Monday, May 2, 2011
Better late then never ...
Sorry to be a mite late with this but the timing of our publishing schedule and life in general has kept us from posting the happy news above until now.
Osama Bin Laden Beats Federal Criminal Rap Thanks To Intercession of CIA, U.S. Military
Thanks to the efforts of an elite team of American forces, Osama bin Laden will soon have criminal charges formally dismissed against him in federal court in New York City.
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:There's no time like the present to start working on your future!
Think about where you want to go, and start making a plan -- this includes vacation spots and family reunions.
If someone else is trying to influence your choices, this is a good time to take back control and remind yourself that, ultimately, you're in charge of your own life.
Get back in touch with your independence by working out a solo vacation or at least some leisurely alone time soon.
Some of our readers today have been in:
London, England, United Kingdom
Santiago, Region Metropolitana, Chile
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Pinneburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Muara, Brunei Darussalam
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
Weert, Limburg, Netherlands
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Moscow, Moskva, Russia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Santiago, Region Metropolitana, Chile
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Pinneburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Muara, Brunei Darussalam
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
Weert, Limburg, Netherlands
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Moscow, Moskva, Russia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
as well as Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sudan, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Maldives, Qatar, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Norway, Finland
and in cities across the United States such as Tionesta, Commerce City, Lodi, Tullahoma and more.
and in cities across the United States such as Tionesta, Commerce City, Lodi, Tullahoma and more.
Today is:
Today is Monday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2011.
There are 243 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
National Play Your Ukulele Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Man unknowingly liveblogs Bin Laden operation
A computer programmer, startled by a helicopter clattering above his quiet Pakistani town in the early hours of the morning Monday, did what any social-media addict would do: he began sending messages to the social networking site Twitter.
With his tweets, 33-year-old Sohaib Athar, who moved to the sleepy town of Abbottabad to escape the big city, became in his own words "the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it."
Soon the sole helicopter multiplied into several and gunfire and explosions rocked the air above the town, and Athar's tweets quickly garnered 14,000 followers as he apparently became the first in the world to describe the U.S. operation to kill one of the world's most wanted militants.
His first tweet was innocuous: "Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)."
The noise alarmed Athar, who had moved to the upscale area of Abbottabad to get away from city life after his wife and child were badly injured in a car accident in the sprawling city of Lahore, according to his blog in July.
Nestled in the mountains around 60 miles (95 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Abbottabad is a quiet, leafy town featuring a military academy, the barracks for three army regiments and even its own golf course.
As the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden unfolded, Athar "liveblogged" what he was hearing in real time, describing windows rattling as bombs exploded.
He questioned whose helicopters might be flying overhead. "The few people online at this time of the night are saying one of the copters was not Pakistani," he tweeted.
Athar then said one of the aircraft appeared to have been shot down. Two more helicopters rushed in, he reported.
Throughout the battle, he related the rumors swirling through town: it was a training accident. Somebody was killed. The aircraft might be a drone. The army was conducting door-to-door searches in the surrounding area. The sound of an airplane could be heard overhead.
Athar did not respond to media requests for comment - he explained in another tweet that a filter he set up to stop his e-mail box from flooding could be culling out requests for interviews.
Soon, however, the rumbling of international events far beyond the confines of this quiet upscale suburb began to dawn on Athar, and he realized what he might be witnessing.
"I think the helicopter crash in Abbottabad, Pakistan and the President Obama breaking news address are connected," he tweeted.
Eight hours and about 35 tweets later, the confirmation came: "Osama Bin Laden killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Athar reported. "There goes the neighborhood."
With his tweets, 33-year-old Sohaib Athar, who moved to the sleepy town of Abbottabad to escape the big city, became in his own words "the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it."
Soon the sole helicopter multiplied into several and gunfire and explosions rocked the air above the town, and Athar's tweets quickly garnered 14,000 followers as he apparently became the first in the world to describe the U.S. operation to kill one of the world's most wanted militants.
His first tweet was innocuous: "Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)."
The noise alarmed Athar, who had moved to the upscale area of Abbottabad to get away from city life after his wife and child were badly injured in a car accident in the sprawling city of Lahore, according to his blog in July.
Nestled in the mountains around 60 miles (95 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Abbottabad is a quiet, leafy town featuring a military academy, the barracks for three army regiments and even its own golf course.
As the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden unfolded, Athar "liveblogged" what he was hearing in real time, describing windows rattling as bombs exploded.
He questioned whose helicopters might be flying overhead. "The few people online at this time of the night are saying one of the copters was not Pakistani," he tweeted.
Athar then said one of the aircraft appeared to have been shot down. Two more helicopters rushed in, he reported.
Throughout the battle, he related the rumors swirling through town: it was a training accident. Somebody was killed. The aircraft might be a drone. The army was conducting door-to-door searches in the surrounding area. The sound of an airplane could be heard overhead.
Athar did not respond to media requests for comment - he explained in another tweet that a filter he set up to stop his e-mail box from flooding could be culling out requests for interviews.
Soon, however, the rumbling of international events far beyond the confines of this quiet upscale suburb began to dawn on Athar, and he realized what he might be witnessing.
"I think the helicopter crash in Abbottabad, Pakistan and the President Obama breaking news address are connected," he tweeted.
Eight hours and about 35 tweets later, the confirmation came: "Osama Bin Laden killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Athar reported. "There goes the neighborhood."
Obama mocks Trump at dinner
The president exacts comic revenge on the Donald at the annual journalists' event.
Also: 
Donald Trump razzed online and on Twitter after Obama's bin Laden announcement
Online news site NMA News, which spoofs current news in videos that use Sims-style animation, wasted no time with one of the biggest news stories of the year: the killing of Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in a raid by U.S. Special Forces troops.
Media multitasking is really multi-distracting
Multitaskers who think they can successfully divide their attention between the program on their television set and the information on their computer screen proved to be driven to distraction by the two devices …
Being a Grandparent
1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, 'But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!' I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye!!
2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, '62.'
He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, 'Did you start at 1?'
3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, 'Who was THAT?'
4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: 'We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild
raspberries in the woods.'
The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, 'I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!'
5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, 'Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?'
I mentally polished my halo and I said, 'No, how are we alike?'
'You're both old,' he replied.
6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. 'What's it about?' he asked.
'I don't know,' she replied, 'I can't read.
7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying, 'Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!'
8. Wh en my grandson Melvin and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, 'It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.'
9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, 'I'm not sure.'
'Look in your underwear, Grandpa,' he advised. 'Mine says I'm four to six.'
10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, 'Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.'
The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. 'That's
interesting,' she said, 'how do you make babies?'
''It's simple,' replied the girl. 'You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'.'
11. Children's Logic: 'Give me a sentence about a public servant,' said a teacher.
The small boy wrote: 'The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.'
The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. 'Don't you know what pregnant means?' she asked.
'Sure,' said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child.'
12. A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. 'They use him to keep crowds back,' said one child.
'No,' said another, 'He's just for good luck.'
A third child brought the argument to a close. 'They use the dogs,' she said firmly, 'to find the fire hydrants!
Driver In Fatal St. Cloud Chase Charged With Murder
A man accused of fleeing police last month and crashing his vehicle in Waite Park is now charged with two counts of third-degree murder.Controversial homeless plan
Atlantic City's proposal is meant to remove squatters from its streets and public spaces.
Also: 
Gretzky's NHL rookie card auctioned for $94,163
Odds and Sods
A female German jogger was recovering with only minor injuries Monday after she managed to fight off a crazed deer by putting it into a headlock, daily newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported.
Signs You May Be A Redneck
The most common phrase heard in your house is, "Somebody go jiggle the handle."Your best shoes have numbers on the heels.
Your dog passes gas and you claim it.
You see a sign that says "Just Say No To Crack!" and it reminds you to pull up your jeans.
You've ever asked a widow for her telephone number at the funeral home.
You come back from the dump with more than you took.
You consider a six pack of Pabst and a bug-zapper quality entertainment.
Your dog and your wallet are both on a chain.
You think "six to ten pounds" on the side of the Pampers box means how much the diaper will hold.
Your lawn furniture used to be your living room furniture.
You've ever "hit on" somebody in a V.D. clinic.
Windfarms paid extra cash to stop producing energy
Six Scottish windfarms were paid up to £300,000 to stop producing energy. The turbines, at a range of sites across Scotland, were stopped because the grid network could not absorb all the energy they generated. Details of the payments emerged following research by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF).
The REF said energy companies were paid £900,000 to halt the turbines for several hours between 5 and 6 April. According to the REF research, the payments made cost up to 20 times the value of the electricity that would have been generated if the turbines had kept running. Dr Lee Moroney, planning director for the REF, which has criticized subsidies to the renewable sector in the past, said:
"The variability of wind power poses grid management problems for which there are no cheap solutions. However, throwing the energy away, and paying wind farms handsomely for doing so, is not only costly but obviously very wasteful. Government must rethink the scale and pace of wind power development before the costs of managing it become intolerable and the scale of the waste scandalous."
The National Grid said the network had overloaded because high winds and heavy rain in Scotland overnight on 5 and 6 April produced more wind energy than it could use. A spokesman for the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), described the incident as "unusual" and said more electrical storage was needed.
The REF said energy companies were paid £900,000 to halt the turbines for several hours between 5 and 6 April. According to the REF research, the payments made cost up to 20 times the value of the electricity that would have been generated if the turbines had kept running. Dr Lee Moroney, planning director for the REF, which has criticized subsidies to the renewable sector in the past, said:
"The variability of wind power poses grid management problems for which there are no cheap solutions. However, throwing the energy away, and paying wind farms handsomely for doing so, is not only costly but obviously very wasteful. Government must rethink the scale and pace of wind power development before the costs of managing it become intolerable and the scale of the waste scandalous."
The National Grid said the network had overloaded because high winds and heavy rain in Scotland overnight on 5 and 6 April produced more wind energy than it could use. A spokesman for the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), described the incident as "unusual" and said more electrical storage was needed.
Pain and itch connected down deep
A new study of itch adds to growing evidence that the chemical signals that make us want to scratch are the same signals that make us wince in pain.
The interactions between itch and pain are only partly understood …
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