Links of the Day

Here's some of the stories that caught my eye today!

‘Star Trek’ Spoof at Nuclear Power Plant

Onondaga County spent federal stimulus on two $4,000 trash cans, wants 300 more

NY Food Stamp Recipients Are Shipping Welfare-Funded Groceries to Relatives in Jamaica, Dominica Republic and Haiti

Unplugged Weddings: Should The Marrying Couple Ask Guests to Surrender Their Smartphones?

Call It "Kelly Clarkson Classical"

Who says you can't mix classical with pop?  Well Strung is an all-male string quartet that's made a name for itself combining classical music like Mozart and Vivaldi with lyrics from modern singers like Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Adele.

Dean of White House Press Corps Dead at 92

Helen Thomas reports on President Gerald Ford, 1976

It’s hard to imagine doing nearly the same thing for more than 65 years, and working for only two employers to boot.  No wonder Helen Thomas became such a Washington D.C. institution.

She started work at United Press (later United Press International) during WWII, and joined its White House bureau in 1961 shortly after President John F. Kennedy was inaugurated.

Thomas went on to cover 10 presidents until she resigned from UPI in 2000 – after 57 years of service.  She spent the next 10 years as a political columnist for Hearst newspapers.

Known simply as “Helen” among her colleagues and competitors, Thomas will be remembered for breaking down barriers for women in journalism. She was the first woman to serve as president of the White House Correspondents Association.

Picture of the Day

A fleet of sidewalk plows sits idle in a parking lot off University Avenue in Rochester.

Target Texting Scam

For the second time in two days, I've received a text message telling me I've won a gift card for Target. I first heard about this scam going around about a month ago. I'm always surprised when people fall for these things - but it's a real shame when they do. Here is the message to be careful of:

"[Paul K.]  Your entry last day is 3-rd! Go to 4uTargetPrize.com and put 6371 to claim your target card."

The name in the brackets changes - the second message I got was from "Juanita C." The BBB says it's been a bad year for these types of scams. There have apparently been several for multiple stores. For more information, go to
http://www.bbb.org/us/article/text-message-gift-card-scam-is-back-for-the-holidays-38633.