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A marvelous painting of a gourmand at his table hangs in the Musée Carnavalet in Paris — a portly, pink-faced figure happily gorging on a regal casserole, with a bottle of wine at one elbow and a luscious-looking soufflé at the other. It is traditionally believed to be a portrait of Alexandre-Balthazar-Laurent Grimod de la Reynière, an aristocrat notorious in Napoleonic France for gratifying his palate with the same abandon as his contemporary the Marquis de Sade showed in indulging carnal desires. Whether or not the painting is actually Grimod’s likeness, it captures the eccentric, omnivorous spirit that made him...

The CDC now reports that nearly 4,000 Americans have been killed by H1N1 swine flu. This number is supposed to sound big and scary, motivating millions of people to go out and pay good money to be injected with untested, unproven H1N1 vaccines. "Conservative calculations estimate that approximately 107,000 patients are hospitalized annually for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-related gastrointestinal (GI) complications and at least 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur each year among arthritis patients alone." (Singh Gurkirpal, MD, “Recent Considerations in Nonsteroidal

A few years ago rivals mocked Jonney Shih, chairman of Asustek, and his purse-size laptop computers. Millions of netbooks later, Shih is having the last laugh. On a hillside above the Hsing Tian Kong temple in the northern reaches of Taipei, Jonney Shih sits on a wobbly stool next to an ornate low wooden table. Dressed in a taupe suit, white shirt, and silver tie emblazoned with jaguars, Shih, 57, cheerfully waves off three umbrella-wielding employees who try in vain to shield their boss from the hot sun and a swirl of menacing bees. But Shih, who is waiting to...

Beer is the third-most-consumed liquid in the world (after water and tea), but not long ago it was still surprisingly hard to find a decent beer bar in Los Angeles. No, not an ultra lounge cordoned off by velvet ropes and cologne-soaked bouncers or a high-end speakeasy specializing in retro cocktails. A bar. One that serves craft-brewed beer. Not anymore. The beer is pouring. A handful of new beer bars, such as recently opened Stout in Hollywood and soon-to-open the Surly Goat in West Hollywood are making the city more amenable to suds sippers. And after 18 painful months of...

Ricardo Gonzalez of theamericano.com wrote, "The last two times I have listened to George Lopez he has been both vulgar and anti-white.""He plays the Latino part pretty strong. If it's about offending older white people, it's not gonna hurt him a bit, that demographic is sort of played out," said Guy Garcia."He just says things we say at our dinner table that we're afraid to say in public.

<p>WASHINGTON — Rep. Emanuel Cleaver wanted people to stop complaining for a day and count their blessings.</p> <p>What he got, however, was just more complaints.</p> <p>Indeed, the Missouri Democrat was on the receiving end this week of an angry torrent of ill will from conservative Web sites about him and about Congress.</p>

How often do you shop for groceries? I don't mean for the last-minute half-gallon of milk or package of cigarettes from the convenience store, but the heavy-duty grocery shopping. All the older siblings and their spouses appeared to shop once a week, filling up the automobile or van to the rafters. I on the other hand have always emulated the parents, who shopped for groceries every single day excepting Sundays (but then and again, it needs pointed out franksolich has no spouse and dependents, so it's a somewhat different sort of thing). In the town of circa 3,000 alongside the...

The Twilight Saga: New Moon grossed $72.7 million on Friday, according to estimates from Summit Entertainment, shattering The Dark Knight’s previous opening-day record of $62.2 million. (The figure includes the $26.3 million New Moon banked from midnight screenings, also a box office record.) The astronomic figure puts Bella, Edward, and Jacob on a clear path to the biggest opening weekend ever, all the more impressive considering New Moon is opening in 342 fewer theaters than The Dark Knight did last year.

If you thought your boss was tough, try working at the Paradou restaurant. The owner of the Meatpacking District bistro made George Steinbrenner and Donald Trump look like pussycats, when he sent a profanity-laden e-mail memo to his staff demanding they get customers' e-mail addresses or be fired. "WHAT THE F - - - IS WRONG WITH YOU A - -HOLES?!?!?!" wrote Paradou owner Vadim Ponorovsky. "How many times do we have to tell you how important it is that you collect emails. "Everytime we have a slow night and you make no money and you sit there bitching about...

Apple agreed to turn over iPhone source code in antitrust lawsuit, but then reneged, plaintiffs say iPhone owners charging Apple and AT&T with breaking antitrust laws asked a federal judge this week to force Apple to hand over the iPhone source code, court documents show. The lawsuit, which was filed in October 2007, accuses Apple and AT&T of violating antitrust laws, including the Sherman Act, by agreeing to a multi-year deal that locks U.S. iPhone owners into using the mobile carrier. On Wednesday, the plaintiffs asked U.S. District Court Judge James Ware to compel Apple to produce the source code...

MI-5, Volume 5 is an unbelievable blue print of the complete take-over of the British government by a dictatorship. The similarities in this season of MI-5 is a carbon copy to how the American Congress is now going to a dictatorship. It really is a must see because you can view how things may indeed be unfolding. It is an amazing series as if it was made with Great Britain as the setting but in reality it is talking about the USA.

Candy Spelling Stands Firm With The Nation's Most Expensive Home Listing [Pic in URL] The widow of TV producer Aaron Spelling can afford to be patient for someone to bite at the $150-million asking price for her 56,500-square-foot Holmby Hills mansion. Candy Spelling wants $150 million for her Holmby Hills mansion. (Mark Terrill / Associated Press) Lauren Beale November 20, 2009 Eight months ago when Candy Spelling, widow of legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, put her 4.7-acre residence in Holmby Hills up for sale, the $150-million listing price raised more than a few eyebrows. The 56,500-square-foot mansion remains the most...

Most foreign investors have been focused on Central Asia’s vast hydrocarbon resources and the extractive industries of energy and Minerals. But water is an issue of rising concern throughout the region as after years of soviet mismanagement geopolitical tensions are running high. These regional problems present outside companies willing to think outside the box with an incredible opportunity and a guaranteed red carpet welcome. Simply put, the region’s scarce water resources were misused to satisfy the autarchic needs of the entire USSR, whose breakup in 1991 completely disrupted inter-republic trade patterns, leaving the Stans with the remnants of a centrally...

With all of the breaking news regarding the global warming/climate change scam- is there a possibility Al Gore could be imprisoned the way Bernie Madoff was? I don't see much difference in what the two men have done.

Ventura County authorities say the 39-year-old resident of Thousand Oaks, whose name wasn't released, has made a habit of recruiting boys on MySpace to yell profanities at him, slap him and spit at him.Authorities say several teens also accused the man of offering them money to urinate and defecate on him. His motive wasn't clear.

Four people have been arrested in Peru on suspicion of killing around 60 people to sell their fat on the blackmarket for cosmetic use in Europe, authorities say. Three suspects who were arrested in central Peru this month have confessed to killing five people for their fat, according to Colonel Jorge Mejia, chief of Peru's anti-kidnapping police. A search is now underway for seven others, including two Italians, lead prosecutor Jorge Sans Quiroz said. The fat was purchased "to be commercialised in European [cosmetic medicine] laboratories," he said. The prosecutor's indictment said that the gang allegedly targeted farmers and indigenous...

WASHINGTON — The foreclosure crisis likely will persist well into next year as high unemployment pushes more people out of homes, pulls down housing prices and raises concerns about the broader economic recovery. The latest evidence was a report Thursday that a rising proportion of fixed-rate home loans made to people with good credit are sinking into foreclosure. That’s a shift from last year, when riskier subprime loans drove the housing crisis. The report from the Mortgage Bankers Association also found that 14 percent of homeowners with a mortgage were either behind on payments or in foreclosure at the end...

GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Co. said Friday it had started shipping new mini cars to Europe as the South Korean unit of US auto giant General Motors Co. seeks to expand global sales. GM Daewoo, acting as General Motors' global mini car development centre, said it will ship the "Matiz Creative", the fourth generation of GM Daewoo's popular "Matiz" mini car series, under the name "Chevrolet Spark". The South Korean unit will export 20,000 units to Europe by the end of the year and begin selling the car early next year. It did not say what the vehicles would...

Highlights of Tokyo Speech: "We seek this deeper and broader engagement because we know our collective future depends on it." "We simply cannot return to the same cycles of boom and bust that led to a global recession. We can't follow the same policies that led to such imbalanced growth."

A company in the United Kingdom is about to lift the lid on a device that zaps lobster with electricity to kill them, and the inventor said Wednesday his humane alternative to boiling is about to give the entire industry a jolt. British entrepreneur Simon Buckhaven said the CrustaStun system, developed over the past decade by his company Studham Technologies Limited, near London, kills the lobster with an electric charge, so the crustacean feels no "pain or distress." "I am entirely aware this product will be greeted at first with some skepticism among people in the lobster industry in Eastern...

If a business owner wanted to reduce his book keeping expenses by outsourcing to India, Russia or Mexico. Recommendations?

A U.S.-based group representing people who portray Santa Claus during the Christmas season wants its members to be designated a priority group to receive the swine flu vaccine. Over the next few weeks, Father Christmases will come into contact with thousands of children at shopping malls and Santa Claus parades. The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, a fraternal organization that provides training and resources for people who work or volunteer as Santa Clauses, said the health of its roughly 700 members is a real concern. "Yes, we should be given the needle," said Nicholas Trolli, the organization's president. "Many...

At a time of high unemployment, many people are looking for jobs online. Unfortunately, there are a lot of online scammers out there who advertise on the popular job boards like Monster, Careerbuilder or Hotjobs for positions that look legitimate and easy to do. I am posting this as a public service from an e-mail sent to me by the job board -- MONSTER.COM. Protect yourself from Online job scammers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is." Whether you are searching for a new job through Monster or other websites, keep in mind that the...

SPRINGFIELD - The VA won't pay for one Marine's injury. Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez deployed to Iraq in 2006 when he was 20 years-old. He enlisted in the Marine Corps fresh out of high school and was enthusiastic about serving to protect the lives of others. He never thought that he would almost lose his own life from something as routine as a vaccination. "I started having trouble walking," Lopez said. "There was a numbness that started in my feet and gradually worked it's way up." After being overseas only nine days Lopez had trouble with his legs tingling. Literally...

<p>Dell Inc.'s (DELL) fiscal third-quarter profit fell 54% as the downturn led to a double-digit drop in revenue, but the computer giant said it is seeing improving demand.</p> <p>Shares fell were down as much as 7.6% to $14.67 after-hours as the results fell short of expectations. More recently, Dell shares were off 6.1%, to $14.90.</p>

Barack Obama promised to halve poverty within ten years. His Republican opponent, John McCain, vowed to “make the eradication of poverty a top priority of the McCain Administration.” Even in the current economic situation, in developed countries, this kind of rhetoric about cutting “poverty” is misleadingly outmoded—because it implicitly suggests that government income transfers can be the vehicle for achieving substantial reductions in poverty. > What is now called poverty is really “income inequality.” Many families earning too much to be considered victims of poverty but who lack the “human capital”, education, training, and family support systems to provide a...

Kids have got stuffed toy bug   By STAFF REPORTER Published: Today     NOT many of us would want to cuddle up to E.coli and Streptococcus this winter, but that's exactly what these cuddle toys are. The bizarre creatures, designed to look like the bugs that cause common colds, sore throats and coughs have become the latest craze. The fluffy GiantMicrobes are the same shape and colour as the real thing — but one million times bigger. They have been given human features such as eyes, a mouth and nose to make them more appealing to young children....

Kellogg is rationing its Eggo products due to flooding and equipment problems at two bakeries. The shortfall could last through mid-2010. Better hoard your Eggos! Grocery stores will be experiencing a shortage of the waffles until mid-2010 due to problems at two bakeries, a Kellogg's spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Flooding at an Atlanta bakery during heavy rains in October forced Kellogg, which makes Eggo products, to shut down production temporarily, said company spokesman Kris Charles. Plus, equipment at Kellogg's largest waffle facility, based in Rossville, Tenn., needs extensive repairs. "We are working around the clock to restore Eggo store inventories...

...Thousands of the fakes are likely to be in circulation next summer, according to Reg Walker from Iridim Security, who works with several major festivals. He added there was evidence that criminals staged a "test run" in 2009. There was a threat to public order if large volumes of people turned up at events and were denied entry, he added. Speaking at the UK Festival Awards and Conference in London on Thursday, Mr Walker said about 100 wristbands had been seized at this year's Reading Festival. "What's worrying is the quality of the wristband, right down to the barcode. They're...

20% Off Select Own-Brand Merchandise for Unemployed Customers Kmart own-brands give you huge savings versus your favorite national brands every day...and now you'll get to increase those savings by an additional 20% off over 1,500 regular-priced grocery and drugstore items for up to six months! Get 20% Off With Your Reusable smart assist Savings Card Eligibility:Kmart customers who present state-issued identification (driver’s license or identification card) and a state-issued unemployment benefits enrollment confirmation are eligible to participate in the program (“Eligible Participants”). At checkout, cardholders will be required to show their valid discount card, their state-issued identification card for signature...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Mortgage borrowers are still falling behind on their payments in record numbers, despite the many foreclosure prevention efforts initiated by the government and nonprofts. In the third quarter, 9.64% of all mortgage loans were delinquent, according to a report released Thursday by Mortgage Bankers Association. That represents 4.5 million borrowers and is an increase from 9.24% in the prior three months. "Despite the recession ending in mid-summer, the decline in mortgage performance continues," said Jay Brinkmann, MBA's chief economist. "Job losses continue to increase and drive up delinquencies and foreclosures because mortgages are paid with paychecks,...

According to the website, SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers." How to Qualify "The process to qualify for Lifeline Service depends on the State you live in. In general, you may qualify if... You already participate in other State or Federal assistance program such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamps and Medicaid. OR Your total household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by your State and/or the Federal Government. AND No one in your household currently receives Lifeline Service through...

A special event on Nov21 this Sat, physicians organize a nationwide rally on all major city. In CA, the rally will be at State Capitol in Sac, CA. It starts at noon. Please spread the words! Go to their website to find out the location in your State. http://www.millionmedmarch.org

After six years working in the laundry of a Miami hotel, Julia Rivera was thrilled when her union tapped her to become a full-time union organizer. But her excitement soon turned to outrage. Ms. Rivera said her supervisors at Unite Here, the hotel and restaurant workers’ union, repeatedly pressed her to reveal highly personal information, getting her to divulge that her father had sexually abused her. Later, she said, her supervisors ordered her to recount her tale of abuse again and again to workers they were trying to unionize at Tampa International Airport, convinced that Ms. Rivera’s story would move...

An environmental group is seeking to stop three logging projects on several thousand acres in northwest Montana, arguing that the timber sales would harm the area's fledgling grizzly bear population. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies filed a federal lawsuit Monday to block the projects in the Kootenai National Forest, which are designed in part to reduce fire danger and provide commercial logging opportunities.

The Coming Climate Dictatorship Posted 11/12/2009 07:43 PM ET Control: The House and Senate climate bills contain a provision giving the president extraordinary powers in the event of a "climate emergency." As chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. If you thought the House health care bill that nobody read has hidden passages that threaten our freedoms and liberty, take a peak at the "trigger" placed in the byzantine innards of both the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill and the Kerry-Boxer bill just passed by Democrats out of Sen. Barbara Boxer's Environment and Public Works...

November 18, 2009 Obama Calls Stimulus Data Errors 'Side Issue,' Says Focus Is on Job Growth President Obama downplays criticism over inaccurate reporting on the impact of the economic stimulus package, telling Fox News his focus is trained on job growth. President Obama is interviewed by Fox News' Major Garrett in China. President Obama brushed off criticism over his administration's inaccurate reporting on job creation Wednesday, telling Fox News the accounting is an "inexact science" and that any errors are a "side issue" when compared with the goal of turning the economy around. He said job growth is his No.1...

The Great Geopolitical Battle Over Energy Transit Routes As we all live in the present, it is very hard to fully assess the future implications of decisions supported or made by political and business leaders. An extraordinary game of geo-strategy is under way to lock in long-term agreements, notably in the energy sector. At a global level, the transit routes of future oil & gas pipelines become the object of a power struggle involving not only the suppliers and end-users but also the transit countries. Intensive courtships are under way where a ménage à trois, or more, may be the...

Even in a bad economy, people still reach deep into their pockets to help out those who are less fortunate, especially as the holidays draw near. However, in good times or bad, it’s important to know that the money you are giving to a charity is truly being put to good use. Many con artists try to cheat people out of their dollars by pretending to be involved in a legitimate charitable organization. The Indiana CPA Society offers these questions to ask to ensure you are avoiding charity scams.

In the documentary, "My Supermodel Baby," a casting director at a magazine photo shoot explains how a five-month old model, a boy with some fat folds on his arms, was airbrushed. "We lightened his eyes and his general skin tone, smoothed out any blotches and the creases on his arms," said the casting director. "But we want it to look natural." The Telegraph reports it is the first time the industry has admitted to altering photos of babies - a practice commonly done on photos of grownup models. The editor of Practical Parenting and Pregnancy magazine told

How about Soros' visits? Olympic failure?

... In any case, I added, we pay the mortgage every month. Of course we don’t pay on the first of the month. As we have been doing ever since we got our first mortgage 21 years ago, we pay during the grace period — which in our case ends on the 15th of the month — so we can hold on to our cash for as long as possible without incurring a late fee. “Well, it’s due on the first,” Mr. Kelly pointed out. Oh, right. As if a bank wouldn’t drag its heels if it were supposed to...

Listening to the Eric Holder testimony on XM Radio

PASCO COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Owning a small business can be difficult and starting soon local entrepreneurs will be dishing out a lot more cash to the government. The annual fee employers pay to fund unemployment benefits is about to go up drastically. The fee is jumping from $8.40 per employee to $100.30. "That'll have a huge burden on the small business man and woman -- any business in the state of Florida -- who are struggling right now," said state Sen. Mike Fasano. The state is out of unemployment money according to the Florida Department of Revenue. It's...

If Comcast takes over NBC Universal, will Jay Leno return to 11:35 pm?... As Mr. Leno explained in a candid interview with trade bible Broadcasting & Cable: "If you are making buggy whips and no one is buying buggies anymore, do you keep making buggy whips? I don't know. This is an economic decision." In Jack Welch's day, an employee perhaps would not have expounded so freely... Yet, truth be told, Comcast's shareholders don't want the job of fixing NBC either. Only the controlling Roberts family does—and then because the alternative may be having no great future as a prominent...

[snip] The Rational for Truancy Laws Compulsory education began about sixty years ago and was strongly influenced by labor unions who were trying to keep children from working. The participation of children in the labor force kept adult wages low. Compulsory attendance in schools also lifted some authority of parents over their children to the state, as parents could no longer force their children to work. The state's authority in school attendance was underscored in Prince v. Massachusetts (1944). In this case, the Supreme Court decided that the state had the right to uphold CHILD LABOR LAWS and parents' authority...

Link: http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

A series of tests have revealed that even newer Windows 7 PCs are being bogged down by unnecessary software that makes them run much more slowly than Macs. Comparing factory versions of several notebooks versus clean models, PC Pro finds that Acer and Sony systems take about two whole minutes more to boot because of the "crapware," or third-party utilities and trial apps, preloaded out of the box. They also consume roughly 1GB more extra active RAM and also rob the system of as much as 2.4GB of space in Acer's case. Other Windows PC makers are only slightly better,...

The editor of this blog bought a wristwatch tonight at the last of Pasadena's old-line chain department stores, now under a different corporate name. The sales clerk, "Donna," and I struck up a conversation. Donna is from the United Kingdom and she says she originally migrated to the U.S. because things were more honest here. Interestingly, Donna related that she now works two jobs as she is occupationally displaced due to the financial meltdown. She now works as a retail sales manager in the jewelry department of a major department store and does part time consulting in risk management. Her...

Apple Inc., the most profitable handset vendor, and the wireless unit of AT&T Inc. were sued by a customer and accused of misleading buyers of iPhones. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, and AT&T, the second-largest U.S. mobile-telephone company, misled consumers when they said the iPhone would have “multimedia messaging service” capability, the customer said today in a proposed class-action complaint in U.S. District Court in New York. The feature allows users to send pictures to each others’ phones. “MMS functionality was one of the reasons people chose to buy or upgrade” to an iPhone, and it has become “clear that...