Cycling in Holland a way of living

Raise minimum wage, say some on the right

As East Bay Rep. George Miller spearheads a Democratic drive to raise the federal minimum wage, he is getting support from unlikely quarters, including Silicon Valley millionaire Ron Unz and conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly.

"People are starting to realize how much in federal subsidies are given to these employers that pay less than a living wage," Miller said.

The federal government supplements low wages through such programs as food stamps, school lunches, Medicaid, housing vouchers and the earned income tax credit, a cash grant to the working poor.

Most minimum-wage workers are adults, not teenagers, and the vast majority are women. A study last fall by the UC Berkeley Labor Center found that half of fast-food workers were enrolled in at least one public assistance program.

http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Raise-minimum-wage-say-some-on-the-right-5137020.php

Chicken plant closes again after cockroach cleanup (Foster Farms)

A California chicken farm that reopened over the weekend after it was shut because of a cockroach infestation says it's "voluntarily and temporarily" suspending operations again.

Foster Farms said Sunday it was closing the plant in Livingston for several days so it can properly implement new food safety measures. The company said in a statement that it is "exercising vigilance" and dedicating additional time to ensure its preventative plan is realized.

Work had resumed Saturday after Foster Farms announced that it met the demands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture by performing a thorough cleanup and treatment of the plant.

The plant closed Jan. 8 when inspectors found the cockroaches on five separate occasions in various parts of the plant over four months. That closure came three months after inspectors threatened a shutdown because of salmonella problems at the Livingston plant and two Foster Farms sites in Fresno.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Chicken-plant-closes-again-after-cockroach-cleanup-5138016.php

Javascript pros, code help needed.....

I have an applescript that uses javascript to take the current selected text in safari, opens a new window, goes to the GD new post form and sets the title and body.

My problem is, if my selected text contains a quote, than the javascript will fail. How do I escape the quotes in javascript.

I'm using the following javascript. Keep in mind it's written to be fired by applescript.

do JavaScript &quot ''+getSelection())" in document 1)

do JavaScript "
document.forms['form2']['title'].value = '" & thename & "' ;
document.forms['form2']['message-text'].value ='" & newselectedText & pageURI & "' ;" in doc

How do I tell javascript to treat +getSelection like string and not text...

Peace and TIA.

If any high post count peeps want the complete applescript... send me a pm.

Iran to start eliminating uranium stockpile January 20, White House says

Source: CNN

Save the date: Iran has pledged to start eliminating some of its uranium stockpile on January 20, the White House said Sunday.

That gives an official start time for the six-month interim deal with Iran, which was first announced in November.

"As of that day, for the first time in almost a decade, Iran's nuclear program will not be able to advance, and parts of it will be rolled back, while we start negotiating a comprehensive agreement to address the international community's concerns about Iran's program," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement Sunday.

Iranian officials also confirmed the start date for the deal, state media reported.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/12/world/meast/iran-nuclear/

Yesterday I was having an elixir with the fellas, and heard some strange rumors about bush

While sampling a particularly delicious vintage, my esteemed colleague claimed there was this famous male prostitute in DC. This male prostitute specialized is servicing a strange milieu of military and intelligence elites.



He told me the far fetched tale about how this male prostitute started pretending he was a REAL journalist with the White House press corps. Incredulously not a single professional in the White House press corps called him out.



He asserted, between samples of a most delightful concoction, that the "mainstream media" conspired to go along with this fraud...



He went on with the preposterous tale about how this well known male escort, cum journalist was fabulously the only member of the White House press corps to spend the night at the White House. He assured me, this episode, made the Monica Lewinski scandal, tame by comparison.



There were no hearings, no impeachment, no scandal. Pretty sure my buddy was full of BS...

Colorado DOT Replaces MILE 420 Sign With MILE 419.99 To Deter Theft

The Colorado Department of Transportation has come up with a novel way to prevent mile marker 420 on Interstate 70 from getting stolen by marijuana enthusiasts.

420 is a popular “secret” reference to marijuana smoking, supposedly originating in San Rafael, Calif., as a way for teenagers to organize smoke sessions. It has grown into one of marijuana culture’s most recognized slang terms, and has found itself on hats, T-shirts, and just about anything else.

The Colorado DOT used a similar strategy to prevent a ‘MILE 69’ sign from getting stolen, using ‘MILE 68.5’ instead. "So far it's working," Amy Ford, a spokesperson with the Colorado Department of Transportation, told 9 News Colorado. "It's a traffic-safety thing. It's a helpful thing to have these signs on the road. But people kept ripping them off."

http://www.ibtimes.com/colorado-dot-replaces-mile-420-sign-mile-41999-deter-theft-1535842

Marijuana case filings plummet in Colorado following legalization

Charges for all manner of marijuana crimes plummeted in the months after Colorado voters legalized limited possession of cannabis for people over 21.

According to a Denver Post analysis of data provided by the Colorado Judicial Branch, the number of cases filed in state court alleging at least one marijuana offense plunged 77 percent between 2012 and 2013. The decline is most notable for charges of petty marijuana possession, which dropped from an average of 714 per month during the first nine months of 2012 to 133 per month during the same period in 2013 — a decline of 81 percent.

That may have been expected — after all, people over 21 can now legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana. But The Post's analysis shows state prosecutors also pursued far fewer cases for marijuana crimes that remain illegal in Colorado.

For instance, charges for possessing more than 12 ounces of marijuana dropped by 73 percent, and cases alleging possession with intent to distribute fewer than 5 pounds of marijuana dipped by 70 percent. Even charges for public consumption of marijuana fell statewide, by 17 percent, although Denver police have increased their number of citations issued for public consumption.

http://www.denverpost.com/marijuana/ci_24894248/marijuana-case-filings-plummet-colorado-following-legalization

French first lady hospitalized after affair report

Source: AP

The woman considered France's first lady has been hospitalized after a report the president is having an affair with an actress.

Valerie Trierweiler's chief of staff, Patrice Biancone, confirmed Sunday the 48-year-old journalist who lives with President Francois Hollande has been hospitalized since Friday.

Biancone said she was hospitalized for "rest and a few tests" and is expected to leave the hospital Monday.

Hollande has never married. Rumors have long circulated that he might have a lover.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/French-first-lady-hospitalized-after-affair-report-5136128.php

Insight: War turns Syria into major amphetamines producer, consumer