- Riot Watch! Riot Watch! Bulgaria isn’t often at the forefront
of the dissident movement, but that changed on Wednesday when an enraged mob of
Bulgarians laid siege to their parliament building and forced more than 100 lawmakers,
ministers and journalists to spend the night barricaded inside. Angry
anti-corruption protesters attacked the building and raged against the machine
overnight before riot police were finally able to force them from the scene.
The ongoing political crisis in the eastern European nation stems from anger
over utility price rises, but has grown to include accusations that private
interests control state institutions has caused months of protests in the
ex-communist state, which joined the European Union in 2007. Bulgaria has
struggled to live up to its governance standards, hence the protests. Parliament
closed for business on Thursday, barricaded and under heavy police guard, after
speaker Mikhail Mikov implored deputies not to go to work until public order is
restored. In a heartwarming scene, lawmakers were escorted out of the building
in police vans at around 3 a.m. after spending eight hours trapped inside by
protesters shouting "Mafia!" and "Resign!" and tearing up
paving stones to stack with garbage and form makeshift barricades. European
Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding boldly stepped up to support these brave
dissidents during a speech in the capital of Sofia. "My sympathy is with
the Bulgarian citizens who are protesting on the streets against corruption,”
Reding said. "Bulgaria must continue its reform efforts." On the
opposite side of the coolness spectrum, European Commission spokesman Olivier
Bailly called for calm on all sides. What makes the Bulgarian uprising unique
is that many of the10,000 people who have shown up daily to protest are
well-educated Bulgarians who have carved time out their schedules for the past 40
days to demand the resignation of the Socialist-led government that took office
in May after an inconclusive election. Even after a controversial nominee to a
top security position was withdrawn, the masses have remained livid. The final
push that started the blockade of the parliament was a government decision to
borrow 1 billion levs ($676 million), raising the budget deficit to 2 percent
of gross domestic product. If that isn't a reason to riot, nothing is…….
- Life as a movie star is decent. Ryan Gosling can attest to
that fact, what with starring in all sorts of big-budget films and working
alongside the likes of Rachel McAdams on a regular basis. Having a world-famous
rock band on the rise invite you and your fledgling band on the road with them is
also a nice perk and one Gosling can now experience courtesy of New Jersey
natives The
Gaslight Anthem. Frontman Brian Fallon
and his bandmates have issued an open invitation to the movie star to hit the
road with them. On his official Instagram page, Fallon posted a picture
of Gosling playing the guitar with his band Dead Man's Bones and wrote, “Hey Girl... Dead Man's Bones is actually really
good. You come tour with us and not make Only God Forgives 2.” Gosling and his
band, Dead Man’s Bones, need to think and react to this offer quickly because
after playing Pier 26 in New York City this Friday and Sunday, The Gaslight
Anthem will head across the Atlantic for a few weeks to perform at a number of
European festivals before returning to North America to tour. The Garden State
quarter released their fourth studio album, “Handwritten,” last year and have
suggested that their next project will be inspired by grunge rock icons Pearl
Jam. “I
want to do the 'No Code' record [Pearl Jam's fourth album], that one. They did
these three rock records, and [then] they all of a sudden went left turn. And
everybody went, 'What the hell?' Then later, five years, they went, 'This is
amazing,’” Fallon said. "We're searching for something new to do with
songwriting, rather than just piecing together verses and choruses in more of a
traditional sense. We're looking for some other thing – not some other genre,
but something else. And it might not be the favorite of everyone, but [it]
might be the 'weird' album coming up. I'm pretty sure it is." That sounds like
just the sort of band Gosling should want to hit the road with………
- Von Miller likes to use some sort of illegal substance. If
he didn’t, then he probably wouldn’t be facing a pending four-game substance-abuse suspension from the NFL. The 2011
Defensive Rookie of the Year, who reportedly tested positive for amphetamines
and marijuana in 2011 in his rookie season, hasn’t offered any details about
the reason for his suspension. All he has said so far is that he doesn't smoke
marijuana. Of course, the more prevalent rumors are that he made have used
ecstasy, so he might be more of a Skrillex fan than a Phish fan. For now, he is
invoking the NFL's confidentiality clause to deflect questions about the
suspension. He acknowledged his case is under appeal and promised he would
provide some candid answers once the appeal is resolved, but nothing is likely
to happen until the NFL hears his appeal, which is expected to happen some time
in mid-August. All Miller would say when asked about his possible bong-hitting
was that smoking chron is “absolutely not” part of his life. Being suspended for
four games would mean two positive tests for banned substances under the NFL’s
drug policy. Miller believes that life at training camp will be fairly normally
while he awaits word on whether he'll be banned beginning Aug. 30 -- the day
after Denver's final preseason game. "It's tough, but I'm going to be me.
I'm going to come here every single day with my teammates. We're focused on the
task ahead. That's pretty much it," Miller said. "Everybody has tough
moments in their lives. I have great teammates. My teammates have been great
for me." Coach John Fox was similarly tight-lipped about Miller’s case and
resorted to clichés and coach speak when asked about the potential he would be
without his best defensive player for one quarter of the season…….
- Behold the power of technology. It can be used to expedite
the transfer information faster, make life simpler, cure diseases….or create a
swankier way for weekend hackers to enjoy their time boozing it up/golfing at
the local municipal course or country club. The forward-thinking innovator
behind the latest great invention is Mercedes-Benz, whose new concept for a
luxury golf cart features virtually every conceivable perk and benefit a
wannabe PGA Tour pro could ask for. The car maker unveiled sketches for the
“Vision Golf Cart” during the British Open and the images have begun to circulate
online, showing designs for a vehicle that would look more at home roving Mars than
cruising down a cart path. Mercedes-Benz's head of design, Gorden Wagener, came
up with the design with input from golf fans, who were asked to suggest the
amenities they would want in a state-of-the-art golf cart. The cart is driven
by a central joystick, allowing riders sitting on either side to control its
direction. That means no more switching seats depending on who’s hitting next,
which could theoretically speed up the pace of play. Once inside, passengers
will have the luxury of a revolving iPhone/iPad docking station,
heating/cooling cup holders and a cooler/warmer refrigerator. In total, half of
the vehicle’s primary components are focused on either cooling down or heating
up beverages even though hot tea and coffee typically aren’t in high demand on
the links. Oh, and there is also an “air scarf” heater, a solar panel roof and
a “Fore!” button to alert other golfers if a ball (or runaway cart) is headed
their way……..
- Everyone makes mistakes, even banks. Banks even make
mistakes on major decisions like repossessing homes and kicking its occupants
out onto the street. Vinton County (Ohio) resident Katie Barnett understands this in vivid detail
after the First National Bank in Wellston foreclosed on her house even though
it was not and never has been her bank. “They repossessed my house on accident,
thinking it was the house across the street,” Barnett said. She had been away
from her home for two weeks while on vacation and said she had to crawl through
the window of her own house in order to get in after her key did not work. Some
of her household items had been hauled away and others had been sold, given away
or thrown away. The bank sent a repo man to take back the house located across
the street from Barnett’s house, but their incompetent muscle man broke into
the wrong house. “They told me that the GPS led them to my house,” Barnett
said. “My grass hadn’t been mowed and they just assumed.” After getting home,
Barnett called the McArthur Police about the incident, but weeks later, the
local police chief announced the case was closed. According to Barnett, the
bank president insisted this was the first time something like this has happened.
However, when she presented him with an $18,000 estimate to replace the losses,
the bank refused to pay. “He got very firm with me and said, ‘We’re not paying
you retail here, that’s just the way it is,’” Barnett said. “I did not tell
them to come in my house and make me an offer. They took my stuff and I want it
back.” She is predictably pissed and is still attempting to negotiate a
settlement with First National Bank…….
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