Mirror.co.uk - News - BEER WE GO:

England's massive army of World Cup fans is drinking Germany dry, it emerged yesterday.

Breweries warned beer could run out before the final because of huge demand from our supporters.

In Nuremberg, organisers revealed 70,000 England fans who flooded the city drank 1.2 MILLION pints of beer - an average of 17 pints each.

Astonished bar keeper Herrmann Murr said: 'Never have I seen so many drink so much in such little time.'

...an issue the Democrats can be the clear winners on. What can the Republicans say back to this? That they think they deserve a raise more than poor people?

Minimum wage increase favored by Democrats - Jun. 27, 2006:

Democrats ratcheted up their election-year push for an increase in the federal minimum wage Tuesday by promising to block a congressional pay hike unless some of the lowest-paid hourly workers get their first raise in nearly a decade.

'Congress is going to have earn its raise by putting American workers first: A raise for workers before a raise for Congress,' said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Find out. I do, but just barely.

While we're at it:



And what the hell:


(This one's my work. Complete lack of taste is my specialty.)

ABC News: Flashing Eer Ad Forces Hotel Evacuation:

A red light from a beer ad that a bartender suspected was a bomb when he saw it blinking on a wall forced 35 people to be evacuated from a resort hotel.

The guests were allowed back in their rooms less than an hour later after a Marshall County sheriff's officer determined the light was part of a Pabst Blue Ribbon ad suction-cupped to the window of the Sam Snead restaurant in the resort.

Your fear is unnecessary. The Pabst does not want to hurt you. Pabst only wants your love, and for you to enjoy its delightful blend of 33 fine brews.

Southern San Andreas fault waiting to explode - Science - MSNBC.com:

The southern end of the San Andreas fault near Los Angeles, which has been still for more than two centuries, is under immense stress and could produce a massive earthquake at any moment, a scientist said Wednesday.

Why you would choose to live in a city on a major fault line is beyond me.

If that's what you're in the mood for, check out this audio clip of a guy trying to cancel his AOL account. I hope all the recent media coverage this clip is getting will convince companies to cut this shit out. As Steph can attest, it took me ten infuriating minutes to cancel Dish Network service, during which time the guy essentially accused me of being a bad person for letting their installers put a dish on my roof for free, then cancelling a year later before they could get a return on their investment. I had to explain to him that I had just bought an HDTV, and Dish Network was going to charge me $900 (no joke) for the set-top box that could do HD and DVR, while Time Warner Cable would provide it completely free of charge. Wait, I'm trying to feel bad for you... give me a second here... nope, nothing, eat shit.

Bush often uses the excuse that the troops support the war as a reason why we should "stay the course". Well...

The Raw Story | Poll: 72 percent of troops want out of Iraq in a year:

A new poll to be released Tuesday shows that U.S. soldiers overwhelmingly want out of Iraq -- and soon.

The poll is the first of U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq, according to John Zogby, the pollster. Conducted by Zogby International and LeMoyne College, it asked 944 service members, 'How long should U.S. troops stay in Iraq?'

Only 23 percent backed Bush's position that they should stay as long as necessary. In contrast, 72 percent said that U.S. troops should be pulled out within one year. Of those, 29 percent said they should withdraw 'immediately...'

Something tells me these guys know what they're talking about. They're not the type to give up if they think they can win. If they say it's pointless to keep dying over there, I believe them, and it turns my stomach to think that they might be over there for years to come, for no reason at all.

CNN.com - After bitter debate, House to vote on Iraq pullout - Jun 16, 2006:

...the Pentagon announced the U.S. death toll for the war had reached 2,500.

'It's a number,' White House press secretary Tony Snow said of the grim milestone.

I hate everything about this administration, but the arrogance most of all.

You just lost another right. Better not use your phone to bitch about it, though.

CNN.com - Police don't have to knock, justices say - Jun 15, 2006:

A split Supreme Court ruled Thursday that drug evidence seized in a home search can be used against a suspect even though police failed to knock on the door and wait a 'reasonable' amount of time before entering.

Trust me.

I get a lot of spam at work. This one made me chuckle this morning:

Dear MATTHEW,

Over the years, few promotional items have proven to be as economical, as valued, and as retained as the basic pen. But, in that time, pens have certainly come a long way.

Now...not all pens are created equal. Check out:

THE VIPER
http://pgiproducts.com/?SKU=DP00040&ID=-1542694358&L=35516A

Big, bright, bold. The Viper comes in your choice of four colors, has a rubber comfort grip, pocket clip and a big imprint area that will make your logo or message jump up and get noticed. They'll love the way it looks, feels and writes – a winning combination that only the Viper can give you.

Take a look:
http://pgiproducts.com/?SKU=DP00040&ID=-1542694358&L=35516A

I'm not sure what the two links are all about in the first place - I mean, this isn't like a radio commercial where they repeat the phone number a few times so you can write it down. I saw the first link! It's six lines up! But what really kills me is the Viper itself. Does anyone look at that pen and go, "Oh my sweet Jesus, my customers would just be thrilled to get one of these babies!" All hail the Viper.

Lioness in zoo kills man who invoked God - Yahoo! News:

A man shouting that God would keep him safe was mauled to death by a lioness in Kiev zoo after he crept into the animal's enclosure, a zoo official said on Monday.

"The man shouted 'God will save me, if he exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions," the official said.

"A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid artery."

Either God doesn't exist, or he thinks you deserved that.

Rising fuel costs hurt Big Three's sales - Automotive - MSNBC.com:

Rising gas prices took a toll on the U.S. auto industry in May, flattening sales and causing steep declines for some trucks and sport utilities but giving a boost to Japanese automakers whose new subcompacts hit the market at the right time.

Gas prices have everyone pissed off and/or scared, and damn near nobody is buying SUVs any more - but the only commercials for American automobiles I see are for the Hummer H3, Chevy Tahoe, Lincoln Navigator, etc. Meanwhile, Honda's got the Fit, and Toyota the Yaris - they were Johnny-on-the-spot with new tiny cars that obviously have great gas mileage and are cheap to boot. Does an American equivalent to these cars even exist? Are they going to keep running ads for the Jeep Commander when gas is $5/gallon?

Can hypnotist end Lohan's shopping addiction? - Gossip: The Scoop - MSNBC.com:

The 19-year-old reportedly has been known to spend $100,000 a day, once allegedly blowing $20,000 in 20 minutes. “I don’t want to be the best-dressed person in the poorhouse,” Lohan said, reports L&S, which claims that the visits to the hypnotist are already working. During a May 23 stop at Rosasen in LA, she spent a relatively paltry $920.

And we wonder why the third world hates us so much.