Sarcastically Yours

For the First Time, Obama Official Sketches Out End to War on Terror : Two successive presidents have failed to describe what an end to the 11-year-long war on terrorism actually looks like. But in a Friday speech, the Pentagon's top lawyer offered precisely that vision.

'Canada will not let the Jews or Israel stand alone' : Canadian foreign minister says Abbas should have used the support he received to reach out to Israel for peace talks.

Report: Senator calling for answers from Hyundai and Kia over MPG debacle : Filed under: Car Buying , Hyundai , Kia Hyundai and Kia have already gone public with plans to make good on the inflated fuel economy claims scandal that has rocked both companies in recent weeks. But one US senator, Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), is skeptical that the general public will see much good from the proposal, and he's looking for answers. To recap: Hyundai/Kia have agreed to compensate owners of 900,000 affected vehicles for real versus previously claimed fuel mileage (as well as adding in a one-percent premium), by way of pre-loaded debit cards. It has been speculated that this payout could crest $100 million by the time the Korean automakers are done writing checks. Said Rockefeller to The Detroit News , "While I believe this is a positive step, I am concerned that many affected customers may not learn about the program or may find it burdensome to participate in the program....

A dreadful hoax! : This rang true to me. The education system I was put through did exactly this... (The South Park-ish style also made me smile.)

Imagine a world in which Nicolas Cage is in every movie ever made : ( Video link ) It feels like Nicolas Cage is in every single movie, but he actually isn't! He's just in quite a few of them, and I commend him for keeping busy. But what if he really did make his way into some of our most beloved movies? Through the magic of editing, Pleated Jeans has inserted Mr. Cage into a selection of classic movies so we can, for a short time, imagine how much better everything would be with him in it. Because My Girl ? Such a downer. But not with Nicolas Cage. (via Flavorwire )

Congress Looks at Eliminating the $1 Bill : The Mint is preparing a report for Congress showing how changes in the metal content of coins could save money.

How Hong Kong Could Help the Chinese Yuan Replace the Dollar : The importance of Hong Kong in promoting China's currency around the world.

Rice holds stakes in firms that have done business in Iran - The Washington Post

I hope that was his wish list because it is far from a compromise. ~~~ What Geithner offered the GOP : President Obama demanded Thursday that Congress relinquish control over federal debt levels and approve at least $50 billion in fresh spending to boost the economy next year as part of a deal to avert the year-end fiscal cliff, senior Republican aides said. Read full article >>

Brazil economy surprisingly weak, adds to global fears : SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's economy posted extremely disappointing growth in the third quarter, piling pressure on President Dilma Rousseff to make deeper structural reforms and adding to fears that big emerging markets are getting dragged into the stagnant morass of the global economy.

Officers patrol Santa Ana area where fight broke out : SANTA ANA – Gang-detail officers are providing extra patrol Thursday in the area of West Camille Street after a confrontation between a large crowd and police officers Wednesday evening, authorities said. Shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, an Orange...

Amazing. ~~~ Inside an Amazon Warehouse : redletterdave writes "In each one of Amazon.com's 80 fulfillment centers around the globe, Amazon relies on barcodes and human hands rather than robots or automation to find and ship the proper items in a quick and efficient manner. Without robots, Amazon utilizes a system known as 'chaotic storage,' where products are essentially shelved at random but are tagged with barcodes to be scanned at every step of the ordering, selection and shipping process. The real advantage to chaotic storage is that it's significantly more flexible than conventional storage systems. If there are big changes in a product range, the company doesn't need to plan for more space, because the products or their sales volumes don't need to be known or planned in advance if they're simply being stored at random. Free space is also better utilized in a chaotic storage system, and it's also a major time saver to not organize products...

This Asshat AT&T Store Rep Wears His iPad In His Ass : Last week I went to an AT&T store to get a new microSIM card for a Nokia Lumia 920. There, this happened: the AT&T rep went on to get the card and, when we leaned down, he had his iPad in the ass. More »

Even with all these stem cell discoveries, the majority is still going to want stem cells from embryos. ~~~ Scientists Can Now Make Stem Cells From Blood : Until now, scientists have relied on embryos or complex techniques using skin cells to create stem cells. Now, though, a team from Cambridge University has manged to create them from the blood of a patient —which could make regenerative medicine a more real possibility than ever. More »

Where's all the beef gone? : Texas is suffering a serious shortage of cattle.

Xbox 720 to debut by 2013 holiday season, report says : The next-generation Xbox could see the light of day by this time next year, sources reportedly told Bloomberg.

Egypt assembly backs constitution : Egypt's Islamist-dominated constituent assembly backs a draft constitution as judges threaten to dissolve it amid a power struggle with the president.

Firms bidding for Twinkies brands : One of the best-known US snack food brands may survive as its bankrupt owner reveals it is in talks with 110 potential buyers.

YouTube’s 18 Most Epic Sports Meltdowns : 1. Handball Player Drops His Shorts and, Uh, Does Other Things Too This Italian handball player instantly entered the pantheon of all-time sports meltdowns recently when he, shall we say, overreacted to a sarcastic peck from an antagonistic opponent. Click here to view this gallery. Freak-outs, meltdowns, tantrums, hissy fits -- call 'em what you want, but sports figures losing their cool in public is highly entertaining. From thrown chairs to ejected players, head-butts to grabbed nuts, other people's indignation never fails to draw a laugh. SEE ALSO: 25 of YouTube’s Funniest Sports Fails Thanks to YouTube, we get to relive classic moments over and over again. That means we'll never be without John McEnroe calling a line judge a jerk, or Mike Gundy being a man who is 40, or Brian Wilson taking a bat to a Gatorade cooler in the San Francisco Giants' dugout. It's the small mercies that make being a sports f...

UN upgrades Palestinians' status : The UN General Assembly votes to grant the Palestinians non-member observer state status, a move opposed by Israel and the US.

After my own study of Revelation 1-7 with a Greek Interlinear Bible, I am thoroughly convinced of the Rapture taking place during the Sixth Seal which will start the 7 year Tribulation. I'll start working on my thesis so I can post it.

Obama and Romney meet for lunch : US President Barack Obama has lunch with defeated rival Mitt Romney in their first post-election meeting, as fiscal cliff talks falter in Congress.

Lost nearly had a completely different leader, who probably wouldn't have grown a beard : Remember the Bad Jack Beard from Lost ? The one on Matthew Fox's face that kept insisting that everyone had to go back to the island? If the show's creators had gone with their original plan, that beard would have never existed. In an excerpt of The Revolution Was Televised ( featured on Grantland ), Alan Sepinwall's new book about the making of ABC's cult hit, it's revealed that despite his early, leaderly standing among the castaways, Jack (Fox) was almost offed and replaced by Kate (Evangeline Lilly). In the vein of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (or even the pilot of Oz ), they planned to pull the rug out from under the audience by killing Jack midway through the first episode, forcing Kate to take charge. After this sudden demise, viewers would realize no one was safe. [Damon] Lindelof says Steve McPherson, then the head of the ABC studio, made a convincing counter...

Prisoner found with phone + charger in anal cavity : Luckily he's not an iPad owner A Scottish man has been given an extra stretch inside after prison officials found him trying to smuggle both a mobile phone and its charger into prison up his bottom.…

'Innocence of Muslims' Filmmaker Surfaces With Potential Key Document (Exclusive) : A Google lawyer has met with Mark Basseley Youssef in jail. The controversial producer allegedly said he doesn't want the movie to be removed from YouTube and has provided evidence that potentially aids that hope. read more

Frozen Water and Organic Material Discovered on Mercury : For the first time, scientists have confirmed that the planet Mercury holds water ice and organic material in permanently shadowed craters at its North Pole.

Judge Gives Bradley Manning Permission to Plead Guilty for WikiLeaks Dumps : A military judge in Maryland has accepted the terms under which alleged WikiLeaks leaker Bradley Manning has proposed to plead guilty.

Staples Announces In-Store 3-D Printing Service : Pretty soon you'll be able to print your 3-D projects at the local Staples. A new service called "Staples Easy 3D" will allow customers to upload their designs to Staples' website, then pick up the printed objects at their local office supply megastore, or have them shipped to their home or business ? not unlike the photo and document-printing service the company already offers.

Jobless Claims Drop 5.5% : But four-week moving average up 1.9%.

Germany displaces China as US Treasury's currency villain - Telegraph

Watch All the James Bonds In This Perfect Animated GIF : Some times GIFs are funny. Other times they are horrifying. And then, some have Hitler . But, in occasion, you find the absolutely perfect GIF. This, my friends, is one of those GIFs. More »

This Generator Steals Energy From Passing Trains : It's estimated that in the US alone there's over 140,000 miles of train tracks criss-crossing the country. So a team of researchers from New York's Stony Brook University have developed a simple railside generator that's able to convert the vibrations from a passing train into usable electricity. More »

Stop Hitting Yourself FAIL :

It seems like the JL movie is kind of designed to be in the Nolan world. ~~~ Injustice... : Not again, you suits...  While I love Christopher Nolan 's interpretation of Batman , I am not slavishly devoted to it... I love " Batman Begins ," I adore " The Dark Knight ," and sadly disappointed in " The Dark Knight Returns ."  I feel the last one is Nolan's least developed.  It felt like something he had to do, not want to do.  I think Joseph Gordon Levitt is one of those rising young stars.  He's an incredibly gifted actor who has a promising future. Just not as Batman . And certainly not one that happens to not be Bruce Wayne .  That is the character that will always be tied to the meaning for there being a Batman in the first place.  There is a purpose to who he is and what he wants.  His wealth is a gift for his vengeance on a cruel world that he is trying to right.  He is no street vigilante.  He is no cop....

Miss Directions... : Make the jump to Hyperspace...  And so we have more rumors of Matthew Vaughn directing Episode VII ... Several sites are reporting an interview with Jason Flemyng , where he supposedly lets slip that Vaughn is working on the much hyped sequel to the successful franchise.  Now, it's not direct confirmation, but it's one more step in the line of confirmation that the director is in line to direct the film. There are supposedly three directors that Kennedy and Lucasfilm have been talking to.  The Bothans I've talked to have said that Jon Favreau was the favorite to actually take the reigns of this productions.  I would much prefer Vaughn to him, but above all, I want Brad Bird .  He would create an amazing Star Wars film.  And if I can't have him for the first one, then maybe he can direct the TESB of this trilogy, or at least the Jedi closer.  And as much as I love Guillermo del Toro , and I know his name has b...

Boehner: ‘No substantial progress’ on ‘fiscal cliff’ after Geithner meeting - The Washington Post

Mortgage-interest deduction could be on the table in ‘fiscal cliff’ debate - The Washington Post

Hugh Jackman in Talks to Reprise Wolverine in New 'X-Men' Movie (Exclusive) : The actor would join original trilogy stars Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in Bryan Singer's film, which also stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult. read more

I don't think Disney wants this kind of publicity. ~~~ Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Director Draws Heat for Controversial Superhero Article : UPDATED: Slurs and graphic descriptions of sex acts are littered throughout "The 50 Superheroes You Most Want to Have Sex With," which has recently disappeared from James Gunn's personal website. read more

What to do on Mt. Everest when you're dead : We all know that people do sometimes die while attempting to climb Mt. Everest. But it's easy to overlook what happens to those people after they've died. You can't bring a body down from the mountain. In fact, many of the people who have died there had to be abandoned before they were dead because they couldn't walk and no one could carry them safely back to a place they could get medical care. And that means Mt. Everest is littered with dead bodies. Between 1922 and 2010, 219 people died on the mountain. In death, many of these bodies have become famous — some even serving as landmarks that help climbers gauge where they are and how far they have to go. Smithsonian.com has a fascinating short piece about the lives and afterlives of the dead on Mt. Everest. This excerpt is about the body whose boots are pictured above: The body of “Green Boots,” an Indian climber who died in 1996 and is believed to be Tsewang P...

Aged badly. ~~~ 'That 70s Show' star arrested in North Carolina : STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- "That `70s Show" star Lisa Robin Kelly is free on bond after being arrested for assault....

Is Russia Running a Secret Supply Route to Arm Syria? : Documents released by the hacker group Anonymous appear to reveal previously unknown shipments of repaired helicopter gunships from Russia to Syria

What If There Was a Cold War Between the U.S. and China? : What If There Was a Cold War Between the U.S. and China?

Netflix Gambles on Big Data to Become the HBO of Streaming : Reed Hastings has a dream. Actually, it's more of an obsession. The Netflix CEO wants the streaming video service to become the next HBO but without the cable subscription. It's a bold plan and if Netflix can pull it off, it'll change the way you watch TV.

Japanese Comedy: So Funny, It Hurts : Much has been written about Japan?s gross national cool?the worldwide demand for the country?s fashion, cuisine, anime, manga, videogames, and consumer electronics. But less attention has been paid to the country?s gross national gross?unscripted TV shows focused on imaginatively disgusting and cruel physical challenges?even though they?re just as popular and influential.

America planned to NUKE THE MOON : Carl Sagan worked on plan to demonstrate military might, says CNN report America once hatched a plan to nuke the moon, according to a report from CNN .…

Strawberry fields ... not forever : GARDEN GROVE – They are sweet and delicious and for many of the old-timers in this city, the stuff of memories. They are strawberries. They're the city's emblem. And now they're gone. The last strawberry field in Garden Grove – home to an annual...

Newport council puts off vote on dock-fee increase : NEWPORT BEACH – Council members decided to put off a decision on raising residential dock fees after residents raised a number of issues regarding the proposal and an association of 1,200 dock owners threatened to boycott the city's iconic...

Campaign treasurer gets 8 years for fraud : Kinde Durkee's theft of millions of dollars from her political clients is called a 'significant and egregious offense.' She is ordered to pay more than $10.5 million in restitution. SACRAMENTO — Former campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison for fraud and ordered to repay more than $10.5 million to politicians from whom she stole.

California school districts face huge debt on risky bonds : About 200 districts have borrowed billions of dollars using so-called capital appreciation bonds. Districts may have to pay 10 to 20 times the amount borrowed. Two hundred school districts across California have borrowed billions of dollars using a costly and risky form of financing that has saddled them with staggering debt, according to a Times analysis.

The Biggest Ever Black Hole Weighs 17 Billion Times More Than the Sun : Every spiral galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, so they're no big deal, right? Wrong: scientists have just discovered the biggest ever black hole, which weighs 17 billion times as much as our Sun—and it throws previous thinking about the evolution of our universe into question. More »

Look at These Two Pilots Barely Escape Death : This is completely terrifying. These guys were probably about one second from blowing up in a jet fuel fireball, but they managed to eject with only a hair standing between them and oblivion. Barely . More »

Tony Fadell: Apple's Forstall 'got what he deserved' : The "father of the iPod" says that the ouster of iOS overseer Scott Forstall -- with whom he'd had his own clashes -- was the right thing for Apple.

Time Warner CEO wants Apple to make a TV : Jeff Bewkes also says TV isn't dead and is actually a better business than the Internet.

Internet 'cut off across Syria' : The internet and mobile phone systems are cut off in Syria, a global monitoring firm says, amid a major military operation.

Comic for November 29, 2012 :

The World's Most Expensive Lego Is A $14,500 Solid Gold Brick : With all the insane, high tech Lego contraptions running around these days, it's easy to overlook the beauty in a single, elemental brick — unless that element is solid, 14-carat gold. More »

And the politicians and their media and banker backers are going to keep it that way. ~~~ Ron Paul: Both parties are dinosaurs

A truly harebrained scheme to prevent Obama’s second term

Yeah, you know this is coming. ~~~ Will theme parks charge more at busy times? | pricing, parks, theme - The Orange County Register

UCLA Vandals Call Asian Women 'Honkie white-boy worshipping Whores' : The Vietnamese Student Union sign at UCLA was hit this week by vandalism calling Asian women "Honkie white-boy worshipping Whores." Campus police are investigating the incident, which was first noted by a student on Tuesday morning. [ more › ]

Windows Blue: Microsoft's Plan To Release a New Version of Windows Every Year - Slashdot

Could Online Poker Help Avert the Fiscal Cliff? : It's not inconceivable that an online poker bill could help raise the revenue needed to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Gold Ponzi Scheme Starting to Collapse? : Giant Gold Bullion Dealer Says that Hurricane Sandy Is Preventing Delivery of Physical Gold Today We’ve extensively documented that central banks and large gold dealers – in a giant ponzi scheme – have overstated their gold holdings . We’ve noted that traders who have already paid the full price for delivery of specific bars of gold are having trouble receiving them . In light of the foregoing, CME’s declaration that a natural disaster (called “force majeure” by lawyers)  prevents it from delivering physical gold, platinum and palladium is suspicious indeed. As Gold Core reports : CME Group declared a force majeure at one of its New York precious metals depositories yesterday, run by bullion dealer and major coin dealer Manfra, Tordella and Brooks (MTB), due to “operational limitations” posed by Hurricane Sandy. MTB has “operational limitations” following Hurricane Sandy and can’t load gold bullion, platinum bullion or palladium bulli...

An animated Indy show is a good idea. ~~~ The Next Holy Grail... : Da, da, da, da, da, da, da...  Now that the Mouse has finally done what I've been crusading for, it's time to get off that soapbox... And get on another one.  The fact that we're going to have more Star Wars films is great news.  For fans, and for the series itself.  But since Lucasfilm owns Indiana Jones I wish to now get Disney to make more adventures of the Man in the Hat . No, I'm not talking about a new film.  I'm talking about that animated series that Paul Dini wants to make. And yes, I know, I've mentioned it before .  But now that Disney owns Luke and Leia , it's time to move on to a new obsession. It's not just me, artist Patrick Schoenmaker , he's the one that did the incredible art that I used for this post has been animating a short to show Lucasfilm that it should go ahead with an animated series.  He's doing it on his own dime and his ...

Escalating Delinquency Rates Make Student Loans Look Like the New Subprime : Now that student loans are undeniably in bubble territory, the officialdom is starting to wake up and take notice. Evidence that students were taking on so much debt as a group that it was undermining their ability to be Good American Consumers wasn’t enough. A recent New York Fed study found that 94% of recent graduates had borrowed to help pay for their education, and average debt levels among student borrowers is $23,000. Remember, that average includes seasoned borrowers, who presumably borrowed less and also in many cases reduced the principal amount of their loans, so the average amount borrowed by recent grads is certain to be higher. Student debt is senior to all other consumer debt; unlike, say, credit card balances, Social Security payments can be garnished to pay delinquencies. As a result, it has contributed to the fall in the homeownership rate, since many young people who want to buy a house can...

This Is An Awkward Birthday Moment Presented by This Is 40 : We wait all year for the one event that’s all about us, but when the big day arrives it’s usually just a big letdown.  Our siblings steal our presents, our friends forget it’s our birthday, our hair catches fire… Well, it’s time to be rewarded for your suffering. In honor of This Is 40 (in theaters December 21) we are proud to celebrate all of your awkward birthday moments in the Awkward Birthday Gallery . And we are inviting you to submit your own awkward birthday pics until 12/3. The photo deemed the most awkward will receive a very special prize: a guest appearance on The Awkward Family Photos “Birthday Episode” airing on Youtube’s Nerdist Channel on December 7th! If you thought your birthday was awkward, wait until you have a chat with Mike and Doug. Submit your birthday photos here . See the awkward birthday gallery here . And check out This Is 40 in theaters December 21!

Star Wars: How Writers Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg Will Expand the Galaxy : Sources tell THR that each will write separate projects, not necessarily "Episode 8" and "Episode 9" -- a plan similar to Marvel's movies around "The Avengers." read more

Obama backs Reid’s filibuster reform effort

Exclusive - Calpers triggers legal fight with bankrupt San Bernardino over pension debt : LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - America's biggest public pension moved aggressively against the bankrupt city of San Bernardino, California, on Tuesday night over the city's decision to halt payments to the fund.

Belgian finds missus was born a MAN after 19 YEARS of marriage : Bloke left crying, gamed A somewhat upset Belgian has recounted how he discovered his Indonesian missus was actually a born a bloke, but only after after 19 years of wedlock during which the couple enjoyed normal sexual relations.…

And incredibly there's a group fighting for the right to continue having sex with animals. ~~~ Germany moves to ban bestiality : Germany's ruling coalition aims to ban sex with animals, in a legal change to strengthen animal welfare.

Major overhaul for Spanish banks : The European Commission gives the go-ahead to a major restructuring of four nationalised Spanish banks, which includes thousands of job losses.

Polish ritual slaughter 'illegal' : The top court in Poland says the religious slaughter of animals breaks the law, weeks before the EU is due to allow the practice.

There's a Special Nobel Prize For the Genius Behind These Candy Cane Spoons : Candy canes are one of those seasonal treats that only appear in stores during the holidays. So to maximize your candy cane intake this Christmas these minty spoons will let you integrate one into every meal. More »

We're getting a foot of rain? ~~~ What Is an Atmospheric River? : A gigantic storm is set to hit the West Coast later today , bringing with it over a foot of rain. It's what meteorologists call an Atmospheric River—but what is that, exactly? More »

Palestinian vote: UK may abstain : Foreign Secretary William Hague says the UK will abstain in a key vote on Palestinian status at the UN unless further assurances are given.

Saudi diplomat killed in Yemen : A Saudi diplomat and his bodyguard are killed in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, by gunmen dressed as security forces who opened fire on their car.

Sunken ship 'a lesson for Israel's future' : Mission to raise Israeli ship sunk at nation's 1948 birth

The Rage Face Drinking Game :

BP banned from new US contracts : BP is temporarily suspended from new contracts with the US government, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

Two and a Half actor apologises : An actor in Two and a Half Men, one of America's most-watched television comedies, apologises for calling the show "filth".

No thank you. ~~~ News Blooper: What the Vacuum Cleaner Guy Saw : A news blooper that went viral Tuesday features a woman making a odd -- and seemingly unintentional -- non sequitor about her and the vacuum cleaner man.

Why Joseph Gordon-Levitt Would Be a Great Batman for <em>Justice League</em> : With rumors circulating that the actor could don the cowl, here's a case for why he would be a good addition to DC's superhero team-up flick.

'Four killed' by US mushroom soup : A fourth person has now died after eating soup made with poisonous mushrooms at a retirement home in northern California, local officials say.

Outrage at "Jewish list" call in Hungary parliament : BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A call in the Hungarian parliament for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security sparked international condemnation of Nazi-style policies and a protest outside the legislature in Budapest on Tuesday.

James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart to Star in New 'X-Men' : Bryan Singer, director of "Days of Future Past," tweeted the news Tuesday. read more

No surprises there. ~~~ U.S. withholds China currency manipulator label : WASHINGTON (Reuters) - TheTreasury on Tuesday said China's currency remained undervalued, but stopped short of labeling the world's second-biggest economy a currency manipulator.

Romney should have kept hammering away on this issue. ~~~ Republicans gaining traction on Libya : Susan Rice's meeting with her Republican Congressional critics Tuesday didn't go well, and there are increasing signs that the fallout from the attack in Benghazi is hurting the Obama Administration, according to a new poll. Read full article >>

Rand Paul: GOP ‘in danger of becoming a dinosaur’

A fair and realistic compromise I think. ~~~ GOP introduces Dream Act alternative : Republicans have introduced legislation to allow young people brought to the United States by their parents illegally to receive legal residency if they seek higher education or enlist in the military. Read full article >>

Terrifying ghost-elevator prank : Here's footage of a vicious and terrifying prank from a Brazilian candid-camera show, in which victims were put in an gimmicked elevator whose lights went out, allowing a small girl in horror-makeup to sneak out of a hidden compartment and "appear" when the lights came back on, ready to scream at them. Extremely Scary Ghost Elevator Prank in Brazil ( via Super Punch )

400,000 Reasons for Nintendo to Worry : Selling 400,000 Wii U systems isn't as exciting as you think.