The 50 Most Hated Players in NFL History

 He walks onto the field and you cringe. Your heart rate increases. Your general demeanor becomes negative and you can't help but say "Jerk" under your breath.

The 50 Most Hated Players in NFL History | Bleacher Report | Bleacher Report

Cincinnati casino site collapses; several hurt - TwinCities.com

Cincinnati casino site collapses; several hurt - TwinCities.com

St. Paul man stabs mother, threatens family in dispute over Somalia travel plans, charges say - TwinCities.com

St. Paul man stabs mother, threatens family in dispute over Somalia travel plans, charges say - TwinCities.com

Stillwater's Taboo Goddess dominatrix pleads guilty to operating without a license

 This image was taken from the a web site for "The Taboo Goddess," registered to a person from Stillwater. Washington County deputies arrested Kristal Ann Taylor, who police say calls herself "The Taboo Goddess" and charges $150 an hour for providing dominatrix services in Stillwater. She was arrested in Stillwater last week, where where she kept her "sex dungeon," police said Monday.

Stillwater's Taboo Goddess dominatrix pleads guilty to operating without a license - TwinCities.com

Charge: Man in prison confesses to 1975 killing in Mpls.

 Michael J. Husten has been charged with a 1975 murder in Minneapolis, after confessing to the crime, authorities said.
Charge: Man in prison confesses to 1975 killing in Mpls. | StarTribune.com

Minn. House committee passes bill allowing prosecutors to carry guns

 Cook County Attorney Tim Scannell, left, testifies in favor Thursday of House bill 1829, which would allow county attorneys to carry firearms on duty. Scannell was shot during a trial by defendant Daniel Schilenz.

Minn. House committee passes bill allowing prosecutors to carry guns | StarTribune.com

President Ahmadinejad adds voice to Iran's call for nuclear talks with world powers

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 

President Ahmadinejad adds voice to Iran's call for nuclear talks with world powers | StarTribune.com

Police: Former top executive of suspect breast-implant firm, deputy, arrested in France

 Rachel Rodriguez, right, with her husband, Jean-Marc Rodriguez, at their home in La Rochelle, France, Jan. 9, 2012. Rodriguez is one of thousands of women across 65 countries who were given substandard breast implants, which were filled with an industrial-grade silicone that is more likely to rupture or ooze than those made from surgical silicone.

Police: Former top executive of suspect breast-implant firm, deputy, arrested in France | StarTribune.com

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

>> HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
>>
>> 1. Open a new file in your computer.
>>
>> 2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.
>>
>> 3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
>>
>> 4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
>>
>> 5. Your PC will ask you: "Do you really want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?"
>>
>> 6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'
>>
>> 7. Feel better?
>>
>>
>> GOOD! - Tomorrow we'll do Nancy Pelosi.

Gagliardi on Paterno: 'Pontius Pilate group hastened his death'

BS: How should Paterno be remembered?

JG: I don't know why he even should have been connected to that thing (scandal). It's sad he's attached to that thing. I don't know all the (facts). He wasn't the guy, the culprit. I really feel pretty saddened about it. I wish I could say I was a close friend. The amazing part is, we were both born in 1926, a month apart, and both our ancestors were from southern Italy. It was a one-way admiration
thing. I don't even know if he knew I existed. I admired him the way you'd admire any great guy. And I always will admire him. I just wish they had not hastened his death with all the stress they heaped on him at the end. Underserved, I feel. It was a Greek tragedy, and the Pontius Pilate group hastened his death. He had to die of a broken heart.

Gagliardi on Paterno: 'Pontius Pilate group hastened his death' - TwinCities.com

Authorities: Customer fatally shoots suspect during robbery attempt at SC Waffle Shop

Authorities: Customer fatally shoots suspect during robbery attempt at SC Waffle Shop | StarTribune.com

Sleigh ride brings on the magic

  Belgian horses await an evening's sleigh ride at the Patten Homestead along the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota, which averages 100 inches of snow in a typical season.

A wood-burning stove warms visitors to the Patten family homestead, a 1907 Finnish cabin.

Sleigh ride brings on the magic | StarTribune.com

Accused rapist who fled to England is sued

 The alleged victims say their action is another way to hold Shawn Sullivan, who is charged with raping one minor and groping two others, accountable.
Accused rapist who fled is sued | StarTribune.com

Joe Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, dead at 85

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach who won more games than anyone in major college football but was fired amid a child sex abuse scandal that scarred his reputation for winning with integrity, died Sunday. He was 85.
Joe Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, dead at 85 | StarTribune.com

Family denies media reports that Paterno has died | StarTribune.com

Family denies media reports that Paterno has died | StarTribune.com

Gingrich wins S.C., scrambling GOP race

 Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, campaigns at a Chick-Fil-A in Anderson, S.C., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, on South Carolina's Republican primary election day.
Gingrich wins S.C., scrambling GOP race | StarTribune.com

Media reports: Paterno has died at age 85

Media reports: Paterno has died at age 85

Joe Paterno's doctors say the former Penn State coach's condition became "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days. Updated: 08:03 PM

• Joe Paterno, 1926-2012

Family spokesman: Joe Paterno in serious condition after complications from lung cancer | StarTribune.com

Hattergate: White House Struggles to Account for Johnny Depp and Tim Burton Visit

There’s nothing better than a good Hollywood/Washington crossover scandal. This time around, it concerns Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, who apparently were not logged as official White House guests when they attended an “Alice in Wonderland” themed party in 2009 (Burton designed the party, and as unlikely as it may sound, Depp actually performed as his character, the Mad Hatter). The President’s staff insists that no wrongdoing occurred and that the party was not kept secret, but the whole matter grows curiouser and curiouser by the day.

A prestigious pilot Captain Julie Clark calls the south metro home

 T-34 inverted: With Captain Julie Clark at the controls, the T-34 Mentor rolls over the top before heading straight down. Credit for all photos: Susan Wood Photography

 Julie Clark completes her popular, patriotic performance by unfurling the flag

Guest column: A prestigious pilot calls the south metro home | StarTribune.com

The Secret Invasion of America

GIANT SNAKEHEAD

Channa micropeltes

 

Snakehead Photos | Diving for Snakeheads (video) | The Giant Snakehead (video) | A Bullseye Snakehead (video) | How to Catch a Snakehead (video) | An Adventure Fishing Perspective

 

Maximum Length: Up to nearly 6 feet
Maximum Weight: Up to 66 pounds Extreme Aggression: As long as a full-grown person and weighing as much as a 5-year-old child, the giant snakehead is not only the largest member of the snakehead gang, but also the most violent. In Southeast Asia, there are stories of this fish attacking people unprovoked, especially during the breeding season. Giant snakehead parents aggressively guard their spawn, which is unusual for a fish. The father corrals and guides the fry while the mother patrols at a distance, ready to voraciously attack anything that looks like a threat — even something as large as a person. U.S. Invasion: The giant snakehead has been sporadically sighted in U.S. waterways from Maine to Arkansas. Given its extremely aggressive nature and willingness to attack people, this is a huge cause for concern for the United States. The government is spending millions to fight this and other invasive snakehead species, mainly the northern and bullseye snakehead species, which have a much stronger foothold. These fish will eat anything that comes close — fish, frogs, lizards, rats, small ducks, snakes and even other snakeheads — and are causing massive environmental damage wherever they're found. They have no predators in the United States and, alarmingly, a female snakehead can produce over 100,000 young in a year. A Monstrous Fish: There are around 30 different species of snakehead, ranging from the tropical Africa to the Far East and Russia. All are predators with streamlined bodies, sharp teeth and a reputation for extreme aggression. Snakeheads are also air-breathers. The fish will come to the surface, lift its head up, grab a mouthful of air and then submerge. The oxygen diffuses directly into a dense network of blood vessels encircling its swim bladder, an organ that doubles as a simple lung in snakeheads. This allows the fish to survive in stagnant areas where oxygen levels are low. It can even walk on land, using its soft pectorals to drag itself to new locations. It's said a snakehead can survive out of water for up to 4 days. River Monsters : Giant Snakehead : Animal Planet

Asian Carp and the Great Lakes

Photo courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service

Asian carp have been found in the Illinois River, which connects the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan. Due to their large size and rapid rate of reproduction, these fish could pose a significant risk to the Great Lakes Ecosystem. To prevent the carp from entering the Great Lakes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. EPA, the State of Illinois, the International Joint Commission, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working together to install and maintain a permanent electric barrier between the fish and Lake Michigan.
Visit the official website of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee
http://asiancarp.org

Tailgating danger! Grill Recall

Portable gas grills sold under the brands Tailgating Gear and Iroda O-Gear have a leaky regulator, so gas can ignite, which could totally spoil your tailgating fun (if it hasn’t already been spoiled by the lack of post-season football games in Minnesota this winter). These were sold by Uni-O Industries from November 2008 to December 2010. They are models 1000 and 3000;  come in orange, red, green, blue, silver and black, and don’t have ventilation slots where the propane bottle screws in. For a free replacement grill, call 888-847-8968 or go to regcen.com/OGRILL.

Dumb Crook of Month Award: Wisconsin Craigslist poster gave personal information to man he tried to rob, police say

 A man who allegedly arranged one knifepoint robbery through Craigslist and attempted another had given his name, phone number and email address to the second intended victim, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday.
Wisconsin Craigslist poster gave personal information to man he tried to rob, police say - TwinCities.com

Temperatures stay below zero in Minnesota, Wisconsin/-24 wind chill at present time.

An frigid Minneapolis skyline

David Joles, Star Tribune 

It is 12 below zero at the present time with a wind chill of -24, be careful out there it is dangerous.

Temperatures stay below zero in Minnesota, Wisconsin | StarTribune.com

Supreme Court says people can sue telemarketers over nuisance calls

 WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is keeping telemarketers and other businesses on the hook for nuisance phone calls, letting those annoyed by the disruptions sue in federal as well as state courts.
Supreme Court says people can sue telemarketers over nuisance calls | StarTribune.com

Transcript of argument between Italian coast guard and captain of grounded cruise ship

Here is a translation of the transcript of the conversation between Capt. Francesco Schettino, commander of the grounded Costa Concordia, and Capt. Gregorio De Falco of the Italian coast guard in Livorno.
In the conversation, De Falco repeatedly orders Schettino to return to the ship to oversee the evacuation, while Schettino resists, making excuses that it's dark and that the ship is listing.
The audio was first made available on the website of Corriere della Sera, and the Italian coast guard confirmed its authenticity Tuesday to The Associated Press.
___
_De Falco: "This is De Falco speaking from Livorno. Am I speaking with the commander?"
_Schettino: "Yes. Good evening, Cmdr. De Falco."
_De Falco: "Please tell me your name."
_Schettino: "I'm Cmdr. Schettino, commander."
_De Falco: "Schettino? Listen Schettino. There are people trapped on board. Now you go with your boat under the prow on the starboard side. There is a pilot ladder. You will climb that ladder and go on board. You go on board and then you will tell me how many people there are. Is that clear? I'm recording this conversation, Cmdr. Schettino..."
_Schettino: "Commander, let me tell you one thing..."
_De Falco: "Speak up! Put your hand in front of the microphone and speak more loudly, is that clear?"
_Schettino: "In this moment, the boat is tipping..."
_De Falco: "I understand that, listen, there are people that are coming down the pilot ladder of the prow. You go up that pilot ladder, get on that ship and tell me how many people are still on board. And what they need. Is that clear? You need to tell me if there are children, women or people in need of assistance. And tell me the exact number of each of these categories. Is that clear? Listen Schettino, that you saved yourself from the sea, but I am going to... I'm going to make sure you get in trouble. ...I am going to make you pay for this. Go on board, (expletive)!"
_Schettino: "Commander, please..."
_De Falco: "No, please. You now get up and go on board. They are telling me that on board there are still..."
_Schettino: "I am here with the rescue boats, I am here, I am not going anywhere, I am here..."
_De Falco: "What are you doing, commander?"
_Schettino: "I am here to coordinate the rescue..."
_De Falco: "What are you coordinating there? Go on board! Coordinate the rescue from aboard the ship. Are you refusing?"
_Schettino: "No, I am not refusing."
_De Falco: "Are you refusing to go aboard commander? Can you tell me the reason why you are not going?"
_Schettino: "I am not going because the other lifeboat is stopped."
_De Falco: "You go aboard. It is an order. Don't make any more excuses. You have declared 'abandon ship.' Now I am in charge. You go on board! Is that clear? Do you hear me? Go, and call me when you are aboard. My air rescue crew is there."
_Schettino: "Where are your rescuers?"
_De Falco: "My air rescue is on the prow. Go. There are already bodies, Schettino."
_Schettino: "How many bodies are there?"
_De Falco: "I don't know. I have heard of one. You are the one who has to tell me how many there are. Christ."
_Schettino: "But do you realize it is dark and here we can't see anything..."
_De Falco: "And so what? You want go home, Schettino? It is dark and you want to go home? Get on that prow of the boat using the pilot ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people there are and what their needs are. Now!"
_Schettino: "...I am with my second in command."
_De Falco: "So both of you go up then ... You and your second go on board now. Is that clear?"
_Schettino: "Commander, I want to go on board, but it is simply that the other boat here ... there are other rescuers. It has stopped and is waiting..."
_De Falco: "It has been an hour that you have been telling me the same thing. Now, go on board. Go on board! And then tell me immediately how many people there are there."
_Schettino: "OK, commander"
_De Falco: "Go, immediately!"

 Audio in Italian is available at http://www.corriere.it

Transcript of argument between Italian coast guard and captain of grounded cruise ship | StarTribune.com

Italian captain being placed under house arrest

 ROME - A lawyer says the captain who allegedly abandoned the crippled Costa Concordia cruise liner will be released from jail and placed under house arrest.
Italian captain being placed under house arrest | StarTribune.com

Coastguard raged at liner captain, tape shows

 ROME (Reuters) - The Italian coast guard angrily ordered the captain of the capsized Italian cruise ship to go back aboard to oversee the evacuation, But he did not, according to a recording of their dramatic exchange played on national television.
Coastguard raged at liner captain, tape shows - Yahoo! News

Storage firm sells deployed Navy nurse's possessions

Somewhere around West Bend, several people have pieces of U.S. Navy Commander Wilma Roberts' life - her furniture, her china, her clothes, financial records, the family Bible, even the ceremonial sword from her son's graduation from a military academy.
Nearly all Roberts' worldly possessions were auctioned off by a storage business last summer after a classic military snafu: Though Roberts, 48, was on active duty in Japan and Kuwait from July 2008 to July 2011, Navy officials stopped paying for her storage in 2010 and told the West Bend company it could sell off the goods - though the Navy bureaucrats and even the storage business could have easily learned that Roberts was deployed and protected from such an action.

Storage firm sells deployed Navy nurse's possessions - JSOnline

9 unintentionally sexual headlines that somehow made it to print.

9 unintentionally sexual headlines that somehow made it to print.

Joe Paterno: 'I didn't know which way to go'

 FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2003 file photo, Joe Paterno, Penn State head football coach, walks along the sideline during the Capital One Bowl against Auburn, in Orlando. Auburn won, 13-9. In his first public comments since being fired two months ago, former Penn State coach Paterno told the Washington Post he "didn't know which way to go" after an assistant coach came to him in 2002 saying he had seen retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing a boy, the Post reported on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (Associated Press: Phelan Ebenhack, File)
Joe Paterno: 'I didn't know which way to go' - TwinCities.com

Slideshow: Night of chaos, fear after Italian cruise ship ran aground

In this photo released by the Guardia di Finanza (border Police), the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. The luxury cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, sending water pouring in through a 160-foot (50-meter) gash in the hull and forcing the evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel early Saturday, the Italian coast guard said. The number of dead and injured is not yet confirmed Coast Guard Cmdr. Francesco Paolillo said. (AP Photo/Guardia di Finanza, ho) 

Slideshow: Night of chaos, fear after Italian cruise ship ran aground - TwinCities.com

Judge: Ex-presidential candidate John Edwards has serious heart condition; trial delayed

 FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2011 file photo, former U.S. Sen. and presidential candidate John Edwards leaves federal court after an appearance in Greensboro, N.C. Edwards has a serious heart condition that will require a medical procedure next month and his illness limits his travel including for an upcoming court case over possible campaign violations, his doctor told a judge, who delayed the trial.

Judge: Ex-presidential candidate John Edwards has serious heart condition; trial delayed | StarTribune.com

Illegal immigration is an outdated issue

 Illegal immigration is shrinking to a trickle, if that, and will likely never return to the peak levels of 2000.

Illegal immigration is an outdated issue | StarTribune.com

Police: Handcuffed man who took cruiser still gone

Police: Handcuffed man who took cruiser still gone

St. Croix County sheriff's office says burglary suspect hit deputy with car

 Joseph J. Harwell, 29 (DOB 09/13/1982), of Hudson, is in jail after allegedly striking a sheriff's deputy with his car Monday. The deputy was attempting to arrest Harwell in connection with a burglary. (Courtesy the St. Croix County Jail)
St. Croix County sheriff's office says burglary suspect hit deputy with car - TwinCities.com

Judge stays sentence for Duluth man with fetish for slashing exercise balls

Judge stays sentence for Duluth man with fetish for slashing exercise balls - TwinCities.com

Accidents Will Happen!! Pictures