"A Christmas Story," A tradition that will live on forever

I can almost guarentee that it would be very difficult to find someone in America who has no idea what A Christmas Story is. When A Christmas Story hit theaters in 1983, many including little ralphie himself had no idea that the movie would have its own 24 hour marathon 25 years later and im sure that in 1983, the makers of A Christmas Story would have never imagined the production becoming a christmas tradition in American households for years and years. According to CNN.com, a family in Cleveland, Ohio loved the movie so much that they transformed a house that was in the movie into a busy tourist attraction. I watch this movie every Christmas with my family. Its a moment that young family members and older family members can all share. the movie was introduced to me when I was a young boy, and i know that when i have kids, A Christmas Story will become part of my new family for many holiday's to come. To read this wonderful article, click here

New requirement for being a politician

There is a new law being discussed in Australia where politicians may have to take a breathalyzer test in order to vote on laws.

After there were two events that caused a great deal of controversy involving members of their lawmakers the plan may go into effect.

Said one person of the plan "Honestly, if you are going to have breathalyzers for people driving cranes you should have breathalyzers for people writing laws."

For more information visit Reuters

A different type of packrat

At a house that was called into the police for being in bad repair and seemingly abandoned was made a shocking discovery. The building had all the signs of a pack-rat; garbage and other assorted refuse. Also packed inside the building was the decomposing body of the owner of the North Hollywood house.

Police had difficulty getting into the building because of all the debris in front of the doors so they had to wait to for the fire department to come to the house to remove a door so they could get inside.

The body inside of the building was of an adult however it was impossible to determine age or gender becuase of its decomposing status. Coroner official described the body as "skeletony" and having been there for a "quite some time."

For more information visit the Los Angeles Times Web site

A new type of exam

A teacher in San Diego is selling ads on his tests, quizzes, and finals.

Tom Farber, San Diego, is selling ads in his assignments to make more money in order to pay an overwhelming copying fee.  Farber determined that it would take over $500 worth of copies in order to give tests and quizzes to all of his students. His copying budget is currently at $316.

Many companies are buying into this idea and he had already received 75 email requests for ads by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, when a story about his new technique of raising money was featured in the Thanksgiving edition of  The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Some parents not thrilled with the idea of having advertising forced into their child's face when they are working on a  difficult calculus problem are paying the fee and adding their own personal message to the tests or quizzes.

To read more about this visit the L.A. Times 

Found: Ring

A fisherman found something rather unusual in an 8 pound bass that he caught off the coast of Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas.  It was the class ring of Joe Richardson which he lost 21 years earlier on a fishing trip. 

The fisherman that found the ring used the internet and the name engraved on the ring to find him.

Richardson had lost the ring about two weeks after he graduated from Universal Technical Institute in 1987. His mother paid $200 for him to get it and was not happy to hear that it went missing after such a short time. 

Now that it has returned Richardson will not clean it and wear it, but store it away since he does not wear jewelry.

For more information Click Here

Death at what cost?

Oh Black Friday, when will the madness end? people rush out of thier houses and wait in line at early hours of the morning to get thier hands on thier favorite Christmas gifts for almost half of the price but at what cost? the people who wait in line know what they are in for and prepare themselves for the madness that follows when the doors of stores around the country open. but one would wonder if workers should be armed with weapons and protective gear when opening the doors of thier employer. This past friday a man by the name of Jdimytai Damour who works at a Long Island Wal-Mart was crushed to death when he and other associates opened the doors to the anxious crowd of bargian shoppers. and now, people who were hurt in the mele are suing Wal-Mart for injuries THEY suffered ignoring the man's death that insued that Friday morning. This is getting out of hand. Stores that run sales on Black Friday absolutley must implement some kind of extra security and if needed police force. It is disgusting to turn on the news year after year the day after Thanksgiving and almost predict that someone suffered injuries or in this case death from ignorant shoppers waiting to get thier hands on the latest commodity not giving a damn about other people. It disgusts me to know that somone's family member trying to make a decent living working the early hours in the morning after thanksgiving is killed. Not injured, KILLED and instead of having the man's family's wishes at heart, these money hungry americans are quick to do what we do best and automatically sue. If it were up to me, people who rush through the doors carelessly trampling other people should be tazed on target and detained untill the shopping spree is over. Its pathetic, its like a bunch of kids running for the Ice Cream truck but at least the kids arent killing the Ice Cream man. You can view the whole story here.

Dr. Pepper Fans Get Axled Out of Free Offer

As Gun N' Roses finally decided to release their first album in 17 years last week called 'Chinese Democracy,' Dr. Pepper agreed to promote the album by promising the band's fans with a coupon for a "free soda" which could be printed off of their website. Although this marketing plan seemed like a win-win for the band and their fans,there was a pitfall since fans were told if they failed to log onto the site within 24 hours, they weren't able to receive the free offer. As a result, fans besieged with panic, all signed onto the site simultaneously and clogged the page causing it to shut down.

This offer of free swag ended up backfiring, with the fiasco of people not receiving what they had been promised, provoked them to point their fingers directly towards GN'R.

"When you go on the blogs and you read the responses from the fans, they associated Axl with this promotion ... and blame him for the fact that they didn't get their free soda," said GN'R lawyer Laurie Soriano.

Without a doubt, this obviously led Axl Rose to lose his cool, and we all know what happens to Axl Rose when he gets upset, which can be seen displayed in this concert video.



As you can see, when Axl gets ticked off he doesn't let things simply slide, he acts accordingly to what he feels is best, which is typically disregarding the authorities and taking matters into his own hands, literally.

As a result of the crashing website, Dr. Pepper agreed to extend the giveaway for 42 hours instead of 24, so people would stop accusing the band for the mishaps they had experienced. They also went as far to create a toll-free line for people to call with requests for their coupon just in case they encountered anymore technical deficiencies once again.

"The door to a lawsuit being filed is always open until the fans are taken care of and Dr Pepper has done the right thing," Soriano told CNN.

Hopefully we've seen the last of these crazed Dr. Pepper junkies who demand they be reimbursed for the inconvenience they have been put through because of this overwhelming cyberspace meltdown.

For more on this story go to CNN.

Obesity and the Law!!!!

A 430-pound convict is out of a Canadian prison because the facility could not accommodate his massive frame. The Quebec Parole Board cited Micheal Lapointe's health and good behavior as reasons for his early parole. "Big Mike," as he's known, was serving time for conspiracy and drug trafficking. So apparently If you are fat, you smell bad, have some sort of disease, and you behave well in prison, theres a good chance that you will be let out on time. Hmmm interesting. There are people in prison right now with lesser charges, and whom I am sure exhibit good behavior, that may not even be up for parole. This is absolutley ridiclious and if he is too overweight then give him more yard time. Don't just simply release him out of prison. That's just insane. although I do not know the logistics of this man's background and behavior in prison, It just seems a little far-fetched to release him because the prison could not accomidate him. You can read the full story here

Another addition to the dictionary? 'Meh'

Over the years many of you might have heard people nonchalantly throwing around the expression "meh," typically used when someone is uninterested or merely doesn't want to give a real response to whatever the other person is talking about or suggesting.

Although most people never think twice about this colloquialism, surprising the Collins English Dictionary thought differently and were so intrigued by the expression they insisted it be considered for inclusion in their 30th anniversary edition.

As for origins of the word, no one knows for certain where it came from. Some lexicographers say the word originated in North America, whizzed around the Internet, and eventually became a regularly used word of the typical teenager. Although one outlet we can definitely identify with using the word, where it was possibly first heard by a larger audience was on a 2001 episode of "The Simpsons," when Homer announces to his kids that they should all go on a day trip together, without looking up from the television the kids both answer with a lackadaisical "meh."

The definition of "meh" as it will appear in the dictionary reads as "an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring." Examples given by the dictionary include "the Canadian election was so meh."

The way the dictionary discovered the word was worth looking at was because publisher HarperCollins asked for input from average people who gave him examples of incessant words they use in normal everyday conversations that aren't already included in the dictionary. One of the very common words was "meh." A couple other suggested words were jargonaut, a fan of jargon; frenemy, an enemy disguised as a friend; and huggles, a hybrid of hugs and snuggles.

For the original story, go to MSNBC.

RSVP: Anything Goes Party

A resort in Australia is having a special party in March. 

The nude resort is having an "Anything Goes Party," the entire month of March. This is not the first time that a party like this has been done by the resort. 

Three years ago the same clothes optional resort had the police called on them for having a partner swap party after an amount of public complaints were called in. 

"It will be a hedonism resort, where anything goes for a month. It doesn't take rocket science to work out what it means," the owner of the White Cockatoo Tony Fox pictured with his wife, said when he revealed the month as March.

Fox, says "Tough economic times call for stiff measures."  The failing economy is one reasons that the Australian resort is having the party. Experts predict that the holiday bookings at resorts and other tourist locations will be a third less than what it was last year. They also have a 7.6 percent decline of international tourists this year.

Fox says that his resort is almost full for the month of March already.

Men Lose Their Mojos After Viewing Maxim Temptresses

A study was just released on how guys who look at magazines like Maxim tend to be more body conscious than their buddies who refrain from regularly sifting through steamy reading material with bodacious babes on the cover.

Normally when one thinks of self-esteem issues, especially surrounding the physical aesthetic, most of the time women make up the majority of this worrisome group. Now researchers are shifting their focus onto the male perspective. In order to see how males typically deal with what they see as their flawed bodies they conducted a series of experiments.

One of them involved giving 100 undergraduate students one of the three types of images to look at in some of the most popular lad magazines, such as Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. In the first group they studied layouts showing scantily clad women, either dressed in skimpy lingerie or bikinis, second were layouts featuring males who were well-dressed and in shape, thirdly shown were layouts "appearance-neutral" and articles that showcased topics like technology, film trivia, and pop culture. Results uncovered that the men who studied the photos of the provocatively dressed women was the group who appeared to be the most self-conscious compared to the other two groups.

"Men make the inference that in order to be sexual and romantic with women of the similar caliber they see in Maxim magazine, they also need to be attractive," said lead researcher Jennifer Aubrey of the Department of Communications at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

The next experiment the researchers carried out was done for the purpose of attempting to figure out why males with normal levels of confidence find themselves becoming more insecure about their appearances when they look at pictures of "sexualized women," in places such as magazines. For this study they separated 143 male undergraduates into two groups and had one group look at the covers of enticing females and the other group viewed the same photos, except with average-looking guys standing next to them. Needless to say the men who inspected the pictures showcasing everyday looking dudes turned out to be more comfortable in their own skin than the other guys.

Apparently it is said that men who peruse these magazines have a harder time being content with their own bodies and are less ambitious when it comes to asking out women. To think that these air-brushed cover models are having that big of an influence on men does make sense, but shouldn't they know that these women are unrealistic when considering the typical kind of girl who is more readily available and just as, if not more satisfying than these gussied up cover girls? I know that the main objective of these magazines is to make a profit by selling as many issues as possible, but when are they going to realize what's good for some male egos, might not be ideal for others. Plus it could be potentially hurting their readers psychological well-beings, which is always bad for business.

For the original article, go to MSNBC.

Man charged with stealing 8 piggy banks

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A 34-year-old man has been charged with stealing eight piggy banks from a Minnesota home, netting more than $2,700 in change.
Police say Robert Blake, of Eden Prairie, then went to a bank, where he spent more than half an hour standing at a coin-counting machine while the device tallied the money.
Police say he later picked up his girlfriend and bought a coat, boots and shirts at Burlington Coat Factory.
Blake was charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly taking the large screw-top plastic bins.
Police found him after a neighbor saw a man leave with two large nylon bags and noted the plate number.
Police says Blake may have lived with the victims in the past.
Blake was already on probation for first-degree burglary.

What I am having trouble understanding is why this family had that much money in change lying around in thier house. Also, I am curious as to what his relation to the family is, or was in the past. You can view the original article at MSNBC.COM

$5000 Vote!

(NEW YORK) - A couple from New York City have travelled all the way from India to cast their votes in this year’s presidential election!
The couple had been working in India, and expected to receive their absentee ballots.
But when they didn’t arrive, they decided to take the heroic step of making the 9,300 mile journey and cast their votes back home - in person!
New Zealand born Susan Scott-Ker and her Moroccan born husband became American citizens only a year ago.

They travelled back to New York City from Bangalore in southern India, with stop-overs in New Delhi and Chicago at an estimated cost of $5,000.
So, don’t forget to vote, if these guys can do it from half-way around the world, then so can you!

This is a prime example of American patriotism. It's unbelievable that these two voters traveled back over 9,000 miles to cast thier vote in the first ever election they have ever participated in. This was absolutley remarkable and the couple deserves all the praise they recieve

Trick or Treat Obamanation

A woman deprived children of candy this past Halloween and not for the usual reasons to be expected by most anti-Halloween enthusiasts. She did not turn these kids away fearing they would develop cavities from getting all sugared up or because she was following some strict religious principle. Her ridiculous persnickety nature was essentially expressed for the sake of going to the absolute extremes to support her most favored presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin.

Outside Shirley Nagel's home in suburban Detroit there was a sign that clearly stated: "No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, and tricksters or kids of supporters." Basically this emphasizes that this woman is putting Obama under the same category as mischievous cheaters, along with all the other delinquents, she claims are choosing to vote for him in the election.

There were little ghosts and goblins who were sent away from the house in tears because they were jipped out of their goodies after Nagel discovered their parents were Obama devotees.

Nagel told television station WJBK, "Obama's scary." When inquired about why she was deliberately turning children away and whether or not she felt bad about her actions, Nagel replied, "Oh well. Everybody has a choice." This mentality is ideal for the 2008 presidential election, but as for denying innocent children candy on a holiday that in no way is related or should be related to the election, this is inconceivably wrong and proves this lady is a pain in the McCain.

For the original story, click over to MSNBC.

Future Presidential Candidate Found

Police in Frisco, Texas arrested James Matthew Herring, 22, this past Wednesday. This Dallas suburb was the site of one of the most well thought out heists in history.

During a concert, Officer Jerry Varner, who was directing traffic, noticed a suspicious vehicle driving toward him. The truck, which had been parked about 100 yards away, was now occupied and about to pass him. At some point, while this was happening, Varner realized what the problem was. That truck was his.

Varner immediately ordered the man to pull over and stop, but instead he threw it in reverse, smashing several vehicles and proceeded to flee.

After a short chase, police surrounded the truck, at which point the driver attempted to get away on foot. He was caught shortly thereafter.


For more, hop over to MSNBC.

Obama in with Shaman

Presidential candidate Barack Obama has secured the majority of a minority, as nine out of eleven Peruvian shamans pledged their support for his campaign.

The ceremony involved with this was somewhat different from a campaign contribution, or a speech on Larry King. Instead, the shamans burned incense over a sacrificed llama fetus while praying over posters of Obama and John McCain.

While chanting "up, Obama, up" the shaman saw that he had "the spiritual support of Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy to protect him."

Rather than seeming biased, however, the shamans continued on their ceremony after this revelation, by rubbing both posters with spirit totems, crucifixes and a statue of black Jesus.

Juan Osco, president of the Apus-Inka healers association said, "We are cleansing both of them so that on Nov. 4 the person that the U.S. really deserves wins."

For the full story jump on over to The Seattle Times.

This ice cream tastes like....

A family complaining that the music was too loud to hear a televised sports game was allegedly served a new flavor ice cream tainted with feces. 

The family was dining at the Cogee Bay Hotel, just a short distance from Sydney when they asked for the music to be turned down.  The family argues that the chef and management served them ice cream laced with feces when they asked for the music to be turned down. 

"The stench went through my nostrils, I retched and spat it into the napkin," Jessica Whyte told the Daily Telegraph newspaper when referencing the ice cream. Both the chef and management have volunteered for DNA tests to prove their innocence.

State government food official Ian Macdonald confirmed on Wednesday that there was in fact fecal matter in the dessert. 

The Whyte family also stated that they were offered approximately 3,240 American Dollars in cover up money, where the hotel claims the family is searching for 1 million Australian Dollars.

Tests are being done to determine if the fecal matter in the gelato was of animal or human origin.

Deep Throat director dies while his film stands the test of time

It was reported yesterday, Gerard Rocco Damiano, director of the infamous porno flick Deep Throat, died Saturday at 80 years old at a Fort Myers hospital after enduring a previous stroke in September.

"He was a filmmaker and an artist and we thought of him as such," his son Damiano Jr. said. "Even though we weren't allowed to see his movies, we knew he was a moviemaker, and we were proud of that."

Although Damiano was known for making films for the adult entertainment industry, there was something that set him apart from the others in his field, clearly reflected in the content of his work. He took his work very seriously and actually spent time with perfecting his movies, which earned him his honorable reputation. Another admirable trait he exuded was treating all of his actors with the utmost respect, unlike some pornographers of today who dish out mediocre work, while their only mindset is to produce an ongoing steady profit.

Upon being asked his impression of himself in a 2005 interview, Damiano responded "[I'm] just a nice guy, which is why I think I did pretty well. I mean, I'd meet an actress and have to say, 'Sit down, take your clothes off — I'm going to ask you to do some nasty things.' You have to be pretty nice."

When Deep Throat was released in 1972 critics were buzzing over the film, as it was the topic of every news outlet in America. As people continually heard of the popular "hour-long raunch fest that was part slapstick comedy, part carnal carnival," people instantly became intrigued to view the movie, especially because porn was such a new craze and was also in the process of becoming more readily accepted in general. Although some criticized the movie's indecency, in reality, Damiano was one of the most truly exceptional and noteworthy filmmakers in the industry. Ultimately he had alternative motives when it came to producing hardcore movies. He wasn't merely in the business for the sake of exploiting actors and selling sex, he created these films with the intention of pleasing his audience.

After his success, the remainder of Damiano's career was spent trying to create a movie that would one day outshine the movie that had given him a household name and put him in the spotlight. Even though the majority of these films displayed his expertise and talent, none of them could quite live up to the same shockingly good standards that Deep Throat brought to the table. Granted the popularity of the phrase also became commonly known as the nickname used for the source of the Watergate Scandal adopted by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, leading to the demise of Richard Nixon's presidency. Putting the functions for the name aside, the movie still came first and holds its own special spot in movie making history thanks to Damiano's keen intellect and artistic eye for detail. He'll forever be known for unleashing porn that had significantly amusing plot points rather than just ostensibly releasing smut, which is what he could have done and probably still could have gotten away with it.


Actress Linda Lovelace dressed as a nurse in the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat.

Boy Breaks In and Kills Animals at The Zoo

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- A 7-year-old boy broke into a popular Outback zoo, fed a string of animals to the resident crocodile and bashed several lizards to death with a rock, the zoo's director said Friday.

The 30-minute rampage, caught on the zoo's security camera, happened early Wednesday after the boy jumped a security fence at the Alice Springs Reptile Center in central Australia, said zoo director Rex Neindorf.

The child then went on a killing spree, bashing three lizards to death with a rock, including the zoo's beloved, 20-year-old goanna, which he then fed to "Terry," an 11-foot, 440-pound saltwater crocodile, said Neindorf.

The boy also fed several live animals to Terry by throwing them over the two fences surrounding the crocodile's enclosure, at one point climbing over the outer fence to get closer to the giant reptile.

In the footage, the boy's face remains largely blank, Neindorf said, adding: "It was like he was playing a game."

By the time he was done, 13 animals worth around $5,500 had been killed, including a turtle, bearded dragons and thorny devil lizards, Neindorf said. Although none were considered rare, some are difficult to replace, he said.

"We're horrified that anyone can do this and saddened by the age of the child," Neindorf said. Watch the boy in action »
Alice Springs police said they are unable to press charges against the boy because of his age. Children under age 10 can't be charged with criminal offenses in the Northern Territory. His name was not released because of his age.
Neindorf said he plans to sue the boy's parents.
The boy's small size is probably the reason he didn't trip the zoo's security system, which relies on sensors to detect intruders, Neindorf said.
"I just want people to learn that they can't let their children go and run amok," Neindorf said. "If we can't put the blame onto the child, then someone has to accept the responsibility."


I often ask the debatable question of how old somone should be to be held accountable for thier actions. I understand that many children may not have control over thier actions, I mean when I was young I engaged in youthful activity that my parents would not approve of, but does that make them fully accountable? If this kid was out at all wee hours of the night, and the parents are neglecting to check up on thier child to see where he or she is then after evaluation the parents could be held accountbale. However, say this kid has a well structured family setting and he happened to break out and commit these crimes, its unfortunate but as Neindorf said, somone has to accept the responsibility

How many people does it take to fix a toilet?

In Bangladesh it took 122 people to fix the toilet. Or so their books say.  A new corporation searching out corruption found that the one agency paid 122 people to fix a single toilet.  This has been happening for the last 7 years as funds have been misappropriated.  Also at the same time over 100 people have been paid for electrical work that they later found was never carried out. 

Getting paid to do nothing? Sounds like a dream job to me. Or getting paid to fix something that has already been fixed by one of the other 121 people ahead of you?  Even better! However, it does make me question: How could they not get found out? Does it really take that many people? What could possibly be their argument for this? That it was a really big toilet? It does not make sense that any government agency would think this is effective. 

Kind of makes me wish I was Joe the Plumber.

Pick 'er Up and Lug 'er to the Finish Line

A pair of New Hampshire contenders entered the ninth annual North American Wife-Carrying Championship that took place in Newry, Maine this past Saturday.

Friends, not necessarily companions of any sort, Ri Fahnestock and Sarah Silverberg, both from Dover, N.H., were awarded the grand prize of five cases of beer, equaling Silverberg's weight. In addition they were given $610 and also were entered into the World Wife-Carrying Championship which will be held in Finland sometime next year.

The obstacle course for this challenge in full length is 278 yards, complete with a 39-inch wooden hurdle and a pool of waist-deep water to throw off their contestants.

Here's a video showing prior wife-carrying contest that have taken place in Finland and how they train beforehand to beat their competition at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIB9UcA5iQU.

Other bizarre events practiced regularly in Finland:
* Mosquito swatting (Lapland is prime country)
* Milking stool throwing (farms up and down Finland)
* Table drumming (bars and restaurants)
* Sitting on an ant’s nest (in any forest you choose)
* Team berry picking (Suomussalmi, eastern Finland)
* Kick-sledding competition (Ylläs, Lapland)

Personally I think these Finlanders have too much time on their hands. Where did they come up with these ridiculous contests? Plus how do they find the time to prime themselves to prepare for these weird physical activities? I guess these games, as much as they seem silly, also appear intriguing and different from our culture with their exotic and foreign demeanor. Although at the same time, when you think about it, any redneck would be capable of inventing games as complex as these.

Man Charged With Battery for "Farting at a Police Officer"

A West Virginia man who police said passed gas and fanned it toward a patrolman has been charged with battery on a police officer.

Jose A. Cruz, 34, of Clarksburg, was pulled over early Tuesday for driving without headlights, police said. According to the criminal complaint, Cruz smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and failed three field sobriety tests before he was handcuffed and taken to a police station for a breathalyzer test.

As Patrolman T.E. Parsons prepared the machine, Cruz scooted his chair toward Parsons, lifted his leg and “passed gas loudly,” the complaint said. Cruz, according to complaint, then fanned the gas toward the officer.

“The gas was very odorous and created contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Patrolman Parsons,” the complaint alleged. He was also charged with driving under the influence, driving without headlights and two counts of obstruction.

Cruz acknowledged passing gas, but said he didn’t move his chair toward the officer nor aim gas at the patrolman. He said he had an upset stomach at the time, but police denied his request to go to the bathroom when he first arrived at the station. “I couldn’t hold it no more,” he said.

He also denied being drunk and uncooperative as the police complaint alleged. He added he was upset at being prepared for a breathalyzer test while having an asthma attack. The police statement said he later resisted being secured for a trip to a hospital that he requested for asthma treatment.

Cruz said the officers thought the gas incident was funny when it happened and laughed about it with him. Now that story is a real gas!!!

Now in my opinion, the man who was arrested has alot more trouble on his hands than the battery charge. Two counts of obstruction and DWI are gonna cost him quite the bundle of paper. With the extent of charges the man is facing, I can almost guarentee that this outrageous charge is going to be thrown out and the story may cause the departement who arrested this man and published the charges in the police blotter, to become a temporary laughing stock.

http://www.allweirdnews.com/

McBiden Takes the Stage After a McWhopper

Prior to Joe Biden's entrance at one of his rally's last week, Jim Piccilo fumbled over his words when he introduced "the next vice president of the United States..." as "John McCain!"

Unaware of what he said directly after saying it, Piccolo later heard on Tampa Bay's Travis and Jenny radio show about his blunder of oblivion. At first he immediately thought the radio hosts were making up the whole spectacle. Although when he spoke with the announcers later and heard from other reliable sources like ABC News, not to mention saw his video displayed all over the internet, he realized he was mistaken. It's safe to say late night talk show hosts like Jay Leno had their joke material for the night.

Piccolo, CEO of Nouveau Riche University and typically a supporter of the Republican party is rooting for the democratic ticket for this election. Even though he seems to be in favor of Joe Biden and his cause for becoming the next VP, there's still some skepticism. Could his clumsy introduction have been a Freudian slip? Was he trying to purposely insert a certain candidate's name in at a democratic function to advertise him among the opposing team? Personally I don't think so, I think it was an honest mistake on his part. Everyone mixes up names and words from time to time, but I guess since he's done it once, political candidates may think twice next time on hiring him as their promoters before events.

Wang Drains Wang in Public

Wang Hao, 24-year-old Chinese Olympic silver medalist in table tennis singles, has been ordered to receive counseling after coming to blows with a security guard.

Just prior to Thursday's brawl, Wang emerged drunk from a karaoke club and proceeded to drop trou and empty his bladder on the side of the building.

He was then approached by a club security guard who yelled at him to stop.

According to witness interviews, Wang responded, "I am the famous Wang Hao! I am the world champion! Does it matter if I beat you?"

Wang then proceeded to beat him.

Team manager, Huang Biao attempted to play down the story.

"There was no drunkenness or brawling. There was just an argument," Huang said in yesterday's Shanghai Morning Post.

When interviewed by state television, Wang said that the fight may have contributed to a loss in a normal season game over the weekend.

Wang said, "It taught me that I have to be very careful about anything I say or do."

For the full story hop on over to Reuters.

Are You Man Enough for a Poo Facial?

Beauticians worldwide have recently been discovering that some of the grossest excrement from animals has proved to be extremely revitalizing, kicking the normal hygiene routine up a notch.

Apparently guanine, a nutritious enzyme that lightens and keeps your skin looking young and healthy, can be found in nightingale feces and has become the current craze for facial masks. Fortunately, there are other ingredients in the mask, such as green tea, shea butter, and gold leaf, making it a bit more tolerable to put on your face. The original procedure stems from Japan where the bird poop was used to remove the caked on white make-up applied to geishas. These facials are currently being offered at Hari's Salon in London and other New York salons, one where Victoria Beckham regularly has been scheduling appointments.



Another scientific beauty breakthrough practiced by Hari's Salon in London is a moisture treatment for your hair, which includes Angus bull sperm as one of the main ingredients. Even though it sounds absolutely atrocious, it's said to be high in protein and gives your hair a long lasting shiny glow.

"I'd tried working with avocado oil and caviar," said salon owner Hari, "but the sperm definitely has the best nourishing qualities."

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Personally I'm not sure I would be tempted to try out these new beauty treatments 1)I'm not old and I don't have to tighten my drooping face full of wrinkles and 2)I'm pretty sure I might puke my lunch back up if I knew I had semen or poop from any living organism any where near the vicinity of my hair or face.

If you're curious to find out more about other heinous concoctions used for beautifying purposes, they can be found at MailOnline.

Bangkok governor candidate beats journalist

Bangkok governor candidate number 8, Chuwit Kamolvisit, physically assaulted a journalist because he asked the wrong questions.

Chuwit, formerly the owner of a chain of strip clubs and bars, just recently decided to enter politics. When the journalist, Visarn Dilokwanit, asked him about the tactics Chuwit used against a political rival, Chuwit became enraged. Camera rolling, Chuwit angrly reminded the rebellious journalist about an agreement they made earlier, before filming began. The agreement was that the question would not be asked. When the host suggested there were two different Chuwits, one off camera and the other on camera, Chuwit answered that there was ,with an extremely angry tone. The host ended the program as Chuwit assaulted the journalist, by punching and trampling him.

"I admit I did it. I couldn't stand it when he humiliated me on air,"claims Chuwit. "What I did was a petty crime and I am happy to pay the fine for elbowing him and kicking him."

The journalist traveled to the police station to report it. The gubernatorial race favorite, Chuwit's punishment was 500 bhat or about $14.73

Despite this Chuwit remains a citizen favorite.

For more information check out these stories posted on the Bangkok Post: Click Here

and here

Syrah Palin is a Buzz Kill Among Democrats

Lately Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been criticized by the media for repeatedly contradicting herself when it comes to her stances on governmental issues. In a recent interview she couldn't even give one example of how John McCain would reform Wall Street after Katie Couric prodded for an answer. Although she continues to stir up controversy in this respect, she also seems to be helping some people maintain their buzz and improving sales for a small wine industry in northern Chile.

Palin Syrah, an organic red wine, has risen in popularity ever since the Alaska governor was asked to be McCain's running mate. In places across the country, such as Houston, the wine has even sold out. Although there are areas where the wine is in high demand, there are also some people on the other end of the political spectrum who are refusing to drink the wine.

These Palin Syrah-haters in a nutshell are saying, 'Oh, I don't want to drink that. That's too close,'" said Chris Cavelli, co-owner of the Yield Wine Bar in San Francisco. "It reminds them too much of Sarah Palin."

I'm guessing that the majority of these non-supporters of this wine are democrats or may just be crazed Obama lovers. I won't disagree with the people who are saying Palin is a tad bit air-headed when it comes to answering rapid-fire questions or sticking with one viewpoint related to government policies. One thing is for sure, Palin and her crazy antics are a hot topic in current news and now that she has a wine promoting her unintentionally, this will only advertise her name more unfortunately. For those who are not following the duration of this political race and are planning to vote for the person who's name sounds the most like your favorite wine, be aware that if you do this you're voting for a woman who says she can see Russia from her backyard. Is that who you want in partial leadership of this country?

Iowa man faces charges after hugging officer

A hug has landed an Iowa City man in hot water. An Iowa City man who thought a police officer just "needed a hug" faces several charges including assault on a peace officer and public intoxication.

Police said a 21-year-old man was arrested on Saturday. According to police records, the man ran up to the officer and stuck out his arms.

The officer told him to "get away," but the man didn't take the hint and embraced the officer.

When the officer told the man to put his hands behind his head, he refused. He was then handcuffed.

You know I gotta be honest. This is absolutely ridiculous. perhaps the officer arrested the man because he felt threatened, which is completely understandable, and the public intoxication makes sense to a degree as well, but assault on a peace officer?!?! assault!? cm on! that's just crazy. The man was intoxicated and was embracing a police officer with a hug which im sure he would not do if sober, but to charge the man with assault is absolutley ludacris and although we are not aware of the extensive details, if all the man did was hug the officer, an assault charge on top of public intoxication just seems a little far fetched

The Dangers of Elections

Who knew that a campaign trail could be deadly?

In Bangkok recently a man who was being used as an example of how people get rashes in the dirty polluted water. The staff for the Leena Jangjanya campaign for the governor of Bangkok were displaying the water to journalists. 

The 32 year old campaign manager was flailing about in the water at the time. All the people in presence thought that he was simply acting and therefore were not alarmed. After he disappeared they called the police and discovered he had drowned.

Jangjanya has put her campaign on immediately halt, as she focuses on the funeral and taking care of her former campaign manager's seven month pregnant wife.  Jangjanya claims that if she were to continue the campaign now, it would make her no better than an animal.

For information visit here

Pig takes woman hostage

In Australia, a woman was held hostage in her own home by a pig that was reportedly the size of a Shetland pony. 

It started in the early Tuesday afternoon. Caroline Hayes, 63, awaits in her house as the pig outside breaks into the garage and drags out a king size bed that she has kept stored in there. As the bed is dragged out, the pig, affectionately named, Bruce, tears it into pieces, depositing them all over her yard, making it look like a fantasy war zone of fabric and spring. 

She is perfectly content to stay inside, however, Bruce has started taking over. Clearly not a fan of the decorative mat she had on her door step, he rolls it up perfectly with his nose and pushes it aside. All in all you think he would be content with his new pen. He still wants the inside. 

He goes to the door and attempts to get inside, headbutting it and being exceptionally annoying to the poor woman whom is just trying to get some sleep. Awakened from a tumultuous slumber, she decides she needs to use the toilet. The only problem... It is outside. Not one to surrender, the strong woman goes to the door to push the stubborn Bruce aside and make it to her outside toilet.

It is early morning, after a night of sporadic sleep. She really has to use the bathroom. She stands at the door and begins to struggle it open. She fails. Bruce is on the other side using his 176 pounds of pure pork to keep the door closed. Hayes, acting even more persistence than Bruce, tries again, this time prying the handle of a broom into the face of massive swine in an attempt to scare him away. Bruce takes the handle in his mouth and snaps the broom in half.

After this Hayes promptly called the authorities.

The Rural Lands Protection Board came to Hayes residency and captured the irritated, and extremely hungry, animal.

After all of this you would think that Hayes would harbor some resentment towards the beast. In fact, she is a vegetarian and did not want to see the animal sent to the big pig pen in the sky. So as  requested by her and other animal rights group the sent him to a piggery where he will be a used as a stud.

For more information: CLICK HERE!!

LOOK OUT!! IT'S A DEMOCRAT!!

Apparently John McCain and his supporters have one major difference: their reflexes.

According to a study conducted by political scientist Kevin Smith of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, there is a link between a person's startle reflex and their political affiliation.

The study, conducted on 46 randomly-chosen people, first examined each participants view on popular issues such as immigration and gun control. Two months later the same group returned and underwent a series of stress and reflex tests.

These tests monitored people's responses to things such as disturbing images and loud noises. Other things such as skin electrical conductivity and blinking reflexes were also tested.

The report from Kevin Smith's team showed some interesting results.

"[People displaying] measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism and gun control."

"Individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favor defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq War."

The report was published in the Science journal on September 19.

For the full story jump on over to National Geographic.

Naked for a Worthy Cause

This week police have been receiving numerous calls from locals and tourists about a woman whose been seen riding her bicycle nude through the streets of Portland, Oregon. Scantily clad Gennifer Moss, otherwise known as Earth Friend Gen, continues to expose what mother nature has given her in efforts to promote peace among the public in her community, despite what some might think of as being indecent.

Moss declares that "Our bodies are an integral part of ourselves. I was created in God's creation and no part of me is obscene."

Portland police admits Moss has the right as an American citizen to commit this act of free speech, under two conditions: refraining from exposing her genitalia and if so, it must be for the purpose of arousing another person.

For the most part no one has expressed their distaste for Moss insisting she censor herself, except for the recent complaints from construction workers in the area, which can be seen in a news brief from Seattle Pi. These workers say the woman's displays are very distracting and seems to hinder them from doing their jobs.

When looking at this complaint from both perspectives, the workers do have a right to voice their opinion about such an issue, but when you consider the hooting and hollering construction workers normally do when they see a pretty girl walking down the street, clothed usually, should these workers really be complaining? Over the years, not all, but some construction workers have developed the reputation of being disrespectful towards woman while on job. Now that one has come to bare all, suddenly they want to object? If a good looking woman wants to pedal around town in nothing, why should it be a concern of theirs? Maybe these workers should be more focused on their tasks rather than on the events happening outside their workplace. Regardless of what they think, she has not violated any laws and has the right to do as she pleases, as long as she remains under peaceful protest. Overall, after getting over the shock of seeing this woman naked, people need to put aside for a minute her bold exhibit and consider what she is actually trying to promote, which ultimately is peace and concern for the earth's well-being.

In addition Moss is dedicated to living an eco-friendly life by maintaining a healthy diet, wearing organic clothing, and helping to preserve mother nature.

Dog Poop DNA??

An Israeli city is using DNA analysis of dog droppings to reward and punish pet owners.

Under a six-month trial programme launched this week, the city of Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv, is asking dog owners to take their animal to a municipal veterinarian, who then swabs its mouth and collects DNA.

The city will use the DNA database it is building to match faeces to a registered dog and identify its owner.

Owners who scoop up their dogs' droppings and place them in specially marked bins on Petah Tikva's streets will be eligible for rewards of pet food coupons and dog toys.

But droppings found underfoot in the street and matched through the DNA database to a registered pet could earn its owner a municipal fine.

"My goal is to get the residents involved, and tell them that together, we can make our environment clean," said Tika Bar-On, the city's chief veterinarian who came up with the idea for the DNA experiment.

Bar-On said the DNA database could also help veterinarians research genetic diseases in dogs, investigate canine pedigree and identify stray animals, replacing the need for electronic chip identification.

"The sky is the limit on how far we can take this," she said.

So far, Bar-On said, residents have "reacted positively to the program and are cooperating because they want their neighborhood to be clean".

She said Petah Tikva would consider making it mandatory for pet owners to provide DNA samples from their dogs if the trial program is successful.

This seems like this could be an effective program but will every dog owner take part? How accurate is this dropping testing going to be? Say someones pets or pet get out on accident and leaves an unpleasent dropping in an unwanted place. Would the owners be succeptible to a fine? One would wonder how enforced this would be and how serious of a "fine" could be slapped on someone for ignoring thier animal's doo-doo. There are most likely a handful of people who walk thier pets and let them do thier business freely, which would lead me to believe that those owners would avoid the program. With that aside, I must say that using this program to research diseases in dogs is a great idea, and I believe that the possibilities are indeed endless, but the hardest part isint the research, it would be convincing the pet owners to actually get down to the vet and have thier pets swabbed for DNA.

Everyone's a Comedian

As unfortunate as it is, food contamination does happen.  But when 16 people die as a result, maybe its not a great idea to make jokes about it. Especially if you are an elected official. Maple Leaf Foods was the company with the food contamination.

That is something that the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Gerry Ritz, (pictured at right) didn't take into consideration when he made some negative comments. When he was told about it he said " This is a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts." He made light of a situation in which 16 people died.

Not content to leave the extent of his disrespect at that he stated, when he found out that there had been a new death in the Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island, "Please tell me it's Wayne Easter," (pictured below) a resident of the island.

 I understand that in some cases people may take their humor to this level in order to aid in the healing process or even to further themselves from something that they do not wholly understand. Ritz, being the official that he is, should not be making these statements.  What the country of Canada should not require his immediate resignation, he should be made to make a public apology, acknowledging what he said as being wrong. 

For information check out the links within the post.

Wipe Your Feet Before Stepping Onto the Ceiling

Along Germany's Baltic Sea island of Usedom, in the town of Trassenheide, an upside-down house was constructed, properly entitled "The World Stands on its Head." The grand opening was on September 4, 2008 and is accessible to the public.

Every room is complete with upside-down furnishings. It is said that the house was bulit to instill a very unconventional way of living. Although my only question is, how do they expect to use the toilet if it's on the ceiling? I'm pretty sure the only way this topsy-turvy house would be useable is if NASA installed forces of anti-gravity. I'm guessing this house is just a metaphoric art piece meant not for usage, but to challenge the archetypal eye.

For more off the wall images of inside the upside-down house, visit InsideUpsideDown.