Come On In, The Water's Fine -- Unless You're In Italy

Photo via European Commission

If you're planning to spend some time this summer lazing on the beach and taking refreshing dips in the sea, you might want to consider giving Italy a miss: The country had more coastal bathing sites banned due to poor water quality last year than any other European nation.

Article continues: Come On In, The Water's Fine -- Unless You're In Italy

Broom Hilda

Banks try to kill off free checking

Banks try to kill off free checking

Major banks are scrambling to add new "service charges" to make up for lost revenue.  

Accounts most affected 

Also: 

• The most annoying fees
• Watch for wealth taxes
• Find best online banks

Taxman saves a life?!

For Kentucky man, phone call about taxes was life-saver

A Kentucky man credits a state revenue employee with saving his life when he had a heart attack during a phone call about his income tax bill.

Full story

It's Not OK To Kiss And Tell, Especially On Facebook

 From the "Now, this is interesting!" Department:

A group of young pranksters should know by now that it's not OK to kiss and tell, especially if you're trespassing and a giraffe is involved.

 It's Not OK To Kiss And Tell, Especially On Facebook

Beautiful Photos of Infrared Trees

Here's a small gallery of trees shot with in infrared -- anything warm and alive shows up as a ghostly white. Beautiful Photos of Infrared Trees

Passers-by offered a crash course in art by installation

A red BMW car wedged between a sandstone building and wrought-iron railings has been the focus of much attention in Edinburgh. The unusual sight at the Roxy Art House in Roxburgh Place has even prompted calls to the police.

However, the stuck car is not an act of vandalism but rather the work of artist Jake Rusby. The work, called "joyriding", was commissioned by Roxy's independent art gallery, the Embassy Gallery.

A Roxy Art House spokesman said: "One of the great things about the Roxy is that people just do stuff: "It's a place for artists to have creative ideas and then see them through.

"It's a great feeling coming to work in the morning and seeing people looking at a car in a hole, taking pictures, wondering what's going on. Art should inspire curiosity, and Jake Rusby's piece does just that."

B.C.

How spam and Spam were named

How spam and Spam were named

The maker of the canned meat protested when unsolicited computer mail gained its nickname.

People provide details 

Also: 

• Find Spam recipes
• How to filter spam
• Conquering your inbox

'Geniuses' Tried to Trade iPad for Weed on Craigslist!

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

Edible Apple writes: "Police arrested two men who posted a Craigslist ad (below) in an effort to try and trade a 32 GB iPod Touch and a sizable amount of Pot in exchange for an iPad. And as if that wasn’t dumb enough, these enterprising young fellows actually posted a picture of their weed on a scale, sitting right next to a third-generation iPod Touch."







WEED  it makes you stupid!

Something you should know ...

Drugs aren't playthings

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Stop staring at that screen for a second and stretch your limbs.
Back so soon?
Didn't it feel great?
Isn't the human body amazing?
With such a fantastic, resilient piece of machinery under your care, shouldn't you take better care of it?
Now is the perfect time to direct your energy toward maintaining the machine that keeps you going day after day.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea

Oberursel, Hessen, Germany

Siegen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Griesheim, Hessen, Germany

Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Bergen, Hordaland, Norway

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

Quebec, Quebec, Canada

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Deventer, Overijssel, Netherlands

as well as Fiji, and the United States in such cities as Waxhaw, Milledgeville, Naperville, Flemington and more

Today is Saturday, June 19, the 170th day of 2010.

There are 195 days left in the year.

Today In History June 19

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

World Juggling Day

and

World Sauntering Day

President Obama's Weekly Address

World Cup Soccer

We Were Robbed!

Ref may have cost U.S. a World Cup win

The U.S. stages a stunning comeback to tie Slovenia, but a ref's mistake robs them of a win, a writer says 

'Baffling' 

Also: 

• Expert calls for probe
• Game recap
• More World Cup coverage

Controversial World Cup referee under fire

The official from Friday's U.S.-Slovenia game is facing a stiff punishment, a source says. 

What could happen 

Also: 

• See the debated call
• Players: We were robbed
• More on the referee

Unlikely outcome gives U.S. new hope

England's stunning tie with Algeria allows the U.S. team to control its own World Cup fate.  

Clinching scenarios 

Also: 

• England booed off field
• More World Cup coverage
• World Cup schedule

Korean soccer fans

Hitler's New Fans

Slowly but steadily, a decade-old business around the dead and universally despised dictator Adolf Hitler is emerging as a small-scale industry in India.

Books and memorabilia on the German leader's life have found a steady market in some sections of Indian society where he is idolized and admired, mostly by the young.

Full Story

Father's Day presents Dad doesn't want

From the "Hey, kids, you listening?" Department:

Father's Day presents Dad doesn't want

Even if your dad loves your handmade trinkets, he'd enjoy a cool gadget more.  

Items worse than 'World's Best' gear 

Also: 

• Gadgets for Father's Day
• Classic, affordable gifts
• Find last-minute presents

Culinary DeLites

Culinary DeLites

Ranch dressings put to a blind taste test

Food experts find that one popular brand stands out because of a "well balanced" taste.  

Another is 'too tangy' 

Also: 

• Ranch chicken recipe
• Make salad dressing
• Eat fast food, stay healthy

Foods that help keep your skin from aging

Strawberries are one food packed with vitamin C, which wards off wrinkles and dryness.

Other recommendations 

Also: 

• Amazing skin for your age
• How to reduce pore size
• 10 sunburn-soothing tricks

Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints

A dishwashing mistake many people make

This common habit wastes time, money, and water, and can sometimes even harm your glassware. 

Expert advice 

Also: 

• Foods that save you time
• Over-the-top kitchen tech
• Ways to save water

Largest coin up for bid

World's largest gold coin on auction block

This ultra-rare Canadian coin measures 21 inches in diameter and weighs 220 pounds.  

How much it may fetch 

Also: 

• Finding rare coins
• Faulkner items on block
• $1.2 million for lyrics

Things They Won't Tell You

Things They Won't Tell You

What sunscreen ratings won't tell you

The SPF scale neglects a key detail about how well a sunscreen can protect your skin.  

Best times to apply it 

Also: 

• Do wrinkle serums work?
• Clothes for sun safety
• Quick sunburn remedies

Ziggy

Pronounced Dead: Ronnie Lee Gardner, First U.S. Firing Squad Execution in 14 Years

Full story

Ronnie Lee Gardner, a convicted murderer, was executed by firing squad early Friday morning. It was the first U.S. firing squad execution in 14 years.

Facebook CEO could face Pakistan death penalty over Mohammed group

Those who think the flak over the Facebook group "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" is over because 1) the day is past (May 20) and 2) Facebook has blocked the group in Islamic countries: think again. Reportedly, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is being investigated by Pakistani police over the now-blocked group.

Full story

Tuna and Rotten Butter

Photo via National Geographic

Sea Shepherd's tactics may turn some heads, and draw the ire of many, but the activist group is proving itself incredibly effective. First, reports have surfaced that Sea Shepherd may have slashed Japan's illegal whaling catch by half. Now, in yet another daring exploit, the group's divers have saved 800 of the most endangered fish on earth, the Bluefin Tuna, from poachers -- using rotten butter to aid the rescue operation.

Article continues: Sea Shepherd Save 800 Endangered Bluefin Tuna From Poachers - With Rotten Butter

Day 59 - Judgment Day - The Strife Aquatic

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Day 59 - Judgment Day - The Strife Aquatic
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Dreamer

 

Ozzy Osborne

First repugicans attacked Obama for the BP escrow account, now they're blaming Obama for taking credit for it - which is it?

From PoliticalCorrection.org:

Earlier in the week, the repugican study committee (the caucus of House wingnuts) issued a press release calling BP's decision to open a $20 billion escrow account to compensate Gulf residents hurt by the BP spill a "Chicago-style political shakedown." Tom Price (reptile-GA), chairman of rsc, commented, "in an administration that appears not to respect fundamental American principles, it is important to note that there is no legal authority for the President to compel a private company to set up or contribute to an escrow account."

Now, Trent Franks (retard-AZ), another member of the rsc, is attacking President Obama from a different angle. In a press release, Franks does not accuse the White House of a "shakedown," but rather blasts the president for his supposed dishonesty in taking credit for the creation of the escrow account.

Shoe

Where to retire on Social Security alone

Where to retire on Social Security alone

In these countries, you can live well on the average monthly benefits check, or even less.  

Dramatically lower costs 

Also: 

• Harder to downsize now
• How to save from scratch
• Cheapest countries

On The Job

On The Job

Careers with the most job security

Nurses, teachers, and truck drivers have far less to fear in tough economic times.

One safe career also earns $112K 

Also: 

• Hot jobs of the future
• How to work from home
• Find salary information

*****

Multimillion-dollar mansion markdowns

Multimillion-dollar mansion markdowns

The luxury market isn't immune from the prolonged housing slump, prompting huge price cuts.

See the photos 

Also: 

• Where the rich are moving
• A mattress for $33,000
• Homes of billionaires

Home improvements that don't pay off

Home improvements that don't pay off

For most projects, the value added doesn't come close to justifying the cost.  

What sellers should do instead 

Also: 

• Big mortgage scam bust
• Where the rich are moving
• How to pick a realtor

Broom Hilda

Colorado bikini coffee shop closes following boycott

A suburban Denver coffee shop whose bikini-clad baristas prompted a boycott has closed its doors.

Full story

Woman with phobia of monkeys attacked by monkeys

From the "It's a Kismet thing, you know" Department:

Full story

A British woman was attacked by a pack of monkeys after she went to a Thai resort to confront her fear of ... monkeys.

Rednecks and other assorted weirdos

Rednecks and other assorted weirdos

The ten wackiest attractions in America

10 wackiest attractions in America

The destinations include a "Stonehenge" made of cars, a huge twine ball, and a mysterious tilted building.  

Locations 

Also: 

• See related photos
• Last-minute travel deals
• Road trip planning tips

Taxman

 

The Beatles Taxman Cartoon

From 1967, the Beatles dream they are back in the time of  Merry Olde England, and try to pay Ringo's whopping tax bill with the aid of Robin Hood and that swingin' hepcat, Little John!

Pampered chihuahua inherits millions

From the "Some dogs have all the luck" Department:

Pampered chihuahua inherits millions

In her will, Miami heiress Gail Posner left her beloved dogs with a much bigger inheritance than her son.

Lawsuit filed 

Also: 

• More about Gail Posner
• Celebs and their pets
• Best pet videos

Thirty-one inch handlebar mustache wins US crown

The proud owner of a 31in handlebar mustache has been named king of American facial hair.

San Fransisco Bay's Larry McClure picked up the prestigious award thanks to hours of hard graft on his lip warmer. He spends 45 minutes washing, drying and plastering it in hair spray every morning.

McClure said that if he can get sponsorship, he will take his winning tash to the world championships.

The competition is run by Beard Team USA who represent the America at the biennial World Beard and Mustache Championships. BTUSA promote "the worldwide appreciation of facial hair, fun and friendship ... and opposes discrimination against the bearded, mustached, sideburned, or goateed".

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Do you have a friend who lives far off?
If so, now is the best time to get back in touch with them.
If not, you may feel driven to meet someone new and exotic.
Whether you're looking for a pen pal, a business partner or a soul mate, you should find that it gets much easier with today's energy.
With your focus and determination to get things done, you should even have extra time to finish that big work project and clean the house!

Some of our readers today have been in:

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Brussels, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

London, England, United Kingdom

Sheffield, England, United Kingdom

Siegen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Moscow, Moskva, Russia

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia

Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

as well as Bulgaria, and the United States in such cities as Belle Meade, Great Neck, Tuscumbia, Rancho Santa Fe and more

Today is Friday, June 18, the 169th day of 2010.

There are 196 days left in the year.

Today In History June 18

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

There are none today.

Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Woman Poured Boiling Water On Boyfriend

 

Bond for a woman accused of pouring boiling water on her boyfriend while he slept has been set at $100,000.
Lashanda Hattley had her first court appearance Wednesday morning in Craven County district court.
The victim, Milton Dillahunt, is in critical condition at UNC's Burn Center with second and third degree burns covering more than 50% of his body.
Hattley was charged Tuesday with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and malicious maiming.
New Bern police say they were called to the home at 2100 Wake Street around 11:20 a.m. Tuesday for a domestic disturbance. They found the 34-year-old man on the bed suffering from what appeared to be wounds from hot water.
Police say their investigation showed Hattley was upset with her boyfriend and that she boiled several containers of water and poured it on him.

Shoe

And I Quote

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. 

 

~ Aesop

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

When dealing with wingnuts ... Remember the rule: 

If they accuse someone of something, then they're already guilty of it.

Liars and Fools

Ulta-wingnut Jeffrey Kuhner’s latest tirade smears Obama as a Jew-killing dictator wannabe.
A Nazi playing the Nazi card again. Get a clue - we aren't buying it.

Hate Radio Screeching Head Jim Quinn lies: "Barack Obama was sent here to destroy America".
No, that was the shrub and the dick ... we got rid of them

Steve King (retard-Iowa) lies again that the Obama administration "defaults in favor of whichever minority they think will be the one that will most likely support their party and their agenda".
Telling the same lie over and over still doesn't make it the truth - something the repugicans refuse to acknowledge

Faux's Glenn Beck lies: Obama's speech on oil catastrophe was part of a "war ... on our very way of life".
Depends on what definition you mean for 'war' - if you mean by continuing to let yourape and pillage the earth for your own selfishness then yes you could call it a 'war' ... however in your deluded excuse for a mind that definition doesn't exist.

Faux's Bill Kristol lies: "Democrats want to destroy business in the United States by turning us into a banana republic".
No, that was the shrub and the cabal that all but turned us into a Banana Republic by destroying America or at least almost doing so before we ousted them in November of 2008.

It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid

Credit card companies exploit loopholes

A cardholder sees her interest rate jump from 11.9% to 17.99% — and wonders if that's legal.  

Minimizing your pain 

Also: 

• More on the CARD Act
• Debit-card dangers
• Get a financial checkup

For BP, $20 billion is a drop in the bucket

For BP, $20 billion is a drop in the bucket

Can the spill bankrupt a company that could single-handedly supply the U.S. with oil for 2 years?  

Liabilities 

Also: 

• Gas stations struggle
• BP victims fund
• Costner's cleanup devices

Campbell Recalls 15Million Pounds Of SpaghettiOs

Campbell Soup Co. is recalling 15 million pounds of SpaghettiOs with meatballs after a cooker malfunctioned at one of the company's plants in Texas and left the meat undercooked.

Full story

Man ends 'longest sea voyage in history'

Man ends 'longest sea voyage in history'

Reid Stowe has been sailing the globe for so long he hasn't even met his 23-month-old son.

Their reunion 

Also: 

• More about his journey
• Pics of his ship, family
• Who is Reid Stowe?

Wizard of Id

Can painting a mountain restore a glacier?

Slowly but surely an extinct glacier in a remote corner of the Peruvian Andes is being returned to its former color, not by falling snow or regenerated ice sheets, but by whitewash. It is the first experimental step in an innovative plan to recuperate Peru's disappearing Andean glaciers. But there is debate between those who dismiss the idea as just plain daft and those who think it could be a simple but brilliant solution, or at least one which should be put to the test.

The World Bank clearly believes the idea - the brainchild of 55-year-old Peruvian inventor, Eduardo Gold - has merit as it was one of the 26 winners from around 1,700 submissions in the "100 Ideas to Save the Planet" competition at the end of 2009. Mr Gold, who has no scientific qualifications but has studiously read up on glaciology, is enthused that the time has come to put his theory into practice. Although he is yet to receive the $200,000 (£135,000) awarded by the World Bank, his pilot project is already underway on the Chalon Sombrero peak, 4,756 meters above sea level, in an area some 100km west of the regional capital of Ayacucho.

The area has long been denuded of its snowy, white peaks. Four men from Licapa, the village which lies further down the valley, don boiler suits and mix the paint from three simple and environmentally-friendly ingredients: lime, industrial egg white and water. The mixture which has been used since Peru's colonial times.

There are no paint brushes, the workers use jugs to splash the whitewash onto the loose rocks around the summit. It is a laborious process but they have whitewashed two hectares in two weeks. They plan is to paint the whole summit, then in due course, two other peaks totaling overall some 70 hectares.

Full Story

Fungus gold rush in Tibetan plateau rebuilding lives after earthquake

Amid the wreckage of the devastating earthquake that recently ripped through this corner of the Tibetan plateau, local people are rebuilding their livelihoods with one of the world's most ghoulish parasites – the caterpillar fungus. The government has accorded extra importance this year to the annual picking season for the ingredient, prescribed in traditional medicine to cure cancer and also nicknamed "Himalayan Viagra" because of its alleged aphrodisiac qualities.

But the growing dependence of the local community on this remarkable crop has prompted violent confrontations between rival pickers and is now stoking concerns that the mountain hillsides may one day be harvested empty. The Cordyceps sinensis fungus is known locally as Yartsa Gunbu or "summer grass winter worm", named after the transformation that takes place as it devours its host, the ghost moth caterpillar, from inside out during the latter's hibernation on the mountain grasslands.

The fungus briefly grabbed the world's attention in 1993, when the Chinese national athletics coach Ma Junren credited it with the stunning success of three female runners who came from nowhere to break five world records in one competition. Western studies suggest the fungus may protect the liver. But its benefits are already treasured in Asia, where it is prescribed by doctors and given as a luxury gift, often literally worth its weight in gold.

Thanks to the expansion of this market, the value of Yartsa Gunbu has increased more than ninefold since 1997, creating what mycologist Daniel Winkler calls a "globally unique rural fungal economy" on the Tibetan Plateau. This month, the government earmarked caterpillar fungus collection as one of three industries that it will focus on to revitalize the region in the wake of the 6.9 magnitude quake that struck on 15 April. Along with the export of migrant workers and Tibetan mastiff breeding, it is a mainstay of family incomes.

Full Story with photo gallery

Rent-A-Friend

Need a friend? You can rent one

In a not-so-secret double life, Jennifer Morrison is simply "Jennifer," platonic friend for hire.

This ad brought to you by the proud members of Losers Are Us

Ziggy

Bad Cops

Bad Cops

Florida TSA officer gets probation in sex-slave case

Mistakes were made, says Kentucky police chief after battered woman was ignored by cops and died

Retired Indiana cop arrested for domestic battery

Texas cop arrested for abuse of official capacity

Fired Georgia deputy is arrested again on a stalking charge

California cop arrested in prostitution sting

New York prison guard gets probation for stalking ex-girlfriend

Iowa cop charged in road rage case

Florida jail guard is arrested for smuggling contraband

Nevada cops kill father-to-be in botched marijuana raid

Arkansas police charge river guide for trying to rescue 13-year-old girl

Dumb Crooks

Dumb Crooks

Man Charged With Smuggling $20,000 In Pringles Can

A California man charged in a $100 million mortgage fraud investigation is accused of trying to ship a fugitive $20,000 - inside a Pringles potato chip canister.

Thief steals suit to wear in court on shoplifting charge

A man stole a suit on his way to court – so he could wear it in the dock to face a shoplifting charge. Phillip Northmore, 26, stole the trousers, jacket, shirt and tie from a shop so he would look smart in front of a judge.

He had been due in court charged with theft but said he didn’t want to wear the only clothes he owned – jeans and T shirts. Northmore was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft at Exeter Magistrates Court.

Kelly Scrivener, defending, said: ”Rather than wearing his clothes, he stole. He accepts it was a very stupid offence. He did it with the intention of coming to court smartly dressed. His logic is wrong.”

Northmore, of Exeter, Devon, was convicted of the theft, two offences of being drunk and disorderly and one of criminal damage. He also admitted failing to surrender and two charges of breaching a suspended prison sentence and will be sentenced on June 25.

B.C.

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods

Drugs found in strange places

Bathroom light fixtures and refrigerators are among the newest places to conceal illegal drugs.