Shocking news - truffles in danger!

by Eleanor Tylbor

Directly from France (where else!) where things like this are tres important comes the devastating and shocking news that - wait for it - truffles are in danger of being wiped out!

Mon Dieu! Pas possible!

But yes it's true! So if you're a truffle lover...or liker...or even someone who occasionally indulges in a few truffles, you might be out of luck. Just to clarify we're not talking about the chocolate type with a gazillion calories. It's the kind that only piggies can find in certain geographical locations.

Mais oui!

Narrowing it down further, the Perigort Black Truffle to be exact and the cause is an alien interloping Chinese truffle.

Uh-oh...! Call in the gendarmes or french borner patrol!

Scientists fear it will be wiped out by an invading Chinese truffle they have discovered growing in European soils. Hmmmm... I smell if you'll excuse the pun, a plot afoot - or a-nose. Perhaps yet another means in which to introduce cheaper truffles and spoil the truffle market.

According to people who know about these things who then informed New Phytologist journal, the incomer is a particularly aggressive and fast-growing species.The Perigord black truffle is one of the most highly regarded truffles, fetching around 600 to 800 Euros per kg this season.

"It is the most famous and appreciated among the black truffles, and is the most important truffle in French cuisine," says Claude Murat, a fungus expert based at the University of Torino, Italy.

Somehow, when somebody uses the term "fungus" even though it is referring to a gourmet item, my mind switches to less savory images. Toe nails for example but I digress.

Only Piedmont white truffles fetch higher prices. Hey - we all knew that! Right?

Read the entire story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7405004.stm

So...like...how upset are you regarding this...this shocking news???? More to the point, would you know the difference between one truffle and another?

Perhaps it would be a good idea the next time you're dining out at a fast food restaurant and truffles are on the menu, you might want to think twice. I mean, one just never knows, does one?

Sometimes it's the hiccups in life that get you

Most people at some point in their life acquire a case of hiccups. Although personally aggravating to the hiccup-er and somewhat unnerving to onlookers, most cases of hiccups disappear within minutes. Then there are unusual cases where a case of hiccups can linger for longer. A lot longer.

Take the case of musician, Brian Sands, 24, who has had a severe case of the ailment for 15 months and is hoping that an operation will cure him. He hiccups as often as every 2 seconds and in his sleep on occasion.

Nothing has worked so far in the way of a cure including hypnosis and yoga, and physicians at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre will place a tube into his stomach to monitor acid levels and decide if surgery is feasible.

To make matters worse - or crucial - Sands is a backup singer in the group, Ebullient and the condition is not conducive to his chosen field. In fact he has only been able to perform 4 times.

Sands thinks his problem stems from an acid reflux condition caused by a damaged valve in his stomach.

"If the acid levels are severe enough they are going to do keyhole surgery and grab part of my stomach and wrap it around the valve to tighten it," he said.
When you've had them this long it really drains you, because you can't eat properly and can't sleep properly."

It's always the hiccups of life that'll get you every time, so read about Mr. Sands angst here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lincolnshire/7387224.stm


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Les baguettes from UK...Lego tower sets record...

Now for something completely different: a Yorkshire (UK) baker is supplying baguettes to discriminating French caterers and restaurants. This comes as quite a surprise to any visitor to France - including moi - who is under the impression that when it comes to crispy baguettes - France has it in the basket, so to speak. However...what you sees isn't necessarily what you gets.

France may be famed for its fabulous bread but a British baker has secured a surprising contract - to ship thousands of loaves across the channel.

The baker, Fosters, will be sending bread to les francaise to make croque monsieur, a hot ham and cheese snack.

It is not the first request from France for the baking firm, based in the South Yorkshire town of Barnsley.

"I nearly fell off my chair laughing," said director John Foster. "Asking a Brit to make French sticks?"

They will ship some 7,000 soft white loaves for use in toasted sandwiches to France every few months.

Read the whole story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7386183.stm

Fosters Bakery - the suppliers also have a site here:
http://www.bake-it.com/


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Lego in as far as children and probably their parents given the popularity of the blocks are concerned, is the ideal toy to stimulate the imagination. A 100ft tower made out of Lego bricks will be verified as an official world record, organisers hope.

Thousands of children and their families used almost 500,000 bricks to build the structure at the Legoland theme park in Windsor, Berkshire. The tower is designed to resemble a Viking longboat mast to mark the opening of the new Land of the Vikings. It is yet to officially verified, but the next biggest Lego tower is just over 96ft built in Toronto last August.

The Viking mast tower was created over the Bank Holiday weekend with each of the top sections lifted into place with a crane.

Lego has recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the iconic brick

Rest of the story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/berkshire/7386537.stm

In God We Trust. How Do You Spell That?

by Eleanor Tylbor

Perhaps he means well but somehow changing one's name to "In God We Trust" is bound to have interesting or at least humorous results. If the court allows him to do this.

Steve Kreuscher wants a judge to allow him to legally change his name. He wants to be known as "In God We Trust." Kreuscher says the new name would symbolize the help God gave him through tough times. The 57-year-old man also says he's worried that atheists may succeed in removing the phrase "In God We Trust" from U.S. currency. He recalls that the phrase "God Reigns" was removed from the Zion city seal in 1992 after Illinois courts deemed it unconstitutional. Zion was founded as a theocracy - by a sect that believed the Earth was flat. The school bus driver and amateur artist in the northern Chicago suburb says he has filed a petition to change his name in Lake County Circuit Court.


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So let's say... this man or another man is allowed to change his name to In God We Trust.

Let's say... it's time for him to sign his signature.


MAN IN GOD WE TRUST
(paying for food at restaurant)
Do you take major credit cards?

WAITER
Of course, sir

IGWT
Okay...here. Take this one(waiter walks away examining credit card. Returns a few minutes later)

WAITER
Um... Sir... We seem to have a problem here

IGWT
Oh? Did I put the wrong amount or something?

WAITER
That's fine. Um... It's about your signature?

IGWT
What about it?

WAITER
You signed the motto written on a coin. I'm sure it was a mistake

IGWT
Not!

WAITER
We require a real name, sir.

IGWT
In God We Trust!

WAITER
I'm sure you do - we all do, sir. However, we need a real name

IGWT
That is my real name

(Manager joins him)

MANAGER
Is there a problem here?

IGWT
Your waiter won't accept my credit card!

MANAGER
That's right. I told him not to! Sir - we need a name. A real name! Not a political statement or something... In God We Trust cannot in any way be considered a name. So if you'll just show us some other piece of identification...

IGWT
All my identification has In God We Trust. Do you believe in God?

MANAGER
What's that have to do with anything?

IGWT
Well - do you?

MANAGER
My personal beliefs have nothing to do with the present situation at hand. How about paying with some cold cash, instead?IGWTSee? It's your "who cares" attitude that could cause "In God We Trust" to be removed from our coins!

MANAGER
So you admit that's not your real name! I knew it!

IGWT
I beg your pardon! FYI - that IS my legal name! Here... I'll show you my driver's license...and my vehicle registration...

MANAGER
(reading pieces of identification)
Well, I thought I've seen it all! Forgive me sir. I was wrong and you're right! However, you must admit that this is a bit unusual

IGWT
Let's just say it's my own personal political statementMANAGERFine with me. Now if you'll just sign the bill here... I can't seem to read your second name.

IGWT
E Pluribus Unum. Is there a problem?

WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS - SO SOLDIER SUES

Having the name Paris Hilton, and being in the spotlight, there's bound to be some negative reports off and on. That's life being Paris. However, being sued for being...Paris takes things to a whole new level.

The private claims that calling him Paris after the notorious heiress is “demeaning”.

Hylton, a chef with the Welsh Guards, is suing for race discrimination because he says other soldiers continued to call him “Paris”, even though officers ordered them to stop. His solicitor even wrote to Prince Charles, who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, urging him to step down after letters to the regiment’s commanding officer detailing the allegations went unanswered.

Hylton, 33, says he finds the nickname offensive because he considers Paris Hilton – the wayward socialite belonging to the hotel dynasty – is “a white woman with a low reputation”.
He also claims that he was repeatedly called a string of racist names at his barracks in Birdcage Walk close to Buckingham Palace.

Hylton’s wife and children were also allegedly left in fear after a hate campaign in which locks on the doors at their married quarters were repeatedly superglued shut. At one stage Hylton, who was born in Jamaica, complains that an NCO who racially abused him had also punched him, leaving him requiring hospital treatment.

But he claims in legal papers submitted to Central London Employment Tribunal, which will hear his case next month, that he was the one who was arrested – and military police recorded his name in statements as Paris Hilton.

Hylton, from Woolwich, south-east London, says his ordeal has forced him out of his £22,000-a-year post and he is due to leave the Army next month.

The private is demanding £50,000 compensation from the Ministry of Defence, which denies his allegations and is vigorously contesting the case.

A spokesman for Prince Charles declined to comment.

GHOSTLY HAPPENINGS IN PENNSYLVANIA POLICE STATION

Seems that there have been reports over the years about ghostly occurrences in the Homestead, PA. police station. Police officers there, probably weary and leery of their station having a reputation as being haunted, are going all out to dispel or confirm the presence of those from the spiritual realm.

Reports have included slamming doors and creaky floors but there are other more visible occurrences that require investigation.

There’s the phantom typist. Several people have seen the keys on a typewriter moving on their own. Typist? As in typewriter? What about computers?

Then there's the attic door that springs open no matter how many times it's bolted shut, not to mention chilling air that blows through enclosed hallways and around old cellblocks.

Not to be overlooked is the broken snow plow that started up on its own in November minus a key and battery.

Denise Kelly, who worked at the building for years, showed a reporter a room she and other staffers almost never entered alone and this is where paranormal investigators set up shop when they paid a visit.

The department called on the Greater Pittsburgh Paranormal Society, and they said they found something in the boiler room. Paranormal investigators said the staff will have to wait until their investigation is complete to find out what they believe is that something.

Interesting that there is no mention of eerie happenings from prisoners...

Anyway, here's the site for the G.P.P.S. - Greater Pittsburgh Paranormal Society here:
http://pittsburghparanormal.com/

The mission of the GPPS is: "...to investigate and collect data pertaining to the paranormal, and to offer assistance to those who believe their lives are being affected by a haunting and to help them take charge of their lives.

We also classify and collect possible evidence, and to firstly rule out any natural occurrences. In the case that G.P.P.S. does not find evidence on the first investigation, we will offer another investigation immediately, and offer ongoing assistance to you. Just because we do not find evidence doesn't mean that we do not believe that you are a victim of a haunting."

Perhaps there just could be a TV series down the line...

NO SWEARING IN SOUTH PASADENA...AT LEAST ONCE PER MONTH

This community on the edge of Los Angeles has become a cuss-free zone.

Not that police will slap cuffs on you and haul your sorry, er, butt off to jail in light of the proclamation passed Wednesday by the City Council. But you could be shamed into better behavior by the unsettling glares of residents who take their reputation for civility seriously.

"That's one of the purposes of this," Mayor Michael Cacciotti said of his city's proclamation designating the first week of March as No Cussing Week. "It provides us a reminder to be more civil, to elevate the level of discourse."

The proclamation will be in effect until Friday, and then the first week of every March hereafter.

South Pasadena, a tranquil city of tree-shaded cottages at the base of a mountain range eight miles north of downtown Los Angeles, isn't the first to try to rein in potty mouths. Earlier this year, the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, Mo., proposed banning swearing in bars. Last year, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons called for an industrywide ban on racially and sexually charged epithets.

But what's different about the latest push to stop saying in public the words that Jane Fonda and Diane Keaton recently discovered we still can't say on television is that it was proposed by a 14-year-old boy.

"My mom and dad always taught me good morals, good values, and not cussing was one of them," said McKay Hatch, the founder of South Pasadena High School's No Cussing Club, during a recent break between study hall and tennis practice.

"I've cussed before, I'm not gonna lie to you," Hatch quickly added. "But I try not to cuss any more."

He was in junior high school when he became fed up with all the blue language around him.
He understood why his friends use foul language: "They just want to fit in like everybody else and they don't know how. They figure if they cuss maybe it's an easy way to do that."

But it wasn't for him.

"I finally told my friends, `I don't cuss.' And I said, `If you want to hang out with me, you don't cuss.'"

It took a couple of years, but enough friends finally came around that Hatch formed a 50-member club, handed out fliers and called the group's first meeting, held June 1.
Nine months later, the No Cussing Club has a Web site, claims 10,000 members and boasts chapters in several states and countries. Hatch considers his greatest achievement, though, to be getting his hometown of 25,000 to become a cuss-free zone.

He hopes to encourage cuss-free zones in other cities to improve the quality of life.


Check out the "No Cussing Club" here: http://www.nocussing.com/

D'ya think this club will catch on in other states?

I'm so angst-ridden: yet another e-mail asking me for help!

Why me, I ask you? Huh? I just this very minute... Okay five minutes ago...received this e-mail and am so fraught with indecision. I mean - the sender even addressed me by my first name!

"Dear Eleanor,"

Not just Eleanor mind you, but dear Eleanor.

"Please, do not be offended as this came to you without your permission. Which ever way you may look at it may it please you to repond either negatively or positively, so that i will know what next to do."

Respond either...negatively or...positively... Uh-huh...no neutral response for this person!

"I am Mr. Blah-blah, thirty two years of age and the fifth son of the reknowned Gambian industralist and the director general of D Sawmill, Chief Blah-blah-blah, who has companies and industries all over West Africa ."

So at this point - I'm impressed. Here somebody who obviously recognized my fame as a writer/wanna-be playwright/aspiring artist etc. etc. is a man of wealth and power. The man owns a sawmill! I've never known a sawmill owner before and better still - he's rich.

"As it may interest you to know, i got your contact through the internet professional data base by divine inspiration as i made this operation my only way of survival and i decided to contact you in order to tackle this without delay."

Ohmyohmy... Divine inspiration no less!

"My father Chief, Chief Blah is a victim of polygamy and womanizing married to twenty eight wives with sixty three children, very stingy and brutal to all of us, but mine is different as i have no brother or sister of the same father and mother due to the premature death of my mother in child birth on the 24th jan 1979 when i was only six years old, remaining under the brutal care of my wicked father who turned me to a slave istead of a son.."

Now things get a little confusing for me, here. His dad was a victim of polygamy and a womanizer married to 28 wives and has 63 children... Mr. Blah-blah has no brother or sister of the same(?) father and mother due to the death of his mother... Uh-huh... So that's 28 woman times... No divide that by... Forgetaboutit. Math never was my strong subject in school.

"With all his wealth, he could only make me the assistant sales manger in one of his alliance wood industries (D SAWMILL) republic of the Gambia with seviere maltretment and underation, irregular and poor salary , after depriving me of proper education and insisting that i must work under him. Being under my father gives no future to any ambitious young man , so for the purpose of my own progress and to liberate myself, i managed to make away with his THREE MILLION FIVE HUNDREND THOUSAND USA DOLLARS in a safe box when he was on holidays and came to republic of Togo where i deposited it in one security company."

Well...Mr. Blah-blah didn't do too badly all things considered squirreling away 3,500,000 USD, which he appears to have stored in a safe box. Right?

"Here in Lome iam like a refugee , no place of my own to lay my head, always hidding from people who may know me or my father, Please, iam here begging you to assist me urgently in the release and transfer of the fund to your account , then you invite me to come ,invest and live in your country as a partner or any way you may want it providing i get out quickly from here because of my shylock father."

That's it! All I hav'ta do! Allow Mr. Blah-blah to deposit money in my account! So as a good will gesture, I'm gonna send Mr. Blah-blah a return e-mail inviting him to invest in my ice-making company in Labrador. I mean, it's the least I can do.

"I am Waiting in hope for your urgent reply."

Me too.


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HEATHER AND PAUL (OR PAUL AND HEATHER) back in court

And so the melodrama continues... Heather (McCartney) Mills and Paul McCartney were back in divorce court for yet another round of "he-did she-did" etc.

Paul McCartney arrived at the High Court in London ahead of his divorce hearing. The fight over the wealth of the former Beatle, who is estimated to be worth up to $1.6 billion(!), could result in Britain's biggest divorce settlement. According to media reports it could be worth between $20 million and £100 million.

Mills, 40, said nothing as she entered a courtroom at London's Royal Courts of Justice. McCartney, 65, arrived at court after his estranged wife. He (Paul) said "good morning" as he entered court carrying a black case.Divorce proceedings in Britain are heard in private, and the door of Court 34 carried a sign saying "No Admittance -- Strictly Private," according to the Press Association.

A media frenzy accompanied the couple's first court hearing in October as they tried to reach a settlement. Since then, Mills has fired her lawyers and lashed out at the media during television interviews, after sections of the British press portrayed her as a gold-digger.

Mills intends to represent herself, according to British media, at the expected weeklong hearings.McCartney, meanwhile, has kept silent about their split, with speculation that he is hoping Mills will do the same by signing a divorce settlement that will forbid her from talking about their relationship in the future.The terms of any settlement would not become public unless the case reached the appeals court.

The couple, who have a four-year-old daughter, Beatrice Milly, married in 2002 after meeting at a charity event.At the time of their split, they insisted it was "amicable" despite widespread reports of a tempestuous relationship between McCartney and Mills, an ex-model. In an emotional outburst in a television interview late last year, Mills said she had been driven to the brink of suicide by the media treatment of her.

"Eighteen months of abuse, worse than a murderer or a pedophile," she told British morning television."

This leads one to wonder why she had a child with somebody who is "...worse than a murderer of pedophile." While nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors in a marriage, I remember a few years back when Heather and Sir Paul were guests on Larry King Live. Being an advocate of seals and land mines she went on...and on...and on... about how bad the Canadian government was especially one particular province's attitude towards the seal hunt. On his part Sir Paul said absolutely nothing but looked like he was very embarrassed and was cringing internally.

I also watched her on "Dancing With the Stars" and there is something definitely amiss (IMHO) with that woman. She is just not likeable. I think she was hoping that somebody - anybody - would use her as a guest star and her advocacy on behalf of land mines/seals etc. etc. or even hire her as an entertainment anchor. Nobody has and given the popularity of Paul, nobody will. She should quit while she's ahead, take the money she's offered in the divorce settlement and move on with her life. That's the best offer she's gonna get.

Surf on over here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/paul-mccartney-heather-mills for more details on the proceedings but also a juicy bit of info. about her affair while married to Paul.

NOT JUST YOUR ORDINARY SNAKE (PYTHON) IN THE GRASS

There are friendships between a boy and his pet that make memories for a life time. Then there are those special relationships that make one wonder, "huh?" In this case the special friendship is between a boy and his pet python.

No misprint. A boy and his pet python.

Pythons have a reputation for being very huggable, huge reptiles that require their meals live, as in live chickens...live rabbits... It comes as a surprise - more like a shock - to learn that a young Cambodian boy is currently sharing his life with a five metre long python named Chamreun that weighs in at 100 kg.

The 7 year old boy named, Sambath Uorn, who sleeps with his "friend" rides on the snake's back and pats it down with baby powder. The snake enjoys nothing more than allowing her young friend to curl up inside her coils.

I bet, uttered the cynic.

The best friends became acquainted when both were small when the snake visited the house. Sambath's mother moved the snake to a river bank but a few weeks later, the snake paid a return visit. The rest as they say is history and Chamreun has earned a place in the family's heart and home. Let's hope not in the snake's stomach.

It even has its own two-by-three-metre room with a spirit house at which Khuorn Sam Ol prays for the python to keep his family happy and healthy. In Cambodian culture, they believe that the reptile protects the family and could be reincarnated.

Thing is...can you trust a snake especially a python, whose nature is to give realllly big hugs and then some?

Chamroeun - whom it takes three adults to carry - eats about 10 kilograms of chicken meat every week, posing a heavy financial burden on the family. Be that as it may, the family have no intention of giving up their "pet" - at least for the time being.

Wildlife and police officials used to come by to try to take the snake away and put it in a zoo. But they relented after seeing Uorn Sambath lovingly cuddling the reptile. They left with some pictures they took of the boy and the snake together, Khuorn Sam Ol said.

"I will not let anyone take her away from me, either. I love her very much," declared his son, Uorn Sambath, kissing his pet on the head. The snake can grow up to be 8 metres long and can weigh up to 180kg.

To see family photos of best pals, Sambath and Chamteun:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/29/wsnake129.xml


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OF LOST EYEBALL...DEFLATED DOLL...AND OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF

Came accross two interesting tales of loss worth passing on. Maybe it's just my quirkie sense of humor but they did make me smile. That's life!


Let's say...you're staying at a hotel in this case in Tasmania and somebody knocks on your hotel room door to deliver a box. Let's say...you open it and staring down at the contents, are greeted with an eye ball staring back.

That's exactly what happened to a hotel guest in Tasmania when he received a foam cold box containing a single human eyeball. The box marked 'Live human organs for transplant' was delivered by mistake to a hotel in Hobart by a taxi driver.

Hotel worker Gabriel Winner, who requested the name of the hotel not be used (I bet!), says the agitated guest brought the box to reception.

"The guy left with me with a box with an eyeball in it,'" he said. "I thought this is just too weird. I went and put it in the fridge because I didn't know what else to do with it. It was more than a little disconcerting."

So this leaves one to wonder why Mr. Winner (interesting name is this case) would assume that one of his guests was waiting for the delivery of an eyeball. I mean, it's not something that most if not all people would order. Even more interesting that he put it in the fridge along with other "normal" food. Can you imagine the shock a hotel employee would receive when opening the fridge to take a prepared sandwich for lunch?It's something out of a horror movie!

MAD SCIENTIST
Igor...go deliver this eyeball

IGOR
Where master?

MAD SCIENTIST
Let me check the destination... The Provincial Hospital

IGOR
Sorry? Could you repeat that?

MAD SCIENTIST
When are you going to get a hearing aid? I said, 'Provincial Hospital'

IGOR
Of course, master. Provincial Hotel...

And the rest as they say, is history.

An Australian Air Express spokeswoman confirmed a "failure in an internal handover process'" and apologized.

To say the least.

"As soon as we discovered the error we quickly rectified that and delivered the consignment within the appropriate timeframe,'" she said.Queensland Health spokeswoman Penny Geraghty said tissue from the eye was recovered and successfully transferred to a patient. "Nobody missed their operation. The tissue wasn't compromised," she said.

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Sometimes you can't win for losing. Take the case of this Romanian guy who recently registered a complaint with officials that his inflatable doll has lost its moan. Not knowing anyone who has ever encountered this - um - situation or problem, I would imagine that - um - a moan-less adult doll would be kind of...demoralizing.

"Moan, damn you, Isla!" the man probably/could have/might have said as he... Never mind.

A sex shop in Brasov, Transylvania, was fined 600£ and ordered to provide the man, said to be in his 40s, with a new doll.

The man had also complained that the rubber doll deflated too quickly(!), according to local media.

Well... I'm no scientist or physicist but perhaps - um - the doll's owner was a little bit too - how shall we say - active with his vinyl "friend?"

Iulian Mara, head of the local Consumer Protection Office, said: "No matter how strange it sounded to us, we went to the sex-shop from where the man bought the object of complaint and found out he was justified.

So...like...how did Mr. Mara et al discover that the complaint was justified, one asks/ponders.

"The doll was losing air very quickly and due to a faulty electrical circuit it didn't make the expected specific sounds."Oh gawd! Electricity is involved? I mean, what about shocks? Did the doll operate on batteries or was she a plug-in, one wonders...

There is no mention you will note, about what type of sounds were uttered.

Never a dull moment in Transylvania...

BOYS TEST THE THEORY THAT TONGUE+FLAG POLE IN WINTER=PAIN

Many people reading this will recall the memorable scene in the seasonal favorite, "A Christmas Story" where young Flick is double-dared by his friends into testing whether his tongue would stick to a flagpole, causing teacher Miss Shields to comment:

"Now I know that some of you put Flick up to this, but he has refused to say who. But those who did it know their blame, and I'm sure that the guilt you must feel would be far worse than any punishment you might receive. Now, don't you feel terrible? Don't you feel remorse for what you have done? Well, that's all I'm going to say about poor Flick."

This time, though, not one but two 4th grade boys decided to do the same thing and found out first-hand that it worked.

Gavin Dempsey and James Alexander were serving on flag duty at Jackson Elementary School Friday morning, with the job of raising and lowering the school’s flags. They decided to see if their tongues really would stick to the cold metal.

“I decided to try it because I thought all of the TV shows were lies, but turns out I was wrong,” Gavin said.

Karen Alexander, James’ mother , said her son told her he got the idea from the movie, which is based on stories about a boy growing up in the northwest Indiana community of Hammond in the 1940s.

“I can’t believe he did it, but they learned their lesson,” she said.

James said he plans to eat a lot of ice cream to help nurse his wound.

“When you’re young, you’re just messing around,” he said.

Billie Dempsey, Gavin’s mom, said a nurse called them to tell them the boys’ tongues were bleeding.

“The nurse asked them, ‘OK, who double-dog dared who?”’ Billie Dempsey said, a reference to a phrase that a character in the movie used to dare another child to stick his tongue to the pole.

Thank goodness the boys relegated their true-to-life imitation to just their tongues and not other parts of their body.


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TOM CRUISE EXPLAINS HIS THEORY ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY AS ONLY TOM CAN

Actor, Tom Cruise, as most of us are aware, is an avid-bordering-on-rabid follower of Scientology. Perhaps, if you've got some time on your hands - lots of time and patience - lots of patience - you might want to hear and maybe even find interesting, Tom rambl...discuss his views on it. That is, if you can make head-or-tails of what he's talking about. L. Ron Hubbard would be proud. Wonder who taped this.

Personally, I think aliens may have kidnapped him. Check out the intense look in his eyes as he goes on and on and...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svnmL2dWXRE&watch_response

By the way don't know who made this video or why but it still can be viewed by everyone/anyone and has not been removed.

ZOO PAYS TO KEEP POPULAR FLUFFY THE PYTHON

Somehow, naming a snake Fluffy, seems somewhat inappropriate especially since Fluffy is a reticulated python. For those of us not familiar with snake or python terminology and according to Wikipedia, a reticulated python is a non-venomous python species found in Southeast Asia. This is the longest snake in the Old World and competes for the title of the world's longest snake with the South American green anaconda, Eunectes murinus. No subspecies are currently recognized.



Fluffy was bred by Bob Clark who raised him from a hatchling and the zoo paid $35,000 to the snake's breeder in Oklahoma to keep the reticulated python on permanent display. By the way Fluffy is a male despite the feminine moniker. While on loan last year, the python helped draw 1.53 million visitors, just under the zoo's attendance record of 1.56 million set in 2006, said Pete Fingerhut, the zoo's associate director.


Fluffy is about as long as a moving van and thick as a telephone pole.


"I really love that snake; I think it's a special animal," Fluffy's raiser said. "It's so big and tame and wonderful. But I have to deal with the realities of life like everyone else. I like to have the money, and I know she's got a great place to live there."



Tame? A boa? Presumably when raising a boa, one does so with a great deal of care...and caution. In as far as Mr. Clark's professed love for Fluffy - different strokes for different folks!


The Columbus Zoo doesn't buy animals very often, said Executive Director Jerry Borin. Its animals generally come as exchanges from other zoos or through breeding loans or donations, he said.

Fluffy is on display in a 25-foot enclosure with a pool and a few plants, where he eats two 10-pound rabbits a week. In the wild, pythons native to Asia eat whatever they can catch, starting with mice and lizards when they're small and graduating to pigs and goats. There are a few reports of human victims.



Somehow and maybe it's just me but the idea or mental picture of Fluffy putting the squeeze and bite on live rabbits is very disconcerting. The largest known reticulated python, named for the cross-hatching patterns on their skin, was 32 feet, 9 1/2 inches when killed in 1912 in Indonesia.

Britney's folk not happy with Dr. Phil blabbing to media

Last week Dr. Phil, TV's answer to Jerry Springer, made a "house call" to visit Britney Spears when she was hospitalized for - well - freaking out. Of course being that anything related to Britney makes headlines and rather than receive praise for his effort, Dr. Phil has actually been villified by many as using the situation for his own purposes. For his part Phil didn't disclose any details of his one hour "talk" with Britney because he said that would be unprofessional.

O-kaaaaay...

However, he did make an overture extending an invitation to appear on his show and when that didn't work out he moved on to her parents, who also refused. Now the Spears family is mad.

"Britney Spears' family says "Dr. Phil" McGraw crossed the line by not keeping his mouth shut after making a house call on the singer last week. Lou Taylor, a business manager for Spears' mother, Lynne, and younger sister, Jamie Lynn, appeared on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday and said McGraw had betrayed the family's trust by talking to the media about Spears' mental health after showing up at the 26-year-old pop star's hospital room on Saturday for a visit.

"The family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements," Taylor said. "Any statement publicly that he made, because he was brought in under this cloak of trust, (is) just inappropriate." Taylor said McGraw was invited to the hospital by Spears' family, but "he was not invited to make this part of a public display or part of the media."

This is really a somewhat surprising and amusing reaction coming from the family of a celebrity that will go to any length to attract the attention of paps.

"McGraw said earlier this week that he was shelving plans for a show on Spears' latest breakdown. He said Spears' predicament was "too intense" for him to go on with the show. Taylor said the syndicated TV psychologist broached the idea of the show to Spears' handlers, who eventually decided that such a show would be "detrimental" to the family.

Actually, there was no reason for Dr. Phil to comment on their meeting, period, or provide any background information. His blabbing to the media makes him out as an opportunist and somewhat wanting as a medical professional. Dr. Phil is/was a psychologist before he became...Dr. Phil, superstar.

"Mental health professionals also criticized McGraw this week, saying he went too far by showing up at Spears' room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as she was about to be discharged. McGraw fired back at his critics in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" on Monday. "Somebody needs to step up and get this young woman into some quality care -- and I do not apologize one whit, not one second, for trying to make that happen," he said."

Oh well... Sometimes being a TV doctor-come-savior ain't easy.

DR. PHIL - PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF

I dunno... There was a time when Dr. Phil McGraw was first introduced to TV audiences as a guest on Oprah, he was a quiet, down-to-earth psychologist with a gift for gab. For what ever reason and probably his cute-sy, down-home personna/charm and southern drawl, he got his own TV show. However, as time went on and his popularity grew, there was a distinct change in his personna and his ego. It grew. A lot.

For the last couple of seasons he has turned into a pseudo Jerry Springer, encouraging people to cry and reveal all their deep, dark family secrets for everyone to see.

What happened to medical ethics?

He had already touched upon Britney Spears's problems in an earlier show, diagnosing and assessing her from afar. So it's not surprising that he showed up when Britney was hospitalized on the weekend. According to various sources he was asked to intervene by her parents (yes there is a daddy Spears!). He was reported to have talked with her for an hour and there was even a rumor that she could be a guest on his show.

Not.

Once that didn't work out, he turned his attention to the Spear parents. The latest word by the good doctor himself, is that the Spears family show idea has been cancelled because the situation is "too intense." To say the least but then it was "intense" before he tried to book a family member.

Although Dr. Phil's show has lots of viewers and good ratings, having any member of the Spears family on his show would have caused his numbers to go through the roof. Oh well... Just goes to show that even TV docs can't do miracles.

Meanwhile, after demanding to be released from hospital, there have been reports of Britney out and about with the new (and married) paparazzi friend, Adnan. Guess a girl hast'a do what a girl hast'a do.

World's strangest laws

It's the beginning of a new year and perhaps some travel plans are on your agenda. It's always a good idea to know something about the place you plan to visit and perhaps some of the local customs.

Suppose a visit to France is on the travel itinerary and while there for whatever reason, adopting a pig seems like a fun idea as is naming the pig, say...Napoleon. You would be breaking the law since it's illegal to name a pig Napolean. No mention if it's applicable to the naming of other pets,Napoleon like a cat or dog. I mean, how would authorities find out if one named one's pet Napolean, anyway? But I digress.

There are some strange laws around the world down in the books, for example:

In Ohio you're not allowed to get a fish drunk.Why anyone would waste good liquor on fish is another thing but I digress.

It is illegal for a cab in the City of London to carry rabid dogs or corpses. Don't we all? I mean, really...

It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. "Arrest that man for dying!"

It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside down. Why? Will she get dizzy?

In Alabama, it's illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle.

Royal Navy ships that enter the Port of London must provide a barrel of rum to the Constable of the Tower of London.

In the UK, a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants – even, if she so requests, in a policeman’s helmet.

In Lancashire, England, no person is permitted after being asked to stop by a constable on the seashore to incite a dog to bark.

In Miami, Florida, it is illegal to skateboard in a police station.

In England, all men over the age of 14 must carry out two hours of longbow practice a day. Don't all English-men own longbows?

In London, Freemen are allowed to take a flock of sheep across London Bridge without being charged a toll; they are also allowed to drive geese down Cheapside. Some would could say it's favoritism.

Now this is an interesting feat to accomplish: In the UK, a man who feels compelled to urinate in public can do so only if he aims for his rear wheel and keeps his right hand on his vehicle.

In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on Sundays can be jailed. No wonder the jails are so filled!

In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon more than six-feet long.

In Chester, Welshmen are banned from entering the city before sunrise and from staying after sunset.

In the city of York, it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow.

In Boulder, Colorado, it is illegal to kill a bird within the city limits and also to “own” a pet – the town’s citizens, legally speaking, are merely “pet minders”.

In Vermont, women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth. And if they don't? Is there a jail term involved?

In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague.

One of my favorites: The head of any dead whale found on the British coast is legally the property of the King; the tail, on the other hand, belongs to the Queen - in case she needs the bones for her corset. So...like...who does the rest belong to? Anybody know?

BRITNEY HOSPITALIZED - THANK GOODNESS!

Well...the inevitable occured and Britney Spears, the once-was-normal-pop-singer had a melt down in her home and was hospitalized.

Thank goodness!

This might seem like a harsh statement but given her recent weirdness and irrational behavior of late perhaps - just perhaps - the medical community will give her the help she needs. That is if she wants and accepts it.

The reason for the breakdown according to news sources is her reluctance to part with her children. According to AP:"The 26-year-old pop star was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Entertainment Tonight reported on its Web site Friday. Cedars spokeswoman Simi Singer said she could not confirm or deny the report, citing patient confidentiality laws. Officer Jason Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department told City News Service that Spears appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance. He declined to elaborate. No injuries were reported. Spears was conscious late Thursday when paramedics took her out of her home in a gurney. Several police cars escorted the ambulance out of the neighborhood, followed by dozens of celebrity reporters. Officers were called to Spears' house around 8 p.m. to respond to a custodial dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their sons, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, Lee said. By about 10:30 p.m., six police cars, two ambulances and a fire truck had entered the gated-community that includes Spears' house. Several police cars were seen in the area earlier in the night."

Interesting development in that her father, Jamie Spears, showed up at the hospital. Britney has a father? Go know! He certainly hasn't made himself available to her up until now. Spears turned over the children around 10:50 p.m., Lee said."

For more commentary (another word for gossip):http://www.perezhilton.com/ http://www.tmz.com/

Sad...

BRITNEY, ADNAN AND A HOROSCOPE PREDICTION FOR BRIT

Eeny....meeny....minee...mo...

Out for a night of...whatever, Britney Spears recently selected LA paparazzo, Adnan Ghalib, to accompany her for a heart-to-heart talk about life/whatever in a hotel room. Now Ghalib is singing his own tune in an interview to explain what went on between the couple.

"I think, God's honest truth, I think she's a great person. I really do," Ghalib said. "She's young. … She's never made the best choices in friends, even her relationships."

To say the least.

Read the rest of what Brit-Brit-'s new "friend" had to reveal in an interview with ABC news here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4056475&page=1


Now what about Brit-Brit's future?

According to astrologer, Susan Miller, Britney's future mate will be "very financial, practical and stable. He'll be 7 years older and will know how to handle money - a manager-type."

Miller also said that Spears' 'bank account is going to explode with money' in the second half of 2008, the result of either recording a new album or other residuals. Jamie Lynn, who announced her pregnancy on Dec. 19, is a budding star, according to Miller.

"Her career is going to take off like a rocket next year! It'll never be better in her whole life," she said.The astrologer further said that Jamie Lynn's Aries sign shows that she's a 'good entertainer, a budding star.'"She's more of a musician. There's someone standing right behind her," she added.

Yeah...whatever.

I'll look into my own crystal ball and predict that in the next few days, Britney will be driving her car in places where she knows she will be photographed and the crystal also reveals paparazzi trailing close behind. Furthermore...she will visit the bathroom on more than one occasion.

Read the rest of Miller's fear(ful)less prediction here: http://www.thecheers.org/news/Celebrity/news_5467_What-the-stars-hold-for-Britney-Spears-Jamie-Lynn-and-Lynne-Spears-revealed.html

Paris will be poor...or at least 97% poorer


Oh dear. Seems that grandpa Hilton is very embarrassed by his granddaughter, Paris's behavior. You know - clubbing, drinking, sleeping around - the usual stuff that bored, rich heiresses do. To show his displeasure he has committed 97% of his fortune to a charitable foundation. Even then, I'm sure, the next generation of Hiltons has mucho money in their own right salted away somewhere where the tax people can't/won't ever find it.

As for Paris... Whatever happened to her self-proclaimed "I-see-the-light" change of consciousness that she had in jail? Did I say jail? You know that place where she was inconvenienced for a few days and didn't have access to the important things in her life like shopping, night clubs, jetting from country-to-country, posing for magazine covers. Those things. I mean, jail being so tacky and having to wear that vile orange-colored jump suit, she needed something substantial to cling to and found solace in the Bible. Not that there's anything wrong with that and the Good Book has a lot of good advice. Paris being Paris, the new-found spiritual enlightenment lasted maybe a month and then it was on to what Paris does best: clubbing and getting paid to show up at parties.

We all remember how she pledged to make our planet a better place and vowed upon her release to help the less fortunate around the world. Course 'less fortunate' in Paris's mind could have been people who didn't know how to coordinate their clothes properly. Somebody has to tell them!

Anyway, when asked for comments about her grandfather's decision, she hasn't as yet said anything. And when and if she does, for sure it will be something really important like, "did I tell you all about my new line of perfume?" Or "do you know anybody that wants to be my boyfriend?"

Good for Grandpa Hilton!

FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US WHO REMEMBER

Oh darn! Somehow I missed celebrating Festivus by just one day. To top it all off I forgot to send out reminders to my enemies as well as friends that I could be planning but not necessarily, throw a celebration to mark the day.


According to Wikipedia, Festivus is an annual holiday that was adapted from ancient Roman practices by writer and editor, Daniel O'Keefe and was introduced to the world by O'Keefe's son, Daniel, a scriptwriter for Seinfeld on December 18, 1997 in the episode, "The Strike." The rest as they say is history and now Festivus is celebrated on December 23.


So if I had gone through with my plans to throw a Festivus gala, for sure I would have "The Festivus Pole" with the essential ingredient being a piece of dull metal. I'm thinking here I would have used the bottom half of my patio umbrella that became separated from the top part, on a windy day. I mean, it's a little dented at the bottom but it would be the perfect thing for combining it with the Feats of Strength challenge, whereby two opponents could try and bend it with one hand tied behind their backs, culminating in one being thrown to the ground. For another type of strength test, a Toothpick Challenge featuring participants attempting to see how many toothpicks can be inserted between teeth, would have been a fun diversion. There could be a few splinters on lips but it's a small price to be able to claim participation in a Festivus activity. Of course the very exciting knuckle-crunching challenge would be held to see who could make the loudest noise.

Once everyone is thoroughly exhausted, we would have sat down and partaken in the Airing of Grievances. For sure there would probably be a lot of finger-pointing and accusations and some swearing would be involved but in the end, we'd all feel better. Maybe some of us wouldn't be speaking to each other but we would air our grievances and that's what's important, here.

In the way of a Festivus menu for sure green been casserole would have been served, along with yellow aspic for some coordinating color. There would be grilled cheese sandwiches for the main dish and for dessert, Festivus fruit cake of course.

Alas...it will all have to wait until next year, that is if I remember to send out invitations. Maybe.

MAN SUES 8 YEAR OLD SKIER FOR BUMPING INTO HIM

What is it with people that they will use any incident in an attempt to get money for any boo-boo? In this case it concerns a 60 year old man suing an 8 year old boy.

A 60-year-old man is taking an 8-year-old boy and his dad to court, claiming the boy caused a ski-slope collision that left the older man with a shoulder injury.

David J. Pfahler of Allentown, Pa., sued in federal court in Denver, claiming Scott Swimm, then 7, was skiing fast and recklessly when they collided in January, the Vail Daily reported Thursday. The suit claims Pfahler suffered a torn shoulder tendon and seeks compensation for physical therapy, vacation time, nursing and medical services provided by Pfahler's wife, and other expenses. It estimates the couple's losses at more than $75,000.

We're talking about a then 7 year old kid, here, who wants nothing more than to spend a fun day on the slopes.

Scott's father, Robb Swimm, said that he saw the crash and that Scott was skiing slowly and in control.

"It wasn't a violent collision or anything; Scott just kind of tapped his ski boots," he said this week.

Scott's mother, Susan Swimm, said her son weighs 48 pounds and couldn't have been going more than 10 mph. By the way Scott is in the third grade.

"Who in the world sues a child?" she said. "It just boggles my mind every day."

Amen Mrs. Swimm!

Pfahler's Denver attorney, Jim Chalat, declined to comment on specifics but says Pfahler, who works for Reader's Digest, wants to go back to work.

Bah-humbug to Mr. Phafler!


Writers & Friends
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ITALIAN COURT RULES CHILD CAN'T BE CALLED FRIDAY

This is one for the it-makes-you-wonder-about-parents department and what they name their offspring.

In Italy, a couple was told that legally they couldn't name their son - wait for it - "Friday" and instead, ordered that he be called Gregory after the saint whose feast day he was born on.

Friday??? Who would name their child...after a day in the week, anyway?

"I think it is ridiculous they even opened a case about it," the family's lawyer, Paola Rossi, told Reuters by telephone from the northern city of Genoa on Tuesday.

The child, Friday/Gregory Germano was born in Genoa 15 months ago. The parents registered him as Friday in the city hall and a priest even baptised him as Friday -- unusual in Italy since many priests insist that first names be of Christian origin.

"We named him Friday because we like the sound of the name. Even if it would have been a girl, we would have named her Friday," the boy's mother, Mara Germano, told Reuters.

Can you imagine the life of ridicule a child would or could face given the name of a day of the week?

"Oh Friday - where's Saturday?" springs to mind followed by other days of the week.

When the boy was about five months old, a city hall clerk brought the odd name to the attention of a tribunal, which informed the couple of an administrative norm which bars parents from giving "ridiculous or shameful" first names to children.

The tribunal said it was protecting the child from being the butt of jokes and added that it believed the name would hinder him from developing "serene interpersonal relationships".

The Germano family appealed but lost their case this month and the story was carried on the front page of a national newspaper on Tuesday.When ordered to change the name, the parents refused and the court ruled the boy would be legally registered as Gregory because he was born on that saint's feast day.

"I really doubt this would have happened to the child of parents who are rich and famous," the boy's mother told Reuters, recalling that some famous Italians had given their children unorthodox names such as "Ocean" or "Chanel".

The appeals court ruled against Friday because it recalled the servile savage in Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe and because superstitious Italians consider Friday an unlucky day."I am livid about this," the boy's mother said. "A court should not waste its time with things like this when there is so much more to worry about."My son was born Friday, baptised Friday, will call himself Friday, we will call him Friday but when he gets older he will have to sign his name Gregory," she said.

Basically, it comes down to whether or not the court has/had the right to tell parents what they can or cannot name their children. However, it makes you wonder what (if any) they will name subsequent children.

...NOTHING BUT THE TWOOTH...

Word going round is that Tweety, the famous bird who sings like a canary and the scoorge of Sylvester the cat, is all nervous and a-twitter these days. Seems that the bird along with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and his girlfriend, Daisy Duck - if you can believe it - were supposed to testify in a counterfeiting case. The famous duck couple were known to be all quacked up about having to testify under oath.

An Italian court ordered the animated bird, along with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and his girlfriend Daisy, to testify in a counterfeiting case. Although the 'toon trio were sent summons ordering them to testify on Friday in a trial in Naples, Italy, it's a clerical error.

Oh shoot! That would have been some testimony!

The court summons cites Titti, Paperino, Paperina, Topolino, the Italian names for the characters, as damaged parties in the criminal trial of a Chinese man accused of counterfeiting products of Disney and Warner Bros.

Instead of naming merely the companies and their legal representatives, clerks also listed the cartoon names, which decorate the toys and gadgets the man had reproduced.

According to Fiorenza Sorotto, vice president of Disney Company Italia, the characters won't be able to show up or testify.

Then again, if the cat got word that the bird was out of the cage, he could make his move against the bird. It would be the purrrrfect opportunity.

"It certainly pleased us that the characters were considered real, because that's what we try to do," Sorotto commented.

The Naples court will have to rewrite the summons, although this will probably delay the trial, said Disney lawyer Cristina Ravelli.

"Let's hope the characters will not be prosecuted for failing to appear," Ravelli quipped.

Calls seeking comment from Warner Bros. in Milan were not immediately returned. Phones at the Naples court were not answered Tuesday, however, when informed that she/he wouldn't be testifying, Tweety breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Good 'cause I tought I taw a puddy cat!"

Mickey, Donald and Daisy couldn't be reached for comment since it was nap time at the Toon Retirement Home.

So just where do Santa's reindeers live in off-season?

We all know where Santa lives in a comfy warm house along with Mrs. Claus, some elves and other assorted helpers, in the North Pole all year round. However, ever wonder where Santa's reindeer live? Also, just what specie of reindeer are these magical creatures, anyway?

The Alaska Fish and Game have the answers to this question in addition and other Santa related issues.

For example, in the "General Description and Differences Between Subspecies category, "among the common subspecies of reindeer, the largest bulls shed their antlers in late October and the small bulls and non-pregnant cows shed their antlers in April.

It is not known when or if Santa’s reindeer shed their antlers. We do know, from a few furtive sightings, that their antlers appear to be extremely velvety and robust in late December prior to their Christmas run. Santa’s reindeer also have the unique and remarkable ability to fly. The Claus’ have helped to further develop and condition this ability enabling them to fly great distances in a very short time period, provided they receive frequent carrot snacks."

Bet you didn't know that!

Anyway, there's a beautiful photographic image of Rudolph - the Rudoph:

http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/biggame/santasreindeer.php

FEELING CHILLY? TRY THE HEATED BRA!

Women living in cold climates or at least climates that experience winter for a good portion of the year, might welcome this new innovation or some would call it, gadget.

A leading lingerie company has joined Japan's fight against high fuel use, unveiling a heated bra for winter.

You read it right: a heated bra to keep your breasts nice and warm and cozy. Now how this fits into the big picture of fighting global warming is somewhat questionable.

The fluffy creation contains special pads filled with an eco-friendly gel that can be easily heated in a microwave oven or with a hot water bottle. The design also includes a furry boa designed to double as a winter scarf.

Lingerie giant Triumph unveiled the bra months after PM Junichiro Koizumi urged Japan's office workers to ditch ties to save on air conditioning.

Being padded, the new bra packs a little more bulk than most regular designs, but the Japanese arm of Triumph insisted the look was more chic than sheep.

Sheep?

"We hope this will not only help prevent global warming but also provide a little fashion chic to the office," the company said in a statement.

The bra, which comes only in white, also features a pendant shaped like a chili pepper dangling on its front.

Only in white? How unfashionable! And a chili pepper? The siginifigance one presumes is that the bra provides enough heat as when consuming a chili pepper. Or something similar... I dunno!

The boob warmer also comes with matching shorts but is not being offered for general sale and the two pieces are being promoted as a prototype product, the first step towards mass-producing eco-friendly clothing.

Japan's government is encouraging people not to set their domestic heating higher than 20C this winter, to reduce fuel consumption and conserve energy stocks.

During the summer, Mr Koizumi surprised Japan's traditionally well-dressed office workers by discarding his tie and urging his countrymen to do the same.

Just wondering how discarding a tie will help the environment. Perhaps it's a small effort to keep cool. Go know!

The drive to reduce air-conditioning use and thus greenhouse gas emissions was estimated to have saved enough power to supply 240,000 homes for a month.

Somehow and maybe it's just me but a bra that is heated in a microwave makes me a little nervous.

See a photo of the bra here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4420820.stm

For some interesting and fun postings on a variety of subjects, drop by the:

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ADAM SANDLER EXPRESSES HIS VIEW OF CHANUKAH IN SONG

For many Jews the holiday of Chanukah is the lighting of candles - 1 candle per day for 8 days - in a Chanukah menorah or candelabra and the playing of the dreidel game. It is also some good eating... Actually, many of Jewish-related activities includes food... Anyway, we're talking here about latkes or fried potato pancakes, jelly donuts(sufganiot)and other goodies.

However...if you wanna know what Chanukah is really about, watch this YouTube video with Adam Sandler and chorus. Enjoy - I do! Fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUFrt8oHbXQ&feature=related

PASSING GAS A NO-NO AT SOCIAL CLUB

Given all the serious problems in the world, this is really one for the "don't-they-have-anything-better-to-do" books.

A 77 year old pensioner no less, has been banned from his social club in Devon, England for passing gass or breaking wind as they say in jolly, old England. Here among friends we would say, he farted.

The victim/gas-ee, Maurice Fox, received a letter from the Kirkham Street Sports and Social Club in Panignton, advising him to consider his action, which club members believed was "disgusting."

Mr Fox said that the club letter was a surprise. I bet.

All of us at some time or the other have - well - passed gass unwillingly for various reasons. True it's not pleasant but it's a bodily function that we have no control over.

A club member for 20 years, Fox said, "I am happy to oblige them, there is no problem. I do get a bit windy - I am an old fart now."

He admitted to having to leave the club about three times a night.

In its letter,the club said: "After several complaints regarding your continual breaking of wind (farting) while in the club, would you please consider that your actions are considered disgusting to fellow members and visitors. You sit close to the front door, so would you please go outside when required. So please take heed of this request."

Presumably, he is expected to leave the room if he feels that a fart is on the way. Thing is it's difficult as many people will attest, to be able to differentiate a fart from just plain stomach rumbling.

Mr Fox, who lives nearby, said the letter was a surprise because he had been given no verbal warning.

He commented in his defence that although he makes a lot of noise, there is no odor.

"I think someone has complained about the noise. I am a loud farter, but there is no smell. I do not think it [the letter] is unreasonable. You get ladies in there."

Mr Fox also spends two days a week at the nearby Palace Place club, but said he had no complaints about flatulence there.

The club said there was no one available for comment.

Other than a social faux-pas, he hasn't committed anything that deserves being banned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7126973.stm

FLUSHED WITH EXCITEMENT - HAPPY WORLD'S TOILET DAY!

To some people the date November 19 is nothing out of the ordinary other than perhaps preparing for the annual Thanksgiving Day feast and a day of football...football...football for those of us who resent the fact that our favorite soaps are pre-emptied.

However...we would be remiss if we let this day pass without noting that it's...

WORLD TOILET DAY!!!

This is the one day of the year set aside to think about toilet issues. In recognition of the importance of toilets in our lives, a chain of restaurants in Taiwan have chosen toilets as their decorating theme. Why anyone would choose this symbol is a question worth pondering...

The seats in the [b]Modern Toilet[/b] restaurants are toilet shaped. I mean...imagine sitting to have a sandwich or whatever on a toilet! It begs the question or at least thought as to whether the seat is up or down. Why oh why would this be appealing to people, anyway? Napkins are dispensed on toilet rolls placed on tables.

Food containers are toilet or sinks and - um - the food is made to look like human waste. Again, why-oh-why would anyone choose a place that serves food to resemble doo-doo? Toilet issues, perhaps? I dunno!

http://www.cwwa.ca/internationalwaterdays_e.asp#toilet

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/071113/photos_ts/2007_11_13t163918_450x320_us_food_taiwan_toilet

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/lf/111407moderntoilet/im:/071113/photos_ts/2007_11_13t163802_450x301_us_food_taiwan_toilet

Happy World's Toilet Day, everyone!

Santas' told to "ha-ha-ha" instead of "ho-ho-ho" - political correctness gone awry!

If ever there was/is a "Gimme a Break" story - this is it.

Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Santa's traditional "ho-ho-ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women. Only "ha-ha-ha" will do.

Say what??????????????????????????????

You read it right! That jolly old elf himself, Santa Claus has been told not to "ho-ho-ho" when doing a fly over Australia.

One disgruntled Santa told a newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho-ho-ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.

Plllleeeze!

"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.

"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho-ho-ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she said when interviewed by a newspaper.

"Leave Santa alone."

Amen to that!

A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.

A more scary aspect of this is if the idea spreads outside Australia and Santas around the world will be allowed to ha-ha-ha only. Talk about PC gone awry!


More related articles:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22761386-2,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22736835-662,00.html

GHOSTLY APPEARANCE IN OHIO GAS STATION

Halloween is over but perhaps some ghosts aren't aware of this fact...or they want to linger for a while. Whatever...a gas station owner in Ohio is more than a little bit nervous about a grey-ish/blue-ish smokey apparition that was caught on his serveillance camera. The image, which has drawn attention to his gas station and more than likely resulted in a ka-chink-ka-chink increase in gas sales, is open to interpretation.

A new urban legend is born: the Ghostly Gas Station Visitor. Comments anyone?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2007/11/14/lai.gas.ghost.woio

BRITS HAVE SILLY LAWS IN THEIR BOOKS

There are laws... and there there are silly laws, which make you shake your head in wonderment. Most if not all of them fall into the humor and weird department.

It certainly could be said or written that Britain has some really "interesting" or perplexing laws in their books.

- It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (those feeling impending death should drag themselves outside or face the full force of the law)

- It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down (no mention of side-ways).

- In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store

- Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day

- In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter

- A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet

- The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen (and I'm sure the Queen has a vast collection of whale tails that she flips through, frequently)

- It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing ("my but you're wearing a beautiful suit/outfit, today!")

- It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour (unless there's a particularly hot topic under debate, perhaps)

- In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow (doesn't everyone carry bow and arrows on their person these days?)

No mention of the fines imposed on disobeying the rules.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071106/od_afp/britainlawsoffbeat


Writers and Friends
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TOILET EQUALITY OF THE SEXES

Being that November 19th, World Toilet Day, is almost upon (or beneath) us, couldn't help but note this news item. After all - using the toilet is part of our daily life. Right?

Seems that public bathrooms are an uncommon source of controversy with experts arguing over how their usage can avoid discrimination by class or sex.

Actually I have to confess it never entered my mind as to using the toilet being a discriminating act but then go know...

"In the USA, but also in many other parts of the world - including India ... issues having to do with human waste are taboo from public discussion. It is a last frontier," said Harvey Molotch, a professor of cultural analysis at New York University (NYU).

To be honest it's not a topic most likely many of us think about. Write about, however...

At a conference in New York City organised by NYU and the New York Architecture Centre, architects, sociologists, designers, activists, health officials and city leaders have gathered to discuss how the toilets of the future might be overhauled, and debate the potential civic and social effects.

The conference also saw the premiere of the film "Q2P", written and directed by India's Paromita Vohra.

The documentary, filmed in Mumbai with its title an abbreviation of "queue to pee," takes a long look - 55 minutes worth - at public facilities. The film depicts who uses public toilets including sexual, social and even caste nuances.

One (me) wonders the methodology used and who actually held the camera and whether or not said person(s) entered the hallowed internal world of the bathroom and/or stall.

The conference, "Outing the water closet," according to NYU, aims to reconsider and rebuild the public toilet.

Oh? Now bathrooms are being..."outed"? What were they before one wonders...

Parallel to the gathering in New York, some 170 delegates from dozens of countries were attending in India another international conference on access to bathrooms.

Non-governmental groups such as the German Toilet Organisation were to press their campaign for a universal right to clean lavatories, especially for women.

"Access to appropriate sanitation is a human right," reads one of the group's slogans. "It's time to break the 'toilet taboo'."

"This silence disables everyone to some degree, but particularly certain groups - women most clearly," Mr Molotch said of the taboos on discussing the issue in some countries.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/05/2081379.htm

MAD (VERY) COW OUTBREAK; PIG ABUSE...ANIMAL TALES

OWNER ACCUSES PET SITTER OF SWINE ABUSE

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!Perhaps - just perhaps - this is a case for going on a diet!

After asking a friend to take care of her pot-bellied pig while on medical leave, the owner of said pig wants to file abuse charges against the pet sitter. Seems that her pig who she named, Alaina Templeton's (interesting name for a pig) weight tripled while under the care of her friend or pet sitter. Her BPS (before pet sitter) weight was 22.5kg and nine months later the pig weighed in at 68kg and it took 4 hours to surgically remove the collar. Police are investigating whether Alaina Templeton was indeed the victim of abuse by neglect or over-feeding.

"That pig is my life," said the pig's owner, who has a tattoo of Alaina's name.

I dunno! Given the amount of people in the world who suffer from physical and/or psychological abuse in this world... Makes you wonder...

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=609&id=1739662007

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MAD (VERY) COW OUTBREAK

So a police officer in Sussex, England, has been hospitalized after being attacked by gang members. The members being particularly physical, butted and stamped on him while out walking his dog. Did I mention that the participants were a herd of 50 cows?

The officer, Inspector Chris Poole, received 4 broken ribs and a punctured lung as a result of the normally docile animals sudden urge to charge him. One angry cow charged him in the back forcing him to the ground, before the others members of the herd joined in.

Inspector Poole said he only managed to escape when Zak, his faithful golden retriever, ran away and the cows chased after it. Inspector Poole then managed to attract the attention of another dog walker, who called for an air ambulance.

However, this wasn't the end of his ordeal.

Three days later, while still in hospital, one of his broken ribs shifted out of place and severed an artery. Fortunately, this was detected in time or he might have died.

In warning other walkers, Inspector Poole advised walkers to give all cows a wide berth in future.

The RSPCA said cows could become protective of their young to the point of becoming aggressive, especially if a large dog was nearby.
Web links

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=609&id=1735302007


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WOMAN SWEARS AT TOILET AND GETS ARRESTED

There are times especially in trying circumstances, when yelling obscenities is the only means in which to vent one's frustrations. Frequently, the recipient of the obscenities can be an inanimate object, in which case it's merely a one-sided swearing situation with no one being hurt. Perhaps but not always.

Take the case of this woman who lives in Pennsylvania that is facing a jail sentence for shouting profanities at her over-flowing toilet. You read it right.

The female in question, one Dawn Herb, was in her own home in West Scranton when a neighbor who just happened to be a police officer by chance, heard her swearing through an open window. He responded by asking her to "keep it down" and when she continued her tirade, his police colleagues were called out and believe it or not, she was charged with disorderly conduct. She is now facing up to - wait for it - 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300.

I mean - c'mon! Gimme a break! First of all the lady...female was in the privacy of her own home. It wasn't as if the recipient of her verbal abuse was alive or anything. We're talking here about a toilet that backed up with water over-flowing on to the floor! Logically and perhaps this is the wrong term to use in this case, who was hurt? More to the point did the swearing affect the flow of the water one way or the other?

I think not!

There is no information available as to the price of a plumber to fix the situation, which would be added to that of her fine. All-in-all, it must have been a very trying experience for her. There is also no information whether the errant toilet was bought on sale. Not that it makes any difference...


http://www.sparkweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071016/NEWS/71016036

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=bizarre&id=5709833


Writers & Friends
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AND THE WINNERS ARE (AMONG OTHER) HOW TO EXTRACT VANILLA FROM COW DUNG

It brings a tear to the eyes - at least the prize handed out to Mayu Yamamoto, from Japan, who developed a method to extract vanilla fragrance and flavoring from cow dung. This is something the world has been waiting for!

The prize is among other - how shall we say - unusual awards known as the Ig Nobel Prize handed out by the Annals of Improbable Research in their ongoing quest to “celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative — and spur people’s interest in science, medicine and technology.”

O-kay. We'll drink to that. Actually, maybe not.

Among the other prize winners was a team at Quilmes National University in Argentina, who took home the honors in the aviation category for finding that - wait for it - hamsters given Viagra needed 50% less time to recover from a six-hour time zone change. This vital information should be of great interest to rodents that fly the friendly skies. I mean...really.

In the medical sphere, the prize for medicine went to radiologist Brian Witcombe at Gloucestershire Royal NHS foundation trust for his study of the vocational risks of sword swallowing Moreover, “sore throats - ’sword throats’ - occur when swallowers are learning, when performances are repeated frequently, or when odd-shaped or multiple swords are used,” he concluded. This conclusion is all the more interesting given the means in which they arrived at this. Who were the subjects and what were they given to partake in this experiment? Equally fascinating, are they still alive and what did they do with the leftover swords?

Juan Manuel Toro, Josep Trobalon and Núria Sebastián-Gallés, of Barcelona University, collected the linguistics Ig Nobel for showing that rats sometimes cannot tell the difference between a person speaking Japanese backwards and a person speaking Dutch backwards (but only sometimes!). Now this begs the question as to how the researchers actually found rats that understood Japanese AND Dutch and then determining if they could distinguish the difference when speaking Japanese and Dutch backwards/forwards... Oh who cares anyway!

Back state-side, the U.S. Air Force’s Wright Laboratory in Ohio took the peace prize for its 1994 research into a “gay bomb” that could deploy a chemical substance that would turn the enemy’s front lines into an orgy. Unlike most of the other winners, no one from the lab showed up for the presentation. Perhaps they were other-wise occupied one ponders?

The Biology honors went to Dr. Johanna van Bronswijk of the Netherlands for carrying out a census of all of the mites, insects, spiders, ferns and fungi that share our beds. No mention of numbers acquired in the mite research, which could be a good or bad sign. Then again there could have been duplication given their propensity to jump around. Was this research conducted world-wide or locally?

Now in as far as Economics go, here is something that has some merit or at least logic. Kuo Cheng Hsieh of Taiwan presumably patented a device that can catch bank robbers by dropping a net over them. Oh the inventiveness of this device!

Can't wait for next year's prizes. Got any ideas?

Writers & Friends
www.writersandfriends.org

STATE SENATOR SUES GOD

O-kay... let's see what we have here... A state senator is suing - wait for it - God. The God.

The senator in question, Sen. Ernie Chambers actually started the proceedings against God last week, claiming that he is trying to make the point that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody.

The defendant in a state senator's lawsuit is accused of causing untold death and horror and threatening to cause more still. He can be sued in Douglas County, the legislator claims, because He's everywhere. Furthermore, in his lawsuit, Chambers goes on to claim that God has made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Surrrrre. Of course...

The Omaha senator, who skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians, also says God has caused "fearsome floods ... horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes."

He's seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty.

Read it here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/18/national/main3271308.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._3271308

It will be interesting to see if the accused will respond to the lawsuit and whether or not a search warrant will be issued if he doesn't show up for trial...if it goes to trial.

Writers & Friends
www.writersandfriends.org

A FISH TALE WITH A HAPPY ENDING

So y'see...as it is in life, there was this male salmon who met a female salmon and they got along really well. So well that they decided they wanted to start a family but after a while and no eggs to speak of, they did what many human-types did: they found a surrogate parent...fish.

Researchers in Japan have put a new spin on surrogate parenting having engineered one fish species to produce another to preserve endangered fish. Scientists in Idaho are continuing this concept in an attempt to produce a sockeye salmon, highly endangered in the state, but using trout as surrogate parents.

Those first experiments, funded by a Japanese research institute, used still fairly plentiful species to develop the technique. Now comes Idaho's attempt to prove if the method is really useful in trying to produce the endangered sockeye salmon.

Last January, YoshiGoro Yoshizaki, a Tokyo University marine scientist who is leading the research helped University of Idaho scientists collect and freeze immature sperm tissue from young sockeye salmon being raised at a state-run hatchery. Next month, he'll be back to help thaw the tissue and implant it into sterile rainbow trout.

In Japan, Yoshizaki is focused on bluefin tuna, noting that standard "marine ranching" techniques are difficult for tuna that can reach man-size.

He has begun experiments into how to produce baby tuna from mackerel, which are nearly a thousand times smaller than adult tuna. If it works, "we can save space, cost and labor," he predicted in an e-mail interview.

Read about the entire cut-and-implant process here:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0058EF3E-E7F2-99DF-3C2EC5A22E22A477&chanID=sa007

I dunno. It's not nice to fool Mother Nature... I mean, at some point down the line, a trout just may receive the unexpected (and traumatic) news that his mama was a salmon. Or a tuna may discover it has mackeral-ish tendencies. Who knows where all of this can lead...


Writers & Friends
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HOLD THE SALT

If ever there was a news item that fit into this category - this is it. I mean - c'mon - gimme a break!

Get this... An employee who works for McDonalds, ended up spending the night in jail and what's more is facing criminal charges for - wait for it - a police officer's burger was too salty! What's more the cop is claiming that it made him sick. Some would say that fast food in general sometimes has that effect on people but I digress.

The McDonald's server was arrested last Friday and charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and freed on a $1000 bail.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2007-09-09-mcdonaldsburger_N.htm

In the way of an explanation the McD's server admits to accidentally spilling some salt on hamburger meat and informed her supervisior and a co-worker, who handled the problem by trying to remove the salt by "thumping it" whatever that entails.

Read the salty details here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2007-09-09-mcdonaldsburger_N.htm

Next thing you know somebody is going to claim that ketchup served was too tomato-y or the fries were the wrong color or the coffee was to hot... Hang on - somebody already sued for that. I mean, really...

PLANTS (MAY) LIKE CLASSICAL MUSIC

I knew it all along! Better be careful what you say in front of your house plant. Seems that scientists believe they have found "a set of sound-responsive genes in plants" in what other experts said would be an astonishing finding.

Astonishing maybe. Surprising not really according to an article focusing on this subject.

Plants are known to respond to light, temperature, touch and vibration, and the South Korean team, led by Dr Mi-Jeong Jeong, decided to investigate whether they could also respond to sound in some way.

They played classical music, such as Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Clair de Lune by Debussy and Winter from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, to a rice crop. The plants appeared unmoved.

Perhaps - just speculation now - rice prefers rock music...or even elevator-music-type stuff.

However, when single notes were played, the scientists noticed an effect on two genes known to respond to light, New Scientist magazine reports today. These became more active when exposed to a high-pitched sound and less active when a low one was played.

"As far as we know, this is the first report of characterisation of plant sound-responsive genes."
This might cast a different light on the comment by the Prince of Wales, who reportedly told a television interviewer in the mid-1980s: "I just come and talk to the plants, really. It's very important to talk. They respond, don't they?"

So the future King of England talks to plants so there has to be something to it. No? Then again, some people believe that some royals have been known to be - how shall we say - imaginative.

Dr Jeong's team plans to look into the matter further.

"I would be astonished if plants could tell the difference [between types of music]. But you never know," he said. "This would be of large interest to the plant community in general if it were true, but it's a very big claim."

Dr Wigge said vibration caused by sound waves might have something to do with the Korean team's results, but added the effect on the genes was so small it could also be "natural variation".

"We know plants are responsive to wind and sense touch and vibration, so that could be having an effect," he said.

Dr Wigge said people had looked "very hard" for decades for signs of something more to plants.
"There was a claim that plants were sensitive and they had feelings; plants had a mood and it depended on electrical currents," he said. "All these studies, unfortunately, have never panned out."

Those non plant-likers are so negative but we plant lovers know different. Mine like Justin Timberlake and Phil Collins. Don't ask how I know. I just do.

WHAT NEXT? POPCORN CAUSES POPCORN LUNG...MAYBE...COULD BE...

Is there nothing left in life to enjoy? Weight watchers have been told that two cups of popcorn is a healthy and less fattening snack food and recommended for people on a diet. Now researchers are telling us that butter-flavored popcorn may be bad for our health. I mean - c'mon! Popcorn and movies are like...sacred, almost!

The public is being warned by lung specialists that not only factory workers could be in danger as a result of the fumes from buttery-flavored microwave popcorn, in a letter issued by federal regulars from a physician at a leading lung research hospital.

Oh? Somebody is getting research funds to study popcorn and I wasn't asked to participate?


A pulmonary specialist at Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center has written to federal agencies reporting that doctors working there believe they have the first case of a consumer who developed lung disease from the fumes of microwaving popcorn several times a day for years.

This begs at least from my perspective, the question as to how many of us actually eat pop popcorn several times a day? This person obviously had a popcorn addiction that went untreated for many years for this to occur. Perhaps had she/he been weaned away... But I digress.

"We cannot be sure that this patient's exposure to butter flavored microwave popcorn from daily heavy preparation has caused his lung disease," cautioned Dr. Cecile Rose. "However, we have no other plausible explanation."

The July letter, made public Tuesday by a public health policy blog, refers to a potentially fatal disease commonly called popcorn lung that has been the subject of lawsuits by hundreds of workers at food factories exposed to chemicals used for flavouring.

Note there is no Latin term as yet for the new syndrome. Popcornus lungitis bad-forus springs to mind.

In response to Rose's finding, the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association issued a statement Tuesday recommending that its members reduce "to the extent possible" the amount of diacetyl in butter flavourings they make. It noted that diacetyl is approved for use in flavours by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

One national popcorn manufacturer, Weaver Popcorn Co. of Indianapolis, said last week it would replace the butter flavouring ingredient because of consumer concern. Congress has also been debating new safety measures for workers in food processing plants exposed to diacetyl.
The FDA said in an e-mail it is evaluating Rose's letter and "carefully considering the safety and regulatory issues it raises."

Fred Blosser, spokesman for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, said it is the first case the institute has seen of lung disease apparently linked to popcorn fumes outside the workplace.

A spokesman for National Jewish Medical, confirmed the letter was sent by Rose, a specialist in occupational and environmental lung diseases and director of the hospital's Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic.

"There have been no other cases that we know of other than the industrial occupational ones," Allstetter said.

Rose acknowledged in the letter that it is difficult to confirm through one case that popping buttered microwave popcorn at home can cause lung disease. However, she said she wanted to alert regulators of the potential public health implications.

Perhaps if we don't inhale...

Rose said the ailing patient, a man whom she wouldn't identify, consumed "several bags of extra butter flavoured microwave popcorn" every day for several years. He described progressively worsening respiratory symptoms of coughing and shortness of breath. Tests found his ability to exhale was deteriorating, Rose said, although his condition seemed to stabilize after he quit using microwave popcorn.

Read an up-close-and-personal story about the man who has allegedly experienced first-hand the effects of popcorn lung here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/06/health/main3239379.shtml

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