Wednesday, December 10, 2008

In a Tough Economy, a Book to Save Money and the Planet


Newly Published Book “We Can (All) Live Green” Shows How to Live a More Environmentally-friendly Lifestyle and Save Money in the Process

We Can (All) Live Green author Jennifer Noonan advises consumers, “Even with today’s tough economic climate, it is possible to make smart eco-conscious economical product decisions. It is possible to save money while making the right decisions for the planet.”

We Can (All) Live Green addresses two of the most pressing concerns of the day – saving money in today’s economy and preserving the health of the planet.

The book offers insight into:

  • How consumers can implement small changes in their daily buying habits and positively impact their bottom line.
  • The top ‘green’ buys in travel, beauty products and homecare goods.
  • When it pays to go organic.
  • How to find the cheapest alternative transportation mode.
  • Easy methods to save at least $5000 each year from making greener choices.

We Can (All) Live Green (St. Lynn’s Press) is available at major retailers including Barnes & Noble.com, Borders.com, Amazon.com, BookSense.com and Target.com for an average retail price of $11.95. (ISP# 978-0-9800288-2)

As a teacher and new mom, Noonan set out to create a vital resource in We Can (All) Live Green to help others ‘green’ their buying habits without sacrificing their budget. Noonan also recently launched WeCanLiveGreen.com, an online directory aimed at connecting consumers to the ever-growing green product and services industry, and empowering consumers to educate themselves on environmental issues.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

National Lampoon Acquires Feature Script “Knights Of The Not So Round Table”


Production of Spoof Slated for Early 2009

National Lampoon, Inc., the widely recognized brand in comedy, today announced that it has acquired the rights to the feature script “Knights Of The Not So Round Table,” from writer/director J.D. Shapiro. The film is slated to begin production in early 2009, with Shapiro set to direct.

The film opens with the claim: “In 524 AD, Arthur Lol Pendragon went to Camelot. One thousand, four hundred and eighty five years later this footage was found. What it reveals is both shocking and more shocking. We have discovered that, out of all the legendary tales told about King Arthur and his knights… not one of them got it right.”

In this “true” tale of Arthur, who after pulling Excalibur from the rock, tosses the magnificent sword aside and carries around the rock, proclaiming to be the King of England. Arthur has to save Camelot from the clutches of evil while leading a group of misfit knights to find The Holy Grail. At Arthur’s side is his adulterous wife Gwenarear, his best knight Sir Lancearoundalot, and Merlin, his trusted advisor who gets everything wrong.

"We’re very excited to be in business with J.D. Shapiro,” said Daniel Laikin, Chief Executive Officer of National Lampoon. “J.D.'s spoof is not only funny and entertaining but it transcends the genre.”

J.D. Shapiro who wrote, “Robin Hood: Men In Tights,” and wrote and directed the award winning, “We Married Margo” is set to direct. Shapiro is presently developing “Witness Protection” with The Gold Company, and is executive producing a new superhero series he created with Tony Chargin and the legendary Stan Lee (Spiderman, Iron Man, The Hulk). Shapiro has just completed his first book, “The Truth About Men”, which has received interest as a TV series.

“The idea for ‘Knights’ has been brewing for a while,” stated Shapiro. “I was influenced by Monty Python and lucky enough to have worked with one of the greats in Mel Brooks. I wanted to make this movie at a place that really understood this kind of comedy, so National Lampoon was the perfect fit.”

Monday, October 27, 2008

Kevin Bacon and ice cream just don't mix!

'Did Kevin Bacon put the faeces in the ice-cream?'

  • Arjun Ramachandran
  • October 27, 2008 - 12:00PM
The Whyte family

The Whyte family Photo: Steve Lunam

The family that says the Coogee Bay Hotel served them gelato containing human faeces will today demand to see the hotel's CCTV footage in a bid to identify the culprit, the family's lawyer says.

The lawyer, Steven Lewis from Slater & Gordon, also rubbished newspaper reports the family had links to a rival pub as a "Kevin Bacon ... six degrees of separation [defence]" - a reference to the pop-culture belief that any actor in history can be linked via their film roles to US actor Kevin Bacon.

"My question is: 'Did Kevin Bacon put the faeces in the ice-cream?' " Mr Lewis said.

Stephen and Jessica Whyte, who were at the hotel to watch the NRL grand final, say they knew instantly that a complimentary bowl of ice-cream served to them after they had repeatedly complained to management was more than just gelato.

Mrs Whyte says she became violently ill on taking a spoonful to her lips. The family sent a sample to the National Measurements Institute, which found it had "properties similar to human excreta".

Mr Lewis said today he would be sending the hotel a letter demanding it stop defaming the family.

The hotel's general manager, Tony Williams, said in a statement yesterday the family had demanded "hush money" of up to a $1 million.

"What concerns us greatly is that the hotel, rather than addressing the issue, is attacking the Whyte family," Mr Lewis said.

"There's a spurious claim that some demand for money has been made - a claim was never made, and we require them to desist."

News Ltd today also reported the family had links to rivals of the Coogee Bay Hotel.

Mr Whyte's brother-in-law worked for Keystone Hospitality, which owns Cargo Bar and Bungalow 8, it said.

"What is this, the Kevin Bacon ... six degrees of separation [defence]?" Mr Lewis said.

"My question is: 'Did Kevin Bacon put the faeces in the ice-cream?' "

Mr Lewis said the letter sent to the hotel today would also demand to see CCTV footage from the day.

He said the Whytes had been seated at a table alongside the kitchen, and CCTV footage would identify the person who brought the family the ice-cream.

The Whytes today also planned to lodge a formal complaint to the NSW Food Authority.

"The complaint will be that they were served contaminated food. They'll provide a copy of the NMI test results and assist with inquiries," Mr Lewis said.

The complaint had not been received by 9am, a NSW Food Authority spokesman said.

An NMI spokeswoman said that, as its tests involved private clients, it would not comment on the results or on any other tests that had found traces of faeces in food.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Joke Of The Day!


A very attractive lady goes up to a bar in a quiet rural pub. She gestures alluringly to the bartender who comes over immediately. When he arrives, she seductively signals that he should bring his face closer to hers. When he does, she begins to gently caress his full beard.

"Are you the manager?" she asks, softly stroking his face with both hands. "Actually, no," the man replies.

"Can you get him for me? I need to speak to him," she says, running her hands beyond his beard and into his hair.

"Can't," breathes the bartender. "He's not here. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes, there is. I need you to give him a message," she continues, running her forefinger across the bartender's lips and slyly popping a couple of her fingers into his mouth and allowing him to suck them gently.

"What should I tell him?" the bartender manages to say.

"Tell him," she whispers, "there is no toilet paper, hand soap, or paper towels in the ladies room."

Friday, October 3, 2008

Pass The Salt...And Lots Of It!


World's first testicle cookbook

A Serbian chef has published what he claims is the world's first testicle recipe book.

The Testicle Cookbook - Cooking With Balls includes author Ljubomir Erovic's favourite dishes, like testicle pizza and battered testicles.

The e-book, available for download, comes with handy video guides showing the Serb peeling the skin off testicles and slicing them up into bite-size chunks.

The ingredients for his testicle pizza recipe include cheese, onion, pepper, bacon and bull's testicles.

"It's Italian pizza with Serbian balls", explains Erovic. The book also contains more cordon bleu recipes, such as calf testicles in wine and testicles with bourgignon sauce.

"The tastiest testicles in my opinion probably come from bulls, stallions or ostriches, although other people have their own favourites," he said.

"All testicles can be eaten - except human, of course."

Erovic, 45, is self-taught in the art of testicle cuisine but his 20 years of "cooking with balls" make him a world authority in the field.

He also organises the World Testicle Cooking Championship, held annually in Serbia since 2004.

The Testicle Cookbook: Cooking With Balls is published as a multimedia e-Book on yudu.com.

The Biggest WTF? Story Of The Week.


Watermelon-eating dog prompts stabbing
Published: Oct. 2, 2008 at 12:10 PM

BOSTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A dog eating a watermelon helped cause a Boston man to repeatedly stab himself to prove to his brother he wasn't afraid of pain, police say.

A police report said the two unidentified brothers got into an argument this week after a dog belonging to one of the men consumed a watermelon owned by his brother, the Boston Herald said Thursday.

Tuesday's argument over the missing watermelon escalated into a shouting match between the siblings that allegedly caused one brother to repeatedly stab himself in order to show he didn't care if he got hurt, police say.

Police officer Jamie Kennealy said when police arrived at the scene to help take the injured brother to the hospital, the other brother allegedly tried to barricade himself in a room.

Kennealy told the Herald the brother used a saw and hammer to place numerous pieces of wood across the door to keep police out of the room.

"During his barricading construction project he stated that he wasn't going to get arrested for stabbing his brother," he told the Herald, adding that police were content to leave him alone after learning the other man's wounds were self-inflicted.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Would You Like Cream With Your Bat?


Woman wakes up, should have smelled the coffee

2 days ago

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — It wasn't just the caffeine that gave an Iowa woman an extra jolt after she had her morning coffee. It was also the bat she found in the filter.

The Iowa Department of Public Health says the woman reported a bat in her house but wasn't too worried about it. She turned on her automatic coffee maker before bedtime and drank her coffee the next morning.

She discovered the bat in the filter when she went to clean it that night. The woman has undergone treatment for possible rabies.

Health officials say that the bat was sent to a lab but that its brain was too cooked by the hot water to determine whether it had rabies.

Try Explaining This To Your Wife!


Hospital tells grandfather, 71, that he's pregnant

3 days ago

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A patient treated for agonizing abdominal pain received this surprising news in the hospital's paperwork: "Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant." Surprising indeed for 71-year-old John Grady Pippen.

The staff at Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach gave the retired mechanic and logger the ridiculously happy news this month, along with some pain pills.

Hospital administrator William McMillan says an errant keystroke caused the hospital's computer to spit out the wrong discharge instructions for the grandfather.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Tippi Hedren Where Are You?????


Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" BarbieDoll

In 1963, Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense, gave us a tale of terror not soon forgotten in his film “The Birds.” Dressed in a re-creation of the stylish green skirt suit worn by the film’s ill-fated heroine in an iconic scene, Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” Barbie® Doll celebrates the 45th anniversary of the acclaimed film. From the doll’s classic ensemble to the perfectly painted expression to the accompanying black birds, every aspect captures the film’s infamous appeal.

Monday, September 22, 2008

You Just Can't Make This $hit Up!!!


Orphaned hare raised in woman's bra
When Cherida Cannon's labrador Teal chased and killed a hare, she set about preparing it for the pot.

But there was a surprise in store. The hare turned out to be pregnant, and its unborn baby's heart was still beating.

A frantic rescue mission was launched -- and today the tiny, helpless creature has grown into a bounding tame hare called Miracle.

Describing the moment when Teal brought her his prey, Mrs Cannon, of Alton, Hampshire said: "The hare was so beautiful, I just couldn't bare to throw her away. I thought she'd make a nice meal so started gutting her."

It was her cleaner, Tina Rhodes, who noticed the unborn baby. Mrs Rhodes said: "I rubbed its chest and blew on it and dried it with a towel, then suddenly it opened its eyes and begun cleaning itself."

The women mixed up baby formula belonging to Mrs Cannon's granddaughter and fed it to the baby hare, known as a leveret, with a syringe every hour.

Mrs Rhodes's sister, Margi Heath, was put in charge of caring for the orphaned creature. Mrs Heath, 57, said: "She stayed indoors with me. I put her in my bra to keep her warm, else she would have died. I slept with her and every time she was hungry she popped her head up."

Here's the full story.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

At least it's not in the elevator!


Tackle Tailgate Flatulence Before the Next Game with CharcoCaps

No pass is a good pass, when it comes to 'passing intestinal gas'

East Longmeadow, MA (PRWEB) September 10, 2008 -- It's time to rethink what's cooking at the tailgate party when the "exhaust fumes" are coming from you, not the parked car. Intestinal gas is one of the body's most embarrassing functions, especially when the sound isn't muffled by cheering fans and the odor is pungent. In fact, according to a recent survey for CharcoCaps Homeopathic AntiGas Formula, 72 percent of adults nationwide admit to passing gas in public or in front of someone else.

Most pre-game celebration fare -- hamburgers, baked beans and alcohol -- have a tendency to trigger intestinal gas. Dr. Patricia Raymond, M.D., gastroenterologist and assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, says "we all experience flatulence. Yet, we can get it under control if we slightly change our diets -- even at a tailgate party."

Thursday, September 11, 2008

HADRON COLLIDER UPDATE


If you're wondering where you can go for up-to-the-minute information on whether the Hadron Collider has destroyed the world yet, the answer is: here.

Who Ever Said That The Russian's Don't Have A Sense Of Humor


Spa town erects enema statue

A Town in southern Russia has erected a monument in the shape of an enema to celebrate the famous medical procedure.

The bronze syringe bulb statue held by three angels was unveiled in the city of Zheleznovodsk, a region known for dozens of spas where enemas with water from mineral springs are routinely administered to treat digestive and other complaints.

Standing at one and a half metres and weighing 400kg, the $44,000 sculpture was installed in a square in front of the Mashuk-Akva Term spa, with a banner declaring: "Let's beat constipation and sloppiness with enemas".

"There is no kitsch or obscenity, it is a successful work of art," said spa director Alexander Kharchenko.

"An enema is almost a symbol of our region."

The monument was designed with "irony and humour", said sculptor Svetlana Avakina, who modelled the angels on the works of Italian Renaissance painter Alessandro Botticelli.

Ms Avakina hopes to promote the sculpture as a brand and turn it into a franchise with souvenirs and awards for medical doctors.

"This device is eternal, it will never change," she said.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

And The Criminal Of The Week Award Goes To...


Police: Southwest Side store robber shoots himself in foot and gets stabbed, arrested

THE BLOTTER - Chicago. IL
12:15 PM CDT, August 26, 2008

A robber's plans to hold up a Southwest Side convenience store Monday afternoon took a different turn: The robber shot himself in the foot, got stabbed by a store employee and ended up in police custody at a city hospital, Chicago police said.

The botched robbery attempt unfolded around 3 p.m. Monday at Brighton Mini Mart, 2532 W. 47th St., when two men entered the store and one pointed a handgun at the owners and demanded cash, police said.

As the assailants made their demands, a 24-year-old employee at the store resisted the armed man, who, during the struggle, accidentally shot himself in the foot. The 61-year-old owner of the store then apparently grabbed a knife and stabbed the wounded robber in the back, authorities said.

An employee at the store Tuesday declined to comment about the robbery.

This guy was determined to RAM ssomething.


Cops: Man Rammed SUV Into Convenience Store to Steal Condoms

OCALA, Fla. — An Ocala man appears to have gone above and beyond the call of duty in his commitment to safe sex.

Police say 37-year-old John R. Herdmann repeatedly rammed his sport utility vehicle into the front door of a convenience store early Thursday morning, ran inside and then stole two packs of Trojan condoms.

Herdmann was gone by the time police arrived, but he was found a short time later hiding in some bushes. Police identified him as the man who broke into the store using surveillance footage.

Herdmann was arrested and charged with commercial burglary and petty theft. He was released on $5,250 bail.

A phone message left Friday with a listing for Herdmann was not immediately returned.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Things You Don't Want To Hear During Surgery


Better save that. We'll need it for the autopsy.

Someone call the janitor and tell him to bring a mop.

Wait a minute. If this is his spleen, what's that?

Hand me that... uh... that uh... thingie.

Oops! Hey, has anyone ever survived 500ml of this stuff before?

Rats, there go the lights again...

Ya know, there's big money in kidneys. Heck, the guy's got two of 'em.

Stand back! I lost a contact.

Could you stop that thing from beeping? It's throwing off my concentration!

What's this doing here?

That's cool! Now can you make his leg twitch?!

I should have brought my glasses.

Well, folks, this will be an experiment for all of us.

Sterile, shcmeril. The floor's pretty clean, right?

Anyone see where I left that scalpel?

Okay, now take a picture from this angle. This is truly a freak of nature.

Nurse, did this patient sign the organ donation card?

Don't worry. I think it's sharp enough.

She's gonna blow! Everyone take cover!

Rats! Page 47 of the manual is missing!

FIRE! FIRE! Everybody out!

Max! MAX! Come back with that! Bad Dog!

Oh, no! Anybody seen my Rolex?

I hate it when there's stuff missing.

What do you mean he wasn't in for a sex change?!

And now, I'll remove the subject's brain and place it in the body of the ape.

This patient has already had kids, right?

What do you mean, "You want a divorce?!"

"Accept this sacrifice, O Great Lord of Darkness!"

Oops.

Let me ask your opinion, nurse...

I thought we started with four clamps?

Has anyone ever seen one of these?

What do you mean, it's upside down?

Oh, man! I think I'm gonna be sick.

This is what happens when cousins marry.

You think we can sew it back on?

Put on Dr. Kevorkian's new CD.

Is that supposed to be yellow?

I learned that when I studied to be a vet.

Not bad for someone who failed med school.

What does the AMA know? I still think I can do it.

Whoa. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so drunk last night.

Does Tab A go into Slot C or Slot F?

They never let us practice on real people in med school.

That proves aliens have taken over our bodies.

He looks like my ex-wife's attorney. The one who got her the house, the car, the money... he even got her!

Don't worry, he'll never know. He's out!

Okay, make a wish and pull.

So that's what a girl looks like!

Back in a minute. Gotta put more money in the meter.

What he doesn't know won't hurt us.

Uh, ya want fries with that?

Who ordered the pepperoni?

Tilt that TV this way. I can't see the game.

Poor guy. Maybe we should give him a sex change.

The voices in my head keep telling me not to do this.

I think my Alzheimers is getting... uh...

Oh, yeah? If you think you're so good, you do it!

How come this patient has both sex organs?

CLEAR!!

Credit goes to www.funny-haha.co.uk

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A Yankee Fan Till The Very End.


Puerto Rico corpse kept upright for 3-day wake

A Puerto Rican man has been granted his wish to remain standing - even in death.

A funeral home used a special embalming treatment to keep the corpse of 24-year-old Angel Pantoja Medina standing upright for his three-day wake.

Dressed in a Yankees baseball cap and sunglasses, Pantoja was mourned by relatives while propped upright in his mother's living room.

His brother Carlos told the El Nuevo Dia newspaper the victim had long said he wanted to be upright for his own wake: "He wanted to be happy, standing."

Here's the entire story.

Friday, August 15, 2008

And The Parent Of The Year Award Goes To...

Police: Girl, 12, drove mom to bar

Associated Press

LONGVIEW, Texas - A Texas mother remained in jail Thursday after police said she made her 12-year-old daughter drive her to a bar.

Jennifer Lynn Rosenburg was arrested Wednesday and accused of child endangerment.

Police stopped a minivan Wednesday that had turned into a driveway without using a turn signal and then ran into the home at a low speed. The driver was Rosenburg's 12-year-old daughter, who said she had just dropped off her mother at a bar, police said.

Police found Rosenburg, 35, at the bar, and she admitted having her daughter drive her there, according to a police report.

She remained in the Gregg County Jail on Thursday night on a $2,500 bond. A jail official declined to say whether she had an attorney.

Child Protective Services is investigating, spokeswoman Shari Pulliam said in a story on the Longview News-Journal's Web site Thursday.

Make some money with this Back To School Widget!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Exactly How Much Training Do You Need?


School custodian Anthony Gower-Smith, 73, was awarded the equivalent of about $75,000 in June in London's High Court after suing Britain's Hampshire County government when he hurt himself falling off a 6-foot stepladder. Gower-Smith claimed that he had not been properly "trained" on how to use it, despite his long-time experience with such ladders, and despite his signed acknowledgment that he had indeed received training, and despite his having blamed himself just after he fell. (He disavowed the self-blame by saying that, at the time, he was woozy and didn't remember what he said.) [Daily Telegraph, 6-16-08; BBC News, 6-27-08]

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Yea, but what about the car?????


UK Man Decapitates Self With Aston Martin DB7.
An inquest into the death of Welsh gym owner Gerald Mellin has found the businessman decapitated himself in his Aston Martin DB7 after an argument with his estranged wife. According to the court, Mellin tied one end of a rope to a tree, climbed into his DB7 and wrapped the other end around his neck. Mellin then jammed the pedal down on the $173,000 car, driving into a busy main road, forcing other drivers to watch his horrific death. Police found his headless body still in the driving seat and his head on the back seat. But what caused Millen to kill himself with such heinous vehicular methodology?

Well, according to Mrs Mellin:

"We had split up and been to court. He wanted me to walk away from the farmhouse and the business and leave me with nothing...so we met in a pub after a court hearing and he started having a tantrum. As we made our way back to our cars he opened the boot and said: "There's my rope, that's what I'm going to kill myself with." I told him to grow up and give me the rope. But he just laughed."
Apparently, the court also ruled the day before his death that Mrs Mellin would be awarded an extra £100 ($192.00) a week in maintenance from her husband. Umm, talk about a low bar to set for suicide, right?

Please Hold The Bubbles!


Video shows Burger King employee bathing in sink

XENIA, Ohio (WDTN) - Some workers at a Greene County restaurant are in hot water with the health department, after an employee took a bubble bath in a store sink.

It happened at the Burger King on Orange Street in Xenia.

A four-minute video posted on MySpace.com captured the employee, self-described as Mr. Unstable, bathing nude in a large stainless steel sink as several other employees and a store manager looked on.

The video began making its rounds on the Internet Monday morning. One of the recipients was Greene County Health Commissioner, Mark McDonnell.

"My first thought was oh my God," said McDonnell.

Here's the entire story.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

You've gotta love Henry!


Mildred, the church gossip and self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused Henry, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup truck parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon.

She emphatically told Henry and several others that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.

Henry, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away.

He didn't explain, defend, or deny. He said nothing.

Later that evening, Henry quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house . . . walked home . . . and left it there all night.

You have to love people like Henry.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

I would rather poke myself in the eye, thanks.


Introducing Guy-liner and Manscara - the new metrosexual make-up just for men

By Dan Newling
Last updated at 10:25 PM on 28th July 2008

In an increasingly metrosexual world, perhaps it was just a matter of time. But yesterday a high street store announced that it would start stocking makeup designed just for men.

'Guy-liner' and 'Manscara' to enhance the eyes of the male in your life, will appear in Superdrug this week. Yesterday, the company's director of trading Jeff Wemyss insisted that its cosmetics - branded Taxi Man - are not just for transvestites. He said: "These days you can be macho and wear make-up. If you look at people like Russell Brand and Robbie Williams, they both wear make-up and they are both very red-blooded men.

'Men are more obsessed with their appearance than ever before. There is no longer any pain in being seen to be vain.'

Way To Go Gators!!!!! Florida Rules!!!!!


BYU again ranked most sober school in the country
July 28th, 2008 @ 3:34pm

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- For the eleventh year in a row, Brigham Young University has been named the most "stone-cold sober" school in the country.

The ranking was part of the annual Princeton Review survey of 120,000 students released Monday.

The University of Florida was named best party school in the country. The Gators, known for wild celebrations following national championships in football and basketball, wrested the party title away from West Virginia University and beat out the University of Mississippi and Penn State University.

The Princeton Review is a New York company known for its test preparation courses, educational services and books and is not affiliated with Princeton University.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Monday, July 28, 2008

More proof that whales should not eat broccoli

Flatulent whales caught in the act




whale flatulence
According to researchers the general rule that flatulence is worse than halitosis is also true for whales (AAD)
Scientists have photographed a giant gas bubble emanating from a whale, suggesting that flatulence is just as common for ocean mammals as it is for humans and many other terrestrial animals.

The picture, released last week by scientists from the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) in Tasmania, was taken by the captain of a U.S. research ship the Nathaniel B. Palmer, while on expedition between Marguerite Bay and Palmer Station, Antarctica.

"The picture is of an Antarctic minke whale taken from the bow of a ship," said AAD principal research scientist Dr Nick Gales. "The white bits in the photo are pieces of ice-floe, the stream of pinky colour behind the whale is a faecal plume - a.k.a. "poo" - the large circle in the water is indeed the physical eruption of the whale's flatulence."

He and his colleagues are working to determine what it is that higher marine predators eat, and where they go to eat it. Instead of resorting to killing whales, the Australian Antarctic Division scientists have developed a method that allows them to collect whale faeces and study its DNA to figure out what the whale recently consumed.

The DNA work is linked to whale protection, since countries such as Norway, Iceland, and Japan have argued that whale numbers should be reduced to stabilise commercial fishing stocks.

Friday, July 25, 2008

That's my boy! A chip off the old block.


Boy exits child care, goes to Hooters
5-year-old safe after trek across busy road

By Donna Fielder / Staff Writer

A 5-year-old boy slipped out of the Imagination Station child care center unnoticed Tuesday afternoon, crossed two busy streets and wandered to a restaurant on the Interstate 35E service road in 100-degree heat.

Employees of Hooters found the child safe about 5:20 p.m. He left the child care center in the 2300 block of San Jacinto Boulevard, crossed the Interstate 35E northbound service road and Dallas Drive, bought a soft drink at a service station and walked to Hooters, where an employee found him in the parking lot and called police.

Deborah Pugh, who owns the child care business, said Wednesday that the boy asked to go to the bathroom and then slipped out a fire exit door, which must, by law, remain unlocked.

Here's the full story.

I refuse to believe this. It can't possibly be true.



Call The Cable Guy, Again.
By Cecilia Kang Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 23, 2008; Page D01

Kenneth Bayes's request to Comcast was routine. He was moving his family from Fairfax to a new townhouse in Haymarket and wanted to transfer his bundled television, Internet and phone services.

A specialist for customers moving to new homes took the order and said all systems were go and everything would be up and running the day after his move in April.

After five weeks, 20 calls, a day off work and three visits that ended without any idea why Bayes couldn't get service, Comcast found the solution to this head-scratcher of a problem: The company hadn't run cable lines to Bayes's house.

Here's the full story.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Moon-walker claims alien contact cover-up


Former NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission - has stunningly claimed aliens exist. And he says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades.

Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.' He said supposedly real-life ET's were similar to the traditional image of a small frame, large eyes and head.

Chillingly, he claimed our technology is "not nearly as sophisticated" as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned "we would be been gone by now". Dr Mitchell, along with with Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard, holds the record for the longest ever moon walk, at nine hours and 17 minutes following their 1971 mission.

"I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real," Dr Mitchell said. "It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it.

Here is the rest of the story.

SnagFilms Offers Free Instant Streaming and Viral Sharing of Hundreds of Documentary Films


Ad Revenue Shared With Filmmakers, Viewers Connected To Causes

At a time when independent documentary films are experiencing a creative boom, yet theatrical distribution channels have gone bust, the beta launch today of SnagFilms helps both independent filmmakers and iconic production companies and the audiences that want to see their movies.

SnagFilms (www.snagfilms.com) was created to address the bottleneck in distribution for quality documentaries that has left many great films unable to reach their potential audience or to provide a viable financial return. It also offers established media companies with deep libraries a way of getting long-tail documentaries out of the vaults and before a worldwide, on-demand audience.

Founded by Ted Leonsis, AOL Vice Chairman Emeritus and producer of award-winning documentary films; backed by Leonsis, AOL co-founder and Revolution LLC Chairman Steve Case, and venture capitalist Miles Gilburne; and led by industry veterans, SnagFilms brings the best nonfiction films to a global web audience, promotes viral web distribution through virtual movie theater widgets, and encourages users to engage with the films issues and supporter communities. At launch, more than 250 films are available for immediate streamed playback, requiring no software downloads, sign-ups or waiting, and an additional 200 films, already under contract, will be added by mid-August.

The new service features award-winning titles from some of the greatest names in documentary film production and distribution, including PBS, National Geographic, United Nations, Sundance Preserve, IndiePix, Peter Jennings Productions, Arts Alliance America, ITVS, Koch Lorber Films, and many others. (See below for a list of participating libraries, and a sample roster of the films available for immediate viewing.) Many of the most prominent documentary filmmakers are participating not only by having their films distributed via SnagFilms, but by engaging with their audience through blogs and offering special bonus material, as well as suggesting nonprofit organizations that viewers motivated by these films can link to and support via charitable contributions, volunteering or spreading the word.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Hailstones shot me off the bowl


SHOCKED Martin Bierbauer was blasted off the toilet when a torrent of golf ball-sized hailstones exploded from the bowl.

They zoomed up the U-bend when local drains got blocked with the pieces of ice during a storm. Martin, 45, of Eisen-stadt, Austria, said: “I heard the pipes rumbling — then out came the hailstones. It was like a popcorn machine.”

Here's the full story.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The 2008 ESPYs Unwrap This Year's Gift Bag Given to Presenters and Nominees


Presenters at The 2008 ESPYs to Include Lance Armstrong, David Beckham, Kristen Bell, Sophia Bush, and Zac Efron; Nominees to Include Tiger Woods, Candace Parker, Brett Favre, Venus Williams, and Kobe Bryant

The 2008 ESPYs co-presented by HUMMER and UnderArmour unwrap this year's gift bag. Honoring the past year in sports at The 2008 ESPYs (Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 9:00 PM/EDT on ESPN and ESPN HD), presents and nominees will receive exclusive luxury items created especially with them in mind.

The 2008 ESPYs Gift Bag thus far!

Amadeus Spa
AlcoMate Premium Breathalyzer
Amadeo Decada
Ancestry.com
Bedandbreakfast.com
Blush Bags
Bobbi Brown
Bosch
Breeders Cup
Campus Quilt
Canvasondemand.com
Chipotle
Chumby
Deanna Zaccari
DeBrand Chocolates
Del Sol
Dirt Devil
Disneyland Tickets
Disney on Broadway
Econation
Flowershop.com
Hasbro Games
Hasbro Toys
Hot Rod Putter
iGourmet
iHome
Invicta Watches
Ironkey
Johnston & Murphy
Klipsch
L.A. Vie L'Orange
LARABAR
Live Scribe
Marchon Eyewear
Margaritaville(R) Frozen Concoction(TM) Maker
Mitchell & Ness
Murad
Nimble Fitness
Oregon Scientific
Pacific Palms Golf Course
Parajumpers
Phyto
Revolution
Richard Petty Experience
Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp
Rosetta Stone
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Salt Works Jeans
Sea Spa Santa Barbara
Shari's Berries
Skin Care for Athletes
Smashbox
Sports Club LA
Stress Eraser
Subway
The Shave
The Standard
Three Designing Women
Timberland
Trapp Private Garden Candles
Under Armour
Yamaha BodiBeat
Yogaworks
Zaca Mesa Winerey
Zirh

For more information on any of these products, please visit www.espn.com, keyword: gift bag.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The Red Hot Tampa Bay Rays


Akinori Iwamura, Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford & Troy Percival – On the Cover of Latest ESPN The Magazine

The Tampa Bay Ray’s are finishing up the first half of the MLB season pinned as a major contender for the fall classic. In the July 14, 2008 issue of ESPN The Magazine, “Remember That Cute Little Team from Tampa Bay That Everyone Used to Beat on?,” writer Steve Wulf reports on the once MLB doormats (nine basement finishes in 10 years) to the team nobody wants to mess with – all the through the eyes of their most loyal fan – Raymond Ray the mascot.

In “Brandon Webb is Busy Resting,” Buster Olney hit the road to shadow the Diamondbacks righthander for six days. Olney writes, “Webb is as laid back as a seventh-inning stretch in spring training.” Webb, baseball’s winningest pitcher this season, gives fans a day-to-day look at how he keeps his cool between starts.

Fans can go to ESPNthemag.com for all-access footage of The Magazine’s road trip with Brandon Webb.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Word of wisdom from George Carlin.


Rest in Peace George. You made us laugh and that is a good thing!

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

Could it be that all those trick-or-treaters wearing sheets aren't going as ghosts but as mattresses?

If a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him ... is he still wrong?

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

Is there another word for synonym?

Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"

Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?

If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?

How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?

Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.

To be intoxicated is to feel sophisticated, but not be able to say it.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

The older you get, the better you realize you were.

Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.

Women like silent men; they think they're listening.

Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

Do pediatricians play miniature golf on Wednesdays?

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Life As We Know It.


On the first day, God created the dog and said:

'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.'

The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'

So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said:

'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a 20 year life span.'

The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for 20 years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back 10 like the dog did?'

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said:

'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of 60 years.'

The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for 60 years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said:

'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you 20 years.'

But man said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my 20, the 40 the cow gave back, the 10 the monkey gave back, and the 10 the dog gave back, that makes 80, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'

So that is why for our first 20 years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next 40 years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next 10 years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last 10 years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

And that my friend is life as we know it.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Brainiac Of The Week Award Goes To...


Authorities say an inmate trying to flee a Texas city jail crashed through the ceiling into a police chief's empty office.

Police say 17-year-old Jesus Albert Suarez Chavez and 22-year-old Roman Orozco Martinez tried to escape through air conditioning ducts of the Alton city jail around 3 a.m. Saturday, but had been spotted by a dispatcher monitoring security video.

One of the inmates fell through the ceiling into the office of Police Chief Baldemar Flores. The second inmate was trying to get into the vent.

Flores said he didn't know which inmate fell through the ceiling, only that the vents were very small.

Chavez and Martinez are charged with burglary of a vehicle, evading arrest, resisting arrest, assault on a public servant and making a terrorist threat. They are now being held in the Hidalgo County Jail.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Man named God arrested for selling cocaine near Tampa church

Associated Press
7:25 AM EDT, June 23, 2008

TAMPA - Police say a man named God was arrested near a Tampa church for selling cocaine.

Authorities began investigating God Lucky Howard in April, and he was arrested on Saturday. Police say he sold the cocaine to undercover detectives in his neighborhood. When officers searched his home, they reported finding another 22 grams of cocaine and a scale.

Jail records show Howard was charged with several counts drug possession and distribution, which include increased charges for being within 1,000 feet of a church, a school and public housing.

He was being held on a bond of $86,500.

Friday, June 20, 2008

I wonder if his kitchen table is jealous?


A Bellevue man is going to jail for six months for having sex with a picnic table within view of a playground.

Art Price Jr., 40, 100 block Brinker St., pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor charges on Wednesday and was found guilty of one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

The plea agreement wiped away two public indecency charges.

Figuring out what to charge Price with wasn't easy, said Huron County prosecutor Russ Leffler.

"Nothing really fit quite right, but this is what we were able to come up with," he said.

Here is the full story.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

New Zealand cafe serves dishwashing liquid


The owner of a New Zealand cafe that mistakenly served dishwashing liquid as mulled wine has been fined for causing emotional harm to two women, court officials said Monday.

Chico's Restaurant Ltd. in the mountain resort of Queenstown on South Island pleaded guilty to a charge of selling food containing extraneous matter — the chemical sodium hydroxide — that caused injury.

Prosecutor Sarah McKenzie told Queenstown District Court that the two women were taken to a hospital after drinking the liquid last July. One victim was a customer who ordered a glass of wine from Queenstown's Old Man Rock Cafe, owned by Chico's Restaurant Ltd.

Here is the complete story.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Is That A Banana In Your Pocket!


10 airports install body scanners
Devices can peer under passengers' clothes

By Thomas Frank
USA TODAY

BALTIMORE — Body-scanning machines that show images of people underneath their clothing are being installed in 10 of the nation's busiest airports in one of the biggest public uses of security devices that reveal intimate body parts.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently started using body scans on randomly chosen passengers in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, Albuquerque and at New York's Kennedy airport.

Airports in Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas and Miami will be added this month. Reagan National Airport in Washington starts using a body scanner today. A total of 38 machines will be in use within weeks.

"It's the wave of the future," said James Schear, the TSA security director at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where two body scanners are in use at one checkpoint.

Schear said the scanners could eventually replace metal detectors at the nation's 2,000 airpLinkort checkpoints and the pat-downs done on passengers who need extra screening. "We're just scratching the surface of what we can do with whole-body imaging," Schear said.

Here's the full story.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Man in Only Underwear & Latex Gloves Found in Middle of Road


CARUTHERSVILLE, MO (KAIT) - The Memorial day weekend in Caruthersville proved to be an active one with a number of incidents, including a man dressed only in latex gloves and underwear standing in the middle of the road.

It happened Friday morning at 8 a.m. when Caruthersville Police observed a 49-year old black male standing in the road at 3rd and Carleton. Dressed only in his underwear and a pair of latex gloves, the man was taken into custody.

He was later transported to Farmington for a mental evaluation. No word on why he was wearing the gloves.

Here's the full story.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Suspected shoplifter tries to hide iguana in pants


BY JASON KUIPER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Of all the places you could put an iguana, down your pants is probably last on the list. But that's exactly where a Turin, Iowa, man is accused of hiding an eight- to nine-inch iguana at a Bluffs pet store Friday.

It's also probably not a good idea to steal from the Bird Cage Pet Shop, 2719 E. Kanesville Blvd. Owner Rex Maresch, 44, trains daily in tae kwon do as well as mixed martial arts and jujitsu — and he'll follow a thief to Omaha if he has to.

Still, this is not a story that ends happily, even though the bad guy gets caught. All the pets involved in Friday's altercation died.

Click here for the entire story.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Prove It's Not Jimi' Says Vivid to the Hendrix Estate and We'll Pay You $100,000


Experts Say It's Real.

A controversial video concerning the sexual escapades of Jimi Hendrix is the real thing, says rock 'n roll experts who have seen it, according to VividEntertainment, which will release the DVD in stores today and simultaneously make it available for download from its website, vivid.com.

Vivid co-chairman Steven Hirsch said his company is so confident of the authenticity of the 40-year-old footage in "Jimi Hendrix The Sex Tape" that it recently offered $100,000 to Experience Hendrix, LLC ("Experience Hendrix"), the family company of the legendary guitarist, if it can provide verifiable proof that Hendrix is not the "star" of the tape.

The controversy over the tape escalated after Experience Hendrix publicly denied the tape actually showed Hendrix having sex with two unidentified brunettes. Mr. Hirsch said: "The press release/statement from Experience Hendrix proves nothing. Vivid took considerable time and spent a substantial sum of money to authenticate the footage and we are very comfortable that this is the real thing. We believe that those who say otherwise are relying on their emotions to make unsubstantiated claims. If Experience Hendrix can prove definitively that it's not Jimi Hendrix on this footage then we will pay them $100,000."

Friday, May 2, 2008

Pet Diaries

Nothing explains the relationship that dogs and cats have with their owners quite like these two diaries .

The Giraffe test

Subject: The Giraffe test

How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

Stop and think about it and decide on your answer before you scroll down.


The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.



2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?

Wrong Answer.

Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.


3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals
Attend .... Except one. Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer : The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there.? This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.


4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and You do not have a boat. How do you manage it?


Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Now it's time to take global warming seriously!


Climate change will impact beer production: scientist

Updated Tue. Apr. 8 2008 9:09 AM ET

The Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- The price of beer is likely to rise in coming decades because climate change will hamper the production of a key grain needed for the brew -- especially in Australia, a scientist warned Tuesday.

Jim Salinger, a climate scientist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, said climate change likely will cause a decline in the production of malting barley in parts of New Zealand and Australia. Malting barley is a key ingredient of beer.

"It will mean either there will be pubs without beer or the cost of beer will go up," Salinger told the Institute of Brewing and Distilling convention.

Similar effects could be expected worldwide, but Salinger spoke only of the effects on Australia and New Zealand. He said climate change could cause a drop in beer production within 30 years, especially in parts of Australia, as dry areas become drier and water shortages worsen.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Women's Social Group Spurs Clothing Line


Women's Social Group Spurs Clothing Line

What started out as a group to foster friendship and promote social causes inspires clothing line.

Susan Ballard, founder of The VeroChickys (TVC) social group has announced the launch of a new line of clothing entitled "VeroChicky". The line includes golf shirts, tank tops, t- shirts, sweats, maternity wear, jackets, as well as infant wear and pet tees. All of the clothing is made in the U.S. and is of the highest quality available.

"I can't tell you how many women after learning about TVC have encouraged me to start this clothing line", states Ballard. "It's fun active wear with a decidedly local flavor that has been requested by women all over the country, also part of the proceeds will go to support charities along the Treasure Coast". The group often attends local sporting events, art shows, festival, concerts and recently attended the taping of the Ellen DeGeneres Show in Orlando.

The original design sports a sultry baby chick as the logo and expands to various design and applications including,I want to be aChicky, Hot Chicky, and The Vero Chickys Rock. Plans are underway to expand the line into a more robust offering of products that include jewelry, handbags and beach wear. "I've been telling Susan to start this for years", states Siglinde Preston one of themembers. "It's such a cute idea that speaks to a wide variety of women who live or have spent time in this area".

About The VeroChickys

Founded in 2000 The VeroChickys is a women's social group that promotes friendship and networking and promotes local causes and charities. For more information contact Susan Ballard at theverochickys@aol.com

Click here to visit The VeroChicky store online.