Holly is Happy

She's everywhere, the expletive. - John E. Bredehoft

oopsie ;) lol - 'Like' robot (frɐnc)

"IRVING TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Sept. 30) - Each day before the school bus comes to pick up the neighborhood's children, Lisa Snyder did a favor for three of her fellow moms, welcoming their children into her home for about an hour before they left for school. Regulators who oversee child care, however, don't see it as charity. Days after the start of the new school year, Snyder received a letter from the Michigan Department of Human Services warning her that if she continued, she'd be violating a law aimed at the operators of unlicensed day care centers." - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

Well, apparently there's a reason it's "Under the Tuscan Sun," and not "Beneath a Bavarian Moon." According to an international poll, German men are the worst in bed in the world. The worst part is why -- they're too smelly. Although it wasn't made entirely clear if it was a specific part of them that was too smelly (please be the armpits and not the trouser zone), it's apparently foul enough to have them ranked the worst lovers in the world, closely followed by Englishmen, who are too lazy. American men were ranked fifth for being "too rough." The best in the world (buy your plane tickets now) are Spain, Brazil, Italy and France. (Not to mention they all have free health care.) Sign us up, please. The survey was carried out by OnePoll.com and took answers from 15,000 "well-traveled" women. It certainly sounds like they've been traveling well, unless they went to Greece, Holland, Sweden, Turkey, Russia, the entirety of the United Kingdom, America or Germany, that is. - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"Big news on Tuesday from the Jon and Kate Gosselin newswire: Jon's name is coming off the show's title. Oh, and maybe he doesn't want a divorce after all -- Jon asked for a 90-day delay. Money is at the heart of this matter, and anyone who doesn't think so may as well be living life on a TV show. It's curious that both items were announced on the same day: Jon gets demoted in TV-land, and he says he may want to be invited back into the house that has all those cameras rolling, in the name of love and family. The plan to turn the show into single-mom-raises-eight-kids may get kiboshed by Jon, who supposedly wants to reapply for full-time dad and high-income TV-star status. What's love got to do, got to do with it? Nothing. It's about extending paydays for Jon -- and Kate, too. As long as they're married, Jon and Kate are still Jon & Kate. He saves face by being the dad who couldn't bear to live without his wife and kids, and he saves himself a jobhunt. Kate sells more books and makes... more... - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 29) – A woman was arrested after her 14-year-son told authorities he escaped from a home where he'd been kept for 4 1/2 years, spending most of his time locked in a bedroom closet, police said Monday. A security guard at a National Guard facility in Oklahoma City called police on Friday after the teen showed up malnourished and with numerous scars and other signs of abuse, police Sgt. Gary Knight said." - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"Fans of "The Biggest Loser" excitedly tuned in to Season 8, but after a flurry of F-bombs flew from the mouths of trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper on the premiere episode, it seems some viewers will be tuning out. The rude and crude Season 8 premiere has fans abuzz with disgust as editors busily added "bleeps" to cover the copious cursing from Jillian, Bob and contestants -- as if we don't know what they're saying anyway! J & B seriously lowered the trainer ethics bar at the premiere. Perhaps it's time to float a bar of soap in their water bottles. The generally uplifting nature of past seasons deserved better than what we got this time around. No doubt, seven seasons of Biggest Loser inspiration has prompted many viewers to dig deep, change their habits and lose weight. The show shines a bright light on the bleak reality of our nation's skyrocketing obesity rates by modeling positive, life-lengthening journeys of 300-plus pound contestants shedding the pounds non-surgically.... more... - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"It's a busy day in Gosselin-ville. Jon Gosselin is trying to slow down -- if not halt altogether -- his divorce from Kate Gosselin, telling In Touch Weekly exclusively: "I regret my conduct since Kate and I separated ... I used poor judgment in publicly socializing with other women so soon." He's filed paperwork looking to stall the divorce for 90 days "to regain control over the future of our family." In other news, TLC has announced that 'Jon & Kate Plus Eight' will now be titled 'Kate Plus Eight,' and Jon's role will be minimized." - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"For more than two years, Dan Rather has been seeking vengeance, vindication and $70 million from his former employer, CBS. He's not getting any of it. The appellate division of the New York Supreme Court has dismissed Rather's lawsuit, throwing out his relatively straightforward breach-of-contract claim along with the more ambitious allegations of fraud and tortious interference. "[W]e find the complaint must be dismissed in its entirety," the appellate panel wrote in its decision, released Tuesday. "We're studying the decision right now, but it appears to be a total victory -- and vindication for CBS's position," wrote a CBS spokesman in an email announcing the decision. "We are extremely disappointed with the Appellate Court's decision," wrote Rather's attorney, Martin R. Gold of Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP. "We believe the decision is incorrect on a number of grounds and, accordingly, we intend to ask the New York Court of Appeals to review it."" - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"Did you hear the one about the pot dealer's tax return? The New Yorker who claimed the whole city as a dependent? The exotic dancer who deducted . . . well . . . you know? That's right, it's time once again for Bankrate's 10 craziest tax write-offs, presented as a shot of levity to help make filing your annual federal income-tax return a little less tedious. In our first installment, taxpayers sought deductions for everything from ostrich breeding to sperm donations. In round two, doggy day care and a pimped-out Amish buggy led the list of questionable claims. But this year's strange-but-true collection from certified public accountants around the country may be the most bizarre yet, not only for their sheer audacity but also for the few that managed to slide by the Internal Revenue Service. Of course, it is no laughing matter to try to knowingly defraud Uncle Sam. Serious consequences await those who fail to file, falsely file, knowingly underreport or otherwise play fast and loose with their federal income-tax returns." - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

Lucy Vodden, the woman who inspired the Beatles classic 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,' died last Tuesday at the age of 46. Vodden, a childhood friend of Julian Lennon, passed away after losing a fight with the autoimmune disease lupus, according to an announcement made Monday by the St. Thomas' Lupus Trust Charity. John Lennon took the song title from a picture Julian had drawn of Vodden at school. "That's Lucy in the sky with diamonds," Julian told his dad when he brought the artwork home. Due to the psychedelic feel of the song, from the Fab Four's iconic 1967 album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,' many fans felt the song's title was an allusion to LSD. - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

In 2006, when Disney first announced they were finally bringing a black princess to the big screen with 'The Princess and the Frog,' it was cause for celebration -- long overdue, yet still worth celebrating. The honeymoon didn't last long. The first cries of foul came quickly, with critics bemoaning the lead character's announced name and occupation. She'd be a maid for a white family named ... Maddy. When her name and occupation were labeled demeaning (as AOL BlackVoices points out, the moniker bares close resemblance to the ethnic slur "Mammy"), Disney was quick to respond, renaming the heroine Tiana and recasting her as a chef. Crisis averted. Until early this year, anyway, when it was revealed that our groundbreaking African-American princess (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) would not in fact be falling in love with an African-American prince. It's unclear what ethnicity her dreamy Prince Naveen is exactly -- his first name is Indian, he's from the fictional land of Maldonia, and he's... more... - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

Wait, mixed race relationships aren't ok? - Heather

The black maid for a white family is the kind of thing they shouldn't have even considered, never mind announce proudly. I get that. But name seems a little picky to me. I get that it has 3 letters in common, but how close is too close? It's not like they named her Tammy. Plus I think they could have done worse. What I was responding to was "Crisis averted. Until [...not a black prince] " Since the prince isn't white I'm not seeing a problem here. - Heather

Liked for Dave's comment. - DO ANYBODY NO MONIQUE

"When you hit a roadblock in your plans, it can be easy to have your confidence shaken. Not so for 16-year-old Jessica Watson, who has set out to become the youngest person to sail around the world. Sure, maybe she crashed ... into a 63,000-ton cargo ship... on her first day out, but she's not stopping. According to 16-year-old Jessica's media spokesperson, since the crash happened before her journey officially began, turning around and heading home for repairs won't disqualify her from attempting the world record." - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

And didn't the government try and stop this from happening, because they were worried about her safety. - Jimminy

"MEXICO CITY (Sept. 9) — An airplane was briefly hijacked as it landed in Mexico City on Wednesday from the resort of Cancun, but all 112 passengers and crew were released unharmed, officials said. Skip over this content hijacked airliner in mexico city Gregory Bull, AP A hijacked Aeromexico plane sits on the tarmac at Mexico City's international airport on Sept. 9. All passengers and crew members were released unharmed. Television images showed police leading at least five men from the plane in handcuffs. Mexican news media reported the hijackers were Bolivian citizens demanding to speak with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Transportation and Communications Secretary Juan Molinar said all passengers and crew were safe, but would not say how many alleged hijackers were detained or give details of their motivation. "Various people who participated in the act have been detained and we are investigating," he said. He said there was no bomb on the airplane, although some passengers... more... - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"The father on 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' revealed his side of the divorce on 'Good Morning America,' stating that he suffered "a lot of abuse" at her hands. "She'll call me like, almost like a lame fish. Like I wasn't going anywhere," he said. Gosselin claims he was left at home with the twins and sextuplets all the time while she traveled for work. "Well, excuse me, I'm taking care of the kids. She's on book tours, she's doing all these things. You know, she's gone a week. You know, comes back. Unpacks, repacks, does laundry, packs up and leaves again. I'm standing there like, 'Oh, OK. Your mom's gone.'" Kate recently appeared on 'Larry King Live' and expressed some criticisms of her estranged husband, but did admit that he was a good father. She also spoke with PEOPLE magazine, telling them, "Sometimes I feel like it's a 15-year-old I'm getting a divorce from."" - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"Nearly four in 10 women buy shoes knowing they do not fit, a poll of 2,000 reveals. The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists found 37% would wear uncomfortable shoes as long as they were fashionable. And 17% of men admit buying shoes in the wrong size. Although 80% of the women said they suffered foot problems like corns or ingrowing nails, only four in ten of the men and women surveyed sought help." - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet

"The beat-up 1989 Dodge van carries a sign with a question: "How has the recession affected you?" Along the side, a request: "Tell me your story." The man behind the wheel is Aaron Heideman, 29, an artist from Grants Pass, Ore., who in the past year lost his job at a paint store and began sleeping in the van. He hit the road July 1 with what he calls "The Man in a Van Project," angling for a $250,000 prize at an art fair." - Holly is Happy from Bookmarklet