Chinese police rescue a woman from a river in China. The victim was (and still is) unresponsive but is now back to work after being patched up at a local bike shop.

Almost all the David Hasselhoff cutouts used by Cumberland Farms to advertise a new coffee drink have been stolen.

Ngo said the chain will keep sending signs to stores that need them until the campaign ends in August. She wouldn't share how much they've spent on replacements.

The company will use its Facebook page to ask people to stop taking the signs. It also has a request for anyone who already has one.

"We want to know at least the Hasselhoff is safe and he's being taken care of," Ngo said.

*sigh* ...okay.

He's safe.
And he makes a mighty fine scarecrow.

Evidence of persecution and intolerance in ancient Europe.

Thanks to Slublog for that last one.
Special treat below the fold. more...

Posted by: LauraW at 07:48 AM | Comments (108)
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I think everyone can agree this is treason. Of course, some will think it's treason against the US and others will think Feinsteinis the traitor for throwing the Obama administration under the bus. Tomato/Tomahto I guess.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that although she is sure the president is not disclosing secret information to the public, she wasnÂ’t as sure about other White House staff.

“I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks,” she said at a World Affairs Council forum, according to AP. But on Obama, she said, “I don’t believe for a moment that he goes out and talks about it.”

Not only is Feinstein a senior Senate Democrat she's also the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Mitt Romney, in a burst of bi-partisanship, is set to pounce on this issue today in a speech to the VFW.

"Whoever provided classified information to the media, seeking political advantage for the administration, must be exposed, dismissed, and punished. The time for stonewalling is over," Romney will say, according to advanced excerpts released by his campaign.

...

"It is not enough to say the matter is being looked into, and leave it at that," Romney will say. "When the issue is the political use of highly sensitive national security information, it is unacceptable to say, 'We'll report our findings after Election Day.'"

To help back up his argument, Romney quotes Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who said at an event Monday the leaks were coming from within the White House.

AEI compiled a list of the top 5 security leaks in the last year alone. Some people need to go to jail.

Of course the problem is...none of this leaking may be illegal. Clasification and declasification are purely executive functions. If the President, or someone he designates, says, "this is no longer classified" it's not illegal to release it. Of course there will be and should political hell to pay for that.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:03 AM | Comments (102)
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Now that we've all been caught lying about the incendiary class warfare of Elizabeth Warren and Barack Obama, it's about time the non-Cherokee Harvard professor set us all straight. Appearing with the non-partisan newsman Al Sharpton on MSNBC last night, Warren let America know she really, really likes small businesses because some of her non-Native American relatives themselves have started up their own.

SHARPTON: Now, how do you respond to this new ad from Senator Brown?

WARREN: You know, this is just one more attempt to not talk about the central issues. But the way I look at this: I love little businesses. My daughter started a small business, my brother started a small business, my Aunt Alice started a small business--I worked in it when I was a teenager.

She started waiting tables at 13 at her Aunt AliceÂ’s Mexican restaurant.

Posted by: Guest Blogger at 05:32 AM | Comments (209)
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Last night, Obama was on his bazillionth fundraising trip this year. There were some familiar faces at the party:

Steve Westly, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, was one of the first to raise red flags about the administrationÂ’s support for a $500 million loan to Solyndra, the solar energy start-up that later went bankrupt. He wrote directly to senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett in 2010 to raise concerns about the companyÂ’s viability ahead of the presidentÂ’s high-profile visit that year.

Matt Rogers, a former senior adviser at the Department of Energy, played a key role in approving SolyndraÂ’s loan as part of the stimulus plan.

Both men were spotted by White House print pool reporter Darren Samuelsohn of Politico at the Piedmont, Calif., home of Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan, who were hosting the $35,800-a-head event.

Samuelsohn noted that Westly was seen near the pool “juggling lemons, entertaining kids at the party.”

Juggling lemons? How perfect is that?

*8:26AM - Edited to add the link. Coffee needed.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 04:22 AM | Comments (72)
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Happy Tuesday.

I have an op-ed in the NY Post this morning on the media's propensity to blame the Right for violence.

Mayor Bloomberg suggests that police officers go on strike and refuse to protect the public unless legislatures "do whatÂ’s required to keep us safe," by which he means that they should ban guns.

Long-time friend of the HQ Karol celebrates her "34 glorious, American years" in a must-read post.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 03:00 AM | Comments (137)
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Oh and an update on last night's rankings - Doug Ross (no relation to Bob) says he used the wrong data and that Ace and company should have been #33. In light of this the kick murder squads have now been recalled.

Remembering Bob Ross

He's been gone for 17 years but his memory lives on and episodes of The Joy of Painting are still in syndication. He was most famous for his wet-on-wet painting technique and crazy afro hairstyle. Longtime ONTers will also know what he did before he became a painting instructor.

I remember running across his show on PBS and being mesmerized by his voice and style even though I didn't paint. By all accounts he was a decent and gentle man and I think the YouTube commenter was right who said that "This man was a beautiful human being, the world is a darker place now that he's gone".

And he never took himself too seriously as you can see in this promo he did for MTV. The world could use more of his Happy Little Trees therapy.

Posted by: Maetenloch at 05:34 PM | Comments (732)
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All the way back on June 1st -- almost two months ago -- I put my marker down that Romney was going to win big this fall:

Not 1984 big, but so decisively as to preempt any Dem claims of voter irregularities and to forestall any Dem voter irregularities themselves. ("If it's not close, they can't cheat." -- Hugh Hewett)

I'm doubling down now. I believe that things are shaping up for this to be an even uglier election for the Dems than 2010 was in terms of (a) GOP/conservative enthusiasm, (b) Dem discouragement, and (c) a significant break in independent voting towards the GOP candidates.

As a consequence, I believe:

• Romney will win big (as per my original post).
  
• The GOP will not only hold onto the House, but they may actually add a seat or two.
  
• The GOP will take the Senate.
  
• The 2010 trend towards GOP control of statehouses and state legislatures will continue.
  

Yes, yes, I know -- don't get cocky. I'm not. But I have to say that the GOP national committee under Reince Priebus is the best I've ever seen it, period, and Romney has not only taken the gloves off but seems to be unwrapping the tape from his hands. Meanwhile, the Dems -- and in particular, the Obama campaign -- is just not gaining traction. I think the "blame Bush/GOP" schtick has finally expired, just in time for the populace to put the blame for the current wretched economy squarely where it belongs.

I'd say pass the popcorn, but I plan to be in the thick of it, to continue to make financial donations (I have already) and to make donations of time as well. This is, IMHO, as critical an election as we've had in my lifetime -- and I'm nearly 60. Should be interesting. ..fritz..

more...

Posted by: Open Blogger at 02:46 PM | Comments (366)
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The first American woman in space has died, according to her official website. She was 61 and had been battling pancreatic cancer.

In 1983, Ride shot into space as a mission specialist aboard Challenger. She went back in 1984, and was scheduled for another mission that got scrapped after the Challenger disaster.

RIP, Ms. Ride. And, of course, Godspeed.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 01:41 PM | Comments (96)
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Obviously he was inspired by No Labels member Michael Bloomberg.

No Labels' stated mission is to get over party labels, push past ideological gridlock and "solve problems," an echo to Bloomberg's calls for "common sense solutions."

Brad Garrett, a former FBI profiler, said: "I see someone who appears to be very high functioning. He has some significant mental health issue I believe."

Six years after the video, Holmes was almost unrecognisable after dying his hair orange. His profile posted on the dating website Match.com was headlined "Will you visit me in prison?"

"The first thing people usually notice about me is my soul penetrating eyes," he wrote. "Learning is really great, knowledge is power as the famous Sir Bacon [sic] said." Holmes also said he liked techno music, had "middle-of-the-road" political views, was agnostic, and "definitely" wanted children.

Posted by: Guest Blogger at 01:07 PM | Comments (174)
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Karol, of Alarming News fame, was born in Russia but thanks to her family and our good luck, she came to America as a child and still celebrates her arrival.

I don't want to steal too much of it because you need to read it all but this is too perfect.

In 1977, the year I was born and the year my father, his mother, his aunt and many other Jews left the Soviet Union (my mother and I left in 197 , the Soviet propaganda machine began circulating a rumor. It went, roughly: life in America is so terrible that the old people eat cat food.

This wasÂ…perplexing.

People didnÂ’t quite get it: they have food specifically made for cats in America? What a country!

A lot of things about America remained beyond their comprehension.

Never ever forget that there were and still are people who believed passionately that America is fatally flawed and authoritarian command systems like the Soviet Union are to be preferred.

Pardon my "American-centric belief" but no matter what financial status you were born into, if you were lucky enough to be born an American, you've already won the lottery.

Posted by: DrewM at 12:33 PM | Comments (197)
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