The mass-marketing of profanity just won’t stop. Now’s it topping the best-selling book list – in children’s picture books. You might have heard by now that there’s a “subversive” little bedtime book for adults. It should not be read to children. It’s called “Go the F— to Sleep.” Anyone who’s ever been up at 2 in the morning with a baby or toddler knows exactly the feeling that is being exploited here. “Total genius,” says the blurb on the front cover. Genius it is not. Anybody could have written this book in 90 minutes, tops. It’s just having the “bright idea” of a naughty nighty-night book that might make the get-quick-rich schemers jealous. The book could not be smaller (32 pages, seven ounces, and less than nine inches by six inches), but it retails for $14.95. This could be called getting your cursing bang for the buck. There are 428 words in this stupid thing, and 24 are curse words. That’s about one profanity out of about every 18 words. Shakespearean. But wait! There’s more! Barnes & Noble is even helpful to the buyer of this epic work of “genius” in recommending other tomes in this genre. On the sales slip, they insisted if you like this, of course you’ll enjoy other literary works of high art like “S— My Dad Says,” “Farts,” and “[A-Words] Finish First.”
Continue reading …
Shot people taken to hospital across border after crackdown on demonstrations in Damascus, Homs and Aleppo Hundreds of Syrians have fled to Lebanon after 20 people were killed in the biggest day of protests against President Bashar al-Assad. Up to 1,000 Syrians escaped through the al-Qusair crossing in the region of Akkar near Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon, according to a Lebanese security official. At least six of those who crossed the border had gunshot wounds and were admitted to hospital in Akkar, the official said. Teargas and live bullets were fired at demonstrators leaving Friday prayers in several areas of the capital Damascus and elsewhere. Syrian state TV blamed unidentified gunmen for some deaths. Thousands of people are reported to have turned out in the Damascus suburb of Irbin, the central city of Homs, and, more unusually, in Aleppo, Syria’s second city, which has been largely peaceful so far. The renewed protests came after President Assad offered dialogue and reform on Monday. The scale and geographical spread of the latest protests – dubbed “the Friday of the end of legitimacy” – appeared to underline Assad’s failure to dampen opposition fervour. In an address to the nation on Monday – his third since the start of the anti-regime demonstrations – he spoke of dialogue and reform , but democracy activists dismissed his offers as cosmetic or insufficient. Opposition leaders in Damascus are reported to be planning a public meeting next week to discuss strategy. Syria Middle East Arab and Middle East unrest David Batty guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Hit F5 for the latest or select the auto-refresh button below • Follow all the latest scores on the official live scoreboard • The full order of play for Saturday’s action at SW19 • In pictures: our pick of the best images from day six • Email your thoughts to paolo.bandini@guardian.co.uk You can even follow Paolo on Twitter, if that’s your thing 12.14pm: Out on Court Five, Heather Watson suffers a brave defeat (all British defeats, as we know, are either brave, or spirited) on serve in the opening game of her doubles match with Jocelyn Rae against Sophie Lefevre and Evgeniya Rodina. After each point the British pair high-five – relentlessly enthusiastic even in the wake of rubbish volleys into the net cord. I blame the Bryans for this nonsense. 12.08pm: Not much of a conspiracy theory, but perhaps the beginnings of an explanation of the delay at the gates from Sporting Intelligence on Twitter: Wim spokesmn: “Acting on information received that there might be a potential demonstration we have been taking some actions to prevent it.” Police helicopter above Wimbledon. Potential protest apparently involves Spaniards. Reasons unknown. 12.01pm: The senior players are making their way out onto the outside courts, but the delay opening the gates means many fans with tickets are still stuck outside. “The Queue stretches all the way down the road on both sides,” notes my colleague Anna Kessel, while the tennis blogger @FortyDeuceTwits tweets: Calamity at the gates. 50 minute delay in opening the gates means a queue that actually looks longer than the actual Queue. 11.54am: Play traditionally starts on the outside courts at noon, but with the junior competitions getting underway today, any visitor (or at least any visitor lucky enough to have found a way in the gates) strolling around the outside courts will have been treated to the sight of miniature Pete Samprases and Steffi Grafs crushing the ball back and forth across a net that in some cases seems to be higher than their eyeline. Roger Federer himself was so startled at the height of the nets on his first entry into the junior tournament here, back in 1998, that he demanded the umpire take a measurement to confirm it did not exceed regulations. He still won the tournament, though, naturally. 11.52am: Oh yeah, you can also get the full order of play for day five here . 11.48am: If you’re looking for something to keep you entertained between updates this morning, then you can catch up on yesterday’s action with all our reports , or indeed our award-winning snapper Tom Jenkins’s picture gallery . Alternatively, if you’ve read something brilliant elsewhere, why not let us know below the line. 11.45am: Drama at the gates of the All England Club this morning, as your not especially intrepid live blogger arrived just in time to be shut out of the grounds. The press entrance was closed for all of about one minute before being reopened, but the mysterious voice from the sky inside the media centre suggests others were made to wait much longer, with gates that would normally open at 10.30am being kept shut until 11.15am. As yet, I do not have an explanation, so in the meantime do feel free to suggest outlandish conspiracy theories of your own. Both the women’s No1 Caroline Wozniacki and the men’s No1 Rafael Nadal are in action today – facing Jarmila Gajdosova and Gilles Muller respectively – but that’s not the half of it. Today also sees Novak Djokovic take on Marcos Baghdatis , Roger Federer up against David Nalbandian , Serena Williams taking on Maria Kirilenko and a rather tasty looking encounter on Court Two between Juan Martin Del Potro and Gilles Simon . And if you’re just here for the Brits then I have good news on that front too. Five home doubles pairings are in action today – Jocelyn Rae and Heather Watson , Anne Keothavong and Laura Robson , Colin Fleming and Jocelyn Rae , Kenneth Skupski and Elena Baltacha , Jamie Delgado and Melanie South . As a great man once said: woof . Wimbledon 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Paolo Bandini guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Rep. Keith Ellison, ultraliberal Democrat of Minnesota, appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal Thursday morning, and was asked about Bachmann. What unfolded was a classic elaboration of today's liberal creed — which Ellison dressed up as “liberty and justice for all” — and then insisted Bachmann was opposed to that concept down the line: PETER SLEN, C-SPAN host: Your district borders Michele Bachmann’s. ELLISON: Sure does. And you know, I get along fine with Michele, and she and I were state legislators together, and interpersonally, we’re fine. But of course our views couldn’t be any more different that they are. You know, we just see the world in a fundamentally different light. That’s true. Bachmann is a Tea Party Christian conservative, and Ellison is a left-wing Muslim convert who co-chairs the House Progressive Caucus. But listen to how Ellison announces the liberal creed, and then assumed that Bachmann opposes every ideal he announces, including liberty and justice for all: I believe in inclusion of all Americans, no matter what religion, what color, what race, whoever
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media CNN’s Anderson Cooper gave a writer at a conservative website a lesson in reporting Thursday night. The Daily Caller’s Laura Donovan attacked Cooper Thursday for a segment he did mocking 16-year-old singer Courtney Alexis marriage to 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. Apparently it wasn’t clear to Donovan that Cooper was being sarcastic when he jokingly referred to people objecting to the age disparity as “romance haters” in his Wednesday “RidicuList” segment. “Unlike much of the population, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper isn’t repulsed by the Las Vegas nuptials,” Donovan wrote . “I bet at The Daily Caller, if someone tells a knock knock joke everyone runs to the door and waits to see who comes in,” Cooper said Thursday. After outraged Cooper fans wrote the conservative website explaining that he had been joking, editors had to correct her story and she responded on Twitter. “I knew it was sarcastic!” she claimed. “I said in my story that he took ‘sarcastic jabs.’ Guess I could have been clearer.” “Clearer than a completely misleading headline followed by a completely misleading story?” Cooper asked. “Come on, Laura. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Then the CNN host offered a few words of advice: “You’re only 22 years old. You wrote for your college newspaper and you have a blog about guys who hit on you or something. I couldn’t really get into it. I know when you’re starting out in today’s snide internet culture you want to make a name for yourself. I know that attacking others is an easy way to do that. Maybe you want to prove you’re ideologically on the right side. In the future, don’t be so quick to attack. Make sure you research what you write. That way your editors don’t step in and rewrite your inaccurate stories.” The Daily Caller’s Jim Treacher responded with a series of unfunny, gay-baiting knock knock jokes about Cooper. Way to keep it classy.
Continue reading …Click here to view this media CNN’s Anderson Cooper gave a writer at a conservative website a lesson in reporting Thursday night. The Daily Caller’s Laura Donovan attacked Cooper Thursday for a segment he did mocking 16-year-old singer Courtney Alexis marriage to 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. Apparently it wasn’t clear to Donovan that Cooper was being sarcastic when he jokingly referred to people objecting to the age disparity as “romance haters” in his Wednesday “RidicuList” segment. “Unlike much of the population, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper isn’t repulsed by the Las Vegas nuptials,” Donovan wrote . “I bet at The Daily Caller, if someone tells a knock knock joke everyone runs to the door and waits to see who comes in,” Cooper said Thursday. After outraged Cooper fans wrote the conservative website explaining that he had been joking, editors had to correct her story and she responded on Twitter. “I knew it was sarcastic!” she claimed. “I said in my story that he took ‘sarcastic jabs.’ Guess I could have been clearer.” “Clearer than a completely misleading headline followed by a completely misleading story?” Cooper asked. “Come on, Laura. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Then the CNN host offered a few words of advice: “You’re only 22 years old. You wrote for your college newspaper and you have a blog about guys who hit on you or something. I couldn’t really get into it. I know when you’re starting out in today’s snide internet culture you want to make a name for yourself. I know that attacking others is an easy way to do that. Maybe you want to prove you’re ideologically on the right side. In the future, don’t be so quick to attack. Make sure you research what you write. That way your editors don’t step in and rewrite your inaccurate stories.” The Daily Caller’s Jim Treacher responded with a series of unfunny, gay-baiting knock knock jokes about Cooper. Way to keep it classy.
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media CNN’s Anderson Cooper gave a writer at a conservative website a lesson in reporting Thursday night. The Daily Caller’s Laura Donovan attacked Cooper Thursday for a segment he did mocking 16-year-old singer Courtney Alexis marriage to 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. Apparently it wasn’t clear to Donovan that Cooper was being sarcastic when he jokingly referred to people objecting to the age disparity as “romance haters” in his Wednesday “RidicuList” segment. “Unlike much of the population, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper isn’t repulsed by the Las Vegas nuptials,” Donovan wrote . “I bet at The Daily Caller, if someone tells a knock knock joke everyone runs to the door and waits to see who comes in,” Cooper said Thursday. After outraged Cooper fans wrote the conservative website explaining that he had been joking, editors had to correct her story and she responded on Twitter. “I knew it was sarcastic!” she claimed. “I said in my story that he took ‘sarcastic jabs.’ Guess I could have been clearer.” “Clearer than a completely misleading headline followed by a completely misleading story?” Cooper asked. “Come on, Laura. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Then the CNN host offered a few words of advice: “You’re only 22 years old. You wrote for your college newspaper and you have a blog about guys who hit on you or something. I couldn’t really get into it. I know when you’re starting out in today’s snide internet culture you want to make a name for yourself. I know that attacking others is an easy way to do that. Maybe you want to prove you’re ideologically on the right side. In the future, don’t be so quick to attack. Make sure you research what you write. That way your editors don’t step in and rewrite your inaccurate stories.” The Daily Caller’s Jim Treacher responded with a series of unfunny, gay-baiting knock knock jokes about Cooper. Way to keep it classy.
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media CNN’s Anderson Cooper gave a writer at a conservative website a lesson in reporting Thursday night. The Daily Caller’s Laura Donovan attacked Cooper Thursday for a segment he did mocking 16-year-old singer Courtney Alexis marriage to 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. Apparently it wasn’t clear to Donovan that Cooper was being sarcastic when he jokingly referred to people objecting to the age disparity as “romance haters” in his Wednesday “RidicuList” segment. “Unlike much of the population, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper isn’t repulsed by the Las Vegas nuptials,” Donovan wrote . “I bet at The Daily Caller, if someone tells a knock knock joke everyone runs to the door and waits to see who comes in,” Cooper said Thursday. After outraged Cooper fans wrote the conservative website explaining that he had been joking, editors had to correct her story and she responded on Twitter. “I knew it was sarcastic!” she claimed. “I said in my story that he took ‘sarcastic jabs.’ Guess I could have been clearer.” “Clearer than a completely misleading headline followed by a completely misleading story?” Cooper asked. “Come on, Laura. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Then the CNN host offered a few words of advice: “You’re only 22 years old. You wrote for your college newspaper and you have a blog about guys who hit on you or something. I couldn’t really get into it. I know when you’re starting out in today’s snide internet culture you want to make a name for yourself. I know that attacking others is an easy way to do that. Maybe you want to prove you’re ideologically on the right side. In the future, don’t be so quick to attack. Make sure you research what you write. That way your editors don’t step in and rewrite your inaccurate stories.” The Daily Caller’s Jim Treacher responded with a series of unfunny, gay-baiting knock knock jokes about Cooper. Way to keep it classy.
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media CNN’s Anderson Cooper gave a writer at a conservative website a lesson in reporting Thursday night. The Daily Caller’s Laura Donovan attacked Cooper Thursday for a segment he did mocking 16-year-old singer Courtney Alexis marriage to 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. Apparently it wasn’t clear to Donovan that Cooper was being sarcastic when he jokingly referred to people objecting to the age disparity as “romance haters” in his Wednesday “RidicuList” segment. “Unlike much of the population, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper isn’t repulsed by the Las Vegas nuptials,” Donovan wrote . “I bet at The Daily Caller, if someone tells a knock knock joke everyone runs to the door and waits to see who comes in,” Cooper said Thursday. After outraged Cooper fans wrote the conservative website explaining that he had been joking, editors had to correct her story and she responded on Twitter. “I knew it was sarcastic!” she claimed. “I said in my story that he took ‘sarcastic jabs.’ Guess I could have been clearer.” “Clearer than a completely misleading headline followed by a completely misleading story?” Cooper asked. “Come on, Laura. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Then the CNN host offered a few words of advice: “You’re only 22 years old. You wrote for your college newspaper and you have a blog about guys who hit on you or something. I couldn’t really get into it. I know when you’re starting out in today’s snide internet culture you want to make a name for yourself. I know that attacking others is an easy way to do that. Maybe you want to prove you’re ideologically on the right side. In the future, don’t be so quick to attack. Make sure you research what you write. That way your editors don’t step in and rewrite your inaccurate stories.” The Daily Caller’s Jim Treacher responded with a series of unfunny, gay-baiting knock knock jokes about Cooper. Way to keep it classy.
Continue reading …Watch live streaming video from nysenate at livestream.com
Continue reading …