Love Parade organizers and police are blasted for the way they routed hordes of people.
Also: 
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tim Conway's elephant story ...
In an outtake from the Mama's Family series. Conway keeps disrupting the filming of an episode, and his fellow cast members keep trying to maintain their composure in the face of it.
Traits that happy retirees share
The single most important indicator of happiness in retirement isn't related to money or age.
Also: 'Harmless' habits that age you
Too little time in bed, at the gym, or with your friends can make you look and feel older.
Also: The healing effects of forests
“Many people,” says Dr. Eeva Karjalainen, of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla, “feel relaxed and good when they are out in nature. But not many of us know that there is also scientific evidence about the healing effects of nature.”
Home Remedies Around the World
Chicken soup may be good for the soul, but some people swear that it's also good for the body. Many people reach for a steaming bowl of chicken soup whenever they've got a cold, while the equivalent remedy in Japan is ginger tea.
But are these home cures, passed down from generation to generation, really therapeutic? Experts about folk remedies from around the world tell us if they've got any merit.
Universe Inside A Black Hole
All this time, it turns out that we may just be living inside a black hole. Physicist Nikodem Poplawski of Indiana University posited that inside each black hole there could exist another universe:"Maybe the huge black holes at the center of the Milky Way and other galaxies are bridges to different universes," Poplawski says. If that is correct – and it’s a big "if" – there is nothing to rule out our universe itself being inside a black hole. [...]
How would we know if we are living inside a black hole? Well, a spinning black hole would have imparted some spin to the space-time inside it, and this should show up as a "preferred direction" in our universe, says Poplawski. Such a preferred direction would result in the violation of a property of space-time called Lorentz symmetry, which links space and time. It has been suggested that such a violation could be responsible for the observed oscillations of neutrinos from one type to another.
'Human Fish' Can Live 100 Years
The olm (Proteus anguinus), a foot-long salamander nicknamed 'the human fish' because of its fleshy skin and tubular shape, is certainly a strange-looking animal. This animal is most notable for its adaptations to a life of complete darkness in its underground habitat. The olm's eyes are undeveloped, leaving it blind, while its other senses, particularly those of smell and hearing, are acutely developed.
But beneath the surface, they're even weirder: Olms can live for 100 years, far longer than any other amphibian. Scientists have no idea why.
Scientists Rediscovered Mysterious Cell Structure: the Nucleolinus
Attention cell biologists: think that you know all cell components? Nucleus? Nucleolus? Basic stuff, right?Now how about this: nucleolinus. If you never heard of it, you’d be excused – the nucleolinus is a structured that was discovered and forgotten long ago. Until scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory’s Jospehine Bay Paul Center re-discovered it:
"We’ve known for a long time that there are elements in the cytoplasm that need to be assembled for the cell to divide," Mark Alliegro says. "But this tells us that elements in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus have to join together to make the apparatus that separates chromosomes [an important part of cell division]."
This function of the nucleolinus, which is closely associated with a structure called the nucleolus, could clarify recent studies indicating an important role for the nucleolus in cell division. "When people talk about the nucleolus playing a direct role in cell cycle regulation, it may very well be that it’s the nucleolinus," Mark Alliegro says.
Mark Alliegro and his colleagues speculate that the nucleolinus may be responsible for recruiting proteins required by centrosomes, which have long been known to play an important role in cell division. "What we’re doing now is attempting to answer some functional questions about the nucleolinus in Spisula cells," he says. "But we’re also moving it into other systems that are easier to experiment in." They are planning to study the role of the nucleolinus in mammalian cells.
Wooden peg = "treenail" = "trunnel"
Seaweed drapes much of the eroded woodwork — timbers nine inches square extending from keel to gunwale and still covered in part by strakes, wooden planks that run from stem to stern. Here and there a green stain betrays the occasional metal pin, perhaps of copper, but the hull is held together mostly by wooden pegs...
They’re called treenails, pronounced “trunnels,” said D.K. “Kathy” Abbass, founder and director of the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project.
Abbass said that method of ship construction dates back centuries, but maritime traditions die hard.
“Wooden pegs don’t really help” in determining the age of the ship, she said. They only began falling out of fashion in the last century. She said the yacht Coronet, which is being restored by the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, is built treenail-fashion.
Guédelon Castle: a New Medieval Chateau Rises in France
Little known outside of France the castle still boasts a huge amount of visitors, over 300,000 in 2009 (making it worthwhile visiting early in the morning before the those clad in twenty first century clothing somewhat dim the experience). Visitors can wear what they will. Workers on the site on the other hand cannot wear modern items such as watches although they can get away with spectacles if they are needed.
Something amazing is happening near the quiet French town of Treigny in the historic region of Burgundy. Something that has not been attempted for hundreds of years is slowly appearing - a full scale medieval chateau is being painstakingly built entirely by hand. This is a thirteenth century chateau rising in the twenty first century.
Villagers open grocery shop inside phone box
Villagers have fought back against the decline in rural services by opening a grocery store in a disused phone box – and nothing has been stolen even though it is left unattended. The charming facility – stocking milk, sandwiches, newspapers and other everyday items – has been set up inside a vacant red phone box next to the site of the village's former shop. It is operated according to the "honesty box" principle, with residents leaving payment for any goods they take. The tight-knit community of Draughton, North Yorks, was left without easy access to basic items after the post office closed following the retirement of its owners in April 2008. Lewis Cooke, who runs a newsagent which is four miles away in Skipton, continued to deliver newspapers and tinned items on to the porch of the shop so residents could come and collect their goods.
But after BT made the derelict phone box directly outside the former site of the post office available for just one pound last year it was decided that the parish council would buy it and make unique use of it. Mr Cooke, 49, said: "The parish council got in touch and explained that they had got this phone box and wanted to use it as a place to leave groceries and newspapers for people. I said that would be fine and deliver the things to the phone box every morning just before 7am. I put a list of everything that we have in the phone box and people can just call up and tell me what they want. They know that it will be put in the phone box the next day and they can just come by whenever they want and pick it up. Everything has the person's name on it so they can just collect it and go.
"Customers either pay with a credit card over the phone or by leaving a cheque for me. It has been amazing the way everyone has respected the things that are left there. The phone box isn't locked and people can come and go in there when they want but no one has taken a thing, which just shows how honest everyone around here is." A shelf was built into the phone box specifically to hold newspapers, while others display the groceries on offer which include jam, milk, tea bags, sandwiches, butter, cheese and biscuits. Mr Cooke doesn't charge his customers anything extra for delivery, making the journey especially each morning to drop off what his clients want.
Parish clerk Jane Markham, 50, said the unusual telephone box collection system worked because villagers were so trustworthy. She said: "It's a good example of the community spirit of the village, we all look after each other. We talked about putting a lock on it, but we decided it wasn't necessary. People here just want to look after each other. When the weather was bad last winter we all helped each other, some of the roads are quite steep so you have to look after the elderly. At first the telephone box was used just for newspapers, but it worked so well that two weeks ago we decided to try groceries as well." About 70 residents in Draughton, which has a population of just 250, use the telephone box and more are expected to join the new grocery service.
But after BT made the derelict phone box directly outside the former site of the post office available for just one pound last year it was decided that the parish council would buy it and make unique use of it. Mr Cooke, 49, said: "The parish council got in touch and explained that they had got this phone box and wanted to use it as a place to leave groceries and newspapers for people. I said that would be fine and deliver the things to the phone box every morning just before 7am. I put a list of everything that we have in the phone box and people can just call up and tell me what they want. They know that it will be put in the phone box the next day and they can just come by whenever they want and pick it up. Everything has the person's name on it so they can just collect it and go.
"Customers either pay with a credit card over the phone or by leaving a cheque for me. It has been amazing the way everyone has respected the things that are left there. The phone box isn't locked and people can come and go in there when they want but no one has taken a thing, which just shows how honest everyone around here is." A shelf was built into the phone box specifically to hold newspapers, while others display the groceries on offer which include jam, milk, tea bags, sandwiches, butter, cheese and biscuits. Mr Cooke doesn't charge his customers anything extra for delivery, making the journey especially each morning to drop off what his clients want.
Parish clerk Jane Markham, 50, said the unusual telephone box collection system worked because villagers were so trustworthy. She said: "It's a good example of the community spirit of the village, we all look after each other. We talked about putting a lock on it, but we decided it wasn't necessary. People here just want to look after each other. When the weather was bad last winter we all helped each other, some of the roads are quite steep so you have to look after the elderly. At first the telephone box was used just for newspapers, but it worked so well that two weeks ago we decided to try groceries as well." About 70 residents in Draughton, which has a population of just 250, use the telephone box and more are expected to join the new grocery service.
How 10 American Towns Got Their Weird Names
The following is an article from Uncle John's Supremely Satisfying Bathroom Reader, by Kathy Kemp, author of Welcome to Lickskillet: And Other Crazy Places in the Deep South
Plan to hit the road next summer, but don't know where to go? We don't mean to be rude, but have you considered Hell? Hell, Michigan, that is. (And you thought you had to drive south.) For a different kind of vacation, check out this tour of off-road America, where unusual names are the main attraction:
Photo: David Ball
If you've always wanted to see Hell freeze over, visit this place in winter, when the Highland Lake dam often gets icy enough to stop the water flow. In summer, when temperatures are moderate, the town has a "Satan's Holidays" festival and a road race called "Run to Hell." In October is the "Halloween in Hell" Celebration. The town got its name in 1841, when George Reeves, an early settler in this low, swampy place in southeast Michigan, was asked what the thought the town should be named. "I don't care," Reeves said. "You can name it 'Hell' if you want to."
2. Slapout, Alabama
Oscar Peeples, the town grocer in the early 1900s, was forever waiting on customers who asked for things he didn't have. "I'm slap out of it," Peeples would say. This central Alabama community, north of Montgomery, is now little more than a crossroads, with a church, bank, barber shop, and the tumbledown remains of Peeples' old store.
In the late 1800s, Texans often used the word noodle to mean "nothing," which is exactly what they found when they arrived at this locale near Abilene. Now there are two churches, a store and an old gin.
For nearly a century, the population has held steady at about 40 people. (Photo: Jack Williams via TexasEscapes.com)
4. Joe, Montana
When quarterback Joe Montana signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993, a Missouri radio station urged the folk of Ismay, in southeast Montana near the North Dakota border, to change the town's name to "Joe." The sports-minded citizenry, all 22 of them, voted in favor of the change, and a new industry was born. In fact, money raised from selling, "Joe, Montana" souvenirs enabled the town to build a new fire station.
5. Lizard Lick, North Carolina
Since 1972, the residents of this town, 16 miles east of Raleigh, have held lizard races every fall to herald the farming community's unusual name. It dates back to the days when the area was home to a federally operated liquor still, and lizards were brought in to cut down on the insects. Traveling salesman noticed the creatures and dubbed the community Lizard Lick.
6. Chicken, Alaska
The village, in the Alaskan wild near the Canadian border, is named for a bird, but not the one you think. In the late 1800s, gold miners found a reliable meal in the abundance of ptarmigan, a grouse-like critter whose white feathers make it look, from a distance, like a chicken. When the townsfolk decided to incorporate in 1902, none of them knew how to spell ptarmigan. So they went with the look-alike Chicken to avoid the jokes of misspelled name would incur. Unfortunately, poultry jokes now abound. The town has a full-time population of about 30 people and mail delivery every Tuesday and Friday. There's a saloon, but no telephones or central plumbing. Incidentally, the ptarmigan is now the Alaska state bird.
7. Spot, Tennessee
A dot in the road about an hour west of Nashville, Spot was named by a sawmill operator who was always writing folks about business. One day, pen in hand, the sawmill operator sat at his desk, worrying over a letter from postal authorities wanting to know what to call the town. A spot of ink dropped onto the sawmill operator's white stationery, and the town had its name. By town, we mean a couple of houses and a ramshackle store.
In the spring of 1868, Postmaster E.T. Thomson decided to name his town "Excelsior," but postal officials told him it was already taken. Thomson reapplied with new names, and received the same response time after time. Exasperated, he finally told postal officials to assign the town a unique name, one that was "sort of peculiar." Peculiar, near the Kansas border just south of Kansas City, is home to about 1,800 people.
9. Zap, North Dakota
A Northern Pacific Railroad official, in charge of naming settlements on the line, named Zap after Zapp, Scotland, because both places had coal mines. The city, about 15 miles south of Lake Sakakawea, encompasses one square mile and is home to about 300.
10. Embarrass, Minnesota
If faces are red here, it's only because the town - 205 miles north of St. Paul - is typically the coldest spot in the continental United States. The midwinter temperature often drops to -60 °F, and snow has been known to fall in June. The name comes from early settlers, who used the French word for obstacle - embarras - to describe the hardships they faced in the frigid territory. Today, the population is largely Finnish. They celebrate their thriving community with a Finnish-American Festival every summer.
And Don't Forget ...
Think the preceding towns have nutty names? Here are some more:
- Idiotville, Oregon
- Knockemstiff, Ohio
- Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky
- Satan's Kingdom, Vermont
- Toad Suck, Arkansas
The World's Strangest Bathrooms
Popular Mechanics has a slideshow of 18 oddities in bathroom design.
Pictured above is a floating bathroom that the US National Park Service installed in Lake Powell (UT/AZ) to persuade people there not to simply relieve themselves in the water.
The official website confirms that there are, in fact, six such floating facilities.
Woman suspected of attacking man and throwing urine at police
Police jailed a woman on suspicion of attempted murder on Thursday after she allegedly tried to run over a man with her car, then hurled a bag full of urine at arresting officers, authorities said. Monica Avila, 39, of Pasadena was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, according to sheriff's booking records.
The incident began shortly after 3 a.m. when police responded to a report of a trespassing in the 300 block of E. Penn Street, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said. "The victim reported that when he came out of the house to talk to the trespasser, she tried to run him down with her vehicle," Russ said.
The alleged victim, a 44-year-old man, was the brother of Avila's ex-boyfriend, police said. The man was not hurt, however the woman allegedly crashed into a fence in her attempt to run over the man before she drove away, he added. Police found Avila in the vehicle at Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, Russ said.
When officers tried to arrest her, "She removed her urostomy bag and deliberately threw it at three officers, who were exposed to its contents," Russ said. Police then arrested Avila, he said, took her to a hospital to be examined because of the car crash and booked her on suspicion of attempted murder. Additional charges were possible stemming from the assault on the officers.
The incident began shortly after 3 a.m. when police responded to a report of a trespassing in the 300 block of E. Penn Street, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said. "The victim reported that when he came out of the house to talk to the trespasser, she tried to run him down with her vehicle," Russ said.
The alleged victim, a 44-year-old man, was the brother of Avila's ex-boyfriend, police said. The man was not hurt, however the woman allegedly crashed into a fence in her attempt to run over the man before she drove away, he added. Police found Avila in the vehicle at Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, Russ said.
When officers tried to arrest her, "She removed her urostomy bag and deliberately threw it at three officers, who were exposed to its contents," Russ said. Police then arrested Avila, he said, took her to a hospital to be examined because of the car crash and booked her on suspicion of attempted murder. Additional charges were possible stemming from the assault on the officers.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:After dealing with others' secrets recently, you're well prepared to deal with your own, right?
Well, if not, the least you can do is to find someone you trust deeply whose advice you know from experience to be sage and reliable.
The hardest part is that you're usually that person for everyone else!
Someone had to show you how it's done, so reach out to them, if possible.
Today is:
Today is Saturday, July 25, the 205th day of 2010.
There are 160 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:
Tell An Old Joke Day
and
National Day of the Cowboy
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
President Obama's Weekly Address
Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
The White House
July 24, 2010
Wall Street reform is a key pillar of an overall economic plan we’ve put in place to dig ourselves out of this recession and build an economy for the long run – an economy that makes America more competitive and our middle-class more secure. It’s a plan based on the Main Street values of hard work and responsibility – and one that demands new accountability from Wall Street to Washington.
Instead of giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, we want to give tax breaks to small business owners who are creating jobs right here in America. Already, we’ve given small businesses eight new tax cuts, and have expanded lending to more than 60,000 small business owners.
We’re also investing in a homegrown, clean energy industry – because I don’t want to see new solar panels and wind turbines and electric cars manufactured in some other country. I want to see them made in America, by American workers. So far, we’ve provided new tax credits, loan guarantees, and investments that will lead to more than 800,000 clean energy jobs by 2012. And throughout America, communities are being rebuilt by people working in hundreds of thousands of new private sector jobs repairing our roads, bridges, and railways.
Our economic plan is also aimed at strengthening the middle-class. That’s why we’ve cut taxes for 95% of working families. That’s why we’ve offered tax credits that have made college more affordable for millions of students, and why we’re making a new commitment to our community colleges. And that’s why we passed health insurance reform that will stop insurance companies from dropping or denying coverage based on an illness or pre-existing condition.
This is our economic plan – smart investments in America’s small businesses, America’s clean energy industry, and America’s middle-class. Now, I can’t tell you that this plan will bring back all the jobs we lost and restore our economy to full strength overnight. The truth is, it took nearly a decade of failed economic policies to create this mess, and it will take years to fully repair the damage. But I am confident that we are finally headed in the right direction. We are moving forward. And what we can’t afford right now is to go back to the same ideas that created this mess in the first place.
Unfortunately, those are the ideas we keep hearing from our friends in the other party. This week, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives offered his plan to create jobs. It’s a plan that’s surprisingly short, and sadly familiar.
First, he would repeal health insurance reform, which would take away tax credits from millions of small business owners, and take us back to the days when insurance companies had free rein to drop coverage and jack up premiums. Second, he would say no to new investments in clean energy, after his party already voted against the clean energy tax credits and loans that are creating thousands of new jobs and hundreds of new businesses. And third, even though his party voted against tax cuts for middle-class families, he would permanently keep in place the tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans – the same tax cuts that have added hundreds of billions to our debt.
These are not new ideas. They are the same policies that led us into this recession. They will not create jobs, they will kill them. They will not reduce our deficit, they will add $1 trillion to our deficit. They will take us backward at a time when we need to keep America moving forward.
I know times are tough. I know that the progress we’ve made isn’t good enough for the millions of Americans who are still out of work or struggling to pay the bills. But I also know the character of this nation. I know that in times of great challenge and difficulty, we don’t fear the future – we shape the future. We harness the skills and ingenuity of the most dynamic country on Earth to reach a better day. We do it with optimism, and we do it with confidence. That’s the spirit we need right now, and that’s the future I know we can build together. Thank you.
N.C. and S.C.: Know the differences
By John Grooms
Given the political shenanigans in South Carolina, the last thing North Carolinians need is to be confused with our southern neighbors. Palmetto State pols have spent over a year racking up nationwide bad publicity with their affairs, confessions, lies, backroom deals, shouting during the State of the Union, phantom candidates, ethnic insults, sexual accusations (both hetero and gay) and cutthroat tactics.
Sad to say, the national press -- and even newcomers to N.C. -- often get the two states mixed up. That has to change. So in the interest of clarifying things for national reporters and all the newcomers to the area, this S.C. native and 30-year N.C. resident offers a list of critical ways in which the two Carolinas are very, very different politically, culturally and other ways.
Read, learn and enjoy.
A woman conducts a campaign for governor and soon overtakes the frontrunners
In N.C.: We say, "Oh, that's cool," and elect her.
In S.C.: Political operatives try to destroy the woman by claiming they've had sex with her, insinuating that any female running for higher office must be some kind of slut.
A rather addled, unemployed alleged sex offender registers to run for the U.S. Senate, then sits on his butt till the election
In N.C.: Doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell.
In S.C.: Wins the primary.
A political candidate of Indian descent rises to prominence
In N.C.: Everyone at least pretends that the candidate's heritage is unimportant.
In S.C.: Candidate is publicly vilified by a member of her own party as "a raghead."
Environmental or health emergencies
In N.C.: Pig waste overflows from retaining ponds, stinking up the place.
In S.C.: The friggin' West Nile virus shows up and no one even seems to care.
Political scandals
In N.C.: Governor uses office to get his wife a job and line his friends' pockets.
In S.C.: Governor thinks being married to his wife is a job, so he runs off to his mistress in Argentina, while inventing a whole new catchphrase when he claims to have been "hiking the Appalachian Trail."
More political scandals
In N.C.: State re-elects a virulent racist homophobe to the U.S. Senate over and over until he's finally too old to run anymore.
In S.C.: A lecherous racist who pretends to have changed his ways is re-elected to the U.S. Senate over and over until he dies.
Political nutcases
In N.C.: Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Sue Myrick, Rep. Bob "Who are you?" Etheridge, Rep. Patrick McHenry.
In S.C.: State Rep. Jake "Raghead" Knotts, Rep. Joe Wilson, U.S. Sen. Jim "Just For Men" DeMint, U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene, Gov. Mark Sanford, Lt. Gov. Andre "I'm not gay, dammit!" Bauer, and at least half of the legislature.
Public school systems
In N.C.: Drastic education budget cuts cause widespread angst, and school board meetings are swamped with concerned parents.
In S.C.: No worries. There are still plenty of Hardee's drive-thru menus to help the young 'uns learn how to read and cipher.
Fine restaurants
In N.C.: Quality cuisine is available and appreciated in most cities.
In S.C.: There is quality cuisine in Charleston; everyone else eats fried dough and fatback.
Collective memory of the Civil War
In N.C.: Civil what?
In S.C.: Numerous white men wake up every morning, grinding their teeth about Gettysburg.
Biological curiosities
In N.C.: Venus Fly Traps.
In S.C.: Savannah River Plant's nuclear waste has produced many colorful new life forms, including three-headed frogs and talking gnats.
Female killers
In N.C.: The notorious Frankie Silver kills her husband, chops him up, and burns him in their fireplace. Two centuries later, Velma Barfield poisons husbands and is executed (leading to one of the New York Post's greatest headlines, "Granny Gets the Death Needle").
In S.C.: Susan Smith drowns her two small children, blames it on an imaginary black guy who stole her car, and gets life in prison, where she has sex with one of her guards.
Nicknames each state has for the other
In N.C.: S.C. is sometimes referred to as "That Other Carolina."
In S.C.: The existence of North Carolina is rarely acknowledged.
Given the political shenanigans in South Carolina, the last thing North Carolinians need is to be confused with our southern neighbors. Palmetto State pols have spent over a year racking up nationwide bad publicity with their affairs, confessions, lies, backroom deals, shouting during the State of the Union, phantom candidates, ethnic insults, sexual accusations (both hetero and gay) and cutthroat tactics.
Sad to say, the national press -- and even newcomers to N.C. -- often get the two states mixed up. That has to change. So in the interest of clarifying things for national reporters and all the newcomers to the area, this S.C. native and 30-year N.C. resident offers a list of critical ways in which the two Carolinas are very, very different politically, culturally and other ways.
Read, learn and enjoy.
A woman conducts a campaign for governor and soon overtakes the frontrunners
In N.C.: We say, "Oh, that's cool," and elect her.
In S.C.: Political operatives try to destroy the woman by claiming they've had sex with her, insinuating that any female running for higher office must be some kind of slut.
A rather addled, unemployed alleged sex offender registers to run for the U.S. Senate, then sits on his butt till the election
In N.C.: Doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell.
In S.C.: Wins the primary.
A political candidate of Indian descent rises to prominence
In N.C.: Everyone at least pretends that the candidate's heritage is unimportant.
In S.C.: Candidate is publicly vilified by a member of her own party as "a raghead."
Environmental or health emergencies
In N.C.: Pig waste overflows from retaining ponds, stinking up the place.
In S.C.: The friggin' West Nile virus shows up and no one even seems to care.
Political scandals
In N.C.: Governor uses office to get his wife a job and line his friends' pockets.
In S.C.: Governor thinks being married to his wife is a job, so he runs off to his mistress in Argentina, while inventing a whole new catchphrase when he claims to have been "hiking the Appalachian Trail."
More political scandals
In N.C.: State re-elects a virulent racist homophobe to the U.S. Senate over and over until he's finally too old to run anymore.
In S.C.: A lecherous racist who pretends to have changed his ways is re-elected to the U.S. Senate over and over until he dies.
Political nutcases
In N.C.: Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Sue Myrick, Rep. Bob "Who are you?" Etheridge, Rep. Patrick McHenry.
In S.C.: State Rep. Jake "Raghead" Knotts, Rep. Joe Wilson, U.S. Sen. Jim "Just For Men" DeMint, U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene, Gov. Mark Sanford, Lt. Gov. Andre "I'm not gay, dammit!" Bauer, and at least half of the legislature.
Public school systems
In N.C.: Drastic education budget cuts cause widespread angst, and school board meetings are swamped with concerned parents.
In S.C.: No worries. There are still plenty of Hardee's drive-thru menus to help the young 'uns learn how to read and cipher.
Fine restaurants
In N.C.: Quality cuisine is available and appreciated in most cities.
In S.C.: There is quality cuisine in Charleston; everyone else eats fried dough and fatback.
Collective memory of the Civil War
In N.C.: Civil what?
In S.C.: Numerous white men wake up every morning, grinding their teeth about Gettysburg.
Biological curiosities
In N.C.: Venus Fly Traps.
In S.C.: Savannah River Plant's nuclear waste has produced many colorful new life forms, including three-headed frogs and talking gnats.
Female killers
In N.C.: The notorious Frankie Silver kills her husband, chops him up, and burns him in their fireplace. Two centuries later, Velma Barfield poisons husbands and is executed (leading to one of the New York Post's greatest headlines, "Granny Gets the Death Needle").
In S.C.: Susan Smith drowns her two small children, blames it on an imaginary black guy who stole her car, and gets life in prison, where she has sex with one of her guards.
Nicknames each state has for the other
In N.C.: S.C. is sometimes referred to as "That Other Carolina."
In S.C.: The existence of North Carolina is rarely acknowledged.
Poll found in Kandahar Airfield toilet
.
"While I doubt Ipsos would approve of the collection process, the data was interesting. Out of 26 respondents, only 7 thought progress was being made. 18 people marked “No” and 1 person ticked “HELL NO!!!” That means 73 per cent of those polled think the mission is failing.Anywhere else, this may mean very little. But this poll was done in a military bathroom, in the middle of a war zone, by soldiers."
Why the middle class is radically shrinking
The U.S. is in serious danger of losing its once prosperous middle class.
Also: George Orwell's Animal Farm Will Be a Musical
Elton John and Lee Hall are writing a musical based on Animal Farm, George Orwell’s 1945 allegory about the perils of communism:Lee, who won Olivier and Tony awards for his book and lyrics for the stage Billy Elliot, and an Oscar nomination for the screen version, told me Orwell’s novella was perfectly suited for the stage and pointed out that there are phrases such as ‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others’ that lend themselves to lyrics.
‘I’m deep into it, writing songs for pigs and other four-legged friends,’ the writer explained.
Professor returns from vacation, gets 'foiled'
A science professor at Gustavus Adolphus College left for a week's vacation this summer and returned to a shiny office.
Another goalie slips up
An English team scores a ridiculously easy goal, thanks to a back-up goalkeeper's blunder.
Also: Teen phenom may spark soccer tug of war
Andy Najar might become the next big thing for U.S. soccer — if he chooses to play for the USA.
Also: At least 18 killed in festival stampede
A deadly panic sweeps through a tunnel as police in Germany close a festival due to overcrowding.
Also: Pilot's last-second air crash escape
Sparks came from an engine just as the Canadian air show jet banked into a trick maneuver.
Also: Rare baby turtles to be released into Gulf
Keeping endangered hatchlings in captivity could be worse than the oil risk — but some experts disagree.
Also: How much a 10-gallon hat can really hold
The iconic headwear isn't that big, so what's its true capacity and how did the name originate?
Also: How to keep food from sticking to the grill
One grill expert shares his easy tricks to prevent food from sticking to the grate.
Also: Best deals for every month of the year
From January (white sales, HDTVs) to December (toys, new cars), here's when you'll save big.
Also: Painless ways to save more
It's possible to spend a lot less money without making big lifestyle changes.
Also: Reasons why you didn't get that job
You may be a great fit, but if you come with strings attached, it could doom your prospects.
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Insulting the French Flag Could Cost You
Insert your witty comment here:
Sacrebleu! France has just passed a rule stating that anyone insulting the French national flag could be fined €1,500:France has introduced a rule to protect its national flag from insult after a photo of a man wiping his bottom with the tricolour caused outrage.It's no wonder why the French are laughed at (even more so than Americans ... which is hard to do - it's the only thing they excel at it seems.)
Under the rule, anyone caught trying to "destroy, damage or use the flag in a degrading manner" could face a fine of 1,500 euros (£1,250; $1,900).
The offending picture won a prize in a photo contest in the southern city of Nice in March. It was later published in a free national newspaper.
You always knew lawyers were crooks ...
A lawyer was accused of burglarizing the home of a client who filed a complaint against him with the Florida Bar.
American Airlines Sued Over Baggage Fee
If an airline loses your luggage, shouldn't it refund your baggage fee? That seems reasonable enough, so when American Airlines refuses to refund $25 fee after losing Danielle Covarrubias' bag, she decided to sue:The class action lawsuit, filed on behalf of Covarrubias of Pierce County, Wash., is the first since American Airlines started to charge a fee for handling and transporting luggage in June 2008, according to industry experts. The airline was the first major carrier to impose such fees.
"It just goes to show you how enraged people are by the lack of common-sense regulation in the airline industry," said George Hobica, an aviation expert and creator of airfarewatchdog.com. "It doesn't make any sense at all that somebody should charge for a service and then screw up and not give you your money back."
Woman's dog mistaken for coyote, set loose in wild
Farmer builds 36ft Meerkat sculpture from bales of straw
Proudly looking out over motorists in rural Nantwich, the statue is built on a 6ft base and has lights in its eyes.
Each year, staff at Snugburys Ice Cream Farm, Hurleston, celebrate the summer with a new design.
Director Chris Sadler and his wife Cheryl come up with the ideas and the creations are made by Mike Harper, who builds a steel skeleton which is then stuffed with hay.
Speaking about this year’s design, Mr Harper, 57, said: ‘Everyone loves meerkats, especially my wife, so we thought it would be a good idea.
‘We start planning it in January and then have a big push stuffing it at the end which takes about a month.
‘Mike is an amazing talent and was happy to have a go at building it. People absolutely adore it – it says that it cheers them up, and it doesn’t cost them anything.’
Each year, staff at Snugburys Ice Cream Farm, Hurleston, celebrate the summer with a new design.
Director Chris Sadler and his wife Cheryl come up with the ideas and the creations are made by Mike Harper, who builds a steel skeleton which is then stuffed with hay.
Speaking about this year’s design, Mr Harper, 57, said: ‘Everyone loves meerkats, especially my wife, so we thought it would be a good idea.
‘We start planning it in January and then have a big push stuffing it at the end which takes about a month.
‘Mike is an amazing talent and was happy to have a go at building it. People absolutely adore it – it says that it cheers them up, and it doesn’t cost them anything.’
'Invisible' tree house opens in Sweden
The striking glass structure reflects everything around it, making it nearly impossible to detect.
Also: Seriously Silly Inventions
Now that you can buy a sandwich in a can, have you ever wondered what other off-the-wall products are out there?
From an odor-absorbing Better Marriage Blanket to the Solar-Powered Lighter, check out this list of 9 silly inventions that leave us wondering what the inventor was thinking.
New machine gets cows 'udderly' clean
One company says its automatic cow wash makes cows happier and even increases milk production.
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Guilt-ridden thief who wrote 'sorry' note to victim caught after including his name and phone number
A bogus caller has been jailed after returning money he stole from a pensioner – with £40 extra and a note containing his name and phone number. Simon Crewe posed as a window cleaner to steal from the woman's home last month. While the 85-year-old's back was turned, he made off with a purse containing £160. But he felt so bad about it he sent her a letter of apology and £200 to make amends. The 26-year-old, who has a string of previous convictions, immediately regretted the theft, Leicester Crown Court was told. He was later contacted by the police and handed himself in.
Yesterday, he was given a two-year-and-five-month jail sentence. He admitted the distraction burglary in Meadvale Road, Knighton, Leicester, on June 18. At the time, Crewe, of Herrick Road, off Welford Road, Leicester, was on license from a seven-year jail sentence, imposed in 2004 for four distraction house burglaries, with 47 similar offenses taken into consideration. The offenses involved him calling at elderly people's homes, posing as an official from an electricity or gas company. Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said Crewe was carrying a ladder when he called at the victim's home at 8.30am. She assumed he was her window cleaner and, as she left him outside to go upstairs on her stairlift, Crewe made off with her purse from a windowsill.
Mr Murphy said that eight days later he put a letter through the woman's door returning her money with an extra £40. He said: "Crewe said he was sorry and left a contact number." He later told the police he argued with his partner about money and went out looking for window cleaning work, but was tempted on seeing the purse. He said the victim was "a nice old lady". Mr Murphy said: "He immediately felt bad but was too scared to return it for several days, having burnt the complainant's purse and bus pass. In fact, the letter returning the money upset her even further and left her confused." Sally Bamford, for Crewer, said it was an exceptional case and Crewe would have escaped being caught, but for his letter of apology identifying who he was. She said he had changed his behavior since his last sentence, and become more sympathetic to victims of crime.
Ms Bamford said: "It was an impulsive act and he did what he could to put the matter right. "He handed himself in to the police and became emotional in interview, which had to be stopped because he was so overwrought. He takes full responsibility." Sentencing, Judge Sylvia De Bertodano said: "What makes this so bad is that someone elderly and vulnerable was targeted in their home." She said custody had to follow "no matter how much remorse you feel". She said: "You paid the money back under cover of a letter, effectively turning yourself in. I accept you were trying to make amends."
Yesterday, he was given a two-year-and-five-month jail sentence. He admitted the distraction burglary in Meadvale Road, Knighton, Leicester, on June 18. At the time, Crewe, of Herrick Road, off Welford Road, Leicester, was on license from a seven-year jail sentence, imposed in 2004 for four distraction house burglaries, with 47 similar offenses taken into consideration. The offenses involved him calling at elderly people's homes, posing as an official from an electricity or gas company. Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said Crewe was carrying a ladder when he called at the victim's home at 8.30am. She assumed he was her window cleaner and, as she left him outside to go upstairs on her stairlift, Crewe made off with her purse from a windowsill.
Mr Murphy said that eight days later he put a letter through the woman's door returning her money with an extra £40. He said: "Crewe said he was sorry and left a contact number." He later told the police he argued with his partner about money and went out looking for window cleaning work, but was tempted on seeing the purse. He said the victim was "a nice old lady". Mr Murphy said: "He immediately felt bad but was too scared to return it for several days, having burnt the complainant's purse and bus pass. In fact, the letter returning the money upset her even further and left her confused." Sally Bamford, for Crewer, said it was an exceptional case and Crewe would have escaped being caught, but for his letter of apology identifying who he was. She said he had changed his behavior since his last sentence, and become more sympathetic to victims of crime.
Ms Bamford said: "It was an impulsive act and he did what he could to put the matter right. "He handed himself in to the police and became emotional in interview, which had to be stopped because he was so overwrought. He takes full responsibility." Sentencing, Judge Sylvia De Bertodano said: "What makes this so bad is that someone elderly and vulnerable was targeted in their home." She said custody had to follow "no matter how much remorse you feel". She said: "You paid the money back under cover of a letter, effectively turning yourself in. I accept you were trying to make amends."
China's 'hairy man' to have surgery to play Monkey King
China's hairiest man is set to have cosmetic surgery in order to play The Monkey King in a TV remake of Journey To The West. 32-year-old Yu Zhenhuan has hair that covers 96 per cent of his body, due to a rare hormone imbalance.
Having previously starred in a number of movies and flirting with a singing career, Zhenhuan attempted to land the lead role of The Monkey King in a television adaptation of Journey to the West.
Unfortunately, the director decided that he wasn't attractive enough, prompting Zhenhuan's decision to undergo surgery. 'I thought I was the best candidate, as I look like a monkey and my nickname is monkey man,' he stated.
'I read through the book and found professional hair dressers to make me into a real monkey man. But I failed the audition because I am not good looking enough. I am going to have surgery to get rid of the hair and facial plastic surgery to make myself look more like a pretty monkey, and make the director regret his decision,' he said.
Having previously starred in a number of movies and flirting with a singing career, Zhenhuan attempted to land the lead role of The Monkey King in a television adaptation of Journey to the West.
Unfortunately, the director decided that he wasn't attractive enough, prompting Zhenhuan's decision to undergo surgery. 'I thought I was the best candidate, as I look like a monkey and my nickname is monkey man,' he stated.
'I read through the book and found professional hair dressers to make me into a real monkey man. But I failed the audition because I am not good looking enough. I am going to have surgery to get rid of the hair and facial plastic surgery to make myself look more like a pretty monkey, and make the director regret his decision,' he said.
Angry jellyfish and a whale stir the Web
A jellyfish may have gone on a stinging spree, while a confused whale lands on a yacht.
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