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The Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka KS is under fire. They have picketed funerals of service men and women and now threatened to picket at funerals for the Sandy Hook Elementary victims. They say that God is punishing America for it's tolerance of gays and lesbians and use that platform to protest. Several petitions have been started on the White House website to label the church as a hate group. The petitions have reached 475,000 signatures which is way more than the 25,000 needed to receive a White House response. hate group
A young boy wants to make the Guinness Book of World Records by receiving the most Christmas cards. He wants to see it happen before he dies. Dalton Dingus is 9 and doctors sent him home with only one week to live. Since his request for Christmas cards has gone worldwide, his health is improving. His mother says that he's laughing more and she calls it "A Christmas miracle." Christmas card wish
A soda shop in St. Paul has pulled the candy cigarettes from their shelves. Even though it was their best selling candy, they don't want to be in trouble with a law that states fake smokes and cartoon lighters cannot be sold. The law is aimed at keeping kids from picking up the habit of smoking. soda shop
Savannah has her own soldiers. Young children who write letters to US servicemen and women. She started the letter writing campaign when a friend's father was sent to Afghanistan. She wanted to write a letter to each of the 700 in his group. As she found out that this was going to be more than she could handle alone, she enlisted the help of others and now sends to more groups. Her friend's father has returned home just in time for Christmas and told her that it was very uplifting to get the letters and see the smiles on faces as he passed them out. Savannah's Soldiers
A sun close to our own solar system has been discovered that may have 5 planets in it's system. One of which looks to be a "water planet" that could sustain life as we know it. habitable planet?
This is written by someone in the UK but this is also a good project for us here in the US. The dieting industry makes billions of dollars a year on a product that doesn't actually work. Then people are blamed for not trying hard enough. Statistics show that yo-yo dieting is worse for you than being big. It is the healthy habits that work even if you don't lose weight. It's time we stop shaming people and start accepting that we are all different. So this year, the new years resolution is to get rid of all those diet books and supplies. Read about it here.
Lutheran Church Charities from Addison IL has sent 8 golden retrievers to help comfort people after the Sandy Hook shooting. Their first job was attending the funerals of the first two victims buried on Monday. The dogs are nonjudgemental, loving, and accepting of everyone. It makes it so easy for those grieving to open up with the dogs even if it's just to pet them. golden retrievers
Well...almost. They should be available to fill Easter baskets next year. It seems that Hostess has about 2 dozen companies bidding on their products. It looks like Walmart may be a front-runner when it comes to buying Twinkies. If they win the bidding war, I wonder if they'll allow other retailers to sell them. It's not the end of Twinkies.
Jayden Lamb would've been 9 on 12-12-12. Unfortunately Jayden passed away on November 27 after a battle with cancer. His family has started a campaign to pay it forward in his honor. They have been doing random acts of kindness for strangers and urge others to do the same. They've got a facebook page and want those that join "Keep on Truckin' Team Jayden" to post on the facebook page about what they've done to help others. It doesn't have to be monetary; just pay it forward with kindness. An anonymous donor dropped a ring valued at $2,000 into a Salvation Army kettle along with a note that said, "paying it forward Jayden style. God bless." Jayden Lamb remembered
The Mall Santa at Boise Town Square Mall was ready for a sleeping baby. When a mother was about to leave the line without having her little one's picture taken because he had fallen asleep, Santa convinced her to bring him up anyway. He then pretended to be asleep on his oversized chair with the sleeping baby on his tummy. The picture has gone viral. smart Santa
Drink Savvy is a company that has created products that will change color if it comes in contact with date rape drugs. This could possibly save a lot of people from unknowingly ingesting the drugs. smart cups
A monkey dressed in a coat was found wandering around the parking lot at an Ikea store. It was cornered by store employees who waited for animal control to arrive. The monkey is now at a shelter and it's owner is fighting to be reunited with her "family member." wandering monkey
The LeBonheur Hospital in Marietta Georgia is always looking for ways to help their patients beyond simply providing them with medical care. The children's hospital treats about 250,000 each year. Their window washers dressed up like super heroes and plan to make it a regular occurrence. Now Elf on the Shelf has arrived. One on each floor and nurses are already seeing changes in some patients. Elfy visitors.
Michael Richard Smith is living in a 14 foot canoe in Boston's inner harbor. He docks and pitches a tent at night. Everything he owns is in his canoe. It doesn't worry him that everything is out in the open because those that could get to him would have to be in boats and he says that boat people stick together. Because he's kept to recreational areas, the Police and Coast Guard are leaving him alone. canoe home
The White House maintains a website for petitions launched by citizens. Before any of the petitions will even be considered a response, they have to get 25,000 signatures. There are some strange and crazy petitions listed there. One wants a fully operational death star, another asks for a nationalized Twinkie industry, and yet one more claims we should have motorcycle riding judges who are judge, jury, and executioners. petitions
Captain Walbridge chose to take the Bounty out to sea when Hurricane Sandy approached. It was a fateful mistake. Him and one of his crew members lost their lives and the ship went to a watery grave. If they had stayed in port, it was certain that the ship would suffer great damage but no lives would have been lost. It was a difficult decision for the Captain but most in their right mind would've chosen lives over the ship. details
The Government now has a website dispelling the myths about December 21. It talks about "scary rumors about the world ending in 2012 are just rumors." Those that believe the world will end on December 21 are going to be disappointed. Hope is that those who are vulnerable will not do something crazy. NO doomsday
Taylor Swift was seen with Harry Styles from One Direction. They were enjoying Sunday in Central Park with friends. The zoo was on their agenda for the day. They were photographed watching the seals. outing
The homeless man was given a pair of boots by Officer Lawrence DePrimo. A tourist happened to take a photograph and it went viral. The man was spotted barefoot again and when asked about the boots, he said that he had to hide them. They're expensive boots and his safety would be in danger if he were wearing them. Sad truth on the streets
Officer Lawrence DePrimo is photographed giving a new pair of boots to a homeless man. The officer noticed the man with bare feet full of blisters. The man was sitting in the subway on November 14 and it was very cold; so DePrimo went out to buy a pair of boots and brought them back to the homeless man. This was all caught on film by Jennifer Foster who was visiting from Arizona where she works in a Sheriff's office as a communications director. boots
The end may be near for Hostess but they have 110 buyers who are interested in buying their product line as well as their factories. Workers will be let go, management will get bonuses, and things will be sold but Twinkies will live on. twinkies
NASA keeps an information webpage dealing with December 21 predictions. They say that all of the doomsday scenarios are not in any way even possible...no planet is on a collision course with Earth, no extreme solar flares, no reversal of the Earth's magnetic field, no falling into a black hole, and certainly no complete blackouts of the entire planet. Their concern is the people (especially impressionable youngsters) who believe the prophecy and thus could do something to harm themselves. A scientist at NASA says, "The greatest threat to earth in 2012, at the end of this year and in the future, is just from the human race itself." Dec 21
A man was trying to get over his fear of rejection by making requests that couldn't possibly be granted. He planned to do this for 100 days but on the third day, he ran into Jackie Braun who has worked at Krispy Kreme for 5 years. The request was simple but complicated at the same time. All he wanted was 5 donuts but he wanted them colored and linked together just like the Olympic rings. Jackie filled his request within his 15 minute time limit. So, Jia Jiang failed but Jackie did not. Krispy Kreme to the rescue.
A load of ammunition ends up in Mexico because of a wrong turn. The truck driver is put in jail when he tries to return to the US. But after 7 months, his mother is able to get him freed and he has an emotional return home. wrong turn
A 24-year old in Kingston, Canada, tries to ruin Christmas for children at a holiday parade. He put gel in his hair to look like horns and proceeded to tell the kids that Santa wasn't real. He was arrested for causing a disturbance and being drunk. stealing Christmas
In Lithonia, GA, a man died after being stopped for shoplifting. When police arrived, they found employees and a security guard sitting on the man. They found him unresponsive and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Walmart tragedy
A developer is planning to launch a party train between southern California and Las Vegas beginning New Years Eve 2013. The concept is that of a Vegas style nightclub which will save you the hassle of traffic and trying to drive home after a wild night in Las Vegas. It also gives 4 more hours of partying each way. party train
A duck farmer in Wenling refused to sell his house to the government so that it could be torn down in order to build a road. He just finished paying about $95,000 to build his home and the government has only made two offers; one of $35,000 and most recently $41,000. Both are unacceptable to Luo Baogen and his wife. They must sleep in two separate parts of the house and someone must remain there 24 hours a day to prevent it from being demolished. The road has been built around the house but negotiations are ongoing. house
This rollercoaster, however, is not one that will provide rides. It's the rollercoaster that was pulled into the ocean during Hurricane Sandy. The Mayor of Seaside Heights, NJ is checking with the Coast Guard to see if the coaster is stable enough to stay where it is. tourist attraction
Some folks have gone a bit overboard with the thought of never having a Twinkie again. Mara Shiavocampo, an NBC news correspondent, has bought a "lifetime" supply of the sponge cake treats. She plans to eat two per year so she has enough to last her for 50 years. Have you bought your stash yet? Twinkies craze
Lynn Harrell is a master cellist; not a master criminal. Delta Airlines, however, has made him feel that way. He travels all over the world performing and has done so for 40 years. He always buys an extra seat for his instrument so an account was set up for his cello about 15 years ago by a Delta employee. Now Delta has taken away the cello's sky miles as well as Lynn's personal miles and he will never be permitted to have a Sky Miles account again. All because they won't give miles unless it's an actual person. Really? What difference does it make if the seat is being purchased? Lynn Harrell now avoids Delta whenever possible. Good choice Lynn!! Sky Miles
Vivian Campbell, Def Leppard's guitarist, has filed for divorce from his wife of 25 years citing irreconcilable differences. He's asked for joint legal and physical custody of their two daughters and also wants no spousal maintenance for his wife, Julie. divorce
Somewhere between 1919 and 1922, a ship crashed ashore because of thick fog. Everyone on board was rescued including the cat and the ship was salvaged shortly after the crash. It remained buried there until Sandy came knocking. It's hull is now exposed. Officials hope to document the shipwreck before it's covered with sand once again. shipwreck
A Chaplain was cleaning out his desk when he found some lottery tickets he had purchased in the last couple of months. One of those tickets is worth $1 Million. Ron Yurcus occasionally buys a ticket and just tosses it in the pile with the rest of them. He needed to clean up his "mess" and found a couple tickets worth $2 each but then he found the big one. He was surprised when he read the payoff page and saw that it was that much. He plans to use the money for his retirement, help out kids and grandkids, and donate some. retiree wins lottery
Hostess has decided to close up shop and sell. They had threatened to do it if workers were not back on the job and production back up where it should be. Thursday night was the deadline. Workers called the bluff and now are all out of a job. Twinkies, Ho Ho's, Suzy Q's, Cupcakes, and all of my other close Hostess friends; you will be missed. Hostess closing
Shania Twain is starting a new gig at Caesar's Palace. She'll be there for two years and she decided to arrive in style. Forty horses led by Shania made it's way down the strip. arrival on horseback
Unfortunately Aerosmith's new album was a disappointment to some. It's first week puts it only at #5 on the Billboard 200. new album
Tragically, there could be 50,000 starfish that ended up on a beach in Ireland. They did not survive after being beached. No one seems to know exactly why it happened. starfish
Flooding is common this time of year in Venice, Italy. Tourists make the best of it by swimming in the streets. pictures
A man in Arizona didn't vote which angered his wife. She blamed him for her candidate losing the election. Her "punishment" was to run him over with their vehicle. After chasing him around a parking lot, she pinned him under the car. She's been arrested and he's in critical condition but expected to recover. I see a divorce coming!! She obviously doesn't know how the electoral college works. Besides, Arizona's votes went for her candidate anyway. non-voting response
Jason DeCaires Taylor is at it again. He sinks his sculptures to help underwater life and bring in tourism. This time Jason has fashioned a VW Bug and placed it strategically on the ocean's floor. His Cancun Underwater Museum now contains at least 500 statues.
A dog and a deer have become best friends after the deer was abandoned by it's mother. The deer plays and cuddles with the dog as if they were both the same species. Pippen and Kate, best friends
Hayden Panettiere lives downstairs from Taylor Swift and says that Taylor has a knack for decorating. Her condo has a human sized bird cage with a telescope, a koi pond, and her ceiling is painted like the night sky. Swift's condo
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were born to a Kenyan mother on Wednesday after the election. Her twin sons will always remind her of the election in the US. Kenyans hope that Obama's win will bring a fresh relationship between the two countries. twins
Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton won song of the year for "Over You." It was written for Blake's brother who died as the result of a car accident when Blake was only 14. Miranda and Blake co-wrote the song and were very emotional when they accepted their award. CMA
A 9-year old boy from Ireland was looking for treasure along a beach near his home when he discovered what he thought was trash. That is, until he opened the green 2-liter bottle. It contained a note that had traveled 8 years and 2500 miles. Two girls vacationing in Canada had thrown the bottle and note into the ocean and hoped for a response from the person who found it. Now 20-years old and in college, Charlaine and Claudia were able to Skype with Oisin about finding the bottle and will visit him in Ireland next summer. message in a bottle
A British army dog is the latest four-legged fallen hero to be honored with the Dicken Medal. He suffered from a seizure shortly after his human companion was killed in a firefight. hero honored
San Juan Hills Golf Club is the scene of a rare phenomenon. A shark fell from the sky...probably out of the clutches of a predatory bird. Staff at the golf club managed to save the shark and release it into the ocean. falling shark
A tiny dog from Poland weighed just 1.58 ounces at birth and wasn't expected to make it. Her owner had to feed her with an eye dropper about every 30 minutes and sometimes it was so difficult that she just wanted to give up. Meysi is now 3 months old and 3.25 ounces--probably won't get much bigger than that. Her and two other tiny pooches will compete for the honor of smallest dog in the Guinness Book of World Records when they reach the age of 1 year. tiny dog
Jana was on her way back from a cruise with Blake Shelton when her plane was forced to make an emergency landing without landing gear. She tweeted her thoughts about being scared and asking for prayers. Several fans and other artists responded with warm thoughts for her. She tweeted again about half hour later that all was good--safe on the ground but was still very shook up. She's very superstitious about flying and this didn't help matters any. safe landing
Capuchin monkeys found a lost girl and took her in as one of their own. She doesn't remember exactly how it happened but Marina Chapman told stories about how she was raised by monkeys and about her rescue. Her daughter is helping to write a book about the adventures of her mother's life. raised by monkeys
A Swedish couple decided to get married in the Klingon style after watching an episode of Deep Space Nine. In the tv show, Worf weds Jadzia Dax in a traditional Klingon ceremony. Both thought it was very romantic and decided that's what they wanted. Some Klingon language was even used. Klingons marry
The Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka KS is under fire. They have picketed funerals of service men and women and now threatened to picket at funerals for the Sandy Hook Elementary victims. They say that God is punishing America for it's tolerance of gays and lesbians and use that platform to protest. Several petitions have been started on the White House website to label the church as a hate group. The petitions have reached 475,000 signatures which is way more than the 25,000 needed to receive a White House response. hate group
Jayden Lamb would've been 9 on 12-12-12. Unfortunately Jayden passed away on November 27 after a battle with cancer. His family has started a campaign to pay it forward in his honor. They have been doing random acts of kindness for strangers and urge others to do the same. They've got a facebook page and want those that join "Keep on Truckin' Team Jayden" to post on the facebook page about what they've done to help others. It doesn't have to be monetary; just pay it forward with kindness. An anonymous donor dropped a ring valued at $2,000 into a Salvation Army kettle along with a note that said, "paying it forward Jayden style. God bless." Jayden Lamb remembered
The LeBonheur Hospital in Marietta Georgia is always looking for ways to help their patients beyond simply providing them with medical care. The children's hospital treats about 250,000 each year. Their window washers dressed up like super heroes and plan to make it a regular occurrence. Now Elf on the Shelf has arrived. One on each floor and nurses are already seeing changes in some patients. Elfy visitors.
The homeless man was given a pair of boots by Officer Lawrence DePrimo. A tourist happened to take a photograph and it went viral. The man was spotted barefoot again and when asked about the boots, he said that he had to hide them. They're expensive boots and his safety would be in danger if he were wearing them. Sad truth on the streets
Officer Lawrence DePrimo is photographed giving a new pair of boots to a homeless man. The officer noticed the man with bare feet full of blisters. The man was sitting in the subway on November 14 and it was very cold; so DePrimo went out to buy a pair of boots and brought them back to the homeless man. This was all caught on film by Jennifer Foster who was visiting from Arizona where she works in a Sheriff's office as a communications director. boots
Lynn Harrell is a master cellist; not a master criminal. Delta Airlines, however, has made him feel that way. He travels all over the world performing and has done so for 40 years. He always buys an extra seat for his instrument so an account was set up for his cello about 15 years ago by a Delta employee. Now Delta has taken away the cello's sky miles as well as Lynn's personal miles and he will never be permitted to have a Sky Miles account again. All because they won't give miles unless it's an actual person. Really? What difference does it make if the seat is being purchased? Lynn Harrell now avoids Delta whenever possible. Good choice Lynn!! Sky Miles
