Don't Panic! Lighten Up!S


Mr. Potato

Woman Sues Google for Bad Directions

One day I was using my cell phone's GPS service to find the nearest Target. I was driving down the road when suddenly my cell phone piped up, "Turn right here." I looked to the right. There was no road, just a tree and some grass. I chalked it up to a GPS glitch and turned right at the next corner.

If I had been Lauren Rosenberg, however, I would have turned right at that very moment, hit the tree, suffered some cuts and minor brain damage, and then turned around and sued Verizon for the glitch in its GPS service.

Seriously.

Rosenberg, a Los Angeles California native, is suing Google because Google Maps issued directions that told her to walk down a rural highway. She started walking down the highway--which had no sidewalk or pedestrian paths--and was struck by a car. She is suing Google for her medical expenses ($100,000), as well as punitive damages. She is also suing the driver who struck her, Patrick Harwood of Park City, Utah.

Mr. Potato

Republicans' new Web site not exactly what they hoped it would be

Republicans want to take over the House in the fall, but there's a problem: They don't have an agenda.

So on Tuesday, they set out to resolve that shortcoming. They announced that they would solicit suggestions on the Internet, then have members of the public give the ideas a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. Call it the "Dancing With the Stars" model of public policy.

Republicans were very pleased with their technological sophistication as they introduced the Web site, America Speaking Out a ceremony at the Newseum. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who created the program, said that to get software for the site, "I personally traveled to Washington state and discovered a Microsoft program that helped NASA map the moon."

Using lunar software is appropriate, because the early responses to the Republicans' request for ideas are pretty far out:

"End Child Labor Laws," suggests one helpful participant. "We coddle children too much. They need to spend their youth in the factories."

"How about if Congress actually do thier job and VET or Usurper in Chief, Obama is NOT a Natural Born Citizen in any way," recommends another. "That fake so called birth certificate is useless."

"A 'teacher' told my child in class that dolphins were mammals and not fish!" a third complains. "And the same thing about whales! We need TRADITIONAL VALUES in all areas of education. If it swims in the water, it is a FISH. Period! End of Story."

House Republicans, meet the World Wide Web.

Star of David

Missing! Jewish Identities -- Cartoon

Bucky Shvitz
© Eli Valley

Pumpkin

Canada: Flower-Toting Crook Holds Up Calgary Bank

Police were on the lookout downtown for a bank robber armed not with a gun but a bouquet of roses.

The man entered the RBC in the 200 block of 5th Avenue S.W. around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

He approached the teller and demanded money. After getting some cash, he ran off.

Police said the man is Caucasian, late 40s, five foot seven to five foot nine, and 150 to 165 pounds. He was clean shaven, had glasses, a dark jacket, blue plaid work shirt, blue jeans and running shoes. He was wearing a white tuque with a Canada flag.

Black Cat

India: Pigeon Held on Suspicion of Spying

Indian police are holding a pigeon under armed guard after it was caught on an alleged spying mission for arch rival and neighbour Pakistan.

The white-coloured bird was found by a local resident in India's Punjab state, which borders Pakistan, and taken to a police station 40km from the capital Amritsar.

The pigeon had a ring around its foot and a Pakistani phone number and address stamped on its body in red ink.

Police officer Ramdas Jagjit Singh Chahal told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency that they suspected the pigeon may have landed on Indian soil from Pakistan with a message, although no trace of a note has been found.

Smiley

Adorable Indonesian toddler smokes two packs a day!


Binoculars

Guinness Finds Minnesota Man is Tallest in U.S.

Image
© AP Photo/Haraz N. GhanbariIgor Vovkovinskiy, 27, of Rochester, Minn, standing 7-feet and 8-inches tall, listens to President Barack Obama during a health insurance reform rally in Minneapolis.
Guinness World Records has recognized a Minnesota man as the tallest man in the United States.

The Guinness World Record Association measured Rochester's Igor Vovkovinskiy (voh-kov-IN'-ski) at 7 feet, 8.33 inches tall during NBC's The Dr. Oz Show on Monday. He edged out Norfolk, Va., sheriff's deputy George Bell by a third of an inch.

The 27-year-old Vovkovinskiy is originally from Ukraine but moved to Minnesota with his mother when he was 7 years old for treatment at the Mayo Clinic for a pituitary disease that spurred his rapid growth.

Vovkovinskiy now attends the Minnesota School of Business and is pursuing a degree in paralegal studies.

House

"Amityville Horror" Home for Sale in New York for $1.15 Million, Ghosts Not Included

The house made famous in the 1979 film The Amityville Horror is up for sale in New York - ghosts not included.

The five-bedroom Dutch Colonial went on the market Monday for $1.15 million.

The Oscar-nominated film is based on the story of the Lutz family's brief stay in the house in 1975 after six members of the DeFeo family were shot and killed as they slept in the home. Eldest son Ronald DeFeo Jr. was convicted of the murders.

The crime spawned a book and a series of movies that chronicled various supernatural horrors, including visions of walls oozing slime, moving furniture and a visit from a demonic pig named Jodie.

The original film stars James Brolin and Margot Kidder.

Binoculars

A Mouse in the (White) House? Mystery Rodent Disrupts Obama Press Conference

Image
© AP PhotoPip-squeak: A small rodent runs in front of President Barack Obama as he delivers remarks on Wall Street and Financial reform
President Barack Obama was upstaged by a rodent as he spoke on Wall Street legislation.

Mr Obama had just begun a Rose Garden statement lauding the end of a US Senate filibuster on his financial overhaul when a rodent dashed out of the bushes to his right, just outside the Oval Office.

As photographers snapped away in the sun-drenched garden, the creature scurried straight past the grey podium with the presidential seal and made a bee-line for another set of bushes to Mr Obama's left.

It's not clear if the president could even see the animal, but he didn't show any reaction. And he concluded his statement minutes later, returning to his office without answering a few shouted questions on other topics.

Opinion was divided on the identity of the rodent. 'I would partially rule out rat,' said Russell Link, a wildlife biologist who works for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Family

UK: Unborn Baby Gives "Thumbs Up" from the Womb

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© MEN SyndicationMarie Boswell was stunned by her unborn son's 'thumbs-up' sign snapped in her 20-week scan at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester
Most expectant mothers hope medics will reassure them about their baby's health when they go for their routine scan.

But Marie Boswell's baby boy wanted to tell his mummy himself that he was doing fine in her tummy. As these amazing pictures show, the little fellow gave Miss Boswell the thumbs up when she went for her 20-week check.

The 35-year-old said she couldn't stop laughing when the picture of her son came up on the screen at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester.

'It was really funny, I went to the scan with my friend and my mum and we were all just laughing,' she said.' He was giving us the thumbs up, it was just so clear. We couldn't believe it.

'I have big hands, but nothing on the scale of his - he looks like he's wearing boxing gloves. We're thinking he might make a good goalkeeper.

'I've never seen a scan like this before - but we love it.