Hillary Scare Ad Takes Page from the GOP

Waitasec: isn't it the GOP who are supposed to try to scare us into voting for a particular candidate?

The ad says:

"It's 3 a.m., and your children are safe and asleep. But there's a phone in the White House, and it's ringing — something's happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call.

Whether it's someone who already knows the world's leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world. It's 3 a.m., and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?"

The Obama campaign didn't waste time replying. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said:

"We don't think the ad is going to be effective at all. Senator Clinton already had her red phone moment -- to decide whether to allow George Bush to invade Iraq. She answered affirmatively. She did not read the National Intelligence Estimate. She still, curiously, tries to suggest that it wasn't a vote for war, but it most assuredly was...

This is about what you say when you answer that phone. What judgment you show...She, John McCain and George Bush gave the wrong answer."

I was expecting to see these scare ads in the general election, from the GOP vs. the Democrats. After all, we know if the Democrats win they'll welcome Al-Qaeda with open arms, right (insert sarcasm here)?

Watch the ad:

Mother Finds 14-Year-Old Daughter's Internet Boyfriend Hiding in Room

In Bedford, TX, a mother found Eric Gahagen, 27, of Central City, PA, hiding in her 14-year-old daughter's bed on Monday. Gahagen had arrived on Sunday night and was not discovered until late Monday evening.

He is being charged with having sex with a minor, which police say occurred Monday evening after the teen returned from school.

Gahagen and the 14-year-old apparently met in the chat room of pogo.com about eight months ago. Since then they have exchanged text messages and phone calls.

Gahagen said he believed the girl to be 20; police disagree, saying that she doesn't look 20, and her room resembles a teen's room, not a 20-year-old's. Gahagen remains in the Bedford Jail with bail set at $50,000.

Online Donations Fund Boob Jobs

Karla-Rae Morris is getting an $8,000 breast augmentation surgery ... OK, boob job ... for free. It's all thanks to the website MyFreeImplants.com – a California-based site that allows men to invest in breast augmentation surgery for women who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it.

Speaking of boobs ... in exchange for donations, the women chat online with the charitable men and send them photos and videos of themselves. Wow, really worth it, right?

It took Morris over 2 years to reach her $8,000 goal. She's a 26-year-old stay-at-home mother from Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. 5'6", 98 pounds, with a 32AA chest, she plans to ... er ... increase her bust size to 34C.

She actually holds a record for the site, though not one to be proud of: she took the longest amount of time to reach her goal of any woman on the site so far.

"It’s like donating to any charity. You feel like you’re doing good," Morris said of her benefactors. "When you’re donating to starving kids in Africa, you’re never going to see those kids eat and you’re never going to meet. Obviously, this is not as important as helping starving kids in Africa, but it’s the same basis. They (the men) want to help us out."

Okaaaay, if you say so.

Teenager Suffers from Water Allergy

It may be difficult to believe, but 19-year-old Ashleigh Morris, from Melbourne, Australia, is allergic to water. She's lived with the condition since she was 14, and it's so bad that even sweating will cause her to break out in a rash.

Morris suffers from an extremely rare skin disease called aquagenic urticaria. Contact with water of any temperature causes suffering. Morris can only take 1-minute showers, in fact.

As she told the Daily Mail,

"Although my rash is unsightly, and often looks like I'm diseased, the feeling is so much worse than it looks. I can't go anywhere for about two hours afterwards because it's so severe. There's been many occasions where I've been so itchy, I've made myself bleed from scratching."

She developed the condition after an acute case of tonsillitis, when she was prescribed a heavy dose of penicillin. Her dermatologist, Professor Rodney Sinclair, said the penicillin had changed the histamine levels in her body, causing the aquagenic urticaria. There is no cure and no successful treatment. It affects only the skin; she can drink water without any reaction.

While dermatologists agree there's an association with elevated blood histamine levels (such as those indicated in Morris' case), antihistamine drugs often provide no relief at all - so they also agree there must be some other causative effect.

Both her family and boyfriend of three years, Adam, 23, have been very supportive, but it must put a real damper on parts of her relationship. "We have to sleep with a sheet between us at night, and I can't go near him if he's sweaty," she said.

Soldier Has Himself Shot to Avoid Return to Iraq

Much has been made of the repeat Iraq and Afghanistan tours some soldiers have been forced to endure. One man did not want to return, and he decided he would do anything to prevent it. Including, Army Pfc. Matthew Myers, 20, of Apple Valley, California decided, having a friend shoot him in the leg.

He told police he had been attacked and robbed by an unknown assailant while walking along the Apple Valley Country Club golf course. Unfortunately, someone hadn't watch too many forensics shows, as police became suspicious when footprints near the spot where Myers was shot showed he and the shooter had been walking together prior to the incident.

After police interrogated him for some time (I'm assuming no waterboarding took place), Myers admitted it was all a ploy to avoid going back to Iraq, planned by Myers with his best friend, Daniel Dotterrer, 20, also of Apple Valley.

Charges may be filed, with Dotterrer facing conspiracy and assault with a deadly weapon and Myers facing conspiracy.

While a military spokesman said that a leg wound like Myers' would not normally be enough to cause a soldier to be discharged, it's obvious that it would have delayed his deployment.

Why would he do this? PTSD, perhaps? Unknown at this time, but the incidence of PTSD in veterans returning from Iraq has definitely been on the upswing.

9-Year-Old Sharapova-wanna-be Banned for Grunting

Break 'em of bad habits when they're young, that's the way to do it.

Maria Sharapova has been criticized over her extremely loud grunting during play, but you can bet they won't try this with a champion like her. A 9-year-old Australian girl has been banned from playing tennis at her local club over the grunting noises she makes during play.

Lauryn Edwards was told last weekend that she could no longer play after an opposing player complained about her grunting. This occurred in the middle of a match, and left Edwards crying, according to NPR.

Her father, Duncan Edwards said, "They told me to guarantee she won't grunt or she can't play. How can I guarantee that? She's been doing it since she was really little. She's her own person. What do they want me to do? Put Band-Aids over her mouth? They made her cry on the court when they told her. She was in such a state that I had to bring her home mid-match."

"It feels natural to do my noise. I'm not faking it," Lauren said. "It makes me play better. When I don't do it, I don't play my best tennis. And now people have told me I can't play if I do it."

I have to admit I find Sharapova's grunting distracting, and so do many opponents. It should be noted that Edwards' favorite player is - Sharapova, so though she says she plays better while grunting, it "sounds" more like hero worship than anything else.

Third-Graders Patted Down Over Missing $5

I hesitate to think what they might have done if $20 was missing. Perhaps a strip search?

Students at Martin Luther King Elementary in Hopkinsville, Kentucky were searched by a group of teachers after an envelope containing $5 disappeared. The students were even asked to remove their shoes and socks during the search.

The money was not found.

Parents were, unsurprisingly, angry.

Christian County Schools spokeswoman Regan Huneycutt said the search violated the school district's policy, since the teachers touched several of the 17 students, and patted some of them down. School employees can touch students only when the student poses a threat to another student or to themselves.

The school's principal has given written reprimands to the four teachers: Gwendolyn Parker, substitute Patricia Dawson, student teacher Cassandra Fann and kindergarten aide Chris Dudley.

The search was prompted by the disappearance of an envelope containing $5 for a school function. It had been on a teacher's desk. The four teachers went through desks, backpacks, etc. but did not find the money.

At that point Parker asked students to take off their socks and shoes and lined the children up at the front of the classroom, at which time the physical search began. Teachers patted down students and checked their pockets.

While I can see why parents might be angry, compare to what teachers used to do to students in say, our grandparents' time, this is nothing. That said, it definitely crossed a line.

What do you readers think?

McCain Denounces "Barack Hussein Obama" Remarks

Well, this certainly has won John McCain some respect in my eyes. As I've written before, many have tried to use Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein, as a weapon against him. Today, Bill Cunningham, who hosts "The Big Show" with Bill Cunningham, a nationally syndicated radio show, was one of those prepping the crowd prior to McCain's appearance in Cincinnati Wednesday.

Cunningham used Obama’s middle name, Hussein, three times, while at the same time disparaging him. While McCain was in fact not present during those remarks, he still felt it necessary to make a statement.

"It’s my understanding that before I came in here a person who was on the program before I spoke made some disparaging remarks about my two colleagues in the Senate, Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. I have repeatedly stated my respect for Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, that I will treat them with respect. I will call them ‘Senator.’ We will have a respectful debate, as I have said on hundreds of occasions. I regret any comments that may have been made about these two individuals who are honorable Americans."

Interestingly, Cunningham shot back at McCain's remarks, saying:

"Only Democrats, Air America, New York Times, talk-show hosts and newspaper reporters have freedom of speech. I have the right to speak my mind any way that I would like. If I consider Obama to be a hack Chicago politician from the Daley political machine, taking money from this Tony Rezko dude under threat of federal indictment, can’t I speak truth to power?"

Sheesh. While McCain, at least for now (we'll see about during the "real" election) shows some honor, Cunningham is just ridiculous. Obama's middle name comes from his father, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. It's not because he's honoring Islam, and it's not because, as ridiculously posited, he's a "radical Muslim." Give it a rest.

Yes, You,Too, Can Be Larry Craig's Intern

Some might call this an incredible opportunity. Certainly, Larry Craig does. Others might call it scary.

While I realize we're talking Larry Craig here, and not Mark Foley, that still doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Yes, Larry Craig is advertising for summer interns. His press release says:

"Interns have the chance to be an essential part of a working congressional office," said Craig. "They participate in the legislative process as well as ensure that constituent services run smoothly. For those interested in politics, it is an incredible opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how our government functions while serving the people of Idaho."

The press release says preference will be given to Idaho applicants attending Idaho schools who are in their junior or senior years of college. I wonder if there's any other way to get preferential treatment.

On this page, Craig indicates he got his start as an intern. Can you be more specific about what you got your start in, Larry?

BTW, he needs a new writer. Or perhaps my mind is just in the gutter. Some of the stuff in the press release is gold for those looking for a way to rib Larry Craig.

• The application deadline is March 15, however if more time is needed for the application process, please contact Senator Craig's office for an extension.
• ... it is an incredible opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how our government functions ...
  
• Interns are paired with staff members based on experience and interests, in order to best utilize their talents.

Just stay out of the restrooms, and you'll be fine.

German Police Dogs to Get Shoes

Don't worry, there's a practical reason for this footwear. Dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are being fitted with shoes - blue plastic fiber shoes - because of the high rate of paw injuries on the force.

"All 20 of our police dogs - German and Belgian shepherds - are currently being trained to walk in these shoes," police spokesman Andre Hartwich said to AP. "I'm not sure they like it, but they'll have to get used to it."

The problem is especially prevalent in the city's historical old town - famous for its pubs - where the dogs often step on broken beer bottles.

"Even the street-cleaning doesn't manage to remove all the glass pieces from between the streets' cobble stones," Hartwich said, adding that the dogs frequently get injured by little pieces sticking deep in their paws.

Hartwich joked that "Now we just have to teach the dogs how to tie their shoes."

Clinton Staffers Circulate Pic of Obama in Somali Garb: Report

For some, Barack Obama's "Hussein" middle name has been something worth picking on. For others, it has been pushing the unsubstantiated rumor (debunked by Snopes) that Obama is or was a "radical Muslim." But this - this is truly low.

According to the Drudge Report, Clinton staffers have begun circulating a picture of Obama dressed as a Somali Elder, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya in 2006.

Of course, as the Drudge Report rightfully points out, other leaders have dressed in local garb when visiting other countries (as below), so it shouldn't be a big deal for voters ... but who wants to bet it will be? At any rate, in response to the report, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe accused the Clinton campaign Monday of "shameful offensive fear-mongering."

And oh, yeah, it would be, playing on people's fears. As I've written many times, Americans are so easily cowed nowadays.

Plouffe said:

"On the very day that Senator Clinton is giving a speech about restoring respect for America in the world, her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we’ve seen from either party in this election. This is part of a disturbing pattern that led her county chairs to resign in Iowa, her campaign chairman to resign in New Hampshire, and it’s exactly the kind of divisive politics that turns away Americans of all parties and diminishes respect for America in the world."

Meanwhile, Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams said in a statement:

"If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely."

Well, why then is this photo being circulated by Clinton's camp, then? It just reeks of desperation. One good thing: it'll be one less thing the GOP can pull because it'll be out of the way by then.

"Blind" Welfare Recipient Jailed After IDing Car That Hit Him

Ah, yes, makes you wonder how he could possibly have kept the scam going for so long since he's not the brightest person in the world. At least this didn't happen in the U.S.

In Japan, 50-year-old Shinichi Maruyama had been getting a larger welfare check for years because he had applied for special dispensation as being "nearly completely blind." Don't ask me how, but ccording to the Mainichi Daily News (Japanese) he apparently had a doctor's certificate.

The tip-off came last year when he filed a complaint with the police alleging that he had been the victim of a hit-and-run accident. In the statement he gave investigators, Maruyama said he had been struck by a red car.

Sharp as a tack, the police realized that he shouldn't be able to ID the car if he was blind. Of course, it should also have occurred to them that he shouldn't be driving, either.

It turns out that Maruyama had just passed the eye test when renewing his driver's license in Sapporo in October last year. That alone should have set off alarm bells, though not if the computer systems between the disability office and their version of the DMV weren't linked.

According to the police, Maruyama has received the extra payments for the past five years and allegedly received approximately 2 million yen more than he should have.

And they say Justice is blind.

Mike Huckabee on SNL: "I'm not a math guy, I'm more of a miracle guy"

Despite the fact I am not a Mike Huckabee supporter, I found his ability to make fun of himself engaging. He appeared on SNL this weekend, during the Weekend Update segment, to address just why he's still in the race when he's been mathematically eliminated.

Seth Meyers: So, Governor, You remain in the race despite the fact that it's a mathematical impossibility that you can win, and our question is, why?

Huckabee: Well, Seth, the media loves to throw around the term mathematical impossibility, but no one can ever explain exactly what that means to me.

Seth: Well, let me give it a shot. Basically it takes 1,191 delegates to win your party's nomination, and even if you won every unpledged delegate you would still fall 200 delegates short.

Huckabee: Wow, uh, Seth that was an excellent explanation. But I'm afraid that you overlook the all-important superdelegates. Don't forget about them.

Seth: Well, I won't forget about them. But the superdelegates are only in the Democratic primaries.

Huckabee: They can't vote in the Republican primary?

Seth: They cannot.

Huckabee: Uh, oh. That's not good news. You know, Seth, I was counting on those superdelegates.

Seth: Sorry to break that to you. Now, does this mean that now you know that you're going to drop out of the race?

Huckabee: Well, fortunately Seth, I'm not a math guy, I'm more of a miracle guy. So at this point I'm gonna focus on the miracle part. But if that miracle doesn't happen, let me assure the American people that Mike Huckabee doesn't overstay his welcome. When it's time for me to go, I'll know, and I'll exit out with class and grace.

At this point they try to get Huckabee to leave, but of course, he doesn't realize it's time for him to go and he doesn't exit with class and grace. Hilarious.

Watch the video from SNL via Raw Story.

Alcohol in Chips Draws Muslims' Anger

Whoops! Considering the possible penalty (for example, hanging in this Iranian case) for drinking, I can see why they'd be upset.

Walkers Snack Food is the U.K,'s No.1 food brand and PepsiCo's fourth largest business unit. Unfortunately a tiny amount of alcohol is used in some products as a chemical agent and alcohol is forbidden by Islamic law.

The problem: the alcohol, trace amount though it may be, is not listed on the label.

Shuja Shafi, who chairs the food standards committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said that he intended to investigate. “Certainly we would find it very offensive to have eaten food with alcohol.”

At the same time, Walkers said:

"We do not add alcohol to our products. However, ethyl alcohol may be present in trace amounts in a very small number of our flavours.

"It is used as a carrying agent for flavourings, and is found in many common food and drink products.

"In previous assessments by Muslim scholars, foods and drinks that contain trace amounts of ethyl alcohol have been confirmed as permissible for Muslim consumption because of both the fact that the ingredient does not bear its original qualities and does not change the taste, color or smell of the product, and its very low level."

If that's the case, perhaps this is much ado over nothing.

A possible boycott is planned with the following targeted snacks: Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli, Doritos Chilli Heat Wave and Quavers Cheese.

Head of Local Rehab Program Arrested for DUI

Do as I say, not as I do, right? The director of the Palm City, Florida, Comprehensive Offender Rehabilitation and Education (CORE) program has been arrested for DUI.

Margot "Peggy" Cioffi, 59, was arrested last week after a traffic accident. Her blood alcohol content was measured at .336, while Florida's legal limit is .08. Just a tad bit over the limit, eh?

Cioffi was charged with DUI with property damage, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, resisting arrest without violence and disorderly intoxication, a deputy's report says. She was released from the Martin County Jail on Tuesday on $2,000 bond. Lots of property damage, I see.

She's also been suspended from her post.

Suzanne Caudell, CORE's program manager, has been named acting director.

Is Ralph Nader in Bed with the GOP?

While the title is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, one has to wonder. Sunday on Meet the Press, Ralph Nader announced his candidacy for president.

It's interesting that one of the numbers he used to support his candidacy is a poll by Frank Luntz, a GOP pollster. He says that 80% of Americans would "consider" voting for an Independent candidate this year.

Why is he listening to a GOP pollster? Shouldn't he be listening to an Independent pollster? If I didn't know better, I'd wonder if the GOP put out that number to help Nader make his decision, knowing that Nader will pull voters from the Democrats.

Sure, a lot of what he says may make sense. But he can't win. There is no way he can win. Why waste time and money on this? And let's consider the natural resources he'll use use up in terms of energy and more in this "Green Party" run (and yes, I realize they are not solely about "green" in environmental terms).

I am a practical person. Looking at this bid in those terms, this bid makes absolutely no sense. So why bother?

Is Nader an impractical person? Or is he just in bed with the GOP?

In the 2000 election, when Nader took more than 97,000 votes in Florida. Bush won Florida by just 537 votes. Exit polls show that voters would have gone for Gore 2 - 1 if Nader was not on the ballot. Nader is why we have Bush in office.

Of course, it could also be said it had something to do with the Supreme Court, Katherine Harris, Jeb Bush and others - but without Nader we wouldn't have had to worry about any of that.

The video below shows Nader's announcement. What it doesn't show is what Russert said afterward:

RUSSERT: As you know, Ralph Nader, they'll be Democrats all across the country who are going to find this very disturbing news, and they'll point again to 2000. This was the vote count. Al Gore winning the popular vote, but you've got 2.7 percent, nearly three million votes, in 2000. Then Florida, Florida, Florida. As you remember, George Bush won Florida by 537 votes. You've got 97,488. Democrat after Democrat says to this day, Ralph Nader, if your name had not been on that ballot, Al Gore would've carried Florida. Exit polls show he would've carried Nader voters 2-to-1. Gore would've been president and not George Bush. You, Ralph Nader are responsible for what has happened the last seven years.

NADER: Not, not George Bush? Not the Democrats in Congress? Not the voters who voted for George Bush? But there were Democrats in Florida, 250,000 of them. You know, I wish we'd have Al Gore on this program someday Tim and ask him, "Why did you not become president in 2000?" And I think what he's going to tell you is he thought he did win Florida, but it was taken from him before, during and after the election from Tallahassee. Katherine Bush--you know the secretary of the state...

RUSSERT: Katherine Harris.

NADER: Harris, rather, and Jeb Bush, all the way to that terribly politicized Supreme Court decision.

Yeah, yeah, like I said, without Nader, no worries about the Supreme Court decision. Although Nader goes on to say if the Democrats can't take the election in a landslide, then they ought to fold up shop.

RUSSERT: How would you feel, however, if Ralph Nader's presence on the ballot tilted Florida or Ohio to John McCain and McCain became president, and Barack Obama, the first African-American who had been nominated by the Democratic Party--this is hypothetical--did not become a president and people turned to you and said, "Nader, you've done it again"?

NADER: Not a chance. If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form. You think the American people are going to vote for a pro-war John McCain who almost gives an indication that he's the candidate of perpetual war, perpetual intervention overseas?

What an idiot. I hate to diminish his past accomplishments but - what an idiot. The thing is the GOP plays the fear card and many Americans fall for it, as though the Democrats would say to terrorists "please come here and kill us." How many people have you heard say that security is their number one bullet point? And that only the GOP can give us security (a totally foolish statement).

While Nader is likely not in bed with the GOP, he might as well be. Since this announcement, forums and comments all over the web have been that Nader just gave the election to McCain. Many of those posts came from GOP voters. While that may be an exaggeration, I wish we didn't have to take that chance.

Watch his announcement:

Woman Says Dog Saved Her Life with "Heimlich Manuever"

A Dayton, Ohio woman says her life was saved by her 4-year-old Shih Tzu, Chewie when he "performed" the Heimlich manuever on her.

Mary Jo Heidenreich, 45, was eating when she felt something lodge in her throat. Choking, her dog came to her aid when Chewie jumped on her chest.

"He went to jump up in my lap, he hit right below my rib cage," she said. "He wanted to comfort me." Heidenreich said a small piece of tooth then popped of her throat.

Heidenreich is convinced Chewie saved her life by jumping on her chest, perhaps even inadvertently performing the Heimlich maneuver.

Dr. Robert Kahn, doubts it was a Heimlich manuever. While the Heimlich maneuver is used to dislodge a piece of food stuck in the esophagus, the piece of tooth might have been lodged in the back of Heidenreich's throat. The pressure of Chewie's paws, along with her reaction, may have been enough to dislodge it, he said.

On the other hand, Kahn said, "A 10-year-old kid can perform a Heimlich maneuver."

So why dispell the magic? Let us think it was a Heimlick manuever if we want to.

Besides, Chewie wouldn't be the first dog to pull it off. A Baltimore woman in March of 2007 said her Golden Retriever Toby jumped on her chest while she was choking, dislodging a piece of fruit and saving her life.

Florida Marlins Searching for a "Few Fat Men"

I'm sorry, why is it I think this won't be as interesting - at least to me - as the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, or any other cheerleaders for that matter? The Florida Marlins are searching for a few fat men - no, let's be honest, a few obese men - to be part of a 7-10 member cheerleading squad to be dubbed the Manatees.

Tryouts will be Feb. 24th at 1:00 PM at Dolphin Stadium.

No money - but free tickets to the Friday and Saturday games they perform at.

According to a flier, the Marlins want 'big bellies with the biggest jiggle, big feet with the best dance moves and enthusiasm that will rock Marlins fans out of their seats."

The Marlins already have a female cheerleader squad, the decidedly more attractive Mermaids (below).

Saudis Arrest 57 Men for Flirting with Women

On Saturday Saudi Arabian authorities began interrogating 57 men who were arrested for flirting with women at a shopping mall - in the holy city of Mecca, no less!

The men were also charged with various other "serious" crimes such as dancing to pop music, blaring music from their cars, and wearing improper clothing.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice runs the religious police, who are charged with enforcing Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic lifestyle. The police are known informally as the "muttawa," which translates literally to "enforcer." They don't wear uniforms, but they can be recognized by their long beards and their shorter-than-normal robes, and the lack of the black cord that sits atop the headdress worn by most Saudi men. An example is pictured above.

Hopefully none of these men will face sentences as severe as this man, who faces hanging for drinking, or these women who face stoning for adultery (though adultery for what they did is a stretch).

Too Pretty to Fly? Women Charge "Beauty Discrimination"

Southwest Airlines hits the news again, but this time not over a "dress code," but instead over "beauty discrimination." University of South Florida student Nisreen Swedberg and friend Sarah Williams, both 18, made this claim about a flight they took on - of all days - Valentine's Day.

The flight was from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles. Swedberg said they were treated unfairly from the moment they entered the plane.

She also said she asked a flight attendant for a bottle of water and was told she had to wait until the rest of the flight was served. "And I patiently waited and then when they came around with water, they skipped me," Swedberg said.

Later, Williams exchanged profanities with another passenger over the use the plane's bathroom. But she indicated that the attendants only questioned her.

"I think they were just discriminating against because we were young decent-looking girls. I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us,” she said. “[The flight attendants] were like older ladies. We were younger. Who knows, they could have been just jealous of us because we were younger."

Southwest defends the incident, saying the women caused a disruption on the flight.

When the plane landed in LA, the women were met by four uniformed officers and later questioned by the FBI. The women were released nearly two hours later.

No charges were filed, but Williams and Swedberg say they were banned from all future Southwest Airlines flights, including their scheduled flight home to Tampa.

Swedberg said, "I don't know what happened on this flight; I didn't do anything wrong and I feel like I was just discriminated against based upon my looks."

Hate to say it, Nisreen, but although the above "semi-glamour" shot makes you two look good, this picture captured from a video report shows you just ain't that good-lookin'. I think you were treated as you were because you two were probably acting like b*tches.

Good luck finding flights - on other airlines.

Man and Wife Argue Over Who's Too Drunk to Drive; Argument Gets Settled the Hard Way

I believe the fact that the husband ran over his wife shows which on was too drunk, or rather, in this case, drunker.

Thursday, in Merritt Island, Florida, Richard Zubowicz, 45, thought his wife Becky, 44, was too drunk to drive. Never mind himself. So they pulled into a grocery store parking lot to argue. He allegedly pushed his wife to the ground, jumped in the SUV and circled the parking lot.

As his wife was still lying down, he ran over her when he returned to the spot of the argument.

Police later found Becky Zubowicz still pinned beneath the SUV. She remains in critical condition.

Richard Zubowicz remains jailed on charges of drunken driving and and domestic violence.

Glitch Changes "Tickle Me, Elmo" to "Threaten Me, Elmo"

Rather than "Tickle Me, Elmo," what we have here is "Threaten Me, Elmo." At least, according to a Tampa Bay, Florida mother.

Melissa Bowman says that since changing the batteries in the Elmo toy which is her 2-year-old son's favorite, the doll has been making death threats, saying "Kill James." James is her son's name, BTW.

Bowman says that not only does Elmo say "Kill James," her son is repeating the phrase.

I originally thought this was a load of cr*p, because the fact that it knows James' name made it seem like the Twilight Zone. But then I realized this is the "Elmo Knows Your Name" doll. That means that one of the first things you do is program in the name of your child.

Elmo is supposed to know over 100 phrases, but "Kill" doesn't seem like it should be one of them.

On the other hand, perhaps Elmo has met Chucky.

Fisher-Price has offered a voucher for a new doll if the doll is returned to them.

Watch the video:

McCain: "I’m the Only One the Special Interests Don’t Give Any Money To"

Oh, come on. I don't believe there is any candidate, at least at the national level, that doesn't get some money from special interest groups. And certainly someone as powerful as John McCain would.

Last November, at a townhall meeting in New Hampshire, McCain implied that he’s the only one who's never allowed himself to be corrupted by lobbyists:

Everybody says that they’re against the special interests. I’m the only one the special interests don’t give any money to.

But that doesn't jive with figures from the Center for Responsible Politics, which show him taking plenty of cash from various industry groups, and even from the vague "Lobbyists" category at #11.

Additionally, the Washington Post writes about just how many lobbyists are advising McCain in an article today:

But when McCain huddled with his closest advisers at his rustic Arizona cabin last weekend to map out his presidential campaign, virtually every one was part of the Washington lobbying culture he has long decried. His campaign manager, Rick Davis, co-founded a lobbying firm whose clients have included Verizon and SBC Telecommunications. His chief political adviser, Charles R. Black Jr., is chairman of one of Washington's lobbying powerhouses, BKSH and Associates, which has represented AT&T, Alcoa, JPMorgan and U.S. Airways.

Senior advisers Steve Schmidt and Mark McKinnon work for firms that have lobbied for Land O' Lakes, UST Public Affairs, Dell and Fannie Mae.

And let's not forget Vicki Iseman, who the New York Times says showed up enough at events that McCain staffers suspected, true or not, a romantic involvement. Who needs money in that case?

Seriously, though, the anti-lobbyist doesn't look all that anti.

Watch the video from last year's NH townhall:

Viva Obama! Barack Gets the Mariachi Treatment

Check it out! It's not the same as Obama Girl, but hey, Viva Obama! Less than two weeks before the Texas primary, a critical contest for both Obama and Clinton, Barack Obama has been given a boost in the form of a Mexican Mariachi band singing his praises on YouTube.

They've even got their own website, Amigos de Obama.

The two-minute clip features six musicians dressed in traditional sombreros and black suits, singing "Viva Obama!"

The site was started by Miguel Orozco, who says on the site:

My imagination was captured in Chicago by a self-described, “skinny dude with the funny name.” Before I knew it he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 2004, I’m living in Southern Cal watching the Democratic National Convention and impacted by his speech. It wasn’t the same old politics – the audacity of it all. This year he announces that he’s running for President.

Amigos de Obama and the Como Se Dice? Como Se Llama? OBAMA! OBAMA! ‘08 outreach campaign was created to fill a void in media outreach to Latinos. Every election year, last minute, anemic voter registration drives yield little success. Media campaigns often consist of TV spots showing candidates speaking a few words of Spanish in an attempt to win Latino votes or attack ads about ‘illegal aliens’ to scare non-Latino voters.

We are desperately seeking a voice that speaks authentically. Race and politics aside, it’s leadership not sound bites that we need. If you claim to be compassionate, show it. If you preach unity, help us unify and heal our great divide. If you want our vote, earn it. Be real. Barack Obama represents a defining moment for our generation. We have an opportunity to be agents of change and bring awareness to the Latino community.

We all have a unique story. It doesn’t matter that I’m Mexican-American, born in East LA, raised in Utah, lived in DC and worked on the South-side of Chicago. What matters is what I’m doing now and how I’m helping my neighbor, my brother.

Watch the video:

Recent Earthquakes Due to Tolerance of Gays: Israeli MP

Ah, this must explain why California has so many earthquakes. San Francisco and all, right?

Shlomo Benizri, of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas Party, blamed tolerance for homosexuality at a parliamentary committee on the country's preparedness for earthquakes:

"We are looking for earthly solutions, how to prevent them. I have another way to prevent earthquakes. The Gemara says that one of the reasons earthquakes happen, which the Knesset legitimises, is homosexuality. God says you shake your genitals where you are not supposed to and I will shake my world in order to wake you up."

Okaaaay. I guess tectonic plates have nothing to do with it. And what about Nevada on Thursday? Perhaps because of all their legalized brothels?

Israel decriminalised homosexuality in 1988 and has since passed several laws recognizing gay rights, including, just last week, a ruling by Israel's attorney general that same-sex couples could adopt.

Two earthquakes shook the region last week and four in November and December. You can see it has them "all shook up."

50th Anniversary of the Peace Symbol

Today, February 21st, is the 50th anniversary of the peace symbol. The iconic symbol was developed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist (as well as a graduate of the Royal College of Arts and conscientious objector) in Great Britain.

It was originally designed specifically for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in Great Britain. In fact, the symbol is a combination of the semaphore signals for the letters "N" and "D" - standing for Nuclear Disarmament (as shown).

It was Feb. 21, 1958 when the symbol was accepted by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear war. While quickly being used in anti-nuclear protests across Great Britain, it soon spread worldwide, and has since become universally known to represent peace rather than simply nuclear disarmament.

On this 50th anniversary of its adoption, wouldn't it be wonderful to see 50 years of peace, rather than just a symbol?

Policeman Allegedly Tasers Cow

I've heard of cow-tipping, but cow-tasering? A Rogers, Arkansas police lieutenant is under investigation after allegedly using his taser to shock a cow. He also allegedly shared a videotape of the incident with other police employees.

Police Chief Steve Helms received a letter from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Feb. 11th. The letter accused Rogers Police Department Lt. David Mitchell of using his Taser on a cow and video taping the incident.

"It is our understanding that the alleged incident occurred while Lt. Mitchell was off duty, that the Taser's darts were not removed from the cow's flesh afterward, and that Lt. Mitchell apparently found the incident so amusing that it was recently set to music and distributed as a joke among his friends and colleagues," wrote PETA representative Stephanie Bell.

However, since the alleged incident occurred 2 1/2 years ago, it would be past the statute of limitations for a misdemeanor. City Attorney Ben Lipscomb said Tuesday there would be no point in pursuing a criminal investigation.

I'd like to see this guy lose his job, however. The police department is still investigating.

Don't Call Me Ugly! Woman Stabs Man After Insult

Citizens of Yonkers, NY had better give Kyeisha Fuller compliments, not insults. The 23-year-old argued on Tuesday with a guest of her roommate, and after the "ugly" comment, she allegedly stabbed him in the shoulder with a kitchen knife.

When police arrived they found the man on the sidewalk - bleeding.

Yonkers Police Lt. Sean Mullins said officers saw Fuller coming out of the building while holding a knife, then ordered her to drop it and arrested her.

On Wednesday, Fuller was awaiting arraignment on charges of assault and weapon possession.

Now, what do you readers think? Although maybe you'd better not put your opinion of her in print in case she reads it and decides to come after you.

When You Endorse a Candidate, Make Sure You Know Something About Them

It's usually good if you are supporting someone, to know something they might have done in the past. Texas State Senator Kirk Watson (D-TX) apparently didn't know that rule when he appeared on MSNBC Tuesday night. He also didn't seem to know much about his candidate, Barack Obama.

Watson was on to talk about his support of Senator Obama with Representative Stephanie Tubbs (D-OH), who backs Hillary Clinton.

Matthews: You're a big Barack supporter, right Senator?

Watson: I am, yes I am.

Matthews: Well name some of his legislative accomplishments.

Watson: We, uh, well.

Matthews: No, Senator, I want you to name some of Barack Obama's legislative accomplishments tonight if you can.

(Awkward pause.)

Watson: Well, I - you know, what I will talk about is more about he's offering the American people.

Matthews: No, no, what has he accomplished, sir. You say you support him, sir. You have to give me his accomplishments; you've supported him for President; you're on national television; name his legislative accomplishments, Barack Obama, sir.

Watson: Well, I'm not going to be able to name you specific items of legislative accomplishment.

Matthews: Can you name any? Can you anything he's accomplished as a Congressman?

Watson: No, I'm not going to be able to do that tonight.

Matthews: Well, that's a problem isn't it?

Watson: Well, I - I, well no, I don't think it is, because I think one of the things that Senator Obama does is that he inspires. He's able to lay out a vision; he's able to lay out solutions.

Whoo, Watson certainly didn't help Obama at all. Clinton and McCain are both picking on Obama's so-called lack of experience. I call it "lack of time to be corrupted."

Watch the video:

Portrait of Lincoln Made of Pennies

The penny has Lincoln on it, so this makes sense right? I guess, however, this father-and-son team didn't want to wait for their pennies to become worth over $10M.

Jeff Haber has collected pennies for 30 years. Not for numismatics purposes, though. When he saw portrait of Abraham Lincoln made entirely of pennies that he saw at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum in Florida about eight years ago, he was inspired.

He and his son Danny (now a high school sophomore) decided to do their own. Not only that - they've now done it 3 times!

The first one hangs in their home. Ripley's bought the second one for $500. The third one is being donated to Danny's high school, New Rochelle (New York) High School.

Surprisingly (to me), the latest one took only $24 or 2400 pennies.

Hopefully copper thieves know that current pennies, since 1982, have 97.5% zinc and only 2.5% copper. The value of copper has made copper theft popular, even though electrocution is a possibility.

Deputy Tasers High School Student Despite Orders

A minor altercation after a Maryland high school basketball game led to a student being tasered by a Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Deputy, despite orders by a superior officer against it.

The fight began when Brandon Bennett, a sophomore and Kent Island High School basketball player, was slapped in the face by another student. The two were separated by officials and students without much problem.

However, at that point, according to Julius Bennett, the student's father, Deputy Anthony Lenzi fired a Taser at his son after being told twice by a senior officer it was not necessary.

"He left two puncture wounds just above his heart in his chest," says Bennett. "And [Brandon] said to me that he was in quite a bit of pain because he could feel electric shocks going throughout his whole body."

The father says he has written proof Sgt. Mathew Kempel twice ordered Lenzi to holster the weapon. The statement reads "I told Deputy Anthony Lenzi not to taze Brandon."

Lenzi has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Glenn Beck: "Nancy Pelosi Will End Up Killing Americans"

On CNN Headline News Monday night, Glenn Beck ratcheted up the fear-mongering over the Protect America Act, which Congress allowed to lapse over the weekend.

After 9/11, you remember we came up with all kinds of new aggressive new laws to combat a new kind of enemy. One of them was the Patriot Act. Another one was the Protection - Protect America Act. This was an extension of our eavesdropping. It helped our government listen in and find terrorists.

Well, over the weekend, the House failed to pass this Bill, which would have prevented the Protect America Act from lapsing, an extension requested by the president. It`s got a six-month sunset over and over again. He feels - and I happen to agree with him — that this congressional game-playing by Nancy Pelosi will end up killing Americans.

Now, what could be even more terrifying than that fact is that Congress may be acting with reelection in mind and not your safety. Critics are saying now that the House caved to special interest groups, mostly trial lawyers who want their rights to sue these big, huge phone companies that release sensitive information to the government.

Geez. How about our privacy or desire to live in a non-tyrannical state? The Bush administration has used fear to propel initiatives forward that have pushed America into the worst category in Privacy International's rankings. We are in the same category as Russia and China, if that gives you some perspective!

Sure, we need to be protected. But funny how the GOP is always talking about "small government" when this sort of thing increases government - government oversight of our activities. Why is it so important for the wiretapping to be warrantless? Did it really take that long to get a warrant in the past? The Bush administration just doesn't want to justify its activities to a judge, that's all.

And why is it they seem to always push the idea that the Democrats are soft on terror? Maybe they're high on Constitutional rights, instead. And does anyone seriously believe that if Gore had been in office instead of Bush the Taliban and Al-Qaeda would be have overrun our country? If you do, I'd be interested in what your IQ is (I'm in Mensa, BTW).

Let's face it, the odds of you dying via a lightning strike are higher than that of dying in a terrorist attack, according to the CDC, as Benjamin Friedman points out in this article (free registration required).

Yet we allow ourselves to be so easily cowed.

Watch the video from CNN Headline News:

Bush: "The Iraq War Has Nothing to Do With the Economy"

Some feel that the economic problems we are seeing today have something to do with the huge quantities of money we have spent - and are spending - on Iraq and Afghanistan. When confronted with this question on Monday's Today Show, Bush refused to consider it.

ANN CURRY: Some Americans believe that they feel they're carrying the burden because of this economy. The economy, they say, is suffering because of this war.

BUSH: I don't agree with that

CURRY: You don’t agree with that? It has nothing do with the economy, the war — the spending on the war?

BUSH: I don’t think so. I think actually the spending in the war might help with jobs…because we’re buying equipment, and people are working. I think this economy is down because we built too many houses and the economy’s adjusting. (Extended HMMMMM at this point by Curry). On the other hand we're just about to kick out 157 billion dollars to out taxpayers and businesses and other families so we can get this economy going.

Boy, they sure gave him a pass. That "HMMMM" by Curry sure seemed silly.

Well, I can see it now. Our economy needs further stimulation. Here we come, Iran. Sure, jobs have been created - for the contractors who made a mint off Iraq and Afghanistan.

Watch the clip:

Buxom Tattoo Implants Go Wrong

Lane Jensen, an Edmonton tattoo artist, decided that in order to make his calf tattoo of a buxom woman more realistic, he would get silicone implants for it. You can guess for which part of the tattoo, I'm sure.

However, even in women, silicone implants don't always take. In this case, they didn't take either. His body rejected them.

According to Jensen, augmenting tattoos with implants is becoming more popular. As an artist, I'm sure he's always into the latest developments.

In this case 3-D might have been better achieved with 3-D glasses, I guess. You can see the tattoo above prior to the rejection. I'm sure you can make out the, er, shapeliness.

Woman Literally Dodges a Bullet

A woman in Longview, Texas dodged a bullet - literally. It happened during an attempted robbery at a convenience store last weekend.

Robin Adams was working behind the counter when a man walked in and pointed a gun at her face. Just as he pulled the trigger, she leaned to the right and ducked. That's not the end of it though. As he tried to cock the gun again, Adams pulled out her own gun from behind the counter and went toe to toe with him.

"He cocked the gun to shoot (at) me again, and then I went barrel to barrel with him," Adams told the Daily Sentinel. "This thing happened so fast that nothing was said about money. It was like he came in here to kill me."

No one was injured but the robber is still at large. Police hope surveillance photos will help them capture him.

Grandfather High on Drugs Passes Out, Smothers Grandson

In Kentucky, David Cull, 50, passed out Wednesday night, apparently high on pharmaceutical drugs. When awakened on Thursday morning, they discovered he had been passed out on the chair where 2-month-old Xavien Cull had been laying.

Donna Cull, the grandmother, said "His lips were purple, and he had four purple stripes down the side of his face. I blew in his face and he wouldn't breathe. His hands were clenched, and he was cold."

David Cull was booked on a charge of reckless homicide. The Culls had originally had custody of both Xavien and his 5-year-old sister, but Child Protective Services came and took the granddaughter away and placed her in the custody of other relatives.

301 Pennies = $10.7 Million

A penny saved is a penny earned, and the older, the better. An auction of 301 pennies from the collection of Burbank resident Walter J. Husak, the owner of an aerospace-part manufacturing company, fetched $10.7 million.

Husak began collecting coins in 1955 at the age of 13 when he visited while his grandparents - who paid him in old coins for helping with chores.

One such penny was minted for two weeks in 1793 but was abandoned because Congress thought Lady Liberty looked frightened. That coin and a 1794 cent with tiny stars added (pictured) to prevent counterfeiters fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

"It was a fabulous night," Heritage Auction president Greg Rohan told AP. "Every major coin collector of American cents was either there in person, bidding online or on the telephone."

The auction house received 15% of the take.

Anti-Vandalism Protester Arrested - for Vandalism

In Poland, Janusz Nowak, 61, was going around innocently posting anti-vandalism notices in the Polish town of Sosnowiec. Unforunately, after he posted a notice on a bus stop he was arrested - for vandalism.

The notice read: "Dear Vandals - please stop destroying the bus-stop."

A police spokesman said: "Although the man had good intentions and wanted to express his indignation towards hooligans' behavior in the neighborhood he unfortunately broke the law himself."

Thanks to this week's NPR radio show Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me for this.

Tom Jones Denies "Chest Hair Insurance" Rumor

It wouldn't be the first case of a celebrity insuring an iconic body part: let's not forget that Mary Hart of ET insured her legs for $1,000,000. In this case the celebrity in question flatly denies the assertion.

On Feb. 5th, the British tabloid The Daily Mirror, reported one time heartthrob (well, still for older women) Tom Jones went to Lloyd's of London with the request of insuring his chest hair and they agreed to write the policy - for $6.8 million.

A post on Jones' website disavows the claim, though, saying:

The story published in the Daily Mirror (UK) on Feb 5 is completely fabricated. No such insurance policy exists or has ever been considered. We assume this is just the Mirror having a bit of fun and hope no one takes this kind of 'reporting' seriously.

Well, Jones was never shy about showing off his chest hair, and he still isn't. While he denies the rumor, after all, this type of insurance .... well, "It's not unusual ..."

Iraqi Dog Reunites with Marine After 70-Mile Trek

This is one of those stories that shows how much a dog will do to stay with his master.

Maj. Brian Dennis took a liking to a shepherd-border collie dog that lived at one of the Iraqi border forts his unit patrolled. The dog appeared to have had its ears cut off as a puppy, so he named it "Nubs."

At first the dog would have nothing to do with the soldiers, but eventually he started to come around.

One day Dennis found Nubs with a puncture wound in his side. He nursed the dog back to health and later learned the injury had been inflicted by a screwdriver.

But finally Dennis' was going to move 70 miles away, to a new location. They couldn't take the dog with them; it was against the rules. That final day, Nubs trotted alongside the Humvees as they left camp, as he always did. Dennis thought it was the last he would see of the dog.

But two days later, Nubs showed up at their new camp.

"I won't even address the gauntlet he had to run of dog packs, wolves, and God knows what else to get here," Dennis wrote to his mother, ABC News reported. "When he arrived he looked like he'd just been through a war zone. Uh, wait a minute, he had.

"While he managed to keep the dog at his camp for a while, he and his fellow marines were eventually told by MPs the dog could not stay. But Dennis wasn't going to give up. He arranged to have the dog moved first to Jordan, where he will receive vaccinations. Eventually, Nubs will be flown to San Diego, where he will reunite with Dennis.

"He's always been a big dog lover," Dennis' mother, Marsha Congo told ABC News. "He's supposed to be this big, tough Marine, but he's really a softy."

Bill Maher: "Mitt, Your Sons Can Enlist Now!"

Oh it's been so long hasn't it? Bill Maher hasn't been able to do "New Rules" during the writers strike for obvious reasons. This week, on his February 15th show, Maher had some really great zingers. For one, does anyone remember Mitt Romney's justification for his sons not enlisting, despite his calls for a "surge of support" for the troops. Romney said:

"One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I'd be a great president."

As Maher said:

Now that Mitt Romney is out of the race, his sons have to enlist and go to Iraq. You may recall, during the campaign, that Mitt said that even though none of his five sons chose to serve in the military, they were still showing support for our nation by helping him get elected. Well, looks like their calendar is free now. And I don’t have anything against Tag, or Bryce, or Elijah, whatever the hell their names are.. I just think if they go to war, we can settle one of the great theological questions of our time: Does magic underwear really work?

As far as Bush and his latest request for funds for Iraq:

President Bush has to stop coming back every few weeks to ask for yet another $70 billion for the war. Mr. President, you sound like a junkie. "Come on, baby! Come on, baby, one more time. Don’t cut me off. I’ll suck your d*ck." Just ask for the whole $2 trillion up front. It’s not like the Democrats won’t give it to you.

He's right there, about the Democrats. And here's a really good one, the final new rule:

Stop saying how amazing it is for Democratic voters to have a choice for president, between a man – a woman and a black man. It’s not amazing, it’s two centuries late. It’s 2008 – we’ve had 43 white guys in a row. Not to mention only one Catholic president, one bachelor president, and of course, one retarded president. If we really were an advanced society, Hillary and Barack could team up and become the Hilla-Barack. But that’ll never happen, because in America, the only time you see an interracial couple working together to push boundaries, is in pornography .

Watch the video. Welcome back, New Rules.

It's the One Year Anniversary of the "Bald Britney"

Hard to believe it's been a year, but it was a year ago today that Britney Spears walked into Esther’s Haircutting Studio in the Tarzana district of Los Angeles and, after the owner refused to do it, shaved her own head.

Honestly, prior to this, although it seemed Spears was somewhat of a troubled diva in the Lindsay Lohan vein, after this incident, people started to question her mental health. And since then we've seen tons of incidents which seem to indicate she needs some serious psychiatric help.

I hesitate to use the term "Happy" in reference to the anniversary, but it's been a year. Hopefully the year to come does not give us an even worse series of events for Spears.

"Teddy Bear Muhammed" Teacher to Go to China

Remember Gillian Gibbons, the teacher who committed what was probably an honest mistake, naming a teddy bear used in a class exercise Muhammed (based on the students' votes, BTW!), and was convicted of inciting religious hatred? She was eventually pardoned, though Sudanese protesters called for her execution.

She's off to China. Start writing the headlines now.

Gibbons will start the 18-month posting, at an English-speaking school near Beijing, in two weeks.

According to a friend, Gill Langworthy, "Gillian is really excited, she's a bit nervous, but excited. She has not let things put her off." She also said Gibbons had not ruled out working in a Muslim country again.

Maybe, but most countries, hearing of the Sudan bruhaha, have probably ruled her out.

Deputy in "Wheelchair Dumping" Arrested

Recall the paralyzed man who was dumped on the floor by police after he tried - several times - to tell them he could not stand up at the booking table? Glad to see some people have a brain, as they have arrested the deputy who dumped him on the floor.

It apparently happened this morning, with the deputy turning herself in. Jail records show Charlette Marshall-Jones was booked into the Orient Road Jail early this morning.

Nice, as this is the same jail where the dumping took place. However, it would be nice if the other deputies, who stood idly by while this all happened, got some punishment as well (aside from their administrative leaves).

The deputy was charged with one count of felony abuse of a disabled person. She was released after posting $3,500 bail.

You can watch the video of the incident (no audio) here:

"Prove You Were Alive Last Year"

Proof of life. This actually happened to the uncle of someone I work with. He's Indian, and his uncle served in the Army. As such, he gets a pension. However, ever year, to continue receiving his pension, he has to submit paperwork proving that he's still living.

While that's one thing, last year he moved to a different area of India. At the beginning of this year, he goes to the proper office and submits his paperwork for this year. But since he moved, was asked to produce paperwork proving he was alive the previous years.

Basically, "prove to me you were alive last year." Of course, the fact that he was standing there ... you would seem to think it was obvious.

I guess to the Indian government it was not.

He had to jump through hoops to get the proper paperwork (hard for a dead person, frankly), but he finally got it all ironed out.

Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse HIV-Positive: Officials

A former priest, Philip A. Magaldi, was confirmed to have HIV - but not AIDS - by Catholic diocese officials on Thursday.

Fort Worth Diocese officials said they first heard last week, from Jerry Koller, a former parishioner who has acted as his spokesman,, that Father Magaldi was HIV-positive. After discovering this, the diocese then alerted the alleged victims - at least five minors in two states - and the parishes where Magaldi served for nearly four decades.

Magaldi has been accused of sexually abusing children in the states of Rhode Island and Texas. He lives at a retirement home in North Richland Hills, TX, and remains free while North Richland Hills police investigate an allegation that he sexually assaulted a boy in the mid-1990s.

Valentine's Lollipops Recalled for Metal Fragments

Lollipops from - where else - China have been recalled after metal fragments were found in at least two lollipops sold at central Florida stores.

The importer, Sherwood Brands of Maryland, said it was voluntarily recalling all of its Pokemon Valentine Cards and Pops. The candy has been pulled from the shelves of thousands of stores across the country.

Great, Pokemon stuff is bound to be attractive to kids. Apparently Wednesday night a Dollar General customer in Lakeland, Fla., said her son found a metal blade in a Pokemon sucker. That started the recall.

It seems the China screw-ups are starting early this year. You'll recall how many issues with Chinese products happened in 2007, including pet food, toys, and toothpaste - and I'm probably forgetting stuff as well.

Texas Sex Toy Ban Overturned

Hard to believe that there are any of these bans still around, but there are. And now Alabama and Mississippi are the last prudish states around, as a federal appeals court overturned a Texas law banning sex toy sales.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas law violated the Constitution's 14th Amendment on the right to privacy.

In the ruling, the court cited Lawrence and Garner v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2003 ruling that struck down bans on consensual sex between gay couples.

"Just as in Lawrence, the state here wants to use its laws to enforce a public moral code by restricting private intimate conduct. The case is not about public sex. It is not about controlling commerce in sex. It is about controlling what people do in the privacy of their own homes because the state is morally opposed to a certain type of consensual private intimate conduct. This is an insufficient justification after Lawrence."

Anyone notice what part of the country these states are all in. Uh huh.

Naturally some firms were quite happy with the decision, such as Adam & Eve, Inc. Phil Harvey, president of Adam & Eve told AP, "I think it's wonderful, but it does seem to me that since Texas was one of three states in the country - along with Mississippi and Alabama - that continued to outlaw the sale of sex toys and vibrators, that it was probably past time."

The Texas Attorney General's Office has not yet decided whether to appeal.

McCain Votes Against Waterboarding Ban

You may recall that Wednesday, despite threats by Bush that he would veto the bill, the Senate passed a bill that would outlaw waterboarding by the CIA. The bill would extend the limitations in the Army Field Manual to the CIA.

What may have gone unnoticed is that Senator John McCain, who has in the past opposed harsh interrogation tactics, voted against the bill.

In October, for example, in an interview with The New York Times, McCain said:

"All I can say is that it was used in the Spanish Inquisition, it was used in Pol Pot’s genocide in Cambodia, and there are reports that it is being used against Buddhist monks today. They should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture."

Why, then, vote against this? While, McCain said in a statement that waterboarding is already illegal. This he voted against what he perceived as an unneeded law.

"Staging a mock execution by inducing the misperception of drowning is a clear violation" of laws and treaties, he said.

When the Baltimore Sun posted an article on this, a couple of commenters saiod they were using a false title. But it's not! He did vote against it.In fact, it appears to me that what he's really doing is trying to straddle both sides of the fence.

• Stick with the rest of the GOP by voting against it
• Calling it "already illegal" and calling for Bush to declare it so.

You can't have it both ways, though. This is flipping and flopping at the same time!

Justice Alito Not a Fan of "Sopranos" Stereotyping

Guilty! Guilty of stereotyping. That's what Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has to say about the now-defunct TV show "The Sopranos."

At an event sponsored by the Rutgers University Italian studies program, Alito said "You have a trifecta – gangsters, Italian-Americans, New Jersey – wedded in the popular American imagination."

Of course, Alito is an Italian-American, and his comments weren't just on The Sopranos. They were part of a speech in which Alito decried the stereotypes about Italians in the United States.

All I will say is: it was a TV show about the Mafia. What did you expect?

Women Think About Sex 34x a Day While at Work: Survey

My question is: where are these women? According to a survey done for (it figures) Dating Direct, a dating service in the U.K., women think about sex up to 34 times in an average working day, which works out to be once every 14 minutes.

Nearly 50% said they were dissatisfied with their sex life, which could explain the above stat.

Other interesting data:

• 53% admitted to a crush on someone at work
• 36% said every girl should have an "office object of affection" - whatever that means
• More than 1/3 of single women said they had someone they could use for a no-strings attached tryst
• 40% have fantasized about someone else while in bed with their partner
• 7% admitted to calling out someone else's name during the act (oops)

I'm still wondering where these women are, and what demographic they surveyed!

Britney Married Adnan! Too Bad He Was Still Married

Stop the insanity, will ya Britney? Remember when she and Adnan went to Mexico in early January? According to Star Magazine, she and Adnan tied the knot during that trip (click to see a larger view of the cover).

The only problem might be that Adnan is still married to his wife AzLynn Berry. This would make any such marriage invalid.

In the print article, not the story linked above, a source told the publication:

"While in Mexico, they went through a quickie marriage ceremony. When Britney recently accused her mother of 'sleeping with my husband', it wasn't Kevin she was talking about - it was Adnan!"

The print mag also says Britney gave Adnan $250K to get rid of AzLynn. She snagged the money by telling her lawyers she needed the cash for a new Mercedes.

A few reasons I doubt some of this story.

• TMZ does not have it
  
• If she was on an allowance, why would they give her money for a new car?

On the other hand, it's just crazy enough to be something she would do.

Paralyzed Man Dumped on Floor by Police

You'd think people would realize that anywhere where there are cameras, they'd darn well better not do anything stupid. After all, watching all those police video shows on TV, it's obvious they rely on them - and in this case the deputy should have known she was on camera.

The incident occurred on Jan. 29 when Brian Sterner was being booked in the county jail on a warrant for a traffic violation. No argument from him on that count. But Deputy Charlette Marshall-Jones, 44, told him to stand up at the booking desk which, being a quadriplegic, he could not do. He told her this several times.

This apparently angered her, although there's no audio to verify that. In the video, she walked behind the chair, grabbed the handles and tilted it forward, crashing Sterner to the floor. Another deputy turned - and then patted him down - before dumping him back in the wheelchair.

Sterner appeared on The Today Show this morning and made the following statements regarding a possible lawsuit:

"It’s not about one deputy, it’s not about the sheriff, it’s not about the governor. It’s about this ridiculous — ridiculous — down-pression of people across the world, economic or whatever you want to call it. It’s just like Rodney King got beat on the street and I got thrown out of my wheelchair. It happens to people every day. It’s just now there’s cameras that catch it."

With regards to possible injuries:

"My right side is still acting very strange. I don’t have any sensation from the chest down, so I very well could have broken something. I wouldn’t even know it."

Deputy Marshall-Jones has been suspended, while three other deputies who didn't object to her treatment of Sterner while witnessing it were placed on administrative leave. I say: throw the book at all of 'em.

Watch the incident video (remember, no audio):

Scalia: "Torture is Not Necessarily the Same as Cruel and Unusual Punishment"

In a BBC interview which aired Tuesday on Radio 4's Law in Action, Judge Antonin Scalia defended torture, saying that the Constitution may not ban torture of detainees.

He said that while the 8th Amendment of the Constitution protects prisoners against "cruel and unusual punishment," it may apply to someone being detained and questioned, particularly if they refused to answer questions.

In the interview, he said,

"To begin with, the Constitution refers to "cruel and unusual punishment." It is referring to punishment for a crime. For example, incarcerating someone indefinitely would certainly be cruel and unusual punishment for a crime. But a court can do that when a witness refuses to answer, can just commit them to jail until you will answer the question without any time limit on it, as a means of coercing the witness to answer, as the witness should.

And I suppose it's the same thing about "so-called" torture. Is it really so easy to determine that smacking someone in the face to find out where he has hidden the bomb that is about to blow up Los Angeles is prohibited by the Constitution? Because smacking someone in the face would violate the 8th Amendment in a prison context - you can't go around smacking people about.

Is it obvious, that what can't be done for punishment can't be done to exact information that is crucial to the society? I think it's not at all an easy question, to tell you the truth."

Yes, but the United States, as I've said before, used to hold itself to a higher standard. Now people are afraid of terrorism and are willing to see their rights and the rights of others trampled upon, and the United States turns its back on previous agreements - such as the Geneva Convention.

Scalia went on to denigrate the European view of the U.S. death penalty:

"Europeans get really quite self-righteous, you know, 'no civilized society uses it.' They used it themselves — 30 years ago. And it you took a public opinion poll, if all of Europe had representative democracies that really worked, most of Europe would probably have the death penalty today. It's been prohibited by the Supreme Court."

Finally, he also indicated that the U.S. shouldn't be judged as a moral leader around the world.

"I don't look to their law, why do they look to mine? We don't pretend to be Western mullahs who decide what is right and wrong for the whole world."

Besides an interview with Scalia, the BBC broadcast also discusses Scalia opinions on many things, such as originalism, his belief that the Constitution is not a living document and that it needs to be strictly interpreted statically, as written by those who wrote it at the time they wrote it.

Scalia is quite obviously the most conservative ot the Supreme Court justices.

You can listen to the full BBC interview here.

First Baby Boomer Receives Social Security; the End is Nigh

Baby boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964. Unless there's a tie, this is definitely the first baby boomer, and she just received her first Social Security check.

Kathleen Casey-Kirschling was born one second after midnight on Jan. 1, 1946. The 62-year-old retired teacher who lives part of the year in Earleville, Maryland, and part in Vero Beach, Florida applied for her benefits online, and received her payment by direct deposit.

Casey-Kirschling is pictured above, with her grandchildren.

As the baby boomer generation begins to access its Social Security benefits, Social Security will become insolvent, a problem that will eventually need to be solved.

About 80 million baby boomers or about 10,000 a day will become eligible for Social Security in the next 20 years. The Social Security fund is projected to begin paying out more than it collects in payroll taxes in 2017, and will deplete its reserves by 2041 - if no changes are made.

The price of an aging population.

FEMA to Use "Toxic Trailers" Again?

In August of last year, FEMA decided to stop using those toxic trailers, which were giving off formaldehyde fumes and sickening victims of Katrina and Rita.

But it appears they are set to use them again, for the victims of the Feb. 5th tornadoes that swept across Arkansas, Tennessee, and other states. Just yesterday they indicated that none of the trailers stored at Hope Municipal Airport would be used, but it appears they have changed their minds.

Officials said the 7,200 trailers stored at the Hope airport will "definitely" be used in Arkansas and Tennessee as housing for victims of last week's tornadoes.

David Maxwell, head of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said the number of trailers released would depend on the number of people that called FEMA and requested help.

In November, FEMA spokesman James McIntyre said the agency determined its mobile homes were safe to use but was still testing its travel trailers stored at Hope. Knowing all this - and how well FEMA did with Katrina and Rita - would you be happy to get one of these trailers if you were one of the victims?

Holy Hannah! Is Miley an Unsafe Role Model?

Consumer Reports pointed out a problem in Miley Cyrus' recently released blockbuster 3-D movie, "Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour." Safety, and role model-wise, that is.

What was the problem? Miley and her father Billy Ray Cyrus riding in the back seat of a Range Rover unbelted. Before you start laughing, C.R. said:

... according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in about 55 percent of passenger vehicle fatalities in 2006 (the latest data available), the occupants were not wearing seat belts. Even worse, in the 13- to 15-year-old age group, that percentage climbs to 65 percent.

Additionally, this New Scientist article cites an interesting stat: Car drivers wearing seatbelts are five times more likely to die in a crash if their back-seat passengers are unrestrained.

It's true, Miley's a role model, and perhaps she should be more careful. But here's a question: would any teen even have noticed this if C.R. hadn't brought it up?

Huckabee: "We Don't Need Man's Law; We Have the Ten Commandments"

In a Sunday visit to the church of the deceased Rev. Jerry Falwell, Mike Huckabee once again played to the religious conservatives that he has been courting. In a relatively short 10 minute speech, he said:

"Frankly, we really don’t need a lot of law if we are people of morality. There are only ten basic laws that we need. If you think about it, the Ten Commandments cover it all. The reason law gets more complicated is because we try to figure out clever ways around those ten."

Also, he indicated that a lack of moral clarity would result in "paying for more and more government to overwhelm us with direction when our own personal freedom and conscience does not."

Right, this is the GOP notion of small government. However, I'd like to see how that small government handles bridge collapses and the problems with our infrastructure that are only starting to emerge. Someone has to pay for it. If we don't pay via federal taxes, we'll pay via state taxes.

More ...

"I hope you know Jesus Christ personally ... because the level to which he rules you and governs you, you need less and less of man’s law to tell you how to live and that is what our Founding Fathers understood and we must understand."

Okaaaay. Someone get Mike's head out of the clouds, eh?

Doctors Baffled by Girl Who Can Only Eat Tic Tacs

17-year-old Natalie Cooper cannot remember a time when she has been able to keep solid food down. Everything she eats, she vomits, with the exception of one thing: Tic Tacs.

For some unexplained reason, the U.K. teenager can only eat Tic Tacs. She couldn't possibly get enough nutrition from that, so she is fed a special feed through a tube. The Tic Tacs she eats so she feels less hungry.

Cooper (pictured) says, "I can’t remember exactly when I found out. I used to be able to eat mints after food; when they started to come back up I started reducing the size of the mints. I went from Trebor Extra Strong Mints to Polos and ended up with Tic Tacs. They give me a bit of energy but I eat them mostly to get rid of hunger; it’s a psychological effect."

Doctors have been trying to treat her illness for four years; they initially thought it was bulimia.

"Britney's Law" to Protect Against Paparazzi

Despite what I may think of Britney Spears, her behavior, and her possible mental illness, when I see her swarmed over by paparazzi, I feel sorry for her. A proposed L.A. law would give celebrities a 60-foot "personal safety bubble."

The proposal is set to be debated in the L.A. City Council, which could determine if some celebrities would be given a special "license" for protection. The proposal, put forward by Dennis Zine, an influential politician, would seek to confiscate all profits from a photograph taken without signed consent within the "safety bubble" around a star.

"The Britney Spears case, with police cars and helicopters all becoming involved, was insane. Such clashes have become a hazard to both celebrities and ordinary people," Zine said last week.

That's for sure. We've seen videos of Spears running stop signs and red lights, but at the same time, the paparazzi do too, creating a traffic hazard for us ordinary citizens.

On the other hand, here we go with yet more special treatment of celebrities. Some would say their riches and fame mean they should suffer something for all the fame. Some also say that people like Spears love the attention, no matter what they may say.

That may be, but I worry less about her and more about John and Jane Q. Public being innocent victims of a herd of paparazzi.

Phillipines' Love of Beer Births Vitamin-Enhanced Beer

Well, if they can have Pizza Beer, why not? Filipino inventor Virgilio “Billy” L. Malang has invented a vitamin-B enhanced beer, designed to replace the vitamin B lost by excessive drinking.

Shown off Sunday at the First International Inventors Day Convention in Bangkok, the beer has also won awards at the Budapest Fair Center in Hungary in 2004 as well as the Romanian Ministry Education and Research Cup. What gets me is, it's yet to be marketed. Maybe it tastes bad!?

At any rate, Malang told the Inquirer:

"The Pinoy’s weakness is beer, and his next weakness is the next beer. Filipinos drink only on three occasions—when they are sad, when they are happy and in between."

A 2004 Kirin Research Institute study ranks the Philippines as the 5th highest beer consumer in Asia, following China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, with 1.4 billion liters consumed annually. Each person in the Phillipines drinks an average of nearly 20 liters of beer a year.

Michigan Town Gets an Unexpected Toilet Upgrade - to Bidets

If you are like many Americans, you may not know what a bidet is. Frankenmuth, Michigan residents are finding out the hard way.

Sewer maintenance is causing water to splash up out of residents' toilets, in bidet-like fashion, but a lot more violently. Usually it just results in a mild gurgling, but in some homes water has splashed onto floors - and walls.

Crews use a spray nozzle to increase the water pressure in the sewer pipes each year to flush out the pipes. While the town already placed ads in the local paper warning of the possibility, reports of excessive splashing have reached the point that city officials plan to place notices on doors warning residents to keep their toilet seats down.

Hey, this could be just the sort of training women have always wanted for men.

Paris' New Movie Snags $225 Per Theatre

It's not quite as bad as Jessica Simpson's worst box office record, but it's close. Paris Hilton's newly released film, The Hottie and the Nottie, had an opening weekend box office of $25,000, according to Box Office Mojo. That translates into $225 / theater with 111 theaters.

For comparison's sake the top grossing movie this week, Fool's Gold, starting Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, took in $22M or $7,043 per theater with 3,125 theaters.

Hilariously, last week's SF Chronicle had an interview with Paris Hilton, in which she said "I do everything well." No lack of ego, there.

I think the theaters that took this film must have been seriously hard up. A test pattern might have gotten better box office and possibly better reviews.

Tortoise Having Trouble Hibernating? There's Always the Refrigerator

Tortoise experts are concerned because unseasonably warm weather has been waking up tortoises out of their hibernation. The problem is if the tortoises wake up they may die if there are further cold snaps.

However, experts have a solution: the refrigerator.

It's actually not a new idea. There's a site with a great deal of detail and advice here.

"The fridge is an ideal method and a proven way of being safe in a changing climate," Joy Bloor, owner of one of Britain's largest sanctuaries, the Tortoise Garden in Cornwall, told Reuters. "If you open the door every day they should get enough air," she said. "But you shouldn't go away on holiday and leave them."

Unfortunately, once the tortoises wake up you can't use the fridge trick - the temperature change will kill them just as an external temperature change would.

Columnist Fired for Plagiarizing His Stories ... on Plagiarism

According to the Daily Toreador, Texas Tech's school paper, columnist Ty McDonald lost his position after a faculty member alerted the paper to an occurrence of plagiarism.

Ironically, McDonald plagiarized his stories "A new way to think about thoughts" and "Plagiarism is not a sin." He took content from "Plagiarism and intellectual loot," a post on the blog Last Straw.

The paper apologized for McDonald's transgression and terminated him.

Drunks Try to Use Dolphin as Designated Driver

Two drunks in Britain decided that, rather than calling a cab, hitching a ride home on a dolphin would be a better way to go.

Michael Jukes and Daniel Buck ignored signs about bothering the bottlenose dolphin which had been swimming near the shore at Folkestone, Kent, and grabbed its dorsal fin and tail.

Police were called and the two were arrested. A video of the event showed the dolphin displayed aggressive behavior to warn off the swimmers, according to Marine biologist Dr. Lisa Goodwin.

Jukes and Buck disagreed.

Jukes said: "He was happy to have people there. People travel thousands of miles to do that in Florida, so I took advantage while it was there. I grabbed his fin, but he didn't seem up for pulling us along. He could have gone any time if he had wanted to."

Buck said "It swam underneath me and pushed me up. It was just being playful."

I wonder how much fare the dolphin would have charged.

Bush to Tornado Victims: "Life is Unfair"

You'd think that after Katrina and other disasters Bush would have a better speech prepared. Or perhaps this is just another example of what happens when Bush tries to ad-lib. "Life is unfair" comes across as somewhat callous, to be honest.

While visiting tornado-ravaged Tennessee today, Bush said the following:

We’re sorry you’re going through what you’re going through. You know, life sometimes is, you know, is unfair and you don’t get to play the hand that you wanted to play, but the question is when you get dealt the hand how do you play it, and I’ve come away with this impression of the folks in Macon county. One, they’re down to earth good, hard-working people. They have a respect for the Almighty, and this community is going to be as strong as ever. That’s what I think.

Of course, Bush doesn't have to worry about life being unfair to himself and his rich brethren, does he?

This is more of the same rhetoric. If he really wanted to help, he'd be proactively working on global climate change issues instead of doing everything he can to help corporations. One of the results of climate change will be what we're already seeing - more intense and severe weather.

Watch the video. CNN seems awfully kind to Bush during the story.

Pizza Beer Hits the Street - and the Spot

Friday, February 8th: The day The Original Seefurth Family Mamma Mia Pizza Beer hit the street. It's brewed and bottled at the Sprecher Brewing Company just outside of Milwaukee, WI.

After all, pizza and beer are great together. The concoction was first brewed up on Labor Day, 2006. The brew is flavored with tomatoes and other pizza ingredients. Just to be clear, it doesn't have any pizza chunks, but it does include ingredients and an aroma generally associated with marinara sauce: tomatoes, garlic, basil and oregano.

You can find out more info, including (soon) retailers where the beer can be purchased at their official website.

David Shuster's Remarks About Chelsea Anger Clinton

A comment by MSNBC anchor David Shuster about Chelsea Clinton could mean Hillary Clinton will refuse to participate in any further debates on MSNBC.

Guest-hosting on MSNBC's Tucker show, David Shuster on Thursday made the following comments:

DAVID SHUSTER: Bill, there's just something a little bit unseemly to me that Chelsea's out there calling up celebrities, saying support my mom, and she's apparently also calling these super delegates.

BILL PRESS: Hey, she's working for her mom. What's unseemly about that? During the last campaign, the Bush twins were out working for their dad. I think it's great, I think she's grown up in a political family, she's got politics in her blood, she loves her mom, she thinks she'd make a great president --

SHUSTER: But doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?

Another case of foot-in-mouth disease. On Friday, MSNBC suspended Shuster, despite his on-air apology that day. Also on Friday,Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson not only lambasted Shuster, he called the comment "beneath contempt" and disgusting.

"I, at this point, can't envision a scenario where we would continue to engage in debates on that network," he added.

Watch the video in which Shuster made the comment:

Trees, Shade and Solar Panels = a Possible Crime

Considering solar panels? How is your relationship with your neighbors? You might want to look around you and see if any neighbors have trees which may in the future shade your planned panel locations. Technically, if they eventually do, it will be a crime.

Richard Treanor and neighbor Mark Vargas are both very green. They both recycle, one has a hybrid and the other an all-electric, etc. etc. However, Treanor has ended up in Santa Clara County Superior Court because his large, 35-foot oak trees, which he planted over a decade ago, shade the solar panels in Vargas' yard.

It's because of a little-known California law called the Solar Shade Control Act (.PDF), passed in 1979 after the Oil Crisis convinced California lawmakers (obviously, not federal ones) of the importance of solar energy. The law states:

After January 1, 1979, no person owning, or in control of a property shall allow a tree or shrub to be placed, or, if placed, to grow on such property, subsequent to the installation of a solar collector on the property of another so as to cast a shadow greater than 10 percent of the collector absorption area upon that solar collector surface on the property of another at any one time between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., local standard time; provided, that this section shall not apply to specific trees and shrubs which at the time of installation of a solar collector or during the remainder of that annual solar cycle cast a shadow upon that solar collector.

This is the first time this law has ever been applied, and it calls for fines of up to $1,000 a day. Fortunately, Treanor has note been fined, but he has been ordered to cut down two of his trees.

This creates an enormous conundrum, as you can see. Greater adoption of solar panels is necessary in the future, to reduce dependence on oil and global warming. However, reduction of CO2 could certainly be helped by more trees. But we have to cut them down, so solar panels can get sunlight. Quite the dilemma.

Vargas has a $100,000 system which generates enough electricity for his needs. Some might wonder if this is just a typical property line dispute rather than something over solar, but who really knows.

The trees are scheduled to come down on 3/28, but Treanor has indicated he may appeal.

Lamar Smith: "99% of Americans support waterboarding"

On Thursday, the same day that CIA Director Michael Hayden told the House Intelligence Committee that waterboarding may not be legal, the House Judiciary Committee interviewed Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and ranking Republican Lamar Smith said the following:

In regard to interrogation techniques — and I know you’re going to be asked a lot of questions about that today — I just want to express the personal opinion that I hope the administration will not be defensive about using some admittedly harsh but nonlethal interrogation techniques, even techniques that might lead someone to believe they’re being drowned even if they’re not.

My guess is that 99% of the American people, if asked whether they would endorse such interrogation techniques to be conducted on a known terrorist with the expectation that information that might be derived from such interrogation would save the lives of thousands of Americans, that 99% of the American people would support such interrogation techniques.

Of course, in November a CNN Poll showed that 69% said waterboarding was torture and 58% said they would not support torture as a means to gain information.

Not that I would be proud that 42% would support torture. Americans used to stand up and want our country to be better than the rest of the world. Now we admit torture, and pretend that we can't understand what is meant by the Geneva Convention so we can conveniently ignore something we already signed.

We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Israeli Pilots May Get E.D. Drugs to Raise Their Performance

Israeli pilots may be getting a performance boost from erectile dysfunction drugs, but not the way you may think.

A recent study conducted by Israeli doctors found a link between E.D. drugs and improved performance in high altitudes.

According to Bamahaneh, the Israeli military's weekly magazine, tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis, was found to make climbers perform better in an environment with less oxygen. This could be used to increase the alertness and effectiveness of fighter pilots at high altitudes.

Alertness huh? When I first read this I thought it was because the drug would enhance the effectiveness of pressure suits, which keep blood from pooling in legs. Of course, if that were the case the blood might be pooling in someplace besides the brain, where it needs to go to prevent blackouts.

Unfortunately for Pfizer, Cialis is an Eli Lilly drug. It's bound to get a rise out of Pfizer researchers, though, who may want to re-run the test with their drug.

Colorado State Rep Calls Unwed Teen Parents "Sluts"

Oops, another case of foot-in-mouth disease. Representative Larry Liston (R) of Colorado Springs complained on Wednesday about society's perception of unwed teen parents as well as premarital sex. I see a Dan Quayle / Murphy Brown moment coming.

Liston said:

"In my parents' day and age, they were sent away, they were shunned, they were called what they are. There was at least a sense of shame. There's no sense of shame today. Society condones it. . . . I think it's wrong. They're sluts. And I don't mean just the women. I mean the men, too."

While he may have some points, definitely the wrong choice of words, wouldn't you say?

He later apologized to a local paper, but stuck to his guns, saying many feel the way he does.

If they do, they have the good sense to not say it, at least like that - and publicly.

Iranian Sentenced to Hang for Drinking

Stoning for adultery (imagined, no less) or hanging for drinking. You choose - which is more barbaric?

An Iranian court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to death for violating the Islamic Republic's ban on drinking alcohol several times.

"According to article 179 of the Islamic penal code, if someone drinks twice and is punished for it on each occasion he should be executed on the third offence," Judge Jalil Jalili said.

Sounds like he got off easy the third time.

Mohsen was punished for drinking alcohol three times in May, June and October 2006. It should be noted that even for a first offense, 80 lashes is the recommended sentence.

The young man, identified only by his first name, Mohsen, has confessed and expressed remorse.

Confessed?! Knowing what could happen, he confessed? What was he thinking?

At any rate, he can appeal after 20 days. As we know from the prior story regarding stoning, the head of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi can also intervene.

Iranian Sisters to Be Stoned to Death for Adultery

Two sisters, Zohreh Kabiri, 27, and Azar Kabiri, 28, have been found guilty of both "illegal relations" (for which they have already received 99 lashes each) and, in a second trial, of "adultery" - for which the sentence is death. Their crimes? Apparently it's limited to being filmed with other men.

Apparently the husband presented a video at trial showing them in the company of other men while he was away. But the video didn't show any "relations" at all.

Additionally, the Supreme Court has approved the ruling and the sentence can be carried out at any time. Human Rights Watch has issued a press release on the issue.

In stoning a man is buried up to his waist, while a woman is buried up to her chest, prior to stones being thrown. I'm unclear as to why there is a difference, though I do have suspicions.

In the press release, HRW said that Jabar Solati, the lawyer for the two sisters, indicated that since the sentence has already been approved by the Supreme Court, only intervention by the country’s highest judicial official, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi, can prevent the stoning.

In 2002 that same official issued a writ halting stoning. Yet the practice of stoning began anew last year when Jafar Kilani was put to death. Frankly, even if the affair were true, stoning? Truly a barbaric practice.

Party On! Drunk Student Swallows Key to Avoid Being Taken Home

Someone definitely didn't want to go home. Chris Foster, a student at Bournemouth University in southern England was drunk enough that his friends thought he should go home and sleep it off. But he disagreed.

So, to avoid the trip home, he swallowed his room key. He ended up sleeping on a friend's sofa, but didn't remember a thing the next day. When told what he had done, he didn't believe it - but he didn't feel well so he went to the doctor.

Ah, the wonders of Universal Health Care. One X-ray later and it was clear the key was in his stomach. The doctors told him to wait for nature to take its course, which he did.

Foster told the Daily Mirror:

"My friends said I'd had too much to drink and should go to my room but I didn't want to so I swallowed my door key. I slept in the communal lounge and the next morning I couldn't remember a thing. I thought it was a wind-up when my friend said I had swallowed it. But my throat and stomach didn't feel quite right."

The key is now safely back on Foster's keyring. He also said he's particularly happy as he couldn't afford the £20 he said his landlord was going to charge him for a new one.

Beer Belted In While Toddler Runs Loose

St. Augustine, Florida police arrested a woman who had a 24-pack of beer buckled up while a 16-month-old baby girl was loose in the back seat with the toddler's mother. Speaks to priorities, I suppose.

Tina Williams, 46, was driving, and the mother of the toddler, 20-year-old Amber Tedrick was in the back seat. The beer was buckled up, all safe-and-sound, in the passenger seat.

Williams refused to take a breath test and a deputy found drug periphanalia in her purse, authorities said. She was charged with DUI, child abuse, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license.

It was unclear if Tedrick would be charged.

Foreign-Made Flags May Face Iowa Ban

We all know how hard it is to find anything that's not made in China or some other foreign country. If Iowa State Representative Ray Zirkelbach has his way, businesses in Iowa will have to find an American-made U.S. or foreign flag if they don't want to incur up to a $625 fine.

According to the Des Moines Register, which saw a copy of the draft legislation (to be introduced later this week), business owners or operators would face simple misdemeanor charges for violations - and as much as 30 days in jail for selling a foreign-made flag.

"I personally don't want my coffin draped in a Chinese-made flag when I pass away," said Zirkelbach.

As with anything, foreign-made flags are far cheaper, and Americans spent an estimated $5.3 million on them last year.

There's already a law in Minnesota like this, with a fine of up to $1,000 and three months in jail.

Personally, I think this is a great idea. I also think, if we really want to be secure, all our military supplies such as uniforms, ammo, weapons, vehicles, ships, etc. etc. - as well as all parts of these, should be American-made. That would not only ensure we are ready in the event of some embargo or conflict with a nation like China, it would create jobs.

Of course, no one has listened to me, as it's all about the corporations for our politicians.

Family Values: Sex Workers Do Better at GOP Conventions

Yes, although sex workers are looking forward to both conventions, according to some that were interviewed by the Rocky Mountain News, it's the GOP Convention that they do best at.

Denver is looking forward to the Democratic Convention, and they are in fact already, er, advertising their wares, so to speak, but according to Carol Leigh, a San Francisco prostitute "over 50" who has traveled to previous Democratic conventions in Los Angeles and Atlanta:

"It would be a lot better for the sex workers if it was the Republican convention. We get a lot more business. I don't know if they're just frustrated because of the family values agenda."

Yes, those darn family values.

But Leigh also said something else.

"Computer conventions can be lucrative. There's a lot of nerds that don't get out much."

Study: Office Romances Help "Work Quality"

I assume that's if the romance (ahem) does not occur at work. According to a study by Italian sex researcher Serenella Salomoni, "We discovered that people who had an office romance said they were happier, more energetic and more productive."

Notably, one in five admitted to an affair at work, nearly twice as many women admitted to an office romance, and one in three admitted to a romance with a superior.

Ah, now we see the "quality of work" improvement aspect.

Salomoni conducted research last year which showed TV in the bedroom reduced the frequency of sex.

Where does she get the backers for these offbeat studies?

Israeli Soldiers Jailed for "Mooning" Palestinians

Well, Israeli soldiers have discovered a new way to win a battle. Israel announced on Sunday it had jailed several soldiers for mooning Palestinians in the south of the occupied West Bank.

The army said, "All personnel implicated in this unfortunate affair have been identified and immediately suspended from all professional activity. This affair dates to a month ago and does not characterise the values taught to our soldiers. It will be settled today and the soldiers implicated will have to answer for their actions."

At the same time the YNet news website posted a video of the incident, which they had been given by a peace activist group last week. The video was said to have been shot outside the southern city of Hebron. Troops alledgedly exposed themselves to Palestinian shepherds in order to try and make them leave an area near Hebron.

Watch the video (AFP via Raw Story)

Easter Eggs Are Now WMDs

I admit this is a sort of vandalism, but a WMD? An 18-year-old Pennsylvania man has been charged with possession of a WMD after igniting what looked to be a plastic Easter egg filled with plastic pellets, like those used in an air gun, inside a flea market.

Admittedly, it seems as though the egg had a firecracker in it, and the pellets hit at least five people.

"Michael A. Camp, 18, of the first block of Cedar Manor, was in the main area of the flea market shortly before 1 p.m. when he pulled out a lighter and lit the device," state police said.

Peggy Beckley is the flea market's vendor manager. "He didn't say a thing," Beckley said. "He came in, lit it and then ran."

Beckley said she was startled by the loud sound and the pain of the plastic pellets hitting her. "It sounded like a window shattering to me, but some people said it sounded like a gun going off," she said.

While the WMD charge is overkill, and this was obviously a prank, this person - an adult, being 18, should know better. Particularly in these times, that sort of noise might cause panic with the result being people trampled.

The full list of charges were possession of a weapon of mass destruction, risking a catastrophe, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and simple assault.

Nearly One-Quarter of British Teens Think Churchill Was a Myth

And they people in the U.S. don't know their history. UKTV Gold television surveyed 3,000 teenagers and came up with some strange results.

Here are some of the survey results:

• 23% think Churchill was a myth
• 47% think the 12th century English king Richard the Lionheart was a myth
• 23% think Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale was a myth
• 3% think writer Charles Dickens was a work of fiction himself
• 58% believe Sherlock Holmes existed
• 65% believe King Arthur existed
• 51% believe Robin Hood existed

This lack of knowledge may be due to where people get their historical knowledge nowadays:

77% admitted they did not read history books, and 61% said that they changed channels rather than watch historical shows on TV.

Either that or these teens were just pulling a fast one on UKTV Gold. If not, teens have entered the dark age.

A (Clinton) Tear Flows in Connecticut

Now, I'm not saying that Hillary Clinton is trying to draw upon yet another "crying moment," as in New Hampshire, which some say built support for her during that primary ... but still, sure is good timing.

At the Yale Child Study Center where Clinton once worked, she was introduced this morning by her former boss Penn Rhodeen. Rhodeen choked up, prompting a similar response from Clinton, who wiped a tear from her left eye.

"Well, I said I would not tear up; already we're not exactly on the path," said Clinton.

I see nothing wrong with Clinton tearing up; I only bring this up because last time, after the results of New Hampshire's primary, there was debate over if her emotional response to the question "How do you do it?" was genuine. And with "Super Duper Tuesday" tomorrow ...

Readers? What do you think?

Bill Kristol: "White women are a problem"

On Fox News Sunday this week, the panel discussed the possibility of Hillary Clinton being chosen as a vice-presidential candidate. Bill Kristol picked that apart, saying:

Kristol: Look, the only people for Hillary Clinton are the Democratic establishment and white women. The Democratic establishment, it'd be crazy for the Democratic party to follow an establishment that’s led them to defeat year after year. White women are a problem - but, you know ... we all live with that ...

(laughter)

Juan Williams: not me…

Brit Hume: Hey, Bill, for the record, I like white women.

Kristol: I know, I shouldn' have said that.

Yeah, you're right, you shouldn't have. Fortunately for the conservatives, you're not running, just giving faux news for both Fox and the New York Times (as a columnist).

Still, thanks again for giving me the opportunity to witness yet another display of the blather you spew.

Watch the clip:

Clinton Welcomes Coulter Support

Ann Coulter has said - twice - that she would vote and campaign for Hillary Clinton if John McCain were nominated by the GOP. Sunday on ABC's This Week, George Stephanopoulos asked Clinton how she felt about such support.

Laughing, coughing, and with tongue planted firmly in cheek, Clinton responded:

Well, that this will be an interesting election all the way through, George. You never know. Strange bedfellows and all that.

Later she added:

At some point I'm happy to have any voters, although this one took me somewhat by surprise.

Watch the clip (ABC News via RawStory)

Toilet Paper Counter Says Rolls Come Up Short

Prodded by his wife's comments about how long toilet paper rolls seemed to last, and with an apparently lack of things to read in the bathroom, 81-year-old Leo Hill of Denver, Colorado decided to take matters into his own hands.

Hill said, "She complained that a roll in the 12-pack would last just three days and the same size in the four-roll pack lasted four. I wanted to find out."

So he counted ... and counted ... and counted. The average he came up with for the rolls of Angel Soft that advertised 198 sheets on the package was 156.75. He figured he ought to let someone know so he called the toll-free number printed on the package and the company sent Hill a coupon for free toilet paper.

Those too came up short, so despite not wanting to make a stink, Hill took his case to the Denver Better Business Bureau, which forwarded his written complaint to their affiliate in Atlanta, where Georgia-Pacific is located. And that's all he's heard, except for ... The Denver Post.

To test his theory, The Denver Post counted, too — nine rolls from five different makers — but none had fewer sheets than advertised. One brand — Quilted Northern, also by Georgia-Pacific — actually had 10 percent more on two rolls.

Hill was happy to hear of The Post's results.

"Maybe they started getting the counters right," he said with a chuckle. "I'm sure glad you got a good roll."

Hard to explain, though: Hill has continued his exercise with other manufacturers, and by his count they have all come up short.

I hope this sort of activity isn't all I find myself doing when I retire.

Ann Coulter: "No, I'm not kidding about backing Hillary. McCain has no honor."

Thursday on Hannity & Colmes Ann Coulter said that if McCain gets the GOP nomination she would actually campaign for Hillary. Friday on Your World with Neil Cavuto she repeated that assertion.

Coulter: Either way it's gonna be a Democrat. I'll be going for the more conservative Democrat if I vote for Hillary over John McCain.

Cavuto: Really, do you really mean that?

Coulter: Yes, absolutely. And if you look at the issues, I mean you can bring on Republican consultants on the show who will vote for anyone including Joseph Stalin if he has an "R" after his name. Or you can look at the issues.

...

Cavuto: Ann, you're angry. Why are you so angry? I'm just asking you a question. Is this guy angering you ...

Coulter: He lies a lot more, he has no honor.

Cavuto: What happened with you and McCain? Is there something ...

Coulter: I'm a conservative, Neil. I just have a thing for voting for the more conservative candidate.

Whew. Coulter is a Huckabee backer, BTW. A question would be is she also doing this to undermine Clinton in terms of Democratic voters, by portraying her as conservative?

Watch the video:

Parasite Replaces a Fish's Tongue

This is pretty gross. The parasite Cymothoa exigua is a crustacean that attaches itself at the base of the spotted rose snapper's tongue. It survives by drinking from an artery which supplies the tongue blood. As the parasite grows, the tongue eventually atrophies.

Attaching its own body to the muscles of the tongue stub, Cymothoa exigua gives the fish a new tongue, but one that has its own mouth. Shapes of Alien.

This is the only case of a parasite functionally replacing an organ of its host. And yes, totally disgusting.

Police Warned About Drunk Driver - by the Drunk Driver

A Dodge County, WI woman called 911 to report a drunk driver - herself.

Patricia Dykstra, 51, explained to dispatchers that she was driving because her boyfriend was too drunk to drive. However, he told here to call 911 because he thought she was too drunk to drive, too.

During the call, she gave police enough information to find her - which they did. A breathalyzer test showed a 0.14 BAC (0.08 is the legal limit in Wisconsin). Thus, her boyfriend was proven right and the argument was ended once and for all.

It's rare when an argument between spouses is settled scientifically.

Every guy in America is now thinking, "yes, they ended up in jail but at least he was proven right."

Britney's Hospital Stay to be Extended

A patient on a 5150 hold can only be held for 3 days, according to my psychologist wife. However, reports indicate that tonight papers will be signed at UCLA Medical Center extending Britney Spears' stay at the psych ward by 14 days.

The procedure is something that will be done internally without a court order. In fact, it's actually known as a 5250, another type of involuntary psychiatric hold. UCLA Medical Center is said to be one of the best in America for the treatment of bipolar disorder, which Spears has been diagnosed as having during her second hospital stint.

It's unclear whether this will affect the conservatorship of Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet, which was temporarily assigned until Monday.

The Spice Girls Cancel Their Reunion Tour

Amid tons of face-saving excuses, the Spice Girls are ending their world reunion tour at the end of February, instead of June as originally planned.

There are a variety of excuses given, including:

• Poor ticket sales
• Family commitments
• Logistics - the tour has become too big to handle
• Mel B and Mel C quit

There's also the possibility they hate each other again.

So far, they have performed in the U.K., Canada, the U.S. and in Madrid and Cologne in Europe. Rather than playing further dates in Australia, Argentina, and China, they will finish the reunion tour in Toronto on February 26.

Big Brother to Hit Mississippi Big Eaters

Mississippi legislators want to make it illegal for restaurants to serve obese customers. The bill, HB282, says it is:

An act to prohibit certain food establishments from serving food to any person who is obese, based on criteria prescribed by the state department of health; to direct the department to prepare written materials that describe and explain the criteria for determining whether a person is obese and to provide those materials to the food establishments; to direct the department to monitor the food establishments for compliance with the provisions of this act; and for related purposes.

The bill was introduced in the 2008 Mississippi legislative session on Friday by Representative W.T. Mayhall, Jr. It should be noted that federal health data shows that 2/3 of Mississippi's residents are overweight or obese.

At the same time, the Obesity Action Coalition issued a press release calling for the bill's withdrawal.

"HB 282 is the most blatant form of obesity discrimination. This bill completely perpetuates the negative stigma often associated with obesity. The thought of food establishments holding the power to first, determine the health status of a patron and second, having the ability to refuse service based on the determination of whether or not the patron is 'obese,' is completely outrageous. The OAC is seeking immediate withdrawal of HB 282," said Joseph Nadglowski, Jr., OAC President and CEO.

The bill would allow health inspectors to yank the permit from restaurants that "repeatedly" feeds extremely overweight customers.

"I do not have any intention of this becoming law," said Mayhall. "I don't think it has a Chinaman's chance. I'm against intrusive government. I don't think that's what we're here for and what we should be doing. The reason I put the bill in was to call attention to the seriousness of the obesity epidemic in Mississippi."

Oooh, that "Chinaman's chance" comment is likely to draw attention to something else.

Pay Up Or Else, S**t Face!

Well, for a $16.96 bill, that's one heck of a way to address someone.

A collection agency tried to collect the debt with an letter addressed to S**t Face, which began with the words, "Dear S**t."

According to Phillip McGarvey, President of Nationwide Collections, Inc., the October 2007 letter was automatically generated after his company bought about 350,000 Columbia House accounts. He said that "S**t Face" is the name under which the account was opened. Thus, the computer-generated letter.

Attorney Kenneth Hiller's client plans to sue the company, and has signed an affidavit saying he never signed up for the music club membership under that name. Hiller stated that debt collectors are not allowed to use profanity to collect a debt, nor are they supposed to threaten legal action over such a small amount.

McGarvey added, "It looks bad to the observer who is not familiar with the industry, but anybody who understands the volume would understand how this could happen. You've also got people filling in famous people's names."

Obama's Campaign Gets Muscle: Hulk Hogan

On Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night, Hulk Hogan went big for Barack Obama. Good thing, too; Obama needed some help in the muscle area, since McCain has Arnold and Stallone and Huckabee has Chuck Norris and Ric Flair.

When Kimmel asked him who he was backing, Hogan said,

"Nobody's even asked me my opinion until now. If I had to step out, and say who I really believe in — that catches my ear, that makes sense, that really can make a change — I would say Obama. Everybody plays this card — the bad guy card, you know the dirty politics thing, talk about the way people dress, act and look — and, he’s the choice. He seems like the real deal, you know."

Of course, I don't think Hogan's going to start stumping with Obama like Norris has been doing with Huckabee.

However ... Hillary, you'd better start looking around for a muscleman of your own. Maybe Brandon Routh? He's Superman after all.

Jamie Spears Given Control Over Britney's Affairs

A Los Angeles court commissioner has placed Britney Spears and her estate under temporary conservatorship. A conservatorship is created when it is determined that a person cannot care for themselves or handle his or her own affairs.

In effect, this means co-conservators Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet have been granted temporary legal control over Britney's affairs, though only until Monday - for now.

The conservators can also communicate with Brit's doctors and access medical records, but they cannot make medical decisions.

Even stranger, when Britney heard about the decision, she went nuts - or more nuts. In a heavy British accent, she screamed into a phone,

"I'm so sick of all of this they can have the God Damn house and stick it up their f**king asses. Actually, no, they can't."

The British accent appears more and more often nowadays, and while it could be said to be playing with paparazzi, in this case, it's just plain nuts! And it's not a dual personality, according to my psychologist wife, because she shouldn't be able to remember anything that happened to the subordinate personality if that was the case.

Definitely more to come.

Ann Coulter: "I'll Campaign For Hillary If McCain is Nominated"

Wow, this is an analogous to the stance that some Democratic voters are taking with regards to Hillary - they are saying if she is nominated they will vote for McCain. Controversial conservative pundit Ann Coulter let the anti-McCain rhetoric fly last night on Hannity & Colmes.

Coulter: If you're looking at substance rather than whether it's an R or D after his name - manifestly if he's our candidate, then Hillary's gonna be our girl Sean, as she's more conservative than he is. I think she would be stronger on the war on terrorism. I absolutely believe that.

Hannity: So you would vote for Hillary over ...

Coulter: Yes, I would campaign for her if it's McCain. I was touched when she cried. OK, that part isn't true.

Saying Clinton's more conservative than McCain doesn't make any sense, really.

Clinton's 2006 vote ratings from liberal groups: Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) - 95%; ACLU - 83%; League of Conservation Voters (LCV) - 71%.

Her 2006 ratings from conservative groups: National Taxpayers Union (NTU) - 17%; Americans Conservative Union (ACU) - 6%; Club for Growth (CFG) - 8%; Family Research Council (FRC) - 0%.

McCain's 2006 vote ratings from liberal groups: ADA - 15%; ACLU - 33%; LCV - 29%.

McCain's 2006 ratings from conservative groups: NTU - 88%; ACU - 65%; CFG - 76%; FRC - 62%.

Watch the video:

Accidental Hydrogen Peroxide Enemas Hospitalize People

Ever use hydrogen peroxide on a wound and watch the fizzing? Can you imagine that on the inside of you? As well as the possible tissue destruction? Well, some people in Russia experienced that.

In fact, it was a health spa, no less. 17 tourists in the Caucasus spa town of Yessentuki had to be treated in a hospital after a nurse used hydrogen peroxide instead of water in their enemas.

In America, this would lead to a lawsuit. I have no idea about Russia, though.

Oh, and they explained it by saying peroxide and water look the same. Right.

Meth Binge Led to Britney's Latest Hospitalization: Sources

While the first source (the National Enquirer) may give you pause, it seems at least two other sources indicate that a) Britney is addicted to meth, b) that's what led to her hospitalization.

The Enquirer says it has exclusive info that prior to Thursday's latest foray to the hospital, Britney was on a 24-hour meth jag. The source also stated that the reason for the binge was ironic - she was trying to stay awake because she was worried that if she fell asleep, her family would "drag her off to a mental institution."

Meanwhile The Sun says that not only is Britney addicted to meth, it was a 3-day binge that led to her hospitalization in early January.

Finally, PageSix says that Britney is currently going through detox at UCLA Medical Center, her current residence. Makes sense if she was indeed on a binge.

What's going to happen now? According to the UCLA Medical Center, Britney has been classified as G.D. or "Greatly Disabled." Being G.D. is one of the criteria for involuntary commitment. We could see it happen.

Japanese Firm Gives "Heartache Leave"

Japan sure is different when it comes to treatment of their employees. For example, one firm I already wrote about has a "family allowance" for pets. This other firm gives employees "heartache leave" when they break up with someone!

Of course, it is a small company - only six women. Tokyo-based Hime & Company also gives employees "shopping" time during the holidays.

"Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick," CEO Miki Hiradate, whose company markets cosmetics and other goods for women, told Reuters by telephone.

Older employees get more "heartache leave," but there's a reason for that (employees 24 or younger get one day off per year, 25 - 29 get two days and those older get three days).

"Women in their 20s can find their next love quickly, but it's tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious," Hiradate said.

She said it, I didn't! I wonder if Hiradate speaks from experience?

Trade Your Organs for Driver's License Fees?

We haven't reached the point yet of some science fiction, with rampant organ theft - though it's no longer an urban legend.

If you're frugal, however, has Vermont got a deal for you. In an effort to drum up more organ donors, Vermont is offering a trade - organ donation - after death, naturally - in exchange for no driver's license fees for the rest of your life.

It's a bill winding its way through the Vermont legislature. If passed, H.576 would waive the cost of your Vermont driver's license if you in turn agree to part with your transplantable organs once dead.

Now, a Vermont D/L costs $40 to renew - for 4 years - or $10 a year. Let's say you start at 20 and live to 70. 50 years of driving, you save $500. After all, that heart or kidney isn't much good to you dead.

One question, though. Can you change your mind? If you, say, go 12 years or 3 license terms (saving $120) and then change your mind, do you have to pay back the $120? Not that most people would change their minds, but it's a valid question.