Fresh Loaf

WOAH, GIRL: Having fun with a four-legged friend

>> Scientist are discovering more animals appear to be having sex for pleasure, including Australian redback spiders that have 100 minutes of foreplay and fruit bars that have oral sex. The discovery brings to light the debate of “what’s natural” and if sex exists purely for procreation. Next, the Supreme Court will be debating whether the animal porn observed by these scientists is considered obscene. (Fox News)

>> Someone who knows a thing or two about animal pleasure: A 50-year-old South Carolina man was sentenced to five years in prison after having sex with the same horse for a second time within two years. The horse’s owner became suspicious when she noticed Sugar, her 21-year-old horse, was getting infections again.  In the man’s defense: it was a female horse. (New Orleans Examiner)

>> President Obama told representatives from the 564 federally recognized Native American tribes at a summit yesterday that he promises to work on issues with them while also respecting their sovereignty. In other words, he’ll continue to ignore them just like always. (the New York Times)

>> More seriously: Twenty-three American CIA agents as well as two Italians were convicted by the Italian court for kidnapping an Egyptian cleric off the streets of Milan and taking him to be tortured in Egypt. This practice of shipping arrested people (sometimes innocent) to countries where torture is illegal, common under Bush’s war on terrorism, is now brought to the international spotlight as illegal. (the LA Times)

>> Decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia were overwhelmingly voted OK in Breckenridge, Colo., this Tuesday, but the next day Colorado health officials struck “caregiver” from the rules governing medical marijuana sales, making it harder for patients to legally buy pot. Indecisiveness is apparently common in pot smokers. ( Summit Daily News, the Denver Post)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

ALCOHOL: Making people publicly pee and fall off horses

>> Give pees a chance: A 19-year-old university student may be jailed after being photographed urinating on a war memorial poppy wreath. If a drunken Brit can’t publicly pee without being hassled,  then there’s really no point in living in England, now is there? (Reuters)

>> More wonderfully boozy news: The annual Todo Santos Cuchumatan horse race in Guatemala was ruined when riders and onlookers consumed copious amounts of homemade moonshine, leaving some riders to fall off their horses and many tourists to drunkenly stumble through the nearby village.  I’ve never wanted to go to Guatemala so badly. (Reuters)

>> Brigitte Harris, who chopped off her father’s penis and sautéed it after he allegedly has raped her since the age of three, is now taking cooking classes in prison. And here I thought revenge was a dish best served cold. (the New York Daily News)

>> Obama totally embarrassed his daughter Malia when he revealed that she made a 73 on a science test. If he’s trying to revamp “No Child Left Behind,” he’s not doing a very good job. (the New York Times)

>> And finally, coming out of the Florida panhandle: A baby who had been missing for five days was found alive under her baby-sitter’s bed, and the parents may have known about it. At least that baby’s dad didn’t tell the whole world she got an F on a test! (AP)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

MOBILE PHONES: More important than people

>> Virgin Atlantic Airways has launched a Flying Without Fear app to help people overcome their travel trepidation with video, FAQs and a fear attack button for emergencies with breathing exercises. Who needs a therapist or a close friend when you have an iPhone?  (Reuters)

>> More on mobile phones: Fanatical Muslim insurgents Al Shabaab have banned non-Islamic audio for people’s ringtones since seizing parts of Somalia, saying they do not tolerate “anything that may corrupt the people.” Come on, when did a “Poker Face” ringtone really hurt anyone? (Reuters)

>> Speaking of Gaga’s potential harm: A celebrity photographer working an awards ceremony in Manhattan last night collapsed and died of a heart attack just after Lady Gaga arrived. Her seizure-inducing outfits are gaining strength. (Photo District Online)

>> A new American Eagle store in Times Square will be open until 1 a.m. and include a “15 Seconds of Fame” feature which lets shoppers submit their picture to be broadcast on a Times Square screen minutes later. But honestly, who would want to advertise to the world that they buy crappy logo decal shirts at one in the morning? (Womenswear Daily)

>> Finally, hit hard by the recession, Ohio is set to vote “yes” to casinos tied to new jobs after rejecting attempts to bring gambling to the state for the past two decades. Aside from a handful of new jobs, the plan seems like a great way for down-on-their-luck Ohioans to squander what little money they have left at the slots. (Fox News)

(Photo Courtesy Flickr)

Bookmark It

DICK CHENEY: Always evasive

>> For anyone with a few million dollars to burn: Barcelona-based architects The Galactic Suite Space Resort plan to open the first hotel in space in 2012, with an eight-week training course on a tropical island included in the $4.4 million three-night stay. No word yet on whether the tropical training is actually more enjoyable. (Reuters)

>> Need a more down-to-earth alternative to space travel? For $14 a day, Taipei families are sending their pets to chic dog hotels complete with VIP suites, pools, salons and classes. Stray dogs are a problem in Taiwan after an economic boom in the 1980s when people bought puppies, did not expect them to grow bigger and then abandoned the grown animals. Sounds like the same Taiwanese logic at work for these doggie resorts. (Reuters)

>> Vacations in space are possible for Warren Buffett, the world’s second-richest man, who just bought the vast American railway system Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) for $34 billion. Maybe the deal gets him the train discounts deals he desperately needs. (the Guardian)

>> A fight broke out in the Washington Post newsroom after editor Henry Allen told writer Monica Hesse her piece was “the second worst story I have seen in Style in 43 years.” Fellow writer Manuel Roig-Franzia defended Hesse by telling Allen not be such a “cocksucker” when Allen punched Roig-Franzia in the face. That’s nothing. Sounds like another day at Creative Loafing. (Politico)

>> And finally, while you’re off to the voting booths today, lets think for a second about public officials. In a FBI interview released last week, Dick Cheney stated on 72 occasions that he could not be certain of his answers concerning the Valerie Plame case. That kind of unaccountability is giving me a heart attack, too. (Yahoo! News)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

Chinese mad scientists can now harness their powers to create a winter wonderland

>> It’s only a matter of time before this catches on in Atlanta: A new Bulgarian gambling game called “Russian road roulette” has drivers dangerously speed through red lights at busy intersections for bets up to 5,000 euros ($7,400).  Sounds fun! (Reuters)

>> More driving news: A new study found that people with a particular gene variant, common in about 30 percent of Americans, performed far worse on a driving test than people with a different DNA sequence. My scientific research suggests 90 percent of these Americans drive into Atlanta every morning. (Reuters)

>> Beijing was covered in snow on Sunday after Chinese meteorologists artificially seeded clouds in hopes that the winter weather will combat the country’s drought. Leave it to the Chinese to find a futuristic way to steal our snow! (Yahoo! News)

>> After about a quarter of all cast votes in the Afghanistan presidential election were found fraudulent, the second-place candidate pulled out of this weekend’s run-off election, leaving Hamid Karzai the official president of Afghanistan. Looks like they’re quickly learning our magnificent democratic system. (BBC News)

>> Finally, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers reported their divorce filings had dropped more than half due to the current recession. So it wasn’t gay marriage that was compromising the union between a man and a woman — it was a good economy! (Reuters)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

SCHWARZENEGGER: A poet and he didn't even know it!

>> A Philadelphia woman was arrested Tuesday after offering to perform sex to an undercover officer on Craigslist in exchange for World Series tickets. These undercover cops sure have it hard, trolling Craigslist for sex from 43-year-old women. (Philly.com)

>> Rebellious tennis pro Andre Agassi has admitted in his new book to using crystal meth and lying to the ATP about it. Still doesn’t explain his erratic behavior before the drug use began. (the New York Times)

>> Now from Shanghai: Five Filipino transvestites are on trial after drugging men with chocolate laced with sleeping drugs and robbing the victims of nearly $50K in items. Whether the victims knew the women were actually men I think is pretty obvious. (Reuters)

>> Got to love California. According to Gawker, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a letter to the State Assembly vetoing a harmless bill to finance the Port of San Francisco that actually spells out “FUCK YOU” down the side. Who knew the former action star was a poet of such beautifully-composed acrostics. (Gawker)

>> And finally, the Walt Disney Company is offering refunds to parents who feel that the “Baby Einstein” videos did not turn their children into geniuses. Perhaps these non-genius children get their proclivity toward stupidity from parents that buy insipid videos in the hopes of making their kids into overnight geniuses. (the New York Times)

(Photo Courtesy WikiCommons)

Bookmark It

SNAKES: Want 14 of these bad boys taped to your body?

>> Traditional religious customs are often difficult to transfer into modern life, but thank goodness one of Israel’s leading rabbis are taking these matters to heart: nose-picking is now allowed on the Sabbath. After all, what else are you going to do when everything else is forbidden? (MSNBC)

>> A French court has convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud, but have yet to follow through with banning the organization which they do not recognize as a religion. Bet those nasty thetans caused those judges to make such a ill-considered decision. (BBC News)

>> Now coming out of the Middle East: The Muslim Brotherhood In Egypt is going after the big-guns in protecting Islamic law, and they’re targeting Beyonce, scheduled to perform in November! But don’t they get it? Burkas totally don’t go with “Single Ladies” metallic gloves. (Foreign Policy)

>> Former President George W. Bush is looking into becoming a motivational speaker, making his first post-White House speech in Fort Worth and frequently referring to his faith in God. If anyone’s going to motivate people through the eloquence of the English language, it’s definitely him. (the Washington Post)

>> And finally, a 22-year-old Norwegian man was caught by customs carrying a tarantula in his bag and later after a full body search found to have 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos taped to his body. The police were surprised to find more than one python when he dropped his pants. Har har. (Reuters)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

BARACK OBAMA: I golf with women and don't vaccinate my kids!

>> Days after a Delta jet landed in the taxiway instead of its assigned runway, a flight from Northwest Airlines (owned by Delta) overflew its destination by 150 miles. The flight lost contact with air controllers for more than an hour when the two pilots say they became distracted during a “heated discussion about airline policy.” Perhaps the policy discussion was about how ineffective they are. (Reuters)

>> Are you smart? Looking for a job? Sorry, there’s no hope for you. A nationwide trucking company in Indiana posted an administrative assistant job for $13/hr which received more than 500 resumes in the first following weekday, half of which were rejected for being over-qualified. (the New York Times)

>> International inspectors were taken for the first time on Sunday to an Iranian nuclear enrichment plant whose existence was kept a secret until recently. Still kept a secret, too, is the likeliness that these inspectors will do any good in Iran. (the New York Times)

>> After receiving criticism for the “boys club” atmosphere at the White House, President Obama finally played golf with a woman, Chief Domestic Policy Adviser Melody Barnes, marking his 24th golf game since being president. I say, what glass ceiling! (the Chicago Sun-Times)

>> And finally, as the CDC recommends that children 6 months to 18 years old receive the H1N1 vaccination, news comes that Sasha and Malia Obama have not been vaccinated against swine flu. I smell a conspiracy! (Fox News)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

PRESIDENTIAL LOSERS: Sen. John McCain securing the Internet for only the rich

>> Senator and Presidential loser John McCain proposed a new bill, the Internet Freedom Act, that would allow broadband and wireless providers to discriminate and prefer certain traffic, giving those who can pay more better access. McCain hopes to ensure that his constituents alone can view “Nailin’ Palin” on high-speed porn while the less fortunate have to wait for it to load. (PC World)

>> Opening in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar is a new Louis Vuitton store, one of the first luxury fashion stores in the region. What Mongolian nomad ISN’T dying for the LV-Stephen Sprouse collab HELLO!? (New York Magazine)

>> After being transferred to house arrest from prison, a 30-year-old Sicilian man asked police to put him back in jail to avoid arguing with his wife. Maybe she was asking for too many Louis Vuitton bags. (Reuters)

>> Gawker reports that while massive lay-offs were going on at Vanity Fair yesterday, among the total scaling back of Conde Nast, VF’s editor Graydon Carter was on a private jet to Bermuda. Maybe it was for a story he was doing about overpaid, bad-mannered magazine editors. (Gawker)

>> And finally, Athens, Ga. sweethearts REM have joined a coalition of musical artists against the Guantanamo Bay prison after reports that guards played pop music at incredible volumes to torture the prisoners. And I thought listening to the latest REM album on normal volume was torture enough. (Entertainment Weekly)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

Looks like she's ready to carry a rabbit in her uterus

>> In London, the first long-term transplants of a uterus has been performed in rabbits, making human womb transplants possible within two years, researchers say. Rejoice! Soon reproductively-challenged women across the world can carry rabbit uteri! (The Times UK)

>> Also on that side of the pond, workers for the UK’s postal service, Royal Mail, have announced they’re on strike for an additional three days until they feel their pay is fair. So far, England doesn’t care since everyone uses email anyway. (BBC News)

>> A Delta jet landed on Hartsfiel-Jackson airport taxiway instead of the assigned lane on Monday. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating exactly how many pilots were serviced as part of the Mile High Club.  (Associated Press)

>> While on the way to the police station to face questioning over a theft charge, a 41-year-old German man squeezed another robbery in along the way, now facing a second set of charges. You may look at him as a criminal. I look at him as just highly productive. (Reuters)

>> And finally, a MSNBC host introduced Rev. Jesse Jackson as Al Sharpton on TV Wednesday night. Even when not being interviewed, Sharpton is a publicity hound. (Access Atlanta)

(Photo Courtesy WikiCommons)

Bookmark It

Not allowed at Morehouse

>> Morehouse College, which spawned revolutionary civil rights thinkers like Martin Luther King, Jr., recently implemented a new dress code specifically against “five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men.” There goes five of the best dressed Atlantans. (The Daily Beast)

>> In more unfortunate fashion news, Japanese swimmers with dyed hair, earrings or decorated fingernails could face a lifetime ban. A sad day for anyone hoping to see the Harajuku Synchronized Swimmer Girls in their lifetime. (Reuters)

>> A Russian coal miner is banking on someone buying his prized possession, a signed photograph of French bombshell Brigitte Bardot, to pay for an operation relating to his lung disease. I don’t know how much lung operations go in Russia, but Ebay sells signed Bardot photographs for about $45. (Reuters)

>> Google continues its takeover of the world by soon offering users to buy or listen to songs on its main results page. Google is Watching. (Wall Street Journal)

>> And finally, a former Nixon White House aide thinks President Obama is not so different from Nixon and sees the beginning of an “enemies list.” I guess it’s only a matter of time before Obama tape records kicking his Portuguese Water dog. (USA Today)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

>> Beauty queen Carrie Prejean, who famously answered against same-sex marriage during the Miss USA Q&A portion, is being sued by Miss California USA organizers who say they loaned money to her for a boob job to make her “be more competitive.” Prejean’s strict family values, however, didn’t stop her from posing topless. (Gawker)

>> Making more of a case for family values: The Vatican today announced they are making it easier for Anglicans who are disaffected by their church’s appointment of female and gay bishops to convert to Catholicism. How modern. (Wall Street Journal)

>> In completely unfair but unsurprising news, the New York Times reports that Wall Street is prospering again due to the bailouts, even looking forward to hefty bonuses, as our economy suffers. Not. Fair. (New York Times)

>> And nine months into his presidency, Obama and his administration are still in full campaign mode, telling media circuits repeatedly that he inherited this economic problem and that it’s not his fault. (Chicago Sun-Times)

>> Finally, in news of the offensive, two South Carolina Republican county chairmen defended a fellow Senator’s financial measures by comparing him to “Jews…taking care of the pennies.” Hey, they meant it as a compliment! (Orangeburg Times and Democrat via Gawker)

Bookmark It

>> Recession schmecession. Retailers Neiman Marcus are offering a $250,000 package in its Christmas catalog that includes a an Icon A5 airplane. (The Guardian)

>> More holiday cheer: The Obama administration has delivered new direction to federal prosecutors today signaling a policy shift concerning medical marijuana, resulting in fewer crackdowns. Part of he new healthcare reform, or just that the man needs to relax? (The Washington Post)

>> Too hot to handle? German police are investigating whether a Kebab chili sauce was too spicy when a kebab maker threw it into a customer’s eyes during a fight over paper napkins. (Reuters)

>>Shepard Fairey, the contemporary artist who created the famous Barack Obama “HOPE” posters, lied in court after being sued by the Associated Press for using one of their photos as inspiration without credit. We can only hope he has a good lawyer. (Gawker)

>>And finally, a team of British scientist have developed a “brain to brain communication” that is the first technology leading to possible telepathy. You’ll never be able to make snide comments about people’s ugly outfits in your head ever again. (The Daily Telegraph)

Bookmark It

>> Maybe Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and pill-popping Paula Abdul have more in common than we know. The 76-year-old Supreme Court Justice was hospitalized last night after combining prescription sleep aid and over-the-counter cold medication. (the Washington Post)

>> The Washington Post reports on a growing number of 20- and 30-somethings who are avoiding social networks like Facebook in spite of all of their friends being members of the sites. They soon will have no friends. (the Washington Post)

>> But maybe those naysayers are right: A Tennessee woman was arrested for Facebook “poking” another woman, allegedly violating a court-ordered block of communication. (CNN via Gawker)

>> I guess these rabbits weren’t so lucky: Stockholm has burned thousands of wild rabbits as heating fuel. (Reuters)

>> And finally, in turning one country’s problem with alcoholism into expensive cocktails: a 63-year-old Russian homeless man collected nearly 2,000 bottles a day over the past year and is now a wealthy stock market trader. (Reuters)

Bookmark It

>> Australian government officials and advocacy groups are denouncing the “Midget Cup,” a race held Sunday at the Cranbourne Cup in which which dwarfs dressed in jockey silks piggybacked men. How rude. Don’t they know it’s called the “Little People Cup?” (Reuters Video)

>> Netherlands-based Philips Electronics and ABN AMRO unveiled the “EmoBracelet” yesterday which senses the stress levels of online stock traders so they can “wind down and re-consider their actions.” And here I always thought I could buy the cheap, black rubber EmoBracelets from the Hot Topic at North Point Mall. (Reuters)

>> Supposedly-upstanding citizen Maria Shriver has been caught a third time violating California’s law against hand-held cell phone use while driving, a law her husband Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed last year. Five bucks says she won’t be fined the $50. (CNN)

>> You’ll never need to leave your house again: Facebook is the leader among social networking sites with traffic up nearly 200 percent from a year ago and over 300 million users worldwide, according to Hitwise. (San Francisco Gate)

>> And finally, some 22-year-old journalists find a honorable role for themselves in society, like nobly writing the Morning Newsdome, while others, however, are dragged half-naked along a railway platform after mooning a train station, like this German man. (Reuters)

Bookmark It

Remember last time Clinton said she wouldn't run for president?

>> Time to feel bad for Harvard. With endowment down by almost 30 percent, the richest university in the world is doing without free sweat suit for athletes and cookies at faculty meetings, among other cuts. Wait … Harvard has athletes? (New York Times)

>> Hillary Clinton said in an interview today that she would not run for president again. We’ve heard that one before. (Xinhua)

>> Remember that next great American novel you’re typing away on your Sidekick? Sucks for you: T-Mobile has announced that personal data stored on the devices have “almost certainly…been lost as a result of a service failure,” and the product is now labeled “out of stock” on their website. (Engadget)

>> First the British government sponsored “Simpsons” episodes, and now this: Marge Simpson is the cover for November’s Playboy magazine. The magazine said that the cover and spread is an attempt for the adult publication to appeal to younger readers through a 20-year-old show. (Reuters)

>> And finally, in what seems will be a thrilling time for 13-year-old video gamers, Atari Inc. is developing a “Project Runway” video game for Nintendo’s Wii. “Make it work!” (AP via Yahoo! News)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

Levi Johnston looking hunky at last summer's RNC convention.

>> In an ongoing attempt to win back the Palin family’s favor, Levi Johnston has begun going to the gym six days a week to prepare for his Playgirl debut. Way to make us proud, Levi! (People)

>> Another case in point of setting a good example for the kids: Atlanta’s own pride and joy Michael Vick, who was released from prison this May after an 18-month term, will star in an eight-part television docu-series on BET tentatively titled “Michael Vick Project.” Wonder if the quarterback, who was arrested for running a dog fighting ring,will team up with Bravo for the “Michael Vick and Rachel Zoe Project?” (MSNBC)

>> No wonder there’s no famous Saudi rappers. Abdul-Jawad, a Saudi Arabian divorced father of four, was sentenced to five years in jail and 1,000 lashes for talking about premarital sex, pick-up techniques and sex toys on a Lebanese TV show. (Reuters)

>> Another original plan for those suffering from the recession, this time from an athlete down-under. A 23-three-year-old taekwondo Olympian from New Zealand opened a brothel in Auckland this year to finance his 2012 Olympic Games bid. Now the New Zealand Olympic Committee has threatened to sue the man. (Reuters)

>> Finally, proof that tax payers’ money is going to good use in this economic downturn, two NASA spacecrafts are set to purposefully crash on the moon tomorrow. (CNN)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

>> How did they ever get the motivation with Aqua Teen Hunger Force now on DVD? U.S. marijuana growers have greatly cut into the profits of Mexican traffickers, actually threatening Mexican drug organizations in a more evident way than decades of governmental action. (the Washington Post)

>> Talk about self-hating Jews: the Daily Telegraph has proof that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is anti-Israel and denies the Holocaust, has Jewish roots. (the Daily Telegraph)

>> Number 2 Pencils, a shiny apple for the teacher, and toilet paper? A primary school in southern Ireland are asking all students to bring their own toilet paper to school. (Reuters)

>> If you like it then you should have put a supersized ring on it. Scientists have discovered the largest planetary ring seen yet in our solar system around Saturn. (ABC News)

>> Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is, but we can celebrate the 57th anniversary of the bar code patent today. (the Daily Telegraph)

Bookmark It

>> The British Department of Health is spending nearly $1 million (640,000 pounds) to sponsor episodes of “The Simpsons” as part of its new Change4Life health campaign. Just typing that makes me crave donuts and beer. Doh! (Reuters)

>> Michael Vick, are you listening? The Supreme Court, on its second day of its new session, discusses whether free speech includes the distribution and sale of bloody pit bull fighting videos. (Fox News)

>> No one is safe, not even our e-mail accounts! Google’s ubiquitous e-mail system, Gmail, has been targeted as part of an “industry-wide” scheme with over 60,000 names and passwords posted online. (BBC)

>> Coke heads have all the luck. Researchers are hopeful against a new vaccine that curbs cocaine use in drug users. (ABC News)

>> Finally, D.C. Council leaders introduce a same-sex marriage bill to Congress. Now closet Republicans can cheat on their civil union partners in addition to their wives. (the Washington Post)

Bookmark It

>> Obama plans to address the nation’s largest gay rights group this Saturday after not living up to gay marriage promises made during his campaign. What, no love for Blake’s? [AP via The Seattle Times]

>> David Letterman’s alleged extortionist Robert Halderman continues his downward spiral with an appearance on the Today Show. [People]

>> If you aren’t scared about the swine flu, be sure to be scared that there aren’t enough vaccines. [The New York Times]

>> Need $1.4 million quick? Solve a cancer-relevant problem of cell biology and win the Nobel Prize like these three Americans. [The New York Times]

>> Just what we needed — another distraction for drivers on their cell phones. Adobe prepares a Flash program for smartphones. [Information Week]

>> And finally, another reason to hate your neighbors. Now they won’t even let you steal their Internet anymore. A new paint blocks Wi-Fi signals. [Yahoo! Tech]

Bookmark It

• So there, now you know we have property in the Southwest Pacific: American Samoa hit hard by Tsunami… meanwhile, earthquake that originated the wave cut off phone and power in the area.
• Nevermind the 65 percent that support it: Senate rejects two public-option health care proposals… thank your $19 million health-care-insurance-lobbying dollars at work.
• And on top of all that, this can’t wait: Pressure builds for Obama Administration to make decision on committing more troops in Afghanistan… meanwhile, intelligence shows success against al-Qaeda improved with a shift in tactics.
• Lesser bad news: U.S. economy shrank 0.7 percent, less than anticipated.
• Very quietly: Armenia and Turkey reestablish diplomatic ties.
• Crowd effort: Global AIDS detection and treatment have increased significantly last year.
• Just because: A picture of Bernie Madoff being crushed by a farting bull.

Bookmark It

• Flaunting it: So not only did Iran have a secret nuclear facility in the works, they’ve decided to test-fire some missiles (say that in a British accent).
• Oh no… Skull fragments thought to be the remains of Adolf Hitler have actually, through DNA testing, been discovered to be a woman’s…. nevermind that DNA evidence can be fabricated, lest these tea-bagging birthers start spinning the “Obama really *is* Hilter” yarn.
• You think it was bad here last week? More than 140 people dead in Philippine flooding.
• I mean I get it, he had sex with a 13-year-old, but WTF is up with all the Roman Polanski coverage?
• William Safire was the first columnist I honestly appreciated for making me think… about language.
• Wait, we needed Bill Clinton to tell us this? Of course the right wing conspiracy is out to get Obama.
• Still a cash cow: Apple’s iPhone App store hits 2 billion downloads… meanwhile, Orange will begin selling the iPhone in the UK, signaling the end of exclusivity.

Bookmark It

• Here’s hoping it’s not empty rhetoric: Heads of state at UN Security Council summit call for global nuclear disarmament, chaired for the first time by a sitting U.S. president.
• They *are* serious: Census worker found hanged with the word “Fed” scrawled across his chest.
• It was there all along, we just didn’t see it: Scientists confirm the Moon is covered with hydrogen and oxygen particles (ie, water).
• OK so this is good news, right? Number of people applying for first-time jobless benefits drops unexpectedly.
• One more way to save newspapers? Accused rapist attempts to buy all copies of the local daily in hopes of avoiding the ensuing bad publicity.
• Interesting: A new HIV vaccine cuts the risk of infection by 31 percent.
• Yea about that thing called Democracy: Violence escalates between supporters of ousted Honduran president Miguel Zelaya (who made it back) and the current Honduran government.

Bookmark It

• Think it long, think it hard: Obama Administration signals it’s reconsidering Afghanistan surge.
• Quit your whining and innovate: Six Senators join AT&T in opposition to the FCC’s decision to formalize Net Neutrality rules.
• Was dude serious? Officials step up security on mass transit system terror plot involving Afghan man intensifies.
• Who’s listening: UN Climate Change opens with calls to put forward a unified message.
• Figure this one out: Big drop in heart attacks after smoking bans.
• Bail out for the little man: House takes up bill to extend unemployment benefits.

Bookmark It

• Of troop levels and historical analogies: Report suggests adding more soldiers to the war in Afghanistan.
• At this point, the line should be in the sand: Obama goes on media blitz to gather more support for health care reform.
• Sign of the times: Unexpected rise in cases of Alzheimer’s, dementia.
• I see how it is: Dollar rises as investors shy away from risk-oriented trades and in run-up to G20 summit.
• Fuck yes: FCC Chairman supports “open internet rules” for wireless carriers.
• Ironic much? Nigeria (the country) demands apology from Sony saying its PS3 ads are furthering the impression that all internet scammers are Nigerian (because, you know, Nigerian internet scammers don’t do nearly as good a job as Sony).
• Texas-sized dumbassess: Texas board of education proposes removing Neil Armstrong’s name from social studies textbooks because dude wasn’t a scientist.

Bookmark It