Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

This has been around in the internet for a few weeks, but always good to see again!  And if you haven't see it yet...enjoy!

On Nov.13 2010 unsuspecting shoppers got a big surprise while enjoying their lunch. Over 100 participants in this awesome Christmas Flash Mob. This is a must see!

This flash mob was organized by http://www.AlphabetPhotography.com to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Special thanks to Robert Cooper and Chorus Niagara, The Welland Seaway Mall in Welland, Canada, and Fagan Media Group.

What A Crock!

General Motors this Holiday Season, is thanking you the people for helping them get back up. Copyright GM Corp.

Pat Down Leaves Airline Passenger In Tears

Heaven Is For Real

Mickey Mouse Turns 82

Oh boy! Mickey Mouse is one old rodent!

Walt Disney's most famous cartoon creatiobn turned 82 on Thursday.

Mickey’s first appearance with sound -- and the first of his films to be distributed -- was in "Steamboat Willie" on Nov. 18, 1928.

The falsetto-speaking mouse appeared in "Plane Crazy" six months prior, alongside Minnie, but in that feature he was as quiet as a, well, mouse.

Ub Iwerks was the main animator for both shorts as well as co-director with Walt Disney, who also provided the vocals for the star of the show (he handed over voice duties to Jimmy MacDonald in 1946 after he got too busy with his empire).

The popular mouse first spoke actual words in "The Karnival Kid" in 1929.

In 1978, Mickey became the first cartoon to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In an effort to bring the famous mouse back into the spotlight, last year the Walt Disney Company announced they would be rebranding Mickey Mouse as a more mischievous rodent, starting with the upcoming video game "Epic Mickey."
--nydailynews

Argentina: How To Handle a Loud-Mouthed Politician

This Is Argentina is facing some major budget issues, and tensions among legislators are high. So when lawmaker Carlos Kunkel wouldn't shut up during an Upper House session today his colleague, opposition member Graciela Camano, smacked him. Watch!

Keeping up with the Kardashians comes at a cost

The reality show star is pimping a new prepaid debit card targeted at kids that is as bursting with hidden fees as Kim's shirt, featured prominently on the plastic, is bursting with integrity. Yeah, I think using sex to sell hidden fees to kids is pretty messed up. Just take a look at all these fees:

Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard

• Card Purchase (Includes monthly fees for 6 months) $59.95
• Card Purchase (Includes monthly fees for 12 months) $99.95
• Monthly Fee (Applies after initial purchase period) $7.95
• Card Replacement - Primary or Companion $9.95
• ATM Withdrawal - Domestic $1.50
• ATM Inquiry or Decline - Domestic $1.00
• ATM Withdrawal - International $2.50
• ATM Inquiry or Decline - International $2.00
• Point of Sale - Decline -Domestic $1.00
• Point of Sale - Decline - International $1.00
• External Checking or Savings Transfer (To/From) $1.00
• Account to Account Transfer * $1.00
• Retail Load Fee (MoneyGram) $1.00
• Load Account by Debit/Credit Card ** $1.00
• Cancel Account - Request Balance Mailed by Check $6.00
• Service Center Care-Live operator $1.50
• Bill Pay - Per Item $2.00
• Replacement Card Expedite Fee (Overnight) $25.00
• Fee for transferring money from external accounts and to other cardholder accounts
• 2.5% surcharge of transaction amount applies

Fox Continues Homeric Odyssey

Fox has renewed "The Simpsons" for next season, the show's 23rd.

That means the longest-running comedy in television history will have a whopping 515 episodes in the can when the 2011-2012 season is over.

"Like many 22-year-olds, 'The Simpsons' is extremely happy remaining at home, on Fox, and hopes it doesn't have to go out into the real world for many years to come," Al Jean, executive producer, said in a statement.

Since launching on Jan. 14, 1990, "The Simpsons" has become a staple for Fox and a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon.

nydailynews

Thank You!

November 11th is Veterans Day, a day to honor America's military Veterans. Since 1954, the Veterans Day National Committee has worked to ensure Veterans Day receives proper and widespread observance. Part of that outreach this year includes this video for students explaining how and why we honor Veterans, not just on Veterans Day, but year-round.

On the VA Veterans Day page you'll find not only this video but also Veterans Day History, local and national observances and resources to teach students the value of honoring our Veterans. Visit the site at http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday and be sure to follow VA on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/VeteransAffairs­) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/DeptVetAffairs

The Power Of An Earthquake

This past September, a quake rocked Canterbury, New Zealand. But rather than scenes of destruction and rubble, the tremors left behind some bizarre scenes—like these warped tracks atop pristine countryside.  This is not photoshopped.

How 'bout A Turkey Cake?

Thanksgiving is coming quickly and here's something new to serve up. It's a Turkey Cake:

It's a layer cake. The layers are made of turkey and stuffing. It's frosted with mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. The turkey, mind you, is ground, and mixed with instant oatmeal. And the coupe de grace is — wait for it — a topping of mini marshmallows.

Video: 'Wheel' Puzzle Solved With One Letter

It may be the most amazing solve of a “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle ever…A New York fashion magazine editor nailed a long answer with just one letter for a clue!

26 year old Caitlin Burke nailed the phrase “I’ve Got a Good Feeling About This” with only the letter “L” showing on the board.

The woman from Clinton Township, New Jersey won a $6,500 trip to the Caribbean. Pat Sajak was clearly shocked by the quick answer and you can see the entire clip here:

The Perfect Trick Play

The game is between two middle-schools, but no one information is available.

Loyalty: Dog Still Waits for Dead Master

Wayne Giroux’s family sure misses him after he was killed by a drunk driver this summer. But there’s also someone else who misses Wayne — his dog Spot.

From WFAA-TV:

It’s hard to tell who misses Wayne more… Paul or the dog.

At the same time, every day, Spot hangs around this quiet country road waiting for Wayne to come home.

“I have no doubt that‘s what she’s waiting for,” Paul said. “It breaks my heart every time I go over there.”
Twice a day, Spot leaves her post when Paul looks in on her. But he knows it’s not him the dog really wants to see.

“If you can ever find anything that loves you that much, it’s the most precious gift in the world,” he said.
It’s possible, one day, Spot might give up. But Paul doesn’t think so.

Around here, friends are for a lifetime.

Chilean Miner Finshes NYC Marathon!

Chilean miner Edison Pena ran the first half of the New York City Marathon in two hours and seven minutes, until knee pain and exhaustion forced him to walk for 10 miles. He slapped on two ice packs at a first-aid station and got treated for cramps at a medical tent in the 18th mile, but he kept on going, and finished the marathon in 5 hours, 40 minutes and 51seconds!

“The Wonder of You” by his favorite artist Elvis blared out of the speakers as he crossed the finish line.

Retired Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer was the very last runner to start the race but finished in an impressive 4:13. For every person he passed in the race, Timex will donate $1 to the New York Road
Runners youth fitness program.

-Model Veronica Webb finished the race in 4:59

-Subway Spokesman Jared Fogle said he just hoped he could finish the marathon and he did in a very
respectable 5:13

-“Today Show” host Meredith Vieria ran her first marathon in 5:59

-Another “Today Show” member Al Roker ran the race in 7:09.

See the full list of results here.

MJ's New Album Vocals Are Genuine: Music Studio

Sony Music on Friday released a brief "teaser" of a new Michael Jackson single and insisted that the vocals on an upcoming new album were genuinely those of the late "Thriller" singer.

But controversy over the December album release of "Michael" was stoked by a representative of Jackson's father Joe, who said the perfectionist performer would never have wanted his unfinished material to be released.

A short clip on the official michaeljackson.com web site for "Breaking News" -- a song that Jackson is said to have recorded in 2007 -- consisted of TV news soundbites on Jackson's June 2009 death, followed by a faint scream of less than two seconds.

The full song will be released on Monday. The new album "Michael" will be released December 14.

Read more here.

From Space: Florida at Night

These photos were taken by NASA astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock on Nov. 1, 2010.

It is a picture of the Southeastern United States at night with the state of Florida taking front stage.

Wheelock is currently orbiting Earth on the International Space Station (ISS) as a member of the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft and commander of the Expedition 25 crew.

As the ISS orbits, Wheelock has taken numerous snapshots of the blue and green planet, including cities and famous landmarks that dot the sphere.

He is uploading his individual photos onto his personal Twitter page via twitpic.com. All of these images are courtesy of NASA, Wheelock and twitpic.com.

Here's a close-up view of the Interstate 4 corridor that stretches from Tampa to Orlando and ends by running into I-95 near Daytona Beach, Florida.

You can clearly see the "dark" waters of Tampa Bay and the bridges connecting St. Petersburg to Tampa at the bottom of the image.  Also quite visible is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge connecting St. Petersburg to the Palmetto and Bradenton areas of west-central Florida.

Working your way to the top of the image and following I-4 west to east, you can pick out the city lights of Lakeland, Orlando (and its extensive coverage of surrounding cities) and finally Daytona Beach along the Florida Atlantic Coast.

By the way, at the top right of the image is the Space Coast, including Titusville and Cape Canaveral.

Nuns get $220K from Wagner card sale

From the AP:

BALTIMORE -- A rare Honus Wagner baseball card that was bequeathed to an order of Roman Catholic nuns has sold at auction for $262,000.

The Baltimore-based School Sisters of Notre Dame put the card up for sale after inheriting it from the brother of a deceased nun. The sale price exceeded the expectations of auctioneers at Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries.

The nuns will receive $220,000 from the sale. The total sale price includes a 19.5 percent buyer's premium. Sister Virginia Muller, who was entrusted with the card, says the proceeds will go to the order's ministries in more than 30 countries around the world.

Collector and card shop owner Doug Walton bought the card.

About 60 of the T206 Honus Wagner cards, produced between 1909 and 1911, are known to exist.

Serial Bride Married Four Times

Cash-for-citizenship scam
From NY Daily News:

A serial bride from the Bronx married four men in a cash-for-citizenship scam before officials caught on to her on her fifth trip down the aisle, city records show.

Officials say Sonia Estrada, 46, appears to have never gotten divorced.

"She was a pay-for-play wife," said one city official. "Each guy paid her a few thousand bucks and got their papers. She had a real racket going."

Estrada has been issued four New York marriage licenses - one in 1985, two in 1992, and one in 1994. A new system in the city clerk's office flagged her fifth application when she tried to marry again in July, sources said.

After failing to find any record of divorce from her four previous husbands, the fifth application was denied, records show.

Officials quickly began to suspect it was a citizenship scam. One of her husbands said he had no idea.

"I didn't know she was married," said Luis Montoya Rendon, a Colombian immigrant. "If she did that, she's a liar. It's wrong."

Records show her other husbands are Pedro Chinchilla, also of Colombia; Fredy Jorge of Peru, and Juaquin Mejia of the Dominican Republic. Estrada, who has three daughters with a man she has not married, was summoned to an administrative tribunal to explain herself. When confronted with evidence of her past marriages, Estrada blamed her dead twin, Gloria. Administrative Law Judge Ingrid Addison didn't buy it.

"It appeared all too convenient to accuse Gloria, since she was no longer around to dispute it," Addison wrote in her decision.

Estrada's case has been referred to the NYPD, sources said. She could not be reached for comment.

Couple Gives Away $11.2M Jackpot

A Canadian couple that won over $11 million (Canadian) has given it all away. Beneficiaries include friends, family, charities, hospitals, and even the local fire department.

The Daily Mail reports: 

Allen and Violet Large, both in their 70s, said their good fortune earlier this year had been a ‘big headache’ and they had decided against going on a spending spree.

‘What you’ve never had, you never miss,’ Violet, 78, told the Toronto Star.

She and Allen, 75, eventually decided it was better to give than receive and were totally at ease with handing over the money.

The couple has been married for 36 years and called the money “nothing” compared to having “each other.”

But it‘s not as if the couple couldn’t have used the money for other things. When they won the jackpot,

Violet was undergoing cancer treatment including chemo therapy and surgery. No matter.

The couple reportedly gave money to the hospitals where Violet received treatment, as well as cemeteries, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and churches.

The Partisans: Is Obama A Keynesian?

Rally For Sanity, 10/30/10

What A Story!

The 10 Most Overpriced Products

www.walletpop.com says convenience comes at a price and they list 10 overpriced products you should avoid if you want to save money.

6. Coffee has a 300% markup – That $3 cup of coffee you buy at the corner cafe is made for a quarter.

3. Movie theater popcorn has a 1,275% markup – You pay $6 for a medium-sized bag of popcorn in theaters, compared to buying three bags of microwaveable popcorn sold in a box for about $3 at the store. The average movie theater makes 40% of its profits from concessions.

2. Bottled water has a 4,000% markup

1. Text messages have a 6,000% markup – outgoing text messages on a cell phone typically costs users 20 cents, while it only costs carriers three-tenths of a cent to process.

See the rest of the list here.