InstantForum.NET v4.1.4Forumshttp://my.madison.com/forums/cpmod@madison.comSun, 22 Nov 2009 16:20:06 GMT20http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4267711-2889-1.aspxA woman with depression had her medical benefits cut. She says it was because the insurance company saw photos of her smiling on Facebook:[quote]...Nathalie Blanchard, 29, took long-term sick leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, more than a year ago for severe depression. She was receiving monthly benefits from her insurance company, Manulife.When Blanchard called Manulife to inquire why the payments dried up, the insurance company said that "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC television.She said that Manulife cited several pictures Blanchard had posted on her social networking website page,...Based on these postings, the firm claimed Blanchard was no longer depressed.... [/quote][url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091121/wl_canada_afp/lifestylecanadahealthinternetfacebook]Yahoo News[/url]Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:03:12 GMTcassiopeiahttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4266908-2889-1.aspxEngland has been particularly eager to push through Global Warming initiatives, because they have had huge rainstorms and flooding. This last storm is worse than ever, and Ireland was flooded as well.[quote] Raging floods engulfed northern England's picturesque Lake District on Friday following the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in Britain, killing a police officer and trapping dozens in their swamped homes.Military helicopters winched dozens of people to safety and emergency workers in bright orange inflatable boats rescued scores more after an unprecedented deluge.British soldiers conducted house-to-house searches for those trapped by floods as deep as 8 feet (2.5 meters)...Britain's Met Office said a record 12.3 inches (314.4 millimeter) of rain fell in 24 hours in the area — the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the U.K.Cockermouth, a market town 330 miles (530 kilometers) northwest of London, lies at the junction of the Cocker and Derwent rivers and is known as the birthplace of poet William Wordsworth. The flood was "of biblical proportions," local House of Commons lawmaker Tony Cunningham said.Heavy rain and gales also brought widespread flooding to Ireland, as more than 3 feet (1 meter) of water shut down the center of the country's second-largest city, Cork, and more than a dozen towns and villages. The Irish army was used to rescue the stranded from waist-deep floodwaters and a helicopter winched to safety a County Galway family of five, including the 87-year-old grandmother.Floods caused transport chaos along Ireland's western coast. At the Lake Hotel, on the shores of the fabled Killarney Lakes in County Kerry, about 170 guests at the Victorian period building were evacuated by tractor, as staff carried period furniture upstairs....[/quote][url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_floods]Yahoo News[/url]Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:14:02 GMTcassiopeiahttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4267412-2889-1.aspx[quote][i]AMES, Iowa – The sign sits propped on a wooden chair, inviting all comers: "Ask an Atheist."Whenever a student gets within a few feet, Anastasia Bodnar waves and smiles, trying to make a good first impression before eyes drift down to a word many Americans rank down there with "socialist."Bodnar is the happy face of atheism at Iowa State University. Once a week at this booth at a campus community center, the PhD student who spends most of her time researching the nutritional traits of corn takes questions and occasional abuse while trying to raise the profile of religious skepticism."A lot of people on campus either don't know we exist or are afraid of us or hate us," says Bodnar, president of the ISU Atheist and Agnostic Society. "People assume we're rabble-rousing, when we're one of the gentlest groups on campus."As the stigma of atheism has diminished, campus atheists and agnostics are coming out of the closet, fueling a sharp rise in the number of clubs like the 10-year-old group at Iowa State.Campus affiliates of the Secular Student Alliance, a sort of Godless Campus Crusade for Christ, have multiplied from 80 in 2007 to 100 in 2008 and 174 this fall, providing the atheist movement new training grounds for future leaders. In another sign of growing acceptance, at least three universities, including Harvard, now have humanist chaplains meeting the needs of the not-so-spiritual.[/i] [url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_rel_atheism_on_campus]Read More...[/url][/quote]Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:40:28 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4267297-2889-1.aspxI recently received an email from one of my senators where he pointed out that tobacco smuggling is on the rise:[i]Cigarette trafficking has become a highly profitable revenue source for criminal and terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, al Qaeda and Hamas. Money is often raised in the United States, then funneled back to these international terrorist groups. Cigarette smuggling is a multibillion dollar phenomenon and getting worse. In 1998, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had six active tobacco smuggling investigations. Today there are more than 400.[/i]While it is no surprise to see criminal organizations will sweep in when taxes are unreasonably applied, what is surprising is how Sen. Kohl would like to solve this problem. Among other things, a proposed law calls states "[i]Increase the criminal penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony and create a substantial civil penalty for violations, including violations of the reporting requirements and state tobacco tax laws[/i]" as well as "[i]Prohibit the United States Postal Service from delivering tobacco products[/i]"I assume that UPS and FedEx can both still be allowed to deliver tobacco products, which begs the question: Why is the Senator trying to divert business away from the USPS?I also have to ask...since the new taxes have resulted in this large increase of illegal activity, shouldn't we consider lower those taxes in order to take the profits away from illegal organizations? Instead their answer is to lock even more people up who are trying to seek a cheaper product....Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:25:32 GMTpurplepenquinhttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4266334-2889-1.aspxChief of Police in Milwaukee Edward Flynn has managed to be succesful in many ways: first he brought crime down in Milwaukee by a respectable number. Then he proved himself rather succesful with the ladies, namely a married one named Jessica McBride, a journalism perfesser at UW-Milwaukee and a free lancer for Milwaukee Magazine. As their florid courtship went on, Jessica of course wrote a glowing article for the aforementioned Milwaukee Magazine, which is usually filled with nothing but ads for North Shore plastic surgeons and overpriced Third Ward restaurants. Ms. McBride is married of course to former Waukesha County DA and attorney general candidate Paul Bucher.But according to the asshat Bucher, the affair is continuing. "He was somewhat taken aback," Bucher said. "I asked him if he thought having sexual contact and intercourse with my wife in September on the 14th was conducive to trying to solve my marriage problems and his marriage problems. He indicated it was not." Bucher said to Channel 4 in Milwaukee. Bucher added, heart on sleeve that Chief Flynn needs to resign "because he is a public official, I believe he needs to be held accountable." He added, "He has crushed our family."Flynn and even McBride's fortunes seem to be rising in spite of this: she's probably gonna get tenure from the university, and Flynn recieved a vote of confidence from both the Fire and Police Commission and the mayor. Bucher now defends dirty cops in suburban Milwaukee and has filed for divorce, seeking custody of their five-year old daughter.www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/705650067.htmlThu, 19 Nov 2009 21:13:42 GMTcmb53208http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4267311-2889-1.aspx[quote]The novel legal claim was filed by Lucie J. Kim in a class action suit against the singer earlier this year that sought $4,000 in damages for each Asian and Pacific Islander living in Los Angeles County. The suit argued that Cyrus, 16, violated a state law that prohibits businesses from discriminating against people based on race, gender, ethnicity and other traits.[/quote]Good call by this judge. What is wrong with a little harmless fun? Can Indian groups sue kids if they play "Cowboys and Indians"? Can gay groups sue kids when they play "Shmear the #####" at recess? $4,000 in damages for each Asian and Pacific Islander living in Los Angeles County? For a slant eye photo? How is that damaging? I'm slanting my eyes right now! Anyone going to sue me? I think people should have to pay the party they are suing when they file frivolous lawsuits![img]http://shouldntbegaming.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/miley-cyrus-slant-eye.jpg[/img]Photo of Disney's star Miley Cyrus and her friend slanting their eyes.[url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-claiming-miley-cyrus-pic-discriminated-against-asians.html]LATimes Blog[/url]Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:50:25 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4256442-2889-1.aspxThe residents of Maine rejected their legislatures attempt to force the idea of homosexual marriage down their throats despite massive spending on the part of homosexuals. Good for the people of Maine.[url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091104/ap_on_el_st_lo/us_gay_marriage_maine]yahoo report[/url][quote]Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.[/quote]Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:19:10 GMTStoReshttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264161-2889-1.aspxAs most of you know, Tom Barrett Milwaukee mayor has decided to run for governor. I as a former resident of Milwaukee will not vote for him. based on the condition Milwaukee's in.Through my years in Milwaukee,(1991-2006) I got the impression that the city was fast becoming a place where a few rich people lord over a lot of poor people. And as such, if you didn't live in the Third Ward, Downtown, or East Side your concerns were well, secondary: while city services were pared back, and the city flushed raw sewage in the lake, residents were supposed tio be greatful that archaic parking regulations no one wanted were enforced to the letter. But 911 out you on hold.So am I wrong in suggesting that Barrett-and Scott Walker-stay in Milwaukee and clean up that collossal clusterf*ck before either of them run for governor? Discuss...Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:44:53 GMTcmb53208http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4260269-2889-1.aspx[quote]Glenn Beck Meets Internet, LosesMaybe Glenn Beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990, and maybe he didn't. Wherever the truth lies, it's clear that the World Intellectual Property Organization has decided that he can't stop the internet from asking the question.Because he is an idiot, Glenn Beck tried in September to shut down glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com, a satirical site that used Beck's insidious "I'm just asking the question" pose to advance the Fark-inspired meme that Beck may have raped and murdered a young girl in 1990, because, well—have you ever heard him deny it?The proprietor was anonymous at the time, but he's come out of the closet as Isaac Eiland-Hall, a Florida computer programmer who was sick of Beck's posturing and enjoyed funny things on the internet. Beck complained to a WIPO arbitration panel that the site was defamatory and infringed on the trademark he holds over his own name. Late last month, his complaint was denied.[img]http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/7/2009/11/500x_beckcry.jpg[/img][/quote][url=http://gawker.com/5400754/glenn-beck-meets-internet-loses]sordid details[/url]Poor Glen. I'll shed a crocodile tear for him.Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:35:38 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264798-2889-1.aspx[url=http://stoptvpopups.com/]stoptvpopups.com[/url][quote]NEW YORK – Somewhere in the universe of TV viewers, there's got to be a person who actually likes those pop-up, on-screen promotions.Someone who thinks, "Thank you, network people, for those useful, informative announcements that block what I'm watching to tell me what I'm watching, or tell me what I could be watching next, which will then be blocked by reminders of what I could be watching after that."This is a happy viewer all right, and maybe he or she exists in some den or family room absorbing those intrusive promos that, for everybody else, undermine what TV networks are ideally in business to do: entertain, not tick off.TV exists above all as a medium of escape. But how do you escape into a TV show when it's plastered with scene-stealing hype?At least one Web site, stoptvpopups.com, serves as a sounding board and support group for an outspoken few.But almost any viewer can cite annoying instances where a pop-up ad has upstaged a show's dramatic climax or obscured vital on-screen information.Viewers hate the detective hero of "Monk" rising from the bottom left screen for eight or nine seconds of vamping, followed by a ghostly but distracting text line that looms for several long minutes to accommodate even the slowest readers: "Monk All New Tonight 9/8c."The USA network's motto is "Characters Welcome." Well, that "Monk" message adds up to 21 characters, none of them welcome.And what about TBS, where "Freakin' Sweet!" is an on-screen message plugging "Family Guy" episodes available on that network's Web site: "Very Funny" is TBS' motto. Nothing funny about those cover-ups for its comedies.Viewers don't forget. Viewers still cite the giant fireball, complete with a whooshing inferno sound, erupting on the screen to promote FX's firefighter drama "Rescue Me." It makes them mad to even think about it. [url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091117/ap_on_bi_ge/us_tv_pop_up_invaders]Read more...[/url][/quote]Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:24:04 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4265634-2889-1.aspx[quote]Walter Willis McWilson, 37, surrendered to the custody of the county Sheriff's Department Thursday afternoon, shortly before being arraigned at the Vista Courthouse on seven counts of receiving stolen property, six counts of grand theft and one count of conspiracy. [/quote]You would think a cop wouldn't accept stolen goods.[url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/16/nation/20091116142236&sec=nation]The Star[/url][img]http://www.sandiego6.com/media/lib/38/7/3/9/739e38c8-b71d-43b1-9fbf-1ee2629a0d8b/Original.jpg[/img]Sgt. Walter McWilson, accused of knowingly accepting gifts paid for with embezzled fundsBad cop, bad cop, Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?All cops are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:46:02 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4255119-2889-1.aspx[quote]Bullets are speeding faster out of gun shops in U.S.A SHORTAGE OF AMMUNITIONDemand is up despite drop in crime rate By David A. Fahrenthold and Fredrick KunkleWashington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, November 3, 2009 In a year of job losses, foreclosures and bag lunches, Americans have spent record-breaking amounts of money on guns and ammunition. The most obvious sign of their demand: empty ammunition shelves. At points during the past year, bullets have been selling faster than factories could make them. Gun owners have bought about 12 billion rounds of ammunition in the past year, industry officials estimate. That's up from 7 billion to 10 billion in a normal year.[/quote][url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/02/AR2009110202712.html]WaPo[/url]There are two ways to look this. Those who hate guns might observe it's nearly enough to shoot everyone in the world twice. Those who like guns might observe it's only 40 rounds for every USian, not even enough to maintain proficiency.Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:46:03 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264867-2889-1.aspxIt's probably a good idea not to eat kebabs in Moscow, I guess:[quote]MOSCOW - Russian police have arrested three homeless people suspected of eating a 25-year-old man they had butchered and selling other bits of the corpse to a local kebab house.Suspicions were raised when dismembered parts of a human body were found near a bus stop in the outskirts of the Russian city of Perm, 720 miles east of Moscow.Three homeless men with previous criminal records have been arrested on suspicion of setting upon a foe with knives and a hammer before chopping up his corpse to eat, local investigators said in a statement....[/quote][url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33932286/]MSNBC[/url]Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:47:54 GMTcassiopeiahttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264301-2889-1.aspx[quote]Evolution caught in the act? An isolated population of finches have odd-shaped beaks, sing differently, and aren't breeding with any others.[/quote]This is the way it is folks...[img]http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/finch.jpg[/img]NEW SPECIES: Scientists studying Darwin's finches in the Galapagos are witnessing evolution in action.[url=http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/newly-evolved-finch-appears-on-the-galapagos-islands]MNN[/url]Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:43:37 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264359-2889-1.aspx[url=http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/bicyclists-not-happy-with-london-cycle-superhighway]Interesting.[/url][url=http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/americans-beginning-to-embrace-e-bikes]And even more interesting.[/url] Especially this part:[quote]When I crank down and pedal I can add another 10+ mph, putting me at the same speed as most cars driving around Portland. [b][i]Because I (safely) go through red lights[/i][/b], I nearly always travel faster than vehicular traffic from point to point. [b][i]That's fun.[/i][/b][/quote]Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:22:25 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264356-2889-1.aspx[url=http://www.theonion.com/content/news/u_s_deports_lou_dobbs]Gotta love it[/url].Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:13:15 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264313-2889-1.aspx[quote]"You are described by others who testified as a prophet of God, a person of trust, a person of supreme authority in the church," Barnes said, staring the pale preacher. "It's hard to imagine the scenario and the damage that occurred to these five young girls."Alamo, who had muttered and cursed through his two-week trial, stood silently during the sentencing, dressed in a yellow prison uniform and a blue windbreaker. Before Barnes' ruling, Alamo told the judge: "I lean on the lord Jesus Christ."[/quote]They went from "Let us Pray" to "Let us Prey" a long time ago. This one is going behind bars for a long time.[url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j7JRsIm1DgSBIfIFSL3D_fjT1HmwD9BUSBP80]Associated Press[/url][img]http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5hsdvpcaTVHvf-7_ZWbHW0NFRIIuA?size=l[/img]In this Sept. 21, 2008 file photo, a man patrols in front of the Tony Alamo Christian Church in Fouke, Ark. In the years after evangelist Tony Alamo took the 14-year-old girl as a bride, she said, she caught glimpses of her father on the surveillance cameras that fed into the minister's office. The aging preacher, 75, faces up to a 175-year sentence from U.S. District Judge Harry F. Barnes when he returns to a Texarkana, Ark., federal courtroom on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. A jury convicted him in July of 10 counts of taking underage girls as young as 8 across state lines for sex.Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:07:02 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264258-2889-1.aspx[url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091116/ap_on_re_us/us_store_scuffle_race]The police or the girl?[/url].Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:31:50 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4264211-2889-1.aspx[url=http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-couples-retreat-posters.html]Proof[/url]!Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:52:11 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4259554-2889-1.aspx[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/Rickrolled.gif[/img][quote][i]There's a first time for everything, and over the weekend the iPhone got an unwelcome first: an "in the wild" worm, which (luckily for most of us) can only crawl its way into jailbroken iPhones. But before you panic, know that the "ikee" worm appears to be more of a prank—and a warning—than a real threat.Forbes.com reports that the worm, dubbed "ikee," was found nesting in jailbroken iPhones in Australia by security research firms Sophos and F-Secure. (A "jailbroken" iPhone that's been unlocked or otherwise hacked; if you don't know what a jailbroken iPhone is, you probably don't have one, so relax.)The "ikee" worm doesn't do anything all that malicious, according to this F-Secure blog post; it won't take over your iPhone and/or steal all your data.Instead, the worm simply changes your iPhone wallpaper to a picture of ... 80's pop singer Rick Astley, along with the caption, "ikee is never gonna give you up." And that's pretty much it.Indeed, as Forbes.com notes, the coder behind the "ikee" worm seems more intent on warning iPhone jailbreakers about taking proper security precautions than causing any real damage.[/i][/quote][url=http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/59537]Link[/url]Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:42:06 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4256829-2889-1.aspx[quote]Prejean Sex Tape Triggers SettlementPosted Nov 4th 2009 5:00PM by TMZ StaffCarrie Prejean demanded more than a million dollars during her settlement negotiations with Miss California USA Pageant officials -- that is, until the lawyer for the Pageant showed Carrie an XXX home video of her handiwork.The video the lawyer showed Carrie is extremely graphic and has never been released publicly. We know that, because TMZ obtained the video months ago but decided not to post it because it was so racy. Let's just say, Carrie has a promising solo career.We're told it took about 15 seconds for Carrie to jettison her demand and essentially walk away with nothing. As we first reported, the Pageant is paying around $100,000 to her lawyers and publicist -- a fraction of her bills. She pockets nothing in the settlement.[/quote][url=http://www.tmz.com/2009/11/04/carrie-prejean-sex-tape-settlement-miss-california-usa-pagneat/]Warning:link includes NSFW pictures of Carrie[/url]Poor dear, now that her 15 minutes are up, will she be able to broker a shoot for Hustler? :rolleyes:Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:38:16 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4262921-2889-1.aspx[quote]Meep! Nonsense Word Goes Viral, Gets Students in TroubleMassachusetts High School Principal Threatens to Suspend Students Caught MeepingBy SARAH NETTERNov. 11, 2009 MEEP! Don't know what it means? Don't worry -- most people over the age of 22 don't either. A school principal threatens to suspend students who mimic a Muppet character.But the nonsense word -- which apparently started with the 1980s Muppet character Beaker -- is causing a lot of teeth-gnashing for adults at one Massachusetts high school. They have gone so far as to threaten suspension for students caught meeping. But just what does it mean to "meep?" No one really seems to know -- even those who use it as part of their daily vocabulary. According to UrbanDictionary.com, meep "can mean whatever you want it to mean." Yeah, that clears it up. Bob Thompson, a pop culture professor at Syracuse University, said he first heard students meep about a year ago during a class screening of a television show. "Something happened and one of them said 'Meep,'" he said. "And then they all started doing it." The meeps, he said, came from all of the students in the class in rapid-fire succession. When he asked them what that meant, they said it didn't really mean anything. "It's almost like they look at you like it's a silly question," he said. But meeping doesn't seem to be funny to Danvers High School Principal Thomas Murray, who threatened to suspend students caught meeping in school. In an interview with the Salem News, Murray -- who did not respond to e-mail or voice mail messages from ABCNews.com -- said automated calls were made to parents, warning them of the possible punishment after administrators learned that students were conspiring online to mass-meep in one part of the school building. "It has nothing to do with the word," Murray told the Salem News. "It has to do with the conduct of the students. We wouldn't just ban a word just to ban a word." The planned disruption (meep-ruption?) never happened, he told the paper.[/quote][url=http://abcnews.go.com/WN/meep-nonsense-word-students-hot-water/story?id=9054266]meep[/url]This has gone viral, and an attorney who emailed "meep" to the school was told her email would be [url=http://theodoramichaels.com/articles/meep.php]forwarded to the local police[/url]. Yeah, like the cops don;t have anything better to do.I guess this means they won't be showing Roadrunner cartoons at student assemblies.Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:21:25 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4250097-2889-1.aspx"A handgun-toting passenger in a speeding car on the Beltline fired several shots at another speeding car Friday night, but apparently no one was hurt, Madison police said."Whew............no one was hurt -- just like pick up basketball - -'no harm - no foul'.......hey, 'no worries'.......'no problem'Get your head out of the sand Mr. Mayor.......and City CouncilMon, 26 Oct 2009 21:56:55 GMTjeffuwhttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4259881-2889-1.aspxReligion of peace? Or a Piece of ##### of a religion?[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhHYiWCm8Gs&feature=player_embedded]YouTube[/url]Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:33:26 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4260803-2889-1.aspx[quote]Muhammad's first wife, Carol Williams, showed a letter in which he asked her to visit him on his execution day. "Carol, I miss my family for the past eight years," he wrote, referring to the time he has been incarcerated. "I don't want to be missed the day that these devils murder my innocent black ass."[/quote]One less Jihadist in the world. A big round of applause for the devils! [url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/10/virginia.sniper.execution/index.html]CNN[/url]Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:45:46 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4259992-2889-1.aspx"As spectacles of democracy go these days, we'll take Iraq over Congress. They're both messy, but at least Iraqis are making progress.On Sunday night, Baghdad's various sectarian and political factions came together and passed a compromise election bill, backed by 141 of the 195 legislators present. The law clears the way for a January 21 vote, the first national poll since 2005. "There was a lot of discussion, a lot of arguing, but we finally were forced to listen to each other," Kurdish lawmaker Ala Talabani told the Washington Post. "It's a nice feeling—that we're on the path of real democracy."Disputes among the three largest Iraqi communities—Kurd, Shiite and Sunni—can be bitterly fought. But now the setting is usually in the halls of parliament or Iraq's many media outlets, and these fights don't pose a danger to a unified Iraq.The sticking point for months in parliament had been oil-rich Kirkuk, a previously Kurdish-dominated city that Saddam Hussein ethnically cleansed and resettled with Arabs. Arab Iraqis were uncomfortable about the growing number of returning Kurds. The compromise allows the use of 2009 voter registration rolls in January but adds safeguards against voter fraud demanded by the Sunni Arabs. Their compromise sounds better than what we normally get in, say, New Jersey.Local elections in Iraq earlier this year came off without incident, showing how the U.S. surge and counterinsurgency campaign neutralized al Qaeda and the Baathist diehards. With Iraqis feeling more secure, sectarian divisions are being replaced by more prosaic matters, such as conflicting views of the best way to govern Iraq.The law and the coming elections can build on this progress. Iraqi legislators agreed to move from a "closed" to an "open" voting system in January. This is no mere technical change. In 2005 Iraqis could only pick among a list of parties who would then allot seats in parliament, but this time they can choose individual candidates or parties. "[url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704402404574525802672727462.html]Wall Street Journal[/url]"Despite the recent October 2009 Baghdad bombing, and the previous one in August, attacks in Iraq are at their lowest level since the 2003 invasion.""These numbers, along with the fluctuating monthly death counts show that Iraq is a much changed place. Violence is still at unacceptable levels, but the number of attacks and casualties have seen a steady decline over the last two years. Not only that, but the nature of the conflict has drastically changed. Almost all of the incidents consist of bombings, mortar and rocket attacks, and assassinations. There are hardly any armed clashes between militants and the security forces anymore. This is due to the fact that Sunnis are attempting to join the political process, and the Shiite Special Groups and militias are hardly active anymore. This is not captured in the media, which hardly mentions Iraq anymore, and when it does, it’s almost always about violence. That creates a distorted picture of the situation there, and makes Iraq seem like it is in a perpetual state of chaos, when in fact, many there are attempting to return to their normal lives."[url=http://www.epic-usa.org/2009/11/08/mid-2009-weekly-security-statistics-for-iraq]LINK[/url]Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:11:14 GMTMr__Forwardhttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4262375-2889-1.aspx[url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/12/trump.prejean.larry.king/index.html]linkie-poo[/url]I guess this means she won't be Larry King's next wife.Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:32:05 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4261524-2889-1.aspx[quote]NEW YORK – CNN's Lou Dobbs, a lightning rod for criticism following his transition from a business journalist to an opinionated anchor on such issues as illegal immigration, told viewers on Wednesday that he was quitting his nightly show to pursue new opportunities."This will be my last broadcast," Dobbs said after giving the day's headlines. Dobbs, who hosts a daily radio show unrelated to CNN, said the network had allowed him to be released early from his contract.Dobbs was a CNN original, signing on when the cable network started in 1980. For much of that time, he hosted a nightly business broadcast that became one of the most influential shows in the corporate world, and CNN's most profitable show for advertising revenue.But Dobbs said his world view changed after the 2001 terrorist attacks and corporate corruption scandals, and he began to more freely express his opinions. He was particularly persistent in bringing the immigration issue to the fore, winning him both higher ratings and enemies. Latino groups had an active petition drive seeking his removal. [url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091112/ap_en_ot/us_tv_lou_dobbs;_ylt=Ao6PAJOV5odOPx6wQxcuDAlxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTJnZDc4MWIyBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMTEyL3VzX3R2X2xvdV9kb2JicwRjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDbG91ZG9iYnNzYXlz]Read More...[/url][/quote]Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:20:23 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4262106-2889-1.aspx[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/12/AR2009111209527.html]Link[/url][quote]Police identified a pedestrian struck and killed by two U.S. Secret Service vehicles on Suitland Parkway early Wednesday as Larry D. Moore, 54, of Temple Hills.Police said Moore was crossing the parkway at Naylor Road, just over the District line in Prince George's County, when he was struck by the two armor-plated vehicles, including a limousine sometimes used by Vice President Biden. The incident occurred about 2:30 a.m. in steady rain, police said.The vehicles, carrying no passengers, had just arrived by plane at Andrews Air Force Base after Biden's trip to Fort Lewis, Wash., and were being driven to a storage facility in the District, the Secret Service said.As part of an investigation to determine whether anyone was at fault in the incident, the U.S. Park Police said, toxicology tests will be conducted for Moore and for the two Secret Service drivers. [/quote]Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:22:35 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4260987-2889-1.aspxThe Edgewater TV ads are simply propaganda. They're trying to influence the attitude of the community. They want a positive emotional response from you, not a rational one. There are FAR more questions than answers surrounding the proposed development. This is probably why they decided to do these ads - it's much easier to appeal to your emotions than to actually answer your questions.The developer downsized his plan, which included downsizing the "public" portion, but he did not decrease the TIF request. A good TIF creates jobs, but job creation via Edgewater is a myth. There will be nothing more than low-wage hotel jobs and short-term construction jobs as a result of the Edgewater redevelopment.The council will meet again at 5:30PM on Wednesday to discuss Edgewater TIF. Don't let city council set aside $16,000,000 in TIF funds for this project, and don't let Edgewater propaganda ads fool you...Don't believe the hype!Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:38:48 GMTworthttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4260167-2889-1.aspx[quote]Paris not laughing at 'vacant' Kiwi billboards Last updated 09:35 08/11/2009By LOIS CAIRNS - Sunday Star Times Last updated 09:35 08/11/2009PRETTY VACANT: Socialite Paris Hilton isn't happy with how her image is being used. Paris Hilton is not amused. The American hotel heiress is upset a photo of her is being used to advertise vacant billboard space in Auckland. The photo, which shows Hilton partying, has the word "vacant" written in giant-sized lettering across it.Hilton's Los Angeles-based manager Jamie Freed said Wellington billboard company, Media5, had no permission to use Hilton's image, and they could expect to hear from Hilton's lawyers.Adam McGregor from Media5 told the Sunday Star-Times the company, which had grown from having 35 to 70 advertising sites in Wellington and Auckland, was not using Hilton to endorse their billboards. They were "just having a bit of fun"."We wanted to draw some attention to some of our unsold display as we expanded, so we briefed a friend who runs his own boutique agency to work up a range of creative concepts. We liked the ones he came up with using high-profile public figures the best because they were fun."We were thinking about using Winston Peters, but Paris is much prettier and she has a proven ability to laugh at herself. We assume that the agency has taken care of the rights to the image of Paris, but we will ask the question," McGregor said.lois.cairns@star-times.co.nz[/quote][url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/3042467/Paris-not-laughing-at-vacant-Kiwi-billboards]linkie-poo[/url]As Rick says to Ilsa in Casablanca, "We'll always have Paris".Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:16:42 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4258260-2889-1.aspx[quote]A US army psychiatrist about to be deployed to Afghanistan allegedly shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest", as he opened fire at a military base in Texas, killing 13 people and wounding 28.The gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, shouted the Arabic phrase just before he began his shooting spree at Fort Hood military installation yesterday, according to the base commander, Lieutenant General Robert Cone.[/quote]There is a lot of talk about "looking for warning signs" after a tragedy like this. How about the fact this guy believed in God? Isn't that enough of a warning sign? Anyone who could believe in something so unrealistic as that can not be too mentally stable.Its religion! The media can never touch religion. Society at large seems to always respect religion. It is never to blame for any of the insanity or any acts of violence that we witness. Yet religion is often the root cause of most of the terrible things we experience. Religion is never to blame. After this tragedy people will turn to prayer, their church, their pastor etc. Its difficult to solve a problem when you are immersed in it.[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/06/fort-hood-shooting-suspect-alive]Guardian[/url]Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:28:05 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4257806-2889-1.aspx[quote]Nidal Hasan: Ft. Hood Shooter Participated in Homeland Security Disaster PreparationThe gunman who killed 12 people today at Ft. Hood appears, based on current media reports, to be Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan who was listed as a participant in a Homeland Security Policy Institute's presidential transition task force last year.The task force was not officially affiliated with the White House. It was a project of the Homeland Security Policy Institute, an independent thinktank housed at George Washington University, aimed at drafting policy recommendations for the incoming Obama administration.[/quote][url=http://gawker.com/5398253/nidal-hasan-ft-hood-shooter-participated-in-homeland-security-disaster-preparation?skyline=true&s=x]liberal america hating media[/url]This proves the Obama administration hates the US and loves islamofascism if they accept policy recommendations from groups that include radical muslims.Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:02:06 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4260262-2889-1.aspx[quote]Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblowerExclusive: Watchdog's estimates of reserves inflated says top officialTerry Macalister guardian.co.uk, Monday 9 November 2009 21.30 GMT The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.The allegations raise serious questions about the accuracy of the organisation's latest World Energy Outlook on oil demand and supply to be published tomorrow – which is used by the British and many other governments to help guide their wider energy and climate change policies. 'There's suspicion the IEA has been influenced by the US' Link to this audio In particular they question the prediction in the last World Economic Outlook, believed to be repeated again this year, that oil production can be raised from its current level of 83m barrels a day to 105m barrels. External critics have frequently argued that this cannot be substantiated by firm evidence and say the world has already passed its peak in oil production.[/quote][url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/09/peak-oil-international-energy-agency]The Grauniad[/url]Whether we've reached peak oil or not, it's a sure bet that any new oil fields are going to be more difficult and expensive to exploit, so an increase in price is inevitable. Whether shortages will accelerate this increase in price is also inevitable, but the timeline for that depends on when the world reaches peak oil. One wonders if future generations will curse us for squandering a source of cheap energy (that took millions of years to create) in a brief century of gluttony.Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:28:11 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4258361-2889-1.aspx[quote]Animal lovers say no to radioactive NASA monkeysAppeal irradiated monkeyshinesBy Austin Modine • Get more from this authorPosted in Space, 7th November 2009 00:07 GMTAnimal rights groups are apparently not pleased with NASA's plan to zap squirrel monkeys with repeated doses of radiation for science.The US space agency will expose between 18 to 28 of the moneys to low doses of radiation daily to better understand the effects of long-term exposure outside Earth's protective magnetic shield.American anti-animal testing group, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, has launched a protest asking concerned citizens to tell NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to put a stop the experiment."Radiation experiments involving nonhuman primates commonly involve restraint and other cruel procedures," the organization claims. "Monkeys, like other primates, are highly intelligent, have strong family bonds, demonstrate empathy, and, most importantly, suffer."[/quote][url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/07/animal_lovers_protest_nasa_monkey_expirement/]El Reg[/url]Will the animal rights types volunteer to replace the monkeys in the experiment?Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:34:40 GMTlardheppushttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4248203-2889-1.aspxIts easy money, just scare you with a "pandemic", and make big $$ as all the sheep line up for flu shots. Its almost as easy as the great heart fraud where the doc shows your wife your angiogram results and says this is what we call a "widow maker", off to surgery you go! And the cardiologist puts in an order for a new vacation house![url=http://www.naturalnews.com/027294_swine_flu_vaccines_H1N1.html]Natural News[/url]Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:17:03 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4258358-2889-1.aspx[quote]Amazingly armed cops that turned up refused to arrest their colleague - saying he was drunk and had family problems and was not responsible for his actions.[/quote]There is nothing amazing here. Cops cover for crooked cops all the time.[url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2695492/Drunk-cop-goes-on-gun-rampage.html]The Sun[/url]Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:31:10 GMTDarwin http://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4257743-2889-1.aspx[quote]ORLANDO, Fla. – People are streaming out of an office building in downtown Orlando, Fla., where officials say a shooter is on the loose.Orange County Sheriff's Spokesman Jim Solomons says his department is backing up Orlando police and they're still looking for an armed man wearing a light blue polo shirt and jeans.The Legions Place office building in downtown Orlando was ordered on lockdown Friday afternoon as officers began a floor-by-floor evacuation.Orlando Police Sgt. Barbara Jones confirms there has been a shooting but can't say how many people are hurt.The Orlando Fire Department tells WESH-TV that at least eight people are injured. Interstate 4 is closed in both directions through downtown and a nearby school is locked down.[/quote][url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091106/ap_on_re_us/us_orlando_office_shooting]Link[/url]Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:02:26 GMTRemember_Mehttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4256827-2889-1.aspx[quote]The Dutch are among the lowest users of marijuana or cannabis in Europe despite the Netherlands' well-known tolerance of the drug, according to a regional study published Thursday.[/quote]I thought the distinction of "soft" drugs was interesting. I know The Netherlands is not the U.S., but the war on drugs seems so misguided when it comes to pot.[url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091105/lf_nm_life/us_dutch_cannabis]From Reuters[/url]Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:37:43 GMTBBoophttp://my.madison.com/forums/Topic4257815-2889-1.aspx[quote]SC man gets 3 years in prison for sex with horse(AP) – 2 days agoCONWAY, S.C. — A South Carolina man caught on video having sex with a horse was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison after pleading guilty for the second time in two years to abusing the creature.Rodell Vereen was also ordered never to go near the stable where the horse's owner caught him and held him for authorities at shotgun point over the summer. He apologized to the woman and to himself after admitting to buggery at the Horry County courthouse."I'm sorry about what I've done. I didn't mean to do it. It's my fault. I'm sorry for what I've done to myself," Vereen said during Wednesday's court hearing.[/quote][url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jei5dNL3ydrTU1ReYpk7auEhAsgQD9BOST180]link[/url]At least the horse was over the age of consent and female. That's more than can be said of the partners of some notable GOPers.Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:13:22 GMTlardheppus