Saturday, February 21, 2009

Back in the days when General Motors was still dreaming...

 

These concept cars showed a lot of spirit.The 1956 Buick Centurion (top) was the first car designed by Chuck Jordan, who would later become G.M.'s styling chief. The Cadillac Cyclone (bottom) was first shown in 1959.

Check out the glamorous vintage concept cars slideshow over at the New York Times online. A real visual treat for car buffs!

images via newyorktimes.com

Peter never did learn how to read...

image via photobucket.com

Authorities closing in on killer of intern Chandra Levy


ACCORDING TO THE CHICAGO-TRIBUNE FOUR HOURS AGO...

"An arrest may be near in the nearly decade-old slaying of federal intern Chandra Levy, whose disappearance in 2001 ended Gary Condit's congressional career, several television stations reported.
The
California Democrat was romantically linked to Levy, but was not considered a suspect in her death or disappearance. Television stations, KFSN and KCRA in California and WRC in Washington, D.C., reported that police were seeking an arrest warrant."

Click here for entire article.

(AP Photo/Debbie Noda, Pool, File)

Friday, February 20, 2009

THE BUSH FAMILY SHAME: Geronimo's Skull stolen and taken to Yale to be used in rites for the SKULL AND BONES secret society!

DUBYA DIDN"T FALL FAR FROM THE FAMILY TREE. IT SEEMS THE BUSHES THINK THEY ARE SOMETHING SPECIAL. I HOPE THEY LOSE THIS LAWSUIT BEING FILED ON THE GREAT LEADER'S 100th BIRTHDAY...

"The descendants of Geronimo have sued Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale University with ties to the Bush family, charging that its members robbed his grave in 1918 and have kept his skull in a glass case ever since."

Click here to read the whole story.

Getty Images

An increase in crime could be another recession result experts warn

DON'T WE HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT IN THIS DEPRESSION WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT MORE CRIME?

McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS HAS THIS ARTICLE TODAY THAT SAYS,

"Experts say that the next piece of collateral damage from the recession could be a spike in crime, as rising unemployment and widespread law-enforcement budget cuts begin to take their toll."

FOR THE WHOLE STORY CLICK HERE.

image via Google Images

Vintage Toys: I remember my first Chemcraft Lab - There sure wasn't any Atomic Energy in it...if there was... a lot of homes would've been blown up!

image via darkroastedblend.com

Back in the 1920s they invented extreme badminton!

This photo was taken long before Photo Shop, so what you see is what you get.

Source: American Memory Project, Vintage Photo

Florida Courthouse is invaded by rampaging rodents!

FROM USA TODAY WE HAVE MICE INVADING A COURT HOUSE!

"There are so many mice in one Florida county courthouse that they've been seen falling from ceiling tiles.

One judge at the Palm Beach County Courthouse told The Palm Beach Post newspaper that it's an infestation. Some staffers say they check their handbags for stowaways before leaving the building each day.

Court employees and lawyers say the rodents scuttle down corridors, munch legal papers and scratch behind the walls. Last week, one mouse ran around a courtroom floor for an hour during a burglary trial."

For the rest of the story go to : http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-20-mice-courthouse_N.htm?csp=34

image via Google Images

Can You Say Oink Oink? Burtha and PMA Group Can...

FROM CQ POLITICS WE HAVE A STORY OF PORK SPENDING AND THE PERSON LEADING THE WAY...

More than 100 House members secured earmarks in a major spending bill for clients of a single lobbying firm — The PMA Group — known for its close ties to John P. Murtha , the congressman in charge of Pentagon appropriations.

Read the whole story yourself and see what you think.

image via Google Images

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Don't Get Froggy with These Guys if you Value your Life!

The most poisonous animal is not a snake or a spider. It's a beautiful little frog!

"Most frogs produce skin toxins, but the dart poison frogs from Central and South America are the most potent of all.

The golden poison frog, called terribilis (the terrible), is so toxic that even touching it can be dangerous. A single terribilis contains enough poison to kill 20,000 mice or 10 people. It is probably the most poisonous animal on Earth." (source)

Images sources: Zoltan Takacs.

 

Phyllobates terribilis, shown below, has enough poison to kill 100 humans (source)

Their poison contains toxins that dull the nerves and produce heart and repiratory (sic.) failure. The skin of an adult P. terribilis has enough batrachotoxin to kill 20,000 mice, or 100 adult humans. Two-tenths of a microgram of batrachotoxin is lethal in the human blood stream and each adult P. terribilis contains nearly 200 micrograms.

When Paint Jobs Aren't Enough: Try This 'Type' of car!

Some car owners can deal with a standard, metal-bodied car only if it's been suitably disguised. For a whole slew of weird cars click here. This car is made of computer keys. Where the keys came from, I don't know and the owner isn't saying. One thing is certain though - it has to be the only car of its, er, type!

Image via darkroastedblend.com

Man shoots himself inside the Crystal Cathedral after handing notes to two ushers!

ACCORDING TO AN ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT THIS MORNING...

"A man shot himself to death in front of a cross inside televangelist Robert H. Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral on Wednesday as a group of visitors was being told about the church’s suicide - prevention program.
  The man entered about 9:45 a.m., handed a note and his driver’s license to two ushers, walked to the cross and then shot himself in the head as he appeared to be praying, said Senior Pastor Juan Carlos Ortiz.
  The man used a semiauto­matic handgun, said police Lt. Dennis Ellsworth.
  The Orange County coro­ner’s office identified the man as Steve Smick, 48. No home­town was given."

THE IRONY OF THIS MAN'S SUICIDE TAKING PLACE IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF TOURISTS WHO WERE BEING TOLD ABOUT THE CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL'S SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM, IS ENORMOUS. WHY DID HE CHOOSE TO GO THERE AND KILL HIMSELF OF ALL PLACES? WE MAY NEVER KNOW.

Beck falsely claimed average UAW worker makes $154 per hour

What's Glenn Beck's reason for lying about how much UAW workers get paid?

Is he letting his anti-union sentiments come to the surface?

Is this his way of staying in good standing with the exclusive "Poor-Losers, Conservative/Republican Boy's & Girl's Club?" Media Matters for America has caught him being a liar... liar... liar again.

Read the whole article today here at Media Matters for America. 

Beck Image via Google Images

Cell phone texting gets student suspended from school

I never cease to be amazed at the misuse of texting with cell phones. The guy who wrecked that train in California - which resulted in 22 deaths - was busy texting.

I see people every day staring down at their lap while driving. I suspect most are texting or dialing a number. I really can't see the sense in texting. It's so much easier to just talk on the phone. But the younger generation seems enamored of punching in letters to send a misspelled message to someone.

A 14-year-old Wisconsin girl who refused to stop texting during a high school math class was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, according to police.

Check out this mornings Smoking Gun and read the rest of the story here.

image via Google Images

Racist attitudes still prevail as cartoonist goes over the top

This cartoon image provided by the New York Post appeared in the Post's Page Six Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009.

The cartoon, which refers to Travis the chimp, who was shot to death by police in Stamford, Conn. on Monday after it mauled a friend of its owner, drew criticism Wednesday on media Web sites and from civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton.

(AP Photo/New York Post)

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Scientists say humans are related to this stressed-out looking animal called an Aye Aye

   One of the most endangered in the world is the... Aye-Aye a large nocturnal primate from the Strepsirrhini family - the ones that have "wet noses".

Aye-ayes can be found only on the island of Madagascar. These rare animals may not look like primates at first glance, but they are related to chimpanzees, apes, and humans." They tap on trees with their long middle fingers and listen for the insects and bugs that might inhabit its depths.

top pic by Guardian UK Via - Other pics by Via

 

Conservative columnist exposed by Political Animal blogger

FROM POLITICAL ANIMAL this morning....

"WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S NO WAY.... George Will not only published an error-filled column on global warming, Brad Johnson notes that the conservative columnist "is also recycling his own work, republishing an extended passage from a 2006 column -- which Think Progress debunked -- almost word for word."

With this in mind, maybe now would be a good time to consider what George Will has written about bloggers.

As Jonathan Chait noted, "If by 'no reins,' Will means that bloggers can publish outright falsehoods without consequence, then he's correct. But he might not be the best person to make this point."

And speaking of writers and "reins," Jonathan Schwarz passes along a great anecdote from Noam Chomsky that seems especially relevant given the events of the last few days.

As far as I can tell, George Will's column, which ran on Sunday, still hasn't garnered a correction. Perhaps he's throwing a tantrum." - Steve Benen

Image via Sigrid Estrada

Move over Madoff: Stanford ripoff rivals your crimes!

FROM THE US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION web site...

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Robert Allen Stanford yesterday and three of his companies for orchestrating a fraudulent, multi-billion dollar investment scheme centering on an $8 billion CD program.


Additional Materials

Stanford's companies include Antiguan-based Stanford International Bank (SIB), Houston-based broker-dealer and investment adviser Stanford Group Company (SGC), and investment adviser Stanford Capital Management. The SEC also charged SIB chief financial officer James Davis as well as Laura Pendergest-Holt, chief investment officer of Stanford Financial Group (SFG), in the enforcement action.

For the entire article click here.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Sun controls our lives from millions of miles away!

This awesome image is from NASA

Frank knew he shouldn't have eaten that grasshopper!

Poster Duck For Drunken Flying: Don forgot to put his landing rear down!

(image credit: Jiri Anderle)

Do you know about the man whose work has saved millions of lives? If not, you should!

Do you know this man? If you don't, then you join millions of other Americans who aren't aware of one of the greatest life-saver ever. He saved untold millions.

Yet, you've probably never heard of him. There have been no profiles about this amazing man -who is one of two living Nobel Laureates in America today - by any of the major networks. I ran across this great article by Gregg Easterbrook that was written in July of 2007.

Oh yeah. His name is Norman Borlaug. He was born in 1914 in Cresco, Iowa. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in 1970. He has been called the "Father of the Green Revolution" because of his ground-breaking work in developing high-yield wheat. Nations across the world owe this man who has helped feed the planet.

image via Google Images

California state workers face layoffs as budget bill fails

I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of these politicians arguing about their ideals and being unmoved by what's happening to the workers because of their hard-headedness!

All of California's politicians involved in this financial crisis should be locked up in a room and not allowed to come out until they do theur job and pass the budget!

Until that happens the not-so-merry game goes on. Here's today's article ,via the Associated Press, discussing all of the issues involved.

AP Photo – State Senator Jeff Dunham, R- Merced, lifts up a stack of paperwork concerning the stalled state budget …

Monday, February 16, 2009

Ever been Curious about America's 1st Comic and it's Creators?

This is the whole lowdown on America's 1st comic book and it's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster via Wikipedia.

Action Comics 1 is a comic book that was published in April 1938 (cover-dated June) by National Allied Publications, a corporate predecessor of DC Comics. Featuring the first appearance of the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster creation Superman, it is considered the first true superhero comic, and though today Action Comics is a monthly title devoted to Superman, it began, like many early comics, as an anthology.[1]

Action Comics was started by publisher Jack Liebowitz. The first issue had a print run of 200,000 copies, although sales of the series would soon approach 1,000,000 a month. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were paid $10 per page, for a total of $130 for their work on this issue. They effectively signed away millions in future rights and royalties payments.

 Starting in 1978 Siegel and Shuster were provided with a $20,000 a month annuity which was later raised to $30,000. Liebowitz would later say that selecting Superman to run in Action Comics #1 was "pure accident" based on deadline pressure. He also selected the "thrilling" cover, depicting Superman lifting a car over his head.[2] Christopher Knowles, author of Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes, compared the cover to Hercules Clubs the Hydra by Antonio del Pollaiolo.[3]

image via Wikipedia

Do you want to live like an Ewok for your next vacation?

 Check out Free Spirit Spheres and find out how. If your the kind of person that wouldn't mind sleeping in a wooden ball located at the top of the forest then be sure to Click here for more information.

Not a UFO or flying space junk: Texas fireball is a meteor

It's not space junk. It's not a UFO. And it's sure not Superman!

USA TODAY has more information regarding this once-juicy tidbit: Read the whole story here.

Recent pot busts unrelated to house party attended by Olympian Phelps

The arrests triggered by the publication of the Michael Phelps bong photo have had nothing to do with the November house party attended by the Olympic champion, court documents show.

Instead, the Phelps photo clearly spurred South Carolina cops to target several young men who lived at two residences that allegedly were "identified as a location where marihuana is frequently stored and consumed."

Click here for the whole story at The Smoking Gun.

image via smokinggun.com

Sunday, February 15, 2009

How your looks betray your personality:Are you Trusty-Worthy?

THE history of science could have been so different. When Charles Darwin applied to be the "energetic young man" that Robert Fitzroy, the Beagle's captain, sought as his gentleman companion, he was almost let down by a woeful shortcoming that was as plain as the nose on his face. Fitzroy believed in physiognomy - the idea that you can tell a person's character from their appearance. As Darwin's daughter Henrietta later recalled, Fitzroy had "made up his mind that no man with such a nose could have energy". Fortunately, the rest of Darwin's visage compensated for his sluggardly proboscis: "His brow saved him."

For the whole article click here which will also lead you to a video on the subject.

For related article: Fearful expressions evolved to mimic babies' faces

Find out how our experiment worked, and see the results

Did Roland Burris commit perjury to become Senator? State lawmakers are looking into the possibility after reading Chicago Sun-Times exclusive

Okay. Is anyone surprised? Roland Burris allegedly told some lies to the Blago state impeachment panel. I was suspicious the way he managed to get his way when Obama changed his mind about him as an appointee and did a reversal and told House Majority Leader Sen. Reid to "let him in" despite the controversy surrounding Burris.

 Is it any wonder the average American has complete disgust for politicians?

February 14, 2009
BY NATASHA KORECKI AND DAVE MCKINNEY
Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporters

State lawmakers are calling for a criminal investigation into whether U.S. Sen. Roland Burris committed perjury before a state impeachment panel, in the wake of a Sun-Times exclusive story published online today.

The development comes after the Chicago Democrat failed to initially disclose under oath to a House panel that he was hit up for campaign cash by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother.

State Rep. James Durkin (R-Western Springs) said Saturday that the Sangamon County state prosecutor‚s office will be asked to review Burris‚ Jan. 8 sworn testimony before the House panel to determine whether Burris (D-Ill.) perjured himself.

To read the entire article click here.

image via Google Images

Psilocybin study shows promise in treating multiple psychological disorders

TODAY IN THE SUNDAY TIMES-STANDARD (Feb.15th) - As It Stands shares a study that has been helping people with the use of Magic Mushrooms - or to be more accurate: entheogen psilocybin -a  psychoactive substance found in mushrooms.

More psychedelic research is being conducted using other hallucinogens, like LSD, to treat a host of other disorders including PTSD.

To read the whole column click here

image via photobucket.com

Universal Music Power

In a delightful description of the power of music William Congreve wrote "Music hath charms to sooth a savage beast..." in his 16...