The Views Of The All Seeing Eye

Looking for a KFC in...Fallujah?...

2008-11-22T17:27:00.007-06:00

David MacDougall reports that he "finally made it to Kentucky Fried Chicken in downtown Fallujah. The quest for KFC is over!

...it turns out this is not one of Colonel Sanders’ officially sanctioned franchises. In fact, appart from the large “KFC” sign in the window you’d be hard pressed to distinguish this from many other chicken restaurants in Fallujah. The big difference though, is on the inside. Iraqis like baked chicken, and it turns out deep fried chicken is something of a novelty, and so they’ve been flocking to the restaurant over the past eight months since it opened..."

The reporter treated the marines of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines to a meal.

Here is the entire story.

Here is the sideshow of pics.

The 'Butt Bandit' has been caught...

2008-11-22T17:21:00.004-06:00

Residents and shop owners in Valentine, Nebraska can now rest easy at night knowing the 'Butt Bandit' has been busted. FoxNews reports that "Authorities said they've arrested a suspect in the rash of so-called "Butt Bandit" vandalism cases.
County Attorney Eric Scott said a 35-year-old man was arrested early Wednesday morning. Formal charges have not yet been filed. Some vandal had been skipping from one building to another at night, pressing his naked buttocks, groin or both on windows.
Store owners, church workers and school janitors have had to wash lotion and petroleum jelly off the windows he selects.
Local residents found some humor in the strange brand of graffiti and had dubbed the vandal the "Butt Bandit."
Valentine Police Chief Ben McBride called it "the weirdest case I've ever seen.""

So you've heard of a worm in an apple....

2008-11-21T21:32:00.005-06:00

So you've heard of a worm in an apple... Have you're heard of a worm in a person's head? FOXNews reports that "Doctors in Arizona thought a Phoenix-area woman had a possible brain tumor, but it turned out there was something else penetrating her brain – a worm.
Rosemary Alvarez started experiencing numbness in her arm and blurred vision. She went to the emergency room twice and had a cat scan, but everything came up clear, MyFOXPhoenix.com reported.
It wasn’t until doctors took a closer look at an MRI that they discovered something very disturbing.
“Once we saw the MRI we realized this is something not good,” neurosurgeon, Dr. Peter Nakaji told the news station. “It's something down in her brain stem which is as deep in the brain as you can be.”
Alvarez was wheeled into surgery where Nakaji and his colleagues were expecting to remove a tumor, but they uncovered a worm instead.
On a video of the surgery, Nakaji can be heard chuckling after he made the discovery.
“I'm sure this is a very strange response for the people in the operating room,” he told MyFOXPhoenix.com. “But because I was so pleased to know that it wasn't going to be something terrible.”
Doctors removed the worm and don't believe Alvarez will have any lingering health problems. No one knows exactly where she picked up the worm –- doctors said worms can come from eating undercooked pork or spread by people who don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, according to the report.
“It only takes one person who is spreading it constantly to get a lot of people exposed and some of those people are going to go on to develop this problem,” Nakaji said.
Alvarez, who is now healthy and has resumed normal activities such a playing ball with family in her backyard, said she hopes people learn this lesson from her story.
“Wash your hands, wash your hands,” she added."

Thankfully she had no tumor. Here's the news story.

Just interesting....

2008-11-21T21:28:00.002-06:00

'Termites don't taste too bad'

2008-07-31T02:56:00.004-05:00

MSNBC reports that "Lost in the rocky, remote Australian Outback, a former pest exterminator faced dehydration and death. Desperate for food, he turned to what he knew best — bugs, he said Wednesday.
Theo Rosmulder, 52, managed to survive for four days by feasting on termites and other insects before local Aborigines happened upon him Tuesday and brought him back to civilization.
A weary-looking Rosmulder told reporters that he found some relief from hunger at a giant termite mound. "I just hit the top of the termite nest off and got stuck into them," Rosmulder said.

"Termites don't taste too bad," he said at a news conference in the southwestern Australian mining town of Laverton.
Rosmulder was suffering from dehydration but otherwise in "surprisingly good condition," Western Australia state police Sgt. Graham Clifford said. He said the insects and termites provided Rosmulder a bit of moisture and some protein."

Here is the rest of the story.

So you want to sleep while you work...

2008-07-31T02:43:00.002-05:00

Fox News reports that "It may not sound like much of a job — three consecutive months in bed — but NASA says the participants in its bed rest study are providing valuable information for the space program.
The test subjects are paid $10 per hour, or about $17,000 over the course of the study, which is carried out at the University of Texas...They spend three months lying down, and the preparation and rehabilitation take up another month.
MyFOXHouston.com reports that NASA's Flight Analog Research Unit is looking for ways to minimize the debilitating impact of zero gravity in space, which can cause reduction in muscle mass and bone density. One way to recreate those conditions on the ground is for test participants to lie down with head slightly tilted back for 90 days.
"It's very relaxing at times. This is probably the most I've sat still in 10 years," participant Heather Archuletta told MyFOXHouston.com.
They can shower, surf the Internet and watch DVDs, all while remaining in bed. Afterward, the rehabilitation phase is key to the study, because NASA tests ways of bringing their bodies back to normal.
"I just wanted to help out the space program keep astronauts more healthy so we can make it to Mars," said Archuletta, who updates an online blog from her test bed."

Anyone interested?...

Here is the entire story.

Here are photos of the study participants "in action."

The Hulk Meets Guillermo

2008-06-14T01:18:00.002-05:00

Guillermo from the Jimmy Kimmel Show is featured in a preview of The Incredible Hulk. Enjoy!

Thank you

2008-06-14T01:07:00.004-05:00

Tim Russert, thank you for being one of those rare exceptions in the news media who did a good job in hiding your personal political leanings. You came across as fair and balanced. I loved watching sneaky politicians getting into your sights. Your broad smiles could reach through the tv and make others smile. You will be missed. Hopefully other reporters will truly learn from your example. I am sure you are in the middle of your best ever interview...a truly divine interview. God Bless you and your family.

Port-A-Potty Rescue

2008-06-10T02:35:00.002-05:00

Fox News reports that in Lebanon, PA, "Rescue crews had to cut apart a portable toilet to rescue a man who got stuck naked inside the potty.
Authorities say 31-year-old Shannon Hunter, of Lebanon, used his cell phone to call 911 on Sunday from inside a portable toilet.
Police say Hunter had been drinking and had taken off his clothes. Somehow, he immersed himself in the holding tank.
Deputy fire commissioner Chris Miller told WPMT-TV, "I've been on the job in one form or fashion for 21 years, and this is the first port-a-potty rescue I've ever had."
Police charged Hunter with public drunkenness and creating a health code violation, but they have no idea why he was in the toilet with his clothes off. They say he didn't suffer any serious injuries."

10 Cent Beer Night

2008-06-10T01:40:00.003-05:00

For years as a long time Texas Ranger baseball fan, I had heard about the game that ended the promotion 10 Cent Beer Night. The late great radio announcer Mark Holtz referred to it. I had always craved to learn what happened. Well, ESPN has a story saying happened that fateful night of June 4, 1974. The featured picture is of "the Rangers thought it necessary to brandish bats in defense of Jeff Burroughs." Here is an excerpt from the story. It is one wild one.

"...Accounts vary as to the volume proffered -- 8 ounces? 10? 12? -- but the price was certain enough: 10 cents per cup. Fans -- and we shall use this term for lack of a better one -- could buy up to six cups at a time, with no system in place to prevent a designated mule from purchasing a full complement, handing them off to underage clients, and returning for more.
Even though the Indians offered copious amounts of beer at cut-rate prices, a great many attendees opted to play with a handicap, arriving at their seats drunk, stoned or both. The June 4 promotion turned out to be quite popular, drawing 25,134 people, more than double the average crowd that season...

Through deliberate coordination or spontaneous groupthink, hundreds of fans showed up with pockets full of firecrackers. Anonymous explosions peppered the stands from the first pitch, lending the game a war-zone ambiance that would seem increasingly appropriate. Though it is not clear whether this impromptu celebration cost anyone a finger or hand, an uneasy je ne sais quoi settled into the stadium along with clouds of exploded gunpowder and marijuana smoke.
The Rangers took the lead in the top of the second inning on a home run by designated hitter Tom Grieve. Just a few pitches later, a heavyset woman sitting near first base jumped the wall, ran to the Indians' on-deck circle, and bared her enormous, unhindered breasts to appreciative applause from the beer-goggled teenagers who made up the stadium's primary demographic that night. She then attempted -- unsuccessfully -- to kiss umpire crew chief Nestor Chylak, who was not in a kissing mood.
This woman was just the scout for a larger exhibitionist force. When Grieve hit his second home run in the fourth inning, he had not yet rounded third base when a man -- entirely naked -- ran onto the field and slid into second, probably getting dirt in places unsuitable for speculation. In the fifth inning, two men in the outfield got into the act, jumping the wall and mooning the Rangers' outfielders. The players watched, hands on hips, shaking their heads as park security chased one hooligan after another across the diamond.
Each Texas player received a lusty chorus of boos as he stepped to the plate, and Fort Worth Star-Telegram beat writer Mike Shropshire noticed that the war drums beating from the nosebleed seats kept a quicker-than-usual tempo. Interest in the game itself peaked in the fourth inning, when Indians batter Leron Lee swatted a line drive back to Rangers pitcher Fergie Jenkins. Jenkins could not get out of the way and caught the ball with his stomach. As he writhed in pain, the fans began to clap. A chant began:
"Hit him again, harder!"
Later that inning, Lee was called safe in a close play at third. Rangers manager Billy Martin, no stranger to disruption and very much in his element that evening, came out to argue. A large number of the plastic cups sold to that point, many still full of beer, were thrown back onto the field by fans who found Martin's very presence offensive. As he returned to the dugout, the Rangers manager blew kisses into the stands.

As the night wore on, the crowds grew bolder, and packs of fans frequently scurried across the outfield. One man tossed a tennis ball into center field, then scrambled after it. After throwing the ball back into the seats, he led park security on a little jog, pausing at one point to hug another fan, perhaps a long-lost relative, who had jumped out to greet him. Ushers dragged away one of the two, while the other leaped into the stands and was borne away by dozens of gleeful, anonymous hands. The rain of beer became a hail of rocks, batteries, golf balls and anything not bolted down...

Early on, the demand for beer surpassed the Indians' capacity to ferry it to concession stands, and a luminary, perhaps the same person who suggested the promotion in the first place, decided to allow fans to line up behind the outfield fences and have their cups filled directly from Stroh's company trucks. The promotion achieved critical mass at that moment, as weaving, hooting queues of people refilled via industrial spigot.
The public address announcer reminded spectators not to litter onto the field, and refuse rained down harder. The grounds crew had not sat down since the second inning, and outfield fans used them as moving targets. Another woman jumped out of the stands waving, and though she did not disrobe, the crowd urged her to consider it. When ushers arrived to end the discussion, she attacked them. The surprised ushers forced her to the ground, prompting a storm of boos and shouts of "police brutality!"
One enterprising fan threw lit firecrackers into the Rangers' bullpen like grenades...

Mike Hargrove came on to play first base for the Rangers. The baseline fans greeted him with a half-full jug of Thunderbird wine that missed his head by inches.
As the ushers flagged, streakers stripped leisurely on the field of play, abandoning their clothes in a pile in left-center. A contingent of fans along the third-base side began removing the padding on the left-field wall. Either through numbers or sheer force of will, they nearly succeeded in taking a large chunk into the stands. The grounds crew abandoned its trash-collection duties and mustered to save the padding, an effort that occupied them the rest of the night.
In the seventh inning, radio announcers Joe Tait and Herb Score watched as the baseball fans in the crowd gathered their families and left the stadium like refugees. In the eighth, they noticed...members of the Indians front office leaving the ballpark, doing their best to look casual...

In the ninth, the Indians mounted a rally, scoring two runs to tie the game at 5. The winning run stood on second base when a young man jumped from the outfield seats and (perhaps searching for a memento to mark the occasion) flipped the cap off Rangers outfielder Jeff Burroughs' head. The outfielder turned to confront the fan and tripped over his own feet in the process. For the first time that evening, the chaos enveloped a player.
The slope of the diamond made it impossible for Martin to see below the level of an outfielder's knees from his station in the dugout. The legendary manager, in a moment that does not get large enough print on his long and colorful résumé, did not hesitate after Burroughs fell from view.
"Let's go get 'em, boys," he said, arming himself with a fungo bat and sprinting toward right-center field. The Rangers, understandably inspired, followed him.
Martin and his team stormed the diamond, infielders filling out their ranks. When they reached the outfield, the Rangers found Burroughs flustered but unharmed. More worrisome was the effect of their charge on the assembly: The jovial, frolicking nudists had disappeared. The mob that replaced them kept its clothes on and brandished an arsenal that made Martin's Louisville Slugger look like a child's toy. The Rangers manager spotted people wielding chains, knives and clubs fashioned from pieces of stadium seats. The 25 Texas players quickly found themselves surrounded by 200 angry drunks, and more were tumbling over the wall onto the field. The Texas Rangers had been ambushed.
Then the riot began. Indians manager Ken Aspromonte, his own defining moment upon him, realized that the Texas franchise might be on the verge of decimation. He too ordered his players onto the field. The bat racks in the home dugout emptied as the Indians mounted their own rescue..."

Here is the rest of the story plus a brief description of the play-by-play call from the Indians radio voices.

Are you being tracked?...

2008-06-05T01:50:00.002-05:00

Fox News reports that "Researchers secretly tracked the locations of 100,000 people outside the United States through their cell-phone use and concluded that most people rarely stray more than a few miles from home.
The first-of-its-kind study by Northeastern University raises privacy and ethical questions for its monitoring methods, which would be illegal in the United States.
It also yielded somewhat surprising results that reveal how little people move around in their daily lives.
Nearly three-quarters of those studied mainly stayed within a 20-mile-wide circle for half a year.
The scientists would not say where the study was done, only describing the location as an industrialized nation.

Researchers used cell-phone towers to track individuals' locations whenever they made or received phone calls and text messages over six months.
In a second set of records, researchers took another 206 cell phones that had tracking devices in them and got records for their locations every two hours over a week's time period..."

Here is the rest of the story.

Ouch! He put what on his what?...

2008-06-03T03:06:00.003-05:00

The Daily Telegraph reports that "A man was operated on in Hornsby Hospital early today to remove 16 stainless steel washers from his penis.Berowra Fire Rescue officers were called to alleviate the man from his awkward predicament at 3am. It was not clear how the situation arose. The man may well have thought long and hard about placing himself in the difficult situation. Fire Rescue Officers spent more than an hour unsuccessfully attempting to remove the washers, before the man was taken into an operating theatre about 4.30am. Surgeons took about 90 minutes to remove the washers using fire brigade equipment. A hospital spokesman said equipment normally used to remove rings from fingers was ineffective because of the thicker nature of the washers. The man was in a satisfactory condition. It is believed the only lasting damage may be to his pride."

Some Late Night Fun

2008-06-03T02:26:00.002-05:00

Here's a clip from ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Show. It is his look at unnecessary censorship. Enjoy!

Random thoughts on "Lost"

2008-06-01T04:39:00.001-05:00

Hmm... Could our Island be a link back to the lost land of Atlantis?... Remember the large sculpture of a foot? These amazing feats from unknown powers or technology...

Tribute to Harvey Korman

2008-06-01T03:36:00.003-05:00

I only got to see Harvey Korman in Carol Burnett Show reruns. Thank you Harvey for bringing joy into so many lives.

Anyone Else Notice This?...

2008-06-01T03:24:00.003-05:00

Has anyone else noticed the recent rash of major earthquakes striking aroung the world lately? I am not trying to be a harbinger of worse events to come shortly... Here are details on the latest major earthquake to strike. This was a 6.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Taiwan on Sunday June 1st.

More Election 2008 Fun...

2008-05-25T01:26:00.003-05:00

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel brings us a couple of clips from Election '08. The video ends with a real dig...

Lost Parrot Finds Its Way Home

2008-05-25T01:15:00.003-05:00

ABC News reports that a lost parrot in Japan was reunited "with its owners after squawking its address."

"Open Water" Revisted...

2008-05-25T00:19:00.004-05:00

"Open Water (Widescreen Edition)" revisted?... If you saw the movie, then you have a good idea how frightened and fortunate the following couple was:
The Times reports "Two scuba divers were plucked from the open ocean almost 24 hours after they went missing on a pleasure dive on Austrailia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The divers, 38-year-old Briton Richard Neely and American Allison Dalton, 40, were found shortly before 9am 7.8 nautical miles from where they had lost contact with their diving boat on Friday afternoon.
They were winched to safety after an 18 hour air rescue effort involving up to 12 aircraft and flown to a Queensland hospital where they are said to be in good spirits despite suffering from mild hypothermia.
Last night, police and emergency services used helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft equipped with search lights and infrared sensing equipment to search for the divers but were forced to call off the search.
At first light this morning the search continued with seven helicopters and three fixed wing aircraft. A rescue helicopter spotted the pair near the Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland's coast.
Police said the experienced divers surfaced yesterday afternoon around 200 metres from the dive boat but were unable to raise the crew.
They decided against fighting the strong current to conserve their energy, tying themselves to each other with a weight belt.
"They conserved energy throughout the evening and stayed as a pair awaiting rescue," Acting Superintendent Shane Chelepy of the Water Police said at a press conference in Brisbane today.
"From the debrief we have, these people said they did spot one of the search aircraft last night but were unable to attract its attention," Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said.
Following the search, attention has now turned to the dive boat operator, The Pacific Star, whose skipper was believed to have waited three hours until 5.30pm to alert emergency services to the missing divers.
"That issue will be investigated thoroughly, not only by Queensland Police but also by Workplace Health and Safety in a joint investigation," Mr Stewart said
"Obviously there were other divers with that vessel at the time so we will have to look into what happened with their recovery - whether they were back on the boat and what actions the captain took to commence the search.”
Attempts to contact the operator of The Pacific Star were unsuccessful today.
A similar incident occurred in 1998 when an American couple was left on the Great Barrier Reef by a dive operator at St Crispin Reef near Port Douglas.
The skipper of the dive boat was charged and later found not guilty of the manslaughter of Thomas and Eileen Lonergan after it was concluded by the coroner they had drowned or been killed by sharks."
I never thought this could happen again...

10 Baseball Bats Get You A...

2008-05-24T23:13:00.003-05:00

Fox News reports that "During three years in the low minors, John Odom never really made a name for himself until he got traded for a bunch of bats.
"I don't really care," he said Friday. "It'll make a better story if I make it to the big leagues."
For now, Odom is headed to the Laredo Broncos of the United League. They got him Tuesday from the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League for a most unlikely price: 10 Prairie Sticks Maple Bats, double-dipped black, 34-inch, C243 style.
"They just wanted some bats, good bats — maple bats," Broncos general manager Jose Melendez said.
According to the Prairie Sticks Web site, their maple bats retail for $69 each, discounted to $65.50 for purchases of six to 11 bats.
The Canadian team signed Odom about a month ago, but couldn't get the 26-year-old righty into the country. It seems Odom had a "minor" but unspecified criminal record that wasn't revealed to immigration officials before they scanned his passport, Vipers president Peter Young said.
Odom said the charge stemmed from a fight when he was 17. Although he thought it had been expunged from his record, it popped up during immigration...
The bat trade wasn't the first time Calgary came up with some creative dealmaking. The Vipers once tried to acquire a pitcher for 1,500 blue seats when they were renovating their stadium, Young said."

Here is the rest of this story.

Croc Defeats Shark

2008-05-24T22:56:00.004-05:00

"THERE'S no need to be scared of sharks when you're in the Northern Territory - the crocs usually get to them first.
Paul van Bruggen snapped [this below] amazing [picture] of a 2.5m saltie dining out on a shark on the banks of the Daly River...

"We went past one section of the river and we heard some splashing,'' he said. "We looked across and saw a shark's tail coming up out of the water and then a crocodile's head came up and grabbed it.''
Mr van Bruggen said the crocodile knew exactly what it was doing, dragging the shark on to unfamiliar dry land before finishing off its prey. "How smart is the crocodile? It if was you or me it would be dragging you in to drown you, but it takes the shark up on dry land,'' he said. The fisherman, who was on the Daly River last Friday for the Barra Classic, said the crocodile definitely wanted shark for dinner. "We were about 15 metres away and it didn't bat an eyelid,'' he said."

2008-05-21T02:50:00.000-05:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

TV Meltdown

2008-05-21T02:42:00.004-05:00

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel shows a clip of a local weatherman who has a meltdown on tv. According to Kimmel, "this forecast calls for a 100% chance of anger!"

What's In Your Backyard?...

2008-05-21T02:06:00.003-05:00

Fox News reports that "It's just a drop in the global oil bucket, but an eastern Indiana man is operating an oil well in his backyard in an effort to capitalize on soaring crude prices.
Greg Losh's rig produces three barrels of crude oil a day, though he told FOX News that he hasn't started selling it yet. For now, he and his partners are keeping it in storage containers.
He declined to say how much oil they've collected in the two weeks they've been pumping.
But as oil is going for about $127 a barrel on the international market, three daily would yield just under $400 a day for Losh on the global spot market — or 1/100,000 of the daily production increase the Saudis agreed to earlier this month.

Still, in spite of those returns and the $100,000 it costs to drill a well, it's worth it to Losh considering the current price of oil...

He expects to drill four more wells soon on his property in the town of Selma about 55 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

"It's a money maker. It is paying off," Losh told FOX.
The oil is stored in a tank and transported to Ohio for sale, he said. His oil well also produces natural gas to heat his home and several others."

It's Getting Rough In Mexico

2008-05-19T01:28:00.003-05:00

Fox News reports that "Drug cartels are sending a brutal message to police and soldiers in cities across Mexico: Join us or die.
The threat appears in recruiting banners hung across roadsides and in publicly posted death lists. Cops get warnings over their two-way radios. At least four high-ranking police officials were gunned down this month, including Mexico's acting federal police chief.
Mexico has battled for years to clean up its security forces and win them the public's respect. But Mexicans generally assume police and even soldiers are corrupt until proven otherwise, and the honest ones lack resources, training and the assurance that their colleagues are watching their backs. Here, the taboo on cop-killing familiar to Americans seems hardly to apply.

Police who take on the cartels feel isolated and vulnerable when they become targets, as did 22 commanders in the border city of Ciudad Juarez when drug traffickers named them on a handwritten death list left at a monument to fallen police this year. It was addressed to "those who still don't believe" in the power of the cartels.

Of the 22, seven have been killed and three wounded in assassination attempts. Of the others, all but one have quit, and city officials said he didn't want to be interviewed.
"These are attacks directed at the top commanders of the city police, and it is not just happening in Ciudad Juarez," Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz said at the funeral of the latest victim, police director Juan Antonio Roman Garcia. "It is happening in Nuevo Laredo, in Tijuana, in this entire region," he said. "They are attacking top commanders to destabilize the police force."
The killings are in response to a crackdown launched by President Felipe Calderon, who has sent thousands of soldiers and federal police across the nation to confront the cartels. Drug lords have hit back by sending killers to attack police with hand grenades and assault rifles.
Police are increasingly giving up. Last week, U.S. officials revealed that three Mexican police commanders have crossed into the United States to request asylum, saying they are unprotected and fear for their lives.
"It's almost like a military fight," said Jayson Ahern, the deputy commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "I don't think that generally the American public has any sense of the level of violence that occurs on the border."
On May 8, Edgar Millan Gomez, who had taken over as acting federal police chief, just 10 weeks previously, was shot by a lone gunman outside his Mexico City apartment. Police blamed the Sinaloa cartel and said a police officer was among the suspects arrested.
The U.S. Embassy in the capital flew its flag at half-staff. "Mexico has lost another hero," Ambassador Tony Garza said in a statement. "Mexico has lost too many heroes in the fight against criminals and drug cartels."
Mexican government institutions didn't lower their flags, but held elaborate funerals.
In Ciudad Juarez, police have been given assault rifles -- they used to just carry pistols -- but also are instructed not to patrol streets alone. More than 100 of the city's 1,700-member force have resigned or retired since January.
Soldiers are also in the cartels' sights. The Zetas, an infamous group of soldiers who became drug hit men, strung banners above highways with slogans such as "The Zetas want you -- we offer good salaries to soldiers," and taunts about low army pay.
The conflict has become a battle for loyalty on several levels.
"Juarez Needs You! Join up and become part of the city police," say enormous city billboards. The jobs offer salaries about three times higher than those offered by the foreign-owned "maquiladora" factories that are the city's biggest industrial employer.
But police and soldiers keep deserting to the cartels, giving traffickers inside knowledge about tactics and surveillance.
And because of their history of corruption and abuse, police and soldiers run into suspicion as they patrol the border slums where traffickers throw children's parties, hand out cell phones and employ taxi drivers and youths as lookouts..."

Here is the entire story.

Campaign 2008 Fun

2008-05-16T00:25:00.003-05:00

57?...

How Do You Tell Your Boss That You're Not Happy?

2008-05-15T23:31:00.005-05:00

Fox News reports that "A 19-year-old flight attendant has been accused of setting a fire aboard a commercial airplane that was forced to make an emergency landing in Fargo, N.D.
Eder Rojas was charged Thursday in federal court in Minneapolis. The case will be prosecuted in Fargo.
Officials say the Compass Airlines flight from Minneapolis to Saskatchewan landed safely in Fargo on May 7, after smoke begin to fill the back of the plane.
Court documents say Rojas, of Woodbury, Minn., told authorities he was upset at the airline for making him work that route."

So you can do this to show the boss your displeasure...and end up in jail.

A Blowtorch Game?

2008-05-14T01:36:00.003-05:00

Fox News reports that "A 14-year-old boy [in Manitowoc, Wisconsin] suffered burns to more than a quarter of his body after playing what authorities describe as a blowtorch game.
Manitowoc Fire Captain Mark Rusboldt says the boy and another teen were using spray cans as blowtorches. The 14-year-old was burned on his back, head, face, arms and hands. The other teen was not injured.
The burned boy was hospitalized Saturday at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee."

Vatican Says E.T. Could Exist

2008-05-14T01:23:00.004-05:00

The BBC reports that "The Pope's chief astronomer says that life on Mars cannot be ruled out.
Writing in the Vatican newspaper, the astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, said intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space.
Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, is a respected scientist who collaborates with universities around the world.
The search for forms of extraterrestrial life, he says, does not contradict belief in God.
The official Vatican newspaper headlines his article 'Aliens Are My Brother'.

Just as there are multiple forms of life on earth, so there could exist intelligent beings in outer space created by God. And some aliens could even be free from original sin, he speculates.
Asked about the Catholic Church's condemnation four centuries ago of the Italian astronomer and physicist, Galileo, Father Funes diplomatically says mistakes were made, but it is time to turn the page and look towards the future.
Science and religion need each other, and many astronomers believe in God, he assures readers.
To strengthen its scientific credentials, the Vatican is organising a conference next year to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the author of the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin."

"Great tits cope well with warming"

2008-05-12T01:32:00.005-05:00

The BBC reports that "At least one of Britain's birds appears to be coping well as climate change alters the availability of a key food.
Researchers found that great tits are laying eggs earlier in the spring than they used to, keeping step with the earlier emergence of caterpillars.
Writing in the journal Science, they point out that the same birds in the Netherlands have not managed to adjust.
Understanding why some species in some places are affected more than others by climatic shifts is vital, they say.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) commented that other species are likely to fare much worse than great tits as temperatures rise.

The research uses a long record of great tits in a breeding site at Wytham Woods near Oxford, where observations began in 1947..."

Now...What were you thinking when you read the title for this story?

If you're interested, then here is the rest of this story.

Sci-Fi Films That Get The Science Right

2008-05-12T01:18:00.003-05:00

ABC News reports that [ABC News has] "picked out five more sci-fi films that go against the grain, and contain some accurate, plausible science...

2001 - A Space Odyssey (Two-Disc Special Edition) ...All scenes in outer space are silent – sound does not travel in a vacuum The stars do not move past the ship – for there to be a visible motion of the star field, the ship would have to be travelling at close to the speed of light The crew eat paste-like food and only drink liquids through straws...

Alien (The Director's Cut) ...This sci-fi horror has a number of realistic touches, such as the use of suspended animation to keep the spaceship's crew alive during decades-long interstellar travel

Read here for more about this two and other films.

Quick Thinking Lady Saves Herself

2008-05-12T01:13:00.002-05:00

Fox News reports that "A fast-thinking woman used her cell phone to call police after she was abducted from a Target parking lot in Colorado Springs, it was reported.
According to MyFoxColorado.com the woman was hit on the head with a brick, bound with tape and thrown into the back seat of her car.
Colorado Springs Sergeant Mark Comte said the woman was able to make the call when her kidnapper left her alone in the car.
She didn't know where she was but was able to describe her car and surroundings, it was reported.
Police were able to locate her by honing in on the cellular tower transmitting her calls.
Shortly after police arrested Timothy Clapp and freed the woman, whose name was not released. She was transported to Memorial Hospital."

What the?! Guy Steals Vacuum

2008-05-12T01:08:00.003-05:00

ABC News reports that "Surveillance footage shows man using his truck to steal a car wash vacuum." So why would someone do this? For the coins?

Cool Exhibit At The Met..

2008-05-10T01:05:00.005-05:00

ABC News reports that "Statues of Superman, center, Batman, left, and Wonder Woman adorn the main entrance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" exhibition in New York City. Made possible by Giorgio Armani, the exhibition features about 60 ensembles and runs through Sept. 1." Hope this cool exhibit comes down to Texas...

Here is the link to the Met's exhibit page.

Woman Pregnant With 18th Child

2008-05-10T00:46:00.005-05:00

Fox News reports that "It's a happy Mother's Day for an Arkansas woman — she's pregnant with her 18th child.
Michelle Duggar, 41, is due on New Year's Day, and the latest addition will join seven sisters and 10 brothers. There are two sets of twins.
"We've had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us," she said, laughing.

The Duggars' oldest child, Josh, is 20, and the youngest, Jennifer, is nine months old.
The fast-growing family lives in Tontitown in northwest Arkansas in a 7,000-square-foot home. All the children — whose names start with the letter J — are home-schooled.
Duggar has been been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life, and the family is in the process of filming another series for Discovery Health.
The new show looks at life inside the Duggar home, where chores — or "jurisdictions" — are assigned to each child. One episode of the new show involves a "jurisdiction swap," where the boys do chores traditionally assigned to the girls, and vice versa, Duggar said..

Duggar said she's six weeks along and the pregnancy is going well. She and her husband, Jim Bob Duggar, said they'll keep having children as long as God wills it.
"The success in a family is first off, a love for God, and secondly, treating each other like you want to be treated," Jim Bob Duggar said. "Our goal is for each one of our children to be best friends, and everybody working together to serve each other makes that happen."
The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jennifer, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 16; Jessa, 15; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 10; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 7; James, 6; Justin, 5; Jackson, 3; and Johannah, 2."

Here is the Duggar family web site.

Here are some photos of the family.

News You Probably Won't Be Hearing...

2008-05-10T00:36:00.004-05:00

You probably will not be hearing this on the nightly news. NOAA reports that "The average temperature in April 2008 was 51.0 F. This was -1.0 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 29th coolest April in 114 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit per decade."

Goldfish Plays Sports

2008-05-09T02:00:00.004-05:00

ABC News explains how you can train your goldfish to play sports.

Guy Gives Himself A Tracheotomy

2008-05-08T23:09:00.003-05:00

FoxNews reports that "An Omaha [Neb] man struggling to breath used a steak knife to perform an at-home tracheotomy.
Steve Wilder says he thought he was going to die when he awoke one night last week and couldn't breath.
Wilder says he didn't call 911 because he didn't think help would arrive in time. So, the 55-year-old says, he got a steak knife from the kitchen and made a small hole in his throat, allowing air to gush in.
Wilder suffered from throat cancer and related breathing problems several years ago. About that time, he had an episode where he couldn't breath because his air passages swelled shut. He says that's what happened this time around.
Doctors don't expect Wilder to suffer any adverse affects from the tracheotomy once it's healed."

One more...

2008-05-05T01:32:00.001-05:00

'Nuff Said

2008-05-05T01:29:00.002-05:00

Dog Nurses Motherless Kittens

2008-05-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

Kittens from three litters are being nursed by a dog at a shelter in Iowa after the kittens lost their mothers.

The Secrets Of 'Indiana Jones'

2008-05-03T18:44:00.004-05:00

ABC News asks "How realistic are Indy's archaeological adventures?"

Words Matter...

2008-05-03T18:41:00.003-05:00

FoxNews reports that "An Arlington [TX] woman who caused her lover's shooting death by falsely crying rape was found guilty Friday of involuntary manslaughter.
Tracy Denise Roberson, 37, cried slightly when the verdict was announced after jurors had deliberated for more than a day. The punishment phase was set for Monday, and she faces two to 20 years in prison.
In late 2006, Darrell Roberson came home from a late-night card game to find his scantily clad wife with another man in a pickup truck in the driveway. Tracy Roberson was with her lover but cried rape, and her husband fired four shots into the truck as Devin LaSalle was driving off, killing him.
Darrell Roberson initially was arrested, but the murder charge later was dropped and a grand jury indicted Tracy Roberson instead.
During her three-day trial, defense attorneys called no witnesses but blamed LaSalle's death on Darrell Roberson's jealousy and rage.
But prosecutors placed all the blame on Tracy Roberson, showing evidence of the affair with LaSalle, 32, and a text message in which she invited him to her house that evening."

NASCAR Of The Sky

2008-05-03T18:35:00.003-05:00

ABC News bring us a preview of the Red Bull air race as it comes to San Diego.

BBC's OddBox

2008-05-03T18:29:00.001-05:00

President Bush conducting an orchestra, exploding cola fountains and the penguin with a wetsuit.

Mother And Daughter Die When Doctors Refuse Help

2008-04-24T23:55:00.003-05:00

"AN "untouchable" woman who gave birth outside an Indian hospital because doctors would not treat her has died, a day after her baby, officials say.The newborn boy of Maya Devi, 28, died yesterday due to lack of medical help minutes after being born outside the maternity wing of Kanpur Medical College in northern Uttar Pradesh state. Devi was only put in intensive care after giving birth but she died of a heart attack early this morning. Several doctors, including the hospital's chief medical superintendent, had refused to touch her or provide medical care as she delivered her baby, the Press Trust of India reported. Devi was a Dalit, or "untouchable", a group at the bottom of the caste social ladder who have long been ostracised and forced into menial professions despite laws banning discrimination. Many high-class Hindus fear coming into contact with them. Dr Kiran Pandey, head of gynaecology at the hospital, said she was an hour's drive away in the state capital Lucknow at the time and rushed back. "We provided her the best medicines and treatment but she succumbed to two cardiac arrests," Dr Pandey said. College principal Anand Swaroop has ordered an inquiry, as has a district magistrate. The state's chief minister, Mayawati, who won elections last year, has ordered the doctors to be suspended and demanded an investigation."

Read here more about "untouchables."

A Gator In Her Kitchen

2008-04-24T23:30:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that "A Florida woman found an 8-foot long alligator prowling in her kitchen late Monday night, authorities said.
Sandra Frosti, 69, said the alligator must have pushed through the screen door on the back porch and then walked through an open sliding glass door at her home in Oldsmar, just north of Tampa.
The alligator apparently then strolled through the living room, down a hall and into the kitchen.
A trapper removed the alligator, which was cut by a plate that was knocked to the ground during the chaos.
But no one inside the house was injured."

Here's the rest of the story.

2008-04-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

The Heroes...The Zeroes

2008-04-24T22:56:00.003-05:00

We all have our heroes. Here are a couple of zeroes:

Dateline - New York - The New York Post reports "A man heckling First Lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna outside the 92nd Street Y was arrested after he punched a wheelchair-bound girl whose parents has told him to shut up, authorities said yesterday. German Talis, 22, was shouting obscenities at the Bushes, who were leaving the building Tuesday, when he crossed paths with Wendy and John Lovetro and their daughter Maureen, 18, who has cerebral palsy.
They had been in the audience to hear the Bushes talk about their children's book, "Read All About It!."
"He began yelling about Iraq and Iran at Jenna Bush. She was waving at the crowd. I told the guy, 'What are you doing? Shut up. This is about a child and books,' " said John Lovetro. "He was unperturbed. I said, 'Get out of here! You're being a moron!' "
The next thing he knew, Talis was allegedly punching Maureen - a fan of the first lady since meeting her in 2004.
"I heard my daughter hysterical yelling, 'He's hitting me!' " said Wendy Lovetro.
"He punched her on the shoulder blades, but that wasn't enough," she said.
"My husband pushed the wheelchair away from him and he reached beyond my husband and began pounding my daughter in the thigh."
The two men fought as the president's family drove off. Cops broke them up and busted Talis on charges of assault and resisting arrest."

Here's the other zero:

"Man Steals Wallet of ROTC Student Having Seizure Outside Bus Station"

Missing Blackberries

2008-04-24T02:25:00.003-05:00

FoxNews reports that "Whether he was up to no good or simply desperate to play BrickBreaker, a Mexican press attache was caught on camera by Secret Service pocketing several White House BlackBerries during a recent meeting in New Orleans, FOX News has learned.
Sources with knowledge of the incident said the official, whose first name is Rafael, took six or seven of the handheld devices from a table outside a special room in the hotel where the Mexican delegation was meeting with President Bush.
Everyone entering the room was required to leave their cell phones, BlackBerries and other such devices on the table, a commonplace practice when high-level meetings are held. American officials discovered their missing belongings when they were leaving the session.
It didn't take long before Secret Service officials reviewed videotape taken by a surveillance camera and found footage showing "Rafael" absconding with the BlackBerries.
Sources said "Rafael" made it all the way to the airport, where the Mexican president was preparing to leave New Orleans before Secret Service officers caught up with him. He was forced to return the BlackBerries.
Sources said the man claimed to have taken the devices accidentally. The sources said they believe no further actions were taken against him by American authorities, though it is unclear what disciplinary measures, if any, await him in Mexico."

US Mail Carrier Makes Super Catch

2008-04-23T02:10:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that"A U.S. Postal Service worker is being praised after handling with extreme care her most precious package to date.
Lisa Harrell, 42, can add hero to her record after catching a 1-year-old baby who fell out of a second-story window Monday in Albany, [NY].

Harrell, a 14-year veteran of the Postal Service, was delivering mail to a home late Monday morning when she noticed the baby in a window above the front door. Harrell said the next thing she knew, the baby had fallen into her arms.
"I noticed the upstairs window open halfway," Harrell told the Albany Times Union. "The baby fell right into my arms. Everything happened so quick."
When the baby's mother, Brenda Morales, realized what happened, she ran outside and grabbed the girl, Niales, from Harrell. Morales thanked Harrell and then ran down the street to her mother's house.
“I said, ‘You should never had had that window open. Your baby could be dead,'” Harrell told the Times Union. "Thank God the baby was OK."
Paramedics checked the baby at the scene but found no injuries.

No charges are being filed against Morales, who says she had placed her daughter on a bed that was up against the window. Morales says her back was turned when her daughter crawled out the open window.
Albany Postmaster David Yanni told the Times Union that the stunning part about Harrell’s ordeal is that she was not on her normal route on Monday. On any other day, she would not have been on those steps at that time.
Harrell arrived at the Morales' home to deliver an Express Mail package.
"It wasn't her normal time to be there," Yanni said on Monday. "The stars were aligned for that baby today."
Yanni said the Postal Service is proud of Harrell. "She's certainly a real hero," he told the Times Union.
But for Harrell, it was just a lucky coincidence that she was able to save Niales.
"A hero? No. I was in the right place at the right time," Harrell told the Times Union. "God was there for me and the baby.""

It's Hard to Model Bikinis...

2008-04-23T01:52:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that "Elizabeth Hurley models her bikini line for fashion label Mango in sexy new photos — but even she calls taking pictures in a two-piece "hell," and admits to a little retouching.
“Shooting bikinis is now my life, which, as you can imagine, is unmitigated hell,” she says in London's Sunday Times.
“I can’t think of anything worse in the world than another bikini shoot — and I’ve got two next month. It’s unbearable, and I bring it all on myself. I’ve got nobody else to blame. It’s literally torture. If you get a photographer you don’t know, of course, you think, ‘Oh God.’ But if you signed on for the gig, sadly, you have to go and be jolly in a skimpy white bikini. So I now rely on nice photographers, and a bit of retouching."

But while she's happy to get rid of "spots and shadows under the eyes," don't go near that nose.
"Often, people will want to correct one’s face, and with me, they always want to change my nose and I’m like, ‘No, no, no, I can’t look like that. I don’t mind if you want to make me a bit thinner and a bit younger, but you can’t give me a different jaw or eyebrows.’ But the vanity retouching — well, who wouldn’t?”

Nevertheless, Hurley says she doesn't work out much.
“I don’t go to the gym, but I intend to,” she tells the Times. “The biggest change at 40 is that you can’t stay very slim with yoga, Pilates or stretching alone. Previously, I didn’t do much more — if that. Over 40, you have to do something aerobic, unless you don’t eat much, but I eat lots.
"But [physically] there’s no comparison with six years ago — I’m much heavier now," she adds..."

Oh...the pain... (sniffle)

Here is the entire story.

Here is a look at some of the photos that she had such a hard time doing.

You have to keep an eye on your child...

2008-04-21T03:22:00.006-05:00

FoxNews reports that "A gust of wind blew a 2-year-old in a stroller into Lake Michigan, where the boy remained submerged for at least 15 minutes before being pulled out unconscious but alive.
The child's grandfather, who had been pushing the stroller on the lakeside Friday afternoon, jumped into the harbor to try to save the boy, the Chicago Fire Department said.
Witnesses said the frantic grandfather struggled in the frigid water, just off a 70-foot long pier, pointing a few feet away and shouting, "Child! Child!"
"He was just moaning in the breakwater, crying," said John Derscheid, who called 911.
Winds at the time were about 20 mph with gusts of about 30 mph, a meteorologist said.
The boy was in critical condition at Children's Memorial Hospital, authorities said Friday night. A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment Saturday.
The grandfather, who appeared to be in his 60s, was in fair condition Saturday afternoon at St. Joseph Hospital, where he was being treated for exposure.
The toddler was strapped in the three-wheeled jogging stroller about 10 feet below the surface of the 42-degree water before rescue divers pulled him out.

Derscheid said the scene "is going to stick with me for the rest of my life.""

Nature Recovers...

2008-04-21T02:55:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that "Half a century after the atomic blasts that devastated Bikini Atoll, vast expanses of corals in the area seem to be flourishing once again, much to the surprise of scientists.
American government scientists detonated a hydrogen bomb on the tiny island (a part of the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific) on March 1, 1954, and about 20 other nuclear tests were carried out on the atoll between 1946 and 1958.
Many of the natives were moved to Kili Island and today are compensated by the United States government.

Code-named Castle Bravo, the hydrogen bomb was the most powerful nuclear weapon ever exploded at the time at 15 megatons, making it 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II.
The massive explosion vaporized everything on three islands in the atoll, raised water temperatures to 55,000 degrees and left a crater that was 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) wide and 240 feet (73 meters) deep.

A team of scientists recently led a diving expedition into Bravo Crater and found an unexpectedly thriving coral community.
"I didn't know what to expect — some kind of moonscape perhaps. But it was incredible, huge matrices of branching Porites coral (up to 8 meters [25 feet] high) had established, creating a thriving coral reef habitat," said study team member Zoe Richards of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University.
"Throughout other parts of the lagoon it was awesome to see coral cover as high as 80 percent and large tree-like branching coral formations with trunks 30 centimeters [12 inches] thick."
A nearby atoll is likely seeding the coral recovery, the scientists think, and because the island is rarely visited, the coral is left to recover.
Richards said that the healthy condition of the Bikini corals was a sign of the resilience of corals after a major disturbance, if left undisturbed to recuperate..."

Here is the entire story.

Mad Libs turn 50

2008-04-17T02:36:00.004-05:00

MSNBC reports that "Do you remember playing Mad Libs as a kid? As the zany word game turns 50, TODAY has the story about how the game came to be. Plus, author Leonard Stern also wrote an exclusive Mad Lib about the TODAY show just for TODAYshow.com readers (see next page). But first, here's an excerpt about the game's history from "Best of Mad Libs."
The creation of Mad Libs is directly linked to my inability to spell hyperbole in a seventh-grade spelling bee. Humiliated and embarrassed beyond words, I ran home to take refuge in the family dictionary, determined to learn the correct spelling and exact meaning of as many words as humanly possible. The dictionary became my constant companion — my roommate. Even today, it’s by my bedside, and on sleepless nights I make a point of learning at least one new word. Last night it was orthogonal.
The first sighting of Mad Libs happened in 1953, and it remains indelibly etched in my mind. I was in my New York City apartment overlooking Central Park working on a Jackie Gleason Honeymooners script. Actually, I was sitting and staring at the typewriter (I still use one), searching for the precisely right adjective to describe the nose of Ralph Kramden’s new boss. After wallowing in clichés for 30 minutes, I was ready to throw in the thesaurus when Roger Price, my best friend, fellow wordaholic, and the most original thinker I’d ever met — one of a kind of which there was no kind — showed up at my apartment..."

'Youngest inventor' patents broom

2008-04-17T02:11:00.004-05:00

The BBC reports that "A five-year-old boy is thought to be the UK's youngest person to patent an idea after inventing a labour-saving broom to help his father sweep leaves.
Sam Houghton, of Buxton, Derbyshire, was just three when he came up with a double-headed broom to collect large debris and fine dust simultaneously.
After passing the rigorous patenting process, his idea is now protected from anyone who might copy it.
His father, Mark, said there were no plans to market the broom.

Sam, who was inspired by animated inventors Wallace and Gromit and Archie the Inventor from TV series Balamory, said: "I saw my Daddy brushing up and made it. There are two brushes because one gets the big bits and one gets the little bits left behind.
"I don't know if I want to be an inventor when I grow up but this was fun."
Sam had been watching his father at work in the back yard, swapping between a large broom, for leaves and twigs, and a small one, for finer particles, when he came up with his idea.

Mr Houghton, who by chance is a patents lawyer, was so impressed he decided to help Sam apply for a patent.
He said: "It was such a simple solution that only a child could have come up with it.
"I was swapping from one broom to the other and he asked why. When I said it was to pick up the different leaves and twigs it must have got him thinking.
"He got a large elastic band from the shed and put it over the two brooms, holding them just the right way to use both together. He then called me and announced that had had made up an invention."
Insisting the broom itself was all Sam's idea, he said: "Putting the application together was just a matter of extracting the underlying principle and carefully describing that and Sam's specific way of using the invention."
"I do have experience of patents so I knew what to do next but I am convinced there are other young children who come up with ideas but never have the chance to get a patent for them."

The broom works with the coarser brush at the front to pick up larger objects and the finer brush at the back..."

Here's the rest of the story.

How A Movie Should Have Ended...

2008-04-12T00:51:00.002-05:00

I just came across a site devoted to how a few talented people feel how certain movies should have ended. The picture to the left will take you to how "It's A Wonderful Life" left some scenes on the cutting-room floor. The picture to the right brings you how "Spider-Man 3" should have ended. Here is the site that has more of these clips. It is a free site. So swing by to give it a try...

They're back!

2008-04-10T19:01:00.004-05:00

Well, it's the start of baseball season... And it is to time to bring back The Dancing Hotdogs!

Click here to enjoy the dancing...

"College Student Builds His Very Own Tank"

2008-04-10T02:38:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that "A Flint, Mich., college student may never have to fight for a parking space again.

That's because he's built his own fully operational half-size replica German World War II Panzer tank.

"I took it home, driving it around in this white-picket-fence neighborhood, and one of the neighbors called the cops on us," Kettering University student Will Foster tells the Flint Journal. "[They] came and they just told us to head back home, but they were also laughing at it because they had never seen anything like that before."
Foster figures his mini-weapon of doom cost about $10,000 to build, most of it on trial-and-error research. It runs on a three-cylinder diesel engine and has a 360-degree turret with a working cannon powered by an air tank that can fire golf balls and empty cans of Red Bull.
He first designed the tank when he was 14, but only when Foster got to Kettering did he find a community of engineering geeks to help him build it. He parks it next to his Theta Xi frat house in a space labeled "Panzer parking. Violators will be totaled."

"Kids run after us like we're the ice-cream man when we take it out," Foster laughs."

Man falls into Wood Chipper

2008-04-10T02:19:00.004-05:00

Channel 11 from LA reports that "A city worker is dead after a horrible accident in Inglewood. The man was trimming trees on 80th Street Tuesday when he fell into a wood chipper. It is being investigated as an industrial accident and [city officials] are looking for witnesses for more information. The victim has not been identified."

Click here for the news clip.

2008-04-10T02:17:00.000-05:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Newly discovered pictures of Elvis...

2008-04-10T02:03:00.003-05:00

FoxNews reports that "Never-before-seen photos have surfaced of Elvis Presley rocking Madison Square Garden in all his jumpsuited glory.
The images were taken in 1972 by legendary photographer George Kalinsky, the official shooter of the famed arena, the singer's estate said Wednesday.
Kalinsky came across the photos while working on a campaign for a billboard company called "Great Moments in New York." One of the only photos he printed from the 1972 show is currently on display as part of the campaign on a three-story billboard atop the Virgin Megastore in Times Square. The iconic image shows The King glancing up, his outstretched arms holding the cape of his glittering jumpsuit...Kalinsky said he didn't realize at the time that he had so many good shots.
"When I photographed the show, I thought I only had a few good ones," he said. "I just never really looked at the files until recently."
He said he remembers going backstage to meet Presley.
"He was electrifying in his white jumpsuit, with his cape on," Kalinsky said. "He was quite humble, but he had an aura. There are very few people who have triple-X charisma, and Elvis was one."...

Here is the rest of the story.

Here are some of the photos.

Can a car be too silent?...

2008-04-09T02:35:00.005-05:00

Well, it seems a car can be too quiet. FoxNews reports that "A bill intended to protect blind people and other pedestrians from the dangers posed by quiet cars will be introduced Wednesday in Congress.
The measure would require the Transportation Department to establish safety standards for hybrids and other vehicles that make little discernible noise, including an audible means for alerting people that cars are nearby.
"The beneficial trend toward more environmentally friendly vehicles has had the unintended effect of placing the blind and other pedestrians in danger," said Democratic Rep. Edolphus Towns, who's sponsoring the bill with Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns.
The Baltimore-based National Federation of the Blind has pushed for the legislation to protect those who rely on their hearing to know when to cross the street.
While the organization is not aware of people being struck by cars they couldn't hear, NFB President Marc Maurer has said he fears it's only a matter of time.
Preliminary results of an ongoing study at the University of California-Riverside have indicated the cars pose some risk. The study found that hybrids operating at slow speeds must be 40 percent closer to pedestrians than combustion-engine vehicles before they make enough noise for their location to be detected.

Hybrid vehicles operate on battery-powered electric motors when idling and traveling at slow speeds; internal combustion engines, with their distinctive rumble, kick in when the cars speed up.
The bill would require the Transportation Department to conduct a two-year study before issuing safety standards. Automakers would than have two years to comply.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is planning a listening session this spring to consider possible solutions to the quiet-car problem and is already working with manufacturers..."

Here is the entire story.

Man Falls From Roof Of His Moving Minivan, Runs Naked Along Bypass

2008-04-07T01:10:00.004-05:00

The Reading Eagle reports that a man from Reading, PA, "climbed atop a moving minivan Friday on the West Shore Bypass, stood on the roof and rode the vehicle until it crashed and catapulted him into the woods, West Reading police reported.
Witnesses told police that the man then climbed up an embankment, stripped naked and ran several hundred yards down the busy highway bleeding from a foot-long gash in his side.
"I’ve never seen anything like this in 22 years," West Reading police Detective Joseph M. Brown said of the 3 p.m. incident. "It is not a common call we get as police."
Police responding to calls from frantic motorists used three separate jolts from a Taser and pepper spray to subdue the nude man.
The Taser had no effect, and police eventually tackled the 38-year-old from Reading, Brown said.
He was taken to Reading Hospital, police said. The hospital listed him in critical condition Friday night...

Brown said the investigation continues and police are awaiting the results of toxicology tests.
The bizarre scene unfolded as witnesses reported seeing a minivan going about 55 mph and swerving in the westbound lanes of the bypass near the Penn Avenue interchange.
A witness, Les Miller of West Lawn, was driving west when he saw the minivan crash into the guide rail between Penn Avenue and North Wyomissing Boulevard.
Miller said he saw clothes on the highway shoulder and a naked man with a long cut on his torso running toward him.
"He was waving his arms in the air like he was lost or he was on something," Miller said. "It wasn’t like a panicked look on his face; he was just in a daze."...

West Reading police gave the following account:
Witnesses driving on the West Shore Bypass, or Route 422, saw the driver of the minivan climb out the driver’s side window and onto the roof. The vehicle swerved and crashed into a concrete median.
The impact sent the vehicle back across the westbound lanes, and the man was thrown down a wooded embankment. Witnesses told police they thought the victim had been killed.
"They were shocked when he got back onto the road," Brown said, adding that the man had a foot-long gash in one side and his internal organs were exposed.
Brown said it was fortunate that no one else was injured, considering that the driverless minivan swerved across a lane of traffic..."

Here is the entire story.

Dancing Bears...

2008-04-05T21:41:00.001-05:00

One creative fellow Texan...

2008-04-04T03:21:00.006-05:00

I just ran across this fellow Texan's site. He buys discounted action figures, and creates entire new figures out of them by hand. His dedication to details on these creations is amazing. It sure looks like he has a nice little business going for himself. Here are some examples of his handiwork. He even made the little penguin featured in his site's logo.

Fun With Jimmy Kimmel On His 1000th Show

2008-04-04T01:05:00.004-05:00

Experience some of the fun from Jimmy Kimmel's 1000th show with Richard Simmons and Sam Elliott. Yes, I said "Sam Elliott." Plus a couple of other stars pop up in this funny clip. Enjoy.

Woman who asked to have wrinkles smoothed out gets bigger breasts

2008-04-04T00:10:00.005-05:00

What is happening in Germany? In a previous post, you read about a German woman who got a new anus when she went to get a leg operation. Well, now the NY Post reports that another "German woman who wanted to smooth some wrinkles on her chest was aghast when she woke up with bigger breasts instead. Ingrid Bruelling, 33, wanted doctors to give her breasts firmer skin after she lost 200 pounds on a crash diet. But when she woke up after the operation, she found that doctors had put in silicone implants, increasing her cup size from a C to a D."

The web site Ananova.com reports that Bruelling is suing doctors over the procedure.

Tennis star's match turns bloody

2008-04-03T23:55:00.003-05:00

ABC News reports that "A Russian tennis star drew blood on the court when things didn't go his way."

Yes, you are seeing Mikhail Youzhny beating his head with his tennis racket until he bleeds in this video.

A new fish that crawls and yawns...

2008-04-03T23:34:00.007-05:00

FoxNews reports a "University of Washington professor says a recently discovered fish that crawls instead of swimming and has forward-looking eyes like humans could be part of an entirely unknown family of fishes.
The creature sighted in Indonesian waters off Ambon Island has tan- and peach-colored zebra-stripping. It uses its leglike pectoral fins to burrow into cracks and crevices of coral reefs in search of food..."

Believe it or not...But the picture to the top left is a photo of the newly discovered fish yawning. It crawls and yawns.

Click here for more about this newly discovered fish.

"Man wrestles croc to rescue wife"

2008-04-03T23:19:00.003-05:00

The BBC reports that "A woman has been rescued from the jaws of a saltwater crocodile in Australia after her husband jumped onto its back and forced it to flee.
The attack took place in the Litchfield National Park near Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.
The crocodile lunged at its victim as she stood on the banks of a river, locking its jaws around her legs before trying to drag her into the water.
Police have said the heroism of her husband almost certainly saved her.
As the crocodile attacked, Wendy Petherick shouted to her husband Norm who told reporters he acted instinctively.
"I saw Wendy in the water, trying to pull something out of her leg, and I knew it was a croc," he said.
"I acted quickly, just jumped on top of it, and looked for the eyes. I found them, and poked its eyes, and that's when it released her, I think."
The 36-year-old woman suffered serious injuries and will have surgery in Darwin.
Her husband escaped unharmed.
Last week, police in the Northern Territory opened fire on a crocodile as it closed in on a drunken man who had accepted a dare to swim in dangerous waters."

"Top 10 April Fools' work pranks"

2008-04-01T04:04:00.003-05:00

According to CNN, here are some of the Top 10 April Fools' Work Pranks:

1. Placed a pair of pants and shoes inside the only toilet stall in a men's room to make it appear someone was using the stall. It sat there for hours until someone called security to check if the person had died.
3. All the women in office individually spoke to the president, confiding that she is pregnant. By noon, he 'knew' that all of his female workers were pregnant and he could not tell anyone because each asked for confidentially.
5. Filled the vending soda machine with cans of beer.
6. Rigged the boss' chair to drop suddenly during a staff meeting.
7. Placed a sign on the restroom door that read, "The company ran out of toilet tissue; please use your own resources."
9. Shrink-wrapped everything in a co-worker's cubicle.

Here is the entire list.

So have you pulled or been subject to one of these pranks?

The Game Of Redneck Life

2008-04-01T03:32:00.003-05:00

ABC News reports that The Game Of Redneck Life is "Similar to Life and Monopoly, but the player who retains the most teeth wins."

Here is the web site for this game.

Mother rescues son from a foreign land...

2008-03-31T01:21:00.005-05:00

The NY Post reports that "It began with an e-mail on her MySpace page: "He is fine. He is healthy. I will try to get him back for you."
Queens schoolteacher Tiffany Rubin's heart leapt. After months of searching, it was the first real lead that her 7-year-old son, kidnapped by his father and taken to South Korea, could be found.
"I was like, 'Oh, my God,' " she told The Post, recalling how she felt the first time she read the e-mail.
But it would take an ex-CIA agent, a Christian charity, bottles of makeup to conceal her black skin and some cash at the airport to get him back.
The boy wept for his mother while he was held by his father - begging to come home and be reunited with her.

The relationship between Rubin and her boyfriend, Jeffrey Salko, was never storybook. The unmarried couple broke up when their son, Kobe Lee, was 4 months old. They spent the next six years in court fighting over custody.
It wasn't until Salko, who Rubin says wasn't paying child support, was in danger of losing visitation rights that he took a drastic, illegal step. Salko disappeared with the boy last August, when Kobe was on a two-week visit at his Brooklyn home.
Rubin jumped on the Web to try to locate her son.
For weeks, she joined chat groups and pleaded her case to MySpace members in Seoul, where Salko, 37, also known as Kang-Shik Lee, has family. In late November, the MySpace tipster said the boy had been located.
As promised, the tipster contacted the US Embassy. But absent some sign of abuse, the Foreign Service staff and Korean police who visited Salko in December had no authority to remove Kobe.
Rubin, 30, decided to take matters into her own hands. She couldn't afford the five-figure cost of a bounty hunter, so she turned to Michael Miller and his American Association for Lost Children..."

Here's the rest of this amazing story.

Here's the link to the American Association for Lost Children.

Zoo Welcomes Baby Elephant

2008-03-28T16:03:00.002-05:00

CNN reports that "A baby elephant born this month at the Maryland Zoo walks with his mom."

Landmine Beauty Pageant...

2008-03-27T01:59:00.003-05:00

Our friends at the BBC report that "Landmine victims are to take part in a beauty contest in Angola, where tens of thousands have been injured by mines.
The pageant has been organised by Angola's de-mining commission, and aims to restore the confidence of victims and raise awareness of their plight.
Millions of mines were planted in Angola during a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002.
The "Miss Landmine Survivor" contest will be held on 2 April in a luxury hotel in the Angolan capital, Luanda.
Eighteen women will take part, one from every province in the country.
All of the contestants have been maimed by landmines.

The co-ordinator of Angola's de-mining commission, Madalena Neto, says the aim of the competition is to restore self-esteem in women injured in mine explosions, and to show that there is beauty in all people.

She says she wants the contestants to become ambassadors for victims of landmines.
Tens of thousands of Angolans have lost limbs or suffered other injuries in mine explosions.
And they continue to do so, even though the war ended six years ago.
It is rare to visit an Angolan town or village without seeing people struggling to cook, care for children or otherwise get on with their lives whilst struggling with a stick or, if they are lucky, a pair of crutches or an artificial limb.
The UN says that, despite an extensive de-mining programme, millions of landmines remain littered across Angola - and this means great stretches of the country are still out of bounds, too dangerous to farm or to travel through.
Perhaps the "Miss Landmine Survivor" contest will remind the rich and powerful in central Luanda that there is still a lot of work to be done, both in terms of ridding the country of landmines and of improving the lives of their victims."

"Man fatally shoots wife while installing satellite TV system"

2008-03-26T03:00:00.005-05:00

The Kansas City Star reports that "Officials are trying to determine whether to file charges against a man who fatally shot his wife while trying to install a satellite television system in their home.
Patsy D. Long, 34, of Deepwater, MO, was pronounced dead early Saturday evening after being shot in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun. Her husband, Ronald Long, fired the shot from the inside of their home after several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means.
The woman, who was outside the house, was hit by the second of two shots fired by Ronald Long, the Henry County Sheriff’s Department said.
Sheriff’s Department spokesman Maj. Robert Hills said a person involved in such a case normally would be charged with manslaughter, but that was up to the prosecutor.
“Once we complete a diagram of the incident, we will be submitting everything to the prosecuting attorney and let him decide if he wants to press criminal charges,” Hills said.
Henry County Coroner Scott Largent declined to release details about Patsy Long’s death until the Sheriff’s Department completes its investigation."

2008-03-26T03:00:00.001-05:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

"'Miss Bimbo' Web Site Sparks Outrage in Britain"

2008-03-26T02:37:00.005-05:00

This is ridiculous...
FoxNews reports that "
A Web site that encourages girls as young as 9 to embrace plastic surgery and extreme dieting in the search for the perfect figure was condemned as lethal by British parents' groups and health-care experts Monday.
The "Miss Bimbo" Internet game has attracted prepubescent girls who are told to buy their virtual characters breast-enlargement surgery and to keep them "waif thin" with diet pills.
Health-care professionals, a parents' group and an organization representing people suffering from anorexia and bulimia criticized the Web site for sending a dangerous message to impressionable children.
In the month since it opened the site, which is aimed at girls aged from 9 to 16, has attracted 200,000 members.
Players keep a constant watch on the weight, wardrobe, wealth and happiness of their character to create "the coolest, richest and most famous bimbo in the world."
Competing against other children, they earn "bimbo dollars" to buy plastic surgery, diet pills, facelifts, lingerie and fashionable nightclub outfits.
The Web site sparked controversy when it was introduced in France last year, where it attracted 1.2 million players...
Susan Ringwood, the chief executive of Beat, a Norwich, England-based organization that supports those suffering from eating disorders, said that the Web site could make girls believe that weight and body size manipulation were acceptable.
The Miss Bimbo site was set up by Nicholas Jacquart, a French entrepreneur. He moved to Tooting, South London, recently and with a 30-year-old businessman called Chris Evans set up Ouza Ltd to promote the Web site in Britain.
Its introduction came as research showed that British children as young as 6 were developing acute eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. On Monday it emerged that increasing numbers of British teenagers were undergoing breast enlargement surgery.
Registration on the Miss Bimbo site is free but it makes money by charging £1.50 (about $3.00) per text message to buy "dollars" to spend on the characters.
On the rules section it states that despite contestants wanting "to keep your bimbo waif thin ... every girl needs to eat, every now and again."
It suggests feeding the character to prevent her dying of starvation...
Jacquart claims the game teaches children about the real world and is simply harmless fun.
"The game is structured in such a way that it simply mirrors real life in a tongue-in-cheek way," he said. "It is not a bad influence for young children. They learn to take care of their bimbos. The missions and goals for the bimbos are morally sound and teach children about the real world.
"If they eat too much chocolate in the game, it is bad for their bimbos' bodies and their happiness levels compared to if they eat fruit and vegetables, which reinforces positive healthy eating messages," Jacquart added. "The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them."
Evans admitted that the story in the script had been created by "lads" and no professional advice was sought about how girls may interpret issues surrounding weight loss and gain.
Nick Williams, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, said that he was appalled when he saw his daughters Katie, 9, and Sarah, 14, on the site pondering whether to buy their character breast operations and facelifts...
Users are set targets:
Level 7After you broke up with your boyfriend you went on an eating binge! Now it's time to diet ... Your target weight is less than 132 lbs
Level 9Have a nip-and-tuck operation for a brand new face. You've found work as a plus-size model. To gain those vivacious curves, you need to weigh more than 154 lbs
Level 10Summertime is coming up and bikini weather is upon us. You want to turn heads on the beach don't you?
Level 11Bigger is better! Have a breast operation
Level 17There is a billionaire on vacation ... You must catch his eye and his love! Good luck"

Here is the entire story.

Here is the web site. So what do you think?

"Dolphin woos with wood and grass"

2008-03-26T02:03:00.004-05:00

The BBC reports that "A South American river dolphin uses branches, weeds and lumps of clay to woo the opposite sex and frighten off rivals, scientists have discovered.
Researchers observed adult male botos carrying these objects while surrounded by females, and thrashing them on the water surface aggressively.
Writing in the journal Biology Letters, they say such behaviour has never before been seen in any marine mammal.
The boto lives in only two rivers, and numbers are thought to be declining.
A group of British and Brazilian researchers studied the dolphin's unique courtship behaviour over three years in the Mamiraua Reserve, a flooded rainforest area on the Amazon.
"You see them coming up with bits of wood or lumps of rock in a very ritualised manner," recalled Tony Martin from the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University.

"Quite often they'd slowly come up above the surface in a vertical posture holding this stuff in their mouths, then sink down rotating on their own axis.
"They would also throw it or smash it against the surface, and it does appear that the waving around and bashing is to impress the ladies; but at the same time there's a lot of aggression between adult males, and we have to infer that's part of it."
Professor Martin's group established that rock carrying and branch thrashing were almost exclusively the preserve of adult males, and that they did it more when lots of adult females were present.
Although the males were more aggressive towards each other at these times, they were never seen to hit each other with the rocks or plants...

This research stemmed from a larger project, Projeto Boto, aimed at conserving the Amazon dolphin and its habitat.
River dolphins are among the most threatened of all cetaceans; the baiji, a native of the Yangtze in China, may already have gone extinct in the last two years, while numbers of the Indus or blind river dolphin of South Asia are believed to be down to around the 3,000 mark.

Compared to these species, the South American dolphin is in good health in its traditional haunts along the Amazon and Orinico rivers. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species suggests "there are probably tens of thousands of botos in total".
But the future does not appear secure. The Red List concludes that the boto is threatened by dams (causing fragmentation of their habitat) and pollution, such as from mercury used in gold mining..."

Here is the rest of the story.

Tiger Woods: The Next Picasso?

2008-03-24T01:16:00.003-05:00

ABC News reports "The top golfer takes a swing at creating art that'll be auctioned for charity."

Here is the video.

Hospital bridles at horse in elevator...

2008-03-24T00:37:00.004-05:00

The BBC reports that "A Hawaiian hospital has restated its rules on pets after a man took a horse up in a lift (elevator) in a bid to cheer up a sick relative with his favourite steed.
Man and beast were stopped by security guards only after reaching the third floor, after apparently passing through the lobby unchallenged.
The patient was allowed to see them but it turned out to be the wrong horse.
A hospital spokeswoman said there was a visitation policy for dogs and cats, but not for horses.
"We just hope people understand this is not a place for a horse," said Lani Yukimura at Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
"It's a very dangerous thing. Our greatest concern is patient care."
Security managed to remove the visitor and the horse with "just a few scuff marks", she added.
According to the Star Bulletin newspaper, the man had arrived after staff at the front desk went home, and called from the lobby to announce his arrival.
After he and the horse were escorted out, he put the animal in a trailer in the car park and left, the paper adds."

Buddhist dog praying...

2008-03-24T00:29:00.004-05:00

The Agence France-Presse reports that "Buddhists clasp their palms together to pray for enlightenment, but Conan, a chihuahua, appears to have more worldly motivations.
The dog has become a popular attraction at a Japanese temple after learning to imitate the worshippers around him.
"Conan started to pose in prayer like us whenever he wanted treats," said Joei Yoshikuni, a priest at Jigenin temple on the southern island of Okinawa.
"Clasping hands is a basic action of Buddhist prayer to show appreciation. He may be showing his thanks for treats and walks," he said.
Conan, a two-year-old male with long, black hair and a brown collar, sits next to Yoshikuni in front of the altar and looks right up at the statue of a Buddhist deity.
When the priest starts chanting and raises his clasped hands, Conan also raises his paws and joins them at the tip of his nose.
Visitors to the temple look on with curiosity.
"It's so funny that he does it," said Kazuko Oshiro, 71, who has frequented the temple for more than 25 years.
"He gets angry when somebody else sits on his favourite spot. He must be thinking that it's his special place," Oshiro said.
Conan, originally a temple pet, has become so popular that people come in to take pictures almost every week, the priest said.
Yoshikuni estimated that the temple receives 30 percent more visitors, especially young tourists, than it would otherwise.
"I'm glad that people feel more comfortable visiting the temple because of Conan," he said as he jokingly joined his hands and bowed to the dog."

Wild Steer Take Over Town

2008-03-22T00:14:00.002-05:00

ABC News reports that "A transport truck accident unleashes four steer in an Ontario neighborhood."

Pool tragedy claims little girl...

2008-03-21T23:51:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that "The family of a 6-year-old girl whose intestines were partially sucked out by a Minnesota swimming pool drain last year says the child has died.
Family attorney Bob Bennett says Abigail Taylor's parents were with her when she died Thursday evening at a Nebraska hospital.
Abigail was injured on June 29 when she sat on a pool drain and its powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract. She had small bowel, liver and pancreas transplants at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in December but suffered complications.
The child's injury led to federal legislation to make pools safer.
"The world's less better off without Abigail Taylor," Bennett said.
Kara Haworth, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, confirmed that Abigail had died. She said she could not comment further. She said Abigail's doctors were not available on Friday.
Abigail, of Edina, was injured June 29 when she sat on a wading pool drain at the Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park and its powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract. She underwent transplant surgery at the Nebraska hospital to receive a new small bowel, liver and pancreas.
She later suffered setbacks, including a cancerous condition sometimes triggered by organ transplants.
After she was injured, her parents, Scott and Katey Taylor, campaigned for legislation that could help prevent similar accidents. In December, Congress approved legislation to ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of drain covers that don't meet anti-entrapment safety standards.
The legislation, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, is named for another victim, the 7-year-old granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker. She drowned at a graduation party in 2002, when the suction from a drain pinned her..."

Here is the entire story.

"Hamsterballing"?...

2008-03-21T00:45:00.003-05:00

The BBC reports that "The chicken poo catapult, hamsterballing and a play in a toilet.
It can only be the week's weird and wonderful video stories in Newsbeat's Odd Box with Dominic Byrne."

Instead of a leg operation, she gets a new ass...

2008-03-20T02:19:00.003-05:00

The Daily Telegraph from Australia reports that "A GERMAN pensioner is taking a hospital to court after she turned up for a leg operation - and got a new anus instead. The woman woke up to find she had been mixed up with another patient suffering from incontinence who was to have surgery on her sphincter.
The clinic in Hochfranken, Bavaria, has since suspended the surgical team.
Now the woman is planning to sue the hospital - although she still needs the leg operation and is searching for another hospital to do it."

Unusual Way Of Keeping Your Dead Pet's Memory

2008-03-20T02:00:00.002-05:00

The BBC reports that "A Newcastle couple have found a unique way of keeping their beloved dead pets close to their hearts - by having the dog hair made into woolly jumpers.
Beth and Brian Willis lost their white Samoyed, called Kara, 12 years ago and Swedish Lapphund, Penny, in 2002.
After seeing a picture of Princess Diana wearing a dog fur stole at Crufts, they collected thousands of dog hairs from brushes and carpets.
The pair said the his and hers dog memorials were "warm and waterproof".
Mr Willis, who worked for Pickfords Removals for 27 years, wears his doggy jumper into town every Saturday to do the weekly shop. The 73-year-old said: "They are extremely warm and pretty much waterproof. I've always got a sweat on by the time I get from the bus to the shops."
Mother-of-three Mrs Willis first used the fur of Kara, to knit her husband's sweater in 1990.

Mrs Willis, 71, said she had the idea after seeing a picture of Princess Diana wearing a dog fur stole at Crufts.
She said: "Kara was a pedigree Samoyed. She was so posh, if she could have talked she'd not have spoken to the likes of us.
"We found out from the breeders we got the pups from that it was possible to use their coat for clothes.
"It is the most amazing stuff. It's like mohair but more lightweight and more soft, and the more you wash it, the more soft and fluffy it gets."
Mrs Willis added: "People are surprised when they find out we're wearing dog wool clothes. Some think it's disgusting and ask how we can do it, but it seems very normal to us."
Even now, Mrs Willis has enough hair left over to make a new jumper, and it has been sent to a friend in Derby to be spun."

On the rocks?... Not this drink

2008-03-19T01:43:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that "Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials were rattled last Thursday by the discovery of over 400 bottles of illegal booze, each containing a 10-inch rattlesnake in the bottle, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
After receiving a tip several weeks ago, TABC agents raided Bayou Bob’s Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch in Palo Pinto County after the reptile-infused vodka was sold to undercover agents, the paper reported. 411 bottles of the serpent sauce were seized.
“In my 20 years with the TABC, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Sgt. Charlie Cloud told the Star-Telegram.
TABC officials told the Star-Telegram that they plan to file charges this week for the sale of alcohol without a permit and possession of alcohol with the intent to sell. Penalties for those charges include up to a year in the county jail and fines up to $1,000 upon conviction.
Infusing alcohol with snakes or scorpions is believed to possess aphrodisiac properties, TABC officials told the paper. The practice, in which alcohol is poured over the body of a snake or scorpion, is popular in Asian cultures."

Here is the story from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Go to Phuket... Get a whistle

2008-03-18T01:20:00.004-05:00

The Associated Press reports that "Female tourists visiting the Thai island of Phuket will be given whistles to sound in case of an emergency, the Tourism Ministry said Monday, two days after the murder of a Swedish woman in broad daylight.
The whistles are part of a campaign to increase security on Phuket, one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, after the shocking killing of 27-year-old Hanna Charlotta Backlund of Sweden, said Tourism Minister Weerasak Kohsurat.
Backlund was stabbed to death Saturday while taking a walk on Mai Khao beach, on the northern tip of Phuket. Her attacker remains at large.
The safety whistles will be shaped like the symbol commonly used to designate women — a circle above a cross — and can be worn around the neck, said Phuket police Maj. Sathabhorn Sangaunsuk, who will be overseeing the project.
The ministry also plans to increase the presence of security guards around the island and publish safety manuals that will be distributed to tourists, the minister said in a statement.
Authorities said the plan was just devised and they did not immediately know when distribution of whistles would begin."

Caught trying to rob from cops

2008-03-18T01:13:00.003-05:00

ABC News reports that "two minors attempted to hold up a police station in Florida."

Sledder almost gets hit by car

2008-03-18T01:03:00.004-05:00

ABC News reports that "a 20-year-old narrowly avoids being hit by a car during downhill snow ride." It sure looks to me in the video that he was taking a huge chance in trying to beat the car. You can see the car approaching in the top right of the video before he begins his run.

2008-03-18T00:59:00.000-05:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Playing a burning piano

2008-03-18T00:42:00.002-05:00

The BBC reports "A Japanese musician has recreated an old performance by playing an improvised jazz piece on a burning piano.
Yosuke Yamashita was reproducing the stunt he performed for a short film in 1973."

She was on the toilet for 2 years?!

2008-03-13T01:08:00.004-05:00

FoxNews reports that "Deputies say a woman in western Kansas became stuck on her boyfriend's toilet after sitting on it for two years.
Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said it appeared the 35-year-old Ness City woman's skin had grown around the seat. She initially refused emergency medical services but was finally convinced by responders and her boyfriend that she needed to be checked out at a hospital.
"We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital," Whipple said. "The hospital removed it."
Whipple said investigators planned to present their report Wednesday to the county attorney, who will determine whether any charges should be filed against the woman's 36-year-old boyfriend.
"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," Whipple said. "It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself."
He told investigators he brought his girlfriend food and water, and asked her every day to come out of the bathroom.
"And her reply would be, `Maybe tomorrow,"' Whipple said. "According to him, she did not want to leave the bathroom."

The boyfriend called police on Feb. 27 to report that "there was something wrong with his girlfriend," Whipple said, adding that he never explained why it took him two years to call.
Police found the clothed woman sitting on the toilet, her sweat pants down to her mid-thigh. She was "somewhat disoriented," and her legs looked like they had atrophied, Whipple said.
"She said that she didn't need any help, that she was OK and did not want to leave," he said.
She was taken to a hospital in Wichita, about 150 miles southeast of Ness City. Whipple said she has refused to cooperate with medical providers or law enforcement investigators.
Authorities said they did not know if she was mentally or physically disabled.
Police have declined to release the couple's names, but the house where authorities say the incident happened is listed in public records as the residence of Kory McFarren. No one answered his home phone number.
The case has been the buzz Ness City, said James Ellis, a neighbor.
"I don't think anybody can make any sense out of it," he said. Ellis said he had known the woman since she was a child but that he had not seen her for at least six years.
He said she had a tough childhood after her mother died at a young age and apparently was usually kept inside the house as she grew up. At one time the woman worked for a long-term care facility, he said, but he did not know what kind of work she did there.
"It really doesn't surprise me," Ellis said of the bathroom incident. "What surprises me is somebody wasn't called in a bit earlier.""

'Creepy gnome' terrorises town

2008-03-12T02:05:00.004-05:00

The Sun reports that "A TOWN in South America is living in fear after several sightings of a 'creepy gnome' that locals claim stalks the streets at night.
The midget - which wears a pointy hat and has a distinctive sideways walk - was caught on video last week by a terrified group of youngsters.

Teenager Jose Alvarez - who filmed the gnome - yesterday told national newspaper El Tribuno that they caught the creature while larking about in their hometown of General Guemes, in the province of Salta, Argentina.
He said: “We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning.
“I began to film a bit with my mobile phone while the others were chatting and joking.
"Suddenly we heard something - a weird noise as if someone was throwing stones.
"We looked to one side and saw that the grass was moving. To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid."
Jose added that other locals had come forward to say they had spotted the gnome.
He said: “This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out - just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now.
"One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital.”"

Here is the talked about video.

3 AM Phone Call

2008-03-11T02:48:00.002-05:00

2008-03-11T02:44:00.001-05:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Hillary Clinton is "a wee bit silly"

2008-03-09T21:16:00.004-05:00

The London Telegraph reports that "Hillary Clinton had no direct role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland and is a "wee bit silly" for exaggerating the part she played, according to Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former First Minister of the province.

"I don’t know there was much she did apart from accompanying Bill [Clinton] going around," he said. Her recent statements about being deeply involved were merely "the sort of thing people put in their canvassing leaflets" during elections. "She visited when things were happening, saw what was going on, she can certainly say it was part of her experience. I don’t want to rain on the thing for her but being a cheerleader for something is slightly different from being a principal player."
Mrs Clinton has made Northern Ireland key to her claims of having extensive foreign policy experience, which helped her defeat Barack Obama in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday after she presented herself as being ready to tackle foreign policy crises at 3am.
"I helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland," she told CNN on Wednesday. But negotiators from the parties that helped broker the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 told The Daily Telegraph that her role was peripheral and that she played no part in the gruelling political talks over the years..."

This sure does sound like when Al Gore claimed he invented the internet...

Here is the complete news story.

Inside Beijing's shocking death camp for cats

2008-03-09T21:01:00.004-05:00

The London Daily Mail reports that "Thousands of pet cats in Beijing are being abandoned by their owners and sent to die in secretive government pounds as China mounts an aggressive drive to clean up the capital in preparation for the Olympic Games.
Hundreds of cats a day are being rounded and crammed into cages so small they cannot even turn around.
Then they are trucked to what animal welfare groups describe as death camps on the edges of the city.
The cull comes in the wake of a government campaign warning of the diseases cats carry and ordering residents to help clear the streets of them.

Cat owners, terrified by the disease warning, are dumping their pets in the streets to be picked up by special collection teams.
Paranoia is so intense that six stray cats -including two pregnant females - were beaten to death with sticks by teachers at a Beijing kindergarten, who feared they might pass illnesses to the children.
China's leaders are convinced that animals pose a serious urban health risk and may have contributed to the outbreak of SARS - a deadly respiratory virus - in 2003.
But the crackdown on cats is seen by animal campaigners as just one of a number of extreme measures being taken by communist leaders to ensure that its capital appears clean, green and welcoming during the Olympics...

The cull of Beijing's estimated 500,000 cat population is certain to provoke international outrage as it comes just over a year after the Chinese were criticised for rounding up and killing stray dogs across the country.

Animal welfare groups in China are already protesting, but their members fear punishment from the authorities.
Officials say people can adopt animals from the 12 cat pounds set up around the city, but welfare groups say they are almost impossible to get inside and believe few cats survive.
One cat lovers' group negotiated the release of 30 pets from one of the compounds in Shahe, north-west Beijing, but said they were in such a pitiful condition that half of them died within days of their release.
"These cats are being left to die. It is very inhumane," said the group's founder Yan Qi, who runs a sanctuary for cats."

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