Thursday, November 29, 2007

I couldn't even imagine making this one up...

According to SkyNews, "a flasher is expecting to go to jail after failing to persuade a court his penis is too small to be exposed.
Michael Carney, 41, showed the jury photographs of his genitals in an unsuccessful bid to prove his point.
The six men and six women at Teesside Crown Court were not moved by the evidence and convicted him on seven counts of outraging public decency.
During the three-day trial, the married father-of-two said of his penis: "It causes embarrassment to myself, even to the point where it is with my wife.
"I wouldn't want myself to be seen in public like that. My genitalia are underdeveloped and it is so much smaller than average."
As evidence, Carney produced photos taken by his wife days earlier but the jury convicted him of flashing in front of six different women over a number of years.
Jurors were told that he had exposed himself to passers-by while standing naked in the front window of his home.
But he was also spotted naked on the drive of his home in Stockton.
On another occasion, he was seen masturbating in his back garden while whistling to attract attention to himself.
The jury was told he had already been convicted of five sex assaults on females while he was out jogging.
Carney will be sentenced for both the assaults and the flashing next year.
Granting bail, Judge Brian Forster told him: "Clearly, this is a serious case where a sentence of imprisonment is likely.""

What a winner... Good grief...

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

"al-Ameriya"?


I had not heard of "al-Ameriya" in the U.S. media. It showed up in a BBC report. It's actually a good story on how our men and women in the US military and its coalition are making progress in Iraq. Check out the story for yourself here.

What's in your robe?...


The BBC reports that a "US judge has been removed from the bench for jailing an entire courtroom audience after none of them admitted being responsible for a ringing phone.
Judge Robert Restaino was presiding over a domestic violence case in the city of Niagara Falls in March 2005.
A commission on judicial conduct said Judge Restaino had acted "without any semblance of a lawful basis" and behaved like a "petty tyrant".
The judge has said he was under stress in his personal life at the time.
He has 30 days to appeal against the commission's decision.
In its ruling on Tuesday, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct recommended the removal of Judge Restaino for what its chairman called "two hours of inexplicable madness" on the morning of 11 March 2005.
It said the 48-year-old judge had been presiding over a series of domestic violence cases when he heard a mobile phone ring and "snapped".
"Every single person is going to jail in this courtroom unless I get that instrument now," he told the courtroom's audience, according to the commission.
"If anybody believes I'm kidding, ask some of the folks that have been here for a while. You are all going."
Security officers then attempted to find the phone but failed.
After a brief recess, Judge Restaino returned to the bench and again asked who had been responsible for the ringing phone.
When no-one came forward, the judge ordered that the entire courtroom audience of 46 people be taken into custody and set bail at $1,500.
"This troubles me more than any of you people can understand," the judge explained.
"This person, whoever he or she may be, doesn't have a whole lot of concern. Let's see how much concern they have when they are sitting in the back there with all the rest of you," he added.
"Ultimately, when you go back there to be booked, you've got to surrender what you got on you. One way or another, we're going to get our hands on something."
One defendant, according to the report, told the judge: "This is not fair to the rest of us."
"I know it isn't," Judge Restaino replied.
Rights 'deliberately violated'
The audience and defendants were then taken to Niagara City jail, where they were searched and packed into crowded cells.
Fourteen people who could not post bail were later shackled and transported to another prison.
It was only later in the afternoon, when reporters began to ask questions about the ruling, that Judge Restaino ordered their release.
The judge told the commission he had known that he had no legal basis for his actions and that they had been "improper and inexcusable".
"He explained that he simply focused on attempting to locate the phone's owner and was frustrated by his inability to do so," the commission said.
The judge told the panel he had been under stress in his personal life at the time of the incident, it added.
Nevertheless, the commission's administrator, Robert Tembekjian, said the fundamental rights of 46 people had been "deliberately and methodically violated" and insisted there could be no excuse..."
Absolute power can corrupt...

Monday, November 26, 2007

After that last post...

After that last post, I just needed to see some fast cars with crashes. No one got seriously hurt in these. Enjoy! It's NASCAR from ESPN.

Human Debris...


There are three types of humans that I cannot stand: women (wife) beaters, child molesters, and animal abusers.
CNN reports that "a former Ivy League professor pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter for killing his wife as she wrapped Christmas presents last year.
Rafael Robb, once a tenured economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, faces a prison sentence of no more than seven years for bludgeoning his wife, Ellen, on December 22.
Robb, 57, said Monday that he got into an argument with his wife about a trip she was taking with their daughter and whether they would be returning in time for the daughter to return to school.
"We started a discussion about that. The discussion was tense," Robb said. "We were both anxious about it. We both got angry. At one point, Ellen pushed me. ... I just lost it."
Ellen Robb, 49, described as a stay-at-home mother who doted on their only child, died in the kitchen of their home in Upper Merion Township, outside Philadelphia.
Detectives believed the scene had been staged to look like a burglary. The murder weapon, which Robb described as an exercise bar, was not found.
The couple married in 1990 but had long been estranged, keeping separate bedrooms.
Rafael Robb apologized to his daughter and family in court Monday.
"I know she liked her mother. ... And now she doesn't have a mother," he said, stifling tears."
So Rafy, you had an argument with your wife and you beat her to death. Ooh... You're such a "big man." Well, here's hoping there's something special waiting for you in prison. And all you can say is that your daughter "liked her mother." You freak'in moron! And now the poor girl has no mother or father (and from the sound of things, she is better off w/out your sorry self). I would have loved to had been your arresting officer. I wouldn't have ducked your head under the squad car's roof when I pushed you into the car. And then you stuck a deal w/the DA to plead to Manslaughter with just 5 to 10 years in jail. Thanks to FoxNews, I know you "...admitted to bashing [your] wife Ellen repeatedly in the head and face with a chin-up bar, then staging a break-in and hiding the evidence so [you] could blame the whole thing on a burglar...[Your poor wife] "Ellen was bludgeoned so badly investigators initially thought she'd been blasted at close range with a shotgun or rifle." "So, after almost a year of denials, [you] came clean." Clean my a$$! You probably will only serve less than 5 years. And I hope those five years are the worst of your miserable life. What a piece of human debris...

Beauty pageant gets dirty...


CNN reports from San Juan, Puerto Rico, that "beauty pageant organizers were investigating Sunday who doused a contestant's evening gowns with pepper spray and spiked her makeup, causing her to break out in hives.
Beauty queen Ingrid Marie Rivera beat 29 rivals to become the island's 2008 Miss Universe contestant, despite applying makeup and wearing evening gowns that had been coated with pepper spray, pageant spokesman Harold Rosario said.
Rivera was composed while appearing before cameras and judges throughout the competition. But once backstage, she had to strip off her clothes and apply ice bags to her face and body, which swelled and broke out in hives twice.
"We thought at first it was an allergic reaction, or maybe nerves," Rosario said. "But the second time, we knew it couldn't have been a coincidence."
Rivera's clothing and makeup later tested positive for pepper spray.
Someone also stole Rivera's bag containing her gowns, makeup and credit cards. And a bomb threat forced pageant officials to postpone the last day of competition on Thursday, said Magali Febles, director of the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant.
Pageant organizers said the hoped to catch and expose whoever was responsible for the pranks. They said, however, they were handling the investigation themselves and police are not involved.
Beauty competitions in the U.S. Caribbean territory -- which boasts five Miss Universe titles, second only to the U.S. -- are fierce, drawing boisterous audiences and accusations of rigged results.
But the pranks under investigation this year are a first, Rosario said.
Rivera, who won Miss World Caribbean in 2005, had been a target of controversy from the start of competition, as rivals complained she was too experienced and should be disqualified.
Local media touted her as the likely winner, stoking jealousy among contestants, Rosario said.
When Rivera won, rivals accused her of buying the crown, Puerto Rico's El Nuevo Dia newspaper reported.
A tearful Rivera recounted her ordeal at a news conference Sunday, acknowledging she had wavered about staying in the contest.
"At one point I said, 'Am I a masochist?"' she recalled, her voice breaking. "But I said, 'I am with God and this is my goal, regardless of the results."'"
It sounds like they needed Sandra Bullock in this pageant to keep people honest...

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Blog unto others as...



Blog unto others as you would have them blog unto you.

Whenever I visit some one's blog (whether it's for the 1st time or repeat visit), I always make sure to click on at least one of the AdSense ads. So blogger, know that one of your AdSense hits are always from Texas_JAM when I visit. I still consider myself a blog rookie and I learn new things every few days about the blog universe (some good, some bad). Please let me know what you think...

Saturday, November 24, 2007

A view from the soapbox

According to the NY Post, "...late October, when Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo said he expected the fourth quarter to be profitable - comments that drove the stock up to $17.11 the next day. But over the last few weeks, investors have begun to believe that Mozilo's pledge could be tough to achieve as Countrywide's mortgage organizations fall and the available capital to fund new mortgages shrinks...The mortgage giant's stock is now trading at nearly half the $18 conversion price for the $2 billion of preferred stock that Bank of America bought back in August. Shares closed at $9.65 [11/23/07]."

And Bloomberg reports on 10/31/07 that "Countrywide Financial Corp. shareholders sued Chief Executive Officer Angelo Mozilo and 19 other company officers and directors, claiming a stock buyback program allowed them to sell shares at inflated prices.
The defendants sold $842 million in company stock while issuing false and misleading statements about the financial health of Countrywide, the biggest U.S. mortgage lender, the New England Teamsters and Trucking Industry Pension Fund alleged in a complaint filed Oct. 29 in Los Angeles Superior Court...Mozilo and the other ``defendants caused Countrywide to engage in unlawful business practices and to disseminate false and misleading statements to the public while simultaneously using more than $2 billion of Countrywide's assets to prop up the price of Countrywide stock via a share repurchase plan,'' the pension fund said in the complaint.
The fund accuses the company's officials of insider selling and breach of their fiduciary duty to both the company and shareholders. They seek unspecified damages."

I know this is a story that many will skip over... But this thing stinks like Enron. I remember the videos and news alerts from Ken Lay saying that Enron was in good standing. All the while, he was selling his Enron stocks while he convinced the suckers to keep their shares. This sounds just like what Mozilo may be doing. I am not saying that Countrywide is a repeat of the Enron scandal and implosion... But these sound so much alike. My feelings for Countrywide went negative as soon as I saw a story on ABCNews about how the company promised those victimized by Katrina could skip some mortgage payments. These customers were sent a letter telling them that they could focus their attention on the effects of the hurricane, and they wouldn't be forced to pay any penalties. The company then reneged on its promise and demanded backpayments from these customers or they would loose their home. The Countrywide twerps forced the people who wanted to keep their homes to take out loans to pay these charges. Luckily, one couple recorded phone conversations with a Countrywide rep who felt bad for the customer and admitted what happen over the phone. I am searching for this story on ABC and I will post the link once I find it. When and if Countrywide goes the route of Enron, then "all hell will hit the fan." Greed once again is going to suck some good people down. And I doubt that Bank of America will ever see any of its $2 Billion again. Even the Australians have an opinion of this...

Anthem error helps Croatia win

The BBC reports that "Croatia rose to the occasion in their crucial Euro 2008 defeat of England - after an apparent X-rated gaffe by an English opera singer at Wembley.
Tony Henry belted out a version of the Croat anthem before the 80,000 crowd, but made a blunder at the end.
He should have sung 'Mila kuda si planina' (which roughly means 'You know my dear how we love your mountains').
But he instead sang 'Mila kura si planina' which can be interpreted as 'My dear, my penis is a mountain'.
Now Henry could be one of the few Englishmen at the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland as Croatian fans adopt him as a lucky omen.
They believe his mistake relaxed their chuckling players, who scored an early goal in the 3-2 win that put Croatia top of the group and knocked out England.
The singer, who hails from St Albans in Hertfordshire but now lives in Inverness, Scotland, has performed at stadiums around the world.
He was once known as the Voice of Arsenal after Gunners fans were impressed with his rendition of Abide with Me before the FA Cup final in 2003 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Henry came unstuck when he sung Lijepa Nasa Domovino (Our Beautiful Homeland) at a rain-swept Wembley on Wednesday night.
"I can't even defend myself at the end of the day. It was apparently the last line on the second verse which I made the mistake on," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Coming to Wembley and the stadium, it must have got to me, is all I can say.
"It was the last thing that I would intentionally do, and all I can say is if I have offended any Croatians, then they have my deepest apologies."
On the contrary, Henry is becoming a cult hero in Croatia, but denies he played a part in England's exit.
"I can't take the blame for that. The last thing I would do is brag about my parts like that - especially to make it so public," said Henry...
Zeljka Tomljenovic, secretary of the British-Croatian Society, added: "I don't envy the guy at all because the pronunciation is so difficult.
"He had a big challenge, to sing the national anthem in a language he knows, I assume, nothing about."
Henry's agent Douglas Gillespie said it was a genuine mistake, but admitted the publicity could boost his career.
"He's been given the lyrics correctly, but he has enough trouble with English, never mind Croatian," joked Gillespie.
"There were 80,000 people in the crowd and millions of people watching. It was just the pressure of the moment.
"He did sing it very well and made a very, very small mistake for someone doing his best and singing in a language that is alien to him. If you've ever tried to speak Croatian, it's very difficult. "The Croatians think it's great, and they've invited him to come over and sing at Euro 2008, and asked if he will be their mascot.""

Friday, November 23, 2007

Hope those fence posts weren't too cold...


First it was a Scotish dude getting too friendly with his bicycle, now the London Telegraph reports "A drunken man broke into a central London park and attempted to have sex with a fence, a court heard.
Daniel French, 24, made "sexual motions" towards metal railings in Leicester Square Gardens after being challenged by police in the early hours of Sunday morning, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told.
"He said words to the effect of: 'I'm going to have sex with that fence'," said Philip Lemoine, prosecuting.
"The gardens were locked and police asked French to leave. He was drunk and there were some sexual motions - drunken silliness - to the railings."Mr Lemoine added: "French said he had a relative who was a solicitor and would teach the police a lesson."French, of Verity Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, admitted being drunk and disorderly after a night out in the West End, but angrily denied making romantic overtures towards the fence...
Romantic liaisons with inanimate objects are not as uncommon as one might think. Last week a "cycle-sexualist" caught half-naked in a compromising position with his bicycle in a Scottish hostel was put on probation for 3 years."
And for my anonymous commenter on the Dude! post, this fence guy was English...

Ten-Pound Hairball

FoxNews reports that "Surgeons removed a massive 10-pound hairball from the stomach of an 18-year-old girl suffering from a psychological condition in which she ate her own hair, according to a report in this week's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The teen went to her doctor after complaining of stomach pains and vomiting. She had also lost 40 pounds over a five-month period, according to a UPI report.

Doctors at >Rush Medical Center in Chicago carried out a scan and were amazed to find the huge mass of hair blocking her entire stomach, according to NEJM.
The hairball measured 15 inches by 7 inches by 7 inches when it was removed.
Once the hairball was removed, the patient was discharged and given psychiatric help. A year later the teenager has gained 20 pounds and has stopped eating her hair, the journal said."

Here's a picture of the hairball.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

The Roadkill Chef

From the BBC, "Squirrel stew or badger burger, anyone?
Like the roadkill of Sandwich, this Kent town's residents don't know what's hit them when Fergus Drennan turns up to convert them to the joys of foraging for their food.
You might expect a supplier of food to the Ivy and Jamie Oliver's 15 to get his supplies from Borough Market or Billingsgate. But Fergus tells us that foraging is best, and nothing beats squirrel stew, puffball mushroom omelette and duck cooked just after you've found it dead by the road."

Here's his recipe for Pan Raised Squirrels:

Ingredients: (serves four)
4 skinned and gutted squirrels -- feet also removed
8 milliliters olive oil
300 grams dandelion leaves
300 grams young sow thistles
100 grams young dock leaves
150 grams hairy bittercress
150g nettle tops 3 medium sized onions 100g wild chervil or parsley
80g dill
A few lemon balm leaves
Juice of one large orange
Pine nuts
Toasted sesame seeds
A few dried apricots or raisons
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Half a teaspoon curry powder
Quarter teaspoon of turmeric
Eighth teaspoon cinnamon
1 small chilli
Water
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Sweat the onions in the olive oil. Meanwhile, boil a pan of water and add the dock leaves sow thistle and dandelion leaves. Boil for about a 30 seconds to a minute. Strain off and discard the water (to remove excess bitterness from leaves). Add this as well as the chopped dill, parsley, nettles, hairy bittercress and all other ingredients to the meat pan. Also add about 3 cups of water. Simmer for about one hour with a lid on the pan, stirring occasionally to ensure no sticking and add a little more water if necessary. Serve with good rustic bread to soak up the juices.

"Fergus Drennan hosts a BBC show called "The Road Kill Chef." He only eats food plucked, picked or peeled directly from the British countryside. The exception? Roadkill -- everything from rabbits and foxes to sea gulls and squirrels."

You can find more recipes on his web site Wild Man Wild Food.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

SUV Crashes Into House

I don't think this lady was invited here for Thanksgiving. If she was, then she is a bit early. And I am sure they would have preferred that she park outside...


Quote

SUV crashes into house

SUV crashes into house
Nov. 21: A driver jumps the curb and plows her SUV into a house in Winooski, New York. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.

Luckily no one was hurt.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Dancing With The Stars Cover



See your favorite Dancing With The Stars teams pose for TV Guide in their fun and sexy cover shoot The 411. And yes, I am among the 20 million+ that watch each week. This season has the toughest competition with the most plot twists. It's a toss up between the last three couples. And yes, dancing is a sport. Many don't realize that it is among the contenders to be a medal sport in the next Olympics.

Pac-Man

Different Twist On CBS Story...


You may have heard the CBS news story that trumpeted "startling" and "stunning" news of a "hidden epidemic" of veteran suicides. Well, here is a link to a different take on the story from Michael Fumento of the NY Post. Take a look at it to see for yourself. Maybe the recently announced strike involving the CBS News writers, producers, and editors will bring more balanced reporting to CBS. But then...that would be too much to ask. This is another reason why so many people turn to the internet to get their news. You have to keep an open mind when you hear the news...

Mr. Tudball needs a secretary



Mr. Tudball (Tim Conway) is looking for a secretary, but his wife (Vicki Lawrence) doesn't like any candidates until Wanda Wiggins (Carol Burnett) shows up. This is the raw recording of the sketch, filled with bloopers and wild lines from the cast. Enjoy!

Monday, November 19, 2007

'Til Death or Bad Odor Do Us Part...

FoxNews reports "an Egyptian woman has filed for divorce from her husband on the grounds that he has not showered since they married...
The wedding took place two months ago.
It was a quick courtship for Yara Saad Al-Din, 23, and Aysar Ali, 31, who got engaged two weeks after meeting on an airplane...
But a couple of months into the marriage and the honeymoon is over. Ali recently confessed to his blushing bride that he hasn't showered in all eight weeks of their union, and now the missus is ready to change her marriage vows to "till dirt do us part."
Ali claimed he could not bathe because of a skin disease which made him allergic to water. While a doctor confirmed Ali had a skin disease, he also said it had nothing to do with water, AlArabiya reported.
Al-Din filed for divorce. When Ali refused to grant her one, she filed for khol’a – an arrangement within Islam which will grant a woman a divorce if she renounces some financial rights.
An investigation into khol’a by AlArabiya.net turned up countless unusual reasons for divorce:
- An engineer in Port Said filed for divorce because her veterinarian husband insisted on keeping cats and dogs in the house.
- A civil servant divorced her husband because he had bad breath from eating too much garlic and because he did not wash his feet.
- An Egyptian housewife filed for khol’a after her husband refused to let her go to her father’s funeral.
- A sorcerer's wife filed for a divorce after he refused to give up his job."
Here's the original story from AlArabiya.

Tim Conway's Elephant Story



I watched this as a kid. I wish the reruns were still on. In this clip, Tim Conway goes for the "kill" when he senses the others are about to start laughing. Instead, he gets the table turned on him. See if you recognize the famous actor on the sofa's right arm. Great clip.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Amazing Table Tennis...

Amazing table tennis w/some no-look shots...

‘Beowulf’ slays competition at box office



See my previous post of 'Beowulf'

No special effects...



Watch the bat after it is dropped onto the ground. There are no special effects involved here. It's an amazing sight to see.

It's right around the corner...



"Macy's is getting ready for its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC. It's revealed the new balloons that will take part this year."

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Another call for an open mind...



John Stossel from 20/20 gives us information that we don't hear from our media. The clip gives us something to think about when we hear that the "sky is falling."

Dude!

Here's another classic from the BBC.

"Bike sex man placed on probation

A man caught trying to have sex with his bicycle has been sentenced to three years on probation.
Robert Stewart, 51, admitted a sexually aggravated breach of the peace by conducting himself in a disorderly manner and simulating sex.
Sheriff Colin Miller also placed Stewart on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.
Mr Stewart was caught in the act with his bicycle by cleaners in his bedroom at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr.
Gail Davidson, prosecuting, told Ayr Sheriff Court: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply.
"They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused wearing only a white t-shirt, naked from the waist down.
"The accused was holding the bike and moving his hips back and forth as if to simulate sex."
Both cleaners, who were "extremely shocked", told the hostel manager who called police.
Sheriff Colin Miller told Stewart: "In almost four decades in the law I thought I had come across every perversion known to mankind, but this is a new one on me. I have never heard of a 'cycle-sexualist'."
Stewart had denied the offence, claiming it was caused by a misunderstanding after he had too much to drink..."

Friday, November 16, 2007

I think we already knew this...


From our experiences on the roads these days, it's no surpirse to see this story from CNN.
"36 million drivers would flunk drivers tests

...if a test administered by GMAC Insurance is any indication, one in six people cruising our highways and byways -- roughly 36 million licensed drivers -- would flunk their driver's test if they had to take it today. Not only that, but based on the 2007 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test data the state with the most road-going dummies is New York, while the most knowledgeable ones are out West to Idaho.
"The results were pretty eye-opening to us," says Gary Kusumi, president and CEO of GMAC Insurance Personal Lines. "Not only did they indicate that there are wide differences in terms of state scores, but there were significant trends that demonstrated the general public might have forgotten must-know items from when they first took their driver's test."
"Two questions consistently sent respondents skidding into the weeds," Kusumi notes. The first has to do with the correct action to take when approaching a steady yellow traffic light (Answer: Stop if it is safe to do so.). A whopping 84 percent of respondents spun their wheels on that one. The next biggest puzzler after that question had to do with the proper following distance from a car in front of you (Answer: Two seconds).
Also of interest from the GMAC Insurance test:
• Drivers 35 and older were more likely to pass
• Illinois, Georgia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts were the least knowledgeable states overall, with average scores under 75 percent
• Fifty-five percent of the respondents didn't know how many feet before making a left or right turn to activate their turn signals
• The national average score was 77.1 percent
...According to GMAC Insurance, 18 percent of respondents failed its National Driving Test in 2007, compared with 9 percent in 2006. The test can be taken online at www.gmacinsurance.com."
Here are the top 5 states: Idaho, Alaska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas
You can see the state rankings here.
You can take the test for yourself here.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Google expands... again



"Lost drivers will be able to Google for help at the pump. The online search leader will dispense driving directions at thousands of gasoline pumps across the US beginning early next month."

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

That's one small car...



On Cute Overload, I ran across this video of the smallest car I have ever seen. The video comes from the BBC show Top Gear. Take a look for yourself.

Win $250,000



For more about this, please bring an open-mind to JunkScience.com. And for those who say the debate is over, please take a look at the John Stossel's (one of my favorite journalists) video clip. Open and free discussions help everyone.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Romo having fun...



Tony Romo from the Dallas Cowboys just having a bit of fun. The guy seems to be always smiling. I saw this when it happened and I had to laugh. It's too bad it wasn't mentioned by the announcers though; those not paying attention would have appreciated it.

Unfortunate News Blooper...



Ouch...

Monday, November 12, 2007

"Nut" of the day...

From our friends at the BBC.

"Man hurt using gun to change [tire]

A US man has injured himself in both legs after attempting to loosen a stiff wheel-nut by blasting it with his gun.
The 66-year-old man from Washington state was repairing his car outside his home when the accident took place.
Shooting at the wheel from arm's length with his 12-gauge shotgun, he was peppered with buckshot and debris.
The man - whom police say was on his own and not intoxicated - was taken to hospital with severe, but not life-threatening, injuries.
The man, from South Kitsap, 10 miles (16km) southwest of Seattle, had been repairing his Lincoln Continental for two weeks, according to the police, and had removed all but one of the nuts on the right rear wheel.
Frustrated by the one remaining nut which refused to budge, he resorted to fire power in an effort to shift it.
"He's bound and determined to get that lug nut off," said Deputy Scott Wilson, a spokesman from the sheriff's office.
He sustained injuries from his feet to the middle of his abdomen, with some pellets reaching as high as his chin, police said."
'Nuff Said!

Call for an open mind...


I found this story on Yahoo, and it comes from LiveScience.com. I just ask that you read it with an open mind. I will ask you something about it at the end...

"Melting glaciers in Western Canada are revealing tree stumps up to 7,000 years old where the region's rivers of ice have retreated to a historic minimum, a geologist said today. Johannes Koch of The College of Wooster in Ohio found the fresh-looking, intact tree stumps beside retreating glaciers in Garibaldi Provincial Park, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) north of Vancouver, British Columbia. Radiocarbon dating of the wood from the stumps revealed the wood was far from fresh—some of it dated back to within a few thousand years of the end of the last ice age.
"The stumps were in very good condition sometimes with bark preserved," said Koch, who conducted the work as part of his doctoral thesis at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Koch will present his results on Oct. 31 at the Geological Society of America annual meeting in Denver.
The pristine condition of the wood, he said, can best be explained by the stumps having spent all of the last seven millennia under tens to hundreds of meters of ice. All stumps were still rooted to their original soil and location.
"Thus they really indicate when the glaciers overrode them, and their kill date gives the age of the glacier advance," Koch said. The age of the newly revealed ancient trees also indicates how long the glaciers have covered this region...""

Now I ask you how could there have been trees growing there 7,000 years ago if we are currently making the Earth the warmest it has ever been. This is what we're told. Just something to think about...

Sunday, November 11, 2007

German Water Bed Prank

I ran across this funny video while visiting MyPointless.com. Now I haven't spoken German since way back in high school... But you don't need to know German to enjoy these funny bits. The looks on the faces are priceless. Enjoy!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Hero Of The Week...

My hero for the week is King Juan Carlos of Spain. He is the first leader to tell Chavez of Venezuela to "shut up." Finally, someone told that nut to shut his trap.

According to the BBC, "Spain's King Juan Carlos told Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez to "shut up" as the Ibero-American summit drew to a close in Santiago, Chile.
The outburst came after Mr Chavez called former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a "fascist".
Mr Chavez then interrupted Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's calls for him to be more diplomatic, prompting the king's outburst...Mr Zapatero said: "Former President Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people."
Mr Chavez repeatedly tried to interrupt, despite his microphone being turned off. The king leaned forward and said: "Why don't you shut up?"
According to reports, the king used a familiar term normally used only for close acquaintances - or children..."

Click here to see the BBC's report.

Unnecessary Censorship Jimmy Kimmel

By popular demand from Mrs. Grapevine, Mellowed Blues, and Titania Starlight, I have posted another episode of Jimmy Kemmel's Unnecessary Censorship.

Donny Osmond has his dreams come true...



Donny Osmond goes naughty... Donny Osmond has his dreams come true with Jimmy Kimmel.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Unnecessay Censorship...



With the writers' strike, the the late night comedies have gone silent (in terms of new material) in the US. I hope you got a kick out of Jimmy Kimmel's Unnecessary Censorship clip. I am backing the writers in this strike. Their demands sound reasonable.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

"77% oppose illegals' licenses"

According to the Washington Times, "Voters oppose driver's licenses for illegal aliens by a nearly five-to-one margin, a new Fox 5/Washington Times/Rasmussen Reports poll finds.
As immigration politics explode into the presidential race, polls show Americans are taking a hard line on benefits for illegal aliens, including opposing driver's licenses and such taxpayer-funded benefits as scholarships at state colleges for illegal-alien students.
The new poll found 77 percent of the adults surveyed opposed making driver's licenses available to illegal aliens, while just 16 percent supported the idea...New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer in September proposed adding New York to the list of seven states that offer licenses to illegal aliens, and the issue has refused to die down since.
Most Democratic presidential candidates have embraced the policy, including front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, arguing it's a matter of road safety and a valid response to the federal government's failure to give a path to citizenship to illegal aliens.
But those on the other side, including Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Christopher J. Dodd and the entire Republican presidential field, oppose the idea...Arnold Schwarzenegger, vetoed a bill last month that would have allowed illegal-alien children to apply for community college fee waivers and other types of financial aid. Mr. Schwarzenegger said the policy would strain public finances and hurt legal-resident students...He also has vetoed bills to extend driver's licenses to illegal aliens."

This is being discussed in New York. I have a huge problem with granting driver's licenses to illegal aliens. And I don't understand politicians who just explain their stance by saying they understand why states may want to do this. These politicians need to grow spines and think of the US citizens who get into car accidents with illegal aliens. The illegal rear ends you. Your insurance company pays for the repair, and you get to pay for it all with higher insurance rates. Certain countries encourage their people to come to the US illegally because they don't want to take care of their own people. Mexico is a rich country with great sources of oil, and the money remains limited to a very small amount of their people. These people are taken advantage of by their own countrymen and unsavory people in the US. And heaven help those people from Latin America who try to illegally come to or pass through Mexico. You do have those immigrants who went through the correct channels and entered the US legally, They paid their dues. Trust me I know this since I am the son of a legal immigrant who became a citizen. How about installing an "Ellis Island" at our southern border with a fence along the border? The Europeans had to go through Ellis Island to immigrate. And not all Europeans were allowed into the country.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

What The?!...

Ladies and gentleman, I am not making this up. In fact, I don't think I could even create an original story like this one from the SmokingGun.com. Since a number of my readers swing by my blog during work around lunch time, I will spare you the pics and the really descriptive details.

The SmokingGun.com reports that "We're not sure what they're inhaling down in Collier County, Florida, but here's the bizarre "information bulletin" prepared by the local sheriff's intelligence bureau about a purported "new drug" favored by the kids. It's an inhalant called "Jenkem," and causes hallucinations and [an] "euphoric high." Of course, as the bulletin notes, Jenkem users dislike its sewagey taste, which can last for days. That's because Jenkem's active ingredients are urine and fecal matter, hence its street names like "Butthash" and "Fruit from Crack Pipe." Click here to see a video report on Jenkem, via Breitbart.tv."

Click here to see the related photos and authentic Information Bulletin from the Collier County Sheriff. While you're there, scroll to the end of the bulletin and read the "slang terms." Oh boy...

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Sunday, November 4, 2007

Would you fly on a plane missing its wing tip?...

According to the Daily Mail, Daniel Boffey reports that a SriLankan Airlines crew "faced a rebellion when they told passengers they were going to fly on a jet that had lost its wing tip in a runway crash.

[The] customers had been on the Airbus A340 a day earlier when it sliced through a wing of a stationary British Airways 747 at Heathrow, delaying departure by 24 hours.
So they were amazed to be boarding the same plane next day for the ten-hour flight to Colombo.

When cabin crew then admitted there was still a 5ft wing tip missing, there was "a minor revolt" as seven passengers demanded to be let off the aircraft.
A further two-hour delay followed as their baggage was removed before the aircraft could take off.
Club-class passenger Ian McKie, 54, from Loughton, Essex, said: "We were put up in hotels the night of the crash and next morning we were told we would be on a different plane that day.
"We only realised that we were actually going on the same aircraft when we got to the Club lounge and saw the plane but without its wing tip."
The former policeman, who was jetting off for a two-week holiday with his partner Gill Stone, 52, added: "On board, the cabin crew admitted that it was the same one as last time and that the tip had been ripped off.

"They assured us it didn't matter but a number of the passengers insisted that they would rather get on the next flight."
The collision happened shortly after 10pm two weeks ago when the BA011 flight to Singapore was waiting on a runway, followed by the SriLankan Airbus.
The SriLankan aircraft wing ripped through the BA flight's wing, tearing off a huge chunk and resulting in the BA jumbo being grounded.
SriLankan Airlines insisted there was no danger in flying without a wing tip.
It added: "They are purely for aerodynamics and to keep fuel costs to a minimum. There is no impact on safety at all. Safety is our absolute priority." "

It's possible for the plane to fly with the wing tip damaged; however, I believe the airline should have taken more time to examine the plane for structural damage.

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Saturday, November 3, 2007

Girl survives collapse...


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The Strike Is Coming...


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"No toilet, no seat"


The BBC has come through with another unusual story. "Village council candidates in India should be allowed to stand for election only if they have a toilet at home, the rural development minister says.
In a letter to all chief ministers, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the toilet rule should be set out in law.
He said too many elected members "do not have toilet facilities in their own houses and defecate in the open".
Mr Singh said this activity was the main cause of the high incidence of diarrhoea in rural areas.
Mr Singh told the BBC that more than 65% of India's rural population defecated in the open, along roadsides, railway tracks and fields, generating huge amounts of excrement every day.
"This finds its way into the water sources," Mr Singh said.
About 70% of India's billion-plus population live in its more than 550,000 rural villages.
"It is unfortunate that a large number of elected village council members and rural government officers do not have toilet facilities in their own houses and defecate in the open," Mr Singh's letter said.
The minister said they needed to change their behaviour and adopt better sanitation and hygiene practices.
"It is essential to obtain their commitment to the sanitation agenda in view of the influence they exercise in the rural areas," the letter said.
Some states have already made amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act, which deals with the election of village councils, to ensure that elected members have toilet facilities in their households.
The rural development minister suggested all chief ministers make similar provisions.
"Only then can we eradicate the practice of open defecation by 2010," he says.
The central government has already launched a Total Sanitation Campaign in which awareness is being created regarding the ill-effects of open defecation.
"Sanitation promotion requires social mobilisation on a large scale and cannot be achieved by a few individuals but by collective involvement of all sections of society," the letter says."

This story wasn't brought to you by the World Toilet Organization. If you do go to the W.T.O., then check out the "toilet entertainment."


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Thursday, November 1, 2007

Remembering Robert Goulet



I found this ESPN commercial featuring Robert Goulet who just passed away. I found the clip on UncleBarky.com. Drop by Goulet's site for more on him. Broadway dimmed its lights in tribute to him.

And here's one from this year's Super Bowl...


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Town For Sale On E-Bay


According to MSNBC, "Bobby Cave, owner of a Texas town called Albert, decided this year to sell. Then a friend mentioned the online auction site eBay Inc. Now, with the click of a mouse -- and at least $2.5 million -- Albert could be yours.
After spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up and restore the 13-acre town about 50 miles north of San Antonio, Cave said he's ready to move on to his next venture.
"It's a concept. It's one of a kind," said Cave, 47, a real estate agent. "It's more like a piece of art than it is a real estate property. That's why eBay sounded so good to us. It's quirky."...No one lives there permanently, but the tavern that Cave created from the frame of the old general store is open on weekends. There are also the "cleanest public restrooms in Texas," built by Cave, and a pavilion, 85-year-old dance hall, tractor shed and three-bedroom house. All of that, plus peach and pecan orchards, come with the land.
Cave said he will even throw in his plan to turn the place into a tourist destination, including plans for a restaurant and cabins.
The eBay auction closes Nov. 23. On Wednesday, about a week after bidding opened, offers topped $300,000. But that was still less than Cave's "reserve price" of $2.5 million, the least he will take for the property.
Hani Durzy, an eBay spokesman, said listing an entire town for auction is very uncommon.
"We always like it when these kinds of things appear on the site because it's fun," Durzy said. "We wish them luck."
Bridgeville, in northern California, was the first town ever put on the eBay auction block. The 83 acres were twice sold on the site, in 2002 (that deal fell through) and again last year."

Click here for the e-Bay listing.

Here is more information on Albert, TX.

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Mile High Club Banned From A380 By Airline


According to the BBC, "Singapore Airlines has taken the unusual step of publicly asking passengers on its new Airbus A380 plane not to engage in any sexual activities.
The potential problem has arisen because the first class area of its giant superjumbo contains 12 private suites complete with double beds.
Singapore, which is the first airline to start flying the A380, said the suites were not sound-proofed.
It said it did not want anyone to offend other travellers or crew.
Singapore added that while the suites were private, they were also not completely sealed.
"All we ask of customers, wherever they are on our aircraft, is to observe standards that don't cause offence to other customers and crew," the airline said in a statement.
"Nothing different applies for our Singapore Airlines Suites customers."
Singapore Airlines took delivery of its first A380 earlier this month, with the first services between Singapore and Sydney starting on 25 October."

A previous post has a video tour of the plane.

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