Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Interesting In General

Interesting In General

The school's role in bullying prevention

Several recent high-profile cases raise questions about adult accountability.

Do anti-bullying measures work?

Also:

Farmers brace for swarms of grasshoppers

The crawling masses of hoppers can eat every blade of grass on a 10,000-acre farm.

The states most at risk

Also:

An arrow crab, Stenorhynchus seticornis. One of the most uneven ratios of exoskeleton to everything else you’re likely to find in the crustacean world.

From Treehugger:

photo: Lida via flickr.

It's long been known that many animal species somehow are aware of impending natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, but new research shows that common toads can sense earthquakes up to three days in advance.

Article continues: Earthquake Predicting Toads?!? Yes, Earthquake Predicting Toads

Photo credit: Steve Winter and National Geographic

The endangered snow leopard is famously elusive: Not only do fewer than 7,000 remain in the wild, but the animals are notorious for avoiding humans and camouflaging themselves on rocky ledges.

Snow Leopards are in danger from poachers, habitat loss, and neighboring herders who shoot them to protect their livestock--which is why Panthera and the Snow Leopard Trust are working on tracking a group of five Mongolian snow leopards via GPS collars. These photos from the field scientists offer an unusual look at these rarely-seen cats.

Ultra Rare Photos of Endangered Snow Leopards in the wild

Screen capture via Life episode preview

Sunday's upcoming episode of Life - the groundbreaking documentary series from the Discovery Channel and the BBC - is all about creatures of the deep. I've always been a fanatic of ocean documentaries, so this one is particularly exciting. And that's because in no small part it emphasizes how little we still know about what lives in the farthest reaches of Earth's ecosystems. Here on TreeHugger, we're constantly hearing about crazy new discoveries from the deep. I dug up a few of my favorites from the last few months, including crabs that eat sunken ships and whales that steal cod from fishing lines. Check out our favorite deep sea stories.

Article continues: Creatures of the Deep a Focus for Upcoming Life Episode

U.S. consumers pay more, get less with respect to broadband

It's bad enough the U.S. continues to lag behind many other countries in broadband speed, considering we (though not Al Gore) basically developed it. It's worse when you consider we pay more, and much more in some cases, for that "privilege."

Full Story

Palin left Alaska with highest debt-to-GDP in the US

You betcha. Well, they do say everything is bigger in Alaska, so I guess that also means accounting games and debt. Bigger than Texas, again. How can someone who quit their job after leaving the state with its debt equal to 70% of its GDP lecture anyone? The people who believe her are even bigger fools, but yes, we knew that already.

New Hampshire and Colorado attempted to use program-specific pots of state money to plug holes in their general treasuries; Connecticut wrote its own accounting rules; Hawaii reduced the length of its school week; and California made its businesses pay their 2010 taxes earlier to make the budget appear more balanced than it is. But one thing every state is doing, including Alaska, is camouflaging its debts by not releasing how much its state employee pension funds will owe — or how far behind it is on its contributions to said pension funds.

Less than a year after then-Gov. Sarah Palin (r-Alaska) quit the government to pursue other projects, Alaska leads the way in its debt-to-GDP ratio when its unfunded pension obligations are taken into account, followed by Rhode Island, New Mexico, Ohio and Mississippi. And although Alaska’s ratio is far lower than Greece’s, it does give the state a debt-to-GDP ratio similar to that of Jordan and Palin’s favorite health care resource, Canada, and a higher ratio than Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, India, the Philippines or Uruguay.

It's The Economy Stupid

Grocery shoppers who try harder to track costs do worse, study finds

Almost one in three U.S. households shop on a budget -- and one in six can only afford basic necessities. So it's no wonder that 78 percent of budget shoppers -- twice as many as those who shop without a budget (37 percent) -- try to track how much their groceries are likely to cost as they roll through the aisles.

Things your grocery store won't tell you

These 13 tips can help you spot old produce and avoid long checkout lines.

Tricks to smart shopping

Also:

A bleak season ahead for home sales

Many experts are expecting the real estate market to get even worse before it gets better.

» Good news for one group

Also:

How Lou Lucido Let AIG Lose $35 Billion With Goldman Sachs CDOs

Full story

Joseph Cassano insisted American International Group Inc. would be fine. The insurer had quit guaranteeing securities tied to U.S. subprime loans in 2005, before lenders got reckless, the head of AIG's derivatives unit told investors.

Who can afford to file taxes late

Who can afford to file taxes late

It won't cost you a penny to submit your return late if you're in this lucky group.

When the IRS can't touch you

Also:

In Matters Of Health

In Matters Of Health

Bacon or bagels? Higher fat at breakfast may be healthier than you think, says UAB research

The age-old maxim "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" may in fact be the best advice to follow to prevent metabolic syndrome, according to a new University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study.

Researchers harness the power of plants to fight hemophilia

Hemophilia, a disease linked with legends of European monarchs, frail heirs and one flamboyant charlatan called Rasputin, still afflicts many people today.
And the very treatments that can help can also put patients' lives at risk.

Research shows why we forget to take our medicine, and what we can do about it

For many people, remembering to take a daily medication can be the difference between life and death. Yet, people forget all the time. Now a landmark study from North Carolina State University has found that changes in daily behavior have a significant effect on whether we remember to take our medication -- and that these changes influence older and younger adults differently.

Study uses Chinese wolfberries to improve vision imperfections caused by type-2 diabetes

A Kansas State University researcher is exploring the use of Chinese wolfberries to improve vision deficiencies that are common for type-2 diabetics.

This Really Won't Hurt a Bit: Wireless Sensor Promises Diabetics Noninvasive Blood Sugar Readings

For many diabetics, the unpleasant chore of drawing blood several times a day in order to check blood glucose levels is a part of life. Efforts to develop devices that can test blood glucose without the need to repeatedly prick fingers have faltered thus far due to questions about accuracy as well as complaints about skin irritation.

Start spreading the news: NYU scientists find therapeutic target to stop cancer metastases

Scientists have uncovered what could be a very important clue in answering one of the most perplexing questions about cancer: why does it spread to the liver more than any other organ?

Breastfeeding cuts diabetes risk: study

An Australian study of more than 50,000 women shows that those with children have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

But the research published in the US journal Diabetes Care found breastfeeding can offset the risk.

It was conducted as part of the 45 and Up initiative, which is Australia's largest long-term study of aging.

University of Western Sydney researcher Dr Bette Liu says mothers who do not breastfeed are 50 per cent more likely to develop diabetes compared with those who do not have children.

Warning signs that burnout is near

Warning signs that burnout is near

Long work hours and low morale are just part of what leads you into the danger zone.

Bring the happiness back

Also:

And I Quote

The only thing worse than a man you can`t control is a man you can.

~ Margo Kaufman

Singer's music video ignites controversy

Singer's music video ignites controversy

The images in Erykah Badu's latest video have offended some viewers and inspired others.

JFK connection

Also:

And you wonder why I make fun of christians

Beside it being so easy ...

The fact is christians worship a pagan goddess.

All christians, violate this very first commandment of their god each year by placing before their god the actual name of a pagan goddess of fertility and the dawn.

In case you haven't figured it out by now, her name is - believe it or not - "Easter."

That's correct, folks.
The word Easter is actually the name of an ancient goddess who represents fertility, springtime and the dawn. Some of her symbols are flowers, bunnies, eggs, the sun and the moon.

Who'da thunk it?

Anybody with half a brain that's who

Just wait until they discover entire basis of their 'religion' -- the resurrection of jesus h. christ -- is also based on pagan stories.

Some moron says he's going to show the "real" face of jesus

American computer graphic artists using cutting edge technology have recreated the face of Jesus based on the Shroud of Turin.

It took a team from Studio MacBeth six months to create the image using the fabric many believe to be Jesus’ burial cloth, as the blueprint, The Christian Post reported.

“If you want to recreate the face of Jesus and you want to get the actual face of Jesus, you have only one object and that’s the Shroud,” said computer artist Ray Downing.

“It is the only object that can actually purport to be the actual image of Jesus with any kind of credibility whatsoever.”

Did everyone forget that it's been Proven to be a Fake?

Yes?

IT'S A MIRACLE!

More ...

Cthulhu's Pet?

Photo: Gwynzer

For the Love of Cute Kittens! It Looks Like a Sci-Fi Movie Prop

This just goes to show how little most of us know about the oceans. I'm sure some marine biologist reading this will go "Duh, it's a Bathynomus giganteus, better known as giant isopod! An important scavenger in the deep-sea benthic environment...", but the rest of us will just stare with our mouths open. Didn't one of those make a cameo in District 9?

Article continues: Cthulhu's Pet? Giant Isopod Found Attached To Underwater Robot

Magnets mess minds, morality

Talk about messing with your mind. A new study by neuroscientist Liane Young and colleagues at Harvard University does exactly that: the researchers used magnetic signals applied to subjects’ craniums to alter their judgements of moral culpability. The magnetic stimulus made people less likely to condemn others for attempting but failing to inflict harm, they report in PNAS.
Most people make moral judgements of others’ actions based not just on their consequences but also on some view of what the intentions were. That makes us prepared to attribute diminished responsibility to children or people with severe mental illness who commit serious offences: it’s not just a matter of what they did, but how much they understood what they were doing.
Neuroimaging studies have shown that the attribution of beliefs to other people seems to involve a part of the brain called the right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ). So Young and colleagues figured that, if they disrupted how well the RTPJ functions, this might alter moral judgements of someone’s action that rely on assumptions about their intention.

The Great Beyond: Magnets mess minds, morality

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods

What a shitty way to go (sorry we had to go there).

Man killed by manure hose

Full story

An Austrian man was killed yesterday after he was hit in the head by a hose pumping liquid manure.

Long-missing revolver returned

A Civil War buff has returned a historic revolver to the Chicago museum from which it was stolen decades earlier.

Woman Says She Won $42M But Casino Won't Pay Up

A Colorado gambler claims she won $42 million at a penny slot machine, but the casino says it's a mistake.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
The full moon inspires romance.
It might not be scientifically proven, but you'll be hard pressed to find anyone to argue that fact.
This one will be especially amorous for you and might even inspire you to say or do something that will leave you passionately connected (or reconnected) -- on a long-term basis.
What a great story this will make for the kids -- and the grandkids.
Oh, and the people who will introduce you and feel justified to gloat publicly.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

London, England, United Kingdom

Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden

Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Manila, Manila, Philippines

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Moscow, Moskva, Russia

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Vienna, Wien, Austria

as well as Brazil, and the United States in such cities as Chesnee, McAllen, Yakima, San Carlos, Vacaville, Fond Du Lac, Vandergrift and more

Today is Tuesday, March 30, the 89th day of 2010.

There are 276 days left in the year.

Today In History March 30

Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side Of The Fence Day

and

Pencil Day

As The World Turns

As The World Turns

Burma opposition to boycott elections

The junta forced the issue by banning the opposition party from running in the elections as long as Aung San Suu Kyi remained in the organization. They refused to expel her and instead, voted to boycott the elections. They already won years ago by a large majority but were not allowed to govern so the elections have been proven to be all about show for the regime.

Loud cheering broke out at a meeting of the leaders of Burma's main opposition party after they voted unanimously to boycott an upcoming election that has been widely condemned as unfair and undemocratic.

The decision will further undermine the credibility of the poll. All 113 delegates at yesterday's gathering of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) agreed not to register the party with the election commission, effectively preventing it from participation in the polls that are expected to be held in October

Australia criticized for proposed internet filter

What are they thinking? This plan sounds like it's going down a very bad path for Australia.

"Our primary concern is that the scope of content to be filtered is too wide," Google wrote in its submission to the Australian government, suggesting that the filter – which would be mandatory and state-controlled – would slow browsing speeds.

The company said it already had its own filter to block child pornography.

"Some limits, like child pornography, are obvious. No Australian wants that to be available and we agree," Google said. "But moving to a mandatory ISP-level filtering regime with a scope that goes well beyond such material is heavy-handed and can raise genuine questions about restrictions on access to information."

Lucinda Barlow of Google Australia told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the proposal raised the possibility of banning politically and socially controversial material and went beyond filters used in Germany, Canada and Italy. Other critics say the filtering would put Australia in the same censorship league as China.

10 People, Ages 8-21, Shot Dead in Mexico

Full Story

Children, youths and young adults between the ages of 8 and 21 were gunned down, presumably by drug traffickers, in the northern Mexican state of Durango.

Bodies of 21 Babies Found in China River

Full Story

The bodies of 21 babies, believed dumped by hospitals, have washed ashore a riverbank in eastern China, state media reported Tuesday.

Now something less harsh ...

Fools own all hotels in Indian town

It may sound like a foolish business but tourism chiefs in a remote Indian town are no dummies after renaming all the local hotels after idiots. Until a few years ago the town of Giridih in India's eastern Jharkhand state had little to recommend it on the tourism map - but now hotels such as "The Idiot's Hotel" and "The World's Biggest Idiot's Hotel" are often packed as people turn up to stay at the business run by fools.

"We love to call ourselves fools. It's a great way to attract business," says Ashok Singh, the owner of the Bewkoof Hotel that translates into Fool's Hotel. He added: "My father named the hotel as a joke and suddenly loads of people started coming by to stay the night, now all the hotels in the town are using the same name. It's kind of a nice name, funny and quirky. It works for us," said Singh.

Michael Topno, who owns Maha Bewkoof Hotel that translates into Bigger Fool's Hotel, said: "This city has had these hotels for some time now and I think there is no need to change the name. It works for me, it works for those who come here. I like the surprise element in the name." The tradition is now so popular that even restaurants are cashing in with the "Idiots Bar" and "Idiot's Restaurant" among the most popular.

Avdesh Singh, 65, a local tailor said: "The first hotel ended up with all the customers and so everybody else joined in and then the trend caught on. To be honest, everyone makes their money out of it so no one minds being called a fool here."

Ill-equipped Nigerians confront pirates

With rusty ammo and cheap sandals, boat patrols are the first line of defense against piracy.

Navy outmatched

Also:

The State Of The Nation

The State Of The Nation

Twisters in South leave path of destruction

At least 9 tornadoes in several states tear through power lines and send debris flying.

Caught on home video

Also:

Heavy rains, flooding hit East Coast

The president frees up disaster funds as a major storm threatens to break rainfall records.

1,000 Guard troops mobilized

Also:

FBI raids put militia group in spotlight

Even members of other militias view the Hutaree group as extreme religious fanatics.

Pleas for help declined

Also:

States in danger of Greece-like debt crisis

Many states have a potentially bigger problem beyond their recession-induced budget woes.

Huge 'unstated debts'

Also:

Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Two twisters hit in Davidson County, and one each in Guilford, Person, Gaston and Rowan Counties over the weekend.

Weather Service Confirms Six Total NC Tornadoes

*****

Did you know ...

North Carolina was the first state to establish a state museum of art?

The museum first opened in a renovated state office building in 1956.

The original Charlotte Coliseum (which still is in use by another name) was the largest free standing dome when it was built around the same time the state art museum opened... and still is one of the largest free standing domes [the 'AstroDome', MetroDome, et al are not free-standing domes].

Students accuse high school teacher of bizarre training methods

North Carolina police are investigating a high school teacher and former basketball coach accused of having male students over to his home for workouts that included hanging them by their wrists, punching them in the stomach, hitting them with a baseball bat, and dousing them with water.

Full story

Charlotte dad kills wife, 2 children, then himself

Police on scene investigating an apparent murder-suicide at the Berkshire Apartments on Providence Square Drive in south Charlotte.

A 33-year-old Charlotte man killed his wife and two children two weeks ago before turning the gun on himself Monday night at an apartment complex in southeast Charlotte, police say. The wife and two children may have been dead since mid-March.
Two other children escaped unharmed. Police said the 10-year-old girl may have continued to attend school and did not tell anyone about the killings because she was afraid her little brother, age 3, would be killed.
Police say the children who died were 12 years old and 13 months old. They had been shot to death.
The victims were discovered in two separate apartment complexes off Providence Road, according to police detectives. The husband and two children were found at the Berkshire Apartments, on Providence Square Drive. And the wife was discovered at an apartment on Via Romano Drive, about a half-mile from the other unit.
The woman and two children might have been dead for several days, police say.
Police have identified the victims as Nateesha Ward Chapman, 34, the mother; children Na'Jhae Parker, 12, and Nakyiah Jael Chapman, 13 months; and the husband, Kenneth Jermaine Chapman.
Authorities say the series of events started about 11:15 p.m. Monday, when an uncle of Nateesha Chapman called police and said he had not been able to contact his niece. Officers were sent to an apartment in the 6900 block of Providence Square Drive.
When they arrived, police say, they found the front door of Apartment 179 open, and they could see the husband standing inside. They called to him, and police say a few moments later, they heard two gunshots. About the same time, two young children ran out of the apartment, uninjured.
When officers went inside the apartment, they say, they discovered the man, later identified as Kenneth Chapman, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.
Then officers searched the apartment and discovered the two dead children.
A short time later, Natessha Chapman’s family members asked police to search the apartment on Via Romano Drive. About 2:45 a.m., police say, they discovered the mother’s body.
Detectives said Tuesday they believe Nateesha Chapman had been killed about a day before the two children.
Police worked through the night at the two crime scenes. Small crowds of residents gathered under bright moonlight and watched quietly as officers searched for clues. Shortly before 6 a.m., the body of Nateesha Chapman was removed from the apartment on Via Romano Drive.
“There was no reason to hurt the children,” one female resident said as she watched the police investigation at the Providence Square Drive site.

White House confirms one aspect of Obama’s Charlotte visit

Charlotte officials were apparently still in the dark late today as far as details of President Obama’s visit Friday. But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs explained why the president chose the city.

Obama is scheduled to talk about the economy during his visit. Why Charlotte, Gibbs was asked at a news conference.

“North Carolina is one of the states in the country that has … seen fairly big unemployment in terms of their rate is north of 10 percent,” Gibbs said. “And we will highlight a company that is seeing, as a result of the investments that they've made in creating the jobs of the future, increases that they’ve made in their hiring rolls on Friday.”

Local Boy Does Good

http://www.ccl.org/leadership/images/research/history/vaporub.jpg

Lunsford Richardson:
Born in 1854 on a farm near Selma North, Carolina is the enterprising pharmacist who invented Vicks VapoRub.

The youngest of five, Lunsford experienced the dreadful effects of the War of Northern Aggression firsthand. He dreamed of one day establishing a business that would help the state prosper again. After graduating from Davidson College with honors, he worked as a school principal but then fatefully switched careers.
Using his savings, he bought a drugstore in Selma and began concocting home remedies, then he sold the store in Selma and bought a drugstore in Greensboro.

His children inspired him to create Vicks VapoRub, after they came down with colds and he felt he could improve upon the traditional treatment of the day. He eventually came up with the medicine that combined menthol, camphor and oil of eucalyptus in a petroleum salve that made breathing easier. He named it Vicks because he had a brother-in-law by that name, and he though it would be easy to remember.

A little known fact about Lunsford is that in 1905 he convinced the postal service to allow him to mail his advertising circulars to "Boxholder," rather than individuals. Thus he was the first to use such mailings making him also known as the "Father of Junk Mail".

Catawba Falls trail opens to the public

Catawba Falls, in the headwaters of the Catawba River, has become publicly accessible as part of Pisgah National Forest.

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, a regional land trust, said today it has sold to the U.S. Forest Service 88 acres that include a trail to the spectacular series of falls. The tract is in McDowell County near Old Fort.
The Forest Service paid $713,000 that Congress approved in December under legislation sponsored by U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., and David Price, D-N.C. The money came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses federal royalties from oil and gas leases.
Foothills Conservancy sold the land at a $124,000 discount made possible by a gift of that amount from Salisbury philanthropists Fred and Alice Stanback.
The falls have been part of the Pisgah forest since 1989 but didn’t have a trail that was open to the public, said Foothills land protection director Tom Kenney. The sale announced today includes a tract that allows public access.
Legislation to expand the Pisgah’s boundaries to include the new purchase, cosponsored by Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Kay Hagan, D-N.C., is before the Senate. Similar legislation has already passed the House with bipartisan support.
“Acquiring this tract has been a priority for North Carolina’s national forests for more than a decade,” said Marisue Hilliard, supervisor of the state’s national forests.
Foothills Conservancy has protected another 1,384 acres in the Catawba headwaters, adjoining the Pisgah forest, since 2005.

Want to go?-AS181NKJ

The trail is open, but parking is very limited for now. Take Interstate 40 Exit 73 in Old Fort and go south on SR 1274 (Catawba Falls Road) and follow it about 3 miles to its end.

And I Quote

Hitch your wagon to a star.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

http://www.joebrower.com/PHILE_PILE/PIX/FR/anim_CryBaby.gif

Another typical repugican

There really isn't a Tea Party.

The so called "Tea Party" is just an attempt to re-brand the repugican party as if changing the name will make people forget the shrub cabal.

Tennessee man pleads guilty in plot against Obama

Nine alleged members of a radical christian militia group have been charged with conspiring to kill police officers and wage war against the US

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100330/capt.3160c6f16d654dc894a62c2baf2e3ab8-9d113c9db73649a7a89085871364b5bb-0.jpg?x=213&y=137&xc=2&yc=1&wc=409&hc=263&q=85&sig=8pIhmmx_6UhQcB9nrrju5w--

Nine alleged members of a christian militia group that was girding for battle with the Antichrist were charged Monday with plotting to kill a police officer and slaughter scores more by bombing the funeral — all in hopes of touching off an uprising against the U.S. government.

Full Story

Eight suspects were detained in a series of FBI raids across the Mid-West, while one remains at large. Prosecutors say the eight men and one woman belonged to the Hutaree group...
Here's a video made by these 'christians':

Repugicans spent $1,946 at topless club for 'meals' at Voyeur West Hollywood.

Now that it's out they want their money back!

That, and the religious wingnuts are upset with rnc over lesbian sex voyeur bondage club, etc.

It seems the 'men' at the Concerned Women for America have a problem with the RNC frequenting voyeur lesbian sex simulation bondage clubs.

Liars and Fools

Tony Blankley says that if health care reform stands, "then free America — including all that we have known and cared for — will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age".

He is just an ignorant asshole what do we care about what he says.

'Tea Party' founder denies Teabaggers called John Lewis a 'nigger.'

Too bad 'Tea Party' founder used word last month on a protest sign.

Oopsie.

In other 'teabagger' news

Tennessee Tea Party Convention contributor sues movement leader

Internal strife continues to rile the group that hosted the National Tea Party Convention, headlined by that moronic idiot Sarah Palin, almost two months after the event came to Nashville.

Fallout from RNC nightclub scandal grows

The firing of a staffer may not quell the firestorm over an embarrassing Young Eagles outing.

Lingering questions

Also:

Michele Bachmann thinks Rep. John Lewis is a liar.

Yes, the batshit crazy liar thinks the honest Civil rights leader is a liar

It is utterly amazing how liars always accuse honest people of being what the liars are themselves ... liars

From Steve Benen, who asks:

Oh, Michele Bachmann, is there anything you won't say out loud?

Benen adds:

So, Michele Bachmann would have us believe that John Lewis is a liar. John Lewis, who has demonstrated more integrity, honesty, and courage in his career than Bachmann's limited intellect can even fathom, is deserving of mistrust, because he heard racial slurs and talked about it. Got it.

It is possible that Michele Bachmann does not know about the civil rights struggle in America and the role John Lewis played in it. She probably has no idea that she serves in Congress with a living civil rights legend. And, if she did, she wouldn't care.

Frank Rich on the Teabaggers and repugican extremism throughout history

Frank Rich in the NYT:

In fact, the current surge of anger — and the accompanying rise in right-wing extremism — predates the entire health care debate. The first signs were the shrieks of “traitor” and “off with his head” at Palin rallies as Obama’s election became more likely in October 2008. Those passions have spiraled ever since — from Gov. Rick Perry’s kowtowing to secessionists at a Tea Party rally in Texas to the gratuitous brandishing of assault weapons at Obama health care rallies last summer to “You lie!” piercing the president’s address to Congress last fall like an ominous shot.

If Obama’s first legislative priority had been immigration or financial reform or climate change, we would have seen the same trajectory. The conjunction of a black president and a female speaker of the House — topped off by a wise Latina on the Supreme Court and a powerful gay Congressional committee chairman — would sow fears of disenfranchisement among a dwindling and threatened minority in the country no matter what policies were in play. It’s not happenstance that Frank, Lewis and Cleaver — none of them major Democratic players in the health care push — received a major share of last weekend’s abuse. When you hear demonstrators chant the slogan “Take our country back!,” these are the people they want to take the country back from.

And they can’t pretend that we’re talking about “isolated incidents” or a “fringe” utterly divorced from the G.O.P. A Quinnipiac poll last week found that 74 percent of Tea Party members identify themselves as Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, while only 16 percent are aligned with Democrats.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, some responsible leaders in both parties spoke out to try to put a lid on the resistance and violence. The arch-segregationist Russell of Georgia, concerned about what might happen in his own backyard, declared flatly that the law is “now on the books.” Yet no Republican or conservative leader of stature has taken on Palin, Perry, Boehner or any of the others who have been stoking these fires for a good 17 months now. Last week McCain even endorsed Palin’s “reload” rhetoric.

Are these politicians so frightened of offending anyone in the Tea Party-Glenn Beck base that they would rather fall silent than call out its extremist elements and their enablers? Seemingly so, and if G.O.P. leaders of all stripes, from Romney to Mitch McConnell to Olympia Snowe to Lindsey Graham, are afraid of these forces, that’s the strongest possible indicator that the rest of us have reason to fear them too.

$88 billion deposited in woman's bank account

She was expecting a deposit but there was far more than just a paycheck in Stephanie Hickman's account on Saturday morning. $88,888,888.88 more. Of course, the Hickman's were honest and contacted Suntrust bank. The problem is the bank can't help them.

When her husband called Suntrust to report the error, even the managers couldn't fix it. "My husband talked to three different people and they all told us they can't access the account and they can't fix the problem," Hickman says.

Now Hickman cannot use her account at all. "Everything's frozen, online banking, mobile banking," she says. "I'm not saying that the $88 billion is my money, but the $150 at least that we had in the account was my money and now I can't even access that."

Hickman says Suntrust is telling them to wait. Until then, she'll have to make due with whatever cash is in her wallet.