CANBERRA
- When farmer Leonard Richards was knocked unconscious by a tree branch
during a storm, a kangaroo came to the rescue. Lulu, the family's pet
kangaroo, banged on the door of the family's home until the wife came
outside and followed the marsupial. She discovered her husband lying unconscious
under a tree about 650 feet from the home, guarded by the kangaroo. Richards
was taken to the hospital and was released Sunday night. Lulu has been
nominated for the annual national bravery award from animal welfare group
the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The family
has been permitted to keep the kangaroo ever since it was little, because
it is blind in one eye and believes it is a dog. Frosty the Snowman on World Tour An inflatable
snowman who was kidnapped from a garden last Christmas has been sending
postcards to its owner from destinations all over the world. The 5ft snowman,
Frosty, went missing from Helen Bevan's garden last year before Christmas.
Since then, Bevan has received postcards from Tenerife, Antigua, Thailand,
Mexico, Malaysia and Hong Kong, all signed with the words 'all my love,
Frosty'. On Christmas Eve, She heard a knock on the door and found Frosty
on her doorstep with a videotape strapped to his body. "Someone had
filmed him having a drink at pubs, playing snooker and shopping in the
local supermarket," Bevan said. Although she doesn't know who the
practical joker is, she suspects that a group of friends are pulling the
prank. MOSCOW -
Single women in Russia are now able to rent a "husband" to satisfy
their yearning to have a man around to fix things. Nina Rakhmanina's business
offers a "Husband for an Hour" to women who want a male around
to do the "men's work" in the home. "First, we advertised
as 'home repairs' and got virtually no response," she remarked. "We
changed the name and clients came pouring in." The amount of single
Russian women has greatly increased due to a soaring divorce rate since
the end of communism 11 years ago. About 60 percent of Russian marriages
now end in divorce. Bookings for a rent-a-husband have to be made at least
a day in advance since they are in such high demand. Prisoner Weds and Receives Extended Term WEST CHESTER,
PA - On a bittersweet day, Marcus Tian Washington was given an increased
prison sentence and moments later got married to his fiancée Timalin
Douglass. After Judge Paula Francisco Ott added 6 to 23 months to Washington's
prison term for hiding marijuana in his underwear, she then performed
a wedding ceremony for him and Douglass. She asked a deputy sheriff to
uncuff his right hand so she could officiate the marriage. Ott asked the
bride numerous times if she was sure she wanted to proceed with the wedding.
Douglass, who wore a beaded wedding dress, told Ott that she did and later
mentioned she was hopeful about relocating and "getting away from
the wrong people and places." Washington had been caught with marijuana
inside Chester County Prison while waiting for sentencing on separate
charges. DETROIT -
In a flashy display of undergarments, at least 50 brassieres swayed in
the breeze in a tree over one of Royal Oak's stores on Wednesday. The
street art of cotton and Spandex, in black, pink, beige and white, had
been put together by Noir Leather owner Keith Howarth, who did it as a
gentle reminder to the city of its dead tree outside his door. He said
that his bra display is meant to send a message to City Hall that they
need to replace many dead trees and spruce up the block. Recreation and
public services director Tom Trice said the city would try to inspect
the tree in the next few weeks. Chuck Semchena, Royal Oak City Attorney,
said that the tree must shed its new foliage right away and if it doesn't,
"well take them down -- and we'll charge him." Is That a Snake in Your Pants? SYDNEY -
Australian customs officers found eight dangerous snakes, including four
dead king cobras, strapped to the leg of a Swedish man who arrived on
a flight from Thailand. The four king cobras were in containers strapped
to the man's calves and had most likely died in transit. The four living
snakes, believed to be emerald tree boas, had been given to quarantine
authorities and were awaiting to be identified by experts. The man was
charged under Australia's Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act
and could face a fine or up to 10 years in jail, or both. His motive for
the snake smuggling was not clear, but there is a trade in animals such
as snakes, birds and rare plants, both in and out of Australia. SYDNEY -
A police car pulled over Dean Crichton as he was traveling on his horse-drawn
carriage about two mph and talking on a mobile phone. Police administered
a breathalyzer test on Crichton for alcohol after they caught him with
a phone in one hand and the reins in the other. Crichton pleaded guilty
and his attorney told the court that he was on a business call and it
was hard to pull over a horse-drawn carriage quickly. The judge threw
out the case, saying the police who brought the charges "look a bit
silly". Magistrate Frank Jones believed Crichton was technically
guilty, but added that he felt a horse and carriage gave the Melbourne
streets character. Junk Collector Sentenced in Florida FLORIDA -
The man considered Seminole County's "most annoying neighbor"
was released from jail to clean up his junk-filled yard as he awaits his
November sentencing date. However, Alan Davis hasn't been cleaning, but
just moving some things around. He was seen Tuesday placing more items
from his yard on top of his roof. He told Local 6 News that he will not
get rid of anything from his property until he is told specifically by
the county what needs to be moved. Davis earned a laugh from neighbors
when he relocated his infamous buttocks statue to a different area of
his property. Neighbors have complained about the piles of accumulated
junk and the rats in his yard for over 10 years. Mr. Potato Head Stolen in Rhode Island NEWPORT,
R.I. - A stolen Mr. Potato Head statue was safely returned to its owner,
James Leach, over the weekend. The statue was taken from the driveway
of a private estate and discovered in a field. "Although he was ripped
and mashed a little bit, he is expected to make a full recovery and soon
be on display," Sgt. James Quinn quipped. The 6-feet tall statue
was found within the gates of the 17-acre estate. Leach alerted police
after he heard his driveway alarm about 3 a.m. The stolen statue was originally
sponsored by the governor's office and on display in the Statehouse. Leach
bought the spud as a birthday present for his son. Since then, several
people have visited the statue or stopped to have a picture taken with
it. AMES, Iowa
- One of the great things about college life is the amount of diversity
within its student body, course selection and organized clubs. At Iowa
State University, not only can you attend a course on human anatomy in
the afternoon, you can also join a club that allows you to spank those
body parts later on in the evening. Cuffs is a campus club that teaches
students about bondage and other sexual fetishes. The events that take
place at the club's meetings include how-to sessions involving paddles,
leather, ropes and fur-covered "floggers". Though the group
leaders demonstrate different painful ways of getting off, clothes at
the meetings are staying on. Burglar Shot While Falling From Ceiling A woman shot
and killed a man when he fell through the ceiling of her apartment while
she was getting dressed. The intruder was a burglary suspect trying to
avoid arrest by climbing into the crawl space to hide from plainclothes
police at his front door. Police believed that the shooting was justified.
"I think anyone would agree you'd feel your life was in danger when
a burglar falls through your ceiling when you're just getting out of the
shower," police Lt. Tom Monahan said. The woman had purchased the
gun after her apartment was burglarized in April and police think the
man she shot committed that crime. Record Set for Eating M&Ms - With Chopsticks OAKLAND,
Calif. - Oakland resident Jim Hager will soon see his name in the Guinness
Book of World Records after he consumed 115 M&Ms in only three minutes.
However, that wasn't the hard part. He gobbled them up using a pair of
chopsticks. He broke a previous record of 112 Smarties eaten by Kathryn
Ratcliffe in December 2002. For his efforts, he was given 25 pounds of
M&Ms courtesy of a local candy store that sponsored the event. Contestants
had to follow some strict guidelines. They had to use wooden chopsticks,
the M&Ms had to be the standard variety and they had to be brought
to the mouth one at a time in the chopsticks. Bengal Tiger Found in NY Apartment A Bengal
tiger, being kept as a pet in a fifth-floor New York City apartment, has
been removed, but the big cat did not go quietly -- the roars could be
heard a block away. Dozens of police and animal control officers were
called to tranquilize the 350- to 400-pound animal while hundreds of people
waited on the street, Long Island's Newsday reports. Police arrested 36-year-old
Antoine Yates in Philadelphia. Police also found a 3-foot caiman, a type
of crocodile, in the apartment. Police were directed to the public housing
apartment in Harlem after Yates was treated for several animal bites at
a hospital. Teacher Throws Out Noisy Students A Moroccan
teacher found a new way to discipline a couple of noisy students...she
threw them out the window. The schoolboys were hurt when their female
teacher tossed them out of a first floor window after she told them once
to be quiet. She warned the pair she would throw them out, but apparently
they didn't take her threats seriously. One boy, aged nine, was hospitalized
with a fractured shoulder and serious facial and head injuries. The other,
a ten-year-old boy, suffered minor injuries. A government official in
Casablanca said of the situation, "They did not listen. They should
have listened," adding that the teacher "suffers depression."
The official had no comment on whether the teacher would be disciplined. Flaming Pooch Sparks Grass Fire CULDESAC,
Idaho - A dog who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time
had its fur ignited when a vehicle backfired. The canine's fur then started
a grass fire just off U.S. Highway 95. Firefigters doused the grass fire
and reported the dog was uninjured, having only a burnt hair odor. "I
have been in firefighting for many years, but I have never seen anything
like this happen," Culdesac Fire Chief Gary Gilliam said. This happened
Saturday when a driver put gas in the tank and then primed the carburetor.
When restarted, the van backfired, emitting sparks into the cab and igniting
the dog's fur. A passenger let the dog out, and it rolled around in the
dry grass, putting out the flames on its coat but lighting the grass on
fire. Dropping the Boys off at the Mannergarten BERLIN -
German women tired of taking their husbands on weekend shopping trips
can now drop them off at a special kindergarten for men offering beer
and entertainment. "The women are issued a receipt for their partners
when they hand them in and can pick up again when they return it to us
later," Alexander Stein, manager of the 'Nox Bar' said. Each man
receives a name badge upon arrival and for 10 euros ($11.80) they get
two beers, a hot meal, televised football and games. Stein said the idea
for the men's creche, or "Maennergarten," came from a female
customer who felt it would be a good way to get rid of her husband while
she shopped. "It beats sitting around in shoe shops, that's for sure,"
remarked one man. BANGKOK -
A group of Thai bar girls, health officials and a transvestite blew up
condoms and paraded around for the proud title of "Miss Condom Asia-Pacific."
The contest, featuring 20 contestants from four different nations, aimed
to promote safe sex in Thailand. Competitors wowed the judges with their
condom-blowing skills and knowledge about the virus. Held in a sprawling
block with bars named "G-Spot" and "Hollywood Strip,"
the contestants danced to Thai country tunes on a makeshift stage as a
man wearing a green condom suit frolicked nearby. The title of "Miss
Condom" went to 20-year-old bar girl Parlin Pongprasert, who was
crowned amid shouts and screams from co-workers. Monks in
Cambodia have been blessed with an unusual gift - a cow with six legs.
A farmer donated the rare calf because he feared her extra set of legs
would bring him bad luck. Two-month-old Cham Leck, meaning "Strange"
in the Khmer language, is being taken care of by the monks at the pagoda
near the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The extra legs hang from Cham's
neck. Locals in the very superstitious country are treating the bovine
with some caution. One said, "She looks so calm and peaceful that
after a while you forget she has six legs. Then you raise your head and
see those two extra hooves on the end of these spindly legs coming out
of her neck." When most
school districts need to raise money, they hold fundraisers or have bake
sales. When Junction City school district in Oregon was hurting for cash,
they sold 2004 nudie calendars featuring the men of Junction City's Long
Tom Grange. The calendars are the latest attempt to raise money for local
schools where teachers have already lined up to sell their blood plasma
and ranchers have auctioned off the rights to hunt for buffalo and antelope
on their property. One of the featured calendar men, 70-year-old sheep
rancher Clive Dumdi, has taken some ribbing ever since he disrobed and
perched on his tractor. "Hey Dumdi!," one man hollered from.
"Didn't recognize you with your clothes on!" The calendar has
been a hit in Junction City, and calendar signings and rallies are even
planned. Cheryl Kilroy
and William Varner should have the force with them after their wedding
last weekend. With stormtroopers, Yoda, and R2D2 all in attendance, the
couple got hitched in what might be described as Star Wars style. The
costumes were created by the groom's mother using needle and thread. "They
[the costumes] were all hand sewn by me and we had just a bit of help.
It's beyond belief that it could happen but it did," she remarked.
The ice sculptures and the wedding cake all had Star Wars figures and
the music was from the movie score. After sharing their first kiss as
husband and wife, the newlyweds went on their way beneath an arch of lightsabres. SUVA, Fiji
- A former cannibal colony in Fiji has invited the British family of the
last white man they ate to visit for an apology. Local media reported
a remote village on the island of Viti Levu invited the descendants of
the late missionary, the Rev. Thomas Baker, to visit next month. Baker
was killed and cooked by the people of Tui Navatusila July 21, 1867, after
he took a comb out of a chief's hair. One villager who took part in the
feast was quoted in contemporary accounts as saying, "We ate everything
but his boots." Fiji's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, is expected
to attend the traditional apology. Cannibalism died out in Fiji in the
mid-19th century with the introduction of Christianity.
BERLIN -
A man violated Germany's anti-Nazi laws when he taught his dog Adolf how
to give a Hitler salute by raising his right paw. Police investigated
after residents complained they had noticed the man giving the stiff-arm
"Hitler salute" and telling his pooch: "Adolf sit, give
me the salute!" The man ordered his dog to give police the saluted
when they questioned him. Germany has strict laws that ban the use of
Nazi symbols, but the man, Roland Thein, didn't understand what the fuss
was about. Thein showed Adolf's trick to a Reuters photographer in his
backyard after calling the dog from a kennel marked "Adolf."
He welcomed the attention he and his dog were receiving from the media.
He is also accused of shouting the Nazi battle cry "Sieg Heil"
in front of Berlin police and of wearing a "Hitler" T-shirt. BOSTON -
A man has gotten himself into trouble after capering around Provincetown
dressed as a gay lobster. Mark Ceria calls himself "Provincetown's
first gay lobster" and said that he has been dressing as the crustacean
since June, posing for pictures in exchange for money "to support
my art." "People love me," he said after appearing in Orleans
District Court as Mr. Lobster to plead not guilty to pot possession. "The
whole town has opened their arms to me like a superhero." Marijuana
was allegedly found on Ceria last month when he was arrested on a warrant
charging him with stealing an Enterprise rental car. Ceria admitted to
dabbling in drugs and said he was taking the weed to an ailing AIDS patient
while dressed as the lobster. He plans to retire his alter ego by Thanksgiving
and vows that those who would crack down on him will "eat their words." COVENTRY,
England - When 62-year-old Trizka Litton waited seven months for an operation
to cure a hernia, she became desperate and decided it was time to take
action. To convince paramedics she had vomited blood, she made fake blood
out of crumbled biscuits and cranberry juice and stuck it in a microwave
dish. The ambulancemen took her to Walgrave Hospital in Coventry where
she discarded the blood in a trash can before it could be tested. After
she was examined, she was given a bed and taken the next day for an emergency
operation. Now fully recovered, Trizka said, "I carried a heavy burden
of guilt and shame at being forced to cheat and lie. But it vanished when
doctors told me just how near death I had been." Cashing in on Two-Headed Snake CENTERTOWN,
Ky. - Until recently, 10-year-old Hunter York was afraid of snakes, that
is, until he discovered one with two heads and could not resist taking
it home. When he found the black king snake, he picked it up with a stick
and observed that it grabbed the stick with both heads. The female snake
hasn't eaten since Hunter found it Oct. 4. Hunter's father, Rodney York,
brought it to snake hobbyist Scott Petty to see if he could get it to
eat. "We couldn't force-feed it, because we don't know which head
eats," York said. Hunter said that he jokingly named the snake Mary-Kate
and Ashley, because those were the first twins' names that came to mind.
"If they're that rare, I'm going to hit up (talk-show hosts David)
Letterman, (Jay) Leno and everybody I can think of," he said. "I'm
going to milk it for all it's worth." Hospital Installs Lovers' Lane OSLO - Doctors
and nurses at the St. Olav Hospital in Trondheim who say goodbye to loved
ones as they arrive for work have received their own "kiss and ride"
lane to keep them from blocking ambulances. The lane even has pink hearts
painted on the pavement and signs reading: "Kiss and drive - when
you don't want to be in the way". Marit Kvikne, a hospital spokeswoman,
said, "We want to make sure that the kissing is not in the way of
ambulances." The project aims to direct the staff away from the emergency
entrance where ambulances have occasionally been obstructed by passionate
farewells when staff are dropped off. "I don't know of any other
hospital in the world which is doing this," said project manager
Randi Troan. STAMFORD,
Conn. - Travis, a 170-pound chimpanzee, is one talented monkey: he can
water flowers, brush his teeth, and even enjoy a game of baseball on TV.
However, one thing he hasn't mastered is knowing when to play. The diaper-wearing
chimp escaped from his owners' vehicle Sunday night, frolicked through
a busy intersection and held police at bay for a few hours. Travis played
in the middle of the street, rolling on his back and occasionally charging
officers. When not shutting doors on squad cars to prevent being trapped
inside, he made runs toward the crowd on all fours. Officers were finally
able to get Travis into his owner's car and held their hands against the
door to keep him inside. Travis was sleeping it off Monday. "He got
up and had breakfast and went back to bed. He's tired," said his
owner, Sandy Herold. SYDNEY, Australia
- Only three hours after discovering she had been pregnant for nine months,
an Australian woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Carolyn Hounsell
went to the doctor with stomach pains and was admitted to the hospital.
Just a few hours later, she got "a very big shock" when she
delivered a 3.6 kilogram boy. "I'd had some indigestion," Hounsell
said. "They sent me off for an ultrasound, which told them I was
at 37 weeks. The cramping I'd had were contractions." Her husband,
Dennis Ross, had been told he could not father children because of a car
accident a couple years earlier. "He's a good size. It makes you
wonder where I could hide it. My boss was very surprised but not quite
as surprised as I was," Housell said. MISSOULA,
Montana - Ford Lund and Rae Bauer do more than just shop and work at Wal-Mart.
Last Saturday, they held their nuptials there. "We met here, we work
here, we bought our cake here and our rings. Wal-Mart is our family,"
said Lund. The pair met when they worked together in the garden department.
Their wedding was held on the front lawn of the store. Co-workers were
granted a special break to attend the ceremony and they applauded when
the newlyweds kissed. The couple then had their wedding photos taken at
the store's portrait studio. The day did have one difficulty though. "We
lost the rings, and we are still not sure where they are at," said
Bauer. A member of the Wal-Mart family quickly loaned them rings so they
could go through with the ceremony. Butt Hole Address not Amusing to Homeowners LONDON -
A British couple felt no choice but to move due to the humiliation and
shame caused by the name of their street. Paul and Lisa Allott had only
lived in their $250,000 bungalow on Butt Hole Road in Conisbrough, Northern
England for about 15 months, but they could no longer handle the never-ending
jokes. Groups of teens would often show up for a photo op near the street
sign with their rear ends exposed. They also discovered that taxis and
pizza delivery men would not show up, thinking that their calls were merely
pranks, Allott told the Sun newspaper, "I like a laugh, but it was
beyond a joke." The couple now have a confidential phone number at
their new residence. Schoolboys on Viagra Stand Out LONDON, England
- Things weren't looking up for six British schoolboys as they were rushed
to the hospital after ingesting Viagra during their lunch period on a
dare. A classmate informed teachers about the prank and the paramedics
were called. The local education authority believe one of the boys took
the pills from home and brought them to school to share with his friends.
The boys will most likely receive some form of reprimand since the school
has a no drugs policy. The Sun newspaper quoted a source at the school
as commenting: "By the time the afternoon lessons began, there was
no hiding what they had done." The uncomfortable students were taken
to the nearby hospital where they were carefully watched until the drug
wore off. WICHITA FALLS,
TX - Two 17-year-olds were able to help police who were trying to catch
a suspect on the Wichita Falls Country Club golf course. The two teens
were on the driving range when they noticed Eric Goin running across the
grass. They teed off and hit him square in the knee with their golf balls,
causing him to have to surrender. Goin had sprinted to the course after
he wandered into the back door of a furniture store and employees alerted
police. Officers riding motorcycles followed Goin across the driving range
and up the fairway until he was hit by the golf balls. The course was
not damaged during the incident. Goin will be charged with being intoxicated
in public. In Germany,
the latest nightlife craze has left bar patrons screaming and moaning
for more. The trend of porno karaoke has spread across major cities in
Germany ever since film producers Satt und Durstig organized a premiere
last month in Berlin. Porno karaoke is not much different than regular
karaoke, except for the fact that instead of belting out tunes from popular
song artists, participants imitate the soundtracks of adult movie stars.
Players pair up into male-female teams while a XXX film is loaded into
the projector. The sound is muted, the duo is handed two microphones,
and for one minute they provide the noises for the on-screen action. The
audience, which usually finds the show more humorous than erotic, then
picks the couple they feel gave the most convincing and enthusiastic performance
of a fake orgasm. BRUSSELS
- Former ambulance driver Leo Van Aert was able to use his handy first
aid skills to save the life of one of his pond fish by using mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation. Van Aert was so delighted that his cherished koi would
live that he wanted to name it after one of his grandchildren. He had
been enjoying a party at his residence when his wife noticed the fish
- a spotted Japanese carp - floating on the surface of the garden pond.
The koi was "acting funny," swimming and jumping before coming
to a dead halt in the water. Worried that the fish had a heart attack,
Van Aert pulled it out of the pond, giving it heart massages before touching
his lips to the fish. "After 15 minutes, the fish started to move
again so I put him in the pond...but when he fell over again I again applied
mouth-to-mouth and heart massages," Van Aert said. "That's when
the fish recovered." LONDON -
Singles in England are paying to sit silently while writing courtship
and come-on notes to one another. As many as 35 singles pay $30 each to
sit around tables for two hours exchanging notes and drinking wine at
$6.25 per glass. Organizer Guy Holmes, 28, says the Silent Dating gatherings
are successful because they tune in to the new-found love of e-mail and
text messaging on mobile phones. The guests are mostly career-minded professionals
in their 20s and 30s, with jobs in law, medicine and media. Holmes said
women particularly like the concept, but it's hard to get sufficient men
to round out the numbers. The Mirror reporter who participated said poor
handwriting made deciphering some notes difficult, including one where
a woman wasn't certain if the man asked if she liked wild parties or wild
panties. Randy Ram Tells the World YORKSHIRE,
England - A ram proud of his sexual exploits has found a way to inform
British intelligence officials of his routine, the Times of London said
Tuesday. Officials at one of the government intelligence-gathering installations
in northern England's Scarborough region admitted analysts had been puzzled
for months over high-frequency radio transmission being picked up from
a single antenna. More puzzling was the fact it only occurred during daylight
hours. After extensive clandestine observation, the answer was found --
a randy ram who boasted his exploits by grating his horns against the
antenna. Spokesman Bob McNally, said: "It was part of the ritual
that the ram went through after it had made a conquest. I believe the
ram was notching up a mark on the pylon, so to speak." Six Brits Snookered by TV Show LONDON -
Six British men have filed lawsuits against Sky TV for fooling them into
kissing a man that appeared to be a woman. The contestants hoped to win
$17,000 and a week on a yacht with the sultry brunette who starred in
the reality show, "There's Something About Miriam." The young
men say they were told to impress "her" by performing macho
and romantic acts, such as intimate massages, caressing and cuddling,
holding hands and kissing. But they were horrified to learn after three
weeks of filming that Miriam is a man, said to be a planning a sex change.
All six contestants walked out and banded together to sue producers and
try to stop the show being aired. Their lawsuit claims defamation, conspiracy
to commit sexual assault, breach of contract and personal injury by way
of psychological and emotional damage. London Dad Stages Dramatic Protest LONDON -
An angry 36-year-old father decided to protest over the enforcement of
father's rights to see their children by dressing up as his daughter's
favorite hero Spiderman and barricading himself in a crane over Tower
Bridge. Police were forced to close one of London's main road arteries
to seal off the area around the crane, causing many disgruntled commuters
to lose sympathy for the dad. David Chick left the crane once on Tuesday
to punch the air and walk along the crane's arm. Police felt it was not
safe to remove Chick by force but planned to arrest him. Chick, who has
not been able to see his daughter for over eight months, strolled the
crane on Friday but resisted attempts to talk him down. He had indoor
fireworks in the crane along with enough food to last another week. Lawyers Busted in the Nude MADISON,
Wis. - Two lawyers were caught naked while they were drying off in the
laundry room of a downtown apartment building after the University of
Wisconsin's football victory over Ohio State. David Burleson and Todd
Buss, both 40, told police that their clothes were soaked due to rain
at the game and a building resident told them they could dry off in the
laundry room. The two were charged with disorderly conduct for being "extremely
uncooperative" with police. According to officers, they were "extremely
intoxicated" and singing loudly when the cops arrived. The pair attempted
to cover themselves with a skull cap and a mesh laundry bag. Burleson
and Buss pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and were fined $200
and court costs. You Just Can't Advertise Breast Milk Advertising
to sell excess breast milk seemed like a good idea to a Salt Lake City
woman, but it created a lot of lactose indignation, a newspaper reports.
An unidentified 23-year-old woman who thought she would help other new
mothers by offering her own excess milk placed an ad in the Salt Lake
Tribune. However, she had to withdraw her offer after receiving one too
many prank phone calls. One man inquired if it came in chocolate while
another wondered if he could buy an endless supply to use as a protein
drink. Health care officials also called to complain about the risk of
breast milk from unknown sources spreading diseases and infections. The
ad offered the frozen milk for sale at $1 an ounce or $350 for the whole
lot. By mutual consent, the woman and the Tribune agreed to pull the ad. Woman Finds Condom in Her Chowder LOS ANGELES
- A woman was enjoying a bowl of clam chowder in a fancy restaurant when
she discovered something that didn't belong in the soup - a condom. Laila
Sultan and her three friends were having a meal when Sultan found the
offending object. "I thought it was calamari or shrimp or something
so I chewed one more," she said. "It felt rubbery. I told my
friends, 'My God, there's something in my mouth.'" She spit the rubber
into a napkin and at first thought it was a latex glove. When her friend
realized what it was, Sultan rushed to the bathroom and threw up everything
she ate. The four women are now suing the restaurant for negligence and
intentional infliction of emotional distress. Patrick Stark, the attorney
for McCormick & Schmicks Seafood Restaurant, said that the staff had
no clue how the condom got into the chowder. Wife Locks Husband in Bathroom for 3 Years ISTANBUL
- A man who had been locked naked in the bathroom for three years was
released after his mother, alerted by neighbors, called the police. Orhan
Babutcu, 41, had been locked in the room by his wife, who claimed he was
mentally disturbed. He was found naked and traumatized sitting on the
shower tiles near the toilet, with a bowl of food on the floor. His wife,
Kevser Babutcu, said it was clear her husband was mentally unstable since
he took three showers a day. She was going to request a divorce after
15 years of marriage. "Her goal was to make me sick so that I'd die
and she'd inherit my fortune," her husband said. She had been having
a good time with other men while her spouse was locked away in the bathroom.
He is receiving psychiatric help and she will be charged. Wind Surfers Hurtled into Parking Lot CORAL GABLES,
Fla - Two kite surfers were sent hurtling into a parking lot after high
winds lifted them off of the South Florida waters. They flew into a parking
lot at Matheson Hammock Park where one collided with a car and suffered
severe head injuries. He was taken to Ryder Trauma Center. Wind gusts
as high as 35 miles an hour caused waves of up to 11 feet along the coast.
A high surf advisory was issued by the National Weather Service. The wind
came from different weather systems funneling air between them. About
5,000 residents were also left without power in Palm Beach County and
thousands more in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Hooters Girls Against the Turkeys SOUTH NORWALK,
Conn. - Some turkeys will have their lives on the line as they compete
against four Hooters girls in a competition sponsored by the Outdoor Life
Network. Organizer Brian Williams describes it as a battle "between
six of Connecticut's largest turkeys and four of America's most beautiful
Hooters girls." The girls and the gobblers must compete in a pumpkin-pie
eating contest, a limbo event and a football match. If the turkeys are
victorious, they will be allowed to live and not end up as somebody's
Thanksgiving dinner. No word on whether the Hooters girls will win anything
if they beat the turkeys. The competition will be broadcast Thanksgiving
night during a marathon of the OLN series, "Beach Ambush." KUALA LUMPUR,
Malaysia - When surgeons were treating a man for an eye infection, they
found something they didn't expect - part of a wooden chopstick embedded
in his face. The eating utensil was lodged in tissue between his eyes
and was discovered during exploratory surgery to remove an unknown foreign
object. According to Dr. Gurdeep Singh Mann, the patient, Ng Keng Choon,
was lucky to be alive because the chopstick had been leaning against his
brain. Ng had been beaten up five years ago by attackers who stabbed him
with the chopstick. Gurdeep said, "We have checked medical journals
and found out that this could well be the first time in the world where
a chopstick was found inside a patient's face." First International Camel Festival BEIJING -
Those in the market for a beautiful camel had their chance to see China's
finest at "the first international camel festival." The dromedary
beauty contest featured only those camels with shiny hair, upright humps,
and a good fashion sense. According to the judges, the animals had to
wear "beautiful halters and saddles in a proper way." The beauty
contest in the Inner Mongolia region attracted about 100 dressed-up camels
and over 2,000 fans. It was not specified who the "fans" were
or where they came from. Sponsors of the festival said they hoped the
camel beauty competition would generate more attention for the beasts. St. Petersburg,
Russia, is marketing itself as an erotic tourist destination, claiming
it was founded by well-endowed men. Moreover, the city boasts a web of
rivers that resemble a naked woman, according to a new city guide called
"Erotic Petersburg." "St. Petersburg has always been a
pioneer in the country's erotic culture," said Lev Shcheglov, a well-known
St. Petersburg sexologist and editor-in-chief of the guide. "The
city was the first to open a scientific school of sexology, a sexology
center, and even a commission to control erotic products." According
to the guide's authors, visitors to St. Petersburg often experience "a
state of high excitement" conditioned by "the special erotic
atmosphere of the city's architecture." The guide says the first
men to settle the area were famed for their physical attributes, and they
"experienced difficulties horseback riding." BERLIN -
Fed up with garbage-strewn streets, Berlin has devised a solution that
it thinks might work - garbage cans that say thank you. Beginning next
spring, the city's trash service will build electronics into some of the
street-side trash cans that will let them speak or sing to the public.
"We want to encourage people in a nice, funny way to throw their
trash in the baskets and not on the street," said the official, Bernd
Mueller. They will be installed at heavily visited areas such as the Reichstag
building. The wastebaskets will be silent after dark, however. "Some
people might feel uncomfortable if these things said something to them
at night," Mueller said. Instead, lights around the basket's opening
will glow green. Mueller did not say how much the talking trash cans would
cost or exactly how many baskets will be programmed. TOKYO - Trusting
Japanese have been tricked out of huge amounts of money this year thanks
to frauds who call and pretend to be relatives needing help. Victims of
the swindle receive calls from fraudsters who say, "Hi, it's me,"
and act like they desperately need money for anything from a traffic accident
to an unexpected pregnancy. Victims are quick to believe that the person
on the other end is really a close relative and they usually agree to
transfer money to a bank account specified by the scammer. According to
police statistics, there have been 3,807 reported cases of the fraud this
year and victims have paid out almost 2.3 billion yen ($21.1 million).
A majority of the victims were women over 40. Police recommend that people
check the identity of the person asking for money over the phone. Convicts Ask for Tougher Sentences It's strange
enough for a convict to request a tougher sentence. However, one Danish
judge received requests from two men for extended prison time, and both
ventured to Denmark to get into trouble. When a visiting Scot was given
ten days in jail for entering the country illegally, he asked the judge
for two months behind bars to help him fight his alcoholism. A 65-year-old
Swedish man also requested a jail term to last at least over Christmas
on the same grounds. The Swede, described as having 'zero personal hygiene,'
has been legally banned from traveling to Denmark, but has visited there
at least 100 times since the prohibition. He was sentenced to 40 days
for illegal entry, and once released and sent to Malmo, he returned on
the first boat to Denmark. Neither man was given a longer sentence. NORWAY -
A visit to see Santa at a shopping center ended in disaster for 13-year-old
Joakim Osland. A fjoesnisse, a type of elf that normally lives in barns
and wears a red cap associated with Christmas and Santa Claus, became
incredibly angry when Joakim tried to pet his hen. Osland and two friends
went to see the fjoesnisse, who was standing with a wagon containing a
pig and a hen. A curious Joakim wanted to pet the hen that he thought
looked incredibly soft. When he tried to touch her, she hopped away, provoking
the 'elf' to go berserk. "He came up behind me and shouted at me.
I didn't think elves did that kind of thing," Osland said. "He
grabbed me, first with one hand, then the other, so that he was strangling
me. He said I should respect animals. The elf scared me a bit." DALLAS -
Thanks to an angry woman in Dallas, needlepointing has just gotten a little
sharper. Julie Jackson runs subversivecrossstitch.com, a website that
provides needlepoint kits for those who are mad as hell. Jackson started
the site a year ago after working for a hellish boss and taking up needlepoint
as therapy. However, instead of stitching up nice little messages such
as "God Bless Our Home," she chose sayings like "Candy
Ass, What Makes You Think I Care?" and "Go F*** Yourself."
She has found the needlepoint kits to be extremely popular, particularly
with gloomy teenagers. Only one person criticized the kits and thought
the patterns were bad. But Jackson feels that a person stitching up "Go
F*** Yourself" isn't going to be too concerned about the intricacies
of cross stitching. Chocolate Santa Causes Bomb Scare Over 100
staff had to be evacuated from the Bank of Scotland's headquarters on
Edinburgh's Mound last Friday after a bomb squad was called in to detonate
a chocolate Santa. The workers panicked after mistaking the string used
to tie the chocolate to the Christmas tree for wiring. Before the bomb
squad could blow up the chocolate Santa, the person who sent it was traced
and put an end to the scare by revealing what was inside. One police officer
said that the X-ray machine picked up the gold string and it looked like
wiring. Everyone had a laugh when the package was opened and the chocolate
Santa fell out. An employee remarked that all of the staff were jumpy
and realized the need for high security. Hamburger Bonus for Air Canada Employees MONTREAL
- To award good workers who received top marks on customer service, Air
Canada decided to present 100 randomly picked top employees with a bonus
- a whopping hamburger coupon worth $3.78 that expires in five weeks.
Employees graced with the award were sent a personal letter containing
the coupon, redeemable until Dec. 31 at the Harvey's hamburger chain,
Second Cup coffee shops or other restaurant outlet owned by Cara Operations
Ltd. Since the coupons soon expire, they came at no cost to the carrier.
Some Air Canada employees had to forgo a bonus earlier this year when
the airline won court protection from its creditors and extracted about
$840,000 worth of concessions from its unions. Indian Holy Man Hasn't Eaten in Decades AHMEDABAB,
India - Physicians are reportedly baffled by an Indian holy man who claims
not to have eaten or drunk anything for decades, but who is in perfect
health. Prahlad Jani, who is over 70 years old, was placed under constant
observation for 10 days in an Indian hospital. The hospital's deputy superintendent,
Dr. Dinesh Desai, said the holy man -- or fakir -- did not consume anything
and "neither did he pass urine or stool," yet he remained in
good mental and physical condition. Physicians say most people can live
without food for several weeks, but the average human can survive for
only three to four days without water. Jani spent his 10 days in the hospital
within a specially prepared room with a sealed toilet and under constant
video surveillance. AUSTRALIA
- A brush turkey thought he had met his match when a man fell into a mating
hole in a Burleigh park and was almost buried alive. The man was walking
along a track when he fell into the 'hole of love' and was buried up to
his head. It is thought that a brush turkey discovered the man shortly
after he fell and attempted to bury him in a mating ritual. The man was
stuck in the hole for awhile until someone noticed him and called emergency
services. Several fire crews came to the scene and fought back laughter
as they retrieved him from the hole. A wildlife ranger said that December
was the frisky season for brush turkeys. Just last week signs warning
people of wild turkeys were put up in the national park. Irate Woman Explodes Gas Station A Miami woman
crashed her car into a gas pump at a gas station, causing the pump to
explode, all because the clerk wouldn't sell her alcohol, according to
police. The woman, who appeared inebriated, entered at the gas station/convenience
store at 5 a.m. and wanted to buy beer or wine, the Miami Herald reports.
The clerk refused because city and county ordinances prohibit the sale
of alcohol before 6 a.m. The woman left, but once in her car she raced
it backward, striking the gas pump, which exploded and erupted into flames.
A shattered bumper was left behind as the woman fled. Mirrored Loo in London Gallery Those who
feel answering the call of nature can be an artistic event should head
for London's Tate Britain gallery. Los Angeles-based Italian artist Monica
Bonvicini has installed a public loo made of one-way mirrored glass on
the grounds of the former Royal Army Medical College. A spokesman for
the artist agreed people might feel uncomfortable using the facility.
"They may be wary of desecrating a work of art or may be uneasy that
because they can see out, other people can see in. There could be this
feeling that there is some form of switch to change it and let people
see in, but of course there isn't." When the Millbank Penitentiary
occupied the site, it was from there prisoners were held before being
shipped to their exile in Australia. In recognition, the cubicle contains
a prison toilet. HOUSTON -
A Texas woman got so upset at a McDonald's because she wanted mayonnaise
on her cheeseburger that she ran over the manager with her car. Waynetta
Nolan was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday after the McDonald's
manager, Sherry Jenkins, said she gave Nolan the mayo she wanted, but
she flew into a rage anyway. Nolan threw her cheeseburger into the drive-through
window and continued to make demands until Jenkins called police. She
went outside to write down Nolan's license plate number and Nolan ran
her over, breaking her pelvis. Nolan claimed that she was putting ketchup
on her burger and her car accidentally rolled forward into Jenkins. Christmas
carols are a form of terrorism? Well, according to an Austrian union that
represents store workers, the answer is yes. The union believes the constant
playing of Christmas tunes is a type of "psycho-terrorism" that
can cause workers to suffer psychologically. In fact, Gotfried Rieser,
of the Union of Private Employees, is requesting that stores only play
carols a few hours a day and restrict them to departments that sell Christmas
presents. He claims that employees "get aggressions and aversions
against Christmas music" when exposed to it for long periods of time.
Stores employers' spokesman Franz Penz says CD players allow stores to
play a large number of songs. "It practically doesn't happen that
the same Christmas tune is played over and over again," he says. BERLIN -
A 33-year-old man went to the police station to see if he was on their
wanted list and probably would have left scot-free if he hadn't been hiding
a small amount of heroin in his ear. He was charged by police with drugs
possession. "I suppose he may have heard he was wanted for some offence
and just wanted to see if the police had anything on him," Volker
Pieper, a spokesman for police in the central city of Kassel, said on
Tuesday. "It didn't go quite as he had planned." As the man
spoke to police, an officer noticed a suspicious lump in his ear which
turned out to be a gram of heroin. Police took the drug from the man before
filing charges. Man Attacks Woman With Alligator A Port Orange,
Fla., man is facing a battery charge for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend
with a pet alligator he kept in his bathtub, according to the Volusia
County Sheriffs Office. He then went to the bathroom and allegedly returned wielding a 3-foot alligator, swinging it at the woman. He hit her arm with the reptile as she tried to escape. He then allegedly threw empty beer bottles at her and finally shoved her out the front door of the house, according to the report. The woman
went to a neighbors house to call for help. CHARLOTTE,
Vt. - Vermont may no longer be part of the United States if a small group
of citizens has its way. The Second Vermont Republic is attempting to
get the state's 600,000 residents to agree to secession to avoid what
leader Thomas Naylor calls "imperial overstretch" and "corporate
homogenization." Naylor says that the state is a rural area that
has nothing in common with large cities such as Chicago or Los Angeles.
He believes that separating from the Union is the only way to be sure
the "Green Mountain State" stays green. Naylor hopes the secession
will be non-violent and insists that his goal is just to free Vermont
from the other 49 states. The Second Vermont Republic only has a few hundred
members at the moment but Naylor is sure that his plan will be successful.
He is also hoping to convince New Hampshire, Maine and Quebec to join
them in forming a new country. LAGUNA BEACH,
Calif. - Two California entrepreneurs have created a new type of greeting
card that is sure to make the folks at Hallmark blush - cards with the
inside message printed on a sexy black thong. Kim Leone and Ann Mohler's
creation is called Polka Dot Greetingwear and features racy holiday greetings
that include a card reading "Peace on Earth" on the outside
and "Goodwill Toward Men" on the underwear. There's also one
that says "Round yon" on the outside and "virgin"
on the inside. Mohler says the idea for the panty cards came from a brainstorming
session where she and Leone and a few friends came up with the goofiest
sayings they would like to see printed on underwear. The panty greetings
aren't just limited to Christmas - you can pick one up for bachelorette
parties, birthdays and even a divorce card that says "Yay you're
getting divorced" and contains a pair of underwear that reads "open
season." Alarming Assault Ends in Arrest NARA, Japan
- A Japanese woman has been arrested after unleashing a day-long sonic
assault on a neighbor with blasting radios and alarm clocks, police said.
Kayoko Deguchi, 47, was arrested for inflicting bodily injury after her
noisy alleged assault left her 53-year-old neighbor with chronic headaches.
Relations between Deguchi and her neighbor had been strained for some
time. Police said on almost every day from February to September this
year, Deguchi had placed radios with the volume at the maximum level next
to windows facing her neighbor's home and let them play. She also set
off a series of alarm clocks to heighten the noise, creating chronic headaches
for the neighbor. Some days, the radio would be left on from dawn to dusk.
Police visited Deguchi's home several times, but she refused to respond.
Police raided Deguchi's home twice up until Dec. 3, seizing six radios
or radio cassette recorders and nine alarm clocks. ENGLEWOOD,
Colo. - Stylists at A Little Off The Top salon are giving men motivation
to come in for their haircut - by wearing only lingerie as they work.
The "gentleman's salon" offers haircuts, manicures, pedicures,
massages, tanning and waxing with half-naked stylists to do it all. Some
residents are not happy with the skimpy attire, but others insist it is
all in good fun. "Most of the guys I've seen in here," said
Eric Labeaux, a client and friend of the owner, "they're bald."
Owner Steve Gurule and his wife and manager, Monica Gurule, are hoping
to link hair cuts and lingerie in the same way that Hooters linked tight
tank tops with buffalo wings. Not only do the girls look good cutting
hair, but Gurule reassures customers that they really are good at cutting
hair and are licensed with the state. WESTON, Fla.
- A woman got a lot more than she asked for at a McDonald's drive-thru.
Janice Meissner ordered a bagel and a Diet Coke for breakfast, but her
bag of food seemed unusually heavy. She soon discovered the bag was loaded
with hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars in a sealed plastic bag. The
money turned out to be the restaurant's bank deposit. Officials for McDonald's
said the deposit was put in a food bag to make it less obvious before
it was taken to the bank. It was accidentally left too close to the drive-thru
window and the employee didn't check twice before sending it out the window.
Meissner did a double take after opening the bag before backing up her
minivan to the window to return the money. McDonald's officials said they
will send Meissner a thank-you letter and $50 in gift certificates. TORTILLA
FLATS, Ariz. - An entire Old West Arizona town has been put on eBay with
an asking price of $5.5 million. Tortilla Flat, a historic tourist town
of splintered-wood buildings and dust is posted on the site, and its listing
has logged more than 6,500 hits. Nestled in the Superstition Mountains
about 18 miles northeast of Apache Junction, the 1904 town offers prickly
pear cactus ice cream, half-pound cowboy burgers and saddle seating at
the bar. Dave Levi, 54, who has co-owned the town for five years with
his sister and brother-in-law, Pam and Alvin Ross, said he is "getting
too old for this stuff." The land on which the town sits is leased
from the Tonto National Forest Service. The 20-year, renewable and transferable
land lease, now in its third year, is included in the sale. Joey Buttafuoco,
who gained notoriety in 1992 when his affair with a teenager led to his
wife's shooting, was arrested Wednesday and charged with insurance fraud
after making phony repair estimates at his auto body shop. Buttafuoco,
co-owner of California Collision of Chatsworth, allegedly told undercover
investigators how to file phony insurance claims for undamaged cars. Prosecutors
charged him with three counts of insurance fraud and one count of grand
theft. He was being held on $50,000 bail. A separate action was also filed
by the state to suspend or revoke the body shop's license, alleging the
shop charged customers over $12,000 for repair work that was not done. Lobster Barbie MOUNT DESERT
ISLAND, Maine - As a joke, fishermen Jim Bright and Chris Costello dressed
a female lobster in a Barbie outfit, complete with pink high heels. Their
little prank has saved the crustacean from the steam pot at least 10 times.
Barbie Lobster, as she has been nicknamed, has been hauled up and thrown
back on several occasions. The radios used by lobstermen buzz with laughter
and chatter every time a new sighting of Barbie is reported. Costello
made a special trip to Wal-Mart to purchase the blue blouse, red- and
white-checkered shirt and shoes that Barbie Lobster wears. Barbie hasn't
been spotted since early December and apparently was unkempt and almost
naked, except for the heels. If she makes it a few more months, she will
be home free for another season. "We have our spring fashions all
ready to go," Costello said. ROCHESTER
HILLS - Mich. - Tracker the cat is one lucky feline. After traveling 150
miles in the engine of a car, he emerged a little shaken, but otherwise
unscathed. The long-haired gray cat rode unseen in the engine compartment
of a female college student's car as she drove home for the holidays.
He most likely survived the 150 mile-trip in the Chevrolet Tracker because
the woman made no stops. She only noticed the cat when she reached home
and heard intense kitty-crying. After she and her family searched around
the car, they finally lifted the hood and discovered Tracker perched on
top of the engine. Officials at Pontiac's Michigan Animal Rescue League
believe the cat probably slipped into the engine compartment to keep warm.
He is currently residing at the League and is waiting to be adopted. BERLIN, Germany
- Since Germany has only a small amount of its own natural reserves, a
power plant chief has been searching for an alternate source of energy
and believes he has found it - used diapers. "It's an environmentally
friendly source of energy," said Thomas Lesche, director of a Bremen
incinerator plant that made a deal with a nearby retirement home to purchase
100 tons of used pads and soiled tissues, which is an average of about
10,000 pads. "The pollution emissions with used pads are far lower
than with oil or coal," added Lesche. "The content of nappies
provide a great source of energy. The demand for used incontinence materials
will grow in the future." He also mentioned that the materials make
up around one percent of the plant's energy output now, but felt confident
that the percentage would increase. No Job if You Have More Than 3 Earrings ORLANDO,
Fla. - If you have more than three earrings in each ear, don't expect
to get a job in any Orange County office. Administrators have decided
that three earrings in each earlobe is the maximum amount of "facial
jewelry" that workers will be allowed to wear in Orange County offices.
Any other facial piercings, such as eyebrow rings, nose rings, or tongue
studs, will not be permitted. "They can't even speak well when they
have their tongues pierced," said Commissioner Mary I. Johnson, 70.
The earring policy also states that none of the three earrings can be
worn on the top part of the ear. The only holdout among administrators
was Homer Hartage, who was overruled. "Occasionally there will be
employees who are good workers, but they see the world a little bit differently
than the rest of us," he said. Testicular Acting BOSTON -
A man in Boston has taken on some ballsy acting roles - ones where his
testicles do the work. The man, who refers to himself as "Sackie
Gleason," has a website called testicletheater.com, where he dresses
his testicles up in costumes and has them act out scenes from "Macbeth,
Enter The Dragon" and "Thelma and Louise." Gleason agrees
it's a little nutty but believes his "multi-talented testicles"
bring the works of Stanley Kubrick, John Cassvettes and Sam Peckinpah
to a new audience. Gleason doesn't want to keep his testicles confined
to a film set. He enjoys the live stage and admits his testes thrive during
"live theatrical interpretations on request." They Grow 'em Tough in Arkansas HARRISON,
Ark. - After a farmer's arm was ripped off in a tractor accident, he picked
up the limb, climbed back on the tractor and went home to get help. "What
was I supposed to do? Lie there and die?" James Arlen Mondy's wife
quoted him as saying. Doctors tried but were unable to reattach his arm
after the Dec. 16 accident. Mondy was knocked off his tractor when it
hit a hole and the spinning blades of a brush cutter chopped off his arm
at the shoulder. As he made his way home, he stopped to open a gate, drove
through, and then dismounted the tractor again to close the gate. He continued
on his way and began to feel lightheaded. Luckily, a passing couple saw
him and were able to summon help. CLEARWATER,
Florida - A woman who swallowed a 1.5 carat diamond ring had no choice
but to give up the evidence when nature called, Florida police reported.
A Clearwater Police Department spokesman said that 38-year-old Mary Flowers
was arrested last week after she was caught on surveillance tape swallowing
the $20,000 ring at a jewelry store in a mall. She denied digesting the
ring until an X-ray revealed that it was inside her. She was held in a
jail cell under observation until she passed the ring through her digestive
system on Monday. Flowers was charged with grand theft and bail was set
at $5,000. Police are keeping the ring until the case is over. A Cruise to Nowhere After Royal
Olympic Cruises claimed bankruptcy and lost its navigational equipment
to creditors, about 800 cruise ship passengers are now stranded in the
Caribbean on the company's cruise ship, the Olympia Voyager. The ship
is anchored in St. Thomas and will "not be going anywhere anytime
soon." Creditors allegedly stopped the cruise ship on its voyage
and repossessed computers and navigational equipment. The report featured
John Haskell, a possible future passenger, who had bought cruise tickets
with the company to tour the Amazon River. "I'm disappointed that
this happened, Haskell said. "I was looking forward to this cruise.
It was going to come to around $5000 for the two of us. It was a good
bargain." BERLIN -
Germany has quietly accelerated an old tool in its fight against chronic
unemployment -- coax the unemployed into not looking for work. Under the
plan, run by Germany's Federal Labor Office, a jobless person signs a
document saying he or she no longer seeks work and, in exchange for thus
helping lower the country's double-digit unemployment rate, gets unemployment
benefits until their pension kicks in. While the government denies it
is accelerating the program, a source said officials recently sent a memo
to the country's job centers setting a goal of 75 percent of all unemployed
over 58 to sign on. Despite the denials, there has been a sudden rise
in participation. Since September, 373,100 workers have signed the document,
up 20 percent from the year earlier figure. Analysts expect the number
of jobless to top five million this winter. Curious Anti-Porn Ad CORONA, Calif.
- In an attempt to fight pornography, Pastor Craig Gross - who runs an
anti-porn website called xxxchurch.com - has created the world's first
anti-porn TV commercial. The 30-second commercial details the adventures
of a midget named Eddie with the moral being "porn stunts growth."
Although it isn't politically correct, Gross says that these days even
the Lord must use the "Jackass" mentality to get His message
across to the young men most likely to become addicted to porn. Gross
insists that he asked Eddie for his input before filming and the midget
said he had done more degrading things. The anti-porn ad has run in Southern
California on shows like "Howard Stern" and "The Man Show."
Gross hopes that anti-porn advocates will pay to have it air in other
areas of the U.S. Trapped Under a Mountain of Books A book-loving
pack rat tried to squeeze even more tomes into his tiny New York City
apartment and ended up buried under an avalanche of books, magazines and
other stuff. "I was hollering for two days, 'Let me out! Let me out!'"
Patrice Moore tells the New York Post. The 42-year-old former mail room
clerk was trapped under his possessions for two days. His screaming finally
alerted the landlord but despite breaking the door down, the avalanche
kept rescuers from opening the door. Even after the landlord removed the
door from its hinges it took three hours to dig out the man. Moore says
he collects books and magazines and peddles them back on the street for
about $300 a week. SANTA FE,
N.M. - A couple returned home from a week-long vacation to an unpleasant
surprise: the legs of a dead man dangling from their ceiling. Police identified
the man as Carl Smith, 81, and he was the ex-husband of the woman who
lived in the home. "He was stuck in an air conditioner duct,"
said Trish Ahrensfield, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque police. Police
said it seems the man was attempting to break into the home via the roof
and died while trying to enter through the air conditioner duct. The couple
said their house was cold when they returned and they went to the bathroom
to check if the heater had been turned off. When they looked at the ceiling,
they saw the legs hanging down. CURUGSEWU,
Indonesia - Villagers on the Indonesian island of Java have caught alive
a python that is almost 50 feet long and weighs nearly 1,000 pounds, The
Australian reported. If confirmed, it would be the largest snake ever
kept in captivity, the newspaper reported Monday. Hundreds of people have
flocked to see the snake at a primitive zoo in Curugsewu village on the
country's main island of Java. A local government official said the reticulated
python measured 49 feet and weighed in at 985 pounds. The Indonesian snake,
which was caught last year but only recently put on public display, eats
three or four dogs a month. Reticulated pythons are the world's longest
snakes. They are capable of eating animals as large as sheep, and have
been known to attack and consume humans. The species is native to the
swamps and jungles of Southeast Asia. MONTREAL
- A Montreal housecat beat out former pro players and sports analysts
in the Montreal Gazette's NFL pool, the newspaper reported Friday. Miss
Kallie, an 11-year-old brown tabby outwitted 11 humans, including radio
and television sports broadcasters, two Gazette sportswriters and two
former professional football players, to win the pool, which appeared
weekly in the newspaper's sports section. Miss Kallie's winning record:
101 wins, 82 losses and nine ties. Her average was .552. Before each game,
her owners would hold up slips of paper bearing the names of the competing
teams. They would encourage the cat to sniff one of the pieces of paper.
Her owners found her to be very species-loyal, often picking the Bengals,
Lions, Jaguars and Panthers. She also frequently demonstrated an interest
in possible sources of food: the Ravens, Seahawks and Eagles.
|
