It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid

Signs the economy is really getting better

The recession is officially over, but many Americans won't feel the recovery until these things happen.  

5 indicators 

Also:

• Why recovery is so slow
• Consumers borrow less
• Winners in the recession

Nearly half of US households escape fed income tax

Full story

About 47 percent will pay no federal income taxes at all for 2009. Either their incomes were too low, or they qualified for enough credits, deductions and exemptions to eliminate their liability. That's according to projections by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington research organization.

Who won't pay federal income taxes

Nearly half of U.S. households will escape paying any federal income taxes.  

Some even make a profit 

Also: 

• Top tax season questions
• 8 ways to cut your taxes
• Best uses for tax refund

Five costly tax blunders to be aware of

Mistakes can be so easy to make that business reporter Ylan Mui almost paid $5,000 extra.

Redo nets big refund 

Also:

• Mich. tax credit a boon
• Tax relief in California
• File a tax extension

Advice from credit score superstars

People with credit scores above 800 say they save hundreds or thousands of dollars.  

Why and how they did it 

Also: 

• Save on big-ticket items
• New credit score rules
• Bankruptcy laws

America's biggest real estate busts

In three short years, Stuyvesant Town went from a $3 billion gem to a huge burden. 

Las Vegas icon fell, too 

Also: 

• Mortgage rates surging
• Home values still stuck
• Chinese housing bubble

*****

The truth about lying on your resumé

What seem like tiny fibs can come back to haunt you even after you get the job.  

What people fudge most often 

Also:

• Salary-boosting traits
• Handle job-hunt rejection
• Create an online resumé

Training times for eight top jobs

Training times for eight top jobs

One career change may require just six months of training, and pays an average of $46K a year.  

Salary boosters 

Also: 

• Save on education costs
• Paralegal career info
• Home business successes

Daily Comic Relief

In Matters Of Health

In Matters Of Health

Fresh food's cancer benefits questioned

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables offers only modest cancer protection, a study finds.  

But still good for general health 

Also: 

• FDA on 'fat dissolvers'
• Getting enough fiber?
• New food pyramid

Unhealthiest coffee drinks in America

These chilled beverages have upwards of 1,200 calories and are loaded with fat. 

Plus healthier choices 

Also: 

• Beverage calorie counts
• Worst mall foods
• Unhealthy chicken dishes

Natural ways to ease your allergies

Bolster your immune system and bring relief to a runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes. 

Dietary tips 

Also: 

• Seasonal allergies
• Optimize health at home
• Avoid burning out

King Tut may have worn orthopedic sandals

King Tut may have worn orthopedic sandals

The Egyptian ruler might have worn shoes designed for his club foot. 

Not used for walking  

Also:

• King Tut
• Ancient artifacts meeting  
• 'Living goddess' eyes job

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know

A multicellular organism that lives without oxygen

You're looking at the first multi-cellular, anaerobic organism known to humans. Anaerobic, of course, means this little critter lives entirely without oxygen. We've long known that single-celled organisms could live this way, but this discovery comes as a bit of surprise. This organism is part of a species called Loricifera, has no mitochondria. Anaerobic organisms have an entirely different organelle, called hydrogenosomes, that power their cells.

Scientists Discover Heavy New Element

Full Story

Synthesis of a new element with atomic number Z=117 

A team of Russian and American scientists has discovered a new element that has long stood as a missing link among the heaviest bits of atomic matter ever produced. The element, still nameless, appears to point the way toward a brew of still more massive elements with chemical properties no one can predict.

Asteroid to pass by Earth this week

The newly discovered space rock will pass within the orbit of the moon on Thursday.  

No threat posed 

Also: 

• Comet started ice age?
• Search: Tonight's sky
• Asteroid-finding craft

The shock of the old: Welcome to the elderly age

No one expected it to happen so quickly, and certainly not everywhere – but Homo sapiens is ageing fast. This is no bad thing, argues Fred Pearce

'CO2 May Be Cause Of Near Death Experience'

Near death experiences could be caused by something as mundane as raised levels of carbon dioxide, scientists suggest.
*****

'New human-like species' revealed

The remarkable remains of two ancient human-like creatures (hominids) have been found in South Africa.

Two 1.9 million-year-old skeletons found in a South African cave have added a new and intriguing member to the primate family.
Dubbed Australopithecus sediba, it has many features — including long legs and a protruding nose — common to Homo, the genus that eventually spawned humans. Other features, such as extra-long forearms and flexible feet, date from deep in our primate past.
Paleontologists disagree over whether A. sediba is a direct human ancestor, or just looks like one. But whatever their lineage, the fossils provide rare insight into a period shrouded in paleontological mystery.
“We feel that A. sediba might be a Rosetta Stone for defining for the first time what the genus Homo is,” said paleontologist Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand. “They’re going to be a remarkable window, a time machine.”

Wired: Possible New Human Ancestor Discovered

New Hominid Species Discovered in South Africa

An archaeological mystery in a half-ton lead coffin

In the ruins of a city that was once Rome’s neighbor, archaeologists last summer found a 1,000-pound lead coffin.
Who or what is inside is still a mystery, said Nicola Terrenato, the University of Michigan professor of classical studies who leads the project—the largest American dig in Italy in the past 50 years.
The sarcophagus will soon be transported to the American Academy in Rome, where engineers will use heating techniques and tiny cameras in an effort to gain insights about the contents without breaking the coffin itself.
“We’re very excited about this find,” Terrenato said. “Romans as a rule were not buried in coffins to begin with and when they did use coffins, they were mostly wooden. There are only a handful of other examples from Italy of lead coffins from this age—the second, third or fourth century A.D. We know of virtually no others in this region.”

An archaeological mystery in a half-ton lead coffin

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

Gingrich repeats lie about 16,000 IRS agents enforcing health care reform

This is a lie that the repugicans started a while back. That 16,000 new IRS agents were going to be patrolling the land to catch health care reform scofflaws, or something. Factcheck.org already debunked it.

Part of the problem here is that the repugican leadership feels that the only way they can win a policy dispute is by lying. Palin did it with the "death panels," and now they're all doing it with this lie about the IRS. Part of the problem is also that Gingrich continues to feed the kind of anti-govt conspiracy theories that could lead yet another right-wing nut to commit an act of domestic terror. It's a real problem, the degree to which repugicans are fanning the flames of hatred of government, what with the Teabaggers calling a black congressman the n-word, and a gay congressman "faggot," while spitting on another black congressman.

Democrats need to nip these lies in the bud. It's fine to send around the link to Factcheck.org, but at some point I think the President needs to get involved. He can't weigh in on every lie, but when the lies are big, like death panels or this "IRS agent" bs, and when the lie involves a critical part of his agenda - e.g., health care reform - the White House needs to pull out the big guns. No one can get the media's attention like the President. He should call out Gingrich on the IRS lie, just as he should have called out Palin on the death panels. Get in front of the cameras, invite Gingrich to show up tomorrow at the White House gates, at noon, tell him the press will be there, and you'll be glad to watch him explain to the country where the 16,000 IRS agents are in the health care bill. Then get some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Liars and Fools

Lush Dimbulb lies "Never in my life have I seen a regime like this, governing against the will of the people, purposely".
OK, we knew you lived in a cave for the past 8 years of the shrub cabal, but were unaware you were in a coma the entire time as well

Tea party leaders announce new federation

Several tea party leaders (now that's a joke), announced plans Thursday to form a national federation to promote the movement's conservative message and to counter the idea that the tea parties are politically unsophisticated and disorganized.

Full Story

Secret tape reveals militia leader's anger

... that and the depth and severity of his derangement

Secret tape reveals militia leader's anger

In the wake of the FBI's raid on the Hutaree group, audio surfaces from its alleged leader.   

Anti-government rant

• Influence appears limited
• Midwest a militia hotbed
• Find Hutaree militia

FBI arrests Calif man for alleged Pelosi threats

A California man angry about health care reform allegedly made threatening and harassing phone calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, including at least one call in which he got through and spoke to her directly, law enforcement officials said.

Full Story

It's about time some arrests are being made!

Faux News gets heat from everyone

Typical wingnut - accusing everyone else of being what he is ...

Faux News gets heat from everyone

Criticism from all sides puts TV network owner Rupert Murdoch on the defensive.

His jab against NY Times 

Also: 

• Faux News shows
• repugican senator's critique

Charged with a crime if they follow the law?!

This wingnut is a an idiot

A Wisconsin district attorney has warned schools in his county that if they proceed with new state sex-education courses, teachers could face criminal charges for encouraging minors to have sex, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth said a new state law that requires students learn to use condoms and other contraceptives "promotes the sexualization — and sexual assault — of our children." In his March 24 letter to five school districts, Southworth, a repugican (sort of obvious), said teachers could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors. He urged school officials to suspend the program, which takes effect in the fall, and transfer the anatomy curriculum to a science course.
Here are a couple of excerpts from his letter:

"If a teacher instructs any student aged 16 or younger how to utilize contraceptives under circumstances where the teacher knows the child is engaging in sexual activity with another child -- or even where the 'natural and probable consequences' of the teacher's instruction is to cause that child to engage in sexual intercourse with a child -- that teacher can be charged under this statute" of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. ...

"Forcing our schools to instruct children on how to utilize contraceptives encourages our children to engage in sexual behavior, whether as a victim or an offender," he wrote. "It is akin to teaching children about alcohol use, then instructing them on how to make mixed alcoholic drinks."

He said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel that he could not say how likely he would be to file charges, saying it would depend on the specifics of any case.
"I'm not looking to charge any teachers," he said. "I've got enough work to do."
The paper spoke to a co-author of the legislation. She called the DA's letter "irresponsible" and said it was "laughable to think teachers could be charged for telling students how to use contraception."
"Using condoms isn't a crime for anyone," said Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison. "This guy is not a credible legal source on this matter, I'm sorry to say. His purpose is to intimidate and create enough panic in the minds of school administrators that they'll turn their backs on young people and their families."
The new law continues to let parents remove their children from sex-ed classes, and schools can also not offer such instruction. One district that received the letter said it had not taught sex ed for years.

Taking photos of your food is a new craze

Taking photos of your food is a new craze

More people are showing the world what they eat by snapping and uploading pics of their meals.  

Why  

Good Question!

Also:

• Sins when dining out
• Food photo tips
• Best food blogs

One in five believe aliens exist and live among us disguised as humans

Speaking of aliens:

Aliens exist and they live in our midst disguised as humans — at least, that’s what 20 percent of people polled in a global survey believe.
The Reuters Ipsos poll of 23,000 adults in 22 countries showed that more than 40 percent of people from India and China believe that aliens walk among us disguised as humans, while those least likely to believe in this are from Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands (8 percent each).

1 in 5 believe aliens exist and live among us disguised as humans

Biological brothers find each other across the street after 30 years

Stephen Goosney, 29, and Tommy Larkin, 30, born a year-and-a-half apart, were both adopted and always knew they were missing vital pieces of their lives. But little did they know they have spent the past seven months living almost directly across the street from each other in Corner Brook, in western Newfoundland.

In fact, they've been on the same street for more than two years - Larkin changed residences seven months ago. It had to be one of the easiest unions to arrange in adoption history - Larkin just had to look out his living room window, wait for his brother to come home, make the call and invite him over.

"She gave me his name and asked me four or five times if I knew him," Larkin said, referring to the adoption agency worker who assisted his search. "I said I didn't, and she kept asking me, if I was sure I haven't met him."

Then, as he was pacing the living room, talking on the phone, he was given the address. "I said: 'No ... I am looking at the house right now,'" Larkin said. Unfortunately, Goosney was out of town, and they didn't meet until the next day.

"It was a good feeling, knowing there was actually someone looking for me, too," Goosney said, describing the reunion as "overwhelming." "It's been good. We have been seeing each other pretty much every day, just hanging out and trying to catch up," he said.

Despite living across the street from each other, the two don't remember seeing or speaking to each other. There has been no shortage of conversation ever since though. The brothers say they had an instant connection, facilitated by the fact they have so much in common.

Relax, Scrabble fans: Basic rules aren't changing

The basic rules aren't changing

Scrabble purists can relax. 

News of a new version of the classic word game that Mattel plans to sell in the U.K. allowing proper nouns set off waves of dismay across the Internet.

Full Story

Nailed to pole, cat clings to life

Authorities in Illinois are looking for the person behind a disturbing animal abuse case.

Full story

Even a dog person finds this disgusting and whosoever did this should be treated the same way and the nail(s) used should be proportional to body size in relation to the ones used on this cat ... for a human that most likely means railroad spikes!

'Hungry men ate teenage student with potatoes'

The trial of two Russian men accused of chopping up a 16-year-old girl and eating her with potatoes has been postponed after a juror fell ill looking at prosecution images.

The case was postponed after the juror had to be excused while examining photographs of student Karina Barduchian after her death.

Maxim Golovatskikh and his friend florist Yury Mozhnov, both 20, are accused of drowning Karina Barduchian in a bath and then carving up her body and serving her as meat with potatoes to a lodger.

The two accused are due to give evidence when the case resumes this week.

Full Story

Father slapped 2-year-old daughter for eating his Pringles

A Birmingham, Alabama man was arrested for child abuse after authorities say he slapped his toddler daughter for eating his Pringles. Justin James Warren Green, 22, was arrested on Friday but bonded out of the county jail this morning, said Jefferson County Chief Deputy Randy Christian.

Investigators said the 2-year-old girl was taken to the emergency room at St. Vincent's East last week with a large hand print and abrasion on the left side of her face. The hospital staff summoned sheriff's deputies and social service workers. Green, Christian said, went to the hospital but was escorted out by hospital staff.

The district attorney's office agreed that the case merited child abuse charges, Christian said. Deputies interviewed Green Friday and he confessed to hitting his daughter because she was eating his barbecue Pringles. He was charged with willful abuse of a child and held on $10,000 bond until today.

"How do you slap a 2-year-old girl over anything?" Christian said, "much less something as silly as she's eating your barbecue Pringles."

Father leaves children in car for two days

Two little boys are safe at home with their mother after sheriff's deputies say their father left them in a car with no food for up to two days while he was out drinking. That father, 27-year-old Richard Labo of Hillsdale, is in the Jackson County Jail after being arraigned on two felony counts of second-degree child abuse.

"He'd picked them up from their mother's house on Thursday, driven around for a couple of days partying, while they were in the back of the vehicle," explained Lt. Brad Piros of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

Piros says Labo's little boys - aged just four and six - were found hungry and upset early on Sunday morning in a 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix. "The kids indicated they'd had a little bit of candy to eat over the period of two days," Piros says.

"There were beer cans located in the vehicle. Six to eight empties, also two half-full beer cans located in between the two front seats," he says.

Deputies don't know where this alleged drinking bender started, but they do know where it ended: Gypsy's in Summit Township. That's where they say someone saw the little guys sleeping in the car all alone and called 911.

Both Labo and his brother, Eric, were arrested at the scene, but Eric will not face charges because he's not legally obligated to the kids. The boys were taken by deputies, given something to eat, then returned to their mother. Authorities say Labo could face eight years in prison for his weekend of mistakes.

The Perfect Lead In

Well someone has too!

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods

The myth of the mid-life crisis

From empty nests to slow wits, there's little evidence for the stereotypes of middle age, says Barbara Strauch in The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain

Man who threw gas on girlfriend then chased with a cigarette lighter going to jail

A Cookeville, Tennessee man who threw gasoline onto his girlfriend and chased her with a cigarette lighter is going to jail for six years.

School sends home teen wearing 'Gay' shirt

Just about anything is printed on a T-shirt, but a certain slogan has sparked a fight over free speech at a Nashville, Tennessee high school.

Traditional Sushi Eaters Have Specialized Gut Bacteria

If you want to shell a walnut, it helps to have a nutcracker. And if you want to digest seaweed, it helps to have the right enzymes. Now, a study in the journal Nature shows that Japanese people--but not North Americans--have what it takes to eat their sushi, and digest it, too.

In Cop News

Baltimore police officers ordered to pay $7.4M for beating man to death in police van

Off-duty Oregon police officer pulls gun during traffic incident

Whistleblower cop in Texas says public safety was at risk during a botched undercover drug bust

Texans question cops' use of wild movie-style car chase tactics that led to flipped van

Texas town pays undisclosed amount to settle police brutality lawsuit

Kentucky cop who quit after wrecking cruiser while on oxycodone and cocaine is indicted on burglary, drug-conspiracy charges

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
When you are out shopping or wandering today, the more unusual your find, the more you'll absolutely have to call it your own.
That goes particularly for arts and crafts, but maybe also for people who happen to possess qualities you're fond of.
Before you get too involved, be sure there is more connecting you than just one shared cause or opinion.
Kindred spirits are great to have around, but if you're after a long-term relationship, there needs to be a bit more to it.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Erlangen, Bayern, Germany

Paris, Ile-De-France, France,

Palermo, Sicilia, Italy

Niteroi, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland

Barauri, Pais Vasco, Spain

Hyeres, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

London, England, United Kingdom

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Gothenburg, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden

Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Blackpool, England, United Kingdom

Calcutta, West Bengal, India

as well as Wales, Montenegro, Panama, and the Unites States in such cities as Hilo, Pharr, Elk River, Westminister and more

Today is Wednesday, April 7, the 97th day of 2010.

There are 268 days left in the year.

Today In History April 7

Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

International Beaver Day

National Day of Hope

No Housework Day

and

World Health Day

Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Ex-Checkers player charged with first-degree murder

Grand jury indicts hockey player Bogdan Rudenko in the death of a man in Stallings last year.

Rudenko

A Union County grand jury has indicted former Charlotte Checkers hockey player Bogdan Rudenko on a first-degree murder count in the death of a man in Stallings last December.
County District Attorney John Snyder said he intends to file a motion today for a hearing where he will announce whether he is seeking the death penalty for Rudenko. That hearing will be in the next two weeks, Snyder said. The indictment was handed up Monday.
Rudenko, 32, of south Charlotte, was indicted on one count of murder in the death of Yuriy Anatolevich Kharitonov, also known as Yuriy Anatolevich Kharutokov.
The 32-year-old victim, who had no permanent address, was found in the woods near an auto body shop in the 13600 block of East Independence Boulevard. Police had responded to a call about a break-in at the shop, Alexis Automotive. Kharitonov died of a gunshot wound from a handgun, according to police.
Authorities have described Rudenko and Kharitonov as associates but have not discussed a motive. Both were from the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.
Rudenko was arrested Christmas morning in Colorado. He was returned to North Carolina last month after deciding he no longer would fight extradition, and is being held without bond in Union County Jail.
Rudenko's attorney, Joe VonKallist, declined to comment.
Rudenko played for the Checkers during part of the 2004-05 season. His 18-year minor league career was spent with 14 teams, mostly in North America. He last played for a team during the 2008-09 season. Kharitonov played minor league hockey for five seasons in Kazakhstan and Russia between 1998 and 2008.

Habits that promote good sleep

Habits that promote good sleep

These tips can help you get the rest you need, even when sleep won’t come. 

Soothing beverage recipe 

Also: 

• Overcome insomnia
• Foods for good sleep
• Relaxing exercises

13-year-old will attempt to climb Everest

13-year-old will attempt to climb Everest

If Jordan Romero succeeds, he'll be the youngest to conquer the world's highest mountain.

Peaks he has scaled 

Also: 

• Sir Edmund Hillary's ashes
• World's tallest peaks
• Machu Picchu reopens

Sports Fun

US Rivers and Streams Heating Up

Photo of Delaware River via eudaimon

A new study by researchers at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and published in Yale 360 shows that the ocean isn't the only body of water with a temperature on the hike. America's rivers and streams are also experiencing temperature rise, from the Colorado to the Potomac, the Delaware to the Hudson, 40 rivers and streams were tested with half showing significant long-term warming trends. And the biggest warming is happening near urban areas, showing that the urban heat island effect is being felt on a profound level.

Article continues: US Rivers and Streams Heating Up - Temperatures Rising Annually

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know

'Spectacular' komodo cousin is big as a man and has two penises, biologists say

Solar plane in first test flight A solar-powered plane prototype takes to the air for the first time in its first step towards a round-the-world journey. Record solar plane's first 'hop'

Interesting In General

Interesting In General

Shark's amazing deep-sea dive

A great white shark plunges 600 feet deeper than any of its kind has been known to go.  

Into another world 

Also: 

• Find great white shark
• Journalist's shark dive
• Elephants move like 4x4s

Animaniacs

Animaniacs take on Star Trek and the Enterprise will never be the same

FBI's 'Wanted' ads go big, really big

FBI's 'Wanted' ads go big, really big

The newest tool in federal crime-fighting can be more productive than 10 agents. 

Now used in 40 states  

Also: 

• FBI Most Wanted list
• Billboard blasts pants
• Feds take to Facebook

Daily Comic Relief

How 50 Years of Tax Cuts Benefited the Wealthiest Americans

And screwed the rest of us.

Shifting Responsibility 

Over the last half-century, America’s wealthiest taxpayers have seen their tax outlays, as a share of income, drop enormously, by as much as two-thirds for the highest-income grouping the IRS tracks. Meanwhile, the share of their household income that middle class Americans pay in federal taxes has increased slightly.
Our nation has borrowed money to pay for the tax cuts that have gone and continue to go to America’s wealthy, a reality that will have future generations of mostly middle income taxpayers footing the bill — with interest — for these tax cuts.
The “Economic Recovery Tax Program” this report proposes would collect $450 billion in new revenue through tax increases only on the very wealthy. This program would also discourage financial speculation, strengthen the overall economy, and introduce greater transparency, fairness, and simplicity to the tax code.

 Full story

Report: housing foreclosures heading up again

And apparently the problem could get worse again, very quickly.
CNBC:

Yes, banks are ramping up loan modifications and ramping up short sales and ramping up deeds in lieu of foreclosure, but the plain fact is that as the systems are oiled, the loans are moving through faster, and the pig in the python is showing its face.

We won't get the numbers until next week, but sources tell me they will likely be a new monthly record.

Tens of thousands of loans have been hitting the "notice of trustee sale" bin, and that means they are coming to foreclosure.

The actual foreclosure numbers have been down recently because of all the modification efforts, but as we see more loans not qualifying for modifications and more loans defaulting on modifications, the foreclosure numbers rise.

It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid

4 great real estate deals that won't last

Home prices have seen dramatic drops, but they won't stay this low forever.  

What about mortgage rates? 

Also: 

• American dream still alive
• High-end homes cheaper
• Current mortgage rates

Little printer trick can save big money

By changing a default option, one school expects to save up to $10,000 on ink and toner this year. 

Why fonts matter 

Also: 

• Serif vs. sans-serif
• Money lessons for kids
• iPad's costs add up fast

Bank of mom and dad hit hard by downturn

Even wealthy parents are having trouble helping kids with college costs and down payments.  

'It all fell to pieces' 

Also: 

• Higher education bargains
• Cost of having children
• Trade school downsides

More Job Seekers Opting For Cosmetic Procedures

In his 10 years as facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Dayan has had no shortage of patients in his downtown Chicago office. But these days, Dr. Dayan says more and more are looking for an edge in the challenging job market.
“A good 10 to 15 percent of my patients who come in now are requesting treatments in order to make them do better in the workplace,” said Dr. Dayan.
Dr. Dayan says his patients range from CEOs to receptionists to school teachers, and especially sales people. David Wilk, 27, is one of them.
“I didn’t want my nose to be the center of my thoughts during an interview or during a presentation, and with working in sales, I knew that couldn’t be a distraction, so I really wanted to take care of the situation,” said Wilk.

 More Job Seekers Opting For Cosmetic Procedures

Court overturns FCC's throttling ban against Comcast

This is a very bad thing
Full story

Comcast has won, and the FCC has lost, along with a number of public interest groups, in a court decision issued Tuesday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in a 3-0 decision, ruled that the FCC lacked the authority to enforce net neutrality.
The court threw the future of Internet regulations into doubt Tuesday with a far-reaching decision that went against the Federal Communications Commission and could even hamper the government's plans to expand broadband access in the United States.

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

Anti- health care reform advocate threatens to kill Democrat Senator Murray, hopes Obama is assassinated

The repugicans own this death threat.
They've escalated the rhetoric to the point where repugicans are convinced that our country is being given over to the Soviets. It's turning people into haters, and now killers. Which isn't very surprising - when you take people who are uneducated and impressionable, and a bunch of "leaders" tell them that the Democrats are dismantling "America," a number of those people snap.

In several other vulgar and profanity-laced messages left over the next week, the caller repeatedly threatened the Democratic senator's life and said he "hopes somebody kills" President Obama as well, according to portions of transcripts in the complaint.

The agent notes the timing of the threats corresponded to the passage of the health-care bill and in several of the messages, the caller "expressed his strong disapproval for the health-care reform legislation, and the fact that Senator Murray voted in support of the bill."

*****
Repugican candidate Allen West says "You've got to make the fellow scared to come out of his house".

Florida repugican candidate Allen West, a wingnut candidate, was stoking the flames of vengeful rhetoric when he told an audience of Tea Partiers that they needed to get in the face of Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) and make him scared to come out of his house. With the climate of death threats and gun-toting Tea Party activists permeating the air---his words were rather foolish at the very least.

Last night in Jupiter, Fla., repugican candidate Allen West told "tea party" activists that they needed to do more to get accountability from Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.).
"Let me tell you what you've got to do," said West, a retired lieutenant colonel. "You've got to make the fellow scared to come out of his house. That's the only way that you're going to win. That's the only way you're going to get these people's attention."
Local Democrats, who obtained a video of the speech, are piling on West for the remarks -- one in a string of combative statements he's made about Democrats. "West and his mentor Sarah Palin are shamefully stoking violent language and symbolism that threatens the safety of our leaders and public officials," Broward County Democratic Chair Mitch Ceasar said in a statement. (Palin has endorsed West.) "The hard working people of South Florida know that inciting people with extreme and violent language sometimes leads to far more violent and monstrous acts."
When I reached West, he called out Democrats for "cutting and pasting and taking out of context." He was referring, he said, to the way Klein failed to respond to his constituents, who'd been unable to meet him in his office or in town halls to talk about the health-care bill. He wasn't encouraging tea partiers to chase Klein down.

See, he's just looking for a little accountability. I think he could demand that without the fear tactics. Oh, and of course we're all part of the "New Black Panther Party," in his eyes.

"If the Democrats want to play this game, that's fine," West said. "If you look at the Code Pink folks, the SEIU, the Acorn crew -- if you look at the intimidation tactics of the New Black Panther Party, I think you'll see that the Democrats have more to answer for than the tea parties. I have not seen any tea party people carrying nightsticks outside of polling places."

Code Pink really has the repugicans scared these days. Actually, the wingnuts just need a new scapegoat to target. These pink-wearing ladies often protest Democrats as much as Repugicans and they sure are intimidating, aren't they? I'm hoping Breitbart sends in James O'Keefe to try and infiltrate the group.

Tom Coburn defends Pelosi as 'nice woman,' says FAUX News is 'biased'

From Capitol News Connection:

When discussing the short-term unemployment benefit extension that he is stalling, to the chagrin of Democrats, Coburn said he is "180 degrees in opposition" to Pelosi but that "she is a nice lady."

That comment drew boos and jeers from the crowd, but Coburn asked the crowd for calm and spoke about civility.

“Come on now. She is nice – how many of you all have met her? She’s a nice person,” Coburn said. "Let me give you a little lesson here. I hope you will listen to me. Just because somebody disagrees with you don’t [sic] mean they’re not a good person. And I want to tell you, I've been in the senate for five years and I’ve taken a lot of that, because I’ve been on the small side –- both in the repugican party and the Democrat Party."

The Oklahoma senator is seen by many as a divisive figure.

“What we have to have is make sure we have a debate in this country so that you can see what’s going on and make a determination yourself,” Coburn added and then again warned the crowd against the myths perpetrated on FAUX News.

“So don’t catch yourself being biased by FAUX News that somebody is no good. The people in Washington are good. They just don’t know what they don’t know,” Coburn said.

Coburn is not a nice guy. For him to be talking like this means that he's concerned - the repugicans are concerned - that their crazies have gone too far, too crazy. And that's great. And it's all the more reason for Democrats to push the issue even further, that the repugican party has been taken over by Teabagging extremists.

Stormy Daniels: I Am a Repugican

Adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels released the following statement Tuesday, declaring her affiliation with the repugican party. This statement is believed to be setting up Daniels' bid for U.S. Senate, running against Senator David Vitter.

"After months of careful deliberation and consult as to the true nature of my political affiliation I am ready today to declare that should I seek the office of US Senator from the great state of Louisiana that I will do so as a repugican.

"While this decision has not been an easy one, recent events regarding repugican national cabal fundraising at Voyeur, an LA based lesbian bondage themed nightclub finally tipped the scales.

"As I have said for well over a year, it is time that our government and our tax policy begin rewarding entrepreneurship and creativity again. It is time again to inspire positive risks and out-of-the-box thinking in the interest of growing a strong economy and a strong America.

"For me, this spirit can be summed up in the rnc's investment of donor funds at Voyeur.

"As someone who has worked extensively in both the club and film side of the Adult Entertainment Industry, I know from experience that a mere $1900 outlay at a club with the reputation of Voyeur is a clear indication of a frugal investment with a keen eye toward maximum return.

"And I firmly believe that it is precisely this type of creative and calculated investing that we, as taxpaying Americans, should expect not only from our political parties but from our government. The American taxpayer deserves consistent conservatives who reject wasteful spending and unwarranted government intervention in the private sector.

"As is the case with so many of my fellow Louisianans, I cannot help but recognize that over time my libertarian values regarding both money and sex and the legal use of one for the other is now best espoused by the repugican party."

*****

Why does the term Stupid Bitch suddenly come to mind?

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods

Unambitious counterfeiter leaves fake $1s as tips

Police in Alaska say lawbreakers must be really getting desperate because someone left 13 fake $1 bills in a bar's tip jar - an unusually small denomination for the crime.

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Meth lab explodes during drug raid

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Granny likes her horns, refuses to have them removed

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Chinese granny Zhang Ruefang who started to grow a Devil's horn on the left side of her forehead has announced she's growing a matching horn on the left.