The U.S. Marine Corps is leaving Iraq.
The U.S. military says the Marines will formally handover control on Saturday of Iraq's western desert to the Army during a ceremony at Camp Ramadi, about 70 miles west of Baghdad.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Border inspectors in California smell something fishy, find 700 pounds of pot in sea bass container
A U.S. border inspector suspected something fishy about the truckload of white sea bass headed into San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico.
Border inspectors in California smell something fishy, find 700 pounds of pot in sea bass container
Border inspectors in California smell something fishy, find 700 pounds of pot in sea bass container
The Week in Pictures
From Treehugger:
From the news that a new 'super snake' python hybrid may be on the rise in Florida to new research revealing that about 20,000 gallons of Exxon Valdez oil still remains trapped in the gravel beaches of Alaska, a lot happened this week in green. According to Downstream Strategies' latest report, Appalachian coal is set for big declines in the coming decades due to market and legislative forces, Bill Gates argues that "We need innovation, not insulation," concluding that the world is distracted from what counts in terms of dealing with climate change "in a big way," and NPR brings to light how rigorous seed licensing is sticking it to the farmer--or their wallet for that matter. Find out what else happened in the world of green this week in our photo roundup of most popular, most important, and most oddball stories.
Top Five (Less Sensational But More Dangerous) Things to Remember About Pat Robertson
2) Robertson’s 1991 book, The New World Order, recycled anti-Semitic conspiracy theories reminiscent of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and stated that George Bush Sr. was part of a conspiracy to institute “an occult-inspired world socialist dictatorship” (through his work with the United Nations in the first Gulf War). This caused few of Robertson’s neoconservative allies to break with him in any decisive way—although one former neocon, Michael Lind, denounced him in a major exposé in the New York Review of Books.
Top Five (Less Sensational But More Dangerous) Things to Remember About Pat Robertson
Liars and Fools
Liars and Fools today are:
Faux's Glen Brick deluded as usual lies saying "The republic and the progressive movement cannot coexist" and "are diametrically opposed to each other".
Wrong. The progressive movement is a continuation of the principles of the those who founded this country as a republic.
Paul Broun (reptile - Georgia) lies claiming the House of Representatives "is overrun by many domestic enemies of the Constitution, and the Senate's full of a bunch of them also".
He's absolutely correct on this one folks, only thing is it is he and his fellow mendicants in the repugican party that are the domestic enemies of the Constitution, though he is not referring to himself or his fellow troglodytes.
Lush Dimbulb lies claiming "leftists" want "every CEO in jail and every soldier in jail".
Just the ones guilty of crimes, you fat, boy ass plunderer.
Faux's Glen Brick lies yet again hinting that Obama is "a radical revolutionary" who is trying "to intentionally collapse the financial system".
Wrong, your fellow idiots have already done that.
Faux's Glen Brick deluded as usual lies saying "The republic and the progressive movement cannot coexist" and "are diametrically opposed to each other".
Wrong. The progressive movement is a continuation of the principles of the those who founded this country as a republic.
Paul Broun (reptile - Georgia) lies claiming the House of Representatives "is overrun by many domestic enemies of the Constitution, and the Senate's full of a bunch of them also".
He's absolutely correct on this one folks, only thing is it is he and his fellow mendicants in the repugican party that are the domestic enemies of the Constitution, though he is not referring to himself or his fellow troglodytes.
Lush Dimbulb lies claiming "leftists" want "every CEO in jail and every soldier in jail".
Just the ones guilty of crimes, you fat, boy ass plunderer.
Faux's Glen Brick lies yet again hinting that Obama is "a radical revolutionary" who is trying "to intentionally collapse the financial system".
Wrong, your fellow idiots have already done that.
Space pictures taken from garden shed
An amateur stargazer has stunned astronomers around the world with his photographs of the universe – taken from his garden shed.
Amateur astronomer Peter Shah who has taken astonishing shots of the universe from his garden shed
Photo: WALES NEWS SERVICE
'Lily The Bear' Gives Birth On Webcam
Lily the Bear gave birth just after noon on Friday and it was all caught on camera from her den.
'Lily The Bear' Gives Birth On Webcam
President Obama's Weekly Address
Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
January 23, 2010
One of the reasons I ran for President was because I believed so strongly that the voices of everyday Americans, hardworking folks doing everything they can to stay afloat, just weren’t being heard over the powerful voices of the special interests in Washington. And the result was a national agenda too often skewed in favor of those with the power to tilt the tables.
In my first year in office, we pushed back on that power by implementing historic reforms to get rid of the influence of those special interests. On my first day in office, we closed the revolving door between lobbying firms and the government so that no one in my administration would make decisions based on the interests of former or future employers. We barred gifts from federal lobbyists to executive branch officials. We imposed tough restrictions to prevent funds for our recovery from lining the pockets of the well-connected, instead of creating jobs for Americans. And for the first time in history, we have publicly disclosed the names of lobbyists and non-lobbyists alike who visit the White House every day, so that you know what’s going on in the White House – the people’s house.
We’ve been making steady progress. But this week, the United States Supreme Court handed a huge victory to the special interests and their lobbyists – and a powerful blow to our efforts to rein in corporate influence. This ruling strikes at our democracy itself. By a 5-4 vote, the Court overturned more than a century of law – including a bipartisan campaign finance law written by Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold that had barred corporations from using their financial clout to directly interfere with elections by running advertisements for or against candidates in the crucial closing weeks.
This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy. It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way – or to punish those who don’t. That means that any public servant who has the courage to stand up to the special interests and stand up for the American people can find himself or herself under assault come election time. Even foreign corporations may now get into the act.
I can’t think of anything more devastating to the public interest. The last thing we need to do is hand more influence to the lobbyists in Washington, or more power to the special interests to tip the outcome of elections.
All of us, regardless of party, should be worried that it will be that much harder to get fair, common-sense financial reforms, or close unwarranted tax loopholes that reward corporations from sheltering their income or shipping American jobs off-shore.
It will make it more difficult to pass commonsense laws to promote energy independence because even foreign entities would be allowed to mix in our elections.
It would give the health insurance industry even more leverage to fend off reforms that would protect patients.
We don’t need to give any more voice to the powerful interests that already drown out the voices of everyday Americans.
And we don’t intend to. When this ruling came down, I instructed my administration to get to work immediately with Members of Congress willing to fight for the American people to develop a forceful, bipartisan response to this decision. We have begun that work, and it will be a priority for us until we repair the damage that has been done.
A hundred years ago, one of the great Republican Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, fought to limit special interest spending and influence over American political campaigns and warned of the impact of unbridled, corporate spending. His message rings as true as ever today, in this age of mass communications, when the decks are too often stacked against ordinary Americans. And as long as I’m your President, I’ll never stop fighting to make sure that the most powerful voice in Washington belongs to you.Today is ...
Today is Saturday, January 23, the 23rd day of 2010.
There are 342 days left in the year.
Today In History January 23
Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:
National Handwriting Day,
National Pie Day,
and
Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day
There are 342 days left in the year.
Today In History January 23
Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:
National Handwriting Day,
National Pie Day,
and
Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Landau, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands
Antalya, Antalya, Turkey
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Landau, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands
Antalya, Antalya, Turkey
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
It won't take much arm-twisting to talk you into a little recreation now -- yes, even though you have a huge to-do list, and even though you're ordinarily the very soul of discretion.
It will take even less strong-arming if you happen to be at the mercy of someone you find absolutely delightful -- someone who's just dying for a few quality hours alone with you.
Oh, go ahead, and don't feel guilty about it either.
You're due.
Damn, right!
It won't take much arm-twisting to talk you into a little recreation now -- yes, even though you have a huge to-do list, and even though you're ordinarily the very soul of discretion.
It will take even less strong-arming if you happen to be at the mercy of someone you find absolutely delightful -- someone who's just dying for a few quality hours alone with you.
Oh, go ahead, and don't feel guilty about it either.
You're due.
Damn, right!
Friday, January 22, 2010
What’s so different about tablet PCs?
What’s so different about tablet PCs?
Learn the pros and cons of tablet PCs compared to netbooks, smartphones, and more.
Breakthrough products for 2010
Breakthrough products for 2010
These problem-solving innovations will make you wonder how you ever lived without them.
Kermit the Frog causes bomb scare
Boulder authorities locked down a Lafayette charter school while they examined a duffel bag left at the campus parking lot that ended up containing a Kermit the Frog doll.
Elite soldiers forced to improvise in Haiti
Elite soldiers forced to improvise in Haiti
With little more than rucksacks and rental cars, the Army unit called "The Beast" tackles big challenges.
Hidden costs of the American Dream
Hidden costs of the American Dream
Americans have been oversold on the benefits of owning a home, one expert argues.
Controversy over ice dance 'tribute'
Controversy over ice dance 'tribute'
Russia's Olympic favorites wow the judges with a routine that offends the people it was meant to honor.
Military vets working on archaeological project
Some U.S. military veterans are finding work helping sort through a massive government archaeological collection that has been neglected for decades.
Military vets working on archaeological project
Military vets working on archaeological project
Strongest Hurricanes May Triple in Frequency
The U.S. Southeast, Mexico, and the Caribbean will be pounded by more very intense hurricanes in the coming decades due to global warming, a new computer model suggests.
Warmer sea surface temperatures—which fuel hurricanes—and shifting wind patterns are expected to strengthen the storms, the study says.
At the same time, rising temperatures should result in fewer weak or middling hurricanes in the western Atlantic.
Warmer sea surface temperatures—which fuel hurricanes—and shifting wind patterns are expected to strengthen the storms, the study says.
At the same time, rising temperatures should result in fewer weak or middling hurricanes in the western Atlantic.
Car thief found playing 'Grand Theft Auto'
Sheriff's deputies in central Florida found a suspected car thief playing the 'Grand Theft Auto' video game, and they later charged him with just that.
Car thief found playing 'Grand Theft Auto'
Car thief found playing 'Grand Theft Auto'
Want a Whopper, but want a brewski, too?Researchers study whether survival of the fattest is genetic
Fat may not be where it's at, but controversial new research from University of Alberta researchers say you don't have to be thin to win, either.
Do these genes make me look fat?
Do these genes make me look fat?
New study shows driving hinders talking
Gary Dell, a psycholinguist in the department of psychology at Illinois, and his colleagues found that young and old drivers lose about 20 percent of their ability to retain and retell a story while driving.
Driven to distraction
This explains a lot.
Driven to distraction
This explains a lot.
Man experiences intense pain from nail that slid between his toes
Mind Hacks reports that a nail penetrated the shoe of a 29-year-old construction worker, causing great pain. But the hospital workers discovered that the nail had passed harmlessly between his toes.
A builder aged 29 came to the accident and emergency department having jumped down on to a 15 cm nail. As the smallest movement of the nail was painful he was sedated with fentanyl and midazolam. The nail was then pulled out from below. When his boot was removed a miraculous cure appeared to have taken place. Despite entering proximal to the steel toecap the nail had penetrated between the toes: the foot was entirely uninjured.
Mind Hacks says this is related to "somatisation disorder, where physical symptoms appear that aren't explained by tissue damage."
CEOs to Hill: Quit Calling Us for Campaign Cash
CEOs to Congress: Quit calling us for campaign cash, pass public financing
Dozens of current and former corporate executives have a message for Congress: Quit hitting us up for campaign cash.
Roughly 40 executives from companies including Playboy Enterprises, ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's, the Seagram's liquor company, toymaker Hasbro, Delta Airlines and Men's Wearhouse sent a letter to congressional leaders Friday urging them to approve public financing for House and Senate campaigns. They say they are tired of getting fundraising calls from lawmakers — and fear it will only get worse after Thursday's Supreme Court ruling.
OK, since no one seems to be asking the question ... Where were you yahoos yesterday?
US Mulling Action Against Chinese Internet Restrictions
U.S. trade officials have asked for more information as they weigh whether to pursue a case against Chinese Internet restrictions that impede Google and other companies, an attorney for a U.S. free speech group said on Friday."They've asked us for more detail about it. We are trying to put that together right now," said Gilbert Kaplan, a partner at King and Spalding, which represents the First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group.
Dino Colors
![[Epidexipteryx.jpg]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNj3NoOPRjMqQt5c2LC8sm6woRB9U8pOlyrKDVnEgFi3b10520iEDwRiSXK3bwVCMOdN44shTK91dQ-myGHKp9ngOkpDnvaUQnJizqgu58oPy9pZthXqddXzVZ3XmmpAuvlCtUTGhceS0o/s1600/Epidexipteryx.jpg)
This is the new look for what dinosaurs looked like.
Not the image we grew up with, now is it?
Check out next week's edition of Nature for more.
Being human
Humans lie, cheat and steal, gossip, bully and kill.
Why we do these and other destructive things.
Tea Party fights itself over convention
From the "You knew this was coming" and "It couldn't be happening to a 'nicer' bunch of folks" Department:
Tea Party fights itself over convention
Ticket prices and the guest speaker's huge fee even have its own members crying foul.
Air America Radio abruptly shuts down
Unusual pies to swoon over
Unusual pies to swoon over
Celebrate the amusing history of pies with some flavor combinations that are big hits.
Mom plans dinners for the entire year
Mom plans dinners for the entire year
An organized mother of four cuts her grocery bill in half by taking advance planning to a new level.
Common passwords that hackers love
Common passwords that hackers love
A security breach reveals some of the most commonly used passwords on the Web.
Complaints of 'racist' cameras explained
Complaints of 'racist' cameras explained
Glitches in face-detection software draw surprised reactions from non-Caucasian users.
Sleep talker becomes Web sensation
Sleep talker becomes Web sensation
A voice-activated recorder and a wife's whim turn a man's funny ramblings into Internet gold.
Companies with financial danger signs
Companies with financial danger signs
These businesses could risk running out of cash, especially if the economy takes another dive.
Health Care Hell in America
A man with prostate cancer faced a choice: undergo an effective, standard therapy or try a newer treatment option with less chance of causing incontinence or impotence.
Health options limited by cost
Health options limited by cost
Court stops Swiss handing tax evasion files to US
From the "You know they had to spend a few ducats on this one" Department:
A Swiss court has ruled that the government cannot hand over files on 26 suspected tax cheats to U.S. authorities.
Political Wisdom
- The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to put makeup on two faces.
- ~ Maureen Murphy
Owner Defends Club As Greensboro Moves To Shut It Down
The owner of the club formally known as "Lost Dimensions" said he's made improvements, despite a city effort to shut it down.Owner Defends Club As Greensboro Moves To Shut It Down
Can lasers make you slimmer in minutes?
A lunchtime laser treatment promises to make fat go away – it seems to work, but some tricky questions remain. Zap that fat
Hitler's Favorite Painter
Arnold Bocklin was a 19th century symbolist painter whose work influenced and inspired Salvador Dali, Sergi Rachmaninoff, Marcel Duchamp and H. R. Giger. Adolph Hitler owned eleven of his paintings and cited Bocklin as his favorite painter.
The following images come from this Japanese site devoted to Bocklin's work.
Here are some other great 19th century symbolist and romantic painters to check out at the same site...
Henry Fuseli
Thomas Cole
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
George Frederic Watts
John Martin
Jean Delville
Louis Janmot
Evelyn De Morgan
Gaetano Previati
NASA Makes it Official: 2000-2009 Was Hottest Decade on Record
From Treehugger:
The map shows temperature changes for the last decade--January 2000 to December 2009--relative to the 1951-1980 mean. Warmer areas are in red, cooler areas in blue. The largest temperature increases occurred in the Arctic and a portion of Antarctica. Image: NASA
NASA has just announced that the period from January 2000 through December 2009 has been the hottest decade since record-keeping began in 1880. Furthermore, 2009 was the second-hottest year on record for the planet as a whole and in the southern hemisphere, the hottest. Last year was only a fraction of a degree cooler than the hottest year, 2005.
Article continues: NASA Makes it Official: 2000-2009 Was Hottest Decade on Record
Science News
From BBC-Science:
The way fungus-like slime moulds grow could help engineers design computer and communication networks, say researchers.  | | This year's UN biodiversity agreement is likely to hone in on the underlying causes of nature degradation. |
|
| |
Vivid colours of the deep | | | Gorillas play competitive games just like humans |
Today is ...
Today is Friday, January 22, the 22nd day of 2010.
There are 343 days left in the year.
There are 343 days left in the year.
Today In History January 22
Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:
Answer Your Cat's Questions Day
and
Celebration Of Life Day
Answer Your Cat's Questions Day
and
Celebration Of Life Day
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Braine-Le-Comte, Hainaut, Belgium
Bedford, England, United Kingdom
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Izmir, Izmir, Turkey
Coventry, England, United Kingdom
Oberstdorf, Bayern, Germany
Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
as well as Israel, and the United States
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Braine-Le-Comte, Hainaut, Belgium
Bedford, England, United Kingdom
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Izmir, Izmir, Turkey
Coventry, England, United Kingdom
Oberstdorf, Bayern, Germany
Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
as well as Israel, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
The stars are all about seduction and lovers right now, especially for your sign.
What a great combination!
Better plan on using this astrological array to its fullest.
That means no wasting time on groups of people, no matter how long you've had the plans made.
Your place would be ideal.
Keep your guest list short -- very short -- and let whoever you're with know that they're special.
Can do.
The stars are all about seduction and lovers right now, especially for your sign.
What a great combination!
Better plan on using this astrological array to its fullest.
That means no wasting time on groups of people, no matter how long you've had the plans made.
Your place would be ideal.
Keep your guest list short -- very short -- and let whoever you're with know that they're special.
Can do.
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