Say hello to Bachelor Number One.

Convicted serial killer won on 'Dating Game'

This story is disturbing in so many ways, from the fact that this guy had already raped an 8 yr old 10 years earlier, to the creepy introduction on the show - "Bachelor No. 1 is a successful photographer who got his start when his father found him in the dark room at the age of 13, fully developed" - to the fellow contestant who has somehow made this story all about him.

Weird, weird, weird.

Anderson Cooper is the real deal.

How you can help Haiti.

"Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed. There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them." ~Haitian President Rene Preval

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is in desperate need of help after yesterday's 7.0 earthquake almost completely devastated it. If you would like to make a donation toward the relief effort, please go to the Network for Good website for their list of relief organizations.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...

(I know, bad joke. Sorry)

The Gambler who blew $127 million - During a year-long gambling binge at the Caesars Palace and Rio casinos in 2007, Terrance Watanabe managed to lose nearly $127 million...The run is believed to be one of the biggest losing streaks by an individual in Las Vegas history. It devoured much of Mr. Watanabe's personal fortune, he says, which he built up over more than two decades running his family's party-favor import business in Omaha, Neb. It also benefitted the two casinos' parent company, Harrah's Entertainment Inc., which derived about 5.6% of its Las Vegas gambling revenue from Mr. Watanabe that year.

A little kid was set on fire by other little kids. WTF?

Two more boys face judge on charges in burning of Deerfield 15-year-old:

"Two 15-year-old boys appeared in court this morning on charges they set a Deerfield Beach boy on fire because of what authorities said was a squabble involving a video game and a bicycle.

Steven Sheldon and Jesus Mendez, both 15, are charged with aggravated battery.

Mendez, who authorities say took a lighter from his pocket and flicked it at a teen drenched in rubbing alcohol Monday, is also charged with attempted second-degree murder.

Three other boys -- Denver Colorado Jarvis, 15, and his 13-year-old brother Jeremy; and Matthew Bent, 15 -- appeared in court Tuesday and are charged with aggravated battery.

The 15-year-old victim, Michael Brewer, is in critical condition at University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Burn Center.

I'd love to see what their parents are like.

Is he a modern day "Jess James without all the murders"?

Police suspect 'Barefoot Burglar' is stealing, crashing planes.

The man that police call the prime suspect does not have a pilot's license. But he does have a Facebook fan club, which compares him to Jesse James "without the murders" and exhorts: "Fly, Colt, Fly."

Although he is only 18, Colton Harris-Moore has been on authorities' radar for years.

Obviously what he's doing is wrong, and he should be punished for it, but I cannot deny that there's a part of me that finds his story romantic, in an adventurous, rebellious sort of way. It's a bid old "f*ck you" to the establishment, and who doesn't occasionally wish they could do the same thing?

I just hope he doesn't end up hurting someone in the end.

Are people really this afraid?

On September 8, President Obama is scheduled to directly address students at school. According to the Department of Education:

During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation’s children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.

This sounds like a good thing, right? Not to some people, apparently. These people are organizing a "Keep Your Kid Home From School" Day on the day of the address as a protest against the President's message of staying in school and working hard to achieve your goals. They're calling it "the beginning of the Socialist Indoctrination of Americas (sic) children". Sigh. Really? Why must everything be politicized? Can't the President of the United States convey an important and simple message to our nation's children with him having some sinister ulterior motive?

Are people really that afraid of him? My dislike of GWB was all-consuming, but I know that I would have had absolutely no objection to him delivering a similar address to kids.

You can read a copy of an e-mail that has been circulating over at Daily KOS, and some commentary on the subject at CNN.

This crap gives me a stomach ache.

The most touching testament to Ted Kennedy.

From a note written to him by Jackie after he gave Caroline away at her wedding:

"…you have always been there. Every graduation, every big decision, every trouble, every sad and every happy day. On you, the carefree youngest brother, fell a burden a hero would beg to be spared. Sick parents, lost children, desolate wives. You are a hero. Everyone is going to make it because you are always there with your love."

Rest in peace, Senator.

Start chugging!

Beer prices are going up!

"The looming price hike comes as sales volumes in the brewing industry have declined. Anheuser-Busch InBev said earlier this month that total beer volumes were down 1.5% in the second quarter versus the same period last year."

Are people really drinking less beer? Hard times call for hard liquor, I guess.

"Cankles? What are cankles?"

We've heard about saddle bags, muffin tops and love handles, but it seems that some women and men of the 21st century are now focused on the chubby joints of their lower extremities...Far from being a medical term, "cankles" is slang for the part of the leg where the ankle meets the calf when there is no definition or indentation. In most cases, cankles are just large ankles -- what used to be called "big bones." But in society's quest for all things thin and shapely, big-boned ankles have taken on a name -- and a life -- of their own.

Is CNN really reporting on cankles??? Really?

Gives a whole new meaning to "Deadliest Catch"!

The story about the lobsterman shooting was all over the news when we were up there. Now they're sinking each other's boats! Jeez! Note to self: Never, EVER, piss off a lobsterman.

Prices for lobster are really low right now - we bought some for $3.60 a pound, wholesale is around $2.50, I think - and I suppose that could be stressing these guys out, but still. Damn.

Amen, sistah!

Governor Sanford's wife:

"His career is not a concern of mine," she told reporters as she departed the family's vacation home in Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. "He's going to have to worry about that. I'm worried about my family and the character of my children."

Good for her.

I think I hate him.

Brit wins 'best job in the world' competition:

He will move into a three-bedroom beach home overlooking the tropical island's Great Barrier Reef. For six months, he will feed the fish, clean the pool and send weekly blog and video reports on what is happening on the island.

Other benefits include free return airfares from their nearest capital city, transport on the island, computer and camera gear and travel to other islands.

I'm thinking MSNBC's Locked Up could be a shoe-in, though.

Judge denies Rod Blagojevich's request to be allowed to appear on "I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Outta Here":

“It’s way too soon. I don't think this defendant in all honesty ... fully understands the position he finds himself in,’’ said U.S. District Judge James Zagel in denying the bid.

On the nosey, Judge! This guy has got to be the most deluded, self-aggrandizing person on the planet. He really has no clue.

What a colossal asshole.

DSS worker seeks pay for lunch hour lost to lockdown after Binghamton shootings:

Broome County employee confined by bosses to the Department of Social Services' building during the April 3 massacre at the nearby American Civic Association wants to be paid for his lunch hour.

The employee made a formal complaint last week to Broome's Personnel Department, confirmed Michael Klein, the director.
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Klein said he denied the employee's complaint last week on the grounds that making DSS employees stay in their building during the shooting did not violate state labor laws or their union contract.

Bosses at DSS had pizza and beverages brought in during the four hours employees were confined to the building, from about 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., said DSS Commissioner Arthur Johnson.

And he's still looking to be compensated.

Wow. Just...Wow.

Failing to make mission.

Why are Army recruiters killing themselves?

In the week before his suicide, Andersson was ordered to write three separate essays explaining his failure to line up prospective recruits. A fellow recruiter later told Army investigators that commanders "humiliated" this decorated battlefield soldier during a training session: "He was under a constant grind — incredible pressure. He just became numb."

Andersson, 25, stopped by his recruiting station hours before he died and said he had gotten married that morning to Cassy Walton, whom he had recently met. He seemed in a good mood. "Before leaving, he played a prank on the station commander that made everyone laugh," a fellow recruiter told investigators. But the newlyweds argued that night, and Andersson, inside his new Ford pickup, put the barrel of a Ruger .22-cal. pistol to his right temple and squeezed the trigger. His widow, suffering from psychiatric problems of her own, killed herself the next day with a gun she had just bought.

That is one of the saddest articles I've read in a while.

Amazing Earth Hour Photos

The Boston Globe online has posted some amazing photos of cities around the world taken during Earth Hour on Saturday. Each photo shows the city fully lit, but when you click on it, the image slowly fades to the "lights out" version. It's a great effect and the photos are beautiful.

Ever hit "Reply All" by mistake?

And you knew what happened as soon as you clicked that button and you wished there was some way to get that incriminating e-mail back?

Well now there is, if you use GMail:

To address this problem, Google Inc.'s Gmail Labs has launched an experimental feature called "Undo Send" that gives users a chance to rewrite their message, correct settings or simply fix typos.

When a Gmail user who enables this feature sends an e-mail, a button that says "Undo" will pop up on their screen for five seconds. If the user hits the button within that time, the service will retrieve the e-mail in draft form -- allowing the user to make changes or cancel the message altogether.


A "five second rule" for e-mail. It's about time!

ETA: OK, I should have tested this before I posted the article...I enabled the setting on my gmail account (it's under the "Labs" tab under "Settings") and sent a test e-mail to myself. I saw no message giving me the option to cancel. I tried over and over until I realized it was working, I just couldn't see it because it flashed on my screen (see image above) for about one second, NOT the 5 seconds they claim. It wasn't easy getting a screen grab of that!

I'm not sure why I didn't get the full 5 seconds, and I'd be interested in hearing from you about it.

Just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

Octuplets' mom fires free nursing service:

Suleman accused the nurses, from a group called Angels in Waiting, of spying on her to report her to child-welfare authorities, the affiliate reported Monday.

The group was working for free, the affiliate said. Suleman instead will rely on nurses whom she is paying, Suleman's attorney said.

Of course they're spying on her! Someone should be acting in the best interest of those children. It's certainly not their mother.

I'd love to know where she's getting the money to pay for nurses.

Bad News Day

Today's news is just lovely, isn't it?