SNAFU-ed .... Situation Normal

GOP Energy and Commerce Committee chair candidate: no need to worry about global warming; God promised no more floods

2010-11-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) will seek the Energy and Commerce Committee chairmanship in the new GOP led House of Representatives. He has, in the past, maintained that we do not have to worry about climate change because God promised in the Bible not to destroy the world again after Noah’s flood.

From the YouTube video blurb:

From the March 25, 2009 hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment gives us a crazy performance by insane Rep John Shimkus, a climate change skeptic. Spouting bible verses as evidence that climate change is false, he concludes by the end of his opening statement that: "The earth will end only when God declares its time to be over. Man will not destroy this earth. This earth will not be destroyed by a flood."

Indeed, Genesis says:

9:11 I will establish my covenant with you; neither will all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither will there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

9:12 God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations.

9:13 I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.

9:14 It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,

9:15 and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

9:16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.

9:17 God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Thing is, there's plenty of other leeway for Global Warming to result in the destruction of the planet, without flooding.

Watch the video below.

Clueless America: 26 percent don't know we split from England

2010-07-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

This should be shocking news. However, considering America is the country that wanted to elect a Vice-President who did not know Africa was a continent, and who could not list a series of publications she regularly read.

26 percent of Americans do not know that the U.S. split from Great Britain when it declared its independence, according to a Marist Poll. That 74 percent do know the correct answer is small comfort.

20 percent were unsure of which country the U.S. split from. Meanwhile, the other 6 percent mentioned France, China, Japan, Mexico, and Spain, among others. Don't imagine it's senility, either: the youngest group was the worst, with 18-29 year olds only answering correctly 60 percent of the time.

Steele rewrites history; Obama becomes president who started war in Afghanistan

2010-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

It's been said by some that the GOP likes to rewrite history, and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appears to be no different. At a GOP fundraiser in Connecticut on Thursday, Steele, while responding to a question about the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, stated that the war in Afghanistan "was a war of Obama's choosing" that America had not "actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in."

Wait, what happened to this George W. Bush guy? What happened to "Operation Enduring Freedom?"

Here's what Steele said:

"The McChrystal incident, to me, was very comical. And I think it's a reflection of the frustration that a lot of our military leaders have with this Administration and their prosecution of the war in Afghanistan," said Steele. "Keep in mind again, federal candidates, this was a war of Obama's choosing. This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in."

Watch a video, but note that Steele is not all that audible in the clip.

Couple tries to sell baby at Walmart; 'Save More, Live Better?'

2010-06-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

A couple, possibly feeling they could "live better" without their baby, and with some extra cash, tried to sell their baby outside a Walmart on Tuesday. Unlike Walmart's always falling prices, they raised the price after an initial rebuff.

The incident happened on Tuesday around 7:20 PM. PDT outside a Walmart in Salinas, California, when a Patrick Alan Fousek, 38, approached two women and asked if they'd like to buy his child for $25. Samantha Tomasini, 20, was reportedly in a car nearby.

The women rebuffed Fousek, who then raised the price to $75, and shoved the child into the arms of one woman. The women then called 911.

However, the couple had left before police arrived, but based on the description provided by the women, police eventually found the couple, with baby all right, but her parents high on meth.

The defendants are charged with felony child endangerment, which carries a four-year maximum sentence, and misdemeanor charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a meth pipe.

The couple was arraigned on Friday, but both are being held in segregated, lockdown cells at the Monterey County Jail. Reportedly, Fousek was attacked by fellow inmates Thursday night after details of the incident were shown on TV. Fousek was transported to Natividad Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries, including two cracked ribs, before being returned to jail.

Watch a video report:

Woman Punched by Cop Apologizes for Provoking Incident

2010-06-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

Many pushed Seattle police officer Ian Walsh under the bus for punching a 17-year-old teenager in the face. That was, until they carefully viewed the video (embedded below), and saw her shove him before that punch. That still-unnamed Seattle teen has now apologized to the officer in a private meeting.

Authorities say officer Walsh accepted the apology Friday. Meanwhile, the King County, WA prosecutor charged the 17-year-old girl with third-degree assault, but as a juvenile. As such, that charge is punishable by a maximum 30 days in detention.

The original incident occurred Monday. The teen interfered in a friend's jaywalking arrest. James Kelly of the Urban League of Seattle said he requested Friday's meeting to help calm the situation.

Despite the apology, which seemingly clears officer Walsh, authorities say the matter is still under investigation. The department's civilian-led Office of Professional Accountability is looking Walsh's actions.

Watch the incident below:

Cop Punches Woman, Video Goes Viral

2010-06-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

This YouTube video, of a Seattle, WA cop punching a woman in the face has gone viral, an example of what police shouldn't do if someone's around, period. Nowadays just about everyone has a cell phone that can record video, after all.

It turns out that four women were jaywalking, and the officer had them come over. Things escalated, and he was trying to handcuff the first woman (a 19-year-old) when the second one, a 17-year-old, came over. It is clear from the video that the 17-year-old pushed the officer (as pictured above). At that point, the officer punches the 17-year-old in the face.

In a situation where he is clearly outnumbered, it's difficult to fault the officer. At which point, one must ask, did the second woman feel it was OK to assault the officer, and why didn't the first one just cooperate?

Undoubtedly, there's going to be arguments over the incident, and also undoubtedly, there will be "race" brought into the picture. The Seattle police have responded to the incident, and issued this statement.

"You obviously have to take into context everything that occurred from the point that the officer did make contact with the individuals until the situation ended. As I said before, we have some concerns about the tactics the officer used and employed at the time. Again, we did feel what occurred did deserve a review by the Office of Professional Accountability."

Watch the video, and decide for yourself.

Sixty-two foot 'Touchdown Jesus' statue goes down in flames

2010-06-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

One of southwestern Ohio's most familiar landmarks, the "King of Kings" statue, which is a six-story tall statue of Jesus Christ first erected in 2004, has been burned to the ground. The statue, which stood with an image of Jesus with his arms outstretch, had been nicknamed "Touchdown Jesus."

The 62-foot-tall statue, covered in fiber glass, was built by the Solid Rock Church (Monroe, OH)’s at an estimated cost of more the $250,000. In addition to the most popular nickname of "Touchdown Jesus," the statue, which has now been reduced to a pile of rubble, has other popular monickers, such as Big Butter Jesus (as seen in the photo, it is a sort of buttery color) and Drowning Jesus (as the statue's body seems to be half immersed in water).

Watch Touchdown Jesus go down in flames in this embedded video:

Taliban hangs seven-year-old boy accused of spying

2010-06-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Taliban has executed a 7-year-old boy, it has been reported. The child, whom the Taliban accused of being a spy for the Afghanistan government, has reportedly been hanged, after being placed on trial and found guilty.

The boy was killed on Tuesday in Helmand province. When asked about the incident, Afghan president Hamid Karzai said the following,

"A seven-year-old boy cannot be a spy. A seven-year-old boy cannot be anything but a seven-year-old boy. And therefore, hanging or shooting to kill a seven-year-old, regardless of whatever reason one would give for it, is a crime against humanity."

While the so-called spy label has been used as a reason by the Taliban, Daoud Ahmadi, the spokesman for the provincial governor of Helmand province, gave another. He said that the killing happened days after the boy's grandfather, Abdul Woodod Alokozai, spoke out against militants in their home village.

"His grandfather is a tribal elder in the village and the village is under the control of the Taliban. His grandfather said some good things about the government and he formed a small group of people to stand against the Taliban. That's why the Taliban killed his grandson in revenge."

Watch a video report.

Dina Lohan: Lindsay's SCRAM bracelet set off by spilled drink

2010-06-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Many celebrities, as well as their relatives, appear to believe that the public and law enforcement are as smart, or rather, as dumb, as they are. Witness Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina, who said:

"She was at the MTV Awards and somebody spilled a drink on her leg, which must have set off the SCRAM bracelet. She has done absolutely nothing wrong and shouldn't have to wear the bracelet in the first place. She is doing absolutely fine."

One doesn't have to be an expert to know that a spilled drink on a SCRAM monitoring device would register significantly more alcohol that would be possible in a person's bloodstream. Does she really think we will believe that?

While one doesn't have to be an expert to figure that out, here's an expert's opinion, anyway. AJ Gigler, SCRAM’s National Sales Manager, said:

“When somebody spills something on someone’s leg or arm or even directly on the device, it’s going to show a very stark and quick peak for alcohol detection, which compared to what is humanly possible through absorption rates is going to look drastically different than that of some ingested alcohol."

The fact that Lohan remains out of jail points to both her wealth, as well as so-called celebrity entitlement. Anyone else would have been sent to prison already, and these impossibly foolish excuses (let's not forget she also missed a court appearance because her passport was stolen. Right.) be damned.

$200,000 and celebrity entitlement: Lohan avoids jail again

2010-06-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Lohan avoided jail again, by posting another $200,000 in bail money. According to People magazine, Lohan's SCRAM ankle monitor alerted authorities Sunday night while she attended an after-party for the MTV Movie Awards.

This was enough for Beverly Hills Judge Marsha Revel to issue a bench warrant late Tuesday for Lohan's arrest, claiming the 23-year-old actress was "in violation for conditions on bail." Her prior $100,000 bail was revoked because of the violation; another $200,000 in bail was paid.

It's unclear what triggered the alarm, but the obvious thought would be, seeing as how it was a party, that Lohan took one (or more) drinks. The SCRAM bracelet detects alcohol in a person's perspiration.

An additional possibility is that Lohan tried to interfere with the bracelet somehow, so she could take a drink.

Of course, Lohan denied any wrongdoing, posting the following on Twitter:

My scram wasn't set off-Its physically impossible considering I've nothing for it to go off-All of these false resports are absolutely wrong

Wearing the monitoring bracelet was part of the requirements imposed by Revel after Lohan missed a mandatory hearing on her probation related to an earlier DUI case. Her lawyer claimed her passport was stolen.

Despite her claim of sobriety, Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, said in a statement that the device indicated the "presence of a small amount of alcohol," which was what set off the alert.

The sheer number of times that Lohan has avoided "real" jail time (she did serve for 84 minutes at one time) has led many to point to the "celebrity entitlement" issue that seems to pervade the judicial system.

One has to wonder if the lack of jail time, which Jane Q. Public would most certainly have faced by now, will lead to eventual tragedy, either for her or someone else.

Tokyo screenings of Oscar-winning dolphin slaughter film canceled

2010-06-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

We first wrote about "The Cove" in 2008, when it was tentatively titled "The Rising." Since then the film, about the slaughter of dolphins in a secluded cove in Japan, has won an Oscar for Best Feature- Documentary. Yet showings of the film in Japan may not happen.

Unplugged, the Japan distributor, had planned showings of the film at two cinemas in Tokyo this month. Those have been canceled because of fears that planned protests might "inconvenience movie-goers," whether or not they were attending "The Cove."

Despite all this, Unplugged is still in negotiations to show the movie at 23 venues around the country this summer. Screenings at one Osaka theater have also been called off.

At issue are planned protests by conservative activists who say the film is anti-Japanese. Takeshi Kato of Unplugged said in a faxed statement to Reuters, "'The Cove' is absolutely not an anti-Japanese film. I believe a deep and constructive debate is needed about the content of the film."

Japan's government has long defended its whale and dolphin hunts, saying such hunts are an important cultural tradition. The country continues to use the "research" loophole in anti-whaling laws to justify its whaling, for one.

Watch the trailer, and a video report, embedded below:

BA struggles to explain bin Laden frequent flier miles

2010-06-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

One has to wonder if British Airways decided to screw up and thus take some of the heat off another company with the word "British" in its name, British Petroleum (BP). Nah, that makes to much sense.

Instead, this is likely a joke gone bad. BA is apologizing profusely after it was noted that the LHR News, the company's internal magazine for BA staff at London's Heathrow airport, had the image above in it. The photo accompanied an article touting the benefits of BA's mobile-boarding setup, which permits users of mobile devices (like bin Laden's iPhone) to print out their boarding passes on the fly.

The boarding pass reads "Bin Laden/Osama," as you can see. Worse, it appears that somehow bin Laden managed to get frequent flyer miles.

While it could just be a joke gone bad, it's also possible it's a bit of ill-natured sabotage by a disgruntled employee. After all, BA is embroiled in a nasty standoff with cabin crew that has led to strikes.

Bill Maher: Sarah Palin and the GOP Unreality Bubble

2010-05-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's been said, and perhaps rightly so, that nowadays there is no such thing as privacy. With Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and more, there's little reason to expect that anything you say will be kept in confidence. Particularly in the realm of politics, of course.

Bill Maher's "epilogue" to his New Rules on the May 28th episode of his show was right on. While pointing a great deal at politicians, it's something that everyone should remember in this data-everywhere world. As he said, "Even when you're just at Wal-Mart in your pajamas buying condoms, someone is taking a picture of it and putting it on a website called 'People at Wal-Mart Buying Condoms in Their Pajamas.'"

Here's the full transcript, and the video is below:

Jesus once said that there was nothing hidden that would not some day be revealed, but if he was alive today, and walked on water, it would be instantly on YouTube between a skateboard accident and a turtle biting a baby's ass. And the first comment would be "fag."

Even when you're just at Wal-Mart in your pajamas buying condoms, someone is taking a picture of it and putting it on a website called "People at Wal-Mart Buying Condoms in Their Pajamas." And Fergie, Fergie, Fergie -- whenever you're doing something shady in a hotel room, of course someone is filming it. Also be aware that, without makeup, you don't look anything like you do in the Black Eyed Peas.

And politically, it's even more ridiculous to think you can get away with a lie: Richard Blumenthal, running for the Senate in Connecticut, saying he was in Vietnam when he wasn't? This isn't camp, where you can tell a lie and no one will know back home. The Army keeps records!

Or John McCain saying, " I never considered myself a maverick," which of course prompted an avalanche of video, e-mails, letters and probably telegrams of McCain bragging that he was a maverick. There's video of everything, so to think you can get away with making a speech and just pulling stuff out of your ass, you'd have to be an egomaniac, a sociopath, or a world-class moron. Which brings me to Sarah Palin.

Now, last week Sarah said she knows what the Gulf states are going through now because, "I have lived and worked through that Exxon Valdez oil spill." Oh, please she 25, living in another part of the state that didn't see any oil. She "lived and worked" through Exxon Valdez the same way Christie Brinkley lived and worked through the Iranian hostage crisis. But she got away with it because she lied in the one place where it's still perfectly acceptable to lie -- inside the Republican bubble. It's where facts don't matter, because no one ever hears from that other side inconvenient called reality. 24 days into the oil spill, Fox News' Brit Hume said, "Where's the oil? You don't see it on the shore" -- like it's a hoax by pelicans to get free baths.

Within that bubble, people think they can get away with anything -- hiking the Appalachian trail? Getting your gay hooker from Rentboy.com? But they can't -- no one can anymore. If you don't believe me, text Tiger Woods and ask him.

And, speaking of hound dogs, our old friend John Edwards is looking for a plea deal this month, because he said he didn't have sex with that woman, and then they found video of him going down on her when she was six-months pregnant. Senator, there's got to be a simpler way to hide your face from the camera. Don't you have a hat?

Watch it:

Man dies from uterine cancer passed on by transplant

2010-05-27T15:29:00.003-07:00

A man has died of cancer, given to him via a transplant. For Vincent Liew, the kidney he received from a woman seemed to be a lifesaver, but it ended up being a killer.

Donor Sandy Cabrera had died of a stroke the day before Liew received her kidney. It wasn't until an autopsy found the uterine cancer, days after her death, that it was known that she carried the disease. At that time, Liew's doctors doubted it could spread to him.

Seven months later, however, Liew was killed by cancer that his autopsy linked to the transplant. His death is believed to be the only reported instance of uterine cancer apparently being transmitted by transplant, medical experts say. It is also the subject of a medical malpractice trial in which closing arguments were scheduled for Thursday.

What is unclear is why the news of Cabrera's cancer took so long to reach Liew's New York City transplant surgeon, Dr. Thomas Diflo. Liew's transplant was Feb. 25, 2002; the news did not reach Diflo until April 17, 2002.

Kimberly Liew, his widow, is suing the transplant hospital, NYU Langone Medical Center, saying doctors there should have removed the kidney as soon as they learned of the donor's cancer. However, Diflo testified that he told Liew the safest route was to remove the kidney, although he did tell Liew the odds of developing the cancer were slim, as it was uterine cancer.

As such, Liew himself made the decision to keep the kidney. Tests given from May to August found no indication of cancer in the kidney. It was later that year, suffering from back pain, that Liew had Diflo remove the kidney, on Aug. 29, 2002. Once removed, it was apparent the kidney was laden with tumors; Liew died within a month.

Two-year-old Indonesian chain-smoker: Video

2010-05-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

The U.S. has seen smoking in decline for some time. Other countries aren't necessarily following suit. Sometimes, they seem to be encouraging their kids to smoke, too, as in the case of this two year old.

Ardi Rizal, a 2-year-old Indonesian toddler, has a 40-cigarette-a-day smoking habit. While local officials has offered to buy the family a new car if he quits, his parents are apparently afraid of his tantrums.

His mother is Diana, 26, who said, "He's totally addicted. If he doesn't get cigarettes, he gets angry and screams and batters his head against the wall. He tells me he feels dizzy and sick." Meanwhile, his father sees nothing wrong with it. Mohammed, 30, said: "He looks pretty healthy to me. I don't see the problem."

Watch the disturbing video and sound off.

Large marijuana seizure turns into simple yard work

2010-05-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

What had been originally pegged as "one of the largest marijuana plant seizures in the police department's history" in terms of a Texas police department, instead turned into a bad day of weeding. It turned out the weed in question was actually just that, a simple weed.

It all happened in Corpus Christi, TX. At about 8PM on Thursday night, a teenage bike rider discovered what he thought were marijuana plants growing in Waldron Park in Flour Bluff.

Officers ultimately spent hours tagging and removing some 400 plants from the city park. Only after testing did they discover that the plants were Horse Mint, a member of the mint family, and certainly not something you could get high on.

In effect, the police operation turned into mere yard work.

Watch a video report:

Octomom receives $5,000 to promote spaying, neutering pets

2010-05-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is paying octomom Nadya Suleman $5,000 to display a sign in her La Habra front yard. The sign says, "Don't Let Your Dog or Cat Become an Octomom. Always Spay or Neuter."

As an added perk, PETA is throwing in a free month's supply of veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs for Nadya Suleman and her 14 children. Suleman became famous, first for having octuplets, and then after people found out that she had them when she had eight embryos implanted via in vitro fertilization, after already having six other children that way.

Nadya Suleman has also been offered a chance by Vivid Entertainment, one of the world's largest porn films producers. IF she agreed to make a porn film, Vivid has said they would pay off their mortgage.

However, Suleman's lawyer, Jeff Czech, indicated she had rejected that offer. He said to the AP, "No porn. Just PETA. Nadya prefers animals over men."

Uh, Jeff, read that a few times. We think it came out a little wrong.

Barack Obama assassination attempt used as geometry lesson

2010-05-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

An Alabama geometry teacher has used his lesson plans to target Barack Obama, and it turned out to interest the Secret Service. The unnamed Corner High School teacher used the example of where to stand and aim if shooting Obama, to teach about angles. 

Joseph Brown, a senior in the geometry class, said, "He was talking about angles and said, 'If you're in this building, you would need to take this angle to shoot the president.' "

U.S. Secret Service agents, informed of the event "through the grapevine," questioned the teacher but determined no credible threat existed.    Superintendent Phil Hammonds said the teacher remained at work, and there were no plans for termination. However, Hammonds added,

"We are going to have a long conversation with him about what's appropriate. It was extremely poor judgment on his part, and a poor choice of words."

Too many Jews on Supreme Court: Buchanan

2010-05-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Pat Buchanan has attacked Elena Kagen, U.S. President Barack Obama's latest Supreme Court nominee, using a different tactic. He said there are too many Jews on the Supreme Court. In a column he wrote for WorldNetDaily on Friday, he said:

"If Kagan is confirmed, Jews, who represent less than 2 percent of the US population, will have 33 percent of the Supreme Court seats. Is this the Democrats' idea of diversity?"

Honestly, it's unclear where Buchanan got the idea that choices for the Supreme Court have to exactly mirror the U.S. population. If that were the case, there should be 5 women on the Supreme Court, as women outnumber men in the U.S.

Or rather, there should be 4 women and a transvestite, perhaps, since the number of women in the U.S. is only slightly more than men. Additionally, it would mean that you could never have a Jew on the Supreme Court unless the nominee were only partly Jewish, based on his statement.

Karl Frisch at MediaMatters points out a couple of important things. One, that in 1977, Buchanan called Hitler "an individual of great courage, a soldier’s soldier in the Great War, a leader steeped in the history of Europe ..."

Second, he notes that this breakdown of the religious affiliation of all Supreme Court justices (ever) proves that Buchanan should be pointing at Episcopalians it he wants to complain. They have have accounted for 32.4 percent of all Supreme Court justices, but only represent 1.7 percent of the U.S. population.

Miley Cyrus lap dance video opens eyes

2010-05-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Do we really need to ask if Miley Cyrus has ushered herself into adulthood just a little too quickly?

TMZ found the video (below) of Miley Cyrus at the wrap party for "The Last Song." She was 16 at the time, and basically gave openly gay movie producer Adam Shankman a lap dance. Ironically, Shankman is a judge on "So You Think You Can Dance?"

Watch it.

Tiger Woods porn Movie to star alleged mistress, release on May 17

2010-05-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Considering the sheer volume of Tiger Woods' mistresses, it had to happen. No, we're not speaking about one of them making a profit off the story; that's already happened, and we're sure, more than once. No, we're speaking of a porn movie centered around the theme.

It is, quite honestly, the story that will never end.

Joslyn James, AKA Veronica Siwik-Daniels, the Tiger Woods porn star mistress who said she was twice impregnated by Woods after unprotected sex, is set to star in "The Eleventh Hole." According to the press release, it is a
"movie that will depict never-before-told intimate details of her three-year relationship with the golf champion."

The movie will be released by porn giant Vivid under its Vivid-Celeb imprint. That label has previously released movies featuring celebrities having sex, including Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, Kim Kardashian, former Miss USA Kelli McCarty and Playboy Playmate and reality TV star Shauna Sand.

In an earlier interview, James said:

"Even at major tournaments we would manage to hook up, and in fact it wasn't unusual for us to have sex four or five times a day."

The picture above shows James at an audition for actors for the role of Tiger Woods in the film. The movie is scheduled to release on May 17th.

Seventeen-year-old Phillies fan tasered during game

2010-05-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

It's certainly not the first time a "Taser event" has been controversial, but it's the first time police have Tasered a Phillies fan.

In this case, what makes the event contentious is the age of the miscreant. In the 8th inning, with 44,817 fans watching at Citizens Bank Park, a 17-year-old male ran around the outfield in the eighth inning. The Phillies fan was tasered when he refused to surrender to authorities.

Appearing on KYW Radio Tuesday, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay said that "it was inappropriate for him to be out there on the field. Unless I read something to the contrary, that officer acted appropriately. I support him 100 percent."

Meanwhile, Phillies spokeswoman Bonnie Clark said the following in a statement: "This is the first time that a Taser gun has been used by Philadelphia police to apprehend a field jumper. The Police Department is investigating this matter and the Phillies are discussing with them whether in future situations this is an appropriate use of force under these circumstances. That decision will be made public."

It's expected that the Phllies fan who was tasered will be charged with criminal trespass. The police would not release his name because he was underage. While no confirmation exists that he was truly a Phillies fan, the T-shirt he was wearing seems to indicate that.

Watch an amateur video of the event:

Neo-Nazi group wants May 5 to be "Report an Illegal Day"

2010-05-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

The National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi organization, has begun circulating fliers which aim to change May 5th into "Report an Illegal Day."

The date picked is no mistake: it's Cinco de Mayo.

According to a local news report, the group's website states that the National Socialist Movement wants each member to hand out 25 fliers. A Phoenix police office told the local station they are looking into the flier.

Watch a video report:

Drill, baby, drill believers should help clean up Gulf: Maher

2010-04-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Drill, baby, drill! Or should we say, Spill, baby, spill.

Those who remember the 2008 GOP convention surely remember the chant of "Drill, baby, drill," led by then VP candidate Sarah Palin. As money seemingly always trumps the environment, high oil prices were making Americans think about more offshore oil drilling, despite the fact that any oil extracted that way would be a drop in the ocean of oil the U.S. needs.

It was also based on the fact that for two decades there had not been any large-scale accidents. That has radically changed, with the vast oil spill from the BP oil rig explosion begins to hit U.S. coastlines.

Bill Maher said it best in a tweet:

Every a**hole who ever chanted 'Drill baby drill' should have to report to the Gulf coast today for cleanup duty

Those who think technology is infallible are fools. It was 100 percent certain we would have another oil accident. The question was not if, but when.

Sarah Palin, head over to the Gulf Coast today, will ya?

Guide, not gay, dog booted from Australian restaurant

2010-04-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, guide dogs are allowed just about everywhere with their masters. In this case, however, a gay dog, even if a guide dog, got the boot.

In reality, Nudge, the dog of Ian Jolly, 57, is a guide dog. However, restaurant staff at the Thai Spice restaurant in Adelaide in May, 2009, misheard the woman with Jolly, and believed that his "guide dog" Nudge was in fact a "gay dog."

It is in fact, unclear what a "gay dog" truly is, but in a statement to South Australia's Equal Opportunity Tribunal, the owners said "The staff genuinely believed that Nudge was an ordinary pet dog which had been desexed to become a gay dog." Uh, that would be a neutered or perhaps spayed dog, one would think.

Jolly will receive a written apology and $1,400 in compensation. Ironically, the restaurant displays a "Guide Dogs Welcome" sign.

Archie Comics to intro first openly gay character

2010-04-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

Those who follow Archie Comics will know that Betty and Veronica have competed for Archie Andrews for decades. Starting this fall, they'll have competition of a different sort, as Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in Archie Comics, will debut.

Realistically, there's no evidence that the new character will chase Archie, but Archie Comics announced in a press release Thursday that Kevin Keller, a blond hunk, will debut on Sept. 1st, in VERONICA #202, which will feature the full-issue story, "Isn't it Bromantic?" Interestingly, Kevin seems to have more in common with Jughead: Kevin defeats Jughead in a burger eating contest at Pop's Chocklit Shoppe.

While Veronica seems bent on getting Kevin Keller, he and Jughead commiserate. Kevin is open with Jughead, just coming right out and saying "It's nothing against her. I'm gay." No reaction from Jughead, except to perhaps wonder if he can use this to get back at Veronica.

In the press release, Archie Comics Co- CEO, Jon Goldwater said "The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books."

Archie Comics is the publisher a series of comic books about the teens of Riverdale. Archie's first appearance was in Pep Comics #22 on December 22, 1941. Archie Comics was also the title of the company's longest running publication. Starting with issue #114 the title of the comic book was shortened to just Archie.

Misprint in cookbook labeled racist by some

2010-04-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

A misprint in "The Pasta Bible" will cost publisher Penguin Australia $20,000, according to the company. The misprint suggested that the dish tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto required "salt and freshly ground black people" as ingredients.

Penguin Australia blamed the issue on a spell-checking program. Anyone who has used such software will know that it won't catch such an error. Apparently some saw the misprint, which obviously shouldn't be labeled a Freudian slip, but rather an honest mistake, as racist.

The error was revealed after a member of the reading public got in touch with Penguin Australia. All 7,000 copies of "The Pasta Bible" at the warehouse to be destroyed. Head of publishing Robert Sessions told the Sydney Morning Herald the destruction of those copies would cost $ 20,000.

There aren't any plans to recall the copies in stores. The company's website did say the following at the end of an item about the issue:

Penguin will also willingly replace a copy of Pasta Bible owned by anyone who feels uncomfortable about having a copy of the book in their possession.

The team at Penguin sincerely apologises for any offence this error may have caused.

Player signs jersey for teen; man steals it when thrown back

2010-04-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

Humans are selfish creatures. This fact was emphasized at the last Pittsburgh Penguins game of the current regular season, when a man stole a teen's Penguins jersey.

Brian Burger, 14, had thrown his jersey to team captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby signed the jersey, and threw it back. Then a man stepped in, grabbed it, and ran off.

"He signed my jersey, he threw it. I was about to catch it, and some guy took it and ran away."

The jersey was worth $200. While some humans are selfish however, some are not. The Penguins and Crosby heard about Burger's loss. On Monday, a local news reporter from WTAE Channel 4 presented him with a new Crosby jersey, autographed by Crosby himself.

Nike to air new Tiger Woods commercial as advertisers begin returning

2010-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

As Tiger Woods has come back to the PGA at the Masters, so, it seems, have advertisers come back to Tiger Woods. Nike is set to air a TV ad on Wednesday featuring Tiger Woods and the voice of his late father, Earl.

The new television commercial will air on ESPN and the Golf Channel on Wednesday night and Thursday. The black-and-white ad is more about Tiger's affairs then his return to golf (or about Nike shoes), as they feature Earl Woods' voice asking Tiger about responsibility, as Tiger stands looking somber.

"I want to find out what your thinking was; I want to find out what your feelings are. Did you learn anything?"

Watch the ad below. What do you readers think? Was this simply spin doctoring?

GOP D.A. Threatens Teachers for Following State Law

2010-04-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

Juneau County (WI) District Attorney Scott Southworth sent out 24 letters to top officials in the county 5 school districts telling them to suspend sex education classes in their schools or face possible charges. At issue is the new state law, called the Healthy Youth Act, which took effect in March. It requires schools, starting this fall, to teach students medically accurate, age-appropriate information, in their sex-education course, including how to use birth control and prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

In his letter, Southworth told school district leaders that teachers who follow the law could be charged with misdemeanor or contributing to the delinquency of a minor, with maximum punishment ranging from nine months in jail to six years in prison.

Already part of previous law, parents will be permitted to remove their children from sex-education classes. Schools also will be allowed to decline to offer sex education, but must notify parents if they decide not to.

For those wondering: yes, Southworth is a Republican, as could be implied by his stance. As a DA, he's required to uphold the law, and state law would trump county law, as well.

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

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

Unfortunately, if Southworth wants teens to never learn about sex, he's going to have to a) lock them in a room, b) not let them watch TV, read newspapers, magazines, books, and on and on.

Rep. Kelda Helen Roys (D-Madison), co-author of the legislation, said: "Using condoms isn't a crime for anyone. This guy is not a credible legal source on this matter, I'm sorry to say. His purpose is to intimidate and create enough panic in the minds of school administrators that they'll turn their backs on young people and their families."

Women use wheelchair, sunglasses to try to smuggle dead body onto plane

2010-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Shades of the movie "Weekend at Bernie's." Two women were arrested at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport for trying to board an EasyJet plane with a dead body, police said on Tuesday.

Dead is 91-year-old Curt Willi Jarant. Arrested are 66-year-old Gitta Jarant, his widow, and 41-year-old Anke Anusic, his stepdaughter. All three are German nationals. However, the two women live in the U.K. The women were released on bail until June 1st.

The two women had put Jarant into a wheelchair and put sunglasses on him, and were trying check in for a flight to Berlin on Saturday, April 3rd. EasyJet workers became suspicious, and discovered the man to be deceased.

Authorities have charged the two women with "failing to give notification of death."

"Weekend at Bernie's" was a 1989 movie starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman. The premise, more or less, of the comedy is that the two pretend their boss is still alive during a weekend at his beach house, while a hitman continues to try to finish off Bernie.

Ignoring Hippocratic Oath, Dr. Refuses To Treat Obama Supporters

2010-04-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

A Florida doctor has decided he doesn't want to treat Democrats, at least those who voted for Barack Obama. Florida urologist Jack Cassell posted a sign on his office door telling those voters to go away.

"If you voted for Obama ... seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your health care begin right now, not in four years."

William Allen, professor of bioethics, law and medical professionalism at the University of Florida's College of Medicine said that Cassell's sign is pushing the limits of professionalism.

Allen said doctors cannot refuse patients on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability, but political preference is not one of the legally protected categories specified in civil-rights law. By insisting he does not quiz his patients about their politics and has not turned away patients based on their vote, the doctor is "trying to hold onto the nub of his ethical obligation," Allen said.

"But this is pushing the limit," he said.

No big loss really. Vitals.com, which rates doctors via patient rankings, says Cassell has a 1 out of 4 star ranking. It seems that it might be a good idea to avoid him anyway; he might snip the wrong tube.

Of course, Jack Cassell did backtrack as knowledge of this reached the public. "I'm not turning anybody away — that would be unethical," he told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday. "But if they read the sign and turn the other way, so be it."

Right, sure. At any rate, there are a couple of things that Jack Cassell is forgetting in his (modern) Hippocratic Oath. They include:

I will respect the privacy of my patients (which means you shouldn't be able to ask, even in an implied manner, who they voted for)[...]
I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings (not just certain voters), those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

Jesse James Nazi Pics Hit the Web as Bullock Decides to Divorce: Report

2010-03-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

A new picture has arisen of Sandra Bullock's husband, Jesse James, wearing a Nazi visor and standing in a mock Nazi salute, just about a week-and-a-half after modeling pictures of Michelle "Bombshell" McGee wearing a Swastika armband showed up. McGee was the first of James' mistresses to reveal herself.

According to US Magazine, the James' pic was taken in 2004, a year before he wed Bullock. Apparently, however, James did it for shock value, and was just joking around.

"He had a stepmom whose father lost family in the camps, and they'd talk about it growing up. Jesse's not a white supremacist."

The photo arose on the same day that rumors that Sandra Bullock had decided to file for divorce. Additionally, it's been reported that James has entered a Tucson rehab facility, though an unknown type of facility.

Anime Proves "Two Nukes Not Enough": NH State Rep

2010-03-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

In 2003, acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, who has created many animated motion pictures, won an Oscar for "Spirited Away." Apparently, that's no evidence that anime is of any worth, as two nukes just weren't enough, at least for New Hampshire state representative Nick Levasseur (D).

Levasseur reportedly updated his Facebook status to say this on Thursday:

"anime is a prime example of why two nukes just wasn't enough...."

You can watch a local news video below. The report goes on to state the obvious: the statement "could be deemed as insensitive toward the Japanese heritage." Er, however, it should also be obvious that it's not just the Japanese who watch anime.

Levasseur apologized, stating that the remark was meant to be private. That, of course, makes it all better. Who would want to nuke Kiki (above, from another Miyazaki film, "Kiki's Delivery Service."

Of course, the GOP in NH jumped on it immediately, asking NH's Gov. Lynch to ask his party to stop participating in such "shameful behavior," forgetting of course, Larry Craig, Paul Stanley,
Mark Foley (and those are just some of the ones involved in sex scandals). This Levasseur incident is just foot in mouth disease, not dick in *** disease.

Thief asks cop for directions, is arrested

2010-03-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

In yet another example of the brilliance of some criminals, a thief in Utah was arrested after stopping the investigating officer in the case, and asking for directions.

John White allegedly stole two cell phones from a convenience store. Meanwhile, he also left a slip of paper at a gas station, one which contained the very address that he asked the officer for directions to.

The investigating officer noticed that White was asking about the address he was checking on, and also that he matched the description given to him by a store clerk.

The officer found he also had both of the phones involved, as well as some marijuana. He was arrested, and charges are pending.

Bush appears to wipe hand after handshake with Haitian

2010-03-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are in Haiti this week, in a joint visit reviewing the state of the country after their devastating January earthquake. In a video uploaded to YouTube, Bush is seen apparently wiping his hand after shaking the hand of a Haitian.

Other sites have asked the same question.

It could have been worse, we suppose. Bush could have wiped his hand after shaking hands with Clinton.

Watch the video:

Media Goes Crazy Over Joe Biden F-Bomb (Video)

2010-03-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, during the signing the health care reform bill both VP Joe Biden and President Barack Obama were there. Obviously, they should have been, as it was a big deal. The Joe Biden f-bomb (video below) inserted between big and deal is what is causing an uproar.

Seriously, though, why is this such a big deal? The Joe Biden f-bomb is barely audible. What happened is that Biden introduced Obama, and said "this is a big f*cking deal," into Obama's ear. It's not like he shouted the f-bomb or anything?

At any rate, listen very carefully to the Joe Biden f-bomb video and as he hugs Obama, you can barely hear it. A big uproar over nothing really, though Biden is known to be a victim of foot-in-mouth disease.

Police Arrest 16-year-old in Wal-Mart "All black people leave" Case

2010-03-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Police have arrested a 16-year-old Washington Township, N.J teenager, who is accused of picking up one of two dozen public address phones accessible to the Washington Township store’s customers, and saying “Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now.” The incident occurred on March 14th.

A manager quickly got on the intercom system and apologized for the remark. However, some community members said on Saturday that they’ve heard reports of similar incidents at the store that were not reported to police.

It is as yet unclear if the teen, unnamed due to his age, felt his actions were simply a prank. However, speaking to a psychologist, Dr. Dominika Osmolska, PsyD, the evidence is clear that there is certainly racism involved: "Well, of course. After all, with access to the P.A. system, why choose to say that, otherwise?"

Police would not confirm if the boy had a criminal record and would not disclose the teen’s race. If convicted, he would face up to a year in juvenile detention.

Loretta Winters, president of the Gloucester County chapter of the NAACP, said “We are concerned about that, and we’re looking into these incidents. We want to work with the community to make sure these types of incidents don’t happen. I’m assuming this person didn’t realize how hurtful his comments were."

Speaking again to Dr. Osmolska, she said that despite his apparent racism, the above comments could still be true. "Frequently teenagers are thoughtless, and do not realize how their actions affect other people. This does not discount the apparent racism in the boy, nor likely in his parents, as racism generally begins at home."

Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi pics heat up Bullock - James scandal

2010-03-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

As if the Sandra Bullock - Jesse James split rumors (and perhaps reality) are not bad enough, the latest news in the scandal centers on Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi pics (linked from TMZ above).

According to TMZ, the Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi pics were taken about a year ago, and were not her idea. Rather, they were the idea of the photographer, but the site said that she was very enthusiastic about the idea.

In one of the Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi pics the letter "w" is on her left leg while the letter "p" on her right. According to the report, McGee says it stands for "white power."

Additionally, and adding some degree of validity to the furor over the Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi pics, the report added that in child custody documents filed in January, McGee's ex-husband wrote that she "makes the Nazi salute," and has a swastika tattooed on her stomach.

All this started as the result of an In Touch interview, in which the tattoo model said that she had a months-long affair with Jesse James while Sandra Bullock was away filming "The Blind Side." Bullock won the Best Actress Oscar for the film.

In doing so, she also joined other actresses in the so-called "Oscar Love Curse" category: Hilary Swank, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Helen Hunt, Reese Witherspoon, and most recently Kate Winslet all had splits after their wins.

TMZ has a gallery of Michelle "Bombshell" McGee photos, though if you are not a fan of tattoos, you may not find Jesse James' alleged mistress to your taste.

Erin Andrews Peephole Video Stalker Sentenced

2010-03-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

The person behind the famous Erin Andrews peephole video, which was taken as the ESPN reporter traveled during an 18-month period, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison. Michael Barrett, 48, was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,366.

Barrett had previously pleaded guilty to the charge. Michael Barrett reportedly shopped the Erin Andrews peephole videos to at least on celebrity website, and after being turned down, uploaded 10 of them on the Internet, IDing the reporter in his posts.

At Monday's sentencing hearing, the ESPN reporter told the court that she still suffers as a result of the "Erin Andrews peephole video." The 31-year-old said:

"I'm being victimized every day...and I did nothing to deserve it. I'm living public humiliation. It's my body that's on the Internet. [...] He stalked me, he terrorized me -- this will never be over for me, and I don't want it to ever be over for you (referring to Barrett)."

During the aftermath of the Erin Andrews peephole video revelations, Andrews sometimes found herself stalked by others. You can read a transcript of a 911 call and listen to audio here.

According to court documents, at least 16 other unidentified women were targeted by Barrett in the same way. Court papers described them only as "female sports reporters and other television personalities."

Erin Andrews was voted America's "sexiest sportscaster" by Playboy magazine in 2007 and 2008, pre-peephole video days, and will be one of the celebrity contestants in the upcoming season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," which starts on March 22.

Tiger Woods confirms PGA return at The Masters

2010-03-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Tiger Woods confirmed what most had suspected: he will return to the PGA Tour at the Masters. The first round of the tournament is April 8th.

Tiger Woods has not competed since Nov. 15th, when he won the Australian Masters. That was his 82nd victory worldwide. Following that, on Black Friday 2009, he had a now famous single-car accident that opened up the doors to the scandal involving his numerous affairs.

He's been dropped by some sponsors, minimized by others, and he took a leave of absence from the PGA tour. Since then, he's been at sex addiction clinics, as well as attempting to repair his relationship with his wife, Elin Nordegren Woods.

Tiger Woods has 14 major wins (The Masters, the PGA Championship, the British Open, and the U.S. Open), while Jack Nicklaus leads overall with 18. It was widely believed, and in fact, reported by AP last Thursday, that Woods would not miss any major championships this year as he attempts to surpass Nicklaus.

In a press release on his website, Tiger Woods said:

"The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta.

"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been awhile since I last played.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy, and I am continuing my treatment. Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.

"When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments, and I look forward to competing in them again.

"I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game."

Watch a video report:

Tiger Woods-centric episode to open South Park Season 14

2010-03-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

South Park is ready for season 14, and they are going to start the season off with a bang. Not a banging, but a bang, though you might assume that since they are targeting Tiger Woods with their first episode, banging might be involved. Since the Black Friday 2009 car accident that first spotlighted to the public the reality of Tiger Woods' numerous affairs and sex addiction, Woods has been lampooned, roasted (and not a celebrity roast) and derided. How could South Park pass it up?

"It's such an important issue in America right now — the sex addiction outbreak," Matt Stone, who partners with Trey Parker on the series, said on Friday. "We're all really concerned about him and hope he gets better."

It's difficult to tell if that concern is honest or sarcastic. Stone and Parker were reportedly still working on the script on Friday, and he noted that he was both fascinated and disgusted by Woods' public apology, so sarcasm isn't out of the question.

South Park's new season begins on Wednesday, and the series will air its 200th episode next month.

Watch a teaser for the episode below:

South Park

Wed 10pm / 9c

All The Temptations

www.southparkstudios.com

Joke of the Day

Stand-Up Comedy

Free Online Games

March 13th Becomes First National Coffee Party Movement Day

2010-03-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Accidentally started by documentary filmmaker Annabel Park, the Coffee Party movement faces its first test today: newly-formed Coffee Party chapters are meeting all across the country. Formed out of frustration over what some call the extreme views of the Tea Party movement, and even racism, the Coffee Party movement started with a rant on her Facebook page by Park.

Several weeks ago, Park posted the following on Facebook:

"Let's start a coffee party — a Red Bull party — anything but tea. Let's get together and drink cappuccino and have real political dialogue with substance and compassion."

After Park was swamped by responses agreeing with her, that the Tea Party movement did not represent their of America, things snowballed. The official Coffee Party movement Facebook group has swelled to over 130,000 fans. They also have an official website. Interestingly, despite being founded in March of 2009, as opposed to weeks ago, the Tea Party facebook group has only 110,000 fans.

Saturday, local Coffee Party movement organizers will hold more than 350 meetings for the Coffee Party National Kick Off. Meetings will take place in almost every state, with national organizers encouraging groups of no more than eight people at a local (where else) coffee shop.

The Coffee Party movement declares the following on its Facebook page:

"We want jobs with decent pay for all Americans. We want affordable health care and education. We want our government to cut wasteful spending and practice fiscal discipline. We want regulation of Wall Street to protect consumers and promotion of financial literacy."

It also states the following in a message to Congress:

"You work for us, not for corporations. We hired you and we get to fire you. We pay you and give you great health insurance. Now get to work serving the interests of the American people, or get out."

The Coffee Party movement, like the Tea Party movement, believes that government does not represent them. Unlike the Tea Party, however, the Coffee Party wants to change it so that government does represent them. Meanwhile, the Tea Party wants government to go away.

It is clear, therefore, that the Tea Parties have not taken an example from Denmark. For years (2007, 2008, late 2009) Denmark has been called the "happiest place on earth."

University of Copenhagen Sociologist Peter Glindelock described part of the reason for the happiness in Denmark is, in fact, big government. He has conducted many studies on this issue.

Glindelock says part of the reason is the country's social system. "The happiness standard is the quality of life in different societies. And Denmark scores very highly on all those different values. So even though the climate is poor, which is part of that analysis, it still shows that the welfare state is very important for people's happiness."

In Denmark, the state controls the health, educational, and other systems, and the Danes are willing to pay high taxes to support them. "And this kind of welfare state means that everybody gets more or less the same from the state," said Glindelock. "At least what the Danes like, they like an egalitarian society."

Watch a video from the Coffee Party Movement's website:

Burbank teacher Amy Beck remains in jail for alleged sex with student

2010-03-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

Amy Beck, a 33-year-old mother-of-three and a sixth-grade teacher from Burbank, California has been in jail since earlier this week after turning herself in for having sex with a teenager last year. The boy in question was 14 at the time.

Amy Beck has been charged with five counts of unlawful sex with a person under 16. The boy has since moved from David Starr Jordan Middle School to a different location, officials said.

Originally, Beck was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. However, the arraignment was postponed until March 25th. If tried and convicted, Amy Beck could face up to seven years in prison.

It is of note that Amy Beck turned herself in on Monday, as opposed to someone such as Melinda Dennehy (accused of sexting a student). Amy Beck is being held on $175,000 bail. The Burbank Unified School District said she resigned the Friday before turning herself in to authorities.

While Amy Beck admittedly turned herself into police, her attorney, Michael Williamson, said:

“My client is not making any admissions. She’s voluntarily assisting and cooperating with the Burbank Police Department.”

In fact, the arraignment was reportedly postponed by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge so that Amy Beck could continue to work with authorities, as noted above.

"Born in the U.S.A." Anti-American, Propaganda: Beck

2010-03-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

"Born in the U.S.A." is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, taken from the album of the same name. It is one of his best-known songs. Rolling Stone ranked the song 275th on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Glenn Beck, however, calls it "anti-American," and "propaganda."

To be sure, Bruce Springsteen certainly wouldn't be on Beck's list of fans, and vice-versa. Springsteen has endorsed a number of Democrats, including President Obama. He also put on a show at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and did so for Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) near the end of the 2004 presidential campaign.

Here's what Beck said on his March 11th radio show (he starts by reading the lyrics to "Born in the U.S.A.," not singing them):

Born down in a dead man's town. The first kick I took is when I hit the ground. You end up like a dog that's been beat too much. Until you spend half your life just covering up. Born in the USA. I got in a little hometown jam and somebody put a rifle in my hands, sent me off to Vietnam: Go kill the yellow man. Born in the USA. Come back home to the refinery. Hiring man says, son, if it were up to me. I go down to see the VA man. He said, son, you don't understand. Born in the USA. I have a buddy at Khe Sahn inviting off the Vietcong. They're still there; he's all gone. He had a little girl in Saigon. I got a picture of him in her arms. Down in the shadow of the penitentiary, out by the gas fires of the refinery, I'm ten years down the road, nowhere to run. Ain't got nowhere to go. I'm a long gone daddy in the USA. Born in the USA. I'm a cool rocking daddy in the USA. Born in the USA. Hmmm. [...]

See, here's the thing that I think people don't understand yet. I think you do. That it is time for us to wake. People who have come from the Soviet bloc or Cuba, they are all saying, how do you guys not hear this? How are you not seeing this? Well, because we don't ever expect it.

The Boss, un-American? Say it ain't so! That's bound to earn Beck the ire of Springsteen fans.

Here's the song, by the way:

Jamie Jungers Wins Stern's "Tiger Woods Mistress Beauty Pageant"

2010-03-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

There are so many alleged Tiger Woods mistresses that its hard to keep up with them. Only one can claim the title of Miss Tiger Woods, however. The Howard Stern show held a "beauty pageant" on Wednesday, with Jamie Jungers winning the contest.

As the winner, Jamie Jungers took home $75,000. It should be made clear, though, that the pageant only included Jamie Jungers, Jaimie Grubbs, and Loredana Jolie. It didn't, for example, include Rachel Uchitel, the first outed mistress.

The contest consisted of the women coming out and discussing their relationship with Tiger. Jamie Jungers was first, and she had a few things to say, including the fact Woods never used a condom during their relationship. She also mentioned that Woods referred to her as his "little coffee cup" and "Jamie Juices."

Loredana Jolie followed Jamie Jungers. Interestingly, in her 18 month relationship with Woods, he used a condom, always. She also claimed that Woods was the most well-endowed man that she ever had sex with, stating he was "bigger and better" than Michael Jordan.

Jaimie Grubbs came out last. She, like Jamie Jungers, claimed Woods never used a condom with her. Grubbs was nicknamed "skinny fat" by Woods because despite eating a lot of junk food, she maintained her thin physique.

In terms of the finish, Jamie Jungers came in first, as noted above. Jaimie Grubbs finished second, and took home $15,000. Jolie was given $5,000 and a 50-inch television.

NH high school teacher arrested for sexting student

2010-03-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

Sexting is (unfortunately for parents) popular among teens and tweens. Some of the teen sexters have even been charged with child porn because of it. Many think that is unnecessary, but in this case, with a New Hampshire teacher, the door to jail seems wide open.

Melinda Dennehy, 41 and a mother of two, is an English teacher at Londonderry High School. Despite her degree, she apparently did not read, or did not understand, laws on indecent exposure, however.

Melinda Dennehy turned herself in to Londonderry police last Friday. She reportedly sent four "sexy" shots of herself to a 16-year-old male student at that high school. The student thought the pictures were "hot" enough that he forwarded the images to his friends.

According to the police, the pictures were sent two months ago. The teenager also told police that Melinda Dennehy had "continuously sent him text messages." Many of those were, he said, sexually explicit. He added that she "kissed him twice on two separate occasions" in a classroom.

According to the local Londonderry website, the charge of indecent exposure leveled at Melinda Dennehy is considered a Class B Felony. The maximum punishment is up to seven years in state prison and a fine of $4,000.

Dennehy was released on $10,000 personal recognizance bail; she is due to be arraigned in the Derry District Court on April 30, 2010. Dennehy is to have no contact with anyone under the age of sixteen and was ordered to stay away from all Londonderry School property.

Sexting is a word that combines sex and texting (or text messaging). As previously noted, child pornography charges have been brought against some teens due to the practice. In response, the question of when sexting should be a crime, particularly among consensual teens, remains an open issue.

You can listen to the school districts press conference on Melinda Dennehy here.

SNL Presidents Reunion Video Highlights Need For Financial Reform

2010-03-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

Funny or Die is back with more political satire. This time they've done a great job of organizing a SNL presidents reunion, gathering a large cast of comedians (most of which are Saturday Night Live alumni) doing POTUS impersonations to educate viewers about the banking industry and the need for financial reform.

The SNL presidents reunion video is described as follows:

Barack Obama gets a surprise visit in the night from ex-Presidents Bush Sr., Bush Jr., Clinton, Ford, Reagan and Carter to get a few pointers about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and why it's so important.

Here is the SNL Presidents reunion cast. The video is embedded below.

Barack Obama (Fred Armisen)
Michelle Obama (Maya Rudolph)
Bill Clinton (Darrell Hammond)
George W. Bush (Dana Carvey)
Gerald Ford (Chevy Chase)
Ronald Reagan (Jim Carrey)
Jimmy Carter (Chevy Chase)

FAA Investigates Child Directing Pilots At JFK Airport

2010-03-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

The FAA is investigating a report that a child apparently directed pilots last month from the air traffic control center at John F. Kennedy Airport. JFK Airport is one of the nation's busiest airports, and audio clips prove transmissions between pilots and the child occurred.

You can listen to the audio clips below. You can hear that pilots were not all that concerned with the incident, and one pilot even tells the child "awesome job." It is true that there appeared to be an adult monitoring the activity, as you can hear a voice say, "That's what you get guys when the kids are out of school."

Listen to the audio:

Dr. Seuss' Birthday: 106 Years and Still Being Read

2010-03-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Most people don't like green eggs and ham. Do you? Perhaps, today, on Dr. Seuss' birthday, you can make an exception.

March 2nd is the birthday of children's book author Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. He was born on March 2, 1904 and died on September 24, 1991. March 2, 2010 is Dr. Seuss' 106th birthday.

Parents worldwide should be celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday. He wrote over 60 children's books, including The Cat in the Hat, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The Lorax, and yes, Green Eggs and Ham. Many have been made into cartoons, movies, and even a Broadway show.

Additionally, March 2 is the annual NEA Read Across America Day. Many schools will be commemorating that day by reading not just anything but Dr. Seuss books.

Marie Osmond's Son Commits Suicide

2010-02-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

Michael Blosil, 18, and one of Marie Osmond's adopted children, jumped to his death Friday night from his downtown Los Angeles apartment building. He left behind a suicide note, according to ETOnline.

According to the report, the note stated that Michael Blosil "intended to commit suicide due to his life-long battle with severe depression that left him, he said, feeling as if he had no friends and could never fit in."

Besides Michael Blosil, Marie Osmond has seven other children. They are Stephen James Craig, 27, from her first marriage, who was adopted by Osmond's second husband Brian Blosil. While married to Blosil, Osmond had two more children, Rachael Lauren in 1989 and Matthew Richard in 1999. In addition, they adopted Jessica Marie in 1987, Michael Brian in 1991, Brandon Warren in 1997, Brianna Patricia in 1998, and Abigail Michelle in 2002. Osmond and Blosil announced they were divorcing in 2007.

On November 14, 2007, MSNBC reported that Michael Blosil, then 16, had entered rehab. Marie Osmond confirmed the news later the same night during a taping of the show "Larry King Live."

Through her publicist, Marie Osmond said:

"My family and I are devastated and in deep shock by the tragic loss of our dear Michael and ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time."

Meanwhile, her brother Donny said:

"Please pray for my sister and her family."

Saturday night's "Donny & Marie" show at the Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas was canceled.

Appeals Court: Zombies Have Free Speech Rights

2010-02-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

If corporations can have free speech rights, why can't zombies? That's basically the ruling given by an appeals court in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday.

The appeals court, a three-judge panel, overturned a lower court by a 2-1 vote in finding that the group of seven "zombies" had been wrongfully detained during a 2006 shopping mall protest against consumerism. The court ruled that Minneapolis police lacked probable cause to arrest the demonstrators for disorderly conduct.

The demonstrators were wearing makeup at the time that gave them a "Night of the Living dead" look (white face powder, fake blood, etc. etc.). They also tromped stiff-legged through the mall, as zombies are wont to do.

However, the panel did dismiss the zombie plaintiffs' claims of "First Amendment retaliation" and "false imprisonment." On the other hand, the ruling they made gives the protesters the right to revive their lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and its police department. According to the Star Tribune paper the zombies are seeking damages of at least $50,000 per corpse arrested.

The panel said:

"An objectively reasonable person would not think probable cause exists under the Minnesota disorderly conduct statue to arrest a group of peaceful people for engaging in an artistic protest by playing music, broadcasting statements (and) dressing as zombies."

The reference to corporations above refers to the recent Supreme Court decision in which they gave corporations unfettered rights to throw as much money as they want toward an election. The fact that a WaPo poll shows bipartisan opposition to the decision (with 76 percent of conservatives against the ruling) shows that the five conservatives in the Supreme Court, who want to please their base, are probably saying "Oops."

Self-Proclaimed Miss Beverly Hills Says Bible Is Clear On Death For Homosexuals

2010-02-25T07:55:00.000-08:00

The self-proclaimed Miss Beverly Hills 2010, Lauren Ashley recently told fox News that the Bible is pretty clear on on death with regards to gays. At the same time, the city of Beverly Hills disavowed her "title" and slammed her for her opinions. Ashley said:

"The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, 'If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.' The Bible is pretty black and white ..."

Beverly Hills responded quickly, with an official statement saying that Beverly Hills "does not sponsor a beauty pageant and has no association with Miss California USA. As such, there should be no individual claiming the title of Miss Beverly Hills." They also added that Ashley actually lives in Pasadena.

Beverly Hills added that it had contacted pageant officials to see if there was a way to prevent any future beauty contestants from using the title of Miss Beverly Hills.

However, while Beverly Hills does not have a pageant of its own, Miss California rules do state that the contestants can claim to represent any area of their choosing. Keith Lewis, a K2 Productions stage director for the Miss California USA pageant, said, "the girls pick the territory they represent. Her representation area is Beverly Hills USA. When she competes, her sash will read 'Beverly Hills USA.'"

The Miss California pageant is associated with the Miss USA pageant (and Donald Trump, therefore), winner of which goes on to represent the U.S. in the Miss Universe pageant.

Trainer Dawn Brancheau Killed By Orca At SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium

2010-02-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Dawn Brancheau, 40, a veteran trainer at Orlando, FL's SeaWorld, was killed by an orca (killer whale) during a show at Shamu Stadium at the theme park. SeaWorld uses the stage name "Shamu" for any of the male or female orcas during a show.

While authorities have said that Brancheau fell into the holding tank at Shamu Stadium, and was then fatally injured by one of the orcas, witnesses disagree. Park guest Victoria Biniak told Local 6 that Brancheau had just finished explaining the show to the audience.

Then, Biniak said, the whale rose up from the water and grabbed the woman, in a horrific scene from some science fiction movie. Biniak told Local 6:

"He was thrashing her around pretty good. It was violent. (The whale) took off really fast in the tank, and then he came back, shot up in the air, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started thrashing around, and one of her shoes flew off."

In 2006, a trainer at SeaWorld was hospitalized after a killer whale grabbed him and twice held him underwater during a killer whale show at Shamu Stadium.

However, the orca in this case, Tillikum, nicknamed "Tilly," has had issues in the past. The killer whale was blamed for the drowning of one of his trainers in 1991 when he was performing at Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia. After being sold to SeaWorld as a stud in 1992, "Tilly" was involved in a second incident when authorities found the body of a 27-year-old naked homeless man lying across his back in July 1999.

It was later theorized that the man had either hidden until SeaWorld closed, or somehow snuck into SeaWorld after hours. They believed that Tilly had done a little "horseplay" with the man. Sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said at the time: "He may have been a victim of what a whale would call horseplay, just playing around."

Watch a video report:

Toyota's Recalls May Help Man Convicted Of Vehicular Homicide

2010-02-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Toyota's woes may prove a boon to a Minnesota man who was convicted of vehicular homicide. He claimed, at the time, that his Camry suddenly accelerated and slammed into another car, killing three members of a family.

In June 10, 2006, Koua Fong Lee, 32, was driving home from church. In his 1996 Toyota Camry were his pregnant wife, his daughter, brother and father. After exiting Interstate 94 he smashed into the back of an Oldsmobile. The Camry hit the other car at a speed estimated between 70 and 90 miles per hour. Lee testified he shouted to his family, "Brakes, brakes not working," just before the crash.

Javis Adams and his 10-year-old son, Javis Adams Jr., died at the scene. Devyn Bolton succumbed to injuries from the crash a year later.

After Toyota's recent swarm of recalls, Lee's lawyers discovered that some 1996 Camrys had been themselves the subject of a recall because of "unintended acceleration" caused by a flaw in the cruise control. The recall was not presented as evidence at the trial.

In fact, while a 1996 model would not be among those in Toyota's recent recalls, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received more than 17 complaints from owners of other 1996 Camrys alleging sudden acceleration. Among them:

"Vehicle accelerated on its own."
"It was a very dangerous situation."
"The vehicle reached speeds of 60-80 mph while running two stop signs. Had to crash into a tree and another vehicle to stop the vehicle."

The last was very recently reported, in Oct. 2009.

Lee was given an eight year sentence and has been in prison for two. In criminal cases, a reasonable doubt is all that is necessary for an innocent verdict, and it appears reasonable doubt has even reached the family of those killed.

Bridgette Trice, whose seven-year old daughter later died from injuries suffered in the accident, as noted above, said "I can't believe that a guy with his pregnant wife, a kid in a car seat, his father-in-law and a brother-in-law in the car, would purposely be speeding up this ramp like that. Maybe there is something to what Mr. Lee said was going on with him in his car, that he couldn't stop, that he tried his hardest, and the brakes, that his car wouldn't stop. He's never wavered on his story that his brakes were bad."

Watch a video report:

USOC Reacts Quickly To Scott Lago Racy Pictures

2010-02-20T06:47:00.000-08:00

He only won a bronze medal. One has to wonder what would have happened if he'd won gold. Scotty Lago's racy pictures showed up on the Internet, and that was that. This set of Scotty Lago racy pictures have sent him home.

Seriously, although the Scotty Lago racy pictures show some simulated oral sex, there's really not that much there. While they leave little to the imagination, it's not as though the guy was pantsless, too. Fortunately, he was (nearly) fully clothed during the event, but was still a little too suggestive for the United States Olympic Committee to get behind.

The Scotty Lago racy pictures are not all that racy, but one has to wonder: what happened after that picture was taken, and did Scotty go home. One has to think the Asian woman in the picture has now attained 15 minutes of fame. In this day and age, she will probably also be quickly identified.

Tiger Woods Apology Video and Transcript

2010-02-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods "apologized" to his fans, his wife, and the media today. His wife Elin was not at his side when he did so. He made the following key points during his press conference:

He apologized to the public
He will return to golf, but did not give a timeline
He admitted attending a sex addiction clinic
He has never taken performance-enhancing drugs
His wife, Elin, did not strike him during the famous car crash, nor has she ever
He still wants to reconnect, but his apology to her will come with actions, not words
He will rely on his Buddhist upbringing going forward

The full transcript, as well as the full Tiger Woods apology video is below.

Good morning, and thank you for joining me.

Many of you in this room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me. Many of you have cheered for me, you worked with me, or you supported me. Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.

I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife, Elin, and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss. However, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.

I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those of you in this room. I have let you down. And I have let down my fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behavior has been a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have let you down personally and professionally. My behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners, to everyone involved in my foundation, including my staff, board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly, the young students we reach. Our work is more important than ever. Thirteen years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the Learning Center students in Southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C., millions of kids have changed their lives and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.

But still, I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I'm embarrassed that I have put you in this position. For all that I have done, I am so sorry. I have a lot to atone for.

But there's one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame. The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs, I cheated. What I did is not acceptable. And I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have far - I didn't have to go far to find them. I was wrong, I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

I've had a lot of time to think about what I've done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I've made. It's up to me to start living a life of integrity.

I once heard, and I believe it's true, it's not what you achieve in life that matters; it's what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count. Parents used to point at me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

It's hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days, from the end of December to early February, I was in in-patient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I'm facing. I have a long way to go. But I've taken my first steps in the right direction.

As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I understand the press wants me to - wants to ask me for the details of the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know whether Elin and I will remain together. Please know that as far as I'm concerned, every one of these questions, and answers, is a matter between Elin and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.

Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance-enhancing drugs. This is completely and utterly false.

Some have written things about my family. Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things; I did. I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors, from my commercial endorsements. When my children were born, we only released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them. However, my behavior doesn't make it right for the media to follow my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter to school and report the school's location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family: Please leave my wife and kids alone.

I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know, above all, I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That's where my focus will be. I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it.

Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a creation of things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.

As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because I've learned that's how people really do change. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I'm making these remarks today. In therapy, I've learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered, so I can say the things that are most important to me: My marriage and my children. That also means relying on others for help. I learned to seek support from my peers in therapy, and I hope someday to return that support to others who are seeking help.

I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game.

In recent weeks, I have received many thousands of e-mails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement means the world to Elin and me. I want to thank the PGA Tour, Commissioner Finchem, and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.

Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.

Thank you.

National Enquirer Officially In The Running For A Pulitzer

2010-02-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

The National Enquirer, reveling in the fact that it had broken the stories about former Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards and a) his affair with Rielle Hunter (pictured), b) his "love child" Frances Quinn Hunter, earlier said it was going to submit an application for a Pulitzer Prize. For those who always discount the tabloid now comes the bad news: the application has been accepted.

Pulitzer Prize administrators have decided that The National Enquirer is indeed eligible to compete for the awards, widely considered the most coveted honor for American newspapers. The information came Thursday from a unnamed source who was briefed on the matter.

Much of the Enquirer Edwards reporting took place before 2009, and so cannot be considered for this year’s prizes.

According to Emily Miller, who has been campaigning for a Pulitzer for the National Enquirer,

Before The Enquirer submitted its nomination, the Pulitzer's long-time administrator Sig Gissler attempted to pre-empt this campaign by telling reporters that the tabloid is not eligible due to various technicalities. Gissler, however, showed great humility and fairness by reading The Enquirer's submission and admitting that the paper is eligible to compete. Gissler has given The National Enquirer the legitimacy it long deserved for breaking a political scandal of national significance.

This should add legitimacy to anything the Enquirer produces going forward, short of stories of alien autopsies, we suppose.

Parents File Lawsuit Over Webcams Used To Spy On Students

2010-02-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

The parents of Blake Robbins, a student at Harriton High School in Rosemont, PA, have launched a class-action lawsuit against the Lower Merion School District, the Board of Directors of the school district, and the Superindent, as well. At issue: laptops that were given to students by the district, which can have their webcams activated remotely by school administrators, even when the student is at home or away from the computer.

The lawsuit (.PDF) alleges that students and parents weren't told about the webcam "feature." The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the 1,800 district students, seeks "to recover damages caused to the Plaintiffs and Class by Defendants' invasion of Plaintiffs' privacy, (and) theft of Plaintiffs' private information."

It was only when an assistant principal at Harriton High School told tenth-grader Blake Robbins that she had a picture that proved he “was engaged in improper behavior in his home” that the "feature" came to the fore.

The lawsuit alleges the webcams violate the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of privacy, privacy under Pennsylvania common law, the U.S. Civil Rights Act, and a variety of other statutes. The filing adds:

As the laptops at issue were routinely used by students and family members while at home, it is believed and therefore averred that many of the images captured and intercepted may consist of images of minors and their parents or friends in compromising or embarrassing positions, including, but not limited to, in various stages of dress or undress.

That, of course, brings up the possibility that in some circumstances the images were basically child porn.

District spokesman Doug Young said on Thursday, “This is the first we have heard of the allegations. We can categorically state that we are, and always have been, committed to the privacy of our students."

Palins Call "Family Guy" Writers "Heartless Jerks"

2010-02-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

As soon as Sunday night's "Family Guy" episode aired, it was clear to anyone viewing that Sarah Palin would probably respond to it. The Sunday episode showed Chris Griffin dating a girl with Down's Syndrome, who mentions her mother is a former governor of Alaska, an obvious dig at Palin's son Trig.

In Sunday's episode, "Extra Large Medium," while she never mentioned Palin by name, the girl, Ellen, was clearly referring to Palin when she told Chris, "My dad's an accountant, and my mom's the former governor of Alaska."

In a Facebook comment, Palin said the episode "felt like another kick in the guts." Palin then strangely turned the comment over to Bristol Palin, who called the "Family Guy" writers "heartless jerks." It was previously rumored that Trig was actually Bristol Palin's son, not Sarah Palin's.

Watch the episode:

Valentine's Day Theft Ends Up In Crash, Deaths

2010-02-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Two men who fled via car after robbing a street-corner Valentine's Day gift stand in Los Angeles died early Sunday after crashing during a chase. The men reportedly stole both gift baskets and cash from a vendor near downtown L.A.

The victim called police and officers located their car nearby. The suspects then sped away. However, the suspected robbers died when their getaway car crashed into a parked vehicle near the Civic Center.

Both were thrown from the car and were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspects were not immediately identified.

Tea Party Movement Racist: Fox News Poll

2010-02-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

Strange results from a Fox News poll, as their core audience is undeniably to the right. However, a Fox News poll indicates that even those viewers / readers feel that the Tea Party movement is racist.

Here's how the poll was posed:

How to define the Tea Party movement was nearly as big an issue last week at the National Tea Party Convention as the political issues discussed, from government fiscal responsibility to greater accountability of public officials. Some participants drew cheers for raising more controversial topics, such as President Obama's nationality, but others argued that those points were, at best, politically unproductive. Meghan McCain went further on Monday and called segments of the movement "racist."

As of the the time of this writing, there are 210,835 votes. 80 perecent of them selected the option that the Tea Party movement is "A fruitless mix of racism, conspiracy theories."

Interestingly, for those who believe the policies of Barack Obama are socialist, only 1 percent of respondents agreed with that statement as a reason that the Tea Party movement has begun. Of course, those who truly know what socialism means know that any idea that the U.S. is moving toward it is a completely untrue statement, anyway.

Woods' Mistress Number One To Get TV Gig

2010-02-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

The first mistress outed in the Tiger Woods sex scandal has been offered a TV gig, according to Page Six. Rachel Uchitel, on the strength of her interview with Extra's Mario Lopez, "so impressed producers that she's been offered a job as a special correspondent."

Reportedly, Uchitel will report on nightlife "hot spots." She won't, however, report on Tiger Woods.

Watch the Extra video:

Soldier Simulates Drowning Of Daughter When She Fails Alphabet Test

2010-02-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

A soldier has been accused of simulating drowning, pushing his four-year-old daughter's face underwater because she was unable to recite the alphabet. Joshua Tabor, 27, is a soldier at the Lewis-McChord base in Tacoma, Washington.

While some reports named the technique used by Tabor as waterboarding, strictly speaking, it was not. Waterboarding involves covering the individual's face with fabric or cloth and pouring water over the nose and mouth to simulate drowning.

According to reports, "Tabor said he submerged her face three or four times until the water was lapping around her forehead and jawline."

Tabor had won custody of his daughter only four weeks earlier. Her mother lives in Kansas. Tabor has been charged with assault and ordered to remain on his base and have no contact with his daughter or girlfriend (who was not named). He is due to appear in court later this week.

Sarah Palin Uses Crib Notes During Tea Party Appearance

2010-02-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

Sarah Palin's speech at the so-called National Tea Party Convention last night was interesting for many reasons. One of them is that Palin was forced to use crib notes scrawed on her hand.

The photo above, blown up from the photo below by The Huffington Post, clearly shows the evidence. The crib notes were used during a Q&A session at the convention, leading to the obvious conclusion that the questions and answers were known beforehand.

It's not hard to believe she would need to use crib notes. After all, this is a woman who didn't know Africa was a continent. It is, however, hypocritical since she recently criticized President Barack Obama over use of a teleprompter.

It does show that she's learned from the Katie Couric interview from last year: don't go in without knowing the answers, and make sure you have the answers around in case you forget them.

Watch a video, too:

Tea Party Speaker Tancredo Suggests Return To Literacy Tests

2010-02-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

Former California representative Tom Tancredo urged a return to voter literacy tests on the opening night of the Tea Party convention. Such tests were used in the past to prevent African-Americans and in some cases, Latinos, from voting, prior to Johnson-era civil rights laws.

Tancredo said that President Barack Obama was elected because "we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country." He went further and blaster his own party's John McCain, saying "Thank God John McCain lost the election. This is our country. Let's take it back."

It's hard to know if by "our country" he meant a country of white people. However, as he railed against what he called the "cult of multiculturalism," it's pretty obvious. Tancredo, who has been a long opponent of immigration, should remember who the real immigrants to North America are.

When the literacy tests were previously used, those who were white were often allowed to vote, even if they failed the test. Details on Alabama's program can be found here.

Here are a few of the questions they gave on the "test."

"If a person charged with treason denies his guilt, how many persons must testify against him before he can be convicted?" (two)
"If a president does not wish to sign a bill, how many days is he allowed in which to return it to Congress for consideration?" (10)
"If the United States wishes to purchase land for an arsenal and have exclusive legislative authority over it, consent is required from [fill in the blank]." (legislature)

A few comments: considering that Sarah Palin, a woman in her 40's, did not know that Africa was a continent and not a country, it is obvious there's a good chance she would fail this test. Second, as a member of Mensa with a certified genius level IQ, I can't answer these, because my civics class was over 30 years ago.

And finally, what you need to be able to do to vote for a candidate is not understand the esoterics of the laws and information in that test. You need to be able to parse the rhetoric of candidates. That is something that many on the right, who still believe in "death panels," cannot doe.

Red-Faced Banker Caught Looking At Racy Emails Will Keep Job

2010-02-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

An Australian banking employee who became an Internet sensation after a video of an interview showing him in the background looking at a few racy images on the Internet was posted to YouTube, will keep his job.

Macquarie Bank said in a statement released on Friday: "He will remain an employee of Macquarie. Macquarie and the employee apologize for any offence that may have been caused."

While you might expect that the company might start looking into censoring the sites its employees are allowed to view, it turns out that the red-faced employee, David Kiely opened e-mails on Tuesday containing pictures of model Miranda Kerr. It wasn't about the Web; it was about inappropriate email.

Interestingly, many were interested in helping Kiely keep his job.
The financial website Here is the City News even set up a "Save Dave" page encouraging readers to email the PR department of Macquarie Bank to help save Kiely's job. The web campaign cited the following reasons:

he seems like a nice guy;
the photographs were not hardcore;
he has suffered enough, and
there's just too much political correctness in this world anyway

Additionally, Kerr, a 26-year-old Australian-born model engaged to "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Orlando Bloom, tod news.com.au that "I am told there is a petition to save his job, and of course I would sign it."

You might expect Kiely's desk to be moved out of camera view. Watch the original video here:

Watch a report on the incident, which shows a close-up in which you can see his horrified realization of the incident.

Colin Powell Announces Support of Repeal of "DADT"

2010-02-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who famously came out as supporting President Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign has offered his support to an Obama plan. That plan is to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

As the nation’s top military officer in the 1990s, Colin Powell opposed allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military. On Wednesday he switched gears, saying in a statement:

“In the almost 17 years since the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed. I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen.”

On Tuesday, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, told lawmakers that they supported President Obama’s proposal to repeal the 1993 law. Admiral Mullen is the first Joint Chiefs chairman to ever take that position.

As noted on Tuesday, however, any change in the DADT policy would not come any time soon. Both Mullen and Gates told lawmakers that there would be a Pentagon review of up to a year to study how to implement any change before they expected Congress to act on repealing DADT.

Sanford Dropped "Faithful" From Wedding Vows: Wife

2010-02-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

As if, upon discovering the reality of her husband Mark Sanford's infidelity was not bad enough, Jenny Sanford reports in a new memoir that the South Carolina governor actually asked her advice with regards to his affair.

Jenny Sanford, as reported at HuffPo, writes in "Staying True" (to be released Friday) that Gov. Sanford wondered aloud whether he should follow his heart to Argentina to be with his mistress, Maria Belen-Chapur. He asked if he would regret not doing so. She wrote "Clearly those are thoughts I wish he had kept to himself."

Also, In an upcoming "20/20" interview with Barbara Walters, Jenny Sanford noted that Mark Sanford dropped the word "faithful" from the couple's wedding vows. As reported:

Sanford recalls how she made the "leap of faith" to marry husband Gov. Mark Sanford even though the groom refused to promise to be faithful, insisting that the clause be removed from their wedding vows.

"It bothered me to some extent, but ... we were very young, we were in love ... I questioned it, but I got past it ... along with other doubts that I had."

Austrian Army "Pick-Up" Ad Withdrawn After Sexism Complaints

2010-02-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

An advertisement aimed at kick-starting declining Austrian Army recruitment has been shelved after complaints of sexism. The ad showed young women chasing a tank for a "joy-ride." In order to do so, they passed up a macho-looking Audi driver.

While the Army was all for the ad, saying "Our clip is so dorky it's brilliant," Judith Goetz, in charge of feminist issues at the Austrian Students' Union, said: "It is totally archaic to show such an obviously sexist video when women are part of the Austrian military."

A "loose translation" from the YouTube video follows:

Audi Driver: hey Girls, wanna go for a spin in my fast ride?
Girls: ehh not sure, there's not even enough space for all of us
Soldier: wazzup girls, in the mood for a joyride?
Girls: *yaaaaay*
Soldier: join the army if you wanna drive a tank
Soldier2: jump in, starting engine
Audi Driver: hey, what about the spin?
Girl: forget it, I want to drive something big
Narrator: the Austrian Armed Forces offer unique opportunities for young people who are at least 18, everything else is just everday life

AT&T Display Phones Used To Donate To Haiti

2010-01-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

It is very easy to donate your own funds to Haiti. One example is to text HAITI to 90999. Of course, what if you're not using your own phone?

In this case, as heard on NPR, a resourceful individual texted from AT&T retail store display phones. In fact, according to NPR, he posted on Facebook (which doesn't really make sense) that he wondered if AT&T was going to get ticked at him for continuing to use their display phones.

It doesn't make sense since NPR indicated that the employee posted anonymously on his Facebook page, which sort of removes the anonymity, doesn't it. Still ...

It's unconfirmed if AT&T will come through with the funds, but NPR noted that after spending two hours on the phone with its own customer support, AT&T gave up and decided to pay up.

In 37 Minutes, Scott Roeder Found Guilty Of Abortion Doctor Murder

2010-01-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

Scott Roeder, who had freely admitted killing prominent Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller has been found guilty, after only 37 minutes of jury deliberation. He said he killed Tiller to protect unborn children.

The jury found Scott Roeder, 51, guilty of premeditated, first-degree murder. He now faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Roeder testified during the trial that he shot Dr. George Tiller in the head on May 31, 2009 because he believed Tiller posed an "immediate danger" to unborn children. The shooting took place at Tiller's Wichita, KS church.

Earlier, Scott Roeder's attorneys had tried to get him a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. However, the judge ruled that the jury could not consider such a verdict.

In her closing arguments, prosecutor Ann Swengel said, "His testimony was delivered very matter-of-factly, but its contents were chillingly horrific. He carried out a planned assassination, and there can be no other verdict in this case, other than guilty."

Major Garrett Tweets Ad For Escort Site

2010-01-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

Fox News reporter Major Garrett made a major mistake last night when, while Tweeting away during the State of the Union address, he tweeted this:

"To overcome the numbing weight of our politics" and other Obama SOTU excerpts http://bit.ly/d6W

The only problem with that is the URL-shortened link above takes you to a site advertising Las Vegas escorts. See below:

Later, he posted:

I apologize. Bit.ly turned my original link to SOTU excerpts to a soft-porn link. NOT my intention. http://bit.ly/d6WZBu

Right, bit.ly did it. Sorry, that's not true, and you know it, Major. What happened was that you had an escort site open in another tab and you accidentally copied it to bit.ly to shorten it. Now let's see, when's the next time you're visiting Vegas?

Haggard Now Free Of "Gay Compulsions" - Wife

2010-01-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

Ted Haggard, out of the news for three years since he left his megachurch in disgrace, is back in the news. He had originally been caught up in a scandal involving drug use and a male prostitute. His wife appeared on "The Today Show" on Wednesday, and said he no longer has "gay compulsions."

Gayle Haggard was appearing on "Today" to promote her new book, “Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour," about her experiences in the matter. She told Meredith Vieira,
“Our relationship is better than it’s ever been. Going over this mountain together has given me the marriage that I’ve always longed for."

Gayle Haggard added that Ted has told her, early in their marriage, of one gay experience he had.

“At that point, I was ignorant of the gravity. I felt as though we all struggle in different areas of our life, and certainly in our sexuality, so I was willing to forgive him. That was painful at that time. He had gone to a counselor ... I felt as though the problem was pretty much solved. [...]

“Through the years, what I’ve discovered is that it would reemerge in Ted’s life from time to time, but he didn’t tell me about it. When I would ask him, he would say it was no longer a problem, since it was something he was ashamed of and trying to hide.”

Finally, she stated that therapy has help him overcome his "compulsions." As she said, "he no longer has those compulsions. "

Watch the video:

SC Lt. Gov.: "Don't Feed The Poor, They'll Breed"

2010-01-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

South Carolina Lt.-Gov. Andre Bauer, a candidate for governor, made a comment which basically compared the poor to stray animals during a town hall meeting on Friday. During a discussion of subsidized school lunches, Bauer said the following:

"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."

What Bauer was trying to do, he said on CNN while trying to backpedal on the statement, was the following:

"There's no way that I was trying to tie animals to people. What I was trying to talk about is the dependency culture, and just like when you feed an animal, you create a dependency."

Back to comparing the poor with animals, eh? Here's an interesting open letter to Bauer in the Spartanburg Spark, in which Christopher George makes some excellent points:

Your knowledge on issues of poverty is about as thorough as my knowledge of quantum physics, and while that might be fine for Andre Bauer, private citizen, it most certainly is not fine for Andre Bauer, gubernatorial candidate. I know that in conservative circles ideas like yours—though normally more carefully articulated—are pretty common, even celebrated. The idea that government assistance creates poverty is a pretty old one, and it’d be wrong to imply that you were expressing something that your fellow conservatives don’t agree with. Most of them agree with it just fine. Whether they’d have your courage in saying so openly is another matter.

Whether they’d come forward with your degree of honesty or not though, the fact remains that they’re plainly wrong about poverty issues in pretty much every respect. Chew on this one for a moment: If it really is true that government assistance causes poverty, then why is it that the countries with the largest, most expansive social safety nets also have the lowest poverty rates? If food stamps, unemployment insurance, and free school lunches increased poverty, as you and your conservative friends claim, then how do you explain the fact that countries like Germany, France, Canada and The Netherlands—all of which have welfare systems far more advanced than ours—have lower poverty rates? [...]

I know from how forceful you were in your defense of the “I Believe” license plate that you are a Christian. That’s important because you see, there are those of us out here who believe that when it came to issues involving the poor, Jesus was a pretty radical guy. I myself have several favorite verses where he seems to come down pretty hard on the whole “laissez-faire” thing.

I especially like this passage from the book of Matthew: “For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

If that one doesn’t do it for you, how about this one from the book of Luke: “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in the flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.”

Very good points. And for those against universal health care, who are on the right, how do you reconcile these points from the New Testament with your views?

Have Beer Your Way, At Burger King

2010-01-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

Want a Whopper, but want a brewski, too? Burger King is starting to allow that.

Burger King is opening a restaurant in Miami Beach, FL that will serve beer along with burgers and fries. This will be the fast-food chain's first U.S. location serving alcohol.

At first, at least, the BK restaurant will offer only domestic beers. A BK beer will sell for $4.25, with a Whopper combo with a beer $7.99. That price is about $2 more than the same meal with a soda.

The restaurant will offer outdoor dining, a walk-up window and delivery service. It's scheduled to open in mid-February. They are planning to call it a Whopper Bar.

Nadya Suleman Back In Bikini Shape, Without Surgery?

2010-01-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

Nadya Suleman, also known as "Octomom" as the result of having octuplets after in vitro fertilization, is, according to Star magazine, back in bikini shape. And, according to the magazine, there was no surgery or air brushing of the photo.

That would be extremely had to believe, given the past pictures of Nadya Suleman during her pregnancy. Additionally, any who watched some of the specials about the Gosselins and witnessed images Kate Gosselin's stomach after her birth of sextuplets, would probably be convinced that Suleman would have had to have surgery, as Gosselin did.

At any rate, the article (available in full on newsstands) says that Suleman had no surgery, and did it all with diet and exercise.

Besides the octuplets she had, Suleman had six children previously, which raised the hackles of many once it was discovered that she had eight further embryos implanted.

Readers, what do you think? Air brush, surgery, or both?

Airline Bomb Scare Caused By Jewish Teenager's Prayers

2010-01-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

A Jewish prayer object known as tefillin (above) caused a plane to divert from its destination of Kentucky to Philadelphia, when the object was mistaken for an explosive device. A 17-year-old boy on US Airways Express Flight 3079 traveling from New York to Louisville was attempting to use the object during the flight.

FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver said, "It's something that the average person is not going to see very often, if ever."

According to Wikipedia, "the hand-tefillin, or shel yad, is placed on the upper arm, and the strap wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers; while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead, with the strap going around the head and over the shoulders."

Although the teenager explained the device to crew members when questioned, the captain of the flight decided to divert to Philadelphia anyway. Flight 3079 left LaGuardia Airport in New York around 7:30 AM, and landed in Philadelphia about 90 minutes later. There, it was met by police and officials from the FBI and Transportation Security Administration.

The White Plains, NY teen, who was traveling with his 16-year-old sister, was very cooperative, and neither were booked into custody. Both were allowed to continue on their way, and passengers on the flight were re-booked on other flights.

Angry Reactions Result From News of "Jesus Scopes"

2010-01-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

Muslim groups reacted angrily to the news that so-called "Jesus scopes" were being used by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The story, first reported by ABC News, noted that Michigan-based contractor Trijicon had sold up to 800,000 of the sights, which have coded Bibilical references, to the U.S. military.

A Trijicon spokesman said the practice began under its founder, Glyn Bindon, who was a devout Christian from South Africa. He was killed in a 2003 plane crash, ironically between Gunsight Mountain and Sheep Mountain in Alaska.

Upon hearing the news, Michael Weinstein, Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation said: "It's wrong, it violates the Constitution, it violates a number of federal laws. It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they're being shot by Jesus rifles." The MRFF is an advocacy group that seeks to ensure the separation of church and state in the military.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) called for U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to immediately withdraw from combat any equipment found to have inscriptions of Biblical references. MPAC Director Haris Tarin said in a statement, "Having Biblical references on military equipment violates the basic ideals and values our country was founded upon. Worse still, it provides propaganda ammo to extremists who claim there is a 'Crusader war against Islam' by the United States."

At least two other countries that buy scopes from Trijicon are reconsidering those purchases. First, in the U.K., a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told the BBC that the ministry was contacting Trijicon, had been unaware of the markings at time of purchase, and realized that the markings might be considered offensive. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Defence Force told the New Zealand newspaper The Press that the Biblical quotes were "inappropriate" and would be removed. New Zealand will also ask Trijicon to remove the code from future shipments.

It is also true that the U.S. military has in place a non-proselytizing rule, to prevent providing the Taliban, al Qaeda and others such fuel for their insurgency. It is, howver, ironic, that scopes of this nature could provide ammo for our enemies.

Watch a video report:

Big Fail As Man Blows Two Different Armed Robberies

2010-01-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

A man needs some lessons in armed robbery, as he blew two consecutive armed robbery attempts space only 30 minutes apart. Of course, he did manage to succeed in one thing: he got away from both.

The still unidentified robber first tried to rob the Subway Restaurant at 1021 High St. in Hamilton, OH, just before 7:30 PM. The robber said, "This is a robbery; give me the money." He then on the counter and tried to steal the cash register, but the clerk pushed him off of the counter and the man fled on foot.

Thirty minutes later, he attempted a robbery at the Family Dollar Store at 2526 Dixie Highway. This time, he displayed the outline of a gun to the clerk. He then tried to open the register but was unsuccessful, and then fled the scene.

Someone needs some lessons, as obviously he needed to force the cashier to open the cash register, but oh, well. Police are still investigating, and anyone with information concerning the robberies is asked to contact Detective David Collins at (513) 868-5811, extension 1214.

Bag of Cocaine Found In Space Shuttle Hangar

2010-01-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

In 2007, reports surfaced that some NASA astronauts had flown while intoxicated. Finding a bag of cocaine inside a NASA shuttle hanger doesn't mean it belonged to NASA astronaut, but it's still made NASA initiate an investigation.

Lsst week, a shuttle worker employed by United Space Alliance found a plastic bag with a white powder residue on the floor outside two bathrooms and a janitor's closet, in Orbital Processing Facility 3. The powder was later confirmed to be cocaine.

As a result of the incident, NASA brought in drug-sniffing dogs, but found nothing. Also, about 200 workers who had access to the area were given drug tests.

The shuttle Discovery is being prepared at the facility for a March launch to the International Space Station (ISS). In addition, NASA engineers are double-checking the work on the shuttle.

The amount of cocaine in the bag was small, and was said to be residue. NASA said that if the drug can be tied to anyone, the employee will be handed over to federal prosecutors. Additionally, they will trace the employee's work to be sure no mistakes were made.

Tiger Woods Reported Holed Up In Sex Addiction Clinic

2010-01-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

Where's Tiger been hiding all this time? It's unclear where he's been hiding all this time, but right now, he's apparently holed up in a sex addiction rehab clinic.

It all started on Black Friday, and most likely you already know the sordid details. He crashed his SUV that day, in the early morning hours; it appears Elin Nordegren Woods was chasing him that day, after an argument over numerous affairs, and since them so many mistresses have come out of the woodwork that it's hard to keep track of them.

In addition, Tiger's lost some big sponsors, such as Accenture and AT&T. Others, such as Gillette, have simply put him on the back burner, most likely hoping his advertising "glamour" will come back.

Sources say that Tiger Woods is now at Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services, a clinic in Mississippi. According to the facility's web site, their sex addiction program is known as the "Gentle Path."

It's described as follows:

The Gentle Path Program offers gender specific treatment to aid men and women in regaining their freedom from the disease of sexual addiction. Most patients are simultaneously treated for mood disturbance, anxiety or other addictions, such as chemical dependency. The Gentle Path Program has a special focus on working through past trauma and family problems. The program is designed to help men and women regain freedom from compulsive behaviors and develop a sense of healthy sexuality. [...]

To get the results our patients need for long term recovery, Gentle Path provides comprehensive treatment services based on a 12-Step Program. Our interdisciplinary staff of physicians, nurses, counselors, clinical assistants, social workers and a certified addictionologists, provide patients with a full continuum of care. The Day Treatment Program includes:
Group therapy
Weekly psychiatric consultation
Cognitive Behavioral therapy
Experiential trauma work
Big Book/Step study
Relapse prevention counseling
ROPES Course (a Ropes course is an outdoor personal development and team building activity)
Consultation with Dr. Patrick Carnes
Family Care program
Exercise and fitness program (Tiger should do well at this!)
Eye movement desensitization
Reprocessing
Shame reduction work
Spirituality group
Grief Group
Yoga

While Tiger will busy for about six weeks with this therapy, Elin Woods was seen around town again, today. Once again, no wedding ring.

Eight-Year-Old Winds Up On Terror Watch List

2010-01-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

The TSA, in a section they call "Myth Busters," says that "No 8-year-old is on a TSA watch list." Oops. It looks like the Myth Buster is busted, because that's not the case. There is an eight-year-old on the watch list.

Michael Hicks is on a watch list, under suspicion by the Department of Homeland Security. Unfortunately, there happens to be a boy named Mikey Hicks, 8. According to his mother, he's been having to suffer through extra security for 7 1/2 years.

It's interesting, because the TSA site says:

Airlines can and should automatically de-select any 8-year-olds out there that appear to be on a watch.

Apparently, not, based on his mother's statements. He was first patted down when he was two.

On their latest trip, he was frisked "aggressively," his mother said. Of course, there should be some degree of allowance made: it came after the Christmas Day near-bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight.

“Up your arms, down your arms, up your crotch — someone is patting your 8-year-old down like he’s a criminal. A terrorist can blow his underwear up and they don’t catch him. But my 8-year-old can’t walk through security without being frisked.”

Still more interesting: his mother, Najlah Feanny Hicks, is a photojournalist who once got Secret Service clearance to travel aboard Air Force II with then-Vice President Al Gore. You'd think his age might get Mikey off the hook, but apparently no. And really, as he gets older, things will just get worse.

Watch a report from CBS' "The Early Show."

Pat Robertson Blames Haiti's Earthquake On Its Victims

2010-01-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, Christian televangelist Pat Robertson of the "700 Club," while stating his Christian Broadcasting Network will be there “to help the people," blamed the disaster on the victims. He said that the earthquake was a result of a "pact with the devil" that the Haitians made long ago.

Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you get us free from the prince.” True story. And so the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.” They kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free.

But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle, on the one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island.

They need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.

It's interesting that they need to turn to God, since 80 percent of them are professed to be Roman Catholic. Of course, Robertson is the same person who has linked terrorism and Hurricane Katrina to legalized abortion.

Watch the broadcast:

Scotland Yard Captures The "Facebook Fugitive"

2010-01-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

It couldn't last forever, could it? The "Facebook Fugitive," or Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, who has been taunting police via Facebook since his escape from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England a few months ago, has been captured.

It was reported by Scotland Yard that they arrested Lynch in southern England on Tuesday night. They only confirmed that he had been arrested and gave few details.

Lynch had drawn a huge audience to his Facebook page, with tens of thousands of fans. However, his first page was shut down, and it appears a second one has been shut down as well. Some were actually cheering him on, but others were hoping for a capture.

In reality, it's amazing it took so long. Authorities should have been able to close in on him based on his IP address.

Lynch's new charge is apparently escaping from custody. He is due to appear in court later Wednesday.

Balloon Boy's Dad Now Behind Bars

2010-01-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

Richard Heene, father of six-year-old Falcon Heene, AKA "Balloon Boy," is now behind bars. He reported to jail Monday to begin a 90-day jail sentence.

The Oct. 15, 2009 "Balloon Boy" incident was derided as a hoax after investigators determined that the Heene family, specifically Richard and mother Mayumi Heene, had intended to use the incident to springboard themselves into reality TV. The family had said that Falcon was in the "cabin" of a homemade UFO-shaped balloon, and rescuers and pursuers spend much time and effort trying to "save" him.

Things began to unravel for the Heenes when they appeared on CNN and Falcon said, when asked why he hid in the garage when people called out to him, "You had said that we did this for the show."

However, despite pleading guilty for a relatively light charge of attempting to influence a public servant, Richard Heene remains adamant that there was no hoax. He said he truly believed his son was inside the balloon when it floated away in October, and that he pleaded guilty only to save his wife from being deported to Japan.

Mayumi Heene, a citizen of Japan, faces 20 days in jail, but she can take it in staggered spurts and starts. In addition to their jail time, the Heenes must also pay restitution for the rescue effort, which included the Colorado National Guard launching two helicopters to track the balloon and possibly rescue the boy. Prosecutors estimate the Heenes owe $48,000, though Richard Heene's attorney could provide a different estimate by a Jan. 25 deadline.

Watch an interview between Richard Heene and Matt Lauer of the Today Show, aired January 8th, in which Heene alleges Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden is a "liar."

KFC Commercial Pulled After Complaints Of Racism

2010-01-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

KFC has been making positive moves with its KGC brand, or its grilled chicken. However, in terms of KFC commercial advertising and political correctness, it appears they have a way to go. In reality, though, it's because of a stereotype that doesn't exist in Australia.

This Australian KFC commercial (below) features a white man surrounded by a group of black revelers. To calm the situation, he hands them a bucket of chicken. The KFC commercial, however, is titled "Cricket Survival Guide," and the Colonel's response is that the KFC commercial was meant to celebrate West Indian Cricket team.

In the KFC commercial, the white man asks if "you need a tip when you're stuck in an awkward situation?" as he's surrounded by the revelers. There's no violence involved, just a bunch of people enjoying themselves.

Still, in America, the image of blacks and fried chicken is known as a racial stereotype. "It is a light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team ... The ad was reproduced online in the US without KFC's permission, where we are told a culturally-based stereotype exists, leading to the incorrect assertion of racism." The reference to a "culturally-based stereotype" seems to point to the fact that in Australia such a stereotype does not exist, and thus the company would not have caught how un-PC the KFC commercial might appear, to some.

Of course, that doesn't mean racism does not exist in Australia. It does mean that this stereotype does not resonate there, so to that country, the KFC commercial does not appear to exhibit racism.

At any rate, while the KFC commercial has been pulled, it still lives on (until they remove it for copyright reasons) via YouTube. Watch the KFC commercial and decide for yourself.

Starbucks Embroiled In Aztec Image Use Issue With Mexico

2010-01-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Starbucks has pulled a mug from its retail stores after a claim by Mexico that the coffee company has violated its intellectual property rights. The claim is for a line of coffee mugs showing pre-Hispanic images.

The mugs contained images of the Aztec calendar and a pyramid from pre-Aztec ruins near Mexico City. They have since been removed from shop shelves.

Meanwhile, Starbucks says it is working with Mexico to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The government archaeological agency said Wednesday it will decide by next week whether Starbucks will be required to pay any fees.

Starbucks itself said it feels the supplier of the mugs did due diligence in this matter. The company reported tried to get necessary permits, but never received a response.

Boy's Play-Doh Confiscated By TSA Agent

2010-01-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

Better to be safe than sorry, they always say. Thus, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent confiscated a young boy's Play-Doh on a post-Christmas flight out of New Orleans last week.

It should be noted that the words "Post-Christmas" probably also means "enhanced security" in the wake of the Christmas Day attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to bomb Northwest Airlines flight 253. Still, it appears that Play-Doh is not specifically on the TSA's prohibited item list, as Josh Pitney's mother, Christy Pitney found out.

However, because plastic explosives can be camouflaged to look like Play-Doh, a TSA spokeswoman said screeners are told to use their own discretion. Coming when it did, it was obvious that discretion would mean "play it safe."

Playing Chicken, Teenager Runs Over Brother

2010-01-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

A 16-year-old teenage girl, playing a variety of chicken with her 17-year-old brother, accidentally ran over and killed him in an Arizona shopping mall parking lot, police said.

According to Mesa, AZ Police spokesman Ed Wessing, Nicole Brock had dropped off her brother, Dwight Brock, Jr., at Superstition Springs Mall Saturday evening. Later, they started playing, with Dwight jumping in front of the car and the Nicole slamming on the brakes.

Sadly, the last time Dwight Brock tried to do that, Nicole was unable to stop in time and ran over him. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.