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Saturday News: Taxes, gas, and LOLbears

I refuse to give up image macros
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  • A new “DNA spray” is being used in Amsterdam to catch thieves by covering them with a non-washable mist in the event of a hold-up, which is filled with chemical that correspond to a specific time and place. Invisible to the naked eye, it can be seen under a UV light, and can also be used on objects.
  • A new study by the Congressional Budget Office shows federal taxes are for the third year in a row lower than under the Bush administration, and are actually at their lowest level since the Truman administration.
  • Gas prices are at a record high for this time of year.
  • Are you ready for this one, dog lovers? Inmates at a Missouri prison taught a deaf dachshund to respond to sign language, and then gave him to a school for deaf children.

Happy Saturday, crasstalkers.

What’s next for Egypt?

I am cautiously optimistic regarding a new government in Egypt. I am extremely worried that the military will step in to fill the void. I’m not the only one:

“I hoped for a peaceful transition of power which followed the law, so I am worried about this move. This is what the people want, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for them. This is a very worrying time and the people who are celebrating now should stop treating this like a soccer match. They just wanted to get the president to step down, but they weren’t thinking about the ramifications. The army must give an exact declaration of what they will do. The only legal authority now is from members of parliament. If the army says that they will dissolve our parliament then we will have no constitution, no government and no vice-president. I’ve just been out onto the streets and everyone is waving flags and sounding horns. Most of my friends are not happy about this, because we don’t like the idea of the army taking power. We don’t need another 60 years of military rule.”

– Maged Salib, Cairo

(via BBC)

Open Thread: Morning Edition

Top o’ the morning, Crasstalkers. Here’s some reading for you:

Question of the morning:

What should Crasstalk’s first Photo Phriday theme be? Continue reading

Amazon shuts down the Wikileaks site, Lieberman ejaculates in pants.

“The company’s decision to cut off Wikileaks now is the right decision and should set the standard for other companies Wikileaks is using to distribute its illegally seized material…I call on any other company or organization that is hosting Wikileaks to immediately terminate its relationship with them.”
-Joe “Immensely Punchable Face” Lieberman

Luckily for those of us who like government transparency and the reminder that the government doesn’t care about citizens or the UN, you can’t kill anything once it’s on the internet. Right, Tom?

Read more.

This is guaranteed to end well.

“The house just outside Escondido where massive amounts of explosive materials were found has been declared a public hazard and will be burned down, San Diego County officials told area residents Tuesday night…The house, dubbed the “bomb factory” house by officials, was found to contain amounts of materials of the kind used by terrorist bomb makers worldwide, as well as blasting caps, homemade grenades, and small-arms weapons. Bomb experts last week declared the one-story stucco house on Via Scott to be too dangerous to re-enter. On two occasions, they had entered the cluttered house and gathered evidence. Sheriff Bill Gore said at the meeting that burning the house is the only safe way to rid the neighborhood of the explosive materials.”

Momma always said, “Is it so highly explosive that it’s dangerous to be around? KILL IT WITH FIRE.”

Read more.