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Daily dose of FUN

AAustin911 — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:51:44 MST

Whenever the waiter comes back to see how the food is

Karma chair

Original comic for the gay seal

Best friends wear each other on their feet.

Walt Chelyabinskney

SpongeBob finally has some logic

Secret Meeting

OP being carried in Africa

Russian Meteor Blast Bigger Than Thought, NASA

AAustin911 — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:06:02 MST

The meteor that exploded over Russia Friday was slightly larger than previously thought and more powerful, too, NASA scientists say.

The Russian meteor explosion over the city of Chelyabinsk, on Friday (Feb. 15), injured more than 1,000 people and blew out windows across the region in a massive blast captured on cameras by frightened witnesses. Friday afternoon, NASA scientists estimated the meteor was space rock about 50 feet (15 meters) and sparked a blast equivalent of a 300-kiloton explosion. The energy estimate was later increased to 470 kilotons.

But late Friday, NASA revised its estimates on the size and power of the devastating meteor explosion. The meteor's size is now thought to be slightly larger — about 55 feet (17 m) wide — with the power of the blast estimate of about 500 kilotons, 30 kilotons higher than before, NASA officials said in a statement. [See video of the intense meteor explosion]

The meteor was also substantially more massive than thought as well. Initial estimated pegged the space rock's mass at about 7,000 tons. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., now say the meteor weighed about 10,000 tons and was travelling 40,000 mph (64,373 km/h) when it exploded.

Skyfall become the seventh biggest film of all time

AAustin911 — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:00:56 MST

The James Bond movie franchise celebrated its 50th anniversary in style last year as director Sam Mendes and star Daniel Craig delivered the series' most financially successful instalment with 007's 23rd official adventure, Skyfall.

Having shattered UK box office records with over £100 million in receipts on home soil, the film has now overtaken Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises to become the seventh-highest grossing movie of all time with global takings of $1.094 billion.

Giant man-eating catfish found in Guangdong reservoir?

AAustin911 — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:55:03 MST

Thanks to reader Jonas Chau for the tip! And yes, adding a question mark to the headline grants us "complete blogger immunity."

Most important restaurants in America travel guide

AAustin911 — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:47:58 MST

(Credit: Courtesy Animal)

MORE AT BON APPETIT

» Best New Restaurants in America

» 10 Most Delicious Cakes in the Country

» Recipes from the Best New Restaurants in America

No, we're not talking the fanciest, trendiest or even the ones with the most stars. These are the places that define how we eat out. They're the fearless spots that drive chefs to innovate, restaurateurs to imitate, and the rest of us to line up. In short, these are the restaurants that matter -- right now.

Animal
Los Angeles, CA

In the history of American cooking, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo will probably go down as the guys who introduced stoner cuisine to the masses. Their signature dishes, like Buffalo-style pig tails, melted petite Basque cheese with chorizo, and foie gras biscuits and gravy, may share an entry with Doritos Locos Tacos and deep-fried Twinkies. That would be a shame. Animal's food is smart, not smart-ass. Every dish is generous and freewheeling, but also exacting, disciplined, and balanced—in other words, very unstoner. By serving a menu of upscale munchies in a gritty, minimalist space in the old Jewish neighborhood of Fairfax, the two also changed the dining culture in L.A., making food, not the scene, the centerpiece. Not bad for a pair of self-made chefs, who deserve to be remembered for creating dishes rooted in satisfaction and comfort—no matter why you crave them.

(Credit: Matt Duckor)

Momofuku
New York City and beyond

David Chang wasn't the first to transform brussels sprouts from a side to a star. He wasn't a pioneer when it came to playing any music he wanted, and loudly. Backless chairs and no tablecloths were nothing new. And his world-renowned pork buns? Chang admits he ripped those off. But Michael Jordan wasn't the first guy to dunk, either. What Chang did was put it all together and turn a tiny East Village storefront into the most important restaurant brand of the past decade—on his own terms. Momofuku is fun, unexpected, and full of attitude (too bad if you want something served "on the side"). The food avoids easy categories, and it is always evolving. Pork buns and ramen led to bo ssäm, crudo, and Fuji apple kimchi with jowl bacon, each dish addictive and, above all, on the leading edge of where food was—and is—going. Chang's empire, which has expanded to include Noodle Bar, Ssäm Bar, Ko, Milk Bar, Má Pêche, and Booker and Dax, plus spots in Sydney and Toronto, has changed our dining culture for good (and for the better). I know because I see it—and taste it—every time I eat out.

(Credit: The Restaurant at Meadowood)

The Restaurant at Meadowood
Napa, CA

I wasn't around when Alice Waters started the locavore revolution at Chez Panisse or when Thomas Keller gave American fine dining an identity at The French Laundry. But I did eat Christopher Kostow's food in 2012. Like other modern chefs, he has a love affair with vegetables, many of which come from Meadowood's garden. A plate of salt-baked rutabaga is paired with woodsy matsutake mushrooms, goat's milk, maple, and shaved white truffles. But these aren't proverbial "figs on a plate." Kostow's elegant dishes arrive fresh from a precision dance routine with tweezers. And while the kitchen may work Momofuku-loose (is that Rick James on the speakers?), there's nothing dressed down about the experience. From the pressed white tablecloths to the artisanal tableware, everything reminds you that this will be a special meal. To see a chef at the peak of his powers, eat here now.

(Credit: Courtesy Husk)

Husk
Charleston, SC

"The secret to delicious food is good dirt and plant varieties." That's chef Sean Brock's mantra, and at Husk, the proof is in the (heirloom corn) pudding. Brock is also an evangelist for the Southern pantry. Everything he serves in this elegant 19th-century mansion comes from below the Mason-Dixon line, including many rare fruits and vegetables he cultivates himself. Here are a few of his staples.

(Credit: Christopher Testani)

Roberta's
Brooklyn, NY

To say that Carlo Mirarchi, Brandon Hoy, and Chris Parachini had a larger vision when Roberta's opened in 2008 would be wrong. "We didn't," Hoy says. "Everything happened, for lack of a better word, organically." Today, the ramshackle space serves as a model for Brooklyn's mashup of high and low. Where else can you eat the city's best pizza, hit a Tiki Disco party, or go deep on a $180 tasting menu at sister spot Blanca? Here we lay out their D.I.Y. evolution.

(Credit: Danny Kim)

Le Bernardin
New York City, New York

Since 1994, Eric Ripert has captained the greatest seafood restaurant in the world. No matter what "lightly cooked" fish and sauce combo he conjures, it tastes revelatory. He's a chef's chef whose dedication is unmatched. Trends may come and go, but Le Bernardin—and Ripert—endure. To find out why, we asked some of his peers.

"If I were a fish, I would want to end up in Ripert's hands, where I know I'll only be softly swathed with herbs, bathed in a fragrant broth, and barely cooked!"—Daniel Boulud, Daniel, NYC

"He radiates integrity and tranquillity, which inspires chefs to be more like him, both in the kitchen and out." —April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig, NYCadd citation

"He's the best of what a modern French chef should be. He makes me proud to be a chef."—Jacques Pépin, The International Culinary Center, NYC

"He is very open to change, but his curiosity, commitment to quality, and French hospitality will always be there." —Marcus Samuelsson, Red Rooster, NYC

"He's not a snob. He'll take inspiration from flavors and eating experiences high and low—as long as they are delicious. I wish I had filmed him trying Cap'n Crunch." —Anthony Bourdain, CNN, 'Parts Unknown'

(Credit: Courtesy Husk)

Shake Shack
NYC and points beyond

Danny Meyer didn't just redefine the fast-food experience—the meal, the look, the level of service—he created a damn good burger. With its custom-blend patty (and nostalgic nods like gooey American cheese and a soft bun), it is a burger worth standing in line for—and you will likely have to, for up to an hour. Like all fast-food chains, consistency is king, but here that means beef supplied by meat guru Pat La Frieda; cool, urban-chic spaces by architecture firm SITE; and a definitive menu, though they do tailor the "concretes" (frozen custard with mix-ins) to each location. (We'll have the "Fudge-eddaboudit.") In under a decade, they've grown to 22 locations, from NYC to Dubai. Look for five more in 2013, including Istanbul.

(Credit: Caroline Hatchett/starchefs.com)

Franklin Barbecue
Austin, TX

The world of barbecue is ruled by tradition. The older the pits (and the pitmaster) smoking your brisket, the better. So how is it that 35-year-old Aaron Franklin, who opened Franklin Barbecue in a trailer in 2009, attracts longer lines and more accolades for his meat (which sells out by noon every day) than anyone else in the country? We asked the man himself.

How'd you get into barbecue?
My parents used to run a place when I was a kid. Nine years ago I asked them how to cook brisket and they said, "Just throw it on and pull it off when it's done." I ended up getting a little weird with it and eventually going super nerdy on barbecue.

Why has Franklin Barbecue been so successful?
It's not just the food, it's the vibe. You stand in line and you share beers with the people around you. It's like coming to Grandma's house.

How are people okay with you running out of meat?
Maybe because I tell them how we can only make so much of it and that I'm real sorry. But now running out of food is, like, a cool thing to do.

Is that a positive trend in barbecue?
Yes, if the place is choosing to run out because they don't want to reheat meat the next day. But there are a ton of places that put out a sign that says "11 a.m. Till Sold Out" and say, "Watch, this'll be a great marketing thing for us!"

How long would you wait for barbecue?
I can't eat barbecue anymore. I'd stand in line for a good salad, though.

(Credit: photograph courtesy Primo)Primo
Rockland, ME

Just about every big-city chef I've met dreams of finding a quiet spot with a little plot of land in the country and opening a small restaurant with a garden. But Melissa Kelly actually did it. Thirteen years ago, she and her husband, Price Kushner, bought an old Victorian on a hill in mid-coast Maine. What started as a humble country restaurant has grown to be one of the country's most sincere and exciting expressions of farm to table. The wide-ranging charcuterie program rivals any in the U.S., and Kelly's wood-burning oven does amazing things to local Pemaquid oysters and house-made breads alike. There are greenhouses filled with tomatoes and fields of Padrón peppers, lolla rossa lettuce, and other of-the-moment ingredients. Honeybees buzz, and pigs, chickens, ducks, and guinea hens play in the dirt. It's a reminder that the best things often start from the ground up, far off the beaten path.

(Credit: Courtesy Swan Oyster Depot)

Swan Oyser Depot
San Francisco, CA

If the food world, myself included, is guilty of anything, it's overhyping the latest and greatest at the expense of the timeless classics. Which brings me to Swan Oyster Depot, a fish store with an 18-seat counter that just might be my favorite restaurant on the planet. From the minute it opens (10:15 a.m.) to the minute it closes (5:30 p.m.), there's a line. I don't wait in lines, but I make an exception for Swan's cracked Dungeness crab, clam chowder, smoked salmon on rye, and ice-cold Anchor Steam. Food is only part of the allure. There's the look of the place (sports memorabilia, seafood posters, a hand-painted menu tacked to the wall) and the devastating charm of the Sancimino brothers, whose family has run the place since 1946. (It opened in 1912.) Swan isn't a boardroom concept; it's proof that honesty, passion, and hospitality will bring you longevity and fans. It's the kind of restaurant that makes you ask, "Why aren't there more places like this?"

How to be happy

amandajones — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 04:14:30 MST

When you open your eyes in the morning, tell yourself:
How wonderful to be alive!
This day I should be much better than yesterday.
Never forget that you control your life. Tell yourself: "I am in charge of what happens to me, I am solely responsible"
Rejoice when you head to work. Feel happy to have a job in these times of economic crisis.
Make the most of your leisure time. Do not sit or start to slack off when you can be divierténdote or enjoying a hobby.
Do not be overwhelmed by your financial problems. For most of us, we can not afford to be extravagant, just to save money to buy an expensive item, you can give us a feeling of great satisfaction.
Do not compare yourself with others, people do tend wing melancholy.
Be less critical. Accept your limitations and your friends. Concentrate on your abilities and theirs.
Improve your sense of humor. Do not take yourself too seriously, try to find the humor in the face of adversity.
Take your time. Do not try to do everything at once. Smile more often, to more people.
Congratulations!
The time gift you a blank book. What you write will be in your own inspiration. To you to choose the ink rainbow of bliss, or gray and dull discouragement and bitterness, the sweet words and beautiful language of love or the story dark and destructive hatred.
What friend write in each day to fill missing?

cooolbloger: No programming knowledge is required to Wordpress

amandajones — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 04:02:53 MST

No programming knowledge is required to Wordpress

I've been working with WordPress for a few years, and I've read many times in various articles that the phrase to work with wordpress "No programming knowledge is required."

And to some extent it's true, you do not need programming skills. If what you have is a simple blog, a small site for your business, company, or even a network of sites, you can get everything to work well without any problems. The features and customization options offered by most of the plugins and temass today can create many things quite impressive using only the control panel of the same.

So what's the catch?. Well, the truth is there is no trick. What you need is a set of functions, filters and actions that can be used within a theme or plugin.

Despite working with WordPress to create a website, a blog, etc., no programming is entirely feasible, but in many cases you will be limited by the features and options in the themes and plugins you use. But what happens when you need or want some functionality that plugins do not offer? Or do some extra things to design your theme does not offer?

Well, if you have no programming knowledge you can choose one of three options:

Living with things as they are, and keep dreaming: This option is easy and effortless. This tends to disappointment and frustration.

Hire a or more developers to create what you want: Depending on the degree of customization you want to do in your project, this can quickly lead your PayPal balance level with your programming skills to zero bone. Because depending on how complex the cost is measured.

Learn to create the things you want: It takes a lot of effort but makes your website work the way you want it.

So what do you need to learn in order to customize things my way? ...

Guide to being unfaithful

amandajones — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 04:00:41 MST

1. Never mix business with pleasure.

It's simple, do not look your lover in your workplace, or between your partner's family. Or your own relatives, incestuous monster. What we're going to do, do it with someone not in your inner circle all the time, and who is not uncomfortable routinely keep watching once everything becomes a catastrophe. Or you can confess all your partner with ease. If possible, find people outside your usual circle.

2. Prepared for disasters.

Maybe your fantasy is to have sex and nobody will get hurt, or they all grab hands and dance to the beat of psychedelic music, and you will be very happy, but that never happens. Should remember every detail of the absurd fiction you go inventing to cover everything and excuses as both promises have lists for all the blame on someone else. Some acting classes and memory exercises are the best in what you can invest your money.

3. Never doubts shelters.

People who do bad things is unfortunately all too often, to believe they are victims of circumstance. And they grow like a cancer awareness, consuming them entirely, causing them to feel guilt and feel bad about what they do, which leads to moments of introspection that distract them and lead them to make mistakes.'re Not that kind of people. If you have moral, refrain from doing this and have the courage to face your reality, instead of believing that you can go forward with this ridiculous attempt to feed your ego (Just kidding, I know you're a coward).

4. Separate communication.

In this digital age you have more than one identity if you do not want everyone to know what you do. So far as possible removed everything you can: Have a mobile phone other than for what you will do, a separate e-mail account, other credit cards, bank accounts and other possible one name. Avoid using your own photos in social networks, using more than one user name, photo tags removed, restricts users and refuse to acknowledge any emotional bond with your lover.

5. Evita compensate your partner.

When enjoying this exciting clandestine sex, you're in a good mood, while the guilt eats you, so it is usual to try to make your partner with care you did not have before. That's a very bad idea. Compensate raises suspicions.

6. Never talk about your affair.

Even if you are proud of your achievement. No matter what size you have or know what to do. Do not talk or even the sites you've visited with your lover. Nobody. The loyalty of your friends and confidants is as reliable as using aspirin as a contraceptive.

7. Maintain your routine.

Abrupt changes can put the finger. If you have a lover, do not start buying provocative lingerie, or more to exit fix. You pretend that everything continues as before. When finished with your lover, or have your first fight, even if you feel depressed, do not show it.

8. Trafficking lie as little as possible.

Lying is an art. Everyone not dominate. If you have no talent for lying, or experience, keep your lies to a minimum. Let your lover know what your role, so no need to lie to two people. If you use someone as an alibi for your affair, tell previously. When your partner asks too much, keep quiet if you have memorized your story. Nor divert attention.

9. Too do not offer your lover.

Do not bring your lover to a pedestal that can not keep. Do not do anything you exhaust your money or your body quickly. If possible, your lover should settle for as little as you like if you want to keep the offer contro l (It is best to keep control).

10. Avoid long relationships.

If you are able, have a predilection for one-night affairs, swingers parties, the glory-holes, sex while drunk in poorly lit alleys, or summer romances (or business trip). That way you avoid emotionally open up your lover for long. Being unfaithful is not necessarily devote to polygamy and tie to another person in a permanent and damaging.

How to Increase Search Traffic through Keyword Audit on Google Analytics

amandajones — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:54:49 MST

I’ve been blogging for over 2 years now, but I didn’t really optimize my blog for search extensively – which is kind of odd, since I work as an SEO.

Mid last year up to last December has been a very busy stretch for our fast growing team. Growing our company and working with our clients somehow limited my time in maintaining this blog (especially in publishing new posts on a regular basis, which led to gradual loss in search traffic).

So when year 2013 started, I decided to re-optimize my blog (some parts of it), a week before I published my recent post about Advanced SEO tips for blogs.

The result was definitely interesting, as I get to improve my blog’s search traffic by 43.92% with minimal effort, in the first 24 days of the year.

The core concept of what I did to optimize my blog is quite simple:

Determine variations of search queries that are sending highly qualified traffic to my site (often keyword variations that I haven’t primarily targeted for my existing pages/posts).

Optimize the pages/posts to match and be ranked/served on those long-tail searches.

When a page or a blog post has a high user-activity rate from its alternative keywords, it perfectly means that its content is very relevant and useful. This also means that it has high chances of getting more visible on search results for its other long-tail keywords, as your data proves it.

Amazing traffic tips on kaiserthesage for more go to source

Approx 1,200 injured in meteor explosion in central Russia

amandajones — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:49:01 MST

Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2013 shows a factory building damaged by the shockwave of the meteorite fall in Russia's Ural city of Chelyabinsk. Some 1,200 people have been injured and many houses damaged as a meteorite struck Russia's Urals region on Friday. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

MOSCOW, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- About 1,200 people have been known injured and many buildings damaged since a meteor exploded on Friday morning, raining fireballs over Russia's central Urals region, the Interior Ministry said.

Most of the injured, among them 200 children, suffered cuts by broken glass from thousands of shattered windows during the very rare meteorite explosion, according to the ministry.

Residents in the region uploaded videos of a fireball cutting through the sky. The fireball, travelling at a speed of 30 km per second according to Russian space agency Roscosmos, had blazed across the horizon.

Go to source for more below

Harrison Ford rumor: Has he signed on for Star Wars 7?

amandajones — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:40:11 MST

Star Wars fans had a lot of questions when it was first announced that Disney was set to purchase Lucasfilm – with the intention of producing an entirely new trilogy in a Galaxy Far, Far Away. However, one of the biggest questions surrounding the future of Star Wars is where the story would go in Episodes 7-9. Would the new films continue the narrative established in the original six installments and bring back fan-favorite actors (now 30 years older) to reprise their characters or would Lucasfilm clean the slate and center the trilogy around entirely new faces?

Now, we’re getting unofficial word that Harrison Ford has signed-on to reprise his role as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode 7 – lending credence to hopes that the film will directly continue storylines from the prior trilogy – while introducing new characters too. Of course, if the rumor turns out to be true, it would likely mean that other high-profile casting announcements are also in the pipeline.

Fifth Graders In Washington Accused Of Plotting To Kill Fort Colville Elementary School Girl

Atm — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:33:35 MST

One of two fifth grade students accused of plotting to kill a female classmate at Fort Colville Elementary School.

Two fifth graders in Washington State admitted to plotting the murder of a girl in their class and intending to harm at least six other students, according to court documents released Wednesday.

The pair of Fort Colville Elementary School students -- ages 10 and 11 -- were arrested Feb. 7 after authorities found them with a knife, a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a full ammunition clip, The Spokesman Review reports.

The would-be killers were thwarted after a fourth-grader notice one boy playing with a knife and alerted a school teacher.

Meteor Hits Russia:5 Hundreds people injured

Atm — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:06:42 MST

Australian Kids Banned from Birthday Tradition at School

blogger911 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:42:48 MST

Celebrating birthdays at school just got a little less fun for kids in Australia. New guidelines issued Tuesday by the country's National Health and Medical Research Council say that children can no longer blow out the candles on cakes at school because doing so spreads too many germs.

Related: The Most Germy Place in Schools? It's Not What You Think

"We introduced new national standards to lift the quality of child care across Australia because we believe parents deserve peace of mind when they drop their child off they are receiving quality care to a high standard," Australia's Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care, Kate Elliss, explained in a statement. "All services across the country will be assessed and rated against new National Quality Standard which will ensure that services are meeting basic requirements including children's health, safety and wellbeing."

Related: 5 Ways to De-Germ Your Child After School

But parents aren't feeling much peace of mind. Instead, they're outraged, saying that the new rules are so nit-picky that they take all the fun out of being a kid.

"I think that we are protecting our kids too much," one parent told the Telegraph newspaper in Sydney, Australia. "Let the kids be kids, get some germs, build up the immunity, and get on with it. How about the politicians focus on getting other things right."

"This rubbish has got to stop," said another, who works as a scrub nurse in New South Wales. "Kids have been playing in sand pits for years. Kids have been playing in dirt for years. Kids have also been playing with communal toys for years … Kids need to be subjected to these things to build a healthy immune system. These so called experts who seem to know more about health than doctors, won't be happy until kids are kept in a sterile environment, which will then put the child at risk every time it leaves the house."

Australian medical professionals agree that the new guidelines go a bit too far.

"If somebody sneezes on a cake, I probably don't want to eat it either," Australian Medical Association President Steve Hambleton told the Telegraph. "But if you're blowing out candles, how many organisms are transferred to a communal cake, for goodness sake?"

The guide, called "Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services," does offer a solution. "To prevent the spread of germs when the child blows out the candles, parents should either: provide a separate cupcake (with a candle if they wish) for the birthday child and enough cupcakes for all the other children [or] provide a separate cupcake (with a candle if they wish) for the birthday child and a large cake that can be cut and shared."

But daycare providers think the suggestions are not going to be satisfying to little kids.

"It will be very sad for the children," Kristy Strong, a daycare supervisor, told the Telegraph. "It will take away the excitement of it all."

Some of the new regulations are specific to Australia -- "Australian bats may harbour a lyssavirus that is very similar to the rabies virus," the guide warns before offering advice on what to do if you get bitten -- but other rules don't make much sense no matter where you live. According to the guide, children are now expected to wash their hands before digging in the sandbox or playing outside, as well as after. And while all toys, door handles, floors, and even cushion covers must be washed daily, kids with head lice don't have to be sent home from school.

"Just wash your hands before you eat," Hambleton said. "If you live in a plastic bubble, you're going to get infections that you can't handle."

The new regulations also allow day care centers to disregard doctors' notes about when a child is well enough to return to school, instead requiring them to comply with government-determined "exclusion periods" for various illnesses.

"Our nanny-state government just can't help itself," quipped Mark of Hobart, Australia, to the Daily Mail. "We've just dodged Internet filtering and new hurt feelings laws so onto the next target -- the kiddies' birthday parties."

Microsoft Attacks Gmail Over Privacy In Scroogled Campaign

blogger911 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:10:23 MST

If at first you don’t succeed, get negative once again, seems to be the game plan at Microsoft. Having attacked Google Shopping with a “Scroogled” campaign last November, Microsoft is back again. This time it goes after Gmail as an evil service that invades your email privacy, armed with polling data showing consumer concern — and perhaps one valid point about an easier opt-out.

The Microsoft Survey & Consumer Disapproval

Microsoft commissioned a survey of over 1,006 adults in the US from Feb. 1-4, asking about email services that target ads based on the content of your email. You know. Google’s Gmail, which is the only major service that does this, though Google or Gmail weren’t supposedly named. The results:

70% of Americans didn’t believe or didn’t know whether any major email service provider scanned the content of personal emails in order to target ads

83% of Americans agree that email service providers scanning the content of your personal emails to target ads is an invasion of privacy

88% of Americans disapprove of email service providers scanning the content of your personal emails in order to target ads (and 52% disapprove strongly)

88% of email users believe that email service providers should allow users to “opt-out” if they prefer that the content of their emails not be scanned in order to target ad

89% of Americans agree that email service providers should not be allowed to scan the content of personal emails in order to target ads

In short, pick your question, there’s a lot of disapproval supposedly about what Gmail does, which is to show ads based on the content of an email that you’re reading.

Of course, some of the answers are contradictory. How is it that email users can both believe that emails shouldn’t be scanned for ad targeting purposes AND also think there should be an opt-out, at practically the same high percentage? If so many agree there should be an opt-out, then when you think about it, they’re not opposed that type of targeting as long as an opt-out is provided.

Scroogle Gets Outed Early

I’m still waiting for the actual questions that were asked; plus, the Scroogled site itself has yet to be updated to reflect the latest campaign. This is because it was supposed to go live at 11pm PT.

Postscript: The actual poll is now up here.

Microsoft had been briefing reporters about it, including myself. However, Dan Lyons over at ReadWrite who wasn’t briefed — and thus not subject to an embargo restriction — got some of the details and wrote them up. Embargo lifted, I was told, when I asked Microsoft — which is no doubt now scrambling to finish the site.

This screenshot above is part of what will appear on the site:

There will also be newspapers ads, such as this one below:

Recalled Beef Lasagna Products Contain More Than 60 Percent Horsemeat

blogger911 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:00:18 MST

LONDON — Some beef lasagna products recalled from British stores contained more than 60 percent horsemeat, U.K. food safety authorities said Thursday. It was the latest revelation in a growing scandal surrounding the use of horsemeat and the mislabeling of meat products in Europe.

Frozen-food company Findus recalled the beef lasagna meals earlier this week after French supplier Comigel raised concerns that the products didn't "conform to specification." The U.K. Food Standards Agency said the lasagnas were tested as part of an ongoing investigation into mislabeled meat.

Already this month, millions of burgers have been taken off shop shelves as it emerged that beef products from three companies in Ireland and Britain contained horse DNA.

Eighteen beef lasagna products were tested by Findus, which found that 11 contained horsemeat in the 60 to 100 percent range, the Food Standards Agency said. It would not say if any of the meals were 100 percent horsemeat.

Tony Danza divorce from Tracy Robinson

blogger911 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:55:15 MST

he never ending Tony Danza divorce is final, according to a Feb. 7 Inquisitor report. Tony Danza and Tracy Robinson have been separated for six years.

Since 2006, the couple has been living apart. However, Tony Danza waited until March 2011 to file for divorce from his estranged wife. In the divorce papers, Danza cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the end of their 24 year union.

The Tony Danza divorce has been held up in divorce court for about two years. During their marriage, Tony and Tracy had two children who are now adults. Danza also had two children with his first wife Rhonda Yeoman.

At 62, it must be a bit of a shock for the "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss" star to be single again. Of course, he has been separated from his wife for six years, so perhaps he has had time to get used to it.

Dog With Human Face

AAustin911 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:35:59 MST

“Dog with human face” isn’t something you hear everyday (unless it’s a photoshopped meme), but when a photo of a dog with soulful eyes hit Buzzfeed recently, it went viral.

Turns out the pup’s name is Tonik and he hails from a kill shelter in Kentucky, where he was rescued by the Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group in Indiana. Authorities there say he’s a sweet-natured boy who gets along well with other dogs, and they’re hoping to find someone to adopt him.

For info on how to meet or adopt Tonik, contact Homeward Bound.

Iran unveils new indigenous stealth fighter

AAustin911 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:27:55 MST

On Feb. 1, 2013, Iran unveiled its indigenous fighter jet named “Qaher 313″.

The prototype of the Q-313 (or F-313 according to the stencils applied to the aircraft), was presented to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and publicly displayed as part of the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies held in Iran to celebrate the 1979′s victory of the Islamic Revolution.

In the previous days, the Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi had said, “The aircraft will be different from the other fighter jets Iran has already made.”

Indeed, based on the first photographs released by the FARS News Agency, the new stealthy jet has a really peculiar design. It features hard edges and those distinctive edges and angle of the U.S. F-22 and the twin tail shape much similar to that of the F-35 Lightning II.

The Q-313 has large, seemingly fixed canards, and little wings whose external section is canted downward.

The canopy material is at least odd (based on its transparency, it looks like plexiglass or something like that).

The cockpit seems to be basic (a bit too much for a modern plane – note the lack of wirings behind the front panel and the presence of few instruments, some of those similar to those equipping small private planes…).

The nose section is so small almost no radar could fit in it.

The air intakes are extremely small (they remind those of current drones/unmanned combat aerial vehicles) whereas the engine section lacks any kind of nozzle: engine afterburners could melt the entire jet.

Funny fail moments in the club

AAustin911 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:17:51 MST

Embarrassingnightclubphotos