Steve C, Team Marina

Ugh. Sorry for all of you! - Jaclyn aka spamgirl

*breathes easier* - MoTO Boychick Devil

It will be a splendid afternoon. :) - Steve C, Team Marina

From MMQB on CNN - Steve C, Team Marina

Costco (COST) says it will start accepting Visa (V) rather than American Express (AXP) at its U.S. stores on April 1, 2016. Currently, the wholesale club retailer has accepted only debit cards and Amex for purchases in its stores or at its gas stations, although it also accepts Visa and MasterCard for online purchases. - Steve C, Team Marina

*hug* I'm sorry. That sounds very stressful - Soup in a TARDIS

How awful. Glad he seems to be on the mend. - Jaclyn aka spamgirl

The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site. The facility, a nondescript warehouse on Chicago’s west side known as Homan Square, has long been the scene of secretive work by special police units. Interviews with local attorneys and one protester who spent the better part of a day shackled in Homan Square describe operations that deny access to basic constitutional rights. Alleged police practices at Homan Square, according to those familiar with the facility who spoke out to the Guardian after its investigation into Chicago police abuse, include: Keeping arrestees out of official booking databases. Beating by police, resulting in head wounds. Shackling for prolonged periods. Denying attorneys access to the “secure” facility. Holding people without legal counsel for between 12 and 24 hours, including people as young as 15. - Steve C, Team Marina

Grr. - Amit Patel

guessing that she's doing homework too - Aloof Schipperke

On the plus side neither cat has mauled him yet which is saying something since the tail is the most appealing target on them. - Steve C, Team Marina

"This fall, Google (GOOG) and Mattel (MAT) are coming out with a plastic viewer that pairs up with your smartphone. You can explore virtual reality environments, make three-dimensional dinosaurs appear in the real world or -- in classic fashion -- transport yourself to faraway places and historical monuments. Unlike the old View-Master's static images, you can spin around in place and see everything around you. It'll work with every smartphone and cost $30, the companies said. They unveiled it in New York City on Friday." - Steve C, Team Marina

This makes me unreasonably angry. *loser* - Soup in a TARDIS

"The request documents reveal a number of design flaws in the current fleet that the USPS hopes to address in the next one. The preferred upgrades include: Durable door design—i.e. locks and latches that can "withstand the rigors of the postal duty cycle." Stronger wipers—the fleet's existing windshield wipers evidently experience "fatigue" from all the rain or sleet or even snow that don't keep post-people from getting where they need to go. Crevice elimination—apparently the current trucks have lots of "difficult to access" cracks where letters can accidentally slip and get lost in the mail. Heavy-duty mats—all that stepping in and stepping out takes its toll. Better climate control—Keeping the semi-exposed delivery person comfortable in every season requires a ventilation system that delivers heat or air "in the right quantities to the right body locations." And let's not forget a good cup holder. Supplementary material supplies the specs here: The vehicle shall be equipped with a standard adjustable cup holder. The cup holder shall be within reach of the 5th percentile female and the 95th percentile male in the normal seated operating position. All exposed edges shall be rolled or provided with a radius of curvature to prevent injury. Which raises the question: In what sense was Newman a 95th-percentile male?" - Steve C, Team Marina

I miss the mail jeeps from the 70's and 80's. - Brian Johns

Back then, I wanted to buy a mail jeep -- the post office was selling them, painted primer brown -- and paint it TARDIS blue and put a flashing white light on top. (I also wanted to figure out how to make magnets to put on the doors to make it into a TARDIS for special occasions, but I don't think the printable sheets were available then.) - bentley

"Crevice elimination" still sounds very odd. (From the list of requirements.) - CAJ was here

"Pope Francis has chided couples who choose not to have children , saying the decision was a “selfish” act. The statement, which he made in his general audience in St Peter’s Square, will be seen as especially controversial in Italy, which has recorded a steady drop in its birth rate for decades. “A society with a greedy generation, that doesn’t want to surround itself with children, that considers them above all worrisome, a weight, a risk, is a depressed society,” the pope said." - Steve C, Team Marina

I ripped him a new one on twitter for this. - Colette

"An Asian supermarket in Temple City has come under fire for selling dead raccoons after a video circulated on social media showed bodies of the animals in the frozen meat section. Christina Dow posted the video she filmed Monday at Metro Supermarket in the 4800 block of Temple City Boulevard, showing the frozen raccoons in plastic bags along with packages of meat and fish. Dow pleaded with her Facebook followers to share the video." - Steve C, Team Marina

Eric, it's possible they may have already done this and you have a few less raccoons, now. - April Russo (FForever!)

""KANYE WEST is a sucka! Everybody don't listen to Beyoncé. Second time he tried to steal somebody shine. First time it was a 15 yr old girl ... Kanye try and play that I'm weird because of my genius. Non of the greats pull that stupid ish. Meaning Marley, Mike Jack, Tupac, Jayz etc. ... Peep who he tried Beck and Taylor Swift. Real tough guy. If only I could've been Beck for one night. Kanye would be rapping thru the wire,"" - Steve C, Team Marina

SWEET. :D - Hookuh Tinypants

"A night out with your best friends, marrying your significant other, or the birth of your child can be some of the happiest moments of your life, but you'd never know with Tess Christian — she hasn't smiled in 40 years. Since Christian, 50, was 10 years old, she's never laughed and has barely grinned. No, it's not because Christian has no sense of humor. Instead, she's trying to beat the hands of time and avoid wrinkles. "Everyone asks if I've had Botox, but I haven't, and I know that it's thanks to the fact I haven't laughed or smiled since I was a teenager. My dedication has paid off. I don't have a single line on my face," she said." - Steve C, Team Marina

Seems to have worked - Todd Hoff

I feel kind of sad for her. I mean, she's getting exactly what she wants so I guess from her perspective it's nothing bad or sad. But to me it just seems sad to not experience sidesplitting laughter or grinning like a Cheshire cat. I've always been told that I have a very expressive face, and that makes me love every single wrinkle and sag even more. <3 - Hookuh Tinypants

Big Joes version of Mother is too beautiful not to share again though I had it in my favorites already. Thanks for the story time MoTO and the reminder of all the cool things Big Joe can do http://friendfeed.com/barrywy... - Steve C, Team Marina

"With a swipe of his pen, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback wiped out protections offered to state employees facing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Brownback, a Republican, issued the executive order Tuesday, doing away with an order enacted by his predecessor, former Gov. Kathleen Sibelius. In 2007 Sibelius issued an order expanding workplace protections to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees of the state. Brownback, in signing his order, said this "ensures that state employees enjoy the same civil rights as all Kansans without creating additional 'protected classes' as the previous order did."" - Steve C, Team Marina

Our country is so fucked up it's hard to fathom some times. - Steve C, Team Marina

Just saw this elsewhere. What a massive dick this guy is. - Soup in a TARDIS

Exciting! M is still only going backwards. Haha - Tamara J. B.

Yes Tam and Pete the boy only went backwards for past month. Now he has two gears just no brakes. - Steve C, Team Marina

"15 Wonderful Activities You Can Do With Your Kids That Will Make You The Coolest Parent Ever All parents know that the first few years of a baby’s life are vital to their overall development. So why not make full use of their growing years by combining play time with learning? Instructions can be found below each picture. MEd holder and former classroom science teacher, Asia Citro, is a strong believer in “messy play”." - Steve C, Team Marina

Haha Brian I am a little slow but YES. that is hilarious. :) - Steve C, Team Marina

"The baby appeared to be only a few hours old when the passerby found the infant about 6 a.m. The infant was making noises after being tucked behind a wall near Hardwick Street and Lakewood Boulevard, authorities said." - Steve C, Team Marina

That is my old 'hood too, strange. (20+ years ago, but still my old hood). - Ken Gidley

"Alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise and poor diets have all been shown to increase the risk of cancer – but few Americans realize this, according to a new survey published Wednesday to mark World Cancer Day. Instead, people tend to blame risk factors for cancer on food additives, generally modified foods, stress and beef hormones. Falsely identifying risk factors means many American do not know there are lifestyle changes they can make to help lower the possibility that they might get cancer." - Steve C, Team Marina

"CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Five babies at a suburban Chicago daycare center have been diagnosed with measles, adding to a growing outbreak of the disease across the United States, Illinois health officials said on Thursday. Officials are investigating the cluster of measles cases at KinderCare Learning Center in suburban Palatine, said a joint statement from the Illinois and Cook County health departments. All the children are under 1 year old and therefore would not have been subject to routine measles vaccination, which begins at 12 months." - Steve C, Team Marina

And this is the fear for our 7month old here in Long Beach with it's 20 infections in area. - Steve C, Team Marina

"In a move wonderfully reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Hasbro France announced that it will place actual euros into Monopoly sets to honor the iconic board game’s 80th anniversary. Eighty of the 30,000 special anniversary sets sold in France will contain real money. One “jackpot” set will have all its game notes replaced with real ones—good for €20,580 ($23,513). Ten sets will contain €300 ($343) and the 69 other sets will have €150 ($171)." - Steve C, Team Marina

"Shiver me timbers: Archaeologists have unveiled some unnerving medical tools found amid the wreckage of Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge. Linda Carnes-McNaughton, a volunteer archaeologist on the project, recently presented what she and other researchers from the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources discovered about the equipment at the Society for Historical Archaeology's annual meeting. Among the more cringe-inducing findings were a urethral syringe used to inject mercury for the treatment of syphilis and a clyster pump used to deliver medical enemas for "quicker absorption."" - Steve C, Team Marina

"Tolkien lore led a Texas boy to suspension after bringing his “one ring” to school. Kermit Elementary School officials called it a threat when the 9-year-old boy, Aiden, in a playful act of make-believe, told a classmate he could make him disappear with a ring forged in fictional Middle Earth’s Mount Doom." - Steve C, Team Marina

“I assure you my son lacks the magical powers necessary to threaten his friend’s existence,” he later wrote in an email. "If he did, I'm sure he'd bring him right back." - Steve C, Team Marina

"Officers busted the pizza driver and a friend that night after the driver went through a parking lot to avoid a red light. Once stopped, cops found drug paraphernalia and arrested the delivery man, who was en route to deliver a pie. The customer lived nearby, the receipt showed. "The pizza was already paid for, and the delivery location was within a few blocks," Oswego Police Chief Jeff Burgner told the Chicago Tribune. "They decided one should go ahead and make the delivery."" - Steve C, Team Marina

lol - ساوالان

""In the mid-1950s, I completed a novel called 'Go Set a Watchman,'" the 88-year-old Lee said in a statement issued by Harper. "It features the character known as Scout as an adult woman, and I thought it a pretty decent effort. My editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout's childhood, persuaded me to write a novel (what became 'To Kill a Mockingbird') from the point of view of the young Scout. "I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told. I hadn't realized it (the original book) had survived, so was surprised and delighted when my dear friend and lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it. After much thought and hesitation, I shared it with a handful of people I trust and was pleased to hear that they considered it worthy of publication. I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years."" - Steve C, Team Marina

So it's really her *first* novel that is coming out. - bentley

Kinda like this? http://friendfeed.com/zoblue... - bentley

Hah that's great bentley (via zu) it wasn't that dramatic but close. :) - Steve C, Team Marina

I just noticed there are a few "baby meets daddy's twin brother" videos on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch... - bentley

"Researchers analyzed data from 5,583 girls in the Growing up Today Study (GUTS), surveying American children from 1996 to 2001, beginning when they were between the ages of 9 to 14. The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, found that girls were 24% more likely to start menarche (their first menstrual cycle) in the next month if they drank at least 1.5 servings of sugar-sweetened drinks a day than if they drank no more than two servings per week. This correlation was true for the carbonated drinks with added sugars, but not for drinks with natural sugars like fruit juice, says Karin Michels, a co-author and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. This study did not examine the underlying reasons for this, but according to Michels, it’s probably because the natural sugar in fruit juice has less of an effect on insulin levels and changes to hormonal metabolism the sugar often added to carbonated drinks." - Steve C, Team Marina

"One of the most contagious viruses on Earth, measles can hang in the air or on surfaces for hours. If she'd contracted the disease, Livia could become deaf or even die. "We were really freaking out and really worried," Jennifer Simon said. Then the Simons learned from a doctor that the child in the doctor's office had contracted measles because his parents had refused vaccination. Livia, just 6 months old, is too young to be vaccinated. "I'm angry," Simon said. "I've been upset that someone else's personal choice has impacted us so much." In Alameda County, where Simon lives, nine infants were in quarantine as of Tuesday night because of the measles outbreak, a spokeswoman said." - Steve C, Team Marina

"A happy baby, she doesn't seem to mind being at home, but it's disrupted the Simons' life and cost them money, as the couple had to miss work for several days and then bring Jennifer's mother in from Houston to stay home with Livia. When asked what she would say to parents of the unvaccinated child, she said she would first ask whether their child was doing OK. Then she would ask them a question: "Hey, you guys, what do you think about vaccines now?" " - Steve C, Team Marina

How nice that the doctor's office called to warn them. Would have been even nicer if the doctor had refused to accept unvaccinated patients. - m9m, Crone of FriendFeed

I vaguely wonder if they could sue in civil court for the lost wages/expenses. That would make an interesting precedent. - CAJ was here

"Thirty babies have been placed under home isolation in Alameda County after possible exposure to measles linked to a holiday outbreak at Disneyland last month. Officials with the Alameda County Public Health Department asked the parents of the infants to keep their children at home to avoid further exposure to the contagious illness, department spokeswoman Sherri Willis said. The babies are not infected, Willis said, but had some contact or connection to the measles patients in Alameda County." - Steve C, Team Marina

Start countdown for first measles deaths in CA from the youngest innocents. - Steve C, Team Marina

Taking medical advice from a Playboy centerfold... #whatcouldpossiblygowrong - WarLord

So glad it was edifying ;) - Soup in a TARDIS

That needs to be put on a sampler, people - Soup in a TARDIS

"Tom Petty has been given a songwriting credit for Sam Smith's hit song "Stay With Me." Petty and collaborator Jeff Lynne were added to the song credits after Petty's team noticed a likeness between Smith's song and Petty's "I Won't Back Down." When the Petty camp reached out to Smith's representatives, they settled the matter amicably and agreed that Petty and Lynne will receive royalties." - Steve C, Team Marina