60% living paycheck to paycheck Sep 22 2009 ConsumerAffairs.com . Counting down the hours until payday? You're not alone. As the economic downturn trudges on, many workers are struggling with household budgets. About six in 10 workers -- 61% -- report they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck just to make ends meet, compared with 49% last year and 43% in 2007, according to a new nationwide survey of more than 4,400 workers by CareerBuilder. Thirty percent of workers with salaries of $100,000 or more report that they too live paycheck to paycheck, versus 21% in 2008. Some workers are making ends meet by dipping into their long-term savings. More than one in five workers say they have reduced their 401(k) contributions or personal savings in the last six months to get by. Among workers earning six figures or more, a nearly equal number -- 23% -- report that they have also reduced their 401(k) contributions or savings. While some workers are tapping into their long-term accounts, others are having a hard time saving anything at all . More than one-third -- 36% -- say they do not participate in any programs such as a 401(k), IRA or retirement plan, compared with 31% in 2008.

America armed, but guns not necessarily loaded Associated Press – Wed Sep 23, 2:51 pm ET NEW ORLEANS – Bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition. Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation — even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks. Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before. "That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales," said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. "Without bullets a gun is just a paper weight." The shortage for sportsmen is different than the scarcity of ammo for some police forces earlier this year, a dearth fueled by an increase in ammo use by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Company, which makes bullets for rifles, handguns and shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business.“ Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year, that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds, said NRA spokeswoman Vickie Cieplak. Jason Gregory, who manages Gretna Gun Works just outside of New Orleans, has been building his personal supply of ammunition for months. His goal is to have at least 1,000 rounds for each of his 25 weapons.

"I call it the Obama effect," said Gregory, 37, of Terrytown, La. "It always happens when the Democrats get in office. It happened with Clinton and Obama is even stronger for gun control. Ammunition will be the first step, so I'm stocking up while I can." So far, the new administration nor Congress has not been markedly antigun. Obama has said he respects Second Amendment rights, but favors "common sense" on gun laws. Still, worries about what could happen persist. Demand has been so heavy at some Walmarts, a limit was imposed on the amount of ammo customers can buy. The cutoff varies according to caliber and store location, but sometimes as little as one box — or 50 bullets — is allowed. At Barnwood Arms in Ripon, Calif., sales manager Dallas Jett said some of the shortages have leveled off, but 45-caliber rounds are still hard to find. "We've been in business for 32 years and I've been here for 10 and we've never seen anything like it," Jett said. "Coming out of Christmas everything started to dry up and it was that way all through the spring and summer. Nationwide, distributors are scrambling to fill orders from retailers. "We used to be able to order 50 or 60 cases and get them in three or four days easy, it was never an issue," said Vic Grechniw of Florida Ammo Traders, a distributor in Tampa, Fla. "Now you are really lucky if you can get one case a month. It just isn't there because the demand is way up." A case contains 500 or 1,000 bullets. At Jefferson Gun Outlet and Range in Metairie just west of New Orleans, owner Mike Mayer is worried individuals are going to start buying by the case. "If someone wants to shoot on the weekend you have to worry about having the ammunition for them. And I know some people aren't buying to use it at the range, they're taking it home and hoarding it." With demand, prices have also risen. "Used to be gold, but now lead is the most expensive metal," said Donald Richards, 37, who was stocking up at the Jefferson store. "And worth every penny."

Grass Lake college student's strength saves life of her boyfriend September 15, 2009, 12:03AM College students Shelly Johnson, 22, and Aaron Cole, 24, found themselves in a life-and-death situation when Cole fell from a waterfall while hiking. Once in a while, we hear stories about people who find extraordinary strength in a time of crisis. Aaron Cole, a college student from Grass Lake, is fortunate those stories can be true. Otherwise he'd probably be dead. Cole, 24, and his girlfriend, Shelly Johnson, 22, also a college student from Grass Lake, were headed to Maine on a vacation when disaster struck Aug. 18. "We were in New Hampshire when we saw a beautiful waterfall and decided to climb to the top," said Cole, a graduate student studying speech pathology at Eastern Michigan University. On the hike, Cole started fooling around by walking in the water. It was not incredibly steep, but the water had lots of slippery algae and rocks. To Johnson, it looked dangerous. She pleaded with her boyfriend to get back on dry ground. "He's one of those daredevil kids, so it (the warning) did not do any good," Johnson said. Suddenly Cole slipped. For a split second, it seemed OK. "Then I lost control and could not stop," he said.

He careened about 120 feet, bashing his head on rocks. He stopped, bloody and unconscious, face-down in a pool of water. That was actually a lucky break because he just missed sliding off a tall drop-off. His second lucky break was the fact his girlfriend of four years is a senior nursing student at the University of Michigan. Cole was not breathing when she reached him, so she gave him a few "rescue breaths." It worked. Cole coughed and spit water. Johnson took off her swimming suit to bandage gashes on his head , then carried him down a hill that took them 45 minutes to climb. Most of the way, she said, she cradled him, talked to him and tried to keep him conscious. "With head injuries, I knew it was important to keep him from going into a coma," she said. Johnson is athletic — a state champion hurdler at Grass Lake — but it defies explanation that she, at 115 pounds, carried a 160-pound man so far. "She tried picking me up again the other day and could hold me for only a few seconds," Cole said. "If all the money in the world was placed on it now," she said, "I don't think I could do it again. It was adrenaline and God." Cole's third piece of luck came at the bottom of the hill. The first people to find them were an intensive-care nurse and an emergency-room nurse. The closest hospital was not equipped to handle serious head wounds, so Cole was airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. He was treated in intensive care for two days, but had no permanent brain damage. "Shelly is a true hero and deserves all the credit in the world for saving my life," Cole said. Johnson is not comfortable being called a hero, but she knows one thing. "He owes me ice cream for life," she said.

$21 Billion Orbiting Solar Array will Beam Electricity to Earth September 15th, 2009 (PhysOrg.com) -- The Japanese are preparing to develop a two trillion yen (approximately $21 billion USD) space solar project that will beam electricity from space in the form of microwaves or lasers to around 300,000 homes in Japan within three decades. The project, to be undertaken by a research group from 16 companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, aims to spend the next four years developing the technology needed to beam the electricity produced to earth. They expect that as fossil fuels run out, an orbiting solar power plant in space may be needed to provide a significant source of electricity in the future, according to the Kensuke Kanekiyo, from the Japanese Government's Institute of Energy Economics. The planned solar station will produce 1 Gigawatt of electricity from its four km2 (approximately 2.5 square miles) array of solar panels , which is enough to power just under 300,000 Tokyo homes, at present usage levels. Since the array will be in orbit some 36,000 km (22,500 miles) above the earth's surface, it will be unaffected by weather conditions and will be able to generate power constantly.

The U.S. agency NASA has been investigating the possibilities of a space-based solar system for several decades and has spent around $80 million on the research. They and other government agencies estimate the cost of electricity supplied from an orbiting solar array could be around $1 billion per megawatt, which is too expensive to be commercially viable. The Japanese realize the cost of building the solar station in orbit would be prohibitive at the moment, and the array could not be commercially viable at today's prices. The Japanese consortium therefore has to find ways of drastically reducing the costs. With the launch of a single rocket costing around 10 billion yen, the cost of the space solar station could be as high as two trillion yen, according to Koji Umehara, the Director of the Japanese Space Development and Utilization ministry, making the electricity supplied exorbitantly expensive. The first step in bringing the plans to fruition will be the launch in around 2015 of a satellite fitted with solar panels that will beam electricity to earth. JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to have the orbiting space solar system operational some time in the 2030s.

World’s Fastest Electric Superbike September 21, 2009 “ An electric superbike has broken a land speed record by bursting though the 150mph mark . The zero-emissions Mission One ridden by Jeremy Cleland became the fastest electric-powered vehicle when it hit an average speed of 150.059mph over two miles. On the day it broke the record, the plug-in racer also beat 70 per cent of the petrol-engine bikes competing at the famous Bonneville salt flats in the American state of Utah. And at one point, Mr Cleland hit 161mph as he tackled the two runs along a mile-long stretch. The San Fransico-made bike, which will be available next year $60,000 is powered by a 240-volt battery which takes two hours to charge. The company plans to sell 300 bikes in 2010, with the first 50 Premier Limited Edition models available for reservation now.”

“ Locked in desperate mid-air battle, the three eagles plunge towards the ground in a contest to see who will let go last. Between their claws lies a gasping fish freshly plucked from an Alaskan lake, now the target of fearsome talons as each eagle grapples for supper. This is not so much a desperate bid for food – instead it’s a macho show of strength between three birds who want to show who’s who in the pecking order .”

Audi R8 Spyder The only thing you could do to improve upon the coolest Audi ever is to make it go topless. The Audi R8 Spyder features a 5.2 V10 engine and a lot of sleek aesthetic changes such as the new drop top, a sharp alloy silver windshield frame, the elimination of “sideblades” and a stunning chocolate continue reading…

10 Gadgets That Allow Women To Pee Like Men September 22, 2009 “Do you always worry about the sanitation issues with public restrooms? Have you ever had a full bladder with no bathroom at hand and the thought of peeing like a man crossed your mind? No more waiting, squatting, holding on or hiding! There are some nifty gadgets that allow the women to pee standing up without losing their dignity or worrying about the unclean public restrooms. All the women have to do is to hold these gadgets against their vagina and pee straight away in a standing position. Every woman, at times, comes across situations in which she has to pee urgently, so here are some gadgets that might come in handy .”

UNL is renaming its reading center in honor of Kit and Dick Schmoker WHNS Published: Sunday, September 20, 2009 12:22 AM CDT LINCOLN -- A gift from a Minnesota couple will help take a five-year-old reading clinic at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to the next level. The UNL clinic -- which began operating in 2004 to help youngsters who struggle with reading -- has been named the Kit and Dick Schmoker Reading Center in honor of the donors, who gave $1 million to create an endowment to help support the program. Catherine "Kit" Schmoker, a graduate of the former Teachers College at UNL, is a member of a Lincoln banking family that owned the former National Bank of Commerce. She and her husband, Dick, a retired attorney, live in Edina, Minn. They were in Lincoln Thursday to attend the dedication of the newly named center. UNL officials say the facility is unique in the region. Its primary purpose is to teach teachers how to work with struggling readers. It also works directly with youngsters who have reading difficulties, providing tutoring services to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, mostly from the Lincoln area. "The Kit and Dick Schmoker Reading Center is making a significant difference in the lives of hundreds of children and student teachers," said Marjorie Kostelnik, dean of the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences, which was formed in 2003 when the Teachers College and the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences were merged.

Law Professor John Spencer calls for age of consent to be lowered to 13 September 22, 2009 2:06PM A NATIONAL radio program is to feature a call for the age of consent to be lowered to the age of 13. Law professor John Spencer will argue that the current age of consent, fixed at 16, criminalises "half the population". His controversial views will be debated on the BBC Radio 4 program Iconoclasts tomorrow evening. In a preview of the live program, BBC programme makers said that the Cambridge University academic will argue that it should be "legal" for young teenagers to have sex. He says the age of consent, fixed at 16 by Britain's Sexual Offences Act 2003, makes "criminals of half the population". The Daily Telegraph

Odd News Police: Boy used Bible page for joint Published: Sept. 21, 2009 at 3:12 PM SANDUSKY, Ohio, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Authorities in Ohio said a 16-year-old arrested for drug possession allegedly used a page torn from his Bible as a marijuana cigarette rolling paper. The Erie County sheriff deputy's report said the teenager's mother called authorities at about 11:35 p.m. Tuesday and asked deputies to meet her at a car wash on Ohio 101 in Margaretta Township, the Sandusky (Ohio) Register reported Monday. The mother told deputies she had seen her son smoking in his room and discovered a small bag of marijuana in his nightstand. The report said the woman told deputies the boy "was smoking a marijuana cigarette using a page from his Bible." Deputies confiscated the marijuana and the boy was arrested and charged with drug possession. UPI

Woman Gives Birth To 19.2lb Baby Boy September 24, 2009 “ Dwarfing the infant next to him, his mouth open in an angry roar, this is the heaviest newborn ever recorded in Indonesia . An Indonesian woman named only as Ani gave birth to the 19.2lb baby boy in Medan, North Sumatra yesterday. She named him Muhammad Akbar Risuddin after the local district chief. ‘Akbar’ means ‘big’ in Indonesian. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was delivered by Caesarean section.”

2009-09-23 - Weird News AHN Julia Roberts Hires 350 Security Guards For Protection While Filming In India Dehli, India (AHN) -- Julia Roberts has hired 350 security guards to protect her while she films in India. The Oscar-winning actress and her children, four-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and son Henry, two, are staying in the town of Pataudi, near the capital Delhi, while Julia shoots new film "Eat, Pray, Love." Julia and husband Danny Moder are so worried about their family's safety they have employed hundreds of bodyguards, including police officers and snipers. They are transported everywhere in bulletproof cars and helicopters patrol the skies 24 hours a day. But Julia's extreme security regime has enraged locals, who have been banned from attending a Hindu temple when the star is filming there. A police officer said: "Nobody can breach the cover. We have strict instructions." The restrictions are particularly upsetting for locals as September is one of the holiest months in the Hindu calendar. One worshipper said: "It's the holiest time of the year and we must not be stopped from visiting our own temple."

Honda U3-X Honda U3-X, the automaker's new personal mobility device. U3-X is a compact experimental device that fits comfortably between the rider��s legs, to provide free movement in all directions just as in human walking �C forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally(watch the video). U3-X 's wheel looks like a regular large wheel, but the wheel is actually made up of several small wheels in a series. It weighs under 22 pounds, uses an electric motor, with a seat and foot rests that fold into the device for ride and carry. No word on when it is available, but Honda is planning to show it off next month Tokyo Motor Show 2009. + More >>

2009-09-19 - Weird News AHN News Erectile Dysfunction Cream In The Making Bronx, NY (AHN) -- Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York are developing an erectile dysfunction cream that may be safer than Viagra, Cialis or Levitra tablets. The cream is made from nanoparticles that encapsulates tiny amounts of ED drugs, including nitric oxide. It only affects the area where it is applied unlike the orally-taken ED drugs which affect the whole body and causes side-effects like headache and vision problems. The cream's effect is also faster, only in a few minutes, than existing ED medications, which takes about 30 minutes to take effect. The researchers have successfully tested the cream on laboratory rats and the results of their study have been published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Their next step is human trials of the cream. The researchers, however, said it may take 10 years before the cream is approved by regulators for public consumption.

Bikini Baristas Caught Selling 'more' Than Just Coffee, According To Police Five women from the 'Grab-N-Go' espresso stand in south Everett now face prostitution charges. FOX News September 23, 2009 Baristas Charged With Prostitution For Lewd Acts Video Interview: Sgt Goetz Talks About 'Lewd Acts' From Bikini Baristas Video EVERETT - Everett Police say five baristas are in trouble for offering more than just coffee at an Everett espresso stand. Everett Police Sergeant Robert Goetz told Q13 FOX News that police concluded a two month investigation where they found 'terribly inappropriate' and lewd behavior. Five women from the 'Grab-N-Go' espresso stand in the 8000 Block of Broadway in Everett have been charged with prostitution and violating the city's Adult Entertainment ordinance. Police started their investigation after tips came in from customers. Sgt. Goetz says, "For extra money these women would expose their entire body. If they were wearing a bikini they would either take it off or at least lower it. There were some allegations... Complaints from our citizens that they were performing whip cream shows between two women." Police say, in one instance, an alarm went off at the espresso stand and when they responded, they found a naked barista. The owner of the business, Bill Wheeler, says the women who work at the 'Grab N Go' all sign a policy prohibiting the kind of behavior alleged by the police investigation. Wheeler says the policy will be strictly enforced and any violation means immediate termination. "Any girl caught doing anything illegal will be fired on the spot," says Wheeler. "Every girl that works for us knows that our policy states clearly, acceptable attire for work. They must cover their bottoms and use pasties, if necessary." Wheeler says no whip cream on bodies or sexual gestures are allowed. He says the the media should check the other stands in Everett as well and not just target his. He says he can't control every moment of every girl that works for him. Police say they are getting tips from other locations and investigations are on-going. If convicted the women could face 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Pot TV? New show focus on marijuana Wednesday, September 16, 2009 WEST LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) -- It's the latest in niche programming -- a TV show devoted exclusively to marijuana. The show's producer says his audience is hungry for more. Brad Lane is a television producer on a mission. While some might say his new TV show is half-baked, Lane would probably tell you it's almost completely baked. "The name of our show is 'Cannabis Planet,'" said Lane. "We're all about the merits of cannabis plant. Industrially, agriculturally, medicinally." Lane's half-hour show airs twice a week on KJLA. It features marijuana-related news, marijuana growing tips and even marijuana cooking advice from a bona fide chef. "I'm showing them that they can ingest it in every single meal of their life," said Chef Mike Delao. "Cannabis Planet" is a relatively low-budget endeavor. Lane says it costs about $10,000 a week to produce. He wants to eventually air it in every state that allows medical marijuana. It's fair to say he has high hopes for the show. "I get a ton of positive email from basically all around the world and all walks of life," said Lane. Lane says after just seven episodes, "Cannabis Planet" is starting to break even thanks to a handful of advertisers with names like Big Bud and MediCann. "Cannabis Planet" was originally going to air on KDOC in Orange County, but Lane says station management got cold feet. Lane then took "Cannabis Planet" to KJLA and its potentially five million viewers. Lane claims his late-night show most likely will be watched in about 30,000 homes. Lane then took "Cannabis Planet" to KJLA and its potentially five million viewers. Lane claims his late-night show most likely will be watched in about 30,000 homes. That's evidence, perhaps, that local TV is indeed going to pot. "You bet TV is going to pot, and it's a good thing," said Lane.

Animal-cruelty charges dropped against Burlington County cop Philadelphia Daily News During a bizarre hearing there yesterday, a Superior Court judge dismissed animal-cruelty charges against a Moorestown police officer accused of sticking his penis into the mouths of five calves in rural Southampton in 2006, claiming a grand jury couldn't infer whether the cows had been "tormented" or "puzzled" by the situation or even irritated that they'd been duped out of a meal. "I think any reasonable juror could infer that a man's penis in the mouth of a calf is torment," Morgan argued. "It's a crime against nature." Although a bill was introduced in 2005 to ban bestiality, New Jersey still has no explicit ban on the sexual penetration of animals, which is why the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office charged Melia with animal cruelty. Sex with cows is the least of Melia's problems, though. He and former girlfriend, Heather Lewis, of Pemberton Township, are also accused of sexually assaulting three young girls over a five-year period, sometimes in Melia's Cottage Avenue home in Moorestown, where he was a patrolman, authorities said. Melia has been suspended from the force, said a spokesman with the Prosecutor's Office. Melia and Lewis were both arrested in April 2008, shortly after one of the girls told her stepfather of the alleged abuse. During the course of the investigation, authorities also discovered child pornography on Melia's home computer as well as videos of him with the cows. Morley also ruled yesterday that the prosecution must turn over copies of images and videos from the computer to the defense, including one video that allegedly shows one of the girls being "subjected to sexual activity." Lewis, who also appeared in court yesterday, is also accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile male. Morley denied a defense motion to have Lewis's individual sexual assaults separated from Melia's case.

Thursday, September 17th, 2009 | Meet Nax, The Male Sex Doll Meet Nax, the male sex doll The Germans. Ah, the Germans. It seems they have created a real male sex doll for women and his name is Nax . Not only is Nax going bald on top with a long flowing ponytail a la Michael Bolton circa the ‘90s, he also sports a pubic bush that would make a forest jealous. Although the Germans describe Nax as “a giant of a man with athletic appeal”, it’s quite obvious that nary a woman would go near this hunk of plastic no matter how desperate she is for sex. Not only do women have no need for a male sex doll, if they did, why on earth would they opt for one that is so damn ugly? I mean, it’s bad enough that some women have to settle for less in the dating game, but if they’re going to pay upwards of $10,000 for a sex doll, it better look more like Corbin Bleu and less like David Spade with long brown hair Oh, and if you’re wondering, Nax isn’t always ready to go with a massive erection. Oh no, he has an “automatically soaring penis” and “artificial automatic ejaculation.” Now that sounds tempting. Read more at LemonDrop.com datedaily.com

Stills from the upcoming Woody Harrelson movie, Zombieland . More…

Furthest Point From McDonald's 22. September 2009 09:08 I came across this map today. It is a visualization by distance to the nearest McDonald's. First and foremost, this is not my data or visualization. I came across this on weathersealed.com on a post entitled Where The Buffalo Roam . The map is all cool and dandy, we have seen these kind of things with Wal-Mart, it really comes as no surprise. However, the best stat to take away from this is that the furthest point you can get away from a McDonald's in the contiguous US is in South Dakota , where you can be 107 miles away from the wonderment that is the McGriddle .

http:// calculators.lloydspharmacy.com/sexdegrees /

“ While sitting alone on the porch of his home late Monday afternoon, George W. Bush, 63, chuckled upon suddenly remembering that he was once the president of the United States of America for nearly a decade . “Huh,” uttered the amused former world leader, reflecting upon how for eight years he controlled the executive branch of the most powerful nation on earth, executed its federal laws, and acted as commander in chief of its 1.4 million active-duty troops. “President.” “Man, oh, man,” Bush added. “Ha!” According to neighborhood sources, Bush then clapped his hands together lightly and shook his head in apparent disbelief.”