Fresh Loaf

OPRAH WINFREY: The Big O is downsizing

>> UC Berkeley students took over a campus building this morning in protest of the university’s decision to raise tuition by 32 percent. The Birkenstock-clad students were upset that their parents would have to pay more for tuition, leaving less money to pay for their trips to South America to find themselves. (San Francisco Gate Chronicle)

>> The European Union elected Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the new president, though many European leaders felt disappointed that the weak personality (unlike another president I know) would represent the EU on the world stage. Obama: 1. Van Rompuy: 0. (Voice of America News)

>> Speaking of world leaders: The U.S. Embassy is working to get the Chinese government to change the official translation of Obama phonetically from Ao Ba Ma to Ou Ba Ma. However the first translation became popular initially, so it’s unlikely to change. Asian governments have confirmed that they’ll say his name right once Obama learns how to bow correctly. (New Yorker)

>> To the shock and sadness to housewives everywhere, Oprah Winfrey announced yesterday that she will end her “Oprah Winfrey Show” in its 25th season in 2011. The O plans to transform her program into something “small and different” on her own network, but I worry, how will she be able to elect our next president with a smaller show? (Deadline.com)

>> And finally: A coalition of Christian leaders, mostly conservative evangelicals and Roman Catholics, issued a declaration urging the White House to strike down any of the Senate’s health care reform that allows abortion coverage. Missing from the declaration is mandatory electronic holy water dispensers. (Fox News)

(Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Bookmark It

GAY MARRIAGE: All or nothing, Texas!

>> Canadian Parliament member Michelle Simson of the Liberals tweeted during a committee meeting that heavy-set conservative Dean Del Mastro “should grow up (not out)” after being frustrated with his behavior. They were all sitting at the same table, and Del Mastro stood up in front of hundreds of legislators to ask Simson for an apology. Simson apologized, and then probably updated her Facebook status with something rude since neither of them are Facebook friends. (Reuters)

>> A Houston lawyer thinks the Texas’ amendment banning gay marriage inadvertently “eliminated marriage in Texas” between straight couples too when it declares, “The state or a political subdivision of this state may not recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” Lets see if straight Texan couples act like the law doesn’t apply to them now. (McClatchy)

>> More out of the South: Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is proposing a new budget where the state’s three public black colleges merge into one black college and the Mississippi University for Women merge into Mississippi State University. Many financially-draining programs would be eliminated as well. Nothing like cutting back on educational opportunities for minorities and women to help your state out in a financial crisis! (InsideHigherEd.com via Gawker)

>> The White House has told Fox News that President Obama will not announce a decision about his Afghanistan war strategy until after Thanksgiving. It’s a fitting time to debate sending 40,000 additional troops to fight in Afghanistan during the anniversary of our forefathers destroying Native Americans, though I bet a lot of the early Americans would not be too pleased with an African-American president. (Fox News)

>> And finally, a group of HIV-positive ladies in Epworth, one of the poorest towns in Zimbabwe, have started their own soccer team and every time they win a match, they march through the clinic cheering. HIV-positive women are especially stigmatized in Zimbabwe, a country where females don’t play soccer. Every now and then, Morning Newsdome needs an uplifting story, and I’m not ashamed of it. Are you listening Disney? (CNN.com)

(Photo by Dustin Chambers)

Bookmark It

JOE BIDEN: I swear I don't like car accidents!

>> The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is under denunciation after a three-day anti-hunger summit resulted in what critics say is merely throwing crumbs to the world’s 1 billion starving people. According to U.N. secretary general, a child dies of hunger every five seconds and 17,000 kids die daily from hunger even though there is enough food on the planet for everyone. Speaking of which, check out our Omnivore blog! (AP)

>> A new study from Forrester Research shows that of the 4,000 people polled, 80 percent say they will not at all pay for online newspapers or magazines. This comes as a shock to many print media outlets, but we don’t need to tell you this, reader of free alternative weekly and accompanying free website. (Gawker)

>> The founder of the World Toilet Organization spoke to Mumbai where the average ratio of people to toilets is 81:1. He believes toilets need to seem “cool” in the same way televisions are, so people will demand better sanitation from their government. If they can get toilets to play reruns of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” then I’d demand one from my government, too! (Reuters)

>> Speaking of toilets and the source of that article, Reuters, an admission to blog PostSecret revealed that the design for Thompson Reuter’s internationally known logo is actually a “flushing swirling toilet.” (PostSecret)

>> And finally: In New York to tape an episode of “The Daily Show,” Vice President Joe Biden was in a car accident in Midtown Manhattan that injured four people, the third car accident involving the VP’s security detail this week. Lucky for us, the economy his cabinet is driving has already crashed. (NBC)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

GADDAFI: Knows how to party

>> The Oxford New American Dictionary announced the 2009 “Word of the Year” is the Facebook term “unfriend.” Oxford’s senior lexicographer said the word had “real lex appeal” and is unusual since most other “un” words are adjectives, not verbs. Sounds double-plus-good to me. (PC World)

>> Mayor-elect Jennifer Scott Sudderth for Hartwell, Ga., was charged with drunk driving in Greenville, S.C., though she says she “was merely tired.” I can relate. All the hustle-and-bustle of Hartwell, Ga., can really do that to you. (Greenville Online)

>> From Arnold to Ronald, entertainment stars have made memorable politicians, and we may have a new one in our ranks: Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz told TMZ that he thinks beauty queen Carrie Prejean would make a strong politician. She won’t even need to raise campaign money — she can just distribute her eight sex tapes. (TMZ)

>> I love kebabs, don’t you? Who doesn’t love those meaty, saucy chunks? Apparently three Russian homeless men do too after they ate a 25-year-old man’s corpse and sold other bits to a local kebab house. A Russian delicacy, kind of like caviar. (Reuters)

>> And finally, while in Rome, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi recruited 200 women who were “well-dressed but not in mini-skirts” and tried to convert them to Islam. The women, who thought they were going to a VIP party, were each given a copy of the Koran and told at one point that Jesus wasn’t crucified but merely “someone who looked like him” was. I think those 200 women left a little more thankful to live in Italy. (Reuters)

(Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Bookmark It

BARACK OBAMA: Shaking hands is easy

>> President Obama met with Japanese Emperor Akihito on Saturday as part of his first Asian tour, but made the inexcusable mistake of incorrectly bowing. The president bent over and shook the Emperor’s hand instead of bowing with a “slight arch from the waist [and] hands at his sides.” Obama must have forgotten the ancient Bush tradition of vomiting in the laps of Japanese heads of state. (ABC News)

>> Perhaps in an effort to regain the respect of Asian nations, Obama invited fellow Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders to a 2011 summit in Hawaii where the heads of state will likely be dressed in traditional “flowered shirts and grass skirts” … That one’s for real. (Reuters)

>> More news that lobbyists (and their money) are running D.C.: the New York Times found emails proving Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche had their talking points published in the Congressional Record under the names of 42 representatives. But actually, this could be positive news of bipartisanship . The listed names were of 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats. (the New York Times)

>> Universal Studios removed the black actors from overseas posters for the movie Couples Retreat, saying they wanted to “simplify the poster to actors who are most recognizable in international markets.” Also recognizable in international markets? Blatant racism. (Daily Mail)

>> And lastly, disappointing news out of Atlanta: the city’s leading gay publication Southern Voice and the magazine counterpart David shuttered today to the surprise of readers and staff. Fear not, though, as Atlanta gays will never run out of things to say.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Word to your motha

>> While reporting on a Capitol protest about health care last week that only drew a modest crowd, “Fair & Balanced” Fox News’ commentator Sean Hannity showed video of a Sept. 12 rally and said that “twenty-plus thousand people showed up.” After” “he Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart pointed out the editing, Hannity admitted it was “an inadvertent mistake.” Stewart’s response? “It’s not like he disappointed me. I expect that stuff.” (the LA Times)

>> Sarah Palin’s new memoir does not once reference up-and-coming Playgirl model and baby-daddy Levi Johnston but does complain about Sen. McCain and his team. Palin describes being “bottled up” from reporters constantly during the campaign. The advisers didn’t seem to do a good job, however, as I seem to remember her saying stupid things on television all the time. (AP)

>> Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was hailed with chants of “respect” as he presented awards to rappers in a televised hip-hop contest called “Battle for Respect.” If a world leader is gangsta and ballin’ enough to know about hip-hop respect, it’s definitely Putin. (Reuters)

>> A thermal plant opened in the Netherlands on Friday that converts cow dung from a nearby farm into fuel for the plant’s gas turbines, heating around 1,100 homes in the area. If only there was a plant to convert the bullshit from Fox News and Palin into thermal energy. (Reuters)

>> And finally, as the American housing market remains sluggish, home building company John Wieland is downsizing its luxury houses found in many cookie-cutter neighborhoods in greater Atlanta. The development company is finally asking itself the important questions: Do these Southern McMansions really need a fireplace? (Wall Street Journal)

(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Bookmark It

HILARY CLINTON: Listen to her, she's powerful

>> Those list-lovers at Forbes first named Hilary Clinton the 36th most powerful woman in the world in August, but just three short months later, she’s now named the 17th most powerful person in the world. You’re no one unless you’re on a list. (Forbes)

>> If you lost your job in the economic downturn, you can always turn your diminished bank account into modern art: Andy Warhol’s silk-screen painting “200 One Dollar Bills” sold for way over just $200. The seven-and-a-half-foot wide canvas, one of the artist’s earliest works, sold for $43.8 million today, four times its estimated price. (Bloomberg)

>> With the money from your art auction, you can invest in real estate like this discounted beauty: Bernie Madoff’s two homes in New York and Florida have been cut by as much as 10 percent after two months on the market and sale proceeds will help reimburse victims of his $65 billion scheme. His new jail cell is much more economical anyway. (Reuters)

>> Catholics usually dip their hands into holy water when entering and leaving the church, but many were becoming fearful of the tradition with swine flu on the rise. Enter the electronic holy water dispenser in the northern Italian town of Fornaci di Briosco that acts like an automatic soap dispenser of priest-blessed water. Catholics don’t have to fear the swine flu any longer! (Reuters)

>> More than 7,000 Chinese women are applying for one of the 40 tickets to a version of Cinderella’s ball where several male multi-millionaires are paying $5,400 to meet their future wife. If only this was in America–we could make a great reality TV special out of it. (Reuters)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

SARAH PALIN: Feeling mavericky

>> Maverick Sarah Palin told thousands of abortion opponents at a Wisconsin fund-raising banquet Friday night that if the government would allow abortion rights, then it could also disregard the health of the elderly or special-needs children, like her “retarded baby” Trig. (Politico, Examiner)

>> Televangelist Pat Robertson denounced Islam as “not a religion” but “a violent political system” on the 700 Club yesterday. Those Muslims could learn a thing or two about peace from Robertson, who famously advised throwing “a very small nuke” at the State Department. (Crooksandliars.com)

>> The Vatican, which recently made it easier for disenfranchised Anglicans to convert to Catholicism, may have other converts in mind: The church has called in scientists to study alien life and what it would mean for Catholicism, saying one cannot “put limits on God’s creative freedom.” Galileo is rolling in his grave. (AP)

>> The U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed the Philidelphia-based independent news site Indymedia.us to disclose the details of all reader visits on a certain day, including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, Social Security numbers and bank accounts. The request also stated “not to disclose the existence of this request.” Oops! (CBS News)

>> And finally, out of eastern India: Hundreds of poor Hindu villagers have claimed that a rare turtle with holy symbols on its back is the incarnation of the popular deity Lord Jagannath. Apparently Lord Jagannath likes to eat seagrass and algae and naps constantly throughout the day. (Reuters)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

THE NEANDERTHAL: Who could resist this?

>> After being rescheduled twice due to concerns of militant violence, Pakistan held its first-ever Fashion Week in Karachi, just two hours by plane from Al Qaeda and Taliban nesting places. This just in: sequin party tops are the new look of anti-Taliban defiance. (AP)

>> After all this talk of school dress codes comes more fashion news: A 20-year-old Brazilian college student was expelled from school after she wore a mid-thigh red dress to class. Six military police officers escorted her off campus while students chanted “whore.” What is this world coming to — skimpy clothing looked down upon in Brazil? (Reuters)

>> Appearance is important to petty thieves too: Twenty-three-year-old Matthew Maynard of South Wales, on the run from police, sent a picture of himself to his local paper after he disliked the mugshot they ran. Luckily for him it seems he’ll get a second chance to perfect his mugshot look in front of the cameras. (Reuters)

>> The driver of a Boston subway train is being called a hero after pulling the emergency brake just in time before hitting a woman who had fallen onto the tracks. The reward for his heroism? A dozen Dunkin’ Donuts. (AP)

>> And finally: On a dark night 24,000 years ago in a smoky cave, the lights low and the alcohol flowing, it appears that the modern human species did in fact have sex with our closest relatives the Neanderthals, according to scientists. Now that would make for an embarrassing walk of shame. (MSNBC)

(Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Bookmark It

SEN. JOHNNY ISAKSON: Average net-worth in 2008 valued at $9,586,038 according to the Center for Responsive Politics, ranking him at 57 out of Congress

>> Germany celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with people all over the world sharing their memories of the historic day to BBC. So far, no mention of the Hoff. (BBC News)

>> The storied  town of Amherst, Mass., has been home to poet Emily Dickinson, actress Uma Thurman and now … war crime detainees? Amherst is the first municipality in the country to accept cleared detainees released from Guantánamo detention camp in Cuba, though Congress has voted not to allow Guantánamo detainees on U.S. soil. (Christian Science Monitor)

>> British courts ruled that schools discriminating against ethnic origin, as opposed to religious origin, is unethical when a 12-year-old boy whose father is Jewish and mother is a Jewish convert was rejected from a Jewish school in England. Traditional Jewish law dictates that one’s religion is traced through the mother, not the father, but if you ask me, only a Jewish mother would kvetch all the way to the Supreme Court. (the New York Times)

>> As most of America is hurting during the recession with unemployment now up to 10.2 percent, it’s a bit of a shock that two-hundred-and-thirty seven members, or 44 percent, of Congress are millionaires. And we’re trying to teach Afghanistan about how democracy works? (Politico)

>> On Saturday the House approved what would be the biggest expansion of health care in over 40 years, with only one Republican in favor. However a difficult fight is predicted to get the bill passed through the Senate because, you know, they’re all millionaires anyway. (CNN)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

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 bats 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