Go get them Arnold!!!

Governor orders layoffs, steep pay cuts for thousands of state workers

Travel Trailsways - May be safer than Greyhound

Bus passenger beheaded seat mate, witness says

As horrified travelers watched, a Greyhound Canada bus passenger repeatedly stabbed and then decapitated a young man who was sitting and sleeping beside him, a witness said Thursday.

Police officers and cars surround the bus near Portage la Prairie, Canada, on Wednesday night.

"There was a bloodcurdling scream. I was just reading my book, and all of a sudden, I heard it," Garnet Caton, who was sitting in front of the two men, said of the Wednesday night incident west of Portage la Prairie in Manitoba.

"It was like something between a dog howling and a baby crying, I guess you could say," Caton said. "I don't think it will leave me for a while."

Passengers exited the bus, and a trucker who stopped provided wrenches and crowbars to several of them so they could keep the suspect on the bus until police came, witnesses told Canadian TV.

The suspect was seized with the help of negotiators, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Steve Colwell said.

He said no formal charges had been filed, and he declined to identify either the man in custody or the victim, who were among 34 passengers.

The was no immediate indication of what prompted the attack, Colwell said. He said he didn't know how many times the victim was stabbed. Witnesses described the weapon as a large butcher-type knife.

Caton told The Associated Press that the victim appeared to be about 19 years old and had gotten on the bus in Edmonton.

Colwell praised the "extraordinary" level-headedness and bravery of the bus driver and passengers.

"What you saw and what you experienced would shake the most seasoned police officer. And yet I'm told that each of you acted swiftly, calmly and bravely," Colwell said. "As a result, no one else was injured."

The police received a call reporting the attack at 8:30 p.m. By the time they arrived at the scene, everyone except the knife-wielder and his victim had left the bus, Colwell said. The incident ended about 1:30 a.m.

The bus was traveling along the Trans-Canada Highway from Edmonton, Alberta, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was about 45 minutes from its destination when the attack occurred, Greyhound spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh said in Dallas, Texas.

Caton said the victim was sleeping with his head leaning against the window when the attack happened. Caton said he shouted at the other passengers, many of whom also were sleeping, to leave. Watch Caton describe what he saw »

"Everybody got off the bus. Me and a trucker that stopped and the Greyhound driver ran up to the door to maybe see if the guy was still alive or we could help or something like that," Caton said.

"And when we all got up, we saw that the guy was cutting off the guy's head. ... When he saw us, he came back to the front of the bus, told the driver to shut the door. He pressed the button and the door shut, but it didn't shut in time, and the guy was able to get his knife out and take a swipe at us," Caton said.

Caton told the AP that the attacker didn't sit near the victim when he first got on the bus, about an hour before the attack.

"He sat in the front at first; everything was normal," Caton said. "We went to the next stop, and he got off and had a smoke with another young lady there. When he got on the bus again, he came to the back near where I was sitting. He put his bags in the overhead compartment. He didn't say a word to anybody. He seemed totally normal."

Half an hour later, the attack began, Caton told the AP. "There was no rage or anything. He was like a robot, stabbing the guy."

The incident occurred on the first of two Greyhound Canada buses that were traveling together, Wambaugh said. The bus was carrying 37 passengers. As many passengers as possible among those not directly involved in the incident were transferred to the second bus, she said.

Others were taken to a hotel in Brandon, where they were met by Greyhound managers and police, Wambaugh said.

Once they are released, Greyhound will take them by bus to Winnipeg, and "we will do whatever is required to help them, and that includes counseling," she added.

Wambaugh declined to comment further.

"I don't want to compromise the investigation," she said.

I guess the Saudis are not the only ones getting rich off oil!!!

Exxon Profit Rises Less Than Estimated; Output Drops (Update2)

By Joe Carroll

July 31 (Bloomberg) -- Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's biggest oil company, posted a smaller increase in second-quarter profit than analysts estimated after production slid the most in at least a decade.

Shares dropped after Exxon Mobil's per-share profit excluding costs related to the Valdez oil-spill lawsuit fell 26 cents short of the average of 12 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Net income rose 14 percent to $11.7 billion, or $2.22 a share, from $10.3 billion, or $1.83, a year earlier, the Irving, Texas-based company said today in a statement.

Oil and gas output tumbled 7.8 percent after Venezuela seized assets, Nigerian workers went on strike and governments from Angola to Russia kept more crude under contracts that give them a bigger share when prices rise. Oil climbed above $140 a barrel for the first time, allowing Exxon Mobil to achieve the highest profit ever for a U.S. company without one-time gains.

``They are not growing,'' said Philip Weiss, an analyst at Argus Research in New York who rates Exxon Mobil shares ``buy'' and owns none. ``Production is becoming more and more of a concern. For these guys, access to reserves is a very big issue.''

Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson, 56, is spending $52 million a day to search for new fields after reserves fell in 2007 by the most in at least a decade. Exxon Mobil plans to start 12 projects this year that will pump the equivalent of 411,000 barrels of crude a day, more than the daily output of Prudhoe Bay, the largest U.S. oil field.

Shares Fall

Exxon Mobil fell $2.44, or 2.9 percent, to $81.94 at 9:57 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shortfall in earnings per share relative to analyst estimates was the company's biggest in at least three years. The stock has dropped 13 percent this year.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe's largest oil producer, today reported a 33 percent gain in second-quarter profit to $11.6 billion. London-based BP Plc said earlier this week that its net income climbed 28 percent to $9.47 billion. Shell's output fell 1.6 percent, and BP's was little changed from a year earlier.

Chevron Corp., the second-biggest U.S. oil company, and France's Total SA are scheduled to report earnings tomorrow. Houston-based ConocoPhillips, the third-largest petroleum producer in the U.S., said last week that its profit jumped to a record $5.44 billion.

Exxon Mobil pumped the equivalent of 3.8 million barrels of oil a day, its lowest average since the third quarter of 2005. Crude production declined in every region of the world where the company has wells, and natural-gas output fell everywhere except Russia, Europe and Africa.

Access Reduced

Profit from oil and gas sales climbed 68 percent to $10 billion.

``If oil prices are going up $20 and $30 a barrel a quarter like they have been, it hides a lot of flaws,'' said Brian Gibbons, an analyst at New York-based CreditSights Inc. ``The question on everyone's mind is, how do these guys expect to grow production given the restrictions on access to reserves?''

Tillerson, who succeeded Lee Raymond as CEO in January 2006, is facing increasing barriers to oil and gas exploration in Russia, Alaska and the South China Sea as governments limit access or raise the costs of tapping natural resources.

Refining profit fell 54 percent to $1.56 billion as prices for fuels such as gasoline and diesel failed to keep pace with oil costs, squeezing margins. Fuel sales dropped 2.9 percent to 6.78 million barrels a day after the company sold some plants and demand declined.

Price Impact

New York oil futures, which had never traded as high as $112 before the second quarter, surged to a record $143.67 in June. Each $1 gain in the price of oil boosts Exxon Mobil's net income by 11 cents a share, according to William Featherston, an analyst at UBS Securities LLC.

Natural gas rose even faster than oil in this year's first half, and the average second-quarter price jumped 50 percent to $11.47 per million British thermal units. Exxon Mobil's output is about 60 percent crude and 40 percent gas. Oil and gas sales account for more than 80 percent of profit.

Exxon said its second-quarter revenue jumped 40 percent to $138.1 billion. The company said it had $290 million in after- tax costs related to the June ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that reduced a punitive damage award for the 1989 Valdez spill from $2.5 billion.

Exxon Mobil generates about $27 of cash flow from each barrel of production, 21 percent higher than the industry average, Gibbons said. The company was the most efficient oil and gas producer among its peers, yielding almost $3 of cash flow for every $1 spent, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Joe Carroll in Houston at jcarroll8@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 31, 2008 10:02 EDT

Jerry Lewis detained for carrying gun at airport | U.S. | Reuters

Jerry Lewis detained for carrying gun at airport | U.S. | Reuters

When is the big one coming??

Will Chino Hills earthquake shake L.A. out of complacency?

Experts hope the 5.4 quake will remind people to be prepared. A regionwide quake drill planned for November is already getting more attention.

By David Pierson and Evelyn Larrubia
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

July 31, 2008

Southern California has been hit by more than 90 small aftershocks from the 5.4 Chino Hills earthquake, an event officials hope will increase awareness about the danger of a much larger temblor to come.

The 5.4 temblor Tuesday caused little damage, but it was the first quake of its size to hit a metropolitan part of California since the much larger and more destructive 1994 Northridge quake. Quake-safety advocates believe this lull in seismic activity in heavily populated area has made it harder for them to push new laws and quake building standards.

"Any time you don't have an earthquake for a long time, people's concerns go elsewhere," said Kate Hutton, a staff seismologist at Caltech. "There's nothing like a good shake to change their minds."

Hutton and her colleagues have determined that they usually have two days of a "teachable moment" to promote safety awareness.

"The attention will certainly go away," said Hutton, who caught four hours of sleep and was losing her voice from doing so many interviews since the temblor struck. "We can only hope to get a little shake once in a while to remind us."

Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey said there has already been a positive effect of the Chino Hills quake. She and other experts have struggled over the last few months to advertise a regional earthquake drill in November called the Great Southern California ShakeOut.

Cities and businesses are being asked to sign up and participate.

"We were getting 10 to 30 registrations a day," Jones said. "Yesterday, we got 400."

Jones said she was not surprised.

"A lot of people think we've solved the problem" of earthquake preparedness, she said. "It's easy not to think about the work we have to do."

Most of the aftershocks were tiny. But one measured 3.8.

So did the quake prompt residents to improve safety at their homes?

Angela Demoura, 41, crouched in the hardware isle at the Home Depot in Burbank today, searching for cabinet latches and furniture straps.

When the shaking started Tuesday, her 3 1/2 -year-old son, Jason, was standing in front of a teetering bookcase. She pulled him away from it, checked on her other three boys, then started making her list of earthquake supplies.

"I've been in my house four years," the Eagle Rock resident said. "Why haven't I done this before?"

"It's been a long time since '94, but that little tremor was enough for me," added the stay-at-home mother, who home-schools her four children. "I want to be prepared. I don't want to have to rely on neighbors."

Around Southern California, shaken residents were visiting home supply and earthquake preparedness shops in steady, if small, numbers.

There were no runs on flashlights at the Home Depot on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. SOS Survival Products in Van Nuys had as many news reporters as buyers in the store this morning.

But those who did come in were motivated by Tuesday's 5.4 temblor in Chino Hills, a not-so-gentle reminder that a catastrophic earthquake could strike at any time.

The quake struck hardest in an area of San Bernardino County that has seen massive growth in population and housing in the last decade. That meant that the buildings shaken the hardest were mostly built under California's strictest building codes, updated in 1997 in response to the 6.7 Northridge quake of 1994.

That kept damage to a minimum. Only minor injuries were reported, three at an outpatient medical clinic in Brea and five at a building in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles.

Although moderate in intensity, the quake rumbled up from a relatively shallow depth, making it feel sharper, stronger and scarier than its magnitude suggested, especially in areas close to the epicenter.

"It's the first time in my life I actually got under my desk," said Anaheim Police Sgt. Ken Seymour, a native Southern Californian. Robert Heded, 32, a Time Warner technician who lives in Culver City, was about 30 feet up a telephone pole at La Cienega and Pico boulevards in Los Angeles when the quake hit.

"I just sat there and waited, kinda rode it out," he said not long after Tuesday's quake as he bought an energy drink at a 7-Eleven, still dressed in his reflective safety vest. The lines were "swaying a lot more than usual, about four feet from side to side," he said. "I wasn't sure what was happening, if it was an earthquake or if it was me."

Heded said he finished up his work, still strapped to the pole in his safety gear. Then he made his way down.

"It was bad," said Nirmala Dawson, the director of the Montessori School of Chino. She said the school performs frequent earthquake drills. "But at that moment, to be honest, we forgot them. We just evacuated."

No one was injured, she said, but a few children were frightened by the shaking. Then, after the quake, phones began ringing off the hook with calls from parents. That nearly universal instinct to call loved ones -- or someone -- strained the capacity of the regional phone network, perhaps instructive for officials planning emergency responses to the next massive earthquake. Verizon lost some phone service Tuesday in several quake-affected areas.

"We have some outages on our land-line side," said Jonathan Davies, Verizon spokesman. "We're not sure yet if it's physical damage or just due to high call volumes."

AT&T's cellphone service was spotty in some areas. Sitting in a Starbucks in Pasadena, Paul Roberts was able to get calls on his cellphone.

"But I am sitting here with my buddy, who has AT&T, too, and he can't make outgoing calls," said Roberts, a student at Art Center College of Design.

The Associated Press: Amber Alert issued in Mass. for 4 children

The Associated Press: Amber Alert issued in Mass. for 4 children

I wanna be like Ed

Begley brings 'green' to Redlands
Brandon Villa of Redlands learned about the event from the newspaper. REDLANDS - Television actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. visited the Redlands Barnes & Noble store Monday to sign his new book, "Living Like Ed - A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life."

"I appreciate him writing the book," said Rick Bennett of Redlands. "I graduated Earth Day year 1970 from high school, so it's kind of right in my time frame. I try to do my best. I have my own home, so I try to do what I can."

Bennett saw an advertisment about Begley's visit in the store window while shopping at the Redlands Barnes & Noble a few weeks earlier.

"I think it's great," Bennett said. "It's a thing that passes politics, nothing to do with conservative or liberal or that kind of thing. It's just something we all need to do. It's something that I think is important."

Brandon Villa of Redlands poses with Ed Begley Jr. at Barnes & Noble Monday evening. (Courtesy photo)

"My mom actually cut it out of the newspaper and she put it on the fridge and I was like, 'Oh, cool!,' " Villa said. "I was very excited about it."

The same enthusiasm came from many other people anticipating their meeting with Begley.

"I think it's very important," Villa said. "It's pretty cool that he's able to basically break it down from if you're struggling like he was to where you are actually able to do more things. He makes suggestions."

The public thought it was nice to see a star who cared so much about making it easier for the average person to conserve.

"It's nice to be able to meet somebody that you see and watch on TV, and it's going to be a great book to read," John Bay said. "It's something that everybody can use very easily in their daily lives, so I think it's a great thing. It doesn't take much effort."

Earlier this year Highland built a green-friendly library, and after the book signing, Begley spoke at the library on conservancy and being green-friendly.

"We just built a new building in Highland, the Sam Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center, and we thought it would be a perfect compliment to have Ed Begley come," said Jessica Sutorus of the Highland library.

"His book has just been released, and we're a library environmental learning center. It was a perfect fit."

Begley has great enthusiasm for being green-friendly "The book is about everyday tips on being green," Sutorus said. "So we were excited to invite him over."

I don't think he will be going any faster!

Man accused of pumping aviation fuel into car

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Maybe he thought it would make his car fly.

A 20-year-old man is accused of breaking into a small airport and trying to fill up his car's gas tank with aviation gasoline.

"We've had people try and steal gas here in the past," said Jim Meide, who works at Reid-Hillview Airport. "It's really stupid. Put aviation gas in your car and it's so heavily leaded that eventually your valves warp and you'll end up with some very expensive repairs."

The suspect was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and attempted theft. But he probably wasn't trying to save money.

The aviation fuel in the pumps used for aircraft and race cars was going for $5.97 a gallon, accessed only by a credit card, authorities said.

"Sometimes," Meide said, "these people have the notion that since it's racing fuel it'll make their car go faster."

Airport officials are investigating the security breach.

"This is an authorized area and he was driving around on the field where any airplane has the right of way," Meide said. "It could have been very dangerous if he had pulled in front of a taxiing plane."

Earthquake Rattles Southern California - NYTimes.com

Earthquake Rattles Southern California - NYTimes.com

Atlanta Airport Courtesy

"You gotta love this one even if you've never lived in the South. Some of you will enjoy this more than others... Southerners can be so polite!

Atlanta ATC: 'Tower to Saudi Air 511 -- You are cleared to land eastbound on runway 9R.'

Saudi Air: 'Thank you Atlanta ATC. Acknowledge cleared to land on infidel's runway 9R - Allah be Praised.'

Atlanta ATC: 'Tower to Iran Air 711 --You are cleared to land westbound on runway 9R.'

Iran Air: 'Thank you Atlanta ATC. We are cleared to land on infidel's runway 9R. - Allah is Great.'

Pause...

Saudi Air: ' ATLANTA ATC - ATLANTA ATC'

Atlanta ATC: 'Go ahead Saudi Air 511.'

Saudi Air: 'YOU HAVE CLEARED BOTH OUR AIRCRAFTS FOR THE SAME RUNWAY GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. WE ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE. INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE.'

Atlanta ATC: 'Well bless your hearts. And praise Jesus. Y'all be careful now and tell Allah 'hey' for us.'"

Do, a deer, a female deer

Fri Jul 25, 7:38 AM ET

Maria von Trapp, her brother Johannes and their sister-in-law Erika von Trapp, from left, pose in front of the Villa Trapp on Friday, July 25, 2008 in Salzburg, Austria. Maria is in the house for the first time since her family fled the Nazi regime to the United States in late 1938. The original von Trapp family home was reopened as a hotel on Friday to give guests the chance to lay their head to rest where the von Trapp family once lived, get married in the house's chapel or have a Sound of Music dinner in the family dining room.

Qantas jet lands with gaping hole in fuselage - Yahoo! News

Qantas jet lands with gaping hole in fuselage

By PAUL ALEXANDER, Associated Press Writer Fri Jul 25, 11:30 AM ET

MANILA, Philippines - A hole the size of a small car in the underside of a Qantas jumbo jet carrying 346 passengers over the South China Sea forced the pilot to make an emergency landing Friday after a rapid descent.

The Boeing 747-400 was cruising at 29,000 feet when a loud bang rattled the plane. Video shot by a passenger shows people sitting with their oxygen masks on as the jet descended quickly to 10,000 feet. Applause erupted as the plane touched down safely.

There were no injuries, but some passengers vomited after disembarking, said Octavio Lina, Manila International Airport Authority deputy manager for operations.

An official at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident was not domestic, said initial reports show it was not related to terrorism.

Flight QF 30, from London to Melbourne, had just made a stopover in Hong Kong.

"One hour into the flight there was a big bang, then the plane started going down," passenger Marina Scaffidi, 39, from Melbourne, told The Associated Press by phone from Manila airport. "There was wind swirling around the plane and some condensation."

She said the hole extended from the cargo hold into the passenger cabin.

"No one was very hysterical," she said.

June Kane of Melbourne described how parts of the plane's interior broke apart in the depressurized cabin.

"There was a terrific boom and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down," she told Australia's ABC Radio. "It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm."

A report by the Manila International Airport Authority, quoting pilot John Francis Bartels, said the plane suffered an "explosive decompression." Australia's air-safety investigator said an initial investigation suggested "a section of the fuselage separated."

Lina said the cabin's floor gave way, exposing some of the cargo beneath and part of the ceiling collapsed.

"There is a big hole on the right side near the wing," he said, adding it was 7 1/2 feet to 9 feet in diameter.

Bob Vandel, executive vice president of the independent, Virginia-based Flight Safety Foundation, said the hole caused the plane to lose pressure and oxygen, which required the pilot to start a quick, initial descent to normalize oxygen levels, said Vandel.

"The plane lost pressure, so the pilot had to get the aircraft down below 12,000 feet pretty quickly," said Vandel.

The video shot by a passenger showed people sitting with their oxygen masks on — just-served meals on their tray tables. Cabin crew continued to work, walking down the aisles and showing no sign of panic.

Geoff Dixon, the chief executive officer of Qantas, praised the pilots and the rest of the 19-person crew for how they handled the incident.

"This was a highly unusual situation and our crew responded with the professionalism that Qantas is known for," he said.

Qantas — Australia's largest domestic and international airline — boasts a strong safety record and has never lost a jet to an accident, although there were crashes of smaller planes, the last in 1951. Since then, there have been no accident-related deaths on any Qantas jets.

However, the airline has had a few scares in recent years. In February 2008, a Qantas 717 with 84 passengers on board sustained substantial damage in a heavy landing in Darwin, Australia.

In addition, union engineers — who have held several strikes this year to demand pay raises — say that safety is being compromised by low wages and overtime work.

Qantas touts itself as the world's second-oldest airline, founded in 1920. As of December 2007, Qantas was operating 216 aircraft flying to 140 destinations in 37 countries, though in recent months it has announced it will retire some aircraft and cancel some routes — as well as cutting 1,500 jobs worldwide — due to skyrocketing fuel prices.

The passengers on Friday were taken to several hotels while waiting for another plane to Melbourne, Wantas said. The plane was towed to a hangar in Manila.

The incident carried some echoes of a 1988 incident in which a large section of an older Aloha Airlines jetliner was torn off over Hawaii because of metal fatigue. Although the pilots were able to land, a flight attendant died and many of the 89 passengers were seriously injured.

One Very Angry Woman

I don't know who wrote it but they should have signed it. Some powerful words.

Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady.

'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?

Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide .

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care!!

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!

Should you choose to not send this on, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:

'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan

I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.

'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under' Also by.. Ronald Reagan
One last thought for the day:

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.'

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON,

AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.

AMEN!

All purpose word !!!

THE MOST FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH WORD ...

HOPE THIS MAKES YOU SMILE
THE MOST FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH WORD


Well, it's shit ... that's right, shit!
Shit may just be the most functional word in the English language.


You can smoke shit, buy shit, sell shit, lose shit, find shit, forget shit, and tell others to eat shit.


Some people know their shit, while others can't tell the difference between shit and shineola.

There are lucky shits, dumb shits, and crazy shits. There is bull shit, horse shit, and chicken shit.

You can throw shit, sling shit, catch shit, shoot the shit, or duck when the shit hits the fan.

You can give a shit or serve shit on a shingle.

You can find yourself in deep shit or be happier than a pig in shit.

Some days are colder than shit, some days are hotter than shit, and some days are just plain shitty.

Some music sounds like shit, things can look like shit, and there are times when you feel like shit.


You can have too much shit, not enough shit, the right shit, the wrong shit or a lot of weird shit.


You can carry shit, have a mountain of shit, or find yourself up shit creek without a paddle.

Sometimes everything you touch turns to shit and other times you fall in a bucket of shit and come out smelling like a rose.

When you stop to consider all the facts, it's the basic building block of the English language.

And remember, once you know your shit, you don't need to know anything else!!

You could pass this along, if you give a shit; or not do so if you don't give a shit!

Well, Shit, it's time for me to go. Just wanted you to know that

I do give a shit and hope you had a nice day, without a bunch of shit.

But, if you happened to catch a load of shit from some shit-head...........

Well, Shit Happens!!!

Slashdot | Spam King and Family Dead In Murder-Suicide

Slashdot Spam King and Family Dead In Murder-Suicide

No Shit Sherlock!!!

Existing home sales fall 2.6% in June - Jul. 24, 2008

Realtors' group says the number of existing homes sold in June fell 2.6% to their lowest level in 10 years.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Sales of existing homes in June slowed more than expected and hit their lowest level in 10 years, according to an industry trade group report released on Thursday.

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales by homeowners dipped in June to an annual pace of 4.86 million, down 2.6% from a pace of 4.99 million in May.

That's the lowest rate on record since the first quarter of 1998, when existing home sales fell to an annual pace of 4.83 million, according to Walter Molony, spokesman for NAR.

The existing home sales rate - including single-family, town homes, condominiums and co-ops - is down 15.5% from the 5.75 million units sold in June 2007.

The 4.86 million sales figure came in well below the 4.95 million estimate forecast by economists surveyed by Briefing.com.

"The factors that are weighing on the housing market remain in place - weak consumer confidence, a weak labor market and rising mortgage rates - so there are some strong fundamental headwinds still weighing on the market," said Robert Dye, senior economist at PNC Financial Services Group.

"We are hoping for a bottom, but we are not expecting any significant rebound from that bottom until the labor market and consumer confidence starts to improve," he added.

But with inventory still on the rise, home prices are falling further. The number of homes available for sale at the end of June rose 0.2% to 4.49 million, which represented an 11.1-month supply of inventory at the current sales pace, up from a 10.8-month supply in May.

Meanwhile, the median price of a home sold in June fell to $215,100, down 6.1% from $229,000 a year earlier.

Single family homes. Sales of single-family homes declined 3.2% to an annual rate of 4.27 million in June from 4.41 million in May. That's 14.8% below the 5.01 million-unit pace in June 2007.

The median existing single-family home price was $213,800 in June, down 6.7% from a year ago.

New homeowners. First-time home buyers are not confident that this is the best time to enter the market. "A recent online survey of Realtors shows nearly a quarter of potential home buyers are waiting on the sidelines," NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif., said in a written statement.

"About four in 10 homes are purchased by first-time buyers, which frees existing owners to trade up," according to Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist.

Rising rates. Higher interest rates are also holding buyers back. "Even as prices are coming down, the total mortgage price is under upward pressure from rising mortgage rates," said Dye.

On Thursday, Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) said that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped to 6.63% for the week ending July 24, 2008, up from 6.26% last week.

"Market concerns about rising inflation, further weakness in the housing market and greater probability that the Federal Reserve will raise short-term rates this year all combined to push mortgage rates higher this week," Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist, said in a written statement.

Regional sales breakdown. Existing-home sales in the West actually rose 1.0% in June, but were 6.4% lower than a year ago. Buyers were attracted to bargain prices, with are down 17.2% from June 2007.

In the South, existing-home sales fell 3.1% from May to June, and 18.1% year-over-year. Home prices in the South have only fallen 2.4% from a year ago.

Midwest existing-home sales declined 3.4% in June, and slid 17.6% from a year ago. But the median price there was actually up 2.8% from June 2007.

June existing-home sales fell 6.6% in the Northeast on a month-to-month basis and dipped 15.8% from June 2007. The median price was also down sharply, 12.6% below June 2007.

Despite the decline in the housing market as a whole, there are a few bright spots. The NAR says that existing-home sales are actually rising significantly from a year ago in areas that have been particularly hard-hit by the housing bust, such as Bakersfield, Calif.; Fort Myers, Fla.; and Las Vegas, Nev.

In addition, "sales are now beginning to pick up in Orlando, Fla., Phoenix, and Oakland, Calif.," Yun said in a written statement. "Interestingly, sales fell in Atlanta, Houston, and Kansas City, Mo., despite affordable home prices and solid local employment conditions."

Housing bill. The report came a day after the House passed a bill that will provide up to $300 billion to help struggling homeowners and will back the mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill will go to the Senate next for vote.

"The housing stimulus package working its way through Congress would go a long way toward helping consumers and boosting the overall economy," Yun said in a written statement.

Missing 'spam king' kills self, family - The Denver Post

Missing 'spam king' kills self, family - The Denver Post

BENNETT — Neighbors say the dead man, woman and toddler found near Bennett are the missing "spam king" and his family.

The shootings took place in the 42000 block of East Arkansas Place about 11:15 a.m. today, and the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said a man, woman and 3-year-old girl were dead.

A neighbor who did not want to be named said the man who was suspected of killing himself and the others was Eddie Davidson, who walked away from a minium-security prison camp in Florence earlier this week. He said Davidson and his family used to live in the house where they died.

The neighbor said the Davidson family — known in Bennett as the Hills — "pretty much stayed to themselves."

The neighbor knew Davidson worked in computers but not exactly what he did until he was sent to prison in April for 21 months after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and falsifying information in e-mail pitches for low-cost, high risk penny stocks.

Davidson's Bennett-based business, Power Promoters, sent hundreds of thousands of unsolicited sales pitches to e-mail addresses around the world, selling a variety of products.

Court filings showed that Davidson's spam operation grossed about $3.5 million between 2003 and 2006.

The Sheriff's Office would not confirm the identities of the victims, saying the coroner had not yet notified family members.

Arapahoe County Undersheriff Mark Campbell said this afternoon that the bodies of a man and a woman were found in a driveway at the home outside a silver SUV. The man's body was beside the driver's door, and the woman's near the passenger side.

A boy, about 7 months old, was found unharmed in a car seat in the SUV, Campbell said.

The 3-year-old girl was found dead in the vehicle.

Federal officials confirmed that FBI agents and U.S. Marshals are assisting Arapahoe County officials on the scene.

A teenage girl, who was shot in the neck, fled to a neighbor's home, the Sheriff's Office said.

A handgun was found at the scene, Campbell said.

The teenager was taken to University Hospital for treatment, and the infant to Children's Hospital, according to the Bennett Fire Protection District.

Bob Cambron lives about a half-mile away.

He said he was working in the yard when he heard gunshots, carried on the wind.

"Immediately after the shots, there was intense screaming," Cambron said.

He drove to the house right away.

"I didn't have any idea what I was driving into," he said. "I just saw the vehicle in the driveway with bodies."

He said he was reluctant to get close "because I didn't want to be the next victim."

He said a neighbor who called 911 also helped the teenage gunshot victim.

According to neighbors, the home where the shooting occurred is about 8 years old and sits on a 35-acre parcel.

"It is a very nice home, two-story yellow, about 4,000 square feet," said neighbor Deborah Haines. The owners had horses and a barn.

Both Haines and another neighbor, Ted Schwarz, said that the current residents were new to the area, having moved in about six to 10 months ago.

Both said their new neighbor was congenial.

"He was a really nice fellow," said Schwarz. "He was out there helping dig out during the snows. The wind blows out here, and we get out the tractors to clear the roads of snow. He also helped mow the ditches."

Schwarz, who is retired, said that the area is normally very quiet.

The worst thing to happen out there, he said, was when somebody — probably kids — knocked down every one of the 53 mailboxes of the 53 homeowners living in the area.

"This is something really shocking," said Schwarz.

Haines said she never heard any shots and that her first indication of something being wrong was when she heard a lot of traffic on the road outside her house.

‘Spam King’ escapes from federal prison | Zero Day | ZDNet.com

‘Spam King’ escapes from federal prison | Zero Day | ZDNet.com


Edward “Eddie” Davidson, a notorious e-mail spammer who was sentenced to jail time in April, has escaped from a federal prison camp in Florence, Colorado.

Davidson (left), also known as the “Spam King, made a run for it when his wife visited him last Sunday and is now officially listed in “escape” status, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was last seen in Lakewood, CO.

The FBI, IRS, and the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force are helping the U.S. Marshals in the search for Davidson.

Davidson was housed in a minimum security facility. Minimum security institutions, also known as Federal Prison Camps (FPCs), have dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio, and are work and program-oriented. FPCs are generally located adjacent to larger institutions, where inmates help serve the labor needs of the larger institution.

This from the Rocky Mountain News:

“He jumped in the car with his wife,” said Will Cochenour of the Lakewood police Tuesday. “When they were leaving, he forced her in the car, brought them home and left after a change in clothing. He’s still at large.”

On April 28, 2008, Davidson was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger to serve 21 months (just under 2 years) in federal prison. Judge Krieger also ordered him to pay $714,139 in restitution to the IRS. As part of the restitution, Davis has agreed to forfeit property he purchased, including gold coins (which the IRS is selling today), with the ill gotten proceeds of his offense.

Ryan Naraine is a journalist and social media enthusiast specializing in Internet and computer security issues. He is currently security evangelist at Kaspersky Lab, an anti-malware company with operations around the world.

See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations. Send tips, ideas and feedback to naraine SHIFT 2 gmail.com

For daily updates on Ryan's activities, follow him on Twitter.

Mom needs her head examined!!

Big Trouble with an 8-Year-Old - Yahoo! News

Jul 24, 2:00 AM ET

DEAR MARGO: My wife and I have a loving marriage. We have been through more than our share of hard times. One problem that keeps coming up in our relationship is her 8-year-old son. He is Oedipal -- extremely jealous of any attention his mother gets and inappropriate around her. He touches her breasts and her behind, and constantly tries to invade her space if she's showering or changing clothes. He also walks nude into the room where she is and touches himself in front of her. I have been trying to tell her these are unnatural behaviors, but she says "Mike" is just more in touch than his contemporaries and doesn't hide his curiosity. Who is right?

--- FREAKED OUT STEPFATHER

DEAR FREAK: What this kid is in touch with is emotional disturbance. To think that the youngster is "not hiding his curiosity" suggests to me that Jocasta, I mean the mother, has oatmeal cookies for brains. Nothing you describe is in the realm of normal child development. You somehow have to get your wife to a session with a child specialist who can convince her that the kid is off the rails -- and it's possible she is feeding his neurosis. Believe me, there is nothing customary about an 8-year-old boy who's in the habit of touching his mother's breasts and behind and taking every chance he gets to see her naked. Displaying himself and attempting what sounds like masturbation is a red flag for psychiatric intervention. That your wife thinks all this is normal means there are two people in your house who need help.

--- MARGO, ASSUREDLY

Does she get 77 virgins as well??????

Female suicide bomber kills 8 in Iraq - Yahoo! News

BAGHDAD - Iraqi police say at least eight people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a checkpoint manned by U.S.-allied Sunni guards northeast of Baghdad.

A police officer says the woman bomber blew herself up about 8:30 p.m. Thursday near a checkpoint in central Baqouba.

The officer says at least eight guards were killed and 24 other people were wounded. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Ford Has $8.7 Billion Loss, Shifts Away From Trucks

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

Prominent Cancer Doctor Warns About Cellphones - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog

Prominent Cancer Doctor Warns About Cellphones - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog

The Grey Poupon Avenger - July 23, 2008

What an ass!

The Grey Poupon Avenger

Many economists see McCain better for stocks: poll - Yahoo! News

So basically the "experts" do not have a clue as well.

Many economists see McCain better for stocks: poll - Yahoo! News

By Emily Kaiser 2 hours, 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. stock market would fare better in the first year after a victory by Republican presidential candidate John McCain than by his Democratic rival Barack Obama, according to a majority of economists at U.S. banks and research groups polled by Reuters.

But the survey of 29 firms taken alongside a regular Reuters economic poll also found that economists had mixed views on the two candidates' economic plans.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very good," 12 economists gave McCain's proposals higher marks, while nine rated the two candidates equally and eight preferred Obama's policies, according to the poll released on Wednesday.

The economy has supplanted the Iraq war as the main issue in the November presidential election between Arizona Sen. McCain and Illinois Sen. Obama.

The troubled housing market, tightening credit conditions and rising costs of food and energy have driven U.S. consumer confidence to a 28-year low.

The survey, conducted this week, found that 21 of the economists polled thought McCain would be better for the stock market in the first year after the election, while six chose Obama and two gave no response.

The sample includes a cross-section of U.S. financial institutions, large and small, including several prominent Wall Street names.

For investors, a key concern this election year is taxes on dividends and capital gains, which Obama has pledged to increase. He also favors allowing income tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush's administration to expire, while McCain wants them made permanent.

"Preserving the capital gains and dividend tax rate (at) 15 percent is in my view very important to investors and therefore very important to Wall Street," said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer of Johnson Illington Advisors in Albany, New York, explaining why he thought stocks would fare better under a McCain presidency.

McCain has said the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve's steps to shore up troubled mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were correct and he hoped Congress would approve them.

Obama said any action to rescue Fannie and Freddie should be aimed at helping homeowners and not just shareholders, managers and investors.

Obama has called for a $50 billion economic stimulus package on top of the $152 billion plan passed earlier this year. McCain has proposed low income taxes and incentives for small businesses as ways to boost the economy.

A Reuters/Zogby poll released last week showed that just 10 percent of Americans gave the Bush administration positive marks for its handling of the economy.

The poll also found that Obama held a 7-point lead over McCain in the presidential race, and had a small edge on the question of who would best manage the economy.

Miller optimistic about his future with Sabres - NHL - Yahoo! Sports

Awww - A veteran Lalime to back up Ryan - how crappy for Patrick to take backseat.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)—Now that Ryan Miller knows he’ll be in Buffalo for six more years, he can focus on helping an organization that has never won the Stanley Cup finally reach that goal.

Armed with a new five-year, $31.25 million contract extension he signed last week, Miller didn’t shy away from saying what he wants to accomplish for the Sabres, a team that has not won a title in their 39 years of existence.

“My goals in hockey are to win championships for a team that I feel I’m a big part of, and be with an organization that backs me up and respects me,” Miller said at a news conference Tuesday. “I have all that here.”

Entering the final year of his contract, Miller always wanted “here” to be Buffalo, even though he was due to become a free agent following the upcoming season. Miller’s future was mentioned in several rumor mills, with his eventual departure to Detroit to play with his favorite boyhood team, the Red Wings, the juiciest piece of gossip.

Not even close, said the Michigan native who grew up 90 minutes away from Detroit.

“Everyone talked about Detroit, but to be honest, I was just a big fan of hockey growing up,” Miller said. “I respected the Red Wings, but there was really no point where I was looking to leave. I had another year on my contract and I was excited to play with my teammates and my friends and do it for all the right reasons … to win hockey games. That was always the focus.”

Locking Miller up was imperative for the Sabres, a team that has developed a reputation for being cheap after the recent departure of the high-profile players Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Brian Campbell. That reputation, though, may be fading after a promising summer when the club was able to ink forwards Paul Gaustad and Daniel Paille to deals along with highly-touted prospects Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy.

“A lot of the decisions are based on what resources you’re going to have going forward,” managing partner Larry Quinn said. “I feel great that we were able to get this done. The first conversation we had about a contract was about faith and commitment. It wasn’t really about arguing about dollars.”

There’s no arguing what Miller means to the Sabres. He played in a franchise-high 76 games this past season, including a stretch starting 34 straight times. The workhorse posted a 36-27-10 record with a 2.64 goals-against average, and also recorded a career-high three shutouts.

In 2006-07, he helped lead Buffalo to a second straight appearance in the Eastern Conference finals, set a franchise mark with 40 wins, and earned the starting nod for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game.

The Sabres have taken steps to ease the workload on Miller this season by signing free agent goalie Patrick Lalime. Lalime has appeared in nearly 400 career NHL games in nine years.

“I hear he’s a great person, and he’s a heck of a competitor,” Miller said about his new backup. “I respect him as a goaltender. He’s somebody I look up to and look forward to meeting him.”

The Sabres finished out of the playoff picture last year for the first time since 2004. The ultra-competitive Miller is going to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“It was a difficult season for us and a little bit of a hiccup,” he said. “But I got a sense that (the Sabres) still believed I could be a franchise player. I’m working hard and addressing things this summer that can help me be a better player and help the team.”