Archive for July 19th, 2008

An anonymous reader writes “The Washington Post reports, ‘The Air Force’s top leadership sought for three years to spend counterterrorism funds on “comfort capsules” to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world … Air Force documents spell out how each of the capsules is to be “aesthetically amusing and furnished to reflect the rank of the senior leaders using the capsule,” with beds, a sofa, a table, a 37-inch flat-screen monitor with stereo speakers, and a full-length mirror.’ Congress told the USAF twice that they couldn’t spend the money on this frivolous project, but they did it anyway.”

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Relay for Life draws 1300 to raise money in fight against cancer - Trading Markets (press release)

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Bush: Congress could take steps to ease gas prices - Houston Chronicle
CRAWFORD, Texas — Responding to Americans’ anger over gas prices and the housing bust, President Bush is stepping up pressure on Congress to open up offshore oil exploration and work to restore confidence in the housing finance industry. “This is a

Guns ruling spawns legal challenges by felons - San Francisco Gate
Twice convicted of felonies, James Francis Barton Jr. faces charges of violating a federal law barring felons from owning guns after police found seven pistols, three shotguns and five rifles at his home south of Pittsburgh. As a defense, Barton and

Radio Address by the President to the Nation - Forbes
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This is a challenging time for families across our nation. I know many families are worried about rising prices at the pump and declining home values. So this week my Administration took steps to help address both these

Housing Relief Bill Spells HOPE - The Ledger
WASHINGTON - After six months of haggling and political gamesmanship, a huge housing relief bill is heading for final approval. Though it has hundreds of pages and dozens of separate initiatives - including revamping federal oversight of mortgage

Bush: Lawmakers could take steps to ease gas prices, restore - International Herald Tribune
CRAWFORD, Texas : Responding to Americans’ anger over gas prices and the housing bust, U.S. President George W. Bush is stepping up pressure on Congress to open up offshore oil exploration and work to restore confidence in the housing finance

Bush: Congress could take steps to ease gas prices - San Diego Union-Tribune
CRAWFORD, Texas – Responding to Americans’ anger over gas prices and the housing bust, President Bush is stepping up pressure on Congress to open up offshore oil exploration and work to restore confidence in the housing finance industry. “This is

Inflation’s toll: French truckers protest, German exports fall, Spain - Newsday
— French truckers, farmers and fishermen are staging protests over high fuel prices. — One of Spain’s biggest real estate developers files for protection from creditors, with $7.9 billion in debt, as once-hot Spanish housing market slumps in

Inexpensive housing project opens in Baker Brook - CNW Group
BAKER BROOK, NB, July 19 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick officially opened an inexpensive housing project in Baker Brook, New Brunswick today, funded under the Canada-New Brunswick Inexpensive Housing Agreement. The

Discomfort, questions as teen on ventilator dies in power outage - Boston Globe
When the power went out early yesterday morning at the Orient Heights housing complex in East Boston, fans and air conditioners across the sprawling development fell silent. Inside Unit 169, the steady wheeze of Fernando Vargas’s ventilator, a device

Everett sex offender housing debate gets city’s notice - Everett Herald
EVERETT — Neighbors have been trying to find out the plans for what’s called the McManus mansion after a high-risk sex offender moved into the century-old home. Now the city is going to ask some questions, too. City officials plan to meet today

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Cowards Anonymous points out news that studies based on data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have found that vast regions of Mars contained rivers and lakes when the planet was young. The studies also recommend that the water existed for quite some time, often in standing pools, which are conducive to the formation of basic organic matter. NASA provides a color-enhanced pic of a delta within a crater. Quoting: “The clay-like minerals, called phyllosilicates, preserve a record of the interaction of water with rocks dating back to what’s called the Noachian period of Mars’ history, approximately 4.6 billion to 3.8 billion years ago. This period corresponds to the earliest years of the solar system, when Earth, the moon and Mars sustained a cosmic bombardment by comets and asteroids. Rocks of this age have largely been destroyed on Earth by plate tectonics. They’re preserved on the moon, but were never exposed to liquid water. The phyllosilicate-containing rocks on Mars preserve a one-of-a-kind record of liquid water environments possibly suitable for life in the early solar system.”

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In July, dumb stuff doesn’t matter - New Haven Register
In Pasadena, Calif., people are lined up outside a bank, hoping to get their money out before it goes belly-up, and John McCain’s friend Phil Gramm says we’re a nation of whiners, complaining about a recession that is only mental. But, we’re

Faked death puts wife on trial - Philadelphia Inquirer
LONDON - John and Anne Darwin were in trouble. Of that there’s no doubt. But their plan to put things right went extraordinarily wrong. Swamped by money problems, John Darwin cooked up a scheme early in 2002 to fake his death and collect $452,000 on

Know your money personality - News-Star
Answer: It sounds like you’re a “cautious-thinker” when it comes to money decisions. I find that people generally fit into one of four general categories when it comes to making money decisions. I call this your “money-personality.” All of us

Relay for Life draws 1,300 to raise money in fight against cancer - Herald & Review
DECATUR - They came, they walked and about 1,300 area residents came a few steps closer to conquering cancer Friday night at the 2008 American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Macon County. They walked all night and into the morning at Richland

Cosmic Markdown: EPA States Life Is Worth Less - Washington Post
Someplace else, people might tell you that human life is priceless. In Washington, the federal government has appraised it like a ‘96 Camaro with bad brakes. Last week, it was revealed that an Environmental Protection Bureau office had lowered its

Remembering loved ones as Race for Life resumes for women - Exeter Express-Echo
THOUSANDS of women will remember loved ones and raise money for charity when they take part in Race for Life at Westpoint tomorrow. Almost 3,000 women are walking, jogging or running the 5km event, which organisers hope will raise more than £275,000

Equitable Life compensation call - Guardian Unlimited
The Government should apologise to Equitable Life policyholders and compensate them for any money they lost as a result of its regulatory failure, the Parliamentary Ombudsman stated. In her long-awaited report into the Government’s regulation of the

Trial features sex, lies and massive bucks– but no tape - CNN
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — A real-life Hollywood drama featuring sex, lies and tons of money, is missing one essential: a tape. Private eye Anthony Pellicano already has been tried and convicted in a separate case. Alleged wiretaps of a

Norcross man gets six life sentences, then 211 years - Atlanta Journal Constitution
A Norcross man was sentenced Friday to six back-to-back life sentences plus 211 years for his role in “one of the most brutal and heinous crime sprees” ever to occur in Gwinnett County, prosecutors stated. Gustavo Cisneros, 22, was one of nine men

6 tips to save money and aggravation when planning a kitchen remodel - Seattle Times
A recent Consumer Reports survey found that, overall, adults are doing slightly more pleasing in their kitchens this day than 10 years ago. Information on contractors THE WASHINGTON STATE Department of Labor and Industries offers information on

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