Obama Gets Secret Service Detail

Oh boy, I bet the Klan is pissed about this. They’ll have ot work extra hard now…

Obama Gets Secret Service Detail The Secret Service said Thursday that Democratic Sen. Barack Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff authorized Obama’s protection after consultations with the bipartisan congressional advisory committee, according to Chertoff spokesman Russ Knocke and the Secret Service. Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren would not provide details of what led to the extra security, but said, "I’m not aware it was based on any threat." According to the Department of Homeland Security, there were no known threats and Obama requested the protection.

Count down to 02:03:04 on 05/06/07 – USATODAY.com

Ah..another countdown to stay up in the wee hours of the morning for.

Count down to 02:03:04 on 05/06/07 – USATODAY.com Numerologists: Your moment is about to arrive. Mathematicians and lottery players: You may want to pay attention, too. On Sunday, at 02:03:04 a.m. on 05/06/07, time will align itself in a perfect pattern, 2-3-4-5-6-7. For those who slept though last year’s 1-2-3-4-5-6 moment at 1:02 a.m. and three seconds on April, 5, 2006, this is your second chance.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | US issues new warning over piracy

Israel is on the priority watch list for piracy? Isn’t there a way to handle that? Just cut back on the amount of foreign aid we give them, and the other countries we give aid to.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | US issues new warning over piracy US issues new warning over piracy Pirate DVDs DVD piracy is a global problem China and Russia have topped a list of 12 nations not doing enough to tackle copyright piracy, according to a US trade report. The Bush administration placed the 12 on a "priority watch list" which will subject them to extra scrutiny. The Office of the US Trade Representative said piracy is costing the country billions of dollars. The US Government has already reported China to the World Trade Organisation over alleged unfair trade practices. These charge the country with unfairly raising trade barriers and failing to enforce its laws protecting American copyrights and patents. In addition to Russia and China, the 10 countries placed on the priority watch list were Argentina, Chile, Egypt, India, Israel, Lebanon, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Muslim Women in France Regain Virginity in Clinics

Sitting in a cafe near the Champs Elysees, the 26-year-old French-born woman of Algerian descent looks like any other Parisian. But two months ago, she did something none of her friends have done. She had her hymen re-sewn, technically making her a virgin again.

Ok look…have you ever tried to reseal a busted can of biscuits? It ain’t happening. Once opened, can you take them back to the store for a refund or exchange?

read more | digg story

Bush Official Linked to Call-Girl Probe | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited

Is there no one in the Bush administration that hasn’t done anything illegal or questionable? Oh, and since this involves Central American women, does it have anything to do with the guest worker program that the president is pushing so hard for?

Bush Official Linked to Call-Girl Probe | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited WASHINGTON (AP) – Randall Tobias, head of the Bush administration’s foreign aid programs, abruptly resigned Friday after his name surfaced in an investigation into a high-priced call-girl ring, said two people in a position to know the circumstances of his departure. It was Tobias’ own decision to resign, according to one of the people, who said the issue came up only in the past day or so. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way. Tobias submitted his resignation a day after he was interviewed by ABC News for an upcoming program about an alleged prostitution service run by the so-called D.C. Madam. ABC reported on its Web site late Friday that Tobias confirmed that he had called the Pamela Martin and Associates escort service to have women come to his condo and give him massages. More recently, Tobias told the network, he has been using a service with Central American women.

Linens n Things – George Foreman iGrill

igrillThe iGrill. Stop it, just stop it. Hooking up your iPod and playing it through the integrated speakers? has this "i" thing gone too far? Wait a minute, does it come in white?

Linens n Things – George Foreman iGrill Turn your backyard BBQ into an instant party with the iGrill from George Foreman. The iGrill has a 200 square inch nonstick grilling surface that is covered with Georges Tough Nonstick Coating. The included 10 watt speaker system plays your favorite tunes from your iPod, MP3 or other USB music system.

Bank of America to Implement Crappier Customer Service Plan …?

Well, BOA had decent earnings but not enough to satisfy investors. So BOA has two choices, be innovative with products to attract and retain more customers, or increase banking fees and cut back on the quality of service. What do you think they’ll choose…

Bank Of America Earnings Not Enough – Forbes.com Bank of America released earnings Thursday that bested expectations, but they weren’t enough to satisfy investors, who had witnessed even stronger earnings from the some of the bank’s competitors this week. Shares of the Bank of America Bank of America (nyse: BAC – news – people ) were down 94 cents, or 1.8%, to $50.88, at the end of trading. The company announced first-quarter earnings that beat expectations and rose 5.4% from a year ago. Bank of America said its net income for the period ending March 31 rose to $5.26 billion, or $1.16 per share, from $4.99 billion, or $1.07 per share, a year ago.

Baghdad wall for Sunnis criticized – USATODAY.com

So we’re building walls now. Segmenting the Sunni’s "to protect them". Hmm, I remember from history books about other walls that were built, creating Jewish slums in Poland. And then there’s Berlin, I actually been there in the 80’s. From seeing that wall, I can understand the feelings from the vast majority of Sunnis who are peaceful.

Baghdad wall for Sunnis criticized – USATODAY.com BAGHDAD (AP) — A wall U.S. troops are building around a Sunni enclave in Baghdad came under increasing criticism on Saturday, with residents calling it "collective punishment" and a local leader saying construction began without the neighborhood council’s approval. The U.S. military says the wall in Baghdad is meant to secure the minority Sunni community of Azamiyah, which "has been trapped in a spiral of sectarian violence and retaliation." The area, located on the eastern side of the Tigris River, would be completely gated, with entrances and exits manned by Iraqi soldiers, the U.S. military said earlier this week. But some residents of the neighborhood, which is surrounded by Shiite areas, complained that they had not been consulted in advance about the barrier. "This will make the whole district a prison. This is collective punishment on the residents of Azamiyah," said Ahmed al-Dulaimi, a 41-year-old engineer who lives in the area. "They are going to punish all of us because of a few terrorists here and there." "We are in our fourth year of occupation and we are seeing the number of blast walls increasing day after day, suffocating the people more and more," al-Dulaimi said in an interview.

Microsoft Wary of DoubleClick Buyout – washingtonpost.com

Microsoft Wary of DoubleClick Buyout – washingtonpost.com Microsoft said yesterday that Google’s proposed purchase of Internet advertising company DoubleClick raises antitrust and privacy concerns that deserve careful review by authorities.

Microsoft…uh….Microsoft said that? Antitrust Concerns, or are they concerned about anyone being competitive.. They are raising antitruse and privacy concerns about Google and it’s Doubleclick purchase. Microsoft…the company that has documented emails on a strategy to eliminate Linux competition  and lock up the PC software market. Yup…that Microsoft.