Holiday miracle after dialing wrong number
Lucy Crutchfield's mis-dialed call about her mortgage turns out to be a fortunate mistake.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Three Judges To Testify in Tangled Neo-Nazi Trial Trial Begins Tuesday in Brooklyn
A blogger scheduled to stand trial Tuesday in Brooklyn on charges he made death threats against federal judges apparently was paid by the FBI in its battle against domestic terrorism, according to a published report.
Three Judges To Testify in Tangled Neo-Nazi Trial Trial Begins Tuesday in Brooklyn
Three Judges To Testify in Tangled Neo-Nazi Trial Trial Begins Tuesday in Brooklyn
Florida woman charged with calling in bomb threat to keep her boss from missing flight
A South Florida woman has been charged with calling in a bomb threat to keep her boss from missing a flight.
Florida woman charged with calling in bomb threat to keep her boss from missing flight
Florida woman charged with calling in bomb threat to keep her boss from missing flight
The Most Extreme and Isolated Places to Live in the World
We all go on vacation to relax, experience something new, get away from it all, or maybe to just evade the police.
Whatever the reason, we can all understand that it's a good thing to have some time to ourselves in a location far-removed from our usual daily lives.
Whatever the reason, we can all understand that it's a good thing to have some time to ourselves in a location far-removed from our usual daily lives.
Officials seize pet cat to pay couple's debt
Russian bailiffs seized a rare pet cat to offset debts incurred by a middle-aged couple in the Kemerovo region of Siberia.
Ways to rev up your career
Pirates seize oil tanker headed for U.S.
Pirates seize oil tanker headed for U.S.
The bold attack could pose a huge environmental or security threat to the region.
Useless robber hands himself in
A luckless crook surrendered to police after four robberies flopped in the same day.
Hungry snake eats own tail
A hungry snake found his latest meal hard to swallow - when it tried to eat its own tail.
Huckabee granted clemency to suspect in quadruple cop killer case in Wash state
John Aravosis had this to say about the cop killings in Washington:
This is very bad.
Huckabee has a history of clemency gone wrong.
Let me remind you of a previous Huckabee clemency we wrote about two years ago:
Huckabee has a history of clemency gone wrong.
Let me remind you of a previous Huckabee clemency we wrote about two years ago:
Huckabee basically helped secure the guy's release because the convict had raped a distant relative of Bill Clinton - and being a distant relative of Bill Clinton, the right-wing attack machine said the woman who was raped wasn't credible (even though the guy was convicted), and they demanded that the rapist be set free because, after all, he only raped a Clinton. Well, it seems that Governor Huckabee agreed. He set the rapist free, and then the guy molested and murdered another woman. But even better? Huckabee now denies that he had anything to do with the release of the rapist/murderer. Funny, then why did Huckabee meet with the parole board on behalf of the rapist/murderer?
More on the cop killer story. It's a nasty story.
*****
What is most frightening is the fact that it is typical repugican behavior.
*****
What is most frightening is the fact that it is typical repugican behavior.
Magnets for fighting cancer?
Tiny magnetic discs just a millionth of a meter in diameter could be used to used to kill cancer cells, according to a study published on Sunday.
Laboratory tests found the so-called "nanodiscs", around 60 billionths of a metre thick, could be used to disrupt the membranes of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.
The discs are made from an iron-nickel alloy, which move when subjected to a magnetic field, damaging the cancer cells, the report published in Nature Materials said.
Full Story
Laboratory tests found the so-called "nanodiscs", around 60 billionths of a metre thick, could be used to disrupt the membranes of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.
The discs are made from an iron-nickel alloy, which move when subjected to a magnetic field, damaging the cancer cells, the report published in Nature Materials said.
Full Story
Palin particularly popular among fans of Dimbulb and Brick
While, this isn't news ... it is interesting, however, the fact that yet another poll shows that the remaining wingnuts in the repugican party are far more nutty than just a few years ago.
Those who identify as repugicans today see themselves as more wingnut politically than those who said so during the last years of the shrub's cabal.
This is the challenge for repugicans.
How do you deal with the pressure in your own party to veer to the right, when by doing so, you risk alienating the very people who left your party because it veered too far to the right?
How do you deal with the pressure in your own party to veer to the right, when by doing so, you risk alienating the very people who left your party because it veered too far to the right?
*****
Like we care how the repugicans die off. Just so long as they continue to self destruct we won't loose any sleep over it.
The world looks different if you're depressed
People with the condition find it easy to interpret large images or scenes, but struggle to "spot the difference" in fine detail.The world looks different if you're depressed
Myths and secrets of the deep
Atlantis was just a story, but other ancient civilizations really have sunk beneath the waves – complete with their temples, megaliths and pirate headquarters.Drowned cities
Liars and Fools
Liars and Fools for the day are:
Faux's Sean Handjob lies saying un-named Obama official supports forced sterilizations.
And the moon is made of green cheese too.
Wingnut blog compares health care reform to Pearl Harbor.
Real Nazis trying to invoke images of Fake Nazis in the deluded notion we can not tell the difference - this is getting old, morons.
Faux's Sean Handjob lies saying un-named Obama official supports forced sterilizations.
And the moon is made of green cheese too.
Wingnut blog compares health care reform to Pearl Harbor.
Real Nazis trying to invoke images of Fake Nazis in the deluded notion we can not tell the difference - this is getting old, morons.
World Wide Ceilidh
The World Wide Ceilidh is today!For those of Scots heritage the ceilidh (pronounced 'Kay-Lee' and means party) to celebrate being Scots is happening today all over the world.
Unusual Holidays and Celebrations
Today is
National Meth Awareness Day
and
Stay Home Because You're Well Day
National Meth Awareness Day
and
Stay Home Because You're Well Day
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Porto, Porto, Portugal
Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Wakefield, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
Nanaima, British Columbia, Canada
Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela
Trondheim. Sor-Trondelag, Norway
Attard, Attard, Malta
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
Berwick Upon Tweed, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
as well as Poland, Scotland, and the United States
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Porto, Porto, Portugal
Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Wakefield, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
Nanaima, British Columbia, Canada
Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela
Trondheim. Sor-Trondelag, Norway
Attard, Attard, Malta
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
Berwick Upon Tweed, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
as well as Poland, Scotland, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
You've recently made some amazing headway toward repairing a major problem in your life, but you're not quite out of the woods yet.
Be careful not to light the candles on your celebratory cake too soon -- if you do, you will definitely get burned.
Finish up the rest of whatever you've been working on, because it's an integral part of the bigger picture.
You've let a few things slide during this period of singular focus, and now you have to attend to them.
OK
You've recently made some amazing headway toward repairing a major problem in your life, but you're not quite out of the woods yet.
Be careful not to light the candles on your celebratory cake too soon -- if you do, you will definitely get burned.
Finish up the rest of whatever you've been working on, because it's an integral part of the bigger picture.
You've let a few things slide during this period of singular focus, and now you have to attend to them.
OK
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Man wanted for questioning in police killings, has troubling criminal history
Nine years ago, then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee granted clemency to Clemmons, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protests of prosecutors.
Lugar: Delay health care "reform" to pay for war
The Afghanistan war could be as much about dollars as sense for several U.S. lawmakers, including one top repugican who says national security is worth delaying health care reforms so Congress can pay for military operations.
*****
Hey about this - end the war and bring the troops home that way there is no need to 'pay' for the war?!
The money would be better spent on health care.
*****
Hey about this - end the war and bring the troops home that way there is no need to 'pay' for the war?!
The money would be better spent on health care.
DC Seeks to Tax Blighted PropertiesRead the original story
D.C. officials have less than two months to compile a list of the city's blighted properties.
DC Seeks to Tax Blighted Properties
DC Seeks to Tax Blighted Properties
U.S. Holiday Season Off to Modestly Positive
Holiday shopping held steady through the weekend after retailers saw a huge crowd of bargain shoppers buying discounted flat-panel TVs and fleece jackets on Black Friday, the traditional post-Thanksgiving Day shopping spree.
U.S. Holiday Season Off to Modestly Positive
U.S. Holiday Season Off to Modestly Positive
Before Obama Met Salahi, the shrub Met Jack
From Crooks and Liars:
When it comes to social events at the White House, the only thing worse for a President than self-serving gate crashers is when the miscreant has an invitation. And so while conservatives gloat over the Secret Service failure that allowed climbers Michaele and Tareq Salahi to crash the state dinner for the Indian prime minister, it's worth remembering that when Republican uber lobbyist and convicted felon Jack Abramoff roamed the Bush White House, he was an honored guest.
For his part, President Obama has ordered a review into how the Virginia couple and would-be reality TV stars made their way into this week's function. For their part, even conservative bloggers fretted about the disturbing security lapse that allowed the Salahis to come "face to face with The One himself." But as another predictably suggested, it's all Obama's fault even when it isn't:
"It unfortunately also embarrasses the Secret Service, Obama, and pretty much the entire White House. It was Obama's first state dinner, and how will people remember it? They'll remember that two famewhore socialites snuck in and that his security allowed it to happen. This, for once, is not Obama's fault, but he's the one embarrassed by it inevitably. I wonder how long it will take him to blame this on President Bush, though."
Of course, you can't blame George W. Bush for letting the Salahis slither their way into a White House social function. But letting Jack Abramoff through the door is another matter altogether.
As you'll recall, in September 2008, Abramoff was sentenced to four years in prison for a lobbying scandal whose tentacles spread throughout Capital Hill and the Bush administration. And as the Washington Post recounted, Abramoff would have a lot of company in jail from among the ranks of his Republican colleagues:
More than a dozen people, including an Ohio congressman and a deputy secretary of the interior, have been convicted in the Abramoff lobbying scandal, and Justice Department officials said the investigation is continuing. Still under scrutiny are former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and retiring Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.).
Which is why the Bush White House was desperate to erase any evidence of the association between Abramoff, the President and his highest level staffers. On January 26th, 2006, President Bush denied any relationship with Abramoff, a "Pioneer" who raised over $100,000 for his reelection campaign:
"You know, I, frankly, don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy. I don't know him."
As it turned out, of course, George W. Bush knew Jack Abramoff and had his picture taken with the guy several times.
White House crashers want hundreds of thousands for their story
Just me, or does anyone else want to see these people in jail?
Then again, if you could jail someone for being tacky, all those moron Palin fans would be locked up.
Then again, if you could jail someone for being tacky, all those moron Palin fans would be locked up.
Wanted American gets 3 years in China
An American wanted for eco-terrorism attacks in the United States has been sentenced to three years in a Chinese prison for making illegal drugs.
Wanted American gets 3 years in China
Wanted American gets 3 years in China
Few signposts mark the road to economic recovery
The road from recession to recovery is rarely smooth, straight or short.
It comes with detours, forks and even dead ends.
And sometimes surprises.
While each American recession is different, most major ones end with pessimism heavy in the air.
As the U.S. economy claws its way out of the deepest downturn in decades, jobs are still being lost, consumers are jittery and banks are reluctant to resume lending, even though stocks have rallied and corporate profits seem to be slowly returning.
It comes with detours, forks and even dead ends.
And sometimes surprises.
While each American recession is different, most major ones end with pessimism heavy in the air.
As the U.S. economy claws its way out of the deepest downturn in decades, jobs are still being lost, consumers are jittery and banks are reluctant to resume lending, even though stocks have rallied and corporate profits seem to be slowly returning.
Americans rate Dimbulb most idiotic wingnut, choose JFK for Mount Rushmore
By a wide margin, Americans consider Lush Dimbulb the nation’s most idiotic wingnut talking head. Those are the results of a poll conducted by "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine and issued Sunday.
The tub of lard was picked by 26 per cent of those who responded, followed by Faux News Channel’s Glenn Brick at 11 per cent.
Actual politicians - the Dick and the idiot Sarah Palin - were the choice of 10 per cent each.
*****
Asked to choose among presidents, Americans tapped John F. Kennedy as the one they’d like to see added to Mount Rushmore.
Games to fight weight gain
Games to fight weight gain
Fitness games may help fight the weight gain that often results from holiday feasting.
Eating habits that make you happier
Eating habits that make you happier
Selecting the right foods will not only help nourish your body but calm your mind.
America's fastest-recovering cities
America's fastest-recovering cities
Cities with diverse industries and moderate changes in home value are bouncing back first.
Details Emerge In Lakewood Police Shooting
Four Washington police officers slain
The search continues for the man who fatally shot four officers at a coffeehouse.
Details have begun to emerge in the Lakewood police shooting that took place earlier today at 8:15 AM on Sunday morning. Four police officers, three men and a woman, were "ambushed" at a coffee shop in Lakewood, which is in Washington state, 40 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles southwest of Tacoma.
Worst credit-card mistakes you can make
Worst credit-card mistakes you can make
For the first time, FICO reveals how mistakes damage your credit score.
US Food Stamp Program Expanding by 20,000 People Per Day
The program is expanding by about 20,000 out-of-work and underemployed people a day, the Post reported, noting the growth has been swift in once-prosperous communities effected by the housing bust.
“It’s time for us to face up to the fact that in this country of plenty, there are hungry people,” Concannon said.
Should Food Stamps Be Used To Buy Organic Food?
From Treehugger:
Grocery cart undecided. Image credit:Keith B. Evans, at Simple Gallery.
Washington Post has covered the rapid growth of Food Stamp use in recent months.
While the Reagan-era stigma attached to public aid in the form of "Food Stamps" seems to have faded in the face of spreading US unemployment, people are thinking and writing about what is, and is not, appropriate food to buy with taxpayer support.
Farm-market use is a possibility, per the WaPo report: "Participants apply locally to receive an electronic card that is used like an ATM card to buy food at most grocery stores and some farmers markets."
A knee-jerk answer to the rhetorical question posed by this headline would be 'no,' that Food Stamp credits should not go for organic food, which is widely seen as a luxury. In the real world, this simplistic answer can be either misleading or wrong, cost wise.
Article continues: Should Food Stamps Be Used To Buy Organic Food?
Student Caught Biking Drunk Banned from Cycling for 15 Years
From Treehugger:
Americans are still reacting to the news that a man got away with only a four-month jail sentence after shooting a bicyclist in the head in cold blood, in front of his three-year old child. In Germany, the web is buzzing about a sentence equally extreme, on the opposite end of the spectrum. Christopher-Felix Hahn, a student of theater science in Gießen, has learned he is banned from riding a bike, skateboard or any other "unlicensed vehicle" on the streets -- for fifteen years.
Image: Bild
Americans are still reacting to the news that a man got away with only a four-month jail sentence after shooting a bicyclist in the head in cold blood, in front of his three-year old child. In Germany, the web is buzzing about a sentence equally extreme, on the opposite end of the spectrum. Christopher-Felix Hahn, a student of theater science in Gießen, has learned he is banned from riding a bike, skateboard or any other "unlicensed vehicle" on the streets -- for fifteen years.
Article continues: Student Caught Biking Drunk Banned from Cycling for 15 Years
Liars and Fools
Liars and Fools today are:
Lush Dimbulb "jokes" that the military should take President Obama into custody.
Not likely your moron, however you might want to watch your ass when the come for you.
Gun Nuts lies Claiming Obama administration will issue ‘no guns’ decree.
This is news? Gun nuts are always spewing such garbage.
Pastor Wiley Drake says Christians should stop praying for PresidentObama's death until he's convicted of treason.
OK, we can agree with this - after Drake is convicted of treason we can "pray" for his death.
Lush Dimbulb "jokes" that the military should take President Obama into custody.
Not likely your moron, however you might want to watch your ass when the come for you.
Gun Nuts lies Claiming Obama administration will issue ‘no guns’ decree.
This is news? Gun nuts are always spewing such garbage.
Pastor Wiley Drake says Christians should stop praying for PresidentObama's death until he's convicted of treason.
OK, we can agree with this - after Drake is convicted of treason we can "pray" for his death.
'Bin Laden was within our grasp'
A report released by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee blamed the shrub administration for failing to capture or kill Osama bin Laden when the al Qaeda leader was cornered in Afghanistan's Tora Bora mountain region in December 2001.
The report, released Sunday, said the situation in Afghanistan presented greater problems today because of the failure to nab bin Laden eight years ago.
Bin Laden had written his will, apparently sensing he was trapped, but the lack of sufficient forces to close in for the kill allowed him to escape to tribal areas in Pakistan, according to the report.
It said former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and top U.S. commander Gen. Tommy Franks held back the necessary forces for a "classic sweep-and-block maneuver" that could have prevented bin Laden's escape.
The Bronx tops food stamp list
Bronx County, NY with a 13.3% unemployment rate, has joined Hidalgo County, TX as the US counties of their size with the greatest share of people receiving food stamps at 29%.
Nationally, 1 in 8 adults and one in 4 children are using food stamps, according to data collected by the New York Times.
The Bronx tops food stamp list
Nationally, 1 in 8 adults and one in 4 children are using food stamps, according to data collected by the New York Times.
The Bronx tops food stamp list
Roman Catholic Church continues to lobby government
Trying to push their policies on the governments, Catholic bishops continue their attempts to convince lawmakers they're serious about abortion and same-sex marriage.
Again, who gives a shit what catholic bishops have to say about anything?
Wingnuts consider a suicide pact
Some people can't stand prosperity, my father used to say.
Today, he might be talking about wingnuts, who, in the midst of declining support for President Obama's hope-and-change agenda, are considering a "purity" pledge to weed out undesirables from their ever-shrinking party.
Just when independents and moderates were considering revisiting the repugican tent.
Today, he might be talking about wingnuts, who, in the midst of declining support for President Obama's hope-and-change agenda, are considering a "purity" pledge to weed out undesirables from their ever-shrinking party.
Just when independents and moderates were considering revisiting the repugican tent.
Obama orders review of crashers
President Barack Obama has ordered a full review into how a Virginia couple managed to make their way into the White House for last week's state dinner without an invitation, even getting so far as to meet the president in the official receiving line, according to a White House official.
Three days after a pair of Virginia socialites and reality TV wannabes crashed the administration's first state dinner, the White House acknowledged for the first time Friday that they met Obama himself at the event – raising even more questions about whether the breach could have posed a security risk.
Iran approves building 10 uranium enrichment sites
The Iranian government approved a plan tonight to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities, a dramatic expansion in defiance of UN demands it halt the program.
Full StoryBuzzing flies more likely to wake men than crying babies
However for women, whether or not they are mothers, there is no other noise more likely to stop them sleeping than that of a wailing infant, according to scientific tests measuring brain activity.
Buzzing flies more likely to wake men than crying babies
Buzzing flies more likely to wake men than crying babies
Daily Riddle
Imagine you're in a room with no windows and no doors, how do you get out?
Stop imagining!
Stop imagining!
Murderous moose suspected in Swedish death
Swedish police say they've cleared a man who was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife after deciding the culprit was most likely a moose.
Full StorySwiss ban mosque minarets
Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets on Sunday, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a vote that put Switzerland at the forefront of a European backlash against a growing Muslim population.
Swiss ban mosque minarets
Swiss ban mosque minarets
Collect Call Indeed
Woman shocked by cost of collect call
A hairstylist who accepted a customer's quick collect call had no idea it would cost more than $45.
Why one town may get 100s of new jobs
Why one town may get 100s of new jobs
One car company's decision may turn around a hard-hit California city.
Daily Almanac
Today is Sunday, Nov. 29, the 333rd day of 2009.
There are 32 days left in the year.
Today In History November 29
There are 32 days left in the year.
Today In History November 29
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes, France
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada
Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
as well as Argentina, Scotland, and the United States
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes, France
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada
Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
as well as Argentina, Scotland, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
You've been so good for so long that it's high time you did something a bit naughty!
Call up one of your more mischievous friends and make a plan together.
Expanding your horizons is highly favored, so a road trip could be in order.
If you're in the mood, take the wheel and point yourself toward something you've never explored.
What you find at your destination will appear fairly bland -- but after a few introductions, you'll be thrilled with your discoveries.
This is gonna be good!
You've been so good for so long that it's high time you did something a bit naughty!
Call up one of your more mischievous friends and make a plan together.
Expanding your horizons is highly favored, so a road trip could be in order.
If you're in the mood, take the wheel and point yourself toward something you've never explored.
What you find at your destination will appear fairly bland -- but after a few introductions, you'll be thrilled with your discoveries.
This is gonna be good!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Military Budget Is Bleeding Us Dry. It's Time We Addressed That.
From Crooks and Liars
You know, between the crooks, the politicians and the payoffs, this issue shouldn't be a third rail anymore. Democrats need to decide which we can afford: Shoveling trillions of dollars into the military-industrial-congressional complex (and the pockets of defense donors), or rebuilding this country's economic and social infrastructure. David Sirota:
In 2000, the Pentagon admitted it has lost -- yes, lost -- $2.3 trillion. In 2003, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a subsequent Department of Defense study said it was only $1 trillion. To put such numbers in perspective, contemplate what those sums could finance. $1 trillion, for instance, could pay the total cost of universal healthcare for the long haul. $2.3 trillion would cover universal healthcare plus the bank bailout plus the stimulus package.
Obviously -- obviously! -- these points are no cause for alarm and certainly no cause for defense spending reductions, right? All they must prove is that the archconservative Cato Institute, William Randolph Hearst's newspaper chain, National Journal employees and Pentagon officials are secretly America-hating liberals. And -- obviously! -- so are two of the most aggressive neoconservative hawks ever to hold government office, Sen. John McCain and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. After all, they’re the ones who issued those scathing statements about wasteful defense spending in the pop quiz above. That means they’re actually terrorist-appeasing lefties, right?
Really, how could anyone other than traitorous communists see the data and then consider backing the mildest Pentagon spending cuts? I mean, come on -- in a country whose paranoid conservative movement now makes a dead-serious ideology out of Stephen Colbert wisecracks, how dare any red-blooded American even think of pondering basic budgetary facts?
Of course here's a typical wingnut reaction:
Lost in all the typical liberal hyperventilating over increased defense spending during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is just how low current defense spending compared to the last 45 years.
Oh, well then! Quit yer griping!
Ho hum. Just another would-be domestic terrorist found with a bomb-making lab. Nothing to see here, just move along
From Crooks and Liars:
Gee, for some reason, this story hasn't managed to make it out of the local news and into the national headlines:
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Following a pipe bomb explosion Monday night, police and federal law enforcement officials are trying to figure why a Center Avenue man turned his apartment into a bomb factory.
Police said no charges have been filed against Mark Campano, 56. Police found 30 completed pipe bombs in his apartment along with components to make more, plus 17 guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Campano is in an Akron hospital with injuries received when one of the bombs exploded.
As police and federal authorities puzzle over Campano's past and what he planned to do with the bombs, a former neighbor said Campano often railed against the government.
Barbara Vachon lived next door to Campano at the Center Park Place Apartments for several years and said he was a big reason she moved.
"He was always trying to get me and another neighbor to listen to anti-government tapes and watch anti-government videos," said Vachon. "I would never watch them. He was some kind of radical, and he didn't believe in the government."
She said there were other warnings.
"There were a few times I heard minor explosions from outside the apartment building, and he would scream that he had hurt himself," she said. "I never knew what he was up to."
Vachon said Campano seemed to be most active at night.
"There was a steady stream of creepy visitors going in and out of his apartment," she said.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is also investigating the case.
Of course, if this had been a Muslim extremist caught with such an arsenal, we'd be getting talk-show panels on Hannity featuring Michelle Malkin ranting at length about the threat of Islamic jihad, blah blah blah. Not to mention chatty discussion on Fox and Friends and Morning Joe.
But instead, because he's just a white anti-government extremist, hey, let's just give it a big shrug.
Holiday spending on the rise
Holiday spending on the rise
The $10 billion spent in stores this Black Friday is up slightly from last year.
How to pick the perfect digital camera
How to pick the perfect digital camera
These guidelines can make shopping for a new camera less overwhelming.
Health issues the healthy should watch for
Health issues the healthy should watch for
These key areas should be monitored even by those with a clean bill of health.
Most popular cars of 2009
Most popular cars of 2009
The most searched-for brands reflect the strengths and failures of the industry.
Fresh claim for fossil life in Mars rock
The 1996 claim that a meteorite contains microbe fossils from Mars has been boosted by the rejection of a non-biological explanation for the minerals.
Early Snowball Earth may have melted to a mudball
If the icy tropics of 700 million years ago were covered in dust, this could have helped melt the ice.Early Snowball Earth may have melted to a mudball
Please don't pass health care reform, lest we be healthier and have more
Put simply, the healthcare reform bill would make the United States more like western Europe. That may mean more security about healthcare, but it also means that future generations of Americans will likely spend more time enjoying leisure.*****
Oh, Yeah - Like we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we!?
Arctic ice conditions much worse than satellite images suggested
For some reason, the deniers in the US can't recognize that there is a problem.
Ignorance is truly bliss for the teabaggers.
Ignorance is truly bliss for the teabaggers.
University of Manitoba researcher David Barber said experts around the world believed the ice was recovering because satellite images showed it expanding, but the thick, multi-year frozen sheets have been replaced by thin ice that cannot support the weight of a polar bear.
"Polar bears are being restricted to a small fringe of where this multi-year sea ice is. As we went further and further north, we saw less and less polar bears because this ice wasn't even strong enough for the polar bears to stand on," said Barber, who returned from an expedition to the Beaufort Sea in September.
Boost your Social Security benefits
Boost your Social Security benefits
These strategies will help you make the most of your Social Security benefits.
Health Care Hell in America
The day after Thanksgiving, Blue Cross 'members' get a " Love Letter " in the mail from the crooks at Blue Shield of California.
A notification to announce that as of 1-1-2010 :
"Blue Shield will no longer reinstate policies that are canceled for nonpayment of premiums. This means that if your premiums are not paid in full and received by the due date, your policy will be canceled and you will need to re-apply for coverage."
In other words - fuck you.
Banks, world leaders play down Dubai debt threat
World leaders expressed confidence in the global economic recovery on Friday despite fears about a debt default by Gulf emirate Dubai, while major banks played down their exposure to the debt.
Banks, world leaders play down Dubai debt threat
Banks, world leaders play down Dubai debt threat
Science News
The death throes of the biggest star known to science have been observed by Europe's new space telescope, Herschel.
Caged 'cavemen' go on display at Warsaw zoo
Visitors to Warsaw's zoo are being greeted by two "Homo sapiens" peering out from a cage - humans in animal skins trying to spark interest in man's caveman ancestors.
Full StoryTow truck driver arrested for illegal tow
Police say a tow truck driver purposely moved a woman's car from a legal parking spot to an illegal spot so he could tow her and collect money.
That driver, Jeremy Lee Blaine, is now charged with a crime.
"Where does it say you can't park here?" we asked Shannon Whitlowe outside a Family Dollar store in Gastonia.
"There is nothing right there that says you can't park here," she said.
Whitlowe admits the place where she parked isn't the most clearly defined parking spot.
But, there are no yellow lines or words screaming "no parking" here - like there are an aisle away - and she was just going to be a minute getting medicine.
"I had a sick child," Whitlowe said.
By the time she came out her car was gone.
Folks who work in the area say the tow truck driver camps out behind corners, waiting for a wrong move.
"The minute you walk in the store, they take off with your car and I think it's wrong," Whitlowe said.
So do police.
They arrested CRS Towing tow truck driver Jeremy Blaine and charged him with obtaining property by false pretense.
That's after a witness told police Blaine hooked up Whitlowe's car and allegedly moved it to an illegal spot, then took a picture of it there as if that's where he found it.
We asked police, what's the purpose of the picture?
"It would be to justify the means of the action which is, you know, shady," said Gastonia Police Sergeant Trent Conard.
Conard thinks greed is a reason for the illegal tow.
"They're preying upon people that, you know, times are rough on everybody and people don't need to be spending 100 dollar tow bills to get their cars out when they were legally parked to begin with," he said.
It's not thepolice department's first run in with local tow truck companies.
Conard says some companies put their signs up on city utillity poles, which is against city ordinance.
The signs get taken down.
Then, drivers say towing companies tell them too bad, they "were" there.
In fact, police say arguments over signs, locations and legalities are getting worse.
"And we're not going to put up with it," Conard said.
Whitlowe had to pay to get her car back from the towing company, even though police say the tow was illegal.
"It was 100 dollars cash and they would not let me pay by check or debit," she said.
The driver is due in court Monday.
Saturday Jam
Today's Saturday Jam is all about the Sun:
Walking On The Sun
Walking On Sunshine
Steal My Sunshine
Walking On The Sun
Smash Mouth
Walking On Sunshine
Katrina and the Waves
Steal My Sunshine
Len
President Obama's Weekly Address
Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Thursday, November 26, 2009
For centuries, in peace and in war, in prosperity and in adversity, Americans have paused at this time of year to gather with loved ones and give thanks for life’s blessings. This week, we carry on this distinctly American tradition. All across our country, folks are coming together to spend time with family, to catch up with old friends, to cook and enjoy a big dinner – and maybe to watch a little football in between.
As always, we give thanks for the kindness of loved ones, for the joys of the previous year, and for the pride we feel in our communities and country. We keep in our thoughts and prayers the many families marking this Thanksgiving with an empty seat – saved for a son or daughter, or husband or wife, stationed in harm’s way. And we say a special thanks for the sacrifices those men and women in uniform are making for our safety and freedom, and for all those Americans who enrich the lives of our communities through acts of kindness, generosity and service.
But as much as we all have to be thankful for, we also know that this year millions of Americans are facing very difficult economic times. Many have lost jobs in this recession – the worst in generations. Many more are struggling to afford health care premiums and house payments, let alone to save for an education or retirement. Too many are wondering if the dream of a middle class life – that American Dream – is slipping away. It’s the worry I hear from folks across the country; good, hard-working people doing the best they can for their families – but fearing that their best just isn’t good enough. These are not strangers. They are our family, our friends, and our neighbors. Their struggles must be our concern.
That’s why we passed the Recovery Act that cut taxes for 95 percent of working people and for small businesses – and that extended unemployment benefits and health coverage for millions of Americans who lost their jobs in this turmoil. That’s why we are reforming the health care system so that middle-class families have affordable insurance that cannot be denied because of a pre-existing condition or taken away because you happen to get sick. We’ve worked to stem the tide of foreclosures and to stop the decline in home values. We’re making it easier to save for retirement and more affordable to send a son or daughter to college.
The investments we have made and tough steps we have taken have helped break the back of the recession, and now our economy is finally growing again. But as I said when I took office, job recovery from this crisis would not come easily or quickly. Though the job losses we were experiencing earlier this year have slowed dramatically, we’re still not creating enough new jobs each month to make up for the ones we’re losing. And no matter what the economists say, for families and communities across the country, this recession will not end until we completely turn that tide.
So we’ve made progress. But we cannot rest – and my administration will not rest – until we have revived this economy and rebuilt it stronger than before; until we are creating jobs and opportunities for middle class families; until we have moved beyond the cycles of boom and bust – of reckless risk and speculation – that led us to so much crisis and pain these past few years.
Next week, I’ll be meeting with owners of large and small businesses, labor leaders, and non-for-profits from across the country, to talk about the additional steps we can take to help spur job creation. I will work with the Congress to enact them quickly. And it is my fervent hope – and my heartfelt expectation – that next Thanksgiving we will be able to celebrate the fact that many of those who have lost their jobs are back at work, and that as a nation we will have come through these difficult storms stronger and wiser and grateful to have reached a brighter day.
Thank you, God bless you, and from my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
Daily Almanac
Today is Saturday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2009.
There are 33 days left in the year.
Today In History November 28
There are 33 days left in the year.
Today In History November 28
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Seoul, Kynoggi-Do, Korea
London, England, United Kingdom
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Delhi, Delhi, India
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Seoul, Kynoggi-Do, Korea
London, England, United Kingdom
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Delhi, Delhi, India
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Flex your muscles a little bit today -- it's been too long since you reminded yourself how powerful you really are, especially in a group or team environment.
You have a lot of good ideas to contribute, and it's high time you became more of a leader.
People around you are going to be very receptive to any suggestions you make now, and they are looking for the new ideas you are sure to have.
Push things in the direction you want them to go.
All Right!
Flex your muscles a little bit today -- it's been too long since you reminded yourself how powerful you really are, especially in a group or team environment.
You have a lot of good ideas to contribute, and it's high time you became more of a leader.
People around you are going to be very receptive to any suggestions you make now, and they are looking for the new ideas you are sure to have.
Push things in the direction you want them to go.
All Right!
Friday, November 27, 2009
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