Wired News

Wired News: "Have a Heart
A U.S. soldier, his mother and the Rotary Clubs of Southern Iowa have pitched together to heal a 5-year-old Iraqi boy born with a hole in his heart. Army Sgt. Corey Johnston, of West Liberty, Iowa, heard about Rebaz Shamsadeen's heart defect during his second tour of duty in Iraq. He told his mom, Cindy Yerington, about the boy, and she spread the word. The Rotary Clubs raised about $23,000 for heart surgery and travel to Iowa, Sen. Chuck Grassley's office helped secure visas, and Yerington invited Rebaz and his father to stay with her while the boy recovered. 'For me, it's like a dream,' the boy's father said through an interpreter. 'I couldn't believe we could come to the United States for the surgery. I love these people.'
-- Debra Jones"

That is pretty awesome.

Wired News

Wired News: "La Dog-ce Vita
Dog owners in Turin, Italy will be fined up to 500 euros ($650) if they don't walk their pets at least three times a day, under a new law from the city's council. People will also be banned from dyeing their pets' fur or 'any form of animal mutilation' for merely aesthetic motives such as docking dogs' tails, under the law about to be passed in this northern Italian city. 'In Turin it will be illegal to turn one's dog into a ridiculous fluffy toy,' the city's La Stampa daily reported. Dogs may be led for walks by people on bicycles, the rules add, 'but not in a way that would tire the animal too much.'
-- Reuters "

Well, that's a bit...crazy. Although, I think it is pretty damn funny.

Outsourcing May Degrade Ingram's Customer Service

Outsourcing May Degrade Ingram's Customer Service: "Ingram is a public company, a Fortune company. It behooves any company of that size to always look at its options to better its bottom line and increase operating efficiencies, regardless of how unpopular a political move it may be.
Many of the largest companies already have embraced offshore outsourcing of specific job functions and are planning on doing more of it. The fact Ingram is also in an ultra-sensitive margin business only begs the question as to why it didn't look into this option sooner."

Even though it means my job, I do have to agree. But, I found this comment left for the article pretty interesting:

"Ingram Micro wants to save $25M by outsourcing jobs. So I went to look at their Form 8-K, dated 7-Apr-05. "Mr. Foster will receive a $6 million cash retention bonus..." Well, there's 1/4 of that $25M. That $6M would keep a LOT of jobs right here in the US. And I bet that's just the tip of the iceberg. How disingenuous of IM."

The Montana Standard - Butte, Montana USA

The Montana Standard - Butte, Montana USA: "Within the environmentally hostile confines of the Berkeley Pit lives perhaps Superfund's most amazing paradox. Its name is `` The Auditor.''

Its genus is Canus, but its species -- if indeed there ever were another single dog like it on the planet -- would be nothing other than extraordinarius."

This is really very amazing. This is one tough dog!

Wired News

Wired News: "Tomb-Raiding Teen?
What would provoke a Vermont teen to cut off and steal the head of a corpse in a cemetery? The jury's still out, but according to court documents, a 17-year-old suspected of tomb-raiding and head-hijacking talked of using the skull as a bong. After receiving a tip, police visited Morrisville Cemetery to investigate. 'We had the funeral director come to the scene and we pulled the casket out. Yes, indeed, we found remains and they had been disturbed,' said Morrisville Police Chief Richard Keith. Suspect Nickolas Buckalew was later arrested and charged with unauthorized removal of a dead body. He pleaded innocent to the crime. Buckalew is being held on $1,000 bail.
-- Jenny McKeel "

Potheads, can't live with 'em - can't let them near Grandmas grave...

Google Financial Information: IM

Google Financial Information: IM

"CHICAGO, April 11 (Reuters) - Ingram Micro Inc. (IM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it will cut about 550 jobs, or 20 percent of its North American staff, as a result of outsourcing and other actions, resulting in annual savings of $25 million by 2006.

The world's largest computer products distributor said in a a statement that it will begin outsourcing transaction-oriented service and support functions, including some North America positions in finance, shared services, customer service, vendor management and technical support, to a global business process outsource provider by the end of 2005.

About half of the job cuts will be in Ingram Micro's offices in Orange County, California, with most of the remainder split between Canada and Buffalo, New York, a company spokeswoman told Reuters in an e-mailed note."

WorldNetDaily: Man arrested, cuffed after using $2 bills

WorldNetDaily: Man arrested, cuffed after using $2 bills:

A man trying to pay a fee using $2 bills was arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail after clerks at a Best Buy store questioned the currency's legitimacy and called police.

...57-year-old Mike Bolesta was shocked to find himself taken to the Baltimore County lockup in Cockeysville, Md., where he was handcuffed to a pole for three hours while the U.S. Secret Service was called to weigh in on the case.

I'm sorry, but this is just retarded. I understand that the cops have to double-check to be safe and all, but who doesn't know that $2 bills are legal tender?

"She [cashier] looked at the $2 bills and told me, 'I don't have to take these if I don't want to.'"

No, sorry...the only US currency you CAN refuse are Pennies.

Commenting on the incident, Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

No, it's a sign that y'all are a little stupid. What the hell does this have to do with 9/11?? I am so sick of anything and everything being tagged with "Oh, 9/11" or "Well, since 9/11". Enough already!

Even though I hate lawsuits, I hope this guys sues the shit out of Best-Buy and the local PD. Bunch of morons.

breakdancing transformers

breakdancing transformers

Yeah, it is probably old...but damn is this cool!

Terri Schiavo Back From The Dead

"Terri Schiavo awoke from the dead early this morning. She broke out of the temporary morgue in the local Hospice Care building. Four nurses and 2 doctors were killed before the building was evacuated. Mrs. Schiavo's Husband remained behind, obviously in shock.

Zombie-Schiavo ate her Husband's brains(sssss), and then proceeded to break out of the Hospice Building through the locked front doors. Police were standing by. While attempting to stop Zombie-Schiavo twelve officers were killed and five more were wounded. They are in critical condition, and are being held in the local ICU.

Zombie-Schiavo was last seen shambling towards her parent's home, a trail of bodies and brains in her wake. She appears to be building a Zombie Army. To what end, we can only speculate. The National Guard has been called out, and the terror level raised to Yellow.

President Bush was unavailable for comment."

Terri Schiavo Back From The Dead!

Terri Schiavo, of feeding tube fame, is back from the dead. The zombified corpse of Mrs. Schiavo broke out of the Hospice Morgue early this morning. She wounded four nurses and 2 doctors before the building was evacuated. Her husband stayed behind, obviously in shock.

Her first act was to eat the brains(SSS) of Mr. Schiavo. Afterwards, she shambled out of the Hospice Care building and was last seen heading towards her Parent's home. Police have attempted to stop Zombie-Schiavo, with dire results. 12 officers are dead, and three more are wounded. The National Guard has been called out.

President Bush was unavailable for comment.