Blog Heap of Links for the day 16 April 2009

Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram "IHS"--symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there. [Only the beginning....]

A man and woman accused of having sex in a Wal-Mart parking lot face a charge of crime against nature Wednesday.... told police that they were having sex and [he] gave her $20 for oral sex.... [Mugshots: sad cases]

When two Domino's Pizza employees filmed a prank in the restaurant's kitchen, they decided to post it online. In a few days, thanks to the power of social media, they ended up with felony charges, more than a million disgusted viewers, and a major company facing a public relations crisis.... prepared sandwiches for delivery while putting cheese up his nose, nasal mucus on the sandwiches, and violating other health-code standards while a fellow employee provided narration....

Canada's ambassador to Afghanistan says some of the men who sit in the Afghan parliament are furious that a controversial new law stifling the rights of women was passed without their input. As Canadians question the human cost of a military mission in a country where rights often seem to be regressing, Ron Hoffman says he is encouraged by the outpouring of frustration he heard during a meeting this week with local politicians in Kabul.

Thousands of people rallied at the state Capitol as part of a National Tax Day Tea Party to protest excessive government spending. Thousands Attend OKC 'Tea Party' OKC Tea Party Web Site Join Our u local Community Get Wireless Alerts! Capitol Patrol officers estimated close to 4,000 people gathered Wednesday on the south steps of the state Capitol. Similar events were held in communities across the state.

Oklahomans upset with the federal government's economic stimulus funds may vent their frustration on the day state and federal taxes are due. A rally to protest the $787 billion federal economic stimulus package is scheduled for today on the south steps of the state Capitol. Organizers call the rally the Oklahoma Tax Day Tea Party

Holding signs bearing phrases such as "We the People, Not 'I' the Government" and "Obama, Pelosi, Reid, The Axis of Taxes," protesters gathered Wednesday at the Centennial Park in downtown Bartlesville as part of the nationwide National Tax Day Tea Party demonstrations — numbering nearly 800 across the country — protesting government spending, taxes and growth.

Somali pirates vowed to hunt down American ships and kill their sailors and French forces detained 11 other brigands in a high-seas raid as tensions ratcheted up Wednesday off Africa's volatile eastern coast. Pirates fired grenades and automatic weapons at an American freighter loaded with food aid but the ship escaped and was heading to Kenya under U.S. Navy guard.

A couple of the coolest gadgets from this year's CES, Sony's OLED-based Walkman and Samsung's slim Blu-ray Disk player, are now on their way with availability from April.

Sony Japan has finally acknowledged the existence of the X-Series Walkman by noting that Japanese consumers will be able to purchase a NW-X1050 (16gb; 40,000y) or a NW-X1060 (32gb; 50,000y) on April 25th. The Japanese Touchscreen Walkman will have the ability to receive broadcast TV signals.

The dominant media player of the '00s (the iPod) still hasn't integrated with wireless headphones. Maybe it should take a quick lesson from the dominant media player of the '80s: the Walkman.

The 3-inch OLED touchscreen has 240 x 432 resolution. The Walkmans will have an audio player, One-Seg TV tuner, and FM tuner for basic use, but the fun really starts when you use the built-in Wi-Fi web browser, including a YouTube interface. The players support MP3 and AAC files, so your unprotected iTunes library might have a new home.

Gov. David Paterson introduced a bill Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, comparing the effort to the fight for the abolition of slavery. Paterson, whose job approval rating has plunged below 30 percent, is making a political gamble that he can ride the momentum of other states that have recently allowed the practice, and it's unclear how the legislation will play in New York.

Pacific Gas & Electric ... said that it will seek approval from regulators to purchase 200 megawatts worth of solar energy delivered from stealth space solar power company Solaren over 15 years

Satellite solar cells would capture the sun's rays 24 hours a day, without fear of cloudy mornings or dark nights. The orbiters then convert this solar power to radio-frequencies that transmit to ground stations in Fresno County, Calif. Once received, the radio energy would change into electricity and flow into the grid. [WHAT could go WRONG?]

AN architect has painted his entire house, and everything in it, bright blue.... has outraged locals in the quiet neighbourhood of tree lined Klagenfurt, Austria....

A Norwegian man faces a heavy fine and a driving ban after police caught him having sex with his girlfriend while speeding on the motorway.... "It was veering from one side to the other because the woman was sitting on the man's lap while he was driving and doing the act, shall we say.... He couldn't see much because her back was in the way.... Why they did it on a highway with such a high risk we don't know."

When the economy started to squeeze the Wojtowicz family, they gave up vacation cruises, restaurant meals, new clothes and high-tech toys to become 21st-century homesteaders. Now Patrick Wojtowicz, 36, his wife Melissa, 37, and daughter Gabrielle, 15, raise pigs and chickens for food on 40 acres near Alma, Mich. They're planning a garden and installing a wood furnace. They disconnected the satellite TV and radio, ditched their dishwasher and a big truck and started buying clothes at resale shops. "As long as we can keep decreasing our bills, we can keep making less money," Patrick says. "We're not saying this is right for everybody, but it's right for us."

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized Thursday after some veterans groups were offended by a department report about right-wing extremism. The report said extremist groups may try to attract veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also said extremists also may use the recession and the election of the nation's first African-American president to recruit members. The American Legion was among those who objected to the report's mention of veterans.

On the day of its first foreign policy discussions with Mexico, the Obama administration remains mum on whether it will honor a campaign promise to alter a Bush administration policy establishing a massive fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, including in federally protected areas. [Yeah, sure]

"And I really do want to stress to the veterans out there watching this today, that report did not, and we do not mean to suggest that veterans as a whole are at risk of becoming violent extremists...." [But we'll be WATCHING....]