WTF Stories of the Week

[Alex]

I'm betting Starbucks is even less. ;)

Because I never met a throwaway line I didn't want to investigate.

Here's a Google Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112241825057303848967.0004745820713f46864f0&ll=47.606163,-106.655273&spn=10.936279,19.753418&z=6) I just did up.

The locations with a pin are the locations with Starbucks in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Saskatchewan, and southeast Alberta. (Just picked because that was a region of the country where I was guessing Starbuck density would be low).

The lines show how far it is from Glasgow, Montana, to the nearest Starbucks.

The closest is in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, at 160 miles away. The closest United States Starbucks is 185 miles away in Billings.

[Moonliner]

I just read that, in the contiguous 48 states, the farthest you can be from a McDonalds is 107 miles!

I'll bet Exxon is even less.

[Moonliner]

I just read that, in the contiguous 48 states, the farthest you can be from a McDonalds is 107 miles!

I'll bet 7/11 is even less

[Moonliner]

I just read that, in the contiguous 48 states, the farthest you can be from a McDonalds is 107 miles!

I'll bet Strip malls are even less.

[Strangler Lewis]

I'll bet strip joints are even less.

[Alex]

I'll bet Exxon is even less.

According to their station locator (http://exxonstations.com/locator.php), Exxon does not operate stations in Oregon, Western Washington, Nevada outside of Las Vegas, Kansas, Nebraska, or Missouri. So I'm guessing there are many failures.

As an example, Newport, Oregon, is 215 miles away from the closest station in Yreka, CA.

I'll bet 7/11 is even less

According to their store locator (http://www.7-eleven.com/StoreLocator/tabid/214/Default.aspx) they do not operate in much of the upper midwest.

I'll bet strip joints are even less.

Probably. But I just learned this:

In July 2009, it was discovered that, in addition to not having a prostitution law (see Prositution in Rhode Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Rhode_Island)), Rhode Island also does not have a law to stop underage women from being exotic dancers.[9] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_strip_clubs_in_the_United_States#c ite_note-8) The Mayor of Providence, David Cicilline (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cicilline) signed an executive order, effective July 31st, prohibiting the city Board of Licenses from issuing adult entertainment licenses to establishments that employ minors.[10] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_strip_clubs_in_the_United_States#c ite_note-9) The club owners also made a pledge to not employ underage women.[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_strip_clubs_in_the_United_States#c ite_note-10)

I suck the humor out of things like that Star Trek salt monster creature.

[Moonliner]

According to their station locator (http://exxonstations.com/locator.php), Exxon does not operate stations in Oregon, Western Washington, Nevada outside of Las Vegas, Kansas, Nebraska, or Missouri. So I'm guessing there are many failures.

As an example, Newport, Oregon, is 215 miles away from the closest station in Yreka, CA.



According to their store locator (http://www.7-eleven.com/StoreLocator/tabid/214/Default.aspx) they do not operate in much of the upper midwest.



Probably. But I just learned this:



I suck the humor out of things like that Star Trek salt monster creature.

Actually I just just really hoping you'd find a good strip club locator.

[Strangler Lewis]

Actually I just just really hoping you'd find a good strip club locator.

Have you determined that this is a bad one? (http://stripclubmap.com/index.htm)

[Moonliner]

Have you determined that this is a bad one? (http://stripclubmap.com/index.htm)

Christ. No Disney, No In-and-out, No Sees and now I find out not a damn strip club for miles. Why in the hell do I live here?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Christ. No Disney, No In-and-out, No Sees and now I find out not a damn strip club for miles. Why in the hell do I live here?
Why open a strip club when you've got a steady stream of politicians paying a lot more to just come on over to their house while their wife is gone?

[Snowflake]

Christ. No Disney, No In-and-out, No Sees and now I find out not a damn strip club for miles. Why in the hell do I live here?

Ahem, I have been known to send boxes of Sees to NJ PA & VA and will be happy to do the same to MD (except in summer months).

Just ask. I'm am elevator ride down and less than 2 minute walk from a Sees Candy shop.

Seriously, be happy to do it. Yes, I know you can order online, but the hand picking is nicer and fresher.

[Moonliner]

Ahem, I have been known to send boxes of Sees to NJ PA & VA and will be happy to do the same to MD (except in summer months).

Just ask. I'm am elevator ride down and less than 2 minute walk from a Sees Candy shop.

Seriously, be happy to do it. Yes, I know you can order online, but the hand picking is nicer and fresher.

If you can get those delivered by an exotic dancer wearing mouse ears I'll be in business! :D

[Ghoulish Delight]

Here's your money back, and if it's any consolation we knew full well we were selling you and 20,000 other people a ticket to an awful experience that we by no means had the facilities to accomodate (http://www.nbcdfw.com/blogs/blue-star/Cowboys-Offer-Refund-Worlds-Worst-Excuse-61117242.html)!

[innerSpaceman]

Pfft, sports fans get what they deserve.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Pfft, sports fans get what they deserve.Hilarious. :rolleyes:

This sort of thing smells illegal. Not enough bathrooms? Inability to see the event/venue itself? Bait and switch, health code violations, possibly a fire hazard...

[blueerica]

Hmm, and here I thought the Oregon coach sending a personal check to the fan that followed the team to Boise State only to see them lose (and subsequently lose a player) was the refund story of the 'football' season.

But, this is amazing.

[Kevy Baby]

Rescue team uses saw to free trapped penis (http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/health/Firefighters-Save-Trapped-Penis-61110862.html)Damnit... Hoag promised me confidentiality!

[Alex]

If he gets to count people who can't actually see the game in person towards the attendance record I hope he included me in that number since I also only watched it on TV.

[Ghoulish Delight]

The mind boggles. Meet the newest American Girl doll, Gwen. She's homeless (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/american-girls-homeless-d_n_302981.html) :|

[Moonliner]

The mind boggles. Meet the newest American Girl doll, Gwen. She's homeless (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/american-girls-homeless-d_n_302981.html) :|

And.... Wait for it..... She's only $95.00

Buy one now. It's sure to be a collectors item once they yank it of the shelves next week.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

And.... Wait for it..... She's only $95.00

Buy one now. It's sure to be a collectors item once they yank it of the shelves next week.

then she truly will be homeless.

[Strangler Lewis]

She's a bargain, because you don't have to spring for grooming supplies or get her hair done--for more than I pay for a haircut--at the salon at the American Girl stores. Also, you probably won't be taking her to tea at the American Girl Cafe because she won't be allowed in.

[bewitched]

The mind boggles. Meet the newest American Girl doll, Gwen. She's homeless (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/american-girls-homeless-d_n_302981.html) :|

Yes, because I want my nine year old daughter to play "I'm homeless" with her dolls and imagine all of the fun and frivolity that entails.

[Not Afraid]

I feel like I've missed out because I never played Homeless Barbie role playing when I was little.

[bewitched]

I think I will tell Olivia to take the boxes she uses as "homes" for her Barbies and have them be actual boxes that the Barbies sleep in...and then pretend the coffee table is a rundown bridge....

[Strangler Lewis]

Barbies? Plural? I know a fake little homeless girl who'd be happy with just one Barbie.

[Moonliner]

Here is a way to sneak a bomb into just about any secure location. Airports, federal buildings, sporting events, etc..

It was used recently in an attempt to assassinate a Saudi Prince (in charge of counterterrorism)

It pretty much makes a mockery of all our security measures here in the US.

You'd think it would make headline news, but this is the first I've heard of it (http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/single.php?id=8705).

I wonder why that is.

Oh yeah, I remember, it upsets the sheeple (http://www.gleamingedge.com/mirrors/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html) to be told what a waste of time bag checks and metal detectors are.

[mousepod]

The report uses the term "keistered". I have learned a new word. I am laughing.

[Moonliner]

The report uses the term "keistered". I have learned a new word. I am laughing.

Oh sure, it's funny now. But just wait until an entire plane goes down because the guy in 12c farted.

[Alex]

Seems like a bit too much effort for minimal gain. If it will pass through an airport metal detector in your ass it will pass through an airport metal detector in your pants pocket.

I think this suidice bomber's handler was playing a practical joke on him. "No, really, it has to be up your butt! <snicker>"

[JWBear]

The writer of that article sure likes the phrase "anal cavity".

[bewitched]

The writer of that article sure likes the phrase "anal cavity".


Yeah, well who doesn't?

[Disneyphile]

With lab-grown meat (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/aug/13/genetics.internationalnews) now a possibility, what would PETA have to protest? ;)

[Gn2Dlnd]

Puppy mills, lab testing, fur coats, ju koon.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Lumps of meat would be cultured in laboratory vatsBoy, won't THAT look great on a menu.

[Moonliner]

With lab-grown meat (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/aug/13/genetics.internationalnews) now a possibility, what would PETA have to protest? ;)

Oh great! Now what will the Matrix need us for?

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Bizarre Act Halts Court Hearing

Major Warning
This story is absolutely revolting. Don't open the spoiler nor click the link if you are fainthearted and/or don't want to get grossed out.from Cincinnati.com (http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090902/NEWS0107/909030307/1163/Bizarre%20act%20halts%20court%20hearing)
James Orr put an immediate halt to his criminal trial Wednesday when he squeezed the contents of his colostomy bag onto the table in front of him and ate it.

[Moonliner]

Yesterday Toyota recalled a few bazillion cars (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toyota_floor_mats) (including the Mrs. Moonie Mobile) because in rare cases the floor mats could come loose and cause the accelerator pedal to stick.

Here is audio of the 911 call (http://www.morganhilltimes.com/video/259699-911-call-of-crash-that-spurred-toyota-recall) that sparked the recall.

Does anyone but me see a problem with that call?

[Alex]

No, I'm not sure what problem you're noticing.

I was driving once when the throttle stuck fully open. Fortunately I was in the interstate at the time so there was no immediate need to stop or maneuver and traffic was loose enough that I could weave through it as necessary.

It was pretty damn scary before I got things under control.

[Moonliner]

It was pretty damn scary before I got things under control.

How long did that take?

I think that rather than take the time to call 911 and talk with them, I would have put the car in neutral and stood on the breaks with both feet.

Even if the breaks were out, which they mentioned but I doubt, it would still get the car stopped a hell of a lot faster than calling 911.

In the old days, you could also just turn the key off, or jam it into 1st or reverse.

Apparently, and this is something I did not know, on cars like Mrs. Moonie's with the key-less push button start if you are moving and push the "power" button nothing happens. You have to hold it down for 3-seconds to have the engine turn off.

[Alex]

The guy calling was not the guy driving, he was a passenger. Presumably the driver was working at it. And the driver was a member of the California Highway Patrol so I assume he knew something about driving. Here's more details (http://www.examiner.com/a-2213428%7EPolice_releases_911_tape_in_deadly_SoCal _crash.html). But it is certainly possible that the driver didn't do something he could have been doing, I don't know the conditions under which he was driving.

Here's where they crashed (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&sll=32.793297,-117.098209&sspn=0.206931,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=32.838257,-117.002946&spn=0.006463,0.009645&t=h&z=17). Not only did they hit an intersection but it was a t-intersection so regardless of why they were still traveling 100+ miles an hour they were screwed.

[Alex]

Oh, to your first question. I would say it was 3-4 miles to get myself to a complete stop from the first suspicion that something was wrong. Only a couple minutes but I did spend a fair portion of that going more than 100 miles an hour. I did put the car in neutral for bursts but let me tell you that the noises a car in neutral makes with an open throttle is extremely scary in itself and it feels like you're making a choice between having the car go uncontrollably fast and having the car explode.

ETA: Also, the three other people in the car becoming extremely...excited (to use a nicer word) when they realized what was going on didn't help to make sure I responded to the situation with peak efficiency.

[katiesue]

In the old days, you could also just turn the key off, or jam it into 1st or reverse.

In most cars if you turn the key off it locks the steering wheel.

And it was a loaner car from the dealer, not his own car so he may not have been as familiar with the controls as well.

[Moonliner]

Accidents happen everyday to both good and bad drivers. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do. Another car runs a light and T-bones you, or your breaks fail just as you reach that crosswalk full of kids....

But that was not the case here. The driver had time and the possibility of stopping the car. He made bad choices and paid the price for it.

It takes time to get a car up to 120mph (the reported speed), it took time for the passenger to make a call to 911, get connected and talk with them. Time that could have been used to prevent this accident.

Time to turn off the engine, time to put it in neutral, time to do a lot of things.

Oh and just for the record, In my younger days, I was on a motorcycle when the throttle stuck open. I pulled the clutch in and yes, it did sound like it was going to explode right between my legs but I still let it scream long enough to break to a stop and dump that mother F'er on the ground. So I know the sound and I know the feeling.

[Ghoulish Delight]

No one knows how they'll react to an emergency until they're in one. He was in an unfamiliar car dealing with a confusing situation. I will simply continue to be thankful that I wasn't the one who had to try to deal with it and have people criticize me after I've accidentally killed much of my family.

[Alex]

I think youlre jumping to conclusions that aren't entirely founded. But even accepting that the driver was a horrible driver (even though he's been through advanced training) or just paniced under pressure and got everybody killed. So what?

if that exposed a design flaw is Toyota supposed to just say "he wouldn't be dead if he'd driven better"?



From posting on a car board apparently this car has an unusual button shifting system. And it was a loaner so it is entirely possible that the the driver was having confusion issues.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Crocheted Male Genetalia (http://www.omgblog.com/2009/10/omg_how_crafty_crocheted_penis.php)

[Gemini Cricket]

Ugh, those poor people. Sad.
:(

[Moonliner]

I think youlre jumping to conclusions that aren't entirely founded. But even accepting that the driver was a horrible driver (even though he's been through advanced training) or just paniced under pressure and got everybody killed. So what?


No one knows how they'll react to an emergency until they're in one. He was in an unfamiliar car dealing with a confusing situation. I will simply continue to be thankful that I wasn't the one who had to try to deal with it and have people criticize me after I've accidentally killed much of my family.

In short, this appears to have been a preventable accident. We don't do anyone any favors by turning away from that truth. I think it's better to learn from it so that if one day you are in that situation you are better prepared to deal with it. Going forward will you ever drive a car without looking at the shifting pattern? If you car races out of control on a highway will you think to put it in neutral? Those are the lessons to take from this because there are a lot of reasons besides questionable floor mats that can cause an accelerator can get stuck open.

[Alex]

Ok, so going back to your original question:

Does anyone but me see a problem with that call?Apparently, the answer is no.

That said, the driver may very well have done the right stuff but not known how in an unfamiliar car because that model has some still unusual features. Here's what one owner posted on a message board:

This was a horrible accident and like many accidents several things in addition to a stuck accelerator must have occurred to end in such a tragedy. I suspect that since the car was a loaner the driver was unfamiliar with the controls. If this had been a normal car with a key ignition then he could have turned the key to turn off the engine; however, I own an ES350 for many years and I didn’t even know that to turn off the engine of my car while driving, I need to hold the On/Off switch for 3 seconds. Also it is common because of the irregular shift pattern on this vehicle, for new drivers to mistakenly drive in the manual shift mode. In this mode the car will still automatically shift when the RPM’s reach a high enough level; however the N for neutral is located adjacent to the up shift position when in manual shift, so if in an emergency you are unaware of this you would push the shift up to the N position but are actually up shifting the gears. It is worth noting that the fact that to turn off the engine while the car is in motion requires pushing the button for 3 seconds is not mentioned in the owner's manual.

And the NHTSB issued a report in 2007 that Lexus drivers have reported difficulty stopping cars with stuck accelerators because of these issues, plus

With the engine throttle plate open, the vacuum power assist of the braking system cannot be replenished and the effectiveness of the brakes is reduced significantly.So it is quite possible that he:

1. Tried to put it in neutral but because the car was in a mode that he may not even have known existed, was not actually performing the maneuver necessary.

2. Then tried to turn off the car but couldn't.

3. And meanwhile he's breaking hard but quickly losing braking power.

4. He's dealing with trying to figure all of this out while weaving through traffic in a car going over 100 miles per hour.

Do I know that is what happened? No, but I wasn't there like you were. If it did, does this mean it was still an avoidable accident. Sure, if that is the lesson one really wants to find in it. The man was trained in advanced driving skills, he was apparently reasonably calm as you hear him providing information on where they are, reports are that he had his hazard lights on. Why jump to the conclusion that he behaved stupidly otherwise? He may have, but why assume it?

Also, you mentioned the time it takes to get up to 120 miles per hour. According this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM7ftpO2MJY), in a Lexus ES350 it takes 11 seconds to go from 0 to 120. 5-6 seconds if you're already going freeway speeds. I imagine most of the time was spend trying to figure out if one's gone crazy and your foot really isn't on the accelerator.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

This reminds me of the guy who left his toddler in the car by mistake while he went in to work all day, because he wasn't usually the one to drop the kid off at day care. The child died.

I don't think I found a single soul who didn't empathize with the guy. It ruined his life. If I remember correctly he got a very light sentence because it was obvious that he was a broken man due to this awful accident.

Moonliner, I daresay that if you had to face a man who had mistakenly killed his loved ones, you wouldn't say "you could have done better".

Now as to whether we can learn something from this, well I daresay that if I were driving someone else's car for one trip I wouldn't remember to find out how to stop it if the accelerator gets stuck, same as I wouldn't find out a million other quirks of the car. That would be a long safety list to go over.

[Moonliner]

Ok, so going back to your original question:

Apparently, the answer is no.

That said, the driver may very well have done the right stuff but not known how in an unfamiliar car because that model has some still unusual features. Here's what one owner posted on a message board:

It is worth noting that the fact that to turn off the engine while the car is in motion requires pushing the button for 3 seconds is not mentioned in the owner's manual.

And the NHTSB issued a report in 2007 that Lexus drivers have reported difficulty stopping cars with stuck accelerators because of these issues, plus

So it is quite possible that he:

1. Tried to put it in neutral but because the car was in a mode that he may not even have known existed, was not actually performing the maneuver necessary.

2. Then tried to turn off the car but couldn't.

3. And meanwhile he's breaking hard but quickly losing braking power.

4. He's dealing with trying to figure all of this out while weaving through traffic in a car going over 100 miles per hour.

Do I know that is what happened? No, but I wasn't there like you were. If it did, does this mean it was still an avoidable accident. Sure, if that is the lesson one really wants to find in it. The man was trained in advanced driving skills, he was apparently reasonably calm as you hear him providing information on where they are, reports are that he had his hazard lights on. Why jump to the conclusion that he behaved stupidly otherwise? He may have, but why assume it?

Also, you mentioned the time it takes to get up to 120 miles per hour. According this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM7ftpO2MJY), in a Lexus ES350 it takes 11 seconds to go from 0 to 120. 5-6 seconds if you're already going freeway speeds. I imagine most of the time was spend trying to figure out if one's gone crazy and your foot really isn't on the accelerator.


You're correct, we don't know what the driver did, we don't even know if the floor mats played a roll or not. It's all just speculation. At least until the full accident report is released.

What we do know, is that if a car is accelerating out of control, putting it in neutral, hitting the emergency break and standing on the regular breaks will bring a car to a stop in less time that it takes for a passenger to make a 911 call.


If you look at the control panel for the ES350 you will see there is nothing odd or non-standard with the gear pattern. Neutral is right where is it supposed to be. There is no "mode" that disables it, including cruise control.

http://www.autoguide.com/gallery/d/31765-4/2009+lexus+es350+50.jpg

[Ghoulish Delight]

There is a model of the 350 that has a manual-shift mode similar to the one in my Mazda 3. If the stick is in that mode, pushing up does not put the car into neutral, it upshifts the geabox.

[Alex]

What we do know, is that if a car is accelerating out of control, putting it in neutral, hitting the emergency break and standing on the regular breaks will bring a car to a stop in less time that it takes for a passenger to make a 911 call.

You quoted what I wrote, did you read any of it? Such as the part where this model does have a mode that made moving it to neutral not actually be neutral?

Or the other part where standing on the brakes while the throttle plate is fully open can, as reported by the NHTSA, actually cause them to quickly lose effectiveness?

Again, he could have been the biggest idiot driver ever. But I haven't been inconvenienced by Toyota wanting floor mats reviewed so I'm sure I don't have the correct incentives in reading about this.

[Morrigoon]

The accelerator stuck open on my Mercedes a few years ago. I was going 80+mph, up the steep side of the grapevine, WITH the brakes on. And yes, my first instinct was to throw it in neutral, which caused the rpms to skyrocket and the engine to sound, as previously mentioned, like it would explode if I kept it there. It took me the entirety of the trip up the steep side of the grapevine (eg: heading south on 5) to get the car under control. Assuming that "under control" includes veering off on a dark mountain road, throwing it into neutral anyway, then shutting the key off (which I didn't realize I could just do, having never turned off a car while in motion before).

I understand perfectly why it would have taken him so long.

[Kevy Baby]

I did put the car in neutral for bursts but let me tell you that the noises a car in neutral makes with an open throttle is extremely scary in itself and it feels like you're making a choice between having the car go uncontrollably fast and having the car explode.Even though I am replying to a post from Alex, I am just using it as a reference point: my comment is not specifically directed at Alex.

If my two choices are blowing up an engine or having no other way to interrupt the situation and possibly crashing at 120 MPH, I will blow up the engine.

[Alex]

Yes, that is absolutely the right choice. Especially when it won't actually blow up the engine.

That said, if you don't know that the choice doesn't feel like:

A. Keep going 120 miles hour; or
B. Put it in neutral, risk destroying the engine, and stop safely

but rather

A. Keep going 120 miles hour and try to find some way to stop the car; or
B. Destroy the engine while still going pretty fast, and possibly lose all power and control.

That was one of my concerns when it happened to me. If I killed the engine (either by turning the ignition or destroying it) what would still work? If I lost power steering and power brakes how well would I be able to try and stop the car while avoiding all the other cars around me.

It also felt weird to steer around other cars while going at high speeds in neutral.

But yes, with the experience of more driving experience I should have moved to an edge lane, put my hazards on, put it in neutral and just stood on the brake until I was going slow enough that I could pull onto the shoulder safely.

[JWBear]

Conservative Christian Group Editing Bible to Remove Liberal Bias (http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/10/conservatizing-the-bible.html)

You just can't make this sh!t up folks!

[Alex]

It has always simplified the task of translating the bible into modern vernacular if you decide first what it will say then go back to primary sources.

[Morrigoon]

Conservative Christian Group Editing Bible to Remove Liberal Bias (http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/10/conservatizing-the-bible.html)

You just can't make this sh!t up folks!

Just wait till they get all the way through it and read Revelation 22:18 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+22%3A18-19&version=KJV)

(Hilarity will ensue)

[Kevy Baby]

(Hilarity will ensue)At first, I read this as "Hillary will ensue" and wondered what the former First Lady had to do with this.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Conservative Christian Group Editing Bible to Remove Liberal Bias (http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/10/conservatizing-the-bible.html)They're going to have problems with their 6th edict "Accept the Logic of Hell: applying logic with its full force and effect, as in not denying or downplaying the very real existence of Hell or the Devil."

The logic?!? Oh I love it when Christians try to use Logic to prove the Bible. Grab some popcorn folks, this is gonna be better than Cirque du Soleil, what with all the leaping and stretching they're gonna be doing!

[Morrigoon]

At least the LOLcat bible (http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=Matthew_1) tries to stay true to the intention if the source.

[JWBear]

Think about it... if they remove everything from the NT that could be construed as "liberal", the remaining text would end up fitting on a single sheet of lined note paper - double spaced.

[bewitched]

the ensuing debate would flesh out -- and stop -- the infiltration of churches by liberals pretending to be Christian, much as a vote by legislators exposes the liberals

Batsh!t Crazy. Seriously.

[Ghoulish Delight]

They've already admitted to believing in the bible, so I can't really see any further leaps of illogic as standout.

[CoasterMatt]

Get paid for your sperm donation FIRST...

LOS ANGELES — An Arizona man faces criminal charges for allegedly posing as a fertility doctor so he could sexually molest men while pretending to give them physical examinations, MyFOXLa.com has reported.

Whole story here (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,559583,00.html).

[JWBear]

"One Nation Under God"

Link (http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/view_zoom/?artpiece_id=353#)

I am unable to roll my eyes to the extent this requires, as I'm afraid I'd sustain a frightful injury.

That is one smokin' hot Jesus, however.

[mousepod]

Here's the corrected version (http://www.shortpacked.com/McNaughton%20Fine%20Art.htm).

[Ghoulish Delight]

Here's the corrected version (http://www.shortpacked.com/McNaughton%20Fine%20Art.htm).
Hah! Hah! and Hah!!!

[Alex]

Ah the combination of patriotic and religious glurge! If only hypertext media could hang on my wall!

Actually, I'm curious why the artist hates several generations of American soldiers who died for our country. Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam soldiers are represented.

No love for those who died in the War of 1812, the various Indian Wars, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, the Gulf War, or the War on Christmas?

I do love the absolutely stunning contradiction of the text accompanying the immigrant.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

"One Nation Under God" (http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/view_zoom/?artpiece_id=353#)wwwwwwwow! I don't think I have enough :eek: and :rolleyes: emoticons to describe my feelings about that.

Here's the corrected version (http://www.shortpacked.com/McNaughton%20Fine%20Art.htm).Love it! I feel a little bit cleaner, thank you!

[Gemini Cricket]

He has Thomas Jefferson near Jesus. The man was pro-separation of church and state... I bet Jesus would be too.
;)

[Kevy Baby]

No love for those who died in the War of 1812, the various Indian Wars, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, the Gulf War, or the War on Christmas?Not to mention the War of the Roses

[Morrigoon]

He has Thomas Jefferson near Jesus. The man was pro-separation of church and state... I bet Jesus would be too.
;)

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." - Jesus

Yep, you may be right.

[JWBear]

Hehehe...

http://www.guerillastickers.com/JesusAll-American.gif

[Frikitiki]

This is more in line for the ladies in the house (http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/39849010.html)

[Kevy Baby]

This is more in line for the ladies in the house (http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/39849010.html)You'll probably find more interest in the Gay Thread (http://www.loungeoftomorrow.com/LoT/showthread.php?t=9947)

[cirquelover]

Wow who knew cartoons could be so hot! I don't think I'll ever look at the princes the same way now!

[SzczerbiakManiac]

This is more in line for the ladies in the house (http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/39849010.html)Oh cool, davidkawena (http://davidkawena.deviantart.com/) has made some more. I like his stuff. (not just the sexy princes)

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Wow who knew cartoons could be so hot! I don't think I'll ever look at the princes the same way now!Kevy Baby, mousepod, Moonliner, Strangler Lewis, SacTown Chronic, Ghoulish Delight, Pirate Bill, Andrew, Capt Jack, Stan4dSteph, Gemini Cricket, ToriBear, Deebs, Tref, me, JWBear, bewitched, Cadaverous Pallor, €uroMeinke, lashbear, CoasterMatt, Alex, Morrigoon, Betty, Snowflake, you, and Disneyphile (http://www.loungeoftomorrow.com/LoT/showthread.php?t=9240). ;)

[SzczerbiakManiac]

So I'm minding my own business, watching The Click List: Best of Short Films (http://www.logoonline.com/shows/events/short_films/) on Logo (http://www.logoonline.com/), and see a commercial for the Shake Weight (https://www.shakeweight.com/). My jaw dropped. I thought it was a joke and/or that it was one of the short films being shown. But it wasn't. It was/is real! And there's one for men (https://www.shakeweightformen.com/). It costs ten bucks more, but it looks heavier.

I wondered if I was the only one who thought this was a jack-off tool. I didn't wonder for long (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4HFoYqCA6g). (NSFW-Language)

[Kevy Baby]

lurve it

[Tref]

Too subtle.

[Gn2Dlnd]

I want two!

[bewitched]

The birth of one's child is a magic moment...don't spoil it by groping the nurse. (http://blog.trutv.com/dumb_as_a_blog/dumb_criminals/?cnn=yes)

[CoasterMatt]

Train drags half-naked mooner along tracks. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33284400/ns/world_news-weird_news/)

[BarTopDancer]

Balloon crashes, 6 year old boy is missing (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33330516/ns/us_news-life/)

[Capt Jack]

Scientists hope work with poison gas can be a lifesaver (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/09/cheating.death.suspended.animation/index.html)


facinating.

[Moonliner]

Balloon crashes, 6 year old boy is missing (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33330516/ns/us_news-life/)

Yeah, I was watching that. I just don't think the "craft" was large enough to get a kid off the ground. So I'm going with he was never in it to start with.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/Moonliner/baloon.jpg

[MouseWife]

I only hope he is hiding somewhere, scared shietless. His little brother said he was on it, but, he is only 3 right? Could have just assumed that.

Did anyone else get the urge to make Jiffypop?

[Disneyphile]

Real Energizer Bunnies (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/heating-plant-burns-bunni_n_322160.html) :(

(Warning: Bunny lovers might not want to read this.)

[Disneyphile]

And... welcome back to the 50's where blacks and whites can't marry each other! (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/interracial-couple-denied_n_322784.html?awesm=fbshare.me_G0n) :eek:

What the hell century is this again?

[Moonliner]

I only hope he is hiding somewhere, scared shietless. His little brother said he was on it, but, he is only 3 right? Could have just assumed that.

Did anyone else get the urge to make Jiffypop?

Ding ding ding! If you guessed "Hiding in the attic" you win!

All's well that ends well

[Morrigoon]

Well, when you let the government get away with telling some folks who they can or can't marry, you give others in government the idea that that sort of thing is acceptable. Can't have it both ways.

[Moonliner]

And... welcome back to the 50's where blacks and whites can't marry each other! (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/interracial-couple-denied_n_322784.html?awesm=fbshare.me_G0n) :eek:

What the hell century is this again?

From the Justice of the peace:


"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way


:rolleyes:

[Alex]

I wondered if maybe in Louisiana a "justice of the peace" was just anybody who was permitted to officiate weddings, in which case as abhorrent as this guys point of view may be more power to him (to force him to marry interracial couples would be the same as forcing Catholic priests to marry homosexual couples once that is again legal).

But they're not. They're actual elected officials.

[Strangler Lewis]

He's not a racist anymore than Spencer Tracy's character in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was.

[Ghoulish Delight]

"I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."
That's totally the kind of thing a not racist person says.

[MouseWife]

Ding ding ding! If you guessed "Hiding in the attic" you win!

All's well that ends well

Once my nephew {he was only 4-6, if I remember correctly} did something wrong. He hid in a camper parked in front of their house. He was deemed 'missing' and they searched everywhere, including the camper. They had helicopters out looking for him.

Eventually he was found.

I am glad this boy was found. What a horrific way to die, eh?

{oh, I'd have guessed attic if I knew they had one!! :D }

[innerSpaceman]

I know, I almost snarfed some water when I read, "they use my bathroom." HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Ghoulish Delight]

Balloon crashes, 6 year old boy is missing (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33330516/ns/us_news-life/)

The boy's family, who earlier this year appeared in a reality television show about wife-swapping,

While the title of the show was undoubtedly chosen specifically to play up this confusion, describing it like that will give people unfamiliar with the show the wrong idea about this family.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

And... welcome back to the 50's where blacks and whites can't marry each other! (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/interracial-couple-denied_n_322784.html?awesm=fbshare.me_G0n) :eek:I'm going to fix that guy's quotes. It looks like the paper "forgot" to include some of the stuff he said. Fortunately, I have a complete audio recording and, because I love you all so much, will happily transcribe it for you.
"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way,"
Or any way for that matter. Come on, we can't have them Coloreds mixin' in with regular folks! That'd be like like pouring molasses in the milk.

"I have piles and piles of black friends.
Stacked up like cord-wood behind my shed.

They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."
who is sub-human. Hell, I even let the Mexi-cans come over, but only on Tuesdays. I won't marry an illegal, but I do let them use my lawnmower to cut my grass. They seem to take a likin' to that kinda work. On Saturdays the Queers can come by if they fix my wife's bouffant hair-do. They're not allowed to use the bathroom cause I don't want to catch the AIDS from sittin' on the same toilet seat as them and of course I won't marry them cause that'd be a sin. Once there was a Colored Queer that wanted to come by on a Wednesday. I wasn't sure what to do! I let him come in and use the bathroom on the account of him bein' Colored, but I made sure the missus cleaned it with bleach as soon as he left!

Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them,
Cause that'd be just plain wrong. The Bible clearly states races should not mix and that's good enough fer me!

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.
As an elected official, it's my responsibility to keep The South from becoming any more racially polluted than it is. And as a White man, I am an expert on the sensibilities of the Colored community.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."
Next thing ya know, Queers is gonna want to adopt children! Just think of all the queer kids they'd recruit if we let that happen. Think of the children!!!

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.
Like property, to be bought and sold--just like the missus! We have a Traditional Marriage, just like the Good Book says.

Bardwell estimates that he has refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past 2 1/2 years.May his career not reach 3 years!

[Alex]

One time we called the police when my younger sister went missing. Turns out she'd gone to sleep under a pile of towels in the laundry room.

[MouseWife]

One time we called the police when my younger sister went missing. Turns out she'd gone to sleep under a pile of towels in the laundry room.


ROTFLMAO!!

[bewitched]

Balloon boy and family were just on Larry King:

Falcon Heene and his family were just on Larry King Live -- where he suggested his family set up the entire "boy trapped in a flying balloon" story, saying "You guys said that we did this for the show."


His father responded by saying "Man," his mom adding "No."

[€uroMeinke]

The Balloon Boy story caused me to squee with delight (until I found out he was a fraud) and confess my own desire to build a personal zeppelin since it appears I'll never get a jet pack. Perhaps this is information my coworkers didn't need to know about me.

[Stan4dSteph]

Crazed man punches Leona Lewis in the face during book signing event (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1624022/20091016/lewis__leona.jhtml)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Things have gotten weirder in the balloon story. First, the kid said something about "doing it for the show" in an interview (in between throwing up twice). The father claims he doesn't know what the kid meant, and sure, a 6 year old is liable to say things like that purely stemming from some imaginary narrative in their head.

But now there's video of the balloon being released. The whole time the brothers were the only one who saw the balloon get free, but this video clearly shows that A) The dad released the balloon himself and B) he's pissed because he suddenly realizes no one's holding the tether.

My current theory - dad's pissed because he just lost his balloon. Knowing he wouldn't be able to track it down himself, he tells the kid to hide, and tells the other kids to say they saw him climbing in the balloon. Then he can call the cops and get the whole town to follow his balloon for him.

Link to the new video here (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33340547/ns/us_news-life/)

[Moonliner]

My current theory - dad's pissed because he just lost his balloon. Knowing he wouldn't be able to track it down himself, he tells the kid to hide, and tells the other kids to say they saw him climbing in the balloon. Then he can call the cops and get the whole town to follow his balloon for him.

Link to the new video here (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33340547/ns/us_news-life/)

If you look at the size of that thing, there is just no way it could have the lifting power to get a 6-Year old off the ground. The dad (who built it) had to have know that. So, yeah, he's up to something.

[Capt Jack]

baby carriage falls onto train track (http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/16/australia.baby.train.escape/index.html)

I nearly crapped myself when I saw the vid, and while the video is breathtaking and shocking, it has a surpisingly happy ending.

[MouseWife]

I think you guys are on to something. On top of that I think the dad is a bit nutty. Why didn't anyone else say how the dad is in the video? I mean, on the news and such?

Yikes, that carriage video is freaky. I wondered what the people on the platform were thinking as well as the people on the train.

Is it just me or did anyone else notice someone kind of head towards the carriage and then stop? Sometimes people see things and don't act on their feelings because they are afraid of being embarrassed or yelled at for trying to grab a kid.

[Capt Jack]

I think they did try, but that train came on so fast, I thought sure the mother would get hit as well..the other lady along the back was just too far away to really do much except stretch out her arm. even with the way it came out, I dont think anyone on that platform would ever be the same after something like that.

[Alex]

Part of me wonders how many mean-spirited pranksters are now thinking about how fun it would be to do that but not actually have a baby in the stroller.

Actually, pretty lucky that the mom didn't get herself killed in the process of trying to save the baby. You never know how an individual would creat but I imagine a significant percentage of parents would have jumped down regardless hoping to throw the baby back up in time.

[Stan4dSteph]

Dead man on balcony mistaken for Halloween decoration (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/man-dead-on-balcony-for-days-because-neighbors-think-body-is-halloween-decoration.html)

[JWBear]

Virginia man arrested for being naked in his own home (http://www.inquisitr.com/43835/making-coffee-naked-may-get-man-a-year-in-jail/)

I sure wouldn't complain if he were my neighbor!

[Moonliner]

Virginia man arrested for being naked in his own home (http://www.inquisitr.com/43835/making-coffee-naked-may-get-man-a-year-in-jail/)

I sure wouldn't complain if he were my neighbor!

So now the person inside the house, rather than the person peeping is the criminal. Well don't that open up a whole can 'o worms.

[Kevy Baby]

I shall make it my mission to get Angelina Jolie arrested.

[Betty]

Links dead now. :(

[Ghoulish Delight]

So now the person inside the house, rather than the person peeping is the criminal. Well don't that open up a whole can 'o worms.
Sadly, that's not new. A few years back a couple was sentenced to community service because if you stood in the right spot in their yard and their bedroom door was open a crack, you could see them in their bedroom in a reflection in a mirror.

[Strangler Lewis]

Never drink and recline. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091023/ap_on_fe_st/us_lounge_chair_dwi_9)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Halloween costume want ad -

http://i.imgur.com/cKc4n.gif

[innerSpaceman]

Well, there are double-amputees out there (probably more than a decade ago, thanks to our previous simian president) ... and who says some of them are not up for a little fun?

[bewitched]

You know, if someone's up for that, more power to 'em.

[Gemini Cricket]

I'm sure there are double amputee Star Wars fans out there. But he might have a hard time finding someone before this Halloween.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I keep thinking of that guy who fell out of the teacups.

[Gemini Cricket]

I keep thinking of that guy who fell out of the teacups.
Or Johnny Eck from Freaks. Such an awesome movie...

[alphabassettgrrl]

The Chewbacca costume ad made me laugh. Does this mean I'm a bad person?

[Deebs]

New owner should have spent a little more time in Taos, NM before buying a hotel there. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_trouble_in_taos)

[cirquelover]

This one just gets me, A man drives away from the scene of an acident with the victim stuck on/in his windshield :eek:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33493022/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

To top it off the article says he only stopped, a mile later, because someone was following him!?! WTF

[Strangler Lewis]

Too bad he hit two other guys and left them by the side of the road. Otherwise he could argue that the accident with the guy on the windshield was ongoing, and he hadn't left the scene of it.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Man convicted of murder is now suing his former hostage, and he's winning (http://www.katu.com/news/local/65957522.html)! :eek:

[Moonliner]

Man convicted of murder is now suing his former hostage, and he's winning (http://www.katu.com/news/local/65957522.html)! :eek:


Durham is even demanding reimbursement for his travel expenses from New York - for the trip he took to gun down Chambers' friend.


Classy.

[CoasterMatt]

Great White Shark Nearly Bitten in Half Off the Coast of Australia
(http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20091027/tod-monster-shark-chomps-into-great-whit-870a197.html)
A stunning picture shows a 10ft predator thrashing about with two massive chunks missing on either side of its body, off the Queensland coast.

Experts said its rival may be 20ft (about six metres) long, judging by the size of the huge bites.

The great white was savaged after it got snared on a drum line - a baited hook attached to a buoy - near North Stradbroke Island, east of Brisbane.

The wounded creature was still alive when a crew hauled it onto a boat, close to Deadman's Beach.

"It certainly opened up my eyes. I mean the shark that was caught is a substantial shark in itself," Queensland Fisheries' Jeff Krause told Australia's Daily Telegraph.

Swimmers have been warned to stay out of the water near the island.

[Ghoulish Delight]

For the non-squeamish, here's a link to the story with the photo (http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/shark-shark-attack-off-australias-coast/story?id=8925786)

[Betty]

wow!

[innerSpaceman]

Man convicted of murder is now suing his former hostage, and he's winning (http://www.katu.com/news/local/65957522.html)! :eek:

Classy.

And other juicy bit about the murderer / hostage taker / lawsuit plaintiff:

Durham made international news for his unusual plea deal in 2006. He agreed to plead guilty in exchange for his favorite foods from KFC and some Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

[Capt Jack]

just in time for halloween (http://www.girlsandcorpses.com/index.html)

truly, deeply, amazingly effing warped

[lashbear]

New owner should have spent a little more time in Taos, NM before buying a hotel there. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_trouble_in_taos)

No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark....

...Then Whitten told some employees he was changing their Spanish first names. Whitten says it's a routine practice at his hotels to change first names of employees who work the front desk phones or deal directly with guests if their names are difficult to understand or pronounce.
Oh yes... because "Mahr-TEEN" and Marcos are Soooooooo hard to pronounce :rolleyes:

Jerk.


...and *Yikes* to the Sharky.

[lashbear]

just in time for halloween (http://www.girlsandcorpses.com/index.html)

truly, deeply, amazingly effing warped
Is this even for real ??

[Capt Jack]

yup

[Moonliner]

Awwww... (http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/10/abc-scraps-plans-for-v-skywriting-campaign.html)


ABC has scrapped its ambitious plan to cover the skies of major cities with giant red "V"s to promote the Nov. 3 debut of its alien invasion drama.

The network was readying to employ skywriters to promote the show above 26 U.S. landmarks -- such as the Statue of Liberty, Fenway Park and Santa Monica Pier.


Now what could have gone wrong with that....

[Ghoulish Delight]

Now THIS is how you veto a bill.

http://www.boingboing.net/f-you-from-arnold.jpg

Governor's office is claiming it's pure coincidence. A very believable story, especially considering the author of the vetoed bill, Tom Ammiano, recently pulled a Joe Wilson on Arnie. Yes, very likely to have been a coincidence.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I heard about this on the radio. Thank you for the image. I love it.

[JWBear]

From the "You Can't Make This Shyt Up" file... (http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_danger_daniels.aspx)

[Betty]

From the "You Can't Make This Shyt Up" file... (http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_danger_daniels.aspx)

Oh puh-lease! What century are we in?

[Moonliner]

From the "You Can't Make This Shyt Up" file... (http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_danger_daniels.aspx)

Where can I get in line for the "Sex with Demons" That sounds kinda kinky.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Wow, sounds like something that Landover Baptist (http://www.landoverbaptist.org/) would say.


For those who may not know, the Landover Baptist Church is a completely fictitious satire. Sadly/hilariously, many if its visitors do not understand that fact.

[Capt Jack]

Where can I get in line for the "Sex with Demons" That sounds kinda kinky.

well, never actually had sex WITH a demon, but did the nasty IN a Demon once...or was it twice?

http://image.popularhotrodding.com/f/17810340+w750+st0/0903phr_06_z+1971_dodge_demon+front_passenger_side .jpg

although...she was a pretty wicked lil thing...but I dont really think "Demon" wicked

[innerSpaceman]

I had sex with a Demon two weeks ago ... and haven't gotten a phone call since.



:(

[JWBear]

I loved the whole "Halloween candy is evil becuase witches cast spells over it" thing.

[cirquelover]

Darn, the article is gone.

[Kevy Baby]

From the "You Can't Make This Shyt Up" file... (http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_danger_daniels.aspx)

"We're sorry, the page you have requested cannot be found."

[Capt Jack]

probably because they got so many "you cannot be serious with this weak crap" replys

[Deebs]

The ultimate drunk-dial of Mary's life (http://www.waow.com/global/story.asp?s=11415190)

[lashbear]

From the "You Can't Make This Shyt Up" file... (http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_danger_daniels.aspx)

Darn, the article is gone.

"We're sorry, the page you have requested cannot be found."
That's why you have to love Googles Cache Function (http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:tpp4ipDgs2IJ:www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_danger_daniels.aspx+http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_danger_daniels.aspx&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk):evil: :D :snap:

[alphabassettgrrl]

Thanks, Bear!

I don't know if I should be angry or sad about the article. It ignores history, and promotes fear.

[Prudence]

Zomg! That list of "secret activities" could be right out of any of my reference books on the "witch trials."

[Disneyphile]

I loved the whole "Halloween candy is evil becuase witches cast spells over it" thing.Hey, I'm totally rolling in the dough from the secret contracts that Hersheys and Reeses offered me to go chant over chocolate at their plants. I have personally been involved in making "Satan's Kisses" and "Demon Semen Cups". ;)

While I laughed at reading the article, I was also saddened, because I know too many people will believe this sensational irrational dreck. :rolleyes:

[SzczerbiakManiac]

"Demon Semen Cups"Tee hee hee, no wonder I like them so much! :evil:

[alphabassettgrrl]

I often wonder where they get these ideas. I mean, somebody has to come up with it, right? Honestly, it's just candy. I can see how they'd get upset over the dressing up as vampires and witches and whatnot, but that's got a loooooooooooooooong history.

[Gn2Dlnd]

My online banking just got a little more interesting:

On Friday, October 30, 2009, California National Bank, Los Angeles, CA was closed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Subsequently, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was named Receiver. No advance notice is given to the public when a financial institution is closed.

Dun dun dun! They've transferred ownership deposit accounts to U.S. Bank, which is the hated bank I opened the CalNat accts to get away from in the first place. Bleah.

[innerSpaceman]

Hehe, that's like when I switched from AT&T to Cingular, only to have them bought out by AT&T.


Can't win.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Well, at least I didn't go out of business!

Uh, nevermind.

[blueerica]

Louisiana justice who refused interracial marriage resigns. (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/03/louisiana.interracial.marriage/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn)

[innerSpaceman]

See, I don't think he should have resigned for that (though maybe for his remarks afterwards about having such good black friends that he let them use his bathroom).


We queer folk are trying to maintain that no one will be forced to perform a gay marriage where such marriages are legal. No one should be forced to perform an interracial marriage either. Or a marriage where the bride is named Winnifred. Or one where the groom is left-handed.

Get my drift? No one should be required to perform any marriage they don't want to.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I disagree slightly. I don't think anyone in the private sector should be required to perform a marriage against his/her beliefs. But if you're a state employee, you better well perform your duties to everyone equally. You do not get to pick and choose to whom you will administer duties. If you have a problem performing your job, there's the door.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Yeah, I see a difference between public and private employees. Private: refuse whoever you like. Public: suck it up and do your job.

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, I forgot he was a public official. But he shouldn't have resigned.



HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED.

[Gemini Cricket]

Wow, weird...
Sammy Sosa's skin appears to have lightened considerably. Photographs taken at an event in Las Vegas reveal a surprisingly light pigmentation on the former slugger. While no cause has been established at this time, the web site Midwest Sports Fans speculates that steroid use could be responsible:There appears to be at least some evidence suggesting that steroid use could be one of the lifestyle choices that increases a person's likelihood of becoming symptomatic with vitiligo.Source (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/07/sammy-sosas-skin-photos-p_n_349602.html)

[Ghoulish Delight]

I KNEW MJ was juicing!

[lashbear]

I KNEW MJ was juicing!
Quite so!! - he was into all sorts of healthy things, and making your own fresh green juice daily is an important way to get essential nutrients into your diet. You should get one for CP.




:p

[Deebs]

When their backs are turned! (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/elizabeth-lambert-new-mex_n_349234.html)

[Cadaverous Pallor]

When their backs are turned! (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/elizabeth-lambert-new-mex_n_349234.html)So, is she completely banned from playing her sport ever again or what?

[Kevy Baby]

And they think its safe to give her a license?

Woman passes driver's test on 950th try
South Korean must still get past the driving exam to get license
SEOUL, South Korea - A woman in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver's license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time.The whole story (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33802173/ns/world_news-weird_news/?gt1=43001)

[Gemini Cricket]

KB ~ I was going to post that today, but I forgot. I hope she doesn't come to Hawai'i and rent a car.
:D

[Ghoulish Delight]

Wow! Subway stopped inches from running a drunk woman over (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/33822377#33822377)

[Alex]

Not sure why but my immediate mental response to your post was to try to come up with a $5 foot long joke.

[Gemini Cricket]

Wow! Subway stopped inches from running a drunk woman over (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/33822377#33822377)
When I was in Boston, I wondered how this didn't happen more often. Lots of drunk people at that station and nearby ones immediately after a Celtics game. Not to mention that it's usually mega-packed, much more crowded than it was during the time the woman almost got smooshed. But I'm not sure how they could install a railing or something, I thought about that while I was there and it would be very difficult to make that work. Maybe a corral system like the monorail has at DL? Not sure.

[Deebs]

Really? Marlo Thomas is 51 today? (http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/entertainment-celebbday1121/6/)

Huh.

[JWBear]

Umm... She was 21 years ago! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlo_Thomas)

[Deebs]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that when I was little, That Girl was more than 7 years older than me.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Really? Marlo Thomas is 51 today? (http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/entertainment-celebbday1121/6/)

Huh.

If that girl is 51, I'm 25.

Works for me!

http://www.bkmarcus.com/blog/images/TV/familyguy/thatgirl10.jpg

[Alex]

Never mind, didn't see next page of posts.

[Mousey Girl]

Kind of like cindy williams. I once had to set up phone service for her. Shre NEVER gives her real age.

[JWBear]

Kind of like cindy williams. I once had to set up phone service for her. Shre NEVER gives her real age.

She's 62.

[Gemini Cricket]

She's 62.
That's 434 in dog years.

[Gemini Cricket]

Paula Deen Hit in the Face With a Ham (http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/21699504/detail.html)

[cirquelover]

Well at least it was for a good cause! Not that being hit with a ham should be a requirement or anything but at least she took it well.

[wolfy999]

I swear that woman can and will laugh at anything!

[Gn2Dlnd]

Not that being hit with a ham should be a requirement or anything but at least she took it well.

Paging scaeagles...

[CoasterMatt]

Might be NSFW... but damn funny.

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/4954/1258619227robotfromjapa.jpg

[€uroMeinke]

Man thought to be in Coma for 23 years wasn't (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120784397&ft=1&f=1004)

This one amazes me, I can't imagine just being a mute spectator to my own body for such a long period of time. I think I would go mad.

[RStar]

Oh, the simple life of a robot.....

[Betty]

Man thought to be in Coma for 23 years wasn't (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120784397&ft=1&f=1004)

This one amazes me, I can't imagine just being a mute spectator to my own body for such a long period of time. I think I would go mad.

There's been anohter article published since then saying that that's not entirely accurate. He's using assisted communication (someone helping him push buttons to communicate) and that person has heard the question being asked and is looking at the keyboard. James Randi (the skeptic debunker guy) has basically said they are full of it unless he can still communicate without her looking at the keyboard and without hearing the question first.

[Alex]

I don't know enough to pick a side since they claim they started looking for evidence of consciousness based on some brain scans, but yeah, if Facilitated Communication is the method being used my default is going to be an assumption of either self-deception (by the facilitator) or simple fraud.

Here's (http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/783-this-cruel-farce-has-to-stop.html) the Randi article.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Give him a Oujai board, I bet he can communicate with the spirit of that really cute boy that died in the hospital room 50 years ago.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Heh, WTF out of Australia, with a literal "F" - Photo of couple having sex in historic Sydney shopping center clock tower (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/24/couple-have-sex-on-clock-tower-in-city-centre-as-shoppers-look-on-pics-115875-21846570/). (mostly SFW, out of focus bare female back) It does not appear to be the Lashpair.

[MouseWife]

Wow, I know it's been hot there but still. I mean, they could have done it without being so obvious.........

I wonder if it will come out that they work at the shopping center. I mean, that time of day?

[Ghoulish Delight]

I mean, they could have done it without being so obvious.........
What's the point of exhibitionism if no one's watching?

[MouseWife]

Well, true, but the location must have been pretty, um, invigorating on it's own? :D But, to be completely naked?? Ha, I'd worry about sunburn and my clothes flying over the balcony. :blush:

[Alex]

Depends on two slightly different motives:

1. The risk of getting caught is a thrill.
2. The fact of being seen is a thrill.

To the extent that I've engaged in inappropriate public behavior in the past (sadly the thought process has changed from "if I get arrested for this I'd be so embarrassed!" to "if I get arrested for this I'd probably get fired!" so I'd never do now what I did years ago) it was more the former than the latter. But these people seem to be squarely in the latter camp.

Or perhaps it is just the best cuckoo clock ever.

[MouseWife]

I have always worried about who would see us so I guess I'm not an exhibitionist. I don't worry about being seen doing a lot of other things but that, well....

Arrested? Crap! Never considered that.

Places are cool but I don't care to be seen. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

[Alex]

I don't know enough to pick a side ....

It is a wasted day here at work so I've been poking around on this and everything I've seen convinces me it is facilitated communication and therefore complete bunk.

They may have found other evidence of consciousness (though the details on that seem to be unknown) but these conversations he's had aren't. First step is to get a faciliator who doesn't speak Flemish and see how good the results are. Then ask him questions while his facilitator is out of the room.

Then fire the doctors who fell for this and feel really bad for the family desperately grasping at straws and taken in by a con.

[Ghoulish Delight]

They claim they started with yes/no questions that he answered (presumably unassisted) using taps with his foot. I wonder how illegitimate even that much was.

[lashbear]

Heh, WTF out of Australia, with a literal "F" - Photo of couple having sex in historic Sydney shopping center clock tower (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/24/couple-have-sex-on-clock-tower-in-city-centre-as-shoppers-look-on-pics-115875-21846570/). (mostly SFW, out of focus bare female back) It does not appear to be the Lashpair.
What they didn't mention in the article is that this particular clocktower is directly opposite Sydney University.

...those crazy Uni Students !!!

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Here's a headline you don't see everyday!

Elderly pedestrian struck by elderly motorist in Ventura

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/nov/25/elderly-pedestrian-struck-by-elderly-motorist-in/

Now they're going after each other!!!!

[€uroMeinke]

It is a wasted day here at work so I've been poking around on this and everything I've seen convinces me it is facilitated communication and therefore complete bunk.

They may have found other evidence of consciousness (though the details on that seem to be unknown) but these conversations he's had aren't. First step is to get a faciliator who doesn't speak Flemish and see how good the results are. Then ask him questions while his facilitator is out of the room.

Then fire the doctors who fell for this and feel really bad for the family desperately grasping at straws and taken in by a con.

Hmmm - the NPR interview with the MD made it sound like they conducted tests to rule out facilitated communication.

[Alex]

I'd be interested in hearing that, if you recall which program it was. [ETA: Was it the interview mentioned in this blog post (http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1286) over at NeuroLogica? BTW, that post also prefectly sums up the position of I've reached: he may be conscious but he probably isn't communicating through this method]

But all the videos I've found so far show his facilitator, his typing is near perfect and fast (odd for a person with spastic motor control) and doesn't seem get worse when he head is turned away from the screen (try typing with one finger while your eyes are closed with no tactile feedback). ETA: See this video (http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:cff46b2c-35fe-4f95-9d4c-35eba34eff5b&showPlaylist=true&from=articleinline&fg=news%5Eworld%5E975121) linked from the blog post I added above where he is pretty clearly communicating and typing with his eyes close. The following is a sentence I'll type with one finger, eyes closed, and with the benefit of tactile feedback from the keyboard rather than a flat computer screen:

tjis us jaxilitated ci,,unication

Wow, better than I expected. But I can touch type at around 100 words a minute so have the keyboard visually in my head and could always find the f and j keys because of the bumps on them. He is not resetting his position after each letter, just jumping perfectly from letter to letter (and much faster than I just did, though he'd be well praticed by now).

I'd be happy to be wrong (and I'm still agnostic on whether they found other evidence of consciousness) so would be very interested in how they defended against influence from the facilitator but do remember that similar claims were made for autistic facilitators years ago (and if the trend from those are mirrored here, eventually the speaker will make claims of sexual abuse against caregivers).

[€uroMeinke]

This (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120784397)is what I originally heard

Dr. LAUREYS: Well, he, with his family, had come up with a means of communication which was not taken serious by the medical doctors, but what turned out to be a real mode of communication and that has only been improved and now is happening through a computer system.

which implied to me it was validated. non-the-less, the thought of being conscious and unable to communicate is the real wtf for me in this story, as I think I'd rather just be vegitative

[SzczerbiakManiac]

The 2012 Olympic logo looks like Lisa Simpson giving head (http://www.tabloidprodigy.com/?p=8150).

My WTF lies not with the "flawed" logo (though I do think it's a weird logo), but in the fact that people actually think it looks like Lisa giving a beej. If you want to start painting extra things onto logos, let start with the Olympic Rings themselves. You see, they're really manacles for your arms, legs, and neck!

Puh-lease! :rolleyes:

[scaeagles]

I would have never seen it without someone else saying it, but it made me laugh.

And the logo is rather hideous.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Wow, that's a stretch.

Besides, it looks more like Paige from FoxTrot.

[cirquelover]

I agree that it's strange but I certainly wouldn't think of that when I look at it.

[Alex]

If you color it correctly I'm guessing you could make it look like Babar drinking a lemonade under a pine tree.

[Morrigoon]

Awful. And it's in my high school colors, before my high school realized they sucked and added blue (not much of an improvement).

[Ghoulish Delight]

As I was getting into my car this morning I spotted a black cat playing around in the vertical blinds in the upstairs window of one of the units in our complex.

Then I noticed that the cat's neighbors seem intent on giving him an inferiority complex...

1295

[BarTopDancer]

The 2012 Olympic logo looks like Lisa Simpson giving head (http://www.tabloidprodigy.com/?p=8150).

That doesn't even make sense!

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Then I noticed that the cat's neighbors seem intent on giving him an inferiority complex...I'm ashamed to say I don't understand what you're talking about. What am I supposed to be seeing in that picture?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Try now

1296

[SzczerbiakManiac]

The left window just looks like a big blur to me. Is it two people "doing it"?

[Alex]

It is a (presumably not real) male lion.

[Deebs]

Are they using a blanket with a giant lion's head on it as their drapes? That alone is funny. The black kitty makes it funnier though.

[Ghoulish Delight]

If I saw correctly (this was pre-coffee, so I could be mistaken), the lion image was actually applied to the mini-blinds themselves.

[BarTopDancer]

I can't see the image (home computer using FF).

sads

[Deebs]

If I saw correctly (this was pre-coffee, so I could be mistaken), the lion image was actually applied to the mini-blinds themselves.

Which I think is also funny.

[Alex]

It doesn't seem that way from the picture (to me). It looks like the blinds are obscuring, not creating the photo and it fades on the left side like it is further from the glass.

But pictures can be misleading. Remember to confirm tomorrow morning.

[Ghoulish Delight]

It fades on the left because there's a screen on that side of the glass. But if I'm parked on that side of the complex again I'll make sure to investigate further.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I can't see the image (home computer using FF).Odd. I use Firefox everywhere and I see the picture just fine. It was making out the lion I initially had trouble seeing.

I think it was like this kind of illusion (http://yeinjee.com/discovery/why-you-should-have-more-sex/). Once you know what to look for, the image is obvious. But of you're not "keyed in", it makes no sense.
http://yeinjee.com/discovery/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/optical-illusion-02.gif

[Moonliner]

As I was getting into my car this morning I spotted a black cat playing around in the vertical blinds in the upstairs window of one of the units in our complex.

Then I noticed that the cat's neighbors seem intent on giving him an inferiority complex...

1295

I can see this photo going viral big time. Then we can all laugh and say we remember when......

VGDM

[Disneyphile]

It totally needs an LOLCat caption.

[lashbear]

You're not lion to us, are you?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Ask and you shall receive

[Ghoulish Delight]

Version 2 (http://cheezburger.com/View.aspx?aid=2907581440)

[Disneyphile]

Disturbed Elf Threatens to Blow Up Santa (http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-elf-bomb,0,751877.story)

Seriously!

[Disneyphile]

For more fun holiday reading, check out:

www.standforchristmas.com

It's comedy gold.

Here's one of my fave comments, left by a shopper:

...it will be wise and prudent shoppers who honor Christ as the reason for Christmas and will choose to not spend their money where Christ is not welcomed.

Praise be the All Mighty Dollar! LMAO!!

[Moonliner]

For more fun holiday reading, check out:

www.standforchristmas.com

It's comedy gold.

Here's one of my fave comments, left by a shopper:

.it will be wise and prudent shoppers who honor Christ as the reason for Christmas and will choose to not spend their money where Christ is not welcomed.


Praise be the All Mighty Dollar! LMAO!!

Yeah, that whole "No Shirts, No Shoes, No Service" thing was always a bitch for Christ.

[Ghoulish Delight]

That site makes me ill.

[Alex]

I can't say I'm fond of it, but to me it isn't all that different from the sites listing businesses where people donated to Yes on 8 so that they could be boycotted. Or the similar lists that popped up after 2000 so that "blue" businesses could be supported over red. Just part of the societal fracturing supported by the idea that it is good to only interact with like minded people.

Sure, whether greeters at a store say "Christmas" or "Holidays" isn't important to me, but lot's of people care very passionately about things I find ludicrous. Wonder how they feel about Disney's The Princess and the Frog posters that say the movie is opening "Holiday 2009". That doesn't even make grammatical sense in its contortions. Also December 8 is not a holiday so far as I know.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'd argue that there's a big difference between "this business cut a check to help a discriminatory law pass" and this:
Was wished a Happy Hanukkah as I left the store. When I stopped and explained I was Christian, the lady at the counter told me 'Happy Holidays!' This was very offensive!

I didn't have to go far to find this quote - clicked the first retailer and it was the 3rd one that caught my eye (because I'm a dirty Jew, no doubt.)

[Betty]

I can't tell if comments like this are real or trollish:

Comment: Very offended by the recent advertisement. How dare they suggest we celebrate what we want? This is a Christian nation.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'd argue that there's a big difference between "this business cut a check to help a discriminatory law pass" and this:


I didn't have to go far to find this quote - clicked the first retailer and it was the 3rd one that caught my eye (because I'm a dirty Jew, no doubt.)I found 3 tacitly anti semitic posts within about 30 seconds after I clicked ("The font used was suspiciously blue...").

[Alex]

Sure, I certainly feel more symptathy, empathy, and satisfaction in some of the issues than others. And I find many of their comments offensive.

But I still think the desire to limit gather together, identify, and then operate only within that circle of ideological security comes from the same place (we just disdain their view more than others).

[Moonliner]

I'd argue that there's a big difference between "this business cut a check to help a discriminatory law pass" and this:


I didn't have to go far to find this quote - clicked the first retailer and it was the 3rd one that caught my eye (because I'm a dirty Jew, no doubt.)

If someone calls you Christian and you stop to point out you're Jewish is that being hateful?

In the comment you posted, I would guess the "very offensive" comment was aimed at the individual being told "Happy Holidays". That seems to set these people off.

[Ghoulish Delight]

"Was wished a Happy Hanukkah as I left the store. When I stopped and explained I was Christian, the lady at the counter told me 'Happy Holidays!' This was very offensive!"

I don't think I would have said Happy Holidays. I think I would have said, "That's okay, you're still allowed to be happy during Hanukkah, even if you're Christian." And not to be snide, it's just kinda my pat response, and it's pretty much what I think to myself when on the other end of that (being an atheist Jew who has just been wished a Merry Christmas). I wonder if this person's head would have exploded at that.

[Alex]

When people say "Happy Birthday" to me I don't respond "hey, I'm not the narcissist you obviously are to think that being born is somehow a special event and failure to die is worthy of note."

I got over that, and now I just take it in the spirit in which it was intended. This store employee obviously intended "Happy Hanukkah" to mean "we've marked you as a Jew and the clean up squad will be visiting your home this evening." So it was very important for the customer to clarify the situation.

[JWBear]

Extreme Christians have single-handedly been fighting The War On Christmas for a very long time. They even switched sides at one point! Link (http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/11/22/164412/93)

[Moonliner]

And....

If these folks want to be so damn picky, Technically It's not Christmas or Hanukkah yet. "Happy Advent" would the the correct Christian greeting until Christmas eve.

[Alex]

You have to wait until 12/25 before you can express a desire that people be merry on 12/25?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Here's my favorite so far

Wow. Plenty of usages of the word "Gift", but not even a "Holiday", let alone Christmas. It's obvious that purchasing gifts is the only thing they want you to think about this Christmas.

Umm, you're at a retail store. No sh*t they want you to think about purchasing gifts. If you're walking into an American Eagle store hoping for spiritual enlightenment, I really think you've missed the point.