Drudge Retort

Perks: Stop Mountaintop Mining

rcade — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:31:56 -0400

R. Perks: It is a national shame that mining companies are allowed to blast America's oldest mountains to smithereens -- all for the sake of dirty coal. Indeed, it is unfathomable that here in America, where the Adirondacks are adored and the Rockies are revered, that the Appalachian Mountains -- older than the Himalayas and so integral to our nation's heritage -- are steadily being reduced to lifeless moonscapes.

Disney Monorail Crash Kills Driver

rcade — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:19:14 -0400

A Walt Disney World monorail train crashed into the back of another train at 2 a.m. Sunday, killing one driver, according to an amusement park spokesman and a witness interviewed by CNN.

Arizona Mom Runs Teen Robbery Gang

rcade — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:02:14 -0400

Cynthia Mary Roberson, an unemployed mother from Arizona, led her 12- and 14-year-old sons and their friends to commit at least 20 armed robberies and assaults, including the beating of a teenage boy who had nothing more than an orange lollipop, police said.

Tea Partiers Protest Federal Spending

rcade — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:29:38 -0400

Thousands of protesters held rallies in cities across the country Saturday, protesting big government, and big government spending. "We are very, very displeased," said Joe Stephanelli, from Morristown, Ohio.

Collins: Palin Quit Because She's Not a Quitter

moder8 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:30:50 -0400

Gail Collins: Truly, Sarah Palin has come a long way. When she ran for vice president, she frequently became disjointed and garbled when she departed from her prepared remarks. Now the prepared remarks are incoherent, too. "And a problem in our country today is apathy," she said on Friday as she announced that she would resign as governor of Alaska at the end of the month. "It would be apathetic to just hunker down and go with the flow.' Nah, only dead fish go with the flow.' No. Productive, fulfilled people determine where to put their efforts, choosing to wisely utilize precious time ... to BUILD UP." Basically, the point was that Palin is quitting as governor because she's not a quitter. Or a deceased salmon.

Madoff Hires Prison Consultant

Doc_Sarvis — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:32:29 -0400

Bernard Madoff, disappointed that he might actually have to spend time im prison mingling with murderers, rapists, drug-dealers, white supremacist gangs with a hatred of Jews, and terrorists, has hired a veteran prison consultant to help him to find the best possible jail in which to serve his 150-year sentence for Wall Street's biggest fraud.

Harry Potter Actor Catches Swine Flu

rcade — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:58:10 -0400

Actor Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, has contracted swine flu, his publicist said Saturday, three days before the latest Potter blockbuster premieres in London.

NFL QB Steve McNair Killed

rcade — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:07:13 -0400

Nashville police are confirming Steve McNair was shot to death at a downtown Nashville condo. McNair suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Police said a female was also found dead at the scene, but they have not released her identity. Nashville Police say no suspects are in custody, but they have taken several people in for questioning.

Mom Targets Girl with Craigslist Sex Ad

rcade — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:57:12 -0400

A woman in Hauppage, N.Y., angry at a 9-year-old who got in an argument with her own child at elementary school, allegedly took an ad out on Craigslist soliciting the 9-year-old for sex. Margery Tannenbaum has been arraigned on charges of aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a minor. Her ad read "I need a little affection ... I'm blond, I'm cute and I'll be waiting" and people who emailed were told the child's name and phone number, but not her age. More than 50 people called.

Serena Tops Venus in Wimbledon Final

Phoenix — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:55:53 -0400

In the fourth all-Williams final at Wimbledon, Serena beat her sister Venus 7-6 (3), 6-2 on Saturday for her third title and 11th Grand Slam championship. Serena beat Venus in the 2002 and '03 finals, before Venus prevailed in last year's championship match. Venus was trying to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win Wimbledon three years in a row.

233 Years of Liberty

TaoWarrior — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:31:40 -0400

Thirty people joined National Park Service rangers on the Fourth of July in climbing to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, the first tourists to go into the landmark's crown since the 9/11 attacks. Happy Fourth of July everyone.

Doctors Charging for Missed Appointments

Whatsleft — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:33:45 -0400

Doctors can charge patients for missed appointments, CNN reported. One patient reported being charged more than $100 for missing an appointment. Some doctors even insist on a security deposit. "Not all, but more and more," medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen said.

Oil Execs Sought Invasion of Iraq

zarathustra — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:33:52 -0400

Two years before the invasion of Iraq, oil executives and foreign policy advisers told the Bush administration that the United States would remain "a prisoner of its energy dilemma" as long as Saddam Hussein was in power. That April 2001 report, "Strategic Policy Challenges for the 21st Century," was prepared by the James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy and the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations at the request of then-Vice President Dick Cheney. In retrospect, it appears that the report helped focus administration thinking on why it made geopolitical sense to oust Hussein, whose country sat on the world's second largest oil reserves.

ID Implant Approved for Use in Humans

nanc — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:32:08 -0400

Yet another sci-fi milestone is upon us: microchips implanted under your skin that identify you. The VeriChip is the first radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchip that's been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in humans. The chip is the size of a long grain of rice, and can be implanted pretty much anywhere in the body (most commonly along the tricep). Depending on how it's used, the chip could do anything from telling doctors your medical background to buying you a round at the club.

68 Hot Dogs in 10 Minutes

rcade — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:59:47 -0400

Joey Chestnut kept the coveted Mustard Belt in the United States Saturday, eating a world-record 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, New York. Rival Takeru Kobayashi came in second with 64 1/2. This is Chestnut's third straight win. "July 4 isn't a holiday for these men," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "It's going to be a day of reckoning."