Stuff to Blog About and More: In the News; June 28 2008

Man Versus Muskrat

In Winfield Mo, volunteers put together a heroic effort to hold back the Mississippi River. The effort Friday thanks to a burrowing muskrat. Seems that the rodent dug a hole through the earthen levee allowing water to penetrate the floodwall, which failed shortly before dawn.

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Asleep in the cockpit.
An Air India flight headed for Mumbai overshot its destination and was halfway to Goa before its dozing pilots were woken out of a deep slumber by air traffic control, a report said.The napping pilots flew 359 miles past the airport and were still at cruising altitude when nervous air traffic controllers woke them up.

The flight had about 100 passengers on board.

"The plane took off from Dubai at 1:35 a.m. Indian Standard Time and then from Jaipur at 7 a.m. After operating an overnight flight, fatigue levels peak, and so the pilots dozed off after taking off from Jaipur," an unidentified source told The Times of India.

Air India is denying the incident.

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Banning ALL kinds of smoking in bars.

Amsterdam's famed marijuana bars have weathered many challenges over the years and are still smoking. On July 1, the Netherlands will be one of the last European countries to ban smoking in bars and restaurants in compliance with EU law. No word yet one whether the bar will offer the drug in other forms.
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Do we need to know about Mini-Me's Mini Sex Tape?
The Famed Austin Power's Mini-Me seems to be the latest Hollywood star caught up in a sex tape frenzy (which proves that it can happen to anyone). A 25-second snippet of video showing actor Verne Troyer and a former girlfriend having sex, has been a hot view online.

Verne Troyer, best known for playing Mini Me in "Austin Powers," says a sex tape was stolen from his home.

Verne Troyer, aka Mini Me, says a sex tape was stolen from his home. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order requested by Troyer's attorneys that prevents porn distributors from taking orders for the full-length video and prevents TMZ from broadcasting any more clips. Thank you Judge.

The celebrity Web site posted the short segment on its site Wednesday; Troyer sued the site and porn distributors for $20 million in damages. (Shouldn't we be suing also?)

TMZ removed the snippet of the tape redirecting Web viewers to its home page.

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.