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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 9:11 am
Hope it's okay to put this here, as I didn't really see a category. The NEWS section is all serious items. I thought maybe unusual and funny stories could be posted here. HOBE SOUND, FLA Most people would rather avoid a wild four-foot-long alligator swimming in the Loxahatchee River, especially during mating season. Not Jupiter boat captain Scott Sweeney. According to state park police, Sweeney let his teenage son jump in the water, wrestle an alligator into their fishing boat, then-as his son posed with the gator-began taking pictures. "That's my boy-14 years old and no fear," Sweeney was quoted as telling witnesses. On Monday, Sweeney, 52, was arrested and released from jail, facing felony counts of illegal possession and capture of an alligator and child abuse. It is illegal in Florida to capture, transport or harass an alligator without a permit. -Scripps Howard This guy should have been denied a permit to have any kids, methinks!
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 9:25 am
This is a good idea, Rupert! Here's a bit of n(EW!)s: Used Underwear...Get Your Used Underwear... May 27, 7:49 am ET By Christine Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the latest act of sanitizing New York's mean streets, lawmakers want to rid the city of a scourge most people are not even aware of -- previously worn lingerie being sold as new merchandise. Council members are mulling the proposed legislation after watching a local television news broadcast which claimed leading department stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's, had tried to resell returned undergarments. Under current law, stores do not have to state whether undergarments on sale, including women's panties and thongs, have been bought and returned, although certain stores have developed their own policies. "This is a major consumer and health issue in that the amount of bacteria that can be transported from one person to another in just one wearing can be a health hazard," said council member Tony Avella. "When you talk about it people start to giggle as it is a tough subject to discuss." Spokeswoman Elina Kazan said Macy's does not sell worn undergarments and posts signs in changing rooms that intimate apparel should not be tried on for size on top of bare skin. "We train our associates to inspect the merchandise upon return and if in salable condition, return it to the sales floor," she said. "Any items that are soiled ... are not returned to the floor." The council plans further discussions to decide if the bill should exclude brassieres, undershirts, socks and bathing suits, before being put to a council vote later this year. Saks did not return calls for comment. Donald Halperin of the New York Metropolitan Retailers Association said the issue was mainly about women's undergarments because women care more about such issues more than men.
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Jed245
Member
11-01-2002
| Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 10:05 am
Hey Rupertbear. :o) Great thread... hmm I should have thought of this one hehe :o) and ofcourse I have a story to add. :o) Monday, May 31, 2004 LAKESIDE, Ohio - An Ohio high school honor student was suspended for throwing a pie in the principal's face, after winning a school-sponsored contest to throw a pie in the principal's face. The student allegedly threw the pie at Danbury High School Principal Karen Abbott's head too hard and has been expelled until winter. He might even face criminal charges since the principal's assault complaint has been referred to prosecutors. Apparently, he threw the pie so forcefully that it caused Abbott's head to snap back. The parents of the boy are appealing the expulsion and argue that his grade point average is above 3.4 and his education is at stake. The pie-throwing event was part of a fund- raiser for the American Cancer Society.
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Friday, May 28, 2004 - 1:15 am
That's insane. The principal obviously agreed to have a pie thrown in her face beforehand, she took the risk upon herself! Way to teach the kids about personal responsibility.
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Sanfranjoshfan
Member
09-17-2000
| Friday, May 28, 2004 - 12:19 pm
Man Commits Suicide After Sex with Hen Link May 28, 10:51 am ET LUSAKA (Reuters) - A 50-year-old Zambian man has hanged himself after his wife found him having sex with a hen, police said Friday. The woman caught him in the act when she rushed into their house to investigate a noise. "He attempted to kill her but she managed to escape," a police spokesman said. The man from the town of Chongwe, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Lusaka, killed himself after being admonished by other villagers. The hen was slaughtered after the incident
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Rache
Member
05-20-2004
| Friday, May 28, 2004 - 12:30 pm
I hope it wasn't slaughtered for food.... EWWWW
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Monday, May 31, 2004 - 4:26 pm
Not unusual...more in the line of, "It's about time." I've seen programs on tv about this and I think it would be your worst nightmare! *********************** Really Under During Surgery? Monitor Can Tell Fri 28 May, 2004 19:27 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Horror stories abound of surgery patients being aware they're being operated on, but unable to move or say anything. A new type of monitoring should help prevent that happening. For every 1000 patients operated on, it's thought that up to 2 become aware during surgery. This can be reduced, an Australian study suggests, by monitoring brain patterns during the operation to guide the administration of general anesthesia. Monitoring the "bispectral index" (BIS) of brain EEG patterns indicates the depth of anesthesia and helps the anesthesiologist make adjustments, according to Dr. Paul S. Myles from the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and colleagues. However, they note in this week's issue of The Lancet medical journal, the value of BIS "as a monitor for awareness has not previously been assessed in a randomized trial." To investigate, the team randomly assigned 2463 surgery patients to BIS-guided anesthesia or standard care. The patients were questioned about their awareness of the procedure a few hours, one day, and one month after surgery by a researcher who did not know which group they were in. There were two reports of awareness in the BIS group compared with 11 in the standard care group, meaning that BIS-guided anesthesia reduced the risk of awareness by 82 percent. "BIS monitoring had little effect on the time needed to recover from general anesthesia, as measured by eye opening, and no measurable effect on the risks of postoperative complications," the team notes. They conclude, based on their results, that "greater use of BIS monitoring is warranted." This study is a "great advance," two clinicians from Sweden write in an editorial. "In addition to immediate suffering due to pain and anxiety, other psychological symptoms, or even post-traumatic stress disorder, might follow after awareness," Drs. Claes Lennmarken from University Hospital in Linkoping and Rolf Sandin from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm comment. "Clearly the data show that cerebral monitoring has the potential to further reduce the rate of awareness compared with traditional measures," they write. SOURCE: Lancet, May 29, 2004.
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Monday, May 31, 2004 - 9:06 pm
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A member of Greenland's local parliament charged with breaking into a hotel and stealing liquor will plead "self-defense" because it was cold outside, national KNR radio reported on Friday. Jensine Berthelsen of the liberal Atassut party said she had had to force her way into the hotel in the west coast town of Sisimiut. "It was cold and there was no other way to get in," she told the radio. Police gave her the choice of a fine or going to court and Berthelsen opted for a trial. "If I pay the fine it amounts to declaring myself guilty, and I don't think I am," she said. Most of the vast Arctic island, which belongs to Denmark but has limited self-rule under a local parliament, is covered by a layer of ice up to 3 km (1.8 miles) thick. The report did not say when the trial would start. Umm...how bout picking up a phone? Or trying another hotel? Or calling the police? Or going back to wherever you were before you got to the hotel? Or 10,000 other things?
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Sanfranjoshfan
Member
09-17-2000
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 8:51 am
Forget Splitting Atoms, Split a Banana for Energy Jun 1, 9:51 am ET SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian scientists have discovered what sportsmen and women around the world have known for years: bananas are a great source of instant energy. A new government-funded study is investigating the possibility of harnessing bruised or spoilt bananas -- deemed not worth selling to consumers -- to provide energy for 500 homes. "It's not a hoax," Australian Banana Growers' Council Chief Executive Tony Heidrich said on Tuesday. Reminiscent of the pig-powered town in the futuristic movie Mad Max Thunderdome, bananas would be combined with bacteria to produce methane. Pipes would take the gas to a turbine which could be plugged into the main electricity grid. "It's like a big stomach. You open the lid, you put the stuff in and seal the lid and...away you go," said Heidrich by telephone from the nation's banana-growing state of Queensland. "Essentially it's just like a big composting bin. It's a waste product and currently we're not doing anything else with it. This would harness the electrical capacity that it can bring," he said. However, Heidrich said other fruit-powered homes, such as apricot, pineapple or kiwi-fruit, were unlikely anytime soon. "Initially I think they'll stick to bananas but potentially you could use other fruit," he said. Ethanol from sugar cane has already been tested for commercial energy use and the husks of Australia's native Macadamia nuts have been used as fuel to make electricity.
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Rache
Member
05-20-2004
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 1:09 pm
Won't it be amazing when this world can take all of it's waste and reuse and recycle to create energy, fuel, etc. I bet this world would be a lot more peaceful and a cleaner place
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 12:11 am
No doubt, Rache.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 2:02 pm
I don't agree with this in the least...I got the small news clip from newsroups but I also saw it on the news last night. From morning Studio Briefing: An Illinois-based theater chain, GKC Theatres, has begun issuing special "R-Cards" to teenagers, which allows them to see R-rated movies, ABC News reported Tuesday. In order to receive one of the cards, an adult guardian must come to the box office, fill out a form in which they say they approve of the teenager's attending an R-rated film, and pay a $2 fee. But outgoing MPAA President Jack Valenti has expressed opposition to the cards, saying: "I think it distorts and ruptures the intent of this voluntary film ratings system. All R-rated films are not alike."
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Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 6:36 pm
I tried to post this under TV Shows/"Curb Your Enthusiasm". For those who don't watch it, it is an HBO show created by Larry David (Seinfeld). However, for some reason I wasn't able to post it there. Maybe because CYE was an archived thread? A rather unusual story I just heard on the news: One of CYE's episodes got a guy out of prison. There is an episode where Larry goes to the Dodger game. He sees his friend there and tries to take his friend's "extra seat" from him. Anyway, there was a murder in the Los Angeles area (Sun Valley). A man was accused of the woman's murder and was sent to prison. He had been in prison for 6 months. He insisted he was at the game. His attorney contacted HBO. Apparently, it had been discovered HBO was filming there that day. Luckily, the "murderer's" seat was a few rows above the filming area. The attorney was able to find a shot that showed the man with his daughter (on the "cutting room floor") at the game ,at the time of the murder. So, after seeing the tape, the judge released the guy from prison. eta: i just realized that i probably should have found a news link to this story (instead of just telling what i heard on the news). sorry.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 6:40 pm
Wow, Abby...that is absolutely amazing. Now Larry David could do an episode about this whole event. ;)
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Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 6:42 pm
Rupertbear, thanks for starting this thread. I thought the SAME THING about Larry David. You JUST KNOW he'll have to do an episode about it. I love this show.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 7:04 pm
It's funny Abby...sometimes you have something to post and you don't know where to 'stick it'...well, now it can go here. ;) I've never seen the show, only heard good things about it, like when Colby was on...what a funny premise. 
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 8:38 pm
I saw this story too and it struck me as very sad when someone offers up his ticket stubs, witnesses to confirm his alibi and he is still charged with murder. I am sure that Larry David is probably going to do a whole episode about this. I can just picture him having a conversation with the wife and trying to recall the suspect.
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Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 8:59 pm
I agree Maris. I decided not to point that part of the story here. (what you mentioned). First off, I wasn't even sure if this was the right "spot" to post this story. I realize it is not a funny story when you really take a look at it. Just trying to keep things light on this thread.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 7:47 am
Well, I guess I really did mean 'unusual' news items for this thread, Abby and it most certainly qualifies. When I mentioned about 'serious' news items, well I guess I meant political, military and human rights are the main area of interest in the news section. Maybe some people wouldn't necessarily look there for 'different' types of news. 
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 10:04 am
I was just making a comment, wasnt trying to hijack the subject.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 10:16 am
Lol....no way Maris...not at all kiddo (((hugs)))
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 6:53 pm
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=5334652 He'd Better Hope He Doesn't Get Sick Thu Jun 3, 2004 08:58 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - A British man with a fetish for medical items has become the first person to be banned from every hospital in England and Wales, the government said on Wednesday. Unemployed Norman Hutchins, 53, has harassed and abused medical staff more than 40 times since January in his quest for surgical masks and gowns, a court in the northern city of York was told. The court banned him from all private and state-run National Health Service hospitals and doctors' and dentists' offices. Hutchins tried to obtain medical items by feigning illness, or claiming to need them for a fancy dress run or an amateur play, the Times newspaper reported. "(He has) caused harassment, alarm and distress to NHS staff when attempting to obtain gowns and surgical masks in person or on the phone," an NHS spokesman said in a statement. More than 30 local health organizations banned him with civil injunctions, but Hutchins kept moving to new areas. Hutchins' lawyer Harry Bayman said his client "was not a well man," but accepted the court's decision. If he needs medical treatment, Hutchins will be allowed to visit hospitals or doctors under strictly controlled conditions or with prior written consent.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 7:13 pm
Bank Robber Breaks Back in to Return Cash Tue Jun 8, 2004 09:13 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - A British robber who stole 115,000 pounds ($211,300) in cash from a bank broke back in a week later to give most of it back, police said on Tuesday. The thief got into the Barclays Bank in east London, smashed a window and helped himself to the cash in the ATM machine. A week later baffled staff called detectives to say the robber had returned 104,000 pounds. "We were contacted by staff saying a large amount of cash had been found in a black bag in the premises," a police spokesman said. Police are probing whether the bizarre double break-in, thought to be unique in Britain, was an inside job, the Sun newspaper said. "We know we offer cashback facilities but we didn't expect anything like this," a Barclays insider told the paper. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=5372107
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 7:40 pm
F*cking Villagers Vote Against Name Change Residents of an Austrian village called F*cking, have voted against changing the name. The 150 or so people who live in the village debated the issue after roadsigns kept being stolen - many by British tourists. Spokesman Siegfried Hoeppl, said: "Everyone here knows what it means in English, but for us F*cking is F*cking - and it's going to stay F*cking - even though the signs keep getting stolen." He said the name came from Mr F*ck and his family who settled in the area 100 years ago, and added "ing", meaning village or settlement. The villagers didn't find out about the English meaning of the word until Allied soldiers stationed in the region in 1945 pointed out the alternative meaning. Local newspaper editor Menhardt Buzasa said there had been an increase in the number of signs being stolen, and said British tourists were usually blamed. "I do not agree it is just the British. F*cking is universal. Germans use it as much now as the British, and it also means the same to the Americans, Australians and anyone in the English speaking world," he said. Similar votes on a name change have taken place recently in neighbouring Austrian towns Wank am see and Petting, as well as in Vomitville and Windpassing. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_981264.html?menu=news.quirkies
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 8:14 pm
LOL at the people stealing the signs!
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