Now you can be in debt too!

American culture has been exported to all sorts of countries for years, but now many of them are getting another fun and fundamental part of Americana: the credit card.  Of course, these places aren't blank slates, and many like to incorporate parts of their own culture.  Enter: the turkish credit card debt honor killing.

It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes Dies

The legendary soul singer, winner of Grammies, and perhaps is remembered even more for his role on Southpark as the voice of Chef, has passed on today.
His relatives found him collapsed next to treadmill in his home. Local medics tried to revive him at the scene but were unsuccessful.

Hayes was 65.

Bernie Mac Dies, Aged 50 years

Today the great comedian Bernie Mac has passed away. He died earlier this morning due to complications from pneumonia.
This is a real shame. Yet another great comedian, actor, entertainer gone to the great beyond. Let it be known that you will be missed, Bernie.

There are Just No Words

This is great. Blockbuster and Hollywood Video can no longer slap me with that failure to rewind fee anymore. I can buy a DVD Rewinder! Yes, folks, somebody has created a DVD Rewinder. You too can have it if you want to. Just a few dollars out of your pocket and you too can avoid all those fees for failing to rewind your DVDs.

' Artificial pancreas developed, twice as cool as your boring real one' - Engadget

This week MIT is carrying a story about replacement pancreatic technology this week. Honestly, Engadget made it funnier. Either way, if you want an internal organ with an operating system, this one's for you.

Edwards admits to extramarital affair

"Former U.S. senator and Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards admitted to an extramarital affair in an interview with ABC News, the network reported Friday. He denied being the father of the woman's child, as had been alleged in tabloid reports."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/08/edwards.affair/index.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5441195&page=1

This may seriously hurt his chance at a cabinet position in the Obama administration.

Your fingerprints will narc you out

I've always told my fingers to remember two things - never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut. Apparently, they don't have a choice in the matter.

Police now have the ability to analyse the traces of cannabis, cocaine and other drugs, or explosives, in a fingerprint itself.

An Antichrist Obama in McCain Ad?

Do I really need to expound on the absolute absurdity of this article?

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1830590,00.html?cnn=yes

"Perhaps the most puzzling scene in the ad is an altered segment from The 10 Commandments that appears near the end. A Moses-playing Charlton Heston parts the animated waters of the Red Sea, out of which rises the quasi-presidential seal the Obama campaign used for a brief time earlier this summer before being mocked into retiring it. The seal, which features an eagle with wings spread, is not recognizable like the campaign's red-white-and-blue "O" logo. That confused Democratic consultant Eric Sapp until he went to his Bible and remembered that in the apocalyptic Book of Daniel, the Antichrist is described as rising from the sea as a creature with wings like an eagle."

There really are no words...

In Beijing, Opening Ceremonies look awesome. . .too bad it hurts to breathe.

r
NBC will rebroadcast them tonight at 7:30pm. But until then a Photo Essay from NBC. This photo from the Associated Press (via MLive.com).

Georgia 'under attack' as Russian tanks roll in

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/08/georgia.ossetia/index.html

"Georgia's president said Friday that his country is under attack by Russian tanks and warplanes, and he accused Russia of targeting civilians as tensions over the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia appeared to boil over into full-blown conflict.

Georgia, located on the Black Sea coast between Russia and Turkey, has been split by Russian-backed separatist movements in South Ossetia and another region, Abkhazia."

Makes me wonder what would happen if Russia backed a separatist movement in Atlanta or Macon...

Everybody Needs A Little....Murder Plea?

So, there is this guy that wants an ice cream truck and he orders one from the ice cream truck dealership on the other side of the country. The problem is that he doesn't have the money but the ice cream truck purveyor won't give him a refund so he travels all the way out there and offs the guy. He gets caught and the prosecutor says that he might want to consider a plea, to which he responds:
"I'll take calzones, pizza, KFC chicken, Popeye's chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, carrot cake and ice cream."

Sold

full story here

Impeachment proceedings begin against Musharraf

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7547300.stm

Excerpts: "Pakistan's ruling coalition parties say they will begin impeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf.

Mr Musharraf has previously said he would resign rather than face impeachment proceedings but he has made no comment yet on the latest move.

The president is still thought to have heavy influence over the military and its reaction will remain crucial."

Comment: Maybe someone will crack down on al-Qaeda in Pakistan now...

Toshiba Releases 32GB NAND

Three years ago NAND in this capacity and physical size, no less, did not seem like a reality in the near future. Now, Toshiba, has used a 42-nanometer process to create this embedded NAND which means that it will soon be in a portable device near you.

Full story here.

Fox isn't so "Fair and Balanced", afterall

I am sure, just as I am, that you are shocked by this revelation.

Watch the provided video in total amazement.

:-/

Price Of Gas Rises To Four Expletives Per Gallon

Gasoline prices rose to a record-high four expletives per gallon Monday, a rate of fuel-price-related cursing not seen since the 1979 energy crisis sparked a nationwide obscenity boom.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/price_of_gas_rises_to_four (link is likely NSFW or young eyes)

Commentary: You know, I'd honestly rather see a Paris Hilton energy policy than watch petroleum prices skyrocket. Thankfully, local gasoline prices seem to have had the bottom pulled out from under them; they have plummeted 35 cents in the last few weeks. I remember when I started driving... but I digress. No complaints about falling prices from me, but it's a sad day when I yearn for the post-Hurricane Katrina prices of $3.39/gallon of unleaded 87.

Cocktail: The Negroni

The Negroni is essentially an Americano plus gin. The drink is served on the rocks in an old fashioned glass with an orange peel.

1 part Gin
1 part Sweet Vermouth
1 part Campari

Stir into glass over ice, garnish, then serve.


Cin-cin!

'Energy crisis solved, I'll see you at the debate, bitches'

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Coup in Mauritania

It has been a long, bad day for the Government of Mauritania. The only real news out of Nouakchott is that the new Junta governing this unstable country in the West African sahel has promised expedited elections in a fair and transparent manner. Hopefully something good can come out of this in a country riddled with more corruption than all the US Presidential Administrations, plus all US Congresses combined.

Good News in Conservation

In a piece of great news, the number of lowland gorillas is up. Certainly one of the most majestic of the Great Apes, the Lowland Gorilla was thought to have a population significantly under 100.000. The new information today about the global population of these animals is wonderful, showing their population to be near or over 200.000. While this is not the end of the conservation efforts to save these Gorillas, it certainly is a heartening bit of news.

Perchlorate on Mars

After the landmark discovery of water on the surface of our sister planet, Mars, other discoveries have been made. One of the most interesting is that natural perchlorate has been found. Since perchlorate is a component of jet fuel, it was important to ensure that the perchlorate did not come from contamination. However, it has been determined that the perchlorate is not a contaminant, but rather, a natural part of the Martian soil system.

What does this mean? Well, since perchlorate is an alkaline poison, it is possible that it could negate the existence of life on Mars. However, it is also possible that there are extremophiles that are living in the Martian soil.

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