using proxy computers to relay the spam, using falsely registered domain names to send the spam, and also making misrepresentations in the advertising content of some of the underlying e-mail messages.

The defendants were indicted in the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2007. Ralsky, Bradley, Bown, William Neil, Bragg, and Fite pleaded guilty in June 2009 while Hui pleaded guilty in December 2008. Tribble and Devenow pleaded guilty in October 2008. Tribble, Devenow, William Neil, Bragg and Fite are scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow by Judge Battani.

Anki Neil and Peter Severa are also named as defendants in the indictment returned in the Eastern District of Michigan and their cases are still pending. An indictment is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty at trial beyond a reasonable doubt.

The charges arose after a three-year investigation, led by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-CI revealed a sophisticated and extensive spamming operation. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office has provided significant ongoing assistance in this case. The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Beck and Trial Attorneys Thomas Dukes and Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

China executes two for milk scandal

Official news agency says death sentences were carried out on pair who added industrial chemical to infant formula.

Zhang Yujun, second right, seen here before the trial last December, was executed for endangering public safety.

Full Story

Agent showing house finds pile of bones

A real estate agent showing a house got to the basement and found about 100 human bones in a corner.

Agent showing house finds pile of bones

Cop News

A 22-year-old state trooper who said he was fired because he lied about the fate of his $45 hat is fighting his dismissal.

Eastern Carolina Trooper Fired Over Lost Hat

Drug Dealer attacked for cutting drugs with own muscus

From the "They don't call it 'Dope' for nothing" Department:

Two Australian men were sentenced to prison for attacking a drug dealer after learning the man had laced the methamphetamine he was selling with mucus from his nose.

Full Story

Evacuation Route Sign Points to a Dead End

An inside joke is unfolding north of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Rhea County, Tennessee, but it could have a serious punch line.

Full Story

Afghan troop increase ... the costs

From Gawker:

The White House budget office calculated that adding 40,000 troops would cost $40 billion a year. The Pentagon, amusingly, decided to calculate the cost per-troop, instead of a big yearly lump sum, and also their estimate was precisely half what the White House predicted.

But, whoops, one of those Pentagon memos, where they hide the "truth" about things, leaked to the LA Times.

But in a memo early this month, obtained by The Times' Washington bureau, the Pentagon's own comptroller produced an estimate that broke with the customary Defense formula and did include construction and equipment.

That memo said the yearly cost of a 40,000-troop increase would be $30 billion to $35 billion — at least $750,000 a person. An increase of 20,000 would cost $20 billion to $25 billion annually, it said — a per-soldier cost equal to or greater than the White House estimate.

"Fetish Of The Fresh"? Not.

From Treehugger:

fish-story.jpg
Photo of farmed Norwegian salmon NatalieMaynor via flickr.

Canada's National Newspaper claims that a new study proves that buying local is not as Earth-friendly as it seems. It starts off with a loaded and offensive line, calling the local food philosophy "a guilt-reduction approach adopted by many environmentally confused but well-meaning shoppers"

Then the reporter, Jessica Leeder gets environmentally confused, and I hope guilt-ridden for her bait-and-switch journalism. She gets a quote from one of the authors of the study:

"Fresh is a big problem over long distance. If it's fresh, it's being air-freighted," he said, adding: "And air freight comes at a huge environmental impact."

Except that isn't what the study was about.

A final warning from the Arctic

The effects of climate warming are clearly visible in the Arctic – see for yourself.

A final warning from the Arctic

US Sewers Are Polluting Rivers and Lakes

From Treehugger:

sewer overflow georgia photo
An overflowing sewer in Georgia. Photo via USGS

Troubling news has surfaced about sewage systems in the US: over the last three years, 9,400 sewers--more than 37% of the all sewers across the nation--have illegally dumped untreated human waste, hazardous chemicals, and other dangerous materials into clean rivers and lakes. The results are often disastrous, as some damning video evidence proves.

Couple charged with trying to sell fake Warhols

A 65-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were charged last week with trying to sell six fake Warhol pieces to a collector. The couple told the collector that the subject of the art was Mathew Baldwin, one of the famous Baldwin brother actors. The pieces were signed and dated in 1996.
After giving the couple a down payment of $25,000, the man took the art to an appraiser in California. The appraiser informed the man the art was fake because there was no Mathew in the famous Baldwin family. He also pointed out that the signatures were forged because Warhol died in 1987, charging documents state.

Definitions

An American wingnut is someone who believes that

a) The Vatican ought to decide our domestic policy;
b) Israel ought to decide our foreign policy;
c) Communist China ought to decide our economic policy; and
d) Osama bin Ladin ought to decide who gets tried in our courts.

It's clear why they're wingnuts, but it does makes you wonder why they bother to call themselves American.

Ultimate Black Friday shopping guide

Ultimate Black Friday shopping guide

Find the biggest deals at major retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy.

LHC smashes protons together for first time

The particle accelerator is now officially a collider – it will attempt to break the world record for collision energies before the end of the year.

LHC smashes protons together for first time

Health bill's size inspires theatrics

Health bill's size inspires theatrics

Opponents of the latest legislation love to pile it, hoist it, and unroll it like toilet paper. demagoguery

Birthplace of cosmic guitar pinpointed

A pulsar that is forming a massive guitar-shaped wake in interstellar gas has been tracked back to its origin.

Birthplace of cosmic guitar pinpointed

Goodbye jobs, hello mom and dad

Goodbye jobs, hello mom and dad

Many grown daughters and sons will be coming to Thanksgiving dinner from their old bedrooms.

Surprising number
Also:

Who's hiring one million new workers

Who's hiring one million new workers

The job market will get a big boost next year when the U.S. Census Bureau hires for its 2010 count.

Unusual Holidays and Celebrations

Today is:

Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day

and

D.B. Cooper Day

Daily Almanac

Today is Tuesday, Nov. 24, the 328th day of 2009.

There are 37 days left in the year.

Today In History November 24

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
Siegen, Nordrheain-Westfalen, Germany
Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Santiago, Region Metropolitana, Chile
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden
London, England, United Kingdom
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

as well as Scotland, and the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Get the show on the road as far as your finances are concerned.
Money matters have been problematic lately, but it's all going to clear up soon.
In fact, an action you take, over the next few days will do wonders to rectify this situation in the long term.
That goes double for yourself, especially if you've been avoiding a certain issue.
You'll know exactly what to say and do, so why hesitate?

Go for broke then.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Credit card delinquencies improve

Wile this may not signal great times are here, it's definitely a positive sign that Americans are not falling behind on credit card debt.
For the first time in a decade, more people paid their credit card bills on time in the third quarter this year than in the second quarter.

The delinquency rate on bank-issued cards like those bearing MasterCard and Visa logos fell to 1.1 percent for the June-to-September period, from a rate of 1.17 percent in the prior three months, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion.

RNC loses communications director

Cillizza notes, mid-cycle, that tends to mean turmoil in repugican land.
Trevor Francis, the communications director at the repugican national committee, is leaving his post, an odd mid-cycle departure that suggests some level of turmoil within the repugican's chief campaign committee.
And this is a bad thing, how?

SC governor faces 37 charges he broke state ethics laws


Mark Sanford, whose tryst with an Argentine lover blossomed into a wide-ranging scandal, is accused of breaking ethics laws by using taxpayer money for pricey airline seats, taking state planes for personal and political trips and occasionally tapping his campaign chest to reimburse himself for travel.

Charlie Chaplin's last home to become a museum

Charlie Chaplin's last home in Switzerland will be turned into a permanent place of pilgrimage for fans of the actor who immortalized the "Little Tramp," one of his sons said Monday.

Full Story

Man Discovers Charles Manson His Biological Father

How would you like to discover that one of the most infamous murderers and cult leaders of all time is your father?

Just ask Matthew Roberts, a 41-year-old Los Angelese DJ.

Full Story

Every Human Being Spends Five Years of Life on a Toilet

Generally, an average person spends five years of their life on a toilet.

Full Story

Record Exec Arrested For Not Tweeting

Well, here's a new one.

A record label executive was arrested for not Tweeting.
We're not talking about not pretending to be a bird, but rather for not posting a message on Twitter.

This has to be a first in law enforcement.

Full Story

Flooding splits town in two

Flooding splits town in two

An English community struggles with unusual isolation after its last bridge is destroyed.

How Americans feel about holiday shopping

How Americans feel about holiday shopping

Most people are going to cut back on gifts this year and use cash instead of credit, a poll says.

When jobs will start bouncing back

When jobs will start bouncing back

The end may be in sight for rampant job cuts that have bogged down the nation's recovery, experts say.

Man visits every country on Earth

Man visits every country on Earth

Kashi Samaddar claims a world record after setting foot in all 194 countries.

Thanksgiving food myths debunked

5 Thanksgiving food myths debunked

If you find yourself nodding off after the holiday feast, don't blame the turkey.

Seven simple dinners

Seven simple dinners

Make dinner a no-stress event with these easy menus for every day of the week.

Great moments in false advertising

Great moments in false advertising

The makers of Airborne were sued over claims that the concoction "boosts the immune system."

Hype gone wrong
Also:

Biggest baby crib recall in U.S. history

Biggest baby crib recall in U.S. history

Following four infant suffocations, the U.S. government issues a record recall for 2.1 million dropside cribs.

Details
Also:

Ice Surprise

More than 100 icebergs make epic trek

Huge chunks of Antarctic ice turn up in a surprising place — and hundreds more could be on the way.

Warning
Also:

Seattle Woman Denied Credit, Told She's Dead

A Seattle, Washington, woman trying to refinance her mortgage got the shock of her life when she learned her credit report listed her as deceased.

Full Story

Patient trapped in a 23-year 'coma' was conscious all along

Man in 23-year 'coma' was awake all along

Rom Houben was conscious after a 1983 car crash, but no one knew it for decades.

A car crash victim diagnosed as being in a coma for the past 23 years has been conscious the whole time.

Full Story

Short lifespan for new laptops

Short lifespan for new laptops

A study of 30,000 notebooks finds that as many as a third will die within three years.

Shackleton's Antarctic whisky found

pvos.jpg
Photo: PDVos

In 1909, British explorer Ernest Shackleton aborted an attempt to reach the south pole. He abandoned two cases of scotch at base camp. A century later, we've found it.

Whyte & Mackay, the drinks group that now owns McKinlay and Co., has asked for a sample of the 100-year-old scotch for a series of tests that could decide whether to relaunch the now-defunct Scotch. Workers from New Zealand's Antarctic Heritage Trust will use special drills to reach the crates, frozen in Antarctic ice under the Nimrod Expedition hut near Cape Royds.

Thought discovered in 2006, conservation guidelines impose strict rules on how the ice-embedded bottles may be recovered. Whyte & Mackay's master blender says it will taste exactly as it did 100 years ago.

Health News

Being caked in germs sounds unpleasant, but bacteria living on our skin may play a vital role in keeping inflammation from running amok.

Liars and Fools

Liars and Fools today include:

Lou Dobbs lies saying "one could argue reasonably" that the Obama administration is "socialist".
Nope, any one with reason can not argue that, Louie.

Missouri repugicans call for violent revolution.
Hence the 'FOOLS' part of the post title ...

Steve King (reptile - Iowa) lies saying Obama's decision help al Qaeda recruit terrorists and kill Americans.
So we've found it - the land of Delusions - who knew it was called Iowa?!

Faux's Glenn Brick lies saying "If we don’t stop this insanity now, they will fundamentally transform America. It must end".
He's correct it must end and must end now! Haul his sorry lying deluded ass to jail and lock him in and forget where you put the key.

Four ways repugicans say Obama will kill you now.
More proof of why 'FOOLS' is in the post title ...

Elk Poacher Tracked Down

A charge of poaching within a national park carries up to six months in jail and $5,000 in fines.

Elk Poacher Tracked Down

North Carolina Battles H1N1 And Dramatic Increase In Syphilis Cases

The numbers are up across almost all age and racial groups, including teenage girls and blacks -- groups already disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted diseases.

North Carolina Battles H1N1 And Dramatic Increase In Syphilis Cases

Coyotes Terrorizing Charlotte Neighborhoods

Residents in one neighborhood say a cat was eaten by a coyote several weeks ago, prompting the pet owner to circulate a flier warning residents.

Coyotes Terrorizing Charlotte Neighborhoods

Science News

From BBC-Science:

The massive and apparently stable East Antarctic ice sheet is losing mass, a new study suggests.

Grandmother macaques care for their abandoned grandchildren, behavior not recorded before in non-human primates.

Unsual Holidays and Celebrations

Today is Fibonacci Day.

Daily Almanac

Today is Monday, Nov. 23, the 327th day of 2009.

There are 38 days left in the year.

Today In History November 23

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Muscat, Masqat, Oman
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Reading, England, United kingdom
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Rass, Al Qasim, Saudi Arabia
London, England, United Kingdom
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Tripoli, Tarabulus, Libya
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

as well as Indonesia, and the United States

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

You take everything you do seriously, including recreation and hobbies.
You've probably become so good at your leisure-time activities, in fact, that your friends have suggested you take the show on the road.
If your present vocation hasn't turned out to be all it's cracked up to be, you might take those suggestions seriously -- especially if you're less than happy with your current situation.
At least examine the possibilities.

Food for thought.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Man who claimed disability spotted on TV show

California tax officials say an interior designer's false disability claim was uncovered when he was spotted on a home improvement television show.

Full Story

Watching the Wheels

John Lennon

Woman loses benefits over Facebook pics

Woman loses benefits over Facebook pics

A Facebook user on long-term sick leave says she lost her benefits because of photos of her "having fun."

And I Quote

In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life; it goes on

-Robert Frost

Astronomical Picture of the Day

See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download  the highest resolution version available.
Light Echoes from V838 Mon
Credit: NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI)

Icy moon's lakes brim with hearty soup for life

Lakes on Saturn's moon Titan are loaded with acetylene, a chemical some scientists say could serve as food for cold-resistant organisms, a new study suggests.

Icy moon's lakes brim with hearty soup for life

The most naive and dangerous decision?

What would you consider to be "the most naive and dangerous decision" you have "ever witnessed the United States government make"?

... installing Bush as President instead of counting the votes in Florida ... Attacking Iraq on the pretext of lies ... Trillions in bailouts for bankrupt bandits on Wall Street ... And years earlier, dismantling the regulations to allow those bandits to thrive...

Well, Mike Pence (retard-Indiana) has a different "most naive and dangerous decision" he's ever seen.
It's the decision to prosecute one alleged terrorist in a federal courtroom.

*****

Hello?! Reality check for Mike Pence. Reality check for Mike Pence on aisle five!

Glenn Brick is ignorant ... so what else is new?

Is it possible that Faux's Glenn Brick isn't just 'acting' (OK, that's a rhetorical question), that he's actually so ignorant of reality in America that he can't grasp why blacks in America tend to self-identify as African-Americans instead of just Americans?

"I don't identify myself as white, or a white American", he says, and then three paragraphs later he's saying, "I have to tell you, as a white guy, as a white guy, I'm just being real honest with you, as a white guy ..."

Birther to pay whether she likes it or not

Judge Clay Land has ordered the U.S. attorney's office to collect $20,000, plus interest, from "birther" lawyer Orly Taitz.

Repugican Troop Support at its Best

Tom Coburn (reptile-Oklahoma) placed a secret hold on legislation he doesn't like, single-handedly blocking aid for disabled American veterans.
And then, after his strategy became public knowledge, he lifted the hold.
But just imagine what he might do if he didn't support the troops.

Liars and Fools

Liars and Fools today include:

Faux's Swill O'Really doesn't usually announce where he's coming from so plainly as saying "I don't care about the Constitution".
It's only the honesty that's surprising.

Virginia Foxx (retard-North Carolina) wants to remind you that though Democrats love to engage in revisionist history, repugicans "were the people who passed the civil rights bills back in the ’60s without very much help from our colleagues across the aisle".
Seems I remember the era a bit differently as does any sane person ... oh, that and History, too.

Faux's Glenn Brick has announced his 100-year plan to end the two-party system.
My sides are hurting from the laughter on this one.

Climate Change will not be all roses

Economy ready to fall again ... soon

We aren't out of the mess the repugicans caused!
And won't be anytime soon.

European financial giant Société Générale is telling its clients to be prepared for "global economic collapse" soon.

More TSA insanity

Phil Mocek did his homework, and confirmed in advance that there's no law requiring that passengers present ID cards in order to fly, if both the departure and arrival airports are within the United States.

Yet, Mocek was arrested at the airport in Albuquerque when he declined to show his identification to Transportation Security Authority (TSA) employees.

He was accompanied on his would-be journey by his friend, Jesse Gallagos, who had confirmed in advance that there's no law banning photography at the airport. Gallagos was "detained" for attempting to take pictures of his friend's arrest.

H1N1 flu deaths rising in UK

Most people in Europe were expecting the H1N1 flu to hit hard in October, though it never quite materialized then. This month is quite another story. The numbers are going up and it's increasingly common for me to discover that business contacts are out of the office due to the H1N1 flu. At least businesses are telling workers to stay home for at least one week, sometimes two, to avoid spreading.

From The Guardian:
Healthy children between six months and five years old will be vaccinated against swine flu, the Department of Health has confirmed.

The expansion of the government's inoculation program was revealed as the latest weekly bulletin showed a sharp rise in patient deaths and the number of children being admitted to hospital.

The overall number of new cases showed a second successive weekly fall. Health officials estimate there were 55,000 new cases this week in England compared with 64,000 last week. There was a slight drop in Scotland.

Appalachian State University Student Shot And Killed


Officers found the student early Sunday morning in his AppSouth apartment.

Appalachian State University Student Shot And Killed

America's best city parks

America's best city parks

The top urban retreats offer more than just walking paths and playing fields.

Exotic new sea creatures discovered

Exotic new sea creatures discovered

Thousands of species thrive in an area once thought to be an underwater desert, a new report shows.

When to repair and when to replace

When to repair and when to replace

Save money by knowing which common household items are better repaired than replaced.