A HOSPTIAL patient in Denmark broke wind during an operation and set fire to his gentials.
The man, age 30, was having a mole removed from his backside with an electric knife. He farted. The gas caused a spark. His genitals, which were soaked in surgical spirits, caught fire.
The man offers:
“When I woke up, my penis and scrotum were burning like hell. Beside the pain, I can’t have sex with my wife.”
The surgeons called it “an unfortunate accident”.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Patient’s Fart Sets Fire To Genitals In Surgery
Pregnant for 60 years since 1948
Doctors demanded £100 to remove it, so she walked away.
She said: "It was a huge sum at the time - more than the whole family earned in several years so I did nothing and ignored it."
But the secret emerged when Huang hurt her stomach and went to hospital for a scan.
Dr Liu Anbin at Qingshen hospital said: "I couldn't believe my eyes when I discovered she had a baby in her belly. "I've been a doctor for more than 40 years and it's the first time I have seen something like this."
Now medics are carrying out further tests to see if Huang needs an operation to remove the baby.
Consultant Xu Xianming, director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at the hospital, said: "Normally a dead foetus would decay. It's very rare that Huang can be so healthy."
MORE...
Susan Boyle in clinic after collapse
The Sun newspaper said the 48-year-old spinster -- whose rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Miserables brought her worldwide acclaim -- was taken to the Priory clinic in London on Sunday.
On Saturday night, Boyle came second in the "Britain's Got Talent" television competition that made her famous, despite being the favourite.
In the days leading up to the final, media reports suggested she was having trouble coping with the weight of expectations on her.
The television company behind the show on Sunday said Boyle had been advised to take time off after the result.
"Following Saturday night's show, Susan is exhausted and emotionally drained," talkbackThames said in a statement.
"She has been seen by her private GP (doctor) who supports her decision to take a few days out for rest and recovery. We offer her our ongoing support and wish her a speedy recovery."
Police confirmed that a woman had been voluntarily taken to a clinic Sunday after police were called to assess her under mental health legislation.
A spokesman for London's Scotland Yard police said: "Police were called at approximately 6pm (1700 GMT) to a central London hotel to doctors assessing a woman under the Mental Health Act.
"Police and ambulance attended. The woman was taken voluntarily by ambulance to a clinic. At the request of doctors, police accompanied the ambulance."
Boyle had been under huge pressure to win "Britain's Got Talent" on Saturday after her audition piece became a major hit on video-sharing website YouTube. However, after a public vote she lost out to a street dancing troupe.
MORE...
Last survivor of 'unsinkable' Titanic dies at 97
Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean
LONDON – Millvina Dean, who as a baby was wrapped in a sack and lowered into a lifeboat in the frigid North Atlantic, died Sunday, having been the last survivor of 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic.
She was 97 years old, and she died where she had lived — in Southampton, England, the city her family had tried to leave behind when it took the ship's ill-fated maiden voyage, bound for America.
She died in her sleep early Sunday, her friend Gunter Babler told the Associated Press. It was the 98th anniversary of the launch of the ship that was billed as "practically unsinkable."
Babler said Dean's longtime companion, Bruno Nordmanis, called him in Switzerland to say staff at Woodlands Ridge Nursing Home in Southampton discovered Dean in her room Sunday morning. He said she had been hospitalized with pneumonia last week but she had recovered and returned to the home.
A staff nurse at the nursing home said late Sunday that no one would comment until administrators came on duty Monday morning.
Dean just over 2 months old when the Titanic hit an iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912. The ship sank in less than three hours.
Dean was one of 706 people — mostly women and children — who survived. Her father was among the 1,517 who died.
Babler, who is head of the Switzerland Titanic Society, said Dean was a "very good friend of very many years."
"I met her through the Titanic society but she became a friend and I went to see very every month or so," he said.
The pride of the White Star line, the Titanic had a mahogany-paneled smoking room, a swimming pool and a squash court. But it did not have enough lifeboats for all of its 2,200 passengers and crew.
Dean's family were steerage passengers setting out from the English port of Southampton for a new life in the United States. Her father had sold his pub and hoped to open a tobacconists' shop in Kansas City, Missouri, where his wife had relatives.
Initially scheduled to travel on another ship, the family was transferred to the Titanic because of a coal strike. Four days out of port and about 600 kilometers (380 miles) southeast of Newfoundland, the ship hit an iceberg. The impact buckled the Titanic's hull and sent sea water pouring into six of its supposedly watertight compartments.
Dean said her father's quick actions saved his family. He felt the ship scrape the iceberg and hustled the family out of its third-class quarters and toward the lifeboat that would take them to safety. "That's partly what saved us — because he was so quick. Some people thought the ship was unsinkable," Dean told the British Broadcasting Corp. in 1998.
Wrapped in a sack against the Atlantic chill, Dean was lowered into a lifeboat. Her 2-year-old brother Bertram and her mother Georgette also survived.
"She said goodbye to my father and he said he'd be along later," Dean said in 2002. "I was put into lifeboat 13. It was a bitterly cold night and eventually we were picked up by the Carpathia."
The family was taken to New York, then returned to England with other survivors aboard the rescue ship Adriatic. Dean did not know she had been aboard the Titanic until she was 8 years old, when her mother, about to remarry, told her about her father's death. Her mother, always reticent about the tragedy, died in 1975 at age 95.
Photography from the National Geographic
National Geographic is absolutely known for their astonishing and beautiful photography and they have a portion of their website dedicated to sharing some of their very best images with the public.
Their main headings include: Photo Galleries, Wallpapers, Photo of the Day, Photographers, Photo Tips, and Buy Prints.
You can also "Browse Photos by Topic" in these categories:
Adventure & Exploration
Best Of
History
Life in Color
People & Culture
Travel
Photo Camp
Latest News Photos
Animals
Black & White
Landscapes
Nature & Weather
Science & Space
Underwater
Patterns in Nature
Photography Videos
Then, they also have "special" caegories like "Drives of a Lifetime Photo Gallery" and Best of Photo of the Day.
And lots, lots more! This website is an absolute must-see.
Armpits Are "Rain Forests" for Bacteria
On the microbial level, a person's underarms are akin to lush rain forests brimming with diversity—and that's a good thing—according to a new "topographic map" of human skin.
Most of our skin is like an arid desert, said study co-author Julia Segre, of the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
"But as you walk through this desert you encounter an oasis, which is the inside of your nose," she said. "You encounter a stream, which is a moist crease. [These] areas are like habitats rich in diversity."
And like the "friendly" bugs in the human digestive system, these native bacteria of the epidermis promote skin health and could even help scientists find new ways to treat skin diseases.
MORE OF THIS ARTICLE HERE...
(Related: "Beach Bacteria Warning: That Sand May Be Contaminated.")
SPACE MONKEY PICTURES: 50-Year Anniversary
Saturday, May 30, 2009
800 Britons on waiting list for Swiss suicide clinic
Almost 800 have taken the first step to taking their lives by becoming members of Dignitas, and 34 men and women, who feel their suffering has become unbearable, are ready to travel to Zurich and take a lethal drug overdose.
The tenfold increase in the number of Britons who have joined Dignitas since 2002 will raise questions about the law that bans assisted suicide in Britain.
On Tuesday, 46-year-old Debbie Purdy, who suffers from progressive multiple sclerosis, will go to the House of Lords, the UK's highest court, asking it to determine whether her husband Omar Puente will be prosecuted if he helps her to travel abroad to die.
[...]
The disclosures will reopen the highly charged debate about euthanasia. This week, an influential group of peers, led by two former ministers in Tony Blair's cabinet, will seek to end what they see as the outdated and inhumane situation in which relatives or friends risk up to 14 years in prison if they travel with a loved one undertaking assisted dying overseas.
The peers - led by Lord Falconer, a former lord chancellor, and Baroness Jay, a former leader of the House of Lords - will table an amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill in an attempt to lift the threat of prosecution from people in England and Wales who want to support someone in their final moments.
MORE...
Surgeon finds foot in baby's brain
An American surgeon found a tiny foot and other partially formed body parts inside a tumour he removed from an infant's brain.
Dr Paul Grabb, a paediatric neurosurgeon, said he operated on Sam Esquibel at Memorial Hospital for Children, Colorado Springs, after an MRI scan showed a microscopic tumour on the newborn's brain. Sam was three days old and otherwise healthy.
Grabb said that while removing the growth he discovered it contained a nearly perfect foot and the formation of another foot, a hand and a thigh.
"It looked like the breach delivery of a baby coming out of the brain," Grabb said. "To find a perfectly formed structure (like this) is extremely unique, unusual, borderline unheard of."
Grabb was not sure what caused the growth but said it may have been a type of congenital brain tumour. However, such tumours were usually less complex, he said.
The growth may also have been a case of "fetus in fetu" in which a fetal twin begins to form within another. But such cases very rarely occurred in the brain, Grabb said.
Sam's parents, Tiffnie and Manuel Esquibel, said their son was at home now but faced monthly blood tests to check for signs of cancer or regrowth, along with physical therapy to improve the use of his neck. They said he had mostly recovered from the surgery.
"You'd never know if he didn't have a scar there," his mother said.
LINK
Republican Legislative Aide Solicits 15 yr old boy for "animal sex"
A legislative aide to Sen. Jane Orie, a former prosecutor who has championed state legislation to safeguard children, was fired Friday after the Attorney General's Office charged him with sexually propositioning a child online and suggesting the two dress up as animals and have sex.
Alan David Berlin, 40, who was paid $57,340 a year to do legislative services for Orie, used the Internet screen name "alan_panda_bear" and propositioned the 15-year-old boy several times this month, Attorney General Tom Corbett said.
Berlin of Carlisle was suspended without pay and benefits Thursday, said Russ Faber, the Senate's chief clerk. Shortly after Corbett's announcement yesterday, Orie said Berlin was fired. She would not comment on the criminal case.
"I was shocked and appalled," Orie said in a statement that noted she supports the attorney general's investigations of child abuse and sexual assault cases, including the work of the Child Predator Unit.
Court records did not indicate whether Berlin had an attorney. He was arrested Thursday on charges of unlawful contact with a minor, attempted sexual exploitation of children and solicitation to commit sexual abuse of children, among other offenses.
A district judge in Harrisburg jailed him under $250,000 bond and scheduled a preliminary hearing for June.
In profiles posted on Internet sites used for networking among furries, or people who dress as animals, Berlin identified himself as Alan The Panda with interests in baking, board games, classical music, fine dining, movies, travel, wine -- and diapers. The cartoon panda on his Pounced.org page wears a diaper.
In that profile, Berlin confesses his screen identity is "not the most original name, but it suits me. I'm not a complicated person." He notes he has "a good job where I am well respected," and that he holds a bachelor's degree in sacred music. "I have a deep personal faith in God which I sometimes question," he wrote.
"I am looking for a babyfur to be my mate and companion in a long-term committed relationship," he wrote. "I've been thinking quite a bit lately about where I am in life and what I'm looking for." The site said he was single, seeking a male ages 20 to 25 -- someone who can "enjoy being babied."
MORE...
Buzzword Bingo - Played at Your Workplace!
SAMPLE CARD (smaller than actual size):
Chris Crocker on "The Way to a Girl's Heart"
Lambada!
Masturbation Addiction Counseling
Is it always natural?
Is it always an addiction?
Answer: none of the above.
Visit SexualControl.com's page on "Masturbation Addiction" for more information.
Another visit to Snopes.com
So with pure meanyheadedness in mind, here's another smattering of "stuff" that Snopes either confirms or denies. You'll have to visit the webpage for that particular claim to see its full answer.
CLAIM: "Newspaper reporter falls for the old 'Heywood Jablome' funny name gag." ANSWER
CLAIM: "Geraldo Rivera was born Jerry Rivers but changed his name to appeal to Latino viewers." ANSWER
CLAIM: "An Oregon girl's message-in-a-bottle was found by a boy in Hawaii." ANSWER
CLAIM: "Girl impales herself on gearshift lever after being slipped some Spanish Fly by her boyfriend." ANSWER
CLAIM: "A speeder caught by photo radar mails the police a picture of money to pay his fine." ANSWER
CLAIM: "Quick-thinking cop has a bit of fun with a drunk stuck in the snow by pretending to run alongside his car." ANSWER
CLAIM: "As a teenager, Colin Powell learned to speak Yiddish while working in a Jewish-owned baby equipment store in New York." ANSWER
CLAIM: "A foreign family unknowingly consumes the ashes of a relative shipped to them for burial." ANSWER
CLAIM: "A swelling on a girl's cheek breaks open and disgorges hundreds of baby spiders." ANSWER
CLAIM: "A vengeful co-worker made it his practice to urinate into the office coffee pot." ANSWER
CLAIM: "Service station customers are getting stuck by HIV-loaded syringes affixed to gas pump handles." ANSWER
CLAIM: "Venomous snakes lurk in the ball pits of fast food restaurants." ANSWER
CLAIM: "Man high on drugs slices off pieces of his face and feeds them to his dogs." ANSWER
CLAIM: "Infants have died or suffered debilitating respiration problems after aspirating baby oil." ANSWER
CLAIM: "The charred remains of a scuba diver were discovered in a tree after a forest fire." ANSWER
The Darwin Awards
Here are a few examples from 2008:
(13 January 2008, Florida) Wearing only swim trunks and sneakers, a 37-year-old man raced his motorcycle toward the Manasota Key drawbridge. As the bridge began to open, it was clear that he intended to "shoot the gap."
Bridge designers had anticipated such lunacy and invented the crossing
guard. The closing gates swept him off his Suzuki, over the side of the bridge, into the water, and out of the gene pool.By a twist of fate the motorcycle continued up the ramp and made it across to the other side.
And another:
Snowmobiles and alcohol are a dangerous mix. Then came the rabbit.
After a day spent partying and racing snowmobiles in the wilderness, a group of snowmobilers were headed back to their cabin, when up popped a jackrabbit! They gave chase. Several collisions were narrowly averted, and so all the snowmobiles backed off... except one.
This snowmobiler kept his eye on the quarry and rapidly closed in. The
rabbit darted aside to save itself. The snowmobiler closed in again. The rabbit ran toward the road, where there was less snow. Trying to ram his rabbit before it crossed the road, the man accelerated to Mach 1.
But the rabbit had other ideas. It darted into the culvert beneath the
road. Witnesses stated that the snowmobiler never even braked. There was a metallic crunch as the accelerating vehicle rammed into the culvert, followed by a blast that shattered the snowmobile into a thousand bits.
This brand of snowmobile had a fuel tank mounted in front. The culvert
admitted the tip of the snowmobile, then cut into the cowling, spilling fuel over the hot engine. The body of the snowmobiler was blown twenty feet back into the field.The rabbit's whereabouts was unknown.
And one more:
( 8 March 2008, Florida) Just because you see it online does not mean it's a good idea. Cameron, 18, was joyriding in a shopping cart as he held onto a moving SUV. An eyewitness said, "It's irresponsible behavior, but what do you expect from kids?" The car and the cart went over a speed bump and the cart overturned, ejecting its occupant, who was not wearing the little seat belt. Cameron was pronounced dead at the scene.
VISIT THE WEBSITE
Rune's Barf Bag Collection
It was about 1968. I was third man in the cockpit on an Eastern Airlines Lockheed 1011 (2nd officer). David was pilot and Charles was 1st officer(copilot). Diana was a new (just graduated) stewardess (cabin attendant). It was an early morning flight from St. Louis to some East Coast city I can't recall, probably New York or Boston.
Once we were in the air, David picked up the public announcing handset and announced "Cabin attendant to the cockpit, please." Diana showed up and David said "The 1st officer is not feeling well, would you please bring us a sick bag."
She left, and returned with a bag. David said thank you, and she returned to the passenger cabin.
David took the bag and poured into it the contents of a can of Campbell's concentrated vegetable soup, which he had opened with the can opener on his pocket knife. A few minutes later, he again called for the cabin attendant.
Diana arrived, and he gave her the full bag and said "Please dispose of this." She took the bag and began to leave. She was a step or two out of the cockpit when David said "Wait a minute, bring that back."
She brought the bag back, and David took it, opened it and looked inside. Then he said " Boy, this looks pretty good" and dipped his hand into the bag, pulled out some of the contents and ate it.
Diana then barfed big time, but since she had not brought a bag for herself, she barfed all over David and Charles.
There is a moral here, but I don't know what it is.
Rob
VISIT THIS WEBSITE
HERO OF THE DAY: Pizza man leads cops to rape victim
GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Chris Turner normally wouldn't drive into the remote Tennessee mountains just to deliver a pizza. The one time he did, he came upon a scene that drained the color from his face and made him "numb from head to toe" — a woman with her hands tied, silently begging him to call 911.
It was no joke, and Turner, 32, rushed to a nearby house and made the call. Police say the woman was jogging in her Atlanta neighborhood when she was whisked away by a man who frequented her business. Authorities say he drove her off, raped her and held her captive inside a cabin. The 24-year-old woman was rescued by Sevier County deputies on Tuesday evening because of Turner's quick thinking.
Turner told The Associated Press on Friday that he noticed the woman pop up from a couch while the suspect signed the credit card slip.
"While I was standing in the door all you could see was the back of the couch," Turner said. "And then she popped over the back of the couch and showed me that her hands were bound. And she was just mouthing, 'Please call 911.'"
Turner at first thought it was a joke.
"When I realized what was going on, I went numb from head to toe and turned pale white," he said.
Turner tried to look calm. "Have a nice day. Enjoy your food," he told the suspect, who tipped him $5 on a $37.69 bill. Then he rushed back to his van, where his wife, Nease, was waiting behind the wheel.
"Go, go, go!" he told her.
The cabin location was out of cell phone range. So they drove to a nearby house and called police. They waited to make sure the suspect didn't flee. Then Turner stayed to see the man arrested and the victim taken away in an ambulance. "I wanted to make sure she was OK," he said.
The woman told authorities she was jogging near her home about 11:50 a.m. Tuesday when a frequent customer at a restaurant and bar owned by the woman and her husband asked her to see his new car. She got into the vehicle, which turned out to be a rental, and was immediately tied up.
She told police the suspect drove her more than 200 miles to the cabin in Tennessee and raped her. The Associated Press does not identify alleged sexual assault victims.
Police arrested David J. Jansen, 46, of Snellville, Ga., without a struggle on charges of aggravated kidnapping and rape, Sheriff Ron Seals said in a statement. He was released on $800,000 bond late Thursday. His attorney, Donald Bosch of Knoxville, had no comment Friday.
Capt. Jeff McCarter refused to discuss the case Friday. But he earlier told The Mountain Press newspaper that officials believe the woman was in imminent danger.
The victim and her husband visited Turner at Capelli's Pizza and Subs in Gatlinburg before heading home Wednesday. "She was just thanking me ... for trusting her," Turner said. "She said he was going to kill her ... after he got done with her."
Turner's boss, John Henry, said the cabin was about 30 miles from his pizza shop.
"We usually don't go out that far," he said. "But he said, 'Yeah, I will take it.' It was just luck. For her, it was."
LINK
Friday, May 29, 2009
Two Great Oldies
Drew Carey Can't Stop Laughing at 69 Bid on The Price is Right
CREDIT TO: "You Gotta See This Video!"
Cyberstalking
It has been defined as the use of information and communications technology, particularly the Internet, by an individual or group of individuals, to harass another individual, group of individuals, or organization. The behavior includes false accusations, monitoring, the transmission of threats, identity theft, damage to data or equipment, the solicitation of minors for sexual purposes, and gathering information for harassment purposes. The harassment must be such that a reasonable person, in possession of the same information, would regard it as sufficient to cause another reasonable person distress.
CyberAngels has written about how to identify cyberstalking:
When identifying cyberstalking "in the field," and particularly when considering whether to report it to any kind of legal authority, the following features or combination of features can be considered to characterize a true stalking situation: malice, premeditation, repetition, distress, obsession, vendetta, no legitimate purpose, personally directed, disregarded warnings to stop, harassment, and threats.A number of key factors have been identified:
False accusations. Many cyberstalkers try to damage the reputation of their victim and turn other people against them. They post false information about them on websites. They may set up their own websites, blogs or user pages for this purpose. They post allegations about the victim to newsgroups, chat rooms or other sites that allow public contributions, such as Wikipedia or Amazon.com.
Attempts to gather information about the victim. Cyberstalkers may approach their victim's friends, family and work colleagues to obtain personal information. They may advertise for information on the Internet, or hire a private detective. They often will monitor the victim's online activities and attempt to trace their IP address in an effort to gather more information about their victims.
Encouraging others to harass the victim. Many cyberstalkers try to involve third parties in the harassment. They may claim the victim has harmed the stalker or his/her family in some way, or may post the victim's name and telephone number in order to encourage others to join the pursuit.
False victimization. The cyberstalker will claim that the victim is harassing him/her. Bocij writes that this phenomenon has been noted in a number of well-known cases.
Attacks on data and equipment. They may try to damage the victim's computer by sending viruses.
Ordering goods and services. They order items or subscribe to magazines in the victim's name. These often involve subscriptions to pornography or ordering sex toys then having them delivered to the victim's workplace.
Arranging to meet. Young people face a particularly high risk of having cyberstalkers try to set up meetings between them.
MORE TO COME ON THIS SUBJECT INCLUDING ACTUAL CASE STUDIES OF THE IDIOTS WHO DO THIS SORT OF THING.
Tone Loc collapses during Pensacola Beach concert
The performer, who was born Anthony Terrell Smith and is best known for late-’80s hits “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina,” was taken away in an ambulance early this morning, and did not appear to be fully conscious.
He was treated and released at Gulf Breeze Hospital, and has left Pensacola.
In a statement, the rapper's manager, Bobby Bessone with B.A.M. Management/Entertainment Artists Agency, said flight delays and heat contributed to the artist's on-stage collapse.
"Leading up to the show, Tone had flight problems including long layovers," Bessone said via e-mail. "It took him about 12 hours to get to Pensacola from Burbank. Tone was exhausted and very hot on stage, and became ill because of it."
Bessone said the rapper is recovering well, and was appreciative of the attention he received.
MORE...
Kidnap Hoax Mom Went to Disney World with Daughter
It would seem the kidnap hoax is the least of Bonnie Sweeten's troubles with the law:
ORLANDO, Fla. - Bonnie Sweeten agreed today to return to Pennsylvania to face charges she faked her kidnapping and that of her daughter and used a friend's driver's license to buy airline tickets for a trip to Disney World.
Looking drawn and worried, Sweeten, 38, of Feasterville, waived extradition at a brief hearing at the Orange County Jail.
Wearing a blue jail uniform, her hair hanging loose, Sweeten answered with a simple "yes" to questions posed by Florida Circuit Court Senior Judge Charles Prather and ended her appearance by saying, "Thank, you."
She is expected to fly to Philadelphia sometime today.
The charges she now faces - filing a false report and identity theft - are misdemeanors.
Weeks before Sweeten took off for Florida with her 9-year-old daughter Julia Rakoczy on Tuesday, authorities in Bucks County looked into an allegation that she might have stolen $300,000 or more from an investment account belonging to one of her ex-husband's relatives, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.
The inquiry went nowhere because the purported victim declined to cooperate with authorities and hoped to get back any missing money from Sweeten directly, said a detective who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case.
The old allegation is part of a broad police inquiry into reports that Sweeten might have taken money from financial accounts belonging to several people, including her parents, her former employer and a former co-worker at a law firm.
MORE...
Ex-NY policeman gets 32 years in ex-wife's killing
Sixty-three-year-old John Galtieri (gal-tee-EHR'-ee) was convicted by a Staten Island jury in February of murder and weapon possession. He shot 58-year-old Jeanne Kane in January 2007 while she sat in her car in a parking lot waiting to pick up her daughter.
Kane was a member of the singing group the Kane Triplets, who performed regularly on TV variety shows including the Ed Sullivan and Jack Benny programs.
Galtieri was caught in South Carolina the day after the shooting. His lawyer had claimed cell phone records and video showed Galtieri wasn't in Staten Island at the time of the shooting.
Prosecutors say the couple's divorce followed years of domestic violence.
LINK
John Galtieri (gal-tee-EHR'-ee): asshole definition
ass·hole (as′hōl′)
noun
the anus
Slang: a person who is stupid, foolish, despicable, etc.
Museum of Hoaxes
LINK TO MAIN WEBPAGEThe Museum was established in 1997 in order to promote knowledge about the phenomenon of hoaxes. It plays host to a variety of humbugs and hoodwinks—from ancient deceptions all the way up to modern schemes, dupes, and dodges that circulate on the internet.
The museum is divided into a variety of different sections. There's a historical wing, in which hoaxes are presented chronologically, from the Middle Ages right up to the present; a Gallery of April Fool's Day hoaxes, celebrating that one day of the year devoted to pranks and practical jokes; a Tall-Tale Creature Gallery that delves into the natural history of species such as the Jackalope and the Fur-Bearing Trout; and much, much more.
Take a look around and check out the exhibits. Marvel at the woman who gave birth to rabbits, be astounded by the Swiss spaghetti trees, and shocked by the Bonsai Kittens. Try to decide if you would have fallen for any of the hoaxes. There are even some tests for you to determine just how gullible you really are. Just remember that there's no claim so stupid that someone, somewhere won't believe it!
Here's just one hoax exposed:
The standing portrait of Lincoln (left) was created soon after the American Civil War. Although it hung in many classrooms, Lincoln never posed for it. Instead, an unknown entrepreneur created it by cutting-and-pasting a headshot of Lincoln taken from a photograph by Mathew Brady (middle) onto a portrait of the Southern leader John Calhoun (right). This was done because there were hardly any appropriate ‘heroic-style’ portraits of Lincoln made during his life. In the Calhoun image, the papers on the table say “strict constitution,” “free trade,” and “the sovereignty of the states.” In the Lincoln image, these words have been changed to read, “constitution,” “union,” and “proclamation of freedom.”
Visit the website for more hoaxes!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Cops Try to Arrest EMT for Taking Patient to Hospital
So... you might be wondering about now... what happened to the cops' emergency that they were rushing to since they had so much time on their hands to choke a hard-working paramedic? GOOD QUESTION.
The Illustrated Guide to GOP Scandals
'Feral' child barks and hisses after being raised as a pet
Although she lived with her father, grandparents and other relatives, Natasha was essentially treated like one of a large number of dogs and cats that shared a small flat in the isolated city of Chita.
Like the other pets, she lapped at her food from a bowl on the floor and had never learned how to use cutlery.
Welfare officers, who were led to the flat by concerned neighbours, have placed Natasha in an orphanage. Although malnourished and small for her age, she appeared to be relatively healthy considering her ordeal, a police spokesman was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
He said the police were looking for the girl's parents, who are believed to be divorced.
Welfare organisations say that child abuse in Russia is worsening, particularly in the Far East where traditional problems such as alcoholism and unemployment are magnified.
MORE...
AND:
The website FeralChildren.com has additional information on the phenomenon whereby children raised in the company of wild animals adopt their mannerisms. It also provides a short list of feral child hoaxes over the past century, as such incidents are usually the stuff of folklore. Natasha's story, corroborated by a number of news sources, appears to be the real thing. MORE...
Another American Idol Controversy
From the Los Angles Times:
You can read the rest of the L.A. Times article here.Published reports have raised questions whether AT&T, a program sponsor, may have violated "Idol" voting rules at two pre-finale parties thrown for Kris Allen, the Arkansas crooner crowned winner last Wednesday. Partisans of Adam Lambert, the runner-up, have generated stormy online protests about alleged voting improprieties that could have thrown the outcome.
AT&T confirmed that its employees handed out phones to party guests in Arkansas and then offered pointers on how to text votes. The reports said the workers also briefed guests on how to "power-text" multiple votes at once, which would have been a violation of "Idol's" rules.
The fracas has embarrassed AT&T, which has for years gotten repeated shout-outs from "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest in exchange for its paid sponsorship.
In a statement, the company said its workers were "caught up in the enthusiasm of rooting for their hometown contestant."
So AT&T handed out over 1,000 phones and instructions on how to "power text" multiple votes for Kris Allen. And the voting was open for several hours.
One of the comments on this news story mentioned, "Someone with a phone with free service, sending 10 texts at a time, could have send thousands of texts over those four hours."
Another comment: "Sending out 10 at a time? You could do that in five minutes. I have an iPhone, which does not do blanket texts (that I've been able to figure out). It takes less than five seconds to send a text, times four hours, times 10. I'm no math whiz, but I have a calculator. At five seconds per text, that's 12 per minute, times 60 = 720 per hour, x 4 = 2,880 per four hours, x 10 = 28,800. Going at a moderate pace, one person could easily send 30,000 votes."
Another comment: "i just want to say, all the hype about phones messing up, the count/vote was wrong, whatever happened! NOTHING HAPPENED!!! yes Adam had followers but Kris had his followers plus Matt followers started following Kris when he left and Danny G followers started following Kris when he left... so basically KRIS got all of the other votes. The folks following the RB kind of a genre were going to follow that genre, they were not going to switch to rock, so Kris picked up alot of people who were voting for other contestants. Adam only had the rockers who were voting for him and maybe Allison. Leave it alone.. KRIS won and Adam will move on doing something anyways."
And the last comment: "All of this suspicion began not because Adam Lambert fans were grumpy but because Arkansas newspapers and politicians gloated that 38 million votes came from Arkansas--and then the story was withdrawn because: 1) Arkansans realized that this was embarrassing, not something to be proud of; 2) AT&T didn't want to reveal that Idol "voting" is ridiculous--a cash cow for AT&T but not in any way a true representation of American opinion."
The following avatars came from a very entertaining website called, "Vote For the Worst" and they always have great Idol gossip:
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Weird Furniture
Octopus Chair (ya think?)
Interesting Bookcase
photo credit: http://www.zedign.com/
Strange Bench
Sheep Chair (can you say, "B-a-a-a-?")
A Couch You Mow?
Can you say, "Mooooooooooo?" I kinda like this one.
Don't laugh. The lady who created The Hamburger Bed says it's the most comfortable bed she's ever owned and this now-famous bed has its own Facebook page and thousands of "fans."
The Dollhouse Bed - the picture is here, but I can't find this bed's niche on that website. I would have LOVED this bed when I was little.
The Cinderella Fantasy Coach Bed will only set you back a mere $47,000.
I think this mini-office-into-a-bed thing would be perfect for a college dorm room.
The Perfect Reading Chair
Patriotic Sofa made from car parts
It sort of looks like a rocking chair, doesn't it? This is a Sculpted Chair by artist David Delthony.
Interesting sink
Chew Gum for Bigger Ta-Ta's (WTF???)
- Larger, fuller firmer breasts
- Improved Circulation
- Healthier Menstruation (PMS Relief)
- Relief of Menopausal Symptoms
- Increased Vaginal Secretion
- Healthier Hair and Skin
- Reduced Stress
- Look Younger
And if that's not your particular cup of what-not, you could always try their... [DRUM ROLL, PLEASE]... F-cup Cookies!!! Oh yeahhhhhh! Really. You couldn't make this shit up, only someone DID because they know some people will believe this hooey and shell out the bucks for it.
FDA, are you listening? This crap is being sold here in the United States, thanks to the internet. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Hmmm???
F-cup? What's so wrong about a good old-fashioned double-D?
Told ya. I wasn't kidding.
Groom drinks too much at wedding, dies
TAIPEI (Reuters) - A Taiwanese groom died on his wedding day after having too much wine and beer to drink, police and local media said Monday.
The man, 35, an insurance company worker surnamed Wu passed out at home after drinking too much Saturday at a high-end restaurant in Taipei among more than 100 wedding guests, the Liberty Times reported.
It was not known if he had health complications.
"Everyone was having a great time," said restaurant party organizer Linda Chien. "We don't know what happened after that."
Wu was hospitalized after his face turned black, the paper said. A hospital spokeswoman said he died despite treatment.
Risqué lingerie meters away from Syrian mosques
Syria has a conservative Muslim society where many women still wear the hijab, and pre-marital sex is almost unheard of. But since its appearance in the market a decade ago, the demand for sexy lingerie has exploded.
Al-Hamidiyeh Souk – a large commercial quarter – stands in the shadow of the most famous mosque of Damascus. Inside you can buy carpets, antiques, water pipes and musical instruments – all of which are traditional market goods.
However, these days something else is drawing in the customers. Most of the regulars are married women, like Shahed, and mothers bolstering their daughters' dowries.
"The underwear is very important for my partner, and makes me feel like a woman," Shahed says.
Behind this apparent empowerment is a very traditional impulse. "When a woman gets married, the groom's mother goes round her house and sees how she cooks, how she cleans, and whether she can please her man – and that's where the lingerie comes in," Hanadi Khateeb, Baladna lifestyle Magazine editor says.
Lingerie designer Ali Nasser crosses comic book Western sexuality with oriental kitsch. Nasser is unlikely to be mistaken for John Galliano, but looks can be deceptive.
"I always have my own ideas. The market moves so fast here, you always have to stay one step ahead," he says.
Despite a fear of competitors spying on his work, Ali is eager to show off what he hopes will wow his customers next season (see video).