Clipmarks | ruralart's clips

Reality Show - in court?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:21:05 GMT

clipped by: ruralart

WASHINGTON — As part of a broadening inquiry into presidential security, Secret Service agents have interviewed the Virginia couple who sneaked into a White House state dinner last week, a senior federal official involved in the investigation said Sunday.

The Secret Service is also examining its own procedures in light of the security lapse at the White House.

The Secret Service is still considering bringing charges against the Salahis, the senior federal official said, but the investigation is continuing.

They had no right to be there. The Secret Service has a tough-enough task without having people dress up and pretend they’re important.”

Referring to the Salahis’ reported intention to appear on the reality television show “The Real Housewives of Washington,” Mr. Rollins continued, “These people want a reality TV show, give them one. It’s called ‘Dealing With the Federal Prosecution System of the District of Columbia.’ ”

Tags: salahi, white house, obama

Sewage Spills a National Problem

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:32:42 GMT

clipped by: ruralart

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

It was drizzling lightly in late October when the midnight shift started at the Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant, where much of Brooklyn’s sewage is treated.

That caused a rising tide throughout Brooklyn’s sewers, and untreated feces and industrial waste started spilling from emergency relief valves into the Upper New York Bay and Gowanus Canal.

But fewer than one in five sewage systems that broke the law were ever fined or otherwise sanctioned by state or federal regulators, the Times analysis shows.

One goal of the Clean Water Act of 1972 was to upgrade the nation’s sewer systems

many sewer systems are still frequently overwhelmed

sewage is spilling into waterways.

There is no national record-keeping of how many illnesses are caused by sewage spills. But academic research suggests that as many as 20 million people each year become ill from drinking water containing bacteria and other pathogens that are often spread by untreated waste.

Gov. Sanford steps back, wife steps forward

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:26:40 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Not sure what I think about this.....

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

As the political standing of Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina continues to crumble, the career of his wife, Jenny Sanford, seems to be taking off.

She is writing a memoir, “Staying True,” to be released in April by Ballantine Books, about grappling with her husband’s marital infidelity. She has applied to trademark her own name in order to sell clothing, mugs and other items. She will appear next month on a Barbara Walters special on ABC as one of the “10 Most Fascinating People of 2009.”

She has set up a privately financed personal Web site, JennySanford.com, complete with news releases and photographs. And she has endorsed a candidate to succeed her husband, State Representative Nikki Haley, a Republican and the only woman in the race.

Party Crashers Crash White House Party

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:54:21 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Unbelievable - both that they tried to do this, and that they succeeded!

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Obamas’ Uninvited Guests Prompt an Inquiry

WASHINGTON — The Secret Service is investigating how a couple aspiring to be reality-show celebrities managed to appear at President Obama’s first state dinner without being on the guest list, provoking questions about security at the White House.

The inquiry was begun after a Virginia couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, slipped past multiple layers of high-level White House security Tuesday night and managed to rub shoulders, literally, with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, among others, at Washington’s most exclusive social event this year.

Sarah Palin - a view from Cohen

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:19:38 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Whew - he really puts it on the line - with humor!

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Time for some Palintology

This is Palin Week

Could those who fault Barack Obama for being callow and inexperienced imagine Palin meeting with the Chinese or, for that matter, conducting a protracted policy review about Afghanistan? As for Pakistan, South Korea, North Korea, the Middle East and, of course, the perplexing Georgian-Abkhazian conflict -- I don't think she is quite up to it all, some of those nations not being close to Alaska.

The Institute for the Study of Sarah Palin might conclude that she represents the exact moment important Republicans gave up on democracy. She was clearly seen as an empty vessel who could be controlled by her intellectual betters.

It does not bother these people in the least that the woman is a demagogue -- remember "death panels"? -- and not, on the face of it, very responsible. If she quit as governor of Alaska in the noble pursuit of money, might she quit as, say, vice president or president for the same reason?

If she's a comer, then we're all goners.

Tags: palin, politics, books, republicans

Interesting News Quiz

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:35:42 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: How accurate is your knowledge of current events?

Clip Source: pewresearch.org

Kitten "helps

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:44:51 GMT

clipped by: ruralart

Clip Source: www.kljb.com

Taylor Cop Heckled by Cat

A Taylor police officer proved he can keep his cool, event when pestered by one frisky feline.

The Taylor Police Department says it deals with unleashed dogs, possums, even racoons, but who would've thought a cat would get in the way of an officer's job?

He notified his supervisor's of the climbing kitten after his day's work.

Previous Next

During the stop, the cat continues to push the officer's buttons -- climbing up his leg, arm and eventualy, his head.

14 Cows - Masai to America

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:02:48 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Wonderful story, great jewelry, super cause.

Clip Source: www.meeshka.net

In Kenya, the Masai, a nomadic tribe who raise cattle, cherish three things: their children, their land, and their cows. On September 11, 2001 they did not know what had happened in America. In fact, they did not know until June 2002 when Kimeli Naiyomah, a pre-med student at Stanford University, returned to visit his tribe in Kenya. The young elder, 25 years old, gathered his tribe and told the story of airplanes used as bombs crashing into tall buildings that reached the clouds, huge fires, people jumping to their deaths, heroes risking their own lives to save as many as possible, and finally, the tall buildings falling to the ground below.

The Masai were shaken, saddened, and angered by what they heard. Losing 3,000 people at once would eliminate their entire tribe. They wanted to do something to help. The Masai were able to collect 14 cows from their tribesmen to give to the United States.

PLEASE VISIT 14 COWS BLOG (click here)

AND 14 COWS FACEBOOK (click here)

Potato Tomato Famine Prevented?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:08:59 GMT

clipped by: ruralart

Clip Source: www.wooster.edu

Wooster Scientists Help to Close in on Microbe Threatening Tomato and Potato Crops

WOOSTER, Ohio - A menacing microbe, the same one responsible for the Great Irish Potato Famine, has been spreading throughout the northeastern United States since the early 1990s, threatening both tomato and potato crops in the region - but its days may be numbered. The genome of this disease-transmitting microscopic organism (Phytophthora infestans or plant destroyer) has been sequenced by a large group of scientists, which includes William Morgan, professor of biology, biochemistry and molecular biology at The College of Wooster, and Sophien Kamoun, formerly of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). The two worked collaboratively with nearly 50 other scientists over a 10-year period. Their findings were published in the Sept. 13 issue of Nature.

Birds of different species living together - or bird apartments?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:30:04 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Interesting!

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Nest of mates: The kestrels and barn owl who live together

In the human world, house-sharing is often dictated by the limitations of space and finance.

But when you're as free as a bird, surely there are no such strictures.

So quite why these kestrels decided to share a home with a family of barn owls is a mystery.

Far from being a unique pairing however, it is apparently part of a growing trend.

Barn owls in particular seem to attract the most varied tenants, with reports of the birds sharing with species including jackdaws and stock doves.

The Real Peacekeeprs - Obama and the Nobel Prize

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:08:22 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Excellent column!

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The Nobel committee did President Obama no favors by prematurely awarding him its peace prize

It is not the president’s fault, though, that the Europeans are so relieved at his style of leadership, in contrast to that of his predecessor, that they want to do all they can to validate and encourage it.

“Let me begin by thanking the Nobel committee for awarding me this prize, the highest award to which any statesman can aspire. As I said on the day it was announced, ‘I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize.’ Therefore, upon reflection, I cannot accept this award on my behalf at all.

“But I will accept it on behalf of the most important peacekeepers in the world for the last century — the men and women of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Here is the speech I hope he will give:

New Hoard of Anglo-Saxon Gold

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:05:36 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Very cool!

Clip Source: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk

The largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.

It will redefine the Dark Ages.

UK Detains Artists as Security Threat!

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:44:51 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Way to promote tourism and warm feelings UK - NOT!

Clip Source: jim4143.bravejournal.com

News Flash!!! Artists Detained in the UK

We landed at London’s Gatwick airport at 6:15am. We gathered our carryon bags and headed for customs.

We landed in Atlanta at 1pm and we were never so happy to be back in the US. The flight attendant handed us our envelopes containing our passports and told us not to open them. We walked, unescorted, to the immigration office. As the officer looked at the envelopes he said that we needed to be classified orange….I have no idea what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. He then changed that and said “wait a minute, you guys are American citizens, let me hurry up and get you guys on your way”. Finally, FREEDOM! He asked us why we had been denied entry and we explained to him the entire terrible situation. He explained, “we have a reciprocal agreement between the UK and us, they should have never done this to you”. I wish it had been him at the UK customs center instead of the moron that we dealt with. We were then sent on our way back home.

Cat Crosses Ocean, Australia

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:09:36 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Amazing!

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

Australian cat strays 2,400 miles, returns home

Clyde went on mysterious 3-year odyssey; embedded chip aided recovery

HOBART, Australia - A cat named Clyde was reunited with his owner on Wednesday after a mysterious three-year odyssey in which the long-haired Himalayan strayed 2,400 miles into the Australian Outback.

But no one has a clue how Clyde managed the 185-mile sea journey across the Bass Strait from Tasmania off mainland Australia's southeast coast, and then about more than 2,000 miles overland to Cloncurry, deep in the arid interior of the Outback.

Tags: cats, animals, cat, feline

Nikki Died From Our Lack of Health Care

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:58:42 GMT

clipped by: ruralart
clipper's remarks: Incredibly sad. Why should prisoners get more care than law-abiding citizens?

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The Body Count at Home

In the debate over health care, here’s an inequity to ponder: Nikki White would have been far better off if only she had been a convicted bank robber.

In any other rich country, Nikki probably would have been fine

if Nikki had been a felon, the problem could have been averted, because courts have ruled that prisoners are entitled to medical care.

After Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans, eight years ago on Friday, we went to war and spent hundreds of billions of dollars ensuring that this would not happen again. Yet every two months, that many people die because of our failure to provide universal insurance — and yet many members of Congress want us to do nothing?

By then it was too late. In 2006, Nikki White died at age 32. “Nikki didn’t die from lupus,” her doctor, Amylyn Crawford, told Mr. Reid. “Nikki died from complications of the failing American health care system.”

Tags: healthcare, health, death, reform